# Al-Alifu Al-Qaswiira · الْأَلِفُ الْقَصِيرَةُ

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 أَيُّهَا الْمَمْدُوحُ يَا أَفْضَلَ الْــوَرَى / وَيَا أَيُّهَا الْمَحْمُودُ ذُو الْحَمْدِ وَاللِّوَا

_Alā ayyuhā al-mamdūḥu yā afḍala al-warā / Wa-yā ayyuhā al-maḥmūdu dhū al-ḥamdi wal-liwā_

O the Praised One! O Best of Creation! O the one worthy of all Laudation, possessor of the Praise and the Banner!

**2.** بِسِــرِّكَ بِالـــذَّاتِ الْعَلِيَّــةِ بِاسْمِهَــا / وَبِالرُّسْلِ وَالْبَيْتِ الْحَرَامِ وَبِالْقُرَى

_Bi-sirrika bidh-dhāti al-‘aliyyati bi-smihā / Wa-bir-rusuli wal-bayti al-ḥarāmi wa-bil-qurā_

By your secret, by the High Essence, by Its Name, by the Messengers, by the Sacred House (Kaaba), and by all the towns;

**3.** جَمِيعًــا وَبِالذِّكْرِ الْحَكِيــمِ وَأَهْلِـــهِ / وَالْأَسْمَاءِ وَالْأَفْلاَكِ وَالنَّجْمِ وَالثَّرَى

_Jamī‘an wa-bidh-dhikri al-ḥakīmi wa-ahlihi / Wal-asmā’i wal-aflāki wan-najmi wath-tharā_

By all of them, by the Wise Remembrance (Quran) and its people, by the Names, the celestial spheres, the stars, and the soil;

**4.** دَعَــــوْتُ لِنَفْسِـــي ثُمَّ أُمِّـــي وَوَالِــدِي / وَصَحْبِي وَأَحْبَابِي وَأَهْلِي وَمَنْ قَرَا

_Da‘awtu li-naf-sī thumma ummī wa-wālidī / Wa-ṣaḥ-bī wa-aḥbābī wa-ahlī wa-man qarā_

I have called for myself, then for my mother and my father, my companions, my beloveds, my family, and whoever recites [these words]:

**5.** هُدًى وَجَدًا عِلْمًا وَرِزْقًا وَرِفْعَــةً / وَأَمْنًا وَإِيمَانًا يَزِيدُ إِلَى الْأُخْـــرَى

_Hudan wa-jadan ‘ilman wa-riz-qan wa-rif-‘atan / Wa-amnan wa-īmānan yazīdu ila al-ukhrā_

For guidance, abundance, knowledge, sustenance, and elevation; for safety and a faith that increases until the Hereafter;

**6.** وَتَقْوًى وَزُهْدًا وَاعْتِلاَءً وَحِكْمَةً / وَعَافِيَـــةً بَعْـــدَ الْإِنَابَــةِ لِلْمَــوْلَى

_Wa-taqwan wa-zuhdan wa-‘ti-lā’an wa-ḥikmatan / Wa-‘āfiyatan ba‘da al-inābata lil-Mawlā_

For piety, asceticism, rising high, and wisdom; and for well-being after returning to the Master.

**7.** زِدِ الْعِلْـــمَ فِينَــا وَاكْفِنَا الشَّـــرَ جُمْلَــةً / وَصُنَّا جَمِيعًا عَنْ غُرُورٍ وَعَنْ أَهْوَا

_Zidi al-‘ilma fīnā wak-finā al-shar-ra jum-latan / Wa-ṣunnā jamī‘an ‘an ghurūrin wa-‘an ahwā_

Increase the knowledge within us and protect us from evil entirely; guard us all from delusion and from whims.

**8.** حَبَـــوْتَ لَنَا الْإِيمَـــانَ زِدْهُ وَأَبْقِــهِ / لَدَى الْمَوْتِ حَقًّا ثُمَّ زِدْهُ لَدَى اللُّقْيَــا

_Ḥabayta lanā al-īmāna zid-hu wa-ab-qihi / Lada al-mawti ḥaqqan thumma zid-hu lada al-luqyā_

You have bestowed faith upon us—so increase it and let it remain at the time of death, and then increase it further at the Meeting [with Allah].

**9.** طَوَيْتَ لِمَنْ أَحْبَبْتَهُ السُّبْلَ فَاطْوِيَـــنْ / لَنَا كُلَّ بُعْدٍ فِي الْمَمَاتِ وَفِي الْمَحْيَا

_Ṭawayta liman aḥbabtahu al-subla fa-ṭwiyan / Lanā kulla bu‘din fī al-mamāti wa-fī al-maḥyā_

You have "folded" the paths for those you love; so fold for us every distance, both in death and in life.

**10.** يَقِينًــــا تَقِينَـــا كُـــلَّ سُـــوءٍ فَلاَ نَــرَى / سِوَى فَضْلِ مَوْلًى لاَ نُرِيدُ جَزَا الْحُسْنَى

_Yaqīnan taqīnā kulla sū’in falā narā / Siwā faḍ-li Mawlā lā nurīdu jazā al-ḥusnā_

May a certain faith protect us from every evil, so we see nothing but the grace of a Master; we seek no reward other than the "Best" (the Vision of God).

**11.** كَتَمْتَ قَبِيحاً ثُمَّ أَظْهَـــرْتَ سَيِّــدِي / جَمِيلاً أَدِمْ هَــذَا وَأَتْحِفْ لَنَا الْبُغْيَا

_Katamta qabīḥan thumma aẓ-har-ta sayyidī / Jamīlan adim hādhā wa-at-ḥif lanā al-bugh-yā_

You have concealed my ugliness and then manifested, my master, what is beautiful—make this last and grant us our quest.

**12.** لَــكَ الْحَمْدُ لَوْ عَاقَبْتَ كُلَّ عُقُوبَــةٍ / نَكُونُ لِــذَا أَهْــــلاً فَأَعْمَالُنَا أَسْــوَا

_Laka al-ḥam-du law ‘āqabta kulla ‘uqūbatin / Nakūnu lidhā ahlan fa-a‘mālunā aswā_

To You belongs the praise even if You were to punish us with every punishment—we would be deserving of it, for our deeds are the worst.

**13.** مَتِينُ وَلَوْ أَحْسَنْتَ بِالْعَفْوِ وَالْعَطَا / فَأَنْتَ لَهُ أَهْلٌ فَالْإِحْسَانُ مَا تَهْوَى

_Matīnu wa-law aḥsanta bil-‘afwi wal-‘aṭā / Fa-anta lahu ahlun fal-iḥsānu mā tahwā_

O firm One! If You were to favor us with forgiveness and bounty, You are worthy of that, for excellence is what You love.

**14.** نَعَمْ قَدْ أَمَرْتَ الْعَبْدَ يُحْسِنُ نَحْوَ مَنْ / أَسَاءَ عَلَيْـــهِ فَالْكَرِيـــمُ بِــذَا أَوْلَــى

_Na‘am qad amarta al-‘abda yuḥ-sinu naḥwa man / Asā’a ‘alayhi fal-Karīmu bidhā awlā_

Yes, You commanded the servant to be excellent toward those who treated him ill; so the Most Generous is even more worthy of this.

**15.** صَبُورُ أَيَا سَتَّارُ قَـــادِرُ هَــبْ لَنَــا / صَلاَحًا وَرُشْدًا وَالْقَبُولَ لِمَا نَسْعَى

_Ṣabūru ayā Sattāru qādiru hab lanā / Ṣalāḥan wa-rushdan wal-qabūla limā nas‘ā_

O Patient One! O Concealer of faults! O Powerful One! Grant us righteousness, guidance, and the acceptance of what we strive for.

**16.** عَلَى أَحْمَدٍ فِي كُــلِّ بَــدْءٍ وَمَخْتَــمٍ / صَلاَةٌ وَتَسْلِيمٌ مَــدَى الدَّهْرِ وَالدُّنْيَا

_‘Alā Aḥmada fī kulli bad-’in wa-makhtami / Ṣalātun wa-taslīmun madā al-dahri wad-dunyā_

Upon Ahmad, at every beginning and every end, be a prayer and peace for as long as time and the world endure.

**17.** فَلِي فِيهِ حُـــبٌّ وَالرَّجَــاءُ يَزِيــدُهُ / عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةٌ مَا أَمَـــاتَ وَمَا أَحْيَــا

_Falī fīhi ḥubbun wal-rajā’u yazīduhu / ‘Alayhi ṣalātun mā amāta wa-mā aḥyā_

In him I have a love, and hope only increases it; upon him be a prayer as long as [Allah] causes death and grants life.

**18.** ضَمِنْــــتُ لَــهُ وَاللّٰهِ أَنْفَـــكُّ ذَاكِــرًا / مَحَاسِنَهُ رَغْمَ الْبُغَاةِ ذَوِي الْأَهْـــوَا

_Ḍamintu lahu wal-Lāhi an-fakku dhākiran / Maḥāsinahu ragh-ma al-bughāti dhawī al-ahwā_

I have pledged to him—by Allah—that I shall never cease mentioning his beauties, despite the transgressors who follow their whims.

**19.** قَدْ أَسْلَمْتُهُ نَفْسِــي وَعَقْلِـي وَكَلْكَلِــي / وَرُوحِي وَسِرِّي فِي حَيَاتِي وَفِي الْأُخْرَى

_Qad as-lamtuhu naf-sī wa-‘aq-lī wa-kal-kalī / Wa-rūḥī wa-sirrī fī ḥayātī wa-fī al-ukhrā_

I have surrendered to him my self, my intellect, my chest, my spirit, and my secret, in my life and in the Hereafter.

**20.** رَجَعْــــــتُ بِـــهِ لِلَّهِ جَـــلَّ جَلاَلُــــــهُ / عَلَيْـــهِ صَـــلاَةٌ لاَ تُعَدُّ وَلاَ تُحْـصَى

_Raja‘tu bi-hi lillāhi jalla jalāluhu / ‘Alayhi ṣalātun lā tu‘addu wa-lā tuḥ-ṣā_

Through him I have returned to Allah—Exalted is His Majesty; upon him be a prayer that cannot be counted or calculated.

**21.** سَلِيمًا مِــنَ الْإِشْرَاكِ وَالشَّكِّ عَارِفًا / وَحُرًّا فَلاَ سُعْــدَى أَرُومُ وَلاَ رَيَّــا

_Salīman mina al-ish-rāki wash-shak-ki ‘ārifan / Wa-ḥurran falā Su‘dā arūmu wa-lā Rayyā_

[I returned] sound from polytheism and doubt, as a gnostic and a free man—seeking neither [the worldly beauties] Su'da nor Rayya.

**22.** تَـــرَانِي مُـــــرَادًا لاَ مُرِيـــدًا وَإِنَّـــنِي / لِيَ الْمُلْكُ وَالتَّصْرِيفُ بِالْمُصْطَفَى الْمَأْوَى

_Tarānī murādan lā murīdan wa-innanī / Liya al-mul-ku wat-taṣrīfu bil-Muṣṭafā al-ma’wā_

You see me as one "Intended" (Murād), not merely a "seeker" (Murīd); and to me belongs authority and disposal through the Chosen One, the Refuge.

**23.** ثَقِيـــلٌ بِــــــهِ مِيزَانِــيَ الْخِــــفُّ فَائِــزًا / بِطَـــهَ وَيُعْلِينِي إِلَى الرُّتْبَـــةِ الْقُصْوَى

_Thaqīlun bi-hi mīzāniya al-khiffu fā’izan / Bi-Ṭāhā wa-yu‘līnī ila al-rut-bati al-quṣwā_

Through him, my light-weighted scale becomes heavy [with good deeds], finding success through Taha; he raises me to the furthest rank.

**24.** خَلَصْتُ وَخَلَّصْتُ الْمُحِبِّيـــنَ جُمْلَــةً / بِحُبِّ حَبِيبِ اللّٰهِ مَنْ يَرْكَبُ الْقَصْـــوَا

_Khalaṣ-tu wa-khal-laṣ-tu al-muḥibbīna jum-latan / Bi-ḥubbi ḥabībi Allāhi man yar-kabu al-Qaṣwā_

I have been saved, and I have saved the lovers entirely, through the love of the Beloved of Allah—the one who rides al-Qaswa (his she-camel).

**25.** ذَكَرْتُ صِحَابِي ثُمَّ قَوْمِــي وَمَعْشَــرِي / فَنَــالُوا جَمِيعًا فَوْقَ مَــا كَـانَ مِـنْ بُغْيَا

_Dhakartu ṣiḥābī thumma qawmī wa-ma‘-sharī / Fa-nālū jamī‘an fawqa mā kāna min bugh-yā_

I mentioned my companions, then my people and my group; and they all attained more than what they had sought.

**26.** ظَفِرْنَـــــا بِإِكْسِيـــرِ السَّعَـــادَةِ أَحْمَــدٍ / عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةٌ مِنْـــهُ صِرْنَا إِلَى الْحُسْنَى

_Ẓafirnā bi-iksīri al-sa‘ādati Aḥmada / ‘Alayhi ṣalātun minhu ṣirnā ila al-ḥusnā_

We have triumphed through the "Elixir of Happiness"—Ahmad; upon him be a prayer from Him, through which we reached the Best Reward.

**27.** غَنِينَا بِــهِ عَـــنْ غَيْـــرِهِ وَكَفَى بِــــهِ / زَعِيمًا جَلِيلاً لَــنْ يَضِنَّ وَلَــنْ يَعْيَــى

_Ghanīnā bi-hi ‘an ghayrihi wa-kafā bi-hi / Za‘īman jalīlan lan yaḍinna wa-lan ya‘yā_

Through him, we became independent of all others; and he is sufficient as a majestic leader who is never stingy and never tires.

**28.** شِفَائِي وَأَعْيَـــادِي صَلاَتِـــي مُسَلِّمًــا / عَلَى سَيِّدِ الرُّسْلِ الْمُعَظَّمِ فِي الْــوَرَى

_Shifā’ī wa-a‘yādī ṣalātī musalliman / ‘Alā sayyidi al-rusuli al-mu‘aẓ-ẓami fī al-warā_

My healing and my festivals are my prayer and my salutations upon the Master of Messengers, the one magnified among all creation.

Source: https://qasaaid.zayfir.app/app/qasaaid/691f292bc02b144934a4ec1f/book/69af5e49ac75299f9a62926a/chapter/69af5e5dac75299f9a6292fb