And I despite my covered heart and falling short from the station of perfection...

And I despite my covered heart and falling short from the station of perfection, and my acknowledgement of my inability to recognize the excellences of the hearts of the foremost, and my falling short from following in their footsteps and my insignificance in comparison to their greatness – have compiled a small number of of his short aphorisms and a few of his wise sayings which render even the most eloquent ones mute and make the wisest sages despair of matching it.

Allah knows that in this endeavour I am only like a person who takes with his hand from the sea and acknowledges his shortcoming, even if it may seem an exaggeration, but why not? When he (‘a) has drank from the spring of Prophethood and possesses in his heart divine knowledge, as he (may Allah honour him) says, and his words are true and his speech veracious, based on what the narrators have narrated: verily I have much knowledge in my heart; if only I came across someone who could bear it!

I have omitted the chains of narrators from it and have arranged it alphabetically, placing together the aphorisms and sayings that rhyme and exhibit assonance so that it falls more easily upon the ears and is grasped quicker by the hearts and minds, because of the intense inclination of the souls towards poetical speech and their dislike for prosaic form.

In this way its readers may easily commit it to memory and it may become a source of joy for those who examine it, having been extracted from its masterpiece with my cutting off most of it out of fear of lengthening [it] and sufficing with that which contains a remedy from hardships and difficulties for the people of intellect and understanding.

And I have named it Ghurar al-Ḥikam wa Durar al-Kalim (Exalted Aphorisms and Pearls of Speech) in the hope of getting reward from Allah, the Glorified, while seeking refuge with Him, the Most High, from every flaw. And my success is from none save Allah; in Him I have put my trust and to Him will be my return. Previous…