1. ثم تَقرَّب لِمَولاكَ العَلِي

    بِالمُنجِيَاتِ مِن صِفاتِ الكُمَّلِ

    Then draw near to your Lord, the Most High,

    Through the saving virtues of the perfected,

  2. مِن تَركِ ضِحكٍ مُفسِدٍ لِلعَقلِ

    وَمُذهِبِ الهَيبَةِ مِن ذِي فَضلِ

    Such as forsaking laughter that corrupts the mind

    And strips a person of virtue of his dignity.

  3. كَذاكَ إِكثارُ الكَلامِ الساقِطِ

    فهوَ قَبيحٌ جالبُ المَساخِطِ

    Likewise, excessive worthless speech

    Is ugly and brings displeasure.

  4. وَلازمِ الفِقهَ مِنَ العُلُومِ

    يُقِمكَ في مَنهَجِهِ القَويمِ

    And cleave to jurisprudence among the sciences;

    It will set you upon its upright path,

  5. مُلتَزِماً أَربَعةً قَد عُرِفُوا

    بالعِلمِ والإِيمانِ مِمَّن سَلَفُوا

    Adhering to four who were known

    For knowledge and faith among those who went before:

  6. أَحمَدُ وَالنُّعمانُ ثُمَّ الشافِعي

    وَمالِكٌ شَيخُ الجَميعِ الأَلمَعِي

    Ahmad and al-Nu'man, then al-Shafi'i,

    And Malik, the brilliant master of them all.

  7. أُولَئِكَ الهُداةُ وَالنُّجُومُ

    نَهجُهُمُ عَلى الهُدى قَويمُ

    Those are the guides and the stars;

    Their path is upright upon guidance.

  8. أَعلامُ حَقٍّ لِلمُرِيدِ السَّارِي

    داعِيَةٌ لِسُنَّةِ المُختارِ

    Beacons of truth for the seeker traveling by night,

    Calling to the Sunna of the Chosen One.

  9. وَاتلُ كِتابَ اللَّهِ في أَوقات

    مُلاحِظاً تَدَبُّرَ الآياتِ

    And recite the Book of God at times,

    Taking care to ponder the verses.

  10. تَهدِيكَ لِلبَاري فَتَرجُو رَحمَتَه

    حيناً وَحِيناً مُذ تَخافُ سَطوَتَه

    They guide you to the Creator, so you hope for His mercy

    At times, and at other times when you fear His might.

  11. فَهوَ العُلُومُ وَالكَمَالُ وَالشَّرَف

    لا يَعتَرِيهِ باطِلٌ وَلا جَنَف

    For it is knowledge, perfection, and honor;

    Neither falsehood nor deviation touches it.

  12. وَالحَظ إِلَى الجَنَّةِ في القُرآنِ

    تَزِدكَ في عِبادَةِ الرَّحمنِ

    And consider Paradise in the Quran;

    It will increase your devotion to the Most Merciful.

  13. وَالحَظ إِلى النار تَجِدها ناهِيَه

    عَن طُرُقٍ إِلى الفَسادِ غاوِيَه

    And consider the Fire: you will find it restraining you

    From paths leading astray into corruption.

  14. وَانظُر إِلى نَفسِكَ في دُنياكَا

    تَجِدكَ منقُولاً بِها لِذاكا

    And look at yourself in your worldly life;

    You will find yourself carried through it to that destination.

  15. فابذُل مِنَ الأَسبابِ ما يُنجِيكا

    فَتُدرِكَ الرَّحمَةَ مِن بارِيكا

    So employ such means as will save you,

    And thus obtain mercy from your Creator.

  16. وَاعلَم بِأنَّ الرِّزقَ رَبِّي قدَّرَه

    فالسَعيُ فِيهِ سَبَبٌ ما كَثَّرَه

    And know that my Lord has decreed provision;

    Striving for it is a means, not what increases it.

  17. فَكَم ضَعيفٍ سَوَّدَتهُ الدُّنيا

    وَكَم قَوِيٍّ سَعيُهُ مَا أَغنَى

    For how many a weak man the world has made a master,

    And how many a strong man whose striving has availed him nothing!

  18. لَكِنَّما الأَسبابُ كَالحِجابِ

    لِيَحصُلَ الإِيمانُ بِالغِيابِ

    Yet the means are like a veil,

    So that faith in the unseen may arise.

  19. وَلا تَكُن أَيضاً مُضيعاً للسَّبَب

    فَبَذلُهُ بِالشَّرعِ رُبَّما وَجَب

    Nor should you neglect the means either,

    For employing them may be obligatory under sacred law.

  20. وَلازِمِ التَّقوى تَكُن أَنتَ الأَجَلّ

    فَهيَ الَّتي تُنجِيكَ مِن بَينِ العَمَل

    And cleave to piety: you will be the most exalted;

    For among all deeds, it is what saves you.

  21. وَهيَ امتِثالُ ما إِلهُنا أَمَر

    وَالكَفُّ عَن كُلِّ الَّذي عَنهُ زَجَر

    It is doing what our God has commanded,

    And refraining from all that He has forbidden.

  22. وَباشِرِ المُسلِمَ بِالتَّحِيَّه

    أَو كَلِماتٍ عِندَهُ مَرضِيّه

    And meet a Muslim with a greeting,

    Or with words that please him.

  23. وَانصَح لهُ نُصحَ الصَديقِ الصادِقِ

    ولاقِهِ في الأَمرِ كالمُوافِقِ

    And counsel him with a sincere friend's counsel,

    And meet him in the matter as one in agreement,

  24. إِلا إِذا أَتَى الرَدى أَو قالَ بِه

    فَرُدَّهُ بِاللطفِ حتّى يَنتَبِه

    Unless he does something ruinous or speaks in its favor;

    Then turn him back gently until he takes heed.

  25. ولا تَرُدَّ مِن جَلِيسِكَ الخَبَر

    وَلا تُضَعِّفهُ فَذا لَهُ ضَرَر

    And do not reject your companion's report,

    Nor discredit it, for that harms him.

  26. وَإِن أَتى بِهَفوةٍ في المَجلِسِ

    فَاستُر عَلَيهِ سَترَ خِلٍّ مُؤنِسِ

    And if he makes a slip in the gathering,

    Then conceal it for him as a comforting friend would.

  27. وَلا تُعَقِّبهُ بِذِكرَاها أَبَد

    فالحُرُّ لَم يَشمَت وَلَم يَفضَح أَحَد

    And never pursue him with reminders of it;

    For a noble person neither gloats nor exposes anyone.

  28. وَجاهِدِ النَّفسَ عَلَى حَملِ الأَذى

    مِن مُسلِمٍ تَكُن إِماماً يُحتَذى

    And struggle with yourself to bear harm

    From a Muslim, and you will become an exemplar to follow.

  29. وَاجهَر إِذا لَقِيتَ بالسَلامِ

    بِذاكَ وَصَّى سَيِّدُ الأَنامِ

    And offer the greeting of peace aloud when you meet someone;

    That is what the master of humankind enjoined.

  30. لا تَجعَلَن إِشارَةً تَحِيَّه

    تكُن عَدُوَّ السُنَّةِ السَنِيَّه

    Never make a gesture your greeting,

    Lest you become an enemy of the radiant Sunna.

  31. إنَّ السلامَ هَيئَةُ الأَبرارِ

    وَمَن يُشِيرُ تابِعُ الكُفّارِ

    Indeed, the greeting of peace is the manner of the righteous,

    And whoever gestures follows the unbelievers.

  32. وَاحذَر مِنَ التَصفِيقِ بَعدَ الخُطَبِ

    كَهَيئَةِ الإِماءِ عِندَ اللعِبِ

    And beware of clapping after sermons,

    Like slave women at play.

  33. فَقَد نَهَى الرجالَ سَيِّدُ البَشَر

    عَن فِعلِهِ فَذاكَ شَيءٌ مُحتَقَر

    For the master of humanity forbade men

    To do it; that is a contemptible thing.

  34. وَاعرف كَراماتِ الرِّجالِ باللحى

    سودا وَبيضا كالصَباحِ اتَّضَحا

    And recognize men's distinctions by their beards,

    Black and white, clear as the morning.

  35. فَهيَ لَهُم فَضلٌ عَلَى النِّساءِ

    ميزاً وَحُسناً عِندَ كُلِّ رائِي

    For they give them an advantage over women,

    In distinction and beauty, in every beholder's eyes.

  36. وأَمرَ الرَسُولُ أَن تُوَفَّرا

    فَحَلقُها يُعَدُّ قُبحاً مُنكَرا

    And the Messenger commanded that they be allowed to grow fully,

    So shaving them is deemed ugly and reprehensible.

  37. وَالحَلقُ لِلِّحيَةِ مَع ضِيقِ السَلَب

    يَعتَادُهُ أهلُ الضَلالِ وَالرِيَب

    And shaving the beard, along with tight clothing,

    Is the habit of people of error and doubt.

  38. وَمِثلُهُ اللهوُ بأنواعِ اللعِب

    حاشَا لِعاقِلٍ إِلَيهِ يَنتَسِب

    Likewise is diversion through all kinds of games;

    Far be it from a rational person to associate himself with it,

  39. لأنَّهُ مُضَيِّعُ الأَوقاتِ

    وَمُذهِبٌ لأَشرَفِ الصِّفاتِ

    For it wastes time,

    And takes away the noblest qualities,

  40. وَهادِمٌ لِلدِّينِ وَالمَرُوءةِ

    وَيَسِمُ الإِنسانَ بالسَّفاهَةِ

    And destroys religion and honorable character,

    And brands a person with foolishness.

  41. وَاحذَر مِنَ القُبعَةِ لُبسُ المَرَدَه

    فَدِينُ مَن يَلبَسُها قَد أَفسَدَه

    And beware of the hat, the garb of the rebellious;

    For whoever wears it has corrupted his religion.

  42. فقَد أَتانا في الحَدِيثِ المُسنَدِ

    عَن سَيِّدِ الرُّسلِ الكَريمِ الأَمجَدِ

    For there has come to us, in a hadith with a chain of transmission,

    From the noble, most glorious master of the messengers:

  43. فَمَن بِقَومٍ فاعلَمَن تَشَبّها

    فَذاكَ مِنهُم فاعلَمن وانتَبِها

    So whoever imitates a people—know this—

    Is one of them; know this and take heed.

  44. فَتابِعِ الكِرامَ في الأَفعالِ

    ذَوِي النُّهى وَالمَجدِ وَالكَمالِ

    So follow the noble in their deeds,

    Those endowed with reason, glory, and perfection.

  45. وَلا تَكُن مُشابِهَ الطَّغامِ

    مَن قالَ فيهِ اللَّهُ كالأنعامِ

    And do not resemble the rabble,

    Those of whom God said: like cattle.

  46. وَشُربُكَ التُنباكَ شَينٌ وَقَذر

    وَاللَّه بالتَطهيرِ في الشَرعِ أمَر

    And your smoking tobacco is a disgrace and filth;

    And God has commanded purification in sacred law.

  47. وَقَد أَتى السّواكُ عَن نَبِيِّنا

    وَقالَ إِنَّ اللَّه يَرضاهُ لَنا

    And the tooth-stick comes to us from our Prophet,

    And he said that God approves it for us.

  48. وَفضلُهُ التَنظِيفُ وَالطُّهرُ الحَسَن

    فَكَيفَ تُفسِدُهُ بِذَلِكَ النَّتَن

    And its virtue is cleansing and wholesome purity;

    How, then, do you spoil it with that stench?

  49. وَاحذَر حُضُوراً في مَجالِسِ البِدَع

    فَهوَ مُضاهاةٌ لِما اللَّهُ شَرَع

    And beware of attending gatherings of religious innovation,

    For it is a rival imitation of what God has prescribed.

  50. وَقَد نَهاكَ عَنهُ رَبُّكَ العَلِي

    فَلا تُخالِف أَمرَهُ فَتَبتَلِي

    And your Lord, the Most High, has forbidden you that;

    So do not disobey His command, lest you be afflicted.

  51. وَاصحَب إِذا صَحِبتَ كُلَّ فاضِلِ

    مُستَكمِلاً للدِّينِ وَالفَضائِلِ

    And when you keep company, befriend every virtuous person,

    Fully accomplished in religion and virtues.

  52. إِنَّ الجَلِيسَ يَغرِسُ الأَخلاقا

    وَإِن يُنافِق أَورَثَ النِفاقا

    Indeed, a companion plants character traits,

    And if he acts hypocritically, he passes on hypocrisy.

  53. إِنَّ الجَلِيسَ عِندَ كُلِّ الحُكَما

    يَغرِسُ في جَلِيسِهِ ما أَحكَما

    Indeed, a companion, according to all the wise,

    Plants in his companion what he has firmly established.