ALMISKEENAH

 

In the place of refuge my heart sought refuge,

shot with enmity’s arrows.

O Mercy of Allah for His salves!

Allah placed His trust in you

out of all inanimate forms.

O House of my Lord, O light of my heart,

O coolness of my eyes, O my heart within,

O true secret of the heart of existence,

my sacred trust, my purest love!

O direction to which I turn

from every quarter and valley,

From subsistence in the Real, then from the height,

from self extinction, then from the depths!

O Ka’aba of Allah, O my life.

O path of good fortune, O my guidance,

In you has Allah placed every safety

from fear of disaster upon the great Return.

In you does the noble Station [of Ibrahim] flourish,

in you are found the fortunes of Allah’s slaves.

In you is the Right Hand that my sin has draped

in the robe of blackness.

Multazam is in you, he who clings to love for it,

will be saved on the Day of Mutual Cries.

Souls passed away longing for Her,

in the pain of longing and distant separation.

In sorrow at the news she has put on

the garment of mourning.

Allah sheds His light on her court,

and something of His light appears in the heart.

None sees it but the sorrowful

whose eyes are dark from the lack of sleep.

He circumambulates seven times after seven,

from the beginning of night until the call to prayer.

Hostage to endless sadness, he is never seen

but bound to effort.

I heard him call upon Allah and say,

beside the Black Stone:

"O my heart!

Our night has quickly passed,

Ibn ‘Arabi  in al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya

From Gibril Fouad Haddad’s "From the Two Holy Sanctuaries"

 

Recitation of "the Enduring Good Deeds" is highly recommended for all times, all situations, all places, but especially during Tawaf. JazakiLlahu khairan to Ukht Farah for expressing her recent concern that she wanted ‘the whole world’ to know of these good deeds, and to Umm Maulana Sa’ad for impressing the same urgency upon me regarding the power of these few words.
Gibril Fouad Haddad, from the same above book relates the following about the "Enduring Good Deeds":

"Between the Ka’ba gate and Ismail’s Chamber—the semi circular open space under the rain spout of Mercy—I raised the invocations which Allah Most High and our Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wassalam called: "the Enduring Good Deeds."

Wealth and children are an ornament of life of the world. But the enduring good deeds are better in your Lord’s sight for reward, and better in respect of hope. (18:46)

Allah increases in right guidance those who walk aright, and the enduring good deeds are better in your Lord’s sight for reward, and better for resort. (19:76)

Asked what the Enduring Good Deeds were, the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wassalam replied: "They are la ilaha illallah, subhan Allah, al-humdulillah, allahu alkbar, and la hawla was-la quwwata ill billah." He also said: "[These] four are the best of all discourses, and it is indifferent whatever you begin with: subhan Allah wal-humdulillah wa-la ilaha illallah wallahu akbar." It is also narrated as follows: "There is no speech dearer to Allah than al-humdu lillah wa-subhan Allah wallahu akbar wa-la ilaha illallah: they are only four words, so I do not find them too much to say, and it is indifferent whichever you begin with." He SallAllahu alaihi wassalam said: "To say subhan Allah and al-humdu lillah and la ilaha illallah and Allahu akbar is dearer to me than everything under the sun." And he said two or three times: "Take up your shields!" They said: Messenger of Allah, is an enemy upon us?" he said: "No; I meant your shields from the Fire, which consist in saying subhan Allah and la ilaha illallah and Allahu akbar. In truth, those phrases will come on the Day of Resurrection both in front of you and behind you, carrying great good. They are the "Enduring Good Deeds."

May we all take heed and ‘take up our shields’, Ameen.

 

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. Ameen.