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05-06-2010, 08:16 PM
Spiritual Secrets of the Mawlid of the Prophet
Preface and Foreword (http://www.abunashaykh.com/Maktaba/mawalid/Mawled%20Al%20Uthmani/Preface_E.htm)
O my Lord, by them and by their family
Hasten victory and relief.
(Repeated after every two pair of lines)
Violent passion has stricken me to the core
O my Lord, quickly send relief;
My nafs has taken control, O my support,
Quickly free me from constriction;
And the evil adversary (i.e., Shaytan) is trying to lead me astray,
To destroy me. Remove the fire of sins from me.
From all that separates me from You, O my Master,
Distance me, and occupy me with matters that draw me close to You.
From now to the moment of my death, O
Giver to the anxious suppliant,
Complete me in the way of ascent
Respond to my plea, and remove deviation.
By the beauty of Your face, I ask You;
And by the secret of Your Grand Majesty;
By Your perfection, O Master of the great masters,
By Allah’s Essence and lights filling the horizon;
By Your qualities, O Holy, and by
The Names and secrets that raise one in rank;
By the holiness engulfed in all the Names and
Allah’s unreachable joyous face;
And by the angels, and those sent by Allah,
And by the companions of light in the darkest darkness;
And by the People of the (Prophet’s) House (Ahl al-Bayt), all of them,
Especially, Fatima and her descendents;
And by the light of existence, its illumination,
Your chosen one, our Ahmad, the Joyous One;
My Lord, and by the knowledge that you have given to him
With the secret of the gap between his two front teeth;
And also my prayers, O my hope,
With all that brings me closer to Thee;
Let me witness the light of Your beauty
In both abodes, and make good my condition;
And also, over Your beloved,
Put not a veil separating him from me;
Be on me Your forgiveness,
Always brightening my time and day;
And give me knowledge of the Shari‘ah,
As well as proofs of inward increase;
Protect me from dangers posed by my enemies
And the injustice brought on by fitna;
Busy my enemies with themselves,
Try them with fitna and tiredness;
Help me with taqwa, and remove
Injustice far from my soul;
Lead my children, my companions
And my wife on the road that approaches You;
Make their rizq easy to obtain,
Even in times of difficulty;
Seal my life and theirs
With goodness and ease of return;
And blessing and peace from You, O Ahad,
That will cover Muhammad, who possessed the white ring around the pupil of his eyes;
Taha, the Beloved, and his community
And family that will keep them from dangers.
Chapter One
Praise be to Allah who chose for His beloved the essence of praiseworthiness (dhat al-Muhammadiyyah)
From preexistence, making it a means (for carrying the message) for all of mankind.
In the beginning, He manifested it in His Unique Presence
And from it derived the worlds.
He infused it with His radiant glowing lights
Conveying it to the entire creation.
I offer my praise of thanks to He who placed us within this nation that has His pleasure;
Completed us by making us part of this precious protected pearl (the ummah);
Was merciful to us with His gift (the Qur’an) and His strong Sunnah;
Honored us with revelation of this Qur’an;
And purified our hearts with the love of this unique jewel (Sayyiduna Muhammad).
By this love, our hearts became clean and purified from oppressions (the evils of man and jinn).
And from the love for these demonstrable meanings flooding the secrets (in our hearts),
We spoke with the wisdom by which man and jinn are honored.
Allah empowered our intellects (aqls) to think deeply, so we followed those lofty deeds (i.e., the actions of the Prophet).
We climbed the stairway of help to the highest paradises.
I thank Him for the special benefits with which He has favored us,
Placing us among the latter ones of the ummah that witness Allah by the Truth and victories (in the outward and the inward).
He strengthened us with the treasure of protected knowledge from His divine Presence
By causing us to follow the footsteps of the point of existence and the secret of the worlds (i.e., the Prophet Muhammad).
I witness the reality of “There is no God but Allah” and I witness the uniqueness of Allah’s oneness
Thereby rising to the station of the Muwahidin who separate the Haqq from place.
And I witness that our Master Muhammad, from the first mim of whose name spread all of the created worlds,
Is the servant of Allah and His Messenger, and from the ha’a of whose name spread His mercy for all creatures in both the day and the night;
From the second mim in whose name the waters of the sensory and meaning worlds gush forth
Filling these worlds with lights, secrets and obedience;
And from the dal of whose name the systems of rule remain effective (i.e., without Muhammad there would be anarchy).
By his blessing the power and benefits of the din continue in the two worlds (the mulk and malakut).
May Allah bless him, his family and his companions as long as the secrets manifest wisdom,
And as long as the sciences, wisdoms, and knowledge come forth.
O Allah, bless and grant peace upon the qibla of your Lordly manifestations,
The focus of your vision in existence, the one of the exalted affair,
The book of hidden secrets of your realities and knowledges,
The manifestation of rahmah from its presence and the manifestation of Your name, the Rahman.
And upon his family and his companions as long as the millat hanifiya remains firm in its holding to the din,
And as long as someone expresses something by the tongue of the Shari‘ah and Reality.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter Two
(Let me continue by saying) that one Friday an idea came to my mind to write a mawlid containing some of the traditions about the birth of the reality called Sayyiduna Muhammad.
My heart was strongly moved to add (al-Asrar al-Rabaniya) to the title Mawlid al-Nabi, that is, the Birth of the Prophet, the prophet who was born circumcised,
Who, like a string of pearls, gifted to us, clear and brilliant, lifted all doubt,
Who, in some traditions, appeared to have natural kohol around his eyes.
That night, sleeping, I saw the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.
And envisioning him is truly seeing him, as told by the trusted narrators who use the proven methods.
He had ordered me to write a mawlid, and to beautify each stanza by ending the first line with ha’a
And the second with nun, significant because the nun of kun (meaning “be”) is half the domain of the worlds.
He gave me the good news that he will be present each time it is read; and thus I wrote it in his honor as a story to be read before sleeping.
Surely, when reciting this mawlid, a du‘a made at the mention of his birth and at completion will be accepted, after which, Allah’s forgiveness is requested.
So I began, being poor and hoping for the highest Qur’anic stations;
Being that, in each reading of the Qur’an, barakah is the intended goal.
And I say, and I am the lowly, begging Allah for the hidden meanings known only by Him;
Rich through Allah, the Sharif, the distinguished by the Mirghani line, Muhammad Uthman
Ibn al-Sayyid Muhammad Abi Bakr ibn al-Sayyid Abdullah, the student of Ibn Idris Ahmad, whose deeds are praiseworthy (and who is known for specializing in the sirah of the Prophet),
May Allah send to all, along with my children and brothers of the way, clouds of rahman and ridwan.
This being said, when Allah wished to manifest the higher and lower worlds
He grasped a handful of His light that became Muhammad ibn Adnan.
The Prophet had said to Jabir: The light of your Prophet is the first of what Allah created, O Jabir.
Just as he had clearly said: I was a prophet even when Adam was between water and clay.
In a clear riwaya, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked Jibril: “How old are you Jibril?” And he said: “I don’t know.
However, there is a star that appears behind the fourth veil,” O congregation of brothers;
“Once every 70,000 years.” Thus are the selected signs;
“And I have seen it 72,000 times without missing one appearance.”
Then the Prophet, may Allah bless and grant him peace, defining his station as the Chosen One and its secrets, said:
“By my mighty Lord, I am that star, the star that you, O Jibril, have seen in the veil of the Munificent.”
And there are secrets about him that cannot be contained in books,
Nor even recorded by his two angels.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter Three
As for the truth about him mentioned in the ancient books:
The Torah and the Bible are full of references to him as well as the Furqan (i.e., the Qur’an).
Sufficient for you is the speech of Allah, the Exalted: “Surely you have been created upon a great character” (68:4), a divine verse;
And the verse: “Surely a Messenger has come to you…” (9:128); completing our indebtedness (i.e., these two ayats are gifts from Allah).
In the Torah, Allah, the Exalted, had already attributed to him some of his great qualities;
Which are also revealed in His book, the Qur’an.
They are, in the Exalted’s words: “O Prophet, surely We have sent you as a witness and bringer of good tidings and a warner” (33:45), additional good tidings.
To this He added his being a sanctuary for the ummiyin (the illiterate), the highest maqam.
Allah said: You are My slave and My messenger, I name you al-Mutawakkil (the one who depends solely on Allah) as a holy witness;
**And other than that from what has been narrated by others including Ka’ba al-Akhbar and others and Ibn Salam after they had become Muslims.
And Adam said: When You created me I raised my head to Your throne and behold! written on one of its legs were these words, which are the foundation of Islam:
“There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah!” So I knew of his great maqam.
And no one is greater to You than him, as a cherished gift.
And these two names complete the connection (of all the Prophets).
No one is greater than the one whose name is mentioned with Yours; thus, Allah, the Great and Merciful, gave him wahi;
By My mighty and majestic Lord, He let him (Adam) know the greatness of ‘ayn al-a‘yan (the source of all sources; i.e., Muhammad):
(Allah said:) Surely he is the last Prophet from your descendants, if it hadn’t been for him I would never have created you, in honored states.
It is said that the father of Muhammad, Adam, was given the title “Intimate of Allah.”
Recorded in books, ‘Isa says in realization, “Unworthy am I of even carrying his sandals.”
Were I to take from this field of study, surely I would get lost in its vastness.
Even before he appeared his great value was known, and his lights had radiated throughout all the worlds.
Only the King, the Vanquisher, can know all there is to know about the Prophet Muhammad.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter Four
Then know that the lineage of salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam is a golden chain,
Arranged like pearls of the well-known held in honor over all other colors.
He is Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, a member of the Bani Hashim;
He is ibn Abd Munaf, without any dispute,
Ibn Qusay ibn Kilab (Ibn Hakim) ibn Murrah, lineages of Quraysh,
Ibn Ka’b ibn Lu’ay ibn Ghalib, precisely related by the trusty,
Ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn al-Nadhr (Ibn Qays) ibn Kinana, the hidden treasure,
Ibn Khuzayma ibn Mudrika (Aamir) ibn Ilyas, the barber,
Ibn Mudhar ibn Nizar ibn Ma‘add, well-known by the relaters of lineage as ibn Adnan.
And it was said by salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam in a well-known tradition, “Whoever adds to this has lied.”
Undeniably, this lineage is the highest among the Arabs.
A lineage from the Rahman, protected, there is no
Lineage equal to it in the existence, without defects
Pearls purified from ancient times, high
Exalted above the constellation Gemini, its light even brighter.
From the very beginning, Allah protected his fathers and his mothers, no fornication entered into this lineage.
This protection extended even to the nutfa (sperm drop), which was honored by his rank.
Nay, a proper marriage according to the strict system from father and mother,
Without doubt, whose loins were pure and wombs good.
So be mindful that his lineage is the greatest, most ancient and pure.
Thus, you will be nearer and more beloved to this prophet, the Divinely Assisted,
To whom Allah was attentive, as realized in the merciful presence (referring to the Prophet’s presence with the other prophets in the mi‘raj).
You should imitate the character of the one who has humbled himself to the din.
Then you will rise above all other peoples by obtaining the purest gold cast.
Reach eminence by praising the one who is superior to all human beings and jinn.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 5
Then know that this brilliant, complete, great, glittering light
Moved from Adam’s face to his son, Shith’s face, as has been narrated by those trusted narrators.
Thus this light kept moving until it reached the forehead of Abdullah (the father of Muhammad), from the precedence of pre-endless concern.
So he put this light into Amina bint Wahb, the mother of the best of non-Arab and Arab.
She used to see wonders when she was pregnant with him, the best of prayers and peace be upon him,
Which the tongue, in fact, is unable to express.
Everyone in the unseen worlds was deeply attracted to the one in her womb;
Nothing was left in the creation that wasn’t looking for the best of youths to appear.
Also, expectations of his appearance became a reality for the unseen worlds;
They were honored by the ascension of the best of mankind from whom they achieved peace.
Adam went to Amina in the first month of pregnancy with good news that she was pregnant with the best who would walk the earth.
And Adam’s intention to bring this bushra, brought him honor and pleasure.
And in every month of pregnancy she saw one of the prophets, the ones who endured difficulties and hardships,
Who would deliver her another good sign so that she was completely reassured.
So it is that he and his perfections are the good signs that fulfill our deepest desires.
And congratulations to us and to all of the other worlds because of his coming.
By Allah, it was one of the greatest times given to all of creation
Because of him, blessing and peace be upon him, the roots leading to al-Haqq became clear;
While the roots leading to misguidance became weakened to the point of disappearing.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 6
When the month of his birth, the greatest gift from the King, the Truth, came
Amina felt the first pains of labor, though almost nothing compared to those felt by other women,
While scented breezes wafted round her.
Thus the bushrah increased as the appearance of the one who would illuminate the entire world approached.
On the night of his birth hur al-‘iyn (from paradise)
And also Asiya and Maryam bint Imran visited.
Sunday night (the night preceding Monday), with birth pains increasing, he was born at dawn (Monday morning), thus completing the term of pregnancy perfectly:
Such a beautiful night, adorned with lights, secrets, wisdom, mercy, gentleness, and pardon.
With her was Um al-Uthman bin Abi al-As, the lucky one
And as-Shafa Um abdur Rahman ibn Auf, Sayyid Ahl Shukran.
The labor pains had increased and she had given birth to him, salla llah alayhi wa salam, . . . (the line ends after the poem)
(After mentioning his birth, the following greeting is recited):
Welcome al-Mustafa at our place
Welcome, welcome
O beautiful one, who appeared in the sun of sublimity
Whose light filled the heavens, filled the heavens
The pure, O how pure the friend of Allah, O how pure!
Whose ascension to the heavens reached the pinnacle
The wali, the Exalted’s secret, the Exalted’s secret
Manifested in the heights and became very clear
His Lutf took the minds and the hearts of all mankind
He includes all beauty and even makes it more beautiful
The water from his mouth cured the sick, cured the sick
His nose is like the sword, but sharper than the sword
His knowledge, all other knowledges are from it, all knowledge is from it
Like springs which are filled from the seas (endless)
His face is greater than the moon, greater than the moon
His forbearance, and his forbearance is quite sufficient, O listener
His eyes can shoot shoot the ghazal, shoot the ghazal
O my God, from arrows of Tubla which never miss (a people who are well known for their accuracy; i.e., whenever his eyes fell upon someone they would fall in love with him)
His spit is like wine, like wine
May I drink from it be as soon as possible
He appears to me saying: O Mirghani, O Mirghani
Take what you want, your hand and your wine (meaning, take the divine secrets)
Find my intention, my true intention, O young man
May my wish, my want, and Allah’s blessings
Reach Taha, al-Mustafa, al-Mustafa,
And his good Companions.
. . . And he was born circumcised, by Allah’s hikmah,
Looking up toward the heavens. Thus we ask you, O Allah, to cover us in this world and next.
His mother related that at the moment of his birth, there were illuminations from the unseen. (Between the East and West, the Heavens and the Earth, she saw men carrying pitchers made of silver and gold.)
With him emerged a brilliance that reached the horizons.
Um Uthman said that the stars approached and, at the moment of his birth, she saw only the lights
That illuminated the seen worlds.
Um Abd al-Rahman said: “When he fell into my hands he raised his voice repeating salat wa salam many times.
“And I heard someone saying, ‘May Allah have mercy on you (O Prophet of Allah)!’” So congradulations to her (Amina) because of this event.
For her, Allah illuminated what is between the East and West with His great lights
Until she saw the palaces in Sham and Persia.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 7
As for the wonders that came to pass on the night of his birth, salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam,
Testifying to his special and great status with the Haqq and to the status of the place (where he was born),
Like the shaking of the great palace of Kisra
Of the famous Anoshurwan (Persian king);
If you thought about it and you possessed vision and piercing insight,
In its signs, the destruction of the calling to vanity and falsehood would be seen;
Likewise, in the drying up of the lake known as Tabariya (near Persia);
In these are shining signs and proof of the Haqq.
Even more amazing, if you think carefully about it, is the extinction of the Persian fire;
Strange that someone would hear this and not believe, there is no greater loser than him.
According to authentic tradition, burning continuously for one thousand years, it was lit in the Jahiliya to be worshipped;
When he, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, appeared those fires just went out,
The idols were turned over on their heads with the appearance of the millat of the Hanafis;
Their worship was discredited and spread in all the East and West.
Then the angels carried him and roamed with him about the lands,
His great baraka spreading over all the valleys.
It was said, thus did the angels circle the higher realms with him
To obtain what the lands had obtained of pride.
The sky, on the night of his birth, became adorned, all the creatures rejoiced;
And how could they not, for from his light the Merciful created them,
Without doubt, the beauty (hidaya) spread through the Earth, O Distinguished Ones.
And she had the right to be adorned in joy, if you would understand;
Because so many khayrat appeared on her because of his birth which did not appear in other worlds;
Worthy of pride, especially the two places:
Where he was born and brought up and received the revelation, Makkah;
And where he was buried; would that I were that earth which gained the two prides (of the dunya and akhira).
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 8
He, with his mother, grew, but she was soon to depart;
And his father had died before her, as verified by the two men of honor (ibn Katheer and Waqidi).
He, the Perfect, whose care is infinite, was with him, guiding and protecting.
After a number of women (wetnurses) refused to care for him.
Then appeared the one who possessed complete good fortune and luck, Sayyidatuna Halima al-Sa‘diya.
O what happiness, her felicity was above all mankind and jinn.
The baraka she obtained, she told about, in the places around Makka.
For example, she had a sheep that suddenly gave abundant milk when before it had none;
And her herd, which had been infertile and with little benefit, suddenly became fertile and full of benefit;
And they increased with what the Hanan put into them.
With unusual quickness he (i.e., the Prophet) grew into young manhood, one of the wonders told by the honest and good people.
(All these) are signs of the great care of the Most Caring because he was an orphan.
Read the secrets in Surat al-Dhuha from the Merciful, the Generous:
Protected, guided, made self-sufficient; and it had happened.
In his good upbringing and cleanliness even when very young, there was always politeness and good manners.
In the morning, he would awake with a natural shine as if having been rubbed with oil, and around his eyes natural kohol, all care from the Rahman.
From childhood, the barakah of salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam was easily visible and well-known concerning food.
It was such that when he ate with his uncle Abu Talib and his family, they would quickly become satisfied;
But when he was absent that barakah disappeared, and not all would be satisfied.
Thus the greatness of his status cannot be described.
Now get prepared to empty yourself of everything but love for his growth, kept (from the influence of Shaytan).
Turn in the direction of the love descending toward him secretly and openly.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 9
With Halima, when he and his brother tended the above mentioned sheep,
Clouds shaded him, something known to be true at other places.
One day, while tending the sheep, a group of angels came:
Said to be three, while others said, no, they were two.
In the hand of one of them was a glittering golden washbasin full of ice, in this there is no doubt.
Opening his noble chest, they removed his heart.
Opening his heart, they threw from it a black spot, thereby purifying (him from the influence of Shaytan)
With the ice they washed its inside, leaving it immaculate.
Sealing it with light, they then filled it with wisdom and faith
Jibril, witnessing the haqq, then said, “A strong heart (able to bear divine secrets)
“So now he is strong with eyes that can see.”
When they turned to leave he saw them clearly.
Now he had ears that could hear what was happening, as has been authenticated.
One angel said, “Weigh him against ten of his good ummah.”
He was weighed and he equaled more than ten.
“How farfetched! The two worlds balanced against him?” (said another angel).
“Then weigh him against a hundred of his ummah”
Weighed, he was heavier than them, as authenticated by the two good ones (the ‘alims al-Darimi and Abu Na‘im).
Then he said, “Weigh him with a thousand, thus will Allah’s and His creation’s witnessing be complete.”
Again weighed, he was heavier. So he said to his companion, “If you weighed him with all of his ummah he would be heavier in the scale.”
They then embraced him, kissed his head, and said, “You will never be afraid, O Sayyid of all the Prophets and Messengers!
“If you know what goodness and guidance is meant for you.
“By Allah, you will be at ease without worry.”
He was endowed with a power that enabled him to ascend to the other worlds.
Then the angels said to him, “How Allah has honored you, O best of earthly dwellers!
“Surely, Allah and His angels are with you. You need not fear. Now you are protected from error.”
He remained thus while growing, being called al-Amin for his natural trustworthiness
Then, at twenty-five, he married Khadija, who would be promised a palace in Paradise
During his trip to Sham for trade, a group of angels, free from error, gave him shade;
Upon his approach, Khadija and other women saw two angels giving him shade.
She told this to Maysira, whereupon, he told her he had seen this throughout their trip to Sham.
O you who are on a great affair, the Messenger of the King and Giver of the Din!
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 10
Then he began to worship in a cave, full of khayr, in the mountain of Hira,
Sharing his time between the Cave and his family.
The Angel (Jibril) came to him, saying, “Read!” But he said, “I cannot read.” Then the Angel embraced him with forebearance (to strengthen his soul to receive the revelation).
Again the Angel asked him to read and again he said he couldn’t read; and the Angel embraced him as counselor.
The Angel then said, “Iqra bismi rabika al-ladhi khalaq,” thus beginning the revelation for the hadrat al-mahmudiyya.
From then on the affair continued at its (appointed) times until the revelation of the Qur’an was complete.
A year, according to the most correct references, before he emigrated to Yathrib,
Jibril came and made the night journey with him to the Bayt al-Maqdis, as has been authenticated by the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim).
Jibril came with the Buraq (one of the animals of the Jannah) bridled, but difficult to ride, untamed.
Jibril said to it, “No other than the noblest slave of Allah, Muhammad ibn Adnan, salla Allah alayhi wa sallam, has come to mount you.
After reaching the Bayt al-Maqdis, leading the prophets in prayer, and drinking the milk drink (having chosen between water, wine, or milk), he ascended with him to the heavens.
In the first heaven he met Adam, and in the second the two cousins, Yahya and ‘Isa, the blameless and unblemished (i.e., free of physical desires and unwed).
In the third heaven he found Yusuf, renown in beauty, who captivated Zulayka.
In the fourth heaven, Idris, the one about whom Allah said in the Qur’an, “We have raised him to a high place.”
In the fifth heaven, Harun, and in the sixth, Musa, who returned him to Allah to reduce the required prayers,
Whereupon the number of prayers was changed from fifty to three in the day and two at night.
In the seventh heaven he met Ibrahim, leaning against the Bayt al-Ma‘mur (Ka‘bah) effulgent with lights,
Entered daily by 70,000 angels in number,
Who, when they leave, don’t return until the yawl-qiyama, suddenly!
How high is this maqam, the Khalil of the Rahman!
Salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam continued to ascend to the Sidra al-Muntaha (the Lote Tree of the Furthest Limit) until he reached the Hadrat al-Arshiya (the presence of Allah).
Above the veils, he talked to his Master and saw Him, as Ibn Abbas relates, even with his eyes.
He returned, and all that happened was just a part of the night. How celebrated are these miracles!
He informed Quraysh, the unjust; but, disappointed, he was not believed.
He had brought signs; he told them of the caravan which he had seen.
But al-Siddiq believed him, for Allah had prepared him for this; so wake up! O you who are sleeping.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
This poem, written by Sayyidi Muhammad Sir al-Khatim, is similar to one written by Ibn al-Arabi (Allah be pleased with them):
Allah’s prayers be upon you, O best who made the night journey
O best dispatched, and noble messenger (repeated every two stanzas).
Have you not seen that Allah took his slave on the night journey,
Body and soul, to express His utmost in giving,
From the Ka’bah, the Supreme, whose light has spread
From the Nearest Mosque to the Aqsa Mosque,
Where he ascended the seven heavens, intending
To see the chosen ones, the selected ones, the dear ones to Allah,
Then to expanses that Allah has raised even higher,
To the Bayt al-Ma’mur with the exalted assembly of angels,
To the sublime Lote Tree and His well-protected Kursi
A place drawing nearer, becoming clearer as the end approaches,
To the higher manifest horizon, to undifferentiated particularization,
To His Most Radiant Arsh, to the most beautiful level,
To the spendour of the Countenance until it disperses
Manifesting His names in their most beautiful forms
Overflowing in endless illumination,
Removing the clouds of blindness from his wide eyes.
Then, held suspended upon the decree, he drew near
To His purest world and drinking place,
Ascending with the help (of Allah) the degrees of closeness,
Two bows’ length or closer.
The universe had not the eyes to penetrate
Nor the ears to hear (what he saw and heard) even if it had sought assistance.
From the divine presence, He was provided with all good qualities, one after another
To observe what Allah had given him to drink at the sweet drinking place (so that he would be ready for the sacred event).
He spoke to him with the familiar voice of his freeman (Abu Bakr)
So that his desire for intimacy of speech be strengthened.
And from behind the veil of Magnificence came the call:
“Stop!” And the Lord of the Throne, glory be to Him, made salawat upon the Prophet (perhaps referring to the ayat: Inna Allaha wa al-Malaa’ikatahu yusalluna ‘ala al-Nabi yaa ayuhal ladhina aaminu sallu alayhi wa sallimu taslima).
Disturbed by being addressed in this manner, he said,
“Is Our Master bound by His infiniteness? He is the Most Majestic.
He is the Samad, the Rahman, and the Lord, yet
I hear recited what my God is praying.
And He removed the veil of knowledge from the eye of his heart.
He saw His essence at the degree of the great qibla.
The five (prayers) flowed over us like a banquet at the encounter
He revealed the unseen to him that which He revealed
So he could see with his eyes what mankind could not.
Beauty appeared guarded and hidden.
So He made him deserving of being the intercessor (al-shifa‘).
The Rahman strengthened him with the ‘urwat al-wuthqa (the divine support)
So He found him eager to see his Lord’s face,
Wishing to return to his luminous world (from which he originated).
Allah, the Most Generous, appeared to him in form.
The Rahman honored him with the manifest appearance.
Before this He had prepared his heart to witness
For the future in which He would give him the ayat al-kubra (greatest sign).
And he saw Jibril, the Amin, as he really is
Before this, while he was in intimate converse at the cave of Hira.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 11
With patience, salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam endured the filthy deeds of the unbelievers.
But out of the perfection of his character, he called upon Allah to lead them to guidance.
And Allah lead some of them through His care; and Allah ordered him to make hijra.
So he and the Siddiq left; and they hid themselves in the cave of Thawr while the unbelievers searched to kill them. (Thawr is known to be on Jabl Nur, Mountain of Light.)
They came to the cave, but Allah had ordered the pigeon and the spider to weave at the mouth of that protected cave.
Abu Bakr said, “Here they are!” But the one whom Allah had filled his heart with ease and reassurance said,
“O Abu Bakr, what do you think about two and Allah is the third for them?” Then Allah sent them His sakina and help.
They moved on toward Madina; on the way, Suraqa caught up with them, but his horse’s legs sank in the sand so he called out for help.
The Prophet, salla Allahu ‘alayhi was sallam, released him and he returned (to the Quraish) but directed the Kuffar away from the Prophet, salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, who was then able to enter the sacred dwelling places.
He dismounted among the dwellings of his mother’s uncles, the Bani al-Najjar, those who stood their ground in danger.
He built the mosque and prepared the army, he and the circle of companions.
He established the Din then met his Lord in a state of perfection.
The Angel of Death, who had never asked for permission from any previous prophet, asked permission [from the Prophet before he took his life].
He gave him permission, the greatest disaster for us, but we leave the judgment to the Munificent (the Mannan).
Salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was buried in the room of ‘A’isha, his wife, on whom the ayat tabri’iya came. (These verses, in Sura al-Nur, freed her from the accusations of unfaithfulness.)
At his feet would be buried Abu Bakr al-Saddiq and ‘Umar al-Faruq.
The angels prayed upon him and honored his family with al-Khidr, possessing knowledges from Allah’s presence.
The men, women, and children prayed upon him according to the instructions he left behind.
And his millah spread throughout the earth, near and far;
Nothing in the worlds has been denied from his mercy and blessing.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 12
As for the outward appearance salla Allah alayhi wa sallam,
Truly, he was
Stately, held in honor by others, with a face like the circular moon.
Above average in height, but shorter than tall, his height stood out.
His head was large but suitable, his color was white mixed with red, and his face was wide with long and thin eyebrows that were unconnected.
His hair never reached his earlobes and it was neither curly nor straight.
Between his eyebrows was a vein that appeared when he got angry.
His nose, an adornment to his face, was pointed a little upwards.
His beard was thick, and his cheeks a bit raised.
His beauty was natural; the pupils of his eyes were very black.
His mouth was wide, and when he talked he used all of his mouth.
He had a mustache, and it has been proven that between his front teeth was a small gap.
He had fine hair from below his chest to his navel.
His neck was beautiful like ivory and pure like silver.
His body was properly proportioned and gave off the fragrance of musk.
His stomach was flat, his chest was without hair, and his shoulders were wide.
[B]He has Large joints
There is hair on the shoulders and the upper parts of the chest, and on the arms
His breasts are without hair, as has been authenticated by the book, as-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyya, a book written by Imam at-Tirmidhi
His arms are long, his palm of his hand and the soal of his foot is wide, full and soft
The muscles of his body are smooth and even, he always looked down, and his looks are beautiful
If water is poured on his feet it spreads, if he laughs his sparkled teeth pure and white like hail stones
These hails which are so popular
He looked to the earth more than to the sky, most of the time he would only glance, and he would always walk behind his companions.
Always cheerful, and he was always the first to greet someone with a salam; and when he walked it was as if he was descending a slope, such was spiritual nature.
Always thinking, he was silent for long periods of time; sad, dwelling long in fear of Allah.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 13
As for the character of salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, it is not humanly possible to describe.
Let us get baraka by mentioning a few of his good qualities as we have done with his outward beauty
So we say, he was created with a character, pure in nature, and he ordered us to to mold ourselves according to it, and thus be rescued.
We say, salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was Ra’uf and Rahim, merciful even to unbelievers.
This mercy is for all mankind, particularly his umma, the people of the exalted paradise.
He possessed the highest knowledge, gnosis, unveiling, deen, forebearance,
Infinite patience, thankfulness, and modesty at all times.
He was realized in hope and fear of Allah, abstinence, and scrupulousness in this life.
His maqam required that he have no purpose except to serve the Hannan
He is known for the following good qualities: humility, being forgiving, generosity, courage, valor (chivalry), chastity,
Being satisfied, and just, especially when angry -- the greatest witnesses to his character;
The highest degree of silence, always deliberate (not impulsive), dignified, wonderfully polite;
Cleanliness, possessing a sense of humor, among the great things that are useful.
His relationship with his family is characterized by goodness and mercy, and also with his companions.
His character made one feel awe and respect but without fear.
He is known for Repentance, returning to Allah, fasting, superogatory prayers, generosity, friendliness (wud), hating for the Hannan,
Greatness in pardoning those who offended him
And now we are ending this supplication filled with hope
Because we cannot exhaust all of his good qualities
Let us now reign in our horse.
May Allah be pleased with his companions, especially Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘Ali and the rest of the companions and his family.
Especially Fatima, Hasan, Husain and the rest of the family and those who followed them in goodness.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 14
Then raise your hands, O assembly of those present and listening, towards the lofty qiblah of supplications (i.e., the heavens)
Surely, a du‘a made at this point will be accepted.
O Allah, we praise and give thanks to You as is appropriate, O He with whom is the sublime qualities.
We ask You Allah by Your essence and Your qualities and Your asma al-husna.
We ask You to bless and grant peace upon Sayyiduna Muhammad by the measure of Your greatness,
And upon his family, his companions, and all his intimate friends.
We ask by Your great and greatest name, and Your greatest acceptance, with its great lights.
And we ask you by Your pure, kind, blessed name, O Hannan,
Which if you are called by that name you respond; and if you are asked by it You give the greatest gift.
If one asks You for mercy You give mercy; and You are the one who possesses rahmah, O Rahman.
And if You are asked for relief in a stressful situation, You give relief and relieve us from this constriction and stress.
And take our hands to what we intend, O Wide Giver!
Provide us with causes that can remove us from these bad conditions;
And to take us to the presence of generosity and abundance.
Place us among those who have shafa’a (intersession) of Your prophet, Sayyiduna and Mawlana Muhammad, salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, for all the ummah and the chosen ones.
Provide us with being in his neighborhood in the highest paradise.
Give us pleasure in our hearing, seeing, and physical strength.
Protect us from leprosy, deseases, and madness.
We seek refuge with You from all bodily defects, from and catastrophe and earthquake, from hardship, false opinions,
Lowliness, and the wish to have the upper hand, from being needy, hungry and thirsty, from the deviousness of others, from the words, actions, or situations that give others a low opinion of us,
From poverty, having nothing, being in need of others, from straightenness, plague, affliction, drowning, burning, and fitna in din and dunya, from the valueless, from high and low temperatures, from theft, robbery, going astray and insisting upon it, from accusations, deviation from the truth, tyranny,
From worry, anxiety, making mistakes, physical abnormalities, being accused of fahisha, from earthquake, sickness, poison, the spread of scandal,
From death, bereavement, punishment, torture, disobedience to Allah, something bad in both dunya and ikhra.
We seek refuge with Allah from istidraj and its punishment, injustice (whether we do it or is done to us), magic, envy, treachery, plotting evil,
Enmity, insults, deception, expressing joy over someone’s misfortune, decease, slander.
We ask Allah for pardon, guidance, fear of Allah, the kind attention and care of Allah, scrupulousness, zuhd, tawakkul, acceptance, ease and kindness, perfection, majesty, beauty, istiqama on the way of Muhammad (shari‘a)
We ask you Allah, to fulfill everyone’s wishes, O the best who gives when he is asked.
We ask you and come to You through the help of Your Prophet, Sayyiduna Mawlana, the Prophet of mercy.
O Master Muhammad, O Ahmad, O Abu al-Qasim, O Messenger of Allah (3 times); We direct ourselves to Allah through you to have our wishes fulfilled.
O Allah, by the intercession of the Prophet for us, by his rank, O Sultan (3 times)
We ask Allah for protection, safe-keeping, divine secrets, goodness in this world and the next, the unveiling of secrets, blessings, righteousness, forgiveness, in this life and the next.
Do not expose us in scandals, O Allah, among the servants of Allah, not in this world nor in the next, O the One who is known for keeping secrets.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Footnote on page 71
This is the hadith that is referred to in footnote 3 on page 14. Hadith Jabir is a long hadith narrated by ‘Abd al-Razaq ibn ‘Umar. Its chain of narrators leads back to Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
I said, “O Messenger of Allah, by my father and mother, tell me about the first thing that Allah has created before anything else.” He said, “O Jabir, surely Allah, the Exalted, created, before the things [of this world], the light of your Prophet from His light. By the power He made this light circulate wherever He wished. At this time the Tablet, the Pen, the Garden, the Fire, Angels, the Heavens, the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, Jinn, and Mankind were nonexistent. When Allah wished to create the creation, He divided that light into four parts . . .” .
P73
The following are dhikrs selected by Mawlana al-Qutb al-Sayyid al-Hasan al-Mirghani (may Allah sanctify his secrets, and raise us with his blessing, amen) to be read after the finish of the Mawlid:
There is no god except Allah, the Protection, the Protection; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the Authority, the Authority (10 times; drawing out the pronunciation each time).
There is no god except Allah (50 times).
No one is to be worshipped except Allah (50 times).
There is no existence except Allah (50 times).
There is nothing in the dominion except Allah (50 times; i.e., except the traces of Allah)
He is Allah (100 times).
O Living, O Self-Existing (174 times).
Then recite the poem “Allah Jalla Allah” and then whatever you are able to read from the poems praising the Prophet. Then read from al-Buraq. Then seal the Mawlid by reading from the Qur’an whatever is easy for you.
Jalla Allahu
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
Allah is the Lord, always giving
Allah stands alone, with no second
Allah, the one who is kind and forgiving
Allah, distributing and having authority
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
Allah, O Hannan, O Mannan
Allah, O Giver of the Deen, O Proof
Allah, O Forgiver, O Compassionate
Allah, O Vanquisher, O Powerful
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
Allah, O Holy, O Protected
Allah, O Opener, O Compeller
Allah, O Provider, O Forgiver
Allah, O Granter, O Vanquisher
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
Allah, O Allah, O Allah
Allah, O He who we have no other Him
Allah, O He to whom we approach
Allah, O He whose face is our cure
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
Allah, O Generous and bestower of honor
Provide us with honor and perfection
Open for us with overflowing generosity and dignity
Quickly open for us
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
He who is perfect and most-generous
Most-giving, most-kind, and open-handed
The One possessing all honor, dignity, and greatness
Provide us, O Lord, O All-knowing
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
You are the One Lord, with the ability to save
To give, to be benevolent, whether seen or unseen
Provide us with generosity and benevolence
Protect us from neglect and injustice
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
Allah, Allah gives blessings, Allah gives blessings
To al-Mustafa, al-Mukhtar, in his purity
And his family, his accepted companions
Whenever dhikr Allah is said, how sweet it is.
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
Preface and Foreword (http://www.abunashaykh.com/Maktaba/mawalid/Mawled%20Al%20Uthmani/Preface_E.htm)
O my Lord, by them and by their family
Hasten victory and relief.
(Repeated after every two pair of lines)
Violent passion has stricken me to the core
O my Lord, quickly send relief;
My nafs has taken control, O my support,
Quickly free me from constriction;
And the evil adversary (i.e., Shaytan) is trying to lead me astray,
To destroy me. Remove the fire of sins from me.
From all that separates me from You, O my Master,
Distance me, and occupy me with matters that draw me close to You.
From now to the moment of my death, O
Giver to the anxious suppliant,
Complete me in the way of ascent
Respond to my plea, and remove deviation.
By the beauty of Your face, I ask You;
And by the secret of Your Grand Majesty;
By Your perfection, O Master of the great masters,
By Allah’s Essence and lights filling the horizon;
By Your qualities, O Holy, and by
The Names and secrets that raise one in rank;
By the holiness engulfed in all the Names and
Allah’s unreachable joyous face;
And by the angels, and those sent by Allah,
And by the companions of light in the darkest darkness;
And by the People of the (Prophet’s) House (Ahl al-Bayt), all of them,
Especially, Fatima and her descendents;
And by the light of existence, its illumination,
Your chosen one, our Ahmad, the Joyous One;
My Lord, and by the knowledge that you have given to him
With the secret of the gap between his two front teeth;
And also my prayers, O my hope,
With all that brings me closer to Thee;
Let me witness the light of Your beauty
In both abodes, and make good my condition;
And also, over Your beloved,
Put not a veil separating him from me;
Be on me Your forgiveness,
Always brightening my time and day;
And give me knowledge of the Shari‘ah,
As well as proofs of inward increase;
Protect me from dangers posed by my enemies
And the injustice brought on by fitna;
Busy my enemies with themselves,
Try them with fitna and tiredness;
Help me with taqwa, and remove
Injustice far from my soul;
Lead my children, my companions
And my wife on the road that approaches You;
Make their rizq easy to obtain,
Even in times of difficulty;
Seal my life and theirs
With goodness and ease of return;
And blessing and peace from You, O Ahad,
That will cover Muhammad, who possessed the white ring around the pupil of his eyes;
Taha, the Beloved, and his community
And family that will keep them from dangers.
Chapter One
Praise be to Allah who chose for His beloved the essence of praiseworthiness (dhat al-Muhammadiyyah)
From preexistence, making it a means (for carrying the message) for all of mankind.
In the beginning, He manifested it in His Unique Presence
And from it derived the worlds.
He infused it with His radiant glowing lights
Conveying it to the entire creation.
I offer my praise of thanks to He who placed us within this nation that has His pleasure;
Completed us by making us part of this precious protected pearl (the ummah);
Was merciful to us with His gift (the Qur’an) and His strong Sunnah;
Honored us with revelation of this Qur’an;
And purified our hearts with the love of this unique jewel (Sayyiduna Muhammad).
By this love, our hearts became clean and purified from oppressions (the evils of man and jinn).
And from the love for these demonstrable meanings flooding the secrets (in our hearts),
We spoke with the wisdom by which man and jinn are honored.
Allah empowered our intellects (aqls) to think deeply, so we followed those lofty deeds (i.e., the actions of the Prophet).
We climbed the stairway of help to the highest paradises.
I thank Him for the special benefits with which He has favored us,
Placing us among the latter ones of the ummah that witness Allah by the Truth and victories (in the outward and the inward).
He strengthened us with the treasure of protected knowledge from His divine Presence
By causing us to follow the footsteps of the point of existence and the secret of the worlds (i.e., the Prophet Muhammad).
I witness the reality of “There is no God but Allah” and I witness the uniqueness of Allah’s oneness
Thereby rising to the station of the Muwahidin who separate the Haqq from place.
And I witness that our Master Muhammad, from the first mim of whose name spread all of the created worlds,
Is the servant of Allah and His Messenger, and from the ha’a of whose name spread His mercy for all creatures in both the day and the night;
From the second mim in whose name the waters of the sensory and meaning worlds gush forth
Filling these worlds with lights, secrets and obedience;
And from the dal of whose name the systems of rule remain effective (i.e., without Muhammad there would be anarchy).
By his blessing the power and benefits of the din continue in the two worlds (the mulk and malakut).
May Allah bless him, his family and his companions as long as the secrets manifest wisdom,
And as long as the sciences, wisdoms, and knowledge come forth.
O Allah, bless and grant peace upon the qibla of your Lordly manifestations,
The focus of your vision in existence, the one of the exalted affair,
The book of hidden secrets of your realities and knowledges,
The manifestation of rahmah from its presence and the manifestation of Your name, the Rahman.
And upon his family and his companions as long as the millat hanifiya remains firm in its holding to the din,
And as long as someone expresses something by the tongue of the Shari‘ah and Reality.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter Two
(Let me continue by saying) that one Friday an idea came to my mind to write a mawlid containing some of the traditions about the birth of the reality called Sayyiduna Muhammad.
My heart was strongly moved to add (al-Asrar al-Rabaniya) to the title Mawlid al-Nabi, that is, the Birth of the Prophet, the prophet who was born circumcised,
Who, like a string of pearls, gifted to us, clear and brilliant, lifted all doubt,
Who, in some traditions, appeared to have natural kohol around his eyes.
That night, sleeping, I saw the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.
And envisioning him is truly seeing him, as told by the trusted narrators who use the proven methods.
He had ordered me to write a mawlid, and to beautify each stanza by ending the first line with ha’a
And the second with nun, significant because the nun of kun (meaning “be”) is half the domain of the worlds.
He gave me the good news that he will be present each time it is read; and thus I wrote it in his honor as a story to be read before sleeping.
Surely, when reciting this mawlid, a du‘a made at the mention of his birth and at completion will be accepted, after which, Allah’s forgiveness is requested.
So I began, being poor and hoping for the highest Qur’anic stations;
Being that, in each reading of the Qur’an, barakah is the intended goal.
And I say, and I am the lowly, begging Allah for the hidden meanings known only by Him;
Rich through Allah, the Sharif, the distinguished by the Mirghani line, Muhammad Uthman
Ibn al-Sayyid Muhammad Abi Bakr ibn al-Sayyid Abdullah, the student of Ibn Idris Ahmad, whose deeds are praiseworthy (and who is known for specializing in the sirah of the Prophet),
May Allah send to all, along with my children and brothers of the way, clouds of rahman and ridwan.
This being said, when Allah wished to manifest the higher and lower worlds
He grasped a handful of His light that became Muhammad ibn Adnan.
The Prophet had said to Jabir: The light of your Prophet is the first of what Allah created, O Jabir.
Just as he had clearly said: I was a prophet even when Adam was between water and clay.
In a clear riwaya, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked Jibril: “How old are you Jibril?” And he said: “I don’t know.
However, there is a star that appears behind the fourth veil,” O congregation of brothers;
“Once every 70,000 years.” Thus are the selected signs;
“And I have seen it 72,000 times without missing one appearance.”
Then the Prophet, may Allah bless and grant him peace, defining his station as the Chosen One and its secrets, said:
“By my mighty Lord, I am that star, the star that you, O Jibril, have seen in the veil of the Munificent.”
And there are secrets about him that cannot be contained in books,
Nor even recorded by his two angels.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter Three
As for the truth about him mentioned in the ancient books:
The Torah and the Bible are full of references to him as well as the Furqan (i.e., the Qur’an).
Sufficient for you is the speech of Allah, the Exalted: “Surely you have been created upon a great character” (68:4), a divine verse;
And the verse: “Surely a Messenger has come to you…” (9:128); completing our indebtedness (i.e., these two ayats are gifts from Allah).
In the Torah, Allah, the Exalted, had already attributed to him some of his great qualities;
Which are also revealed in His book, the Qur’an.
They are, in the Exalted’s words: “O Prophet, surely We have sent you as a witness and bringer of good tidings and a warner” (33:45), additional good tidings.
To this He added his being a sanctuary for the ummiyin (the illiterate), the highest maqam.
Allah said: You are My slave and My messenger, I name you al-Mutawakkil (the one who depends solely on Allah) as a holy witness;
**And other than that from what has been narrated by others including Ka’ba al-Akhbar and others and Ibn Salam after they had become Muslims.
And Adam said: When You created me I raised my head to Your throne and behold! written on one of its legs were these words, which are the foundation of Islam:
“There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah!” So I knew of his great maqam.
And no one is greater to You than him, as a cherished gift.
And these two names complete the connection (of all the Prophets).
No one is greater than the one whose name is mentioned with Yours; thus, Allah, the Great and Merciful, gave him wahi;
By My mighty and majestic Lord, He let him (Adam) know the greatness of ‘ayn al-a‘yan (the source of all sources; i.e., Muhammad):
(Allah said:) Surely he is the last Prophet from your descendants, if it hadn’t been for him I would never have created you, in honored states.
It is said that the father of Muhammad, Adam, was given the title “Intimate of Allah.”
Recorded in books, ‘Isa says in realization, “Unworthy am I of even carrying his sandals.”
Were I to take from this field of study, surely I would get lost in its vastness.
Even before he appeared his great value was known, and his lights had radiated throughout all the worlds.
Only the King, the Vanquisher, can know all there is to know about the Prophet Muhammad.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter Four
Then know that the lineage of salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam is a golden chain,
Arranged like pearls of the well-known held in honor over all other colors.
He is Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, a member of the Bani Hashim;
He is ibn Abd Munaf, without any dispute,
Ibn Qusay ibn Kilab (Ibn Hakim) ibn Murrah, lineages of Quraysh,
Ibn Ka’b ibn Lu’ay ibn Ghalib, precisely related by the trusty,
Ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn al-Nadhr (Ibn Qays) ibn Kinana, the hidden treasure,
Ibn Khuzayma ibn Mudrika (Aamir) ibn Ilyas, the barber,
Ibn Mudhar ibn Nizar ibn Ma‘add, well-known by the relaters of lineage as ibn Adnan.
And it was said by salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam in a well-known tradition, “Whoever adds to this has lied.”
Undeniably, this lineage is the highest among the Arabs.
A lineage from the Rahman, protected, there is no
Lineage equal to it in the existence, without defects
Pearls purified from ancient times, high
Exalted above the constellation Gemini, its light even brighter.
From the very beginning, Allah protected his fathers and his mothers, no fornication entered into this lineage.
This protection extended even to the nutfa (sperm drop), which was honored by his rank.
Nay, a proper marriage according to the strict system from father and mother,
Without doubt, whose loins were pure and wombs good.
So be mindful that his lineage is the greatest, most ancient and pure.
Thus, you will be nearer and more beloved to this prophet, the Divinely Assisted,
To whom Allah was attentive, as realized in the merciful presence (referring to the Prophet’s presence with the other prophets in the mi‘raj).
You should imitate the character of the one who has humbled himself to the din.
Then you will rise above all other peoples by obtaining the purest gold cast.
Reach eminence by praising the one who is superior to all human beings and jinn.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 5
Then know that this brilliant, complete, great, glittering light
Moved from Adam’s face to his son, Shith’s face, as has been narrated by those trusted narrators.
Thus this light kept moving until it reached the forehead of Abdullah (the father of Muhammad), from the precedence of pre-endless concern.
So he put this light into Amina bint Wahb, the mother of the best of non-Arab and Arab.
She used to see wonders when she was pregnant with him, the best of prayers and peace be upon him,
Which the tongue, in fact, is unable to express.
Everyone in the unseen worlds was deeply attracted to the one in her womb;
Nothing was left in the creation that wasn’t looking for the best of youths to appear.
Also, expectations of his appearance became a reality for the unseen worlds;
They were honored by the ascension of the best of mankind from whom they achieved peace.
Adam went to Amina in the first month of pregnancy with good news that she was pregnant with the best who would walk the earth.
And Adam’s intention to bring this bushra, brought him honor and pleasure.
And in every month of pregnancy she saw one of the prophets, the ones who endured difficulties and hardships,
Who would deliver her another good sign so that she was completely reassured.
So it is that he and his perfections are the good signs that fulfill our deepest desires.
And congratulations to us and to all of the other worlds because of his coming.
By Allah, it was one of the greatest times given to all of creation
Because of him, blessing and peace be upon him, the roots leading to al-Haqq became clear;
While the roots leading to misguidance became weakened to the point of disappearing.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 6
When the month of his birth, the greatest gift from the King, the Truth, came
Amina felt the first pains of labor, though almost nothing compared to those felt by other women,
While scented breezes wafted round her.
Thus the bushrah increased as the appearance of the one who would illuminate the entire world approached.
On the night of his birth hur al-‘iyn (from paradise)
And also Asiya and Maryam bint Imran visited.
Sunday night (the night preceding Monday), with birth pains increasing, he was born at dawn (Monday morning), thus completing the term of pregnancy perfectly:
Such a beautiful night, adorned with lights, secrets, wisdom, mercy, gentleness, and pardon.
With her was Um al-Uthman bin Abi al-As, the lucky one
And as-Shafa Um abdur Rahman ibn Auf, Sayyid Ahl Shukran.
The labor pains had increased and she had given birth to him, salla llah alayhi wa salam, . . . (the line ends after the poem)
(After mentioning his birth, the following greeting is recited):
Welcome al-Mustafa at our place
Welcome, welcome
O beautiful one, who appeared in the sun of sublimity
Whose light filled the heavens, filled the heavens
The pure, O how pure the friend of Allah, O how pure!
Whose ascension to the heavens reached the pinnacle
The wali, the Exalted’s secret, the Exalted’s secret
Manifested in the heights and became very clear
His Lutf took the minds and the hearts of all mankind
He includes all beauty and even makes it more beautiful
The water from his mouth cured the sick, cured the sick
His nose is like the sword, but sharper than the sword
His knowledge, all other knowledges are from it, all knowledge is from it
Like springs which are filled from the seas (endless)
His face is greater than the moon, greater than the moon
His forbearance, and his forbearance is quite sufficient, O listener
His eyes can shoot shoot the ghazal, shoot the ghazal
O my God, from arrows of Tubla which never miss (a people who are well known for their accuracy; i.e., whenever his eyes fell upon someone they would fall in love with him)
His spit is like wine, like wine
May I drink from it be as soon as possible
He appears to me saying: O Mirghani, O Mirghani
Take what you want, your hand and your wine (meaning, take the divine secrets)
Find my intention, my true intention, O young man
May my wish, my want, and Allah’s blessings
Reach Taha, al-Mustafa, al-Mustafa,
And his good Companions.
. . . And he was born circumcised, by Allah’s hikmah,
Looking up toward the heavens. Thus we ask you, O Allah, to cover us in this world and next.
His mother related that at the moment of his birth, there were illuminations from the unseen. (Between the East and West, the Heavens and the Earth, she saw men carrying pitchers made of silver and gold.)
With him emerged a brilliance that reached the horizons.
Um Uthman said that the stars approached and, at the moment of his birth, she saw only the lights
That illuminated the seen worlds.
Um Abd al-Rahman said: “When he fell into my hands he raised his voice repeating salat wa salam many times.
“And I heard someone saying, ‘May Allah have mercy on you (O Prophet of Allah)!’” So congradulations to her (Amina) because of this event.
For her, Allah illuminated what is between the East and West with His great lights
Until she saw the palaces in Sham and Persia.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 7
As for the wonders that came to pass on the night of his birth, salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam,
Testifying to his special and great status with the Haqq and to the status of the place (where he was born),
Like the shaking of the great palace of Kisra
Of the famous Anoshurwan (Persian king);
If you thought about it and you possessed vision and piercing insight,
In its signs, the destruction of the calling to vanity and falsehood would be seen;
Likewise, in the drying up of the lake known as Tabariya (near Persia);
In these are shining signs and proof of the Haqq.
Even more amazing, if you think carefully about it, is the extinction of the Persian fire;
Strange that someone would hear this and not believe, there is no greater loser than him.
According to authentic tradition, burning continuously for one thousand years, it was lit in the Jahiliya to be worshipped;
When he, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, appeared those fires just went out,
The idols were turned over on their heads with the appearance of the millat of the Hanafis;
Their worship was discredited and spread in all the East and West.
Then the angels carried him and roamed with him about the lands,
His great baraka spreading over all the valleys.
It was said, thus did the angels circle the higher realms with him
To obtain what the lands had obtained of pride.
The sky, on the night of his birth, became adorned, all the creatures rejoiced;
And how could they not, for from his light the Merciful created them,
Without doubt, the beauty (hidaya) spread through the Earth, O Distinguished Ones.
And she had the right to be adorned in joy, if you would understand;
Because so many khayrat appeared on her because of his birth which did not appear in other worlds;
Worthy of pride, especially the two places:
Where he was born and brought up and received the revelation, Makkah;
And where he was buried; would that I were that earth which gained the two prides (of the dunya and akhira).
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 8
He, with his mother, grew, but she was soon to depart;
And his father had died before her, as verified by the two men of honor (ibn Katheer and Waqidi).
He, the Perfect, whose care is infinite, was with him, guiding and protecting.
After a number of women (wetnurses) refused to care for him.
Then appeared the one who possessed complete good fortune and luck, Sayyidatuna Halima al-Sa‘diya.
O what happiness, her felicity was above all mankind and jinn.
The baraka she obtained, she told about, in the places around Makka.
For example, she had a sheep that suddenly gave abundant milk when before it had none;
And her herd, which had been infertile and with little benefit, suddenly became fertile and full of benefit;
And they increased with what the Hanan put into them.
With unusual quickness he (i.e., the Prophet) grew into young manhood, one of the wonders told by the honest and good people.
(All these) are signs of the great care of the Most Caring because he was an orphan.
Read the secrets in Surat al-Dhuha from the Merciful, the Generous:
Protected, guided, made self-sufficient; and it had happened.
In his good upbringing and cleanliness even when very young, there was always politeness and good manners.
In the morning, he would awake with a natural shine as if having been rubbed with oil, and around his eyes natural kohol, all care from the Rahman.
From childhood, the barakah of salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam was easily visible and well-known concerning food.
It was such that when he ate with his uncle Abu Talib and his family, they would quickly become satisfied;
But when he was absent that barakah disappeared, and not all would be satisfied.
Thus the greatness of his status cannot be described.
Now get prepared to empty yourself of everything but love for his growth, kept (from the influence of Shaytan).
Turn in the direction of the love descending toward him secretly and openly.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 9
With Halima, when he and his brother tended the above mentioned sheep,
Clouds shaded him, something known to be true at other places.
One day, while tending the sheep, a group of angels came:
Said to be three, while others said, no, they were two.
In the hand of one of them was a glittering golden washbasin full of ice, in this there is no doubt.
Opening his noble chest, they removed his heart.
Opening his heart, they threw from it a black spot, thereby purifying (him from the influence of Shaytan)
With the ice they washed its inside, leaving it immaculate.
Sealing it with light, they then filled it with wisdom and faith
Jibril, witnessing the haqq, then said, “A strong heart (able to bear divine secrets)
“So now he is strong with eyes that can see.”
When they turned to leave he saw them clearly.
Now he had ears that could hear what was happening, as has been authenticated.
One angel said, “Weigh him against ten of his good ummah.”
He was weighed and he equaled more than ten.
“How farfetched! The two worlds balanced against him?” (said another angel).
“Then weigh him against a hundred of his ummah”
Weighed, he was heavier than them, as authenticated by the two good ones (the ‘alims al-Darimi and Abu Na‘im).
Then he said, “Weigh him with a thousand, thus will Allah’s and His creation’s witnessing be complete.”
Again weighed, he was heavier. So he said to his companion, “If you weighed him with all of his ummah he would be heavier in the scale.”
They then embraced him, kissed his head, and said, “You will never be afraid, O Sayyid of all the Prophets and Messengers!
“If you know what goodness and guidance is meant for you.
“By Allah, you will be at ease without worry.”
He was endowed with a power that enabled him to ascend to the other worlds.
Then the angels said to him, “How Allah has honored you, O best of earthly dwellers!
“Surely, Allah and His angels are with you. You need not fear. Now you are protected from error.”
He remained thus while growing, being called al-Amin for his natural trustworthiness
Then, at twenty-five, he married Khadija, who would be promised a palace in Paradise
During his trip to Sham for trade, a group of angels, free from error, gave him shade;
Upon his approach, Khadija and other women saw two angels giving him shade.
She told this to Maysira, whereupon, he told her he had seen this throughout their trip to Sham.
O you who are on a great affair, the Messenger of the King and Giver of the Din!
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 10
Then he began to worship in a cave, full of khayr, in the mountain of Hira,
Sharing his time between the Cave and his family.
The Angel (Jibril) came to him, saying, “Read!” But he said, “I cannot read.” Then the Angel embraced him with forebearance (to strengthen his soul to receive the revelation).
Again the Angel asked him to read and again he said he couldn’t read; and the Angel embraced him as counselor.
The Angel then said, “Iqra bismi rabika al-ladhi khalaq,” thus beginning the revelation for the hadrat al-mahmudiyya.
From then on the affair continued at its (appointed) times until the revelation of the Qur’an was complete.
A year, according to the most correct references, before he emigrated to Yathrib,
Jibril came and made the night journey with him to the Bayt al-Maqdis, as has been authenticated by the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim).
Jibril came with the Buraq (one of the animals of the Jannah) bridled, but difficult to ride, untamed.
Jibril said to it, “No other than the noblest slave of Allah, Muhammad ibn Adnan, salla Allah alayhi wa sallam, has come to mount you.
After reaching the Bayt al-Maqdis, leading the prophets in prayer, and drinking the milk drink (having chosen between water, wine, or milk), he ascended with him to the heavens.
In the first heaven he met Adam, and in the second the two cousins, Yahya and ‘Isa, the blameless and unblemished (i.e., free of physical desires and unwed).
In the third heaven he found Yusuf, renown in beauty, who captivated Zulayka.
In the fourth heaven, Idris, the one about whom Allah said in the Qur’an, “We have raised him to a high place.”
In the fifth heaven, Harun, and in the sixth, Musa, who returned him to Allah to reduce the required prayers,
Whereupon the number of prayers was changed from fifty to three in the day and two at night.
In the seventh heaven he met Ibrahim, leaning against the Bayt al-Ma‘mur (Ka‘bah) effulgent with lights,
Entered daily by 70,000 angels in number,
Who, when they leave, don’t return until the yawl-qiyama, suddenly!
How high is this maqam, the Khalil of the Rahman!
Salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam continued to ascend to the Sidra al-Muntaha (the Lote Tree of the Furthest Limit) until he reached the Hadrat al-Arshiya (the presence of Allah).
Above the veils, he talked to his Master and saw Him, as Ibn Abbas relates, even with his eyes.
He returned, and all that happened was just a part of the night. How celebrated are these miracles!
He informed Quraysh, the unjust; but, disappointed, he was not believed.
He had brought signs; he told them of the caravan which he had seen.
But al-Siddiq believed him, for Allah had prepared him for this; so wake up! O you who are sleeping.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
This poem, written by Sayyidi Muhammad Sir al-Khatim, is similar to one written by Ibn al-Arabi (Allah be pleased with them):
Allah’s prayers be upon you, O best who made the night journey
O best dispatched, and noble messenger (repeated every two stanzas).
Have you not seen that Allah took his slave on the night journey,
Body and soul, to express His utmost in giving,
From the Ka’bah, the Supreme, whose light has spread
From the Nearest Mosque to the Aqsa Mosque,
Where he ascended the seven heavens, intending
To see the chosen ones, the selected ones, the dear ones to Allah,
Then to expanses that Allah has raised even higher,
To the Bayt al-Ma’mur with the exalted assembly of angels,
To the sublime Lote Tree and His well-protected Kursi
A place drawing nearer, becoming clearer as the end approaches,
To the higher manifest horizon, to undifferentiated particularization,
To His Most Radiant Arsh, to the most beautiful level,
To the spendour of the Countenance until it disperses
Manifesting His names in their most beautiful forms
Overflowing in endless illumination,
Removing the clouds of blindness from his wide eyes.
Then, held suspended upon the decree, he drew near
To His purest world and drinking place,
Ascending with the help (of Allah) the degrees of closeness,
Two bows’ length or closer.
The universe had not the eyes to penetrate
Nor the ears to hear (what he saw and heard) even if it had sought assistance.
From the divine presence, He was provided with all good qualities, one after another
To observe what Allah had given him to drink at the sweet drinking place (so that he would be ready for the sacred event).
He spoke to him with the familiar voice of his freeman (Abu Bakr)
So that his desire for intimacy of speech be strengthened.
And from behind the veil of Magnificence came the call:
“Stop!” And the Lord of the Throne, glory be to Him, made salawat upon the Prophet (perhaps referring to the ayat: Inna Allaha wa al-Malaa’ikatahu yusalluna ‘ala al-Nabi yaa ayuhal ladhina aaminu sallu alayhi wa sallimu taslima).
Disturbed by being addressed in this manner, he said,
“Is Our Master bound by His infiniteness? He is the Most Majestic.
He is the Samad, the Rahman, and the Lord, yet
I hear recited what my God is praying.
And He removed the veil of knowledge from the eye of his heart.
He saw His essence at the degree of the great qibla.
The five (prayers) flowed over us like a banquet at the encounter
He revealed the unseen to him that which He revealed
So he could see with his eyes what mankind could not.
Beauty appeared guarded and hidden.
So He made him deserving of being the intercessor (al-shifa‘).
The Rahman strengthened him with the ‘urwat al-wuthqa (the divine support)
So He found him eager to see his Lord’s face,
Wishing to return to his luminous world (from which he originated).
Allah, the Most Generous, appeared to him in form.
The Rahman honored him with the manifest appearance.
Before this He had prepared his heart to witness
For the future in which He would give him the ayat al-kubra (greatest sign).
And he saw Jibril, the Amin, as he really is
Before this, while he was in intimate converse at the cave of Hira.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 11
With patience, salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam endured the filthy deeds of the unbelievers.
But out of the perfection of his character, he called upon Allah to lead them to guidance.
And Allah lead some of them through His care; and Allah ordered him to make hijra.
So he and the Siddiq left; and they hid themselves in the cave of Thawr while the unbelievers searched to kill them. (Thawr is known to be on Jabl Nur, Mountain of Light.)
They came to the cave, but Allah had ordered the pigeon and the spider to weave at the mouth of that protected cave.
Abu Bakr said, “Here they are!” But the one whom Allah had filled his heart with ease and reassurance said,
“O Abu Bakr, what do you think about two and Allah is the third for them?” Then Allah sent them His sakina and help.
They moved on toward Madina; on the way, Suraqa caught up with them, but his horse’s legs sank in the sand so he called out for help.
The Prophet, salla Allahu ‘alayhi was sallam, released him and he returned (to the Quraish) but directed the Kuffar away from the Prophet, salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, who was then able to enter the sacred dwelling places.
He dismounted among the dwellings of his mother’s uncles, the Bani al-Najjar, those who stood their ground in danger.
He built the mosque and prepared the army, he and the circle of companions.
He established the Din then met his Lord in a state of perfection.
The Angel of Death, who had never asked for permission from any previous prophet, asked permission [from the Prophet before he took his life].
He gave him permission, the greatest disaster for us, but we leave the judgment to the Munificent (the Mannan).
Salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was buried in the room of ‘A’isha, his wife, on whom the ayat tabri’iya came. (These verses, in Sura al-Nur, freed her from the accusations of unfaithfulness.)
At his feet would be buried Abu Bakr al-Saddiq and ‘Umar al-Faruq.
The angels prayed upon him and honored his family with al-Khidr, possessing knowledges from Allah’s presence.
The men, women, and children prayed upon him according to the instructions he left behind.
And his millah spread throughout the earth, near and far;
Nothing in the worlds has been denied from his mercy and blessing.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 12
As for the outward appearance salla Allah alayhi wa sallam,
Truly, he was
Stately, held in honor by others, with a face like the circular moon.
Above average in height, but shorter than tall, his height stood out.
His head was large but suitable, his color was white mixed with red, and his face was wide with long and thin eyebrows that were unconnected.
His hair never reached his earlobes and it was neither curly nor straight.
Between his eyebrows was a vein that appeared when he got angry.
His nose, an adornment to his face, was pointed a little upwards.
His beard was thick, and his cheeks a bit raised.
His beauty was natural; the pupils of his eyes were very black.
His mouth was wide, and when he talked he used all of his mouth.
He had a mustache, and it has been proven that between his front teeth was a small gap.
He had fine hair from below his chest to his navel.
His neck was beautiful like ivory and pure like silver.
His body was properly proportioned and gave off the fragrance of musk.
His stomach was flat, his chest was without hair, and his shoulders were wide.
[B]He has Large joints
There is hair on the shoulders and the upper parts of the chest, and on the arms
His breasts are without hair, as has been authenticated by the book, as-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyya, a book written by Imam at-Tirmidhi
His arms are long, his palm of his hand and the soal of his foot is wide, full and soft
The muscles of his body are smooth and even, he always looked down, and his looks are beautiful
If water is poured on his feet it spreads, if he laughs his sparkled teeth pure and white like hail stones
These hails which are so popular
He looked to the earth more than to the sky, most of the time he would only glance, and he would always walk behind his companions.
Always cheerful, and he was always the first to greet someone with a salam; and when he walked it was as if he was descending a slope, such was spiritual nature.
Always thinking, he was silent for long periods of time; sad, dwelling long in fear of Allah.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 13
As for the character of salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, it is not humanly possible to describe.
Let us get baraka by mentioning a few of his good qualities as we have done with his outward beauty
So we say, he was created with a character, pure in nature, and he ordered us to to mold ourselves according to it, and thus be rescued.
We say, salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was Ra’uf and Rahim, merciful even to unbelievers.
This mercy is for all mankind, particularly his umma, the people of the exalted paradise.
He possessed the highest knowledge, gnosis, unveiling, deen, forebearance,
Infinite patience, thankfulness, and modesty at all times.
He was realized in hope and fear of Allah, abstinence, and scrupulousness in this life.
His maqam required that he have no purpose except to serve the Hannan
He is known for the following good qualities: humility, being forgiving, generosity, courage, valor (chivalry), chastity,
Being satisfied, and just, especially when angry -- the greatest witnesses to his character;
The highest degree of silence, always deliberate (not impulsive), dignified, wonderfully polite;
Cleanliness, possessing a sense of humor, among the great things that are useful.
His relationship with his family is characterized by goodness and mercy, and also with his companions.
His character made one feel awe and respect but without fear.
He is known for Repentance, returning to Allah, fasting, superogatory prayers, generosity, friendliness (wud), hating for the Hannan,
Greatness in pardoning those who offended him
And now we are ending this supplication filled with hope
Because we cannot exhaust all of his good qualities
Let us now reign in our horse.
May Allah be pleased with his companions, especially Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘Ali and the rest of the companions and his family.
Especially Fatima, Hasan, Husain and the rest of the family and those who followed them in goodness.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Chapter 14
Then raise your hands, O assembly of those present and listening, towards the lofty qiblah of supplications (i.e., the heavens)
Surely, a du‘a made at this point will be accepted.
O Allah, we praise and give thanks to You as is appropriate, O He with whom is the sublime qualities.
We ask You Allah by Your essence and Your qualities and Your asma al-husna.
We ask You to bless and grant peace upon Sayyiduna Muhammad by the measure of Your greatness,
And upon his family, his companions, and all his intimate friends.
We ask by Your great and greatest name, and Your greatest acceptance, with its great lights.
And we ask you by Your pure, kind, blessed name, O Hannan,
Which if you are called by that name you respond; and if you are asked by it You give the greatest gift.
If one asks You for mercy You give mercy; and You are the one who possesses rahmah, O Rahman.
And if You are asked for relief in a stressful situation, You give relief and relieve us from this constriction and stress.
And take our hands to what we intend, O Wide Giver!
Provide us with causes that can remove us from these bad conditions;
And to take us to the presence of generosity and abundance.
Place us among those who have shafa’a (intersession) of Your prophet, Sayyiduna and Mawlana Muhammad, salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, for all the ummah and the chosen ones.
Provide us with being in his neighborhood in the highest paradise.
Give us pleasure in our hearing, seeing, and physical strength.
Protect us from leprosy, deseases, and madness.
We seek refuge with You from all bodily defects, from and catastrophe and earthquake, from hardship, false opinions,
Lowliness, and the wish to have the upper hand, from being needy, hungry and thirsty, from the deviousness of others, from the words, actions, or situations that give others a low opinion of us,
From poverty, having nothing, being in need of others, from straightenness, plague, affliction, drowning, burning, and fitna in din and dunya, from the valueless, from high and low temperatures, from theft, robbery, going astray and insisting upon it, from accusations, deviation from the truth, tyranny,
From worry, anxiety, making mistakes, physical abnormalities, being accused of fahisha, from earthquake, sickness, poison, the spread of scandal,
From death, bereavement, punishment, torture, disobedience to Allah, something bad in both dunya and ikhra.
We seek refuge with Allah from istidraj and its punishment, injustice (whether we do it or is done to us), magic, envy, treachery, plotting evil,
Enmity, insults, deception, expressing joy over someone’s misfortune, decease, slander.
We ask Allah for pardon, guidance, fear of Allah, the kind attention and care of Allah, scrupulousness, zuhd, tawakkul, acceptance, ease and kindness, perfection, majesty, beauty, istiqama on the way of Muhammad (shari‘a)
We ask you Allah, to fulfill everyone’s wishes, O the best who gives when he is asked.
We ask you and come to You through the help of Your Prophet, Sayyiduna Mawlana, the Prophet of mercy.
O Master Muhammad, O Ahmad, O Abu al-Qasim, O Messenger of Allah (3 times); We direct ourselves to Allah through you to have our wishes fulfilled.
O Allah, by the intercession of the Prophet for us, by his rank, O Sultan (3 times)
We ask Allah for protection, safe-keeping, divine secrets, goodness in this world and the next, the unveiling of secrets, blessings, righteousness, forgiveness, in this life and the next.
Do not expose us in scandals, O Allah, among the servants of Allah, not in this world nor in the next, O the One who is known for keeping secrets.
O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya
And forgive us what might be and what has been.
Footnote on page 71
This is the hadith that is referred to in footnote 3 on page 14. Hadith Jabir is a long hadith narrated by ‘Abd al-Razaq ibn ‘Umar. Its chain of narrators leads back to Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
I said, “O Messenger of Allah, by my father and mother, tell me about the first thing that Allah has created before anything else.” He said, “O Jabir, surely Allah, the Exalted, created, before the things [of this world], the light of your Prophet from His light. By the power He made this light circulate wherever He wished. At this time the Tablet, the Pen, the Garden, the Fire, Angels, the Heavens, the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, Jinn, and Mankind were nonexistent. When Allah wished to create the creation, He divided that light into four parts . . .” .
P73
The following are dhikrs selected by Mawlana al-Qutb al-Sayyid al-Hasan al-Mirghani (may Allah sanctify his secrets, and raise us with his blessing, amen) to be read after the finish of the Mawlid:
There is no god except Allah, the Protection, the Protection; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the Authority, the Authority (10 times; drawing out the pronunciation each time).
There is no god except Allah (50 times).
No one is to be worshipped except Allah (50 times).
There is no existence except Allah (50 times).
There is nothing in the dominion except Allah (50 times; i.e., except the traces of Allah)
He is Allah (100 times).
O Living, O Self-Existing (174 times).
Then recite the poem “Allah Jalla Allah” and then whatever you are able to read from the poems praising the Prophet. Then read from al-Buraq. Then seal the Mawlid by reading from the Qur’an whatever is easy for you.
Jalla Allahu
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
Allah is the Lord, always giving
Allah stands alone, with no second
Allah, the one who is kind and forgiving
Allah, distributing and having authority
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
Allah, O Hannan, O Mannan
Allah, O Giver of the Deen, O Proof
Allah, O Forgiver, O Compassionate
Allah, O Vanquisher, O Powerful
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
Allah, O Holy, O Protected
Allah, O Opener, O Compeller
Allah, O Provider, O Forgiver
Allah, O Granter, O Vanquisher
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
Allah, O Allah, O Allah
Allah, O He who we have no other Him
Allah, O He to whom we approach
Allah, O He whose face is our cure
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
Allah, O Generous and bestower of honor
Provide us with honor and perfection
Open for us with overflowing generosity and dignity
Quickly open for us
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
He who is perfect and most-generous
Most-giving, most-kind, and open-handed
The One possessing all honor, dignity, and greatness
Provide us, O Lord, O All-knowing
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
You are the One Lord, with the ability to save
To give, to be benevolent, whether seen or unseen
Provide us with generosity and benevolence
Protect us from neglect and injustice
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him
Allah, Allah gives blessings, Allah gives blessings
To al-Mustafa, al-Mukhtar, in his purity
And his family, his accepted companions
Whenever dhikr Allah is said, how sweet it is.
Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is Great
Allah is One, nothing is like Him