To what extent has he persisted in arrogance and heedlessness?"

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Isma'il ibn al al-Muqarrī: (ابن المُقَرِّي) 

اِسْمُهُ إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الشَّاوِرِيُّ الشَّرْجِيُّ الحُسَيْنِيُّ اليَمَنِيُّ الشَّافِعِيُّ، وَاشْتُهِرَ بِابْنِ المُقَرِّي، لَقَبُهُ شَرَفُ الدِّينِ، وَكُنْيَتُهُ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ، وَيُقَالُ لَهُ: ابْنُ المُقَرِّي الزُّبَيْدِيُّ، أَوِ اليَمَنِيُّ، أَوْ إِسْمَاعِيلُ ابْنُ المُقَرِّي.
وَالحُسَيْنِيُّ نِسْبَةٌ إِلَىٰ أَبْيَاتِ حُسَيْنٍ بِاليَمَنِ، مَوْلِدُهُ فِيهَا، وَالشَّرْجِيُّ نِسْبَةٌ إِلَىٰ شَرْجَةَ مِنْ سَوَاحِلِهَا، وَالشَّاوِرِيُّ نِسْبَةٌ إِلَىٰ قَبِيلَةِ شَاوِرَ مِنْ بُطُونِ حَاشِدٍ، أَصْلُهُ مِنْهَا.

His name is:

Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Bakr ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAlī ibn ʿAṭiyyah ibn ʿAlī al-Shāwirī al-Sharjī al-Ḥusaynī al-Yamanī al-Shāfiʿī

• Ismāʿīl – His given name.

• ibn Abī Bakr... – This is a full genealogical chain tracing seven generations back.

• al-Shāwirī – Attributed to the tribe of Shāwir, a sub-branch of the powerful Ḥāshid tribal confederation in Yemen.

• al-Sharjī – Attributed to Sharjah, a coastal region in Yemen (not to be confused with the city in the UAE).

• al-Ḥusaynī – Refers to Abyāt Ḥusayn, a place in Yemen where he was born.

• al-Yamanī – "The Yemeni," indicating national origin.

• al-Shāfiʿī – Indicates his adherence to the Shāfiʿī school of Islamic jurisprudence.

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He became known as:

Ibn al-Muqarrī – “Son of al-Muqarrī,” likely a title inherited from an ancestor known for being a qāriʾ (reciter) or scholar.

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His titles:

• Laqab (honorific): Sharaf al-Dīn – “The Nobility of the Religion”

• Kunya (teknonym): Abū Muḥammad – “Father of Muḥammad”

• He is also known as:

  • Ibn al-Muqarrī al-Zubaydī – possibly referencing the Zubayd region or tribe.

  • Ibn al-Muqarrī al-Yamanī – “the Yemeni”

  • Ismāʿīl ibn al-Muqarrī – Formal full-name variant.

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Final Clarifications on Attributions:

• al-Ḥusaynī here does not refer to descent from al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī (as in the Ḥasanī/Ḥusaynī Sayyids), but rather:

  A place-based nisbah to Abyāt Ḥusayn, a locality in Yemen where he was born.

• al-Sharjī – Attributed to Sharjah, a coastal region or village on the Yemeni shore.

• al-Shāwirī – Attributed to Qabīlat Shāwir, a sub-clan of the Ḥāshid tribal confederation, indicating his tribal roots.

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He writes in one of the classical Arabic zuhdiyyah (ascetic, didactic poem) with consistent meter and rhyme, culminating in a final duʿāʾ (supplication) and a salutation upon the Prophet ﷺ — is one of a devotional or ethical collection of Islamic poetry from the Mamluk period.

 

 إِلَىٰ كَمْ تَمَادَىٰ فِي غُرُورٍ وَغَفْلَةٍ

وَكَمْ هَكَذَا نَوْمٌ إِلَىٰ غَيْرِ يَقْظَةِ؟

How long will you persist in delusion and heedlessness?
And how long will this sleep last without waking? 

A rhetorical opening appealing to the soul lost in worldly distractions, portraying spiritual negligence as prolonged sleep.

لَقَدْ ضَاعَ عُمْرٌ، سَاعَةٌ مِنْهُ تُشْتَرَىٰ

بِمِلْءِ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ أَيَّةَ ضَيْعَةِ؟

A lifetime has been wasted — an hour of it could purchase
a treasure greater than the heavens and earth

Time, especially when used for righteousness, is more valuable than all creation. Wasting even an hour is a catastrophic loss.

أَيُنْفَقُ هَذَا فِي هَوَىٰ هٰذِهِ الَّتِي
أَبَىٰ اللهُ أَنْ تَسْوَىٰ جَنَاحَ بَعُوضَةِ؟

Shall this precious life be spent chasing what
God has deemed unworthy of even a mosquito’s wing?

 
A reference to a famous hadith that the dunya is worth less than a mosquito’s wing in the sight of God—thus unfit for the believer’s heart.

أَتَرْضَىٰ مِنَ العَيْشِ الرَّغِيدِ وَعِيشَةٍ
مَعَ المَلَإِ الأَعْلَىٰ بِعَيْشِ البَهِيمَةِ؟ 

Are you content with a life of ease—
like a beast—while among the heavenly host?

A scolding question: how can the soul, created to ascend spiritually, be satisfied with mere animal pleasures?

   فَيَا دُرَّةً بَيْنَ المَزَابِلِ أُلْقِيَتْ
وَجَوْهَرَةً بِيْعَتْ بِأَبْخَسِ قِيمَةِ! 

O pearl cast among refuse,
O jewel sold for the cheapest price!

The poet likens the noble soul to a precious gem discarded in filth — a metaphor for self-degradation through heedlessness.

 أَفَانٍ بِبَاقٍ تَشْتَرِيهِ سَفَاهَةً؟
وَسُخْطًا بِرِضْوَانٍ، وَنَارًا بِجَنَّةِ؟ 

Do you foolishly trade what is lasting for what perishes—
wrath for mercy, and the Fire for the Garden?

A warning against irrational spiritual choices: giving up eternal bliss for fleeting worldly enjoyment.

أَأَنْتَ صَدِيقٌ أَمْ عَدُوٌّ لِنَفْسِهِ؟
فَإِنَّكَ تَرْمِيهَا بِكُلِّ مُصِيبَةِ! 

Are you a friend or an enemy to your soul?
You hurl it into every disaster!

This blunt rebuke targets the reader's self-harm — through sin, negligence, and indulgence, the soul is its own worst enemy.

وَلَوْ فَعَلَ الأَعْدَاءُ بِنَفْسِكَ بَعْضَ مَا
فَعَلْتَ، لَمَسَّتْهُم لَهَا بَعْضُ رَحْمَةِ! 

Had your enemies done to you what you’ve done to yourself,
you would’ve pitied them for such cruelty!

Highlighting the irony: we are harsher on ourselves than even our enemies might be. A call for self-awareness and mercy on the soul.

لَقَدْ بِعْتَهَا هَوْنًا عَلَيْكَ رَخِيصَةً،
وَكَانَتْ بِهٰذَا مِنْكَ غَيْرَ حَقِيقَةِ!

You sold your soul cheaply, with little care—
a treatment unworthy of her noble essence.

The poet decries the devaluation of the soul. The line implies regret over choosing lowly pursuits over spiritual elevation.

أَلَا فَاسْتَفِقْ! لَا تَفْضَحَنَّهَا بِمَشْهَدٍ
مِنَ الخَلْقِ، إِنْ كُنْتَ ابْنَ أُمٍّ كَرِيمَةِ!

So wake up! Do not disgrace her publicly
before creation—if you are the son of a noble mother!

A powerful call to dignity: rise from humiliation and sin, for it is disgraceful to be exposed in shame on the Day of Judgment.

فَبَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا مَشْهَدٌ وَفَضِيحَةٌ
يُعَدُّ عَلَيْهَا كُلُّ مِثْقَالِ ذَرَّةِ

Before her lies a scene of exposure and disgrace,
Where every atom’s weight will be accounted.

Refers to the Day of Judgment. The soul will stand before God where even the smallest deeds—good or evil—will be weighed and revealed.

فُتِنْتَ بِهَا دُنْيَا كَثِيرٌ غُرُورُهَا
تُعَامِلُ فِي لَذَّتِهَا بِالخَدِيعَةِ

You have been seduced by a world full of deception,
That deals in pleasures through trickery.

This couplet emphasizes the dunya’s illusory nature. Its delights mislead and betray, offering joy while hiding harm.

إِذَا أَقْبَلَتْ بَذَّتْ، وَإِنْ هِيَ أَحْسَنَتْ
أَسَاءَتْ، وَإِنْ ضَاقَتْ، فَثِقْ بِالكُدُورَةِ

When it arrives, it struts in arrogance; if it improves, it betrays;
and if it constricts, expect only bitterness. 

The world is portrayed as unstable and deceptive: its good is mixed with harm, and its hardship is filled with sorrow.

وَإِنْ نِلْتَ مِنْهَا مَالَ قَارُونَ، لَمْ تَنَلْ
سِوَىٰ لُقْمَةٍ فِي فِيكَ مِنْهَا، وَخِرْقَةِ

Even if you gained the wealth of Qārūn,
you’d get nothing more than a bite in your mouth—and a rag.

Despite immense wealth, one’s real share of the world is minimal: some food and clothing. Referencing Qārūn who was destroyed for arrogance.

وَهَيْهَاتَ تَحْظَىٰ بِالأَمَانِيِّ، وَلَمْ تَكُنْ
لِتَنْزِعَهَا مِنْ فِيكَ أَيْدِي المَنِيَّةِ

Far-fetched is it to attain your dreams—
when the hands of death can snatch them from your mouth.

A sobering reminder of mortality. Even as one pursues dreams, death may interrupt and take everything mid-breath.

فَدَعْهَا وَأَهْلِيهَا، لِتَغْبِطَهُمْ، وَخُذْ
لِنَفْسِكَ عَنْهَا، فَهْوَ كُلُّ غَنِيمَةِ 

So leave the world and its people—let them have it and be envied.
Take what saves your soul instead, for that is the true prize. 

Encourages detachment and asceticism. Let others chase the world’s illusions; seek instead what benefits you eternally.

وَلَا تَغْبِطَنَّ مِنْهَا بِفَرْحَةِ سَاعَةٍ
تَعُودُ عَلَيْكَ بِأَحْزَانٍ طَوِيلَةِ

Do not envy a fleeting moment of joy from this world,
which will return to you with long-lasting grief. 

Momentary pleasures often lead to enduring sorrow—spiritual or moral. Joy without meaning is not worth the price.

فَعَيْشُكَ فِيهَا أَلْفُ عَامٍ، وَتَنْقَضِي
كَعَيْشِكَ فِيهَا بَعْضُ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةِ

Your life in this world—even if a thousand years—will end
as if it were a portion of a day and night.

Time is fleeting, and even long lives feel short once they’ve passed. The couplet echoes Qur’anic imagery of temporal illusion.

وَكُنْ ذَاكِرًا لِلَّهِ فِي كُلِّ لَحْظَةٍ
وَلَا تَنْسَهُ، تُنْسَ، فَخُذْ بِنَصِيحَتِي

Remember God in every moment—
Do not forget Him, lest you be forgotten. Take my advice.

A clear exhortation to dhikr (remembrance of God), tied to a profound warning: divine neglect awaits those who neglect the Divine.

كُلِّفْتَ بِهَا دُنْيَا كَثِيرٌ غُرُورُهَا
تُقَابِلُنَا فِي نُصْحِهَا بِالخَدِيعَةِ

You became attached to this world, which is full of illusion—
It answers our counsel with deception.

Even when warned, the soul persists in pursuing worldly temptations. The world itself “replies” to sincere advice with treachery.

عَلَيْكَ بِمَا يُجْدِي عَلَيْكَ مِنَ التُّقَىٰ
فَإِنَّكَ فِي سَهْوٍ عَظِيمٍ وَغَفْلَةِ

Hold fast to what will truly benefit you—namely, piety—
for you are deep in heedlessness and great distraction.

A call to taqwā (God-consciousness), reminding the soul that while it's preoccupied with distractions, it is neglecting what truly matters. 

تُصَلِّي بِلا قَلْبٍ، صَلَاةً بِمِثْلِهَا
يَكُونُ الفَتَىٰ مُسْتَوْجِبًا لِلْعُقُوبَةِ

You pray without your heart—such a prayer
makes a youth deserving of punishment.

The poet condemns empty, heartless prayer, stressing that form without spirit does not fulfill religious purpose and may even incur divine disapproval.

 تُخَاطِبُهُ "إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ" مُقْبِلًا
عَلَىٰ غَيْرِهِ فِيهَا، لِغَيْرِ ضَرُورَةِ

You say to Him, “You alone we worship,”
yet your heart turns elsewhere without necessity. 

A piercing criticism of insincerity in worship: the lips recite devotion to God, but the mind and heart wander. 

وَلَوْ رَدَّ مَنْ نَاجَاكَ لِلْغَيْرِ طَرْفَهُ
تَمَيَّزْتَ مِنْ غَيْظٍ عَلَيْهِ وَغَيْرَةِ

If someone you spoke with turned his gaze to another,
you would burst with rage and jealousy.

A sharp analogy: we expect full attention from others but give divided attention to God. The line exposes a spiritual hypocrisy. 

فَوَيْلَكَ! تَدْرِي مَنْ تُنَاجِيهِ مُعْرِضًا،
وَبَيْنَ يَدَيْ مَنْ تَنْحَنِي، غَيْرَ مُخْبِتِ؟

Woe to you! Do you know whom you address while turning away—
before whom you bow without humility? 

A stern reprimand. The poet underscores the gravity of neglecting reverence in divine worship, stressing the majesty of the One worshipped.

أَيَّا عَامِلًا لِلنَّارِ، جِسْمُكَ لَيِّنٌ!،
فَجَرِّبْهُ تَمْرِينًا بِحَرِّ الظَّهِيرَةِ

O you who labor for the Fire—your body is soft!
Try training it first under the heat of the noonday sun

A sarcastic and scathing reminder: one sins as though they could bear Hell, while they can barely endure summer’s heat. A visceral wake-up call.

 وَدَرِّبْهُ فِي لَسْعِ الزَّنَابِيرِ تَجْتَرِي،
عَلَىٰ نَهْشِ حَيَّاتٍ هُنَاكَ عَظِيمَةِ 

Train it to endure the sting of wasps,
if you dare expose it to the bites of the mighty serpents there.

Continuing the imagery of Hell, the poet urges the sinner to consider whether they can even handle minor worldly pain before daring greater punishment.

 فَإِنْ كُنْتَ لَا تَقْوَىٰ، فَوَيْلَكَ! مَا الَّذِي
دَعَاكَ إِلَىٰ إِسْخَاطِ رَبِّ البَرِيَّةِ؟

If you cannot endure it—woe to you!—then what

drove you to enrage the Lord of creation?

A rational and emotional plea: if one is too weak for Hell, then why act in ways that earn God's wrath?

تُبَارِزُهُ بِالمُنْكَرَاتِ عَشِيَّةً،
وَتُصْبِحُ فِي أَثْوَابِ نُسْكٍ وَعِفَّةِ؟

You confront Him with sins by night,

then arise in the morning clothed in piety and modesty? 

A striking denunciation of hypocrisy: engaging in sin privately while displaying religious virtue outwardly. The contradiction is laid bare.

تُسِيءُ بِهِ ظَنًّا، وَتُحْسِنُ تَارَةً،
عَلَىٰ حَسَبِ مَا يَقْضِي الهَوَىٰ فِي القَضِيَّةِ

You think ill of Him, then well—at times—
depending on what your desire dictates in the matter.

The poet points out the inconsistency of faith shaped by convenience. Trust in God is not to be swayed by whim or mood.

فَأَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرَأُ مِنْكَ عَلَىٰ الوَرَىٰ
بِمَا فِيكَ مِنْ جَهْلٍ، وَخُبْثِ الطَّوِيَّةِ

You are bolder with Him than you are with people—
because of your ignorance and the corruption of your intent. 

A sharp rebuke: the sinner shows more daring in disobeying God than they would show in wronging others—exposing both ignorance and inner wickedness.

تَقُولُ مَعَ العِصْيَانِ: رَبِّي غَافِرٌ!
صَدَقْتَ، وَلَكِنْ: غَافِرٌ بِالمَشِيئَةِ

You say while sinning: ‘My Lord is Forgiving!’
You speak the truth—but He forgives by His will.

Affirming God's mercy, but warning that forgiveness is not guaranteed without repentance. Presumption upon divine mercy is dangerous.

وَرَبُّكَ رَزَّاقٌ كَمَا هُوَ غَافِرٌ،
فَلِمَ لَا تُصَدِّقْ فِيهِمَا بِالسَّوِيَّةِ؟

And your Lord is the Provider, just as He is Forgiving—
So why don’t you trust in both equally?

A probing question: if one truly believes God provides sustenance without striving, why doesn't one rely equally on His mercy through obedience, rather than sin?

فَكَيْفَ تُرَجِّي العَفْوَ مِنْ غَيْرِ تَوْبَةٍ،
وَلَسْتَ تُرَجِّي الرِّزْقَ إِلَّا بِحِيلَةِ؟

How can you hope for pardon without repentance,
while you never hope for provision without a strategy?

This exposes hypocrisy: while people plan and work for worldly gain, they lazily assume forgiveness will come without spiritual work.

عَلَىٰ أَنَّهُ بِالرِّزْقِ كَفَّلَ نَفْسَهُ،
وَلَمْ يَتَكَفَّلْ لِلأَنَامِ بِجَنَّتِي

Though He guaranteed sustenance for all,
He did not guarantee Paradise to any.

A theological distinction: rizq (sustenance) is a divine promise; Paradise, however, is conditional—earned through faith and action.

وَمَا زِلْتَ تَسْعَىٰ بِالَّذِي قَدْ كُفِيتَهُ،
وَتُهْمِلُ مَا كُلِّفْتَهُ مِنْ وَظِيفَةِ!

You continue to strive for what’s already guaranteed,
and neglect the duty you were assigned!

Critique of misplaced priorities. One’s obsession with wealth and livelihood comes at the expense of the real spiritual responsibilities of worship and ethical living.

إِلٰهِي! أَجِرْنَا مِنْ عَظِيمِ ذُنُوبِنَا،
وَلَا تُخْزِنَا، وَانْظُرْ إِلَيْنَا بِرَحْمَةِ

O my Lord! Save us from the weight of our great sins,
Do not disgrace us—gaze upon us with mercy!

This marks a shift into heartfelt supplication. After a long series of moral rebukes, the poet now pleads with God for forgiveness and grace.

وَخُذْ بِنَوَاصِينَا إِلَيْكَ، وَهَبْ لَنَا
يَقِينًا يَقِينَا كُلَّ شَكٍّ وَرِيبَةِ

Take hold of our forelocks and draw us near to You,
and grant us a certainty that protects us from all doubt and confusion.

This is a Qur’anic-style plea for spiritual guidance and certainty. The image of the “forelock” indicates complete submission to divine will.

إِلٰهِي! اهْدِنَا فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ، وَخُذْ بِنَا
إِلَىٰ الحَقِّ نَهْجًا، فِي سَوَاءِ الطَّرِيقَةِ

O my Lord! Guide us among those whom You have guided,
and lead us to truth upon a straight and balanced path.

This echoes the language of the qunūt supplication and al-Fātiḥah. It asks for inclusion among the rightly guided and constancy in the path of truth.

وَكُنْ شُغْلَنَا عَنْ كُلِّ شُغْلٍ وَهَمٍّ،
وَبُغْيَتَنَا عَنْ كُلِّ هَمٍّ وَبُغْيَةِ 

Be our occupation from every other occupation and worry,
and our ultimate aim above every goal and desire. 

A beautiful expression of total devotion: may God become the center of all concern, desire, and purpose.

وَصَلِّ صَلَاةً لَا تَنَاهَىٰ عَلَى الَّذِي
جَعَلْتَ بِهِ مِسْكًا خِتَامَ النُّبُوَّةِ

And send endless blessings upon the One ﷺ
through whom You sealed Prophethood with musk.

A beautiful expression of total devotion: may God become the center of all concern, desire, and purpose.

A poetic reference to the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, described as the fragrant seal (مسك ختام النبوة). Musk was a prized scent and metaphor for beauty and finality. The poet ends with salutation upon him, as is fitting in classical Islamic poetry.

THEMATIC OVERVIEW

This zuhdiyyah (ascetic poem) presents a complete spiritual cycle:

Verses 1–10: Begin with a critique of heedlessness and misplaced trust in the dunya.

Verses 11–20: Warn about Judgment Day, worldly deceit, and the futility of wealth.

Verses 21–30: Turn to the shallowness of ritual worship without sincerity.

Verses 31–36: Analyze theological inconsistencies and misplaced priorities.

Verses 37–40: Shift into urgent, intimate supplication to God.

Verses 41–46: Conclude with a yearning for divine closeness and a noble salutation upon the Prophet ﷺ.