1. Al-Masiki (son of Abd Al-Khaliq) said:
The Merciful taught him the truths,

2. After praising the One, the All-Powerful,
The prayer upon the Chosen Prophet,

3. Muhammad, his family, and companions,
And those who followed the path of righteousness.

4. I wanted to gather what I knew,
According to what I understood and was able,

5. Of the doctrine of Divine Oneness in beliefs,
Arranging it in prose like pearls on a string,

6. While acknowledging my shortcoming,
In the realm of knowledge and my limited learning,

7. And I do not consider myself among the best,
Or the most eloquent in my path,

8. But rather deeds depend on intentions,
As came from the Master of Masters.

9. May Allah pray upon and give him peace,
And his family and companions and knowledge.

10. My intention is to benefit myself and my companions,
And all Muslims - that is enough for me.

11. What called for these words,
Is what you see in this epistle,

12. Encouragement from wise brothers,
And the prominent ones in Yemen,

13. In the year ninety after the thousand,
And two hundred by the known account,

14. So I found no excuse to refrain from answering,
And we ask for success in accuracy,

15. And I followed the ways of the Imams,
In my path, in the beginning and end.

16. I did not dispute over doctrines,
For that brings blame and trouble.

17. They are the Imams of the spiritual paths,
And the proofs of God over creation.

18. Whatever they differed on is a blessing,
Mercy, and objection is blame.

19. They are on the path of truth,
Imams of the prophetic way and scripture.

20. They all agreed and said,
That God has no likeness,

21. And that His attributes are eternal,
Living, willful, able, knowing.

22. Good and evil are by His will,
This is the knowledge from our Lord.

23. But the absurd is not necessitated,
In His attributes or actions.

24. The attributes are not the essence itself,
Exalted above all directions.

25. He is a thing unlike all things,
No likeness to Him among the living.

26. His attributes are like His essence in eternity,
He originated the world after nothingness,

27. Not out of any need, but to purely worship Him,
So whoever obeys God has Paradise,

28. And whoever disobeys has the fires.
God is neither an essence nor a body,

29. He is the Most High, the Supreme Name.
He revealed clear verses in the Quran,

30. With the miracles of creation as proof.
The speech of my Lord is not created,

31. Or originated - understand this and it suffices.
In ruling, He is above the Throne,

32. By contact or however He wishes.
He took no wife, child, parent or supporter,

33. He gives life to creation for worship,
And He takes life by His will.

34. Resurrection after death is the judgment of truth,
With recompense from Him for all people,

35. And Paradise, Hellfire and the Scale
Are from our Lord in the creation of this affair.

36. He who is blissful was so before eternity,
As he who is wretched was not changed.

37. All are enabled to what they do.
So strive and do not be negligent,

38. For deeds depend on their ends.
My Lord was not unjust,

39. Rewarding those who obey with bounty,
And whom He wills He punishes with justice.

40. He makes children and animals suffer,
Yet He was not unjust in this act.

41. He forgives sins less than idolatry,
So beware of associating others with Him!

42. It creeps into man subtly,
Like ants creeping in a field.

43. Both major and minor idolatry,
Came to us - this is no invented tale.

44. Nothing is obligatory upon the Merciful,
All that writers dictate,

45. So believe the verses and hadith,
And do not reject what is new.

46. What the Speaker spoke to Moses
Was not created - remain knowing.

47. That Taha (Muhammad) is the seal of messengers,
What a blessing and what nobility!

48. He praised pebbles in his palm,
And returned those who disobeyed, despite themselves.

49. God took His Beloved on a night journey,
And water flowed from his hands in floods.

50. Miracles like the moon splitting
For the Master of Worlds are not denied.

51. Violations of custom are not shocking
For prophets - do not accuse them of lies.

52. He and the prophets are protected
From sins and any blemish.

53. No female attained prophethood,
Issuing rulings and jurisprudence.

54. Al-Khidr and Luqman are unknown
In the path of prophets, it is obscured,

55. Whether they were angels,
Or had assured prophethood.

56. Or were they of the saintly path,
Traveling the ways of divine care?

57. About preferring prophets over angels,
Al-Nu'man suspended judgement,

58. As well as sons who associated others with God -
A good approach indeed!

59. Jesus will kill the Antichrist
At the end of time, certainty.

60. Saints have miraculous gifts and ranks,
Denied only by the complacent and indolent.

61. They have varying ranks of sainthood,
As the companions were of varying merit.

62. Some were preferred over others,
Not from dismissing or rejecting others.

63. Do you not see the preference
Of the Truthful over the Intimate Friend?

64. The Intimate Friend was preferred
Over Uthman, just as

65. Uthman was preferred over our latter ones.
I mean the oft-wed, the warrior,

66. Vanquisher of banners and heroes.
Husband of the maiden, the Prophet's cousin -

67. This alone was enough glory in creation!
The other six, then the ten

68. Who pledged under the tree.
The people of Badr may do as they please,

69. No toil comes to its veterans.
So they are preferred

70. Over others, as revelation came.
All the Prophet's wives, they said,

71. Were of merit, but he had wisdom:
They gave precedence in rank to Khadija

72. For she was his family, and what a family!
Revelation came while he lay wrapped

73. In her cloak, when the Chosen One summoned his companions.
She was preferred over women of her time

74. Like a delicious meal over plain fare.
After her in superiority and greatness

75. Was Fatima the Radiant, undoubtedly,
The Prophet's daughter, his cousin's wife,

76. Whose knowledge, when combined with his, was complete.
Mother of the two martyred ones - enough glory!

77. She will be called on Judgment Day to stand and proclaim:
Rise for the day of sorting and increase,

78. And taking just vengeance on Yazid!
For the murder of Hussein and his family and companions openly,

79. And what transpired against the companions in ignorance -
It deserves silence and repentance.

80. Rulers must be obeyed as duty,
No listening to disobedience against God.

81. Is there one to forbid it?
What agrees with the lawful is truly upheld,

82. All that opposes it, openly rejected.
Whoever knows this, let him ask,

83. As the clear Quran says:
The ignorant are not excused if they do not ask the scholars,

84. Just as scholars are not excused if they do not act.
Whoever acts in ignorance

85. Nullifies his deeds in principle,
Even if agreeing with the lawful,

86. His reward is void.
A scholar who does not act on his knowledge

87. Is tormented for the sins he enjoyed.
But lastly, sins can be forgiven

88. And salvation for the faithful.
The grace of the Generous Lord is vast,

89. Near for the virtuous all together.
The faithful will not stay

90. Eternally in the fires - certainty.
So call upon God for all to be saved,

91. For the call to the Generous Lord is beneficial.
Glorified is He, the Majestic,

92. Possessor of bounty, beneficence and power!
Calling upon Him definitely has impact,

93. As the Messenger informed us.
Call upon God for my salvation,

94. And the Muslims from calamity affecting honor.
And for my parents and all the nation -

95. Remove grief from all completely!
I have taken the path of concision,

96. Fearing boredom from lengthiness.
May the critic overlook the faults,

97. Sublime is He in whom no flaw resides.
I made it sincere advice, recited,

98. Deeming it like divinely revealed books.
For faith in it is an obligation,

99. So oppose the sickened hearts!
Then prayer upon Allah's Messenger,

100. Muhammad, the guide of vast renown.
The commander urging righteous deeds,

101. Releasing those imprisoned by fetters.
And his companions after his family's mention,

102. And praise to Allah for perfection!