Al Faswlul Khaamisu · الْفَصْلُ الْخَامِسُ

جَاءَتْ لِدَعْوَتِهِ الأَشْجَارُ سَاجِدَةً
تَمْشِي إِلَيْهِ عَلَى سَاقٍ بِلاَ قَدَمِ

Jāʾat li daʿwatihil ashjāru sājidatan
Tamshī ilayhi ʿalā sāqin bilā qadami

Trees came prostrating to him when he called, Walking towards him on trunks without feet

كَأَنَّمَا سَطَرَتْ سَطْرًا لِمَا كَتَبَتْ
فُرُوعُهَا مِنْ بَدِيعِ الْخَطِّ بِاللَّقَمِ

Ka annamā saṭarat saṭran limā katabat
Furūʿuhā min badīʿil khaṭṭi bil laqami

As though they had inscribed lines of splendid calligraphy With their branches along the path.

مِثْلَ الغَمَامَةِ أَنَّى سَارَ سَائِرَةً
تَقِيهِ حَرَّ وَطِيسٍ لِلْهَجِيرِ حَمِي

Mithlal ghamāmati annā sāra sāʾiratan
Taqīhi ḥarra waṭīsin lil hajīri ḥamī

Like the cloud that hovered over him wherever he went, Shielding him from the intense oven of the midday heat.

أَقْسَمْتُ بِالْقَمَرِ المُنْشَقِّ إِنَّ لَهُ
مِنْ قَلْبِهِ نِسْبَةً مَبْرُورَةَ القَسَمِ

Aqsamtu bil qamaril munshaqqi inna lahu
Min qalbihi nisbatan mabrūratal qasami

I swear by the [Lord of the] moon that was split in two a true oath: it has truly a connection with his heart.

وَمَا حَوَى الغَارُ مِنْ خَيْرٍ وَمِنْ كَرَمِ
وَكُلُّ طَرْفٍ مِنَ الكُفَّارِ عَنْهُ عَمِي

Wa mā ḥawal ghāru min khayrin wa min karamin
Wa kullu ṭarfin minal kuffāri ʿanhu ʿamī

And by the goodness and nobility contained in the cave While the disbelievers’ every glance was blind to him.

فَالصِّدْقُ فِي الغَارِ وَالصِّدِّيقُ لَمْ يَرِمَا
وَهُمْ يَقُولُونَ مَا بِالْغَارِ مِنْ أَرِمِ

Faṣ ṣidqu fīl ghāri waṣ ṣiddīqu lam yarimā
Wa hum yaqūlūna mā bil ghāri min arimi

Truthfulness and the True One in the cave wavered not While they said ‘No one who breathes is in the cave!’

ظَنُّوا الحَمَامَ وَظَنُّوا الْعَنْكَبُوتَ عَلَى
خَيْرِ الْبَرِيَّةِ لَمْ تَنْسُجْ وَلَمْ تَحُمِ

Ẓannul ḥamāma wa ẓannul ʿankabūta ʿalā
Khayril bariyyati lam tansuj wa lam taḥumi

They supposed that a dove would never perch, Or a spider would spin its web, for the Best of Creation

وِقَايَةُ اللهِ أَغْنَتْ عَنْ مُضَاعَفَةٍ
مِنَ الدُّرُوعِ وَعَنْ عَالٍ مِنَ الأُطُمِ

WiqāyatuLlāhi aghnat ʿan muḍāʿafatin
Minad durūʿi wa ʿan ʿālin minal uṭumi

Their protection by Allah absolved them of need for additional armour or for lofty fortresses.

مَا سَامَنِي الدَّهْرُ ضَيْمًا وَاسْتَجَرْتُ بِهِ
إِلاَّ وَنِلْتُ جِوَارًا مِنْهُ لَمْ يُضَمِ

Mā sāmanid dahru ḍayman wastajartu bihi
Illā wa niltu jiwāran minhu lam yuḍami

Never, when fate oppressed me, have I sought refuge in him but that I found sanctuary with him and was oppressed no more.

وَلاَ الْتَمَسْتُ غِنَى الدَّارَيْنِ مِنْ يَدِهِ
إِلاَّ اسْتَلَمْتُ النَّدَى مِنْ خَيْرِ مُسْتَلَمِ

Wa laltamastu ghinad dārayni min yadihi
Illāstalamtun nadā min khayri mustalami

And never have I sought wealth in both worlds from his hand Without receiving largesse from the best of givers.

لاَ تُنْكِرِ الْوَحْيَ مِنْ رُؤْيَاهُ إِنَّ لَهُ
قَلْبًا إِذَا نَامَتِ العَيْنَانِ لَمْ يَنَمِ

Lā tunkiril waḥya min ruʾyāhu inna lahu
Qalban idhā nāmatil ʿaynāni lam yanami

Do not deny the revelations he received in his dreams; For though his eyes slept, he had a heart that slept not.

وَذَاكَ حِينَ بُلُوغٍ مِنْ نُبَوَّتِهِ
فَلَيْسَ يُنْكَرُ فِيهِ حَالُ مُحْتَلِمِ

Wa dhāka ḥīna bulūghin min nubuwwatihi
Fa laysa yunkaru fīhi ḥālu muḥtalimi

That was when he attained his Prophetic status; the night dreams of mature men cannot be denied!

تَبَارَكَ اللهُ مَا وَحَيٌ بِمُكْتَسَبٍ
وَلاَ نَبيُّ عَلَى غَيْبٍ بِمُتَّهَمِ

Tabārak Allahu mā waḥyun bi muktasabin
Wa lā nabiyyun ʿalā ghaybin bi muttahami

Blessed is Allah! Revelation is not something acquired! Nor can a Prophet’s knowledge of the Unseen be deemed suspect.

كَمْ أَبْرَأَتْ وَصِبًا بِاللَّمْسِ رَاحَتُهُ
وَأَطْلَقَتْ أَرِبًا مِنْ رِبْقَةِ اللَّمَمِ

Kam abraʾat waṣiban bil lamsi rāḥatuhu
Wa aṭlaqat ariban min ribqatil lamami

How many sick people were healed by the touch of his hand; how many released from the tight knots of madness!

وَأَحْيَتِ السَّنَةَ الشَّهْبَاءَ دَعْوَتُهُ
حَتَّى حَكَتْ غُرَّةً فِي الأَعْصُرِ الدُّهُمِ

Wa aḥyatis sanatash shahbāʾa daʿwatuhu
Ḥattā ḥakat ghurratan fīl aʿṣurid duhumi

His supplication brought life to a grey year [of drought] – Marked it out from dark years like [a horse’s] white blaze.

بِعَارضٍ جَادَ أَوْ خِلْتَ البِطَاحَ بِهَا
سَيْبًا مِنَ اليَمِّ أَوْ سَيْلاً مِنَ العَرِمِ

Bi ʿāriḍin jāda aw khiltal biṭāḥa bihā
Sayban minal yammi aw saylan minal ʿarimi

With generous rainclouds, so much that you would have thought That the valleys flowed with sea water or the flood of ʿArim.