Harfun Nuun · حَرْفُ النُّونِ

نَعَمْ مُصْطَفَى الْأَكْوَانِ لَيْسَ يَمِينُ
وَحَقِّ تَجَلِّي الذَّاتِ وَهْـوَ يَمِيــنُ

Na‘am Muṣṭafā al-akwāni laysa yamīnu
Wa-ḥaqqi tajallī al-dhāti wa-huwa yamīnu

Yes, he is the Chosen One of the universes, there is no lie in this; by the truth of the manifestation of the Essence, he is the certain truth.

وَقَدْ جَاءَنَا بِالذِّكْرِ يَنْسَخُ كُلَّ مَا
أَتَـــى قَبْلَــــهُ فَالْكَرْدِنَــالُ يَمِيـنُ

Wa-qad jā’anā bidh-dhikri yansakhu kulla mā
Atā qablahu fal-Kardinālu yamīnu

He came to us with the Remembrance (Quran) that abrogates all that came before it; thus the Cardinal is but a liar.

كَذَا شَيْخُهُ بَابَا الْمُضَلِّلُ يَفْتَـــرِي
إِلَـهًا سِوَى الْبَارِي وَكَيْفَ يَكُونُ

Kadhā shaykhuhu Bābā al-muḍallilu yaftarī
Ilāhan siwā al-Bārī wa-kayfa yakūnu

Likewise his master Baba, the misleader, invents a god besides the Creator—how can that be?

غَبِيٌّ جَهُولٌ قَاسِطٌ غَيْرُ مُنْصِــفٍ
يُكَذِّبُ طَـــهَ الْهَاشِمِــي وَيُهِيـــنُ

Ghabiyyun jahūlun qāsiṭun ghayru munṣifin
Yukadh-dhibu Ṭāhā al-Hāshimiyya wa-yuhīnu

Stupid, ignorant, unjust, and unfair; he denies Taha the Hashemite and insults him.

وَهَلْ أَخْبَرَ الْهَــادِي بِغَيْـــرِ حَقِيقَــةٍ
مَضَى قَوْلُ صَخْرٍ وَالْحَدِيثُ شُجُونُ

Wa-hal akhbara al-Hādī bi-ghayri ḥaqīqatin
Maḍā qawlu ṣakhrin wal-ḥadīthu shujūnu

Did the Guide ever report anything other than the truth? The speech of the stubborn has passed, but the Prophetic tradition remains deeply moving.

سَبِيــلَ سَــــلاَمٍ فِي اتِّبَـــاعِ مُحَمَّــدٍ
رَسُــــولٌ كَرِيــمٌ مُقْتَفًـــى وَأَمِيــنُ

Sabīla salāmin fī-ttibā‘i Muḥammadin
Rasūlun karīmun muqtafan wa-amīnu

The path of peace lies in following Muhammad; a noble Messenger, followed and trustworthy.

لَــهُ عِصْمَةٌ وَالْغَيْـرُ يُخْطِئُ تَـارَةً
وَطَوْرًا يُصِيبُ مَـــا لَدَيْهِ يَقِيــنُ

Lahu ‘iṣmatun wal-ghayru yuk-hṭi’u tāratan
Wa-ṭawran yuṣību mā ladayhi yaqīnu

He possesses infallibility (‘Isma), while others err at times, and at times hit the mark without certainty.

خَوَارِقُهُ كَالشُّهْبِ وَالْقَطْرِ وَالْحَصَى
إِمَــــامٌ نَزِيــــهٌ كَامِـــلٌ وَمَصُــونُ

Khawāriquhu kash-shuhbi wal-qaṭri wal-ḥaṣā
Imāmun nazīhun kāmilun wa-maṣūnu

His miracles are like stars, rain, and the pebbles; an Imam who is pure, perfect, and protected.

وَمَنْ بَايَعَ الْمَحْمُودَ فَهْوَ مُبَايِــعٌ
لِرَبِّي فَهَــذَا كَالْحَبِيــــبِ يَمِيـــنُ

Wa-man bāya‘a al-Maḥmūda fahuwa mubāyi‘un
Li-rabbī fa-hādhā kal-ḥabībi yamīnu

Whoever pledges allegiance to the Praised One has pledged allegiance to my Lord; for this, like the Beloved, is a certain oath.

وَحَيْثُ رَمَاهُمْ قَدْ رَمَاهُمْ بِكَفِّــهِ
إِلَهِــي فَهَلْ تُغْنِي هُنَاكَ حُصُونُ

Wa-ḥaythu ramāhum qad ramāhum bi-kaffihi
Ilāhī fa-hal tughnī hunāka ḥuṣūnu

When he threw at them, it was the hand of my God that threw; so can any fortresses avail there?

مُحَمَّــدُ عَبْـــدُ اللّٰهِ سَيِّـــدُ خَلْقِــهِ
فَالْآبَاءُ طُـــرًّا لِلْأَمِيـــنِ بَنُــونُ

Muḥammadu ‘abdu Allāhi sayyidu khalqihi
Fal-ābā’u ṭurran lil-Amīni banūnu

Muhammad is the servant of Allah and the master of His creation; all fathers are but children to the Trustworthy One.

فَقَدْ كَانَ مَبْعُوثًـــا وَآدَمُ طِينَــةٌ
نَبِـــيٌّ لِكُـــلِّ الْأَنْبِيَــا وَمُبِيــنُ

Fa-qad kāna mab‘ūthan wa-Ādamu ṭīnatun
Nabiyyun li-kulli al-anbiyā wa-mubīnu

He was commissioned as a Prophet while Adam was yet clay; a Prophet to all the prophets, and a clarifier.

لِمَا أَنْزَلَ الْبَـــارِي أَتَانَا مُبَيِّنًـــا
فَصِيحٌ نَصُوحٌ مُشْفِقٌ وَمُعِيـنُ

Limā anzala al-Bārī atānā mubayyinan
Faṣīḥun naṣūḥan mush-fiqun wa-mu‘īnu

He came to clarify what the Creator sent down; eloquent, sincere, compassionate, and a helper.

جَــوَادٌ شُجَــاعٌ لَيِّـــنٌ مُتَوَاضِــعٌ
حَلِيمٌ رَحِيمٌ ذُو صَفًــــا وَمَتِيــنُ

Jawādun shujā‘un layyinun mutawāḍi‘un
Ḥalīmun raḥīmun dhū ṣafan wa-matīnu

Generous, brave, gentle, and humble; clement, merciful, pure, and firm.

كَرِيمٌ عَفِيـــــفٌ زَاهِدٌ مُتَمَسِّـــكٌ
بِعُرْوَةِ دِينٍ إِصْطَفَتْـــهُ قُـــرُونُ

Karīmun ‘afīfun zāhidun mutamassikun
Bi-‘urwati dīnin iṣ-ṭafat-hu qurūnu

Noble, chaste, ascetic, and holding fast to the handle of a religion chosen across the centuries.

يُصَدِّقُــــهُ فِيمَـــا أَتَـــاهُ جَهَابِــذٌ
عَتِيقٌ وَفَارُوقٌ لِذَيْنِ شُـــؤُونُ

Yuṣaddiquhu fīmā atāhu jahābidhu
‘Atīqun wa-Fārūqun li-dhayni shu’ūnu

Great masters believe in him and what he brought: ‘Atiq (Abu Bakr) and al-Faruq (Umar)—what great matters they possess!

وَعُثْمَانُ ذُو النُّورَيْنِ وَالصِّنْوُ سَيِّدِي
عَلِيٌّ أَبُــــو السِّبْطَيْـــنِ فَهْــوَ مَكِيــنُ

Wa-‘Uthmānu dhū al-nūrayni wal-ṣinwu sayyidī
‘Aliyyun abū al-sib-ṭayni fahuwa makīnu

And Uthman of the Two Lights, and my master, the cousin Ali, father of the two grandsons—he is firmly established.

وَطَلْحَةُ سَعْــدٌ وَالزُّبَيْـــرُ سَعِيدُهُــمْ
فَذَا الدَّهْرُ عَنْ شِبْهِ الرِّجَالِ ضَنِيــنُ

Wa-Ṭalḥatu Sa‘dun wal-Zubayru Sa‘īduhum
Fa-dhā al-dahru ‘an shib-hi al-rijāli ḍanīnu

And Talha, Sa‘d, al-Zubayr, and their Sa‘id; this age is stingy in producing the likes of such men.

وَنَجْلٌ لِعَوْفٍ قَدْ تَسَامَى إِلَى الْعُلاَ
وَنَجْـلُ جَـــرَاحٍ لِلْقُـــرُونِ أَمِيــنُ

Wa-najlun li-‘Awfin qad tasāmā ila al-‘ulā
Wa-najlu Jarāḥin lil-qurūni amīnu

And the son of ‘Awf (Abd al-Rahman) who rose to the heights; and the son of Jarrah (Abu Ubayda), the trustworthy one of the generations.

كَذَا أَهْلُ بَدْرٍ قَبْلَ أُحْدٍ وَخَنْــدَقٍ
وَفَتْــحٍ فَكُـــلٌّ بِالْمَدِيـــحِ قَمِيــنُ

Kadhā ahlu Badrin qabla Uḥudin wa-Khandaqin
Wa-fat-ḥin fa-kullun bil-madīḥi qamīnu

Likewise the People of Badr, then Uhud and the Trench and the Conquest; everyone is worthy of praise.

فَيَا رَبِّ هَبْ لِي بِالْأَمِينِ وَصَحْبِهِ
حَيَاتِي عَلَى دِيــنِ الْأَمِيـــنِ أَدِيــنُ

Fa-yā rabbi hab lī bil-Amīni wa-ṣaḥbihi
Ḥayātī ‘alā dīni al-Amīni adīnu

O my Lord! Grant me, by the Trustworthy One and his companions, a life lived according to the religion of the Trustworthy One.

وَتُعْلِي أُمُورِي وَاكْفِنِي كُلَّ مَاكِرٍ
وَيُعْطِي مُرَادِي خَالِقِي وَيُعِيـنُ

Wa-tu‘lī umūrī wak-finī kulla mākirin
Wa-yu‘ṭī murādī khāliqī wa-yu‘īnu

Exalt my affairs and protect me from every plotter; may my Creator grant my desire and help me.

يُقَوِّي يَقِينِي لاَ أَرَى نَفْعَ غَيْــرِهِ
وَلاَ ضُرَّهُ عَبْدًا لَدَيْـــهِ يَصُــونُ

Yuqawwī yaqīnī lā arā naf‘a ghayrihi
Wa-lā ḍurrahu ‘abdan ladayhi yaṣūnu

Strengthen my certainty so I see no benefit in any besides Him, nor any harm; He protects the servant who stays with Him.

عَلَى الْمُنْحَمِنَّا كُلَّ بَدْءٍ وَمَخْتَـــمٍ
صَلاَةٌ بِهَا يُخْزِي الْعِدَى وَيُهِينُ

‘Alā al-Munḥaminnā kulla bad-’in wa-makhtami
Ṣalātun bi-hā yukh-zī al-‘idā wa-yuhīnu

Upon the Bestower be a prayer, at every beginning and end, through which He disgraces and humbles the enemies.

تَذَكَّرْتُهُ وَالْجِسْـــمُ يَوْمِي بِكَوْلَــخٍ
وَقَلْبِي لَدَى طَــهَ الْحَبِيبِ رَهِينُ

Tadhakkartuhu wal-jis-mu yawmī bi-Kawlakhu
Wa-qalbī lada Ṭāhā al-ḥabībi rahīnu

I remembered him while my body is today in Kaolack, but my heart is a hostage with Taha the Beloved.

فَمَا لَذَّ عَيْشِي فِي سِوَى أَرْضِ طَيْبَةٍ
بِهَا شَخْصُ خَيْـــرِ الْعَالَمِيــنَ دَفِيـــنُ

Famā ladhdha ‘ayshī fī siwā arḍi Ṭaybatin
Bi-hā shakh-ṣu khayri al-‘ālamīna dafīnu

My life is not sweet in any land but the land of Medina (Tayba), where the person of the Best of the Worlds is buried.

فَقَبْرٌ بِهَا سَـــادَ الْقُبُـــورَ جَمِيعَهَــا
وَسَادَ الَّــذِي فِيهِ وَقَــرَّ عُيُـــونُ

Fa-qabrun bi-hā sāda al-qubūra jamī‘ahā
Wa-sāda al-ladhī fīhi wa-qarra ‘uyūnu

For there is a grave there that has mastered all graves; and the one within it has mastered all, bringing peace to the eyes.

تَذَكَّرْتُــــهُ أَقْنَـــى أَزَجَّ مُفَخَّمًــا
يُنَاجِي إِلَهِــي بِالْكِتَــابِ يَدِيــنُ

Tadhakkartuhu aqnā azaj-ja mufakh-khaman
Yunājī ilāhī bil-kitābi yadīnu

I remembered him: with a fine nose, arched eyebrows, and magnificent stature; whispering to my God, following the Book.

تَذَكَّرْتُ وَجْهًا أَخْجَلَ الشَّمْسَ نُورُهُ
عَظِيمٌ عَظِيمُ الْخُلْـــقِ وَهْــوَ يَلِيــنُ

Tadhakkartu wajhan akh-jala al-shamsa nūruhu
‘Aẓīmun ‘aẓīmu al-khul-qi wa-huwa yalīnu

I remembered a face whose light put the sun to shame; magnificent in character, yet he is gentle.

تَذَكَّرْتُ عَرْفًا أَخْجَلَ الْمِسْـــكَ بَاسِمًـــا
بِثَغْـــــرٍ كَبَـــــــرْقٍ لاَ تَــــرَاهُ يَكُــونُ

Tadhakkartu ‘arfan akh-jala al-mis-ka bāsiman
Bi-thaghrin ka-bar-qin lā tarāhu yakūnu

I remembered a fragrance that put musk to shame; smiling with a mouth like lightning that you cannot miss.

تَذَكَّرْتُ جُودًا أَخْجَلَ الْوَبْلَ طَلُّهُ
فَكُلُّ جَوَادٍ عِنْـــدَ طَــهَ ضَنِيـــنُ

Tadhakkartu jūdan akh-jala al-wab-la ṭalluhu
Fa-kullu jawādin ‘inda Ṭāhā ḍanīnu

I remembered a generosity that put the heavy rain to shame; every other generous one is stingy compared to Taha.

تَذَكَّرْتُهُ مَا كَانَ فَظًّا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ
غَلِيظًا وَيُلْفِيهِ الْبُغَاةُ يَهُــــونُ

Tadhakkartuhu mā kāna faẓ-ẓan wa-lam yakun
Ghalīẓan wa-yul-fīhi al-bughātu yahūnu

I remembered him: he was not coarse, nor was he harsh; even the transgressors found him easy to approach.

وَلَمْ يَكُ صَخَّابًا وَدَامَ مُوَقَّــرًا
عَفُوًّ عَــنِ الزَّلاَّتِ وَهْوَ مَتِينُ

Wa-lam yaku ṣakh-khāban wa-dāma muwaqqaran
‘Afūwwun ‘an al-zallāti wa-huwa matīnu

He was never clamorous; he remained always dignified, forgiving of slips, yet he is firm.

عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةُ اللّٰهِ ثُــــــمَّ سَلاَمُـــهُ
وَآلٍ وَصَحْبٍ مَا اسْتَهَلَّ هَتُونُ

‘Alayhi ṣalātu Allāhi thumma salāmuhu
Wa-ālin wa-ṣaḥ-bin mā-stahalla hatūnu

Upon him be the prayer of Allah and then His peace, and upon the family and companions, as long as the heavy rain falls.