بمحمد صلوا عليه وسلموا

قد أشرق الكون البهيم المظلم

Through Muhammad—invoke blessings upon him and peace—

the pitch-black, darkened universe has shone.

ليل عليه الشرك مَدَّ رواقه

فهوت به شُهُبٌ وخرت أَنجم

A night over which idolatry had spread its canopy:

then meteors plunged through it and stars fell.

هي كالنِّثار من الملائك للورى

فرحا به ولكل عات ترجم

They were like festive gifts scattered by angels for humankind,

in joy at him, and to pelt every rebel.

وتقدمته من الخوارق جملة

شَدَه القُسوسُ لها وحار القيّم

A host of miracles preceded him,

leaving the priests stunned and the overseer bewildered.

نور الهدى كالصبح لاح فأُخمِدَت

نارُ المجوس ولم تعد تتضرم

The light of guidance shone like dawn, and out went

the Magians' fire; it blazed no more.

وتهاوتِ الأصنام من عليائها

كادت لفرط سقوطها تتحطم

The idols tumbled from their lofty places,

almost shattering from the sheer force of their fall.

وكأنما الارهاص ينطق واعظا

لو يفهم القولَ الأصمُّ الأبكم

As though the prophetic portent spoke admonitions,

if only the deaf-mute could understand the words.

ولدته آمنه أَغرا أَبلجا

بشرا بناموس النبوة يختم

Aminah bore him radiant and bright-faced,

a mortal, sealed with the sacred law of prophethood.

وعليه من سيما الكمال مخائل

تُجلَى إذا ما شامها المتوسم

Upon him were signs of perfection,

revealed whenever a discerning observer beheld them.

متميز جمع الفضائل كلها

خُلُقَاً وخَلقَاً ذا لذاك متمم

Distinguished, he gathered every virtue,

in character and form, the one completing the other.

بُعِثَ النبي محمد في فترة

قد ساد فيها كاهن ومنجم

The Prophet Muhammad was sent in an interval between prophets,

when soothsayers and astrologers held sway.

لم يبق فوق اَلأرض إلا مشرك

أَو ملحد في تهيه يترجَّم

None remained upon the earth but an idolater

or an atheist conjecturing in his bewilderment.

وتُنُوسيَ الدينُ الحنيفُ وحرَّف ال

كتبَ العتيقةَ راهب ومترجم

The upright faith was forgotten, and distorted were the

ancient scriptures by a monk and a translator.

فأَبيحت الحرمات والأرواح وال

أعراض إذ لم يبق ثَمَّ محرم

So sanctities and lives were made fair game, as was

honor, for nothing there remained forbidden.

كسرى يعمُّ على المشارق ظلمه

وهرقل منه في المغارب أظلم

Kisra's oppression spread over the eastern lands,

and Heraclius was more oppressive than he in the western lands.

والناس بين القيصرين كأنهم

غنم على تلك الذئاب تقسم

Between the two emperors, the people were like

sheep divided among those wolves,

حتى تمنى الفرس عودة مُزدّك

وتعوَّذَ البيت العتيق وزمزم

until the Persians wished for Mazdak's return,

and the Ancient House and Zamzam sought refuge.

وفجاءَةً أَصغى حراءُ لرنة

جبريل في أرجائه يتكلم

Suddenly Hira listened to a ringing sound:

Gabriel was speaking within its reaches.

غار غدا لهدى الوجود محارة

يتفلّق الاصباح منه ويبسم

A cave became an oyster-shell for creation's guidance;

from it dawn burst forth and smiled.

في جوفه اضطجع الأمين مفكرا

أحقائق أم ما يراه توهم

Within it the Trustworthy One lay down, pondering:

Were these realities, or was what he saw an illusion?

فأتى خديجة دثروني زملوا

مِن خوفه وهو الشجاع المعلم

He came to Khadijah: "Wrap me up! Cover me!"

in his fear, though he was renowned for courage.

وتضاحك القوم الطغاة لقوله

إني رسول الله جئت إليكم

The tyrannical people laughed at his words:

"I am God's messenger; I have come to you

أن لا إله سواه وهو بعرشه

اَلأَوّلُ المتأخر المتقدم

to say there is no god but Him, and He, upon His throne,

is the First, the One who comes after and comes before.

ومحمد هو عبده ورسوله

قد جاءَه منه الكتاب المحكم

And Muhammad is His servant and His messenger;

from Him has come to him the firmly established Book.

يا قوم لا تَدعُو إلهاً غيره

هل تعبدون حجارة لا تفهم

O my people, invoke no god but Him.

Do you worship stones that cannot understand?

هذا كتاب الله في إعجازه

لن يأتينَّ بمثله متكلم

This is God's Book; in its inimitability,

no speaker will ever produce its equal."

حارت عقولهم فقالوا إنه

شعر بسحر اَلأولين مطلسم

Their minds were bewildered, so they said, "It is

poetry, bewitched with the magic of the ancients."

قد عاندوه مكابرين وبالغوا

حيث السفيه من الأكابر أحلم

They opposed him arrogantly and went to extremes,

where a fool was more sensible than their grandees.

هم كذبوه وعذبوا أتباعه

فاستعذبوا فيه العذاب وصمموا

They called him a liar and tortured his followers,

who found sweetness in suffering for his sake and stood resolute.

فتستروا زمنا وقد أخفاهم

في داره وقت الصلاة الأرقم

They kept hidden for a time, sheltered

in his house at prayer-time by al-Arqam,

حتى أتاه اصدع بما تؤمر به

فبدوا برغم القوم لم يتكتموا

until there came to him: "Proclaim openly what you are commanded."

They emerged despite the people, concealing themselves no longer.

لله من أَبناء قيلة معشر

قد بايعوه على الجهاد وأسلموا

Praise be to God for that band of Qaylah's sons,

who pledged allegiance to him for jihad and embraced Islam.

في غار ثور ثاني اثنين اختفى

وكأنما الأعداءُ دونهما عموا

In Thawr's cave he hid, the second of two,

as though the enemies before them both had gone blind.

هي هجرةٌ بين الضلالة فيصلٌ

والهدي فاتضحَ السبيلُ الأقوم

That migration was a dividing line between error

and guidance, and the straightest path became clear.

فبطيبة انبَثَقَ الضيا متألقاً

لمع الخليج به وضاءَ القلزم

In Taybah the light burst forth radiantly,

the Gulf gleamed with it, and al-Qulzum shone.

وإذا بأركان الضلالة والعمى

بقليب بدر بالمهانة تردم

And behold, the pillars of error and blindness

were buried in humiliation in Badr's well.

وتوالت الغزوات حتى أصبحت

كل الجزيرة للهدى تستسلم

Campaign followed campaign, until

the whole Peninsula surrendered to guidance.

وببرهة عم البسيطة كلها

دين لأحوال العباد منظم

Within a short while, the whole earth was pervaded

by a faith that ordered the affairs of humankind.

صلوا وصوموا وادفعوا صدقاتكم

وإليه بالحج المقدس أحرِموا

Pray, fast, and pay your alms,

and enter the consecrated state for the holy pilgrimage to Him.

صلة العباد بربهم صلواتهم

الفرد من مفروضها والتوأم

The servants' bond with their Lord is their prayers,

the odd and the paired among the obligatory ones.

والصوم فيه صحة وتطوع

وبه الإرادة بالهوى تتحكم

In fasting are health and voluntary devotion,

and through it the will gains mastery over desire.

ولو أننا نؤتي الزكاة بحقها

ونصابها لم يبق فينا معدم

If only we paid zakat as it is rightly due,

and at its prescribed threshold, none among us would remain destitute.

والحج مؤتمر التعارف والولا

للناس إن جَمَعَ الوفودَ الموسم

Pilgrimage is a congress of mutual acquaintance and fellowship

for people, if the season brings the delegations together.

لا فرق بين أعارب وأعاجم

من يتقي مولاه فهو الأكرم

There is no distinction between Arabs and non-Arabs;

whoever fears his Lord is the most honored.

والنفس فيما قد جنته رهينة

يوم القيامة إذ يجازى المجرم

The soul is held in pledge for what it has earned,

on Resurrection Day, when the offender is requited.

دين يلائم كل شعب في الورى

وبكل قطر شاسع يتأقلم

A faith suited to every people in the world,

adapting to every far-flung land,

يدعو إلى أسمى الكمال وأعدل

التشريع لا ظلم ولا متظلم

calling to the loftiest perfection and the fairest

legislation—no injustice and no one aggrieved.

قد جاءَ يأمر بالعبادة والتقى

من غير رهبنة تميت وتعدم

It came enjoining worship and piety,

without monasticism that kills and impoverishes.

للطيبات محلل يدعو إلى ال

قصد الوسيط وللخبيث محرم

Permitting wholesome things, it calls to the

moderate middle course, and forbids what is foul.

تتضاءل الأديان حول سموه

وبه يسود ولا يساد المسلم

Religions dwindle beside its eminence,

and through it the Muslim holds sway and is not ruled over.

لكننا خَلَفٌ خلفنا بعدهم

ضاع التراث ووارِثُوهُ نُوَّم

But we are a later generation who succeeded them;

the inheritance is lost while its heirs sleep.

المسلمون حياتهم في دينهم

ما أمسكوه وويلهم إن أحجموا

The Muslims' life lies in their religion,

so long as they hold it fast; woe to them if they draw back.