بقدرِ الكدِّ تكتسبُ المعالي

Heights of success are attained in accordance to one’s efforts

ومن طلب العلا سهر الليالي
Whoever seeks to succeed should burn the midnight oil (i.e sacrifice his sleep)

ومن رام العلا من غير كد
One who desires success without efforts

أضاع العمر في طلب المحال
Is (carelessly) wasting their life to attain what is impossible

تروم العز ثم تنام ليلا
You seek honour yet sleep all night

يغوص البحر من طلب اللآلي
One who desires pearls must dive in the depth of oceans

[Excerpted while slightly edited]

Some of the Mashayikh recite these lines with much passion and spirit

An Arabic Proverb:

إن مفاتيح الأمور العزائم

“Determination is the key to everything.”

Note: Others would say:

على قدر العزائم تأتي الكرائم

Meaning: according to the amount of determination a person has he will achieve high peaks of nobility.

And this is of course after putting one’s trust and reliance unto Allaah :

فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللّهِ

Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah

[3:159]

Mentioned by

AbdulFattaah Bin Uthman
Abu Fajr