Download the complete book in PDF: Commentary of Qasidah Burdah (Complete)

اَمِنْ تَذَكُّرِ جِيْرَانٍ مبِذِىْ سَلَمٖ

مَزَجْتَ دَمْعًا جَرٰى مِنْ مُّقْلةَ ٍم بِدَمٖ

 

AMIN TAZAKKURI JEERAANIM BE ZEE SALAMI

MAZAJTA DAM’AN JARAA MIM MUQLATIM BIDAMI

 

Are You thinking of the Neighbours Zee Salam

and shedding these Tears of Blood?

 

The heart has become restless due to the secret of this love, which the lover has kept very safely, as he does not want it to be exposed. This restlessness is making him helpless, though great caution had been taken that the secret is not exposed, but alas, the eyes tore the veils of this secret.

 

Now in order to hide the secret of this Special Lover: His Name was concealed and a Special Place like Zee Salam was revealed.

 

He speaks about this secret of those Neighbours and says:  Today are you thinking of the Neighbours Zee Salam and shedding these Tears of Blood? Are these Memories making your Heart restless?

Then also, you are keeping all these things a secret; you do not even know who that special person of Zee Salam is, that is bringing these tears to your eyes.

 

 

(2)

اَمْ هَبَّتِ الرِّيْحُ مِنْ تلِقَآءِ كَاظِمَةٍ

اَوْاَوْمَضَ الْبَرْقُ فيِ الظَّلْمَآءِ مِنْ اِضَمٖ

 

AM  HABBATIR REEHU MIN TILQAAHI KAAZIMATIN

WA OWMADAL BARQU FIZ ZALMAAHI MIN IDHAMI

 

Have the memories of Kaazima (a village in Madina) or the dazzling lightning of Izam (a hill in Madina) made You shed these Tears of blood?

 

Allama Kharpoti (alayhir rehmah) in his Commentary relates: Oh Denier! You have hidden the secret of this love. You can deny this a thousand times, but there are so many proofs that you cannot deny it. If it is not through the memories of Zee Salam, then it must be the Mountain of Kaazima where the Glorious Beloved is present.

The breeze from there and the environment of these places, maybe bringing memories and it is increasing this sadness. It must be the Dazzling Lightning of Izam, which is making you restless in the darkness and reminding you of the Beloved.

 

 

(3) 

فَمَا لِعَيْنَیْكَ اِنْ قُلْتَ اكْفُفَا هَمَتاَ

وَمَالقِلَبِکَ اِنْ قُلْتَ اسْتَفِقْ يَهَمٖ

 

FAMA LEE AYNAYKA IN KULTAK-FUFA HAMATA

WAMA LIQALBIKA IN KULTAS TAFIQ YAHIMI

 

What happened to Your Eyes that when You say to it to stop tearing, it sheds more tears?

What happened to your Heart that when You say to it to relax, it grieves more?

 

Allama Sharufuddin Bosairi (rehmatullahi alayhi) addresses his Soul and says: If these tears were not due to these things, then what had befallen these tears that when you are trying to stop them from falling, they begin to tear more. The grief that is overpowering this sad heart is when You said to it, be cautious and peaceful, and then it became sadder.

 

(4)

اَيَحْسَبُ الصَّبُّ اَنَّ الْحُبَّ مُنْكَتِمٌ

مَابَيْنَ مُنْسَجِمٍ مِّنْہُ وَمُضْطَرِمٖ

 

AYA’HSABUS SABBU ANNAL HUBBA MUNKATIMUN

MA BAYNA MUNSAJIMIM MINHU WAMUZTARIMI

 

Do You expect that the secret of the love, of a lover of one who weeps, will remain unexposed, when the lover is in between the weeping eyes and a restless heart?

 

The lover thinks that his love will remain a secret, though these things are revealed upon him i.e. his weeping eyes and restless heart. Now it is impossible for these secrets to remain hidden, because his weeping eyes and restless heart are exposing the veils of his love.

 

(5)

لَوْلَاالْهَوٰى لَمْ تُرِقْ دَمْعًا عَلٰی طَلَلٍ

وَّ لَاۤ اَرِقْتَ لِذِكْرِالْباَنِ وَالْعَلَمٖ

 

LOWLAL HAWA LAM TURIQ DAM’AN ALAH TALALIN

WALA ARIQTA LIZIKRIL BAANI WAL ALAMI

 

If You were not in love, you will not be weeping in the Deserts.

Neither the Hill nor the Cypress Tree would keep you awake.

 

In order to expose this denial, it is compulsory for the accuser to show some proofs.

 

So he says:  If the Ruler of the Love of Madina was not in the Heart, then from this Sacred Body, why do we see your eyes weeping?  Why are you restless with the increasing memories of the Cypress Tree and Beloved Mountain?

 

In other words, Allama says: Oh Denier of this love, if you do not suffer from the agony of love then why are you weeping? Are you weeping because of the memories of the Beloved’s deserts and that Cypress Tree? Does it remind you of this love or has that Alam (Mt. An-am) bought back memories? Why do these things keep you awake?

 

Allama Bosairi (rehmatullahi alayhi) shows these examples and exposes that Love.

 

(6)

فَكَيْفَ تُنْكِرُ حُبًّامبَعْدَمَاشَهِدَتْ

بِهٖ عَليَكَ عَدُوْلُ الدَّمْعِ وَالسَّقَمٖ

 

FAKAYFA TUNKIRU HUBBAM BA’DA MA SHAHIDAT

BIHI ALAYKA UDOOLUD DAMHI WAS SAQAMI

 

How can You deny this love, when the Weeping Eyes and Ailing Heart are the reliable witnesses of this love?

 

It is like a lover who is denying his love to a claimant and says your witnesses are not reliable. Then the Court awards the claimant, when he shows solid proofs.

 

So the Judge says Fakayfa Tunkiru, how can you deny this love, when there are  two reliable witnesses present.

  2. Ailing Heart.

 

The heart of a lover was never pleased to disclose this love but when the testifiers are two truthful witnesses then one helplessly has to agree. So in this manner, both the Eyes and Ailing Heart gave testimony.

 

Allama Kharpoti (rehmatullahi alayhi) said: In this Sacred Qasida there are six  Secrets that the Holy Prophet (swallal lahu alayhi wasallam) heard and expressed His Love towards it. So whenever one reads these Couplets with the Secrets he must repeat it thrice.

 

From the six Secrets, the above Couplet was the first Secret.

 

 

(7) 

وَاَثْبَتَ الْوَجْدُ خَطَّيْ عَبْرَةٍ وَّضَنىً

مِثْلَ الْبَهَارِ عَلىَ خَدَّيْكَ وَالْعَنَمٖ

 

WA ASBATAL WAJDU KHATTAY ABRATIW WADHANAN

MISLAL BAHAARI ALAH KHADDAYKA WAL ANAMI

 

This sadness of love has left two permanent marks on your Pale Cheeks,

through the constant flow of tears, which resembles the blooming rose and red like the branch of sadness, there is no use denying it now.

 

Allama describes that so many tears were shed, that even tears of blood began to flow and two thin streaks were formed on the Sacred Cheeks. One was due to weeping constantly and the other due to the sadness of the heart.  So he addresses the Soul and says: Now, how will You deny it when this secret of the love has been exposed due to the grieving Heart. Even the Court has given the verdict and no one can oppose it. They are inscribed on Your Sacred Red Cheeks and whomever will see your Sacred Cheeks will immediately say: “Indeed You are a True Lover.”

 

 

(8)

نَعَمْ سَرٰى طَيْفُ مَنْ اَهْوٰى فَاَرَقَّنِىْ

وَالْحُبُّ يَعْتَرِضُ اللَّذَّاتِ بِاْلاَلمَٖ

 

NAHAM SARAA TAYFU MAN AH’WA FA-ARRAQANI

WAL HUBBU YA’TIRIZUL LAZZAATI BIL ALAMI

 

Yes! The journey of the night has reminded me of the Beloved. It made me restless and kept me awake for the whole night.

In love, all luxuries are destroyed. Grief and sorrows become more beloved.

 

When the claimant brought proofs and closed all the paths of denial then helplessly, he had to agree.

 

So now He describes the condition of his love and says: Yes! During the night I was thinking of the Beloved and the Picture of my Beloved snatched my sleep away. His Love has turned all my luxuries into grief and sorrow.

 

(9)

يَا لَآ ئِمِىْ فيِ الْهَوٰى الْعُذْرِىِّ مَعْذِرَةً

مِّنِّیْۤ اِلَيْكَ وَ لَوْ اَنْصَفْتَ لَمْ تَلُمٖ

 

YA LAA-IMI FIL HAWAL UZRIYYI MA’ZIRATAN

MINNI ILAYKA WALOW ANSAFTA LAM TALUMI

 

Oh Exposer! You disclosed the secret of my love for the Tribe Bani Uzra,

I am disclosing my subjection in front of you.

If you are just, then you will not torment me.

 

Allama says: “Oh Exposer! You exposed that love that was in my Heart for Bani Uzra, the love that had become firm.”

 

If you look towards the reality of this love and do justice, then you will not torment me and regard my excuse as worthy of Acceptance.

 

Hazrat Asma’ee relates that he intended to go to a certain tribe of the Bedouins, whose fluency and maturity of the language were very popular. He intended to learn the language from them. When he began to inquire and look for the Bani Uzra, he discovered that they were now living in Yemen. Their fluency and maturity of the Language were worthy of Praises. When he reached there, he heard about the condition of someone’s daughter, who was beautiful, steadfast, spoke the language fluently and free of accusations. In his heart, he admired her and proceeded further to meet the people of the tribe.

 

On the way he saw a young handsome person.  Due to being in love with someone, he was becoming thin like a toothpick. His face had turned pale and the signs of love were shining brightly on him. It seemed he was likely to die very soon. When he was asked the reason of this condition, he expressed his love. He loved the same girl whom Asma’ee had heard about. She was the daughter of the lover’s uncle whom the lover had not seen for several years. Asma’ee says that he went to the uncle’s house, in order to represent him and ease his miseries. He pleaded: Oh reliever of the wounds of someone’s grieving heart! I see the solution of that poor person in your house. I have come on behalf of him. Please remove the difficulties of this young person. The uncle accepted my proposal and I hurried back to give the good news to the grieving lover.

 

When I told him the good news, suddenly some dust flew towards them from beneath the beloved’s shoes. Due to this the lad fell unconscious and in this condition, he fell into this fire and some parts of his body got burnt. Asma’ee rushed to the girl’s house and told her everything and she said:  Oh Asma’ee! When he does not possess the strength to see the dust of my shoes then how will he be able to see my beauty. Asma’ee relates another incident that in this same Tribe, he saw a rock, on which these words were inscribed:

 

Oh Group of Lovers! Tell me after taking the Oath of Allah, that when the love of a Beloved becomes unbearable, what should the lover do?

 

Asma’ee says, he wrote these words under this question:

One should hide the love, conceal the secret of the love of the beloved and  have patience over every hardship and restlessness.

One should fear that the Beloved does not become unconcerned.

 

The next day, when Asma’ee passed by that place, he saw these words written:

How does one hide the love, when a beautiful murderer is destroying the Soul every moment?

 

Asma’ee wrote this words under that question:

If one does not have the strength to have patience and is incapable to conceal this secret, then there is nothing better than death for such a lover.

 

The third day he saw this inscription:

We heard the answer, obeyed it and passed away.

May our greetings reach those who are worthy of meeting.

Congratulation to those who receive favours and droughts had drunk the blood of the hearts of the deceased lovers.

 

 

(10)

عَدَتْكَ حَالِىْ وَلَاسِرِّىْ بِمُسْتَتِرٍ

عَنِ الْوُشَّاةِ وَلَادَّآئِىْ بِمُنْحَسِمٖ

 

ADATKA HAALI LAH SIRRI BE MUSTATIRIN

ANIL WUSHAATI WALA DAAHI BE MUNHASIMI

 

The state of my condition has reached you, or may your condition become like my your condition.

Now it is impossible for my secret to be concealed from the people.

Then also this agony of love will never be alleviated from me.

 

In this couplet, since the defaulter was finding faults of the lover, the lover replies back. He says: “May Allah make your condition like how I feel, so that you can also feel the taste of these accusations.”

 

It is also reflecting towards this Hadith: The Holy Prophet (swallal lahu alayhi wasallam) said: Whoever finds faults with his fellow Muslim then before his death, he will be put to a test.

 

(11)

مَحَضْتَنِىْ النُّصْحَ لٰكِنْ لَّسْتُ اَسْمَعُهٗ

اِنَّ الْمُحِبَّ عَنِ الْعُذَّالِ فِیْ صَمَمٖ

 

MAHADTANIN NUS-HA LAAKIN LASTU ASMA’UHU

INNAL MUHIBBA ANIL UZZAALI FEE SAMAMI

 

You have given advice to me for no reason. I am not prepared to listen to it because a lover is deaf from hearing the sounds of critics and faults.

 

Just like it is reported in a Hadith that the love of certain things makes one blind and deaf. Allama Bosairi (rehmatullahi alayhi) says that indeed your advice was humble and good. By listening to it, it kept me deaf, so what must I practice when I could not listen to it.

 

(12) 

اِنِّیْ اتَّهَمْتُ  نَصِيْحَ الشَّيْبِ فِیْ عَذَلِىْ

وَالشَّيْبُ اَبْعَدُ فِىْ نُصْحٍ عَنِ التُّهَمٖ

 

INNIT TAHAMTU NASEEHASH SHAYBI FEE AZALI

WASH SHAYBU AB-ADU FEE NUS-HIN ANIT TUHAMI

 

Indeed I am ashamed of this old age, which was an adviser with the tongue.

I have disobeyed or was protected by tenderness, to follow the advises of this old age and bearing the difficulties of this old age was a very different thing.

 

When Ameerul Moh’mineen Hazrat Umar (radi Allahu anhu) became the Khalifa, He appointed a Bedouin, to specially come to his door everyday and make this announcement: Oh Umar! Do not forget death.  For the period that you reside in this World, you must do so by leaving behind good things.

 

Once he saw some white hair in his beard and he stopped the Bedouin from making this announcement and said: My caller is in front of my eyes, I do not need you to remind me of it now.

 

So Allama says that my old age was making me feel ashamed and it was stopping me from going towards the wrong path.

 

So in this state, how can the accuser’s critics come in front of me, when I have regarded this old age, as the truth and accepted the news of being very close to death.

مَوْلَاىَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَآئِمًا اَبَدًا

عَلىٰ حَبِيْبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمٖ

 

Mowla Ya Swalli Wa Sallim Daa’iman Abadan

Alah Habeebika Khayril Khalqi Kullihimi.