ثم تَقرَّب لِمَولاكَ العَلِي

بِالمُنجِيَاتِ مِن صِفاتِ الكُمَّلِ

Then draw near to your Exalted Master

With the saving qualities of perfection

مِن تَركِ ضِحكٍ مُفسِدٍ لِلعَقلِ

وَمُذهِبِ الهَيبَةِ مِن ذِي فَضلِ

By abandoning corrupting laughter

And adopting reverential awe from the virtuous

كَذاكَ إِكثارُ الكَلامِ الساقِطِ

فهوَ قَبيحٌ جالبُ المَساخِطِ

Likewise the excessive idle talk

Is ugly, drawing wrath

وَلازمِ الفِقهَ مِنَ العُلُومِ

يُقِمكَ في مَنهَجِهِ القَويمِ

And adhere to jurisprudence among the sciences

To keep you on the straight path

مُلتَزِماً أَربَعةً قَد عُرِفُوا

بالعِلمِ والإِيمانِ مِمَّن سَلَفُوا

Holding fast to the four widely known

For knowledge and faith among the predecessors

أَحمَدُ وَالنُّعمانُ ثُمَّ الشافِعي

وَمالِكٌ شَيخُ الجَميعِ الأَلمَعِي

Ahmad, al-Nuʿman, then al-Shafiʿi

And Malik, the most brilliant elder of all

أُولَئِكَ الهُداةُ وَالنُّجُومُ

نَهجُهُمُ عَلى الهُدى قَويمُ

They are the rightly guiding stars

Their path leads rightly to guidance

أَعلامُ حَقٍّ لِلمُرِيدِ السَّارِي

داعِيَةٌ لِسُنَّةِ المُختارِ

The signs of truth for the traveling devotee

Calling to the Sunnah of the Chosen One

وَاتلُ كِتابَ اللَّهِ في أَوقات

مُلاحِظاً تَدَبُّرَ الآياتِ

And recite the Book of God at (proper) times

Contemplating the verses attentively

تَهدِيكَ لِلبَاري فَتَرجُو رَحمَتَه

حيناً وَحِيناً مُذ تَخافُ سَطوَتَه

It will guide you to the Creator so you will hope for His mercy

At times when you fear His might

فَهوَ العُلُومُ وَالكَمَالُ وَالشَّرَف

لا يَعتَرِيهِ باطِلٌ وَلا جَنَف

For it is the summit of knowledge and perfection

Untouched by falsehood or injustice

وَالحَظ إِلَى الجَنَّةِ في القُرآنِ

تَزِدكَ في عِبادَةِ الرَّحمنِ

And pay heed to Paradise in the Qurʾan

Increasing your worship of the Merciful

وَالحَظ إِلى النار تَجِدها ناهِيَه

عَن طُرُقٍ إِلى الفَسادِ غاوِيَه

And pay heed to Hell, you will find it warning

Against ways leading to ruinous corruption

وَانظُر إِلى نَفسِكَ في دُنياكَا

تَجِدكَ منقُولاً بِها لِذاكا

And look within yourself in your world

You will find it has transported you to that

فابذُل مِنَ الأَسبابِ ما يُنجِيكا

فَتُدرِكَ الرَّحمَةَ مِن بارِيكا

So exert the means that will save you

That you may attain mercy from your Creator

وَاعلَم بِأنَّ الرِّزقَ رَبِّي قدَّرَه

فالسَعيُ فِيهِ سَبَبٌ ما كَثَّرَه

And know that your sustenance was decreed by my Lord

Striving for it is a means, not what increased it

فَكَم ضَعيفٍ سَوَّدَتهُ الدُّنيا

وَكَم قَوِيٍّ سَعيُهُ مَا أَغنَى

So how many a weak one has the world made black

And how many a strong one whose effort did not enrich

لَكِنَّما الأَسبابُ كَالحِجابِ

لِيَحصُلَ الإِيمانُ بِالغِيابِ

Rather, the means are like the veil

So faith in the unseen may be attained

وَلا تَكُن أَيضاً مُضيعاً للسَّبَب

فَبَذلُهُ بِالشَّرعِ رُبَّما وَجَب

And do not neglect the means either

Since exerting it lawfully may become obligatory

وَلازِمِ التَّقوى تَكُن أَنتَ الأَجَلّ

فَهيَ الَّتي تُنجِيكَ مِن بَينِ العَمَل

And hold fast to piety, be you the most excellent

For it is what saves you among all deeds

وَهيَ امتِثالُ ما إِلهُنا أَمَر

وَالكَفُّ عَن كُلِّ الَّذي عَنهُ زَجَر

And it is obeying what our God has commanded

And refraining from all He has forbidden

وَباشِرِ المُسلِمَ بِالتَّحِيَّه

أَو كَلِماتٍ عِندَهُ مَرضِيّه

And initiate with the Muslim by greeting

Or words pleasing to him

وَانصَح لهُ نُصحَ الصَديقِ الصادِقِ

ولاقِهِ في الأَمرِ كالمُوافِقِ

And advise him sincerely like an honest, loyal friend

And agree with him in the matter like one compliant

إِلا إِذا أَتَى الرَدى أَو قالَ بِه

فَرُدَّهُ بِاللطفِ حتّى يَنتَبِه

Unless he commits wickedness or speaks it

Then gently correct him until he awakes

ولا تَرُدَّ مِن جَلِيسِكَ الخَبَر

وَلا تُضَعِّفهُ فَذا لَهُ ضَرَر

And do not reject a report from your companion

Nor belittle him if it will harm him

وَإِن أَتى بِهَفوةٍ في المَجلِسِ

فَاستُر عَلَيهِ سَترَ خِلٍّ مُؤنِسِ

And if he slips up in the gathering

Then cover over him like an intimate, gentle companion

وَلا تُعَقِّبهُ بِذِكرَاها أَبَد

فالحُرُّ لَم يَشمَت وَلَم يَفضَح أَحَد

And never follow up by mentioning it again

For the noble one neither gloats nor disgraces anyone

وَجاهِدِ النَّفسَ عَلَى حَملِ الأَذى

مِن مُسلِمٍ تَكُن إِماماً يُحتَذى

And struggle against the self to bear harm

From a Muslim, be an imam to be emulated

وَاجهَر إِذا لَقِيتَ بالسَلامِ

بِذاكَ وَصَّى سَيِّدُ الأَنامِ

And say aloud when you meet with greeting

For the Master of mankind enjoined that

لا تَجعَلَن إِشارَةً تَحِيَّه

تكُن عَدُوَّ السُنَّةِ السَنِيَّه

Never make a gesture your greeting

For that opposes the excellent Sunnah

إنَّ السلامَ هَيئَةُ الأَبرارِ

وَمَن يُشِيرُ تابِعُ الكُفّارِ

Greeting is the way of the righteous

While gesturing is the way of the unbelievers

وَاحذَر مِنَ التَصفِيقِ بَعدَ الخُطَبِ

كَهَيئَةِ الإِماءِ عِندَ اللعِبِ

And beware of clapping after sermons

Like the manner of maidservants at play

فَقَد نَهَى الرجالَ سَيِّدُ البَشَر

عَن فِعلِهِ فَذاكَ شَيءٌ مُحتَقَر

For the Messenger forbade it for men

It is considered an ugly, rejected act

وَاعرف كَراماتِ الرِّجالِ باللحى

سودا وَبيضا كالصَباحِ اتَّضَحا

And recognize the honor of men in beards

Black and white like the radiant dawn

فَهيَ لَهُم فَضلٌ عَلَى النِّساءِ

ميزاً وَحُسناً عِندَ كُلِّ رائِي

For it is a merit over women for them

A distinction and beauty in every beholder's eye

وأَمرَ الرَسُولُ أَن تُوَفَّرا

فَحَلقُها يُعَدُّ قُبحاً مُنكَرا

And the Messenger commanded they be kept full

Shaving it is ugly and rejected

وَالحَلقُ لِلِّحيَةِ مَع ضِيقِ السَلَب

يَعتَادُهُ أهلُ الضَلالِ وَالرِيَب

And shaving the beard while baring the sides

Is practiced by the people of misguidance and doubt

وَمِثلُهُ اللهوُ بأنواعِ اللعِب

حاشَا لِعاقِلٍ إِلَيهِ يَنتَسِب

And the like of it is frivolous play and entertainment

Far be it for one with reason to affiliate with that

لأنَّهُ مُضَيِّعُ الأَوقاتِ

وَمُذهِبٌ لأَشرَفِ الصِّفاتِ

For it wastes time

And does away with the noblest qualities

وَهادِمٌ لِلدِّينِ وَالمَرُوءةِ

وَيَسِمُ الإِنسانَ بالسَّفاهَةِ

It destroys religion and chivalry

Branding a person with foolishness

وَاحذَر مِنَ القُبعَةِ لُبسُ المَرَدَه

فَدِينُ مَن يَلبَسُها قَد أَفسَدَه

And beware of wearing the maradah cap

For it corrupts the religion of its wearer

فقَد أَتانا في الحَدِيثِ المُسنَدِ

عَن سَيِّدِ الرُّسلِ الكَريمِ الأَمجَدِ

There has come to us in the authentic hadith

From the generous master of messengers

فَمَن بِقَومٍ فاعلَمَن تَشَبّها

فَذاكَ مِنهُم فاعلَمن وانتَبِها

"Whoever imitates a people, he is one of them"

So beware and take heed

فَتابِعِ الكِرامَ في الأَفعالِ

ذَوِي النُّهى وَالمَجدِ وَالكَمالِ

So follow the honorable in deeds

Of sublime prohibition, glory and perfection

وَلا تَكُن مُشابِهَ الطَّغامِ

مَن قالَ فيهِ اللَّهُ كالأنعامِ

And be not one who imitates the rabble

Of whom Allah said, “like cattle”

وَشُربُكَ التُنباكَ شَينٌ وَقَذر

وَاللَّه بالتَطهيرِ في الشَرعِ أمَر

Your smoking tobacco is vile and filthy

While Allah ordered purification in the Law

وَقَد أَتى السّواكُ عَن نَبِيِّنا

وَقالَ إِنَّ اللَّه يَرضاهُ لَنا

The miswak has come to us from our Prophet

He said, “Indeed Allah is pleased with it for us”

وَفضلُهُ التَنظِيفُ وَالطُّهرُ الحَسَن

فَكَيفَ تُفسِدُهُ بِذَلِكَ النَّتَن

Its superiority is cleansing and beautiful purity

So how can you corrupt it with that stench?

وَاحذَر حُضُوراً في مَجالِسِ البِدَع

فَهوَ مُضاهاةٌ لِما اللَّهُ شَرَع

And beware of attending the gatherings of innovation

For it is emulating what Allah has legislated

وَقَد نَهاكَ عَنهُ رَبُّكَ العَلِي

فَلا تُخالِف أَمرَهُ فَتَبتَلِي

Your Exalted Lord has forbidden you from it

So do not oppose His command, lest you be afflicted

وَاصحَب إِذا صَحِبتَ كُلَّ فاضِلِ

مُستَكمِلاً للدِّينِ وَالفَضائِلِ

And accompany, if you would have companions

Every virtuous person, complete in religion and merits

إِنَّ الجَلِيسَ يَغرِسُ الأَخلاقا

وَإِن يُنافِق أَورَثَ النِفاقا

For a companion plants his character

Even if he pretends, he imparts hypocrisy

إِنَّ الجَلِيسَ عِندَ كُلِّ الحُكَما

يَغرِسُ في جَلِيسِهِ ما أَحكَما

With every wise person, a companion

Plants in his companion what they solidified