عليكم السلام يا من اتقى

ومن علا فوق السماء وارتقى

Peace be upon you, O you who fear God,

and who rose above heaven and ascended.

إن الجواب بابه قد أغلقا

ولم أجد أثرا منمقا

Indeed, the door to the answer has been closed,

and I have found no finely worded report.

لكنني أقول فانظر مشفقا

خوف الخطا فحققن ودققا

Yet I will speak, so examine it cautiously,

for fear of error; do verify and scrutinize.

التوب جب للذي قد سبقا

ولو يكون ماؤه قد طلقا

Repentance wipes away what has gone before,

even if his water had already been released.

فإن ذا الخطاب ما تعلقا

عليه ما دام بشرك علقا

For this injunction did not apply

to him while he remained bound to polytheism.

فحال من عن شركه قد عتقا

كحال من عن أمه قد فرقا

Thus the state of one freed from his polytheism

is like that of one separated from his mother.

يغفر عنه كل شيء سبقا

فاحكم عليه بابتداء مطلقا

Everything that came before is forgiven him,

so rule that he starts afresh, without restriction.

في آية الكتاب عفوا أطلقا

والقيد يحتاج له من فرقا

In a verse of the Book, He granted unrestricted pardon,

and whoever draws a distinction needs a restriction.

واستانف الطلاق من قد طلقا

أو لم يطلق من مضى موفقا

And the divorce count began anew for one who had divorced,

or had not divorced, having proceeded rightly guided.

فذا دليل يدخل المطلقا

حيث الخطاب لم يكن تعلقا

So this is evidence that includes the one who has divorced,

since the injunction had not applied.

والحمد لله على ما رزقا

من البيان كاشفا ما انغلقا

And praise be to God for what He has bestowed

of clarification, uncovering what was closed.

ثم الصلاة والسلام مطلقا

على الذي حاز العلا وسبقا

Then blessings and peace without limit

upon him who attained the heights and excelled,

وآله وصحبه ما نطقا

مفت بحق في بيان منتقى

and upon his family and companions, as long as there speaks

a mufti truthfully, in a carefully chosen exposition.