Exhortations of Imaam Ash-Shaafi'ee

Exhortations of Imaam Ash-Shaafi'ee



In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful Seeking Forgiveness before Death


The following account is a poem by Imam Ash-Shaafi`ee. Al-Muzni who is Aboo lbraaheem Isma`eel ibn Yahya said: "I entered upon ash-Shaafi'ee during his illness which resulted in his death, so I said to him: 'What is your condition?' He replied: "I am journeying from this world, and departing from my brothers, drinking from the cup of death, and upon Allaah - Exalted is His remembrance - arriving. And no! By Allaah, I do not know if my soul is travelling towards Paradise or the Fire!" Then he started to weep, and he said:

إلَيكَإلـهُالخَلْـقأرْفَــعُرَغبَتِي *** و‘نْكُنتُيَاذاالمَنّوالجُودِمُجْرِما
‘To You, the Creator, I raise my longing,
And even if I am, O possessor of kindness and generosity, an evildoer, a criminal
ولمَّاقَسَـاقلبيوضَـاقتمَذاهِبي *** جَعَلتُالرَجـامِنيلِعَفوكَسَلِمــا
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
تعَاظَمَنـيذنبـيفلمَّـاقرِنتـُـهُ *** بعَفوكَربِّيكَانَعَـفْوكَأعْظَمــا
My sins seemed very great to me but when I compared them to Your forgiveness,
I found Your forgiveness to be much greater
فمَازِلتَذاعفوعَنالذنْبِلَمْتَزُلْ *** تَـجُـودوتعـفومنةًوتَكَرُّمـــا
You are and still remain the only One who can forgive sins,
You grant and forgive out of Your benevolence and generosity
فلولاكَلَـمْيَصْمُـدْلإبلـيسِعَابدٌ *** فكَيفَوقدْأغْوَىصَفْيَكآدِمـــا
Were it not for You, then a servant could never defy Iblis
And how can that be when he mislead Your friend Adam
فيَاليْتَشَعْــرِيهَلأصَيرُلِجنة *** أهنـــا؟وأمَّـاللسَّعِيرفأنْدَمــا
If only I knew! Will I arrive at Paradise that I may take delight
Or at Hellfire, that I may regret?
فللّهِدَرالعَـــارِفُالـنـدبُإنَّه *** تَفيضلفرْطِالوَجْدأجفانُهدَمَّـــا
How capable is Allah! For the one acquainted with lament,
blood almost flows from his eyelids due to the excess of his emotions (lament)
يَقيـمُإذامَـاالليلُمَدَّظَلامَــه *** علىنَفسِهِمِنشدَّةِالخَوفِمَأتمـا
He stands when the night extends out its darkness
Stands against himself out of extreme fear, sinful
فصِيحاًإذاماكـانَفيذكْـرِرَبِّه *** وفيماسِوَاهُفيالوَرىكانأعْجَمـا
Eloquent when he makes mention of his Lord
And in the mention of others than Him, he is speechless
ويَذكُرُأيَّامـاًمَضَـتْمِنشَبَابـه *** وماكانفيهابالجَهَـالةأجْرَمـــا
He remembers days gone by of his youth
And what was in it of ignorance, he was a criminal
فصَارَقَرينُالهمِّطُولَنهَـــارِه *** أخاالسَّهدِوالنجوىإذاالليلأظلمـا
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: حَبيبيأنـتَسُؤلِيوبَغيتي *** كفىبكَللرَّاجـيـنَسُؤلاًومغنمـا
He says, ‘My beloved, You are what I request and desire
You are enough of a longing and benefit for those who have hope
ألـسْتَالذيغذيْتنيوهَــدَيْتني *** ولازلتَمَنـَّانـاعليّومُنعِـمــا
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 favours
عسَىمَنْلَـهُالإحْسَانَيَغفِرُزَلتِي *** ويَسْترُأوْزارِيومـاقـدْتقدَّمــا
Perhaps the Beneficent One will forgive my mistakes
And cover up my crime and what has gone forth
تعاظمَنيذنبـيفأقبلتُخاشِعــاً *** وَلوْلاالرِّضَـاماكنتُيَاربِّمُنعَمـا
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
فإنْتعْفُعَنيتعْفُعَـنْمُتمَرِّد *** ظلومغشــوملايَـزايَـلَمأتمـا
So if You forgive me, You would have forgiven a sinner,
A rebellious, oppressive tyrant still sinning
فإنتنتـقـِمْمِنيفلستُبآيـسٍ *** ولوأدخلوانفسيبجـُـرْمجَهَنَّمـا
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
فجُرْمِيعَظيممِنقديموحـَـادِث *** وعفوكَيَأتيالعَبْـدَأعْلىوأجْسَمــا
For my crimes are great, past and present
But Your forgiveness comes to the servant, more exalted and more great
حواليَّفضلُاللهمِنكلِّجَانِـب *** ونورٌمِنالرَّحمـَنيُفترشالسَّمــا
The bounty of Allaah surrounds me from all sides
And Light from the Most Merciful has spread in the sky
وفيالقلبِإشراقُالمحببوَصْلِه *** إذاقاربالبُـشرَىوجَازَإلىالحمى
And in the heart is the radiance of the beloved when he is reunited
And when glad tidings draw close, it becomes feverish
حواليإينــاسمِناللهوَحْـدَه *** يُطالعَنيفِيظلـمـةِالقبرأنجَمــا
Exhilaration surrounds me, only for Allaah
It overlooks me in the darkness of the grave, apparent and clear
أصُونُوَداديأنيُدنّسـهالهَوَى *** وأحفظُعـَهْدِالـحُبِّأنيَتثلمــا
I protect my love, lest my desires should pollute it
And I preserve the contract of love, lest it be defiled
ففييَقظتِيشَوْقٌوفيغَفوَتِيمنى *** تلاحـِقُخُـطوَىنـشوَةًوترنمـا
In my wakefulness is yearning and in my slumber is destiny
That’s pursuing my footsteps in ecstasy
ومَنيَعْتصِمْباللهيُسَلممِنالوَرَى ***ومَنيَرْجههَـيْهَاتُأنْيَتندُمـــا
Whoever holds fast to Allaah, he is protected from men
And whoever hopes for Him, then never will he regret