Harful Khaa · حَرْفُ الْخَاءِ

خَدَمْتُ رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ دَهْرِيَ أَنْسَـــخُ
مَدَائِحَهُ وَالْحُبُّ فِي الْقَلْبِ يَرْسَــخُ

Khadamtu Rasūla Allāhi dahrī ansakhu
Madā’iḥahu wal-ḥubbu fī al-qalbi yar-sakhu

I have served the Messenger of Allah throughout my life, transcribing his praises while love takes firm root in my heart.

لَقَدْ خَصَّهُ الْمَوْلَى بِأَعْلَى كَرَامَةٍ
شَرِيعَتُـــهُ كُلَّ الشَّـــرَائِـعِ تَنْسَــخُ

Laqad khaṣ-ṣahu al-Mawlā bi-a‘lā karāmatin
Sharī‘atuhu kulla al-sharā’i‘i tansakhu

The Master has distinguished him with the highest honor; his Sacred Law abrogates all previous laws.

وَقَدْ جَاءَ فِي الذِّكْرِ الْحَكِيمِ ثَنَاؤُهُ
مِــــنَ اللّٰهِ نَتْلُــوهُ إِلَى يَــوْمِ يُنْفَــخُ

Wa-qad jā’a fī al-dhikri al-ḥakīmi thanā’uhu
Mina Allāhi natlūhu ila yawmi yunfakhu

His praise has appeared in the Wise Remembrance (Quran) from Allah; we recite it until the Day the Trumpet is blown.

مِنَ الْحَرْفِ وَالتَّبْدِيلِ صَانَ إِلَـهُنَا
كِتَابًا لَهُ وَالْـهُودُ مِنْ ذَاكَ مُسِّخُـوا

Mina al-ḥarfi wal-tabdīli ṣāna ilāhunā
Kitāban lahu wal-Hūdu min dhāka mussikhū

Our God has protected His Book from alteration and distortion—whereas the people of Hud were transformed [punished] for such things.

وَقَدْ أَعْجَزَ اللُّسْنَ الْمَصَاقِعَ نَظْمُهُ
فَلَمْ يَحْكِ شِبْهَ الذِّكْرِ يَوْمًا مُــؤَرِّخُ

Wa-qad a‘jaza al-lusna al-maṣāqi‘a naẓmuhu
Falam yaḥki shib-ha al-dhikri yawman mu’ar-rikhu

Its composition has eluded even the most eloquent tongues; no historian has ever produced anything resembling the Remembrance.

بِــــــهِ نَارَ أَقْطَــــارُ الْبِـــلاَدِ كَأَنَّــهُ
ضِيَاءُ نَهَارٍ مِنْ دُجَى اللَّيْلِ يَسْلَـــخُ

Bihi nāra aqṭāru al-bilādi ka-annahu
Ḍiyā’u nahārin min duja al-layli yas-lakhu

Through it, the regions of the lands were illuminated, as if the light of day were stripping away the darkness of night.

بِــــــهِ يُرْزَقُ الْأَمْطَـــارُ فَالْيُمْـــنُ كُلُّــهُ
مِنَ الذِّكْرِ فَلْيُصْرِخْ بِذَا الذِّكْرِ مُصْــرِخُ

Bihi yurzaqu al-amṭāru fal-yum-nu kulluhu
Mina al-dhikri fal-yuṣ-rikh bi-dhā al-dhikri muṣ-rikhu

Through it, the rains are granted, and all blessings come from the Remembrance; so let every caller cry out with this Remembrance.

فَــإِنَّ وُجُودَ الْمُصْطَفَــــى وَكِتَابِـــهِ
لَأَكْبَـــــــرُ آلاَءٍ بِــــذَيْـــــنِ يُـــؤَرَّخُ

Fa-inna wujūda al-Muṣṭafā wa-kitābihi
La-akbaru ālā’in bi-dhayni yu’ar-rikhu

Indeed, the existence of the Chosen One and his Book are the greatest of favors; by these two, history itself is defined.

عَلَيْـــــهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
فَيُطْوَى عَنِ الْبَطْحَاءِ تَيْمَاءُ سَرْبَــخُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Fa-yuṭwā ‘ani al-Baṭ-ḥā’i Taymā’u sar-bakhu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; so that the waterless deserts of Tayma are folded away from the valley of Makkah.

عَلَيْــــهِ صَـــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُـــمَّ سَلاَمُــهُ
لِأَحْيَى وَمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَـــكَ فَرْسَــخُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Li-aḥyā wa-mā baynī wa-baynaka farsakhu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; that I may live while there is not even a league of distance between me and you.

عَلَيْــــهِ صَــــلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
بِهَا طَابَ لِي دُنْيًا وَأُخْرًى وَبَرْزَخُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Bihā ṭāba lī dunyan wa-ukhran wa-bar-zakhu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace; through which life becomes sweet for me in this world, the Hereafter, and the Barzakh.

عَلَيْهِ مَـــعَ الْآلِ الْكِـــرَامِ وَصَحْبِــهِ
صَلاَةً بِهَا أَبْقَــى وَمَـــدْحَكَ أَنْسَــخُ

‘Alayhi ma‘a al-āli al-kirāmi wa-ṣaḥbihi
Ṣalātan bihā abqā wa-mad-ḥaka ansakhu

Upon him, along with the noble family and his companions; a prayer through which I remain, and continue to transcribe your praise.