The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 5 · Aphorisms 44–48

   ¶ 44⋯
   لَاdo not (prohibition)تَصْحَبْkeep company withمَنْone who, whoeverلَاnotيُنْهِضُكَrouses you, lifts you upحَالُهُhis (spiritual) stateوَلَاand notيَدُلُّكَguides you, points youعَلَىto, towardاللَّهِGodمَقَالُهُhis speech, words

   Do not keep the company of one whose state does not rouse you, and whose speech does not guide you to God.

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2. ¶ 45⋯
   رُبَّمَاit may be thatكُنْتَyou areمُسِيأًwrongdoer, one doing illفَأَرَاكَand (it) made you seeالْاِحْسَانَgoodness, doing goodمِنْكَin you, from youصُحْبَتُكَyour companionshipاِلَىwith (keeping company)مَنْone whoهُوَhe (is)أَسْوَأُworseحَالًاin stateمِنْكَthan you

   It may be that you are a wrongdoer, and yet your keeping company with one whose state is worse than yours makes you see goodness in yourself.

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3. ¶ 46⋯
   مَاno (negation)قَلَّis small, is littleعَمَلٌwork, deedبَرَزَissues, emergesمِنْfromقَلْبٍa heartزَاهِدٍrenouncing, detachedوَلَاand noكَثُرَis great, is muchعَمَلٌwork, deedبَرَزَissues, emergesمِنْfromقَلْبٍa heartرَاغِبٍdesiring, craving (the world)

   No work is small that issues from a renouncing heart, and no work is great that issues from a desiring heart.

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4. ¶ 47⋯
   حُسْنُexcellence, beautyالْاَعْمَالِworks, deedsنَتَائِجُoutcomes, resultsحُسْنِexcellence ofالْاَحْوَالِ(spiritual) statesوَحُسْنُand excellenceالْاَحْوَالِ(spiritual) statesمِنَcomes fromالتَّحَقُّقِbeing truly establishedفِىinمَقَامَاتِstationsالْاِنْزَالِ(divine) setting-down, placement

   Excellence in works is the outcome of excellence in states, and excellence in states comes from being truly established in the stations in which [God] has set one down.

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5. ¶ 48⋯
   لَاdo notتَتْرُكِabandon, give upالذِّكْرَthe remembrance (dhikr)لِعَدَمِbecause of the absenceحُضُورِكَyour being presentمَعَwithاللَّهِGodفِيهِin itلِاَنَّfor, becauseغَفْلَتَكَyour heedlessnessعَنْregarding, in absence ofوُجُودِexistence, presenceذِكْرِهِHis remembranceأَشَدُّworse, more severeمِنْthanغَفْلَتِكَyour heedlessnessفِىin, amidوُجُودِpresence, existenceذِكْرِهِHis remembranceفَعَسَىperhaps thenأَنْthatيَرْفَعَكَHe will raise youمِنْfromذِكْرٍa remembranceمَعَwithوُجُودِthe presence ofغَفْلَةٍheedlessnessاِلَىtoذِكْرٍa remembranceمَعَwithوُجُودِthe presence ofيَقَظَةٍwakefulness, alertnessوَمِنْand fromذِكْرٍa remembranceمَعَwithوُجُودِthe presence ofيَقَظَةٍwakefulnessاِلَىtoذِكْرٍa remembranceمَعَwithوُجُودِthe presence ofحُضُورٍpresence (with God)وَمِنْand fromذِكْرٍa remembranceمَعَwithوُجُودِthe presence ofحُضُورٍpresenceاِلَىtoذِكْرٍa remembranceمَعَwithوُجُودِthe presence ofغَيْبَةٍabsence, being absentعَمَّاfrom whatسِوَىother thanالْمَذْكُورِthe One rememberedوَمَاand notذَلِكَthatعَلَىfor, uponاللَّهِGodبِعَزِيزٍdifficult, hard

   Do not abandon remembrance (dhikr) because you are not present with God in it, for your heedlessness in the absence of His remembrance is worse than your heedlessness while His remembrance is present. Perhaps He will raise you from a remembrance in which there is heedlessness to a remembrance in which there is wakefulness, and from a remembrance in which there is wakefulness to a remembrance in which there is presence, and from a remembrance in which there is presence to a remembrance in which there is absence from all that is other than the One remembered. "And that is no hard thing for God."

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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.