1Cademy - بخش ۲ - فصل / Section 2

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کشف المحجوب / Kashf al-Mahjub

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بخش ۲ - فصل / Section 2 - Chapter

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و به حقیقت بدان که آداب، اجتماع خصال خیر باشد و «مأدبه» را از آن مأدبه خوانند که هرچه بر وی بباید جمله باشد؛ پس «فالذی اجتمع فیه خصال الخیر فهو ادیب.» و اندر مجاری عادت کسی را که علم لغت داند و صرف و نحو او را ادیب خوانند.
باز به نزدیک این طایفه «الادب هو الوقوف مع المستحسنات، و معناه: ان تعامل الله بالادب سرا و علانیة، و إذا کنت کذلک کنت أدیبا و ان کنت أعجمیا، و إن لم تکن کذلک تکون علی ضده.»

ادب وقوف باشد بر کردارهای ستوده. گفتند: «معنی این چه بود؟» گفت: «آن که با خداوند تعالی معاملت به ادب کنی اندر ظاهر وباطن. و چون معاملتت به ادب آراسته شود، تو ادیب باشی اگرچه زبانت اعجمی باشد.» که عبارت را اندر معاملت قدری زیادت نباشد و اندر همه احوال عاملان بزرگوارتر از قائلان اند.
و یکی را از مشایخ رضی الله عنه پرسیدند که: «شرط ادب چه چیز است؟» گفت: من اندر بیتی جواب تو بگویم که شنیده ام:

اذا نطقت جاءت بکل ملاحة
و ان سکتت جاءت بکل ملیح

یعنی ادب آن بود که اگر بگویی گفتارت صدق بود واگر معاملت آری معاملت حق و گفتار صدق اگرچه درشت باشد ملیح بود، و معاملت خوب اگرچه دشوار بود نیکو بود. پس چون بگوید، اندر گفت خود مصیب باد و چون خاموش بود، اندر خاموشی خود محق.
و فرقی نیکو کرده است شیخ ابونصر سراج رحمة الله علیه صاحب لمع، اندر کتاب خود میان آداب که گفته است:

الناس ف الأدب علی ثلاث طبقات: اما أهل الدنیا فأکثر آدابهم فی الفصاحة و البلاغة و حفظ العلوم و أسمار الملوک و أشعار العرب، و اما أهل الدین فأکثر آدابهم فی ریاضة النفس و تأدیب الجوارح و حفظ الحدود و ترک الشهوات و اما أهل الخصوصیة فأکثر آدابهم فی طهارة القلوب و مراعاة الأسرار و الوفاء بالعهود و حفظ الوقت و قلة الإلتفات إلی الخواطر و حسن الأدب فی مواقف الطلب و أوقات الحضور ومقامات القرب.
مردمان اندر ادب سه قسمت اند: یکی اهل دنیا که ادب به نزدیک ایشان فصاحت و بلاغت و حفظ علوم و سمرهای ملوک و اشعار عرب است و دیگر اهل دین که ادب به نزدیک ایشان ریاضت نفس و تأدیب جوارح و نگاهداشت حدود و ترک شهوات است و سدیگر اهل خصوصیت اند که ادب به نزدیک ایشان طهارت دل بود و مراعات سر و وفا کردن عهد و نگاه داشتن وقت و کمتر نگریستن به خواطر پراکنده و نیکو کرداری اندر محل طلب و وقت حضور و مقام قرب.

و این سخنی جامع است و تفصیل این در کتاب پراکنده بیاید، ان شاء الله عز و جل.

English translation

Know in truth that adab (manners) is the gathering together of good qualities, and a banquet (ma'duba) is called ma'duba because everything one might need is gathered together in it; thus, 'the one in whom good qualities are gathered together is an adib (a man of refinement).' And in common usage, one who knows the science of lexicon, morphology, and syntax is called an adib.

But among this group (the Sufis): 'Adab is standing firm with praiseworthy things, and its meaning is that you deal with God with adab, secretly and openly; and if you are so, you are an adib even if you are a non-Arab (a'jami), and if you are not so, you are its opposite.'

Adab is standing firm upon praiseworthy deeds. They asked: 'What is the meaning of this?' He said: 'It is that you deal with God Most High with adab, outwardly and inwardly. And when your dealing is adorned with adab, you are an adib even though your tongue be non-Arab.' For eloquence of expression adds nothing of worth in [spiritual] dealing, and in all states those who act are more honored than those who merely speak.

One of the masters, may God be pleased with him, was asked: 'What is the condition of adab?' He said: 'I will answer you in a verse that I have heard: When she speaks, she comes forth with every grace, and when she is silent, she comes forth with all that is comely.'

That is, adab is that if you speak, your speech is truthful, and if you act, your action is right; and truthful speech, even though it be harsh, is comely, and good action, even though it be difficult, is beautiful. So when he speaks, let him be correct in his speech, and when he is silent, let him be right in his silence.

And Shaykh Abu Nasr al-Sarraj, may God's mercy be upon him, the author of [Kitab] al-Luma', has made a fine distinction among the kinds of adab in his book, saying:

People with respect to adab are of three ranks: as for the people of the world, most of their adab lies in eloquence and rhetoric, memorizing the sciences, the tales of kings, and the poems of the Arabs; as for the people of religion, most of their adab lies in disciplining the soul, training the limbs, guarding the [divine] limits, and abandoning lusts; and as for the people of [divine] specialness (the elite), most of their adab lies in purity of hearts, guarding of secrets, fulfilling of covenants, keeping of the moment (waqt), paying little heed to passing thoughts, and good conduct in the stations of seeking, the times of presence, and the stations of nearness.

People are of three divisions with respect to adab: first, the people of the world, for whom adab is eloquence, rhetoric, memorizing the sciences, the tales of kings, and the poems of the Arabs; second, the people of religion, for whom adab is disciplining the soul, training the limbs, guarding the limits, and abandoning lusts; and third, the people of specialness, for whom adab is purity of the heart, guarding of the secret, keeping covenants, guarding the moment, paying little attention to scattered thoughts, and good conduct in the place of seeking, the time of presence, and the station of nearness.

And this is a comprehensive statement, and its detailed exposition will come scattered throughout the book, God willing, Mighty and Majestic.

Updated 2026-07-20

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