The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 24 · Aphorisms 223–237

   ¶ 223⋯
   النَّعِيمُbliss, felicityوَاِنْand even ifتَنَوَّعَتْbe varied, diversifyمَظَاهِرُهُits outward formsاِنَّمَاis onlyهُوَitلِشُهُودِهِfor witnessing Himوَاقْتِرَابِهِand drawing near Himوَالْعَذَابُand tormentوَاِنْand even ifتَنَوَّعَتْbe variedمَظَاهِرُهُits outward formsاِنَّمَاis onlyهُوَitلِوُجُودِbecause of presenceحِجَابِهِHis veilفَسَبَبُso the causeالْعَذَابِof tormentوُجُودُpresence, existenceالْحِجَابِof the veilوَاِتْمَامُand the completionالنَّعِيمِof blissبِالنَّظَرِin gazingاِلَىuponوَجْهِهِHis Faceالْكَرِيمِnoble, generous

   Bliss, however varied its outward forms, is only for witnessing Him and drawing near to Him; and torment, however varied its outward forms, is only because His veil is present. So the cause of torment is the presence of the veil, and the completion of bliss lies in gazing upon His noble Face.

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2. ¶ 224⋯
   مَاwhateverتَجِدُexperience, findالْقُلُوبُheartsمِنَof (partitive)الْهُمُومِcares, anxietiesوَالْاَحْزَانِand sorrowsفَلِاَجْلِis because ofمَاthat whichمُنِعَتْthey were barredمِنْfromوُجُودِfinding, attainingالْعِيَانِdirect vision, eyewitnessing

   Whatever cares and sorrows hearts experience, they experience only because they have been barred from finding direct vision.

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3. ¶ 225⋯
   مِنْpart of, amongتَمَامِcompleteness, perfectionالنِّعْمَةِthe blessing, favourعَلَيْكَupon youأَنْthatيَرْزُقَكَHe provides youمَاwhat, that whichيَكْفِيكَsuffices youوَيَمْنَعَكَand withholds from youمَاwhat, that whichيُطْغِيكَmakes you transgress

   Part of the completeness of His blessing upon you is that He provides you with what suffices you and withholds from you what would make you overstep your bounds.

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4. ¶ 226⋯
   لِيَقِلَّlet (it) be littleمَاwhat, that whichتَفْرَحُyou rejoiceبِهِin itيَقِلَّwill be littleمَاwhat, that whichتَحْزَنُyou grieveعَلَيْهِover it

   Let what you rejoice in be little, and what you grieve over will be little.

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5. ¶ 227⋯
   اِنْifأَرَدْتَyou wantأَنْthatلَاnotتُعْزَلَbe dismissed (from office)فَلَاthen do notتَتَوَلَّtake up, assumeوِلَايَةًoffice, governorshipلَاnotتَدُومُlasts, enduresلَكَfor you

   If you would not be dismissed, then do not take up an office that will not last for you.

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6. ¶ 228⋯
   إِنْifرَغَّبَتْكَmade you desireالْبِدَايَاتُthe beginnings (of the world)زَهَّدَتْكَmade you renounceالنِّهَايَاتُthe endings, final outcomesإِنْifدَعَاكَcalled you, invited youإِلَيْهَاto it (the world)ظَاهِرٌan outward aspectنَهَاكَforbade you, restrained youعَنْهَاfrom it (the world)بَاطِنٌan inward aspect

   If its beginnings make [this world] desirable to you, its endings make you renounce it; if an outward aspect calls you to it, an inward aspect forbids you from it.

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7. ¶ 229⋯
   اِنَّمَاonly, solelyجَعَلَهَاHe made itمَحَلًّاa place, abodeلِلْاَغْيَارِof vicissitudes, changesوَمَعْدِنًاand a mine, sourceلِلْاَكْدَارِof troubles, turbiditiesتَزْهِيدًاto make indifferent, detachلَكَyouفِيهَاtoward it

   He made it [this world] a place of vicissitudes and a mine of troubles only to make you indifferent to it.

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8. ¶ 230⋯
   عَلِمَHe knewأَنَّكَthat youلَاnotتَقْبَلُwould acceptالنُّصْحَcounsel, admonitionالْمُجَرَّدَbare, unaidedفَذَوَّقَكَso He made you tasteمِنْofذَوَاقِهَاits taste (the world's)مَاwhat, enough toيُسَهِّلُmakes easyعَلَيْكَfor youوُجُودَthe fact, occurrenceفِرَاقِهَاparting from it

   He knew that you would not accept bare counsel, so He let you taste enough of its [the world's] taste to make parting from it easy for you.

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9. ¶ 231⋯
   الْعِلْمُknowledgeالنَّافِعُbeneficial, profitableهُوَit (is)الَّذِىthat whichيَنْبَسِطُspreads out, expandsفِىinالصَّدْرِthe breastشُعَاعُهُits rays, radianceوَيَنْكَشِفُand is uncoveredبِهِby itعَنِfromالْقَلْبِthe heartقِنَاعُهُits veil, covering

   Beneficial knowledge is that whose rays spread out in the breast, and by which the veil is drawn back from the heart.

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10. ¶ 232⋯
    خَيْرُthe best (of)الْعِلْمِknowledgeمَاthat whichكَانَتِis (accompanied)الْخَشْيَةُreverential fear, aweمَعَهُwith it, accompanying it

    The best knowledge is that which is accompanied by awe-filled fear [of God].

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11. ¶ 233⋯
    الْعِلْمُknowledgeاِنْifقَارَنَتْهُaccompanies itالْخَشْيَةُreverent fear (of God)فَلَكَthen it is for youوَاِلَّافَعَلَيْكَotherwise, it is against you

    Knowledge: if reverent fear accompanies it, it is in your favour; otherwise, it is against you.

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12. ¶ 234⋯
    مَتَىwheneverآلَمَكَpains youعَدَمُabsence, lack ofاِقْبَالِturning toward, regardالنَّاسِpeopleعَلَيْكَtoward youأَوْorتَوَجُّهُهُمْtheir turning (toward)بِالذَّمِّwith censure, blameاِلَيْكَtoward youفَارْجِعْthen go backاِلَىtoعِلْمِknowledgeاللَّهِGodفِيكَconcerning youفَاِنْand ifكَانَit is (that)لَاnotيُقْنِعُكَcontents youعِلْمُهُHis knowledgeفَمُصِيبَتُكَthen your afflictionبِعَدَمِin the lack ofقَنَاعَتِكَyour contentmentبِعِلْمِهِwith His knowledgeأَشَدُّgraver, more severeمِنْthanمُصِيبَتِكَyour afflictionبِوُجُودِat the presence ofالْاَذَىharm, injuryمِنْهُمْfrom them

    Whenever it pains you that people do not turn toward you, or that they turn their censure upon you, go back to God's knowledge of you. If His knowledge does not content you, then your affliction in not being content with His knowledge is graver than your affliction at the harm that comes to you from them.

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13. ¶ 235⋯
    اِنَّمَاonly, it is only thatأَجْرَىHe caused to flowالْاَذَىharm, injuryعَلَىupon, atأَيْدِيهِمْtheir handsكَىْso thatلَاnotتَكُونَyou would beسَاكِنًاresting, at easeاِلَيْهِمْin them, toward themأَرَادَHe wished, willedأَنْto, thatيُزْعِجَكَunsettle you, dislodge youعَنْfromكُلِّeveryشَئٍthingحَتَّىso thatلَاnotيَشْغَلَكَoccupy you, distract youعَنْهُaway from Himشَئٌanything, a thing

    He caused harm to flow to you at their hands only so that you would not find rest in them. He wished to unsettle you from everything, so that nothing might occupy you away from Him.

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14. ¶ 236⋯
    اذَاif, whenعَلِمْتَyou knowأَنَّthatالشَّيْطَانَSatanلَاnotيَغْفُلُis heedlessعَنْكَof youفَلَاthen do notتَغْفُلْbe heedlessأَنْتَyou (emphatic)عَمَّنْof Him whoنَاصِيَتُكَyour forelockبِيَدِهِin His hand

    If you know that Satan is never heedless of you, then do not you be heedless of Him in whose hand is your forelock.

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15. ¶ 237⋯
    جَعَلَهُHe made him (Satan)لَكَfor you, to youعَدُوًّاan enemyلِيَحُوشَكَthat He might drive youبِهِthrough him (Satan)اِلَيْهِtoward Himselfوَحَرَّكَand He stirred upعَلَيْكَagainst youالنَّفْسَthe self (ego)لِيَدُومَthat it might persistاِقْبَالُكَyour turning towardعَلَيْهِtoward Him

    He made him [Satan] an enemy to you so that through him He might drive you toward Himself, and He stirred up the self against you so that your turning toward Him might be constant.

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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.