INNA LI MIN SHAYKH IT-TIJANI

A POEM IN PRAISE OF THE HIDDEN QUTB, SHAYKH AHMAD TIJANI (RA)

- By Shaykh-al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse (RA) -

(From his Diwan: Tib al-Anfas fi Mada’ih il-Khatmi Abil-Abbas)

إِنَّ لِي مِنْ شَيْخِي التِّجَانِي مَفَازَا

نَالَ مِنْ بَيْنِ الْعَارِفِينَ امْتِيَازا

Inna lī min Shaykhī-t Tijāni mafāzā 

nāla min bayni-l ʿārifīna imtiyāzā.

I’ve succeeded & surpassed, through my master Shaykh al-Tijani (RA)…

The holder of the most unique rank amongst the Knowers (of Allah)!

*

فَارَ بِالْكَتْمِ ذَا الْمُطَلْسَمُ فِيهِمْ

مِثْلَ طَهَ الْأَمِينِ نِعْمَ مَفَازَا

​Fāra bi-l katmi dhā-l muṭalmsamu fīhim 

mithla Ṭāhā-l Amīni niʿma mafāzā

He attained the most Concealed Rank amongst them…

As the Trustworthy Taha (among the prophets)…What a Rank!

*

وَهْوَ مَكْتُومٌ عَنْ جَمِيعِ الْبَرَايَا

غَيْرَهُ وَالْأَحْوَالُ مِنْهُ امْتِيَازَا

 ​Wa huwa maktūmun ʿan jamīʿi-l barāyā 

ghayrahu wa-l aḥwālu minhu imtiyāzā.

For his true rank is concealed from all others…

And his spiritual states are absolutely unique!

*

 إنَّنِي وَالَيْتُ الْإِمَامَ بِشَوْقٍ

وَ لِمَنْ عَادَى مِنْ إِلهِي الْبِرَازَا

 Innanī wālaytu-l imāma bi-shawqīn  

wa li-man ʿādā min Ilāhī-l birāzā.

Truly, I love my master with a passion…

And whoever fights him, will face war with God!

*

وَ لِمَنْ حَبَّهُ أَعَالِي جِنَانٍ

وَ بَغِيضٌ حَرَّ الْجَحِيمِ يُجَازَى

Wa li-man ḥabbahu aʿālī jinānin 

wa baghīḍun ḥarra-l jaḥīmi yujāzā

And whoever loves him will gain the highest level in Paradise

And whoever hates him shall be rewarded with Hellfire!

*

وَارِثُ الْمُصْطَفَى وَ سِبْطُ عَلِيٍّ

 أَحْمَدُ مَنْ ذَا رَآهُ فَفَازَا

​Wārithu-l Muṣṭafā wa sibṭu ʿalīyīn 

Aḥmadu man dhā raʾāhu fa-fāzā.

The Inheritor of the Chosen Prophet & the Grandson of Ali!

Ahmad (al-Tijani)! Whoever sees him, will succeed (in both worlds)!

*

لَيْتَ لِي فِي مَغْنَى الْإِمَامِ حُلُولاً

فِي حَيَاتِي وَ لَوْ يَكُونُ اجْتِيَازَا

​Layta lī fī maghnā-limāmi ḥulūlan 

fī ḥayātī wa law yakūnu ijtīyāzā 

How I wish to visit his blessed land…

At least once in my life, even if passing by!

*

إِنَّ لِي فِي الْفُؤَادِ شَوْقًا مُبِينًا

سُبْحَةُ الشَّيْخِ صَارَ لِي عُكَّازَا

Inna lī fī-l fuʾādi shawqan mubīnan 

subḥatu-sh shaykhi ṣāra lī ʿukkāzā

For in my heart is an intense yearning for him…

His Tasbih (Rosary) has become my walking stick (I depend on)!

*

ثُمَّ أَوْرَادُهُ غِنَائِي وَ مَالِي

مِنْ سِوَاهَا حَسْبِي بِذَاكَ رِكَازَا

Thumma awrādahu ghināʾī wa mālī 

min siwāhā ḥasbī bi-dhāka rikāzā

And his Awrad (Litanies) are my fortune & my wealth

They suffice me from all other treasures!

*

 إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنَ عَبْدِ إِلَهٍ

عَبْدُكَ الْقِنُّ لَيْسَ ذَاكَ مَجَازَا

Inna ibrāhīma bna ʿabdi Ilāhīn

ʿabduka-l qinnu laysa dhāka majāzā

Indeed, Ibrahim the son of Abd-Allah…..

Is your fully-bought slave…I jest not!

*

وَ صَلَاةٌ مَعَهَا سَلَامٌ عَلَى الْهَادِي

وَ آلٍ وَالصَّحْبِ زَانُو الْبِرَازَا

Wa ṣalātun maʿahā salāmun ʿala-l Hādī 

Wa Ālin wa-ṣ Ṣaḥbi zānū-l birāzā

May Blessings & Salutations be upon our Guide (SAW)

And his Family & Companions…the heroes of combat!

*

Fully Transcribed & Translated by:

Imam Fakhruddin Owaisi al-Tijani