أَيا نَجلَ إِبراهيمَ تَطلُبُ وَاعِظاً

أَيا نَجلَ إِبراهيمَ تَطلُبُ وَاعِظاً

ولا وَعظَ كالقُرآنِ وَالسُنَّةِ الغَرّا

ولا وَعظَ كالقُرآنِ وَالسُنَّةِ الغَرّا

O son of Ibrahim, are you seeking an admonisher?

O son of Ibrahim, you seek an admonisher;

Yet no admonisher is like the Qur’an and the radiant Sunnah.

And no admonition is like the Quran and the radiant Sunnah.

تَدَبَّر كِتابَ اللَّهِ عِندَ تَهَجُّدٍ

تَدَبَّر كِتابَ اللَّهِ عِندَ تَهَجُّدٍ

وَلا سيَّما وَالناسُ في نَومِهِم سَكرَى

وَلا سيَّما وَالناسُ في نَومِهِم سَكرَى

Ponder God’s Book during the night vigil,

Reflect on the Book of God during night prayer,

especially while people lie drunk with sleep.

Especially while people are drunk with sleep.

يُلاقِكَ مِن مَولاكَ أَكبَرُ وَاعِظٍ

يُلاقِكَ مِن مَولاكَ أَكبَرُ وَاعِظٍ

عَلى قَلبِكَ المُشتَاقِ أَنوارُهُ تَترَى

عَلى قَلبِكَ المُشتَاقِ أَنوارُهُ تَترَى

From your Lord, the greatest admonisher will meet you;

The greatest admonisher from your Lord will meet you;

its lights come one after another upon your yearning heart.

Its lights come in succession upon your yearning heart.

وَأَقبِل عَلى الفِقهِ المُعَظَّمِ قَدرُهُ

وَأَقبِل عَلى الفِقهِ المُعَظَّمِ قَدرُهُ

هُوَ المَنهَجُ المأمُونُ وَالحُجَّةُ الكُبرَى

هُوَ المَنهَجُ المأمُونُ وَالحُجَّةُ الكُبرَى

Devote yourself to jurisprudence, whose worth is exalted:

And devote yourself to jurisprudence, whose worth is exalted;

it is the sure path and the supreme proof.

It is the trustworthy path and the supreme proof.

تَكُن نافِعاً لِلمُسلِمينَ وَحَيثُما

تَكُن نافِعاً لِلمُسلِمينَ وَحَيثُما

تَحِلُّ عَلى قَومٍ تَكُن فيهِمُ صَدرا

تَحِلُّ عَلى قَومٍ تَكُن فيهِمُ صَدرا

You will be of benefit to the Muslims; and wherever

You will be useful to Muslims, and wherever

you settle among a people, be foremost among them.

You settle among a people, you will be foremost among them.

وَلا تُضِعِ الأَوقاتَ في غَيرِ صالحٍ

وَلا تُضِعِ الأَوقاتَ في غَيرِ صالحٍ

فَمن ضَيَّعَ الأوقاتَ نالَ بِها خُسرا

فَمن ضَيَّعَ الأوقاتَ نالَ بِها خُسرا

Do not waste time on anything unworthy;

And do not waste time on what is not worthwhile,

whoever wastes his time reaps loss through it.

For whoever wastes time incurs loss through it.

فَعُمرُ الفَتَى ما عاشَ مَزرَعُ سَعيِهِ

فَعُمرُ الفَتَى ما عاشَ مَزرَعُ سَعيِهِ

فَمَن لَم يُراعِ الوقتَ لا يَعمُرُ الأُخرى

فَمَن لَم يُراعِ الوقتَ لا يَعمُرُ الأُخرى

A young man’s lifetime, so long as he lives, is the field of his striving;

For a young man's lifetime, as long as he lives, is the field of his striving;

whoever fails to safeguard time will not build up his Hereafter.

So whoever fails to heed time will not cultivate the life to come.

وَلا تَصحَبَنَّ الناسَ إِلا بِحالَةٍ

وَلا تَصحَبَنَّ الناسَ إِلا بِحالَةٍ

تُصِيبُ حَلالَ الرِّزقِ أَو تَكسِبُ الأَجرا

تُصِيبُ حَلالَ الرِّزقِ أَو تَكسِبُ الأَجرا

Do not keep company with people except for a need—

And never keep company with people except in circumstances

one through which you obtain lawful provision or earn reward.

Where you obtain lawful sustenance or earn reward.

وَفي كُلِّ عَقدٍ أَنتَ مُجريهِ فابنِهِ

وَفي كُلِّ عَقدٍ أَنتَ مُجريهِ فابنِهِ

عَلَى الشَّرعِ حَتَّى لا تُصِيبَ بِهِ وِزرا

عَلَى الشَّرعِ حَتَّى لا تُصِيبَ بِهِ وِزرا

Every contract you undertake—build it

And for every contract you execute, build it

upon the Sacred Law, lest through it you incur sin.

On divine law, so that you incur no sin through it.

وَلا تَتَخِذ مِن دُونِ رَبِّكَ مَقصِداً

وَلا تَتَخِذ مِن دُونِ رَبِّكَ مَقصِداً

فَإِنَّ إِليهِ العِزَّ وَالفَتحَ وَالنَّصرا

فَإِنَّ إِليهِ العِزَّ وَالفَتحَ وَالنَّصرا

Do not take any aim apart from your Lord,

And take no goal apart from your Lord,

for with Him lie glory, deliverance, and victory.

For to Him belong honor, triumph, and victory.