Chapter 3
ﷺ On the Praise of the Prophet
مَوْلَاىَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا
عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
mawlā’a ṣalli wasallim dā’iman abadan
ʿalā ḥabībika khayril khalqi kullihimi
O my Lord, bless and grant peace always and forever
Upon Your beloved one, the Best of all Creation
ظَلَمْتُ سُنَّةَ مَنْ أَحْيَا الظَّلاَمَ إِلَى
أَنِ اشْتَكَتْ قَدَمَاهُ الضُّرَّ مِنْ وَرَمِ
ẓalamtu sunnata man aḥyaẓ ẓalama ilā
anish takat qadamāhuḍ ḍurra min warami
I have done injustice to the path of the one who prayed at night
Until his feet complained of pain and swelling
وَشَدَّ مِنْ سَغَبٍ أَحْشَاءَهُ وَطَوَى
تَحْتَ الحِجَارَةِ كَشْحًا مُتْرَفَ الأَدَمِ
washadda min saghabin aḥshā’ahu waṭawā
taḥtal ḥijārati kashḥan mutrafal adami
While he bound up his insides against the extremity of his hunger,
Hiding his delicate skin beneath the stone tied round his waist
وَرَاوَدَتْهُ الجِبَالُ الشُّمُّ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ
عَنْ نَفْسِهِ فَأَرَاهَا أَيَّمَا شَمَمِ
warāwadathul jibālush shummu min dhahabin
ʿan nafsihi fa arāhā ayyamā shamami
The high mountains of gold sought to entice him,
But he showed them in return the true meaning of elevation
وَأَكَّدَتْ زُهْدَهُ فِيهَا ضَرُورَتُهُ
إِنَّ الضَّرُورَةَ لاَ تَعْدُو عَلَى العِصَمِ
wa akkadat zuhdahu fīhā ḍarūratuhu
innaḍ ḍarūrata la taʿdū ʿalal ʿiṣami
His situation of austerity and need only confirmed His indifference to worldly concerns,
For even dire need cannot assail such impeccable virtue
وَكَيْفَ تَدْعُو إِلَى الدُّنْيَا ضَرُورَةُ مَنْ
لَوْلاَهُ لَمْ تُخْرَجِ الدُّنْيَا مِنَ العَدَمِ
wakayfa tadʿū ilad dunyā ḍarūratu man
lawlahu lam tukhrajid dunyā minal ʿadami
How could the dire need of such a person draw him towards the world,
When were it not for him, the world would never have emerged From non-existence?
مُحَمَّدٌ سَيِّدُ الكَوْنَيْنِ وَالثَّقَلَيْـ
ـنِ وَالفَرِيقَيْنِ مِنْ عُرْبٍ وَمِنْ عَجَمِ
muḥammadun sayyidul kawnayni wath thaqalay
ni wal farīqayni min ʿurbin wamin ʿajami
Muhammad is the master of the two worlds, master of the jinn and men,
And master of the two groups, Arabs and non-Arabs
نَبِيُّنَا الآمِرُ النَّاهِي فَلاَ أَحَدٌ
أَبَرَّ فِي قَوْلِ لاَ مِنْهُ وَلاَ نَعَمِ
nabiyyunal āmirun nāhī fala aḥadun
abarra fī qawli la minhu wala naʿami
Our Prophet, who commands the good and forbids the wrong,
There is no one truer to his word, whether it be ‘yes’ or ‘no’
هُوَ الحَبِيبُ الذِّي تُرْجَى شَفَاعَتُهُ
لِكُلِّ هَوْلٍ مِنَ الأَهْوَالِ مُقْتَحَمِ
huwal ḥabībudh dhī turjā shafāʿatuhu
likulli hawlin minal ahwāli muqtaḥami
He is the beloved one, whose intercession is hoped for
Against all the terrifying things that take us by storm
دَعَا إِلَى اللهِ فَالمُسْتَمْسِكُونَ بِهِ
مُسْتَمْسِكُونَ بِحَبْلٍ غَيْرِ مُنْفَصِمِ
daʿā ila Allahi fal mustamsikūna bihi
mustamsikūna biḥablin ghayri munfaṣimi
He has called people to Allah, so those who cling to him
Are clinging to a rope which will never break
فَاقَ النَبِيِّينَ فِي خَلْقٍ وَفِي خُلُقٍ
وَلَمْ يُدَانُوهُ فِي عِلْمٍ وَلاَ كَرَمِ
fāqan nabiyyīna fī khalqin wafī khuluqin
walam yudānūhu fī ʿilmin wala karami
He surpassed the other prophets both in form and noble character,
And none has come close to him in knowledge or in pure generosity
وَكُلُّهُمْ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ مُلْتَمِسٌ
غَرْفًا مِنَ البَحْرِ أَوْ رَشْفًا مِنَ الدِّيَمِ
wakulluhum min rasūlillāhi multamisun
gharfan minal baḥri aw rashfan minad diyami
They all petition the Messenger of Allah for just a handful of water
From his ocean, or a draught from his never-ending rain
وَوَاقِفُونَ لَدَيْهِ عِنْدَ حَدِّهِمِ
مِنْ نُقْطَةِ العِلْمِ أَوْ مِنْ شَكْلَةِ الحِكَمِ
wawāqifūna ladayhi ʿinda ḥaddihimi
min nuqṭatil ʿilmi aw min shaklatil ḥikami
They all come to a halt before him according to their measure,
As diacritical points upon his knowledge, or vowel marks upon his wisdom
فَهْوَ الذِّي تَمَّ مَعْنَاهُ وَصُورَتُهُ
ثُمَّ اصْطَفَاهُ حَبِيبًا بَارِئُ النَّسَمِ
fahwadh dhī tamma maʿnāhu waṣūratuhu
thummaṣ ṭafāhu ḥabīban bāri’un nasami
He is the one in whom meaning and form were perfected,
And then the One who created all mankind Chose him as His beloved
مُنَزَّهٌ عَنْ شَرِيكٍ فِي مَحَاسِنِهِ
فَجَوْهَرُ الحُسْنِ فِيهِ غَيْرُ مُنْقَسِمِ
munazzahun ʿan sharīkin fī maḥāsinihi
fajawharul ḥusni fīhi ghayru munqasimi
He is far from having any equal in his virtues,
For in him, the essence of perfection is indivisible
دَعْ مَا ادَّعَتْهُ النَّصَارَى فِي نَبِيِّهِمِ
وَاحْكُمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ مَدْحًا فِيهِ وَاحْتَكِمِ
daʿ mad daʿathun naṣārā fī nabiyyihimi
waḥ kum bimā shi’ta madḥan fīhi waḥ takimi
Abandon what the Christians have claimed about their Prophet,
Beyond that you may say whatever you wish in praise of him
وَانْسُبْ إِلَى ذَاتِهِ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَرَفٍ
وَانْسُبْ إِلَى قَدْرِهِ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ عِظَمِ
wan sub ilā dhātihi mā shi’ta min sharafin
wan sub ilā qadrihi mā shi’ta min ʿiẓami
You may ascribe whatever you wish of nobility to his essence,
And to his rank, whatever you wish of greatness
فَإِنَّ فَضْلَ رَسُولِ اللهِ لَيْسَ لَهُ
حَدٌّ فَيُعْرِبَ عَنْهُ نَاطِقٌ بِفَمِ
fa inna faḍla rasūlillāhi laysa lahu
ḥaddun fayuʿriba ʿanhu nāṭiqun bifami
Indeed, the high merit of the Messenger of Allah has no furthest limit
Which could be expressed by the tongue of a human being
لَوْ نَاسَبَتْ قَدْرَهُ آيَاتُهُ عِظَمًا
أَحْيَا اسْمُهُ حِينَ يُدْعَى دَارِسَ الرِّمَمِ
law nāsabat qadrahu āyātuhu ʿiẓaman
aḥyas muhu ḥīna yudʿā dārisar rimami
Were his miracles to be as mighty as his rank,
Just the sound of his name would bring dead bones to life
لَمْ يَمْتَحِنَّا بِمَا تَعْيَا العُقُولُ بِهِ
حِرْصًا عَلَيْنَا فَلَمْ نَرْتَبْ وَلَمْ نَهِمِ
lam yamtaḥinnā bimā taʿyal ʿuqūlu bihi
ḥirṣan ʿalaynā falam nartab walam nahimi
He did not test us with things that would exhaust our intellects,
Out of concern for us, so we did not fall into doubt or bewilderment
أَعْيَا الوَرَى فَهْمُ مَعْنَاهُ فَلَيْسَ يُرَى
فِي القُرْبِ وَالبُعْدِ فِيهِ غَيْرُ مُنْفَحِمِ
aʿyal warā fahmu maʿnāhu falaysa yurā
fīl qurbi wal buʿdi fīhi ghayru munfaḥimi
Mankind is unable to comprehend his true essence,
Near and far, they are dumbfounded
كَالشَّمْسِ تَظْهَرُ لِلعَيْنَيْنِ مِنْ بُعُدٍ
صَغِيرَةً وَتُكِلُّ الطَّرْفَ مِنْ أَمَمِ
kash shamsi taẓharu lilʿaynayni min buʿudin
ṣaghīratan watukilluṭ ṭarfa min amami
Like the sun, which from afar appears small to the naked eye,
Whereas up close, it would dim and dazzle the vision
وَكَيْفَ يُدْرِكُ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَقِيقَتَهُ
قَوْمٌ نِيَامٌ تَسَلَّوْا عَنْهُ بِالحُلُمِ
wakayfa yudriku fīd dunyā ḥaqīqatahu
qawmun niyāmun tasallaw ʿanhu bil ḥulumi
How can people who are asleep perceive his true reality
In this world, while they are distracted from him by their dreams?
فَمَبْلَغُ العِلْمِ فِيهِ أَنَّهُ بَشَرٌ
وَأَنَّهُ خَيْرُ خَلْقِ اللهِ كُلِّهِمِ
famablaghul ʿilmi fīhi annahu basharun
wa annahu khayru khalqillāhi kullihimi
The extent of the knowledge we have of him is that he is a man,
And that he is the best of all Allah’s creation
وَكُلُّ آيٍ أَتَى الرُّسْلُ الكِرَامُ بِهَا
فَإِنَّمَا اتَّصَلَتْ مِنْ نُوِرِهِ بِهِمِ
wakullu āyin atar ruslul kirāmu bihā
fa innamat taṣalat min nuwirihi bihimi
Every miracle brought by the Noble Messengers
Was only connected to them through his light
فَإِنَّهُ شَمْسُ فَضْلٍ هُمْ كَوَاكِبُهَا
يُظْهِرْنَ أَنْوَارَهَا لِلنَّاسِ فِي الظُّلَمِ
fa innahu shamsu faḍlin hum kawākibuhā
yuẓhirna anwārahā lilnnāsi fīẓ ẓulami
Surely he is a sun of bounty and they are its planets,
Manifesting their lights for people in the darkness
أَكْرِمْ بِخَلْقِ نَبِيٍّ زَانَهُ خُلُقٌ
بِالحُسْنِ مُشْتَمِلٍ بِالبِشْرِ مُتَّسِمِ
akrim bikhalqi nabiyyin zānahu khuluqun
bil ḥusni mushtamilin bil bishri muttasimi
How generous the creation of a Prophet Adorned with excellent character!
So graced with beauty, and radiant of face
كَالزَّهْرِ فِي تَرَفٍ وَالبَدْرِ فِي شَرَفٍ
وَالبَحْرِ فِي كَرَمٍ وَالدَّهْرِ فِي هِمَمِ
kaz zahri fī tarafin wal badri fī sharafin
wal baḥri fī karamin wad dahri fī himami
Like a flower in freshness and a full moon in eminence,
Like an ocean in pure generosity and like Time itself In strength of resolution
كَأَنَّه وَهْوَ فَرْدٌ مِنْ جَلاَلَتِهِ
فِي عَسْكَرٍ حِينَ تَلْقَاهُ وَفِي حَشَمِ
ka annah wahwa fardun min jalalatihi
fī ʿaskarin ḥīna talqāhu wafī ḥashami
Just from his majestic bearing, even when he was alone,
He seemed as if amongst a great army and entourage
كَأَنَّمَا اللُّؤْلُؤْ المَكْنُونُ فِي صَدَفٍ
مِنْ مَعْدِنَيْ مَنْطِقٍ مِنْهُ وَمُبْتَسِمِ
ka annamal lu’lu’al maknūnu fī ṣadafin
min maʿdinay manṭiqin minhu wamubtasimi
It was as if shining pearls, protected in their shells,
Emerged from both his speech and his radiant smile
لاَ طِيبَ يَعْدِلُ تُرْبًا ضَمَّ أَعْظُمَهُ
طُوبىَ لِمُنْتَشِقٍ مِنْهُ وَمُلْتَثِمِ
la ṭība yaʿdilu turban ḍamma aʿẓumahu
ṭūba limuntashiqin minhu wamultathimi
No perfume could ever match that of the earth that holds his noble form,
What bliss for the one who smells that blessed earth or kisses it!