# Harful Alif · حَرْفُ الأَلِفِ

From [Ad-Dawaawiinu s-Sitta · الدواوين الست](https://qasaaid.zayfir.app/app/qasaaid/691f292bc02b144934a4ec1f) by [Sheikh Ibrahim Nyass](https://qasaaid.zayfir.app/app/authors/69172463686829cc1d041df5)

**1.** أَلاَ يَا رَسُــــولَ اللّٰهِ يَا أَوْثَقَ الْعُـــرَى / وَيَا مُصْطَفَى الْأَكْوَانِ يَا سَيِّدَ الْوَرَى

_Alā yā Rasūla Allāhi yā awthaqa al-‘urā / Wa-yā Muṣṭafa al-akwāni yā sayyida al-warā_

O Messenger of Allah, O firmest of handles! O chosen of the universes, O master of creation!

**2.** بِسِرِّكَ يَا سِـــرَّ الْإِلَـــهِ وَنُــــورَهُ / وَجَاهِكَ يَا يَاسِينُ أَحْمَدُ مُصْطَفَى

_Bi-sirrika yā sirra al-ilāhi wa-nūruhu / Wa-jāhika yā Yāsīnu Aḥmadu Muṣṭafā_

By your secret—the secret and light of the Divine—and your high standing, O Yasin, Ahmad, the Chosen One!

**3.** جَزَاكَ إِلَـــهُ الْعَرْشِ يَا خَيْرَ مُرْسَـــلٍ / وَسِيلَتَــهُ الْعُلْيَــــا وَأَنْـــتَ بِهَــا أَوْلَى

_Jazāka ilāhu al-‘arshi yā khayra mursalin / Wasīlatahu al-‘ulyā wa-anta bihā awlā_

May the Lord of the Throne reward you, O best of Messengers; his ultimate means (Wasila), and you are most worthy of it.

**4.** دَعَوْتُ بِكَ الْمَولَى الْعَلِــــي جَلَّ شَأْنُــهُ / لِكَيْ يَكْشِفَ الْبَلْوَى وَيُتْحِفَ لِي الْبُغْيَـا

_Da‘awtu bika al-mawlā al-‘aliyya jalla sha’nuhu / Li-kay yakshifa al-balwā wa-yutḥifa liya al-bughyā_

Through you, I have called upon the Most High Master—Majestic is His state—to lift the affliction and gift me my desire:

**5.** هُــدًى وَجَدًى أَمْرًا وَنَهْيًا وَرَحْمَـــةً / وَعَافِيَةَ الدَّارَيْنِ دُنْيًا مَـــــعَ الْأُخْــرَى

_Hudan wa-jadan amran wa-nahyan wa-raḥmatan / Wa-‘āfiyata al-dārayni dunyā ma‘a al-ukhrā_

Guidance, bounty, command, prohibition, and mercy; and well-being in both abodes, this world and the hereafter.

**6.** وَيَعْلُـــو بِيَ التَّوْحِيـدُ وَالسُّنَّــــةُ الَّتِـــي / عَفَاهَا ارْتِفَاعُ الْجَهْلِ فِي السِّرِّ وَالنَّجْوَى

_Wa-ya‘lū biya al-tawḥīdu wal-sunnatu al-latī / ‘Afāhā-rtifā‘u al-jahli fī al-sirri wal-najwā_

And that Monotheism (Tawhid) and the Sunnah may rise through me—those which were obscured by the rise of ignorance in private and in public.

**7.** زَعِيمٌ يَقُودُ النَّــــاسَ أَجْهَـــلُ طَالِــبٍ / وَقَدْ بَلَغَ السَّيْلُ الزُّبَى عَمَّتِ الْبَلْـــوَى

_Za‘īmun yaqūdu al-nāsa ajhalu ṭālibin / Wa-qad balagha al-saylu al-zubā ‘am-mati al-balwā_

An "ignorant seeker" is a leader who guides the people; indeed, the flood has reached the heights and affliction has become universal.

**8.** حَزِنْتُ لِمَـــــا أَلْقَــــى وَرَبِّيَ كَاشِـــفٌ / جَمِيـعَ كُرُوبِي وَاغْتِرَابِ الْـهُدَى الْأَعْلَى

_Ḥazintu limā alqā wa-rabbī kāshifun / Jamī‘a kurūbī wa-ghtirābi al-hudā al-a‘lā_

I am saddened by what I encounter, yet my Lord is the remover of all my distresses and the "estrangement" of the highest guidance.

**9.** طَمِعْتُ لِدَرْكِــــــي لِلتَّــــدَارُكِ لَيْتَنِــي / أَرَى رَايَةَ الْإِسْلاَمِ تَعْلُو عَلَى الْعُلْيَـــا

_Ṭami‘tu li-darkī lit-tadāruki laytanī / Arā rāyata al-islāmi ta‘lū ‘ala al-‘ulyā_

I craved to reach a state of remedy; would that I could see the banner of Islam rising to the highest heights.

**10.** يَقِينًــــا بِأَنَّ الْمُصْطَفَـــى قَـــالَ صَادِقًـــا / لَيُدْرِكُ عِيسَى خَيْرَ صَحْبٍ عَلَى الْمُثْلَى

_Yaqīnan bi-anna al-Muṣṭafā qāla ṣādiqan / La-yudriku ‘Īsā khayra ṣaḥbin ‘ala al-muthlā_

With certainty that the Chosen One spoke truthfully: "Jesus shall reach [the time of] the best of companions upon the ideal [path]."

**11.** كَفَى كُلَّ مَنْ هَـــذِي الْحَنِيفَـــــةُ دِينُـــهُ / بِأَنْ يُشْبِهَ الْقَرْنَ الْمُزَكَّى فَتِي بُشْـــرَى

_Kafā kulla man hādhī al-ḥanīfatu dīnuhu / Bi-an yushbiha al-qarna al-muzakkā fatī bushrā_

It is enough for anyone whose religion is this upright faith (Hanifiyya) to resemble the "Purified Century" (the Companions)—what glad tidings!

**12.** لَئِنْ بَدَأَ الْإِسْلاَمُ فِي طَـــــوْرِ غُرْبَــةٍ / عَسَانَا نَرَى أَمْرًا يَطِيبُ لَــــهُ الْمَحْيَا

_La’in bada’a al-islāmu fī ṭawri ghurbatin / ‘Asānā narā amran yaṭību lahu al-maḥyā_

If Islam began in a stage of "estrangement" (Ghurba), perhaps we shall see an era in which life becomes pleasant again.

**13.** مَتَــى جَاءَ دِينُ الْحَــــقِّ أَصْبَحَ دَامِغًــا / فَعَادَ غَرِيبًا وَهْوَ فِي الْعُدْوَةِ الْقُصْــوَى

_Matā jā’a dīnu al-ḥaqqi aṣbaḥa dāmighan / Fa-‘āda gharīban wa-huwa fī al-‘udwati al-quṣwā_

When the religion of Truth came, it became triumphant; then it returned to being a "stranger" even in the furthest horizons.

**14.** نُسَائِــــلُ رَبًّــــا جَـــلَّ عِزَّةَ دِينِنَـــا / وَيَدْمَغُ أَيْضًا جَهْــــرَةً آخِرَ الدُّنْيَــا

_Nusā’ilu rabban jalla ‘izzata dīninā / Wa-yadmaghu ayḍan jahratan ākhira al-dunyā_

We ask a Lord—Majestic is His power—for the might of our religion, and that He crushes [falsehood] openly at the end of time.

**15.** صَلاَةٌ وَتَسْلِيــــــمٌ عَلَيْــــهِ أَرَى بِهَـــا / سَرِيعًا بِجَاهِ الْمُصْطَفَى السَّنَدَ الْأَقْوَى

_Ṣalātun wa-taslīmun ‘alayhi arā bihā / Sarī‘an bi-jāhi al-Muṣṭafa al-sanada al-aqwā_

A prayer and salutation be upon him, through which I see—swiftly, by the standing of the Chosen—the strongest support.

**16.** عَلَيْــهِ صَـــلاَةٌ مِـــنْ سَنَاهَـــا أَرَى بِهَــا / جَمِيعَ الَّذِي أَهْوَى عَلَى وَفْقِ مَا أَهْـــوَى

_‘Alayhi ṣalātun min sanāhā arā bihā / Jamī‘a al-ladhī ahwā ‘alā wafqi mā ahwā_

Upon him be a prayer from whose brilliance I see all that I love, according to how I wish to see it.

**17.** فَمَــنْ لِــي بِتَبْلِيــــغِ السَّـــلاَمِ إِلَى النَّقَـــا / فَيَا جِسْمُ مَا أَضْنَى وَيَا الدَّمْعُ مَا أَجْــرَى

_Fa-man lī bi-tablīghi al-salāmi ila al-Naqā / Fa-yā jismu mā aḍnā wa-yā al-dam‘u mā ajrā_

Who will convey my greetings to the Valley of Naqa? O body, how emaciated you are! O tears, how you flow!

**18.** ضَمِنْتُ لَهُ سَـــرْدَ الْمَدَائِــحِ رَاجِيًــا / قَبُولَ ثَنَائِي وَالزِّيَـــــادَةَ وَالْحُسْنَــى

_Ḍamintu lahu sarda al-madā’ihi rājiyan / Qabūla thanā’ī wal-ziyādata wal-ḥusnā_

I have committed to the constant recitation of his praises, hoping for the acceptance of my praise, and for increase and the ultimate good.

**19.** قِلاَمِي وَأَنْقَاسِي وَطِرْسِي وَلَقْلَقِي / تَحِنُّ لِأَمْدَاحِي حَنِينِـــي إِلَى اللُّقْيَـــا

_Qilāmī wa-anqāsī wa-ṭirsī wa-laqlaqī / Taḥinnu li-amdāḥī ḥanīnī ila al-luqyā_

My pens, my inks, my parchment, and my tongue all yearn for my odes, just as I yearn for the meeting.

**20.** رَجَوْتُ مِنَ الْمَمْدُوحِ فَـــوْزِيَ بِالَّتِــي / تَقَاصَرَ عَنْهَا الْمَادِحُــونَ وَلاَ غَــرْوَا

_Rajawtu mina al-mamdūḥi fawziya bil-latī / Taqāṣara ‘anhā al-mādiḥūna wa-lā gharwā_

I hoped from the one being praised for a success that other praisers have fallen short of—and no wonder.

**21.** سَلاَمٌ عَلَــى الْـهَادِي بِبَـــدْءٍ وَمَخْتَــمٍ / سَلاَمٌ عَلَى الْمُخْتَارِ قِدْمًا وَلاَ شَـرْوَى

_Salāmun ‘ala al-hādī bi-bad’in wa-makhtamin / Salāmun ‘ala al-mukhtāri qidman wa-lā sharwā_

Peace be upon the Guide at the beginning and the end; peace be upon the Chosen One from of old—there is no equal to him.

**22.** تَيَمَّمَ قَلْبِـــي نَحْـــوَ أَحْمَـــدَ ظَاعِنًـــا / وَجِسْمِي مَعَ الْأَجْسَامِ أَشْدِدْ بِمَا أَلْقَى

_Tayammama qalbī naḥwa Aḥmada ẓā‘inan / Wa-jismī ma‘a al-ajsāmi ash-did bi-mā alqā_

My heart has turned toward Ahmad, departing [on a journey], while my body remains with other bodies—how intense is what I face!

**23.** ثَنَائِـــــي عَلَيْـــهِ قُـــوتُ قَلْبِـــي فَإِنَّنِــي / حَيَاتِي عَلَى التَّهْيَامِ وَالشَّوْقِ وَالذِّكْــرَى

_Thanā’ī ‘alayhi qūtu qalbī fa-innanī / Ḥayātī ‘ala al-tehyāmi wash-shawqi wal-dhikrā_

My praise of him is the food of my heart; for indeed, my life is built upon infatuation, longing, and remembrance.

**24.** خَلِيــلٌ سِــــوَى مَـــنْ حَبَّنِـــي لِـــوِدَادِهِ / جَفَانِي جِهَـــارًا فَالشَّقِــيُّ إِلَى الْأَشْقَــى

_Khalīlun siwā man ḥabbanī li-widādihi / Jafānī jihāran fal-shaqiyyu ila al-ashqā_

Any friend who did not love me for his sake has shunned me openly—the wretched one goes toward the most wretched.

**25.** ذَكَـــرْتُ الَّــذِي مِـــنْ ذِكْـــرِهِ وَوِدَادِهِ / صَفَــا لِيَ وَقْتِــي وَالْمَدِينَــةُ وَالْبَطْحَــا

_Dhakartu al-ladhī min dhikrihi wa-widādihi / Ṣafā liya waqtī wal-madīnatu wal-baṭḥā_

I remembered the one through whose remembrance and love my time, Medina, and the valley of Makkah became pure for me.

**26.** ظَـــــــلاَمٌ وِدَادٌ غَيْــرُ حُـــبِّ مُحَمَّــدٍ / عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةٌ آخِرَ الدَّهْــرِ لَنْ تُمْحَــى

_Ẓalāmun widādun ghayru ḥubbi Muḥammadin / ‘Alayhi ṣalātun ākhira al-dahri lan tumḥā_

Any love other than the love of Muhammad is darkness; upon him be a prayer that shall never be erased until the end of time.

**27.** غَرَامٌ إِلَـــى غَيْــرِ الْأَمِيـــنِ سَفَاهَــةٌ / عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةٌ كُـــلَّ وَقْــتٍ بِهَـا نَحْيَــا

_Gharāmun ila ghayri al-Amīni safāhatun / ‘Alayhi ṣalātun kulla waqtin bihā naḥyā_

Any passion for other than the Trustworthy One is foolishness; upon him be a prayer through which we live at every moment.

**28.** شِفَائِي صَلاَتِي مَعْ سَلاَمِي كِلاَهُمَــا / عَلَيْهِ وَأَصْحَابٍ هُمُ الدَّوْلَةُ الْكُبْرَى

_Shifā’ī ṣalātī ma‘ salāmī kilāhumā / ‘Alayhi wa-asḥābin humu al-dawlatu al-kubrā_

My healing is my prayer and my peace together upon him, and upon the companions—they are the Great State.

Source: https://qasaaid.zayfir.app/app/qasaaid/691f292bc02b144934a4ec1f/book/69ac941f4282c6eb8e164f0c/chapter/69ac94344282c6eb8e164f9d