The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 12 · Aphorisms 113–126

   ¶ 113⋯
   لَاnot, noneيَسْتَحْقِرُholds in contemptالْوِرْدَthe daily litanyاِلَّاجَهُولٌexcept one thoroughly ignorantالْوَارِدُthe inrushيُوجَدُis foundفِىinالدَّارِthe abodeالْآخِرَةِthe hereafter, to comeوَالْوِرْدُand the litanyيَنْطَوِىis folded awayبِانْطِوَاءِwith the folding awayهَذِهِthisالدَّارِabode (this world)وَأَوْلَىand most worthyمَاof whatيُعْتَنَىis attended toبِهِ(to) itمَاthat whichلَاnotيُخْلَفُis made up, replacedوُجُودُهُits existenceالْوِرْدُthe litanyهُوَHeطَالِبُهُasks itمِنْكَof youوَالْوَارِدُand the inrushأَنْتَyouتَطْلُبُهُask itمِنْهُof Himوَأَيْنَand how compareمَاwhatهُوَHeطَالِبُهُasks itمِنْكَof youمِمَّاwith whatهُوَit (is)مَطْلَبُكَyour requestمِنْهُof Him

   None but a thoroughly ignorant person holds the daily litany in contempt. The inrush will still be found in the abode to come, while the litany is folded away when this abode is folded away. The thing most worth attending to is that whose existence cannot be made up once it is lost. The litany is what He asks of you; the inrush is what you ask of Him. And how far above what you ask of Him is what He asks of you!

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2. ¶ 114⋯
   وُرُودُarrival, coming downالْاِمْدَادِreplenishments, divine suppliesبِحَسَبِin proportion toالِاسْتِعْدَادِpreparedness, receptivityوَشُرُوقُand the dawningالْاَنْوَارِlightsعَلَىaccording toحَسَبِmeasure, proportionصَفَاءِpurity, clearnessالْاَسْرَارِinnermost hearts, secrets

   The arrival of divine replenishments is in proportion to [the servant's] preparedness, and the dawning of lights is according to the purity of the innermost hearts (asrār).

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3. ¶ 115⋯
   الْغَافِلُthe heedless oneاِذَاwhenأَصْبَحَrises in the morningيَنْظُرُlooks to, considersمَاذَاwhatيَفْعَلُhe will doوَالْعَاقِلُand the intelligent oneيَنْظُرُlooks to, considersمَاذَاwhatيَفْعَلُwill doاللّٰهُGodبِهِwith him

   When the heedless man rises in the morning, he considers what he will do; the man of understanding considers what God will do with him.

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4. ¶ 116⋯
   اِنَّمَاonly (restrictive)يَسْتَوْحِشُfeel estranged, shrink fromالْعُبَّادُthe devout worshippersوَالزُّهَّادُand the renunciantsمِنْfromكُلِّeveryشَئٍthingلِغَيْبَتِهِمْbecause of their absenceعَنِfromاللَّهِGodفِىinكُلِّeveryشَئٍthingفَلَوْso were (they)شَهِدُوهُthey witnessed Himفِىinكُلِّeveryشَئٍthingلَمْ(would) notيَسْتَوْحِشُواfeel estrangedمِنْfromشَئٍanything

   The devout worshippers and the renunciants feel estranged from everything only because they are absent from God in everything. Were they to witness Him in everything, they would feel estranged from nothing.

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5. ¶ 117⋯
   أَمَرَكَHe commanded youفِىinهَذِهِthisالدَّارِabode (this world)بِالنَّظَرِto look, contemplateفِىupon, intoمُكَوَّنَاتِهِHis created beingsوَسَيَكْشِفُand He will unveilلَكَto youفِىinتِلْكَthatالدَّارِabode (the hereafter)عَنْ(unveil) ofكَمَالِperfection (root k-m-l)ذَاتِهِHis Essence

   In this abode He has commanded you to look upon the things He has brought into being; in that abode He will unveil to you the perfection of His Essence.

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6. ¶ 118⋯
   عَلِمَHe knewمِنْكَof youأَنَّكَthat youلَاnotتَصْبِرُyou endure, bear patientlyعَنْهُwithout Him, apart from Himفَأَشْهَدَكَso He made you witnessمَاwhatبَرَزَissued forth, appearedمِنْهُfrom Him

   He knew of you that you cannot bear to be without Him, so He made you witness what has issued forth from Him.

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7. ¶ 119⋯
   لَمَّاsince, whenعَلِمَknewالْحَقُّthe Real (God)مِنْكَin you (from you)وُجُودَpresence, existenceالْمَلَلِweariness, tediumلَوَّنَvaried, diversifiedلَكَfor youالطَّاعَاتِacts of obedienceوَعَلِمَand He knewمَاwhatفِيكَin youمِنْof (explicative)وُجُودِpresence, existenceالشَّرَهِgreed, avidityفَحَجَرَهَاso He barred themعَلَيْكَto you, against youفِىat, inبَعْضِcertain, someالْأَوْقَاتِtimesلِيَكُونَso that ... beهَمُّكَyour concernاِقَامَةَestablishing, upholdingالصَّلَاةِthe prayerلَاnotوُجُودَmere occurrence, existenceالصَّلَاةِthe prayerفَمَاfor notكُلُّeveryمُصَلٍّone who praysمُقِيمٌone who establishes

   Since the Real knew that weariness exists in you, He varied the acts of obedience for you; and since He knew the greed that is in you, He barred them to you at certain times, so that your concern would be the establishing of the prayer, not merely the prayer's taking place. For not everyone who prays establishes it.

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8. ¶ 120⋯
   الصَّلَاةُthe ritual prayerطُهْرَةٌa purificationلِلْقُلُوبِfor heartsمِنْfromأَدْنَاسِdefilements, stainsالذُّنُوبِof sinsوَاسْتِفْتَاحٌand an openingلِبَابِof the doorالْغُيُوبِto the unseen realms

   The ritual prayer is a purification for hearts from the defilements of sins, and an opening of the door to the unseen worlds.

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9. ¶ 121⋯
   الصَّلَاهُthe ritual prayerمَحَلُّplace, locusالْمُنَاجَاهِintimate converseوَمَعْدِنُand the mine, sourceالْمُصَافَاهِmutual sincerity, purityتَتَّسِعُopen wide, expandفِيهَاin itمَيَادِينُfields, arenasالْأَسْرَارِthe innermost secretsوَتُشْرِقُand break forthفِيهَاin itشَوَارِقُdawning raysالْأَنْوَارِthe lights

   The ritual prayer is the place of intimate converse and the mine of mutual sincerity: in it the fields of the innermost secrets open wide, and in it the dawning rays of the lights break forth.

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10. ¶ 122⋯
    عَلِمَHe knewوُجُودَpresence, existenceالضَّعْفِthe weaknessمِنْكَin youفَقَلَّلَso He lessenedأَعْدَادَهَاtheir numbersوَعَلِمَand He knewاحْتِيَاجَكَyour needاِلَىof, forفَضْلِهِHis bountyفَكَثَّرَso He multipliedأَمْدَادَهَاtheir supplies, replenishments

    He knew the weakness present in you, so He made their number [the acts of obedience] few; and He knew your need of His bounty, so He made the supplies they bring abundant.

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11. ¶ 123⋯
    مَتَىwheneverطَلَبْتَyou seekعِوَضًاa recompense, rewardعَلَىfor, in return forعَمَلٍa (pious) workطُولِبْتَyou are called to accountبِوُجُودِfor the presenceالصِّدْقِsincerity, truthfulnessفِيهِin itوَيَكْفِىand it sufficesالْمُرِيبَthe one in doubtوِجْدَانُfinding, attainingالسَّلَامَةِsafety, coming away unscathed

    Whenever you seek a recompense for a work, you will be called to account for the presence of sincerity in it. For the one in doubt of himself, it is enough to come away unscathed.

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12. ¶ 124⋯
    لَاdo notتَطْلُبْseekعِوَضًاrecompense, compensationعَلَىforعَمَلٍa workلَسْتَyou are notلَهُof itفَاعِلًاthe doerيَكْفِىit sufficesمِنَby way ofالْجَزَاءِreward, requitalلَكَfor youعَلَىforالْعَمَلِthe workأَنْthatكَانَHe has (been)لَهُof itقَابِلًاaccepting (it)

    Do not seek recompense for a work of which you are not the doer. It is reward enough for you for the work that He has accepted it.

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13. ¶ 125⋯
    اِذَاwhenأَرَادَHe wishes, willsأَنْto (that)يُظْهِرَmake manifest, displayفَضْلَهُHis bountyعَلَيْكَtoward you, upon youخَلَقَHe creates (the act)وَنَسَبَand ascribes, attributesاِلَيْكَto you

    When He wishes to make His bounty toward you manifest, He creates [the deed] and ascribes it to you.

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14. ¶ 126⋯
    لَاthere is noنِهَايَةَend, limitلِمَذَامِّكَyour blameworthy traitsاِنْifأَرْجَعَكَHe turned you backاِلَيْكَto yourselfوَلَاand notتَفْرُغُrun out, are exhaustedمَدَائِحُكَyour praiseworthy traitsاِنْifأَظْهَرَHe made manifestجُودَهُHis generosityعَلَيْكَupon you

    There is no end to your blameworthy traits if He turns you back over to yourself; and your praiseworthy traits never run out if He makes His generosity manifest upon you.

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Translations, word glosses and term notes are AI-generated (Claude) and marked as such; no published translation is reproduced.Word analysis is automatic (CAMeL Tools), guided by the text's vowelling. How this text was established.