The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 2 · Aphorisms 18–32

   ¶ 18⋯
   مَاnot (negation)تَرَكَleft (untouched)مِنَofالْجَهْلِignoranceشَيْأًanythingمَنْwhoeverأَرَادَwanted, wishedأَنْtoيُحْدِثَbring about, originateفِىinالْوَقْتِthe momentغَيْرَother thanمَاwhatأَظْهَرَهُhas made manifestاللَّهُGodفِيهِin it

   He who wants to bring about, in the moment, something other than what God has made manifest in it has left no part of ignorance untouched.

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2. ¶ 19⋯
   اِحَالَتُكَyour deferring, postponingالاَعْمَالَ(pious) works, deedsعَلَىuntil, upon (condition)وُجُودِthe finding, occurrenceالفَرَاغِfree time, leisureمِنْ(is) among, one ofرُعُونَاتِfollies, foolish frivolitiesالنَّفْسِthe ego, the self

   Your deferring of (pious) works until you find yourself free of occupation is one of the follies of the ego.

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3. ¶ 20⋯
   لَاdo not (prohibition)تَطْلُبْask, requestمِنْهُof Him (God)اَنْthatيُخْرِجَكَHe take you outمِنْfrom, out ofحَالَةٍa state, conditionلِيَسْتَعْمِلَكَso He may employ youفِيمَاin that whichسِوَاهَاother than itفَلَوْfor ifاَرَادَكَHe wanted youلَاسْتَعْمَلَكَHe would employ youمِنْwithout (from)غَيْرِabsence of, withoutاِخْرَاجٍtaking out, removal

   Do not ask Him to take you out of one state so that He may employ you in something other than it; for had He wanted you [there], He would have employed you [so] without taking you out.

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4. ¶ 21⋯
   مَاnever (negation)أَرَادَتْwished, wantedهِمَّةُaspiration, spiritual resolveسَالِكٍwayfarer, traveller (on the path)أَنْto (infinitive particle)تَقِفَhalt, stopعِنْدَatمَاwhatكُشِفَwas unveiledلَهَاto it (the aspiration)الَّاbut, except thatوَنَادَتْهُand called out to himهَوَاتِفُvoices, unseen callersالْحَقِيقَةِof Reality, of the Truthالَّذِىthat whichتَطْلُبُyou seekأَمَامَكَahead of youوَلَاand notتَبَرَّجَتْdisplayed their adornmentsظَوَاهِرُoutward formsالْمُكَوَّنَاتِof created beingsالَّاbut, except thatوَنَادَتْكَand called out to youحَقَائِقُهَاtheir inner realitiesانَّمَاonly, merelyنَحْنُweفِتْنَةٌa trial, temptationفَلَاso do notتَكْفُرْdisbelieve, be ungrateful

   No sooner does the aspiration (himma) of a wayfarer wish to halt at what has been unveiled to it than the voices of Reality call out to him: "What you seek lies still ahead of you!" And no sooner do the outward forms of created beings display their adornments than their inner realities call out to you: "We are only a trial, so do not disbelieve!" (Q 2:102)

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5. ¶ 22⋯
   طَلَبُكَyour asking/seekingمِنْهُof Himاتِّهَامٌsuspicion, accusing (distrust)لَهُof Himوَطَلَبُكَand your seekingلَهُHim (as object)غَيْبَةٌabsence, being absentمِنْكَon your partعَنْهُfrom Himوَطَلَبُكَand your seekingلِغَيْرِهِwhat is other than Himلِقِلَّةِdue to scantnessحَيَائِكَyour shame, modestyمِنْهُbefore Himوَطَلَبُكَand your askingمِنْof, fromغَيْرِهِanother than Himلِوُجُودِdue to the existenceبُعْدِكَyour distanceعَنْهُfrom Him

   Your asking of Him is suspicion of Him; your seeking Him is your absence from Him; your seeking what is other than Him comes from your scant shame before Him; and your asking of another than Him comes from the reality of your distance from Him.

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6. ¶ 23⋯
   مَاnot (negation)مِنْa single (emphatic)نَفَسٍbreathتُبْدِيهِyou breathe outالَّاbut, except thatوَلَهُand for itقَدَرٌa decreeفِيكَin youيُمْضِيهِHe carries out

   Not a single breath do you breathe out but there is, for it, a decree that He carries out in you.

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7. ¶ 24⋯
   لَاdo notتَتَرَقَّبْwait expectantly forفُرُوغَclearing away, ceasingالْاَغْيَارِthe others (than God)فَاِنَّfor indeedذٰلِكَthatيَقْطَعُكَcuts you offعَنْfromوُجُودِfinding, presence ofالْمُرَاقَبَةِvigilant attentivenessلَهُto Himفِيمَاin that whichهُوَHeمُقِيمُكَhas placed youفِيهِin it

   Do not look out for a time when you are free of the others [al-aghyār: whatever is other than God], for that cuts you off from finding vigilant attentiveness to Him in the very state in which He has placed you.

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8. ¶ 25⋯
   لَاdo notتَسْتَغْرِبْfind strange, wonder atوُقُوعَoccurrence, befallingالْاَكْدَارِtroubles, turbiditiesمَادُمْتَso long as you areفِىinهَذِهِthisالدَّارِabode (this world)فَاِنَّهَاfor indeed itمَاnot (negation)أَبْرَزَتْhas brought forth, displayedاِلَّاexceptمَاthat whichهُوَit (is)مُسْتَحَقُّwhat is merited byوَصْفِهَاits descriptionوَوَاجِبُand what is necessitated byنَعْتِهَاits (inherent) attribute

   Do not find it strange that troubles should befall you so long as you are in this abode, for it has brought forth nothing but what its description merits and what its nature necessarily entails.

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9. ¶ 26⋯
   مَاnot (negation)تَوَقَّفَstalled, was held backمَطْلَبٌan aim, object soughtأَنْتَyouطَالِبُهُare seeking itبِرَبِّكَthrough your Lordوَلَاand notتَيَسَّرَwas made easyمَطْلَبٌan aim, object soughtأَنْتَyouطَالِبُهُare seeking itبِنَفْسِكَthrough yourself, by your ego

   No aim you pursue through your Lord ever stalls, and no aim you pursue through yourself is ever made easy.

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10. ¶ 27⋯
    مِنْamong, ofعَلَامَاتِsigns, indicationsالنُّجْحِsuccess, fulfilmentفِىat, inالنِّهَايَاتِthe endings, outcomesالرُّجُوعُturning back, recourseاِلَىtoاللَّهِGodتَعَالَىexalted is Heفِىat, inالْبِدَايَاتِthe beginnings, outsets

    Among the signs of success at the endings is turning back to God (exalted is He) at the beginnings.

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11. ¶ 28⋯
    مَنْwhoeverأَشْرَقَتْshone, was radiantبِدَايَتُهُhis beginning (on the path)أَشْرَقَتْshines, will be radiantنِهَايَتُهُhis end, final state

    Whoever's beginning shines with light, his end shines with light.

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12. ¶ 29⋯
    مَاwhateverاسْتُودِعَhas been depositedفِىinغَيْبِthe unseen (hidden depth)السَّرَائِرِof the inmost heartsظَهَرَbecomes manifestفِىinشَهَادَةِthe visible (witnessed) realmالظَّوَاهِرِof outward appearances

    Whatever has been deposited in the unseen depths of the inmost hearts becomes manifest in the visible realm of outward appearances.

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13. ¶ 30⋯
    شَتَّانَhow far apartبَيْنَbetweenمَنْthe one whoيُسْتَدَلُّis taken as proofبِهِby Himأَوْorيُسْتَدَلُّis sought proofعَلَيْهِfor Himالْمُسْتَدِلُّone taking as proofبِهِby Himعَرَفَhas recognizedالْحَقَّwhat is due; the Realلِاَهْلِهِto its rightful ownerفَاَثْبَتَso he establishedالْأَمْرَthe matter, everythingمِنْfromوُجُودِexistenceأَصْلِهِits source, originوَالِاسْتِدْلَالُand seeking proofعَلَيْهِfor Himمِنْarises fromعَدَمِabsence, lackالْوُصُولِarrival, unionاِلَيْهِat Himوَاِلَّاotherwiseفَمَتَىthen whenغَابَwas He absentحَتَّىso thatيُسْتَدَلَّproof be soughtعَلَيْهِfor Himوَمَتَىand whenبَعُدَwas He farحَتَّىso thatتَكُونَshould beالْآثَارُthe tracesهِىَtheyالَّتِىwhichتُوصِلُlead, bringاِلَيْهِto Him

    How far apart are the one who takes Him as the proof and the one who seeks proofs for Him! The one who takes Him as the proof has recognized that what is due belongs to its rightful Owner. So he establishes everything from the existence of its Source. Seeking proofs for Him, by contrast, comes from not having arrived at Him. Otherwise, when was He ever absent, that proof should be sought for Him? And when was He ever far, that it should be the traces that lead to Him?

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14. ¶ 31⋯
    لِيُنْفِقْlet him spendذُوpossessor ofسَعَةٍabundance, amplitudeمِنْout ofسَعَتِهِhis abundanceالْوَاصِلُونَthose who have arrivedاِلَيْهِat Him (God)وَمَنْand whoeverقُدِرَwas measured out, straitenedعَلَيْهِfor himرِزْقُهُhis provisionالسَّائِرُونَthe wayfarers, journeyersاِلَيْهِtoward Him (God)

    "Let the one who has abundance spend out of his abundance" (Q 65:7): these are those who have arrived at Him. "And the one whose provision is measured out to him" (Q 65:7): these are those journeying toward Him.

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15. ¶ 32⋯
    اِهْتَدَىare guidedالرَّاحِلُونَthe wayfarers, journeyersاِلَيْهِtoward Himبِأَنْوَارِby the lightsالتَّوَجُّهِturning toward (God)وَالْوَاصِلُونَthose who have arrivedلَهُمْtheirs areأَنْوَارُthe lightsالْمُوَاجَهَةِface-to-face encounterفَالْاَوَّلُونَthe formerلِلْاَنْوَارِbelong to the lightsوَهَؤُلَاءِand the latterالْاَنْوَارُthe lightsلَهُمْbelong to themلِاَنَّهُمْbecause theyلِلَّهِbelong to Godلَاnotلِشَئٍto any thingدُونَهُapart from Himقُلِsay (imperative of qāla)اللَّهُGodثُمَّthenذَرْهُمْleave them (from wadhara)فِىinخَوْضِهِمْtheir idle plungingيَلْعَبُونَplaying, amusing themselves

    Those journeying toward Him are guided by the lights of turning toward Him, while those who have arrived possess the lights of facing Him. The former belong to the lights, whereas the lights belong to the latter, because they belong to God and to nothing apart from Him. “Say: God! Then leave them to play in their idle plunging” (Qurʾān 6:91).

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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.