Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

my back - by the grace of God and in devotion of Him -

is strong enough perhaps that I might attain

tot he Messenger and his intercession; I ask for no other

to plead for me with God but His Prophet, and to plead

for me with the Prophet none but his blessed Family,

with whom I shall go to him; no fear of taint

or contagion from hypocrites. The Religion of Allah

is the Prophet s kingdom and today all creatures

are his subjects, his Community. Your slave

does not owe you even half the obedience

that the Prophet s Community owes him.

He has ordered you not to kill your slave for disobedience

nor will he slay you for your rebellion;

do not sever yourself from his all-encompassing protection,

for he is the Guide of all creation, his message

has reached from one end of the world to the other.

After him, his Family are the Guides - reverence him

and turn not from his Family. If you know him not

then you must know his children - how else

in your bewilderment can you hope for his mercy?

Have you not heard to whom the Prophet entrusted

his dominion on the day of his Sermon by the ditch?

the one to whom allusion is made in the Book?

the one before whose courage the boldness of the unbelievers

faded like a lantern his up to the sun?

Who gave his ring to a beggar? to whom

all the descendants of the Prophet trace their family tree?

who slept in the Prophet s bed, while the Messenger

fled from his enemies in the Migration? to whom

the Prophet gave the banner in the battle of Badr

when all others quailed? the lion, the warrior

whom God has made all heroes to love?

On the field of battle our Prophet had no miracle

more potent than that man s might. It is he

who will distribute paradise and hell to the faithful

and unfaithful. He is the Gate of the City of Knowledge

which is the Prophet; no one but him

is worthy of that trust. If you seek the City

go to its gate, that felicity s light may brighten your heart.

Yes, he was the Prophet s miracle in battle

and Zulfiqar, his two-tongued sword, was his own miracle.

The Prophet was God s treasure, but he -

his mind and heart - were the Prophet s treasure.

The enemies of God s lion are beset with the disease of ill omen

and cannot be accused of anything but stupidity,

or the horror of an ass when it sees a lion.

Turn away, flee those infected with such prestige,

but if they show you honour, do not (for the sake

of dignity of Islam) refuse their reverence.

In disputation with them do not expect more

than dullness, for they have no other tool to use

but the gelid intellects, nothing to talk

but nonesense. When the chain of stupidity rusts shut

there s no escape. All their proof is simply abuse -

but who will listen to it on Resurrection Day?

Satan is powerful, yes, but his power lies

only in falsehood and cunning. God values

one above another for his faith - if you expect

succour from Him, give succour to His True Religion.

Put no stock in the moment s good luck

for fortune always hides destruction within it.

I find the world a faithless bawd -

do not mourn her loss. The only positive thing

one can say about her is that she s living proof

of the ephemerality of material good.

Her boon is bane - for no one shall escape death

who has drunk fro her cup - and therefore

do not cover her flawed and sickly benediction.

I ought not strive to gain her company

while she strives for nothing but y discomfort.

She gave me robe after rich robe of honour

then stole them all back, one by one.

Now that I lean for support on God and Islam

I grow weary o the world and of men

and by God s Grace I am freed of need

of anyone who does not need me. The blessed Quran

reposes in my heart, which is filled with peace.

Praise the Lord, that nothing burdens my back

but His favour and Grace, that thanks to the generosity

of the true Imam I have come to know his truth,

his certainty and the justice of his cause -

that matchless king whose domain, of all the earth,

is free of deviltry; who has robed Jupiter

in its constellation of Fortune of all auspiciousness

and joy. Lord, help me to spend my days and nights

in devotion to him, to string together from time to time

a few pious verses based on his knowledge and wisdom.