The one who remembers [1] is the one who is remembered [2].

Praise be to Allah alone. Ibn al-‘Abbār said: Indeed, whoever is not acting according to his station, * The clear word after despair of relief. To you is the glad tiding, so cast off what is upon you, for * I have mentioned, then upon what remains of crookedness. Increase me, through the excess of love for You, in bewilderment, * And have mercy on a heart, through its subtleties, ... at dawn. And when I ask You to see You in reality, * Then be generous, and do not place Your love in one whom you will not see. O my heart, you promised me in His love * Patience, so beware of being straitened and vexed. ¹ In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. And may Allah bless our master and lord Muḥammad, and his family and companions, and grant them peace abundantly. Praise be to Allah, who unveiled the brides of His beautiful attributes upon the luminous and beautiful essence of His Beloved, and raised for him the banner of glory and praise in the stations of proximity and the highest abode, so that the supreme honor might be completed for him in the station of “two bow-lengths or nearer” ². Thus he soared above every heaven, descended and drew near, and made holy union his constant habit, until he heard the call: “Stretch out, O Aḥmad, your hand for the call. I am the Most High, the Most Exalted, and you are the most beloved Beloved. There is none here but you and I. This is the hand of My gentleness; I have placed it between your shoulders, so that you may attain from the gifts of My sciences what the minds of the intelligent have failed to comprehend of their meanings, and the inhabitants of the Throne and the people of the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary have fallen short of grasping their realities. Take, O Aḥmad, the robes of My adornment, to wear in My presence before My eye. Drink, O Aḥmad, the cup of the purity of My most delightful love, adorned from the spring of life and Tasnīm ³ of the most beautiful paradises. Wrap yourself, O Aḥmad, in the sash of My beauty. Be adorned, O Aḥmad, with the descriptions of My perfection. Wear the turban, O Aḥmad, of the bliss of My qualities. Stand, O Aḥmad, at ‘Arafa of My union. Circumambulate, O Aḥmad, the Ka‘ba of My connection. Hold fast, O Aḥmad, to the knots of My majesty. Frolic, O Aḥmad, in the garden of My grace, My highness, and My favors. Delight, O Aḥmad, in the beauty of My essence and My splendor. Be adorned, O Aḥmad, with the jewels of My attributes and My names. Ascend, O Aḥmad, upon the throne of My majesty and the Throne of My establishment. Seclude yourself, O Aḥmad, in the sanctuary of My might and My shelter. Sleep, O Aḥmad, in the cave of My protection and the shadow of My banner. Prostrate, O Aḥmad, and draw near in the station of closeness and connection. Be comforted, O Aḥmad, with what I have granted you of the greatest excellences and the noblest traits. Sit, O Aḥmad, upon the throne of joy and happiness, for I am independent of sitting upon thrones. Be content, O you whom majesty has astonished and delighted, and upon whom beauty has manifested, making him joyful and happy, and for whom I have spread the carpet of honor upon the shoulder of veneration and goodness. Raise, O Aḥmad, the curtains of My veiled ones and the folds of the brides of My mysteries. Let your gaze roam in the wonders of My dominion and My great signs. For I have not created a creature more noble to Me than you, nor have I brought near any near one except that he follows you and relates from you. All the prophets were unable to reach the carpet of “Then he drew near and descended” ⁴, nor did they inhale a breath from the gardens of the station of “two bow-lengths or nearer” ⁵, nor was it said to any of them: “Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings” ⁶. So you are the supreme intermediary, the most protected refuge, and to you belongs the highest station and the most exalted honor. I have praised you in My Book, unveiled for you the guarded veil of My secret, combined for you between seeing Me and addressing Me, made you the most noble of My chosen ones and the most honorable of those who have entered My presence and stood at My door, and informed about you in pre-eternity that you are the best of My prophets and the dearest of My beloved. I completed through the Night Journey your lofty and connected honor, and preferred over all the prophets and messengers your honored bride. I spread in the highest assembly the banner of your praise and your magnificent and eternal glory. I placed upon your crown a crown that was never fashioned for any of the people of My love and affection, and I inscribed upon it: “Glory be to Him who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque” ⁷, the pure and preferred. So you are the one specially distinguished by the perfection of election and love, and the one upon whom the garment of divine pleasure was bestowed in the station of closeness and proximity. I called you: “Draw near to Me, My beloved, for you are the first letter written in the register of the prophets, the greatest line inscribed in the charter of the beloved and the chosen, and the most precious form traced on the tablet of the great righteous and the pious.” How many minds have journeyed in the fields of the hidden realms of pre-eternity to witness the beauty of My divine essence, and how many thoughts have flown in the space of My majestic presences to behold the lights of My ancient and eternal attributes! Yet they found no way to what they sought, nor saw any guide to what they yearned for. I have singled you out for this in the station of “two bow-lengths or nearer,” and confided it to you on the carpet of “Then He revealed to His servant what He revealed” ⁸, and disclosed it to you in the field of “Indeed, he saw of the greatest signs of his Lord” ⁹. Delight, My beloved, in My union and My manifestation, * And in My connection and My intimacy in the enclosure of My solitude. Take your purest cup, full of purity, * With the wine of My attributes, which intoxicated the spirit of My chosen one. Here is the sash of love, O most noble of creation, * Wear before My eye the sash of My love. Take the robes of nearness, intimacy, and meeting, * By your right, these are the most noble of robes. Adorn yourself, if you wish, with the garments that * Have been exalted and adorned by you when they manifested. With the jewelry of My beauty they are adorned, and from other than * My beloved, from all of creation, they have disengaged. Let your glances roam through all the worlds * To witness what is guided to you by invitation. There is nothing in them to fill the eye and the mind * Except the beauty of My face in witnessing and seeing Me. You have no sufficiency in them other than My essence * And the coloring of the fruits of attributes in My presence. My greatest grace upon you I have confined, * And in you the fruits of My mercy have ripened. At your door comes everyone who seeks from them * A portion; otherwise, they attain not the worth of an atom. Upon you be ever-increasing prayers, * And the purest peace, then the most excellent greeting. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved crowned with the crown of obedience and piety, Your chosen one purified from the accidents of doubts and false claims ¹⁰, Your prophet whose side is protected from soulful desires in secret and whispered counsel, Your noble one for whom You multiplied lights in Your highest dominion on the night of his Night Journey to the carpet of Your most sublime secret, so that the pupils of the persons of the towers of light were dazzled by the radiance of his Aḥmadī splendor, and were overwhelmed...

The eyes of the inhabitants of the highest plane ¹¹ behold the lights of his Muhammadan countenance, and it was said to the people of the most exalted gardens of holiness ¹²: "Acquire from the radiance reserved for the station of Qāba Qawsayn aw Adnā ¹³, for you are under the protection of his pure and lofty covenant, and beneath the shade of his chosen prophetic tree." The celestial sun was veiled by the appearance of his earthly sun, the bright stars hid in shame from the brilliance of his beautiful and radiant countenance, and the meteors were extinguished by the shining of the lamp of his divinely-bestowed and innate sciences ¹⁴, and the rising lights of his holy and unseen gnostic knowledge. The great angels of the most noble station came to receive from him the account of what he heard from their Lord and narrated, and they followed what He swore concerning him in His words: "By the star when it falls, your companion has not strayed nor erred, nor does he speak from desire; it is but revelation revealed, taught to him by the Mighty in Power" ¹⁵ (Quran 53:1-5). So bless him, O Allah, and his family, with a blessing by which You accept from us supplication and complaint, and by which You ward off from us the adversities of afflictions and trials, and by which You suffice us against the evil of the incitements of the soul commanding to evil and whims, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. A confidant in the interior of the Throne, you stood honored, * The All-Knowing calls you in that station. Muhammad, your station is praised with us, * To him belongs glory enduring and praise perpetual. We granted you love such as We granted no messenger, * So you are generous before the Generous Lord. You are established with Us, so proclaim Our command, * The Decree has been executed, the Wise Judge. We abrogated religions through you; had Our messengers come, * Jesus and Moses would have come as followers. Glorious, to the glorious Throne he ascended, * And it was said, narrated, that he is truly great. His companion Gabriel, until he reached * A sea of light in which he could not swim. He filled his heart with awe and called: "Muhammad, * Advance, that the All-Knowing may reveal what He wills." My station is known, and you are Ahmad, * And from your Lord sciences appear. He walked alone, the veils raised before him, * And its angels hasten to him and stand. He walked upon the spheres, hastening to a Presence * Where Allah is the Cupbearer and the Wine is ancient ¹⁶. Lover and Beloved, and no third there, * And nearness and union with the Beloved endure. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the garden of amber and musk-scented fragrances, the lightning of Medina's flashes, the precious one of the Tihama and Najd soil ¹⁷, the secret of creation observed in Adam, the delight of the bright pearly stars, the emerald of precious stones and brilliant sapphires, the sweetness of pure remembrances and delicious tastes, the Ḥā of forbearance, tenderness, and angelic mercy, the Mīm of gifts, visions, and Merciful effusions, the Dāl of religion, guidance, and answered supplications of desire, the spirit of Truth breathing with the spirit of Gabriel into the frames of spiritual souls, the truthful tongue producing ¹⁸ by the secret of the measure the subtleties of bestowed sciences, the barzakh ¹⁹ of union and separation, appearing through the force of seclusion in the perceptions of intelligent minds, the secret of the word of wisdom and speech, attracting by the power of transcendence the aspirations of Thronal spirits, the seal of the book of eternities and everlastingness, the inner dimension of the sciences of intellectual and transmitted secrets, the subtlety of universal and particular subtleties, the unique pearl of inspirations and receptions, the leader ²⁰ of the spirits of the higher and lower realms, the hyle ²¹ of elements and natures, the essence of the persons of the hermitages of light and obedient souls, the belt ²² with the spirit of the apex of names and denominations, the sphere of manifestations of the lights of Majesty and Beauty, the Throne of the Mercy of the Essence, the Footstool of the meanings of Names and Attributes, the end of ends, the ultimate goal, the utmost lote-tree ²³, the canopy of the bed of mysteries, the festival of joys and delights, the desire of hearts and hidden consciences, the eye of the essences of secrets, the orator of the pulpits of the Presences, the manifest light in manifestations, the hidden secret in what is concealed, the love flowing in the innermost hearts and purified bodies, the speech of the knights of excellences and perfections, the tongue of humility, submission, supplication, and entreaties, the key to the symbols of the masters of flashes and allusions, the target of the eyes of the people of verification and expressions, the speaking faculty of the glad tidings: "Those messengers We favored some over others; among them are those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in degrees" (Quran 2:253). So bless him, O Allah, and his family, with a blessing by which You make us traverse the paths of salvation, and by which You protect us from soulful desires and the deviation of fluctuations, by Your grace and generosity ²⁴, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the beloved of the Most Generous Lord, the clear and luminous path of religion, the embroidery of the garment of wisdoms, the moon of the sphere of

The most complete sovereignty, the title of the manifest of everlasting might, the flood of the vast sea of generosity, the cave of the shadow of the most infallible prophethood, the ruby of the crown of the most magnificent message, the pupil of the eye of the most just Sharia, the secret of the greatest and most mighty name of God, the prophet of repentance, the most compassionate and kind to God's servants, the ascension ladder for the masters of states and stations, the mirror of witnessing for the people of vigilance, miracles, and wonders, the fountain of arrival for the people of forgiveness, tolerance, glad tidings, and signs, the rising place of the sun of gnosis and knowledge, the setting place of the sciences of realities and sainthood, the imam of emulation for the people of spiritual wayfaring and guidance, the lighthouse of guidance for the masters of states and attractions in the beginning and the end, the path of rectitude for the people of devotion and worship, the bearer of good news for the people of success and happiness, the heat of the fire of longing for the people of ecstasy, bewilderment, ecstatic utterances, and breaking of habits, the pole of the circle of the greatest encompassment, the center of the encompassing sphere of the highest, the breeze of the breath of the mercy of Lordship, the clay of the earth of guidance and servitude, the presence of the eternal secrets, the beauty of the exclusive theophanies, the station of proximity, arrival, and belovedness, the ḥā of mercies, the mīm of dominion, and the dāl of eternity, the pen of the inscription of the Furqanic revelation and the copy of the book of the Furqanic secret, the opener of the openers of the seven oft-repeated verses, and the second keys of the second one, the kingly, human, spiritual, Ṭā Hā, the ambassador of the unseen, the Eternal, Yā Sīn, the locus of manifestation of the lights of the One and the Unique, the Lordly, Kāf Hā Yā ʿAyn Ṣād, the descent of the jewels of revelation and the solitary secret, Alif Lām Mīm Ṣād, the place of descents and the light of ocular unveiling, Ḥā Mīm ʿAyn Sīn Qāf, observed with the eye of care in the processions of proximity and the scenes of joy and congratulations, Ṭā Sīn Mīm, immersed in the eye of the sea of Oneness, Ṭā Sīn, singled out in pre-eternity with election alone, and the beloved with whom his Master spoke intimately in the station of two bows' length and supported him, singled him out with the most honorable greetings and with the vision, and tied for him the banner of might and contentment, and congratulated him with His words: "And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied." And He perfumed with praise of him the corners of the kingdom and the dominion, and filled with his light the treasuries of mercy and omnipotence, and his herald called out in the worlds of spirits and bodies, and in the assemblies of the people of success and righteousness: O people of the Sharia and the Reality, masters of the Sunna and the Path, witnesses of the Truth over creation, this is the moon of the exalted assembly, this is the master of the exalted assembly, this is the treasure of wealth, this is the place of glory and praise, this is the pearl of the crown of the prophets, this is the elite of the righteous and the pious, come that you may look with the pupils of insight at his beauty, and remove the veils of covering to be blessed by his attributes and names, and to benefit from his intercession and the blessing of his supplication. So the prophets stood in rows behind him to follow the exaltedness of his rank and the greatness of his majesty, and to acknowledge the perfection of his honor and the might of his sovereignty, and to testify that he is the unique pearl of the necklace of the message, the embroidery of the brocade of the garment of pride and majesty, and to stand on the foot of truth and fairness, and to say with the tongue of submission and recognition: This is the master of nobles, the pearl of shells, the light chosen from pure loins and elegant wombs, the beloved described in Sūrat al-Aʿrāf. So, O God, bless him and his family with a blessing by which You adorn us with the most complete virtues and beautiful attributes, and send down upon us clouds of mercies and waves of kindness, and protect us by it from the assault of temporal calamities, and suffice us by it from the evil of what we fear and dread, by Your bounty and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. ❖ I journeyed to a distance of two bows from the highest holiness ❖ For two bows of gathering and separation, higher still ❖ And I returned to the unification of my gathering and separation ❖ By his highest path and his most glorious way ❖ So He made me absent from myself in the vision of His light ❖ And I knew not the last nor the first ❖ And I stood upon the style of His unification, and did not ❖ Forsake the path of the gnostics, the foremost ❖ I speak of Him with every subtlety ❖ Whose ideal reality has manifested to us from Him ❖ And He informs me of myself with every wondrous thing ❖ That has appeared to us from Him, dictated with proof ❖ He connects with me, and connection is a relation that has departed ❖ Whose form imaginations estimate in its judgment ❖ O you who understand the symbol of the masters, follow ❖ My path and hear what paths He has established for it. A wondrous opening, a strange style, a fertile garden, a fortunate lot, a spacious court, a noble pride, a kindred honor, a beloved prophet, a noble master, an eloquent imam, a sagacious hero, a wise physician, a spiritual, literary secret, a pious, God-fearing, sighing, penitent saint. "Victory from God and an imminent conquest." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the essence

The noble sovereignty, pure in origin and foundation, and the pole of generosity, luminous in sense and meaning, he whose Master, when He desired to elevate him to the highest station and distinguish him with direct speech and conversation in the station of "two bow-lengths or nearer" (qāba qawsayni aw adnā), God sent to him the most noble of His generous ones, the chiefs of His chosen ones and beloved ones, and the great ones of His near-stationed angels and His favored ones. They found him sleeping near al-Ḥaṭīm upon the couch of his most pleasant dominion, and they greeted him with the best of greetings and the most beautiful words. Gabriel called out to him: "Arise, O beloved, firmly established, O truthful, trustworthy Messenger, O beloved crowned with sincerity and certainty, that you may see what your Master has specially granted you in the presence of witnessing and designation, and has stored for you to the exclusion of all other prophets and messengers, and has prepared for you in the Abode of Honor and the highest 'Illiyyīn, and has gifted you with victory, support, and clear triumph. This is the time of attainment, not of sleep; the season of devotion and reverence, not the time of severance and separation. This is the cup of purity, the robe of fidelity; the time has become clear, separation has ceased, and the Master calls you to the presence of nearness and selection, and the carpet of specificity and choice." And He carried him upon the shoulder of benevolence and veneration, and regarded him with the eye of care and preference, and split open his noble, purified chest, and washed his pure, illuminated heart, and poured into it wisdom and faith, knowledge and forbearance, mercy and certainty, and sealed it with the most radiant seal of prophethood, just as one seals a vessel of precious perfume with ambergris and the most fragrant musk: Like a vessel of musk and ambergris, * of pearls, rubies, and jewels, Is the essence of the Beloved of God, the best of creation, * when sealed with the most luminous seal. The place of the seal exudes a fragrance * more intense than the most fragrant, pure musk, And the light from his essence rises high, * above the light of the shining crescent moon. Then they mounted him upon al-Burāq, whose dazzling light snatched away the sights, and he journeyed, piercing the seven heavens, while the full moon of his perfection increased in radiance and brilliance, until he reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (Sidrat al-Muntahā). Gabriel said to him: "This is the utmost limit of my knowledge." Then he was thrust into the Light with a single thrust, and he pierced through the veils as God alone willed, until he reached the presence of his Lord and attained the station of intimate conversation (munājāt) specific to him. Then it was called out: "Draw near to Me, My beloved, for I have folded up the distances for you, and rent asunder the dense veils between Me and you, and stationed you in the highest of stations and the noblest of standing-places. Draw near to Me, My beloved, for I have chosen you for Myself in pre-eternity, and designated you with My glance. I have not shown you anything of the wonders of My knowledge and the workings of My decree without showing you what is more noble and higher than it, and I have not transferred you from one station to another without elevating you to what is more precious and valuable than it, until the states culminate with you at the station of nearness and union, which is the station of 'two bow-lengths or nearer' (qāba qawsayni aw adnā), without connection or separation. Give ear to Me, My beloved, for I have made your heart the niche (mishkāt) of My divine lights, the treasury of My celestial secrets, the locus of the descents of My pre-existent knowledge, and a Mount Sinai for My beneficent self-disclosures. While (baynamā) it mentions My greatest, most magnificent Name, and the light of My most perfect, majestic secret shines within it, and the sea of My generosity and abundant bounty flows within it, and the robe of My majesty and grandeur is spread within it. Give ear to Me, My beloved, that you may witness what you have with Me of proximity and nearness, of friendship and love. For I have opened for you the doors of acceptance and good pleasure, and clothed you in the garments of awe and contentment, and crowned you with the crown of might and satisfaction, and settled you in the Abode of Honor and contentment, and spread for you the garments of love and contentment, and made you journey by night to the station of triumph and contentment, and seated you upon the throne of felicity and contentment, and addressed you with the tongue of: 'And your Lord shall give you, and you shall be well-pleased' (wa la-sawfa yuʿṭīka rabbuka fa-tarḍā). And I have confirmed you with the secret of: 'The sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress; indeed, he saw of the greatest signs of his Lord' (mā zāgha al-baṣaru wa-mā ṭaghā, laqad ra’ā min āyāti rabbihi al-kubrā). Give ear to Me, My beloved, for I have spread out for you the robes of blessing and glad tidings, and shown you the wonders of My greatest signs, which are the form of your essence in the celestial kingdom (malakūt), and the beauty of your attributes in the treasuries of might and omnipotence (jabarūt), and the answer to your supplications in the witnessing-places of desire and awe (raghbūt wa rahbūt). So you are the bride of My kingdom and the marvel of My creation, the object of My blessing and the focus of My gaze, the secret of My wisdom and the brilliant proof of My power, the very eye of My mercy and the key to My Garden. Give ear to Me, My beloved, for there remains not a single atom in the sanctuaries of holiness (ḥaẓā’ir al-quds) that I have not disclosed to you, nor a single gift upon the carpet of intimacy (bisāṭ al-uns) that I have not conveyed to you, nor a single veiled one in the pavilions of the veils and might that I have not unveiled for you, nor a single soul in the worlds of dominion (mulk) and the celestial kingdom (malakūt) whose allegiance I have not granted you. Muhammad is the master of creation, filled with his light are the earth and the seven heavens. God made him journey by night from the land of the Hijaz until the lofty veils received his sandal. He brought him near to a distance of two bow-lengths when He spoke to him in the unseen, after he had recited the greetings (al-taḥiyyāt). And He increased him in honor from Himself and granted him intercession for creation; may intercessions from him never be lacking. Give ear to Me, My beloved, for I have named you with My names, and opened for you the treasures of My gifts and bestowals, and unveiled for you the garments of My majesty and grandeur, and disclosed to you the intricacies of My secret, and taught you what you did not know of the meanings of My attributes and names, and subjected to you what is above the Throne and beneath the earth, and those in My earth and My heaven, and granted you the sciences of the first and the last, and taught you what is in the Tablet of My existence and My permanence, and showed you the light of the beauty of My sanctified Essence and the perfection of My splendor. Give ear to Me, My beloved, for I have preferred you over all My messengers and prophets, and made your substance the supply of My chosen ones and beloved ones, and your lamp the light of the insight of My friends and generous ones, and your spirit the life of the spirits of My pious ones and My elect. Give ear to Me, My beloved, for the very essence of your essence is the essence of My Essence, and the attributes of your perfections are the attributes of My perfections, and the loci of your self-disclosures are the loci of My self-disclosures. So you are I, and I am you; separation has ceased, and 'when' has vanished. So your hearing is My hearing, your sight is My sight, your speech is My speech. Whoever protects you has protected Me, whoever knows you has known Me, whoever believes in you has believed in Me, whoever denies you has denied Me, whoever affirms you has affirmed Me, whoever loves you has loved Me. 'Say: If you love God, then follow me, and God will love you' (qul in kuntum tuḥibbūna Allāha fa-ittabiʿūnī yuḥbibkumu Allāhu). Give ear to Me, My beloved, for I have opened the doors for you, and removed the veil between Me and you, and set you down in the stations of nearness and approach. Give ear to Me, My beloved, for I have sent down the Book upon you, and clarified for you the cups of the drink, and lifted from you blame and reproach, and granted you wisdom and decisive speech, and spoken to you in a place where there is no doorkeeper nor gatekeeper. Give ear to Me, My beloved, for I have clothed you in the garments of modesty and good manners, and protected you in the going forth.

And of the return ²⁵, and inspired you with the path of truth and rightness, and removed from your heart, in My love, the darkness of doubts and suspicions, and honored you above all the prophets and messengers and all the poles ²⁶. Permit Me, My beloved, for I have raised you to a station above which there is no station, and spoke to you on a carpet ²⁷ from which the greatest prophets and the elite of the mighty angels refrained, and sent you as a mercy to My servants, to show them from it what never occurred to the heart of a cherubim ²⁸ nor a sent prophet nor a righteous servant nor all of mankind. Permit Me, My beloved, for I created your spirit from the light of My beauty and majesty, and manifested to you My Essence in the manifestations of My nearness and union. So the light of My Essence reached the light of My beauty and majesty, and the lights of My attributes were incorporated into the beauties of My perfection. When your Muhammadan spirit appeared, it became worthy of receiving My gnostic sciences ²⁹ and the descents of the jewels of My Quranic revelation, because it was specifically endowed with the capacity for the vision of the Essence and attributes. So My eternal speech descended upon the mine ³⁰ of its capacity and the locus of its specificity, as I informed you in My words: {Indeed, He who imposed the Quran upon you will surely return you to a place of return} ³¹, That is, to your mine, transcendent beyond similarity, separation, gathering, and dispersion. When you looked upon your yearning for your mine from the world of the malakut ³² and the jabarut ³³, I returned you with the lights of My attributes to the contemplation of My Essence, so that you might witness the reality of that through unveiling and direct vision, because of what has been transmitted: 'Love of one's homeland is part of faith' ³⁴. And in the session of the Night of the Ascension ³⁵ there is an allusion to the address of the spirit by the Quran, i.e., He who made the Quran easy for you is able to return you to your homeland from which you emerged, and you may witness with your secret ³⁶ the light of His secret pervading all the worlds, and see with the eye of your insight what is stored for you in the tablet of unveiling and exposition. So he returned (19) ³⁷ peace and blessings be upon him, with the body, while remaining with the spirit in the station of proximity and nearness. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the imams and the notables ³⁸, and his companions, the stars of guidance and gnosis, with a blessing by which You realize us with the realities of faith, and clothe us with the garments of satisfaction and good pleasure, and gather us with those upon whom You have bestowed favor in the highest 'Illiyin ³⁹ and the paradises of gardens, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. The mine of generosity, the beloved, the chosen one ⁴⁰ — by the existence of the elect we attained our desires. He soared in pride and gained honor from the seven heavens ⁴¹ and was taken by night ⁴² on a Buraq ⁴³ to heaven, escorted. He drew near and then descended ⁴⁴, ascending, so his Lord chose him and bestowed upon him gifts. He came to his Lord on the carpet of might. The light of the light of the universe is truly known. He is a full moon, he is a sun, his light is a light. He is piety, salvation, and healing. He is a refuge, a fortress for mankind. He is succor and aid for the monotheists. He is a treasure for mankind, a mine of mercy, with peace upon the chosen messenger. The blessings of Allah be ever upon him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the full moon of generosity, kindness, and growth, and the presence of great virtue, rank, and protection, and the sea of transmitted mystery for the hearts of those thirsting from drought, and the antidote of healing that cures hearts from the disease of ignorance and blindness. When You desired to raise him to the station of supreme might and to elevate him on the carpet of 'two bow-lengths or nearer' ⁴⁵, You sent to him (20) ⁴⁶ an angel of pure fragrance and scent, trailing in the robes of affection and tenderness. He came to him with a steed perfect in beauty and description, whose hoof when lifted was placed at the limit of the eye ⁴⁷. He brought him to the Holy House of Jerusalem ⁴⁸ and unveiled his bride in its purest and most precious sanctuary. He led the honored prophets in prayer, and all of them prayed behind him due to his precedence in virtue. When he left the Aqsa Mosque and ascended the ladder ⁴⁹, he traversed deserts that cannot be reached nor fully explored, and paths whose wonders cannot be counted nor enumerated, until he reached the heaven and knocked at the doors. He did not know that Gabriel, when ascending, would ask permission from the gatekeeper. As if by asking permission, he announced the arrival of the element of the tree of lofty honor, the pearl of radiant and immaculate beauty, the bride of the presences adorned with the jewels of attributes and names. What a favor, how great it is! What a lordship, how mighty and noble it is before Allah! What a divine grace, how comprehensive and universal! What a bountiful gift, how complete and perfect! What a blessed soul, how compassionate and merciful to the believers! What a Muhammadan sovereignty, how effective and firm its command in the worlds of spirits! When the angels of the spheres and the servants of the veils and curtains heard of his arrival, they stood up for him on one leg and came running from the regions of the heavens and the earths and all horizons. And a caller called out: 'O Gabriel, hasten with Muhammad, the choicest of My chosen, the best of My creatures among My creation.' And the notables of those angels hastened.

To behold his radiant countenance, and to seek refuge in his presence, and to cling to the rope of his chosen love, and to seek his pleasure, and to expose oneself to the answering of his prophetic supplication, and to avail oneself of his blessing, and to win his Muhammadan glance ⁵⁰, until he reached the lowest heaven, which God created whiter than milk and snow, and purer than the love of clouds, and which never turned green except from the presence of Mount Qaf ⁵¹, surrounded by wonders of wonders and marvels of marvels and ranks of the great angels. Its inhabitants received him with cheerfulness, welcome, respect, piety, obedience, veneration, and glorification. Their minds were bewildered at what they saw of his dazzling beauty and the grace of his upright stature. Then Gabriel asked for permission to enter, and it was said to him: 'Who is with you?' He said: 'Muhammad, the master of mankind.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'Yes.' It was said: 'Welcome to him; how excellent a coming! The full moon has come.' His lights preceded the interrogative particle ⁵², and they recognized him by the majesty of his rank, the loftiness of his station, and the sublimity of his degree. They only uttered the interrogative particle out of delight in mentioning him, who clears hearts from the darkness of gloom, and out of joy at asking about him, and rejoicing at his arrival—upon him be the best of prayers and the purest of peace—for they knew his message, his station, and his ascension to the presence of his Lord, the All-Knowing King. They only asked about the time of his coming, whether it had arrived, because of the glad tidings therein of attaining the goal and achieving the aim. In this heaven he met his father Adam, peace be upon him, and found therein angels created from water and wind, over whom is an angel called al-Ra'd ⁵³, who is entrusted with clouds and rain. They say: 'Glory be to the Possessor of dominion and sovereignty!' And that is their perpetual glorification. Then he ascended to the second heaven, and behold, therein were Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him, and his cousin who never committed a sin nor ever intended what would lead to the commission of misdeeds. He found therein angels of various colors, raising their voices, saying: 'Glory be to the Possessor of might and omnipotence!' Among them is an angel half of whose body is of fire and half of whose body is of snow; neither does the fire melt the snow nor does the snow extinguish the fire, and he says: 'O God, O He who reconciled snow and fire, reconcile the hearts of Your servants!' And that is his constant practice through the passage of nights and days. Then he ascended to the third heaven, which is of iron, and saw therein Joseph the Truthful, peace be upon him. He found therein angels with wings and diverse faces, raising their voices in glorification, saying: 'Glory be to You; You are the Living who never dies.' They are standing in rows, as if they were a well-compacted structure; none of them knows the color of his companion out of fear of the Possessor of Majesty and Bounty. Then he ascended to the fourth heaven, which is of brass, and behold, therein was Idris, peace be upon him. He found therein angels weaker than the angels of the third heaven, bowing and prostrating, of various colors, saying: 'Most Holy, Most Holy, our Lord, the Most Merciful, there is no god but He, the King, the Holy, the Peace.' Then he ascended to the fifth heaven, which is of silver, and passed therein by Aaron, the Forbearing, the Generous, peace be upon him. He found therein the angels of the four heavens, prostrating and bowing, not raising their eyes until the Day of Resurrection, saying: 'Our Lord, we have not worshipped You as You deserve to be worshipped, nor have we fulfilled Your right with complete performance.' Then he ascended to the sixth heaven, which is of gold, and passed therein by Moses, the Confidant, the Interlocutor, peace be upon him. He found therein the greatest army of God, namely the Cherubim ⁵⁴, whose number none but God Almighty can count. Over them is an angel who has seventy thousand angels as his troops, and each of those angels has seventy thousand angels as his troops. They are the ones whom God sends on missions to the people of the world, raising their voices in glorification, tahleel ⁵⁵, and sanctification, which pours forth abundant blessings upon His servants. Then he ascended to the seventh heaven, which is of red ruby, and met therein his father Abraham, peace be upon him. Therein are angels more numerous than those previously mentioned, and over them is an angel presiding over seven hundred thousand angels, each of whom has troops like the drops of rain, the dust of the earth, sand, plains, the number of pebbles, wild beasts, insects, and the number of everything God has created in the heavens and the earth. And God creates every day whatever He wills. {And none knows the hosts of your Lord except Him} ⁵⁶—He in whose hand are the measures of affairs and the dispositions of decrees. Then he ascended to the Throne ⁵⁷ as a high ascent, carried by angels, each of whom has diverse faces and diverse eyes, none resembling another, raising their voices in tahleel, gazing at the Throne without tiring or ceasing, and without any slackness or interruption. If one of those angels were to spread his wings, he would cover the world with a feather from his wing of beautiful form and order. The bearers of the Throne are eight, responding to one another with a beautiful, melodious voice. Four of them say: 'Glory be to You and praise be to You for Your forbearance after Your knowledge.' And four say: 'Glory be to You and praise be to You for Your forgiveness after Your power. O He whom eyes cannot perceive and whom imaginations cannot encompass.' Then he continued to ascend, while the chief angels rejoiced at his coming, and the great messengers and prophets acknowledged their inability to grasp the realities of his sciences hidden from the perceptions of intellects. The leaders of the Cherubim placed their wings under the places where his feet trod, and kissed the straps of his noble sandals and pressed their lips to its dust—what a kissing!—until he reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ⁵⁸, and heard the call: {And indeed, to your Lord is the ultimate end} ⁵⁹. Concerning that, he said: 'When I reached this most sublime station and this most exalted, majestic sight, I experienced such awe that my powers dissolved, my constitution disintegrated, my inner self vanished, and my ribs were crushed. I was aware only of what was cast into my heart from the jewels of revelation and inspiration, and I heard only a ringing that shattered the mighty mountains with its awe, and before the majesty of whose glory the forms of spirits and bodies bowed. I saw only clouds of lights and a continuous rain pouring forth the subtle wisdoms and gifts of openings and secrets.' Then he proceeded alone in his majesty, never faltering, until he attained the gift of: {Then he drew near} ⁶⁰, and plucked the fruits of: {And revealed} ⁶¹, and gathered, and his heart was calmed by the support of: {The sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress} ⁶², and he took as a companion: {The heart did not lie about what it saw} ⁶³, and his enemies were pierced by the arrows of: {So do you dispute with him over what he saw?} ⁶⁴. Thus his rank was honored above all the prophets and exalted, and his pride increased in the world of dominion and sovereignty and grew. So, O God, bless him and his family with a blessing by which we may be among those who sought refuge in his invincible presence and belonged to him.

And he took refuge in his impregnable fortress and sought protection, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. My prayers and peace be upon you, O you to whom the All-Merciful manifested in the Night Journey ⁶⁵. My beloved, the light of your face has manifested, and from it every lover has not been consoled. When you ascended to the highest stations, the celestial hosts sang to you, 'Welcome and ease.' They opened all the doors for you, and your rank was above all, the highest. You delighted their hearts and settled within them, and your sight was for them a light and a collyrium ⁶⁶. You filled your father Adam with love for you, and among his children you were the most exalted. Upon the Messiah ⁶⁷ a light shone, and he was chosen for your face with brightness, and he rose. From you came a third beauty to Joseph, with splendor he surpassed all likeness. Idris ⁶⁸ instituted a fourth, lofty, but above him the Guide ⁶⁹ is exalted. With a fifth, Aaron ⁷⁰ tended from him wonders of wisdom to be read and recited. With a sixth, he tended all the messengers, among them his virtue was manifest. He passed by Moses, the interlocutor ⁷¹, and Moses was consoled by the Beloved. He wept in regret for what his people had missed of good deeds that had passed away. He passed by the Friend ⁷² like a full moon, with a seventh, illuminating part and whole. To the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ⁷³, Taha ⁷⁴ ascended and over all creation was exalted. The Trustworthy ⁷⁵ gave him precedence, and he excelled, and Ahmad ⁷⁶ was adorned with gifts. He became the measure of two bows' length or closer ⁷⁷ in love from the Lord, and to him He manifested. He saw His highest light openly; the Beloved drew near and descended. He spoke to him without sound or letter, and made him hear, and he was worthy of that. Upon him and his family be my greetings, and upon companions who guided paths and ways. O Allah, bless our master and lord Muhammad and the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those who ascended the mi'raj ⁷⁸ of nearness and established himself, the most generous of those who encompassed all virtues and excellences and contained them, who, when he reached in his night journey a station that the understandings of those who narrate and transmit fall short of perceiving, and any indication from the publication of the heavenly secrets of his spiritual states is incapable of expressing it, and he folded [the scrolls], he returned having attained from his Lord's pleasure what he intended and aimed, and He gave him to drink from the outpouring of His divine support until he was filled and quenched, and He greeted him with the best greetings, and presented him with the most sublime gifts and the noblest blessings, and gave him what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and prescribed upon his community the prayers ⁷⁹. He passed by Moses and informed him of the extent of the obligation, and Moses said to him: 'Return to your Lord and ask Him for lightening.' Moses kept sending him back until only five [prayers] remained, and he descended with that as a clear spring and with a contented soul, and the decree was concluded and sealed, and the judgment passed and the pen dried. Moses said to him: 'Return and ask for reduction and speak.' He said: 'No, I am satisfied and submit.' Then a caller called out, filling the assembly: 'I have confirmed My obligation and lightened My determination for My servants. So they are five in the abode of obligation and fifty in the account of multiplication. And this is a station for this community in all their deeds: "Whoever brings a good deed shall have ten times the like thereof" ⁸⁰.' Then the Beloved returned to earth in the most perfect state, and spread the armies of his victory until they shook the mountains, and a just witness testified to what he saw in His words: 'By the star when it falls, your companion has not strayed, nor has he erred, nor does he speak from desire' ⁸¹. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which You preserve us in secret and in private, and purify us from the accidents of doubts and claims, and grant us success in obedience and help us in performing righteousness and piety, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless our master and lord Muhammad and the family of our master Muhammad, the flower of the fragrant gardens of love, the essence of sublime honor and ancient lineage, who, when he returned from his night journey, began to tell Quraysh, and all of them denied and strayed from the path. Some of them went to his companion and friend in the cave, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq ⁸², and said mockingly: 'Your companion claims that he was taken by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Ancient House of Jerusalem ⁸³.' He said: 'If he said that, then he has spoken the truth, and he informed of what befits his state and is fitting.' They said: 'How can you believe him in such news, given the length of the distance and the farness of the way?' He said: 'I believed him before that in the news of the heaven and what was revealed to him of revelation and the subtle secrets of the mystery.' So he, peace and blessings be upon him, established the proof against them when they denied him, and showed them evidences of verification. He described to them the House of Jerusalem, describing what they recognized, and informed them of a caravan of camels he had seen in the desert, and of its arrival, which would bring them complete confirmation. But envy prevented them from following the path to that way. The ewers of guidance had been turned away from them, and all of them choked on water and saliva, and the saliva of the ewers refused. The rest of the companions remained silent when they heard that, and al-Siddiq preceded in affirmation, and he was worthy and deserving of that. O denier of the mi'raj, do you not know that the decree of power is not constrained, and the breaking of customs is beyond what the intellect of one who ponders subtle matters and awakens can grasp? O you who claim it was a dream when Quraysh denied it due to the distance and length of the way, the Mighty Qur'an and the sound, reliable transmission have refuted you. You had an example if you had been guided in the ancient [Book]. So glorified be He who bestowed upon Abu Bakr the garment of guidance and the ornament of success, and made him for this noble Prophet the best brother and friend, and singled him out for the perfection of his companionship until he became in the cave, the pavilion, and the migration the best companion and friend. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, suns of guidance and shining lights of noble light, and his companions, who are the best clan and group, a blessing by which You cause us to inhale the fragrance of his sweet scent, and give us to drink from his Kawthar ⁸⁴, the Salsabil ⁸⁵, and his pure wine, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. The Messenger of Allah flew towards heaven, and walking in the air was pleasant for him. Isma'il ⁸⁶ called him: 'Welcome! Visit, O Messenger of Allah, a Lord who answers.' He tended to the father of spirits and the prophets; all hastened to him and responded. Yahya ⁸⁷, Jesus, and the Interlocutor [Moses] acquired from him, like Ibrahim ⁸⁸, the pure drink. Joseph gained beauty from him, and likewise Aaron gained nearness. He called him to the Presence when he reached it: 'Enter, My beloved, and draw near like two bows' length.' Taha came with purity and fidelity to the Supreme Presence with gentle attraction. To Allah he became bowing and prostrating, representing the community in the noblest representation. In the station of specification and establishment, to Allah belongs Taha's beautiful attraction. He secluded him, He spoke to him privately with no third, between two beloved ones, and the time was pleasant. He fulfilled before Him the due of reverence, and addressed the All-Merciful with the sweetest address.

The five from fifty have compensated ⁸⁹, but all are in reward. And everything in the Tablet ⁹⁰ this Chosen One ⁹¹ has been shown by the Lord upon His Tablet, and He increased him from the sea of the Mother of the Book ⁹². He passed through the Gardens with Kawthar ⁹³, witnessing the favor of Allah without veil. He informed the peoples in Mecca of what he saw in the sky, wondrous things. The Truthful One ⁹⁴ and the wretched ones believed him, but they doubted his reports with suspicion ⁹⁵. The Gatherer ⁹⁶ at the Aqsa ⁹⁷ drew near to him, within the limit of the eye's sight until he answered. He answered them about everything they asked; guidance then shone and disbelief melted. He struggled against them afterwards until they turned away, either through guidance or by striking necks. He set up the Self for the Self of the Most High, and it stood for the Truth in full uprightness. May Allah reward him on our behalf with the best reward on the Day of Reckoning among the prophets and messengers. Who can fulfill the right of gratitude to him when he comes with the most pleasing praise? May Allah bless him and his family, the people of the highest high and all the Companions. O Allah, bless our master and lord Muhammad and the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the fresh branch of the tree of glory, and the best who obtained the fullest share and portion from the station of prophethood, he who on the night of the Night Journey ⁹⁸ illuminated the world, so that Uthman ibn Affan said: "I was sleeping that night, then I woke up and saw the world white like daytime, and I wanted to shout to the people: 'The Hour has come!' but a caller called out to me: 'Stop, O son of Affan, for the Beloved has ascended to the Beloved.'" ⁹⁹ O Allah, bless our master and lord Muhammad and the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the veil of the covering of perfect might, and the continuous cup of the Circulator and the Cupbearer, and the antidote and remedy of the Physician and the Healer, he who, from the perfection of Your care for him and the honor of his rank, and the abundance of Your attention to him and the might of his affair, it is related in the wisdom of the Night Journey that Abu Jahl ¹⁰⁰ brought him into his house, in which there was gold, silver, and silk, and said: "O Muhammad, will you leave all this and choose poverty and turn away from the world?" So I revealed to him: "O Muhammad, Abu Jahl brought you into his house and showed you what is in it, and tonight I will take you on the Night Journey and bring you into My house and show you what is in it, so that you may know where his house is compared to My house, and where his transient kingdom is compared to My eternal kingdom." O Allah, bless our master and lord Muhammad and the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the essence of honor borne on the shoulder of glorification and lordship, and the bride of the presences adorned in the garments of pride and glory, he who, when he traversed the path of success and happiness in Your love, and fulfilled the rights of Your servitude, striving in the station of devotion and worship, until his word and deed became known thereby in existence, and his honor and virtue became famous in the highest assembly, You granted him on the carpet of Your nearness glorification and exaltation, and increased him the descent of Your revelation upon his heart as honor and preference, and addressed him with Your words: "O you wrapped in garments, arise the night except a little" ¹⁰¹. So he said: "By Your might, I will continue in Your service until my soul perishes ¹⁰² and You forgive my community, and accept my desire for them and the perfection of my intercession." So it was said: "Did you not stand for Us in the darkness upon the feet of your striving? Therefore, We call you to the abode of My generosity as a veil over your state and out of jealousy for the unveiling of your beauty and your vision, so that it may be a private meeting with a private meeting, and a manifestation with a manifestation, and you may win the secrets of the divine sciences ¹⁰³ and the subtleties of benefit, and witness what I have prepared for you in the enclosures of My holiness from the gifts of good things, the best, and an increase." O Allah, bless our master and lord Muhammad and the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the strength of hearts, souls, and bodies, and the desire of the people of longing, yearning, love, and affection, he who was taken on the Night Journey from the Sanctuary of Mecca to the House of Jerusalem ¹⁰⁴, the abode of the prophets and the chosen ones, and the place of the ascetics and worshippers. The wisdom in that is that the pillars of the House of Jerusalem said: "Our Lord, we have received a portion from every prophet, and we have longed to see Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and meet him, so grant us his meeting." So Allah, exalted, took him on the Night Journey to them to fulfill their desire thereby. And it is said that the people of Mecca used to go to him and know him, and they would say: "Muhammad has never seen it [the House of Jerusalem]." So when they asked him about it and he told them what they knew, the proof was established against them, and their denial remained only as mere rejection and obstinacy. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the noble lords, and his Companions, the lamps of the valleys and the highlands, a blessing by which You grant us success to the path of good and right guidance, and make us thereby among those whom You meet with Your pardon and forgiveness on the Day when secrets are tested and witnesses stand, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. ¹⁰⁵ O Allah, bless our master and lord Muhammad and the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the secret of the Opening of the Book ¹⁰⁶, and the orator of the enclosures of nearness and proximity, and the noble one of the family, spouses, and companions, and the Messenger of mercy guiding to the path of good and correctness, he who was taken on the Night Journey with his intimate bride ¹⁰⁷ to the carpet of the specializations of election, and the stations of the might of selection, and the manifestations of the theophanies of beneficence, and found the spring of true life in a gathering: "The sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress" ¹⁰⁸. So it was said to him: "Wash from it with water: 'The heart did not lie about what it saw' ¹⁰⁹. And take from its pearls a necklace that the stringer of honor will string for you in a thread: 'Indeed, he saw of the greatest signs of his Lord' ¹¹⁰." So wash with the water of its prophetic secrets, and perfume yourself with the incense of its Chosen lights, and anoint yourself with the perfume of its Qur'anic morals, and face the Essence ¹¹¹ that is transcendent beyond how-ness and where-ness, and bow in its sanctuaries that are sanctified from otherness and likeness. And the herald of eternity called him from the side of Mount ¹¹² of the holy enclosures: "O Muhammad, raise your head to witness Our Essence, and listen to what is revealed to you from Our conversation and the secrets of Our unseen, for tonight you are Our guest, and the locus of Our honor and love. So delight in the garden of Our good pleasure, and frolic in the palaces of Our security, for We have prepared the stations for you, and preferred you over the later and the earlier, and removed the veil between Us and you, so no doorkeeper prevents you from the good that is with Us, nor any gatekeeper: 'This is Our gift, so bestow or withhold without account. And indeed, for you with Us is nearness and a good return' ¹¹³." So bless, O Allah, this prophet ¹¹⁴, the forbearing, the oft-returning, the respected, the magnified, the awe-inspiring, a blessing by which You make our tongues sweet with his most pleasing remembrance, and make our affiliation and connection to him correct, and protect us thereby from the trial of the grave and the evil of the reckoning, and admit us thereby under Your shade, the shady shade.

And Your high, exalted presence, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. My time became pure through my connection and vision ¹¹⁵ * and my creation was perfected upon the people of union ¹¹⁶. I journeyed to meet the Beloved at dawn * and I was given precedence above the noble ones. And every veil before my eye He removed * that I might see what is in the Throne of my Lord and Paradise. And His theophanies ¹¹⁷ enriched beyond any describer * so I released in its garden the bird of a glance. And He made my heart firm that I might see the light of His Face * so that my pleasure in the vision of the Essence ¹¹⁸ might be complete. He manifested without how ¹¹⁹ and without where ¹²⁰ to me, and * I saw with my heart what I saw with my eye. And I applied kohl ¹²¹ to my eye with the Beauty that appeared * from the Holy, Eternal Presence ¹²². And He spoke gently to me openly with soft speech * and intoxicated my hearing and my heart with the words. And He brought me near above the prophets and the angels * and said: "Draw near to Me, O My beloved and My chosen one. And ask, you will receive what you hope from Me." So I said: "I have * asked You for alleviation, my God, for my community." He said: "We have granted you what you asked * and added to it, and the gifts are from My favor." O Allah, bless our master and lord Muhammad and the family of our master Muhammad, the light of intellects and understandings, and the locus of the jewels of revelation and inspiration ¹²³, who, when You willed to manifest his piety and honor, and to magnify his rank and reverence above all creatures, and to distinguish him with the event and the conversation in the highest station and noblest rank, You sent Gabriel to him with the Burāq ¹²⁴, saddled with the saddle of guidance and bridled with the bridle of success and submission. When he reached with him the Holy House ¹²⁵ surrounded with blessing and prosperity and abundant favors, he tied the Burāq to the ring of its gate and prayed with the prophets and messengers, peace and blessings be upon them. So bless him, O Allah, and his noble, generous family, and his eminent, leading Companions, a blessing by which You illuminate our hearts with the light of faith and Islam, and lead us thereby to the path of success and the Abode of Peace, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless our master and lord Muhammad and the family of our master Muhammad, the fresh branch of the tree of glory, and the pole ¹²⁶ of sovereignty with abundant fortune and portion, who, when You erected for him the Miʿrāj ¹²⁷ prepared for ascent and meeting, ascended with Gabriel until he reached the lowest heaven, and did not tire in his journey nor become weary. Gabriel asked for opening ¹²⁸, and it was said to him: "Who is with you?" He said: "Muhammad, the possessor of the lofty station and the high rank." It was said: "Has he been sent for?" He said: "Yes." And he continued thus ascending from heaven to heaven until he reached the Lote Tree ¹²⁹, by whose sight hearts become good and live. Then Gabriel stopped and did not advance, and refrained from reaching with him the majestic, magnified station, and said: "This is my station; I do not go beyond it, and to this place is the utmost limit of everyone. Go, O Muhammad, ahead of you, for what you seek is before you." But he, peace and blessings be upon him, turned away like a beloved, saying: "Does the beloved leave the beloved here?" So Gabriel addressed him with the tongue of might: "If you advance the width of a needle, you will be burned by the light of might." ¹³⁰ The Beloved answered him with what befits his honor and might, and shows his success: "I am the one who was called to nearness and to address the near, answering Lord, and to be informed of the gifts of the divine ¹³¹ and the guarded secret of His wondrous mystery." So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which You make us dwell in the fertile garden of his love, and sanctify our souls thereby on the carpet of Your luminous forgiveness and the expanse of Your generous grace, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless our master and lord Muhammad and the family of our master Muhammad, the strongest of the beloved in detachment and devotion to You, and the most abundant of the prophets in supplication and intercession before You, who, when Gabriel fell behind him at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ¹³², and stopped at what was set for him and ended, he went on, piercing the veils and lights, and the canopies and curtains withdrew for him, until he plunged into the seas of Eternity ¹³³, and disappeared from humanity and spatiality ¹³⁴, until he emerged onto the shore of Self-Subsistence ¹³⁵, in a state other than that in which he ascended, which was the worldly state. And he continued turning in joy, his states blazing with light, until he reached the Presence of Lordship ¹³⁶, and the carpet of Belovedness ¹³⁷ was spread for him, and he was called with the call of Divinity ¹³⁸, without incarnation ¹³⁹ or spatiality: "Here you are and your Lord, without how ¹¹⁹ or likeness." And He spoke to him without speech of the genus ¹⁴⁰, and placed the palm of His wisdom between his shoulder blades, and he felt the coolness of its gnosis ¹⁴¹ between his breasts, and he looked upon the Tablet of Existence ¹⁴² and read: {And He taught Adam all the names} ¹⁴³ And he looked into the mirror of witnessing ¹⁴⁴ to know its summary and detail, and it was said to him: "O Muhammad, you have come to know Us through the names and attributes, so come to know Us through the eye of certainty ¹⁴⁵ and the witnessing of the Essence ¹¹⁸." When he, peace and blessings be upon him, disappeared from the names, and found the Named ¹⁴⁶, and when he turned away from the act, he read the obscured letter ¹⁴⁷, and when he knew the Truth, glorified and exalted, by His truth, He honored him above all His creation, and treated him with His sincerity and truthfulness, so He bestowed upon him a robe of honor by which he is above the prophets and messengers, inscribed upon it: {And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds} ¹⁴⁸ And He said to him: "Here you are and your Lord upon this carpet; no one has attained what you have attained of intimacy ¹⁴⁹." And He gave him the keys of lights to open the treasures of secrets, and charged him not to divulge that except to those who can bear what is there, and he would not be compliant with the command and the matter, except on condition of bearing his Muhammadan banner, and commanded him to address people according to their intellects and to distinguish between the excellent and the inferior, and gave him the advice of the learner, while he had witnessed the Advisor and the Speaker, then bid him farewell with the farewell of courtesy, like the farewell of a beloved at departure, and his farewell was not a farewell of departure, but a farewell of distinction and special favor, mixed with nearness and sincerity: {Your Lord has not taken leave of you, nor has He hated} ¹⁵⁰ Rather, a farewell that increases honor and favor. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which You grant us perfect certainty in You and reliance upon You and trust, and by which You whiten our faces on the day of meeting You and increase them in supplication for Your pleasure and radiance, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. And the Night of the Miʿrāj is the clearest sign * when he traveled from Mecca by night and journeyed And pierced the seven heavens ascending * until he reached from them the highest utmost boundary And the inhabitants of the heavens gathered with him * of angels and chosen prophets ¹⁵¹ Gabriel accompanied him until they both arrived * together at seas of light and radiance Then Gabriel said: "Proceed, rightly guided * this is my station in the highest heavens" And he pierced the lights walking alone * and the veils parted for him wherever he reached.

The angels stood in awe of him, moving before him wherever he went. His Lord called him in that station: 'O choicest of creation, draw near to Me,' so he drew near. Then he was at a distance of two bow-lengths or nearer ¹⁵². The heart did not lie about what it saw ¹⁵³. He was alone with Him until He granted him vision; his sight did not swerve nor transgress ¹⁵⁴. And all this was in a night that the dawn did not strip of its garments of darkness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of prophets, whose fragrance perfumed the gardens of the universe, and the most excellent of those whose mornings and evenings were filled with the remembrance of Allah. He who was taken by night ¹⁵⁵ with his noble bride from the Sacred Mosque to the House of Syria ¹⁵⁶, whose mercies encompassed all creatures, whose rank was exalted above all places, whose reward was great in Your sight, and whose degrees were raised. He continued piercing the light until he beheld the Frequented House ¹⁵⁷ and its lights and attributes appeared to him. Then he proceeded as a seeker, arriving at his Lord, prostrating before Him. His intercession was accepted, his supplications answered. Then He brought him near and close, favored and granted him, chose and approved him, commanded and forbade him, named him the Compassionate, the Merciful, and the Beloved, inspired him with goodly words, and greeted him with the best of greetings in His saying: 'Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.' ¹⁵⁸ So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which we may be among those upon whom the breezes of acceptance blow from the gardens, and whose favors and miracles overwhelm them with all kinds of good, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of prophets whom You sent with the upright religion and the tolerant hanifiyya ¹⁵⁹, the most honored chosen one whose immense rank and perfect nobility You extolled in Surah al-Duha ¹⁶⁰. He whom You took by night Yourself, and his spirit journeyed to Your holy presence. Neither the spirit knew what was in it of the secret during ascent, nor did the secret witness what was in it of the spirit during reception. Nor does the spiritual soul have any knowledge of their news. Rather, each stands at his limit without qualification or imagination, witnessing the Truth without intermediary, without analogy, without likeness, without representation. Rather, it is a truth realized for Your servant, so You established him in the Praiseworthy Station ¹⁶¹ and addressed him with the address of a Living, Existing One in Your words: 'Then He revealed to His servant what He revealed.' ¹⁶² So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which we may be among those whose sins are forgiven and erased through abundant blessings upon him, and make us among those who persevere in it at dawn, evening, and forenoon, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the offspring of noble heavens, the beacon of guiding landmarks, whom You singled out for the station of proximity above all other messengers and the great angels, and concealed the essence of his reality from the grasp of intellects and understandings, and said concerning him: 'Glory be to Him who took His servant by night' ¹⁶³ and did not say: 'Gabriel took him by night,' nor Michael, nor Israfil (peace be upon them), nor al-Buraq ¹⁶⁴, nor al-Rafraf ¹⁶⁵, nor a heaven, nor an atmosphere, nor a sphere, nor any of all creatures, nor the bearers of the Throne, nor the cherubim ¹⁶⁶, nor the noble scribes ¹⁶⁷, nor the spiritual beings. Rather, You took him by night without burden or formality, and singled him out for vision, conversation, and speech. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the leading guides, and his Companions, the stars of guidance and lamps of darkness, with a blessing that conveys us through it to the utmost goal and desire of Your pleasure and his pleasure, and establishes us through it in the gardens of Paradise in the best station and highest rank, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whose heart You filled with the secrets of Your wisdom, the most excellent of those through whose hands You caused the abundant blessings of Your grace and the gifts of Your mercy to flow. He whom You took as a beloved servant and took by night Yourself to the station of Your security and the sanctuary of Your sanctity. You found him an orphan and gave him shelter, and made him kind and merciful to the believers. You found him erring and guided him, and made him a guide to the people of goodness. You found him poor and enriched him, and made him a speaker of truth. Through him You clarified the landmarks of Your religion and the paths of Your Sunnah. You created him from two parents, singled him out for the station of 'two bow-lengths,' honored him with Your conversation and speech, and bestowed upon him Your vision, saying to him: 'O Muhammad, what is your desire, your aspiration, your aim, your intention?' He said: 'O Lord, my community.' Then I said to him: 'O Muhammad, do you know why I brought you near, chose you, singled you out for this station, and selected you?' He said: 'O Lord, You know best.' I said to him: 'To disclose to you My secret and inform you of the affections of My forbearance and goodness, so that your heart may rest in My mercy for your community. And know, O Muhammad, that I have sent down to you the Book and explained in it command and prohibition, promise and threat. By command and prohibition I intended to establish the proof against those who oppose you and are hostile to you, and depart from your obedience and religion. By promise and threat I intended to deter your community and warn them against opposing you. And I have testified against Myself that I will not punish those who die upon your upright religion and your love.' He said: 'O Lord, I am pleased with what You have bestowed upon me of the gifts of Your grace and the greatness of Your favor.' So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which You bestow upon us Your pardon and forgiveness, and lead us through it to the path of Your happiness and the stations of Your Paradise, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Be constant in gratitude to Allah, O best of communities! Your prophet is the highest and most exalted prophet. He taught us that Allah raised Muhammad to a station where no creature has a place. Above heights, seeking heights, he became, through Allah's revelation, a secret that delights. A mighty one journeyed seeking the Mighty, so the earth was folded for him and the ascents were raised. Upon the Throne he took hold with his right hand, and from his Lord he received speech and heard. According to the view of a people, he saw Allah openly; this is what Ibn Abbas ¹⁶⁸ affirms and decides. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the path of guidance with clear evidence and proof, the pole of sainthood ¹⁶⁹ who leads his community along the paths of prosperity and security. He to whom You said: 'O Muhammad, you are My visitor and I am your visited; it is incumbent upon the visited to honor his visitor and spread for him the cushions of satisfaction and good pleasure. O Muhammad, do you wish that I place in your hand the keys of the heavens and the earth, so that the sky will not rain nor the earth produce anything except by your command of high rank and dignity?' He said to You: 'No, O Lord.' You said to him: 'Why?' He said: 'Because I yearn for Your great Face, the King and Sovereign.' You said to him: 'O Muhammad, do you wish that I...'

I gave him the whole world as I gave it to Solomon without reckoning? He said: No, my Lord. I said to him: Why? He said: Yours is what is mine, and mine is the world whose breadth is fleeting and all who are upon it perish. I said to him: O Muhammad, do you want Me to make the mountains of Tihama gold and silver for you? He said: No, my Lord. I said to him: What do you want, O Muhammad? He said: My Lord, I want You, and I want none other than You from all the worlds. I said to him: O Muhammad, you are Mine and I am yours, and I have singled you out with My intimate friendship ¹⁷⁰, and made My judgment your judgment, My command your command, My obedience your obedience, and joined your name with My name in the remembrance and the call to prayer. Therefore, peace be upon him said: 'If I were to take an intimate friend other than my Lord, I would have taken Abu Bakr as an intimate friend, but your companion is the intimate friend of the All-Merciful.' So may Allah bless him and his family with a blessing that preserves us by it in secret and in public, and delivers us by it from the causes of misery and abandonment, and protects us by it from the calamities of carnal desires and the whisperings of Satan, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the lamp of prophethood, lofty in rank and station, the crown of the message, blessed in place and expanse, whose Muhammadan bride was unveiled on the carpet of nearness and closeness, and the means of asking for compassion and mercy upon his community praised in the Mother of the Book ¹⁷¹. He said: (42) To You, my Lord, You gave the people of Moses manna and quails, and shaded them with clouds, and gave them a stone from which gushed forth twelve springs swiftly flowing and pouring. I said to him: O Muhammad, if I gave them that, I have favored your community with four honors, each of which is better than the world and what it contains, without doubt or hesitation. The first: I crowned them with the crown of My knowledge, so they know none but Me. The second: I crowned them with the crown of My remembrance, so they remember none but Me. The third: I crowned them with the crown of My service, so they serve none but Me. The fourth: I crowned them with the crown of My love, so they love none but Me and stand at no one's door other than Mine from all the doors. He said: My Lord, You created the nations and made their lives long, and You created my community and made their lives short in time and ages. I said to him: O Muhammad, I made them short-lived so that they would not be deluded by themselves nor claim divinity, thereby deserving eternal abode in the Fire and painful punishment. He said to You: My Lord, You gave the nations many blessings in the world and did not give my community what You gave them of its quickly vanishing and changing adornments. I said to him: O Muhammad, I only withheld that from them so that they would not be between the Balance and the Reckoning. So bless him, O Allah, and his noble, excellent family, and his companions, the imams, the poles ¹⁷², with a blessing that opens doors for us, eases difficult matters for us, and admits us by it to the Garden of Your pardon and generosity without trial, hardship, reproach, or blame, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sovereign of the kingdom crowned with the crown of Your care (43) and the locus of blessing and prosperity, who raised among the prophets the banner of Your pride and guardianship. When You looked upon him on the night of the Ascension with the eye of Your protection and care, and granted him what he hoped for from the gifts of Your secret and sufficiency, he asked You with the tongue of modesty and courtesy and said: My Lord, I was the first of the prophets in creation and You made me the last of them in mission, so what is Your wisdom in that and the brilliance of Your power? I said to him: I made you the first of them in creation so that the mention of your superiority over them would precede in the books of the former ones along with your community, and I made you the last of them in mission so that I might mention to you and your community the scandals of their nations and not mention to them the scandals of your community. He said to You: My Lord, when Moses and Jesus left their people, Iblis led their people astray, and likewise he led Abraham's people astray with fire worship, and I fear for my community that if You do not watch over them with Your kindness and protection. I said to him: O Muhammad, I honor them with five honors: I have not fed but I have fed them, I have not clothed but I have clothed them, I put them to sleep while I do not sleep, I protect them and call them to comply with Your command and obedience, and I opened for them the doors of repentance until death, I do not close them until the Hour is established. Some of them are saved by your intercession and some are saved by My mercy, so that none of them is lost between My mercy and your intercession. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing that seals for us with the seals of Your happiness, and makes us by it among those whose deeds and words You cause to be in accordance with what pleases You of pure worship of You, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. The praisers have multiplied in praising Ahmad, hoping he may save them when the foot slips.

He ascended to attain the highest stations of excellence. Blessed is He who manifested him as the best of His messengers, and the Creator took him by night to the highest rank. The angels of the All-Dominating received him with joy, and his community was brought forth as the best community ¹⁷³. They call to him: O highest of the prophets in station, by his arrival the inhabitants of the heavens rejoiced. Prepare to meet Allah alone, empty, and the most honored of those sent with the most honored creed. Listen to what Allah reveals by Himself, for the angels of heaven have withdrawn from you. He drew near and his Lord brought him closer to the Throne, to you and to the heavy word he was made firm. Come to us, welcome to our beloved, and it was called: Advance, O unique one of My love. Draw near and do not despair, come and fear not, pass through the veils, leave creation, and approach My presence. Delight in Us and hear the sweet speech of Our address, ask and you shall be given, My servant, you are the master of My chosen ones. You will see the Throne, the Footstool, and the veils have drawn near, and your eye is a delight in the wonders of My power. Be intimate with Us, this is union and this is meeting, with you, and My lights have manifested upon you. You are exalted in rank and station with Us, a lover and beloved, and the hour of My solitude. Blessed is He who raised you as the best of His messengers, and your mention is elevated, so speak of My blessing. And your community was brought forth as the best of My communities. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the shining star of happiness and the renowned pole of sovereignty, whom You specially honored on the Night of the Ascension with the highest station and tremendous rank, and he attained from You the lofty position on the carpet of witnessing, love, and precedence. A drop fell from the Throne onto his tongue, adorned with the subtleties of wisdom and illumination, sweeter than honey, softer than butter, and cooler than snow ¹⁷⁴ and fresh water, and he said: What is this, my Lord? And it was called: Just as that is sweeter than honey, so is Islam in the hearts of your community sweeter than honey; just as that is softer than butter, so do I make Islam in their hearts softer than butter; and just as that is cooler than snow, so do I cool polytheism and hypocrisy in their hearts until nothing remains in them but sincerity and pure monotheism, free from the impurities of personal choices and planning. Then it was called again: O Muhammad, ask and you shall be given, for from you is the request and from Us is the giving, from you is the supplication and from Us is the response, from you is love and from Us is blessing, and I am the Answerer of the distressed and the Enricher of the poor and needy. And you asked on that night for the preservation of the Sharia, victory over enemies, pardon for sin, forgiveness, and mercy for the young and old, and He gave you all that you asked, and that is the meaning of His words: 'Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return.' So bless him, O Allah, and his family, possessors of majesty, awe, and veneration, and his companions, people of admonition, fear, and remembrance, a blessing by which You give us to drink from the flood of his abundant supply, and grant us thereby in both abodes exalted honor and great dominion, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sultan of the victorious and supported kingdom, the possessor of the clear path and the established religion, who asked You on the Night of the Ascension with the request of a loving, successful, and rightly guided one, and desired of You with the desire of a beloved for a precious thing and a confirmed matter, and said to You: O Lord, You took Abraham as a friend and spoke to Moses directly, so what is my station with You? And You said to him: Indeed, for you is intercession on the Day of Resurrection; you will be brought wearing two green garments, and in your hand will be the banner of praise, O Muhammad ¹⁷⁵, and indeed Abraham is My friend among the ranks of the messengers, with Ishmael on his right and Isaac on his left. When Hell breathes out a blast, he falls on his knees crying: I do not ask You for Ishmael or Isaac, myself, myself, I ask You for nothing else today, and your intercession reaches him, O Muhammad. So bless, O Allah, this noble and glorious prophet and his companions, clad in the garments of beautiful virtues and confirmed praise, a blessing by which You purify us in the plains of the Resurrection and the abode of eternal bliss, and give us thereby what no eye has seen nor ear heard of chambers, palaces, houris, and servant boys, and green garments, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the model of the people of sincerity and certainty, the support of those with litanies and instruction, whom You gathered on the Night of the Ascension between conversation and direct speech on the carpet of witnessing and designation, and honored him with preference and sovereignty in the station of might and establishment, saying to him: O Muhammad, Moses I spoke to on the peak of Mount Sinai, and you I spoke to at My glorious and firm Throne; Moses says: O Lord, make me of the community of Muhammad and grant me his intercession, and Jesus and his community say: O our Lord, make us of the community of Muhammad and grant us his intercession. So bless, O Allah, this noble and glorious prophet and his companions, a blessing by which You honor us in the abode of peace and the gardens of bliss, and give us thereby the greatest intercession and the highest rank, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds.

From the nation of Muhammad, and grant us his intercession and companionship in the Garden of Bliss and the highest 'Illiyin ¹⁷⁶. O Muhammad, I have taken you as a beloved, just as I took Abraham as a close friend ¹⁷⁷; I spoke to you as I spoke to Moses; I named you Taha and Yasin ¹⁷⁸; I gave you the Opening of the Book and the concluding verses of Surah al-Baqara, which were from the treasures of My Throne ¹⁷⁹; I did not give them to any prophet before you nor to any nation before your nation. I sent down upon you the Clear Book; I gave you, in place of the Torah, the Seven Oft-Repeated ¹⁸⁰; and in place of the Gospel, the Tawasin ¹⁸¹; and I favored you above all the prophets and messengers. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the magnificent station and the exalted, honored rank. When the prophets boasted on the Night of the Ascension ¹⁸² of what You had honored them with—lofty ranks and stations—each of them spoke of Your favors upon him. Abraham (peace be upon him) said: 'Praise be to Allah who took me as a close friend, made generosity my companion and guide, made the fire cool and safe for me, rectified my wife after she had been barren, gave me the glad tidings of Ishmael and Isaac as prophets, and destroyed my enemy Nimrod the accursed, returning his evil upon him and making his abode Hell.' Moses (peace be upon him) said: 'Praise be to Allah who spoke to me directly, gave me nine clear signs, wrote the Tablets for me, and destroyed my enemy Pharaoh, so that the threat of eternal abode in the lowest depth was fulfilled upon him.' Solomon (peace be upon him) said: 'Praise be to Allah who subjected to me the jinn, devils, and wind; taught me the speech of birds; gave me a kingdom such as none after me should have; and bestowed upon me abundant good.' Jesus (peace be upon him) said: 'Praise be to Allah who did not create me from a filthy drop nor bring me forth from a putrid earth, but brought me forth from a pure spot; made me speak of worship and asceticism; mentioned me in His Book; and cleared my mother of what every polytheist alleged.' Then the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) concluded by saying: 'Praise be to Allah who inscribed my name upon the Throne when He created it, and upon every leaf in Paradise. Praise be to Allah who raises my mention ten times every day and night in the call to prayer and the iqama ¹⁸³, and coupled my name with His majestic, perfect Name. Praise be to Allah who expanded my breast and filled it with wisdom and faith, and made my nation the best of nations. Praise be to Allah who gave me al-Kawthar ¹⁸⁴, and made the earth for me a mosque and a means of purification. Every prophet was granted his request in this world, but I am the first whose request is intercession for my nation on the Day of Resurrection. So await his favor.' And they said: 'Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has excelled them.' So send blessings, O Allah, upon him and upon his family, a blessing by which You repair what has weakened and collapsed of the structure of our religion, and by which You forgive us our sins, both later and earlier, through Your bounty and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the model of the saints who have attained union, the lamp of the scholars who act upon their knowledge. When, in his night journey, he reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ¹⁸⁵, which is the limit of the perceptions of the minds of the discerning, Gabriel stopped at its radiant, beautiful enclosures. The Prophet asked him: 'Why have you lagged behind?' He replied: 'I was commanded to stop here.' Then a voice called out: 'O Muhammad, place your foot and fear not; raise your aspiration to the noblest ranks and highest excellences. This night is not a night of fear and bewilderment, nor an hour of loss and loneliness. Draw near to Me, My beloved; draw near to Me, My beloved; draw near to Me, My beloved.' His Lord raised him to a station that none other has reached, a rank whose honor and glory He perfected through him, and showed him the hidden, greatest signs, and disclosed to him what He had stored for him in this world and the next. He showed him the stations and ranks of the prophets, the worship and positions of the angels, Paradise and its purity, the Holy Enclosures and their sanctity, the Mighty Footstool ¹⁸⁶ and its vastness, the Glorious Throne and its grandeur, the Preserved Tablet ¹⁸⁷ and its majesty, the Pen ¹⁸⁸ and its awe, and the Majestic Lord and His might. "His sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress" ¹⁸⁹; "Indeed, his heart saw what he saw" ¹⁹⁰. So he began to praise Him, saying: 'All greetings are for Allah, all pure things are for Allah, all good words and prayers are for Allah.' His Lord answered him with three names: Peace, Mercy, and Blessing. He said to him: 'Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.' Then the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), out of his compassion and kindness toward us, included us in that, saying: 'Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah.' How noble is this obeyed, trustworthy master, this near, established prophet! His Mighty Helper took him by night, raising him from sanctuary to sanctuary, from presence to presence, from the station of witnessing to the station of conversation and speech, from the carpet of secrets to the carpet of lights, until He brought him to Himself, made him stand before Him, and praised him with the tongue of majesty and glory, with faith and messengership, in His words: "The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord" ¹⁹¹. So send blessings, O Allah, upon him and upon his family, a blessing by which You fill our hearts with love and affection for him, and by which You make us among the people of his pure party and group, through Your bounty and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the lamp of Your saints and poles ¹⁹², the best of those whose rank You have exalted in the Highest Assembly and praised in Your Book. When he returned from his night journey and reached the Much-Frequented House ¹⁹³, which is the dwelling of Your angels who delight in Your remembrance and hearing Your address, Gabriel gave the call to prayer, Michael delivered the sermon, and Israfil led the prayer, with eighty rows of angels behind him, each row containing eighty thousand angels standing in worship of You and waiting at Your door. When they had concluded the prayer, Gabriel said: 'I have made the reward of this call to prayer for the nation of Muhammad.' Michael said: 'I have made the reward of this sermon for the nation of Muhammad.' Israfil said: 'I have made the reward of this leading of prayer for the nation of Muhammad.' The angels continued to be in awe of You until Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) appeared among them on the Night of the Ascension, and he secured them from Your punishment. So send blessings, O Allah, upon him and upon his family, a blessing by which we become among the people of Your love and Your beloved ones, and by which You make us among Your servants who fulfill Your rights and magnify Your station, through Your bounty and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, Your servant who acknowledges the truth of Lordship, Your chosen one who stands before You with sincere servitude. He was pure for You through the decree of servitude, so You were sufficient for him through the might of Lordship. He was Your servant during the night journey, Your servant on the Buraq ¹⁹⁴, Your servant on the Ascension, Your servant in heaven, Your servant behind the veils, Your servant at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, Your servant at the Footstool, Your servant at the Ornament, Your servant beneath the Throne, Your servant in the state of nearness, Your servant in the state of address. He never ceased to be

Servitude ¹⁹⁵ in every state and every time, you adorned it with the ornament of servitude, and named it with the name of servitude. When he stood for supplication (51), he expanded with the expansion of belovedness ¹⁹⁶, and when he stood for service, he humbled himself with the humility of servitude. How noble is such a prophet, whose hearts are naturally inclined to love and affection, and tongues acknowledge his praise and glory, and his Lord addressed him saying: "Glory be to Him who took His servant by night" ¹⁹⁷. He did not say: "took His prophet, His messenger, His friend, His confidant, His chosen one, His interlocutor, or His elect from creation"—out of subtle kindness from Him, exalted, to his community, lest suspicion fall as it fell upon the community of Jesus when God raised him to Himself, and some people said: "He raised him only because he is His son." Exalted is God above their saying, greatly. It is as if He, exalted, says: Muhammad is My servant; I sent down the Book to him while he is My servant; he fulfilled the mission while he is My servant; I took him by night to the carpet of My nearness while he is My servant. Just as he is My servant in all states, so I am for him in all states. O God, bless him and his family, full moons of perfection, and his companions, noble heroes, with a blessing that enables us to righteous deeds, protects us from slips, words, and deeds, and establishes us at the gathering, resurrection, presentation, and questioning, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Every messenger has a station and rank, but none is like the Beloved Messenger. To the holy presence of God, Ahmad drew near, and the Majestic One called him with felicitation. If Abraham became Our friend, you are Our beloved and friend. Advance to My Throne, draw near and approach the heights, and ask Me, for I am the guarantor of giving. God honored the Beloved Muhammad with what no other creature has a way to (52). For his night journey, the gates of the heavens were opened, and the Lord manifested, and the discourse is long. He has the merit of all messengers, and his merit increased; so say what you will about Ahmad's merit. Under his banner, the messengers find shelter—for Moses, Jesus, and the Friend ¹⁹⁸ a resting place. The messengers of the Lord of creation are elevated over people, but the one in the heights above the heaven has a station. The full moon of darkness has a light oblivious to creation, but the light of the Hashimite ¹⁹⁹ never sets. The sun of forenoon has light, but its light changes, while the light of the Beloved does not change. His right hand has signs: by it pebbles glorified, the sick were healed, and earthquakes flowed. By the rank of the Beloved of God on the Day of Gathering I hope, and by God's truth, it is beautiful in it. I am devoted to praise of him; inevitably there is a reward; I am a supplicant; never does a supplicant fail with him. The vehicle of my spirit, the light of my glorification, the banner of my tablet, the support of my lamentation, and a Muhammadan station ²⁰⁰ in which is my ease, my rest, my pasture, and my delight; a master in whose love is my absence and presence, my sobriety and annihilation, and the revival of my spirit (53). O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the spirit of spirit, the life of spirit, the secret of spirit, the substance of spirit, the light of intellect, body, and spirit, the water of life, the cup of the drink of evening and morning—he whose Lord, when He wished to take His honored and praised bride by night and show him the rising lights of His lights, the treasuries of His secrets, and the gifts of His bestowed goodness and the virtues He had stored for him in the hidden recesses of the unseen before creating Adam, Seth, and Noah, sent to him the luminous envoy of the unseen called the Spirit ²⁰¹. He found him asleep on the bed of the lordly kingdom and said to him: "Arise, O clement, forgiving master, righteous prophet, sincere guide to God's servants, for I have brought you a mount on which you shall ride to the Presence upon which the lights of divinity shine and gleam, and from which the secrets of prophethood rise upon the hearts of prophets and depart." He said: "Has a messenger been sent to me?" He said: "Yes, and thus the Pen has run on the Tablet. You are the intended one in essence, the object of intentions, and the open door of God." So he, peace and blessings be upon him, journeyed from station to station, from carpet to carpet, while the jewels of revelation diffused their musk from his sleeves and wafted, until he passed the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ²⁰² and reached a station whose knowledge is hidden from the cherubim ²⁰³, the near-stationed angels, and the Spirit. The law of the secret stopped and said: "This is my station, my abode and my place; I do not surpass it nor go beyond it, nor does my gaze aspire to any station other than it." He, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: "Does the beloved leave the beloved here, and the caller separate from the answerer, and fall behind him in the station of nearness and proximity?" In his saying, peace and blessings be upon him (54), there is a subtle symbol whose understanding is too fine for the Spirit, the secret of the Spirit, and the throne of the Spirit; no one utters what he is inspired to understand of that, nor divulges it. Then it was called: "Advance, O Muhammad, for you are the near-stationed, the blessed, the messenger praised by the tongue of Our revelation in Our inscribed Book. Permission from Me, My beloved, permission from Me, My beloved, permission from Me, My beloved, for I have rent for you the seven heavens and the dense veils and screens, and I have subjected to you what is above the earth and beneath the depths, the angels of the spheres and the attendants of the Frequent House ²⁰⁴." So the beloved journeyed, while the angels surrounded his illuminated litter and circled, and the Throne and the Footstool ²⁰⁵ sought blessing from his tread and said: "Welcome to the crown of splendor and light!" The Tablet and the Pen ²⁰⁶ were enraptured by his worth and boasted of what they witnessed of his dazzling miracles and generous acts that the minds of the most learned scholars and masters of insight cannot encompass. Gabriel said: "Go, my beloved Muhammad, to meet your Lord with joy, delight, felicitation, and happiness, for the time has come for your victorious, supported sovereignty, and the season has arrived for the meeting of your exalted, thanked bride. Behold, I carry your canopy (55) for you in the highest assembly and raise your banner among the near-stationed angels. God chose me for your company and companionship before creation and manifestation. Go, my beloved Muhammad, for I seek protection in your sanctuary, seek your pleasure, and hope for your intercession on the day when Adam and those below him will be under your unfurled banner. Go, my beloved Muhammad, for at dawn the people praise the night journey, and when the influx of love descends, the distances of travel are folded for the wayfarers, and they ascend the lofty peaks of high stations, and they rend the dense luminous veils, seen and unseen. Go, my beloved Muhammad, for God sent you from Mecca, the Mother of Cities, and subjected to you what is above the Throne and beneath the earth, and encompassed all creatures with your mercy, in this world and the next. Go, my beloved Muhammad, for God has gifted you with gifts of blessing and security, clothed you in garments of good pleasure and satisfaction, and granted you such good things that hearts rejoice, souls are tranquil, and eyes are delighted. Go, my beloved Muhammad, for God has filled your heart with the lights of knowledge and gnosis, protected you from human follies and the whisperings of Satan, and prepared for you the mounts of might, honor, nearness, and closeness, and gave you what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, in the abode of generosity and the paradises.

The heart ²⁰⁷. Go, my beloved Muhammad, to meet your Lord in a station where there is no loneliness nor separation ²⁰⁸, and you will see Him with the eye of certainty without how or where, and you will converse with Him face to face without doubt or distance. Go, my beloved Muhammad, for Allah has made you the eye of every eye, the adornment of every adornment, the bride of the station of Qāb Qawsayn ²⁰⁹, and He said to you: "Draw near to Me, My beloved, with no veil to elevate you, no messenger to bring you close, no Burāq ²¹⁰ to carry you, no Throne to convey you, no station to aid you, no doorkeeper to prevent you, O master of the two worlds and the two weighty ones ²¹¹, the grandfather of al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn. For all are under your most magnificent veil, and because of your most magnificent station, and you are a beloved and loved one, sought after and desired. By you the greatest messengers are guided, the near angels follow, the servants of the Supreme Tablet ²¹² seek, the people of the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ²¹³ prepare for your arrival and rejoice at your coming, and through your rank they seek intercession with Allah. * The Owner of the Throne exalted his rank, so his name ❖ is coupled with the Name of Majesty on the Throne * And his mention is raised in His remembrance ❖ Praise, so that every reciter may recite his praise * He gave him, above the messengers, five ²¹⁴ that sufficed ❖ the hand of favor in abundant gifts * And the greatest blessing he attained ❖ is the intercession of the Hereafter, an excellent attainment * And on the Night of the Ascension he was taken by night, so what ❖ a journey and what an exalted honor among nights * He traversed, with Gabriel as his companion ❖ through the highest heavens where he traversed * Until he reached, from the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ❖ a station that no speech can attain * The Spirit ²¹⁵ said to him: "My station is here ❖ and you, ascend to the station of union" * He said: "O my intimate, have you left me alone ❖ when the overwhelming manifestations of Majesty have stunned me?" * He said: "No, but intimacy is what ❖ you are a friend, and Allah is your Guardian" * Tread the Holy Presence in union, for ❖ union with it is not permitted to other than you * So He thrust him into the Light, a gentle thrust ❖ behind him, for the Truth, the Light of Beauty * He witnessed what he witnessed of that which transcends ❖ the reach of intellect and the imagination of fancy * So some said with a heart of awe ❖ and a world with the heart and the eye said * And this is not illusion nor impossible for ❖ the Creator of the station of love, from what is attributed When he drew near, within two bow-lengths or nearer ²¹⁶ And after the star was recited, he ascended With the bearing of body and soul in O foremost of the messengers in chosenness, O O refuge of creation and their savior O through whom the lover attained contentment May Allah bless you, O Light of guidance And nearer in intimate converse in the shades of dalliance Then he came while the star was on the horizon high His night journey, the statement is true without doubt O seal of them all for the meaning of perfection When the expanse of space became narrow for them O intercessor for heavy sins The purest prayer coupled with union A blessed, delightful ascension, a luminous, radiant station, an exalted, lofty glory, a near, saintly master, a beloved, chosen pure one, an unlettered, pure, holy prophet, a messenger, opener, seal, interlocutor, intimate, chosen, elected, selected. His Lord took him by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, to His holy, exalted carpet, to show him the brilliant signs of His manifest secret, to unveil to him the subtleties of the sciences of His hidden unseen, to show him the splendor of His omnipotence, and to acquaint him with the treasures of His kingdom, surrounded by lights, shining rays, and the overflowing of His strong, divine effusion: "Exalted is He who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing." ²¹⁷ Glory be to Him who magnified his rank and gave him the means ²¹⁸, the virtue, and the lofty degree, and seated him on the dais of veneration, glorification, exaltation, and honor. Glory be to Him who took by night His bride, crowned with the crown of honor and perfection, adorned him with the robes of splendor and beauty, and elevated him through the ranks of might, care, and precedence. Glory be to Him who honored him with conversation and address, brought him near, approved him, and singled him out for the perfection of vision, and the tongue of Truth calls out: "This is the bringer of good tidings and the warner." Glory be to Him who singled him out for His vision and chose him, raised him, selected him, and took him by night to a place that no one else has reached, and the herald of the secret calls out: "This is the illuminating lamp." Glory be to Him who raised his mention in the highest assembly, illuminated him with His power, supported him with His care, and girded him with the sword of His victory, and said to him on the Night of the Ascension: "O witness, you have witnessed Me against Myself." He said: "O Lord, how shall I witness against You?" He said: "Witness against Me that whoever comes to Me with the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that you are My servant and Messenger, I will forgive him every sin and free him from the heat of the blazing Fire and the torment of the Sa‘īr ²¹⁹." So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which You purify our hearts from the impurities of wills and the attachments of choices and planning, and by which You pour down upon us the clouds of Your mercies and the gifts of the secret of Your strong, abundant effusion, and by which You make us among the people of striving and patience, those who stand in Your obedience on the leg of seriousness and diligence, by Your favor and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Glory be to Him who, with beauty, in its patch How many a beholder, dazzled, has turned away from Him His form has been singled out for perfection By that, the beautiful and the forms have excelled From his face, the Possessor of Majesty, his Creator The sun of forenoon and the moon have manifested He has singled him out for beauty uniquely So he remains the pole of perfection, renowned Glory be to Him who, with the ascension, singled him out By night, the veils protected him when he journeyed Al-Muṣṭafā ²²⁰, whose light of guidance shone The sea of guidance burst forth from his tongue He is the one whose abode is in hearts And his love is like a shadow that penetrates Ṭāhā ²²¹, the bringer of good tidings, the warner, the treasure of guidance He guided the jinn and mankind May Allah bless him as long as the cooing dove sings And stirs thoughts And his family and companions, people of piety And all the followers and helpers O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved whom You took by night, with the Trustworthy Spirit accompanying him, and the brides of the ḥūr ²²² in the gardens of Paradise seeking his hand. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved whom You took by night, while the eyes of happiness watch and observe him, and the precedents of will lead him to the presence of proximity and union and draw him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved whom You took by night, while the eyes of happiness watch and observe him, and the precedents of will lead him to the presence of proximity and union and draw him.

He whom You took by night on a journey, while the angelic hosts of the spheres ²²³ seek refuge in his presence and desire him, and the servants of the veils ²²⁴ and curtains covet what he possesses and seek it. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey, while the noble steeds of might ²²⁵ are led before him, and the spiritual souls ²²⁶ yearn for his meeting and long for him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey, while the lights of prophethood ²²⁷ cover his highest carpet and shine upon him, and the chiefs of the dominions ²²⁸ seek his blessing and kiss the straps of his sandals. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the noblest stations and the highest ranks, and You gifted him in the station of two bow-lengths ²²⁹ with the best gifts and the most perfect endowments. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the most excellent vision and the highest positions, and You adorned him in the presence of proximity ²³⁰ with the most magnificent honors and the greatest virtues. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the loftiest and highest station, and You granted him in the enclosures of Your holiness ²³¹ the dearest and most precious gifts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the nearest and most worthy of the presences ²³² with You, and You showed him the most beloved of every wonder in the treasuries of Your kingdom and dominion ²³³ and the most sublime. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the presence of openings ²³⁴ and secrets, and the lights of inspirations and receptions ²³⁵ shield him from cutting obstacles and sudden intrusions of others. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the presence of radiances and lights, and You raised him to a station that none of the great archangels ²³⁶ or the chosen elite have reached. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the presence of nearness and intimacy ²³⁷, and You honored him upon arrival with the noblest prizes and the most beautiful rewards. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the presence of prophecies and messages, and the herald of the secret ²³⁸ gives him glad tidings of the most abundant virtues and the most complete perfections. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the presence of election and choice ²³⁹, and You made him a clear path for the people of guidance and following. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the presence of perfection and fulfillment, and You made him an antidote for the people of apparent and hidden diseases, and a mercy and cure. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the station of pride and care, and You made him a model for the people of the secret ²⁴⁰ and sainthood. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the station of preservation and protection, and You made him a straight path for the people of right guidance and direction. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the carpet of glorification and veneration, and You received him with acceptance and satisfaction, and You bestowed upon him the robes of majesty and beauty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the carpet of closeness and connection, and You raised him to a station from which the chiefs of the angels and the great men among humans have refrained. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the carpet of success and happiness, and You gave him from the gifts of good things what he wished, and beyond what he wished, and more. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night on a journey to the carpet of honor and glory, and You adorned him with the jewels of sciences, wisdoms, and benefits. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which You have mercy on us in the beginning and the return, and by which You manifest through our hands brilliant miracles ²⁴¹ and the breaking of norms, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. He journeyed to the farthest mosque and returned by night, with a steed ²⁴² that vies with lightning, subdued. From two bow-lengths or nearer, a gift for him, and a right from him, a dwelling and a release. How many gifts unknown to people came to him, while the veil's herald was lowered. How excellent is the best proximity I cannot describe, and how excellent is the best union reported from him. This is the bounty, not the world, nor do scales or measures weigh it. Glory be to Him who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing. Glory be to Him who took by night His servant, the brought near, the blessed, while the caller calls: This is the possessor of the thanked effort and the unfurled banner. Glory be to Him who took by night His servant, the supported, the victorious, while the caller calls: This is the crown of splendor and light, and the bride of the paradises of gardens, chambers, and palaces. Glory be to Him who took by night His servant, the beloved, the loved one, while the caller calls: This is the essence of the hidden secret.

And the treasure of the sought-after alchemy of happiness. Glory be to Him who took His servant by night, the opener of the treasuries of the unseen ²⁴³, and the caller calls out: This is the physician of hearts, the eraser of faults, misdeeds, and sins. Glory be to Him who took His servant by night, the secret, the praised one, and the caller calls out: This is the open door of God, the treasury of gifts and the bestowed secret. Glory be to Him who took His servant by night, the pious, the pure, the sincere, and the caller calls out: This is the substance of existence, the nourishment of body and spirit. Glory be to Him who took His servant by night, the well-pleasing, the accepted, and the caller calls out: This is the gatekeeper of the Divine Presence ²⁴⁴ and the throne of the mercy of the Essence ²⁴⁵ that is borne. Glory be to Him who took His servant by night, the chosen one, the messenger, and the caller calls out: This is the element of pure honor, branch and root, and the master of every angel, prophet, and messenger. This is my master and lord, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and honor and generosity, and glory and greatness, and majesty and splendor. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night with his luminous bride ²⁴⁶ to the station of proximity and nearness, and the caller calls out: This is the talisman of security and hopes, the festival of joy, delight, and congratulations. ²⁴⁷ O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night with his spiritual bride to the carpet of the glory of sovereignty, and the caller calls out: This is the spirit of the spiritual and corporeal world, the isthmus ²⁴⁸ that gathers the meanings of names and attributes, and the stage of beneficent manifestations. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night with his solitary bride to the plains of gnostic mystery, and the caller calls out: This is the banner of holy guidance, the orator of the Merciful Presence, the sultan of the lordly kingdom. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night with his eternal bride to the station of inspirational opening and good-pleasure acceptance, and the caller calls out: This is the interpreter of the Furqanic revelation ²⁴⁹, the seal of prophethood and messengerhood, honored with the Mighty Qur'an and the seven oft-repeated verses ²⁵⁰. So bless him, O God, and his family, with a blessing by which You have mercy on the far and near among us ²⁵¹, and by whose blessing You benefit the seeker and the humble among us, and whose virtues encompass the disobedient, the sinful, and the criminal, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night with his pure, intimate bride, and the caller calls out: This is the cure for those with apparent and hidden diseases, the proven antidote of healing. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night with his chosen, refined bride, and the caller calls out: This, by God, is the Messenger of Truth; he who believes in him and affirms him succeeds, and he who disbelieves in what he brought, denies, and rejects is wretched. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night with his goodly, purified bride, and the caller calls out: This is the beloved of God, the loved one, the best of those who bow in the mosque of al-Khayf ²⁵² and throw pebbles at al-Muhassab ²⁵³. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad ²⁵⁴, Your beloved, whom You took by night with his bride, refined from the essence of pure, chosen loins, and the caller calls out: This is the imam of prophets and angels, the master of non-Arabs and Arabs. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night with his illuminated bride to the witnessing places of accepted deeds and proximity, and the caller calls out: This is the granter of relief to those who seek refuge in him, the remover of worries and distress. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night with his perfect bride in origin and lineage, and the caller calls out: This is the intercessor who saves his community from calamities and all evils and ruin. So bless him, O God, and his family, with a blessing by which we become among those who draw near to the presence of their Lord and approach, and who call to the path of guidance and rectitude and summon, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. ❖ No one of deep, goodly origin has been good in creation except that Taha ²⁵⁵ was the most goodly. ❖ The generous God has not brought near any near one except that Taha was nearer to Him. ❖ Who is or who could be as close as Muhammad, the praised one, the chosen? ²⁵⁶ ❖ God invited the countenance of His essence above the heavens, so he ascended to Him, refined. ❖ His Buraq ²⁵⁷ had a speed like lightning in the night, as he was leaning, and this would not be watched. ❖ The angels said to him: Arise, O sleeper, gain the delicious union, and rise and ride. ❖ Arise and seize the opportunities of proximity and purity, for the time is good; take this mount. ❖ The angels of God surrounded his essence to reach, and he was the most fitting. ❖ So the beloved journeyed to the Beloved, supported, unveiling like brides unveil in a procession. ❖ And angels behind him and before him and on his sides, to single him out by selection. ❖ They are the troops under him, and he is their commander; for his majesty, his rank among them is exalted. ❖ There is no sent prophet or near angel above the heavens except that he welcomed him. ❖ By God, the inhabitants of heaven rejoiced in him, and the houris ²⁵⁸ attained their desires through him. ❖ So let the hand of Muhammad be blessed, and we witnessed Badr ²⁵⁹, a unique beauty, white with a tinge of red. ❖ May the Lord of the Throne bless him, his family, and his companions, as long as He loves them for us, O Lord. "Glory be to Him who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing." ²⁶⁰ Glory be to Him who took His servant by night, the noble master ²⁶¹, and the caller calls out: This is the prophet foretold in the Torah and the Gospel. Glory be to Him who took His servant by night, the eminent, the beautiful, and the caller calls out: This, by God, is the Prophet of Mercy, the guarantor for his community. Glory be to Him who took His servant by night, the blessed, the auspicious, and the caller calls out: This, by God, is the fountain of wisdom.

And the treasure of the guarded secret. Glory be to Him who took His beloved servant by night after the closing of eyelids and the stillness of eyes, while the caller calls: This, by Allah, is the opener of the openers ²⁶² of the divine presence and the city of the stored knowledge. Glory be to Him who took His servant, the opener, the seal ²⁶³, the bringer of glad tidings, the warner, while the caller calls: This, by Allah, is the dawn of truth that shines forth and the luminous lamp of prophethood. Glory be to Him who took His affectionate, compassionate, and benevolent servant to the companion and the intimate, while the caller calls: By Allah, this is the pole of sovereignty ²⁶⁴ and the renowned standard of sainthood. Glory be to Him who took His servant of pure character and qualities, while the caller calls: This is the source of excellences and virtues, and the master of the later and the earlier. Glory be to Him who took His chosen servant from the purest elements and the noblest tribes, while the caller calls: This is the accepted intercessor, the one whose prayers and means are answered; this is my master and lord, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and honor, generosity, glory, and greatness. (73) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his magnificent bride of virtue, while the caller calls: This is the house of prophethood and messengership, distinguished by lofty honor and connected glory. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his exalted and venerated bride, while the caller calls: This is the pole of majesty and the essence of sublime lineage and established glory. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his perfect and perfecting bride, while the caller calls: This is the possessor of the Hanifite religion ²⁶⁵ and the opener of the revealed Book. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his seal, opener, and first bride, while the caller calls: This is the beloved whose intercession is hoped for every terror of terrors, and upon whom reliance is placed in hardships. (74) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his blessed and most fortunate bride, while the caller calls: This is the manifestation of divine realities and the dawn of ascending sainthood. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his noble and most glorious bride, while the caller calls: This is the guide to good deeds and the most right path of guidance. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his sublime and most magnificent bride, while the caller calls: This is the usher of the carpet of honor and the chamberlain of the greatest secret of divinity. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his pure and most generous bride, while the caller calls: This is the beloved, compassionate to his community, the most kind and merciful. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad (75) Your beloved, who was taken by night with his immaculate and most holy bride, while the caller calls: This is the unique jewel of beauty and the most precious necklace of the pearls of prophethood. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his purified and sanctified bride, while the caller calls: This is the firm pillar of religion and the established foundation of truth. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his radiant and adorned bride, while the caller calls: This is the elite of the excellent, the master of the two worlds and the two weighty ones ²⁶⁶. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his bride who was spoken to at the station of two bow-lengths ²⁶⁷, while the caller calls: This is the father of Fatima al-Zahra' and the grandfather of al-Hasan and al-Husayn. (76) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his most exalted and pure bride, while the caller calls: The possessor of the lofty rank and the supreme station. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his virtuous and most growing bride, while the caller calls: This is the secure sanctuary of Allah and His most protective refuge. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which our hearts are illuminated with the lights of purity and the names, and by which the clouds of good deeds and abundant blessings pour down upon us, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O you who preached alone in the holy presence, no other there was bold. O Imam of the heavens and the earths, how great the beloved is among them as Imam. O bride of the angels when he traveled by night, like the moon's journey to attain the goal. O destination of the angels from every valley, and upon him they continued to crowd. O illuminator of the maidens of paradise with beauty, when Taha ²⁶⁸ conveyed peace to them. (77) O commander of the ranks in the abode of eternity, when they see the All-Dominating, the All-Knowing. I console myself with the sweetness of your remembrance forever, so I seized the opportunity through your remembrance. I chose for you rubies in praise, and I kept my thought serving them. And I unveiled the brides of gratitude in them for you, O Mustafa ²⁶⁹, they excelled in order. And blessings upon you and all the family and the Companions, who rose as beacons. {Glory be to Him who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.} Glory be to Him who took His devout and fearful servant, while the caller calls: This is the spring of gnosis.

and the spiritual gifts ²⁷⁰ and the treasure of bestowals and subtleties ²⁷¹. Glory be to Him who took His servant, the ascetic worshiper, by night, and the caller calls: This is the interpreter of the unseen ²⁷² and the tongue of the manifest truth. Glory be to Him who took His servant, the humble and lowly, by night, and the caller calls: This is the one who watches over his Lord in secret and in public, and who abases himself before Him in humility. Glory be to Him who took His servant, the one who bows and prostrates, by night, and the caller calls: This is the bride of the divine presences ²⁷³ and the imam of the prayer niches and mosques. Glory be to Him who took His servant, the righteous prophet, by night, and the caller calls: This is the path of good and the clear way of religion. Glory be to Him who took His servant, the most noble friend ²⁷⁴, by night, and the caller calls: This is the possessor of the pure creed and the straight path. Glory be to Him who took His servant, the pure and purified, by night, and the caller calls: This is the possessor of the clean body and the illumined heart. Glory be to Him who took His servant, the Meccan, the Medinan, the noble, by night, and the caller calls: This is the possessor of high station and lofty rank. Glory be to Him who took His servant, the well-pleasing intercessor whose intercession is accepted, by night, and the caller calls: This is the refuge of creatures and the impregnable fortress of security. Glory be to Him who took His servant, the obeyed and trustworthy, by night, and the caller calls: This is the choicest of the chosen and the seal of the prophets and messengers. This is my master and lord, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and honor, generosity, glory, and greatness. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his pious and most righteous bride ²⁷⁵, and the caller calls: This is the companion of the divine presence ²⁷⁶ and the sultan of the greatest kingdom. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his pure and most purified bride, and the caller calls: This is the place of visitation of the near-stationed angels ²⁷⁷ and the site of their most renowned circumambulation. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his chosen and most luminous bride, and the caller calls: This is the possessor of the smooth cheek and the wide, dark eye. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his bride crowned with the crown of surpassing beauty and most radiant comeliness, and the caller calls: This is the station of the manifestations of beneficence ²⁷⁸ and the most manifest beacon of guidance. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his luminous and moon-like bride, and the caller calls: This is the possessor of the red camel and the yellow staff. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his pure and most glorious bride, and the caller calls: This is the vicegerent of God in His kingdom and the master of black and red. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his bride of radiant face and appearance, and the caller calls: This is the beloved of God, entrusted with the secret of revelation, truthful in speech and news. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night with his bride specially favored with the great intercession and the fullest portion, and the caller calls: This is the possessor of the crown, the turban, and the green banner. So bless him, O God, and his family, a blessing by which we are perfumed with the fragrance of his pure scent and the sweet smell of his musk, and by which we are quenched from the delicious drink of his love and the cup of the supply of his most precious secret, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. * Ya Sin, Ta Ha, the pure and chosen one, * The most noble of those who came with praise and wine. * I bear witness that there is no god but He sent him * As a mercy to the worlds, He granted. * I bear witness that there is no god but He took him by night * A night journey of success, guaranteeing triumph. * He brought him near and he ascended where * No station of nearness besides Him is granted. * He was at a distance of two bow-lengths or * Even nearer, with a victory clearly stated. * And behold the pure solicitude * Of ancient specification, not by acquisition. * The radiance of a unique one who encompasses radiance * Like the sun, but it has not set since it shone. * Generosity is but a part of His bounties * And nothing but from His munificence is liberality. * This is glory and blessings, so no * And this is fortune and the best of jest. * And from his perfection comes perfection, and from * His beauty comes the beauty of fair faces. * Through him is the perfection of the messengers, from the beginning, as * Through him, from eternity, was the beautiful commencement. * The essence of the two worlds, the most exalted of creatures * Muhammad, the lamp of the righteous. "Glory be to Him who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing." Glory be to Him who took His servant, honored with the name of servitude, by night, and the caller calls: This is the beloved who fulfilled what was incumbent upon him of compliance with commands and avoidance of prohibitions, and acknowledged the right of Lordship. Glory be to Him who took His servant by night to show him the treasuries of His angelic secrets, and the caller calls: This is the beloved who is absent in the lights of the Essence and the contemplation of the perfection of Divinity. Glory be to Him who took His servant, who stands by the limits and fulfills the covenants, by night, and the caller calls: This is the secret of existence and the key to the treasuries of generosity and munificence. Glory be to Him who took His servant, whose garments and robes are fragrant, by night, and the caller calls: This is the very

The Divine Mercy and the Intended Gate of God. Glory be to Him who took His servant, the Praising and Praised One, on a night journey, and the caller calls out: This is the light of eyes and inner sight, and the mirror of the people of watchfulness and witnessing. Glory be to Him who took His servant, noble in fathers and grandfathers, on a night journey, and the caller calls out: This is the Kaaba of circumambulation and the garden of guests and delegations. ²⁷⁹ Glory be to Him who took His servant, the Kind, the Merciful, the Affectionate, the Loving, on a night journey, and the caller calls out: This is the owner of the Basin, the Kawthar, and the tied banner. This is my master and lord, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and the honor, generosity, glory, and greatness. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who traveled by night to the presence of his Lord, the King, the Holy, and the caller calls out: This is the substance of spiritual souls and the life of spirits. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who traveled by night to the presence of his Lord, the Peace, the Faithful, the Mighty, the Compeller, and the caller calls out: This is the light of lights and the secret of secrets, and the most noble of those upon whom the night darkened and the day shone. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who traveled by night to the presence of intimate conversation and secrets, ²⁸⁰ and the caller calls out: This is the model of the righteous and the adornment of the chosen messengers. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who traveled by night to the presence of the shining lights, and the caller calls out: This is the elite of the pure and the imam of the imams, the great ones, and the noble free ones. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who traveled by night to the presence of proximity and union, and the caller calls out: This is the master of kings, slaves, free men, and clients. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who traveled by night to the presence of bounty and generosity, and the caller calls out: This is the Prophet of Mercy and the intercessor of nations. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who traveled by night to the presence of might and honor, ²⁸¹ and the caller calls out: This is the chosen one of the world and the blessing of the later and earlier generations. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who traveled by night to the presence of care and pride, and the caller calls out: This is the owner of succor and the sword of might and victory. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who traveled by night to the presence of the Kingdom and the Dominion, and the caller calls out: This is the pole of the worlds, the blessed one of times and moments. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who traveled by night to the presence of Majesty and Magnification, and the caller calls out: This is the mine of modesty and faith and the locus of contentment and submission. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who traveled by night to the presence of conversation and speech, ²⁸² and the caller calls out: This is the possessor of the high station and the magnificent rank. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who traveled by night to the presence of good pleasure and satisfaction, and the caller calls out: This is the cave of protection and the refuge of the seeker and the supplicant. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who traveled by night to the presence of the Possessor of Majesty and Honor, and the caller calls out: This is the imam of Tayba and the Sanctuary, and the locus of veneration, exaltation, and glorification. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who traveled by night to a level where he heard the screeching of pens, and the caller calls out: This is the one through whom God made His angels know, so they blessed him twelve thousand years before they heard the mention of his father Adam. So bless him, O God, and his family, the noble leaders, and his companions, the distinguished scholars, a blessing by which You crown us with the crown of his everlasting glory, and make us thereby in his protective shelter and his impregnable fortress that cannot be assailed, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. ❖ O mercy of God that You bestowed upon us ❖ so the horizons became fragrant with it in every witnessing ²⁸³ ❖ O pearl of the worlds, sun of our existence ❖ for you are the imam of all, the model of the guided ❖ O you who traveled by night, noble, to Mecca ❖ to the Farthest Mosque, how noble a mosque ❖ You led all the messengers and prophets ❖ how noble a followed one and how noble a follower ❖ O you who ascended above all the heavens ❖ to the distance of two bows, respond to me with my goal ❖ O you whom God endowed with every virtue ❖ you are my heart's desire and the aim of my purpose ❖ And you are the beloved of God, exalted is His majesty ❖ how excellent you are, spirit of spirit, not a bodily spirit ❖ Upon you be God's blessing and His peace ❖ and His good pleasure, today, yesterday, and tomorrow Mention of a delightful hadith, and of return and coming back, and of the arrival of a noble prophet from the presence of his Lord, the King, the Bestower, with victory, triumph, support, and proximity, and signs of good that bear witness to its realization: {And indeed, for him with Us is nearness and a good return.} O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, and the masters of hearts rejoice at his return and prepare to meet him, and the eyes of happiness watch over him in his return and coming back, and guard him. ²⁸⁴ O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from the presence of his Lord, and the worlds of the secret profit from his blessing and good pleasure, and the chiefs of the near ones...

They submit to his majesty and spread their cheeks for the places where his foot steps and his walk. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from the presence of his Lord ²⁸⁵ while the souls of the lovers circle around his Ka'ba ²⁸⁶ and kiss the dust of his sandals and his soil, and the tongues of the rememberers proclaim his rank in assemblies and gatherings and spread his praise. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from the presence of his Lord while the herald of truth ²⁸⁷ comforts his solitude and supports him in his secret and his whispered prayer, and the influx of good ²⁸⁸ circles around his magnificent courtyard and revives his abode. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from the presence of his Lord while the Throne and the Footstool ²⁸⁹ are veiled with the light of his Muhammadan beauty and splendor, and the Tablet and the Pen ²⁹⁰ cling to his Ahmadine ²⁹¹ train and seek protection in his sanctuary. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from the presence of his Lord while the gardens of existence exude the fragrance of his prophetic perfume and scent, and the regions of the kingdom and the dominion ²⁹² are illuminated by the brilliance of his radiance and the light of his countenance. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from the presence of his Lord while the companions of the divine presence ²⁹³ take pride in his praise and are honored by his sublimity, and the inhabitants of the holy precincts ²⁹⁴ follow his chosen way and are guided by his guidance. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from the presence of his Lord while the glad tidings of proximity ²⁹⁵ announce his approach to Him and His pleasure, and the caller of contentment calls out: 'This is the beloved whom his Lord has accepted and approved.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from the presence of his Lord while the evidences of good shine upon his luminous face and inform him that he is chosen and brought near to God, and the caller of love calls out: 'This is the prophet whom his Lord loved, chose, brought near to His presence, selected, and elected for prophethood and messengership.' This is my master and lord, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and honor and generosity. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from the presence of his Lord while the openings of divine truths ²⁹⁶ smile in his face and beam, and the eyes of holy subtleties ²⁹⁷ look with the light of their insight at the beauty of his radiant countenance and discern. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from the presence of his Lord while the fragrant breezes of eternal secrets ²⁹⁸ waft from the essence of his being and are inhaled, and the gifts of merciful openings ²⁹⁹ flow in streams upon creation from his generous hand and are distributed. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from the presence of his Lord while the servants of the supreme tablet ³⁰⁰ hasten before him and advance, and the inhabitants of the high heavens take their benefits from the gifts of his lordly wisdom and learn. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from the presence of his Lord while the brides of the lovers ³⁰¹ turn about in the garments of His pleasure and delight, and the souls of the beloved ones offer themselves in seeking his pleasure and are generous. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from the presence of his Lord while the birds of the passionate ones sing in praise of his noble qualities and warble, and the masters of ecstatic states ³⁰² express what is in their hearts of burning yearnings and speak. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from the presence of his Lord while the worlds of his spirituality ³⁰³ act in the fields of hearts and dominate, and the sunrises of his luminosity ³⁰⁴ shine in the assemblies of the rememberers, so they cry out with beautiful praise of him and magnify. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from the presence of his Lord while the palaces of the people of polytheism crack from the majesty of his awe and collapse, and the armies of falsehood are defeated by the lights of his prophethood and messengership and are shattered. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which we become among those who adorn themselves with the ornaments of his Muhammadan virtues and are sealed, and who pray upon him with the most precious blessings and increasing benedictions and have mercy, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from his night journey ³⁰⁵ while the angels tear the veils of their coverings to witness the beauty of his countenance, and the elite of the prophets and messengers move from their thrones to gain his pleasure and the blessing of his call. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from his night journey while the souls of the pure ones ³⁰⁶ expose themselves with their spirituality to inhale the breezes of his fragrance, and the leaders of the lovers hasten from their regions to win the perfection of his gaze. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from his night journey while the luminous persons ³⁰⁷ run in their orbits to borrow the lights of the secret of his wisdom, and the most excellent of those who call to God are guided by his guidance and follow the path of his sunna. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from his night journey while the fixed entities of the poles ³⁰⁸ draw from his Ahmadine supply and circle around his Ka'ba, and the men of succor ³⁰⁹ seek refuge in his protection and seek victory in all hardships through his help. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from his night journey while the nobles of the bells ³¹⁰ receive their sciences from his mouth and crowd at the door of his threshold, and the great ones of the substitutes ³¹¹ gather the dust of his sandals and rub their cheeks in the soil of his grave. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who came from his night journey while the elite of the unique ones ³¹² seek the gifts of his outpourings and the fragrant breezes of his kindness, and all creatures seek the abundant flow of his generosity and ask for the clouds of his mercy. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which You bestow upon us the vision of his noble grave and his garden, and by which You gather us, when we die, with his pure group and the people of his love, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey ³¹³ while the sanctuaries of holiness rejoiced in the radiance of his face with joy, and the people of intimate communion raised their voices in remembrance of his Muhammadan name and trembled with ecstasy. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the paths of guidance became clear through his prophetic traditions and were illuminated, and the foundations of divine laws entered into the rulings of his Sharia and merged within the folds of his sciences. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the lamps of religion ignited from the light of his Ahmadan ³¹⁴ lamp and shone brightly, and the proofs of truth were established by the elevation of his words and argued with the evidences of his miracles. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the people of faith hastened to obey him in crowds, and the armies of disbelief trembled in fear of the majesty of his awe and quivered with terror. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the forms of the people of spiritual attraction ³¹⁵ and longing shook with joy at meeting him and were agitated, and the great ones of the lovers crowded at his sweetest fountain and kissed the hem of his illuminated carpet, individually and in pairs. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the light of Islam guided hearts and souls, and love for him blended with the limbs, and the crises of worries, sorrows, and distresses were dispelled by his blessing and relieved. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing that becomes for us a ladder to the ranks of high stations and a means of ascension, and a guiding proof leading to the path of success and happiness, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O choicest of the two worlds ³¹⁶, O secret of purity, O light of the lights of existence, the sought refuge, You are the one whom beauty possessed alone, And to Him every being is in need. You were sent to the two worlds as a mercy, Through you, distress was relieved from the people of the two worlds. To the distance of two bow-lengths ³¹⁷, the lofty, you ascended in a night, and none like you will ascend to heaven. The angels of heaven crowded around you, Seeking your pleasure and beseeching deliverance. You saw the gardens of bliss and what is in them, And you saw your delightful, most splendid Kawthar ³¹⁸. You saw your palace in Paradise, radiant, Its light shining above the palaces. O you of the radiant face, adorned, In the pitch-black night, you shone forth. O possessor of the smiling teeth, their gleam Is radiant; blessed be your nature, how splendid! May Allah, whose majesty is exalted, bless you, As long as the dawn rends the skirts of darkness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the angels of the Merciful welcomed him and comforted him, and the people of faith, by what he brought, exalted him above what is unbecoming of his lofty station and sanctified him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the discourse of truth built its lighthouse upon the stations of piety, and the tongue of revelation protected his side from the impurities of human follies that might defile him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the signs of happiness established him upon the peaks of high stations and seated him, and the precedents of divine will plunged him into the seas of divine lights and immersed him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the eyes of divine favors protected him from the calamities of others and guarded him, and the noble traits of character planted the branch of his tree on the shore of the sea of perfection of attributes. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing that restrains the tongue of its reciter from delving into what does not concern him and holds him back, and changes the affair of whoever intends him harm and returns his plot to his own throat and reverses it, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the emotions of mercies drew him near and attracted him, and the very essences of those with delightful tastes savored the wine of his love and found it sweet. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the brides of the divine presences longed for conversation with him and sought him in marriage, and the consciences of hearts hastened to meet him with joy and happiness and desired him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the gifts of blessedness and blessing accompanied him and kept him company, and the veils of divine jealousy concealed him from the eyes of the deniers and hid him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the great ones of the lovers inscribed his noble name on the pages of their hearts and wrote it, and the people of needs stretched their hands to him in most matters and sought him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the masters of spiritual states found the wine of his love delightful in their glasses and drank it, and the people of longing poured the water of their tears upon the portal of his blessed threshold and shed it. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey while the leaders of the near ones sought refuge in his side for attaining intercession and desired him, and the great ones of the distressed and afflicted beseeched through his rank to Allah to repel from them the great distress that had befallen them and remove it. So bless him, O Allah, and grant him peace, and his family, with a blessing by which we become among those whose rank and station are elevated in the degrees of sainthood, and whose standing and procession are honored in the processions of the praisers, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. The most noble of creation in lineage, deed, and origin, and the highest and most exalted in glory and honor, and the most beautiful of Allah's creation in form and character, and the most generous in giving, with the widest scope.

And the most honored house of Lu'ayy ibn Ghālib ³¹⁹, and of others, and the son of the noble ones ³²⁰, the pure one. He is descended from the highest of his forelocks, Hāshim ³²¹, the lofty, and in the covenant, the magnificent Ghālib ³²². He traveled on the Night of the Ascension ³²³, heading to a Presence where the wine from the cup of lovers is drunk. The angels surrounded him, some giving glad tidings of the grace he attained, and others welcoming him. The Lord of the Throne brought him near to the heights, so he was like the distance of two bow-lengths or even nearer ³²⁴. And He granted him intercession and the banner on the Day of Gathering, over the messengers, and the Pool that never runs dry ³²⁵. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey ³²⁶, while the hidden realms of the unseen revealed their wonders to him, and the secrets of hearts granted him their mysteries and unveiled their marvels. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while the stations of sainthood ³²⁷ urged their mounts for him, and the stars of guidance shone before him and let down their locks. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while the sciences of knowledge ³²⁸ advanced before him and led their noble steeds, and the positions of divine care walked behind him, dragging their battalions. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while the growing blessings sent their clouds upon him, and the glad tidings of happiness gave him what he asked about their secrets and granted him their desires. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while the secrets of the openings ³²⁹ sought from him their gifts, and the landmarks of realities clarified through his conduct their paths and corrected their doctrines. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while the elements of honor raised through him their lineages, and the ranks of highness elevated through him their degrees and honored their stations. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while the pegs of the mosques ³³⁰ increased through blessings upon him their merits, and the great ones of the lovers found sweet his remembrance, and through praising him their foods and drinks became pleasant. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while the breasts of gatherings delight through mentioning his noble qualities, their scenes and processions, and the fleet of seas sails with his noble name, their ships and vessels. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while the master poets proclaim his worth and spread his beautiful praise in the regions of the earth, its east and west, and the people of means ³³¹ seek refuge in his rank and intercede through him to Allah, attaining their requests and fulfilling their needs. Section: O Allah, upon him and his family, send blessings that suffice us through them the worries of this world and its calamities, and raise through them from us the blackness of the events of days and their misfortunes, and protect us through them from the disgrace of the terrors of the Day of Resurrection and its shame, its punishment, and its faults, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Who can match the Chosen One ³³² in his rank? And other than him is far from his heights. And by his night journey, He called him alone to see Ṭāhā ³³³ nearer to Him. And with the eyes of his head he saw Him, while others were veiled from what he observed. Or with the angels and the messengers, when he stood on the pulpit of praise ³³⁴ and preached. And he ascended, rising towards heaven, to see therein a procession of grace. Everyone in the seven [heavens] came to the Chosen One, greeted him, and called out, "Welcome!" So he drew near and approached his Lord, and Allah praised him abundantly. The Merciful's returner ³³⁵ for his community, and for them, out of his sake, He bestowed kindness. He brought alleviation and reduction from the Presence of Allah, and he was the cause. He asked Allah for us all wishes, and brought us every precious thing. Who can match the Chosen One in mercy, generosity, forbearance, and love? May the blessings of Allah cover his grave, and upon his family and companions who are near. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while the light of faith increases in clarity and shines from the suns of his prophethood and the flashes of his gnosis, and the dawn of the atmosphere becomes clear through the proofs of his dazzling miracles and the signs of his Criterion ³³⁶. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while Islam's word rises high and is organized by the appearance of his authority, and the laws of rulings are established, their limits from the proofs of his evidences and decisive arguments. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while the fragrant breezes of good things blow from the perfumes of his breaths and diffuse from the scent of his garments, and the worlds of existence testify to his superiority and acknowledge his generosity and beneficence. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while the springs of wisdom gush forth from the fountains of his tongue, and the seas of grace and generosity flow from the flood of his right hand and the bounty of his fingers. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while the great ones of the near ones ³³⁷ seek protection in his sanctuary and enter into his security, and the eminent saints and righteous ones crowd at the door of his Ka'ba ³³⁸ and seek the gifts of his grace and favor. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while the hearts of lovers yearn for his vision and long for his homelands, and the breezes of pardon and forgiveness are derived from his book and shine from the back of his title. Section: O Allah, bless him and his family with a blessing that clothes us with the garments of his honor and good pleasure, and makes us through it among the people of his prophetic presence and his court, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, Your beloved, who returned from his night journey, while the doors of the heavens open their locks for him, and the treasuries of the earths rejoice at his arrival and grant him their provisions.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey ³³⁹ while the veiled ones of the cosmos ³⁴⁰ cast off their headbands at the sight of him and loosened their necklaces for him, and the guardians of the cloak of modesty ³⁴¹ tore their veils for his vision and spread their longings for him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the pegs of the mosques ³⁴² filled their markets with the precious gems of his remembrances, and the masters of spiritual knowledge ³⁴³ delighted their tastes with the sweet discourse of his Ascension ³⁴⁴. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the very essences of the lovers ³⁴⁵ strolled in the delight of the beauty of his face, and the elite of the knowers ³⁴⁶ refined their morals through the excellent qualities of his Chosen Way ³⁴⁷. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the brilliant stars borrowed their radiance from his lights, and the flowers of the valleys spread their garlands and unfolded their leaves for his walk. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the precious sciences of divine knowledge ³⁴⁸ adorned him with their highest attainments, and the horizons of the kingdom and the dominion ³⁴⁹ were perfumed with the fragrance of his pure scents. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the veils of the gardens ³⁵⁰ opened their layers for him, and all creatures sought intercession through his rank with Allah and sought the expenditure of the gifts of his bounty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the people of faith pledged allegiance to him and took their covenant upon him, and the communities of Islam bit down on his Sunnah ³⁵¹ with their molars and tightened their belts for his religion. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing that rectifies the conditions of the community and heals its discord, relieves it of the greatest distress and eases its suffocation, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. In the chosen air, by night he walked, like lightning in his high stations he sped. His sight did not swerve, and Allah was with him; a rank free from anxiety. The guide ascended to the horizon of the highest, and for him a conquest therein never closed. He spoke to Allah face to face and observed what he saw without veils or layers. He saw the messengers, the angels, and the houris; all embraced and hugged Taha ³⁵². They honored him above the heavens and acquired from him a beauty of truth. He saw the master of the fire, frowning, filled with rage against the people of sin. When he saw Ahmad ³⁵³ approaching smiling, he received him with cheer and delight. Never did he smile for anyone but the Chosen One; so beauty for the Chosen One annihilated wrath. And Ridwan ³⁵⁴ came, standing, full of joy, delight, and pride. Facing him, before him, a qibla ³⁵⁵ of a yearning one with life remaining. He opened all the gardens for mankind, what Allah prepared and created therein. He came to Mecca in the morning, informing his people, and the speech among them was well-ordered. He called them, "O my morning!" They came, and with ill omen their gathering then dispersed. None but al-Siddiq ³⁵⁶ believed him; others were among those who transgressed. The truth appeared to him openly, and falsehood was erased from them and vanished. The religion of the Chosen One covered the horizons, so the darkness of unbelief was split like dawn. May Allah bless him and his family and companions, as long as the horizon flashes with lightning. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the very essences of the Dominant ³⁵⁷ seek refuge in his presence and cling to his hem, and the great ones of the Cherubim ³⁵⁸ submit to his awe and the might of his majesty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the servants of the luminous carpet ³⁵⁹ stroll in the splendor of his essence and the beauties of his beauty, and the people of divine openings ³⁶⁰ draw from the oceans of his generosity and the flood of his bestowal. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the possessors of spiritual states and attractions ³⁶¹ boast of his care and walk in the robes of his perfection, and those of stations and ranks are honored by his proximity and delight in his union. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the people of devotion and worship are guided by his guidance and follow his words and deeds, and the inhabitants of the surrounding realms ³⁶² kiss his soil and touch the dust of his sandals. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the guardians of the Throne and the Footstool ³⁶³ seek blessing from the mim of his name, its ha, and its dal ³⁶⁴, and the inhabitants of the islands and seas crowd at the door of his portal and wish to be among his servants, retinue, and dependents. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which we become among those who drank from the delicious nectar of the wine of his love and the cups of its flowing, and who made blessing upon him their profit, the alchemy of their treasure, and their capital, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the robes of prophecies and messages ³⁶⁵ cast their garments upon him and clothed him with their attributes, and the jewels of sciences and wisdoms ³⁶⁶ revealed their meanings to him and opened their shells for him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the stations of divine care ³⁶⁷ assisted him and softened their sides for him, and the ranks of sainthood ³⁶⁸ hastened to obey him and granted him their varieties. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the paths of guidance complied with his command and expanded their flanks for him, and the secrets of protection ³⁶⁹ supported his vanguards and girded him with their swords. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the eyes of divine care ³⁷⁰ watched over him and granted him its favors, and the ascents of the ultimate goal ³⁷¹ granted him its nearest and farthest and gathered for him its fringes and edges.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad ¹¹⁰, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey ³⁷², while the elite of the knowers ³⁷³ fill their innermost beings with love for him, and the noble Arabs submit to his obedience and guide their ignorant and rude ones to faith in him. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing that grants us thousands and multiples of rewards, and through it forgives those who invoke blessings upon him their sins and transgressions, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey, while the assemblies of the righteous are perfumed with the fragrance of his scent and become fragrant, and the brides of Paradise adorn themselves with joy at seeing him and beautify themselves. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey, while the treasuries of holiness are illuminated by the beauty of his countenance and rejoice, and the ranks of angels take pride in the light of his radiant face and glow. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey, while the bright faces of the fair-complexioned are illuminated by the freshness of his moon-like forehead and shine, ¹¹¹ and the innermost secrets of the lovers blaze with the fires of their longing at the sight of his radiant face and flare up. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey, while the seas of generosity overflow from his noble hands and surge, and the greatest of hardships and distresses vanish with his blessed arrival and are relieved. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which whoever visits his illuminated tomb and ascends to his noble landmarks, and spends his times praising him and invoking blessings upon him, will have his worries dispelled and his distress relieved, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey, while the angels of the spheres circle around the axis of his millstone and revolve, and the attendants of the veils and curtains take pride in their visions by the radiance of his joy and are illuminated. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey, while the worlds of spirits wipe themselves with the edges of his garments and visit, and the springs of blessings gush forth from the fingertips of his blessed hand and overflow. ¹¹² O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey, and Allah adorned the centuries and ages with his mission, and the inhabitants of the chambers and palaces in the highest paradises sang in praise of him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey, while the waters of polytheism recede by the secret of his wisdom and dry up, and the religion of truth becomes clear with his coming and appears in the utmost clarity. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing that multiplies for us rewards and recompense, and makes it for us among Your beloved ones a profitable trade that will never perish, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey, while the jewels of revelation descend upon his heart and come down, and the revelation of truth is honored by the exchange of his sacred traditions and beams. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, ¹¹³ Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey, while the religions of disbelief change their states through his call to Allah and are transformed, and the landmarks of ignorance are erased by the appearance of his Hanifite law and become null. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey, while the armies of darkness disperse their troops through his guidance and disown, and the clouds of illusion are dispelled by the elevation of his words and change. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey, while the hearts of the saints swim in the seas of his love and penetrate deeply, and the most excellent of the chosen ones rise in ranks by serving his noble station and become honored. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey, while the elite of the obedient hasten to comply with his commands and bear them, and the great ones of the pious sacrifice themselves in his service to attain his complete pleasure and seek means. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, ¹¹⁴ Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey, while the people of piety and asceticism rely on him in all their affairs and trust, and the people of success and happiness seek intercession through his rank with Allah to achieve their goals and seek means. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which we become among those who are adorned with the jewelry of his love in assemblies and beautify themselves, and who stand in his service so that Allah is pleased with their deeds and accepts them, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Indeed, the Beloved who captivated me—the full moon from his face is perfection. He ascended to the distance of two bow-lengths ³⁷⁴, the Chosen One, Ahmad the Imam. The Lord of servants brought him near, and the veil was removed from Ahmad. He truly guarded him with the eye of a head when Peace manifested to him. He singled him out, purified him, and he is unique; his portion is intimacy and speech. And return to Allah in manifestation, and the light on his face is vied for. And the son of Imran ³⁷⁵ has in him a great and momentous share, which is the goal. Rather, you see me longing for nearness, and it is a gain. The angels of the Throne came to him, crowding upon his hands. Through him they acquired all they hoped for of the security that is vied for. At every time until the Day of Gathering, the honor of Taha ³⁷⁶ has continued. ¹¹⁵ May Allah bless him as long as the tents of Tayyiba ³⁷⁷ shine, and the Family and Companions who adorned themselves with the guidance of Taha and then remained steadfast. Opening and inspiration, glad tidings and announcement, a visit with piety, veneration, and magnification, a hospitality with honor, respect, and reverence, sitting on the carpet of proximity, with pleasant greeting, conversation, and speech, and a return.

With blessing and felicity, attainment of purpose and desire, and an arrival that rejoiced the inhabitants of the heavens and the earths, and the people of Taybah ³⁷⁸ and the Sacred Sanctuary ³⁷⁹. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night ³⁸⁰ while his bride ³⁸¹ was adorned in the robes of glory and sovereignty, and he returned while the eyes of divine care watched over him from beginning to end. (116) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of pride and magnificence, and he returned while the people of gnosis ³⁸² derived from him the subtle sciences, wisdoms, and benefits. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of sainthood ³⁸³ and righteousness, and he returned while his auspicious bird ³⁸⁴ called to the path of goodness and success. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of pardon and forgiveness, and he returned while his blessed caller ³⁸⁵ guided to the landmarks of right guidance and prosperity. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of love and election, and he returned while the witness of truth ³⁸⁶ testified that he is the imam of the people of guidance and following. (117) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of truth and fidelity, and he returned while his arrival to the higher and lower worlds ³⁸⁷ was mercy and healing. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of contentment and divine pleasure, and he returned while Allah filled his breast with the lights of wisdom and gifts of gnosis. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of blessing and security, and he returned while his vanguards ³⁸⁸ announced expansion, joy, delight, and congratulations. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of piety and honor, and he returned while the angels congratulated him on what he attained of the pleasure of his Lord, the All-Knowing King. (118) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of opening ³⁸⁹ and inspiration, and he returned while the paths of truth became clear through his conduct from the veils of doubts and illusions. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of might and honor, and he returned while his Lord gifted him with the highest honors and the most beautiful gifts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of proximity and nearness, and he returned while Allah, through his blessing, had mercy on the predecessors and successors. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of virtue and perfection, and he returned while the sea of his generosity flowed with streams of goodness, generosity, and gifts. (119) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of splendor and beauty, and he returned while his Lord crowned him with the crown of might and clothed him with the garments of awe and majesty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of chastity and protection, and he returned while his states ³⁹⁰ told of the perfection of truthfulness and delivery of the trust. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of right guidance and religiosity, and he returned while his Lord protected him from uttering obscenity, falsehood, and betrayal. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of prophethood and messengership, and he returned while Allah, through him, erased the traces of the people of disbelief and misguidance. (120) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of veneration and majesty, and he returned while his tongue guided the servants by calling to Allah and showing the way. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of radiance and light, and he returned while Allah poured upon him from the oceans of His divine effusions ³⁹¹ and increased him in light upon light. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of fame and manifestation, and he returned while his blessing encompassed the worlds of the Throne ³⁹² and the earth ³⁹³, and the inhabitants of islands and seas. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of openings ³⁹⁴ and gifts, and he returned while Allah, through him, revived the traces of the laws and the foundations of the schools. (121) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of lofty stations and the highest ranks, and he returned having attained from his Lord the fulfillment of purposes and the noblest of objectives. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while his bride was adorned in the robes of guidance and uprightness, and he returned while Allah, through him, illuminated the enclosures of holiness and the plains of the Resurrection.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night ³⁹⁵ and his bride ³⁹⁶ was adorned in the robes of nearness and honor, and he returned after Allah had removed from his community hardship and difficulty and led them on the paths of security and safety. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night and his bride was adorned in the robes of excellences and praises, and he returned, and the speaking and the inanimate ³⁹⁷ rejoiced at his coming. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night and his bride was adorned in the robes of miracles and the breaking of customs ³⁹⁸, and he returned, and through his hand abundant blessings were dispensed and by his blessing tables were sent down. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night and his bride was adorned in the robes of support and tranquility, and he returned, and through him Allah honored Jerusalem, Mecca, and Medina. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night and his bride was adorned in the robes of happiness and the firm station of success, and he returned, and Allah fulfilled his wish for his community and realized his hope and certainty. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which we become among those whose hearts are quenched from the pure wine of his assisting effusions ³⁹⁹, and by whose blessing their states, their worldly life, and their religion are set aright, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while Gabriel held his stirrup, and he returned while Michael sought intercession through his rank and took refuge in his presence. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night while the Supreme Spirit ⁴⁰⁰ delighted in his discourse, and he returned while the Cherubim ⁴⁰¹ wiped themselves with his garments and clung to his fringes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night while the spiritual souls ⁴⁰² strolled in the beauty of his essence, and he returned while the wide-eyed maidens ⁴⁰³ sang the mention of his names and the beauties of his attributes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night while the worlds of the Kingdom ⁴⁰⁴ inhaled the fragrance of his breaths, and he returned while the inhabitants of the Highest Tablet ⁴⁰⁵ sought his gift and implored the outpouring of his mercies. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night while the people of the Most High Assembly ⁴⁰⁶ sought the growth of his blessings, and he returned while the tongues of those who remember praised him with beautiful praise and acquired the treasures of his alchemy ⁴⁰⁷ and the stores of his blessings. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night while the monks of the monasteries of light ⁴⁰⁸ marveled at his beauty and the splendor of his comeliness, and he returned while the kings of hearts ⁴⁰⁹ circumambulated his honored Kaaba ⁴¹⁰ and alighted in his courtyard. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night while the angels of the seven heavens ⁴¹¹ were characterized by his forgiveness and generosity, and he returned while the bearers of the Throne and the Footstool ⁴¹² sought blessing through him and wiped themselves with the fingers of his palm. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing befitting his lofty station and the perfection of his lordship, and commensurate with his high rank and the sublimity of his glories, and by which we become among those who held fast to his firmest handhold ⁴¹³ and thus succeeded in attaining His greatest pleasure and achieved his intercession, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night and he saw his Lord with the sight of the eye ⁴¹⁴, and he returned and his luminous essence filled every scene and eye. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whom You took by night and he saw his Lord without modality ⁴¹⁵ or location, and he returned and You granted him such gifts that the soul is at peace and the eye is comforted. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night and he saw his Lord with a vision of direct sight and verification, and he returned and the proofs of his prophethood testify that he is the model for the people of truthfulness and affirmation. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night and he saw his Lord with a vision of unveiling and precision, and he returned and the evidences of his states announce that he is the imam of the people of guidance and success. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night and he saw his Lord with the eyes of his head, and he returned and You made him renowned in the manifestations of Your dominion and Your kingdom and the enclosures of Your holiness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night and he saw his Lord with his very self, and he returned and You honored him above all Your angels, jinn, and humans. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night and he saw his Lord with the eyes of his sight, and he returned and the people of the desired spectacle ⁴¹⁶ boast of seeing him and seek blessing from his gaze. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night and he saw his Lord with the eye of his insight and thought, and he returned and perfumed the worlds with the fragrance of his scent and the sweetness of his aroma. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night and he saw his Lord in his secret and his public, and he returned and the tongue of his state glorifies Him, sanctifies Him, and proclaims His praise and gratitude. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who was taken by night and he saw his Lord with the eye of his heart and his innermost being, and he returned and the tongues of the worlds praise him and the hearts of the knowers are attached to him.

He who was taken by night ⁴¹⁷, and his Lord saw him with the eye of his heart ⁴¹⁸; he returned having been singled out with His supreme particularity ⁴¹⁹ and favored with the perfection of His sainthood ⁴²⁰ and proximity ⁴²¹. So bless him, O Allah, and his Family with a blessing that fills our hearts with love and affection for him, and heals the apparent and hidden diseases of our hearts with his healing remedy and the antidote of his medicine, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. This is he whose forehead's lights shone forth ❖ As if in darkness they were a fire on a beacon. By spirit and body he was taken by night in the dark ❖ And none denies the body's journey through the shadows. On the Burāq ⁴²² to the seven heavens he ascended ❖ And he saw God with a vision beyond reproach. Who is it that drew near and attained a station ❖ Of two bow-lengths ⁴²³, unattained and unaimed? None but the Beloved, the Intercessor, the Master, the Support ❖ The Kind, the Compassionate, the Merciful, the Learned, the Banner. The best of the noble angels before ❖ The best of creation, walking without shame. O Master of the Messengers, O Treasure of the needy, O ❖ Store of the disobedient on the morrow, O High of Aspirations (128). Be my rescuer and my succor, you are my reliance ❖ Other than your door for needs is not sought. May the God of the Throne bless you as long as the ❖ Sun of day rises and the stars of darkness shine. Its author said—may Allah illumine his heart with the light of faith, open before him the doors of acceptance, clothe him in garments of good pleasure and satisfaction, make his provision piety, and cause his spirit to ascend to stations of proximity and nearness, and grant him success in the most perfect acts of obedience, and aid him in night prayer and recitation of the Qur'an: When I reached in the mention of the Night Journey ⁴²⁴ this exalted, sublime station—with its exquisite expressions, words, and meanings, its wondrous allusions, style, and structure—I wished to mention the wisdom of the night in which his Night Journey occurred—peace and blessings be upon him—to the presence of his exalted and lofty Lord, and the vision of His Essence ⁴²⁵ beyond modality and location; and to explain its sensory and spiritual virtues, and what Allah praised him with (129) in His clear, noble verses and exalted Furqān ⁴²⁶ chapters, and what He extolled regarding the status of those who stand in it and the worldly and otherworldly virtues He granted them, and what has been reported in the Prophetic hadiths and authentic transmitted traditions concerning its virtue and encouragement to stand in it. And I appended to that exquisite, beautiful prayers that delight hearts and please ears, including Jibrīl's ⁴²⁷ acknowledgment of the night's status, his address to him—peace and blessings be upon him—in the language of his state when he was taken by night in it, his joy at that, his request to return in it, his desire, supplication, and weeping at parting from his blessed face when he returned to his goodly earth, which is his abode with his Companions, wives, kinsfolk, and Family. So I say: From Allah I hope to attain the goal and achieve the desire: (130) O blessed night, O blessed, preferred time, O noble, venerated, honored time, in which the Master took His beloved, the most perfect and intimate, and His Prophet, the most honored and excellent, to His illuminated, most radiant carpet, and confided to him during it sublime secrets that no intimate friend ⁴²⁸ or sent prophet was informed of. So bless him, O Allah, and his Family with a blessing that guides us to his straight and most exemplary path, and makes us among those who act according to his Muhammadan Sunna ⁴²⁹ and revealed Book, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Then know that the wisdom in his Night Journey—peace and blessings be upon him—by night is that the night is the time of seclusion and particularity by custom, and the time of prayer that was prescribed for him—peace and (131) blessings be upon him—in the words of the Exalted: ﴾Then the night﴿, the verse. To honor him—peace and blessings be upon him—in it with matters including: the splitting of the moon for him—peace and blessings be upon him—the jinn's ⁴³⁰ belief in him, and his Companions' seeing their fires, as in Sahīh Muslim ⁴³¹; and also: he went out to the cave in it, and in it he used to stand [in prayer] until his feet swelled, and in it was most of his worship—peace and blessings be upon him—of his Lord; and so that the reward of the one who believes in it would be greater, thus he would be among those who believe in the unseen ⁴³² rather than those who witness it by day; and so that it would be more effective for the believer in faith and a trial for the disbeliever; and because when Allah, Exalted, effaced the sign of the day as visible, the night was broken, so it was mended by his being taken by night—peace and blessings be upon him—in it; and because the night is the rest of those who pray at night, the seclusion of the ascetics, worshippers, and devout monks; in it the intimate conversations of the solitary knowers ⁴³³ become sweet, the states of the pure-hearted rememberers become pleasant, the faces of the God-fearing humble ones brighten; in it movements are praised, secrets overflow, blessings pour down, and lights shine upon the hearts of the people of longing (132), love, and faith; in it lovers delight in night talk, and those who stand [in prayer] find refreshment in the breezes of mercies and gifts of grace and favor; and through it their diligence in worship and exposure to the breaths of the Merciful ⁴³⁴ improves; and in it were most of his journeys—peace and blessings be upon him—surrounded by blessing and security; and in it he came to you at nightfall, for the earth is folded up during it, according to what the eminent imams narrated; and in it gifts are obtained for the people of seclusions and gatherings, ranks rise for the people of humility and supplication and answer to prayers, spiritual drinks become clear for the people of longing, yearning, weeping, groaning, and inhaling the fragrant breezes of mercies; and in it blow upon the saints ⁴³⁵ the zephyrs of affections and felicities, and circulate among them the cups of gifts, secrets, and reinforcements; and descend upon them the subtleties of sciences, wisdoms, and benefits; and in it the insights of the people of unveilings ⁴³⁶ and inspirations become illuminated, and appear to them the exploits, merits, miracles ⁴³⁷, glad tidings, signs, and marks; and in it are granted to them ascents by which they rise from state to state, stations through which they move from perfection to perfection, ranks by which they ascend (133) from intimacy to boldness, from nearness to union; and in they attain the perfection of spiritual struggle ⁴³⁸ and the triumph of contemplation ⁴³⁹, and they stroll in the enclosures of holiness and the gardens of intimacy; and in it they seclude themselves with their Beloved, hear His speech, delight in His proximity and union, enjoy His intimate conversation and address, and become absorbed in the attributes of His perfections, His lights, and the witnessing of His beauty. And it suffices for its honor and glory what occurred in it of the ascension and elevation on the Night of the Night Journey for our Master and Patron Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him—the possessor of the Praiseworthy Station ⁴⁴⁰, the tied banner, and the Great Intercession ⁴⁴¹; and what his Lord disclosed to him in it of the treasures of His omnipotence ⁴⁴² and the secrets of His dominion ⁴⁴³; and what He granted him in it of high rank and lofty station in this world and the next; and what has been reported from him—peace and blessings be upon him—in his saying: "The honor of the believer is in night prayer," and his saying (134)—peace and blessings be upon him: "Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: Who calls upon Me that I may answer him? Who asks of Me that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness that I may forgive him?" And from Ibn Mas'ūd ⁴⁴⁴: "The virtue of night prayer over day prayer is like the virtue of secret charity over open charity."

And those who spend the night prostrating and standing before their Lord. And He, exalted, said: "Is one who is devoutly obedient during the hours of the night, prostrating and standing, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord..." And He, exalted, said: "Among the People of the Book is a community standing [in prayer], reciting the verses of Allah during the hours of the night while they prostrate." And He, exalted, said to His Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him: "And from [part of] the night, pray with it as an extra [prayer] for you; it is expected that your Lord will raise you to a praised station." And He said: "And during the night prostrate to Him and exalt Him a long night." And He, exalted, said: "Stand [in prayer] at night, except for a little—half of it, or subtract from it a little, or add to it." And some of them said: "Night prayer lightens the length of standing on the Day of Resurrection." It has been narrated that those who pray at night enter Paradise without reckoning. And if they precede to Paradise without reckoning, then they have been relieved from the length of the standing [on the Day of Judgment]. 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, said to a man: "Do not abandon night prayer, for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, never abandoned it. When he was ill, he prayed sitting." In another narration from her, she said: "It has reached me about some people who say: 'If we perform the obligatory duties, we do not care unless we increase [in good deeds].' By my life, Allah will only ask them about what He made obligatory upon them. But they are people who err by night and day. You are nothing but from your Prophet, and your Prophet is nothing but from you. By Allah, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, never abandoned night prayer." So 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, indicated that night prayer contains two great benefits: following the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and emulating him. And He, exalted, said: (138) Then the Lord, mighty and majestic, says to those behind the veil: "Look at this servant of Mine, how he struggles with himself. Whatever this servant of Mine asks Me for, it is his." And in the two Sahihs ⁴⁴⁵: "What an excellent man is 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, if only he would pray at night." After that, 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar would not sleep at night except a little. Abu Dharr used to say to the people: "What do you think? If one of you wanted to travel, would he not take provisions that would suffice and sustain him?" They said: "Yes." He said: "The journey of the path of the Resurrection is farther, so take provisions that will sustain you. Perform Hajj for the great matters, fast a very hot day for the heat of the Day of Resurrection, pray two rak'ahs ⁴⁴⁶ in the darkness of the night for the loneliness of the darkness of the graves, and give charity for the evil of a difficult day. Where are the men of the night? Where are al-Hasan, Sufyan, and Fudayl? O men of the night, strive! Often a caller is not refused. None stands the night except He who has resolve and seriousness. Nothing is like the night prayer As provision for the grave. And it is narrated that the best night prayer is its middle, and that the best night prayer is the prayer of Dawud ⁴⁴⁷; he would sleep half the night, stand for a third, and sleep a sixth. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when he heard the screamer ⁴⁴⁸, he would rise for prayer. The screamer is the rooster, and it crows in the middle of the night. From Abu Dharr, he said: "I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him: 'Which night prayer is best?' He said: 'Its middle.'" From Abu Umama, that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah, which prayer is most virtuous?" He said: "The middle of the night." (139) He said: "And which supplication is most heard?" He said: "The supplication after the obligatory prayers." In another narration, he said: "The latter part of the night." From Abu Dharr, he said: "I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him: 'Which night prayer is best?' He said: 'The latter part of the night, or the middle of the night, and few practice it.'" In the hadith of 'Umar ibn 'Utba, may Allah be pleased with him, he said: "I heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, say: 'The closest a servant is to his Lord is in the middle of the night. So if you can be among those who remember Allah at that hour, then do so.'" It is narrated that Dawud, peace be upon him, said: "O Lord, when should I stand for You?" He said: "Do not stand at the beginning of the night nor at its end, but in the middle of the night, so that you may be alone with Me and I with you, and you may raise your needs to Me." In the well-known tradition: "He who claims My love has lied, for when night covers him, he sleeps away from Me. Is not every lover fond of solitude with his beloved? Here I am, watching over My beloved ones; when night covers them, I place their sight in their hearts, and they address Me through direct vision, and speak to Me in My presence. Tomorrow I will delight the eyes of My beloved ones in My gardens: * The night is for Me and My beloved ones; their conversations * I have chosen them so that they may hear and understand. * They have hearts filled with My secrets, * Imprinted with My love and guidance. * They journeyed and did not weaken from incapacity or weakness, * And they maintained the bond of My closeness and did not break it." And nothing is more delightful to lovers than the times of solitude in intimate conversation with their Beloved. He is the healing of their hearts, the ultimate goal of their quest, and the utmost of their desire. And they recited: (140) * O how beautiful they are when night covers them, * And their light surpasses the light of stars. * They chant with remembrance in their night, * So their life is pleasant with chanting. * Their hearts are emptied for remembrance, * Their tears like strung pearls. "Exalted is He who took His servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa ⁴⁴⁹."

The one around which We have blessed, that We might show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, Your beloved, praised with beautiful attributes and great character, Your chosen one preferred over the prophet, the chosen, the friend, and the interlocutor, Your saint whom You caused to journey by night to the carpet of witnessing, conversation, and speech, while the tongue of Gabriel's state said to him: "Proceed, my beloved, O Muhammad, for your Master has made you journey in the darkness of the deep night, carried you in the howdah of love upon the shoulder of goodness, majesty, and glorification, and prepared you to hear His address in the stations of nearness and closeness and the processions of lordship and precedence, ⁴⁵⁰ and supported you with dazzling miracles and showed you His exalted Essence openly and taught you the sciences of His names and attributes on the Tablet of Preservation and the schools of instruction. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved whom You adorned with the ornaments of Your majesty and beauty and the attributes of Your perfections, Your chosen one with whom You sealed the secrets of Your prophethood and messages, Your prophet whom You caused to journey by night to the presence of Your nearness and intimacy, while the tongue of Gabriel's state said to him: "Proceed, my beloved, O Muhammad, for Allah has chosen the night for your ascension and meeting, prepared it for your connection and friendship, selected it for your address and whispered prayer, and honored it by your Isra' ⁴⁵¹ therein and the fulfillment of what He promised you concerning your community: the answering of your supplications and the acceptance of your intercessions. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved whom You crowned with the crown of Your might and care, Your chosen one through whom the paths of Your guidance and direction became clear, Your prophet whom You caused to journey by night to the station of Your nearness and sainthood, while the tongue of Gabriel's state said to him: "Proceed, my beloved, O Muhammad, for Allah has chosen the night for your arrival and visit, illuminated its carpet with your conversation and speech, adorned the pavilions of His intimacy with your connection and witnessing, and blessed it with your standing in prayer, your night vigil, and the perfection of your worship. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the key to the doors of divine openings, the locus of the jewels of merciful descents, the manifestation of the gleams of beneficent self-disclosures, whom You caused to journey by night to the stations of solitary secrets, while the tongue of Gabriel's state said to him: "Proceed, my beloved, ⁴⁵² O Muhammad, for the night is the time for donning the robes of divine pleasure, receiving the jewels of the subtle secrets of gnosis, and the rising of the brilliant rays of the lights of the Eternal. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of masters, the object of intentions, the interpreter of the tongue of the unseen, the locus of sciences and benefits, whom You caused to journey by night to the presence of gifts and supplies, holy secrets and miraculous events, while the tongue of Gabriel's state said to him: "Proceed, my beloved, O Muhammad, for the night is the place of worship, the abode of success and happiness, the solitude of the people of patience, struggle, seclusion, isolation, and turning to the Lord of the earths and heavens. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved who is disciplined with the etiquettes of servitude, Your chosen one who stands before You ⁴⁵³ fulfilling the rights of lordship, Your prophet whom You caused to journey by night to the stations of nearness and special favor, while the tongue of Gabriel's state said to him: "Proceed, my beloved, O Muhammad, for in the night the stars of the people of truth and belovedness shine, the mounts of the yearning ones travel to the stations of divine presence and the lofty, holy ranks, and the secrets of the lovers meet in the divine presences and the majestic witnessing places. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the imam of the foremost, the beacon of the guides, the master of those who have passed and those who are to come, whom You caused to journey by night to the noblest processions and the highest presences, while the tongue of Gabriel's state said to him: "Proceed, my beloved, O Muhammad, for in the night movements are praised, blessings descend, desires are fulfilled, supplications are answered, remembrances become fragrant, blessings become sweet, worries and griefs are dispelled, and regrets vanish. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing that causes the clouds of mercy to pour down upon us, and through it repels from us the greatest distresses, ⁴⁵⁴ hardships, and crises, and through it brings us to the utmost goals of all good things in life and after death, by Your favor and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Abandonment of all creation and detachment, and with Allah is the sweetness of solitude. Say to the soul: "Help me and strive; breaking covenants is not the act of trustworthy ones. Have you seen a humiliated one in torment, and a bride in continuous tears? A king hungry, a rich one poor, his face radiant with good deeds. He did not desire his past wedding; rather, he desires his future wedding. By my life, we shall surely clothe him with robes of honor along with abundant gifts." Fragrant breezes of holiness, and gardens of roses, carnations, eglantines, jasmines, and narcissi, whose wafts blow upon the Meccan and Medinan presence and the Muhammadan and Ahmadine lordship, and the perfect prophetic and chosen excellence, and whose glad tidings announce the Isra' to the highest carpet and the illuminated, lofty stations, ⁴⁵⁵ and whose signs proclaim the attainment of the goals of the best of creation. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing through which You grant us success to follow his pure and holy Sunnah, and through which You gather us with his blessed and pure group, by Your favor and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved who journeyed while the breeze of the night of love wafted upon him with the fans of his Lord's acceptance and pleasure, saying to him: "Proceed, my beloved, O Muhammad, for you are in Allah's protection and security." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved who journeyed while the breeze of the night of longing wafted upon him with the fans of His spirit and basil, saying to him: "Proceed, my beloved, O Muhammad, for you are the support of the book of pardon and the blessing of its title." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, ⁴⁵⁶ Your beloved who journeyed while the breeze of the night of ecstasy wafted upon him with the fans of his carnation and saffron, saying to him: "Proceed, my beloved, O Muhammad, for you are the greatest veil of Allah and the chief of the people of His court." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved who journeyed while the breeze of the night of passion wafted upon him with the fans of his goodness, jasmine, violet, and chamomile, saying to him: "Proceed, my beloved, O Muhammad, for you are the hidden secret of divinity and the gift of the divine attributes, the treasure of the kingdom of the divine essence, the mine of the lights of the divine names, the source of the manifestations of the divine acts, the pole of the circle of existence, the seal of the prophets, the intercessor of the sinners, the leader of the pious, the beloved of the Lord of the worlds."

The grace and favor of God. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the dawn of the night of tasting ⁴⁵⁷ fanned him with the fans of His love, perfection, jasmine, and basil, and said to him: "Proceed, O My beloved, O Muhammad, for the fragrant scents of your pure breaths are more fragrant than the scents of musk, ambergris, black aloeswood, aged ambergris, Javanese aloeswood, and its sticks." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the dawn of the night of proximity ⁴⁵⁸ fanned him with the fans of His rose, its blossoms, and its red anemones, and said to him: "Proceed, O My beloved, O Muhammad, for the sweet fragrance of your fragrant sleeves is sweeter than the gardens of jasmine, water lilies, marjoram, their fresh meadows, and the flowers of His garden." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the dawn of the night of arrival ⁴⁵⁹ fanned him with the fans of His blessing and security, and said to him: "Proceed, O My beloved, O Muhammad, for your heart is the House of God, the place of descent of His revelation and His criterion ⁴⁶⁰." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the dawn of the night of opening ⁴⁶¹ fanned him with the fans of His generosity and beneficence, and said to him: "Proceed, O My beloved, O Muhammad, for you are the beloved of a Beloved, and God has honored you above His messengers and prophets, and clothed you in the robes of His dominion and sovereignty." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the dawn of the night of contentment ⁴⁶² fanned him with the fans of his Lord's pardon and forgiveness, and said to him: "Proceed, O My beloved, O Muhammad, for you are the seal of His prophethood and message, and the lamp of His sciences and gnosis ⁴⁶³." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the dawn of the night of joy ⁴⁶⁴ fanned him with the fans of witnessing his Lord and seeing Him, and said to him: "Proceed, O My beloved, O Muhammad, for you are the substance of the higher and lower worlds and the spirit of their corporeal forms." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the dawn of the night of congratulations ⁴⁶⁵ fanned him with the fans of his longing for the presence of his Lord and his rapture, and said to him: "Proceed, O My beloved, O Muhammad, for your Lord has gifted you with His greatest good pleasure and has honored you in the paradises of His gardens." So bless him, O God, and his family, a blessing by which You free our necks from the heat of the scorching cold ⁴⁶⁶ and the blaze of its fires, and by which You make us, in the Abode of Honor, among the people of his love and his neighbors, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the night fanned him with its fragrant, pure fans, and said to him: "Proceed, O My beloved, O Muhammad, for God has made me a mount to carry your bride to His majestic and sublime presence." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the night fanned him with its ambergris-scented, musk-scented fans, and said to him: "Proceed, O My beloved, O Muhammad, for God has perfumed my times for your night journey to His angelic, lordly presence." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the night heralds his arrival to the servants of the veils, the pavilions, and the higher and lower worlds, and says to him: "Proceed, O My beloved, O Muhammad, congratulations to you, for you have attained a station that none of the prophets, messengers, or companions of the Divine Presence ⁴⁶⁷ have attained." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the night boasts of blowing upon his luminous, radiant countenance, and says to him: "Proceed, O My beloved, O Muhammad, for God has extended your hand in His sensory and spiritual kingdom, and has given your community in the Abode of His Honor what no eye has seen nor ear heard, of chambers, palaces, and enclosed tents, content and well-pleasing." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the dawn perfumes the horizons with the fragrance of his pure, sanctified breaths, and says to him: "Proceed, O My beloved, O Muhammad, for the gardens of the angelic realm ⁴⁶⁸ are adorned with the flowers of the beauties of your praiseworthy perfections, and the pools of the realm of power ⁴⁶⁹ overflow with the flood of your Ahmadian ⁴⁷⁰ lights." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the dawn heralds his blessed, delightful meeting, and says to him: "Advance, O My beloved, O Muhammad, to see what God has honored you with above the prophets, messengers, and all the spirits of the Throne and the carpet ⁴⁷¹." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the dawn welcomes him, facilitates, and prepares for the witnessing of his felicitous stations, and says to him: "Proceed, O My beloved, O Muhammad, congratulations to you for what you have received from your Lord of magnificent gifts and holy, divine bestowals." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and God made for him the sun, the moon, and the stars as two candles, with Gabriel carrying them before him, and the chiefs of the angels vying to visit him and desiring what he has, and the caller of Truth ⁴⁷² draws him near, brings him close, and chooses him for Himself. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night, and the breeze of the dawn fanned him with the fans of joy, honor, and kindness, and the caller of Truth calls to him with the tongue of glorification, veneration, and delight, and says to him: "Draw near to Me, My beloved, draw near to Me, My beloved, draw near to Me, My beloved," seven hundred thousand times. So bless him, O God, and his family, a blessing by whose blessing You remove from us every affliction and harm, and by which You make us among those whose deeds benefit them before their Lord and His secret, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. The most honorable of the worlds in description and essence, and the most magnificent in beauty and loveliness. If he smiles, a lightning flashes from his mouth, and he extends shade over the two horizons. Glorious is He who raised the beloved above all the prophets in rank and union.

And he sought his arrival, so he stood in it, the chief of the near ones ⁴⁷³ and he became high. When he drew near to his God, then he descended ⁴⁷⁴, attaining closeness, vision, and intimacy. When he disappeared from the Majestic, the creatures feared him with awe and majesty. His closeness and nearness were by gentleness, not by place, for God is exalted above that. The closeness of the Chosen One ⁴⁷⁵ and his seclusion with his Generous Lord—how great is that seclusion! He secluded with the Beloved, his Lord, secretly, and upon him His lights shone. God, exalted be He, placed His hand upon the Beloved, so great is that attainment. God made his heart a destination for the sciences of the saints ⁴⁷⁶ and others. For him the Lote Tree ⁴⁷⁷ blossomed and reached its end, and showed him forms from its Mount. And the angels, wherever he went, always walked behind Taha ⁴⁷⁸ in obedience. For him the gardens of the abode of eternity blossomed and blazed with passion. He traveled through the celestial kingdom ⁴⁷⁹, being unveiled to all the worlds alone, independently. And the Trustworthy ⁴⁸⁰ was before Ahmad, rising high; wherever the Trustworthy inclined, Ahmad inclined. So that they might see him and know him; whoever knows the Beloved of God becomes chief and attains. He attained in the celestial kingdom purity and beauty, by which he attained virtues among mankind. How great is the Beloved in every state; he surpassed all creatures in essence and state. And I send blessings upon him and all his family and companions who excelled in character. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who traveled by night, and the tongue of the night's state said to him: "Travel, O Muhammad, for the travel of others is on the backs of camels and horses, but your travel to your Lord is on the wings of longing and love." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who traveled by night, and the tongue of the night's state said to him: "Travel, O Beloved of Allah, for the travel of others is on the ugliness of seas and sailing ships, but your travel to your Lord is by the secret of 'Be, and it is' and the special qualities of His lofty words." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who traveled by night, and the tongue of the night's state said to him: "Travel, O Prophet of Allah, for the travel of others is on the flash of lightning and the blowing of winds, but your travel to your Lord is on the ascents of closeness, arrival, and ascent in the high stations." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who traveled by night, and the tongue of the night's state said to him: "Travel, O Chosen One of Allah, for the travel of others is on the trunks of tamarisks, palm trees, and flowing waters, but your travel to your Lord is on the breaking of habits, the manifestation of dazzling miracles, and widespread wonders." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who traveled by night, and the tongue of the night's state said to him: "Travel, O Confidant of Allah, for the travel of others is on swift animals and splendid mounts, but your travel to your Lord is on the mounts of patience, effort, noble character, and pleasing states." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who traveled by night, and the tongue of the night's state said to him: "Travel, O Friend of Allah, for the travel of others is on the backs of strong camels and Egyptian and Syrian she-camels, but your travel to your Lord is on the motives of longing, yearning, and ecstatic states." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who traveled by night, and the tongue of the night's state said to him: "Travel, O Intimate Friend of Allah, for the travel of others is on the shoulders and necks, but your travel to your Lord is on joys, flashes of light, and illumination." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who traveled by night, and the tongue of the night's state said to him: "Travel, O Interlocutor of Allah, for the travel of others is on winged creatures and racing deserts, but your travel to your Lord is on the gifts of divine effusions and the springs of tastes." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who traveled by night, and the tongue of the night's state said to him: "Travel, O Trustee of Allah, for the travel of others is on structures that traverse deserts and bring the distant near, but your travel to your Lord is with spirit and body without modality or restriction." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who traveled by night, and the tongue of the night's state said to him: "Travel, O Spirit of Allah, for the travel of others is on refined stages of discipline and teaching, but your travel to your Lord is on the shoulder of love, goodness, majesty, and veneration." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who traveled by night, and the tongue of the night's state said to him: "Travel, O Gift of Allah, for the travel of others is on stars, the expert, and the guide, but your travel to your Lord is on the lights of unveilings, affections, and openings that lead to His pleasure, coupled with veneration and glorification." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who traveled by night, and the tongue of the night's state said to him: "Travel, O Messenger of Allah, for the travel of others is afflicted with deficiency and weakness, but your travel to your Lord constantly pierces the seven heavens and the manifestations of rays, light, and illumination." Travel, O eye of divine mercy, and delight of cosmic creations, for Allah has guided you with the light of His guidance, crowned you with the crown of His care, singled you out for His drawing near and closeness, honored you above all prophets and messengers, and sheltered you in His presence, and made you travel by night to witness His lofty essence openly and hear the sweetness of His address, as He informed in His clear Book, saying: "Exalted is He who took His servant by night" ⁴⁸¹. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing that draws upon us from the gifts of his generosity and kindness a train, and grants us from the reward of blessing him the fullest measure and weight, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Beloved of the heart, my heart is not patient, nor is my eye, throughout my life, weary. So my patience is not beautiful regarding a Beloved whom the All-Powerful called to Himself by the Ascension ⁴⁸². And He chose him and singled him out and raised him above all the great ones.

And He granted him intercession for his entire community, and lightened for them the burden of commands. So the Beloved never forgot to call upon his great and small beloved ones with goodness. By him, the Guide ⁴⁸³ showed concern beforehand, and tightened for them the bonds with God. By him we attained our hopes and high stations; by him we surpassed the first and the last. Upon him and his family be my greetings, and upon his high family, followers, and great companions. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' ⁴⁸⁴ in his praiseworthy mount, and returned while weeping and saying: "Would that I had not parted this night from his blessed face." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' in his beautiful mount, and returned while weeping and lamenting, saying: "Would that this night had never ended throughout the passage of time and ages." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' in his adorned mount, and returned while weeping and saying: "Would that I had spent my entire life as a gift for the Isra' of the delight of the eye and the grandfather of al-Hasan and al-Husayn ⁴⁸⁵." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' in his wondrous time, and returned therein saying: "Now my life is good and my restlessness has settled, when he journeyed by night in the Beloved." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' in his handsome time, and returned while being fanned by the fan of the spirit of his love, the fragrant perfume and breeze. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' in his praiseworthy and laudable season, and returned while proclaiming his rank and calling out: "O inhabitants of the Highest Horizon ⁴⁸⁶, arise to witness the one whom God made the substance of life and the sustenance of the spirit for the spiritual and physical worlds." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' in its pitch-black long darkness, and returned while praising it with beautiful praise and saying: "O servants of God, arise to avail yourselves of his blessing before the herald of death overtakes you, announcing the transition to the abode of the Hereafter and departure." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' in its blessed and majestic dawn, and returned while mentioning his glories and saying: "Awake, O heedless ones, to see what God has granted this Prophet on this night of abundant good and immense gift." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' in its blessed and majestic time, and returned while witnessing the noble gifts he saw and saying: "Arise, O sleepers, to behold what God has honored this Beloved with, of noble honor and ancient glory." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' in its beautiful and lovely time, and returned while praising his noble qualities and saying: "O company of lovers, rejoice, for God has honored you with his intercession and placed you under his ample shade." So bless him, O God, and his family, a blessing by which You heal the sick among us, and strengthen the weak among us, and make it for us a guide to the path of goodness and the straight way, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. God is greatest! The proof has appeared, and your captivating beauty has captivated minds. All beautiful ones, even if their beauty is ultimate, are, my master, servants to you. O Master of the Beloved, your love has penetrated my heart; is it permissible for me to conceal it? Can love be hidden after it has been spread by the caravans from your servant? Grant me, if I find in my passion throughout time, what cure for my sickness is there but longing? But I console my heart by moving about until the times reach the end. There is no patience that is seemly regarding the Beloved Muhammad, by whose beauty the worlds shone. From the Night of the Mi'raj ⁴⁸⁷ in his presences, whom the Merciful chose from among His messengers. His Creator, the Dominant, favored him uniquely, and to him He drew near where there are no peers. So he comprehended the address as befits his Lord, and after the heart, the tongue comprehended it. Without intermediary, he received knowledge from the Mother of the Book ⁴⁸⁸ as if it were a flood. How beautiful is his arrival at the Gardens, and Ridwan ⁴⁸⁹ opens its doors for his coming, meeting him with glad tidings, obedient to his command; before him no human had entered them. With him are the first ones, their faces shining like moons, and they are beautiful. On the Buraq ⁴⁹⁰ he ascends, and his sandal is light; descent brings sorrows with his intimacy. His banner above the heads, its shades are a garden for the prophets and the first ones. The remembrance of the Beloved is the life of a love-smitten heart; has it not been afflicted by love, O people? May God bless him as long as the east wind blows, and the branches sway in its meadow. Then may God be pleased with his family and companions, as long as flowers and basil are fragrant. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his ascension and Isra' therein, and returned while the inhabitants of the Highest Horizon seek blessing by seeing his blessed face and say 'Amen' to his supplication. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his arrival therein to his Lord and meeting Him, and returned while the spiritual souls seek his pleasure and ask God for the length of his life and his continuance. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his ascent therein to the presence of his Lord and his elevation, and returned while the tongues of praisers proclaim his rank and call out with his praise and eulogy. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at what his Lord honored him with of closeness to Him and His selection, and returned while all creatures seek his bounty and draw from the oceans of his generosity and giving.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his arrival and coming to his Lord, and returned while the great knowers ⁴⁹¹ kindle from the gifts of his secrets and the subtleties of his sciences. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his night journey and the bridal procession of his bride ⁴⁹², and returned while the masters of spiritual states ⁴⁹³ sway with the breeze of his wine and the cupbearer's drink. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his travel therein to the carpet of proximity ⁴⁹⁴ and his walking, and returned while the pavilions of intimacy ⁴⁹⁵ rejoice in the light of his radiant brow and the beauty of his countenance. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his looking therein to his Lord and witnessing Him, and returned while the high-ranking cherubim ⁴⁹⁶ affirm the loftiness of his station and the perfection of his lordship. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his turning therein to his Lord with his entirety and his approach, and returned while the angels of the spheres ⁴⁹⁷ acknowledge his special status and testify to his exaltation and veneration. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his transition therein to the union with his Lord and his departure, and returned while the servants of the Frequent House ⁴⁹⁸ greet him with the best greetings and kiss the straps of his sandals. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his intimate conversation therein with his Lord and his supplication, and returned while the gardens of existence rejoice in the brilliance of his splendor and the light of his beauty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at what his Lord favored him with therein over His prophets and messengers, and returned while the eminent imams ⁴⁹⁹ are guided by his guidance and follow his words and deeds. Section: O Allah, bless him and his family with a blessing through which the oceans of his generosity and bestowal flow upon us, and through which we are characterized by his beautiful character and attributes of perfection, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night was honored by his visit therein to his Lord and His hospitality, and returned while the lovers rejoice at the attainment of his goal and the fulfillment of his need. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night drew near to him by obeying the commands of his Lord therein and His obedience, and returned while the creatures rejoice at the granting of his desires for his community and the acceptance of his intercession. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night was blessed by his companionship with it in his journey to his Lord and his company, and returned while his community boasts over all other communities by the honor of his station with Allah and the loftiness of his rank. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night took pride in his conversation therein with his Lord and His speech, and returned while the companions of spiritual states ⁵⁰⁰ inform of the perfection of his certainty with Allah and the sincerity of his dealings. Section: O Allah, upon him and his family a blessing through which You bestow upon us the visitation of his noble station and his neighborhood, and through which You write us in the register of the people of his love, companionship, and kinship, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Master of the two worlds ⁵⁰¹, adornment of the two heavy ones ⁵⁰², the beloved chosen one, sea of guidance, through whom he was taken by night and returned, possessing precedence, alone, unique. Through him existence appeared and shone with beauty that adorned goodness and blazed. He whose character was praised, and the Lord, the Eternal, singled him out with selection. He cared for him, drew near to him, and sealed the speech with him and strove. For him the houris ⁵⁰³ are unveiled in a garden, pious, what the Lord has prepared of good. And he returned, while no caller to prayer called nor did his minaret ascend. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night made its stars shine and brought forth its moons, and returned while no swift one attained his need nor fulfilled his desires. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night grew dark and let down its veil, and returned while no rider mounted the back of his steed nor shook his stirrup. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night halted and pitched its tents, and returned while no sleeper opened his eye nor loosened his eyelashes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night became dark and cast its cloak, and returned while no night-traveler folded his bed nor bid farewell to his companions. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night changed color and dyed its raven, and returned while no writer's pen dried from his writing nor did his book become dusty. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing through which we become among those whom Allah has healed from apparent and hidden ailments, and accept through his blessing his deed, and multiply in the abode of recompense his reward and recompense, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night pitched its tent for his visit, and returned while his Lord granted him what he asked and completed his desire and delight.

He who journeyed by night when the night had spread out its carpet for him, ¹⁷⁰ and returned when Allah had accepted his desire for his community and perpetuated his joy and expansiveness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when Allah had strengthened his resolve and vigor in the night, and returned when no one had stood for night prayer ⁵⁰⁴ nor entered his ribat ⁵⁰⁵. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had spread out its garments for his walking, and returned when no one had completed the circuits ⁵⁰⁶ of the Sacred House. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had opened its portico for him, and returned when no one had striven in worship nor tightened his belt. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had perfumed its horizons for him, ¹⁷¹ and returned when no traveler had left his houses nor bid farewell to his companions. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had loosened its collars, and returned when no branch had moved nor shaken its leaves. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had populated its markets, and returned when no sleeper had closed his eyelid nor raised his eyes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had diffused its longings for him, and returned when no dawn had opened its mouth for rising nor opened its jaws. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had bent its sides for him, and returned when no pilgrim had completed his circumambulation. ¹⁷² O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had smoothed its regions for his visit, and returned when Allah had honored his attributes with perfect knowledge and forbearance. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had traced its edges, and returned when two-thirds, fourths, and halves of the night had passed. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had clarified its darkness, and returned when no archer had shot his arrow nor drawn his bow. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had pitched its tents, and returned when no storyteller had completed his story nor finished his speech. ¹⁷³ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had continued and gathered its entirety and order, and returned when his Lord had honored him with His vision and manifested his piety and reverence. Section: O Allah, upon him and his family send blessings that clothe us thereby with the best armor and coat of Your good pleasure, and make them for us among the lovers a banner, emblem, and sign, by Your bounty and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. A beautiful youth in the land of Rama ⁵⁰⁷, how much he stirred the passion of a lover! From his face the moon, when it appeared, a kiss appeared in Medina, his veil. At the distance of two bow-lengths ⁵⁰⁸ he called him by night and raised his station. And Gabriel came with good news and said, "Travel by night, for sleep is not for you. Here is the Buraq ⁵⁰⁹, mount quickly and travel like a moon that dispels its darkness." So Michael ⁵¹⁰ went on the right, showing his service with the mount. The riders took the reins out of love, honoring Taha ⁵¹¹ who took them. Indeed, the trustworthy one ⁵¹² loved to walk before him, supporting his reins. And the messengers followed a hero in a mosque that had become before them. ¹⁷⁴ Angels in rows behind him sought to join behind him. And he ascended the ladders ⁵¹³ until he reached the best of modesty. And Allah guarded the one who descended without a voice hearing His speech. And he stood as an intercessor for a community, attaining his desire from his Lord. He praised Allah upon his return, and musk of praise was his seal. This is the beloved who is hoped for, who fears no loss. Upon him and his family and his Companions, a lover sends his greetings. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had awakened its guards, and returned when no scribe had folded his paper. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had roused its sitters, and returned when no sleeper had gathered his garment. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, ¹⁷⁵ Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had perfumed its breaths for his night journey, and returned when no sleeper had completed his slumber. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had shown its darkness, and returned when no gazelle had left its covert. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had let down its sides, and returned when no recliner had left his maidens. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had prepared its sail and ships, and returned when its rising stars had not set nor hidden its planets. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, ¹⁷⁶ Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had paved for him its paths and roads, and returned when Allah had made happy

By his arrival, his witnessing and his processions. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had bestowed upon him its gifts and favors, and returned when Allah had made clear through him the landmarks of the religion and its schools. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which the tastes and drinks of the lover become pleasant, and by which his affairs are facilitated and his needs and desires are fulfilled through its blessing, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had reined in its bridle, and returned before the muezzin had completed his call to prayer. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had closed its eyelids ⁵¹⁴ and returned before a commander had dismissed his aides. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had spread out its register, and returned before a diner had lifted his table. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had perfumed its time for him, and returned when Allah had benefited through him his loved ones, his relatives, and his neighbors. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which we become among those whose times and hours are occupied with blessing him, and who seek refuge in his most sacred sanctuary and enter his fortress and his security, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had extended its arm for him, and returned before a worshiper had completed his odd-numbered prayers. ⁵¹⁵ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had lowered its sail, and returned before a timekeeper had taken its height. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had awakened its sleepers, and returned before a bride had removed her veil. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had set up its positions, and returned when he had given glad tidings of what he saw to his family, his companions, and his followers. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had spread out its arm for him, and returned when Allah had brought about through his hands for every believer his benefit and utilization. ⁵¹⁶ So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which You adorn us with the ornaments of piety and obedience, and cause us to die upon the Sunnah and the community, and make it for us the noblest treasure, trade, and merchandise, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had gathered its blackness, and returned before a sleeper had awakened or left his pillow. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had lit for him the lamps of its blazing stars, and returned when Allah had shortened for him the distances of travel and folded up its vastness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had run its steed for his love, and returned when Allah had poured forth through his hands abundant blessings and benefited through him his lands and servants. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, ⁵¹⁷ Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had spread out for him its bed and cushion, and returned while his bride was trailing in the robes of blessedness, glory, and sovereignty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when the night had spread out for him its wraps and carpets, and returned when Allah had fulfilled his request concerning his community and accomplished his desire. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night when he had traversed in that night the duration of the world's life and more, and returned when he had witnessed what dazzles the minds of miracles and extraordinary things. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which You grant us the subtleties of knowledge and benefit, and cause us to alight in the stations of success and happiness, and seal for us with death upon faith and the two words of testimony, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. So the mention of the Chosen One is the closest companion * to the one who, when the Lord repeats it, He is clothed in the robe of honor openly * just as he is given sovereignty over the nations ⁵¹⁸ And he enters under the shadow of the banner of Taha * and enters a Garden in which there is increase And he sees the face of our Lord with his own eyes * and indeed the blessing upon him was his provision He diversifies in the Gardens his wishes * and with multiplication and good pleasure he is increased For the sake of the Chosen One, servants have succeeded * to the Possessor of the Throne, who drew near His servants So love of the Chosen One and remembrance truly * are like the remembrance of Allah in this world for His servants The Beloved has striven in doing good * and how sublime is his striving in his standing So he revealed from the hidden treasures of the unseen a treasure * through which the Merciful has manifested His rectitude And He supported him with noble angels * who vie with the Beloved in what he desired They have behind him a gentle walk * just as armies walk behind their leader The soldiers of Allah truly are the soldiers of Taha * by that the Lord necessitated his uniqueness Upon a great character was Taha * and its foundation he built upon the Criterion ⁵¹⁹ He folded in the best of his accord Taha hope * with all his attributes he attained his moderation And that is the ultimate perfection in him * and that is in him from the time of birth He benefited the worlds abundantly with grace * and from his hands one seeks benefit Through him existence turned with all generosity * and we have not seen other than him in it his generosity Upon him and his family be the purest peace * and upon companions who all preserved his love.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' ⁵²⁰ in its time marked by blessedness and blessings, and returned while his caller was calling: "Arise, O sleeper, to witness what Allah has granted this noble prophet of openings ⁵²¹, gifts, secrets, and outpourings of mercy." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' in its hours prepared for obtaining benefits and miracles, and returned while his caller was calling: "Arise, O sleeper, to behold what Allah has honored this beloved with, from the most sublime lofty ranks and highest stations." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' in its hours surrounded by success, happiness, and salvation, and returned while his caller was calling: "Arise, O sleeper, to see what Allah has bestowed upon this beloved of magnificent favors, abundant gifts, rewards, and blessings." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad (183), Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' in its places designated for victory, security, and peace, and returned while his caller was calling: "Wake up, O heedless one, to look at what Allah has specially given this Messenger of answering prayers for his community and acceptance of intercessions." So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing that enables us thereby to the path of right guidance and obedience, and fulfills for us through its blessing all debts and obligations, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at what it attained of his blessing and touch, and returned while the dawn had not yet drawn its sword from the sheath of darkness nor breathed. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night's star had not set nor withdrawn, and returned while the whiteness of dawn had not appeared nor loosened its thread from the darkness of twilight. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad (184), Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night was honored by what it obtained of his light and borrowed, and the light of dawn had not burst forth from the eye of its morning nor gushed out. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night boasted of what it gained from seeing him and snatched, and returned while the dawn had not glorified in the seas of daylight nor plunged. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night tells of what it planted in its time of righteous deeds and sowed, and returned while the dawn had not spread the banners of its light over the regions and directions nor become confused. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night's eye did not sleep in joy at his Isra' in it nor dozed, and returned while the light of dawn had not mixed with the darkness of night nor reversed. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which we become among those who restrained themselves from desires and held back, and lowered their gaze from looking at what is unlawful and obliterated, by Your grace (185) and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. The morning told me from the twilight * from the masts in the darkness of the night From the sanctuary of glory and the house of sublimity * from the manifestation of sanctity in the Holy ⁵²² That the protected precinct of truth is mighty and * is not attained except by the annihilation of the self ⁵²³ But grace, when it encompasses those * who love them, they attain the self So put on from love the garment of passion * and boast of it, enough of a garment And enter with me into the tavern ⁵²⁴ and rejoice at what * the maidens of the presence of the secluded ⁵²⁵ said From every tender, full-breasted, soft * delicate one that captivates souls She passes around in the tavern of passion his cup * while roses are spread on the brocade She shoots from her glance arrows that have * black slender bows So you see not in the expanse a youth like me * around whom all the cups circulate The cupbearer called me openly while * my essence was not hidden from him in any gathering He brought me near, an aged wine ⁵²⁶ embraced me * he made me sip from his smiling mouth And I said to my soul: "You have attained your wish * and the full moon has appeared in the canopy" So I won the center from his union * so no geometry can describe his form And if He manifests where there is no form * then glorify the countenance or sanctify (186) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night rejoiced at his Isra' in it to the presence of his majestic Lord, and returned while the dawn had not drawn from its sheath its polished sword. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night was delighted by his Isra' in his magnificent mount, and returned while the dawn had not shown from its radiance to the eye much nor little. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night's assembly was united by his Isra' in it and organized, and returned while the dawn had not brightened from its purity nor smiled. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night sought refuge in his lofty side and honored, and returned while the dawn's light had not appeared on the walls nor been traced. (187) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night expanded with his Isra' in it and opened up, and returned while the dawn's brow had not emerged from the darkness nor become clear. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night was joyful in the field of his love and frolicked, and returned while the dawn had not come out

May his blessed bird not chirp from its nest ⁵²⁷. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night had donned the garments of its black darkness, and returned while the dawn had not yet shone its atomic rays upon the existents. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night had wrapped itself in the sash of its exquisite silken garments, and returned while the dawn lay hidden in its celestial, unseen towers. (188) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night had cloaked itself in the robe of its splendid blue woolen garment, and returned while the dawn had not yet opened the buds of its rosy, narcissus-like flowers with light. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night had put on its dewy, musk-scented mantles, and returned while the dawn had not yet diffused the fragrant breezes of its ambergris perfume in the assemblies of the rememberers. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night had worn its pitch-black, dark chemises, and returned while the dawn slept in the lofty, heavenly chambers of its mansions. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night had put on its pure, blessed, and holy garment, and returned while the dawn had not yet flashed its radiance upon the worlds of the higher and lower spirits. (189) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night had wrapped itself in its thick, dark coverlets, and returned while the dawn had not yet opened its eyes from sleep to witness the bestowed gifts and lordly unveilings ⁵²⁸ with which Allah honored His beloved. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night had put on its dark, Yemeni cloaks, and returned while the dawn had not yet raised the banner of its joyful, luminous standards. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night had worn its dusky, Ashkelonian ⁵²⁹ garment, and returned while the dawn had not yet raised its minarets in the sky of the unseen, nor had its lights shone upon the spiritual souls and human creatures. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing that adorns us with the beautiful, beneficent garments of his perfections, and imbues us with his pure, holy character, and through its blessing pours upon us the rivers of his abundant, merciful effusions, (190) by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. * Ali ⁵³⁰ rose high above the heights seeking highness, so he became, by Allah's revelation, a secret delight. * A beloved one journeyed by night seeking the Beloved, so the earth was folded for him and the ascents were set. * We know that Allah raised Muhammad to a station where no human has a place. * The ropes of the Throne held fast to his right hand, and from his Lord he receives speech and hears. * According to some, he saw Allah openly, and Ibn Abbas ⁵³¹ affirms and judges this. * A great, generous, majestic one of glory, upon his face a light from Allah shines. A splendid, wondrous, and noble, beloved, and delightful dialogue took place between the night and the day, each desiring the side of the master of the pious, the most noble of those over whom the night has darkened and the day has shone, and what each was uniquely honored with of some of his merits, which have no end, limit, or measure. (191) So bless him, O Allah, and his family, as long as night and day alternate, and his sweet remembrance is repeated on the tongues of the people of litanies and remembrances, a perpetual blessing as long as the dominion of Allah, the One, the Subduer, endures, and grant him abundant and precious peace, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. * None knows our state except a lover whose subtlety has drowned in the sea of secrets. * The suns of unveiling shone before him, so his darkness and daylight became equal. He disappeared through the Truth from other than Him, so from Him come to him the reports. * The sacred signs bewildered his mind in their heights. * Such is the description of one who tastes and knows. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night boasted of his night journey over the day, saying: Praise be to Allah who honored me with this high virtue of rank and status, and this great station of worth and pride, and made me a mount for the master of the pious and the adornment of the chosen messengers, and returned while the day argued with him, saying: I preceded you in pride through his blessed birth, whose time is superior to all times, ages, and other periods and eras. (192) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night triumphed over the day through his night journey, saying: Praise be to Allah who singled me out for this delightful privilege of traditions and reports, and made it a splendid sign for people of thought and reflection, and a superior glad tiding for those of insight and discernment, and returned while the day regretted missing the attainment of that gift which included the visitation of our Lord, the Forbearing, the Oft-Forgiving, and the vision of His exalted Essence, which eyes cannot perceive and whose reality minds and thoughts cannot conceive. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who journeyed by night while the night boasted of his night journey over the light of day, saying: I praise Him who mended my broken heart by making me the locus of the night journey of His chosen beloved and the visitation of the presence of his Master, the King, the Holy, the Mighty, the Compeller, and returned while the day sighed and regretted, saying: Would that Allah had combined for me the night journey and the birth, and made me a manifestation of both, so that I would have attained thereby, over all other times, honor and pride. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, (193) the pure, noble ladies, and his excellent, discerning companions, a blessing by which You forgive us all our sorrows and burdens, and purify our innermost beings from the filth of human follies and the impurities of otherness, and pour upon our hearts the gifts of his secrets and the oceans of his abundant effusions, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds.

My heart is captive to the abode of the departing ones ⁵³²; it dwells upon their traces and journeys on. My tears are copiously shed in their courtyards; how can I withhold tears when they are so abundant? And my yearnings for them and my passion have their evening and morning within my innermost being ⁵³³. I yearn when the doves of their valley sing, and my heart pulls towards them and flies. O neighbors of the Yemeni valley ⁵³⁴, by your right, grant me union or bid the phantom of the beloved to visit me. Beloveds of my heart, is there any other than you who is a physician skilled in the ailment of lovers? Lend my eyes a glance of your beauty—not everyone who seeks union grants it. My heart is seized by intoxication at your remembrance, as a lover rejoices when wine permeates him. I am indeed independent of the cosmos without you, but towards you, my masters, I am utterly destitute. My Night of Destiny ⁵³⁵ is the night I spent in joyful intimacy with you, while the pens of the heart ⁵³⁶ were scratching. The sobriety of my Eid ⁵³⁷ is the day I celebrate in your proximity, veiled by the subtle kindness ⁵³⁸. So grant me union, for time separates, and most of the life of lovers is short. Do not shut the doors against me for my slip, for you are noble, and the noble is forgiving. And by the rank of the Messenger of Allah, Ahmad ⁵³⁹, is my victory when I have no helper in calamities. Muhammad, raise me up in tribulations, for I have a trade of praise that will never perish with you. Brides ⁵⁴⁰ who accept no one but you as their opener, with dowries precious and heavy. They have risen and become costly except for you, and they have become cheap so that the maidens in the palaces may become cheap. So say: You are in both abodes ⁵⁴¹ among our party, and whoever is under your protection, young or old, is insignificant. And may Allah bless you as long as He distinguishes and chooses, for you are guidance and light for the worlds. And may His pleasure encompass the Family and the Companions, for they are to us like full moons at midday. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey ⁵⁴² while the night rejoiced at his return therein before awakening sleep and unsealing the lids of the eyes, and the day lit its candles to see the brightness of his face that removes from hearts the darkness of worries and sorrows. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the night cast its glance to quench the thirst of his yearning heart, and the day spread for him its luminous cushions and varicolored rays. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the night, with fixed eyes, awaited his return in joy, delight, and congratulations, and the day prepared its sides for his sight and said: Welcome and greetings to the eloquent of tongue and purifier of hearts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the night exposed itself to his fragrant breezes and sought the abundant flow of his generous bounty, and the day besought the clouds of his mercies and the gifts of his abundant grace and favor. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the night swam in the seas of his love and concealed what appeared of the signs of ecstasy and rapture, and the day desired his vision and sought his blessing, encompassed by divine pleasure and good pleasure. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the night boasted of its occurrence over all other times and seasons, and the day vied with it over his birth therein, saying: I have attained the rank of victory and excellence over all ages and times. So bless him, O Allah, and his noble, eminent family, and his illustrious, brave Companions, a blessing by which You illuminate our hearts with the light of truth and faith, and grant us thereby the rank of the people of special proximity and gnosis, and give us thereby in the Garden of Bliss what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it occurred to any human heart, of chambers, palaces, and beautiful companions, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Muhammad is praised, his banner is raised, his pool is visited, sweet of watering places. Muhammad is he whom Allah caused to journey by night, and he settled in stations unattainable by others of excellence. Muhammad is my protection, and praising him is my honor, and seeing him is a treasure of noble qualities. Muhammad is guarded by his Lord, praise is directed to him, and he is uttered by every speaker. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the night was illuminated by the light of his brilliant, radiant star, and he returned swaying with what he heard from the speech of his Master, as the light of a lamp sways. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the night rejoiced in his abundant light and radiance, and he returned while the night's herald boasted of his return over the day, saying: This is the companion of al-Buraq ⁵⁴³ and al-Mi'raj ⁵⁴⁴, this is the bearer of the banner and the crown, this is the Beloved whose face, when seen by the beholder, causes worry to depart from him, retreating in expansion. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the night was perfumed with the fragrance of his magical amber and his musk, and the face of the day was illuminated by the light of his radiant countenance and the brightness of his moonlike forehead. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the stars of the night lit their lamps before him and borrowed their illumination from the light of his most resplendent beauty, and the signs of dawn prepared to meet him and spread for him the gleaming rays of their splendid, beautiful sight. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the rising stars of the night shone with the brilliance of his splendor and spread for him the light of their red ruby, and the rays of the day prepared their space for his meeting and widened for his sitting the carpet of their azure sky. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who returned from his Night Journey while the moon of darkness boasted of his return and trailed the hem of his green brocade in pride, and the sun of forenoon rejoiced at his arrival and paraded in the robes of her yellow light and her joyful, saffron-dyed shirt, and the angels of heaven walked behind and before him, seeking his pleasure and the blessing of his most resplendent secret, and the regions of the earth were honored by his settling therein and the dwelling of his body in them.

the purest, most fragrant dust of her musk. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, with a blessing by which we may inhale the sweetest breezes of the gardens of his love, and by which You may quench our hearts from the overflowing of his most abundant Muhammadan effusion ⁵⁴⁵, and clothe us with a divine robe by which we may boast over the black and the red, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. A pure, fragrant, refined prophet, noble, ancient, whose company is not neglected. In the highest assembly, his beacon rose high, and his honor is exalted above every possessor of high honor. For his Night Journey ⁵⁴⁶, the gates of the heavens were opened, and it was said to him, "Welcome, enter." He was singled out for the station of "two bow-lengths or nearer" ⁵⁴⁷ in elevation, and for plunging into the sea of radiant effulgence, and for the supreme sainthood ⁵⁴⁸, and for teaching the people of the villages, and for the Seven Oft-Repeated ⁵⁴⁹ and the revealed Quran. How many a sign is recited, and how many a wonder is seen, and how many a miracle is transmitted through an unbroken chain of transmission! No female has given birth to, nor has any womb encompassed, one more sublime, higher in rank, or more perfect than him. And no regions have contained the like of the son of Hashim in beauty, beneficence, and inherited glory. And it is said, by way of allusion, in the boasting between night and day, and the sun and the moon, and their competition in acquiring the merits and virtues with which the master of mankind was distinguished, and what the tongue of each one's state uttered regarding what it had attained of honor and pride through some of that, after having gathered the jewels of those expressions from the meanings of the verses and surahs, and adorned them with the sash of authentic traditions and reports, and strung them in the necklace of praises of the best of the sons of Ka'b, Lu'ayy, and Mudar, and judged between them in a manner that sound thought and nature would approve, and whose hearing would be sweetened for one whose heart Allah has filled with love for His Beloved (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and has expanded his breast with understanding of the meanings of the sciences of His Wise Book and light. And it included the meanings of verses that mention night, day, sun, and moon, namely His statement, Exalted is He: "And We have made the night and day two signs, and We erased the sign of the night" ⁵⁵⁰ — the verse. His statement: "And a sign for them is the night: We strip from it the day" ⁵⁵¹ — the verse. So I say — and from Allah I hope for acceptance and help in attaining my wishes and requests — when Allah erased the utmost of the night by the fact that he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was not born in it, and his bright countenance appeared in his blessed, honored time, the army of the day of proximity, majestic and honored, attacked the army of the night of union, mighty and respected. So the heart of the night was broken by that, and it began to regret what it had missed of the birth of the honored Beloved. So it was compensated by the Night Journey ⁵⁴⁶ of him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in it to the presence of his Mighty, Exalted Lord. Thus they became equal in boasting and debating, and each of them sought his return in it to gain that merit in addition to what the other had met him with and boasted. So the night remained seeking increase, and the day awaited what its Lord had decreed for it in pre-eternity and willed. And each of them desired to obtain what Allah had graciously bestowed upon it of gifts of virtue and happiness, and prepared a spectacle for seeking the ranks of pride and glory. So the night accumulated, let down its curtains, and remained awaiting the return of the Beloved from visiting his Lord in it and his departure, hoping that his descent in the towers of his processions would be like his ascent in his stations and the howdahs of his mounts. And the tongue of his state called out, chanted, repeated, and reiterated the speech, and the agent of longing and love incited and renewed it, saying: * And the night called to them, letting down its curtains, * And brought them to the sweetest watering-place from His bounty, * And showed them the lights of the beauty of His beauty, * And settled them in His proximity, bounty, and union, * And said, "Rejoice, then look and enjoy, * For this is My beauty, now unveiled to you." * "O company of lovers, the meeting enraptures you, * So your happiness has come and your sorrow has departed." When the Creator of dawn heard the news and inquired about what had become famous and widespread in the cosmos, and whose mention had spread and diffused in the gardens of the kingdom and the dominion, the breeze of the dawn breeze ⁵⁵² measured for him what had occurred and verified what had become manifest and apparent. So his tears flowed and poured, and he sighed deeply and groaned, and said: "Let me not miss this merit that came by decree." So he became jealous at that, set up his banners, struck his flint, awakened his sleepers, uncovered his face, removed his veil, and resolved to travel by night to bring back the Beloved from visiting his Beloved, lest this great gift of virtue and honor escape him. When the dawn breeze ⁵⁵² observed that and witnessed what had happened with the dawn there, its herald called out: "O night, never end until the Resurrection, and extend your darkness forever despite the detractors. O dawn, do not rush upon us quickly, and beware of uncovering, and be polite. For our Beloved visited us in the veil of night, and the morning breeze ⁵⁵² gave us glad tidings of the meeting. And when that breeze passed by fragrantly, we thought it had perfumed itself with the choicest musk." When the night became certain that the Beloved had fulfilled his desire and had seen his Beloved with the eye of sanctification and contemplation, it folded its black garment, glided into the seas of its darkness, and turned away joyful and delighted at fulfilling its need and achieving its goal. So the witness of revelation spoke with His words: "And a sign for them is the night: We strip from it the day, and behold, they are in darkness" ⁵⁵¹. Thus the entire cosmos is darkness were it not for his presence in it and the diffusion of his Muhammadan light in all its regions and directions. So at that, the sultan of the sun arose, and the herald of morning inquired, and he disclosed to him what had been hidden in the unseen realms of the secret, and repeated to him what had occurred of the Night Journey of the pole of beauty and the bright countenance of radiant faces, and his return before the break of dawn and the appearance of the face of morning. So he said: "Allahu Akbar! Victory, help, support, spirit, and comfort! Love, honor, expansion, joy, and cheer! And a fragrant breeze of musk blowing from the treasuries of the Almighty and the presence of our Lord, the King, the Opener, upon the life of spirits and the sustenance of hearts and bodies, my master and lord, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)." So he tightened his belts and waistbands, gathered his troops and armies, lit his incense burners and censers, displayed his noble qualities and boasts, perfumed his beginnings and ends, adorned his manifestations and spectacles, and said: "I am the lamp of the day in which the sun of prophethood and messengership was born, the lamp of lights that appeared from the light of the possessor of majesty and glory, the setting of the jewels of truthful revelation and speech, and the clear proof of truth in call and indication, my master and lord, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)." So "the sun runs to its resting place" ⁵⁵³ out of shame from the light of his countenance, awe and veneration for his lofty rank, and joy and delight at beholding him.

And the perfection of His vision, and the tongue of her state says: When the light of my brilliant star rises, and the authority of my overwhelming rays shines forth, the lamps of the other shining stars are hidden ⁵⁵⁴, and the light of my rays encompasses the inhabitants of deserts and settled lands. ﴿And that is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing﴾ And I said concerning this meaning also by way of allusion: The sensory sun runs to a resting place for it, i.e., a timed limit which it reaches in its sphere, and that is the end of its course, until it returns in the two solstices, winter and summer, as some exegetes have said; but the sun of yearning hearts, tasting souls, and longing eyes has no resting place in the sphere of determination ⁵⁵⁵ except the sphere of the Muhammadan essence ⁵⁵⁶ and the temple of Ahmad's glory ⁵⁵⁷, for it has borrowed light from his chosen light ⁵⁵⁸ and sought blessing from the support of his prophetic secret, and it is ever ascending in the constellations of kingdomly gifts ⁵⁵⁹ and receiving from the stations of the dominions' self-disclosures ⁵⁶⁰. ﴿And that is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing﴾ Then the completion of the sunset ⁵⁶¹ eavesdropped on the speech of the radiant sun and its boasting of seeing the possessor of sublime stations, so it informed the moon thereof, and he became angry, donned his cloak, uncovered his face, and cast off his restraint, and said: I was that night a traveler in the holy stations before him, spreading my light in the lofty places for the footsteps of his feet, carrying among the luminous planets the covering of his pride, and proclaiming him in the spheres surrounding the majesty of his rank, and I ask God by his standing ⁵⁶² to make me among the servants of his noble carpet and the elite of his lovers who obey his exalted command, and I strive for his pleasure until I become like the old, withered date-stalk ⁵⁶³, and I fade, become thin, and turn yellow as the leaves of branches turn yellow in autumn. ﴿The sun ought not to overtake the moon﴾ Due to its inability to catch up with the night in which the Night Journey ⁵⁶⁴ occurred, ﴿Nor is the night a forerunner of the day﴾ Due to its honor and high rank because of his birth in it, and all swim in the sphere of his prophethood, and frolic in the garden of his message, and are honored and rejoice by their rising over his noble grave, and borrow and derive from his Muhammadan light, and are guided and seek guidance by his star of guidance which never sets. And it has been said: The wisdom in the Night Journey being at night is that night is from Paradise, and day from Hellfire. That is because when God Almighty created Paradise, He said to Gabriel, peace be upon him: Enter it. So he entered it and said: Blessed is the one for whom this is created, except that there is a black spot in it. So God brought out that spot and created night from it. And when He created Hellfire, He said to Gabriel: Enter it. So he entered it and said: Woe, all woe, to the one for whom this is created, except that there is a white spot in it. So God Almighty brought it out and created day from it. Thus he, may God bless him and grant him peace, was ascended in what was created from Paradise. And it is said: He was ascended at night because he is a full moon, and God Almighty named him thus in His saying: ﴿Ta Ha﴾ ⁵⁶⁵, for the Ta is nine and the Ha is five, and that is fourteen, as if it were said: O full moon of fourteen, and the full moon only rises at night. And they recited: I said: O my master, why do you prefer night over the joy of the radiant day? He said: I cannot change my nature; such is the nature of the rising of full moons. What a night it was when the Beloved journeyed to his Lord as the full moon journeys in the darkness of the night, and he kept ascending until he reached a station that no one else has reached. And what a night it was when his Lord unveiled to him the secrets of the kingdom and the dominion ⁵⁶⁶, and showed him the treasures of the omnipotence ⁵⁶⁷ and the gifts of mercy ⁵⁶⁸, and he witnessed therein the wonders of the dispositions of the power of the Living, the Eternal, who does not die. You journeyed from a sanctuary by night to a sanctuary, As the full moon journeys in the darkness of the night. And you spent the night ascending until you attained a station Of two bow-lengths ⁵⁶⁹ which you neither reached nor missed. And all the prophets and messengers preceded you there, Like the precedence of a served master over servants. And you pierced the seven heavens with them In a procession where you were the standard-bearer. Until, when you left no goal for any competitor In nearness, nor any ascent for any seeker, You lowered every station by comparison, when You were addressed with elevation like a proper noun ⁵⁷⁰. So that you might win a union, how hidden From eyes, and a secret, how concealed. Thus you attained every glory without sharing, And surpassed every station without crowding. And every measure of ranks you were given, And the honor of attaining what you were granted of blessings. And what a night it is when its darkness descends upon the people of longing and love, and its veil falls over the retreats of the people of devotions and litanies, and the cups of openings, gifts, support, and reinforcements circulate among its companions, their passions are stirred by the description of ecstatic utterances, attractions, and love, and their spiritual states are delighted by the flash of the lightning of union, closeness, and proximity. No curtain veils them from seeing their Beloved, nor any obstacle prevents them from attaining their hopes and reaching their desires. May God make us among the people of their party and love, grant us their lofty stations, and gather us in their company. Amen, amen, and praise be to God, Lord of the worlds. Their sides forsake the lying down on beds, All of them between a fearful seeker of refuge and a hopeful one. They have left the pleasure of sleep to the drowsy eyes, And they pasture the stars of the night, one after another. If you saw them when they are present with their fingers, And when they face the night with their prostrating cheeks, And they call: O our King, O Beautiful of deeds, Forgive us our sins through the flowing of tears. Then they are answered with an answer that does not fall upon ears: What you do, My friends, is not lost. Trade with Me through obedience, you will profit in the merchandise, And give Me your souls, for they are a trust with Me. O God, O He who is exalted and high, who abases and raises, who harms and benefits, and thanks His servant for what he does of righteous deeds in his night and his making. I ask You, O my Master, by the sanctity of the light of the spirituality of our master Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, whom You looked upon with the eye of Your pleasure in pre-eternity, so he shone in the hearts of the lovers and gleamed, and You commanded him to stand at night, so he obeyed Your commands and submitted to Your obedience and humbled himself; and by what You honored him with in the Night Journey until he reached the presence of Your conversation and Your speech and returned; and by what he performed for You in it of recitation of Your Mighty Book, prostrating and bowing; and by what You granted him in it of answering the supplication for his community when he asked You for intercession for their obedient and disobedient, and You accepted his intercession for them; that You make me among those who follow his Muhammadan path, so they act upon what he commanded of standing at night and persist in that and benefit, and attain a great share of what the monks of the night attained of abundant reward and winning the pleasure of the Greatest God, so their rank with their Lord becomes high and elevated; and that You honor me, O God, with what You honored them with of sincerity in dealings, sweetness of remembrance, and delight of intimate conversation, and make my limbs easy for Your service as

You have made their limbs easy for acts of obedience and worship, and guide me as You guided them on the paths of right guidance, blessing, and happiness, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. My God, the veils of darkness have been lifted for the worlds in the gloom of shadows, and their vessels have raced in the field of competition towards You, so they released their reins in the places of bounty and generosity ²⁰⁹, and they drew near to the door of victory by Your mercy, and they unsheathed the swords of trust in You, and they were met with successive aid and support and abundant blessings. By Your might, I will surely traverse the deserts of darkness through Your remembrance to You, and I will surely dwell in the palaces of solitude through You, and I will surely seek Your help against myself. O Companion of those who seek companionship, and the ultimate hope of the desirous, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. I will weep to You as long as my tears flow, and if You decree, then Your mercy suffices when the hearts yearn. Indeed, what I suffer from the pain of love is more severe than what I endure, and the secret is revealed. So grant me a bliss from You that I hope to meet, on the morning when the wailers stand over me. My God, You are the One who carries the righteous on the mounts of deeds, and who releases the lamps of love in the hearts of the people of intimacy and boldness, and who comforts every solitary one, and accompanies every lonely one. Whoever asks You about You, You guide him to You, and whoever You purify, You make him know You and guide him to You. O Physician of my ailment and Healer of my pain, prescribe for me the remedies of union so that I may reach You, and spread upon my festering wound the ointments of healing, and treat my wound with the lancets of fear until I return to the sources of the pure ones, and purify for me the benefit of the bitterness of medicine. I have perished, I have perished from the excess of separation and the painful burning. The heart of the lover reveals what it hides, and his tears inform you of his sorrows. His tears betray the secret of his conscience, thus tearing the veil of ecstasy with declaration ²¹⁰. My God, my ill-omened sin has driven me away from Your door, and constant sleep has deprived me of the sweetness of Your intimate conversation. I will surely impose the punishment of the body through the limits of hunger. O Comfort of the hearts of the knowers, O Granter of security to the fearful, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, O He who has clothed the hearts of the knowers with His divine lights, so that the angels could not raise their heads from the awe of His majesty, I ask You by the stability of Lordship, and by the right of Your angels, the possessors of the essential attribute, and by Your Throne which is covered by lights, and by what it contains of gifts and secrets, and by the right of Your beloved, our master and lord Muhammad the Chosen, upon him be the best prayers and purest peace as long as night and day alternate, and by the secret of Your name al-Qayyum ⁵⁷¹ by which the heavens and the earth and all within them are established, that You grant me success in obeying You and help me in standing at night ⁵⁷², O He whom no slumber or sleep overtakes, O He who said in His clear Book and eternal Word: "Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term" ⁵⁷³. O Most Merciful of the merciful. O Allah, guide us and grant us success, help us and do not make us feel secure from Your scheme, do not make us forget Your remembrance, do not remove Your veil from us, and do not make us among the heedless. O Allah, raise us at the most beloved hours to You, so that we may remember You and You remember us, and we ask You and You give us, and we call upon You and You answer us, and we seek Your forgiveness and You forgive us, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. And for our father, the righteous, devout, pious ²¹¹, sincere, and diligent in worship of his Lord, Abu Abdullah, my master Muhammad, called al-Salih ⁵⁷⁴ in praise of standing at night ⁵⁷²: Light your lamp at night and awaken your eye in it. For the night is a noble time, with no equal. A time in which the heart delights from every hateful fear. And for intimate conversation it is sweet—how beautiful it is from a prophet! So forsake the bed and leave it, and whoever you sleep with in it. And spend it in remembrance and reflection, so that you may attain what you hope for. And do not waste it in sleep, for that is the act of the foolish. And choose standing in it over everything you desire ²¹².

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1. Ibn al-‘Abbār : Ibn al-‘Abbār (d. 1260) was an Andalusian poet and historian. The verses are attributed to him in Sufi literature.
2. qāba qawsayni aw adnā : Qur’anic phrase (53:9) meaning 'two bow-lengths or nearer,' referring to the Prophet’s proximity to Allah during the Mi‘rāj.
3. Tasnīm : A spring in Paradise mentioned in the Qur’an (83:27), often symbolizing the highest spiritual drink.
4. thumma danā fatadallā : Qur’anic verse (53:8) meaning 'Then he drew near and descended,' describing the Prophet’s approach to Allah.
5. qāba qawsayni aw adnā : Same as note 2.
6. al-salāmu ‘alayka ayyuhā al-nabiyyu : Part of the Tashahhud in Islamic prayer, greeting the Prophet.
7. subḥāna alladhī asrā bi‘abdihi laylan : Qur’anic verse (17:1) referring to the Night Journey (Isrā’).
8. fa awḥā ilā ‘abdihi mā awḥā : Qur’anic verse (53:10) meaning 'Then He revealed to His servant what He revealed.'
9. laqad ra’ā min āyāti rabbihi al-kubrā : Qur’anic verse (53:18) meaning 'Indeed, he saw of the greatest signs of his Lord.'
10. al-da‘wā : Refers to false claims or pretensions, often in a spiritual context.
11. al-ṣafīḥ al-aʿlā : The highest plane or tablet; a reference to the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ) or the highest spiritual realm.
12. ḥaẓāʾir al-quds al-asnā : The most exalted gardens of holiness; refers to the highest paradises or the divine presence.
13. Qāba Qawsayn aw Adnā : A Quranic phrase (53:9) meaning 'two bow-lengths or nearer,' referring to the Prophet's proximity to God during the Miʿrāj.
14. al-ʿulūm al-wahbiyya al-ladunniyya : Divinely-bestowed and innate sciences; knowledge granted directly by God without intermediary.
15. Shadīd al-Quwā : The Mighty in Power; refers to the angel Gabriel or, in some interpretations, to God.
16. al-sharāb qadīm : The Wine is ancient; a Sufi symbol for divine love or gnosis, pre-eternal.
17. al-turba al-tihāmiyya al-najdiyya : The soil of Tihama and Najd; regions in Arabia, referring to the Prophet's birthplace and homeland.
18. al-nātiq : The speaking or producing; a term for the active intellect or the Prophet's expressive faculty.
19. barzakh : An intermediate realm or isthmus between two things; here, between union and separation.
20. yaʿsūb : Leader or chief; literally 'king bee,' used for the foremost among spiritual beings.
21. hayūlā : Hyle or prime matter; the underlying substance of all material things.
22. manṭiqa : Belt or girdle; a metaphor for encompassing or encircling.
23. sidra : The lote-tree; refers to the Sidrat al-Muntahā, the boundary of creation in the heavens.
24. bi-faḍlika wa-karamika : By Your grace and generosity; a standard supplicatory formula.
25. al-iyāb : The return; refers to the eschatological return to God or the spiritual return to the origin.
26. al-aqṭāb : Poles; in Sufism, the highest spiritual authorities, the 'poles' of the spiritual hierarchy.
27. bisāṭ : Carpet; a spiritual station or expanse where divine communication occurs.
28. malak muqarrab : Cherubim; a high rank of angels, those brought near to God.
29. ʿulūmī al-ʿindiyya : Gnostic sciences; knowledge directly from God, not acquired through learning.
30. maʿdin : Mine; the source or origin of a thing, here referring to the Prophet's spiritual essence.
31. Quran 28:85 : The verse: 'Indeed, He who imposed the Quran upon you will surely return you to a place of return.'
32. malakūt : The angelic realm; the world of divine sovereignty and spiritual realities.
33. jabarūt : The realm of divine power and might; a higher spiritual world.
34. ḥubb al-waṭan min al-īmān : A hadith: 'Love of one's homeland is part of faith.'
35. laylat al-isrāʾ : The Night of the Ascension; the Prophet's night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and ascension to heaven.
36. sirr : Secret; the innermost spiritual faculty or the divine mystery within.
37. (19) : A marginal number or reference; possibly a page or section marker.
38. al-aʿyān : Notables; the eminent figures among the Prophet's family or the spiritual elite.
39. ʿilliyyīn : The highest heaven; the abode of the righteous in paradise.
40. al-muṣṭafā : The chosen one; an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad.
41. al-sabʿ : The seven heavens; the celestial spheres.
42. usriya laylatan : The night journey (Isra'); the Prophet's journey from Mecca to Jerusalem.
43. burāq : A mythical steed that carried the Prophet during the night journey.
44. dana thumma tadallā : Reference to Quran 53:8-9: 'Then he drew near and descended, and was at a distance of two bow-lengths or nearer.'
45. qāba qawsayn aw adnā : Two bow-lengths or nearer; a Quranic phrase describing the Prophet's proximity to God during the Ascension.
46. (20) : Another marginal number or reference.
47. ṭarf : Eye; a poetic expression for extreme speed, as if the hoof is placed where the eye looks.
48. bayt al-maqdis : The Holy House; Jerusalem, specifically the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
49. al-miʿrāj : The ladder or ascension; the means by which the Prophet ascended to heaven.
50. al-nazrah al-Muḥammadiyyah : The Muhammadan glance; a spiritual gaze or favor specific to the Prophet Muhammad.
51. Jabal Qāf : Mount Qaf; a mythical mountain in Islamic cosmology, often associated with the boundary of the world.
52. hamzat al-istifhām : The interrogative particle 'a' (أ) used in Arabic to form yes/no questions.
53. al-Ra‘d : The angel of thunder, responsible for clouds and rain.
54. al-Karūbiyyūn : Cherubim; a high rank of angels in Islamic tradition, often associated with nearness to God.
55. tahlīl : The utterance of 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh' (There is no god but God).
56. Qur’ān 74:31 : Reference to the Quranic verse: 'And none knows the hosts of your Lord except Him.'
57. al-‘Arsh : The Throne of God; the greatest created entity, symbolizing divine sovereignty.
58. Sidrat al-Muntahā : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary; a celestial tree marking the end of creation and the point of the Prophet's ascension.
59. Qur’ān 53:42 : Reference to the Quranic verse: 'And indeed, to your Lord is the ultimate end.'
60. Qur’ān 53:8 : Reference to the Quranic verse: 'Then he drew near and descended.'
61. Qur’ān 53:10 : Reference to the Quranic verse: 'And He revealed to His servant what He revealed.'
62. Qur’ān 53:17 : Reference to the Quranic verse: 'The sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress.'
63. Qur’ān 53:11 : Reference to the Quranic verse: 'The heart did not lie about what it saw.'
64. Qur’ān 53:12 : Reference to the Quranic verse: 'So do you dispute with him over what he saw?'
65. al-isrā : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem.
66. kuḥlan : Collyrium; a fine powder used as eye makeup, metaphorically meaning a source of light and healing for the eyes.
67. al-Masīḥ : The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary.
68. Idrīs : The prophet Enoch, identified with Idris in Islamic tradition.
69. al-hādī : The Guide, a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
70. Hārūn : Aaron, the brother of Moses.
71. Kalīm : The interlocutor; a title of Moses, who spoke directly to God.
72. al-Khalīl : The Friend; a title of Abraham, who is called Khalīl Allāh (Friend of God).
73. Sidrat al-Muntahā : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a celestial tree marking the end of the seventh heaven, beyond which no creation can pass.
74. Ṭāhā : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, from the Qur'anic chapter Taha.
75. al-Amīn : The Trustworthy; a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
76. Aḥmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
77. qāba qawsayn : The measure of two bows' length or closer; a Qur'anic phrase describing the Prophet's proximity to God during the Ascension (Q. 53:9).
78. miʿrāj : The Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad through the heavens.
79. al-ṣalawāt : The five daily prayers prescribed for Muslims.
80. man jāʾa bi-l-ḥasanati fa-lahū ʿashru amthālihā : Qur'anic verse (6:160): 'Whoever brings a good deed shall have ten times the like thereof.'
81. wa-l-najmi idhā hawā... : Qur'anic verses (53:1-3): 'By the star when it falls, your companion has not strayed, nor has he erred, nor does he speak from desire.'
82. Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq : The first Caliph and close companion of the Prophet, known for his unwavering faith.
83. Bayt al-Maqdis : The Holy House in Jerusalem, referring to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
84. Kawthar : A river in Paradise granted to the Prophet Muhammad.
85. Salsabīl : A spring in Paradise, mentioned in the Qur'an (76:18).
86. Ismāʿīl : The prophet Ishmael, son of Abraham.
87. Yaḥyā : John the Baptist.
88. Ibrāhīm : Abraham, the patriarch.
89. الخَمْسُ مِنْ خَمْسِينَ : Reference to the five daily prayers being equivalent in reward to fifty prayers, as per the Night Journey tradition.
90. اللَّوْح : The Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz), the heavenly tablet containing all divine decrees.
91. الْمُصْطَفَى : The Chosen One, a title of Prophet Muhammad.
92. أُمِّ الْكِتَاب : Mother of the Book, referring to the Preserved Tablet or the essence of divine knowledge.
93. كَوْثَر : Kawthar, a river in Paradise granted to the Prophet.
94. الصِّدِّيق : The Truthful One, a title of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq.
95. ارْتِيَاب : Doubt or suspicion, referring to the Quraysh's disbelief in the Night Journey.
96. الْجَامِع : The Gatherer, a name of Allah, or possibly referring to the Prophet as the gatherer of people.
97. الْأَقْصَا : Al-Aqsa, the farthest mosque in Jerusalem.
98. الْإِسْرَاء : The Night Journey (Isra'), the Prophet's miraculous journey from Mecca to Jerusalem.
99. هَاتِف : A caller or voice from the unseen.
100. أَبُو جَهْل : Abu Jahl, a leading opponent of the Prophet in Mecca.
101. يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا : Qur'an 73:1-2, addressing the Prophet as 'O you wrapped in garments'.
102. مُهْجَتِي : My soul or lifeblood.
103. الْعُلُومِ اللَّدُنِّيَّة : Divine sciences or knowledge from the divine presence (ladunni).
104. بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِس : The Holy House, i.e., Jerusalem.
105. يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ : O Most Merciful of the merciful, a common supplication.
106. فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَاب : The Opening of the Book, i.e., Surah al-Fatiha.
107. عَرُوس : Bride, a metaphorical term for the Prophet's spiritual state.
108. مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ : Qur'an 53:17, describing the Prophet's vision during the Ascension.
109. مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰ : Qur'an 53:11, affirming the truth of the Prophet's vision.
110. لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَىٰ : Qur'an 53:18, stating that the Prophet saw the greatest signs of his Lord.
111. عَيْنَ الذَّات : The Essence of the Self, referring to the divine essence.
112. طُور : Mount, alluding to Mount Sinai where Moses received revelation.
113. هَذَا عَطَاؤُنَا فَامْنُنْ أَوْ أَمْسِكْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ۖ وَإِنَّ لَكَ عِندَنَا لَزُلْفَىٰ وَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ : Qur'an 38:39, addressed to Prophet Solomon, here applied to Muhammad.
114. النَّبِيّ : The Prophet, i.e., Muhammad.
115. ittiṣāl : Spiritual connection or union with the Divine.
116. wiṣāl : Union with the Divine; the state of being united with God.
117. tajalliyāt : Theophanies; divine self-disclosures or manifestations.
118. dhāt : Essence; the Divine Essence, God's innermost reality.
119. kayf : How; modality. 'Without how' means beyond human comprehension of manner.
120. ayn : Where; spatial location. 'Without where' means beyond spatial constraints.
121. kuḥl : Kohl; here metaphorically meaning to anoint or adorn the eye with spiritual vision.
122. al-ḥaḍra al-qudsiyya al-ṣamadiyya : The Holy, Eternal Presence; a reference to the Divine Presence.
123. al-waḥy wa al-ilhām : Revelation and inspiration; divine communication.
124. Burāq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet Muhammad during the Night Journey (Isrāʾ).
125. Bayt al-Maqdis : The Holy House; Jerusalem, specifically the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
126. quṭb : Pole; a spiritual axis or highest saint in the Sufi hierarchy.
127. Miʿrāj : The Ascension; the Prophet Muhammad's ascent to heaven.
128. istiftāḥ : Asking for opening; requesting permission to enter.
129. Sidra : The Lote Tree; the Sidrat al-Muntahā, the boundary tree in the seventh heaven.
130. nūr al-ʿizza : Light of might; a powerful divine light that would consume anything approaching.
131. al-ladunniyya : Divine; knowledge or gifts directly from God, without intermediary.
132. Sidrat al-Muntahā : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary; the farthest point in the heavens.
133. al-daymūma : Eternity; the state of timelessness.
134. al-ayniyya : Spatiality; being in a place or location.
135. al-qayyūmiyya : Self-Subsistence; the attribute of God as the Self-Subsisting.
136. ḥaḍrat al-rubūbiyya : Presence of Lordship; the Divine presence as Lord.
137. al-maḥbūbiyya : Belovedness; the state of being beloved by God.
138. al-ulūhiyya : Divinity; the attribute of being God.
139. ḥulūl : Incarnation; the belief that God dwells in a physical form.
140. al-jinsiyya : Of the genus; speech of the same kind as human speech.
141. ʿirfān : Gnosis; direct spiritual knowledge of God.
142. Lawḥ al-Wujūd : Tablet of Existence; the cosmic tablet containing all knowledge.
143. Qur'an 2:31 : Reference to the verse where God taught Adam all the names.
144. mirʾāt al-shuhūd : Mirror of witnessing; the means by which one witnesses divine realities.
145. ʿayn al-yaqīn : Eye of certainty; direct, experiential knowledge.
146. al-musammā : The Named; the Divine Essence beyond names.
147. al-ḥarf al-mughammā : The obscured letter; a mystical symbol or hidden meaning.
148. Qur'an 21:107 : Reference to the verse: 'And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.'
149. inbisāṭ : Intimacy; spiritual expansion and closeness to God.
150. Qur'an 93:3 : Reference to the verse: 'Your Lord has not taken leave of you, nor has He hated.'
151. mujtabā : Chosen; a prophet or saint selected by God.
152. qāba qawsayni : A Qur'anic phrase (53:9) indicating the Prophet's proximity to Allah during the Mi'raj, literally 'two bow-lengths' or closer.
153. mā kadhaba al-fu'ādu mā ra'ā : Qur'anic verse (53:11) affirming that the Prophet's heart did not lie about what it saw during the heavenly journey.
154. mā zāgha al-baṣaru wa mā ṭaghā : Qur'anic verse (53:17) stating that the Prophet's sight did not swerve nor transgress during the vision.
155. usriya : Refers to the Isra', the night journey of the Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem.
156. bayt al-Shām : The 'House of Syria,' a reference to Jerusalem (al-Quds) or the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
157. al-bayt al-ma'mūr : The 'Frequented House,' a celestial counterpart of the Kaaba in the seventh heaven, where angels perform circumambulation.
158. al-salāmu ʿalayka ayyuhā al-nabiyyu wa raḥmatu llāhi wa barakātuh : Part of the Tashahhud prayer, a greeting to the Prophet during the Islamic prayer.
159. al-ḥanīfiyya al-samḥā : The 'tolerant hanifiyya,' referring to the primordial monotheistic religion of Abraham, characterized by ease and tolerance.
160. Sūrat al-Ḍuḥā : Surah 93 of the Qur'an, 'The Morning Hours,' which consoles the Prophet and emphasizes Allah's favor upon him.
161. al-maqām al-maḥmūd : The 'Praiseworthy Station,' a rank of intercession granted to the Prophet on the Day of Judgment.
162. fa-awḥā ilā ʿabdihi mā awḥā : Qur'anic verse (53:10) indicating that Allah revealed to His servant (the Prophet) what He revealed.
163. subḥāna alladhī asrā biʿabdihi : Opening of Qur'anic verse (17:1) referring to the Isra' (night journey) of the Prophet.
164. al-Burāq : A mythical steed that carried the Prophet during the Isra' and Mi'raj.
165. al-Rafraf : A celestial mount or carpet said to have carried the Prophet during the highest stages of the Mi'raj.
166. al-karūbiyyūn : Cherubim, a class of angels in Islamic cosmology, often associated with the Throne.
167. al-kirām al-barara : The 'noble scribes,' angels who record deeds.
168. Ibn ʿAbbās : Abdullah ibn Abbas, a companion of the Prophet and a renowned early Qur'anic exegete.
169. quṭb al-wilāya : The 'pole of sainthood,' a Sufi concept referring to the highest spiritual authority in a given era.
170. khulla : Intimate friendship or special love; a term used in Sufism to denote a unique closeness to God, as in the case of Prophet Muhammad being the 'khalil' (intimate friend) of God.
171. Umm al-Kitab : The Mother of the Book; refers to the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz) or the essence of the Quran, from which all scriptures originate.
172. aqtab : Poles; in Sufism, the highest ranking saints (awliya') who are considered spiritual poles or axes of the universe.
173. khayra ummatin : The best community, referring to the Muslim ummah as described in Quran 3:110.
174. thalj : Snow, used metaphorically to describe the coolness and purity of faith.
175. liwa' al-hamd : The banner of praise, a symbol of Prophet Muhammad's unique status on the Day of Resurrection.
176. 'Illiyin : The highest ranks of Paradise, often associated with the record of the righteous.
177. Khalil : A close friend of Allah; a title given to Prophet Abraham.
178. Taha and Yasin : Two of the names of Prophet Muhammad, also titles of Quranic chapters.
179. Treasures of My Throne : A reference to the special spiritual gifts given to the Prophet Muhammad.
180. Seven Oft-Repeated : Refers to Surah al-Fatiha, which consists of seven verses.
181. Tawasin : Surahs beginning with Ta Sin (e.g., Surahs 26, 27, 28), considered equivalent to the Gospel.
182. Night of the Ascension : The Isra and Mi'raj, the Prophet's night journey to Jerusalem and ascension to heaven.
183. Iqama : The second call to prayer, just before the prayer begins.
184. Al-Kawthar : A river in Paradise, also the name of Surah 108.
185. Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary : A tree in the seventh heaven marking the boundary of creation.
186. Footstool : The Kursi, a creation beneath the Throne, symbolizing divine dominion.
187. Preserved Tablet : The Lauh al-Mahfuz, the heavenly tablet containing all destinies.
188. Pen : The Qalam, the first creation used to write destinies on the Tablet.
189. His sight did not swerve... : Quran 53:17, describing the Prophet's vision during the Ascension.
190. Indeed, his heart saw... : Quran 53:11, affirming the truth of the Prophet's vision.
191. The Messenger believes... : Quran 2:285, a verse recited by the Prophet during the Ascension.
192. Poles : Aqtab, the highest-ranking saints in the Sufi hierarchy.
193. Much-Frequented House : Al-Bayt al-Ma'mur, a heavenly counterpart of the Kaaba where angels worship.
194. Buraq : The celestial steed that carried the Prophet during the Isra.
195. ʿubūdiyya : Servitude or slavehood to God; a state of complete submission and devotion.
196. maḥbūbiyya : Belovedness; the state of being beloved by God.
197. Sūrat al-Isrā' 17:1 : Quranic verse referring to the Night Journey (Isrā') of Prophet Muhammad.
198. al-khalīl : The Friend; a title of Prophet Abraham (Ibrāhīm).
199. al-Hāshimī : The Hashimite; referring to Prophet Muhammad, from the Banu Hashim clan.
200. maqām muḥammadī : Muhammadan station; a spiritual rank associated with the Prophet.
201. al-rūḥ : The Spirit; often identified with the Angel Gabriel or a higher spiritual entity.
202. sidrat al-muntahā : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary; a celestial tree marking the end of angelic knowledge.
203. al-karūbiyyūn : Cherubim; a class of high-ranking angels.
204. al-bayt al-maʿmūr : The Frequent House; a celestial counterpart of the Kaaba, visited by angels.
205. al-ʿarsh wa al-kursī : The Throne and the Footstool; divine cosmic entities.
206. al-lawḥ wa al-qalam : The Tablet and the Pen; primordial instruments of divine decree.
207. al-janān : The heart, often referring to the innermost spiritual center or the core of the soul.
208. bayn : Separation or distance; in Sufi context, the state of being veiled from the Divine.
209. Qāb Qawsayn : Literally 'two bow-lengths,' a Qur'anic phrase (53:9) describing the Prophet's proximity to Allah during the Ascension.
210. Burāq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet during the Night Journey (Isrā').
211. al-thaqalayn : The two weighty ones: humans and jinn.
212. al-ṣafīḥ al-a‘lā : The Supreme Tablet, a celestial tablet upon which divine decrees are inscribed.
213. Sidrat al-Muntahā : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a celestial tree marking the end of the created realm.
214. khams : Five special favors granted to the Prophet, often including intercession, the opening of Mecca, etc.
215. al-Rūḥ : The Spirit, referring to the Angel Gabriel.
216. Qāba qawsayni aw adnā : Qur'anic phrase (53:9) indicating extreme proximity to Allah.
217. Qur'an 17:1 : The verse referring to the Night Journey (Isrā').
218. al-wasīlah : The means of nearness to Allah, a special rank granted to the Prophet.
219. Sa‘īr : A name for Hellfire, meaning 'blazing flame.'
220. al-Muṣṭafā : The Chosen One, a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
221. Ṭāhā : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, from the Qur'anic chapter Ṭāhā.
222. ḥūr : The beautiful companions of Paradise, often referred to as 'houris.'
223. أَمْلَاكُ الدَّوَائِرِ : The angelic hosts of the celestial spheres, referring to angels governing the heavens.
224. خُدَّامُ الْحُجُبِ : Servants of the veils, angels or beings that guard the divine veils.
225. نَجَائِبُ الْعِزِّ : Noble steeds of might, metaphor for swift and honored mounts.
226. الْأَرْوَاحُ الرُّوحَانِيَّةُ : Spiritual souls, referring to pure, angelic or saintly spirits.
227. أَنْوَارُ النُّبُوَّةِ : Lights of prophethood, the divine illumination associated with prophets.
228. رُؤَسَاءُ الْمُهَيْمِنِينَ : Chiefs of the dominions, high-ranking angels overseeing realms.
229. قَابِ قَوْسَيْنِ : Two bow-lengths, a Qur'anic phrase (53:9) indicating extreme proximity to God.
230. حَضْرَةِ الْقُرْبِ : Presence of proximity, the divine station of nearness to God.
231. حَظَائِرِ قُدْسِكَ : Enclosures of Your holiness, sacred precincts in the divine presence.
232. الْحَضَرَاتِ : Presences, spiritual stations or levels of divine manifestation.
233. مَلَكُوتِكَ : Your dominion, the spiritual realm of God's sovereignty.
234. الْفُتُوحَاتِ : Openings, spiritual unveilings or divine inspirations.
235. التَّلَقِّيَاتِ : Receptions, direct receiving of divine knowledge.
236. الْمَلَائِكَةِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ : Archangels, the highest-ranking angels brought near to God.
237. الْمُدَانَاةِ وَالْمُصَافَاتِ : Nearness and intimacy, close spiritual fellowship with God.
238. شَاوَسِ السِّرِّ : Herald of the secret, an angel or being announcing divine mysteries.
239. الِاجْتِبَاءِ وَالِاصْطِفَاءِ : Election and choice, God's selection of prophets and saints.
240. السِّرِّ : The secret, esoteric knowledge or inner spiritual reality.
241. الْكَرَامَاتِ الْفَاشِيَةِ : Brilliant miracles, extraordinary acts granted to saints.
242. بَرَاقٌ : Buraq, the mythical steed that carried the Prophet during the Night Journey.
243. ghuyūb : Plural of ghayb, meaning the unseen or hidden realms, often referring to divine mysteries.
244. al-ḥaḍra al-ilāhiyya : The Divine Presence, a term in Sufism for the level of divine manifestation.
245. raḥmāniyyat al-dhāt : The mercy of the Essence, referring to God's attribute of mercy inherent in His essence.
246. ʿarūsuhu al-nūrānī : His luminous bride, a metaphorical reference to the Prophet's spiritual reality or soul.
247. tahānī : Congratulations or greetings, often used in religious contexts.
248. al-barzakh : The isthmus or intermediate realm between the physical and spiritual worlds.
249. al-waḥy al-furqānī : The Furqanic revelation, i.e., the Qur'an, which distinguishes truth from falsehood.
250. al-sabʿ al-mathānī : The seven oft-repeated verses, a reference to Surah al-Fatiha or the seven long surahs.
251. al-qāṣī wa al-dānī : The far and near, meaning all people regardless of distance or status.
252. masjid al-khayf : A mosque in Mina near Mecca, associated with the Prophet's pilgrimage.
253. al-muḥaṣṣab : A place in Mina where pilgrims throw pebbles during the stoning ritual.
254. āl : Family or household, often referring to the Prophet's family and descendants.
255. Ṭāhā : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, from the Qur'anic chapter Taha.
256. al-mujtabā : The chosen one, an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad.
257. Burāq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet during the Night Journey (Isra').
258. ḥūr : Houris, the beautiful companions in Paradise.
259. Badr : The Battle of Badr, the first major battle in Islam, or a reference to the full moon.
260. āyāt : Signs or verses, here referring to the signs of God shown to the Prophet.
261. al-sayyid al-jalīl : The noble master, a title of respect for the Prophet Muhammad.
262. al-fawātiḥ al-ʿindiyya : The 'openers' or 'keys' of divine presence, a Sufi term for spiritual openings granted by God.
263. al-fātiḥ al-khātim : The 'opener and seal,' referring to Prophet Muhammad as the first and last prophet.
264. quṭb al-siyāda : The 'pole of sovereignty,' a Sufi term for the highest spiritual authority.
265. al-milla al-ḥanīfiyya : The 'Hanifite religion,' the pure monotheistic faith of Abraham, identified with Islam.
266. al-thaqalayn : The 'two weighty ones,' referring to humans and jinn.
267. qāba qawsayn : The 'two bow-lengths,' a Qur'anic phrase (53:9) describing the Prophet's proximity to God during the Ascension.
268. Ṭāhā : A name of the Prophet Muhammad, from the Qur'anic chapter 20.
269. Muṣṭafā : The 'Chosen One,' a title of Prophet Muhammad.
270. العَوَارِف : Spiritual gifts or divine bestowals, often referring to mystical knowledge or graces.
271. اللَّطَائِف : Subtleties or delicate spiritual realities; in Sufism, the subtle centers of perception in the soul.
272. تُرْجُمَانُ الغَيْب : Interpreter of the unseen; one who translates or explains divine mysteries.
273. عَرُوسُ الحَضَرَات : Bride of the divine presences; a metaphor for the Prophet Muhammad as the most honored in the spiritual realms.
274. الخَلِيل : The intimate friend; a title of Prophet Abraham, but here applied to Muhammad.
275. عَرُوس : Bride; a metaphorical term for the Prophet's spiritual state or his soul in the Night Journey.
276. الحَضْرَة الْعِنْدِيَّة : The divine presence; the station of proximity to God.
277. المَلَائِكَة الْمُقَرَّبِينَ : The near-stationed angels; the highest angels closest to God.
278. التَّجَلِّيَات الْإِحْسَانِيَّة : Manifestations of beneficence; divine self-disclosures of grace and goodness.
279. wufūd : Delegations; refers to groups of visitors or pilgrims coming to the Prophet.
280. asrār : Secrets; in Sufi context, refers to divine mysteries or intimate knowledge.
281. sharaf : Honor; a quality of the Prophet Muhammad.
282. taklīm : Speech; refers to God's direct speech to the Prophet during the Night Journey.
283. mashhad : Witnessing; a spiritual station of witnessing divine realities.
284. īāb : Return; refers to the Prophet's return from the Night Journey.
285. ḥaḍrat mawlāh : The divine presence of his Lord; a Sufi term for the station of proximity to God.
286. kaʿba : The Kaaba in Mecca; here used metaphorically for the Prophet as the spiritual center around which lovers circle.
287. bashīr al-ḥaqq : The herald of truth; a spiritual figure or angelic messenger.
288. wārid al-khayr : The influx of good; a spiritual emanation or divine grace.
289. al-ʿarsh wa-l-kursī : The Throne and the Footstool; cosmic entities in Islamic cosmology, symbolizing divine sovereignty.
290. al-lawḥ wa-l-qalam : The Tablet and the Pen; the Preserved Tablet and the Pen of destiny in Islamic theology.
291. al-Aḥmadī : Attributed to Ahmad, one of the Prophet Muhammad's names, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
292. al-mulk wa-l-malakūt : The kingdom and the dominion; the visible and invisible realms.
293. julasāʾ al-ḥaḍra al-ʿindiyya : Companions of the divine presence; saints or angels in the presence of God.
294. ʿummār al-ḥaḍāʾir al-qudsiyya : Inhabitants of the holy precincts; spiritual beings dwelling in sacred realms.
295. bashāʾir al-qurb : Glad tidings of proximity; announcements of nearness to God.
296. thughūr al-ḥaqāʾiq al-rabbāniyya : Openings of divine truths; spiritual unveilings of realities from God.
297. ʿuyūn al-raqāʾiq al-qudsāniyya : Eyes of holy subtleties; spiritual faculties of perception.
298. nawāfiḥ al-asrār al-ṣamadāniyya : Fragrant breezes of eternal secrets; spiritual emanations from the Eternal.
299. mawāhib al-futūḥāt al-raḥmāniyya : Gifts of merciful openings; divine grants from the All-Merciful.
300. khuḍḍām al-ṣafīḥ al-aʿlā : Servants of the supreme tablet; angelic beings attending the Preserved Tablet.
301. ʿarāʾis al-muḥibbīn : Brides of the lovers; a metaphor for souls in a state of spiritual union.
302. arbāb al-mawājid : Masters of ecstatic states; Sufis experiencing spiritual ecstasy.
303. ʿawālim rūḥāniyyatih : Worlds of his spirituality; the spiritual domains of the Prophet.
304. shawāriq nūrāniyyatih : Sunrises of his luminosity; manifestations of his spiritual light.
305. masrāh : His night journey; the Isra' and Mi'raj, the Prophet's ascension to heaven.
306. aṣfiyāʾ : Pure ones; the elite saints or prophets.
307. ashkhāṣ nūrāniyya : Luminous persons; spiritual beings of light.
308. aʿyān al-aqṭāb : Fixed entities of the poles; the essential realities of the highest saints (aqṭāb).
309. rijāl al-ighātha : Men of succor; saints who provide spiritual assistance.
310. nujabāʾ al-ajrās : Nobles of the bells; a rank of saints in the Sufi hierarchy.
311. ʿuẓamāʾ al-abdāl : Great ones of the substitutes; high-ranking saints (abdāl).
312. khawāṣṣ al-afrād : Elite of the unique ones; a select group of saints (afrād).
313. masrā : Night journey; refers to the Isra' and Mi'raj, the Prophet's miraculous night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension to heaven.
314. Aḥmadī : Derived from Ahmad, one of the Prophet's names, meaning 'most praiseworthy'; here it refers to the Prophet's luminous essence.
315. ahl al-jadhabāt : People of spiritual attraction; Sufi term for those drawn to God by divine attraction.
316. al-kawnayn : The two worlds; often refers to this world and the Hereafter, or the physical and spiritual realms.
317. qāba qawsayn : Two bow-lengths; a Qur'anic phrase (53:9) describing the Prophet's proximity to God during the Mi'raj.
318. Kawthar : A river in Paradise granted to the Prophet; also the name of Sura 108 in the Qur'an.
319. Lu'ayy ibn Ghālib : Ancestor of the Prophet Muḥammad, part of the Quraysh tribe.
320. Ibn al-Aṭāyib : Literally 'son of the noble ones'; a reference to the Prophet's noble lineage.
321. Hāshim : Great-grandfather of the Prophet Muḥammad, from the Quraysh tribe.
322. Ghālib : Ancestor of the Prophet, father of Lu'ayy.
323. Night of the Ascension : Al-Isrā' wal-Mi'rāj, the Prophet's night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and ascension to heaven.
324. Qāba qawsayn aw adnā : Qur'anic phrase (53:9) describing the Prophet's proximity to Allah during the Ascension, 'two bow-lengths or nearer'.
325. al-Ḥawḍ : The celestial Pool (Kawthar) granted to the Prophet on the Day of Judgment, from which his followers drink.
326. Masrāh : The night journey (Isrā') of the Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem.
327. Marātib al-Wilāyah : Stations or ranks of sainthood in Sufi terminology.
328. ʿUlūm al-Dirāyah : Sciences of knowledge, particularly esoteric or spiritual knowledge.
329. al-Futūḥāt : Spiritual openings or illuminations, often referring to divine revelations or insights.
330. Awtād al-Masājid : Literally 'pegs of the mosques'; a Sufi term for certain high-ranking saints who are spiritual supports.
331. Aṣḥāb al-Wasā'il : People of means or intercession; those who use the Prophet as a means to approach Allah.
332. al-Muṣṭafā : The Chosen One, a title of the Prophet Muḥammad.
333. Ṭāhā : One of the names of the Prophet Muḥammad, from the Qur'anic chapter Ṭāhā.
334. Minbar al-Ḥamd : The Pulpit of Praise, a station of the Prophet on the Day of Judgment.
335. Rājiʿ al-Raḥmān : The returner of the Merciful; the Prophet who returns to Allah with intercession for his community.
336. Furqān : The Criterion, a name for the Qur'an.
337. al-Muqarrabūn : The near ones; those brought near to Allah, often referring to angels or high-ranking saints.
338. Ka'ba : The sacred house in Mecca; here used metaphorically for the Prophet's spiritual sanctuary.
339. Mi'raj : The Night Journey and Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad to the heavens.
340. mukhadarat al-kawn : The veiled ones of the cosmos; a poetic reference to the hidden or celestial beings.
341. hajabat rida' al-sawn : Guardians of the cloak of modesty; angelic beings associated with divine protection.
342. awtad al-masajid : Pegs of the mosques; a Sufi term for spiritual poles or saints who uphold the spiritual world.
343. arbab al-ma'arif : Masters of spiritual knowledge; advanced Sufi knowers of God.
344. Isra' : The Night Journey of the Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem.
345. a'yan al-'ashiqin : The very essences of the lovers; the innermost realities of those who love God.
346. khawass al-'arifin : The elite of the knowers; the highest rank of gnostics.
347. al-sira al-mustafawiyya : The Chosen Way; the prophetic way of life of Muhammad.
348. al-'ulum al-ladunniyya : Divine sciences; knowledge granted directly by God to the saints.
349. al-mulk wa al-malakut : The kingdom and the dominion; the physical and spiritual realms.
350. hujub al-jinan : Veils of the gardens; the barriers to Paradise.
351. Sunnah : The prophetic tradition; the teachings and practices of Muhammad.
352. Taha : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, from the Quranic chapter Taha.
353. Ahmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
354. Ridwan : The angel guardian of Paradise.
355. qibla : The direction of prayer; here used metaphorically for the object of yearning.
356. al-Siddiq : The truthful one; a title of Abu Bakr, the first caliph.
357. a'yan al-muhaymin : The very essences of the Dominant; the highest angelic beings.
358. karubiyyun : Cherubim; a high rank of angels.
359. al-basat al-anwar : The luminous carpet; a reference to the divine presence or throne.
360. al-futuhat al-rabbaniyya : Divine openings; spiritual illuminations granted by God.
361. ashab al-ahwal wa al-jadhabat : Possessors of spiritual states and attractions; Sufis experiencing divine ecstasy.
362. al-adwar al-muhita : The surrounding realms; possibly the celestial spheres or regions.
363. al-'arsh wa al-kursi : The Throne and the Footstool; divine cosmic entities.
364. mim, ha, dal : The letters of the name Muhammad (M-H-D) in Arabic.
365. al-nubuwwat wa al-risalat : Prophecies and messages; the offices of prophethood and messengerhood.
366. al-'ulum wa al-hikam : Sciences and wisdoms; divine knowledge and spiritual wisdom.
367. manasib al-'inaya : Stations of divine care; ranks of God's special attention.
368. maratib al-wilaya : Ranks of sainthood; levels of closeness to God.
369. asrar al-himaya : Secrets of protection; divine mysteries safeguarding the Prophet.
370. 'uyun al-ri'aya : Eyes of divine care; God's watchful care.
371. ma'arij al-nihaya : Ascents of the ultimate goal; the highest spiritual stations.
372. Mi'raj : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension to the heavens.
373. al-'arifin : The knowers or gnostics; those who have deep spiritual knowledge of Allah.
374. qaba qawsayn : A phrase from the Quran (53:9) referring to the Prophet's proximity to Allah during the Mi'raj, meaning 'two bow-lengths' or even closer.
375. ibn 'Imran : Moses, son of Imran, a prophet mentioned in the Quran.
376. Taha : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, derived from the Quranic chapter Taha.
377. Tayyiba : A name for Medina, meaning 'the good/pure city'.
378. Taybah : Another name for Medina, the city of the Prophet Muhammad.
379. al-Haram : The Sacred Sanctuary, referring to Mecca and its surroundings.
380. usriya bihi laylan : Refers to the Night Journey (Isra') of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem.
381. arusuhu : Literally 'his bride'; a metaphorical term for the Prophet's soul or his spiritual state during the Night Journey.
382. ahl al-ma'arif : People of gnosis; those who possess spiritual knowledge and insight.
383. wilayah : Sainthood; spiritual authority and closeness to God.
384. tayruhu al-maymun : His auspicious bird; a metaphor for the Prophet's blessed influence or his call.
385. da'ihi al-mubarak : His blessed caller; refers to the Prophet's call to Islam.
386. shahid al-haqq : The witness of truth; possibly referring to the Prophet himself or a divine witness.
387. al-'alam al-'ulwi wa al-sufli : The higher and lower worlds; the celestial and terrestrial realms.
388. tala'i'uhu : His vanguards; the forerunners of his mission or his companions.
389. fath : Opening; spiritual conquest or illumination.
390. ahwal : States; spiritual conditions or experiences.
391. imdadat ilahiyyah : Divine effusions; spiritual outpourings from God.
392. al-'arsh : The Throne of God; the highest celestial realm.
393. al-farsh : The earth; the lower realm.
394. futuhat : Openings; spiritual unveilings and divine gifts.
395. usriya bihi laylan : Refers to the Night Journey (Isra) of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem.
396. arusuhu : Metaphorically refers to the Prophet's soul or spiritual state as a bride adorned for the divine encounter.
397. al-nawatiq wa al-jawamid : The speaking (animate beings) and the inanimate (objects) are said to have rejoiced at the Prophet's return.
398. kharq al-'awa'id : Breaking of customs; refers to miracles that defy natural laws.
399. imdadatihi al-mu'ina : His assisting effusions; spiritual outpourings that aid the seeker.
400. al-ruh al-a'zam : The Supreme Spirit; often identified with the Archangel Gabriel or a higher celestial being.
401. al-karubiyyun : Cherubim; a class of angels close to God.
402. al-arwah al-ruhaniyya : Spiritual souls; refined, non-material beings.
403. al-hur al-'in : Wide-eyed maidens of Paradise.
404. malakut : The spiritual realm or kingdom of God.
405. al-safih al-a'la : The Highest Tablet; the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz) in heaven.
406. al-mala' al-a'la : The Most High Assembly; the highest gathering of angels.
407. kimiyaihi : His alchemy; spiritual transformation akin to turning base metal into gold.
408. ruhban sawami' al-nur : Monks of the monasteries of light; metaphor for ascetic angels or saints.
409. muluk al-qulub : Kings of hearts; spiritual masters who rule over hearts.
410. ka'batahu al-musharrafa : His honored Kaaba; the Prophet's spiritual center, analogous to the Kaaba in Mecca.
411. al-sab' al-tibaq : The seven heavens; the seven celestial spheres.
412. hamalat al-'arsh wa al-kursi : Bearers of the Throne and the Footstool; angels who carry God's Throne and Footstool.
413. al-'urwa al-wuthqa : The firmest handhold; a Qur'anic term (2:256) for the unbreakable bond with God.
414. ru'yat 'ayn : Vision with the eye; refers to the Prophet's seeing God during the Mi'raj, a matter of theological debate.
415. takyif : Modality; specifying how God is seen, which is denied in Islamic theology.
416. al-mandhar al-mushtaha : The desired spectacle; the vision of the Prophet's beauty.
417. asrā : The Night Journey (Isrā') refers to the Prophet Muhammad's miraculous night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem.
418. ʿayn qalbihi : The 'eye of the heart' is a spiritual faculty of inner vision, distinct from physical sight.
419. khuṣūṣiyya : Particularity or special distinction, referring to the unique station of the Prophet.
420. wilāya : Sainthood or divine friendship; the state of being a walī (friend of God).
421. qurb : Proximity to God, a spiritual station of nearness.
422. Burāq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet during the Night Journey.
423. qāba qawsayn : A distance of two bow-lengths, referring to the Prophet's proximity to God during the Ascension (Qur'an 53:9).
424. Isrā' : The Night Journey of the Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem.
425. dhāt : Essence; here referring to the Divine Essence, which is beyond human comprehension.
426. Furqān : A name for the Qur'an, meaning 'the Criterion' between truth and falsehood.
427. Jibrīl : The angel Gabriel, who conveyed revelation to the Prophet.
428. ṣafī : An intimate friend or chosen one, often used for prophets and saints.
429. Sunna : The prophetic tradition, comprising the sayings, actions, and approvals of the Prophet.
430. jinn : Spiritual beings created from smokeless fire, possessing free will.
431. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim : One of the six major hadith collections, compiled by Imam Muslim.
432. al-ghayb : The unseen realm, including matters of faith not perceptible by the senses.
433. ʿārifūn : Gnostic knowers of God, those who have attained spiritual knowledge.
434. nafaḥāt al-Raḥmān : The 'breaths of the Merciful,' divine effusions of mercy.
435. awliyā' : Saints or friends of God, plural of walī.
436. kawāshif : Unveilings; spiritual disclosures granted to advanced mystics.
437. karāmāt : Miracles or extraordinary acts performed by saints.
438. mujāhada : Spiritual struggle or striving against the lower self.
439. mushāhada : Contemplation or direct witnessing of divine realities.
440. al-maqām al-maḥmūd : The Praiseworthy Station, a rank of intercession granted to the Prophet.
441. al-shafāʿa al-kubrā : The Great Intercession, the Prophet's intercession for humanity on Judgment Day.
442. jabarūt : The realm of divine omnipotence, a spiritual domain.
443. malakūt : The realm of divine dominion or sovereignty, an intermediate spiritual world.
444. Ibn Masʿūd : A prominent Companion of the Prophet, known for his knowledge of the Qur'an.
445. Sahihayn : The two authentic hadith collections: Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
446. rak'ahs : Units of Islamic prayer, consisting of standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting.
447. Dawud : The Prophet David (peace be upon him), known for his devotion in worship.
448. screamer : Refers to the rooster, which crows at specific times, often in the middle of the night.
449. al-Masjid al-Haram / al-Masjid al-Aqsa : The Sacred Mosque in Mecca and the Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem, respectively; the verse refers to the Night Journey (Isra') of the Prophet Muhammad.
450. al-Isrā' : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem.
451. Isrā' : The Night Journey; refers to the Prophet's miraculous journey from Mecca to Jerusalem.
452. al-Isrā' : The Night Journey.
453. al-Isrā' : The Night Journey.
454. al-Isrā' : The Night Journey.
455. al-Isrā' : The Night Journey.
456. al-Isrā' : The Night Journey.
457. dhawq : Spiritual taste or direct experiential knowledge of divine realities.
458. qurb : Spiritual proximity to God.
459. wusūl : Spiritual arrival or attainment of union with the Divine.
460. furqān : The Criterion; a name for the Quran, distinguishing truth from falsehood.
461. fatḥ : Spiritual opening or illumination granted by God.
462. riḍā : Divine contentment and satisfaction.
463. ʿirfān : Gnosis; esoteric knowledge of God.
464. surūr : Spiritual joy and delight.
465. tahānī : Congratulations; felicitations.
466. zamharīr : Intense cold; a term from the Quran (76:13) referring to a torment in Hell.
467. al-ḥaḍra al-ʿindiyya : The Divine Presence; the station of intimate proximity to God.
468. malakūt : The angelic realm; the intermediate spiritual world.
469. jabarūt : The realm of divine power and might; a higher spiritual plane.
470. Aḥmadiyya : Attributed to Ahmad, one of the Prophet Muhammad's names, indicating his praiseworthy qualities.
471. al-ʿarsh wa al-farsh : The Throne (of God) and the carpet (the earth); symbolizing the highest and lowest realms.
472. munādī al-ḥaqq : The caller of Truth; a divine herald or angelic announcer.
473. al-muqarrabīn : The 'near ones' or those brought near to God, often referring to the highest rank of angels or saints.
474. fa-tadallā : Reference to Quran 53:8, describing the Prophet's drawing near to God during the Ascension.
475. al-Muṣṭafā : The Chosen One, a title of Prophet Muhammad.
476. al-awliyā' : Saints or friends of God, those with spiritual authority.
477. al-sidra : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (Sidrat al-Muntahā), a celestial tree marking the end of the seventh heaven, where the Prophet reached during the Ascension.
478. Ṭāhā : One of the names of Prophet Muhammad, from the Quranic chapter Taha.
479. al-malakūt : The celestial kingdom or the spiritual realm of sovereignty.
480. al-Amīn : The Trustworthy, a title of the Angel Gabriel.
481. Sūrat al-Isrā' 17:1 : Quranic verse referring to the Night Journey (Isrā') of the Prophet.
482. al-mi‘rāj : The Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad to heaven.
483. al-Hadi : The Guide, a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
484. Isra' : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem.
485. al-Hasan and al-Husayn : The grandsons of the Prophet Muhammad, sons of Fatima and Ali.
486. al-Safih al-A'la : The Highest Horizon, a reference to the highest celestial realm or the divine presence.
487. Mi'raj : The Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad to the heavens.
488. Umm al-Kitab : The Mother of the Book, a term for the Preserved Tablet or the essence of divine revelation.
489. Ridwan : The gatekeeper of Paradise, also the name of a garden in Paradise.
490. Buraq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet Muhammad during the Isra' and Mi'raj.
491. al-ʿārifīn : Knowers of God; those who have attained spiritual gnosis (maʿrifa).
492. ʿarūsihi : His bride; a metaphor for the Prophet's spiritual union with the Divine during the Night Journey.
493. arbāb al-aḥwāl : Masters of spiritual states; Sufi term for those who experience varying spiritual conditions (aḥwāl).
494. bisāṭ al-qurb : Carpet of proximity; a metaphor for the station of nearness to God.
495. maqāṣir al-uns : Pavilions of intimacy; spiritual abodes of divine intimacy.
496. al-karūbiyyīn : Cherubim; a high rank of angels, often associated with the Throne.
497. amlāk al-dawāʾir : Angels of the spheres; angels governing the celestial spheres in Islamic cosmology.
498. al-bayt al-maʿmūr : The Frequent House; a celestial Kaaba in the heavens, visited by angels.
499. al-aʾimma al-aʿlām : Eminent imams; leading scholars and spiritual guides.
500. qarāʾin al-aḥwāl : Companions of spiritual states; those who share or witness spiritual conditions.
501. sayyid al-kawnayn : Master of the two worlds; referring to this world and the Hereafter.
502. zayn al-thaqalayn : Adornment of the two heavy ones; humans and jinn.
503. al-ḥūr : Houris; beautiful companions in Paradise.
504. mutahajjid : One who performs the night prayer (tahajjud), a supererogatory prayer performed after sleep.
505. ribat : A fortified outpost or monastery-like structure for spiritual retreat and guarding the frontiers of Islam.
506. ashwat : Circuits or rounds of circumambulation (tawaf) around the Kaaba.
507. Rama : A place name, possibly referring to a location in Palestine or a metaphorical reference.
508. qaba qawsayn : Two bow-lengths, a Qur'anic phrase (53:9) describing the proximity of Allah to the Prophet during the Ascension.
509. Buraq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet Muhammad during the Night Journey (Isra').
510. Mikal : The angel Michael, one of the archangels in Islamic tradition.
511. Taha : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, derived from the Qur'anic chapter Taha (20:1).
512. al-amin : The trustworthy one, a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
513. al-ma'arij : The ladders or ascents, referring to the Prophet's Ascension (Mi'raj) through the heavens.
514. أَجْفَانَهُ : Literally 'his eyelids'; a poetic metaphor for the darkness of night closing in.
515. أَشْفَاعَهُ : Refers to the odd-numbered prayers (witr) or the pairs of rak'ahs in night prayer; the phrase indicates the brevity of the Prophet's night journey.
516. انْتِفَاعَهُ : Benefit or utilization; here it implies that through the Prophet's hands, every believer receives both benefit and the ability to benefit others.
517. عَرُوسُهُ : Literally 'his bride'; a metaphor for the Prophet's ascension (mi'raj) or his spiritual union with the Divine, often depicted as a wedding.
518. السَّيَادَةَ : Sovereignty or leadership; in this context, it refers to the Prophet's intercession and his rank as leader of all nations.
519. الْفُرْقَانِ : The Criterion; a name for the Qur'an, which distinguishes truth from falsehood.
520. Isrā' : The Night Journey of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem, mentioned in the Quran (17:1).
521. futūḥāt : Spiritual openings or illuminations granted by God to the saints and prophets.
522. al-Maqdis : The Holy Land, specifically Jerusalem, the destination of the Night Journey.
523. fanā' al-anfus : Annihilation of the self or ego, a Sufi concept of losing one's individual existence in the Divine.
524. al-ḥān : The tavern or wine-house, a Sufi metaphor for the place of divine love and intoxication.
525. al-kunus : The secluded ones, referring to heavenly maidens or spiritual beings in the divine presence.
526. ʿātiq muʿattaq : Aged wine, symbolizing the pure and ancient essence of divine love.
527. ṭā'iruhu al-maymūn : A phrase meaning 'his blessed bird', often used metaphorically in Sufi poetry to refer to the soul or spiritual state. The context here is a prayer for the bird not to chirp, possibly indicating a state of silence or spiritual absorption.
528. al-futūḥāt al-rabbāniyya : Lordly unveilings or divine openings; a Sufi term for spiritual illuminations and revelations granted by God.
529. al-ʿasqalāniyya : Ashkelonian; referring to Ashkelon, a city in Palestine. The term is used here poetically to describe the color or quality of the night garment.
530. ʿAlī : Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, and the first Imam in Shia Islam. The poem praises his spiritual station.
531. Ibn ʿAbbās : Abdullah ibn Abbas, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and a renowned early scholar of Quranic exegesis. He is known for his views on the vision of God.
532. al-ẓāʿinīn : The departing ones; refers to the beloved ones who have left, a common motif in classical Arabic love poetry.
533. al-ḥashā : The innermost part of the chest or heart; the seat of emotions and secrets.
534. al-shiʿb al-yamānī : The Yemeni valley; a poetic reference to a specific valley in Yemen, often associated with the beloved's homeland.
535. Laylat al-Qadr : The Night of Decree or Power; the night in Ramadan when the Quran was first revealed, considered the holiest night in Islam.
536. aqlām al-qalb : The pens of the heart; a Sufi metaphor for the spiritual faculties that inscribe divine knowledge upon the heart.
537. ʿĪd : Islamic festival; here referring to the spiritual joy of divine union.
538. al-luṭf al-khafī : The subtle kindness; a Sufi term for God's hidden, gentle grace.
539. Aḥmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
540. ʿarāʾis : Brides; a metaphor for the poems of praise, which are adorned like brides.
541. al-dārayn : The two abodes; this world and the Hereafter.
542. al-Isrāʾ : The Night Journey; the Prophet Muhammad's miraculous journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and then to the heavens.
543. al-Burāq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet Muhammad during the Night Journey.
544. al-Miʿrāj : The Ascension; the Prophet Muhammad's ascent through the heavens during the Night Journey.
545. al-madad al-Muḥammadī : The Muhammadan effusion or spiritual support flowing from the Prophet Muhammad's essence.
546. al-Isrā' : The Night Journey of the Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem, mentioned in Quran 17:1.
547. qāba qawsayn : A reference to Quran 53:9, describing the Prophet's proximity to God during the Ascension.
548. al-wilāyah al-kubrā : The supreme sainthood or spiritual authority, often associated with the Prophet.
549. al-sab' al-mathānī : The Seven Oft-Repeated verses, a name for Surah al-Fatiha or the seven long surahs.
550. Quran 17:12 : The verse: 'And We have made the night and day two signs, and We erased the sign of the night...'
551. Quran 36:37 : The verse: 'And a sign for them is the night: We strip from it the day, and behold, they are in darkness.'
552. nasīm al-saḥar : The dawn breeze, often personified as a bringer of news or spiritual fragrances.
553. Quran 36:38 : The verse: 'And the sun runs to its resting place...'
554. al-zawāhir : Shining stars; metaphor for lesser spiritual lights or saints.
555. al-falak al-taqdīrī : The sphere of divine determination or predestination.
556. al-dhāt al-muḥammadiyya : The Muhammadan essence; the spiritual reality of Prophet Muhammad.
557. al-majāda al-aḥmadiyya : The temple of Ahmad's glory; Ahmad is another name of Prophet Muhammad.
558. al-nūr al-muṣṭafawī : The chosen light; referring to the Prophet's light.
559. al-mawāhib al-malakūtiyya : Kingdomly gifts; spiritual gifts from the celestial realm.
560. al-tadalliyāt al-jabarūtiyya : Self-disclosures of the dominions; divine manifestations from the realm of omnipotence.
561. tamām al-ghurūb : The completion of sunset; a personification of the moment after sunset.
562. jāh : Standing, rank, or intercessory power before God.
563. al-ʿurjūn al-qadīm al-naḥīf : The old, withered date-stalk; a Qur'anic phrase (Q 36:39) symbolizing extreme humility and decay.
564. al-isrāʾ : The Night Journey of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem.
565. Ṭā Hā : The opening letters of Qur'anic chapter 20, interpreted as a name of the Prophet meaning 'O full moon of fourteen'.
566. al-mulk wa al-malakūt : The kingdom and the dominion; the visible and invisible realms of God's sovereignty.
567. al-jabarūt : The realm of omnipotence; the highest spiritual realm of divine power.
568. al-raḥamūt : The realm of mercy; a Sufi term for the divine attribute of mercy.
569. qāba qawsayn : Two bow-lengths; a Qur'anic phrase (Q 53:9) describing the Prophet's proximity to God during the Ascension.
570. al-mufrad al-ʿalam : A proper noun; here meaning the Prophet was addressed with a unique, elevated status.
571. al-Qayyum : One of the names of Allah, meaning 'The Self-Subsisting, the Eternal,' upon whom all existence depends.
572. qiyam al-layl : The night vigil prayer, a supererogatory prayer performed during the night, highly recommended in Islam.
573. Quran 39:42 : A verse from the Quran describing how Allah takes souls at death and during sleep.
574. al-Salih : An epithet meaning 'the righteous,' referring to the father of the author, Muhammad al-Salih.