Loving the Beloved

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Love of the Prophet (ﷺ) is an essential component of the faith of every Muslim, and there are innumerable anecdotes, poems and stories that essential revolve around it.

So much so that it is considered to be the foundation of faith itself, as stated in these verses from an anonymous poet, which connect to a well known hadith :

روح ایماں مغز قرآن اصل دین
ہست حب رحمة للعالمین

The spirit of faith, the essence of the Qur'an and the reality of religion is the love of the "Mercy to the Worlds" (ﷺ) 

مغزِ قرآں روح ایماں جان دیں
ہست حب رحمة اللعالمین

The essence of the Qur'an, the spirit of faith, and the life of religion is the love of the "Mercy to the Worlds" (ﷺ) 

I received these last verses via a messaging service, and were probably written by Abu Sulayman (عبدالله الخربوش):

كالغيثِ ذكرُكَ يا حبيبي لمْ يزلْ

 يسقي القلوبَ محبَّةً ونعيمَا

Remembering you o beloved (ﷺ) is like those rain showers that flood the heart with incessant love and joy 

 يا سيدَ الثقلينِ حُزتَ مكانةً
 ومقامَ عزٍّ في النفوسِ عظيمَا

O sayyid us thaqalayn (master of the two weighty things ﷺ), you possess the station of great glory amongst all souls

يا مَنْ سلكتُمْ نهجهُ وسبيلهُ
 "صلُّوا عليهِ وسلِّمُوا تسليمَا"

O you who travel his path and follow his way, send peace and blessings upon him ﷺ

How can one not love the beloved Prophet(ﷺ), when referring to a hadith, Allama Iqbal in this poem said even a dead piece of wood wept due to separation:

من چہ گوئم ازتولائش کہ چسیت
خشک چوبے در فراقِ او گریست

من چه گویم از تولایش که چیست
خشک چوبی در فراق او گریست

How shall I speak of the devotion he ﷺ inspires?
(Even) a dry block of wood wept on separation from himﷺ.

Numerous scholars wished they could reach Al-Medina just so they could die and be buried near the beloved.  This quatrain written supposedly by the nephew (Payami) of Shaykh Al Hind Mahmud ul Hasan :

گلستان میں جاکر ہر اک گل کو دیکھا
نہ تیری سی رنگت نہ تیری سی بو ہے
نکل جائے دم تیرے قدموں کے نیچے
یہی دل کی حسرت یہی آرزو ہے

I have looked at every flower in the rose-garden

None of them have your beauty or fragrance

I give up my life under your feet

Is the only desire of my heart, and my only wish

I would like to end here with a supplication, which in the books of hadith is known as the supplication of the Prophet Dawud :

اللَّهمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ، وَحُبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ، وَالعمَل الَّذِي يُبَلِّغُني حُبَّكَ

 اللَّهُمَّ اجْعل حُبَّكَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِن نَفسي، وأَهْلي، ومِن الماءِ البارِدِ

O Allah! I ask You for Your Love, the love of those who love You, and deeds which will cause me to attain Your Love. 
O Allah! Make Your Love dearer to me than myself, my family and cool water

All is Love

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Many Muslim thinkers have written extensively on love, and famous Sufis are seen as proponents of the doctrine of love.  Most famous among them is Rumi, who is seen as the epitome of love, says in this extract from his poem:

از محبت تلخها شیرین شود

Due to love, bitter becomes sweet

از محبت مسها زرین شود

Due to love copper becomes gold

از محبت دردها صافی شود

Due to love the pain becomes alleviated

از محبت دردها شافی شود

Due to love, sickness is healed

از محبت مرده زنده می‌کنند

Due to love the dead are revived

از محبت شاه بنده می‌کنند

Due to love kings become slaves


I also came across this interesting quatrain from either Saadi Shirazi or Khalilullah Khalili (hard to establish), which goes so far as to say that everything is love:

 در خرمن كاینات كردیم نگاه
 یك دانه محبت است و باقی همه كاه 

 Peering through the sheaf of the Universe
 I saw only the grain of love and rest was chaff

Do not sully his name

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Allamah Iqbal in his collection Pas Cheh Bayed Kard ai Aqwam-e-Sharq (What are we to do, O Nations of the East?) has a poem about present day politics, an extract of which is affected me deeply and I am sharing it below:

 چون بنام مصطفی خوانم درود
 از خجالت آب می گردد وجود

Whenever I recite durood(salawat) in the name of Mustafa ﷺ,
shame pervades my entire existence

 عشق میگوید که ای محکوم غیر
 سینهٔ تو از بتان مانند دیر

(it is as if) Love says (to me): “O slave of others, your breast is full of idols, much like a temple 

 تا نداری از محمد رنگ و بو
 از درود خود میالا نام او

So long as you are devoid of the fragrance and the hue of Muhammad ﷺ

do not pollute his name by your (empty) salutations.

Praising one who is beyond mortal praise

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

It is related by some that sidi Umar ibn `Alī ibn al-Fārid (may Allah bless him) was seen in a dream and was asked: "Why didn't you praise the Chosen Prophet ﷺ in your Diwan? He replied:

أَرَى كُلَّ مَدْحٍ فِي النَّبيِّ  مُقَصِّرًا

 وإِنْ بَـالَغَ الْمُثْنِي عَلَيْـهِ وَأَكْثَرَا
إذَا اللهُ أَثْنَى في الكِتَابِ المُنَـزَّل

 عَلَيْهِ فَمَا مِقْدَارُ ما  يَمْدَحُ الوَرَى

I think all praise of the Prophet ﷺ falls short
even if the exalter reaches the pinnacle of eulogy or surpasses it
(for) if God has praised him ﷺ in His revealed Book
What is the worth (by comparison) of praise by mortals?

Or in an alternate version:

أرى كل مـدح في النبي مقصـرا
وإن بالـغ المثني عليه وأكثرا
إذا الله أثنى بالذي هو أهله
عليه، فما مقدار ما يمدح الورى ؟

I think all praise of the Prophet ﷺ falls short
even if the exalter reaches the pinnacle of eulogy or surpasses it
(for) if God has praised himﷺ with what he is worthy of
What is the worth (by comparison) of praise by mortals?

Mirza Ghalib (1797 – 1869) was a classical Urdu and Persian poet from South Asia who said something similar in Farsi language:

حق جلوه‌گر ز طرز بیان محمد است‌
آری کلام حق بزبان محمد است‌‌
غالب ثناء خواجه به یزدان گذاشتیم‌
کان ذات پاک مرتبه دان محمد است

TRUTH Manifests Itself in Muhammad’s (ﷺ) Speech
Indeed the Utterances of Absolute Truth emanate from Muhammad’s (ﷺ) Tongue
Ghalib, I leave The Noble One’s(ﷺ) Praise to God Himself
For Truly HE Alone Knows the Status of Muhammad(ﷺ)

Salaam to Ramadhan

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

As-Sahifa Al-Kamilah Al-Sajjadiyya of Ali ibn Husayn al-Sajjad Zayn al-Abidin ( عَلِيّ ٱبْن ٱلْحُسَيْن ٱلسَّجَّاد‎) (may Allah bless him) contains many wonderful and eloquent supplications.  Part of the one Supplication in Bidding Farewell to the Month of Ramadan contains this wonderful extract of saying salaam to the month of Ramadan:

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا شَهْرَ اللَّهِ الْأَكْبَرَ ، وَ يَا عِيدَ أَوْلِيَائِهِ

 

Peace be upon you, O greatest month of God! O Eid of His friends!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَكْرَمَ مَصْحُوبٍ مِنَ الْأَوْقَاتِ ، وَ يَا خَيْرَ شَهْرٍ فِي الْأَيَّامِ وَ السَّاعَاتِ

Peace be upon you, O most noble of accompanying times! O best of months in days and hours!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ شَهْرٍ قَرُبَتْ فِيهِ الْآمَالُ ، وَ نُشِرَتْ فِيهِ الْأَعْمَالُ

Peace be upon you, month in which expectations come near and good works are everywhere!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ قَرِينٍ جَلَّ قَدْرُهُ مَوْجُوداً ، وَ أَفْجَعَ فَقْدُهُ مَفْقُوداً ، وَ مَرْجُوٍّ آلَمَ فِرَاقُهُ

Peace be upon you, Comrade who is great in worth when found and who torments through  absence when lost, anticipated friend whose parting gives pain!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَلِيفٍ آنَسَ مُقْبِلًا فَسَرَّ ، وَ أَوْحَشَ مُنْقَضِياً فَمَضَّ

Peace be upon you, familiar who brought comfort in coming, thus making happy, who left loneliness in going, thus giving anguish!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ مُجَاوِرٍ رَقَّتْ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ ، وَ قَلَّتْ فِيهِ الذُّنُوبُ

Peace be upon you, neighbour in whom hearts became tender and sins became few!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ نَاصِرٍ أَعَانَ عَلَى الشَّيْطَانِ ، وَ صَاحِبٍ سَهَّلَ سُبُلَ الْإِحْسَانِ

Peace be upon you, helper who aided against Satan, O companion who made easy the paths of good-doing!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مَا أَكْثَرَ عُتَقَاءَ اللَّهِ فِيكَ ، وَ مَا أَسْعَدَ مَنْ رَعَى حُرْمَتَكَ بِكَ

Peace be upon you - How many became freedmen of God within you! How happy those who observed the respect due to you!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مَا كَانَ أَمْحَاكَ لِلذُّنُوبِ ، وَ أَسْتَرَكَ لِأَنْوَاعِ الْعُيُوبِ

Peace be upon you - How many are the sins you helped get erased! How many are the kinds of faults you helped cover over!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مَا كَانَ أَطْوَلَكَ عَلَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ ، وَ أَهْيَبَكَ فِي صُدُورِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Peace be upon you - How drawn out were you for the sinners! How awesome were you in the hearts of the faithful!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ شَهْرٍ لَا تُنَافِسُهُ الْأَيَّامُ

Peace be upon you, month with which no days compete!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ شَهْرٍ هُوَ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ سَلَامٌ

Peace be upon you, month which is peace in all affairs!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ غَيْرَ كَرِيهِ الْمُصَاحَبَةِ ، وَ لَا ذَمِيمِ الْمُلَابَسَةِ

Peace be upon you, you whose companionship is not disliked, you whose friendly mixing is not blamed!

 

االسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ كَمَا وَفَدْتَ عَلَيْنَا بِالْبَرَكَاتِ ، وَ غَسَلْتَ عَنَّا دَنَسَ الْخَطِيئَاتِ

Peace be upon you, just as you have entered upon us with blessings and cleansed us of the defilement of offenses!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ غَيْرَ مُوَدَّعٍ بَرَماً وَ لَا مَتْرُوكٍ صِيَامُهُ سَأَماً

Peace be upon you - You art not bid farewell in annoyance nor is your fasting left in weariness!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ مَطْلُوبٍ قَبْلَ وَقْتِهِ ، وَ مَحْزُونٍ عَلَيْهِ قَبْلَ فَوْتِهِ

Peace be upon you, object of seeking before your time, object of sorrow before your passing!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ كَمْ مِنْ سُوءٍ صُرِفَ بِكَ عَنَّا ، وَ كَمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ أُفِيضَ بِكَ عَلَيْنَا

Peace be upon you - How much evil was turned away from us through you! How much good flowed upon us because of you!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ وَ عَلَى لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ الَّتِي هِيَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ

Peace be upon you and upon the Night of Decree which is better than a thousand months!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مَا كَانَ أَحْرَصَنَا بِالْأَمْسِ عَلَيْكَ ، وَ أَشَدَّ شَوْقَنَا غَداً إِلَيْكَ

Peace be upon you - How much we craved you yesterday! How intensely we shall yearn for you tomorrow!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ وَ عَلَى فَضْلِكَ الَّذِي حُرِمْنَاهُ ، وَ عَلَى مَاضٍ مِنْ بَرَكَاتِكَ سُلِبْنَاهُ

Peace be upon you and upon your bounty which has now been made unlawful to us and upon your blessings gone by which have now been stripped away from us!