Ghāyat al-Ḥakīm · draft

Book Three, chapter 4

The secret known to those grounded in knowledge

Ritter pp. 169–176 · 27 passages

Ritter p. 169

1Chapter 4

فصل (٤)

2Know, O you who look [into this], that I saw a wondrous book by Ja'far al-Baṣrī which he named "The Treasured Book". It was kept hidden with one of his companions, who would not show it to anyone for fear of [others] looking into its secret. I found that Ja'far had divided in it the verses of the Mighty Book among the seven planets, and he claimed that this was by the arrangement of an arranger, and that in understanding them there are many secrets. And he claimed, by his claim, that this division extracts the treasured Name which God deposited in the hearts of the saints and of the knowing men of intellect; and this on his part is a symbol.

اعلم ايها الناظر انى رأيت «لجعفر البصرى» كتابًا عجيبًا سمّاه «بالكتاب المخزون» وكان مستورًا عند احد اصحابه لا يظهره لاحد مخافة التطلّع على سرّه فوجدت جعفرًا قد قسم فيه آى الكتاب العزيز على الكواكب السبعة وزعم ان ذلك بوضع واضع وان فى فهمها اسرارًا كثيرةً وزعم بزعمه ان هذه القسمة تستخرج الاسم المخزون الذى اودعه الله قلوب الاولياء والعقلاء العارفين وهذا منه رمز

"The Mighty Book" (al-kitāb al-'azīz) is the Qur'an.

3And [he claimed] that from this division is extracted, and from it is known, the extent of the duration of the dynasties and of the celestial cycles; and for that reason the unpointed letters were set at the beginnings of some of the suras, and they are an indication of the extent of the cycle of Venus; and the division [is made] by some of those letters, then their sum is taken, and from it is known the extent of its continuance and its ending, and the beginning of the cycle that follows it in rule. And he claimed that by knowing that one attains to the influences and wonders that appear in the cycle of each planet that begins anew. And this is among the wonders of arrangement and symbol, since a symbol is speech which is not according to its outward [sense] and has an inward [sense] of meaning; so it is, in sum, an utterance with two aspects, one well known and one concealed, for a benefit or a wisdom. And for that reason it has been said that the Qur'an has a hidden [side] and a manifest [side]. These two descriptions are among the relatives, for the manifest may be manifest to one thing and hidden to another thing, and it is not manifest and hidden in one respect, but manifest in one respect and in relation to one perception, and hidden in another respect; for manifestness and hiddenness are only in relation to the perceptions.

وان من هذه القسمة يستخرج ويعلم منها كمية دوام الدول والادوار الفلكية ولذلك ما ثبتت الحروف غير المعجمة فى اوائل بعض السور وانها دليل على كمية الدورة الزهرية والقسمة على بعض تلك الحروف ثم يؤخذ مجموعها فيعلم منه كمية بقائها وانقضائها وابتداء الدورة التى تليها فى الحكومة وزعم ان بمعرفة ذلك يتوصّل الى ما يظهر فى دورة كل كوكب يستأنف من التأثيرات والعجائب وهذا من عجيب الوضع والرمز اذ الرمز كلام ليس على ظاهره وله باطن معنوى فهو بالجملة لفظ ذو جهتين مشهورة ومستورة لمصلحة او حكمة ولذلك ما قيل ان للقرآن باطنًا وظاهرًا وهذان الوصفان من المضافات فان الظاهر قد يكون ظاهرًا لشىء وباطنا لشىء ولا يكون من وجه واحد ظاهرًا وباطنًا بل ظاهرًا من وجه وبالاضافة الى ادراك وباطنًا من وجه آخر فان الظهور والبطون انما يكون بالاضافة الى الادراكات

al-ḥurūf ghayr al-mu'jama (lit. 'the letters not pointed') evidently refers to the isolated letters at the head of certain suras; the exact sense of ghayr al-mu'jama here is uncertain. 'al-dawra al-zuhariyya' rendered 'the cycle of Venus'. ẓāhir / bāṭin are rendered 'manifest / hidden' throughout, 'outward / inward' in the opening clause about speech. al-muḍāfāt: relative terms (the category of relation).

Ritter p. 170

4And for that reason God the Exalted is hidden if He is sought from the perception of the senses and the storehouse of the imagination, and manifest if He is sought from the storehouse of the intellect by way of inference. If it is said: 'As for His being hidden in relation to the perception of the senses, that is manifest; but as for His being manifest to the intellect, that is obscure, since the manifest is that about which there is no disputing and about whose perception people do not differ, and this is among the things about which much doubt has befallen creatures; so how can He be manifest?'

ولذلك ما كان الله تعالى باطنًا ان طلب من ادراك الحواسّ وخزانة الخيال وظاهرًا ان طلب من خزانة العقل بطريق الاستدلال، فان قيل اما كونه باطنًا بالاضافة الى ادراك الحواسّ فظاهر واما كونه ظاهرًا بالعقل فغامض اذ الظاهر ما لا يمارى فيه ولا يختلف الناس فى ادراكه وهذا مما قد وقع فيه الريب الكثير للخلق فكيف يكون ظاهرًا

5then know that He is concealed, despite His manifestness, only because of the intensity of His manifestness; His manifestness is the cause of His hiddenness, and His light is the veil of His light, and everything that passes beyond its limit turns back into its contrary. The likeness of it is that all the things from which inference is drawn are many, none can count them but God the Exalted, and in what is in his self [pronoun ambiguous: man's own self, or God's] of lessons and signs there is sufficiency; and all of them are proofs from which the sight turns back humbled. And likewise, excess of light: the sight is bewildered by it and turns back humbled.

فاعلم انه انما خفى مع ظهوره لشدّة ظهوره وظهوره سبب بطونه ونوره هو حجاب نوره وكل ما جاوز حدّه انعكس على ضدّه، ومثاله ان جميع المستدلّات كثيرة لا يحصيها الا الله تعالى وما فى نفسه من العبر والآيات ففيها المكفى وهى كلها دلائل يرجع عنها البصر خاسئًا وكذلك افراط النور يحار فيه البصر فيرجع خاسئًا

'the sight turns back humbled' (yarji'u … al-baṣaru khāsi'an) echoes Qur'an 67:4.

6So the intensity of His manifestness is the cause of His hiddenness, and for that reason He is concealed from them because of the intensity of His manifestness. He is the Manifest, than whom nothing is more manifest, and He is the Hidden, than whom nothing is more hidden; He is the One who is concealed in His essence and manifest in His signs.

فشدّة ظهوره سبب بطونه فلذلك خفى عليهم لشدّة ظهوره فهو الظاهر الذى لا شىء اظهر منه وهو الباطن الذى لا شىء ابطن منه فهو الذى خفى بذاته وظهر بآياته،

7Know that what is intended by the letters on which speech turns being twenty-eight [is] because this number is a complete individual joined together from spirit and body. Those of them that occur at the beginnings of the suras are fourteen letters; they are the station of the spirit, and since the spirit is concealed, so these letters, their secret is concealed. And it is also the number of the concealed mansions.

فاعلم ان المراد بكون الحروف الدائر عليها الكلام ثمانية وعشرين لان هذا العدد شخص تامّ ملتئم من روح وجسد فالواقع منها فى اوائل السور اربعة عشر حرفًا هى مقام الروح واذ الروح خفية كذلك هذه الاحرف سرّها خفىّ وهو ايضًا عدد المنازل الخفية

The fourteen letters are those of the disconnected letters opening certain suras; 'the concealed mansions' are presumably the fourteen mansions of the Moon below the horizon at any time.

8And the fourteen letters that do not occur at the beginnings of the suras are the station of the body and the station of the manifest mansions; and because of the manifestness of their matter, there was no ignorance concerning them [reading uncertain]. And do not suppose, O reader, that this was by chance; rather, it was by intention and with a meaning. And attaining to the knowledge of that is among the guarded secrets and the stored sciences, and it is the secret of the Qur'an.

والاربعة عشر حرفًا التى لم تقع فى اوائل السور هى مقام الجسد ومقام المنازل الظاهرة فلظهور امرها لم يُغْبَ بها ولا تظنّ ايها الناظر ان ذلك كان بالاتفاق بل بقصد ومعنًى والوقوف على معرفة ذلك من الاسرار المصونة والعلوم المخزونة وهو سرّ القرآن

lam yughba bihā: Ritter vocalises yughba, apparently from ghabiya bi- 'to be unaware of'; the sense is uncertain.

Ritter p. 171

9Of them, at the beginnings [of the suras], there is one letter, then more than that, and the limit of their rank is five, with nothing beyond it, since five is the circular number which, when multiplied by itself, preserves its essence and its nature. And the alif, whose place is first at the beginnings of the suras, is an expression for the beginning, I mean the beginning of the world of the command; and the nūn at their end [pronoun ambiguous: the end of the letters or of the suras] is an expression for the end, the end of creation.

فمنها فى الاوائل منها حرف واحد ثم ازيد من ذلك ونهاية رتبتها خمسة لا زائد عليها اذ الخمسة هى العدد الدائر الذى اذا ضرب فى نفسه حفظ ذاته وطبيعته والالف المقدّم كونها فى اوائل السور عبارة عن البداية اعنى بداية عالم الامر والنون فى آخرها عبارة عن النهاية نهاية الخلق،

Five is 'circular' because 5 × 5 = 25 again ends in 5. 'ālam al-amr and al-khalq echo the Qur'anic pair of command and creation.

10And know, O reader, that it was with right that the sages concealed these sciences, withholding them from whoever is not of their people. And for that reason it has been said: 'Do not place wisdom among those not of its people, lest you wrong it, and do not withhold it from its people, lest you wrong them.' And likewise their saying: 'Do not place pearls on the necks of swine'; and 'Speak to people of what they understand, and do not speak to them of what they do not understand.'

واعلم ايها الناظر ان بحقّ ما ستروا الحكماء هذه العلوم ضنًّا بها على من ليس من اهلها ولذلك ما قيل لا تضعوا الحكمة فى غير اهلها فتظلموها ولا تمنعوها من اهلها فتظلموهم وكذلك قولهم لا تضعوا الدرّ فى اعناق الخنازير وحدّثوا الناس بما يفهمون ولا تحدّثوهم بما لا يفهمون

11And: 'If I spoke to people of what I know, this gullet would be cut from me.' And for that reason the Lawgiver forbade plunging into questioning, and said: 'Those who were before you perished only through the abundance of their questioning of their prophets'; so that 'Uzayr questioned much and was erased from the register of prophecy. So it is incumbent on you, O reader, to guard what reaches you of these sciences and to conceal it as far as you are able.

ولو حدّثتُ الناس بما اعلم لقطع منّى هذا البلعوم ولذلك ما نهى الشارع عن الخوض فى السؤال وقال انما هلك من كان قبلكم بكثرة سؤالهم انبياءهم حتى ان عزيرًا اكثر السؤال فمحى من ديوان النبوّة، فعليك ايها الناظر بحفظ ما يصل اليك من هذه العلوم وسترها ما استطعت

'Uzayr: the Qur'anic figure usually identified with Ezra.

12And I shall set down for you what I have seen by Ja'far in that treatise, since the need for it is great in this matter. He asserted that this division required the [following] arrangement. The first of that is the sura al-Fātiḥa: 7; its first is for the Sun and its last for Mars. Al-Baqara: 287; its first is for the Sun and its last for Mars. Āl 'Imrān: 200; its first is for the Sun and its last to the Moon; «al-Nisā'», 175, its first to Saturn and its last to the Moon; «al-Mā'ida», 123, its first to Saturn and its last to the Sun; «al-An'ām», 166, its first to Venus and its last to Jupiter; «al-A'rāf», 205, its first to Mars and its last to the Sun; «al-Anfāl», 76, its first to Venus and its last to Mars; «Barā'a», 130, its first to the Sun and its last to the Moon; «Yūnus», 109, its first to Saturn and its last to the Sun; «Hūd», 121, its first to Venus and its last to Mercury; «Yūsuf», 111, its first to the Moon and its last to Venus; «al-Ra'd», 45, its first to Mercury and its last to Saturn; «Ibrāhīm», 51, its first to Jupiter and its last to Mars; «al-Ḥijr», 99, its first to the Sun and its last to the Sun;

وانا ارسم لك ما رأيته «لجعفر» فى تلك المقالة اذ الحاجة اليه عظيمة فى هذا الشأن وزعم ان هذه القسمة اوجبت الترتيب فاول ذلك سورة «الفاتحة» ز اولها للشمس وآخرها للمرّيخ «البقرة» رفز اولها للشمس وآخرها للمريخ «آل عمران» ر اولها للشمس وآخرها للقمر، «النساء» قعه اولها لزحل وآخرها للقمر، «المائدة» قكج اولها لزحل وآخرها للشمس، «الانعام» قسو اولها للزهرة وآخرها للمشترى، «الاعراف» ره اولها للمريخ وآخرها للشمس، «الانفال» عو اولها للزهرة وآخرها للمريخ، «براءة» قل اولها للشمس وآخرها للقمر، «يونس» قط اولها لزحل وآخرها للشمس، «هود» قكا اولها للزهرة وآخرها لعطارد، «يوسف» قيا اولها للقمر وآخرها للزهرة، «الرعد» مه اولها لعطارد وآخرها لزحل، «ابراهيم» نا اولها للمشترى وآخرها للمريخ، «الحجر» صط اولها للشمس وآخرها للشمس،

The numbers are abjad letters with overline (z = 7, rfz = 287, r = 200), apparently the verse counts of the suras. Ja'far is presumably Ja'far al-Ṣādiq. The numbers after each sura name are printed as abjad letters (e.g. قعه = 175) and give the count of its verses; 'its first' and 'its last' are its first and last verses. Barā'a is Sūrat al-Tawba.

Ritter p. 172

13«al-Naḥl», 128, its first to Venus and its last to Mercury; «Banī Isrā'īl», 110, its first to the Moon and its last to the Sun; «al-Kahf», 111, its first to Venus and its last to Mars; «Maryam», 98, its first to the Sun and its last to Mars; «Ṭāhā», 132, its first to the Sun and its last to Jupiter; «al-Anbiyā'», 111, its first to Mars and its last to Saturn; «al-Ḥajj», 75, its first to Jupiter and its last to Mercury; «al-Mu'minūn», 119, its first to the Moon and its last to Mercury; «al-Nūr», 64, its first to the Moon and its last to the Moon; «al-Furqān», 77, its first to Saturn and its last to the Moon; «al-Shu'arā'», 226, its first to Saturn and its last to Jupiter; «al-Naml», 94, its first to Mars and its last to Venus; «al-Qaṣaṣ», 88, its first to Mercury and its last to Jupiter; «al-'Ankabūt», 69, its first to Mars and its last to Saturn; «al-Rūm», 60, its first to Jupiter and its last to Venus; «Luqmān», 34, its first to Mercury and its last to the Sun;

«النحل» قكح اولها للزهرة وآخرها لعطارد، «بنى اسرائيل» قى اولها للقمر وآخرها للشمس، «الكهف» قيا اولها للزهرة وآخرها للمريخ، «مريم» صح اولها للشمس وآخرها للمريخ، «طه» قلب اولها للشمس وآخرها للمشترى، «الانبياء» قيا اولها للمريخ وآخرها لزحل، «الحجّ» عه اولها للمشترى وآخرها لعطارد، «المؤمنون» قيط اولها للقمر وآخرها لعطارد، «النور» سد اولها للقمر وآخرها للقمر، «الفرقان» عز اولها لزحل وآخرها للقمر، «الشعراء» ركو اولها لزحل وآخرها للمشترى، «النمل» صد اولها للمريخ وآخرها للزهرة، «القصص» فح اولها لعطارد وآخرها للمشترى، «العنكبوت» سط اولها للمريخ وآخرها لزحل، «الروم» س اولها للمشترى وآخرها للزهرة، «لقمان» لد اولها لعطارد وآخرها للشمس،

Banī Isrā'īl is Sūrat al-Isrā'.

14«al-Sajda», 29, its first to Venus and its last to Venus; «al-Aḥzāb», 73, its first to Mercury and its last to Saturn; «Saba'», 54, its first to Jupiter and its last to Mercury; «al-Malā'ika», 45, its first to the Moon and its last to Jupiter; «Yā Sīn», 82, its first to Mars and its last to the Moon; «wa-l-Ṣāffāt», 181, its first to Saturn and its last to Mercury; «Ṣād», 85, its first to the Moon and its last to the Moon; «al-Zumar», 72, its first to Saturn and its last to Jupiter; «al-Mu'min», 82, its first to Mars and its last to the Moon; «al-Sajda», 52, its first to Saturn and its last to Mars; «Ḥā Mīm 'Ayn Sīn Qāf», 49, its first to the Sun and its last to Mars; «al-Zukhruf», 89, its first to the Sun and its last to Saturn;

«السجدة» كط اولها للزهرة وآخرها للزهرة، «الاحزاب» عج اولها لعطارد وآخرها لزحل، «سبأ» ند اولها للمشترى وآخرها لعطارد، «الملائكة» مه اولها للقمر وآخرها للمشترى، «يس» فب اولها للمريخ وآخرها للقمر، «والصافات» قفا اولها لزحل وآخرها لعطارد، «ص» فه اولها للقمر وآخرها للقمر، «الزمر» عب اولها لزحل وآخرها للمشترى، «المؤمن» فب اولها للمريخ وآخرها للقمر، «السجدة» نب اولها لزحل وآخرها للمريخ، «حم عسق» مط اولها للشمس وآخرها للمريخ، «الزخرف» فط اولها للشمس وآخرها لزحل،

The first al-Sajda is Sūrat al-Sajda (32); the second, with 52 verses, is Ḥā Mīm al-Sajda, i.e. Fuṣṣilat. Al-Malā'ika is Sūrat Fāṭir; al-Mu'min is Sūrat Ghāfir; Ḥā Mīm 'Ayn Sīn Qāf is Sūrat al-Shūrā.

Ritter p. 173

15«al-Dukhān», 57, its first to Jupiter and its last to Jupiter; «al-Jāthiya», 36, its first to Mars and its last to Mars; «al-Aḥqāf», 34, its first to the Sun and its last to Jupiter; «al-Qitāl», 40, its first to Mars and its last to the Moon; «al-Fatḥ», 29, its first to Saturn and its last to Saturn; «al-Ḥujurāt», 18, its first to Jupiter and its last to Venus; «Qāf», 45, its first to Mercury and its last to Saturn; «al-Dhāriyāt», 60, its first to Jupiter and its last to Venus; «al-Ṭūr», 48, its first to Mercury and its last to the Sun;

«الدخان» نز اولها للمشترى وآخرها للمشترى، «الجاثية» لو اولها للمريخ وآخرها للمريخ، «الاحقاف» لد اولها للشمس وآخرها للمشترى، «القتال» م اولها للمريخ وآخرها للقمر، «الفتح» كط اولها لزحل وآخرها لزحل، «الحجرات» يح اولها للمشترى وآخرها للزهرة، «ق» مه اولها لعطارد وآخرها لزحل، «الذاريات» س اولها للمشترى وآخرها للزهرة، «الطور» مح اولها لعطارد وآخرها للشمس،

Al-Qitāl is Sūrat Muḥammad.

16«al-Najm», 61, its first to Venus and its last to Jupiter; «al-Qamar», 55, its first to Mars and its last to Saturn; «al-Raḥmān», 76, its first to Jupiter and its last to the Moon; «al-Wāqi'a», 97, its first to Saturn and its last to Mercury; «al-Ḥadīd», 29, its first to the Moon and its last to the Moon; «al-Mujādala», 22, its first to Saturn and its last to Saturn; «al-Ḥashr», 24, its first to Jupiter and its last to the Sun; «al-Mumtaḥana», 13, its first to Venus and its last to Mars; «al-Ṣaff», 14, its first to the Sun and its last to Mars; «al-Jumu'a», 11, its first to the Sun and its last to the Moon; «al-Munāfiqūn», 11, its first to Saturn and its last to the Sun; «al-Taghābun», 18: its beginning for Venus and its end for Saturn; «al-Ṭalāq», 11: its beginning for Jupiter and its end for Venus; «al-Taḥrīm», 12: its beginning for Mercury and its end for Mars; «al-Mulk», 30: its beginning for the Sun and its end for Venus; «Nūn», 52: its beginning for Mercury and its end for Saturn; «al-Ḥāqqa», 51: its beginning for Jupiter and its end for Mars; «Sa'ala sā'il», 44: its beginning for the Sun and its end for Venus; «Nūḥ», 29: its beginning for Mercury and its end for Mercury; «al-Jinn», 28: its beginning for the Moon and its end for Mercury;

«النجم» سا اولها للزهرة وآخرها للمشترى، «القمر» نه اولها للمريخ وآخرها لزحل، «الرحمن» عو اولها للمشترى وآخرها للقمر، «الواقعة» صز اولها لزحل وآخرها لعطارد، «الحديد» كط اولها للقمر وآخرها للقمر، «المجادلة» كب اولها لزحل وآخرها لزحل، «الحشر» كد اولها للمشترى وآخرها للشمس، «الممتحنة» يج اولها للزهرة وآخرها للمريخ، «الصفّ» يد اولها للشمس وآخرها للمريخ، «الجمعة» يا اولها للشمس وآخرها للقمر، «المنافقون» يا اولها لزحل وآخرها للشمس، «التغابن» يح اولها للزهرة وآخرها لزحل، «الطلاق» يا اولها للمشترى وآخرها للزهرة، «التحريم» يب اولها لعطارد وآخرها للمريخ، «الملك» ل اولها للشمس وآخرها للزهرة، «ن» نب اولها لعطارد وآخرها لزحل، «الحاقّة» نا اولها للمشترى وآخرها للمريخ، «سأل سائل» مد اولها للشمس وآخرها للزهرة، «نوح» كط اولها لعطارد وآخرها لعطارد، «الجنّ» كح اولها للقمر وآخرها لعطارد،

Sūra titles are transliterated as Ritter prints them. The figures are abjad numerals as printed (apparently verse counts); they are reproduced as printed even where they differ from the standard counts. «Nūn» is the sūra otherwise called al-Qalam.

Ritter p. 174

17«al-Muzzammil», 19: its beginning for the Moon and its end for the Sun; «al-Muddaththir», 56: its beginning for Venus and its end for the Sun; «al-Qiyāma», 39: its beginning for Venus and its end for Saturn; «al-Insān», 31: its beginning for Jupiter and its end for the Sun; «al-Mursalāt», 50: its beginning for Venus and its end for Venus; «al-Naba'», 41: its beginning for Mercury and its end for the Sun; «al-Nāzi'āt», 45: its beginning for Venus and its end for the Moon; «'Abasa», 41: its beginning for Saturn and its end for Mercury; «Kuwwirat», 29: its beginning for the Moon and its end for the Moon; «Infaṭarat», 19: its beginning for Saturn and its end for Venus; «al-Muṭaffifīn», 36: its beginning for Mercury and its end for Mercury;

«المزّمّل» يط اولها للقمر وآخرها للشمس، «المدّثّر» نو اولها للزهرة وآخرها للشمس، «القيامة» لط اولها للزهرة وآخرها لزحل، «الانسان» لا اولها للمشترى وآخرها للشمس، «المرسلات» ن اولها للزهرة وآخرها للزهرة، «النبأ» ما اولها لعطارد وآخرها للشمس، «النازعات» مه اولها للزهرة وآخرها للقمر، «عبس» ما اولها لزحل وآخرها لعطارد، «كوّرت» كط اولها للقمر وآخرها للقمر، «انفطرت» يط اولها لزحل وآخرها للزهرة، «المطفّفين» لو اولها لعطارد وآخرها لعطارد،

18«Inshaqqat», 23: its beginning for the Moon and its end for Saturn; «al-Burūj», 22: its beginning for Jupiter and its end for Jupiter; «al-Ṭāriq», 17: its beginning for Mars and its end for Venus; «al-A'lā», 19: its beginning for Mercury and its end for Mars; «al-Ghāshiya», 26: its beginning for the Sun and its end for Saturn; «al-Fajr», 29: its beginning for Jupiter and its end for Jupiter; «al-Balad», 20: its beginning for Mars and its end for Saturn; «al-Shams», 15: its beginning for Jupiter and its end for Jupiter; «al-Layl», 21: its beginning for Mars and its end for Jupiter;

«انشقّت» كج اولها للقمر وآخرها لزحل، «البروج» كب اولها للمشترى وآخرها للمشترى، «الطارق» يز اولها للمريخ وآخرها للزهرة، «الاعلى» يط اولها لعطارد وآخرها للمريخ، «الغاشية» كو اولها للشمس وآخرها لزحل، «الفجر» كط اولها للمشترى وآخرها للمشترى، «البلد» ك اولها للمريخ وآخرها لزحل، «الشمس» يه اولها للمشترى وآخرها للمشترى، «الليل» كا اولها للمريخ وآخرها للمشترى،

19«al-Ḍuḥā», 11: its beginning for Mars and its end for Mercury; «Alam nashraḥ», 8: its beginning for the Moon and its end for the Moon; «al-Tīn», 8: its beginning for Saturn and its end for Saturn; «Iqra'», 19: its beginning for Jupiter and its end for Mercury; «al-Qadr», 5: its beginning for the Moon and its end for the Sun; «Lam yakun», 9: its beginning for Venus and its end for Mercury; «Zulzilat», 9: its beginning for the Moon and its end for Saturn; «al-'Ādiyāt», 11: its beginning for Jupiter and its end for Venus; «al-Qāri'a», 8: its beginning for Mercury and its end for Mercury;

«الضحى» يا اولها للمريخ وآخرها لعطارد، «الم نشرح» ح اولها للقمر وآخرها للقمر، «التين» ح اولها لزحل وآخرها لزحل، «اقرأ» يط اولها للمشترى وآخرها لعطارد، «القدر» ه اولها للقمر وآخرها للشمس، «لم يكن» ط اولها للزهرة وآخرها لعطارد، «زلزلت» ط اولها للقمر وآخرها لزحل، «العاديات» يا اولها للمشترى وآخرها للزهرة، «القارعة» ح اولها لعطارد وآخرها لعطارد،

Ritter p. 175

20«Alhākum», 8: its beginning for the Moon and its end for the Moon; «al-'Aṣr», 3: its beginning for Saturn and its end for Mars; «al-Humaza», 9: its beginning for the Sun and its end for Venus; «al-Fīl», 5: its beginning for Mercury and its end for Mars; «Quraysh», 4: its beginning for the Sun and its end for the Moon; «Ara'ayta», 7: its beginning for Saturn and its end for the Moon; «al-Kawthar», 3: its beginning for Saturn and its end for Mars; «al-Kāfirūn», 6: its beginning for the Sun and its end for Jupiter; «al-Naṣr», 3: its beginning for Mars and its end for Venus; «Tabbat», 5: its beginning for Mercury and its end for Mars; «al-Ikhlāṣ», 4: its beginning for the Sun and its end for the Moon; «al-Falaq», 5: its beginning for Saturn and its end for Venus; «al-Nās», 6: its beginning for Mercury and its end for the Sun.

«الهاكم» ح اولها للقمر وآخرها للقمر، «العصر» ج اولها لزحل وآخرها للمريخ، «الهمزة» ط اولها للشمس وآخرها للزهرة، «الفيل» ه اولها لعطارد وآخرها للمريخ، «قريش» د اولها للشمس وآخرها للقمر، «أرأيت» ز اولها لزحل وآخرها للقمر، «الكوثر» ج اولها لزحل وآخرها للمريخ، «الكافرون» و اولها للشمس وآخرها للشمترى، «النصر» ج اولها للمريخ وآخرها للزهرة، «تبّت» ه اولها لعطارد وآخرها للمريخ، «الاخلاص» د اولها للشمس وآخرها للقمر، «الفلق» ه اولها لزحل وآخرها للزهرة، «الناس» و اولها لعطارد وآخرها للشمس،

Ritter prints للشمترى in the al-Kāfirūn entry, evidently a misprint for li-l-Mushtarī (Jupiter). In the al-Humaza entry the print shows ولها with the alif dropped; read awwaluhā.

21So persist in thought and reflection upon this arrangement — how excellent it is and how wondrous! — since it is in the manner of a cycle, since the beginning is from the Sun and the end of the return is to it. This is the utmost of what I have found by this man, «Ja'far al-Baṣrī», on this wondrous subject; so examine it closely.

فأدم الفكرة والنظر لهذا الترتيب ما ابرعه واعجبه اذ هو فى حكم الدور اذ البداية من الشمس ونهاية الرجوع اليها وهذا منتهى ما وجدته لهذا الرجل «جعفر البصرى» فى هذا الغرض العجيب فتبيّنه،

naẓar here in its general sense, 'reflection'.

22I had seen an epistle by «Abū Yūsuf Ya'qūb ibn Isḥāq al-Kindī» close to this subject, on the extent of the duration of the dominion of the Arabs — he is the one named the Philosopher of the Arabs for his excellence, and I have mentioned his standing in the sciences in «my book on history». In it he mentioned that the rabbis of the Jews came to the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, among them Ḥuyayy ibn Akhṭab, Abū Yāsir ibn Ḍirār and Ka'b ibn Asad, and they said: "O Muḥammad, it has reached us that Alif Lām Mīm has been sent down to you." And he said to them Yes. Then they said to him: "So your rule, then, is seventy-one years," to the end of what he mentioned. And he claimed that [if] the numbers not dotted, from the openings of the suras, and not repeated, are added together, the quantity of the duration of the dynasty is known; and that, according to his claim, is khjwmā.

وقد كنت رأيت «لابى يوسف يعقوب بن اسحق الكندى» رسالة تقرب من هذا الغرض فى كمّية بقاء دولة العرب وهو المسمّى بفيلسوف العرب لبراعته وقد ذكرت مكانته من العلوم فى «كتابى فى التاريخ» ذكر فيها ان احبار اليهود اتت النبىّ صلى الله عليه وسلم منها حيىّ بن اخطب وابو ياسر بن ضرار وكعب بن اسد فقالوا يا محمد بلغنا انه أُنزل عليك الٓمٓ فقال لهم نعم فقالوا له فملكك اذًا احدى وسبعين سنة الى آخر ما ذكر وزعم ان تجمع الاعداد غير المعجمة من اوائل السور وغير المكرّرة يعلم كمية بقاء الدولة وذلك على زعمه خجوما

kammiyyat baqā' dawlat al-'Arab: lit. 'the quantity of the remaining of the dominion of the Arabs'. khjwmā is a sum written in abjad letters (khāʾ 600 + jīm 3 + wāw 6 + mīm 40 + alif 1 = 650); the reading is uncertain. "Not dotted" (ghayr al-muʿjama) apparently refers to the undotted letters among those at the openings of the suras; sense uncertain.

Ritter p. 176

23And he claimed that the letters which are more frequent in repetition are stronger for rule and mightier. This is what he mentioned in his epistle. As for this division, I have not seen it except from this man; al-Kindī did not touch upon it nor mention it. And that is: that one add together, from the openings of the suras, from those letters, whatever has its rule belonging to Venus at their [pronoun ambiguous: the suras' or the letters'] beginnings and their ends; then the repeated letters are dropped; that will be the number of the cycle of Venus and the duration of her rule, and that is khjfā. So understand this secret.

وزعم ان الحروف التى هى اكثر تكرارًا فهى اقوى على الملك واعزّ، هذا ما ذكر فى رسالته واما هذه القسمة فلم ارها الا لهذا الرجل والكندى لم يعرّض لها ولا ذكرها وذلك ان تجمع من اوائل السور من تلك الحروف ما للزهرة حكمه فى اوائلها واواخرها ثم تسقط احرف التكرار يكون ذلك عدد دور الزهرة ومدّة حكمها وذلك خجفا فتفهّم هذا السرّ،

khjfā is an abjad sum (khāʾ 600 + jīm 3 + fāʾ 80 + alif 1 = 684); reading uncertain.

24And it is incumbent on you, O you who examine [this], to conceal what we have imparted to you, as we enjoined you at first; for these matters ought not to be made known to one who is not of their people. And for that reason the Lawgiver did not unveil the secret of the spirit to the people who asked him, since they were not fit for its being disclosed to them.

وعليك ايها الناظر بكتمان ما القينا اليك كما وصّيناك اولاً فان هذه الامور لا ينبغى ان يطلع عليها من ليس من اهلها، ومن اجل ذلك لم يكشف الشارع سرّ الروح للقوم الذين سألوه اذ لم يكونوا اهلاً لبثّه لهم،

al-shāriʿ, "the Lawgiver", is the Prophet; the allusion is to the question about the spirit (al-rūḥ) in Qurʾān 17:85.

25And the reality of the spirit is clear to whoever reflects: it is that it is a subtle body which spreads in the body from the heart and the arteries, and so produces heat, breathing and the pulse; and it spreads from the brain into the nerves, and so produces sensation and movement. And the subsistence of the spirit is through the soul, and the subsistence of the soul and the spirit is through the intellect; and the soul is united with the body, and the spirit flows in the body, and its matter is the air.

وحقيقة الروح بيّنة لمن نظر وهو انه جسم لطيف ينبثّ فى البدن من القلب والشريانات فيفعل الحرارة والتنفّس والنبض وينبثّ من الدماغ فى الاعصاب فيفعل الحسّ والحركة، وقوام الروح بالنفس وقوام النفس والروح بالعقل والنفس متّحدة بالجسم والروح جارٍ فى البدن ومادّته الهواء،

"Body" renders both jism ("a subtle body", "united with the body") and badan ("spreads in the body", "flows in the body"). "Matter" here renders mādda, not hayūlā.

26And the intellect is the director of the actions of the body. So the storehouse of the spirit is the left cavity of the heart; and it [the spirit] is the mount of the psychic faculties, by which they travel through the bodily members. It was created from the subtle part of the humours and their fieriness, and the body from their dense part and their earthiness. In sum, it is a bodily, fiery substance which is generated from the mixing of the elements.

والعقل مصرّف افعال البدن فخزانة الروح هو التجويف الايسر من القلب وهو مطيّة القوى النفسانية تسرى بها فى الاعضاء الجسدانية خُلق من لطيف الاخلاط وناريتها والجسد من كثيفها وارضيتها فبالجملة هو جوهر جسمانى نارى يتولد من امتزاج العناصر،

"The body" in "and the body from their dense part" renders jasad. "Elements" renders ʿanāṣir.

27And a pleasant scent nourishes the spirit and the heart, just as sweetness nourishes the body and the liver. So if the like of this is not entrusted to one who is not fit for it, then what do you think of the like of these noble sciences and wondrous secrets?

والرائحة الطيبة تُغذى الروح والقلب كما ان الحلاوة تُغذى البدن والكبد فاذا كان مثل هذا لا يودع من ليس له اهلاً فما ظنّك بامثال هذه العلوم الشريفة والاسرار العجيبة،