Ilaika, Imam Ash-Shafi’s poem on his deathbed
Assalamu alaikum wrwb, I have been recently studying about Arabic Poetry in my MA Arabic classes. This one Poetry really makes an effect on the heart.
Let us listen to it and read it.
Ilaika, Imam Ash-Shafi’s poem on his deathbed (YouTube)
إلَيكَ إلـهُ الخَلْـق أرْفَــعُ رَغبَتِي
و‘نْ كُنتُ يَا ذا المَنّ والجُودِ مُجْرِما
To You, the Creator, I raise my longing,
And even if I am, O possessor of kindness and generosity, an evildoer, a criminal
ولمَّا قَسَـا قلبي وضَـاقت مَذاهِبي
جَعَلتُ الرَجـا مِني لِعَفوكَ سَلِمــا
When my heart became constricted and my paths became narrow,
I took my hope in Your pardon and forgiveness as an opening and an escape
تعَاظَمَنـي ذنبـي فلمَّـا قرِنتـُـهُ
بعَفوكَ ربِّي كَانَ عَـفْوكَ أعْظَمــا
My sins seemed very great to me but when I compared them to Your forgiveness,
I found Your forgiveness to be much greater
فمَا زِلتَ ذا عفو عَن الذنْبِ لَمْ تَزُلْ
تَـجُـود وتعـفو منةً وتَكَرُّمـــا
You are and still remain the only One who can forgive sins,
You grant and forgive out of Your benevolence and generosity
فلولاكَ لَـمْ يَصْمُـدْ لإبلـيسِ عَابدٌ
فكَيْفَ وقدْ أغْوَى صَفْيَك آدِمـــا
Were it not for You, then a servant could never defy Iblis
And how can that be when he misled Your friend Adam?
فيَاليْتَ شَعْــرِي هَل أصَيرُ لِجنة
أهنـــا؟ وأمَّـا للسَّعِير فأنْدَمــا
If only I knew! Will I arrive at Paradise that I may take delight
Or at Hellfire, that I may regret?
فللّهِ دَر العَـــارِفُ الـنـدبُ إنَّه
تَفيض لفرْطِ الوَجْد أجفانُه دَمَّـــا
How capable is Allah! For the one acquainted with lament,
Blood almost flows from his eyelids due to the excess of his emotions (lament)
يَقيـمُ إذا مَـا الليلُ مَدَّ ظَلامَــه
على نَفسِهِ مِن شدَّةِ الخَوفِ مَأتمـا
He stands when the night extends out its darkness
Stands against himself out of extreme fear, sinful
فصِيحاً إذا ما كـانَ في ذكْـرِ رَبِّه
وفيما سِوَاهُ في الوَرى كان أعْجَمـا
Eloquent when he makes mention of his Lord
And in the mention of others than Him, he is speechless
ويَذكُرُ أيَّامـاً مَضَـتْ مِن شَبَابـه
وما كان فيها بالجَهَـالة أجْرَمـــا
He remembers days gone by of his youth
And what was in it of ignorance, he was a criminal
فصَارَ قَرينُ الهمِّ طُولَ نهَـــارِه
أخا السَّهدِ والنجوى إذا الليل أظلمـا
And so for the whole of his day, the companion of grief has become
The brother of sleeplessness and secret conversation when the night darkens
يقول: حَبيبي أنـتَ سُؤلِي وبَغيتي
كفى بكَ للرَّاجـيـنَ سُؤلاً ومغنمـا
He says, ‘My beloved, You are what I request and desire
You are enough of a longing and benefit for those who have hope
ألـسْتَ الذي غذيْتني وهَــدَيْتني
ولا زلتَ مَنـَّانـا عليّ ومُنعِـمــا
Are You not the One who has provided for me and guided me
And You have not ceased being gracious to me and full of favors
عسَى مَنْ لَـهُ الإحْسَانَ يَغفِرُ زَلتِي
ويَسْترُ أوْزارِي ومـا قـدْ تقدَّمــا
Perhaps the Beneficent One will forgive my mistakes
And cover up my crime and what has gone forth
تعاظمَني ذنبـي فأقبلتُ خاشِعــاً
وَلوْلا الرِّضَـا ما كنتُ يَاربِّ مُنعَمـا
My sins seemed very great to me, so I turned (to You) in humility
Were it not for my contentment in You, I wouldn’t, O my Lord, have seen any comfort at all
فإنْ تعْفُ عَني تعْفُ عَـنْ مُتمَرِّد
ظلوم غشــوم لا يَـزايَـلَ مأتمـا
So if You forgive me, You would have forgiven a sinner,
A rebellious, oppressive tyrant still sinning
فإن تنتـقـِمْ مِني فلستُ بآيـسٍ
ولو أدخلوا نفسي بجـُـرْم جَهَنَّمـا
So if You were to seek revenge from me, I would not despair
Even if they entered my soul into Jahannum, due to the sins
فجُرْمِي عَظيم مِن قديم وحـَـادِث
وعفوكَ يَأتي العَبْـدَ أعْلى وأجْسَمــا
For my crimes are great, past and present
But Your forgiveness comes to the servant, more exalted and more great
حوالي َّ فضلُ الله مِن كلِّ جَانِـب
ونورٌ مِن الرَّحمـَن يُفترش السَّمــا
The bounty of Allah surrounds me from all sides
And Light from the Most Merciful has spread in the sky
وفي القلبِ إشراقُ المحب بوَصْلِه
إذا قارب البُـشرَى وجَازَ إلى الحمى
And in the heart is the radiance of the beloved when he is reunited
And when glad tidings draw close, it becomes feverish
حوالي إينــاس مِن الله وَحْـدَه
يُطالعَني فِي ظلـمـةِ القبر أنجَمــا
Exhilaration surrounds me, only for Allah
It overlooks me in the darkness of the grave, apparent and clear
أصُونُ وَدادي أن يُدنّسـه الهَوَى
وأحفظُ عـَهْدِ الـحُبِّ أن يَتثلمــا
I protect my love, lest my desires should pollute it
And I preserve the contract of love, lest it be defiled
ففي يَقظتِي شَوْقٌ وفي غَفوَتِي منى
تلاحـِقُ خُـطوَى نـشوَةً وترنمـا
In my wakefulness is yearning and in my slumber is destiny
That’s pursuing my footsteps in ecstasy
ومَن يَعْتصِمْ بالله يُسَلم مِن الوَرَى
ومَن يَرْجه هَـيْهَاتُ أنْ يَتندَمـــا
Whoever holds fast to Allah, he is protected from men
And whoever hopes for Him, then never will he regret
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