The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 7 · Aphorisms 61–69

   ¶ 61⋯
   مَاnot (negation)بَسَقَتْgrew tall, shot upأَغْصَانُbranchesذُلٍّabasement, lowlinessاِلَّاexceptعَلَىupon, fromبَذْرِseedطَمَعٍcovetousness, greedy craving

   The branches of abasement never grow tall except from a seed of covetousness.

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2. ¶ 62⋯
   مَاnothing (negation)قَادَكَhas led youشَئٌthingمِثْلُlike, as much asالْوَهْمِillusion, imagining

   Nothing has led you on like illusion.

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3. ¶ 63⋯
   أَنْتَyouحُرٌّfreeمِمَّاof that whichأَنْتَyouعَنْهُof itآيِسٌdespairing, having given up hopeوَعَبْدٌand a slaveلِمَاto that whichأَنْتَyouلَهُfor itطَامِعٌcoveting, greedy for

   You are free of whatever you have given up hope of, and a slave to whatever you covet.

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4. ¶ 64⋯
   مَنْwhoeverلَمْdoes not (past negation)يُقْبِلْturn toward, approachعَلَىtoward, untoاللَّهِGodبِمُلَاطَفَاتِgentle caresses, kindly favoursالْاِحْسَانِbeneficence, (divine) goodnessقِيدَis led, is draggedاِلَيْهِto Himبِسَلَاسِلِwith chainsالْاِمْتِحَانِtrial, testing affliction

   Whoever does not turn toward God through the gentle caresses of His beneficence will be led to Him in the chains of trial.

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5. ¶ 65⋯
   مَنْwhoeverلَمْdoes not (past negation)يَشْكُرِgive thanks forالنِّعَمَthe blessings, favoursفَقَدْhas thereby (certainly)تَعَرَّضَexposed (them) toلِزَوَالِهَاto their vanishingوَمَنْand whoeverشَكَرَهَاgives thanks for themفَقَدْhas thereby (certainly)قَيَّدَهَاbound, tethered themبِعِقَالِهَاwith their hobble-cord

   Whoever does not give thanks for blessings has exposed himself to their vanishing; and whoever gives thanks for them has bound them fast with their own hobble.

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6. ¶ 66⋯
   خَفْfear! (imperative of khāfa)مِنْof, concerningوُجُودِthe presence, existenceاِحْسَانِهِHis beneficenceاِلَيْكَtoward youوَدَوَامِand the persistenceاِسَاءَتِكَyour ill-doingمَعَهُtoward Himأَنْlest, thatيَكُونَit beذَلِكَthatاسْتِدْرَاجًاa gradual luring onلَكَfor youسَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْWe shall lead them on step by stepمِنْfromحَيْثُwhereلَاnotيَعْلَمُونَthey know

   Fear that His beneficence toward you, while you persist in ill-doing toward Him, may be a gradual luring of you to ruin: “We shall lead them on step by step from where they do not know” [Q 7:182; 68:44].

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7. ¶ 67⋯
   مِنْit belongs toجَهْلِignoranceالْمُرِيدِthe aspirantأَنْthatيُسِىءَhe behaves badlyالْاَدَبَcourtesy, proper conductفَتُؤَخَّرَand is delayedالْعُقُوبَةُthe punishmentعَنْهُfrom himفَيَقُولَso he saysلَوْifكَانَwereهَذَاthisسُوءَbad (conduct)أَدَبٍcourtesyلَقَطَعَHe would cut offالْاِمْدَادَthe supply (of grace)وَأَوْجَبَand made necessaryالْاِبْعَادَthe sending-awayفَقَدْyet indeedيُقْطَعُis cut offالْمَدَدُthe (divine) supplyعَنْهُfrom himمِنْfromحَيْثُwhereلَاnotيَشْعُرُhe perceivesوَلَوْeven ifلَمْnotيَكُنْit wereاِلَّاexcept, other thanمَنْعُwithholdingالْمَزِيدِincrease, further growthوَقَدْand indeedيُقَامُhe is setمَقَامَin the placeالْبُعْدِof distanceوَهُوَwhile heلَاnotيَدْرِىknowsوَلَوْeven ifلَمْnotيَكُنْit wereاِلَّاexceptأَنْthatيُخَلِّيَكَHe leaves youوَمَاwith whatتُرِيدُyou want

   It belongs to the aspirant's ignorance that he should be discourteous, and when the punishment is held back from him, he says: "Had this been discourtesy, He would have cut off His supply and decreed that I be sent far away." Yet the supply may be cut off from him without his perceiving it, even if it were nothing more than the withholding of increase; and he may be set in the place of distance without knowing it, even if it were nothing more than His leaving you to what you want.

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8. ¶ 68⋯
   اِذَاif, whenرَأَيْتَyou seeعَبْدًاa servantأَقَامَهُset him up, established himاللَّهُGodتَعَالَىexalted is Heبِوُجُودِin the practice ofالْاَوْرَادِthe litaniesوَأَدَامَهُand kept him constantعَلَيْهَاin themمَعَwithطُولِlength, long durationالْاِمْدَادِreplenishment, divine supportفَلَاthen do notتَسْتَحْقِرَنَّbelittle, despiseمَاwhatمَنَحَهُgranted himمَوْلَاهُhis Masterلِأَنَّكَbecause youلَمْdid notتَرَseeعَلَيْهِupon himسِيمَاthe mark, signالْعَارِفِينَof the knowersوَلَاnorبَهْجَةَradiance, joyالْمُحِبِّينَof the loversفَلَوْلَاwere it not forوَارِدٌan inrushمَاnotكَانَthere would beوِرْدٌa litany

   If you see a servant whom God, exalted is He, has set up in the practice of the litanies and has kept persevering in them, with long-continued replenishment, do not belittle what his Master has granted him on the grounds that you do not see upon him the mark of the knowers or the radiance of the lovers. Were it not for an inrush (wārid), there would be no litany (wird).

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9. ¶ 69⋯
   قَوْمٌa people, folkأَقَامَهُمُHe set them up, establishedالْحَقُّthe Real (God)لِخِدْمَتِهِfor His serviceوَقَوْمٌand a peopleاخْتَصَّهُمْHe singled them outبِمَحَبَّتِهِfor His loveكُلًّاeach, allنُمِدُّWe supply, sustainهَؤُلَاءِtheseوَهَؤُلَاءِand thoseمِنْfromعَطَاءِbestowal, giftرَبِّكَyour Lordوَمَاand notكَانَwas, isعَطَاءُbestowal, giftرَبِّكَyour Lordمَحْظُورًاwithheld, restricted

   There are folk whom the Real has set up for His service, and folk whom He has singled out for His love. "Each do We supply, these and those, from the bestowal of your Lord; and the bestowal of your Lord is not withheld" (Qur'an 17:20).

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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.