Poem of Tawassul and Praise
by Sh. G. F. Haddad
Sultan ʿAbd al-Hamid's poem in praise of the Prophet upon him blessings
and peace was engraved in the year 1191 (1777 C.E.) on the walls of the
Prophet's hujra in his mosque in Madina. The possessors of specious adab
with the Prophet upon him blessings and peace covered up several of the
verses with paint so that they could not be read, sparing what suited
them, but the poem has been preserved in other ways. It can be found in
the book of our late teacher Shaykh al-Islam fil-Balad al-Haram
al-Sharif al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn ʿAlawi al-Maliki titled Shifa' al-Fu'ad
bi-Ziyarati Khayr al-ʿIbad (Healing the heart with the visitation of the
best of Allah's servants) (Dubai: Da'irat al-awqaf, n.d.) p. 203. Here
is the text in full, with an asterisk indicating each verse that was
painted over:
1.* ya sayyidi ya rasulallahi khudh bi yadi
ma li siwaka wa la alwi ʿala ahadi
O my master, O Messenger of Allah, take my hand:
I have none besides you, nor will I pause to rely on anyone but you.
2.* fa anta nur al-huda fi kulli ka'inatin
wa anta sirru al-nada ya khayra muʿtamadi
For you are the light of guidance in everything that exists
and you are the secret of munificence and the best reliance.
3.* wa anta haqqan ghiyathu al-khalqi ajmaʿihim
wa anta hadi al-wara lillahi dhi al-madadi
And you are in truth the helper of all creation,
and you are the guide of mortals to Allah, Owner of help.
4. ya man yaqumu maqam al-hamdi munfaridan
li al-wahidi al-fardi lam yulad wa lam yalid
O you who stand on the Station of Praise, singled out
by the One Who is Single, Who is not begotten and does not beget.
5. ya man tafajjarat al-anharu nabiʿatan
min isbaʿayhi fa rawwa al-jaysha dha al-ʿadadi
O you from whose fingers rivers burst forth
so that he quenched the thirst of the numerous army.
6.* inni idha samani daymun yurawwiʿuni
aqulu ya sayyida al-sadati ya sanadi
Verily, if I am faced with harm and fearful injustice
I say: O Master of masters, O my support!
7.* kun li shafiʿan ila al-rahmani min zalali
wamnun ʿalayya bi ma la kana fi khaladi
Be my intercessor with the Merciful regarding my mistakes
and grace me with what eludes my heart.
8.* wanzur bi ʿayn al-rida li da'iman abadan
wastur bi fadlika taqsiri mada al-amadi
And look upon me always and ever with kind eyes,
and cover with your favor my shortcomings all my life.
9.* waʿtuf ʿalayya bi ʿafwin minka yashmuluni
fa innani ʿanka ya mawlaya lam uhaddi
Kindly bestow on me encompassing forgiveness
for from you, O my master, I was never separated.
10.* inni tawassaltu bi al-mukhtari ashrafi man
raqa al-samawati sirri al-wahid al-ahadi
I have sought as my means the elect one, the noblest of any
that ascended the heavens, the secret of the Unique One ?
11. rabbu al-jamali taʿalallahu khaliquhu
fa mithlahu fi jamiʿ al-khalqi lam ajidi
O Lord of beauty! Exalted is Allah Who created him,
for such as him in all creation I have never seen ?
12. khayru al-khala'iqi aʿla al-mursalina dhuran
dhukhru al-anami wa hadihim ila al-rashadi
The best of creatures, the apex of Messengers,
the treasure of humankind and their guide to integrity!
13.* bihi iltaja'tu laʿallallaha yaghfiru li
hadha al-ladhi huwa fi zhanni wa muʿtaqadi
In him I have taken refuge: perhaps Allah will forgive me.
This is what I count on and firmly believe.
14. fa madhuhu lam yazal da'bi mada ʿumri
wa hubbuhu ʿinda rabbi al-ʿarshi mustanadi
Therefore his tireless praise shall never cease to be my task
and love of him sustains me in the presence of the Lord of the Throne.
15. ʿalayhi azka salatin lam tazal abadan
maʿ al-salami bila hasrin wa la ʿadadi
Upon him the purest of endless blessings without cease
together with greetings that cannot be stemmed nor counted
16. wal-ali wal-sahbi ahli al-majdi qatibatin
bahri al-samahi wa ahl al-judi wal-madadi
And upon his Family and Companions, a glorious folk all,
The ocean of forgiveness, the people of generosity and aid!
Blessings and peace on the Prophet, his Family, and his Companions.
GF Haddad
Thu Apr 14, 2005
