The foundational brick

  بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

چُون گُذارَد خِشْتِ اوَّل بَر زَمین، مِعْمارِ کَج

گَر رَسانَد بَر فَلَک، باشَد هَمان دیوارِ کَج

Meaning: 

If an architect/builder sets the brick of the foundation incorrectly in a crooked manner

Even if he manages to make the wall reach up to the sky, it will still be a crooked wall

Language:

Persian/Farsi

Transliteration:

Choon Guzarad Khishte Awal Bar Zameen Ma'imar Kaj

Gar Rasanad Bar Falak, Bashad Haman Deewar Kaj

 

 Video/Audio:

Brief Explanation:

The verses means that in anything, our fundamentals must be right from the beginning. No "ends justify the means", but rather the intention of doing something must be correct, and the steps and the means to achieve the same must be righteous, otherwise whatever we do will be tainted no matter how successful it seems.

Background:
These verses are from one of the famous poems of Mīrzā Muḥammad ʿAlī Ṣāʾib , also known as Saib Tibrizi. The verses have inspired a well known proverb as well:

خِشْتِ اوَّل گَر نِهَد مِعْمارِ کَج

تا ثُرَیّا می‌رَوَد دیوارِ کَج

If an architect lays the first brick crooked

Even if the wall reaches the highest galaxies, it is still crooked

Shoo Away

  بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

  اَز سَرِ بالینِ مَن بَرخیز، اَی نادان طَبیب

دَرْدمَنْدِ عِشْق را دارو بِجُز دیدار نیست

Meaning: 

O ignorant physician! Shoo away from my bed side

There is no remedy for a love afflicted person except a vision of the Beloved 

Language:

Persian/Farsi

Transliteration:

Az sare baleene man barkheez ae nadan tabeeb

Dardmande isqh ra, daroo bejuz deedar neest 

 

 Video/Audio:

 

Brief Explanation:

True lovers find relief from affliction only in the presence of the Beloved.

Background:

This is from one of the controversial poems of hazrat Amir Khusrau indicating his choice of a religion of Love over all forms of formal religions, and also his indifference to the reaction of the common folk to his choice.  Although Amir Khusrau is extremely well known as a Sufi and a pious person, it is often seen that he would use shocking terminology to promote the idea of love, prioritizing it over other aspects of religion.

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.