The Aphorisms (al-Ḥikam)

1. Chapter 9 · Aphorisms 76–89

   ¶ 76⋯
   خَيْرُthe bestمَاof whatتَطْلُبُهُyou ask (seek) itمِنْهُof Himمَاthat whichهُوَHeطَالِبُهُasking it, seeking itمِنْكَof you

   The best of what you can ask of Him is what He is asking of you.

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2. ¶ 77⋯
   الْحُزْنُgrief, sorrowعَلَىoverفِقْدَانِloss, missingالطَّاعَةِobedience, act of devotionمَعَtogether with, whileعَدَمِabsence, lack ofالنُّهُوضِrising up, setting aboutالَيْهَاto it (obedience)مِنْamong, ofعَلَامَاتِsigns, marksالِاغْتِرَارِself-delusion, being deceived

   Grieving over the loss of obedience while making no move to rise up to it is among the signs of self-delusion.

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3. ¶ 78⋯
   مَاnot (negation)الْعَارِفُthe knower (gnostic)مَنْone whoاِذَاwhenأَشَارَalludes, pointsوَجَدَfindsالْحَقَّthe Real (God)أَقْرَبَnearerاِلَيْهِto himمِنْthanاِشَارَتِهِhis allusionبَلِratherالْعَارِفُthe knowerمَنْone whoلَاno (absolute negation)اِشَارَةَallusionلَهُbelongs to himلِفَنَائِهِbecause of his passing awayفِىinوُجُودِهِHis being (existence)وَانْطِوَائِهِand his being enfoldedفِىinشُهُودِهِwitnessing of Him

   The knower is not one who, when he makes an allusion, finds the Real nearer to him than his allusion. Rather, the knower is one who has no allusion at all, because of his passing away in His being and his being enfolded in the witnessing of Him.

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4. ¶ 79⋯
   الرَّجَاءُhopeمَاthat whichقَارَنَهُis joined with itعَمَلٌ(pious) workوَاِلَّاotherwise, if notفَهُوَthen it isأُمْنِيَّةٌwishful thinking, idle wish

   Hope is what is joined with work; otherwise it is only wishful thinking.

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5. ¶ 80⋯
   مَطْلَبُwhat is sought, requestالْعَارِفِينَthe knowers (gnostics)مِنَfromاللَّهِGodتَعَالَىMost High (exalted)الصِّدْقُsincerity, truthfulnessفِىinالْعُبُودِيَّةِservanthoodوَالْقِيَامُand fulfilling, upholdingبِحُقُوقِthe rights, dues ofالرُّبُوبِيَّةِLordship

   What the knowers seek from God Most High is sincerity in servanthood and the fulfilment of what is due to His Lordship.

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6. ¶ 81⋯
   بَسَطَكَHe expanded youكَىْso thatلَاnotيُبْقِيَكَkeep youمَعَwith, inالْقَبْضِcontractionوَقَبَضَكَand He contracted youكَىْso thatلَاnotيَتْرُكَكَleave youمَعَwith, inالْبَسْطِexpansionوَأَخْرَجَكَand He brought you outعَنْهُمَاfrom them bothكَىْso thatلَاnotتَكُونَyou would beلِشَئٍfor anythingدُونَهُapart from Him

   He expanded you so as not to keep you in contraction; He contracted you so as not to leave you in expansion; and He brought you out of them both so that you would belong to nothing apart from Him.

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7. ¶ 82⋯
   اَلْعَارِفُونَthe knowers (gnostics)اِذَاwhenبُسِطُواthey are expandedأَخْوَفُmore fearfulمِنْهُمْthan they (are)اِذَاwhenقُبِضُواthey are contractedوَلَاand notيَقِفُstands, keeps (within)عَلَىupon, withinحُدُودِbounds, limitsالْأَدَبِcourtesy (toward God)فِىinالْبَسْطِexpansionاِلَّاexceptقَلِيلٌa few

   The knowers, when they are expanded, are more fearful than when they are contracted; and none but a few keep within the bounds of courtesy in expansion.

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8. ¶ 83⋯
   اَلْبَسْطُexpansion (of the heart)تَأْخُذُtakesالنَّفْسُthe self (ego)مِنْهُfrom itحَظَّهَاits shareبِوُجُودِthrough the presenceالْفَرَحِjoy, gladnessوَالْقَبْضُand contractionلَاnoحَظَّshare, portionلِلنَّفْسِfor the selfفِيهِin it

   In expansion the self takes its share through the presence of joy; in contraction the self has no share.

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9. ¶ 84⋯
   رُبَّمَاit may be thatأَعْطَاكَHe gives to youفَمَنَعَكَand thereby withholds from youوَرُبَّمَاand it may be thatمَنَعَكَHe withholds from youفَأَعْطَاكَand thereby gives to you

   It may be that He gives to you and thereby withholds from you, and it may be that He withholds from you and thereby gives to you.

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10. ¶ 85⋯
    مَتَىwheneverفَتَحَHe opensلَكَfor youبَابَdoorالْفَهْمِunderstandingفِىconcerning, inالْمَنْعِthe withholdingعَادَbecomes, turns intoالْمَنْعُthe withholdingعَيْنَvery essence, selfsameالْعَطَاءِthe giving

    Whenever He opens for you the door of understanding concerning the withholding, the withholding becomes the very essence of the giving.

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11. ¶ 86⋯
    الْاَكْوَانُthe created thingsظَاهِرُهَاtheir outward aspectغِرَّةٌa delusion, beguilementوَبَاطِنُهَاand their inward aspectعِبْرَةٌan admonition, lessonفَالنَّفْسُso the self (ego)تَنْظُرُlooksاِلَىatظَاهِرِthe outward ofغِرَّتِهَاtheir delusionوَالْقَلْبُand the heartيَنْظُرُlooksاِلَىatبَاطِنِthe inward ofعِبْرَتِهَاtheir admonition

    Created things: their outward is a delusion, and their inward is an admonition. The self looks at the outward of their delusion, while the heart looks at the inward of their admonition.

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12. ¶ 87⋯
    اِنْifأَرَدْتَyou wantأَنْthatيَكُونَthere beلَكَfor youعِزٌّmight, honourلَاnotيَفْنَىpasses awayفَلَاthen do notتَسْتَعِزَّنَّseek might (emphatic)بِعِزٍّin a mightيَفْنَىthat passes away

    If you want to have a might that does not pass away, then do not seek might in a might that passes away.

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13. ¶ 88⋯
    الطَّىُّthe folding-up (of distance)الحَقِيقِىُّtrue, realأَنْthatتُطْوَىbe folded upمَسَافَةُdistance, expanseالدُّنْيَاthis worldعَنْكَaway from youحَتَّىuntil, so thatتَرَىyou seeالآخِرَةَthe Hereafterأَقْرَبَnearerاِلَيْكَto youمِنْكَthan yourself

    The true folding-up [of distance] is that the distance of this world be folded up away from you, until you see the Hereafter nearer to you than you are to yourself.

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14. ¶ 89⋯
    الْعَطَاءُgiving, a giftمِنَfromالْخَلْقِcreatures, created beingsحِرْمَانٌdeprivationوَالْمَنْعُand withholdingمِنَfromاللَّهِGodاِحْسَانٌbeneficence, excellent kindness

    Giving that comes from creatures is deprivation, and withholding that comes from God is beneficence.

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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.