Ode to the Prophet

 بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Maulana Jami (نورالدین عبدالرحمن جامی) was a 15th century poet and theologian from what is modern day Afghanistan. A great scholar and mystic of the school of thought of Ibn Arabi, he has written seversal devotional poems (na'at) in honor of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). This is reportedly one of them which is regularly recited in masjids around Kashmir, however, it is not to be found in his collection (diwan):

یا رسولِ هاشمی قربان نامت جانِ من

جانِ من جانانِ من با جمله فرزندانِ من

O Messenger(ﷺ), from the Hashemites, May my life be sacrificed in your name
My very soul, my beloved, and all my children with me

Brief Explanation:
“قربان” expresses total self-offering. The poet places not only himself but his lineage in devotion.

 “جانان” (beloved) adds intimacy—this is not distant praise but personal love. 

از شعاعِ نورِ پاکِ تو منوّر یا رسول
دیدهٔ من سینهٔ من قلبِ من قلبانِ من

 By the rays of your pure countenance, O Messenger(ﷺ),  did indeed
My eyes, my breast, my heart and my inmost being get illuminated

Brief Explanation: 

“شعاعِ نور” evokes prophetic light (nūr). The movement from eye to breast to heart suggests inner awakening. “قلبانِ من” intensifies the idea—my many inner hearts, all levels of consciousness. 

حضرتِ یعقوب می‌گوید فدایت یا رسول
دیدهٔ من یوسفِ من مصرِ من کنعانِ من

Even the honorable (Prophet) Yaqub(عليه السلام) would say that May I be sacrificed to you O Prophet(ﷺ)
And my sight, and my Yousuf(عليه السلام), and my Egypt and Canaan

Brief Explanation:
The poet invokes Prophet Yaʿqūb and his longing for Yūsuf. Egypt and Canaan symbolize loss and reunion. The Messenger is portrayed as dearer than all beloved things. 

بندهٔ کم‌طاعتم از لطف آزادم بکن
خواجهٔ من سیّدِ من شاهِ من سلطانِ من

I am a slave who obeys but little, yet free me, by your grace
O my master, my leader, my king, my sultan

 
Brief Explanation:
A paradox: freedom comes through mercy, not independence. Titles accumulate to express reverence—spiritual authority, not political dominion.

 خاکِ راہِ  رہروانِ راہِ عشقت یا رسول
 سرمہ من دیدہ من چشمِ من چشمانِ من

The dust from the path of those who walk in your love, O Messenger(ﷺ),
Forms the collyrium of my eyes, and my eyes, and my vision itself

Brief Explanation:
Dust becomes sacred. “سرمه” (kohl) beautifies and sharpens sight. The image conveys humility: even the dust of lovers’ footsteps enlightens.

  یا رسولِ ابطحی بابُ السّلام روضہ ات
 قبلہ من کعبہ من دینِ من ایمانِ من 

O Prophet(ﷺ) from al-Abṭaḥ, the bab al-salaam of your sanctuary is 
My Qiblah, my Ka'abah, my religion and my faith

 

Brief Explanation:
“ابطحی” links him to Mecca. The shrine imagery reflects devotional orientation. The language is hyperbolic love, not literal theology—it expresses direction of the heart. 

سجدہ پاکت کہ باشد در قیامت یا رسول
 راحتِ من رحمتِ من ابرِ من نیسانِ من  

Your sincere prostration on the Day of Judgment, O Prophet(ﷺ)

Will be my solace, my mercy, my cloud (shade) and my Nisan (Read the meaning here or in Wikipedia) 

 

Brief Explanation:
“Nīsān” here symbolizes reviving mercy. The Prophet’s intercession becomes life-giving rain over a barren and dead soul. 

یک تكَّلم زآن دو لعلِ شكَّرین فرما کہ ہست

قوّتِ من قوتِ من یاقوتِ من مرجانِ من 

From those sweet garnet lips, do utter a phrase that becomes
My strength, my nourishment, ruby, my pearl

 

Brief Explanation:
The lips are “rubies”; speech is sustenance. “قوت” means both strength and daily provision. Divine words nourish the spirit.

چشم دارد جامیِ مسکین کہ فرمائی قبول
گریهٔ من نالهٔ من آہِ من افغانِ من  

A glance of acceptance for-Jami the hopeful pauper  
my tears, my laments, my sighs and my pleas 

 

Brief Explanation: 

The closing couplet presents the poet as “مسکین” (destitute in spirit). Nothing remains but supplication. Devotion culminates in vulnerability.

 

Notes about the origin of the poem:

• Origin as a living liturgical piece in Kashmir: well supported by public recitation circulation. 
• Origin as a securely attested Jāmī dīwān poem: not established from the materials above; the best we can say is that modern devotional compilations attribute it to Jāmī. 
• An alternative bibliographic origin under “Saʾil” exists in a major curated database (Sufiname), and that cannot be brushed aside. It has this line:

سر بر آر از خاک و گو با سایلؔ و یاران او
امت من بیدل من کلب من کلبان من

Raise your head from the dust and say to this requester and his companions:
They are my community, my love-stricken ones—my dogs, my faithful hounds.

 

Brief Explanation: 

“سر بر آر از خاک” evokes resurrection. The line imagines a divine or prophetic address affirming acceptance. “بیدل” means love-struck, heart-emptied by longing. The striking phrase “کلبِ من کلبانِ من” (my dog, my dogs) reflects a classical Sufi idiom of humility and loyalty. In Persian mystical language, calling oneself a “dog” at the Beloved’s door signifies devotion, watchfulness, and utter submission—an image of fidelity rather than insult.

The couplet therefore functions as a reassurance: even those who see themselves as lowly and broken are embraced as belonging

His Eminence

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

This is a poem attributed to Sheikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi  ( المحدث شيخ عبدالحق الدهلوي‎‎) which he uttered upon visiting the masjid of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), which is often recited in the Indian Sub-continent:

 یا صاحب الجمال و یا سیدالبشر

O master of beauty, O leader of mankind
 

من وجہک المنیر لقد نور القمر

Verily your blessed countenance lit up the moon

لا یمکن الثناء کما کان حقہ

It being impossible to praise you as you truly deserve,

 بعد از خدا بزرگ توئی قصہ مختصر

(I only can state that) after God, you are the greatest and the matter ends there.

Six things a seeker must possess

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Hazrat Shaikh Abu Ismaïl Abdullah al-Herawi al-Ansari or Khajah Abdullah Ansari of Herat   خواجه عبدالله انصاری‎, the  Peer-e Herat wrote in one of his earlier treatises, the صد میدان   (One Hundred Fields), that to attain spiritual stations, it is imperative that the seeker possesses the following six invaluable traits:

تعظیم امر
  بیم مكر
 لزوم عذر
    خدمت بسنت
  زیستن برفاقت
برخلق بشفقت

For English speakers, it is roughly translated as:

1. Great respect for the (Divine) commandment ('amr)
2. Fear of the ruse/deception (makr) 
3. Necessity of excuse or apology for others('uzr)
4. Serving others, in accordance with the Prophetic tradition
5. Living in (spiritual) company
6. Love and kindness towards creation

His Beauty

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

There is a poem by Hassan Ibn Thabit (رضي الله عنه‎), praising the beauty of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), which is considered to be one of the best pieces of poetry in his praise, referenced (here):

وأَحسنُ منكَ لم ترَ قطُّ عيني

More excellent than you, my eye has never seen, 

وَأجْمَلُ مِنْكَ لَمْ تَلِدِ النّسَاءُ

Never been born, one handsomer than you 

خلقتَ مبرأً منْ كلّ عيبٍ

You were created free from any flaw whatsoever,

كأنكَ قدْ خلقتَ كما تشاءُ

As though you were created just the way you wanted

You can listen to it here:

Invest in the everlasting

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

There is a poem by Imam al-Sajjad (عليه السلا), referenced in Al-Bidāya wa-n-nihāya (البداية والنهاية) by Ismail ibn Kathir (here):

تُخَـرِّبُ مَـا يَبْقَى، وَتعْمُرُ فَانِياً 

Destroying what is everlasting you are building the perishing

 فَلاَ ذَاكَ مَوْفُورٌ، وَلاَ ذَاكَ عَامرُ 

Neither will the former be intact, nor will the latter flourish

 وَهَلْ لَكَ إِنْ وَافَاكَ حَتْفُكَ بَغْتَةً 

And when your fate catches up to you all of a sudden

 وَلَمْ تَكْتَسِبْ خَيْرَاً لَدَى اللهِ عَاذِرُ؟ 

What excuse will you have before your Lord? 

 أَتَرْضَى بِأَنْ تُقْضَى الحَياةُ وَتَنْقَضِي 

How will you be content when your life is over

 وَدِينُـكَ مَنْقُوصٌ وَمَالكَ وَافِرُ؟

 If your deen is deficient, but (only) your wealth abundant? 



A rendering with slightly different rendering can be watched below:

Learning from a Dog

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Al-Hasan ibn Abi-l-Hasan al-Basri popularly known as Hasan of Basrah (حسن البصري) has reportedly prescribed to his disciples the following:


A dog possesses ten praiseworthy traits, that should be present in a seeker:

الأولى
أنه لا يزال جائعا، وذلك من آداب الصالحين

It stays in a state of hunger, and that is the etiquette of the righteous.

الثانية
أنه لايكون له موضع يعرف به، وذلك من علامات المتوكلين

The second is that he does not have a fixed place to sleep. This is the condition of wanderers who rely on God

الثالثة

أنه لا ينام من الليل إلا قليل، وذلك من صفات المحسنين

The third is that it does not sleep at night, except a little. This is the trait of the excellent ones.

الرابعة

أنه إذا مات لا يكون له ميراث، وذلك من اخلاق الزاهدين

The fourth is that it leaves behind absolutely nothing when it dies. This is the characteristic of the pious.

الخامسة

أنه لا يهجر أخاه وإن جفاه وطرده، وذلك من شيم المريدين

The fifth is that it does not forsake its master. Even if he beats it, it does not abandon him. This is a sign of the seekers.

السادسة

أنه يرضى من الدنيا بأدنى يسير، وذلك من إشارات المتواضعين

The sixth is that he accepts a humble place and remains there. This is a sign of the humble.

السابعة

أنه إذا غلب عن مكانه تركه وانصرف إلى غيره، وذلك من علامات الراضي

The seventh is that if his residence is taken over, he leaves it for another place, and this is an indicator of those pleased with their Lord

الثامنة

أنه إذا طرد ثم دعي أجاب، وذلك من اخلاق الخاشعين

The eighth is that even if its master  shoos it away, it returns happily without delay as soon as its summoned back. This is the character of the devout.

التاسعة

أنه إذا حضر شيء من الأكل وقف ينظر من بعد، وذلك من أخلاق المساكين

The ninth is that it remains at a distance and does not approach when food is being prepared. This is the attitude of the impoverished.

العاشرة

أنه إذا رحل من مكانه لا يرحل بشيء، وذلك من علامات المجردين

The tenth is that, when it moves, it does not carry any belongings. This is a symbol of the ascetics