the secret of divine alchemy

in praise of the most beloved s

©2015 Walid Lounès Bouzerar

All rights reserved. Aside from fair use, meaning a few pages or
less for non-profit educational purposes, review, or scholarly
citation, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
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otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

Title: The Secret of Divine Alchemy

Subtitle: In Praise of the Most Beloved

Author: Walid Lounès Bouzerar

Foreword by: H.E. Shaykh Muhammad bin Yahya al-Ninowy
Editor: Abdul Aziz Suraqah (Ibriz Media)
Foreword translated from Arabic by: Abdul Aziz Suraqah
Book designer: Alexandra Contos & Walid Lounès Bouzerar
Typesetter: Imran Rahim (Etherea Design)
Publisher: Lounès Press

www.lounesthepoet.com
www.facebook.com/walidbouzerar
www.facebook.com/TheSecretofDivineAlchemy

Paperback: 978-0-9948107-3-1
Hardcover (with Dust Jacket): 978-0-9948107-4-8
‫ﷰ‬
 Contents

Foreword VII
Opening Prayer XI

I Have but Love of the Prophet That I Wish to Share s 1

Seek the Sought s 3
Muḥammad s Is Here! 5
I Remember Muḥammad s 7
I Am Standing at Your Door, O Muḥammad s 9
The Ocean of Beauty s 11
The Sun of This Light s 13
Musk of our Inner Secret s  15
The Sanctuary from Dunyā to All Souls s 16
The Gaze of Muḥammad s 18
We Seek Muḥammad s 20
The Quenching Elixir s 22
Under the Gaze of Prophetic Grace s 24
The Heavenly Support s 26
The Walking Qur’an s 28
What Then Can I Claim as Mine? 30

V
Surely Aḥmad Is Near s 32
The Most Excellent Caller to Allāh s 33
Allāhu Akbar 34
Muḥammad s Is Forever the Victor 37
The Orphan Prophet Raised in Allāh’s Court s 39
The Calling to Allāh of Muḥammad s 41
His Magnificent Countenance s 43
Verily Countless Sins Burden Me, but Praising
44
Muḥammad s Is Not One
I Seek Refuge 46
The Light of the Light of Intellect s 48
His Night Journey s 49
Our Shaykh s 51
In Our Midst s 53
Until Our Souls Can Never Part s 54
The Bringer of Ramaḍān s 55
The Flawless Ruby of Divine Mercy s 56
His Lustrous Lights s 57
Your Sublime Countenance s 59
The Bringer of the Night of Power s 61
Our Hope s, Our Pride s Our Master s 65
The Breaking of the Fast 67
Muḥammad’s Name s 69
The Secret of Divine Alchemy s 71
He Through Whom We Return to You s 72

VI
 oreword

In the Name of Allāh, the Compassionate, the Merciful

A
ll praise is due to allāh who gripped the hearts of His
lovers and removed from their souls the constrictions of veils
and aimless wandering; who with His mercy manifested the
Light of all beings (the Prophet Muḥammad s) from the darkness
of non-existence, making him a clear sign guiding creation to the
Eternally Real (Allāh), thus becoming a guide unto the All-Merciful;
and who with His mercy, and out of benevolence and affection towards
His servants, brought forth the one who is the foremost singularity
from time immemorial so that the lover melts out of yearning and
passion, and so that He may clear a path for him to become annihilated
in Him.
May prayers and peace be upon the one of preeminent rank and
light, virtue and character, knowledge and presence, whom You, O
Allāh, sent as a portion of the divine outpouring from the Presence of
Mercy, and whose lights You made the very essence of wisdom, and
whose soul You made the repository of the Qur√an from the essence
of singularity to the station of multiplicity; whose heart You made the
medium for the descent of the Criterion (Furqān) from the Source of
the Book to the locus of revelation—and may prayers and peace be
upon his Family who have taken lights of guidance and gnosis from
his lamp of statements and actions, and who, from the oceans of his
character and states, have taken handfuls of the lights of spiritual
tasting, love, understanding, and ecstatic finding. And may Allāh Most

VII
High be pleased with his wives and Companions for as long as the
perched turtledove sings its song, and as long as humankind, jinn-
kind, and angels remain!
It is well known that the most beneficial science after the sciences
of Islām and Īmān is the science of Iḥsān (spiritual excellence), as
its subject matter deals with direct witnessing and vigilance, and
closeness and self-reckoning. The essence and fundament of those
qualities is none other than love—love of Allāh, love in Allāh, love
for Allāh, love by Allāh, love from Allāh, love with Allāh. Without
attaining love there is no hope in ever reaching the station of Iḥsān,
and without acquiring love there will be no attainment of lofty levels in
the Hereafter. Moreover, because of love’s exalted station and position,
visions have turned away from it fatigued, and aspirations have flagged,
and tongues have become heavy with bold claims regarding it. When
visions become myopic and aspirations become listlessness, they come
between the person and love, even though the tongue appears active
in seeking it.
Those who carry the day and who are at the foremost in this race
are our masters among the Prophets and their heirs from the saints
(Awliyā√) who have dissolved their egos through the rigors of spiritual
disciplines, and who have tasted the sweetness of forsaking base desires.
Their intense thirst could only be quenched by a midday thirst, and
their souls could only experience expansion through sleeplessness in
dark nights—and so it was that the doors of unveiling were opened for
them, followed by the doors of witnessing, after arduous journeying
and striving, and after the veils of created beings were averted from
their eyes, and after the adornment of the lower world was wrapped
up and taken away from them. Thus their innermost-selves sat firmly
atop beds of closeness and witnessing, and their consciousness was
encircled in the heavens of intimate discourse and entreaties to the
Divine. How should it be otherwise when they were made to love their
Beloved before they inculcated love within themselves, and when they
were drawn near before they tried to bring themselves near, and when
they were taken by their hands and escorted away from specious doubts
and misgivings, and traversed with feet of certainty through the lands
of the Unseen, thus becoming heavenly in their souls, earthly in their
forms, celestial in their hearts, terrestrial in their bodies, outwardly
with creation and inwardly with the Real?
When their souls finally tasted the sweetness found in the

VIII
waystations of closeness to the Divine, and when they finally drank
from the cups of Divine witnessing and experienced the lights of
their secrets, and when they finally took repose in the gatherings of
intimacy in the Holy Presence—after all of that, the well-springs of
mystical sciences and wisdom burst forth from within them, and the
suns of gnosis and mercy dawned upon them. Thus in witnessing the
Beloved they became absent from love; in witnessing the Witnessed
they became absent from witnessing; in witnessing the Watcher they
became absent from watchfulness; in witnessing the Reckoner they
became absent from reckoning; in witnessing the All-Knower they
became absent from knowledge; in witnessing the Near they became
absent from nearness! They expressed their spiritual ecstasy like one
utterly consumed, and they divulged some of the secrets of their
affirmation of Divine unity (tawḥīd) like one overtaken by joy. They
spoke about Divine unity via a state of direct witnessing and with a
tongue of experiential taste, and with symbolic and allusive expressions
since their experiences could not be put into words.
Included among these people are the People of Allāh (Ahlullāh)
from the scholars and masters of gnosis, taste, and spiritual excellence—
those in whose hearts the valleys of knowledge from the heavenly locus
of revelation and the repository of the truth and the ultimate realities
(not gossip and hearsay) flowed into the oceans of their hearts—and by
this I mean no other than the Muḥammadan Heart and the Aḥmadan
Secret, may Allāh Most High send prayers and peace upon him, his
Family, and his wives!—for when his heart brimmed, multiple channels
of flowing gnosis were formed, and multiple trees grew and became
signposts, each person receiving in accordance with his receptivity
and purity of heart and soul.
Some of the gnostics took up the craft of poetry in order to give
eloquent expression to the tremendous gifts they received and to
describe their safety from change (talwīn) and arrival to the perfection
of stability (tamkīn), and then to the purity of certitude. Their drink
increased them naught save sobriety, and their affirmation (ithbāt)
increased them naught save erasure (maḥw).
My dear brother Walid Lounès Bouzerar (may Allāh preserve him
and look after him) sent me this collection of poetry that expresses
love for the Beloved Prophet and Physician s. After reading it I said to
myself ﴾Verily I smell the scent of Yūsuf﴿ (12:94); looking at some of
its verses, I smelled the fragrant scent of love for Allāh Most High and

IX
love for His Messenger s and his Pure Family, especially our masters
from the People of the Cloak (Ahl al-Kisā√—Sayyidunā ¢Alī, Fāṭima,
al-Ḥasan, and al-Ḥusayn), peace be upon them, and his pure wives
from the Mothers of the Believers, especially our liege lady and beloved
mother Khadīja, and our liege lady and mother ¢Ā√isha Umm ¢Abdillāh
(may Allāh be pleased with them and make them well-pleased), and
his senior most Companions, especially our master Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq
(may Allāh be pleased with him and make him well-pleased).
I say that Walid has gathered goodness entirely, so praise be to Allāh
by whose grace all good things come to fruition! I ask Allāh Most High
to grant Walid success in what He loves and is pleased with, and to
accept this work and make it sincerely for His Noble sake. Such is in
Allāh’s power, and all praise is due to Allāh the Lord of the Worlds.

a
Written inside Masjid Madina and its institute in Atlanta, Georgia,
on the seventh day of the blessed month of Ramaḍān in year 1436
marking the migration of the master of creation and the Imam of the
people of spiritual realities, our master and beloved, the apple of our
eye and our patron Muḥammad son of ¢Abdillāh—may Allāh Most
High send prayers and peace upon him, his Family, his wives, and
his Companions—

by the one poor unto his Self-sufficient Lord,

Muhammad b. Yahya b. Muhammad
al-Husayni al-Ninowy al-Shafi¢i
May Allāh Most High forgive him, his parents, and all of the believers

X
 pening rayer

We begin in the Name of Allāh — may He be Exalted and may His

Praise duly resonate throughout the expanses of the Heavens and the
Earth — we profess His Unity and take refuge in Him through the
mention of His Blessed Name. Praise be to this Generous Lord, Who
by His Divine Wisdom and Power created the celestial spheres, the
stars and their constellations, the lands and the seas, the mountains
and the valleys, the animals and vegetation, the latter of which He
created fruits therefrom, of varying forms and of varying tastes, and
created their flowers which He fashioned in various shapes and scents,
and the Jinnkind which He created from smokeless fire, and Mankind,
of which He did proclaim: ﴾And certainly, We have honored (the)
children of Adam and We carried them on the land and the sea, and
We have provided them of the good things and We preferred them
over many of those whom We have created (with) preference.﴿1
So that, cast above the rest of His creation, stands Mankind,
and above all of Mankind, and by extension all of creation, stands
Muḥammad s. The Priceless Crown of Creation, the most honored
amongst it, the most praiseworthy amongst it, the most beloved to the
Creator amongst it, Muḥammad s. The Perfect Guide for every free-
willed being, the Divinely Ordained Mercy sent to all the Worlds and
that which they contain, Muḥammad s. The one formally praised and
invoked upon with blessings and peace by the Lord Himself, Exalted be
He, in His Noble Book, Muḥammad s. The one praised and invoked
upon with blessings and peace by the Angelic Hosts of the Heavens and
1 Qur’an (17:70)

XI
the Earth, Muḥammad s. The one whom the yearning pebbles and
trees saluted in deep reverence, Muḥammad s. The one carrying the
Colossal Trust that would crush a mountain to rubble, Muḥammad
s. The bringer of Islām, Īmān and Iḥsān, Muḥammad s. The Leader
and Seal of all Holy Prophets and Messengers, Muḥammad s.
May the choicest, most eminent, and most formidable peace and
blessings of the Lord in Whose Grasp our Souls abide be conveyed
upon the Master of Creation, and upon his Sanctified Family and
Guided Companions, by the amount of raindrops in the clouds, and
by the amount of stars in the skies, and by the amount of sand grains
in the lands and in the seas, and by the amount of breaths every created
man and woman has ever breathed from the blessed day his Holy Soul
was fashioned s until his Pure Body is resurrected s on that Day when
he shall be the first to rise from his blessed Garden of a resting place
s, every day a thousand, thousand times.
O Allāh — may this book be a token of accepted gratitude for
Your sending to us this Impeccable Guiding Prophet s, and a key to
receiving his priceless Intercession s, and a proof of our love for him s
and His Eternal Creator, Who fashioned him in the most beautiful of
forms s, with the most beautiful of characters s and provided him s
with the most beautiful and honorable of families and companionship.
We ask You — O Allāh — that this book be accepted as a deed of
absolute sincerity purely for the sake of Your Bountiful Countenance.
We ask You — O Allāh — that through it, the Light of love for him s
be diffused generously into the heart of every reader. We ask You — O
Allāh — that through it, our sins be forgiven, Your Mercy envelopes
us, and that we be raised to his Presence s beneath the Praised Banner
of this Pole of Creation s on that Day of Reckoning. We ask You —
O Allāh — for his soul-nourishing gaze s, his accepting, beaming,
luminous smile and embrace s, and for his complete pleasure with
us, our families and loved ones, in this life and the Next s. Āmīn.

the needy of allah’s mercy

alid ounès ouzerar

XII
 I Have but Love of the
Prophet s That I Wish to Share

I have not much knowledge to share with you

Nor many stories of my journeys do I wish to narrate
I have but love of the Prophet s that I wish to share
Love, like fire, consumes what it touches
And gives of itself without losing anything
I have but love of the Prophet s that I wish to share

A good word is charity, I have one to share

The best of words is the mention of the Lord’s Beloved s
I have but love of the Prophet s that I wish to share

My heart is bought by the One who created it

It found its way by writing Muḥammad’s name on itself s
I have but love of the Prophet s that I wish to share

My heart has been brought back to life from death

Through invocation upon the Best of Creation s
I have but love of the Prophet s that I wish to share

Take what you will, leave what you will

My heart spills these words for the one it loves s
I have but love of the Prophet s that I wish to share

1
I have neither many possessions nor money to help you with
Nor do I have much of a place nor status in this world 
I have but love of the Prophet s that I wish to share

So hold out the wick of your heart if you wish to receive 

From this flame of love for he who was sent as a Mercy s
I have but love of the Prophet s that I wish to share

2
 eek the ought s

Seek Muḥammad s and every virtue will seek you

You seek patience, adab, and humility
These are but riches resting in his treasure chest s
Every fortune for the soul is with Muḥammad s!

Seek Muḥammad s and every blessing will seek you

You seek provision, a pious spouse, and children
These are but a string of mercies from Allāh
Coming through the one sent as a mercy, Muḥammad s!

Seek Muḥammad s and serenity will seek you

You seek ease, comfort, and tranquility
﴾Verily in the remembrance of Allāh do hearts find rest﴿2
And what is our master Muḥammad s but His Remembrance?

Seek Muḥammad s and safety will seek you

You seek security, salvation, and refuge
Muḥammad s is the Shelter for the Believers
The Sanctuary to all the Worlds s!

Seek Muḥammad s and spiritual states will seek you

You seek Gnosis, Manifestations, and Tasting
Go to the one who holds the cup at al-Kawthar s
He keeps the Drink after which no thirst follows s!
2 Qur’an 13:28.

3
Seek Muḥammad s and light will seek you
You seek inspirations, secrets, and knowledge
Go to the one who is the Walking Noble Word s
Muḥammad s, the Infallible Seal of Prophethood s!

Seek Muḥammad s and Paradise will seek you

You seek Palaces, Houris, and Eternal Fruits
Go to the Key holder of those Sacred Gates s
Aḥmad s—the first one to enter and abide eternally therein s!

Seek Muḥammad s and Allāh, Exalted is He, will seek you

By Allāh, he is His Most Beloved and Precious Creation s
Therefore is it not sensible to seek the King
Through His Most Cherished Servant s?

O Allāh, shower this Blessing of a Prophet

Muḥammad s, our Guide to You and Your Pleasure
With Your peace and blessings eternally, O Lord
A prayer through we which we become by every gift sought!

4
 uḥammad s s ere!

The heart deprived of love for him s

Accompanies a tongue full of questions
Yet the heart basking in that Light s
Has but an answer
And its answer is Muḥammad s
Tight-lipped due to that yearning
The cure for the longing of the lover
Is more longing
Muḥammad s is here!
Why stumble in the darkness?
The Celestial Beacon s has been sent
Emitting the musk of Paradise s
Inebriating all those ready to taste s
The trace of that aroma is our guide
Emanating from his lovers
Raise your hands, O lover!
And invoke blessings upon this Beloved s
His name is the fragrance of your essence s
Follow that trail and never wander lost again
Muḥammad s is here!
His presence is palatable s
In the aura of those who pour that drink
Drench your soul in that name s
Muḥammad s is here!
Inundate your heart with this brew

5
Cascading from the Realm of Eternity
Taste the rapture from that land of milk and honey
Verily the Sultan of that Kingdom is here s
The Bearer of the Banner of Praise s
Muḥammad s
O Allāh, send Your perfect peace and blessings
Upon the Breeze of Mercies s
The Grail of Graces s
The Treasure of the Messengers s
The Glory of the Prophets s
The Splendor of the Heavens and the Earth s

6
  emember uḥammad s

Were I to share the stillness of this moment

Beneath the star-spangled sky
Embraced by the soft desert breeze...
Then I remember Muḥammad s
And so I wonder...

Were I to share this silence in my chest

How the turbulent seas have calmed
The tides have turned, sails may rest...
So I remember Muḥammad s
And I wonder...

Were I to share the pouring floods of meanings

That quench the deep recesses of my heart
During intimate exchange with Allāh’s Elect Ones...
I then remember Muḥammad s
And so I wonder...

Were I to share the subtle manifestations

Of Allāh’s activities that surround me
That He allows my heart glimpses of...
I remember Muḥammad s
And so I wonder...

7
Were I to share the communion of Souls
Displayed upon the meeting of His lovers
Whereupon secrets are transmitted like shooting stars...
But I remember Muḥammad s
And so I wonder...

Were I to share the moments of reflection

Upon the mercy of that Chosen One s
And his endless oceans of compassion s...
I always remember Muḥammad s
I wonder no more...

For I may share for endless suns and moons

What I see and what I feel
But what is the use
If you may board that ship
And direct yourself to him s
My Soul
Like the darkened Moon
Turned towards the Sun
That weary Soul
Heavy-laden with sins
Turned in totality to Muḥammad s
The rest are but details...
And so I wonder no more...

I share not the foam at the shore

I share but the Sea
That is, Muḥammad s

8
  m tanding at our oor,
 uḥammad s

O Allāh, this Light You have named Muḥammad s

I stand before those men—
Those men whose hearts have been consumed
Drenched in these Aḥmadan manifestations s
I stand in awe
My heart bewildered
At the beauty of those Muḥammadan states s
The power of those Majestic presences
The eloquence and subtlety of those pearls they utter
Strung with beauty and arranged around our necks
Necklaces of Divine wisdom
In awe 
Before this excellence of noble character 
In awe and bewildered
For I ask myself
How, O Lord
Will my heart bloom then
Before the Sun of those moons s
Before the Sea of those rivers s
Before the Light of those souls s
Before Muḥammad ibn ¢Abdullāh s
Before Aḥmad s?
Our Prophet, the Master of the first and last s

9
O Muḥammad s, my heart is reaching out to you
I feel it turning, churning in a pure bliss
In its reaching to your Exhilarant Presence s
I am standing at your door, O our Light s
O Muḥammad s
Place your cool, musk-scented hand over my heart s
That this aching may ease
That this appeal be appeased
May the blessings and peace of the Lord of Ibrāhīm reach you
Your grandfather was made cool in the fire of Nimrod
And you, O Muḥammad s
Were made cool upon your visit to the lowest abode of Hell s
Verily the fiercest creations are made like submissive flowers
Before you, O Muḥammad s
We ask for your blessed, merciful glance s
Such that every calamity of destiny
And every difficulty and burden
Is transformed into beautiful blessings of proximity
Like pure honey in our hearts
Sweetening our souls and giving us ease and well-being
Our safety is in your pleasure s
So grant us your pleasure, O Muḥammad s
For we are at your door s
And we seek your intercession s
Take us by the hand s
I am at your door, O Muḥammad s
Keep me close to you s
In this life and the Next
May Allāh cover you in His loftiest blessings
O our means to every blessing s
And upon your noble Family
And our guiding stars, your blessed Companions!

10
 he cean of eauty s

And a wonder of this name Muḥammad s

Is that it draws the lovers together
Folding up the lands and seas
Hearts connected by this perfumed name,
And it repels the hypocrites and disbelievers
Such that it produces an aura of protection
For the fortunate being blessed with having
This sacred name etched in the heart s
O you who dreams of the pleasures of Heaven
Yet is negligent towards the Light of those creations s
If you want news of the Heavens
Then call out to Muḥammad s!
O Muḥammad s, take these hearts
Take them with your pure hands s
Our lungs, they desire your musk s
Our eyes, they call for your matchless beauty s
What beauty stands in this world
But that it is in complete and utter recognition
Of its being derived from you, O Muḥammad s
You are the Ocean of Beauty s
You are the Ocean from which our Souls were extracted s
Like drops, we pray to make our way back—
Back to your heart, the heart of hearts s
O Muḥammad s
What have we, if we were to lose our way back to you s?

11
What have we, O Muḥammad s
If our lips were to be deprived of this colossal privilege
Of pronouncing these inebriating letters
Mīm, Ḥā√, Mīm, Dāl?
O Muḥammad s
Turn to us
O Allāh, send your choicest peace and blessings 
Upon Your most Majestic and most Honored creation  s
Yāsīn s, the Appointed Master of all that You have created s
Make our love for him greater s
Greater than our love for 
Any other creation you have brought to being
And bless his Noble Family s
By the Strength of their Rights over us
O Lord of Muḥammad s
Do not deprive us of his proximity and vision s
In this life before the Next!

12
 he un of This ight s

I do not write poems

I write my love for him s
And they but appear as poems
But these poems 
Are but the shell of this love
And only those who have matured
And grown the teeth necessary
To get past the outer shell
Will taste the hidden fruit
And only those who have developed
Through their seeking
A sense of smell
To detect that sweet scent
May know what is to be found
Beyond this shell
O words - how many you have distracted
From the purpose of your presence
How many you have entangled
In the sensory
But what a solace you have been
To the yearning hearts
Who may rest for... at least a moment
Upon sharing a taste
Of what you point to
So carry on relaying

13
O words
What they will to share 
That is hidden in the chests of those lovers
And may Allāh have Mercy on us
And convey His peace and blessings
Upon the Sun of this light you carry s 

14
 usk of our nner ecret s 

O Musk of our Inner Secret s 

Our Souls have become restless
They have become inebriated
By your Lights s and left their nest
O relief to every yearning lover s 
If your name was not on our lips s
If it had left our hearts s, Allāh forbid
The sea of dunyā would have sunk our ship
If the Word descended upon a mountain
It would have crumbled to the ground
What is the most majestic of mountains
Compared to the one who has crumbled our hearts to the
ground s? 
He whose Light has stunned our worldly eyes s 
Such that our hearts have faced the Hereafter
Such that our entire honor is through him s
Such that our inner tears transformed to laughter
O Allāh, continue to dress us in his Lights s 
Instill our hearts with his Secret s 
And increase its presence in our Souls
And in our limbs until our whole being heeds it
O Allāh, upon the Best of Creation send blessings
And upon his Pure Household
By the Strength and Power of Your Word
Only such a Majestic Heart could hold s

15
 he anctuary from
unyā to All ouls s

When the self is praised, the lovers remember Muḥammad s

For the self is but darkness, and its praise is but poison
Whilst Muḥammad s is Light, and his praise is the antidote s
So counter the spread of that poison accordingly

Seek for your name to be paired with his s

Have you not been informed, O seeker
That upon the Majestic Throne are two names:
That of the Lord of the Throne, and that of His Beloved s?

Muḥammad s is the effacer of every sorrow

His name is a cure for our hearts s
Our safety from dunyā is Muḥammad s
It flees like darkness does from the sunlit room

“If you really love me, then be prepared for poverty, 

for extreme hardship rushes towards a person who loves me, 
more rapidly than a flood flows towards its goal”— 
Said the Sanctuary from dunyā to all Souls s

The heart who loves the Beloved s of the Beloved

Is beloved, and sheltered from this lower world jealously
Such that it never finds any one or thing to rely upon but its Lord
And that is love, and that is protection, and that is the Path!

16
O Allāh, upon the Beloved s You have sent to guide to Your Love
Send Your Infinite love, blessings, and peace for every star in the
sky
For ever grain of sand in the lands, for every drop in the seas
And upon his noble Family and spirited Companions!

17
 he aze of uḥammad s

Take from this cup

A drink to quench
These words are water
From the spring
Of invocations
Upon Muḥammad s
Amongst the blessings
Of these invocations 
Is the producing of
A fervent gushing
Of sweet drink
That quenches 
And grants 
Temporary solace
So drink copiously
I have no skill
I have but love
These words of yearning
Are like drops
From the Ocean that is his Light s

O Moon, tonight when I looked upon you

I noticed that there is a joy about your radiance
There is a shyness about your disposition
There is a beauty that is unique to you

18
I have finally put my finger on it
Your are silent in speech 
But your state reveals your secret
And I will reveal your secret
Muḥammad, the son of ¢Abdullāh gazed upon you s
May Allāh’s blessings be upon him
Who, when he pointed towards you s
Your heart and very being split asunder in awe 
Aquiver before his majesty s
O Moon, O you drunken lover
May Allāh make you a celestial sphere in Paradise
Your light spills from your heart
Lighting the way for the travelers
And inspiring every lover.

O seeker, take from this moon of my heart 

Drink from the light that floods to these pages
O lover, invoke peace and blessings upon Muḥammad s
The light of our hearts spills onto our fingers
O Allāh, bless Muḥammad and shower him with peace
And upon his beautiful Progeny and Companions!

19
 e eek uḥammad s

My turning to him s is my trusty pen

His Light s is my inexhaustible ink
My hand is my love for him s
My strokes are its fire
My heart is my book
I set aflame its pages for him s
For sincerity is in the burning
The blaze is our proof
We seek Muḥammad s
Our praise of him s is but a mirror
Reflecting the Ocean of his Light s
We are not adding anything to him s
Just as the cup of seawater
Does not add to the sea when returned
We are but mirrors; that is our duty
And a blessing of a duty it is
O Muḥammad s, polish with your pure hand s
These dusty mirrors of our hearts
For we seek in fervent hope
That they may reflect your beautiful countenance s
O Muḥammad s, come into our hearts
That our souls be quenched in your Light s
And remain drenched in your Presence forevermore s
And which man can claim to know you wholly s?
Once we have found you, still we seek you s!

20
For who can claim to know the ocean and its treasures
After having only just entered it from the shore?
O Allāh, upon the possessor of the hand
That we seek on our journey to Your Majesty s
Convey the choicest peace and blessings
And upon his Family and Companions!

21
 he Quenching lixir s

Loving the Prophet of Allāh s is my madhab

From which every other madhab I attach myself to springs
This love is a blessing, a priceless one
One I would not trade for all the treasures of worldly kings

For if my heart was pulled to this lower world

Love for Muḥammad s is its binded wings
What a lonely place my heart’s dreamscape would be
Were it not for that name it every day and night sings s

Praising Muḥammad s is my very reason for living

I know no other deed I would rather die fulfilling
His praise is the sweet water that quenches my Soul s
And my heart is the cup from which this water is spilling

His name is the sweet nectar which attracts all lovers s

Like bees pulled towards a unique and boundless flower s
From which pours a thousand flavors and a thousand aromas s
Muḥammad’s name is the Quenching Elixir through Lordly
Power s

They whose hearts praise Muḥammad s are cherished by me

They whose tongues extol his virtues are beloveds of mine s
They whose limbs mirror his deeds are my companions s
Who upon his mention their faces shine as an outward sign s

22
O Allāh, upon the Musk of our Souls, our Master Muḥammad s
Convey Your utmost peace and most perfect blessings by which
Our hearts are cleansed from all that You dislike for us
And replaced with that by which our Souls are made rich!

23
 nder the aze of rophetic race s

The green in the rose’s stem is proof of life in it

Just as proof of life in the lover shines on his blessed face
Like the red in the rose’s cheeks, the heart of Muḥammad’s lover s
Burns red with love and this is life’s blatant trace
Allāh’s Grace shimmers from their every word and deed
Those lovers, living proofs of ﴾give glad tidings to the patient﴿3
There are more than a hundred thousand ways to respond to
﴾Send blessings upon him and salute him with a worthy
salutation﴿4
O Allāh, count us amongst them; our destinies flow from Your Pen
Let not this night end but You have given us the secret of his love s
Let not this night end but You have bewildered us with his
countenance s
Let not this night end but our souls are, by his Presence s, engulfed
O Allāh, may our station be permanently at the feet of
Muḥammad s
How I long to press my cheek against the coldish Golden Gates
And to brush my palm upon the crimson rugs of Holy Medina
To breathe into my lungs the breezes of blessings in his city s
Love—I follow the orders of the Master of this arena s
Muḥammad s, the Elect s, the Chosen s, may we forever spend
our days
In praise of the first and last to manifest as bursting Celestial Rays s

3 Qur’an 2:154.
4 Qur’an 33:56.

24
Dressing the horizons and setting the lovers’ precious hearts
ablaze s
By his name we’re raised, our hearts glazed in a thousand ways s
With every phrase, may we utter, “O Lord, bring us close, with our
sins erased
Place us, this day till the End of Days under the gaze of Prophetic
grace s
Leave no space between us and the Master of the Jinns and the
Human race s
Efface every trace of heedlessness till we’re cloaked in his close
embrace! s”

25
 he eavenly upport s

O Allāh, allow us to know Your Beloved s

With a knowledge that ascertains Your Mercy
In this life and the Next, and which dresses us
In the Lights of Muḥammad s, till we’re thirst-free

By the Kawthar, with the Cup-holder s

O Muḥammad s, pour that sweet drink
Between our parched lips, and etch into 
Our hearts the Noble Word with Eternity’s ink

By the permission of Allāh, may we receive

Your close companionship s; I am at your door
At your door, O Muḥammad s, I am here
May your name be chiseled into my core s

Muḥammad s, you are my Guide s

Your are the Guiding Light that I seek s
For what other means have I, O Muḥammad s
To reach the Lord that permits me to speak?

Permits me to reach out to His Most Treasured Secret s

Permits me to taste the sweet name of Muḥammad s
Permits me to sit amongst his lovers and grandchildren s
Permits me to be warmed by the love of Muḥammad s

26
By Allāh, a tear shed for Muḥammad s
Could extinguish the Fire of the lowest Hell
What to say then of the heart that for Muḥammad s
Sheds torrents, and in love and longing does swell?

O Allāh, upon Muḥammad our Beloved s

The Heavenly Support s, sent as a Perfect Favor s
Deliver a Most Beautiful Peace and copious blessings
By which his Presence we can for Eternity savour s!

27
 he alking ur’an s

If the Sun could speak, it would tell us how Aḥmad taught it to

shine s
If the Sun could speak, it would tell us of the shadow of its
separation from him s
If the Sun could speak, it would tell us how cold and subdued its
heart has become
If the Sun could speak, it would tell us how, before him s, its rays
are unequivocally dim
“O shame on me,” it would say, “the people have come to believe I
am the brightest,
If they would but set eyes upon he who tread the Earth as
Muḥammad s, O how!
How they would come to realise, there is no creature with a
mightier Light,
And even then, are you not aware that it is his Light shining upon
my brow s?”
This universe is a monument of love, and the object of love is
Aḥmad s
O you people who tread upon the earth, do not believe you will do
so eternally
Hurry back to Allāh, through his Resplendent Messenger s, and
prepare for this meeting
And ﴾Worship your Lord until you achieve the ultimate certainty﴿5
No man could ever produce words that would do justice to the
5 Qur’an 33:56.

28
grandeur 
Of the Master of Prophets s, for he is the walking Qur’an s, O
sisters and brothers:
﴾Say: “If mankind and Jinns should combine together to bring the
like of this Qur’an, 
They could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one
another”﴿6
“What about my light?” asks the sun. “It is destined to be put out
like the wick of an old candle
But the Lord of Muḥammad s will never allow for Aḥmad’s Light
s to perish
So take that Rope firmly O listener, and do not be deluded by
temporality
Let your heart bathe in this Light s so cherished that your soul may
be replenished.”
O Allāh, upon the Sun of our Souls s, convey from us Your
uttermost blessings
Bring to life the soil of our hearts with the fruits of the Unseen
Treasures
Brought about by the nourishing rays of Divine Proximity, that is
Muḥammad s
And upon his sanctified Family and grant them a peace
transcendent beyond measure!

6 Qur’an 15:99.

29
 hat hen an  laim as ine?

His Mercy burns these stubborn fetters

Revealing what has always shined
What need has the Light for shelter
What then can I claim as mine?
He dressed my path in His Beautiful Mercy
I watched my aspiration rise
He raised it whilst His Kindness nursed me,
What then can I claim as mine?
He brought me to His Noble Word
Instilled my tongue with a taste of its Light
At times, he winged my heart like a bird
What then can I claim as mine?
He brought me to many magnificent gardens
Whose dwellers sing a tune so fine
Whose fervent love for Him is sweet and ardent
What then can I claim as mine?
He opened my heart to His Blessed Remembrance
What then can I claim as mine?
In essence He Willed that I seek His Presence
What then can I claim as mine?
He clothed my faults with a Beautiful Mercy
Brought me to those who attained His prize
Despite this mountain of sins that burdens me
What then can I claim as mine?
He sowed a seed of Mercy and Love:

30
Invocations upon the Chosen Prophet of Light s
With the musk of his name in a heart so rough
What then can I claim as mine?
Choicest Peace and Blessings upon
The Pearl of Creation of Lofty Heights s
For as long as his lovers sing praises in song
And by the Strength and Power of Lordly Lights!

31
 urely ḥmad s ear s

O Light upon my eye

What magnificence surrounds us
The celestial meadows are calling
Surely Aḥmad is near s

O Light upon my eye

I hear the lovers chanting
Through the crevice of my heartscape
Surely Aḥmad is near s

O Light upon my eye

The longing of the yearners is palpable
I feel the entrancing pull of their Souls
Surely Aḥmad is near s

O Light upon my eye

How you ceaselessly mesmerise me
What captivation your Source produces
Surely Aḥmad is near s

O Light upon my eye

Leave us not, and tells us once more
With your sweet, delicate rhapsodies
How Aḥmad is near s

32


he ost xcellent aller to llāh s

¢Azrā√īl, the Angel of Death

Is certainly an excellent caller to Allāh
For none escapes his grasp
When the time to cross the veil visits—
But let me tell you of one
Who is the Most Excellent Caller to Allāh s
Who calls you to Him even before the grave calls
Long before your shroud is made your trusty garment
Long before the soil becomes your intimate companion
Let me tell you of Muḥammad s
O you who treads the Earth!
Do not let the pangs of death be the means
To your first meeting with Him
After he has placed you in this world
Let the pangs of yearning
Be the sacred drink
To carry you back to the Day of Alast—
﴾Am I not Your Lord? …﴿
﴾Indeed, we bear witness﴿7
O Muḥammad s
Do not let the servant of Allāh, ¢Azrā√īl—
May the peace of Allāh be upon him—
Reach us before you have grasped
The forelock of our Souls
In your blessed scented hand s!
7 Qur’an 7172

33
 llāhu kbar

O Allāh — certainly, were all the scholars to unite

To guide one You have decreed to be misled
They would manifestly fail
O Allāh — certainly, were all the fools to unite
To mislead one You have decreed to be guided
They would fail
And upon this we proclaim:
Allāhu Akbar
O Allāh, by the one s You have sent with
Allāhu Akbar
The Embodiment of Perfect Servitude s hidden in
Allāhu Akbar
Manifest upon our hearts the Realities of
Allāhu Akbar
We place our intellects upon the ground, seeking
Allāhu Akbar
O Allāh, compel our hearts into prostration in the sphere of
Allāhu Akbar
Instill our intentions with the Spirit of 
Allāhu Akbar
Guide our words by the Secrets of
Allāhu Akbar
Put into motion our deeds through the Essence of
Allāhu Akbar
Spin our Souls to the center of

34
Allāhu Akbar
Flood our Inner Secrets with the Truth of 
Allāhu Akbar
Safeguard us from he who was veiled from
Allāhu Akbar
Who failed to prostrate when told to enact
Allāhu Akbar
O Allāh, upon every oppressive tyrant, we declare:
Allāhu Akbar
Upon every calamity that befalls us, we say:
Allāhu Akbar
Upon every blessing you have provided us with, we proclaim:
Allāhu Akbar
Upon the knowledge and wisdom you revealed to our hearts:
Allāhu Akbar
We say, upon every state you have manifested upon us:
Allāhu Akbar
Upon our lower-selves, we say:
Allāhu Akbar
Upon all illusions and fantasies, we say:
Allāhu Akbar
Upon all that distracts from Your Remembrance, we say:
Allāhu Akbar
Upon our possessions:
Allāhu Akbar
Upon our bodies:
Allāhu Akbar
Upon our families:
Allāhu Akbar
Upon all that You have granted us:
Allāhu Akbar
Subḥānallāh Wa l-Ḥamdulillāhi Wa Lā Ilāha Illa Allāhu Wa
Allāhu Akbar
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon
Our Master Muḥammad s, the bringer of 
Allāhu Akbar
By the Strength of
Allāhu Akbar
And upon his Holy Family s, the propagators of
35
Allāhu Akbar
And upon his Companions s, who surrendered their souls through
Allāhu Akbar
Enter us into the sanctuary of
Allāhu Akbar
O Lord of
Allāhu Akbar!

36
 uḥammad s s orever the ictor

The pagan approached you

As you rested under the shade s
And he wielded your sword
That hung right by you s
He asked you if you feared him
You replied s, “No.”
He asked you, “Who will save you from me now?”
You replied s, “Allāh.”
And as the Sanctified Name 
Departed from your blessed lips s
Soaring as a whiff from the Celestial Realms
As the fragrance from a thousand flowers would
The abyss of darkness that was the pagan’s heart
Met the Light of your Pure Speech s
Casting fear into his Soul
Just as the night-bird would recoil
Before the flashing of light beams
Yes—the Aḥmadan Light s burst before him
And his knees were made to shake
His limbs were paralyzed
And his intellect was left frozen
“Allāh,” you said s
And his heart tasted your Sublime Presence s
It was met by the Muḥammadan Reality s
And the sword dropped to the ground in a thud

37
From his numbed fingers
Helpless before that Majestic being s
Muḥammad s, the Carrier of the Divine Trust s
Yes—those hands were crippled
No longer capable of edging any closer
Towards the Safeguarded One s,
When the Pure Name, “Allāh”
Catapulted from the Pure Heart s
O that heart s!—doubt itself fears to approach it
O that heart s!—darkness flees from it
O that heart s!—white as snow, clear as a polished mirror
“Allāh”
And Muḥammad s is forever the victor.

38
 he rphan rophet
aised in llāh’s ourt s

The nafs8 is inclined to extremist tendencies by nature

Islam came to subdue them
The one who uses the outer shell of Islam
To feed the whims and desires of his nafs
Is bereft of its expansive inner dimensions
Subjected and enslaved to literalism and forms
Bereft of its mercy and metamorphic properties
Deprived from the Lights bursting through Proximity
The soul is like an orphan
Distanced from the Presence of its Lord,
That cheating one is starving his soul
To feed his capricious lower-self
Like the one who takes food from the table of the orphan
To feed the merciless tyrant,
Do not abandon the one in need
Allāh is with the oppressed
With the weak and helpless
﴾But you do not honor the orphan 
And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor﴿9 
No one was more compassionate towards the needy
Than Muḥammad s
No one was more present for the orphans
8 Ego
9 Qur’an 89:18-19

39
Than Muḥammad s
No one was more tender with the weak
Than Muḥammad s
The Orphan Prophet s, the son of ¢Abdullāh s,
Was taken into the care of Allāh, the Lord of ¢Abdullāh s
Muḥammad s, the Mercy to Mankind s, was raised at the Lord’s
House
Raised in Allāh’s Court
O Allāh, send abundant peace and blessings upon him
Muḥammad s, the Most Worthy of the title “Servant of Allāh” s
And bless his Noble Family and Companions s, O Loving One!

40
 he alling to llāh of uḥammad s

O you whose practice of religion produces coarseness

Where, I ask myself, along the way to this religion 
Have you amazingly neglected acquainting yourself with
Muḥammad s?
Has word not reached you yet that Allāh is Beautiful and He loves
Beauty?
Faith produces naught else than Mercy, Grace, and Beauty
Therefore, where, I ask myself, did your practice originate from?
What is the source of this crudeness and what is its motivation?
You count yourself as one of those who have embraced Submission
But Submission is Muḥammad’s trade, the Mercy to All the
Worlds s
Why then is the perfume of that Mercy untraceable in your speech?
Why is that nectar of Kindness nowhere to be tasted in your
actions?
Do you not fear that your depraved state will be falsely associated
with him s?
Do you not fear that your actions will testify that you are an enemy
of his religion s?
Allāh has sent us Muḥammad s so we can ask ourselves:
“Where are we, and where is Muḥammad s?”
He is the Epitome of Mercy s, Possessor of the Most Praised
Station s
He is the Exemplar to all Souls s, and diverting a single step from
his path s is our loss

41
He is the Most Beloved of Allāh s and his calling to Allāh is Love s
His calling to Allāh is Mercy, Kindness, and Leniency
His calling to Allāh is Grace, Generosity, and Tenderness
This is the calling to Allāh of Muḥammad s
Therefore I must ask myself again
Where did you bring this religion you profess?
You can keep it!
We do not want it!
We testify that Muḥammad is His Messenger s
And that all religiosity bereft of Mercy is but falsehood
And Muḥammad s is pure from your pretension
And we wash our hands from all that comes from other than
Muḥammad s
May the blessings of Allāh and His All-pervading peace reach
him s
From the Day of Creation to the Day of Rising
Every day by the amount of Muḥammad’s Oceans of Mercy and
Love towards his Umma s

42
 is agnificent Countenance s

The one who claims to follow the Beloved Prophet s, yet his heart
is unmoved by the desire to behold his Magnificent Countenance
s, is like the man who takes a path to the Ocean and refuses to
bathe in its healing waters, or to behold its Majestic Expanse.

O seeker, lose your head in love, drown your analysis in those

Waters of Bliss, that you realise that this beautiful religion is not
about ritual—it is about beauty, it is about Love.

And what a Beautiful Prophet s, and what a Beautiful Lord! O

Allāh, verily You are Beautiful and You love Beauty, so beautify our
hearts with the vision of Your Most Beautiful One s, that we may
annihilate once and for all our need for proofs, for who needs a
proof for fire whilst in the center of the Sun? Who needs a proof for
moisture whilst at the heart of the Ocean? Who needs proof of Love
whilst in the presence of Muḥammad s?

43
 erily ountless ins urden e,
but raising uḥammad s s ot ne

O you who relentlessly diverts hearts from Muḥammad s

You who claim to be offering fruits of his tree s
And yet the seed of his love s has never crossed your heart
It is you who is calling to yourself, do you not see?

You, who have not so much as smelled that Presence s

You—O liar—who speaks in the name of Muḥammad s
Yet your cold, blaming heart has been bereft of that Mercy s
And your state and tongue lead away from Muḥammad s

You look down upon those whose hearts yearn to behold him s
You would rather they listen to your council instead
You would rather they listen to your wise words, yes
O fool, these hearts cannot by any other hand be fed!

Your abuse of those praising the Prophet of Allāh s is futile

For those hearts are praising the Most Beloved s, the Chosen
One s
Therefore your offense is clear and their praising is unaffected
Verily, countless sins burden me, but praising Muḥammad s is not
one!

There is never a limit to the praise of this Prophet s

Muḥammad s, the Beloved of the Lord of the Throne s

44
O seekers, be notorious in your praise of him s
Stones have praised him s, do not be less that a stone!

There is never any blame in praising his attributes s

For his beauty is like an endless sea of treasures s
His states are the most perfect and most beautiful s
Moisten your tongue with his name and seek his pleasure s!

O lovers, rejoice, for praising this Prophet is your reward s

Those who cannot bring that name s on their tongues
That is enough of a tribulation and disgrace
O seeker of Allāh, by that love be stung, be stung!

So what! Let the hypocrites talk and look down upon you
What does it matter, if it is the Angels you echo?
This world is upside down, if its people look down on you
Then very possibly the Heavenly Dwellers look up at you!

O Allāh, do not allow our hearts and tongues to be deprived

So attach us to that Most Beautiful One, Muḥammad s
Send Your peace and blessings, O Allāh, upon him
And upon the sanctified Family of Muḥammad s!

45
  eek efuge

I seek refuge with Allāh 

From a heart dry to the bone
Blind to the Light of Kindness

I seek refuge with Allāh

From a heart bereft of mildness
From one estranged to uprightness

I seek refuge with Allāh

From a heart lifeless
From a heart sightless
From a heart estranged to silence

I seek refuge with Allāh

From a character without shyness
From a disposition spineless
From one destitute of politeness
I seek refuge from the mindless

By the Highness of a Mercy Timeless

And by the Epitome of the Righteous s
The Finest Jewel s, our Treasure Priceless s
The Epicenter of the Sufic Science s
Our Shelter in every crisis s
The Sight to hearts eyeless s

46
The Sun of Colossal Brightness s
The God-given Guidance s
The Heart where Paradise lives s
The Mercy our Source of Light gives s
The Trusty Abode where we always find Bliss s
Muḥammad s
The Celestial Wings to the needy flightless s
The Beautiful One with no likeness s

47
 he ight of the ight of ntellect s

The one dressed in the Light of Intellect will not be impressed by

the one who holds the title “Shaykh” if that heart is not engraved
with the name al-Muṣṭafā10 s

The one dressed in the Light of Intellect will not be impressed by

the head wrapped in a turban if that head is not illuminated by the
Aḥmadan Light s

The one dressed in the Light of Intellect will not be impressed

by the chin enveloped in a beard if that beard is not clasped and
guided by the hand of al-Hādī11 s

The one dressed in the Light of Intellect will not be impressed by

the one who preaches reform if that soul is not imbued with the
Muḥammadan Mercy s

The one dressed in the Light of Intellect will not be impressed by

the one who speaks of this Dīn if the state of that one is not adorned
by the states of He who ﴾is upon an Immense Character﴿12 s

The one dressed in the Light of Intellect will not be impressed by

the one who is upon a raised pulpit if that one’s heart is not gazing
upwards, enraptured by the holder of al-Maqām al-Maḥmūd13 s
10 The Chosen One s.
11 The Guide s.
12 Qur’an, 68:4
13 The Praiseworthy Station reserved for the Prophet Muḥammad s on the
Day of Judgement.
48


is ight ourney s

That Night You manifested the honor of Your Prophet s

And the Heavens were privileged by al-Muṣṭafā’s visit s
O Perfumed One s, how the Prophets were graced
How your brothers were ennobled by a vision exquisite s!

O Imam of the Prophets s, be our Imam now and forever

Sweetness for the Burāq by the raising of your foot upon it s
The Angels gathered in throes to catch a glimpse
Of the Hāshimī from whom the Divine Secrets emit s!

Verily you were not visiting the Heavens raised above

But the Heavens raised above, O Muḥammad s, were visiting you!
The Celestial Ka¢ba, brimming with seventy thousand Angels
Entering it daily, was raised through the Beloved of the True s!

Verily Mūsā was ordered to remove his sandals when addressed

But the Lord of the Heavens did not say so to his Beloved s!
“All compliments, all prayer, and worship are for Allāh”
“Allāh’s Peace, Mercy, and Blessings upon you, O Prophet s!”

This is the conversation between Allāh and His Most Beloved s

And this dazzling result of Eternal Divine Love 
Is repeated daily by the submissive ones in prayer
That we may taste of this rapture and take blessings therefrom

49
O Throne of Allāh, tell us of the beauty of Aḥmad s
Then tell us again, and again—tell us of that Light s!
O Allāh, on this blessed evening grant us his vision s
Grant us his company for Eternity by this sacred night s!

O Muḥammad s, in His Presence you did not forget us

Do not leave us, then, for even the blinking of an eye
That Night on which you received the gift of Prayer s
Verily of the most beloved deeds to the Most High!

Our means to reach Him, through the highest means,

Muḥammad s
He was blessed s, by the gift of His Vision, that which no other—
No other may receive until entering His Paradise, naturally
For Paradise is but a Light from the Ocean of this Lover s!

O Jerusalem, O you beautified by the most Beautiful Created

Being s
May Allāh grant those of this Umma an inner victory over their
lower-selves
That they may be given the victory by those Sacred Gates
Through the blessing of Muḥammad’s Resplendent Light therein
diffused s

O Allāh, by the Eminent Journey you honored al-Muṣṭafā with s

Bless and shower with peace your Most Honored Creation s
By it, grant us on this Night all that he has asked for himself s
And grant us its treasures reserved for the Foremost of his
Nation s!

50
 ur haykh s

Few are the Shaykhs today

Most who carry the title do not deserve it
And who is the Shaykh?
The Shaykh is Muḥammad s.
And those amongst his nation s
Who truly hold that title before Allāh
Are those who have dissolved themselves
Into the essence of Muḥammad s
A similitude of this relationship
Is that of the Sun reflecting upon the water
You approach the lake to see your reflection
But in the absence of the Sun there is but darkness
If the Shaykh is not in the presence of Muḥammad s
Then he is no Shaykh at all 
And reflecting to you but darkness
But the true Shaykh is a mirror for your Soul
O Money-grabbing fraud!
Have you no shame to call yourself “Shaykh”?
Have you forgotten Allāh is the All-seeing, All-hearing?
O you, who poses in the garb of the Ascetics!
And in the back-room of the Majlis
You slip the dirhams into your pocket
To feed the desires you claim to have vanquished
Few are the Shaykhs today
O Allāh — forgive us!

51
And have Mercy on this Ummah s
O Allāh — keep us amongst the sincere!
And let the hypocrites be kept far from us
O Allāh — those who claim to seek Your Pleasure
And yet seek nothing but a portion of this wretched abode
O Allāh — safeguard us from their evil
Protect us from their scheming!
﴾And they schemed, and Allāh schemed, 
and Allāh is the best of schemers﴿14

14 Qur’an, 68:4

52
 n ur idst s

How curious 
That the patient should despair 
In the presence of its Doctor s
﴾The Prophet is closer to the believers 
than their own selves﴿15
Have you not been informed that
Despair is a trade of the cursed one
Be a merchant of glad tidings
This Name Muḥammad s
Is itself Light s
And the utterance of invocations
Upon its Bearer s
Calls a shower of mercy and peace
By which
Countless doors of ease
Are flung open
From every direction
And darkness is expelled
Before the Sun s
That is the name—Muḥammad s
﴾And Allāh would not punish them while you are in their midst, 
and Allāh will not punish them while they seek forgiveness﴿16

15 Qur’an, 33:6
16 Qur’an, 8:33
53
 ntil ur ouls an ever art s

O Moon, forgive me!

Your beauty has waned
Eclipsed in my heart
By the Light of Muḥammad s !

O Rose, forgive me!

Your fragrance has turned bitter
Before the sweetness stemming
From the Name of Muḥammad s !

O Ocean, forgive me!

Your majestic breadth
Has been drowned in the beauty
That is the Mercy of Muḥammad s !

O Sun, forgive me!

Your selfless burning
Has been extinguished
By the Generosity of Muḥammad s!

O Muḥammad s, look upon me

Shine your light upon my heart
Perfume my soul with your presence
Until our souls can never part!

54
 he ringer of amaḍān s

Immeasurable blessings cascading 

Heaven’s gates flung open, a Mercy all-pervading
Rushing to the hearts of lovers, scintillating
Lights, raining upon believers, unabating!

No forsaking in this Holy Month, by His Richness

The Lord of the Heavens bestows His Forgiveness
The Most Generous, to His Oneness we bear witness
His Gaze is the cure to our every sickness!

Muḥammad s, our Master s, the bringer of Ramaḍān s

The bringer of glad tidings and the Holy Qur’an s
The coolness of the eyes of every monotheist withdrawn
Raised through his merciful presence, a new dawn!

Upon an immense character, our Prophet s, the Radiant One s!

One dressed in Celestial Essence s, the Fragrant One s!
The Arabian Messenger s, the Patient One s!
The Pearl of Creation s!, The Most Praised Station’s Sun s!

O Allāh, upon Āmina’s son, Muḥammad s, our Guide s

Shower peace and utmost blessings from Your Light
Keep us, in this life and the Next, by his Holy side s
Keep our hearts warm with his remembrance day and night s!

55
 he lawless uby of ivine ercy s

The Soul’s desire is hidden in the depths of the night

For objects of desire are found in their antipodes
Thus the Light is found in the abyss of obscurity
And through silence, Divine exchange is bestowed
Through isolation, communion with Him is attained
Distance from transience plants Eternity’s seed
In the deserts of abstinence, provisions of Mercy rain
And Muḥammad s: the Temporal Universe lays beneath his feet s
O Allāh, by the Night of Wishes and the Night of Power
And by the Strength You manifest through Your Prophet s
By the Majesty of Your Throne and Its Beauty in the Hour
And by Your Names and the names of Your Beloved s
Grant us the Love that You bestow upon Your Saints
Grant us the Mercy that You bestow upon the Forgiven
Give us that which Muḥammad s has asked You for
Give us that which no worldly heart was given!
O Allāh, upon the Flawless Ruby of Divine Mercy s
Sent to every being in Your Expansive Creation s
Send Peace and Blessings and upon his Family s
And count us amongst the Foremost of his Nation s!

56
 is ustrous ights s

Nights are made timeless in remembrance

Lights are made shineless in his Presence s
Names are made nameless in the Heavens
When blazing ‘pon their faces is his Essence s

Those hearts, when they impart this luminescence s

Their Souls, travel the Road of Convalescence
The stars, annihilated in his reverence s
The Sun burning in true love with incessance

We travel these roads, we travel our intentions

Every road that leads to the Master of Intercession s
With every whisper of “Muḥammad s” our Soul freshens
We lay before him our hearts and our possessions s!

These words are rays of our subtle, Souls’ expressions

A Sun above our good deeds and transgressions
One kept ablaze by Merciful, Lordly Interventions
Support is poured to guide our ascension!

O Allāh — bless and send peace to The Blessing s

Who is the apex of Your Eternal Addressing s
He in whose pleasure Felicity is destined s
The Priceless Treasure, the shelter to every nestling s!

57
One that we run to, O Allāh, for times are pressing s
Our hearts, clear, whichever language we express in
His wondrous name, we pray that we forever rest in s
His lustrous lights, we pray that we’re forever dressed in s!

58
 our ublime ountenance s

O Messenger of Allāh s, I seek your news

Were I to bask in the Light of your Presence s
That my sins be washed from my heart 
They would flee swiftly in their reverence
Were I to kiss your velvety hand s
And pull in the musk in all its pleasance s
From your blessed pores s to my thirsty lungs
O that my heart be consumed in your Essence s
O Muḥammad s, dress me in the garb of your Lights s
Ennoble my Soul with your eternal acceptance s
O Prophet of Allāh s, how I long to behold
Your sublime countenance and holy attendance s
O Light of my heart s, visit me in my dream!
Glance upon me and pray for my accepted repentance s!
O Messenger of Allāh s, pray for mercy upon me
And that my company be adorned by your descendants!
That my Soul be dressed in your beautiful character s
That my heart be ornamented with your resplendence s!
Pray for our Souls, and that our hearts embrace your Presence s!
O Prophet of Allāh s, pray for our Shuyūkh and for our Parents
Pray for our loved ones, our families, and our dependents!
O Allāh, unite us with Your Beloved Prophet s in the Heavens
O Allāh, from Your creation grant us complete independence
O Allāh, in this night shower us with Your Celestial Presents
O Allāh, grant us a Light from You that increases and never lessens

59
Send Your peace and blessings upon the Master of the Worlds s
Master of all Creatures, Prophets, Messengers, and Dimensions s
With a prayer that joins our souls with him like drops with the
sea s
And multiply it by the amount that his name receives Divine
Mentions s
A prayer that purifies our words, deeds, thoughts, and intentions!
A prayer that expels all doubts and answers all our questions!
A prayer that annihilates all our difficulties and tensions!
A prayer that brings to life our souls, hearts, and senses!
A prayer that brings Muḥammad s through our dreamscape’s
entrances!

60
 he ringer of the ight of ower s

What are you seeking?

You search the lands and the skies
Even as far as the stars and celestial spheres
Looking for beauty, something new
Always looking for something more beautiful 
O seeker, all of the beauty in creation
Is summed up in Aḥmad s
Seek Muḥammad s
Behold al-Muṣṭafā s
And you will have beheld all of creation’s beauty!
O Night Worth a Thousand Months
O Best of Nights
Upon your encounter and within our union
We seek the Prophet worth a thousand Prophets s
The Dome of Creation s, Master of the Messengers s
O Most Beautiful of Nights
We seek through the blessings
That your Lord bestowed upon you
The Most Beautiful of Prophets s
O Night of Power
We seek the Beloved of the Lord of Power s
Take our hands that we may visit him together s
How much more beautiful would you then be?
O Allāh, on the Night of Decree
We ask you to join our souls

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With the Soul of Your Greatest Prophet s
Cleanse our hearts with the waters of his Presence s!
Dress us in the Lights of his Beauty s!
Adorn our inner secrets with Aḥmad’s Fragrance s!
O Allāh, we seek to behold Your Prophet s!
For what has he to worry about
He who has been given such a colossal gift?
To behold the Beloved of Allāh s
In all his Splendor s
Our means to Your Mercy and Forgiveness
And a sign of Your love for us
So grant us Your Love, O Most Generous One!
O Loving One!
O Allāh, by ¢Alī, Fāṭima, Ḥasan, and Ḥusayn!
Grant us the love of Your Prophet s
And of his sanctified Family s
A love that expands with no decrease!
O Allāh, have Mercy upon our deceased
Open our hearts to Your Mercy
Cover us with Your Beautiful Veil
Forgive every sin we have ever committed
And those we are prone to commit
I am at your door, O Muḥammad s
Ask our Lord that He grants us
All that you find to be best for us s!
O Muḥammad s, ask Him for us
All that you have asked for yourself s!
All that you have asked for your loved ones s!
O Muḥammad s, ask that our hearts be filled
With Divine Secrets, Knowledge of the Gnostics
Proximity to the Favored, Foremost, Elect
That our hearts be split asunder by the Light of Allāh
Opened to your love and that of your close ones
Opened to the openings of the great Knowers of Allāh
Opened to the reception of Manifestations of the Divine Names
Split asunder by His Gaze!
Split asunder by His Love!
Split asunder by His Graceful Generosity!

62
Ask our Lord, O Muḥammad s
That we receive glad tidings from your blessed tongue s
That we receive knowledge poured directly from your Holy Heart s
That we receive love poured directly from your Impeccable Soul s!
O Muḥammad s, ask Allāh
That we be kept in your Presence s
Until we are taken into our grave by your very hands s
And that our graves are Gardens of Paradise
And that we remain in your Presence through the Reckoning s
Up until, with you s, we step in complete security into the Eternal
Abode
And that we keep your blessed company, O Muḥammad s
And that we are not kept away from you s for even the blinking of
an eye
O Most Beautiful Creation s, O Guide to Our Desire s!
O Lamp in our Night s, O Aḥmad s!
Lift us from the burden of our sickness and sinfulness
With your blessed hands s!
O Muḥammad s, in these final days of this blessed month of
Ramaḍān
Visit us in our dreams so that not a single night are we away from
you s!
Do not leave us to ourselves!
O Allāh, by the Greatest Prophet s
By the greatness of his Message s
By the greatness of his Family s
By the greatness of his Companions s
Especially Abū Bakr, ¢Umar, ¢Uthmān, and ¢Alī!
O Allāh, by them
Grant us victory over ourselves
And free us from the burden of dunyā
Until our gaze is set solely on You!
O Lord of Your Creation 
O One, O Only, O Allāh
Drown us in Your Essence
Till we are in Your Safekeeping Eternally
By the honor and rank of Muḥammad s
Our Master s, our Beloved s, our Guide s!

63
O Allāh, bless him and his Holy Family s
From the Day of Creation till the Last Day
Every day as many times as Your Name has been mentioned
Every day as many times as Your Name has been praised
Every day as many times as Your creation has prostrated to You
By the extent of Muḥammad’s Beauty s
O what Beauty!
O Allāh, bless him and give him peace s!
And forgive us for his sake s!
And have mercy on us for his sake s!
O Lord of Muḥammad s!
It is through his intercession s
That You have given us the Night of Power
So bless him by the greatness of this blessed night s!
This Chosen Prophet s!, through him we have received blessings
Greater than any blessing You have bestowed on any other nation!
So Allāh accept our gratitude
And Allāh, through Your Generosity
Grant us his vision s!
Grant us his proximity s!
And dress us in his character s!
And make us firm in the following of his deeds s!
His commands s, his words s, and his mercy s!
O Most Merciful of the merciful!
O Sender of the Mercy to the Worlds s!
O Essence of All Mercy, O Merciful One!
Grant us Your Eternal Mercy !
Āmīn!

64
 ur ope s, ur ride s,
ur aster s

Honor the Prophet s while you still roam the lands

And hope that the Prophet s will honor you
After you lay underneath the land!

Raise the blessed Banner of the Prophet s on this day

And hope that the Prophet s will call you
To stand beneath his Banner on that Day s!

Raise the name of the Prophet’s Family s

And hope that the Prophet s will bring you
And your family into his safekeeping s!

Intercede for the needs of his Umma s

And hope that the Prophet s will intercede for you
On that Day where he will be first to intercede s!

Honor the guests who enter into your life

And hope that the Prophet s, the Beloved of Allāh s
Will accept you as his guest s—and what a Host s!

Hold high the blessed Sunna of this Prophet s

And hope that he will bring you into the circle
Of those who are written as his Spiritual Family s!

65
Turn your gaze away from this world
And hope that this generous Prophet s
Will turn his gaze upon your heart s!

Let the scent of his remembrance drench your home s

And hope that you will be granted a home
Right next to his in the Eternal Abode s!

Fill to the brim your heart with the Noble Word he came with s
And hope that your ears and your heart
Will receive a taste of his sweet melodious voice s!

Restrain your hand from eating the impermissible

And hope that your flesh will be granted the gift
Of receiving the touch of his musk-scented hand s!

Open your heart to his all-pervading love s

And hope that he will place his blessed hand s
On your chest and pour secrets into your heart s!

O Allāh, send blessings and peace upon this Prophet s

Our Hope s, our Pride s, our Master s
Muḥammad s, and upon his blessed Family and noble
Companions s!

66
 he reaking of the ast

Curious at first glance seems the affair of His lovers

That they should both mourn and celebrate
But such is the generosity of Allāh that He makes coincide
The departure of this Holy Month with a night so great
That in it, supplications to Him are not rejected!
The month came with sure and imminent departure
With it came a secret to cure sinning of the heart
A pure healing from Allāh; the Lord of Ramaḍān
O Allāh, how You have blessed us with this gift!
So through Your Grace bless us still now that it is gone
O Allāh, strengthen us through the certainty in
﴾It is only the devil who would make (men) fear his partisans; 
Fear them not; fear Me, if ye are true believers﴿17
O Allāh, grant a taste of Your Mercy through Your Prophet s
Who is ever a Solace to the grievers s
Surely this month has passed, but the Favor of Allāh
Is never diminished!; and we seek it in this night
Through Your Most Beloved Prophet, Muḥammad s!
O Allāh, fill our innermost secrets with his Light s
O Allāh, upon the Sanctuary of our Souls s
He who, when You created him s, You granted him
The most beautiful character and countenance s
And a Light so vast, in which every Gnostic swims s!
O Allāh, upon that purifying ocean You named Muḥammad s
17 Qur’an 3:175.

67
Wash away any and all impurities from our hearts
O Allāh, upon him and his family convey Your blessings
And peace, by the number of all dew drops and stars!

68
 uḥammad’s ame s

Muḥammad s, the name softens our eyes and sweetens our lips
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
Muḥammad s, his name: the flower from which the Divine nectar
drips
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
Muḥammad’s name s: the adornment of every song the lovers sing
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
Muḥammad’s name s: His fountain from which all of His blessings
spring
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
Muḥammad’s name s: the key found in the door of every open
heart
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
Muḥammad’s name s: the Light shining through the cracks of
every broken heart
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
The name “Muḥammad s”: the Elixir by which hearts are
awakened
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
The name “Muḥammad”: the ship that leaves no soul forsaken
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
Muḥammad’s name s: the call to prayer is incomplete without it
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
Muḥammad’s name s: the prayer is invalid without it sounded
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!

69
Muḥammad’s name s: the Angels roam the lands to hear it
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
Muḥammad’s name s: Mercy saturates all those near it
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
Muḥammad’s name s: brings ripe men to tears
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
Muḥammad’s name s: the heart that wears it, what has it to fear?
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
Muḥammad’s name s: without it, the Testimony of Faith is
incomplete
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
Muḥammad’s name s: the Sanctuary of Allāh’s Elite
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
Muḥammad’s name s: the perfume lovers’ hearts secrete
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
Muḥammad’s name s: who knew a tongue could turn so sweet
O Allāh, send Your peace and blessings upon him!
And upon his Sanctified Family and Companions s!

70
 he ecret of ivine lchemy s

O lovers of the Chosen One s, rejoice!

Rejoice for the blessing of this Impeccable Prophet s!
Rejoice, for, Allāh has generously bathed your hearts
In the Ocean that is the Light of Ṭāhā, the Beloved s!

Rejoice, for that secret of Divine Alchemy has touched you

And no vice is touched by it, but that it transmutes to a virtue!
Rejoice, for the sacred opening of the Path to the True
Rejoice, for the exhilarating drink conferred upon you!

Verily, the Soul of this Dīn is love for the Prophet s

The one who claims otherwise is but in manifest failure
For to embrace His religion without loving His Beloved s
Is but a trade of tiring limbs in rites of prayer!

O lovers of the Spring of Souls s, rejoice!

For he s whose remembrance beautifies and guarantees
Every act you put forward to the Lord who enjoins
So take this Sacred Key before your soul is seized!

71
 e hrough hom
e eturn to ou s

O Allāh, to You do we belong and certain is our return to You!

So turn to us, till we turn to You and our singular concern is You
Turn to us till our every sin is burned in You
Turn to us till our every limb yearns for You
Amend our hearts until our hearts return to You
And our hearts return to You!
Amend our eyes and tongues, till our eyes and tongues return to
You
And our eyes and tongues return to You!
Amend our intellects and hearing, till our intellects and hearing
return to You
And our intellects and hearing return to You!
Amend our words and deeds till our words and deeds return to You
And our words and deeds return to You!
O Allāh, by he s who was sent as a reminder to return to You
Bless he s we pray we are united with upon our return to You
On that Day when Mankind and Jinns return to You!
On that Day when the stars and celestial spheres return to You!
On that Day when the mountains and valleys return to You!
On that Day when the oceans, lakes, and rivers return to You!
On that Day when the trees, flowers, and earth return to You!
On that Day when clay and fire return to You!
O Allāh, he who is our only means in this life for our return to
You s

72
Confer Your peace and blessings upon him s as we turn to You
In this moment, and make every moment be our return to You!
He through whom we heard the Word from the True s!
Messenger of the Unseen and the Unheard s from He who Knows
and Knew
Who Is now as He always Was and Knows now as He always Knew!
The Infinite, True, showering our hearts like morning dew
On dry blades of grass, coloring the hearts with a thousand hues!
We turn to Him, through Muḥammad s, with whose arrival dawn
broke through s!
Nay, he is the Dawn s, he is the shining Sun from which true belief
grew s!
He is the presence into which every Saint withdrew
And returned to say, “Through Muḥammad s, O Allāh, I have
returned to You!”
O Allāh, by the one upon whom the loftiest rights are due s!
Convey Your utmost blessings and peace from us, by You!
In You is our trust and our everlasting return is to You!
So wash our hearts with the waters of acceptance as we turn to You!
And turn not Your Pleasure away from us until we return to You!

١٨٠ ‫ون‬ ِ َ‫ان َرب ِّ َك َر ِّب ال ْ ِع َّزةِ عَ َّما ي‬

َ ‫ص ُف‬ َ ‫ب‬َ ْ ‫﴿ ُس‬
َ ‫َو َس َل ٌم عَ َل ال ْ ُم ْر َس ِل‬
١٨١ ‫ني‬
﴾١٨٢‫ني‬ ِ َّ ِ ‫ال ْم ُد‬
َ ‫ل َر ِّب ال ْ َعال َ ِم‬ َ ْ ‫َو‬

73