The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 6 · Aphorisms 49–60

   ¶ 49⋯
   مِنْamong, ofعَلَامَاتِsigns, marksمَوْتِdeathالْقَلْبِthe heartعَدَمُabsence, lackالْحُزْنِsorrow, griefعَلَىover, forمَاwhat, that whichفَاتَكَhas escaped youمِنَof (partitive)الْمُوَافَقَاتِacts of conformity, obediencesوَتَرْكُand abandoningالنَّدَمِremorse, regretعَلَىover, forمَاwhat, that whichفَعَلْتَهُyou have doneمِنْof (explicative)وُجُودِoccurrence, actual existenceالزَّلَّاتِlapses, slips

   Among the signs of the heart's death are the absence of sorrow over the acts of conformity [to God's command] that have slipped past you, and the abandonment of remorse over the lapses you have actually committed.

   ✦AI
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

2. ¶ 50⋯
   لَاlet notيَعْظُمِbecome greatالذَّنْبُthe sinعِنْدَكَin your estimationعَظَمَةًa greatness (such that)تَصُدُّكَbars youعَنْfromحُسْنِgoodness (of)الظَّنِّopinion, thinkingبِاللَّهِof Godتَعَالَىexalted is Heفَانَّfor indeedمَنْwhoeverعَرَفَknowsرَبَّهُhis Lordاسْتَصْغَرَdeems smallفِىinجَنْبِbeside, compared withكَرَمِهِHis generosityذَنْبَهُhis sin

   Let no sin loom so large in your eyes that it bars you from thinking well of God, exalted is He; for whoever knows his Lord deems his sin small beside His generosity.

   ✦AI
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

3. ¶ 51⋯
   لَاthere is noصَغِيرَةَminor sinاِذَاwhenقَابَلَكَconfronts youعَدْلُهُHis justiceوَلَاand there is noكَبِيرَةَmajor sinاِذَاwhenوَاجَهَكَturns its face to youفَضْلُهُHis bounty

   No sin is small when His justice confronts you, and no sin is great when His bounty turns its face toward you.

   ✦AI
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

4. ¶ 52⋯
   لَاno (absolute negation)عَمَلَwork, deedأَرْجَىmore hopeful, more promisingلِلْقُلُوبِfor the heartsمِنْthanعَمَلٍa workيَغِيبُis absent, vanishesعَنْكَfrom youشُهُودُهُits being witnessedوَيُحْتَقَرُand is held paltryعِنْدَكَin your estimationوُجُودُهُits existence

   No work holds more hope for hearts than a work whose witnessing is absent from you and whose existence seems paltry in your eyes.

   ✦AI
   Witnesses differ
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

5. ¶ 53⋯
   اِنَّمَاonly, solelyأَوْرَدَHe sent down uponعَلَيْكَupon youالْوَارِدَthe inrush (visitation)لِتَكُونَso that you beبِهِby means of itعَلَيْهِupon Himوَارِدًاone arriving, coming in

   He sent the inrush upon you only so that, through it, you might come in upon Him.

   ✦AI
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

6. ¶ 54⋯
   أَوْرَدَHe sent down uponعَلَيْكَupon youالْوَارِدَthe inrush (visitation)لِيَتَسَلَّمَكَto take you overمِنْfromيَدِhand (grip, control)الْاَغْيَارِthe others (than God)وَلِيُحَرِّرَكَand to free youمِنْfromرِقِّbondage, slaveryالْآثَارِthe traces (created things)

   He sent the inrush upon you so as to take you over from the hand of the others, and to set you free from bondage to the traces.

   ✦AI
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

7. ¶ 55⋯
   أَوْرَدَHe sent (upon)عَلَيْكَupon youالْوَارِدَthe inrushلِيُخْرِجَكَto bring you outمِنْfromسِجْنِprison ofوُجُودِكَyour (self-)existenceالَىintoفَضَاءِopen expanse ofشُهُودِكَyour witnessing

   He sent the inrush upon you in order to bring you out of the prison of your own existence into the open expanse of your witnessing.

   ✦AI
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

8. ¶ 56⋯
   الاَنْوَارُthe lightsمَطَايَاmounts, riding beastsالقُلُوبِof the heartsوَالاَسْرَارِand of the innermost secrets

   Lights are the mounts on which hearts and innermost secrets ride.

   ✦AI
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

9. ¶ 57⋯
   النُّورُlightجُنْدُarmy, troopsالقَلْبِthe heartكَمَاjust asاِنَّ(that) indeedالظُّلْمَةَdarknessجُنْدُarmy, troopsالنَّفْسِthe ego-selfفَاِذَاso whenأَرَادَwills, wantsاللَّهُGodأَنْto (that)يَنْصُرَgrant victory, aidعَبْدَهُHis servantأَمَدَّهُreinforces him, supplies himبِجُنُودِwith troops ofالاَنْوَارِthe lightsوَقَطَعَand cuts offعَنْهُfrom himمَدَدَreinforcement, supplyالظُّلَمِthe darknessesوَالاَغْيَارِand the others (than God)

   Light is the army of the heart, just as darkness is the army of the ego-self. So when God wills to grant His servant victory, He reinforces him with troops of lights and cuts off from him the reinforcement of darknesses and of the others [al-aghyār: whatever is other than God].

   ✦AI
   Classical commentaries

   Loading…

10. ¶ 58⋯
    النُّورُthe lightلَهُto it belongsالْكَشْفُdisclosure, unveilingوَالْبَصِيرَةُand inner sightلَهَاto it belongsالْحُكْمُjudgment, discernmentوَالْقَلْبُand the heartلَهُto it belongsالْاِقْبَالُturning toward (God)وَالْاِدْبَارُand turning away

    To light belongs disclosure, to inner sight belongs judgment, and to the heart belongs turning toward and turning away.

    ✦AI
    Classical commentaries

    Loading…

11. ¶ 59⋯
    لَاlet notتُفْرِحْكَgladden youالطَّاعَةُobedience, act of obedienceلِانَّهَاbecause itبَرَزَتْissued, came forthمِنْكَfrom youوَافْرَحْand be gladبِهَاof itلِانَّهَاbecause itبَرَزَتْissued, came forthمِنَfromاللَّهِGodاِلَيْكَto youقُلْsayبِفَضْلِin the bountyاللَّهِof Godوَبِرَحْمَتِهِand in His mercyفَبِذَلِكَin that, thenفَلْيَفْرَحُواlet them rejoiceهُوَitخَيْرٌbetterمِمَّاthan whatيَجْمَعُونَthey amass, gather

    Let not obedience gladden you because it issued from you; rather, be glad of it because it issued from God to you. "Say: In the bounty of God and in His mercy, in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they amass" (Qur'an 10:58).

    ✦AI
    Classical commentaries

    Loading…

12. ¶ 60⋯
    قَطَعَHe cut off, kept fromالسَّائِرِينَthe journeyers, wayfarersلَهُto Him (toward God)وَالْوَاصِلِينَand those who have arrivedاِلَيْهِat Himعَنْfromرُؤْيَةِseeing, regardingأَعْمَالِهِمْtheir worksوَشُهُودِand witnessingأَحْوَالِهِمْtheir spiritual statesأَمَّاas forالسَّائِرُونَthe journeyersفَلِاَنَّهُمْit is because theyلَمْhave notيَتَحَقَّقُواrealized, made realالصِّدْقَsincerity, truthfulnessمَعَwithاللّٰهِGodفِيهَاin them (works, states)وَأَمَّاand as forالْوَاصِلُونَthose who have arrivedفَلِاَنَّهُit is because Heغَيَّبَهُمْmade them absentبِشُهُودِهِthrough witnessing Himعَنْهَاfrom them (works, states)

    He has cut off those journeying to Him and those who have arrived at Him from seeing their works and witnessing their states. As for the journeyers, it is because they have not yet made sincerity with God in them a realized truth; as for those who have arrived, it is because He has made them absent from them through witnessing Him.

    ✦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.