Al-Hamd (Praise) - Sidi Muhammad ibn al-Habib ash-Shadhili ق

al-Hamd is a qasidah from the Diwan of the Shaykh and Gnostic of Allah , Sayyidi Muhammad ibn al-Habib al-Amghari al-Idrisi al-Hasani ash-Shadhili ق. The Diwan of Sidi Muhammad ibn al-Habib ash-Shadhili has long been famous among the Sufis for its balance between poems expressing direct spiritual experience and those in instruction on travelling the path.

Sidi Muhammad ibn al-Habib, may Allah be pleased with him, was born circa 1871 CE in Fez. He received a traditional education in fiqh and the sciences of Islam, Iman and Ihsan. He was Maliki in fiqh, Ash’ari in ‘aqida and Darqawi-Shadhili in tariqa. Describing himself, he said:

“Allah, may He be exalted said: ‘As for the blessing of your Lord – declare it.’ So let Muhammad ibn al-Habib, al-Amghari al-Hasani by lineage, dwelling in Fez, the poor slave of his Master, yet enriched by Him with other-than-Him, declare, in speaking of Allah’s blessing, that idhn (authorisation) has come to him from Allah and the Messenger of Allah and all the awliya’ of Allah, and that Allah has singled him out with sciences and secrets which only the unique man of Muhammad possesses.”

He passed on, may Allah have mercy on him, in 1391/1972 while on the way to Hajj, and is buried in his zawiya in Meknes.

الْحَمْدُ
Praise
سيدي محمد ابن الحبيب الشاذلي
Sidi Muhammad ibn al-Habib ash-Shadhili   

لَكَ الْحَمْدُ يَا ذَالْحِلْمِ وَالْعَفْوِ وَالسِّتْرِ
وَحَمْدِيَ مِنْ نُعْمَاكَ يَا وَاسِعَ الْبِرِّ

Yours is all praise, O You Who covers our faults in Your Gentleness and Pardon.
My praise is part of Your Grace, You whose goodness envelops all. 

لَكَ الْحَمْدُ عَدَّ الْقَطْرِ والْرَمْلِ وَالْحَصَى
وَعَدَّ نَبَاتِ الْأَرْضِ وَالْحُوتِ فِي الْبَحْرِ

Yours is praise as abundant as raindrops, grains of sands, and pebbles,
As abundant as the plants of the earth, and the fish in the sea.

 لَكَ الْحَمْدُ عَدَّ النَّمْلِ وَالْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ
وَمِلْءَ السَّمَا وَالْعَرْشِ وَالْكَوْكَبِ الدُّرِّ

Yours is praise as abundant as the ants, the jinn, and humankind,
Praise which fills the sky and the Throne and the stars that glisten above. 

وَمِلْءَ الْفَضَا وَاللَّوْحِ وَالْكُرْسِي وَالثَّرَى
وَعَدَّ جَمِيعِ الْكَائِنَاتِ إِلَى الْحَشْرِ

Praise which fills the vastness of space, the Tablet, the Chair, and the soil,
Praise as abundant as all who exist till the Day of the final Assembly. 

لَكَ الْحَمْدُ يَا رَبِّي كَمَا أَنْتَ أَهْلُهُ
فَإِنِّيَ لَا أُحْصِي الثَّنَاءَ مَدَى الدَّهْرِ

Yours is praise, O my Lord, praise as is Your due.
I could not number Your praises, were I given all earthly time. 

لَكَ الْحَمْدُ يَا مُعْطِي الْمَوَاهِبَ بِالْفَضْلِ
وَمَانِحَ أَهْلِ اللهِ بِالْفَتْحِ وَالنَّصْرِ

Yours is praise, O Bestower of gifts, by way of Your infinite Grace,
You are the One Who grants Allah's people Opening and Victory. 

لَكَ الْحَمْدُ بِالأَنْفَاسِ وَالْجِسْمِ وَالْقَلْبِ
تَفَضَّلْ عَلَى عَبْدٍ تَحَيَّرَ فِي الْأَمْرِ

Yours is praise, with every breath, with the body and heart:
so be Benevolent towards a servant who is bewildered in the way. 

فَإِنِّي وَإِنْ كَانَتْ ذُنُوبِي تَعُوقُنِي
فَلِي فِيكَ حُسْنُ الظَّنِّ يَجْبُرُ لِي كَسْرِي

Though my sins may weigh heavy upon me
Still I trust in Your goodness to mend my brokenness. 

فَمُنَّ عَلَيْنَا يَاغُفُورُ بِتَوْبَةٍ
تَجُبُّ الَّذِي قَدْ كَانَ فِي سَالِفِ الْعُمْرِ

Favor us, O Most Forgiving Lord, with repentance
that effaces the mistakes which were made in the past. 

وَزِدْنَا مِنَ النَّعْمَاءِ وَالنُّورِ وَالْكَشْفِ
وَمَكِّنَّا فِي الْإِرْشَادِ بِالْإِذْنِ وَالسِّرِّ

And increase us in blessings, light and unveilings,
And enable us to guide with permission and secret. 

وَ أَيِّدْنَا فِي أَقْوَالِنَا وَفِعَالِنَا
وَيَسِّرْ لَنَا الْأَرْزَاقَ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا نَدْرِي

Support us in what we say and do,
And make it easy our provision from a place we do not know. 

فَهَا نَحْنُ فِي بَابِ التَّفَضُّلِ وَاقِفٌ
وَمُنْتَظِرٌ عَطْفَ الْحَبِيبِ بِلَا عُسْرِ

Here we stand at the door of benevolence
Awaiting without hardship the kindness of the Friend.

فَأَنْعِمْ عَلَيْنَا يَا مُجِيبُ بِسُرْعَةٍ
فَإِنَّكَ أَهْلُ الْجُودِ وَالْمَنِّ وَالْخَيْرِ

You Who answers prayers, hasten Your grace upon us
You are truly the One full of generosity, goodness and favor.

 فَفَضْلُكَ مَوْجُودٌ بِغَيْرِ وُجُودِنَا
وَجُودُكَ مَسْدُولٌ عَلَيْنَا بِلَا نُكْرِ

Your favor existed when we did not
Your generosity undeniably rains down upon us

 وَوَفِّقْنَا لِلشُّكْرِ الَّذِي هُوَ لَازِمٌ
عَلَيْنَا وَيَسْتَدْعِي الْمَزِيدَ بِلَا خُسْرِ

Grant us the gratitude incumbent upon us
Which beckons increase without any loss.

 وَأَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ سِجْنِ الْجُسُومِ وَرَقِّنَا
لِحَضْرَةِ أَرْوَاحِ ثَوَابًا عَلَى الشُّكْرِ

Bring us forth from the prison of physical forms and raise us
To the realm of spirits as recompense for thanks.

 وَأَشْهِدْنَا مَعْنَى الذَّاتِ فِي كُلِّ مَظْهَرِ
لِيَقْوَى شُهُودِي فِي الشَّدَائِدِ وَالْيُسْرِ

And let us witness in every theophany the meaning of the Essence
That our vision might be strengthened both in hardship and in ease.

 وَأَفْنِنَا عَنَّا وَابْقِنَا بِكَ دَائِمًا
لِنَلْحَقَ أَهْلَ الْإِرْثِ مِنْ حَضْرَةِ السِّرِّ

Efface us from our egos and sustain us always in You
That we might be among those who are heir to the realm of the secret

 فَأَمْرُكَ لِلْأَشْيَاءِ فِي قَوْلِ كُنْ تَكُنْ
فَكَوِّنْ لَنَا الْأَشْيَاءَ عَزْمًا بِلَا مَكْرِ

For Your command to all things is, “Be,” and they are
So make things be resolutely for us without ruse

 وَصَلِّ بِأَنْوَاعِ الْكَمَالَاتِ كُلِّهَا
عَلَى أَحْمَدَ الْهَادِي إِلَى حَضْرَةِ الطُّهْرِ

And, O Lord, shower blessings in every mode of perfection
Upon Ahmad the Guide to the realm of Purity

 وَآلِهِ وَالصَّحْبِ الْكِرَامِ وَمَنْ دَعَا
لِنَاظِمِ هَذَا النَّاظْمِ بِالشَّرْحِ لِلصَّدْرِ

And upon his people, and noble companions, and any who pray
That the rhymer of these verses be granted breadth of heart

 وَيَا رَبِّ بِالْهَادِي الرَّؤُوفِ مُحَمَّدِ
أَنِلْنَا عُلُومًا تَنْفَعُنَا يَوْمَ الْحَشْرِ

O Lord, by Muhammad, the compassionate guide
Grant us knowledge that will serve us on Resurrection Day 

وَقَوِّنَا بِالْأَنْوَارِ فِي كُلِّ لَحْظَةٍ
وَثَبِّتْنَا عِنْدَ الْخَتْمِ وَالنَّزْعِ وَالْقَبْرِ

Strengthen us with lights at every instant,
and keep us steadfast at the end when the spirit is taken, and in the grave.