Diwan

By: Shaykh Muhammad ibn al Habib

Praise

Praise be to You O Possessor of Kindness,

Pardoner, Who veils what is past.

Even my praise is just one of Your blessings,

You whose pure goodness is vast.

Praise be to You by the number of raindrops,

And by the stones and the sand,

And by the number of fish in the ocean,

And all the plants on the land.

Praise be to You by the ants beyond number

And all the jinn and mankind,

By the expanse of the Throne and the heavens,

Where countless stars pearl-like shine.

And by the vastness of space and the Tablet

And the Footstool and moist clay,

And by the number of all of the beings

Right up until the Last Day.

Praise be to You O my Lord and my Master

In the amount that You're due,

For if my praises last all time's duration

Still they will be far too few.

Praise be to You O Bestower of bounty,

Giver of gifts without end.

You are the One who gives help to Your people

From You their openings descend.

Praise be to You with each breath that comes from me,

And with my body and heart.

Look with compassion upon a poor servant,

Who is perplexed on his part.

While it is true that my many wrong actions

Are an impossible weight,

Yet good opinion of You gives me hope of

Healing for my broken state.

Grant us repentance, O Ever-Forgiving,

For all the wrong we have done,

To an extent that will undo the damage

Caused by the years that have gone.

Give us an increase of spiritual blessings

And of unveilings and light.

And make us firm through unfailing right guidance,

Passed on with idhn and insight.

Help us regarding the words, which come from us

And in the way that we act.

Ease the way for us to gain our provision

From where we do not expect.

Here we are standing in front of the doorway

Of Your great favor and grace

Waiting expectantly for our Beloved's

Welcome without interface.

Let us taste swiftly Your unfettered blessing

Answerer of every prayer

For You are generous, Possessor of goodness,

Whose blessings reach everywhere.

Your endless bounty continues regardless

Whether we are there or no.

Your generosity pours out upon us

Never held back in its flow.

Give us sincerity in being thankful,

Something, which from us is due,

Which, far from causing us loss, gives us increase,

And yet more blessings ensue.

Break us out from our imprisoning bodies

That, when our spirits have soared

Into the world of the spirits, we gather

Gratitude's priceless reward.

Then let us witness the meaning of essence

In all the things we perceive,

So that our witnessing grows ever stronger

Both in our hardship and ease.

Then let us die to our selves and continue,

Going on by You alone,

Joining by this all the heirs of the Secret -

People by whom it is known.

For Your command to a thing when You want it

Is merely "Be" and it is.

So please arrange things for us with intention

And with no subterfuges.

Pour out Your blessing with all of the various

Forms of perfection and grace

Down upon Ahmad our guide and our leader

To the pure light of Your Face.

And on his family and noble Companions

And upon all those who ask

For expansion for the writer who took on

Writing these lines as his task.

Teach us O Lord through your Prophet, Muhammad,

Gentle, compassionate guide,

Knowledges that will bring benefit to us

On the Day when we all rise.

And reinforce us with light from Your Presence

In every moment we have,

And make us firm at the seal of our lives and

At our deaths and in the grave.

Purification

If you truly want purification

From all shirk and self-regard,

And to drink from the spring of Tasnimi

Till your thirst is satisfied,

You must wrap yourself up in endurance,

Wind repentance around your head,

Wear the tunic of firm self-denial,

And in it exhaust your strength.

And you need a good pair of strong sandals,

One of hope and one of fear,

With a staff made of certainty by you,

And a store of pure taqwa.

You need also the bridle of knowledge

For the steed of high desire,

With protection of trusty companions

Which will keep your limbs from harm.

Press on quickly to your destination,

Being careful not to stop

To reflect on material existence -

That will veil you from your home.

But reflect on God's kindness towards you,

Be sincere in thanking Him.

And get up before dawn and be humble

And to Him address your plea.

Blessings be on the Pole of existence

And on those who follow him,

In a way that will broadcast our secret

And make it known to all.

Song Written Before the Prophet

We are present here together in the Meadow of the Prophet Hoping for God's pleasure and acceptance in this place.

We have come, O best of those to whom mankind turn for safe refuge, Broken and brought low and in a most bewildered state.

Therefore ask Allah on our behalf for every form of kindness So that at the Rising all our hopes may be fulfilled.

It is clear that you have magnitude of power beyond comparing for, before your Message, every Messenger must yield.

It is you who are the gateway to our God in every good thing. All who come to you win God's good pleasure and arrive.

Every secret of the Prophets throughout time has only come from Your exalted station - as all true reports confirm.

I have sought for intercession in my business, O my God, with   One whose intercession You have promised to accept.

All of those who end their journey with an open-handed host will gain their furthest wish along with all that they desire.

So we give our thanks to God for every time that He has blessed us granting us a visit to the Messenger we love.

And for every chance to visit the inhabitants of Baqi, all of the Companions and the offspring of Batul.

And for every chance to visit all the wives and all the daughters, and the son, of mankind's rescuer on the Final Day.

And for every chance to visit those who fell at Uhud's battle, all the noble martyrs and the Prophet's uncle too.

We request from you, by means of them, complete and perfect safety on our homeward journey and then after we arrive.

And we ask for rescue, on that Day when everyone will gather, and for safety, from the stupid ignorance of fools.

O our Lord pour down Your blessing on the Prophet and his family and on his Companions and on all who follow him.

The Robe of Nearness

The invocation of the Beloved has clothed us in beauty, radiance, exaltation and delight.

In drawing near we cast aside every restraint and openly proclaimed the One we love to glorify

The Beloved gave us a draught of pure love to drink, which forced all but the Beloved to disappear.

We saw the whole creation as mere floating specks of dust:  and witnessed the lights appear openly and clearly.

After having been effaced and annihilated in a light-giving wine, we returned to creation.

By a pure gift from Allah we were given going-on and then, with patience, we concealed the One we love.

How often have we looked on a wayfarer who has then risen to the stations of those who have plunged into the seas!

We have healed the hearts of what had gripped and possessed them through sciences whose taste is subtle; and then they soared.

We focused on something secretly and then it came about, and so the One we have chosen to love has come to us.

We heard a secret call from the presence of the Unseen: "In Our sight you are beloved so be filled with gratitude."

We have authority to quench the thirst of whoever comes longing for the encounter and not seeking mere information.

Even if presents are plentiful and generous gifts abound, pay no attention to them, but cling to poverty.

Humble yourselves to its people – they will satisfy your thirst. You should draw near to them and have no fear of disgrace.

Strip yourselves of all knowledge and understanding so that you may obtain what the great have obtained.

Freely offer up your self, you who desire union, and follow the Shaykh in whatever he indicates.

Witness the truth in him, in both your essence and your heart, annihilate yourself in him: by him you will win through.

He is the light of the Messenger from every point of view, and the medicine of hearts, both openly and secretly.

So pay attention to him and show him great esteem.  Go into his presence in a completely broken state.

Blessings be upon the Prophet and all his family and Companions and all who direct other people to him,