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The Wisdom of Travel: Verses Attributed to Imām al-Shāfiʿī

Some of the celebrated verses of the poem attributed to Imām al-Shāfiʿī رحمه الله, exploring how travel, perseverance and stepping beyond familiar surroundings can become pathways to personal growth and discovery. Through beautiful imagery of flowing water, roaming lions, released arrows, the moving sun and precious gold, the poem reminds us that growth often requires movement, and true value may only be recognised when we venture beyond where we began.

3 min read Nov. 13, 2026 3 Jumada al-Akhirah 1448

The Wisdom of Travel: Verses Attributed to Imām al-Shāfiʿī

Among the celebrated verses attributed to Imām al-Shāfiʿī (رحمه الله), the great Muslim jurist and scholar, are these reflections on travel, perseverance and the pursuit of a life enriched by knowledge and experience. Through a series of elegant comparisons drawn from the natural world, the poet explores how remaining within the comforts of familiarity can sometimes limit a person's growth, while movement, effort and the willingness to embrace hardship can reveal opportunities and qualities that might otherwise remain undiscovered.

The flowing water, the roaming lion, the released arrow and the precious gold all serve to illustrate a profound observation: that value is not always realised where something begins, and that the rewards of life often require us to venture beyond what we know.

The Poem

مَا فِي الْمُقَامِ لِذِي عَقْلٍ وَذِي أَدَبِ مِنْ رَاحَةٍ، فَدَعِ الْأَوْطَانَ وَاغْتَرِبِ

For one of wisdom, refinement and grace, There is little rest in remaining in place. So leave the lands your heart has known, And seek the world beyond your own.

سَافِرْ تَجِدْ عِوَضًا عَمَّنْ تُفَارِقُهُ وَانْصَبْ فَإِنَّ لَذِيذَ الْعَيْشِ فِي النَّصَبِ

Travel, and find what may replace The cherished souls you leave behind. Strive, for the sweetness life bestows Is born of toil, as hardship knows.

إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ وُقُوفَ الْمَاءِ يُفْسِدُهُ إِنْ سَاحَ طَابَ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَجْرِ لَمْ يَطِبِ

I have seen how stillness spoils the stream; When waters flow, they sparkle clean. But left unmoving, they lose their grace, And freshness fades from their resting place.

وَالْأُسْدُ لَوْلَا فِرَاقُ الْأَرْضِ مَا افْتَرَسَتْ وَالسَّهْمُ لَوْلَا فِرَاقُ الْقَوْسِ لَمْ يُصِبِ

The lion, had it never roamed, Would find no prey beyond its home. The arrow, held within the bow, Would never strike the distant foe.

وَالشَّمْسُ لَوْ وَقَفَتْ فِي الْفَلَكِ دَائِمَةً لَمَلَّهَا النَّاسُ مِنْ عُجْمٍ وَمِنْ عَرَبِ

And should the sun stand ever still, Fixed in the heavens against its will, Both Arab and non-Arab alike Would weary of its changeless light.

وَالتِّبْرُ كَالتُّرْبِ مُلْقًى فِي أَمَاكِنِهِ وَالْعُودُ فِي أَرْضِهِ نَوْعٌ مِنَ الْحَطَبِ

Gold, while buried beneath the ground, Is little more than dust around. And fragrant wood, where it first grew, Is counted as firewood, common too.

فَإِنْ تَغَرَّبَ هَذَا عَزَّ مَطْلَبُهُ وَإِنْ تَغَرَّبَ ذَاكَ عَزَّ كَالذَّهَبِ

Yet take the fragrant wood afar, And rare and precious its worth becomes. And gold, once lifted from the earth, Is treasured far beyond its birthplace.

These verses are traditionally attributed to Imām al-Shāfiʿī (150–204 AH / 767–820 CE). Their attribution is widely circulated, although not conclusively established. The English is a poetic interpretation intended to preserve the imagery and spirit of the original Arabic.

Your brother
Sajid Umar
Location: 'somewhere en route to the hereafter'
03/06/1448 (AH) - 13/10/2026