Think Before You Act

Each Arabic line is a button. Press it to go through its words, then press a word for its meaning.

الْعَاقِلُ يَنْظُرُ فِي الْعَوَاقِبِ

The wise person considers the consequences,

وَالْغَافِلُ لَا يَرَى إِلَّا الْحَاضِرَ

while the heedless sees only the present.

تَرَى الرَّجُلَ يُقْدِمُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ يَظُنُّ فِيهِ لَذَّةً أَوْ مَنْفَعَةً فَيَنْغَمِسُ فِيهِ

You see a man rushing into something he thinks brings pleasure or benefit, and he immerses himself in it,

ولا ينظر إلى ما يؤول إليه حاله

and does not consider what his situation will lead to.

فَرُبَّ لَذَّةٍ عَاجِلَةٍ تَكُونُ سَبَبًا لِعَذَابٍ آجِلٍ

For, a momentary pleasure might cause future torment,

وَرُبَّ مَنْفَعَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ تَجُرُّ إِلَى مَضَرَّةٍ كَثِيرَةٍ

and a small benefit might lead to great harm.

وَمَثَلُ هَذَا كَمَثَلِ مَنْ أَكَلَ طَعَامًا لَذِيذًا وَهُوَ مَسْمُومٌ

And this is like someone who ate delicious food that was poisoned,

فَإِذَا هُوَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ نَفْسَهُ

and so he has destroyed himself.

وَلَوْ نَظَرَ بِعَيْنِ الْبَصِيرَةِ لَعَلِمَ أَنَّ السَّلَامَةَ فِي تَرْكِ مَا يُخْشَى عَاقِبَتُهُ

Had he looked with insight, he would have known that safety lies in avoiding what is feared in its outcome.

وَقَدْ قَالَ بَعْضُ الْحُكَمَاءِ

And some wise people have said,

الْعَاقِلُ يَرَى بِنُورِ فِكْرِهِ عَوَاقِبَ الْأُمُورِ قَبْلَ وُقُوعِهَا فَيَتَجَنَّبُ مَا يَخَافُ سُوءَ عَاقِبَتِهِ وَيُسَارِعُ إِلَى مَا يَرْجُو حُسْنَ عَاقِبَتِهِ

"The wise person sees, with the light of his thought, the consequences of matters before they occur. He avoids what he fears will have a bad outcome, and hastens toward what he hopes will have a good outcome."

فَاجْعَلْ لِنَفْسِكَ مِنَ الْفِكْرِ مِرْآةً تَرَى بِهَا مَا وَرَاءَ الْحَوَادِثِ

So make for yourself a mirror of thought through which you see what lies beyond events,

وَلَا تَكُنْ كَالْبَهِيمَةِ الَّتِي لَا هَمَّ لَهَا إِلَّا مَرْعَاهَا

and do not be like the beast whose only concern is its pasture,

وَلَا تُفَكِّرْ فِيمَا تَؤُولُ إِلَيْهِ

and does not consider what its outcome will be.