The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 3 · Aphorisms 33–38

   ¶ 33⋯
   تَشَوُّفُكَyour eager gazingاِلَىtowardمَاwhatبَطَنَlies hiddenفِيكَwithin youمِنَof (the)الْعُيُوبِfaults, defectsخَيْرٌbetterمِنْthanتَشَوُّفِكَyour eager gazingاِلَىtowardمَاwhatحُجِبَhas been veiledعَنْكَfrom youمِنَof (the)الْغُيُوبِunseen realities, mysteries

   Your eager gazing toward the faults hidden within you is better than your eager gazing toward the unseen things veiled from you.

   ✦AI
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

2. ¶ 34⋯
   الْحَقُّthe Real (God)لَيْسَis notبِمَحْجُوبٍveiledوَاِنَّمَاrather, it is onlyالْمَحْجُوبُthe one veiledأَنْتَyouعَنِfromالنَّظَرِbeholding, gazingاِلَيْهِat Himاِذْfor, sinceلَوْwere, ifحَجَبَهُveiled Himشَئٌanythingلَسَتَرَهُwould cover Himمَاthat whichحَجَبَهُveiled Himوَلَوْand wereكَانَthere wereلَهُfor Himسَاتِرٌa coverer, coveringلَكَانَit would beلِوُجُودِهِHis being, existenceحَاصِرٌan encloser, confiningوَكُلُّand everyحَاصِرٍencloserلِشَئٍof a thingفَهُوَit isلَهُover itقَاهِرٌoverpowering, dominantوَهُوَyet He isالْقَاهِرُthe OverpoweringفَوْقَaboveعِبَادِهِHis servants

   The Real is not veiled; it is you who are veiled from beholding Him. For were anything to veil Him, that which veiled Him would cover Him; and were there something covering Him, it would enclose His being; and whatever encloses a thing holds it under its overpowering. Yet "He is the Overpowering, above His servants" (Q 6:18).

   ✦AI
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

3. ¶ 35⋯
   اُخْرُجْgo forth, departمِنْfromأَوْصَافِattributes, qualitiesبَشَرِيَّتِكَyour human natureعَنْout of, away fromكُلِّeveryوَصْفٍattribute, qualityمُنَاقِضٍcontradicting, opposed toلِعُبُودِيَّتِكَto your servanthoodلِتَكُونَso that you may beلِنِدَاءِto the callالْحَقِّthe Real (God)مُجِيبًاanswering, responsiveوَمِنْand to (near)حَضْرَتِهِHis presenceقَرِيبًاnear, close

   Go forth from the attributes of your human nature, out of every attribute that contradicts your servanthood, so that you may be one who answers the call of the Real and one near to His presence.

   ✦AI
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

4. ¶ 36⋯
   أَصْلُroot, sourceكُلِّeveryمَعْصِيَةٍact of disobedienceوَغَفْلَةٍand heedlessnessوَشَهْوَةٍand appetite, desireالرِّضَاcontentment, satisfactionعَنِwith (lit. about)النَّفْسِthe self, lower soulوَأَصْلُand the rootكُلِّeveryطَاعَةٍact of obedienceوَيَقَظَةٍand wakefulnessوَعِفَّةٍand chastity, restraintعَدَمُabsence, lackالرِّضَاcontentmentمِنْكَon your partعَنْهَاwith it (the self)وَلَانْand that (indeed)تَصْحَبَyou keep company withجَاهِلًاan ignorant manلَاnotيَرْضَىis contentعَنْwithنَفْسِهِhimselfخَيْرٌbetterلَكَfor youمِنْthanأَنْthatتَصْحَبَyou keep company withعَالِمًاa learned manيَرْضَىis contentعَنْwithنَفْسِهِhimselfفَأَىُّfor what (kind of)عِلْمٍknowledgeلِعَالِمٍhas a learned manيَرْضَىis contentعَنْwithنَفْسِهِhimselfوَأَىُّand what (kind of)جَهْلٍignoranceلِجَاهِلٍhas an ignorant manلَاnotيَرْضَىis contentعَنْwithنَفْسِهِhimself

   The root of every act of disobedience, every heedlessness and every appetite is contentment with the self; and the root of every act of obedience, every wakefulness and every chastity is your lack of contentment with it. That you should keep company with an ignorant man who is not content with himself is better for you than that you should keep company with a learned man who is content with himself. For what knowledge has a learned man who is content with himself? And what ignorance has an ignorant man who is not content with himself?

   ✦AI
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

5. ¶ 37⋯
   شُعَاعُray, beamالبَصِيرَةِinner sightيُشْهِدُكَmakes you witnessقُرْبَهُHis nearnessمِنْكَto youوَعَيْنُand the eye (essence)البَصِيرَةِinner sightيُشْهِدُكَmakes you witnessعَدَمَكَyour nonexistenceلِوُجُودِهِthrough His existenceوَحَقُّand the realityالبَصِيرَةِinner sightيُشْهِدُكَmakes you witnessوُجُودَهُHis existenceلَاnotعَدَمَكَyour nonexistenceوَلَاnorوُجُودَكَyour existence

   The ray of inner sight makes you witness His nearness to you; the eye of inner sight makes you witness your nonexistence through His existence; and the reality of inner sight makes you witness His existence: neither your nonexistence nor your existence.

   ✦AI
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

6. ¶ 38⋯
   كَانَwas (existed)اللَّهُGodوَلَاand notشَئَanything, a thingمَعَهُwith Himوَهُوَand Heالآنَnowعَلَىupon, in (state)مَاthat whichعَلَيْهِin it (that state)كَانَHe was

   God was, and there was nothing with Him; and He is now as He was.

   ✦AI
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

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.