The Etiquettes of Learning

اصبر على مر الجفا من معلم *** فإن رسوب العلم في نفراته
Be patient over the teacher’s strictness and harshness
For the stores of knowledge are present in his harshness

ومن لم يذق ذل التعلم ساعة *** تجرع ذل الجهل طول حياته
Whoever does not taste the humility of learning, even for an hour
Will drink the humility of ignorance for the rest of his life

ومن فاته التعليم وقت شبابه *** فكبر عليه أربعا لوفاته
For him who misses out on learning in his youth,
Then announce four takbirs over him for his death is due

حياة الفتى – والله – بالعلم والتقى *** إذا لم يكونا لا اعتبار لذاته
By Allah, the life of a youth is by knowledge and piety
If they are not present, then nothing can express his existence

- Imam al-Syafi'e -

Travel in Quest of Knowledge

فوائد الأسفار

The Benefits in Travelling

تغرب عن الأوطان في طلب العلى *** وسافر ففي الأسفار خمس فوائد
Leave your country in search of loftiness
And travel! For in travel there are 5 benefits,

تفرج هم واكتساب معيشة *** وعلم وآداب وصحبة ماجد
Relief of adversity and earning of livelihood
And knowledge and etiquettes and noble companionship

فإن قيل في الأسفار ذل ومحنة *** وقطع الفيافي وارتكاب الشدائد
If it is said that travelling brings humiliation and difficulty
And long journeys across deserts and toil and trouble,

فموت الفتى خير له من قيامه *** بدار هوان بين واش وحاسد
Then death is better for a person than him remaining
In a humiliating land between traitors and enviers

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ما في المقامِ لذي عقلٍ وذي أدبِ مِنْ رَاحَة ٍ فَدعِ الأَوْطَانَ واغْتَرِبِ
There is no rest in residence for an ingenious person of culture. 
Travel and leave where you’re residing!

  سافر تجد عوضاً عمَّن تفارقهُ وَانْصِبْ فَإنَّ لَذِيذَ الْعَيْشِ فِي النَّصَبِ
 Travel! You will find a replacement for what you have left. 
And strive! The sweetness of life is in striving!

إني رأيتُ وقوفَ الماء يفسدهُ إِنْ سَاحَ طَابَ وَإنْ لَمْ يَجْرِ لَمْ يَطِبِ
 I’ve seen that water stagnates if still. 
Becomes pure if it runs, but not if it doesn’t flow

والأسدُ لولا فراقُ الأرض ما افترست والسَّهمُ لولا فراقُ القوسِ لم يُصِبِ
 If the lion doesn’t leave his den he cannot hunt, 
and the arrow will not strike without leaving its bow

والشمس لو وقفت في الفلكِ دائمة ً لَمَلَّهَا النَّاسُ مِنْ عُجْمٍ وَمِنَ عَرَبِ
If the sun stood still in its heavenly course then people, Arab and non-Arab, it would bore

والتَّبْرَ كالتُّرْبَ مُلْقَىً في أَمَاكِنِهِ والعودُ في أرضه نوعً من الحطب
Gold dust is as the earth where commonly found, and in its land, oud is but another wood in store

فإن تغرَّب هذا عزَّ مطلبهُ وإنْ تَغَرَّبَ ذَاكَ عَزَّ كالذَّهَبِ
 If one travels, he becomes sought out If one travels , he is honored like gold.

- Imam al-Syafi'e -