Ghurar Al-Hikam Wa Durar Al-Kalim, Exalted Aphorisms And Pearls Of Speech

The Ignorant And The Foolish

The Ignorant and the Foolish اَلجاهِلُ والجهول

1. An ignorant person is never found to be anything but falling short or excessive.

1ـ اَلجاهِلُ لَنْ يُلْقى أبَداً إلا مُفَرِّطاً، أو مُفْرِطاً.

2. Neither does an ignorant restrain himself [from wrongdoing] nor does he benefit from good advice.

2ـ اَلجاهِلُ لايَرْتَدِعُ، وبِالمَواعِظِ لا يَنْتَفِعُ.

3. An ignorant person is one who obeys his vain desires in disobedience to his Lord.

3ـ اَلجاهِلُ مَنْ أطاعَ هَواهُ في مَعصيَةِ رَبِّهِ.

4. The ignorant person feels aversion towards that which the wise person feels at ease with.

4ـ اَلجاهِلُ يَسْتَوْحِشُ مِمّا يَأنَسُ بِه الحَكيْمُ.

5. The ignorant person does not understand the learned because he [himself] was never learned before.

5ـ اَلجاهِلُ لايَعْرِفُ العالِمَ لأنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ قَبْلُ عالِماً.

6. An ignorant person does not recognize his failure and does not accept the [good] advice given to him.

6ـ اَلجاهِلُ لا يَعْرِفُ تَقْصيرَهُ، وَلايَقْبَلُ مِنَ النَّصيحِ لهُ.

7. An ignorant person relies on his hopes and is negligent in his actions.

7ـ اَلجاهِلُ يَعْتَمِدُ عَلى أمَلِهِ، ويُقَصِّرُ في عَمَلِهِ.

8. The ignorant person is like a rock through which water does not gush forth, and a tree, the branches of which do not become green, and a ground upon which foliage is not found.

8ـ اَلجاهِلُ صَخْرَةٌ لا يَنْفَجِرُ ماؤُها، وَشَجَرَةٌ

9. An ignorant person is [like the] dead among the living.

9ـ اَلْجاهِلُ مَيِّتٌ بَيْنَ الأحْياءِ.

10. The most wretched of all people is the ignorant one.

10ـ أشْقَى النّاسِ اَلجاهِلُ.

11. An unremorseful sinner is the most ignorant person.

11ـ أجْهَلُ النّاسِ مُسِيئٌ مُسْتَأنِفٌ.

12. The most ignorant person is one who is deceived by the praise of a flatterer who makes the ugly look appealing to him and makes him hate the [sincere] adviser.

12ـ أجْهَلُ النّاسِ المُغْتَرُّ بِقَوْلِ مادِح مُتَمَلِّق، يُحَسِّنُ

13. The most hated creature in the sight of Allah is the ignorant person, because He deprived him of what He bestowed on His creation, and that is intellect.

13ـ أبْغَضُ الخَلائِقِ إلَى اللّهِ تعالى، اَلجاهِلُ لأنَّهُ حَرَمَهُ

14. Verily the ignorant is one whose ignorance leads astray and whose vain desires entice [towards evil]; so his speech is unhealthy and his action is blameworthy.

14ـ إنَّ الجاهِلَ مَنْ جَهْلُهُ في إغْواء، ومَنْ هَواهُ في إغْراء،

15. The ignorant one is perplexed.

15ـ اَلجاهِلُ حَيْرانٌ.

16. The ignorant person inclines towards the one who is like him.

16ـ اَلجاهِلُ يَميلُ (يَألِفُهُ مِثْلُهُ) إلى شِكْلِهِ.

17. Man is an enemy of that which he is ignorant of.

17ـ المَرْءُ عَدُوُّ ما جَهِلَ.

18. The ignorant one does not restrain himself [from evil].

18ـ اَلجاهِلُ لا يَرتَدِعُ.

19. An ignorant person is a slave to his passions.

19ـ اَلجاهِلُ عَبْدُ شَهْوَتِهِ.

20. The ignorant person does not desist [from sinning].

20ـ اَلجاهِلُ لا يَرْعَوي.

21. An ignorant person seeks to raise himself but ends up abasing himself.

21ـ اَلجاهِلُ يَرْفَعُ نَفْسَهُ فَيَتَّضِعُ.

22. The ignorant person is one who is ignorant of his own capability.

22ـ اَلجاهِلُ مَنْ جَهِلَ قَدْرَهُ.

23. An ignorant person is dead, even when he is alive.

23ـ اَلجاهِلُ مَيِّتٌ وإنْ كانَ حَيّاً.

24. The correctness of an ignorant person is like the mistake of a learned person (i.e. it happens rarely).

24ـ اَلجاهِلُ كَزَلَّةِ العالِمِ صَوابُهُ.

25. The ignorant person is deceived by [false] claims.

25ـ اَلجاهِلُ مَنْ خَدَعَتْهُ المَطالِبُ.

26. The ignorant person is one who is ignorant about his [own] affair.

26ـ اَلجاهِلُ مَنْ جَهِلَ أمْرَهُ.

27. The ignorant person is one who is deceived by his vain desires and his arrogance.

27ـ اَلجاهِلُ مَنِ انْخَدَعَ لِهَواهُ (بِهواهُ) وغُروُرِهِ.

28. An ignorant person is one who takes his sincere advisor to be a deceiver.

28ـ اَلْجاهِلُ مَنِ اسْتَغَشَّ النَّصيحَ.

29. When the ignorant one becomes stingy (or denies), he obtains [wealth] and when he obtains [wealth] (or professes belief in one God), he apostatizes.

29ـ اَلْجاهِلُ إذا جَمَدَ(جحد) وَجَدَ، وإذا وَجَدَ (وَحَّدَ) ألْحَدَ.

30. Indeed the ignorant person is one who is enslaved by [worldly] pursuits.

30ـ إنَّما الجاهِلُ مَنِ اسْتَعْبَدَتْهُ المَطالِبُ.

31. When an ignorant person grows older, his ignorance rises.

31ـ إذا شابَ الجاهِلُ شَبَّ جَهْلُهُ.

32. The wealth of an ignorant person is in his worldly possessions and his hopes.

32ـ ثَرْوَةُ الجاهِلِ في مالِهِ وَأمَلِهِ.

33. The reign of an ignorant person is like a stranger who [soon] moves to another place.

33ـ دَوْلَةُ الجاهِلِ كَالغَريبِ المُتَحَرِّكِ إلَى النُّقْلَةِ.

34. Many an ignorant person is saved by his ignorance.

34ـ رُبَّ جاهِل نَجاتُهُ جَهْلُهُ.

35. The slip-ups of an ignorant person are excusable.

35ـ زَلَّةُ الجاهِلِ مَعْذُورَةٌ.

36. An ignorant king exposes his [own] flaws.

36ـ سُلْطانُ الجاهِلِ يُبْدي مَعائِبَهُ.

37. The worst person you can accompany is an ignorant one.

37ـ شَرُّ مَنْ صاحَبْتَ اَلجاهِلُ.

38. The correct [action] of an ignorant person is like the slip-up of an intelligent person.

38ـ صَوابُ الجاهِلِ كَالزَّلَةِ مِنَ العاقِلِ.

39. The lost item of the ignorant person cannot be found.

39ـ ضالَّةُ الجاهِلِ غَيْرُ مَوْجُود.

40. Obedience to the foolish is a sign of ignorance.

40ـ طاعَةُ الجَهُولِ تَدُلُّ عَلَى الجَهْلِ.

41. Obedience to the foolish and being excessive [in speech or action] are two signs of ignorance.

41ـ طاعةُ الجَهُولِ، وكَثْرَةُ الفُضُولِ تَدُلاّنِ عَلَى الجَهْلِ.

42. The habit of the inexperienced [and ignorant] ones is to cut off the elements of favour.

42ـ عادَةُ الأغْمارِ قَطْعُ مَوادِّ الإحْسانِ.

43. The wealth of an ignorant person is in his worldly possessions.

43ـ غِنَى الجاهِلِ بِمالِهِ.

44. The ignorant one is deceived by futile absurdities.

44ـ غُرُورُ الجاهِلِ بِمُجالاتِ الباطِلِ.

45. Every ignorant person is prone to temptation.[^1]

45ـ كُلُّ جاهِل مَفْتُونٌ.

46. For the ignorant there is loss in every situation.

46ـ لِلْجاهِلِ في كُلِّ حالَة خُسْرانٌ.

47. One who is ignorant is disregarded [by others].

47ـ مَنْ جَهِلَ أُهْمِلَ.

48. When one is ignorant, his consideration is reduced.

48ـ مَنْ جَهِلَ قَلَّ إعْتِبارُهُ.

49. One who is ignorant of [a branch of] knowledge is hostile towards it.

49ـ مَنْ جَهِلَ عِلْماً عاداهُ.

50. One who does not know where he is placing his foot, trips.

50ـ مَنْ جَهِلَ مَوْضِعَ قَدَمِهِ زَلَّ.

51. One who is ignorant makes many blunders.

51ـ مَنْ جَهِلَ كَثُرَ عِثارُهُ.

52. One who is ignorant becomes self-conceited; and his ‘today’ is worse than his ‘yesterday’.

52ـ مَنْ جَهِلَ اغْتَرَّ بِنَفْسِهِ وَكانَ يَوْمُهُ شَـرّاً مِنْ

53. It is from the nature of the ignorant to get angry quickly, in every situation.

53ـ مِنْ طَبايِعِ الجُهّالِ التَسَـرُّعُ إلَى الغَضَبِ في كُلِّ حال.

54. No one antagonizes the learned like the ignorant [do].

54ـ ما ضادَّ العُلَماءَ كالجُهّالِ.

55. Woe be to the one who persists in his ignorance and blessed is the one who realizes [his mistake] and finds the right course.

55ـ وَيْلٌ لِمَنْ تَمادى في جَهْلِهِ، وطُوبى لِمَنْ عَقَلَ واهْتَدى.

56. There is no independence for an ignorant person.

56ـ لاغِنى لِجاهِل.

57. The ignorant one is not seen to be anything but immoderate (or excessive).

57ـ لايُرَى الجاهِلُ إلاّ مُفَرِّطاً (مُفْرِطاً).

58. Nothing restrains the foolish except the edge of a sword.

58ـ لايَرْدَعُ الجَهُولَ إلاّ حَدُّ الحُسامِ.

59. Disobey the ignorant and you will be safe.

59ـ إعْصِ الجاهِلَ تَسْلَمْ.

[^1]: Or, if taken in the context of Q68:6: Every ignorant person is demented.