The one who remembers [1] the Beloved [2] is annihilated [3] from his own existence, and…

The one who remembers [1] the Beloved [2] is annihilated [3] from his own existence, and the Beloved becomes his hearing and his sight.

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. All praise is due to Allah, by whose praise righteous deeds are completed; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise ranks are elevated; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise gifts are bestowed; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise mercies descend; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise blessings overflow; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise all movements praise; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise souls are preserved; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise hardships are relieved; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise afflictions are repelled; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise sins are forgiven; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise slips are overlooked; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise harms are removed; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise joys are brought; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise desires are fulfilled; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise locked things are opened; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise difficult tasks are made easy; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise intentions are rectified; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise gifts are abundant; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise supplications are answered; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise needs are fulfilled; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise intercessions are accepted; and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise burdens fall away; (5) and all praise is due to Allah, by whose praise hopes are attained and ranks are raised. And blessings and peace be upon our master and lord Muhammad, a blessing by which our sins are forgiven and our good deeds are multiplied, 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 garden of desired beauties, the lamp of the sciences of the intelligent, and of beauty, before whose awe the inhabitants of the highest horizon ¹ and the people of the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ² bowed in veneration. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the garden of fragrant blooming beauties, the master of nomads and settled people, the full moon of perfection, whose light is by the light of the sun and moon, the bride of the angels, who is like a ruby among stones. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the garden of sweet-scented beauties, the essence of sublime honor and glory, the pole ³ of pure-remembered sovereignty, the mountain of nobility by which Allah magnified reward and forgave sin. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the garden of ambergris-scented beauties, the possessor of majestic rank and immense status, the table of abundant grace and goodness, the succor, by whom needs are fulfilled, desires attained, and clouds are sought for rain through his beautiful face. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the garden of pure-scented beauties, the fountain of high-aspiring virtues, the truthful spirit of the worlds, of sincere utterance, service, and sovereignty, the regions whose neighbor is not wronged, whose supporters are not humiliated, and whose covenant is not broken. (6) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the garden of fragrant-breath beauties, the pure gold of mines of pure origin and kinds, the illuminator of inner selves whose secret permeates the innermost hearts of the wise and intelligent, the noble of inner selves, whose rank is the highest of the stations of the noble, the pegs ⁴, and the bells ⁵. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the garden of radiant fragrant beauties, the secret of existence, the seal and the opener, the dawn of shining dazzling truths, the obeyed master by whom states are rectified and guidance is given to righteous deeds and successful opinion. So bless him, O Allah, and his pure-sleeved and fragrant family, and his companions of praiseworthy effort and profitable trade, a blessing by which our hearts and limbs are rectified, by which we are purified from blameworthy traits and ugly deeds, and by which we are made to yearn for the sweetest breezes and most fragrant scents of Your and his pleasure, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. By the light of Your holiness, by the guarded secret, by what You have hidden from us in the veil of the Foot ⁶, By the might of Your glory, by the encompassing meaning, and by him through whom You poured forth the eyes of generosity upon the nations, By the one of the two cycles ⁷, the Ahmadic ⁸, father of creation, the secret of the letter and the word, Muhammad, Your servant distinguished in the ranks of discrimination by wisdoms in cycles and judgments, The sun of high qualities, the key of perfection, and him from whom You extended the morning rains of effusion and generosity, Grant me security by guarding my heart from the ambiguities of passions, and make the portion of kindness among my shares (7) And reach the servant, O my Succor, from You with what suffices him against the striking of evils and afflictions, And make all that I hope for in You, through him whom You have loved me, and guide me to the truth and guide them. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every lofty station, the ruby of every exquisite arrangement and wonderful work. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every majestic station, the imam of every noble procession and crowded assembly. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every mighty station, the result of every beneficial word and concise speech. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every sublime station, the light of insight of every noble and intelligent one. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every delightful station, the means of every near and chosen servant. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every renowned station, the care of every servant magnified and blessed before You. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every visited station, the blessing of every house filled with fragrant secrets and inhabited. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad (8) the bird of the garden of every known station, the title of every inscribed tablet and written book.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every praiseworthy station ⁹ and the key to every good and extended shade ¹⁰. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every beloved station and the opening of every hidden secret and bestowed knowledge. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every lordly station ¹¹ and the exemplar of every lordly wayfarer ¹² and spiritual magnet ¹³. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every praised station and the substance of every extension ¹⁴ and granted good. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every great station and the prostration of every pious knower ¹⁵ and distinguished saint ¹⁶. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every preserved station and the rank of every perfect intimate ¹⁷ and observed one. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every blessed station and the bride of every noble witnessing ¹⁸ and new season. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every great station and the pillar of every renowned devotee ¹⁹. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad (9) the bird of the garden of every station of great importance and the sword of every victor through You, clear in proof and evidence. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every station surrounded by might and generosity, and the tongue of every caller who calls the servants to You and guides them to the path of success and safety. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which You free our necks on the Day of Regret and Remorse ²⁰, and by which You settle us with those whom You have favored among the prophets in the Abode of Bliss and Permanence, 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 bird of the garden of every station distinguished by majesty and exaltation, and the saint of every pious one who walks in the robes of lordship and glorification. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every station distinguished by firmness and empowerment, and the light of insight of every inspired one who gazes upon the tablet of witnessing ²¹ and the book of clear victory ²². O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every station distinguished by honor, and the aspiration of every obedient one who calls creatures to Allah and grants them unique benefits and the finest gifts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every station distinguished by the secret ²³ and sainthood ²⁴, and the emblem of every affiliate who is disciplined with the etiquettes of servitude in the beginning and the end. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every station distinguished by righteousness and religion, and the building of the heart of every ascetic ²⁵ adorned with the realities of trust and certainty. (10) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every station distinguished by gifts and secrets, and the sweetness of the tongue of every lover who constantly utters his prophetic praises and subtle remembrances. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every station distinguished by radiances and lights, and the adornment of every fearful one who watches his Lord in the watches of the night and the ends of the day. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every station distinguished by blessing and benedictions, and the generosity of every munificence that pours down gifts of grace and showers of mercy. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every station distinguished by the jewels of sciences and descents ²⁶, and the spirit of life of every lover who excels in the beauty of the Essence and the lights of the Attributes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every station distinguished by insight into consciences and unveiling of hidden things, and the exemplar of every knower who witnesses the realities of the tablets of effacement and establishment ²⁷. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of every station distinguished by compassion and tenderness, and the means of every self-sufficient one ²⁸ who is permitted to dispose and strive for the interests of the community. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the leading imams, and his pious companions who rolled up their sleeves in seriousness and service, with a blessing by which You preserve us with the light of obedience and infallibility, and by which You grant us from Your pleasure and his pleasure the fullest share and the most complete portion, 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 (11) the bird of the garden of the treasurer of Allah's wealth and the place of forbearance and forgiveness, the one confident in what is with Allah, and the capital of the people of speciality, and the profit that attracts souls to the presence of Allah, and the messenger of the True King, whoever obeys him has obeyed Allah, and whoever disobeys him has disobeyed Allah. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bird of the garden of contentment and chastity, the one who stands by Allah's command, the mine of justice and equity, the follower of Allah's sunna, the jewel of intellects and shells, the supporter of Allah's religion, the prophet described in the form of al-A'raf ²⁹, the thankful for Allah's blessings, the elite of the noble chiefs, the one who turns with all his states towards...

God and the model of the friends of God ³⁰ and the beloved of God, whom neither trade nor sale diverts from the remembrance of God. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pure one of the garden of the most sublime station ³¹, the absent one in the presence of God, and the path of guidance, the most pure, who points by his words and deeds to God, and the most impregnable fortress of security, who protects by his guardianship from the punishment of God, and the most beneficial physician of the diseases of hearts, who receives from God, and who holds fast to the rope of God ³² and the most expansive sea of generosity, who sacrifices himself for the pleasure of God. Upon him be the best blessings of God, the most beautiful blessings of God, the most splendid blessings of God, and the most complete blessings of God, blessings observed by the eye of God's care, perpetual, accepted by God, with no end to them and no termination until the meeting with God. ❖ And one unique with God, he was enraptured by His love, ❖ So he has no intimacy with anything other than the Lord. ❖ He was unique in the world for the obedience of his Lord, ❖ So He brought him the knowledge of the Book without doubt. ❖ And a stumbling one in the love of God, so there were unveiled to him ❖ Wonders of secrets as a reward for love. ❖ So whoever is truthful in the claim of love, ❖ The lights manifest to him without any veils. ❖ So he delights constantly in the garden of gnosis ³³, ❖ And its pleasure is more desirable than eating and drinking. ❖ The existents speak to him from every side, ❖ So that he understands them by his innermost ³⁴ and by his heart. ❖ He almost sees the secrets in their dominion ³⁵, ❖ So the influx ³⁶ comes upon him from the knowledge of the unseen. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of the pious, the ornament of the chosen messengers, the manifestation of the sciences of the Essence ³⁷, of great rank and stature, the elite of the noble ones, pure in branch and lineage, the most generous of those over whom night has darkened and day has shone, whom You sent as a prophet and crowned with the crown of awe and dignity, and chose as a beloved, a pure one, and from the light of his radiance You made the suns and moons shine, and made him the intercessor on the Day of Judgment and the seal of the prophets, and sent him on Monday and commissioned him to both weighty ones ³⁸, so his mention spread through the lands, and the servants believed in him. When his mission, description, attributes, and prophethood reached Caesar, the king of Rome, he gathered the priests, monks, and rabbis, and ordered them to read the Gospel, and said: 'Do you find the description of this Arab man, Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace? For the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, when he looked at the description of this bird in the Gospel, wept and said: O company of disciples, this bird is the proof of God Almighty in His earth. For this bird, its head is of pearl, its eyes of ruby, its neck of coral, its tongue of light and eloquence, its wings of awe and dignity, its legs are the origin of time, its tail is modesty and faith, and its feathers are used for parables. From its mouth come water, honey, wine, and milk. It magnifies God Almighty with its head and glorifies Him with its wings. Were it not for this bird, its eyes, neck, tongue, and wings, every wild beast would follow its desire in the deserts and wildernesses.' O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the beautiful face and the kohl-rimmed eye, the lofty station and the great rank. When the description of this bird, indicating his prophethood and the manifestation of his message, was established with Caesar, the king of Rome, he said to them: 'Choose for me a thousand men from the priests and monks, from those who have read the Gospel and the Revelation.' So a thousand men presented themselves before him, and he chose from the thousand a hundred, and from the hundred he selected ten, and said to them: 'Go and seek out this noble man, Muhammad the Trustworthy, the Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds. Ask him about the description of this bird. If he interprets it for you as the Gospel described it to us and answers you with what we have, we will believe in him, affirm him, follow him, and emulate him. For he is the Arab prophet, the truthful, the trustworthy, sent as a mercy to all of creation.' When the priests and monks arrived at the noble, pure, and generous city, the Trustworthy Gabriel ³⁹ descended upon him and said: 'Peace be upon you, O Muhammad. Indeed, the Most High, the Most Exalted, sends you greetings and says to you: Caesar, the king of Rome, has sent to you ten priests and monks, readers of the Gospel, among those who know interpretation and revelation, asking you about the description of a bird they found in the Gospel. And I created that bird in Paradise before the heavens and the earths were created. Indeed, this bird is My proof over My creation, and its description is such and such.' So the Trustworthy Gabriel informed him of all that. 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 descendant of the pure ones, the model for the elite and the common. The Trustworthy Gabriel, peace be upon him, said to him: 'Indeed, your Lord sends you greetings and says: O Muhammad, prepare for the arrival of the Christian monks to you, for they will ask you. By My might, majesty, greatness, and pride, I will surely adorn you today in the eyes of the beholders and manifest you in the most beautiful form.' So he prepared himself.

Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ prayed in the best and most noble postures, and sat upon a leather cushion. Abu Bakr sat to his right, 'Umar to his left, and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, al-Hasan and al-Husayn—the two grandsons of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ—his uncle al-'Abbas and his sons sat before him, while 'Uthman ibn 'Affan sat behind him. His companions from the people of Badr, the Muhajirun and the Ansar surrounded him like shining stars, and he ﷺ was among them like the rising full moon. The people gazed at him much, marveling at his beauty and comeliness, and were astounded by his splendor. Then the Trustworthy Gabriel ⁴⁰ descended upon him with a fragment of light, opened it, and brought out a shirt, clothing him with it, and turbaned him with the turban of divine pleasure ⁴¹, and cloaked him with the cloak of splendor, and girded him with the sword of victory. He said to him: 'O Muhammad, rejoice and be comforted, for Allah the Exalted looks upon you and watches over you.' The Prophet ﷺ said to his companions: 'Today ten monks and Gospel readers sent to us by the king of Byzantium will come to ask me about a bird that Allah created in Paradise before the creation of the heavens and the earth.' He ﷺ had not finished speaking when the monks and priests entered his mosque, wearing haircloth and carrying copies of the Gospel on their necks. They greeted him ﷺ, and he ordered them to sit, so they sat before him. The Prophet ﷺ said to them: 'O company of priests and monks, you have come to ask me about a bird whose description you found in the Gospel, which is in Paradise and has a likeness in this world.' They said: 'You have spoken truthfully, O Muhammad. Describe this bird to us so that we may believe in you, affirm you, and follow you.' The Prophet ﷺ said: 'This bird's head is of pearl, its eyes of ruby, its neck of coral, its tongue of light and eloquence, its wings of awe and dignity, its legs are the origin of time, its tail is modesty and faith, and its feathers are used as parables. From its mouth come water, honey, wine, and milk. It magnifies Allah Almighty with its head and glorifies Him with its wings. Were it not for this bird's head, eyes, neck, and wings, every wild beast would follow its desire.' They said: 'You have spoken truthfully, O Muhammad. Tell us, what is the head of this bird?' He ﷺ said: 'Yes, the head of this bird is I, Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib.' The Christians said: 'Yes, you have spoken truthfully, O Muhammad. What are its eyes?' He ﷺ said: 'Its eyes are two lights created by Allah from my light, and they are my two sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn, the chosen ones of Allah.' The Christians said: 'You have spoken truthfully, O Muhammad.' They said: 'What is its tongue?' He said: 'Its tongue is my brother and cousin 'Ali ibn Abi Talib.' The Christians said: 'You have spoken truthfully, O Muhammad. What is its neck?' He ﷺ said: 'My daughter Fatima al-Zahra', the handmaid of Allah.' The Christians said: 'You have spoken truthfully, O Muhammad.' They said: 'What are its wings?' He ﷺ said to them: 'As for its wings, they are these two venerable, excellent, just elders, my companions and intimates, Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them.' The Christians said: 'You have spoken truthfully, O Muhammad. What are the legs of this bird?' He ﷺ said: 'Its legs are Khadija and 'A'isha, my wives, and they are the most beloved of my wives to me.' The Christians said: 'You have spoken truthfully, O Muhammad. Blessed by Allah is he who holds fast to this bird and loves it, and successful is he who holds fast to it. This bird is the proof of Allah over His creation, and this is what Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him, informed us.' O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those by whose lineage the great are honored and by whose fragrance the worlds are perfumed. When Gabriel ⁴⁰ descended upon Muhammad ﷺ, he said to him: 'Peace be upon you, O Muhammad. Allah the Exalted sends you greetings and says: Give glad tidings to your community and say to My servants: Whoever meets Me loving this bird, knowing its right, and holding fast to it, I have granted him four qualities: First, I make easy for them the departure of their souls at death; second, I make easy for them the standing on the Day of Resurrection, a day whose measure is fifty thousand years, making it lighter for them than the Friday prayer; third, I remove from them the Scale ⁴², and whoever has the Scale removed from him has been guided to divine pleasure and good pleasure; fourth, I cause him to dwell with Muhammad the Chosen in the Abode of Permanence and the Abode of Sufficiency, and I grant them security through the vision of My Noble Face, as an honor from Me to you, O Muhammad. Whoever knows the right of this bird has known My right, and I will intercede for him tomorrow among My creation.' The Christians said: 'You have spoken truthfully, O Muhammad, in all that you have told us. But one question remains: if you answer it, we will believe in you and affirm you.' He ﷺ said: 'Ask whatever you wish.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, tell us what is the spirit in this bird?' He said: 'As for the spirit, it is faith in Allah. As for the feathers, they are the likeness of my community: among them are white, black, blind, seeing, wretched, and happy.' They said: 'You have spoken truthfully, O Messenger of Allah, O Muhammad. We bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that you are Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.' When they returned to Caesar and informed him of this, Caesar said: 'Muhammad ﷺ has spoken truthfully.' They said to him: 'Follow him and believe in him,' but he refused. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those by whose lineage the great are honored and by whose fragrance the worlds are perfumed.

He said: Likewise, the wretched one will never be happy. And they went to a mountain where they worshipped God until God took them to His mercy. So, O God, bless him and his family and his progeny, and his Companions, the protectors of the religion and the bearers of his Law, a blessing that pours upon us the gifts of his sciences and the springs of his wisdom, and makes us thereby among the servants of his noble station and the companions of his presence, and gathers us when we die with the people of his party and his love, 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 bird of the garden of security and safety, and the model of the elite who are brought near, and the eminent leaders ⁴³, about whom one of the people of allusion ⁴⁴ said concerning the meaning of this tradition ⁴⁵ reported about this blessed bird, extracted from the treasures of the protected secret and the gifts of the hidden knowledge, whose descriptions—upon him and upon his household, his Companions, and his community—are mentioned in the Gospel with the clearest decisive text and the most evident explanation, and that this bird is sometimes in its essential beauty ⁴⁶ and adorned in its exalted attributes with piercing insights. Its head is from the light of the beauty of the All-Merciful, its eyes from the majesty of the shining rays of gnosis ⁴⁷, its neck is humility before its Master, the Sovereign Judge, its tongue from the gifts of the divine sciences ⁴⁸ and the jewels of the Qur'an, its two wings from the compassionate attributes of divine mercy and the gifts of proximity and closeness, its two legs from striving in what leads it to the pleasure of its Greatest Master and elevates it to the stations of joy and felicitation, its tail from support and victory and the gifts of grace and favor, and its feathers indicate a meaning that is not possible—more wondrous than what was. From its mouth issue sacred wisdoms, bestowed secrets, noble and clear meanings, lofty and luminous cognitions, and Muhammadan and Ahmadine ⁴⁹ blessings of various tastes and colors. It glorifies its Master, sanctifies Him, praises Him, and magnifies Him in every movement and stillness, every age and time, every moment and period. Were it not for this bird whose secret and support pervade the worlds, and its two eyes shining with the lights of witnessing and direct vision, and its neck rejoicing in the flashes of yearning for the abodes of intimacy and the gardens of Paradise, and its tongue uttering the subtle forms of remembrance and the gifts of beneficence, and its two generous wings filled with the attributes of compassion and tenderness—were it not for its existence, the order of the higher and lower worlds would be disrupted, and no angel, human, or jinn would have been created, nor chambers, nor palaces, nor houris, nor immortal youths. So, O God, bless him and his family, the eminent leaders, and his Companions, the assisting ministers, a blessing by which You renew faith in our hearts, preserve us from the accidents of deprivation and deficiency, rescue us from the abysses of misguidance and loss, and the claims of wretchedness and abandonment, and sanctify our spirits with those upon whom You have bestowed favor—the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous—in the highest paradises of the gardens, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O God, I ask You, O my Master, by the sanctity of this praised bird ⁵⁰, spiritual in body and soul, which roams in the gardens of intimacy with You and returns, and gazes upon the Preserved Tablet ⁵¹ from the side of subtle graces and the benefits of the bestowed secret, that You illuminate my inner sight with the lights of inspirations and openings, and unveil to the world of my secret every hidden symbol until it becomes clear and evident to me with utmost clarity. And look upon me with a look of care, and grant me success to the path of goodness and guidance, and clothe me with the robes of honor and sainthood ⁵², and protect me thereafter with Your perfect preservation from the darkness of ignorance and error. And make me taste the sweetness of union, and include me in the chain of connection, and allow me into the presence of Beauty, and grant me the power of Majesty, and realize me with the realities of perfection, and fill my heart with gnosis ⁵³, and do not veil me by it from You in the stations. And make me, through You, a witness, and my concern one concern, and leaning on Your fortress, and in all my affairs relying and depending on You. So help me with what I have intended, and manage me among those You have managed, and grant me assistance in the matters You have charged me with and I have undertaken. For You are the One who chose, and You are the One who gave, and You are the One who selected, and You are the One who favored, and You are the One who granted success, and You are the One who guided. So grant me success, O God, with Your beautiful success, and guide me to the middle of Your path. My God, Your generosity led me to ask, and shame before You returned me to propriety. So I am perplexed between describing generosity and the propriety of witnessing. My God, how can I reach while my incapacity is inherent? And how can I not reach while You are the possessor of generosity and gifts? My God, Your secret that pervades the worlds and fills the hearts of the elite with the gifts of beneficence, and Your light that shines in every moment, and incapacitates eyes from direct vision, and Your proximity that encompasses everything is closer to me than myself, and Your absence in the majesty of Your greatness made me witness Your absence from me. So lift the veil for me, O He who has no minister nor veil.

My God, You are the First before every first, and the Last after every last, and the Inward (al-Bāṭin) beyond every inward, and the Outward (al-Ẓāhir) above every outward. You encompass all beings, yet no directions encompass You. You have manifested Yourself in diverse forms of manifestation (tajalliyāt), and all languages have spoken in declaring Your transcendence (tanzīh) and sanctification (taqdīs). I have whispered in intimate prayer to You (munājāh), O my Master, and intimate prayer to You has become sweet for me, and I have attained from You mutual affection (muṣāfāh). (19) Rewards (mukāfāt) from You have multiplied for me, blessings (barakāt) from You have followed in succession upon me, mercies (raḥamāt) from You have poured forth upon me. Through You, my stations (maqāmāt) have been exalted, through You, miracles of grace (karāmāt) have appeared for me, through You, my degrees (darajāt) have been raised, through You, my needs (ḥājāt) have been fulfilled. Through You, allusions (ishārāt) have become sweet for me, and I have found intimacy with You in the hidden chambers of seclusions (khalawāt). Through You, I have been enraptured in the witnessing-places of divine receptions (talqiyāt), through You, I have soared in ecstasy (shaṭḥ) upon the carpet of manifestations (tajalliyāt). Through You, my paths (madhāhib) have become pure, through You, my virtues (manāqib) have multiplied, through You, my outcomes (‘awāqib) have become good, through You, customary laws (‘awā’id) have been rent asunder for me, through You, my connections (manāsib) have become pleasant, through You, gifts (mawāhib) have overflowed upon me, through You, customary laws (‘awā’id) have been burned away for me, through You, my sources (mawārid) have become sweet, through You, my benefits (fawā’id) have become great, through You, my purposes (maqāṣid) have been perfected. Through You, lights (anwār) have shone upon me, from You, secrets (asrār) have journeyed to me, from You, the breezes of dawns (nafaḥāt al-asḥār) have blown upon me. Through You, the flowers (azhār) of Your knowledges (ma‘ārif) have blossomed for me, through You, the fruits (thimār) of Your sciences (‘ulūm) have become sweet for me. Through You, the subtle graces (laṭā’if) of remembrances (adhkār) have been born for me, and from the springs of Your holy gifts (mawāhib al-qudsiyyah), the jewels of rivers (jawāhir al-anhār) have gushed forth for me. In You, I have cast off all restraint (khala‘tu al-‘idhār), in You, I have torn aside the veils (hataqtu al-astār). Through Your love, I have drunk the cups of tastes (akwās al-adhwāq), and longings (ashwāq) have multiplied for me in You. I have witnessed You in the gleaming lights of illumination (lawā’iḥ al-ishrāq), I have depicted You in the mirror of the intellect (mir’āt al-‘aql), I have read You in the tablet of transmitted tradition (lawḥ al-naql): "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" (Qur’an 3:18). And I have perished in You from my own perishing (fanā’ī), I have blended You into the antidote (tiryāq) of my cure, I have adorned my tongue with You, I have filled my heart (janānī) with Your love, I have fertilized my soul (janānī) with Your remembrance, I have embroidered my collection (dīwānī) with You, I have adorned my title (‘unwānī) with You. So You are the life of the spirit (rūḥ), the body (jasad), and the name written on the tablet of the Divine Will (lawḥ al-irādah) in the meaning of: "Say: He is Allah, the One, Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute. He begets not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him" (Qur’an 112:1-4). So, O Allah, admit me through You into the presence of grace (ḥaḍrat al-imtinān) with security (amān), and make me witness from You the witnessing-place of beneficence (mashhad al-iḥsān) through beneficence (iḥsān), and elevate me to You in the ascents of proximity (marāqī al-qurb) and nearness (tadānī). Make the lights of guidance (anwār al-hidāyah) and gnosis (‘irfān) shine in my heart, and make me know You with the knowledge (ma‘rifah) of the people of witnessing (mushāhadah) and direct vision (‘iyān), not through proof (dalīl) and demonstration (burhān). Be my hearing, my sight, my hand, my tongue, and my heart, wherever I turn, at every time, moment, period, and instant. Admit me with an entrance of truth (mudkhal ṣidq) and bring me out with an exit of truth (mukhraj ṣidq) (20) now, and all the beloved ones, brothers, family, offspring, relatives, and neighbors. Amen, Amen, Amen, with enduring well-being (‘āfiyah bāqiyah) unto eternity, through the permanence of the secret (sirr), election (iṣṭifā’), and succor (madad). And peace be upon the messengers, and praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. * And a beautiful one (ghāniyah), my heart is passionately enamored with her, * And my intellect is bewildered by her, distracted, infatuated, and enraptured. * When she appears one day and I behold her face, * I incline, just as the branches of the tree incline. * A maiden, as if beauty itself is an eye, and her beauty * Shines to my eye, and she is the pupil (insān) of the eye. O Allah, I ask You by Your Greatest Name (ismuka al-a‘ẓam), the Most Great (al-akbar), the Treasured (al-makhzūn), the Hidden (al-maknūn), which none of the created beings have ever been informed of, that You cast upon me from Your adornment (zīnatika), Your love (maḥabbatika), and from the attributes of Your Lordship (nu‘ūt rubūbiyyatika) that which dazzles the intellects (yabharu al-‘uqūl), to which souls (nufūs) become submissive, necks (riqāb) bow down, eyesights (abṣār) flash, thoughts (afkār) scatter, and every arrogant tyrant (mutakabbir jabbār) submits. O Allah, O Possessor (Yā Mālik), O Mighty (Yā ‘Azīz), O Compeller (Yā Jabbār), O Allah, O One (Yā Aḥad), O Unique (Yā Wāḥid), O Subduer (Yā Qahhār). O Allah, guard us with Your eye that never sleeps, shelter us in Your shelter (kanaf) that is never assailed, have mercy on us through Your power over us, do not destroy us while You are our trust, do not disappoint us while You are our hope. For how many a blessing (ni‘mah) have You bestowed upon me for which my gratitude (shukr) to You has been little, and how many a trial (baliyyah) have You afflicted me with for which my patience (ṣabr) has been little. So, O He whose blessing my gratitude has been little for, yet He did not deprive me; O He whose trial my patience has been little for, yet He did not forsake me; O He who watched over me despite my sins (khaṭāyā) and did not disgrace me—I ask You to send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings and mercy upon Abraham and upon the family of Abraham. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy (Ḥamīd), Glorious (Majīd). O Allah, O Possessor of beneficence (ma‘rūf) that never ceases, O Possessor of favors (na‘mā’) that cannot be counted, I ask You to send blessings upon our master and patron (sayyidinā wa mawlānā) Muhammad eternally, and to grant us from all our affairs relief (faraj) and a way out (makhraj), by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful (Yā Arḥama al-Rāḥimīn), O Lord of the worlds (Yā Rabba al-‘Ālamīn). O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and patron Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing (ṣalāh) by which You cast into my heart the lights of openings (anwār al-futūḥāt) and gifts (mawāhib), (21) and by which You make me among Your servants who are singled out for the most noble stations (ashraf al-maqāmāt) and the highest ranks (a‘lā al-marātib). O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and patron Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You cast into my heart the lights of faith (anwār al-īmān) and submission (islām), and by which You make me among Your servants who act with authority through the light of divine opening (fatḥ) and inspiration (ilhām). O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and patron Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You cast into my heart the lights of gnosis (anwār al-ma‘rifah) and divine unity (tawḥīd), and by which You make me among Your servants who strive upon the path of trust (tawakkul) and abstraction (tajrīd). O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and patron Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You cast into my heart the lights of patience (anwār al-ṣabr) and certainty (yaqīn), and by which You make me among Your pious servants who are honored (al-atqiyā’ al-mukarramīn). O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and patron Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You cast into my heart the lights of righteousness (anwār al-ṣalāḥ) and religion (dīn), and by which You make me among Your servants who are guides and guided (al-hudāt al-muhtadīn). O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and patron Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You cast into my heart the lights of the secret (anwār al-sirr) and the clear opening (al-fatḥ al-mubīn), and by which You make me among Your chosen servants who are brought near (al-aṣfiyā’ al-muqarrabīn). O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and patron Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You cast into my heart the lights of sainthood (anwār al-wilāyah) and empowerment (tamkīn), and by which You make me among Your servants who stand firm in Your command and strive diligently (al-qā’imīn bi-amrika al-mujtahidīn). O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and patron Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You cast into my heart the lights of remembrances (anwār al-adhkār) and divine instruction (talqīn), and by which You make me among Your servants who are clad in the robes of states (ḥulal al-aḥwāl) and variegation (talwīn). O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and patron Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You cast into my heart the lights of gnostic sciences (anwār al-ma‘ārif) and realities (ḥaqā’iq), and by which You make me among Your servants for whom You have unveiled the obscurities of meanings (ghawāmiḍ al-ma‘ānī) and the subtleties of intricacies (laṭā’if al-daqā’iq).

O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of seclusion ⁵⁴ and solitude, and makes me thereby among Your servants whom You have guided to the path of success and right guidance. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of witnessing ⁵⁵ and proximity, and makes me thereby among Your servants whose branches sway with the breeze of longing and love. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of modesty and faith, and makes me thereby among Your servants whom You have supported with Your piety in secret and in public. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of preserving the times and prayers, and makes me thereby among Your servants who are devoted to Your remembrance in solitude and in company. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of fear and standing firm on the limits ⁵⁶, and makes me thereby among Your servants who are sincere and fulfill the covenants. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of knowledge and action, and makes me thereby among Your servants who have devoted themselves to Your pleasure until they attained the goal and the hope. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of veneration and piety, and makes me thereby among Your servants who are victorious with Your satisfaction on the Day of Resurrection and Reckoning. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of etiquette and love for Your righteous servants, and makes me thereby among Your servants who are absent in the beauty of Your Essence, the enraptured ones. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of right guidance and direction, and makes me thereby among Your servants whom You have crowned with the crown of honor and care. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of success and prosperity, and makes me thereby among Your servants whom You have marked with pardon and forgiveness. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of lofty gifts and pure morals, and makes me thereby among Your servants whose states You have reformed and whom You have purified from the follies of human nature. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of humility and submission, and makes me thereby among Your servants who think of none but You in prostration and bowing. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of compassion and tenderness, and makes me thereby among Your servants whose side You have kept free from lying and betrayal. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of success and steadfastness, and makes me thereby among Your servants who do not incline to fame and love of honor. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of repentance and return, and makes me thereby among Your servants who are guided in opinion and correctness. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of truthfulness and verification, and makes me thereby among Your servants whom You have honored with the secret of sainthood ⁵⁷ and realization. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of obscurity and disavowal of pretension, and makes me thereby among Your servants who answer Your call in secret and whispered prayer. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of chastity ⁵⁸ and asceticism regarding what is in people's hands, and makes me thereby among Your servants who are knowers, intelligent, and sagacious. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of acknowledging servitude and gratitude for blessings, and makes me thereby among Your servants who perform the duties of obedience and service. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of reverence and preservation of sanctity, and makes me thereby among Your servants whom You have adorned with the subtleties of gifts and the jewels of wisdom. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of submission to accepting truth and fairness, and makes me thereby among Your servants whom You have created with noble character and beautiful attributes. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of intelligence and excellence, and makes me thereby among Your servants for whom You have opened the doors of acceptance and response. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of attraction ⁵⁹ and spiritual journeying, and makes me thereby among Your servants from whose hearts You have removed the darkness of illusions and doubts. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of compliance with Your command and submission, and makes me thereby among Your servants whom You have led along the paths of salvation and guided to the ways of peace.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that casts into my heart the lights of longing and hastening to the places of good deeds, and makes me thereby among Your servants whom You have guided to goodness and qualified for righteous deeds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad—may Allah bless him and his family, the luminous stars, the lofty in rank and degree, and his noble companions, the guides ⁶⁰, the purified in hearts and selves—a blessing that forgives us sins, expiates our misdeeds, and becomes for us a provision and refuge in life and after death, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. ❖ Visiting the people of piety ⁶¹—their passing by shows ❖ And it is the key to the doors of guidance and goodness ❖ And it brings about in the empty heart a resolve ❖ And expands a chest constricted by the burden of sin ❖ And it helps the oppressed and raises the lowly ❖ And gains the destitute and mends the broken ❖ And it opens the closed and makes the weeping laugh ❖ And it returns with abundant giving and reward ❖ Hold fast to it, for the folk ⁶² are by its states ❖ And they advised it, O companion, in secret and in public ❖ How many has it rescued from the deep sea of sin, violent ❖ And cast them onto the shore of repentance and piety ❖ And how many a distant one has it brought near by a divine attraction ⁶³ ❖ So the clear victory ⁶⁴ from piety whispered to him ❖ And how many a seeker ⁶⁵ has it granted a guide ❖ Wise, knowledgeable of affliction and what heals ❖ So he cast upon him a Yemeni robe ⁶⁶ ❖ Embroidered with blessing, victory, and triumph ❖ So receive your portion and be courteous after rectifying your intention ❖ With the courtesy of a slave toward the free Master ❖ And there is no difference in its rulings between a wayfarer ⁶⁷ ❖ A spiritual trainer ⁶⁸ and one attracted ⁶⁹, whether living or in the grave ❖ And the ascetic and the worshiper—all are favored ❖ But the sun is not like the moon ❖ And visiting the Messenger of Allah is the best of visits ❖ And they are degrees in station and rank ❖ And Ahmad ⁷⁰ is the best of the worlds and the best of whom ❖ The seekers repair to in hardship and ease ❖ And his community are his companions, the noble, the best of them ❖ And the most excellent of the Prophet's companions is Abu Bakr ⁷¹ ❖ And follows him Faruq ⁷², Abu Hafs ⁷³, the one pleased with ❖ According to the view of the Ahl al-Sunna ⁷⁴, the brilliant stars ❖ And they said, stopping ⁷⁵ regarding the lion ⁷⁶, the brother of highness ❖ Ali ⁷⁷ and Uthman the martyr ⁷⁸, Abu Amr ⁷⁹ ❖ And they said, according to the order of the caliphate is their merit ❖ And my poem has been completed concerning the visited and the false ⁸⁰ Upon Allah's prophets and His messengers And their seal ⁸¹, the purest peace for all time And his close ones ⁸² and the noble companions and those who follow Them in piety, goodness, patience, and gratitude My God, how intense is my longing to meet You, and how great is my hope for Your reward, and You are the Generous One with whom the hope of the hopeful is not disappointed, nor the longing of the longing ones is in vain. My God, if my term has drawn near and my deed has not brought me close to You, then I have made sin the means of my excuses. My God, if You forgive me, then who is more deserving of that than I? And if You punish, then who is more just than You there? My God, I have wronged myself in looking after it, and Your gaze remains upon it—woe to it if You do not make it happy. My God, You have never ceased to be kind to me during my life, so do not cut off Your kindness from me after my death. I have hoped in Him who took care of me in my life with His goodness, that He may intercede for me at my death with His forgiveness. My God, how can I despair of Your good regard after my death, when You have only dealt with me beautifully in my life? My God, if You ask me about my sins, then I ask You about Your pardon; if You ask me about my offenses, then I ask You about Your forbearance; if You ask me about my evil deeds, then I ask You about Your goodness; if You ask me about my negligence and deficiency, then I ask You about Your perfection. So bestow upon me, O my Master, Your mercy, and grant me Your kindness and forgiveness, for the slave is Your slave, and the dominion is Yours, and there is no god but You, and there is no refuge nor escape from You except to You. ⁸³ O Allah, make our evil deeds the evil deeds of those whom You love, and do not make our good deeds the good deeds of those whom You hate, for goodness does not benefit with Your hatred, and evil does not harm with Your love. O Allah, honor us with obedience, grant us repentance, and do not punish us with deprivation after giving, nor with ingratitude for blessings and deprivation of contentment, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, O He who clothed the hearts of the elite among His servants with the garments of divine knowledge ⁸⁴, and singled them out among His servants with the special characteristics of excellence, so that their consciences became filled with the gifts of intimacy, and the mirrors of their hearts were polished with the light of the Holy ⁸⁵, thus they were prepared to receive the holy effusions ⁸⁶ and became ready for the arrival of the higher lights ⁸⁷. They took as companions the fragrant breaths of remembrance ⁸⁸, and set up guards of piety over the outward and inward. They deemed insignificant the benefits and pleasures of this world, and rejected the snares of amusement and its consequences. Their necks stretched toward high stations, and their eyes gazed toward the higher world. Their bodies are earthly, but their hearts are heavenly. Their selves travel in the stations of service, and their spirits fly in the space of proximity. I ask You, O Allah, by their rank with You and by their honor before You, to bless our master Muhammad, the best of messengers You sent, and the most excellent of prophets You commissioned, and to make me among Your servants who delight in service in the darkness ⁸⁹, and take pleasure in their flattery through whispered prayers ⁹⁰, and find solace in blessings ⁹¹ instead of desires, and exchange the sweetness of recitation ⁹² for pleasures. So the glad tidings of ecstasy ⁹³ shone on the pages of their faces, and the bloom of divine knowledge grew on the hidden secrets of those who possess it. They continue in every age standing for truth, calling the creation, so by their good following they were granted the rank of calling, and they were made a model for the pious. Their traces never cease to appear in creation, and their lights shine in the horizons. Whoever follows them is guided, and whoever denies them goes astray and transgresses. So make me, O Allah, among those who follow their traces, are guided by their guidance, cling to their coattails, and hold fast to their most trustworthy handhold. And do not deprive us, O Allah, of the path of their lofty station and their sanctuary, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of the heavenly spirits and the companion of the divine presence ⁹⁴. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of the Jibra'ilian ⁹⁵ spirits and the secret of the 'Izra'ilian ⁹⁶ power. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of the Israfilian ⁹⁷ spirits and the supply of the Mika'ilian ⁹⁸ breath. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of the luminous spirits and the gathering of the lordly realities ⁹⁹.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of prophetic spirits ¹⁰⁰ and the outpouring of divine gifts ¹⁰¹. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of spiritual souls ¹⁰² and the delight of cosmic creations ¹⁰³. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of noble spirits and the result of subtle meanings. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of yearning spirits and the pearl of sublime assemblies. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of passing spirits and the lofty tree of glory. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of pure spirits and the kohl ¹⁰⁴ of wakeful eyes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of clean spirits and the source of divine sciences ¹⁰⁵. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of blessed spirits and the fruit of beneficial wisdoms. (29) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of fearing spirits and the Kaaba ¹⁰⁶ of circumambulating forms. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of humble spirits and the comprehensive word of truth. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of obedient spirits and the branch of the ripening tree. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of beloved spirits and the breath of bestowed generosity. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of throne-like spirits and the sultan of the Ahmadine kingdom ¹⁰⁷. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the people of lofty stations, and his companions, those of pleasing states, with a blessing that opens for us the Meccan openings ¹⁰⁸ and distinguishes us with the subtleties of Your hidden secrets, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of kingdom-like gifts ¹⁰⁹ and the imam of the people of secret and speciality. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of merciful generosities ¹¹⁰ and the imam of those with mightly secrets ¹¹¹. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of divine supports and the imam of the people of the holy presence. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of widespread miracles and the imam of those with high aspirations. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of prophethood and sainthood ¹¹² and the imam of the people of virtue and care. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of modesty and faith and the imam of the people of certainty and gnosis ¹¹³. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of overflow and gift and the imam of the people of loyalty 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 essence of honor and lordship and the imam of the people of devotion and worship. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of humility and repentance and the imam of the people of eloquence and nobility. (30) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of goodness and righteousness and the imam of the people of success and triumph. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of generosity and giving and the imam of the people of guidance and right direction. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of subtleties and meanings and the imam of the people of nearness and closeness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of virtues and excellences and the imam of the people of processions and assemblies. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of glories and legacies and the imam of the people of thrones and pulpits. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of openings and gifts and the imam of those with lordly states and attractions. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of blessings and growth and the imam of those who take refuge in Allah and belong to Him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of truth and loyalty and the imam of the people of love and purity. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of gnoses and realities and the imam of the people of allusions and subtle meanings.

the noble miracles and wonders, and the Imam of the people of earth and the heavens. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, with a blessing that enables us thereby to perform righteous deeds, raises us thereby in Your sight to the highest ranks, and conveys us thereby to the utmost limits of Your pleasure in life and after death. Amen, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, O He who honored the people of the night with prayer and intimate supplication, gifted them with glad tidings, peace, and greetings, praised them for their closeness, certainty, and steadfastness, and rewarded them for their patience with contentment and good pleasure, houris and boys, chambers and palaces, elevation of ranks, giving of the book in the right hand, calling by the name of the righteous, entering the abode of the Lord of the worlds, means and intercessions, and the preponderance of scales with good deeds. I ask You, O Allah, by the sanctity of our master Muhammad, the bridegroom of the divine presences ¹¹⁴, the lamp of illuminated hearts, that You honor us (31) with what You honored them with: the lifting of the veil, give us to drink what You gave them to drink of sweet drink, comfort us with what You comforted them with of gifts and delightful discourse, and make us among those to whom gifts are presented and angels enter upon them from every door, and grant us, O Allah, a portion of what You granted them in this world of striving, so that we may attain in the Hereafter the grace of witnessing. O He who honored His saints with the subtle favors of His generosity in both abodes, and sent forth to them from among themselves a Messenger as an intercessor, so make, O Allah, his praise for us an accepted intercessor, his love for us an exalted station, and his presence for us an impenetrable fortress, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Generous of the generous, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the Imam of the station of union ¹¹⁵, the essence of noble qualities, the gatherer of diverse traits, whom You clothed in the robe of majesty and beauty, crowned with the crown of might and perfection, and granted a station by which he surpassed the prophets in manifestation and distinction, and informed him of his victory over his enemy and the elevation of his word and law, by Your saying: "Indeed, We have given you a clear conquest, that Allah may forgive you your sins, past and future, and complete His favor upon you and guide you on a straight path, and that Allah may support you with a mighty victory." [Qur'an 48:1-3] O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bringer of glad tidings and warner, the illuminating lamp, whom You sent with gentleness and ease, and made easy for him what was difficult, and comforted him with Your saying: "And if they deny you, then messengers before you have been denied, who came with clear proofs and scriptures and the illuminating Book." [Qur'an 3:184] O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the most noble Prophet, the infallible refuge, whom You extolled and magnified greatly, and thereby increased him in honor and exaltation, and said concerning him, out of kindness and honor to his noble community: "And if, when they wronged themselves, they had come to you and asked forgiveness of Allah and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Accepting of repentance and Merciful." [Qur'an 4:64] (32) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the locus of benefit and the Imam of the people of felicity, who strove in sincerity and worship until he attained the highest station and more, so that his intellect encompassed the highest assembly, and his virtue was known in existence, and You called him by the most beautiful names, honoring and preferring him, by Your saying: "O you who wraps himself [in clothing], arise [to pray] the night, except for a little, half of it or subtract from it a little, or add to it, and recite the Qur'an with measured recitation." [Qur'an 73:1-4] O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the Messenger of mercy, the bringer of glad tidings, and the interpreter of the tongue of Your unseen, whom You commanded to warn people and caution them, and You said, and Your word is truth: "O you who covers himself [with a garment], arise and warn, and your Lord magnify, and your garments purify, and uncleanliness avoid, and do not confer favor to acquire more, and for your Lord be patient." [Qur'an 74:1-7] O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the Greatest Spirit ¹¹⁶, the Most Noble Beloved, the Infallible Refuge, the choicest of Adam's children, the master of those who came later or earlier, whom Allah sent as a guide to Him, made known to creation the path to Him, returned them to His noble door, and set them on the straight path, so he guided them to Allah by his words and deeds, and awakened their souls to the contemplation of his perfection and beauty: "Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His servant that he may be a warner to the worlds, He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and who has not taken a son and has not had a partner in dominion, and created all things and determined them with [precise] determination." [Qur'an 25:1-2] "O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of glad tidings and a warner, and as one who invites to Allah by His permission and as an illuminating lamp. And give good tidings to the believers that they will have from Allah great bounty." [Qur'an 33:45-47] (33) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the junction of the two seas ¹¹⁷, the spring of life of the two abodes, the prime matter of the substances of bodies, the inscription of the meanings of the sciences of the tablets, before whom the ushers of the highest carpet ¹¹⁸ fell prostrate when they saw the beauty of his countenance, and the angel of the highest secret ¹¹⁹ was thunderstruck when the breezes of his fragrance blew upon him, and the voices of the cherubim ¹²⁰ became hushed at the sight of his lights and the majesty of his awe, and his herald called out in the regions of ipseity ¹²¹, so their entities hastened to his service. He is the borne subject of divine revelations ¹²², the stage of intimate discourse and theophanies of beneficence, the sultan of the processions of the Gabrielic presence ¹²³, the blower with his Israfilian power ¹²⁴ into the forms of spiritual souls, the Michaelic of effusion and supply ¹²⁵, the Azraelic of contraction ¹²⁶, who draws by his resolve the stages of intellects to the presence of the One, the Unique. The enwrapped, the covered in the garments of contentment, the abrogator by his tolerant law of the law of those who passed before, the First, the Last, the Inward, the Outward, the straight path of Allah, the clear way of His religion, upon whom was revealed in the Wise Book: "That is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty." [Qur'an 57:21] O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the eye of the essences of named things ¹²⁷, the locus of the jewels of revelations, the comprehensive manifestation of the meanings of names and attributes, the presence of blessings, the source of generosity, through whom the gardens of existence bloom with the light of his splendor, the veil of protection exudes the fragrance of his breath, the worlds of the secret prepare for meeting him and yearn for his vision, the servants of the veils and pavilions walk before him and boast of his companionship (34), the inhabitants of the surrounding spheres ¹²⁸ gain his blessing and circumambulate his Ka'ba, and the bearers of the Throne marvel at

He raised him and his lofty station, and every noble station and great witness serves him, blessing the places of his feet and wiping over his dust. ﴿Ta Ha. We have not sent down the Qur'an upon 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 Merciful, [who] established Himself above the Throne.﴾ ﴿Ya Sin. By the wise Qur'an, indeed you are from among the messengers, on a straight path.﴾ He is the possessor of the highest station and the most beautiful word, whom the Majestic Lord took on a night journey during the dark, long night, showing him every splendid station and glorious witness, adorning him with every beautiful attribute, and bestowing upon him every abundant grace. There was no treasure in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth ¹²⁹ except that He disclosed it to him, no virtue except that He gifted it to him, and no subtle wonder of power except that He made him witness it and brought him to it. ﴿By the star when it descends, your companion has not strayed, nor has he erred, nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed, taught to him by one intense in strength.﴾ ﴿Exalted is He who took His servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.﴾ ﴿Exalted is Allah. Excellent is the Protector, and excellent is the Helper.﴾ Exalted is He to whom belongs creation, command, and governance. Exalted is He who magnified the standing of this noble Prophet, granting him the means ¹³⁰, the virtue, the lofty rank, and elevating him in the degrees of honor and precedence. Exalted is He who took His crowned bride ¹³¹ on a night journey and seated him upon the platform of veneration, glorification, and honor. Exalted is He who singled him out for His vision, chose him, raised him, selected him, and took him on a night journey to a place that no one else has reached, while the caller calls out: "This is the Messenger of Allah, this is the Beloved of Allah." (35) Exalted is He who raised his mention in the highest assembly ¹³² and proclaimed his worth, girded him with the sword of His might, supported him with His victory, and said to him on the Night of Ascension: "O you who have seen Me, bear witness for Me." He said: "O Lord, by what shall I bear witness for You?" He said: "Bear witness for Me that whoever comes to Me with the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that you are My servant and Messenger, I will forgive him every sin, secret and open." Exalted is He who took His servant on a night journey with the Trustworthy Spirit ¹³³ accompanying him, while the brides of the houris ¹³⁴ in the sanctuaries of holiness seek him in marriage. Exalted is He who took His servant on a night journey to the presence of secrets, while the lights of divine manifestation veil him from the vicissitudes of others. Exalted is He who took His servant by night to the highest stations, and the heralds of divine care give him glad tidings of the most sublime perfections. Exalted is He who took His servant on a night journey to the carpet of "two bow-lengths" ¹³⁵, and the herald of lordship says to him: "Advance, O Ta Ha and Ya Sin." Exalted is He who took His servant on a night journey to the station of might and care, while the caller calls out: "This is the Messenger of Truth, the caller to the path of guidance." So, O Allah, bless him and his family, as long as You have established His mosques upon piety and magnified His praises in the highest assembly, and grant him abundant peace forever. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey while noble qualities stretch out to him and yearn. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the lands of goodness are exalted and honored by him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the people of the stations take precedence and become known through him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the hearts of the noble ones soften and are compassionate through him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the bodies of the eminent ones are purified and cleansed through him. (36) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the aspirations of the lovers unite through him for Allah and harmonize. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the masters of the knowers ¹³⁶ flatter before him and act gently. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the light of victory shines upon his forehead. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the sea of generosity flows from his right hand. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the speech of Allah supports him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the guide of truth directs him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the breeze of love delivers his messages. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the pioneer of closeness mentions his noble qualities. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the herald of the unseen walks before him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the tongue of the Law spreads his banners. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the sword of truth executes his judgments. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the ranks of the near ones ¹³⁷ greet his station. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the assemblies of remembrance take pride in him and prevail. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the lovers compete in praising him and say. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the flashes of his signs dazzle the intellects. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the extraordinary miracles silence the masters. (37) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the traces of polytheism are erased by his blessings and vanish. May Allah bless him and his family with a blessing by which the ignorant among us may learn, by which attainment may be made easy for us, and which may be a treasure for us with You on the Day of arrival and descent, 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, who returned from his night journey, while the ranks of high stations bow their heads to him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the subtle meanings guide their souls to him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey, while the delicate structures spread their scrolls before him.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey ¹³⁸, and the sciences of realities ¹³⁹ unveiled their suns to him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the gifts of generosity ¹⁴⁰ offered him their cups. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the brides of the divine presences ¹⁴¹ tore their veils for him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the mounts of the lovers ¹⁴² fastened their saddles towards him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the benefits of remembrances ¹⁴³ manifested their lights to him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the fragrant breezes of secrets ¹⁴⁴ opened their flowers for him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the springs of sciences ¹⁴⁵ flowed their rivers for him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the secrets of understandings ¹⁴⁶ poured their seas upon him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the invisible callers of the secret ¹⁴⁷ recounted their news to him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the forms of the lovers ¹⁴⁸ cast off their veils for him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the tongues of the rememberers ¹⁴⁹ adorned their remembrances with him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the spirits of the passionate lovers ¹⁵⁰ refreshed their thoughts with him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the melodies of the praisers ¹⁵¹ moved their strings with him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the nightingales of the enraptured ones ¹⁵² sipped their wine with him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the hearts of the believers increased in love and faith through his return. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the states of the bewildered ones ¹⁵³ cried out to him secretly and openly. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the masters of spiritual states ¹⁵⁴ increased in longing and ecstasy through him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the regions of the earth were filled with justice and beneficence through him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his Night Journey, and the chiefs of the angels ¹⁵⁵ gained grace and good pleasure from him. So I say: Ahmad ¹⁵⁶ is the best of those who trod the earth; there is none like him in the worlds. The treasure of gifts and virtues is his essence; who is like Ahmad, encompassing all beauties? When he ascended, he surpassed the prophets and messengers, and who can reach the station of Taha ¹⁵⁷? O my beloved, accompany Gabriel in the air, then ascend, for he is the giver of abundance. He surpassed the first and the last in his ascension when the messages called him to union. The unveiling of the bride ¹⁵⁸ was a display above the heavens, and through him the last and the first were illuminated. At the distance of two bow-lengths ¹⁵⁹ he stood, addressing, and from this Ahmad-like one, the speech is fitting. He made his words straight, and he is the means; how can we have means like the beloved? The beloved returned from the Beloved honored, carrying the sea of the secrets of the hidden. He came to inform his people of the unseen, and he has proofs of those unseen things. How noble is he, Ahmad and Muhammad; the pebbles spoke to him with greetings. He is the seal of the noble messengers, their imam; he has ranks above all, magnificent. Allah singled him out with every virtue; from one like him comes grace, and he is the most gracious. May Allah, whose majesty is exalted, bless him and his family and companions who are perfect. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who was taken on the Night Journey and saw his Lord with the eye of sight, and returned having filled every eye with his essence. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who was taken on the Night Journey and saw his Lord with a vision of verification, and returned with his proofs shining with the lights of guidance and success. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who was taken on the Night Journey and saw his Lord with the eyes of his head, and returned, and Allah illuminated him in the presence of His holiness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who was taken on the Night Journey and saw his Lord with the eye of his thought, and returned, perfuming the worlds with the fragrance of his diffusion. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who was taken on the Night Journey and saw his Lord with the eye of his sight, and returned, and the inhabitants of the highest assembly boast of witnessing him and gazing upon him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who was taken on the Night Journey and saw his Lord with the eye of his inner sight, and returned, and the rising lights emanate from the niche of his innermost being. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who was taken on the Night Journey and saw his Lord with the eye of his heart, and returned, and Allah honored him with His closeness and proximity.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who was taken by night ¹⁶⁰ and saw his Lord without modality ¹⁶¹ or location, and returned having lost the sense of loneliness and separation. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who was taken by night while Gabriel held his stirrup, and returned while Michael clung to his side. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who was taken by night while Israfil ¹⁶² clung to his garments, and returned while Azrael ¹⁶³ wiped himself with his dust. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who was taken by night while the Spirit ¹⁶⁴ delighted in his discourse, and returned while the Cherubim ¹⁶⁵ and the Bearers of the Throne ¹⁶⁶ entered under his tent-ropes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who was taken by night while clouds of mercies descended in his blessings, and returned while fragrant breezes of good things blew from the scent of his breaths. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who was taken by night while spiritual souls hastened to obey him, and returned while the mounts of petitioners alighted at his court. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who was taken by night while processions of prophets sought shade under the shadow of his care, and returned while the hands of the elect were raised to Allah seeking his intercession. May Allah bless him and his family with a blessing befitting the station of his majesty and the perfection of his lordship. May Allah bless him and his family with a blessing commensurate with the loftiness of his glories and the honor of his felicity. May Allah bless him and his family with a blessing befitting You from You to him, as is his due, and grant him abundant and exalted peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O best of those whose court seekers of bounty approach * Striving, atop the backs of worn-out she-camels, And who is the greatest sign for the thoughtful * And who is the supreme grace for the one who profits, You traveled by night from one sanctuary to another ¹⁶⁷ * As the full moon travels in the darkness of the night, And you spent the night ascending until you attained a station * Of two bow-lengths ¹⁶⁸, unattained and unaimed for, And all the prophets gave you precedence therein * And the messengers, as a served one precedes servants, And you pierced the seven heavens ¹⁶⁹ with them * In a procession in which you were the standard-bearer, Until, when you left no distance for any competitor * In nearness, nor any ascent for any climber, You lowered every station in comparison * And were addressed with elevation like a proper noun, So that you might win a union, how concealed * From eyes, and a secret, how hidden! Thus you surpassed every glory without sharing * And you surpassed every station without crowding, And great is the measure of what you were given of ranks * And mighty is the attainment of what you were given of blessings. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey with joy and congratulations, and came back having attained the goal and the wishes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey and his light illuminated the space, and came back having achieved for his community the desire and contentment. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, who returned from his night journey with what He loves and is pleased with, and He is not pleased that any of his community should enter the blazing fire. May Allah bless him and his family with a blessing by which we are fortified from the depth of misery and evil decree, and by which we become those whose star shines in the sky of high stations and illuminates, and grant him abundant, abundant peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the star of generosity and munificence, the ultimate of hopes and the goal of intentions, who, when he was in the throes of death, asked Gabriel about his community and their state after him. So Gabriel ascended and returned, and the Lord, Exalted, said: "He sends you greetings and says: Whoever disobeys Me all his life then repents an hour before his death, I forgive him. And whoever cannot move his tongue in repentance, but his eyes shed tears and his heart regrets, I forgive him for what he did, and I do not care. And I am the Most Generous in bestowing and giving." May Allah bless him and his family, the manifestations of opening ¹⁷⁰ and the rising stars of felicity, and his pious Companions, the treasures of the secret and the watering-places of arrival, with a blessing that fills the valleys and the hills, and through which the one who blesses attains the utmost of wishes and intentions, and grant him abundant peace forever. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, I ask You, O my Lord, by the sanctity of this noble Prophet and his great standing and magnificent rank, and by what transpired between You and him on the Night of the Ascension ¹⁷¹ of conversation and speech, that You draw my spirit to the presence of Your holiness, and delight the eye of my heart on the carpet of Your intimacy. For You created hearts and made them houses of Your remembrance, manifestations of Your lights, and loci of Your secrets. And Your greatness has filled everything, and You said on the tongue of the choicest of Your prophets, as an honor to Your friends and a glorification of Your elect: "My earth and My heavens do not contain Me, but the heart of My believing servant contains Me." ¹⁷² So fill, O Allah, my heart with Your greatness and Your might, and make it a niche ¹⁷³ for the lamp of Your light, and a place for the descents of Your secret. And cause the streams of my tongue to flow with the springs of Your remembrance and gratitude. And admit me with an entrance of truth and bring me out with an exit of truth, with Your support and victory. And make the supply of our spirits from the gifts of Your beneficence and kindness. And adorn our bodies with the robes of the subtleties of Your protection and covering. And make me, O Allah, among those whom You have chosen with the lights of attraction, and brought near with the secrets of love. And be my hearing with which I hear, my sight with which I see, my hand with which I strike, and my foot with which I walk. And make me, O Allah, among those who, when they ask You, You give them; when they call You, You answer them; when they cry to You, You succor them; when they seek Your help, You help them; when they seek refuge in You, You protect them; when they rely on You, You suffice them; when they take shelter in Your side, You guard them. And I have taken shelter in Your sanctuary, observed by the secret of Your care; Your cave, preserved by the preservation of Your guardianship; Your guide, supported by the light of Your guidance; Your sultan, girded with the sword of Your protection; the chief of the carpet of Your presence; the imam of the people of Your party and friendship; Your intimate friend brought near to You; Your beloved, noble in Your sight; Your greatest veil ¹⁷⁴, standing before You, whom You took by night and who trailed the train of glories, and that was not by day, because the night is the intimacy of lovers, the meadows of worshippers, the delight of those who have attained, the coolness of the eyes of the yearning, and the pleasure of the diligent. By it the stations of the prophets are elevated, and by it the tastes of the friends and the elect are purified. For the night is clearer for attainment, and the moon does not rise except by night. And he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is the moon of moons, the light of lights, the full moon of full moons, and from his radiant light every light shines. By him the world of the ancients shone.

and the others, and by him the faces of the hearts of the believers shone, and their faces will shine on the Day of Judgment, and by him the hearts of the people of faith were illuminated, and they deserved from You forgiveness and good pleasure. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the tongue of eloquence and brilliance, the most eloquent whose knowledge dazzled the masters of composition and brilliance, he whom the angels greeted on the Night of the Ascension ¹⁷⁵, welcoming him with joy and glad tidings, saying: "Peace be upon you, O First; peace be upon you, O Outward; peace be upon you, O Inward; peace be upon you, O Inward." He said: "O Gabriel, what is the meaning of this greeting?" Gabriel, peace be upon him, replied: "You are the first in prophethood, the last in mission, outward through the Law, and inward through intercession." So bless him, O Allah, and his family and his Companions, the guardians of the religion and the imams of the Sunnah and the community ¹⁷⁶, with a blessing by which You honor us with the honor of steadfastness and obedience, and adorn us with the sash of asceticism and contentment, and cause us to die upon his Muhammadan Sunnah, and grant us love for him and following him, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. (44) ❖ We boast by the rank of the Chosen One ¹⁷⁷; every community ❖ has a rank and multiplied glory over them ❖ For among them there is none like the Messenger we have ❖ a Messenger elevated upon the Throne and the Footstool ¹⁷⁸ ❖ So go around, you will not find the like of Muhammad ❖ nor his equal among the prophets is known ❖ No messenger has attained what Ahmad attained ❖ so count whom you will, Ahmad is the most noble ❖ Jesus, Moses, the Friend ¹⁷⁹, Adam ❖ Noah, and Idris ¹⁸⁰ were honored through him ❖ So you, O Messenger of Allah, surpass every intimate ❖ no messenger is but behind you ❖ Glory to Him who gave you might over all creatures ❖ in your world and the Hereafter, it is multiplied ❖ You will intercede for all creatures before Him ❖ who will bestow upon you through intercession ❖ There, He will give you what you have done ❖ and please you with us when we fear ❖ That is Allah's promise in Surah al-Duha ¹⁸¹ ❖ and His promise of attaining good pleasure is not broken My master, O Messenger of Allah, you are the one whose Lord wrote upon the crown of your honor: "Glory to Him who took His servant by night" ¹⁸², and presented you to the eyes of the inhabitants of the heavens to show them what He clothed you with from the robe of the perfection of your glory. The forehead of the beauty of your mission shone when He adorned it with His might: "He sent down upon His servant the Book" ¹⁸³. The lights were placed in the highest dominion on the night of the manifestation of your most luminous bride over all the beloved, so the pupils of the beings of light were dazzled by the radiance of your splendor, and the eyes of the angels were overwhelmed by the pearls of the light of your countenance. It was said to the inhabitants of the highest expanse, from the most holy sanctity: "Kindle from the light of the sent one a luminous lamp, for you are under the protection of the Imam of the prophets, the chosen one of the elect, the messenger to all mankind as a bearer of good tidings and a warner." The heavenly sun was veiled by the appearance of your earthly sun, the stars hid in shame from the rising of your piercing star, the meteors were extinguished by the brilliance of your lamp from which the lights of sciences and gifts are kindled. The monks of the monasteries of the noble sanctity withdrew to behold the beauty of a companion who does not speak from desire, and to boast of a vision of one whose knowledge is taught by the Mighty in strength. It was said to you: "O master of the two worlds, O pupil of the eye of the two weighty ones ¹⁸⁴, you are the first letter written in the register of the prophets, and you are the greatest line drawn in the proclamation of those messengers in virtue, and the most precious form of a number in a tablet, but Allah bears witness to what He has sent down to you; He sent it down with His knowledge, and the angels bear witness, and sufficient is Allah as a witness." Your bride was presented in the place of the highest horizon, and from her adornment: "He saw of the signs of his Lord the greatest" ¹⁸⁵. A crown was fashioned for the parting of the forehead of existence from your honor, never made for anyone of the people of the highest station. All the prophets could not attain the glory of the night when He took His servant on a journey, nor did they find a breath from the breaths of the garden of "two bow-lengths or nearer" ¹⁸⁶. Nor was it said to any of them: "Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings." Nor did the breezes of the carpet of "He revealed to His servant what He revealed" ¹⁸⁷ blow upon the spirituality of their souls. All fell back behind the veil of "or nearer", and the possessor of "he drew near and came down" ¹⁸⁸ advanced. The brides of the worlds were unveiled to him in the robes of "He saw of the signs of his Lord the greatest", but he did not turn to them with the eye of occupation; rather, he observed the etiquette of "Do not extend your eyes" ¹⁸⁹ and looked at them with the eye of disregard. "This is the holy valley, so where is Moses? This is the Holy Spirit, so where is Jesus? This is cool and drink, so where is Job?" How many intellects have traveled in the fields of the unseen, and how many thoughts have flown from their nests of states to visit the Beloved, seeking a breath from the breaths of what was specially given to him of this highest honor, and hoping for a sip from the sips of this sweeter Kawthar ¹⁹⁰ spring. But they found no way to what they sought, nor saw any guide to what they longed for. So the tongues of their knowledges called out with the tongue of their confession: "O Seal of the Messengers, you are the spirit of the body of existents, you are the eye of the life of the two abodes, and the leader of the spirits of creatures. For you were strung the amulets of revelation, generosity, and wisdom. Upon the nostrils of your spirit blew the breezes of the kindness of the Eternal. For you destiny tied the banner of 'And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied' ¹⁹¹. With the fragrance of praise upon you, the highest dominion was perfumed. From the light of your sciences, the lamp of the most glorious Law shone. The prophets stood in rows behind you to complete your majesty in the witness of their testimony to your precedence over them. The herald of destiny called out to them: 'O possessors of thoughts of happiness, O masters of the proof over creation, this is the moon of highness, this is the sun of brilliance, this is the pearl of the crown of the prophets, this is the source of the supply of the saints. Look with the pupils of insight at his beauty, and remove the veils of sight from his light, you will find that the flash of his lightning almost takes away the sight, and the light of his splendor shames the light of suns and moons. The unique pearl of the necklace of the mission, the brocade of the beauty of the robe of revelation and majesty.' They stood on the foot of fairness and said with the tongue of confession: 'There is none of us but has a known station' ¹⁹². So you were the one specially honored with the elevation of the rank and addressed with the most noble address. The Truth adorned with you the world of dominion and the kingdom, and illuminated with you the sanctuaries of holiness and omnipotence. He honored you with the vision of His Essence, and concealed your spiritual world in the attributes of His perfections. He said to you: 'Here you are and your Lord, so ask what you will. Our door is open to you, and with Us is more.' Say and you will be heard, for you are the beloved, the loved one, the hidden treasure in the consciences of the unseen. You have possessed the keys of My will, and I have placed in your hand the outward aspects of My happiness. So now, from Me to you, as you wish, for between Me and you there is no veil nor screen. Grant to whom you will, for no doorkeeper or gatekeeper will prevent you. You are the locus of Our love, the keeper of Our covenant, the marshal of Our carpet, the manifestation of Our care, the Imam of Our presence, the object of Our gaze, the guide of Our love, the tongue of Our proof, the most honored of those whose praise is Our remembrance and whose nobility is Our praise, and upon the doors of whose generosity is written: 'This is Our gift.' So I ask You, O my Master, by the right of what You have specially given him of high rank and station, and by the secret of what You adorned him with on the Night of the Ascension of the jewels of revelation and trust, to illuminate my insight with the light of opening and inspiration, to crown me among the lovers with the crown of might and honor, to single me out among Your intimate saints with the most noble station and highest rank, and to join me with Your chosen beloved ones whom You drew to Your presence and gave to drink from the wine of Your love the most delicious nectar and the sweetest aged wine, so that their longing distracted them from Paradise and its joy, and their yearning made them restless for the enjoyment of this world and its adornment. Their aspiration is in their sought object, their rest is in the remembrance of their Beloved. Their eyes...

They stroll in His dominion (mulk), and their inner insights (baṣāʾir) roam in His kingdom (malakūt), and their innermost secrets (sarāʾir) circle around the sanctuary of His omnipotence (jabarūt). They desire none but Him, are content with none but Him, seek from none but Him, hear only from Him, yearn only for Him, and rely only on Him. If they remember Him, they wail; if they thank Him, they divulge; if they find Him, they cry out; if they behold Him, they find rest; if they roam in the presence of His nearness, they wander (sāḥū). So their witnessing of Him is without veil, their union with Him is without cessation, their intoxication with Him is without sobriety. The remembrance of their sorrows has accompanied their hearts with the delight of His first address on the day of "Am I not your Lord?" (Alastu bi-Rabbikum), so that has become latent within the folds of their innermost secrets and the meanings of their forms. When they hear a reminder, a chanter, a caller, a divulger, or a wailer, that latent secret within them yearns, reminding them of that first covenant. At times they groan, and at times (48) they long. When ecstasy (al-wajd) overcomes them with its overwhelming surges, and they drink from the sources of His will, among them are those struck by the sudden assaults of awe (al-haybah), so they become still and melt; among them are those for whom the lightning flashes of gentleness (al-luṭf) gleam, so they move and become pure; and among them are those for whom the rising stars of love ascend from the horizons of nearness, so they become intoxicated and absent. When they return from their ecstasy (wajd) to their existence (wujd), the tongue of the state (lisān al-ḥāl) reproaches them concerning those states. It is said to the crier: "Why did you cry?"; to the wailer: "Why did you wail?"; to the divulger: "Why did you divulge?"; to the one who passed beyond: "Why did you pass beyond?"; to the one who was thunderstruck: "Why were you thunderstruck?"; to the one who moved: "Why did you move?"; to the one who yearned: "Why did you yearn?" The crier said: "How should he not cry whose heart is in the grasp of its plunderer, and then he knows not what will be done with him?" The divulger said: "He who is in his joy is not like him who is in his war. As for me, I divulge what I have been granted of the generosity of my Bringer-into-Being (Mūjidī) upon me and my existence. And as for the favor of your Lord, proclaim it!" It was said to him: "So this agitation of yours at the tapping of the tambourine and the blowing of the flute—why?" He said: "By its tapping, I was reminded of His words: 'Then when the Trumpet is blown' (Fa-idhā nuqira fī al-nāqūr); and by its blowing, of His words: 'Then when the Horn is blown' (Fa-idhā nufikha fī al-ṣūr); and by the grace of the driver (al-ḥādī), on the day the caller calls (Yawma yunādī al-munādī)." It was said to him: "So why were you thunderstruck?" He said: "As an indication of attaining the sought and the meeting of the lover with the Beloved." It was said to him: "So why did you tear your garments?" He said: "As an indication of the tearing of the veils, the manifestation of the Beloved, the lifting of the curtains, and the unveiling of the unseen." It was said to him: "So why did you move?" He said: "I heard the caller of the Beloved saying: 'Is there any caller that I may respond?' So I arose, hastening upon my head—and by the right of one whom his Lord calls, he should hasten upon his head! There is no sin in self-induced ecstasy (al-tawājud), if you are truthful, nor in swaying, if you are sincere. Indeed, spiritual audition (al-samāʿ) is the purity of the light of His chosenness; it is hidden and veiled from one whose heart is hard. It is light for one whose heart is expanded with light; it is fire for one whose breast is a coffin of whisperings. It is wine, and its cups are the spirits; they are according to the measure of the cups—they show you the pure from the impure. (49) A driver (ḥādī) reminds you of the ancient covenant; even if the covenant is ancient, the yearning one is not forgetful. So it is no shame if, when he sings to him in joy, he should long, and fear not the people." So, O Allah, realize us with their bestowed realities (ḥaqāʾiqihim al-wahbiyyah), clothe us with the robes of their approved states (aḥwālihim al-marḍiyyah), cause us to stroll in the gardens of their holy secrets (asrārihim al-qudsiyyah), snatch away our intellects with the shining lights of their attractive illuminations (anwārihim al-jadhdhiyyah), give us to drink from the pure, delicious wine of their cups (kūsihim al-rāʾiqah al-shahiyyah), gather us together with them in the circle of the people of the secret and special intimacy (ahl al-sirr wa al-khuṣūṣiyyah), and cause our worlds to disappear in the seas of Your divine love (maḥabbatika al-ilāhiyyah), 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 Muḥammad and upon the family of our master Muḥammad, the pole (quṭb) of the stations of the people of majesty and beauty, the overflowing of the gifts of the people of generosity and bestowal, the imam of the circle of the people of virtue and perfection, the crown of the care of the masters of stations and states, the light of the insight of the people of nearness and union, the bride of the presences of the people of intimacy and boldness, and the secret of the openings of the prophets and messengers. So send blessings, O Allah, upon him and upon his family, the necklaces of pearls, and upon his Companions, who gather the scattered beauties and qualities, a blessing by which You bequeath to us the sources of the special ones among the substitutes (al-abdāl) and bequeath to us thereby the highest rank of the stallions among men, and grant abundant, exalted peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muḥammad and upon the family of our master Muḥammad, the opening (fātiḥah) of the people of remembrances and litanies, the pole of the circle of the people of gnoses and gifts, the delight of the eyes of the people of treasures and subtleties, the Kaʿbah of every visitor and circumambulator, the exemplar of every pious one and gnostic, and the refuge of every terrified and fearful one. So send blessings, O Allah, upon him (50) and upon his family, a blessing by which You deliver us in the places of bewilderment and fears, and grant us success before You in the noblest of witnessing-stations and the loftiest of standing-places, and grant abundant, exalted peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. I raised my banner over the lovers, and all those companions followed me. I traveled in love a journey that no lover in passion has ever traveled absolutely. I struck the path of love with my name, and the pulpits of the lovers called me. For the people, there remained a residue in the glass; I alone drank that residue. A wine from which I am still intoxicated—would that I knew what the cupbearer gave me to drink! I am, in love, the most subtle of people in meaning, and then I love noble character traits. I have never betrayed my Beloved in affection, though a crier calls out against me in the markets. My mark is my character, my thought is my intoxication, even if I melt from what I encounter. And if I make a claim in love, the worlds witness my worthiness. The hearers heard the beauty of my speech, so their necks adorned themselves with my necklaces. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muḥammad and upon the family of our master Muḥammad, to the measure of his lofty station and the splendor of the beauty of his wondrous form. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muḥammad and upon the family of our master Muḥammad, to the measure of the elevation of his degrees and the reward of his good deeds. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muḥammad and upon the family of our master Muḥammad, to the measure of the subtleties of his indication and the intricacies of his expression. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muḥammad and upon the family of our master Muḥammad, to the measure of the witnesses of his signs and the brilliant proofs of his verses. (51) O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muḥammad and upon the family of our master Muḥammad, to the measure of the honor of his sainthood (wilāyah) and the might of his care (ʿināyah). O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muḥammad and upon the family of our master Muḥammad, to the measure of the paths of his guidance and the secrets of his protection. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muḥammad and upon the family of our master Muḥammad, to the measure of the abundance of his lights and the perfection of his states.

his obedience, and the universality of his intercession. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the majesty of his essence and the beauty of his attributes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the treasuries of his affection and the constancy of his love. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the loftiness of his aspiration and the nobility of his lineage. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the benefits of his wisdom and the banquets of his grace. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the lights of his countenance and the radiances of his splendor. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the purity of his essence and the perfection of his infallibility. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the vastness of his garden and the witnessing of his favor. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the gifts of his presence and the bestowals of his regard. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the answer to his call and the swiftness of his victory. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his humility and submission, his standing and his sleeping. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his prostration and bowing, and his love for You and his passion. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his patience, his reward, his opening, and his victory. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his recitation and remembrance, his praise and gratitude. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his rank and high station, and the majesty of his glory and pride. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his prohibition and command, and his vigilance in secret and public. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his pure innermost self and his pleasing states. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his hidden secrets and his pure breaths. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his lofty attributes and his exalted names. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his radiant countenance and his sublime degree. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his pure friendship and his abundant blessings. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his guiding paths and his saved community. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his healing words and his sufficient admonitions. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his fulfilling covenants and his protective supplications. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his sources and his resources, his stations and his witnessed places. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his prayer niches and his mosques, his dwellings and his places of worship. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his rites and his rituals, his ways and his paths. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his mighty signs and his immense gifts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his standing in servitude and his knowledge of the right of Lordship. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his noble virtues and his exalted conduct. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his delicate traits and his chaste qualities. So bless him, O Allah, with a blessing, and upon his family a blessing, that may tear through for us the dense veils of his secrets, and cause us to enter under the shade of his protective and lush coverings, and grant abundant peace forever. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his eagerness for obedience and his urging towards congregational prayer. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his straightening of the rows and his encouragement of fasting and seclusion. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his relief of the distressed and his practice of good deeds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his revival of the landmarks of the laws and his care for preserving trusts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his blocking of pretexts and his warning against calamities. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his supplication at dawn and his persistence in seeking forgiveness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his love for the Helpers and his prohibition of harming the neighbor. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his gentleness with the poor and his being characterized by all virtues. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his secret that permeates the outward and inward, and his perfection from the purest elements and noblest mines. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his praiseworthy qualities and his commendable legacies. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his existing generosities and his witnessed seasons. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of Your love for him and Your abundant care for him.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad to the extent of Your compassion for him and Your good regard for him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of Your beneficence to him and the perfection of Your favor upon him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of Your blessing upon him and the magnification of Your rank with him. ¹⁹³ So, O Allah, bless him and his family with a blessing that honors us through his pleasure and proximity, and makes us among the people of his guardianship and party, and grant abundant and precious 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 to the extent of what he was given of fame and definition. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what he was given of wisdom and disposal. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what he was given of purity and cleansing. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what he was given of station and honor. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what he was given of authority in the kingdom and the dominion. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what he was given of the keys of understandings. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what he was given of the sciences of inspiration. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave of the light of Islam. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave of the gifts of submission. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave of treasures and gifts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave of degrees and ranks. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave of human nobility and perfection of excellence. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave of victory and triumph and the attainment of wishes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave of joy and happiness and the attainment of congratulations. ¹⁹⁴ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave of chivalry and generosity of soul. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave of high aspiration and purity of origin and kind. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave of perfect care and preference over jinn and mankind. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave of undertaking the affairs of religion and preserving the five prayers. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave him of prestige and precedence in the processions of might and the sanctuaries of holiness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave him of magnification and veneration on the carpet of proximity and the pavilions of intimacy. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave him of the sciences of the first and the last. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave him of the character of the prophets and messengers. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave him of the miracles of the saints and the righteous. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave him of glorification and honor over the angels and those brought near. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave him of guidance and uprightness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of what You gave him of the highest stations in the arenas of the Resurrection. So, O Allah, bless him and his family, crowned with the crown of might and honor, and his Companions, described with support and leadership, a blessing that leads us through the paths of safety and security, and clothes us with the best garment and armor of the robes of gnosis and divine gifts, and grant abundant and precious 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 to the extent of the breadth of the earths and the heavens. ¹⁹⁵ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad to the extent of the recitation of those who remember in seclusions and gatherings. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad to the extent of the breadth of the veils and the heavens. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad to the extent of the breezes of good and the fragrant winds of blessings. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad to the extent of the breadth of the tablets of effacement and establishment. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad to the extent of the lights of the meanings of the Names and Attributes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad to the extent of the breadth of the plains and deserts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad to the extent of what Your mercy encompasses of the worlds and all created things. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad to the extent of the breadth of the encompassing bodies and the spheres. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad to the extent of the light of the two luminaries and the darknesses of the nights. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad to the extent of the light of eyes and insights, and the understandings of perception. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad to the extent of the magnification of those who magnify, the declaration of oneness of those who declare oneness, and the glorification of the angels.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the vastness of the Kursi ¹⁹⁶ and the Throne ¹⁹⁷. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of what is between the raised ceiling and the spread carpet. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the width of the Tablet ¹⁹⁸ and the Pen ¹⁹⁹. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the robes of honor and the gifts of generosity. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the mantle of majesty and grandeur. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the manifestations of radiance and light. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the stations of the messengers and prophets. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the ranks of the saints and the chosen ones. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the vision of the masters of unveiling and the ink of those possessed of intellect. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the presences of the angels encircling the Throne and the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ²⁰⁰. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the vastness of the mountains and the expanse. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, to the extent of the places of pardon and contentment. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, to the extent of the manifestations of wisdom and decree. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, to the extent of what has passed in the bygone ages and the end. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, to the extent of his sublime secrets and his lights. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, to the extent of his beneficial functions and his remembrances. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, to the extent of his supplication at dawn and his seeking forgiveness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, to the extent of his longing for what is with his Lord and his waiting. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, to the extent of his prophetic traditions and his reports. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, to the extent of his hidden sciences and his traces. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, to the extent of his holy chains and his effects. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, to the extent of his noble places and his regions. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the delegations to his most exalted station and his visitors. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the elevation of his pure wives, his offspring, and his in-laws. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of his victorious armies for the exaltation of the word of Allah and his supporters. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the sweet basils of the garden of existence and the fragrant breezes of its flowers, and his companions, the guardians of the frontier of Islam and the notables of its inhabitants, a blessing that enters us thereby into his most protective shelter and the enclosure of his veils, and sanctifies thereby our souls in his most exalted carpet and his precious neighborhood, 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, to the extent of the breadth of the Garden of Majesty and Beauty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the ranks of the people of speciality and perfection. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the breadth of the Garden of Proximity and Union. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the gifts of the people of intimacy and boldness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the breadth of the Garden of the Unique Ones and the Substitutes ²⁰¹. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the ascents of the people of excellences and virtues. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the breadth of the Garden of Manifestations and Glad Tidings. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the unveilings of the masters of states and consciences. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the breadth of the Garden of Generosity and Sublime Gifts, and the aspirations of the masters of allusions and bestowed sciences. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the breadth of the Garden of Remembrances and Holy Secrets, and the fragrant breezes of those possessing spiritual and sensory miracles. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the breadth of the Garden of Emanation and Supply, and the desire of the people of success in the path of goodness and rectitude. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the breadth of the Garden of Joy and Delight, and the stations of the people of effacement in the beauty of the Essence and annihilation. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the breadth of the Garden of Expansion and the attainment of wishes, and the ranks of the people of honor through You and wealth. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the breadth of the Garden of Light and Radiance, and the stations of Your special righteous servants. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the breadth of the Garden of Firdaws ²⁰² and the Shelter, and the variation of degrees of the people of piety and righteousness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the breadth of the Garden of Eternity and the Abode of Peace, and the intimate prayer of those who stand at night while people sleep. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the extent of the breadth of the Garden of Eden and the Abode of Majesty, and the vision of the people of proximity in the carpet of intimacy and boldness.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of the breadth of Paradise and the Fire, and of the abundant reward You have prepared for Your righteous saints ²⁰³. (60) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad to the extent of the Garden of Bliss and the gardens of Paradise, and of the gifts of grace and favor You have stored therein for Your beloved. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the noble chiefs ²⁰⁴, and his Companions who supported the religion with hand and tongue, a blessing by which You seal for us with the seals of felicity and faith, and treat us with beautiful pardon and forgiveness, and open for us thereby the doors of contentment and good pleasure, and make us thereby among those whom You have lodged in the abode of permanence ²⁰⁵ out of Your bounty, and saved from the depth of misery and abandonment; and grant abundant peace forever. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, I ask You by the sanctity of this noble Prophet, by whom the gardens of existence shone, and with whose name You embroidered the cloak of protection, that You make me, O Allah, among those who surrender to You, and among those who melt before You. O Allah, You were for us before we were for ourselves, so be for us after our existence, as You were for us before our existence; clothe us in the garments of Your gentleness, let us taste the sweetness of the coolness of Your pardon, admit us, O Allah, into the meadows of delegation ²⁰⁶ and the garden of submission, and delight us therein and thereby with beautiful delight; make our secrets with You, not with its delight and pleasure; gladden us with You, not with its adornment and splendor. O Allah, shine upon us from the light of surrender to You and turning to You that which delights our secrets and perfects our lights. O Allah, You have apportioned for us a portion that You will deliver to us, so deliver it to us with ease, along with safety and well-being from hardship, preserving us thereby from veils and heedlessness, surrounding us thereby with the lights of proximity and union, that we may recognize its favor and be among the thankful, and appreciate its worth and be among the mindful of Your blessings. O Allah, we ask You for gifts of knowledge, certainty, generosity, nobility, courage, asceticism in this world, trust in You, and contentment ²⁰⁷ (61), for that is from the robes of the near ones ²⁰⁸ and the gifts of the lovers; and we seek refuge in You from what contradicts that, for that is from the robes of the far ones ²⁰⁹. And gather for us, O Allah, between the heart's turning to You and its standing before You; attend us with the lights of Your majesty; narrow for us the passages and entrances with the realities of Your proximity and knowledge; for You are powerful over what You will, and worthy of answering. And may Allah bless our master and lord Muhammad and his family and Companions and grant them abundant peace. 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 as many times as eyes have seen and tongues have praised, a blessing that is for us the greatest and strongest of means to You, and the most beloved and pleasing of deeds to You; and grant abundant peace forever. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Allah honored Ahmad ²¹⁰, the best of creation, * And indeed he has a great kingdom with Him. Gathered for him are the banners of every virtue, * So he became a prince over the noble messengers. He split hearts with guidance and care, * Purity, love, and joy. Bless him and increase remembrance of him, * Do not tire of repetition and abundance. Indeed, blessing upon him illuminates its people * In the darkness of the mighty night with light. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad as many times as eyes have seen and tongues have praised, who, when two men quarreled in his presence, and one of them became angry, his face reddened and his jugular veins swelled, he looked at him and said: "I know a word which, if he said it, that would leave him: 'I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan.'" (62) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the delight of the worlds, the lamp of guidance and gnosis ²¹¹, who, when a man from his Companions came to him complaining about Satan, and said: "O Messenger of Allah, Satan has come between me and my prayer and recitation, confusing them for me," he said to him: "That is a devil called Khinzab ²¹²; when you sense him, say: 'I seek refuge in Allah from him,' and spit to your left three times." The man did that, and Allah removed that devil from him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your greatest veil ²¹³, Your beloved, the near, the honored, who used to say in his seeking refuge: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the removal of Your blessing, the change of Your well-being, the suddenness of Your vengeance, and all Your wrath; and I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I know and the evil of what I do not know." 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 minds have roamed in the jewels of his praise and the subtleties of his meaning, the most beautiful of those whose eyes have gazed upon the perfection of his beauty and splendor, who said: "Everything has a foundation; the foundation of the Books is the Qur'an; the foundation of the Qur'an is the Fatiha ²¹⁴; the foundation of the Fatiha is 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' ²¹⁵. So if you are ill or suffering, you must use the foundation, and you will be healed by Allah's permission." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, by whose appearance the worlds were blessed, and those of high aspirations were honored by their connection to him, who said, due to his great station and rank, and the perfection of his honor with You and his might, that 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' was revealed to him, and You made it a treasure and a store for his community; it is the first thing the Pen wrote on the Tablet ²¹⁶; You made it a security for Your creation as long as they recite it; it is the recitation of the inhabitants of the seven heavens; it was first revealed to Adam, then to Abraham, then it was revealed in the Torah; by it Moses, peace be upon him, overcame Pharaoh and his sorcerers, Haman and his soldiers, and Aaron and his followers; then it was raised, then later revealed (63) to Solomon, peace be upon him, and the angels said: 'Today your kingdom is complete, O son of David.' He did not recite it over anything but it submitted to him, and by it he overcame the kings of the earth; then it was raised, then revealed to the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him; he rejoiced at it and the disciples were glad; and it was revealed to him: 'O son of the virgin, do you know which verse I have sent down to you?' He said: 'You know best, O Lord.' I said: 'The verse of security, and it is Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim. So recite it often in your sitting, standing, lying down, coming, going, and ascending.' He said to You: 'O Lord, is this for me alone?' I said to him: 'For you and for those who follow you; and after you, for Ahmad and his community.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the light of insight for every intelligent and pure one, the best of those whose gift is the subtleties of sciences and from whom the springs of wisdom flow.

In it, when 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' ²¹⁷ was revealed to him in Surah al-Naml ²¹⁸, the clouds moved to the east, the winds calmed, the seas surged, the animals pricked up their ears, the devils were pelted from the sky, and the Lord of Might swore that His name would not be invoked over anything without blessing it. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pole ²¹⁹ of the degree of lordship, the crown of its glory, the manifestation of divine graces, and the tongue of gratitude for them, who said: "Whoever lifts a book from the ground containing 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim,' Allah will raise his name in 'Illiyin ²²⁰, lighten the punishment of his parents even if they were polytheists, and no book containing 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' falls in any spot of the earth without Allah sending someone to lift it, and the first lifting of it (and Allah will admit him to Paradise)." Among its virtues is that Jesus, peace be upon him, passed by a grave and saw the angels of punishment tormenting its occupant. When he returned from his passing, he saw the angels of mercy upon that same grave with trays of light. He marveled at that, and Allah revealed: "O Jesus, the occupant of the grave was a sinner and was confined in punishment. He had left a pregnant wife, who gave birth to a male child, raised him until he grew up, and sent him to the school. The teacher taught him 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim,' and the child said, 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.' So I was ashamed to punish his father in the belly of the earth while his child mentions My name on its surface." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of honor chosen from purified loins, the lamp of messengers and prophets, and the imam of the righteous and pious, while Gabriel, peace be upon him, was sitting with him when he heard a voice from heaven and raised his head, saying: "This is a door from the doors of heaven opened for us today, from which no angel has descended before." He said: "This is an angel who has descended to the earth, never descending before today." The angel greeted and said: "Rejoice, O Muhammad, with two lights given to you that no prophet before you was given: the Opening of the Book ²²¹ and the conclusion of Surah al-Baqarah ²²²." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of clear proofs and miracles, the rising place of suns of beauties and shining lights, who said: "The Fatihah ²²¹ is a cure for every disease, poison, and every evil except death, and Allah does not give the reciter of the Torah and the Gospel the same reward as He gives the reciter of the Fatihah." So may Allah bless him and his family, the gardens of the flowers of the Fatihah, and his Companions of high aspirations and sound intellects, a blessing by which He grants us success in praiseworthy striving and righteous deeds, and makes us among those who store up pleasing actions and profitable trades, and grant him abundant 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 light of understandings and the lamp of darkness, who said: "Whoever sends one blessing upon me, Allah commands his two guardian angels not to record any sin for him for three days." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sea of sciences, the strung necklace of the pearls of prophethood, who said: "Whoever from my community sends three blessings upon me, Allah forgives him if he is standing before he sits, and if he is sitting before he stands." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the imam of the Sunnah, the overflowing of gifts and favors, who said: "Whoever sends a thousand blessings upon me every day will not die until he sees his seat in Paradise." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the delight of religion and the world, the possessor of the lofty station and the high degree, who said: "Indeed, the one among you who will be most elevated on the Day of Resurrection from its terrors is the one who sent the most blessings upon me in the abode of the world." 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 made a protection and shield for his community, and through whom You guard hearts from the whisperings of humans and jinn, who said: "The one among you who sends the most blessings upon me will have the most degrees in Paradise." 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, the trees, the birds, and the plants, and there is nothing that does not send blessings 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 to whom creatures flee for protection and seek shade under his mighty shelter and highness, about whom Abu Bakr al-Siddiq said: "Sending blessings upon him extinguishes sins more than water extinguishes fire, and greeting him is better than freeing slaves, and invoking blessing upon him is better than striking with the sword in the path of Allah." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those who restrain straying souls with his admonitions, and the most excellent of those whose message is attested by the verses of revelation, among the virtues of sending blessings upon him is what is narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that he said: "While he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was walking in the courtyards of the Resurrection, he met a man who was being taken to the Fire with the angels of punishment. He said to them, 'Bring him back with me to the Scale.' The angels had been commanded to obey him, so they brought him back. When he came to the Scale, he took out from his waist-wrapper, which was of green silk brocade, a slip on which something was written, and placed it with his good deeds. His good deeds outweighed his evil deeds, and he was taken to Paradise. On the slip was one blessing he had sent upon the Prophet." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the treasure of the guarded secret of revelation, the best of those who moved through pure loins and wombs, among the virtues of sending blessings upon him is what is narrated: "Adam, peace be upon him, had a station in the vastness of the Throne, wearing two green garments, like a tall palm tree, watching who among his children would be taken to Paradise and who would be taken to Hell. While he was thus, he saw a man from the community of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, being taken to Hell. He called out, 'O Muhammad!' He replied, 'At your service, O father of mankind.' He said, 'This is a man from your community being taken to Hell.' So he tightened his waist-wrapper and hurried after the angels, saying, 'O Lord, my Lord, stop them!' They said, 'We are the stern and severe ones; we do not disobey Allah in what He commands us, and we do what we are commanded.' Then he faced the Throne, grasping his beard, and said, 'O Lord, did You not promise me that You would not disgrace me in my community?' Then a call came from the direction of the Throne: 'Obey Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and bring him back to the Scale.' So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took out a slip from his waist-wrapper with 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' written on it, and placed it in the Scale, and his good deeds outweighed his evil deeds, and he was admitted to Paradise."

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) takes from his waist-wrapper a white slip like a fingertip and throws it into the pan of the scale, saying, "In the name of Allah." Then the good deeds outweigh the evil deeds, and his grandfather Sa'd calls out, "His scales are heavy; take him to Paradise." The servant says, "O Lord, stop them so I may speak to this noble servant of his Lord." He says, "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, how beautiful is your face and how beautiful is your form! Who are you? My tears have distressed me, and my weeping has moved me." He replies, "I am your Prophet Muhammad, and this is your prayer upon me that you used to send; I have fulfilled it, and you are in greatest need of it." O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved of majesty, and the supported sovereign of Your kingdom. Among the virtues of sending blessings upon him is what is narrated from Sufyan al-Thawri, who said: While I was performing Hajj, a man entered upon me who did not lift a foot or put down another without saying, "O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad." I said to him, "Do you say this with knowledge?" He said, "Yes." I said, "Your blessing upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?" He said: I was performing Hajj with my mother. She asked me to bring her into the House [Ka'ba], so I brought her in. She fell, her belly swelled, and her face turned black. I sat by her, sad, and raised my hand toward heaven, saying, "O Lord, is this what is done to one who enters Your House?" Then a cloud rose from the direction of Tihama, and there was a man in white garments. He entered the House, passed his hand over her face, and it became white; over her belly, and the swelling subsided. Then he left, and I clung to his garment, saying, "Who are you, may Allah have mercy on you, who has relieved me?" He said, "I am your Prophet Muhammad." I said, "O Messenger of Allah, advise me." He said, "Do not lift a foot or put down another without saying, 'O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.'" 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 hearts are reassured by their faithful covenants and pledges, and the fearful seek refuge in his secure station and sanctuary. Among the virtues of sending blessings upon him is what is also narrated from Sufyan al-Thawri, who said: While I was circumambulating the House, I saw a young man clinging to the curtains of the Ka'ba, saying, "O Allah, bless our master Muhammad and the family of Muhammad," and he repeated it often. I heard nothing from him but blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) until I finished the circumambulation. I said to him, "O young man, today I have not ceased circumambulating, and I heard nothing from you but blessings upon Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Tell me your story." He said: Were you not among the greatest scholars of the ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), I would not have told you. But since it is a virtue Allah has specially granted me, I will inform you. I went out with my father for Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah. While we were at one of the way stations, my father fell ill and died. He was radiant and luminous, but soon his face turned black, his eyes became blue, and his head became like a donkey's head. I remained stunned, bewildered, and amazed, thinking about his condition and saying, "How can I shroud and bury him in this state?" Then sleep overcame me, and I saw a young man enter through the door of the house—neither tall nor short, with a thick beard, straight hair, a clear forehead, black eyes, thin lips, white garments, and a pleasant fragrance. He sat at my father's head, uncovered his face, and passed his right hand over his face and eyes. Allah removed the blackness and blueness, and he returned to his former state. Then the young man stood to leave through the door, and I struck him with my hand, saying, "Who are you, may Allah have mercy on you? Allah has bestowed favor upon me and my father through you today." He said, "O young man, do you not know me?" I said, "No." He said, "I am the master of the children of Adam, without pride; I am Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah. Know, O young man, that your father had a secret between him and Allah, for which he deserved immediate punishment in this world and torment in the Hereafter. However, this father of yours never ceased, in his standing and sitting, eating and drinking, night and day, from sending blessings upon me. When the angels of punishment descended upon him and your father became as he was, the angels entrusted with my grave hastened and said, 'O Muhammad, so-and-so, son of so-and-so, who never ceased sending blessings upon you, has been visited by the angels of punishment; perhaps you can intercede for him with your Lord.' So I sought intercession, and my Lord accepted my intercession for him by His grace and generosity." O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the ornament of months and years, and the best of those who possess perfect virtues and excellences. Among the virtues of sending blessings upon him is what is narrated from one of the righteous: I had set for myself a fixed number of blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) every night when I went to bed. One night, I completed the number, and then sleep overcame me. I was living in a room, and suddenly the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered through the door of the room, illuminating it with light. Then he approached me and said, "Give me this mouth that frequently sends blessings upon me, so that I may kiss it." I felt shy to kiss him on the mouth, so I turned my face away, and he kissed my cheek. I woke up immediately, startled, and my wife beside me also woke up. The room was filled with the fragrance of musk from his scent.

May Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the fragrance of musk remained from his direction (qiblatihi) for about eight days. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, pure in deeds and words, pleasing in conduct and states; he from whose virtues of sending blessings upon him is what was narrated from al-Shibli, who said: There was a pious young man who lived near me; he died, and I saw him in a dream. I said to him, "What did you encounter?" He said, "I encountered terrors; when the angels questioned me, my tongue was silenced. I said to myself, 'Was I not a Muslim who loves Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and send blessings upon him?' While I was bewildered, a handsome man with pure garments and a pleasant fragrance sat before me and said, 'Do not fear, and teach me my proof.' I said to him, 'Who are you, may Allah have mercy on you?' He said, 'I am an angel created from your blessings upon Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and I have been commanded not to leave you until I deliver you from every terror among the terrors.'" So bless him, O Allah, and his family, who are the best of companions and the most noble of families, with a blessing (71) that envelops us in the lights of Majesty and Beauty, and clothes us with Your pleasure in the garments of splendor and perfection, and gives us to drink in this world and the Hereafter from the pure, sweet, delightful wine of Your everlasting draught, by Your bounty and generosity, O Most Generous of the generous, 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 established the rules of the Sacred Law and clarified its judgments, who possessed the glories of lordship and led its reins; he who said: "Whoever performs a complete ablution on Friday, and washes, and goes early, and arrives early, and draws near, and listens, and remains silent, will have for every step he takes the reward of a year of fasting and standing in prayer." 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 recited Your Mighty Book and beautified it, and the most excellent of those whose blessed land and homeland were made beloved in hearts; he about whom al-Shadhili, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I saw him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in a dream, and I said to him, "O Messenger of Allah, I have given you the reward of my blessings upon you and the reward of such-and-such of my deeds," intending thereby your words to the questioner who said to you, "Shall I make all my blessings for you?" and you said to him, "Then your worry will be removed and your sin forgiven." He, peace be upon him, said: "Yes, that is what I intended, but keep for yourself the reward of such-and-such." 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 chose for His Presence and selected, and made worthy of complete lordship and approved; he about whom al-Shadhili said: I saw him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in a dream, and he said to me: "If you have a need and desire its fulfillment, then present a charity before it, for it will be fulfilled, if Allah wills." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the model of the righteous who remember, and the basil of the elite who yearn; he about whom al-Shadhili, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I saw him in a dream, and he kissed my mouth and said: "Welcome this mouth (72) that blesses me a thousand times at night and a thousand times by day." Then he said, "And how excellent," ﴿Indeed, We have granted you al-Kawthar﴾, and it was my litany (wird) at night. Then he said to me: "Let your supplication be: 'O Allah, relieve our offspring and overlook our stumbles; O Allah, forgive our slips,' and send blessings upon me, and say, 'Peace be upon the messengers, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.'" So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the perfect nobles, and his Companions, the learned who act, with a blessing that enters us thereby among Your righteous servants, and unfurls over us thereby the banner of the Muhammadan among the elite of the lovers and the great of the praisers, 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 means of every forbearing one and his refuge, and the best of those to whom creatures flee for protection and seek shelter in his sanctuary; he from whose abundant blessings arises love for him and longing for him, magnifying him, honoring him, drawing him near, and kissing his mouth. 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 honored of those to whom yearning souls long to see his landmarks and his abode; he who, for those who send abundant blessings upon him, rewards them with lofty prizes and exquisite gifts, and on the Day of Resurrection, they will be in his secure sanctuary and gathered under his banner. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bridegroom of the Resurrection and the best of those adorned with the jewelry of guidance and uprightness; he for whom, for those who send abundant blessings upon him, Allah gives a dome in Paradise whose width is a journey of three hundred years, surrounded by gifts of bounty and honor. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whose rank and glories are magnified, and whose qualities and virtues are ennobled above all beings; he about whom it is narrated from some of the Companions that he said: (73) There is no gathering in which blessings are sent upon him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, except that a pleasant fragrance emanates from it until it reaches the clouds of the sky, and the angels say, "This is the fragrance of a gathering in which blessings were sent upon Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace," because the sending of blessings upon him has a fragrance that surpasses all perfumes, which the angels know and prefer over all other perfumes, as an honor from Allah and a magnification of him, along with the rest of the honors specially bestowed upon him in this world and the Hereafter. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the lofty in station, and the descendant of the noble chiefs; he for whom, for those who send abundant blessings upon him, Allah regards him with the eye of His kindness and pours upon him the abundance of His immense gifts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the Kaaba of Islam, and the imam of the eminent scholars; he for whom, for those who send abundant blessings upon him throughout the nights and days, a light shines for him on the Bridge (al-Sirat) for a distance of five hundred years. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the embroidery of the garment of the people of glory and exaltation, and the pole of the circle of the people of contentment and magnification; whoever sends abundant blessings and peace upon him, Allah forgives him and turns to him with His noble Face. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the rescuer of the captive, and the mercy for the far and the near; he for whom, for those who send abundant blessings upon him in every place, the wrath of the Most Merciful is extinguished from him, and the plot of Satan is weakened.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the remover of worry and distress, and the sign of the people of speciality and proximity ²²³, he who, by increasing blessings upon him with a pure soul and heart, his sins are erased and every grief, worry, and distress is relieved from him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the lofty of aspiration, the fragrance of the garments and the breath, he who, by increasing blessings upon him from the community, Allah pardons him with His forgiveness and looks upon him with the eye of mercy. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those through whom the distressed seeks intercession in his hardship and ease, and the greatest of those through whom the defeated seeks victory, thus he is delivered from the calamities of his time; he who, by increasing blessings upon him, is safe from the plot of the plotter, the trick of the trickster, and his treachery. 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 the delegations draw, and whom the imams follow in his sayings and actions; he who, by increasing blessings upon him in all his states, Allah averts from him seventy types of affliction in his body, his religion, his family, and his wealth. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the fortress of security and safety, the spring of goodness, bounty, and generosity; he who, if one sends blessings upon him a thousand times, Allah removes from him the punishment of the grave, the terror of the Sirat ²²⁴, and the severity of the Resurrection. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the house of honor and pride, the dear one of family and neighbors; he who, if one sends blessings upon him once during the day, Allah writes for him immunity from hypocrisy and immunity from the Fire. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the ultimate goal and aspiration, the mercy for dependents and supplicants; he who, if one sends blessings upon him a thousand times perfectly, Allah establishes him with the firm word and teaches him his proof at the time of questioning ²²⁵. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of dazzling signs and hidden and manifest miracles; he who, if one sends blessings upon him a hundred complete times, Allah fulfills for him a hundred needs from the needs of this world and the Hereafter. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the spirit of the body and sustenance, the perfect of attributes and descriptions; he who, if one sends blessings upon him a thousand times before death, Allah gives him a thousand palaces in Paradise of pearl and ruby. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the imam of the imams, the scholars, the most merciful of the merciful, and the most fortunate of the fortunate; he who said: Whoever sends blessings upon him a hundred times in number, Allah will give him dwelling on the Day of Resurrection with the martyrs. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the lamp of darkness and the light of understandings; he who, if one sends blessings upon him a thousand times completely, then he will see his Lord, Mighty and Majestic, in a dream. Section: O Allah, upon him and upon his family, the noble secrets ²²⁶, and his Companions, the stars of emulation and the guides of Islam, a blessing by which You purify our hidden impurities from the accidents of doubts and illusions, and by which You repel from us the calamities of time and the onslaught of nights and days, 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 locus of eloquence and clarity, the sun of guidance and gnosis; he who, if one sends blessings upon him a thousand times and gifts it to his pure spirit, his shoulder will jostle his shoulder at the gate of the Garden of Pleasure ²²⁷. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the eye of eyes, the comfort of hearts and bodies; he who, if one sends blessings upon him five hundred times and gifts it to his own pure self, he will never be poor, and Allah will protect him from the calamities of time and the plots of Satan. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the refuge of holding fast, the beauty of nights and days; he who, if one sends blessings upon him at the sight of the Sacred House ²²⁸, his sins of two hundred years are forgiven. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the best of those who devotedly worshipped in the chambers of intimacy and served, the noblest of those who turned to his Lord and arrived; he who, if one sends blessings upon him at the Yemeni Corner ²²⁹ and the kissing of the Black Stone ²³⁰, he will have reward and recompense equal to the number of those who bowed and prostrated to Allah. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of guidance, dignity, tranquility, strong faith, and the conclusive, firm proof; he who, by increasing blessings and peace upon him upon entering Medina ²³¹, Allah seals for him with the seal of Islam and preserves his intellect and religion. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the great of rank and status, the adornment of speech and remembrance; he who bestows upon those who send blessings upon him gifts of joy and happiness, and removes from them distress, worries, and griefs, and clothes them with the robes of honor, ennoblement, and piety; so they are served with vessels of the sealed nectar of the secret ²³² and a holy breath from the presence of their Lord, the One, the Self-Subsisting. What a blessing completed upon those who frequently send blessings upon the master of the righteous, the adornment of the chosen messengers, and the most noble of those upon whom night has fallen and day has dawned! And what a means that has fulfilled the hopes of the believers and the seekers, the requests of the petitioners and the desirous, a favor that has joined the deficient with the perfect, the negligent with the diligent, a breath that has relieved the worries of the distressed and the despairing, and joined the evildoers with the doers of good, a glad tiding that has expanded the breasts of the lovers and the beloved, and secured the terror of the fearful and the frightened, a mercy that has encompassed the distant and the near, and covered the leaders of the disobedient and the sinners, a generosity that has awakened the thought of the bewildered and the absorbed, and gathered the aspirations of the people of speciality and the affiliated, a felicity that has drawn the souls of the yearning and the lovers, and raised the ranks of the sincere and the knowers, a distinction that has manifested the speciality of the famous and the obscure, and honored the stations of the ascetics and the acting scholars, a tenderness that has revived the deadness of the desolate and the cut-off, and mended the states of the attracted ²³³ and the wayfarers, a gift that has populated the mosques of those who bow and prostrate, and perfumed the gatherings of those who remember and worship, a proof that has broken the backs of the deniers and the rejecters, and scattered the assembly of the haters and the envious, a victory that has relieved the choking of the distressed and the sorrowful.

And it released the bonds of the captives and the perishing, and a glance that delighted the innermost secrets of the repentant and the truthful, and made firm the feet of the firmly rooted and those who have attained union ²³⁴, and an intercession that freed from the Fire the necks of the sinners and the wrongdoers, and exalted the stations of those who extol his worth and those who praise. So drink deeply, O lovers, from its basins, that your hearts may be illuminated with illumination, and you may drink from its sealed nectar ²³⁵ a pure drink and abundant supply. And graze in its meadows, that you may attain thereby a great kingdom, a lofty might, and a weighty station. And present it as a means ²³⁶ before you, with love and longing for this noble Prophet, that your Lord may crown you with the crown of His generosity and clothe you from the garments of His greatest good pleasure with awe and veneration. So bless, O Allah, him and his family with a blessing by which You purify us from the filth of abominations and ambiguities, a thorough purification, and make it for us a means to the path of opening ²³⁷ and facilitation, and lodge us thereby in the abode of Your generosity which You have prepared for the people of Your obedience: a garden and silk, by Your bounty and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Indeed, those who obeyed Allah, their Lord, * have attained what they desired of Paradise ²³⁸. The abode of permanence they inhabit, untouched by * weariness therein, nor harm, nor anything else. Blessed are they, they have succeeded, and the houris ²³⁹ surround them, * and the Throne ²⁴⁰ above them, beneath them couches. O friend, they have prospered, they have found what they sent ahead, * and whatever they were promised by their Lord, they have been grateful. From the scalding water they escaped, and in the gardens they dwell, * from the nectar they are given a cup, yet they are not intoxicated ²⁴¹. Never, and therein for them have been humbled, and they * from their Lord, the fruit comes to them. A family that toiled, and whenever they sought * their souls, they found therein what they had patiently endured. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of noble lineage, the pure stock, the pearl of truth, the chosen one from the loins of the noble and good. It is related from some of the pure masters concerning the virtue of blessing him that he said: "I went out in springtime to the desert and saw the greenery of the earth, its splendor and its blossoms, and that pleased me. So I raised my gaze to the sky and said: 'O Allah, bless Muhammad as many times as these trees. O Allah, bless Muhammad as many times as these birds. O Allah, bless Muhammad as many times as these lights. O Allah, bless Muhammad as many times as the alternation of night and day.' When I rose from my place, I heard a voice saying: 'You have wearied the book of good deeds ²⁴² in the reward of this blessing, and you have deserved...' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You bring me near to the carpet of Your happiness and give me shelter. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You send forth worlds of my longings towards You and captivate me. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You draw me to the station of Your Presence and bring me close. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You make me, with a bewildered heart for You, in motion and stillness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You spread me in the deserts of Your love and fold me up. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You grant me enjoyment with a vision of Your Noble Face that suffices me. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which my hopes in You are fulfilled before my shrouding. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You strengthen my hope in You, my good opinion, and my certainty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You feed me from the tables of Your generosity and give me drink. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You honor my resting place in the abode of Your recompense and give me comfort. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You beautify my qualities before You and praise me. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing that will bear witness for me tomorrow before You and please You. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You guard me with the eye of Your subtle favors and protect me. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You unveil for me the secrets of Your unseen and inform me. ²⁴³ O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You nurse me from the breast of the realities of Your knowledges and enrich me. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You clarify for me the landmarks of Your religion and make them evident, a clear making evident. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You cause me to die upon the path of Your Law and bring me to life. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You repel from me every distraction that distracts me from You and diverts me. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You protect me from every companion who wearies me from doing good and twists me. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You preserve me from every impulse that turns me away from the path of truth and blinds me. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You lift from me every trial that afflicts me in my religion and my world and harms me. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You grant me refuge from every evil deed that nullifies my deeds with You and makes me forget.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You forgive me every slip that drops me from the registers of Your beloved ones and erases me. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You distance between me and every obstacle that makes me forget Your remembrance and causes me to fall ill. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You purify the hidden impurities of my heart from every conjecture and guesswork. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You protect me from every deed that drives me away from Your door and distances me. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You whiten my face on the day of presentation before You and do not disgrace me. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You secure me from Your punishment and Your chastisement and save me. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You forgive me through Your bounty and pardon my sin on the Day of Judgment. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You give me to drink from his Kawthar ²⁴⁴ fountain, flowing and abundant, and quench me. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing by which You make my praises pleasing to him and beautify them in the best way. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, a blessing whose blessings encompass me after my existence and before my formation. May Allah bless him and his family as long as his virtues fill the pages of registers. May Allah bless him and his family as long as Allah has honored his rank above kings and sultans. May Allah bless him and his family as long as lions visit their dens. May Allah bless him and his family as long as a dove coos above the branches of gardens. May Allah bless him and his family as long as the flower of basil perfumes the valleys. May Allah bless him and his family as long as the buds of flowers smile from the lips of branches, and grant abundant and exalted peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, this is Your most noble beloved, and I have stood at his door; this is Your most magnificent messenger, and I have sought refuge in his presence; this is Your most infallible sanctuary, and I have clung to his means; this is Your most upright path, and I have held fast to his stirrup; this is Your greatest veil, and I have knelt in his courtyard; this is the sea of Your generosity, vast and overflowing, and I have sought intercession through his gift and the flood of his waves; this is the most general rain of Your bounty, and I have sought intercession through his intimate conversation and address; this is the full moon of Your perfections, and I have sought intercession through the secret of his prophethood and his Book; this is Your secure sanctuary and Your unbreakable handhold, and I have sought intercession through his family, his companions, and the elite of his companions; this is the best of Your creation and the most merciful to Your servants, and I have entered under his fortified fortress and the might of its ropes. So have mercy on me, O my Lord, and pardon me, and favor me with his vision so that we may rest from the pain of longing and its reproach, and my heart may be healed from the burning pangs of passion and its ailments, and we may be secure through its blessing from the terror of the Day of Resurrection and its reckoning, by Your bounty and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Ask what is for Salma ²⁴⁵ with the fire of separation, forming? Her love in the heart before formation. In her wish I wished for wishes, so my heart is weary, not with Layla ²⁴⁶ does it converse with me. And in domes erected for us, their gifts are a school of beautiful adornment. When she became intoxicated in sweetness, exulting in her splendor, surpassing the gazelle and the lamp. When she blossomed in the branches of her stature, she blossomed with the arts of turning away, annihilating me. She thinks that turning away will console me from her love; far from it, even if the fire of hell were to burn me. Fire is in my liver, and longing unsettles me; nearness unfolds me, and distance folds me. The pillar of my patience has abandoned me in passion, and love has taken hold with the firmest hold. You have not seen my journey for the honor of his quest; the eye suffices me and makes me weep. I set my state to raise oppression, resolved. O companion, halt at the sanctuary and descend at dawn. And above a slope of agate tears, stop to see. And incline towards the athl trees ²⁴⁷ of the ban ²⁴⁸, bending. Then tear out in anguish and depart from the tribe of Kadhimah ²⁴⁹. Muhammad the Chosen, the Elect, whose lights appeared, so every sorrowful one is consoled. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the banner by which the guides are guided and the leaders follow, and the noble scholars vie in visiting him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the place of blessing and security, the manifest of veins and sleeves, the light of truth deposited in the loins of Adam and Adnan ²⁵⁰, and the Prophet upon whom whoever sends blessings out of love and longing for him, You treat him with pardon and forgiveness, and give him what no eye has seen nor ear has heard of houris, spouses, and servant boys. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the beautiful full moons, and his companions, the lions of battle, the brave, a blessing followed by spirit and basil, and followed by forgiveness and pleasure, 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 secret of the revealed revelation and the pole of preferred lordship, who said: "I was given the seven long surahs ²⁵¹ in place of the Torah, and I was given the Mathani ²⁵² in place of the Gospel, and I was given the Tawasin ²⁵³ in place of the Psalms, and I was favored with the Mufassal ²⁵⁴." 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 created with compassion and mercy, by whom You guided Your servants to Your straight path, and caused to flow from his tongue the springs of secret and wisdom, and raised his sun in the sphere of glory and exaltation, and praised him in Your clear Book, saying: "Indeed, there has come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful." ²⁵⁵

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the imam of the guided ones ²⁵⁶ and the close ones ²⁵⁷, and the leader of the white-blazed ones ²⁵⁸, and the best of those whom You have bestowed favor upon Your believing servants, and You manifested that favor by Your saying: "Indeed, Allah conferred a great favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although before that they were in manifest error." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the beloved of Your loving saints ²⁵⁹ and the most honored of Your sent prophets, and the best of those whom You chose from pure wombs and purified loins, and You manifested his honor by Your saying: "And we rely upon the Exalted in Might, the Merciful, Who sees you when you arise and your movement among those who prostrate." 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 fragrance perfumed the universe, and the most perfect of those whose praises creation cannot fathom, and You singled him out for the Praiseworthy Station ²⁶⁰ and the great rank and complete honor, and You made obedience to You obedience to him by Your saying: "Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the imam of the stations of the knowers ²⁶¹, and the delight of the eyes of the beholders, and the eye of Your mercy from which You created all the prophets, and You said concerning him, and You are the most truthful of speakers: "And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds." O community of the Chosen One, these are glad tidings, so listen with the ears of faith. For the prophets were created as guidance from mercy, and Muhammad is the mercy of the Most Merciful. And Muhammad is the chosen prophet before the creation of Adam by a time. And Muhammad is the pole ²⁶² of all worlds and their shining lamp in the realms. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those for whom You placed awe and reverence in hearts, and gave him a lofty station in Paradise and a great kingdom, and honored through him the heavens and earth and illuminated existence, and You manifested that by Your saying: "O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner and one who invites to Allah by His permission and an illuminating lamp." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the most generous of the generous whose generosity encompassed all creatures, and the best guide by whose guidance You guided the community, and the most honored of the honored, You love those who love him and oppose those who oppose him, and You said concerning him: "Say, [O Muhammad], 'If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you.'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of the close ones whom You raised to a lofty station, and the most forbearing of the forbearing whom You made a mercy in this world and an intercessor in the Hereafter, and the most honored prophet whom You sent and commanded all to be hearing and obedient to his command, and You manifested the secret of that by Your saying: "Say, 'O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all.'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bridegroom of the unique presences ²⁶³ and the beacon of the most right guidance, and the lamp of prophethood before whom You sent the messengers to give glad tidings of the appearance of his most auspicious star, and You informed of that in the clear Book by Your saying: "And when Jesus, son of Mary, said, 'O children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad.'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the lamp of the world of existence, and the key to the doors of generosity and bounty, and the most majestic of those whom You praised, him and his companions, for every beautiful deed and praiseworthy attribute, and You said concerning him and them: "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best prophet in whom You deposited Your secret, and the most honored chosen one through whose hand You dispensed Your goodness and kindness, and the most excellent of those who stood in obedience to You and fulfilled Your command, and You manifested his honor and high station by Your saying: "Did We not expand for you your breast? And We removed from you your burden which had weighed upon your back? And We raised high for you your repute." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best messenger whose community You honored over all who preceded, and the most perfect beloved to whom You gave in the station of Your might the highest degree of nearness and pleasure, and You singled him out for the Praiseworthy Station and the Great Intercession on the Day of Judgment and Decision, and You gladdened his noble eye by Your saying: "By the morning brightness and by the night when it covers, your Lord has not taken leave of you, nor has He detested you. And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life]. And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied." O Messenger of Allah, O best of those who have a lofty station behind whom the prophets are veiled, intercede for us, the sinners, and be merciful to us when deeds are reckoned on the Day of Gathering. For it is established in reports that tomorrow you will say, "I am for her [the community] when the Lord is angry." So you will prostrate to the Master and utter praises, calling out, "Raise [your head] and speak, for you are the one brought near." Did not the Most Merciful please you in Surah ad-Duha? Far be it from you to be pleased while among us there is one being punished. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your intimate friend of fragrant scent and breath, and Your saint whose noble qualities transcend limit and measure, and Your beloved whom You called by the most honored names and protected by Your guardianship from all kinds, and You addressed him by Your saying: "O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And Allah will protect you from the people." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of the moon-like face and the wide black-and-white eye, and the best of those whom You singled out for high rank and the banner ²⁶⁴.

the most famous, and more generous than His kingdom are the keys of good deeds and the high stations of the greatest sovereignty, and You supported that with Your saying: "Indeed, We have granted you al-Kawthar ²⁶⁵, so pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]. Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off [from all good]." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the essence of lofty glory and praise, the full moon of radiant brightness and splendor, and the greatest supported one who attained from Your mighty victory the ultimate goal and desire, and You manifested Your care for him in Your saying: "If you do not support him, Allah has already supported him when those who disbelieved expelled him, the second of two when they were in the cave, when he said to his companion, 'Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the best of messengers to whom You granted immense pride, and the most beloved friend to whom You gave high honor and solid glory, and the greatest prophet for whose community You expiated evil deeds and admitted them through his blessing to a noble entrance, and You manifested the perfection of Your favor and the completion of Your blessing upon him with Your saying: "And Allah has revealed to you the Book and wisdom and has taught you that which you did not know, and ever has the favor of Allah upon you been great." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the point of emanation ²⁶⁶ and supply, the imam of the rank of those who have fortune and dominion, and the best of those for whom You combined kingship, prophethood, and eternal glory forever, and You addressed him with the secret of Your Oneness, saying to him, O Muhammad: "Say, 'He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.'" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the best of those whom You seated upon the throne of lordship, so he became joyful and delighted, and You adorned him with the jewels of prophethood and messengership, so he became on the carpet of Your highest might, well-known in knowledge, and You aided him toward Your magnificent presence, and sufficed him the evil of the mockers, and supported him with the results of Your Book, and granted him great status and a supported and victorious kingdom, and taught him from Your presence knowledge by which he understands Your commands and prohibitions, and informed him of what was hidden in the treasuries of Your unseen, concealed, and You distinguished him with the benefits from Your presence and the unique pearls of the dominion, and You made him possess the keys of this world and the Hereafter, and made their honor complete through him and their determination limited to him, and You consoled him with the glad tidings of Your bestowed gifts and the vanguards of Your felicitous grants, so the scroll of Your praiseworthy care came forth, rejoicing in it and as light, inscribed upon it: "Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His servant that he may be to the worlds a warner. He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and who has not taken a son and has not had a partner in dominion and has created each thing and determined it with [precise] determination. But they have taken besides Him gods which create nothing, while they are created, and possess not for themselves any harm or benefit and possess not [power to cause] death or life or resurrection. And those who disbelieve say, 'This is not but a lie he invented, and another people assisted him.' But they have committed an injustice and a falsehood. And they say, 'Legends of the former peoples which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon.' Say, 'It has been sent down by He who knows the secret within the heavens and the earth. Indeed, He is ever Forgiving and Merciful.' And they say, 'What is this messenger that eats food and walks in the markets? Why was there not sent down to him an angel so he would be with him a warner? Or [why is not] a treasure thrown to him, or [why does he not] have a garden from which he eats?' And the wrongdoers say, 'You follow not but a man affected by magic.' Look how they strike for you comparisons; but they have strayed, so they cannot [find] a way. Blessed is He who, if He wills, can assign to you better than that: gardens beneath which rivers flow, and can assign for you palaces." My master, O Messenger of Allah, from the majesty of your rank with Allah and the might of your station before Allah, that when the polytheists reproached you for poverty, eating food, and walking in the markets, and seeking Allah's pleasure in seeking livelihood and obtaining the benefits of provisions, while you knew that the goods of this world perish and what is with Allah remains, so you grieved for that and yearned intensely for what would come to you from the presence of Truth, the trustworthy Gabriel came to console you and congratulate you, and to raise your rank through the secret of revelation and elevate you, and to say to you: "Be patient until Allah judges, and He is the best of judges." Allah pointed to you as your second ²⁶⁷, so he became intoxicated * Plunging into the seas of light with direct immersion * And traces of specification upon every faultfinder * Upon a foot hastening to good, manifest * And the Merciful clothed him with the crown of glories. He gave him to drink from the cup of love from above His Throne * The pure wine of a cup, not the pure wine of a presser ²⁶⁸ * And He established him above the prophets in rank * By which he avoided any comparer or disputer * And He interceded for him for the sinners and increased him * Other specific qualities that cannot be limited by any limiter * On the morning of the banner of praise and al-Kawthar which * Meets the thirsty of arrival with the satiation of sources * To you, O intercessor of sinners, [I offer] praises * Composed that disparage the arrangement of jewels * And may Allah bless you as long as the east wind blows * And as long as thunder moans in the vast rainclouds * A blessing that, when specified, encompasses with its light * The remaining companions and great family. So I ask You, O my Master, by the status of this noble prophet whom You distinguished with the highest station, and spoke to him at the station of "two bow-lengths or nearer" ²⁶⁹, and joined his noble name with Your greatest and most beautiful names, that You bless him and his family with a blessing by which You raise for us in the presence of Your saints an unfurled banner, and make us thereby among Your chosen ones whom You gave to drink from the pure cup of Your love a pure drink, and sent to their hearts from the treasuries of Your mercy guidance and light, and made them enamored with Your remembrance and cut them off from other than You, so everything became, by the existence of Your favor, joyful and delighted. So they observed You in secret and in public, and sincerely performed for You the outward and inward deeds, by guarding the senses, watching the breaths, minimizing mixing with people, being content with what is present, patient over what is absent, fulfilling covenants, performing many bowings and prostrations, acting according to the Sunnah, following the imams, [directing] movements and stillness with intention, adhering to seclusions and congregational prayers, connecting with the needy hungry, agreeing with the devout obedient, sitting with the penitent humble, associating with the submissive saint, visiting the prostrating and bowing one, and that You inspire us, O Allah, to that which their aspiration was directed, and teach us from that which You taught them, and discipline us with that with which You disciplined them, and make us beloved with that with which You made them beloved, and give us to drink from that from which You gave them to drink, and adorn us with that with which You adorned them, and crown us with that with which You crowned them, until we sit with them upon the pulpits of intimacy, in the presence of holiness, and Your call to them encompasses us when You call them with the call of honor, in the abode of permanence: "O My righteous saints, O My beloved near ones, no fear shall be upon you today, nor shall you grieve. Enter Paradise, you and your spouses, delighted." By Your favor and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. I have come to Your door, so accept Your sinful servant * O He who, with kindness and favor from Him, gave me life.

O He who is the ultimate goal ²⁷⁰ for the one who seeks Him, the ugliness of sin has driven me away from the door of Your generosity. Your mercy, Your mercy, O He who is exalted yet drew near, O He who does not forget me despite the distance of my place. O Creator of creation, O He who has no partner, O He who is magnified in dominion and sovereignty. How can I be independent of You, O my request and my hope, O He through whom I am made independent of all creation? My Master, the beauty of my hope in You makes me covetous, even if I persist in my sin and transgression. You have made me know what I did not know, through favors from You that were the foundation of my knowledge ²⁷¹. If there were no divine assistance ²⁷² from You to support me, I would not have known my Islam and my faith. Acceptance is from You, and shortcoming is from me, so pardon me by Your grace for my offense and disobedience. I have spent my life in heedlessness and toil, and what is between my negligence and forgetfulness has been lost. How many obligatory and supererogatory acts have I wasted? How many times have I obeyed the whims of my soul and my Satan? I have not stored up from my life anything that would bring me joy, since my hope in it deceived me and led me astray. My Master, O the best of those hoped for in times of calamity, You know my secrets and my declarations. I have sought intercession through the Chosen One from Mudar ²⁷³, the manifest, the chosen from the lineage of Adnan: Muhammad, the best of all Allah's creation, who surpassed all limits in beauty and beneficence. And Ahmad ²⁷⁴, through whom polytheism was called to account, and who brought miracles that came with clarification. Among them is the gazelle when distress hindered her, she complained to him with the complaint of a sorrowful sinner. And the eye he returned swiftly, so it ran as if it had never left its eyelids. Likewise, the pebbles glorified [Allah] in his hand, and his fingers gave drink to every thirsty one. My Master, O the best of those to whom one flees, and whose intercession is hoped for among humans and jinn. The antidote of Your generosity quenches every sick one, like the sweet spring that quenches every thirsty one. My treasure is my praise of you, O He through whose praises the praises of Ka'b ²⁷⁵ and Hassan ²⁷⁶ are narrated. From me to you be a pure, fragrant salutation, as long as the warblers sing in the branches of trees, and as long as a garden smiles with its flowers, and the morning breeze sways the boughs. Then may Allah be pleased with Abu Bakr, and with 'Umar, and with 'Ali al-Rida ²⁷⁷ after 'Uthman. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the ornament of the name, the unique form and script, and the essence of noble honor, the tribe and clan, and the pearl of truth, abundant in fortune and justice, and the city of knowledge whose sea of gnosis has no shore or bank. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the bride of the angels, carried in the howdah of joy and expansion, the eradicator of polytheism, who conducts his affairs with determination and precision, the lamp of morals, whose love is linked to hearts as reward is linked to condition, and the fortress of might before whose majesty the heads of the great bow down. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, the unique pearl of the necklace, the noble of family and progeny, the spirit of truth and justice, and the house of glory whose side is protected from defects of breach and fall. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing by which You repel from us great calamities and wrath, and make it for us in hardships the most secure weapon and shield and armor, and grant abundant and exalted peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O best of the Merciful's creation, and he whose footsole the seven heavens have trod, and he whose rank is such that beneath him all creation, every exalted one, is lowered. Upon you be from Allah, the Compassionate, eternally a blessing that surpasses count, limit, and measure, encompassing all the family and companions, and those who follow them in the path of truth, however far they go. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the mighty name, the elegant and concise word. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the noble name, the lofty and exalted rank. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the glorified name, the high and honored station. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the majestic name, the abundant and immense gift. 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 beautiful name, the lofty and splendid station. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the pleasant name, the eloquent and fluent tongue. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the high name, the surpassing and unique beauty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the adorned name, the pure essence free from every defect. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the luminous name, the brilliant and clear light. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the pure name, the sweet and fragrant scent. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the preferred name, the mighty revealed Book. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the illuminated name, the perfect and pure religion. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the sublime name, the abundant and growing good. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the praised name, the pious and forgiving heart. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the beloved name, the hidden and sought-after secret.

Of the renowned name, and the fluttering, unfurled banner. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the well-known name, and the honored, protected station. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the spiritual name, and the radiant, luminous face ¹⁰³. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the blessed name, and the pure, guarded treasure. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the exalted name, and the obeyed, heard command. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the noble name, and the clear, straight path. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the pure name, and the radiant, shining forehead. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the glorified name, and the eternal, everlasting honor. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the accepted name, and the supported, victorious army. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the beautiful name, and the sight that removes sorrow. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the goodly remembrance, and the noble, proud lineage. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, whose sleeves and fragrance are sweet, and his Companions, the swords of protection and victory, a blessing that multiplies for us thereby reward, and raises for us thereby rank, and forgives for us thereby sin, and saves us thereby from the trial of life and death and from the torment of the grave, 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 greatest secret, the most luminous support, the most famous standard, crowned with the crown of might and honor, the purest, most purified. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the spirit of spirits, the caller to success, the pole ²⁷⁸ of the circle of the people of goodness and righteousness, the humble, pious, most devout ¹⁰⁴. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the eye of divine care, the station of ultimate end, the inheritor of the secret of prophethood and sainthood, the sapling of the tree of the most flourishing knowledges. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the locus of lordship, the fountain of goodness and increase, the ascension of ascent for possessors of wisdom and benefit, the foremost of their most noble army. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the rising place of the sun of realities, the setting place of meanings and subtle, delicate mysteries, the book of precious and subtle sciences, the one who elevates the masters of states ²⁷⁹ with the fragrant breezes of his secret. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the greatest veil of Allah, the most generous trustee of His unseen, the most perfect full moon of His light, the eraser of the darkness of disbelief with the brilliance of his most radiant star. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the rain of the most comprehensive gift, the sea of overwhelming generosity, the element of the most magnificent glory, the one who perfumes the corners of the malakut ²⁸⁰ with the fragrance of his most fragrant musk. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the seed of creation, the station of determination, the ancient, firmly established might, described with pure traits and the most manifest perfection. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of pleasing states, subtle mysteries and hidden secrets, and divine knowledges and gifts, the one regarded with the eye of care on the carpet of the most luminous might. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sea of surging lights ¹⁰⁵, the crowned sultan of the kingdoms, the embroidered robe of delightful beauty, the possessor of the perfection of attributes and the most dazzling beauty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the point of supply, the treasury of the secret of the awtad ²⁸¹, the eye of the substance of the aqras ²⁸² and afrad ²⁸³, the sultan of the kingdom bearing the banner of the most manifest might. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the interpreter of the tongue of pre-eternity, the treasure of sciences and wisdoms, the guardian of covenants and pledges, the tablet of theophanies, in which the sciences of Adam descended before he was created and appeared. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the robe of lordly might, the source of the jewels of merciful secrets, the key to the secrets of the eternal unseen, adorned with the two ornaments of honor and the most noble lineage. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, possessor of the exalted standing, the string of the arranged pearls of prophethood, the treasurer of the hidden secret of divinity, the one who draws the souls of lovers with the brilliance of his most moon-like face. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pure of action, the purified, the luminous pearl of beauty, the easy path of religion, sent with his universal law to black and red. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the hidden beneath the canopies of Your might and majesty, the manifest through the laws of Your command and prohibition, the abrogator by his tolerant religion of the rule of those who came before and after.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the qibla ²⁸⁴ of the seekers, the Kaaba ²⁸⁵ of those who have attained union, the adornment of the knowers among the saints, singled out for the electing friendship ²⁸⁶ and the most abundant portion. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the imam of the devout, the model of the wayfarers ²⁸⁷, the festival of joy for those who love one another, whose dawn shines in the morning of their radiant day. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the refuge of the fearful, the cave of those who seek shelter, the sanctuary of the terrified, whose intercession is hoped for on the day of presentation, questioning, and the greatest terror. May Allah bless you and your family, O most fragrant garden of beauties, O most abundant flood of gifts, O my master, O Prophet of Allah. May Allah bless you and your family, O possessor of the yellow staff ²⁸⁸ and the green banner ²⁸⁹, O my master, O Messenger of Allah. May Allah bless you and your family with a blessing that encompasses your luminous tomb and the place of your most pure body, O my master, O Beloved of Allah. O Allah, grant him intercession for me, O my Lord, by his rank with You. The Chosen, the Elect, Taha ²⁹⁰, Ahmad ²⁹¹, who in the stations of perfection became firmly established. He soared above the worlds until he witnessed the encompassing secret ²⁹² manifested through his light. That is the most holy, unique beauty, which for hearts of the unseen became clear. The spirit of realities and gnoses, for whom is a crown adorned with radiance and brilliance. He is in the Essence ²⁹³ the ultimate of ends, nay, he is for all finalities the finality and the goal. In his essence, attributes, and gifts, he is the chosen, the contemplated, and the gathered. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whose heart You filled with Your majesty and whose eye with Your beauty, so he became in the garments of joy and delight, strutting proudly. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your servant upon whom You bestowed Your union and made him the support of Your connection, and gave him of sciences and benefits what neither crosses the mind nor can be imagined. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your messenger whom You adorned with the attributes of Your perfection, made him master of the treasuries of Your gifts, and made him a sea overflowing with all kinds of generosity and bounty, gushing forth. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your prophet whom You made a mercy for Your dependents, a treasure for those who ask of You, and extended his hand in Your sovereign kingdom, so he began to dispose therein and command. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your chosen one whom You honored above all Your prophets and messengers, and granted safety from Your disgrace and punishment to whoever sought refuge with him, and made him a cave under which the fearful seek shade from calamities and conceal themselves. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your intimate confidant whose neck You encircled with the lights of guidance, and whose forehead shone with the secrets of divine care, so his smile revealed Your praise and gratitude, and the darkness of disbelief vanished through him and changed. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your saint whom You honored with Your love, seated him on the throne of Your proximity, and handed him the cup of Your sealed drink in the bottles of the gnostic, so he drank until intoxicated and became inebriated. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your friend whose form You created from splendor, made him the first of beginning and the last of ending, and clothed him in the robe of forbearance and generosity, so he wrapped himself in it and wore it as a garment. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, Your guide whom You supported with Your victory, girded with the sword of Your prohibition and command, so he strove in Your path until the thrones of those who transgressed and became arrogant were humbled. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, Your interlocutor ²⁹⁴ whom You gave of sciences, benefits, secrets, signs, and the breaking of norms, that which silenced everyone who recognized or denied. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, Your elect whom You purified in character through virtues and cleansed his lineage from immorality, so You chose from the noblest mines his jewel, and there was found in any age none who preceded or followed. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, Your intercessor who gathered all scattered beauties and ascended to the pinnacle of glory, taking its great worth, and sat on the throne of vicegerency in processions of might, presiding. May Allah bless him and his family as long as hearts are created for love of him, and his merit is magnified before his Lord, so his speech becomes sweet in the mouths of lovers and is repeated, and grant him abundant peace forever. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad as long as the eyes of intellects are bewildered in the lights of his beauty and the perceptions of understandings are perplexed by the attributes of his perfection, which every describer and expounder has shied away from. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad as long as Allah has magnified in the highest assembly his most renowned station, made his most luminous star shine in the sphere of felicity, and adorned him with every attribute whose true reality every explainer and interpreter is incapable of grasping. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad as long as in the gardens of the kingdom the breeze of his most fragrant flower wafts, and in the corners of existences the sea of his greatest secret overflows, filling every associate's hidden depths with the alchemy of his secret and populating them.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad ²⁹⁵ as long as the eyes of lovers gaze upon the perfection of his radiant beauty, and his flourishing branch bears fruit in the gardens of knowledge and action, so that one may ascend through the stages of realities and subtleties ²⁹⁶ and become skilled. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad as long as Allah has raised the house of his glory in honor, and gifted him with the highest graces and beautiful gifts, so that he established his structure upon the foundations of piety and might, and became renowned. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad as long as the inhabitants of the highest expanse ²⁹⁷ boast of his night journey ²⁹⁸, and spread their cheeks for the dust of his sandals and his walking, so that every near one rejoiced at meeting him and was delighted. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad as long as a lover calls upon him in secret and in public, and the hearts of the yearning ones flutter at the sight of his noble landmarks and his grave, and a remembrancer persists in mentioning him and becomes infatuated. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad as long as his speech is delicate and pleasing, and the enamored one longs for his soil and yearns, so that his tears flow down the cheeks and pour forth. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad as long as a poet strings the pearls of his verse, and his noble image is imprinted in his imagination and fancy, so that the style of his praise garments pleases him and he boasts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad as long as the branches of lovers sway with the breeze of his fragrance, and the mouths of praisers delight in the beauties of his description, so that the flowers of his gardens fall in the assemblies of those who remember him and spread. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad as long as an eloquent one excels in praising his Muhammadan ²⁹⁹ qualities, and a skilled orator diversifies in mentioning his Ahmadine ³⁰⁰ virtues, thus refining the jewels of his expressions and opening the sealed meanings and innovating. May Allah bless him and his family as long as a seeker of refuge takes shelter in his impregnable cave, and a fearful one clings to his lofty sanctuary, thus fortifying himself against afflictions and calamities and concealing himself. May Allah bless him and his family as long as a distressed one seeks his aid at the onslaught of events and misfortunes, and a grieved one intercedes through him at the descent of overwhelming calamities and disasters, so that his sorrows are relieved and the army of his worry flees and is broken. May Allah bless him and his family as long as an outcast, assailed by the horses of desires, calls upon him, and a sinner, attacked by the perils of pleasures, seeks his help, so that the hand of divine favors hastens to him, and he prevails over his enemy and triumphs. May Allah bless him and his family as long as an intercessor intercedes through him when his affair becomes straitened, and a drowning one of patience calls upon him, so that Allah saves him from the abysses of ruin, and mends his clay after it had cracked and broken. May Allah bless him and his family with a blessing that has no limit and no end, no term and no cessation, until Allah inherits the earth and those upon it, and He is the best of inheritors, and grant him abundant peace, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. * Through you we seek refuge, O Messenger of Allah, from * everything we fear, so hasten relief. * Help, help, for we are in distress * and we have hoped in you to remove distress. * Cool the heart by fulfilling wishes * for it is, from the excess of its sorrow, in a blaze. * O Messenger of Allah, O succor of mankind * the matter is grave, so hasten the dawn. * Our paths, wherever we travel, all of them * lead to your doors, with no crookedness in them. * O Messenger of Allah, we will never cease * from those doors until souls perish. * Your abundant grace is a vast sea * and we have sailed upon it above the waves. * How can we fear, after the fires of enemies * have been extinguished, by Allah, and the heart rejoices? * May Allah increase you in elevation in the heights * beyond whose lowest are the highest ranks. * And blessings and peace from Him as long as * the fragrant breeze of relief perfumes the horizons. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the axis ³⁰¹ of mosques and pulpits, the substance of the sciences of the people of pens and inkwells, the pupil of the eye of the deserts and settled areas, the title of the hidden and the manifest, the master of the first and the last, who revived the dead by his supplication and the moon conversed with him in his cradle. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the delight of scrolls and notebooks, the imam of processions and spectacles, the leader of the caravan of prophets and celebrities, the focus of thoughts and ideas, who revived through his manifest miracles and dazzling signs the traces of those who passed in bygone centuries and disappeared. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pearl of the crown of beauties and glories, the fountain of arrival and departure, the fragrance of branches and origins, the delight of hearts and eyes, whose light appeared in the forehead of Adam and in Seth, Noah, Ishmael, and in Nizar and Mudar ³⁰². O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the moon of darkness, the light of the blackness of the eyes, the lion of battalions and multitudes, the scatterer of the union of armies and troops, who foretold the conquest of Mecca and Caesar ³⁰³. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the guide of the perplexed, the Kaaba ³⁰⁴ of the visitor, the lighthouse of the traveler, the key of hearts and insights, whose form is imprinted in the mirror of every lover and settled. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sea of Your overflowing lights, the moon of Your shining spheres, the pure element of Your sainthood, the mine of Your secrets from which the sciences of the people of the inward and outward have branched, a blessing by which I ascend to the highest glories, and I take it as a provision on the day when no father will avail his son anything, nor will an excuse benefit those who apologize. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the tongue of Your decisive proof, the secret of Your comprehensive words, the clear path of Your law, the bride of Your kingdom with radiant light and surpassing beauty, a blessing by which You protect me from obstacles and hindrances, and bequeath to me from Your gifts the highest treasures and benefits, and whiten my face on the day when hearts tremble and faces are overwhelmed with humiliation and gloom.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the Imam of Your divine presence ³⁰⁵, the lamp of Your gnostic lights ³⁰⁶, the flow of the gifts of Your merciful secrets ³⁰⁷, the embroidery of Your kingdom that prevails over spiritual souls and luminous bodies, with a blessing that saves us through it from every satanic impulse, and protects us through it from the assault of every human desire ³⁰⁸, and makes us through it among those who have devoted themselves to Your obedience and persevered. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the treasuries of Your vast mercy, the path of Your comprehensive law, who delights in Your oneness and the subtle beneficial invocations ³⁰⁹, with a blessing that discharges through it from us every wrong and liability, and establishes us through it at the questioning of Nakir and Munkar ³¹⁰. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the human eye of existence ³¹¹, the cause of every existent, with a blessing through which we seek the rain of the mercy of the Possessor of generosity and bounty, and through which we ask for the ultimate goal and purpose, and take it as a provision for the promised day, so that we do not see what terrifies us when what is in the graves is scattered and people are driven in groups. 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 creation, the lamp of Your horizon, preceding from the light of Your radiance and splendor, praised in Your earth and heaven, with a blessing through which we ask You for kindness in Your decree and destiny, and success in security and contentment on the day of meeting You, and treatment with pardon and forgiveness on the day when no friend avails nor any sin is warded off. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of Your prophets, the elite of Your chosen ones, with a blessing that endures with Your endurance and remains with Your permanence, a blessing that pleases You and pleases him and through which You are pleased with us, O Lord of the worlds. May Allah water the sides of al-'Adhib ³¹² and Hajir ³¹³ with rains of tears sent by my eyes, and a garden by the sides of al-Musalla ³¹⁴ that I knew, its fragrance diffusing the scent of incense burners. And a tribe encamping at al-'Aqiq ³¹⁵, its meadows are shades and lush pastures for nomad and resident. Abodes whose courtyard Allah has honored, so the dust of their soil is kohl for the inner sight ³¹⁶. Abodes that Allah has gifted with glory and elevation, and for their sake all senses are exalted. Why would they not surpass the two bears ³¹⁷ in rank and rise above all shining stars? In them is the Messenger of Allah, the most generous noble, and the best of messengers from the most illustrious of communities. The greatest one whose proofs of glory stand from all creation in all spheres. The chosen one of the Lord of the Throne, the Glorious, by whose sole the tops of pulpits boast. He who unveiled the veils of Majesty to his eye, so he saw what baffled all sight. He whose station eludes the grasp of intellects, even though he travels in manifestations. How can one hope to attain one who is hidden in the sanctity of a dazzling majesty, any dazzling? And though he appears to existence and emerges, his emergence in the assembly is one of the veils. By his right, he never appeared in his essence to the eyes of people, nor to the inner sights. But a flash of his light appeared, and whoever sees his light, how can he incline to a traitor? And this, were it not for Allah's empowerment through him, his manifestation would topple the thrones of the spheres. He is the First ³¹⁸, specially related to the Truth, so the manifestations of the Last ³¹⁹ shone for us from him. He is the Opener ³²⁰, whose banner of perfection is unfurled; he is the Seal ³²¹, encompassing all glories. He is exalted above the layers of glory without dispute, and he occupies the tent of seriousness without arrogance. Sufficient honor, O Seal of the Messengers, in rank, that his praises exhaust all inkpots. The ages have soared through you in glory and sovereignty, and the reach of every Caesar falls short of it. Through you, the Most High has strengthened the waist of its majesty, so it was defended by cutting swords. The rains of gifts were sent, watering the meadows of guidance with the flow of pouring clouds. So the garden of truth blossomed after its dryness, and its sides surpass every blooming flower. Upon you be the most pure blessings of the Merciful, carried by the crests of fragrant winds. O Allah, through blessing upon him, convey me to the stations of Your saints, and give me glad tidings of success and contentment on the day of Your decree. Adorn me with the ornament of Your special beloved ones, and spread over me from the shade of Your security and banner that which admits me to the entrance of Your saints and gathers me among those upon whom You have bestowed favor from Your messengers and prophets. Delight my eyes with dwelling in the abode of Your sanctity, generosity, and bliss. O Loving One ³²², who loves His righteous servants, grant me love from Yourself in Your earth and heaven. Pour upon us, O Allah, and upon our children and loved ones, abundant blessings, and complete upon us Your well-being and perfection. Make us among those whom You have straightened through obedience, so that our outer garment and inner garment ³²³ be Your remembrance and good praise, and our sleep and wakefulness be the glorification of Your essence and the magnification of Your attributes and names. O Most Generous of the generous, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. * Allah is Greatest! This light has appeared. * Allah is Greatest! This unseen is unveiled. * Allah is Greatest! His realities have not left * Allah is Greatest! This is the secret of His presence. * Allah is Greatest! Sanctify His might. * Allah is Greatest! No servant perceives Him. * Allah is Greatest! Say: from me, and no wonder * It has adorned the ear with what the eye has beheld. * From me there, no fault nor trace. * He manifested to me after He was hidden. * He continues for the eye in His mirror the gaze. * Like one whose end is to hear the report. * For the abode is my abode, and the beloved has come. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whose days have ended in amusement and pleasures, and he has not attained any benefit until most of his life has passed or more. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant upon whom the calamities of his soul have assaulted, so he sought help from Allah in its greater struggle ³²⁴ and sought victory. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who slept in the fields of sins and heedlessness, and did not wake until the face of dawn appeared and shone. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whose land has blackened from liabilities, so he brought down the clouds of his Lord's mercies and sought rain. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who heard the admonitions, so his tears flowed from fear, and his skin and hair bristled. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whom the caller of Truth called, so he awoke from his heedlessness while people were drunk in their world on a precipice.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whom guidance has reached his heart, so he returned to his Lord with humility and brokenness, repented from his sin and sought forgiveness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant who watched over Him who knows the treachery of the eyes ³²⁵, so he refrained from violating the sanctities of Allah, lowered his gaze, and was deterred. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant who trusted in his Lord and expelled love of this world from his heart, so he rejoiced in turning to his Lord and was delighted. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant who guarded his breaths ³²⁶ and protected his tongue, and from every blameworthy attribute he washed with the water of fear and purified himself. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant who slaughtered his ego with the knife of repentance and washed his jugular veins with the water of remorse, so the trace of his human follies was effaced and obliterated. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant who was washed with the water of pardon and shrouded in the garments of contentment, so he went to a seat of truth in a garden and a river. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant who buried his deeds in the land of obscurity ³²⁷, so the Witness of Truth ³²⁸ prayed over him and said: 'The sower reaps only what he sows.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant who was disciplined with the manners of servitude and acknowledged the right of Lordship, so he did not say what would blacken his record in coming or going. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whom the agents of destiny ³²⁹ contended with and the calamities of sorrows changed his states, yet he was pleased with what befell him and was patient. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant who ceased managing his own self and entrusted the matter to his Lord, so he obtained kindness in the decree and destiny. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whom You guided to Your door and gave refuge to Your side, so his inner being was purified by Your love and became clear of every impurity. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant to whom You granted the subtleties of Your knowledge, opened the treasures of Your understandings, and unveiled the meanings of the verses and chapters. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whom You taught the benefits of Your names, and You exalted him in Your earth and heaven, so the spirits and forms submitted in awe of his majesty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whom You mentioned in Your Book, qualified for Your address, brought near to You in proximity, and honored with the sweetness of Your intimate conversation in the pre-dawn hours ³³⁰. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whom You made among Your beloved ones, and facilitated for him the path of Your means, so he drew near to You through supererogatory acts until You loved him, and You became his hearing and his sight ³³¹. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whom You made famous in Your regions and made a niche ³³² for the manifestation of Your lights, so the masters of spiritual states ³³³ vied to obtain the treasure of his hidden secret. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whom You attached to Your remembrances and chose from among Your chosen ones, so he was enamored with Your love and made thoughts and reflections disappear in You. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whom You fed from the tables of Your secrets, protected from the calamities of Your sorrows, and watched with the eye of Your care in youth and old age. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whom You adorned with the attributes of Your perfection and filled his heart with the majesty of Your glory, so he became in constant awe, never raising his gaze out of reverence and caution. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whom You moved in Your kingdom and dominion, made him unique in Your mercy and omnipotence, and granted him victory in all matters and success. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whom You chose from among Your servants and made a model for the people of Your knowledge and love, so his fame rose in the universe and became renowned. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whom You addressed with Your speech and through him clarified the landmarks of Your religion and Your rulings, so he called the servants to You and hastened to obey You and preceded. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whose secret You concealed from him to You, and You bestowed upon him what is among the gifts from You, so the secret of special favor shone upon him and became manifest. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessing of a servant whose sea You overflowed with Your bounty and made him a mercy for those who ask You, so no suppliant was ever turned away nor rebuked.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who fulfilled Your covenants and stood by Your limits, never betraying anything You entrusted him with nor being treacherous. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant who relied on You and depended [on You], strove in Your religion and exerted himself, never falling short, nor being negligent, nor failing to do good. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whose nourishment is remembrance ³³⁴ and whose domain is contemplation; he never tasted the flavor of passions and pleasures, so his spirituality strengthened and he became substantial ³³⁵. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant enraptured ³³⁶ who heard mention of his beautiful attributes, so his tears poured down his cheeks like the downpour of rain. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant bewildered ³³⁷ who devoted himself to His pleasure, so he forsook beds and abandoned family. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant infatuated ³³⁸ who drank the wine of his love, so he became absent from the worlds and was obsessed with his remembrance. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant desirous of visiting him; his clans left him behind, so his liver burned with the fire of love and burst. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a deficient servant who hopes for his bounty; far be it that his hope in him should be disappointed, while the sea of his generosity quenches both those who come and those who depart. May Allah bless him and his family as long as the jewel of his beauty appears to existence, so every rational person becomes bewildered and amazed by its beauty. May Allah bless him and his family as long as a praiser embroiders the garment of his glory with precious praises, selecting the choicest of subtle meanings and their finest expressions, and grant him 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, with the blessing of a servant whom Allah singled out with His mercy and alerted to the obedience and service of this noble Prophet, so he praised Him for what He granted him and was grateful. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whom Allah led by the reins of His guidance and made him among the people of His party and His friendship ³³⁹, so his face shone with the glad tidings of good that appeared upon him and blossomed. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whom Allah crowned with the crown of His care and placed in His strong armor and protection, so he sat on the throne of joy and congratulations and shouted. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whom Allah disciplined in his beginning and end and protected from the plots of Satan and his misguidance, so he occupied himself with what concerns him and left everything that leads to harm. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whom Allah delighted with His mark and granted him the subtleties of the secrets of His wisdom, so he reflected on the outcomes of his worldly and otherworldly affairs and looked. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whose heart Allah illuminated with the light of His knowledge and expanded his breast for the establishment and support of the religion, so he revived what had died of the customs of his Ahmadine ³⁴⁰ Sharia and exalted its rulings and proclaimed. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whose innermost being Allah folded upon love for him and made his remembrance his spirit and the sustenance of his constitution, so he persisted in it in his seclusions and gatherings and visited. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whom Allah favored with seeing him and healed his yearning with his vision, so he drank from his pure springs free from any turbidity. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, with the blessing of a servant whose sincerity of intention Allah knew, so He brought him near and drew him close to His presence and raised the banners of his friendship ³³⁹ over every intimate and spread them. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the source of gushing sciences, the comprehensive word of truth, the element of encompassing mercy, and the garden of ripe secret. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sun of rising realities, the star of shining lights, the lightning of gleaming secrets, and the lamp of the niche of humble hearts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the continuous downpour of generosity, the clear path of guidance, the protective amulet of preservation, and the lofty rank of honor. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the healer of frightened hearts, the Kaaba ³⁴¹ of submissive necks, the qibla ³⁴² of supplicating hands, and the dignity of interceding lordship. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the desire of listening ears, the compelling call of truth, the target of falling glances, and the eye of gushing subtleties of gnosis. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the rein of obedient souls, the widespread honor of truth, the outpouring of preventing good deeds, and the ultimate hope of aspiring hearts. May Allah bless him and his family as long as the banners follow his sunna and return to his words and deeds, submit to his rulings and listen, roam and graze in the meadows of his prophetic hadiths, and by him the prayer niches ³⁴³ prostrate and bow in prayer upon him. And grant him 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 sea of spiritual knowledges ³⁴⁴, sciences, realities, and the subject-predicate of the secrets of subtle graces ³⁴⁵ and delicate meanings, to the number of cups, ewers, carpets, and cushions, and every strange source and exquisite meaning. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of the tree of forbearance, whose shade extends over all creatures, and the embroidery of the garment of glory whose height no predecessor or successor has reached, to the number of every silent and speaking, false and true, visitor and night-comer, and western and eastern. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pupil of the eye of the Wests and Easts, and the pearl of the crown of beauties and partings, to the number of rabbis, monks, patriarchs, noble women, miracles, supernatural events, divine inspirations, and radiant lights that shine forth. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the musk of fragrant collars, the surpassing garden of beauties, and the possessor of clear signs and the radiant religion, to the number of trees, flowers, gardens, chambers, palaces, embellished treasures, and delicate fabrics. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sword of the distinguishing Law and the elixir of penetrating inner realities, to the number of every opponent and supporter, Muslim and hypocrite, child and adolescent, companion and associate. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the branch of the lofty tree of glory, and the water of the flowing spring of generosity, to the number of every mortal and lover, heaped and inhaled, indebted and yearning, martyr and driver. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the shining star of light and the gleaming sword of might, to the number of what Allah repels of obstacles and impediments, and saves from perils and calamities, and relieves of hardships and straits. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the truthful Prophet and the beloved friend, to the number of what You have created, O Lord, while You are the Creator, and what You have provided, while You are the Provider, a blessing by which we become among those who fulfill covenants and pledges, and among those who attain the greatest pleasure of Allah, sealed for them with happiness in the precedents, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. Glad tidings to you, O you who seek refuge in the Guide ³⁴⁶ whom His creation elevated above His servants, and He granted him a holy honor, and by him the horizons were blessed. He bestowed upon him the highest station with Him, so it is impossible for creatures to reach him. His body dwells in Medina, but his radiance fills all worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the number of the chapters of the Quran and its verses, its letters, dots, diacritics, and movements, its spoken and understood, its summary and detail, its articulated and unarticulated, its parts, its clear and ambiguous, its abrogating and abrogated, its specific and general, its universals, its commands and prohibitions, its promises and threats, its stories and parables and allusions, and to the number of what He has counted, and the weight of what He has counted, and multiples of multiples of that. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the number of what is in the Quran of the obligatory, prohibited, recommended, disliked, permissible, declarative, interrogative, command, prohibition, supplication, request, question, incitement, oath, denial, and the like, multiplied by itself and multiples of multiples of that. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, to the number of what is in the Quran of nouns, verbs, particles, saturation, sufficiency, possibility, predication, narration, narration, correspondence, disparity, homonymy, similarity, magnification, intimidation, lightening, glad tidings, warning, and the like, multiplied by itself and multiples of multiples of that. May God protect your sanctuary from its calamities, and may your exalted life be long and greeted. If you abandon me, I have no sincere hope except the praise of the beloved whom Allah loves: Muhammad the Chosen, the Elect, our master, the Opener, the Seal, the Guide, whose face is radiant. Without him, the whole world would not exist, nor the heavens and the earth, nor any creation without him. His speech is wondrous, the key to a treasure that heals, containing the meaning of the pearls of authentic hadith. May the Lord of the Throne, our Creator, bless him as long as a caravan travels to him, and his path is pleasant. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sun of manifest prophethood, the garment of pure hearts, the flourishing tree of messengership, the ultimate dazzling truth, the splendid pearl of beauties, the overflowing sea of generosity, the desire of sleepless eyes, the fragrant breeze of gifts, the rain cloud of bounty, the abundant grant of beneficence, the delight of gazing eyes, the joy of radiant faces, the call of the overpowering secret, the sweetness of remembering tongues, the blessing of grateful limbs, the key to flourishing treasuries, the ray of unveiled full moons, the successive honor of grace, the master of the people of this world and the Hereafter, Taha ³⁴⁷, the beloved, the noble, who is the point of the circle, the wine of circulating cups, the guide of perplexed hearts, the ascension of traveling spirits, the passion of flying hearts, the lamp of luminous insights, the bride of the highest station, displayed on the throne of supreme lordship, adorned with the jewels of attributes and the most beautiful names. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, a blessing surpassing in word and meaning, exquisite in composition and structure, a blessing by which You convey us through his noble love and the love of his family to the utmost goal and desire, and grant us thereby the highest degree of honor through him and self-sufficiency, 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 house of honor and pride, the lofty station and rank, the tongue of praise and gratitude, the arrival of opening and remembrance, the title of secret and public, the banner of might and victory, the forelock of time and age, the flash of the sun of creation and command, the hearing of the address of prohibition and command, whom when his Lord yearned to see his moon-like face and converse with his most luminous bride, He sent to him the most noble of His great ones, the chiefs of His chosen ones and beloved, the great ones of His near angels and favorites, and they served him as a father serves his son, and they were more dutiful to him than a mother. While the handsome beloved was sleeping near the Hatim ³⁴⁸, Gabriel the Trustworthy called him: "Arise, O established beloved, to see what the Lord of the worlds has specially granted you, in the presence of designation, apart from all other prophets and messengers. This is the time of attainment, not sleep, and the season of devotion and glorification."

And of honor, the time has become pure. Here is the cup of purity and the robe of election. Then Gabriel received him with various forms of magnification and veneration, including washing and purification, and the expansion of his radiant breast, pouring into it wisdom and faith, knowledge and forbearance, mercy and certainty. Then he sealed his luminous breast with the seal of the most radiant prophethood ³⁴⁹, just as one seals a vessel of musk and ambergris. Like a vessel of musk and ambergris ❖ And pearls, rubies, and jewels Such is the beloved of God, the best of creation ❖ When it was sealed with the most radiant seal And they mounted him on al-Buraq ³⁵⁰, whose dazzling light snatched away sights, so he pierced through the seven heavens, while the full moon of his perfection increased in radiance and brilliance, until his prophetic nobility was perfected on earth and ascended, and he knocked at the heaven. He heard the call: "Extend your hand for generosity. I am the Most High, the Exalted, and I am the Most Beloved. There is none here but you and I, and you are the vessel of the secret of My Presence—what an excellent vessel! Draw near, My beloved, O Muhammad, draw near, O Ahmad ³⁵¹; you are the most praiseworthy to Me. Draw near to the Presence, O best of creation, with an eye that is innocent of looking at other than Us. This is the hand of My gentleness between your palms, so that you may turn over from My sciences with the fullness of your mouth and your palms." So the beloved stretched out with the Beloved, and in such a state he rejoices and delights. Then the Majestic Lord said to the beloved friend: "Here, O Muhammad, are the robes of My adornment; wear them in My Presence before My eye. Here, O Muhammad, are the keys of locks; and here, O Ahmad, are the reins of the treasuries of character. Wrap yourself, O Muhammad, with the sash of My beauty; gird yourself, O Ahmad, with the waist-wrappers of My perfection; put on the turban, O Muhammad, with the bliss of My traits; hold fast, O Ahmad, to the fortresses of My majesty; enter, O Muhammad, under the shades of My banner; seclude yourself, O Ahmad, in the sanctuary of My might and My shelter; ascend the throne of union, the ascent of one who has prevailed with My power and overcome; sit on the seat of joy and happiness, for I am Independent of sitting on thrones. Sit, O you whom majesty has amazed and delighted, and whom beauty has manifested, making him joyful and happy ³⁵². Raise the curtains of its veiled ones and the veil of its embellished brides." Then the tongue of interpretation scattered jewels that belittle beauty, saying: Enjoy, my beloved, in My beauty and My manifestation ❖ And My union and My intimacy in the enclosure of My solitude And take your purest cup, full of purity ❖ From the wine of My attributes, which has intoxicated the spirit of My elite And here is the sash of love, O most noble of creation ❖ Be adorned before My eye with the sash of My love And take the robe of proximity, intimacy, and meeting ❖ By your right, with Me, that is the most noble of My robes Adorn yourself, whenever you wish, with the garments that ❖ Have been exalted and have descended upon you when they manifested With the ornaments of My beauty they have manifested, and from other than ❖ My beloved, from all of creation, they have withdrawn And let your glances roam through all the worlds ❖ To witness what My call guides you to And there is nothing in them to fill the eye and the mind ❖ Except the beauty of My Face in witnessing and seeing Me So no possessor of them is satisfied other than My Essence ❖ And the coloring of the fruits of attributes in My Presence And My greatest grace upon you I have confined ❖ And in you the fruits of My mercy have ripened At your door comes everyone who seeks ❖ A portion, and otherwise they attain not the worth of an atom O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of the tree of the sun and the full moon of generosity, kindness, and growth, and the presence of great virtue, high rank, and protection, and the sea of the secret narrated to the hearts of the thirsty from thirst, and the antidote of healing that cures hearts from the disease of ignorance and blindness, and the fortress of security that saves whoever takes refuge in its mighty pillar and affiliates, and the bride of the kingdoms adorned with the jewels of attributes and names, and the countenance of light ³⁵³ and splendor, and the greatest pearl of beauties. When his prophetic nobility was perfected on earth and ascended, he was given the knocking of the path of heaven to ascend to the pinnacle of the greatest station and to converse with the special secret in the highest station. So the angel came to him from the presence of the King with a glance; when he placed his foot, he placed it in the place of the glance. He came to the Holy House of Jerusalem ³⁵⁴, and his bride manifested in his pure, most holy sanctuary. He led the honored prophets in prayer and prayed, and all of them, due to the precedence of his virtue, prayed behind him. When he left the Aqsa Mosque, he traversed by the Mi'raj ³⁵⁵ a journey beyond count. When he knocked at the heaven, he knocked at the door, and he knew that Gabriel, when he ascended, sought permission from the gatekeeper. As if by seeking permission, he made known the honor of the greatest arrival. It is of the same kind as "Lower your eyes so that Fatima bint Muhammad (peace be upon him) may pass." The angels received the master, the beloved, the pure, the purified, the noble, with gladness, veneration, and welcome. Their minds were bewildered by the perfection of his wondrous virtue. In the first heaven he met his father Adam (peace be upon him), and he continued to pierce the seven heavens until he reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ³⁵⁶. This is the image of the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary: And it has, by its radiance, a great agitation ❖ That bewilders the beholders with flight And my light overshadowed the heaven and paradise ❖ And the beloved, with his light, covers all My rank is not like the rank of one who saw what ❖ He witnessed in the presence of the Judge Here I have stretched out my necks in humility ❖ For the loftiness of his luminous rank ³⁵⁷ Everyone who claims what is not in him ❖ The proofs of testing belie him For the meanings of the names at the manifestation ❖ Correspond with their differing colors And my paleness is from awe and majesty ❖ And my waiting for the meeting with the Merciful Like lovers, I have changed color in longing ❖ For union, vision, and nearness After this, I attained not the least station ❖ Of the beloved Muhammad, the Adnani ³⁵⁸ The resting place of tawhid ³⁵⁹, the target of his radiance ❖ The clarifier of truth, the manifestor of proof The descent of mercies at every moment ❖ The refuge of the fearful on the day of contest And blessings upon him as long as mention is sweet ❖ In gatherings, delighting the ears And this is the likeness of the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary. ³⁶⁰

Your protection does not fear failure, and by Your truth, no disappointment; Your overflowing bounty cannot be counted. Bestow, my Master, bestow! For all of You is goodness, and all of me is evil; so be an intercessor for me on the day when flight avails not. Likewise my fathers, my family, my kin, and all my companions, and those who have loved me. By Your noble family, whose stations of glory are high, and by whom the non-Arabs and Arabs seek aid. Upon You be God's blessings and His peace, and likewise upon them, as long as ranks endure through You. O God, bless and grant peace to our Master and Patron Muhammad and to the family of our Master Muhammad, the best of those whose heart God illuminated with the light of faith and made radiant, and whose tongue He unleashed with the jewels of wisdom and made eloquent. He who, on the night of the Ascension ³⁶¹, a year or a year and a half before the Emigration ³⁶², Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him at night and split open his chest while he was awake, then washed it with Zamzam water ³⁶³, then brought a golden basin filled with wisdom and faith and poured it into his chest, then closed it. O God, bless and grant peace to our Master and Patron Muhammad and to the family of our Master Muhammad, the offspring of noble heavens, the delight of nights and days. He who was brought by Gabriel with the Burāq ³⁶⁴, saddled and bridled—a white beast, larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule, placing its hoof at the farthest extent of its sight—and then he was taken by night, awake in spirit and body, from the Ḥaṭīm ³⁶⁵ of the Kaaba (which is the Ḥijr ³⁶⁶) to the al-Aqṣā Mosque ³⁶⁷, which is the Holy House ³⁶⁸, and he led the prophets in prayer there, among them Abraham, Moses, Jesus, David, and Solomon (peace be upon them). O God, bless and grant peace to our Master and Patron Muhammad and to the family of our Master Muhammad, the most honored who was singled out for lordship and uniqueness, the most beautiful who paraded in the robes of glory and advanced. When he led the noble prophets in prayer, and each of them praised their Lord, the All-Knowing King, he said: "All of you have praised your Lord, and I praise my Lord." (134) Praise be to God who sent me as a mercy to the worlds and as a bearer of good tidings and a warner to all mankind, and revealed to me the Criterion ³⁶⁹ in which is the explanation of everything, and made my community a middle community, and made my community the first and the last, and expanded my breast and removed my burden, and raised high my mention, and made me the opener and the seal. So Abraham said: "By this, Muhammad, you are superior." O God, bless and grant peace to our Master and Patron Muhammad and to the family of our Master Muhammad, the best of those whose heart Your wisdom filled, and whom Your gaze observed with the eye of perfect might. He who, on the night of the Ascension, Gabriel (peace be upon him) brought him a vessel of wine, a vessel of milk, and a vessel of honey, and he took the milk. Gabriel said to him: "That is the primordial nature ³⁷⁰ upon which you and your community are." O God, bless and grant peace to our Master and Patron Muhammad and to the family of our Master Muhammad, the pride of noble lordship, the root of ancient and established honor. He who, on the night of the Ascension, Gabriel (peace be upon him) brought him the Miʿrāj ³⁷¹, which is the ladder from the Garden of Paradise ³⁷², set with pearls, with angels on his right and angels on his left, and a step of silver and a step of gold were placed for him until he and Gabriel ascended. O God, bless and grant peace to our Master and Patron Muhammad and to the family of our Master Muhammad, the central pearl of the necklace of order, the fortress of security whose goal is distant. He who was taken up to the heaven of this world and from heaven to heaven until he ascended above the seven heavens. In the first heaven he met Adam; in the second, Jesus and John; in the third, Joseph; in the fourth, Idrīs ³⁷³; in the fifth, Aaron; in the sixth, Moses; and in the seventh, Abraham—upon all of them be the best of blessings and the purest peace. O God, bless and grant peace to our Master and Patron Muhammad and to the family of our Master Muhammad, the refuge of his merciful community, its fortress, its succor in hardships, and its shelter of security. He for whom the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ³⁷⁴ was raised in the seventh heaven (135). He reported that in every branch of it there are a hundred thousand thousand leaves, each leaf—if humans and jinn sought shade under it—would shade them. On every leaf is an angel in the color of the moon, on his head a crown of light, in his hand a rod of light, written on his forehead: "We are the inhabitants of the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary. Glory be to Him who has no limit." From its base flow rivers of water unstaling, rivers of milk whose taste does not change, rivers of wine delicious to drinkers, and rivers of pure honey. It bears ornaments, robes, and fruits of all colors. It is in the seventh heaven, adjacent to Paradise; its root is in Paradise, its roots are beneath the Throne ³⁷⁵, and its branches are beneath the Throne. The station of Gabriel (peace be upon him) is in its midst, and angels cover it like moths of gold.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whom You adorned with the sash of obedience and piety, and the most honored of those whom You regarded with the eye of Your care and protected in secret and in private. When he reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ³⁷⁶, the angels recognized that by the descent of lights upon it like pieces of clouds, and angels of gold in the form of locusts covered it, with each angel having a tray upon it containing countless subtle favors, which they scattered before him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. At the base of the tree was a prayer niche ³⁷⁷; Gabriel, peace be upon him, gave the call to prayer. When he said, "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar," Allah Almighty said, "My servant has spoken the truth; I am greater than everything." When he said, "Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah," Allah Almighty said, "My servant has spoken the truth; there is no god but Me." Then they established the prayer. He said, "Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasul Allah," Allah Almighty said, "My servant has spoken the truth; Muhammad is My servant and Messenger. Welcome to him." When he said, "Hayya 'ala al-salah," Allah Almighty said, "Successful is he who responds to it." When he said, "Hayya 'ala al-falah," Allah Almighty said, "Successful are the believers who are humble in their prayers." When he finished the call to prayer and the prayer was established, and the angels lined up in rows, each row stretching from east to west, he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, led them in two rak'ahs ³⁷⁸. Then the angels came in groups, greeting him. Gabriel took him to the Greatest Veil ³⁷⁹ which is at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary. Then an angel came out from the veil that is next to the Throne of the All-Merciful. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O Gabriel, who is this?" He said, "By Him who sent you with the truth, I have not seen him since I was created until this moment." He said, "And I saw green birds on the tree, among them the sorrowful and the joyful. I said, 'O Gabriel, who are these?' He said, 'Abraham and Sarah, peace be upon them, and the birds are the souls of the children of the believers. The sorrowful are those who parted from their families recently, and the joyful are those who parted from their families long ago.' The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary is so named because the knowledge of those below it does not surpass it, and the knowledge of those above it does not surpass it. Near it is the Garden of Refuge ³⁸⁰. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the result of all knowledge and the foundation of its structure, the desire of every ardent lover and the goal of his aspiration. He said, "I saw in the seventh heaven an angel, half of him from snow and half from fire, calling out, 'O Allah, O He who reconciled snow and fire, reconcile the hearts of Your believing servants.' I said, 'O Gabriel, who is this?' He said, 'This is an angel called Habib ³⁸¹, and Allah Almighty has appointed him over the regions of the heavens and the ends of the earth. He is among the most sincere angels to the believers on earth, supplicating for them with what you hear until the Day of Resurrection.' And I saw an angel on a throne, with the world between his knees, and in his hand a tablet of light, looking at it without turning right or left. On his right was a great tree; he would look at the tree sometimes and at the tablet sometimes. I said, 'Who is this, O Gabriel?' He said, 'This is the Angel of Death.' I approached him and greeted him, and he nodded to me. Gabriel said to him, 'This is Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy.' He welcomed me and greeted me, and said, 'Rejoice, for goodness is in you and in your nation until the Day of Resurrection.' I said, 'Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, the Compassionate, the Beneficent, the Bestower.' Then I said to him, 'How can you take the souls of all creatures?' He said, 'Do you not see the entire world between my knees? All creatures are in my sight. This tree has leaves equal to the number of souls of creatures; on each leaf is written the name of one creature. When forty days remain of a servant's term, the leaf changes. This tablet contains the names of creatures. When his provision is exhausted, his leaf turns yellow and dries, and I erase his name, and he dies instantly.' And I saw a rooster with green down and white feathers, the whitest I have ever seen, and its legs of red gold, with two green wings. When it spreads them, they span the east and west. When a third of the night passes, it spreads its wings, flaps them, and says, 'Glory be to the King, the Holy; glory be to Allah, the Generous.' The roosters of the earth respond. When it is midnight, it spreads its wings, flaps them, and cries out in glorification of Allah Almighty, saying, 'Glory be to my Lord, the Great; glory be to Allah, the Mighty, the Subduer; glory be to the Lord of the Mighty Throne.' When it does that, the roosters of the earth glorify. I never ceased longing to see that rooster a second time." And he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Bilal will come on the Day of Resurrection riding a mount with a saddle of gold and a bridle of pearls and rubies, with a banner, followed by the mu'adhdhins ³⁸², and he will admit them into Paradise. Whoever gives the call to prayer for forty mornings seeking thereby the face of Allah [will be among them]." Section: O Allah, bless him and his family who are guided by his guidance, and his companions who strive for His pleasure, a blessing by which we may be among those who seek refuge in his protection and enter on the Day of the Greatest Terror under the banner of his might and exaltation, and grant him abundant and precious peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. ❖ O you who traveled from Mecca to the Farthest Mosque ³⁸³ ❖ Even on the back of the noble Buraq ³⁸⁴ ❖ O you whom the angels of heaven received ❖ With the greeting of "Welcome, O beloved, and welcome" ❖ O you who reached beyond the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ❖ Due to a prior care and an obligatory truth.

O You before Whom the Throne and the Footstool fall prostrate when He is called to a nearness that surpasses every brought-near one, If the lofty stations in the heights are seen Set up by You, then the act is an act of wonderment. The veils are raised, and the directions are familiar, And the one who sits enveloped is covered by the light of the One who sits enveloped. The tongue of the state of union cries out, saying: “No stranger has alighted in our precinct like the alien.” Ask, O Muhammad, and you shall be given; call, and you shall be answered; say, And you shall hear on the morning of the Gathering; draw near, and you shall approach. Yours is the means (al-wasīlah) and the excellence (al-faḍīlah); so boast Of an intercession for the deliverance of every tormented one. The messengers are beneath the banner of your glory in the station Of Praise (maqām al-ḥamd), possessing the pleasant pool of sweet drink. Indeed, you were sent to an illiterate nation As a light upon the worlds, unveiled. May God bless you, and the angels, as long as Stars shine in the darkness of the deep gloom. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the possessor of the hidden sciences and the angelic mysteries, (139) and the temple of divine secrets and the holy spiritual ascents, of whom some scholars said that he is a subtle secret from the secrets of the Exalted Truth, may He be exalted, whose reality is not known in this abode except by the Lord, majestic is His glory, and He has not disclosed it to anyone other than Himself, neither to a sent prophet nor to a brought-near angel, for his Aḥmadī reality is from the concealed secret and the guarded command, which the Truth, sanctified is His perfection, alone possesses, and the believers have grasped from him only the outward form of his Muḥammadan image. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the sea of generosity with crashing waves, and the lofty aspirations, pure in origins, branches, and spouses, who, when heaven boasted over the earth that it is the place of acts of obedience and worship, and it is protected from sins and transgressions, and the dwelling of the angels because they are honored servants who do not disobey God in what He commands them and do what they are commanded, and in it is the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, the Frequented House, Paradise, the Hūr, the immortal youths, and the palaces—the earth answered with a silencing, overwhelming, and conclusive reply, namely that in it is the station of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and in it is his resting place, alive and dead, and heaven did not attain the honor of the tread of his feet, so God honored it with his passage through it on the Night of the Ascension (al-Miʿrāj). O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muḥammad and to the family of our master Muḥammad, the Imām of the two presences and the bridegroom of the two kingdoms, who, when God wished to manifest his superiority over the two weighty ones (thaqalayn) and honor him with His gaze in the station of “two bow-lengths or nearer” (qāba qawsayn), He made him journey by night from the world of the unseen to the world of witnessing, to show him some of His greatest signs, and to inform him of what He had symbolically indicated to him in the subtle intricacies of Sūrat al-Isrā’, and to tell him that he is the greatest Imām, and the most noble Messenger. (140) And that he is more worthy and deserving of that station, so He commanded him to enter the Garden of Gnoses and Spiritual Knowledges. Gabriel came to him with the steed al-Burāq, larger than a donkey and smaller than a mule, with large eyes and fine ears, its color like a peacock, its forehead like a flower, its body of red ruby, and its hooves like the hooves of a cow, of green emerald studded with red ruby and coral, and its head of pure musk, its neck of gray ambergris, and its forelock of white pearl, bridled with a chain of gold crowned with jewels and pearls, upon it a saddle of brocade, its stride the extent of its sight. Gabriel saddled it with a saddle of red ruby and bridled it with a bridle of chrysolite. When he descended with it, he knocked the ring of the door and said: “Arise, O sleeper, for the spoils have been prepared for you. Arise, O orphan of Abū Ṭālib. Arise, O Muḥammad, tonight is your night, and the dominion is your dominion. You are the sun of gnoses, you are the full moon of subtleties, you are on the Day of Resurrection a refuge for every fearful one. The abode has been prepared only for your sake, and the cup of love has been mixed only for union with you. Arise, for the tables are spread, and the days are counted for the leader.” The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, heard him and said: “O Gabriel, have you brought me a sign of mercy or a sign of chastisement?” He said: “Indeed, God the Exalted conveys His greetings to you and calls you to His presence, and between you and Him there is no veil nor gatekeeper.” He said: “O Gabriel, the Generous One calls me to Him—what then will He do with me?” He said: “To forgive you your past and future sins.” He said: “This is for me—what about my family?” He said: “And your Lord will soon give you so that you will be pleased.” He said: “Wait until I perform ablution.” He said: “I have brought you water of Salsabīl in a pitcher of jewel, and a basin of red ruby, and a garment of green silk brocade, and a turban of light on which are written four lines: the first: ‘Muḥammad is the Messenger of God’; the second: ‘Muḥammad is the Prophet of God’; the third: ‘Muḥammad is the Beloved of God’; the fourth: ‘Muḥammad is the Intimate Friend of God.’ Riḍwān descended with it, and with him forty thousand angels, and they were, (141) before that, blessing the wearer of the turban before the creation of the heavens and the earth. When it was that night, Riḍwān took the turban from Paradise, and the angels said: ‘Our Lord, You commanded us to bless the wearer of this turban, so honor us tonight with visiting him, and permit us to walk before him.’ When he performed ablution, may God bless him and grant him peace, God the Exalted commanded Gabriel, peace be upon him, to give the water of his ablution to Michael, so he gave it to him. Then God the Exalted commanded Michael to

He delivers it to Azrael ³⁸⁵, then to Israfil ³⁸⁶, then to Ridwan ³⁸⁷, then to Paradise. Then Allah Almighty commanded the Hur al-'Ayn ³⁸⁸ to wipe their faces with it, and they did so, increasing in beauty and light. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best prophet whom You guided creation through his guidance, the most honored chosen one whose praise and commendation tongues fail to exhaust, who said: When I rode al-Buraq ³⁸⁹ from al-Masjid al-Haram ³⁹⁰ to al-Masjid al-Aqsa ³⁹¹, I saw a handsome young man with a pleasant fragrance; he kissed me between my eyes and then disappeared from me. I asked Gabriel about him, and he said: This is the religion. Rejoice, for your community will live as believers, die as believers, and enter Paradise safely. Then three cups were brought to me: a cup of water, a cup of milk, and a cup of wine. I took the milk, and Gabriel said: You have chosen the fitra ³⁹²; had you drunk the water, your community would have drowned; had you drunk the wine, your community would have gone astray. I drank some of the milk, and Gabriel said: If you had drunk all the milk, none of your community would have entered the Fire. I said: Return it. He said: Far be it! The Pen has run with what has been decreed. Then white, green, yellow, and black garments were brought to me. I took the white and green. Gabriel said: The white garments are the garments of the people of Islam; the green garments are the garments of the people of Paradise; Paradise is decreed for your community. The yellow garments are the garments of the People of the Book; your community is saved from Judaism and Christianity. The black garments are the garments of the people of the Fire; your community is saved from the Fire. Then I passed by a people who were planting in one day and harvesting in one day. I said: O Gabriel, who are these? He said: These are the mujahidun ³⁹³ in the way of Allah; their good deeds are multiplied up to seven hundred times. Then we passed by a people whose heads were being crushed with stones; whenever they were crushed, they returned to their former state. I said: O Gabriel, who are these? He said: These are those whose heads are heavy from prayer. Then we passed by a people who had patches on their backs and patches on their fronts, grazing on az-Zaqqum ³⁹⁴ as cattle graze on ad-Dari' ³⁹⁵. I said: O Gabriel, who are these? He said: These are those who do not pay the zakat ³⁹⁶. Then we passed by a people whose tongues and lips were being cut with iron scissors; whenever they were cut, they returned to their former state, without respite. I said: Who are these, O Gabriel? He said: These are the preachers of discord, the preachers of your community; they say what they do not do. Then we passed by a small stone from which a large bull emerged; the bull tried to enter from where it came out but could not. I said: What is this, O Gabriel? He said: This is a man who speaks a great word and then regrets it, wanting to take it back but cannot. Then I saw women hanging by their eyelashes. I said: Who are these, O Gabriel? He said: These are those who withhold their milk from their children and nurse the children of others. Then we passed by a people who had good meat and bad meat before them; they left the good and ate the bad. I said: Who are these, O Gabriel? He said: These are the fornicators. This is a man from your community who has a lawful, good woman, but he goes to a bad woman and spends the night with her until morning; and a woman leaves her lawful, good husband and goes to a bad man and spends the night with him until morning. Then we passed by a man who had gathered a huge bundle of firewood but could not carry it, yet he kept adding to it. I said: What is this, O Gabriel? He said: This is a man from your community who has people's trusts but cannot fulfill them, yet he wants to take on more. Then we passed by a piece of wood on the road; no garment or anything passed by it without being torn. He said: What is this, O Gabriel? He said: This is like people from your community who sit on the road and cut it off. And he recited: {And do not sit on every road, threatening} ³⁹⁷. Then I saw a man swimming in a river of blood, swallowing stones. I said: Who is this, O Gabriel? He said: The devourer of usury ³⁹⁸. Then we passed by a people who had copper nails with which they scratched their faces and chests. I said: Who are these, O Gabriel? He said: These are those who eat people's flesh and slander their honor. When we reached Bayt al-Maqdis ³⁹⁹, Gabriel tied al-Buraq and I entered al-Aqsa. I found half of it filled with angels, and I saw the prophets in rows. I said: O Gabriel, who are these? He said: These are your brothers, the prophets. Then Gabriel stood and said to me: Go forward, O most honored of creation before Allah. So I went forward and led them in two rak'ahs ⁴⁰⁰. When we finished, Gabriel said to me: O Muhammad, do you know who prayed behind you? I said: No. He said: Every prophet Allah has sent. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the outpouring of gifts and favor, the imam ⁴⁰¹ of the People of the Book and the Sunnah ⁴⁰², who, when Abu Hurayra asked him about the first mosque placed on earth, said: al-Masjid al-Haram. He said: Then which? He said: al-Masjid al-Aqsa. He said: How many years between them? He said: Forty years. Then wherever prayer overtakes you, pray, for the merit is in it. And from Makhul ⁴⁰³, may Allah be pleased with him, he said: Whoever enters al-Masjid al-Aqsa and prays the five obligatory prayers therein, he comes out of his sins like the day his mother bore him. And whoever visits al-Muqaddas ⁴⁰⁴ out of longing for it, all the prophets will visit him in Paradise.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sun of spiritual knowledge and gnosis ⁴⁰⁵, and the exemplar of every pious one and knower of God ⁴⁰⁶, who said: "When Solomon, peace be upon him, finished building the Sacred House ⁴⁰⁷, he asked his Lord for three qualities: he asked Him for a kingdom that would not befit anyone after him, and He granted it to him; and he asked Him for a judgment that would accord with His judgment, and He granted it to him; and he asked Him that whoever comes to this House, intending only to pray therein, should come out of his sins as on the day his mother bore him. And I hope that He has granted him the third." And from Ka'b al-Ahbar ⁴⁰⁸, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: "Indeed, Allah has an open door from the lowest heaven to the Sacred House ⁴⁰⁷, from which every day descend seventy thousand angels, seeking forgiveness for whoever comes to the Sacred House and prays therein. And a good deed therein is like a thousand good deeds, and an evil deed therein is like a thousand evil deeds. And whoever dies therein will cross the Bridge ⁴⁰⁹ like a flashing lightning bolt." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of the clearest and most upright religion, and the lofty and ancient glory, who in the first heaven met his father Adam, greeted him, though the covenant was ancient; then he was called to the second heaven, and there was Jesus son of Mary, and with him the one who neither disobeyed nor intended [evil]; and in the third he saw Joseph the Truthful; and he entered the fourth, and there was Idris ⁴¹⁰ on the path; and in the fifth he greeted Aaron; and in the sixth he greeted the intimate confidant ⁴¹¹; and in the seventh he met his father Abraham the Friend ⁴¹²; and the angels of each heaven rejoiced at his arrival, and after denial they acknowledged their inability to comprehend his knowledge. And all the prophets (145) received him with praise, yet they did not attain the essence of his great rank and vast station. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, who are distinguished by eloquence and the fluent tongue, and his Companions, the bearers of the banner of his Law and the narrators of his authentic hadith, with a blessing that purifies us from every blameworthy attribute and ugly deed, and delights us with the vision of his noble grave and the sight of his beautiful face, 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 crown of light and splendor, the lamp of those with insight and intellect, the full moon of perfection whose light rises above the two luminaries ⁴¹³ and the star ⁴¹⁴, the gardens of longed-for intimacy, and the best of those by whose countenance existence was illuminated and adorned. When in his night journey ⁴¹⁵ he reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ⁴¹⁶, he heard a call: "And that to your Lord is the ultimate end" ⁴¹⁷. So he proceeded alone in his majesty, never faltering, until he attained, then drew near and plucked the fruits of revelation and gathered, and his heart was steadfast with the support of "the sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress" ⁴¹⁸. So he became a companion, "the heart did not lie about what it saw" ⁴¹⁹. And his enemies shot arrows [of denial], saying, "Do you then dispute with him about what he saw?" ⁴²⁰. When he returned, having been singled out with the most precious gifts and the most honorable blessings, and obtained from his Lord all that he wished, and the prayers were made obligatory upon him, he passed by Moses, who informed him of the extent of the obligation. Moses said to him: "Return and ask your Lord for reduction." So Moses kept sending him back until only five [prayers] remained, and the decree was established and the pen dried. Moses said: "Return and ask for reduction in them and speak." He said: "No, I am satisfied and submit." Then a caller called out, filling the assembly: "I have confirmed My obligation and lightened it for My servants. So it is five in the abode of obligation, and it is fifty in the account of multiplication. And this is a station for this (146) community in all their deeds: whoever comes with a good deed shall have ten times its like." Then the Beloved returned to earth in the most perfect state, and spread the armies of his victory until they shook the mountains. And with him was a witness of justice who testified to what he saw, "nor does he speak from desire" ⁴²¹. So he began to speak about his night journey, and some called him a liar and strayed from success. Some of them went to his companion the Truthful ⁴²² and said mockingly: "Your companion claims that he went to the Sacred House ⁴⁰⁷ last night and returned." He said: "If he said that, then he has spoken the truth." They said: "How can you believe him about such news?" He said: "I believed him before that about the news of heaven." Then the Prophet established the proof when they denied him. The Sacred House was brought before him, and he described to them what they knew and beyond what they knew. And he informed them about a caravan of camels he saw in the desert, and its arrival confirmed the truth. But envy prevented them from following the path to that way. Thus the vessels of guidance were turned away from them, and they all refused the drink of the vessels. The rest of the Companions remained silent when they heard, and the Truthful ⁴²² preceded them in belief. So what of the denier of the Ascension ⁴²³? Do you not know that the space of divine power is not narrow? O you who claimed it was a dream when Quraysh denied the length of the journey, you have indeed rejected the eternal Quran and the sound, reliable transmission. You would have had an example if you had been guided by the ancient [example]. So glory be to Him who bestowed upon Abu Bakr the garment of guidance and the ornament of success, and singled him out for the companionship of this noble Prophet until he became in the cave, the Throne, and the migration the best companion and friend. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, who are the best of clan and group, and his Companions, who are distinguished by perfection of faith and belief, with a blessing that gives us to drink from the cup of his pure wine, and makes us inhale the fragrance of his prophetic scent and the flowers of his elegant spiritual knowledge. And grant him abundant and cherished peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. * My time became pure through my connection and vision * And I surpassed the people of union in rank (147) * I journeyed to meet the Beloved at dawn * And I was given precedence over the nobles * Every veil before my eye He removed * So I could see what is in my Lord's Throne and Paradise * His manifestations defied the enumeration of any describer * So I released in its garden the bird of my glance * He made my heart firm so I could see the light of His face * So that my pleasure in seeing the Essence might be complete * He manifested without how or where to me, and I * Saw with my heart what I saw with my eye * I applied kohl to my eye with the beauty that appeared * From the Holy, Eternal Presence * He spoke to me openly with gentleness of speech * So His words intoxicated my hearing and my soul * He brought me near above the prophets and the angels * And said: "Draw near to Me, O My beloved and chosen one" * "Ask and you shall be given what you hope from Me." I said: "I have * Asked You for lightening, my God, for my community" * He said: "We have granted you what you asked * And added to it, and the gifts are from My grace" O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of the tree of love that grew in the holy valley of Tuwa ⁴²⁴, and the Beloved to whom You swore by Your saying: "By the star when it falls, your companion has not strayed, nor has he erred, nor does he speak from desire; it is but a revelation revealed, taught to him by one of mighty power" ⁴²⁵. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of the tree of love that grew in the land of blessing and glad tidings, the universal knower who found the eye of true life in the Ascension of the Ascension ⁴²⁶ on the night of his night journey, in a gathering where "the sight did not swerve" ⁴¹⁸ and it was said to him: "Wash from it with the water of 'the heart did not lie' ⁴¹⁹ and take from its pearls a necklace that the stringer of honor will string for you in the thread of: 'He indeed saw of the signs of his Lord the greatest'" ⁴²⁷. ⁴⁰⁵ Shams al-Ma'arif: literally "Sun of Gnoses," a title for the Prophet Muhammad as the source of spiritual knowledge. ⁴⁰⁶ 'Arif: a gnostic, one who has direct experiential knowledge of God. ⁴⁰⁷ Bayt al-Maqdis: the Sacred House, referring to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, often used for the Al-Aqsa Mosque. ⁴⁰⁸ Ka'b al-Ahbar: a Jewish convert to Islam, known for transmitting Isra'iliyyat (traditions from Jewish sources). ⁴⁰⁹ al-Sirat: the bridge over Hell that all must cross on Judgment Day. ⁴¹⁰ Idris: the prophet Enoch in Islamic tradition. ⁴¹¹ al-Najiyy al-Kalim: the intimate confidant, referring to Moses, who spoke directly to God. ⁴¹² al-Khalil: the Friend, a title of Abraham. ⁴¹³ al-Nayyiran: the two luminaries, i.e., the sun and the moon. ⁴¹⁴ al-Suha: a faint star in the constellation Ursa Major, used as a metaphor for something small or distant. ⁴¹⁵ Isra': the night journey of the Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem. ⁴¹⁶ Sidrat al-Muntaha: the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a celestial tree marking the end of creation. ⁴¹⁷ Qur'an 53:42. ⁴¹⁸ Qur'an 53:17. ⁴¹⁹ Qur'an 53:11. ⁴²⁰ Qur'an 53:12. ⁴²¹ Qur'an 53:3-4. ⁴²² al-Siddiq: the Truthful, a title of Abu Bakr. ⁴²³ Mi'raj: the Ascension of the Prophet through the heavens. ⁴²⁴ Tuwa: the holy valley where Moses received the first revelation. ⁴²⁵ Qur'an 53:1-5. ⁴²⁶ Mi'raj al-Mi'raj: the Ascension of the Ascension, a mystical term for the highest spiritual station. ⁴²⁷ Qur'an 53:18.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of the tree of spiritual love and the result of the secrets of the Tablet sciences ⁴²⁸, the sun of the radiant sphere of prophethood, and the Beloved who, when his intimate bride was taken by night to the enclosures of the kingdom's gifts and the treasuries of the Merciful's openings, found the true spring of life beneath the shadow of the Throne of Allah, the Light of the heavens and the earth; the likeness of His Light is as a niche wherein is a lamp, the lamp in a glass, the glass as it were a glittering star, kindled from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow forth though no fire touched it; light upon light; Allah guides to His Light whom He wills. So he bathed in the water of its prophetic secrets, fumigated himself with the incense of its inspired unveilings, perfumed himself with the fragrance of Quranic morals, faced the Eye of the Essence, and bowed in the prayer niches of the Names and Attributes. Then the Gabriel of Oneness called to him from the side of Mount Sinai of the holy enclosures: 'O Muhammad, raise your head to the distance of two bows' length or nearer, and listen to what is revealed to you of the secrets of the word: There is no god but I. This is a station where understandings are bewildered and imaginations fall short of grasping it. And the Truth says to you: You are the niche of My lights, the descent of My secrets, the source of My remembrances, the meadows of My flowers, the rising place of My moons, My most noble intimate, and the chief of My greatest carpet. Tonight you are Our guest, the locus of Our honor and love, and I am the companion of your solitude and the remover of your astonishment. So delight ⁴²⁹ in the garden of My good pleasure, frolic in the palaces of My wishes, and rejoice in attaining congratulations and reaching aspirations. I have lifted the veil between Me and you, so no doorkeeper prevents you from the good that is with Us, nor any gatekeeper. This is Our gift, so bestow or withhold without account.' 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 intellects and understandings, the manifestation of the jewels of the sciences of revelation and inspiration, who on the night of his Night Journey passed over a land containing palaces, and Gabriel said to him: 'Descend and pray.' He did so, then mounted and the Buraq ⁴³⁰ sped away with him. Gabriel said: 'Do you know where you prayed?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'You prayed at Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the best of those whose countenance shone in the sky of high stations, and the most excellent of those whose splendor adorned the worlds of dominion and sovereignty, who, while he was traveling on the Buraq, saw an ifrit ⁴³¹ of the jinn seeking him with a flame of fire; whenever he turned, he saw it. Gabriel said: 'Shall I teach you words that, when you say them, his flame will be extinguished and he will fall on his face?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Say: I seek refuge in the noble Face of Allah and in the perfect words of Allah, which neither the righteous nor the wicked can transgress, from the evil of what descends from the sky and from the evil of what ascends therein, from the evil of what He has sown in the earth and from the evil of what comes forth from it, from the evil of the trials of night and day, and from the night visitors and day visitors, except a visitor who knocks with good, O Most Merciful.' He said that, and the ifrit fell on his face and his flame was extinguished. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the best of those from whom one seeks mercy and compassion, and from whose breast one sucks the milk of his realities and sips it, who, while he was traveling on the Buraq, came upon a people who were sowing in one day and reaping in one day; whenever they reaped, it returned as it was. He said: 'O Gabriel, what is this?' He said: 'These are the mujahideen ⁴³² in the way of Allah; their good deeds are multiplied seven hundred times, and whatever they spend of good, He replaces it.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the best of those from whose sea of generosity delegations drew, and necks bowed to the majesty of his rank and the might of his highness, who, while he was traveling on the Buraq, was shown the state of those who abandoned the obligatory prayer in the abode of recompense. He came upon a people whose heads were being crushed; whenever they were crushed, they returned as they were, and nothing of that was alleviated for them. He said: 'O Gabriel, who are these?' He said: 'These are those whose heads were heavy [i.e., reluctant] regarding the prescribed prayer.' Then he came upon a people with patches on their fronts and patches on their backs, grazing like camels and sheep, eating bitter thorn and zaqqum ⁴³³ and the hot stones of Hell. He said: 'Who are these, O Gabriel?' He said: 'These are those who do not pay the alms of their wealth, and Allah has not wronged them.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master and lord Muhammad, the sea of generosity and munificence, the path of guidance and righteousness, who, while he was traveling on the Buraq, came upon a people before whom was cooked meat in pots and other raw, foul meat; they began eating the raw, foul meat and leaving the cooked, good meat. He said: 'Who are these, O Gabriel?' He said: 'They are...'

A man from your community (Ummah) who has a lawful, pure woman (wife) with him, yet he goes to an impure woman and spends the night with her until morning; and a woman who has a lawful, pure husband with her, yet she goes to an impure man and spends the night with him until morning. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad, and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the orator of the Holy Presence (Hadrat al-Quds), and the master of the two weighty beings (al-Thaqalayn), the jinn and mankind, who, while he was journeying on the Burāq, was shown the state of those who block the path by means of a striking example. He came upon a piece of wood; no garment or anything passed by it without being torn. He said: "What is this, O Gabriel?" He said: "This is the likeness of people from your community who sit on the road and block it," and he recited: "And do not sit on every road, threatening" (Qur'an 7:86). And he was shown the state of the one who consumes usury (ribā)—what his state would be in the abode of recompense. He saw a man swimming in a river of blood, swallowing stones. He said: "Who is this?" It was said: "The consumer of usury." And Allah the Exalted has likened him in the Qur'an by His saying: "Those who consume usury will not stand except as one stands whom Satan has confounded by touch" (Qur'an 2:275). O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad, and upon the family of our master Muhammad, who, when the Burāq flew with him over the noble mountains of Mecca, and its lofty pearl disappeared from his sight, Gabriel said to him: "O Muhammad, descend and pray the prayer of the righteous (ṣalāt al-abrār), and deliver a sermon in the enclosures of secrets (ḥaẓā'ir al-asrār), upon the pulpits of lights (manābir al-anwār), for you are the imam of the chosen and excellent ones, and the one brought near, great in rank and station." When he did that, and completed what the Messenger of the Sovereign (Rasūl al-Mālik) had commanded him, Gabriel said to him: "Do you know where you prayed?" He said: "No." He said: "You prayed in Ṭaybah (Medina), and to it you will emigrate, if Allah wills." Then the Burāq set off, swooping down with him, placing its hoof wherever its sight reached. Gabriel said to him: "Descend and pray." He did so, then mounted. Gabriel said to him: "Do you know where you prayed?" He said: "No." He said: "You prayed in Madyan, near the tree of Moses." Then he mounted, and the Burāq set off, swooping down with him. Then he said to him: "Descend and pray." He did so, then mounted. He said: "Do you know where you prayed?" He said: "No." He said: "You prayed at Mount Sinai (Ṭūr Sīnā'), where Allah spoke to Moses." Then he reached a land where palaces appeared to him. Gabriel said to him: "Descend and pray." He did so, then mounted, and the Burāq set off, swooping down with him. Gabriel said to him: "Do you know where you prayed?" He said: "No." He said: "You prayed in Bethlehem (Bayt Laḥm), where Jesus (peace be upon him) was born." He said: "While I was journeying, I heard a call from my right, but I did not turn toward it. Then I heard a call from my left, but I did not turn toward it. Then a woman adorned with every kind of ornament came toward me and said: 'Wait, O Muhammad, so that I may ask you.' But I did not turn toward her." He asked Gabriel about that, and he said: "The first was the caller of the Jews; had you responded to him, your community would have become Jewish. The second was the caller of the Christians; had you responded to him, your community would have become Christian. The woman is the world (al-dunyā); had you responded to her, your community would have chosen the world over the Hereafter." Then we passed by a valley and found a pleasant fragrance with a beautiful sound. I said: "What is this, O Gabriel?" He said: "This is the sound of Paradise (al-Jannah). It says: 'O Lord, build me with what You have promised me, for my chambers, silk, gold, silver, pearls, coral, colors, fruits, honey, milk, water, and wine have multiplied. So bring me what You have promised me.' He said: 'For you are every Muslim man and woman, every believer man and woman, and whoever does not associate anything with Me. Indeed, I am Allah; there is no god but I. I do not break the promise.' So it said: 'I am satisfied.'" Then we passed by a valley and heard a terrible sound. I said: "What is this?" He said: "This is the sound of Hell (Jahannam). It says: 'O Lord, bring me what You have promised me, for my chains, fetters, and blazing fire have multiplied, and my heat has intensified.' He said: 'For you are every polytheist man and woman, and whoever does not believe in the Day of Reckoning.' So it said: 'I am satisfied.'" And he journeyed until he came to the Sacred House (Bayt al-Maqdis, Jerusalem). He entered it through its Yemeni gate, then dismounted from the Burāq and tied it to the ring at the mosque door by which the prophets (peace and blessings be upon them) used to tie their mounts. So send blessings, O Allah, upon him and upon his brothers among the noble prophets and messengers, and upon his family and companions, the guardians of the religion and the guides of Islam, a blessing by which You carry our souls on the ascension (miʿrāj) of acceptance and contentment to the Abode of Peace (Dār al-Salām), and by which You convey us, through Your love and his love, to the utmost limit of intention and aspiration, by Your favor and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. The mention of the Beloved of hearts has lulled me to sleep * Oh, how sweet is the Beloved when mentioned! He is the one whose abode is in hearts * And his love is like cool water flowing within. The Chosen One (al-Muṣṭafā), who illuminated the light of guidance * The sea of guidance gushed forth from his tongue. From his face, the Lord of Majesty, his Creator * Has made the sun of forenoon and the moon manifest. He singled him out with beauty uniquely * So he remains the pole (Quṭb) of perfection, renowned. Glory be to Him who veiled him with majesty * How many a beholder has been dazzled and amazed! His form was perfected in completeness * It surpassed all beauty and forms thereby. Glory be to Him who singled him out for the Ascension (Miʿrāj) * By night, the lote trees of the boundary protected him when he journeyed. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad, and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the sea of abundant generosity and lofty aspirations, beautiful in deeds, protector of the sanctuary, noble in qualities, and intercessor of nations, upon whose love both the distant and the near are created. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad, and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the season of joyful glad tidings, the mine of righteousness, abundant in benefits, the life of souls, the all-encompassing fragrance, and the perpetual essence of bodies, by whose breeze of repose the crowns of the masters of states and attractions are stirred. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad, and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the sun of sainthood (wilāyah), the one brought near, the devout worshipper, the mountain of divine care, far-reaching in perception, the talisman of protection, the savior from perils, the refuge of protection, to whom one flees in hardships and distresses. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad, and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the point of the flow of the Lordly secret, the perpetual cups of the Eternal love, the ecstatic state of the incoming divine attraction, the magnetic force of luminous hearts, to whom the souls of lovers are drawn from the farthest Easts and Wests. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad, and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the fountain of openings, sought after in sources and origins, the locus of blessings and benedictions, shaded by his ample shade from the heat of scorching winds and blazing suns, the mercy for the weak and the needy, whose name illuminates pulpits and minarets, the tongue of response and supplications, by whose station the sinners seek intercession in the pre-dawn hours and the darkness of glooms. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master and lord Muhammad, and upon the family of our master Muhammad, the book of allusions, wondrous in meanings and subtleties, the tongue of expressions, elucidating the obscurities of problems and the delicate intricacies, the sea of gifts flowing with the secrets of gnosis and the sciences of realities, the primordial element, from which branched the foundations of divine laws and all schools of thought.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the pole of sovereignty, the Sunni of station, the pride of glory, preferred over all of creation, the star of felicity, who dispels the darkness of night with his light, the path of sciences and beneficence, through whose blessing matters become easy and desires are facilitated. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the essence of noble qualities, pure in character and traits, the spirit of the worlds, abundant in merits and attributes, the lamp of the climes, sublime in virtues and excellences, the clear path and landmarks; whoever is guided by his guidance ⁴³⁴ and follows his example attains wishes and achieves goals. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the fortress of might, protected in regions and sides, the treasure of the store, abundant in gifts and endowments, the degree of success, whose protection shelters from the calamities of time and evil outcomes, the path of salvation; whoever treads it is safe from fears and perils. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bride of the presences, sanctified in scenes and processions, the imam of the secrets, magnified in gatherings and writings, the lighthouse of guides, sublime in rank and positions, the master of masters, through whom refuge is sought from the call of every wrongdoer and the assault of every despoiler. So bless him, O Allah, and his most noble and pure family, and his companions, the lions of battalions and manifestations of wonders, a blessing by which You purify our limbs from heedlessness and impurities, and by which You repel from us all afflictions and calamities, and by which You save us from the assaults of time and the onslaught of events and misfortunes, 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 presence of the secrets of Lordship and its dawn, revealing the realities of the unseen, the proof of the signs of Divinity and its light, unveiling the innermost secrets of the unseen; Ta Ha, pure in origin and lineage; Ya Sin, noble in worth and descent; Kaf Ha Ya 'Ayn Sad, great in rank and station; the human eye of reality, illuminated; the imam of the path ⁴³⁵, pure and purified; the key to the doors of mercy; the origin of infallibility; the treasure of wisdom; the intercessor of the community; the dispeller of darkness; the eye of grace; the seal of the prophets; the center of the circle of the elect; the messenger of the Lord of the worlds to all of creation collectively; who seizes the hands of believers to prevent them from falling into the depths of destruction and misery; the savior of his community from the darkness of ignorance and stupidity; the praised and praiseworthy; the one who stands in the arenas of resurrection in the Praiseworthy Station; who unfurls his tied banner over the prophets and messengers; the intimate who possesses the highest station and the greatest intercession before the Worshipped King. So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the people of watchfulness and witnessing, and his companions who fulfill covenants and stand by the limits, a blessing by which You feed us from the tables of his existing generosity, and quench our hearts from the Kawthar of his overflowing pool; and grant him peace, Your peace which You bestowed upon him, and reward him on our behalf as he deserves, and reward him with the best reward You have given a prophet for his people and a messenger for his community; and multiply, O Allah, upon him and his family the best of Your blessings and the increase of Your benedictions; and connect us with him through Your connection that never breaks nor ever ends; and convey from us to his noble and most holy station and his illuminated and most fragrant tomb the best of prayers and the purest of peace; and grace us with meeting him and seeing his face before the arrival of the term and the onset of death, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your prophet, whose subtle remembrances are the key to the actions of hearts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your messenger ⁴³⁶, whose gifts of secrets are suitable for curing inner diseases. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your guide, whose admonitions in his prophetic traditions are sincere to the people of his Sunna. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your light, whose witnesses of realities explain the meanings of his Mustafawi wisdoms. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whose worlds of spirits rejoice at the appearance of his Muhammadan countenance. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your servant, whose tongues of lovers praise the beauties of his Ahmadine attributes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your saint, whose eyes of insight gaze upon what is cast to them from the gifts of Your hidden sciences. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your caller, whose landmarks of religion are clear in the paths of Your upright Sharia. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your witness, whose proofs of signs expose the intrigues of the people of disbelief. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your gift, whose clouds of mercy shower upon the dead land of hearts. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your ambassador ⁴³⁷, whose precedents of knowledge gallop in the fields of realities. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your pious one, whose birds of spiritual gifts sing in the gardens of fear. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your chosen one, whose cups of effusions overflow with fragrant breezes of good things. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your generosity, whose ease of bounty bestows abundant favors. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your trustee, whose worlds of spirituality roam in the gardens of the Malakut. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your intimate friend,

He whose thoughts of his secret swim in the presences of Your holiness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your beloved, whose mounts of longing journey in the land of Your beauty. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your treasure, whose trades of happiness profit in the markets of Your obedience. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your lamp, whose sun of prophethood shines on the horizon of Your guidance. (159). O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your bringer of good tidings, whose mounts of longing incline toward the carpet of Your presence. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your warner, whose proofs of evidences combat the armies of the people of falsehood. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your proof, whose swords of His law slaughter the people of polytheism. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, Your orator, whose deterrents of admonitions wound the hearts of the heedless. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which the hard rocks of our hearts become soft, and by which the fruits of our deeds are preserved from every affliction and calamity, and by which You forgive us our past sins and grant us success in righteous deeds, 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 generous, whose praise the speakers have elaborated, and the hopeful have attained their desires through him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the succor, in whom Allah has realized expectations and made every difficulty easy through his blessing. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the flower, by whom the branches sway and the regions and fortresses are perfumed with the fragrance of his scent. (160) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the secret, by whom the centuries boast and every distressed and sorrowful one is comforted by his remembrance. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the rain cloud of abundant good, and the generous one whose gift belittles the Euphrates and the Oxus. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the rising of auspicious fortune, and the rank by which needs and affairs are fulfilled. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the pride, whose worth the praisers have exalted, and the narrators have attended to gathering his Ahmadine ⁴³⁸ virtues. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the station which the visitors have blessed, and the fearful have sought refuge in his impregnable fortress. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the saint ⁴³⁹ successful in motion and stillness, and the sea of sciences from which all arts have branched. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the trustworthy, the treasurer of the hidden secret of divinity ⁴⁴⁰, and the intimate, whose dazzling answered supplications are "Be! And it is." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the lamp from whose light the gnostics have kindled, and the truthful have been characterized by his beautiful traits. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad (161) the pole ⁴⁴¹, whose footsteps the wayfarers have followed, and the devout have walked upon his clear path. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the religion, whose limits the certain have resolved to observe, and the sincere imams have died upon his nature. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the remembrance, upon whom the lovers have persistently invoked blessings, and the righteous have grazed in the meadows of his gnoses. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the valiant, for whose religion's victory the mujahideen fought, and the implorers sought aid through his rank at the onslaught of calamities. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the warner, by whose preaching the heedless awoke, and the obedient hastened to answer his call. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the beacon, by whose light the travelers are guided, and the desirous have sought intercession through his great rank to Allah. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the rein, by which the averse are led to obedience, and the guided nobles have held fast to his most trustworthy handhold. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the breeze, by whose fragrance the cut-off ones have been refreshed, and the lovers have revived with the blowing of the east wind of his Najd. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the fountain, to whose Salsabil ⁴⁴² the thirsty have hastened, and the lonely have found solace in hearing his pure remembrances. (162) O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the rope, to which the connected have clung, and the workers have profited from the gain of his trade. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the wing, with which the yearning ones have flown, and the drivers have urged on with the song of his praises. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the wine, by which the ecstatics have danced, and the glorious have reveled in drinking his pure draught. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the house, to which the seekers have traveled, and the visitors have rejoiced at the sight of his tomb.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the path ⁴⁴³ which the ascetics followed, and upon whose straight course the detached ones trod. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the name ⁴⁴⁴ by whose letters' numerical value the writers sought blessing, and by whose noble form's vision the beholders were honored. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the presence ⁴⁴⁵ under whose lush shade the affiliated ones sought shelter, and by whose lofty station's service the hopeful ones benefited. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the compassionate one ⁴⁴⁶ whose noble character the merciful ones adopted, and from whose overflowing sea of generosity the most generous ones drew. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the affectionate one ⁴⁴⁷ to whom the supplicants stretched their hands, and to whose sanctuary the greatest sinners clung on the day of terror. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the rain cloud ⁴⁴⁸ by whose clouds of generosity the lands became green, and by whose prayer's blessing the years became fruitful. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the face ⁴⁴⁹ by which the drought-stricken sought rain from the clouds, and from whose clouds of mercy the despairing were quenched. May Allah bless him and his family as long as the intercessors seek intercession through his rank, and the distressed seek his aid at the descent of hardships and crises, as many times as those who remember You and him remember, and those who are heedless of Your remembrance and his are heedless, and grant him abundant peace forever. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, I ask You, O my Lord, by the sanctity of this noble Prophet and by the rank of his lofty and magnificent status, and by what transpired between You and him on the Night of Ascension ⁴⁵⁰ of conversation and speech, that You forgive us, have mercy on us, accept our repentance, purify our limbs from every blameworthy attribute, lead us by the reins of guidance to Your obedience, strike our souls with the whips of fear so that they return to You and be restrained by the deterrents of admonition at Your command and prohibition, look upon us with the eye of mercy, and treat us with every good that is with You, O All-Hearing, O All-Knowing, O Forbearing, O Generous. You are our Master; we have none besides You, and You are the Possessor of vast mercy and abundant grace. And I strive in seeking knowledge of You, and I take You as my refuge, and I raise my need to You, and I rely on You in all my states, O He in Whose hand are the treasuries of mercy. O Allah, O Allah, O Allah, O Living, O Self-Subsisting ⁴⁵¹, and open for me the treasuries of Your mercy, and do not close the doors of Your response before Your servant, and treat me with Your pardon and forgiveness. What is the matter with me, O my Lord, that I have not returned to anyone but You? So do not send me back disappointed from Your mercy nor from Your bounty, and do not hide from me the keys of mercy, and clothe me with the garment of infallibility, adorn me with the beauty of well-being, cover me with the veil of might, direct me in the meadows of mercy, and spread over me the abundant favors of Your bounty and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, by Your knowledge of the unseen and Your power over creation, keep me alive as long as life is good for me, and take me when death is good for me. And I ask You for fear of You in secret and in public, and the word of forbearance in anger and satisfaction, and moderation in poverty and wealth. And I ask You for bliss that never ends, and coolness of eyes that never ceases, and pleasant life after death. And I ask You for the vision of Your Face, and longing for Your meeting, without harmful adversity or misleading trial. Amen, 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 light of opening ⁴⁵² and the foundation of its structures, the interpreter of revelation and the secret of its meanings, the bride of the throne of dominion and the chief of its court, the clarifier of the paths of religion and the builder of its pillars, the dispeller of the darkness of disbelief by the light of his countenance and the dawn of his eloquence, the delight of every time and the splendor of every era, the pupil of the eye of every glory and the crown of its sovereignty, the comfort of every lover and the garden of his solace, the desire of every yearning one and the sea of his passion, the expanse of every lover and the bliss of his presence, the gift of every virtuous one and the hand of his favor, the supporter of every seeker and the title of his address, the premise of the result of every knowledge and the tongue of its elucidation, the bearer of the banner of every art and the knight of its field. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing that protects us from the accidents of time and the calamities of its sorrows, and saves us from the crashing waves of the sea of trials and the raging of its flood, and grant him 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 treasure of infallibility preserved in his secret and his declaration, the sword of truth cutting the back of every obstinate one with his proof and evidence, the pole of sovereignty ⁴⁵³ from whose collars and sleeves the musk-scented fragrance wafts, the bestowal of grace that encompassed the servants with his generosity and beneficence, the path of happiness by which Allah saved every believer from the torment of hellfire and its flames. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing that benefits the rememberer through his love for him and his faith, and makes him among the inhabitants of al-Baqi' ⁴⁵⁴ and his neighbors, and gathers him under Your protective shade with his family, offspring, and brethren, by Your bounty and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, I ask You, O my Lord, by the right of his noble essence, and by his high and exalted lineage, and by his hidden jewel ⁴⁵⁵ concealed in the subtle recesses of the unseen, that You make my foot firm on the bridge ⁴⁵⁶ on the Day of Presentation and Passage, and make me among those who attain his intercession with their families and spouses, and succeed 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 adornment ⁴⁵⁷ at whose beauty's vision the intellects are bewildered, and by whose love's trace the eyelids are anointed. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pole of the worlds, great in station and rank, the sun of the sphere of prophethood and messengership, the forbearing, the oft-sighing, whose head You created from guidance, his forelock from might, his eyebrows from splendor, his eyes from modesty, his ears from preservation and proximity to You, and You chose 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 mention mouths delight in, the most noble of those whose praise tongues and lips are honored by, whose face You created from cheerfulness, his cheek from light, his nose from care, his mouth from truth, and You selected him for sovereignty and approved him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the most generous of those whose bounty and liberality encompassed all creatures, the most excellent of those whose conduct the noble ones followed and by whose guidance they were guided, whose tongue You created from truthfulness, his teeth from expansiveness, his beard from contentment, his neck from humility, and You named him with the most noble of names with You and made him beloved in hearts.

O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the veiler of the secret ⁴⁵⁸ brought near to his Lord, the truthful envoy of the unseen ⁴⁵⁹ in his claim, whose hands You created from chivalry ⁴⁶⁰, his upper arm from trust ⁴⁶¹, his chest from sincerity, his heart from contemplation, his back from strength, his belly from scrupulousness ⁴⁶², and his deeds from sincerity, and You chose him from the purest mines and selected him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the most beautiful chosen one, by whose radiant face and splendor the universe was illuminated, and the greatest intercessor, to whom the sinner clings for his immense station and protection, whose heart You created from fear, his intestines from asceticism ⁴⁶³, his thighs from infallibility ⁴⁶⁴, his knees from divine support ⁴⁶⁵, his feet from uprightness, and his limbs from patience, and You aided him in what You commanded him and strengthened him. So bless him, O Allah, and his family with a blessing by which You make us among those whom You have adorned with noble character and refined, honored with knowledge and action, and adorned with the garment of piety, crowned with the crown of Your care, and advanced in the processions of honor, and granted him in the highest paradises what no eye has seen nor ear heard, and honored him with the vision of Your noble face, and grant abundant and exalted peace. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Master of messengers, intercessor of intercessors, and the most eminent of all messengers in rank, The most beautiful of people in appearance, from whom a light radiated and trembled upon the wall. His ear between locks of hair, if it appears through the hair, resembles a star. When he walks gently, his stature is like a branch of a ban tree ⁴⁶⁶ shaken by the east wind. His white cheek is fresh, its rose is mixed with jasmine. His chin is like musk, with a rosary ⁴⁶⁷ that fills the chest with awe and reverence. The jewel of his teeth is arranged, having gathered from the honey of his fresh saliva. And a forehead—ah, a radiant morning that fills the eyes with light and wonder. His aquiline, high-bridged nose, the source of light, attained justice in a most wondrous description. His luminous neck, with a prominence like a pitcher when it stands upright. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of every speaking and silent being, the model of every worshiper and devout one, upon whom Gabriel, peace be upon him, descended and said to him: "Indeed Allah sends you greetings and says to you: 'Do you wish that I make these mountains gold and be with you wherever you are?'" So he lowered his head for a moment, then said: "O Gabriel, indeed the world and its adornment are for him, and provide for him, and wealth is between—no wealth for him who gathers it between—no intellect for him." So Gabriel said to him: "May Allah make you firm, O Muhammad, with the firm word." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad, the best beloved, whose sobriety and effacement ⁴⁶⁸ remained in the contemplation of the Truth, and the most honored intimate, whose forbearance and pardon encompassed all servants, who liked good omens and good words, and when he went out for a need, he liked "O guided one, O successful one, O perfect one" and the like. 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 ascended the ranks of honor and rose, the most excellent of those who listened to the hearing of Your revelation and received it, who never took an evil omen from anything, and if he disliked something, his dislike was seen on his face, and he joked but only spoke the truth. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of every bowing and prostrating one, the imam of every scrupulous and ascetic one, who one day went out to the market and came from behind a man named Zahir ⁴⁶⁹, whom he loved, and placed his hands over his eyes, and he did not know that he was the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, until he said, "Who will buy the slave?" So he began to wipe his back with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, "Do you find me unsalable, O Messenger of Allah?" He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him: "But with your Lord, you are not unsalable." So bless him, O Allah, and his family, the noble chiefs, and his Companions of noble character and praiseworthy traits, with a blessing that brings us by it from the springs of Your generosity and his generosity the sweetest of sources, and conveys us by it from Your pleasure and his pleasure to the utmost of wishes and goals, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. The eyelids of your eye are limbs for hearts, O traveler, while the stature is obeyed. Woe to him! Is there a glance for a lovesick one Who has turned to something other than you? Whenever a limb of your beauty shines or appears, My soul is a pasture and my heart a meadow. Love has planted in the fire of my heart a garden In which the doves of sorrows sing. You have made my entrails upon the embers of the ghada tree ⁴⁷⁰, Burning, while the flint of my longing strikes fire. The night of separation from you has become sleepless, And by the dawn of your parting, loves have become mornings. Will you accept from me the testimony of a soul That has melted away in yearning, while your glance wounds? The sun has shone from the lights of your face, And the moon from the luster of your beauty gleams. So may Allah bless you as long as the east wind blows And the cooing doves warble in the thicket. My God, by Your pleasure was this great distinction for my master, Zahir, from Your Prophet, until he was pleased with him, and by Your gaze upon him with the eye of felicity, he attained this lofty station until You brought him near and close. So I ask You, O my Master, by Your merciful gaze with which You looked upon the beloved of Your beloved, Master Zahir, whereby his shining star shone in the sky of high stations, and his flourishing branch bore fruit in the tree of glory, and by Your love with which You distinguished him, so that he came to be called the beloved of the Beloved in the deserts and cities, that You grant me a share in that gaze with which You looked upon him, so that the fragrant breeze of its garden spread in the realms of the kingdom and the dominion, and make me happy with that happiness with which You made him happy, until he attained from the love of Your Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the highest stations and the greatest honors, and bestow upon me his eternal gifts and his noble luminous presents, by which his virtue became famous among the notables and the great, and pour upon me, O Allah, from the ocean of Your generosity and the generosity of Your Prophet, our master Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the pole of mosques and pulpits, and thereby gladden my eye among the elite of the chosen and the leaders of the famous, and illuminate my heart with Your light and his sublime, brilliant light, and extend to me with Your secret and his secret, the hidden and the manifest, and gird me with Your sword and his sword that subdues and overcomes Your enemies, and protect me with Your care and his care from the assault of every attacker and the tyranny of every oppressor, and repel from me every harm that disturbs the sources and destinations, and ward off from me every distraction that occupies thoughts and reflections, and clothe me with an Ahmadic ⁴⁷¹ garment by which I may boast over all creation, and grant me a beautiful patience and a good end, and make me among those who are guided by his guidance and follow his sunna ⁴⁷², and gather me with him in the highest paradise, O Lord of the worlds. And bless our master Muhammad and his family and grant them peace.

Our master Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the pole ⁴⁷³ of the first and the last, and intercede through Your beloved, our master of the eminent and the famous, and grant me a forgiveness that leaves no sin in my record on the day when realities become manifest and secrets are disclosed, and grant me intercession for myself, my family, my children, my parents, my spouses, my loved ones, and my companions, both absent and present, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. * My intercessor to my Lord is the Prophet Muhammad * Indeed, he who has him as intercessor tomorrow has succeeded (171) * Muhammad, the gatherer of all praises, has always been * For those in the seven heavens and the earth, a master * My support, my hope, my wealth, my protector * And the ultimate goal of my aim when I find no destination * I strengthened my resolve through him and prepared my means * And I made him my helper in times of calamity * I tied my hopes to him and to his love * And whoever finds goodness, if he ties himself, becomes bound * Answer, O Messenger of Allah, the call of a praiser * Who sees you as the goal for all the good he hopes for * And may Allah bless you as long as a cloud pours rain * And as long as a turtledove of the araak ⁴⁷⁴ coos melodiously * A blessing that resembles the sun in light and elevation * And remains eternal over the two new things ⁴⁷⁵ * It is specific to you, O unique one of existence, and reaches me * Its radiance repeated upon the noble companions 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 fragrant breaths refresh thoughts, and the most generous from whose sea of generosity and flood of mercy the delegations draw. He, by the excellence of his companionship, perfection of his manners, and expansiveness of his character with his companions and all his followers, would unite people and not repel them, caution them and guard against them without withholding his cheerfulness or character from any of them. He would check on his companions and give each of his companions their due, so that no companion thought that anyone was more honored by him than himself. Whoever sat with him or approached him for a need, he would bear with him until he himself was the one to leave. His kindness and character encompassed people, so he became a father to them, and they were equal before him in truth. He would jest with his companions, mix with them, converse with them, visit the sick at the farthest end of Medina, accept the excuse of the one who apologized, and never did anyone whisper in his ear (172) without him inclining his head until the man himself would move his head away. No one ever took his hand and he would withdraw his hand until the other let go. He never placed his knees before a companion. He would initiate the handshake with his companions, address them by their kunyas ⁴⁷⁶, and call them by their most beloved names to honor them. He would not interrupt anyone's speech until they finished, then he would end it with a prohibition or by standing. He was the most shy of people and the most lowering of his gaze from private parts. When he heard something unpleasant about someone, he would not say, 'What is wrong with so-and-so doing such-and-such?' but rather, 'What is wrong with people who do such-and-such and say such-and-such?' forbidding it without naming the doer. No one would sit with him while he was praying except that he would shorten his prayer and ask about their need, and when finished, he would return to his prayer. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those who clarified the paths of conduct for the wayfarers, and the most excellent of those who warded off all kinds of harm and injury from his community. When he retired to his home, he divided his time into three parts: a part for Allah, a part for his family, and a part for himself. Then he divided his part between himself and the people, and he would allocate that specifically to the general public, withholding nothing from them. His practice concerning the part for the community was to give precedence to the people of merit by his permission, and he would distribute according to their merit in religion. Among them were those with one need, those with two needs, and those with many needs. He would occupy himself with them and engage them in what would benefit them and the community, asking about them and informing them of what was appropriate for them. He would say to them: 'Let those who are present convey to those who are absent, and inform me of the need of those who cannot convey it, for whoever conveys the need of one who cannot convey it to a ruler, Allah will make his feet firm on the Day of Resurrection.' Nothing else was mentioned in his presence, and he would not accept anything else from anyone (173). They would depart as visitors and would not separate except after tasting, and they would not leave at first, meaning from goodness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of beloved ones You have brought near to You, and the most honored of chosen ones upon whom You have bestowed every good that is with You. He was always cheerful, easy-going, gentle, not harsh or rude, not clamorous or boisterous, not a faultfinder or excessive praiser. He would overlook what was undesirable and not despair of it. No one from his companions or family would call him except that he would say, 'At your service.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of every believer and his lord, the support of every saint and his pillar. He would visit the weak Muslims, visit their sick, and attend their funerals. When he came to the door of a people, he would not face the door directly but from its right or left side, and he would say, 'Peace be upon you, peace be upon you.' When a man came to him and he saw joy on his face, he would take his hand. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the most honored to whom journeys are made, and the most majestic before whom the treasured gray hair is rubbed in the dust. He would honor the one who entered upon him and give him preference with the cushion that was under him. If he refused to accept it, he would insist until he did. No one ever considered him weak except that he thought he was the most honored of people to him, so that he would give everyone who sat with him his due from his face. Sometimes he would spread his garment for someone with whom he had no kinship or foster relationship and seat him on it. (174) 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 Allah honored and made manifest his virtue, magnified his rank, and purified his origin and his distinction. He was the most smiling of people in the faces of his companions, and the most amazed at what they spoke about. Sometimes he would laugh until his molars showed, as long as no Quran was revealed to him, or he mentioned the Hour, or delivered a great sermon. The laughter of his companions in his presence was a smile, out of emulation and reverence for him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of the inhabitants of the upper and lower worlds, and the one whose love and remembrance are obligatory and supererogatory, and who is my sight, my hearing, my intellect, my spirit, my rest, and my form. He said to the purified one ⁴⁷⁷, may Allah be pleased with her, when she said to him, 'Whoever has no preceding child in your community, I am the preceding child for my community; they will not be afflicted with the likes of me.' So bless him, O Allah, and his family and his companions, a blessing through which You grant us the excellence of his intercession, the honor of his protection, and the secret of his care, by Your grace, generosity, kindness, bounty, beneficence, and compassion. Amen, amen, amen, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, I ask You by the sanctity of this noble Prophet and his noble qualities, and by the knowledge of his steadfastness and the light of his handsome countenance, and by his noble gifts and the fragrant breezes of his beneficence and his immense endowments, and by his grave and the honor of his lineage and his lofty station, to bless him and his family, and not to take me to task

With my crimes and the abominations of my blameworthy deeds. I am in your protection, O Messenger of Allah, I am in your protection, O Beloved of Allah, I am in your protection, O Chosen of Allah. For I have sought intercession through your immense standing ⁴⁷⁸ with Allah, and the most needy of people for intercession is a servant who has sinned against himself and has not sent ahead what would please him on the night of his arrival at his grave ⁴⁷⁹ except Allah's pardon and your love, O my master, O Messenger of Allah. (175) O Allah, grant him intercession for me, O my Lord, by his standing with You, and place me within the circle of his greatest fortress and the encompassing of his most noble veil. Break the idol of my ego through the overwhelming force of Your support, and fill the corners of my heart with the lights of Your Oneness. Remove the yoke of passion from my neck, and do not bestow upon me a state that does not please You, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. ❖ Blessed is the lover of the Chosen One ⁴⁸⁰ ❖ And in the field of high stations he has preceded ❖ How could he not be blessed, whom He has singled out ❖ With love and attached to his meaning? ❖ How could a passionate one not love his beauty ❖ When all beauty in him has shone forth? ❖ His form was created unique ❖ In beauty, majesty, and harmony ❖ All the forms of the world are servants ❖ To his radiance when it manifests and shines ❖ In his face, the suns of beauty have ❖ Risen, and the full moon from him has gleamed ❖ And a forehead, a radiant morning ❖ Above it, dark hair like dusk ❖ After the hair was let down, ❖ Gabriel came to him with the parting ⁴⁸¹ and divided ❖ His cheek is the morning in its splendor ❖ Meeting in his two cheeks with the twilight ❖ Or the jasmine in its whiteness ❖ With its reddening, a rose on a plate ❖ Of carnelian, the seal of the mouth is his ❖ And upon pearls with honey it has closed ❖ His saliva contains sustenance and healing ❖ In it is what he intends for those who deserve it ❖ Fair of complexion, pleasant of taste ❖ Never sober from his neck, gold has gleamed (176) ❖ His black eye has a beauty spot ❖ With arrows of love, it has pierced a heart ❖ And you would think his body a flower ❖ Its bud has burst from him with the shade ❖ And you would think his perspiration pearls ❖ And you would think his musk in his sweat ❖ And when he passes by paths after him ❖ Fragrance emanates from him and diffuses Like a branch that bends with leaves, And the swift-stepping Taha ⁴⁸² has preceded. If a tall person walks with him, he overtakes him, With the fragrance of fresh flowers and basil. His perfumed hand resembles a garden; Its scent in his hand was inhaled. Whoever shook hands with him for a period, Attained beauty in stature accordingly. Like two poles of pearls for us, Then in his face there is a burning reality. Glorified is He who placed in him such awe That one almost perishes from terror and fear. Whoever saw him by chance, With forbearance and purity, surpassed the masses. With perfection, dignity, and modesty, And when he said 'yes', he immediately fulfilled it. If he said 'no', he never said 'yes' afterwards; His Lord in that spoke through revelation. Everything he told us about and concerning, The Lord disclosed secrets for him that were sealed. His character was the Qur'an, how great it was! In the desert, for his companions, rivers of abundance flowed. A master between whose fingers rivers ran, His generosity flooded over people like a deluge. (177) Do not say the sea is like the generosity of the Chosen One, His family and companions, as long as the horizon gleams. May Allah bless and grant peace to him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the rising star of Yemen in its sky, the best servant Allah chose for His presence and made him among His beloved, the one at whose prayer the threshold of the door and the walls of the house bore witness. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best whose dawn rose in the sky of high stations, whose fame spread and resounded in the sanctuaries of holiness, and rose high. He to whom a blind man came asking him to pray for him to restore his sight, and he instructed him to seek his intercession ⁴⁸³ in his prayer, teaching him, and he did so, and Allah restored his sight, and he returned. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best who clarified the paths and explained the ways, the succor of the seeker of help, the rescuer from perils. He who spat into the eye of Ali on the day of Khaybar while he was suffering from ophthalmia, and he was cured instantly and never suffered from it again. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of the two groups ⁴⁸⁴ and the most fortunate, the most eager to establish the prescribed punishments and the most severe. He who restored the eye of Qatada ibn al-Nu'man after it had fallen onto his cheek, and it became the best and sharpest of his two eyes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best through whom matters became easy and facilitated, and through whom the landmarks of religion became clear and evident. He who spat on the hand of Mu'adh ibn 'Afra' after it had remained attached only by a piece of skin, and it stuck back and became as it was. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the rising star of blessing and fortune, the best of whom Tihama and Najd boast. He who spat on the wound of al-Harith ibn Aws, and it never hurt him afterwards. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master (178) Muhammad, the brought near, the blessed, the possessor of accepted endeavor. He who spat on the wound of Abu Ruhm al-Ghifari after he had been struck by an arrow in his throat on the day of Uhud, and it healed, and he was called 'the one with the pierced throat'. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the star of light ascending, the possessor of the most guided religion. He who wiped the chest of a madman, and he vomited from his insides something like a black puppy. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the adornment of the tribe and the group, the best whose mention the pen has traced and written. He who, when Salama ibn al-Akwa' was struck on his leg, blew on it three times, and he never complained of it afterwards. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the house of honor and victory, the most pious, truthful in emigration. He who blew into the eyes of Qatada when they had become white and he could not see anything with them, and he was able to thread a needle. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best through whom rains poured down and flowed, and through whom chains of transmission were related and authenticated. He who wiped the leg of 'Abdullah ibn 'Atik after it was broken, when he had killed Abu Rafi', and it healed.

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 all creatures submitted in obedience and whose courtyard the mounts encamped, who placed his noble hand on a sick person and he was healed instantly. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the most honored praised one from whose forehead the lightning of beauty shone, and the most generous messenger through whose religion the nations were blessed, who touched Umar ibn al-Khattab with his hand and shook him, and he embraced Islam at that very moment. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whose grace and gift encompassed all servants, and whose praise and commendation were pleasant to the righteous, who wiped the head of al-Muhallab al-Ta'i ⁴⁸⁵ while he was bald, and his hair grew and became even, and his ailment disappeared instantly. 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 investigated and examined the religion, who caught the elusive wisdoms and hunted them, who wiped the udder of a barren ewe ⁴⁸⁶ that had never been mounted by a ram, and milk flowed into it, so he milked into a vessel, drank, and gave drink to Abu Bakr, then said to the udder, "Contract," and it contracted. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of this community, the refuge of its adherence, the ruby of its necklace, and the string of its order. 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 were absorbed and immersed in God, who cared for the affairs of this community and was compassionate, who held a dry stick in his hand and it became green and sprouted leaves. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the truthful and trustworthy, the light of clear victory, who spat into a salty well with little water, and it gushed forth instantly with fresh, flowing water. 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 disseminated the subtleties of knowledge and studied, who harvested the fruits of realities and planted, who wiped the face and chest of 'A'idh ibn 'Amir when he was wounded on the day of Hunayn ⁴⁸⁷ and prayed for him, and the trace of his noble hand remained on his chest as a flowing white mark like the blaze of a horse. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sun of joy, the adornment of the beloved and the forelock, who wiped the head of Bishr ibn Mu'awiya and prayed for blessing for him, and the mark of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was on his face. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the lord of kings and kingdoms, through whom God saved creation from the paths of error and destruction, who wiped the head of Abu Sufyan, and the part his hand touched became black, while the rest turned white. 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 houses of honor and raised their glory, the most generous of those to whom God gave guidance and righteousness, who wiped the head of al-Sa'ib ibn Yazid and prayed for blessing for him, and he lived to ninety-four years and was strong. 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 speech was pleasant to hear and delightful, the most excellent of those who were sincere to God and repented, who wiped the face and head of 'Amr ibn Tha'laba and prayed for blessing for him, and he lived a hundred years without his hair turning white. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the lord of the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, the intercessor on the Day of Reckoning and Presentation, who wiped the head of al-Bashir ibn 'Uqraba, and the trace of his hand on his head was black while the rest was white. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those through whom God healed sick hearts and forgave every sin and crime, who wiped the head of Qays ibn Yazid and gave him a staff, and the place of his noble hand on Qays never turned white. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of the revealed Book, the best through whom the sinner seeks intercession and mediation to God, who wiped the head of Yasar ibn Zuhayr and gave him a sword, and his head never turned white until he met God Almighty. 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 loved and hated for God, who averted his gaze from the vanities of the world and turned away, who wiped the head and beard of Abu Zayd al-Ansari, then said, "O God, beautify him," and he lived to over a hundred years, and there was only a little white hair on his head and beard. 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 God gifted with the jewels of His subtle secrets and raised his lofty rank in the highest 'Illiyin ⁴⁸⁸, who wiped the head of Muhammad ibn Fadala when he was two weeks old, and said, "Name him Yasin ⁴⁸⁹ and do not throw anything at him," and he lived until all his hair turned white, but the place of his noble hand never turned white. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the mine of generosity and kindness, the lover of Tayba ⁴⁹⁰ and the Sanctuary, who wiped the head of Hanzala ibn Hudhaym and said, "Blessed be he," and whenever a sheep, camel, or person with a swelling was brought to him, he would twist it in his hand, wipe it on his bald spot, and say, "In the name of God, and following the hand of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him)," then he would wipe the place of the swelling and it would disappear. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the adornment of tradition and the beauty of stories, the best of those who investigated the subtleties of knowledge and examined, whom the wife of Mu'adh ibn 'Afra' complained to about leprosy, and he wiped her with some of his saliva, and God removed the leprosy from her. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of people in rows, the most frequent in fasting and seclusion, to whom 'Umayra al-Ansariyya and her sisters came and pledged allegiance, and they found him eating dried meat; he chewed a piece for them and handed it to them, and they divided it among themselves, each chewing a piece, and they met God without any complaint from their mouths or finding any bad odor in their mouths. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pride

Islam, the bearer of the banner of glory and the master of mankind, the guide to the path of right guidance. Abu Hurayra used to hear many hadiths from him and forget them, so he mentioned that to him, and he said: "Spread your cloak." So he spread it, and he scooped with his hand into it, then said to him: "Fold it." So he folded it, and he never forgot a hadith after that. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad ⁴⁹¹ and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whom Allah praised in His Book, cared for, and drew close to His side, the one for whom Allah revived his parents until they believed in him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the truthful in speech and the eradicator of ignorance, who prayed hoping for Islam and said: "Until You revive my daughter for me," so she was revived and testified to his prophethood. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of firm intellect and strong religion, who placed his hand on Jabir's sheep after it was cooked, then spoke some words, and it stood up shaking its ears instantly. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the beloved of Allah and the friend of truth, the caller to Allah, who brought a boy who had grown up and never spoken, and said to him: "Who am I?" He said: "You are the Messenger of Allah." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those who preserved the Shari'a and treated bodies with his antidote and medicine, who brought a boy on the day he was born and said to him: "Who am I?" He said: "You are the Messenger of Allah." Then the boy never spoke again until he grew up. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those through whose aid souls are purified and visitors are blessed by his city, who, when he prayed for a man, the prayer would affect him, his child, and his child's child. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pearl of the necklace and the best of those who attained honor and built houses of glory, who prayed for Ali that he be spared heat and cold, so he would wear summer clothes in winter and winter clothes in summer, and neither heat nor cold would affect him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best servant whom You sponsored and sheltered ⁴⁹² and the most generous noble whom You chose and selected, whose mother Anas said to him: "Your servant Anas, pray to Allah for him." So he said: "O Allah, increase his wealth and children and bless him in what You have given him." So he did not die until he would say: "By Allah, my wealth is abundant, and my children and grandchildren now number about a hundred." O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those before whose beautiful countenance heads bowed and around whom, in the presence of secrets, the subtle cups ⁴⁹³ revolved, who prayed for 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf for blessing, so gold was dug up from his legacy with pickaxes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the ornament of letters and names and the possessor of ever-increasing good, who prayed for Mu'awiya for empowerment in the lands, so he attained the supreme caliphate. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, and the best of those to whom the lover yearns and longs for his station, who prayed for al-Nabigha and said to him: "May Allah not break your teeth." So no tooth of his ever fell out. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the watering place of the thirsty and the master of peers, who prayed for Ibn 'Abbas and said: "O Allah, give him understanding of the religion and teach him interpretation ⁴⁹⁴." So he was later called the scholar and the interpreter ⁴⁹⁵. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the source of benefit and the star of blessing and happiness, who prayed for 'Abd Allah ibn Ja'far for blessing in the transaction of his right hand, so he never bought anything without profit and increase appearing in it. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the overflowing bounty and the sea of perfection, who prayed for al-Miqdad for blessing, so he had sacks of wealth. 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 Allah gave tenderness and compassion and placed in stations of honor and nearness, who prayed for 'Urwa ibn Abi Ja'd and said: "Indeed, I would go to the garbage dump and not return until I had earned forty thousand." 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 Allah sheltered unto Himself and souls desired what is with Him, who prayed for Ghurqada ⁴⁹⁶ when his she-camel ran away, so he prayed and a whirlwind brought it until it returned to him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the paradise of visitors and the ultimate hope and goal, who prayed for his daughter Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her, that Allah would not let her go hungry, so she never went hungry after that. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the beacon of light and the hall of assemblies and hearts, whom al-Tufayl ibn 'Amr asked for a sign for his people, so he said: "O Allah, give him light." So a light shone from him, and he would illuminate the dark night, so he was called Dhu al-Nur ⁴⁹⁷. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the truthful in insight and vision and the best of those to whom Allah gave the lofty rank and high station, who prayed against Kisra ⁴⁹⁸ when he tore up his letter, that Allah would tear up his kingdom, so no remnant of it remained, and no Persian retained leadership in any part of the world. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the everlasting glory of the most pious and the sword of Allah subduing those who deny, who prayed for 'Utba ibn Abi Lahab and said:

O Allah, set upon him a dog from among Your dogs ⁴⁹⁹, and the lion devoured him. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the lord of majesty, the great in rank, the sultan of the kingdom, the bearer of the banner of glory, who invoked [Allah] against Quraysh when they placed the sword on his neck and named them, and they were killed on the day of Badr. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of miracles and wonders, the succor of the seeker of aid, great in blessings, who invoked [Allah] against al-Hakam ibn Abi al-As ⁵⁰⁰, who used to twitch his face and wink his mouth, and he saw him and said: 'Thus be,' and he did not cease twitching until he died. 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 gave birth and were born, from whom hadith is narrated and attributed, who invoked [Allah] against a boy who interrupted his prayer, and he became paralyzed. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the valiant, the lofty in station, the possessor of signs and great miracles, who invoked [Allah] against Mudar with drought ⁵⁰¹, and they were afflicted with a drought that consumed everything until they ate carrion and bones. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the bringer of glad tidings and warning, the sea of sciences with clear expression, who invoked [Allah] against Ibn Junama ⁵⁰², and he died after seven [days], and the earth cast him out; then he was buried, and the earth cast him out repeatedly, so they threw him between two mountains and covered him with stones. 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 held the banner of honor and grasped its origin, who subdued souls and turned them from their ignorance, who was denied [the payment] for a horse sale, and said: 'O Allah, if he is lying, do not bless him in it,' and it became lame in its leg. 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 defended Islam and organized its system, who strove in the path of Allah and shot his arrows, who prodded Jabir's camel ⁵⁰³ when it was exhausted, and it became so lively that he could not control its reins. 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 Allah granted love and envy for him, and made attachment and connection to him, who prodded a horse belonging to Ju'ayl al-Ashja'i ⁵⁰⁴ and struck it with a whip he had, and blessed it, and it became so spirited that he could not control its head. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of families, companions, and tribes. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the elite of the children of Adam, the master of those present or past, to whom Mu'awwidh ibn Afra' ⁵⁰⁵ brought a basket of ripe dates and a young slave, and he gave him a handful of jewelry and gold and said: 'I am the most generous of the children of Adam.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the crown of kings and princes, the master of nobles and great ones, who used to give such gifts that none of the great kings could match, while living himself the life of the poor. 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 Allah praised in word and deed, and gave him sound opinion and intellect, who would go a month or two without a fire being lit in his house, and sometimes he would tie a stone to his belly from hunger, and he never ate his fill of barley bread or wheat for three consecutive days until he met Allah, out of preference for others over himself, not out of poverty or stinginess. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the sun of rising, the place of humility and submission, to whom a captive came, and Fatima complained to him of what she suffered from the handmill and housework, and asked him for a servant to suffice her, and he ordered her to seek help with glorification ⁵⁰⁶, praise, and magnification, and said: 'Should I give you and leave the people of the Suffa ⁵⁰⁷ with empty stomachs from hunger?' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of every near one and kingdom, the best of those who ascended the ranks of high stations and traversed, who said to Jabir ibn Abd Allah ⁵⁰⁸ concerning his camel: 'It is yours, O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be your ransom,' and he paid him the price and added to it, then said: 'Go with the price and the camel, may Allah bless you in both,' as a reward for your saying 'It is yours.' O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the fragrant in scent, the point of the secret of the letter, to whom a woman came on the day of Hunayn ⁵⁰⁹ and recited poetry to him, and he mentioned the days of his suckling among Hawazin, and he returned to them what he had taken and gave them a great gift, even to people whom he had not given that day, and it was five hundred thousand thousand. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the mine of generosity and munificence, the master of Arabs and non-Arabs, who was brought wealth from Bahrain amounting to one hundred thousand, and he said: 'Scatter it in the mosque,' and he left without looking at it; when he finished the prayer, he came and sat by it, and he did not see anyone but he gave him, and he did not get up while there remained a single dirham of it. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, my army and the one through whom I am aided and fortified, the one through whom I seek refuge and am granted refuge, to whom a man came asking, and he said: 'I have nothing, but buy on credit, and when something comes to us, we will pay it.' Umar said: 'Allah has not burdened you with what you cannot afford.' He disliked that, and a man from the Ansar said: 'O Messenger of Allah, spend and do not fear from the Owner of the Throne ⁵¹⁰ poverty.' So he smiled, and joy was seen on his face, and he said: 'With this I have been commanded. May Allah bless us in you, O prophet, how noble you are, and O generous one, how forbearing you are, and in doing good, how constant you are.' This is the ultimate generosity, the like of which has not been seen in existence. O ultimate desire and goal, O my master, O Messenger of Allah. O Allah, by his rank with You, bestow upon me Your pardon and forgiveness, and make me among the people of Your party and love, and deprive me not of the overflowing of his favor, O Most Generous of the generous, 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 clear signs, who, when a matter pleased him, would say...

Praise be to God, by whose grace good deeds are completed. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the adornment of companions and family, who, when something he disliked came to him, would say: 'Praise be to God in every circumstance.' 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 guided servants to God and gathered them, who, when food was brought to him, would ask about it. If it was said to be charity, he would say to his companions: 'Eat,' and he would not eat; if it was said to be a gift, he would put his hand in and eat with them. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those by whose mention souls are purified and yearn, who, when food was brought to him, would eat from what was in front of him, and when dates were brought, his hand would move among them. 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 united servants and reconciled between them, who, when something was brought to him, would give it to all the household, disliking to separate them. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the one granted success in stillness and motion, who, when milk was brought to him, would say: 'Blessing.' O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the dear one to family and neighbors, who, when the first fruits of dates were brought to him, would place them on his eyes, then on his lips, and say: 'O God, just as You have shown us its beginning, show us its end.' Then he would give it to any children present. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the healing antidote against the disease of incapacity and laziness, whose favorite drink was honey. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of the descendants of Adnan, whose favorite month to fast was Sha'ban. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the beloved of the Lord Almighty, whose favorite deed was that which was done regularly, even if little. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of generosity and bounty, who, when needing to relieve himself, preferred to conceal himself behind a mound or a beehive. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the blessed one whose soil and grave are sought for blessing, who was the lightest of people in prayer for others and the longest in prayer for himself. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the most generous and noble of people, who, when he visited a sick person or was brought to one, would say: 'Remove the affliction, Lord of people, and heal, for You are the Healer; there is no healing but Your healing, a healing that leaves no sickness.' O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whom God honored with His blessings and entrusted, who, when a man came to him with a name he disliked, would change it. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the beloved of the Merciful, who, when people brought their charity, would say: 'O God, bless the family of so-and-so.' O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of comprehensive benefits, who used to eat with three fingers and use the fourth for help. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pure and fragrant of breath, who used to command giving gifts as a bond between people. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of the angels brought near, who would send to public places, and water would be brought to him, and he would drink it, hoping for the blessing of the Muslims' hands. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those by whose administration the kingdom was set right, who used to remember God Almighty in all his moments. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the penitent prophet, who used to begin his supplication with 'Glory be to my Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, the Bestower.' O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the shining star, who used to delight in looking at greenery and flowing water. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the master of every speaking and inanimate thing, who used to perform ritual purification ⁵¹¹ with his wife from a single vessel. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whom God favored over servants and honored, who used to perform ritual purification on Friday, the day of Fitr, the day of Nahr, and Arafa. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of everlasting might, who used to apply kohl ⁵¹² with antimony while fasting. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those whom God clothed with the light of His beauty and comeliness, who used to apply kohl every night, cup ⁵¹³ every month, and drink medicine every year. 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 made the religion famous and raised its banner, who used to lengthen the prayer and shorten the sermon, and did not disdain nor consider it too great to walk with a widow, a poor person, or a slave until he fulfilled their need. O God, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the possessor of...

The surpassing beauty and the luminous face, who ate on the ground and sat on the ground, and tied the sheep ⁵¹⁴ and answered the invitation of kings to barley bread. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the ocean of the secret of the great ones ⁵¹⁵ and the continuous flow of their cups, who used to visit the Ansar ⁵¹⁶ and greet their children and wipe their heads. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the spirit of the servants and the sustenance of their constitution, who sold the palm trees of Banu al-Nadir ⁵¹⁷ and reserved for his family their year's provision. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the humble, pure in word and deed, who used to walk to visit the sick barefoot, without khuff ⁵¹⁸ or sandal. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the forbearing, the penitent, who was invited to barley bread and generous broth ⁵¹⁹ and answered. 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 every praiser vies to praise and elaborates, who accepted gifts even if they were a sip of milk or a rabbit's thigh. 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 Allah guided to goodness and its people, who ate what was present, did not refuse what he found, and did not abstain from lawful food; if he found dates without bread, he ate them. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those to whom the seekers of refuge cling, who did not push people away from him, nor did they strike [him]. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of servants whom You drew to Yourself and brought near, about whom Anas ⁵²⁰ said: I served him for ten years, and he never said 'uff' to me, nor did he ever say to me for something I did: 'Why did you do it?' nor for something I left: 'Why did you leave 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 to whom Allah gave forbearance, humility, and right guidance, whose Lord gave him the choice between being a prophet-king or a prophet-servant, and he chose to be a prophet-servant. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the great in rank, the renowned in nobility, to whom Israfil ⁵²¹ said: Allah has given you, because of your humility before Him, that you are the master of the children of Adam on the Day of Resurrection. 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 branches and roots have appeared, who said: Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising Jesus son of Mary; I am only a servant, so say: servant of Allah and His Messenger. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the best of those who clarified the religion and explained its paths, who did not let anyone walk behind him and said: Leave my back for the angels. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the adornment of the community ⁵²² and the pure healer from every disease and ailment, who was the most humble of people without abasement. O Allah, bless and grant peace to our master and lord Muhammad and to the family of our master Muhammad, the pious, the pure, the chaste, who carried children in front of him and behind him, and rode whatever was available: sometimes a horse, sometimes a camel, sometimes a mule, and sometimes a donkey; and on the day of Banu Qurayza ⁵²³ he rode a donkey bridled with a rope of palm fiber. Blessed are you, O noble prophet, how great is your rank! And O humble, chaste one, how mighty is your command! This is the ultimate humility, whose stations cannot be attained; the ultimate asceticism and chastity, whose positions cannot be sought; and the perfection of virtue and honor, whose merits cannot be counted. O eye of mercy, intercessor of the community, remover of distress, and beautifier of darkness, O my master, O Messenger of Allah. O Allah, by your rank with You and by the sanctity of his ten noble, righteous companions ⁵²⁴, whom You testified to Paradise and whose excellence and love all Ahl al-Sunna ⁵²⁵ agree upon, honor me with the light of understanding, knowledge, and action; protect my limbs from falling into error and slip; and do not make me among those whom hope deluded and respite deceived, so that he became frolicking in the gardens of diversion and heedlessness and swimming in the seas of pleasures and desires. Do not seal my heart with the stamp of the perishing world; forgive me, pardon me, and seal my end with a good seal; do not take me to task for what I have committed in past days. My master, how long have I been deceiving myself and entertaining it with wishes? My master, how long have I been frolicking in the field of diversion while You see me? My master, how long have I been plunging into what does not concern me and filling my register with falsehoods? My master, how long have I disobeyed You, yet You did not expose my secret to my family and neighbors? My master, how many times have I faced You with what You dislike, yet You did not take me to task for my falsehood and slander? My master, how long have I been postponing repentance from night to morning and from morning to night until my defect and deficiency became apparent? My master, how many times has Your caller called me, yet I did not answer him out of my misery and deprivation? My master, how long have I been exposing myself to Your wrath, yet You treat me with Your forgiveness despite my great ignorance and disobedience? My master, how many times have You forbidden me, yet I did not desist; You admonished me, yet I did not take heed; and I persisted in my wrongdoing and tyranny? My master, how long have I been frequenting places of destruction and ruin, yet You awaken me with Your forbearance from my heedlessness and forgetfulness? My master, how much of my life have I wasted in idleness, and kept my eyelids awake in nights of sin? My master, ever since I reached puberty, I have been in negligence and procrastination, yet I have not returned nor reined in my reins from that. My master, how often have I rebelled against obedience and opposed, while the eye of Your kindness watches over me? My master, how often have I been remiss in Your regard, yet You treat me with abundant blessings that my tongue cannot sufficiently thank? My master, when the scrolls are unfolded and the scales are set up, what deed will make my scale heavy? My master, modesty has made me ashamed before You; so what excuse and what proof can my human self present? My master, my means have been cut off, and I have found no intercessor to present before You except the love of this noble prophet, and my trust in You and my faith. My master, treat me with Your forgiveness and make me firm with the firm word ⁵²⁶ at the departure of the soul from my body. My master, when it is said to the light ones ⁵²⁷: 'Pass,' and to the heavy ones: 'Fall down,' would that I knew whether I will fall with the heavy ones or pass with the light ones. My master, whenever my life is prolonged, my sins increase; and whenever my age grows, my offenses multiply. My master, whenever I tie a knot, desires undo it; and whenever I build a structure, slips demolish it. My master, whenever I do a deed, sins shatter it; and whenever I conceal a secret, the unseen reveals it. My master, how can I inhale the scent of forgiveness when this is my state? And how can I find the coolness of contentment while I am entrenched in my slip? My master, were it not for Your forgiveness encouraging me...

I would have counted myself among the losers, my Master, were it not for Your grace encompassing me; I would have been among those who despair, my Master, were it not for Your generosity embracing me; I would have been among the perished, my Master, were it not for Your bounty covering me. My Master, You are the Possessor of immense bounty and the Possessor of abundant giving. Who is more generous than You? O Forbearing One, O Generous One, O Benign One, O Compassionate One, O Affectionate One, O Merciful One, O All-Hearing, O All-Seeing, O Most High, O Magnificent One. O He whom the sinners find near when they call upon Him, and whom the ascetics find beloved when they seek Him, and whom those who seek aid find hearing and answering. My Master, there is no night whose darkness mingles and the night lets down the garment of its veil except that I call upon Him who is greater than me in generosity. The creatures disobey me, yet I watch over them, guarding them in their beds as if they had not disobeyed me; I undertake their protection as if they had not sinned between me and them; I bestow favor upon the disobedient and show grace to the wrongdoer. Who is it that called Me and I did not answer him? Or who is it that asked Me and I did not give him? Or who is it that knelt at My door and I turned him away? I am the Bestower, and from Me is bounty; I am the Generous, and from Me is generosity; I am the Munificent, and from Me is munificence. And from My munificence is that I forgive the disobedient after their sins; and from My munificence is that I give the servant what he asks of Me, and I give him what he did not ask; and from My munificence is that I give the repentant as if he had not disobeyed Me. So where do the creatures flee from Me? And where do the sinners turn away from My door? My Master, (195) by Your munificence, which is without end, and by Your generosity, which has no equal or likeness, I ask You not to punish my soul, which bore witness to Your Oneness in pre-eternity; nor my body, which hopes for Your mercy when scandals appear and stratagems fail; nor my face, which prostrated to You in the darkness of night and rubbed its gray hair in humility and supplication; nor my tongue, which affirmed Your Oneness and declared You free from incarnation, anthropomorphism, and likeness; nor my sight, which looked upon Your creations and saw that all besides You is prone to perdition; nor my hearing, which received Your address and met it with obedience, submission, and compliance; nor my mouth, which recited Your Book and clashed with the swords of the people of disputation and argument; nor my heart, which You filled with knowledge of You, so it described You with what befits You of perfection; nor my form, which You straightened with Your power, and it was dazzled by what it saw of majesty and glory; nor my inner being, which turned to You, and You dealt with it with abundant favor in the present and the future; nor my limbs, which submitted to Your obedience, and You guided them after error and misguidance. And protect me, O Allah, in movements and stillness, in words and deeds, and regard me with Your pardon and forgiveness, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds. (196)

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1. as-safīḥ al-a‘lā : The highest horizon; a term in Islamic cosmology referring to the highest celestial sphere or the realm of the divine presence.
2. sidrat al-muntahā : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary; a tree in the seventh heaven marking the end of all knowledge and the boundary beyond which no angel or prophet can pass.
3. quṭb : Pole or axis; in Sufism, the highest spiritual authority and the intermediary between God and creation.
4. awtād : Pegs; in Sufi hierarchy, the four or seven saints who sustain the spiritual order of the world.
5. ajrās : Bells; a Sufi term for certain spiritual beings or stations, possibly referring to those who announce divine mysteries.
6. sitr al-qadam : Veil of the Foot; a Sufi concept referring to the station of the Prophet Muhammad's spiritual rank or the divine attribute of stability.
7. wāḥid al-dawratayn : The one of the two cycles; a reference to the Prophet Muhammad as the master of both the spiritual and physical realms.
8. al-aḥmadī : Ahmadic; relating to the name Ahmad, one of the Prophet Muhammad's names, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
9. maqām maḥmūd : A praiseworthy station; a high spiritual rank, often referring to the Prophet's intercession on the Day of Judgment.
10. ẓill mamdūd : Extended shade; a reference to the shade of the Throne or Paradise, or the Prophet's protection.
11. maqām rabbānī : Lordly station; a spiritual rank attained through divine lordship and closeness to God.
12. sālik rabbānī : Lordly wayfarer; a spiritual traveler on the path to God, guided by divine lordship.
13. majdhūb rūḥānī : Spiritual magnet; one who is spiritually attracted to God, often a saint in a state of divine attraction.
14. madd : Extension; spiritual effusion or flow of divine grace.
15. ʿārif taqī : Pious knower; a gnostic who has deep knowledge of God and is devout.
16. walī wasīm : Distinguished saint; a friend of God marked by spiritual beauty and grace.
17. muqarrab kāmil : Perfect intimate; a saint who is brought near to God and has attained spiritual perfection.
18. mashhad karīm : Noble witnessing; a spiritual vision or encounter with the divine or the Prophet.
19. nāsik shahīr : Renowned devotee; a famous worshiper known for piety and devotion.
20. yawm al-ḥasra wa al-nadāma : Day of Regret and Remorse; the Day of Judgment when the damned regret their deeds.
21. lawḥ al-mushāhada : Tablet of witnessing; a spiritual tablet where divine realities are unveiled to the heart.
22. kitāb al-fatḥ al-mubīn : Book of clear victory; a reference to the Qur'an or the divine decree of triumph.
23. sirr : Secret; the innermost spiritual mystery or the divine secret in the soul.
24. wilāya : Sainthood; the state of being a friend of God, encompassing spiritual authority and closeness.
25. zāhid : Ascetic; one who renounces worldly pleasures for spiritual devotion.
26. tanazzulāt : Descents; divine descents or emanations of spiritual knowledge and grace.
27. alwāḥ al-maḥw wa al-thabāt : Tablets of effacement and establishment; spiritual tablets where destinies are erased or confirmed.
28. ṣamadānī : Self-sufficient one; a saint who is independent of creation, relying solely on God, the Self-Sufficient (al-Ṣamad).
29. ṣūrat al-Aʿrāf : Form of al-A'raf; a reference to the Qur'anic chapter al-A'raf (The Heights), or the station between Paradise and Hell.
30. awliya' Allah : Friends of God; saints or those close to God in Islamic mysticism.
31. al-maqam al-arfa' : The most sublime station; a high spiritual rank in Sufism.
32. habl Allah : Rope of God; a Qur'anic metaphor for the covenant or path of God (Qur'an 3:103).
33. rawd al-ma'arif : Garden of gnosis; a metaphorical place of spiritual knowledge.
34. al-damir : The innermost consciousness or secret heart, a term in Sufi psychology.
35. malakut : The dominion or spiritual realm; the intermediate world between the physical and the divine.
36. al-fayd : The influx or emanation of divine grace or knowledge.
37. dhat : The Essence of God; the divine Self.
38. al-thaqalayn : The two weighty ones; refers to humans and jinn.
39. al-amin Jibril : The Trustworthy Gabriel; the archangel Gabriel, known as the Trustworthy Spirit.
40. Jibril : The archangel Gabriel, the angel of revelation in Islam.
41. rida : Divine pleasure or satisfaction; here referring to a turban symbolizing God's approval.
42. mizan : The Scale used to weigh deeds on the Day of Judgment.
43. as-sarrāt al-aʿyān : The eminent leaders; refers to the noble figures among the Prophet's family and companions.
44. ahl al-ishāra : People of allusion; Sufi masters who interpret spiritual meanings through symbolic reference.
45. ḥadīth : A saying or tradition of the Prophet Muhammad.
46. ḥusnihi al-aʿyān : Essential beauty; the beauty inherent in the essence of the bird.
47. al-ʿirfān : Gnosis; spiritual knowledge or mystical insight.
48. al-ʿulūm al-ladunniyya : Divine sciences; knowledge directly bestowed by God without intermediary.
49. Aḥmadiyya : Pertaining to Ahmad, another name of the Prophet Muhammad, emphasizing his praiseworthy qualities.
50. al-ṭāʾir al-mamdūḥ : The praised bird; a symbolic reference to the Prophet Muhammad.
51. lawḥ al-ḥifẓ : The Preserved Tablet; the heavenly tablet containing all divine decrees.
52. al-wilāya : Sainthood; spiritual authority and closeness to God.
53. al-maʿārif : Gnostic sciences; spiritual knowledge and insights.
54. al-ʿuzla : Spiritual seclusion or withdrawal from worldly distractions for devotional purposes.
55. al-mushāhada : Spiritual witnessing or direct vision of divine realities.
56. al-ḥudūd : The divinely ordained limits or boundaries of religious law.
57. al-wilāya : Sainthood or spiritual authority granted by God to His close servants.
58. al-ʿafāf : Chastity, moral purity, and abstaining from forbidden desires.
59. al-jadhb : Spiritual attraction or divine pull that draws the seeker toward God.
60. al-hudāt : Guides; referring to the companions as spiritual guides.
61. arbāb al-tuqā : Masters of piety; referring to saints or spiritual masters.
62. al-qawm : The folk; a Sufi term for the spiritual elite.
63. jadhaba : Divine attraction; a spiritual pull from God.
64. al-fatḥ al-mubīn : The clear victory; a Qur'anic phrase (Surah 48:1) used here for spiritual opening.
65. murīd : Seeker; a disciple in Sufism.
66. ḥulla yamaniyya : Yemeni robe; symbolizing honor and blessing.
67. sālik : Wayfarer; one traversing the spiritual path.
68. murabbī : Spiritual trainer; a guide who nurtures disciples.
69. majdhūb : One attracted; a person spiritually drawn by God.
70. Aḥmad : Another name of Prophet Muhammad.
71. Abū Bakr : The first caliph, companion of the Prophet.
72. Fārūq : Title of Umar ibn al-Khattab, meaning 'distinguisher'.
73. Abū Ḥafṣ : Kunya of Umar ibn al-Khattab.
74. Ahl al-Sunna : Sunni Muslims; the orthodox community.
75. al-waqf : Stopping; a theological position of suspending judgment on the ranking of Ali and Uthman.
76. al-huzabr : Lion; a title for Ali ibn Abi Talib.
77. ʿAlī : Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph.
78. ʿUthmān al-shahīd : Uthman ibn Affan, the martyr; third caliph.
79. Abū ʿAmr : Kunya of Uthman ibn Affan.
80. al-zūr : Falsehood; possibly referring to false claims about ranking.
81. khātamuhum : Their seal; Prophet Muhammad as the final prophet.
82. qurbāhu : His close ones; family and relatives.
83. ilā ilayka : Except to You; a Qur'anic phrase (Surah 42:30).
84. al-ʿirfān : Divine knowledge; gnosis.
85. al-quds : The Holy; referring to the divine realm.
86. al-imdādāt al-qudsiyya : Holy effusions; spiritual outpourings from God.
87. al-anwār al-ʿulwiyya : Higher lights; celestial illuminations.
88. al-adhkār : Remembrances; dhikr, the practice of invoking God.
89. al-dīājī : Darknesses; plural of darkness, referring to spiritual obscurity.
90. al-tanājī : Whispered prayers; intimate conversation with God.
91. al-ṣalawāt : Blessings; specifically the prayer upon the Prophet.
92. al-tilāwa : Recitation; of the Qur'an.
93. al-wijdān : Ecstasy; spiritual finding or state.
94. al-ḥaḍra al-malawiyya : The divine presence; the court of God.
95. jibrāʾīliyya : Jibra'ilian; related to the angel Jibra'il (Gabriel).
96. ʿizrāʾīliyya : 'Izra'ilian; related to the angel of death, 'Izra'il.
97. isrāfīliyya : Israfilian; related to the angel Israfil (Raphael).
98. mīkāʾīliyya : Mika'ilian; related to the angel Mika'il (Michael).
99. al-ḥaqāʾiq al-rabbāniyya : Lordly realities; divine truths.
100. ʿunṣur al-arwāḥ al-nabawiyya : The 'essence' or 'element' of prophetic spirits; a Sufi term referring to the primordial substance of the Prophet's spiritual reality.
101. fayḍ al-mawāhib al-lāhūtiyya : The outpouring of divine gifts; 'lāhūtiyya' relates to the divine nature (al-lāhūt).
102. al-arwāḥ al-rūḥāniyya : Spiritual souls; a term for higher spiritual entities.
103. ikhtirāʿāt al-akwāniyya : Cosmic creations; refers to the created universe.
104. ithmid : Antimony or kohl; used as a metaphor for something that sharpens spiritual vision.
105. al-ʿulūm al-ladunniyya : Divine or inspired knowledge; knowledge granted directly by God.
106. kaʿba : The Kaaba in Mecca; here used metaphorically as a center of spiritual circumambulation.
107. al-mamlaka al-aḥmadiyya : The Ahmadine kingdom; refers to the spiritual dominion of the Prophet Muhammad (Ahmad is another name of the Prophet).
108. al-futūḥāt al-makkiyya : The Meccan openings; a term popularized by Ibn Arabi referring to spiritual illuminations.
109. al-mawāhib al-malakūtiyya : Kingdom-like gifts; 'malakūt' is the celestial or angelic realm.
110. al-makārim al-raḥmūtiyya : Merciful generosities; 'raḥmūt' relates to the attribute of mercy (al-Raḥmān).
111. al-asrār al-jabarūtiyya : Mightly secrets; 'jabarūt' is the realm of divine power and might.
112. al-nubuwwa wa al-wilāya : Prophethood and sainthood; two key concepts in Islamic spirituality.
113. al-ʿirfān : Gnosis; esoteric knowledge of God.
114. ʿarūs al-ḥaḍarāt : Bridegroom of the divine presences: a Sufi term referring to the Prophet Muhammad as the beloved and central figure in the spiritual realms.
115. ḥaḍrat al-wiṣāl : Station of union: a Sufi concept denoting the highest spiritual station of intimate union with the Divine.
116. al-rūḥ al-aʿẓam : The Greatest Spirit: a title for the Prophet Muhammad, indicating his supreme spiritual rank.
117. majmaʿ al-baḥrayn : Junction of the two seas: a Qur'anic phrase (18:60) used here metaphorically for the Prophet as the meeting point of spiritual and material realms.
118. shāwūsh al-bisāṭ al-aʿlā : Ushers of the highest carpet: angelic attendants in the highest divine court.
119. nāmūs al-sirr al-asnā : Angel of the highest secret: likely referring to the angel Gabriel or a supreme angelic being.
120. al-karūbiyyīn : Cherubim: a class of angels in Islamic cosmology, often associated with nearness to God.
121. al-huwiyya : Ipsety: a philosophical term for the selfhood or essence of God, used in Sufi metaphysics.
122. maḥmūl mawḍūʿ al-tanzīlāt al-ilāhiyya : Borne subject of divine revelations: the Prophet as the recipient and embodiment of God's revelations.
123. al-ḥaḍra al-jabrāʾīliyya : Gabrielic presence: the angelic realm associated with the archangel Gabriel.
124. al-quwwa al-isrāfīliyya : Israfilian power: the power of the archangel Israfil, who blows the trumpet on Judgment Day.
125. al-mīkāʾīlī al-fayḍ wa al-madad : Michaelic of effusion and supply: referring to the archangel Michael, associated with provision and mercy.
126. al-ʿizrāʾīlī al-qabḍ : Azraelic of contraction: referring to the archangel Azrael, the angel of death, associated with taking souls.
127. ʿayn aʿyān al-musammayāt : Eye of the essences of named things: a Sufi term for the Prophet as the archetypal manifestation of all created things.
128. sukkān al-adwār al-muḥīṭa : Inhabitants of the surrounding spheres: angels or spiritual beings dwelling in the celestial spheres.
129. al-mulk wa al-malakūt : The kingdom of the heavens and the earth; a Sufi term referring to the visible and invisible realms of divine sovereignty.
130. al-wasīlah : The means of nearness to Allah; a high station granted to the Prophet Muhammad, often associated with intercession.
131. ʿarūsihi al-mutawwaj : His crowned bride; a metaphorical reference to the Prophet Muhammad, emphasizing his exalted status and beauty.
132. al-malaʾ al-aʿlā : The highest assembly; the gathering of angels and spiritual beings in the divine presence.
133. al-rūḥ al-amīn : The Trustworthy Spirit; a title for the Angel Gabriel, emphasizing his reliability in delivering revelation.
134. al-ḥūr : Houris; celestial maidens in Paradise, often described as companions for the righteous.
135. qāba qawsayn : Two bow-lengths; a Qur'anic phrase (53:9) describing the proximity of the Prophet to Allah during the Ascension, symbolizing intimate nearness.
136. fuḥūl al-ʿārifīn : Masters of the knowers; a Sufi term for the elite among those who have attained deep spiritual knowledge (maʿrifah).
137. al-muqarrabīn : The near ones; angels or saints who are brought close to Allah, often referring to those in the highest spiritual stations.
138. Mi'rāj : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension through the heavens.
139. ʿulūm al-ḥaqāʾiq : Sciences of realities; esoteric knowledge of divine truths.
140. mawāhib al-karam : Gifts of generosity; divine favors and blessings.
141. ʿarāʾis al-ḥaḍarāt : Brides of the divine presences; metaphorical for the spiritual realities of the divine stations.
142. rakāʾib al-ʿushshāq : Mounts of the lovers; the spiritual vehicles of those who love God.
143. fawāʾid al-adhkār : Benefits of remembrances; the spiritual fruits of dhikr (remembrance of God).
144. nawāfiḥ al-asrār : Fragrant breezes of secrets; subtle spiritual emanations.
145. yanābīʿ al-ʿulūm : Springs of sciences; sources of divine knowledge.
146. asrār al-fuhūm : Secrets of understandings; hidden meanings and insights.
147. hawātif al-sirr : Invisible callers of the secret; spiritual voices or inspirations from the unseen.
148. ashkāl al-muḥibbīn : Forms of the lovers; the spiritual states or appearances of those who love God.
149. alsun al-dhākirīn : Tongues of the rememberers; those who engage in dhikr.
150. arwāḥ al-ʿāshiqīn : Spirits of the passionate lovers; souls deeply in love with God.
151. naghamāt al-mādiḥīn : Melodies of the praisers; the songs of those who praise the Prophet.
152. balābil al-majdhūbīn : Nightingales of the enraptured ones; metaphor for those spiritually attracted to God.
153. aḥwāl al-wālihīn : States of the bewildered ones; spiritual conditions of those overwhelmed by divine love.
154. arbāb al-aḥwāl : Masters of spiritual states; advanced mystics who experience various spiritual states.
155. ruʾasāʾ al-amlāk : Chiefs of the angels; the highest-ranking angels.
156. Aḥmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
157. Ṭāhā : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, from the Quranic chapter Taha.
158. jilw al-ʿarūs : Unveiling of the bride; metaphor for the Prophet's spiritual unveiling and union with God.
159. qāba qawsayn : Two bow-lengths; a Quranic reference (53:9) describing the Prophet's proximity to God during the Ascension.
160. isrā' : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem, and then his ascension to the heavens.
161. takyīf : Attributing modality or 'how' to God; the doctrine that God's essence is beyond human comprehension and cannot be described in terms of physical attributes.
162. Isrāfīl : The archangel responsible for blowing the Trumpet on the Day of Resurrection.
163. ʿAzrāʾīl : The Angel of Death, who takes the souls of the deceased.
164. al-Rūḥ : The Spirit; often identified with the Archangel Gabriel or a special angelic being, sometimes the Holy Spirit.
165. Karūbiyyūn : Cherubim; a class of angels close to God's throne, known for their intense worship and knowledge.
166. Ḥamalat al-ʿArsh : The Bearers of the Throne; angels who carry the Throne of God, mentioned in the Quran.
167. min ḥaramin ilā ḥaramin : From one sanctuary to another; referring to the journey from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
168. qāba qawsayn : Two bow-lengths; a Quranic expression (53:9) indicating the extreme closeness of the Prophet to God during the Ascension.
169. al-sabʿ al-ṭibāq : The seven heavens; the seven celestial layers through which the Prophet ascended.
170. al-fatḥ : Spiritual opening or illumination; a Sufi term for divine unveiling and enlightenment.
171. Laylat al-Isrā' : The Night of the Ascension; the night when the Prophet Muhammad made his journey to Jerusalem and ascended to the heavens.
172. ḥadīth qudsī : A sacred saying of God narrated by the Prophet, not part of the Quran; this particular saying emphasizes the capacity of the believer's heart to contain divine presence.
173. mishkāh : Niche; a reference to the Light Verse (Quran 24:35), symbolizing the receptacle for divine light.
174. ḥijābuhu al-aʿẓam : His greatest veil; a Sufi concept referring to the Prophet as the supreme intermediary or veil through which divine manifestations are perceived.
175. al-Isrā' : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension to the heavens.
176. Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā'ah : The Sunni community, the mainstream of Islam following the prophetic tradition and the consensus of the companions.
177. al-Muṣṭafā : The Chosen One, a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
178. al-Kursī : The Footstool of God, mentioned in Quran 2:255, often understood as a symbol of His sovereignty.
179. al-Khalīl : The Friend of God, a title of Prophet Abraham.
180. Idrīs : Prophet Enoch, identified with Idris in Islamic tradition.
181. Sūrat al-Ḍuḥā : Chapter 93 of the Quran, which includes the verse 'And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied'.
182. Subḥāna alladhī asrā biʿabdihi : Opening of Quran 17:1, referring to the Night Journey.
183. anzala ʿalā ʿabdihi al-kitāb : Reference to Quran 18:1, 'Praise be to Allah who sent down the Book to His servant'.
184. al-thaqalayn : The two weighty things: humans and jinn, or the Quran and the Prophet's family.
185. laqad ra'ā min āyāti rabbihi al-kubrā : Quran 53:18, 'He saw of the signs of his Lord the greatest'.
186. qāba qawsayni aw adnā : Quran 53:9, 'two bow-lengths or nearer', describing the Prophet's proximity to God during the Ascension.
187. fa-awḥā ilā ʿabdihi mā awḥā : Quran 53:10, 'And He revealed to His servant what He revealed'.
188. danā fatadallā : Quran 53:8, 'He drew near and came down'.
189. lā tamuddanna ʿaynayka : Quran 20:131, 'Do not extend your eyes' towards worldly pleasures.
190. al-Kawthar : A river in Paradise, also the name of Quran 108.
191. wa la-sawfa yuʿṭīka rabbuka fa-tarḍā : Quran 93:5, 'And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied'.
192. wa mā minnā illā lahu maqāmun maʿlūm : Quran 37:164, 'There is none of us but has a known station'.
193. qadr : Measure, extent, or magnitude; often used in supplications to ask for blessings proportional to divine attributes or gifts.
194. tahānī : Congratulations or felicitations; here referring to the attainment of blessings and joys.
195. ʿarḍ al-arḍīn wa al-samāwāt : The breadth or expanse of the earths and heavens; a metaphorical expression for vastness.
196. Kursi : The Footstool of Allah, a vast creation mentioned in the Quran (2:255), often interpreted as a symbol of His sovereignty.
197. Arsh : The Throne of Allah, the greatest of all creations, encompassing the universe.
198. Lawh : The Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz), on which all destinies are inscribed.
199. Qalam : The Pen, the first creation, used to write destinies on the Preserved Tablet.
200. Sidrat al-Muntaha : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a celestial tree marking the end of creation, beyond which no angel or prophet can pass.
201. Abdal : The Substitutes, a rank of saints in Sufism who are believed to sustain the world through their spiritual presence.
202. Firdaws : The highest level of Paradise, often referred to as the Garden of Firdaws.
203. awliyā' al-abrār : Righteous saints; those who are close to Allah and have attained a high spiritual station.
204. al-sarrāt al-a'yān : The noble chiefs; refers to the prominent members of the Prophet's family.
205. dār al-muqāmah : The abode of permanence; a reference to Paradise.
206. riyāḍ al-tafwīḍ : Meadows of delegation; a spiritual state of entrusting all affairs to Allah.
207. al-zuhd fī al-dunyā wa al-tawakkul ʿalayka wa al-qanāʿah : Asceticism in this world, trust in Allah, and contentment; key virtues in Islamic spirituality.
208. khilaʿ al-muqarrabīn : Robes of the near ones; spiritual gifts bestowed upon those close to Allah.
209. khilaʿ al-mubʿadīn : Robes of the far ones; spiritual states of those distant from Allah.
210. Aḥmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
211. al-ʿirfān : Gnosis; spiritual knowledge and direct experiential knowledge of Allah.
212. Khinzab : The name of a specific devil that disturbs prayer and recitation.
213. ḥijābuka al-aʿẓam : Your greatest veil; a metaphor for the Prophet as a means of approaching Allah.
214. al-Fātiḥa : The opening chapter of the Qur'an.
215. Bismillāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; the basmala.
216. al-Lawḥ : The Preserved Tablet; the heavenly tablet on which all destinies are written.
217. Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim : The Arabic phrase 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,' which begins most chapters of the Quran.
218. Surah al-Naml : Chapter 27 of the Quran, titled 'The Ant.'
219. pole : Translation of 'qutb,' a term in Sufism referring to the highest spiritual authority or axis of the spiritual hierarchy.
220. 'Illiyin : A high station in Paradise, often understood as the register of the righteous or the highest heavens.
221. Opening of the Book : Surah al-Fatihah, the first chapter of the Quran.
222. Surah al-Baqarah : Chapter 2 of the Quran, 'The Cow.'
223. ahl al-khuṣūṣiyya wa al-qurb : People of speciality and proximity: Sufi term for those who have attained a special closeness to God through spiritual realization.
224. al-Ṣirāṭ : The bridge over Hell that all must cross on the Day of Judgment; the righteous pass easily, the sinful fall.
225. al-su'āl : The questioning in the grave by the angels Munkar and Nakir about one's faith.
226. al-sarrāt al-kirām : The noble secrets: a Sufi term referring to the inner, spiritual elite among the Prophet's family.
227. jannat al-riḍwān : The Garden of Pleasure: a name for Paradise, emphasizing God's good pleasure.
228. al-bayt al-ḥarām : The Sacred House: the Kaaba in Mecca.
229. al-rukn al-yamānī : The Yemeni Corner: the corner of the Kaaba facing Yemen, between the Black Stone and the door.
230. al-ḥajar al-aswad : The Black Stone: a sacred stone set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba, kissed or touched during pilgrimage.
231. al-Madīna : Medina: the city of the Prophet's mosque and his burial place.
232. raḥīq al-sirr al-makhtūm : Sealed nectar of the secret: a Sufi metaphor for the pure, hidden spiritual drink of divine knowledge.
233. al-majdhūbīn : The attracted: Sufi term for those who are spiritually drawn to God, often experiencing ecstatic states.
234. al-wāṣilīn : Those who have attained union with God through spiritual realization.
235. raḥīq al-makhtūm : Sealed nectar; a reference to pure drink in Paradise (Quran 83:25-26).
236. wasīla : Means of approach or intercession; a spiritual intermediary.
237. al-fatḥ : Spiritual opening or illumination; divine unveiling.
238. al-firdaws : The highest level of Paradise.
239. al-ḥūr : Companions of Paradise; beautiful maidens.
240. al-ʿarsh : The Throne of God; symbol of divine sovereignty.
241. sakarū : Intoxicated; here meaning they are not intoxicated by the wine of Paradise.
242. kitāb al-ḥasanāt : The book recording good deeds; the ledger of deeds.
243. tunabbiʾinī : You inform me; a supplication for divine disclosure.
244. Kawthar : A river or fountain in Paradise granted to the Prophet Muhammad, mentioned in Surah Al-Kawthar (108:1).
245. Salma : A common female name in Arabic poetry, often used as a symbol of a beloved.
246. Layla : A famous female name in Arabic literature, symbolizing a beloved, especially in the story of Majnun Layla.
247. athl trees : A type of tree (Tamarix) often mentioned in Arabic poetry as a landmark or place of beauty.
248. ban : A type of tree (Moringa peregrina) known for its slender branches, often used in poetry to describe a beloved's figure.
249. Kadhimah : A place name, possibly referring to a location in Arabia.
250. Adnan : Ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad, considered the father of the Adnanite Arabs.
251. seven long surahs : The seven longest chapters of the Quran: Al-Baqarah, Al-Imran, An-Nisa, Al-Ma'idah, Al-An'am, Al-A'raf, and Yunus (or Al-Anfal and At-Tawbah combined).
252. Mathani : Surahs that are repeated or have seven verses, often referring to Al-Fatihah or the seven long surahs.
253. Tawasin : Surahs that begin with the letters Ta and Sin: Ash-Shu'ara (26), An-Naml (27), and Al-Qasas (28).
254. Mufassal : The shorter surahs of the Quran, typically from Surah Qaf (50) to the end, or from Al-Hujurat (49) to the end.
255. Quran 9:128 : A verse from the Quran describing the Prophet Muhammad's compassion and mercy.
256. imām al-hudāt : Imam of the guided ones: a title for the Prophet Muhammad as the leader of those who are guided to truth.
257. al-muqarrabīn : The close ones: those brought near to Allah, often referring to the highest rank of angels or prophets.
258. al-ghurr al-muḥajjalīn : The white-blazed ones: a description of the Prophet's companions who will have bright faces and limbs on the Day of Resurrection due to ablution.
259. awliyā' : Saints: friends of Allah, righteous believers who are close to Him.
260. al-maqām al-maḥmūd : The Praiseworthy Station: a special rank of intercession granted to the Prophet Muhammad on the Day of Judgment.
261. al-'ārifīn : The knowers: those who have deep spiritual knowledge (ma'rifa) of Allah.
262. quṭb : Pole: a spiritual axis or highest saint in the Sufi hierarchy.
263. al-ḥaḍarāt : Presences: spiritual realms or divine presences in Sufi cosmology.
264. al-liwā' : The banner: the Banner of Praise (liwā' al-ḥamd) that the Prophet will carry on the Day of Resurrection.
265. al-Kawthar : A river in Paradise granted to the Prophet Muhammad, also the name of Surah 108 of the Quran.
266. nuqṭat al-imdād : The 'point of emanation' in Sufi cosmology, referring to the Prophet Muhammad as the source of spiritual effusion.
267. thānīka : Literally 'your second,' referring to the Prophet's companion Abu Bakr as the second of two in the cave.
268. sulāfat kawz lā sulāfat 'āṣir : A poetic description of pure wine: 'the pure wine of a cup, not the pure wine of a presser,' indicating spiritual intoxication.
269. qāba qawsayn aw adnā : Quranic phrase (53:9) describing the Prophet's proximity to Allah during the Mi'raj, meaning 'two bow-lengths or nearer.'
270. al-ghāyah al-quṣwā : The ultimate goal or final end, a Sufi term referring to the highest spiritual station.
271. ʿirfān : Gnosis or spiritual knowledge, often used in Sufism to denote direct experiential knowledge of God.
272. tawfīq : Divine assistance or success granted by God to perform good deeds.
273. Mudar : A major Arab tribal confederation; here referring to the Prophet Muhammad's lineage.
274. Aḥmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
275. Kaʿb : Ka'b ibn Zuhayr, a companion of the Prophet known for his poem 'Banat Su'ad'.
276. Ḥassān : Hassan ibn Thabit, a companion of the Prophet known as the 'poet of the Prophet'.
277. al-Riḍā : Title meaning 'the pleased one', often used for 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, but here likely referring to 'Ali al-Rida, the eighth Shia Imam.
278. quṭb : Pole or axis; in Sufism, the highest-ranking saint who serves as the spiritual axis of the universe.
279. aḥwāl : Spiritual states; temporary conditions of the heart granted by God to the seeker.
280. malakūt : The celestial realm of angels and divine sovereignty; the intermediate world between the physical and the divine.
281. awtād : Pegs; in Sufi hierarchy, four saints who support the spiritual world, akin to pillars.
282. aqrās : Bells; a term for a category of saints in the Sufi hierarchy, possibly referring to those who 'ring' with divine knowledge.
283. afrād : Singular ones; a rank of saints who are unique and independent in their spiritual station.
284. qibla : Direction of prayer; here metaphorically the spiritual focal point for seekers.
285. Kaaba : The sacred house in Mecca; metaphorically the ultimate destination for those who have attained union.
286. khuṣūṣ bi-l-khulla al-iṣṭifā'iyya : Singled out for the electing friendship; refers to the special intimate friendship (khulla) of God, as with Prophet Abraham.
287. sālikīn : Wayfarers; spiritual travelers on the path to God.
288. qaḍīb aṣfar : Yellow staff; a symbol of authority and light, possibly referring to the Prophet's staff or a spiritual attribute.
289. liwā' akhḍar : Green banner; a symbol of the Prophet's station and the banner of praise.
290. Ṭāhā : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, derived from the Quranic chapter Taha.
291. Aḥmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
292. sirr muḥīṭ : The encompassing secret; a Sufi term for the divine reality that encompasses all.
293. huwiyya : Essence; the divine Essence or the ultimate reality of the Prophet's being.
294. kalīm : Interlocutor; one who speaks with God, like Prophet Moses; here applied to Muhammad as one who received divine speech.
295. Āl : Family or household, often including descendants and close companions.
296. ḥaqā'iq wa al-raqā'iq : Spiritual realities and subtle truths; terms in Sufism for higher levels of spiritual knowledge.
297. al-fasīḥ al-aʿlā : The highest expanse; refers to the highest heaven or the divine presence.
298. masrāhu : His night journey; refers to the Prophet's Isra' and Mi'raj (night journey and ascension).
299. Muḥammadiyya : Pertaining to the Prophet Muhammad; his qualities and attributes.
300. Aḥmadiyya : Pertaining to Ahmad, another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
301. quṭb : Pole or axis; in Sufism, the highest spiritual authority of the age.
302. Nizār wa Muḍar : Two major tribes of the Prophet's ancestry; Nizar is the father of Mudar, and Mudar is an ancestor of Quraysh.
303. fatḥ Makka wa Qayṣar : The conquest of Mecca and the prophecy about Caesar; refers to the Prophet's prediction of the conquest of Mecca and the Byzantine Empire.
304. Kaʿba : The sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca, direction of prayer; metaphorically, the focal point of devotion.
305. ḥaḍra rabbāniyya : Divine presence; a Sufi term for the station of divine manifestation.
306. anwār ʿirfāniyya : Gnostic lights; spiritual illuminations of divine knowledge.
307. asrār raḥmāniyya : Merciful secrets; divine mysteries related to mercy.
308. shahwa insāniyya : Human desire; carnal passions.
309. laṭāʾif adhkār : Subtle invocations; refined spiritual remembrances.
310. Nakīr wa Munkar : The two angels who question the dead in the grave.
311. insān ʿayn al-wujūd : The human eye of existence; a Sufi term for the Prophet as the perfect manifestation of being.
312. al-ʿAdhīb : A place near Medina, possibly a valley.
313. Ḥājir : A place near Mecca or Medina.
314. al-Muṣallā : A place of prayer, often referring to a specific location in Medina.
315. al-ʿAqīq : A valley near Medina.
316. baṣāʾir : Inner sight; spiritual insight.
317. al-farqadayn : The two bears; a reference to the stars Dubhe and Merak in Ursa Major.
318. al-awwal : The First; a divine attribute, here applied to the Prophet as the first in creation.
319. al-ākhir : The Last; a divine attribute, here indicating the Prophet's eschatological role.
320. al-fātiḥ : The Opener; a title of the Prophet as the opener of divine knowledge.
321. al-khātam : The Seal; the Prophet as the seal of the prophets.
322. al-Wadūd : The Loving; one of the 99 names of Allah.
323. dithār wa shiʿār : Outer garment and inner garment; metaphor for outward and inward states.
324. jihād al-akbar : The greater struggle; the spiritual struggle against the ego.
325. khā'inat al-a'yun : The treachery of the eyes: refers to secret glances or hidden intentions that are known only to Allah.
326. anfāsahu : His breaths: a Sufi term referring to guarding one's breath from heedlessness and using it in remembrance of Allah.
327. al-khumūl : Obscurity: a state of spiritual humility and hiddenness, avoiding fame and self-display.
328. Shāhid al-Ḥaqq : The Witness of Truth: a term for the Prophet Muhammad or a spiritual witness who testifies to the truth.
329. awāmil al-aqdār : Agents of destiny: the various forces and events that bring about divine decrees.
330. al-saḥar : The pre-dawn hours: a time of special spiritual intimacy and supplication.
331. fa-kunta minhu al-sam'a wa al-baṣar : You became his hearing and his sight: a reference to the hadith qudsi where Allah becomes the senses of the sincere servant.
332. mishkāh : Niche: a symbol from the Light Verse (Quran 24:35) representing the heart as a receptacle for divine light.
333. arbāb al-aḥwāl : Masters of spiritual states: advanced Sufis who experience various spiritual states (aḥwāl) as gifts from Allah.
334. dhikr : Remembrance of God, often through repetition of His names or phrases.
335. tajawhara : Became substantial or essential, referring to spiritual refinement and attainment of inner essence.
336. mashghūf : Enraptured or deeply in love, often used in Sufi context for intense spiritual love.
337. hā'im : Bewildered or wandering in love, a state of spiritual intoxication.
338. wālih : Infatuated or distracted by love, losing awareness of self.
339. wilāya : Friendship or sainthood, closeness to God.
340. Aḥmadī : Relating to the Prophet Muhammad, whose name Ahmad is one of his names.
341. Ka'ba : The sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca, direction of prayer.
342. qibla : Direction of prayer towards the Kaaba.
343. maḥārīb : Prayer niches indicating the direction of prayer, plural of mihrab.
344. maʿārif : Spiritual knowledges or gnoses; esoteric knowledge of divine realities.
345. laṭāʾif : Subtle spiritual faculties or graces; in Sufism, the subtle centers of perception in the human being.
346. al-hādī : The Guide; a title of Prophet Muhammad, meaning the one who guides to truth.
347. Ṭāhā : One of the names of Prophet Muhammad, derived from the Arabic letters Ṭā and Hā, often interpreted as 'O pure one' or 'O guide'.
348. al-Ḥaṭīm : A semicircular wall opposite the Kaaba in Mecca; a place where the Prophet used to sit and where he was visited by Gabriel.
349. khatam al-nubuwwa : The Seal of Prophethood, a physical mark between the shoulder blades of the Prophet Muhammad, signifying the finality of prophethood.
350. al-Buraq : A mythical steed, often depicted as a white animal larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule, which carried the Prophet Muhammad during the Night Journey (Isra').
351. Ahmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy,' derived from the same root as Muhammad.
352. khatam al-nubuwwa : The Seal of Prophethood, a physical mark between the shoulder blades of the Prophet Muhammad, signifying the finality of prophethood.
353. tal'at al-nur : The countenance of light, a phrase describing the Prophet's luminous face.
354. Bayt al-Maqdis : The Holy House, referring to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the destination of the Isra' (Night Journey).
355. Mi'raj : The Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad through the heavens to the presence of God.
356. Sidrat al-Muntaha : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a tree in the seventh heaven marking the end of all knowledge and the boundary beyond which no creation can pass.
357. nurani : Luminous, referring to the spiritual light of the Prophet.
358. al-'Adnani : A reference to the Prophet's lineage from Adnan, a forefather of the Quraysh tribe.
359. tawhid : The oneness of God, the central doctrine of Islam.
360. Sidrat al-Muntaha : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a tree in the seventh heaven marking the end of all knowledge and the boundary beyond which no creation can pass.
361. al-Isrāʾ : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem.
362. al-Hijra : The emigration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE.
363. Zamzam : The sacred well in Mecca.
364. al-Burāq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet during the Night Journey.
365. al-Ḥaṭīm : A semicircular area adjacent to the Kaaba.
366. al-Ḥijr : Another name for the Ḥaṭīm.
367. al-Masjid al-Aqṣā : The farthest mosque, located in Jerusalem.
368. Bayt al-Maqdis : The Holy House, i.e., Jerusalem.
369. al-Furqān : The Criterion, a name for the Quran.
370. al-Fiṭra : Primordial nature or innate disposition.
371. al-Miʿrāj : The Ascension of the Prophet through the heavens.
372. Jannat al-Firdaws : The Garden of Paradise, the highest level of Paradise.
373. Idrīs : The prophet identified with Enoch.
374. Sidrat al-Muntahā : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a celestial tree marking the end of creation.
375. al-ʿArsh : The Throne of God.
376. Sidrat al-Muntaha : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a celestial tree marking the boundary of creation beyond which no angel or prophet can pass, located in the seventh heaven.
377. mihrab : A prayer niche indicating the direction of prayer; here, a place of worship or prayer station.
378. rak'ah : A unit of Islamic prayer consisting of a sequence of standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting.
379. al-Hijab al-Akbar : The Greatest Veil, a barrier or curtain separating the divine presence from creation.
380. Jannat al-Ma'wa : The Garden of Refuge, a name for Paradise or a specific garden in the highest heaven.
381. Habib : An angel's name meaning 'beloved' or 'friend'.
382. mu'adhdhin : The person who performs the call to prayer (adhan).
383. al-Masjid al-Aqsa : The Farthest Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, located in Jerusalem.
384. al-Buraq : A mythical steed, smaller than a mule but larger than a donkey, that carried the Prophet Muhammad during the Night Journey (Isra').
385. ʿAzrāʾīl : The Angel of Death in Islamic tradition.
386. Isrāfīl : The angel who blows the Trumpet on the Day of Resurrection.
387. Riḍwān : The keeper of Paradise.
388. Ḥūr al-ʿAyn : Beautiful maidens of Paradise with wide, lovely eyes.
389. al-Burāq : A mythical steed that carried the Prophet during the Night Journey.
390. al-Masjid al-Ḥarām : The Sacred Mosque in Mecca.
391. al-Masjid al-Aqṣā : The Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem.
392. fiṭra : The primordial nature or innate disposition of humans.
393. mujāhidūn : Those who strive in the way of Allah, often in holy struggle.
394. az-Zaqqūm : A tree in Hell with bitter fruit.
395. aḍ-Ḍarīʿ : A thorny plant eaten by cattle.
396. zakāt : Obligatory alms-giving in Islam.
397. Qur'an 7:86 : Verse warning against obstructing the path of God.
398. ribā : Usury or interest, forbidden in Islam.
399. Bayt al-Maqdis : Jerusalem, the holy city.
400. rakʿa : A unit of Islamic prayer.
401. imām : Leader of prayer or spiritual leader.
402. Sunnah : The prophetic tradition and practices.
403. Makhūl : A prominent early Islamic scholar.
404. al-Muqaddas : The Holy, referring to Jerusalem.
405. Shams al-Ma'arif : Literally 'Sun of Gnoses,' a title for the Prophet Muhammad as the source of spiritual knowledge.
406. 'Arif : A gnostic, one who has direct experiential knowledge of God.
407. Bayt al-Maqdis : The Sacred House, referring to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, often used for the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
408. Ka'b al-Ahbar : A Jewish convert to Islam, known for transmitting Isra'iliyyat (traditions from Jewish sources).
409. al-Sirat : The bridge over Hell that all must cross on Judgment Day.
410. Idris : The prophet Enoch in Islamic tradition.
411. al-Najiyy al-Kalim : The intimate confidant, referring to Moses, who spoke directly to God.
412. al-Khalil : The Friend, a title of Abraham.
413. al-Nayyiran : The two luminaries, i.e., the sun and the moon.
414. al-Suha : A faint star in the constellation Ursa Major, used as a metaphor for something small or distant.
415. Isra' : The night journey of the Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem.
416. Sidrat al-Muntaha : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a celestial tree marking the end of creation.
417. Qur'an 53:42 : Qur'anic verse: 'And that to your Lord is the ultimate end.'
418. Qur'an 53:17 : Qur'anic verse: 'The sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress.'
419. Qur'an 53:11 : Qur'anic verse: 'The heart did not lie about what it saw.'
420. Qur'an 53:12 : Qur'anic verse: 'Do you then dispute with him about what he saw?'
421. Qur'an 53:3-4 : Qur'anic verses: 'Nor does he speak from desire; it is but a revelation revealed.'
422. al-Siddiq : The Truthful, a title of Abu Bakr.
423. Mi'raj : The Ascension of the Prophet through the heavens.
424. Tuwa : The holy valley where Moses received the first revelation.
425. Qur'an 53:1-5 : Qur'anic verses: 'By the star when it falls, your companion has not strayed, nor has he erred, nor does he speak from desire; it is but a revelation revealed, taught to him by one of mighty power.'
426. Mi'raj al-Mi'raj : The Ascension of the Ascension, a mystical term for the highest spiritual station.
427. Qur'an 53:18 : Qur'anic verse: 'He indeed saw of the signs of his Lord the greatest.'
428. al-ʿulūm al-lawḥiyya : Sciences of the Tablet; refers to the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ) in Islamic cosmology, where divine decrees are inscribed.
429. tanʿam : Delight; a command to enjoy the blessings of paradise.
430. al-Burāq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet Muhammad during the Night Journey (Isrāʾ).
431. ʿifrīt : A powerful and malevolent jinn; a demon-like creature in Islamic lore.
432. al-mujāhidūn : Those who strive in the way of Allah; often translated as 'holy warriors' but here referring to those who exert effort in good deeds.
433. al-ḍarīʿ wa al-zaqqūm : Bitter thorn and zaqqum; zaqqum is a tree in Hell with bitter fruit, mentioned in the Quran.
434. hadyihi : His guidance; refers to the prophetic guidance of Muhammad.
435. al-tariqa : The spiritual path; in Sufism, the path of spiritual realization following the Sunna.
436. rasulika : Your messenger; refers to Muhammad as the messenger of Allah.
437. safirika : Your ambassador; a title for Muhammad as the envoy of Allah.
438. Ahmadine : Relating to the name Ahmad, a name of the Prophet Muhammad, indicating his praiseworthy qualities.
439. saint : Here translating 'wali', meaning a friend of God, a saintly figure.
440. divinity : Translating 'lahutiyya', a term in Sufism referring to the divine nature.
441. pole : Translating 'qutb', a spiritual axis or highest saint in the Sufi hierarchy.
442. Salsabil : A spring in Paradise mentioned in the Quran (76:18), symbolizing pure, abundant water.
443. al-ṭarīq : The spiritual path or way, often referring to the Sufi path of spiritual purification and closeness to God.
444. al-ism : The name; here referring to the name 'Muhammad' and its spiritual significance, including the numerical values of its letters used in esoteric practices.
445. al-janāb : Presence or station; a term of respect indicating the Prophet's lofty spiritual rank.
446. al-ra'ūf : The Compassionate; one of the Prophet's attributes, meaning extremely kind and merciful.
447. al-'aṭūf : The Affectionate; another attribute of the Prophet, emphasizing his loving and caring nature.
448. al-naw' : A rain cloud or star associated with rain; metaphorically referring to the Prophet as a source of spiritual nourishment.
449. al-wajh : The face; here symbolizing the Prophet's essence or his role as a means of seeking divine mercy.
450. Laylat al-Isrā' : The Night of Ascension; the miraculous journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension to the heavens.
451. al-Ḥayy al-Qayyūm : The Living, the Self-Subsisting; two of the 99 Names of Allah, indicating His eternal life and self-sustaining existence.
452. nūr al-fatḥ : Light of opening; a Sufi term referring to the spiritual illumination that leads to divine unveiling and closeness.
453. quṭb al-siyādah : Pole of sovereignty; a Sufi concept denoting the highest spiritual authority, often attributed to the Prophet or a saint.
454. al-Baqī' : The cemetery in Medina where many companions and family members of the Prophet are buried.
455. jawharatuhu al-maknūnah : His hidden jewel; a mystical term referring to the Prophet's inner spiritual essence.
456. al-ṣirāṭ : The bridge; in Islamic eschatology, the bridge over hell that all must cross on the Day of Judgment.
457. al-zayn : The adornment; a title of the Prophet indicating his beauty and grace.
458. ḥājib al-sirr : The veiler of the secret; a Sufi term for one who guards the divine mysteries.
459. safīr al-ghayb : Envoy of the unseen; one who conveys messages from the hidden realm.
460. al-futuwwa : Chivalry; a concept of spiritual nobility and selflessness.
461. al-tawakkul : Trust in God; reliance on God alone.
462. al-waraʿ : Scrupulousness; abstaining from doubtful things.
463. al-zuhd : Asceticism; renunciation of worldly pleasures.
464. al-ʿiṣma : Infallibility; protection from sin, especially of prophets.
465. al-taʾyīd : Divine support; strengthening from God.
466. ban tree : A tall, slender tree (Moringa peregrina) often used in Arabic poetry to describe a graceful figure.
467. subḥa : Rosary; a string of beads used for dhikr (remembrance of God).
468. ṣaḥw and maḥw : Sobriety and effacement; Sufi terms for spiritual states of awareness and annihilation.
469. Zāhir : A companion of the Prophet known for his love; the name means 'shining' or 'apparent'.
470. ghaḍā : A desert tree (Haloxylon persicum) known for its hot-burning wood.
471. Aḥmadic : Pertaining to Aḥmad, a name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
472. sunna : The prophetic tradition; the practices and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.
473. quṭb : Pole or axis; in Sufism, the highest spiritual authority, the 'pole' around whom the spiritual world revolves.
474. arāk : A type of tree (Salvadora persica) found in Arabia, whose twigs are used as miswak (toothbrush).
475. al-jadīdayn : The two new things: often interpreted as day and night, or the two worlds (this world and the hereafter).
476. kunyah : An honorific name beginning with 'Abū' (father of) or 'Umm' (mother of), used to show respect.
477. al-mubarra'ah : The purified one; refers to ʿĀ'ishah bint Abī Bakr, the Prophet's wife, who was declared innocent in the Quran (Sūrat al-Nūr).
478. jāh : Standing, rank, or intercessory power with Allah, often attributed to prophets and saints.
479. ramṣ : Grave; the place of burial.
480. al-Muṣṭafā : The Chosen One, a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
481. al-farq : The parting of the hair; refers to the event when Gabriel parted the Prophet's chest to purify his heart.
482. Ṭāhā : One of the names of the Prophet Muhammad, from the Quranic chapter Ṭā Hā.
483. tawassul : Seeking intercession or means of approach to Allah through a prophet or saint.
484. al-farīqayn : The two groups; likely refers to the believers and the disbelievers, or the Muslims and the polytheists.
485. al-Muhallab al-Ta'i : A companion of the Prophet, known for a miracle where the Prophet wiped his bald head and hair grew.
486. barren ewe : A female sheep that has never given birth or produced milk; a miracle of the Prophet causing milk to flow.
487. day of Hunayn : A battle in 630 CE where the Prophet's army fought the Hawazin tribe.
488. 'Illiyin : The highest level of Paradise, mentioned in the Quran (83:18-19).
489. Yasin : A name derived from the Quranic chapter Ya-Sin (36), often used as a personal name.
490. Tayba : Another name for Medina, the city of the Prophet.
491. sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam : Arabic phrase meaning 'may Allah bless him and grant him peace', used after mentioning the Prophet Muhammad.
492. kafaltahu wa awaytahu : Arabic: 'You sponsored him and sheltered him', referring to Allah's care for the Prophet.
493. lata'if al-ku'us : Arabic: 'subtle cups', a Sufi term referring to spiritual states or mystical experiences.
494. ta'wil : Arabic: 'interpretation', specifically esoteric or allegorical interpretation of the Quran.
495. al-habr wa al-turjuman : Arabic: 'the scholar and the interpreter', titles given to Ibn 'Abbas for his knowledge.
496. Ghurqada : A companion of the Prophet; the name is sometimes spelled 'Gharqad'.
497. Dhu al-Nur : Arabic: 'the one of light', a title given to al-Tufayl ibn 'Amr after the Prophet's prayer.
498. Kisra : Title of the Sassanid Persian emperor, specifically Khosrow II.
499. kalban min kilābika : A metaphorical expression meaning a beast of prey sent by Allah as punishment.
500. al-Ḥakam ibn Abī al-ʿĀṣ : A companion of the Prophet who was known for mocking him by imitating his gestures; the Prophet cursed him, and he remained in that state until death.
501. bi-s-sinah : A severe drought or famine; the Prophet prayed against the tribe of Mudar, and they suffered a devastating famine.
502. Ibn Junāmah : A person who opposed the Prophet; after the Prophet's curse, he died and the earth repeatedly rejected his body.
503. jamal Jābir : The camel of Jabir ibn Abd Allah; the Prophet prodded it, and it became energetic.
504. Juʿayl al-Ashjaʿī : A companion; the Prophet prodded his horse and blessed it, making it spirited.
505. Muʿawwidh ibn ʿAfrāʾ : A companion who brought gifts to the Prophet; the Prophet rewarded him generously.
506. tasbīḥ : Glorification of Allah, specifically saying 'Subhan Allah' (Glory be to Allah).
507. Ahl aṣ-Ṣuffah : The poor and homeless companions who lived in the mosque of Medina.
508. Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh : A prominent companion; the Prophet bought his camel and then returned both the camel and the price as a gift.
509. Yawm Ḥunayn : The Battle of Hunayn, a battle in which the Muslims were initially ambushed but later victorious.
510. Dhī l-ʿArsh : One of the names of Allah, meaning 'the Owner of the Throne'.
511. ghusl : Full-body ritual purification required after major impurity, such as sexual intercourse.
512. kohl : A black powder used as eyeliner, traditionally made from antimony, applied for medicinal and cosmetic purposes.
513. cupping : A therapeutic practice involving suction on the skin, known as hijama in Islamic medicine.
514. ya'qilu al-shaata : He would tie the sheep himself, showing humility and self-sufficiency.
515. sirr al-akabir : The secret of the great ones; a Sufi term referring to the inner knowledge of the spiritual elite.
516. al-Ansar : The Helpers; the inhabitants of Medina who supported the Prophet after his migration.
517. Banu al-Nadir : A Jewish tribe expelled from Medina after breaking their treaty with the Prophet.
518. khuff : Leather socks worn over the feet, often used in ablution.
519. al-ahalah : Broth or fat rendered from meat, used as a simple food.
520. Anas : Anas ibn Malik, a companion who served the Prophet for ten years.
521. Israfil : The angel who blows the trumpet on the Day of Resurrection.
522. al-millah : The religious community or nation, here referring to the Muslim community.
523. Banu Qurayza : A Jewish tribe in Medina that was besieged and judged after betraying the Muslims.
524. al-asharat al-kiram al-bararah : The ten noble, righteous companions promised Paradise: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Talha, Zubayr, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, Sa'id ibn Zayd, and Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah.
525. Ahl al-Sunna : The Sunni Muslims, who follow the prophetic tradition and the consensus of the community.
526. al-qawl al-thabit : The firm word; the testimony of faith (shahada) that is affirmed at death.
527. al-mukhiffin : Those whose good deeds outweigh their bad deeds, allowing them to pass over the bridge (sirat) easily.