Excerpts from an aashiq

1. Glad tidings be to you O sinners; your intercessor is the prince of righteous
2. Congratulations! the Lord Almighty is known as Al-Ghaffār, the Forgiver.
3. The earth under his feet is like the Exalted Throne; and the sole of his foot is above the Throne
4. By Allāh! what a graceful walk thou possess!

5. The moon was split; trees spoke and animals prostrate
6. Allāh’s Blessings upon him; he is the refuge, a sanctuary for the world.

7. He spread them towards the heaven and filled the earth with rain
8. O beloved! We too need the alms given from those blessed hands.

9. Your lips have been raised by the pure spring of ‘kun’
10. My beloved! It is not difficult for you to raise the dead.

11. Let those fair and radiant feet shine upon us, for the sake of Allāh
12. O beloved, Show us a ray of light; the grave is pitch-dark.

13. Every sinner looks upon you for deliverance
14. The burden of both worlds rests upon a single sinless life!

15. The storm rages, the sea is in tumult as it swells and the wind is not helpful;
16. Yet, we shall survive if the Master of Nuĥ has mercy

17. O, the Mercy for the universe, help! I am crushed [under the weight]
18. My Lord! A huge load of sins rests upon my head like none other

19. Those who behold the attributes of this flower are awestruck, perplexed;
20. His nightingale is speechless, and its state [of being spellbound] is itself an eloquent expression.

21. The melodies of Raza echo resoundingly in the gardens
22. And why not? Does he not sing the praises of the majestic flower?

1. We, who have not seen the path of enlightenment and are unaware -
2. Yet, have no cause to worry since Mu??af? is upon the lofty seat of guidance.

3. O, the accomplished ones! I too am a Muslim, even if deficient

Wheresoever it fell, Life itself was revived
Peace be upon that life-bestowing gazeWhom did he see? Let someone enquire of Moses
Peace be upon the courage of one with such eyes!Those ears which can hear from both near and from afar
Peace be upon that mine: rubies of charismata!How delicate the petals of that holy rose!
Peace be upon the exquisiteness of those lips!

From his clustered pearls, radiate those roots of light
Peace be upon the enchantment of those stars!

A mouth whose ev’ry word: divine revelation!
Peace be upon the fount of knowledge and wisdom

Its water makes both spirits and gardens verdant
Peace be upon the moisture of such a mouth!

From it saline wells became sweet like syrup
Peace be upon that sweet, clear, spring water!

A tongue which is known to all as the key to `Be!’
Peace be upon its effective commandments

Countless blessings upon his lov’ly oratory
Peace be upon his heart-enticing eloquence!

Countless blessings upon the pleasure of his words!
Peace be upon the majesty of his sermons

A beard of pleasant length, a salve for the heart’s wounds
Peace be upon the halo around the rarest moon!

A beard around the mouth – striking loveliness!
Peace be upon that beard of the stream of mercy!

From it are flowing streams of milk and honey
Peace be upon the freshness of such a throat!

Lofty nobility from shoulder to shoulder
Peace be upon the majesty of such shoulders!

The Black Stone of the Ka’aba of the heart and soul!
Peace be upon the Seal of Apostleship!

No partner, sum total, matchless, unparalled!
Peace be upon this unique, solitary pearl!

The arm oblivious to the weight of both worlds
Peace be upon the power of such an arm!

Two pillars of the Ka’aba of Faith, Religion
Peace be upon the two wrists of Prophethood

Wherever his hand was raised he made others rich
Peace be upon the waves of this Sea of Bounty

Fountains of light do cascade, and rivers flow out
Peace be upon the miracle of the fingers!

The crescent moon of the Eid of Succour glimmered
Peace be upon the good news of the fingernails!

Loftiest blessings on his zikr’s majestic glory!
Peace be upon the cleaving of leadership’s chest!

Your heart is beyond my ken but I shall say this:
Peace be upon the bud holding secrets of Oneness!

The world’s his dominion yet he eats barley bread!
Peace be upon the contentedness of that stomach!

`Twas tightened with the intention of Intercession
Peace be upon the protection of that waist!

Messengers do bend their knees in their presence
Peace be upon the dignity of such knees!

Antiquity: his essence’ stem; grace: his palm tree’s branch
Peace be upon the candle of the Straight Path!

The Qur’an gave an oath by the dust of thy path!
Peace be upon the reverence of such a foot!

The shadow of mercy of his shadowless stature
Peace be upon that extended, kindly shadow!

He whose turtledoves are the birds of Paradise
Peace be upon his erect height and his stature

The heads of the rulers remain bowed before it
Peace be upon the crown on his towering head!

Dew from Truth’s garden: beads of sweat from his face
Peace be upon his pure veracious brilliance!

Fragrant blessings be upon such delicate fragrance!
Peace be upon such lovely, lovely refinement!
Original By Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (ra)
Translation by siddi Asif Jehangir Qadri [May 2004]

A poem by ‘Salik’

you [1] are the comfort and solace to this distressed heart of mine,
you are the only hope, that lingers in my sinful heart.

why should not my soul be fervent? impatient, waiting for death –
for i hear that he shall come to see me in my grave.

may such a life, separated from the beloved vanish and fall to dust
the real joy of existence, is when one lies at the beloved’s doorstep.

oh, if you come and stay here in my heart; dwell in my bosom;
liveliness shall return once more to this forsaken abode

it is a forlorn night in the grave, and i harbor no other hope
except the hope of your blessed breath that flickers in this darkened heart.

o, my prophet! thy grace has elevated me. what was i and what i have become!
if not for you, there was nothing special in the fistful of dust that is my origin.

four are the messengers, the angels, the books and the religions
the chains in both paths are four, four has a strange connotation[2]

my head bows towards mecca, but my heart towards the abode of Mustafa
may Allah bless my heart, this thing is not in my power.

darkened is the face of ‘salik’[3] and he claims of loving Mustafa?
if he can ever attain the slavery of bilal, he may be counted as something.

—-
footnotes:
1. 1. here the poem is addressed to RasūlAllāh şalawātullāhi wa salāmuhu álayh.2. “the messengers counted as ulul ázm or the most prominent are four: sayyiduna ibrāhīm, sayyiduna mūsā and sayyiduna ýīsā and sayyiduna muĥammad álayhimu’s şalātu wa azka’s salām.

the prominent angels are four: sayyiduna jibrīl, sayyiduna isrāfīl, sayyidunā ázrāyīl, sayyiduna mīkāyīl álayhimu’s şalātu wa’s salām.

the prominent books are four: tawrāt, injīl, zabūr and qur’ān.

and the prominent sharīáh are four: that of sayyiduna ibrāhīm, sayyiduna mūsā and sayyiduna ýīsā and sayyiduna muĥammad álayhimu’s şalātu wa azka’s salām.

the paths of sharīáh and ţarīqah are four each: namely ĥanafi, māliki, shafiýi, ĥanbali and qādiri, chishti, naqshbandi and suharwardi.”

this is what the poet means, as explained in one of his books, though such classification is open to argument. for example the ulu’l ázm are five, not four; and Tariqas are many – suharwardi and chistiyyah are from the qadiri just as shadhiliyyah; there is also that of sayyidi aĥmed ar-rifaýi.

as for madh’habs, there were others which were discontinued like that of the two sufyans – ath-thawri and al-uáynah.

anyway, it is just a verse and it must be left at that.
3. saalik is the pen name of Mawlānā mufti aĥmed yār khan naýīmi raĥimahullāh.

Translated by Brother Abu Hasan

sarwar kahuN ke mālik o maulā kahūN tujhe
bāgh e khalīl kā gul e zeybā kahūN tujhe

Shall I call you my prince; or shall I say ‘my Lord and Master?
I must say that you are the most beautiful flower in Khalil’s garden [1]

hirmāN nasīb huN tujhe ummīd gah kahūN
jān e murād o kān e tamannā kahūN tujhe

I am a wretch, among the unfortunate; and thou art the treasure of hope
You are the very soul of hope and the wellspring of aspiration

gulzār e quds kā gul e rangīN adā kahūN
darmān e dard e bulbul e shaydā kahūN tujhe

You are the most colorful flower from a blessed and hallowed garden
You are the comfort to the pain of the yearning nightingale

subh e waTan pe shām e gharībāN ko dūN sharaf
beykas nawāz geysuoN wālā kahūN tujhe

Shall I favor the night of a stranger upon the day in his own land,
I hail thee as the one with kind and generous, bestowing forelocks.

Allāh re, teyre jism e munawwar ki tābisheN
ay jān e jāN maiN jān e tajallā kahūN tujhe

By Allāh! the radiance of your lightsome body,
O the life of my life! thou art the life of light!

bey dāgh lālah yā qamar e bey kalaf kahūN
bey khār gulban e chaman āra kahūN tujhe

You are the spotless tulip, the unstained moon
A thornless flower, the pride and glory of the garden

mujrim huN apne áfw ka sāmāN karūN shaha
yánī shafīy roz e jazā kā kahūN tujhe

I am a sinner and wish to prepare for my pardon, my Master
Hence, I shall call you the intercessor of the day of recompense [aqdas]

is murdah dil ko muzhdah hayāt e abad ka dūN
tāb o tawān e jān e masīhā kahūN tujhe

Shan’t I give glad tidings of an eternal life to this lifeless heart -
You are the strength, the vigor and soul of the reviver, the messiah.

terey to wasf áyb e tanāhī se haiN barī
hayrān huN mere shāh maiN kya kya kahūN tujhe

Your attributes are free from every flaw,
I am perplexed my Master! What shall I call thee?

kah legi sab kuch unke sana khwān ki khāmoshi
chup ho rahā huN kah ke maiN kya kya kahūN tujhe

The speechlessness of his admirer will tell all -
I keep quiet thus, after having said: ‘How can I describe thee?’

lekin raza ne khatm e sukhan is pe kardiyā
khāliq ka bandah khalq ka āqā kahūN tujhe

Yet, Raza ends his speech by saying this:
You are the servant of the Creator, and the Lord of the creation.

Translated by our sidi Abu Hasan @ sunniport.com