وَتَمَسَّكْ بِحَبْلِ الْقُرآنِ،
Adhere to the rope of the Qur'an
وَانْتَصِحْهُ،
and seek instructions from it.
وَأَحِلَّ حَلاَلَهُ،
Regard its lawful as lawful
وَحَرِّمْ حَرَامَهُ،
and its unlawful as unlawful.
وَصَدِّقْ بِمَا سَلَفَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ،
Testify the right that has been in the past.
وَاعْتَبِرْ بِمَا مَضَى مِنَ الدُّنْيَا لِـ مَا بَقِي مِنْهَا،
Take lessons for the present condition of this world from the past (condition),
فَإِنَّ بَعْضَهَا يُشْبِهُ بَعْضاً،
because its one phase resembles the other,
وَآخِرَهَا لاَحِقٌ بِأَوَّلِهَا!
its end is to meet its beginning,
وَكُلُّهَا حَائِلٌ مُفَارِقٌ.
and the whole of it is to change and depart.
وَعَظِّمِ اسْمَ اللهِ أَنْ تَذْكُرَهُ إِلاَّ عَلَى حَقّ .
Regard the name of Allah as too great to mention Him, save in the matter of right.
وَأَكْثِرْ ذِكْرَ الْمَوْتِ وَمَا بَعْدَ الْمَوتِ،
Remember death frequently and (what is to come) after death.
وَلاَ تَتَمَنَّ الْمَوْتَ إِلاَّ بِشَرْط وَثِيق.
Do not long for death except on a reliable condition.
وَاحْذَرْ كُلَّ عَمَل يَرْضَاهُ صَاحِبُهُ لِنَفْسِهِ،
Avoid every action which the doer likes for his own self
وَيُكْرَهُ لِعَامَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ،
but dislikes for the Muslims in general.
وَاحْذَرْ كُلَّ عَمَلِ يُعْمَلُ بِهِ فِي السِّرِّ،
Avoid every such action which is performed in secret
وَيُسْتَحَى مِنْهُ فِي الْعَلاَنِيَةِ،
and from which shame is felt in the open.
واحْذَرْ كُلَّ عَمَل إِذَا سُئِلَ عَنْهُ صَاحِبُهُ أَنْكَرَهُ أَوِ اعتَذَرَ مِنْهُ.
Also avoid that action about which if the doer is questioned he himself regards it bad or offers excuses for it.
وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ عِرْضَكَ غَرَضاً لِنِبَالِ الْقَوْلِ،
Do not expose your honour to be treated as the subject of people's discussions.
وَلاَ تُحَدِّثِ النَّاسَ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعْتَ بِهِ،
Do not relate to the people all that you hear,
فَكَفَى بِذلِكَ كَذِباً،
for that would amount to falsehood.
وَلاَ تَرُدَّ عَلَى النَّاسِ كُلَّ مَا حَدَّثُوكَ بِهِ،
Do not contest all that the people relate to you
فَكَفَى بِذلِكَ جَهْلاً.
for that would mean ignorance.
وَاكْظِمِ الْغَيْظَ، وَاحْلُمْ عِنْدَ الْغَضَبِ،
Kill your anger and forgive when you have power (to punish).
وَتَجاوَزْ عِنْدَ المَقْدِرَةِ،
Show forbearance in the moment of rage,
وَاصْفَحْ مَعَ الدَّوْلَةِ،
and pardon in spite of authority;
تَكُنْ لَكَ الْعَاقِبَةُ.
the eventual end will then be in your favour.
وَاسْتَصْلِحْ كُلَّ نِعْمَة أَنْعَمَهَا اللهُ عَلَيْكَ،
Seek good out of every favour that Allah has bestowed on you,
وَلاَ تُضَيِّعَنَّ نِعْمَةً مِنْ نِعَمِ اللهِ عِنْدَكَ،
and do not waste any favour of Allah over you.
وَلْيُرَ عَلَيْكَ أَثَرُ مَا أَنْعَمَ اللهُ بِهِ عَلَيْكَ.
The effect of Allah's favours over you should be visible on you.
وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ أَفْضَلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَفْضَلُهُمْ تَقْدِمَةً مِنْ نَفْسِهِ وَأَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ،
Know that the most distinguished among the believers is he who is the most forward of them in spending from himself, his family and his property,
فَإِنَّكَ مَا تُقَدِّمْ مِنْ خَيْر يَبْقَ لَكَ ذُخْرُهُ،
because whatever good you send forward Will remain in store for you
وَمَا تُؤخِّرْهُ يَكُنْ لِغَيْرِكَ خَيْرُهُ.
and the benefit of whatever you keep behind will be derived by others.
وَاحْذَرْ صَحَابَةَ مَنْ يَفِيلُ رَأْيهُ،
Avoid the company of the person whose opinion is unsound
وَيُنْكَرُ عَمَلُهُ،
and whose action is detestable,
فَإِنَّ الصَّاحِبَ عْتَبَرٌ صَاحِبِهِ.
because a man is judged after his companion.
وَاسْكُنِ الاْمْصَارَ الْعِظَامَ فَإِنَّهَا جِمَاعُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ،
Live in big cities because they are collective centres of the Muslims.
وَاحْذَرْ مَنَازِلَ الْغَفْلَةِ وَالْجَفَاءِ وَقِلَّةَ الاْعْوَانِ عَلَى طَاعَةِ اللهِ،
Avoid places of neglectfulness and wickedness and places where there are paucity of supporters for the obedience of Allah.
وَاقْصُرْ رَأْيَكَ عَلَى مَا يَعْنِيكَ،
Confine your thinking to matters which are helpful to you.
وَإِيَّاكَ وَمَقَاعِدَ الاْسْوَاقِ،
Do not sit in the marketing centres
فَإِنَّهَا مَحَاضِرُ الشَّيْطَانِ
because they are the meeting-places of Satan,
وَمَعَارِيضُ الْفِتَنِ.
and targets of mischiefs.
وَأَكْثِرْ أَنْ تَنْظُرَ إِلَى مَنْ فُضِّلْتَ عَلَيْهِ،
Frequently look at those over whom you enjoy superiority
فإِنَّ ذلِكَ مِنْ أَبْوَابِ الشُّكْرِ.
because this is a way of giving thanks.
وَلاَ تُسَافِرْ فِي يَوْمِ جُمُعَة
Do not undertake a journey on Friday
حَتّى تَشْهَدَ الصَّلاَةَ إِلاَّ فَاصِلاً فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ،
until you have attended the prayers, except when you are going in the way of Allah,
أَوْ فِي أَمْر تُعْذَرُ بِهِ.
or in an excusable matter.
وَأَطِعِ اللهَ فِي جُمَلِ أُمُورِكَ،
Obey Allah in all your affairs
فَإِنَّ طَاعَةَ اللهِ فَاضِلَةٌ عَلَى مَا سِوَاهَا.
because Allah's obedience has precedence over all other things.
وَخَادِعْ نَفْسَكَ فِي الْعِبَادَةِ،
Deceive your heart into worshipping,
وَارْفُقْ بِهَا وَلاَ تَقْهَرْهَا،
persuade it and do not force it.
وَخُذْ عَفْوَهَا وَنَشَاطَهَا،
Engage it (in worshipping) when it is free and merry,
إِلاَّ مَا كَانَ مَكْتُوباً عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الْفَرِيضَةِ،
except as regards the obligations enjoined upon you,
فَإِنَّهُ لاَ بُدَّ مِنْ قَضَائِهَا وتَعَاهُدِهَا عِنْدَ مَحَلِّها.
for they should not be neglected and must be performed at the five times.
وَإِيَّاكَ أَنْ يَنْزِلَ بِكَ الْمَوْتُ
Be on guard lest death comes down upon you
وَأَنْتَ آبِقٌ(1) مِنْ رَبِّكَ فِي طَلَبِ الدُّنْيَا،
while you have fled away from your Lord in search of worldly pleasure.
وَإِيَّاكَ وَمُصَاحَبَةَ الْفُسَّاقِ،
Avoid the company of the wicked
فَإِنَّ الشَّرَّ بِالشَّرِّ مُلْحَقٌ.
because vice adjoins vice.
وَوَقِّرِ اللهَ،
Regard Allah as great,
وَأَحْبِبْ أَحِبَّاءَهُ،
and love His lovers.
وَاحْذَرِ الْغَضَبَ،
Keep off anger
فَإِنَّهُ جُنْدٌ عَظِيمٌ مِنْ جُنُودِ إِبْلِيسَ،
because it is one large army from Satan's armies;
وَالسَّلاَمُ.
and that is an end to the matter.
