The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 14 · Aphorisms 133–143

   ¶ 133⋯
   لَوْلَاwere it not forجَمِيلُbeauty, gracious kindnessسَتْرِهِHis veiling (of faults)لَمْnot (negating past)يَكُنْwould beعَمَلٌwork, pious deedأَهْلًاworthy, fitلِلْقَبُولِfor acceptance (by God)

   Were it not for the beauty of His veiling, no work would be fit for acceptance.

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2. ¶ 134⋯
   أَنْتَyouاِلَىof (in need of)حِلْمِهِHis forbearanceاِذَاwhenأَطَعْتَهُyou obey Himأَحْوَجُmore in needمِنْكَthan youاِلَىof (in need of)حِلْمِهِHis forbearanceاِذَاwhenعَصَيْتَهُyou disobey Him

   You are more in need of His forbearance when you obey Him than you are of His forbearance when you disobey Him.

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3. ¶ 135⋯
   السِّتْرُveiling, covering (of faults)عَلَىis ofقِسْمَيْنِtwo kindsسِتْرٌa veilingعَنِfrom (kept away from)الْمَعْصِيَةِsin, disobedienceوَسِتْرٌand a veilingفِيهَاwithin it (while committing)فَالْعَامَّةُso the common folkيَطْلُبُونَthey askمِنَof, fromاللهِGodتَعَالَىMost Highالسِّتْرَveilingفِيهَاwithin itخَشْيَةَfearing, out of dreadسُقُوطِfalling, lossمَرْتَبَتِهِمْtheir rank, standingعِنْدَamong, in the eyes ofالْخَلْقِcreatures, peopleوَالْخَاصَّةُand the electيَطْلُبُونَthey askمِنَof, fromاللهِGodالسِّتْرَveilingعَنْهَاfrom itخَشْيَةَfearing, out of dreadسُقُوطِهِمْtheir fallingمِنْfromنَظَرِregard, gazeالْمَلِكِthe Kingالْحَقِّthe Real

   Veiling is of two kinds: a veiling from sin, and a veiling within it. The common folk ask God Most High for veiling within sin, fearing the loss of their standing among creatures; the elect ask God for veiling from sin, fearing to fall from the regard of the King, the Real.

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4. ¶ 136⋯
   مَنْwhoeverأَكْرَمَكَhonours youاِنَّمَاonly, nothing butأَكْرَمَhonoursفِيكَin youجَمِيلَthe beauty ofسِتْرِهِHis veiling (of you)فَالْحَمْدُso praise (is due)لِمَنْto the One whoسَتَرَكَveiled you (root s-t-r)لَيْسَis notالْحَمْدُpraiseلِمَنْto the one whoأَكْرَمَكَhonoured youوَشَكَرَكَand thanked you

   Whoever honours you is honouring in you nothing but the beauty of His veiling. So praise is due to the One who veiled you, not to the one who honoured you and thanked you.

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5. ¶ 137⋯
   مَاnot, none (negation)صَحِبَكَhas kept you companyاِلَّاexceptمَنْthe one whoصَحِبَكَkeeps you companyوَهُوَwhile heبِعَيْبِكَof your fault(s)عَلِيمٌfully knowingوَلَيْسَand is notذٰلِكَthat (one)اِلَّاother than, exceptمَوْلَاكَyour Master, Lordالْكَرِيمَthe Generousخَيْرُthe best ofمَنْthose whomتَصْحَبُyou keep company withمَنْthe one whoيَطْلُبُكَseeks youلَاnotلِشَئٍfor any thingيَعُودُreturns, accruesمِنْكَfrom youاِلَيْهِto him

   No one has truly kept you company except the one who keeps you company while fully knowing your faults, and that is none other than your generous Master. The best one to keep company with is the one who seeks you, not for anything that would come back to him from you.

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6. ¶ 138⋯
   لَوْif, were (counterfactual)أَشْرَقَdawned, shone forthلَكَfor you, upon youنُورُlightالْيَقِينِof certaintyلَرَأَيْتَyou would seeالْآخِرَةَthe Hereafterأَقْرَبَnearerاِلَيْكَto youمِنْthanأَنْthat (you)تَرْحَلَtravel, set outاِلَيْهَاtoward itوَلَرَأَيْتَand you would seeمَحَاسِنَbeauties, fair featuresالدُّنْيَاthis worldقَدْalready, indeedظَهَرَتْhas appearedكِسْفَةُeclipse, darkening (root k-s-f)الْفَنَاءِof passing-away, extinctionعَلَيْهَاupon them

   Were the light of certainty to dawn upon you, you would see the Hereafter as nearer to you than any journey you might make toward it, and you would see the beauties of this world with the eclipse of passing-away already spread across them.

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7. ¶ 139⋯
   مَاnot (negation)حَجَبَكَhas veiled youعَنِfromاللَّهِGodوُجُودُexistence, beingمَوْجُودٍan existent (thing)مَعَهُalongside Himوَلَكِنْbut ratherحَجَبَكَhas veiled youعَنْهُfrom Himتَوَهُّمُimagining, fancyingمَوْجُودٍan existent (thing)مَعَهُalongside Him

   It is not the existence of some existent alongside Him that has veiled you from God; rather, what has veiled you from Him is the imagining of an existent alongside Him.

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8. ¶ 140⋯
   لَوْلَاwere it not forظُهُورُهُHis manifestationفِىinالْمُكَوَّنَاتِthe things brought into beingمَاnot (negating apodosis)وَقَعَwould have fallenعَلَيْهَاupon themوُجُودُthe occurrence (of)أَبْصَارٍsight, eyesلَوْif, wereظَهَرَتْbecame manifestصِفَاتُهُHis attributesاضْمَحَلَّتْwould vanish, dwindle awayمُكَوَّنَاتُهُHis created things

   Were it not for His manifesting Himself in the things brought into being, no sight could ever have fallen upon them. Were His attributes to become manifest, the things He has brought into being would vanish away.

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9. ¶ 141⋯
   أَظْهَرَHe made manifestكُلَّevery, allشَئٍthingلِاَنَّهُbecause He (is)الْبَاطِنُthe Hidden (divine name)وَطَوَىand He folded awayوُجُودَexistence, beingكُلِّeveryشَئٍthingلِاَنَّهُbecause He (is)الظَّاهِرُthe Manifest (divine name)

   He made everything manifest because He is the Hidden; and He folded away the existence of everything because He is the Manifest.

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10. ¶ 142⋯
    أَبَاحَHe permittedلَكَto youأَنْthatتَنْظُرَyou look (at)مَاwhat (is)فِىinالْمُكَوَّنَاتِcreated thingsوَمَاbut notأَذِنَHe gave leaveلَكَto youأَنْthatتَقِفَyou stop (at)مَعَwith, atذَوَاتِthe very entitiesالْمُكَوَّنَاتِof created thingsقُلِsay (imperative; qul)انْظُرُواlook (pl. imperative)مَاذَاwhat (is)فِىinالسَّمَوَاتِthe heavensفَتَحَHe openedلَكَfor youبَابَdoorالافْهَامِunderstandings (pl. of fahm)وَلَمْand notيَقُلِHe saidانْظُرُواlook (at)السَّمَوَاتِthe heavensلِئَلَّاlestيَدُلَّكَHe point youعَلَىtoوُجُودِexistenceالاجْرَامِbodies (pl. of jirm)

    He has permitted you to look at what is *in* created things, but He has not given you leave to stop at the created things in themselves. *Say: Look at what is in the heavens* (Q 10:101). With this He opened for you the door of understanding. He did not say, "Look at the heavens," lest He point you only to the existence of bodies.

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11. ¶ 143⋯
    الْاَكْوَانُthe created thingsثَابِتَةٌestablished, made firmبِاِثْبَاتِهِby His establishing (them)وَمَمْحُوَّةٌand effaced, erasedبِأَحَدِيَّةِby the (absolute) onenessذَاتِهِof His Essence

    The created things are established by His establishing them, and effaced by the oneness of His Essence.

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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.