Salawaat Sent: 3,508

Qaṣīdat al-Burdah · Chapter 3

Praise of the Prophet ﷺ

الْفَصْلُ الثَّالِثُ فِي مَدْحِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ

Praise of the noble character, rank and beauty of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.

VERSE 1
ظَلَمْتُ سُنَّةَ مَنْ أَحْيَا الظَّلاَمَ إِلَى
أَنِ اشْتَكَتْ قَدَمَاهُ الضُّرَّ مِنْ وَرَمِ
English translation

I have wronged the way of one who lives in darkness until his feet complain of swelling.

VERSE 2
وَشَدَّ مِنْ سَغَبٍ أَحْشَاءَهُ وَطَوَى
تَحْتَ الحِجَارَةِ كَشْحًا مُتْرَفَ الأَدَمِ
English translation

He tightened his entrails in anger and folded him under stones like a piece of luxurious human beings.

VERSE 3
وَرَاوَدَتْهُ الجِبَالُ الشُّمُّ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ
عَنْ نَفْسِهِ فَأَرَاهَا أَيَّمَا شَمَمِ
English translation

And the mountains made him smell gold
from himself, so he saw them wherever he smelled

VERSE 4
وَأَكَّدَتْ زُهْدَهُ فِيهَا ضَرُورَتُهُ
إِنَّ الضَّرُورَةَ لاَ تَعْدُو عَلَى العِصَمِ
English translation

His asceticism in it confirmed its necessity
that necessity does not go beyond infallibility.

VERSE 5
وَكَيْفَ تَدْعُو إِلَى الدُّنْيَا ضَرُورَةُ مَنْ
لَوْلاَهُ لَمْ تُخْرَجِ الدُّنْيَا مِنَ العَدَمِ
English translation

How can a necessity call to the world without whom the world would not have come out of nothing?

VERSE 6
مُحَمَّدٌ سَيِّدُ الكَوْنَيْنِ وَالثَّقَلَيْـ
ـنِ وَالفَرِيقَيْنِ مِنْ عُرْبٍ وَمِنْ عَجَمِ
English translation

Muhammad is the master of the two universes and the two groups, Arabs and non-Arabs.

VERSE 7
نَبِيُّنَا الآمِرُ النَّاهِي فَلاَ أَحَدٌ
أَبَرَّ فِي قَوْلِ لاَ مِنْهُ وَلاَ نَعَمِ
English translation

Our Prophet commands and forbids, and no one is more righteous in saying “no” or “yes” from him.

VERSE 8
هُوَ الحَبِيبُ الذِّي تُرْجَى شَفَاعَتُهُ
لِكُلِّ هَوْلٍ مِنَ الأَهْوَالِ مُقْتَحَمِ
English translation

He is the Beloved whose intercession is hoped for
for every terror that invades

VERSE 9
دَعَا إِلَى اللهِ فَالْمُسْتَمْسِكُونَ بِهِ
مُسْتَمْسِكُونَ بِحَبْلٍ غَيْرِ مُنْفَصِمِ
English translation

He called to God, and those who cling to him/hold on to an unbreakable rope.

VERSE 10
فَاقَ النَبِيّينَ فِي خَلْقٍ وَفِي خُلُقٍ
وَلَمْ يُدَانُوهُ فِي عِلْمٍ وَلاَ كَرَمِ
English translation

He surpassed the prophets in character and morals, but they did not compare him in knowledge or generosity.

VERSE 11
وَكُلُّهُمْ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ مُلْتَمِسٌ
غَرْفًا مِنَ البَحْرِ أَوْ رَشْفًا مِنَ الدِّيَمِ
English translation

And all of them were seeking from the Messenger of God
a scoop of the sea or a sip of blood.

VERSE 12
وَوَاقِفُونَ لَدَيْهِ عِنْدَ حَدِّهِمِ
مِنْ نُقْطَةِ العِلْمِ أَوْ مِنْ شَكْلَةِ الحِكَمِ
English translation

And they stand at their limit
from the point of knowledge or from the form of judgment

VERSE 13
فَهْوَ الذِّي تَمَّ مَعْنَاهُ وَصُورَتُهُ
ثُمَّ اصْطَفَاهُ حَبِيبًا بَارِئُ النَّسَمِ
English translation

He is the one whose meaning and image were complete
Then He chose Him as a lover and innocent of spirit.

VERSE 14
مُنَزَّهٌ عَنْ شَرِيكٍ فِي مَحَاسِنِهِ
فَجَوْهَرُ الحُسْنِ فِيهِ غَيْرُ مُنْقَسِمِ
English translation

He is above any partner in his virtues
for the essence of goodness in him is indivisible.

VERSE 15
دَعْ مَا ادَّعَتْهُ النَّصَارَى فِي نَبِيِّهِمِ
وَاحْكُمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ مَدْحًا فِيهِ وَاحْتَكِمِ
English translation

Leave what the Christians claimed about their Prophet
and judge with whatever you wish, praising him and seeking judgment.

VERSE 16
وَانْسُبْ إِلَى ذَاتِهِ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَرَفٍ
وَانْسُبْ إِلَى قَدْرِهِ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ عِظَمِ
English translation

And attribute to Himself whatever honor you wish
and attribute to Him whatever greatness you wish

VERSE 17
فَإِنَّ فَضْلَ رَسُولِ اللهِ لَيْسَ لَهُ
حَدٌّ فَيُعْرِبَ عَنْهُ نَاطِقٌ بِفَمِ
English translation

For the virtue of the Messenger of God has no limit, so a speaker expresses it with his mouth.

VERSE 18
لَوْ نَاسَبَتْ قَدْرَهُ آيَاتُهُ عِظَمًا
أَحْيَا اسْمُهُ حِينَ يُدْعَى دَارِسَ الرِّمَمِ
English translation

If His miracles were worthy of greatness, His name would be revived when He is called the one who studies the stones.

VERSE 19
لَمْ يَمْتَحِنَّا بِمَا تَعْيَا الْعُقُولُ بِهِ
حِرْصًا عَلَيْنَا فَلَمْ نَرْتَبْ وَلَمْ نَهِمْ
English translation

He did not test us with what minds were prepared to do
out of concern for us, so we were not confused and did not care.

VERSE 20
أَعْيَا الوَرَى فَهْمُ مَعْنَاهُ فَلَيْسَ يُرَى
فِي القُرْبِ وَالْبُعْدِ فِيهِ غَيْرُ مُنْفَحِمِ
English translation

He is blind to understanding its meaning, so he is not seen
in nearness and distance in it is incomprehensible

VERSE 21
كَالشَّمْسِ تَظْهَرُ لِلْعَيْنَيْنِ مِنْ بُعُدٍ
صَغِيرَةً وَتُكِلُّ الطَّرْفَ مِنْ أَمَمِ
English translation

Like the sun, it appears to the eyes from a distance, small and blinds the eyes of nations.

VERSE 22
وَكَيْفَ يُدْرِكُ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَقِيقَتَهُ
قَوْمٌ نِيَامٌ تَسَلَّوْا عَنْهُ بِالحُلُمِ
English translation

How can he realize his true nature in this world?
Sleeping people who were distracted from him by dreaming.

VERSE 23
فَمَبْلَغُ العِلْمِ فِيهِ أَنَّهُ بَشَرٌ
وَأَنَّهُ خَيْرُ خَلْقِ اللهِ كُلِّهِمِ
English translation

The extent of knowledge about him is that he is a human being and that he is the best of all of God’s creation.

VERSE 24
وَكُلُّ آيٍ أَتَى الرُّسْلُ الكِرَامُ بِهَا
فَإِنَّمَا اتَّصَلَتْ مِنْ نُوِرِهِ بِهِمِ
English translation

And every verse that the Noble Messengers brought
was only connected to them by His light.

VERSE 25
فَإِنَّهُ شَمْسُ فَضْلٍ هُمْ كَوَاكِبُهَا
يُظْهِرْنَ أَنْوَارَهاَ لِلنَّاسِ فِي الظُّلَمِ
English translation

For he is a sun of bounty, whose stars are their stars
who show their lights to people in the darkness.

VERSE 26
أَكْرِمْ بِخَلْقِ نَبِيٍ زَانَهُ خُلُقٌ
بِالحُسْنِ مُشْتَمِلٍ بِالبِشْرِ مُتَّسِمِ
English translation

Honor the character of a prophet whose character is beautified
with goodness, complete with humanity, and distinguished by his character.

VERSE 27
كَالزَّهْرِ فِي تَرَفٍ وَالبَدْرِ فِي شَرَفٍ
وَالبَحْرِ فِي كَرَمٍ وَالدَّهْرِ فِي هِمَمِ
English translation

Like the flower in luxury, and the full moon in honor
and the sea in generosity, and time in worry

VERSE 28
كَأَنَّه وَهْوَ فَرْدٌ مِنْ جَلاَلَتِهِ
فِي عَسْكَرٍ حِينَ تَلْقَاهُ وَفِي حَشَمِ
English translation

As if he was a member of His Majesty
in the army when he met him and in the crowd

VERSE 29
كَأَنَّمَا اللُّؤْلُؤْ المَكْنُونُ فِي صَدَفٍ
مِنْ مَعْدِنَيْ مَنْطِقٍ مِنْهُ وَمُبْتَسِمِ
English translation

As if the pearl is hidden in a shell
made of two metals, it makes sense and smiles

VERSE 30
لاَ طِيبَ يَعْدِلُ تُرْبًا ضَمَّ أَعْظُمَهُ
طُوبىَ لِمُنْتَشِقٍ مِنْهُ وَمُلْتَثِمِ
English translation

There is no good equal to the dust of the greatest of it
Blessed is he who breaks from it and is masked