Poem: The Pulse of Wisdom
Written by Faisal Ahmad Hajjaj:
It comprehends all that I articulate and what I have articulated,
And from her understanding, even the wisest minds are aware.
Gold-plated and refined in meaning, it suffers,
From its bluntness, the ignorant finds it troubling.
It has ascended, deeply rooted, and by the grace of my Lord,
It flourishes amidst the fertile grounds.
They have deciphered the codes of the universe,
In which there can be either thriving or decay.
It brings forth growth should we tread
In their paths, and the plains shall expand.
However, if we stray, we shall find ourselves in paths
Where the forsaken and the meek have walked.
Ask the world, and it will respond to you with honesty,
Who has nothing and who is worthy of acceptance.
And should you argue, you, sprout of disobedience,
No guide will assist the one who is deluded.
You, folly, roam in a mirage,
Concealed within its corners are inevitable declines.
O Wisdom of the Wise, respond to me;
Has my pallor increased, besieged by astonishment?!
And my people, you have forsaken in this treacherous scheme,
That the foul and prolonged silence has nurtured.
Who else will grant refuge to the one who stands defiant
When will the estranged find joy in their return?
O Wisdom, expose the traitor who betrayed a promise,
And sold our essence, straying far from the truth.
Tell the one who leads astray, you have gone astray, thus conceal
Your misguidance, O heavy tongue.
And say to the one who rises on the fumes,
Your ascendance through filth is impossible.
Tell the one who has disavowed kin,
Come back and reconcile with those you support.
And tell the one who has abandoned ties,
And trampled upon promises, wretched are their bonds.
Seek a companion who will protect you without doubt,
A companion who is truly lovely will understand your beauty.
And assess this hypocrite, my people,
Or else let departure set the course for correction.
The serpent of hypocrisy has scattered us,
And now we have become neither active nor free.
And tell courage to come to our aid;
For diminutiveness and frailty have spread among us.
Provide us with the roots for every matter,
And let us be healed from foundational issues.
Grant us health for we have been entangled,
And the clouds of lethargy have burdened us.
Offer us the fresh air, as we are
Bound by chains and tainted by intruding poisons.
Allah has bestowed upon us the date palms of dignity,
How can we honor this when the palms are sold?
Restore the wisdom of the wise to its origin,
And part with me as seasons change.
Please disregard the trifling resentments,
Which the enemy clings to and extends as a weapon.
That which is a little loathed, no matter how heightened,
Is but a small concern, while the substantial ones are abundant.
Prepare and determine, O refuge for us,
So that we may reclaim our original glory.
Tell Iraq that your desire remains,
For those who long for it will act upon their beliefs.
And O distant land, we shall return one day,
United by the message and the messenger.
If mankind strays from my Lord’s faith,
Then, I swear by Allah, we shall not waver.
For the law of Allah is light for creation,
And for the wise, it has no substitute.
And if death approaches soon,
Neither tall nor short will endure.
The universe will dissolve as it is destined,
Yet the countenance of my Lord will remain eternal.
Poem: The World of Wisdom
Written by Abdul Ghani Al-Nabulsi:
This world of wisdom,
Contains the dreamer in his delirium.
His judgments belong to Allah, exalted be His name,
And what does the ignorant assert?
The temporal world blinds them,
And therein the believer finds shelter.
And the philosophers claim,
He is the cause—yet they deceive themselves,
As truth exists beyond that which is merely allowed,
In actions that align with intention.
Acts that are genuine and fit their names,
ADescribing Him in His essence.
How He wishes, with no cause.
There’s no natural inclination towards Him.
The naturalists reject the truth outright,
Worshipping nature with ingratitude,
Finding pleasure in the transient.
Then there are the isolationists,
Rained upon by the clouds of error,
Who have strayed from the guidance of the Sunnah.
They executed their ideas,
Where is the faith of truth in those who
Hurt by god’s will?
And the Messenger of Allah also felt betrayal,
When his people deviated.
Our faith is the law of a truthful Prophet,
Who stood firm in the ways of righteousness.
Thus, we cling to it, not seeking
Another path or option.
And we imitate Abu Bakr,
And follow Muadh.
Poem: I Speak Wisdom Among Brothers
By Ibn Shaikhan Al-Salmi:
I speak wisdom among brothers,
Where speech stretches on and on,
And words are like fruit, filled with delight,
Blossoming like a garden of virtue.
Made equally in their strides,
And this one in the depths, that one in heights.
Truth has emerged and shown its light,
And now is the time of dawn and clarity.
When a friend calls you to join him,
Respond to the request and accept the invitation.
Do not stray from him; rather turn towards him,
Even if it be for the worth of a single date and a cup.
Striving for harmony is for the virtuous,
Like the sacred path between Al-Safa and Al-Marwah.
In these days, sweet communion is rare,
Except with the pure; but where is he now?
Where is loyalty when fidelity is lost?
It has no refuge in our era and no escape.
Upon one another, the times conceal.
In the youth of today, what bold endeavors exist,
In their minds, there’s blindness and foolishness,
While few have knowledge and even fewer seek it.
There’s no respect, no honor, no value,
Deeming their glory as mere delusions.
Let them be: ask them of the Divine; they shall speak of it,
His greatness in solitude and grandeur.
But from the world, they have taken only harshness and wrath,
Abandoning the truth and value of sincerity.
For every sharp sword, there is a needed edge,
And every brave one has trials and hardships.
Poem: O Seeker of Wisdom from Its People
Written by Abu Al-Ataheya:
O seeker of wisdom from its people,
The light clears the color of darkness.
And the root nourishes its branch all along,
And there shall be fruits from its waters.
Whoever envies others for their wealth,
Bears the burden of worry with their loads.
Time is a trickster among its children,
Deceiving them with sweet treats.
It connects fathers to their children,
And the sons to their fathers.
Actions are attributed to their people,
Like things that you call by their names.
Poem: If You Have Been Granted Understanding and Wisdom
Written by Abu Al-Ala Al-Maari:
If you have been granted understanding and wisdom,
Then brace yourself against this world; you are its adversary.
Be for it a contradiction in everything,
For therein lies no good for its offspring or itself.
And how far can you become attached to it,
When in its depths, there is no genuine peace?
If this abode is a transient home,
Then my permanent abode will shortly arrive.
I yearn for matters not decreed for me,
While fearing calamities and trusting the Overseer.
And though the rider on a horse is unfazed,
When the bird attends to the slayer laying at rest.
There’s no regard in the dust, nor rain,
And mighty gusts scatter the evening’s lament.
I observe a malady in the heart not to be cured,
Then who can alleviate what it endures?
And within every heart lies a hidden treachery,
So be not deceived by hollow friendships.
Poem: Guide Me to Him Who Possesses Wisdom
Written by Abu Al-Ala Al-Maari:
Guide me to the one who possesses wisdom,
Guide me to him; guide me, guide me.
I see a king nearing downfall,
How then is one secured amidst the king’s murk?
Why should I fear the path to demise,
When it’s the best road anyone could take?
It can relieve you from a bitter existence,
And from possessions lost or wealth gained.
Poem: Where Does the Blazing Cloud Originate?
Written by Abu Al-Hassan Al-Jurjani:
Where does the blazing cloud arise from?
And how does it spread across the earth’s face?
Does my sleepy eyelids assist in its rise,
Or has my heart borrowed its flame from the skies?
By the side of the Karkh in Baghdad, there lies my home,
Absent of adornment, I still lament it alone.
And who keeps me from sharing patience since I’ve parted
From my homeland? To bear this burden is hard.
Each day, my eyes suffer for remembering,
And my heart is pained by grief’s bittering.
He continues to distance me, though my persistence holds
And brings about an overwhelming sorrow untold.
Even were fate to bear my troubles too soon,
Its ease draws me near, like penance beneath the moon.
It’s not the distance that troubles me, but his traits,
No loss comes from parting, it’s his ever-distant states.
If my heart were steadfast with no worry of tales,
On my journey, the path wouldn’t taste of veils.
Should I have been willing, I would have freely shared,
To avoid being taken from me, so unprepared.
What is lost persists—my soul is obedient,
As she resists only to succumb to her dissent.
Poem: What Does One Seek That Satisfies?
Written by Abdullah Al-Bardouni:
What does a man seek that can quench his thirst?
He sips at worldly rivers yet finds no ease.
He strolls in the light of life, yet his heart,
Flows through confusion and disarray.
And no one causes strife but oneself,
Life does not bear the burden of agony.
How ignorant is man, tiring himself,
Complaining of everything that weighs down on him.
He believes that his enemy lies beyond,
While his true foe lives within him.
Deceived and hurting by thoughts of affection,
He claims: “It is love that brings me pain.”
Deceptive, and how he strives to soothe his heart,
With life’s frills, yet ends up in sorrow.
He throws the piercing sadness of distress into what’s glad,
Till his joy slips, leaving a trail of woe.
How often one amuses himself through what once soothed,
Only to be overwhelmed by what now misleads.
What a splendid lesson life contrives,
And the grandeur it presents to those alive.
From existence come schools and arenas,
What arts of worth does one wish to embrace?
Some souls among humanity are but beasts,
Clad in man’s skin—a deceptive facade.
How many a human is disenfranchised from the crowd,
Except by appearance and mimicry?
Longing for life, viewing it as a kid,
With the spirit of a child still blushing.
Arise, O fallen dreamer; invoke wisdom; seek
The true value of humans that elevates them.
Listen, and life will discourse, for it speaks,
A mentor in discipline and enlightenment.
Set up life’s class, for it articulates profoundly,
In lessons it teaches and overwhelmingly conveys.
Inquire further; though silent, its magnificence
Is more vivid than mere mentions and appearances.
Poem: Water Neither Divides Nor Chains
Written by Abu Wajzah Al-Saadi:
Water neither divides nor chains,
Its waves are vast, unfettered by bounds.
Neither are they salt nor stagnant,
It pours into the void, unrestrained.
And the realms of abundance around,
Adorned with the gifts that nature surrounds.
The seekers give life anew; unyielding,
May the barren patches of their land flourish.