Harful Hamza · حَرْفُ الْهَمْزَةِ

أُرِيتُ بِخَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ خَيْرَ مَــــرَاءِ
نَفَى الشَّكَّ وَالْأَسْوَا وَكُــلَّ مِـرَاءِ

Urītu bi-khayri al-khalqi khayra marā’ī
Nafā al-shakka wal-aswā wa-kulla mirā’ī

I was shown the best of visions regarding the Best of Creation, which banished all doubt, evil, and dispute.

وَهَيَّجَ شَوْقِي وَالْمَحَبَّةَ وَالضَّنَـــى
وَأَرَّقَنِـــــي إِذْ نَامَ أَهْـــلُ خِبَائِــى

Wa-hayyaja shawqī wal-maḥabbata wal-ḍanā
Wa-arraqanī idh nāma ahlu khibā’ī

It stirred my longing, love, and illness; keeping me awake while the people of my tent slept.

يُؤَنِّسُنِي طِرْسِي وَنِقْسِي وَلَقْلَقِي
جِهَارًا وَقَلْبِي أُنْسُــــــهُ بِشِفَائِــي

Yu’annisunī ṭirsī wa-niqsī wa-laqlaqī
Jihāran wa-qalbī unsuhu bi-shifā’ī

My paper, my ink, and my moving pen keep me company openly, while my heart finds intimacy in its healing.

مُحَمَّــــــدُ مُخْتَارُ الْإِلَهِ نَبِيُّـــهُ
عَلَيْهِ أَتْــــــتَ آيَاتُــــهُ بِثَنَـــاءِ

Muḥammadu mukhtāru al-ilāhi nabiyyuhu
‘Alayhi atat āyātuhu bi-thanā’ī

Muhammad is the Chosen One of God, His Prophet; the verses of God have come in his praise.

فَلَمْ أَقْفُ غَيْرَ الْمُصْطَفَى لَسْتُ تَالِيًا
سِوَى ذِكْرِهِ كُفُّــــوا الْمَلاَمَ مَلاَئِــي

Falam aqfu ghayra al-Muṣṭafā lastu tāliyan
Siwā dhikrihi kuffū al-malāma malā’ī

I follow none but the Chosen One, and I recite none but his mention—so cease your blame, O my companions.

هَلِ الدِّينُ غَيْرُ الذِّكْرِ وَالسُّنَّةِ الَّتِــي
عَنِ الْمُصْطَفَى صَحَّتْ فَتِلْكَ دَوَائِي

Hal al-dīnu ghayru al-dhikri wal-sunnati al-latī
‘An al-Muṣṭafā ṣاḥḥat fa-tilka dawā’ī

Is religion anything other than the Remembrance and the Sunnah that is authentically established from the Chosen One? That is my medicine.

أَنَصْبَ خِلاَفٍ بَيْنَ طَــــهَ وَغَيْرِهِ
يَرَاهُ لَبِيـــــبٌ غَيْـــرَ عَيْنِ عَمَــاءِ

A-naṣbu khilāfin bayna Ṭāhā wa-ghayrihi
Yarāhu labībun ghayra ‘ayni ‘amā’ī

Does a wise person see the setting up of conflict between Taha and others as anything but total blindness?

أَيَا نَاسُ خَلُّوا الْـهَزْلَ وَاقْفُوا مُحَمَّدًا
وَإِلاَّ تَرَوْنِي الدَّهْرَ جِــــــدَّ بَــرَاءِ

Ayā nāsu khallū al-hazla wa-qfū Muḥammadan
Wa-illā tarawnī al-dahra jidda barā’ī

O people, leave aside triviality and follow Muhammad; otherwise, you will see me forever dissociated from you.

مُحَمَّدُ خَيْرُ الْعَالَمِيـــــنَ مُحَمَّـــدٌ
رَسُولٌ أَمِيـــنٌ ذُو سَنًــا وَسَنَاءِ

Muḥammadu khayru al-‘ālamīna Muḥammadu
Rasūlun amīnun dhū sanan wa-sanā’ī

Muhammad is the best of the worlds; Muhammad is a trustworthy Messenger, possessing brilliance and sublimity.

فَصِيحٌ بَلِيغٌ لَيْسَ يَنْطِقُ عَنْ هَوًى
بَلِ الْوَحْيِ وَالتَّنْزِيلِ وَحْــيِ سَمَاءِ

Faṣīḥun balīghun laysa yanṭiqu ‘an hawan
Bal al-waḥyi wal-tanzīli waḥyi samā’ī

He is eloquent and articulate, speaking not out of whim, but by Revelation and the Heavenly descent.

عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَبْلِ اللّٰهِ لِلْعَبْـــدِ وَاثِقًـــا
فَنَهْجٌ يُنَاوِي الذِّكْرَ نَهْجُ شَقَـــاءِ

‘Alaykum bi-ḥabli Allāhi lil-‘abdi wāthiqan
Fa-nahjun yunāwī al-dhikra nahju shaqā’ī

Hold fast to the Rope of Allah as a trustworthy servant; for a path that opposes the Remembrance is a path of wretchedness.

وَإِنْ قُلْتَ هَلْ ذَا الْوِرْدُ نَهْجُ مُحَمَّدٍ
أَقُولُ نَعَـــمْ وِرْدِي لِنَيْــــلِ صَفَــاءِ

Wa-in qulta hal dhā al-wirdu nahju Muḥammadin
Aqūlu na‘am wirdī li-nayli ṣafā’ī

If you ask: "Is this litany (Wird) the path of Muhammad?" I say: "Yes, my litany is for attaining purity."

فَمَا الْوِرْدُ إِلاَّ الذِّكْــــرُ لِلَّهِ وَحْــــدَهُ
تُصَلِّي عَلَى الْمُخْتَارِ خَيْرِ وَرَاءِ

Famā al-wirdu illā al-dhikru lillāhi waḥdahu
Tuṣallī ‘ala al-Mukhtāri khayri warā’ī

For the litany is nothing but the Remembrance of Allah alone, and sending blessings upon the Chosen One, the Best of Creation.

فَمَا فِيهِ ذِكْرُ الشَّيْخِ أَوْ ذِكْرُ غَيْرِهِ
فَوِرْدِي لِدَاءِ الْعَبْـــــدِ عَيْــنُ دَوَاءِ

Famā fīhi dhikru al-shaykhi aw dhikru ghayrihi
Fa-wirdī li-dā’i al-‘abdi ‘aynu dawā’ī

There is no mention of the Sheikh or anyone else in it; my litany is the very medicine for the servant's illness.

رُوَيْدَكُمُ لاَ تُنْكِرُوا عَــــنْ جَهَالَــةٍ
لِبَغْيٍ وَعُدْوَانٍ وَعَيْـــــنِ جَفَــاءِ

Ruwaydakumu lā tunkirū ‘an jahālatin
Li-baghyin wa-‘udwānin wa-‘ayni jافā’ī

Take it easy! Do not deny out of ignorance, transgression, enmity, or sheer harshness.

فَقَدْ بَلَّغَ الْـهَـــادِي وَأَدَّى أَمَانَـــةً
حَذَا حَذْوَهُ الْـهَادُونَ شُهْبُ دُجَــاءِ

Fa-qad ballagha al-Hādī wa-addā amānatan
Ḥadhā ḥadhwahu al-hādūna shuhbu dujā’ī

The Guide has conveyed the message and fulfilled the trust; and the guided ones have followed his footsteps like stars in the darkness.

وَالْأَعْلاَمُ قَادَاتٌ بِقَفْـــــوِ نَبِيِّنَـــا
لِتَقْفُو الَّذِي يَقْفُــــوهُ دُونَ مِـرَاءِ

Wal-a‘lāmu qādātun bi-qafwi nabiyyinā
Li-taqfū al-ladhī yaqfūhu dūna mirā’ī

The great scholars are leaders by following our Prophet, so that you may follow what he followed without dispute.

سَـوَاءٌ جَلِيلٌ أَوْ حَقِيرٌ فَمَا لَنَـــا
سِوَى قَفْوِهِ دَهْرًا صَبَاحَ مَسَاءِ

Sawā’un jalīlun aw ḥaqīrun famā lanā
Siwā qafwihi dahran ṣabāḥa masā’ī

Whether great or small, we have nothing but following him forever, morning and evening.

أَيَا رَبَّ جِبْرِيلَ الْأَمِينِ فَثَبِّتَــنْ
عَلَى سُنَّةِ الْـهَادِي قُلُوبَ أُولاَءِ

Ayā rabba Jibrīla al-Amīni fa-thabbitan
‘Ala sunnati al-Hādī qulūba ulā’ī

O Lord of the Trustworthy Gabriel, make firm the hearts of these people upon the Sunnah of the Guide.

وَلاَ يَبْتَلِينَا اللّٰهُ بِالزَّيغِ وَالْـهَـوَى
نَعِيشُ عَلَى الْبَيْضَا لِيَوْمِ لِقَاءِ

Wa-lā yabtalīnā Allāhu bil-zayghi wal-hawā
Na‘īshu ‘ala al-bayḍā’i li-yawmi liqā’ī

May Allah not test us with deviation or whim; may we live upon the Clear Path until the Day of Meeting.

وَلاَ يَكُ قِشْرُ الدِّيــــنِ حَظَّ مُحِبِّنَا
بَلِ اللُّبُّ لُبُّ اللُّبِّ مَحْضَ عَطَاءِ

Wa-lā yaku qishru al-dīni ḥaẓ-ẓa muḥibbinā
Bal al-lubbu lubbu al-lubbi maḥḍa ‘aṭā’ī

May the "husk" of religion not be the portion of our lover, but rather the "core of the core"—a pure gift.

سَرَى طَيْفُهُ وَهْنًا وَكِدْتُ لِحُبِّــهِ
أَطِيرُ اشْتِيَاقًا وَالْغَـــــرَامُ بَلاَئِــي

Sarā ṭayfuhu wahnan wa-kidtu li-ḥubbihi
Aṭīru-shtiyāqan wal-gharāmu balā’ī

His phantom passed by in the night, and out of love for him, I almost flew with longing; ecstatic passion is my trial.

وَكُلٌّ وَلَيْلاَهُ وَبَرْهَامُ مُبْتَلًــــى
بِأَحْمَدَ خَيْرِ النَّاسِ عَيْنِ بَهَــــاءِ

Wa-kullun wa-Laylāhu wa-Bar-hāmu mubtalan
Bi-Aḥmada khayri al-nāsi ‘aynu bahā’ī

Everyone has their "Layla," but Ibrahim (Bar-ham) is afflicted with Ahmad, the Best of Men, the source of beauty.

وَمِنْ حَسَدٍ جَارُوا عَلَيَّ وَإِنَّنِي
مُبَــــرَّزُ أَقْرَانِي أَوَانَ صِبَائِـــي

Wa-min ḥasadin jārū ‘alayya wa-innanī
Mubarra-zu aqrānī awāna ṣibā’ī

Out of envy they treated me unjustly, yet I was distinguished above my peers even in my youth.

وَقَد تَمَّ فَتْحِي عِنْدَ مَهْدِي وَقَدْ عَنَتْ
جَمِيعُ رِجَالِ الْغَيْبِ تَحْـتَ قَضَائِـــي

Wa-qad tamma fat-ḥī ‘inda mahdī wa-qad ‘anat
Jamī‘u rijāli al-ghaybi taḥta qaḍā’ī

Wa-qad tamma fat-ḥī ‘inda mahdī wa-qad ‘anat / Jamī‘u rijāli al-ghaybi taḥta qaḍā’ī.

فَمَا قَطَعُوا فِي الشَّرْقِ وَالْغَرْبِ فَدْفَدًا
إِلَـــــى مَكَّـــــةٍ إِلاَّ لِشَــــــمِّ شَذَائِــي

Famā qaṭa‘ū fī al-sharqi wal-gharbi fad-fadan
Ila Makkatin illā li-shammi shadhā’ī

They have not crossed a desert in the East or the West toward Makkah except to catch the scent of my fragrance.

وَلِمْ لاَ وَعَيْنِي الْيَوْمَ عَيْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ
سَرَى سِرُّهُ فِي هَيْكَلِي وَرُوَائِــي

Wa-lim lā wa-‘aynī al-yawma ‘aynu Muḥammadin
Sarā sirruhu fī haykalī wa-ruwā’ī

And why not, when my eye today is the eye of Muhammad? His secret has flowed into my frame and my appearance.

وَأَهْلُ زَمَانِي كُلُّهُـــمْ فَازَ رَاقِيًـــا
سِوَى مَنْ قَلاَ نَهْجِي أَسِيرَ هَــوَاءِ

Wa-ahlu zamānī kulluhum fāza rāqiyan
Siwā man qalā nahjī asīra hawā’ī

All the people of my time have triumphed by ascending—except for the one who hates my path, being a prisoner of his whim.

وَمَا قُلْتُهُ شَطْحًا وَدَعْوًى عَرِيضَةً
وَهَبْـتُ جَمِيــــعَ الْفَائِزِينَ وَلاَئِــي

Wa-mā qultuhu shaṭ-ḥan wa-da‘wan ‘arīḍatan
Wahabtu jamī‘a al-fā’izīna walā’ī

I have not said this as a "Sufi ecstatic claim" (Shaṭ-ḥ) or a broad pretension; I have granted my loyalty to all those who triumph.

وَبِي يُرْفَعُ الْجَوْرُ الْعَظِيمُ وَإِنَّهُ
بِفَيْضِي يَنَالُ الدِّينُ رَفْــــعَ لِوَاءِ

Wa-bī yurfa‘u al-jawru al-‘aẓīmu wa-innahu
Bi-fayḍī yanālu al-dīnu raf-‘a liwā’ī

Through me, great injustice shall be lifted; and through my "Flood" (Fayda), the religion shall attain the raising of its banner.

وَمَنْ شَاءَ يَأْتِيهِ قُبَيْــلَ مَمَاتِهِ
وَمَنْ شَاءَ نَاوَاهُ كَأَهْـلِ شَقَاءِ

Wa-man shā’a ya’tīhi qubayla mamātihi
Wa-man shā’a nāwāhu ka-ahli shaqā’ī

Whoever wishes may come to it before their death; and whoever wishes may oppose it like the people of wretchedness.

وَمَنْ رَامَ إِطْفَاءً لِنُورِ إِلَهِنَـــا
أَبَى اللّٰهُ أَنْ يُطْفِيهِ رَغْمَ عَدَاءِ

Wa-man rāma iṭfā’an li-nūri ilāhinā
Abā Allāhu an yuṭfī-hu raghma ‘adā’ī

Whoever seeks to extinguish the light of our God—Allah refuses to let it be extinguished, despite the enmity.

سَأُرْغِمُ بِالْمَاحِي الضَّلاَلَ أُنُوفَ مَنْ
يَرَى الشِّرْكَ وَالتَّثْلِيــثَ أَهْلِ قِــــلاَءِ

Sa-urghimu bil-Māḥī al-ḍalāla unūfa man
Yarā al-shirka wal-tathlītha ahla qilā’ī

I shall rub the noses of misguidance in the dust through the "Eraser"—those who see polytheism and the Trinity as the people of hatred.

هَدَمْتُ الَّذِي قَدْ أَسَّسُــــــوهُ وَإِنَّنِــي
بِسِـــرِّ الْمُقَفَّـــــى لاَ يُهَــــدُّ بِنَائِـــي

Hadamtu al-ladhī qad assasūhu wa-innanī
Bi-sirri al-Muqaffā lā yuhaddu binā’ī

I have demolished what they built; and through the secret of the "Followed One," my building shall not be demolished.

رَمَوْنِي وَمَا نَالُوا مُرَادًا وَإِنَّنِي
أُمَزِّقُ بِالْمَاحِي جُمُوعَ عِدَائِـــي

Ramawnī wa-mā nālū murādan wa-innanī
Umaz-ziqu bil-Māḥī jumū‘a ‘idā’ī

They shot at me but achieved nothing; I tear apart the gatherings of my enemies through the "Eraser."

سَيُهْزَمُ هَذَا الْجَمْعُ حَقًّا وَإِنَّهُمْ
يُوَلُّونَ أَدْبَارًا رِقَـــــابَ إِمَــاءِ

Sa-yuh-zamu hādhā al-jam‘u ḥaqqan wa-innahum
Yuwallūna adbāran riqāba imā’ī

This gathering (of enemies) shall truly be defeated; they shall turn their backs like the necks of slave-girls.

يَسُومُونَ ضَيْمًا لِلْخَدِيمِ وَإِنَّهُ
تَتَرَّسَ بِالْمُخْتَارِ قَبْلَ رِمَـــاءِ

Yasūmūna ḍayman lil-khadīmi wa-innahu
Tatarrasa bil-Mukhtāri qabla rimā’ī

They intended injustice for the servant, but he was shielded by the Chosen One before the arrows were shot.

أَيُخْشَى عَلَى جَارِ الْأَمِينِ خَدِيمِهِ
مَكَائِـــدُ أَبْنَــــاءٍ لِأَهْـــــلِ بَغَـــاءِ

A-yukhshā ‘ala jāri al-Amīni khadīmihi
Makā’idu abnā’in li-ahli baghā’ī

Is there any fear for the neighbor of the Trustworthy One—his servant—from the plots of the sons of the people of transgression?

وَقَدْ زَخْرَفَ الْأَقْوَامُ مَكْرًا بِنَدْوَةٍ
وَخَطُّوا كِتَابًا قَصْدَ دَفْــعِ ضِيَاءِ

Wa-qad zakhrafa al-aqwāmu makran bi-nadwatin
Wa-khaṭ-ṭū kitāban qaṣda daf-‘i ḍiyā’ī

The people decorated their plot in a meeting and wrote a book with the intent of repelling my light.

وَجَاؤُوا بِبَدْرٍ خَيْلُهُمْ وَرِجَالُهُمْ
وَبَاؤُوا بِخِزْيٍ ظَاهِرٍ وَوَبَـــاءِ

Wa-jā’ū bi-Badrin khayluhum wa-rijāluhum
Wa-bā’ū bi-khiz-yin ẓāhirin wa-wabā’ī

They came at Badr with their horses and men, and they returned with manifest disgrace and a plague.

وَهَلْ مَنَعُوا الْمَاحِي الطَّوَافَ بِبَيْتِهِ
بِمَكَّةَ يَوْمَ الْفَتْحِ وَقْـــــــتَ ضُحَـــاءِ

Wa-hal mana‘ū al-Māḥī al-ṭawāfa bi-baytihi
Bi-Makkata yawma al-fat-ḥi waqta ḍuḥā’ī

Did they prevent the "Eraser" from performing Tawaf at his House in Makkah on the Day of Victory at the time of forenoon?

وَهَلْ مَنَعُوا نَشْرَ الدِّيَانَةِ دَائِمًا
بِكُلِّ بِـــلاَدِ اللّٰهِ طُــــولَ بَقَـــاءِ

Wa-hal mana‘ū nash-ra al-diyānati dā’iman
Bi-kulli bilādi Allāhi ṭūla baqā’ī

Did they prevent the spreading of the religion forever in all the lands of Allah throughout time?

صَلاَةٌ وَتَسْلِيـــمٌ عَلَيْهِ بِقَـــدْرِهِ
وَآلٍ وَأَصْحَابٍ وَأَهْــلِ وَلاَءِ

Ṣalātun wa-taslīmun ‘alayhi bi-qadrihi
Wa-ālin wa-asḥābin wa-ahli walā’ī

Prayer and peace be upon him according to his rank, and upon the family, the companions, and the people of loyalty.