The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 23 · Aphorisms 213–222

   ¶ 213⋯
   وُصُولُكَyour arrivalاِلَىat, toاللَّهِGodوُصُولُكَyour arrivalاِلَىat, toالْعِلْمِknowledgeبِهِof Himوَاِلَّاotherwise, elseفَجَلَّthen exalted isرَبُّنَاour Lordأَنْthat, (too exalted) forيَتَّصِلَbe joined, connectبِهِto Himشَئٌanythingأَوْorيَتَّصِلَbe joined, connectهُوَHeبِشَئٍto anything

   Your arrival at God is your arrival at knowledge of Him; otherwise, our Lord is far too exalted for anything to be joined to Him, or for Him to be joined to anything.

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2. ¶ 214⋯
   قُرْبُكَyour nearnessمِنْهُto Himأَنْthatتَكُونَyou beمُشَاهِدًاwitnessingلِقُرْبِهِHis nearnessوَاِلَّاand otherwiseفَمِنْthen fromأَيْنَwhere (what relation)أَنْتَyouوَوُجُودُand the existenceقُرْبِهِHis nearness

   Your nearness to Him is that you be witnessing His nearness; otherwise, where do you stand in relation to the very existence of His nearness?

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3. ¶ 215⋯
   الْحَقَائِقُthe realitiesتَرِدُarrive, come downفِىinحَالِstateالتَّجَلِّى(divine) self-disclosureمُجْمَلَةًcondensed, undetailedوَبَعْدَand afterالْوَعْىِretention, taking inيَكُونُcomes, there isالْبَيَانُthe unfolding, explanationفَاِذَاso whenقَرَأْنَاهُWe recite itفَاتَّبِعْthen followقُرْآنَهُits recitationثُمَّthenاِنَّindeedعَلَيْنَاupon Usبَيَانَهُits clear explanation

   Realities arrive in the state of self-disclosure in condensed form, and after they have been taken in comes their unfolding: "So when We recite it, follow its recitation; then upon Us rests its clear explanation" (Q 75:18–19).

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4. ¶ 216⋯
   مَتَىwheneverوَرَدَتِcome, arriveالْوَارِدَاتُinrushes, spiritual visitationsالْاِلَهِيَّةُdivineاِلَيْكَto youهَدَمَتِdemolish, tear downالْعَوَائِدَhabits, customary waysعَلَيْكَupon you (your)اِنَّtruly, indeedالْمُلُوكَkingsاِذَاwhenدَخَلُواthey enterقَرْيَةًa town, settlementأَفْسَدُوهَاthey ruin it

   Whenever divine inrushes come upon you, they tear down your habits: "Truly, kings, when they enter a town, ruin it" [Q 27:34].

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5. ¶ 217⋯
   الوَارِدُthe inrush (spiritual visitation)يَأْتِىcomesمِنْfromحَضْرَةِpresenceقَهَّارٍOne who overpowersلِاَجْلِfor the sake ofذَلِكَthatلَاnotيُصَادِمُهُcollides with itشَئٌanythingاِلَّاexceptدَمَغَهُcrushed it (smashed its head)بَلْnay, ratherنَقْذِفُWe hurlبِالْحَقِّthe truthعَلَىagainstالْبَاطِلِfalsehoodفَيَدْمَغُهُand it crushes itفَاِذَاand loهُوَitزَاهِقٌvanishing away

   The inrush comes from the presence of One who overpowers (qahhār). For that reason nothing confronts it without being crushed by it: "Nay, We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it crushes its head, and lo, it vanishes away" [Qurʾān 21:18].

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6. ¶ 218⋯
   كَيْفَhow (could)يَحْتَجِبُbe veiledالْحَقُّthe Real (God)بِشَئٍby anythingوَالَّذِىand that whichيَحْتَجِبُHe would be veiledبِهِby itهُوَHeفِيهِin itظَاهِرٌmanifestوَمَوْجُودٌand existentحَاضِرٌpresent

   How could the Real be veiled by anything, when that by which He would be veiled is the very thing in which He is manifest, existent, and present?

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7. ¶ 219⋯
   لَاdo notتَيْأَسْdespairمِنْofقَبُولِacceptanceعَمَلٍa workلَمْdid notتَجِدْyou findفِيهِin itوُجُودَthe actual presenceالْحُضُورِpresence (of heart)فَرُبَّمَاfor perhapsقُبِلَis acceptedمِنَof, amongالْعَمَلِworksمَاthat whichلَمْdid notتُدْرِكْyou perceiveثَمَرَتَهُits fruitعَاجِلًاimmediately, in this life

   Do not despair of the acceptance of a work in which you did not find the presence [of heart]; for it may be that, of works, that is accepted whose fruit you have not perceived at once.

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8. ¶ 220⋯
   لَاdo not (prohibition)تُزَكِّيَنَّyou should vouch for, deem soundوَارِدًاan inrush, spiritual visitationلَاnotتَعْلَمُyou knowثَمَرَتَهُits fruit, its resultفَلَيْسَfor it is notالْمُرَادُwhat is intendedمِنَby, fromالسَّحَابَةِthe cloudالْاَمْطَارَthe rainsوَاِنَّمَاbut rather, onlyالْمُرَادُwhat is intendedمِنْهَاby itوُجُودُthe coming into beingالْاَثْمَارِthe fruits

   Do not vouch for an inrush whose fruit you do not know; for what is intended by the cloud is not the rains, but rather what is intended by it is the coming forth of fruits.

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9. ¶ 221⋯
   لَاdo not (prohibition)تَطْلُبَنَّseek (emphatic)بَقَاءَremaining, continuanceالْوَارِدَاتِthe inrushesبَعْدَafterأَنْthat (once)بَسَطَتْthey have spread outأَنْوَارَهَاtheir lightsوَأَوْدَعَتْand depositedأَسْرَارَهَاtheir secretsفَلَكَfor you haveفِىinاللَّهِGodغِنًىsufficiency, independenceعَنْfromكُلِّeveryشَئٍthingوَلَيْسَand notيُغْنِيكَmakes you independentعَنْهُof Himشَئٌanything

   Do not seek that the inrushes should remain once they have spread out their lights and deposited their secrets; for in God you have what makes you independent of everything, whereas nothing can make you independent of Him.

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10. ¶ 222⋯
    تَطَلُّعُكَyour eager lookingاِلَىtowardبَقَاءِlasting, continuanceغَيْرِهِwhat is other than Himدَلِيلٌa sign, proofعَلَىof, pointing toعَدَمِabsence, lackوِجْدَانِكَyour finding (Him)لَهُ(of) Himوَاسْتِيحَاشُكَand your desolationلِفُقْدَانِat the lossمَاwhatسِوَاهُbesides Himدَلِيلٌa sign, proofعَلَىof, pointing toعَدَمِabsence, lackوُصْلَتِكَyour union, connectionبِهِwith Him

    Your looking eagerly toward the lasting of what is other than Him is a sign that you have not found Him; and your feeling desolate at the loss of what is besides Him is a sign that you have not attained union with 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.