نظامٌ هُوَ الدُّرُّ الثَّمينُ مُنَضَّدا

نظامٌ هُوَ الدُّرُّ الثَّمينُ مُنَضَّدا

يسائِلُ عَمَّنْ أَمَّ للذِّكْرِ مَسْجِدَا

يسائِلُ عَمَّنْ أَمَّ للذِّكْرِ مَسْجِدَا

A composition—precious pearls arranged in a strand—

A poem—it is precious pearls strung in order—

asks about one who makes for a mosque to remember God.

asks about one who heads to a mosque for remembrance of God.

وَلا شَكَّ أَنَّ الذِّكْرَ في كُلِّ مَوْطِنٍ

وَلا شَكَّ أَنَّ الذِّكْرَ في كُلِّ مَوْطِنٍ

عَلَى كُلِّ حالٍ شَرْعُهُ قَدْ تأْكّدا

عَلَى كُلِّ حالٍ شَرْعُهُ قَدْ تأْكّدا

There is no doubt that remembrance, in every place

There is no doubt that remembrance, in every place,

and in every circumstance, is firmly established by Sacred Law.

under every circumstance, is firmly sanctioned by sacred law.

بهِ جاءَتِ الأخبارُ نَصًّا وَظَاهِراً

بهِ جاءَتِ الأخبارُ نَصًّا وَظَاهِراً

وَجَاءَ بِهِ نَصُّ الْكِتاِ مُرَدِّدا

وَجَاءَ بِهِ نَصُّ الْكِتاِ مُرَدِّدا

The transmitted reports attest it, explicitly and plainly,

The transmitted reports attest to it, explicitly and by their apparent meaning,

and the text of Scripture repeatedly affirms it.

and the text of the Book has declared it repeatedly.

وَمَا جَاءَ للتَّعْلِيمِ فيما عَلِمْتُهُ

وَمَا جَاءَ للتَّعْلِيمِ فيما عَلِمْتُهُ

خُصُوصٌ وَلا الإطْلاقُ مِنْها مُقَيّدا

خُصُوصٌ وَلا الإطْلاقُ مِنْها مُقَيّدا

So far as I know, no restriction has come upon its universal scope,

And, so far as I know, there has come no teaching-specific

nor any qualification limiting its unrestricted wording—

restriction, nor has their unrestricted scope been limited,

إذا لم تَكُنْ فيه تَشَوُّشُ خاطِرٍ

إذا لم تَكُنْ فيه تَشَوُّشُ خاطِرٍ

لِمَنْ صَارَ في مِحْرابِهِ مُتَعَبِّدا

لِمَنْ صَارَ في مِحْرابِهِ مُتَعَبِّدا

provided it causes no disturbance of mind

provided it causes no distraction of mind

to one absorbed in worship in his prayer niche,

for one engaged in worship in his prayer niche,

ولا بَالِغاً حَدَّ الصُّراخِ كأنَّهُ

ولا بَالِغاً حَدَّ الصُّراخِ كأنَّهُ

نِداءُ أَصَمٍّ لَيْسَ يَعْلَمُ بالنّدا

نِداءُ أَصَمٍّ لَيْسَ يَعْلَمُ بالنّدا

and does not reach the pitch of screaming, like

and does not reach the pitch of screaming, as though it were

the call of a deaf man who knows nothing of calling;

a call to a deaf man unaware of the call,

ولا كانَ مَصْحُوباً مَشُوباً بِبِدْعَةٍ

ولا كانَ مَصْحُوباً مَشُوباً بِبِدْعَةٍ

يَصِيرُ بها لَحْظُ الشّرِيعَةِ أَرْمَدا

يَصِيرُ بها لَحْظُ الشّرِيعَةِ أَرْمَدا

and provided it is not accompanied and tainted by an innovation

and is not accompanied by, or tainted with, an innovation

that leaves the eye of Sacred Law inflamed.

through which the gaze of sacred law grows bleary.

ومَنْ قَالَ ما جازَ اجْتِماعٌ بِمَسْجِدٍ

ومَنْ قَالَ ما جازَ اجْتِماعٌ بِمَسْجِدٍ

لِذِكْرٍ فَقُلْ هاتِ الدَّليلَ المشَيّدا

لِذِكْرٍ فَقُلْ هاتِ الدَّليلَ المشَيّدا

Whoever says, “Gathering in a mosque is not permitted

And whoever says, 'Gathering in a mosque is not permitted

for remembrance,” tell him: “Bring the solid proof.”

for remembrance,' tell him: 'Bring well-founded evidence.'

فَقَدْ جاءَ عَنْ خَيْرِ الْبَرِيَّةِ فِعْلُهُ

فَقَدْ جاءَ عَنْ خَيْرِ الْبَرِيَّةِ فِعْلُهُ

وَسَلْ مَرْسَلاً إنْ شِئْتَ عَنْهُ ومُسْنَدا

وَسَلْ مَرْسَلاً إنْ شِئْتَ عَنْهُ ومُسْنَدا

For its practice is reported from the best of creation;

For its practice has been reported from the best of creation;

consult, if you wish, both mursal and fully chained reports about it.

and ask, if you wish, about reports of it, both with an omitted Companion link and with a connected chain.

ومَنْ قَوْلُه قَدْ صَحَّ في غَيْرِ دفتر

ومَنْ قَوْلُه قَدْ صَحَّ في غَيْرِ دفتر

وقام إليه في الموطن مرشدا

وقام إليه في الموطن مرشدا

Among his sayings, too, it is authenticated in more than one volume,

And he whose words are authenticated in more than one book

and on that occasion he rose to perform it, guiding others.

also stood on that occasion, guiding others toward it.

وأي نزاع في هدى عن مُحَمَّدٍ

وأي نزاع في هدى عن مُحَمَّدٍ

أَتَانا فدَتْ نَفْسي ومَالِي مُحَمّدا

أَتَانا فدَتْ نَفْسي ومَالِي مُحَمّدا

What dispute can there be over guidance from Muhammad

What dispute can there be over guidance from Muhammad

that has reached us? May my life and wealth ransom Muhammad!

that has reached us? May my soul and wealth ransom Muhammad!

وإنْ قَالَ وَصْفُ الْجَهْرِ أَوْجَبَ كَوْنَه اب

وإنْ قَالَ وَصْفُ الْجَهْرِ أَوْجَبَ كَوْنَه اب

تداعاً فَدَعْ عَنْكَ ادّعاءً مُجَرّدا

تداعاً فَدَعْ عَنْكَ ادّعاءً مُجَرّدا

If he says, “Describing it as aloud necessarily makes it inno—”

And if he says, 'Being aloud makes it an

“—vation,” then leave such a bare assertion behind.

innovation,' then put aside an unsupported claim.

وَقَدْ جاءَ عَنْ جَمْعٍ مِنَ الصَّحْبِ أَنَّهُ

وَقَدْ جاءَ عَنْ جَمْعٍ مِنَ الصَّحْبِ أَنَّهُ

بِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللهِ والْفِعْلِ شُيِّدا

بِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللهِ والْفِعْلِ شُيِّدا

It is indeed reported from a group of the Companions that it

And it has been reported from a group of the Companions that it

was upheld by the words and deeds of God’s Messenger.

was firmly established by the Messenger of God's words and conduct.

وَكانَ بِهِ عِرْفانُ تَتْمِمِ فَرْصِهِ

وَكانَ بِهِ عِرْفانُ تَتْمِمِ فَرْصِهِ

كَذَلِكَ قالَ الحَبْرُ قَوْلاً مُجَوَّدا

كَذَلِكَ قالَ الحَبْرُ قَوْلاً مُجَوَّدا

And through it came recognition, by which joy is completed—

And through it the completion of his obligatory prayer was known;

thus spoke the learned scholar in finely fashioned words.

thus spoke the learned scholar, in well-crafted words.

وأَقْبَحُ شَيْءٍ نَهْيُ عَبْدٍ مُقَرّبٍ

وأَقْبَحُ شَيْءٍ نَهْيُ عَبْدٍ مُقَرّبٍ

أَرَادَ بِجَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ أَنْ يَتَهَجَّدا

أَرَادَ بِجَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ أَنْ يَتَهَجَّدا

The ugliest thing is to forbid a servant drawn near to God

And the vilest thing is forbidding a favored servant

who wishes, in the heart of night, to keep vigil in prayer.

who wished to offer vigil prayers in the depths of night.

يَقومُ إلى الْمِحْرابِ والنَّاسُ نُوَّمٌ

يَقومُ إلى الْمِحْرابِ والنَّاسُ نُوَّمٌ

لِيَركَعَ للخَلاّقِ طَوْراً ويَسْجُدا

لِيَركَعَ للخَلاّقِ طَوْراً ويَسْجُدا

He rises toward the prayer niche while the people sleep,

He rises toward the prayer niche while the people sleep,

to bow awhile before the Creator and prostrate.

to bow at times before the Creator and to prostrate.

فَذَا باتِّفاقٍ للخَلائِقِ مُنْكَرٌ

فَذَا باتِّفاقٍ للخَلائِقِ مُنْكَرٌ

وعَنْ فِعْلِهِ رَبُّ البَرِيّةِ هَدَّدا

وعَنْ فِعْلِهِ رَبُّ البَرِيّةِ هَدَّدا

Such forbidding is, by universal agreement, reprehensible,

Such forbidding is reprehensible, by the agreement of all creation,

and the Lord of creation has threatened punishment for doing it.

and the Lord of creation has threatened those who do it.

ومَنْعُ صَلاَةِ الْعَبْدِ مِنْ غَيْرِ مُقْتَضٍ

ومَنْعُ صَلاَةِ الْعَبْدِ مِنْ غَيْرِ مُقْتَضٍ

قَبيحٌ إذَا أَمَّ الْبَرِيَّةُ مَسْجِدا

قَبيحٌ إذَا أَمَّ الْبَرِيَّةُ مَسْجِدا

To prevent a servant’s prayer without due cause

And preventing a servant's prayer without justification

is vile when that servant has made for a mosque.

is vile when people head for a mosque.

وَقَدْ كانَ خَيْرُ الرُّسْلِ إلاّ لِعاذِرٍ

وَقَدْ كانَ خَيْرُ الرُّسْلِ إلاّ لِعاذِرٍ

يَرُوحُ إلى نَحْوِ الْمُصَلَّى عَلَى الْمَدى

يَرُوحُ إلى نَحْوِ الْمُصَلَّى عَلَى الْمَدى

Indeed, the best of messengers—unless excused—

And the best of messengers, except when excused,

would continually go forth toward the prayer ground.

would continually go toward the place of prayer.

وغَيْرُ مُنافٍ للجَوازِ فَضِيلَةٌ

وغَيْرُ مُنافٍ للجَوازِ فَضِيلَةٌ

لجَنَابِهِ عِنْدَ الْهُداةِ أُولِي الْهُدَى

لجَنَابِهِ عِنْدَ الْهُداةِ أُولِي الْهُدَى

Nor is superior virtue incompatible with permissibility:

Nor is permissibility contradicted by a merit

for his august station, the guides deem the highest guidance most fitting.

of his noble person, in the view of guides endowed with guidance.