Zikr-e-Shahadat

A translation of the Urdu elegy “Zikr e Shahadat" by Mawlana Hassan Raza Khan

Bagh jannat kay hain behr-e-midah-khwaan-e-Ahle Bayt
Tum ko mizhdah naar ka ay dushmanaan e Ahle Bayt

The gardens of Paradise await the eulogisers of the Ahlul Bayt
For you glad tidings of Hellfire O’ enemies of the Ahlul Bayt ! [1]

Kis zabaan se ho bayaan ‘izz o shaan e Ahle Bayt
Madahgo-ye Mustafa hai madahkhwaan e Ahle Bayt

How can one’s tongue do justice to the glory of the Ahlul Bayt?
He actually praises the Prophet—the one who praises the Ahlul Bayt

Unki paaki ka Khuda e Paak karta hai bayaan
Aayah e Tatheer se zahir hai shan e Ahl e Bayt

The Pure God Himself mentions their purity:
The Verse of Purification [2] shows the purity of the Ahlul Bayt

Mustafa izzat badhanay kay liye ta’zim dein
Hai buland iqbal tera doodmaan e Ahle Bayt

Mustafa, the Chosen One, respects you to increase your honour
How elevated is your good fortune O’ family of the Ahlul Bayt!

Unkay ghar bay-ijazat Jibril aatay nahin
Qadr walay jaantay hain, qadr-o-shan e Ahle Bayt

Gabriel dares not enter their house without prior permission!
The worthy ones know the worth of the Ahlul Bayt!

Mustafa ba’-ye-kharidar uss ka Allah ashtari
Khoob chandi kar raha karvaan e Ahle Bayt

The Prophet is the buyer, Allah the seller!
How much business it is doing, the caravan of the Ahlul Bayt!

Razm ka maidan bana hai jalva gah e husn o ‘ishq
Karbala mein ho raha hai imtehan e Ahle Bayt!

The place of love and beauty has become a field of combat
Their love is being tested in Karbala, the Ahlul Bayt!

Phool zakhmon kay khilaaye hain havaaye dost ne
Khoon say seenchaa gaya hai gulistan e Ahle Bayt

The breeze from the Friend has spread wounds like flowers
With blood is watered the rose-garden of the Ahlul Bayt!

Hoorain karti hain ‘aroosan e shahadat ka singar
Khoobru dulha bana hai har javaan e Ahl e Bayt

The houris themselves bedeck the brides of martyrdom
Like a handsome groom today every youth of the Ahlul Bayt

Ho gayee tahqiq e ‘eid e deed aab e taigh se
Apne rozay kholtain hain sa’imaan e Ahle Bayt

The blood from the swords served as a sighting of the Eid moon
Thus do they break their fasts today, those fasting from the Ahlul Bayt!

Juma’h ka din hai, kitabein zeest kii tai karke aaj
Khailtay hain jaan par shahzadaan e Ahl e Bayt

It is Friday and with their lives they are firmly resolved
To lay down their lives, these Princes of the Ahlul Bayt

Ay shabab e fasl e gul yeh chal gayee kaisee havaa
KaT raha hai lehlehata bustan e Ahle Bayt

Oh youthful roses what kind of storm is this blowing?
That is cutting down the blossoming garden of the Ahlul Bayt?

Kis shaqqi ki hai hukumat, haaye kya andhera hai
Din dihaaray lut raha hai kaarvaan e Ahle Bayt

Which tyrant is in power? Oh what darkness!
In broad daylight is being looted the caravan of the Ahlul Bayt!

Khushk ho jaa khaak ho kar, khaak mein mil jaa ay Furat
Khaak tujh par dekh tu sookhi zabaan e Ahle Bayt!

Become dry, be nothing O’ Euphrates, turn to dust!
Shame on you for silently watching the parched tongues of the Ahlul Bayt!

Khaak par Abbas Alamdaar hain
Bekasi ab kaun uthaaye ga nishan e Ahle Bayt?

Abbas the Flagbearer are on the dusty ground
Helplessness, who now shall carry the flag of the Ahlul Bayt?

Teri qudrat jaanvar tak aab se seraab hon
Pyaas ki shiddat mein tarap rahey bai-zabaan e Ahle Bayt

Thou God art all Powerful! Even animals quench their thirst
But from thirst do writhe the speechless amongst the Ahlul Bayt!

Qafila salaar manzil ko chalay hain saump kar
Waris e bay-warisan ko kaarvaan e Ahle Bayt

The leaders of the Caravan are going away leaving
In charge to heirs of the heirless the caravan of the Ahlul Bayt.

Fatima kay laadlay ka akhri deedar hai
Hashr ka hungama barpaa hai miyaan e Ahle Bayt

It is the last vision of Fatima’s darling
The Day of Judgement has come amidst the Ahlul Bayt!

Waqt e rukhsat keh raha hai khaak mein miltaa suhaag
Lo salam e aakhri ay bevagaan e Ahle Bayt

It is time to part and so speaks the bridegroom as he writhes in the dust:
“Accept my final greetings O’ widows of the Ahlul Bayt!

Abr fauj e dushmanaan mein ay falak yoon doob jaaye
Fatima ka chand mehr e aasmaan e Ahle Bayt

May the clouds, O’ sky, gather over the enemies’ army.
Fatima’s moon is the sun of the empyrean of the Ahlul Bayt!

Kis mazay ki lazzatein hain, aab e taigh e Yaar mein
Khaak o khoon mein lootay hain tishgaan e Ahle Bayt

What joyous bliss is this they experience, from the water o’ the Friend’s sword
Amidst the blood and dust, the thirsty of the Ahlul Bayt?

Bagh e jannat cho kar aaye hain Mahboob e Khuda
Ay zahe qismat tumhaarii kashtgaan e Ahle Bay

The Beloved of God himself has come, leaving Paradise
Oh how great is your destiny, Oh slain ones amongst the Ahlul Bayt!

Hoorain bay-pardah nikal aayii hain sar kholay hu’ay
Aaj kaisa hashr hai barpaa miyaan e Ahle Bayt

The houris have come out bare-headed their hair dishevelled!
What a terrible calamity is befalling the Ahlul Bayt!

Koi kyoon pooche kissi ko, kyaa gharaz ay bekasi?
Aaj kaisa hai mareez e neem jaan e Ahle Bayt

Why should anyone bother to ask? Who will care, O helplessness?
How fares the barely-alive, sorely ill one from amongst the Ahlul Bayt? [3]

Ghar lutana jaan dena koi tujh se seekh jaaye
Jaan e aalam ho fida ay khaandaan e Ahle Bayt

One should learn the spirit of ultimate sacrifice from you!
May the world be sacrificed for you, O’ family of the Ahlul Bayt!

Sar shahidan e mohabbat kay hain naizon par buland
Aur oonchii ki Khuda ne qadr o shaan e Ahle Bayt

Heads of the martyrs of love are raised atop lances, spears
God has elevated even higher the status of the Ahlul Bayt!

Dawlat e deedar paayi paak jaanein baich kar
Karbala mein khoob chamki dukaan e Ahle Bayt

They achieved the Divine Vision by selling their lives
How well it performed in Karbala, this business of the Ahlul Bayt!

Zakhm khaanay ko tau aab e taigh peenay ko diya
Khoob da’wat ki bulaa kar dushmanaan e Ahle Bayt

Wounds to eat and blood from swords to drink:
What a meal they gave after inviting them—the foes of the Ahlul Bayt!

Apna sauda baich kar bazaar soona kar gaye
Kaunsee basti basayi taajiraan e Ahle Bayt

By selling their lives they cleaned up the bazaar
What a place they inhabited these merchants of the Ahlul Bayt!

Ahle Bayt e paak se gustaakhiyaan, bai-baakiyaan
La’anatullahi ‘alaykum ay dushmanaan e Ahle Bayt

Insolence and disrespect towards the pure Ahlul Bayt?
“May Allah’s curse be upon you, O’ enemies of the Ahlul Bayt!

Bay adab, gustaakh firqay ko sunaa do ay Hassan
Yoon karte hain Sunni, daastaan e Ahle Bayt!

Recite this to the disrespectful, insolent sect O’ Hassan:
This is how the Sunnis remember the story of the Ahlul Bayt!


Footnotes:
1. Ahle Bayt [or Ahlul Bayt in Arabic]: term for the People of the House and, specifically, referring to the Family of the Prophet i.e. Imam Hasan, Imam Husayn, Lady Fatima and Imam Ali (and their descendents).
2. Qur’an 33:33: "Allah's wish is but to remove uncleanness far from you, O Folk of the Household, and cleanse you with a thorough cleansing." (33:33)
3. i.e. the saintly and ascetic Ali ibn Husayn ibn Ali, known as Zayn al Abidin, the son of Imam Husayn and the Fourth Imam of the Ahlul Bayt. He was very ill during the tragedy of Karbala.