And when the soul is paired with its body [1], and when the infant girl buried alive [2]…

And when the soul is paired with its body [1], and when the infant girl buried alive [2] is asked for what sin she was killed, and when the scrolls [3] are spread open, and when the sky is stripped away, and when Hellfire is set ablaze, and when Paradise is brought near, then every soul will know what it has brought forth.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. And may Allah bless our master and lord Muhammad, his family, and his companions and grant them peace abundantly. The Shaykh, the Imam, the Gnostic, my master Muʿṭā ibn al-Ṣāliḥ, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Praise be to Allah, who split the closedness of the cosmos with the light of the spirituality of the master of existence ¹, and brought forth all sciences through him from non-existence to existence. And praise be to Allah, who traced his luminous form with the pen of His power in pre-eternity and made him the first emanation from the attributes of His essential perfections, and for his sake was Adam's prostration. And praise be to Allah, who made his Muhammadan light the source of the outward and inward lights, and illuminated with the flashes of his Muṣṭafawī ² self-disclosures the gardens of determinations and the mirror of witnessing. And praise be to Allah, who through his Aḥmadī ³ origination opened the treasuries of the unseen and filled them with the subtle secrets of his prophetic mysteries and the gifts of His tied generosity. And praise be to Allah, who planted his goodly tree in the manifestations of His divine rays and illuminated with his exalted countenance the space of valleys and heights. And praise be to Allah, who honored his pure lineage above all lineages and chose his element from the purest elements and the noblest fathers and grandfathers. And praise be to Allah, who made knowledge of his creation, character, roots, origin, and descent one of the greatest acts of closeness and the loftiest means by which the pleasure of the Sovereign, the Worshipped King, is obtained. And praise be to Allah, who made his noble love and exalted obedience a key to the doors of good deeds and an ascent to the paths of blessing and felicity. And praise be to Allah, who made his magnificent effusions and the mention of his beautiful virtues perfume gatherings and delight ears ⁴, and make minds wander in the sea of his sweet beauty, the watering-places and the arrivals. And praise be to Allah, who made occupation with his service elevate one's rank among the matters that raise stations and lead to the attainment of hope and the achievement of the goal. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the springs of generosity and munificence, and his companions of pure garments and robes, with a blessing by which our faces become white on the day of arrival and coming to You, and by which You grant us among the lovers the nearest rank in the highest paradises and the abode of eternity, by Your favor and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. * O spirit of the holiness of the Truth, O body of youth, * May the One, the Unique, the Eternal bless you. * O First, O Last, O Outward, O Inward, * How can Your description be counted? * O Successor, O Gatherer, O Effacer, * O Seal, O Opener of the door of right guidance. * O Inward of the Malakūt ⁵ and the Jabarūt ⁶, O * Essence of purity, O treasure of the secrets of the Eternal. * Between Nāsūt ⁷ and Lāhūt ⁸, you have * Shown a distinction, what a distinction to rely on! * O wisdom of Nāsūt at its existence, * And O source of Lāhūt, more refreshing than the one who comes to drink. * O every totality of particulars that * The Powerful created of the worlds forever. * O beginning of the sight of the Majestic without beginning, * O end of the sight of the Beautiful without end. * O ascent of spirits when they rise to * His Most Beautiful Names and draw near to the One. * O throne of the secret of the Essence, treasure of Its attributes, * O supreme goal for those who strive therein. * O opener of the locks of the secrets of the hidden, * O extractor of intellects from the darknesses of error. * O splitter of the closedness of obscurities, softening them * Until the lost ladder became realized. * You are the one of whom the Divine said to his beauty: * Increase and be unique from the sea of My light, so be unique. * You are the one of whom the Majestic wrote with His face: * This is My beauty; through whom is My face worshipped? * You are the one of whom the Subtle said to his heart: * I do not sleep, so do not sleep; whoever slumbers ⁹... * You are the one of whom the All-Knowing filled his tongue * With ladunī ¹⁰ knowledge flowing from eternity. * You are the one of whom the All-Encompassing said to his light: * I created you first on the day of Sunday. * You are the one of whom the Pre-Eternal said to his spirit: * I sent you before the sending of the body. * May Allah, whose majesty is exalted, bless you, * And the family and companions, who are the support. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the result of the openings of speech, the element of glory, and the center of the necklace of order; when You willed to decree creation and the flowing of creatures, and the invention of invented things and the origination of originated things, You created creation in forms like dust before the spreading of the earth and the raising of the sky, while You were in Your solitude in Your Malakūt and Your uniqueness in Your Jabarūt. Then a light radiated from Your light, a spark flashed from Your radiance and shone, then that light gathered in the midst of those hidden forms, and that was accompanied by his form, peace and blessings be upon him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the human eye of the Adamic creation, the sphere of the risings of the felicitous moons, the element of the shining lights of the Most Holy, the spirit of the forms of existential spirits, the mirror of the self-disclosure of the witnessed rays, the preface to the results of the unseen openings, the lamp of eyes, insights, and sharp intellects, the opener of the openings of holy secrets, and the manifestation of the positions of the stars of the descents from the Divine Presence; when Your will was attached to bringing into existence his goodly and pure breath and forming his prophetic Muhammadan image, You brought forth the light of his Aḥmadī reality from the purity of Your eternal decrees in the manifestations of Your Unique Presence and the vistas of Your One self-disclosures. Then You stripped from it all worlds, their branches and roots, their heights and depths, as preceded in Your prior knowledge ¹¹ and as Your eternal will required, in accordance with Your disposal and decree. Then You dipped the pen of Your lordly will in the lights of Your holy and exalted Essence, and traced with the right hand of Your majestic power the form of his pure Muṣṭafawī essence. Thus that was the first name that Your supreme pen wrote on the tablet of Your highest preservation and the station of Your most inviolable might, to the exclusion of all other names. Then You said to him: "O Muhammad, I want to create for your sake the world that is My kingdom, and make you therein the supreme vicegerent." So You created water from a solid pearl-like substance in roundness and whiteness, and You looked at it with a special look, so its waves gushed forth in the meadows of the kingdom and the Malakūt and overflowed. Then You deposited in it, by divine power, the essences of bodies and accidents. Then You created the Throne from the light of his praiseworthy splendor and beauty, and clothed it with the secret of his Aḥmadī perfection and the awe of his majesty. Then You looked again at that pearl, and it melted in shame, and its parts became porous, and it flowed as water. So Your Throne was upon that water before the existence of earth and sky. Then You sent forth the breezes of generosity before Your mercy, so the Throne vibrated and that water undulated by the secret of Your wisdom, and it cast its foam onto the shore of the sea of compassion, mercy, pity, tenderness, and the emotions of bounty, generosity, and favor. Thus he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was the very essence of that luminous water, the extract of that merciful foam, and the elixir of that unique secret. When his form, peace be upon him, confronted the first...

The flood of that light overflowing from the presence of the King, the Worshipped, gushing forth from the streams of mercy and the treasuries of generosity and bounty, became itself the origin of formation ¹² and the imam ¹³ of the presence of determination ¹⁴. Thus appeared a Muhammadan form and an Ahmadine reality ¹⁵; its subtle jewel was cast into the soil of his noble city ¹⁶. So his spirit—peace and blessings be upon him—was heavenly and throne-like, and his body was Meccan and Medinan; his heart was angelic and spiritual. His yearning was for purified Mecca and his soil in illuminated Medina. What a lordship of mastery ¹⁷ this is! Its lights are prophetic, its secrets are chosen ¹⁸, its visions are holy, its aspirations are celestial ¹⁹, its tastes are delightful, its watering-places are pure, its blessings are abundant, its spirit is throne-like, its breath is earthly ²⁰, its stars are pearl-like, its moons are auspicious, its states are elevated, its judgments are luminous, its deeds are pure, its words are pleasing, its noble traits are manifest, its stations are lofty, its traditions are sound and transmitted. The glad tidings of it came in past nations, the reminder of its mission in bygone ages, and the announcement of its prophethood in the heavenly books. How could it not be so, when God honored its human clay and its Muhammadan luminous origin, until it was said: When God created his Ahmadine light, He commanded it to look upon the lights of the prophets, and they were overwhelmed by his light, so that God made them speak, saying: "Our Lord, whose light has overwhelmed us?" He said to them: "It is the light of My beloved Muhammad. If you believe in him, I will make you prophets." They said: "We believe in him and in his prophethood." Then God Almighty said: "I bear witness against you." They said: "Yes." That is His saying: "And when God took the covenant of the prophets: 'Whatever I give you of the Book and wisdom, then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you must believe in him and support him.' He said: 'Do you affirm and take on that My burden?' They said: 'We affirm.' He said: 'Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.'" ²¹ So he—peace and blessings be upon him—is a father to us in spirituality, and Adam is a father to us in corporeality. O God, send blessings upon him and upon his family, the lamps of gnostic lights ²² and the springs of eternal sciences ²³, a blessing by which You remove from our hearts the dense veils of darkness, and by which You purify our innermost beings from the whisperings of the souls and the insinuations of satanic temptations, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O God, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the best of people, Arab and non-Arab, the noblest in lineage and origin, the most luminous in heart and body, the purest in form and image, the most abundant in knowledge and understanding, the highest in station and aim, the most fortunate in lot and portion, the most precise in control and resolve, the best in belief and certainty, the most just in judgment and rule, the strongest in compassion and forbearance. When You willed to create his luminous Muhammadan spirit and his spiritual Ahmadine essence, and to bring it forth from non-existence into existence by the secret of Your eternal wisdom, before You created air, wind, water, foam, radiance, light, darkness, sun, moon, sphere, star, earth, heaven, Throne, Footstool, Tablet, Pen, inscription, rivers, seas, waves, smoke, tent, spirits, bodies, accident, substance, body, hearing, sight, intellect, imagination, illusion, faith, Islam, reckoning, punishment, forgiveness, mercy, knowledge, opening, inspiration, science, understanding, obedience, disobedience, pilgrimage, struggle, prayer, alms, fasting, devotion, worship, bowing, prostration, standing, striving, wakefulness, sleep, prophethood, messengership, righteousness, sainthood, equity, justice, tyranny, oppression, benefit, harm, motion, stillness, power, resolve, union, grace, speech, action, fortune, share, smallness, greatness, gray hair, decrepitude, health, sickness, love, longing, yearning, disclosure, concealment, obligation, supererogation, permissible, forbidden, necessity, praise, eulogy, allusion, explicitness, prose, verse, guidance, rectitude, success, name, named, Paradise, Fire, houris, youths, angels, tables, blessings—You took a handful from Your light and said to it: "Be My beloved Muhammad, noble in epithet and name, possessor of pure servitude, the most perfect secret, the great standing, the magnificent rank, and the inviolable station." Then from it You created the different genera and the harmonious species and all named things and names. So send blessings, O God, upon him and upon his family, possessors of sublime honor and highest glory, and upon his Companions, people of lofty majesty and supreme status, a blessing by which You grant us a profitable trade and gain, and by which You make between us and sins a barrier and a dam, and a pure religion without flaw or illusion. Were it not for you, no secrets would have appeared in the cosmos, nor would reports have been unveiled to the people of knowledge. There would be no news in the horizon of the sky, nor stars, nor sun, nor moons.

O He who in the high [realms] has might and manifestation ²⁴, whose traces were [recorded] in the reports of others. By a succor from the God of creation, the Forgiving, the heavens and the earths are blooming through you. Virtue is attributed only to the Messenger, and indeed, from his light they obtained their noble qualities. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the imam of Your righteous saints and the quintessence of Your elect, the certain ones, who, when You willed to manifest his luminous form in the world of witnessing and expression, You brought forth the light of his prophethood before the creation of the heavens and the earths, the Throne ²⁵, the Footstool ²⁶, the Tablet ²⁷, the Pen ²⁸, Paradise, Hell, the angels, humans, jinn, and all other creatures by so many thousands of years. That light was seen in the expanse of the holy world; sometimes You commanded it to prostrate, sometimes You commanded it to glorify and sanctify in the station of might and establishment. You created veils for him, and he remained in each veil for a long period, glorifying with a specific glorification. After he emerged from the veils, he breathed breaths, and from his breaths You created the spirits of the prophets, saints, angels, the truthful, the martyrs, and all the believers, all of them. So bless him, O Allah, and his pure, good family, and his noble, humble companions, with a blessing that makes us, by Your favor and generosity, among Your beloved and loving servants and Your sincere, active elect, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. You were in holiness a handful of light, manifesting; for all spirits, in You is bliss. You were kneaded in the palaces of the Gardens of Eden, whose water is Salsabil ²⁹ and Tasnim ³⁰. Bowing, prostrating, you remained in holiness to God, persistent in humility. You moved through the stations as a stature, then to God and your apportioned light. In the stations of election and servitude, he remained for a long time, never departing. Like a lamp, he appeared in east and west; in darkness, his light is a beacon. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the clear path of happiness, the traveler, and the mountain of glory, far-reaching in perception, who said to You: "O Lord, from what did You create me?" And You said to him: "I looked at the purity of the whiteness of My light and extracted from it a portion, and divided it into three parts: I created you and your family from the first part, I created your wives and companions from the second part, and I created those who love you from the third part. On the Day of Resurrection, I will return the light to My light and admit you, your family, your companions, and those who love you into My Paradise. So inform them of this from Me." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of the eminent masters and the elite of the noble chosen ones, who, when You willed to create his essence described with the most perfect beauties and the most beautiful attributes, and You manifested from Your Muhammadan light, and by it the space of the Kingdom ³¹ and the treasuries of Mercy ³² were illuminated. When he reached the station of majesty, he prostrated, and from his prostration You created a pillar of pure light like glass, whose exterior is seen from its interior and its interior from its exterior, and from it You created the light of Adam, peace be upon him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whose tongues of lovers have become accustomed in the depths of the dawns, and the most excellent of those mentioned in books and vied for in praise by the righteous, who served You in his worship of You a thousand thousand years before the beginning of creation, with the stamp of faith and the unveiling of the unseen by the unseen, in the dense luminous pillar from which the Throne, the Footstool, and all lights come into being. Then You said to him, magnifying his lordship and honoring his glory: "You are the chosen, the selected; with you is the deposit of My light and the light of My guidance. For your sake, I spread out the earth, I let the water flow, I raised the sky, and I appointed reward and punishment, Paradise and Hell." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the descendant of noble loins and the ruby of diffusion and order, who, when You willed to create his Muhammadan essence, You traced his form with the pen of Your power while creation was in the darkness of blindness and non-existence. Then You created his most radiant light before the heavens, the earth, the Throne, the Footstool, Paradise, Hell, the Tablet, the Pen, and before the jinn, humans, angels, and the Adamites who were before Adam, peace be upon him, by three hundred and twenty thousand 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 whose name the lover writes on the tablet of his heart and draws, and begins his speech with his delightful mention and ends it, who, when You willed to create him, You veiled his light for ten thousand years in the veil of Power and eleven thousand years in the veil of Majesty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the mountain of glory and the spring of goodness and increase, who, when You willed to create him, You veiled his light for ten thousand years in the veil of Favor and eight thousand years in the veil of Happiness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the lamp of sainthood and the key of the sciences of knowledge, who, when You willed to create him, You veiled his light for six thousand years in the veil of Generosity and five thousand years in the veil of Guidance. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those upon whom You bestowed the most honorable robe from the garment of Your might, and preserved his observed station from hypocrisy and show, who, when You willed to create him, You veiled his light for four thousand years in the veil of Prophethood and three thousand years in the veil of Exaltation. 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 commanded steadfastness and obedience, and the most excellent of those who preserved the Sunna and the community, who, when You willed to create him, You veiled his light for nine thousand years in the veil of Station and two thousand years in the veil of Intercession. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whom You singled out with infallibility and caused springs of wisdom to flow upon his tongue, who, when You willed to create him, You veiled his light for seven thousand years in the veil of Grandeur and one thousand years in the veil of Mercy. Section: O Allah, bless and [grant peace] to his family, possessors of abundant merits, and his companions, the guiding imams, a blessing by which You spread over us ample grace and repel from us the accidents of punishment, and by which You subdue our limbs to obedience and service, by Your favor and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those by whose guidance creatures are guided and by whose shining star and brilliance worlds are illuminated, to whom Jabir ibn Abdullah said: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah, tell me about the first thing Allah created before all things." So he said:

O Jabir, indeed Allah Most High created the light of your Prophet from His light before all things, and He made that light circulate by His power wherever Allah Most High willed. At that time there was no Tablet, no Pen, no Garden, no Fire, no Throne, no heaven, no earth, no sun, no moon, no jinn, and no human. When Allah Most High willed to create creation, He divided that light into four parts: from the first part He created the Pen, from the second the Tablet, from the third the Throne. Then He divided the fourth part into four parts: from the first He created the bearers of the Throne, from the second the Footstool, from the third the rest of the angels. Then He divided the fourth part into four parts: from the first He created the heavens, from the second the earths, from the third the Garden and the Fire. Then He divided the fourth part into four parts: from the first He created the light of the believers' eyes, from the second the light of their hearts—which is knowledge of Allah—and from the third the light of their intimacy—which is the declaration of divine oneness: 'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.' 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 radiant face has brought bliss to nights and days, the most honored at whose door the mounts halt and to whom feet hasten. When Jabir asked him about the first thing Allah created before all things, he said to him: 'The light of your Prophet; then from it He created every good, and after it He created everything. When He created it, He stationed it in the station of proximity for three hundred thousand years.' O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the bloom of buds, the breeze of fragrant breaths, and the musk of the seal, whose Muhammadan light You made into four parts: from one part You created the Throne, from one part the Footstool, from one part the bearers of the Throne and the keepers of the Footstool, and You stationed the fourth part in the station of love for twelve thousand years. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the desire of the ardent lover and the perennial fountain of good, whose light You also made into four parts: from one part You created creation, from one part the Tablet, from one part the Garden, and You stationed the fourth part in the station of fear for twelve thousand years. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the brick of completion and the descendant of noble chiefs, whose light You also divided into four parts: from one part You created the angels, from one part the moon and the stars, and You stationed the fourth part in the station of modesty for twelve thousand years. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the repose of souls and bodies, the treasure of immense gifts and bestowals, whose light You also divided into four parts: from one part You created the intellect, from one part knowledge and forbearance, from one part infallibility and success, and You stationed the fourth part in the station of modesty for twelve thousand years. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the chief of eminent leaders, the best of those who have attained perfect virtues and excellences, who said: 'Allah created my light before the creation of creatures and the invention of existents. It was seen in the expanse of the holy realm, sometimes commanded to bow and prostrate, sometimes commanded to glorify and sanctify the worshipped Lord. Then He created twelve thousand veils; Allah expressed Himself in each veil for a thousand years.' O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the capital of the rich and the poor, the refuge of the fearful and the seeker of protection, who said: 'When Allah brought forth my light from those luminous veils and the curtains draped with the secrets of the Eternal, He mounted it in the earth, and it illuminated what is between the east and the west like a lamp lit in the dark night.' O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, noble in fathers and grandfathers, the bearer of the tied banner of praise, for whom, when You willed to create his noble essence and his beautiful, subtle progeny, You created a magnificent, exalted jewel, and from that jewel You created a light, and You created him (peace and blessings be upon him) from that light ten thousand years before creating all things. That light would circulate by power until, when it reached the Divine Majesty, it prostrated and said in its prostration: 'Glory be to the Eternal who has never ceased; glory be to the Generous who has never been stingy; glory be to the Forbearing who does not hasten; glory be to the All-Knowing who is not ignorant.' Then it raised its head from prostration. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those from whose hidden treasures of the unseen You extracted his treasure and preferred his honor and might among creation. When You willed to create things, You created from his light a sweet water and placed blessing in it. Then You divided it into ten parts: from the first part You made the Throne and commanded it to settle upon the water—that is the saying of Allah Most High: 'And His Throne was upon the water'—and from the second part You created the Pen and commanded it to circle the Throne for a thousand years until it wrote: 'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.' When the Pen wrote his name (peace and blessings be upon him), it prostrated and said in its prostration what Allah willed it to say, then raised its head and said: 'Peace be upon you, O Muhammad.' So I said to it: 'Upon you be peace from Me, and upon Muhammad from Me is mercy; My mercy is due to him and to those who believe in him.' Then from the third part I created the Preserved Tablet, from the fourth part the sun, from the fifth part the moon, from the sixth part the Garden and adorned it with five things: enjoining good, forbidding evil, generosity of soul, and avoidance of major sins; and I made it a dwelling for Your saints and obedient servants. From the seventh part I created the Fire, from the eighth part the Footstool, from the ninth part the light of eyes, and from the tenth part Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and I placed him at the right of the Throne, glorifying and sanctifying You for four thousand years until I created Adam (peace be upon him). The worship of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is superior to the worship of the angels because he (peace and blessings be upon him) worshipped Allah Most High seven thousand years before the creation of the world and the angels. On the Day of Resurrection, he will grant his glorification to the righteous of his community so that they may increase in goodness upon their goodness, and he will grant his seeking of forgiveness to the sinners of his community, and it will be an expiation for their sins. For this reason, intercession is due to him for the wrongdoers of his community (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah Most High has not created any creation more excellent than Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The light of the Throne, the sun, the moon, the Tablet, the Pen, the Garden, the Fire, the Footstool, and the light of eyes are from his light (peace and blessings be upon him), and his light (peace and blessings be upon him) is from the light of the Lord of Might. To the Chosen One I dedicate the glory of my praise, Garlands of eulogy for the Prophet Muhammad. How excellent is my gift and glorious my praise! Through it the eloquent have attained all brilliance.

The most deserving of creatures for praise, multiplied, is a Prophet to whom belongs all sublimity in revelation. Through him the world was illuminated; from his face radiance spread to the sun and moons. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, lofty in rank and dignity, Your chosen one with sound chain and traditions, whose light You created before everything, so he prostrated to You for seven hundred years, and by Your power You caused him to revolve wherever You willed, and he revolved. ³³ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, pure in lineage and origin, Your chosen one crowned with the crown of honor and glory, whose light You created before all things, so it shone, and You said to him: 'You are the intimate beloved and the chosen elect.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, adorned in the garments of majesty and pride, Your chosen one who removes from hearts the darkness of doubts and uncertainties, from whose light You created the Tablet, the Pen, the Throne, and the Footstool ³⁴ encompassed with majesty, awe, and dignity. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, noble in clans and in-laws, Your chosen one honored in family, companions, and helpers, from whose light You created the angels, the heavens, the earths, Paradise, and Hell. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, chosen from elegant wombs and pure loins, Your chosen one whose fragrance wafts through the realms of dominion and sovereignty and all regions, from whose light You created the light of hearts, which is knowledge, the light of intimacy, which is divine unity, and the light of insights and eyesights. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, blessed in soil and shrine, Your chosen one protected in covenant and neighborhood, from whose light You created the light of intellect, the lights of veils and canopies, and the lights of stars, suns, and moons. ³⁵ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whose mention is widespread in villages and cities, Your chosen one whose mission was foretold in past centuries and ages, from whose light You created the light of the prophets, messengers, saints, and righteous, and from him You formed all created things, just as trees are formed from the full moon. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the righteous imams, and his companions, the chosen elite, a blessing by which You protect us from the evil of the wicked and the plot of the immoral, forgive us sins and all misdeeds and burdens, and write for us the decree of salvation in this abode and in that abode, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. You are the light of light, O light of guidance; from the radiance of Your face every luminary shines. You were a pearl in the world of the unseen, and from You all forms emanated. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the light of lights, the treasure of secrets, and the ruby... ³⁶ It is narrated from some of the expert scholars ³⁷ and righteous, knowing saints that he said: 'The first thing God created was my jewel-like light; then He created from it the Pen, the seventy veils, the curtains and their counterparts, then the Tablet, then before its completion and refinement He created the Throne, the spirits, Paradise, and the barrier ³⁸ between Paradise and Hell.' 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 tongues have uttered praise and eulogy, the most noble of those whom Your eye of care beheld in his beginning and end, about whom it is narrated from some of the knowers that he said: 'Indeed, God Most High created the Throne from light, and that light was from his light (peace be upon him), and He created the Throne as a great ruby, whose measure and magnitude cannot be compared, and in the midst of that ruby was a jewel, so the totality of the ruby and the jewel became a handful: its whiteness is the ruby, and its yellowness is the jewel. Then He commanded that ruby and watered it with his light (peace be upon him), and that light pierced the ruby and watered the jewel, watering it once, then again, until it reached seven times, and the jewel flowed by the permission of God Most High, becoming water and descending to the bottom of the ruby, which is the Throne. Then the honored light that pierced... ³⁹ Suns of holy lights and source of the subtle sciences of divine bestowal, about whom it is narrated from some of the knowers that he said: 'When our master Adam (peace and blessings be upon him) descended to the good, blessed, and exalted earth, the trees would drop their fruits at the beginning of their appearance. When He wanted them to bear fruit, He watered them from his fiery ⁴⁰ and established light, and from that day they began to bear fruit by his eternal blessing, whereas before that they would all drop and fall, leaving no remainder. Were it not for his light (peace be upon him) with which they were watered and which watered the disbelievers at their formation in the wombs, at the breathing of the spirit, at birth, and at weaning, Hell would have come out to them and consumed them—God forbid—and it will not come out to them in the Hereafter and consume them until that light by which their wretched essences were rectified is removed from them.' A beloved whose honor spread, and he is a pearl from the white handful in the world of intimacy. When he appeared, he attained lordship and rose above the messengers and angels in the Holy Presence. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the ruby of diffusion and order ⁴¹ and the key to the treasuries of sciences for the people of openings and inspiration, from the overflow of his preceding light before the coarse form of Adam (peace be upon him), as narrated from some of the knowers: When the prophets drank from his prophetic light, they did not drink it all completely; rather, each one drank from it what suited him according to what was decreed for him, necessitated by his state in the completion of affairs and the dispositions of judgments. This is because the honored light has various colors, numerous states, many divisions, and praiseworthy attributes, and each one drank a specific color and a specific type from his light (upon him be the best prayers and purest peace). Our master Jesus drank from it according to what the station required, so he attained the station of proximity, which is a station that leads its possessor to wandering and traversing the earth on foot. Our master Abraham drank from it, so he attained the station of mercy and humility with perfect contemplation continuously; you see him when he speaks with someone, addressing him gently and speaking with great humility, so the speaker thinks he is humbling himself to him, whereas he is only humbling himself due to the intensity of his contemplation of his Master, the All-Knowing King. Our master Moses (peace be upon him) drank from it, so he attained the contemplation of the Truth, glory be to Him, in His blessings, goods, and gifts whose measure cannot be estimated. And likewise the rest of the prophets (peace and blessings be upon them).

So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the full moons of perfection, and his Companions, the stars of guidance and lamps of darkness, with a blessing that carries us upon the shoulders of piety and reverence, and through it pours upon us from the treasuries of Your mercy the gifts of grace and abundant favors, and suffices us through it against the evil of temporal calamities and the cycle of nights and days, by Your bounty and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. * Muhammad is the best of those sent, exalted in honor, * And the master of people in text and report. * This has come in the Book and in * The books of the prophets, recited and in tradition. * So hear his glories and understand his virtues, * And witness his proofs with reason and consider. * For before him, no repulsion was carried out * Against beasts, jinn, or humans. * Nor against heaven, earth, or phantom, * Nor day, nor night, nor rain. * Likewise the Throne and the Footstool, their light * Comes from his light, as reported in traditions and narrations. ⁴² * However it may be, the Merciful has favored him * Over the prophets, angels, and humans. * Special qualities with which the Lord of servants distinguished him * Surpassing the noble messengers, the luminous ones. * He attained all noble qualities, the excellence of his lordship, * And every virtuous deed is attributed to one who boasts. * He also attained all beauty entirely, * So the sun and moon are truly from his light. * He has the intercession on the Day of Gathering, comprehensive, * Without the prophets, there is no denial in that. * And He distinguished him with the Praiseworthy Station ⁴³ in a number * Of glories, as a reminder for the mindful. * His merits are too exalted to be encompassed * By any poetry or prose, however widespread. * O Lord, bless him as long as a moon is illuminated * And the doves sing in the branches and trees. * O Lord, bless him always, eternally, * As You love and are pleased, the manifestation of lessons. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the fountain of every grace and good, and the best of those who seek refuge in his mighty rank from every harm and distress, about whom it is narrated that David (peace be upon him) saw his light in the Psalms and said: "My Lord, I find in the Psalms a dazzling light; whenever I read it, my prayer niche trembles and my heart rejoices. What light is this?" So Allah revealed to him: "It is the light of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). For his sake I created the world and the Hereafter, Adam and Eve, Paradise and Hell." So David called out: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." And the birds and mountains answered him: "You have spoken truth, O David." And that is His saying, Exalted is He: "And indeed We gave David a favor from Us: O mountains, repeat [praises] with him, and the birds [as well]." ⁴⁴ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the delight of thoughts and minds, and the book of revelation with sound chain and traditions, who said: "Indeed Allah, Blessed and Exalted, created this prophet of yours before the formation of the worlds and the creation of all galaxies, like the Throne, the Footstool, the heavens, the earth, and what is in them and between them, and created the sun, moon, and stars after that as signs for those of insight." ⁴⁵ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those from whom You have watered hearts with the flood of his support and quenched them fully, and the most generous of those through whom You have illuminated innermost secrets with knowledge of him and folded hearts in love for him, who said: "Indeed Allah, Blessed and Exalted, divided the light from which He created me, and from each portion He created whatever He willed, and left for His awe as it was the first time, without any decrease." To Your like glory is attributed majesty and honor, * O Chosen One, exalted beyond the description of any describer. And a messenger whom the prophets gave us glad tidings of, * And a benefactor whose virtue the scriptures expressed. Sun of existence, whose knowledge is too exalted * To be defined by a lam or an alif. ⁴⁶ You surpassed the prophets in precedence when they were created, * And you were their seal in resurrection when they preceded. So you are the highest of them in rank and station, * And all of them acknowledge your superiority. When they passed away, you were their successor, * And from you no substitute is found, nor any replacement. 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 for Your message and selected, and the most majestic of those You adorned with the jewels of Your prophethood and entrusted with the revelation of heaven, about whom, from the perfection of his honor, it is narrated that Adam (peace be upon him) said: "I toured the heaven and saw the name of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) on everything I saw. I did not see any palace or chamber in Paradise except I saw upon it the name of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)." So Seth, son of Adam, said: "O father, are you better or Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)?" Adam rebuked him, but he repeated it a second and third time. So Adam said: "Muhammad is better than me by six qualities: First, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, married him to Khadija, who helped him in religion, while my wife, your mother Eve, was the cause of my expulsion from Paradise. Second, Allah the Exalted coupled his name with His name; He is not mentioned except that Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is mentioned with Him. Third, the Great Intercession on the Day of Resurrection. Fourth, he is the first from whom the earth will split on the Day of Resurrection; he will ride the Buraq ⁴⁷ and take the Banner of Praise in his right hand. ⁴⁸ Fifth, Paradise is forbidden to all prophets until Muhammad and his community enter it. Sixth, sufficient for you, O my son, is that Allah the Exalted said: 'O Adam, were it not that I intend to bring forth from your loins a prophet whose name is Muhammad, I would not have created you, nor created Paradise or Hell.'" So Seth (peace be upon him) said: "O father, pray to Allah to keep me alive until his time." Adam (peace be upon him) said: "Far from it! You will not reach his time." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, noble of family and homeland, possessor of the kohl-lined eye and beautiful face, about whom, from the perfection of his honor, it is narrated that Allah, Blessed and Exalted, commanded Jesus (peace be upon him) to believe in him, saying: "O Jesus, believe in Muhammad and command those of your community who reach him to believe in him. For were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created Adam; were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created Paradise or Hell. Indeed, I created the Throne upon the water, and it trembled, so I wrote upon it: 'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,' and it became still." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bridegroom of the Abode of Peace ⁴⁹ and the best of those through whom the religion was supported and the landmarks of Islam were made clear, about whom, from the perfection of his honor, it is narrated that Adam (peace be upon him) looked at the Throne and saw written on it: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." So Adam said: "O Lord, who is Muhammad?" Allah said to him: "He is a prophet from your descendants; for his sake I created you, and were it not for him, I would not have brought you into being. I will send him at the end of time as a warning to all nations, a witness over what they do. Whoever believes in him and affirms him, I will settle him in My neighborhood and grant him a lofty station in My abode. Whoever denies him and opposes him, I will bring down upon him wrath and humiliation, and settle him with the tormenting angels in the layers of fire. O Adam, by My might and majesty and the power that befits none but Me, I wrote this name on the pillars of My Throne a hundred thousand years before I created you and created the heavens and the earth."

Were it not for the Prophet, the Messenger of Allah, neither sun nor moon would have been created, and the truth is made clear ⁵⁰. Nor sky, nor earth, nor mountain, nor seas, nor water, nor clay, nor wild beasts, nor birds, nor humans, nor the fruits from which gardens come, nor life, nor death, nor any cause, nor certainty, nor disbelief, nor religion. And above the waters the Throne was raised, just as it was, without being encompassed by any formation ⁵¹. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the lofty station and the highest rank, the pole of sainthood ⁵², truthful in discernment and vision, from whose perfect honor it is narrated that Adam (peace be upon him) had some glances and saw in a leaf of the leaves of the Kursi ⁵³ nine lines. He prepared to read them but did not know how, so he said: "O Lord, did You not teach me how to read?" He said: "O Adam, I only taught you how to read in Syriac, and this is in a clear Arabic tongue." He said: "O Lord, who is this Arab?" He said to him: "The tongue of a child from My servants, and show me over them Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." Then Allah, blessed and exalted, taught him how to read those lines. In the first line was: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." In the second line: "Indeed, We have sent you as a bearer of good tidings and a warner, and you will not be asked about the companions of the Blaze." ⁵⁴ In the third line: "Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater." ⁵⁵ In the fourth line: "Take from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them to increase." ⁵⁶ In the fifth line: ⁵⁷ In the sixth line: "The month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed." ⁵⁸ In the seventh line: "Indeed, We sent it down during the Night of Decree." ⁵⁹ the verse. In the eighth line: "Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties in exchange for Paradise." ⁶⁰ In the eighth line: "And due to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House, for whoever is able to find a way." ⁶¹ In the ninth line: "And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment." ⁶² When he completed reading it, he said: "Glory be to You, You have indeed favored and honored this Prophet." Then he said: "O Lord, make between me and him a means and a cause." So He, blessed and exalted, said to him: "O Adam, say every morning and evening: O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of our master Muhammad, and have mercy on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad. For no one among your descendants says that except that he will come on the Day of Resurrection with light covering him and glad tidings seen on his face." So Adam (peace be upon him) began to say it at all times. Allah, blessed and exalted, said to him: "O Adam, since you have said it and complied with My command and called upon Me by Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy, I will reward you for what you have done and recompense you for your compliance." So Allah, exalted, clothed him with the robe ⁶³ and crowned him with the crown of honor and gave him the seal of kingship, which is the same that was sent down to Solomon (peace be upon him). When Allah, blessed and exalted, clothed Adam (peace be upon him), he looked at the crown and saw written on it: "There is no god but Allah, so worship Me; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those with him are severe against the disbelievers." ⁶⁴ Then he saw around the collar of the robe written: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." So Adam began to walk in Paradise, having been clothed by Allah, exalted, with such splendor and honor. He would not pass by any of the fruits of Paradise or its palaces without them leaning towards him and touching his clothes and his crown. Adam was alarmed at that and knew that there was a reason for it. He called out: "O Lord, what is this that I see?" So Allah revealed to him: "Do not be alarmed; they lean towards you only out of longing for Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and eagerness to touch his name that is written." Then Allah, exalted, commanded them to utter: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." So there is no leaf, branch, house, wall, brick, or anything that Allah has created in Paradise except that it says at the end of every hour of the days and nights of this world, with a clear tongue: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." The angels hear that and repeat it until the world ends. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the exalted name and the great majestic rank, from whose perfect honor it is narrated from Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "There is no leaf, tree, wall, table, ewers, plate, bowl, riverbank, bedpost, garment, jewelry, or anything that Allah, blessed and exalted, has created in Paradise except that it has written on it: 'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.' So He joined His name with his name and wrote that on them, just as He joined them in this world in the call to prayer ⁶⁵, to elevate his mention, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those from whose mouth the jewels of revelation are gathered, and the most knowledgeable of those in whom the unique pearls of sciences and paths of wisdom are collected, from whose perfect honor it is narrated that when Allah, blessed and exalted, wanted to send down the Kaaba ⁶⁶ to the earth, He suspended it between heaven and earth. The places knew that it would descend upon them, so the mountains longed and the regions stretched high, each one hoping that it would descend upon it. But the place where it was actually sent down did not stretch or long; rather, it said: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." So Allah, blessed and exalted, said: "Since you have said it, you are more deserving of it." So Allah, exalted, sent down the Kaaba upon it. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the treasure of gifts and secrets, the pride of sovereignty, the great in rank and status, from whose perfect honor it is narrated that when Allah, blessed and exalted, created all His creatures, He looked at them and said: "Do you know..."

Why did I create you? They all said: You know best, O our Lord. He said: I did not create you out of necessity, but I created you as a favor and originated you as a bounty. So be grateful for My craftsmanship in you and come to reward Me for what I have perfected in your formation. They said: Who can repay Your grace and how can one requite Your beneficence? The Majestic, exalted be His glory, said to them: Say sincerely: 'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.' For that I created you. So did every creature say 'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah'? Their voices rose and they raced to it, saying it, except Iblis ⁶⁷, may Allah curse him, for he said it only last among them, and his affair became what it became. 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 station and a magnificent rank ⁶⁸, and the most honored of those to whom You gave universal guardianship and great dominion. From the perfection of his honor is what is narrated in some traditions: that the first thing Allah, mighty and majestic, created was his light ⁶⁹, peace and blessings be upon him. That light came and oscillated and prostrated before Allah, glorified be He. Then Allah divided it into four parts: from the first part He created the Throne, from the second part He created the Pen, from the third part He created the Tablet. Then He said to the Pen: 'Flow and write.' It said: 'What shall I write, O Lord?' He said: 'What I am creating until the Day of Resurrection.' So the Pen flowed over the Tablet and wrote until it finished what Allah commanded. The fourth part came oscillating and prostrating to Allah, mighty and majestic. Then Allah divided it into four parts: from the first part He created the Intellect, from the second part He created Knowledge and placed it in the hearts of servants, from the third part He created the light of day, the light of the sun, the light of the moon, and the light of eyesight, and the fourth part He kept around the Throne until He created Adam, peace be upon him, and placed that light in him. So the light of prostration is from the light of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him; the light of the Throne is from the light of Muhammad; the light of the Pen is from the light of Muhammad; the light of the Tablet is from the light of Muhammad; the light of the Intellect is from the light of Muhammad; the light of Knowledge is from the light of Muhammad; the light of day is from the light of Muhammad; the light of the sun is from the light of Muhammad; the light of the moon is from the light of Muhammad; and the light of eyesight is from the light of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, abundant and exalted salutations. 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 name the rememberers utter, and the most excellent of those whose rank the praisers extol. From the perfection of his honor is what is narrated: that when Moses, peace be upon him, received the Tablets from his Lord, mighty and majestic, he saw in them the description of our master Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and the description of his community, and how Allah bestowed favor upon them. So Moses asked his Lord, and Allah, blessed and exalted, said: 'By My might, My majesty, and My elevation above all My creation, whoever does not accept the excellence of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, nor acknowledge it, nor know that he is the most excellent of creatures in My sight, has no faith. I swear by My might and majesty that I will show you what I have written in the Torah: that Muhammad is My servant and Messenger. If all My creation acknowledge that, well and good; otherwise, I will set against the deniers of his excellence and the excellence of his community My angels, and I will strike them with thunderbolts, and that will be My punishment upon them. O Moses, I opened the Book with the description of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him ⁷⁰, and I sealed the Torah with the name of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and I sealed the Gospel with the description of his Companions, and the opening of the Psalms is with the excellence of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. He is the best of those whom the sky has shaded; he is the Prophet of Mercy, the leader of the white-blazed ones ⁷¹, the Imam of the pious, the light of servants, the spring of servants, the mine of good, the refuge of knowledge. Know, O Moses, that Muhammad is My chosen servant, neither harsh nor coarse, nor requiting evil with evil, but he forgives and pardons. His kingdom is in Syria, his birthplace in Mecca, his abode in Medina, his army the Helpers ⁷²; he rides the she-camel al-‘Adba’ ⁷³. Whoever follows him is guided; whoever opposes him goes astray and errs. O Moses, say to the Children of Israel: Your faith in the Torah and Moses, and in the Gospel and Jesus, will not benefit you until you acknowledge Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and that he is sent to the mercy community, and that he is a preacher from the most faithful and an intercessor for those who have no means, and that mercy descends in his time, and in his era blessings descend. His birth is in the best of days, his resting place at his departure from the world is a garden from the gardens of Paradise, his religion is the best of religions over the religion of the messengers, his qibla ⁷⁴ and his law are the best of laws. Between his shoulders is the seal of prophecy ⁷⁵; his emblem is piety, truthfulness, and fairness; his garment is piety; his viziers are al-Siddiq ⁷⁶ and al-Faruq ⁷⁷; his disciples are Talha and al-Zubayr ⁷⁸; I have made his successor Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, the truthful in heaven and earth; ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, martyrdom hastens to him; ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan walks as a martyr on earth; Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, inaugurates the caliphate, and his caliphate is sealed by ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him. Whoever disbelieves in Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and denies him among all My creation, those are the losers, those are the regretful, those are the heedless.'

So glorified is He who gave the Prophet Muhammad from His bounty what He had not given to anyone before him out of love. A prophet whose satisfaction is God, sent to mankind to please Him, raised as a messenger, and his sender is the Lord. And He elevated for him a station in the Holy Presence, far above any description of lowliness or subordination. And He named him Ahmad so that he might be distinguished by praise. So perdition to a life that does not honor his name—perdition! O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the leader of the caravan of noble and mighty ones, the elite of pure chiefs in branches and roots, whose Ahmadic light was gazed upon, sweating, and from it dripped one hundred and twenty-four thousand drops of light, and from each drop a prophet or messenger was created. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the path of guidance and uprightness, the bride of the realms, shaded by the cloud. When the spirits of the prophets and messengers who were created from his light breathed, from their breaths were created the spirits of the pious, the martyrs, the poets, and the obedient believers until the Day of Resurrection. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the eye of outward and inward blessings, the best of those whose grave and places are honored above all lands. He said: "When God brought Adam down to earth, He placed my light in his forehead, then it passed from him to Seth, then to Noah, and so on from pure loin to pure loin until it reached the back of Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, and from there to the womb of Amina." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bride of assemblies and pulpits, the delight of thoughts and eyes. He said: "When God brought me out of the womb of Amina into the world, He made me the master of the messengers, the seal of the prophets, a mercy to the worlds, and the leader of the white-blazed ones. Thus is the light of your Prophet, O Jabir." So bless him, O God, and his family, the shining stars, and his companions, who are thanked in all sources and destinations, with a blessing that quenches us from the seas of his overflowing gifts and makes us inhale the fragrance of his fragrant breezes, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. The Most Merciful sent him as glad tidings to creation, and he is among them like a speck of dust among stones. And among the covenant of prophets, he is like a unique pearl in a necklace. He is the origin of all creation; his light existed before the cosmos in the fold of destiny. So he is the secret of the secret, the light of light, renowned from the light of the prophets' light. From him is the light of the Throne and the sun, likewise from him is the light of the Tablet and the noble Footstool. From him is the light of the Supreme Pen, and from his light is the intellect, likewise the light of sight. God created and originated from him, and from his light He originated the shining and brilliant ones. The light settled in the loins of Adam, then in Seth in the highest abode, then from loin to loin until the loin of Abdullah, the bright-faced one. Then appeared Taha, the chosen messenger, from the noble Arabs of the lineage of Mudar. The master of all messengers—sufficient is his saying: "I do not boast, but if one wishes, let him boast." O God, bless and grant peace to our master Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the means of opening, the light that dispels the darkness of sorrows. He said: "I was a light before God Almighty two thousand years before He created Adam. That light glorified, and the angels' glorification was by his glorification. When God created Adam, He cast that light into his loins. Then He brought me down to earth in Adam's loins, placed me in Noah's loins in the ark, cast me into the fire in Abraham's loins, then He kept transferring me from noble loins and pure wombs until He brought me out from my parents, who never met in fornication." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of intercession, the Kawthar, and the Basin, the best of those who healed hearts and purified them from the disease of ignorance and immersion. You linked Your oneness with his prophethood, so he deserved primacy in all primacies. He was the father of spiritualities, just as Adam, peace be upon him, was the father of corporealities. His prophethood became famous in heaven before his mission on earth. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the imam of the messengers, truthful in news and reports, the satisfier of the path, perfect in attributes and names. You created Adam's light from his light, placed his Muhammadan essence in Adam's loins, deposited it in him before his appearance, and made his virtue known to the angels, showing them what You had specially given him from prior knowledge, by teaching them the names of things. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the elite of the noble messengers, the pole of majesty, the lofty station. You created his noble body from Adam's clay, and created Adam's light from his light. For his sake, You made Adam a mihrab, a Kaaba, a door, and a qibla to which the lights and the righteous spiritual beings prostrated, peace be upon them. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of the people of earth and heavens, the succor of the worlds, the one whose prayers are answered. When You deposited his light in Adam's loins, You alerted him to his deposit and revealed to him the gravity of what You entrusted to him, after naming him an imam before the angels. You kept hiding his Muhammadan light under time until the outward of origins and channels separated. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the adornment of morning and evening, the best through whom the adversities of harm and hardship are repelled. You settled his light in Adam's back, and he heard a rustling like the rustling of birds. He said: "O Lord, what is this rustling?" You said: "That is the glorification of Muhammad's light." His light did not leave his back except by a covenant that he would place it only in the purified loins of men and the protected wombs of women. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the eraser of sins and transgressions, the goodness of nights and days. When You placed his light in Adam's back, the angels stood behind him in rows looking at him. He asked You to place that light in his face, so You did, and the angels faced him from the front. Then he also asked You to place that light in a place where he could see it, so You placed it in his glorifying finger. He raised it and said: "I bear witness that there is no god but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God." That was the first faith and submission. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the imam of Tayyiba and the Sacred House, the possessor of clear signs and great miracles. When Adam asked You:

Is there anything left of his light in his loins? I said to him: The light of his Companions remains. He said: Place it for you in the remaining parts of my fingers. So I placed the light of Abu Bakr in the middle finger, the light of 'Umar in the ring finger, the light of 'Uthman in the little finger, and the light of 'Ali in the thumb. And his light continued to transfer from a pure loin to a pure womb until it reached the loin of 'Abdullah, perfect in lineage, and the womb of Amina, chosen from the manifest goods of bosoms and wombs. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pole of supreme lordship, of great virtues, and the fountain of sweet tastes and drinks, who said: "Gabriel informed me, saying: O Muhammad, when Allah created Adam, He infused the spirit into his chest and commanded me to bring forth an apple from the Garden of Eden. I brought it forth, squeezed it into Adam's throat, and five drops fell. From the first drop I created him, from the second Abu Bakr, from the third 'Umar, from the fourth 'Uthman, and from the fifth 'Ali ibn Abi Talib." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those by whose mark the creatures are adorned, and the most generous of those by whose guidance and conduct the servants are guided, to whom it was revealed to Adam, peace be upon him, concerning his matter, and I said to him: "I am bringing forth from you My light, by which I intend the path through pure essences and noble roots, with which I boast over the lights, and I make him the Seal of the Prophets, and I make for him the best of the Imams, the Caliphs. I seal time with their duration, I lower the earth with their call, and I stir it with their followers." ³² O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the eye of the eyes of Your noble prophets, the Imam of Your chosen ones and Your great angels, who said: "Adam and his son Seth after them bequeathed concerning the trust of his prophetic light and the majesty of his chosen rank, and that he is the most noble of them, and that they should inform their children of the reality of this honor and the greatness of its station. And he made that a testament among them, transmitted as long as the lineage continued. So the testament continued, passing from generation to generation until Allah conveyed the light to 'Abd al-Muttalib and his son 'Abdullah, the father of Your Prophet, peace be upon him." So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the lamps of darkness, and his Companions, the majestic lions, a blessing by which we may be among those who strive in Your obedience, remain steadfast, and uphold Your Law and the Sunnah of Your Prophet with the most complete observance. And grant abundant and exalted peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. ❖ You are the one without whom no man would have been created, nor would creation have existed without You. ❖ You are the one from whose light the moon gains radiance, and the sun shines with the light of Your splendor. ❖ You are the one when You were raised to heaven, it rose and adorned itself for Your journey. ❖ You are the one Your Lord called out to, saying "Welcome," and indeed He called You to His nearness and favored You. ❖ You are the one who asked for intercession for us; Your Lord called out that it was not for other than You. ❖ You are the one through whom a destitute person, seeking intercession for his sin, gains victory, he and his father. ❖ Through You the Friend [Abraham] called, and his fire became cool, and it praised the light of Your brilliance. ❖ Job called upon You for the harm that befell him, and the harm was removed from him when he called upon You. ❖ Through You the Messiah came, giving glad tidings and informing of the attributes of Your beauty, praising Your highness. ❖ Likewise, Moses never ceased to seek intercession through You on the Day of Resurrection, seeking refuge in Your protection. ❖ The prophets and all creation, the messengers and the angels, are under Your banner. ❖ May Allah bless You, O banner of guidance, as long as a yearning one longs for Your abode. ³³ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the light of opening and the lamp of inspiration, the guide to truth that cuts through the proofs of doubts and illusions. When You willed to create him, You commanded Gabriel to bring You the clay that is the heart of the earth, its splendor and its light. So Gabriel descended with the angels of Paradise and the angels of the Most High, took a handful from the site of his noble grave, which was white and luminous, and it was gushed with the water of Tasnim ⁷⁹ from the flowing rivers of Paradise until it became like a white pearl with a great radiance. Then the angels circumambulated with it around the Throne and the Footstool, and in the heavens and the earth, the mountains and the seas. So the angels and all creation recognized Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his virtue, before Adam, peace be upon him, was known. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of the human world, the secret of the Furqan ⁸⁰ Book, and the light of the divine opening. When You willed to create his unique essence, You took a handful from Your merciful light and breathed it into the form of the Greatest Father and the isthmus ⁸¹ that encompasses the meanings of black and red, the element of the Adamic creation and the manifestation of the divine names.

The secret of the Muhammadan origination ⁸², for which prostration was made to the stature of the most eminent ⁸³ and the exaltation of his high and most glorious rank, until You said to him: "O Adam, if I have brought you down from the abode of proximity, yet I am near, I answer the call of the supplicant when he calls Me; and if you have suffered brokenness through expulsion from Paradise, I am with those whose hearts are broken for My sake; and if you have missed in heaven the chanting of the glorifiers, you have been compensated on earth with the groaning of the sinners, for the groaning of the sinners is more beloved to Us than the glorification of the glorifiers, because the chanting of the glorifiers may be tainted with pride, while the groaning of the sinners is adorned with brokenness. Were you not to sin and seek forgiveness, Allah would take you away and bring a people who sin, then seek forgiveness, and He would forgive them. O Adam, when your virtues appeared through knowledge, and knowledge is only perfected through action, and Paradise is not an abode of action and struggle, but rather an abode of bliss and contemplation, it was said: 'O Adam, descend to the earth of struggle, and be patient with the armies of desire through earnestness and effort.' It is as if you, with the past life, have returned to a state more perfect than that accustomed one. For through your expulsion from Paradise, your virtues were perfected and your means magnified; then you returned to Paradise in a state more perfect than the first, having attained the station of the most perfect honor. O Adam, had I pardoned you in Paradise, My generosity would not have been manifested by forgiving a single soul; rather, I brought you out of the world and afflicted you with thousands of sinners, so that I might forgive you and them, that My bounty and generosity might be praised. Had you not descended to the earth, the struggle of the strivers and the effort of the diligent worshippers would not have appeared, nor would the sighs of the repentant have ascended, nor would the drops of the sinners' tears have descended. So glory be to Him who, when He is kind to His servant in trials, turns them into gifts; and when He abandons a servant, his abundance of effort does not benefit him, but becomes a burden upon him. Adam learned his argument, and He cast upon him that by which He accepted his repentance; and He expelled the accursed Iblis after his long service, so his work became scattered dust. He said: 'Then get out of it, for indeed you are accursed, and indeed upon you is My curse until the Day of Judgment.' And when He places His justice upon a servant, no good deed remains for him; and when He spreads His bounty upon a servant, no evil deed remains for him. He bestows His favor upon whom He wills by His Samadani ⁸⁴ bounty, and withholds from whom He wills by His Wahdani ⁸⁵ justice. He made Adam, peace be upon him, the father of the corporeal world, and Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the father of the spiritual world. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the seasons of joy and congratulations, and his Companions, the brides of proximity and nearness, a blessing by which You purify my heart, raise my garden in the highest paradises, and make me attain, through Your pleasure and his pleasure, the ultimate goal and aspirations, by Your bounty and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the All-Merciful, the pupil of the eye of entities ⁸⁶, the breeze of the wafts of good pleasure and satisfaction, the elite of the beautiful mines, the source of generosity, bounty, and beneficence, the secret of the openings of divine remembrances and the sciences of the Qur'an. When You willed to create through his Muhammadan progeny ⁸⁷, which is the foundation of the existential worlds and the originated creation, You commanded Jibril al-Qadr ⁸⁸ to blow into the forms of the unseen spirits and the pockets of bestowed unveilings and the wombs of the angelic descents. Then the spiritual spirits and the luminous phantoms married, and the truthful virgin called from behind the veil of holy intellects and the pavilions of the Throne's curtains: 'Welcome, O key to the doors of entrance, and most noble Prophet and Messenger.' Then her womb conceived what it carried of the secret of the bride of the worlds and the master of the children of Adam and Adnan, and she brought him forth as it was said: 'Nothing more wondrous than what was is possible.' And as the Exalted said: 'There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves' ⁸⁹. And he, peace be upon him, said: 'I am the most noble of you in lineage, marriage, and honor; there is no fornication among my women from the time of Adam; all of us are through marriage.' And as the Exalted said: 'And your turning among those who prostrate' ⁹⁰ from prophet to prophet until I brought you forth as a prophet. And as Jibril, peace be upon him, said: 'I turned over the easts and wests of the earth and did not see a man more excellent than Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, nor did I see a father's sons more excellent than the sons of Hashim.' And as he, peace be upon him, said: 'Indeed, Allah chose Kinana from the children of Isma'il, and chose Quraysh from Kinana, and chose the sons of Hashim from Quraysh, and chose me from the sons of Hashim.' When the highest honor was perfected for him in the unseen world, and the evidences of the most luminous light shone for him, the usher of the Divine Presence ⁹¹ came forth announcing the birth of the best of creation. The angels of the spheres hastened to pledge allegiance to him, the imams of the pulpits and chairs proclaimed his sovereignty, the servants of the veils and curtains rejoiced at his appearance, the masters of states and consciences became intoxicated with the breeze of his fragrance, the birds of gnoses and signs proclaimed his tidings, and the herald of the Noble Book and the Mighty Address of Old called out: 'There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves; grievous to him is your suffering; he is concerned over you; to the believers he is kind and merciful' ⁹². This, while the wing of lordship fanned the face of the moon, and the herald of happiness announced the existence of the spirit of existence and the master of black and red ⁹³; the flashes of glory shone upon his lofty presence and his most luminous carpet; the eyes of divine care marveled at his auspicious ascendants and the manifestations of his most radiant secret; the pearls of bestowed benefit spread their unique gems in his noble assembly and his most famous gathering; the flowers of the Ladunni sciences ⁹⁴ fell in his fragrant meadows and his most blooming garden; and the cups of delightful tastes circulated among the souls of the lovers in his Hamdiyya ⁹⁵ pavilions and his most glorious station. When his prophetic birth was completed and his Mustafawi ⁹⁶ season of felicity was perfected, the present realities came to nurse him with their most holy breast, and the sciences of subtleties possessed him with the command of his most precious secret. They carried him to the station of 'two bow-lengths' ⁹⁷ in the howdah of blessing and safety, and placed him on the carpet of proximity surrounded by might and honor. When he attained the great station and the noble rank was raised for him, and he was given the Kawthar ⁹⁸ and the banner was unfurled for him, the worlds of mercy sought him for the Great Intercession, and the voices of grace called to him with acceptance and glad tidings. He prostrated beneath the Throne of generosity and bounty, and the True King, the Worshipped, called to him: 'Ask, and you shall be given; speak, and you shall be heard; intercede, and your intercession shall be accepted, O possessor of the Praiseworthy Station ⁹⁹, O My beloved, O Muhammad. For you are the Praiser and the Praised, and I am the Merciful, the Loving.' So he asked with the tongue of piety and righteousness: 'O Knower of the secret and the whispered counsel, where is the abode and the dwelling?' He said to him: 'In the highest paradises and the Garden of Refuge.' Then the witness of truth wrote on its gates: 'Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds—they will have the Gardens of Paradise as a lodging, wherein they abide eternally; they will not desire any transfer therefrom' ¹⁰⁰. And the herald of truth called out...

"And admit them with peace. That is the Day of Eternity. They will have whatever they wish therein, and with Us is more." ¹⁰¹ So bless, O Allah, him and his family, the seat of sovereignty and glorification, and his Companions, those of righteous deeds and sound opinion, with an everlasting blessing that neither perishes nor ceases, by which You shade us with the shade of Your glorious Throne and convey us, in this world and the Hereafter, to the honor of "more" ¹⁰², by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. The heart has settled, so live in bliss, O body; this is the enduring bliss forever. The spirit of existence is a life from the One who finds it; without Him, existence would not be complete and would not have come to be. Jesus and Adam and all the breasts are eyes, and He is their light when it came. If Satan had seen the radiance of His light on the face of Adam, he would have been the first to prostrate. Or if Nimrod had been awed by the light of His beauty, Abdul-Jalil ¹⁰³ with the Friend ¹⁰⁴ and what is with him. But the beauty of Allah is exalted and cannot be seen except by a specification from Allah, the Self-Sufficient. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the unseen openings ¹⁰⁵ and secrets, whom, when You willed to create his radiant essence and his goodly, lofty tree, You extracted him from the purest unions and protected him from the filth of indecencies and abominations, and You transferred him from noble loins to pure wombs, and his fathers were of excellent forbearance, abundant intellects, pure morals, lofty aspirations, noble souls, and obligatory virtues. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the locus of the secret ¹⁰⁶ and sainthood ¹⁰⁷, the lamp of bestowed sciences and knowledge, who continued to move through the loins of the prophets until his mother gave birth to him, and the recorders wrote five hundred [ancestors] and found among them no fornication nor anything of what the people of ignorance were upon, and the light of prophethood was manifest in his fathers, and he had no brother or sister from his parents in his birth, because their purity ended with him and their lineage was confined to him, so that he would be distinguished by a lineage that You made the ultimate goal for prophethood and the final end for the seal of the message. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the lamp of prophethood and sainthood, the truthful in speech and narration, whom You made the beginning for the spiritual worlds of spirits, the end for the luminous structures of the horizons, the guidance for the path of lordly openings and merciful gifts, the collection for the blowing of the breezes of divine mercies, the care for the masters of states and gnostic stations, the sufficiency for the people of trust, detachment, and struggle, the protection for the foundations of religion and Islamic laws, the knowledge of subtle sciences and secrets of delicate matters, and the safeguard for the meanings of existence and all the higher and lower realities. So he is the sphere of the luminous planets and the father of the pure, manifest, throne-like spirits; from him were extracted the lights of the poles ¹⁰⁸ as suns swimming in the spheres of stations, and the lights of the nobles ¹⁰⁹ as stars swimming in the spheres of miracles, and the four stakes ¹¹⁰ fixed the pillars, so by them the two weighty ones ¹¹¹ were preserved, and they removed the earth's tilt and motion, so it settled and was adorned with the jewelry of its flowers and the garments of its plants, and by their blessing it brought forth, so the eyes of creation delighted in its radiant sight, their nostrils in the fragrant scent of its breeze, and their tastes in the delicious flavor of its sweet fruit. And from him were sent the seven substitutes ¹¹² as a sending of a Wise, Knowing One, as kings over the seven climes, each region having a clime, and from him were appointed for the pole ¹¹³ the two imams, and He made them imams over the two times. When He originated from him the world to the utmost perfection, and there remained nothing in possibility more wonderful than what was, He brought forth his spiritual body as a mercy for the servants and manifested his luminous lamp as a light in all lands. So his Ahmadic reality ¹¹⁴ was the precedent, and the existential reality of things was subsequent to it. Thus appeared a necessary and truthful word that the final is the very same as the precedent. Then from the niche of his mission flashed the lightnings of the dawn of realities, and the elite of creation submitted to his universal call. He continued to strive in Allah with his sincere determinations, to organize the scattered parts of Islam after the divergence of its directions, to water the gardens of existence with the downpour of his mercies, to rain upon the realms of the kingdom with the fragrant breezes of his breaths, and to revive the landmarks of religion after their obliteration through the manifestation of his miracles and the shining of his signs, until the words of his religion and his conclusive proofs were perfected, and the complete blessing and best good were fulfilled for his illiterate community. Then he chose the Highest Companion and preferred the Hereafter over this world. So Allah transferred him, standing on the foot of safety, to the Abode of Peace and the Paradise of Generosity, and established him in the highest ranks of honor in the Abode of Permanence, and granted him the highest gifts of nobility on the Witnessed Day. So he is the witness and the witnessed, the praiser and the praised, whom He inspires in the Praiseworthy Station, possessor of the lofty station and the high degree in the enclosures of the most holy sanctity and the witnessing places.

Of the intimate companionship of the soul, and may God continue upon him the abundant blessings and the most honorable salutations, and the increasing benedictions, and upon his pure family and his righteous Companions, a prayer and salutation that never cease from him for the extent of eternity, and that numbers cannot contain forever (39) of forever. And praise be to God, Lord of the worlds. So you are the Messenger of God, the greatest of beings, * And you are to all creation, with truth, sent. Upon you revolves creation, for you are its axis, * And you, from the fire of truth, rise and are just. Your heart is the house of God, the abode of His sciences, * And a gate through which, from Him, one enters to truth. The springs of God's knowledge gushed forth from it, * So for every living being, from it, there is a watering-place from God. You were granted, by the overflow of grace, every one endowed with excellence, * So everyone has an excellence, through you, by which he is excelled. You strung together the scattered prophets, so their crown * With you, by kinds of perfection, is perfected. O extension of distances, the dot of His line, * And O summit of absoluteness, when it becomes linked in a chain. It is impossible for the heart to turn away from you, and indeed, * By your truth, I will not forget nor change. Upon you be the prayer of God, from Him, continuous, * A prayer of connection, from you, not disowning. A noble ark, and a high, lofty house, and an elevated, pure station, and a precious, subtle jewel, And a generous, chaste master, and a beloved, whose rank is great, and the shade of his prophethood is complete and flourishing, and a prophet Whose prestige surpasses every one who ruled, and whose fame suffices for definition. So pray, O God, upon him and upon his family, a prayer by which You secure us in places of bewilderment and intimidation, And by which You preserve us from inclining away from the path of truth and distortion, and by which You save us from obstacles And hindrances and the causes of idleness and procrastination, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those who Trod the earth and were shaded by the green [sky], and the master of the noble messengers and the father of the virgin al-Zahra', concerning whom It was narrated from Ka'b al-Ahbar regarding the descriptions of his praiseworthy perfections and his beautiful, radiant virtues, That when death came to Abraham, peace be upon him, he gathered his children, who were marked by preservation And protection and perfection of faith in prosperity and adversity, and they were at that time six, and he called for an ark, (40) and opened it, and said: "O children, look at this ark, surrounded by blessing and glad tidings." So they looked into it and saw houses after all the prophets, and the last of the houses and the most excellent of them was his house, may God Bless him and grant him peace, made of a green ruby. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those Whose prestige and highness were raised in the sanctuaries of holiness, and the most generous of those whose station and abode were raised in the highest paradises, Concerning whom and his Companions, possessors of care and high rank and prestige, it was narrated That when Abraham, peace be upon him, opened that ark, peerless and without likeness, he found him, May God bless him and grant him peace, standing in prayer, and on his right was the obedient elder, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, Written on his forehead: "This is the first to follow him from his nation and support his religion and increase his glory And praise." And on his left was al-Faruq 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, written on his forehead: "A horn of iron, A trustworthy one, severe, not fearing the blame of any blamer in [the matter of] God." And behind him was Dhu al-Nurayn 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, Holding onto his chamber, written on his forehead: "The third of the caliphs, the forbearing, the oft-returning [to God]." And before him Was 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, brandishing his sword on his shoulder, written on his forehead: "This is his brother and the son of His paternal uncle, supported by the victory of God." O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, Truthful in insight and vision, and Your chosen one, distinguished by the perfection of honor and the highest rank, Concerning whom, regarding the loftiness of his rank and the perfection of his glory and the honor of his lineage, praised in death and life, It was narrated that when Abraham, peace be upon him, opened the ark, he found around him his uncles, the caliphs, and the leaders Standing at what was prescribed for them in commands and prohibitions and all things, and the green multitude Which his chain encompassed, and they were his supporters, may God bless him and grant him peace, and a light shone from around him And circled around them like the light of the sun in the abode of this world. So pray, O God, upon him and upon his family, a prayer by which we die in Your love and live, and which is for us A cause for attaining happiness at the time of arrival and meeting, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. (41) O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the non-Arabs And the Arabs, and the best of those who ascended to the highest ranks and the loftiest stations, concerning whom You made his house in The ark of the prophets more excellent than houses of gold and reeds. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of Angels, humans, and jinn, and the manifestation of the sciences of the Essence and the jewels of the Qur'an, concerning whom You made His house in the ark of the prophets more beautiful than houses of pearl and coral. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the spirit of the body And the sustenance, and the best of those who manifested with the noblest perfections and attributes, concerning whom You made his house in the ark of The prophets more majestic than houses of chrysolite and ruby. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the light of the insight of The people of witnessing and direct vision, and the best of those whom the scriptures announced and the monks gave glad tidings of his mission, concerning whom You made his house in the ark of the prophets more beautiful than houses of pearls and precious stones. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of the people of The desert and the city, and the best of those whose fragrance diffused in the gardens of existence and spread, concerning whom You made his house In the ark of the prophets more radiant than the light of the sun and the moon. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of The black and the red (42), and the possessor of the crown, the diadem, and forgiveness, concerning whom You made his house in The ark of the prophets more fragrant than the wafts of musk and the scent of moisture and ambergris. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of the people of Seclusions and intimate companionship, and the element of noble qualities, pure in branch and origin, concerning whom You made his house in The ark of the prophets more desirable than the pavilions of the Abode of Peace and the Holy Presence. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of the bearers of The Throne and the people of the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, and the lamp of those with luminous insights and possessors of intellect, concerning whom You made His house in the ark of the prophets more radiant than the dome of the sky and the longed-for spectacle. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of the children of

Adam and 'Adnan ¹¹⁵, and the best of those who adorn themselves with the jewelry of truth and perfection of faith, whose house You placed in the Ark of the Prophets ¹¹⁶, more splendid than lofty chambers and the palaces of Paradise. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of joys and the great ones, the bride of the divine presences ¹¹⁷ and the preacher of pulpits, whose house You placed in the Ark of the Prophets to comfort hearts and delight minds. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, possessors of merits and glories, and his Companions of noble character and deeds, and his brothers among the prophets and messengers whom You selected from the purest elements and the noblest bonds, and protected inwardly and outwardly, and preferred over all the first and the last, with a blessing by whose blessing our hearts and innermost secrets are purified, and by whose love our hearts and consciences are enlivened, and by which You make us among those who, through following them and tracing their footsteps, attain the highest virtues and the most precious treasures, 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 who healed hearts from the disease of ignorance and blindness, and the most excellent of those who called creation to You and guided them, whose noble house You placed in the Ark of the Prophets, the most honorable and highest of prophetic houses. 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 established the ordinances of the Shari'a ¹¹⁸ and revived it, and the most generous of those who laid its foundations upon the paths of truth and built it, whose lofty house You placed in the Ark of the Prophets, the most beautiful and splendid of houses. 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 planted the trees of love in the gardens of hearts and watered them, and the most honored of those who harvested the fruits of divine knowledge from their branches and acquired them, by whom the Ark of the Prophets was honored, becoming among the most precious and exalted treasures in the sight of kings. 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 purified innermost secrets from the filth of faults and cleansed them, and the most noble of those who refined souls from human follies and purified them, whose house You placed in the Ark of the Prophets, made of a green emerald ¹¹⁹, and it is the last of the houses of the prophets, surrounded by his uncles, his successors, his leaders, and the green Ka'ba ¹²⁰ of the Emigrants and Helpers, who encircled him like stars in their sky. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, with a blessing that You accept from me as a gift to his pure soul and are pleased with, and by which we become among those who cling to the curtains of his noble Ka'ba and seek refuge in its sanctuary, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. And this is the description of the Ark in which are depicted the images of the prophets and noble messengers who bequeathed it from the time of Adam to Abraham, peace be upon him, until he bequeathed it to his noble sons, the eminent figures and stars of emulation and perfection, and alerted them to the perfect Ahmadian ¹²¹ Muhammadan images, which are the most honorable and splendid among creation, and the most complete in rank and highest in perfection, as transmitted by Ka'b al-Ahbar ¹²² and other historians and scholars of Islam. And we have drawn its form here as a blessing and a treasure to place in our journeys and dwellings, both in travel and residence, and as a protection for our families, children, and loved ones from the vicissitudes of time and the onslaught of nights and days. We ask Allah Almighty to grant us through it our goals and aspirations, and to make it for us a provision and support that we find on the Day of Presentation and Crowd ¹²³, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. My God, I ask You by the majesty of the Ark of Your prophets, the most exalted, and the might of their great station, and their most impregnable fortress, and the purity of their dazzling secret and their most brilliant light, and the loftiness of their magnified rank, and the vastness of their ocean of generosity, and by the secret with which You distinguished them until hearts became more receptive to what they say, ears more attentive to them, souls more content with what they brought, limbs more obedient to them, creatures more faithful in fulfilling their rights and quicker to answer their prayers, necks more submissive in obeying their commands and more humbled by the awe of their majesty, paths more illuminated by the lights of their guidance, and the rulings of their laws more pure; and by the sanctity of this Ark which encompasses their names, images, and attributes; and by the care of our master Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, their greatest bridegroom, their most renowned imam, the musk of their collars and the most radiant of their partings, that You irrigate our hearts from the flood of their most precious support and the gifts of their sciences and their most beneficial secret, and that You make us among those who love them and are beloved to them, who walk on their straight path and their most pure way, and that You feed us, O Allah, from the tables of their goodness, grant us the sweetness of faith in them, and draw our souls with attractions of proximity to their most luminous carpet and the gardens of their most ripe knowledge, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. * Muhammad is an image unlike images, * Rather he is like the full moon among bright faces. * His image is the secret of majesty which * Has baffled the intellects of mankind. * Nay, it is the light of beauty which * The sight fails to grasp its inner meaning. * Among the essences of the prophets it appeared * More splendid than the sun and the light of the moon. * And his most exalted house is an emerald * Famous among the houses of the prophets. * Around him are Companions who have encircled * Him as if they were a branch of blossoms. * May Allah bless him as long as a star rises * And the morning breeze blows, * And his family and Companions, as long as * The religion of guidance has triumphed through his party and prevailed. May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon His prophets distinguished by high ranks, May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon His messengers supported by proofs and miracles, May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon the sacred images depicted in the houses of the Ark, May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon the emerald of white beauty and the greatest father Adam, observed on the carpet of might with acceptance of repentance and pleasure, May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon the most radiant star of lordship and Noah, the intimate whose prayer against his people was answered, the younger father of mankind, May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon the clear light of prophethood and the third father Abraham, the Friend, who named us Muslims, May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon the noble element of honor and Ishmael, the patient sacrifice ransomed with a great sacrifice, May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon the lofty secret of glorious rank and Lot, who said at the time of despair...

From the reform of his people: 'If only I had strength against you, or could take refuge in a strong pillar ¹²⁴.' May the blessings and peace of God be upon the master who was given glad tidings from the All-Wise, All-Knowing, and upon Ishmael ¹²⁵ the righteous and blessed, and upon his father in the Wise Remembrance ¹²⁶. May the blessings and peace of God be upon the perfect in certainty ¹²⁷, the majestic and glorious, and upon Jacob ¹²⁸, who was favored by being reunited with the apple of his eye through his beautiful patience. May the blessings and peace of God be upon the beauty of the red ruby of the soul ¹²⁹, and upon Joseph ¹³⁰, the noble, perfect in virtues, sold for a paltry price. May the blessings and peace of God be upon the light of the yellow ruby in the darkness ¹³¹, and upon Moses ¹³², chosen over people for the message and favored with speech. May the blessings and peace of God be upon the pure gold of mines ¹³³ in its value, and upon Aaron ¹³⁴, the brother of the prophet, beloved and loved among his people. May the blessings and peace of God be upon the alchemy of the purest gold essence ¹³⁵, and upon David ¹³⁶, who was given wisdom and decisive speech, the noble caliph. May the blessings and peace of God be upon the purest silver ¹³⁷, and upon Jesus ¹³⁸, the Spirit of God, who healed the blind and the leper. May the blessings and peace of God be upon the one crowned with the crown of glory in his perfect majesty, and upon Solomon ¹³⁹, to whom the wind was subjected, who was given a kingdom that none after him should attain. May the blessings and peace of God be upon the jewel of spiritual souls ¹⁴⁰, the substance of divine effusions, the lamp of lordly openings, the throne of the establishment of the Merciful kingdom, the comprehensive barzakh ¹⁴¹ uniting the meanings of the realities of the human creation, our master and lord Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, the treasure of gnostic gifts, the source of eternal sciences. So bless him, O God, and his family, with an accepted, complete, sublime, good, blessed, pure, growing blessing that befits his noble station, his lofty rank, and his pure, perfect, complete lineage, and grant him abundant peace. And praise be to God, Lord of the worlds. May the blessings and peace of God be upon His messengers and prophets, upon His saints and beloved ones, upon His fragrance and His chosen ones, upon His emissaries and trustees, upon His noble ones and pious ones, upon the noble messengers, upon the full moons ¹⁴², upon the righteous and generous, upon the leading guides, upon the noble chiefs, upon the chosen elite, upon the companions of His presence and the lamps of His lights, upon the springs of His wisdom and the treasures of His secrets, upon the landmarks of His guidance and the lamps of His regions, upon the assemblies of His blessings and the places of His remembrance, upon the treasurers of His unseen and the veils of His coverings, upon the loci of His gaze and the rising places of His moons, upon the people of His love and affection, upon His vicegerents on His earth and in His lands, upon His nobles, poles ¹⁴³, and stakes ¹⁴⁴, upon His servants and ascetics, upon the helpers of His religion and the ways of His guidance, upon the keys to the doors of His pleasure, upon the gifts of His bounty and beneficence, upon the people of His sainthood and the leaders of His notables, upon the kings of His family and the brides of His gardens, upon the proofs of His companionship and the signs of His evidence, upon the gifts of His grace and the affections of His favor, upon the defenders of His religion and the bearers of His laws, upon the treasures of His revelation and the houses of His trusts, upon the seas of His knowledge and His gifts, upon the notables of His community and His schools, upon the manifestations of His descents and His self-disclosures, upon the sources of His inspirations and His receptions, upon those crowned with the crown of His might and honor, upon those commanded to convey His trusts and deposits, upon those adorned in the robes of His glory and perfections, upon those chosen to convey His tidings and messages, upon the gifts of His hands and the eyes of His mercies, upon the materials of His effusions and the breezes of His breaths, upon the stars of His worlds and the landmarks of His guidance, upon the ways of reaching Him and the imams of proximity to Him, upon the orators of the holy presences, upon the gatherings of spiritual and sensory benefits, upon those of good and pure states, upon the possessors of accepted and pleasing deeds, upon those of illuminated and lofty insights, upon the people of purified bodies and unseen unveilings, upon those of lordly openings and flashes of joys, upon the assemblies of felicity and blessings and the scenes of good things, upon the lamps of religion and the world, upon the people of the high station and the lofty rank, upon the cultivators of sciences and wisdoms, upon the keys to the doors of generosity and munificence, upon the strongholds of felicity and security, upon the gardens of contentment and pleasure, upon those of high stations and lofty ranks, upon those of firm feet and obedient souls, upon the generous ones protected from lying and betrayal, upon the emissaries regarded with the eye of preservation and protection, upon the elements of righteousness and success, upon the means of good and prosperity, upon the treasures of gifts and profits, upon the mines of pardon and forgiveness, upon the seasons of festivals and joys, upon the life of spirits and bodies, upon those of fragrant breaths and bright faces, upon the shining stars and beautiful chiefs, upon the treasuries of the hidden secret, upon the people of the known station, upon the servants of the highest carpet.

May the blessings and peace of God be upon the people of delightful and sweetest spiritual tastes ¹⁴⁵, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their pure bodies and radiant graves, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their dazzling miracles and manifest wonders ¹⁴⁶, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their exalted station and growing virtues, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their lofty presence and noble forms, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their pure presence and beauteous forms, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their virtuous presence and pious forms, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their Mawlawi ¹⁴⁷ presence and prophetic forms, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their holy presence and chosen forms ¹⁴⁸, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their angelic presence and merciful forms ¹⁴⁹, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their majestic presence and awe-inspiring forms ¹⁵⁰, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their glorious presence and beautiful forms, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their magnificent presence and noble forms, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their sublime presence and wondrous forms, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their lordly presence and luminous forms, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their all-merciful presence and spiritual souls, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their eternal presence and stations of excellence ¹⁵¹, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their unique presence and their descending revelations of discernment ¹⁵². May the blessings and peace of God be upon their sovereign presence and their gnostic secrets ¹⁵³, may the blessings and peace of God be upon their glorious presence and their blessed essences, may the blessings and peace of God be upon those among them who came later or earlier, may the blessings and peace of God be upon our mother Eve and our father Adam, may the blessings and peace of God be upon the companions of the intimate divine presence ¹⁵⁴, may the blessings and peace of God be upon the rising places of blessed lights ¹⁵⁵, may the blessings and peace of God be upon the pure and noble spirits, may the blessings and peace of God be upon those of lofty and magnificent stations, may the blessings and peace of God be upon the sanctified and pure spirits, may the blessings and peace of God be upon the illuminated and fragrant hearts, may the blessings and peace of God be upon the people of overwhelming signs ¹⁵⁶, may the blessings and peace of God be upon the people of widely transmitted virtues ¹⁵⁷, may the blessings and peace of God be upon the people of excellent ranks, may the blessings and peace of God be upon the kings of this world and the Hereafter, (50) may the blessings and peace of God be upon His noble messengers, may the blessings and peace of God be upon His great vicegerents, may the blessings and peace of God be upon our Prophet and upon the angels brought near, may the blessings and peace of God be upon our Prophet and upon all the prophets and messengers, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, and our final call is that praise be to God, Lord of the worlds. Your station, O Pole of Existence ¹⁵⁸, Muhammad, is great and magnified before the Generous Lord. You are the highest of messengers in means ¹⁵⁹, you are the tongue of revelation, you are the one addressed. You are the one who has intercession for creation, you are the orator of the messengers, you are the foremost. You are the one upon whom our God sent blessings, and His angels and the believers, and they greeted you. So fulfill my hope in you, O best of intercessors, O best of those who pardon graciously and judge. O masters whose graves surround the Friend ¹⁶⁰, and who have a sign above the highest ones. O prophets of God, O those whose station is more sublime, more radiant, and more magnificent than others. If you wish us, it is a favor and a grace upon us, and you are more merciful to the poor. Are we not but servants in your presence? And you, by God, know the state best. O those upon whom God pours the rain of their gifts upon all people—indeed, the people are you. Through you the fearful and terrified seek refuge, who have committed destructive sins, and so are saved. Through you the servant seeks help in what befalls him, and thus attains the desired goal from you and gains profit. Is there not among you that Friend ¹⁶¹ who has a glorious station before which the stars retreat? Is he not, after the Chosen One ¹⁶², the most perfect of creation, the highest in rank, the most exalted and greatest? Is he not the elder of the prophets and their crown? Is he not the embroidered pattern of mastery? Is there above him except the Beloved ¹⁶³? His station is more precious, more radiant in perfection, and more generous. Upon all of them our Lord sent blessings and peace, and they all sent blessings and peace upon them. O God, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, (51) the crescent of seasons and festivals, the pillar of honor chosen from the root of glorious and noble ancestors, the pearl of truth sent as a mercy to all servants, the bestower of abundant gifts of support and aid, the bright-eyed one whose virtue is renowned in every tribe and assembly, the means of nearness whose love is fixed in the innermost heart and core, the best of predecessors and successors, the one to whom the parable applies in His saying: "God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp; the lamp is in a glass; the glass is as a shining star kindled from a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if no fire touched it—light upon light" ¹⁶⁴. So send blessings, O God, upon him and upon his family, the noble leaders, the masters, and his companions, the learned scholars, the critical examiners, a blessing by which we become among the elite of the elite and the distinguished individuals of the knowers ¹⁶⁵, and among the God-fearing, the heads of the trusting ascetics, and among the lovers enraptured by his remembrance in the pavilions of nearness and the retreats of intimacy and solitude, and grant abundant and exalted peace. And praise be to God, Lord of the worlds. O God, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the good and noble tree, the pearl of truth chosen from the pure and magnificent soil. O God, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the holy and great tree, the pearl of truth whose light was transmitted through radiant and comely faces. O God, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the perfect and sublime tree, the pearl of truth whose prophethood was announced in revealed books and bygone ages. O God, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, extending from the tree whose root is firm and whose branch is in heaven, the pearl of truth adorned with the jewels of attributes and names. O God, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, (52) the pillar of honor extending from the tree abundant in goodness and growth, the pearl of truth who intercedes with his light to heal hearts from the darkness of ignorance and blindness. O God, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree whose root is deep and whose glory is great, the pearl of truth chosen from the progeny of Ishmael the sacrificed and Abraham the Friend. O God, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree whose shade is dense and whose station is magnificent, the pearl of truth selected.

From the progeny of Noah, Idris, Seth, and the glorious Adam. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of ripe branches and fruits, and the pure essence of truth of good branch and lineage. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of radiant appearances and noble traits, and the essence of truth without peer in spirits and forms. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of splendor and beauty, and the essence of truth whose form is poured into the mold of goodness and perfection. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of proximity and union, and the essence of truth whose love is fixed in the consciences of the people of intimacy and endearment. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of prophethood and messengership, and the essence of truth observed ¹⁶⁶ with the eye of veneration and majesty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of trees extending from the tree of modesty and faith, and the essence of truth protected from the accidents of betrayal and concealment. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of spiritual gifts and gnoses, and the essence of truth distinguished with the most precious of divine sciences and secrets of subtle realities. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of generosity and munificence, and the essence of truth praised for the great character in Surah Nun and the Pen. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of the meanings of: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Ya Sin. By the wise Quran, indeed you are among the messengers on a straight path," and the essence of truth witnessed for him with complete care in His saying: "There has certainly come to you a messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; he is concerned for you and to the believers is kind and merciful." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of light preceding in pre-eternity, and the essence of truth clad in the garments of knowledge and action. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of divine unity and the lights of the Essence, and the essence of truth encompassing the scattered beauties and perfections of attributes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of love and election, and the essence of truth illuminated by his light in the station of witnessing and concealment. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending between lordship and honor, and the essence of truth observed with the eye of care in the school of discipline and education. (54) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of Mount Sinai of theophanies, and the essence of truth supported by the secrets of revelation and the jewels of receptions. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of gifts and sciences, and the essence of truth, the outward and inward, whose reality is known only to the One, the Self-Subsisting. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of the glories of "I was a hidden treasure, unknown," and the essence of truth whose reality is concealed within an inner secret not unveiled. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree planted in the holy land and the highest station, and the essence of truth whose rank is elevated by Your saying to him: "Ta Ha. We have not sent down the Quran to you to cause you distress, but only as a reminder for those who fear [Allah]—a revelation from He who created the earth and the highest heavens, the Most Gracious, established above the Throne. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth and whatever is between them and whatever is under the soil. And if you speak aloud—then indeed, He knows the secret and what is [even] more hidden. Allah—there is no deity except Him. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names." So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing that makes us among those for whom happiness and goodness have preceded from You, and whom You have brought near to Your carpet until they were two bow-lengths or nearer, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the divine tree under whose shade the strong and the weak travel, and the essence of truth whose hand You have spread in Your kingdom and placed in his hand the pen of judgment and disposal. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the merciful tree under whose shade the lowly and the noble travel, and the essence of truth ¹⁶⁷ to whom You granted the station of proximity and raised his lofty rank above all other prophets and messengers.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the eternal tree ¹⁶⁸ under whose shade the kings and rulers walk, and the pearl of truth by whose guidance the people of asceticism and spiritual wayfaring ¹⁶⁹ are guided. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the luminous tree ¹⁷⁰ under whose shade the rich and the needy walk, and the pearl of truth by which You illuminated the cosmos and dispelled the darkness of the night of doubt. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the solitary tree ¹⁷¹ under whose shade the poor and the destitute walk, and the pearl of truth whose rank You exalted and to whom You granted the highest degrees of honor and empowerment. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the gnostic tree ¹⁷² under whose shade the young and the old walk, and the pearl of truth whom You crowned with the crown of divine care and seated upon the throne of lordship and precedence. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the merciful tree ¹⁷³ under whose shade the near and the far walk, and the pearl of truth who possessed souls through his spirituality and drew hearts by the splendor of his unique beauty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the majestic tree ¹⁷⁴ under whose shade the lowly and the exalted walk, and the pearl of truth by whom the abased are honored and the afflicted and the sick seek healing through his blessing. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing that shelters us under his protective shade, treats us with Your beautiful kindness, and honors us with Your bestowed gifts and abundant generosity, and grant abundant and exalted peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of love ¹⁷⁵ under whose shade the lover walks for fifty thousand years, and the lofty rank chosen for lordship before the creation of the Throne, the Footstool, the Tablet, the Pen, and all creatures. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of honor extending from the tree of love under whose shade the lover walks as long as nights and days endure, and the adornment of companionship whom You made a mercy for servants and through whom You united the community of faith and Islam. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of love under whose shade the lover walks as long as time and eternity endure, and the great aspiration whose knowledge suffices without family, tribes, parents, or children. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of love under whose shade the lover walks as long as the holy breezes blow from the treasuries of the unseen, and the abundant portion through whom needs are fulfilled, desires attained, and the sought-after is obtained. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of love under whose shade the lover walks as long as the One, the Unique King endures, and the protected infallible ¹⁷⁶ who is like the pupil to the eye and the soul to the body. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the tree of love under whose shade the lover walks as long as the Singular, the Eternal King endures, and the patron of grace who attained a rank of honor and nobility in which none shared with him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of love under whose shade the lover walks as long as the Living, the Self-Subsisting King endures, and the fountain of mercy who perfumed the cosmos with the fragrant rose of his garden. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the springs of knowledge and sciences, and his companions, the lovers, by their virtues as long as the rulings of the Law and its customs are studied, a blessing that gives us to drink from the sealed nectar of his drink and grants us from the subtleties of his beneficence and the gifts of his hidden secret, and grant abundant and exalted peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of opening ¹⁷⁷ extending from the treasuries of the hidden secret and the mine of forgiveness and pardon, whose flashes of divine care are "Be, and it is." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of opening extending between the subtleties of preserved knowledge and the path of guidance and sincere counsel, pointing to the perfection of his Muhammadan reality by Your words: "Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe, you are not, by the grace of your Lord, a madman. And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted." ¹⁷⁸ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of opening shining from the eye of reality for those of insight and discernment, and the completion of the benefits of the explanation by whose manifestation of divine care the Book spoke and the reports were transmitted successively. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of opening shining for those of knowledge and understanding, and the rain of perpetual bestowal by whose secret of divine care the treasuries of the unseen and the hidden mysteries were opened. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of opening shining upon the hearts of the saints and the righteous, and the treasure of gifts and profit obtained by the people of speciality and the great individuals who have arrived. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of opening shining upon the foremost of the people of seclusion and solitude, and the unique pearl of praise by whose remembrance the hearts of the people of longing and love find solace. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the noble chiefs, and his companions, the venerable masters, a blessing that guides us to the path of opening and right guidance and conveys us to Your pleasure and his pleasure, the ultimate goal and desire, and grant abundant and exalted peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of opening...

The tree of prophethood ¹⁷⁹ that gathered from every spiritual form its most radiant, and borrowed from every luminous flash its lights. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of opening ¹⁸⁰ that attained from every samadani ¹⁸¹ station its highest, and inhaled from every lordly breeze its most fragrant. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of prophethood that refined from every gnostic station its most sublime, and acquired from every merciful gift its most exalted. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of prophethood that was given from every eternal portion its most pleasing, and alighted from every station its most hidden. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of prophethood that was bestowed from every manifestation its most glorious, and was watered from every holy draught its sweetest. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of prophethood whose basins overflowed with the wonders of divine wisdom, and whose meadows were fragrant with the blossoms of bestowed gnosis. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the tree of prophethood whose flowers burst forth with the precious jewels of sciences, and whose fruits were sweet with the plucked subtleties of truths. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, who are the stars of the heaven of guidance and its moons, and his Companions, from whose breasts gushed forth the springs of sciences and their secrets, a blessing whose repetition continues and whose lights shine upon the worlds, as long as the birds of consciences warble in their cages and their remembrances are sweet for the people of intellect in the seclusions of intimacy, and grant him abundant and exalted peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. God's gifts in the world and His chosen one, And from His creation, he is the guide of every bewildered one. By God, no female has borne or given birth To one like Muhammad, from far or near. The refined one, by whom God honored existence, And singled him out with signs and proofs. In a nation for which he was a guide, and it had No worship but of idols and false gods. The secret of secrets, the core of the core of Mudar ¹⁸², Absorbing excellence, unique, with no second. Protector of the sanctuary, master of masters, braver than Any who struggled for God in secret and public. No pride remained for the blessed to find rest in, Nor any helper for the tyrant and aggressor. And the religion of Islam became manifest With truth, so people are in blessing and faith. He replaced error with guidance and misguidance with right path In the earth and religion, one after many faiths. His brilliant signs are clear in the Torah, And in the Psalms, Gospel, and Criterion ¹⁸³. How many tidings of him before his mission Did we receive from reports and monks? Until the lights of his birth shone upon us From the Hijaz to Busra and Canaan. And the miracles, like the number of messengers, if written, Would not be counted by the rivers Sahan and Jayhan ¹⁸⁴. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the opening of divine openings ¹⁸⁵, the result of remembrance, the overflow of the lights of religious gifts, and the breezes of the secret whose luminous face shone like the full moon on the night of the full moon, so Umar ibn al-Khattab said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, how beautiful is your face, how sweet your speech, how truthful your words, how kind your affection, how wise you are, how gentle your nature, how lovely your cheerfulness, how splendid your company in the sight of Allah and people." So the pure one of fragrant breath said to him: "Do you know who I am, O Umar? I am the one from whose name Allah derived His name: Allah is Mahmud ¹⁸⁶ and I am Muhammad, and this is no boast." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sword of might and victory, the sultan of the great kingdom of rank and status, who said: "O Umar, do you know who I am? I am the one whose light Allah created before everything, and it prostrated to Allah Almighty, remaining in prostration for seven hundred years. So the first thing that prostrated to Allah Almighty was my light, and this is no boast." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of the sons of Kinana ¹⁸⁷ and victory, the crown of the people of care and pride, who said: "O Umar, do you know who I am? I am the one from whose light Allah created the sun and the moon, and the light that drowns in the hearts of believers from my light, and this is no boast." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the talisman of protection and restoration, the tongue of prohibition and command, who said: "O Umar, do you know who I am? I am the one for whom Allah created the Throne, and it trembled, and its trembling did not cease until He wrote my name with His name upon it: 'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah' was written on the leg of the Throne, and the Throne became still, and that was seventy thousand years before Allah created creation, and this is no boast." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the title of the secret and the public, the truthful in narration and report, who said: "O Umar, do you know who I am? I am the one through whom Allah made His joints sweat, so send blessings upon me before you listen to my mention, and bring me ten thousand years, and this is no boast." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, abundant in fortune and reward, the locus of struggle and patience, who said: "O Umar, do you know who I am? I am the one whom Allah created and I was formed upon the letters of my name: the head and face are like the meem, the hands when you pass them are like the ha, the belly is like the meem, and the two legs are like the dal. So this is Muhammad, and this is no boast." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the spirit of the secret and the command, the bride of the angels, the pure and fragrant, who said: "O Umar, do you know who I am? I am the one about whom the Trustworthy Spirit (peace be upon him) said: 'Do you know, O Muhammad, why Allah Almighty commanded us to prostrate to Adam, and we prostrated to him? He only intended thereby to honor him, because you were in his loins, and this is no boast.'"

The trace and the rock became firmly embedded in a league of a sinew; the labor pain brought it forth, but it resisted. He said, "Say, 'By the right of Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, unless you come out.'" When he said it, the she-camel came out, and no pride. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the vast of comfort, the broad of chest, the generous of courtyard, the blessed of forelock and rain, who said: "O Umar, do you know who I am? I am the one for whose sake Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said, 'O fire, be cool and safe upon Abraham,' when I was in his loins, and no pride." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the locus of praise and pride, the tongue of gratitude and thanks, who said: "O Umar, do you know who I am? I am the one whom Allah described in the Torah for Moses, in the Gospel for Jesus, and in the Psalms for David, and no pride." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the path of righteousness, the profitable gain and trade, the season of success, the blessed morning and dawn, who said: "O Umar, do you know who I am? I am the Praised One in heaven, Muhammad on earth, the Eraser in the seas, the Gatherer on the Day of Resurrection, Abu al-Qasim in Paradise, and the Final One in the Fire—no prophet comes after me, and no pride." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the veil of command and concealment, the antidote healing from the disease of vanity and pride, who said: "O Umar, do you know who I am? I am the First in remembrance and the Last in resurrection, I am the Gatherer, the Fugitive, the Erasing Messenger, and the Prophet of Mercy, and no pride." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of life and age, the light of insight for the intelligent and the inexperienced, who said: "O Umar, do you know who I am? I am the owner of the Pond of Abundance, the Praiseworthy Station, the Witnessed Presence, the pure spouses, and the elevation in ranks, and no pride." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy, ever cheerful and smiling, the remover of distress, the rescuer of those who seek his intercession from hardship and difficulty, who said: "O Amr, do you know who I am? I am the owner of the Banner of Praise; my banner reaches between the East and the West, and all the prophets, messengers, and envoys are under my banner, and no pride." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the owner of the toothstick and purity, the Messenger of Truth commanding shaving and sacrifice, who said: "O Amr, do you know who I am? I am the one whom Allah Almighty sent with the truth, and I struck with the veiled sword until the word 'There is no god but Allah' rose high, and no pride." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of noble honor, of generous kinship and in-law relations, the atom of truth that saves those who seek refuge with him from the onslaught of days and the storms of compulsion, who said: "O Amr, do you know who I am? I am the Arab Prophet, the Qurayshi, the Hashimi, the Meccan, the Medinan, the Tihami, the Abtahi, the bringer of good tidings, the warner, the illuminating lamp, and no pride." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the crescent of the message, the rising full moon, the light of prophethood that erases with its rays the darkness of polytheism and disbelief, who said: "O Amr, do you know who I am? I am Muhammad son of Abdullah son of Abd al-Muttalib son of Hashim son of Abd Manaf son of Qusayy son of Kilab son of Murra son of Ka'b son of Lu'ayy son of Ghalib son of Fihr son of Malik son of al-Nadr son of Kinana son of Khuzayma son of Mudrika son of Ilyas son of Mudar son of Nizar son of Ma'add son of Adnan, up to Adam and Eve, from dust and earth, from earth and from the zubayr, from the zubayr and from the yalwaj, from the yalwaj and from water, from water and from the atom, from the atom and from the mist, and from the mist from the light of Muhammad, 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 master of the people of Hunayn and Badr, the cave of protection, the refuge from the plots of the deceitful and cunning, who said: "O Umar, do you know who I am? I am the one for whom Allah has forbidden Paradise to all the prophets and messengers until I enter it with my community, and no pride." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the eraser of sins and burdens, the intercessor who lightens for his community what weighs heavily on the shoulders and back, who said: "O Umar, do you know who I am? I am Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace; be at ease of soul and comfort of eye, for you are among my companions on the Day of Resurrection, and no pride." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad. My master, O Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless you, grant you peace, bless you, honor you, exalt you, and magnify you. How great is your rank, how high your mention, how abundant your portion and reward! You are the one about whom your great minister, the awe-inspiring, speaking truth and correctness, Abu al-Mahasin, our master Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him and grant him satisfaction, said: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah! Your virtue with Allah has reached such a degree that He made obedience to you obedience to Him, for He, Exalted, said: 'Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah.' And He informed you of pardon before informing you of rebuke, for He, Exalted, said: 'Allah has forgiven you; why did you give them permission?'" My master, O Messenger of Allah, your virtue with Allah has reached such a degree that He sent you as the last of the prophets, yet mentioned you among the first of them, for He, Mighty is He who speaks, said: "And when We took from the prophets their covenant, and from you, and from Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus son of Mary, and We took from them a solemn covenant." My master, O Messenger of Allah, if Moses son of Imran was given by Allah a stone from which rivers gush forth, what is more wondrous than your fingers when water gushed from them? My master, O Messenger of Allah, if Solomon son of David, peace be upon them, was given by Allah the wind, whose morning journey was a month and whose evening journey was a month, what is more wondrous than the Buraq on which you traveled to the seventh heaven in your night, then you prayed the dawn prayer in al-Abtah? May Allah bless you. My master, O Messenger of Allah, if Jesus was given by Allah the revival of the dead, what is more wondrous than

The sheep when it spoke to you was a piece of it, and it was roasted. My master, O Messenger of Allah, Noah supplicated against his people, saying: 'My Lord, leave not upon the earth any dweller from among the disbelievers.' ¹⁸⁸ And if you had supplicated against us with the like of it, we would have perished utterly. Yet your back was trodden upon, your face was bloodied, and your incisor ¹⁸⁹ was broken, but you refused to say anything but good, and you said: 'O Allah, forgive my people, for they do not know.' My master, O Messenger of Allah, in your young age and short life, you attained what Noah did not attain in his old age and long life. For many believed in you, while only a few believed with him. My master, O Messenger of Allah, if you had only sat with those equal to you, you would not have sat with us, nor married among us. And if you had only eaten with those equal to you, you would not have eaten with us. Yet you sat with us, married among us, wore wool, rode a donkey, seated someone behind you, placed your food on the ground, and licked your fingers, out of humility from you, may Allah bless you. My master, O Messenger of Allah, you had a palm trunk ¹⁹⁰ upon which you would address the people. When the people increased, you made a pulpit ¹⁹¹ to make them hear, and it [the trunk] yearned for separation from you until you placed your hand upon it, and it became still. Your community was more deserving and worthy of yearning and weeping than the trunk when you departed from them, may Allah bless you. My master, O Messenger of Allah, Allah sent you from the noblest of tribes, adorned you with beautiful attributes and perfect qualities, and made the extolling of your praise and the seeking of intercession through your rank ¹⁹² among the closest of acts of drawing near and the most successful of means. And when you heard praises, you would be pleased and sway like a swaying branch. And you prayed for our master Hassan ¹⁹³ when he praised you, that he be supported by the Holy Spirit ¹⁹⁴, and you gave generously to poets with the most abundant gifts. I have offered you, from beautiful praise, that by which I hope, from your great gifts, the noblest garment and the greatest boon. I have praised you according to my capacity, my desire for you, my longing, my love, my service to your noble station, and my obedience. What can a praiser count of your noble qualities, or what can a poet or prose writer extol of your great merits and virtues? They are beyond every speaker, although it has reached us that you said: 'Whoever praises me, even with a single verse, I will be an intercessor for him on the Day of Resurrection from every terrible calamity.' So accept my praises by your grace, O master of the last and the first, and receive them with your pleasure, O source of virtues and excellences. For you are described with noble character and beautiful traits, and you are the supreme intermediary ¹⁹⁵ and the open door of Allah for every supplicant. May Allah bless you and your family, O you by whom Quraysh was honored, and Kinana and Mudar were exalted. May Allah bless you and your family, O you to whom the lizard and the gazelle spoke, and the tree answered your call. May Allah bless you and your family, O light of insight and sight, and master of the desert and city dwellers. May Allah bless you and your family, O you from whose light the shining stars, the sun, and the moon were illuminated. May Allah bless you and your family, O you from whose light the buds of roses, jasmine, sweet basil, and varieties of flowers opened. May Allah bless you and your family, O you whose station with Allah is higher and more renowned than every station, and whose rank ¹⁹² with Allah is loftier and greater than every rank. O my master, O Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant him intercession for us, O my Master, by his rank ¹⁹² with You, and illuminate my heart with obedience to him and the lights of his guidance, and grant me success in what pleases You and pleases him, and watch over me in both abodes with the eye of his care, and be gentle with me in all gentleness, and take charge of me with his protection and guardianship, and gird me with the sword of his prophetic victory, and place me in his secure fortress and protection, by Your grace, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. ❖ Seek refuge in the rank of the Hashimite, the banner, ❖ The chosen one of the Lord from among the nations. ❖ And say, O best of those sent ❖ With guidance, may your mercy save from illness. ❖ You are the light of Allah, radiant, ❖ Illuminating creation and character. ❖ You are the secret of the cosmos, O moon ❖ Shining, guiding from darkness. ❖ You are the succor of the guided, and one ❖ Whose bounty is recited before every [illegible]. ❖ You are the spirit of the spirit, awaiting ❖ The high glories and aspirations. ❖ You are the spirit of the glorious, ❖ And you are the heaven of bounty and generosity. You are the dawn of truth, ascending. You are the adornment of time, unique. You are the crown of the messengers, their pride, O Imam of the messengers, and O By you truth arose, radiant. By you religion went, rejoicing. And by you the archway ¹⁹⁶ was split, And by you time became more spacious. You appeared on the horizon of guidance as a moon, None can enumerate your worth, Allah sent a grandfather ¹⁹⁷ for a branch ¹⁹⁸ And he hopes from you generosity. Breaking polytheism and idols, Fulfilling the covenant and pledges. Your hand is the foremost over the nations, Savior of the sinner from the fire. It spread in the West and among the non-Arabs, Joyfully with judgment and wisdom. When fortune shone in service, And he rose and will walk with pride. In the darkness of oppression and wrongs, Neither the Tablet nor the Pen ¹⁹⁹. With distance from your arrow's reach ²⁰⁰, Chosen by grace, sealed. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those by whom the paths and ways were made clear, and by whom the abodes of settlement and descent in the highest paradises were honored. He, when You desired to create the creatures, lower the earths, and raise the heavens, You took a handful of Your light and said to it: 'Be Muhammad,' may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and it became a pillar of light, and it shone until it reached the veil of Majesty, and it prostrated and said: 'Praise be to Allah.' And You said to him: 'For this I created you, and I named you Muhammad. From you I begin creation, and with you I seal the messengers.' 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 mention sweetens tongues, and the most noble of those by whose exalted glory fathers and forefathers are honored. He, whose light You divided into four parts: from the first part You created the Tablet, from the second the Pen. Then You said to the Pen: 'Write.' And the Pen trembled from Your awe for a thousand years, and it said to You: 'O Lord, what shall I write?' You said to it: 'Write: There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.' So the Pen wrote that, and it was guided to Your knowledge concerning Your creation, and it wrote the children of Adam from his loins: whoever obeys Allah, You admit him to Paradise, and whoever disobeys Him, You admit him to the Fire. Likewise the nation of Noah: whoever obeys Allah, You admit him to Paradise, and whoever disobeys Allah, You admit him to the Fire. Likewise the nation of Abraham, likewise the nation of Moses, likewise the nation of Jesus.

Thus it continued until the Pen reached his community—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and it wrote: "The community of Muhammad. Whoever obeys Allah, He will admit him to Paradise; and whoever disobeys Allah, He intended to write that He would admit him to the Fire." Then a call came from before you: "O Pen, be courteous!" So the Pen split and broke by the Hand of Power, and that became a habit in the Pen: it does not write unless it is split and broken. So I said to it: "Write: a sinful community, and a Forgiving Lord." Then from the third portion the Throne was created. Then the fourth portion was divided into four parts: from the first part, the Intellect was created; from the second, Knowledge; from the third, the light of the sun and the moon, the light of eyesight, and the brightness of the day—and all these lights are from the light of Muhammad the Chosen (69), may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Thus he was the origin of all created things. Then the fourth part of the light remained deposited beneath the Throne until Adam was created, and I deposited that light in his back, and I made the angels prostrate to him, and I admitted him to Paradise. The angels would stand behind him—peace be upon him—in rows, gazing at the light of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Adam said: "O Lord, who are these angels standing behind my back in rows?" I said to him: "O Adam, they are gazing at My Beloved and My Chosen from among My creation, Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the Seal of the Prophets, whom I will bring forth from your back." Adam said to You: "O Lord, place this light in my front, so that the angels may face me and not turn their backs to me." So I placed that light on his forehead, and the angels would stand before him, greeting the light of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and sending blessings upon him. Adam said: "O Lord, I desire that I have a share of this light, just as the angels have a share of it; so place it from me in a place where I may see it." So I transferred that from his face to his index finger of his right hand, and the angels would glorify (tusabbih), and the light of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would glorify in Adam's finger. For that reason, it was called the "glorifying finger" (al-musabbihah). Then Adam said to You: "O Lord, is there anything left of this light in my back?" I said to him: "Yes, the light of his Companions remains." He said to You: "Place it in the rest of my fingers." So I placed the light of Abu Bakr in his middle finger, the light of 'Umar in his ring finger, the light of 'Uthman in his little finger, and the light of 'Ali in his thumb. These lights continued to shine in Adam's fingers as long as he was in Paradise, until he ate from the tree; then I returned those lights to his back. So, O Allah, send blessings upon this Chosen Prophet, who is the origin of all these lights, and upon his pure Family and his righteous noble Companions—a blessing that makes us, through it, among those who comply with his command, who draw from the sea of his generosity and the gifts of his secret, who seek to attract his pleasure and the breezes of his goodness and piety—and grant abundant and exalted peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our Master and Patron Muhammad, and upon the Family of our Master Muhammad, the lamp of the ascetic poles (al-aqtāb al-zāhidīn) and the light of the insight of the solitary knowers (al-afrād al-'ārifīn), whose noble light commanded that he look upon the lights of the prophets—peace be upon them—and there overwhelmed them from his light that which made them speak, and they said: "O our Lord, whose light has overwhelmed us?" I said to them: "This is the light of Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah (70). If you believe in him, I will make you prophets." They said: "We believe in him and in his prophethood." I said to them: "Bear witness against yourselves." They said: "Yes." That is His—exalted is He—saying: "And [mention] when Allah took the covenant of the prophets: 'Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom, and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you must believe in him and support him.' He said: 'Do you affirm and take upon that My commitment?' They said: 'We affirm.' He said: 'Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.'" (Qur'an 3:81) O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our Master and Patron Muhammad, and upon the Family of our Master Muhammad, the best of those from whose overflowing bounty delegations draw, and by attaining whose proximity and union the great ones boast. When You willed to transfer his Muhammadan light from the loins of Adam—peace be upon him—You said to him: "O Adam, prepare yourself, sanctify yourself, purify yourself, glorify, and approach your wife in a state of purity from her, for My trust will transfer from you both to the child that will come from you." So Adam lay with Eve, and she conceived immediately, and her forehead shone, and the light gleamed in her eye sockets until, when her pregnancy was complete, she gave birth to Seth (Shīth)—peace be upon him—as the most perfect of males in form, the most complete in dignity, the most beautiful in appearance, the most perfect in stature, and the most balanced in creation, enveloped in light and awe. The light transferred from Eve to him until it shone in the lines of his forehead and blazed in the blaze of his countenance. Adam—peace be upon him—named him Seth, and it is said he named him "Gift of Allah" (Hibat Allah). When he matured, grew up, and became complete, Adam entrusted to him his testament, informed him of the station of what he had deposited, and made known to him that he was the Proof of Allah after him, the vicegerent on earth, the one who conveys the right of Allah to His friends, and that he was the second transfer of the pure atom and the radiant root. When Adam—peace be upon him—delivered the testament to Seth, he received it and preserved its hidden content. Then Adam—peace be upon him—passed away, and Seth—peace be upon him—was the executor over his children. Seth governed the people, and he promulgated the scriptures of his father and what was revealed to him specifically of the books and laws. Then Seth's wife conceived, and the light transferred to her until, when she gave birth, the light spread over Seth's child.

When he reached the will, Seth entrusted him with the matter of the trust ²⁰¹ and that it was their honor, and instructed him to alert his son to the reality of this honor and the greatness of its burden, and to alert his children to it. He made that a will among them, transmitted as long as the lineage continued. The will continued to be passed down from generation to generation until Allah returned the light to Abd al-Muttalib and to his son Abdullah, and then to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and to his family. 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 mention tongues utter morning and evening, the most excellent of those whose sight brings happiness to companions and associates. When he was placed before Adam, peace be upon him, and Adam looked at his radiance, beauty, description, the description of his time, his heart humbled, his forbearance grew, and the purity of his light, his asceticism, and his striving, and how he stood for Allah with His proof, he looked at the canopy of the Throne and saw written upon it: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." Adam said: "O my Lord, who is this whom You have clothed with piety and purity, given light and radiance, and I see for him a seal shining like the light of a lamp, and from between his eyes emerges a radiant light?" The call came: "O Adam, he is My beloved Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." Adam said: "And who is Muhammad, O my Lord, for whom You have made all this good?" Allah, mighty and majestic, revealed to him: "O Adam, he is the possessor of the pure Hanifiyya ²⁰² and the Great Intercession ²⁰³, the lamp of the people of Paradise and the light of the people of the world. Whoever clings to his light is saved and will be in his proximity in this world and the next. He is among My special servants, and I have not placed his name upon anything without granting with it victory and safety. He is abundant in blessing and benefit, known in the heavens, the earth, and the seas. I have named him in the heavens Mahmud, on earth Muhammad, and in the seas al-Mahi ²⁰⁴. So he had fame and a sign." Adam said: "Why did You name him in the seas al-Mahi?" Allah said: "O Adam, I erase through him every disbelief and polytheism, and I expiate through him every sin and darkness. He is coupled with intercession, and he is the last of the world, the first of the prophets in mention, the last of them in coming forth, and the first of them in resurrection on the Day of Judgment. I have not created a prophet more honorable to Me than Muhammad and his community. I transfer him with My care and protection through pure loins and purified wombs, and I place that light before him and behind him." Adam said: "I have taken him with covenant, pledge, and trust that I will not transfer him except through purified men and purified women." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of pure qualities, good morals, beautiful deeds, and commendable states. When his honored light was transferred to the loins of Seth, he inherited prophethood from his father Adam, and that light shone on his radiant face and beauty. His father Adam did not die until the prophet of Allah, Idris, was born, when he was eighty years old—I mean Idris—and all were upon the religion of Adam except Cain and his children. At that time, the Muslims were greeted by the angels. Then prophethood and messengership ended with Idris. When Idris was raised up, the interregnum ²⁰⁵ remained, revelation ceased, and people began to worship Allah according to their own opinions and desires as they wished. Some denied the resurrection, and some denied their Creator. The interregnum between Idris and Noah lasted two hundred years. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, noble of blessed birth in nights and days, pure of origin, blessed in months and years. When his light was transferred to the loins of Noah, peace be upon him, he inherited prophethood, and revelation descended upon him when he was four hundred years old. He remained in his mission for one thousand years less fifty, then lived after the flood for fifty years. Allah revealed to him after the flood a square tablet containing disconnected letters ²⁰⁶ which he did not understand because his language was Syriac and its letters were Arabic. Its reading was: "Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, and the angels and those of knowledge, standing in justice. There is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise. The Truth, the Self-Subsisting, has decreed that when time is reversed, idols are worshipped, and children are killed, Muhammad will be sent with justice and clarity, reciting the Quran and supporting faith. His time is the era of the appearance of the blacks ²⁰⁷, except that there is no prophet after him, and Allah will not break His promise. Allah bears witness to the truth." This was the first thing Allah sent down to the earth in the Arabic tongue, and Noah did not comprehend it. When death approached him, he said: "O Lord, what shall I do with the tablet that You entrusted to me?" Allah revealed to him: "O Noah, in it is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise. Cast lots among your sons, and whoever the lot falls upon is the inheritor of prophethood and messengership after you. Entrust him with the tablet and instruct him concerning it, and inform him that whoever among your descendants understands it is the best of your children." Noah cast lots, and the lot fell upon Shem. His father Noah said to him: "Allah has commanded me to entrust you with this tablet, for you are the inheritor of prophethood and messengership after me." He said: "O my father, I fear death." Allah revealed to him: "O Noah, tell Shem that I have removed death from him until he seeks it for himself." So he lived three thousand years, and none of the sons of

Sam ²⁰⁸ lived only as Luqman ²⁰⁹ of the Eagles, peace be upon him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of transmitted honor and the jewels of revealed revelation, whose noble light, when it transferred to the loins of Sam, inherited prophethood and messengership from his father Noah, and that scroll ²¹⁰ remained with Sam until the time of 'Abir ²¹¹ ibn Arfakhshad ibn Sam, who was his grandson. 'Abir saw in his sleep an angel teaching him those letters that were in the scroll, and the angel kept coming to him in sleep until he memorized what was in the scroll and knew its letters. Then he saw that angel split his heart—I mean the heart of 'Abir—washed it, returned it to its place, and commanded him to tell his son Hud ibn 'Abir that Allah Almighty had made him and his progeny speak Arabic until the Day of Resurrection. Then Hud, peace be upon him, was visited by an angel in his sleep with a scroll containing the letters of the alphabet ²¹², and he taught them to him as children learn, and he learned the entire Arabic language. Then he said to him: 'Tell your children: whoever among them finds the scent of musk, let him follow it.' Ya'rub ibn Hud found it and informed his grandfather, who said to him: 'Follow the scent, and where it stops, stop.' So he ended up in Yemen, and Yemen was named after him because his name was Yaman, and he was called Ya'rub because Arabic appeared on his tongue. Ya'rub settled in the land of Yemen and inhabited it, and he is the first father of the Arabs. 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 love is obligatory upon the people of faith and incumbent, and the most excellent of those crowned with the sash of prophethood and messengership, and incumbent. Among the perfection of his magnificent virtues and the nobility of his beautiful attributes is what is narrated from Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: 'It has reached me that Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Joseph, peace be upon him, cast lots ²¹³ in the loins of Adam, and beauty and comeliness went to Joseph, while radiance, light, intercession, courage, asceticism, humility, the Qur'an, guidance, the sword, the staff, the turban, certainty, the noble throne, the beautiful name, remembrance, lofty lineage, sublime victory, the pond of abundance ²¹⁴, the full cup, the praiseworthy station ²¹⁵, pure progeny, purified spouses, good character, eloquent tongue, contented heart, patient body, radiant face, manifest generosity, dazzling secret, clear signs, the supreme word, honor, steadfastness, jihad, prayers, obligatory fasting, the sacred months, enjoining good and forbidding evil—all these went to Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' So bless him, O Allah, and his family of lofty rank and great status, and his companions of sublime glory and honored lineage, a blessing by which one may be exalted in seeing his noble face and be blessed, and take precedence in the carpet of his praiseworthy presence, and advance by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Muhammad is the guide, the intercessor, and to him belong Peaks of virtue, some of which cannot be enumerated. Whose origin and essence are pure among mankind, For Allah has a pure origin and essence from which he comes. A noble prophet, intercessor and accepted intercessor, Merciful, pure, and purified. The imam of creation, the qibla of religion and guidance, By the light of his radiance, the gatherer of beauty, radiant. A prophet more luminous, more radiant, and more dazzling Than the shining sun, the forenoon, and the full moon of darkness. His mention surpasses the tales of Ma'n and Hatim ²¹⁶, And from him spread the traditions of virtues. Busra in Syria shone for him, and for Persia A fire whose heat blazed and was praised. The standards of Chosroes were broken on the day of his mission, And Caesar fell short of the least of his excellences. O seal of the noble messengers, upon whose Intercession in the gathering the little finger is pledged ²¹⁷, O sea of knowledge, sweet to drink, and how often We dare to approach his pool on the day of crowding. To your lofty door I have sought refuge, and whoever seeks refuge In it at a time of breaking shall surely be mended. By your name I am absolved of my sin, and indeed I know truly that through you it is forgiven. Upon you be the peace of Allah as long as a speaker utters Your mention, or a man prays when he remembers you. And as long as the lifeblood of a lover is spent in love, So your proof before Allah is more beneficial and more worthy. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the full moon of perfect radiance, the full moon of pure mines of origins and traits, the noble of stations, of pure nature and character. Among the perfection of his Muhammadan nobility and the care of his Ahmadine bride ²¹⁸ is what is narrated: that his pure light continued to transfer from a pure loin to a pure womb until it reached the loin of Allah's prophet and friend Abraham, who was protected from the fire of the people of disbelief and hypocrisy. Then two banners of light were set up for him, one in the east and one in the west, so the whole world became one color. And a pillar of light was set up for him in the middle of the world, reaching the canopy of the sky, having radiance.

And a humming, from whose beautiful humming the angels tremble. So the angels said: "O our Lord, what is this?" Then it was proclaimed: "Verily, this is the light of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the best of all creation, universally and absolutely." It is said that this light was raised for Ibrahim (peace be upon him), just as it was raised for those before him. So Ibrahim said: "My Lord and my God, I have not seen a creation more beautiful than this creation, nor a nation from the nations of the prophets more luminous than this nation." Then it was proclaimed: "This is Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). I have no beloved from My creation other than him. I caused his mention to flow while Adam was between clay and spirit, and you met him in the first pearl. And I am causing it to flow from one channel (qanā) to another until I brought him forth from the loins of your father to your loins, and from your loins to the loins of your father Isma'il, the fragrance of collars and necks. So rejoice, for I have commanded goodness and generosity to flow with him along the path of his channel (qanātihi). So nothing of goodness and generosity remained except that it flowed with him along the path of his channel." (76) So Ibrahim said to his son Isma'il: "Bravo, bravo! Congratulations to you, O my son! Allah the Exalted has singled you out with a light with which He has singled out no other. So I take upon you the covenant of Allah and His pledge that you shall not place it except in pure wombs." So Isma'il (peace be upon him) continued to adhere to that covenant and pledge. And they recited: His glory appeared be- fore the creation of Adam ۞ And his names were written on the Throne before. By his mission, all the prophets were given glad tidings ۞ And no messenger but for him he would intercede. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your Prophet, the humble and oft-returning (to Allah), and Your beloved, great in rank and station, whose protected light You deposited in the loins of Adam, and You recognized the measure of his lofty honor and the flashes of his hidden secret. When You wished to transfer it from him, You said: "Prepare for the transfer of his latent light in your stored loins, and glorify, sanctify, and approach your spouse in a state of purity from you and from her, for I am bringing forth from you both a light to transfer it into the most honored of pure loins and the noblest of wombs." So Adam did what You commanded him, and that light transferred from him to Hawwa', and a circle like the circle of the sun was seen on her forehead. When she gave birth to Shith (peace be upon him), that light transferred to his forehead. When he grew up and reached the age of manhood, Adam took the covenant and pledge from him that he would not entrust this secret except to purified and chaste women, so that it might reach the purified men. So it transferred from Shith to Anush, then to Qaynan, then to Mahlayil, then to Yarad, then to Khanukh, then to Mattushalakh, then to al-Amad, then to Nuh, then to Sam, then to Arfakhshad, then to Shalikh, then to 'Abir, then to Falikh, then to Sarugh, then to Nahur, then to Tarikh, then to Ibrahim, then to Isma'il, then to Qaydar, then to Nafit, then to al-Hamaysa', then to Yaqdam, then to Nazrad, then to Adad, then to 'Adnan, then to Nizar, then to Mudar, then to Ilyas, then to Mudrikah, then to Khuzaymah, then to Kinanah, then to al-Nadr, then to Malik (77), then to Fihr, then to Ghalib, then to Lu'ayy, then to Ka'b, then to Murrah, then to Kilab, then to Qusayy, then to 'Abd Manaf, then to Hashim, then to 'Abd al-Muttalib, then to 'Abd Allah. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which we gain his blessing and pleasure, and by which we are, on the Day of the Greatest Terror, under his ample shade and his banner, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. The light of Muhammad continued to be transferred Among the pure, the clean, the lofty ones, Until, by Allah's will, he came purified, And magnified, honored, and venerated. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the noblest of people in mother and father, and the best of those whom You made a key to the doors of goodness and a cause, who said: "O people, who am I?" They said: "You are the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless you and grant you peace)." So he said: "Verily, Allah Almighty created His creation, then made me from the best of His creation. Then He divided them into two groups, and made me from the best of them as a tribe. Then He made them into houses, and made me from the best of them. So I am the best of you in house and lineage." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the model of the world and the disciplined one, the capital of the desirous and the hopeful, who said: "Verily, Allah chose Nizar from the Arabs, then chose Quraysh from Nizar, then chose Hashim from Quraysh, then chose me from Hashim. And no two men have disputed over me since Adam except that I was in the loins of the better of them." And he said: "The light of our Prophet Muhammad was before Allah the Exalted four thousand years before He created creation. When Allah created and brought into existence, He placed that light in his loins. It continued to be transferred from loin to loin until it settled in the loins of 'Abd al-Muttalib." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the light of the clear dawn (78) and the support of the people of righteousness and religion, who said: "Verily, Allah divided creation into two divisions, and made me from the better of them as a division. That is His saying, the Exalted: 'And the companions of the right and the companions of the left' (Qur'an 56:27-41). So I am from the companions of the right, and I am the best of the companions of the right. And He made the two divisions into thirds, and made me in the best of them as a third. That is His saying: 'And the companions of the right, and the companions of the left, and the foremost, the foremost' (Qur'an 56:8-10). So I am from the foremost, and I am the best of the foremost." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whom You sent as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner, and the most excellent of those whom You granted a lofty rank and a weighty station, who said: "Verily, Allah made the children into tribes, and made me from the best of them as a tribe. That is His saying: 'And We made you into peoples and tribes' (Qur'an 49:13) — the verse. So I am the most God-fearing of the children of Adam and the most honored of them before Allah, and I do not boast. And He made the tribes into houses, and made me in the best of them as a house. That is His saying: 'Allah only wishes to remove impurity from you, O people of the House, and to purify you thoroughly' (Qur'an 33:33)." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the most beautiful of the prophets in rank and the highest of them, and the most sincere and beneficial to the servants of Allah, who said: "Verily, Allah the Exalted created His creation, then chose from them the children of Adam, then chose from the children of Adam the Arabs, then chose me from the Arabs. So I have always been the best from the best of the lineages. I love the Arabs, and by my love, I love them. Whoever hates the Arabs, it is by hatred of me that he hates them." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of the eloquent and clear tongue, and the support of the caller to Allah and the one who traces lineage, who said: "Verily, Allah chose Isma'il from the children of Ibrahim, and chose Kinanah from the children of Isma'il, and chose

He chose Banu Kinanah from the children of Ishmael, and He chose Quraysh from Banu Kinanah, and He chose Banu Hashim from Quraysh, and He chose the best of creation from Banu Hashim. 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 have given exalted honor and magnificent status ⁷⁹, and honor those to whom You have given a broad chest and a sound heart. When his light reached Abd al-Muttalib, he one day slept in the Hijr ²¹⁹ and woke up with kohl applied and anointed, clothed in a garment of splendor and beauty. He remained bewildered, not knowing who had done that to him. So his father took him by the hand and went with him to the soothsayers of Quraysh and informed them of that. They said to him: 'Know that the God of the heavens and the earth has permitted this boy to marry.' So he married him before that, and she bore him al-Harith, then she died. After her, he married Hind bint Amr. Abd al-Muttalib used to emit the fragrance of pure musk, and his light (peace and blessings be upon him) shone on his forehead. Whenever Quraysh were afflicted with drought, they would take Abd al-Muttalib by the hand and go out with him to Mount Thabir, and they would seek nearness to Allah through him and ask Him to send them rain. Then Allah would relieve them and send them abundant rain through the blessing of his light (peace and blessings be upon him). So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which You grant us immense reward, pour upon us abundant goodness, and bestow upon us in both abodes a lofty station and a noble position, 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 treasure of the hidden secret and the spokesman of the presence of the One, the Self-Subsisting. When his grandfather Hashim, the father of Abd al-Muttalib, was near death, he called for his son Abd al-Muttalib, who was then twenty-five years old, the tallest of Quraysh, the strongest, and the most handsome. He emitted a fragrance like that of pure musk, and the light of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) shone on his forehead. When Hashim saw that light, he said: 'O assembly of Quraysh, you are the marrow of the children of Ishmael, and you are those whom Allah has chosen for Himself and made inhabitants of His sanctuary and His House. Today I am your chief and your master. This is the banner of Nizar, the watering of the pilgrims, the bow of Ishmael, and the keys of the Kaaba. I have entrusted them to my son Abd al-Muttalib, so listen to him and obey.' Then Quraysh leapt up, kissed the head of Abd al-Muttalib, poured dinars and dirhams over him, and said to him ⁸⁰: 'We hear and obey.' So the banner of Nizar, the watering of the pilgrims, the bow of Ishmael, and the keys of the Kaaba were in the hand of Abd al-Muttalib. Whoever was granted safety by Abd al-Muttalib was safe and no one could harm him. The kings of the world recognized his merit in their books and sent him a noble and lofty gift every Hajj season. Abd al-Muttalib saw wondrous marvels from the light of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) on the day of the arrival of Abraha, the owner of the elephant, to destroy the Sacred House of Allah. When that reached Abd al-Muttalib, he said: 'O assembly of Quraysh, he will not succeed in destroying this House, for it has a Lord who will protect and defend it.' That is because Abd al-Muttalib went out with Quraysh until he ascended Mount Thabir, and a circle appeared—the forehead of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) on his brow like a crescent moon, and its rays extended over the Sacred House like a lamp. When Abd al-Muttalib saw that, he said: 'O assembly of Quraysh, return, for you have been spared this matter. By Allah, this light has not appeared from me except that victory is ours.' So they returned, and what happened to Abraha's companions is well known. ❖ We have seen His signs and are guided ❖ And when truth comes, falsehood vanishes ❖ O Lord, guidance is Your guidance, and it is beyond ❖ Be a light by which You guide whom You will ❖ How often have we seen what is inconceivable, ❖ Inspired by what the intelligent cannot conceive ❖ When the elephant refused what the elephant's master brought, ❖ And neither cunning nor intelligence availed ❖ And inanimate objects spoke of what ❖ The eloquent ones reported about Ahmad. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pillar of the firm religion, the possessor of sublime honor and established might, about whom Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan al-Himyari informed his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib before his birth, when he (Abd al-Muttalib) visited him with a group of the notables of Quraysh from the people of Mecca and their nobles, including Umayya ibn Abd Shams, Abdullah ibn Jud'an, al-Mughira ibn Khuwaylid, Wahb ibn Abd Manaf, and Khuwaylid ibn Asad. King Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan was in Sana'a at the top of his palace called Ghumdan. They sought permission to enter, and he allowed them. There he was, perfumed with ambergris, shining, with white musk on his parting, and his sword before him ⁸¹, and on his right and left were kings and sons of kings. Abd al-Muttalib approached and asked permission to speak. It was said to him: 'If you are one who can speak well before kings, then speak.' He said: 'O king, Allah has placed you in a lofty, difficult, and impregnable position, elevated and sublime, and has caused you to grow from a root that is pure.'

And his root ²²⁰ was mighty, his origin established, and his branch preceded in the noblest mine and the purest place. And you, O Abīt al-La‘an ²²¹, are the chief of the Arabs and their lofty one, through whom the lands become fertile, and their king to whom they submit, and their pillar upon which support rests, and their refuge to which the servants flee. Your predecessor is for us the best of predecessors, and you are for us the best of successors from them. So the remembrance of one whose predecessor you are will not be lost, and one whose successor you are will not perish. And we, O king, are the people of Allah’s sanctuary and the servants of His House. That which delighted us—the removal of the distress whose concern had burned us—has brought us to you. And praise be to Allah, who has exalted your victory, extended your reach, and your command. So we are a delegation of congratulation, not a delegation of condolence." The king said, "And which of them are you?" He said, "I am ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim ibn ‘Abd Manāf ibn Quṣayy ibn Kilāb ibn Murrah ibn Ka‘b ibn Lu’ayy ibn Ghālib ibn Fihr ibn Mālik ibn al-Naḍr ibn Kinānah." He said to him, "You are the son of our sister?" He said, "Yes." He said, "Come closer." So he drew near to him, then he turned to him and his companions and said, "Welcome and greetings! A she-camel and a saddle, an easy resting place, and a noble king. We give abundant gifts and a light without dispute. The king has heard your speech, recognized your kinship, and accepted your means of approach. You are the people of night and day; you have honor as long as you stay, and gifts when you depart. So proceed to the house of delegations and hospitality." Then the customary provisions for lodging were granted to them, and the curtains and canopies were lowered. They stayed there for a month without reaching him or being granted permission to see him. Then he became attentive to them and sent for ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, brought him near, and cleared the assembly for him. Then he said, "O ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, I am entrusting to you the secret of my knowledge—a matter which, if it were someone else, I would not disclose to him nor divulge it to him. But I found you to be its mine, so I have revealed its fruit to you. Let it be preserved and concealed with you until Allah permits it. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His matter. I find in the Preserved Book ²²² and the stored knowledge which I have chosen for myself and withheld from others a great good and a tremendous import, containing the honor of life and the virtue of death for people in general, for your clan entirely, and for you specifically." ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib said, "One like you brings joy and goodness. The people of tents and mud-brick, of desert and city, are your ransom, troop after troop." He said, "When a boy is born in Tihāmah ²²³ with a mark, and between his shoulders a mole, he will have leadership, and through him you will have authority—authority until the Day of Resurrection." ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib said to him, "O Abīt al-La‘an, you have brought good such as no visitor has brought. I am grateful and thankful to the king. Were it not for the king’s awe, reverence, veneration, and honor, I would ask him from his glad tidings what would increase my joy and honor and delight. If the king sees fit to inform me clearly, he has already clarified some of it." The king said to him, "O ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, this is his time in which he will be born, or he has already been born. His name is Muḥammad. And we have found him repeatedly—Allah will send him forth openly and will appoint for him helpers and supporters, by whom He will honor His friends and humiliate His enemies, and with whom He will strike those who turn away, and through them open the precious lands, and repel Satan, and demolish the fires, and break the idols, and enjoin good and do it, and forbid evil and nullify it. His speech is decisive and his judgment is just." He said, ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib fell prostrate upon hearing this news. The king said to him, "O ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, your heart is delighted and your rank is high. Have you perceived anything of what I have mentioned to you?" He said, "Yes, may Allah preserve the king. I had a son in whom I took delight and with whom I was gentle. I married him to a noblewoman of my people, namely Āminah bint Wahb ibn ‘Abd Manāf. She was afflicted by his loss while she was pregnant, and she gave birth to a boy whom I named Muḥammad. His father and mother died, and I and his aunt raised him. Between his shoulders is a mole, and he has every sign the king mentioned." The king said to him, "By the House of the Veils and the signs upon the monuments, you, O ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, are his grandfather, without falsehood. So guard your son from the Jews, for they are his enemies collectively, and they will never be his protector, and Allah will never give them any way over him. Allah, glorified be He, will manifest his call and support his party. So conceal what I have told you from these companions of yours, for I am not secure that envy might enter them because leadership would be theirs, and they would seek to harm you and set traps for you—and they will do so. Were it not that death would seize me before his mission, I would delight with my cavalry and infantry until I came to Yathrib ²²⁴, the abode of his kingdom, where his mission will be, and I would be his brother, his vizier, his companion, and his supporter against whoever plots against him and intends him harm. For I find in the speaking Book and the preceding knowledge that in Yathrib is the consolidation of his affair and the origin of his victory, and it is the place of his grave. Were it not that I fear afflictions for him and am cautious of calamities upon him, I would have made the Arabs’ teeth tread upon his heel and would have raised his mention despite his young age. But I am entrusting that to you without any shortcoming from those with you." Then he ordered for each of the people one hundred camels, ten male slaves, ten female slaves, ten raṭls ²²⁵ of gold, ten raṭls of silver, and a purse filled with ambergris. And he ordered for ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib ten times that. Then he said to him, "At the beginning of the year, bring me news of him and what happens concerning his affair." But King Sayf died before the year was complete. ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib used to say, "O people, let no one envy me for the king’s abundant gift, for it will come to an end. But let him envy me for what remains for me and my descendants: its honor and remembrance." And when asked, "What is that?" he would say, "They will know after a time."

The reports before his mission concurred That the Most Merciful would appear as the highest of mankind in glory. Moses and Jesus, son of Mary, gave us glad tidings Of him, among those who read the scriptures from the reciters of the Books. When his mother conceived him, she saw In him blessings more numerous than pebbles. The angels descended on the night of his birth And called out to him in the universe, "Welcome, his door is wide." The idols were toppled in every direction, And the hands of Satan were shackled—perdition to him, perdition! The fires in the land of Persia were extinguished, And the Jews of Syria said, "You have not brought any goods." The ray of light shone in the valley of Mecca, So the men of truth arose, vying for the path. When they saw him, they magnified him, and the horizon of heaven boasted Of his radiant countenance, wondrous and amazing. They saw in him, full of the eye, a blessed child, Matching the might of the dominant sons of Ghalib. They did not deny, from the family of Wahb ibn Zuhra, His maternal lineage, for Wahb was the most generous among them. Quraysh encountered from him days of good omen, And his favorable augury made their fortune flourish and bloom. The people of the East and West magnified a blessing Whose enumeration the ink of the sea would fail to contain in books. No womb has ever encompassed the like of Ahmad, Nor has the Most Merciful entrusted such to a womb or a loin. Were it not for him, existence would not exist, Nor would the Most Merciful have sent messengers or prophets. A prophet who guided those who were astray among us with his guidance, And through monotheism, he reached those who worshipped idols. He moved us away from the darkness of injustice, out of mercy, And favored us, so his victorious religion prevailed. He continued to call us to God alone, Until we accepted God—glorified be He—as Lord. Upon him be the blessings of God as long as the sun rises, And as long as the stars delight in the night sky of heaven. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those Whose words and deeds the guides follow, and the most generous from whose sea of generosity and overflowing bounty the delegations draw. Among the perfections of his beautiful virtues and the nobility of his majestic attributes is what has been narrated from Tubba' al-Asghar ²²⁶, the last one, who lived in the time of Jesus, peace be upon him. It is he about whom the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do not revile Tubba', for he was a believer." He was the first to clothe the Sacred House ²²⁷ after it was destroyed, and he came to the honored Medina and deposited there the book of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. This Tubba' was a man of intellect, knowledge, virtue, and courage; no king in his time could rival or overcome him. Among his poems and proverbs are: I praise God for His favors, And I prefer truth over falsehood. Perhaps He will bestow upon us a blessing And send the appointed term soon. Say to 'Adnan, the descendant of contentment, And speak, for guidance is for the doer. Do not make falsehood truth, nor Do we attach falsehood without truth. Do not make the ignorant in his affair As a blessing, nor do we love him like the wise. Nor is the misguided like the people of intellect, Nor is the sound of opinion like the ignorant. Lest our minds become foolish And the high be joined with the low. We judge over this and that, perhaps We judge over the scholar and the ascetic. We have the faces of the earth, and what is commanded We obey by sea and by shore. Nothing but death drives us To the abode of death in Babylon. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pole of sovereignty, clear in evidence and proof, the star of happiness, sent with the two words of testimony and the perfection of faith. Among the perfections of his Muhammadan care and the proof of his Ahmadine prophecy is what has been narrated: that Tubba' al-Asghar was fond of the previous scriptures and books, and he found in them the excellence of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. This had a great impact on his heart. One day he set out with thirty thousand men, and he would not pass by a town without taking its scholar with him. The reason for this was that he saw a dream that troubled him, and he did not understand its meaning. He had gathered four hundred scholars, and they presented themselves before him. He said to them, "I have seen a dream that frightened me; inform me of its interpretation." They all said, "If we knew what it was, we would teach you its interpretation." He said to them, "I want someone who will teach me the dream and its interpretation." They said to him, "No one knows that except Shiqq and Satih ²²⁸, the chiefs of the soothsayers and augurs." Shiqq was created by God Almighty as half a human, and Satih was created as a piece of flesh without limbs, his face in his chest. There was a woman among the Arabs named Tarifa bint 'Amr ibn 'Amir, and no one among the sons of Adam reached her level in companionship with the jinn and in eliciting their speech through soothsaying and augury. When death approached her, she brought Shiqq and Satih, seeing in them the deficiency of creation and the devotion of the devils to them. She spat into their mouths and entrusted the jinn to them. Then she died and was buried in al-Juhfa. After her, they did not complete their training until they succeeded her in soothsaying, reaching a level that no one else attained. They continued until Shiqq died, leaving children after him. As for Satih, he died after living a long life.

For a long time in the month in which the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was born, and he was the chief of the priests. When Tubba' ²²⁹ came with them, he asked each one separately. The first said to him: 'O king, you asked about a dream in which you saw a pigeon flying from Haram ²³⁰ and landing in Tihamah ²³¹ to guide the people to the Abode of Peace ²³².' The other said likewise. The king said to them: 'What is that?' They said: 'A noble prophet will appear to creation, breaking idols and teaching them the best of religions.' O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those who adorned themselves with the most perfect virtues and were characterized, and the most generous of those who inscribed the traveler's saddle at his door and stood. Among the proofs of his noble prophethood and the excellences of his magnificent message is what has been related: that Tubba' kept asking about him, about his time and his place, until he came to Mecca and camped in its Bathan ²³³. No one from its people came out, so he resolved in his heart to burn the House ²³⁴ and take them captive. Then an affliction befell him that almost killed him instantly. He gathered the physicians, and they said: 'We have seen no cure for this disease; it is a heavenly matter.' He had a vizier named 'Amyar ²³⁵, who was the closest of his viziers to him, so he consulted him about his illness. He said to him: 'Perhaps you intended evil for this House?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Do not do so, for it is the House of God and His sanctuary.' So he resolved in his heart that if God healed him, he would clothe the House. God healed him instantly, so he clothed it, circumambulated it, sacrificed at it, shaved his head, and stayed in Mecca for six days, each day providing food at the Kaaba. He clothed the House on the first day with al-Khasb ²³⁶, on the second day with garments, on the third day with al-Mala ²³⁷ (which are wraps), on the fourth day with al-Wasa'il ²³⁸, on the fifth day with al-Qabati ²³⁹, and on the sixth day he made for it a door and a key, and appointed trustworthy men over it, instructing them to purify it and that no blood, dead animal, or muballalah ²⁴⁰ (i.e., a menstruating woman) should approach it. When Quraysh built it the second time, they clothed it with al-Burud ²⁴¹. The first to clothe it with brocade was al-Hajjaj al-Thaqafi ²⁴². Then he bestowed favors on all the people of Mecca, endowed for them endowments and trusts, provided them with allowances, and departed to the city of Yathrib ²⁴³. It was named Yathrib after the one who first built it, namely Yathrib ibn Mahlayil ibn 'Uways ibn Ma'laaf ibn Lawadh ibn Iram ibn 'Amil. They had previously dwelt in al-Juhfah ²⁴⁴, but floods swept them away, so it was named al-Juhfah. Then the name Yathrib was abrogated, and it was named Taybah ²⁴⁵; Tubba' named it thus when he camped there with his army at al-'Ayr al-Zarqa' ²⁴⁶. Then the scholars who were with him gathered and said: 'We find in the previous books and revealed scriptures that this place is the one God chose for the master of His prophets and the seal of His messengers and His chosen ones, the prophet sent with truth and the messenger speaking with truth, the possessor of the qiblah ²⁴⁷ and the proof, and the revelation of the Qur'an, singled out on the Day of Resurrection for the Basin ²⁴⁸ and intercession. He has a just statement: There is no god but God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God. A messenger born in Mecca and emigrating to this spot. Blessed is he who meets him or believes in him.' Then they said: 'We will stay here, perhaps we will catch up with him or one of our descendants will catch up with him.' He said to them: 'Excellent opinion! I wanted you to be with me, but I have preferred this noble prophet over myself for you.' Then he built for them four hundred cubits, gave each one wealth and a slave-girl, wrote a document with his own hand, sealed it with gold, entrusted them with it, and departed. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the festival of joys and delights, the adornment of gatherings, and the bride of assemblies. Among the clear and truthful proofs of his prophethood, the dazzling and miraculous signs of his miracles, and the shining and radiant evidences of his message is what has been related: that Tubba' wrote a document whose content was not to be disputed, and its text: 'To proceed: O Muhammad, I have believed in you and in your Book which was revealed to you, and I am upon your religion and your Sunnah. I believe in everything that has come to you from your Lord of the laws of your religion. If I meet you or if you meet your time, I will surely support you with strong support against all your enemies. Would that I were among your companions! If I do not meet your time, then intercede for me, O Prophet of God, and do not forget me, for I am of your community. I have pledged allegiance to you before seeing you.' Then he extended his hand, brought it to his mouth, kissed it, and said: 'This is your pledge, O Seal of the Prophets, so intercede for me with the Lord of the Worlds.' Then he recited these verses: I testify that Ahmad ²⁴⁹ is a prophet from God, the Creator of souls. If my life were extended to his life, I would be his vizier and his cousin. Then he sealed it and wrote on its address: 'There is no god but God, from before and after, to Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds, may God bless him and grant him peace, and upon all the messengers, from Tubba' Himyar ibn Warda' ²⁵⁰. The trust of God in the hand of whoever finds it is to deliver it to its owner, may God bless him and grant him peace.' Then he handed it to one of them, who was the grandfather of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari ²⁵¹, and departed until he camped in the land of Qalisan ²⁵² in the region of India, where he died, may God have mercy on him. They calculated from his death to the day of the birth of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and found it to be about two hundred years. The descendants of these scholars remained until the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was sent and emigrated to

In the city, they gave the letter to Abu Layla to deliver it to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Abu Layla set out and heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was staying in a house of the Banu Sulaym. He headed there, and when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw him, he called out: 'O Abu Layla, bring the letter from your mount.' He had hidden it on his mount, so he brought it to him, and Abu Bakr read it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Welcome to the righteous brother' three times. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the model of every saint and aspirant, the desire of every seeker and devotee. Among the proofs of his complete prophethood and the greatness of his comprehensive message is what has been narrated: that when the Tuba ²⁵³ departed from the honored Medina, he recited to himself: 'I was stirred, and a longing from you called me, for a matter that became clear to me, and this is the reason. When I alighted in the land of Iraq, I crossed the Euphrates with resolve and determination. Then the swift rival hastened to me, quickly, eagerly, with intense desire. Indeed, the excuse of the sons of Japheth ²⁵⁴ has come, and the fates have become serious and drawn near. Gray hair will overcome its child on a terrifying day, though he has not yet aged. And soon, when death summons me, after me will rule men who are inexperienced. They will strip the kingdom from Himyar ²⁵⁵ — Magians and blacks, upon it they will rush. For twenty years they will fight over it; the kingdom will come from it to the hunchbacked one ²⁵⁶. Until the kingdom comes from Hashim ²⁵⁷ — a trustworthy prophet, noble of lineage. A messenger from Allah, his followers are over the creation, among them men who are overpowering. If my life were extended to his lifetime, I would relieve him of all distress. And wonders will come after him, when its star with a tail appears. And earthquakes will come until you see the sun turn from its course. When the Spirit, Jesus the Pleasing ²⁵⁸, comes, and the blood of the sons of al-Muttalib ²⁵⁹ flows. And after him, death in every until the Resurrection and the Judgment, without falsehood.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of sound intellect, eloquent tongue, kohl-lined eye, and beautiful face. Among the proofs of his manifest prophethood and the shining stars of his brilliance is what has been narrated: that when the Tuba saw a vision in his sleep, he came to ask about it from Shiqq ²⁶⁰ and Satih ²⁶¹. Shiqq said to him: 'You saw a dove that came out of darkness and ate every skulled creature.' He said to Shiqq what he had said to him, so what does it mean? Shiqq said: 'I swear by what is between the two lava fields ²⁶² of a snake, it will surely seize your land — the Abyssinians will seize it and will rule what is between Yemen and Hush ²⁶³.' The king said: 'When will that be?' He said: 'After you, within a period between sixty and seventy years that pass, then they will fight and flee.' The king said: 'Who will kill them and drive them out?' He said: 'Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan ²⁶⁴ will rise against them from Aden, leaving none of them in Yemen.' The king said: 'Who will be after him?' He said: 'A pure prophet to whom revelation comes from on high.' He said: 'Who is he?' He said: 'From the descendants of Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn al-Nadr ²⁶⁵; he will rule it until the end of time.' The king said: 'Does time have an end?' He said: 'Yes, the day when Allah gathers the first and the last, and the righteous are blessed, and the wrongdoers are wretched among the people of sins and major offenses.' The king said: 'Is what you say true?' He said: 'Yes, by the right of the twilight, the darkness, and the moon when it is full, everything I have told you is true.' And he ordered him to be taken out. Then Satih was brought out, and he said as the other had said: 'You asked about a dream in which you saw a dove that came out of darkness and landed between a meadow and a hillock, and it ate every living soul.' The king said: 'What is its interpretation?' He said: 'I swear by what is between the two sanctuaries ²⁶⁶ of a human, the blacks will surely descend upon your land and will rule what is between Hajaran ²⁶⁷ and Najran ²⁶⁸.' The king said: 'When will that be?' He said: 'After you, after a time, then a great one will deliver you from them and make them taste the severest humiliation.' The king said: 'Who is this great one?' He said: 'A youth from Yemen called Dhu Yazan.' He said: 'How long will his rule last? Will it endure or end?' He said: 'It will be ended by a messenger of virtue who brings truth and justice; his rule will be until the Day of Judgment.' The king said: 'What is the Day of Judgment?' He said: 'A day when the creatures are called from heaven with a call that the living and the dead hear, and the people are gathered for the appointed time; the righteous will win the good things, and the wrongdoers will be wretched with evil deeds.' The king said: 'Is what you say true, O Satih?' He said: 'Yes, by the Lord of heaven and earth and what is between them of elevation and lowliness, everything I have told you is true, with no contradiction.' So the king began preparing for migration, fearing the Abyssinians after the soothsayers had informed him of that. No one reached in divination and soothsaying what Shiqq and Satih reached. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of

The visitors sought him out, and the lips kissed the dust of his sandal (91). And He honored—may tongues be devoted to His remembrance and mouths praise Him—the one from whose proofs of prophethood is what was narrated: that Tubba', when he set out to seek his land—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and arrived at the city of Yathrib, found therein Banu Qurayzah, Banu al-Nadir, Banu al-Najjar, and Banu 'Amr following the religion of Judaism. So he fought them over their religion, and they were Banu al-Khazraj ibn al-Sarih ibn al-Tawman ibn al-Sibt ibn al-Yasa' ibn Sa'd ibn Lawa ibn Khayr ibn al-Najjam ibn Nahwim ibn 'Azir ibn 'Arwa ibn Harun ibn 'Imran ibn Yazhar ibn Nahit ibn Lawa ibn Ya'qub ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim, the Khalil (Intimate Friend) of Allah—upon him be prayers and peace. And when Tubba' alighted at Medina, he found therein two rabbis (ahbar) from the rabbis of Banu Qurayzah, and they were two deeply learned scholars, knowledgeable in the religion of Ibrahim, the Khalil of Allah—which is the Hanifiyyah (pure monotheistic) creed—and they informed him that the city of Yathrib was the abode of the Hijrah (Emigration) of the noble Prophet sent at the end of time, and that whoever intended it with evil would not be safe from the punishment of Allah Most High. So Tubba' said to them: "And this noble Prophet—when is his emergence? And from where is his appearance?" They replied to him: "He is a Qurayshi Arab; he will emerge from the Sanctuary (Haram) of Allah Most High, then take Medina as his abode and dwelling." Then he began to ask them about the best of religions and the creeds of the messengers, and they advised him and taught him with the truth, so Allah guided him to Islam. And the two rabbis had commanded their two tribes (sibtayhim) and they followed the creed of Ibrahim. So when Tubba' believed, he did good to the two rabbis and their two tribes, and departed returning to Yemen via the route of Mecca—may Allah protect it. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad, and upon the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved of exalted rank and station, and Your chosen one sent as a mercy to all mankind. From his widespread miracles and pure, growing blessings is what was narrated: that when Tubba' believed in him and departed from Medina returning to Yemen via the route of Mecca, he alighted at 'Usfan. A group from Hudhayl ibn Mudrikah ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Ma'add ibn 'Adnan came to him and said: "O king, shall we not guide you to abundant wealth that has circulated, which the kings before you neglected, containing (92) ruby, emerald, gold, and silver?" He said: "Yes." They said: "A house in Mecca, which its people worship and venerate to the utmost degree, and they pray at it." The intention of the group was the destruction of Tubba', because they were certain that whoever intended the Ka'bah with evil would perish. When he heard their words, he sent for the two rabbis who had guided him to Islam, and they came to him. He informed them of that, and they said to him: "By Allah, no one has ever intended transgression against the Sanctuary of Allah except that he perished. But if you reach that House, then circumambulate it, venerate it as did 'Adim and Ibrahim and the prophets who passed, honor the House of Allah, shave your head at it, and humble yourself therein to Allah Most High." He said: "And what prevents you two from doing that?" They said: "By Allah, it is indeed the House of our father Ibrahim. Nothing prevents us from it except the inhabitants around it; they have set up idols in it, associated partners with Allah Most High, and altered the creed of Ibrahim—upon him peace. And whoever does not do as they do is prevented from entering it." So Tubba' ordered the group of Hudhayl to be seized, and their hands and feet were cut off. And he saw a vision in Mecca, so he sought someone to interpret it for him, until Shaqq and Satih came and informed him, as has preceded. At that time, he clothed the House, established endowments (awqaf) for its people, did good to all the people of Mecca, and departed to Yemen, taking the two rabbis with him. When he reached Yemen, he called his people to the creed of Ibrahim, but they refused. There was in Yemen a fire to which they would resort for judgment in all their disputes; it would emerge from a cave, destroying the wrongdoer and not harming the wronged. Tubba' said to them: "Do you resort to the fire for judgment?" They said: "Yes." They brought out their offerings and idols, and the two rabbis came out with the scriptures (suhuf) of Ibrahim hung around their necks. The fire emerged, consumed the offerings and idols, and did not harm the two rabbis at all. So all of them returned to the creed of Ibrahim—upon him peace. So send blessings, O Allah, upon him and upon his family, the full moons of perfection, and upon his Companions, the imams of guidance and lamps of darkness, a blessing by which You guide us to the paths of peace and grant us thereby in the Abode of Bliss what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, of chambers, palaces, and the secluded houris in the pavilions, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Were it not for the Prophet Muhammad and his existence ❖ For religion and the world together, they would not be (93). Whoever observed a thing, and Muhammad observed from ❖ The impossible occurred, and his existence made it possible. The era of the Hashimi Prophet Muhammad ❖ Among the eras has become a garden. Our days have become bright through him, just as ❖ The nights of our time have become dark. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad, and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whom You have guided to Your obedience secretly and openly, and the most honored of those whom You have adorned with Your dazzling miracles as a clear proof and evidence. From the clear and famous proofs of his prophethood and the authentic and transmitted tidings of his message is what was narrated from Ka'b al-Ahbar—may Allah be pleased with him—that he said: "My father was the most knowledgeable of people regarding what was revealed to Musa ibn 'Imran, and he loved me and was compassionate toward me."

He never concealed anything from me. When death approached him, he called me and said: 'O my son, you know that I have not withheld from you anything that I taught, for I feared that some liars would emerge and you would follow them. I have placed these two papers in this niche over there; do not approach them nor look at them until a prophet emerges in Yathrib ²⁶⁹, who will be sent at the end of time, and his name is Muhammad. If God grants you goodness, you will follow him.' Then he died after his will. Ka'b said: Nothing was dearer to me than the end of the mourning period so that I could see what was in the two papers. When the mourning ended, I went to that niche, opened it, took out the two papers, and unfolded them. In them was written: 'There is no god but God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God, the Seal of the Prophets ²⁷⁰, no prophet after him. His birthplace is Mecca, and his city of emigration is Taybah ²⁷¹, the good and trustworthy. He is not harsh nor hard-hearted nor clamorous. His community are the praisers who praise God in every state; their tongues are moist with tahlil ²⁷² and takbir ²⁷³. He is victorious over all his enemies. They wash their private parts and wear trousers around their waists. Their Gospels ²⁷⁴ are in their breasts, and their mutual mercy is like the mercy of prophets among nations.' Ka'b said: When I read that, I said to myself: 'Did my father teach me anything better than this?' Then I remained after my father's death as long as God willed, until I heard that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, had appeared in Mecca and was manifesting his affair repeatedly. I said: 'By God, it is inevitable.' I kept investigating his affair until he left Mecca and settled in Yathrib. I began to watch his affair until he fought several battles and was victorious over his enemies. So I prepared myself to travel to him, but then I heard that he had passed away, may God bless him and grant him peace. I said to myself: 'Perhaps he is not the one I was waiting for.' Until I saw in a dream that the gates of heaven were opened and the angels were descending in groups, and a speaker said: 'The Messenger of God has passed away, and revelation has ceased from the earth.' So I returned to my people, and news came to me that a caliph from his community had succeeded him, named Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him. I said: 'I will go to him.' But I had not stayed long before his armies and troops came to Syria, and then news of his death came to us. Then it was said that a man named 'Umar, may God be pleased with him, had been made caliph over them. I said: 'I will not enter this religion until I know its truth.' I remained hesitant until 'Umar, may God be pleased with him, came to Jerusalem and made peace with its people. I observed their fulfillment of their covenant and what God did to their enemies. I said: 'This is the community of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace.' I told myself to enter their religion. By God, one night while I was sleeping on the roof of my house, a Muslim man was reciting: 'O you who have been given the Scripture, believe in what We have sent down, confirming what is with you, before We efface faces and turn them backward, or curse them as We cursed the people of the Sabbath. And the command of God is ever executed.' ²⁷⁵ Ka'b said: When I heard this verse, I feared God lest I wake up with my face turned backward. Nothing was dearer to me than the morning to come. When morning came, I left my house and asked about 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him. I was told that he was staying in Jerusalem. So I went to him and found that he had prayed the morning prayer with his companions. I approached and greeted him. He returned the greeting and said: 'Who are you?' I said: 'I am Ka'b al-Ahbar ²⁷⁶. I have come wanting to embrace Islam and enter it. For I have found the description of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, in the revealed books. God Almighty revealed to Moses, peace be upon him: "O Moses, I have not created any creation more honorable to Me than Muhammad. Were it not for him, I would not have created Paradise nor Hell, nor heaven nor earth. His community is the best of communities, and his religion is the best of religions. I will send him at the end of time. His community is shown mercy, and he is the Prophet of Mercy. The unlettered prophet ²⁷⁷, the Qurayshi ²⁷⁸, merciful to the believers, severe against the disbelievers. His private life is like his public life, and his words do not contradict his deeds. The near and the far are equal to him. His companions are connected and merciful to one another."' 'Umar said: 'Is what you say true, O Ka'b?' I said: 'Yes, by Him who knows what I say and what breasts conceal.' 'Umar said: 'Praise be to God who has honored us with Islam, favored us, and honored us with His mercy that encompasses everything, and guided us through Muhammad, upon him be the best prayers and purest peace. Would you now, O Ka'b, enter our religion?' I said to him: 'O Commander of the Faithful ²⁷⁹, does your book that was revealed to you mention your religion?' 'Umar said: 'Yes.' Then he recited: 'And Abraham enjoined upon his sons and [so did] Jacob, "O my sons, indeed God has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims."' ²⁸⁰ Then he recited: 'Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a hanif ²⁸¹ Muslim, and he was not of the polytheists.' ²⁸² Then he recited: 'And whoever desires other than Islam as religion, never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.' ²⁸³ Then he recited: 'This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.' ²⁸⁴ Then he said: 'And He has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. He named you Muslims before.' ²⁸⁵ Ka'b said: When I heard that, I said to him: 'O Commander of the Faithful, I bear witness that there is no god but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.' 'Umar rejoiced at my conversion and said to me: 'O Ka'b, would you like to travel with me to Medina to visit the grave of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and enjoy his visitation?' I said: 'Yes, O Commander of the Faithful, I will do that.' So 'Umar departed after writing to the people of Jerusalem and confirming them in their land with the jizyah ²⁸⁶, and he marched with his army to al-Jabiyah ²⁸⁷ and stayed there, organizing the registers and taking the khums ²⁸⁸ that belongs to God Almighty and what God granted as spoils to the Muslims. Then he set out for the city of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and I was with him. The people of Medina thought he was in Syria, because they considered it sacred and that the khums was there, so people were eagerly awaiting news of him and expecting his arrival every day until he came, may God be pleased with him. The city was shaken on the day of his arrival, the Companions rejoiced at him, greeted him, welcomed him, and congratulated him on what God had opened for him at his hands. The first thing we did was go to the mosque of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and we greeted him and Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him. 'Umar prayed some rak'ahs ²⁸⁹ and called me, saying: 'O Ka'b, tell the Muslims what you saw in the two papers.' So I told them about that, and the people increased in faith. O God, bless this noble Prophet through whom Islam rose as a structure and through whose appearance it increased in clarity and exposition, a blessing that increases our longing for him and our devotion, and our firmness in love for him and certainty in Your favor and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whose necks bow in compliance with his commands and obedience, and the most excellent of those to whom creatures cling for his intercession.

And it enters into his intercession, that which is among the proofs of his Mustafawi prophethood and the evidences of his holy Mulawi message, what was narrated from Filatunush, the master of Great Rome, that when his grandfather built it, he placed in it a great temple of brass plated with gold and silver, having seven doors of gold, and upon each door a circular temple upon whose head was the likeness of a man holding in his hand a tablet of gold, specific to one of the seven climes. So when the year begins, that tablet rises upon the temple facing the sun, and the custodian looks into that temple and knows what will occur in that clime specific to that tablet in the coming year, and likewise for each of those seven temples. Thus the people of Rome know what will occur in the seven climes in that year through the sciences of their ancient sages. And in the center of that temple is a great dome built upon pillars of brass plated with red gold, surrounded by a wall of its greatest garden, and upon the top of the dome is an image of black stone speckled with white, in the form of a black starling. This was at the time of the ripening of olives in the east and west of the earth. A terrifying sound is heard from that image, from which minds almost become bewildered. Then on the morrow, starlings come from the horizons of the earth, with olives in their feet and beaks, and cast them upon the head of that image. They continue thus until that great garden is filled, and they press from it their oil sufficient for their coming year. And among those temples is a locked house that has not been opened since Rome was built. When the king wished to open it, it was said to him: "This house has been locked for seven hundred years, that being one hundred and seventy years before the appearance of Jesus the Messiah, peace be upon him. And there is no one among those who oversee these temples who does not bequeath concerning this house that it not be opened. Thus a wisdom established by the sages and kings before you remains." He said: Then obstinacy seized him to open it, so he opened it, and found nothing except what was depicted around the house: an image of the House of Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis) and the cities of Syria, and the description of their kings and their number, and at the end of them an image of Filatush, who is Heraclius, as if he were looking at a tablet before him. And on the tablet was written in Greek: "O seeker of knowledge, you must repeat reading and reflect upon it. For every time the points recur to the listener, he knows them, and that is stronger for his power, more sound for his craft, and more effective for his brilliance, since all sciences are only extracted by reason and analogy, and these two come by much exercise in it. And knowledge, its path is deliberation, and deliberation is the place of knowledge, and reason is the custodian of the forms of sciences. And we have seen in the scientific wisdom and the hidden secrets that when there is the cloud of the turban and the shadows of misguidance and error, and the earth becomes blind, the lamp of guidance emerges from the land of Tihamah. It goes with the darkness of ignorance and calls people to his religion through the unification of the Creator, the Giver, the Withholder. And he is the master of the gray camel, the truthful, the confirmed. He abolishes religions and sects, and his call encompasses the plain and the mountain. And when the subtlety of his command prevails over every dense thing, and his spirit transfers to the subtle spiritual world, there succeeds him the slender man, his heart illuminated with faith and truth. He strengthens his creed and confirms his law. So woe to Syria, and what will befall it from the reddish-white man who takes away the kingdom of Chosroes and Caesar. And he is the slender man, the pious, the pure, his garment patched, and justice his attribute, and truth his desire, and the ornament of his patched cloak, and his sword his whip. In his days, states pass away, the Chosroes are annihilated, the tyrants are humiliated, and religions vanish. And the time and season of that is when this house, depicted with the images of wisdom, surrounded by the thread of grace, is opened. So blessed is he in whom wisdom is firmly rooted, and its lamps shine in the core of his intellect, and he follows the truth and avoids falsehood." When the king read the tablet, astonishment seized him. His son said to him: "O compassionate father, what do you say about this wisdom?" He said: "And what can I say about a wisdom placed by the scholars and spoken by the sages? And the obscure sciences reach the essential sense by the light of the illuminated intellect. And I see that the kingdom, the pillar of its glory has fallen, its corner has collapsed, it has departed from its sanctuary, and its dominion has gone from the land of Syria, and its dominion has transferred to Great Constantinople. And with that, the sage Yuwaris informed in his book which he composed and named Salarus, meaning the Jewels of Wisdom. And among his words in it: 'When the light of the sun purified from impurities appears from the mountains of Tihamah, and illuminates with its purity the darkened minds with the light of wisdom, and the dense darkness in the sky of ignorance is dispelled by the power of his resolve, and he calls the creation to a Great, Subtle One in his call, and leads them with the reins of his subtleties, he rises above the kings. So woe to the people of Ilya (Jerusalem) from the assault of its owner, adorned with the sash of awe, crowned with the crown of conquests and virtue, the master of the conquests of the earth and the humiliator of its kings. Justice is his carpet, and the patched cloak his garment. In his time, the cross is broken, the temples are destroyed, and the sects are obliterated. There is no escape from his assault except by following his law.'" So pray, O Allah, upon him and upon his family, a prayer by which You create us with his beautiful character and nature, and by which You place us in the fortress of his secure protection and the sanctuary of his trust, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those to whom the creatures have recourse and in whom they seek refuge, and the most excellent of those who acted by what his Lord commanded him and decreed. Among the proofs of his blessed and complete prophethood and the virtues of his blessed and universal messages is what was narrated from Heraclius, the great one of Rome, that when Hammam ibn Tha'labah came to him, he said to him: "By the truth of your religion, what have you seen of the miracles of your Prophet?" He said: "I was with him on a journey. A Bedouin came and drew near to him. The Chosen One (al-Mustafa), may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him: 'I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that I am Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Who bears witness to what you say?' He said: 'This tree.' So he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called it, and it was on the bank of the valley. It came, tracing the earth with its branches, until it stood before him. He called it to witness three times, and it said to him: 'Yes, you are Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.' Then it returned to its place of growth." Heraclius said to him: "We find in our books and in our knowledge that the man from his community, when he commits an evil deed, one evil deed is recorded against him, and when he does a good deed, ten are recorded for him." Qays ibn 'Amir said to him: "This is the description of the community of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. For in our book, which is the Qur'an, it is that whoever comes with a good deed shall have ten times its like, and whoever comes with an evil deed shall not be recompensed except with its like." Heraclius said to him: "Know that the Prophet whom the Messiah gave glad tidings of is the witness in this world and the witness in the Hereafter over the people on the Day of Resurrection." Qays ibn 'Amir said to him: "This is the description of our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Allah Almighty said in His Mighty Book: 'O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner' (Qur'an 33:45). And his witnessing in the Hereafter is His word, Mighty and Majestic: 'And We have brought you as a witness over these' (Qur'an 4:41)." Heraclius said to him: "The Prophet whom I have described to you, Allah Almighty commands his community to invoke blessings upon him in his life and after his death." Qays ibn 'Amir said to him: "Indeed, Allah and His angels invoke blessings upon the Prophet: 'O you who have believed, invoke blessings upon him and salute him with a worthy salutation' (Qur'an 33:56)." Heraclius said to him: "The Prophet whom the Messiah, the blessings of Allah be upon him, described, is taken up by night."

of the heaven, and the Most High, the Supreme addresses him. Qays ibn 'Amir said to him: 'This is the description of our Prophet, according to His saying, glorified be He, in His Book: "Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We have blessed." ²⁹⁰ So Heraclius said to him: 'The Prophet whom the Messiah described imposed upon him the month of Ramadan, in which the Qur'an was revealed, a guidance for mankind.' Qays said: 'And there was a bishop of the Romans listening to our speech, and he was the head of their religion. He said: "O king, the one you mentioned—his matter has not been sent to the earth now." So Dirar ibn al-Azwar said to him: "You lie, by Allah, O you with the pig-like beard! Rather, by Allah, you are the dog of the Romans, and he is the Prophet sent, the well-known one, and he is our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. But the veil of disbelief prevents you from recognizing him." So Heraclius said to him: "You have been ill-mannered when you belittled our religion. Who are you?" Qays said to him: "This is Dirar ibn al-Azwar." Heraclius said: "This is the one I have heard that he fights sometimes as a horseman and sometimes on foot." He said: "Yes." Section: O Allah, bless this noble, honored Prophet, and his family of lofty lineage and exalted rank, and his Companions, people of high glory and great standing, with a blessing by which we may be among those who have inhaled the fragrance of his prophetic scent and breathed it, and have been granted the vision of his beautiful face and delighted in it, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the longing of the ardent lover and the ecstasy of the people of rapture and passion. Among the proofs of his lofty, revealed prophethood and station, and the honor of his mission observed with the eye of veneration and glorification, is what is narrated from Ka'b al-Ahbar ²⁹¹, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: 'Indeed, in the previous scriptures: Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; his birthplace is Mecca, his emigration is Yathrib ²⁹², and his kingdom is in Syria. So from Mecca his prophethood began, and to Syria his kingdom ended,' meaning Syria became his abode, because it was the abode of his caliphs, peace be upon him. And Syria was singled out for that because it is Allah's chosen land from His earth, as has come in some hadiths: 'Syria is the best of lands after the Two Sanctuaries ²⁹³, and the first region in which the kingdom of Muhammad appeared, may the best of prayers and purest peace be upon him.' So bless him, O Allah, and his family, with a blessing that establishes for us thereby firm steps on the paths of journeying to You, and grants us thereby Your kindness in what destinies have disposed and pens have inscribed, 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 whom his Lord honored over creation and preferred, the most generous of those who attained his desire and hope among his community. Among the proofs of his sound prophethood and the lightning flashes of his truthful message is what is narrated: that al-Jarud came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he was a chief among his people. He said: 'O Messenger of Allah, by Him Who sent you with the truth, I have found your description in the Gospel, and the son of the Virgin ²⁹⁴ gave glad tidings of you. So I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that you are Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.' So al-Jarud believed, and every chief among his people believed. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was pleased with them and said: 'O Jarud, is there among the delegation of 'Abd al-Qays anyone who knows Quss ²⁹⁵?' He said: 'All of us know him, O Messenger of Allah, and I, from among the people, used to follow his footsteps. He was from the most eloquent of the Arabs, a fluent speaker; his lifespan was seven hundred years; he met Simon ²⁹⁶ of the disciples. He was the first among the Arabs to devote himself to Allah. It is as if I see him swearing by the Lord Who is his Lord: "The Book will surely reach its term, and every worker will be fully repaid for his work." Then he began to recite: "The heart's memories are stirred by its passion, / And a night whose day is interwoven..." Until he said: "And He Who has crushed, has indicated / To Allah souls that have guidance and reflection." So the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Take it easy, O Jarud. I forgot him at the market of 'Ukaz ²⁹⁷ on a gray camel, speaking words that I do not think I remember." So Abu Bakr said: "O Messenger of Allah, I remember them. If you were present that day at the market of 'Ukaz..." He said in his sermon: "O people, listen and comprehend, and when you comprehend, benefit. Indeed, whoever lives dies, and whoever dies passes away, and everything that is coming is near. Rain, provisions, sustenance, fathers, mothers, living and dead, all together and scattered, signs after signs. Indeed, in the heaven there is news, and on earth there are lessons. The night is dark, a sky with constellations, an earth with mountains, seas with waves. Why do I see people going and not returning? Are they content with staying, so they stay, or are they left there and sleep? Quss swore an oath, not false nor lasting: Indeed, Allah has a religion that is more beloved than your religion which you follow, and a prophet whose time has come, and his time has misled you. So blessed is he who believes in him and is guided, and woe to him who opposes him and disobeys him." Then he said: "Perdition to the heedless lords of the past nations and bygone centuries. O company of Iyad ²⁹⁸, where are the fathers and forefathers? Where are the sick and the visitors? Where are the severe pharaohs? Where are those who built, raised, decorated, and adorned, and were deluded by wealth and children? Where are those who transgressed and rebelled, gathered and hoarded, and said: 'I am your lord, the Most High'? Were they not more abundant in wealth, longer in lifespan, and more distant in hopes? The earth crushed them with its chest and tore them apart with its length. So those are their decayed bones and their ruined houses, inhabited by howling wolves. Nay, but He is Allah, the One, the Worshipped, neither begetting nor begotten." Then he began to recite: "In the first ones gone from the centuries, we have insights. / When I saw the sources of death with no outlets, / And I saw my people heading towards it, the young and the old, / The past does not return to me, nor is there any survivor among the remaining, / I was certain that inevitably I would go where the people have gone." He said: Then he sat down, and a man with a loud, hoarse voice stood up and said: 'I have seen something amazing from Quss. I went out seeking my camel until the night advanced and dawn was about to break. A caller called out to me, saying: "O you who sleep in the merciful night, / Allah has sent a Prophet in the sanctuary, / From Hashim ²⁹⁹, people of loyalty and generosity, / Who dispels the darkness of nights and doubts." He said: 'I aimed at his path but saw no figure, so I began to say: "O caller in the dark of the shadows, / Welcome to you as a passing phantom. / Explain, may Allah guide you, to me the words: / Who is it you call, and to whom does one profit?" He said: Then I heard a clearing of the throat and a speaker saying: 'The light has appeared, falsehood has vanished, and Allah has sent Muhammad.'

May Allah bless him and grant him peace, with joy, the possessor of the red swift she-camel, the crown, the helmet, and the radiant face, the moon-like eyebrow, and the dark-eyed gaze, the possessor of the utterance of the testimony that there is no god but Allah. That is Muhammad, sent to the black and the red, the people of cities and tents. Then he began to say: * Praise be to Allah, who * Did not create creation in vain (103) * And did not create us aimlessly * After Jesus, and [the period] was prolonged, * And He sent among us Ahmad, * The best prophet ever sent, * May Allah bless him as long as * A caravan performs Hajj for him and urges on. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and patron Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those who honored his delegation and fulfilled his promise, and the most excellent of those upon whose tongues You placed praise and gratitude, from whose proofs of his true prophethood are the reports and chains of transmission, and from the harbingers of his sweet mission are the watering-places and sources, what has been narrated from the story of Quss ibn Sa'idah: that the man said: "When the morning dawned, behold, I saw the male camel grunting towards the female camels. So I took hold of its halter and mounted its hump until, when it grew tired, I dismounted in a green meadow. Then behold, I saw Quss ibn Sa'idah in the shade of a tree, with a twig of arāk (toothbrush tree) in his hand, tapping the ground with it, saying: * O you who proclaim death and the buried in barren land, * Upon them from the remnants of a worn-out Brahma. * Leave them, for they have a day when they will be called out to, * And when they awaken from their sleep, they will be terrified. * Until they return in a state other than their state, * A new creation, just as before them they were created. * Among them are naked, and among them are in their garments, * Some new, and some worn-out and threadbare. He said: "So I approached him and greeted him with peace, and he returned the greeting. Then behold, I saw a reservoir of water in soft ground, and a mosque between two graves, and two great lions seeking refuge by them. And behold, one of them had preceded the other to the water, so the other followed him seeking the water. He struck him with the twig in his hand and said: 'Go back, may your mother lose you, until the one who arrived before you drinks.' So he went back, then came after him. I said to him: 'What are these two graves?' He said: 'These are the graves of two brothers who used to worship Allah, Mighty and Majestic, with me in this place, not associating anything with Allah, Mighty and Majestic. Then death overtook them, so I buried them, and here I am between their graves until I join them.' Then he looked at them and began to say: (104) * O my two friends, wake up, long have you slept! * Is it true that you do not fulfill your sleep? * Do you not know that I am alone with hearing, * And I have no friend in it besides you two? * I remain at your two graves, not leaving, * Throughout the nights, or until your echo comes. * And I weep for you all my life, and what * Will return to me, this anguish, if I weep for you? * It is as if, and death is the nearest of every absent Lord, * With my soul in your two graves, what has come to you. * Is it from long sleep that you never answer, * As if the one who gives poison to drink has given it to you? * If I could make my soul a shield for a soul, * I would gladly give my soul to be a ransom for you." When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, heard that, he said: "May Allah have mercy on Quss. I hope that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will raise him as a single nation." So may Allah bless him and his family with a blessing by which we may be among those who exerted their utmost in Your obedience and attained from Your pleasure and his pleasure the ultimate goal of his desire and intention, 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 patron Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whose armies and soldiers have triumphed in obedience, and the most generous of those who have been guided to goodness among those who believe in him and follow his guidance, from whose proofs of his blessed and auspicious prophethood and the virtues of his mighty and glorious messages is what has been narrated from a man of Banu Lahab, called Luhayb ibn Malik, who said: "We gathered to a soothsayer of ours called Khatar ibn Malik. He was a very old man who had reached two hundred and eighty years, and he was the most knowledgeable of our soothsayers. We said: 'O Khatar, do you have any knowledge of these stars that are being thrown? For we are alarmed by them and fear their evil consequence.' He said: 'Bring me [the means of] sorcery, and I will tell you the news, whether it is good or harm, or a matter or a warning.' He said: 'So we left him that day. The next day, at the time of sorcery, we came to him, and behold, he was standing on his feet, staring into the sky with his eyes. We called out to him: 'O Khatar! O Khatar!' (105) So he gestured to us, and we stopped. Then a great star fell from the sky, and the soothsayer cried out, raising his voice: 'It has struck him! A strike that has permeated him! Its punishment is immediate! Its torment has burned him! Its shooting star has consumed him! Its answer has departed from him! Woe to him! What is his state in his calamity! His phantom has returned to him! His ropes have been cut! And his states have changed!' Then he remained silent for a long time, saying: * O company of people, sons of Qahtan, * I tell you the truth and the clarification. * I swear by the Ka'bah and the pillars, * And the trusted land of the custodians, * The hearing has been prevented from the rebellious jinn, * By a piercing [flame] in the hand of one with authority, * Because of a sent one of great status, * Who is sent with the Revelation and the Criterion, * And with guidance and the decisive Qur'an, * By which the worship of idols is abolished. He said: "I said to him: 'Woe to you, O Khatar! You are mentioning a great matter. So what do you see for your people?' He said: 'I see for my people what I see for myself: that they follow the best prophet of mankind, with his proof like the rays of the sun. He is sent in Mecca, the house of the Ḥums (Quraysh), with the firm Revelation, free from confusion.' We said to him: 'And from whom is he?' He said: 'By life and living, he is indeed from Quraysh. There is no rashness in his judgment, nor disorder in his character. He will be with an army, and what an army! From the high ones of Qahtan and the high ones of Aysh.' We said to him: 'Clarify for us from which of Quraysh he is.' He said: 'By the House with the pillars, he is indeed the son of Hashim, from a generous people. He is sent with battles and the killing of every oppressor.' Then he said: 'This is the explanation. The chief of the jinn informed me of it.' Then he said: 'Allahu Akbar! The truth has come and appeared, and the news has been cut off from the jinn.' Then he fell silent and fainted. He did not regain consciousness until after the third day, then he said: 'There is no god but Allah.' He said: 'When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, heard that...' So, O Allah, bless this prophet, faithful to his covenant and pledge, the chosen one, immersed in the eye of the sea of Oneness and Unity, with a blessing whose blessing we find in every crisis and hardship, and which we take as a treasure and provision with You on the Day of Resurrection, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. (106) The final one, the eraser of misguidance with guidance, And the destroyer of divining arrows and idols. So whoever shone forth from the forelock of Hashim, In the earth, a light of guidance and correctness. Time passed, and his description and attributes Were before his mission in every book. And the glad tidings of reports preceded him, And the monks, soothsayers, and astrologers. They knew him before his appearance by signs, Whose title is the positions of lineages. And they saw him as a shining full moon, moving With light in the wombs and loins. Until Allah decreed him as an unsheathed sword, With truth, refuting the argument of the doubter. How often did Quraysh oppose him at first, The foolish ones, and how often did they call him by nicknames! And they called him, along with describing him as mad, a soothsayer, And a sorcerer, and a lying sorcerer. Then the veil was lifted, and the sun of prophethood shone Above every veil.

The servant of al-Muhaymin ³⁰⁰, and His cheek—glory be to Him—by the sword, after the multiplicity of lords. And the beacon of religion became clear in guidance, and polytheism was overturned on its heels. The signs were raised for you, O you of vast exaltation, and the end of empowerment ³⁰¹ is the proximity of succession. So you became high in rank, the noblest of those who walked on earth, whether non-Arabs or Arabs. To you belongs exaltation and glory, undeniable among people, O you of clear lineage. In Mecca you married a worthy match, after the existence of worthiness was lost in the proposal. And you are the highest of the messengers in station, by the majesty of rank and the loftiness of mount and steed. And may God bless you, O banner of guidance, and all the family and companions. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, pure in branch and lineage, Your chosen one crowned with the crown of awe and dignity, who, by the honor of his sublime element of glory and pride ³⁰² and the perfection of his high honor, rank, and status—as it is narrated that God Almighty, when He created creation by His knowledge, chose from them a select elite, trustworthy over His revelation and treasurers of His secret, to whom His messengers end and upon whom His revelation descends, and He made them pure ones, prophets, nobles, depositing them in the best of deposits and settling them in the best of settlements, with the noble qualities of loins passing to purified wombs; whenever a predecessor passed, a successor arose for His command, until the prophethood of God ended and His generosity was conveyed to our Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace. So He brought him forth from the best of mines in origin, the noblest of nurseries in growth, the most unassailable in peak, the purest in root, the most honored in stock—and it is the tree from which He fashioned His prophets and selected His beloved and chosen ones: a tree radiant in light, brilliant in beauty, its root firm and its branch in heaven; a tree fresh in wood, long in trunk, balanced in stature, praiseworthy in uprightness, lofty in branches, sweet in spring, green in boughs, bright in clusters, ripe in fruit, high in glory, noble in harvest, honorable in self-sufficiency; in the noblest of growths it took root, and therein it grew tall, bore fruit, became mighty, and became well-proportioned. By al-Khalil ³⁰³ its wood grew tall, by Isma'il its trunk became well-proportioned, and by Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, its ascent was completed. Creation is its flower, truth its fruit, piety its branches, guidance its clusters. Its branches are suspended from the Throne, its fruits hang down with faith, its delight adorned with melodies, its flower radiant with Ahmad, lofty in exaltation, sublime in the heights, settled in the best of settlements, deposited and nurtured in the mines of honor and the abodes of safety. Whoever clings to it is safe, whoever seeks refuge in its shade gains, whoever separates from it regrets, and whoever opposes it is defeated by evil. Before his mission, the prophets spoke of him, the scholars uttered his name, and the chosen ones called out his attributes. Centuries after centuries conveyed him by the command of the Lord of the worlds, until his tree grew tall, his fruit ripened, his time came, and his era overshadowed. God brought him forth in the purest region, the noblest community, the most specific lineage, and the most honorable clan, until He fulfilled what He had promised him and transferred him to what He had prepared for him. So he, may God bless him and grant him peace, was a tree ³⁰⁴ in the beginning of his formation, guarded in the unseen of His wisdom before He created existent things and originated originated things. This tree was planted by the hand of power, nourished with the water of proximity, ripened by the wind of union, blossomed by the breeze of connection, fruited by the secret of acceptance, plucked by the fingers of intimacy, placed in the layers of knowledge, covered with the leaves of knowledge, and set upon the tables of contentment in the dome of {And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied} ³⁰⁵. When it was perfected with these attributes and encompassed the beauties of description, existent things appeared from it and created things emerged from it. So its fruit and leaves were perfected, and the Messenger grew from its roots until it connected with al-Khalil, and from it branched Ishaq and Isma'il. Then Isma'il branched, became good, and was preserved from all afflictions. The fruits continued to grow and become good until the branch of 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, until it appeared in the human form of our Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, and its sublime beauty was perfected in him. So its branch grew with trustworthiness, was adorned with truth and religion, ripened with certainty and sincerity, blossomed with prophethood and special selection, bore fruit with messengership, was plucked with secrets and proofs, and was placed in the layers of the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary upon the table of {Here you are and your Lord} ³⁰⁶. So he attained what he desired. Whoever sits at the root of this gnostic tree, leans on the branches of its luminous sciences, eats from its tastes, smells the breeze of its realities, plucks from the fruit of its root, and clings to the secrets of its wisdom, will boast as the owner of this spiritual tree boasted—and he is our master Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, the best of creation, the sultan of the kingdom, the master of the pious, the orator of the presence of the angels brought near, and the leader of the best of the chosen messengers. So may God bless him and his family, the springs of sciences and secrets, and his companions, the stars of guidance and lamps of lights, a blessing by which He frees our necks from the Fire, and has mercy on us through its blessing in this abode and in that abode, by Your bounty and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the delight of hearts and eyes, the master of the Emigrants and Helpers, who, by the blessing of his ripe tree of branches and flowers and the manifestation of his blessed essence of centuries and boughs ³⁰⁷—as it is narrated that he, may God bless him and grant him peace, was a tree of light in pre-eternity. From his lights branched the Throne, the Footstool, the heavens, the angels, the sun, the moon, the souls of the messengers, Paradise, and Hellfire. From that tree he transferred through the loins of the prophets, peace be upon them, to the tree of Ibrahim. Then two branches: a branch in the direction of prayer, directed to whom God turned, as the angels turned to the face of Adam and the beasts to the faces of the prophets, peace be upon them; and likewise his community, may God bless him and grant him peace, turned to where he grew and where he was created. And on the right of the place of his creation, may God bless him and grant him peace, are the branches of the messengers and prophets. From the second, human branch are the branches of the Companions, may God be pleased with them. Until the time of his appearance, they became branches clinging to his form. From the tree of his form, may God bless him and grant him peace, are two branches: his heart and his tongue, from which all knowledge and sciences emerged, and from them branched the branches of stations and understandings of intelligibles, indications, signs, and miracles. Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace—his Lord created him in five creations: a luminous creation before all created things; a creation through procreation in the wombs of pure mothers from the loins of noble messengers, pure in elements and channels; then He created him as a perfect human and sent him to the two weighty beings ³⁰⁸ above the earths and heavens; then He created him on the Night of the Ascension by ascending to the highest assembly, so his essence became spiritual and the attributes of humanity departed from him; then he returned to his humanity to know his proximity in his station and what was prepared for him of high rank and lofty stations; then he was recreated in a gnostic creation and established in a demonstrative establishment, and his Lord gave him what He gave to many of the messengers, so that he might be the noblest of them by bearing the burdens of messengership and preserving trusts. So he, may God bless him and grant him peace, was given the qualities, actions, and character of the prophets and messengers.

And their miracles and what God bestowed upon them of breaking customs and gifts of wonders ³⁰⁹, for he, peace and blessings be upon him, is entirely signs and miracles, and his attributes are brilliant and clear, dazzling in courage, abundant in generosity, plentiful in favors, lofty in station, great in beneficence, copious in grace. His law is guidance, his religion saves from perdition, his source is sweet, his tongue is moist ³¹⁰, his countenance is a full moon, his lineage is pride, his radiance is the sun, his station is intimacy, his stature is a branch, his splendor is beauty, knowledge of him is a fortress, his sanctuary is security, his saliva is medicine, his presence is nearness, seeing him is healing, his promise is fulfilled, his incantation is a charm, his character is piety, his breath is ambergris, his teeth are jewels, his fingers are clouds, his courtyard is spacious. He is bright-toothed, noble in qualities, his guidance is righteousness, following him is success, compassionate, merciful, kind, forbearing, a master, generous, a prophet, a leader, a messenger, a spokesman ³¹¹, cheerful-faced, smiling, bestowing favor upon all people, a mercy to creation, a caller to truth, a speaker of truth, a giver of glad tidings of abundant reward, a warner of what leads to punishment, a light for those who see him, a guide and leader for those who follow his guidance, the secret of existence, the mine of generosity and truth, the purest of people in lineage, the best of them in descent, the most perfect in manners, the most decisive in judgment, the mightiest in dominion, the most pious in orbit. He is the refuge, the hope, the shelter, the deliverance, the bliss, the joy, the honor, the delight. The soothsayers and traditions foretold his birth, the prophets and the righteous gave glad tidings of his mission, and many narrations and reports have come concerning that. * The Messenger, as we have narrated, is supported * By every report that interprets the hadith * A light at the Throne's leg ³¹², glorifying his Lord * Greater is the light of the heart and of light * Before the creation of the father of mankind, Adam * Amazing is a branch whose roots are established * So the Merciful entrusted that secret into * The loins of the chosen caliph Adam * Were it not for him, no creation would have been brought forth * From the first of them to the last * He continued being transferred, without diversion of care * From the loins of every sanctified and purified one * From every stallion of majesty, honored * And a noble woman whose essence is a jewel * The fathers would bequeath him to their sons * Entrusted from the greater to the greater * And his radiance shines in the noble foreheads * Like the sun rising in a bright morning * Until the noble lineage appeared, which * Turned away the reins of the deficient from it ³¹³ * In lineage and Amina ³¹⁴, from the noblest element * For us is security, so we fear no harm * For she is the one whose rank is elevated O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of the tree of prophethood of selection ³¹⁵, the focal point of the lofty lights of the messages of election ³¹⁶, whose prophetic lights shone in the unseen of pre-eternal precedents, whose message was established in the publication of the books of Oneness ³¹⁷, and the glad tidings of his Ahmadhood ³¹⁸ came in previous times and bygone ages, and the announcement of his Muhammadhood ³¹⁹ in the former scriptures and past nations, through the glad tidings of the Messiah and the Sacrifice ³²⁰ and the possessor of concise speech and eloquent tongue, the lofty station and spacious court, the Arab prophet, the Batha'i ³²¹, the Madani ³²², the Makki ³²³, the Tihami ³²⁴, the Najdi ³²⁵, the Hashimi ³²⁶, the Qurashi ³²⁷, the chosen, the selected, the picked from the offspring of the settled peoples and the core of the mines, sent from the noblest of places and the best of homelands, the chosen, the selected from the best wombs of the Arabs, the most deep-rooted in lineage, the noblest in ancestry, the most perfect in manners, the highest in ranks, the most eloquent in speeches, the most successful in closeness, the most victorious in return, the most abundant in generosity, the longest in pillar, the highest in ascent, the most fulfilling of covenants, the truest in promises, the most fortunate in delegations, the most generous in armies, the most fragrant in garments, the best in root, the mightiest in origin, the most eloquent in tongue, the clearest in exposition, the most balanced in scale, the soundest in faith, the most complete in beneficence, the most blessed in time, the most joyful in era, the most blessed in homelands, the most manifest in authority, the most accepting of truth and submission, the mightiest in followers, the most beautiful in appearance, the greatest in glory, the truest in report, the most generous in company, the noblest in origin and birth, the best in lineage and descent, the sweetest in source and resource. And he is the light deposited in the loins of the prophets and messengers, the isthmus ³²⁸ that gathers the characteristics of the first and the last, the master of the angels brought near, the elite of the elite among Your sincere servants. So send blessings, O Allah, upon him and upon his family ³²⁹, the good and pure, and upon his Companions, the guides and mentors, a blessing that makes us, through it, among Your secure and successful servants, and Your beloved ones who arrive at his Basin ³³⁰ and drink, by Your favor and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. * Processions that encompassed earth and sky * For a face by which we are watered when drought strikes * You appeared to us, O master of messengers, in hopes * So we have from you what none have attained * A path of guidance, no servant who is guided by it fails * So blessed are we, its grapes, sin falls away * Long, wide, lofty is the rank of Ahmad * By it glory rises and boasts spread * A nature of generosity ingrained in his existence * He has in giving hands whose returns are open * Purity of ancestors and goodness of elements * Indeed pure is his root, branch, and clan * Cheerful-faced, light strikes from his face * When he is fortunate, light from before him descends * Ruins of Quba ³³¹ from Tayba ³³² have become fragrant * And Tayba, in it the light to the Throne is intense O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the light of everything and its guidance, the foundation of every good and its structure, the result of every excellent knowledge and the secret of its meaning, he who, from the perfection of God's care for him and the majesty of his rank with God, it is narrated that his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, lofty in rank and status, when he encountered from Quraysh what he encountered during the digging of the well of Zamzam, made a vow to God that if ten male children were born to him, by whom his eyes would be comforted and by whom he would overcome his opponent and who would interpose between him and what he sought through God's pleasure, he would surely sacrifice the dearest of them to him at the Ka'ba, which is the visitation place of angels and the House of God. When his sons reached ten as he desired and his victory was achieved in what he hoped and intended, he gathered his sons and informed them of his intention and called them to fulfill what he had vowed to God. They obeyed him in that and said, "Hearing and obedience to what is incumbent upon you of God's rights." He said, "Let each of you take an arrow and write his name on it, and bring them to me so that I may fulfill God's covenants." When they did that and brought them to him, he informed the arrow-diviner ³³³ of his vow and said to him, "Cast lots with these arrows for these sons." So the arrow-diviner took the arrows and cast lots, while 'Abd al-Muttalib stood at the Ka'ba supplicating and calling upon God. When the arrow-diviner cast the lots, the arrow came out for his son 'Abdullah, who was the dearest of his sons to him and the most eager to obey him and please him. So he took his hand and took the knife and proceeded with him to Isaf and Na'ila ³³⁴ to sacrifice him. Then Quraysh rose from their assemblies and said, "What do you intend, O 'Abd al-Muttalib, with your son 'Abdullah?" He said, "I will sacrifice him to fulfill my vow to God." Quraysh and his sons said, "By God, you will not sacrifice him until you excuse yourself and see what God has decreed for you concerning his matter. If you do this, a man will keep bringing his son until he sacrifices him, so how will people survive? If your son can be ransomed with our wealth, we will ransom him; if with our lives, we will free him; if with our honor, we will protect him." And they recited: * O wonder at the killing of 'Abd al-Muttalib * And his slaughter of a jewel like a golden statue * O Shayba ³³⁵, do not hasten upon us with wonder * For our son is not like the condition of the chosen people

And your son is not to be treated as a lowly, usurped one, whose ransom is to be paid with wealth until we fight. I will ransom him with my wealth from plunder, and I will encounter before him wrath, a fierce, towering one, like ugly dye-stains. Abdullah was not slain among us in jest, a slaughter like the slaughter of a devoted worshipper. No, by the House of God, veiled with curtains, the slaughtered one is not made (a sacrifice) until there is strife, a striking that removes the crown of the head after the neck, with every polished, thin, sharp sword, like lightning or like fire in a ruined garment. Then his brother Abu Talib said, when Abdul Muttalib intended to slaughter him and heard what he heard from the Quraysh, because he was his full brother and son of his mother: "No, by the House of God, possessor of idols, and the Lord of those who are distant from the mounts, every relative at home or abroad, who visits the House of God, the veiled one, Abdullah was not killed in play, among a group of clans, between women of mixed lineage, a fair-skinned one among the white women of Kilab, and between Makhzum, possessors of lineage, owners of high-bred horses and domes. You are not upon that as base men until they taste the scratching of blows, with every sharp, ever-drooling sword, with luster in the hand like a meteor, until the opponent meets a challenger, if the swift decree does not hasten." I said, and my saying is not blameworthy: "O Shayb, indeed injustice is blameworthy. Indeed, for us, if you are unjust in speech, there are truthful states like lions of the forest. They would not surrender him forever to torment until the ground sucks with dust the blood of a people of sacred lineage." Then Abdul Muttalib said at that: "I have covenanted with my Lord, I am fulfilling His vow; I fear my Lord if I disobey His command. And God, nothing can measure His measure; so He is the Protector, and I am His ward all my life. This is my son, I intended to sacrifice him; so if You delay him and accept my excuse, and turn away death, then he is cautious of it." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whose mention is honored in the highest assembly and heard, and the most excellent of those to whom one turns in important matters and seeks refuge, he who, from the perfection of his care with his Lord and his closeness to Him, it is narrated that his grandfather Abdul Muttalib, when he wanted to sacrifice his son Abdullah in fulfillment of his vow and compliance with God in secret and public, the Quraysh and his sons said: "Do not do it; go with him to the Hijaz, for there is a soothsayer there who has a familiar spirit; ask her, then you are at the head of your affair: if she commands you to sacrifice him, you sacrifice him; and if she commands you with a matter in which there is relief for you and him, you accept it." So they set out until they arrived in Medina, and they found her there, as they claimed, in Khaybar; so they rode to her until they came to her, and Abdul Muttalib recounted to her his story and the story of his son and what he intended for him and his vow concerning him. She said to them: "Leave me today until my familiar spirit comes to me, and I will ask him." So they left her, then they came to her the next morning, and she said to them: "Yes, the news has come to me. How much is the blood money among you?" They said: "Ten camels," and that was the case. She said: "Return to your land, then bring your companion and bring ten camels, then cast lots ³³⁶ upon them and upon him. If the lot falls upon your companion, then increase the camels until your Lord is satisfied; and if it falls upon the camels, then sacrifice them for him, for your Lord is satisfied and your companion is saved." So they left until they arrived in Mecca. When they gathered for that matter, Abdul Muttalib stood, supplicating to God and imploring Him, saying: "O God, I am doing what You will; if You wish, You inspire right guidance and rectitude. You have increased wealth and given children, O Foremost of good to every land. Indeed, I am Your ally despite the enmity of Ma'add." Then they brought Abdullah and ten camels, while Abdul Muttalib was at Hubal ³³⁷ supplicating to God. They cast lots, and the arrow fell upon Abdullah. So they added ten camels, then cast lots, and the arrow fell upon Abdullah. The camels reached twenty, and Abdul Muttalib stood supplicating to God. Then they cast lots, and the arrow fell upon Abdullah. So they added ten camels, and the camels reached thirty, and Abdul Muttalib stood supplicating to God. They continued like that, casting the arrow and adding ten camels each time it fell upon Abdullah, until the camels reached one hundred, and Abdul Muttalib stood supplicating to God. Then they cast lots, and the arrow fell upon the camels. The Quraysh and those present said: "Your Lord is satisfied, O Abdul Muttalib." They claim that Abdul Muttalib said: "By God, until I cast lots three times." So they cast lots upon Abdullah and upon the camels, and Abdul Muttalib stood supplicating to God, and the arrow fell upon the camels. So they were sacrificed, then left, with no one turning them away or preventing them. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the locus of the jewels of revelation and inspiration, the clear lamp of prophethood illuminating in darkness, he who, from the perfection of his care with his Lord and his closeness to Him, it is narrated that his father Abdullah, when he was born to his grandfather Abdul Muttalib, he rejoiced greatly, and there remained no priest or rabbi of Syria but knew of his birth. That was because they had a white woolen cloak that was dipped in the blood of John son of Zechariah, peace be upon them, and they would find in their books: "When you see the white cloak, and the blood turns yellow from it, then know that Abdullah son of Abdul Muttalib has been born." So they looked at that time at the cloak, and behold, the dried blood had become moist and began to drip from the cloak. So they knew that the father of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, had been born. They said: "Woe to us! Tonight has been born one from whose loins will come forth one who will destroy our unity, scatter our assembly, shed our blood, until there remains no trace or news of us. His time has drawn near." So they began to wail and weep and cry out with one voice, and they were deeply grieved by the birth of Abdullah. They brought out a great amount of their wealth and made it a reward for whoever killed Abdullah, and they sent to Mecca men from their cunning ones. They stayed there for a while waiting for an opportunity, but they could not reach him nor were they able to harm him. They would ask about his times and hours, and their trade was to Mecca. When they were informed of his news, they were filled with rage and fury against him. Abdullah grew and matured like the growth of the month in a day and the growth of the year in a month, and the desert and settled people marveled at his beauty, handsomeness, radiance, and perfection. When seven years of his life had passed, he grew up and became a youth, and he went out to the Kaaba, and all the people were captivated by him, until he grew up and reached twenty years of age. He encountered in his time what Joseph the Truthful, peace be upon him, encountered. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those from whose sea of generosity and bounty delegations draw, and the most generous of those by whose rank and high status the sinner seeks intercession, he who, from the perfection of his care with God, it is narrated that his grandfather Abdul Muttalib, when a son was born to him...

His son was Abdullah, and the light of prophethood shone in the lines of his forehead and his face, and with his birth were perfected those ten sons whom he had desired as a reminder before God—the vow he had vowed and the covenant he had made with his Lord. So he gathered his sons from their families, except for al-Harith, his eldest and firstborn. Then he turned to them and said: 'O my sons, you are all equal in my sight; you are the pupil of my eye and the soul of my body. If one of you were pricked by a thorn, his affair would pain me; if something harmful befell any of you, it would grieve me. But the right of God Almighty is more incumbent upon me than your right, and His station with me is greater than your station. I have made a covenant with Him and vowed a vow: that if He granted me ten male children who would reach an age where they could protect me, I would sacrifice one of them at the Ka'bah. He has given me what I asked, and what I guaranteed and covenanted remains upon me. It is not fitting for me to vow and then not fulfill. I have gathered you and consulted you in this matter; what do you say?' Then some of them looked at others, some silent with downcast eyes, others stunned, because they had heard from him what had never been heard from anyone else, and no Arab before him had done such a thing. The first to address him was his youngest son, Abdullah, the father of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). He said: 'O father, you have vowed what no one else has vowed, and you are a man of fulfillment, trustworthiness, chastity, and protection. Treachery and betrayal are not befitting of one like you. The right of God upon you is more obligatory than our right, and His command is more binding than our command. We are your sons, obedient to your hand. We seek refuge in God from opposing you, and we ask Him for success in obeying you. We are pleased with God's command and your command, and we are patient with God's decree and your decree. We are yours and before you. As for me, I have answered, consented, and am patient with whatever you wish and decree. I seek refuge in God from opposing you in what you have commanded and desired. So fulfill what you have promised your Lord; you will be guided and will hit the mark.' He said: Then 'Abd al-Muttalib thanked him for his words and praised his action, and wept intensely until his beard was wet with his tears, for he found no comfort in his heart. Then he turned to the rest of his sons and said: 'What do you say?' When they heard the words of their brother, who was the youngest in age, they felt ashamed before their father and answered, every last one of them: 'Do with us as you see fit; we will not oppose you in what you command, nor reject you in what you do, even if you were to sacrifice us all, how much more one of us?' So 'Abd al-Muttalib thanked them for that and said: 'Tomorrow, wash your bodies, adorn yourselves with your ornaments, perfume yourselves, anoint yourselves, and bid farewell to your mothers and guardians—a farewell that will never be repeated—for you do not know which of you will be singled out for sacrifice. And come early to the Ka'bah; I will be waiting for you there to fulfill God's promise and what I have vowed and covenanted.' So they dispersed from him and went to their mothers, informing them of that. Their eyes overflowed with tears, and the sisters and mothers wept over them, every mother fearing for her child that he might be the lost one. Then 'Abd al-Muttalib spent that day grieving, not eating any food nor drinking any drink, nor that night. When the light of dawn broke, he bathed, put on his ornaments and the garments of the prophets that he had, took a sharp knife, sharpened it thoroughly, and went to the Ka'bah to sacrifice one of his sons there. He called out to them, summoning them one by one, and they came to him quickly in response, having dressed, bathed, perfumed, adorned, and anointed themselves, with their mothers and sisters weeping and sobbing until they all arrived—except for Abdullah, who lagged behind. Their father said to them: 'What delayed your brother, who was the first among you to respond?' They said: 'We have no knowledge.' So he went to the mother of Abdullah, Fatimah bint 'Amr, and found her embracing her son, pulling him and he pulling her; she had seized his collar while he sought to free himself from her, saying: 'Let me go to my father to fulfill what he covenanted with his Lord. If my Lord accepts me, I will be content with His response, generous with my soul for His pleasure and my father's pleasure. If it is otherwise, I will return to you.' But she prevented him from that. Then 'Abd al-Muttalib entered upon her. When she saw him, she felt ashamed and released her hand, saying: 'O 'Abd al-Muttalib, no one before you has done such a thing—slaughtering your son and sacrificing him with your own hand as you sacrifice camels. Does your soul assist you in that, so that you stretch out your hand to him? If it must be, then spare this son of yours and have mercy on him for his young age, the beauty of his face, and this light on his forehead. O 'Abd al-Muttalib, by God, life will never be pleasant for you after him. You have bereaved me and saddened me; he clings to my liver. O 'Abd al-Muttalib, you have made the envious gloat over me and delighted the obstinate. I know that everyone within the Sanctuary envies you for him, and they have the right to, for they have never seen anyone like him in beauty, nor will they ever give birth to his like, despite what we have encountered from the soothsayers and those who bring news who want to kill him—but God will protect him from them. O 'Abd al-Muttalib, I carried him for nine months, gave birth to him with difficulty, nursed him for a full year, protected him with my soul, preferred him over myself, guarded him night and day for fear of the wicked, until I hoped for him and expected him—and now you take him from me? If you took him and kept him away from me while he was alive, that would be one calamity over another. But you want to slaughter him and shed his blood. What life would be sweet for me after him?' So 'Abd al-Muttalib said: 'It is hard for me to harm him, or to make him miserable, or to pain him—how could I...

I will sacrifice him, and indeed he is the dearest of my children to me and the most beloved of them to me, and indeed I have compassion for him due to his young age, but the right of Allah is more obligatory than his right, and the station of Allah is greater than his station. Perhaps Allah may spare him and have mercy on his youth, and not decree his sacrifice, and divert it to another. If the pleasure of Allah lies in another, then I have done so; and if it lies in him, then I will surely do it, and I will weep for him, and I will lament him, and I will remember him as long as I live. And I hope for his salvation, for I anticipate for him a day unlike other days, in which he will have great tidings. So do not prevent him, and do not withhold him from me, and consider him as a trust with Allah, for we are all stricken with grief over him. His mother clasped him to her breast and began kissing him, saying: "O my little son, do you see that my Lord has decreed separation from you, and has judged that I should witness your slaughter and see you bathed in your blood? O my son, Hamad (Ahmad), the lamp of the Sanctuary and the light of the nations, today men and women, slaves and maidservants weep for you. I hoped you would be a bridegroom, but today I see you buried in the dust from my grief. Would that my mother had never given birth to me! O would that I had been killed in your stead, and ransomed you with my life, my wealth, and my clan, though that is little compared to your beauty and grace, that he (the Prophet) be praised, and that the light of al-Abtah and al-Safa be extinguished and vanish. My resourcefulness has failed, and consolation is scant. O delight of my eye, O you whose like I shall never bear again, you will be absent from me and I shall not see you, and life will never be pleasant for me after you. I will weep for you until tears are exhausted and blood flows. O would that your mother had been buried beneath the earth before your slaughter, and O would that your father had begun the slaughter with me! There is no calamity like yours to be heard or seen, and neither a free man nor a slave would do this." (120) And indeed, it is in spite of me, not with my consent, O my son. He has poured upon me from grief over you what has distressed and saddened me. Today, I have no rest after you, nor any refuge. He has departed from me, and my mind has been shattered. O alas, all alas for you, O Abdullah! I shall never sleep after you, nor shall I relish the sweetness of life or food." Then Abd al-Muttalib fell upon his face, weeping and grieving, having sobbed with his tears and choked with his anguish. Abdullah said: "O mother, you have hurt me and pained my heart with your weeping. So leave me be, and do not object to Allah in His action." So she released her hand from him, and he kissed her head, bid her farewell, and went out with his father. His mother Fatimah bint Amr went out after him, out of burning grief for him. His father Abd al-Muttalib proceeded to his brothers and drove them before him to the Kaaba, and raised his voice in the side of Mecca and its ravines: "Behold! Abd al-Muttalib sacrifices his son to the Lord of the Kaaba as an offering." So the people gathered from every ravine and valley, and the assemblies of Quraysh dispersed, and they rejoiced at the news that had reached them, saying: "Perhaps he is the one from whom fear and caution are due, and whose days and years are dreaded, and perhaps he is his son named Abdullah, for from him comes terror and anguish." Then, indeed, the soothsayers—each one of them made a vow that if this deed were accomplished for them, they would fulfill their vow. So the people of Mecca gathered to the last man, and the people hastened to the Kaaba. Abd al-Muttalib appeared before them with his sons, they being with him in their finest adornment and most abundant attire, and he was behind them, with the slaughtering knife in his right hand and the rope in his left hand. The people stretched toward him, marveling at his deed and bewildered by his action. They refrained from speech, the clamor subsided, the noise quieted, the voices fell silent, and the movements ceased. He placed his sons before him, clung to the curtains of the Kaaba, and called out with a loud voice until both far and near heard him, saying: "O Allah, Lord of the Sacred House, the Corner, and the Station, and Lord of the noble angels. You created the angels for Your obedience, and brought them into being by Your power, and commanded them for Your worship, not out of any need from You for them. Indeed, the weak one is in need, and You are the Strong, the Mighty, the Doer of what He wills. Successful is he who obeys You, and wretched is he who disobeys and opposes You, and happy is he who answers You. I asked You, and You gave me; I made a covenant with You afterward, and You fulfilled it for me; I trusted in my word, and You provided for me (121); and with abundance You strengthened and supported me. O Lord, I had guaranteed, covenanted, and vowed upon the completion of ten male children that I would offer one of them to You as a sacrifice. They are before You and in Your presence, and I have driven them to You. So judge between them with Your judgment, command concerning them with Your command, and choose whom You will from among them, for they are Your servants and I am Your servant. I am content with Your decree, and I am patient under Your judgment and trial, thankful for Your command, spreading Your blessings. You provided for me and gave me, so fulfill Your command regarding what You have covenanted, and bring forth the arrow for whom You have chosen. Indeed, You are over all things competent. O Allah, if I object to You in what You have decreed, it is due to my ignorance and evil deed, so forgive my ignorance through Your generosity, and my evil deed through Your beneficence. O Allah, regarding what I have covenanted with You, make it fall upon the older ones, and do not make it fall upon the young ones, for the young ones are in my heart, and the older ones are more capable of bearing affliction, even if I dislike it, and more patient under harm, even if I do not desire it." And he began to say: "O Lord of this House and the curtains, And Lord of him who circumambulates these stones, And of the surface of the earth with the deserts, And the Sender of clouds with rains, O Lord, I ask You, You are the Creator, Except that You turn away grief from the young ones, Until I see them in the courtyard of the house, Like the moon appearing from the concealment."

Then he released his hand from the curtains and called for arrows, writing on each one the name of one of his sons. He summoned the keeper of the divining arrows and gave him his bribe, saying, 'Take my sons into the Kaaba and cast lots for them.' So he took them in, while their mothers began weeping and wailing, shedding tears upon their cheeks. The weeping was especially for Abdullah, out of grief for his beauty, perfection, splendor, the radiance of his face, and his young age. Abdul-Muttalib became extremely agitated, spending his day like a bereaved woman or a grain in a frying pan, his tears unceasing. At times he would stand, at times lie down, and at times look toward the door of the Kaaba, while the priests craned their necks, hoping that the arrows would fall against Abdullah because of the light they saw on his face. When the news of the people was delayed, Abdul-Muttalib cast his eyes toward the sky and said, 'O Allah, fulfill Your decree, for I desire Your pleasure. O Allah, You have granted them to me, and to You I have surrendered them, and for You I have given them. Take whom You will from them, for I am content with Your judgment. Spare me the youngest, for he is the weakest in strength; do not afflict me with his slaughter, for I am compassionate toward him and have no patience for the descent of calamity. Bear it for me, O Lord, if You do so, and place in another what You will, for I am content with what You have decreed.' Then he began to say: 'O Lord, do not surrender him to the sin, And grant him pardon, for You are the best of pardoners. O Lord, let not the arrow fall against him, And open for him, O Lord, the best of openings.' Then he stood for a long time, tears overflowing and anguish intensifying, when suddenly the keeper of the arrows came out of the Kaaba standing over Abdullah, having placed his cloak around his neck, driving him forward, his face pale and his limbs trembling. He said, 'O Abdul-Muttalib, this is your son upon whom the arrow has fallen. If you wish, slaughter him; if you wish, leave him.' When Abdul-Muttalib heard that, his heart sank and he fell down in a faint. His sons came out of the Kaaba weeping and wailing until their garments were soaked from the abundance of tears. None among them that day showed more love or shed more precious tears than Abu Talib, for he was his full brother, infatuated with his love and beauty, unable to bear being apart from him for even an hour. He would kiss his forehead and the place of light on his face, saying, 'O my brother, may Allah not cause you to die until you see your son, the inheritor of this light, for whom the Lord of the worlds becomes angry and the near-stationed angels fight, who will wash the earth of impurity and erase all filth upon it—the Master of the Age and the Remover of the dominion of the soothsayers.' And when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) appeared, he would kiss him and say, 'May I be ransomed for you, O son of the two sacrifices,' without boasting, as is related in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: 'I am the son of the two sacrifices,' meaning by that his two fathers: Ishmael (peace be upon him) and Abdullah. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the lofty and exalted station, the treasurer of the hidden divine secret, from the perfection of whose honor it is related that his noble and honored grandfather Abdul-Muttalib, when he intended to slaughter his son Abdullah, the father of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Talib clung to him and said, 'Gently, O father, do not hasten until I address you with words that will please you and not harm you.' Abdul-Muttalib said, 'What is it, my son?' He said, 'It is good that you and those present will hear, and your family and others will hear. I call you to witness upon myself, and I call Allah to witness, Who created them, and He is my Master and their Master.' Abdul-Muttalib was moved by him. Then Abu Talib clung to the curtains of the Kaaba and said, 'O Lord of creation, Bestower of gifts, Decider of decrees, You have decreed by Your judgment and we are pleased. This is our father who made a vow to sacrifice one of his sons as an offering. I am content to be his offering and that he slaughter me before You. O Allah, I have ransomed my brother with myself and offered my soul for him out of compassion for him and mercy for his young age. O Allah, make me his ransom and grant me his slaughter; indeed, You are the Bestower, the Merciful.' Then he said, 'O father, I call you and those present to witness that I have given myself to Allah, to you, and to my brother. So carry out your command, O father, and trust in your Lord.' Abdul-Muttalib said, 'O my son, I am not one to oppose Allah in His command; He is the Commander and I am the commanded. I have done a deed that I will always remember as long as I live.' Abu Talib said, 'Then return, O father, to casting the arrows; perhaps your Lord will decree what I have mentioned to you and accept me and ransom my brother with myself and my soul.' So Abdul-Muttalib returned and sent for the keeper of the arrows, ordering him to cast them again. He did so, and the arrow fell against Abdullah. Abdul-Muttalib said, 'The matter is decreed and the word is true.' Then he led Abdullah to the place of sacrifice. The people gathered and crowded around him, bewildered by his action, amazed at his deed and his beautiful patience. He laid him down between Asaf and Naila. Abdullah said, 'O father, bind my leg and tie my hand, for I might resist you when you slaughter me with the blade and push you away.'

My preventing you from what you desire and my guarding my blood is in my hand, and I prevent you from my throat, so seek my prevention, lest it spatter onto your garments and become a reminder of your sorrows. Do not prolong your sorrows over me, and do not let your hands tremble. If you fear that, then close your eyes and fulfill what your master has commanded me, and you will find me patient and seeking reward ³³⁸. I entrust you to treat my mother well, to be kind in companionship with her, to ask about her burning grief, and to calm her tears. I know that after me she will never enjoy life again. I entrust you to take care of yourself; God is my successor over you and over my mother after me." Then 'Abd al-Muttalib ³³⁹ went to him, bound his hands and feet, and laid him down for slaughter, his hand trembling, barely holding the blade, and tears flowing down his cheek. When his mother saw him lying bound with the rope, she screamed a scream and could not bear it, crying out: "O 'Abd al-Muttalib, I ask you by God to grant him to me! Have mercy on his beauty and comeliness and his young age! O 'Abd al-Muttalib, take his mother instead of him, for she would ransom him with her life and protect him with her soul! O 'Abd al-Muttalib, you have set a precedent that burns hearts and exhausts the distressed!" Then she cried out, "O my father, O my lifeblood, O my regret! I hoped you would be a bridegroom, but how can I bear to see you immersed in blood? O how long my distress, how lasting my grief!" At that, the mountains and valleys wailed with all who were in them, cries rose up, and screaming intensified. That day none were seen but weeping men and women, crying men and women, or mourners. The matter became great for 'Abd al-Muttalib, and he desired to fulfill the command, so he took the blade and bent over him to slaughter him. When his mother saw that, she fled in panic, seeking help from her family and tribe. When she saw 'Abd al-Muttalib covering her son with his chest and pointing the knife at his throat, 'Abd Allah ³⁴⁰ cast his eyes toward the sky, and from his forehead ³⁴¹ a brilliant light emerged, rising like a pillar until it reached the canopy of heaven. The angels in their ranks and stations cried out in distress, and the angels of the earth and heavens, the angels of the veils and pavilions, and the bearers of the Throne ³⁴² all submitted to the Lord of creation. Gabriel ³⁴³ supplicated, Michael ³⁴⁴ submitted, Israfil ³⁴⁵ pleaded, and the heavens with all in them and the earth with all upon it trembled in grief for what had preceded them and what God had promised them of the light of His Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace. Then God Almighty said: "O My angels and inhabitants of My heavens, be silent! All are under My eye; none can repel My command nor alter My decree. I have tested My servant to see his patience in My trial, and I will immerse him in My mercy for what I have entrusted to him of the light of My chosen one and My elect from all My creation: Muhammad, the best of My messengers. So be still, for I am the Forbearing One who does not hasten." So the angels submitted to their Lord's command, and the heavens settled, listening to their Creator. 'Abd al-Muttalib pointed the knife at his son's throat and was about to proceed when relief came from his Lord. Suddenly, men surrounded him, barefoot and naked, carrying sharp swords and star-tipped spears ³⁴⁶. They intervened between him and his son and released his bonds. They were men from Banu Makhzum ³⁴⁷, the clan of 'Abd Allah's mother, her brothers. His mother had fled to them and sought their help, and they hurried with her swiftly. When 'Abd al-Muttalib saw them, he said: "What is your matter? What do you want? Why do you oppose me?" They said: "We will never let you slaughter him among us, or we will all be killed. We are his maternal uncles and the most entitled to him. You have done a deed unprecedented; you have burdened this woman with what she cannot bear or endure." Then they swore that they would never let him be slaughtered, or they would be slaughtered before him. Some people supported their words. Talk increased, and Arab tribal zeal for 'Abd Allah reached the people of Mecca, and evil nearly erupted. When 'Abd al-Muttalib saw that, he said: "You have prevented me from executing my Lord's decree and fulfilling my vow. O Lord, judge between me and them with truth, for You are the best of judges." At that, 'Ikrimah ibn 'Amir ³⁴⁸ approached 'Abd al-Muttalib—he was a noble man—and gestured to the people to be silent. The clamor and noise subsided, and the people stretched their necks to hear his words. He said: "O Abu al-Harith ³⁴⁹ (meaning 'Abd al-Muttalib), you have become the master of the valley ³⁵⁰ and the one who encompasses all the people of Mecca. What you intended to do with your son would become a custom among the people, and others after you would follow it, making it a matter whose disgrace would cling to you and whose infamy would be attached to you from the kings of the earth and all creation. That is not fitting." 'Abd al-Muttalib said: "Do you think I should anger my Lord, O 'Ikrimah ibn 'Amir, and please His servants, and make a covenant with Him only to break it?" He said: "No, but I will guide you to a near matter." He said: "What is it?" He said: "Here in the land of Hijaz ³⁵¹ there is a wise, learned woman who possesses judgment and stratagems by which she resolves great matters. People from all regions and cities come to her, complaining of their afflictions, and they do not return from her except with their cure ³⁵². She tells them about their innermost thoughts. She has a companion from the jinn ³⁵³ who brings her news and informs her of events. So let us travel to her, and you explain your situation to her and inform her of your story. I hope you will not return from her except joyful." When 'Abd al-Muttalib heard his words, his agitation subsided, and the people addressed him with one voice: "'Ikrimah has spoken truth, O Abu al-Harith. The woman is indeed excellent and learned. So set out to her, for you will not lack."

Good, so the people dispersed from him to their homes, and ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib took the hand of his son ʿAbd Allāh and brought him to his home, and began to prepare himself, carrying with him a gift, a present, and a sufficient bribe intended for the female soothsayer ³⁵⁴, who was called Umm Malḥān. After three days, ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib set out, but did not take his son ʿAbd Allāh with him, out of caution against the soothsayers and rabbis ³⁵⁵. About eighty men from his people and clan, from Banī ʿAbd Manāf, Banī Makhzūm, and the rest of Quraysh, went out with him, and they set off traveling towards her. When the journey became intense for them, ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib began to recite: ❖ A matter returns to me that I found too difficult to bear ❖ And I could not, when it overwhelmed me, repel it ❖ I made a vow, and a man's vow is binding upon him ❖ And can a young man lift what his Lord has decreed? ❖ I covenanted with Him for ten, and when they were completed ❖ I would sacrifice one of them, with no return ❖ So they completed ten, and when they were fully grown ❖ I wanted to fulfill the vow, but He increased my prevention ❖ They turn me away from my Lord's command, but I ❖ Will satisfy Him, being grateful, that He may reward me with benefit Then the people traveled, hastening their pace, until they came to her lands. They found her absent from her family, so they asked about her, and they were told that she had gone to such-and-such a place. So the people set out and halted at her courtyard. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib presented his gift and asked her about what he had come for. She said: 'Rest this day from the fatigue and the exhaustion that has befallen you, for your matter has drawn near, and tomorrow the wonder will appear to you.' He said: So they dispersed from her. The next morning, they came early to her, and she said: ❖ O welcome to the excellent young men ❖ And the dwellers of the House, high of veils ³⁵⁶ ❖ I see them from the lofty pride ❖ And from the pure glory of Nizār ❖ They endured travel from a barren plain ❖ To ask about a protected Maḍar ³⁵⁷ ❖ And among them in the courtyard of the house ❖ Was like a bold, lion-like leader ❖ And the possessor of radiance and lights ❖ From Hāshim, his brilliance in the depths ❖ A vow to Allah, the Great, the Creator ❖ That He would grant him ten males ❖ Without females or neighbors ❖ In gratitude to a Majestic, Subduing Lord ❖ Until, when they refused the choice ❖ I would ransom him with my own throat ❖ The chiefs and the excellent prevented him ❖ And they saved the traveling crescent from him ❖ And they have come to me seeking information He said: And she looked at ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib and said: 'You are the one who made the vow for this manifest matter, and you have secrets with me.' Then she said: 'O erector of the pillar ³⁵⁸ and guardian of the veils ³⁵⁹, you are indeed from the purest of the Arabs, called ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib.' ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib was astonished at her words, and everyone with him marveled at her speech. They said to her: 'You have spoken truthfully and not lied; the matter is as you said, and we are as you mentioned, and this is our companion and our master. We have come to you and sought you so that you may decide our matter and devise a stratagem for our son, that you may save him from slaughter and guide us to the path that will bring deliverance.' She said: 'By the Lord of creation, the Spreader of the earth ³⁶⁰, and the Erector of the mountain ³⁶¹, the boy's affair will indeed lead to a calamity, and he will be given a son at his birth who will abolish soothsaying and manifest trustworthiness. He will have chastity and protection. O what a wondrous, glad-tiding thing that heralds its destruction and a warner that warns of its ruin and perdition! However, it is incumbent upon me, since you have come to me and arrived at my place, that I guide you to the deliverance of your companion. How much is the blood-money among you?' They said: 'From twenty to eighty camels, and more.' She said: 'Return to your land and bring your companion. Then cast lots with divining arrows ³⁶² and draw lots between ten camels and your companion. If the arrow falls upon your companion, add another ten, and continue doing so until the arrow falls upon the camels, then slaughter them. For that is the satisfaction of your Lord and the deliverance of your companion.' When they heard her words, they rejoiced greatly, and ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib was delighted with what he heard from her, and he vowed charity and feeding. The people set out from that very moment, returning to Mecca, joyful and happy. A messenger preceded them as they neared Mecca, informing the people of Mecca of that, so they all came out to welcome ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib. All his sons came out, including ʿAbd Allāh, who came out rejoicing when he heard the news. When ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib saw his son ʿAbd Allāh, he embraced him and kissed him between the eyes. ʿAbd Allāh said to him: 'Your hardship and toil for my sake are hard upon me, O father. If you had slaughtered me and fulfilled your vow, it would have been more restful for your heart. Have you found a way out of your vow, O father?' He said: 'O my son, I hope that Allah will accept the ransom for you. By Allah, if I were to give all my wealth in exchange for your slaughter, it would be easy for me. I have been commanded to do something that I will do tomorrow in the presence of the people, and you will be present. If Allah wills good for you, He will suffice me against what I fear for you. If it is the other, then the time has come for Allah's decree to be executed and His command to be followed. I must fulfill my vow: either a ransom for you, or you yourself. I must do that.' ʿAbd Allāh said: 'O father, you will find me patient and seeking reward.' ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib said: 'O my God.'

Indeed, you hear and see. Then he began to say: "Indeed, I am fulfilling my vow to God; indeed, I fear if I disobey His command." The aforementioned verses. Then he greeted all his children and those who had come out to welcome him, and the people asked him, so he informed them of what the soothsayer had said. Then each one of the Banu Abd al-Muttalib and Banu Abd Manaf began to vow camels, each of them according to what he could afford, from eighty to ten, each according to his capacity and generosity, rejoicing at the deliverance of Abdullah from slaughter and sacrifice. The people entered Mecca rejoicing. Then Abd al-Muttalib went to Fatima, the mother of Abdullah, and found that her eyes had become sore from weeping in grief for her son. When she saw Abd al-Muttalib, she sprang to him, kissed his head and beard, and said: "O Abd al-Muttalib, have you found relief for your son, or are you still insistent on what you were?" Abd al-Muttalib said: "Indeed, I hope from God that He will accept my ransom and forgive me concerning him." And he told her what the soothsayer had said. Fatima—who was wealthy and possessed much property, and her mother was Sarha bint Amr ibn Makhzum, who was also wealthy and had much trade and camels traveling from Hijaz to Iraq and from Mecca to Syria, and she had inherited much wealth from her mother, the daughter of Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra—then said: "With my wealth and his father's wealth I would ransom him, even if your Lord demanded a thousand camels, O Abd al-Muttalib, I would sacrifice them for my son, and I would not see a day on which he is slaughtered. And if He asks for more, the guarantee and responsibility are upon me. If He refuses, then my silent wealth ³⁶³ is upon me. If He refuses, then my soul before his soul. When will your God be satisfied, O Abd al-Muttalib?" Abd al-Muttalib was pleased with that and said: "Indeed, I hope that my Lord will assist me." So Fatima calmed down from her weeping, and her heart clung to the deliverance of her son. The people in Mecca spent the evening rejoicing. Abd al-Muttalib sent word to his herdsmen to bring his camels, sheep, and all that he possessed, and they did so. He spent the night supplicating, humbly imploring God Almighty, asking Him concerning his son's affair. Then he adorned him, perfumed him, girded him, and presented him before him. Abd al-Muttalib carried the rope and the knife with him, as he had done the first time. Fatima said: "I see myself in this calamity as at the beginning of the matter. What are you doing with the knife, O Abd al-Muttalib? I see you carrying the ill-omened knife." Abd al-Muttalib said to her: "I ask my Lord concerning him; perhaps He will accept from me all that my hands possess. Then I will bring the gift from my people and offer it to my Lord. Then I will bind myself to what He demands, even if I do not possess it. I will go to the kings of the earth, the Caesars of Syria, the Chosroes of Iraq, the patriarchs of Rome, the nobles of the Turks, the kings of India, enter China, and roam the earth right and left, and ransom my son with whatever He demands of me. If He refuses that and will accept nothing but my son, and there is no alternative, then I hope that He will ransom him as He ransomed Isaac, the intended sacrifice." She said: "He is a gift to Him, and I am His servant and maidservant, and I ask Him not to afflict me with his loss." Then she went out with him. Abd al-Muttalib ordered the mounts to be tied, and they were tied. They approached the Kaaba, and Abd al-Muttalib proceeded with Abdullah and all his children to the Kaaba. The people came in full number, looking up to him. When Abd al-Muttalib reached them, he said: "O sons of our father and Qahtan, our sanctuary! You recite that the status of a child cannot be compared to anything, because it is torn from the soul. And you are not more compassionate than I toward my son. Yesterday there was a slip and ignorance on your part when you prevented me from my son. Indeed, I am more entitled to my vow. Beware of returning to your former action. Leave me and my son, for he is more entitled to me, and the Master has more right over His servants; He does what He wills." The people fell silent out of awe and reverence for him. He approached his son Abdullah and laid him down where he had been the first time, and tied him with the rope as he had done before. Then he brought forward ten camels and tied them behind him. Abd al-Muttalib advanced, clung to the curtains of the Kaaba, and called out: "O Lord, Your command is more binding, Your judgment is more just and effective, to You is the refuge and escape. The servant is Your servant, the wealth is Your wealth. If You want Your servant, he is before You; no one can prevent You from him." Then he ordered the keeper of the divining arrows ³⁶⁴ to bring them out to cast lots between Abdullah and the camels. He cast them and began to say: "O Lord, Lord of ease after hardship, Lord of the earths and the sea, Lord of this House, Lord of the Stone, rescue my son from the evil of slaughter, and accept the ransom of camels for the knife." Then he struck the arrows and drew them out, and behold, the lot fell upon Abdullah. Abd al-Muttalib said: "Yours is the satisfaction, and I will satisfy You. Above satisfaction is that You accept the ransom; otherwise, You have a greater right than the child and are more deserving of closeness." Then he added another ten to the ten and cast lots between them, saying: "O Lord of twenty, Lord of the even ³⁶⁵, Lord of the earths with clefts, deliver him, O Possessor of harm and benefit, for You see him bound for the fall."

Then he cast the arrows, and the arrow fell upon Abdullah. The Quraysh said, 'O Abd al-Muttalib, if only you had presented an intercessor other than yourself to be between you and your Lord, for He is angry with you.' Abd al-Muttalib said, 'If that is so, then the wrongdoer is more deserving to ask his Lord for forgiveness for his wrongdoing.' Then he said: 'O Allah, if my voice is veiled from You, veiled by sins and transgressions, then You are the Forgiver of sins and the Remover of distresses ³⁶⁶.' Then he added ten to the twenty and began to say: * Lord of the thirty and Lord of the cattle ³⁶⁷, * And every one who circumambulates and every one in ihram ³⁶⁸, * And the months of Hajj ³⁶⁹ and Lord of the Sanctuary ³⁷⁰, * This boy, his love is in my bones, * So grant him grace that he not be struck with blood, * And accept as his ransom unapportioned camels, * For You are described with all generosity. Then he cast the arrows, and the arrow fell upon Abdullah. Abd al-Muttalib said, 'This matter increases in patience; perhaps Allah will grant ease after hardship.' Then he added ten to the thirty and began to say: * O Lord of the forty in the lead, * And Lord of this House, Lord of the valley, * Indeed, my son is the closest of children, * In my hearing is his love and in my heart, * And his mother weeps, calling out, * O Lord, protect him from the blade, * And accept as his ransom, Creator of servants, * For he is like the full moon in the lands. Then he cast the arrows, and the arrow fell upon Abdullah. Abd al-Muttalib said, 'O my son, ransom should not be accepted for you when your Lord has decreed that you be watered with blood.' His mother wept at his words. Then Abd al-Muttalib added ten to it and began to say: * O Lord of fifty fat, sacrificial camels ³⁷¹, * Make as his ransom camels that have not approached, * From every young camel and of great price, * I hope thereby for salvation for my son. Then he cast the arrows, and the arrow fell upon Abdullah. His mother Fatima approached Abd al-Muttalib and said, 'Will you not let me ask Allah for my son? Perhaps He will have mercy on my supplication. The Creator has mercy on women and slave-girls, and He is the source of bounty and generosity.' Abd al-Muttalib said, 'Do as you wish. If my sins have caused me to fall, then you are more hopeful with Allah than I.' He said: So she added ten to the fifty, then said: 'O Lord, You granted me a son whom the envious envied me for, and both the standing and the sitting spoke of his beauty. When I hoped he would be a support for me, You decreed his slaughter and sacrifice, and despite that, the dearest of people to him and the most beloved to him will slaughter him. Indeed, he has precedence in Your knowledge and an ancient state that preceded in Your decree.' Then she began to say: ❖ O Lord of sixty and Lord of the sacred site ³⁷², ❖ And Lord of the times and Lord of the ages, ❖ And Lord of those who circumambulate and those who perform umrah ³⁷³, ❖ They come disheveled from all regions, ❖ Hoping for forgiveness for the dark-skinned one's striving ³⁷⁴, ❖ Save my son from the great slaughter, ❖ And accept as his ransom camels not slaughtered, ❖ Until You save my only one and my pride. Then she said, 'O owner of the arrows, cast and rely on Allah.' So he cast the arrows, and the arrow fell upon Abdullah. She said, 'O my beloved, O my son!' Abd al-Muttalib said, 'Everything has attachments and proofs, and this is not for you nor for me, nor does the creature have any device in it. I think all this is but my objection to my Lord, and I do not think He is pleased with me.' Then he added ten to the sixty and said, 'My God and my Master, from You is prevention and from me is giving until You are pleased.' Then he began to say: ❖ O Lord of seventy that have been hobbled ³⁷⁵, ❖ To You, O Lord of the Most High, they have become accustomed, ❖ And towards Your noble House they have drawn near, ❖ Branded, all of them have been collared, ❖ And by the stallions, all of them have been covered, ❖ And You see a woman who has rejoiced, ❖ And after a veil, she has torn the curtain, ❖ Tears flow over a cheek that has shed, ❖ Hoping You will ransom for her the one she bore, ❖ So these are seventy camels that have appeared, ❖ Until they become a completed ransom. Then he said, 'Cast the arrows,' and he cast them, and the arrow fell upon Abdullah. He said: The people cried out and spoke with passions, and each said something. Abd al-Muttalib said, 'Hold, O people! After prevention there is only satisfaction, and after hardship there is only ease. I will not cut off my hope from the Lord of the earth and heaven.' Then he added ten to them and began to say: ❖ Lord of the eighty and Lord of the wealthy, ❖ And Lord of the earths with the mountains, To You I have brought great wealth, * Fat sacrificial camels that are in hobbles. I ransom with them the one held in the mountains, * For he is of my concern and burden. Then he said, 'Cast the arrows,' and he cast them, and the arrow fell upon Abdullah. The people intended to protect him from him as before, but Abd al-Muttalib drew the blade in his hand and said, 'I swear by this Mighty House and the Noble Sanctuary, if anyone obstructs me regarding my son, I will strike my own throat with this blade until I cut into my liver. So leave me with the One whose servant I am; He does with me as He wills.' He said: So they refrained from him and left him, not addressing him out of reverence and honor. He said: And Abd al-Muttalib added ten to the camels and began to say: ❖ O Lord of ninety and Lord of the assembly, ❖ And Lord of those who raise on the day of raising ³⁷⁶, ❖ Save my son from the great fall, ❖ And ransom him with the camels that have not been covered, ❖ And have mercy on my humility and the flow of my tears, ❖ Indeed, I hope for Him for a terrible day. Then he said, 'Cast the arrows,' and he cast them, and the arrow fell upon Abdullah. Abdullah cried out while in his bonds, 'O father, are you not ashamed before your Master? How many times do you argue with Him in speech and persist in asking? My station is lesser, my status is lower, and He is greater, mightier, and more majestic. So leave off objecting in a matter that has been concluded. It is not fitting for a servant to object to his Master in what He has willed and decreed. So carry out your command and come to your son and slaughter him in the pleasure of your Lord.' He said: Tears flowed from the cheeks at his words. Abd al-Muttalib said, 'Whoever persists in knocking at the door is likely to have it opened for him and be granted entry. Perhaps relief will come soon.' Then Abd al-Muttalib added ten to the camels, completing them to one hundred. Then he raised his head and began to say: ❖ O Lord, a hundred camels not apportioned, ❖ You are my King and the Guardian of blessings, ❖ And Lord of the pure, honored House, ❖ I ransom with my soul and all my bones, ❖ With Your preceding and foremost light, ❖ From the creation of Adam and before the nations, ❖ You entrusted it with Your inviolable might, ❖ From an outward to an outward, honored. Then he said, 'Cast the arrows, and I rely on Allah, the King, the All-Knowing.' So he cast the arrows, and the arrow fell upon the camels, and the appearance of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was manifest. The chiefs hastened...

Quraysh and Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib, his brothers, were untying him from his bonds. His mother came stumbling in her garments due to her immense joy at her son's deliverance, when the people heard a voice from inside the Ka'ba ³⁷⁷—the hearers had never heard a voice more tender to the heart—saying before the ransom: 'This is the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Muhammad the Chosen One, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has arrived.' When the people heard that, they humbled themselves before Allah and said to 'Abd al-Muttalib: 'Bravo, bravo! From one like you, O Abu al-Harith ³⁷⁸, while the voices call out to you and your son.' Then the men stood with daggers, intending to strike the camels' necks and slaughter them, while other men bent over 'Abd Allah, wanting to release him and untie his bonds. 'Abd al-Muttalib said: 'Take it easy, O people, for the arrows hit and miss. Ten times they have been cast for my son; if I cast them a hundred times, they would not fail. But if the other outcome occurs—and it was one—I will not repeat it.' They said to him: 'Do as you see fit, for what has appeared is sufficient.' He said: Then 'Abd al-Muttalib faced the Ka'ba, clung to its curtains, raised his head toward the sky, and said: 'O Allah, source of generosity and abundant blessings, Knower without being taught, if You have honored my son 'Abd Allah by releasing him and freeing him from his bonds, then show us a sign of that, so that I may increase my gratitude to You.' Then he cast the arrows, and the arrow came out for the camels. They said to him: 'That is enough for you now; you have reached your goal and attained it.' 'Abd al-Muttalib said: 'Will you leave me for a third time to see what comes out?' Then he cast the arrows, and the arrow came out for the camels. His heart was reassured, and he was certain that Allah, mighty and majestic, had accepted his vow and ransomed his son. He said: 'O my people, I know that Allah, mighty and majestic, has had mercy on him and on my pleading. It is not the way of the Master to give a gift and then take it back. His pleasure with my son has become clear, out of reverence for the light on his face. But will you leave me for a fourth time, no more?' They said: 'Go ahead, do as you wish.' He said: So he repeated the arrows, and he began to say: 'O Lord, You have granted me my request, increased me after few children. So make his ransom with abundant wealth, tethered camels in men's hands, which the chiefs and clients eat. He has risen like the rising of the crescent moon.' Then he cast the arrows, and the arrow came out for the camels. He said: And the people did not delay 'Abd al-Muttalib after that until they released his son from his bonds and began kissing him and congratulating him, while the women wept around him. His mother came and embraced him to her chest, kissed him between his eyes, and said: 'Praise be to Allah, O my son, who did not afflict me with your loss and did not deprive me of seeing your beautiful face. If what I feared had befallen you, I would never have lived after you, but would surely have perished.' The women came congratulating her on her son's safety. Then his father and brothers shook his hand and were about to take him back to his home. 'Abd al-Muttalib said: 'Leave him until he witnesses the ransom by which he was ransomed.' Then 'Abd al-Muttalib ordered his camels to be slaughtered, and they were all slaughtered and made permissible for all the people of Mecca and others, including those who had come from all over. 'Abd al-Muttalib said: 'Do not prevent anyone, near or far, traveler or visitor, bird or wild beast, so that the people may enjoy abundance.' So it was a general feast for all who attended. Then 'Abd al-Muttalib took his son to his home, hardly believing his deliverance. Every step he took, he kissed him and shook his hand. The soothsayers of Quraysh and Mecca had all hoped for his slaughter and sacrifice, so that they might be rid of him, because they knew from the radiant light on his forehead that a child would be born from him who would cut off their traces and nullify their soothsaying—and that is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. When their hope was dashed and they saw him walking with his father, they twisted in anger and rage, and said: 'Come, let us devise a trick to kill him. But how?' Their chief, who was called Dinar ³⁷⁹—he was great, and the soothsayers listened to him and obeyed—said: 'Come, let us make food, then put poison in it and send it as a gift to 'Abd al-Muttalib, so that he and his children may eat it, and we will be rid of them all. We will cut the tree we fear from its root; when the roots are gone, the branches go, for if a tree is cut from its root, its branch perishes. Hashim is its root, 'Abd al-Muttalib and his children are its branch, and the one who will be born from them is its fruit, and his time is near.' They said: 'Do as you see fit.' So the people hurried immediately, made food, threw poison into it, and sent it with a group of their women, veiled and concealed, to hide their identities, so that no one would know who they were. When 'Abd al-Muttalib entered his home with Fatima bint 'Amr ³⁸⁰, and the weeping and grief and distress they had felt had subsided, he sat with his children in the greatest joy they had ever experienced. Then the women came with bowls of food in their hands. Fatima recognized them and said: 'Who are you?' They said to her: 'Relatives from Banu 'Abd Manaf. Joy at our brother's deliverance came upon us, so we wanted to mix joy with joy. We prepared food and made a feast in happiness and delight, and we have sent some of the food from the banquet so that you may join us in sharing the joy.' They left the food with Fatima and hurried away. She entered

Fatima brought the food and placed it before 'Abd al-Muttalib. He said to her: "What is this food?" She said: "I have singled you out with it, your relatives, and your brothers have gifted it to you." When the people stretched out their hands, and 'Abd al-Muttalib stretched out his hand, and they were about to eat, a sign appeared to them, and it was the first of the proofs of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to appear to them. That is because Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, made the food speak, saying: "Do not eat anything of me, for I am poisoned." Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, only intended to honor that light which was in the forehead of 'Abd Allah, and that is the light of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). So, O Allah, bless him and his family with a blessing by which we may be among those upon whom Allah has bestowed His love, and favored, and gained the profit of his trade, and profited, and grant him abundant peace. And praise be to Allah, the 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 who looked with the lights of prophethood and messengership and discerned ³⁸¹, and the most excellent of those who spoke of the secrets of gnosis and divine gifts and spoke, he from whose noble care, perfect proximity, and sainthood it is narrated that his Muhammadan light ³⁸² continued to transfer from loin to loin until it reached the loin of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib. That light would shine on his forehead, and he saw from that a wondrous thing on the day of the arrival of Abraha to destroy the Ka'ba. That reached 'Abd al-Muttalib, and he said: "O tribe of Quraysh, no one can reach the destruction of this House, for this House has a Lord who protects and preserves it." That reached Abraha, and it distressed him greatly, so he sent a man to him to defeat the army alone. He came until he entered Mecca and asked about the chief of the people. It was said to him: "'Abd al-Muttalib." When he entered upon him and looked at his face, he was terrified, humbled, his tongue stammered, and he fell down in a faint. He bellowed like a bull when it is slaughtered. When he regained consciousness, he fell prostrate before 'Abd al-Muttalib and said: "I bear witness that you are truly the chief of Quraysh." That is because no one from among the people would enter Mecca and look at the face of 'Abd al-Muttalib except that he would fall prostrate before him, as an honor from Allah for the light of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). When the messenger delivered Abraha's message, 'Abd al-Muttalib rode with a group of Quraysh, and the messenger preceded him until he entered upon Abraha and said: "O my master, O my lord, today one has come to you truly." He said to him: "Woe to you, how did you know that?" He said: "Because I have not seen among human beings any beauty more beautiful than his, and his complexion resembles nothing but the hidden pearl. Know that he does not pass by anything except that it falls prostrate." He said: So the king took his best adornment, then gave him permission to enter. He entered upon him while he was seated on his throne of kingship. He greeted him, and Abraha returned the greeting. Then he stood up, took his hand, and seated him with him on his throne of kingship. Abraha began looking at the face of 'Abd al-Muttalib, then said to him: "O 'Abd al-Muttalib, was there any among your ancestors who had such light and beauty?" 'Abd al-Muttalib said to him: "Yes, O king, all my ancestors had such light and splendor." Then the king said to him: "You are a people who have surpassed kings in pride and honor. This is rightfully yours, that you should be the chief of your people." Then King Abraha turned to the elephant keeper. He had a great white elephant, and that elephant ³⁸³ would not prostrate to King Abraha as the other elephants prostrated. The king said to the elephant keeper: "Bring it out." So he brought it out, adorned with every adornment on the face of the earth. When the elephant looked at the face of 'Abd al-Muttalib, it knelt as a camel kneels, and fell prostrate, and the elephant called out in the language of humans: "Peace be upon the light that is in your back, O 'Abd al-Muttalib. With you are might and honor; you will never be humiliated or defeated." When the king saw that, he trembled and shook, and thought that all of that was sorcery. So he sent immediately to every sorcerer in his kingdom to gather them, and said to them: "Woe to you, tell me about this elephant and its affair: it does not prostrate to me, yet it prostrates to 'Abd al-Muttalib." The sorcerers said: "O king, this elephant did not prostrate to 'Abd al-Muttalib, but it prostrated to a light that will emerge from his back at the end of time, called Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). He will possess the world, the kings of the earth will vanish, and they will follow no religion but the religion of the owner of this House"—meaning thereby Ibrahim (peace be upon him)—"and his kingdom is greater than your kingdom, and he will possess the people of the world. So give us permission, O king, to kiss his hands and feet." The king gave them permission, so the sorcerers stood up and kissed the hands and feet of 'Abd al-Muttalib. The king stood alone humbly and kissed the head of 'Abd al-Muttalib, and ordered a great gift for him. Then he said to him: "Ask for your need." He said to him: "My camels that were taken." So the king ordered them to be returned to him immediately. When 'Abd al-Muttalib said this to him, Abraha said to him: "I admired you when I saw you, then I became disappointed in you when you spoke to me, and I understood the utmost of your intention in asking me to return to you camels that I had taken, while you left a House that is your religion and the religion of your fathers, and I have come to destroy it, yet you did not speak to me about it." 'Abd al-Muttalib said: "The camels are mine, and I am their owner, and you took them, so ask for your camels to be returned since they have come under your possession and authority. As for the House, it has a Lord, and He is our Lord and the Lord of everything, and He will protect it from you." So Abraha returned 'Abd al-Muttalib's camels to him. Then 'Abd al-Muttalib left and informed them of what had happened with him with

Abraha ³⁸⁴ and informed them to leave Mecca and enter the mountain pass, fearing for them from the harm of the army. Then 'Abd al-Muttalib ³⁸⁵ stood up, took hold of the ring of the Ka'ba door, and with him stood a group of Quraysh ³⁸⁶ supplicating and imploring against Abraha. 'Abd al-Muttalib said: "O Allah, the servant protects his own mount, so protect Your sanctuary. Let not their cross and their cunning overcome Your cunning." Then 'Abd al-Muttalib released the ring of the Ka'ba door and went, he and those with him from Quraysh, to the mountain pass to take refuge there and watch what Abraha would do to Mecca when he entered it. When Abraha prepared to enter Mecca, he readied his elephant and marshaled his army—the elephant's name was Mahmuh ³⁸⁷—and ordered it to advance toward Mecca. Nufayl ibn Habib ³⁸⁸ came and stood beside the elephant; he used to come to it. Then he took the elephant's ear and said: "Kneel down safely, and return safely from where you came, for you are in the sanctuary of Allah Almighty." Then he released its ear, and the elephant knelt down. Nufayl ibn Habib went out running until he ascended the mountain. Then they struck the elephant but it refused; they struck its head with a battle-axe to make it stand, but it refused; they inserted hooks into its armpits and prodded it to stand, but it refused. They turned it back toward Yemen, and it stood up trotting. They turned it toward Syria, and it did the same. They turned it toward Mecca, and it knelt down. Then Allah sent upon them birds from the sea like swallows, each bird carrying three stones: one stone in its beak and two in its claws, like chickpeas and lentils. They struck no one among them except that he perished, though not all of them were hit. So they fled, hastening along the road they had come from, asking about Nufayl ibn Habib, who had been their guide to show them the way to Yemen. Nufayl said when he saw the punishment Allah had inflicted upon them: "Where is the escape when the God is the Pursuer? And the ill-omened one ³⁸⁹ is defeated, not victorious." By "the ill-omened one" he meant Abraha. So they left fearful and fleeing, falling along every road and perishing at every watering place. Abraha was afflicted in his body; they carried him away, and his fingers fell off one by one. Whenever a finger fell, the next followed, and he oozed pus, then blood, until they reached San'a ³⁹⁰ while he was like a fledgling bird. He did not die until his heart split from his chest. When Allah relieved 'Abd al-Muttalib and Quraysh of what had befallen them, granted them victory, and repelled from them the great distress without any cost, and returned to Quraysh what had been taken from them, and Abraha withdrew from demolishing the House, 'Abd al-Muttalib returned to Mecca. He married a woman, then she died; then another, then she died; then he married a third. Then one day he slept in the Hijr ³⁹¹ and woke up terrified, dragging his cloak until he came to the soothsayers of Quraysh. They said to him: "What is the matter with you, O Abu al-Harith ³⁹²? Have you been bewitched?" He said: "No, but I saw a vision while sleeping near the Hijr." They said: "What did you see?" He said: "I saw as if a white chain came out from my back, having four ends: one end reached the east of the earth, one reached its west, one reached the canopy of heaven, and one passed through the earth. While I was looking at it, in the blink of an eye it became a green tree, the like of which no seer has seen, nor more luminous, nor more beautiful. While I was thus, two old men stood before me: one with black head and beard, the other with white head and beard. I said to the one with black head and beard: 'Who are you?' He said: 'Do you not know me?' I said: 'By Allah, no.' He said: 'I am Nuh ³⁹³, the prophet of the Lord of the worlds.' And I said to the other: 'Who are you?' He said: 'I am Ibrahim ³⁹⁴, the friend of the Lord of the worlds.' Then I woke up." The soothsayers said: "If your vision is true, there will surely come forth from your back one in whom the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth will believe, and he will be a manifest knowledge among people." Then he saw in a dream that he should marry Fatima bint 'Amr ³⁹⁵, so he married her, and she bore him Abu Talib ³⁹⁶ and two daughters. He remained for a time while the light of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not pass from his face to the womb of Fatima. Then one day he returned from hunting at noon, thirsty, and saw in the Hijr flowing water. He descended and drank, feeling its coolness on his heart. Then he entered that very hour and had intercourse with her, and she conceived 'Abd Allah ³⁹⁷, the father of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, with a blessing by which we may be among those who seek refuge in his inviolable sanctuary and hold fast, and enter under his protection in both abodes ³⁹⁸, and be honored by Your favor and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the means of the desirous and the seeker, and the best of those who have engraved love for his name on the pages of his heart, and who wrote, from the noble traits of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, what is narrated from him that he said: "While I was sleeping in the Hijr, a visitor came to me and said: 'Dig Zamzam ³⁹⁹.' I said: 'What is Zamzam?' He said: 'A well that never runs dry and never ceases.'"

He gave drink to the greatest pilgrims, and it was between the Euphrates and the Tigris at the hollow of the white crow ⁴⁰⁰, near the village of ants. Before that, he had come to me many times. He said: So I set out with my pickaxe and with me my son al-Harith, and I had no son other than him. Quraysh said: 'This is the well of our father Ishmael, and we have a right in it; so share it with us.' He said: 'I will not do that.' So they took their dispute to the priestess of Banu Sa'd ibn Huram, who was at Ashraf. When they were midway on the road, the water ran out for 'Abd al-Muttalib and his companions, and thirst overtook them, and they were certain of destruction, and they dug graves for themselves. Then 'Abd al-Muttalib mounted his she-camel to search for water in that desert, and water gushed from beneath the hoof of his mount, so they drank and filled their waterskins. Quraysh also came and drew water from that water which had burst forth from beneath the hoof of his she-camel. Then they said: 'Judgment has been given in your favor against us, O 'Abd al-Muttalib. By Allah, we will never dispute with you over Zamzam again. Indeed, He who gave you this water in this desert is the One who gave you Zamzam. So return to your watering-place, rightly guided.' So he returned, and they returned with him, and they did not reach the priestess, and they left him and Zamzam alone. Then when 'Abd al-Muttalib dug it, he found in it two gazelles of gold, Qal'i swords ⁴⁰¹, and coats of mail. Jurhum had buried that when they left Mecca. Then Quraysh disputed with him over that as well, so they cast lots before Hubal ⁴⁰², and 'Abd al-Muttalib got the swords, coats of mail, and the two gazelles for the Ka'ba, and nothing came out for Quraysh. So he made the swords into a door for the Ka'ba and fixed the two golden gazelles on the door. It is said that this was the first gold with which the Ka'ba was adorned, as they claim. Then 'Abd al-Muttalib established the watering of Zamzam for the pilgrims (142), and the Banu 'Abd Manaf boasted of it over Quraysh and over all the Arabs. All of that was due to the blessing of the light of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the Beloved, the Chosen, the Elect, that was in his loins. So, O Allah, bless him and his family with a blessing that raises us in ranks, relieves us of distress, and makes it for us with You the greatest of means and the highest of proximities, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. ◆ Before that, you traveled through lands and in ◆ Then you descended to the lands, not a human ◆ But a drop riding the ship, while ◆ You moved from loin to womb ◆ You entered the fire of the Friend ⁴⁰³ concealed ◆ A deposit where leaves are fastened ◆ You were, nor a clot nor a lump ◆ It bridled the vulture and his people drowned ◆ When a world passed, a layer appeared ◆ In it, and you were not burned by the fire Until your all-dominating house encompassed from A high trench beneath which are the celestial spheres And when you were born, the earth shone and the horizons were illuminated by your light So in that light and radiance we traverse the paths of guidance. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the treasure of wealth, the feast of joy, delight, and happiness, whose light when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, he attained glory, praise, confirmed honor, and the achievement of purpose and desire. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the garden of perfect beauties and qualities, the pure gold of mines, chosen from pure loins and graceful wombs, whose light when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, he attained justice, fairness, forbearance, modesty, protection, and chastity. (143) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the fortress of secure safety and the light of clear victory, whose light when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, he attained established prestige, precedence in assemblies, dignity, and appointment. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bride of the divine presences, the fragrant sleeves and breezes, the lamp of prophethood with clear paths and landmarks, whose light when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, he attained eternal glory, lasting dominion, and pride surpassing Banu Lu'ayy, Ghālib, and Hāshim. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sea of grace and bounty, the pole of lordship with abundant virtues and qualities, whose light when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, he attained blessing, fortune, prosperity, veneration, awe, reverence, and success in what he desired of fulfilling hope and achieving aspirations. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sultan of the kingdom, of great rank, praiseworthy movement, blessed time and era, whose light when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, he attained victory, support, triumph, obeyed judgment, complete acceptance, and execution of command. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the magnificent station, vast generosity, and abundant giving, whose light when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib (144), he attained beautiful deeds, lofty lineage, noble ancestry, high renown, and elevated status among every group and tribe. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the season of new goodness, the shady shade of prophethood, the willing, whose light when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, he attained sound opinion, praiseworthy description, and facilitation of affairs in everything he loves and desires. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of clear proof, perfect religion, and righteous deeds, whose light when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, he attained sincere effort, profitable trade, penetrating understanding in obscure matters, and sound intellect. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the desire of beloved ones and companions, the goal of the desirous and seekers, whose light when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, he attained answered prayer, beautiful and pleasant remembrance, and correctness in speech and answer. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of eloquent tongue and great spacious court, whose light when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, he attained sound certainty, clear knowledge, good logic, and pleasant expression. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of magnificent glory, possessor of comprehensive goodness and abundant virtue, whose light when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib (145), he attained sincere love, upright guidance, complete benefit, and immense reward.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, possessor of the luminous face and the strong, abundant supply ⁴⁰⁴, whose light, when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib ⁴⁰⁵, brought him great importance, renowned station, and seating on the thrones of lordship in the processions of might and precedence. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, possessor of the dazzling beauty and the pure, spotless heart, whose light, when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, brought him the dazzling secret, manifest generosity, and lofty rank among the elite and commoners, and abundant fortune. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the clasp of the pearl necklace ⁴⁰⁶ and the beauty of days and nights, whose light, when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, brought him generosity, continuous goodness, long reach, and high status among the free and the masters. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the master of masters, the watering-place of those who seek and those who come ⁴⁰⁷, whose light, when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, brought him earnestness, effort, righteousness, guidance, complete care, and abundant praise in every living being and assembly. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the delight of hearts and souls, the best of those whose mention tongues utter in standing and sitting, whose light, when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, brought him such signs that heads bow to them, and registers and scrolls rejoice in his mention. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the light of eyes and insights, the noble of family and clan, whose light, when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, brought him such gifts that consciences are bound by them, glad tidings shine through them, and signs and indications are confirmed by them. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the fountain of noble qualities and virtues, the secret of the openings of books and epistles, whose light, when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, brought him such glory that the later and earlier generations boast of it, morals and dispositions become good through it, and positions and stations are elevated by it. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the bride of processions and witnessed gatherings, the breeze of spiritual breaths and ecstasies, whose light, when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, brought him such things that merits and praises are acquired through them, speaking beings and inanimate objects rejoice in them, and dwellings and places of worship come alive through them. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the treasure of secrets and benefits, the book of the sciences of revelation and the comprehensive mother ⁴⁰⁸, whose light, when it appeared on the forehead of his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, brought him such honors that ears and hearing are honored by them, and assemblies and gatherings are honored by them. What a master he is, noble in character and nature, blessed in times and auspicious events, protected in battalions and vanguards! Allah made him a manifestation of what was established in the loins of Adam from the lights of trusts ⁴⁰⁹, and He manifested his Muhammadan light in the lines of his forehead, so that when a matter concerned his people and they sought refuge in him, that light would revolve on the forehead of his brow, and its rays would shine on his face like shining stars and rising full moons, and he would say to them, 'You have been sufficed this matter. By Allah, whenever this light revolved from me, you had honor, victory, and deliverance from what confronts you of deterrents and obstacles.' Send blessings upon a moon whose light shone forth, illuminating and radiating in the hearts of the world. It continued to move in manifestation, purified, until it became rooted in the forelock of Hāshim ⁴¹⁰. From Adam it began to move among people, between lofty glory and noble qualities, until it emerged among creation as a warner, with well-known proofs and landmarks. He clarified the path of truth after its obscurity and called to the permanent victory of noble gifts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the pole of lordship, lofty in station, the star of happiness, great in rank and sanctity, whose light, when it appeared on the face of his father ‘Abdullāh, shone with beauty, loveliness, radiance, and perfection, and increased in the eyes of beholders in veneration and awe. When he was born, his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib rejoiced greatly, and no scholar of Syria remained unaware of his birth; they began to say, '‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib has been born.' When ‘Abdullāh became a youth, the scholars came to kill him, but Allah turned away their plot, so they returned unable to harm him. At that time, the trade of Quraysh was in the land of Syria, and whenever a man from the Sacred Precinct ⁴¹¹ came to the Jewish scholars of Syria, they would ask him about ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, saying, 'How did you leave him?' The Quraysh would say, 'Well, well, we left him as a light in Quraysh, shining with beauty, loveliness, radiance, and perfection.' The scholars would say, 'O company of Quraysh, that light is not for ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, but rather for Muḥammad ibn ‘Abdullāh, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who will appear at the end of time, changing the worship of idols and false gods and abolishing the worship of al-Lāt and al-‘Uzzā ⁴¹².' When Quraysh heard that, they would faint, and when they regained consciousness, they would return from their arrogance and tyranny, saying, 'The statement is as you say, by the Lord of the Ka‘bah.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, possessor of the guarded precinct and the elegant, concise utterance, whose light, when it shone on the face of his father ‘Abdullāh, increased his beauty and radiance and strengthened his light and brilliance, until the sorcerers said to one another, 'If we do not overcome this youth regarding this light between his eyes, we fear that he will soon deprive us of our knowledge and sorcery.' So the sorcerers offered themselves to him with much wealth, but he refused, saying, 'There is no way to speak with you.' ‘Abdullāh would inform his father of the wonders he saw, saying, 'Father, when I go out to the plain of Mecca, two lights emerge from my back, one taking the east of the earth and the other taking its west; then the two lights revolve faster than the blink of an eye.' His father said to him, 'If your words are true, the most noble of the worlds will surely come from your loins. I have seen vision after vision, all indicating that the most beautiful of all creation will come from your loins.' ‘Abdullāh remained in that state for a time and an age, and the women of Quraysh had no concern but to look at his face; he was the most beautiful of all Quraysh, and the women were so enamored with him that he encountered in his time what the truthful Joseph, peace be upon him, encountered from the wife of the Aziz ⁴¹³. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the alchemy of the hidden secret ⁴¹⁴, possessor of the lofty rank and the great precinct, whose light, when it appeared on the face...

His father, the noble and honored Abdullah ⁴¹⁵, passed by a woman named Fatima bint Murr, who was among the most beautiful and chaste women. She had read the scriptures and saw the light of prophethood in his face, so she invited him to marry her, but he refused. His father, Abd al-Muttalib, used to go to Yemen and stay with one of its great chiefs. There, he found a man who read the Book, and he said to him, 'Let me draw near and examine your nostrils.' He said, 'Go ahead.' So he looked at his face and scrutinized it, then said, 'I see prophethood in the nostrils,' meaning the Banu Abd Manaf ibn Zuhra. When he returned from his journey, he undertook the marriage of his blessed son Abdullah ⁴¹⁶ and spoke, marrying him to the sublime, noble, and chaste pearl, Amina bint Wahb. She gave birth to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and she began to recite when time smiled in her face and beamed: 'Upon you be the lot of Zuhra wherever they are, ◆ And Amina who bore a boy. You see the Mahdi ⁴¹⁷ when you see upon him ◆ A light that preceded him before. All creation hopes for him together, ◆ He will lead the people, beginning and foremost. God created him from pure light, ◆ His light removed darkness from us. That is the work of your Lord when He bestowed him, ◆ Whether he travels one day or stays. He will guide the people of Mecca after disbelief, ◆ And after that He will prescribe fasting.' O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of the most upright religion, the fortress of secure safety, and the most infallible refuge. When his light appeared on the forehead of his father Abdullah, seventy rabbis from the Jewish scholars of Syria came to him, having sworn never to return until they killed Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib. They brought seventy sharpened, poisoned swords and traveled by night and hid by day until they camped in the courtyard of Mecca. One day, Abdullah went out alone for his hunt, and the news reached them of his solitude, so they surrounded him to kill him. When Wahb ibn Abd Manaf al-Zuhri, the father of Amina and grandfather of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, saw this, he was seized by tribal zeal and Arab chivalry of the Jahiliyya ⁴¹⁸. He said, 'Seventy men surrounding a man from Mecca, wanting to kill him, and no helper for him? I will surely help him.' So he mounted his horse, went to them, dispersed them, defeated them, and drove them away from Abdullah. When he returned to his family, he said to her, 'Go to Abd al-Muttalib and offer him your daughter, perhaps he will marry her to him before someone else beats us to it, and that would be the greatest regret and the supreme calamity ⁴¹⁹.' So Barra, the mother of Amina, came to Abd al-Muttalib and offered her daughter to him. He said, 'You have offered me a woman; no other woman is suitable for us but her.' So he married her to him, and he consummated the marriage with her, and she became pregnant with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the scion of noble lineages, the best of those who called creation to God and led them on the paths of peace. When his light appeared on the forehead of his father Abdullah and he grew up, Abd al-Muttalib took him to arrange his marriage. On the way, they passed by a woman from Banu Asad ibn Abd al-Uzza ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab, who was the sister of Waraqa ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn Abd al-Uzza, and she was at the Kaaba. In another narration, she was a woman from Khath'am. When she looked at his face, she said, 'Where are you going, O Abdullah?' He said, 'With my father.' She said, 'You have the like of the camels sacrificed for you; fall upon me now.' But he refused and began to say: 'As for the forbidden, the bath is beneath it, ◆ And the lawful is not lawful, so I would discern it. So how about the matter you desire? ◆ The noble one protects his honor and his religion.' Then he said, 'I am with my father, and I cannot oppose him or leave him.' So Abd al-Muttalib took him out until he brought him to Wahb ibn Abd Manaf ibn Zuhra ibn Kilab, who was at that time the chief of Banu Zuhra in lineage and honor, and he married him to his daughter Amina, who was at that time the best woman in Quraysh in lineage and status. They claim that he entered upon her as soon as he married her, and she became pregnant with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. In another narration, when he returned, he passed by Fatima al-Khath'amiyya, and she said to him, 'What made you do what you said?' She replied, 'O young man, by God, I am not a woman of suspicion, but I saw a light in your face and wanted it to be in me, but God willed to place it where He wanted. What did you do after me?' He said, 'My father married me to Amina bint Wahb, and I stayed with her for three days.' Then she began to recite: 'I saw a cloud that flashed, ◆ And it glittered with the edges of drops. A light grew in it, illuminating ◆ All around it like the brightness of the full moon ⁴²⁰. I drove it, and its answers fell, ◆ Not every striker of his flint kindles. By God, what a Zuhriyya ⁴²¹ was stripped ◆ Of your little garment, stripped, and you do not know.' O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, the forbearing, the oft-returning. When his light shone on the face of his father Abdullah, hearts yearned for him, and tongues and lips delighted in his mention. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved of great rank and station. When his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, necks stretched out for him, and heads and foreheads bowed to the perfection of His care. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved who is devoted to Your remembrance in secret and private. When his light shone on the face of his father Abdullah, the angels greeted him with cheer and welcome, saying, 'This, by God, is the essence of noble lineage and the father of the Chosen One, the Beloved.' O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved by whose light and radiance illumination is sought. When his light blazed on the face of his father Abdullah, the worlds of spirits marveled at seeing him and said, 'This is the secret created from the pure light of God.' O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved who seeks protection in Your secure fortress and sanctuary. When his light rose on the face of his father Abdullah, the inhabitants of the highest heaven kissed the hem of his carpet and said, 'This is the depository of a trust.' O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved who benefits from his blessing and supplication. When his light gleamed on the face of his father Abdullah, the figures of the hermitages of light circled his Kaaba and interceded through his great station to God ⁴²². O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved whose shade and banner are spread over all creation. When his light flashed on the face of his father Abdullah, the angels of the spheres proclaimed his rank and said, 'This is the father of the Messenger of God.' O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved by whose sandal dust and footsteps blessing is sought. When his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, he became superior through him to fathers and grandfathers, and Quraysh boasted of him and sought his pleasure.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who is clothed with the majesty and beauty of Allah; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, he glorified and sanctified and proclaimed by prostrating to his Lord. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, named the Spirit of Equity, the Spirit of Allah; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, he magnified Allah, proclaimed His oneness, and praised Allah for what He bestowed and gave him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whose conduct and guidance are followed; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, Allah magnified his rank and poured upon him the abundance of His generosity and munificence. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who is healed by his antidote and cure; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, Allah beautified his form and character, and purified his origin and constitution. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, who holds fast to His firm rope and its handle; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, Allah sealed for him with felicity and honored his abode and dwelling in the highest paradises. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which You make us rejoice with meeting him and make us hear the sweetness of his speech and call, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, the chosen, the elect, the selected; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, pure in origin and lineage, Allah looked upon him with the eye of His care and raised his rank above all ranks. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, fragrant of breath and essence; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, supported by the secret and wisdom, Allah adorned him with the sash of guidance and manifested through his hands abundant blessings. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, noble in companions and family; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, abundant in virtues and qualities, Allah was kind to him with all kindnesses and saved him from the calamities of error and misguidance. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, lofty in station and ranks; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, pure in deeds and merits, Allah mentioned him among those He mentioned and spread his fame in the East and West. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, pure in ways and doctrines; when his light appeared on the face of Abdullah, noble in elements and lineages, Allah adorned him with the jewels of Muhammadan love and clothed him with the garments of miracles and gifts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, sweet in tastes and drinks; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, lofty in peaks and positions, Allah illuminated with him the face of time and warded off through him perils and disasters. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, pure in creation and nature; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, great in rank and sanctity, Allah whitened his forehead among the worlds and fulfilled through him covenants and pledges. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, exalted in pride and station; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, supported by the light of opening and inspiration, Allah manifested through him the religion and erased through him the traces of idol worshippers. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, clear light in darkness; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, lofty in worth and aspirations, the free and the clients, and the kings of Arabs and non-Arabs loved him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, pure in beginning and end; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, abundant in generosity and kindness, Allah warded off evils from him and protected him from all calamities and afflictions. What a master he is! The ancient gift, care preceded him in bygone times, so he was distinguished by the birth of this Prophet and creation in the darkness of non-existence, and attained thereby the most complete honor and the revered station. The Messenger was, as we have narrated with chain, from every scholar of hadith who interprets, a light at the Throne's leg glorifying his Lord—how great a light for hearts and illuminating! Before the creation of the father of mankind, Adam—how wondrous a branch from the established roots! The Merciful deposited that secret in the loins of the chosen vicegerent Adam. Without him, creation would not have been brought into being, nor would any of them, from the first to the last. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sultan of gentleness and spaciousness; Allah clothed him with the garment of pardon and forbearance, and granted him eloquence of tongue and sciences of expression and fluency. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the place of truth and trustworthiness; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, perfect in certainty and religion, Allah clothed him with the robes of chastity and purity, and preserved his limbs from the afflictions of lying and betrayal. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the path of right guidance; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, observed with the eye of majesty and veneration, Allah clothed him with the shirt of lordship and honor, and disciplined him with the discipline of servitude, and cooled his chest with the coolness of contentment and submission. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the treasure of gifts and secrets; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, great in rank and measure, Allah clothed him with the loincloth of might and pride, and sufficed him the evil of mockers, the transgression of aggressors, and the plot of sinners. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of the righteous; when his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, praised in conduct and deeds, Allah clothed him with the robe of the chosen elect, and extended over him the shade of prophethood, and freed his neck from the Fire.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, whose light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, carried on the shoulder of the sublime kingdom of high rank and station. When his light appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, carried on the shoulder of piety and respect, Allah clothed him in the garments of the noble leaders ⁴²³ and purified his innermost being and illuminated his insight with the light of opening ⁴²⁴ and inspiration. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the rising of auspiciousness and blessings, (156) whose light, when it appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, the brilliant sign and miracle, Allah clothed him in the garment of success and safety and established his structure on the foundations of right guidance and uprightness. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing that is for us among the lovers a slogan and a sign, by whose strong fortress we are protected from the regret of the standing ⁴²⁵ and the terrors of the Day of Resurrection, 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 possessor of the turban, the staff, the mule, and the noble steed ⁴²⁶, whose light, when it appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, the modest, the courteous, the noble, the excellent, Allah clothed him in a Yemeni robe ⁴²⁷ whose embroidery confounds the mind of the intelligent, and every loving seeker and beloved sways with joy at its sight. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of the banner, the crown, and the brilliant, shining star of prophethood, whose light, when it appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, of balanced temperament and disposition, noble in fathers and spouses, Allah clothed him in a luminous robe of exquisite style and brocade, whose light shames the light of the bright stars and the glow of the lamp. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of the overflowing pool ⁴²⁸ and the tied banner ⁴²⁹, whose light, when it appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, the one who stands by the limits and fulfills the covenants, Allah clothed him in a merciful robe, ample in its folds and garments, on whose sleeves is written with the pen of blessing and felicity: "I asked my Lord concerning my parents, and He granted them to me, and on that day I will stand in the Praiseworthy Station ⁴³⁰." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of the prophetic message and the bride of its presence, the interpreter of the tongue of the divine sciences ⁴³¹ and the unique one of its creation, whose light, when it appeared on the face of his father Abdullah, the elite of Quṣayy ⁴³² and the unique pearl of its necklace, (157) whose prophetic light shone on the forehead of his grandfather Murrah, Ka'b, and Lu'ayy. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the descendant of the ʿAwātik ⁴³³, the fortress of security protecting from calamity and destruction, the chosen one, whose chosen light shone on the forehead of his grandfather Ghālib, Fihr, and Mālik. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, in covenant and protection, of great standing and sanctity, the patron, whose lordly light shone on the forehead of his grandfather al-Naḍr, Kinānah, and Khuzaymah, the high of aspiration. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the garden of virtues, the fragrant flower, the master of jinn, angels, and humans, the intimate one, whose exalted light shone on the forehead of his grandfather Mudrikah, Ilyās, and Muḍar. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the beloved of the Merciful, the mine of modesty, faith, and resolve, whose light of his green emerald and the radiance of his radiant countenance shone on the forehead of his grandfather Nizār, Maʿadd, and ʿAdnān. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the noble leaders, and his Companions, the brave lions, with a blessing by which You protect us in secret and in public, and by which You pour upon us the gifts of grace and favor, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. This is he for whom the camels hasten with longing; this is the beloved, of whom I have no substitute. This is he whose like no eye has seen nor ear heard, more generous than the hands that give when asked. This is he of whom the Torah bears witness that he is the best of those who wear sandals and walk. This is he whose mission came in the Gospel, recited before by his earlier monks. This is he of whom the voices called out before his birth, and eyes yearned for him. (158) This is he of whom the reports came and agreed, from ancient times, on his mission, the scholars and the nations. This is he about whom, from Sayf ibn Dhī Yazan, with his grandfather, there was a report of his mission, glorious. This is he about whom a tradition from Saṭīḥ ⁴³⁴ was transmitted. This is Muhammad, the effacer ⁴³⁵, and Ahmad among them; this is Abu al-Qasim, the effacer when they are ignorant. This is he who in Quraysh rose high in lineage, father and mother, so the meaning of glory is complete. This is he whose glory from the time of Adam was not tainted by any flaw, nor did any defect enter his origin. This is he whose fathers were noble and elevated above illegitimacy, so the string of glory is continuous. This is the son of Allah's sacrificed one ⁴³⁶ and the son of Allah's friend ⁴³⁷; those are qualities without defect. This is the son of the two sacrifices ⁴³⁸, who are the most faithful and patient among those who are tested and endure. This is he whose paternal uncles from Muḍar are the most noble; how many uncles fulfilled a crisis and how many gave freely. This is he whose maternal uncles are the flower of all the chosen; their high status is proverbial. This is he whose father was Abdullah, the most faithful of creation in word and deed. This is the son of Shaybah ⁴³⁹, known among them as Shaybah al-Ḥamd ⁴⁴⁰, the water-giver of the caravan when they alight. This is the son of Hāshim, who spreads generosity to the pilgrims, and Hāshim of the provision for guests when they descend. This is the son of ʿAbd Manāf, the best of those to whom delegations come, without stinginess or boredom. This is the son of Quṣayy, the chief who united Quraysh, so love returned and they connected. This is the son of the protector of the sanctuary, the one sought for refuge, Kilāb, the advancing knight when they fear. This is the son of Murrah, sweet in generosity, bitter in might, when the fire of war blazes. This is the son of Kaʿb—and what will make you know what a man he was?—resolute in determination, without weakness or laziness. This is the son of Lu'ayy; how many a banner rose high, by what the white swords and lances require. This is the son of Ghālib, whose envier is overcome, the giver and taker, they bore the blood of lions. This is the son of Fihr, and Fihr has no equal, a lion who humbles, wrapped in the armor of valor. (159) This is the son of Mālik, whose generosity is green, when the sky is dusty and no rain falls from its clouds. This is he whose lineage has risen to the sight of Kinānah; from him glory is connected. This is he who attained glory from Khuzaymah, through his father Mudrikah, the patron when they are delayed. This is the son of Ilyās, the water-giver of the people when they thirst, the satisfer of the delegation, the givers when others are stingy. This is he who attained the highest from Muḍar, and in Nizār his tender branches grew. This is he who rose high over Maʿadd, and to ʿAdnān his lush branch ascends in glory. This is the son of the most noble fathers who rose high, and up to here the genealogists have agreed and reached.

This is the son of Amina, whose bird is blessed ⁴⁴¹; they have made her cloak a source of brightness for time. Wahb ibn 'Abd Manaf was her father, connecting through Zahra ibn Kilab thereafter. This is the one at whose birth the masters triumphed, from whom people became bewildered. This is the one who was given the Qur'an as a miracle, which remains when the miracles of the messengers cease. This is the one who showed them every miracle; sufficient as a witness if they had accepted. This is the one who came to them from their Lord with a wise remembrance, preserved and not trivialized. This is the one who, with God's book, incapacitated them from producing a single sura of it, as their tricks failed. This is the one who addressed us with the eloquent Qur'an; pray upon him, servants of God, and follow. Pray upon him with a prayer that never ends, and with peace upon the family of the Prophet, pray. And be pleased with the Companions, the generous companions, for they are a people who have devoted their souls to God. Sufficient for me is the Messenger, and after the Messenger, they are my attainment, and I have no substitute for them. I hope through love for them and act so that my fear may be removed and my slips erased. I have worked in praising them with the works of a diligent one in their love, and my refuge is that work. ⁴⁴² This is the prophetic tree ⁴⁴³ whose root is firm and whose branch is in heaven, mentioned thus by the Shaykh, the Imam, the Hafiz, the Mufti of the Two Holy Sanctuaries, Abu al-'Abbas Ahmad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Abi Bakr al-Tabari al-Shafi'i in his 'Khulasat Sayyid al-Bashar', and mentioned by the Shaykh, the Imam Abu al-Hasan Ahmad ibn Faris ibn Zakariyya, who said at the end of 'Adnan: 'Up to here all scholars agree, may God be pleased with them, and what follows is disputed.' It was also mentioned by the author of al-Durar in abridged form in the book of lineage up to Adam, peace be upon him, and also by Abu al-Fadl Qasim al-Rada' in his book 'Tuhfat al-Akhyar fi Fadl al-Salat wa al-Salam 'ala al-Nabi al-Mukhtar'. End of abridgment from the mentioned books, omitting chains of transmission to facilitate benefit in memorization and understanding. And may God bless our master Muhammad and our master Muhammad and his family and Companions and grant them peace abundantly. This is the tree of the best of mankind up to Adam, peace be upon him: Our master Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, son of 'Abd Allah, son of 'Abd al-Muttalib, son of Hashim, son of 'Abd Manaf, son of Qusayy, son of Kilab, son of Murra, son of Ka'b, son of Lu'ayy, son of Ghalib, son of Fihr, son of Malik, son of al-Nadr, son of Kinana, son of Khuzayma, son of Mudrika, son of Ilyas, son of Mudar, son of Nizar, son of Ma'add, son of 'Adnan, son of Udad, son of Shaykhur, son of Khaluj, son of al-Humaysa', son of Nabt, son of Mahla'il, son of Qaydar, son of Isma'il, son of Ibrahim, son of Azar, son of Nahur, son of Sarugh, son of Arghwa, son of Falikh, son of 'Abir, son of Shalikh, son of Arfakhshad, son of Sam, son of Nuh, peace be upon him, son of Lamdar, son of Matta Shaljar, son of Khamukh, who is Idris, peace be upon him, son of Bard, son of Mahla'il, son of Yanush, son of Shith, son of Adam, peace be upon him. * I praised the Messenger of God, seeking through my praise * The fulfillment of my shares from generous gifts. * I praised a man who surpassed the constant giver in oneness * With his attributes, from near or far. * A prophet whose light rose in the east * And whose guides shone for the people of the west. * The prophets praised him before his coming * And news of him spread in every region. ⁴⁴⁴ * And the soothsayers began to proclaim his name * And refute with it the conjectures of lying divinations. * And the idols spoke, disavowing * Before God the words of liars. * They said to the people of disbelief: 'A clear guide has come to you, * A prophet from Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib.' * He came from 'Abd Allah, the most honorable father, * Emerging from noble lineage. * And Shayba ⁴⁴⁵ of praise, through him Quraysh boasted * Over the people of high status and positions. * He whose face was used to seek rain from the clouds * And from whose generosity they sought help in calamities. * And Hashim, the builder of his pride * With bright deeds and generous giving. * And 'Abd Manaf, who over his entire people * Had the authority of an imam and the command of desires. * And Qusayy, from noble stock, * In a spring that cannot be approached by a cutting hand. * Through him God united the tribes * After they had been divided as spoils of plundering hands. * And Kilab settled in the summit of glory, a fortress * That every low and distant one fell short of. * And Murra, whose resolve never weakened * Against a foolish scoundrel or a correct beloved. * And Ka'b rose above the seeker of glory, his heel ⁴⁴⁶ * So he attained the highest ranks with the least effort. * And Lu'ayy repelled the enemies whenever they attacked * With the ambitions of thousands of victorious noble traits. * And in Ghalib, the people came to us without them * Defending against every conquering opponent. * And Fihr had guardianship over Quraysh * To which he returned when seeking refuge. * And among them was the best Malik * And the most generous companion and most glorious friend. And for sight there is a length that the eye falls short of, * Where the light of the shining stars meets. By my life, he showed perfection before which * Beauties refuse to submit to any conqueror. And before him, Khuzayma showed his praise, * An inherited treasure from praiseworthy relatives. And Mudrika, people have not found his like * In chastity and distance from base gains. ⁴⁴⁷ And Ilyas, terror was associated with him * For his enemies before the attack of battalions. Through him Mudar gathers all dawn * When the ranks of virtues confront. And Nizar settled in the leadership of his people * In a station that transcends the eyes of watchers. And Ma'add was a pillar for his ally * When he feared the plots of the enemy. And 'Adnan, whenever his virtue was counted, * It was as if his virtue was from a companion. And Udad, virtue came from him to its utmost * And he inherited it from the arrival of elders. Through him forbearance was adorned with wisdom * When forbearance made it flourish, the eyebrows' cotton. ⁴⁴⁸ And Humaysa' continued to rise high in glory * And follow the hopes of the watchful stranger. And Nabt built the tree of honor and erected * Its fortresses on towering peaks. And to Qaydar were given the generosity of Hatim * And the wisdom of Luqman and the resolve of Hajib. They are the progeny of Isma'il, true to his promise, * So after him there is no striving for one who goes astray. And the Friend of God ⁴⁴⁹ was the most honorable of those * To whom the earth submitted, whether walking or riding. And Tarikh ⁴⁵⁰ always had a generosity * That manifested from his praiseworthy qualities. And Nahur, who slaughtered the enemies, preserved for him * Deeds that no reckoner could count. And Sarugh, in battle, if a lion of the forest, * He cuts the necks with sharp swords. And Arghwa, a spear in wars, decisive, * Stingy with the soul of the victorious enemy. And Falikh, in his virtue, not following his people, * Nor 'Abir below them in ranks. And Shalikh, and Arfakhshad, and Sam, through them * Grew qualities that protected them from every critic and fault-finder. And Nuh, before the Throne, continued to hold * His count among the chosen seekers. And his father ⁴⁵¹ ruled, magnificent in mind, * Bold against the soul of the fierce warrior. And before, Lam ⁴⁵² never ceased to be girded, * Repelling enemies with sharp swords. ⁴⁵³ And for Idris, the prophetic ways were stations * From God that did not match the ambition of a desirer. And Yard ⁴⁵⁴ is a sea of generosity for his people, * Seen by the father of treasures, O seeker of paths.

And among them were virtues refined from the vices of faults. And two singing-girls before he acquired the glory of his people, and he surpassed in the race of excellence and the adornment of mounts. And Anus was a seeker of glory for himself, and he purified it from the degrading pursuits. And Shayb never ceased to be excellent in virtues, noble, innocent of blameworthy defects. And all of them borrowed from the light of Adam, and from his branch they plucked the fruits of merits. And the Messenger of God was the most noble progenitor, who flowed through the loins of the pure and noble. His fathers matched his mothers, purified from shameful faults. Upon them be the peace of God in every horizon where there is light for us, and in every setting sun. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whose hearts were illumined by the journey of his prophetic gaze, and the purest of those whose worlds were perfumed by the fragrance of his chosen breath, before whom the spiritual souls bowed in awe of his lofty Muhammadan station, and Quraysh was honored by the precious breath of his Ahmadian nature. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the descendant of noble lineages and the isthmus ⁴⁵⁵ that gathers the excellences of the fathers of lineages, by whom these eminent ones and poles ⁴⁵⁶ were stirred, and by whose precious lineage the Arabs, forefathers, and companions were honored. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the feast of every joy and delight, the leader of the caravan of prophets, clear of brow and forehead, by whose precious lineage Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and his cousin Talha al-Khayr were honored, and they met with him in Murra. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of every gnostic and chosen one, and the model of every messenger and prophet, by whose precious lineage al-Faruq ⁴⁵⁷ Umar ibn al-Khattab and his cousin Sa'id ibn Zayd were honored, and they met with him in Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the most noble of predecessors and the best of those who upheld justice and equity, by whose precious lineage Dhu al-Nurayn ⁴⁵⁸ Uthman ibn Affan was honored, and he met with him in Abd Manaf. O God, bless and grant peace to our master Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the means ⁴⁵⁹ of every caller to God and aspirant, and the support of every guide to God and encourager, by whose precious lineage al-Siddiq ⁴⁶⁰ Ali ibn Abi Talib, Ja'far, Aqil, Hamza, and al-Abbas were honored, and they met with him in Abd al-Muttalib. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of every generous and noble one, and the care of every righteous and saint, by whose precious lineage al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam was honored, and he met with him in Qusayy. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the adornment of epithets and titles, and the best of those who were sincere to Him and repented, by whose precious lineage Sa'd ibn Malik and Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf were honored, and they met with him in Kilab. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the crown of sainthood and pride, and the sword of care and victory, by whose precious lineage Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah was honored, and he met with him in Fihr. Section: O God, upon him and upon his family, the noble ones of pure mention, and his companions, the leaders of assemblies of fragrant diffusion, a blessing by which we become among those whom You have honored in gatherings with the sciences of aspiration and worth, and whom You have honored in both abodes with abundant reward and recompense, and whom You have regarded with Your kindness, and from whom You have repelled the storms of wrath and the calamities of time, and whom You have treated with abundant pardon, and forgiven all their errors and sins, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Abu al-Qasim ⁴⁶¹, who guaranteed the most solemn oaths upon him, praise and eulogy for him, by the sciences that came to you from God without a scribe's dictation, and by your companions, who after you are the guides and the executors ⁴⁶² among us. They excelled in the caliphate after you in religion, and each, when he assumed, was a counterpart. Rich in detachment, poor, learned, perfect, commanders. They renounced this world, so inclination towards it was not known from them, nor desire. They sold in battle the souls of kings who fought them, whose spoils were precious. All of them in their judgments were mujtahids ⁴⁶³. God is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. And Abu Bakr, from whom we have confirmed the emulation in his lifetime. And al-Mahdi ⁴⁶⁴ on the day of al-Saqifa ⁴⁶⁵ when the nay ⁴⁶⁶ trembled that he was the fulfillment. And Abu Hafs ⁴⁶⁷, by whom God manifested the religion... the watchers. Umar ibn al-Khattab, from his saying of excellence and from his just judgment, equity. And Ibn al-Affan ⁴⁶⁸, possessor of benefactions, by whom the night journey ⁴⁶⁹ extended to the Chosen One. And Ali, the branch of the Prophet, and he who... the son of my heart, his love and loyalty. And by the rest of your purified companions, their preference and loyalty among us. Talha al-Khayr, chosen as a companion when the companions fled. And your disciple al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, whom Asma' bore. And al-Siffin ⁴⁷⁰, the twin of excellence, Sa'd and Sa'id, if the pure ones are counted. And Ibn Awf, for whom the world was made easy, generosity extending to him in abundance. And the one nicknamed Abu Ubayda, when the trustworthy ones entrusted the trust to him. And by your two uncles, Tayri ⁴⁷¹, to you belongs glory, and every gift from You is a giving. And by the mother of the two grandsons ⁴⁷², from the wife of Ali, and her daughter, and those whom the cloak encompassed. And by your wives, who spread the art that You protected with Your building. Safety, safety, even if my heart from sins I have committed is air. I have clung to the rope of your love, by which I have held fast to the intercessors. He is Abdullah Ahmad, chosen from the tree of honor, Abd al-Muttalib. And Hashim, Abd Manaf, his lineage refined to Qusayy ibn Kilab. And he is to Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy, he is ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr, the best of tribes. Malik ibn al-Nadr from Kinana, ibn Khuzayma of high station. Mudrika, he is ibn Ilyas, renowned, possessing glory he acquired from Mudar. Ibn Nizar of splendor, ibn Ma'add, he is ibn Adnan, and this is the belief, without doubt, no disagreement, as related by the eminent predecessors.

There is no disagreement about it, it is said. And Ibn Abi Talib also traces his lineage. Then 'Uthman, the living, the chosen one, Ibn Abi al-'As, he is Ibn Umayyah. Then to 'Abd Manaf his lineage goes. As for al-Zubayr, son of al-'Awwam, He is Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza, who begot him. And 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, the inheritor, He is Ibn Zuhrah, so glory and honor. Sa'd ibn Malik, the upright of glory, Manaf ibn Zuhrah, know his rank. Likewise Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, the brilliant, And Talhah, and he is 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr, He is 'Amr ibn Ka'b, know him, He is of Lamrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy. And 'Umar al-Faruq, son of al-Khattab, The victorious, the possessor of all piety, Ibn Nufayl ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza, Know that 'Abd Allah ibn Qurt, He is the most learned, Ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy. And 'Amir, that is Abu 'Ubaydah, He is Ibn al-Jarrah, and this is Ibn Hilal, The gathering with the lineage of Qusayy. Mudrikah, he is Ibn Ilyas, renowned, Ibn Nizar, of splendor, Ma'd, Without doubt or disagreement, Ibn Adad. He advances, and he is Ibn al-Humaysa', renowned, To the Prophet of Allah, Isma'il, Upon the possessor of glory, 'Abd al-Muttalib ⁴⁷³. He is Ibn 'Affan, of his tribe also, Of 'Abd Shams, he is attributed in naming, To Qusayy ibn Kilab his lineage. Ibn Khuwaylid, the lofty and high, To Qusayy ibn Kilab his lineage. A father to him, and he is Ibn 'Abd al-Harith, And we verified to Kilab his lineage. Ibn Wahb, and he is Ibn 'Abd, And raise his lineage to Kilab. Ibn Abi Quhafah ibn 'Amir, The descendant of 'Uthman, radiant and bright, The descendant of Sa'd ibn Tamim, noble, He is Ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr, a living tribe, From his praise on the tongue has become good. Sa'id ibn Zayd ibn 'Amr, Ibn Rabah, in high qualities is attributed, Ibn Wazzah ibn 'Adiyy, the grandson, He is Ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr, a living tribe. He is 'Abd Allah, so know his glory, Ibn Wahb ibn Dabbah, the chief, Of al-Harith, he is Ibn Fihr, a living tribe ⁴⁷⁴. He has highness we acquired from Mudar, He is Ibn 'Adnan, and this is the reliable, He is Ibn Zayd ibn Qaydar, a son, For all of them, pride and virtue spread. The plant of Ibn Qaydar ibn Ashjab, trace To the roots of the earth, virtue beloved, Ibn the Messenger of Allah, Isma'il, Ibn the Friend of Allah, the transmitted one ⁴⁷⁵. The descendant of Tarikh ibn Nahur, he belongs To Sharikh ibn al-Raghaligh, as To 'Abir, son of Shalikh, up to Arfakhshad, and all of them are elevated. And he is Ibn Sam, the grandfather of every Semite, Hijazi, Yamani, and Syrian, Ibn the Messenger of Allah, possessor of lights, Nuh ibn Lamkan, the grateful prophet, And Mutawashallakh ibn Akhnukh, the prophet, Idris, of the highest rank, beloved, And the son of Mahla'il comes, The descendant of Qaynan ibn Anush, born, The gift of my Lord, Shith, son of Adam, The first father of mankind, of the earth he belongs. May Allah, our Lord, bless and grant peace Upon him, as long as the sky pours rain. It ended with praise of Allah. ⁴⁷⁶

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1. sayyid al-wujūd : Master of existence, a title for Prophet Muhammad.
2. Muṣṭafawī : Pertaining to al-Muṣṭafā, 'the Chosen One,' a title of Prophet Muhammad.
3. Aḥmadī : Pertaining to Aḥmad, another name of Prophet Muhammad meaning 'most praiseworthy.'
4. tushannifu al-masāmiʿ : Delight the ears, i.e., please the listeners.
5. Malakūt : The realm of dominion or the angelic world.
6. Jabarūt : The realm of power or divine omnipotence.
7. Nāsūt : The human or corporeal realm.
8. Lāhūt : The divine realm.
9. fa-man raqad : So whoever sleeps; a reference to a hadith qudsi about the heart of the Prophet not sleeping.
10. ladunī : Divine or direct knowledge from God.
11. sābiq ʿilmika : Your prior knowledge, i.e., God's eternal foreknowledge.
12. takwīn : Formation or creation; in Sufi cosmology, the primordial act of bringing existence into being.
13. imām : Leader or archetype; here referring to the Muhammadan Reality as the primordial model for all creation.
14. ta‘yīn : Determination or specification; the process by which the undifferentiated divine essence becomes manifest in particular forms.
15. Aḥmadī : A name of the Prophet Muhammad meaning 'most praiseworthy'; often used in Sufi contexts to refer to his pre-eternal spiritual reality.
16. Madīna : Medina, the city where the Prophet is buried; his 'noble city'.
17. siyāda mawlawiyya : Lordship of mastery; a term denoting the spiritual authority of the Prophet as a master (mawlā).
18. Muṣṭafawiyya : Derived from al-Muṣṭafā, 'the Chosen One', a title of the Prophet; refers to his chosen, elect nature.
19. malakūtiyya : Celestial or angelic; from malakūt, the realm of divine sovereignty and angels.
20. farshiyya : Earthly or terrestrial; from farsh, the lower world or the 'carpet' of creation.
21. Āl ‘Imrān 3:81 : Quranic verse referring to the covenant taken from the prophets to believe in and support the coming messenger, Muhammad.
22. ‘irfāniyya : Gnostic; pertaining to ma‘rifa, direct experiential knowledge of God.
23. ṣamadāniyya : Eternal or self-subsistent; from al-Ṣamad, 'the Eternal', a divine attribute.
24. ʿalā : High realms; refers to the celestial or divine realm.
25. al-ʿArsh : The Throne of God, the highest created entity.
26. al-Kursī : The Footstool of God, a lesser throne.
27. al-Lawḥ : The Preserved Tablet, on which divine decrees are written.
28. al-Qalam : The Pen, used to write on the Preserved Tablet.
29. Salsabīl : A spring in Paradise, mentioned in the Quran (76:18).
30. Tasnīm : A drink from a spring in Paradise, mentioned in the Quran (83:27-28).
31. al-Malakūt : The Kingdom; the spiritual or angelic realm.
32. al-Raḥamūt : The realm of Mercy; a term for divine mercy.
33. dawratuhu : His revolution or rotation, referring to the Prophet's light being moved by divine power through different realms or stages before creation.
34. al-Kursiyy : The Footstool, a celestial entity mentioned in the Quran (2:255), often understood as a vast creation beneath the Throne.
35. al-ḥujub : The veils, spiritual barriers or layers of light separating creation from the divine essence.
36. yāqūtah : Ruby, a precious stone symbolizing the Prophet's luminous essence in Sufi cosmology.
37. al-jahābidhah : Expert scholars or masters, literally 'money-changers,' used metaphorically for those who discern spiritual truths.
38. al-barzakh : The barrier or intermediate realm between Paradise and Hell, also the state between death and resurrection.
39. al-nūr al-mukarram : The honored light, referring to the primordial light of Prophet Muhammad.
40. al-jamrī : Fiery or glowing, describing the intense, luminous quality of the Prophet's light.
41. al-nashr wa al-niẓām : Diffusion and order, terms in Sufi cosmology referring to the emanation and arrangement of creation from the Prophet's light.
42. al-ʿarsh wa al-kursī : The Throne and the Footstool, celestial entities mentioned in the Quran, often interpreted as the greatest of Allah's creations.
43. al-Maqām al-Maḥmūd : The Praiseworthy Station, a rank of intercession granted to Prophet Muhammad on the Day of Resurrection.
44. Sabaʾ 34:10 : Quranic verse referring to David's praise by mountains and birds.
45. al-mujarrāt : Galaxies, used here in a cosmological sense to denote all celestial bodies.
46. lām wa alif : Letters of the Arabic alphabet, used here metaphorically to indicate that the Prophet's attributes transcend linguistic description.
47. al-Burāq : A mythical steed, often depicted as a winged creature, that carried Prophet Muhammad during the Night Journey (Isra and Mi'raj).
48. liwāʾ al-ḥamd : The Banner of Praise, a standard held by Prophet Muhammad on the Day of Resurrection, symbolizing his leadership and intercession.
49. Dār al-Salām : The Abode of Peace, a name for Paradise in Islamic tradition.
50. al-ḥaqq tabyīn : The truth is made clear; a phrase indicating that the Prophet's existence clarifies the truth.
51. takwīn : Formation or creation; here it means that the Throne was not encompassed by any created form.
52. quṭb al-wilāya : The pole of sainthood; a Sufi term for the highest spiritual authority.
53. al-Kursī : The Footstool; a celestial object mentioned in the Quran (2:255), often interpreted as a vast creation encompassing the heavens and earth.
54. Sūrat al-Baqara 2:119 : Quranic verse: 'Indeed, We have sent you with the truth as a bearer of good tidings and a warner, and you will not be asked about the companions of the Blaze.'
55. Sūrat al-ʿAnkabūt 29:45 : Quranic verse: 'Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater.'
56. Sūrat al-Tawba 9:103 : Quranic verse: 'Take from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them to increase.'
57. Fifth line missing : The text does not provide the content of the fifth line.
58. Sūrat al-Baqara 2:185 : Quranic verse: 'The month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed.'
59. Sūrat al-Qadr 97:1 : Quranic verse: 'Indeed, We sent it down during the Night of Decree.'
60. Sūrat al-Tawba 9:111 : Quranic verse: 'Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties in exchange for Paradise.'
61. Sūrat Āl ʿImrān 3:97 : Quranic verse: 'And due to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House, for whoever is able to find a way.'
62. Sūrat al-Isrā 17:23 : Quranic verse: 'And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment.'
63. al-ḥulla : A robe or garment of honor; here, a celestial garment given to Adam.
64. Sūrat al-Fatḥ 48:29 : Quranic verse: 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are severe against the disbelievers.'
65. al-adhān : The call to prayer, which includes the testimony 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.'
66. al-Kaʿba : The Kaaba; the sacred house in Mecca, considered the first house of worship on earth.
67. Iblis : The name of Satan in Islam, a jinn who refused to prostrate to Adam.
68. lofty station and a magnificent rank : Reference to the Prophet Muhammad's high spiritual status.
69. his light : The primordial light of Muhammad, created before all else.
70. opened the Book with the description of Muhammad : Meaning the Torah begins with mention of Muhammad.
71. white-blazed ones : Refers to the Prophet's followers who will have bright faces on Judgment Day.
72. Helpers : The Ansar, the Medinan supporters of the Prophet.
73. al-‘Adba’ : The name of the Prophet's she-camel.
74. qibla : The direction of prayer, initially Jerusalem, then Mecca.
75. seal of prophecy : A physical mark between the Prophet's shoulders indicating his prophethood.
76. al-Siddiq : Title of Abu Bakr, meaning 'the truthful'.
77. al-Faruq : Title of ‘Umar, meaning 'the distinguisher between truth and falsehood'.
78. Talha and al-Zubayr : Prominent Companions of the Prophet.
79. Tasnim : A spring in Paradise, mentioned in the Quran (83:27-28), from which the righteous drink.
80. Furqan : A name for the Quran, meaning 'the Criterion' that distinguishes truth from falsehood.
81. Barzakh : An intermediate state or isthmus between the physical and spiritual worlds; here referring to the primordial substance that unites opposites.
82. al-nash'a al-Muhammadiyya : The Muhammadan origination or creation, referring to the primordial reality of Prophet Muhammad as the first creation and the source of all existence.
83. al-ashhur : The most eminent or famous; here referring to Adam, who is described as the most eminent of beings before Muhammad.
84. al-Samadani : Attributed to al-Samad (the Eternal, the Self-Sufficient), a divine name; here meaning the bounty that is self-sufficient and eternal.
85. al-Wahdani : Attributed to al-Wahid (the One), meaning the justice that is uniquely divine and singular.
86. insān 'ayn al-a'yān : The pupil of the eye of entities; a Sufi term for the perfect human (al-insān al-kāmil) who is the focal point of all existent beings.
87. dhurriyyatihi al-Muhammadiyya : His Muhammadan progeny; refers to the spiritual descendants or the essential reality of Muhammad that permeates creation.
88. Jibrīl al-Qadr : Gabriel of Destiny; a personification of the divine decree or the angelic power that executes God's will in creation.
89. Qur'an 9:128 : The verse: 'There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves...'
90. Qur'an 26:219 : The verse: 'And your turning among those who prostrate'—referring to the Prophet's lineage of prophets.
91. shāwush al-ḥaḍra al-'indiyya : The usher of the Divine Presence; a term for an angel or herald announcing the Prophet's birth from the presence of God.
92. Qur'an 9:128 : The full verse: 'There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves; grievous to him is your suffering; he is concerned over you; to the believers he is kind and merciful.'
93. sayyid al-aswad wa al-aḥmar : Master of black and red; an Arabic idiom meaning master of all people, regardless of race or color.
94. al-'ulūm al-ladunniyya : Ladunni sciences; knowledge directly from God, inspired or granted without intermediary means.
95. al-Ḥamdiyya : Attributed to al-Ḥamd (Praise); referring to the Praiseworthy Station (al-maqām al-maḥmūd) of the Prophet.
96. al-Muṣṭafawī : Attributed to al-Muṣṭafā (the Chosen One), a title of Prophet Muhammad.
97. qāba qawsayn : Two bow-lengths; a reference to the Prophet's proximity to God during the Mi'raj (Ascension), based on Qur'an 53:9.
98. al-ḥawḍ al-mawrūd : The Kawthar; the celestial pool granted to the Prophet in Paradise, from which his followers will drink.
99. al-maqām al-maḥmūd : The Praiseworthy Station; a rank of intercession granted to the Prophet on the Day of Judgment.
100. Qur'an 18:107-108 : The verse: 'Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds—they will have the Gardens of Paradise as a lodging, wherein they abide eternally; they will not desire any transfer therefrom.'
101. مَزِيد : Literally 'more' or 'increase'; in Sufi terminology, it refers to the additional, unceasing divine gifts and visions of God in the afterlife beyond the basic rewards of Paradise.
102. مَزِيد : Same as above; here it is the honor of receiving the 'more' from God.
103. عَبْدُ الْجَلِيلِ : A name meaning 'servant of the Majestic'; possibly a reference to a saint or a poetic figure.
104. الْخَلِيلِ : The Friend; a title of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), known as Khalilullah (the Friend of God).
105. الْفُتُوحَاتِ الْغَيْبِيَّةِ : Unseen openings or spiritual unveilings; a Sufi term for divine illuminations and revelations granted to the saint.
106. السِّرِّ : The secret; in Sufism, the innermost spiritual faculty or the divine mystery.
107. الْوِلَايَةِ : Sainthood or spiritual authority; the state of being a friend of God (wali).
108. الْأَقْطَابِ : The poles; in Sufi hierarchy, the highest ranking saints, considered the spiritual axis of the universe.
109. النُّجَبَاءِ : The nobles; a rank of saints below the poles, known for their spiritual excellence.
110. الْأَوْتَادُ الْأَرْبَعَةُ : The four stakes; a rank of saints who are the spiritual supports of the earth, corresponding to the four cardinal directions.
111. الثَّقَلَانِ : The two weighty ones; a Qur'anic term referring to humans and jinn.
112. الْأَبْدَالُ السَّبْعَةُ : The seven substitutes; a rank of saints who replace one another, often associated with the seven climes.
113. الْقُطْبِ : The pole; the highest ranking saint in the Sufi hierarchy, the spiritual axis of the age.
114. حَقِيقَتُهُ الْأَحْمَدِيَّةُ : His Ahmadic reality; the pre-existent spiritual reality of Prophet Muhammad, known as the Muhammadan Reality or Light of Muhammad.
115. ‘Adnān : Ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad, from the line of Ishmael.
116. Tābūt al-Anbiyā’ : The Ark of the Prophets, a legendary container or structure holding images or relics of the prophets, often associated with esoteric traditions.
117. ‘Arūs al-Ḥaḍarāt : Bride of the Divine Presences, a Sufi epithet for the Prophet Muhammad as the beloved of God.
118. Sharī‘a : Islamic divine law derived from the Quran and Sunnah.
119. Zumurrudah Khaḍrā’ : A green emerald, symbolizing the Prophet's house in the Ark, possibly alluding to the green dome of his tomb.
120. al-Ka‘bah al-Khaḍrā’ : The Green Ka'ba, a metaphorical term for the Prophet's house or the spiritual center of the community.
121. Aḥmadiyyah : Relating to Ahmad, another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
122. Ka‘b al-Aḥbār : A Jewish convert to Islam, known for transmitting Isra'iliyyat (traditions from Jewish sources).
123. Yawm al-‘Arḍ wa al-Ziḥām : The Day of Presentation and Crowd, referring to the Day of Judgment when all beings are gathered.
124. rukn shadīd : A strong pillar; metaphor for a powerful support or refuge, often interpreted as a tribe or authority.
125. Ismāʿīl : Ishmael, son of Abraham, considered a prophet in Islam.
126. al-dhikr al-ḥakīm : The Wise Remembrance; refers to the Quran or divine remembrance.
127. kāmil al-yaqīn : Perfect in certainty; a high spiritual station of unwavering faith.
128. Yaʿqūb : Jacob, prophet and father of Joseph.
129. ḥumrat yāqūtat al-nafs : Red ruby of the soul; a Sufi metaphor for a high spiritual state.
130. Yūsuf : Joseph, prophet known for his beauty and patience.
131. nūr al-yāqūtat al-ṣafrā' : Light of the yellow ruby; another Sufi symbol for spiritual illumination.
132. Mūsā : Moses, prophet who spoke to God.
133. tibr al-maʿādin al-ghālī : Pure gold of mines; metaphor for spiritual purity.
134. Hārūn : Aaron, brother of Moses and a prophet.
135. kīmiyā' khulāṣat al-ibrīz : Alchemy of the purest gold essence; Sufi term for spiritual transformation.
136. Dāwūd : David, prophet and king, given wisdom and decisive speech.
137. ṣafwat ṣafā' al-lujayn al-akhlaṣ : Purest silver; metaphor for spiritual refinement.
138. ʿĪsā : Jesus, prophet and Spirit of God.
139. Sulaymān : Solomon, prophet with a unique kingdom.
140. jawharat al-arwāḥ al-rūḥāniyya : Jewel of spiritual souls; refers to the Prophet Muhammad's essence.
141. al-barzakh al-jāmiʿ : The comprehensive barzakh; an intermediate realm that unites all realities, often applied to the Prophet Muhammad.
142. al-budūr al-ahilla : Full moons; metaphor for prophets or saints.
143. aqṭāb : Poles; highest-ranking saints in Sufi hierarchy.
144. awtād : Stakes; a rank of saints who support the spiritual world.
145. ahl al-adhwāq al-shahiyya al-aḥlā : People of delightful and sweetest spiritual tastes; refers to Sufi saints who experience direct spiritual states (dhawq).
146. karāmāt : Miracles or wonders performed by saints (awliyā'), as distinct from prophetic miracles (mu'jizāt).
147. Mawlawiyya : Relating to the Mawlawi Sufi order (Mevlevi), founded by Jalal al-Din Rumi; here used as a descriptor for the saints' presence.
148. al-ḥaḍra al-qudsiyya wa al-ṣuwar al-muṣṭafawiyya : The holy presence and the chosen forms; 'muṣṭafawiyya' derives from 'Muṣṭafā' (the Chosen One), a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
149. al-ḥaḍra al-malakūtiyya wa al-ṣuwar al-raḥmūtiyya : The angelic presence and the merciful forms; 'malakūt' is the angelic realm, and 'raḥmūt' relates to divine mercy (raḥma).
150. al-ḥaḍra al-jabarūtiyya wa al-ṣuwar al-rahabūtiyya : The majestic presence and the awe-inspiring forms; 'jabarūt' is the realm of divine power, and 'rahabūt' relates to awe (rahba).
151. al-ḥaḍra al-ṣamadāniyya wa maqāmāt al-iḥsāniyya : The eternal presence and stations of excellence; 'ṣamadāniyya' derives from 'al-Ṣamad' (the Eternal), and 'iḥsān' is spiritual excellence.
152. al-ḥaḍra al-fardāniyya wa tanazzulāt al-furqāniyya : The unique presence and descending revelations of discernment; 'fardāniyya' relates to divine uniqueness, 'furqāniyya' to the Qur'an (al-Furqān).
153. asrār al-ʿirfāniyya : Gnostic secrets; 'irfān' is Islamic gnosis or mystical knowledge.
154. julasā' al-ḥaḍra al-ʿindiyya : Companions of the intimate divine presence; those who sit in God's presence.
155. mashāriq al-anwār al-saʿdiyya : Rising places of blessed lights; a reference to saints as sources of spiritual illumination.
156. ahl al-āyāt al-qāhira : People of overwhelming signs; those who manifest powerful divine signs.
157. ahl al-manāqib al-mutawātira : People of widely transmitted virtues; saints whose virtues are well-known.
158. Quṭb al-wujūd : Pole of Existence; a title for the highest-ranking saint in the Sufi hierarchy.
159. wasīla : Means or intermediary; here referring to the Prophet Muhammad as the means of approach to God.
160. al-khalīl : The Friend; a title of Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim al-Khalil).
161. al-khalīl : The Friend; here referring to Prophet Abraham.
162. al-Muṣṭafā : The Chosen One; a title of Prophet Muhammad.
163. al-ḥabīb : The Beloved; a title of Prophet Muhammad.
164. āyat al-nūr : The Light Verse (Qur'an 24:35), often interpreted as a symbol of the Prophet Muhammad's light.
165. al-ʿārifīn al-afrād : The distinguished individuals of the knowers; 'afrād' are solitary saints of high rank.
166. malḥūẓ : Observed or regarded; here it implies being looked upon with divine attention.
167. dhirrat al-ṣidq : The essence of truth; a term referring to the Prophet Muhammad as the quintessence of truthfulness and sincerity.
168. ṣamadāniyya : Derived from 'ṣamad' (Eternal, Self-Sufficient), referring to the divine attribute of eternity and self-subsistence.
169. sulūk : Spiritual wayfaring or journeying towards God, a term used in Sufism for the path of spiritual discipline.
170. nūrāniyya : Luminous or light-filled, referring to the primordial light of Muhammad.
171. fardāniyya : Solitary or unique, from 'fard' (single), indicating the unique station of the Prophet.
172. ʿirfāniyya : Gnostic, from 'irfān' (gnosis), referring to esoteric knowledge.
173. raḥmūtiyya : Merciful, from 'raḥma' (mercy), indicating the Prophet as a mercy.
174. jabarūtiyya : Majestic or omnipotent, from 'jabarūt' (divine omnipotence), a Sufi term for the realm of divine power.
175. shajarat al-maḥabba : Tree of love, a symbolic representation of the Prophet's spiritual reality as the source of divine love.
176. maḥfūẓ al-ʿiṣma : Protected infallibility, referring to the Prophet's sinlessness.
177. shajarat al-fatḥ : Tree of opening, a Sufi term for the Prophet as the source of spiritual unveiling and divine grace.
178. Qur'an 68:1-3 : Reference to Surah al-Qalam, verses 1-3, which affirm the Prophet's sanity and reward.
179. shajarat al-nubuwwa : The 'tree of prophethood' is a Sufi metaphor for the primordial reality of the Prophet Muhammad from which all prophethood emanates.
180. shajarat al-fath : The 'tree of opening' refers to the Prophet as the source of spiritual unveiling and divine grace.
181. samadaniyya : Derived from 'al-Samad' (the Eternal, the Self-Sufficient), a divine attribute; here it denotes a station of absolute dependence on God.
182. Mudar : A prominent Arab tribe; the Prophet Muhammad belonged to the Quraysh, a sub-tribe of Mudar.
183. al-Furqan : A name for the Quran, meaning 'the Criterion' (between truth and falsehood).
184. Sahan and Jayhan : Two rivers mentioned in Islamic tradition, often used to denote abundance.
185. fatiha al-fawatih al-ilahiyya : The 'opening of divine openings' refers to the Prophet as the key to all spiritual unveilings.
186. Mahmud : A name of God meaning 'the Praiseworthy'; the Prophet's name Muhammad shares the same root (h-m-d).
187. Kinana : An Arab tribe; the Prophet's tribe Quraysh is a branch of Kinana.
188. dīyār : Literally 'dweller'; used in the Quranic verse (71:26) meaning 'any inhabitant'.
189. rāʿiyatuka : Incisor tooth; refers to the Prophet's tooth being broken in the Battle of Uhud.
190. jidhʿ : A palm trunk used as a pulpit before the construction of the minbar.
191. minbar : Pulpit; a raised platform from which the sermon is delivered.
192. jāh : Rank, status, or intercessory power with Allah.
193. Ḥassān : Hassan ibn Thabit, the poet of the Prophet.
194. Rūḥ al-Qudus : The Holy Spirit; often identified with the Angel Gabriel.
195. wāsiṭa ʿuẓmā : The supreme intermediary; the Prophet as the means of connection between Allah and creation.
196. īwān : Archway or palace; refers to the arch of Kisra (Chosroes) which cracked at the Prophet's birth.
197. jadd : Grandfather; here referring to the Prophet's ancestor or the Prophet himself as a source.
198. shajʿ : Branch; metaphor for lineage or offspring.
199. al-lawḥ wa-l-qalam : The Preserved Tablet and the Pen; celestial instruments of divine decree.
200. darāka ram : Your arrow's reach; a poetic expression meaning 'your attainment' or 'your scope'.
201. al-wadīʿa : The trust; here referring to the sacred light of prophethood passed down through the generations.
202. al-ḥanīfiyya al-bayḍāʾ : The pure monotheistic religion; the primordial faith of Abraham.
203. al-shafāʿa al-kubrā : The Great Intercession; Muhammad's intercession on the Day of Judgment for the believers.
204. al-Māḥī : The Eraser; a name of Muhammad meaning the one through whom disbelief is erased.
205. al-fatrah : The interregnum; a period between prophets when revelation ceased.
206. ḥurūf muqaṭṭaʿa : Disconnected letters; mysterious letters found at the beginning of some Quranic chapters.
207. al-sūdān : The blacks; possibly referring to a people or a time of turmoil.
208. Sām : Sam, son of Noah, considered a prophet and ancestor of the Semites.
209. Luqmān : Luqman, a wise figure mentioned in the Qur'an, sometimes identified with a long-lived prophet.
210. ṣaḥīfa : Scroll or scripture containing divine knowledge, often associated with prophetic traditions.
211. ʿĀbir : Abir, a descendant of Sam, identified as Eber in biblical tradition, an ancestor of Abraham.
212. ḥurūf al-muʿjam : Letters of the alphabet, specifically the Arabic alphabet.
213. taqāraʿā : They cast lots or drew arrows, a method of divination or decision-making.
214. al-ḥawḍ al-mawrūd : The Pond of Abundance (al-Kawthar) in Paradise, from which the Prophet's community will drink.
215. al-maqām al-maḥmūd : The Praiseworthy Station, a rank of intercession granted to Prophet Muhammad on the Day of Judgment.
216. Maʿn wa Ḥātim : Ma'n ibn Za'ida and Hatim al-Ta'i, pre-Islamic figures renowned for generosity.
217. yuʿqad khinṣir : The little finger is pledged, a metaphor for holding onto or relying on intercession.
218. ʿarūsihi al-aḥmadī : His Ahmadine bride, a metaphorical reference to the spiritual union or the Prophet's exalted state.
219. Hijr : The semi-circular walled area adjacent to the Kaaba, also known as Hijr Ismail, considered part of the original Kaaba built by Abraham.
220. jurthūma : Root or origin; here used metaphorically for the noble lineage of the Prophet Muḥammad.
221. Abīt al-La‘an : A title of respect used for kings in pre-Islamic Yemen, meaning 'may you avoid curse' or 'may you be free from blame'.
222. al-Kitāb al-Maknūn : The Preserved Book; refers to the heavenly tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ) containing all divine decrees.
223. Tihāmah : The coastal region of western Arabia, including Mecca and surrounding areas.
224. Yathrib : The pre-Islamic name of Medina, the city to which the Prophet Muḥammad migrated.
225. raṭl : A unit of weight; approximately 1 pound or 450 grams, varying by region.
226. Tubba' al-Asghar : A title for a Himyarite king of Yemen, believed to be a believer in the coming of Prophet Muhammad. 'Tubba'' is a royal title, and 'al-Asghar' means 'the younger'.
227. Sacred House : The Kaaba in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam.
228. Shiqq and Satih : Two legendary soothsayers of pre-Islamic Arabia, known for their deformed bodies and ability to communicate with jinn.
229. Tubba' : Title of Himyarite kings of Yemen; here refers to a specific king who is said to have recognized the coming of Prophet Muhammad.
230. Haram : The sacred precinct of Mecca, including the Kaaba.
231. Tihamah : Coastal region of western Arabia, including Mecca.
232. Abode of Peace : Dar al-Salam, a name for Paradise or a reference to the Kaaba as a place of peace.
233. Bathan : A valley in Mecca.
234. House : The Kaaba, the sacred house of God in Mecca.
235. 'Amyar : Name of the vizier; possibly a variant of 'Ammar.
236. al-Khasb : A type of fine cloth or garment.
237. al-Mala : Wraps or coverings, possibly a type of fabric.
238. al-Wasa'il : Fine garments or fabrics, possibly striped.
239. al-Qabati : Egyptian linen or fine cloth from Qibt (Copts).
240. muballalah : A menstruating woman; term used in pre-Islamic context.
241. al-Burud : Striped garments or cloaks.
242. al-Hajjaj al-Thaqafi : Umayyad governor (d. 714 CE) known for his harsh rule and building projects in Mecca.
243. Yathrib : Pre-Islamic name of Medina.
244. al-Juhfah : A place near Mecca, a miqat for pilgrimage.
245. Taybah : One of the names of Medina, meaning 'good' or 'pleasant'.
246. al-'Ayr al-Zarqa' : A mountain or place near Medina; 'the blue mountain'.
247. qiblah : Direction of prayer, initially Jerusalem, later changed to the Kaaba in Mecca.
248. Basin : Al-Hawd, the prophetic basin from which the faithful will drink on the Day of Resurrection.
249. Ahmad : Another name of Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
250. Tubba' Himyar ibn Warda' : Full name of the Tubba' king; Himyar is the tribe, Warda' possibly a name.
251. Abu Ayyub al-Ansari : A companion of Prophet Muhammad, host of the Prophet in Medina.
252. Qalisan : A place in India, possibly a variant of Qal'at or a region.
253. Tuba : Title of a pre-Islamic Yemeni king, also known as Tubba', believed to have been a monotheist and to have recognized the coming of Prophet Muhammad.
254. sons of Japheth : Biblical figure Japheth, son of Noah; here referring to non-Arab peoples, possibly Persians or others.
255. Himyar : Ancient Yemeni kingdom that existed from the 2nd century BCE to the 6th century CE.
256. hunchbacked one : Reference to a future ruler, possibly the Abyssinian king or a figure with a physical deformity.
257. Hashim : Clan of the Quraysh tribe to which Prophet Muhammad belonged.
258. Jesus the Pleasing : Prophet Jesus (Isa), referred to as 'al-Rida' (the Pleasing), indicating his second coming.
259. sons of al-Muttalib : Clan of the Quraysh, related to Hashim; here possibly referring to the family of the Prophet.
260. Shiqq : Famous pre-Islamic soothsayer (kahin) from Yemen, known for his divinations.
261. Satih : Another famous pre-Islamic soothsayer from Yemen, known for his prophecies.
262. two lava fields : Refers to the harrah (volcanic plain) areas in Medina, often used in oaths.
263. Hush : A place name, possibly a variant of 'Hush' or 'Hushsh', location uncertain.
264. Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan : Pre-Islamic Yemeni hero who expelled the Abyssinians from Yemen with Persian help.
265. Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib... : Ancestors of Prophet Muhammad, tracing his lineage back to the Quraysh tribe.
266. two sanctuaries : Refers to the sacred precincts of Mecca and Medina.
267. Hajaran : A place in Yemen, possibly a variant of 'Hajar' or 'Hajran'.
268. Najran : City in southwestern Saudi Arabia, historically a Christian center in pre-Islamic times.
269. Yathrib : The ancient name of Medina before the advent of Islam.
270. Seal of the Prophets : Title of Muhammad indicating he is the last prophet.
271. Taybah : One of the names of Medina, meaning 'good' or 'pleasant'.
272. tahlil : The phrase 'La ilaha illa Allah' (There is no god but God).
273. takbir : The phrase 'Allahu Akbar' (God is the Greatest).
274. Gospels : Here referring to the Qur'an, which Muslims consider the revealed scripture, analogous to the Gospel for Christians.
275. Qur'an 4:47 : Verse from the Qur'an warning the People of the Book to believe in the revelation sent to Muhammad.
276. Ka'b al-Ahbar : A Jewish scholar from Yemen who converted to Islam during the caliphate of 'Umar.
277. unlettered prophet : Muhammad, who could not read or write, emphasizing the miraculous nature of the Qur'an.
278. Qurayshi : Belonging to the Quraysh tribe, the tribe of the Prophet Muhammad.
279. Commander of the Faithful : Title of the caliph, meaning 'Amir al-Mu'minin'.
280. Qur'an 2:132 : Verse about Abraham's advice to his sons to remain Muslims.
281. hanif : A monotheist who follows the pure religion of Abraham, neither Jewish nor Christian.
282. Qur'an 3:67 : Verse stating Abraham was a hanif Muslim.
283. Qur'an 3:85 : Verse stating that Islam is the only accepted religion.
284. Qur'an 5:3 : Verse about the perfection of Islam as a religion.
285. Qur'an 22:78 : Verse stating that God named Muslims as such.
286. jizyah : A tax paid by non-Muslims under Islamic rule.
287. al-Jabiyah : A location in Syria where 'Umar camped.
288. khums : One-fifth of war booty that is set aside for God, the Prophet, and specified recipients.
289. rak'ahs : Units of Islamic prayer.
290. al-Masjid al-Aqsa : The Farthest Mosque, located in Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam.
291. Ka'b al-Ahbar : A Jewish convert to Islam, known for his knowledge of previous scriptures.
292. Yathrib : The pre-Islamic name of Medina, the city to which the Prophet emigrated.
293. al-Haramayn : The Two Sanctuaries: Mecca and Medina.
294. Ibn al-Batul : Son of the Virgin, referring to Jesus, son of Mary.
295. Quss : Quss ibn Sa'ida al-Iyadi, a pre-Islamic Arab sage and orator.
296. Sam'an : Simon, one of the disciples of Jesus.
297. Suq 'Ukaz : A famous pre-Islamic market fair near Mecca, known for poetry and oratory.
298. Iyad : An ancient Arab tribe.
299. Hashim : The clan of the Prophet Muhammad, part of the Quraysh tribe.
300. al-Muhaymin : One of the names of God, meaning 'The Guardian' or 'The Dominant'.
301. tamkīn : Empowerment or establishment in authority, often used in Sufi contexts for spiritual station.
302. al-majd wa al-fakhr : Glory and pride; refers to the noble lineage of the Prophet.
303. al-Khalīl : The Intimate Friend, a title of Prophet Abraham.
304. shajara : Tree; here a metaphor for the Prophet's primordial light and lineage.
305. Qur'an 93:5 : Verse promising the Prophet satisfaction.
306. hā anta wa rabbika : An expression indicating intimate proximity; possibly a reference to a hadith or spiritual state.
307. al-qurūn wa al-aghṣān : Centuries and boughs; metaphor for the Prophet's lineage over time.
308. al-thaqalayn : The two weighty beings: humans and jinn.
309. karāmāt : Wonders or miraculous gifts granted to saints by God, distinct from prophetic miracles.
310. lisānuhu raṭb : Literally 'his tongue is moist', meaning he constantly remembers God.
311. kalīm : One who speaks with God, a title given to Prophet Moses; here used metaphorically for the Prophet Muhammad's high rank in speech.
312. sāq al-‘arsh : The leg of the Throne; a reference to a hadith about the Prophet's pre-existence as a light before the Throne.
313. ‘inān muqṣir : Reins of the deficient; meaning that those who fall short are turned away from attaining his rank.
314. Āmina : The Prophet's mother, Amina bint Wahb.
315. al-iṣṭifā’iyya : Of selection; referring to the chosen nature of prophethood.
316. al-ijtibā’iyya : Of election; another term for divine selection.
317. al-aḥadiyya : Oneness; a divine attribute referring to God's absolute unity.
318. Aḥmadiyya : The quality of being Ahmad, one of the Prophet's names meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
319. Muḥammadiyya : The quality of being Muhammad, meaning 'praised one'.
320. al-dhabīḥ : The Sacrifice; refers to Prophet Ishmael, whom Abraham was commanded to sacrifice.
321. al-abṭaḥī : From al-Batha', a valley in Mecca.
322. al-madanī : From Medina.
323. al-makkī : From Mecca.
324. al-tihāmī : From Tihama, a coastal region of Arabia.
325. al-najdī : From Najd, a central region of Arabia.
326. al-hāshimī : From the Hashim clan of Quraysh.
327. al-qurashī : From the Quraysh tribe.
328. al-barzakh : Isthmus; a barrier or intermediate realm; here meaning the Prophet gathers all perfections.
329. Ālih : His family; includes his household and descendants.
330. ḥawḍ : The Basin (Pool) of the Prophet in Paradise, from which believers drink.
331. Qubā’ : A place near Medina where the Prophet built the first mosque.
332. Ṭayba : Another name for Medina, meaning 'good' or 'pleasant'.
333. ṣāḥib al-qidāḥ : Arrow-diviner; a person who cast lots with arrows to determine outcomes.
334. Isāf wa Nā’ila : Two idols that were worshipped near the Ka'ba; the place where sacrifices were made.
335. Shayba : A name of 'Abd al-Muttalib, meaning 'white-haired'.
336. al-qidāḥ : Arrows used for divination or casting lots, often associated with pre-Islamic practices of seeking omens.
337. Hubal : A pre-Islamic Arabian deity, a chief idol worshipped at the Kaaba in Mecca.
338. muḥtasib : One who seeks reward from God for enduring trials with patience.
339. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib : Grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad, a leader of Quraysh.
340. ʿAbd Allāh : Father of the Prophet Muhammad, son of 'Abd al-Muttalib.
341. ghurra : A luminous mark or light on the forehead, often associated with prophetic signs.
342. ḥamalat al-ʿarsh : The angels who bear the Throne of God, mentioned in the Quran.
343. Jibrīl : The archangel Gabriel, responsible for delivering revelation.
344. Mīkāʾīl : The archangel Michael, associated with provision and mercy.
345. Isrāfīl : The archangel who blows the trumpet on the Day of Resurrection.
346. mazārīq kawkabiyya : Spears with star-shaped tips, possibly decorative or symbolic.
347. Banū Makhzūm : A prominent clan of Quraysh, maternal relatives of 'Abd Allah.
348. ʿIkrimah ibn ʿĀmir : A respected figure from Quraysh, possibly a mediator.
349. Abū al-Ḥārith : A kunya (patronymic) of 'Abd al-Muttalib, meaning 'father of al-Harith'.
350. al-Baṭḥāʾ : The valley of Mecca, often used metonymically for the city.
351. Ḥijāz : The western region of Arabia, including Mecca and Medina.
352. shirta : A cure or remedy; here, a solution to their problems.
353. jinn : Invisible beings created from fire, capable of good and evil.
354. kāhina : A female soothsayer or diviner, often associated with pre-Islamic Arabian practices of fortune-telling and oracular pronouncements.
355. aḥbār : Jewish rabbis or scholars; in this context, likely referring to learned men of the Jewish faith who were known for their knowledge of scriptures and prophecies.
356. ʿāl al-astār : High of veils; a poetic description of the Kaaba, referring to its covering (kiswa) and sanctity.
357. Maḍar : A major Arab tribal group, considered the ancestor of the northern Arabs, including Quraysh.
358. nāṣib al-nuṣub : Erector of the pillar; possibly referring to the one who sets up the sacred stones or pillars for worship, or metaphorically to a leader.
359. ḥājib al-ḥujub : Guardian of the veils; a title for the custodian of the Kaaba, who is responsible for its covering and access.
360. dāḥī al-daḥiyya : Spreader of the earth; a divine epithet referring to God as the one who spread out the earth like a carpet.
361. nāṣib al-rasiyya : Erector of the mountain; a divine epithet referring to God as the one who fixed mountains firmly in place.
362. azlām : Divining arrows; arrows used in pre-Islamic Arabia for casting lots or seeking omens, often associated with the practice of istiqsām (seeking a decision by lot).
363. al-māl al-ṣāmit : Literally 'silent wealth', referring to gold and silver coins or precious metals, as opposed to livestock or property.
364. ṣāḥib al-qidāḥ : The keeper or handler of the divining arrows used in pre-Islamic Arabia for casting lots, often associated with the Kaaba.
365. al-shaf‘ : The even number, often paired with 'al-watr' (the odd) in Quranic oaths (e.g., Surah al-Fajr 89:3). Here it refers to the twenty camels.
366. al-kurūb : Distresses or afflictions; a term often used in supplications.
367. al-an‘ām : Cattle; specifically camels, cows, and sheep, often mentioned in the Quran.
368. muḥrim : One who has entered the state of ritual consecration (ihram) for Hajj or Umrah.
369. ashhur al-ḥajj : The months of Hajj: Shawwal, Dhu al-Qi'dah, and the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah.
370. al-ḥaram : The Sacred Sanctuary; the area around Mecca and the Kaaba.
371. budn : Sacrificial camels; specifically fat, valuable camels offered as sacrifice.
372. al-mash‘ar : The sacred site; often refers to Muzdalifah or the entire sacred precinct.
373. ya‘tamir : Performs Umrah; the lesser pilgrimage to Mecca.
374. al-ashkar : The dark-skinned one; a reference to a person with a reddish-brown complexion.
375. ‘uqilat : Hobbled; camels with their legs tied to prevent movement, indicating readiness for sacrifice.
376. yawm al-marfa‘ : The day of raising; likely a reference to the Day of Resurrection when people are raised.
377. Ka'ba : The sacred house of worship in Mecca, towards which Muslims pray.
378. Abu al-Harith : A kunya or honorific title meaning 'father of al-Harith', used for 'Abd al-Muttalib.
379. Dinar : A name of a soothsayer or chief among the soothsayers of Quraysh.
380. Fatima bint 'Amr : The wife of 'Abd al-Muttalib and mother of 'Abd Allah, the Prophet's father.
381. tawassama : To discern or perceive through spiritual insight, often associated with the light of prophethood.
382. al-nūr al-muḥammadī : The Muhammadan light; a pre-existent light that was transmitted through the prophets and righteous ancestors until it manifested in the Prophet Muhammad.
383. al-fīl : The elephant; refers to the elephant of Abraha, which played a role in the Year of the Elephant (ʿĀm al-Fīl), the year of the Prophet's birth.
384. أَبْرَهَةَ : Abraha al-Ashram, the Abyssinian viceroy of Yemen who led the expedition against Mecca in the Year of the Elephant (c. 570 CE).
385. عَبْدُ الْمُطَّلِبِ : 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, the grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad and chief of Quraysh.
386. قُرَيْشٍ : Quraysh, the dominant tribe of Mecca and the tribe of the Prophet Muhammad.
387. مَحْمُوهُ : Mahmuh, the name of the elephant used by Abraha in the expedition against Mecca.
388. نُفَيْلُ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ : Nufayl ibn Habib al-Khath'ami, a guide for Abraha's army who later converted to Islam.
389. الْأَشْوَمُ : Al-Ashwam, meaning 'the ill-omened one,' a reference to Abraha.
390. صَنْعَاءَ : San'a, the capital of Yemen.
391. الحِجْرِ : Al-Hijr, the semicircular area adjacent to the Ka'ba, also known as Hatim.
392. أَبَا الْحَارِثِ : Abu al-Harith, the kunya (patronymic) of 'Abd al-Muttalib.
393. نُوحٌ : Nuh (Noah), the prophet sent to his people before the Flood.
394. إِبْرَاهِيمُ : Ibrahim (Abraham), the patriarch and friend of Allah, builder of the Ka'ba.
395. فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ عَمْرٍو : Fatima bint 'Amr, the wife of 'Abd al-Muttalib and mother of 'Abd Allah.
396. أَبَا طَالِبٍ : Abu Talib, the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad and father of 'Ali.
397. عَبْدِ اللَّهِ : 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, the father of the Prophet Muhammad.
398. الدَّارَيْنِ : Al-Darayn, meaning 'the two abodes' (this world and the Hereafter).
399. زَمْزَمَ : Zamzam, the sacred well in Mecca that sprang forth for Hagar and Ishmael.
400. nuqrat al-ghurāb al-aʿṣam : A legendary location; 'hollow of the white crow' is a phrase used in Arabic lore for a place where water is found.
401. sayf qalʿī : Swords from Qalʿa, a region known for its iron; often used to denote high-quality swords.
402. Hubal : A pre-Islamic Arabian idol worshipped by Quraysh, placed inside the Ka'ba.
403. al-Khalīl : The Friend of God, referring to the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim), who was thrown into a fire by Nimrod but was saved by God.
404. al-madad al-qawī al-ghazīr : The strong, abundant supply; a reference to the spiritual support and grace that flows from the Prophet.
405. ghurrat jaddihi ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib : The forehead or forelock of his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib; a metaphor for the Prophet's light appearing in his lineage.
406. tamīmat ‘iqd al-la’āl : The clasp of the pearl necklace; a metaphor for the Prophet as the central, most precious element.
407. manhal al-qāṣidīn wa al-wurrād : The watering-place of those who seek and those who come; a metaphor for the Prophet as the source of spiritual sustenance.
408. ummahāt al-jāmi‘ : The comprehensive mother; a reference to the Qur'an or the essence of divine knowledge.
409. anwār al-wadā’i‘ : Lights of trusts; the primordial lights deposited in Adam's loins that were transmitted to the Prophet.
410. dhurābat Hāshim : The forelock of Hāshim; a reference to the Prophet's noble lineage from the tribe of Quraysh.
411. ahl al-ḥaram : People of the Sacred Precinct; inhabitants of Mecca.
412. al-Lāt wa al-‘Uzzā : Two major idols worshipped by pre-Islamic Arabs.
413. imra’at al-‘Azīz : The wife of the Aziz (Potiphar); a reference to the story of Joseph in the Qur'an.
414. kīmiyā’ al-sirr al-mukattam : The alchemy of the hidden secret; a metaphor for the transformative spiritual power of the Prophet.
415. عبد الله : Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the father of the Prophet Muhammad.
416. المبارك : Al-Mubarak, 'the blessed,' an epithet for Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib.
417. المهدي : Al-Mahdi, 'the guided one,' here referring to the Prophet Muhammad as the expected guide.
418. الجاهلية : Al-Jahiliyya, the pre-Islamic period of ignorance.
419. المصيبة العظمى : Al-Musiba al-‘Uzma, 'the supreme calamity,' a hyperbolic expression.
420. كإضاءة البدر : Ka-iḍā’at al-badr, 'like the brightness of the full moon,' a simile for the light of prophethood.
421. زهرية : Zuhriyya, a woman from the Banu Zuhra clan.
422. بجاهه العظيم إلى الله : Bi-jāhihi al-‘aẓīm ilā Allāh, 'through his great station to God,' a concept of intercession.
423. surrāt : Noble leaders; refers to the chiefs or eminent figures among the Prophet's ancestors.
424. fatḥ : Opening; a Sufi term for spiritual unveiling or divine illumination.
425. ḥasrat al-mawqif : Regret of the standing; refers to the remorse on the Day of Judgment when standing before Allah.
426. al-ʿimāmah wa al-qaḍīb wa al-baghlah wa al-najīb : The turban, staff, mule, and noble steed; symbols of the Prophet's authority and humility.
427. ḥullah yamāniyyah : Yemeni robe; a garment from Yemen, known for its fine quality.
428. al-ḥawḍ al-mawrūd : The overflowing pool; the Prophet's celestial pool (al-Kawthar) from which believers drink on Judgment Day.
429. al-liwāʾ al-maʿqūd : The tied banner; the Prophet's banner of praise (liwāʾ al-ḥamd) tied to his staff.
430. al-maqām al-maḥmūd : The Praiseworthy Station; the highest intercessory station granted to the Prophet on Judgment Day.
431. al-ʿulūm al-ʿindiyyah : Divine sciences; knowledge directly from Allah, as opposed to acquired knowledge.
432. Quṣayy : An ancestor of the Prophet; a chief of Quraysh who united the tribe.
433. al-ʿAwātik : The ʿAwātik; noble women from the tribe of Sulaym, ancestors of the Prophet.
434. Saṭīḥ : A famous pre-Islamic soothsayer who foretold the coming of the Prophet.
435. al-māḥī : The effacer; one of the Prophet's names, meaning he effaces disbelief.
436. dhabīḥ Allāh : Allah's sacrificed one; refers to Prophet Ishmael, whom Allah commanded Abraham to sacrifice.
437. khalīl Allāh : Allah's friend; refers to Prophet Abraham.
438. al-dhabīḥayn : The two sacrifices; refers to Ishmael and his father Abraham, both willing to sacrifice.
439. Shaybah : Shaybah; refers to ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, the Prophet's grandfather, also known as Shaybah.
440. Shaybah al-Ḥamd : Shaybah of praise; a title for ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, meaning the praised elder.
441. al-maymūn ṭā'iruhā : Literally 'whose bird is blessed'; an Arabic idiom meaning 'of good omen' or 'blessed fortune'.
442. wa malādhī dhālika al-'amal : Meaning 'and my refuge is that work'; the poet expresses that his deeds of praising the Prophet and his family are his source of hope and salvation.
443. al-shajarah al-nabawiyyah : The 'prophetic tree' refers to the genealogical tree or lineage of the Prophet Muhammad, tracing his ancestry back to Adam.
444. athnā bihi al-anbiyā' : Meaning 'the prophets praised him'; refers to the Islamic belief that previous prophets foretold the coming of Muhammad.
445. Shayba : Shayba is another name for 'Abd al-Muttalib, the grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad.
446. ka'buhu : Literally 'his heel'; a pun on the name Ka'b, meaning 'heel' in Arabic, used here to indicate his high status.
447. adnā 'an daniyy al-makāsib : Meaning 'farther from base gains'; indicating Mudrika's distance from dishonorable acquisitions.
448. qaṭn al-ḥawājib : Literally 'the cotton of the eyebrows'; a metaphorical expression for the softness or gentleness of forbearance.
449. khalīl Allāh : The 'Friend of God' is a title for the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) in Islam.
450. Tāriḥ : Tāriḥ is the Arabic name for Terah, the father of Ibrahim (Abraham) in Islamic tradition.
451. abūhu : Here 'his father' refers to Lamdar, the father of Nuh (Noah) according to the genealogy.
452. Lam : Lam is a shortened form of Lamdar, the father of Nuh (Noah) in the genealogy.
453. al-zā'idāt al-shawāzib : Literally 'the sharp swords'; a poetic description of weapons used to repel enemies.
454. Yārid : Yārid is a name in the genealogy, possibly a variant of Yared, the father of Idris (Enoch) in Islamic tradition.
455. al-barzakh : Isthmus; a barrier or intermediary realm between two things, often used in Sufism to denote the intermediate state between the physical and spiritual worlds or the perfect human who connects the two.
456. al-aqtab : Poles; in Sufism, the highest ranking saints (awliya') who are the spiritual axis of the universe.
457. al-Faruq : The Distinguisher; epithet of Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph, known for his ability to distinguish truth from falsehood.
458. Dhu al-Nurayn : Possessor of the Two Lights; epithet of Uthman ibn Affan, the third caliph, because he married two daughters of the Prophet, Ruqayya and Umm Kulthum.
459. al-wasila : Means; a means of approach to God, often used for the Prophet Muhammad as the intercessor.
460. al-Siddiq : The Truthful; epithet of Abu Bakr, the first caliph, and also used for Ali ibn Abi Talib in some contexts.
461. Abu al-Qasim : Father of Qasim; the kunya (patronymic) of the Prophet Muhammad, named after his son Qasim.
462. al-awsiya' : Executors; plural of wasi, meaning the successors or legatees of the Prophet, often referring to the Imams in Shia Islam.
463. mujtahids : Those who perform ijtihad; independent legal reasoning in Islamic jurisprudence.
464. al-Mahdi : The Guided One; a figure in Islamic eschatology who will appear to restore justice. Here it may refer to Abu Bakr as the rightly guided caliph.
465. al-Saqifa : The portico; the meeting place of the Ansar after the Prophet's death where Abu Bakr was elected caliph.
466. al-nay : A flute; possibly a metaphor for the announcement or proclamation.
467. Abu Hafs : Father of Hafs; kunya of Umar ibn al-Khattab.
468. Ibn al-Affan : Son of Affan; referring to Uthman ibn Affan.
469. al-isra' : The Night Journey; the Prophet Muhammad's miraculous journey from Mecca to Jerusalem.
470. al-Siffin : The Battle of Siffin; a battle between Ali and Muawiya. Here it may refer to a person or a quality.
471. Tayri : Possibly a name or epithet; unclear context.
472. al-sibtayn : The two grandsons; referring to Hasan and Husayn, the sons of Ali and Fatima.
473. عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ : Abd al-Muttalib, the grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad.
474. الْحَارِثِ : Al-Harith, a clan of Quraysh.
475. خَلِيلِ اللَّهِ : Khalil Allah, 'Friend of Allah', a title of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham).
476. انْتَهَى بِحَمْدِ اللَّهِ : It ended with the praise of Allah, a common closing phrase in Islamic texts.