The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 22 · Aphorisms 205–212

   ¶ 205⋯
   أَنْوَارٌlights (spiritual)أُذِنَwere permittedلَهَاfor themفِىto (in respect of)الْوُصُولِarriving, reaching (the heart)وَأَنْوَارٌand lightsأُذِنَwere permittedلَهَاfor themفِىto (in respect of)الدُّخُولِentering (the heart)

   There are lights that are permitted to arrive, and lights that are permitted to enter.

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2. ¶ 206⋯
   رُبَّمَاit may be thatوَرَدَتْcome upon, arriveعَلَيْكَupon youالاَنْوَارُthe lightsفَوَجَدَتِand findالْقَلْبَthe heartمَحْشُوًّاstuffed, crammedبِصُوَرِwith the formsالآثَارِthe traces (created things)فَارْتَحَلَتْand they departمِنْfrom, back toحَيْثُwhereنَزَلَتْthey came downفَرِّغْempty, vacateقَلْبَكَyour heartمِنَof, fromالاَغْيَارِthe others (than God)يَمْلَأْهُHe will fill itبِالْمَعَارِفِwith gnostic knowledgesوَالاَسْرَارِand the secrets

   It may be that the lights come upon you and find the heart stuffed with the forms of the traces, and so they depart from where they alighted. Empty your heart of the others, and He will fill it with gnostic knowledges and secrets.

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3. ¶ 207⋯
   لَاdo notتَسْتَبْطِئْdeem slow, find tardyمِنْهُfrom Himالنَّوَالَthe bestowal, giftوَلَكِنِbut ratherاسْتَبْطِئْdeem slowمِنْfromنَفْسِكَyour own selfوُجُودَthe coming-to-be, presenceالاِقْبَالِturning toward (God)

   Do not deem His bestowal slow in coming from Him; rather, deem slow the appearance, from your own self, of turning toward Him.

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4. ¶ 208⋯
   حُقُوقٌobligations, duesفِىwithinالاَوْقَاتِthe moments (times)يُمْكِنُit is possibleقَضَاؤُهَاmaking them upوَحُقُوقُand the obligations ofالاَوْقَاتِthe moments themselvesلَاnotيُمْكِنُit is possibleقَضَاؤُهَاmaking them upاِذْsince, forمَاthere is noمِنْ(partitive) anyوَقْتٍmomentيَرِدُarrives, comes uponاِلَّاexcept thatوَلِلَّهِand God hasعَلَيْكَupon youفِيهِin itحَقٌّa claim, a dueجَدِيدٌfresh, newوَأَمْرٌand a commandأَكِيدٌbinding, emphaticفَكَيْفَso howتَقْضِىyou discharge, fulfilفِيهِin itحَقَّthe due ofغَيْرِهِanother (moment)وَأَنْتَwhile youلَمْhave notتَقْضِdischargedحَقَّthe claim ofاللَّهِGodفِيهِwithin it

   Obligations that fall within the moments can be made up later; but the obligations of the moments themselves cannot be made up. For no moment arrives without God having in it a fresh claim upon you and a binding command. How, then, could you discharge in it what is owed to another moment, when you have not yet discharged God's claim within it?

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5. ¶ 209⋯
   مَافَاتَwhat has passed (by)مِنْofعُمُرِكَyour lifetimeلَاthere is noعِوَضَsubstitute, compensationلَهُfor itوَمَاand whatحَصَلَhas been attainedلَكَfor you, by youمِنْهُof itلَاthere is noقِيمَةَprice, valueلَهُfor it

   What has passed of your lifetime has no substitute, and what you have attained of it has no price.

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6. ¶ 210⋯
   مَاnot (negation)أَحْبَبْتَyou have lovedشَيْأًa thingاِلَّاexcept, withoutكُنْتَyou becameلَهُto it, itsعَبْدًاslave, servantوَهُوَand Heلَاnotيُحِبُّloves, wantsأَنْthatتَكُونَyou beلِغَيْرِهِto other than Himعَبْدًاslave, servant

   You never love a thing without becoming its slave, and He does not love that you be a slave to anything other than Him.

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7. ¶ 211⋯
   لَاnotتَنْفَعُهُprofits Himطَاعَتُكَyour obedienceوَلَاnorتَضُرُّهُharms Himمَعْصِيَتُكَyour disobedienceوَاِنَّمَاbut onlyأَمَرَكَHe commanded youبِهَذِهِto this (obedience)وَنَهَاكَand forbade youعَنْfromهَذِهِthis (disobedience)لِمَاbecause of whatيَعُودُreturns, redoundsعَلَيْكَupon you, to you

   Your obedience does not profit Him, nor does your disobedience harm Him; He has commanded you to this and forbidden you that only because of what returns to you.

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8. ¶ 212⋯
   لَاnotيَزِيدُincreases, addsفِىin, toعِزِّهِHis mightاِقْبَالُthe turning towardمَنْwhoeverأَقْبَلَturns towardعَلَيْهِtoward Himوَلَاand notيَنْقُصُdiminishes, lessensمِنْfrom, ofعِزِّهِHis mightاِدْبَارُthe turning awayمَنْwhoeverأَدْبَرَturns awayعَنْهُfrom Him

   His might is not increased by the turning toward Him of whoever turns toward Him, nor is His might diminished by the turning away of whoever turns away from 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.