Nahj Al-fasahah

K

●   الكَيِّسُ مَنْ دَانَ نَفْسَهُ وَعَمِلَ لِمَا بَعْدَ المَوْتِ، وَالعَاجِزُ مَنْ اتَّبَعَ نَفْسَهُ هَوَاهَا وَتَمَنَّى عَلَى اللَّهِ الأمَانِيَّ

Keen is the one who rules over his (evil) soul and makes provisions for the Hereafter, and weak is the one who obeys his carnal desires and asks God for (unrealizable) longings.

●   اِتَّقِ المَحَارِمَ تَكُنْ أَعْبَدَ النَّاسِ؛ وَارْضَ بِمَا قَسَمَ اللَّهُ لَكَ تَكُنْ أَغْنَى النَّاسِ.

Keep away form the unlawful to be the most (obedient) servant of God, and be convinced with your destined share to be needless of all people.

●   اِتَّقُوا صَاحِبَ الْجُذَامِ كَمَا يُتَّقَى السَّبُعُ؛ اِذا هَبَطَ وَادِيَاً فَاهْبِطُوا غَيْرَهُ.

Keep away from a leprous as you do from a wild animal. Should he settle somewhere, you do settle somewhere else.

●   اِتَّقُوا الظُّلْمَ؛ فَاِنَّ الظُلْمَ ظُلُماتٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيامَةِ.

Keep away from oppression, for it will bring (you) darkness in the Day of Judgement.

●   اِتَّقُوا الدُّنْيا؛ وَاتَّقُوا النِّسَاءَ؛ فَاِنَّ اِبْلِيْسَ طَلّاعٌ رَصَّادٌ؛ وَمَا هُوَ بِشَيْى‏ءٍ مِنْ فُخُوخِهِ بِأَوْثَقَ لِصَيْدِهِ فِي الْاَتْقِيَاءِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ.

Keep away from the (material) world and women, for Satan lies is ambush in all mastery, and none of his traps is more reliable than women to hunt holders of piety.

●   اِحْذَرُوا زَلَّةَ الْعَالِمِ؛ فَاِنَّ زَلَّتَهُ تُكَبْكِبُهُ في النَّارِ.

Keep away from the slips of an scholar, for it will cause him fall into the Fire.

●   اِتَّقُوا الدُّنْيا؛ فَوَالَّذيْ نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ اِنَّها لاَسْحَرُ مِنْ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ.

Keep away from the world (materiality), for I swear by Him who has authority over my soul that it is more sorcerous than Gog and Magog.

●   بُلُّوْا أَرْحَامَكُمْ وَلَوْ بِالسَّلام.

Keep close connections with your relatives even through greeting.

●   جالِسِ الاَبْرارَ فَاِنَّكَ اِذا فَعَلْتَ خَيْرَاً حَمَدُوُكَ؛ وَاِنْ أَخْطَأَتَ لَمْ يُعَنِّفُوُكَ.

Keep company with good people, for if you do good, they will praise you, and if you do evil, they will not be hard on you.

●   خَالِطُوْا النَّاسَ بِأَخْلاقِهِمْ، وَخَالِفُوهُمْ في أعْمَالِهِمْ.

Keep company with people for (the sake of) their good manners, and keep distance with them for (evil) deeds.

●   اِذا رَأَيْتُمْ أَهْلَ الْجُوعِ وَالتَّفَكُّرِ فَادْنُوا مِنْهُمْ؛ فَاِنَّ الْحِكْمَةَ تَجْرِي عَلى أَلْسِنَتِهِمْ.

Keep company with the hungry and learned men, for wisdom flows out through their tongues.

●   صُوْمُوْا تَصِحُّوْا.

Keep fast and be healthy.

●   نَحِّ الأَذَى عَنْ طَرِيْقِ المُسْلِمِيْنَ.

Keep harms away from Muslim's path.

●   اِذا غَضِبْتَ فَاسْكُتْ.

Keep silent when you get angry.

●   عَلَيْكُمْ بِاصْطِنَاعِ المَعْرُوْفِ فَاِنَّهُ يَمْنَعُ مَصَارِعَ السُّوْءِ، وَعَليْكُمْ بِصَدَقَةِ السِّرِّ؛ فَاِنَّهَا تُطْفِي غَضَبَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.

Keep up with good deeds, for it saves you from bad falls, and give covert alms, for it puts out the wrath of God, the Greatest and the most Powerful.

●   اِمْلِكْ يَدَكَ.

Keep your hands under control.

●   اِحْفَظْ وِدَّ أبِيْكَ لا تَقْطَعْهُ فَيُطْفِى‏ءُ اللَّهُ نُوْرَكَ.

Keep your relationship with your father intact and do not cut it off; otherwise, God will make your (spiritual) light vanish.

●   اِمْلِكْ عَلَيْكَ لِسَانَكَ.

Keep your tongue under control.

●   اِحْتَرِسُوا مِنَ النَّاسِ بِسُوءِ الظَّنِّ.

Keep yourself intact by being suspicious about people.

●   مَنْ لَمْ تَنْتَفِعْ بِدِيْنِهِ وَلا دُنْياهُ فَلا خَيْرَ لَكَ في مُجَالَسَتِهِ؛ وَمَنْ لَمْ يُوجِبْ لَكَ فَلا تُوجِبْ لَهُ وَلا كَرَامَةً.

Keeping company is void with the one who avails you no worldly or otherworldly gain, and do not observe respect for the one who is not respectful to you, and there is no greatness for such a person.

●   مِنْ كُنُوزِ البِرِّ كِتْمَانُ المَصَائِبِ وَالأمْرَاضِ وَالصَّدَقَةِ.

Keeping disasters, diseases and alms in secret is among the treasures of goodness.

●   السُّكُوتُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ اِمْلاءِ الشَّرِّ.

Keeping silent is better than dictating evil.

●   ثَلاثٌ مِنْ أَبْوابِ البِرِّ: سَخاءُ النَّفْسِ؛ وَطِيْبُ الكَلامِ؛ وَالصَّبْرُ عَلَى الاَذَى.

Kindness requires the following three: self- sacrifice, using good words, and tolerating (others') bothering.

●   بِرُّ الوَالِدَيْنِ يُجْزِى‏ءُ عَنِ الجِهَادِ.

Kindness to parents is tantamount to struggling in the way of God (Jihad).

●   بِرُّ الوَالِدَيْنِ يَزِيْدُ في العُمْرِ، وَالكِذْبُ يَنْقُصُ الرِّزْقَ؛ وَالدُّعَاءُ يَرُدُّ القَضَاءَ.

Kindness to parents prolongs one's life, telling lie reduces one's sustenance and praying wards off (bad) accidents.

●   البِرُّ لا يَبْلَى وَالذَّنْبُ لا يُنْسى؛ وَالدَّيَّانُ لا يَمُوتُ؛ اِعْمَلْ ما شِئْتَ فَكَما تَدِيْنُ تُدَانُ.

Kindness will not fade away, badness will in the minds stay, and the Just God will not die. Do, therefore, what you can do, for the like of it will be given back to you.

●   الرَّحِمِ مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِالعَرْشِ يَقُوْلُ: مَنْ وَصَلَنِي وَصَلَهُ اللَّهُ، وَمَنْ قَطَعَنِي قَطَعَهَ اللَّهُ.

Kinship hangs from heavens, saying, "God will extend His bond to whoever keeps me intact, and disconnects His link with whoever severs me".

●   الرَّحِمُ شِجْنَةٌ مِنَ الرَّحْمنِ، فَمَنْ وَصَلَهَا وَصَلَهُ اللَّهُ، وَمَنْ قَطَعَهَا قَطَعَهُ اللَّهُ.

Kinship is a divine link. Whoever keeps it intact, will enjoy God's bond, and whoever severs it, will lose it.

●   لِلْرَّحِمِ لِسَانٌ عِندَ المِيْزَانِ تَقُوْلُ: يَا رَبِّ مَنْ قَطَعَنِي فَاقْطَعْهُ؛ وَمَنْ وَصَلَنِي فَصِلْهُ.

Kinship will have a tongue in the Day of Judgment, saying, "O God! Whoever cut me off, cut him off, and whoever kept me intact, keep him intact (today)."

●   أَلا اِنَّ الْغَضَبَ جَمْرَةٌ تُوقَدُ في جَوْفِ ابْنِ

Know for sure that anger is a fire burning in man's heart. Don't you see the redness of his eyes and the

آدَمَ، ألا تَرَوْنَ اِلى حُمْرَةِ عَيْنَيْهِ وَانْتِفَاخِ أَوْدَاجِهِ؛ فَاِذا وَجَدَ أَحَدُكُمْ شَيْئَاً مِنْ ذلِكَ فَالاَرْضَ الاَرْضَ.

inflammation of his veins when he is cross. When one of you happens to experience such a feeling, you should better take a sitting position.

●   أَلا اِنَّ النَّاسَ مِنْ آدَمَ؛ وَآدَمُ مِنْ تُرَابٍ؛ وَأَكْرَمُهُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاهُمْ.

Know for sure that people are Adam's offspring, and Adam was created from soil. Verily, the most honored of them are the most virtuous.

●   أَلا لا يَخْلُوَنَّ رَجُلٌ بِامْرَأَةٍ اِلاّ كانَ ثَالِثُهُمَا الشَّيْطَانَ.

Know for sure that Satan is the third party to the illegitimate privacy of a man and a woman.

●   أَلا اِنَّ بَنِي آدَمَ خُلِقُوا عَلى طَبَقَاتٍ شَتَّى؛ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يُولَدُ مُؤْمِنَاً وَيَحْيَا مُؤْمِنَاً وَيَمُوتُ مُؤْمِنَاً، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يُولَدُ كافِرَاً وَيَحْيَا كافِرَاً وَيَمُوتُ كافِرَاً، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يُولَدُ كافِرَاً وَيَحْيَا كافِرَاً وَيَمُوتُ مُؤْمِنَاً.

Know for sure that sons of Adam have been created into different classes: some are born believers, living and dying as believers; some are born disbelievers, living and dying as disbelievers; and some are born disbelievers, living as disbelievers but dying as believers.

●   اِخْتَبِرُوا النَّاسَ بِأَخْدَانِهِم؛ فَاِنَّ الرَّجُلَ يُخَادِنُ مَنْ يُعْجِبُهُ.

Know people by knowing their friends, for men love the like of themselves.

●   أَلا وَاِنَّ في الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً اِذا صَلُحَتْ صَلُحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، وَاِذا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، ألا وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ.

Know that in man's body there is a lump of flesh which corrupts or rectifies the whole body, being it corrupt or rectified respectively. That is man's heart.

●   أَلا اِنَّ خَيْرَ التُّجَّارِ مَنْ كانَ حَسَنَ الْقَضَاء حَسَنَ الطَّلَبِ، وَشَرَّ التُّجَارِ مَنْ كانَ سَيِّى‏ءَ الْقَضَاءِ سَيِّى‏ءَ الطَّلَبِ، فَاِذا كانَ الرَّجُلُ حَسَنَ الْقَضَاءِ سَيِّى‏ءَ الطَّلَبِ؛ أَوْ كانَ سَيِّى‏ءَ الْقَضَاءِ

Know that the best businessman is the one who is good both in paying debts and demanding credits, and the worst is the one who is bad in both. If a man is good in the former but bad in the latter or vice versa, that is something in its own right.

حَسَنَ الطَّلَبِ فَاِنَّهَا بِهَا.

●   أَلا اِنَّ خَيْرَ الرِّجَالِ مَنْ كانَ بَطي‏ءَ الْغَضَبِ سَريعَ الرِّضَا، وَشَرَّ الرِّجَالِ مَنْ كانَ سَريعَ الْغَضَبِ بَطي‏ءَ الرِّضَا، فَاِذا كانَ الرَّجُلُ بَطي‏ءَ الْغَضَبِ بَطي‏ءَ الْفَي‏ء؛ وَسَريعَ الْغَضَبِ سَريعَ الْفَي‏ء فَاِنَّهَا بِهَا.

Know that the best of men is the one who becomes enraged hardly and gets pleased easily, and the worst of them is the one who gets pleased hardly and become enraged easily. If a man hardly becomes enraged and hardly gets pleased or easily becomes enraged and easily gets pleased, that is something in its own right.

●   أَلا اِنَّ عَمَلَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ حَزْنٌ بِرَبْوَةٍ؛ ألا اِنَّ عَمَلَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ سَهْلٌ بِسَهْوَةٍ.

Know that those who will reside in Paradise climb a hard rocky mountainous road (in this world), and those who will dwell in Hell tread an easy path on the steeps of a non- mountainous land.

●   لِيَرُدَّكَ عَنِ النَّاسِ مَا تَعْرِفُ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ، وَاخْزُنْ لِسَانَكَ إلاّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ، فَاِنَّكَ بِذلِكَ تَغْلِبُ الشَّيْطَانَ.

Knowing your faults should stop you recounting people's faults. Control your tongue, save for well- wishing, for this can make you defeat Satan.

●   العَالِمُ وَالعِلْمُ في الجَنَّةِ، فَاِذا لَمْ يَعْمَلِ العَالِمُ بِمَا يَعْلَمُ كانَ العِلْمُ وَالعَمَلُ في الجَنَّةِ، وَكَانَ العَالِمُ في النَّارِ.

Knowledge and the learned dwell in Paradise and thus, if the learned do not act upon their knowledge, action and knowledge will in Paradise dwell, and the learned in Hell.

●   العِلْمُ وَالمَالٌ يَسْتُرَانِ كُلَّ عَيْبٍ؛ وَالجَهْلُ وَالفَقْرُ يَكْشِفَانِ كُلَّ عَيْبٍ.

Knowledge and wealth keep all faults covert, but ignorance and poverty make them overt.

●   العِلْمُ خَلِيْلُ المُؤْمِنِ، وَالحِلْمُ وَزيرُهُ، وَالعَقْلُ دَلِيْلُهُ، وَالعَمَلُ قَائِدُهُ، وَالرِّفْقُ والِدُهُ، وَالبِرُّ أخُوْهُ وَالصَّبْرُ أمِيْرُ جُنُوْدِهِ.

Knowledge is a believer's friend, fortitude being his minister, intellect being his guide, action being his leader, moderateness being his father, kindness being his brother, and patience being the commander of his army.

●   ضَالَّةُ المُؤْمِنِ العِلْمُ، كُلَّمَا قَيَّدَ حَدِيْثَاً

Knowledge is a believer's lost one.

حَسَنَ الطَّلَبِ فَاِنَّهَا بِهَا.

●   أَلا اِنَّ خَيْرَ الرِّجَالِ مَنْ كانَ بَطي‏ءَ الْغَضَبِ سَريعَ الرِّضَا، وَشَرَّ الرِّجَالِ مَنْ كانَ سَريعَ الْغَضَبِ بَطي‏ءَ الرِّضَا، فَاِذا كانَ الرَّجُلُ بَطي‏ءَ الْغَضَبِ بَطي‏ءَ الْفَي‏ء؛ وَسَريعَ الْغَضَبِ سَريعَ الْفَي‏ء فَاِنَّهَا بِهَا.

Know that the best of men is the one who becomes enraged hardly and gets pleased easily, and the worst of them is the one who gets pleased hardly and become enraged easily. If a man hardly becomes enraged and hardly gets pleased or easily becomes enraged and easily gets pleased, that is something in its own right.

●   أَلا اِنَّ عَمَلَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ حَزْنٌ بِرَبْوَةٍ؛ ألا اِنَّ عَمَلَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ سَهْلٌ بِسَهْوَةٍ.

Know that those who will reside in Paradise climb a hard rocky mountainous road (in this world), and those who will dwell in Hell tread an easy path on the steeps of a non- mountainous land.

●   لِيَرُدَّكَ عَنِ النَّاسِ مَا تَعْرِفُ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ، وَاخْزُنْ لِسَانَكَ إلاّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ، فَاِنَّكَ بِذلِكَ تَغْلِبُ الشَّيْطَانَ.

Knowing your faults should stop you recounting people's faults. Control your tongue, save for well- wishing, for this can make you defeat Satan.

●   العَالِمُ وَالعِلْمُ في الجَنَّةِ، فَاِذا لَمْ يَعْمَلِ العَالِمُ بِمَا يَعْلَمُ كانَ العِلْمُ وَالعَمَلُ في الجَنَّةِ، وَكَانَ العَالِمُ في النَّارِ.

Knowledge and the learned dwell in Paradise and thus, if the learned do not act upon their knowledge, action and knowledge will in Paradise dwell, and the learned in Hell.

●   العِلْمُ وَالمَالٌ يَسْتُرَانِ كُلَّ عَيْبٍ؛ وَالجَهْلُ وَالفَقْرُ يَكْشِفَانِ كُلَّ عَيْبٍ.

Knowledge and wealth keep all faults covert, but ignorance and poverty make them overt.

●   العِلْمُ خَلِيْلُ المُؤْمِنِ، وَالحِلْمُ وَزيرُهُ، وَالعَقْلُ دَلِيْلُهُ، وَالعَمَلُ قَائِدُهُ، وَالرِّفْقُ والِدُهُ، وَالبِرُّ أخُوْهُ وَالصَّبْرُ أمِيْرُ جُنُوْدِهِ.

Knowledge is a believer's friend, fortitude being his minister, intellect being his guide, action being his leader, moderateness being his father, kindness being his brother, and patience being the commander of his army.

●   ضَالَّةُ المُؤْمِنِ العِلْمُ، كُلَّمَا قَيَّدَ حَدِيْثَاً

Knowledge is a believer's lost one.

طُلِبَ إليْهِ آخَرُ.

Whenever he learns a bit of it, he demands another.

●   اِنَّمَا العِلْمُ بِالتَّعَلُّمِ، وَاِنَّمَا الحِلْمُ بِالتَّحَلُّمِ، وَمَنْ يَتَحَرَّ الخَيْرَ يُعْطَهُ؛ وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ الشَّرَّ يُوْقَهُ.

Knowledge is acquired through learning and forbearance is achieved through practicing it. Whoever seeks good will be offered good and whoever fears evil will be saved from it.

●   العِلْمُ أفْضَلُ مِنَ العَمَلِ، وَخَيْرُ الأعْمَالِ أوْسَطُهَا.

Knowledge is better than deed, and the best of all deeds is a moderate one.

●   العِلْمُ ثَلاثَةٌ: كِتَابٌ نَاطِقٌ، وَسُنَّةٌ مَاضِيَةٌ، وَ"لا أدْرِي".

Knowledge is of three kinds: a manifest book, a practiced tradition and "I don't know".

●   العِلْمُ عِلْمَانِ: فَعِلْمٌ في القَلْبِ فَذلِكَ العِلْمُ النَّافِعُ، وَعِلْمٌ عَلَى اللِّسَانِ فَذلِكَ حُجَّةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى ابْنِ آدَمَ.

Knowledge is of two kinds: the one lying in man's heart, i.e. beneficial knowledge, and the one being on (the tip of) one's tongue and, thus, being God's proof for Adam's sons.

●   العِلْمُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ العَمَلِ، وَمِلاكُ الدِّينِ الوَرَعُ، وَالعَالِمُ مَنْ يَعْمَلُ.

Knowledge is superior to deed, religion is founded on abstinence, and a (true) scholar is he who practices what he knows.

●   العِلْمُ أفْضَلُ مِنَ العِبَادَةِ وَمِلاكُ الدِّيْنِ الوَرَعُ.

Knowledge is superior to worship, and abstinence is the basis of religion.

●   العِلْمُ مِيْرَاثِي وَمِيْرَاثُ الأنْبِيَاءِ مِنْ قَبْلِي.

Knowledge is the heritage of me and my predecessors (in prophethood).

●   العِلْمُ حَيَاةُ الإسْلامِ وَعِمَادُ الإيمَانِ، وَمَنْ عَلِمَ عِلْمَاً أتَمَّ اللَّهُ لَهُ أجْرَهُ، وَمَنْ تَعَلَّمَ فَعَمِلَ عَلَّمَهُ اللَّهُ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ.

Knowledge is the spirit of Islam and the pillar of faith, and God will give perfect reward to he who acquires some sort of knowledge, and if he happens to practice it, He will let him know what heknows not.

●   العِلْمُ خَزَائِنُ وَمِفْتَاحُهَا السُّؤَالُ؛ فَسَلُوْا

Knowledge is treasures, and the key to them is asking. So, question to gain God's Mercy, for God rewards four

يَرْحَمكُمُ اللَّهُ فَاِنَّهُ يُوجِرُ فِيْهِ أرْبَعَة: السَّائِلَ وَالمُعَلِّمَ وَالمُسْتَمِعَ وَالُمحِبَّ لَهُمْ.

groups in so far as knowledge is concerned: seekers of knowledge, teachers, listeners, and those who love the first three groups.

●   العِلْمُ لا يَحِلُّ مَنْعُهُ.

Knowledge should not be stopped (being learned or taught)

●   عِلْمٌ لا يَنْفَعُ كَنْزٌ لا يُنْفَقُ مِنْهُ.

Knowledge without use is like unto a treasure untouched.

●   عِلْمٌ لا يَنْفَعُ كَكَنْزٍ لا يُنْفَقُ مِنْهُ، وَعَلى كُلِّ شَي‏ءٍ زَكَاةٌ؛ وَزَكَاةُ الجَسَدِ الصِّيَامُ.

Knowledge without use is like unto untouched treasure. For everything there is a poor- rate, and for the body, fasting.

●   العِلْمُ لا يَحِلُّ مَنْعُهُ.

Knowledge should not be stopped (being learned or taught)

●   عِلْمٌ لا يَنْفَعُ كَنْزٌ لا يُنْفَقُ مِنْهُ.

Knowledge without use is like unto a treasure untouched.

●   عِلْمٌ لا يَنْفَعُ كَكَنْزٍ لا يُنْفَقُ مِنْهُ، وَعَلى كُلِّ شَي‏ءٍ زَكَاةٌ؛ وَزَكَاةُ الجَسَدِ الصِّيَامُ.

Knowledge without use is like unto untouched treasure. For everything there is a poor- rate, and for the body, fasting.