The Daaliyya Song of Shehu Uthman ibn Fuduye`

SANKORE'

Institute of Islamic - African Studies International

دالية الشيخ عثمان بن فودي

The Daaliyya Song

of Shehu Uthman ibn Fuduye` translated by

Shaykh Muhammad Shareef bin Farid

Copyright © 1436/2014 Muhammad Shareef Published by

SANKORE'

Institute of Islamic - African Studies International

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم وصلى الله علي سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم تسليما In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful, may Allah send blessings and abundant peace upon our master Muhammad, his family and Companions. All praises are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds and abundant blessings and most perfect peace be upon the master of the Messengers and Seal of the Prophets, our master and chief Muhammad, his family, Companions, wives and descendents. This poem (qasida) written or ending in the letter daal was composed by the Light of the Age, the Renewer of the Religion, the Reviver of the Sunna, the eleventh Righteous Caliph, Shehu Uthman ibn Fuduye, may Allah be pleased with him. He composed this poem as the poem clearly states at the end in the year 1188 A.H. (1772 C.E.) while he was at the young age of twenty. His brother, Abdullah Dan Fuduye’ counted this poem or song among the first compositions of the Shehu, when he said: “My first poem of note that I can remember was the takhmees (a poem written in five verses) upon the poem of our shaykh, the Amir’l-Mu’mineen, my brother Uthman ibn Muhammad, in praise of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, of which the beginning was:

R Sزور N?9 اJK5LGـــBCD 9@;= FG H F ط@?< =;579ھ JC= Is there for me a way to travel swiftly towards Tayba,

To visit the tomb of the Hashimi Muhammad? Furthermore, this was the first Arabic poem which he composed, as far as I know, …hence he who knows the date of the hijra in this poem of his also knows the beginning of this affair of his of calling the people to the religion, which was about 1188 A.H. (1772 C.E.) - this was about forty years ago.” Thus, Shaykh Abdullahi made this assertion around 1812 just before the Shehu and his jama`at relocated from Sifawa to Sokoto and after he had, as the scholars said, ‘divided up the world.’ The composition of the Daaliyya in 1772 marked the beginning of the reform movement of the Shehu in the central Bilad’s-Sudan. It also indicated a turning point in the Shehu’s

spiritual development which composed of a deep spiritual insecurity, so to speak; or incapacity (`ajz), a recognition and acknowledgment of one’s inability to achieve responsibilities, attain goals, objectives, hopes and dreams. In this case, the Shehu’s spiritual state coincided with the legal concept of capacity (ist`itaa`) and incapacity as delineated in the rites of pilgrimage. The occasion is that the Shehu had been studying at length and in depth with Shaykh Jibril ibn Umar regarding the linguistic and lexical sciences that he had learned in Egypt under the renown spiritual master the

Qutb Shaykh Muhammad Murtada az-Zabidi, the author of the Taaj’l-‘Uruus. After a two year long teaching tour (as well as sabbatical with the learned judges) of the central Bilad’s-Sudan), Shaykh Jibril made the intention to make the pilgrimage to the House of Allah for a second time and to visit and be a guest of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace in al-Medina’l-Munawarra. He also intended to sit and receive transmission in the diverse sciences with the scholars of the Hijaz and Egypt, such as the above mentioned Abu’l-Fayd Muhammad Murtada az-Zabidi al-Husayni al-Waasiti. It was during this time that Shaykh Jibril and his son Shaykh Abu’t-Tawfeeq eradiated a key spiritual station revolving around the person of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Shaykh Jibril and his son conducted lectures on the nature of the Muhammadan Reality (haqeeqat’l-muhammadiyya) throughout Hausaland, the Air and Gurma. Shehu Uthman was among the leading students of Shaykh Jibril at that time who actually accompanied the Shaykh on his tours and learned the fine art of the transmission of learning. It was during this explosive intellectual period that the Shehu attained an extreme state of yearning to be in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace literally in terms of outward adherence to his Sunna and figuratively in terms of behaving in accordance with his sublime character and experiencing the spiritual states and stations commiserate with these noble Muhammadan traits (khisaal’l-muhammadiyya). The Shehu received a taste of suhba (companionship) with Muhammad and longed for the kind of discipleship, companionship and prophetic eradiation achieved by the Companions of Muhammad. It was the impossibility of this objective and the nobility that it entailed which increased the inner tension of the Shehu

and the heat of his desire for that station. It was this state of impotence (`ajz) and improbability which defined the inner state of the Shehu at that time. He said:

محمد إال حوى حـــب النبي أقسمت بالرحمن ما لـي مفضل I swear by the Rahman, I possess not a single excellent trait,

I am only totally encompassed in the love of Prophet Muhammad He also said acknowledging his impotence, sins, ignorance and incapacity; as well as a need for the redemptive miracles of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

ومقيد كيف النهوض لموثق د ثقيلة ذنبي قيود والقيــو My sins are like chains and the chains are thick & heavy How can one chained and bound ever be redeemed?

أرجوا الخالص بجاه هذا السيد ع ق إني ذليل بـالذنوب مبر Verily I am debased by my sins that veil me But I hope to be freed from them by the rank of that Chief.

يا عالم األسرار أعذب مورد أخفيت سوء والله له يرىI concealed evil actions, yet it was Allah the Unicity who saw them O Knower of secrets, make my final destination agreeable.

مـحمد ال ملجأ إال بفضل مكثر إني عديم بالخطايـاVerily I am concealed by my errors, which have become many There is no sanctuary except by the virtues of Muhammad.

محمد إال بجـاه ال طمع لي أنا واذا سئلت من المسئ أقلAnd when I am asked: “Who is an evil doer?” I will say: “Me.”

Yet, there is no aspiration for me except by the rank of Muhammad. This weak, aberrant and dependent state coincided with the outwardly legal state of incapacity (bi ghayr’l-isti’taa`) as delineated in the rites of pilgrimage. One of the prerequisites (shuruut) of pilgrimage which precludes its obligation (wujuub) is capacity (al-isti’taa`). Capacity according to the jurists, means the ability to arrive and fulfill all of the religious rites without insurmountable difficulties. It includes financial capacity or a pronounced sense of austerity (zuhd) where the lack of provision is no problem. In the absence of finances it comprises having a profession which would suffice a person throughout the journey. For the believer whose parents are alive, capacity means getting their verbal or written permission. The rights of parents, in terms of caretaking and maintenance, supersede the obligation of the pilgrimage. This was the situation Shehu found himself in Air, when his teachers decided to make the pilgrimage. The Shehu’s father, Fuduye` Muhammad, was in Degel many days journey south of Agadez. Shaykh Jibril refused to allow the Shehu to accompany him without permission from his parents. It was impossible for him to get the verbal or written permission of his father, in the time that his teacher was scheduled to depart. Combine this clear legal incapacity on the part of the Shehu with an intense yearning to be in the presence of the Prophet both literally and figuratively; is what caused a heightened state of tension and despondency. This is what stirred the Shehu to weep from both incapacity and yearning, as his teacher, Shaykh Jibril slowly departed for his second pilgrimage to Mecca. The Shehu said:

محمد شوقا إلـــى هذا النبي غردرت منهل الدمـــوع مؤبال I went away bathed in tears, tears falling like a downpour, Yearning towards that Prophet Muhammad” In another verse he said:

محمد تمحى ذنوب عصاتنا بـ وبشوقه فاضت غروب دموعنا

The withdrawing of our tears have overflowed by his love, The sins of our disobedience are wiped out by Muhammad.

This state naturally induces two possible states: one of extreme depression, decline in faith, inaccessibility and a fall in obedience’; or a collusion of the negative vacuum energy of incapacity with an acute vacuity of yearning which ignited a fusion of energy that radiated the entire bilad’s-Sudan. It was this burst of energy defined as tajdeed which emerged from the Shehu in 1772 and multiplied among his relatives, friends, colleagues and disciples like nuclear fission. The Shehu said about this:

له بمحبة وتــودد ندلي نار الغرام تـجول بين ضلوعناThe fires of passion moves freely between our breasts, I am snatched away towards him with love and longing.

محمد وق النبي ونذوب من ش بين العالمــين بفخره نختان We have been sealed with his honor between the two worlds, We are completely dissolved from devotion to Prophet Muhammad.

أحمد من ذا يماري في فضائل قطعت رقاب المشركين سيوفه His swords have cut the necks of the idolaters' Who can contest the perfections of Ahmad?

ـد من ذا الذي يعلوا علو بعلوه افلت نجـــوم عالهم محم The heights of the stars have set by means of his elevation, Who can reach the exalted ranks of Muhammad?

ب إ ال أنس إال أن نزور ضريـحه في جناب ال خص د المحم There is no intimacy except in visiting his grave, There is no abundance except in proximity to Muhammad.

أحمــد دد ؤ ونسود بينهم بس نسموا علـى كل الورى بسموه We tower above all creatures by means of his eminence,

We have become chieftains among them by the power of Ahmad.

If the Shehu could not go to Muhammad, then he would make the Muhammadan realities an established fact of the central Bilad’s-Sudan in all of its manifestations and effects. Many modern scholars and academics overlook the impact that this spiritual state had on the reform movement established by the Shehu. What is ironic is that this spiritual state emerged from an assiduous attachment to the person of Muhammad, rather than any direct claim of connection to Allah. The outsider and academic observer may assert that this is a kind of ‘hagiography’, saint worship or anthropomorphism. However, this spiritual state is higher than those who claim or even adhere to an absolute adherence to Allah ta`ala alone. The ‘salafist’ will no doubt claim ‘shirk’, predictably misclassifying something that they are intrinsically barred from. This reality is the highest form of gnosis because nothing in existence is capable of having gnosis of Allah ta`ala as He is. The immutability of Allah means that there will always be an aspect of gnosis of Allah closed to all except Him. Thus, Allah ta`ala knowing creations’ incapacity to know Him as He should be known, created from His Light, a light whose gnosis of Allah epitomized all that creation can know of the Absolute Being. He said on the tongue of the Perfect Human: “I was a Hidden Treasure who desired

to be Known, so I created creation.” Muhammad, is the answer to the desire of the Absolute Being to be known. It is for this reason he was named Beloved (al-habeeb), meaning that which is desired, intended and aimed at in creation. This aspect of gnosis of Allah ta`ala is more perfect than those who experience gnosis directly from the Absolute Being without intermediacy. The latter form of gnosis can lead to spiritual madness (majdhuub) blindness (`amaa) and drowning (gharq) due to the strength and intensity of His overwhelming Self Disclosure. The reality of Muhammad is that human channel that defuses the Self Disclosure of the Absolute Being through the medium of the Names and Attributes. The Ninety-Nine Names make a Self Disclosure of the Actions of the Absolute Being throughout the dynamics which comprise and drive existence. It is the Mother of the ten thousand things, as Imam Wang Tai Yu designated it. At the top of this awareness is humanity. The Shehu knew that the quickest and most efficient means to the Absolute Being was through the person of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. So he took that road to his Lord; and brought an entire nation and civilization with him. One physicist described it as creating a vacuum of negative energy, which is instantly filled with the positive energy of the Absolute Being. From the perspective of the art of war, it is being inwardly impregnable while feigning outward debility. It creates a pause and stillness in action, a

vacuum so to speak, inducing the opponent to fill it with his actions. The opponent believes that his actions or attacks are spontaneous and pro-active. In reality he is reacting to a pre-emptive empty action (wu wei – non action). The opponent’s actions are prearranged within in-time event; while your actions (or non action) emerge from the Present Moment. That is the advantage that you have at that moment. You should seize that moment to exhibit the principle or to strike your opponent with the blow intended from the beginning. Its commencement starts with surrendering to a sifu, a sensei, a spiritual master (shaykh) and the discipline of her/his school. In the language of the Shehu, prophet Muhammad constituted the ultimate guide realized in all the matrices of human awareness and experience. It is from this reality that the concept of the Living Sunna emerges. Like the samurai, embrace the idea of death: the death of the lower passions, the death of the ego and the death of the allusion of the management of affairs. The Shehu intended in this moment of complete incapacity and yearning to become annihilated in the Self-form of Muhammad. It was this state which induced the Daaliyya also named after its first verse: ‘hal lee maseerun…?’ One can say that this song is the anthem defining the backdrop of the spiritual, intellectual, socio-political traditions of Sokoto and African Islamic civilization. Shaykh Muhammad Shareef bin Farid 15th Safar, 1436 (December 7th, 2014) Back Home in the Motherland, Cotonou, Benin

Fascimile 1 of the Arabic manuscript # A called The Daaliyya of Shehu Uthman ibn Fuduye`, also called: ‘Hal Lee

Maseerun’; originally digitized from the archive of the Center of Islamic Studies at the University of Shaykh Usuman Fanfodio, Sokoto

Fascimile 1 from manuscript B of the ad-Daaliyya of Shehu Uthman ibn Fuduye`

2وسلم تسليما 1]وأزواجه وذرياته [له وصحبه علي سيدنا محمد وأ سم الله الرحمن الرحيم صلى الله ب ن محمد بن عثمان المعروف بإبن فودي ير المضطر إلى رحمة ربه عثمان ب الفق قال الشيخ عبد اهللا [

ده اهللا برحمته أمين، هذا كتاب الدالية الشيخ 3]تغم

محمد ألزور قبر الهاشمـــي هل لي مسير نحو طيبة مسرعا محمد وتكمش الحجــاج نحو ــــافهـارياه في أكن 4لما فشا

ـــوع مؤبال محمد شوقا إلـــى هذا النبي غردرت منهل الدم محمد إال حوى حـــب النبي 5أقسمت بالرحمن ما لـي مفضل

ما لـي سرور دون زورة سيد وقه لما عرىأحكى المصاب بش محمد ما لـي لذيذ العيش دون قد كدت شوقــا أن أطير لقبره

حى تاج الهدى دى 6شمس الضاع بحر النفــي إتب د 7ال خير إال8محم محمد بــل كل خلق الله دون هو وابل عم األنــــام نعامه

ــي ترب نعل لو سرت طيـبة نلت غاية مطلبي محمد متعفرا ف محمد يزري بعرف المسك طيب وضريح أحمد بــالعبير مغرمد

ليس الخسوف بنور هذا المرشد شيء والخسوف يزورها 9ما الشمس هذا السيد 11يفيض لفقد 10دمعي أوطار قلبي أن أزور ديـــاره

محمد بي فد ذابني حــب الن تهمي دموعي إن ذكرت فنــائه محمد إنـي عاشق ل 12قول سأ ذا يشوقك في الورى إن قيل لي من

.ا: في ما بين معقفين ساقط 1 .ب: ساقط في 2 .ا: ما بين معقفين ساقط في 3 .فشى: في ا 4 .مفصل: في ا 5 .العلى: في ا 6 .التباع: في ا 7 .في ب 1هنا انتهى ورقة 8 .اشمس، وهي بالخطأ: في ب 9

.دمع: في ب 10 .بفقد: في ب 11 :فأقول: في ب 12

ياطول كربته هنا وكـذا غد طريــقه 14إتباع 13تبا لمن يأبى 15محمد قبر نطوى الفال لنزور قومو بنا نسعى إلـى شمس الهدى

17ذاك المسجد 16متمرغين بترب شدوا إلى زين القيامة سرجـنا له بمحبة وتــودد 18ندلي نار الغرام تـجول بين ضلوعنا

محمد وق النبي ونذوب من ش بين العالمــين بفخره 19نختان أحمد من ذا يماري في فضائل 20قطعت رقاب المشركين سيوفه

ـد من ذا الذي يعلوا علو بعلوه 21افلت نجـــوم عالهم محم ب إ ال أنس إال أن نزور ضريـحه في جناب ال خص د المحم أحمــد دد ؤ ونسود بينهم بس نسموا علـى كل الورى بسموه

محمد تمحى ذنوب عصاتنا بـ وبشوقه فاضت غروب دموعنا د ي قلب أنواره فــ هديبه 22كم حائر بين الظالم موح كل

23]أحمد من ذا الذي يحوي كرامة أخالقه لــم توت خلق مثلها[ 24محمد كالرمل كثرة معجزات أياته من ذا يــــقوم بعدها

محمد رى مثل النبي ما في الو من عرش رب العالمين جنوده بور صفات هذا المرشد قد خط في التورئة نعت نبينا بل في الز

يدل من هو مهتد 26در الشياة عيسى شاهد بنعوته 25إنجيل أحمد اء جار فـي أنامل والم قد سبح الله الحصى في كفه

.يأبا: في ب 13 .التباع: في ا 14 .في ا 1ورقة هنا انتهى 15 .لترب: في ب 16 .في ب 2موعد، وهنا انتهى ورقة : في ب 17 .vDري: Ft ب 18 .تحتان: في ب 19 .سيوفنا: في ب 20 .علوهم: في ب 21 .ظالم: في ب 22 .ب: ما بين معقفين ساقط في 23 .ب: في 3هنا انتهى ورقة 24 .النجيل: في ب 25 .دار اشياة: في ب 26

ظبي الفالت تجيب هذا المرشد والذيب شــاهد بعثه بحقيقة محمد قد خرت األشجار نحو لباه ضب ثم صــدق بعثه

فض قد جاشت بمجئة وال والطفل شاهد بعثه بين المال أحمد 27ر 28والبدر شق بـجاه هذا السيد قد رد قرص الشمس عند دعائه 30محمد 29وكذا الحمام بذا عدد وكذا السحاب تظل وقت هجيرة

لفقد هذا السيد 31والجذع حن اره والعنكبوت تسده فــي غ محمد إيوان بوضع 32وانشق من ذاك تكثر القليل بمسـحه وكــــذا إطفاء لنار موقد قد غاضت األنهار عند والده

أحمد قد عد أيضا قطع سـرة ه قد جاء مختونا ختان إلــه بحر مزبد 33أتطيق يا ذا كيل يا من يعد عجائــبا لمحمد

مل في عرصاتها الر د فاقت بذالك معجزات 34من ذا يعدمحم ذي يحصى ـة سبحان من أهداه أعظم مند مديح 35من ذا المحم 36]أنا مقتد ما قال من هو مهتد [ ال تنكروا يا قوم مــا حدثته

37مـحمد أنا مذنب أنا عاشق ل أنا مقتد أنا عاجز أنا جاهل محمد العالمين 39مدحا بخير 38سن ح ال ا ولقد علمت بأنني

ته ي ال وال أنا من دد لكن بليت بحبــه فجلوال لهو من 41]محمد مديح 40من ذا الذي يتم ال تضحكوا نظم فإني عاجز [

.لمجئة: في ا 27 .في ا 2وهنا انتهى ورقة 28 .عددن: في ا 29 .ب: في 4هنا انتهى ورقة 30 .حر : في ب 31 .انسق: في ب 32 .لكيل: في ب 33 .عرصاته: في ا 34 .يحص: في ب 35 .ب، ويستبدل بـ أنا مذنب أنا عاشق للمهتد، فهو خطأ: ما بين معقفين ساقط في 36 .في ب 5هنا انتهى ورقة 37 .سنمح: في ا 38 .مدح لخير: في ب 39 .من الذ لذي يحم: في ب 40

43ومقيد 42كيف النهوض لموثق د ثقيلة ذنبي قيود والقيــو 44أرجوا الخالص بجاه هذا السيد ع ق إني ذليل بـالذنوب مبر

يا عالم األسرار أعذب مورد 45أخفيت سوء والله له يرى مـحمد 46ال ملجأ إال بفضل مكثر إني عديم بالخطايـا

محمد إال بجـاه 48ال طمع لي أنا 47واذا سئلت من المسئ أقل 51يا عمدتي يا موئلي يا مقصد العبيد المذنب 50بيد 49كن أخذا

53هناك عذاب نار موصد 52وقع حق إلي الردىيا رب إن لم تعف يوم القيامة من عذاب مـوقد وأتيت بابك يا إلهي نجــني 54أبـــوابه من جوده للقاصد ولقد علمت بأن ربي فـاتح

يـا سيد 57يا خالقي يا منقذي 56المرهب 55كن لي شفيعا للنكير ن لنا من أن نزور نبــينا ــمد سهل أيا موالي زورة هو أحبني 58كن يا أبا بكر يمينـــي أخذا ه قرد ل 60غــدا 59باللمحم

باكن أنت يـــا فاروق مقر ي بإسمه أفعل ذا غد [ ثم61]يا من أسم

.ا: ما بين معقفين ساقط في 41 .بموثق: في ب 42 .بمقيد: في ب 43 .سيد: في ب 44 .يرا: في ب 45 .لفضل: في ا 46 .فقل: في ب 47 .ال مطلع: في ب 48 .أخذ: في ب 49 .بيدي: في ب 50 .في ا 3هنا انتهى ورقة 51 .وقي: في ا 52 .في ب 6هنا انتهى ورقة 53 .القاصد: في ب 54 .النكير: في ب 55 .الموهب: في ب 56 .يا منقذ: في ب 57 .أخذ: في ب 58 .قربي: في ب 59 .في غد: في ب 60

لها إلـــى يد غدا 62خذ أنت يا زوج البتول يدي ى توصأحمد حت 63محمد وجعلت عدتها كســـن وبعون رب العالمــين ختمتها

65من هجرة الهاد النبــي محمد 64فأفهما فح بعد قش ــام في ع

أي يا عثمان "بإسمه أفعل ذا غد يا من أسمي : "قولهو ، فمعناه"يد يا ذا الحياء به أناد أخذ ": ب، يستبديل بقوله: ما بين معقفين ساقط في 61

.بن عفان الذي اسمى بإسمك والذي مشهور بين الناس بحياته أفعل ذا غد أي أخذ يدي غد .يد: في ب 62 .يتبركا به سيدنا محمد صلى اهللا عليه وسلم أبياتها ثالث وستون كعدد سنةأي 63، 80= ، ف 1000= ، ش100= فعددها ق : هجرية 1188خ تم القصيدة في السنة فهما، فمعنى البيت في علم الرمز إن الشي: في ب 64

ر أنها أول قصيدته التي صنفها في اللغة العربية وقيل هي ، وقالوا الجمهو 20الميالدي، وكان الشيخ حنئيذ 1772الموافق بـ 8= ح نة المحمدية ظاهرا، وتخلق بأخالق المحمدية باطنا، ودوام على إن سلوكه مبنى على إلتزام بس قصيدة هذه فبان في، العربية قصيدته الثانية

مبدأ أمر الشيخ فخينئذ الصالة على النبي صلى اهللا عليه وسلم لسانا وقلبا وشوق وعشق إلى لقاء النبي صلى اهللا عليه وسلم رؤيا ويغظة، يتعلمها للناس، وقام بإحياء السنة واخماد البدعة وسوق العباد إلى ، فساح في البلدان لتعلم العلوم و فودي في دعآء الناس إلى الدينعثمان بن

. التوبة من الكفر والمعصية والغفلةتمت القصيدة بحمد هللا وحسن عونه، اللهم اغفر لكاتبه وصاحبه وقد تم ": هنا انتهى قصيدة الدالية في ورقة ا، وبعده قال كاتب الخط 65

تبته لسيد األمين عيسى بن الشيخ األستاذ وقدوة السجاد اإلمام كد محمد بن أبي بكر الملقب بكتاب و الخط يوم األربعاء قبيل العصر على ي ..، أي إبن إبراهيم الخليل بن الشيخ عبد اهللا بن فودي"العالم القائم بالعدل واإلحسان الخليل رضي اهللا عنه

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful, may Allah bless our Chief Muhammad, is family, Companions, [wives and descendents]66 and give them much peace.67 [Says the Shaykh, the servant of Allah, poor and in desperate need of the mercy of his Lord, Uthman ibn Muhammad ibn Uthman, known as Dan Fuduye’, may Allah engulf him in His mercy Amen. This is the book called: ad-Daaliyat as-Shaykh]68

"Is there for me a way to travel swiftly towards Tayba,

To visit the tomb of the Hashimi Muhammad? That which has spread its fragrance under his protection Has caused the pilgrims to convulse in the direction of Muhammad I went away bathed in tears, tears falling like a downpour, Yearning towards that Prophet Muhammad I swear by the Rahman, I possess not a single excellent trait, I am only totally encompassed in the love of Prophet Muhammad I give a description of the affliction of my longing for him, which is plain to see For me there are no enjoyments without visiting that Master I have become exhausted yearning to hasten to his grave Truly for me, there are no pleasures and joys in life without Muhammad. He is the sun of illumination, crown of guidance, the sea of generosity Indeed there is no good except in following Muhammad.69 He is the downpour whose blessings encompass all creatures Rather, the entire creation of Allah is less than Muhammad. If I had traveled to Tayba, I would have obtained the object of my desires, Being completely covered in the dust of the sandals of Muhammad. The tomb of Ahmad is plastered with fragrances I am strengthened with the scent of musk, the fragrance of Muhammad. The sun is nothing nor is the eclipse which distorts it, There is no eclipsing the light of that Guide. The desire of my heart is to visit his house, My tears overflow from the loss of that Master. My tears pour forth when I remember his demise, For I am consumed in the love of Prophet Muhammad. If it is said to me 'Who fills you with longing among mankind?' Then I will say, 'I am passionately in love with Muhammad. Completely destroyed is the one, who refuses to follow his path, His torment will be prolonged here and likewise in the next life. Arise with us and let us run to the sun of guidance, Let us swiftly traverse the open dessert to visit the tomb of Muhammad.70 Lets fasten our saddles heading towards the beauty of the Day of Standing, Lets us role ourselves in the dust of that mosque in Tayba.71

66 What is between the two brackets is omitted in manuscript A. 67 This expression is omitted in manuscript B. 68 What is between the two brackets is omitted in A. 69 Here ends facsimile 1 in manuscript B. 70 Here ends facsimile 1 of manuscript A. 71 Here ends facsimile 2 of manuscript B.

The fires of passion moves freely between our breasts, I am snatched away towards him with love and longing. We have been sealed with his honor between the two worlds, We are completely dissolved from devotion to Prophet Muhammad. His swords have cut the necks of the idolaters' Who can contest the perfections of Ahmad? The heights of the stars have set by means of his elevation, Who can reach the exalted ranks of Muhammad? There is no intimacy except in visiting his grave, There is no abundance except in proximity to Muhammad.

We tower above all creatures by means of his eminence, We have become chieftains among them by the power of Ahmad. The withdrawing of our tears have overflowed by his love, The sins of our disobedience are wiped out by Muhammad. How many straying in darkness have been guided by him? For his illuminations, reside in the heart of every unifier.

[No person has come with the likeness of his character, Who can encompass the nobilities of Ahmad?]72 Who can enumerate the amount of his miraculous signs? Like the grains of sands are the numbers of the miracles of Muhammad.73 The Throne of the Lord of the worlds is a part of his forces, There is nothing among created beings like the Prophet Muhammad. The characteristics of our Prophet were inscribed in the Torah Rather, even in the Psalms are recorded the attributes of that Guide. The Injeel of Jesus even has borne witness to his traits The pearl of embellishment indicates who is truly guided. The stones glorified Allah while in his palm And water flowed freely from the fingertips of Ahmad. The wolf bore witness to his prophetic delegation in reality Even the gazelle of the remote desserts answered that Guide. The lizard yielded to him and then testified to his mission And even the tree came and prostrated in the direction of Muhammad. The baby bore witness to his mission in the presence of the multitude The rejecters of Truth became disconcerted with coming of Ahmad. The disc of the sun returned to it place because of his supplication And the full moon split by the sublime rank of that Chief.74 Likewise, the clouds shaded him at the time of the emigration And similarly did the pigeons do that in throngs for Muhammad.75 The spider guarded him in the recesses of the cave And the tree stump moaned due to the loss of that Chief. From that was the increasing of a little by means of his touch And the sighing of the sitting room by the laying down of Muhammad.

72 What is between the two brackets is omitted in B. 73 Here ends facsimile 3 of manuscript B. 74 Here ends facsimile 2 of manuscript A. 75 Here ends facsimile 4 of manuscript B.

The rivers became submersed and deep with his birth Likewise the extinguishing of the flaming fire. He was born circumcised with Divine circumcision It is also recounted that the umbilical cord of Ahmad was already cut. Oh you who attempt to enumerate the remarkable feats of Muhammad You there, are you able to measure the foams of the sea? Glory be to the One who has given him as a gift the greatest of favors Who is able to enumerate and count the praises of Muhammad? O people, do not denounce what I relate about him [I am simply a blind follower of what he, the one who is guided, said.]76 I am a blind follower, I am impotent, I am ignorant And I am a sinner, but I am deeply in love with Muhammad.77 And I know well that I am not excellent At giving praises of the best of the worlds, Muhammad However, I was afflicted with his love, thus I have manifested it This is not some amusement from me. No! Nor am I a comedian! [So, do not laugh at my poetry, for I know I am impotent Who is there that can really perfect the praises of Muhammad?]78 My sins are like chains and the chains are thick & heavy How can one chained and bound ever be redeemed? Verily I am debased by my sins that veil me But I hope to be freed from them by the rank of that Chief. I concealed evil actions, yet it was Allah the Unicity who saw them O Knower of secrets, make my final destination agreeable. Verily I am concealed by my errors, which have become many There is no sanctuary except by the virtues of Muhammad. And when I am asked: “Who is an evil doer?” I will say: “Me.” Yet, there is no aspiration for me except by the rank of Muhammad. So take hold of the hands of an insignificant sinful slave O my Support, O my Guardian, O my Object of desire.79 O Lord, if you do not show pardon, then destruction will be my right The unyielding punishment of the Fire will befall me there.80 So I have come to Your door, O my God, so redeem me On the Day of Standing from the flaming punishment. I have realized that my Lord has opened wide His doors due to His generosity for the one who desires it. So be a intercession to me from the dreadful Angels of punishment O my Creator, O my Deliverer, O my Master. Make it easy for us to visit the grave of our Prophet Make it convenient O my Master, the visiting of Ahmad.

76 What is between the two brackets is omitted in B, and is substituted with the expression: ‘I am a sinner, but I am ardently yearning for that Guide.’ 77 Here ends facsimile 5 of manuscript B. 78 What is between the two brackets is omitted in A. 79 Here ends facsimile 2 of manuscript A. 80 Here ends facsimile 6 of manuscript B.

Be, O Abu Bakr, the grasping of my right hand By the might of Allah, and tomorrow bring me close to Muhammad. And you, O Faruq, likewise be the same, then draw me even nearer [O you, whom I have been named by his name, do the same tomorrow.]81 You, O husband of al-Batuul, take me by my hand tomorrow Until you make it reach and connect with the hand of Ahmad. By the assistance of the Lord of the worlds I have completed it And I have made the number of its verses like the years of Muhammad.82 In the year 1000 and 100 after 88, so understand!83 From the hijra of the Guided Prophet Muhammad.84

81 What is between the two brackets is omitted in B, and is substituted with the words: “O possessor of modesty by whom I am called, take my hand”. The meaning of these words as well as his words: “O you whom I have been named by his name, do the same tomorrow”; is: “O Uthman ibn `Afan whose name I was named after, and who was renown among mankind for his modesty, do that for me tomorrow, that is to say, take me by the hand.” 82 That is to say that the number of its verses are sixty three like the number of the years of our master Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, taking blessings from him by means of that. 83 The meaning of this verse in language of the science of ciphers is that the Shehu completed the poem in 1188 A.H. He indicated this by the use of the letters 80 = ف ,1000 = ش ,100 = ق and 8 = ح, conforming with 1772 C.E. when the Shehu was twenty years old. The majority of the scholars say that this poem was the first of his Arabic poems, but it is also said that it was the second of his Arabic poems. This poem clearly clarifies that the spiritual journey of the Shehu was constructed upon adherence to the Living Muhammadan Sunna outwardly, behaving in accordance with the Muhammadan character traits inwardly, persistence in sending blessings upon the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace with the tongue and the heart, and yearning and ardent desire to encounter the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace in dream visions and in the waking state. It is then that the affair of Shehu Uthman ibn Fuduye` began in inviting mankind to the religion. He thus journeyed throughout the lands seeking knowledge and teaching it to the people, and stood to revive the Sunna and destroy heretical innovation and mobilizing the servants of Allah to repentance from disbelief, disobedience and spiritual heedlessness. 84 Here ends the poem called ad-Daaliyya. In manuscript A the scribe of the manuscript wrote: “The poem was completed with the praise of Allah and the best of His assistance. O Allah forgive the transcriber and its author. It was completed on Wednesday, before the asr prayer at the hands of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, nicknamed ‘the book’. I transcribed it for the spiritual master al-Amin Isa, the son of the learned professor and spiritual guide, the exemplar of those who prostrate, the learned Imam, firmly established on justice and spiritual excellence al-Khalil, may Allah be pleased with him.” That is to say, that he was the son of Ibrahim al-Khalil ibn Shaykh Abdullahi ibn Fuduye`.

SANKORE'

Institute of Islamic-African Studies International