He remembered [1].

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. And may Allah bless our master and lord Muhammad, his family, and his companions, and grant them abundant peace. Praise be to Allah, who raised the souls of His saints to His holy and exalted presence, illuminated their innermost beings with the lights of His bestowed wisdoms of ascension, disclosed to them the treasures of His unseen realms of majesty and dominion, opened for them the treasures of His divine and proximate gifts, and gladdened their hearts with the sweet and delightful subtleties of His secrets. Blessings and peace be upon our master and lord Muhammad, the leader of spiritual souls, the sovereign of the illuminated and paradisiacal presence. To proceed: Since his prophetic ascensions ¹—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—transmitted through the authentic chains of the noble imams and narrated from the sound prophetic traditions ² of sacred transmission, occurred thirty-four times, once with his noble body and the rest with his pure and blessed soul, each of the distinguished imams and venerable scholars expressed what was established with them from the transmitted chains of the master of mankind, either in his exact words or in the meaning implied, or what Allah had deposited in their hearts through the path of unveiling and inspiration. It occurred to my mind to compose an ascension based on what has been reported in this regard from sensory and spiritual traditions, exquisite allusions, superior merits, and Sufi insights, and to make it the opening of the book, a reminder for those of understanding, a garden where minds may stroll and those of nearness and proximity may breathe in plucking its flowers. I have preceded the discussion on the spiritual ascension in the previous part as an indication of attaining the goal, and I have followed it here with the discussion on the sensory ascension, so that, Allah willing, it may complete the benefit and fulfill the promised achievement. I ask Allah to make it a means for the pleasure of my beloved, our master Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the secret of existence, and a cause for attaining the great intercession and winning his proximity in the abode of honor and eternity. Amen, amen, amen, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. ⋄ Who can match the Chosen One in his rank? ⋄ To see Taha ³ nearer to Him. ⋄ With his own eyes he saw Him ⋄ And from what he saw, he was veiled. ⋄ Or by the angels and messengers, while ⋄ He stood on the pulpit of praise and preached. ⋄ And he ascended, rising towards heaven ⋄ To see therein a procession of grace. ⋄ Everyone in the expanse came to the Chosen One ⋄ And greeted him, saying "Welcome!" ⁴ ⋄ So he drew near and approached his Lord ⋄ And Allah granted him goodly praise. ⋄ He asked Allah for us all desires ⋄ And for us every precious thing was brought. ⋄ Who can equal the Chosen One in mercy ⋄ And generosity, forbearance, and love? ⋄ What are my sins in the margins of his grace ⋄ When tomorrow the scale of justice is set? ⋄ And intercessions for us tomorrow from him ⋄ He who comes to him as a sinner will not be disappointed. ⋄ May Allah's blessings cover his grave ⋄ And upon his family and companions, those brought near. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the unique pearl of the highest necklace of prophethood, the most sublime and sweet outpouring of the message, whom You willed to distinguish with the highest and most exalted station, to disclose to him the treasures of the most majestic secret of the dominion, and to journey with his praised bride to the station of "two bow-lengths or nearer" ⁵. And You called out in the expanse of the dominion and the carpet of might and majesty: "O Garden of Eden, adorn yourself! O Abode of Bliss, come into being! O Tables of Generosity, change for me! O Hurls, strut! O Heavens, boast!" They said: "Our God, what is the news? What has appeared and become manifest in existence?" I said: "Tonight the master of mankind arrives to visit us, and the house of glory and honor wins our gaze." When the veil of the unseen was rent asunder by the beloved's connection with the Lover, and the banners of victory from Allah and imminent conquest were unfurled, Gabriel came to him, advanced, drew near, greeted him, honored, glorified, magnified, venerated, respected, and said: "O master, arise on the feet of joy to receive your Lord with veneration, exaltation, and piety, for you have been invited ⁶ to the presence to win speech, conversation, and vision, and to see what your near and responsive Lord has specially granted you and what He has stored for you of secrets, gifts, and openings in the station of proximity and nearness." So he—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—rode the Burāq ⁷ of veneration and majesty, while the banners of prophethood and messengerhood fluttered over him, and he journeyed, traversing the seven heavens, and the angels of the spheres greeted him and extolled his rank in all horizons. Then he drew near, approached, and was at a distance of two bow-lengths or nearer. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which You seal for us with a good end, and gather us thereby in the abode of honor and the highest station, 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 kingdom, crowned with the crown of felicity and glad tidings, the locus of goodness and blessing, sent with gentleness, guidance, and glad tidings, whom, when You willed to honor his rank above what is above the Throne and beneath the earth, and to manifest his superiority over Your beloved and chosen ones in this world and the next, You journeyed with him by night to Your carpet to show him what was hidden from minds of the secrets of Your power and Your greatest signs, and to disclose to him what You had symbolized ⁸ for him in the subtle intricacies of Sūrat al-Isrā' ⁹, and to gift him with the station of proximity and election, and to inform him that he is more worthy and deserving of that station, and that he is the greatest imam, the most generous beloved, the chosen one supported by the address: "Will you then dispute with him about what he saw? And he certainly saw him in another descent, at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, near which is the Garden of Refuge, when there covered the Lote Tree that which covered [it]. The sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress. He certainly saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord" ¹⁰. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which You expand our breasts for remembrance, and protect us thereby from forgetfulness, from the gusts of calamities of time and the adversities of hardship, and bestow upon us the fragrant breezes of his Muhammadan blessings at every moment and successively, 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 eye of the eyes, the light of insight for the people of felicity and direct vision, whom, when You willed to manifest his superiority over the angels, humans, and jinn, and to spread his fame across the regions of the heavens and the earths and all the worlds, You journeyed with him by night from place to place to show him what You had specially distinguished that place with from

The signs and wonders that indicate Your manifest power, at which intellects are bewildered in describing them and minds cannot comprehend them, such that the special description ¹¹ by which You are known only through those mentioned signs in the Qur'an, as if You said to him: "I did not take you by night, My servant, and move you from place to place except for the vision of those signs which I have singled out for that place, not to Myself, for I do not dwell in a place nor does time encompass Me, and the relation of places to Me is one. How could I take My servant by night to Me when I am wherever he is and in every place? But the vision of the king in the camp of his kingdom and the majesty of his soldiers is greater in exaltation and more perfect in awe and elevation of rank and status. Therefore, I have singled you out for the holy vision, transcendent above place." So bless, O Allah, him and his family, the brides of the gardens ¹², and his Companions, the lamps of sciences and the springs of gnosis ¹³, with a blessing by which our hearts are illumined with the light of faith, and our breasts are filled with pure love and perfection of faith, and by which You preserve us from the afflictions of deprivation and the accidents of deficiency, 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 sun of sainthood ¹⁴, whose heart and body are illumined, who, when You wished to show him some of Your signs that You had hidden from the possessors of insight and understanding, and concealed from the imaginations of thoughts and the fancies of illusion, You sent to him the Trustworthy Spirit, Gabriel, of intense strength and resolve, with a mount called al-Burāq ¹⁵, to affirm the means ¹⁶ experientially, just as You made wings for the angels to teach us the affirmation of the means that You have placed in the world as a foundation for the execution of decree and judgment. It is a barzakhī ¹⁷ mount, below the mule, which is born from two species differing in kind and form, and above the donkey, which is born from a single species with the same father and mother. This is for a wisdom known to the people of Allah ¹⁸, whose states are free from imperfections and defects. So he, peace and blessings be upon him, mounted it, and Gabriel accompanied him, and he traveled with him through the air, like the horse of the Nubian ¹⁹ that the king sends to the one to whom he is sent to ride for awe in the outward, as is the custom of the people of struggle and determination. As for the inward, its meaning is that nothing is sent to his presence except what comes from Him, the Most High, that is not for others. So it is a definition and a reminder for those who do not know the positions of matters from Him, and do not know in the secrets the reality of concealment and hiding. When he arrived at Bayt al-Maqdis ²⁰, he dismounted and tied it to the ring to which the prophets before him used to tie their mounts. All of this is an affirmation of the means, for there is no messenger who was not taken by night riding on that Burāq, but the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was distinguished among them in his Night Journey by matters known only to the people of Allah, who are bewildered by their knowledge of Him, having abundant fortune and share. He, peace and blessings be upon him, tied the Burāq to affirm the wisdom of the custom that Allah, the Most High, has established regarding what is called a mount. Do you not see how he, peace and blessings be upon him, described it as a sun ²¹? That is characteristic of mounts that are ridden, and that it overturned with its hoof the cup from which its owner was performing ablution in the caravan that met him on the road to Mecca. Its description as 'attār ²²—and al-'attār is that which caused the cup to be overturned, as established by the masters of conduct ²³ who are preserved from error and blemish. When he traversed the air with it, he, peace and blessings be upon him, became thirsty and needed to drink. Gabriel brought him two vessels, one of milk and one of wine—this was before the prohibition of wine—and presented them to him. He took the milk, and Gabriel, peace be upon him, said to him: "You have hit upon the natural disposition ²⁴; may Allah make you and your community successful." For this reason, he, peace and blessings be upon him, used to interpret milk as knowledge. So bless, O Allah, him and his family with a blessing that creates in us the character of the people of compassion, kindness, and forbearance, and make it for us a treasure whose blessing we find in the beginning and the end, 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 imam of Your honored and unique presence, and the bride of Your kingdom, the pure and immaculate, who, when in his Night Journey he reached the lowest heaven, Gabriel asked for entry. The gatekeeper said: "Who is this?" He said: "Gabriel." He said: "Who is with you?" He said: "Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him." He said: "Has he been sent for?" He said: "Yes." So it was opened, and Gabriel and Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, entered. There was Adam, peace be upon him, with figures on his right intending the blessed inhabitants of Paradise, and on his left a breeze ²⁵ intending the wretched inhabitants of the Fire. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, saw his own image there among the figures of the blessed, so he thanked Allah, the Most High, and knew at that moment how a human being can be in two places while being the very same self, not another. So it was for him like a visible image, and visible images are

Of the single woman and the mirrors, he said: "Welcome to the righteous son and the righteous prophet." Then al-Burāq flew with him, while he was carried upon it in the space between the first heaven and the second heaven. Gabriel opened the second heaven as he had done with the first, and it was said to him. When he entered, behold, there was Jesus (peace be upon him) rubbing his eye, for he has not died until now; rather, God raised him to this heaven, settled him in it, and appointed him over it. He welcomed him and made things easy. Then he ascended with him to the third heaven. He sought to open it, and he spoke, and it was said to him, and it was opened. Behold, there was Joseph (peace be upon him) greeting him, welcoming him, and making things easy. Throughout all of this, Gabriel was naming for him what he saw of these individuals. Then he ascended with him to the fourth heaven. He sought to open it, and he spoke, and it was said to him, and it was opened. He spoke, and it was said to him. Behold, there was Idris (peace be upon him), for he has not died until now; rather, God raised him to heaven and settled him there. He, exalted be He, said: "And We raised him to a high place." (Qur'an 19:57) This heaven is the heart of the heavens. He greeted him, welcomed him, and made things easy. Then he ascended with him to the fifth heaven. He sought to open it, and he spoke, and it was said to him. Behold, there were Aaron and John the son of Zechariah (peace be upon them). They greeted him, welcomed him, and made things easy. Then he ascended with him to the sixth heaven. He sought to open it. Behold, there was Moses (peace be upon him). He greeted him, welcomed him, and made things easy. Then he ascended with him to the seventh heaven. Behold, there was Abraham (peace be upon him), leaning his back against the Much-Frequented House (al-Bayt al-Ma'mūr). He greeted him, welcomed him, and made things easy, and he named for him the Much-Frequented House as the clear one. He looked at it and prayed two rak'ahs in it. And we learned, peace be upon him, that seventy thousand angels enter every day through one door and exit through another door. The entrance through the door is the rising places of the stars, and the exit through the door is their setting places. And those angels are created by God, exalted be He, every day from the drops of the water of life that fall from Gabriel when he shakes himself like the shaking of a bird when it emerges from water upon its immersion in the River of Life (Nahr al-Ḥayāh). For he has a daily immersion in it. So, O Allah, send blessings upon him and upon his family, a blessing by which we may be among those whom You choose for Yourself, select, and draw to Your holy presence, and with which You are pleased. And grant abundant and esteemed peace. And praise be to God, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad, the opening of the beginning and the end, and the ruby of prose and verse, who, when he reached in his Night Journey (Isrā') the ultimate end of sublime rank and station, (10) and its roots were like the ears of elephants, and its lote-tree (Sidrat al-Muntahā) was like great clay pots, so that no one can describe it, for sight cannot perceive it until it describes it, due to the intensity of its surpassing light, whose brilliance outshines the light of stars and full moons. And he saw four rivers flowing from its base: two visible rivers and two hidden rivers. Gabriel informed him that the two visible rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates, and the two hidden rivers are two rivers that flow to Paradise, surrounded by all kinds of good things and abundant blessings. These rivers grant to their drinker diverse sciences known by the people of spiritual tastes (arbāb al-adhwāq) in this world and the people of ecstasy and passionate love. And he informed him that the deeds of the children of Adam end at that lote-tree, and that it is the abode of the souls obedient to their Lord, the All-Knowing King. And that it is the limit for what descends to it from above it, and the limit for what ascends to it from below it. And there is the station of Gabriel, and there is his platform (peace be upon him). So, O Allah, send blessings upon him and upon his family, the noble chiefs, and his illustrious and eminent companions, a blessing by which You heal us from apparent and hidden ailments and all pains, and by which You suffice us against the evil of temporal calamities and the onslaught of nights and days, by Your favor 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 and lord Muhammad, (11) the best of those whose conduct guides the guided, and the most excellent of those whose Sunnah is followed by those who emulate him, who, when he passed beyond the Lote-Tree of the Utmost Boundary (Sidrat al-Muntahā) in his Night Journey, was brought the Rafraf (a heavenly carpet or cushion), which is analogous to love with us, and he sat upon it. Gabriel handed him over to the king descending with the Rafraf. The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) asked Gabriel for companionship to find comfort with him. He said to him: "I cannot; even a single step, and I would burn. And there is none of us except that he has a known station." And God did not cause you to journey by night, O Muhammad, except to show you some of His signs, so do not be heedless. And he bid him farewell and departed with that king, and the Rafraf walked with him until a level appeared to him where the scratching of pens could be heard as they write what God, exalted be He, decrees in His creation, and what the angels copy from the deeds of His servants. And every pen is in the hand of an angel. He, exalted be He, said: "Indeed, We were copying what you used to do." (Qur'an 45:29)

So bless him, O Allah, and his family, with a blessing by which You settle our affairs, improve our thoughts, and make us among Your servants who have no fear nor grief, 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 ²⁶, the niche of the sciences of lights, the manifestation of the sciences of the Essence, the source of gnoses and secrets, adorned with the jewels of the Names and Attributes. When in his night journey he reached a level where the screeching of the pens ²⁷ writing what was and will be on the tablets of effacement and establishment ²⁸ could be heard, he was thrust into the light with a thrust, and the angel who was with him left him and fell behind, feeling desolate when he did not see him in a place where all languages and sounds ceased for him. He remained not knowing what to do, and a rapture like intoxication overtook him in that light, and ecstasy seized him, so he began to sway right and left due to what he witnessed of the lights of Majesty and Beauty, until his state overwhelmed him. His swaying was like the swaying of a lamp when a gentle breeze blows upon it without extinguishing it. The cause of his rapture was hearing the rhythm of those pens and their screeching, i.e., their sound on the tablets. What covered him of delightful melodies led to what we mentioned of the state permeating him and dominating him. Thus he was strengthened by that state coming from the presence of proximity and witnessing, and he knew from that that the zarparaf ²⁹ did not descend to him except because the Burāq ³⁰ had a station it could not exceed and stopped. If the Exalted Truth had willed for Gabriel to ascend above that station, he would not have ascended unless carried, just as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was carried, for it was only by the ascent of the Burāq under the rule of subordination and coercive motion, and likewise the station of zarparaf. When he reached a station that the zarparaf could not exceed, he was thrust into the light, and the light covered him from all sides and directions. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pure element of honor, the planted and sown seed, the pearl of truth, manifest in branch and kind. When he reached the presence of his Lord, he was strengthened by the state that annihilates from the world of witnessing and sense. The Exalted gave him in himself a knowledge by which he knew what he had not known before, through revelation from whence he knew not. He sought permission for vision by entering the special presence of his Lord on the carpet of might and intimacy. He heard a voice resembling the voice of Abu Bakr saying: "O Muhammad, stop, for your Lord is praying ³¹." That address startled him, and he said to himself: "This wonder at this address occurring in the soul is comforted by the voice of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq." Then he recited to him: "It is He who sends blessings upon you, and His angels" ³². Thus he knew what was meant by the prayer of the Exalted and Holy Truth. The Exalted became free for His prayer, like His saying: "We will attend to you, O you two heavy ones" ³³, even though He is not occupied by one matter from another. But since the various kinds of His creation have specific times that do not exceed their time or place due to His prior knowledge and will, the meaning of His saying "We will attend to you, O you two heavy ones" is valid from this perspective, i.e., your Lord has decreed in His knowledge that He does not combine two tasks, one of which follows the other, in a single moment. This shows the intense care for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) when he was established in the station of being attended to, by the rule of divine transcendence for intellects. It is an indication of the care for him, and Allah is higher and greater in the soul of His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) than that. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) was commanded to enter that noble presence, and Allah revealed to him in that presence what He revealed, and he saw the very thing he knew, nothing else, and the form of his belief did not change. When he returned from that presence, he passed by Moses (peace be upon him) and mentioned his negotiation between him and his Lord concerning the prayers, then he bid farewell to Moses and descended to the earth before sunrise. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, with a blessing by which You protect us from the evil of the jinn and humans, and remove from us the accidents of misfortune and ill luck, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. * He invited him to a vision * And called him to heaven rejoicing When an angel came to him from his Lord * The roof of Umm Hani's house split open He split open the chest of the beloved Mustafa * And the harm of Satan was removed from him He filled the heart with light and guidance * And certainty, and with it he ascended He parted the blind in the journey * And it was fire, from which radiance emanated He passed like lightning, and in every flash * Heading to where hopes are sought He spoke to the Merciful in His solitude * Interceding for us, removing hardship He made the five prayers five as mercy * So accept them, included in a light burden And due to our inability to bear it * The Guide presented the proofs there So the Truth bestowed His favor upon us * Multiplied the reward and established the path And He clothed the face of the Messenger of Allah with * Beauty from His face, radiating brilliance Most radiant of revelation to him, out of jealousy * And for him, the unfolding of meanings intertwined And he saw the Garden of Paradise and gave * The maidens, and those whom he married therein And he saw his Kawthar in his basin * Pure, sweet, abundant, delightful Its soil of ruby adorned with pearls * And musk therein rejoiced We have been blessed by the existence of the Mustafa * And through him we attained joys and salvation And we reached, when he fulfilled and granted wishes * An entrance that showed us or an exit Bless, O Lord, him and * His family and companions, moons of the night O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad ³⁴, possessor of clear signs and great miracles, the crown of prophethood and messengership, carried on the shoulder of piety and respect. When the prophets rose in ranks and their stations differed in the presence of their Lord, the All-Knowing King: Adam advanced by his chosenness and selection, Idris by his elevation and highness, Noah by his acceptance and answered prayer, Abraham by his intimacy and perfect loyalty, Moses by his speech and the might of his call, Joseph by his beauty and fair radiance, Job by his steadfastness and patience in trial, Jonah by the removal of his grief and his victory over his enemies, Solomon by his control over the worlds and his domination, Jesus by his raising the dead and giving life. Then the herald of the Muhammadan state and the ambassador of the Ahmadine message came forth, speaking of the generosity of his attributes, the excellence of his care, and his compassion.

By the majesty of His names, His measure, the greatness of His station and His glory, the abundance of His beneficence and His righteousness, and indeed the banners of His might were tied with the crown of His victory, and the standards of His felicity with the gifts of His secret. So there was no virtue among them except that he (peace and blessings be upon him) was given its like, nor any praise except that he was more deserving of it and its people. At that time, it was said to Gabriel (peace be upon him): "You are the brick of completion, the musk of the seal, and the exemplar of the prophets and noble messengers, so that he may be preferred over the people of the two worlds by the loftiness of rank and the elevation of station, and see what has been stored for him of the secrets of special distinction and preference over all of creation." And he was gentle in awakening him from sleep (17), and greeted him with the best greeting and the purest salutation, and called him to My presence with the most pleasant address and the finest speech, while he was asleep in the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram) and lying between Zamzam, al-Hatim, the Corner (al-Rukn), and the Station (al-Maqam). If he asks you where the Station is, say to him: "To a station which feet do not tread and which imaginations cannot bear." So Gabriel came with al-Buraq and sat at his head until he awoke, and called him to ascend to the highest ranks of ascension. So the one specially favored with divine success journeyed, with Gabriel as his companion and friend, until he reached the House of Syria (Bayt al-Sham), specially distinguished with awe, complete reverence, veneration, and glorification. He saw on his way what minds cannot comprehend and imaginations cannot grasp. So may Allah bless him and his family, the eminent imams, and his Companions, the stars of guidance and lamps of darkness, with a blessing that guides us by it to the paths of peace, and makes us by it among those who fulfill the duties of the religion and the rites of Islam, 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 countenance shone in the sky of high stations, and the most perfect of those whose radiance adorned (18) the worlds of dominion and sovereignty, who said: "When I rode upon al-Buraq and journeyed with Gabriel, I saw an 'ifrit (a powerful jinn) seeking me from among the jinn with a flame of fire; whenever I turned around, I saw him. Gabriel said to me: 'Shall I teach you words to say? When you say them, his flame will be extinguished and he will fall on his face.' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Say: I seek refuge in the noble Face of Allah, and in the perfect words of Allah which no righteous or wicked person can transgress, from the evil of what descends from the sky and what ascends into it, and from the evil of what He has scattered on the earth and what comes out of it, and from the evil of the trials of night and day, and from the calamities of night and day, except a calamity that strikes with good, O Most Merciful.' So I said..." "...from her husband, lawful and good, then she comes to a wicked man and spends the night with him until morning." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the orator of the presence of Paradise (al-Firdaws) and the bride of the gardens of Paradise and the palaces of intimacy, who said: "While I was journeying upon al-Buraq, the state of those who cut the road was unveiled to me through a striking example. I came upon a piece of wood through which no garment or anything passed without being torn. I said: 'What is this, O Gabriel?' He said: 'These are the likeness of people from your community who cut off the road, cutting it into pieces. And do not sit on every path threatening [others].' And the state of those who consume usury was unveiled to me, regarding their state in the abode of recompense. I saw a man swimming in a river of blood, throwing stones. I said (21): 'Who is this?' It was said to me: '[Those who consume usury will not stand except as one whom Satan has touched with insanity stands].'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those who hold fast to His rope, and the most generous of those who seek intercession through his rank, who said: "While I was journeying upon al-Buraq, I came upon a man who had gathered a huge bundle of firewood that he could not carry, and he was adding to it. I said: 'Who is this, O Gabriel?' He said: 'This is a man from your community who has people's trusts with him, unable to fulfill them, yet he wants to take on more.' And I came upon a people whose tongues and lips were being cut with iron scissors; whenever they were cut, they returned as they were, and nothing of that ceased from them. I said: 'Who are these, O Gabriel?' He said: 'These are the orators of discord, orators from your community who say what they do not do.'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad (22), the best of those who established the laws and defined them, and guarded the frontiers of the sublime and sealed them, who said: "While I was journeying upon al-Buraq, I passed by a people who had claws of copper with which they scratched their faces and chests. I said: 'Who are these, O Gabriel?' He said: 'These are those who eat the flesh of people and attack their honor.' And the state of those who speak obscenity was unveiled through a striking example. I came upon a small stone from which a huge bull emerged, and the bull tried to go back to where it came from but could not. I said: 'What is this, O Gabriel?' He said: 'A man who speaks a great word, then regrets it but cannot take it back.'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of beloved and intimate friends, and the most generous of dear and majestic ones, who said: "While I was journeying upon al-Buraq, a caller called out: 'O Muhammad, look at me, I ask you,' but I did not answer him. I said: 'What is this, O Gabriel?' He said: 'This is the caller of the Jews; if you had answered him, your community would have become Jews.' Then a caller called out from my left: 'O Muhammad, look at me, I ask you,' but I did not answer him. I said: 'What is this, O Gabriel?' He said: 'This is the caller of the Christians; if you had answered him, your community would have become Christians (i.e., would have adhered to the Gospel).'" (23) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pearl of excellent beauties, and the source of overflowing seas of generosity, who said: "While I was journeying upon al-Buraq, there was a woman, uncovered in her nakedness, adorned with every ornament Allah Almighty has created. She said: 'O Muhammad, look at me, I ask you,' but I did not turn to her. I said: 'Who is this, O Gabriel?' He said: 'That is the world; if you had answered her, your community would have chosen the world over the Hereafter.'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the imam of eminent leaders and the elite of the chosen ones and noble messengers, who said: "While I was journeying upon al-Buraq, I saw an old man calling me to step aside from the road, saying: 'Come, O Muhammad.' Gabriel said to me: 'Rather, proceed, O Muhammad.' I said: 'Who is this, O Gabriel?' He said: 'This is the enemy of Allah, Iblis (Satan), the accursed; he wanted you to incline toward him.' And I journeyed until I saw an old woman on the side of the road. She said: 'O Muhammad, look at me, I ask you,' but I did not turn to her. I said: 'Who is this, O Gabriel?' He said: 'Nothing remains of the life of the world (24) except what remains of the life of that old woman.' Then I journeyed until I came to Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), and it was empty of its Yemeni house. Then I dismounted from al-Buraq and tied it at the door of the mosque to the ring with which the prophets (peace and blessings be upon them) used to tie it."

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of the virtuous and the most honored, the great and venerated one. When he tied al-Buraq ³⁵ to the ring by which the prophets tie it, out of politeness and following [their example], Gabriel took him and untied him from the ring, pierced the Rock ³⁶ with his finger, and tied it to it, as if to say: 'You are not one whose mount should be at the door; rather, you are higher and more precious, so your mount should only be inside the place.' 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 pleasure makes the lover happy, and the most generous of those through whom the rememberer is blessed in his secret and whispered prayer. When he ascended the Rock of Jerusalem to mount al-Buraq, the place of his noble foot remained on its top, and that side tilted from his awe, while on the other side are the marks of the fingers of the angels who held it (25) when it tilted with him. It is a solid rock in the middle of al-Aqsa Mosque ³⁷, like a mountain between heaven and earth, and all waters come out from beneath it, and it is suspended in the air, held only by Allah. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the imam of the two qiblas ³⁸ and the light of the darkness of the two eyes. When he entered al-Aqsa Mosque through a gate in which the sun and moon incline, he and Gabriel prayed two rak'ahs ³⁹, and it was not long before many people gathered, and he recognized the prophets among them, some standing, some bowing, some prostrating. Then Gabriel gave the call to prayer, and the angels descended from heaven, and Allah gathered for him the prophets and messengers, those named and those not named, and the prayer was established, and they stood in rows waiting for someone to lead them. So Gabriel took his hand and brought him forward, and he led them in two rak'ahs. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those who encompassed existence with his generosity and beneficence, and the greatest of those who cut off the arguments of the deniers with the swords of his signs and proofs. He (26) informed that between heaven and heaven is five hundred years, and it is the ladder of ascent, and that between one degree and another in Paradise is five hundred years, and that the degree descends like a camel for the friend of Allah to ascend upon it, then it rises to its place. He said: 'Do you see how much is between heaven and earth?' They said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'Between them is five hundred years, and between each heaven and the next is five hundred years. Above the seventh heaven is a sea, its top and bottom as far as between heaven and earth. Then above that is the Throne, between its bottom and top as far as between heaven and earth. Then Allah is above all that by His dominion.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of exalted status and great, magnified rank. When he led the prophets (peace be upon them) in prayer in Jerusalem, each prophet praised his Lord with beautiful praise. Then he said: 'All of you have praised your Lord, and I will praise my Lord: Praise be to Allah, who sent me as a mercy to the worlds and as a bringer of good tidings and a warner to all mankind, and sent down to me the Qur'an as an explanation of everything, and made my community the best community brought forth for mankind, and made my community a middle community, and made my community the first and the last, and expanded my breast, and removed from me my burden, and raised high my remembrance, and made me (27) the opener and the seal.' Then Abraham (peace be upon him) said: 'By this, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has been given excellence, honor, and generosity.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of noble lineage, possessor of established glory and great rank. He saw on the left side of the Rock of Jerusalem the houris ⁴⁰ with beautiful eyes, and greeted them, and they returned his greeting. He asked them, and they answered him with what delights the eye. He was seized by thirst as intensely as possible, so Gabriel brought him a vessel of wine, a vessel of water, and a vessel of milk. He said: 'Allah guided me, so I took the milk and drank from it. Before me was an old man leaning on a pulpit, and he said to Gabriel: "He has taken the natural disposition; indeed, he is a clear guide." Gabriel said to me: "You have chosen the natural disposition. Had you drunk the water, your community would have drowned; had you drunk the wine, your community would have gone astray, and only a few of them would have followed you."' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the delight of sights, the radiant figure, the bride of fragrant pulpits (28) and sleeves, the crown of glories, foremost among the stars of emulation and completion, the pleasure of thoughts, whose love flows in the innermost hearts of the people of longing and passion, the full moon of darkness that dispels with its light the shadows of ignorance from minds, the model of the great ones, who stands at night while people sleep, the cure of inward and outward, healing with its antidote the ailments of diseases and sicknesses, the watering-place of those who come and go, quenched with the Salsabil ⁴¹ of eternal wine that enraptures the hearts of those with tumors. He was given on the Night of the Ascension ⁴² the Mi'raj ⁴³, which is the ladder upon which the souls of the children of Adam ascend at the end of life and the descent of death. The creatures have never seen anything more beautiful in form than it. It is from the Garden of Firdaws ⁴⁴, having a rung of silver and a rung of gold studded with pearls; thoughts and dreams are bewildered at its sight. The dying person stretches his gaze toward it, looking up to the sky when in the throes of death, as witnessed by both the elite and the common. On its right are angels, and on its left are angels. So he and Gabriel (peace be upon them) ascended upon it. O Allah, bless him and his family, the lamps of darkness, and his companions, the brilliant scholars and banners, a blessing by which You illuminate our insights with the light of opening and inspiration, and clothe us thereby among Your beloved ones with garments of awe and respect, by Your grace and generosity (29), 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 commands prayer and purity, and Your chosen one who gives faith to whoever seeks refuge in him from fear and terror. He said: 'When I ascended the first step of the Mi'raj, I saw three whose faces were red and their garments red. I ascended the second step, and I saw three whose faces were yellow and their garments yellow. I ascended the third step, and I saw three whose faces were green and their garments green.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved whose conduct and guidance are followed, and Your chosen one who pours upon the hearts of lovers the sea of His generosity and munificence. He said: 'When I ascended the fourth step of the Mi'raj, I saw three whose bodies and faces shone like a mirror, and a messenger came after (30) another messenger, saying: "O Gabriel." Then I saw on the fifth step angels more numerous than all jinn and humans, all saying: "There is no god but Allah."' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved of unique station, and Your chosen one whose name and Your name are mentioned in the iqama ⁴⁵ and the adhan ⁴⁶. He said:

O subtlety of the two worlds ⁴⁷, O best of messengers, O master of the messengers, be my succor. O pearl of the worlds, sun of whose existence, you are the imam of all, a model to be followed. O you who traveled by night ⁴⁸ generously from Mecca to the Farthest Mosque ⁴⁹, so honor the mosque. He led all the messengers and prophets in prayer ⁵⁰, so honor the followed and honor the follower. O you who ascended above all the heavens to the distance of two bow-lengths ⁵¹, answer me for my purpose. O you whom He endowed with every virtue, you are the desire of my heart and the ultimate goal. And you are the Beloved of Allah, exalted is His majesty, yes, you are the spirit of the spirit, not a spirit embodied. Upon you be the blessings of Allah and His peace, and His pleasure, today, yesterday, and tomorrow. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the light of insight of every intelligent and noble one, the bringer of good tidings of prosperity, happiness, and imminent victory, who, when he ascended on the Mi'raj ⁵², reached a gate among the gates of the lowest heaven called the Gate of the Guardians, over which is an angel named Isma'il, the master of the lowest heaven who dwells in the air, never ascending to heaven nor descending to earth except with the Angel of Death, when they descended to take his noble soul, with seventy thousand angels before him, each angel having troops of one hundred thousand angels. Jibril ⁵³ asked for entry, and it was said: "Who are you?" He said: "Jibril." It was said: "And who is with you?" He said: "Muhammad." It was said: "Has he been sent for?" He said: "Yes." It was said: "Welcome to him, greetings; Allah has honored him as a brother, and what an excellent brother, what an excellent vicegerent, what an excellent arrival! This beloved prophet has come." 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 station the common people witnessed with knowledge of his affair and the elevation of his rank, and the most excellent of those who dazzled minds with his miracles and great wonders, when he ascended on the Mi'raj to the heights, whenever he passed by angels they welcomed him and lined up for him, until he reached the first heaven, where a robe was bestowed upon him befitting the loftiness of his essence and the perfection of his attributes, inscribed with what testifies to the majesty of his worth and his lofty degrees: {It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from among them, reciting to them His verses} ⁵⁴. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of Your servants who have attained nearness, and the most excellent of Your saints, the knowledgeable who act, who, when he reached the second heaven on the night of the Mi'raj, a robe was bestowed upon him by which he was honored above the prophets and messengers, inscribed with: {And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds} ⁵⁵. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those to whom You gave a lofty rank and a momentous station, and the most excellent of those to whom You granted exalted honor and great dominion, who, when he reached the third heaven on the night of the Isra' ⁵⁶, a robe was bestowed upon him by which he attained sublime honor and abundant glory, inscribed with: {O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner, and one who invites to Allah by His permission, and an illuminating lamp} ⁵⁷. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those to whom the sinner seeks refuge and flees, and the most excellent of those who stood before You in the early hours and the depths of darkness, who, when he reached the fourth heaven on his night journey, a robe was bestowed upon him by which the dominion rejoiced, inscribed with: {All praise is due to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance} ⁵⁸. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those to whom You gave from Your bounty a great gift and immense reward, and the most generous of those for whom You prepared in the abode of Your honor lofty palaces and everlasting bliss, who, when he reached the fifth heaven on his night journey, a robe was bestowed upon him by which he increased in honor and veneration over the messengers, inscribed with: {Indeed, Allah and His angels bless the Prophet; O you who have believed, bless him and grant him peace with complete submission} ⁵⁹. 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 rank is high with Allah, and the most excellent of those whose lineage is honored in the sanctuaries of holiness, who said: "I saw in the fourth heaven a man leaning his back against the register of creation ⁶⁰ in which are their lights. I said: 'Who is this, O Jibril?' He said: 'Idris ⁶¹, peace be upon him.' I approached him and greeted him, and he returned the greeting and said: 'Welcome to the righteous brother and righteous prophet,' and he prayed for good for me. Then I said to him: 'O my brother, Allah has raised you to a high station and admitted you to Paradise before me, and I saw its bliss.' He said: 'O beloved of Allah, I have not entered Paradise nor seen its bliss; I only entered a garden outside Paradise, and I saw written on its gate: This is a gate that no one enters before Muhammad and his community.'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the book of blessing ⁶² of famous title, the sultan of the kingdom of lofty rank and station, who said: "I saw in the fourth heaven Maryam bint 'Imran ⁶³, having seventy palaces of pearl, and for the mother of Musa ⁶⁴ forty palaces of ruby adorned with pearls and jewels, and for Asiyah bint Muzahim ⁶⁵ seventy palaces of red coral, and for Fatimah bint Muhammad ⁶⁶, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, seventy palaces of green emerald. Then we proceeded until we ascended to the fifth heaven, which is of ruby, and the glorification of its inhabitants is: 'Glory be to Him who combines snow and fire'; whoever says it will have the like of their reward. He asked for entry, and it was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibril.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muhammad.' He said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'Yes.' It was said: 'Welcome to him and greetings; Allah has honored him as a brother and he is a vicegerent; what an excellent brother, what an excellent vicegerent, what an excellent arrival!' He came, and it was opened for him, and I saw a middle-aged man recounting to his people, half of his beard white and half black, almost reaching his navel in length. I greeted him, and he returned the greeting and said: 'Welcome to the righteous brother and righteous prophet,' then he prayed for good for me. I said: 'O Jibril, who is this man beloved among his people?' He said: 'Harun ibn 'Imran ⁶⁷.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the model of the eminent imams, the imam of Taybah ⁶⁸ and the Sanctuary ⁶⁹, who said: "When we ascended to the sixth heaven, which is of jewel, and the glorification of its inhabitants is: 'Glory be to the King, the Holy, the Lord of the angels and the Spirit' ⁷⁰,"

I have long been yearning to see that once again. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whom the pure ones follow and from the sea of whose bounty they drink, who said: "When we passed beyond the seventh heaven, I saw men on horses without saddles, armed, the length of a man being a thousand years and the length of a horse a thousand years, following one another, neither their beginning nor their end being seen. I said: 'O Gabriel, who are these?' He said: 'Have you not heard the saying of the Exalted: "And none knows the hosts of your Lord except Him" ⁷¹? I descend and ascend and see them passing like this; I do not know from where they come nor where they go.'" So bless him, O Allah, and his family with fifty-four blessings by which we may be among those whom You have made to comply with Your commands, avoid Your prohibitions, listen to Your address, and fear You, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. The Chosen Prophet, the Elect, bore fruit * He who strove in a state of consecration, fasted, and prayed Opener, Seal, Kind, Merciful * Intercessor, Defender of creation from terror He did not say to his community other than himself when * The dread of the reckoning and the scrolls being recited intensifies And then you see the saying of every prophet * None but Muhammad, none but Muhammad How many miraculous proofs does he have * That have come in authentic reports, rationally and by transmission He journeyed by night through seven layers * And in all of them he prayed And he ascended and rose to a holy presence * And drew near to his Lord and descended O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the intercessor of nations, great in virtue and favor, firm of foot, clarifying the rulings of obligation and sunna, who said: "When I was in the seventh heaven, I was raised to the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ⁷², and behold, it was a tree from whose base flow rivers of water unstaling, rivers of milk whose taste does not change, rivers of wine delicious to drinkers, and rivers of purified honey. A rider travels in its shade for seventy years without crossing it." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those through whose blessing You have relieved my sorrows, and the most excellent of those through whose praise You have fulfilled my needs and concerns, who said: "The Fire was shown to me on the night of the Ascension ⁷³, and in it was Allah's wrath, rebuke, and vengeance. If stones and iron were thrown into it, they would be consumed. Then I saw a people eating carrion. I said: 'Who are these, O Gabriel?' He said: 'These are those who eat the flesh of people.' And I saw the Keeper of the Fire ⁷⁴, a frowning man with anger visible on his face. I greeted him with peace, then I departed and he saw me.'" So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which You improve my expectations of You, and by which You settle my debts and obligations, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. * A master between whose fingers flowed * In the desert, for the scroll, rivers of drowning * And for him the moon split in the sky * A sign for the Chosen when it split * And for him in the air a sea of fire * He possessed when he journeyed, it was the dawn * In the air, the Chosen walked by night * Like lightning in his meanings he sped * He left not, by Allah, from him a sight * And a veil that shrank 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 saw * What he saw without veil or layer * And he saw the messengers, the angels * And the houris, all embracing and hugging Taha ⁷⁵ * They honored him above the heavens * And they adorned themselves with beauty when they joined * And he saw Malik ⁷⁶, the Fire's keeper, frowning * Filled with wrath against the people of sin * When he saw Ahmad ⁷⁷ and the open spaces, smiling * And he received him with cheer and spent * Never did he smile for other than the Chosen * So the beauty of the Chosen erased the rage * And Ridwan ⁷⁸ came, arriving standing * With joy, delight, and cheerfulness * And towards him approaching, no before him * A direction for a yearning one with a spark of life * He opened all the gardens for him to see * What Allah has prepared therein and created 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 arrival the inhabitants of the heavens and his Ascension rejoiced, and the most excellent of those whose fragrance perfumed the courts of the Kingdom and Dominion, who said: "When I was raised to the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, He said to me: 'Here you are and your Lord, here you are, you will not be measured.' So bless him, O Allah, and his family, possessors of might and honor, and his noble companions guided by his sight, a blessing by which You clothe us with the robes of his love and pleasure, and by which You refine us in the beauty of His glorious Essence and His countenance, 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 essence of manifest honor and lineage, and the pearl of truth, lofty in rank and nobility, who said: "When we passed beyond the seventh heaven, I walked with Gabriel at my heels until we reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary. Behold, it was a great tree firmly planted on a hill of musk, with a thousand branches. A rider travels in the shade of a branch for a hundred years. In each branch are a thousand thousand leaves. If humans and jinn sought shade under it, it would shade them. On each leaf is an angel in the color of the moon, on his head a crown of light, in his hand a staff of light, written on his forehead: 'We are the inhabitants of the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary. Glory be to Him; there is no beginning to His eternity nor end to His finality.' From its base flow rivers of water unstaling, rivers of milk whose taste does not change, rivers of wine delicious to drinkers, and rivers of purified honey. It bears jewelry, robes, and fruits of all colors. It is in the seventh heaven adjacent to Paradise; its base is in Paradise, its roots under the Throne, and its branches under the Throne. The station of Gabriel, peace be upon him, is in its midst. Angels cover it like moths of gold." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of the hidden secret of divinity, and the possessor of great rank and exalted honor, who, when he reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, the angels recognized his arrival by the descent of lights upon it like pieces of clouds, and angels of gold in the form of locusts covered it, with each angel having a tray containing countless subtleties, which he spread before him, peace be upon him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of

Hearts yearn for him, and he is the best through whom visitors seek blessing ⁷⁹ and before whom journeys end. When he reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ⁸⁰, he found at its base the prayer niche of Gabriel, peace be upon him. Gabriel called the adhan ⁸¹, and when he said, "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar," Allah Almighty said, "My servant has spoken the truth: I am greater than everything." When he said, "Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah," Allah said, "My servant has spoken the truth: there is no god but I." When he said, "Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasul Allah," Allah said, "My servant has spoken the truth: Muhammad is My servant and Messenger. Welcome to him." When he said, "Hayya 'ala al-salah," Allah said, "Successful is he who answers him." When he said, "Hayya 'ala al-falah," Allah said, "Successful indeed are the believers who are humble in their prayers." When he finished the adhan, the iqama ⁸² was given, and the angels lined up in rows, each row stretching from east to west. He led them in two rak'ahs ⁸³, and the angels followed in groups, greeting him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the fortress of safety for the fearful and their refuge, the talisman of protection for the seeker of refuge and his support, who said: "When Gabriel took me to the Greatest Veil at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, one came out from the veil that adjoins the Throne of the All-Merciful. I said, 'O Gabriel, who is this?' He said, 'By Him who sent you with the truth as a bearer of good tidings, I have not seen him since I was created, except at this very moment.'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whom You adorned with the sash of obedience and piety, and the most noble whom You conveyed to the ultimate goal of Your pleasure, who said: "I saw green birds on the tree of the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, among them the sorrowful and the joyful. I said, 'O Gabriel, who are these?' He said, 'Abraham and Sarah, peace be upon them, and the birds are the souls of the children of the believers. The sorrowful are those who parted from their family recently, and the joyful are those who parted from their family long ago.' It was named the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary because the knowledge of all creatures beneath you ends there, and near it is the Garden of Refuge ⁸⁴." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of the Praiseworthy Station ⁸⁵ and the Pond of Abundance ⁸⁶, and the most noble of those before whom the Worshipped King manifested in the highest station of direct vision and witnessing. He spread for him the banner of bound glory, and clothed him with the garments of blessing and felicity. He was called with a call of special favor and proximity to the most noble presence of the Answering King, so that the light might be weighed and disappear, and his heart might be at ease and delighted by seeing the Truth. The dawn of victory from Allah and imminent conquest shone upon him, and he prepared to meet his Lord with excellent humility and perfect discipline. He who was taken by night to Him continued to raise him, choose him, elevate him, and select him, and to unveil for his Ahmadine bride ⁸⁷ every ultimate scene, while the tongue of his selection said: "And to your Lord is the ultimate end" (Quran 53:42). Until it was said to him: "This is the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, to which the knowledge of those of intellect ends. No knowledge from below it nor from above it surpasses it. But your stored, divine knowledge does not stop at it; rather, its transmission and chain are validated by it." From its base rivers gush forth; its trunk is in the sixth heaven and its branches in the seventh. It stands to the right of the Throne, and its lights are melodious and circling. It has shaded the heavens and Paradise. Blessed is he who is covered by its shade in a garden whose length is a journey of a hundred years. Whoever seeks shade under it swims in light. A hundred riders can take shelter under one of its spreading branches. If a leaf were placed from it, it would clothe the worlds; a leaf would illuminate the people of the regions; it would light up the suns and moons. Near it, the intellect flew away and vanished, as a moth of gold flew in the air. What a blessed place of circumambulation and abode! A lote tree near which is the Garden of Refuge. The blessed eat from its fruits, and the souls of martyrs take refuge in it. He drew near and placed his cheek on the shoulders of the lote tree, set his knowledge upon its head, and planted his foot on its crown. It bowed before him, kissed his advance, and embraced his veneration, respect, devotion, and honor. It became radiant with awe, and there was no permission to delay from him. It lowered its face in shyness and shed sweat like rain. It fell in joy, certain of annihilation, kissing the hands of the Beloved and taking from him the hands of proximity. It received him with cheerfulness and welcome, rejoicing in him as a stranger rejoices in a stranger. It clung to the edge of apology and embraced him like the embrace of pilgrimage and 'umra ⁸⁸. The tongue of its state boasted and said: "I have attained the goal and the ultimate aim, and I have enjoyed the vision of the beauty of the master of every child and born one, and the best of those upon whom the sun of existence has risen, and whose radiant face has illuminated the lowlands and highlands." So bless him, O Allah, and his family who fulfill covenants, and his Companions who carry the banner of the Sunna ⁸⁹ and stand firm on the boundaries, with a blessing that will bring us to the Salsabil ⁹⁰ of his Pond of Abundance, and shade us on the Day of Resurrection under the shade of his extended rank, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. My master, my affair has come to Your door, so wipe away the tears, O Exalted in station. Accept the excuse, for You are more generous than those who have accepted excuses throughout the ages. My light is but a handful from the sea of Your light; the handful of two hands is not like a flood. I have been honored and perfected, but from You, O Chosen One, perfection has come to me. How can I have existence from the overflow of generosity, when You are the manifestation of its overflowing secret? To You, the Sultan of His light has surrendered the reins, and at Your door he has stood like a helper. The light of Your Sultan, before whose splendor we have humbled ourselves, is mightier than any sultan. By You, on the night I was taken on the journey, we traveled and attained beauty and beneficence. For Your arrival, the Lord of the Throne truly covered me with the wonders of His light. The noble angels stood in ranks, mentioning the All-Merciful in my branches. And when He manifests to my Lord, they fall upon me like crows. On the bed, He spreads light in branches fashioned of gold. It trembles greatly with radiance, bewildering the onlookers with its flight. I think the sky and eternity are my light, and the Beloved has covered me with his light. My rank is not like the rank of one who saw what he saw in the presence of the Judge. I did not extend my neck to him in lowliness due to his exaltedness and luminous measure. Whoever claims what is not in him, the proofs of testing belie him. The meanings of the Names at the manifestation correspond in their differing colors. My turning yellow from awe and majesty, and my waiting for the meeting with the All-Merciful, is like the lovers: I have changed color in longing for union, vision, and nearness. After this, I have not said the least station of the Beloved, Muhammad the Adnani ⁹¹. The seat of tawhid ⁹², the target of his radiance, the clarifier of truth, the manifestation of proof, the descent of mercies at every moment, the refuge of the fearful on the day of pledge.

And blessings upon you as long as remembrance is sweet in the assemblies, captivating the ears. This is the description of the blessed, noble lote tree ⁹³ and the lofty, graceful tree, which our Master mentioned in Surah An-Najm ⁹⁴ by His saying: "When there covered the lote tree that which covered [it]" up to His saying: "Of the greatest signs of his Lord." ⁹⁵ What a tree it is, grown in the meadows of beauty, watered from the basins of majesty, nurtured in the cradle of union, and adorned with the noblest attributes and perfections. Its flourishing branches encompass the descriptions of divine unity, for it possesses delicious taste, extended shade, fragrant scent, pure fruit, radiant adornments, brilliant manifestations, varied states, and diverse colors. The intellect is confounded before it, and it has turned into ruby and emerald. It bears inscribed patterns upon the heads of the bearers of the Throne ⁹⁶; on every leaf of it is an angel glorifying with a name of the One who decrees the command, and a king upon whom the noble angels alight as crows alight upon trees. Its fruits are blooming and radiant, its harvest is dazzling and splendid, without separation or abandonment. Its leaves are like the ears of elephants, and its berries are like the jars of Hajar ⁹⁷. It has recited in the tongue of its state, when its departure to the dawn is imminent, saying in dialogue and visiting other than itself: "I have become the most wondrous of beings, and I was the most excellent in brilliance. The lights of my majestic Lord shine upon me, most radiant eternally. His hidden secrets have appeared to me, and in my majestic Lord He has deposited them. I have gathered the totality of splendor uniquely, and I was the highest of the radiant ones. The flowers of the Malakut ⁹⁸ have blossomed in me, adorned, and beauty has nurtured them. The smiles of the Jabarut ⁹⁹ have smiled in me, from a delight that He has brought forth into existence. Upon me the sun of existence has risen, and my sun is the wondrous one, its rising place." Thus it continued in this state, roaming in pride every field, towering over those of shoulders, as Saturn towers over the planets. It has no equal in dignity, nor any wrestler in the arena of dignity. It never ceased, from the courtyard of pride, to vie in glory with its light the suns and moons, and to assault with its splendor the clusters of flowers and gardens of trees, until the Beloved Chosen One ¹⁰⁰ ascended upon its summit, veiled with the mantle of awe and dignity. So it humbled itself before him as masters humble themselves before free men, and spread its beds for the tread of his noble foot, great in rank and measure, and submitted in veneration for what covered it of radiant lights and gifts of secrets. Then he addressed it in the tongue of the state, and bestowed upon it abundantly in exhortation, saying: "O lote tree of pride, you have leaned; do not feel secure, for security deceives those who play and feel secure from the cunning of God. Be humble before the Beloved, and you will rise; from his light you have attained every wish. Without him, you would not have donned the robes you wear, nor any beauty whose radiance is pleasing. This is the Beloved, beautiful, his forehead; beauty has gathered both him and beauty. The origin of the embroidery of existence is his pearl; among mortals it has no price. Nothing in all beings equals it; by its light the Majestic One raises us. The hands of the origins have loaned his radiance from pre-eternity, and the branch, at the origins, is subject to annihilation. O lote tree of the utmost boundary ¹⁰¹ for his vision, be humble and grant him all radiance. Do not claim before him attainment of highness; be courteous, for the courteous is among the discerning." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad ¹⁰², Your beloved, brought near and blessed, Your companion praised by the tongue of Your Unique One, the thanked one, who said when he ascended to the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary: "I walked for an hour, and behold, between me and Gabriel there was a great distance. I said, 'O Gabriel, where have you left me and fallen behind me?' He said, 'O Muhammad, you are in a station that none of God's creation can surpass; if I surpassed it, I would be burned by the light.' Then he said, 'O Muhammad, go on, for your Lord will guide you.' So I went ahead and walked as God willed, and behold, I saw Michael, fearful and trembling. I said, 'O Michael, is this your station?' He said, 'Yes, and if I surpassed it, I would be burned by the light. But go on, for the Spirit ¹⁰³ is before you.' So I walked as God willed, and behold, I saw Israfil ¹⁰⁴; he has four wings: a wing with which he is girded, a wing with which he is cloaked, a wing with which he screens himself from the light, and a wing with which he has taken the Trumpet ¹⁰⁵ into his mouth. I said, 'O Israfil, is this your station?' He said, 'Yes, and if I surpassed it, I would be burned. But go on, for the Spirit is before you.' So I walked as God willed, and seventy thousand veils of light and seventy thousand veils of radiance were raised for me. When I had passed through them, behold, I saw the Spirit whom God mentioned in the Quran by His saying: 'The day when the Spirit and the angels stand in rows.' ¹⁰⁶ He has one hundred thousand heads; in each head one hundred thousand faces; in each face one hundred thousand mouths; in each mouth one hundred thousand tongues; each tongue glorifies God Almighty with eighty thousand languages, none resembling another. And God Almighty creates from that glorification angels who write their reward, the reward of their glorification, for my community until the Day of Resurrection. I said, 'O Spirit, is this your station?' He said, 'Yes, and if I surpassed it, I would be burned by the light.'" ¹⁰⁷ 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 prayer You answered for his community and whose expectations You fulfilled, the most honored friend whom You commanded the angels in the highest assembly to magnify and venerate, who said to Gabriel: "O Gabriel, do you see your Lord?" He said: "Between me and Him are seventy thousand veils of light and darkness, and between Him and the angels around the Throne are seventy thousand veils, and between me and Michael are seventy thousand thick veils, each veil five hundred years thick. Were it not for that, I would be burned by the light of Michael. And between Michael and Israfil are seventy thousand veils; were it not for that, Michael would be burned by the light of Israfil. And indeed Israfil asked his Lord to give him the strength of the heavens and the earth, the mountains and the winds, and the strength of the two heavy ones ¹⁰⁸; so God gave him from his head to his foot hairs, faces, and tongues covered with wings, whose number none knows but God. Each tongue glorifies with a thousand languages, and God creates from every glorification an angel in the form of Israfil, and they are the angels brought near. And if the water of the seas and the water of the rivers were poured upon Israfil's head, not a drop would fall from it. He looks into Hell three times every day, and he melts until he becomes like a bowstring. And if God gathered the water of his tears from his weeping, it would become on earth like the flood of Noah, peace be upon him. And indeed God Almighty has veiled Himself from the inhabitants of heaven as He has veiled Himself from the inhabitants of earth, ¹⁰⁹ and He has veiled Himself from intellects as He has veiled Himself from eyesights. He does not dwell in anything, nor is He absent from anything. And indeed the inhabitants of the highest assembly...

The Most High ¹¹⁰ seek Him just as you seek Him. Can you be hidden while You are the One, the Unique, the Manifest ¹¹¹? And You appear, yet obstacles prevail over us. You see every visible thing and hear every caller, and You aid the oppressed, and Your might subdues. Its hidden secret is spread before You, so the seventh of the lower and the seventh of the higher ¹¹², And what surpasses the noble Throne and what is hidden, You know, and none among creation knows it. And between heaven and earth is a mighty sea, and that is the veiled one ¹¹³ widespread in the sea. Their lights' flashes are Throne-like ¹¹⁴, their flower clusters are carpet-like ¹¹⁵, Their precious flowers are Footstool-like ¹¹⁶, their dominions are of an intimate palace ¹¹⁷ (75) The design of holy pens ¹¹⁸, the burdens of luminous lights, The sciences of unseen tablets ¹¹⁹, the symbols of hidden secrets, The realities of Chosen ¹²⁰ indications, the subtleties of Prophetic expressions, The virtues of Muhammadan ¹²¹ lordship, the particularities of Ahmad's ¹²² glory. {Those who bear the Throne and those around it glorify their Lord with praise and believe in Him and ask forgiveness for those who believe} ¹²³ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad (76), the best of those whom the praiser has extolled in praise and exalted, the most generous of those whose sea of generosity overflowed to creatures and continued, who said: "Allah showed me on the Night of Ascension the wonders of His dominion, and I saw at the Throne great wonders, among them: around the Throne seventy thousand rows of angels, row behind row, circling around the Throne, circumambulating it, these kissing and those turning; when some face others, these cry 'There is no god but Allah' and those cry 'Allah is Greatest'; and behind them seventy thousand rows standing, their hands on their necks, placed on their shoulders; when they hear the 'Allahu Akbar' and 'La ilaha illa Allah' of these, they raise their voices and say: 'Glory be to You and praise; how great You are and how majestic; You are Allah, there is no god but You, the Great, the Greatest.' All creatures hope for Your mercy. And among these are one hundred thousand rows of angels who have placed their right hands over their left; none of them glorifies with the same glorification as another; between the wings of one of them is three hundred thousand years, and between the lobe of his ear and his shoulder is a journey of one hundred years. And Allah the Exalted has veiled Himself from the angels around the Throne with seventy veils of fire, seventy veils of darkness, seventy veils of light, seventy veils of white pearl, seventy veils of red ruby, seventy veils of green emerald, seventy of hail, and with what none knows except Allah the Exalted." (77) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those who guided us to the path of truth and led us, the most majestic of those who looked upon us with the eye of His care and protected us from evil misfortunes, and grant us access to his arranged presence ¹²⁴, who said: "When I was at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ¹²⁵, Gabriel said to me: 'O Muhammad, I have made you the means ¹²⁶ in a need.' I said: 'What is the stratagem? For you are in it and the people of virtue, and I yearn for the secret.' O Muhammad, He bewildered me when He placed me in the balance of His eternity and everlastingness. I traversed the first balance and found no beginning for it; I traversed the last balance and behold, He was in the last balance. I sought facilitation to that path, and Michael met me on the path and said: 'Where to? The path is joyful, the doors are drawn ¹²⁷, and it cannot be described by place.' I said: 'What is your standing in this place?' He said: 'I am occupied with the measure of the seas, the sending down of rains and their dispatch to regions; I know as one knows from the seas a writing ¹²⁸.' He said in the school of instruction: 'He recites the likes of that, the decree of the Mighty, the Knowing.' My sight falls short of sight, and my heart is confined from thought; thus it benefits in forms. I said: 'Come, let us ask the Throne and seek its help, and copy what it has and dictate it.' When it heard what was due to it, it shook violently and said melodiously (78): 'Do not stir your heart with it, nor your tongue with it.' So it is a secret shaking that no veil uncovers, and a question for which there is no answer. Who am I in between to know where He is? He preceded me in His 'istiwā' ¹²⁹ and overcame me by His domination. Were it not for His 'istiwā', I would not have been established; were it not for His domination, I would not have sought help. So I sought His aid. He created me and in the beginning of His creation He bewildered me, and in the seas of His agitations He drowned me. Sometimes He humiliates me through the humility of His nearness and thus comforts me; sometimes He veils Himself from me with the veil of His unseen and thus frightens me; sometimes He gives me to drink from the cup of His love and thus intoxicates me. When I sought refuge in the fortress of my secret, I said: 'My Lord, show me, that I may look at You.' He said with the tongue of His essence: 'You shall not see Me.' When I awoke from my intoxication, He said: 'O beloved, this is a beauty We have made, and a fortress We have fortified; none sees it except a beloved We have chosen, and an orphan We have raised.' They said: I heard: {Glory be to Him who took His servant by night} ¹³⁰. So stand on a path from existence to Us, perhaps you will see the one who sees Us." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those in whom You have improved my intention and opinion, the most generous of those whose noble praise You have made my knowledge, who when he reached the Throne on the Night of Ascension, the Throne clung to his garments and said, addressing him with the tongue of its state: "O Muhammad, you (79) drink in the purity of your time, secure from Your wrath; the cupbearers of His presence circle around you, and He carries you on the carpet of His generosity. Sometimes you witness the beauty of His discourse, and sometimes He makes you witness the beauty of His eternity: {The sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress} ¹³¹, and sometimes He reveals to you the secrets of His dominion: {So He revealed to His servant what He revealed} ¹³², and sometimes He brings you near to His presence: {And was at a distance of two bow-lengths or nearer} ¹³³. This, while I am thirsty for Him, yearning for Him, bewildered in Him; I do not know from which direction to approach Him. He made me the most fortunate of His creatures, so I was the most awed of them toward Him, the most bewildered in Him, and the most fearful of Him. O Muhammad, You created me, and I was trembling at His awe and majesty. He wrote on my pillar: 'There is no god but Allah,' and I increased in trembling and shaking at His awe. When He wrote: 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,' my anxiety subsided and my fear calmed. So this is a blessing: Your name has been placed upon me; how then if Your beautiful gaze falls upon me? O Muhammad, you are sent as a mercy to the worlds, and I must have a share of this mercy."

And my portion from it is that you bear witness to my innocence, for what the people of delusion ¹³⁴ have attributed to me and the people of falsehood have fabricated against me. They have made claims about a name that has no likeness, and have blundered concerning one who has no modality ¹³⁵. O Muhammad, how can one whose attributes have no limit be in need of me or be carried by me, when the All-Merciful is His name, and the Istiwā' ¹³⁶ is His attribute, and His attribute is connected to His essence? So how can He be connected to me or separated from me? O Muhammad, by His might, I am not near to Him in union, nor far from Him in excellence, nor do I carry Him as a burden. He brought me into existence as a mercy and favor from Him, and if He were to annihilate me, it would be a right and a dismissal from Him. O Muhammad, I am the bearer of His power and the product of His wisdom. So the tongue of his state answered: The Master—may God increase him in honor and favor before Him, and may His blessings and peace be upon him—said: "O Throne, away from me! I am occupied with you, so do not disturb my purity, nor trouble my solitude. For I do not turn my gaze away from Him, nor do I read from a fragment a single letter of what was revealed to me." And there the Throne clung to the ears, and confusion and the meeting became pleasant. He said: "O Mustafā ¹³⁷, I have been granted purity through proximity, and beauty, and from Him is your garment. And I drank the cup of union and bear witness when I did not see Him as aversion or thirst. The yearning one has not found like me for my heart, His hands for a coming breeze. I am bewildered, and the one whose bewilderment is in me—is it fear? For every fear besides my fear is hope. I am the greatest of His creation, but I have no escape except to Him. Would that I knew, what is my stratagem before Him, when my nearness and distance from Him are equal? The distant and the near are alike in my sin, but with trembling and my habit in intimate prayer, there came from the awe of His name a tremor in my heart, and my ailment is healing. He wrote Your name above my leg, so by You, O You for whom we have joy, my secret, my spirit, and my heart are at ease. For one like me, there is an Isra' ¹³⁸ of His favor. You were a mercy to the worlds, and necessarily, bear witness to my innocence before my Lord from the falsehoods uttered by the foolish." They claimed that I encompassed the Mighty, and that I surrounded Him who is the Most High. The essence of the All-Merciful has no limit—far be it that attributes and names should be counted. I am the bearer of God's power, and the borne is subdued by Him who has the Istiwā'. So he answered: "Away from me, for I am occupied with purity and purity. I am in my purity and the solitude of my intimacy, where the watchers have slept from my solitude. O Throne, if I were to turn you away for a moment, I would not listen to your words. I am not nearer than a letter of my speech; the secret of my love cannot be disclosed." O God, bless and grant peace to our master Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whose planting has borne fruit in the gardens of knowledge and action, and the most excellent of those by whom hearts are healed from the disease of incapacity and laziness, who said: "I heard the call on the night of the Isra' ¹³⁸: 'O Gabriel, return with Muhammad a return in the light, and relieve me.' So I pierced through seventy thousand thick veils, each veil of five hundred years, until I reached a bed of gold. Then the angel in charge of the golden bed advanced to the veil of pearl and pierced it. The angel in charge said from behind the veil: 'Who is this?' He said: 'So-and-so, the owner of the golden bed, and this is Muhammad, the Prophet, the Messenger of the Lord of Might.' The angel said: 'God is greater.' Then he brought out his hand from under the veil, carried me, and placed me before Him. I continued thus from veil to veil until I passed seventy thousand thick veils, each veil of five hundred years, until I reached a sea of white light. Then I saw an angel on the shore of the sea; if a bird flew, it would not reach his other shoulder. Then he threw me until I reached a sea of red light. Then I saw an angel on the shore of the sea; if God Almighty permitted him to swallow the heavens and the earth, he would do so." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the eye of bliss and the locus of contentment and submission, and the most honored of those You have chosen for Your intimate conversation and speech, who said: "I was carried on the Rafraf ¹³⁹ on the night of the Mi'rāj ¹⁴⁰ and I traveled until I reached a sea of yellow light. Then I saw an angel on the shore of the sea; if God permitted him to swallow the heavens and the earth, he would do so. Then..." "I saw on the night of the Isra' ¹³⁸ near the Throne three lights. I said: 'What is this?' He said: 'The Throne Verse ¹⁴¹, Yā Sīn ¹⁴², and Say: He is God, the One ¹⁴³.' I said: 'What is the reward of one who recites the Throne Verse?' He said: 'It is My attribute, and whoever recites it will look on the Day of Resurrection without a veil.' I said: 'What is the reward of one who recites Sūrat Yā Sīn?' He said: 'It is eighty mercies; whoever recites it every day will have eighty mercies: twenty in his life, twenty at his death, twenty in his grave, and twenty on the Day of Resurrection.' I said: 'What is the reward of one who recites Say: He is God, the One?' He said: 'He will drink from the four rivers mentioned in the Qur'an.'" O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whose horizons have shone with the light of his radiance, and the most excellent of those whose fragrance and scent have perfumed the worlds, who said: "I saw on the night of the Isra' ¹³⁸ near the Throne great wonders, and I thought that everything in the heavens and the earth had died, because I heard nothing there of the voices of the angels, and the sense of everything was cut off from me. Then a feeling of loneliness overtook me. Gabriel called from behind me: 'O Muhammad, your Lord is praising you, so listen and obey. You are in the honor of your Lord, and His speech will not destroy you.' So I began to praise God Almighty: 'The greetings are for God, and the prayers and good words.' Then God Almighty said: 'Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of God and His blessings.' I said: 'Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of God.' Gabriel said: 'I bear witness that there is no god but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.'" O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the imam of the People of the Sunnah and the Community, and the means of the people of humility and supplication, whom the angels greeted on the night of the Isra' ¹³⁸, and they received him with cheerfulness, welcome, and obedience, and congratulated him on what his Lord had specially granted him of nearness, closeness, and perfection of uprightness and ability. They said: "Peace be upon you, O First, peace be upon you, O Last, peace be upon you, O Manifest, peace be upon you, O Hidden." He disapproved of that and said: "O Gabriel, what do these greetings, surpassing in eloquence and excellence, mean?" Gabriel said:

Peace be upon him: Know, O Muhammad, that Allah the Exalted commanded me to greet you with a greeting of mockery ¹⁴⁴ and singled you out for it above all His creation. ⁸⁹ Thus He named you the First, because you are the first of the prophets in creation, the last of your light from the light of the Leg of the Throne ¹⁴⁵, and He placed you in the loins of your father Adam, then transferred you from loin to loin until He brought you forth at the end of time. And He named you the Last, because you are the last of the prophets in time, and the Seal of the Prophets until the end of time. And He named you the Manifest, because He made your law manifest over all laws and your religion over all religions, and He favored and honored you above all the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth. And He named you the Hidden, because He joined His name with your name on the Leg of the Throne before He created your father Adam, unto that which has no limit and no end. And He commanded me to invoke blessings upon you, so I invoked blessings upon you, O Muhammad, for a thousand years after a thousand years, and He singled you out for the Intermediary Station ¹⁴⁶, the Excellence, and the Intercession ¹⁴⁷. So, O Allah, bless him and his family, the people of asceticism and contentment, and his Companions, the lions of battle and the knights of courage, a blessing by which we may be regarded with the eye of Your care at every time and hour, and by which we may obtain from Your pleasure the fullest portion and the most excellent 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, ⁹⁰ the moon of the sphere of luminous prophethood, the renowned pole of the circle of messengership, he whom, when the Truth desired to create the bride of praise ¹⁴⁸ in the most noble of the holy presences and to manifest his Ahmadian perfection ¹⁴⁹ in the highest stations of intimacy, He unveiled for him the veil of reality and removed from him the verification of certainty, and made his companion Gabriel his intimate and companion. He continued to ascend the degrees of honor and lordship and to walk in the robes of perfection and glory, until he ascended to a magnificent pavilion and a generous roof of the gardens, covering all worlds and horizons, encompassing them as the desert encompasses the ring, indicating the greatness of the One who originated and created it, changing colors without the color differing. Sometimes it is seen as a red ruby gleaming with the light of the Almighty, a vast space with three hundred and sixty pillars, and between each of the pillars a radiant one with sixty thousand vast rocks, and in each of the great rocks sixty thousand worlds, and around it the honored angels, surrounding and serving it, and they are seventy thousand rows, each row behind another, circumambulating it and circling, approaching and departing. When some of them face others, these say "Allahu Akbar" and those say "La ilaha illa Allah" as an obligation. And behind them are seventy thousand standing, placing their hands on their necks in veneration. And behind them are another hundred thousand rows, having placed the right hand over the left, and they have lights and veils that no notebooks or books can contain. And it transforms another time into a green jewel shining upon the earth and the green [sky], and in it are heads of faces and tongues glorifying in all languages, neither slumber nor sleep overtaking them, and in it are the deposits of the unseen and its hidden places. "And there is not a thing but with Us are its treasures" ⁹¹. And it became displayed like a bride, carried by the angels upon their heads, and it struts in every desert of admiration and embellishment, interpreting by gesture the clear expression: perfumed with fragrance, it stood as a preacher, then said: "Praise be to Allah, who honored me and veiled me with His light and bestowed upon me, and made me the greatest of beings, encompassing the moving and the stationary, walking in the robes of honor, saying in the gardens of definition: 'I do not sleep nor slumber, and to me end the sciences of my station. It is the station where when the people sit, it stands. I have excelled in union, and in it I have joined its great ones; and I have boasted among the boastful, and I have stood for proximity, and I have said, migrating for debate, while the grave of debate was preserved: 'Have you acquired the like of my radiant garments? Have you gathered the blossoms of my blooming garden? These are my breaths among you fragrant, filling the eye and mind of whoever sees me. These are the seas of my light among you overflowing, for the duration of the days of this world and the Hereafter. I am the raised roof, supported by steadfastness on the day when the earth is changed to other than the earth and the heavens.' The King of Truth wrote the measures of the states of creation before He created the heavens and the earth, with their essence and attributes, their length and width, in fifty thousand years inevitably, and His Throne, which is my essence, was upon the water; He boasted of its attribution to me and gloried in His establishment upon it, saying: 'Lord of the Throne, the Glorious, Doer of what He wills.' And He said: 'The Most Merciful established Himself upon the Throne' and encompassed the kingdom and the dominion. And He said: 'Lord of the Mighty Throne' and 'Lord of the Noble Throne.' He singled me out for nobility and described me with vastness of greatness. He only singled me out for that because I traversed from His greatness the widest paths. While he was ⁹² in this praise and boasting, suddenly a light shone upon him before which all lights became dim, and it is the light of the Beloved, our master and lord Muhammad the Chosen, the Elect, before whom the suns and moons humbled themselves in awe of his majesty, and he appeared with the attributes of greatness, majesty, might, and perfection, and filled all the worlds with his radiance of splendor and beauty, and his light encompassed the reaches of the kingdom and the dominion, and his light traversed the seas of Mercy and Omnipotence. And the chiefs of the Cherubim ¹⁵⁰ and the Near Ones ¹⁵¹ came hastening to him, and all the angels of the seven heavens came entirely to him, clinging to his garments and seeking shade under the shadow of his shade. The Throne was stunned and bewildered at that, and wished it had not chosen pride nor selected. Then the preacher of Ahmadian perfection stood upon the pulpit of Muhammadan majesty and spoke with the tongue of might and pride, saying: "Praise be to Allah, who honored my rank above all ranks, and raised my mention and made it the intermediary of destinies. By my branch the tree is good, and by my pride pride has soared. From my secret secrets have split, and from my light lights have burst forth. By the existence of my right hand, clouds and seas have become dim. I am the Intimate Friend ¹⁵² and the Beloved ¹⁵³, and I am the master of every messenger, saint, and near one. I am Ahmad, and I am Muhammad and Mahmud. By me praises have appeared and to me they return. He derived for me from His name, the King, the Worshipped, and unfurled for me the banner of bound glory, and singled me out for the Intermediary Station, the Excellence, and the Intercession."

The greatest ¹⁵⁴ is in the Praised Station ¹⁵⁵. Through my manifestation, existence was honored, and in my hands are the keys of generosity and munificence. The Truth ¹⁵⁶ has been perfected, both legally and electively ¹⁵⁷, while Adam and those beneath him are under my banner ¹⁵⁸. I am the central pearl ¹⁵⁹ in the elective kingdom ¹⁶⁰, the one who binds and loosens ¹⁶¹. God has assured me ¹⁶², O Throne, of your awe, and filled your void through me, and calmed your agitation by inscribing my name upon you, and filled your void from what was attributed to you. Were it not for my existence, O Throne, you would not have been safe from punishment and severity. You are noble and great in form, while I am intelligent and generous in spirit and body. Were you not created from my pearl? Were you not adorned by the light of my glory? For you are a part of my parts, and the measure of an atom of my splendor. Through me, abundant blessings appeared, and through me, springs of generosity gushed forth. Without me, you and all creatures would be in non-existence. Stop, O Throne, at your limit, and separate your jest from your earnest. Humble yourself before the light of my majesty to pluck from the flower of the Throne's pride, advancing before it, advancing with your entirety towards it, acknowledging your shortcoming, drawing from the seas of insight. So, O God, bless him and his family of great worth, and his companions, people of standing and insight, a blessing by which every difficulty becomes easy for us, and by which You make us among the people of vision and illumination, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. ❖ O the Guide, the Beloved ❖ The Chosen and the Esteemed ❖ You are the Beloved; You accepted ❖ The one who came to Your door and apologized ❖ You are the Throne of my Lord; indeed I ❖ Am captivated by Your radiant beauty ¹⁶³ ❖ He wrote Your most exalted name upon ❖ My leg, and Your light spread ❖ My awe vanished with the splendor ❖ Of Your radiant, luminous face ❖ Without You, I would not have said the High Kingdom ❖ Nor glorified in the sea of pride ❖ I am grateful to You for a blessing ❖ So increase abundantly for the one who gives thanks ❖ For You, in union, are stations ❖ The lowest of which no human has attained O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the full moon ¹⁶⁴ Whose light shines in the encompassing spheres and cycles, and the musk of the seal ¹⁶⁵ whose fragrance wafts in all directions and regions. When his Master wished to raise the sun of his Ahmadianity ¹⁶⁶ in the highest spheres and to serve the sovereignty of his Muhammadanity ¹⁶⁷ to beings and angels, He chose him through the secret of the perfection of divinity to the highest degrees of proximity and particularity, to show him the greatest signs ¹⁶⁸ that minds and sciences cannot grasp, nor thoughts and understandings comprehend. So his light traveled in the purity of the Malakut ¹⁶⁹ as the sun travels across horizons, and his holy aspiration pierced the veils and the seven heavens ¹⁷⁰. He passed by a great creation before the noble Throne, which had spread over the worlds beneath it as the sun spreads over all climes, and its relation to him in length and breadth is like that of a creature in a desert of the earth; it crushes mountains of sight with its lights. It traversed the sea of beauty and gained from it preference and comprehensiveness, and emerged to the land of perfection as a precious pearl. You see the near ones ¹⁷¹ kissing his feet, standing before him, devoted to his vision, adhering to him, touching him, respecting him, and magnifying him. The worlds have never ceased to be a feather from his wing, under his disposal and beneath his wing. There is no near one but is humble before him, and no chosen one but is reverent in his presence. You see angels descending and ascending, and they never pass by him without prostrating, glorifying, and praising, humbling themselves before his light in praise, while he drags the cloak of majesty and beholds his measure and greatness. While he was in pride of intimacy, there appeared to him the rising of pride, and he said with the tongue of the state ¹⁷² that suffices for the tongue of speech: "I am the Intimate, not the bewildered; I am the Mighty among neighbors; I am the Granted among peers; I am the Praised in the Quran." The heavens and the expanses followed, with no intermediaries between me and my Lord. In my width, the worlds were bewildered; in my length, the worlds were cut off. For he was in a state of pride, heedless, and in the bliss of his advance, exultant, claiming that he had no equal in the pride of his fresh beauty, when there were created among the hosts from every deep ravine and assembly. A light shone and descended, the like of which had never been seen in pre-eternity, and it continued to spread its rays ¹⁷³ until it filled the regions and corners. The banners of particularity fluttered, and the hearts of the elite fluttered from it. He erected the pulpit of election ¹⁷⁴ above the heads of the noble angels, and glory clamored, saying: "This is the perfect light, specially favored with the most honorable gifts; these are the troops of Muhammad the Chosen." The Kursi ¹⁷⁵ was terrified by the clamor of the troops, then it raised itself and looked to the High to know what the matter was. It saw a great light image standing upon the pulpit of specification and honor, between it and what it saw as between it and the earth. It heard from the preacher what delights and pleases, as he said with the tongue of the pure Beloved: "I am the Imam of every near one and close one; I am the light of insight of every pious and noble one; I am the eye of support of every messenger and prophet; I am the substance of the secret of every pure one and saint; I am the eye of the choice of the two abodes; I am the lamp of the two worlds; I am the master of the two weighty ones ¹⁷⁶; I am the grandfather of al-Hasan and al-Husayn; I am the Beloved Friend; I am the sought Treasure; I am the desired Secret; I am the one specially favored with the most honorable stations before the Knower of the Unseen. The sun of His beauty shone only upon my form; the hidden things of His perfection descended only upon my essence; the manifestations of His majesty were magnified only upon my rank; the verses of honor were recited only upon my noble lineage; the Sura of definition ¹⁷⁷ descended only as my form; the banner of specification fluttered only as my banner; the lightnings of disposal flashed only as my care; the precedents of the brides of perfection were unveiled only upon my family; the banners of preference gave glad tidings only with the most honorable suns of my joy; the paths of good appeared only through my good conduct; the lamps of hearts were illuminated only by the illumination of my innermost being; the veiled ones of the universe emerged only for the manifestation of my essence; the maidens of the palaces were adorned only by the beauty of my attributes; the rising stars of unity moved only in the towers of the secret of uniqueness; my secret is in the House of God, the Pure, whose pillars are sanctification and transcendence; neither His earth nor His heaven contained me, except my heart, in terms of His beauty and splendor. I am the unique standard-bearer, the master of the banner and the flag. In pre-eternity, I have a knowledge higher than any knowledge, more famous than a fire on a hill. All of you are under my banner, my care, and my attention." The tongue of light chanted, as it shone and illuminated the whole of existence: "You are a flower from the garden of my beauty; my heart is with my father, and I gesture with the lip. A man does not attain mastery unless he acknowledges, at the definition, the origin of his nobility. Do not say 'this is noble,' but say 'this is the noble, the approved, from his nobility.' O Kursi, gently! If your most exalted secret bears the fruits of knowledge, in the holy space, the flower of election—would that I knew, other than us, from what piece? A handful of my Lord's light is a pearl of mine; it is a museum for all beings. I was in the garden of my intimacy in pre-eternity; through manifestation, I obtained a portion of it."

And the manifestation of the majesty of the All-Merciful, they recite His Essence through the radiant lights and illuminations, and its streams gush forth with gifts and secrets. The Glorious One, exalted be His majesty, established Himself upon it, and its beauty surpassed all existent things ¹⁷⁸, and its perfection was magnified over the seven heavens ¹⁷⁹. When He wrote upon it with the pen of power the Name of Majesty ¹⁸⁰ coupled with the name of the Seal of Prophecy and Messengership ¹⁸¹, its agitation subsided and it became still, rejoicing in what its Lord had specially favored it with. It was delighted and boasted of the honor bestowed upon it, and its fame spread throughout the enclosures of dominion and sovereignty ¹⁸². It attained the most noble ranks and honor, and was surrounded by the subtle blessings of felicity and safety. It was given a life after which it feared no regret or remorse, when the possessor of the crown and turban ¹⁸³ ascended upon it, and absolved it of what the people of falsehood had attributed to it, and warded off from it reproach and blame. Its soul was delighted by the vision of the Master of the Worlds ¹⁸⁴, and through his absolution it obtained felicity and security. The Truth described it in His Book with glorification and honor, and ennobled it by attributing it to Himself in His saying: "Indeed, Allah, there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Mighty Throne." ¹⁸⁵ And what a magnificent Throne ¹⁸⁶ of great station and rank, lofty in glory and pride! In it is the manifestation of the majesty of the Almighty, the Compeller, the vastness of the mercy of the Forbearing, the Oft-Forgiving, and the traces of the power of the Sovereign, the Subduer. Its form encompasses the earths and the heavens, and its grandeur dazzles the servants of the veils and canopies ¹⁸⁷. In it is the greatest proof of the greatness of its Creator, and the perfection of the dominion of its King. By the majesty of its awe, He encircled it and around it are from the noble angels whose number none knows save Allah, the Possessor of Majesty and Honor. The radiant lights of the Lord shine upon it, and the luminous forms of beings ¹⁸⁸ go to it morning and evening. The mounts of angels in cages of light pass over it like towering mountains and surge, and groups of spiritual souls ¹⁸⁹ circumambulate it and revolve. Before it are seas of waves surging and crashing, and its tongue of state ¹⁹⁰ boasts of what its Lord has specially favored it with and magnifies itself, reciting in the tongue of state what is not impossible: "I am the Throne; I have a great station, and I have an ancient age with the Lord. I behold of Allah's beauty what thoughts and understandings cannot comprehend. My essence is a pearl from the sea of a secret; I emerged, and my radiance is not universal. I illuminate the lower and the higher, and I have authority over them that does not depart. I am the sphere of constellations and the patron of high stations; through me all the spheres are upright. I have spread my essence in the Garden of Paradise ¹⁹¹, and with me is all that the Generous One has promised. The realities of the secret of the Unseen are with me; for my essence, when they come, they stand. I am the refuge of sciences; by me the noble angels attain knowledge. My attributes cannot be matched by attributes, and my body cannot be likened to bodies." 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 faces rejoiced in the light of his beauty, and the most excellent of those whose delegations shone from the sea of his bounty. When the Throne saw him, it trembled with joy and was stirred, and its states increased, and it humbled itself in desire and spoke with the tongue of its state, saying: "Welcome to the adornment of time and the delight of his perfection, and to the one whose radiant countenance I was awaiting and with whose union I comforted my heart." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the enclosure of the enclosures of secrets ¹⁹², and the manifestation of the radiant lights. When the Throne saw him, it welcomed his lofty and glorious sovereignty, and inhaled the fragrance of his pure and perfumed scent, and said: "Welcome to the one of great station and rank, the adornment of the prophets and the chosen messengers, and the light by whose brilliant signs the highlands and lowlands were illuminated, and by whose miracles the Book spoke and the reports were transmitted successively." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pole ¹⁹³ of majesty and beauty, and the orator of the presence of the people of intimacy and boldness. When the Throne saw him, it submitted to the contemplation of what was in him of perfect qualities and traits, and of great awe and veneration, and said: "Welcome to the rising star of fortune and prosperity, and the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers," and asked him to absolve it of what the people of deviation and error had attributed to it. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the fountain of generosity and munificence, and the table of goodness and blessings. When the Throne saw him before its corner that is kissed ¹⁹⁴, it magnified his honored side, and said: "Welcome to the gatherer of nations, and the best of those whose love permeated all souls and creation in the darkness of non-existence." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of lofty stations and noble, pleasing character. When the Throne saw him, it adorned itself with his beautiful garments, and was refreshed by his musk-like fragrances, and said: "Welcome to the breeze of felicitous zephyrs, and the awakener of the divine presences ¹⁹⁵, and the best of those whose delightful sayings and bestowed sciences expand the breasts." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the garden of beauties with flourishing plants, and the flower of the gardens of jasmine, roses, and myrtle. When the fragrant Throne, with its fragrant places and breaths, saw him, it rejoiced at his arrival, and said: "Welcome to the element of pure honor, of pure kinds and species, and the pearl of truth that pours forth the sea of his Muhammadan ¹⁹⁶ support upon the pegs ¹⁹⁷, poles ¹⁹⁸, and bells ¹⁹⁹, and the fortress of safety that saves whoever seeks refuge in it from the afflictions of temporal events and the onslaughts of harm and distress." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the most generous of the generous, by whose attributes and names the people of remembrance ²⁰⁰ are blessed, and the most mighty of the mighty, by whose vision and supplication the creatures benefit. When the lofty Throne, in the majesty of its height and elevation, saw him, it rejoiced at his coming and meeting, and said: "Welcome to the one whom Allah drew to the presence of His nearness and chosen, and honored with the vision of His Essence, and purified in the light of His beauty and splendor." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the adornment of the group, the tribe, and the clan, and the best of those whose visitation every dead and living trusts. When the Throne saw the blaze of his radiant face, it rejoiced in him, and folded its sides with love for him, and said: "O Muhammad, my Lord made me the greatest of His creations, so I was the most awe-inspiring of them to Him, the most bewildered about Him, and the most fearful of Him. So He wrote upon my leg: 'There is no god but Allah,' and I increased in trembling before His awe. Then when He wrote upon me: 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,' my heart became calm and my fear subsided, by the blessing of your name being placed upon me. O Muhammad, you are sent as a mercy to the worlds, and I must have a share of this mercy. My share of it is that you bear witness to my absolution from what the people of delusion have attributed to me." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those by whose emergence and appearance the worlds were blessed, and the most generous of those by whose fragrant vision the universes were perfumed.

And the breeze of his flowers, when the Throne ²⁰¹, adorned in the garments of its beauty and all its veils, saw him, it rejoiced in him and said: "Welcome to him from whose light God created me, and honored me by magnifying him in pre-eternity and by his piety." And He permitted him to speak about my bearers ²⁰² according to what he saw in the tablet of His most manifest secret and the inscribed book. So he said: "Indeed, an angel from among the bearers of the Throne—his feet are in the lowest seventh earth, carrying it upon his shoulder from the lobe of his ear to his shoulder, with the flutter of a swift bird, a journey of five hundred years in its flight and passage. And that the earthly, heavenly, angelic, malakutic ²⁰³, and throne-borne lights only appeared to existence and shone from his light." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad ¹⁰⁷, the possessor of the high, exalted station, and the hidden divine secret ²⁰⁴, whom when the majestic, magnified Throne saw, it rejoiced in him and said: "Welcome to him from whose luminous, most perfect light God created me, and made for me three hundred and sixty pillars, the width of each pillar being the width of the world seventy thousand times, and between each pillar and another seventy thousand deserts, and in each desert seventy thousand worlds, each world like the two heavy ones ²⁰⁵ of jinn and humans, and all are compelled under His subjugation and the execution of His decisive command. And that an angel named Hazqiyail ²⁰⁶ flew for twenty thousand years but did not reach one of my pillars which were created from his light—may God bless him and grant him peace." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the locus of magnification, obedience, and piety, and the station of majesty, fame, and manifestation, whom when the aforementioned luminous Throne saw, it rejoiced in him and said: "Welcome to him from whose radiant, praiseworthy light God created me, and created eight thousand angels to carry me. They marveled at their strength, so God showed them their feet in the air, and they said: 'Glory be to Him who carries the bearers of the Throne by the course of His power upon the pavilion of His hidden unseen, and made their feet in the depths and their heads beneath my leg, unable to raise their eyes from the awe of dread, the dread of majesty and grandeur.'" ¹⁰⁸ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whom He granted eternal honor and joy, and the most generous of those for whom He raised chambers and palaces in the highest paradises, whom when the Throne saw, it increased in joy and delight and said: "Welcome to him from whose light God created me, and made for me eighty thousand pavilions, and for each pavilion eighty thousand battlements, and upon each battlement eighty thousand moons that glorify Him, praise Him, and sanctify Him. If a moon from among them were to appear in the world, it would be worshipped besides Him and would burn it with light. So what a noble secret, a forbearing messenger, a compassionate, merciful master! He sought increase from his Lord of the smiling countenance, and ascended with him to the Lote Tree of the Uttermost ²⁰⁷ and the pavilions of His immense might. And He promised him that on the Day of Resurrection He would seat him upon His glorious, magnificent Throne, and place him in the station of Lordship, and grant him His great, immense kingdom and His lofty, exalted glory. There he will be honored over all existence, to manifest thereby the honor of His care and the perfection of His grace, for existence was created from his light and from his beauty it was illuminated, and all that is in it of goodness and beauty is derived from his light, and the shining lights appear upon it. And the honor of his special station and the greatness of his rank, which God has hidden in the treasuries of His unseen, will not appear except in the Hereafter, which is the abode of generosity and the station of the righteous, because on the day ¹⁰⁹ when God gathers the prophets, messengers, saints, righteous, monotheists, past nations, and all the elect—for through his mediation He bestowed upon them abundant blessings, and by his connection and bond they were clothed in garments of might and pride—so upon him and upon them be the best of blessings and the purest peace from the Mighty, Forgiving Lord, a blessing that alternates with the alternation of night and day, and endures with the endurance of the dominion of God, the One, the Subduer. Amen, amen, and praise be to God, Lord of the worlds. The Beloved called to the Beloved to visit Him, * So he ascended to Him from the highest stations. And upon the ascents of noble qualities he rose * To the Throne, the most honored visitor and meet. The Beloved obtained from the Intimate Friend a vision * That none has ever attained absolutely. And the treasures of the Malakut ²⁰⁸ and Jabarut ²⁰⁹ were * Brought to him in a private meeting and encounter. And the Tablet ²¹⁰ revealed to the Guide its sciences * From the treasure of the Sâq of the Throne ²¹¹, the most generous Sâq. And He gave him from the Mother of the Book ²¹² an increase * Of surpassing, overflowing knowledge of the unseen. ¹¹⁰ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the most honored chosen one, whom the elite and the leaders followed, and the noblest prophet, whose mention tongues boast and whose visitation feet honor. When He who singled him out for perfect piety and uprightness desired to honor him with gifts of grace and generosity unmatched by any honor, and to spread the carpet of supreme might with his Muhammadan praise and banners, and to raise his Mustafawi ²¹³ rank and station above all high stations, He brought forth the table of His hospitality to single him out with the highest honor, crown him with the crown of His care, address him with the noblest of His words, manifest Himself to him with the greatest of His self-disclosures, elevate him to a station sanctified beyond limit and end, and the faithful envoy ²¹⁴ was his companion in that to the Lote Tree of the Uttermost. He continued to ascend alone in the stages of election, while the Exalted Truth manifested in the highest Malakut his honor and glory, until in his ascent and miraj ²¹⁵ he saw the delight of the luminous Pen ²¹⁶, from whose lamp the jewels of wisdom are kindled, and whose state-tongue expressed his immense majesty. He was alluded to by the hidden enigma that none understands except the possessor of ladunni ²¹⁷ indications and gifts of sciences, saying: "What is the first creation in existence, whose merit is infinite and unlimited?" ¹¹¹ The letters of his name encompassed the meanings of his limit, and his drawing cut from awe its tooth, and above all creatures he set his path. Lights gush forth from him as waters gush in wells. He was called in the holy station where there is no Throne and no Footstool ²¹⁸, and he trembled like a sick person from the terror of the great call, and resounded like thunder, and his life turned to thunder. Then there flowed, by what is and what is hidden, a speech of all that issues forth to eternity, without tongue or hand. His name, its meaning circulates and agrees with the secret of its structure. The first of its parts stretched from its parts and encompassed everything encompassing, and extended over every expanse. The generous Alexander ²¹⁹ gave it to him and said: "What is behind you, O immense one?" He said: "O firm, mighty one, indeed the affair of our Lord is great." And its second generous part, its rein is second to the name of Majesty. How many beautiful praises it has in the Mathani ²²⁰, and in the structures of names of meanings. And its third and last part is battles for the kingdom and Malakut, contending. The seal of prevention by it is sealed; its mim ²²¹ is the sealed nectar. So it is the first of God's kingdom and the last of the name of God. It encompasses all beings, hidden and manifest, and in its heart is the pupil of the eyes, so submission with acceptance is incumbent upon it. The rememberers swear by it with "Nun. By the Pen and what they inscribe" ²²². Then he recited and said with the tongue of the state that dispenses with explicit speech: "At the hidden secret, a saint in eternity has precedence, And God's command runs when the matter is sealed. My tongue is the interpreter of the unseen; from me the unseen is known. The letters of my name have a secret understood by the people of taste."

My station is most lofty, held in veneration among creation, and my lām ²²³ is blessed in the utterance of the Name of Allah through intermediation, and my mīm ²²⁴ is the supreme dominion of Allah (112). Ah, how excellent is the mīm!

I have encompassed the all-encompassing secret ²²⁵, whose hidden essence none knows but the All-Knowing. I am the repository of sciences and the depository of His sorrowful secret; I am filled with every latent knowledge, and the Pen has dried with what is to be. Sa'd from Sa'd ²²⁶ and after from after; I am the Preserved Tablet ²²⁷, the object of the sanctifying encircler and the shrine of the melodies of intimacy, the target of the Glorious One's gaze every new day, three hundred and sixty times He manifests through me His disposal and command. I am the First and the Last, envied for these glories. (116) No sooner was the speech completed than a call from the Imam ²²⁸ in the tongue of the Most Holy Unseen, interpreting the most precious secret of secrets, said: 'Do not hasten, O boaster; the Lord regrets haste in one who boasts. For the pride that no pride equals is the pride of him who said: "I am the master of the children of Adam, and I do not boast." And the honor that no honor resembles is the honor of him who is characterized by the noblest servitude and acknowledges it. And the light with which no lights shine is the light of him whose countenance the suns, moons, and mountains yearn for, whose beauty no beauty rivals—the beauty of the perfect one of virtues. And the perfection that no perfection equals is the perfection of the noble of origin. And the majesty that no majesty equals is the majesty of the generous giver. No fragrance ever wafted but traced back to him, no pride ever rose but soared through him, no perfume ever spread in existence but emanated from him, and no light ever shone but radiated and appeared from him. So by the truth of the True King, everything I have said is true, and I have never ceased to praise him, speak, boast, and delve deep, and to explain to you the branches and the roots. If you wish to know the most excellent, graze in the verdant garden, the garden of the Beloved's beauty, the possessor of the crown and the rod ²²⁹, from whose sciences your knowledge flowed, and from whose understanding your secret came. His beauty stunned intellects, and of his virtues I chant and say: Beloved of the Night Journey ²³⁰, praised and borne, By him every lover is enraptured and occupied. To him belongs what is in the gardens of the Tablet, harvested and gathered, And the knot of the secret from this Tablet is carded and rolled. (117) He is the balanced in the highest, and none is turned away from him. For the sake of his hidden love, he is given and transmitted. By him my heart, for all times, is flooded and fettered. My patience, due to yearnings, is cut and severed. My mind, from the manifestations, is overcome and fettered. A beloved whose light in holiness is preserved and attended. He has a pool on the Day of Gathering, sought and hoped for. A banner for the Chosen One ²³¹, tied and understood.' When the Tablet heard these gifts, the ways of modesty became too narrow for it, and it rejoiced and went forth, and it poured out for drinking the cups of wine, and composed these verses in praise of the Beloved, the Master of masters: There is no light like Taha ²³² the Beloved, no peer, no equal. Nor is there any breeze of morning, delightful, attainable, or luminous. Nor any helper of giving, nor any responder, nor any protector. Nor any imam, nor any hero, nor any orator, nor any eminent. Nor any one who traveled on a throne, except that from Ahmad ²³³ the throne came. His hand flowed with giving, as if it were the blooming and the silk. In the Holy Presence, he has no namesake, nor intimate in proximity. By the Chosen One ²³⁴, joy has vanished, and by the Chosen One, joy has increased. (118) O Tablet, this is an ancient light, bestowed from the light of the All-Powerful. So submit, O Tablet, while it is high, with a precious good, for he is the bringer of glad tidings.' What a Pen! How radiant its light, how sublime its manifestation! It split from the awe of Majesty, donned the robe of splendor and beauty, and humbled itself before the greatness of the All-Merciful, honored by writing the Revelation and the Qur'an. The Truth swore by it for the majesty of creating the Master of creation, so it became long and straight, its length being seven hundred years. In precedence, it has sanctification and priority known to it, and the light of God is encompassed and marked with honor. Indeed, it has manifested what is made and sealed in creation, for it was created from the light of the Chosen One, so its drink became pure from the secrets of his secret and clear. What a Tablet! How immense its sublime majesty, how vast its great circle! Its great delight shines upon spirits and bodies, and the waves of its sea clash with the ancient, luminous lights. It is created from the most radiant pearl, its carpet spread with red ruby; lights overflow in the realms of the celestial kingdom. The Exalted Truth has made it the locus of His gaze and the depository of the hidden secret and goodness. The chiefs of the angels stand before it, deriving light from the lamp of its sciences, ever longing for the manifestation of its most magnificent majesty and the jewels (119) of the Unseen in its most truthful abode. In it appear the beautiful brides of the divine sciences ²³⁵; the eyes of those who have attained gaze upon it to see their stations and rank with the Lord of the Worlds, the King of the Day of Judgment. Its light, perpetually successive, is derived from the light of the best of mankind, the elite of the prophets and the banners, the ornament of the beauty of the noble messengers. So, O Allah, bless him and his family, the brides of the Abode of Peace, and his Companions, regarded with the eye of veneration and glorification, a blessing whose blessing we find in departure and stay, and through which we take up residence in the paradises of gardens the noblest abode and highest station, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the Worlds. O the radiant, the brilliant, the blooming, who has no peer in the garden of beauty! The bewildered one has overflowed, having seen what the attending intellects cannot comprehend. I have become absent from what I saw of my Lord's doing; would that I knew whence comes the attending. I have become small before Majesty in awe; youth before Majesty becomes old. Whoever sees the Omnipotence and the Light manifest, how could he not vanish, being small? (120) And this is the description of the luminous Pen of Power and the Lordly Preserved Tablet. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful: "Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe" (121) I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan: "Nay, but it is a glorious Qur'an, in a Preserved Tablet" (122). O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of noble honor, pure beginning and end, the pearl of truth, pure in character and nature, whom when the Tablet and the Pen saw, they rejoiced in him and said: 'Welcome to the fountain of knowledge and forbearance, the fulfiller of covenants and pledges, my master and lord, the Messenger of Allah.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of the procession and the banner, the imam of Taybah ²³⁶ and the Sanctuary, whom when the Tablet and the Pen saw, they rejoiced in him and said: 'Welcome to the protector of the Sanctuary, the eradicator of oppression and darkness, my master and lord, the Messenger of Allah.'

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of blessings and the table of bounty and generosity, whom when the Tablet (al-Lawḥ) and the Pen (al-Qalam) saw, they rejoiced in him and said: "Welcome and ease to the intercessor of the nations, and the master of Arabs and non-Arabs, my master and lord, the Messenger of Allah." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad (123 times), the lofty of aspirations, and firm of foot, whom when the Tablet and the Pen saw, they rejoiced in him and said: "Welcome and ease to the station of honored might, and the master of kings, free men, and servants, my master and lord, the Messenger of Allah." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bridegroom of the kingdom, the fragrant of sleeves and breeze, and the bliss of motion, perfumed by his scents the flowers of valleys and hills, whom when the Tablet and the Pen saw, they rejoiced in him and said: "Welcome and ease to the healing antidote (al-tiryāq) from chronic diseases and all pains, and the beloved announced in the Surah: 'Nūn, by the Pen' (Quran 68:1), my master and lord, the Messenger of Allah." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of religion that is kissed (al-mustalam), and the best of whom the sinner seeks refuge in his rank and clings to, whom when the Tablet and the Pen saw, they rejoiced in him and said: "Welcome and ease to the abundant of portions and shares, and the repeller of evils and calamities, my master and lord, the Messenger of Allah." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of whose dawn shone in the sky of high stations and smiled, and the most excellent of whose love is fixed in the core of the heart and inscribed, whom when the Tablet and the Pen saw (124), they rejoiced in him and said: "Welcome and ease to the cloud of rain-laden showers of goodness, and the Messenger of Truth whose miracle is more famous than a fire on a hilltop, my master and lord, the Messenger of Allah." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those who erased the traces of disbelief and demolished, and the most majestic of those who fulfilled what his Lord commanded and decreed, whom when the Tablet and the Pen saw, they rejoiced in him and said: "Welcome and ease to him through whom Allah revived decayed bones, and without whom the world would not have emerged from non-existence, my master and lord, the Messenger of Allah." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad. So may Allah bless him and his family, possessors of worth and rank, and his noble companions guided by his guidance, a blessing by which You bestow upon us the vision of his face and meeting him, and delight us with it by gazing upon his radiant face and his life, and make us thereby in this world and the Hereafter under his ample shade and banner, by Your bounty 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 (125), the noble lineage of pure branch and origin, and the blessing of predecessors and successors of great rank, and the status which, when it surpassed the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (Sidrat al-Muntahā) and the sublime Throne in station and glory, the radiant carpet (al-rafraf al-azhar) drew near to him, so Gabriel advanced, then retreated from him, in a station that thoughts cannot reach, nor eyes perceive. When he was plunged into lights, and the veils and curtains were lifted for him, and he pierced seventy thousand veils, no veil resembling another among them, when He clothed them with the light of awe and dignity, and a caller called out in the language of Abu Bakr: "Stop, for your Lord is praying (yuṣallī)." He said: "I marveled at these two words, and said: 'Has Abu Bakr preceded me to this station surrounded by radiances and lights? And my Lord is independent of prayer.'" So Allah the Exalted said: "I am independent of prayer for anyone, but I say: Glory be to Me, Glory be to Me, My mercy preceded My wrath, and I am the Forbearing, the Oft-Forgiving. And recite, O Muhammad: 'It is He who sends blessings upon you (yuṣallī ʿalaykum), and His angels, to bring you out of darkness into light' (Quran 33:43). And My prayer (ṣalātī) is mercy for you and your nation, and security from the punishment of the Fire. As for the matter of your companion, indeed Moses, peace be upon him, found comfort in the staff. When We intended to speak to him, I said to him: 'And what is that in your right hand, O Moses?' (Quran 20:17). He said: 'It is my staff; I lean upon it, and with it I beat down leaves for my sheep, and I have other uses for it' (Quran 20:18). So he was occupied with the mention of the staff away from the staff. Likewise, O Muhammad, since your comfort was with your companion Abu Bakr, because you and he were created from one clay, so he is your companion in this world and the Hereafter, and your intimate in the pavilion (al-ʿarīsh) and in the cave (al-ghār). I created an angel in his form to call you in his language, so that loneliness might depart from you, lest the night cut you off from the great (126) awe that cuts you off from understanding what is intended for you of ascension in the stations of gifts and secrets. There is no god but I, the Compeller of the compellers, the King of this world and the Hereafter, and the Answerer of the supplication of whoever calls upon Me with the tongue of humility and brokenness. O Muhammad, how great is My majesty and how mighty is My sovereignty! I see to what station I have raised you, and in what position I have spoken to you and honored your rank above all ranks. O Muhammad, where is the need of Gabriel that he asked of you?" So you said: "O Allah, You know best what he asked. Indeed, he desires to spread his wing over the Bridge (al-Ṣirāṭ) on the Day of Resurrection, so that my nation, called to the erasure of sins and forgiveness of burdens, may pass over him." He said: "I have answered him in what he asked, but only for a group of your nation." So you said: "O Allah, for whom?" He said: "For whoever loves you, and your companion, and multiplies blessings and peace (al-ṣalāt wa al-salām) in the hours of the night and the ends of the day." So bless him, O Allah, and his noble, chosen family, and his distinguished, pure companions, a blessing by which You protect us from the harm of the jinn, and raise from us the evil of the wicked and the plot of the transgressors, and have mercy on us thereby in this abode and in that abode, by Your bounty 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 Imam of the people of speciality and perfection, and the orator of the pulpits of attainment (127) and connection, whom when he reached the presence of Might and Majesty and stood upon the carpet of intimacy and boldness, and witnessed what his Lord had stored for him of gifts of generosity, bounty, and favors, he preserved reverence and knew the measure of the blessing, and thanked what He bestowed upon him of gifts of good things and treasures of giving. So the perfection of his etiquette was: "The sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress" (Quran 53:17), meaning: his heart did not turn to other than his Lord, nor did his spirit incline, and he was called inwardly with a secret: "Then he drew near and came down, and was at a distance of two bow-lengths or nearer" (Quran 53:8-9), by his secret revealed to him in the station of proximity and union. So he left his self in the heaven, and his spirit at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, and his heart:

﴿يَقَابُ تَوْسِينِ أَوْ أَوْنَى﴾ ²³⁷ So His secret remained for his Lord, the Great, the Most High. The soul said: "Where is the heart?" The heart said: "Where is the spirit?" The spirit said: "Where is the secret?" The secret said: "Where is the Beloved, transcendent above likeness, peer, and similitude?" Then Allah the Exalted said: "O soul, for you are blessing and forgiveness; O spirit, for you are mercy and generosity; O heart, for you are love and affection; O secret, I have pardoned you, I have honored you with the secret of special distinction, and I grant you from the gifts that which is not confined by limit nor occurs to the mind." So he looked to his right and saw his Lord, to his left and saw his Lord, in front of him and saw his Lord. The thought of departing from this station, in which his Master is without modality, indwelling, or connection, occurred to him. Allah knew that from him and said: "O Muhammad, you are My Messenger to My servants. If you remained in this station, you would not deliver the message, nor guide My servants to Me, nor save them from the abysses of error and misguidance. So descend ²³⁸ to the earth and convey My message to My servants. And wherever you stand for prayer, I will give you this great station with its many merits and qualities." Therefore, he said: ﴿نُزْهَةُ عَيْنِي الصَّلَاةُ﴾ ²³⁹ Meaning the obligatory prayer for men and women, free and slave. So, O Allah, bless him and his family, the noble heroes, and his Companions, pure in words and deeds, with a blessing by which You have mercy on us in the present and the future, and save us by it from the trial of the grave and the questioning, and rectify for us, through its blessing, our wealth, children, and family, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. The moon is ashamed when your face appears ❖ And the sun turns pale in awe of meeting you The sea considers itself small forever ❖ Magnifying what it sees of your gifts The earth, lofty in status, is elevated ❖ Above the heaven because the earth is your abode The Throne, from a heart yearning to see you ❖ And every being in the cosmos loves you All things have been illuminated by you ❖ And all are perfumed by the fragrance of your scent You have attained perfection that none has attained ❖ So there is no way to what your Lord has given you ²⁴⁰ And you have been granted a secret beyond the grasp of minds * The intellects are bewildered and have not yet grasped your rank You did not alight on any land nor walk upon it * But it was honored by your tread How could it not be, when the high heaven rejoiced * And the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary sang at your night journey And there was what there was of nearness, and you witnessed what * You witnessed of the greatest sign at your vision And you returned, clad in the garments of knowledge * Rejoicing, secure, and Allah protects you Upon you are the most magnificent robes of honor * And the utmost favor of bringing you near O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those by whom the visitor is blessed and benefits, and the most excellent of those who turn with heart and body to You, who, when he passed beyond the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary in his night journey, and his Ahmadine bride ²⁴¹ settled in the highest station and the desired sight, heard the speech of the Almighty in the presence of gifts and secrets: "O master of the pious and ornament of the chosen messengers ²⁴², draw near to Me, for I have removed the veils and curtains between Me and you, so that you may behold the beauty of My Essence, which imaginations cannot encompass nor eyes perceive. Draw near to Me, O My beloved, O Muhammad, and ask what you will, for from you is the question and from Us is the giving, and there is no increase upon My giving." He said: "O my God, what shall I ask, when You made the angels prostrate to Adam, chose him and his wife Eve, and settled them in Paradise, and he heard the address?" ²⁴³ "O Muhammad, were it not for the light from you that shone upon him, We would not have said to the angels, 'Prostrate to Adam.' Ask, and you shall be given." He said: "O my God, what shall I ask, when You made Idris a prophet and a truthful one, and raised him to a high place, and he heard the address?" ²⁴⁴ "O Muhammad, Idris was only raised to the heaven to look at you and to walk before you this night. Ask, and you shall be given." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those by whom the visitor is blessed and benefits, and the most noble of those who ascended in the stations of nearness and honor and rose high, who said: "O my God, what do I seek, when You answered the prayer of Noah against the people of tyranny, and saved him and those with him in the ark from the flood?" He said: "O Muhammad, had he not sworn by your rank, he and those with him would not have been saved from destruction. Ask, and you shall be given." He said: "O my God, what shall I ask..." ...the ultimate goals of all good things, in life and after death, 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, possessor of the magnificent station and great rank, the Messenger of mercy, announced in the Psalms, the Torah, and the Gospel, who said: "I asked my Lord on the night of the Ascension about matters which I thought I had not asked Him about. He said: 'I gave you Paradise, then I set it aside for you and gave you and your community Paradise, and I did not set you aside from it.' I said: 'You gave Noah the ark.' He said: 'I made the earth for you and your community a place of prostration and purification.' I said: 'You made the fire cool and safe for Abraham.' He said: 'I sent down... I made it ²⁴⁵ for your community.' I said: 'You gave Ishmael Zamzam.' He said: 'I gave you al-Kawthar.' He said: I said: 'You made for him the fur ²⁴⁶.' He said: 'I made the fur of your community from the fire the Jews and Christians.' I said: 'You spoke to Moses on Mount Tur.' He said: 'I spoke to you on the carpet of light.' I said: 'You gave Moses the Torah.' He said: 'I gave you the Throne Verse and the treasure of My Throne.' I said: 'You gave David the Psalms.' He said: 'I gave you Surah al-An'am.' I said: 'You saved Jonah from three darknesses.' He said: 'I sent down... I saved your community from the darkness of the grave, the darkness of the Resurrection, and the darkness of the Bridge.' I said: 'You made for al-Khidr the spring of life.' He said: 'I made for you Salsabil.'" So, O Allah, bless him and his family, the springs of glorification and veneration, and his Companions, possessors of lordship, nobility, and preference, with a blessing that shades us under his ample shade, and pours down upon us the clouds of the rain of Your moist mercy, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. A prophet who guided those who strayed by his guidance * And attained tawhid ²⁴⁷ is he who worshipped idols And covered the people of East and West with a blessing * The sea's capacity falls short of encompassing it in books And taught the people of righteousness a blessed remembrance * Containing prohibition, rulings, obligations, and recommendations

(134) The winds' gusts are generous in His right hand ²⁴⁸, when the north wind of Syria turns not the calamity. If Ibrahim ²⁴⁹ was distinguished by his virtue, then this is a prophet who was given nearness and love. And if Musa ²⁵⁰ spoke above the Mount, then Ahmad ²⁵¹ passed the seven [heavens] and pierced the veils. And if Musa caused the spring to gush from the rock, then Ahmad gave drink to the riders from his fingers. And if 'Isa ²⁵² son of Maryam spoke to the dead, then Ahmad—in his right hand the pebbles glorified [God]. He indeed exalted the angels and the messengers in rank above them, and he surpassed the jinn, the non-Arabs, and the Arabs. Do you not see that all the prophets, upon him they rely for intercession in the Hereafter? Not one of them says 'I am for it' except him, and none like him in nearness. On that day he will come under the shade of his banner, a beloved, and a cool, pleasant, sweet pool. May God bless him as long as a rising sun flows and as long as the stars of heaven's horizon delight in the night. (135) A blessing and peace upon you, and mercy, blessed, growing, and piercing the veils. It is specific to you, my master, alive and dead, and includes in its generality the family and companions.

And she manifested behind the lightning ²⁵³ at night, and the desire of the one addressed ²⁵⁴ was that beyond. So he longed for a glimpse of her, and she said: "The meeting does not increase in this meaning. If I removed the veil, you would become more restless, and your sighs would follow one after another. Remain a lover of my vision and my beauty, and your tears a blood and a quenching." So the intermediary ²⁵⁵ between the Beloved and the lover, who is sacrificed for Him and sought, wished. And he who sees the Beloved sees blame behind veil after veil, and there is no end to that. How great you are, O beloved of the God of the Chosen One ²⁵⁶, when the great ones are restrained. How noble is he who, like a full moon, his light shone in the station of "two bow-lengths" ²⁵⁷ and blazed, and dawned; his radiance appeared in a sphere or nearer and pierced; and a secret from the secrets of: "Then He revealed to His servant what He revealed" ²⁵⁸; his emanation gushed from the eye of reality and sprang forth; and a proof from the proofs of: "The heart did not lie about what it saw" ²⁵⁹; he refuted the arguments of the deniers and cut off; and a witness from the witnesses of: "The sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress" ²⁶⁰; his lightning flashed in the carpet of proximity and gleamed; and a pure prophet called out to his caller in the witnessing of: "He certainly saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord" ²⁶¹; so he obtained from his Master what befits his high station and returned. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which we may be among those who roamed in his fertile garden and grazed, and plucked the flowers of his prophetic praises and gathered, and carried the banner of his Muhammadan law and raised, and grant him abundant peace forever, and praise be to Allah, 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 on a night journey ²⁶² a distance of three hundred thousand years, and the night carried him on its stars and the rising points of its fortunes, and a branch of a tree struck his turban on his way, and when he returned, he found it still trembling and shaking. 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 on a night journey a distance of fifty thousand years, and the night carried him on its dark shoulder and the back of its blackness, and when he returned to his bed, he found it not increased by the trace of his sleep or wakefulness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his night journey, the green Rafraf ²⁶³ carried him in the litter of his longing and love, and returned him in the shortest time to the place of his manifestation and existence. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his night journey, the luminous Rafraf carried him in his howdah ²⁶⁴ and his carpet, and returned him instantly to the place of his origin and birth. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his night journey, the brighter Rafraf carried him on the shoulder of his seriousness and effort, and returned him in less than a blink to his illuminated land and country. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his night journey, the most famous Rafraf carried him on the back of his Buraq ²⁶⁵ and his steed, and returned him, and Allah had conveyed him to the utmost of his purpose and desire. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his purest night journey and was blessed in his going and coming, and returned him, and Allah made him a qibla ²⁶⁶ for his poles and pegs ²⁶⁷. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his night journey, Allah illuminated through him the interiors of his valleys and hills, and granted him what he asked for his community of following his sunna and the paths of 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, when he returned from his night journey; so bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which we may be among those whose Muhammadan love penetrated the core of their innermost parts and hearts, and made prayer upon him the duties of their remembrances and litanies, and adorned with his magnificent praises the days of his seasons and festivals, 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, when he returned from his night journey, the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ²⁶⁸ was adorned with the light of his countenance and radiance, and the gardens were decorated with the beauty of his beauty and splendor. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his night journey, the enclosures of the angels rejoiced in his might and his life, and the horizons were perfumed with the fragrance of his breath and the sweetness of his scent. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his night journey, the shining lights surrounded him, and the turbans and seas became insignificant before the generosity of his right hand. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his night journey, Gabriel conveyed him to his bed and ascended, and the inhabitants of the high heavens boasted of his supreme night journey. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his night journey, Gabriel turned away from him and bade him farewell, and entrusted him with the light that was sent down with him. Bless, O our Lord, and grant peace to him whose light shines in Medina. The sun of my beloved's face shone, and I saw a vision from the light. For him the Lote Tree blossomed and boasted, and its birds grazed in forms. And the angels, wherever he went, always walk behind Taha ²⁶⁹ in obedience. And for him the gardens of the eternal abode were adorned and blazed with that. In the kingdom he was manifested to all worlds alone, independent. And the Trustworthy ²⁷⁰ is an imam, Ahmad ²⁷¹ ascends where the Trustworthy, Ahmad, goes. So that they may see him and know him; for whoever knows the love of God, he prevails and attains union. He obtained in the kingdom goodness and beauty, by which he obtained virtues among mankind. How great is the beloved in every state; he surpassed all people in essence and state. I adorn myself with his remembrance, and you see me inclining right and left in passion. And I pray upon him and all his family and the Companions who excelled in virtues. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the best of those whose companionship men boast, and the most excellent of those whose guidance and conduct the standards follow, who, when he returned from his night journey, found Gabriel glorifying in the hermitage of infallibility, sanctifying from the station of sanctity, worshipping in the mihrab of service, and saying: "O my God, show me the reward of my worship, and the gift of my prayer and hospitality." So I said to him: "O Gabriel, I have made the reward of your work that you carry the evening of Muhammad, for I want to show him what I have prepared for his community." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the essence of honor and ancient glory, the possessor of the lofty lineage and noble descent, who, when he returned from the presence of his Lord, regarded with the eye of care and veneration, gifted with gifts of honor and favor, He said to him: "Return to your people and convey to them from Me that I am the Forgiving, the Merciful; I forgive the sin of the disobedient, and accept the repentance of the penitent, and grant him great reward." He said: "So I returned, and behold, between me and my Lord was a blazing veil, whose thickness none knows but Allah Almighty, and the green Rafraf on which I was guided me, and it began to lower me and raise me, and it descended with me to Gabriel, peace be upon him, and the green Rafraf on which I was rose until it disappeared from me in the lights of the coverings and the carpet of abundant might. Then Gabriel said to me: 'O Muhammad, rejoice, for you are the best of Allah's creation and the chosen one among mankind, and the Merciful has brought you near to His Throne in a place that no one from the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth has reached. Congratulations on His honor and what He has bestowed upon you.' So I praised Allah for what He had honored me with of the lights of prophethood and the secrets of revelation and sending down. Then he said: 'O Muhammad, go to Paradise so that I may show you what you have in it, and you will know what is yours.'"

And that Malik ²⁷² should be after death, and by this you increase in this world in asceticism upon asceticism, and desire upon desire for your turning away from its fleeting embellishments and its little enjoyment. So I went with him. He was faster than an arrow until we reached Paradise by the permission of Allah the Exalted. Then Ridwan ²⁷³, the keeper of Paradise, came forward, and with him were deputies; with each of them were a thousand angels, raising their wings and heads, pointing at me with their fingers, saying: 'Allah has honored this unlettered Prophet, welcome, welcome to you, O Gabriel.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad ¹⁴⁶, the sun of guidance, the clear path and way, the noble element of sainthood, the clan and tribe, who, when he returned from his night journey with the trustworthy Gabriel, said: 'I arrived during my return to Paradise, the goodly abode and resting place, the noble springs and Salsabil ²⁷⁴. Then Ridwan came forward, followed by three veiled ones, their faces like the full moon, the scent of musk emanating from their garments, crowned with crowns of light, their belts of sapphire plates. I said: "O Gabriel, how beautiful these are, and how splendid!" He said: "O Muhammad, by Him who sent you with the truth, if your nation fears Allah and is safe from this world, they will be in Paradise more beautiful than them." When I entered it, my soul was delighted and my fear subsided. I saw no place therein but I saw it. I saw palaces of pearl, ruby, and emerald, trees of red gold, their branches of pearl, their roots of silver firmly planted in goodly, beautiful musk. And I saw a tree whose trunk in thickness none knows but Allah the Exalted, its branches more numerous than the plants of the earth, a single leaf covering the world, and upon it various kinds of good. I said: "O Gabriel, what is this tree?" He said: "It is for you, your wives, your children, and many of your nation, O master of creation in general and in detail. Beneath this tree is a great angel and a magnificent life. And I saw a river issuing from its root, its water whiter than snow and sweeter than honey, flowing over a ground of pearl, ruby, and white musk." Gabriel said: "O Muhammad, this is the Kawthar ²⁷⁵ which your Lord has given you, and it is the Tasnim ²⁷⁶; it issues from beneath the Throne to the pearl of your nation and their palaces which the Majestic Lord has prepared for their drink." Then he took me to another tree, and behold, its leaves were exquisite garments ¹⁴⁷ of Paradise, white, green, yellow, and red, like necklaces in various colors and wondrous scents, covering its inhabitants morning and evening. I said: "O Gabriel, what is this tree?" He said: "It is that which Allah the Exalted has mentioned in the Quran by His saying: 'Those who believe and do righteous deeds, Tuba ²⁷⁷ is for them and a good return.' It is for you and many of your nation, and for you therein is what souls desire and eyes delight in, of the fruits of good deeds, everlasting bliss, and abundant giving.'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bride of the kingdom, the fragrance of the garments and the scent, the locus of blessing and prosperity, the lofty in rank and station, who said: 'Gabriel took me around Paradise on the night of the Isra' ²⁷⁸, and I saw a palace of red ruby, within which were seventy thousand palaces, in each palace seventy thousand houses, in each house seventy thousand tents of white pearl, each having four thousand doors, its outside visible from inside and inside from outside. Within them were couches of gold, that gold having a radiance like the sun's radiance, adorned with jewels and pearls, upon them were carpets of Sundus ²⁷⁹, above those carpets much jewelry whose description I cannot imagine. In each palace, house, and tent were many trees, their trunks of gold, their branches of jewels, their fruits like large jugs. In each tent were spouses from the Hur al-'Ayn ²⁸⁰; if one of them were to descend from heaven, her light would outshine the sun's light, so how about her radiant face when it appears from the veil? Each of them has seventy thousand boys as her servants besides her husband's servants. All that is from His bounty. Its owner gazes upon those lofty palaces with green emerald domes.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the beauty of the time and age, the element of perfect honor, care and pride, who said: 'When I was taken out of Paradise, we descended through the heavens, from heaven to heaven, and I saw Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Jesus. I greeted them, and they received me with salutations and said to me: "What have you done, O Prophet of Mercy?" I informed them of that, and they praised Allah the Exalted and asked Him for more of His favor and support with might and victory. Then I went out with Gabriel, neither he outpacing me nor I him, until I reached those in my heaven from the earth that bore me, and He showed me the wonders of the earth and what Allah the Exalted created therein, all in one night. So I am the master of the children of Adam, and I do not boast.' So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the rising, shining stars, and his Companions who obeyed his command in secret and public, a blessing by which You secure us from terrifying matters and the vicissitudes of time, and by which You calm for us the winds of terrifying trials and storms of wrath, and by which You protect us from envy, hypocrisy, vanity, and pride, and by which You save us from disbelief and poverty, the trial of the questioning and the punishment of the grave, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Excellent is the heart of the lover who saw You, He did not turn away until he saw You. His every wish is You, and his every aim— Do You see in his dalliance Your pleasure? ¹⁴⁹ The spirit of the spirit are You, and the spirit of my heart, And You are the life of those in whose heart is Your love. To You the worlds of both realms yearn, And seek gifts from Your bounty. For You are the mercy of the Merciful, a treasure Whose stores hope for Your hospitality. Allah called You to the Throne by night For His visitation, and singly He called You. The Majestic spoke to You without sound, You heard His sweetest speech there. The Generous honored You with every grace, He sufficed You over others and said: "Take." To His presence He brought You near alone, And of His greatest signs He showed You. You were supported in sight and heart, So your eyes did not stop at anything. And with alleviation You fulfilled the hopes Of Your nation who followed You. You came to the sweetest Kawthar generously, And the light of mankind and gladness is upon You. The gardens witnessed, and what the Generous has prepared For the one shown mercy, Your decree. You poured upon the worlds a sea of generosity, And the sea is not niggardly from Your munificence. You gathered the characteristics of nearness alone, And the great ones are not the abode of that. All beauty Your essence has encompassed, And none has rivaled Your beauty. So You, on the night of the Mi'raj ²⁸¹, truly Clothed the Throne with light from Your adornment. And the Hur al-'Ayn put on joy, And the paradises were perfumed with Your fragrance. So You shone, O master, like a radiant full moon, And like the pitch-black night are Your two locks.

Your cheek is a smooth slope (al-isālah) wherein is what * the fresh rose has boasted to whoever sees you. And your thick beard is a garden of safety, * and like basil (ar-rayḥān) are your two temples from it. Your neck is a great, erect, straight one, * like a column (ka-īzīrin) from which your radiance is seen. (150) A bright, luminous spear-point (sinān balj) of surpassing beauty, * your two eyebrows did not veil it with hair. Your front teeth (thnāyāka) are jewels and white camomiles (al-aqāḥī); * they have a cleft (falj) that adorns your mouth with that. Your body is a luminous jewel like fresh flowers, * and your perspiration is a jewel, and musk is that. Your fingers, my master, are branches of pearls, * and your two palms are like the opened flower. You were singled out with a garment in creation and character, * so your two garments were not created for other than you. You were perfected in your two origins (nash'atayka) of the moon and the seal, * and they refused to be emulated. Your essence (dhātuka) is a garden in which * prophethood (an-nubuwwa) and messengership (ar-risāla) are your two lines (khaṭṭatāka). Your radiant qualities (shamā'iluka al-balīja) are blooming * like a flower or like the flower of your two cheeks (khāmirāka). Upon you and your family be blessings repeatedly, * and upon your companions who followed your guidance. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the festival of joy and congratulations, and the bride of the stations of proximity and nearness, who, when he returned from his Night Journey (isrā') and entered Paradise, the wondrous in craftsmanship and perfection, it welcomed him and said: "Welcome and ease to the beloved of the Most Merciful, and His chosen one praised in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Criterion (al-Furqān)." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the fortress of security and safety, and the spring of bounty, generosity, and favor, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise, the fortified in structure and pillars, it welcomed him and said: "Welcome and ease to the master of humans and jinn, and the life of souls and bodies." (151) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the robe of acceptance and contentment, and the master of those who come and those who have passed, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise, the pure in regions and expanse, it welcomed him and said: "Welcome and ease to the bride of joys, seated upon the summit of the white pearl, and the accepted one whose intercession is hoped for on the Day of Separation and Judgment." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the adornment of adornment, perfect in beauties and attributes, and the delight of the eye, gentle in side and limbs, who, when he returned from his Night Journey, the embellished in borders and edges, it welcomed him and said: "Welcome and ease to the masterpiece of the virtuous and noble, and the locus of infallibility supported by the acceptance of truth and fairness." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad (152), the descendant of joys, the brought-near, the blessed, and the bride of the divine presences, crowned with the crown of splendor and light, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise, the lofty in chambers and palaces, it welcomed him and said: "Welcome and ease to the inscribed book of revelation, the bearer of the renowned banner of praise." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the lamp of sciences and gnosis, and the path of guidance, clear in evidence and proof, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise, abundant in houris and youths, it welcomed him and said: "Welcome and ease to the bride of the gardens, and the key of contentment and good pleasure." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the mine of compassion and tenderness, abundant in mercy and affection, and the treasure of secret and wisdom, illuminated in conscience and heart, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise, adorned with varieties of chrysolite, rubies, and coral, it welcomed him and said: "Welcome and ease to the source of generosity and beneficence, and the Messenger of Mercy, announcing to his community forgiveness and pardon." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the niche of shining lights and illuminations, and the treasury of gifts and secrets, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise, the splendid in trees and rivers, it welcomed him and said: "Welcome and ease to the master of the righteous and the adornment of the chosen messengers." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the pure in creation and nature, and the fulfiller of covenants and pledges, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise, the abundant in tables of food and blessings, it welcomed him and said: "Welcome and ease (153) to the intercessor of nations and the master of Arabs and non-Arabs." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the master of the free and the first, and the seal of the prophets and messengers, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise, the abundant in thrones and shades, it welcomed him and said: "Welcome and ease to the truthful in speech and word, and the pure in virtues and qualities." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the light of the insight of the possessors of intellect, and the flower of the longed-for gardens of knowledge, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise, clad in the lights of beauty and splendor, and said: "Welcome and ease to the one who, in his Night Journey, surpassed the two luminaries and the star Suhā, and the inhabitants of the highest heaven and the people of the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (Sidrat al-Muntahā) rejoiced in him." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the treasury of the secrets of sciences and realities, and the subtlety of the subtleties of wisdom and intricacies, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise, adorned with carpets and cushions, it welcomed him and said: "Welcome and ease to the possessor of miracles and wonders, and the one whose name is written on the necks of the houris and the crowns of the parting of the hair." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad (154), the pole of sovereignty, noble in worth and lineage, and the mountain of glory, perfect in majesty and honor, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise, the splendid in hearing and delight, it welcomed him and said: "Welcome and ease to the tree of knowledge and literature, and the Ka'ba of circumambulation and the qibla of seeking." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the elite of the virtuous, pure in branches and kinds, and the crown of the great, whose side is purified from vices and impurities, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise, the blooming in gardens and plantings, it welcomed him and said: "Welcome and ease to the master of the intelligent and the clever, and the pegs (al-awtād), the poles (al-aqṭāb), and the bells (al-ajrās)." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the opening of the beginning and the conclusion, and the imam of following and completion, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise,

of the beautiful domes and tents, welcomed him and said: "Welcome to the intercessor of mankind, and the locus of piety and honor." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the embroidery of the garment of pride and praise, and the house of vast and expansive generosity and annihilation, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise surrounded ¹⁵⁵ by glad tidings of joy and delight, welcomed him and said: "Welcome to the ultimate goal and aspiration, and the treasure of profits and riches." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, noble of bonds, pure of clans and brothers, and generous of glories, dear of family and neighbors, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise abundant with palm trees and pomegranates, welcomed him and said: "Welcome to the mercy of the far and near, and the intercessor who saves his community from the heat of blazing fire and the torment of flames." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of virtues and excellences, and the possessor of praiseworthy character and dispositions, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered Paradise magnificent in gifts and presents, welcomed him and said: "Welcome to the impregnable fortress against afflictions and calamities, and the refuge protecting his community from evil misfortunes and disasters." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the quintessence of the elite of sincere individuals, and the chosen of the select, the near-stationed, and the certain saints, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered the beautiful Paradise prepared for the God-fearing, welcomed him and said: "Welcome to the master of the truthful and the seal of the prophets and messengers." ¹⁵⁶ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the model of the firmly established pegs ²⁸², and the substance of the learned who act, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered the holy Paradise prepared for the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, welcomed him and said: "Welcome to the master of servants and ascetic worshippers, and to whom it will be said on the Day of Resurrection, along with his community: 'Peace be upon you, you have been good, so enter it to abide eternally.'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the refuge of the terrified and fearful, and the means of those who seek means ²⁸³ desirously, who, when he returned from his Night Journey and entered the lofty Paradise prepared for the successful and secure, welcomed him and said: "Welcome to the truthful and trustworthy, and the accepted intercessor with the Lord of the worlds." So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the connecting poles ²⁸⁴, and his companions, the rightly guided caliphs, a blessing by which we may be among Your servants who prostrate and bow, and Your chosen ones who are humble and lowly, and Your beloved who comply with Your commands obediently, 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 Kaaba ²⁸⁵ of the highest honor, and the well of the most precious mines, who, when he entered Paradise whose palaces are more radiant and higher than the palaces of this world, welcomed him and said: ¹⁵⁷ "Welcome to the most sublime light of prophethood, and the sweetest Kawthar ²⁸⁶ of spiritual knowledge, my master and lord, O Messenger of Allah." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the elixir of transcendent love, and the decisive criterion of the Law, who, when Paradise with its carpets and cushions saw him, welcomed him and said: "Welcome to the dawn of the truthful truth, and the interpreter of the speaking unseen tongue, my master and lord, O Messenger of Allah." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the musk of fragrant bosoms, and the light of preceding divinity, who, when Paradise abundant with cups and ewers saw him, welcomed him and said: "Welcome to the Messenger of the Lord Creator, and the near-stationed one whose station no predecessor or successor has attained, my master and lord, O Messenger of Allah." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the most famous banner of guidance, and the greatest pole of sainthood ²⁸⁷, who, when Paradise beautiful in regions and scenery saw him, welcomed him and said: "Welcome to the name inscribed on the heart of the radiant moon, and the secret inscribed on the carpet of the most luminous might, my master and lord, O Messenger of Allah." ¹⁵⁸ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the most glorious lineage, and the gardens of the most fragrant beauties, who, when Paradise with its sparkling basins and Kawthar saw him, welcomed him and said: "Welcome to the pious, pure, and most immaculate, and the master of black and red ²⁸⁸, my master and lord, O Messenger of Allah." So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which You may honor us with his pleasure, and grace us with the vision of his beautiful countenance and face, and cause us to inhale the fragrance of his prophetic sweet basil and scent, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O beloved of Allah, O full moon of the night journey, * and to Him belongs the procession in the celestial realm. O beloved of Allah, who can drink * when the sweetest drink draws near from Him? O beloved of Allah, when there is a private communion, * You are the purest and nearest. O beloved of Allah, the Most High called you: * "Draw near, O Taha ²⁸⁹, for you are the pure." O beloved of Allah, in Paradise, from * Your river Kawthar, the drink is pleasant. O beloved of Allah, the branches of the gardens * approach you from the Garden of Eden. O beloved of Allah, houris adorned * for you in Paradise, seeking in longing. O beloved of Allah, you loved the meeting * with the One in whom everything desires. O beloved of Allah, in my hand for me * and for my likes, the pouring cloud. O beloved of Allah, I have in hope * beauty, even if terror frightens me. O beloved of Allah, hope does not fail * for people in you when they sin. ¹⁵⁹ O beloved of Allah, O strongest of people * in means, when their means vanish. O beloved of Allah, I have a return * not negligent toward a sinning lover. And upon you, Allah, bless eternally * and upon family and companions with love. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the mercy of Islam, and the bride of the Abode of Peace ²⁹⁰, who, when he returned from his Night Journey, the angels of revelation and inspiration welcomed him and received him with cheerfulness, glorification, and honor. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the path

Of guidance and facilitation, and the bride of openings and illumination, who, when he returned from his night journey ²⁹¹, was welcomed by the angels of obedience and subjugation, and they congratulated him on what his Lord had honored him with of complete care and great dominion. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the lamp of darknesses and morals, and the center of the circle of messengers and angels, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of stars and celestial spheres, and they said: "Welcome to him by whose mission Allah erased the darkness of ignorance and polytheism." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, abundant in fortune and portion, and the locus of success and infallibility, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of gentleness and mercy, and they said: "Welcome to the great in rank and sanctity, and the faithful to covenant and pledge." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the conclusive proof and the most sublime secret, and the pillar of lofty lineage and the highest honor, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of proximity and the highest expanse, and they said: "Welcome to the beloved of the Lord, and he who is most worthy of the believers." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the illuminated and beautiful face, the purified heart and eloquent tongue, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of tahlil ²⁹² and tasbih ²⁹³, and they said: "Welcome to the possessor of the lofty station and the spacious court." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the unique jewel of beauty, and the extended shadow of prophethood, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of takbir ²⁹⁴ and tahmid ²⁹⁵, and they said: "Welcome to the auspicious and blessed countenance, and the new season of good." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of glory and pride, and the interpreter of the tongue of prohibition and command, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of recitation and remembrance, and they said: "Welcome to the high in station and worth, and the locus of struggle and victory." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the station of fame and definition, and the house of lordship and honor, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of service and disposal, and they said: "Welcome to him who was sent to his community with ease and alleviation, and through whose blessing Allah removed from them the hardship of the sanctuary and obligation." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the prophet of mercy sent with facilitation and gentleness, and the guardian of grace, truthful in speech and utterance, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of thunder and lightning, and they said: "Welcome to the messenger of the True King, and the sultan of the kingdom supported by proofs of prophethood and evidences of truth." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the spirit of spirits and essences, and the noble of names and attributes, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of rain and vegetation, and they said: "Welcome to the lofty in degrees, and the prophet of guidance who leads his community on the paths of rectitude and salvation." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the delight of assemblies and hearts, and the glory of days and months, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of radiance and light, and they said: "Welcome to the possessor of the renowned banner, and the victorious troop and army." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the inscription of the book of revelation inscribed, and prophethood and message adorned, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of the highest and the Frequented House ²⁹⁶, and they said: "Welcome to the brought near and accepted, possessor of righteous deeds and thanked endeavor." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of dazzling signs and miraculous wonders, and the light of unveilings, and direct vision and truthful discernment, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of veils and canopies, and they said: "Welcome to the possessor of radiant manifestations and shining lights." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the smooth cheek and the wide eye, the radiant forehead and the luminous face, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of desired gaze and green adornment, and they said: "Welcome to the branch of the tree of glory most fresh, and the gardens of most fragrant beauties." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the spirit of the spiritual and physical world, and the master of every angel, jinn, and human, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of the Throne and the Footstool ²⁹⁷, and they said: "Welcome to him by whom Allah perfumed the regions of the kingdom and the dominion, and the enclosures of the holy expanse." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the treasure of sciences and wisdoms, and the pure of character and traits, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of the Tablet and the Pen ²⁹⁸, and they said: "Welcome to the pure of beginning and end, and he whom Allah informed of His unseen and hidden secret." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pole ²⁹⁹ of beauty and splendor, and the light of insight of those of intelligence and understanding, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of the most radiant station and the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ³⁰⁰, and they said: "Welcome to the bride of the desired spectacle, and the hero whose Ahmadian ³⁰¹ characteristics have no limit and no end." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the garment of glory and pride, and the master of the desert and city dwellers, who, when he returned from his night journey, was welcomed by the angels of the sun and the moon, and they said: "Welcome to the ambassador of the unseen, truthful in speech and report, and the prophet to whom the stone greeted and the tree responded to his call." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the niche ³⁰²

The radiant lights, and the springs of comprehensive wisdoms and benefits. When he returned from his night journey ³⁰³, the angels of the seventh heaven welcomed him, saying: "Welcome to the lamp of beneficial sciences, and the eye of abundant generosity and mercy." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the best of those through whose blessing You have enriched the wretched supplication, and the most generous of those through whose blessing the hearts of the despairing have attained their goal. When he returned from his night journey, the angels of the seventh heaven welcomed him, saying: "Welcome to him through whose countenance Allah has made the frowning faces laugh, and through the remnants of whose ablution ³⁰⁴ the dry trees have been brought to life." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the best of those whose garments You have embroidered with the beauties of piety, and the most generous of those whose gatherings You have illuminated with the subtle graces of remembrances. When he returned from his night journey, the angels of the fifth heaven welcomed him, saying: "Welcome to him through whom Allah has revived the effaced landmarks of religion." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the desire of the fearful and obedient souls, and the mihrab ³⁰⁵ of the prostrating and bowing spirits. When he returned from his night journey, the angels of the fourth heaven welcomed him, saying: "Welcome to him whom Allah sent with conclusive proofs and evidences, and supported with the swords of admonitions and deterrents." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the possessor of truthful inspirations ³⁰⁶ and arousing states ³⁰⁷, and the understandings that grasp the secrets of sciences and investigate their meanings. When he returned from his night journey, the angels of the third heaven welcomed him, saying: "Welcome to him through whom Allah has repelled from this community various calamities and sudden misfortunes." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the essence of beautiful morals and lofty aspirations, and the possessor of noble deeds and sufficient sayings. When he returned from his night journey, the angels of the second heaven welcomed him, saying: "Welcome to him at whose arrival the inhabitants of the highest realm ³⁰⁸ and the people of the sublime presences ³⁰⁹ rejoiced." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, Your beloved, truthful in discernment and vision, and Your chosen one, distinguished by the lofty station and the high degree. When he returned from his night journey, the angels of the lowest heaven welcomed him, saying: "Welcome to him whom Allah has made an intercessor for his community and honored above all the dead and the living." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the locus of thoughts and ideas, and the secret of the opening of litanies ³¹⁰ and remembrances. When he returned from his night journey, the angels of Paradise and Hell welcomed him, saying: "Welcome to the master of the righteous, and the beloved of the Generous, Forgiving Lord." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the model of the pious who have attained ³¹¹, and the imam of the perfect ones who have erred ³¹². When he returned from his night journey, the elite of the noble recording angels ³¹³ welcomed him, saying: "Welcome to the desire of the eager seekers, and the means of the sinful repentant." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the adornment of the devout and humble, and the comfort of the fearful and lowly. When he returned from his night journey, the great angels, the fearful and obedient, welcomed him, saying: "Welcome, with the tongue of the supplicating and submissive, and the prayer of the accepted intercessors." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the spirit of the spirits of the dominating angels ³¹⁴, and the eye of the eyes of the illumined holy ones. When he returned from his night journey, the chiefs of the cherubim ³¹⁵ angels welcomed him, saying: "Welcome to the basil of the intimate friends ³¹⁶, and the quintessence of the intelligent guided ones." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the star of radiant happiness, and the treasure of the rich and the needy. When he returned from his night journey, the angels of the Night Journey and Ascension ³¹⁷ welcomed him, saying: "Welcome to the Prophet pure in lineage and spouses, and the chosen one clear in path and way." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the light of prophethood deposited in pure loins and wombs, and the treasure of the message that, with its radiance, erased the traces of idol worshippers. When he returned from his night journey, the angels of the Sacred House ³¹⁸, the Corner ³¹⁹, and the Station ³²⁰ welcomed him, saying: "Welcome to him whom Allah has honored above all creatures, and manifested his excellence among the prophets and noble messengers." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the master of those who fast and stand in prayer, and the refuge of protection and the sanctuary of holding fast. When he returned from his night journey, the angels of the honored city ³²¹ and his mosque, peace be upon him, welcomed him, saying: "Welcome to him whom his Lord took by night from Mecca to the house of Syria ³²², and raised him to the highest degree and the loftiest station." So bless him, O Allah, and his noble, eminent family, and his companions who have made clear the paths of laws and rulings, a blessing by which You establish us at the arrival of the term with the firm word ³²³ and the onslaught of death, and by which You make us attain, from Your pleasure and his pleasure, the utmost goal and the fulfillment of desire, 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 and lord Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his night journey, the breeze of the jasmine of dawn came walking behind him and before him, and the face of the rose of morning revived him and spread its sleeves for him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his night journey, the breeze of the spring of drowning ³²⁴ came kissing the dust of his sandals and kissing his feet, and the vein of the narcissus of forenoon carried his banner and spread his flags. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his night journey, the breeze of the lily of noon came erecting for him its domes and tents, and the fragrance of the evening primrose obeyed his command and executed his judgments. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his night journey, the breeze of the musk of night came guiding its fragrances to him and casting its perfumes upon him.

Before him is his reins, and the amber of musk of the pre-dawn meal ³²⁵ preserves his covenants and protects his sanctity. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which You raise for us his station in the highest 'Illiyin ³²⁶, and make us thereby among those who have established the pillar of his Muhammadan religion and upheld it, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Peace be upon Ahmad al-Mustafa ³²⁷ from Allah at every time and moment. Peace be upon al-Mustafa, carrying to him the scent of roses and jasmine. Peace that passes through the flowers of the meadows and offers fragrance to Taha al-Amin ³²⁸. Peace that travels on the heads of the breeze to the Master of the Messengers. Peace that lends fragrance to the lavender and the violet garden for those who inhale. Peace whose fragrance is musk from his perfume and the scent of the empty places for Taha al-Makin ³²⁹. Peace be upon Ahmad al-Mustafa eternally from the most noble assembly. Peace from the Throne to al-Mustafa, by which the souls of the knowers ³³⁰ are delighted. Peace upon those who circumambulate him for Ahmad for the duration of the years. Peace of the Kursi ³³¹, Lord of the Most High, and the standing angels for him. Peace to Jibril ³³², who was taken by night with him, encompassing Qiba ³³³, the model of the righteous. Peace to Mika'il ³³⁴, like musk in a shrine containing the most fragrant of the fragrant. Peace from the Tablet ³³⁵ that shone upon him whom Allah chose among the glorious. Peace from the Hur ³³⁶ to al-Mustafa; you see creation sneezing from his fragrance. (170) Peace from the preceding chambers to Ahmad, quenching the thirst of those who yearn. Peace from Khuld ³³⁷ to al-Mustafa and its honored inhabitants. Peace from Salsabil ³³⁸ upon the Beloved who brought guidance and certainty. Peace from the splendid garments upon al-Mustafa, the most honorable of those who wear. Peace of the branches upon al-Mustafa, prepared for the generosity of the workers. Peace be upon Ahmad al-Mujtaba ³³⁹ with the carrying of its circumambulating youths. Peace to Ridwan ³⁴⁰, its keeper, upon al-Mustafa, the first of those who enter. Peace from the longed-for Kawthar ³⁴¹ upon him who brought clear guidance. Peace be upon him for the thirsty, and from his Hawd ³⁴² the mainstay of those who come. Peace to his community, those who heard of him among the first and the last. Peace be upon him for those who visit him, perform Hajj and circumambulate among the Muslims. Peace to Ahmad for those who love and are lovers of Taha. Peace upon the Family and his Companions, and the virtuous masters, the followers. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who, when he returned from his Night Journey ³⁴³, the morning breeze rejoiced in him and carried him on its fragrant scent, and spread his perfume, and the Kursi bore witness that he is from his luminous carpet and trod upon his throne. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who, when he returned from his Night Journey, al-Mushtari ³⁴⁴ and al-Zuhra ³⁴⁵ and the stars of al-Suha ³⁴⁶ rejoiced in him, (171) and the Tablet and the Pen bore witness that he surpassed the Majestic Throne and the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ³⁴⁷. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who, when he returned from his Night Journey, the inhabitants of earth and heaven rejoiced in him, and bore witness that he is Allah's chosen one from His good creation, the origin and the ultimate end. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who, when he returned from his Night Journey, the mountains of Najd and Tihama rejoiced in him, and bore witness that he is the Messenger of Truth, shaded by the cloud. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who, when he returned from his Night Journey, Abu Qays ³⁴⁸, Radwa ³⁴⁹, and Nu'man ³⁵⁰ rejoiced in him, and bore witness that he is the secret of existence and the lamp 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, when he returned from his Night Journey, Uhud ³⁵¹, Thayr ³⁵², Thawr ³⁵³, and Hira ³⁵⁴ rejoiced in him, and bore witness that he is the Sultan of the Divine Kingdom and the Bridegroom of the towns. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who, when he returned from his Night Journey, al-Mafrah ³⁵⁵, Badr ³⁵⁶, Hunayn ³⁵⁷, and Jabal al-Rahma ³⁵⁸ rejoiced in him, (172) and bore witness that he is the Prophet of Infallibility and the Patron of Grace. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who, when he returned from his Night Journey, Uhud, the palm trees, al-Mali ³⁵⁹, al-Aqiq ³⁶⁰, and al-Ban ³⁶¹ rejoiced in him, and bore witness that he is the life of souls and the comfort of the righteous. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who, when he returned from his Night Journey, al-Hatim ³⁶², Zamzam ³⁶³, the watering of pilgrims, and the Sacred House of Allah rejoiced in him, and bore witness that he is the Seal of the Prophets and the Crown of the Noble Messengers. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who, when he returned from his Night Journey, al-Mash'ar al-Haram ³⁶⁴, al-Rukn ³⁶⁵, al-Maqam ³⁶⁶, and Mizab al-Rahma ³⁶⁷ rejoiced in him, and bore witness that he is the Intercessor of the community, the Remover of distress, and the Dispeller 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, when he returned from his Night Journey, al-Safa ³⁶⁸ and al-Marwa ³⁶⁹, al-Musalla ³⁷⁰ and al-'Alam ³⁷¹ rejoiced in him, and bore witness that he is the Magnified House of Allah and its Venerated Corner. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Beloved, who, when he returned from his Night Journey, the regions of Mecca and its gardens (173) with ripe flowers and abundant waters rejoiced in him, and bore witness that he is the Ambassador of the Unseen, the Treasurer of the hidden knowledge of Divinity. So bless him, O Allah, and his family from the noblest tribes and lineages, and his Companions who succeeded in supporting him over those who preceded them in all times and centuries, a blessing by which You fulfill for us our needs and affairs, and relieve us of worries, sorrows, and imprisonments, 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, when he returned from his noble and majestic Night Journey, began to tell his people the news of the Holy House ³⁷², the radiant and ancient, and its beautiful descriptions in detail and verification, and what he saw on his way.

Among the wonders and marvels, his love Abu Bakr al-Siddiq ³⁷³ believed him in all of that. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his Night Journey ³⁷⁴ having attained the goal, Quraysh asked him about a caravan of theirs that was in Syria. He said to them: "I passed by the camels of the sons of so-and-so, and a camel had strayed from them while they were searching for it, and I guided them to it in the darkness of the night." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his Night Journey, surrounded by piety and honor, informed Quraysh that he had passed by one of their camels, found a bucket of water, took it, drank from it, then put it back in its place. When the caravan arrived, they found the matter exactly as he, peace be upon him, had said. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his magnificent and famous Night Journey, Quraysh said to him: "Tell us when our caravan will come." He said: "At sunrise, when its radiant rays spread." So they went out to wait for it. When the sun was about to rise, Allah, exalted is He, held it back until it rose with the arrival of the caravan. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who, when he returned from his pure Night Journey of blessed stations and breaths, Quraysh asked him about the descriptions of the Holy House ³⁷⁵ in Jerusalem, purified from all abominations and impurities. Allah, exalted is He, magnified it until he could see it, and whenever they asked him about something, he informed them about it without any doubt or confusion, until many people apostatized. That is because of His saying, exalted is He: "And We made not the vision which We showed you except as a trial for mankind" ³⁷⁶. So bless him, O Allah, and his pure family, the noble branches and kinds, and his eminent companions, the intelligent and wise, with a blessing by which You repel from us every harm and affliction, and by which You remove from our hearts the darkness of doubts and confusion in love for him, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Glorious is He who raised the Beloved above all the prophets in rank and union. In him he excelled the near ones and surpassed, he spoke of closeness, vision, and intimacy. When he drew near to his God and descended, he spoke of closeness, vision, and intimacy. When he was veiled from the Majestic, he saw the creatures in awe and majesty. His closeness and nearness were by gentleness, like one who sees God, exalted is He. The closeness of the Chosen One and his noble creatures—how beautiful is the association! His Lord singled out the Beloved in secret, and upon him His lights shone. God, who is sanctified, placed in the Beloved all that one can attain. God made his heart, after the first and the last, a final destination. And I send blessings upon him and all his family and the companions who excelled in friendship. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, by the sanctity of this wondrous Night Journey of unique craftsmanship and style, and by the sanctity of this Ascension descending from the treasuries of gifts and the heaven of the unseen, and by the angels who brought it down to the life of souls and the beloved of hearts, our master and lord Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the treasure of the sought-after secret, and the city of bestowed knowledge, and by the Name by which You were asked in the station of "two bow-lengths" ³⁷⁷, when the drink became pure for him, and he attained the utmost of desires and wishes, and by the secret of the primordial nature which You sent down upon his tongue, whereby he knew the knowledge of the first and the last, and You gathered for him the secrets of the prophets and messengers, that You may cause my spirit to journey to the presence of Your holiness, and reward me with the lights of witnessing You to the carpet of Your intimacy, and bring me out to the stations of Your closeness with the unique ones ³⁷⁸ singled out by the specification of Your will, and the pegs ³⁷⁹ observed by the eye of Your care and the precedents of Your felicity, and immerse me in the seas of the lights of Your Oneness and the secrets of Your Uniqueness, and make me disappear in the beauty of Your Essence and the attributes of Your perfections, until I see and hear only through You, and find and feel only what comes to me from the secrets of Your sainthood and the breezes of Your closeness. O Allah, this is the Ascension of Your beloved; we have clung to its fringes and interceded with You through him who ascended upon it, and we have sought refuge in his great rank and station, that You honor us with affiliation to him, and make us among his lovers, and honor us with his pleasure, as You honored the special ones among his companions and followers, and give us to drink as You gave them from the cup of his overflowing love and the deliciousness of his drink. And make me, O Allah, among those who submit to his obedience, who act according to his Sunnah and his Book, and remove from me the burdens of laziness so that I may be active in complying with his commands and hearing his address. And write me with You among the servants of his noble station and the gatekeepers of his doors, so that my heart may be at ease with his intercession, and we may be safe from those who are on the Day of the Great Terror and its reproach. And gather me with those upon whom You have bestowed favor—the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous—in the courtyards of Paradise and its domes. O Allah, unite my scattered state with his beautiful pleasure and complete affection, and make me inhale the fragrant breezes of his Muhammadan mercies and the zephyrs of his gentleness, and string me in the necklace of his party and band, and suckle me from the breast of his Ahmadine Sunnah and the realities of his correctness, and cover me with the mantles of his might and care, and place me in the seas of his guidance and sainthood, and ascend me to the heaven of guidance and success upon his ladders, and make the last moment of my soul's departure be upon his upright religion and the path of his way, and make me happy with the vision of his blessed face in life and after death, and lodge me with him in the highest paradises and the loftiest stations, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Away from me, away from me, while I am in the holy presence of the divine ³⁸⁰; I am from my description wine, I am from my essence a wine-jar. I have always had, under the cloaks of the variances of desire, and likewise in the farthest reaches, my sainthood is delight. I have a Beloved from whom comes every request and wish: that I may be lifted up to God—visit me. He said to me: By God, connect with me. He calls me and I call Him—ask about Him and about me. And wondrous is it with His companions: I am from Him and He is from me. I said: "Your day, O my Beloved, who is this?" He said: "I am." So for this I became in time, pouring forth every art of mine. So cast off illusion and declare openly our love, do not use metaphors. May God preserve a time when the sea of my essence overflowed, and a place of beauty that resembled the Garden of Eden. All his companions and my people are protections and wishes. The Spirit of Existence said to me: "Whoever serves your door serves me; whoever seeks me and comes to your market with my repulsion and my seriousness, from the sweat of your secret he makes me known; from the sight of your face he sees me." My suns have risen in you, so appear to the universe by My permission. You are from the Surah of My Criterion and from the form of My beauty. So expand with Me, O my seeker, and repeat My words and sing. It is completed, by the praise of Allah, exalted is He, and His beautiful help and success, on the evening of Friday, the fourteenth day of Rabi' al-Thani... by the hand of its writer, the servant of his Lord, the captive of his sin, Muhammad al-Makki, Burj al-Bashir al-Husayni by origin and upbringing. May Allah forgive him, his parents, his siblings, his family, and all Muslim men and women, the living among them and the dead. Amen. And our final call is that all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Year 1415.

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1. isrā'āt : Plural of isrā', meaning night journey; refers to the Prophet Muhammad's ascension(s) to heaven.
2. ṣaḥīḥ al-aḥādīth : Authentic hadiths; sound prophetic traditions.
3. Ṭāhā : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, derived from the Arabic letters Ṭā' and Hā'.
4. marḥabā : An Arabic greeting meaning 'welcome' or 'hello'.
5. qāba qawsayni aw adnā : Quranic phrase (53:9) meaning 'two bow-lengths or nearer,' describing the Prophet's proximity to Allah during the Mi'raj.
6. du'īta : You have been invited; refers to the divine invitation for the Prophet's ascension.
7. Burāq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet Muhammad during the Night Journey (Isrā').
8. ramazta : You symbolized or hinted; refers to Allah's subtle indications in the Quran.
9. Sūrat al-Isrā' : Chapter 17 of the Quran, titled 'The Night Journey,' which recounts the Prophet's ascension.
10. āyāt rabbihi al-kubrā : The greatest signs of his Lord; Quranic phrase from 53:18.
11. al-waṣf al-khāṣṣ : The special description; refers to the unique attributes of God known only through the signs mentioned in the Qur'an.
12. ʿarāʾis al-jinān : Brides of the gardens; a metaphorical expression for the Prophet's family, likened to brides in the gardens of Paradise.
13. al-ʿirfān : Gnosis; esoteric knowledge of God, often associated with Sufism.
14. wilāya : Sainthood; spiritual authority and closeness to God.
15. al-Burāq : The mythical mount that carried the Prophet during the Night Journey (Isrāʾ).
16. al-asbāb : Means or causes; the principle that God ordinarily works through secondary causes.
17. barzakhī : Intermediate; belonging to the barzakh, the realm between the physical and spiritual worlds.
18. ahl Allāh : People of Allah; a term for the saints and spiritual elite.
19. faras al-nūba : Horse of the Nubian; a reference to a custom where a king sends a horse to a messenger as a sign of honor.
20. Bayt al-Maqdis : Jerusalem; the site of the Prophet's ascension to heaven.
21. shams : Sun; here used metaphorically to describe the Burāq's speed or brightness.
22. ʿattār : One who overturns; a description of the Burāq's action of overturning the cup.
23. aṣḥāb al-sayr : Masters of conduct; experts in spiritual journeying and mystical states.
24. fiṭra : Natural disposition; the innate primordial nature of humans created by God.
25. nasīm : Breeze; here meaning a group or direction, possibly a misreading for 'ashkhāṣ' (figures).
26. Āl : Family or household of the Prophet, including his descendants and close companions.
27. Aqlām : Pens; here referring to the divine pens that write destinies on the Preserved Tablet.
28. Alwāḥ al-maḥw wa al-thubāt : Tablets of effacement and establishment; tablets where divine decrees are written and then possibly altered.
29. Zarparaf : A term for a high station or a celestial being; possibly a reference to a specific angel or level in the ascension.
30. Burāq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet during the Night Journey (Isrā').
31. Yuṣallī : To pray or send blessings; here it means Allah is engaged in a special act of blessing.
32. Qur'an 33:43 : Verse: 'It is He who sends blessings upon you, and His angels, to bring you out of darkness into light.'
33. Qur'an 55:31 : Verse: 'We will attend to you, O you two heavy ones (jinn and mankind).'
34. Āl : Family or household of the Prophet, including his descendants and close companions.
35. al-Buraq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet Muhammad during the Night Journey (Isra').
36. the Rock : The Foundation Stone (Sakhrah) in the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, from which the Prophet ascended to heaven.
37. al-Aqsa Mosque : The third holiest site in Islam, located in Jerusalem.
38. imam of the two qiblas : Referring to the Prophet Muhammad, who prayed towards both Jerusalem (first qibla) and Mecca (final qibla).
39. rak'ahs : Units of Islamic prayer, consisting of standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting.
40. houris : Beautiful, pure companions in Paradise promised to the righteous.
41. Salsabil : A spring in Paradise mentioned in the Qur'an (76:18).
42. Night of the Ascension : Laylat al-Mi'raj, the night when the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.
43. Mi'raj : The ladder or means of ascent used by the Prophet during his heavenly journey.
44. Firdaws : The highest level of Paradise.
45. iqama : The second call to prayer, signaling the start of the congregational prayer.
46. adhan : The Islamic call to prayer, recited five times a day.
47. al-kawnayn : The two worlds: this world and the Hereafter, or the physical and spiritual realms.
48. sara laylan : Reference to the Night Journey (Isra') of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem.
49. al-Masjid al-Aqsa : The Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem, the destination of the Isra'.
50. amma jami' al-mursalin wa al-anbiya : The Prophet Muhammad led all the prophets in prayer during the Isra'.
51. qaba qawsayn : A Qur'anic phrase (53:9) indicating the Prophet's proximity to Allah during the Mi'raj, meaning 'two bow-lengths' or closer.
52. Mi'raj : The Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad through the heavens.
53. Jibril : The archangel Gabriel, who accompanied the Prophet during the Isra' and Mi'raj.
54. Qur'an 62:2 : A verse from the Qur'an about the Prophet's mission to the unlettered.
55. Qur'an 21:107 : A verse stating the Prophet is a mercy to the worlds.
56. Isra' : The Night Journey from Mecca to Jerusalem.
57. Qur'an 33:45-46 : A verse describing the Prophet's roles as witness, bearer of good tidings, warner, and illuminating lamp.
58. Qur'an 18:1 : A verse praising Allah for sending down the Book without deviance.
59. Qur'an 33:56 : A verse commanding believers to bless and greet the Prophet.
60. diwan al-khalq : The register or record of creation, containing the lights of beings.
61. Idris : The prophet Enoch, identified with Idris in Islamic tradition.
62. kitab al-baraka : The book of blessing, a metaphorical title for the Prophet Muhammad.
63. Maryam bint 'Imran : Mary, the mother of Jesus, daughter of 'Imran.
64. umm Musa : The mother of Moses, identified as Yochebed in Islamic tradition.
65. Asiyah bint Muzahim : The wife of Pharaoh who adopted Moses, considered a righteous woman.
66. Fatimah bint Muhammad : The daughter of the Prophet Muhammad.
67. Harun ibn 'Imran : Aaron, the brother of Moses, son of 'Imran.
68. Taybah : A name for Medina, meaning 'good' or 'pleasant'.
69. al-Haram : The Sacred Mosque in Mecca, or the sacred territory.
70. al-Malik al-Quddus : The King, the Holy, names of Allah; 'the Spirit' refers to the angel Jibril or a special creation.
71. jundu rabbika : The hosts of your Lord; refers to the angels and spiritual armies of Allah, whose number is known only to Him.
72. sidrat al-muntahā : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary; a celestial tree in the seventh heaven marking the limit of angelic knowledge and the point of the Prophet's ascension.
73. al-isrā’ : The Night Journey; the Prophet Muhammad's miraculous journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and then ascension through the heavens.
74. khāzin al-nār : The Keeper of the Fire; the angel Malik, who is the guardian of Hell.
75. Ṭāhā : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, derived from the Arabic letters Ṭā’ and Hā’, often interpreted as 'O pure one' or 'O guide'.
76. Mālik : The angel appointed over Hell, known for his sternness and lack of smile except for the Prophet Muhammad.
77. Aḥmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'the most praised one'.
78. Riḍwān : The angel in charge of Paradise, known for his welcoming demeanor.
79. tabarruk : Seeking blessing through a person or object believed to be a source of divine grace.
80. Sidrat al-Muntaha : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a celestial tree in the seventh heaven marking the limit of angelic knowledge and the site of the Prophet's ascension.
81. adhan : The Islamic call to prayer.
82. iqama : The second call to prayer, signaling the start of the congregational prayer.
83. rak'ah : A unit of Islamic prayer, consisting of standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting.
84. Jannat al-Ma'wa : The Garden of Refuge, a paradise near the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, mentioned in Quran 53:15.
85. al-Maqam al-Mahmud : The Praiseworthy Station, a rank of intercession granted to the Prophet Muhammad on the Day of Judgment.
86. al-Hawd al-Mawrud : The Pond of Abundance, a celestial pool from which the Prophet's followers will drink on the Day of Judgment.
87. al-'Arus al-Ahmadiyya : The Ahmadine bride, a metaphorical reference to the Prophet Muhammad's spiritual station or the soul of the Prophet.
88. 'umra : The lesser pilgrimage to Mecca, performed at any time of the year.
89. Sunna : The teachings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad, considered a model for Muslims.
90. Salsabil : A spring in Paradise, mentioned in Quran 76:18.
91. al-'Adnani : A reference to the Prophet Muhammad's lineage from Adnan, a forefather of the Quraysh tribe.
92. tawhid : The Islamic concept of monotheism, the oneness of God.
93. sidra : The lote tree, specifically the Sidrat al-Muntaha, the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a celestial tree in the seventh heaven marking the end of angelic knowledge.
94. Surah An-Najm : Chapter 53 of the Quran, 'The Star', which describes the Prophet's ascension and the Sidrat al-Muntaha.
95. Quran 53:16-18 : Verses describing the covering of the lote tree and the greatest signs of the Lord.
96. hamalat al-'arsh : The bearers of the Throne, angels who carry the Throne of God.
97. Hajar : A region in Arabia known for its large clay jars.
98. Malakut : The realm of dominion or the angelic world, a term in Islamic cosmology.
99. Jabarut : The realm of power or divine omnipotence, a higher spiritual realm.
100. al-Habib al-Mukhtar : The Beloved Chosen One, a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
101. Sidrat al-Muntaha : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, the boundary beyond which no angel or creature can pass.
102. Allahumma salli wa sallim 'ala... : Standard formula for invoking blessings and peace upon the Prophet and his family.
103. al-Ruh : The Spirit, often identified as a mighty angel or the Archangel Gabriel in some contexts, but here a distinct being.
104. Israfil : The archangel responsible for blowing the Trumpet on the Day of Resurrection.
105. al-Sur : The Trumpet that Israfil will blow to signal the Resurrection.
106. Quran 78:38 : Verse mentioning the Spirit and angels standing in rows.
107. hadith : A prophetic tradition describing the Mi'raj (ascension) and encounters with angels.
108. al-thaqalayn : The two heavy ones, referring to humans and jinn.
109. ihtajaba : Veiled or concealed Himself, indicating God's transcendence and incomparability.
110. al-A'lā : The Most High; one of the names of God, referring to His supreme exaltation.
111. al-Wāḥid al-Fard al-Ẓāhir : The One, the Unique, the Manifest; divine attributes emphasizing God's oneness, uniqueness, and evident presence.
112. sābi'atu as-suf'lā wa sābi'atu al-'ulā : The seventh of the lower and the seventh of the higher; likely referring to the seven heavens and seven earths, or levels of existence.
113. al-makfūf : The veiled one; possibly a reference to a hidden reality or the 'barzakh' (isthmus) between heaven and earth.
114. 'arshīyah : Throne-like; pertaining to the Divine Throne ('Arsh), symbolizing the highest spiritual realm.
115. farshīyah : Carpet-like; pertaining to the 'carpet' (farsh), symbolizing the lower material world.
116. kursīyah : Footstool-like; pertaining to the Footstool (Kursī), a level between the Throne and the earth.
117. insīyah : Intimate; from 'uns' (intimacy), referring to a spiritual palace of closeness to God.
118. aqlām qudsīyah : Holy pens; celestial instruments of divine writing, often associated with the Preserved Tablet.
119. alwāḥ ghaybīyah : Unseen tablets; heavenly tablets containing divine knowledge, akin to the Preserved Tablet.
120. Muṣṭafawīyah : Chosen; referring to the Prophet Muhammad, who is al-Muṣṭafā (the Chosen One).
121. Muḥammadīyah : Muhammadan; pertaining to the Prophet Muhammad.
122. Aḥmadīyah : Ahmad's; Ahmad is another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
123. Qur'an 40:7 : A verse from the Quran describing the angels around the Throne.
124. al-ḥaḍrah al-maṣfūfīyah : The arranged presence; a spiritual station of the Prophet where angels are arrayed in rows.
125. Sidrat al-Muntahā : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary; a celestial tree marking the end of creation, beyond which no angel or prophet can pass.
126. al-wasīlah : The means; a high station in Paradise granted to the Prophet Muhammad, also used as a means of intercession.
127. majrūrah : Drawn; possibly meaning 'opened' or 'extended', referring to the doors of divine mercy.
128. zabr : Writing; a book or scripture, here referring to the knowledge of the seas.
129. istiwā' : Established; God's attribute of 'establishing Himself' over the Throne (Quran 20:5), interpreted as His sovereign control.
130. Qur'an 17:1 : The verse referring to the Night Journey (Isrā') of the Prophet Muhammad.
131. Qur'an 53:17 : A verse describing the Prophet's vision during the Ascension.
132. Qur'an 53:10 : A verse indicating divine revelation to the Prophet.
133. Qur'an 53:9 : A verse describing the Prophet's proximity to God during the Ascension.
134. ahl al-gharar : People of delusion or deception; those who hold erroneous or misleading beliefs.
135. lā kayfiyya : Without modality; a theological term affirming that God's attributes are not subject to human categories of 'how'.
136. al-istiwā' : The divine attribute of 'establishing Himself' or 'rising over' the Throne, as in Qur'an 20:5, understood without modality.
137. al-Mustafā : The Chosen One; a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
138. al-Isrā' : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem.
139. al-Rafraf : A celestial mount or vehicle used by the Prophet during the Mi'rāj; often described as a green cushion or a light-based conveyance.
140. al-Mi'rāj : The Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad through the heavens to the divine presence.
141. Āyat al-Kursī : The Throne Verse (Qur'an 2:255), which describes God's sovereignty and knowledge.
142. Sūrat Yā Sīn : Chapter 36 of the Qur'an, often called the heart of the Qur'an.
143. Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ : Chapter 112 of the Qur'an, affirming God's absolute oneness.
144. yuhza'u al-salam : Literally 'a greeting of mockery'; here it may refer to a greeting that appears mocking but is actually a sign of honor, or it could be a textual variant.
145. saq al-'arsh : The 'Leg of the Throne' is a term in Islamic cosmology referring to a part of the Divine Throne, often interpreted as a symbol of divine power or a specific created entity.
146. al-wasilah : The Intermediary Station or means of nearness to God, a special rank granted to the Prophet Muhammad in Paradise.
147. al-shafa'ah : Intercession; the Prophet's ability to intercede for his community on the Day of Judgment.
148. 'arusat al-hamdi : The 'bride of praise' is a metaphorical term for the Prophet Muhammad's praiseworthy station or the essence of praise itself.
149. al-kamal al-ahmadi : Ahmadian perfection refers to the perfections associated with the Prophet Muhammad, whose name Ahmad is derived from 'hamd' (praise).
150. al-karubiyyun : Cherubim; a high rank of angels in Islamic angelology, often associated with the bearers of the Throne.
151. al-muqarrabun : The Near Ones; angels or saints who are brought near to God, often referring to the highest ranks of angels.
152. al-khalil : The Intimate Friend; a title given to Prophet Abraham, but here applied to Muhammad, indicating his close relationship with God.
153. al-habib : The Beloved; a title of the Prophet Muhammad, emphasizing his special love from God.
154. الكُبْرَى : The greatest; refers to the greatest station or attribute of the Prophet Muhammad.
155. الْمَقَامِ الْمَحْمُودِ : The Praised Station; a rank of intercession granted to the Prophet Muhammad on the Day of Judgment (Quran 17:79).
156. الْحَقُّ : The Truth; one of the names of God, also used to refer to the divine reality.
157. شَرْعِيٌّ وَاصْطِفَائِيٌّ : Legally and electively; referring to perfection in both the revealed law (shar‘) and divine selection (iṣṭifā’).
158. لِوَائِي : My banner; the banner of praise (liwā’ al-ḥamd) held by the Prophet Muhammad on the Day of Resurrection.
159. وَاسِطَةُ الْعِقْدِ : The central pearl; a metaphor for the most precious and central element in a necklace, indicating the Prophet's pivotal role.
160. الْمَمْلَكَةِ الْاصْطِفَائِيَّةِ : The elective kingdom; the spiritual realm of divine selection.
161. الْحَلِّ وَالْعَقْدِ : Binding and loosening; authority to decide and decree.
162. آمَنَ اللَّهُ بِي : God has assured me; a phrase indicating divine guarantee or security granted to the Prophet.
163. بِجَمَالِكَ الزَّاهِي أُسَرْ : I am captivated by your radiant beauty; a poetic expression of love for the Prophet.
164. بَدْرِ التَّمَامِ : The full moon; a metaphor for the Prophet's perfection.
165. مِسْكُ الْخِتَامِ : Musk of the seal; a metaphor for the finality and fragrance of prophethood.
166. أَحْمَدِيَّتِهِ : His Ahmadianity; the spiritual reality of the Prophet as Ahmad, one of his names meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
167. مُحَمَّدِيَّتِهِ : His Muhammadanity; the spiritual reality of the Prophet as Muhammad, meaning 'praised one'.
168. آيَاتِهِ الْكُبْرَى : The greatest signs; referring to the divine signs shown to the Prophet during the Mi‘raj (Ascension).
169. الْمَلَكُوتِ : Malakut; the angelic or spiritual realm of sovereignty.
170. السَّبْعَ الطِّبَاقِ : The seven heavens; the seven layers of the celestial spheres.
171. الْمُقَرَّبِينَ : The near ones; the highest-ranking angels and saints close to God.
172. لِسَانِ الْحَالِ : Tongue of the state; a Sufi term for non-verbal communication through spiritual state.
173. الشُّعَاعَ : Rays; the spiritual radiance emanating from the Prophet.
174. مِنْبَارَ الاجْتِبَاءِ : Pulpit of election; a metaphorical platform of divine selection.
175. الْكُرْسِيُّ : Kursi; the Footstool of God, a cosmic entity mentioned in Quran 2:255.
176. الثَّقَلَيْنِ : The two weighty ones; humans and jinn, as mentioned in a hadith.
177. سُورَةُ التَّعْرِيفِ : Sura of definition; a reference to a chapter of the Quran that defines or honors the Prophet.
178. makūnāt : Existent things; all created beings and entities.
179. sab‘ ṭibāq : The seven heavens; the seven layers of the celestial spheres.
180. ism al-jalālah : The Name of Majesty; refers to the divine name 'Allah' or other names denoting God's majesty.
181. khātam al-nubuwwah wa al-risālah : Seal of Prophecy and Messengership; refers to Prophet Muhammad, the final prophet and messenger.
182. ḥaẓā’ir al-mulk wa al-malakūt : Enclosures of dominion and sovereignty; spiritual realms of divine authority and angelic dominion.
183. ṣāḥib al-tāj wa al-‘imāmah : Possessor of the crown and turban; a title of honor for Prophet Muhammad.
184. sayyid al-akwān : Master of the Worlds; a title for Prophet Muhammad.
185. āyah : Qur'anic verse; here, Surah Taha 20:114 or similar.
186. kursī : Throne; often distinguished from 'arsh (the Throne of God), here referring to a cosmic entity or the Footstool.
187. khuddām al-ḥujub wa al-surādiqāt : Servants of the veils and canopies; angels or beings serving the divine veils and pavilions.
188. hayākil al-ashkhāṣ al-nūrāniyyah : Luminous forms of beings; angelic or spiritual entities made of light.
189. arwāḥ rūḥāniyyah : Spiritual souls; pure spirits or angels.
190. lisān al-ḥāl : Tongue of state; a mystical concept where objects or beings speak through their inherent state or condition.
191. jannat al-firdaws : Garden of Paradise; the highest level of Paradise.
192. ḥaẓīrat al-asrār : Enclosure of secrets; a spiritual realm of divine mysteries.
193. quṭb : Pole; in Sufism, the highest spiritual authority, often referring to a saint or prophet.
194. rukn al-mustalam : The kissed corner; refers to the Black Stone corner of the Kaaba, kissed during pilgrimage.
195. ḥaḍarāt ‘indiyyah : Divine presences; spiritual stations or realms of divine proximity.
196. madd al-muḥammadī : Muhammadan support; spiritual effusion or grace associated with Prophet Muhammad.
197. awtād : Pegs; in Sufism, high-ranking saints who uphold the spiritual world.
198. aqṭāb : Poles; plural of quṭb, the highest saints.
199. ajrās : Bells; possibly a metaphor for spiritual entities or realms.
200. ahl al-adhkār : People of remembrance; those who engage in dhikr (remembrance of God).
201. al-‘Arsh : The Throne of God, the greatest of all created things, often symbolizing divine sovereignty and the highest level of existence.
202. Hamalah : The bearers of the Throne, a group of angels who carry the Throne of God, as mentioned in the Quran (40:7).
203. Malakut : The angelic realm or the world of dominion, an intermediate spiritual world between the physical and the divine.
204. al-sirr al-lāhūtī : The divine secret; a term referring to the hidden, divine aspect of the Prophet Muhammad's reality.
205. al-thaqalayn : The two heavy ones, a Quranic term referring to jinn and humans (55:31).
206. Hazqiyail : An angel mentioned in Islamic tradition, possibly related to the angel of death or a carrier of the Throne.
207. Sidrat al-Muntahā : The Lote Tree of the Uttermost, a celestial tree marking the boundary of creation, beyond which no angel or prophet can pass; the Prophet Muhammad reached it during the Mi‘raj.
208. Malakūt : The angelic realm or the world of dominion, an intermediate spiritual world.
209. Jabarūt : The realm of divine power and might, a higher spiritual world beyond Malakut.
210. al-Lawḥ : The Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ), the heavenly tablet on which all destinies are inscribed.
211. Sāq al-‘Arsh : The Leg of the Throne; a term in Sufi cosmology referring to a specific station or aspect of the divine throne.
212. Umm al-Kitāb : The Mother of the Book, the original heavenly book containing all divine decrees, often identified with the Preserved Tablet.
213. Muṣṭafawī : Pertaining to al-Muṣṭafā, 'the Chosen One,' a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
214. al-safīr al-amīn : The faithful envoy, referring to the angel Gabriel, who accompanied the Prophet during the Mi‘raj.
215. Mi‘rāj : The Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad through the heavens to the divine presence.
216. al-Qalam : The Pen, the first created thing according to some traditions, used to write destinies on the Preserved Tablet.
217. Ladunnī : Divine, inspired knowledge granted directly by God, often associated with mystical insight.
218. al-Kursī : The Footstool of God, a created entity mentioned in the Quran (2:255), often understood as a lower level than the Throne.
219. al-Iskandar : Alexander the Great, often identified in Islamic tradition with Dhul-Qarnayn, a righteous king mentioned in the Quran.
220. al-Mathānī : The Seven Oft-Repeated Verses, a reference to Surah al-Fatiha or the Quran as a whole.
221. Mīm : The Arabic letter mīm, often symbolizing the Prophet Muhammad (as the first letter of his name) or divine secrets.
222. Nūn. Wa-l-qalami wa-mā yasṭurūn : Quran 68:1: 'Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe.' Nun is a mysterious letter, often interpreted as an inkwell or symbol of divine knowledge.
223. lām : The Arabic letter 'lām' (ل), here symbolizing a spiritual station or attribute.
224. mīm : The Arabic letter 'mīm' (م), symbolizing the supreme dominion of Allah.
225. al-sirr al-ʿamīm : The all-encompassing secret; a Sufi term referring to the comprehensive divine mystery.
226. Saʿd min Saʿd : A phrase possibly referring to a lineage or spiritual rank; 'Sa'd' may be a proper name or denote felicity.
227. al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ : The Preserved Tablet; in Islamic theology, the heavenly tablet on which all destinies are inscribed.
228. Imām : Here likely referring to a spiritual leader or the Prophet Muhammad as the Imam of the unseen.
229. al-tāj wa al-qaḍīb : The crown and the rod; symbols of authority and prophethood.
230. Laylat al-Isrāʾ : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem.
231. al-Mukhtār : The Chosen One; a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
232. Ṭāhā : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, from the Qur'anic chapter Taha.
233. Aḥmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
234. al-Muṣṭafā : The Chosen One; a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
235. al-ʿulūm al-ladunniyya : Divine sciences or knowledge directly from God, often associated with Sufi gnosis.
236. Ṭaybah : A name for Medina, the city of the Prophet.
237. يَقَابُ تَوْسِينِ أَوْ أَوْنَى : Unclear phrase; possibly a corrupted or obscure reference. May be a misquotation or variant of Quranic verses.
238. انْزِلْ : Imperative 'descend'—referring to the Prophet Muhammad's return from the heavenly ascension (Mi'raj) to earth.
239. نُزْهَةُ عَيْنِي الصَّلَاةُ : Hadith: 'The comfort of my eye is prayer'—a saying of the Prophet Muhammad indicating his delight in prayer.
240. مَا أَوْلَاكَ مَوْلَاكَ : Poetic line: 'What your Lord has given you'—referring to the unique favors bestowed upon the Prophet.
241. عَرُوسُهُ الْأَحْمَدِي : His Ahmadine bride—metaphor for the Prophet's spiritual station or the reality of Muhammad (Ahmad being another name of the Prophet).
242. زَيْنِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ الْأَخْيَارِ : Ornament of the chosen messengers—a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
243. فَسَمِعَ الْخِطَابَ : And he heard the address—referring to Adam hearing the divine command to the angels.
244. فَسَمِعَ الْخِطَابَ : And he heard the address—referring to Idris hearing the divine speech.
245. جَعَلْتُهَا : I made it—the text is ambiguous; likely refers to making the fire cool and safe for the Prophet's community.
246. الْفِرَاءَ : Al-fira'—possibly a misreading; may refer to 'fur' (garment) or a specific term. In context, it seems to mean a protective covering or ransom.
247. التَّوْحِيدَ : Tawhid—the oneness of God, the central Islamic doctrine.
248. yamīnihi : His right hand; a reference to the Prophet Muhammad's generosity.
249. Ibrāhīm : Abraham, the prophet and friend of God.
250. Mūsā : Moses, the prophet who spoke to God on Mount Sinai.
251. Aḥmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
252. ʿĪsā : Jesus, son of Mary, the prophet who raised the dead by God's permission.
253. barāq : Lightning; a symbol of divine manifestation or the swiftness of spiritual unveiling.
254. al-kalīm : The one addressed; refers to Moses (Musa), known as Kalim Allah (the one who spoke with God).
255. al-wasīṭ : The intermediary; here referring to the Prophet Muhammad as the mediator between God and creation.
256. al-Muṣṭafā : The Chosen One; a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
257. qāba qawsayn : Two bow-lengths; a Qur'anic phrase (53:9) describing the proximity of the Prophet to God during the Ascension.
258. fa-awḥā ilā 'abdihi mā awḥā : Then He revealed to His servant what He revealed; Qur'an 53:10, referring to the revelation given to the Prophet during the Ascension.
259. mā kadhaba al-fu'ādu mā ra'ā : The heart did not lie about what it saw; Qur'an 53:11, affirming the truth of the Prophet's vision.
260. mā zāgha al-baṣaru wa mā ṭaghā : The sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress; Qur'an 53:17, describing the Prophet's steadfast gaze during the Ascension.
261. laqad ra'ā min āyāti rabbihi al-kubrā : He certainly saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord; Qur'an 53:18.
262. isrā' : Night journey; the miraculous journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem, and then his Ascension to the heavens.
263. rafraf : A green or luminous carpet or vehicle used for transport in spiritual realms; often associated with the Prophet's Ascension.
264. hawdaj : A litter or howdah; a covered carriage carried by a camel or used symbolically.
265. burāq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet during the Night Journey; often depicted as a white, winged creature.
266. qibla : Direction of prayer; here used metaphorically as a focal point or spiritual center.
267. aqṭāb wa awtād : Poles and pegs; Sufi terms for the highest spiritual authorities (qutb) and the supporting saints (awtad).
268. 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.
269. Ṭāhā : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad; also the title of Surah 20 of the Qur'an.
270. al-amīn : The Trustworthy; a title of the Prophet Muhammad, also referring to the angel Gabriel.
271. Aḥmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
272. Malik : The angel appointed over Hellfire, mentioned in the Quran (43:77).
273. Ridwan : The angel keeper of Paradise, mentioned in Islamic tradition.
274. Salsabil : A spring in Paradise mentioned in the Quran (76:18).
275. Kawthar : A river in Paradise granted to the Prophet Muhammad, mentioned in Quran 108:1.
276. Tasnim : A spring in Paradise for the elite, mentioned in Quran 83:27-28.
277. Tuba : A tree in Paradise or a state of bliss, mentioned in Quran 13:29.
278. Isra' : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem.
279. Sundus : Fine silk brocade, mentioned in Quran 18:31 and 76:21.
280. Hur al-'Ayn : Maidens of Paradise with wide, beautiful eyes, mentioned in Quran 44:54 and 52:20.
281. Mi'raj : The Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad through the heavens.
282. awtād : Literally 'pegs'; in Sufism, the 'awtād are a category of saints who are the spiritual pillars of the world.
283. wasīla : A means of approach or intercession; often used in supplications to seek nearness to God through the Prophet.
284. aqtāb : Plural of 'quṭb' (pole); in Sufism, the highest ranking saints who are the spiritual axis of their time.
285. Ka'ba : The sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca, direction of prayer; here used metaphorically for the Prophet as the focal point of honor.
286. Kawthar : A river in Paradise granted to the Prophet Muhammad; also the name of Sura 108 in the Quran.
287. quṭb al-wilāya : The 'pole of sainthood'; the highest spiritual authority among the saints.
288. al-aswad wa al-aḥmar : Literally 'the black and the red'; an Arabic idiom meaning all people, regardless of race or color.
289. Ṭāhā : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad; also the title of Sura 20 in the Quran.
290. Dār al-Salām : The 'Abode of Peace'; one of the names of Paradise in the Quran.
291. isrā' : The night journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem, and then his ascension to heaven (Mi'raj).
292. tahlīl : The utterance of 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh' (There is no god but Allah).
293. tasbīḥ : The utterance of 'Subḥān Allāh' (Glory be to Allah).
294. takbīr : The utterance of 'Allāhu Akbar' (Allah is the Greatest).
295. taḥmīd : The utterance of 'Al-ḥamdu lillāh' (Praise be to Allah).
296. al-Bayt al-Ma'mūr : The Frequented House; a celestial counterpart of the Kaaba in heaven, visited by angels.
297. al-‘Arsh wa al-Kursī : The Throne and the Footstool of Allah, mentioned in the Quran (2:255).
298. al-Lawḥ wa al-Qalam : The Preserved Tablet and the Pen, by which Allah decrees all things.
299. Quṭb : A spiritual axis or pole in Sufism, the highest ranking saint in a given time.
300. Sidrat al-Muntahā : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a tree in the seventh heaven marking the end of angelic knowledge.
301. Aḥmadiyya : Pertaining to the Prophet Muhammad, whose name Ahmad means 'most praiseworthy'.
302. Mishkāt : A niche or lamp-holder, symbolizing the light of prophethood; reference to Quran 24:35.
303. masrāhu : His night journey; refers to the Isra' and Mi'raj, the Prophet Muhammad's night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension to the heavens.
304. wuḍū'ihī : His ablution; the ritual washing before prayer. The text alludes to a miracle where dry trees were revived by the water from the Prophet's ablution.
305. miḥrāb : A niche in a mosque indicating the direction of prayer; here used metaphorically for the focal point of worship.
306. wāridāt : Spiritual inspirations or influxes that come to the heart from God.
307. aḥwāl : Spiritual states; temporary conditions of the heart in the Sufi path.
308. al-ṣafīḥ al-a'lā : The highest realm; a reference to the celestial world or the divine presence.
309. al-ḥaḍarāt al-sāmiya : The sublime presences; refers to the various levels of divine proximity or the spiritual hierarchy.
310. al-waẓā'if : Litanies; regular devotional practices or prayers recited at specific times.
311. al-wāṣilīn : Those who have attained; Sufi term for those who have reached spiritual union with God.
312. al-akhṭiyā' al-kāmilīn : The perfect ones who have erred; a paradoxical phrase possibly referring to prophets or saints who are perfect despite human fallibility.
313. al-kirām al-kātibīn : The noble recording angels; the angels who record deeds.
314. al-muhayminīn : The dominating angels; angels who have authority or oversight over others.
315. al-karūbiyyīn : Cherubim; a high rank of angels in Islamic cosmology.
316. al-awliyā' al-muqarrabīn : The intimate friends; saints or close servants of God.
317. al-isrā' wa al-mi'rāj : The Night Journey and Ascension; the Prophet's journey to Jerusalem and ascension to the heavens.
318. al-bayt al-ḥarām : The Sacred House; the Kaaba in Mecca.
319. al-rukn : The Corner; the Black Stone corner of the Kaaba.
320. al-maqām : The Station; the Station of Abraham near the Kaaba.
321. al-madīna al-musharrafa : The honored city; Medina, the city of the Prophet.
322. bayt al-shām : The house of Syria; refers to Jerusalem, as it is in the region of Syria (Sham).
323. al-qawl al-thābit : The firm word; a Quranic phrase (14:27) referring to the testimony of faith that stabilizes believers.
324. bahār al-gharq : The spring of drowning; a poetic metaphor, possibly referring to an overwhelming fragrance or a state of spiritual immersion.
325. suhur : The pre-dawn meal eaten before the fast during Ramadan.
326. 'Illiyin : The highest station in Paradise, mentioned in the Quran (83:18-19).
327. al-Mustafa : The Chosen One, an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad.
328. Taha al-Amin : Taha is a name of the Prophet Muhammad; al-Amin means the Trustworthy.
329. al-Makin : The Firmly Established, an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad.
330. al-'arifin : The knowers of God, often referring to Sufi mystics.
331. al-Kursi : The Footstool of God, mentioned in Quran 2:255.
332. Jibril : The angel Gabriel.
333. Qiba : Possibly a reference to Quba, the mosque near Medina, or a place name.
334. Mika'il : The angel Michael.
335. al-Lawh : The Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz) in Islamic theology.
336. al-Hur : The Houris, beautiful companions in Paradise.
337. Khuld : Eternal Paradise, one of the names of Paradise.
338. Salsabil : A spring in Paradise mentioned in Quran 76:18.
339. al-Mujtaba : The Chosen One, another epithet of the Prophet Muhammad.
340. Ridwan : The angel keeper of Paradise.
341. al-Kawthar : A river in Paradise, mentioned in Quran 108:1.
342. al-Hawd : The Prophet's Pond (Hawd al-Kawthar) in Paradise.
343. al-Isra' : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem.
344. al-Mushtari : The planet Jupiter.
345. al-Zuhra : The planet Venus.
346. al-Suha : A star in the constellation Ursa Major.
347. Sidrat al-Muntaha : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a celestial marker in the heavens.
348. Abu Qays : A mountain in Mecca.
349. Radwa : A mountain near Medina.
350. Nu'man : A mountain or place in Arabia.
351. Uhud : A mountain near Medina, site of the Battle of Uhud.
352. Thayr : A mountain near Mecca.
353. Thawr : A mountain near Mecca, site of the Cave of Thawr.
354. Hira : The cave where the Prophet received the first revelation.
355. al-Mafrah : A place name, possibly meaning 'the joyful place'.
356. Badr : Site of the Battle of Badr.
357. Hunayn : Site of the Battle of Hunayn.
358. Jabal al-Rahma : The Mount of Mercy on the Plain of Arafat.
359. al-Mali : A place name, possibly meaning 'the fertile land'.
360. al-Aqiq : A valley near Medina.
361. al-Ban : A type of tree or a place name.
362. al-Hatim : The semicircular wall near the Kaaba.
363. Zamzam : The sacred well in Mecca.
364. al-Mash'ar al-Haram : The Sacred Monument at Muzdalifah during Hajj.
365. al-Rukn : The Corner of the Kaaba containing the Black Stone.
366. al-Maqam : The Station of Abraham near the Kaaba.
367. Mizab al-Rahma : The spout of mercy on the Kaaba.
368. al-Safa : A hill in Mecca, part of the Sa'i ritual.
369. al-Marwa : A hill in Mecca, part of the Sa'i ritual.
370. al-Musalla : A place of prayer, possibly near the Kaaba.
371. al-'Alam : A landmark or banner, possibly a specific place in Mecca.
372. al-Bayt al-Muqaddas : The Holy House, referring to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
373. al-Ṣiddīq : Title meaning 'the Truthful' or 'the Verifier', given to Abu Bakr for his unwavering belief in the Prophet's Night Journey.
374. al-Isrā' : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem, mentioned in the Quran (17:1).
375. Bayt al-Maqdis : The Holy House, referring to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
376. Quran 17:60 : Reference to the verse about the vision of the Night Journey being a trial for people.
377. Qāba Qawsayn : A phrase from Quran 53:9 meaning 'two bow-lengths', describing the Prophet's proximity to God during the Ascension.
378. al-Afrād : In Sufism, the 'Unique Ones' are a rank of saints who are solitary in their spiritual station.
379. al-Awtād : Literally 'pegs', a term in Sufism for a high rank of saints who are the spiritual supports of the world.
380. al-Quds al-Ladunnī : The divine or pre-eternal holiness, referring to a state of intimate knowledge from God.