إنا فهمنا عنه أمثالاً لنا

إنا فهمنا عنه أمثالاً لنا

هو ضاربٌ فينا بخلقٍ أكملِ

هو ضاربٌ فينا بخلقٍ أكملِ

Indeed, we have understood from Him likenesses for us;

We have understood parables about Him

He sets them forth among us through a most perfect creation.

He strikes us with the most perfect nature

لم نضرب الأمثالَ نحن له ولم

لم نضرب الأمثالَ نحن له ولم

نعدل عن النهج القويم الأعدلِ

نعدل عن النهج القويم الأعدلِ

We ourselves have not set forth likenesses for Him, nor

We have not struck parables for Him, nor

have we strayed from the upright, most just path.

Have we deviated from the most just, straight path

ولهم ضربنا قوله الأمثالَ في

ولهم ضربنا قوله الأمثالَ في

حق الذين تقدموا فتأمَّلِ

حق الذين تقدموا فتأمَّلِ

His saying, 'And for them We set forth likenesses,' refers to

And we have struck His word as parables with

those who came before—so reflect.

Regard to those who came before, so contemplate

لا تضربوا الأمثال لله الذي

لا تضربوا الأمثال لله الذي

قد قال ذلك في الكتاب المنزلِ

قد قال ذلك في الكتاب المنزلِ

Do not set forth likenesses for God, who

Do not strike parables for God who

has said that in the revealed Book.

Has said so in the revealed Book

فالله يعلم والبرية كلهم

فالله يعلم والبرية كلهم

لا يعلمون بمجمل ومفصَّلِ

لا يعلمون بمجمل ومفصَّلِ

For God knows, while all created beings

For God knows, while all humanity

do not know, in outline or in detail.

Do not know the general and the detailed

ومتى رأينا عالماً في صورة

ومتى رأينا عالماً في صورة

كونية قلنا هو الحق الجلي

كونية قلنا هو الحق الجلي

And whenever we see a knower in a form

And whenever we saw a scholar in the form

of creation, we say: He is the manifest Real.

Of the universe, we said he is the Manifest Truth

رام الظهور بصورة في علمه

رام الظهور بصورة في علمه

وبها توجه للحضيض الأسفل

وبها توجه للحضيض الأسفل

He sought manifestation in a form within His knowledge,

He intended to appear in the form of his knowledge

and through it turned toward the lowest depths.

And with it headed to the lowest abyss

والكل ذو علم ولو بحقيقة

والكل ذو علم ولو بحقيقة

فيما مضى والآن والمستقبل

فيما مضى والآن والمستقبل

And all possess knowledge, even if only of one reality,

And all possess knowledge, even if the reality

in the past, the present, and the future.

Of the past, present and future

والحق عنها قد تنزه قبلها

والحق عنها قد تنزه قبلها

وهو المنزه بعدها عنها العلي

وهو المنزه بعدها عنها العلي

And the Real was already transcendent beyond it before it existed;

And the Truth transcended it before it

and afterward He is transcendent beyond it, the Exalted.

And He is the Transcendent beyond it, the Most High

والحكم فيها قد أتى منه على

والحكم فيها قد أتى منه على

ما كان منها في القديم الأول

ما كان منها في القديم الأول

And the decree concerning it has come from Him according to

And the judgment regarding it came from Him according to

what was of it in primordial eternity.

What was of it in the ancient beginning

وهو الذي ما زال عن إطلاقه

وهو الذي ما زال عن إطلاقه

وهي التي عن نفيها لم ننزل

وهي التي عن نفيها لم ننزل

And He is the one who has not departed from His absoluteness,

And He is the One who has not ceased His absoluteness

and it is that whose negation we have not relinquished.

And it is the one that has not ceased its negation

لكنها ثبتت به منه له

لكنها ثبتت به منه له

كشفاً بعلمٍ ليس بالمتحوّل

كشفاً بعلمٍ ليس بالمتحوّل

Yet it stands established through Him, from Him, for Him,

But it was affirmed through Him from Him to Him

unveiled through knowledge that does not change,

Through a knowledge that does not change

وتخصُّصاً بإرادة وتقدُّراً

وتخصُّصاً بإرادة وتقدُّراً

بالقدرة القصوى عن المتأمل

بالقدرة القصوى عن المتأمل

and particularized by will, and given measure

And specialization by will and predestination

by power far beyond the contemplator.

By the utmost power from the contemplator

فاشهده منها مطلقاً في نفسه

فاشهده منها مطلقاً في نفسه

ومقيداً بخصوصها المتأثِّل

ومقيداً بخصوصها المتأثِّل

So behold Him through it, absolute in Himself,

So witness Him absolutely free in Himself

and restricted by its firmly rooted particularity.

And restricted by its specificity made manifest

أو شئت فاشهدها به معدومة

أو شئت فاشهدها به معدومة

لما تزل وهو الشهيد لها الولي

لما تزل وهو الشهيد لها الولي

Or, if you wish, behold it through Him as nonexistent,

Or if you wish witness it non-existent through Him

as it still is, while He is its Witness and Guardian.

While He is its Guardian, the Everlasting

إن الشهادة والولاية كانتا

إن الشهادة والولاية كانتا

للحق حتى صارتا بالحق لي

للحق حتى صارتا بالحق لي

Indeed, witnessing and guardianship were

Indeed witnessing and guardianship belonged

the Real's, until through the Real they became mine.

To the Truth until they belonged through the Truth to me