Arabic Poetry

This poem was said by Hazrat Ja'far Radhiallahu Ta'aala Anhu just before he was martyred.

يَا حَبّذَا الْجَنّةُ وَاقْتِرَابُهَا ... طَيّبَةً وَبَارِدًا شَرَابُهَا
وَالرّومُ رُومٌ قَدْ دَنَا عَذَابُهَا ... كَافِرَةٌ بَعِيدَةٌ أَنْسَابُهَا
عَلَيّ إذْ لَاقَيْتُهَا ضِرَابُهَا

Yaa 7abbazal jannatu waqtiraabuhaa ... Tayyibatan wa baaridan sharaabuhaa.
War Roomu roomun qad danaa 3azaabuhaa ... Kaafiratun ba3eedatun ansaabuhaa.
3alayya iz laqeetuhaa dhiraabuhaa.

How wonderful Paradise is ... I can see it approaching with its sweet and cool drink.
The time for the punishment of the Romans is drawing near ... Those unbelievers are not related to us in blood.
I must fight the Romans whenever I see one of their Warriors.

Hadhrat Hassan bin Thaabit Radhiallahu Anhu's poem about Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.


و أحسن منك لم ترقط عيني
و أجمل منك لم تلد النساء
خلقت مبرأ من كل عيب
كأنك قد خلقت كما تشاء

Wa a7sanu minka lam taraqatu 3ayni
Wa ajmalu minka lam talidin nisaa
Khuliqta mubarr'am min kulli 3aybin
Ka'annaka qad khuliqta kamaa tashaa

My eyes have not seen more beautiful person than you
No women has given birth to a more beautiful person than you
You have been created without any weakness and blemish
As if you have been created as you wished to be created

This was hadhrat Ka'b ibn malik radhiallahu ta'aala anhu's poem in reply to dhiraar's poem about the battle of the trench.

وَسَائِلَةٍ تُسَائِلُ مَا لَقِينَا ... وَلَوْ شَهِدَتْ رَأَتْنَا صَابِرِينَا
صَبَرْنَا لَا نَرَى لِلّهِ عَدْلًا ... عَلَى مَا نَابَنَا مُتَوَكّلِينَا
وَكَانَ لَنَا النّبِيّ وَزِيرَ صِدْقٍ ... بِهِ نَعْلُو الْبَرِيّةَ أَجْمَعِينَا
نُقَاتِلُ مَعْشَرًا ظَلَمُوا وَعَقّوا ... وَكَانُوا بِالْعَدَاوَةِ مُرْصِدِينَا
نُعَاجِلُهُمْ إذَا نَهَضُوا إلَيْنَا ... بِضَرْبٍ يُعْجِلُ الْمُتَسَرّعِينَا
تَرَانَا فِي فَضَافِضَ سَابِغَاتٍ ... كَغُدْرَانِ الْمَلَا مُتَسَرْبِلِينَا
وَفِي أَيْمَانِنَا بِيضٌ خِفَافٌ ... بِهَا نَشْفِي مُرَاحَ الشّاغِبِينَا
بِبَابِ الْخَنْدَقَيْنِ كَأَنّ أُسْدًا ... شَوَابِكُهُنّ يَحْمِينَ الْعَرِينَا
فَوَارِسُنَنا إذَا بَكَرُوا وَرَاحُوا ... عَلَى الْأَعْدَاءِ شُوسًا مُعْلَمِينَا
لِنَنْصُرَ أَحَمْدًا وَاَللّهَ حَتّى ... نَكُونَ عِبَادَ صِدْقٍ مُخْلِصِينَا
وَيَعْلَمَ أَهْلُ مَكّةَ حِينَ سَارُوا ... وَأَحْزَابٌ أَتَوْا مُتَحَزّبِينَا
بِأَنّ اللّهَ لَيْسَ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ ... وَأَنّ اللّهَ مَوْلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَا
فَإِمّا تَقْتُلُوا سَعْدًا سَفَاهًا ... فَإِنّ اللّهَ خَيْرُ الْقَادِرِينَا
سَيُدْخِلُهُ جِنَانًا طَيّبَاتٍ ... تَكُونُ مُقَامَةً لِلصّالِحِينَا
كَمَا قَدْ رَدّكُمْ فَلّا شَرِيدًا ... بِغَيْظِكُمْ خَزَايَا خَائِبِينَا
خَزَايَا لَمْ تَنَالُوا ثَمّ خَيْرًا ... وَكِدْتُمْ أَنْ تَكُونُوا دَامِرِينَا
بِرِيحِ عَاصِفٍ هَبّتْ عَلَيْكُمْ ... فَكُنْتُمْ تَحْتَهَا مُتَكَمّهِينَا

Wa sa'ilatin tusaa'ilu maa laqeenaa ... wa lo shahidat ra'atnaa saabireenaa
Sabarnaa laa nara lillahi 3adlan ... 3alaa maa naabanaa mutawakkileenaa
Wa kaana lanaa nabiyya wazeera sidqin ... bihi na3lul bariyyata ajma3eenaa
Nuqaatilu ma3sharan zalamoo wa 3aqqoo ... wa kaanoo bil 3adaawati mursideenaa
Nu3aajiluhum izaa nahadhoo ilaynaa ... bidharbin nu3jilul mutasarri3eenaa
Taraanaa fee fadhaafidha saabighaatin ... kaghudraanil malaa mutasarbileenaa
Wa fee aymaaninaa beedhun khifaafun ... biha nashfee muraa7ash shaaghibeenaa
Bibaabil khandaqayni ka'anna usdan ... shawaabikuhunna ya7meenal 3areenaa
Fawaarisunanaa izaa bakaroo wa raa7oo ... 3alal a3daa'i shoosan mu3lameenaa
Linansura Ahamdan wallaha 7attaa ... nakoona 3ibaada sidqin mukhliseenaa
Wa ya3lama ahlu makkata 7eena saaroo ... wa a7zaabun ataw muta7azzibeenaa
Bi'annallaha laysa lahu shareekun ... wa annallaha mawlal mumineenaa
Fa'immaa taqtuloo Sa3dan safaahan ... Fa'innallaha khayrul qaadireenaa
Sayudkhulihu jinaanan tayyibaatin ... takoonu muqaamatan lis saali7eenaa
Kamaa qad raddakum falla shareedan ... bighayzikum khazaayaa khaa'ibeenaa
Khazaayaa lam tanaaloo thamma khayran ... wakidtum an takoonoo daamireenaa
Bi ree7in 3aasifin habbat 3alaykum ... fakuntum ta7tahaa mutakammiheenaa

Many a woman will ask of our fight
Had she been there she would have seen we were steadfast.
We were steadfast trusting in Him;
We saw nothing equal to God in the hour of our danger.
We have a prophet, a true helper,
By whom we can conquer all men.
We fought an evil disobedient people
Fully prepared in their hostile attack.
When they came at us we struck them blows
Which dispatched the precipitate.
You would have seen us in wide long mail which
Glittered like pools in the plain;
Sharp swords in our hands
By which we quench the spirit of the mischievous.
Like lions at the gap in the trench
Whose tangled jungle protects their lairs.
Our horsemen when they charged night and morning
Looked disdainfully at the enemy as they wore their badges
To help Ahmad and God so that we might be
Sincere slaves of truth,
And that the Meccans might know when they came
And the people of different parties
That God has no partners,
And that He helps the believers.
Though you killed Sa'd wantonly,
God's decrees are for the best.
He will admit him to goodly gardens
The resting-place of the righteous.
As He repulsed you, runaway fugitives,
Fruitless, disgraced, despite your rage.
Disgraced, you accomplished nothing there
And were all but destroyed
By a tempest which overtook you
So that you were blinded by its force.

This poem is by Hadhrat Abu Bakr Radhiallahu Ta'aala Anhu after Rasoolullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam passed away.

يا عين فابكي ولا تسأمي، ... وحق البكاء على السيد!
على خير خندف عند البلا ... ء أمسى يغيب في الملحد
فصلى المليك ولي العباد ... ورب البلاد على أحمد
فكيف الحياة لفقد الحبيب ... وزين المعاشر في المشهد؟
فليت الممات لنا كلنا ... وكنا جميعا مع المهتدي!

Yaa 3ayn fabky wa laa tas'amy ... wa 7aqqal bukaa'u 3alas sayyid
3ala khayri khandafi 3indal balaa ... a amsy yagheebu fil mal7ad
Fasallil maleeku waliyyul 3ibaadi ... wa rabbul bilaadi 3alal Ahmad
Fakayfal 7ayaatu lifaqdil 7abeeb ... wa zeenu ma3aashiru fil mash'had?
Falaytal mamaatu lanaa kullunaa ... wa kunna jamee3aa ma3al muhtady

O eye! Weep and do not feel disgusted ... Mourning for the chief is thy duty.
One, who emerged successful in the face of trial ... Passed the evening, concealed in the grave.
May the Possessor, the Lord of the servants ... And the Lord of the World, bless Ahmad.
What (joy) in life after the loss of the friend! ... And when decoration of the assemblies is in the shrine,
I wish! all of us had met death together ... And all of us had been with that guided person.

This is a poem of Zaid bin Amr bin nufail (he lived before rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he was not a jew nor a christian, he said he followed the religion of Hazrat Ibrahim Alayhis salaam)

أَرَبّا وَاحِدًا أَمْ أَلْفَ رَبّ ... أَدِينُ إذَا تُقُسّمَتْ الْأُمُورُ
عَزَلْتُ اللّاتَ وَالْعُزّى جَمِيعًا ... كَذَلِكَ يَفْعَلُ الْجَلْدُ الصّبُورُ
فَلَا الْعُزّى أَدِينُ وَلَا ابْنَتَيْهَا ... وَلَا صَنَمَيْ بَنِي عَمْرٍو أَزُورُ
وَلَا هُبَلًا أَدِينُ وَكَانَ رَبّا ... لَنَا فِي الدّهْرِ إذْ حِلْمِي يَسِيرُ
عَجِبْتُ وَفِي اللّيَالِي مُعْجَبَاتٌ ... وَفِي الْأَيّامِ يَعْرِفُهَا الْبَصِيرُ
بِأَنّ اللّهَ قَدْ أَفْنَى رِجَالًا ... كَثِيرًا كَانَ شَأْنَهُمْ الْفُجُورُ
وَأَبْقَى آخَرِينَ بِبِرّ قَوْمٍ ... فَيَرْبِلُ مِنْهُمْ الطّفْلُ الصّغِيرُ
وَبَيْنَا الْمَرْءُ يَفْتَرّ ثَابَ يَوْمًا ... كَمَا يُتَرَوّحُ الْغُصْنُ الْمَطِيرُ
وَلَكِنْ أَعْبُدُ الرّحْمَنَ رَبّي ... لِيَغْفِرَ ذَنْبِي الرّبّ الْغَفُورُ
فَتَقْوَى اللّهِ رَبّكُمْ احْفَظُوهَا ... مَتَى مَا تَحْفَظُوهَا لَا تَبُورُوا
تَرَى الْأَبْرَارَ دَارُهُمْ جِنَانٌ ... وَلِلْكَفّارِ حَامِيَةً سَعِيرُ
وَخِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ وَإِنْ يَمُوتُوا ... يُلَاقُوا مَا تَضِيقُ بِهِ الصّدُورُ

Arabban waa7idan am alfa rabb ... adeenu izaa tuqussamatul umoor
3azaltul laata wal 3uzza jamee3an ... kazaalika yaf3alul jaldus saboor
Falaa al 3uzza adeenu wa laa ibnatayhaa ... wa laa sanamy bani 3amrin azoor
Wa laa hubalan adeenu wa kaana rabbaa ... lanaa fid dahri iz 7ilmi yaseer
3ajibtu wa fil layaaly mu3jabaatun ... wa fil ayyaami ya3rifuhal baseer
Bi'annallaha qad afnaa rijaalan ... katheeran kaana sha'nahumul fujoor
Wa abqaa aakhareena bibirri qawmin ... fayarbilu minhumut tiflus sagheer
Wa baynal mar'u yaftarra thaaba yawman ... kamaa yutarawwa7ul ghusnul mateer
Wa lakin a3budurra7mana rabbee ... liyaghfira zamby rabbul ghafoor
Fataqwallahi rabbakumu7fazoohaa ... mataa maa ta7fazoohaa laa taburuwa
Taral abraara daaruhum jinaan ... wa lil kaffaari 7aamiyatan sa3eer
Wa khiz'un fil 7ayaati wa iy yamootoo ... yulaaqoo maa tadheequ bihis sudoor

Am I to worship one lord or a thousand? ... If there are as many as you claim,
I renounce al-Lat and al-`Uzza both of them ... As any strong-minded person would.
I will not worship al-`Uzza and her two daughters ... Nor will I visit the two images of the Banu `Amr.
I will not worship Hubal though he was our lord ... In the days when I had little sense
I wondered (for in the night much is strange ... Which in daylight is plain to the discerning)
That Allah had annihilated many men ... Whose deeds were thoroughly evil
And spared others through the piety of a people ... So that a little child could grow to manhood.
A man may languish for a time and then recover ... As the branch of a tree revives after rain.
I serve my Lord the compassionate ... That the forgiving Lord may pardon my sin,
So keep to the fear of Allah your Lord ... While you hold to that you will not perish.
You will see the pious living in gardens ... While for the infidels hell fire is burning.
Shamed in life, when they die ... Their breasts will contract in anguish.

This was a poem of Hadhrat Hamza Radhiallahu Ta'ala anhu regarding badr.

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَمْرًا كَانَ مِنْ عَجْبِ الدّهْر ِ ... وَلِلْحَيْنِ أَسِبَابٌ مُبَيّنَةُ الْأَمْرِ
وَمَا ذَاكَ إلّا أَنّ قَوْمًا أَفَادَهُمْ ... فَحَانُوا تَوَاصٍ بِالْعُقُوقِ وَبِالْكُفْرِ
عَشِيّةَ رَاحُوا نَحْوَ بَدْرٍ بِجَمْعِهِمْ ... فَكَانُوا رُهُونًا لِلرّكِيّةِ مِنْ بَدْرِ
وَكُنّا طَلَبْنَا الْعِيرَ لَمْ نَبْغِ غَيْرَهَا ... فَسَارُوا إلَيْنَا فَالْتَقَيْنَا عَلَى قَدْرِ
فَلَمّا الْتَقَيْنَا لَمْ تَكُنْ مَثْنَوِيّةٌ ... لَنَا غَيْرَ طَعْنٍ بِالْمُثَقّفَةِ السّمْرِ
وَضَرْبٍ بِبِيضٍ يَخْتَلِي الْهَامَ حَدّهَا ... مُشْهِرَةُ الْأَلْوَانِ بَيّنَةُ الْأُثُرِ
وَنَحْنُ تَرَكْنَا عُتْبَة الْغَيّ ثَاوِيًا ... وَشَيْبَةَ فِي الْقَتْلَى تَجْرَجَمُ فِي الْجَفْرِ
وَعَمْرٌو ثَوَى فِيمَنْ ثَوَى مِنْ حُمَاتِهِمْ ... فَشُقّتْ جُيُوبُ النّائِحَاتِ عَلَى عَمْرِو
جُيُوبُ نِسَاءٍ مِنْ لُؤَيّ بْنِ غَالِبٍ ... كِرَامٍ تَفَرّعْنَ الذّوَائِبَ مِنْ فِهْرِ
أُولَئِكَ قَوْمٌ قُتّلُوا فِي ضَلَالِهِمْ ... وَخَلّوْا لِوَاءً غَيْرَ مُحْتَضَرِ النّصْرُ
لِوَاءُ ضَلَالٍ قَادَ إبْلِيسُ أَهْلَهُ ... فَخَاسَ بِهِمْ إنّ الْخَبِيثَ إلَى غَدْرِ
وَقَالَ لَهُمْ إذْ عَايَنَ الْأَمْرَ وَاضِحًا ... بَرِئْت إلَيْكُمْ مَا بِي الْيَوْمَ مِنْ صَبْرِ
فَإِنّي أَرَى مَا لَا تَرَوْنَ وَإِنّنِي ... أَخَافُ عِقَابَ اللّهِ وَاَللّهُ ذُو قَسْرِ
فَقَدّمَهُمْ لِلْحَيْنِ حَتّى تَوَرّطُوا ... وَكَانَ بِمَا لَمْ يَخْبُرْ الْقَوْمُ ذَا خُبْرِ
فَكَانُوا غَدَاةَ الْبِئْرِ أَلْفًا وَجَمْعُنَا ... ثَلَاثُ مِئِينٍ كَالْمُسْدَمَةِ الزّهْرِ
وَفِينَا جُنُودُ اللّهِ حَيْنَ يُمِدّنَا ... بِهِمْ فِي مَقَامٍ ثُمّ مُسْتَوْضَحِ الذّكْرِ
فَشَدّ بِهِمْ جِبْرِيلُ تَحْتَ لِوَائِنَا ... لَدَى مَأْزِقٍ فِيهِ مَنَايَاهُمْ تَجْرِي

Alam tara amran kaana min 3ajbid dahri ... wa lil7ayni asbaabun mubayyanatul amri
Wa maa zaaka illa anna qawman afaadahum ... fa7ssnoo tawaasin bil3uqooqi wa bil kufri
3ashiyyata raa7oo na7wa badrin bijam3ihim ... fakaanoo ruhoonan lirrakiyyati mim badri
Wa kunnaa talabnal 3eera lam takun mathnawiyyatun ... lanaa ghayra ta3nin bilmuthaqqafatis samri
Wa dharbin bibeedhin yakhtalil haama 7addahaa ... mush'hiratul alwaani bayyinatul uthuri
Wa na7nu taraknaa 3utbatal ghayya thaawiyan ... wa shaybata fil qatla tajrajamu fil jafri
Wa 3amr thawa feeman thawa min 7umaatihim ... fashuqqat juyoobun naa'i7aati 3ala 3amri
Juyoobu nisaa'in min lu'ay ibn ghaalib ... kiraamin tafarra3naz zawaa'iba min fihri
Ulaaika qawmun quttiloo fee dhalaalihim ... wa khallo liwaa'an ghayra mu7tadharin nasru
Liwaa'u dhalaalin qaada ibleesu ahlahu ... fakhaasa bihim innal khabeetha ila ghadri
Wa qaala lahum iz 3aayanal amra waadhi7an ... bari'tu ilaykum maa bil yawma min sabri
Fa innee araa maa laa tarawna wa innanee ... akhaafu 3iqaaballahi wallahu zoo qasri
Faqaddamahum lil7ayni 7atta tawarratoo ... wa kaana bimaa lam yakhburul qawmu zaa khubri
Fakaanoo ghadaatal bi'ri alfan wa jam3unaa ... thalaatu mi'eenin kalmusdamatiz zihri
Wa feenaa junoodullahi 7ayna yumiddanaa ... bihim fee maqaamin thumma mustodha7iz zikri
Fashadda bihim jibreelu ta7ta liwaa'inaa ... ladaa ma'ziqin feehi manaayaahum tajri

Surely one of time's wonders ... Though roads to death are plain to see
Is that a people should destroy themselves and perish ... By encouraging one another to disobedience and disbelief.
The night they all set out for Badr ... And became death's pawns in its well.
We had sought but their caravan, naught else ... But they came to us and we met unexpectedly.( by Allah's decree)
When we met there was no way out ... save with a thrust from dun-coloured straight-fashioned shafts
And a blow with swords which severed their heads ... Swords that glittered as they smote.
We left the erring 'Utba lying dead ... And Shayba among the slain thrown in the well.
'Amr lay dead among their protectors ... And the keening women rent their garments for him,
The noble women of Lu'ayy bin Ghalib ... Who surpass the best of Fihr.
Those were folk who were killed in their error ... And they left a banner not prepared for victory.
A banner of error whose people Iblis led ... He betrayed them, the evil one is prone to treachery.
when he saw things clearly he said to them ... I am quit of you I can no longer endure
I see what you do not see, I fear Allah's punishment ... For He is invincible.
He led them to death so that they perished ... While he knew what they could not know.
On the day of the well they mustered a thousand ... We three hundred like excited white stallions.
With us were Allah's armies when he reinforced us with them ... In a place that will ever be renowned.
Under our banner Jibraeel attacked them ... In the fray where they met their death.

تزود من التقوى فإنك لا تدري *** إذا جن ليل هل تعيش إلى الفجـر
فكـم من فتى أمسى وأصبح ضاحكا *** وقد نسجت أكفانه وهو لا يـدري
وكم من صغار يرتجى لهم طول العمر *** وقد أدخلت أجسادهم ظلمة القبـر
وكـم من عروس زينوها لعرسـها *** وقد قبضت أرواحهم ليلـة القـدر
وكـم من صحيح مات من غير علة *** وكم من سقيم عاش حينا من الدهر
فـمن عـاش ألفـا وألفيـن إنـه *** لابـد من يـوم يسـير إلى القبر

Take taqwa as your provision, for you do not know
When the night darkens, will you live until fajr?
For how many of a youth laughs by morning and evening
And his shrouds have been weaved, and he does not know.
And how many of young ones are expected to live long
But their bodies are made to enter the darkness of the grave.
And how many of a bride have they beautified for her husband
And their souls have been seized on the night of decree.
And how many of a healthy one dies without an illness
And how many of an ill one has lived for a good time
So whoever lives for a thousand and more
He must one day, make his way to his grav

This is a poem of hadhrat Ali Radhiallahu Anhu.

لا تظـلمنَّ إِذا مـا كنتَ مقتـدراً * فالظـلمُ مـرتعُه يفضي إِلى النـدمِ
تنـامُ عينـكَ والمظـلومُ منتبـهٌ * يدعـو عليـكَ وعيـنُ اللّهِ لم تنـمِ

Never oppress if you are in a position to do so
For oppression, its field only leads to regret
Your eyes may sleep, but the oppressed one is attentive
Cursing against you while the Eyes of Allaah do not sleep

This is a poem of hadhrat abdullah ibn al mubaarak rahimahullah,

رأيت الذنـوب تميت القـلوب * وقـد يورث الـذل إدمانهـا
وترك الذنـوب حياة القـلوب * وخـير لنفـسك عصـيانهـا
وهل أفسـد الدين إلا المـلوك * وأحـبار سـوء ورهـبانهـا

I saw that sins only kill the hearts
And disgrace is only inherited by its (sins) own addiction
Leaving sins is what brings the hearts to life
So choose only disobedience for your soul
And has religion been polluted by other than Kings
And evil scholars and the monks thereof?

أَلاَ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مَا خَلاَ اللَّهَ بَاطِلٌ
وكل نعيـم لا محالـة زائـل

“Behold! Indeed everything other than Allaah is only falsehood

And every pleasure no matter what, is bound to cease…

يا نَـفـسُ مــا هِـــيَ إلاّ صَـــبـــرُ أَيّامِ
كَــأَنَّ مُـدَّتَــهـــا أَضــغــاثُ أَحــلامِ
يا نَـفْـسُ جـــوزي عَـنِ الـدُنــيا مُـبـادِرَةً
وَخَــلِّ عَـنـهـا فَـإِنَّ الـعَـيشَ قُــدامـــي

al-Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee - rahimahullaah -
used to recite (the following verses of poetry):

“O my soul! It is not, except a few days of patience;
As if the extent were but a few dreams.
O my soul! Pass quickly on through this world;
And leave it, for indeed life lies ahead of it.”