TO KAOLACK MY HEART YEARNS
إِلَى كَولَخٍ قَلْبِي يَحِنُّ
A poem in praise of Sahib al-Faydah Mawlana Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RA)
- By the renowned Ghanian muqaddam & poet Shaykh Ahmad Shaban -
حَدَى بِيَ حَادِي الْعِيسِ يَوْمًا وَ قَائِدُ
إِلَى حَضْرَةِ لَيْثِ الْكَتَائِبِ صِنْدِدُ
The Cameleer of my Caravan guided me towards…
the court of the Commander & Chief of the Army (of Awliya)!
إِلَى كَولَخٍ قَلْبِي يَحِنُّّ وَيَقْصِدُ
مَدِينَةِ قُطُبِ الْوَاصِلِينَ وَفَرْقَدُ
Indeed, my hearts yearns towards Kaolack…and seeks
the City of the Master & Guiding Star of the Arrivors (in Allah’s Presence) !
فَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ كَرَامَةً
كَرَامَةُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَعْلَىٰ وَ أَمْجَدُ
And while all the Saints have Spiritual Gifts (from Allah)
But the Gift of Ibrahim is loftier & superior to all!
يَضِنُّ زَمَانٌ أَنْ يَجُودَ بِمِثْلِهِ وَ لَوْ
قَدْ مَضَى الْأَقْطَابُ وَ الشَّيْخُ أَحْمَدُ
For time is ungenerous to bless us with his like even though…
many Great Saints have passed before….(I swear) by Shaykh Ahmad (al-Tijani)
وَ إنَّكَ شَمْسٌ وَالْكِرَامُ كَوَاكِبٌ
وَ إِنَّكَ بَحْرُ الْعِلْمِ وَالْكُلُّ وَارِدُ
For you are the Sun…and they are the Stars (around it)
And you are the Ocean of Knowledge…and all drink from it!
لَقَدْ كُنْتَ مَغْنَاطِيسَ وَالْكُلَّ تَجْذِبُ
إِلَى حَضْرَةِ الْقُدْسِ الْعَلِيَّةِ تُسْعِدُ
Indeed, you were a Magnet…pulling everyone!
And guiding them blissfully…to the Presence of their Holy Lord!
فَإِنَّكَ يَا غَوْثَ الْبَرِيَّةِ مُفْرَدٌ
جَمِيلٌ مَلِيحٌ بَلْ شُجَاعٌ مُجَاهِدُ
O Ghawth (Spiritual Supporter) of Mankind…you are the most unique one!
You are beautiful & charming…and you’re a courageous a warrior!
وَفُقْتَ كِرَامًا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَبْلُغَ الْحُلُمْ
وَأُعْطِيتَ مَالَمْ يُعْطَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَاحِدُ
And you have surpassed the great ones…before you even reached youth!
And you were granted…what was not granted to anyone before!
وَعِنْدَكَ عِلْمٌ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي دَفَاتِرِ
دَعَوْتَ إِلَى التَّوْحِيدِ لِلْحَقِّ تُرْشِدُ
For you have the Knowledge…not found in the books
You called towards the Oneness (of Allah)…guiding towards the Real!
فَإِنَّ اخْتِلاَفَاتِ الْعُلُومِ كَثِيرَةٌ
فَلَيْسَ خِلاَفٌ مِنْ لَدُنْ ذَاكَ يُشْهَدُ
While the differences in the fields of knowledge are many...
There is no difference however…in testifying to your station!
أَلاَ لَيْتَ شِعْرِي هَلْ يَرَىٰ النَّاسُ مَا
نَرَىٰ عَلَى شَيْخِنَا هَذَا فَلَسْتُ أُفَنِّدُ
How I wish that people would see…
What we see in our Shaykh…For I lie not!
حَلَفْتُ يَمِينًا إنَّنِي وَامِقٌ لَهُ
وَلَوْلاَ مَنِي الْجُهَّالُ فِيهِ وَحُسَّدُ
I swear (by God)…I am infatuated by him!
Even if the ignorant & envious ones condemn me for it!
إِذَا اجْتَمَعَ الْأَعْدَاءُ يَوْمًا لِمَهْلِكِي
فَإِنَّكَ عَضْبِي لِلْعَدُوِّ الْمُهَنَّدُ
And if my enemies come together to destroy me…
Then you are my mighty sword against them!
بِكُمْ يَفْخَرُ الْإِسْلاَمُ فِي كُلِّ مَوْسِمِ
بِكُمْ قَدْ سَمَى مَنْ كَانَ رَبِّي يُوَحِّدُ
For Islam is proud of you at every occasion…
And every believer in Tawhid is honoured by you!
بِكُمْ يَعْتَلِي دِينُ النَّبِيِّ مُحَمَّدٍ
فَيُبْنَىٰ بِكُمْ فِي كُلِّ بُلْدَانِ مَسْجِدُ
And by you the religion of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) rises…
And through your efforts…Mosques are built in all the lands!
فَإِنْ سَخَّرَ الرَّحْمَنُ لِلنَّاسِ سَادَةً
فَإِنَّكَ لِلسَّادَاتِ لاَ شَكَّ سَيِّدُ
And if the Merciful Lord has provided Chiefs for people…
Then you are – without doubt – a Chief for all the Chiefs!
يَتِيهُ بِكُمْ هَذَا الزَّمَانُ تَبَجُّهًا
تَتِيهُ بِكُمْ هَذِي السَّمَا وَمِهَادُ
Indeed, this age of ours boasts of you with love…
And the Heavens and the Earth boast of you as well!
تَتِيهُ بِكُمْ هَذِي الْجَمَادَاتُ كُلُّهَا
كَذَاكَ وُحُوشٌ فِي الْفَلاَ وَ بَوَادُ
And all these inanimate objects boast of you too…
as well as the animals in the pastures & deserts!
فَإِنْ يَمَّمَ الرُّكْبَانُ يَوْمًا لِمَكَّةٍ
فَإِنِّي إِلَىٰ غَوْثِ الْبَرِيَّةِ قَاصِدُ
And if the travellers travel towards Makkah one day…
I shall travel towards the Supreme Saint of Mankind (to guide me to Allah)!
فَهَلْ تَسْمَحُ الْأَيَّامُ يَوْمًا لِقَاءَهُ
لِأَنَّ بِلُقْيَاهُ يَطِيبُ فُؤَادُ
So will the days permit me to meet him?!
For in meeting him…my heart finds its solace!
يُحَاوِلُ ذُو الْإِنْكَارِ إِطْفَاءَ نُورِهِ
أَبَىٰ اللهُ مَهْمَا لَيْسَ فِي مُلْكِهِ ضِدُّ
The deniers attempt to extinguish his light…
But Allah refuses whatever (they try)…& none can challenge Him in His Kingdom!
تَغَلْغَلَ أَعْدَاءٌ لِتَدْمِيرِ حِزْبِنَا
أَبَىٰ اللهُ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُتِمَّ لَنَا الْمَجْدُ
Our enemies have convened to destroy our faction…
But Allah refuses…but to complete our glory!
إِذْ أَنْتَ الَّذِي قَدْ جِئتَ لِلْخَلْقِ
رَحْمَةً وَقَدْ رُفِعَ الْبَلْوَى بِكُمْ وَفَسَادُ
Indeed, you appeared as a mercy for creation…
And through you…tribulation & corruption was lifted!
وَ نَشْكُرُ مَوْلاَنَا لِذَا الْفَيْضِ فَاضَ
مِنْ بُحُورِ خِتَامٍ لِلْوِلاَيَةِ أَحْمَدُ
And we thank our Lord for releasing this Flood of Grace (Fayd)…
from the Ocean of the Seal of the Saints…(Shaykh) Ahmad (al-Tijani)!
وَذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللهِ مِنْهُ وَمِنَّةُ
عَلَى الْعَبْدِ مَهْمَا شَاءَهُ وَيُرِيدُ
And that is the Bounty of Allah…a Gift from Him!
Upon the Servant…as He wishes and wills!
تَذَكَّرْتُ أَيَّاماً مَضَتْ كُنْتُ عِنْدَهُ
وَكَانَ أَخِي مِنْ قَبْلُ ثَالِثُ يُحْمَدُ
I recall the days I used to be in his company…
And with me & before me was my brother Salisu…the praiseworthy!
(The poet is referring to his noble brother Shaykh Salisu Shaban, the renowned servant of Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse)
وَذَالِكَ شَابٌ حَائِزُ الْعِلْمِ كُلِّهِ
فَلاَ عَجَبٌ لِلشِّبْلِ رَبَّاهُ ذَا الْأَسَدُ
And he was a young man who attained all Knowledge (Shariah & Haqiqah)
To no surprise…as he’s a Cub raised by this Lion (Shaykh Ibrahim)!
قَدْ اخْتَارَنَا رَبِّي لِخِدْمَةِ شَيْخِنَا
وَذَلِكَ فَخْرٌ لاَ يُنَالُ لَهُ نِدُّ
Our Lord chose him…to serve our Shaykh!
And that is an honour…that cannot rivalled!
وَيَرْحَمُ رَبِّي وَالِدِي حَيْثُ إِنَّهُ
إِلَى شَيْخِنَا هَذَا بِإِبْنَيْهِ يُسْنِدُ
May our Lord have mercy on my father for it is he…
who handed over his two sons…to our Shaykh!
تَجَمَّعَ أَعْدَاءٌ لِتَدْمِيرِ حِزْبِنَا
أَبَىٰ اللهُ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُتِمَّ لَنَا الْمَجْدُ
Our enemies have gathered to destroy our faction…
But Allah refuses but to perfect our glory!
وَ ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَا
وَ لَيْسَ لَهُ فِي مُلْكِهِ مَنْ يُعَانِدُ
And that is the Bounty of Allah…He grants it to whom He wishes!
And none can challenge Him in His Kingdom!!
تَيَقَّنْتُ أَنَّ اللهَ لاَ رَبَّ غَيْرُهُ
لِذَاكَ لَهُ فِي الدَّهْرِ كُنَّا نُسَاجِدُ
I have realized that there is no Lord but Allah!
And therefore we bow to Him only, forever!
أَرَى كُلَّ شَيْءٍ مَا خَلاَ اللهُ فَانِيًا
وَكُلَّ نَعِيمٍ لاَ مَحَالَةَ يَنْفَدُ
I view everything other than Allah as perishing…
And every pleasure shall pass without doubt!
تَتَرَّسْتُ بِالْبَرْهَامِ عَنْ كُلِّ طَاعِنٍ
فَمَا كُنْتُ أَخْشَى كُلَّ كَيْدٍ وَ كَائِدُ
I’ve shielded myself by Barham (Niasse)…from every opponent!
And I do not dear any plotting (against me) or any foe!
صَلاَةٌ وَتَسْلِيمٌ عَلَى طَاهَ أَحْمَدٍ
مَعَ الْآلِ وَالْأَصْحَابِ مَازَالَ يُحْمَدُ
Blessings & Salutations on Taha Ahmad…
And his Family & Companions…as he continues to be praised!
Ghawth al-Zaman Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RA)
Shaykh Ahmad Shaban of Ghana
Translated by Imām Fakhruddin Owaisī
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SELECTED WRITINGS ON/BY SHAYKH IBRĀHĪM NIASSE
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