In the luminous Madinah, could I be there, always there!
Could I say with all the pilgrims blessings for the intercessor,
In the luminous Madinah….
Could I pray close to the Ka’aba, bowing down, my humble prayers!
In the luminous Madinah….
Could I tell some little matter of my heart to him, our leader!
In the luminous Madinah….
Could I, the repulsive sinner, could I speak the pure profession!
In the luminous Madinah….could I be there, always there!
‘Abdur Ra’uf Bhatti
Lord of Madinah, you friend of the poor,
You will not turn me back empty-handed!
And has completed prophethood for our Prophet.
Now the office of cup bearer is given to us:
He gave us the last Goblet He had.
From Prophethood is our foundation in the world
From Prophethood has our religion its ritual,
From Prophethood are hundreds of thousands of us one,
Part from part cannot be separated.
From Prophethood we all have the same melody,
The same breath, the same aim.
Muhammad Iqbal
The inner man knows no worries on this path.
The inner heart does not know death.
Bodies perish, but not the soul. Those who are gone don’t return.
Bodies are for dying. That’s not what a soul is for.
The heart will never find the pearl it seeks,
even in a thousand years, unless it’s given.
Be careful, your Beloved’s heart is easily broken.
Such fine crystal once shattered is never restored.
And unless you put your cup to the fountain,
even in a thousand years it won’t be filled.
Both Khidr and Elias drank the water of life.
These days they are not dead.
The world was made for the sake of the Prophet and his friendship.
Those who come to this world do not remain.
Yunus, today while you have eyes to see, do what you must.
Those who attain do not come back.
Yunus Emre
The manuscript of jabr [predestination] and qadr [free will]
Is contained in the form of his face and his hair;
This one becomes known from “By the Night” (Surah 92),
And that one from “By the Morning Light” (Surah 93).
Infidelity and faith, in darkness and purity respectively
Have no other kingdom but Mustafa’s cheek and tresses.
If his hair and his face did not bring to the desert Divine wrath (qahr) and Divine kindness (lutf)
Infidelity would remain without provision and faith helpless.
The radiance of your face is what one calls “morning”;
The shade of your two tresses is where you say “evening.”
Sana’i
O bright one! "By the Morning light" (Surah 93:1) is your forehead,
"By the Night!" (Surah 92:1) is your ambergris-coloured veil,
Taha (Surah 20) is a leaf from your tale,
Yasin (Surah 36) is a border on your sleeve;
Paradise is a result of your overflowing grace;
Hell is a spark from the flame of your wrath.
Jami
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. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.
Assalamualaikum dear sister,
Medina!! Ahh that beautiful city with its most Honoured Guest, Salallahualaihiwasalam. JazakiAllah Khair for sharing such beautiful images of the ‘lucky ones’ who are present there as well as sharing the magnificent words pouring from the hearts of those Ashiqs! May The Sustainer of all that we know and know not, Subhanawataala, Honour them and us in all the worlds, ameen.
Comment by ikramuddin — November 21, 2007 @ 10:07 pm
Alhamdulillah! What lovely images and such heart-rending words. Dearest Sister, we are forever in your debt for bringing us closer to the beautiful city, and the love of the blessed Prophet (pbuh) through the words of such immortal poets.
Ya Haqq!
Comment by Irving — November 22, 2007 @ 5:38 am
Assalamu alaikum, Dear Brothers “I”…..tut tut…the comments sections slipped my mind….sorry. Ameen thumma Ameen to your Du’as. My camera escapades are not so professional…every shot has a story…of trying to appear “invisble” HA HA HA…me in my great flowing black abaya…attempting to mingle in the crowd of Hujjaj who as you can see are predominantly in muted tones of grey. The colourful Africans have just begun to dot the scene with their wonderful vivid splashes of colour. So often I hear “mamnou” being yelled at me…but I ignore it, never turning to see who may be after me….it is strange as you can imagine how many have their mobile phone cameras, which seem OK…I think one day I need to invest in one of the latest tiny models, Insha’Allah…or maybe soon they will get over their paranoia with photography. Ya Rabb Ya Lateef Ya Wadud, Alhumdulillah for what you have decreed.
Wassalamu alaikum
almiskeenah
Comment by almiskeenah — November 23, 2007 @ 8:38 pm
May Allah bless you for your kindness which resonates with those who read and see your pieces.
Comment by Shakspeare99 — February 23, 2008 @ 7:58 pm
Assalamu alaikum Dear Shakspeare99, forgive my late reply…so many things have become buried in an avalanche called ‘things to do’….JazakumuLlahu khairan for your visit and comment. Your Du’a that I can continue with this humble space, Insha’Allah.
Wassalamu alaikum
Comment by almiskeenah — February 27, 2008 @ 2:54 pm