The publisher's introduction

Bism Allāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm

Bika aḥmaduka wa-aqdiru ʻalá thanāʼika wa-shukrika wa-illā fa-anná lil-ashbāḥ al-khāliyah qudrah wa-irādah wa-lisān fa-yaṣdur minhā mā-nushāhid wa-nasmaʻ fa-mā naṭaqat al-jawāriḥ illā bi-tawjīh ʻināyatika wa-mā-ʻarafat illā bi-imdādika fa-amiddanī bi-ʻilmika wa-aḥyinī bi-ḥayātika wa-khalliqnī bi-akhlāqika wa-asʻidnī bi-ḥaqīqat mā-turīduhu li-ʻibādika al-mukhliṣīn wa-in kuntu aqūl lā-laka fa-ijʻalnī laka aqūl fa-innī bika fa-lā-tajʻal mā-laka li-ghayrika wa-ijʻal nāsūtīyatī mustahlakah fī lāhūtīyatika wa-yakūn al-khaṭaʼ ʻannī mubāʻadan wa-al-zalal mujāniban wa-arāka bi-ʻayn ʻaqlī fa-lā-ḥayāh li-haykal thabata ʻalá al-mawādd al-mutajammiʻah min ajzāʼ al-ghabrāʼ fa-tanawwaʻat fī al-ẓāhir wa-lā-saʻādah li-man athara manāẓir tatalawwan min waqt ilá ākhar fa-innī ataḍarraʻu ilayka an tajʻal rūḥī muntaʻishah bi-ḥayāt rūḥānīyah anta taʻlam kunh ḥaqīqatihā wa-lā-tajʻal intiʻāshí muʼajjalan fa-anta taʻlam iḍṭirābahā fī haykalihā wa-tashawwuqahā ilá saʻādatihā wa-minka uṣallī ʻalá man jaʻaltahu mukhtāran wa-ṣayyartahu kāmilan man intahat ilayhi al-insānīyah fa-ẓaharat bi-ajlá maẓāhirihā wa-takhallaqa fa-ṣāra raʼūfan raḥīman sayyidinā wa-mawlānā Muḥammad bin ʻAbd-Allāh al-ladhí ẓahara juthmānuhu fī Makkah wa-ikhtafá fī al-Madīnah wa-ṣāra ismuhu al-karīm fī al-ʻālam mawjūdan wa-ʻalá ālihi wa-ṣaḥbihi man intahajū khiṭṭatahu fa-saʻidū fī al-ūlá wa-fī al-ukhrá

Wa-baʻd fa-lammā kānat al-saʻādah hiya al-ḍāllah al-manshūdah lil-nawʻ al-insānī wa-huwa jadīr bi-an yataṭallabahā ḥattá lā-takūn ḥayātuhu ḍāʼiʻah mā-bayn hamm wa-ghamm wa-wahm wa-khayālāt wa-amrāḍ wa-awjāʻ wa-basṭ wa-qabḍ wa-ʻusr wa-yusr wa-faqr wa-ghiná wa-ʻizz wa-dhull wa-al-kull yuṣbiḥ ʻinda dukhūlihi fī ramsihi fī khabar kāna wajaba ʻalá man bihi muskah min al-ʻaql wa-al-tamyīz an yasʻá ilá mā-khuliqa li-ajlihi wa-bi-ayy shayʼ yaṣīr khalīfah fī arḍ al-mukawwin al-Ḥakīm wa-bi-mā ṣāra ʻalá ṣūrat al-Raḥmān wa-lam nara man sharaḥahā wa-waffāhā ḥaqqahā mithl kitāb al-Saʻādah lil-ḥakīm al-akhlāqī Abī ʻAlī bin Miskawayh fa-innahu kataba bi-mā yansharaḥ bihi al-ṣadr wa-yūṣil ilá al-ghāyah al-maqṣūdah idhā jadda al-marʼ wa-saʻá

Fa-min al-shaqāʼ al-ʻājil an yasʻá al-marʼ bi-jidd wa-ijtihād fī shahādah tūṣiluhu ilá waẓīfah ʻājilah aw martabah tuʻlí qadrahu bayn muʻāshirīhi wa-yuwāṣil al-layl maʻa al-nahār mutafāniyan fī dhālika wa-lā yasʻá fī al-shahādah al-latí yajtāz bihā min ʻaqabāt al-dār al-bāqiyah wa-bi-muqtaḍāhā yatawaṣṣal ilá al-dukhūl fī jannāt al-naʻīm dār al-baqāʼ

Mā-hiya tilka al-shahādah hiya shahādah bi-ḥusn sīrihi wa-sulūkihi fī dunyāhu maʻa nafsihi wa-khāliqihi wa-makhlūqātihi fa-mā al-dunyā illā nuskhah wa-nubdhah min al-ʻālam al-ukhrawī

Fa-yā-ḥasrah ʻalá ummah ẓannat anna al-saʻādah hiya kanz al-amwāl wa-ḥashd al-hayākil bi-ṣunūf al-maʼākil wa-al-mashārib wa-tasābaqat fī iqtināʼ al-khuyūl al-muṭahhamah wa-al-quṣūr al-shāmikhah wa-iftakharat bi-khadam wa-ḥasham wa-ḥasab wa-tarakū nufūsahum wa-mā-tahwá wa-ahmalū rūḥahum wa-sharʻ rabbihim wa-hum yaḥsabūn annahum yuḥsinūn ṣunʻan

Wa-aʻẓim bi-ummah ʻarafat sabīl al-saʻādah fa-salakatʹhu wa-intahajat naḥwahu wa-ātharat ḥayāt rūḥihā ʻalá iqāmat haykalihā fa-sahula ʻalayhā mā-yaṣʻub ʻalá ummah tafānat fī khidmat al-haykal wa-al-muḥāfaẓah ʻalá mā-taʼmur bihi al-nafs wa-raʼat anna aḥsan mūṣil ilá al-saʻādah al-taḥallī bi-ṣifāt al-rubūbīyah wa-al-takhallī ʻan al-ṣifāt al-shayṭānīyah wa-ayqanat anna maḥw rusūm al-hawá ʻalayhā wājib wa-ithbāt mā-yaqtaḍīhi rusūm al-ʻaql wa-al-ḥijá ʻalayhā lāzim wa-aʻṭat rabb al-jism ḥaqqahu wa-lam taʻkis jāʻilah al-rabb marbūban wa-al-sayyid ʻabdan wa-al-ḥākim maḥkūman

A-tajʻalu al-ʻaqla amīra al-hawá ٭ wa-innamā al-ʻaqlu ʻalayhi amīru

Fa-intaʻashat bi-rūḥihā wa-naẓarat ilayhā fa-raʼatʹhā mutalaʼliʼah mubtahijah bi-mā-tará min asrār al-malakūt ghāriqah fī biḥār al-jalāl wa-al-jabarūt ghanīyah bi-tharwat ṣifātihā ʻalá jamād hādhā al-ʻālam al-suflá mudrikah lil-ladhdhāt lā yudrikuhā illā-man jallá ghishāwatahu al-latí ʻalá ʻayn qalbihi al-māniʻah min naẓarihā al-ashiʻʻah al-ḥaqq wa-al-ḥaqāʼiq

Rubba qāʼil yatashakkak wa-yaḥmiluhu al-iʻtirāḍ ʻalayya kayf tuqarriẓ ārāʼaka wa-taḥmil al-ummah ʻalá afkārika wa-yashtamm min rāʼiḥat kalāmika karāhat ḥusn al-hayʼah wa-al-muḥāfaẓah ʻalá al-naẓāfah wa-al-tamattuʻ bi-ladhdhāt al-ḥayāh al-ūlá wa-qad ubīḥa lanā dhālika fa-qāla jalla man qāʼil ( qul man ḥarrama zīnat Allāhi al-latí akhraja li-ʻibādihi wa-al-ṭayyibāt min al-rizq ) wa-qawluhu ( khudhū zīnatakum ʻinda kull masjid ) wa-qawl al-Nabí ṣallá Allāh ʻalayhi wa-sallam ḥāthan ʻalá al-naẓāfah ( al-naẓāfah min al-īmān ) wa-qawluhu ʻalayhi al-salām ayḍan ( inna Allāha yuḥibb an yurá athar niʻmatihi ʻalá ʻabdihi) wa-qawluhu ayḍan ( akrim shaʻraka ) wa-ikrāmuhu ʻibārah ʻan taʻahhudihi bi-al-ghasīl wa-al-tasrīḥ wa-al-taṭyīb wa-qawluhu ayḍan (ḥubbiba ilayya min dunyākum thalāth al-nisāʼ wa-al-ṭīb wa-juʻilat qurrat ʻaynī fī al-ṣalāh ) wa-qawluhu ʻalayhi al-salām ayḍan ( inna Allāha yuḥibb al-nāsik al-naẓīf wa-inna Allāha yubghiḍ al-wasakh wa-al-shaʻath ) wa-in kāna hādhā ḍaʻīfan wa-lākinnahu yuʻmal bihi fī mā-lā yuḥill ḥarāman wa-lā yuḥarrim ḥalālan wa-ilá ghayr dhālika min al-aḥādīth al-dāllah ʻalá al-tamattuʻ bi-maẓāhir hādhihi al-nashʼah al-ūlīyah maʻa al-wuqūf ʻinda ḥudūd al-sharīʻah wa-ʻadam al-taʻaddí ʻalá al-ḥimá al-ilāhí kallā bal daqqiq al-naẓar wa-rājiʻ nafsaka wa-iḥmilhā ʻalá al-tadabbur wa-al-tafakkur fa-kathīran mā-awdá al-tasarruʻ bi-qawm ḥattá ḥamalahum ʻalá al-ṭaʻn wa-al-izdirāʼ bi-al-qāʼil ẓulman wa-ʻudwānan wa-waqafa tayyār al-afkār wa-raḍiya kull bi-mā ʻindahu wa-qubirat al-ḥaqīqah wa-uʻjiba bi-mā yará wa-bi-mā fahima sākhiran bi-mā ʻindaka li-ghabāwatihi bal al-wājib ʻalá man lam yaʻrif wa-lam yadhuq an yusallim

Wa-idhā kunta fī al-madāriki ghirran ٭ thumma abṣarta ḥādhiqan lā-tumārí wa-idhā lam tara al-hilāla fa-sallim ٭ li-anāsin rāʼawhu bi-al-abṣār

Naʻam ayyuhā al-qāriʼ al-karīm mattaʻaka Allāh bi-rūḥika wa-jaʻalahā ʻalá badanika sulṭānan mustaṭīran

Narmí ilá an lā-yajʻal hammahu fī baṭnihi wa-malbasihi wa-yatruk al-rūḥ wa-khidmatahā wa-min thamma qāla al-Shāfiʻī li-rajul intaqada ʻalayhi fī ʻadam iʻtināʼihi bi-al-malābis ka-mā yará nafsahu maʻa ihmālihi nafsahu

La-in kāna thawbí fawqa qīmatihi al-filsu ٭ fa-lī fīhi nafsun dūna qīmatihā al-insu fa-thawbuka shamsun taḥta anwārihi al-dujá ٭ wa-thawbí laylun taḥta ẓulmatihi al-shamsu

Wa-mā mathaluka fī khidmatika li-juthmānika wa-ẓāhirihi maʻa tarkika lil-bāṭin illā ka-bayḍah ḥasuna ẓāhiruhā wa-qabuḥa bāṭinuhā

Lā-yaghurranka thiyābun nuqqiyat ٭ fa-hiya bi-al-ṣābūni wa-al-māʼi naẓīfah tushbihu al-bayḍatu lammā fasadat ٭ qishruhā abyaḍu wa-al-bāṭinu jīfah

Wa-qawl al-ākhar

Lā-yuʻjibanna muḍīman ḥusnu bizzatihi ٭ wa-hal yarūqu dafīnan jūdatu al-kafan

Wa-qāla al-Nabí ṣallá Allāh ʻalayhi wa-sallam: abghaḍ al-ʻibād ilá Allāh man kāna thawbuhu khayran min ʻamalihi an takūn thiyābuhu thiyāb al-anbiyāʼ wa-ʻamaluhu ʻamal al-jabbārīn

Hādhā wa-qad raʼá al-Mubarrad ṣāḥib al-Kāmil rajulan muʻjaban bi-nafsihi wa-bi-libāsihi fa-qāla

Yā-man talbasu athwāban yatīhu bihā ٭ tīha al-mulūki ʻalá baʻḍi al-masākīni mā-ghayyara al-jullu akhlāqa al-ḥamīri wa-lā ٭ naqshu al-barādhiʻi akhlāqa al-barādhīni

Fa-al-tamattuʻ ka-mā qultu maṭlūb lil-nawʻ al-insānī wa-illā kāna khalq hādhihi al-ashyāʼ ʻabathan wa-hādhā lā-yalīq bi-al-Ḥakīm fa-khayrukum man akhadha min hādhihi wa-hādhihi fa-jamaʻa bayn al-amrayn wa-taghallabat khidmatuhu lil-rūḥ fa-aṣbaḥa ḥayyan fī ḥayātihi wa-ramsihi wa-nashrihi wa-ḥashrihi fa-indaraja fī silk al-rūḥānīyīn wa-indamaja fī hayʼat al-muqarrabīn ʻinda malīk jamīl qadīr

Fa-ḥadhāri ayyuhā al-insān an takūn ajamah fī haykalika fīhā ḥayyah talsaʻ wa-ʻaqrab taldagh wa-namir yumazziq wa-jamal yaḥqid wa-kalb yurāwigh wa-arnab ʻinda al-ḥaqq yajbun wa-shawk wa-saʻdān yuʼdhí wa-asad yaftaris wa-qird lā-ḥaẓẓ lahu illā al-muḥākāh bal ʻalayka an takūn jannah fīhā māʼ ghayr āsin yuzīl al-ẓamaʼ wa-ward yasurr al-nāẓir wa-rayāḥīn tunʻish al-shamm wa-karawān ʻalá lisānika yaladhdh al-samʻ wa-lā-gharābah fa-anta zubdat al-ʻālam wa-fīka inṭawá wa-min thamma naʼsaf ʻalá al-insānīyah fa-la-qad taʻadhdhabat bi-haykalihā wa-anta man lawkihā bi-al-fam wa-wakhzihā bi-sinn al-qalam wa-min al-ʻajab li-jahlinā bi-qīmat al-insānīyah naẓarnā ilá al-insān bi-mujarrad shaklihi wa-ḥusn takhāṭīṭihi wa-ḥusn hayʼatihi wa-kathrat ʻarḍihi wa-ʻudhūbat lisānihi bi-al-nifāq wa-al-khidāʻ wa-akuff layyinah ʻinda al-malmas wa-lākin fī al-ṣadr nīrān min al-ḥiqd wa-al-ḥasad wa-al-baghḍāʼ

Lānat ʻalá al-massi bi-al-aydī jusūmuhum ٭ wa-fī al-ṣudūri la-ʻamrī yanbutu al-ḥasaku wa-hādhā nāshiʼ minnā li-annanā lam nasʻa fī taṣfiyatihā min kadūrāt al-akhlāq al-fāsidah wa-lam yakhṭur lanā ʻalá bāl fa-sāʼat aḥwālunā wa-iḍṭarabat aqwālunā wa-kallat himamunā wa-ṣirnā bi-al-ijtimāʻ mutaʼallimīn wa-fī al-qurb mūḥishīn yafirr al-marʼ min akhīhi wa-khalīlihi li-anna al-arwāḥ kasafat bi-man ḥajabahā ʻan ṣafāʼihā wa-shuʻāʻihā wa-tashakká kull minnā al-ḥayāh wa-buʼsahā wa-mā-yuʻānīhi wa-law-kunnā mimman khadama al-rūḥ khidmah ḥaqqah la-kānat al-ḥayāh lanā jannah muʻajjalah wa-naʻīman kāmilan maʻa mā-yantābunā min al-amrāḍ wa-al-balāyā li-annahā kullahā tatalāshá bi-iḥsās al-rūḥ an thamma rūḥan tushfiq ʻalayhā wa-fuʼādan mukhliṣan lahā fa-tatawazzaʻ tilka al-muʼlimāt ʻalá al-afrād fa-tahūn wa-hādhā mā-ʻanāhu binā murshid al-ummah ilá mā-fīhi ṣalāḥuhā mathal al-muʼminīn fī tawāddihim wa-tarāḥumihim wa-taʻāṭufihim ka-mathal al-jism idhā ishtaká minhu ʻuḍw tadāʻá ilayhi sāʼir al-jasad bi-al-ḥummá wa-al-sahar

Wa-maʻa mā-ẓahara lanā min ikhtibār al-ummah wa-akhlāqihā lā-lawma ʻalá man qāla

ʻAwá al-dhiʼbu fa-istaʼnastu bi-al-dhiʼbi idh ʻawá ٭ wa-ṣawta insānin fa-kidtu aṭīru

Wa-qawl al-ākhar

Lam yabqa min jull hādhā al-nāsi bāqiyah ٭ yanāluhā al-wahmu illā hādhihi al-ṣuwar

Wa-qawl Diʻbil al-Khuzāʻí

Mā akthara al-nāsa bal mā aqallahum ٭ Allāhu yaʻlamu annī lam aqul fanadan innī la-aftaḥu ʻaynī ḥīna aftaḥuhā ٭ ʻalá kathīrin wa-lākin lā-ará aḥadan

Wa-qawl al-ākhar

Qad ḍayyaʻa Allāhu mā-jamaʻtu min adabin ٭ bayna al-ḥamīri wa-bayna al-shāʼi wa-al-baqari taqūlu in sakatū al-nasru wa-in naṭaqū ٭ qultu al-ḍafādiʻu bayna al-māʼi wa-al-shajari

Wa-qawl al-ākhar

Fa-in ḥadathta ʻan ʻilmin wa-fiqhin ٭ fa-anta ladayhim fadmun thaqīlu wa-in ḥadathta ʻan samakin wa-baqlin ٭ fa-anta ladayhim rajulun nabīlu

Laʻallaka ʻinda qirāʼatika li-hādhihi al-kalimāt tajid min nafsika ishtiyāqan ilá ruʼyat al-insān wa-tuḥibb al-tamattuʻ bi-mujālasatihi wa-taṣbū ilá muṣādaqatihi wa-lākin ayna al-insān wa-qad irtaḥala wa-fī jiwār rabbihi qad ḥalla

Idhā aḥbabta ruʼyatahu wa-ishtaqta al-naẓar ilayhi fa-ṭāliʻ al-Sīrah al-Muḥammadīyah wa-istaḥḍir tilka al-ṣifāt fī shakhṣ sayyidinā wa-mawlānā Muḥammad ṣallá Allāh ʻalayhi wa-sallam tajid annahu al-insān al-kāmil bi-mā kāna ʻindahu min al-akhlāq al-ʻāliyah wa-al-rūḥ al-kabīrah al-sāmiyah

Wa-lā gharābah fa-Allāh jalla dhikruhu aḥabba an yará ṣūrat jamālihi fī al-ʻālam li-anna ruʼyat al-shayʼ nafsihi bi-nafsihi laysa ka-ruʼyatihi fī ṣūrah tughāyiruhu fa-khalaqa Muḥammadan ṣallá Allāh ʻalayhi wa-sallam wa-kawwanahu wa-ṣaffāhu min al-kadūrāt al-basharīyah fa-takhallaqa bi-akhlāqah wa-li-dhā qāla ṣallá Allāh ʻalayhi wa-sallam (takhallaqū bi-akhlāq Allāh ) wa-qawluhu ayḍan inna Allāha khalaqa Ādam ʻalá ṣūrat al-Raḥmān