Al-Uqud al-Durriyya - Ibn Abd al-Hadi - (الكتاب/540)

Al-Uqud al-DurriyyaIbn Abd al-Hadi

A man like Ibn Taymiyyah is a sun that is allowed to set for nothing, and neither the late afternoons nor the early dawns are brightened by its glow(1).

A man like Ibn Taymiyyah presses on, yet no sword nor dark-shafted ash lance has ever worn him down(2).

A man like Ibn Taymiyyah departs, and neither cuffs nor collars have been fragranced with his sweet musk(3).

No well-trained steeds keep pace with him, their riders’ faces clear and radiant.

No circle of champions gathers round him—stars, as it were, with the moon at their center(4).

War never casts a frown upon the stances he takes; rather, victory smiles across its fields(5).

He strives until this religion is straightened from every bend and humanity walks upright upon its path.

Such have the righteous forebears always been: hardship batters their endurance, yet steadfast they remain.

Take the pure Prophets as your model—how much harm was done to them by certain peoples, how often were they driven away!

In Joseph’s entering the prison lies an honor for whoever struggles with what he meets and endures it patiently.

Shall the clear spring disappear before the thirsty have quenched their thirst(6), while the murky sludge is left to stay?

He departed praiseworthy, no stain of harm clinging to him, whereas all the rest are themselves a harm—or at least a nuisance—among humankind(7).

(1) The base manuscript and copy S read "taraq." The phrase taruq biha means that it disappears to no purpose, so that neither morning nor evening is left clear on its account. (2) In the primary copy this line of verse precedes the one before it, whereas the arrangement found in the other manuscripts is more suitable. The archetype reads nahakat, which is probably to be read nahalat. (3) MSS K and T read al-itr ("the perfume"). (4) MS F reads najm ("star"). (5) MS S reads arjaʾihi ("its surroundings"). (6) The archetypes read nafaʿat ("benefited"), which is likely correct; MS K instead has al-zamaʾa ("the thirsty"). (7) The base manuscript has witr (with the letter ta), while the reading adopted from the other copies is wadr. Al-wadr means "dirt"; al-wathra denotes a piece of meat, and a woman described as wathirah is one with an offensive smell. The expression "O son of shamatu ʼl-wathr" is an abusive insult (see al-Qamus, s.v. w-d-r).

مثل ابن تيميةٍ شمسٌ تغيب سُدًى ... وما تَروق بها (١) الآصالُ والبُكَرُ مثل ابن تيميّةٍ يمضي وما نَهكَت ... له سيوفٌ ولا خَطِّيّةٌ سُمُر (٢) مثل ابن تيميّةٍ يمضي وما عَبِقَت ... بمِسْكه العاطر (٣) الأرْدانُ والطُّرَرُ ولا تُجارى له خيلٌ مسوَّمة ... وجوه فُرْسانها الأوضاح والغُرَرُ ولا تَحُفُّ به الأبطالُ دائرةً ... كأنّهم أنجمٌ (٤) في وَسْطها قمرُ ولا تُعبِّسُ حَرْبٌ في مواقفه ... يومًا ويضْحَكُ في أرجائها (٥) الظَّفَرُ حتى يقوَّم هذا الدين مِن مَيَلٍ ... ويستقيمَ على مِنْهاجه البَشَرُ بل هكذا السلفُ الأبرارُ ما بَرِحوا ... يُبلَى اصطبارُهم جهدًا وهم صُبُرُ تأسَّ بالأنبياء الطُّهْرِ كم بلغت ... فيهم مضرَّةُ أقوامٍ وكم هُجِروا في يوسفٍ في دُخول السِّجن مَنْقَبةٌ ... لمن يُكابدُ ما يَلْقى وَيصْطبرُ أَيذْهبُ المنهل الصّافي وما نَقَعَتْ ... به الظِّماءُ (٦) وتبقى الحَمْأةُ الكَدَرُ مضى حميدًا ولم يَعْلق به وَضَرٌ ... وكلّهم وضَرٌ في الناس أو وَذَرُ (٧)

(١) الأصل و (س): «ترق» ومعنى «تروق بها» أي: تغيب سدًى، ولم يصفُ بسببها صباح ولا مساء. (٢) هذا البيت متقدم على سابقه في الأصل، وما في النسخ أنسب. وفي الأصول «نهكت» ولعلها: «نهلَت». (٣) (ك، ط): «العطر». (٤) (ف): «نجم». (٥) (س): «أرجائه». (٦) الأصول: «نفعت» ولعله ما أثبت، و (ك): «الظماة». (٧) الأصل: «وطر» بالطاء، والمثبت من باقي النسخ. والوضر: الوسخ. والوَذْرة: = = ... القطعة من اللحم، والمرأة الوَذِرة: الكريهة الرائحة، ويقال: يا ابن شامة الوَذْر، كلمة قذف وسب. «القاموس» (وذر).