(An Anonymous Sufi Poem and Its Esoteric Expansion: Poetry, Numerology, and Divine Names)
by: Shaykh Abubakar Atīqu Sanka (Kano)
Culled from:
Sufi Poetry in 20th Century Nigeria: The Arabic Literary Corpus of Abubakar Atiku Sanka (PhD Dissertation, Università Degli Studi di Napoli “L’Orientale”),
by Dr. Mu’az Dahiru Lawan (2024).
Edited & Transliterated by: Isma'eel Bakare
Introduction:
Kafāka Rabbuka (“Your Lord is sufficient for you”) is a short but powerful Sufi poem, widely known for its rhythmic beauty and spiritual use. Though originally composed of three anonymous verses, it has been recited for protection, healing, and devotion in many communities.
What makes the poem especially unique is its strong repetition of the letter kāf, giving it a distinctive sound and deeper symbolic meaning. This feature becomes even more significant in the work of Shaykh Atiƙu, who expands the poem by adding seven more verses in the same style.
This addition, known as a tadhyīl (a poetic appendage), transforms the poem into a more structured composition, where poetry, numerology, and the divine name al-Kāfī come together in a meaningful way.
Shaykh Atiƙu observed that there are 41 occurrences of the letter kāf (ﺍلكافي) in the three stanzas. Consequently, he included seven additional stanzas in which he utilized 70 instances of the letter kāf (ﺍلكافي). This adjustment aimed to bring the total count of this letter to 111, which is the numerical equivalent of God’s name (al-Kāfī) in Arabic numerology.
Shaykh Atiku said about the poem:
"These are the famous verses that have countless benefits. It is said that their exact composer is unknown, but it is understood [from the context] that it is a poem of praise for the Prophet - peace be upon him. This way we have written it down in what follows, and annexed it with an additional seven verses. The first three verses have many characteristics and benefits. They are useful in defense and protection, and can used by writing (an amulet) and drinking (the ink after washing it off the wooden slate), as well as by reciting it."
Excerpts Culled from the PhD Dissertation👇👇👇;
In the Sufi discourse of Shaykh Atiƙu, indirect reiteration can be divided into two types. The first type, as mentioned earlier, involves no particular technical meaning in the number of times a word or root is repeated. Its primary purpose is to create a central axis of meaning around which the poem revolves, thereby enhancing cohesion. The second type is more sophisticated and can only be understood within the Sufi context of the author.
This type involves examples where the author repeats a linguistic element a specific number of times for litany and prayer. A notable example of this type is Atiƙu’s poetic appendix (tadhyīl) on a popular three-verse poem known as 'Kafāka Rabbuk' ('Your Lord is sufficient for you').
This anonymous poem has circulated widely in Sufi circles and is often considered a cryptic form of eulogy for Prophet Muhammad.
In Nigeria, these three verses and their talismanic virtues are popular not only within Sufi circles but also among local hunters, traditional medical practitioners, and those engaged in 'ilm al-asrār (occult sciences).
The original verses, whose 'power' resides in the astonishing assonances created by the recurrence of the letter kāf, read as follows:
كفَاكَ رَبُّكَ كَمْ يَكْفِيكَ وَاكِفَةً # كَفْكَافُهَا كَكَمِيمٍ كَانَ مِنْ كَلَكِ
Kafāka Rabbuka kam yakfīka wākifatan # kafkāfuhā kakamīmin kāna min kalaki
Your Lord is sufficient for you, how often he pushes away from you a catastrophe
falling like a huge unknown body, like a canoe.
كَكَرْكَِرٍ فِي كَرَاءٍ كَرَّ فِي كَبَدٍ # يَحْكِي لِشَكْشَكَةٍ كَلُكْلُكِ الْفُلْكِ
Kakarkirin fī karā'in karra fī kabadin # yahkī li-shakshakatin kalukluki-l fulki
Like a gurgling sound gushing out of the chest during sleep,
resembling a chirp or the sound of a dwarf camel.
كفَاكَ مَا بِكَ كَمْ يَكْفِيكَ كُرْبَتَهُ # يَا كَوْكَبًا كَانَ يَحْكِي كَوْكَبَ الْفَلَكِ.
Kafāka mā bika kam yakfīka kurbatahu # yā kawkaban kāna yahkī kawkaba-l falaki.
He pushes away what distressed you, how often he repels anguish.
Oh, the star that resembles the star of the orbit.
———End of the Original 3 Stanzas Poem———
Throughout his life, Atiƙu maintained a close relationship with commoners outside of Sufi circles. He did not disdain collecting medicinal or esoteric recipes from anyone, occasionally including followers of the Hausa traditional religion, known as maguzawa in Hausa. Among such documents, I discovered a paper in Atiƙu’s private library that details numerous esoteric methods (asrār) for using the aforementioned verses, Kafāka Rabbuka. In Atiƙu’s annotations, he specifies that these three verses contain 41 reiterations of the letter kāf.
Consequently, he adds seven additional verses of his composition, where he repeats the letter kāf 70 times, reaching a total of 111 kāf. This number holds esoteric significance equivalent to the name of God 'al-Kāfi' ('the Sufficient One') in esoteric numerology, following the provided scheme:
ك = 80
ا = 1
ف = 20
ي = 10
كافي = 111
The additional verses composed by Atiƙu, following the same meter and style of the original three, are the following ones:
كَمْ كَفَّ عَنْكَ أََكُفَّ الْكَافِرِينَ كَمَا # وَكْفَ الْكَرَامَةِ قَدْ أََوْفَاكَ بِالسَّفَقِ
Kam kaffa ‘anka akuffa-l kāfirīna kamā # wakfa-l karāmati qad awfāka bi-s safaqi
How often He repels the hand of infidels
as He fills you with an honor downpouring upon you.
وَكَمْ كَمِيٍّ كَفَاكَ اللهُ كَفَّ وَكَم # أََشْكَيْتَ شَكْوَى ذَوِي الْكُرْبَاتِ فِي الْحُلَكِ
Wakam kamiyyin kafāka-llāhu kaffa wakam # ashkayta shakwā dhawī-l kurbāti fī-l hulaki
And how often a strong one pushes away from you
and how often you complained of your sorrow in the dark.
كَمْ رَابِكٍ رَاكِبٍ بَاكٍ بِبُكْرَتِهِ # فِي كُبْكُبٍ جَاكَ كَيْ تُنْجِيْهِ مِنْ شَبَكِ
Kam rābikin rākibin bākin bi-bukratihi # fī kubkubin jāka kai tunjīhi min shabaki
How often a confused, crying raider in the morning
headed to you in his confusion to rescue him from a reticulation!
كَمْ بَرَّكَتْ بِكَ بَكْرَاتٌ مُعَارِكَةٌ # كَمَا كَسَرْتَ كُفُورًا كَسْرَ مُعْتَرَكٍ
Kam barrakat bika bakrātun mu‘ārikatun # kamā kasarta kufūrān kasra mu‘taraki
How often a fighting camel laid down in front of you,
as many times as you crushed Infidels, a smash in the battlefield.
كَمْ كَافِرٍ مُشْرِكٍ أَكْبَبْتَهُ فَكَبَا # وَكَمْ بَكِيٍّ كَثْكُلَي قَدْ شَكَي فَشُكِي
Kam kāfirin mushrikin akbabtahu fakabā # wakam bakiyin kathkulā qad shakā fashukī
How often a polytheist was turned upside down by you and stumbled,
and how often a crying bereaved child was rescued.
كَفَاكَ تَسْلِيمُ كَافِينَا وَكَمْ كَتَبَا # كِتَابَ تَكْبِيرَنَا عَلَيْكَ كَالْمَلَكِ
Kafāka taslīmu kāfīnā wakam katabā # kitāba takbīranā ‘alayka kal-malaki
Enough for you is the safeguard of our Sufficient
and how often he prescribes to us to glorify you like a king.
عَلَيْكَ أَزْكَى صَلَاةٍ مِنْ مَلِيكِكَ كَمْ # قَدْ كُرِّرَتْ فِيكُمُوْا يَا كَافَ مَرْتَبَكِ
‘Alayka azkā ṣalātin min malīkika kam # qad kurrirat fīkumū yā kāfa murtabaki.
How often the purest peace falls upon you from your Lord,
repeated in your respect, oh you who are sufficient for the confused.
———End of the Tadhyil (Expansion/Appendix) of Kafāka Rabbuka———
Once again, some paratextual elements available in the manuscript, can illuminate how this poem is supposed to be used, and shed light on the use of reiteration in Atiƙu’s poetry.
The use of 41 kāf is beneficial for disputes; for repelling evil; as a protection from lions, elephants, snakes and scorpions; against the evil eye; and for all body illness. It can be written (and hanged as an amulet), or read for any purpose except death. Among its benefits are that whoever takes the hair from an unknown person, writes the letter kāf 41 times, washes the writing off (from the wooden slate) with some water, and mixes the hair with that water, if he digs a hole of about one inch and pour this water inside it, then lights a fire in the hole and allows its smoke to cover his own feet, whoever will try to take the dust of his footprint to charm him, will become blind by the grace of God. And among its benefits is that whoever knots 41 knots on a cotton cloth, then reads the 41 letters kāf on each knot, and wears it as a belt, he will not be harmed by any weapon, whether it is iron or otherwise.
In his short introduction to the poem and its appendix, Atiƙu also indicated as following:
These are the famous verses that have countless benefits. It is said that their exact composer is unknown, but it is understood [from the context] that it is a poem of praise for the Prophet - peace be upon him. This way we have written it down in what follows, and annexed it with an additional seven verses. The first three verses have many characteristics and benefits. They are useful in defense and protection, and can used by writing (an amulet) and drinking (the ink after washing it off the wooden slate), as well as by reciting it. This knowledge is to be found with the ‘ulamā of the occult sciences (asrār).
Originally Sourced from the Manuscript titled "Taḏyīl Kafāka Rabbuka", A 7-Verse Attachment (Taḏyīl) to the three famous stanzas known as kafāka rabbuka.
by: Shaykh Abubakar Atīqu Sanka (Kano)
Sufi Poetry in 20th Century Nigeria: The Arabic Literary Corpus of Abubakar Atiku Sanka (PhD Dissertation, Università Degli Studi di Napoli “L’Orientale”),
by Dr. Mu’az Dahiru Lawan (2024).
Edited & Transliterated by: Isma'eel Bakare
AUDIO RECITATION OF KAFĀKA RABBUKA
by Dr. Mu’az Dahiru Lawan (2024)
👇👇👇👇
Arabic:
كفَاكَ رَبُّكَ كَمْ يَكْفِيكَ وَاكِفَةً # كَفْكَافُهَا كَكَمِيمٍ كَانَ مِنْ كَلَكِ
كَكَرْكَِرٍ فِي كَرَاءٍ كَرَّ فِي كَبَدٍ # يَحْكِي لِشَكْشَكَةٍ كَلُكْلُكِ الْفُلْكِ
كفَاكَ مَا بِكَ كَمْ يَكْفِيكَ كُرْبَتَهُ ... يَا كَوْكَبًا كَانَ يَحْكِي كَوْكَبَ الْفَلَكِ.
كَمْ كَفَّ عَنْكَ أََكُفَّ الْكَافِرِينَ كَمَا # وَكْفَ الْكَرَامَةِ قَدْ أََوْفَاكَ بِالسَّفَقِ
وَكَمْ كَمِيٍّ كَفَاكَ اللهُ كَفَّ وَكَم # أََشْكَيْتَ شَكْوَى ذَوِي الْكُرْبَاتِ فِي الْحُلَكِ
كَمْ رَابِكٍ رَاكِبٍ بَاكٍ بِبُكْرَتِهِ # فِي كُبْكُبٍ جَاكَ كَيْ تُنْجِيْهِ مِنْ شَبَكِ
كَمْ بَرَّكَتْ بِكَ بَكْرَاتٌ مُعَارِكَةٌ # كَمَا كَسَرْتَ كُفُورًا كَسْرَ مُعْتَرَكٍ
كَمْ كَافِرٍ مُشْرِكٍ أَكْبَبْتَهُ فَكَبَا # وَكَمْ بَكِيٍّ كَثْكُلَي قَدْ شَكَي فَشُكِي
كَفَاكَ تَسْلِيمُ كَافِينَا وَكَمْ كَتَبَا # كِتَابَ تَكْبِيرَنَا عَلَيْكَ كَالْمَلَكِ
عَلَيْكَ أَزْكَى صَلَاةٍ مِنْ مَلِيكِكَ كَمْ # قَدْ كُرِّرَتْ فِيكُمُوْا يَا كَافَ مَرْتَبَكِ
Arabic Transliteration:
1. Kafāka Rabbuka kam yakfīka wākifatan # kafkāfuhā kakamīmin kāna min kalaki
2. Kakarkirin fī karā'in karra fī kabadin # yahkī li-shakshakatin kalukluki-l fulki
3. Kafāka mā bika kam yakfīka kurbatahu # yā kawkaban kāna yahkī kawkaba-l falaki.
4. Kam kaffa ‘anka akuffa-l kāfirīna kamā # wakfa-l karāmati qad awfāka bi-s safaqi
5. Wakam kamiyyin kafāka-llāhu kaffa wakam # ashkayta shakwā dhawī-l kurbāti fī-l hulaki
6. Kam rābikin rākibin bākin bi-bukratihi # fī kubkubin jāka kai tunjīhi min shabaki
7. Kam barrakat bika bakrātun mu‘ārikatun # kamā kasarta kufūrān kasra mu‘taraki
8. Kam kāfirin mushrikin akbabtahu fakabā # wakam bakiyin kathkulā qad shakā fashukī
9. Kafāka taslīmu kāfīnā wakam katabā # kitāba takbīranā ‘alayka kal-malaki
10. ‘Alayka azkā ṣalātin min malīkika kam # qad kurrirat fīkumū yā kāfa murtabaki.
English Translation:
1. Your Lord is sufficient for you, how often he pushes away from you a catastrophe
falling like a huge unknown body, like a canoe.
2. Like a gurgling sound gushing out of the chest during sleep,
resembling a chirp or the sound of a dwarf camel.
3. He pushes away what distressed you, how often he repels anguish.
Oh, the star that resembles the star of the orbit.
4. How often He repels the hand of infidels
as He fills you with an honor downpouring upon you.
5. And how often a strong one pushes away from you
and how often you complained of your sorrow in the dark.
6. How often a confused, crying raider in the morning
headed to you in his confusion to rescue him from a reticulation!
7. How often a fighting camel laid down in front of you,
as many times as you crushed Infidels, a smash in the battlefield.
8. How often a polytheist was turned upside down by you and stumbled,
and how often a crying bereaved child was rescued.
9. Enough for you is the safeguard of our Sufficient
and how often he prescribes to us to glorify you like a king.
10. How often the purest peace falls upon you from your Lord,
repeated in your respect, oh you who are sufficient for the confused.
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