KHISĀLU RASŪLILLĀH JALLAT ‘ALA-L HASRI
خِصَالُ رَسُولِ اللهِ جَلَّتْ عَلَى الْحَصْرِ
THE QUALITIES OF THE MESSENEGR OF ALLAH!
A Poem by Shaykh-al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse (RA)
(This a recently discovered poem of the Shaykh not found in any of his Diwans)
خِصَالُ رَسُولِ اللهِ جَلَّتْ عَلَى الْحَصْرِ
لَعَمْرُ أَبِي إَسْحَاقَ وَالْفَجْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ
Khisālu Rasūlillāhi jallat ‘ala-l hasri
La‘amru Abī Ishāqa wa-l fajri wa-l asri
The Qualities of the Messenger of Allah are beyond any count!
I swear by the life of Abu-Ishaq (the poet) & by the (Surahs of) Fajr & Asr!
وَ حُبُّ رَسُولِ اللهِ فِي الْقَلْبِ رَاسِخٌ
وَعَمْرِ أَبِي وَاللَّيْلِ وَالشَّفْعِ وَالْوَتْرِ
Wa hubbu Rasūlillāhi fī-l qalbi rāsikhun
Wa ‘amri abī wa-l layli wa-sh shaf‘i wa-l watri
And the love of the Messenger of Allah is well-established in my heart!
I swear by the life of my father and by the (Verses of) al-Layli & al-Shaf’i wa al-Watri
وَ قَدْ وَقَفَ الأَمْدَاحُ عَنْ بَعْضِ بَعْضِهَا
فَمَا يُدْرِكُ الْخِنْذِيذُ فِي النَّظْمِ وَالنَّثْرِ
Wa qad waqafa-l amdāhu ‘an ba‘di ba‘dihā
Famā yudriku-l khindhīdhu fī-n nazmi wa-n nathri
And (our) praises stop short of doing justice to even some of his qualities…
So what can even the most eloquent one aspire to, in poem or prose?!
فَمَا لَوكُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كُلَّ قَصِيدَةٍ
بِمَغْنٍ فَتِيلًا فِي خَلَائِقِهِ الْغُرِّ
Famā lawku Ibrāhīma kulla qasīdatin
Bimagnin fatīlan fī khalā’iqihi-l gurri
So (poor) Ibrahim’s stammering of poems...
Cannot recount anything of his luminous qualities!
فَمَا هِيَ إِلَّا نَفْثَةُ الصَّدْرِ عِنْدَمَا
تَأَلَّمَ وَالْمَاحِي أَجَلُّ مِنَ الشِّعْرِ
Famā hiya illā nafthatu-s sadri ‘indamā
Ta’allama wa-l Māhī ajallu mina-sh shi‘ri
But, it is nothing but a venting of the heart when it pains…
As (in reality) the Mahy (the Prophet SAW) is above all poetry!
يُنَعِّشُنِي تِذْكَارُهُ وَ مَدِيحُهُ
تَصَوُّرُهُ أُنْسِي لَدَى الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ
Yuna‘ishunī tidhkāruhu wa madīhuhu
Tasawwuruhu unsī ladā-l barri wa-l bahri
His mention & his praise refreshes me..
And his thought is my consolation on land & sea!
وَ فِي حَضْرَتِي أَوْ غَيْبَتِي وَ مَسَرَّتِي
وَ حُزْنِي كَذَا فِي حَالَةِ الْيُسْرِ وَ الْعُسْرِ
Wa fī hadratī aw gaybatī wa masarratī
Wa huznī kadhā fī hālati-l yusri wa-l ‘usri
And when I am present & when I am absent…
And during happy & sad times as well as easy & hard times!
ذَكَرْتُكَ لَا أَنْسَاكَ يَا خَيْرَ سَيِّدٍ
عَلَى الْفُلْكِ وَالطَّيَّارِ وَالسِّرِ وَالْجَهْرِ
Dhakartuka lā ansāka yā khayra sayyidin
‘Alā-l fulki wa-t tayyāri wa-s sirri wa-l jahri
I mention you & can never forget you Oh Best of Masters…
On the sea & on air and privately & publicly!
لَدَى نَوْمَتِي أَوْ يَقْظَتِي وَ إِقَامَتِي
بِدُوْرِي وَ تَرْحَالِي لَدَى حَالَةِ الْيُسْرِ
Ladā nawmatī aw yaqzatī wa iqāmatī
Bidūrī wa tarhālī ladā hālati-l yusri
And when I sleep & when I am awake
And when I am at home & when I am traveling in ease!
نَبِيٌّ بِهِ قَدْ قَرَّ عَيْنِي وَ إِنَّنِي
أُدِيمُ شُكُورِي سَاعَةَ النَّفْعِ وَالْضُّرِّ
Nabiyyun bihi qad qarra ‘aynī wa innanī
Udīmu shukūrī sā‘ata-n naf‘i wa-d durri
For the Prophet (SAW) is the coolness of my eyes....
And I am constantly grateful (for him) during bounty & during hardship!
أَلَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ يَا أَفْضَلَ الْوَرَى
أَجِرْنِي مِنَ الْخُسْرَانِ وَالْخِزْيِ وَالْمَكْرِ
Alā yā Rasūlallāhi yā afdala-l warā
Ajirnī mina-l khusrāni wa-l khizyi wa-l makri
O Messenger of Allah O Best of Creation!
Save me from Loss, Humiliation & Deceit!
جَنَيْتُ ذُنُوبًا لَوْ أُخِذْتُ بِبَعْضِهَا
يَدُومُ عِقَابِي مَا تَخَلَّصْتُ مِنْ وِزْرِ
Janaytu dhunūban law ukhidhtu biba‘dihā
Yadūmu ‘iqābī mā takhallastu min wizri
For I've committed sins, if I’m taken into account for but some of them...
My punishment would endure (forever) & I wouldn't be freed from account!
مَضَى مَا مَضَى مِنْ عُنْفَوَانٍ أَضَعْتُهُ
وَ لَمْ أَشْتَغِلْ فِيمَا يُقَرِّبُ لِلْبِرِّ
Madā mā madā min ‘unfuwānin ada‘atuhu
Wa lam ashtagil fīmā yuqarribu li-l birri
Indeed, my Youth has passed and I wasted it....
And I didn't engage in what would bring me closer to Righteousness!
وَ حَتَّى عَلَانِي الشَّيْبُ وَالْحَالُ هَكَذَا
فَيَا وَيْحَ كَفٍّ مِنْ مَزَادِ التُّقَى صِفْرٍ
Wa hattā ‘alānī-sh shaybu wa-l hālu hākadhā
Fayā wayha kaffin min mazādi-t tuqā sifrin
And now I am grey-haired & my condition is still the same...
So woe unto to a hand devoid of any provision of good deeds!
عَلَى أَنَّنِي أَزْدَادُ شَيْخًا سَفَاحَةً
أَلَمْ يَأْنَ لِلْقَلْبِ الْمَرِيضِ دَوَاً يُبْرِي
‘Alā annanī azdādu shaykhan safāhatan
Alam ya’ni li-l qalbi-l marīdi dawā yubrī
For I am just an old man increasing in his sin....
Is there not a medicine now to heal this heart!?!
وَ مَالِيَ مِنْ كَسْبٍ لَكِنَّهُ يُسُوؤُنِي
ضَلَالِي وَ طُغْيَانِي وَ مَا ضَاعَ مِنْ عُمْرِي
Wa māliya min kasbin lakinnahu yusu’unī
Dalālī wa tugyānī wa mā dā‘a min ‘umrī
Yet I have gained nothing (of benefit)....
But my deviation, transgression & wasting of time continue to trouble me!
بَكَيْتُ دُمُوعًا إِذْ خَجِلْتُ وَ لَيْتَنِي
رَجَعْتُ إِلَى الطَّاعَاتِ وَالْكَسْبِ وَالأَجْرِ
Bakaytu dumū‘ān idh khajiltu wa laytanī
Raja‘tu ilā-t tā‘āti wa-l kasbi wa-l ajri
I cry tears of shame & regret...
May I return to doing good deeds & earning rewards (from Allah)
فَكُنْ لِي شَفِيعًا فِي حَيَاتِي وَ بَعْدَهَا
أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ الْمِفْضَالِ وَلْتَكْفِ لِي شَرِّي
Fakun lī shafī‘ān fī hayātī wa ba‘dahā
Abā-l Qāsimi-l mifdāli wal-takfi lī sharrī
Please be my intercessor in this life & the Hereafter...
O Noble Abul-Qasim (SAW)...and protect me from all harm!
فَأَنْتَ الْمُرَجَّى خَاتِمُ الرُّسْلِ سَيِّدٌ
بَشِيرٌ حَبِيبٌ مَالِكُ الْخَلْقِ وَالأَمْرِ
Fa Anta-l murajjā Khātimu-r Rusli Sayyidun
Bashīrun Habībun Māliku-l khalqi wa-l amri
For you are our hope…O Seal of the Prophets O Master
O Bringer of Good News O Beloved of the Lord of Creation & all Decree!
عَلَيْكَ صَلَاةُ اللهِ ثُمَّ سَلَامُهُ
فَتُشْكِي شِكَايَاتِي وَ تَرْفَعُ لِي أَمْرِي
‘Alayka salātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
Fatushkī shikāyātī wa tarfa‘u lī amrī
May the Blessings & Salutations of Allah be upon you....
And may you resolve my grievances & uplift my affairs!
عَلَيْكَ صَلَاةُ اللهِ ثُمَّ سَلَامُهُ
صَلَاةً تُنْجِينِي مِنَ الذَّنْبِ وَالْخُسْرِ
‘Alayka salātu-llāhi thumma salāmuhu
Salātan tunjīnī mina-dh dhanbi wa-l khusri
May the Blessings & Salutations of Allah be upon you....
A Blessing that will save me from sin & disaster!
عَلَيْكَ مَعَ الآلِ الْكِرَامِ وَ صَحْبِهِ
صَلَاةٌ وَ تَسْلِيمٌ عَلَيْهِ مَدَى الدَّهْرِ
‘Alayka ma‘a-l ālil-kirāmi wa sahbihi
Salātun wa taslīmun ‘alayhi madā-d dahri
May the Blessings & Salutations of Allah be upon you & your noble Family & Companions....
Blessings & Salutations that continue forever!
*
حق قدره و مقداره العظيم - -
Transcribed & Translated by: Imam Fakhruddin Owaisi al-Tijani
