He who knows himself knows his Lord [1].

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. May Allah bless our master and lord Muhammad, his family, and his companions, and grant them abundant peace. The saintly, righteous shaykh, the manifest pole ¹, my master al-Muʿṭī Abū al-Ṣāliḥ—may Allah have mercy on him—said: Praise be to Allah, who originated the human world by specifying His will and manifest power. Praise be to Allah, who brought it forth from non-existence to existence to display upon it the abundant blessings, gifts, and favors of His grace. Praise be to Allah, who brought it out of the darkness of ignorance with the light of knowledge ² and made its tongue speak with the jewels of His unseen sciences and the unique pearls of His wisdom. Praise be to Allah, who sent among us our beloved, our master and prophet Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and made him from among ourselves, honoring us through his mission. Praise be to Allah, who named him with the name of servitude ³ and attributed him to Himself as an honor for him, and instilled in hearts love for him and sincere affection. Praise be to Allah, who made the souls of lovers find repose in his blessed remembrance in all states, and yearn for his noble precincts and vision. Praise be to Allah, who made love for him ingrained in natures, so that the believer would wish to expend his soul, wealth, child, and the black of his eye in visiting and beholding him. Praise be to Allah, who made the hearts of the lovers delight in praising him, expand with abundant blessings upon him and hearing his praise. Praise be to Allah, who made his noble grave a garden from the gardens of Paradise ⁴; whoever beholds it attains his goal and the perfection of his desire. Praise be to Allah, who made his blessed vision a reality and preserved it from the delusions of Satan, so that he cannot assume his form and image. Praise be to Allah, who favored whoever sees him with triumph and felicity, and honored him in both abodes through his intercession and the fulfillment of his wish. Praise be to Allah, who made pilgrimage to His blessed house obligatory for those who can find a way to it, and made whoever holds fast to its firm handhold die a believer, safe from the trial of the grave and the darkness of its desolation. Now, I remained for a long period, many days and months, extended times both old and new, yearning to see those illuminated places and the pure, purified chambers, while the hand of destiny reversed my hopes, and the factors of excuses changed my states. Whenever a caravan arrived from the land of the Hijaz, it stirred the turmoil of my longings and sent tears from my eyes upon the pages of my cheeks. The physician and the spell-caster despaired of treating me, and the causes of my medicine and antidote failed to take effect. I continued swimming in the valleys of my passion and love, wandering in the deserts of my infatuation, longing, and madness. At times I shudder like a bird fluttering; at times I groan like one overcome and vanquished; at times I sway like a moving branch; at times I cry out like one shameless and exposed; at times I am still and moan; at times I tremble and yearn; at times I rub my honored white hair in the dust of the visitors; at times I place their sandals on my head and seek intercession through them to the Forbearing, Forgiving Lord; at times I console myself by reciting odes and poems; at times I comfort it by mentioning the familiar places and abodes; at times I make it long for the quarter of al-ʿAqīq and the Gate ⁵; at times I promise it a visit to the Master of Existences; at times I spend my night in weeping and groaning; at times I pass my day in yearning and longing; at times I compose some blessings and seek intercession through them to the Master of the Messengers; at times I devise some intimate prayers and seek kindness through them to the Beloved of the Lord of the Worlds; at times I draw near by praising his servitude, by which his Lord named him; at times I extol his belovedness, with which He distinguished him from His creation and chose him; at times I ask for his vision, which is the key to the doors of felicity; at times I ask by his rank for a good end and death upon the word of testimony; at times I inquire of the singing birds; at times I seek refreshment from the breezes of dawn; at times I address the ruins, traces, and abodes; at times I console my soul with those familiar places and say to it: The servant has no choice in what his Lord has decreed upon him. At times the influx of intense longing assaults me, so I conceal its burning pangs and sip the wine of patience. At times I sway, delight, and cry out at the chanting of the camel-drivers and the hearing of odes and poems. At times I become absent from my senses in the beauty of those illuminated places, so I cast off restraint and tear the veils. At times I lift the veil and express what is in my conscience of love for the Master of the Righteous and the Ornament of the Chosen Messengers. At times I abandon planning and choice and run under the currents of destinies. At times I stretch out the hand of supplication in the darkness of night and call out with the tongue of need and necessity, humility, abasement, and brokenness: O Creator of night and day, O Generous, O Merciful, O Compassionate, O Forbearing, O Pardoner, O Forgiver! O He who brings relief at times of distress, facilitates matters, and fulfills needs! Bring near to me the visitation, and make easy for me its hardships and dangers, and place me on the wing of longing to Mecca, the goodly abode and dwelling, and bring me to Medina, the honored, beloved in people and neighbors, embodying the words of some of the eminent free ones and great righteous ones, when the influx of longing for the places of the Chosen Prophet assaulted him, and he expressed what was in his conscience with the tongue of speech without shame or agitation, saying: "I wish I had a drum before me to beat, so that its sound would be heard by the people of Mecca and Medina, and it would be said, 'Whose drum is this?' and it would be said, 'The drum of so-and-so, the stranger in the Maghrib, yearning for our master and lord Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—the beloved, the darling.'" Then he would weep and strike his hand on a board before him due to the intensity of his state. He used to say to some of his companions when he recited some of his odes to him: "O so-and-so, my longing for pilgrimage and seeing the Beloved has lasted long, and obstacles prevent me. Perhaps Allah, O my son, will facilitate that for you. If Allah casts you to those goodly places, carry my odes with you and recite them at the honored Garden ⁶, and say to my beloved Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—'O Messenger of Allah, this is the service of one yearning for you, far from your abode and neighborhood. This is the effort of the destitute who could not find a way to you; his sins have kept him far from your door. So intercede for him with the Generous Lord, that he may attain his desire.'" He spoke in a manner of abasement and need, flattery and apology, to Him in whose hand are the dispositions of decrees and the fulfillment of needs, in verses of his composition: "O Carrier of the weak and the strong, He whose * favors remove evils and fatigue, My heart is agitated with longing for Taybah ⁷, * while the body cannot bear journeys and hardship. The foot is bare, the hand is empty, * and the soul is yearning, not turning away in pride. The people have resolved for pilgrimage and prepared, * and sleep has deprived them of the joy they have. By the rank of Ahmad, carry me to Mecca with * gentleness, kindness, and security, and remove the veils." At times the cold of winter and the black, freezing nights extinguish my inspiration; at times the factor of longing agitates me and drives me to cross deadly deserts and black strange lands; at times I spend my day in regret and sorrow, and stay awake at night, spending it like one afflicted with insomnia; at times I wipe my tears with the fingers of denial and conceal what appears on my face of signs of worries, griefs, and gloom; at times I watch for the phantom of the image of Mecca and Medina in my sleep and say: Perhaps Allah will grant me their visitation with bounty; at times thought brings them near to me until I seem to see their brides.

Sometimes I experience a manifestation ⁸ in their witnessed station, and sometimes the influx of love overpowers me, making every difficulty easy and carrying me to traverse leagues in their love and in coldness. Sometimes a favorable omen strengthens me, and their auspicious bird gives me glad tidings of reaching their precincts, which are surrounded by blessing, grace, and felicity. Sometimes I strive and exert myself in seeking them with determination and strength of resolve, fulfilling covenants and keeping promises. Sometimes old age turns me back, and I fear that what I seek—the attainment of hopes and the achievement of the goal—might elude me. Sometimes I rise, but my resolve is shamed by the occurrence of incapacity, weakness, and inability to stand or sit. Sometimes I say: Would that youth might return for a day, That I might inform it of what old age has done, Due to the existence of obstacles preventing arrival at those sacred sites and assemblies. Sometimes my conscience reminds me of my misdeeds, and I say: How strange that the evil one ascends to the ranks of the people of the secret ⁹ and intimacy and becomes dominant. Sometimes the light of understanding guides me to seek repentance, pardon, and forgiveness, and I call out with the tongue of supplication: O Possessor of abundant generosity and munificence! O He whose beloved ones' prayer is accepted and not rejected! Carry me on the wing of longing to those illuminated places, so that I may visit them every year and return to them again and again. How noble is that Lady ¹⁰ upon whose love fathers and grandfathers have agreed, and whose fragrant breezes have perfumed the realms of the kingdom and the heavens ¹¹ and all regions and directions, and all valleys and hills. The angels performed pilgrimage to her two thousand years before the creation of Adam, and pilgrims have flown to her from every deep mountain pass, and Arabs and non-Arabs, red and black, have circumambulated her. We ask Allah Almighty to delight our eyes in the beauty of her musk-like mole and the splendor of her black garments, to quench our hearts from the wine of her flowing Kawthar ¹² and her presented pool, and to open through her blessing every locked bolt and closed door, and to ease our journey to her, so that our caravan may come every year, stand at her Arafat ¹³, and return. Indeed, He is Generous and Kind, Compassionate and Merciful, Bountiful and Beneficent, Affectionate and Loving. Amen, amen, amen. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. The consensus of guidance is that love for Ahmad ¹⁴ is the refuge; I have no other shelter in hardships. When a matter constricts me and my means to Allah Is praise of the Prophet, it expands. By him, Allah has relieved my distress And facilitated for me, from His bounty, every hope. I have tried every stratagem to repel ruin, But I have seen no deliverance except in praising him. Praise is only that which pertains to his station; Praise of others is, in truth, like satire. I have seen no attainment of desires like seeking intercession Through him, especially if the supplicant intensifies hope, And purifies his intention for Allah alone, And confides in his Lord in the darkness of hope ¹⁵. Far be it from my God to disappoint a supplicant Who has taken refuge in the best of Allah's servants. So, O Lord, by the rank of Muhammad, Your beloved, grant me an exit from every hardship. Bestow favor upon my weakness, illuminate my insight With Your light in the night of calamities when it darkens. Do not make pretension my station nor desire My imam; lead me to the truth on a path. Facilitate for me a visit to the Ancient House ¹⁶ For Your servant, who complains of no fatigue or pain. And another visit to the best of creation ¹⁷, and a stay There—how sweet and delightful is that stay! O how pleasant that life would be if I attained it; How intense is my need and poverty for it! O best of Allah's creation, why am I driven away from Your sanctuary, when I was once eager towards you? When my longing stirs, I intend a journey to you, But my sound resolve returns crooked. How many times have I resolved without hesitation, And resolve has saddled and bridled horses for me, But the ill omen of sin turns my face away, and extinguishes From resolve what was previously kindled. That is only due to blameworthy traits Through which righteous deeds have become worthless. Ask Allah to grant me following you, my master, For none has been saved except through following you. And send blessings and peace, O my God, upon him, as long as The full moon rises in its journey, brilliant, A blessing surpassing enumeration from You, prepared As a ladder for my righteous deeds to Your door. Sometimes the heat of midday and scorching winds discourage me; sometimes I mount the steed of resolve and reach the level of the blamer and reproacher; sometimes the agent of longing incites me, and I moan as doves moan; sometimes I console myself with 'perhaps' and 'maybe,' saying: Perhaps this year is the time to journey to those illuminated places with the great saints, the righteous, and the wearers of turbans; sometimes the splendor of springtime and the fragrance of meadow flowers and rosebuds delight me; sometimes a path overcomes me, and drowsiness visits me, and I sleep with the sleepers ¹⁸; sometimes good opinion helps me, and I correct my intention, saying: 'Deeds are judged by their endings'; sometimes the witness of intellect and the warner of old age awaken me, saying: Are you awake or asleep?; sometimes laziness befalls me, and I treat myself with the use of charms and amulets; sometimes I blame myself and say: If you do not witness those noble places, your life is wasted and your existence is that of beasts; sometimes I occupy myself with jesting, the splendor of weddings, and banquets, and I abandon what I am about—visiting the Kaaba, whose circumambulation forgives all sins and crimes. * I was in the sleep of youth, and I did not * Awaken until my hair was gray. * I persisted in following the trail of the people, * So the distance of pursuit became long. * The pace of the travelers is before me; * A path, a rugged terrain, and a barren land. * The praise of those who travel by night is after their night journey; * Sufficient is the lagging of the slow. * A journey for which patience constantly rebukes me; * When I intend it, winter * Protects my face from heat, and heat * Has a resolve of blazing avoidance. * I became distressed by what I have done; my day * Is gloomy, and my night is dark. * I remembered Allah's mercy, so cheerfulness * Is on my face; I turn towards it. * So hope and fear are in the heart, * And fear and hope are concealed. * O companion, do not despair if you are weak in obedience * And the strong have taken it exclusively. * Indeed, Allah has mercy, and the most deserving of people * Of His mercy are the weak. * So remain in the lameness at the turning point of the worm; * In the return, the lame one precedes ¹⁹. The heat of my longing is expressed by extolling the rank of the Imam of Mecca and Medina and the bride of those presences, my master and lord, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. I ask Allah to bestow upon me the blessing of visiting him and seeing his face in life before death. Amen, amen, amen. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. * O Kaaba of beauty, which has taken away * My devotion and stirred my passion and sorrows, * What harm would it do you if you granted a kiss * On your musk-like mole to the poor wretch? * Ah, for my heart to visit your sanctuary, or * With the green eyeliner, if you would line my eyes. * You have made me in union like the alif that * Fell, and at the pause like the nunation ²⁰.

Urwa ²¹ narrates the hadith of my longing for you, and my tears dictate to Ibn Ma'in ²². You promised your passionate lover a drink from the ewers, perhaps to cool the burning grief of the sorrowful. You took my heart as a pledge on the day of Kazima ²³, and I have not yet paid off some of my debts. Do not grieve if my soul is far from meeting; God will profit the deceived in the bargain. I have a long vowel from your stature, so be kind and bend the moist branch ²⁴ and be gentle. And a sighing tool for my heart still ever appears like the letter Nun ²⁵. By the life of your beauty, O queen of her age, do not replace me in love with someone inferior. The vanguards of your eyebrows advanced against my soul, and the ambush of your glance warns of a hidden snare. If I ever hoped for a glance at another, then my eyes would not be content with that. Here I have stretched my hand to you, so help me and take my right hand by the right of love. I sacrifice myself for those who departed at dawn and did not rest for my sorrow and yearning after them. I bid farewell to my soul when I bid them farewell, and I returned with nothing but the echo of groans. My tears are my ablution on the morning they set out, and the garments of my sickness suffice me for affliction. O soul, fear not the blaze of Hell, and rejoice if the doubt of death ²⁶ comes. My hope is that when I visit the grave of Muhammad, he will protect me from its heat and secure me. The Chosen One, the Guide, the Bringer of Good News, the Pure, the Manifest, the Intercessor, the Truthful, the Trustworthy. He is the spirit of my tawhid ²⁷ and the eye of my haqiqa ²⁸, the perfection of my ma'rifa ²⁹ and the safeguard of my din ³⁰. In him is my refuge in the afterlife and my provision before God, my helper and my supporter. Precious yearnings, sweet in beginning and end, and fragrant breezes that stir the pangs of passionate longing and the states of the infatuated lover, and the emotions of mercies that blow from the carpet of intimacy and the presence of our Master, the All-Knowing King, and the gifts of remembrances that excite the overwhelming influxes of longing and the motives of ecstasy and rapture, and the yearning of she-camels, and the melodies of camel-drivers that drive souls to the pilgrimage of the Sacred House of God and the visitation of the illuminated tomb—upon its owner be the best of prayers and purest peace, and fragrant greetings, blessings, veneration, and glorification. O God, send prayers and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the prayer of a servant whom ecstasy and passion have consumed and whom the accidents of nights and days and the occurrences of illnesses and ailments have prevented from reaching honored Mecca and illuminated Medina. When he hears the camel-driver urging [the camels], his tears flow in harmony and the fire of his heart blazes and flares, and he implores God by his rank to bestow upon him the pilgrimage of Islam and the circumambulation of the Sacred House and the performance of the great rites in full, and to delight his eyes in the verdant garden of his Beloved with his noble and honorable companions and his illuminated tomb with the light of revelation and inspiration, and his blessed courtyards frequented by Gabriel, peace be upon him, and visited by the greatest of those brought near and the noble angels. O God, send prayers and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the prayer of a servant who yearns for his illuminated lands and regions, and inclines to visit sacred Mecca in his standing and sitting, his sleep and wakefulness, and sends his messages every year to the pure spirit of his Beloved and the scenes of his sending and receiving, and makes his blessed remembrance the openings of his litanies, devotions, and daily prayers. The jewels of prayer upon him increase as his fortress, pillar, support, and reliance, and he asks God by his rank to bestow upon him the visitation of his illuminated station and to make him among the pilgrims of the Ancient House and its visitors. Amen, amen, amen, and praise be to God, Lord of the worlds. O God, send prayers and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the prayer of a servant whose army of passion has pitched camp in the core of his innermost being and heart, and who has become absent in the love of Mecca and Medina, so that his constant mention of them has become the collyrium of his eye and the pattern of his bed and pillow. He has made prayer upon his Beloved, our master Muhammad, the climax of his poem and recitation, and the extolling of his rank his capital and provision, and standing before him the fruit of his pilgrimage and struggle, and journeying to him the ultimate goal and the utmost desire. He asks God by his rank to cause him to die in his illuminated lands with his loved ones, clans, family, and children. So send prayers upon him and upon his family, O God, a prayer whose blessing the servant finds in his solitude and seclusion, and which he takes as a provision for the day of his gathering, resurrection, and return, by Your bounty and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. May God water al-Aqiq ³¹—the ravine of tears—that pours forth upon the hills and valleys, and may rainclouds irrigate Muhammad's Ramla ³² with abundant showers that loosen the knots of support. Nights when union healed and bestowed coolness despite distance. A girl of the Bedouin tribes, who traces her lineage, when beauty is attributed, to Murad ³³. She delights the eye of her lover when she appears like the full moon in garments of black, with a beauty spot on her face—a wondrous beauty that is the very eye of enemies. I ever seek refuge in her abandonment and take shelter in a sanctuary where the pillar of support stands. I kiss the mole on her cheek, and it extinguishes the blazing fire of my burning innards. To her all-encompassing beauty I have submitted my face, so the path of the devotee is clear, and sickness is manifest. The qibla ³⁴ of her face—wherever it turns, the faces of servants turn towards it. To the Ka'ba ³⁵ of her house is my pilgrimage and my goal, to the most noble messenger, the treasure of belief. Muhammad, the intercessor tomorrow, the imam of guidance, the Lord of the call, the Generous, the Bountiful. The Beloved, the Chosen of the Merciful among us, our Guide to the paths of right guidance. Upon him be the prayer of his Lord, with peace, that distinguishes him in increase and growth. O God, send prayers and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the prayer of a yearning servant whom obstacles have prevented from reaching Mecca, possessor of surpassing beauty and exquisite grace, and from circumambulating its Yemeni Corner and kissing its Stone, distinguished by radiant light and dazzling brilliance, and from seeking refuge in its secure Sanctuary, to which all creatures flee in hardships and straits, and its honored Station that erases the burdens of whoever seeks refuge in it on the day when secrets are disclosed and truths are realized. O God, send prayers and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the prayer of a servant absent in the beauties of Mecca and present in its dazzling beauty, his thought immersed in descriptions of its perfections and the meanings of its inner and outer secret, praising it with the tongue of his state and speech in all circumstances, and asking God by its rank to bestow upon him the delight of his eyes in its verdant gardens and the inhalation of the fragrant breezes of its fragrant flowers.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who is a lover, whose love for Mecca has penetrated the innermost part of his heart, his veins, and his limbs, so that he calls out for its visitation in his station and his travels, and wishes to reach it with his family, his children, and his dependents, and to cast down the staff of travel there ³⁶, and to seek refuge in its sanctuary from the terror of the Greatest Fright ³⁷, the trial of the grave, its torment, and its punishment. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who is sorrowful, whose patience has failed and whose hardship has intensified, so that he died of longing to see honored Mecca, and death in its love is honey and sugar. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who is yearning, when the lightning of its Ahmadine beauty ³⁸ appeared to him, it snatched away his mind upon beholding it, and he was dazzled. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who is infatuated, whom the blamers blamed for his love of it, so he cast off restraint ³⁹ and divulged what he had concealed in his conscience and hidden. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who is a lover, whose mounts inclined toward its blessed high places, but destinies prevented him from reaching its illuminated soil ⁴⁰, so he sighed the sigh of the distressed and worried, and groaned. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who is enslaved by love, whose heart the army of passion for it has encamped, so he concealed what befell him of the pangs of ecstasy and rapture, and the fire of his longing shoots sparks. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who is enraptured, who has anointed his eyelid with the kohl of love for it ⁴¹, so sleep fled from his eyes, and in yearning for it he drives away slumber, and wakefulness is sweet. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who is enamored with it, who heard mention of its beautiful attributes, so he was moved with joy, and his tears poured down his cheeks like the downpour of rain. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who is concerned with reaching it, so much so that it distracted him from his eating and drinking, and he expended himself in his sins from it, so he shunned family and abandoned beds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who is passionately devoted, who drank the wine of affection for it in the laps of his fathers and mothers, and by the mention of its virtues he was delighted and became infatuated. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who is desirous of visiting it, whom the tribes left behind, so his liver burned with the fire of longing for it and burst. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who hopes for the bounty of its reward and recompense, and the attainment of its abundant gifts and goodness—and how can he fail who stands at its door, seeking intercession through its status to Allah, and in whose virtues thought is absorbed and sight is renewed? Taybah ⁴²—in her glance is enchantment; she hunts lions in the thicket. She continues to pasture my innermost being, but she does not keep her covenant with me, nor my blood. So I stood at the Khayf ⁴³ of her eye, and she captivated the gazelles of Dhu Salam ⁴⁴. How strange! A Hijazi ⁴⁵ woman who makes hunting lawful in the Sanctuary ⁴⁶! She has forbidden the union of longing, alas, and has permitted therein the shedding of my blood. How many a lovesick one has she captivated, and how many a lover has she taken captive in the sacred months ⁴⁷! And how many a lover have her glances struck down in passion, and how many! Arise and kiss the mole on her cheek, and take refuge at the Corner ⁴⁸ and touch it ⁴⁹. Then circumambulate the House ⁵⁰ and run ⁵¹, and be, in the pleasure of the Master, on firm footing. And water the stones from the spout of your eye, if the hand of the downpour pours forth. Then stand at the door, clinging to the best of clinging places from its sanctuary. Perhaps you will attain, from its stations, in the meadow of at-Tan'im ⁵², the bliss. And you will visit the Chosen One ⁵³ and see the chamber of the Elect ⁵⁴ for the nations. Ahmad ⁵⁵, the Guide, the Bringer of Glad Tidings, the Intercessor for creation, the Remover of distress. Ta Ha ⁵⁶, Yasin ⁵⁷, the Trustworthy—his praise came in Nun ⁵⁸ and the Pen ⁵⁹. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whose heart Allah has filled with love for the dweller of Mecca and Medina, so he abandoned wealth and family and emigrated to its regions, surrounded by dignity and tranquility. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whose heart Allah has filled with love for the dweller of Tihamah ⁶⁰ and Najd ⁶¹, so he shunned slumber and beds and strove to reach Mecca, distinguished by blessedness and good fortune. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whose heart Allah has filled with love for Mecca, great in rank and status, so he cast off restraint and began to sway with the breeze of his passion for it, like the swaying of a drunken, intoxicated one. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whose heart Allah has filled with love for Mecca, whose people and neighbors are good, so he left the dwellings of those he loved and yearned with longing for its quarter, dwelling in al-'Aqiq ⁶² and al-Ban ⁶³. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whose heart Allah has filled with love for Mecca, preferred over all other regions, territories, and lands, so his longings multiplied and he wept until his cheeks were furrowed by the flow of tears and the flood of eyelids. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whose heart Allah has filled with love for Mecca, whose building and pillars are fortified, so his sighs rose and his tears flowed, longing to see its noble landmarks and its illuminated, beautiful sites. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whose heart Allah has filled with love for Mecca, whose dwellings and homelands are noble, so the motives of his ecstasy multiplied, and he began to spend his night in weeping and sobbing, and sorrows continued. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad and to the family of our master and patron Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whose heart Allah has filled with love for Mecca, the sanctuary of the Sanctuary ⁶⁴, so he was cut off from his people and his country, and he became a stranger in his longing for it, and he was afflicted with the illness of love, and his cure is in meeting it.

May Allah fill his heart with love for Mecca, al-Ḥaṭīm ⁶⁵, Zamzam ⁶⁶, and the Black Stone ⁶⁷, so that his yearning was stirred and he urged his mounts to visit the Master of al-Baqīʿ ⁶⁸, al-Muṣallā ⁶⁹, and al-ʿAlam ⁷⁰. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muḥammad and upon the family of our master Muḥammad, a blessing of a servant whose heart Allah has filled with love for Mecca the Venerable and Majestic, so that he yearned and moaned, and almost flew on the wings of longing to its illuminated lands and its blessed and splendid places. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which we may be among those who kissed its most auspicious stone and healed their ailment with its kiss, and emigrated to its sacred land, making it their morning and evening, their abode and resting place, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Kaʿba of longings, will a love-smitten one ❖ attain, even once in a lifetime, a ʿUmra ⁷¹ from you? O Qibla ⁷² of lovers, what harm would it do you ❖ if you allowed him a kiss from you now? You turned away, making meeting akin to aversion, ❖ and you saw my wish truly in my death. You showed wonders in the matter of the layers, ❖ so you bound my sorrows and released my tears. My death is my life, my separation is my union, ❖ my annihilation is my permanence, my gathering is my scattering. By your life, grant me union and have mercy ❖ on a stranger in distant lands. Cover him with beautiful concealment and let down ❖ upon him, by the right of Allah, the hem of chivalry. Give him to drink from that watering-place, perhaps ❖ he may attain, as the men attained, a drink ⁷³. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muḥammad and upon the family of our master Muḥammad, a blessing of a servant whose heart Allah has filled with love for the Ancient House ⁷⁴, to which the necks of tyrants are humbled, and the hearts of lovers are delighted by hearing its praises, and their ears listen and hear, and the souls of the yearning ones tremble when the mounts set out towards it, and almost flow and depart from their bodies. The riding beasts yearn with longing for its proximity, and strive with all effort in their journey, and become exhausted, and traverse the distances to reach its visitation, their eyes flowing and weeping with love for it; their veins and joints, from the heat of longing and the flame of passion, are torn and severed; their bodies endure hardships and carry burdens, and they sip and swallow cups of death; their cheeks are struck with whips of rebuke, yet every year they return to its visitation and journey to its places and migrate. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muḥammad and upon the family of our master Muḥammad, a blessing of a servant whose heart Allah has filled with love for Mecca, which Allah made a Qibla to which all creatures prostrate and bow, a pearl from which lights are borrowed, shining and glittering on the faces of lovers and beloved ones therein; an eye from which streams of gifts and blessings flow and gush; a shrine where the states of lovers settle and repose when they behold it; a station where aspirations are accepted by Allah and turn to Him with their entirety and gather; a source of mercies where creatures bow and through whose prestige they seek intercession with Allah; a House which Your beloved, our master Muḥammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) performed the Hajj ⁷⁵, kissed its most auspicious stone, circumambulated it, and bade it farewell. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing whose blessing encompasses us in both abodes and benefits, and drives away from us all evils, calamities, and afflictions, and repels them, and by which we may be among those who act according to the requirements of the Sunna ⁷⁶ and the Book ⁷⁷, and who proclaim and declare the truth, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Were it not for al-Muḥaṣṣab ⁷⁸, al-ʿAqīq ⁷⁹, and al-ʿAlam, ❖ the swift she-camels would not have sung to the drivers and cried out. Nor would their necklaces have set out at dawn, ❖ traversing the desert with their hands and cutting through. How can they settle, when their heart ❖ is enamored with the people of that valley? How much they carried what they cannot bear, while their breast ❖ in love is wider than those plains. They were driven by the clatter of the waterless deserts, and they set out ❖ while their spirit in the death-throes rattled. They learned to strike the pebbles, and there appeared to them ❖ a journey that endures and a move that is awaited. I am not content with any substitute for them, for they have ❖ affection for those lands and places. They became a neck with us, and stretched towards the ❖ valley a neck, and their eye flows and weeps. They watered the pilgrims with their tears, and expressed ❖ the water of their tears, the copious rains. These mounts, even if their minds are stripped, ❖ forever obey and listen to their owner. And they yearn for the Ancient House and behold ❖ the valley of al-ʿAqīq, and every year they migrate. And they wander passionately for al-Baqīʿ and its people, ❖ and visit those places and return. Dwellings, sites, and abodes, and landmarks, and Artemisia ⁸⁰, tamarisk ⁸¹, and trees, and strong camels, and drivers, and melodies. Clear signs indicating abundant reward and recompense, and His words: {In it are clear signs, the Station of Abraham ⁸²; and whoever enters it is secure} ⁸³, meaning secure from the Fire, and it is said from the Great Terror, and it is said secure from questioning. And His words: {And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can find a way thither} ⁸⁴. The ability is that one be capable of provisions and mount, that the servant's body be healthy, and that the road be safe. Then He said: {And whoever disbelieves, then Allah is independent of all the worlds} ⁸⁵. And whoever disbelieves in the Hajj, not considering it a pious act nor leaving it a sin. And from Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both): When after the Flood in which Allah drowned the people of our master Noah (peace be upon him) and raised the Much-Frequented House ⁸⁶ which our master Adam (peace be upon him) had built to the sixth heaven, Allah the Exalted commanded our master Abraham (peace be upon him) to go to the site of the House and build upon its foundation. So our master Abraham set out but saw no trace of it, and its location was hidden from him. Then Allah Almighty sent a cloud the size of the Sacred House in length and width, with a head and a tongue that spoke and two eyes. It stood over the site of the Sacred House with its image, then said: "O Abraham, build according to my measure and image." So our master Abraham began building according to its measure and image, and he founded the Sacred House upon it. Then the cloud disappeared, and he built it until he finished it. Then he circumambulated it seven times, and Allah the Exalted revealed to him: "And proclaim the pilgrimage to mankind" ⁸⁷. Then he said: "O Lord, how far will my voice reach?" He said: "O Abraham, it is for you to call, and for Us to deliver." In another narration: "It is for you to call, and for Us to deliver." When He commanded him thus, our master Abraham ascended Mount Abū Qubays ⁸⁸ and called out: "O servants of Allah, indeed your Lord has built a House and commanded you to perform the pilgrimage to it, so perform the pilgrimage!" And those on earth heard him, and the humans, jinn, stones, clods, trees, mountains, sands, and every moist and dry thing responded, and those in the east and west heard him, and they answered him from the wombs of mothers and the loins of fathers, each saying: "Labbayka Allahumma Labbayk ⁸⁹, Labbayka la sharīka laka Labbayk, inna al-ḥamda wa an-niʿmata laka wa al-mulk, lā sharīka lak."

a partner to You. For only those who responded on that day perform the pilgrimage today. Whoever says the talbiya ⁹⁰ once performs the pilgrimage once, whoever says it twice performs it twice, whoever says it three times performs it three times, and whoever says it more performs the pilgrimage accordingly. And His saying, the Exalted: "They come to you on foot" ⁹¹ meaning walking, i.e., riders on lean mounts due to the length of the journey, "coming from every deep and distant valley" ⁹² i.e., far and hidden. When I saw their caller approaching us, I tightened my ihram ⁹³ waist-wrapper and said the talbiya. I said to my soul: Now strive and exert yourself, and help me, for this is what I wished. If I came to you intending, walking on my sight, I would not fulfill a right, and what right would I fulfill? 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 moments and movements are in obedience to Allah ⁹⁴, and the most excellent of those whose goodness and grace encompassed the servants, and whose blessings appeared upon them. It is narrated from him that he said concerning the virtue of honored Mecca and the Sacred House: "This House is the ancient ⁹⁵ of Islam. Whoever leaves his house seeking this House, whether for Hajj or Umrah, is guaranteed by Allah that He will admit him to Paradise if He takes his soul, and if He returns him, he returns with reward and booty." And He, the Exalted, said: "And let them circumambulate the Ancient House" ⁹⁶ because it was created two thousand years before the earth. It was called 'Atiq ⁹⁷ because Allah, the Exalted, freed it from the hands of tyrants, so no tyrant ever prevailed over it; rather, everyone who intended it with evil perished. Abu Bakr al-Wasiti ⁹⁸ said: It was only called 'Atiq because whoever circumambulates it becomes free from the Fire. For that reason, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq ⁹⁹, may Allah be pleased with him, was called 'Atiq. Whoever does not face the Ka'ba, his prayer is not accepted, and whoever does not testify to the guardianship of our master Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, his zakat ¹⁰⁰ is not accepted. And they recited: Blessed is he who circumambulates the Ancient House, having sought refuge in Allah openly and secretly. He attains all the purpose through the sa'y ¹⁰¹ when he runs, and circumambulates openly around the pillars and curtains. That is the fortunate one who has attained a high station in his time, free from all desires. And whoever circumambulates the Ancient House is saved truly, and departs freed from the Fire. 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 land and homeland You made beloved in hearts, and the most honored of those whom You distinguished with beautiful attributes and praiseworthy actions. It is narrated from him concerning the virtue of honored Mecca and the Sacred House of Allah what our master Ali ibn Abi Talib ¹⁰², may Allah be pleased with him, mentioned. He said: I was circumambulating with him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, around the Sacred House, and I said: May my father and mother be your ransom, what is this House, O Messenger of Allah? He said to me: O Ali, Allah, the Exalted, established this House in the abode of the world as an expiation for the sins of my community. I said: May my father and mother be your ransom, what is this Black Stone? He said: That is a jewel that was in Paradise; Allah, the Exalted, sent it down to the world, having a radiance like the radiance of the sun. Its blackness intensified and its color changed since the hands of the polytheists touched it. It is narrated that Allah, the Exalted, promised the Sacred House that seven hundred thousand would perform Hajj to it every year; if they fall short, He completes them from the angels. And the Ka'ba will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection like a bride led in procession, and everyone who performed Hajj to it will be clinging to its curtains and running around it until it enters Paradise, and they enter with it. In the hadith ¹⁰³: "Indeed, the Black Stone is a ruby from the rubies of Paradise, and it will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection having two eyes with which it sees and a tongue with which it speaks, and it will testify for whoever touched it with truth and sincerity." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to kiss it frequently. Our master Umar ¹⁰⁴, may Allah be pleased with him, kissed it and said: Indeed, I know that you are a stone that neither harms nor benefits, and were it not that I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, kissing you, I would not kiss you. Our master Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him: Do not say that; rather, it harms and benefits. Our master Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: O Abu al-Hasan ¹⁰⁵, here tears are shed and supplications are answered. Our master Ali, may Allah honor his face, said: O Commander of the Faithful ¹⁰⁶, rather it harms and benefits by the permission of Allah, the Exalted. He said: How? He said: Because when Allah, the Exalted, took the covenant from the offspring, He wrote a book for them, then placed it in this stone. So it testifies for the believers with fulfillment and testifies against the disbelievers with denial. That is the meaning of the people's saying when touching it: O Allah, with faith in You, affirmation of Your Book, fulfillment of Your covenant, and following the Sunnah ¹⁰⁷ of Your Prophet, our master Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. And from al-Hasan al-Basri ¹⁰⁸, may Allah be pleased with him, he said: Prayer in Mecca is equal to one hundred thousand prayers, fasting one day is equal to one hundred thousand days, charity of one dirham ¹⁰⁹ is equal to one hundred thousand dirhams, and likewise every good deed is multiplied by one hundred thousand. O Ka'ba of Allah, I have a passion for you that blame does not tarnish. You are truly an intercessor for us with the Beloved who has a covenant. Good deeds are always multiplied in you for your noble visitors. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whose heart You filled with the majesty of Your awe, so he became venerated and magnified for Your lofty station, and the most honored of those whom You made the lover enraptured in the oceans of his remembrances, so he became in all his times blessing and greeting him. It is narrated from him concerning the virtue of Mecca and the Sacred House that he said: "One hundred and twenty mercies descend upon this House every day: sixty for the circumambulators, forty for those who pray, and twenty for those who look." And it is mentioned in the hadith: "Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, looks every night at the people of the earth, and the first He looks at are the people of the Haram ¹¹⁰, and the first He looks at from the people of the Haram are the people of the Sacred Mosque. Whoever He sees circumambulating, He forgives him; whoever He sees praying, He forgives him; and whoever He sees facing the qibla ¹¹¹, He forgives him." And it is narrated: It is written in the Torah ¹¹² that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will resurrect on the Day of Resurrection seven hundred thousand

The angels brought near ¹¹³—in the hand of each of them is a chain of gold extending to the Sacred House ¹¹⁴. He says to them: "Go, and with these chains, then lead him to the Gathering Place ¹¹⁵." So they come to him and shackle him with those chains and stretch him out, while an angel calls out: "O Ka'ba of God, proceed!" It says: "I will not proceed until I am granted my request." Then an angel from the midst of heaven calls out: "Ask, and you shall be given." The Ka'ba says: "O Lord, grant me intercession for my neighbors who are buried around me among the believers." Then the call is heard: "I have granted you your request." He said: "So the dead of Mecca are gathered, white-faced, all of them in the state of iḥrām ¹¹⁶, assembled around the Ka'ba, reciting the talbiya ¹¹⁷." Then the angels say: "Proceed, O Ka'ba of God!" It says: "I will not proceed until I am granted my request." Then an angel from the midst of heaven calls out: "Ask, and you shall be given." The Ka'ba says: "O Lord, Your believing servants have come to me as pilgrims from every deep valley, disheveled and dusty, leaving behind family, children, and loved ones, and set out out of longing for me, visiting, submitting, obedient, until they performed their rites as You commanded them. So I ask You to grant me intercession for them, to secure them from the Great Terror ¹¹⁸, and to gather them around me." Then the King calls out and says: "But among them are those who committed sins after leaving you and persisted in major sins until the Fire became incumbent upon them." It says: "O Lord, I only ask You for intercession for the sinners who committed great sins and burdens until the Fire became incumbent upon them." So God Almighty says: "I have granted you intercession for them and given you your request." Then an angel from the midst of heaven calls out: "Behold! Whoever visited the Ka'ba, let him separate from the people." So they separate from the people, and God Almighty places them around the Sacred House, white-faced, secure from the Fire, circumambulating and reciting the talbiya. Then an angel from the midst of heaven calls out: "Behold! O Ka'ba of the Holy One ¹¹⁹!" The Ka'ba says: "Here I am, O God, here I am; all good is in Your hands; here I am, You have no partner, here I am; indeed, all praise and grace are Yours, and the dominion; You have no partner." Then it passes on to the Gathering Place. So glory be to Him who adorned the bride of the Ka'ba, the Sacred House, for those among mankind who were worthy of her, and distinguished with Zamzam and the Station ¹²⁰ those who fulfilled their duty, obligatory and supererogatory, and chose for Marwa and Safa ¹²¹ those who ran on the foot of loyalty and exchanged estrangement for union. Oh, what a bride, towards whom souls yearn, so that the beloved departed in her love, wounded and slain, and the herald of the Beloved called out with welcome: "Welcome! Welcome! Welcome and greetings!" Welcome, welcome, greetings and ease * To a bride who has appeared to the lovers She donned the robe of beauty and was led forth * Stripping the yearning one of heart and mind We have abandoned homes and family out of longing * And crossed deserts, rugged and smooth And tears of longing pour down in torrents We came disheveled and dusty, reciting the talbiya And we knew that union with you is most precious Then we sold our souls in a sale of generosity Before death, he who did not attain union with you How many a yearning one sought union with you Weeping-eyed, separated from your sanctuary Beneath the shade of the arāk ¹²² he lay prostrate And the time of joy turned away from him His luck hindered him, so he returned sorrowful Like the circumambulation of arrival and the running ¹²³ sweeter What thing on earth can be gathered Of joy, when the Ka'ba of God is unveiled? And clinging to the curtains, tears flowing A thousand welcomes to the visitors, and greetings She raised with the raising of beauty and said "By His pleasure, and may He increase you in His bounty God has forgiven you and granted you And made the difficult easy, O people." So thank God, for He has called you to it Time has become pure and the Beloved has appeared Hasten now to circumambulate and arise And likewise the birds above it do not ascend Do you not see how the game is protected near it? Then we cast off the burden of sins Soon we will travel to 'Arafat When the day departs, looking on And a herald calls out to us with good news From a Hell wherein the wretched are humiliated God has forgiven you and protected you Mount the swift camels, O noble ones, quickly So depart, may the Guardian bless you Towards the valley of Mina and the place of prayer We all came at dawn And joy came to us, and sorrow departed We stoned the jamarāt ¹²⁴ when we arrived And followed the deeds of those who were before And we shaved our heads after the sacrifice Then we performed the rites of Hajj until What the Guardian had forbidden became lawful And we urged our mounts towards our Most excellent of all worlds, in lineage and origin Aḥmad al-Muṣṭafā ¹²⁵, the intercessor for all creatures Blessed is he who visits his grave and is filled Upon him from God be blessings And peace forever, never to fade So glory be to Him who honored the Ka'ba, the Sacred House, and distinguished it with majesty and veneration, chose it and selected it, and made its direction a spacious resting place for those who alight there and dwell around its sanctuary, a place of security for those who enter it and fulfill what is due upon them at its time, and directed towards it those who face it and seek its honor. It is the one from which the Beloved emigrated, yet he neither abandoned it nor despised it, nor did his heart turn to any other qibla ¹²⁶ until it was revealed to him in a verse he heard and recited: "We have seen the turning of your face to the heaven. So We shall surely turn you to a qibla that pleases you" ¹²⁷. So turn your beautiful, precious face towards it, wherever you face, you face it. For your father Abraham long ago built it for your pleasure. And Ishmael circumambulated it and recited the talbiya, and purified it for the yearning one who comes to it. It is the secure land, and you are permitted therein, so it is pure, O trustworthy one, for you are its purifier. And wherever you are, face towards it, and do not turn to anything else. For the Face of God is the qibla of every living being for those who witness the Reality and perceive it. This House is the House of God; in it the soul rejoices when it attains its desire. This is the Black Stone ¹²⁸, the precious stone, Zamzam, the Ḥaṭīm ¹²⁹, and what is around it. Do you have, at its witnessed site, its sufficiency? And Zamzam, at its Zamzam, its healing. O pilgrims of God's House, circumambulate its Ka'ba and recite the talbiya in its precincts. Blessed, then blessed, then blessed is the soul that in Mina attains its desire. Say to those dwelling in every valley: "For you is crowding and raising voices in its folds." Nothing suffices except sincerity truly, and the intention with which one intends it. And desisting from disobedience openly, and warning your soul against its whims. And spending and giving to those in need of what has befallen them. And the fear of God is the best of all provisions for a soul that has known guidance through piety. So say with the tongue of your resolve on its heights, when you witness its inner radiance: "To You, O my Lord, I have set out with my baggage, and I have come, my soul complaining of its weariness. Here I am, a neighbor of Your House, O my Hope, clinging to its curtains. For neighbors and guests have a right upon the generous neighbor when he calls. To You, our Intercessor, the Guide, the Precious One, who has openly settled in its sanctuary. The intercessor for all creatures on the Day of Gathering truly, the Messenger of God, the most powerful in status. Upon him from the Guardian be at all times blessings without end."

Oh, what a Ka'ba ¹³⁰ it is, which Allah made the most noble of lands ¹³¹, the highest in rank, the most abundant in blessing, dignity, and honor, and to which He called the souls of those who sit in His company, so they overflowed with His intimacy, and their life became pure at al-Safa ¹³² when they were purified, and He made them wander in the valleys of their ecstasy when He lifted from them the veil of distance, and raised them to the station of proximity, and Zamzam ¹³³ for them the gushing of longing at Zamzam, and from its exquisite water He gave them to drink, and clothed them in the robes of honor at al-Hatim ¹³⁴, so He removed from them every great sin and pardoned their slips and transgressions. When the visitors arrived from all regions, they called out to them with the tongue of their state, having lifted the curtains from their beauty and revealed their light and radiance: "To me, to me, O lovers of my beauty! This is the time, a time like no other. The cup of union with me has been passed around pure, and the sun of my beauty has shown its radiance. She said: 'Take my union and proximity; wish to attain proximity and honor. Where can one find a bride like my beauty? There is no beloved in existence but her. Blessed are the eyes that have seen her, and wretched are the eyes that do not see her.'" My brothers, not every house of Mecca, nor every mountain of Arafat ¹³⁵, nor every provision leads to the goal. O you who have missed the Hajj ¹³⁶ and found no way to it, whose life has passed in heedlessness, carrying a heavy burden of sins, dragging the tails of negligence in the field of disobedience, seeking salvation but finding no way to it—hasten to the Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah, and make the light of Islam your guide. For He whom eyes cannot perceive, minds cannot define, and who has no equal or likeness, has said: "And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House—for whoever is able to find thereto a way." ¹³⁷ So blessed is the one who performs Hajj, gains profit and booty, enters His sanctuary, which is safe for whoever enters it. How the caravan yearns when it sets out toward that sublime abode, enraptured! How the driver delights when he sings the name of the Beloved, humming and chanting! O driver who sang to the camels and hummed, rejoice, for you have come to the Station and Zamzam. How often you mentioned to us the stations of Mecca, saying, 'In it are desires and gains.' With the water of the Abbas's watering-place ¹³⁸, quench the thirst you endured along the way. Arise and hasten between Marwa and Safa ¹³⁹, and enter the Noble Stone ¹⁴⁰ in peace. Visit the Station of Ibrahim ¹⁴¹ promptly, and the Stone of Isma'il ¹⁴² is a great treasure. Behold the Bride of the House, whose beauty is displayed to the beholders, and be filled with awe. She is the one whose virtues have appeared and are not hidden—can the light of the moon in the sky be hidden? No one meets her without weeping for joy or smiling with delight. The light from her sides never fades, even when darkness falls and grows deep. Among the wonders is that she is guarded; hunting is forbidden there, and birds do not alight on her corners except to be healed when they are in pain. She struts in black garments, and her door remains veiled and covered with light. She is the Ka'ba of the Generous Lord, and whoever comes to her deserves to be honored. All of them are humble, submissive, weeping over their slips, repentant. O Lord, a group has stood at Your door, hoping for Your favor and generosity. One seeks bounty, another seeks to be absolved of the sins he has committed and presented. A famous tradition, a praiseworthy endeavor, a visited House, an accepted Hajj ¹⁴³, a presence of happiness, success, and piety, seasons of honor, festivals of joy and delight, times of goodness, happiness, and pleasure, emancipation from the Fire, multiplication of reward and wages, deeds that lead to dwelling in the gardens of Paradise and winning eternal bliss, youths, and houris ¹⁴⁴. "And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House—for whoever is able to find thereto a way. And whoever disbelieves—then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds." ¹⁴⁵ Glory be to Him who honored this Ancient House ¹⁴⁶! A pillar from one pillar saves from worry and distress. A door of happiness—whoever enters it is safe, and Allah writes for him a decree of salvation and success. A spout ¹⁴⁷ from which mercies pour upon those who follow the straightest path to goodness. A stone ¹⁴⁸ that testifies for those who kiss it with loyalty and affirmation. A stone ¹⁴⁹ that draws hearts to it with love and longing. A sanctuary to which delegations come on foot and on every lean camel from every deep valley. Glory be to Him whose favor surpasses all other places and regions, who made its dust for the eyes like ginger, and promised those who circumambulate it multiplied reward and wages, and to drink from the drink of nearness and closeness, a sealed nectar ¹⁵⁰ and a refreshing drink. Such is the description of the Ka'ba of Allah, whose greatness makes it magnified and venerated. Whoever turns to it, his Lord turns to him. How many a lover has died of longing for it without attaining his hope! Yet our Lord has made its Hajj obligatory upon His servants, so they hasten to it in obedience and compliance, and they tighten their saddles toward it, riders and pedestrians. He called them to the presence of His proximity, so they did not consider the distant far in His love, nor did they find the terrors difficult. Well done, those whom their Lord called to His court, so they set out to His door, disheveled and dusty, and He recognized them at Arafat, that He had pardoned their sins and slips. They prostrated to Him in gratitude, and the driver hummed with the mention of Zamzam and the Ancient House, casting into their hearts the flame and ember of longing, and stirring them with the breeze of ecstasy, so they revealed what they had concealed in their breasts openly and publicly. ❖ O Ka'ba of beauty, how many a lover has been killed ❖ by longing for you, seeking union but never attaining it! ❖ He left his children orphans when he departed, ❖ and wept tears that flowed in torrents. ❖ How many a stranger wandered in your love, ❖ and another lay prostrate in the desert! ❖ And you, O company of visitors, your proximity ❖ is to a station where safety is for whoever enters. ❖ So fear not, for you are in His hospitality; ❖ He is the Generous One who never withholds bounty. Well done, those who tended to the service of their Lord in this world as profit and gain, and considered wasting time in other than acts of obedience as loss and ruin. He made them stand at the Arafat of His proximity, so each of them clung to the rope of His love. He forgave their sins, fulfilled their desires, and raised for them the banner of happiness. ❖ O the success of those who came to His court, ❖ and He granted them His pleasure and gain! ❖ A people who stood at Arafat, ❖ and the Lord of the Throne boasted of them to the angels of heaven, ❖ saying, 'O inhabitants of the heavens, look at My servants, ❖ whose thirst has harmed them. ❖ I call you to witness that I have forgiven their sins ❖ and pardoned them all, out of generosity.' O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad, and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whose full moon shone in the horizon of happiness and settled, and the most sincere of those who gathered the states of creation toward Allah and guided.

It is narrated from some of his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, that he said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, addressed us during the Hajj of the Sacred House of Allah and said in part of his sermon: "O people, Allah Almighty has made Hajj obligatory upon you, so perform Hajj." A man said: "Every year, O Messenger of Allah?" He remained silent, then the man said again: "Every year, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "No. If I had said yes, it would have been obligatory, and if it had been obligatory, you would not have been able to do it." He also said in another hadith: "Perform Hajj and Umrah consecutively, for they remove poverty and sins just as the bellows remove the impurity of iron." He also said: "The pilgrims of Hajj and Umrah are the delegation of Allah. If they call upon Him ¹⁵¹, He answers them; if they ask His forgiveness, He forgives them." In another hadith: "The pilgrims of Hajj and Umrah are the delegation of Allah. If they ask Him, He gives them; if they ask His forgiveness, He forgives them; if they call upon Him, He responds to them; if they intercede, their intercession is accepted." He said: "Umrah to Umrah is an expiation for what is between them, and an accepted Hajj ¹⁵² has no reward except Paradise." The scholars have said: The accepted Hajj is one after which no sin is committed. It is said to the one who has performed Hajj: O you, indeed Allah Almighty seals the deed of the pilgrim with a seal of light, so beware of breaking that seal by disobeying Allah Almighty. Rejoice, for your Hajj is accepted and approved, and all your efforts are praised and thanked. Whatever charity you gave in the land of the Hijaz, its reward is stored with Allah. Every effort and deed you have offered will be abundant for you after profit. If you performed Hajj and did not commit any sin, you have attained your goal and are joyful today. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, the radiant in reality and essence, and Your chosen one, the lofty support, regarding what is narrated from him of hadiths and taken from him. It is narrated from him concerning the virtue of Hajj and Umrah and deputyship ¹⁵³ therein that Abu Razin al-Uqayli came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah, my father is an old man who cannot perform Hajj and Umrah." He said: "Perform Hajj on behalf of your father and perform Umrah." Our lady Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "O Messenger of Allah, is there jihad for women?" He said: "Yes, there is a jihad for them in which there is no fighting: Hajj and Umrah." The pilgrims of Hajj and Umrah are the delegation of Allah. My brothers, how can you fall short of performing Hajj when Allah has made it obligatory upon His servants? And how can you not desire it when it is a treasure for you on the Day of Return? And how can you not care about it when it has been said: Three persons will enter Paradise through a single Hajj: the one who bequeaths it, the one who executes it, and the one who performs it on his behalf. They are my delegation when they attend at My House, seeking nearness. I give them what they ask Me openly, and I bestow upon them chambers from My Paradise. And when they gather, I make them hear from My presence that your Lord has forgiven. So rejoice in success from Me and pleasure; the union has drawn near and estrangement has ceased. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, strong in love for You and faith, and Your chosen one, devoted to Your remembrance in secret and in public, and Your Prophet from whom is narrated concerning the virtue of Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah, and what the pilgrim has of great rewards and immense good deeds. Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, mentioned that a man from the Ansar came to him, peace be upon him, and said: "O Messenger of Allah, some words I ask about" in a long hadith until he, peace be upon him, said to him: "If you wish, I will inform you of what you have come to ask; if you wish, you may ask me and I will inform you." He said: "O Prophet of Allah, inform me of what I have come to ask you." He said: "You have come to ask me about the pilgrim: what he has when he leaves his house, what he has when he stands at Arafat, what he has when he throws the pebbles ¹⁵⁴, what he has when he shaves his head, and what he has when he completes his final circumambulation of the House." He said: "O Prophet of Allah, by Him who sent you with the truth, you have not missed anything that was in my mind." He said: "Indeed, when he leaves his house for his journey, he does not take a step except that a good deed is written for him and a sin is erased from him. When he stands at Arafah, Allah Almighty descends to the heaven of the world and says: 'Look, My angels, at My servants: they have come to Me disheveled and dusty. Bear witness that I have forgiven them their sins, even if they were as numerous as the drops of rain and the sand of Alij ¹⁵⁵.' When he throws the pebbles, no one knows what he has on the Day of Resurrection. When he shaves his head, for every hair that falls from his head, he has a light on the Day of Resurrection. When he completes his final circumambulation of the House, he emerges from his sins like the day his mother bore him." Ibn Hibban narrated it in his Sahih. In another hadith, a man from the Ansar came to ask the Prophet, peace be upon him, and a man from Thaqif also came to ask him. He, peace be upon him, said: "O brother of Thaqif, your brother the Ansari has preceded you in asking, so sit until we begin with his need." The face of the Thaqafi changed. The Ansari said: "O Messenger of Allah, begin with the need of the Thaqafi, for I saw him just now with his face changed, and I fear he may have taken offense at you." The Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed for good for the Ansari and gave precedence to the Thaqafi's question until he finished his request. Then he said: "O brother of the Ansar, ask me what you wish, and if you wish, I will inform you of what you are asking me about." He said: "O Messenger of Allah, tell me as you told my companion the Thaqafi, for that is more pleasing to me." He said: "You have come to ask me about your leaving your house heading for the Sacred Mosque: what you have in it. You have come to ask me about your standing at Arafah: what you have in it. You have come to ask me about your throwing the pebbles: what you have in it. You have come to ask me about your shaving your head: what you have in it. You have come to ask me about your circumambulation of the House: what you have in it. Have you come to ask me about anything else?" He said: "By Him who sent you with the truth, that is what I intended to ask you about." He said: "As for your leaving your house heading for the Mosque, for every step a good deed is written for you, a sin is erased from you, and a degree is raised for you. As for your jogging ¹⁵⁶ in circumambulation, you free a slave. As for your running between Safa and Marwah, you free seventy slaves. As for your standing at Arafat, Allah Almighty looks upon the people of Arafat and says: 'My servants have come to Me disheveled and dusty; they have come to Me from every deep valley.' He boasts about them to the angels. So even if you had sins like the sand of Alij, the number of the stars of the sky, the drops of rain, and the sea, He would forgive them for you. As for your throwing the pebbles, it is stored for you with your Lord; when you need it most, you will find it. As for your shaving your head, for every hair you have a light on the Day of Resurrection. As for your final circumambulation of the House, you emerge from your sins like the day your mother bore you."

He said: "Whoever performs ablution and does it well, then comes to the Yemeni Corner ¹⁵⁷ to touch it, he wades into mercy. When he touches it and says, 'In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest, I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger,' mercy forgives him. When he circumambulates the House ¹⁵⁸, Allah writes for him for every step seventy thousand good deeds and erases from him seventy thousand evil deeds." And he said: "Seize these benefits and profits, for whoever strives will find, and the one who stays awake is not like the one who sleeps." Virtues and benefits require a leap like the leap of a lion. The beloved ones have traveled in the night of determination while you slept, and they profited in their transaction while you gained nothing. If you reflect on what you have missed, you would regret. O you who are cut off from the people, if you do not rise to join the brothers, then weep with me over distance and deprivation. When a caller calls to the House and the Stone ¹⁵⁹, eyes respond with flowing tears. Whenever the riders set out for Mina ¹⁶⁰, I have yearning and longings beyond measure. My body resides in the lands, but my heart is in the sanctuary ¹⁶¹ with every caravan that travels. I soothe my heart with patience, but when the time of the caravan's departure draws near, my patience does not avail me. I recall the terrors of the road and its reward, so what I fear of hardship becomes easy for me. If I fear poverty, my resolve says: 'Proceed, for how many a poor man has triumphed with honor.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whose proof and evidence are clear, Your chosen one, distinguished by eternal glory and noble honor, from whom it is narrated concerning the virtue of Mecca and the rites of Hajj to the Sacred House and the Day of Arafat ¹⁶² and standing there, and what Allah has prepared of great rewards therein, that he said: "Whoever comes to this House..." And in another narration: "And be content with what you choose, for the contentment of love makes things sweet." As for the wisdom in the Talbiyah ¹⁶³, when a person of great status calls you, you respond with the Talbiyah and good speech. How much more so when the caller is your Lord, the All-Knowing King, who calls you to His presence to expiate sins and transgressions. When the servant says, 'Labbaik ¹⁶⁴,' Allah Almighty says, 'I am near to you and manifest to you, so ask what you will, for I am closer to you than your jugular vein.' A servant called by his Lord to draw near, so he responded with kindness when He called him. He came answering with utmost humility; O his triumph with profit when he answered. As for the wisdom in standing at Arafat and taking the pebbles from Muzdalifah ¹⁶⁵, it contains secrets for those of knowledge and gnosis. Its meaning is as if the servant says: 'My Master, I have carried the embers of sins and burdens, and I have cast them in Your obedience with confession. Indeed, You are the Generous, the Oft-Forgiving.' To You from Your abandonment I seek flight, while You have always been the One who overlooks stumbles. So forgive a servant whose heart is filled with the pain of burdens and the pebbles. As for the wisdom in remembrance at the Sacred Monument ¹⁶⁶ and the great rewards therein, it is as if the Truth, glorified and exalted, says: 'Remember Me, I will remember you. Whoever remembers Me in himself, I remember him in Myself; and whoever remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a gathering better than his. So when you remember Me at the Sacred Monument, I remember you among the noble angels and write for you a charter of safety from the descent of vengeance.' Your remembrance, O my desire and ultimate goal, and You are for us, O my Master, the best of rememberers. So grant acceptance, by which I hope for my wishes, for Your remembrance is in my heart, my secret, and my mind. As for the wisdom in shaving the head at Mina ¹⁶⁷, it contains a wisdom by which the servant attains all wishes. That is because it is an awakening and a reminder that only the precise scholar understands. When the pilgrim stands at Arafat, remembers Allah at the Sacred Monument, sacrifices at Mina, shaves his head, and purifies his body from impurities and sins, Allah writes for him a reward, multiplies his wages, and protects him from blazing fire. For every hair on the Day of Resurrection, he will have a light and be given a charter of safety, as Allah says in His protected Book: 'Shaving your heads and shortening [your hair], not fearing...' ¹⁶⁸ To your door is my striving, and I am deficient, poor to you, so have mercy on the servant's humility. If you drive me away, I have no other door but yours; and if you are pleased with me, then O my happiness! As for the wisdom in circumambulation and the meanings and graces it contains, the one circumambulating the House says through his state when supplicating and imploring: 'My Master, You are the Intended, You are the Worshipped Lord. I have come to You with the multitude of visitors, circumambulated Your witnessed House, and stood at the door of Your generosity, hoping for generosity and bounty. Your address to Your faithful friend ¹⁶⁹ has preceded in the clear Book: 'And purify My House for those who circumambulate, those who stand [in prayer], and those who bow and prostrate.' ¹⁷⁰ With prostration of foreheads on the ground in humility, by the circumambulation of pilgrims at arrival. Grant us repentance, O my God, then turn away from us all worries. As for the wisdom in standing at Arafat and the exquisite meanings it contains, it is a likeness and a reminder of standing before the Majestic, glorified is His majesty, on the Day of Resurrection, barefoot, naked, with heads uncovered, standing on the feet of regret and remorse, crying out with weeping and wailing, calling upon their Lord with the supplication of a poor, humble servant, as it is said: I stood in humility at the doors of Your might, interceding for my sins with You through You. I rub my cheek in humility on the dust, hoping that You accept me and be pleased with me as Your servant. If You are pleased, then O my honor and glory; if You refuse, then whom do I hope for other than You? May Allah not convey from me the joy of seeing them if my ear ever delights in other than Your remembrance. If I die in Your love out of longing, then O my honor and joy for my death in You through You. If I intend patience away from Your love, I lose the sweetness of my joy in Your very selves. I have forgotten every path I knew, except the path that leads me to Your love. I confess my sin, so pardon generously, for with my brokenness and humility I have come to you. And I have become among people called Your servant; do not drive me away, for I have become known through You. Blessed are the people whom their Lord called to the Ancient House ¹⁷¹, and they answered the caller of ecstasy and longing. They set out to Him yearning, on the foot of certainty, and on every lean camel, coming from every deep valley. How I long for the breeze of the sweet basil that heals my ailment when it comes from Najd ¹⁷²! And the shaykh ¹⁷³ that he is, he built up ecstasy. My longing for them is longing, and my ecstasy is ecstasy. And from Ali ibn al-Muwaffaq ¹⁷⁴, may Allah have mercy on him, he said: 'I performed Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah, circumambulated it seven times, kissed the Black Stone ¹⁷⁵, prayed two rak'ahs ¹⁷⁶, leaned against the wall of the Kaaba ¹⁷⁷ while weeping, and said: 'How often do I come to this House and attend, not knowing whether it is accepted or not?' Then my eyes overcame me and I slept a light sleep. While I was between sleep and wakefulness, I heard a caller saying: 'O Ali ibn al-Muwaffaq, We have heard your words. Do you call to your House except those you love?' People are happy with the sweetness of their union, while I am alone in my affliction from their abandonment. They have not found a cure for their love, nor have I. No one has been as mad for them as I. It is said that Bakr and Mutarrif ¹⁷⁸ stood at Arafat. When the pilgrims cried out with weeping and clamor, Bakr wept and said: 'What a beautiful station this is, were it not that we are among them.' Mutarrif, whose face had changed and paled, said: 'O Allah, do not turn them back because of me.' What harm would the east wind do if it fanned my burning and rescued my soul from the captivity of my longings? A chronic disease I have, who can treat it? And who can be a healer for me from their abandonment? Time passes while my hopes demand from me the one I love, with delay and deprivation. O waste of life! I have not benefited from the past, nor have I obtained anything of what remains. It is narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir ¹⁷⁹ that he performed Hajj thirty-three times. On his last Hajj, while standing at Arafat, he said: 'O Allah, You know that I have stood in this station thirty-three times: one for my obligatory Hajj, one for my father, and one for my mother. I bear witness, O Lord, that I have given the thirty [remaining] to whoever stands in this station of mine and it is not accepted from him.'"

He was driven from Arafat and descended at Muzdalifah. It was called out in a dream: "O son of al-Munkadir! Do you show generosity to the One who created generosity? Do you show munificence to the One who created munificence? Verily, Allah the Exalted says to you: By My Might and Majesty, I have forgiven those who stood at Arafat two thousand years before I created Arafat." * He who manifests to us illuminates existence * A Giver who bestows munificence upon lovers * He called the nation of passion to Him * So the people of loyalty came as delegations * And the sinners came, some weeping * Tears flowing from their cheeks like gems * Then they called out: "O Eternal in munificence, O He * Who has never ceased to be benevolent, generous, and loving * You promised forgiveness to those who repent * And we have come to You hoping for Your promises" * They heard the words: "We have erased the sins * And shown mercy to the forsaken and the expelled * And We have mended every broken one with forgiveness * Who used to complain of harshness and aversion" ⁵² And from Ali ibn al-Muwaffaq ¹⁸⁰ (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I performed Hajj in one of the years and slept between the mosque at al-Khayf and Mina. I saw two angels descending from heaven. One said to his companion: "O servant of Allah, do you know how many have performed Hajj to our Lord's House this year?" He said: "No." He said: "Six hundred thousand." Then he said: "Do you know how many of them were accepted?" He said: "No." He said: "Six persons." Then they ascended into the air. I stood up terrified and said: "Oh, what a loss! Where will I be among these six persons this year?" When I stood at Arafat and spent the night at Muzdalifah, I saw the two angels descending from heaven as usual. One greeted the other and said: "O servant of Allah, do you know what your Lord has decreed this night?" He said: "No." He said: "He has granted to each of the six accepted ones a hundred thousand, and they have all been accepted." He said: Then I awoke with such joy as only Allah the Exalted knows, for He had accepted all the pilgrims and granted them goodness and munificence, and none of them was wretched, deprived, or expelled. * Say to the one accustomed to sins and crimes * Who has become remorseful for his slips * Do not despair of beauty, for with Us * There is a bounty that bestows generosity upon the repentant * O company of sinners, My munificence is vast * Repent, for before you are wishes and spoils * Do not fear the ugliness of a past sin * I love to be munificent and merciful It is narrated that Rabi'a al-Adawiyya ¹⁸¹ (may Allah have mercy on her) performed Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah barefoot, walking... ⁵³ ...from food. When she reached the Ka'ba, she fell on her feet and fainted from what was opened to her of food. When she regained consciousness, she placed her cheek on the House and recited a single verse: ❖ What remains of tears in the eyes? These are their abodes, and you are a lover. Then she performed Tawaf ¹⁸² and Sa'y ¹⁸³. When she wanted to stand at Arafat, she menstruated. She wept and said: "My Master and Lord, if this had happened to me from someone other than You, I would have complained to You about it. But how can it be when it has happened from You?" Then she heard a caller saying: "O Rabi'a, We have accepted the entire Hajj for your sake, and We have compensated them for your brokenness." ❖ The chaste passion ¹⁸⁴ has established for me an excuse in you ❖ So for this reason, I cannot bear to be patient without you ❖ I have become infatuated, walking proudly among people ❖ And I have made the broadest excuse for those who blame me in love ❖ If I listen to the blamer, I am capable ❖ But he knows the state better than others ❖ I have a moon in the land of Najd, his abode ❖ Yet he has put the sun and the full moon to shame ❖ When his beauty and comeliness appeared ❖ And the light of his radiant countenance shone to my eye ❖ I gave him my soul and said: "To you is the innermost ❖ Your abode, O you whose beauty has bewildered thought" ❖ When He says: "O My servant," I say: "You have remembered me ❖ My happiness is complete, and this is the first good news" ❖ So O Lord, by the Guide, the Bringer of Glad Tidings, who ascended ❖ To the peak of the heavens on the Night of Isra' ¹⁸⁵ ❖ And You sent him to us as a bringer of glad tidings and a warner ❖ He remains for us a treasure on the Day of Appointment ❖ Make us all taste the coolness of Your pardon and guide us ❖ To the best means by which we gain reward ❖ And intercede for him for us for sins that have accumulated ❖ For they have weighed heavily on our shoulders and backs ❖ A Prophet who has miraculous signs ❖ That have bewildered the mind and thought in grasping them ⁵⁴ ❖ Virtues that if all people were tasked ❖ To explain and enumerate, they could not enumerate them ❖ Upon him be the peace of Allah as long as the east wind blows ❖ And as long as it carries his fragrance to people The author (may Allah be pleased with him and grant Him pleasure, and bestow upon him His pardon and forgiveness, and make his abode and resting place in the highest Paradise) said: When I reached the virtues of the Hajj rituals up to the standing at Arafat, it became clear to me to mention the virtues of the Day of Arafat and its fasting, and its honored night, and what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned about the great rewards and its description, and to follow it with the virtues of the ten days of Dhul-Hijja ¹⁸⁶, and the virtues of the Feast of Breaking the Fast and the Feast of Sacrifice, so that the lover may attain the goal and achieve the desire through that. And these are they. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of pure qualities and praiseworthy morals, and the fountainhead of bestowed knowledge and beneficial sciences, from whom it is narrated regarding the virtues of the great and glorious Day of Arafat that he said: "No one remains on the Day of Arafat in whose heart is the weight of a grain of faith except that Allah forgives him." A man said: "O Messenger of Allah, specifically for the people of Arafat or for all people?" He said: "Rather, for all people. And whoever fasts the Day of Arafat, Allah writes for him the reward equal to the number of those who fasted that day and the number of those who did not fast it among the Muslims. And seventy thousand angels escort him to the Gathering Place, and at the setting of the Scale ¹⁸⁷, and from the Standing ¹⁸⁸ to the Bridge ¹⁸⁹, and from the Bridge to Paradise, and they give him glad tidings at every step he takes, each step carrying a new glad tiding." ⁵⁵ O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the pole of sovereignty, lofty in rank and station, the mountain of glory supported by dazzling miracles and great wonders, from whom it is narrated regarding the virtue of the Day of Arafat, observed with the eye of veneration and glorification, that he said: "When it is the Day of Arafat, Allah spreads His mercy. There is no day with more emancipations than it. And whoever asks Allah the Exalted on the Day of Arafat for any need of this world or the Hereafter, Allah grants it to him. And fasting the Day of Arafat is reckoned by Allah to forgive the year before and the year after. And whoever fasts the Day of Tarwiyya ¹⁹⁰, Allah gives him the reward of Job (peace be upon him) for his affliction. And whoever fasts the Day of Arafat, Allah gives him the reward of Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him)." O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad ⁵⁶, possessor of the pure and illuminated heart and the noble and pure body, from whom it is narrated regarding the virtue of the Day of Arafat and its reward mentioned in the recorded hadiths that he said:

The fast of the Day of Arafah ¹⁹¹ expiates the past year and the coming year. The wisdom in that is that it falls between two festivals ¹⁹², which are days of joy for the believer, and there is no greater joy for the believer than the forgiveness of his sin. The Day of Ashura ¹⁹³ comes after the two festivals, so it is an expiation for one year, because it is for our master Moses (peace be upon him), and the honor of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is multiplied over others. Whoever fasts the Day of Arafah, Allah forgives him his past and future sins. 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 clarified the path of religion and made it clear, and the most excellent of those whose land, homeland, and dwelling place are beloved in hearts. It is narrated from him concerning the virtue of the Night of Arafah and the five noble and commendable nights that accompany it that he said: "Whoever revives these five nights, Paradise becomes obligatory for him: the Night of Arafah, the Night of Tarwiyah ¹⁹⁴, the Night of Nahr ¹⁹⁵, the Night of Fitr ¹⁹⁶, and the Night of the middle of Sha'ban ¹⁹⁷. Allah chose times, and the most beloved times to Him are the sacred months ¹⁹⁸; the most beloved of the sacred months to Him is Dhul-Hijjah; the most beloved of Dhul-Hijjah to Him, exalted is He, are the first ten days; and the best days of the world are the days of the ten—meaning the twenty days of Dhul-Hijjah. On the first night of Dhul-Hijjah, our master Abraham (peace be upon him) was born. Whoever fasts that day will have the expiation of eighty years. There are no days greater with Allah, nor more beloved to Allah for deeds therein, than the days of the ten. So increase in them the glorification ¹⁹⁹, praise ²⁰⁰, and declaration of His oneness ²⁰¹. And three persons will be greeted by the angels on the day they emerge from their graves: the martyrs, the fasters of Ramadan, and the fasters of Arafah. Whoever fasts the last day of Dhul-Hijjah and the first day of Muharram has concluded the past year with fasting and begun the new year with fasting; Allah will make it an expiation for fifty years." 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 whom a person seeks healing from his pain and ailment, and the most generous of those to whom the distressed turns in his state of fear, hope, and desire. It is narrated from him concerning the virtue of Arafah, the devotee who worships there, the pilgrim in his state of asceticism and piety, that he supplicated for his community on the evening of Arafah, and it was answered: "I have forgiven them except the oppressor, for I will take the right of the oppressed from him." So he said: "O Lord, if You will, give the oppressed from Paradise and forgive the oppressor." But he was not granted that on the evening of Arafah. When morning came at Muzdalifah ²⁰², he repeated the supplication, and it was answered as he asked. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) laughed, and Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) asked him about that. He said: "Indeed, the enemy of Allah, Iblis ²⁰³, when he learned that Allah, exalted is He, had answered my supplication and forgiven my community, took dust and began to throw it on his head, crying out in woe and destruction. What I saw of his distress made me laugh." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the carpet of the majestic presence, the treasurer of the noble and honored secret of prophethood. It is narrated that Gabriel descended upon him on the Day of Arafah with twenty-four thousand wings adorned with pearls and rubies, woven with colors of jewels, and said: "O Muhammad, Allah sends you greetings and says to you: Go to Ta'if, for there are one thousand five hundred idols worshipped besides Allah." So he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) went out to them and called them to monotheism, but they turned away and sent a slave girl. She said: "Who are you?" He said: "I am Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah." She asked him questions, and he answered her. She said to him: "Uncover your back." When she saw the seal of prophethood ²⁰⁴, she kissed it and embraced Islam. When she returned to her father and told him of her Islam, he took iron stakes heated in fire and tortured her. She said: "This is little for one who seeks Paradise." When she died, he threw her to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), who shrouded her and prayed over her. Then he said: "By Him in whose hand is my soul, she did not die until she saw her station in Paradise." Then Gabriel came and said: "O Muhammad, the people have gathered to fight you with vicious dogs." When he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) approached them, they sent the dogs and said: "Set upon Muhammad!" So he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "O Allah, by the right of the Day of Arafah, turn these dogs away from me." They submitted to him, and he said: "Attack your masters!" So the dogs leaped upon them, and they threw stones at them. A stone struck his (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) face, and five angels descended, each saying: "My Lord has commanded me to obey you in whatever you wish." He wept and said: "Allah sent me as a mercy, not as a punishment." Then he said: "O Allah, by the right of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jesus, Ramadan, and the Day of Arafah, grant them faith." Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "By Allah, we prayed the noon prayer with the people all behind the Prophet (may Allah 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 sultan of the supported and victorious kingdom, the possessor of righteous deeds and praiseworthy striving. It is narrated from him concerning the virtue of the Day of Arafah and its well-known reward that he said: "Allah descends to the lowest heaven and says: 'O My angels, look at My servants: they have come to Me disheveled and dusty from every deep valley, that I may make you witness that I have forgiven them all.'" Then he said: "On the Day of Arafah, there remains no one in whose heart is an atom's weight of faith except that He forgives him." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, for those who are present at Arafah or for others?" He said: "For those present and for others." And he said: "O people, Allah, exalted is He, has extended His favor to you on the Day of Arafah and forgiven you, except for the debts ²⁰⁵ among you. He has given your evil deeds to your good-doers and granted your good-doers what they asked. So return with the name of Allah." When it was the gathering at Muzdalifah, he said: "Allah has forgiven your righteous and interceded your repentant for your oppressors. Then mercy and forgiveness descend and encompass them. Then forgiveness spreads over the earth and falls upon every repentant person who has guarded his tongue. And Iblis and his troops retreat to the mountain of Arafat, watching what Allah does with them. When mercy descends, he and his troops cry out in woe and destruction." So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the noble full moons, and his companions, the discerning leaders, with a blessing that brightens our faces with the light of joy and happiness, honors our abode before You on the Day of Resurrection and Reckoning, and establishes us in the highest chambers and palaces of the paradises of Your presence, 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 to whom You gave prophethood, knowledge, and wisdom, and the most complete of those to whom You granted an abundant share and portion of the secrets of Your wisdom. It is narrated from him concerning the virtue of these four nights and the two festival days that which delights the eye: "Whoever fasts the Day of Arafah, Allah forgives him the sins of two years: the past year and the coming year. Whoever fasts the Day of Ashura, Allah forgives him the sins of one year. And whoever fasts the Day of Arafah while in a state of ritual consecration ²⁰⁶, it is better than seventy years of fasting."

The eye is forgiveness and mercy. He said: "There are four nights in which Allah pours out mercy upon His servants abundantly: the first night of Rajab, the night of the middle of Sha'ban, the night of Fitr ²⁰⁷, and the night of Adha ²⁰⁸. The greatest of these nights are the nights of Adha and Fitr." And the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Adorn your festivals with takbir ²⁰⁹." In another narration: "Adorn the two festivals with tahlil ²¹⁰, taqdis ²¹¹, tahmid ²¹², and takbir." And he said: "Increase takbir on the night of the Festival of Sacrifice ²¹³ until the end of the days of Tashriq ²¹⁴ after every prayer, three times, for it demolishes sins completely. The festival is only called 'id because it returns with joy and happiness." Some said it is called 'id because it is a noble and generous day. So it behooves the intelligent person to receive it with veneration and glorification of Allah Almighty, and to increase the remembrance of Allah, because on the Day of Resurrection the blast and the stunning cry will be heard. Thus the beating of drums reminds of it, the blowing of the trumpet reminds of the blowing of the Horn, and the gathering of people in the prayer place reminds of the gathering of people on the Day of Resurrection in their various states: some wearing white, some black, some on foot, some riding, some joyful, some sorrowful, some returning to bliss, some to punishment. The people waiting for the imam are like those waiting for the gathering place, anticipating what Allah has prepared for them. The gesture in the sermon and the people listening remind that Allah Almighty will judge and punish, and the creation is silent. Their ranks in the prayer place resemble their ranks on the Day of Resurrection: some are bridled by sweat, some are in the shade of the Throne. Likewise, their departure from the prayer place: some are accepted, some rejected. It is related that someone went out on the day of the festival and began to throw dust and ashes on his head. It was said: "This is a day of joy, happiness, and adornment, and you do this?" He replied: "For the one whose fast has been accepted." It is narrated that the day of the festival is a blessed day: some people are happy in it, others miserable. So blessed is the one whose deeds are accepted, and woe to the one whose deeds are rejected. So it is a day in which one rejoices if his deeds are accepted, and is consoled if they are rejected. So avoid, may Allah have mercy on you, evil deeds on this day, and strive in what pleases your Great and Exalted Lord, so that your states may be rectified, your deeds accepted, and you may attain honor, pleasure, forgiveness, and gain. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of beautiful and good deeds and pure and noble words, from whom it is narrated regarding the virtue of the Festival of Sacrifice and the sacrificial animal of great reward: "Whoever offers a sacrifice, it will come on the Day of Resurrection when he comes out of his grave, standing at the head of the grave, its first hair being of gold rods, its eyes of the ruby of Paradise, and its horns of gold. It will say: 'Who are you? I have never seen anything more beautiful than you.' It will reply: 'I am your sacrifice that you raised in the world. Ride on my back.' So he rides on it and goes between heaven and earth to the shade of the Throne." And it is narrated: "When the camel of his sacrifice falls to the ground, the first drop of its blood becomes an expiation for his sin, and for every hair he has a good deed." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the garden of fragrant beauties and the bride of the high presences of lofty rank and status, from whom it is narrated regarding the virtue of the sacrificial animal of great reward: "Magnify your sacrifices, for they are your mounts on the Bridge ²¹⁵." And it is narrated that Iblis, may Allah curse him, calls out (i.e., shouts) on every festival, and the devils gather around him and say: "O our master, what makes you angry? From the sky, the earth, or the mountains? We will break them." He says: "Allah has forgiven the community of Muhammad on this day. So you must occupy them with pleasures and drinking wine so that Allah becomes angry with them." And Allah created Paradise on the day of Fitr, and on it He forgave the sorcerers of Pharaoh, planted the Tree of Tuba ²¹⁶, chose Gabriel for revelation, and the prayer that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed before Adha. And it is narrated that the Festival of Sacrifice is better than the Festival of Fitr because it falls on the best days of the year, which are the ten days ²¹⁷. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, the intercessor whose intercession is accepted, Your chosen one, the excellent one preferred over every prophet and messenger, from whom it is narrated that he used to eat seven dates on the day of Fitr before going out to the prayer place. The scholars said: It is recommended to eat something before going out to the Fitr prayer. And it is narrated from him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, regarding the virtue of the night of Fitr, whose honor is established by reason and tradition, that he said: "When the night of Fitr comes, it is called the Night of the Reward. When the morning of Fitr comes, Allah sends the angels to every land, and they descend to the earth and stand at the entrances of the streets, calling out in a voice heard by all creatures except humans and jinn: 'O community of Muhammad, come out to a Generous Lord who gives abundantly and forgives sin.' When they proceed to their prayer place, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, says: 'O My angels, what is the reward of a worker when he completes his work?' The angels say: 'Our God, our Master, and our Lord, his reward is that You pay him his wages in full.' Allah, Blessed and Exalted, says: 'I call you to witness, O My angels, that I have made their reward for fasting the month of Ramadan and standing in prayer My pleasure and forgiveness.' Then Allah, Blessed and Exalted, says: 'By My Might and Majesty, you will not ask Me today in this gathering of yours for anything concerning the Hereafter but I will give it to you, nor for anything concerning this world but I will look upon you. By My Might and Majesty, I will surely conceal your slips as long as you seek My forgiveness. By My Might and Majesty, I will not disgrace you nor expose you before the people of the Hereafter. Depart forgiven, you have pleased Me and I am pleased with you. So blessed, then blessed, is the one upon whom I have bestowed the robes of acceptance and who has attained from the pleasure of his Lord the care of the palace and the request.'" Section: O Allah, bless him and his family with a blessing that illuminates our hearts from the drink of the pure wine of Your love, and that spreads over us in this world and the Hereafter the veil of Your covering, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O you who rejoice on the day of the festival, with your new clothes, and turn to foods, drinks, and marriages with beautiful maidens.

He drags the tail of pride among people, with his wealth, his might, and his status. For his belly, his eye, and his body, he is devoted to sins and amusements. It is as if he had been in Ramadan in a prison and was brought out on the day of Eid. So he began to compensate for what had passed, making up for his counted sins. He laughs obscenely with his peers, and inclines towards pleasures like the bending of a lute. The soul is prone to every ugly deed, a disgrace that eclipses the light of one who is rightly guided. You have equated yourself in this to beasts; do you see any distinction from them by praiseworthy piety? Why did you not weep on your Eid day out of anguish, so that you might win the favor of every rightly guided one? On the day of rewards, your Eid for people is that you give gifts and forgiveness for a sin that is a companion of threat. Acceptance is hidden; why did you not fear that your fast might be rejected? The Eid is that you give gifts and satisfaction, and pardon for a sin that is a companion of threat. The Eid is the return of Allah, exalted is His majesty, with favor upon you in the best of returns. The Eid is that your heart remains a garden of light, verdant without limit. The Eid is that you remain obedient outwardly, without any defilement or breach of covenants. The Eid is that your tongue remains remembering, and in harmony with the heart in repetition. The Eid is that your face retains its beauty from the light of obedience to your worshipped Lord. The Eid is that you are granted immunity from the blaze, or that you join the blessed in attaining felicities. The Eid is that chambers are built for you in the highest gardens for your witnessed day. The Eid is that brides are unveiled for you in Paradise, with marriage on the day of arrival. The Eid is that you are praised in the presence of the Eternal, the blessed of promise. The Eid is that the places you visit take pride in you, when you seek refuge in them through prostration. The Eid is that you intend to enjoy obedience, for that is the Sunnah of Ahmad ²¹⁸, the Praised One. A return and reversion to what we are engaged in: mentioning the virtues of the rituals of the obligatory Hajj ²¹⁹ in Islam, and the sleeplessness and slumber, and the longing for the landmarks of the honored Kaaba ²²⁰ of high status and the Maqam ²²¹, and the sites and dwellings that Gabriel (peace be upon him) frequented and the noble angels visited. O the happiness of one who strives in journeying to it, spends his life in seeking it, and makes standing at its door the ultimate goal and aspiration. 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 built houses of honor and raised them, and the greatest of those who shattered the thrones of the people of disbelief and error and lowered them. It is narrated from him concerning the virtue of Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah, and the two cemeteries of Mecca and Medina ²²², which are surrounded by veneration and glorification, that he said: "Whoever performs Hajj or Umrah ²²³ and dies between his time and that, enters Paradise. Whoever endures the heat of Mecca for an hour of a day, Hell retreats from him a distance of two hundred years, and Paradise draws near to him a distance of two hundred years." And he said: "Al-Hajun ²²⁴ and Al-Baqi' ²²⁵ are taken by their edges and spread out in Paradise." These are the two cemeteries of Mecca and Medina, specially designated for reverence and respect. The Prophet (peace be upon him) once stood at the hill of the cemetery when there was no cemetery there at that time and said: "Allah Almighty will raise from this spot and from this sanctuary every seventy thousand who will enter Paradise without reckoning; each one of them will intercede for seventy thousand, and their faces will be like the full moon on the night of the full moon. And the Kaaba will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection like a bride led in procession, and everyone who performed Hajj to it will cling to its curtains and be happy around it until it enters Paradise, and they will enter with it." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of whose full moon shone in the horizon of lordship and attained perfection, and the most majestic of whose body encompassed virtues and beauties and included them. It is narrated from him concerning the virtue of the accepted Hajj, i.e., the deed that is accepted, and Umrah, and what Allah has prepared for its people of abundant reward in pre-eternity, that he said: "Indeed, Islam demolishes what was before it, and indeed Hijra ²²⁶ demolishes what was before it, and indeed Hajj demolishes what was before it of major sins and slips." And he said: "A man who leaves his house for Hajj or Umrah—when he lifts a foot or puts it down, sins fall from his body as leaves fall from a tree. If he enters Medina and greets me with peace, the angels greet him. If he arrives at his Miqat ²²⁷ and performs Ghusl ²²⁸, Allah purifies him from his sins. If he strips off his clothes and puts on the Ihram ²²⁹ garment, Allah strips away his evil deeds. If he recites the Talbiya ²³⁰, the Lord, glorified and exalted, answers him: 'Here I am at Your service, and here I am. I hear your words and look at you.' If he enters Mecca and performs Sa'i ²³¹ between Safa and Marwa ²³², Allah grants him good things and raises his ranks. If he arrives at Arafat ²³³, the place of intimate supplication, and voices are raised with needs, the Majestic, exalted is His majesty, looks at them and boasts of them to the angels, saying: 'O My angels, these are My servants; they have come to Me disheveled and dusty from every place, they have exerted their bodies, spent their wealth, and left their families and homelands. By My might and majesty, I will surely grant the wrongdoer among them for the sake of the righteous, and I will bring them out of sins as on the day their mothers bore them.' When they throw the Jamarat ²³⁴, shave their heads, visit the House, circumambulate it, perform Sa'i between Safa and Marwa, and complete their Hajj, a caller from beneath the Throne calls out to them at that hour: 'Return, forgiven; so resume deeds.'" He manifested to them out of longing, and annihilated their existence; not a single joint remained of their bodies. They became intoxicated with the wine of His love, and their spirits soared to the highest assembly. They perished in the monastery of passion, and became slain by the sword of desire in the love of their Beloved. He gave them to drink pure cups of love and affection; cups of the union of friendship, from the remembrance of You, fill. He called them while the night had spread its veil, and brought them to the sweetest watering-place from His bounty. He showed them the lights of the beauty of His majesty, and settled them in the bounty and union of His nearness. They became enraptured, without what they saw, with passion, and they lost their minds and intellects in His love. He said: "Rejoice, then look and enjoy; this is My beauty, now revealed to you." So, O company of lovers, congratulations on the meeting; your happiness is complete and your sorrow has departed. O Lord, by the Guide, the Bringer of good news, Muhammad, a pure Prophet in branch as he was pure in root, and who ascended to heaven honored, and whose excellence is true and whose resolve is just, protect us from the Fire and forgive our sins, for we have come to You seeking the outpouring of bounty. Upon him be the peace of Allah as long as the east wind blows and as long as a light from his beauties shines forth.

At the place of seeking refuge ²³⁵ and at the Multazam ²³⁶, behind the Maqam ²³⁷, at Zamzam ²³⁸, during the Sa'i ²³⁹, during the Tawaf ²⁴⁰, on Safa ²⁴¹ and Marwa ²⁴², and at the stoning of the three Jamarat ²⁴³—whoever strives in supplication in these places by correcting the intention of acceptance, it guarantees for him the answer. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved whose virtues are beyond count and enumeration, Your chosen one whose miracles are endless and cannot be fully comprehended, Your saint from whom it is narrated regarding the virtue of the Black Stone corner and the Yemeni corner that he said: "Between the Black Stone corner and the Yemeni corner are two gates of the gates of Paradise, and no servant turns to Allah at the Black Stone corner except that his prayer is answered, and likewise at the Yemeni corner, under the waterspout ²⁴⁴, and the Black Stone corner and the Yemeni corner are a garden from the gardens of Paradise." (75) And he said: "Journeys are not to be undertaken except to three mosques: the Sacred Mosque ²⁴⁵, my mosque ²⁴⁶, and the Aqsa Mosque ²⁴⁷." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those You chose and sent as prophets, the most honored of those whose rank You elevated in the highest assembly, from whom it is narrated regarding the virtue of Mecca that he said when the disbelievers of Quraysh expelled him from it: "By Allah, I know that you are the most beloved of lands to Allah, and you are the most beloved of Allah's lands to Allah, and the most beloved of Allah's lands to me. Had the polytheists not expelled me from you, I would not have left." 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 granted a lofty rank and a spacious station, the most perfect of Your saints in sound intellect and eloquent tongue, from whom it is narrated regarding the virtue of the honored Kaaba ²⁴⁸ that when he looked at it he said: "There is no god but Allah. O how pure you are, how pure your fragrance, how great your sanctity! But the believer is greater in sanctity than you. Allah has made you sacred, and He has made sacred from the believer his wealth, his blood, his honor, and that he be thought ill of." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those upon whom You completed Your favor and the most beautiful of those upon whom You manifested (76) Your bounty and grace, from whom it is narrated regarding the virtue of the Kaaba that when he looked at it he said: "Welcome, O House! How great you are and how great your sanctity!" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the imam of Your saints, the knowledgeable who act, the elite of Your chosen ones, the leaders who have attained union, from whom it is narrated regarding the virtue of prayer behind the Maqam that he said: "Whoever prays two rak'ahs behind the Maqam, his past and future sins are forgiven, and he will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment among the secure." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the brick of completion, the bowl of fragrances, and the musk of the seal, from whom it is narrated regarding the virtue and honor of Mecca that he said: "The earth was created from Mecca, and the first to circumambulate the House were the angels. No prophet fled from a town except that he fled to Allah in Mecca, inhabiting it until he died. Indeed, the graves of Noah, Hud, Salih, Shu'ayb, and Ishmael are between Zamzam and the Maqam." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those You chose as a beloved and chosen one, the most honored of those You took as a close friend and saint, who said: "Indeed, around the Kaaba there are three hundred graves of prophets (77), and between the Yemeni corner and the Black corner are the graves of seventy prophets." 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 yearning souls long, the most beloved of those whom loving hearts desire to attain and hope for what is with him, from whom it is narrated: "Indeed, the Kaaba is surrounded by seventy thousand angels seeking forgiveness for those who circumambulate it and sending blessings upon them." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of Your beloved, the guided guides, and the imam of Your saints who guide to You and direct, who said: "Allah Almighty founded this House as an expiation for the sins of my community." Then our master Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah, what is this Black Stone?" He said: "It is a jewel that was in Paradise; Allah Almighty sent it down to the world, and it had a radiance like the radiance of the sun. Its ugliness was bought, and its color changed due to what touched it from the hands of the polytheists." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the refuge of those who seek shelter and protection, the Kaaba of those who circumambulate and touch (78), who said: "I never came to the Yemeni corner except that Gabriel came to me there saying, 'O Muhammad, touch it.'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the example of every prophet and chosen one, the master of every close friend and saint, who said: "I never came to the Yemeni corner except that Gabriel, peace be upon him, was there saying, 'O finder, trader, do not deprive me of a blessing You have bestowed upon me.'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the antidote of treatment and healing, the best of those You singled out for nearness to You and perfection of selection, who said: "The corner is the right hand of Allah on earth; He shakes hands with His servants through it as one of you shakes hands with his brother. Indeed, the corner and the Maqam will come on the Day of Judgment, each of them like Abu Qubays ²⁴⁹, having two eyes and two lips, bearing witness for those who saw them with loyalty."

O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the locus of faith and truth, and the tongue of revelation that proclaims the truth, who said concerning the virtue of the Most Fortunate Stone ²⁵⁰: "By Allah, Allah will surely resurrect it on the Day of Resurrection, and it will have two eyes with which it sees and a tongue with which it speaks, bearing witness for whoever touches it in truth." ²⁵¹ O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the succor of the community, the sword of its victory, the reliever of its distress, and the remover of its regret, who said concerning the virtue of visiting the Ka'ba ²⁵²: "Gabriel, peace be upon him, stood with a green turban covered with dust. I said: 'What is this dust on your turban, O Trustworthy Spirit?' He said: 'The angels were commanded to visit this House, and they crowded around the Corner ²⁵³, so this dust you see is what the angels raise with their wings.'" O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those who investigated the rulings of the Hanifite ²⁵⁴ religion and examined, and the most excellent of those who undertook the religion of the disbelievers when he saw it retreating on its heels and recoiling, who said concerning the virtue of the Most Fortunate Stone and the Lofty Station ²⁵⁵: "Indeed, the Most Fortunate Stone and the Station are two rubies from the rubies of Paradise; Allah extinguished their light. Were it not that Allah extinguished their light, they would have illuminated between the East and the West." And in another narration, he added: "And they cure whoever touches them of leprosy, vitiligo, and paralysis." What a stone it is! It has a beautiful, radiant appearance and a brilliant, superior luster that dazzles the eyes with its beauty and grace, and the hearts of beholders incline toward it in sensation and meaning. In its middle, on the side that is to the right of the one who touches it when he stands, there is a small, bright white dot, like a mole on that blessed, delightful surface. In this white mole there is a property that looking at it sharpens the eyesight. Therefore, the one approaching should aim to kiss the place of the mentioned mole as much as possible. When kissed, the stone has a softness and moisture that the mouth enjoys, so much so that the one kissing would wish never to remove his lips from it. It is sweeter than sipping nectar and more piercing than the arrow of the western ²⁵⁶ peers. This is among the special favors of divine care in it. It has been narrated from our master, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that he said: "The Stone was sent down from Paradise, whiter than milk, but the sins of the children of Adam blackened it." So send blessings, O Allah, upon him and upon his family, a blessing by which You forgive our past and future sins, and by which You repel from us the successive and accumulating clouds of temporal trials, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Where are the days that followed one another at the sanctuary ²⁵⁷, and the nights we spent awake with the lovers? We were neighbors to the neighbors of al-Muhassab ²⁵⁸, fulfilling the beauty of love and guarding it. Those are the days of life; other than them is death. Would that we had never witnessed separation! Would that time had closed its eye to us, and would that we had lost the time of parting! May the days of al-Muhassab in Mina return, and its soil and pebbles appear to the eyes. The camels may roam freely in its fullness, and the souls may inhale the fragrance of its lavender ²⁵⁹. So saddle our mounts to the abode once more, for love has not turned us away from their abode. In their abode is a blessed House of Allah, to which people's hearts descend and love. The sinner circumambulates it, and his sin is forgiven, and his guilt and mistakes are dropped from him. How many pleasures, how many joys in its circumambulation! By Allah, how sweet and pleasant is the circumambulation! We circumambulate as if we were circumambulating Paradise, and we have banished all worry and grief. O longing for circumambulation and for Tayyiba ²⁶⁰! That is a fragrance whose meaning cannot be expressed. Whoever has not tasted it has never tasted pleasure; taste it, O friend, and you will taste what we have tasted. Do you see a return or a comeback to our circumambulation? We will visit that sanctuary before death. By Allah, we do not mourn the sanctuary, for our hearts we left there; how could we forget it? By Allah, we will not forget the time of our journey to it, while all the caravan enjoyed its night journey. Our children, women, and brothers forgot us, and we occupied our hearts away from them. The landmarks appeared to us, and blessings upon the banner; then the heart turned away from them. We made the Lord of the Throne the focus of our eyes, and we cast behind our backs all besides Him. We traveled, cutting through the deserts to the land that we reached with effort and hardship for the souls, on foot and riding on every lean camel, from every desolate valley we came. We crossed the sea, the land, and the darkness to it; there is no distance we did not cut to reach it. We folded the desert out of intense longing for the meeting, so the desert became like a scroll we folded. Neither cold nor heat turned us from our goal, for we had become accustomed to it; nor did we find a neighbor or a beloved who abandoned us. Our wealth and our lives were spent, and nothing remained of them that we withheld. We knew what we seek and desire His favor, so everything we gave became easy for us. If it were said that the Fire lies between you and your visitation, we would push ourselves into it, and the just would push us. Longings followed one another, and the entrails burned; who can have patience when his entrails are aflame? The driver urged us on and went deep into the night journey, and sleep fled; we banished the slumber of the eyelids. We perform Hajj to a House that the messengers before us performed Hajj to, to witness a benefit that He promised us in the Book. Allah called us to it when He built it, and we said to Him: "Labbaik ²⁶¹, we have answered the caller." The guests of Allah have never ceased to head for Mecca until the Ancient House and its Corner appeared. Then the guests of Allah cried out with remembrance and supplication, and the pilgrims said "Allahu Akbar" when they saw it. The souls almost departed in joy at the immense happiness we found. We circumambulated it seven times, running three times and walking four, as we were commanded. Thus did the Hashimite Muhammad circumambulate, a circumambulation of arrival, just as he circumambulated, we circumambulated. Tears flowed from the clouds of our eyelids over the past sins we had committed. We are the guests of Allah; we came to His House seeking hospitality and desiring from Allah His best. So He called out to us: "Welcome, My guests, rejoice and be comforted, for the pilgrims We have hosted." What hospitality surpasses our hospitality for our guest? What reward is above what We have given? So be good, rejoice, be happy, and be glad; be proud and enraptured, for Our door We have opened. No sin have We not forgiven you, and no fault of yours have We not concealed. On the Day of Mina ²⁶², we went to the mountain ²⁶³ that we came from afar to, for what we had committed. There is no Hajj unless it is on its land and above; this we have narrated in the authentic [tradition]. To it we hastened, heading to our God; were it not for it, we would not have traversed the Hijaz.

We spent the night in the districts of al-Muḥaṣṣab ²⁶⁴ within Minā ²⁶⁵, and we journeyed to Him seeking to stand [in prayer]. At His two landmarks ²⁶⁶ for standing, there is majesty; may they ever protect and guard its environs. O how sweet the night we spent in al-Muḥaṣṣab! O how sweet it was—would that we had lifted the crowd from it. From every direction we felt secure; we proclaimed the talbiyah ²⁶⁷ and filled it with our tahleel ²⁶⁸. When we saw Him, our clamor rose, and we bore it not from the weight of sins. In it we alighted at dawn with our sins, until night we wept and prolonged supplication. After the sun's decline was our standing at ‘Arafāt ²⁶⁹; we stood at a station where sin is forgiven and therein we erased it. The Creator turned to us with His Face and said, 'Rejoice, for I have spread forgiveness among you. I have guaranteed for you every consequence that befell you, and as for My right, I have granted it. I have lightened your burden of all you have committed, and whoever had an excuse, I have excused him.' He sees a station where the treasures are opened, and God bestowed upon us His gifts. The cup of union and contentment was passed around; You gave us to drink a drink the like of which we have never given. If you wish to be given what we were given at the sanctuary, then abandon colors ²⁷⁰ and seek the place we have alighted. So the pilgrims of God stood for the night, and it was said, 'Depart, for I have accepted all of you.' Pour forth, praising your God, to al-Mash‘ar ²⁷¹ whose mention the Book has brought. Proceed to it and remember God there; so we journeyed and after the night prayer we alighted there. There we combined the sunset prayer with the night prayer; a returning one sees a gathering at a gathering we gathered. We spent the night there, from it we took our pebbles [for stoning], and often we remembered Him according to what He guided us. From it we dispersed; you came as the people before us poured forth, and we sought God's forgiveness. Toward Minā we said, 'There was our feast,' and we attained there what the heart had desired. So which of you, by God, is like our feast? The feast of Minā—the Lord of creation has exalted it. After it, we stoned our stones for the needy, and there is no crime except with the pebbles we threw. At al-Khayf ²⁷², God gave us our security and removed from us all that we feared. Our delegations returned to the Sacred House, and we came to it like birds yearning for their nest. We performed the circumambulation of ifāḍah ²⁷³ around it, and we clung to it after the stoning and clung to it. After we visited, we entered it with an entry as if we had entered Paradise when we entered it. And we attained God's security upon entering it. O abode that was the most blessed of abodes! You see another pilgrimage to you and entry into it. O our brothers, how radiant was our entry! O our brothers, you have made us desolate here; would that you were with us, and indeed we have preserved it. At the blessed Stone ²⁷⁴ we sought refuge, for it is the right hand of the Lord of heaven and earth that you have attained. We kiss it out of our love for our God; how many a kiss during the circumambulation we have kissed! Upon kissing it, there is mercy for the disheveled and dusty; how many disheveled, how many dusty we have pitied! And that will be a witness for us on the Day of Resurrection; in it we have an ancient covenant we made. We touch the Yemeni Corner ²⁷⁵ in obedience, and we seek forgiveness from the Lord when we adhere to it. And at the Multazam ²⁷⁶ we clung for our sin; covenants and God's forgiveness therein we adhered to. How many a station where supplication is answered for us; we supplicated there with the intention we intended. Our pilgrims prayed at the corners of the Maqām ²⁷⁷; in it is healing, in it is the attainment of our desire; in Zamzam ²⁷⁸ is pure water we drank. Between Ṣafā and Marwah ²⁷⁹ the pilgrim performed the sa‘y ²⁸⁰; for the completion of the Hajj is the completion of its sa‘y. And among God's pilgrims surrounding the House, the mercy of the Lord of the Throne draws near and envelops them. Companions called for departure, so you see nothing but tears of an eye mixed with blood; for the separation from the House of God and the Stone, for whose sake we have split difficult matters. The pilgrims bid farewell to the House of our God, and all of them have eyes flowing with sorrow. So by God, how many a weeper and companion of regret! He wishes that God had taken his soul. No one witnesses the farewell to His House one day, but that the separation from the House is bitter we have found it. And by God, were it not that I hope for a return, it would be more bitter and more grievous; that is something we have experienced. After our longing, we tasted the taste of death when we were afflicted by it. We departed to the grave of the Beloved and His abode. A return and a turning, and the breeze of gardens and the plucking of flowers, and Hajj and ‘Umrah ²⁸¹ and sa‘y and circumambulation, and longing for the Sacred House, and ecstasy, infatuation, love, and appeal, and weeping, supplication, and standing at ‘Arafāt of goodness, and entreaty, humility, and fairness, and abasement before the Lord, the King, and seeking pardon and forgiveness with a tongue of humility and confession of sin and acknowledgment, and clouds of mercies pouring down upon the pilgrims of the House of God, which gathers together scattered beauties and attributes. "And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House—for whoever is able to find thereto a way. And whoever disbelieves—then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds." ²⁸² O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muḥammad and upon the family of our master Muḥammad, the desire of the people of intimacy and boldness, the pole of complete sovereignty in virtues and qualities, the sea of generosity preferred over the saints and the chosen ones and the rest of the prophets and messengers, a blessing that makes souls yearn for the honored Ka‘bah ²⁸³ and its landmarks surrounded by pleasure, contentment, joy, and acceptance, and its places protected from slander, plague, famine, panic, earth-caving, disfigurement, and the entry of the Dajjāl ²⁸⁴, and its regions to which provisions are gathered from distant lands without any decrease or removal, and its circuit guarded from temporal calamities and the tyranny of the people of transgression, deviation, and misguidance, and its houses, streets, and environs regarded with the eye of veneration and glorification, and its buildings, towers, and courtyards secure from horrific events, earthquakes, and terrors—and that through the supplication of al-Khalīl ²⁸⁵, peace be upon him, for it, as narrated in the speech of the Possessor of Might and Majesty: "Our Lord, indeed I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful." ²⁸⁶ And it has never ceased to be a place of safety and security since God created the heavens and the earth until the Day of Gathering, Resurrection, Presentation, and Questioning. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said about it: "By God, you are the best of God's land and the most beloved of God's land to God, and had I not been expelled from you, I would not have left." ²⁸⁷ So glorified is our Lord, the Great, the Exalted, Possessor of perpetual bounty, generosity, and favor, the Everlasting.

His dominion is without end; He gives and withholds, He abases and exalts, and in His hand is the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. There is no repelling what He has decreed of station and journeying, nor any preventing what He has granted to His Beloved ²⁸⁸ (may God bless him and grant him peace) of its conquest, victory over its people, and circumambulation of its Kaaba ²⁸⁹, upon which mercies descend at dawn and dusk. So bless him, O God, and his family, the strings of pearls, and his Companions, the noble heroes, with a blessing by which You bestow upon us the pilgrimage to Your House, observed with the eye of veneration and exaltation, and by which You make us among those who stood at Arafat ²⁹⁰ of goodness, shaved, proclaimed Labbayk ²⁹¹, circumambulated, ran ²⁹², and visited the grave of Your Prophet before descending into the grave and the arrival of the appointed terms, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O God, bless and grant peace to our Master and Patron Muhammad and to the family of our Master Muhammad, the mercy of supplication and dependents, the eye of the elite of specificity and perfection, the tongue of truth, truthful in expression and speech, with a blessing that makes souls yearn to circumambulate the Kaaba, surpassing in beauty and loveliness, from which when Your Beloved (may God bless him and grant him peace) emigrated, he stood on al-Marwa ²⁹³ and said: "I know that you are the best of God's lands to God, and were it not that your people expelled me, I would not have left." And in another hadith: When he came to Mecca, the Ansar ²⁹⁴ came to him while he was standing on al-Safa ²⁹⁵ and sat around him. He began to turn his gaze around its sides and look at it, saying: "By God, I know that you are the most beloved of lands to God and the most honorable to God, and were it not that my people expelled me, I would not have left." And on the day of the conquest of Mecca, he said: "Indeed, this city God made sacred on the day He created the heavens and the earth, so it is sacred by the sanctity of God until the Day of Resurrection. Fighting in it is not lawful for anyone other than me, nor is it lawful for anyone after me until the Hour is established. Its thorny trees shall not be cut, its grass shall not be uprooted, its game shall not be chased, and its lost property shall not be picked up except by one who announces it." Al-Abbas ²⁹⁶ said—and he was from the people of the city and knew what they inevitably needed except for al-idhkhir ²⁹⁷—: "O Messenger of God, they inevitably need it, for it is for graves and houses." So the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: "Except al-idhkhir." O God, bless and grant peace to our Master and Patron Muhammad and to the family of our Master Muhammad, the good deeds of days and nights, the dear one of the tribe, companions, and family, the decisive sword of truth with his proofs against the backs of the people of deviation and misguidance, with a blessing that makes souls yearn for the pilgrimage to Your Kaaba, surrounded by veneration and exaltation, and its respected, magnified station by the magnification of the Possessor of Might and Majesty, and its noble House, without peer or likeness, about which You said: "Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakkah ²⁹⁸—blessed and a guidance for the worlds. In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it shall be safe. And [due] to God from the people is a pilgrimage to the House—for whoever is able to find thereto a way. And whoever disbelieves—then indeed, God is free from need of the worlds" ²⁹⁹. So glorified is He who made it a secure sanctuary, to which are gathered the fruits of all things from distant regions, towns, cities, islands of the seas, hills, and mountain peaks, and made its dweller safe from temporal calamities, forbade fighting in it, preferred it over all other lands, and made it the abode of the righteous, the saints, the prophets, the substitutes ³⁰⁰, the poles ³⁰¹, and the abdals ³⁰², and named it with glorious names and adorned it with abundant gifts, so it became the qibla ³⁰³ of prayer and blessings, the place of supplication and entreaty, and provided it with servants of the pilgrimage and pavilions, and aligned it with the equator and the point of balance, and clothed it with garments of beauty, splendor, and perfection, and honored it with the mission of the Seal of the Prophets and the Master of the Messengers, and poured upon it from the light of His most holy secret and the splendor of His most beautiful beauty, such that it boasts over all that possesses beauty and perfection, splendor and loveliness. So what a Kaaba it is, abundant in veneration and exaltation, surrounded by victory, joy, and acceptance; its beauty belittles the beauty of the ladies of the chambers, tiaras, and bridal litters, and its mention makes one forget the mention of al-Amiriyya ³⁰⁴, Buthayna ³⁰⁵, Su'da ³⁰⁶, and 'Izza ³⁰⁷, and its splendor nullifies their splendor in the station of rejection and corners of neglect. And it says in its boasting with the tongue of the state: "Blessed is he who visits me with perfect sincerity, truthful intention, and righteous state, and shakes my curtains, and kisses from me the wrist, the bracelet, and the anklet, and seeks through my doors forgiveness, pardon, and overlooking of what he has committed against the Great and Exalted Lord. I am the ultimate of hopes, I are the essence of deeds, I am the opener of locks, I am the rectifier of states, I am the bestower of good upon the heedless, the rich, the poor, and the beggars. I am the possessor of the beauty mark, I am the mistress of the free and the clients, I am the sum of beauty, I am the robe of loyalty and perfection, I am the gift of the Possessor of Might and Majesty, I am the delight of the eyes of the elders, the middle-aged, the youths, and the infants with crescent-like faces, I am the pure of qualities, I am the path of arrival and connection, I am the abode of lovers in wakefulness and the phantom of imagination, I am the one who steals the minds of the yearning with a glance that shows its beauty like the glance of a gazelle's neck, I am the nursling of the cradle of high stations, I am the healer with my saliva from the incurable disease, I am the savior of whoever takes refuge with me from the strike of swords and the points of spears, I am the disperser with my dazzling signs of the union of the people of deviation and misguidance, I am the breaker with the sword of my care of the backs of the people of contention and argument, I am the sufficer for whoever seeks my favor without shedding the water of the face and the humiliation of begging, I am the one whose generosities cannot be counted nor measured after trees, earth, pebbles, and sand, I am the one who hands to whoever visits me in his book with the right hand, not the left, I am the one who enriches through my love from father, son, uncle, and maternal uncle, I am the one to whom tyrants, people of injustice and oppression, and the lions of men submit, I am the one around whose howdah ³⁰⁸ the lions of battle and the greatest heroes crowd, I am the one for whose attainment souls, lifetimes, and wealth are spent, I am the one before whom the haughty falls short at my sight and kisses the dust of sandals, I am the one to whom the riding beasts come willingly or unwillingly from the deserts, settled areas, islands of the seas, and mountain peaks, I am the beloved of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl ³⁰⁹, I am the sought in marriage of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the beloved of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the pilgrimage of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the 'Umra ³¹⁰ of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the circumambulation of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the running of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am 'Arafa of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the standing of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the season of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the sleep of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the presence of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the attendee of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the spoils of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the gift of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the treasure of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the one infatuated with the love of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the one immersed in the love of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl, I am the one yearning for the sight of Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl."

My heart has gone mad, O men, with a Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, and Dāl ³¹¹. My means to the Possessor of Majesty is with a Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, and Dāl. He has bestowed upon me before my asking, with a Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, and Dāl. O heart, forget not, in any state, the Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, and Dāl. Congratulations to me, O my beloved ones, with a Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, and Dāl. I am the one to whom praise and speech are rightly directed; I am the one by whose gentle breeze the masters of ecstatic states ³¹², spiritual expansions ³¹³, and spiritual conditions are moved. I am the one who drags my train over the feet of visitors so that they may rest from the fatigue of travel and the burden of loads. I am the one who pours the water of mercies upon their hearts, that they may thereby increase in love and longing for my side and strengthen the ties that bind them in station and journeying. I am the one who bids them farewell and gives them hope of return to me, so that no languor or separation may befall them in their love for me. I am the one who calls them to visit me every year, that they may find in the pleasure of their Lord and the forgiveness of their sins, before the passing of life and the arrival of appointed terms, and attain the perfection of their desire and the ultimate goal of their aim and quest through the visitation of our master Muḥammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, the Seal of the Prophets and the Master of the Messengers. So bless him, O God, and bless his noble family, the substitutes ³¹⁴, and his Companions, the seas of generosity, virtue, and bestowal, with a blessing by which You accept from us our deeds and through which You cause us to attain, from Your pleasure and his pleasure, the ultimate goal and hopes, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. My repose is the drinking of the cup of the wine of coquetry from a gazelle in the land of Sal‘ ³¹⁵ who has raided me. He has left for me, on the hill of al-Abyaraq ³¹⁶, a lightning bolt that nearly made my soul moist with majesty. He has left me, from the burning passion in his love—would that he might relent with a lawful union! The sea of my tears does not run dry in the lowland; rather, they are like pearls at the edge of his bubble. In the cloak of eternity are my ecstasy, my longing, my yearning, my youthful passion, and my connection. O beauty of peace, go quickly and kiss near the door of the Pole of Beauty ³¹⁷. The secret of union has sufficed me; perhaps he will complete my deficiency with perfection. No limb of mine has ever been empty of his love, since he is never devoid of beautiful traits. If he erases the verses of my patience with a glance, then my consolation apart from him is sheer impossibility. My heart has never hoped for forgetfulness of him; the strong among men have not extinguished that. When passion folds up the garment of my patience, I go mad with praise in the long nights. He never casts a light upon me suddenly but that my body becomes a castaway on those sands. I have no union from him that is lasting except that my heart meets other than him with speech. Since Muḥammad has willed for me all good eternally, he is a beloved, the best of gifts. The sea of gifts from him has not forbidden me from drinking; rather, it has given me to drink abundantly. And peace be upon him as long as he has bestowed upon me gifts and the flow of favors. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the beloved of the Lord, the honored, the possessor of lofty rank and majestic station, the imam of everyone who has taken a leading position in the processions of glory and advanced, with a blessing that makes souls yearn to visit the Ka‘ba and its corner, the Black Stone ³¹⁸, and to kiss the auspicious Stone and to pray between Ṣafā and Marwa ³¹⁹ and at the waterspout of mercy and the Multazam ³²⁰, and to stand at those noble sites and their sacred precinct, and their beloved and protected places from calamities, disasters, and all afflictions. How noble is that spot, which has boasted—and rightly so—of what its Lord has honored it with, of abundant virtues and lavish blessings, saying with the tongue of its state: I am the exalted and honored House. I am the well-known Station ³²¹. I am the pure and purified carpet. I am the very essence of the Prophet's direction of prayer and its mark. I am the joy of nights and days and their good fortune. I am the right hand of happiness and times. I am the locus of beautiful attributes and their description. I am the spirit of spirits and their revival. I am the sustenance of bodies and their livelihood. I am the spring of the pious, I am the delight of the righteous. I am the abode of the free, I am the Ka‘ba of the pure. Seven hundred good deeds from the good deeds of the Sanctuary, each good deed multiplied by a hundred thousand good deeds; and whoever dies in me is like one who dies in the heaven of the world, and whoever dies in me will be raised among the secure. And Adam, peace be upon him, said: 'O Lord, I ask You, from the pilgrimage to this House by my descendants who do not associate anything with You, that You join them with me in Paradise.' So God, exalted be He, said: 'O Adam, whoever dies in the Sanctuary and does not associate anything with Me, I will raise him secure on the Day of Resurrection; and whoever dies in Mecca or on the road to Mecca will be raised among the secure.' A beautiful one between Ṣafā and the Stone, the opener of the door of recognized passion. If the morning breeze shakes her train, or if she casts aside her veil from her face, I said to her: 'Who are you, O my wish?' She said: 'The meadows of humankind among mortals.' I said to her: 'Are you the sun of the forenoon?' She said: 'Yes, or the moon?' I said to her: 'Are you a tender branch of the sandhill?' She said: 'And on the branch are varieties of flowers.' I said: 'Then why has the house become radiant?' She said: 'My beauty has blossomed in its precinct.' I said: 'How many lovers have you destroyed?' She said: 'And who can count the pebbles and trees?' I said: 'And how many a lovesick one has fulfilled his vow?' She said: 'He saw my face and attained his desire.' I said: 'And how many a laugher have you made weep?' She said: 'After lightning comes rain.' I said: 'And how many a shrieker have you stirred?' She said: 'He saw me suddenly and could not bear it.' I said: 'And how many a present one have you hidden?' She said: 'Whoever is absent from me is present.' I said: 'And how many a tormented one have you torn apart?' She said: 'His heart was rent from my majesty.' I said: 'And how many a mute have you made speak?' She said: 'My secret traveled with him and spread.' I said: 'And who has destroyed the patience of people?' She said: 'My black kohl, the recognized one.' I said: 'And what about the people of intellect?' She said: 'For the radiant, luminous sleeper.' I said: 'When people felt shy before you,' she said: 'My dignity and modesty encompassed them.' I said: 'And how many a yearning one has whispered to you?' She said: 'And how many a back has been bent before me.' I said: 'And how many a fearful one have you made secure?' She said: 'My House has purified its sanctuary.' I said: 'And how many a virtuous one loves you?' She said: 'Whoever does not love me has disbelieved.' I said: 'Are you Laylā or ‘Azza?' She said: 'My beauty has encompassed every form.'

I said, "Then I am a circumambulating visitor." She said, "Then today you are with me, the reward." I said, "Then I am the intent of a visitor." She said, "Then ask me, for I have the knowledge." I said, "Then is it Hajj or Umra?" She said, "Ask those who have performed Hajj and Umra to me." I said, "Then you are the Ka'ba for the elite." She said, "For they circumambulated me and followed the trace." I said, "Intercede for the community of the Chosen One." She said, "For them my beneficence is awaited." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, described with noble character, Your chosen one of noble origins and traditions, and Your prophet whose love multiplies ecstasies and yearnings, a prayer of the souls' longing for Your all-encompassing Ka'ba that gathers scattered beauties absolutely, whose mention spreads in deserts and cities and all horizons ³²², unanimously agreed upon its honor and the perfection of its virtues and bounties, written on its mole. I am the spirit of lovers, I am the desire of the foremost, I am the sun of illumination, I am the light of the pupils' blackness, I am the resting place of caravans and the meeting place of companions, I am the bringer of provisions, I am the pearl of the highest qualities, I am the basil of the book of eternity and the delight inscribed in the folds of notebooks and papers, I am the one whom spiritual souls court with my virtues on the carpet of proximity and necks bow at my sight, I am the one by whom my Lord favored me among the worlds and tore with my light the veils, curtains, canopies, and the seven heavens, I am the one whom my Lord distinguished with the dazzling secret and protected me from the tyranny of the people of injustice, immorality, and hypocrisy, I am the ultimate beauty and the sought-after of the people of speciality and perfection, and the abode of insight for those of vision and discernment and the expert jewellers. If I were to uncover my anklet from my leg and remove the veil of beauty from my face, I would snatch the minds of lovers and annihilate them from their annihilation and their intoxication in the seas of absence and immersion. By Allah, how many in Layla's tribe a maiden whom the lovesick saw with his own eyes, his heart ³²³ A gazelle of beauty, but she has capture with a glance blacker than the pupil. If she appeared to the sun at its forenoon, it would die of shame before her face in its splendor. And she only gazed at the moon so that she might see her face in its mirror. The string of pearls on her teeth bewildered the jeweler who perfected his selection. And a temple lock adorned the page of her cheek, which increased its beauty when it became thin. O you, for a lover in the beginnings of youth, love has reached its utmost with him. His passion flared as his life passed, and his head grew gray from ecstasy in his youth. Like a pen split in weakness, never ceasing its sickness until it wore it out. My wasted heart, what is its aim but the lips of a beloved that meet it? Or a lip that heals his ardor, perhaps his lips may narrate tales of his passion. Far be it from him to awaken from love after ecstasy has filled his innermost with sorrows. O Ka'ba of wondrous beauty, towards which noble foreheads prostrate. O lady of the curtain, whose veil has been let down over all creation. For a year you have denied me the vision, so my eyes cannot see you in sleep. Woe to me if I die of passion without having sipped the water of life from your saliva. And how can one fear death from his own death in love for the one he loves, his utmost desire? Surrendering to Allah, seeking intercession through the Chosen Guide, the Messenger of God, The elite of the Creator, the cave of intellect, the infallibility of the true religion, a treasure for its sinners. May Allah bless him as long as his radiant attributes sway a beloved who moves him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, purified in form and meaning, Your chosen one of noble ³²⁴ origin and foundation, and Your servant whom You made journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and raised his station to the station of two bow-lengths or nearer, and Your prophet by whose prophetic lamp You illuminated Mecca and made it the greatest of cities in rank and status, a secure sanctuary for the resident and the visitor, a fortress, protector, secure, a support, a refuge for those who seek shelter there, a pillar, and You granted whoever dwells there abundant provision, a humble heart, beneficial knowledge, and You established for him weight among Your beloved, and You bestowed upon him from the garment of Your majesty what bewilders minds, so he increased thereby in faith, certainty, splendor, and beauty, and You made its preferred soil a cure for whoever treats with it and a kohl for the eyelid, and honor and status for whoever prostrates his cheeks in its station when he sees it, and You made it for its people a homeland and a courtyard. What a blessed spot Allah made for the people of His love a homeland and dwelling, and chose it for His elite and special saints, and removed from them by circumambulating its Ka'ba worry, grief, and sorrow, and poured upon them therein from the showers of His mercy a torrential rain and a downpour, and made its gardens ³²⁵ a meadow and pasture for lovers. And He meant by His words in His clear Book: "And when We made the House a place of return for people and a security." O my soul, melt with passion and longing, and O my burning, be likewise melting me. O fire of my entrails, establish from passion the curves of my ribs, for they are not straight. O beauty of my patience in the pleasure of the one I love, adorn yourself and do not let time gloat over me. O my fortitude in the service of her love, endure your burden for every great matter. O my wasted body, be consoled without healing, and O my liver, who will help me to be shattered? O my sickness, leave me no breath, for you have refused to leave a remnant of the powerless. O my companionship, what was of my companionship has passed, and your union among the living is death like my abandonment. O all that illness has left of me, depart, for you have no abode in decayed bones. O what may be from me, I call in illusion, with the vocative ya, I am comforted by your wildness. For all that you desire, even if death stands before it, I am pleased with it, and passion is a termite. My soul did not grieve at its own destruction, and if it grieved, it would be without foundation. Every living being, every living being is like dead if with her the killing of passion is the best death. Passions gather in her, so you see none but a lover who shows nothing but infatuation. When she appears on a feast day, they crowd at her beauty, the eyes of every tribe. Their souls yearn for the meaning of her beauty, and their pupils are in a garden from her loveliness. For me, every day I see her beauty with a joyful eye is a feast. And all nights are the Night of Power if she draws near, just as all days of meeting are Friday. My striving for her is Hajj, and every standing at her door equals every standing at Arafat. Whatever land of Allah she alights in, I do not see it, and in my eye it is none other than Mecca ³²⁵. Whatever place contains her is a sanctuary, likewise I see every house she inhabits as the house of my emigration. Wherever she dwells is a sacred house, with the delight of my eye, my innermost joy. My Al-Aqsa Mosque is the train of her robe, and my perfume is the earth upon which she walks. They are the places of my joys, the nursery of my desires, the stages of my aims, and what is hidden from me.

Their needs—time has not come between us, Nor has the vicissitude of fate afflicted us with separation. No moment is singled out over another for sweetness, So all my times are seasons of my delight. O Allah, bless our master and lord Muhammad and the family of our master Muhammad, the light of insight for the people of spiritual vision and verification, the title of the inner state of the people of right guidance, direction, and success, the seal of the seals of the people of *ladunnī* (divinely inspired) knowledge and the subtle secret, the essence of noble lineage and ancient glory, a blessing that ennobles hearts enraptured with longing to see the Ancient House (*al-Bayt al-‘Atīq*) and its secure sanctuary, to find solace in its spirit and fragrance, to inhale the breeze of its fresh blossom, to fly on the wing of yearning toward it, and to dwell in its land with the best company and the most exalted companion. Glory be to Him who has enraptured minds with His surpassing beauty and elegant grace, instilled love for him in the hearts of the people of goodness and righteousness, drawn pilgrims to him from every distant place and deep valley, eased for them the great hardships of reaching him and the difficulty of the road, and favored them with the sight of the living hill of Sal‘ and al-Naqā, and the descent at al-Khayf (102), al-Muḥaṣṣab, and Wādī al-‘Aqīq. Were it not for al-Muḥaṣṣab and al-‘Aqīq—and perhaps— The swift camels would not have sung to the drivers nor cried out, Nor would necklaces have delighted the flutes, Folding the desert with their hands and traversing it. They set out, and departure was determined by it, so he urged them on— A saddle from which the ribs almost count themselves. They slackened from the intense journey, yet whenever The driver sang to them of Ṭībah, they hastened. Guide of the mounts—their minds softened and flowed like a stream, Always obedient and listening to their owner. They yearn for the Ancient House and behold The valley of al-‘Aqīq, and every year they journey. They wander passionately for al-Baqī‘ and its people, And those places visit them and return. By your life, O Allah, the women in litters have carried, And they set out toward the Beloved and hastened. They knocked—alas!—at the door of glory, then turned away From me, so I have nothing but my teeth to gnash. Alas for the heat of distance! My fortitude has weakened, And the spirit of my patience nearly departs. I hid my sickness from the eyes of my blamers, Yet sickness in some situations is beneficial. I wasted my life in passion, but still I seek intercession through praise of Aḥmad among mankind— The master, the guide, the chosen Messenger, Perfect in character, the majestic, the originator, Protector of the inviolable sanctuary of glory—his precinct, Holder of the peaks of sublime and highest honor. Kind, compassionate, pure and purifying, Gentle, merciful, an intercessor and one whose intercession is accepted. Upon him be from the Lord of heaven a greeting That is recited and established in every place. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the lamp of sciences and understandings, the light of insight for the people of revelation and inspiration, the imam of the eminent masters and the leading banners, the full moon that erases with its rays the sayings of the people of doubts and illusions (103), a blessing that makes souls yearn for pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allah and its station (*Maqām*), the guarantor for whoever stands by it of attaining the goal and achieving the desire, and its places surrounded by divine pleasure and approval, and all kinds of good things and abundant favors, and its sites to which Gabriel (peace be upon him) repeatedly came and which were honored by the descent of revelation and the visit of the great angels, and were preserved by the blessing of Muḥammadan lordship from earthquakes and tremors and all calamities and kinds of retribution, and were founded on the bases of piety and righteousness, and were borne on the shoulders of devotion and reverence, and whose regions and sides were illuminated by the manifestation of truth and the call of Abraham (peace be upon him), and whose places, courtyards, houses, dwellings, mosques, and prayer niches were purified from polytheism and the worship of idols and statues, and whose gardens, orchards, groves, leaves, and flowers wafted with spirit and fragrance and the breezes of roses, jasmine, wallflowers, and chamomile, and whose regions, directions, mountains, hills, rivers, springs, wells, landmarks, and holy sites were made beloved by the permeation of the secret of the Master of Mankind and the Seal of Perfume, our master and lord, the Messenger of Allah—upon him be the best of blessings and the purest (104) of peace from Allah. What a Ka‘bah it is, around which the spirits of the elite, the saints, the prophets, the near-stationed angels, and the noble messengers have circumambulated, and whose Yemeni Corner and most blessed Black Stone the people of success and felicity, both the elite and the common, have kissed, and through which they have sought intercession with Allah for the erasure of sins, the expiation of transgressions, and the forgiveness of offenses and misdeeds. I said: “You are the Ka‘bah of the elite.” She said: “By me they circumambulated and followed the trace.” I said: “How much mercy do you possess?” She said: “Like a torrent or a surging sea.” I said: “How many sinners have you purified?” She said: “And how many sins has Allah forgiven through me?” I said: “And how many visitors have you honored?” She said: “And with me is hospitality that overflows.” I said: “And how many distant ones have you brought near?” She said: “And how many dwellers have I made fortunate?” I said: “And how many heedless have you awakened?” She said: “And does any other than me bear that risk?” I said: “And how many worshippers have you veiled?” She said: “By this command did destiny come.” I said: “And how many lessons have you revealed?” She said: “And for the tyrants are lessons with me.” I said: “And how many oppressors have you destroyed?” She said: “Like the people of the Elephant—I pelt them with stones.” I said: “Are you the House or a Ka‘bah?” She said: “My mention is renowned for all.” I said: “Allah has cast splendor upon you.” She said: “And from Him the secret is concealed in me.” I said: “To you the people have traveled.” She said: “Yes, for Allah is that journey.” I said: “Those who pray are affiliated with you.” She said: “By this the Merciful has decreed.” I said: “And how many chapters do they recite?” She said: “To the Merciful belong those chapters.” I said: “And how many verses about your meaning?” She said: “He who looks sees the signs.” (105) I said: “A station in you has attained highness.” She said: “For Abraham in times past.” I said: “And curtains adorn you.” She said: “How many a veil has covered a maiden!” I said: “And pillars before you are exalted.” She said: “For wiping the face—in them is honor.” I said: “You resemble the Throne in splendor.” She said: “And my secret, like it, has dazzled.” I said: “Intercede for the community of the Chosen One.” She said: “For them is my awaited kindness.” May Allah bless him, with his family And companions, as long as varieties of flowers bloom. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the desire of yearning souls and the ultimate goal of their hopes, the aim of longing eyes and the locus of their vision, the sweetness of tasting tongues and the outcome of their meaning, the rose of sniffing noses and the breeze of its morning wind, a blessing that makes souls yearn for the radiant Ka‘bah, the inhalation of the breeze of its hills, the kissing of its courtyards, the rubbing of cheeks in its dust, the kissing of its soil, the seeking of protection in its secure sanctuary, the clinging to its most trustworthy handhold, and the seeking of intercession through its status with Allah and the status of whoever circumambulated it, kissed the Black Stone, ran between al-Ṣafā and al-Marwah, stood at the goodly ‘Arafah, answered the call of truth, and responded to it (*labbā*). O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pride of Muḥammadan lordship and the crown of its highness, the pole of the circle of Aḥmadian glory and the sun of its forenoon (106), the fountain of divine lights and the lamp of their radiance, the treasurer of the *jabarūtī* (majestic) secrets and the protector of

He protected her, and the pasture of spiritual souls, and the gardens of her desire, and the outpouring of the most merciful mercies, And the rain-cloud of her sky, and the ascension of the sublime elevations, and the summit of her heights—a prayer that yearns the souls Toward the radiant Ka'bah (al-Ka'bah al-Zahrā') and the fragrance of its scent, and its Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Ḥarām), by prayer in which—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—it came to boast and pride itself over all other regions; And honored Makkah (Makkah al-Musharrafah), which, by his mission from it, attained openings and gifts beyond compare or equal; and by His making it a qiblah (direction of prayer), its virtue became manifest, and hearts incline toward it at all times and love it; and by his upbringing in it, Allah made its remembrance beloved upon lips, and its praise and eulogy multiplied on tongues; and by his gaze upon it, cares and sorrows are dispelled from its people, and souls find rest from their complaints; and by the outpourings of his blessings and the growth of his benedictions, the lights of Majesty and Beauty shine upon its precinct at dawn and dusk And envelop it. So how noble is this region, from which the Beloved migrated to Medina without forsaking it, and at every time and moment he yearns for it, remembering its gardens and flowers, and the angels' visitation to him there, And their joy (107) at meeting him in it, and their kissing the hem of his most luminous carpet in its expanses and the meadows of his abode; and by his love for it and its love for him, the souls of its people became good, and its guidance, righteousness, and piety increased—especially what our Lord, Exalted is He, said to him concerning it in the clear verses of His Wise Book: "Indeed, We see the turning of your face to the heaven, so We shall surely turn you to a qiblah that pleases you." (Qur'an 2:144) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad—a mercy To the far and near, a light of insight for the people of witnessing and direct vision, a tongue of eloquence for the masters of sciences and gnosis, and the Book of Revelation adorned with unique wisdoms and jewels of Qur'anic sciences—a prayer That yearns the souls toward Your Ancient House (Bayt al-'Atīq), with its lofty structure and pillars, wondrous in form, craftsmanship, and perfection, for which Your prophet, our master Ibrāhīm (Abraham), peace be upon him, supplicated for blessing, security, And protection from the impurities of the polytheists and worshippers of idols and statues, and for its people to act according to the requirements of the Ḥanīfī (monotheistic) law and to follow that in secret and public, and for the acceptance of supplication And forgiveness for him, his parents, (108) and the believers, in his words: "My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [likewise] from my offspring. Our Lord, accept my supplication. Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers on the Day the account is established." (Qur'an 14:40-41) And He sets up the Balance. So how noble is this soil—Yemeni, blessed, Makkan, Tihāmī, Najdī— Which its Lord distinguished with noble, pleasing characteristics, and lofty, magnificent, sublime secrets, and attributed it to Himself, honored its abode, and clothed it with gracious garments, bestowing it with a Muṣṭafawī (Chosen One's), prophetic blessing, and made its pilgrimage obligatory upon servants, and honored it by the descent of revelation therein upon the best of creation, Our master Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and perfumed it with the fragrant musk-like, ambergris-scented breaths of his presence, and named it the Peninsula of the Arabs, the place of obedience and nearness, the remover of worries and distresses, the lofty in station and ranks, the fulfiller of needs and desires, the accomplisher of promises and requests, the noble in worth And lineage, the bestower of sciences and etiquettes, the garden of splendor and delight—its water of Salsabīl is sweeter than the sip of a blow, its houses are better than houses of emerald and reed, and its most blessed stone (109) is better than pearls, rubies, silver, and nuggets of gold. So what a Ka'bah this is— Noble in worth, fragrant in scent, good in remembrance, lofty in pride, sacred in secret, great in status and significance, abundant in reward and recompense, erasing sin and burden, repelling evils and plots. He said: Concerning it, our Lord, Exalted is He, said to His Beloved, our master Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the clear verses of His Manifest Book: "Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah)—blessed and a guidance for the worlds. In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Ibrāhīm. And whoever enters it shall be secure. And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House—for whoever is able to find a way thereto. And whoever disbelieves—then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds." (Qur'an 3:96-97) And His intimate friend (Khalīl), our master Ibrāhīm, peace be upon him, said concerning it: "And [mention] when We designated for Ibrāhīm the site of the House, [saying], 'Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform ṭawāf (circumambulation) and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate. And proclaim to the people the pilgrimage; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass.'" (Qur'an 22:26-27) And He made its sanctuary (Ḥaram) secure. It was so named because when Allah, Exalted is He, said to the heavens and the earth: "Come willingly or unwillingly. They said, 'We come willingly,'" (Qur'an 41:11) None of the earth responded with this statement except it; therefore, He made it sacred. And it is said because the Intimate Friend (Khalīl) (110) Peace be upon him, when he placed the most blessed stone (al-Ḥajar al-As'ad) in the Ka'bah while building it, the stone shone to the right and left, east and west, so Allah made the sanctuary sacred wherever the light of the most blessed stone reached. And it is said because when Ādam (Adam), peace be upon him, was descended to the earth, he feared for himself from Satan and sought refuge with Allah from him, so Allah sent angels to him who surrounded Makkah from every side and stood at the positions of the sanctuary's markers, guarding our master Ādam, peace be upon him; thus, what lay between him and the angels' station became a secure sanctuary. Concerning this, our Lord, Exalted is He, said: "Do they not see that We have made [Makkah] a secure sanctuary, while people are taken away from all around them?" (Qur'an 29:67)—the verse. Yearning has plundered my heart and my innermost, * and captivated me in the love of Hind and Mayy. Alas for the fire of passion, O my regret! * And O my heart, what it endures from it—woe! O you who dwell at the passes of al-Liwā, * Would that absence had not come upon my eye. A heart you inhabit—that heart * is ever-populated in every abode. And eyes not hoped for in slumber— * if they close, they go blind to everything. After the neighbors of an-Naqā, ask not * what befell my cheek from my tears. Tears flow as carnelian from my eyes * over the valley, quenching the earth with moisture. May Allah preserve a time at al-Ḥimā * and moments spent at al-Liwā, Where a maiden would turn her gaze from it, * her glances captivating the gazelles of Ṭayy. A Ka'bah to which our souls have made pilgrimage, * while in the loins, anciently, O my brother! (111) The heart clung to her since I was in * the stone—a child, a youth, and a man. And separation from her love is a sickness until * the day I meet Allah, the Creator of all things. So prolong [your stay] in her sanctuary, O * beloved, just as the sa'y (ritual walking) for her is an obligation upon me. I am a servant in her love, * and she is of 'Abd Manāf and Quṣayy. A lineage closer in the law of passion * between us than lineage from my two fathers. I know not—when she sways and lets down [her hair], * folding minds in her beauty— Is she a branch or a sand dune? If a sand dune, * or a crescent moon, or a wild cow, or a gazelle? From her teeth and her cheek, I was * intoxicated with the wine of the cup and the face. If she clothes me from the languor of her eyelids * in a garment of sickness, it is my most beautiful attire.

Or if her eyelids complain of sickness, or if they complain, they steal my soul from my hand. My heart died in her love and became, in her name, self-sufficient from everything. And if they ask me about love, what is in the heart of the lovesick from her, I say: "Mī." If she burns my heart with the fires of aversion, the end of the lovesick, as has been said, is "Kay." Or if she roasts my body on the embers of the ghada tree, I say: "Easy in her love is everything." O life of the heart, O she whose love is the foundation of my religion and my strongest proof, I seek no substitute for you, so why does the wāw of the temple not incline toward me? O may God protect you, spare my blood, the arrow of your eyes, for poverty and what is toward me. I died of longing for the place of prayer, so carry me quickly and bury me at al-Liwā. And ask God for mercy for my grave, by the intercessor of creation, the refuge of every living being, Ahmad, the guide, the Messenger, the chosen one, the elite of the Merciful from the clan of Quṣayy, The best of those sent, with the best of remembrance, from the best lineage of Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy. His author—may God honor him with the miracles of the saints ³²⁶ and the righteous, and make him among His beloved, the truthful, and His chosen ones, the firmly rooted pegs and the learned who act—said: When I finished mentioning noble Mecca, extolling its worth and its pure, clean places, and mentioning the hadiths reported about its virtue and its lofty, exalted merits, and its boasting through its state of being with its elegant, refined beauties, I followed that with what some imams mentioned of its blessed names and the interpretation of their meanings, for blessing through them and seeking shelter in its protected area and its lush shades. So I say: Mecca—may God elevate its rank—is light in its precincts, the kingdom and the dominion spread, and elevation in the enclosures of holiness, and its mention is high in 'Illiyyīn. It has many blessed, known, famous names, exceeding fifty names, which the memorizers have taken care to collect. And I have not seen for anyone in their arrangement, interpretation of their expressions, and good composition like what I saw from the erudite linguist, the judge of Yemen, Majd al-Dīn al-Shīrāzī, as reported by the author of "Shifā' al-Gharām fī Akhbār al-Bayt al-Harām." And here I am mentioning them, God willing, with their interpretation, but I begin with what our master mentioned in His wise Book ³²⁷ and named her in His eternal pre-eternity in His saying: "Indeed, the first House established for mankind was that at Bakkah." So Bakkah with the letter bā': the scholars differed about it: is it Makkah with the letter mīm, and they have the same meaning, or does each name have its own meaning? The first is the saying of al-Ḍaḥḥāk, and Ibn Qutaybah argued for its correctness by saying that the bā' is substituted for the mīm, as in "ḍarbah lāzim" and "lāzib." The second opinion is held by those who differ; it is said: Bakkah with bā' is the location of the House, and Makkah with mīm is the town; and it is said: the entire sanctuary; and it is said: Bakkah with bā' is the Ka'bah and the Mosque, and Makkah with mīm is Dhū Ṭuwā; and it is said: Bakkah with bā' is what is between the two mountains, and Makkah with mīm is the entire sanctuary; and it is said: Bakkah with bā' is the House and its surroundings. These sayings are related by the author of "Shifā' al-Gharām." The naming of Makkah with mīm is said to be because it "yamukku" the wicked, i.e., expels him; and it is said because it exhausts its inhabitants, from their saying "makaktu al-ʿaẓma" when you extract its marrow. As for the naming of Bakkah with bā', it is because it "yabukku" the necks of tyrants when they commit heresy therein, i.e., it crushes them; and "al-bakku" is crushing; and it is said because of the crowding of people there. Ibn ʿAbbās said: because it lowers the pride of the arrogant. Likewise in the Qur'an also: "Umm al-Qurā" ³²⁸. Al-Ḍaḥḥāk said in the interpretation of His saying, exalted is He: "That you may warn the Mother of Towns." It was named thus, it is said, because the earth was spread out from beneath it, as Ibn ʿAbbās said; and it is said because it is the greatest of towns in importance. And from it is "al-qaryah" (the town). Mujāhid said in the interpretation of His saying, exalted is He: "And Allah sets forth an example: a town that was secure and at ease." And from it is "al-balad" (the city). He said, exalted is He: "I swear by this city." Ibn ʿAbbās said: It is Mecca. And he said: It reached me that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: It is Mecca. And from it is "al-balad al-amīn" (the secure city). He said, exalted is He: "And this secure city." According to what is narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās, may God be pleased with them both, he said: He means Mecca. And he narrated that with his chain from Zayd ibn Aslam. And from it is "al-balda" (the town). Allah, exalted is He, said: "I have only been commanded to worship the Lord of this town." Al-Wāḥidī said in "al-Wasaṭ": He means Mecca. And Ibn Marjān said it in his interpretation. And from it is "baldatun" (a town). Yāqūt said it in His saying, exalted is He: "And give thanks to Him. A goodly town and a Lord Forgiving." He meant by it Mecca. And from it is "maʿād" (a place of return) with a fatḥa on the mīm in His saying, exalted is He: "Indeed, He who imposed the Qur'an upon you will surely bring you back to a place of return." As in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī from Ibn ʿAbbās, may God be pleased with them both: He means Mecca. End of what is in the Qur'an. As for its naming "al-Nāsah" with nūn and sīn without dots, al-Māwardī mentioned it. He said: Its meaning is that it "tansu" (repels) whoever commits heresy therein, as it drives him away and casts him out. The author of "al-Maṭāliʿ" and al-Nawawī mentioned it, and Ibn Jamāʿah mentioned it ³²⁹. As for its naming "al-Nasāsah" with a shaddah on the first sīn, it is required by the speech of the author of "al-Maṭāliʿ". The meaning in that, and God knows best, is like the meaning in "al-Nāsah" with nūn, and "al-Nasnāsah", "al-Basāsah", and "al-Bāsah". As for its naming "al-Ḥāṭimah", the author of "al-Maṭāliʿ", Ibn Khalīl, and al-Nawawī mentioned it, and they said: because it "taḥṭimu" (crushes) the heretics. As for its naming "Ṣalāḥ" with a ṣād without dots, fatḥa, and ḥā' without dots, Muṣʿab al-Zubayrī narrated it and said: It was named thus for its security. And they recited the saying of Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb ibn Umayyah to Ibn al-Ḥaḍramī: "O Maṭar, come to Ṣalāḥ, for it will suffice you the regrets from Quraysh, And leave a town that was mighty in ancient times, and you will be safe from the visit of a lord of an army." And Ṣalāḥ is built on kasr like Ḥarām and Qaṭām, and it may be declined. He argued for its declension by the previous saying of Abū Sufyān in the verse. As for its naming "al-ʿArsh" with an ʿayn without dots, fatḥa, and rā' without dots, sukūn, Kurāʿ mentioned it in what he narrated from Ibn Jamāʿah, as indicated by the author of "al-Maṭāliʿ". As for its naming "al-ʿArīsh" with an added yā' with two dots below, Ibn Sīdah mentioned it in what he narrated from Ibn Jamāʿah. As for its naming "al-Qādis", the author of "al-Maṭāliʿ" mentioned it. He said: "al-Qādis" is from "al-taqdīs" (sanctification) because it purifies from sins. As for ³³⁰ its naming "al-Muqaddasah", the author of "al-Maṭāliʿ" and al-Nawawī mentioned it, and the meaning in it is like the previous one. As for its naming "Kawthar", al-Azraqī mentioned it from Mujāhid and al-Suhaylī, and the author of "al-Maṭāliʿ" did not attribute it.

المَطَالِعِ (al-Maṭāliʿ) — and it was said: Kawthar is a mountain in Minā, and it is with a ḍamma (u) on the kāf and a thāʾ with three dots (th). As for its naming "al-Ḥaram" (the Sanctuary) with an unpointed ḥāʾ and rāʾ, Sulaymān ibn Khalīl mentioned it in his Manasik (Ritual Guide). As for its naming "al-Murtāḥ" (the Resting Place) with an unpointed rāʾ, a tāʾ with two dots from above, an alif, and a jīm, al-Muḥibb al-Ṭabarī mentioned it in his commentary on al-Tanbīh, as he transmitted from Ibn Jamāʿah. As for its naming "Umm Raḥim" (Mother of Mercy) with an unpointed rāʾ, ḍamma (u) on it, Mujāhid mentioned it as related from him by al-Māwardī, because people show mercy (yatarāḥamūn) and make peace (yatawādaʿūn) therein. As for its naming "Umm Razam" (Mother of Crowding) with a pointed zāy (z), from al-izdiḥām (crowding), al-Rashāṭī mentioned it. As for its naming "Umm Ṣubḥ" (Mother of Dawn), Ibn al-Athīr mentioned it in his book "al-Muraṣṣaʿ" (The Adorned), according to what was found in the handwriting of the Qāḍī of Tripoli, Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-Nuwayrī. As for its naming "Umm Rāḥim" (Mother of the Womb), Sulaymān ibn Khalīl mentioned it in his Manasik, but he did not attribute it nor mention a meaning for it. As for its naming "Nashāq" (Nashāq), Ibn Rashīq mentioned it in (117) al-ʿUmrah, and "Bisāq" (Bisāq) with a single-pointed bāʾ, an unpointed sīn, an alif, and a qāf. As for its naming "al-Raʾs" (the Head), al-Suhaylī, the author of al-Maṭāliʿ, and al-Nawawī mentioned it, and he said: because it is the most elevated part of the land, like the head of a human. As for its naming "al-Qādisiyyah" (al-Qādisiyyah), Ibn Jamāʿah mentioned it but did not attribute it. As for its naming "al-Masjid al-Ḥarām" (the Sacred Mosque), Ibn Khalīl mentioned it in his Manasik, but he did not attribute it nor mention a meaning for it. As for its naming "al-Maktān" (al-Maktān), Shaykh Burhān al-Dīn al-Qayrāṭī mentioned it in his Dīwān of exquisite poetry, and perhaps he took it from the saying of Waraqah ibn Nawfal al-Asadī: *In the valley of al-Maktayn (the two Maktas), my hope rose high, * Your speech that I might see from it an exit.* As for its naming "al-Nāʾibah" (the Calamity), Shaykh ʿImād al-Dīn Ibn Kathīr mentioned in his Tafsīr that among the names of Makkah is al-Nāʾibah, with a nūn and a bāʾ. As for its naming "Umm Rawḥ" (Mother of Spirit), Ibn al-Athīr mentioned it in his book al-Muraṣṣaʿ, according to what was found in the handwriting of Shams al-Dīn al-Nuwayrī. As for its naming "Umm al-Raḥim" (Mother of the Womb), ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Marjānī mentioned it and attributed it to Ibn al-ʿArabī. As for its naming "Umm Kawthā" (Mother of Kawthā), Ibn al-Marjānī mentioned it but did not attribute it nor mention a meaning for it. And al-ʿArūḍ (the Metre) and al-Sayl (the Torrent) are like Khayl and Kayl, and Makhraj Ṣidq (a Place of Truthful Issue) and al-Mubayyanah (the Clarified) — these are from Yāqūt, and al-Balad al-Ḥarām (the Sacred Land), (118) and Ḥaram Allāh Taʿālā (the Sanctuary of God Most High), and Balad Allāh Taʿālā (the Land of God Most High), and Fārān (Fārān) — these are from Yāqūt as well, and Ṭayyibah (the Good), and Qaryat al-Naml (the Ant Village), and Naqrat al-Ghurāb (the Raven's Hollow), and Qaryat al-Khams (the Village of Five), and Sabūḥah (the Glorified), and al-Salām (the Peace), and al-ʿUrwā (the Handle), and Nādirah (the Rare), and al-Wādī (the Valley), and al-Ḥaram (the Sanctuary), and Bayt Allāh (the House of God), and Kaʿbat Allāh (the Kaʿbah of God), and al-Bayt (the House), and al-Ḥurmah (the Sacredness) — with kasr (i) and ḍamm (u) — and some added al-Masjid al-Ḥarām (the Sacred Mosque), and al-Mashʿar al-Ḥarām (the Sacred Monument), and al-Bayt al-Ḥarām (the Sacred House), and Bayt Allāh (the House of God), and Kaʿbat Allāh (the Kaʿbah of God), and al-Bayt al-ʿAtīq (the Ancient House), and Umm al-ʿArūḍ (Mother of the Metre), and Ṣihyūn (Ṣihyūn). These are the names of Makkah, some of which our Master described in his Hidden Book, and upon their totality the acting scholars and the knowing imams, in hadith, tafsīr, language, and all arts, have agreed. May God benefit us with their blessing and grant us enjoyment in contemplating its illuminated sites before the end of our terms and the arrival of death, Āmīn, Āmīn, Āmīn, and praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds. When I finished speaking about the Kaʿbah, great in worth and status, noble, blessed in its places and lands, and mentioned its virtues mentioned in the authentic traditions and the verses of the Qurʾān, (119) I wished to draw its noble likeness so that my heart, enamored and yearning, might find solace thereby, and the agitation and boiling of my breast might be calmed, and I might behold the likeness of its blessed form wherever I mention it, in secret and in public, for longing for it revives souls and bodies, and concern for visiting it increases in the heart the sweetness of obedience and the light of faith, and reaching it opens the doors of contentment and pleasure, and brings the breezes of mercies and the gifts of pardon and forgiveness. * What is with my heart that it finds no rest * Until its needs from Minā are fulfilled? * That is only because, from its east, * A remembrance from the Valley of the Sanctuary comes to it. * O driver of the litters, if you pass by the Sanctuary, * Greet the one whose abode is in al-Muʿaṣṣab (the Turbaned Place). * And explain to him how his yearning meets * From excess of longing, a fire that burns him. * He yearns when al-Ḥaṭīm and Zamzam are mentioned, * And the Corner and the Honored House, its neighbor. * And he raves from a longing that rends his liver, * Since meeting him is rare and his stay is long. O God, O You who called Your righteous servants to the most honored House and the greatest place of visitation, and made the way easy for them through the deserts and the depths of the seas, and made success their guide so they reached the goal and attained their needs, and established them at His door, and brought them near to His presence, so they obtained glory and pride, and He honored them with hospitality and entertainment (120) so they traversed the wildernesses and deserts to Umm al-Qurā (the Mother of Cities), and wakefulness became sweet to them and dangers became easy for them, He wrote faith in their hearts, and supported them with victory, acceptance, contentment, and pleasure, so they circumambulated the House with the corners, and clung to the hems of those curtains. So give them glad tidings in Minā of attaining their wishes, and give them rest in al-Khayf (the Tented Camp) from fear and hardship, and fulfill for them

of misery and harms, and raised them to 'Arafat ³³¹ to expiate their evil deeds, guarantee their consequences, and forgive their sins. They fled from their sins to Him, spent the night at Muzdalifah ³³² before Him, and relied on Him in all their affairs. So they awoke in complete joy, happiness, and glad tidings, and He bestowed upon them abundant blessings at the standing at al-Mash'ar al-Haram ³³³. He wrote for them the complete deed of emancipation from the Fire. They humbled themselves, shaved their heads, and multiplied their glorification and sanctification of the Almighty King. They offered their sacrifices and slaughtered their offerings, so He fulfilled their needs and abundant gifts, erasing the scrolls of sins and removing from them great sorrows, granting them the ultimate goal and desire at the completion of the rites ³³⁴ and the stoning of the pillars ³³⁵. When they performed the farewell circumambulation ³³⁶ and resolved to return, they urged on the mounts of longing with swift driving towards the Chosen Prophet. What a prophet! Allah sent him with miracles and proofs, adorned him with the highest perfections and virtues, chose him from the noblest lineages and tribes, and honored through him the lineage of Mudar ³³⁷ and Nizar ³³⁸. So I ask You, O my Master, by the sanctity of his great status and rank, and by what his noble essence contains of gifts and secrets, to send blessings upon him and upon his noble, righteous family, and his esteemed, pure Companions, and to draw me through his blessing to visit Your House, abundant in radiances and lights, whoever circumambulates it, sins fall away from him as leaves fall from trees, so that I may kiss the Black Stone ³³⁹ and rub my cheek in those blessed places of soil and visitation, and witness those noble sanctuaries whose foundations are laid upon pillars of honor and glory, and inhale the fragrance of their scent, and kiss their soil, the breezes of blessings descending from the presence of our Mighty, Forgiving Master, and seek the footsteps that were long touched by the foot of the best of creation and the adornment of the chosen messengers, where the revelation descended and the clouds of abundant mercy pour down. Upon them from the Lord of the heavens and earths be the forelocks of blessings and the purest greetings, at morning, evening, night, and dawn.

His Book, whose verses are perfected, and He abolished * by His Law all religions and creeds. How many doubts did He remove with the edge of the sword * from the religion of One far beyond likeness and similitude. How noble is the character of a Prophet adorned with virtue, * encompassing beauty, complete in cheerfulness. He meets existence with a smiling, radiant face, * abundant in kindness, like a lush garden in bloom. No lofty matter ever sought him * but he granted more than hoped. The full moon was shamed by his face and radiance; born generous, * by the sea of his palms the clearest paths are guided. Convey from his sweet, cool lips what * quenches thirst from the honey of nectar and honeycomb. If he said "Stop" and the light of his countenance appeared * to the moon, it would not move; to the sun, it would not set. O best of those by whom God honored existence, * and singled out with the great remembrance in pre-eternity. Be my protector when the embers of hellfire blaze, * and people are in fear from the length of the Day of Presentation. And intercede, I beseech You, at the time of judgment when * calamity is widespread and my stratagems among people fail. For there is no father to avail, nor child, * nor intercessor except the Chosen One to intercede for me. I extend the hand of my need, seeking aid from him * on whose noble intercession I rely. So accept my supplication and through my praise efface what * I have neglected in the ordering of my early youthful days. You possess a description that defies depiction, and how often * have you shown favor and emphasis without substitution ¹²⁷. And you attained what no near one in heaven attained * besides you, in detail and in summary. Upon you be the purest prayers and peace from God, * the Dominant, in the mornings and evenings. As long as lovers of a caravan travel in a distant land * to the Hijaz, and the people sing in the ramal meter. Its author—may God honor him with His pleasure, and grant him among the lovers, saints, and righteous ones what delights his eyes, and watch over him with the eye of His care, and make his abode and dwelling in the highest paradises—said: When I finished the longing for the pilgrimage to the Sacred House of God, and the mention of the virtues of Mecca, noble in status and station, and the standing at Arafat and those great sacred sites, and what God has prepared for its people of immense gifts and rewards, I followed that with the words of some eminent imams, deeply rooted in the sciences of reality and law and all rulings, knowledgeable in the physical and spiritual rites of pilgrimage and the etiquette of visiting him—upon him be the best prayers and purest peace—including literary and jurisprudential issues, subtle scientific and practical points, and lofty spiritual indications, mentioned by some of the lordly people of realities and luminous, manifest unveilings, to serve as a supplement to the virtues of those Medinan places, and the honor of that Muhammadan and Ahmadine lordship ¹²⁸. So I say—and God is the Helper, and from Him I seek aid for what the tongue utters and the fingers record: Pilgrimage, when it becomes obligatory, its obligation and the time of its obligation are subject to disagreement among scholars, as are its conditions. It is one of the pillars of Islam and a support of faith; one leaves family and children for it and does not consult father or mother. What the imams have held about consulting one's father is only when it is not obligatory, so fulfilling the father's right to companionship takes precedence. If it were obligatory, the father would have no say, like fasting, prayer, and zakat. It is authentically reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked, "Which deed is best?" He said, "Faith in God." It was said, "Then what?" He said, "Jihad in the way of God." It was said, "Then what?" He said, "An accepted pilgrimage." And he said, peace and blessings be upon him: "An accepted pilgrimage has no reward from God except Paradise." Pilgrimage means intention; so do not intend the House of your Lord until you intend your Lord, and do not move your body towards it until you turn your heart and whole being to Him. When you turn with your body and enter into ihram and say the talbiyah, then the circumambulation of the House is shaving. And when you enter ihram and say the talbiyah with the intention of the heart towards Him, then your pilgrimage is to see Him, if God wills, and to stand before Him ¹²⁹. He made abandoning pilgrimage for one who is able like abandoning prayer for one who is able. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever abandons prayer has disbelieved." Similarly, God Almighty said concerning the one who abandons pilgrimage: "And whoever disbelieves, then indeed God is free from need of the worlds." This is an additional threat indicating additional encouragement. It is astonishing that some say pilgrimage is not obligatory for the people of the Maghreb, yet they travel from region to region, cross seas, and traverse dangers for religious and worldly purposes, while the situation is the same in terms of fear and security, lawful and unlawful, spending wealth and giving it on the road and elsewhere to those who are not pleased. Residing in Mecca has great virtue, and I indeed prefer it. Who can be a companion to the servant like his Lord? And to whom does one take refuge? And who is more generous than Him? I do not know how one who says that residing in Mecca is disliked can be capable. I have heard concerning that...

explanations that are not suitable to be heard. Yes, one may speak between Mecca and Medina, and which of them is better, and which place of residence is more honorable. As for disliking either of them—God forbid! Hajj is of two types: on foot and riding, as Allah said: "And proclaim to the people the Hajj; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, coming from every deep and distant mountain highway" ³⁴⁰. The commentators said: Our master Abraham, peace be upon him, proclaimed, and Allah made all of creation hear him by reviving them for him. Whoever responded performed Hajj, and whoever heard but did not respond, or whoever did not hear, did not perform Hajj. The verifiers said: Its meaning is that He informed all of them of the obligation, so those whom He decreed would perform Hajj came. Thus it is a general wording but the intended meaning is specific. With this latter interpretation I speak, although the former is possible. Our scholars said: The precedence of the pedestrian over the rider is due to two reasons: one is that the pedestrian is more [in number], and it is said because it is better. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrated from Tamim al-Dari that he recited the Quran in prayer while standing, while bowing, and while prostrating, and he performed Hajj secretly. Muhammad al-Mustati al-Sufi informed that he performed Hajj with Abu al-Fadl al-Jawhari. He said: Abu al-Fadl said to us one day on the road—and I had seen the previous night a door from heaven opened, from which descended three angels, one carrying a basin, another a ewer, and another a towel. They reached the end of the caravan, and one said: "Take this man's feet." He said: "Yes," and he brought them out from under the clothes, then placed them in the basin. The one with the ewer poured water over the feet, and the one with the basin washed them until they were clean. Then the one with the towel took them and dried them, then returned them to their covering. Another came to take his feet, but his companion said: "Do not take them; he is riding." They proceeded to everyone in the caravan until they reached me. He extended his hand to take my feet, but his companion said: "He is riding." When they had finished with everyone in it, they ascended their ladder to heaven until they disappeared into it. Then an issue that had amazed me was explained. That is, I had left Kufa for Mecca in the year 89 [AH] riding alongside my father, may Allah have mercy on him, until we reached Mecca. We performed our Hajj, then returned to it. When we were at Batn Nakhlah ³⁴¹, a hailstorm of great magnitude struck us, killing many camels and people, and the valley of Nakhlah flooded over us. We were among those who hurried and crossed. Those whom the flood caught and carried away until dawn were never seen again. We returned as a small group. A plague struck the camels; a camel would be bought for fifty dinars, then the next day it would be taken ill, and by morning it would throw itself to the ground, be slaughtered, and people would divide it, throwing their saddles in the desert and discarding their clothes. Our camels perished likewise—a long story we have detailed in the book Tartib al-Rihla ³⁴². Necessity compelled me to walk on foot from Bayd ³⁴³ to Kufa, fifteen stages, due to the death of the camels. We had the hire money if we could find camels, but the plague had overcome them. We threw away everything we had, and nothing remained on me except my clothing. I walked with our companions among the students, discussing, debating, and consoling ourselves on foot all day. When night came, I would fall down like a dead person. We would light a fire, cut the flesh from our legs, cauterize it with fat, and bandage them with rags. I would lie down and say: "This is a matter of divine decree from which Allah will deliver me." Then I would sleep. When morning came, I would find lightness, as if I had not been the man of the previous night. When I began walking, my strength returned and my red flesh became firm as I walked. This was my habit day and night, and I marveled at the resurgence of my endurance and strength after the loss of my flesh and skin—until I related this story. Then I knew with certainty the truth of the Prophet's, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying to the Ash'aris ³⁴⁴: "It is not I who carried you, but Allah carried you." And I saw the statement of al-Bukhari: "Chapter on one who relates from eyewitness experience in battle" and he included from Talha ibn Ubayd Allah that he shielded the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on the day of Uhud. So I narrated. The evidence that walking is better is the authentic hadith from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "No servant's feet become dusty in the path of Allah except that Allah makes them forbidden to the Fire." If one rides, let him ride on a small saddle. Al-Bukhari said: Anas performed Hajj on a saddle and he was not stingy—meaning he preferred humility because it is a place of dishevelment, fear, and departure from appearance and finery. He said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, only performed Hajj riding so as not to cause hardship to his community, and he performed tawaf ³⁴⁵ riding so that all people could see his action. Al-Tirmidhi narrated: Muhammad ibn Ghaylan told us, Abu Dawud al-Ja'di told us, from Sufyan, from al-Rabi' ibn Subayh, from Yazid ibn Aban, from our master Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, performed Hajj on a worn-out saddle, wearing a cloak worth less than four dirhams.

dirhams, and said: "O Allah, make it a pilgrimage with no hypocrisy in it and no seeking of reputation." And one of the Sufis performed pilgrimage seventy times on foot, and when it was the last of them, he said: "O Allah, I think this is my last pilgrimage. If You have accepted it or accepted anything from it, then I call You to witness that I have given it in charity to the sinners of the nation of our master Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or to the people of the standing [at Arafat]." Then he saw Allah Almighty in a dream, and He said to him: "Do you show generosity towards Us? I call you to witness that I have forgiven them and you." And it was said to Ibn Umar ³⁴⁶: "How many pilgrims there are!" He said: "How few they are! The first looked at the multitude of the riders, and Ibn Umar looked at the scarcity of the sincere." And al-Ramghani ³⁴⁷ was at Arafat when he saw that great multitude daring, saying: "O Allah, accept me with them, even if I am counterfeit, for the expert appraiser may be lenient, even if he is knowledgeable." And the pilgrim, according to all, is one who resolves in his heart to reject the world just as he has rejected it in his attire, and to strip himself for the Master just as he has stripped himself of worldly adornment, and to abandon every path and return to Him with realization. And when he washes from outward impurities, let him wash his heart from inward attributes. And when he responds with his tongue by the talbiyah ³⁴⁸, every limb of his should respond with submission to Him. And when he reaches the standing place, let him stand with his heart upon Him, not wandering, just as his body does not wander. And when he recognizes [the truth], let him turn to Allah by disavowing everything except Him, and acknowledge his shortcoming regarding His right, then Allah will make Himself known to him through His favors upon him. And when he reaches the Sacred Monument ³⁴⁹, let him perceive the grace in the facilitation of traversing those stations, and perceive acceptance or rejection. And when he reaches Mina ³⁵⁰, let him expel from his heart every desire and wish towards the Master. And when he throws the pebbles ³⁵¹, let him constrain his soul that commands to evil by discarding every amusement attached to it and every lust inclining towards it. And when he enters the Sanctuary ³⁵², it is not valid for him thereafter to approach a forbidden thing—this is one of the two interpretations of His saying: "The accepted pilgrimage has no reward except Paradise." It is said its acceptance is that one does not disobey after it, and it is said that one does not disobey during it, due to His saying, Mighty and Majestic: "So no sexual intercourse, no wickedness, no disputation in pilgrimage." And when he sees the House with his eye, let him show the Lord of the House with his heart. And when he is released from his ihram ³⁵³ by the circumambulation ³⁵⁴, let him not release the bond of the heart except when the cups are passed around him in Paradise and he is circled, just as he left his house for the House of his Lord, so let him leave the House for Allah with his heart. And the pilgrim is the disheveled, dusty one in his attire and his skin; he is the disheveled of heart, the dusty one who does not incline to the spectacles of the world. And Fath al-Mawsili ³⁵⁵ said verses on this meaning, and they are: "To You is my pilgrimage, not to the House and the trace; / And in You is my striving for the corner and the stone. / The purity of love is my Safa ³⁵⁶ when I traverse it, / And Zamzam ³⁵⁷ is my tear flowing with the rain. / Its Arafat is my recognition, and wishes are at Mina, / And my standing and my station are beyond their danger. / And the embers of my heart are my pebbles when I throw them, / And the descent is my body which suffices for the sacrificial meat. / My provision is my hope in Him, and longing is my mount, / And water is from my tears, and desire is my night talk." And the scholars have said that trade does not oppose the intention of pilgrimage, due to His saying, Exalted: "There is no sin upon you that you seek bounty from your Lord." They said it is trade during the seasons of pilgrimage. And Abu Dawud ³⁵⁸ and others narrated from Abu Umamah al-Tamimi ³⁵⁹ who said: "I was a man who hired out [animals] on this route, and people would say, 'You have no pilgrimage.' So I asked Ibn Umar. He said, 'Do you not enter ihram, recite the talbiyah, circumambulate the House, depart from Arafat, and throw the pebbles?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Then you have a pilgrimage.' A man came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and asked him about the same as you asked me, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was silent and did not answer until this verse was revealed to him, and he said, 'You have a pilgrimage.' And whoever travels a distance from east to west and from west to east with the intention of the House—if he spends his life traveling a distance, he will find it short except those who do not fulfill. So when you reach the House to witness benefits for yourself, the benefits you witness from your Lord are greater than those you witness from His House. And no one knows the measure of love or its cause except one who has performed pilgrimage: he enters Mecca and sees a valley without cultivation, shifting sand, and a land without water, in its midst a House built of black stones, neither tall in construction nor paved in construction, on hills like a smooth black stone, surrounded by two black ropes of rough stones, with no water and no pasture. Then the heart enters into love for it such that no one can describe it, and the soul is overcome by its awe such that it almost falls from fear, so tears flow on his cheek, and he does not know what this attachment is to his innermost being. And the more the eye distances, the more insight multiplies within it. And Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik al-Sufi ³⁶⁰ told me: "We performed pilgrimage with Shaykh Abu al-Fadl al-Jawhari ³⁶¹, and he mentioned a tradition we explained in the arrangement of the journey. When we entered Mecca and entered the mosque from the Gate of Banu Shaybah ³⁶² and saw the House, he moistened his tears with his gray hair and began walking towards it humbly, advancing modestly. When he entered it and saw what was upon it of brocade robes and silk carpets, he recited: 'The pearls are hung on her neck only for fear of the evil eye. She says, while pearls are on her neck, "Who has attached blemish to beauty?"' Then he said: 'By Him who knows the treachery of the eyes and what the breasts conceal, it is more beautiful stripped than with those covered robes, and I compare it in the excellence of its beauty stripped to its beauty covered only by what Ali ibn Abbas said: "And more beautiful than the necklace of the precious stone is her neck, and more beautiful than her veil is the stripped one." And I would press my cheek against its walls with its story, as if it were the cheek of a radiant maiden. As for the rectification of the Stone ³⁶³, by Him who created water and stone, it stings my heart more than sipping the saliva of maidens, truly for the bachelor. And you cannot grasp the reality of that by description until you see it, just as it is impossible to define the pleasure of intercourse by description and analogy until one experiences it.' And the master al-Qasim al-Qushayri ³⁶⁴ used to recite: 'I am not among the lovers if I do not make the heart His house and station, and my innermost thoughts the circulation of the secret in it, and it is my corner when I wish to kiss. And if there were no virtue of the House except the equality of creatures in it—He said, Exalted: "Equal is the devotee therein and the nomad"—and indeed precedence and advancement are considered in it. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Whoever is preceded in precedence has no advantage there except for the foremost, and the stations of the noble make feet equal therein, so there is no order except by deeds, no repelling, no driving away; it is all union."

and connection. When the servant reaches Him, let him increase in remembrance of the One he intended, and let him fully avail himself of its benefits with a pure intention, as we have previously explained their aspects, which are the benefits of the Hereafter—there is no share for this world in that. Let them sacrifice their offerings to feed the poor, reviving the sunna of their Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and the practice of their community and their knowledge. And let their mounts be [a means] to Paradise, indeed on the day of their journey, and let them engage in fulfilling the [vows of] pilgrimage. This is a matter known only to a few of them. Malik, may God be pleased with him, said: Its reality in my view is the perfection of worship for the purification of the body and heart, and that is the fulfillment of the vow, because he has bound the intention in his heart during the state of consecration and spoken with his tongue. If he has resolved on repentance, let him not dissolve it and break it and return to disobedience. And whoever has resolved on embracing obedience, let him not release his hand from the embrace. And when he circumambulates the House, its meaning is the shortening of hope upon it; let him limit his hope to God and not attach it to other than Him, and let him magnify the sanctities of God. In the wisdom [it is said]: No jealous one has committed adultery, and no possessor of sanctity has fornicated. The people of asceticism said: Abandoning service incurs punishment, and violating sanctity incurs vengeance. The violator of sanctity is not to be hoped for, for therein is a disdain that leads to denial, and magnification is from the piety of the heart, just as refraining from engaging in abominations is from the piety of the limbs. And from the kindness of the Creator and the establishment of the laws in hearts and making them beloved to creation is their attachment to worship, for the deficient soul has familiarity, while the noble soul knows the measures of renewed aspirations. God Almighty said: "And for every nation We have appointed a rite that they may mention the name of God over what He has provided them of grazing livestock." The laws agree on the [fundamental] knowledges but differ in acts of obedience according to what God knows of benefits. For some people He made it heavy and multiplied the reward, and for some He made it light and multiplied the reward. And He said: "And your God is one God," commanding all to submit to wisdom without coercion ³⁶⁵ or distress in the heart or in speech. That is by purifying deeds from defects, purifying character from turbidities, and purifying states from shortcomings, until one becomes among the humble ones—that is the perpetual name for obedience under the condition of steadfastness upon capability. Its sign is fear when God is mentioned, out of dread of ruin, or caution against a bad end, or expectation of leaving this world in heedlessness without preparation and readiness, or shame before God when one remembers His awareness of him, and that something may occur from him that He does not like, or he may be heedless of it while He does not forget him, by His blessings and kindness, or fear of [divine] deception and gradual enticement. The closest of creation to God Almighty in heart are those most fearful of Him. Among the signs of the humble ones is patience with what befalls them, and they praise under the flow of decrees, and they do not dislike what has befallen them by destiny. Regarding seeking relief from Him, there is disagreement among them: some ask Him for it, some ask for increase in it, and some stop at the measure. All of this, with its ways and reports, is mentioned in Anwar al-Fajr. My verification is that asking for relief is absolutely permissible; if it is for the correction of a stumble and the recovery of what was missed due to a slip or occurred from heedlessness, then it is worship. Among their signs is fleeing ³⁶⁶ to prayer in fear and hope, and standing forever at the door of intimate conversation. How beautiful is the saying of the poet: "When people wish for ease and comfort, I wish to complain to You and have You hear." "When people wish for ease and comfort, I wish, O my Lord, to meet You alone." Among their signs is spending wealth in His pleasure: they surrender their bodies to worship and their wealth to charity, as did our master Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may God be pleased with him, for he brought all his wealth to the Messenger of God, and the Messenger of God accepted it from him. Another came with his wealth, and he accepted one-third from him, and each was treated according to the measure of his heart. Among the types of spending, and the most noble, is the body, which God has made among the rites. The share of the fourth category from it is what we have indicated in the reminder now. God has placed in it good from many aspects: riding them, carrying loads on them, drinking their milk, eating their meat, benefiting from their fur, and reflecting on their creation—how they are subjugated despite their strength and bulk, and they obey the small child, despite their size, in kneeling, riding, carrying, dismounting, and being sacrificed, unable to bring benefit or harm; their patience with thirst for ten days, their contentment with little fodder, their joy at the driver's song, their rest and activity with a beautiful voice ³⁶⁷ despite the density of their bodies and the coarseness of their livers—besides other wonders. The benefit of sacrificing them is what we have mentioned. Among their benefits is feeding the contented—which, according to the ascetic, is the one who has cast off the cloak of shame and exposed his face to begging—and the one who refrains [from begging], who maintains dignity and bears [hardship], while his heart is concealed by shame, and he conceals his secret. Another benefit is the manifestation of piety from you by complying with His command, avoiding His prohibition, and hastening to His limits, so that you may realize...

Your magnification of Him is due to your magnification of His remembrance. So glad tidings to His messenger when you do good, such that what you conceal and what you declare become equal. Among their greatest signs in the eyes of the people of asceticism (ahl al-zuhd) is that your heart is not occupied away from the command of your Lord, and that your entire action is for Him, a town from your self, just as you used to take pleasure before that in the remembrance of your fathers and their merits, and your predecessors and their days. For if your fathers have a right of upbringing, then I am your Lord and their Lord. So if there is pride, then in Me let you take pride, and in what is with Me let you rejoice and store up. And if there is righteousness, then I am the Righteous (al-Barr), and it is more incumbent upon Me. And if your predecessors have merits, then I am Allah, there is no god but He, to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. And if you do not tire of the remembrance of your fathers, then I am more deserving that My remembrance should not be tired of. For your father may (144) forget you and may be incapable of your state, while I do not forget you, and I protect you and take charge of you. And some of them have said: Here is His statement, exalted is He: "And remember your fathers" (Quran 2:200). He did not say "your mothers" because the father is remembered out of respect, and the mother out of compassion, and Allah is He who shows mercy and is not shown mercy, and feeds and is not fed. And in my view, the people do not mention a woman nor take pride in her, and thus their pride is in their fathers, for merits belong to men, and chastity and modesty to women. And His statement: "Or a more intense remembrance" (Quran 2:200). He commanded them to replace the remembrance of fathers with the remembrance of Allah and His magnification, or to increase upon that, and that is better. And the Exalted informed that people are of two types: among them is he who says: "Our Lord, give us in this world good" (Quran 2:201), meaning his entire portion is in this world because he knows nothing else, so that is what he has in the Hereafter without dispute. And among them is he who preserves both abodes and asks in this world for the two stations: the abode of justice and the abode of recompense. And the scholars have many sayings regarding this, the main ones being six: The first is that it is a good (hasanah) that encompasses all good deeds, which is faith connected to wealth; if this attribute is attained for him, he will not be eternally in the Fire. And the good of the Hereafter (145) is forgiveness; when he is forgiven, then after that there is nothing better. Therefore, Allah began creation at the pouring forth (al-ifadah) with seeking forgiveness. The second: the good in this world is detachment from it by knowing its worth, and the good in the Hereafter is security from terror. The third: the good in this world is knowledge of Him, and the good in the Hereafter is His attribute. The fourth: the good in this world is that He enriches you from His creation, and in the Hereafter that He grants what is due to Him from you. The fifth: the good in this world is success in service, and in the Hereafter the realization of union, meaning by being pleased with you, so He never becomes angry. The sixth: the good in this world is well-being, and in the Hereafter security. And it has been narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, entered upon a man visiting him and found him like a chick, and said to him: "Were you saying something?" He said: "I was saying: O Allah, whatever You were going to punish me with in the Hereafter, hasten it for me in this world." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to him: "You cannot bear that. Why did you not say: 'Our Lord, give us in this world good and in the Hereafter good, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire'?" (Quran 2:201). And with this I say. Then he said: Glory be to Him. And when you are remembering, then specify the numbered days (al-ayyam al-ma'dudat), which are the days of casting (al-ramy), as we have explained in the rulings, for that is the last of your rituals (146). So whoever hastens in two days, there is no sin on him, and whoever delays, there is no sin on him. And He lightened for the creation the return from it to family and homeland. And since He knew the attachment of their hearts to them, He returned them with their bodies and attached their hearts to what they had witnessed of their place. And that is His statement, exalted is He: "And when We made the House a place of return for people and a security" (Quran 2:125). So no one sees it except that he wishes to return to it, even if longing for family and love of homeland compel him to leave it. By a return, and by a right that deserves to be cooled, An eye that saw that most blessed place, Would wish to stay there for the duration of its life, But fate decreed only the farthest place. So all praise, all praise, be to the Master who Carried the poor one to the Sacred House and provided, Until he performed all the rites, And saw the sacred sites at every moment a witness. And he came to Medina, al-Baqi', and a mosque That gathered the Companions and the Prophet Muhammad. And he knelt before the Chosen One, supplicating, Seeking intercession, seeking sweetness, seeking aid. From where can a wretch like me see In the courtyard of the Two Sanctuaries, or even wander? That is nothing but a gracious favor, A virtue from the Giver of sublime bounty. And the favor remains, and the Generous is hoped To return me to the sacred sites, honored. If I am not worthy of that, then He is Worthy of honoring all people forever. So all swim in seas of bounty, And praise be to Allah who granted guidance. His favor and gift encompass all creation, Lord, good deeds are completed by His favor. Some of them said: I have seen separation and tasted it, and eaten it and drunk it, and it wrestled with me and I wrestled with it. And I have seen no separation with a more distant meeting, nor a revocation with a more remote ascent (147) than the separation of al-Muhassab. Two groups: one of them distressed by the hum of a palm tree, and another cutting through Najd of Kabkab. Among them are those going east to the limit, and those going west to the end, and a northerner without an appointment, and a southerner when it is no time for an observation. And there is no doubt, and Allah knows best, that it is a measure of the separation of the Day of the Standing (Yawm al-Mawqif), for it is between one taken to Paradise and one carried to the Fire, with no meeting ever. The Exalted said: "Those, for them is a portion of what they have earned, and Allah is swift in reckoning" (Quran 2:202) for all on the Day of Resurrection, and for whom He chooses in every soul. It ends. A lover, consumed by longing in the farthest abode, Increases with length of life in weakness and gray hair, Steadfast against the blow of calamities, patient, When your remembrance flows in his ribs, The hands of love will cut the she-camel of his passion, And work in your pleasure, passion and text. Perhaps you will revive the faded traces of one Whose separation from loved ones has choked, And grant after distance intimacy and closeness, And he becomes after distance specially favored. For in my passion for you is a painful sorrow, And the longings of my heart cannot be counted or enumerated. He calls to you, the feathers of his wings have been clipped, And that is an increase that brings him loss. His author—may Allah aid him with His help, and pour upon him from the gifts of His favor and grace—said: When I mentioned the words of the jurists on the rites of Hajj and the etiquette of visitation, I followed it with what I promised regarding the interpretations (al-mahamil) according to the ways of the people of expression and allusion (ahl al-ta'bir wa al-isharah), so that it might be a reminder for the one heading to the Hajj (148) of the Sacred House of Allah, and a gift for the one longing to visit the grave of our Prophet—upon him be the best of prayers and the purest of peace. So I say: Allah, exalted is He, said: "And to Allah is the Hajj of the House for those who are able to find a way to it" (Quran 3:97). Allah, exalted is He, attributed the Hajj to Himself because of what it contains of traces of Lordship (rububiyyah) and realities of servitude (ubudiyyah). And also, He obligated the right of servitude upon His servants to perform the gratitude of Lordship. And also, He guided them to

The vision of the intended purpose in the verses and signs through the intention of journeying to His House, and also the obligation of the Hajj of the House upon the multitude for the presence of the elite as visitors to the Lord of the House, and also He desired that His servants should see His majesty and grandeur in their witnessing the humiliation of servitude, humility, and supplication upon their necks, and also He made it obligatory upon His servants to journey to witness Him by expending wealth, souls, profits, and abandoning comforts, desires, children, and spouses in the manner of abstraction from contingent beings in their journey to the House. And the House is designated for their journey as a symbol and a ruling through witnessing, because He, exalted and sanctified, is transcendent above indwelling and likeness, so He manifests Himself from it to those journeying to Him in the garb of dominion and signs, for He, exalted, said: "In it are clear signs" (Quran 3:97). Thus He informed about the (149) signs in the House itself and alluded to the manifestation of the attributes in the signs themselves, just as he, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "God came from Sinai, and rose from Seir, and shone forth from the mountains of Paran," meaning the mountains of Mecca, and by the mountains—and God knows best—He meant the Sacred House of God, because it is stones that God chose in pre-eternity as a direction of prayer (qibla) for His servants and a mirror of unveilings for His elite. And the ability (al-istiṭāʿa) in His path is knowledge of Him, proximity to Him, and witnessing His graces at all times, certainty in His promise, reliance (al-tawakkul) upon Him in all matters, watchfulness (al-murāqaba) and constant guardianship, and knowledge of His preservation and protection over all His servants, and pure love free from the follies of the soul, and sincerity of intention (ṣidq al-qaṣd) towards Him with purity of intention, and purification of the heart from other than Him. May God increase them in constant remembrance (al-dhikr) and reflection (al-fikr) upon His bounties and favors, His perfect power, His encompassing grace, and similar stations in the ability of those journeying to His House. And whoever is not characterized by these meanings and does not prepare himself with them in his journey to His House is cut off from the path of right guidance and perishes in the destruction of obstinacy. God, exalted, said: "And whoever disbelieves, then indeed God is independent of the worlds" (Quran 3:97). And He attributed the Hajj in the beginning of the verses (150) to Himself and declared Himself transcendent in its end, so that the people of experiential knowledge of servitude to Him might know His compassion for His servants, because worship returns to them with reward, while He is transcendent above means. And those journeying to the House of God, exalted, are of three categories: a category among them journey to the House with their wealth and selves seeking reward; a category among them journey to the House with their hearts purified from the world and what is in it, to comply with the command and seek the pleasure of the Lord, exalted; and a category among them journey to witness the Lord of the House with their passionate spirits seeking the realities of knowledge, proximity, purity of union, and increase in the witnessing of manifestation and descent. So the people of the outward are forbidden from prohibited things and are released from their state of consecration (iḥrām) upon completing their rites and fulfilling their obligation. And the people of the inward are forbidden from contingent beings and from looking at created things, and they are not released as long as they are in this world until the witnessing of the Essence and the unveiling of the attributes. How vast is the difference between one who is forbidden from customary things and one who is forbidden from possible things and the witnessing of contingent beings! But there are trials that only His mounts can bear. Alas! They have gone, and with them (151) the blessings have gone, and with their setting in the eternal knowledges, the suns of miracles and the moons of signs have set. Their fame spread throughout the horizons, but their traces were hidden from the horizons. May the mercy of God be upon them in life and after death. Then he said: And among the allusions in the intentions of the pilgrims of the Kaaba of Reality is that when they intend with the direction of their hearts towards the intended goal, namely the Sacred House of God, they conclude with God, in the manner of love, a covenant of knowledge, and they annul all the covenants they made outside the path of truth, such as preferring other than Him over Him, and the covenants of the soul taken for ostentation, reputation, seeking elevation and honor. And they prepare for the paths of the stations of witnessing the provision of truthfulness in reliance (al-tawakkul), sincerity (al-ikhlāṣ), certainty (al-yaqīn), and asceticism (al-zuhd) in the trade of God, exalted. And the mount of patience (al-ṣabr), its legs are earnestness, its head is forbearance, its belly is scrupulousness (al-waraʿ), its saddle is firmness (al-tamkīn), its girth is uprightness (al-istiqāma), its reins are submission (al-taslīm), its middle is good manners (al-adab), its earth is contentment (al-riḍā), its sky is certainty (al-yaqīn), its water is reflection (al-fikr), its fodder is remembrance (al-dhikr), its pastures are unveiling (al-mukāshafa), its grazing ground is witnessing (al-mushāhada), and its direction is towards the witnessing of the Eternal. And when they depart from their homelands with this mount, they emigrate from the adornment of the world and what is in it, and they prepare the equipment of death (152) from all creatures, both associates and close ones, and they hasten in seeking spiritual discipline (al-riyāḍa), and they impose upon themselves the generosity of the earnest and diligent, and they direct themselves in the manner of sincerity (al-ikhlāṣ) towards God, and they do not turn to other than Him on His path, whether from people of wealth, nomads, or gold, and they resolve that they will not deviate from the intention of the path to the path of the claims of desire and Satan.

And when they board their vessels, their guide is guidance (al-hudā), their driver is piety (al-taqwā), their path is purity (al-ṣafā), their companion is the Master (al-mawlā), their peer is knowledge (al-ʿilm), and their comrade is longing (al-shawq). Their swords are in the valley of love (al-ʿishq); their companion is yearning (al-ḥanīn), and their song is groaning (al-anīn). And when they depart from the valley of prohibition (al-maḥram), they travel swiftly out of longing (al-shawq), and they traverse it regretful of sin, having drawn near to the vision of the Lord (al-rabb), lamenting the loss of moments, enraptured in seeking stations, weeping tears of sorrow with sighs, wailing over themselves with the description of tears. And when they reach the head of the valley, they cast off the garment of ease, strip themselves of all desires, don the pilgrim garb (iḥrām) of singularity (al-tafrīd), bathe in the sea of divine oneness (al-tawḥīd), and purify themselves from all impurities of defects. And when they proclaim the talbiyah (labbay), they hear the voice of contentment (al-riḍā) in the description of union (al-wuṣlah) and proximity (al-qurbah) and the call of the Truth (al-ḥaqq) before their existence in pre-eternity (al-azal). And when they reach ʿArafāt (153), they travel intoxicated in the chains of gratitude (al-shukr), from which they have no release except through the secret of sobriety (al-ṣaḥw). So between sobriety and intoxication they are enraptured, and between awe (al-haybah) and expansiveness (al-basṭ) they are bewildered. The Truth (al-ḥaqq)—majestic is His greatness—knows for them the realities of witnessing (al-mushāhadah) and the attributes of unveiling (al-mukāshafah), and the hidden things of the unseen and the secrets of hearts become manifest to them. And when they stand (at ʿArafāt), they stand hoping for the meeting of mercy, fearing severance and abandonment, witnessing the station of modesty (al-ḥayāʾ), present at the station of annihilation (al-fanāʇ) in the vision of subsistence (al-baqāʇ). And when they reach the Sacred Monument (al-mashʿar al-ḥarām), they remember God (Allāh) by the grace of seeing Him, and their remembrance there is upon the tongue and the pavilion of the gardens (al-jinān) at the foot of the All-Merciful (al-raḥmān), spread out before Him, heads lowered in shortcoming, silenced by negligence. And when they reach Minā, they sacrifice their selves from pleasures and desires. And when they stone the pillars (al-jamarāt), they cast their striving and spiritual discipline into the concealment of non-existence (al-ʿadam) by their arrival at the vision of the Eternal (al-qidam). And when they break the stones, they break with them the desire of their bellies and the incursions of their souls from the possibilities of their secrets. And when they shave (their heads), they shave from their inner selves the superfluities of whispering (al-waswās) and love of people’s praise. And when they enter the land of the Sanctuary (al-ḥaram), they know that they are at the pavilion (154) of majesty (al-ʿaẓamah) and the gates of the Divine Presence (al-ḥaḍrah), humbled in veneration, melting in the fires of grandeur (al-kibriyāʾ), forbidden from all besides God (Allāh), prepared for the benefit; nothing of the contingent worlds (al-akwān) is lawful for them before their arrival at Him, because they are in the mines of Self-Subsistence (al-ṣamadiyyah) and the assault of Self-Subsistence (al-ṣamadiyyah) prevents them from the defect of contingency (al-ḥudūthiyyah). And when they enter the mosque, they enter enraptured from the vision of His majesty and remember His awe and splendor. And when they see the House (al-bayt), they see before seeing the House the Lord of the House (rabb al-bayt) and His witnessing, and they know that they are in His ancient Presence (al-ḥaḍrah al-qadīmah) and His noble witnessing. And when they circumambulate (ṭāfū) around the House and see His angels circumambulating around the Throne (al-ʿarsh) and the Footstool (al-kursī), they are certain that they are with God (Allāh) in their station. And when they touch (the Black Stone) (istalamū), they know that they have pledged allegiance to God (Allāh) with the covenant of pre-eternity (al-azal) in the description of departure from opposition after that pledge, and they do not extend their hands to familiar things and desires. And when they pray behind the Station (of Abraham) (al-maqām), they know that they are in the station of union (al-wuṣlah) and proximity (al-qurbah) and intimate conversation (al-munājāh) and the place of those who fulfill the covenant of God (Allāh) the Exalted. And when they cling to the curtains of the Kaʿbah, they are certain that they are holding fast to the rope of clinging (al-iʿtiṣām), announcing the reality of His protection, seeking refuge in the shelter of His proximity, isolated from attachment, finding the Truth (al-ḥaqq) after that. And when they enter (155) the House of God (Allāh) the Exalted, they are certain that they are in the preservation of His care and the shelter of His protection, immersed in the ecstasy of His eternity (qidam) and subsistence (baqāʇ). And when they ascend al-Ṣafā and al-Marwah, they emerge from soul-stains and see that they are in the station of selection (al-iṣṭifāʇ) and election (al-ijtibāʇ). And whoever possesses the insight of knowledge (al-maʿrifah) knows and realizes that God (Allāh) the Exalted has delineated these rites and sacred sites as a likeness of the Holy Presence (al-ḥaḍrah al-quds) and made the land a likeness of Paradise (al-jannah), and al-Ṣafā and al-Marwah and the mountains of Mecca a likeness of the veil of the Dominion (al-malakūt), and the entire Sanctuary (al-ḥaram) the coverings of the Omnipotence (al-jabarūt), and Minā the station of security, and the Sacred Monument (al-mashʿar) the station of fear and veneration, and ʿArafah the land of the Gathering (al-maḥshar) and the Resurrection (al-maḥshar) the station of the Resurrection (al-qiyāmah) and the beginning of the world and the departure from the abode of death and the intent to visit the House, the preparation for the meeting of the Lord (al-rabb), Blessed and Exalted. And when he perceives the realities of these likenesses, his pilgrimage (ḥajj) becomes a means of proximity and witnessing, and his striving (saʿy) accepted, and his deed thanked. And this is the pilgrimage of the knowers (al-ʿārifīn) among the certain witnesses. O Kaʿbah of hopes, your face is my proof, and my ʿumrah—indeed I am devoted to you. And the stripping of my self from the encompassment of its attributes— so your description is my iḥrām, cutting off from other. And my talbiyah is that I possess my lifeblood, because of what shines from you in my essence of beauty. As if my attributes from you call to the heights for my essence, but they refused, so distant ones deputized. (156) So the abandonment of marriage and perfuming has degraded my attributes and essence, and they are from me obstacles. And my leaving the head unshaven is the abandonment of my leadership, on condition of passion—indeed the love-stricken one is submissive. When the pilgrims leave off trimming their nails, I leave off the deeds that I perform. And I was like instruments, and you are the one by whom what occurs is disposed by decree. So here I am, in circumambulation of the Kaʿbah of her beauty, I circle, and the meaning of circling is that I return. And my soul has known your seven attributes, so the numbers of my circumambulations around your precincts are seven. The mole of beauty has approached in the Stone (al-ḥajar) which holds for us deposits from the ancient covenant.

The meaning of what is in it is that a subtle soul (nafs laṭīfah) And he touched the Yemeni Corner (al-rukn al-yamānī), for in it is the soul of the All-Merciful (nafs al-Raḥmān), so the soul is comprehensive. And he concluded the circumambulation of passion (ṭawāf al-gharām) around a Ka‘bah of effacement (al-maḥw) from what the natural dispositions (al-ṭabā’i‘) had produced. Do you see if for the weakened heart there are, from Zamzam of the encounter (Zamzam al-liqā), breasts (marāḍi‘) with no end to the breasts? So my soul goes into the attributes of Your attributes (ṣifāt ṣifātikum) to strive at the Marwah of the Essence (Marwā al-dhāt), hastening. For al-Ṣafā is nothing but purity (al-ṣafā’), and Marwah is nothing but [a symbol]; indeed, I declare the verification of my truth (taḥqīq ḥaqqī) openly. And the palace (al-qaṣr) is nothing, in truth, but [separation] from other than you, and the shaving (al-ḥalq) is nothing but abandoning what cuts off. And the ‘Arafāt of union (al-waṣl) is nothing but your presence (janābukum); so blessed is he who pastures in the station of proximity (ḥaḍrat al-qurb). With Muzdalifahs (muzdalifāt) on the path of your passion, there are obstacles and barriers preventing the encounter. If the feeling (al-ish‘ār) occurs in the ritual site of desire (mash‘ar al-hawā) and the pull of resolve aids, then victory occurs. At the ritual site of verification (mash‘ar al-taḥqīq), I magnified among creation your rites (sha‘ā’irikum), since the divine laws (al-sharā’i‘) established them. How many a Minā do I have in your presences (Minā ḥaḍarātikum), and O my regrets, while the Beneficent is far off! I stoned the pebbles of the self (jimār al-nafs) from me, and its hell drank water and the thunderbolts cried out. And the Riḍwān of Your beauty replaced [it], and the rocket tree (shajar al-jarjīr) intoxicated with it, while the branch was ripe. So there flowed over my essence springs (yanābī‘) of its description; sufficient are those springs as the dispensation of the Truth (ṣarf al-Ḥaqq). (157) So I performed the circumambulation of departure (ṭawāf al-ifāḍah) in the sanctuary (al-ḥimā) and stood the station of the Friend (al-Khalīl), pledging allegiance. So I remained in the dominion of passion, and behold, I am a king, and my sword in longing is cutting. And I verified, through knowledge and power, all that my dominion and my wealth encompass, without dispute. And if you wish, you may say: the examples of the inner rites (mashā‘ir al-bāṭin) are: the Ka‘bah is the heart, the Black Stone is the chest, the town is the form, al-Ṣafā is the intellect, al-Marwah is knowledge, Minā is forbearance, the ritual site (al-mash‘ar) is remembrance, ‘Arafāt is the purity of servitude and knowledge, the sanctuary (al-ḥaram) is the appointed time (al-mīqāt) and the states (al-ḥālāt), the beginning is the soul and desire, and the pilgrim (al-ḥājj) is the sanctified spirit. As for the secrets of the lovers, their Ka‘bah is His eternal Essence—exalted is His majesty and mighty is His pride—and its rites are the degrees of the secret in the attributes. When the secrets are stripped bare in the desert of pre-eternity (baydā’ al-azal) of places, times, and contingencies, they face the bride of permanence and eternity, circling the enclosure of proximity on the carpet of reverence and expansiveness. So every soul has a glance, a witnessing, and an unveiling; its pilgrimage is from Him to Him, and from Him by Him, and by Him from Him, and from Him for Him. So its state is wondrous and its ecstasy strange. It was said: God has not addressed His servants in any act of worship with the phrase “God has a right over them” except for the pilgrimage. Among its benefits is that there is no act of worship in which wealth and the self both participate except the pilgrimage, so He singled it out with this name. (158) And it was said: Since it contains allusions to the Resurrection—such as stripping bare and standing—He said: “God has that right over you” to prepare your inner self for the Greatest Standing (al-mawqif al-akbar) just as you prepared your outer self for this standing. It was said that a man came to al-Shiblī and said to him: “Where are you going?” He said: “To the pilgrimage.” He said: “Bring two saddlebags, fill them with mercy, wear them, and come with them, so that our share of the pilgrimage may be to present them to those present and to revive with them those who see you.” He said: “So I left him. When I returned, he said to me: ‘Have you performed the pilgrimage?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said to me: ‘What did you do?’ I said: ‘I bathed, entered the state of iḥrām, prayed two rak‘ahs, and pronounced the talbiyah.’ He said to me: ‘Did you thereby contract the pilgrimage?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Then did your contract annul every contract you had made since you were created that contradicts this contract?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘Then you did not contract it.’ I said: ‘Then I removed my clothes.’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you strip yourself of every deed you had done?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not remove them.’ I said: ‘Then I purified myself.’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you remove from yourself every ailment through your purification?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘Then you did not purify yourself.’ I said: ‘Then I pronounced the talbiyah.’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you find the response to the talbiyah, like for like?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not pronounce the talbiyah.’ I said: ‘Then I entered the sanctuary (al-ḥaram).’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you believe, by your entry, that you had abandoned every forbidden thing?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not enter the sanctuary.’ (159) He said: ‘Then you came in sight of Mecca.’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did a state from God come upon you by your coming in sight of Mecca?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not enter the mosque.’ He said: ‘You saw the Ka‘bah?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you see what you intended for it?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not see the Ka‘bah.’ He said: ‘You trotted three circuits and walked four?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you flee from the world in such a flight that you knew you had thereby separated from it and cut yourself off from it, and did you find, by your four walks, security from what you fled, so that you increased in gratitude to God for that?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘Then you did not circumambulate.’ He said: ‘You touched the Black Stone?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Woe to you! It is said: Whoever touches the Black Stone has touched the Truth (al-Ḥaqq), and whoever touches Him is in a place of security; did He manifest upon you the trace of security?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not touch the Black Stone.’ He said: ‘You prayed two rak‘ahs after it?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you stand the standing (al-waqfah) before God Almighty, and did you stand upon your station in that, and did you show Him your intention?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not pray.’ He said: ‘You went out to al-Ṣafā and stood upon it?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘What did you do?’ I said: ‘I proclaimed God’s greatness (takbīr) upon it.’ He said: ‘Did your secret become pure (ṣafā) by your ascent to al-Ṣafā, and did the worlds become small in your eyes by your proclaiming your Lord’s greatness?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not ascend nor proclaim greatness.’ He said: (160) ‘Did you hasten in your running (sa‘y)?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you flee from it to Him?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not hasten nor run.’ He said: ‘You stood upon al-Marwah?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you see the descent of tranquility (al-sakīnah) upon you while you were upon al-Marwah?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not stand upon al-Marwah.’ He said: ‘You went out to Minā?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you receive what you wished for?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not go out to Minā.’ He said: ‘You entered the Mosque of al-Khayf?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did fear (khawf) strip itself upon you by your entering the Mosque of al-Khayf?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not enter it.’ He said: ‘You proceeded to ‘Arafāt?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you know (ta‘rif) the state for which you were created and the state to which you will return, and did you know from your Lord what you had denied of Him, and did you know the Truth (al-Ḥaqq) toward you through something of what He makes known to His elect?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not proceed to ‘Arafāt.’ He said: ‘You hastened to the Sacred Ritual Site (al-mash‘ar al-ḥarām)?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you remember God therein with a remembrance that made you forget the remembrance of anything other than Him?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not hasten to it.’ He said: ‘Did you perceive (sha‘arta) with what you were answered and with what you were addressed?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not hasten to the ritual site (al-mash‘ar).’ He said: ‘You sacrificed?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you annihilate your desires (161) and your will in the pleasure of the Truth?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not sacrifice.’ I said: ‘You stoned?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you stone your ignorance from you with an increase of knowledge that appeared upon you?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not stone.’ He said: ‘You visited?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Were you unveiled of anything of the realities, and did you see an increase of graces upon you for the visit? The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The pilgrim and the ‘umrah-performer are the visitors of God, and it is the right of the visited to honor his visitors.”’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not visit.’ He said: ‘You exited iḥrām?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you resolve to eat what is lawful?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not exit iḥrām.’ He said: ‘You bade farewell?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you depart from your self and your spirit entirely?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘You did not bid farewell nor perform the pilgrimage, and you must return if you wish. And if you perform the pilgrimage, strive to be as I have described to you.’” And Shaykh Abū ‘Abd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī said: “When I entered upon the Shaykh in Baghdad, he said: ‘Are you a pilgrim?’ I said: ‘I am with the people.’ He said: ‘Are not the obligatory rites of the pilgrimage four? The iḥrām and entering into it with the words of the talbiyah.’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘And the talbiyah is a response.’ I said: ‘Indeed.’ He said: ‘And the response without a call is bad manners.’ I said: ‘Indeed.’ He said: ‘So did you realize the call so that you could respond?’ Then he said: ‘Stripping bare (al-tajrīd) from everything, and stripping bare is only achieved through singling out (al-tafrīd).’ I said: ‘Indeed.’ He said: (162) ‘Then the standing (al-wuqūf).’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘So strive in it, for it is the place of boasting (al-mubāhāh). See how you are in the circumambulation (al-ṭawāf), for it is the place of nearness to the Truth, so your nearness to Him should be through good manners (ḥusn al-adab). Then the running (al-sa‘y), which is the flight to Him by disavowing what is other than Him. Beware lest, after your running, you cling to any attachment from the two abodes and what is in them.’” It was said that Dhū al-Nūn was asked: “Why was the standing (al-mawqif)…”

At al-Mash‘ar al-Haram ³⁶⁸, Dhu al-Nun said: "Because the Ka‘ba is the House of God, the Haram ³⁶⁹ is His veil, and al-Mash‘ar is His door." When the pilgrims came to it, He made them stand at the first door, imploring Him until He permitted them to enter. Then He made them stand at the second door, which is al-Muzdalifa ³⁷⁰. When He saw their supplication, He commanded them to offer their sacrifices. When they offered their sacrifices, fulfilled [the rites], and purified themselves, they were purified from the sins that had been a veil between them and Him, so He permitted them to visit [the Ka‘ba] in a state of purity. * When we completed the rites of the pilgrimage of desire, * and our hopes from the tribe of Layla were fulfilled, * We drove the mount of resolve towards Muhammad, * and performed the circumambulation of farewell while tears poured down. * We came, having refined our souls, across deserts * and wildernesses where men fall in battle. * A sanctuary whose traces have faded among lovers, * so it has become inaccessible—how many a seeker has failed in his quest for glory! * A place of the arena of proximity, whose landmarks have changed, * and a lofty peak beneath which lightning flashes. * The head of the wind breaks at its height, * and how often have clouds and pouring rain passed away from it! * Beneath it you see Mars ³⁷¹ prostrate in submission, * and Saturn ³⁷² above the heavens bowing. * How many a spearman, when he aimed at it, became impotent, * while in his heart the scorpion of al-Ghafr ³⁷³ stings." Its author—may God grant him the joy of meeting Him and raise his aspiration to the highest ranks—said: When I finished discussing the physical and spiritual pilgrimage, and mentioned the worldly and otherworldly good they contain, and their reported virtues from our master Muhammad (peace be upon him), the possessor of the Muhammadan prophetic secret and the Ahmadine ³⁷⁴ chosen light, and what God opened to me of Sufi themes and sublime, radiant allusions in whose meadows thoughts and ideas roam, and in whose blossoming meanings insights and eyes delight, I followed it with a discussion of the journey of the soul in a specific pilgrimage and a specific sea, in which travel the masters of the secret and special ones, and the people of high stations whose worlds of secrets are absent in gathering the jewels of meanings and dive deep. This is because travel in this sea is with the inner and outer aspects, and conduct on its path is attained by the lights of intellects and insights, and acquiring the benefits of its secrets is achieved through purity of innermost selves and mirrors of consciences. To this alludes the saying of our Lord, Exalted is He: "It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea" ³⁷⁵. And He said: "And indeed We have honored the children of Adam and carried them on land and sea" ³⁷⁶—meaning the sea of this world and the Hereafter, as said by the Shaykh, the Imam, the Exemplar, the Leader, our master Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili ³⁷⁷ (may God be pleased with him): "And He has subjected to us the sea of this world and the sea of the Hereafter." So I say, as said by some of the eminent masters and the imams who look into the sciences of realities with the light of opening and inspiration: Indeed, the journey to God is prescribed for us. Why then do we seek residence in a home that is not ours? The years are stages, the months are waystations, the days are miles, the breaths are steps, sins are highway robbers, profit is Paradise, loss is Hellfire. We were created and we move through six journeys until we settle in the final abode. The first journey is the journey of the sperm-drop from clay; the second, from the loins to the womb; the third, from the womb to the surface of the earth; the fourth, from the surface of the earth to the grave; the fifth, from the grave to the standing place of presentation; and the sixth, from the standing place of presentation to the abode of resurrection and rising—either Paradise or Hellfire. We have traversed the distance of the road, and the most difficult part remains. For this matter, the God-fearing have rolled up their sleeves in earnest in the marketplace of transaction. Whenever the ship of life steps into the seas of life, their concern is the terror of what they are in—roaming among the wonders of the sea. It was not long before they arrived in the ships of wakefulness, and rest embraced them on the path of reception, so they entered the land of arrival, having attained the glory of the age. So take the account of the station as a whole and be content with the title: This world is a deep sea, and people in it are in layers: some are drowned—they are the common folk; some are in ships—they are the scholars; some are on the shore—they are the ascetics. Your soul, in reality, is a ship, and it is held in pledge for what it has earned. So bring your heart before you, and observe the words of the people of knowledge concerning you. O chief of governance, when you assume authority, you have the command of leadership, and you are established on the throne of the secret of management in the perspicacity of conscience. Then inspect the crosspieces of destinies, the emergencies of needs, the sphere of delusion, the limit of trial, the anchors of secrets, and the abandonment of denial—which is the reservoir of the waters of the channels of destinies. Take from the whisper of drowsiness, and patch the holes of trials with the linen of concealment, the dignity of dignity, the nails of night-talk, and the adze of advancing consultation. Set the sail of revival before the ship of your management when the sea becomes like a bed, and the thread of connection is sewn, and the threads...

Caution (al-iḥtiyāṭ) has split apart the joints (166) of the fortresses of your intellect, and has twisted tight the ropes of abandoning your vainglory, By the hand of emerging from your states, and you shall water the nail of your nightly discourse with the remembrance of the days of your will. Then, when the breeze of the luminous (al-anwar) strengthens, the essence of the journey (takes hold); and when the winds of longing blow, the essence of the exodus (takes hold); and when the winds of indication multiply, it wearies of command; and when the winds of inference persist, the ropes become firm; and when there is divergence for you in that arena, the joints become firm; and when the pillars are shaken, the inhabitants take counsel; and when the courses are hidden from you, the ten-year-old she-camel carries (the load); and when the stars are absent from you, the masts descend; and when the seas terrify you, tighten the waist-wrapper; and when the joints of the celestial sphere swell, beware of destruction; and when the burdens of the blazing (fires) are carried, say what is said in the collisions. For you are the chief if you preserve what I have charged you with in truth, and in the vessel of your governance lies the proof of the proof for the people of the path. Then, when the lighthouse of lights (anwār) becomes clear to you, and the anchorage of secrets, and the landmarks of spiritual struggles, and He settles you in the posterities of unveilings, and the Kaaba of contemplations, and the passage of blessings, and the delight of joys, and the port of overlooking palaces, and you ride the Red Sea of adhering to obligations, and you alight at Jeddah of ecstasy (al-wajd) (167) on the evening of fulfilling the covenant, then tighten the waist-wrapper, and accompany the visitors, with few burdens, and don the pilgrim's garment of cutting off the forbidden, and set down the great sins, at those great witnessing-sites, and seclude yourself with the brethren of purity at al-Ṣafā, and be truthful in trade at al-Marwah with complete equity, and stand at ʿArafāt with beautiful confession, and recognize the witnessing-sites in those witnessing-sites, and the covenants in those covenants. Then, when you return as a caravan, and you become in the garments of acceptance, walking proudly, and you come from the east of your drawing near to the west of your estrangement, then carry to your brethren from the linen of your concealment, and the rose-water of your faith, and your trust, and the handkerchief of your humility, and the ambergris of your tears, and the drink of your indications, and the lime of your command, and the camphor of your expiation, and the aloes-wood of your felicity, and the sugar of the gratitude of your worship, and the spikenard of your subtleties, and the separation of your duties, and the pepper of the expenditure of your wealth, and the mastic of the joining of your joints, and the brimstone of your alchemy, and the perfume of your opinions. These are the goods of the east of illumination (al-ishrāq), befitting the west of longings. How much you need this pilgrimage, and how heedless you are of this path, and how blind you are to these deceptions, and how ignorant you are of these ships, and how settled your wealth is in these treasuries! Your ship (168) is your belief, its goods are your striving, its chief is your intellect, its anchorage is your action, its sailor is your secret, its anchor is your breast, its mast is your restraint, its rudder is your perception, its winds are your determination, its ropes are your attachment, its path is your straight path, the cause of its salvation is your attachment, the cause of its destruction is your expansiveness, its tenth (part) is your indication, its exodus is your testimony, its needle is your cooling, its workers are your passing thoughts, and those placed in charge over them are your insights, its mark is your religion, its companion is your certainty, its cotton-garment is your heart, its sail is your longings and your aspirations. So when belief is safe from doubt, and the goods from destruction, and the chief from languor, and the anchorage from treachery, and the rudder from dullness, and the winds from the mountains, and the mountains from vainglory, and the path from grit, and salvation from the earth, and the ten-year-old she-camels from turning toward the remnants, and the exodus from heedlessness, and the needle from the certainty of insolence, and the workers from incapacity, and those placed in charge from sleep, and the ropes from the cloud of passions, and the mark from the foulness of intention, and the companion from the moth of evil of the inner self, and the cotton-garment from falsehood, and the sail from the nobility of purpose—then rejoice in attaining the goal (169) and the completion of the journey. There, the covenants become manifest to the covenants, and the stations rejoice for the stations, and the witnessing-sites appear to the witnessing-sites, and the watering-place becomes pleasant, and felicity endures, and the goods are sold, and panic is lifted, and the value of the contracts is magnified by the grace of the Intended. But if the conditions are defective, and the contracts are dissolved, then the nearest thing for this ship is to be broken by winds—He will not speak to them in seas, nor purify them in waves, nor look upon them in bonds, and for them is a painful punishment. So awaken from the sleep of your self-deception, if you desire the attainment of your goals, and if you wish the manifestation of your traces, then do not be heedless of your preference. And when you seek to alight at your abode, in your abode, then take care (dārika), and if you wish to travel in these ships, then seek provision from God from what is in the treasuries. * Love from the Beloved embarked upon a ship * Coursing from passing thoughts amidst waves * In the secret of the journey, a secret set sail * In the depth of a dark, pitch-black night * It has, from persistent truth, anchorages * In which the hopeful one wins and finds rest * In it are people whose secrets have appeared * And they lived in proximity without any night-journey * Their hearts gazed upon their Master * While fire holds them without a lamp * And they were given to drink from the cool molten brass its taste * Without any cup or mixture * Far, far away! Where are you from them, O possessor of fidelity? * The rich man, may he be bereft, is not like the needy. Then know that the likeness of leaving homelands and heading (170) to Mecca for pilgrimage is like the emergence of the servant's secrets.

From the world to God, and that is the Greater Pilgrimage ³⁷⁸ in reality for those whom He grants, as some have said. The first matter of the pilgrimage is cutting the path to the House, and similarly cutting the stations of spiritual wayfaring ³⁷⁹ to God, and what one encounters on the path of fears, terrors, and facilitation, like what one encounters on the path of God of whisperings, struggle, and the repulsion of that for those for whom God has eased the path to reaching Him. And the arrival at the miqat ³⁸⁰ and leaving one's homelands behind is like the arrival of the servant's secrets at the point of overlooking the scents of the Malakut ³⁸¹, so he casts the world behind his back by disregarding it. The first thing the pilgrim does at the miqat is to strip off sewn garments, and similarly its symbol for the secrets is stripping off confusion with what distracts from entering the path of the people of the secret to God in the stations of wayfaring. Then after that, the washing for ihram ³⁸², and its symbol is purification from the filth of defects that defile him in the abode of the world, to prepare to arrive purified in secret. Then after that, wearing the garments of ihram, which is a symbol for the secrets wearing the garments of asceticism. Then praying two rak'ahs ³⁸³, which is like assuming humility and lowliness on the path of God for those who enter it, and abandoning falsehood, for it is not fitting for the path of God. Then after that, the binding of ihram and entering into it with intention, and its symbol for the secrets is the constant commitment to the path of God, for whoever enters a path commits to its matters with resolve and determination. Then after that, the talbiyah ³⁸⁴, and its meaning is that God Almighty called creation to Him and to turn away from other than Him, so they answered Him: 'Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk' ³⁸⁵ in response to God's call. The meaning of raising the voice with it is that the servant is in the station of absence ³⁸⁶, not yet having reached God, so he raises his voice with the talbiyah and response to Him, as He said: 'O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger' ³⁸⁷. And the meaning of raising the voice with it is to occupy the distracting obstacles so that they do not turn him from the path of God; not that God hears him, for God is neither deaf nor absent. Then his leaving off hunting and killing it, and its symbol for the secrets is leaving off tricks in taking the world and hunting it with religion. Therefore God commanded provision in the pilgrimage, saying: 'And take provision, but indeed the best provision is righteousness' ³⁸⁸. Then leaving off perfume and luxury, which is like leaving off extravagance and dissolution from the necessities of the path of God, and inclining to the deception of souls through repentance, restitution of wrongs, and desistance. Then he continues traversing the path until he enters Mecca, and he performs another washing for entering Mecca, which is recommended, and it is a symbol of taking precaution for the sake of sensing the proximity of the Visited One. When he enters Mecca from a place called Kada ³⁸⁹, its meaning is the return at the witnessing of the Malakutic stations. When he enters Mecca, he stops the talbiyah because he has sensed the secret of presence when he has alighted in the court of the King, for it is not proper etiquette to raise one's voice with the great in their presence, and because his presence cuts off the distractions that necessitated raising the voice in the station of absence. Then after that, he proceeds to the House and begins with the Black Stone ³⁹⁰, kissing it. Its symbol is that whoever enters upon a king first hastens to kiss his hand. And this is in the core of the heart ³⁹¹, for it is between two fingers of the fingers of the All-Merciful, and in it appear the gifts of bestowals and the traces of the hand of eternal power in the locus of the secrets of the unseen. It is said: The Black Stone is black from the hands of the polytheists, and similarly the core of the heart is black from the thoughts of polytheism, ignorance, and the incitements of Satan. Then the body circumambulates the House, and its symbol in the heart is the circulation of the secrets in the world of Malakut around the Throne. The circumambulator begins with the Stone and returns to it always. Among the Companions and many scholars are those who touch the Yemeni Corner ³⁹² and others; the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, also touched the Yemeni Corner. So whoever touches the corners and does not limit himself to the Stone indicates that he shows affection and inclines to Him and confides in Him in everything and expands in approaching and walking to Him. Whoever limits himself to the corner, the secret is that he indicates reverence and veneration, as one who kisses the hand of a king when he enters upon him, then stands by him and circumambulates around him without approaching him out of reverence or awe until he returns to him another time. The description of the circumambulation is three rounds at a fast pace and four at a walk ³⁹³. Its symbol in the secret is that when one witnesses the One he has shaken hands with, he exerts effort with dignity in the truth due to the intoxication he has mixed with, then what follows he becomes familiar with the tranquility of God through what he finds of serenity, gentleness, mercy, and reassurance, so he occupies himself with what comes to him of mercy. In the tradition, the circumambulator of the House wades in mercy. Then he moves to the Station of Abraham ³⁹⁴, peace be upon him, and prays two rak'ahs. Its symbol in the secret is that when he has shaken the glories of the Hand, His love permeates his secrets and his proofs by conveying him to a station of intimate friendship ³⁹⁵, so he humbles himself, prostrates, and abases himself in gratitude for His granting him that station and conveying him to it. Then he returns to the Black Stone and kisses it. Similarly, the secret is raised to the Hand and kisses it, a kiss of seeing the favor that has placed him in the station of intimate friendship and certainty. Whoever sees the favor and kisses it has seen the Hand that bestowed it upon him and kissed it. Then he goes out to Safa ³⁹⁶ for supplication. Similarly, the secret, when it descends to the aforementioned station and witnesses the favor of kissing the Hand, goes out from that to his Lord by abandoning pretension and by poverty from all states, so his heart becomes pure from the subtleties of hidden polytheism and attributing things to himself. Then he hastens in walking to Marwah ³⁹⁷ and stands upon it. Its symbol is that the secret ascends to things by going out from them and ascends its ascent upon Safa from them, also fleeing from the purity of his secret that he might see it as a station for himself or see that he has reached it through his purity, so he flees to Marwah, for it is not of manliness ³⁹⁸ to see oneself as having any right to anything or to be called in the presence of its Owner and Bestower; rather, that is ugly, so he flees when he sees that as ugly to Marwah. Then he also flees from Marwah to Safa, so he becomes pure through other than it, going and returning, fleeing from the attributes of his traces and the purity of his states until he emerges from them. If he is performing 'Umrah ³⁹⁹, he shaves or shortens [his hair]; if he is performing Hajj, he remains in his ihram, and the shaving will come in its place, God willing. At that point, the functions of arrival are completed, and this is called the Circumambulation of Arrival ⁴⁰⁰ for the arrival of the creation at the House and the arrival of the secret at the Eternal One who has preceded him with His favors and brought him down in His neighborhood until he went out from things to Him. The people of Mecca are called the neighbors of God because they dwell in His House. Similarly, the secrets, when they arrive at Him and complete their circumambulation of arrival, do not settle with anyone except God, as the poet said: 'I sought a place for myself in the Malakut and found none, so I pitched my tent facing the Throne.' This is the symbol of alighting in Mecca until they go out to 'Arafat ⁴⁰¹. Then they go out from Mecca to 'Arafat. Similarly, the secrets, when they settle in the neighborhood of God, He summons them to be presented before Him to know what is for them and against them, so they remember what has passed for them, and He remembers them. They go out from the proximity of the neighborhood to witnessing what has passed for them, and they know the greatest standing of the pilgrimage, for it is a presentation before God and a standing before Him. They alight on their way at a place called Khayf of the Banu Kinanah ⁴⁰² in Mina ⁴⁰³, where the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, alighted, and it is before 'Arafat. Its symbol is that when the secrets prepare for presentation before God, fear of Him inevitably confronts them on the way, but fear has its place in meaning. Similarly, when the secrets fear, they do not despair and hope in God with good opinion of great forgiveness and means. They travel to 'Arafat. Similarly, the secrets...

When she alights at the station of fear and good opinion, through aspiring to Him and hoping in Him, the knowledge of God as He truly is becomes manifest to her. So he [the seeker] remains oriented until he descends with her, and they descend at 'Arafat ⁴⁰⁴ and await the sun's decline for the standing ⁴⁰⁵, analogous to the secrets awaiting when they alight at God's 'Arafat through fear and hope for what comes to them from Him. When the sun declines, the imam begins the sermon; its analogue in the secret is that you see the manifestation of the King, the Judge, so that they may prepare for His coming upon them and He may teach them the etiquette before Him and how to stand before Him with reverence and magnification. Then they begin the prayer after the sermon. Likewise, the secrets, when the manifestation of the King appears to them, they humble themselves and prostrate before His majesty—this is the prayer of greeting for His manifestation, except that it is obligatory because He does not appear to them except at the time of His obligatory command upon them, for it is a station of presentation and accounting. So no one presents the gift, which is the supererogatory [prayer], due to the awe of the presentation and reckoning; they advance the 'Asr ⁴⁰⁶ to the Zuhr ⁴⁰⁷ and combine them, because whoever comes before God for accounting and seeking deliverance, then they cut it off before the King of Kings. Thus wisdom lies only in combining the two prayers for this reason. When the prayer is completed, they begin standing, supplicating, and confessing sins until sunset. Likewise, the secrets, when God makes them know in the station of witnessing the manifestation what is for them and against them, what He has done in His right, and what the servant has committed throughout his life—nothing of his partialities remains but the secret recalls it in that station, presenting it to his Creator. He continues supplicating and imploring until he perceives the effects of the Creator's hearing, His generous pardon, and the lifting of His veil. Then he finds the traces of the meaning of what God revealed to His angels on the Day of 'Arafat. It is reported that He looks upon the people of 'Arafat and says, 'Look at My servants, disheveled and dusty,' the hadith to its end. When the sun sets, they depart to Muzdalifah ⁴⁰⁸. This indicates in the secret the disappearance of the heat of accounting and presentation upon the secrets, spirits, and souls, and the finding of joy at the disappearance of the light that exposes faults and the hidden things of souls. When night falls upon them, the secrets don the garments of the secret that conceals faults and become desolate in the deserts of knowledge. They then proceed to Muzdalifah, where they pray Maghrib ⁴⁰⁹ and 'Isha' ⁴¹⁰ after the twilight has vanished, because then the sunlight completely disappears and its heat goes away. Likewise, with the completion of the dense secret, the servant finds the coolness of forgiveness and reaches Mina ⁴¹¹, the nearness (zulfa) to God. Similarly, the pilgrim reaches Muzdalifah after the twilight disappears. When they reach Muzdalifah, they combine the two prayers because their purification from transgressions is then complete with the removal of all heat of toil and fatigue through the transition of accounting. Thus the sunna is to delay Maghrib and combine it with 'Isha' for this subtle reason, so that the prayer occurs after complete purification and the secret's freedom from the aforementioned toil and fatigue. Therefore, the pilgrim performs a ritual bath (ghusl) at Muzdalifah, which is among the recommended baths of Hajj. This bath is a preparation for descending to the station of nearness (zulfa). Zulfa is a lofty station of proximity: 'Neither your wealth nor your children are what bring you near to Us in nearness (zulfa)' ⁴¹². Then they spend the night at Muzdalifah throughout the night. When dawn breaks, they pray the morning prayer (Subh) ⁴¹³, then stand at al-Mash'ar al-Haram ⁴¹⁴ until near sunrise. Likewise, the secrets, when they appear and descend to the place of proximity, find the coolness of forgiveness, and are clothed in the garments of concealment, they look askance with their consciousness at the sacred limits of God and His remembrance at His command and prohibition. This remembrance is among the best of remembrances—I mean remembering God at His command and prohibition. When the secrets remember His command and prohibition, they become aware of the sacred limits and prohibitions. So it is a remembrance in the place of their consciousness, lest they become defiled after purification. For this reason, standing at al-Mash'ar al-Haram occurs after Muzdalifah. Then the pilgrim proceeds to Mina and hurries through the valley of Muhassir ⁴¹⁵. Its analogue is the secrets: when they remember at al-Mash'ar al-Haram God's command and prohibition in the place of their consciousness, they flee from that and escape from falling into them—I mean the forbidden things—analogous to the valley of Muhassir, through which the pilgrim hurries, because the secret remembers the sacred limits and flees from them, regretting what has occurred. Then the pilgrim throws the Jamrat al-'Aqaba ⁴¹⁶ from its bottom, because the place of the jamarat ⁴¹⁷ in the secret is low. As for his throwing Jamrat al-'Aqaba after his flight from al-Mash'ar al-Haram and his exit from the valley of Muhassir, its analogue is that when the secret becomes aware of the remembrance of the sacred limits, flees from them, and regrets them, it remembers the one who caused it to fall into transgressions, and it sees him with its secret—that is Iblis ⁴¹⁸, for he is with the sacred limits and does not leave them. When the secret sees Iblis, he whispers to it and reminds it of returning to them, so it stones him with a stoning from the unseen, repelling his whispers back upon him, which are embers from the embers of Hell. It burns him by repelling them upon him in the secret, and God becomes angry with him. Anger is a blazing ember. Therefore, they are called jamarat. Then he slaughters if he has a sacrificial animal. Its analogue is that when he has cast in the face of Iblis with his jamarat, he remembers from his self those who accept the stoning of Satan—namely, the bestial qualities that do not know what is intended for them. Satan deceives them due to their dullness, so he purifies them through sacrifice and slaughter, so that they may attain remembrance and discernment through their blessings. Then he shaves his head.

And He shortens it. Its example in the secret (al-sirr) is that the bestial animal souls (al-dimā' al-nafsiyyah al-bahīmiyyah), when they are spilled for the sake of God, are for the purpose of narrowing the pathways of the enemy and severing the attachments (al-'alā'iq) by which the enemy clings—these being the forelocks (al-nawāṣī) upon which he knots [his grip] in the night of heedlessness and the sleep of the worldly life. "Upon you is a long night," meaning you will live long, so sleep and resign yourself to your desires. When he has severed the attachments from his secret (sirrihi), he has indeed been liberated from Iblis by dragging the forelock of servitude away from him, and nothing remains for him of the pilgrimage (al-ḥajj) except the circumambulation of the outpouring (ṭawāf al-ifāḍah) around the Ancient House (al-Bayt al-'Atīq). So the pilgrim (al-ḥājj) proceeds to the circumambulation of the outpouring; likewise, when the secret (al-sirr) is released from attachments, it turns to its Master and circumambulates Him. Then the pilgrim returns to Minā and stays there for three days or two days to complete the stoning of the pillars (ramy al-jimār), the sacrifice, and the slaughter during the days of Tashrīq. Its example in the secret of secrets (sirr al-asrār) is that when it has performed the circumambulation of the outpouring after its liberation, it feels the urge to return to its permissible things (mubāḥātihā). So he returns to Minā (181) and fully completes the stoning of the pillars, the sacrifice, and the slaughter during the days of Tashrīq. Its example in the secret of secrets is when it has performed the circumambulation of the outpouring, because when the soul (al-nafs) returns to permissible things, it inevitably desires to return to forbidden things. So he fully completes its slaughter, and he brightens (yushriqu) with Minā for its flesh, and he stones the remaining pillars time after time, as a reinforcement for restraining the souls with the rein of piety (al-taqāf) when they return to the homelands of permissible things. When the days of Tashrīq are completed, his pilgrimage is complete, so he performs the circumambulation of farewell (ṭawāf al-wadā') and returns to his country. Its example is that when the secret (al-sirr) has completed the duties of its pilgrimage, and humanity (al-bashariyyah) inevitably must return to its purposes and permissible things, it circumambulates its Lord with the circumambulation of the lover when he bids farewell to his beloved and leaves his secret with him. This circumambulation is a circumambulation of remembrance of returning to Him, even if in its outward form it is a farewell and a separation; for it is greater in sanctity and stronger in reinforcing love, as he, peace be upon him, said: "Visit intermittently, and you will increase in love." And because prolonged sitting with the beloved leads to excessive familiarity and boldness, and it is feared that one might fall into opposition to Him through excessive boldness. And because souls tire of abandoning their desires; if they do not return and commit a prohibited act in the presence of the beloved King in His proximity, they must be expelled from His proximity, for sin is multiplied in the presence of the Great King according to His sanctity. Similarly, it has come in the tradition (al-khabar) that sins are multiplied in Mecca just as good deeds are multiplied, for this reason that I have mentioned to you, so understand. For this reason, it has come in the reports (al-āthār): "A man in Khurāsān or in a land other than Khurāsān is closer to this House than one who dwells in it," or as it has come. * His striving for pilgrimage was not a purpose, * Rather, he performed pilgrimage only to see the beloved. * So he came to al-Khayf from Minā, and He showed him * What he desired, and said: "Welcome and greetings * To the one whose resolve hastened through the deserts to Him, * And the one who, at the sight of Him, never wavered as a lover." * So he feared an envier and dreaded an enemy * When he gestured toward peace and responded (labbā). Know that the pilgrimage (al-ḥajj) is of three types: individual pilgrimage (ifrād bi-l-ḥajj), combined pilgrimage (qirān bi-l-ḥajj wa-l-'umrah) together, and enjoyment pilgrimage (tamattu' bi-l-'umrah) until the days of pilgrimage, then he performs the pilgrimage. The individual pilgrimage (al-ḥajj bi-l-ifrād) is the strongest of them, while the enjoyment and combined pilgrimages are easier. There has been disagreement over which of them is most virtuous. God has mentioned the three types in the Qur'an, saying: "And complete the pilgrimage and the 'umrah for God" (Qur'an 2:196). And He said concerning the enjoyment pilgrimage: "Then whoever enjoys the 'umrah until the pilgrimage" (Qur'an 2:196). And He said concerning the pilgrimage: "And to God is incumbent upon people the pilgrimage to the House" (Qur'an 3:97), because it is the individual [obligation]. The example of the pilgrimage in the secrets of the pilgrimage (asrār al-ḥajj) is the complete departure from the affairs of the world, with the intention toward God without turning aside to anything other than Him, and the total restriction upon the soul throughout the duration of the worldly life. This none can bear except the individual pilgrim (al-ifrād), because it is the individualization of the individual (ifrād al-ifrād), and it (183) is the thing most resembling death and what lies beyond it of the matters of the Day of Resurrection and the Hereafter. The 'umrah is derived from visitation (al-ziyārah), and its wording carries the meaning of life ('umr), and it is a reprieve from life for the soul, because were it not for it, the worldly life would not be inhabited. Therefore, He said: "Then whoever enjoys the 'umrah until the pilgrimage" (Qur'an 2:196), which is the enjoyment of lawful permissible things (al-mubāḥāt al-shar'iyyah) until the days of pilgrimage, as He said: "And He has not placed upon you in religion any hardship" (Qur'an 22:78). Then he returns to permissible things. Likewise, the Qur'an (al-qur'ān) in it is an indication of the proximity of gentleness with severity, as it is said: "Faith is severity in softness and generosity in certainty." And it has come in the tradition (al-khabar) that God loves that His concessions be taken just as He loves that His firm commands be taken. The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said in the authentic [hadith] concerning his pilgrimage: "If I had known what I now know, I would not have driven the sacrificial animal, and I would have made it an 'umrah. So whoever among you does not have a sacrificial animal, let him become free from the state of iḥrām and make it an 'umrah." It was said to him: "For this year of ours, or forever?" So our master, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, interlaced his fingers and said: "The 'umrah has entered into the pilgrimage," like this, then said: "No, rather for all eternity." He, may God bless him and grant him peace, and our master 'Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, may God be pleased with him, performed the individual pilgrimage (afrada al-ḥajj) because he was the strongest of the strong. Our master, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, had declared the intention (ahalla) for both the pilgrimage and the 'umrah together (184). Our master Anas ibn Mālik, may God be pleased with him, narrated, saying: Our master, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said at Dhū al-Ḥulayfah, and he spent the night there until morning, then rode until his mount stood upright with him on al-Baydā', then he praised God, glorified Him, and magnified Him, then he declared the intention (ahalla) for pilgrimage and 'umrah, and the people declared the intention for both. All of this is out of preservation for souls, mercy, and generosity—praise be to God, Lord of the worlds—but with the condition of abandoning the forbidden and abandoning excess that He does not love. Similarly, visiting his grave, may God bless him and grant him peace, is recommended, because when the secret (al-sirr) has performed the circumambulation of farewell as previously mentioned and returns to the homelands of its permissible things, its return to its permissible things is by the Sunnah, not by following caprice, for the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, is the head of the Sunnah, and from him it branched forth; rather, he is the entire Sunnah. For this reason, visiting him after completing the pilgrimage is recommended, so that his return to his Sunnah may be as previously mentioned. These are the secrets of wisdom in the pilgrimage, explained outwardly and inwardly in the three stations of Islam, faith (al-īmān), and excellence (al-iḥsān). We ask God the Generous...

That He does not make it a proof against us, and that He writes for us a portion and a share in every good, by His grace and bounty. Amen ⁴¹⁹. Amen, amen, and praise be to God, Lord of the worlds. O God, rescue my ship from the sea of this world, whose waves have been disturbed by various kinds of trials ⁴²⁰, and whose nature and temperament have become disordered for those who ride it due to its great terror, and whose rescue and extraction have become difficult for the one immersed in it, and whose path and way have become hidden from the traveler in it, and whose trembling and twitching have increased due to inner diseases, and the night of its temporary worries has lengthened, and the face of its dawn and radiance has not appeared. And subject to us, O God, the sea of the Hereafter, and make easy for us the journey in it, and accompany us with the wind of gentleness, safety, and deliverance on that day whose terror and shaking are great, by Your favor and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O God, make me, O my Master, among Your servants who love for Your sake, who yearn for Your meeting, who have ridden in Your love the ships of fear ⁴²¹, and have used in reaching Your pleasure the catapults of obedience, and have let down the ropes of trust ⁴²². Then the wind of longing blew upon them and cast them into the seas of knowledge ⁴²³. The waves of contentment received them, and the current of certainty carried them, so the people became travelers to You until they disappeared from the eyes of the beholders. By God, it is as if I see them: the veils are pierced for them, and the angels greet them with spirit and fragrance ⁴²⁴, and the people say, 'O angels of God, where is the Path ⁴²⁵?' The angels say to them, 'O friends of God, rejoice, for you have crossed it five hundred years ago.' Were it not for love, they would not have crossed the deserts, Were it not for love, they would not have ridden the seas. So leave them and that to which they have ridden, And seek your own deliverance and choice. And do not occupy yourself with love of Layla's abodes, But with love of the One who dwells in the abodes. My God, I fear You because I am a sinner, and I hope in You because I am a believer, and I rely on Your favor because I am apologetic, and I trust in Your generosity because I am seeking forgiveness, and I expand into intimate conversation with You because I have good opinion of You. My God, what is my name with You, O Knower of the unseen? And what will You do with my sin, O Forgiver of sins? And with what will You seal my deed, O Turner of hearts? My God, I weep only because when You divided the portions, You made negligence my lot. So I weep over my affliction. My God, it was said to me, 'A slave who has fled from his master.' I said, 'He will return and apologize.' It was said, 'The apology is a proof, and there is no proof for the negligent one.' I said, 'He will cling to an intercessor.' It was said, 'The intercessors fear Him.' I said, 'My Master is lordly; I disobeyed Him as a child, and He was good to me, so I disobeyed Him as an adult. Oh, my shame at the ugliness of my deed and the beauty of His doing! For due to the abundance of His goodness and the perfection of His pardon and forgiveness, He is too shy to punish a gray hair that has grown gray in Islam ⁴²⁶.' My God, the favor of Your grace is the grace of the gracious, and I am incapable of thanking the thanks of the thankful. I have tried others besides You among those hoped for, with others besides me among the askers. For every seeker directed to other than You is rejected, and every path to other than You is blocked, and every good is with You, and with other than You is non-existent and lost. My God, through You to You I have sought means, and upon You in prosperity and adversity I have relied and trusted. My need is directed to You, and my hopes are suspended with You. Every good that You have granted me to do and that I am able to do, You are my guide to it and its path. So have mercy, O God, on our limbs from disobeying You, and cast over us a veil of Your protection, and employ us in Your obedience, and make us among the people of Your might and care, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Lord, O Merciful, I call upon You hoping, The call of a drowning man choked by the depths of the sea. Excuse me, grant me refuge, guide me, let me not die thus, Blind from success, devoid of piety. Remove me from this world during my life, for it Has captured me with deceit and trickery. I remembered and did not remember, I slept and did not sleep, For my sleep is my remembrance, my remembrance is my thought. The stars of the night's darkness bear witness that I Watch them until dawn at daybreak. O God, I ask You, O my Master, by the sanctity of Your beloved, our master Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, that You protect my ship from the Euphrates of desires ⁴²⁷, the winds of pretension, the assaults of egos and status, the onslaughts of affliction, the inclination of hearts through beautifying expressions and delicate allusions in secret and whispered counsel, heart whispers, claiming repentance, opposing commands, lack of piety, impatience, abandoning stillness under the currents of decrees, and excessive complaint. And subject to me, O God, the sea of this world and the sea of the Hereafter, and when I travel to You in either of them, lead me along the paths of deliverance, and be gentle with me with a beautiful gentleness in life and after death. And rescue me from the mires of innovations and destructive claims, and bring me near to You as the beloved are brought near, and look upon me with the eye of Your care in movements and stillness. For I have borne burdens that, if cast upon Mount Radwa ⁴²⁸, would have split, or if descended upon Thabir ⁴²⁹, would have bowed and humbled, or upon Mount Qaf ⁴³⁰, would have split and cracked, or upon Hunayn ⁴³¹, would have wept and supplicated. So how can one who is in such a state be considered resolute or perplexed, acting or knowing? For the drowning one in the sea of sins sees no way, nor does any group of God's successful servants take refuge with him, nor does any close friend or companion among the people of good befriend him. He cannot sleep, his saliva is not swallowed, his life is not pleasant, and his sighing and burning are not extinguished by the cold of weeping and groaning. And grant me, O God, gratitude for Your blessings, patience with Your trial, and accompany me, O God, with gentleness in Your decree. Do not deprive me of what You have given me of knowledge of You, do not remove from my heart what You have specially granted me of love for You, or what You have cooled my breast with of Your wisdom. Pardon, forgive, overlook, and do not make me despair of Your mercy. Conceal my faults in this world and the Hereafter, and do not test my deed on the touchstone of examination, for the critic is perceptive, and the servant is the place of wrongdoing and shortcoming. Forgive, O God, what I have done and what I will do, what I have declared and what I have concealed. For the greatest sin is insignificant alongside Your pardon, and the enormity of crimes vanishes with Your forgiveness, leaving neither little nor much. O Merciful, O Compassionate, O Hearing, O Seeing, O Pardoner, O Forgiver, O Omnipotent, O All-Powerful, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Su'ad ⁴³² pitched her tents in my heart Before my blood was shed on the valley slope. She went on making me swallow worries, so who for us Has severed the rope of the enemies' gloating? As if I and she are a loving one, Gentle, for their prolonged, enduring [love]. Separation played with her and in me, so she and I Have a story that burned my liver without flint. The paths of connection between us became rugged, So I became a target of affliction and distance. What pilgrimage is it for one who stays in Mecca If he does not tell me the story of Su'ad? Her phantom sent the heat from the Hijaz ⁴³³; Far apart are her land and my land. O this one, you have accustomed me to the pain of wasting illness, And I see you are not among those who return visits.

And at what time shall I visit you, after I have borne your abandonment, which has weakened the strongest of bodies? So by the truth of Your Truth ⁴³⁴, if you possess power, be generous—the nature of the noble—and if you take captive, then ransom. And halt the mount, even for a glance of an eye, by the Lord of al-Muḥaṣṣab ⁴³⁵ or Minā ⁴³⁶, O Guide! And repeat your talk about the valleys of Mecca and about the companion, whether departing or leaving. And a delight for the beholders appeared to us between the market of Suwayqah ⁴³⁷ and Jiyād ⁴³⁸. And beauties whose vanguards emerged from the interstices of perfection for the present and the absent. The clouds poured down upon al-Ḥaṭīm ⁴³⁹ and Zamzam ⁴⁴⁰, and upon the lands of the bān ⁴⁴¹—Qā ⁴⁴² and Wahād ⁴⁴³. And the breeze traveled with the fragrance of a goodly breath, so the breath inhaled ambergris and musk. A land whose regions are exalted and honored by Muḥammad, the moon of perfection, the Guide. A moon by which the religion of error was effaced with guidance, and the people of transgression and atheism were humiliated. A moon that watered the vast army with his hand—a river that quenched the thirst of every heart. He is such that in majesty his Master said to him: 'Ask what you love, for you are the best of My servants.' He is the most generous of the generous when the wind of munificence blows upon him, and the most bountiful of the bountiful. He is my refuge, my shelter, my hope; he is my provision, my strength, and my support. He is Aḥmad ⁴⁴⁴, who encompasses all praises, and who with his Kawthar ⁴⁴⁵ quenches the burning thirst. My master, take my hand, fulfill my needs, and be kind to me, and respond when I call. And upon you be the blessings of God, O banner of guidance, as long as the downpour of rain falls in the regions.

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1. al-quṭb : The spiritual axis or pole, the highest rank in the Sufi hierarchy of saints.
2. maʿrifa : Gnosis or direct experiential knowledge of God, distinct from mere intellectual knowledge.
3. al-ʿubūdiyya : Servitude to God; the Prophet Muhammad is called 'abd Allah (servant of God), emphasizing his complete submission.
4. rawḍa min riyāḍ al-janna : A reference to the hadith that the area between the Prophet's pulpit and his grave is a garden from the gardens of Paradise.
5. al-ʿAqīq : A valley near Medina, often mentioned in love poetry for the Prophet; 'al-Bāb' refers to the gate of the Prophet's mosque.
6. al-rawḍa al-musharrafa : The honored garden, i.e., the area of the Prophet's grave in Medina.
7. Ṭayba : A name for Medina, meaning 'the good' or 'the pleasant'.
8. al-jalwah : A Sufi term referring to a state of divine manifestation or unveiling, often experienced by the seeker.
9. ahl al-sirr : People of the secret; a Sufi term for those who have attained intimate knowledge of divine mysteries.
10. sayyidah : Lady; here referring to the Kaaba, personified as a noble lady.
11. al-mulk wa al-malakut : The kingdom and the heavens; terms in Islamic cosmology referring to the physical and spiritual realms.
12. Kawthar : A river in Paradise, often associated with abundance; also the name of a surah in the Quran.
13. Arafat : A plain near Mecca where pilgrims stand during the Hajj; a key ritual of pilgrimage.
14. Ahmad : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
15. al-raja : Hope; in Sufi context, the state of hopeful expectation of divine mercy.
16. al-bayt al-atiq : The Ancient House; a title for the Kaaba, emphasizing its antiquity and sanctity.
17. khayr al-wara : The best of creation; a title for the Prophet Muhammad.
18. al-nawa'im : The sleepers; those who are heedless or spiritually asleep.
19. al-arja' : The lame one; a metaphor for the one who is slow or weak but eventually succeeds.
20. al-tanwin : Nunation; a grammatical feature in Arabic indicating indefiniteness, often represented by a double vowel mark.
21. ʿUrwa : A reference to ʿUrwa ibn al-Zubayr, a famous early Islamic scholar and traditionist known for his piety and knowledge.
22. Ibn Maʿīn : Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, a renowned hadith critic and scholar of the 9th century.
23. Kāẓima : A place near Mecca, possibly a valley or a well-known location.
24. al-ghuṣn al-raṭīb : Literally 'the moist branch,' a metaphor for a slender, flexible body, often used in Arabic poetry to describe a beloved's figure.
25. al-nūn : The Arabic letter 'nūn' (ن), which resembles a curved shape; here it may refer to the shape of a sigh or a bent figure.
26. rayb al-manūn : A phrase meaning 'the uncertainty of death' or 'the vicissitudes of fate.'
27. tawḥīd : The Islamic concept of monotheism, the oneness of God.
28. ḥaqīqa : In Sufism, the ultimate truth or reality, the inner spiritual reality.
29. maʿrifa : Gnosis or intimate knowledge of God, a key concept in Sufism.
30. dīn : Religion, faith, or the way of life in Islam.
31. al-ʿAqīq : A valley near Medina, known for its beauty and often mentioned in Arabic poetry.
32. Muḥammad Rāma : A place name, possibly a location in or near Medina.
33. Murād : A tribe in Yemen, known for its beauty.
34. qibla : The direction of prayer for Muslims, towards the Kaaba in Mecca.
35. Kaʿba : The sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam.
36. ʿaṣā al-tasyār : Literally 'staff of travel'; a metaphor for settling down or completing a journey, derived from the practice of a traveler planting his staff when he arrives at a destination.
37. yawm al-fazaʿ al-akbar : The Greatest Fright; refers to the Day of Resurrection when all creation will be terrified, as mentioned in the Quran (21:103).
38. al-ḥusn al-aḥmadī : The Ahmadine beauty; a reference to the Prophet Muhammad, whose name Ahmad is derived from the same root as 'praise' (ḥamd).
39. khalaʿa al-ʿidhār : Literally 'removed the cheek-piece'; an idiom meaning to cast off restraint, abandon shame, or openly declare one's love.
40. turbatuhā al-munawwara : Its illuminated soil; a reference to the Prophet's grave in Medina, often called al-Rawḍa al-Sharīfa.
41. ithmid : A type of antimony (kohl) used for eyeliner; metaphorically, the 'kohl of love' signifies the eye's adornment with the vision of the beloved.
42. Ṭaybah : One of the names of Medina, meaning 'good' or 'pleasant'.
43. al-Khayf : A place in Mina near Mecca; also used metaphorically for the eye socket or the glance.
44. Dhū Salam : A place name; also a metaphor for the beloved's tribe or dwelling.
45. Ḥijāziyya : A woman from the Hijaz region of Arabia, which includes Mecca and Medina.
46. al-Ḥaram : The Sacred Sanctuary of Mecca, where hunting is normally forbidden; here used paradoxically.
47. al-ashhur al-ḥurum : The sacred months (Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab) during which fighting is prohibited.
48. al-Rukn : The Corner of the Kaaba, specifically the Black Stone corner (al-Rukn al-Aswad).
49. istalam : To touch or kiss the Black Stone during circumambulation.
50. al-Bayt : The Kaaba, the House of Allah in Mecca.
51. saʿy : The ritual walking between the hills of Safa and Marwah during Hajj or Umrah.
52. at-Tanʿīm : A place on the outskirts of Mecca, known for its meadows; also a miqat for Umrah.
53. al-Muṣṭafā : The Chosen One, a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
54. al-Mukhtār : The Elect, another title of the Prophet Muhammad.
55. Aḥmad : A name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
56. Ṭā Hā : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, also the title of Surah 20 of the Quran.
57. Yāsīn : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, also the title of Surah 36 of the Quran.
58. Nūn : The Arabic letter N; also the title of Surah 68 of the Quran, which begins with this letter.
59. al-Qalam : The Pen; refers to Surah 68 of the Quran, which is named 'The Pen'.
60. Tihāmah : The coastal region of western Arabia, including Mecca.
61. Najd : The central plateau of Arabia, including Medina.
62. al-ʿAqīq : A valley near Medina, known for its beauty.
63. al-Bān : A type of tree; also a place name near Medina.
64. ḥaram al-Ḥaram : Sanctuary of the Sanctuary; a poetic intensification of Mecca's sanctity.
65. al-Ḥaṭīm : The semi-circular wall opposite the Black Stone in the Kaaba; a sacred area where prayers are answered.
66. Zamzam : The holy well in Mecca, believed to have sprung miraculously for Hagar and Ishmael.
67. Black Stone : The sacred black stone set in the eastern corner of the Kaaba, kissed by pilgrims.
68. al-Baqīʿ : The cemetery in Medina where many companions and family of the Prophet are buried.
69. al-Muṣallā : A place of prayer; here likely referring to the prayer area in Medina.
70. al-ʿAlam : A landmark or banner; possibly a specific site in Mecca or Medina.
71. ʿUmra : The lesser pilgrimage to Mecca, performed at any time of the year.
72. Qibla : The direction of prayer towards the Kaaba in Mecca.
73. drink : Referring to the drink from the Prophet's hands (al-ḥawḍ) in paradise.
74. Ancient House : The Kaaba, also called al-Bayt al-ʿAtīq.
75. Hajj : The major pilgrimage to Mecca, obligatory once in a lifetime for those able.
76. Sunna : The practices and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.
77. Book : The Quran.
78. al-Muḥaṣṣab : A valley near Mecca where pilgrims rest after Mina.
79. al-ʿAqīq : A valley near Medina, known for its beauty.
80. Artemisia : A fragrant desert plant (shīḥ).
81. tamarisk : A desert tree (arāk).
82. Station of Abraham : The stone upon which Abraham stood while building the Kaaba.
83. Quran 3:97 : Verse about the Kaaba's sanctity.
84. Quran 3:97 : Verse on the obligation of Hajj.
85. Quran 3:97 : Continuation of the verse.
86. Much-Frequented House : The celestial Kaaba (al-Bayt al-Maʿmūr) in heaven.
87. Quran 22:27 : Command to Abraham to proclaim the pilgrimage.
88. Mount Abū Qubays : A mountain near Mecca, where Abraham called for Hajj.
89. Labbayka Allahumma Labbayk : The pilgrim's chant: 'Here I am, O Allah, here I am.'
90. talbiya : The formula 'Labbayk Allahumma labbayk' recited by pilgrims during Hajj and Umrah.
91. on foot : Reference to Quran 22:27: 'And proclaim to the people the Hajj; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel.'
92. deep and distant valley : Quran 22:27: 'coming from every deep and distant valley.'
93. ihram : The sacred state entered into by pilgrims, marked by specific garments and prohibitions.
94. moments and movements are in obedience to Allah : A phrase indicating the Prophet's constant state of worship.
95. ancient : Referring to the Ka'ba as 'al-Bayt al-Atiq' (the Ancient House).
96. And let them circumambulate the Ancient House : Quran 22:29.
97. 'Atiq : Meaning 'freed' or 'ancient'; a name for the Ka'ba.
98. Abu Bakr al-Wasiti : A Sufi scholar from Wasit, Iraq, known for his spiritual insights.
99. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq : The first Caliph of Islam, known for his truthfulness and close companionship with the Prophet.
100. zakat : Obligatory almsgiving in Islam.
101. sa'y : The ritual of walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwa during Hajj and Umrah.
102. Ali ibn Abi Talib : The fourth Caliph and cousin/son-in-law of the Prophet, highly revered in Islam.
103. hadith : A saying or tradition of the Prophet Muhammad.
104. Umar : Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Caliph of Islam.
105. Abu al-Hasan : A nickname for Ali ibn Abi Talib, meaning 'father of Hasan'.
106. Commander of the Faithful : Title of the Caliph, used here for Umar.
107. Sunnah : The practices and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.
108. al-Hasan al-Basri : A prominent early Islamic scholar and mystic from Basra.
109. dirham : A silver coin used as currency in early Islamic times.
110. Haram : The sacred precincts of Mecca and Medina.
111. qibla : The direction of prayer towards the Ka'ba in Mecca.
112. Torah : The holy scripture of Judaism, also recognized in Islam as a revealed book.
113. al-malā'ika al-muqarrabūn : The angels brought near; a term for the highest-ranking angels who are closest to God.
114. al-bayt al-ḥarām : The Sacred House; refers to the Ka'ba in Mecca.
115. al-maḥshar : The Gathering Place; the location where all creatures will be assembled on the Day of Judgment.
116. iḥrām : The sacred state of ritual consecration during Hajj or Umrah, involving specific dress and prohibitions.
117. talbiya : The invocation recited by pilgrims: 'Labbayka Allāhumma labbayk...' (Here I am, O God, here I am...).
118. al-faza' al-akbar : The Great Terror; refers to the supreme fear and terror of the Day of Judgment.
119. al-qudsī : The Holy One; an epithet of God, meaning the Most Holy.
120. al-maqām : The Station of Abraham; the stone upon which Abraham stood while building the Ka'ba.
121. al-Marwa wa al-Ṣafā : Two small hills near the Ka'ba, between which pilgrims run during the Sa'y ritual.
122. arāk : A type of tree (Salvadora persica) whose twigs are used as miswak (toothbrush); here it refers to a tree in Mecca.
123. al-sa'y : The ritual of running between Safa and Marwa during Hajj or Umrah.
124. al-jamarāt : The three stone pillars at Mina that are stoned during the Hajj ritual.
125. Aḥmad al-Muṣṭafā : Aḥmad the Chosen; one of the names of the Prophet Muhammad.
126. qibla : The direction of prayer; for Muslims, it is towards the Ka'ba in Mecca.
127. Qur'an 2:144 : The verse in which God commands the Prophet to turn towards the Ka'ba as the qibla.
128. al-ḥajar al-aswad : The Black Stone; a sacred stone set into the eastern corner of the Ka'ba.
129. al-Ḥaṭīm : A semi-circular wall opposite the Ka'ba; also known as the Hijr Ismail.
130. Ka'ba : The sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca, the qibla for Muslims.
131. lands : Refers to the earth or ground; here meaning the most honored place on earth.
132. al-Safa : A hill in Mecca, part of the Sa'i ritual between Safa and Marwa.
133. Zamzam : The sacred well in Mecca, believed to have sprung for Hagar and Ishmael.
134. al-Hatim : A semicircular wall adjacent to the Ka'ba, considered part of the original Ka'ba.
135. Arafat : A plain east of Mecca where pilgrims stand on the 9th of Dhul-Hijja, a key Hajj rite.
136. Hajj : The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, obligatory for able Muslims.
137. Quran 3:97 : The verse making Hajj obligatory for those who can afford it.
138. Abbas's watering-place : The well of Zamzam, associated with Abbas, the Prophet's uncle.
139. Marwa and Safa : Two hills between which pilgrims run in commemoration of Hagar's search for water.
140. Noble Stone : The Black Stone set in the eastern corner of the Ka'ba.
141. Station of Ibrahim : A stone near the Ka'ba where Abraham stood while building it.
142. Stone of Isma'il : A stone associated with Ishmael, part of the Ka'ba complex.
143. Hajj : The pilgrimage; 'accepted Hajj' means one performed correctly and accepted by Allah.
144. houris : Beautiful companions in Paradise, promised to the righteous.
145. Quran 3:97 : The full verse including the warning for disbelief.
146. Ancient House : The Ka'ba, called 'al-Bayt al-'Atiq' in Arabic, meaning ancient or liberated.
147. spout : The golden spout (Mizab al-Rahma) on the Ka'ba roof, from which rainwater flows.
148. stone : The Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad), kissed by pilgrims.
149. stone : Possibly the Stone of Isma'il or another sacred stone.
150. sealed nectar : A drink in Paradise, mentioned in Quran 83:25-26.
151. da'awhu : Call upon Him in supplication.
152. al-hajj al-mabrur : The accepted or righteous Hajj, performed with sincerity and without sin.
153. al-niyabah : Deputyship; performing Hajj on behalf of another person who is unable to do so.
154. yarmi al-jimar : Throwing pebbles at the stone pillars (jamarat) during Hajj.
155. Raml 'Alij : A vast desert region known for its abundant sand; used metaphorically for an immense quantity.
156. ramluka lil-tawaf : Jogging or brisk walking during the first three circuits of circumambulation (tawaf) around the Kaaba.
157. al-rukn al-yamānī : The Yemeni Corner, the corner of the Kaaba facing Yemen, between the Black Stone and the western corner.
158. al-bayt : The House, referring to the Kaaba in Mecca.
159. al-ḥajar : The Stone, referring to the Black Stone (al-Ḥajar al-Aswad) embedded in the eastern corner of the Kaaba.
160. minā : Mina, a valley near Mecca where pilgrims spend the night and perform the stoning ritual during Hajj.
161. khaīf : The sanctuary, referring to the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Ḥarām) in Mecca.
162. ʿarafāt : Arafat, a plain east of Mecca where pilgrims stand in prayer on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, the most important rite of Hajj.
163. talbiyah : The proclamation 'Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik' (Here I am, O Allah, here I am) recited by pilgrims during Hajj and Umrah.
164. labbaik : Arabic phrase meaning 'Here I am [at Your service]', used in the Talbiyah.
165. muzdalifah : Muzdalifah, a plain between Arafat and Mina where pilgrims spend the night and collect pebbles for the stoning ritual.
166. al-mashʿar al-ḥarām : The Sacred Monument, a site in Muzdalifah where pilgrims perform prayers and remembrance.
167. minā : Mina, where pilgrims shave their heads or trim their hair as part of the Hajj rites.
168. muḥalliqīna ruʾūsakum wa-muqasṣirīna lā takhāfūna : Quranic verse (48:27) referring to pilgrims shaving or shortening their hair, indicating safety.
169. khalīl : Intimate friend, referring to Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim), who built the Kaaba.
170. wa-ṭahhir baytiya lil-ṭāʾifīna wa-l-qāʾimīna wa-l-rukkāʿi l-sujūdi : Quranic verse (2:125) commanding Abraham to purify the Kaaba for worshipers.
171. al-bayt al-ʿatīq : The Ancient House, a name for the Kaaba, meaning the ancient or liberated house.
172. najd : Najd, a region in central Arabia, often associated with the fragrance of the sweet basil (rayḥān).
173. al-shaykh : The shaykh, a spiritual master or elder, possibly referring to a Sufi teacher.
174. ʿalī ibn al-muwaffaq : Ali ibn al-Muwaffaq, a Sufi figure known for his spiritual experiences.
175. al-ḥajar al-aswad : The Black Stone, a sacred stone set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba, kissed or touched by pilgrims.
176. rakʿah : A unit of Islamic prayer, consisting of standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting.
177. al-kaʿbah : The Kaaba, the cube-shaped building in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam.
178. bakr wa-muṭarrif : Bakr and Mutarrif, early Sufi figures known for their piety.
179. muḥammad ibn al-munkadir : Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, a prominent early Muslim scholar and ascetic.
180. Ali ibn al-Muwaffaq : A pious figure known for his spiritual experiences and visions.
181. Rabi'a al-Adawiyya : A famous female Sufi saint known for her intense love and devotion to God.
182. Tawaf : The ritual of circumambulating the Ka'ba seven times.
183. Sa'y : The ritual of walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwa.
184. chaste passion : A type of love that is pure and spiritual, often associated with Sufi poetry.
185. Night of Isra' : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension to heaven.
186. Dhul-Hijja : The twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, during which the Hajj pilgrimage occurs.
187. Scale : The balance on which deeds are weighed on the Day of Judgment.
188. Standing : The standing at Arafat, a key ritual of Hajj.
189. Bridge : The Sirat, a bridge over Hell that all must cross on the Day of Judgment.
190. Day of Tarwiyya : The 8th day of Dhul-Hijja, the day before Arafat, when pilgrims prepare for the standing.
191. Yawm 'Arafah : The 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah, when pilgrims stand on the plain of Arafat; a major day of Hajj.
192. 'idayn : The two festivals: Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (during Hajj).
193. Yawm 'Ashura' : The 10th day of Muharram; a day of fasting commemorating the salvation of Moses.
194. Laylat al-Tarwiyah : The night before the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah, when pilgrims prepare water for the journey.
195. Laylat al-Nahr : The night of the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, the day of sacrifice (Eid al-Adha).
196. Laylat al-Fitr : The night before Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan.
197. Laylat al-Nisf min Sha'ban : The 15th night of Sha'ban, considered a night of forgiveness.
198. al-ashhur al-hurum : The four sacred months: Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab.
199. tasbih : Glorification of Allah, saying 'Subhanallah' (Glory be to Allah).
200. tahmid : Praise of Allah, saying 'Alhamdulillah' (Praise be to Allah).
201. tahlil : Declaration of Allah's oneness, saying 'La ilaha illallah' (There is no god but Allah).
202. Muzdalifah : A plain between Arafat and Mina where pilgrims spend the night after Arafah.
203. Iblis : The name of Satan in Islam, the chief of the jinn who refused to bow to Adam.
204. khatam al-nubuwwa : The seal of prophethood, a physical mark between the Prophet's shoulder blades.
205. al-itba'at : Debts or obligations owed to others; some interpret as transgressions against others.
206. ihram : The state of ritual consecration for Hajj or Umrah, involving specific dress and prohibitions.
207. Fitr : The festival of breaking the fast at the end of Ramadan.
208. Adha : The festival of sacrifice during the Hajj period.
209. takbir : Saying 'Allahu akbar' (Allah is the greatest).
210. tahlil : Saying 'La ilaha illa Allah' (There is no god but Allah).
211. taqdis : Saying 'Subhan Allah' (Glory be to Allah) or similar phrases of sanctification.
212. tahmid : Saying 'Alhamdulillah' (Praise be to Allah).
213. Festival of Sacrifice : Eid al-Adha.
214. days of Tashriq : The three days following Eid al-Adha (11th, 12th, 13th of Dhul-Hijjah).
215. Bridge : As-Sirat, the bridge over Hell that all must cross on the Day of Judgment.
216. Tree of Tuba : A tree in Paradise mentioned in Islamic tradition.
217. ten days : The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, considered the best days of the year.
218. Ahmad : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
219. Hajj : The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam.
220. Kaaba : The sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca, the qibla for Muslims.
221. Maqam : The Station of Abraham, a stone near the Kaaba where Abraham stood.
222. Mecca and Medina : The two holiest cities in Islam.
223. Umrah : The lesser pilgrimage to Mecca, performed at any time of year.
224. Al-Hajun : The cemetery of Mecca, also known as Jannat al-Mu'alla.
225. Al-Baqi' : The cemetery of Medina, also known as Jannat al-Baqi'.
226. Hijra : The emigration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.
227. Miqat : The designated boundary for entering the state of Ihram for Hajj or Umrah.
228. Ghusl : Full-body ritual purification.
229. Ihram : The sacred state of consecration for Hajj or Umrah.
230. Talbiya : The chant recited by pilgrims: 'Labbayk Allahumma labbayk...'
231. Sa'i : The ritual walking between the hills of Safa and Marwa.
232. Safa and Marwa : Two small hills near the Kaaba, part of the Hajj and Umrah rituals.
233. Arafat : A plain east of Mecca where pilgrims stand on the 9th of Dhul-Hijja.
234. Jamarat : The three stone pillars representing Satan, stoned during Hajj.
235. al-mustajār : A specific spot near the Kaaba where one seeks refuge in Allah, located between the Black Stone and the door of the Kaaba.
236. al-multazam : The area between the Black Stone and the door of the Kaaba where pilgrims press their chests and supplicate.
237. al-maqām : The Station of Abraham, a stone upon which Abraham stood while building the Kaaba, located near the Kaaba.
238. Zamzam : The sacred well in Mecca, believed to have sprung forth for Hagar and Ishmael.
239. al-sa'y : The ritual walking between the hills of Safa and Marwa during Hajj or Umrah.
240. al-ṭawāf : The circumambulation of the Kaaba seven times.
241. al-Ṣafā : A small hill near the Kaaba, one of the two points of the Sa'i.
242. al-Marwah : A small hill near the Kaaba, the other point of the Sa'i.
243. ramy al-jimār : The ritual stoning of three pillars (Jamarat) in Mina during Hajj.
244. al-mīzāb : The golden waterspout on the roof of the Kaaba, through which rainwater flows off.
245. al-Masjid al-Ḥarām : The Sacred Mosque in Mecca, surrounding the Kaaba.
246. masjidī : The Prophet's Mosque in Medina.
247. al-Masjid al-Aqṣā : The Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem.
248. al-Ka'bah : The cube-shaped building in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam.
249. Abū Qubays : A mountain near Mecca, from which the Black Stone is said to have originated.
250. al-ḥajar al-asʿad : The 'Most Fortunate Stone' refers to the Black Stone (al-Ḥajar al-Aswad) set in the eastern corner of the Kaaba.
251. istalama : To touch or kiss the Black Stone as part of the circumambulation ritual.
252. al-Kaʿba : The sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca, the qibla of Muslims.
253. al-rukn : The Corner, specifically the eastern corner of the Kaaba where the Black Stone is set.
254. al-milla al-ḥanīfiyya : The Hanifite religion, i.e., the pure monotheistic faith of Abraham, often identified with Islam.
255. al-maqām al-rafīʿ : The Lofty Station, referring to the Station of Abraham (Maqām Ibrāhīm), a stone near the Kaaba.
256. al-gharb : Literally 'the west'; here possibly a poetic reference to a type of arrow or a place.
257. al-ḥimā : The sanctuary, i.e., the sacred precincts of Mecca and the Kaaba.
258. al-Muḥaṣṣab : A valley in Mina where pilgrims stay after returning from Arafat.
259. khuzāmā : Lavender, a fragrant plant; here used poetically for the scent of the area.
260. Ṭayyiba : A name for Medina, meaning 'the good/pure city'.
261. Labbaik : The talbiya phrase meaning 'Here I am [at Your service], O Allah'.
262. Yawm Minā : The Day of Mina, referring to the days of Hajj spent in Mina.
263. al-jabal : The mountain, likely referring to the Mount of Mercy (Jabal al-Rahma) at Arafat.
264. al-Muḥaṣṣab : A valley between Minā and Mecca where pilgrims stay overnight after the stoning rituals.
265. Minā : A valley near Mecca where pilgrims stay during the Hajj and perform the stoning of the pillars.
266. His two landmarks : Referring to the two hills of Ṣafā and Marwah, or possibly the two standing places at ‘Arafāt and Muzdalifah.
267. talbiyah : The chant 'Labbayk Allāhumma labbayk' recited by pilgrims during Hajj and ‘Umrah.
268. tahleel : The declaration 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh' (There is no god but Allah).
269. ‘Arafāt : A plain east of Mecca where pilgrims stand in prayer on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, the most essential rite of Hajj.
270. colors : Metaphor for worldly attachments or distractions.
271. al-Mash‘ar : Al-Mash‘ar al-Ḥarām, the sacred site in Muzdalifah where pilgrims spend the night and pray.
272. al-Khayf : A mosque in Minā where the Prophet prayed; also refers to the area.
273. ifāḍah : The circumambulation (ṭawāf) performed after returning from Minā on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah.
274. the blessed Stone : The Black Stone (al-Ḥajar al-Aswad) set in the eastern corner of the Ka‘bah.
275. Yemeni Corner : The corner of the Ka‘bah facing Yemen, between the Black Stone and the door.
276. Multazam : The area between the Black Stone and the door of the Ka‘bah where pilgrims press themselves in supplication.
277. Maqām : The Station of Abraham, a stone near the Ka‘bah where Abraham stood while building it.
278. Zamzam : The sacred well in Mecca, believed to have sprung for Hagar and Ishmael.
279. Ṣafā and Marwah : Two small hills near the Ka‘bah between which pilgrims run during the sa‘y.
280. sa‘y : The ritual walking or running between Ṣafā and Marwah seven times.
281. ‘Umrah : The lesser pilgrimage to Mecca, which can be performed at any time of the year.
282. Qur’an 3:97 : The verse establishing the obligation of Hajj for those who can afford it.
283. Ka‘bah : The cube-shaped building in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam, toward which Muslims pray.
284. Dajjāl : The Antichrist figure in Islamic eschatology who will appear before the Day of Judgment.
285. al-Khalīl : The Friend of God, referring to the Prophet Abraham (Ibrāhīm).
286. Qur’an 14:37 : Abraham's supplication for the security and provision of Mecca.
287. Hadith : Prophetic tradition recorded in Tirmidhī and others, expressing love for Mecca.
288. al-Ḥabīb : The Beloved, a title for the Prophet Muhammad.
289. al-Ka‘ba : The Kaaba, the sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca towards which Muslims pray.
290. ‘Arafāt : A plain east of Mecca where pilgrims stand on the 9th of Dhul-Hijja, a key rite of Hajj.
291. Labbayk : The talbiya, a prayer recited by pilgrims: 'Here I am, O God, here I am.'
292. sa‘y : The ritual walking between the hills of Safa and Marwa during Hajj or Umra.
293. al-Marwa : One of the two hills between which pilgrims run during the sa‘y.
294. al-Anṣār : The Helpers, the Medinan converts who supported the Prophet after his emigration.
295. al-Ṣafā : The other hill of the sa‘y, opposite al-Marwa.
296. al-‘Abbās : The Prophet's uncle, a prominent Companion.
297. al-idhkhir : A fragrant grass used in Mecca for roofing and graves.
298. Bakkah : An ancient name for Mecca.
299. Qur’ān 3:96-97 : Verses from the Quran about the Kaaba and pilgrimage.
300. al-abdāl : Substitutes, a rank of saints in Sufism.
301. al-aqṭāb : Poles, the highest rank of saints in Sufi hierarchy.
302. al-abdāl : See note 13.
303. al-qibla : The direction of prayer, towards the Kaaba.
304. al-‘Āmiriyya : A reference to a beloved woman in Arabic poetry.
305. Buthayna : A famous beloved in Arabic poetry, associated with Jamil.
306. Su‘dā : A common name for a beloved in Arabic poetry.
307. ‘Izza : Another beloved in Arabic poetry.
308. hawdaj : A camel-borne litter for women.
309. Mīm, Ḥā’, Mīm, Dāl : The Arabic letters spelling 'Muhammad' (M-H-M-D).
310. ‘Umra : The lesser pilgrimage to Mecca, performed at any time.
311. Mīm, Ḥā', Mīm, Dāl : The letters M, Ḥ, M, D spell the name Muḥammad in Arabic. This is a common Sufi symbolic reference to the Prophet.
312. arbāb al-mawājid : Masters of ecstatic states; Sufi term for those who experience spiritual ecstasy (wajd).
313. shaṭaḥāt : Spiritual expansions or ecstatic utterances; often paradoxical sayings by Sufis in a state of divine intoxication.
314. abdāl : Substitutes; a rank of saints in the Sufi hierarchy, believed to be forty in number, who sustain the world.
315. Sal‘ : A mountain near Medina, associated with the Prophet Muḥammad.
316. al-Abyaraq : A place name, possibly a hill or region in the Arabian Peninsula.
317. Quṭb al-Jamāl : The Pole of Beauty; a Sufi term referring to the highest spiritual authority, often identified with the Prophet or a perfect saint.
318. al-Ḥajar al-Aswad : The Black Stone, set in the eastern corner of the Ka‘ba, kissed by pilgrims.
319. Ṣafā and Marwa : Two small hills near the Ka‘ba, between which pilgrims walk during the Hajj and ‘Umra.
320. Multazam : The area between the Black Stone and the door of the Ka‘ba where pilgrims press themselves in supplication.
321. Maqām : The Station of Abraham, a stone near the Ka‘ba where Abraham stood during its construction.
322. al-āfāq : Horizons; refers to all regions of the world.
323. qabāhu : His heart; literally 'his anterior part' or 'his chest'.
324. al-sharīf : The noble; a title of honor for the Prophet Muhammad.
325. riyāḍahā : Its gardens; metaphorically refers to the spiritual meadows of Mecca.
326. karāmāt al-awliyā' : Miracles or extraordinary acts granted by God to His saints (awliyā').
327. al-kitāb al-ḥakīm : The Wise Book, a reference to the Qur'an.
328. tafsīr : Exegesis or interpretation of the Qur'an.
329. Ibn Jamāʿah : A reference to the scholar Badr al-Dīn Ibn Jamāʿah (d. 1333), known for his works on hadith and fiqh.
330. al-Muqaddasah : The Sanctified, a name for Mecca indicating its holiness.
331. ‘Arafat : A plain east of Mecca where pilgrims stand on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, a key rite of Hajj.
332. Muzdalifah : A place between ‘Arafat and Mina where pilgrims spend the night after ‘Arafat.
333. al-Mash‘ar al-Haram : The Sacred Monument in Muzdalifah, where pilgrims perform the standing (wuquf).
334. rites : The rituals of Hajj, including circumambulation, sa‘y, and stoning.
335. stoning of the pillars : The ritual of throwing pebbles at three pillars in Mina, symbolizing rejection of Satan.
336. farewell circumambulation : The final tawaf around the Kaaba performed before leaving Mecca.
337. Mudar : A major Arab tribal ancestor, from whom the Prophet Muhammad descends.
338. Nizar : Another Arab tribal ancestor, son of Ma‘add, part of the Prophet's lineage.
339. Black Stone : The sacred black stone set in the eastern corner of the Kaaba, kissed or touched by pilgrims.
340. فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ : A deep mountain highway; a distant, rugged path.
341. بَطْنِ نَخْلَةٍ : A valley near Mecca, known as Batn Nakhlah.
342. تَرْتِيبِ الرِّحْلَةِ : A book by the author, 'The Arrangement of the Journey'.
343. بَيْدٍ : A place between Mecca and Kufa, possibly Bayd or Bayda'.
344. الْأَشْعَرِيِّينَ : The Ash'ari tribe; the hadith refers to a group of them who came to the Prophet riding.
345. طَافَ : Performed the circumambulation around the Kaaba.
346. Ibn Umar : Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab, a prominent companion of the Prophet and a renowned scholar.
347. al-Ramghani : A Sufi figure; possibly Abu al-Qasim al-Ramghani, a mystic from the 4th/10th century.
348. talbiyah : The chant recited by pilgrims: 'Labbayk Allahumma labbayk...' (Here I am, O Allah, here I am).
349. Sacred Monument : Al-Mash'ar al-Haram, the sacred site at Muzdalifah where pilgrims spend the night.
350. Mina : A valley near Mecca where pilgrims perform the stoning ritual and stay during the days of Tashriq.
351. throws the pebbles : The ritual of stoning the pillars (jamarat) at Mina, symbolizing the rejection of evil.
352. Sanctuary : Al-Haram, the sacred precinct around the Kaaba in Mecca.
353. ihram : The state of ritual consecration for pilgrimage, marked by special garments and prohibitions.
354. circumambulation : Tawaf, the act of walking around the Kaaba seven times.
355. Fath al-Mawsili : Abu Nasr Fath ibn Muhammad al-Mawsili, a 3rd/9th century Sufi ascetic.
356. Safa : The hill of Safa, one of the two hills between which pilgrims walk (Sa'y) during Hajj and Umrah.
357. Zamzam : The sacred well in Mecca, believed to have sprung for Hagar and Ishmael.
358. Abu Dawud : Abu Dawud al-Sijistani, a major hadith collector (d. 275/889).
359. Abu Umamah al-Tamimi : A companion of the Prophet, known for narrating hadith.
360. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik al-Sufi : A Sufi figure, possibly a transmitter of this account.
361. Abu al-Fadl al-Jawhari : A Sufi shaykh, possibly from the 4th/10th century.
362. Gate of Banu Shaybah : One of the gates of the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, associated with the tribe of Banu Shaybah, custodians of the Kaaba keys.
363. Stone : The Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad) set in the corner of the Kaaba, kissed or touched by pilgrims.
364. al-Qasim al-Qushayri : Abd al-Karim ibn Hawazin al-Qushayri (d. 465/1072), a famous Sufi scholar and author of al-Risala al-Qushayriyya.
365. استكراه : Coercion or compulsion; the text emphasizes submitting to wisdom without being forced.
366. الفزع : Fleeing or seeking refuge; here it refers to turning to prayer in times of fear and hope.
367. الحدا : A type of song or chant used to urge camels on; here it refers to the driver's song that pleases the animals.
368. al-Mash‘ar al-Haram : The Sacred Monument, a site in Muzdalifa during the Hajj pilgrimage.
369. Haram : The sacred precinct of Mecca, also referring to the state of ritual consecration (ihram).
370. al-Muzdalifa : A plain near Mecca where pilgrims spend the night after Arafat during Hajj.
371. Mars : The planet Mars, symbolizing power and authority in Islamic cosmology.
372. Saturn : The planet Saturn, associated with high rank and contemplation in Sufi symbolism.
373. al-Ghafr : A star or constellation; the scorpion of al-Ghafr may refer to a specific astrological or mystical concept.
374. Ahmadine : Relating to Ahmad, one of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
375. Quran 10:22 : Quranic verse: 'It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea.'
376. Quran 17:70 : Quranic verse: 'And indeed We have honored the children of Adam and carried them on land and sea.'
377. Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili : Founder of the Shadhili Sufi order (d. 1258 CE), known for his spiritual teachings.
378. al-ḥajj al-akbar : The Greater Pilgrimage, referring to the Day of 'Arafah or the pilgrimage itself, as opposed to 'Umrah.
379. manāzil al-sulūk : Stations of spiritual wayfaring, stages on the path to God in Sufism.
380. mīqāt : The designated boundary where pilgrims enter the state of ihram.
381. malakūt : The spiritual realm of sovereignty, the unseen world of divine dominion.
382. iḥrām : The sacred state of consecration for pilgrimage, involving specific dress and prohibitions.
383. rakʿah : A unit of Islamic prayer, consisting of bowing and prostrations.
384. talbiyah : The invocation 'Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk' recited by pilgrims.
385. Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk : Here I am, O God, here I am.
386. ghaybah : Spiritual absence, a state where the seeker is unaware of creation due to absorption in God.
387. Qur'an 8:24 : Verse: 'O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life.'
388. Qur'an 2:197 : Verse: 'And take provision, but indeed the best provision is righteousness.'
389. Kadā : A place near Mecca from which pilgrims enter; also interpreted as 'return'.
390. al-ḥajar al-aswad : The Black Stone, set in the eastern corner of the Kaaba, kissed by pilgrims.
391. suwayd al-qalb : The core of the heart, considered the seat of spiritual perception.
392. al-rukn al-yamānī : The Yemeni Corner, the southern corner of the Kaaba.
393. khabab : A brisk pace, almost jogging, during the first three circuits of tawaf.
394. maqām Ibrāhīm : The Station of Abraham, a stone near the Kaaba where Abraham stood.
395. khullah : Intimate friendship, a high spiritual station of love for God.
396. Ṣafā : A small hill near the Kaaba, part of the Sa'y ritual.
397. Marwah : Another small hill, the endpoint of the Sa'y ritual.
398. murū'ah : Manliness, chivalry, noble character.
399. ʿUmrah : The lesser pilgrimage, which can be performed at any time.
400. ṭawāf al-qudūm : Circumambulation of arrival, performed upon first entering Mecca.
401. ʿArafāt : The plain east of Mecca where pilgrims stand on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah.
402. Khayf Banī Kinānah : A place in Mina where the Prophet camped.
403. Minā : A valley near Mecca where pilgrims stay during Hajj.
404. 'Arafat : A plain near Mecca where pilgrims stand on the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, the central rite of Hajj.
405. wuquf : The standing vigil at 'Arafat, a key Hajj ritual.
406. 'Asr : The afternoon prayer.
407. Zuhr : The noon prayer.
408. Muzdalifah : A place between 'Arafat and Mina where pilgrims spend the night after 'Arafat.
409. Maghrib : The sunset prayer.
410. 'Isha' : The night prayer.
411. Mina : A valley near Mecca where pilgrims perform stoning rituals and stay during Hajj.
412. Qur'an 34:37 : Reference to the verse: 'Neither your wealth nor your children are what bring you near to Us in nearness (zulfa)...'
413. Subh : The dawn prayer.
414. al-Mash'ar al-Haram : The Sacred Monument, a site in Muzdalifah where pilgrims stand after dawn.
415. Wadi Muhassir : A valley between Muzdalifah and Mina where pilgrims hasten.
416. Jamrat al-'Aqaba : The largest of the three stoning pillars, representing Satan.
417. jamarat : The three stone pillars at Mina where pilgrims throw pebbles.
418. Iblis : Satan, the devil in Islamic tradition.
419. Āmīn : A supplicatory word meaning 'O God, respond' or 'so be it', often used at the end of prayers.
420. fitan : Plural of fitna, meaning trials, tribulations, or temptations that test faith.
421. sufun al-khashyah : Ships of fear; a metaphor for the vessels of reverential awe that carry the believer toward God.
422. qurubāt al-tawakkul : Ropes of trust; a metaphor for reliance on God, likened to the ropes used to secure a ship.
423. biḥār al-maʿrifah : Seas of knowledge; a Sufi term for the vast, deep experiential knowledge of God.
424. al-rūḥ wa al-rayḥān : Spirit and fragrance; a phrase from the Quran (56:89) referring to divine mercy and bliss granted to the righteous.
425. al-ṣirāṭ : The Path; in Islamic eschatology, the bridge over Hell that all must cross on Judgment Day.
426. shaybah shābat fī al-islām : A gray hair that has grown gray in Islam; a metaphor for a person who has aged in the faith, implying God's mercy.
427. furāt al-shahawāt : Euphrates of desires; a metaphor for the overwhelming flood of worldly lusts and passions.
428. jabal raḍwā : Mount Radwa; a mountain near Medina, often mentioned in Islamic tradition.
429. thabīr : Mount Thabir; a mountain near Mecca, associated with pre-Islamic and Islamic history.
430. jabal qāf : Mount Qaf; a legendary mountain in Islamic cosmology, often symbolizing the farthest reach of the world.
431. ḥunayn : Hunayn; a valley near Mecca, site of the Battle of Hunayn in early Islamic history.
432. suʿād : A feminine proper name, often used in Arabic poetry as a symbol of the beloved.
433. al-ḥijāz : The Hijaz; a region in western Arabia containing the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
434. ḥaqq : Truth; a term referring to God's ultimate reality or the divine attribute of truth.
435. al-Muḥaṣṣab : A valley near Mecca where pilgrims stay after returning from Mina.
436. Minā : A valley near Mecca where the stoning of the devil ritual is performed during Hajj.
437. Suwayqah : A small market or place in Mecca.
438. Jiyād : A place in Mecca, possibly a mountain or district.
439. al-Ḥaṭīm : A semicircular wall opposite the Kaaba, considered part of the sacred area.
440. Zamzam : The sacred well in Mecca, believed to have sprung for Hagar and Ishmael.
441. bān : A type of tree (Moringa peregrina) with fragrant flowers, often mentioned in Arabic poetry.
442. Qā : A place name, possibly a hill or region near Mecca.
443. Wahād : A place name, possibly a valley or area near Mecca.
444. Aḥmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
445. Kawthar : A river in Paradise, given to the Prophet Muhammad; also the name of Surah 108 in the Quran.