Exalted by Virtue of Perfection

  بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

  

بَلَغَ الْعُلَا بِكَمَالِهِ

كَشَفَ الدُّجَى بِجَمَالِهِ

حَسُنَتْ جَمِيعُ خِصَالِهِ

صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ

Meaning: 

He ﷺ is exalted by virtue of his perfection

He ﷺ lifted the veils of darkness through his ﷺ beauty

Perfection itself are all his ﷺ qualities

Blessings be on him ﷺ and on his family.

Language:

Arabic

Transliteration:

Balaghal-ula bi-Kamaal-i-hi

Kashafa ad-duja bi-Jamaal-i-hi

Hasunat jamee’u Khisaal-i-hi

 Sallu alay-hi wa Aal-i-hi

 

 Video/Audio:

 

Brief Explanation:

The Prophet ﷺ through his perfection of qualities and character transformed the darkness into light for a whole lot of members of the created beings.

Background:

A popular story in South Asia Sufi lore is that the scholar/poet Saadi Shirazi was writing one of his most famous quatrains (rubāʿī) in praise of the Prophet ﷺ. After writing three lines he slept while thinking about the final line.  He dreamt of the Prophet ﷺ who asked Saadi why he looked troubled. Saadi lamented his inability to complete a quatrain.  The Prophet ﷺ asked him to recite it and then either uttered or wrote the final line himself.

Do not complain

  بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

سَرْمَد، گِلِه اِخْتِصار می‌بایَد کَرْد

یِک کار اَز این دو کار می‌بایَد کَرْد

یا تَن بِه رِضایِ دوست می‌بایَد داد

یا قَطْعِ نَظَر زِ یار می‌بایَد کَرْد

Meaning: 

Oh Sarmad, minimize your complaints 

You have one of these two courses of action

Either surrender to the Will of your Beloved willingly

Or turn your eyes away from you Beloved 

Language:

Persian/Farsi

Transliteration:

Sarmad gileh ikhtisar mi bayad kard

Yak kar azeen dokaar mi bayad kard

Ya Tan berazaai dost mi bayad daad

Ya qatai nazar zeyaar mi bayad kard

 Video/Audio:

 

Brief Explanation:

One of the well known quatrain (rubāʿī) of Sarmad Kashani a famous Persian speaking Armenian mystic and poet, who is well known in South Asia, despite being executed for heresy.  This quatrain asks us to be content with the choices of the Beloved, if we truly love Him, or else we will not feel the fullness of His Love towards us.

Background:

To be truly pleased with the Lord is the foremost trait of a friend of the Lord. This does not mean that we should be quiet in the face of tyranny or any wrong-doing, but to be pleased with the path charted out by our Beloved. Our share of chosen trials and tribulations should be seen for the the elements of Love and Divine Mercy as they truly are.

Praising one who is beyond mortal praise

  بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

 أَرَى كُلَّ مَدْحٍ فِي النَّبيِّ  مُقَصِّرًا

 وإِنْ بَـالَغَ الْمُثْنِي عَلَيْـهِ وَأَكْثَرَا

إذَا اللهُ أَثْنَى في الكِتَابِ المُنَـزَّل

 عَلَيْهِ، فَمَا مِقْدَارُ ما  يَمْدَحُ الوَرَى

Variant: 

  

أَرَى كُلَّ مَدْحٍ فِي النَّبيِّ  مُقَصِّرًا

 وإِنْ بَـالَغَ الْمُثْنِي عَلَيْـهِ وَأَكْثَرَا

إذَا اللهُ أَثْنَى بِالَذي هُوَ أهلُهُ

 عَلَيْهِ، فَمَا مِقْدَارُ ما  يَمْدَحُ الوَرَى

 

Meaning: 

     I think all praise of the Prophet ﷺ falls short

    even if the exalter reaches the pinnacle of eulogy or surpasses it

    (for) if God has praised him ﷺ in His revealed Book

    What is the worth (by comparison) of praise by mortals? 

Meaning of variant: 

     I think all praise of the Prophet ﷺ falls short

    even if the exalter reaches the pinnacle of eulogy or surpasses it

    (for) if God has praised himﷺ with what he is worthy of

    What is the worth (by comparison) of praise by mortals? 

Language:

Arabic

Transliteration:

 

ara kulla madhin finNabii Muqassira 

Wa in Balaghal muthni alayhi wa akthara

idhAllahu athna alladhi huwa ahluhu

Alayhi, fama miqdaru ma Yamdahul Wara

 

Transliteration of variant:

ara kulla madhin finNabii Muqassira 

Wa in Balaghal muthni alayhi wa akthara

idhAllahu athna filKitabil Munazzali

Alayhi, fama miqdaru ma Yamdahul Wara

 

Video/Audio:

Video/Audio of variant:

Brief Explanation:

The Prophet ﷺ is the pinnacle of human perfection and hence is beyond mortal praise. Even the most eloquent mortals are unable to praise as he deserves, and only God truly knows his ﷺ position and has praised him accordingly.

 
Background:

It is a well known anecdote in Sufi and poet circles that one of the most renowned Sufi poets, sidi Umar ibn `Alī ibn al-Fārid (may Allah bless him) was seen in a dream and was asked: "Why didn't you praise the Chosen Prophet ﷺ in your Diwan?" His response in the dream is showcased in these famous lines.

Do not sully his name

  بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

چُون بِنامِ مُصْطَفى خوانَم دُرود

اَز خِجالَت آب می‌گَرْدَد وُجود

عِشْق می‌گُوید کِه اَی مَحْکومِ غَیْر

سینَهٔ تو اَز بُتان مانَنْدِ دَیْر

تا نَداری اَز مُحَمَّد رَنْگ و بُو

اَز دُرودِ خود مَیالا نامِ او

Meaning: 

Whenever I recite durood(salawat) in the name of Mustafa ﷺ,

shame pervades my entire existence

 (it is as if) Love says (to me): “O slave of others, your breast is full of idols, much like a temple 

  So long as you are devoid of the fragrance and the hue of Muhammad ﷺ

do not pollute his name by your (empty) salutations.

Language:

Persian/Farsi

Transliteration:

choon bnaame Mustafa khwanam darood

Az khajalat Aab mi gardad wujood

Ishq migoyad ki ae mehkoome ghair

Seenae tu az butan manand dair

ta nadaree az Muhammad Rang o bu

Az daroode khud mayaala naame oo

 Video/Audio:

Brief Explanation:

Our hearts should be devoid of worldly objects if we truly love the Prophet ﷺ and we should not merely pay lip service towards the teachings of Islam, but rather embody them and personify his ﷺ character in our own selves. Otherwise we are but sullying his name.



Background:


Allamah Iqbal in his collection Pas Cheh Bayed Kard ai Aqwam-e-Sharq (What are we to do, O Nations of the East?) has a poem about present day politics, an extract of which is affected me deeply and I am sharing it.

Beyond my ability

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

حُسْنِ تو فُزون اَسْت زِ بیناییِ مَن رازِ تو بُرون اَسْت زِ داناییِ مَن دَر عِشْقِ تو اَنْبُه اَسْت تَنْهاییِ مَن دَر وَصْفِ تو عَجْز اَسْت تَواناییِ مَن

Meaning

Your Beauty transcends my vision Your Secret is unfathomable to my understanding My singleness throngs with Your Love To describe Your Attributes is beyond my capability

Language

Persian/Farsi

Transliteration

Ḥusn-i tu fuzūn ast zi bīnāʾī-yi man,

rāz-i tu burūn ast zi dānāʾī-yi man.

Dar ʿishq-i tu anbuh ast tanhāʾī-yi man,

dar vaṣf-i tu ʿajz ast tavānāʾī-yi man.

Video/Audio

Open the video on YouTube

Brief Explanation

In his treatise Sawāniḥ (Inspirations), which is one of the earliest extant treatises on Sufism, Ahmad Ghazali describes the finite person’s relationship with the Infinite Lord as one marked by inaccessibility, inability, and helplessness. Yet he indicates that it is deeply fulfilling in itself, for it is more than abundant for the finite person. In our singleness, there is no room for anything else.

Background

Before quoting this verse, the author states that the limit of knowledge lies at the shore of love, where one may have some idea of it. Venturing farther causes one to drown, unable to return and speak about it. One who is drowned in it cannot be said to possess knowledge about it.

Sharpen Yourself

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

أَخَذْتَ بِأَعْضَادِهِمْ إِذْ وَنُوا وَخَلَّفَكَ الْجُهْدُ إِذْ أَسْرَعُوا وَأَصْبَحْتَ تَهْدِي وَلاَ تَهْتَدِي وتُسْمِعُ وَعْظًا وَلاَ تَسْمَعُ فَيَا حَجَرَ الشَّحْذِ حَتَّى مَتَى تَسُنُّ الْحَدِيدَ وَلاَ تَقْطَعُ

Meaning

You help them in their state of weakness Your endeavours hold you back while they speed ahead of you You rise up to the role of one who guides, yet not of one who heeds You sermonise but hearken not O whetstone, till when Shall you whet iron, but will not cut?

Language

Arabic

Transliteration

akhadhta bi-aʿḍādihim idh wanaw

wa-khallafaka l-juhdu idh asraʿū

wa-aṣbaḥta tahdī wa-lā tahtadī

wa-tusmiʿu waʿẓan wa-lā tasmaʿu

fa-yā ḥajara sh-shaḥdhi ḥattā matā

tasunnu l-ḥadīda wa-lā taqṭaʿu

Video/Audio

Open the video on YouTube

Brief Explanation

We must learn, practice, and internalize before we preach to others. As a master of miracles and allusions (ṣāḥib al-karāmāt wa’l-ishārāt), Ahmad Ghazali delivered an apt message to his brother that triggered a transformation in his life.

Background

The final straw that caused Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali to break the bonds with this world came one day when his brother Ahmad Ghazali entered while he was preaching and recited the above lines. The younger, lesser-known brother was himself an influential Sufi Shaykh. He was well respected in Sufi circles as a scholar of the exoteric sciences (ʿālim) as well as a scholar of the esoteric sciences (ārif). His treatise Sawāniḥ (Inspirations) is one of the earliest extant treatises on Sufism. He was one of the earliest scholars with a highly nuanced approach towards Love, following a unique methodology.

My honor, pride and bewilderment

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

وَمِمَّا زَادَنِي شَرَفًا وَتِيهًا وَكِدْتُ بِأَخْمَصِي أَطَأُ الثُّرَيَّا دُخُولِي تَحْتَ قَوْلِكَ «يَا عِبَادِي» وَأَنْ صَيَّرْتَ أَحْمَدَ لِي نَبِيَّا

Meaning

And among what increased my honor, pride and bewilderment That my feet almost tread upon the stars Is my being embraced in Your statement, “O My slaves” And You chose Ahmad (ﷺ) as a prophet for me

Language

Arabic

Transliteration

Wa mimma zaadani sharafan wa teeha Wa kidtu bi-akhmasi atauth thurayaa Dukhooli tahta qawlika “ya 'ibadee” Wa an sayyarta Ahmada ﷺ lee Nabiyya

Video/Audio

Open the video on YouTube

Brief Explanation

Two of the greatest blessings bestowed upon believers by the Almighty are that He chose us from among His slaves and made us part of the ummah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Background

Qadi ‘Iyad ibn Musa (1083–1149), a famous scholar and one of the Seven Saints of Marrakesh, is supposed to have said these verses, which should be the pride of every Muslim. His most famous work, Kitāb al-Shifā bi Tárīfi Ĥuqūq al-Muşţafā, is considered one of the finest biographies of the Prophet ﷺ. He was also a prominent ĥadīth scholar, Mālikī jurist, and author of many other important works, but he is best known as the author of Shifā.

How can friends be ever deprived

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

اَی کَریمی کِه اَز خَزانَهٔ غَیْب گَبْر و تَرْسا وَظیفِه‌خُور داری دوستان را کُجا کُنی مَحْروم تو کِه با دُشْمَن این نَظَر داری

Meaning

O Gracious Bountiful One! From Your Treasures Unseen The Guebre (infidel) and the Christian are honoured by Your bestowals How can Your friends/adherents ever be deprived? When You view dissenters/adversaries with such benevolence?

Language

Persian/Farsi

Transliteration

Ae Kareemey ke az Khazana-e Ghayb Gabr o Tarsa Wazeefe Khordaari Doostan Ra Kuja Kunee Mehroom Tu Ke Ba Dushman Een Nazar Daari

Video/Audio

Open the video on YouTube

Brief Explanation

The Most Generous does not withhold His Bounties from those of different faiths, or even from unbelievers, so how on earth will the faithful be deprived? This is a poem of utmost optimism and inclusion. It uses contrasting terms such as friends and adversaries to drive the point home.

Background

These lines are included in the preface of Saadi Shirazi’s Gulistan, or Flower Garden/Rose Garden, one of his two major works, the other being Bustan, or the Orchard. In South Asia, this landmark of Persian literature is a must-read for scholars of literature, Central Asian culture, and the religion of Islam. These verses, on the one hand, reflect optimism and, on the other, are essentially inclusive, underscoring the importance of Allah’s Benevolence to all—even those who are unbelievers on the face of it.

O Generous One

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

کَریما، بِبَخْشای بَر حالِ ما کِه هَسْتیم اَسیرِ کَمَنْدِ هَوا نَداریم غَیْر اَز تو فَریادْرَس تُویی عاصِیان را خَطا بَخْش و بَس نِگَه‌دار ما را زِ راهِ خَطا خَطا دَرْگُذار و صَوابَم نَما

Alternative wording for the second line

(یا: کِه هَسْتیم گِرِفْتارِ کَمَنْدِ هَوا)

Meaning

O Generous One! Pardon our condition

For we are captives in the snare of our desires!

We have none other than You whom we can call upon for help!

You alone are the Forgiver of sinners.

Guard over us/Protect us from the path of sin

Pardon our mistakes, and guide us to righteousness.

Language

Persian/Farsi

Transliteration

Kareema bi bakhshai bar haale-maa

Ki hastam aseeray kamanday hawaa

Nadareem Ghair Az Tu Faryaad Ras

Tui Aasiyan Ra Khata Baksh wa bas

Nigahdar Ma Ra ZeRaahe Khata

Khata Dar Guzaar wa Sawabam Numa

Video/Audio

Open the video on YouTube

Brief Explanation

The prayer to the Most Generous One asks for forgiveness, realising that we human beings are easily waylaid by our desires unless protected by the Lord—who else but Him? It goes further to seek protection from sins and asks for guidance.

Background

These lines are the beginning of Saadi Shirazi’s Pandnamah, or Scroll of Wisdom, and it is often known as “Kareema” due to the line Kareemaa bi bakhshai bar haale maa. In South Asia, this is one of the first encounters with Persian poetry for any scholar interested in exploring the rich mother-lode of oriental wisdom. It is also considered a blessing to study the poem because it is itself a prayer.

Four things not in your treasure

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

چار چیز آوَرْدِه‌اَم، یا رَبّ، کِه دَر گَنْجِ تو نیست نیسْتی و حاجَت و عَجْز و گُناه آوَرْدِه‌اَم

Meaning

Four things I bring, O Lord, that Your treasure-troves lack:

Nothingness, Need, Inability and Sin—that is all I bring

Language

Persian/Farsi

Transliteration

Chaar Cheez Awarda Am ya Rabbb, ki dar Ganj-e Tu Neest

Neesti-o Hajat-o Ajz-o Gunah Awarda Am

Video/Audio

Open the video on YouTube

Brief Explanation

The truly humble believer knows that he or she is weak, full of sin, constrained by inability, and devoid of meaningful existence unless he or she truly surrenders to the Lord. At the same time, the believer is witty enough to realize that Allah is free from all such shortcomings—indeed, from all shortcomings altogether—and hence the wit behind the poem.

Background

Legend has it that as Shams al-Dīn Muhammad Suzani Samarqandi (سوزنی سمرقندی) was approaching the end of his time here on earth, he uttered the lines above.

What is the world?

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

چیسْت دُنیا اَز خُدا غافِل بُدَن نِی قُماش و نَقْدِه و میزان و زَن

Variant 1

چیسْت دُنیا اَز خُدا غافِل بُدَن نِی قُماش و نُقْرِه و میزان و زَن

Variant 2

چیسْت دُنیا اَز خُدا غافِل شُدَن نِی طَلا و نُقْرِه، فَرْزَنْد و زَن

Meaning

Main wording

What is this world? (It is) sensuality heedless of God, not (as is commonly believed to be) finery, wealth, rank (level) or consorts

Meaning of Variant 1

What is this world? (It is) sensuality heedless of God, not (as is commonly believed to be) finery, silver, rank (level) or consorts

Meaning of Variant 2

What is this world? (It is) being unmindful of God, not (as is commonly believed to be) gold, silver, progeny or consorts

Language

Persian/Farsi

Transliteration

Main wording

Cheest Duniya az Khuda Ghafil Badan

Nay qamaash o naqda o mizan o zan

Variant 1

Cheest Duniya az Khuda Ghafil Badan

Nay qamaash o naqara o mizan o zan

Variant 2

Cheest Duniya az Khuda Ghafil Shudan

Nay tala o naqara o farzand o zan

Video/Audio

Open the video on YouTube

Brief Explanation

The world is not, as many suppose, the pursuit of wealth, family, and the like; rather, it is the pursuit of sensuality in utter heedlessness of God.

Background

This couplet from the piece de resistance Mathnawi of Maulana Rumi tries to explain the true nature of the ephemeral world, دنیا, which has been the subject of discussion by many thinkers, and also by the divinely revealed religions. There are several variants of it that have made it into conventional wisdom, so we thought that we should share them as well. Sometimes it is misattributed to others, but the first version is very clearly recorded in the Mathnawi and can be accessed here and here.

The poem implies that utter heedlessness of God—being unmindful—will debase us and restrict us in this physical body or being. That is the true meaning of being involved in the world.

Many thinkers, saints, and pious people have suggested living lives of simple means, yet meaningful. There is a highly evolved concept of (زُهْد) zuhud, variously translated as asceticism, abstinence, or detachment, which encourages having no love for the material world, or being detached from this corporeal and sensual existence.

However, Rumi points out that the key area of focus is not the possessions themselves, but within ourselves, by remembering that God is the sole purpose and that the pursuit of anything else is heedlessness.

The son-in-law and beloved companion of the Prophet ﷺ, ʿAlī ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib (may Allah ennoble his countenance), has put it beautifully:

“Detachment is not that you should not own anything, but that nothing should own you.”

It is implied that nothing should own you other than God.

Our Destiny is Paradise

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

نَصیبِ ماست بِهِشْت، اَی خُداشِناس، بِرَو کِه مُسْتَحَقِّ کَرامَت، گُناه‌کارانَنْد

Meaning

It is our destiny to be in Paradise, oh theologian, shoo away!

Indeed it is the sinners who deserve God's generosity.

Language

Persian/Farsi

Transliteration

Naseeb-e Maa Ast Behisht, Ae Khuda Shanas BRoo

Ki Mustahiq e Keramat Gunah kaaraanand

Video/Audio

Open the video on YouTube

Brief Explanation

The Mercy of the Benevolent Lord will manifest itself upon the one who is most needy, and according to Hafez, who else is more needy than the sinners? Khuda Shanas, translated as “Theologian,” could also mean anyone who claims to know God by heart or claims to speak on behalf of God and makes salvation the exclusive right of those who follow them.

Background

As is often the case with friends of God, Hafez was targeted for being anti-religion due to a lack of understanding, and even a lack of effort to understand what he was all about. He did not go against those who condemned him, but rather went along a different paradigm altogether.

His thought process accepts human imperfections and the propensity to sin, but argues in favor of the principle of God’s unlimited forgiveness and leniency (since in Islam, God is, first and foremost, “Benevolent” and “Merciful”). His argument revolves around the manifestation of this Mercy, and who else but the (repenting) sinners would be the recipients of such Mercy? This is, of course, in line with a tradition of the Prophet ﷺ, which can be seen here:

حَدَّثَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الأَيْلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، حَدَّثَنِي عِيَاضٌ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْفِهْرِيُّ - حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ رِفَاعَةَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ الْقُرَظِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي صِرْمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ ‏ "‏ لَوْ أَنَّكُمْ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبٌ يَغْفِرُهَا اللَّهُ لَكُمْ لَجَاءَ اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ لَهُمْ ذُنُوبٌ يَغْفِرُهَا لَهُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Abu Ayyub Ansari reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:

If you were not to commit sins, Allah would have swept you out of existence and would have replaced you by another people who have committed sin, and then asked forgiveness from Allah, and He would have granted them pardon.

Every nation is on the right path

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

هَر قَوْم راست راهی، دینی و قِبْلَه‌گاهی ما قِبْلَه راست کَرْدیم، بَر سَمْتِ کَج‌کُلاهی

Meaning

Every nation is on the right path, towards their respective Qiblahs, to which they turn

I have straightened my Qiblah in the direction of your tilted cap

Language

Persian/Farsi

Transliteration

Har qaum raast raahay, deen-e wa qibla gaahay

Maa qibla raast kardaym, bar samt kaj kulaahay.

Video/Audio

Open the video on YouTube

Brief Explanation

God has given guidance to every nation, and as long as they remain consistent with that guidance and tradition, they are on the right path.

Background

Amir Hasan 'Ala' Sijzi Dehlawi, a disciple of the Beloved of God (mehboob-e-ilahi), Shaykh Nizamuddin Auliya (may Allah be pleased with him), writes about a conversation between the shaykh and his favorite disciple, Amir Khusrau (may Allah be pleased with him), enshrined in verse form in his compilation of poems.

The two were making ritual ablutions (wudhu') by the river one early morning, and a group of Hindu ascetics (sadhu) came by for their morning bath and prayers. During ablution, it is pertinent to note that the shaykh had pushed his cap back so it was tilted. Amir Khusrau, upon seeing the sadhus, was thinking to himself, saddened by the fact that they were unbelievers, and thus misguided. The shaykh felt his misgivings and uttered a statement, which came to be the defining statement of Sufi Muslim creed in South Asia:

 

هر قوم راست راهي، ديني و قبله گاهي

Every nation is on the right path, towards their respective Qiblahs, to which they turn

Embarrassed by the fact that his thoughts were read by the shaykh, as well as by the spontaneous correction, Amir Khusrau was humbled, amazed, and immediately rectified his mistake by responding:

 

ما قبله راست كرديم ،‌بر سمت كج كلاهي

I have straightened my Qiblah in the direction of your tilted cap

And, devoted to his shaykh and remaining true to his word, Amir Khusrau—as well as all the Chisti saints, even to this day—remained compassionate, inclusive towards other faiths, and humble.

Where else should I go?

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

تُو کَریمِ مُطلَق و مَن گَدا، چِه کُنی جُز این‌کِه بِخوانی‌اَم؟ دَرِ دیگَری بِنُما کِه مَن بِه کُجا رَوَم چُو بِرانی‌اَم؟

Meaning

You are the Epitome of Generosity and I am a beggar

What else can You do but invite me to Your door?

Or show me another door that I can head for

That I can go to, if You shoo me away

Language

Persian/Farsi

Transliteration

Tu Kareem-e-Mutlaq wa Man Gada

Che Kunee Juz Een Ki Bkhwaani Am

Dare Deegar-e BNuma ke Man

BKuja Rawam Choon Barani Am

Video/Audio

Open the video on YouTube

Brief Explanation

A true believer is a devout worshipper and knows their relationship with a Benevolent and Generous Lord, and does not wish to go anywhere else except to stay at the door of the Beloved.

Background

This couplet by Mirza Abdul Qadir Bedil is a prayer, and at the same time a declaration of humility and faithfulness, while appealing to the Generosity of the Beloved.

A prayer of an ashamed believer

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

تُو غَنی اَز هَر دو عالَم، مَن فَقیر روزِ مَحشَر عُذرهایِ مَن پَذیر وَر حِسابَم را تُو بینی ناگُزیر اَز نِگاهِ مُصطَفیٰﷺ پِنهان بَگیر

Meaning

You are the Self-Sufficient Lord of both Worlds and I am needy of You On the Day of Judgement, please forgive me and grant me this exemption If it is inevitable that You judge me and take account of my sins, Please do so hidden from the gaze of Mustafa (ﷺ)

Language

Persian/Farsi

Transliteration

Tu ghanī az har du ʿālam, man faqīr;

rūz-i maḥshar ʿuzr-hā-yi man pazīr.

Var ḥisābam rā tu bīnī nā-guzīr,

az nigāh-i Muṣṭafā (ﷺ) pinhān bigīr.  

Video/Audio

Open the video in a new window

Brief Explanation

Those who truly love the Prophet (ﷺ) feel ashamed to face him because of their sins—perhaps even more ashamed than they feel when facing Allah. Such is his place in the hearts of his ummah.

Background

Iqbal, also known as Allama Iqbal due to recognition of his status as a thinker and reformer, not just as a poet, is recognised worldwide for his poetry. However, his main body of work in the Persian language has largely remained inaccessible to the non-Persian-speaking public, even in South Asia, where he is so widely revered.

This quatrain (رُباعی), attributed to him—he gifted it to someone else—reflects his command over the language and poetic expression while delivering a highly refined and sensitive idea, close to the heart of many Muslims.