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.