10/5/2018 Poem by al-Farazdaq (d. 730) about Zayn al-Abideen Ali ibn al-Husayn (d.

712) « Ballandalus

Imam Zayn al-Abidin (A.S.) went to the Mecca to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. Meanwhile Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik
(the crown-prince of the Umayyad dynasty at the time) went there for the same purpose. Hisham tried his best to
reach the Kaaba but he was unable to do that, for the people were overcrowded around it. Every time he would try
pushing and forcing his way through – he would be pushed back by the crowd circulating around the Kaaba. He
decided to give up and wait till the crowd became less so would be able to go through with ease. A pulpit was
installed and he sat on it. He began looking at the crowds of the people from above. Then Imam Zayn al-Abidin
(A.S.) came to perform his circulation of the Kaaba. When the pilgrims saw him, they were astonished at his humble
solemnity and the glow of piety on his face, the face was similar to that of his grandfather,Prophet Muhammad, may
God bless him and his family.
The people were shouting: “There is no god but God! God is great!” – With great respect – they parted, made way for
him and allowed him to pass through to kiss the Kaaba. The Syrians were astonished when they saw that situation.
The pilgrims saw the people did not receive Hisham, the nominated caliph after his father, warmly though the Syrians
honored him and the Caliph’s guards surrounded him.
One of Hisham’s companions from Syria asked him: “Who is that man whom the people have honored very much?”
Hisham was hurt and pretended not to know the Imam and angrily, shouted at the man, saying: “I do not know him!
The great Arab poet Al-Farazdaq was there. He knew that Hisham was lying. He could not control himself at this
insult to the great Imam. Thus, he said to the Syrians: “I know him.” “Who is he, Abu Firas?” The Syrians asked.
Hisham shouted at al-Farazdaq, “I do not know him!” “Yes, you know him.” replied al-Farazdaq. Then he rose and
composed the following poem whose effect was stronger than the hitting of the swords and the stabbing of the
spears against Hisham.
He said (translation of the poem):
This is the son of Husayn and the grandson of Fatima the daughter of the Apostle through whom the darkness
dispersed.
This is he whose ability the valley (of Mecca) recognizes, He is known by the (Sacred) House and the Holy sanctuary
and the lands outside the sanctuary.
This is the son of the best of God”s servants.
This is the pure pious man, the pure eminent man. When the Quraysh saw him, their spokesman said: Liberality
terminates at the outstanding qualities of this (man).
He belongs to the top of glory which the Arabs of Islam and non-Arabs fall short of reaching.
When he comes to touch the wall of the Kaaba, it almost grasps the palm of his hand.
He takes care to be modest and he is protected from his fears.
He only speaks when he smiles.
There is a cane in his hand. Its smell is fragrant from the hand of the most wonderful (of all the people), who is
proud.
The prophets yielded to his grandfather’s favor.
The nations yielded to the favor of his community.
The light of guidance emanates from the light of his forehead.
He is like the sun whose shining disperses darkness.
His family tree belongs to the Apostle of God.
Its elements, its natures, and its qualities are good.
This is the son of Fatima if you do not recognize him.
His grandfather was the seal of Prophethood.
God honored and favored him from antiquity.
Your words ‘ who is this?’ do not harm him.
All the Arabs and non-Arabs recognize him whom you deny.

https://ballandalus.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/poem-by-al-farazdaq-d-730-about-zayn-al-abideen-ali-ibn-al-husayn-d-712/ 1/3
10/5/2018 Poem by al-Farazdaq (d. 730) about Zayn al-Abideen Ali ibn al-Husayn (d. 712) « Ballandalus

Both his hands are relief.

Their advantage has prevailed.
The hands are just.
Nonexistence does not befall them.
He is the carrier of the burdens of the people when they are oppressed.
His qualities are good.
The ‘ yes’ is sweet with him.
He does not break a promise.
His soul is blessed.
His courtyard is wide.
He is intelligent when he decides.
He is from the people whose love is religion, whose hate is unbelief, whose approach is refuge and protection.
If the God-fearing are numbered, they are their Imams.
If it is said who are the best of the earth, it is said they are.
No generous man can reach their far purpose.
No people, though generous, can compete with them (for generosity).
They are rain when a crisis happens.
They are lions when fear becomes intense.
Poverty does not decrease the relief from their hands.
That is the same, whether they are rich or poor.
Misfortune and tribulation are driven away through their love.
Kindness and the blessings are regained through it.
In every affair their praise is after the praise of God.
The speech is ended by it.
Abasement refuses to stop at their space.
Their natures are noble, and their hands are full of liberality.
None of mankind has within their souls such primacy as he does or such grace as he does.
Whoever knows God, knows His friend. Our Religion came from the House of this man.
Hisham was so furious at al-Farazdaq after hearing this poem, he ordered that he should be imprisoned in Asfan,
located between Mecca and Medina. In prison, he continued to write poetry in favor of the Ahl al-Bayt. Imam Zayn al-
Abidin sent some money to al-Farazdaq, since he was in the prison and had no means of earning his livelihood. Al-
Farazdaq didn’t accept it and said that he had recited the poem only to please God. The Imam insisted and sent him
the money saying: “God Almighty is well aware of your intention, and will reward you appropriately. If you accept this
money, it shall not reduce your reward from God.” And he urged al-Farazdaq to accept the gift and finally al-
Farazdaq accepted it.
‫اﻟﺣ َر ُم‬ َ ‫ْت ﯾﻌْ ِرﻓُ ُﮫ َواﻟ ِﺣ ﱡل َو‬ ُ ‫َواﻟ َﺑﯾ‬ ،ُ‫ﻌرفُ اﻟ َﺑ ْطﺣﺎ ُء َو ْطﺄ َﺗﮫ‬ ِ ‫َھذا اﻟّذي َﺗ‬
َ‫اﻟﻌﻠ ُم‬ ّ ّ
َ ‫ھذا اﻟﺗﻘﻲّ اﻟﻧﻘﻲّ اﻟطﺎ ِھ ُر‬ ّ ّ ُ َ
،‫ﯾر ﻋِ ﺑﺎ ِد ﷲ ﻛﻠ ِﮭ ُم‬ ِ ‫ھذا اﺑنُ ﺧ‬
‫ِﺑ َﺟ ّد ِه أ ْﻧ ِﺑ َﯾﺎ ُء ﷲ َﻗ ْد ُﺧ ِﺗﻣُوا‬ ،ُ‫ إنْ ُﻛ ْﻧتَ ﺟﺎ ِھ َﻠﮫ‬،ٍ‫ھذا اﺑنُ ﻓﺎط َﻣﺔ‬
‫اﻟﻌﺟ ُم‬ َ ‫ﻌرفُ ﻣن أﻧ َﻛرْ تَ َو‬ ِ ‫اﻟﻌُرْ بُ َﺗ‬ ،‫ﺎﺋره‬ ِ ‫ﺑﺿ‬ َ ‫ َﻣن ھذا؟‬:‫ك‬ َ ُ‫ْس َﻗ ْوﻟ‬ َ ‫َو َﻟﯾ‬
‫ َوﻻ َﯾﻌرُوھُﻣﺎ َﻋدَ ُم‬،‫ﻔﺎن‬ ِ ‫ﯾُﺳْ َﺗ ْو َﻛ‬ َ ٌ
،‫ﻛِﻠﺗﺎ َﯾدَ ْﯾ ِﮫ ﻏِ َﯾﺎث َﻋ ﱠم ﻧﻔ ُﻌ ُﮭ َﻣﺎ‬ ْ
ّ
‫ﻠق َواﻟﺷﯾ ُم‬ َ
ِ ‫ ﺣُﺳنُ اﻟﺧ‬:‫اﺛﻧﺎن‬ ِ ‫َﯾ ِزﯾ ُﻧ ُﮫ‬ ،ُ‫ ﻻ ُﺗﺧﺷﻰ َﺑ َوا ِد ُره‬،ِ‫اﻟﺧﻠِﯾ َﻘﺔ‬ َ ‫َﺳ ْﮭ ُل‬
َ ُ
‫ ﺗﺣﻠو ﻋﻧدَ هُ ﻧ َﻌ ُم‬،‫ﻣﺎﺋل‬ َ ّ
ِ ‫ﺣُﻠوُ اﻟﺷ‬ ُ
،‫ إذا اﻓﺗ ِدﺣُوا‬،‫أﻗو ٍام‬ َ ‫أﺛﻘﺎل‬
ِ ‫َﺣﻣّﺎ ُل‬
‫ت ﻻ َءهُ َﻧ َﻌ ُم‬ ْ ‫َﻟ ْوﻻ اﻟ ّﺗ َﺷ ّﮭ ُد ﻛﺎ َﻧ‬ ،ِ‫ إﻻّ ﻓﻲ َﺗ َﺷ ﱡﮭ ِده‬،‫ﻗط‬ ‫ ﻻ ﱡ‬:‫ﻣﺎ ﻗﺎل‬
https://ballandalus.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/poem-by-al-farazdaq-d-730-about-zayn-al-abideen-ali-ibn-al-husayn-d-712/ 2/3
‫‪10/5/2018‬‬ ‫‪Poem by al-Farazdaq (d. 730) about Zayn al-Abideen Ali ibn al-Husayn (d. 712) « Ballandalus‬‬

‫واﻟﻌدَ ُم‬ ‫ﻼق َ‬ ‫َﻋ ْﻧﮭﺎ اﻟﻐَ ﯾﺎھِبُ واﻹﻣْ ُ‬ ‫ت‬‫ﺑﺎﻹﺣﺳﺎن‪ ،‬ﻓﺎ ْﻧ َﻘ َﺷ َﻌ ْ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫َﻋ ﱠم اﻟ َﺑ ِر ّﯾ َﺔ‬
‫ﺎر ِم ھذا َﯾ ْﻧ َﺗ ِﮭﻲ اﻟ َﻛ َر ُم‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ﻛ‬‫َ‬ ‫ﻣ‬
‫َ‬ ‫إﻟﻰ‬ ‫ﮭﺎ‪:‬‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫ﻠ‬ ‫ﺋ‬
‫ِ‬ ‫ﻗﺎ‬ ‫ﻗﺎل‬ ‫ْشٌ‬ ‫ﯾ‬ ‫ر‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫ﻗ‬ ‫ُ‬
‫ﮫ‬ ‫ﺗ‬‫ْ‬ ‫أ‬ ‫إذ َر‬
‫ِﯾن َﯾ ْﺑ َﺗﺳِ ُم‬‫َﻓ َﻣﺎ ُﯾ َﻛﻠﱠ ُم إﻻّ ﺣ َ‬ ‫ُﻐﺿﻰ ﻣن َﻣﮭﺎ َﺑﺗِﮫ‪،‬‬ ‫ﯾ ُْﻐﺿِ ﻲ َﺣﯾﺎءً‪َ ،‬وﯾ َ‬
‫ِﺑ َﻛ ّﻔ ِﮫ َﺧ ْﯾ ُز َرانٌ ِرﯾ ُﺣ ُﮫ َﻋ ِﺑ ٌق‪ ،‬ﻣن َﻛفّ أرْ َو َع‪ ،‬ﻓﻲ ﻋِ رْ ﻧِﯾ ِﻧ ِﮫ ﺷ َﻣ ُم‬
‫اﻟﺣطِ ِﯾم إذا ﻣﺎ َﺟﺎ َء َﯾﺳ َﺗﻠِ ُم‬ ‫ر ُْﻛنُ َ‬ ‫اﺣ ِﺗﮫِ‪،‬‬ ‫ﻓﺎن َر َ‬ ‫َﯾﻛﺎ ُد ﯾُﻣْ ﺳِ ُﻛ ُﮫ ﻋِ رْ َ‬
‫ذاك َﻟ ُﮫ ﻓﻲ َﻟ ْو ِﺣ ِﮫ اﻟ َﻘ َﻠ ُم‬ ‫َﺟ َرى ِﺑ َ‬ ‫ظ َﻣﮫُ‪،‬‬ ‫ﷲ َﺷرّ َﻓ ُﮫ ﻗ ِْدﻣﺎً‪َ ،‬و َﻋ ّ‬
‫ﻷوّ ﻟِ ّﯾ ِﺔ َھذا‪ْ ،‬أو َﻟ ُﮫ ﻧِﻌ ُم‬ ‫ت ﻓﻲ ِر َﻗ ِﺎﺑ ِﮭ ُم‪،‬‬ ‫ْﺳ ْ‬ ‫اﻟﺧﻼﺋ ِِق َﻟﯾ َ‬ ‫أيﱡ َ‬
‫ت ھذا َﻧﺎ َﻟ ُﮫ اﻷ ُ َﻣ ُم‬ ‫ﻓﺎﻟ ﱢدﯾنُ ﻣِن َﺑﯾ ِ‬ ‫َﻣن َﯾﺷ ُﻛ ِر ﷲ َﯾﺷ ُﻛرْ أوّ ﻟِ ّﯾ َﺔ ذا؛‬
‫َﻋﻧﮭﺎ اﻷﻛفﱡ ‪ ،‬وﻋن إدراﻛِﮭﺎ اﻟ َﻘدَ ُم‬ ‫ّﯾن اﻟﺗﻲ َﻗﺻ َُرت‬ ‫ﯾُﻧﻣﻰ إﻟﻰ ُذرْ َو ِة اﻟد ِ‬
‫ت َﻟ ُﮫ اﻷ ُ َﻣ ُم‬ ‫َو َﻓﺿْ ُل أ ُ ّﻣ ِﺗ ِﮫ دا َﻧ ْ‬ ‫َﻣنْ َﺟ ﱡدهُ دان َﻓﺿْ ُل اﻷ ْﻧ ِﺑﯾﺎ ِء َﻟﮫُ؛‬
‫ﺷ َﯾ ُم‬ ‫ﻐﺎر ُﺳ ُﮫ واﻟﺧِﯾ ُم َواﻟ ّ‬ ‫ت َﻣ ِ‬ ‫َطﺎ َﺑ ْ‬ ‫ُول ﷲ َﻧﺑ َْﻌ ُﺗﮫُ‪،‬‬ ‫ُﻣ ْﺷ َﺗ ّﻘ ٌﺔ ﻣِنْ َرﺳ ِ‬
‫إﺷراﻗِﮭﺎ ﱡ‬
‫اﻟظ َﻠ ُم‬ ‫ﻧور ﻏرّ ِﺗ ِﮫ ﻛﺎﻟﺷﻣس َﺗﻧﺟﺎبُ ﻋن َ‬ ‫َﯾ ْﻧ َﺷ ّق َﺛ ْوبُ اﻟد َّﺟﻰ ﻋن ِ‬
‫ﺻ ُم‬ ‫ُﻛ ْﻔرٌ‪َ ،‬وﻗُرْ ُﺑ ُﮭ ُم َﻣﻧﺟﻰً َوﻣُﻌ َﺗ َ‬ ‫ﺿ ُﮭ ُم‬ ‫ﻣن َﻣﻌ َﺷ ٍر ُﺣ ﱡﺑ ُﮭ ْم دِﯾنٌ ‪َ ،‬وﺑ ُْﻐ ُ‬
‫ﻓﻲ ﻛ ّل َﺑ ْدءٍ‪َ ،‬و َﻣﺧﺗو ٌم ﺑﮫ اﻟ َﻛﻠِ ُم‬ ‫ُﻣ َﻘ ﱠد ٌم ﺑﻌد ذ ِْﻛ ِر ﷲ ذ ِْﻛ ُر ُھ ُم‪،‬‬
‫ْأو ﻗﯾل‪» :‬ﻣن ﺧﯾ ُر أھل اﻷرْ ض؟« ﻗﯾل‪ :‬ھم‬ ‫إنْ ُﻋ ّد أھْ ُل اﻟ ّﺗ َﻘﻰ ﻛﺎﻧوا أ ِﺋ ّﻣ َﺗﮭ ْم‪،‬‬
‫ِﯾﮭ ُم َﻗ ْو ٌم‪َ ،‬وإنْ َﻛ ُرﻣُوا‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ﻧ‬ ‫ُدا‬‫ﯾ‬ ‫ﻻ‬ ‫و‬ ‫َ‬ ‫‪،‬‬ ‫م‬
‫ُ‬ ‫ھ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫د‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ُو‬ ‫ﺟ‬ ‫ﻌدَ‬ ‫ﺑ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ﻻ َﯾﺳ َﺗطﯾ ُﻊ َﺟ َوا ٌد‬
‫ﺷ َرى‪َ ،‬واﻟﺑﺄسُ ﻣﺣﺗد ُم‬ ‫َواﻷُﺳ ُد أُﺳ ُد اﻟ ّ‬ ‫ت‪،‬‬ ‫أز َﻣ ٌﺔ َ‬
‫أز َﻣ ْ‬ ‫ُوث‪ ،‬إذا ﻣﺎ ْ‬ ‫ُھ ُم اﻟ ُﻐﯾ ُ‬
‫ّﺎن ذﻟك‪ :‬إن أ َﺛ َر ْوا َوإنْ َﻋ ِدﻣُوا‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ﯾ‬ ‫ﺳِ‬ ‫؛‬ ‫م‬
‫ُ‬ ‫ﮭ‬
‫ِ‬ ‫ّ‬
‫ﻔ‬ ‫ﻛ‬‫ُ‬ ‫أ‬ ‫ﻣن‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ﺎ‬ ‫ﺳط‬ ‫ﺑ‬
‫َ‬ ‫ُ‬
‫ر‬ ‫ُﺳ‬ ‫ﻌ‬ ‫اﻟ‬ ‫ِصُ‬ ‫ﻻ ﯾُﻧﻘ‬
‫َوﯾُﺳْ َﺗ َربّ ِﺑ ِﮫ اﻹﺣْ َﺳﺎنُ َواﻟ ﱢﻧ َﻌ ُم‬ ‫ُﺳﺗد َﻓ ُﻊ اﻟﺷرﱡ َواﻟ َﺑ ْﻠ َوى ﺑ ُﺣﺑ ِّﮭ ُم‪،‬‬ ‫ﯾ ْ‬
‫)‪(Source: Ali Hujwiri (d. 1077), Kashf al-Mahjub‬‬

‫‪https://ballandalus.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/poem-by-al-farazdaq-d-730-about-zayn-al-abideen-ali-ibn-al-husayn-d-712/‬‬ ‫‪3/3‬‬