دللناك يا من أنت ذمي ديننا

دللناك يا من أنت ذمي ديننا

فلا تتحير واستمع لمقالتي

فلا تتحير واستمع لمقالتي

We have presented you, O dhimmi, with proof of our religion.

We have guided you, O you who are a dhimmi under our faith;

So do not be bewildered; listen to what I say.

so do not be perplexed, and listen to my words.

نعم قد قضى ربي بكفرك عندنا

نعم قد قضى ربي بكفرك عندنا

ولم يرضه لكن قضى بالإرادة

ولم يرضه لكن قضى بالإرادة

Yes, my Lord has decreed your unbelief, as we understand it,

Yes, my Lord has indeed decreed your unbelief, as we hold;

yet He did not approve it, though He decreed it by His will—

He did not approve it, but decreed it by His will.

كقاض بقصد قد قضى بجناية

كقاض بقصد قد قضى بجناية

عليك ولا يرضى بتلك الجناية

عليك ولا يرضى بتلك الجناية

like a judge who deliberately passes judgment for a crime

Like a judge who deliberately passes judgment on a crime

against you, without approving that crime.

against you, yet does not approve that crime.

فإن قبيح الفعل لم يرض عاقل

فإن قبيح الفعل لم يرض عاقل

به والقضا حق شريف المزية

به والقضا حق شريف المزية

For no rational man approves the ugliness of an act,

For no rational person approves an evil deed,

while the decree concerning it is true and noble in merit.

while judgment is just and noble in merit.

وما فعل القاضي قبيحاً وإنما

وما فعل القاضي قبيحاً وإنما

فعلت قبيحاً أنت بين البرية

فعلت قبيحاً أنت بين البرية

The judge committed no ugly deed; rather,

The judge has done nothing evil; rather,

it was you who committed an ugly deed among creation.

you yourself have done evil among humankind.

فألزمك الرحمن أن ترض بالقضا

فألزمك الرحمن أن ترض بالقضا

ولا ترض بالمقتضيِّ فافهم طريقتي

ولا ترض بالمقتضيِّ فافهم طريقتي

The All-Merciful therefore obliged you to accept the decree,

So the All-Merciful obliged you to be content with the decree,

but not to approve what was decreed—so understand my doctrine.

but not with its consequence; understand my way.

فإن كان خيراً ما قضى كان راضياً

فإن كان خيراً ما قضى كان راضياً

وإن كان شراً ليس يرضى بشرة

وإن كان شراً ليس يرضى بشرة

If what He decreed was good, He approved it;

For if what He decreed was good, He approved it;

and if it was evil, He does not approve its evil.

and if it was evil, He does not approve wickedness.

قضى بضلال فيك وهو يضل من

قضى بضلال فيك وهو يضل من

يشاء ويهدي من يشاء لحكمة

يشاء ويهدي من يشاء لحكمة

He decreed misguidance in you, and He leads astray whom

He decreed misguidance within you, and He leads astray whomever

He wills and guides whom He wills, for a wise purpose.

He wills, and guides whomever He wills, for a wise purpose.

فكن بالقضا من ربك الحق راضياً

فكن بالقضا من ربك الحق راضياً

ولا ترض بالمقضيِّ أي بالشقاوة

ولا ترض بالمقضيِّ أي بالشقاوة

So be content with the true decree from your Lord,

So be content with the decree from your Lord, the True,

but do not approve what was decreed—namely, wretchedness.

but not with what is decreed—that is, wretchedness.

وقد شاء ربي أن تشاء لما يشا

وقد شاء ربي أن تشاء لما يشا

فإن شئت عصياناً عصيت بجهلة

فإن شئت عصياناً عصيت بجهلة

My Lord has indeed willed that you will what He wills;

And my Lord has willed that you should will what He wills;

thus, if you will disobedience, you disobey in folly.

so if you will disobedience, you disobey out of ignorance.

وما أنت مجبور وربك خالق

وما أنت مجبور وربك خالق

لك الإختيار المحض من غير مرية

لك الإختيار المحض من غير مرية

You are not compelled, though your Lord is the Creator

You are not compelled, and your Lord creates

of the unalloyed choice you possess, beyond all doubt.

for you pure choice, beyond any doubt.

وحيث اختيار فيك خلقة ربنا

وحيث اختيار فيك خلقة ربنا

كباقي صفات مثل حول وقوة

كباقي صفات مثل حول وقوة

And since the choice within you was created by our Lord,

And since choice within you is our Lord's creation,

like all other attributes, such as capacity and strength,

like the other attributes, such as power and strength,

فإنك مختار ولا جبر هاهنا

فإنك مختار ولا جبر هاهنا

وكلفك المولى بأنواع كلفة

وكلفك المولى بأنواع كلفة

you therefore possess choice; there is no compulsion here,

you are free to choose, and there is no compulsion here.

and the Lord charged you with various kinds of obligation.

The Master has charged you with various obligations.

وما الشرط في المخلوق يقدر أنه

وما الشرط في المخلوق يقدر أنه

يخالف حكم الخالق المتثبت

يخالف حكم الخالق المتثبت

Nor is it a condition concerning the creature that he be able

Nor is it reckoned a condition for a created being

to oppose the decree of the deliberate Creator.

that it oppose the decree of the steadfast Creator.

فكن راضياً بالله رباً وبالنبي

فكن راضياً بالله رباً وبالنبي

نبياً وبالدين الحنيفي ملتي

نبياً وبالدين الحنيفي ملتي

So be content with God as Lord and with the Prophet

So be content with God as Lord, and with the Prophet

as prophet, and with the upright faith as my creed.

as prophet, and with the upright, monotheistic religion, my creed.

تكن مسلماً مثلي ومثل معاشري

تكن مسلماً مثلي ومثل معاشري

وتلحق بنا أهل الكمال الأئمة

وتلحق بنا أهل الكمال الأئمة

Then you will be a Muslim, like me and my fellows,

You will be a Muslim like me and my companions,

and join us—the people of perfection, the imams.

and join us, the people of perfection, the imams.

وإلا فدم في الكفر والشرك والردى

وإلا فدم في الكفر والشرك والردى

تؤدي الخراج الحتم من بعد جزية

تؤدي الخراج الحتم من بعد جزية

Otherwise, remain in unbelief, idolatry, and ruin;

Otherwise, remain in unbelief, polytheism, and ruin,

you shall pay the obligatory kharāj after the jizya,

paying the obligatory land tax after the jizya,

حقيراً ذليلاً إن أبيت تخطفت

حقيراً ذليلاً إن أبيت تخطفت

حشاك حداد السمر والمشرفية

حشاك حداد السمر والمشرفية

abject and humiliated; if you refuse, they will tear away

despised and abased; if you refuse, torn out will be

your innards—the keen points of dusky spears and Mashrafian swords.

your entrails by sharp dusky spears and Mashrafi swords.

وهذا جوابي أحمد الله بعده

وهذا جوابي أحمد الله بعده

وأهدي إلى المختار أسنى تحية

وأهدي إلى المختار أسنى تحية

This is my answer. Thereafter, I praise God

And this is my answer; afterward I praise God,

and offer the Chosen One the loftiest salutation.

and offer the Chosen One the most exalted greeting.

وقد قاله عبد الغني بربه

وقد قاله عبد الغني بربه

تبارك لا بالنفس تلك الفقيرة

تبارك لا بالنفس تلك الفقيرة

It was indeed spoken by ʿAbd al-Ghanī through his Lord—

And Abd al-Ghani said it with his Lord's aid,

blessed be He—not through that impoverished self.

blessed is He—not through that needy self.

ورضوان ربي جل عن آل أحمد

ورضوان ربي جل عن آل أحمد

وأصحابه جمعاً وبالخير تمت

وأصحابه جمعاً وبالخير تمت

May my Lord’s good pleasure—exalted is He—be upon Aḥmad’s family

And may my Lord's pleasure—exalted is He—be with Ahmad's family

and all his Companions; and in goodness it is complete.

and all his companions; with goodness it is complete.