Praise and Appreciation of the Holy Prophet SAW (Persian Poem)

Can I ever succeed in adequately praising the exalted leader;

Whom the heaven and earth and both the worlds cannot praise enough?

The station of nearness that he has achieved with the Eternal Beloved
Is beyond the ken of all those who have ever attained nearness to God.

None in this world can even dream of
The favours with which the eternal beloved continues to visit him.

He is the leader of the elect of God and king of the company of lovers;
His soul has traversed every stage of union with the Beloved.

That blessed one who is the manifestation of divine signs,
Came as a mercy from the Nourisher of all the worlds.

His is the exalted and unique station in the divine court;
Which is beyond the reach of the elect and the great.

He is Ahmad of the latter days,
Who is the source of honour for those who came before;

For those of the latter days he is the leader,
Haven of refuge, security and strength.

His distinguished threshold is the ark of protection For the whole creation;
No one on the Day of Judgement will attain salvation, But through his intercession.

He surpasses all and every kind of excellence;
The heavens are a mere speck of dust compared to his great resolve.

He manifests the light which had been hidden since eternity;
He is the source and exordium of sunrise, which was hidden since eternity.

The chief of the heavenly congregation and a proof of God on earth;
A great and powerful sign of the existence of the Creator.

Every vein and particle of his being is the abode of the Eternal Beloved;
His every breath and particle is imbued with the beauty of the Friend.

The beauty of his countenance far exceeds a hundred suns and moons;
The dust of his threshold is superior to a hundred pieces of musk for Tataristan.

He is beyond human reason, thought, and imagination;
How can thought dare reach out to that limitless ocean!

His soul is the first to proclaim: ‘Bala’—‘Yes, indeed!’
He is the Adam of faith in the Unity of God;

Even before the creation of Adam,
He had communion with the Beloved.

It is embedded in his nature to lay down his life For God’s creatures;
He is ever ready to sacrifice himself for the downtrodden; And he is the help of the helpless.
 

At the time when the world was filled With idolatry and polytheism;
No heart wept blood But the heart of that sovereign.
 

No one was aware of the evil of polytheism And the filth of idols;
Ahmad’s soul alone was cognizant of it: His heart was lost in Divine love.
 

Who knows and who is aware Of the cries of the intercessor
Which arose for the sake of mankind In the silence of the cave.
 

I cannot fathom the pain, The agony, and the distress,
Which brought him to the cave, So troubled and full of anguish.
 

He was afraid neither of the dark, Nor of loneliness;
He did not fear death, Nor was he scared of scorpions or snakes.
 

He deeply loved his people,
He was devoted to mankind and the world;
 

He cared little about his bodily comfort,
Nor about his personal needs.
 

He raised cries of pain For the good of mankind;
Day and night he was preoccupied In supplication to God.
 

His humility and prayers Caused a great commotion
In the heavens: The angels too were moved to tears

At last, because of his humility,
His prayers and supplications,
The Lord turned with compassion
To the dark and gloomy world.

The world was rocked
By a great storm of sin;
In every land people became blind and deaf
Because of sin and polytheism.

In the time of Noah,
The world was filled with every mischief;
No heart was free
From darkness and dust.

The devils had ruled
Over every body and soul;
Then the All-Powerful Lord appeared in glory
To the soul of Muhammad.

His grace encompasses alike
The black and the white;
He it is who sacrificed his life
For the sake of mankind.

O Prophet of Allah!
You alone are the sun of the path of righteousness;
No pious or righteous one, without you
Can find his way to the right path.

O Prophet of Allah!
Your lips are the life-sustaining fountain;
You alone are the guide
To the path of the True Lord.

There is the one who seeks to hear your sayings
From Tom, Dick and Harry;

There is another who doesn’t have to wait:
He hears directly from your own lips.
He indeed is alive, who drinks from your fountain;
Wise is he who follows you.

The ultimate point of knowledge for those who know,
Is the knowledge of your face;
For the truthful, steadfastness and loyalty to you
Is the height of truth.

Without you no one can ever attain
The wealth of true knowledge;
Even if he dies in the exercise
Of unlimited devotion and worship.

To bank on one’s own efforts
Without the love of your countenance,
Is to be naïve
For he who is unaware of your face,

Can never see the face of virtue.
Each moment a new light is attained
Through the love of your countenance,
Which the seeker cannot attain

In a whole lifetime.
Of the wonders of the universe,
Whatever is beautiful and sublime;
I clearly behold in you.

No time is better than the time
Spent in your love;
Nor is any pastime more pleasant
Than that devoted to your praise.

Since I am cognizant of your unlimited virtues,
I am eager to sacrifice my life for you;
Whereas others are content with their services.
Everyone supplicates for himself

In his prayers, but;
O my garden of eternal spring!
I supplicate only for your progeny.

O Prophet of Allah!
I am lost in love with every particle
Of your holy person;
Were I to have a hundred thousand lives,

I would bequeath them all
To be sacrificed in your path.
 

What is the truth about submission to you,
And love for your countenance?

It is a panacea for every heart,
An elixir for every lacerated soul.
 

How worthless is the heart,
That does not bleed for you!

How useless is the life,
That is not sacrifice for you!
 

Because of your love,
My heart does not fear death;

Look at my steadfastness:
I am walking to the scaffold
With a smile!
 

O mercy of God!

We have come to you seeking your mercy;
Like us, there are hundreds of thousands of hopefuls
Waiting at your threshold.
 

O Prophet of Allah! I offer my being

For your lovely countenance;
This head of mine, lying heavy on my shoulder,
Is but an offering in your service.
 

Ever since I have been allowed

To witness the light of the Holy Prophet;
His love, like a spring,

Has been gushing forth from my heart!

The fire of devotion
Emanates from my breath like lightening;
O weak hearted companions!
Move away from my proximity.

Ever since I saw his countenance in a vision,
My heart is in ecstasy;
My very being, my body, and my soul,
Are but an offering at the altar
Of his body and his countenance.

I see hundreds of thousands of Josephs
In the dimple of his chin;
I see countless Messiahs
Being born by his breath.

He is the sovereign of the seven continents;
He is the sun of the East and the West;
He is king of both the worlds;
He is a haven for the humble.

Successful is the heart,
Which treads faithfully in his path;
Lucky is the head,
That is sacrificed for that warrior.

O Prophet of Allah!
The world is dark with disbelief and idol worship;
It is time you revealed your face
Which is bright like the sun.

O my beloved! I see the light of God
Reflected in your countenance;
I see the heart of a wise person
Intoxicated with your love.

Lovers and the enlightened
Recognize your station;
But the eyes of the bat

Cannot see the bright midday sun.

Everyone in this world has a beloved, but;
O beloved of rosy countenance!
I am devoted only to you.

Out of the entire world,
I have fallen in love with your lovely face;
I have forsaken my own self for you.

What is life?
To be sacrificed it in your path;
What is freedom?
To be like a prey in your captivity.

As long as I live,
Your love will always dwell in my heart;
As long as blood flows in my heart,
It will always be sustained by my love for you.

O Messenger of Allah!
My ties with you are very strong indeed;
I have been devoted to you
Ever since I was a suckling infant.

At every step I have taken towards Allah,
I have seen you as an invisible helper,
A supporter and a guide.

In both the worlds,
So strong is my affiliation to you:
You have nourished me
Like a baby in your lap.

Recall the time when you revealed
Your countenance to me in a vision;
Recall the time when you visited me
With great longing and eagerness.

Call to mind the kindness and favours
That you showered upon me;]

Call to mind the glad tidings
You conveyed to me from the Lord.

Recall the time, when in full wakefulness,
You granted me a glimpse
Of the loveliness of the charming face
And the beauty which is the envy of Spring.

[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in Vol. 5, pp. 23-28]