Author’s Introduction

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمد لله القادر الفرد الحكيم الفاطر الصمد الكريم باعث نبيّه محمّد صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم بجوامع الكَلِم وبدائع الحِكَم وجاعله للناس ﴿بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا﴾ ﴿وَدَاعِيًا﴾ إِلَيه ﴿بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجاً مُنِيرًا﴾. صلّى الله عليه وعلى آله الذين أذهب عنهم الرجس وطهّرهم تطهيرًا.

In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate

God be praised! He is one, powerful and wise, the eternal and generous creator. He sent Muḥammad as a prophet, fortified with profound words and marvelous sayings, making him «a bringer of glad tidings and a warner»¹ for all people, «a caller» to him «with his permission, and a shining sun.»² May God bless him and also his progeny, from whom God stripped all forms of filth, and whom he made completely pure.³

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أمّا بعد فإنّ في الألفاظ النبويّة والآداب الشرعيّة جلاء لقلوب العارفين وشفاء لأدواء الخائفين. لصدورها عن المؤيّد بالعصمة والمخصوص بالبيان والحكمة. الذي يدعو إلى الهدى ويبصّر من العمى ولا ﴿يَنْطِقُ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰ﴾. صلّى الله عليه أفضل ما صلّى على أحد من ﴿عِبَادِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱصْطَفَىٰ﴾.

The prophet’s words and his divinely inspired directions for refined behavior burnish the hearts of those who know God and cure the diseases of those who fear him. For they come from one whom God has protected from error, who has been singled out to receive clear exposition and wisdom, who calls to right guidance, makes the blind see, and never «speaks from a whim.»⁴ May God shower upon him the choicest blessings he has ever showered upon «his chosen servants.»⁵

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وقد جمعت في كتابي هذا ممّا سمعته من حديث رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلّم ألف كلمة من الحكمة في الوصايا والآداب والمواعظ والأمثال. قد سلمت من التكلّف مبانيها وبعدت عن التعسّف معانيها وبانت بالتأييد عن فصاحة الفصحاء وتميّزت بهدي النبوّة عن بلاغة البلغاء. وجعلتها مسرودة يتلو بعضها بعضا محذوفة الأسانيد مبوّبة أبوابًا على حسب تقارب الألفاظ ليقرب تناولها ويسهل حفظها. وزدت مائتي كلمة فصارت ألف كلمة ومائتي كلمة. وختمت الكتاب بأدعية مرويّة عنه عليه السلام وأفردت لأسانيد جميعها كتابًا يُرجَع في معرفتها إليه.

In this book, I have collected one thousand wise sayings from the sayings of the messenger of God—including testaments, directions for refined behavior, counsels, and maxims—whose forms and meanings are free of artifice and discord. Inspired by God, they are superior to the expressive discourse of the masters of expression. Distinguished by the guidance of prophecy, they are loftier than the sayings of the masters of eloquence. I have arranged these sayings uninterruptedly, one following the other, omitting the chains of transmission. For simplified access and ease of memorization, I have divided them into chapters based on similarity of lexical pattern. I have subsequently added two hundred more sayings, to make twelve hundred in all.⁶ I end the book with supplications attributed to the prophet. The chains of transmission for each hadith I have collected in a separate book; they can be examined there.⁷

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وأنا أسأل الله تعالى أن يجعل ما ٱعتمدته من ذلك خالصًا لوجهه ومقرّبًا من رحمته بحوله وقوّته.

I ask God—through his might and power—to let my efforts be directed to winning his acceptance, and to seeking his merciful gaze.