The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 13 · Aphorisms 127–132

   ¶ 127⋯
   كُنْbe (imperative)بِأَوْصَافِto the attributesرُبُوبِيَّتِهِof His lordshipمُتَعَلِّقًاattached, clingingوَبِأَوْصَافِand in the attributesعُبُودِيَّتِكَof your servanthoodمُتَحَقِّقًاtruly realized, embodying

   Be attached to the attributes of His lordship, and be truly realized in the attributes of your servanthood.

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2. ¶ 128⋯
   مَنَعَكَHe forbade youأَنْto (that)تَدَّعِىَlay claim toمَاwhatلَيْسَis notلَكَyoursمِمَّاamong what (belongs)لِلْمَخْلُوقِينَto created beingsأَفَيُبِيحُwould He then permitلَكَyouأَنْto (that)تَدَّعِىَlay claim toوَصْفَهُHis attributeوَهُوَwhen He isرَبُّLordالْعَالَمِينَof the worlds

   He has forbidden you to lay claim to what is not yours among the things that belong to created beings; would He then permit you to lay claim to His attribute, when He is the Lord of the worlds?

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3. ¶ 129⋯
   كَيْفَhow (rhetorical)تُخْرَقُbe broken, piercedلَكَfor youالعَوَائِدُcustomary things; natural orderوَأَنْتَwhile youلَمْhave notتَخْرِقْbroken, torn throughمِنْwithin, fromنَفْسِكَyour own self (ego)العَوَائِدَhabits, customs

   How should the customary order be broken open for you, when you have not broken the customs within your own self?

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4. ¶ 130⋯
   مَاnot (negation)الشَّأْنُthe matter, what countsوُجُودُexistence, presence ofالطَّلَبِasking, petitioningاِنَّمَاonly, ratherالشَّأْنُthe matter, what countsأَنْthatتُرْزَقَyou be grantedحُسْنَexcellence, goodness ofالْاَدَبِcomportment, courtesy

   What matters is not that there be asking; what matters is only that you be granted good comportment (adab).

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5. ¶ 131⋯
   مَاnothing (negation)طَلَبَsought, pleadedلَكَon your behalfشَئٌthingمِثْلُlike, as much asالِاضْطِرَارِdire need, compulsionوَلَاand nothingأَسْرَعَmore swiftly broughtبِالْمَوَاهِبِ(divine) giftsاِلَيْكَto youمِثْلُlike, as much asالذِّلَّةِabasement, lowlinessوَالِافْتِقَارِneed of God, poverty

   Nothing pleads on your behalf like dire need, and nothing brings gifts to you more swiftly than abasement and need of God.

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6. ¶ 132⋯
   لَوْwere (it that)أَنَّكَthat youلَاnotتَصِلُyou arriveاِلَيْهِat Himاِلَّاexcept, onlyبَعْدَafterفَنَاءِpassing away, extinctionمَسَاوِيكَyour vices, bad qualitiesوَمَحْوِand effacementدَعَاوِيكَyour claims, pretensionsلَمْnot (past negation)تَصِلْyou would arriveاِلَيْهِat Himأَبَدًاever, neverوَلَكِنْbutاِذَاwhenأَرَادَHe wishesأَنْtoيُوصِلَكَbring you (to arrive)اِلَيْهِto HimغَطَّىHe coversوَصْفَكَyour attributeبِوَصْفِهِwith His attributeوَنَعْتَكَand your qualityبِنَعْتِهِwith His qualityفَوَصَّلَكَso He brings youاِلَيْهِto Himبِمَاby whatمِنْهُ(comes) from Himاِلَيْكَto youلَاnotبِمَاby whatمِنْكَ(goes) from youاِلَيْهِto Him

   Were you to arrive at Him only after your vices had passed away and your claims had been effaced, you would never arrive at Him. But when He wishes to bring you to Him, He covers your attribute with His attribute and your quality with His quality, and so brings you to Him by what comes from Him to you, not by what goes from you to Him.

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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.