The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 15 · Aphorisms 144–149

   ¶ 144⋯
   النَّاسُpeopleيَمْدَحُونَكَthey praise youلِمَاfor whatيَظُنُّونَهُthey suppose (it)فِيكَin youفَكُنْso beأَنْتَyou (emphatic)ذَامًّاone who blamesلِنَفْسِكَyour self (ego)لِمَاfor whatتَعْلَمُهُyou know (it)مِنْهَاof it (the self)

   People praise you for what they suppose to be in you; so be you the one who blames your self for what you know of it.

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2. ¶ 145⋯
   الْمُؤْمِنُthe believerاِذَاwhenمُدِحَis praisedاسْتَحْيَىfeels ashamedمِنَbeforeاللهِGodتَعَالَىexalted is Heأَنْthatيُثْنَىhe be laudedعَلَيْهِupon himبِوَصْفٍfor a qualityلَاnotيَشْهَدُهُhe witnesses itمِنْinنَفْسِهِhimself

   When the believer is praised, he is ashamed before God, exalted is He, that he should be lauded for a quality he does not witness in himself.

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3. ¶ 146⋯
   أَجْهَلُmost ignorantالنَّاسِof peopleمَنْthe one whoتَرَكَabandons, leaves asideيَقِينَcertaintyمَاof whatعِنْدَهُlies within himلِظَنِّfor the conjectureمَاof whatعِنْدَlies withالنَّاسِpeople (others)

   The most ignorant of people is the one who abandons the certainty of what lies within himself for the conjecture of what lies with people.

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4. ¶ 147⋯
   اِذَاwhenأُطْلِقَis let loose, lavishedالثَّنَاءُpraiseعَلَيْكَupon youوَلَسْتَand you are notبِأَهْلٍworthy (of it)فَاَثْنِthen praiseعَلَيْهِHimبِمَاwith that whichهُوَHeأَهْلُهُis worthy of

   When praise is lavished upon you and you are not worthy of it, praise Him with the praise of which He is worthy.

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5. ¶ 148⋯
   الزُّهَّادُthe renunciants (ascetics)اِذَاwhenمُدِحُواthey are praisedانْقَبَضُواthey contract (inwardly)لِشُهُودِهِمُbecause they witnessالثَّنَاءَthe commendation, praiseمِنَfromالْخَلْقِcreatures, created beingsوَالْعَارِفُونَand the knowers (gnostics)اِذَاwhenمُدِحُواthey are praisedانْبَسَطُواthey expand (inwardly)لِشُهُودِهِمْbecause they witnessذَلِكَthat (the praise)مِنَfromالْمَلِكِthe Kingالْحَقِّthe Real, the True

   When the renunciants are praised, they contract, because they see the commendation as coming from creatures; and when the knowers are praised, they expand, because they see it as coming from the King, the Real.

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6. ¶ 149⋯
   مَتَىwheneverكُنْتَyou are (habitually)اِذَاwhen, ifأُعْطِيتَyou are givenبَسَطَكَexpands you (gladdens)العَطَاءُthe giving, the giftوَاِذَاand whenمُنِعْتَyou are withheld fromقَبَضَكَcontracts you (saddens)المَنْعُthe withholding, denialفَاسْتَدِلَّthen infer, take as proofبِذَلِكَfrom thatعَلَىof, as toثُبُوتِpersistence, continued presenceطُفُولِيَّتِكَyour childishness, immaturityوَعَدَمِand lack ofصِدْقِكَyour sincerityفِىinعُبُودِيَّتِكَyour servanthood

   Whenever, on being given, the giving expands you, and on being withheld from, the withholding contracts you, take this as evidence that your childishness [ṭufūliyya; Ibn ʿAbbād reads ṭufayliyya, the hanger-on's uninvited presence] still persists and that you are not sincere in your servanthood.

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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.