Compare and contrast between two lamentations of Al Dai Al

Ajal Syedna Ali Bin Moula Mohammed Bin AlWalid R.A

Al Dai Al Ajal Syedna Ali Bin Moula Mohammed Bin AlWalid RA is an author
of high caliber, a poet with right ideals whose writings are enriched with
illustrious and lofty views,1 drawing out rich meanings from common words. He
deals with identical ideas in different ways and one can comprehend this diversity
in his lamentations:
1. “May Allah suppress the calamities as they confer serious tragedies and
catastrophic happenings”2
2. “The august calamity surpassed all patience seizing it and taking away our
strength and consolation”3
The former is written while lamenting the demise of Al Dai Al Ajal Syedna Hatim
Mohyuddin RA while the latter laments on the passing of Sultan Haris bin Imran.
Each one of these two lamentations deals with the issue of demise, comprising of
mourning, eulogy and solace, the three main components of an elegy.4 Though
his elegies differ in manifesting the intensity of mourning and praising noble
virtues of the deceased, both poems in general, alleviate the sorrow and
distress befallen by the demise in a similar way.
1. Manifestation in the intensity of mourning
Though both of the lamentations mourn upon the repercussions of the demise, the
intensity of each one differs, through which we can differentiate between the
level of intimacy expressed by Syedna Ali Bin Moula Mohammed Bin AlWalid
R.A
for the passed away in each of the former and latter. The former describes the
demise as a hardship which cannot be compared in its magnanimity with past
sufferings, and generally states that the demise has afflicted revered personals
from his family and community members.5 This description contrasts the sorrow
expressed by Syedna Ali Bin Moula Mohammed Bin AlWalid R.A in first person

1
Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin r.a., Al Iqtebasaat Al nooraniyah 1429, majlis 8.
)،‫ثثرسس ؛‬
ٌ ‫ اخالص هر ايك قصيدة ما ضضثثكي‬،‫ اخالص‬،‫ اندر عجب اخالص‬،‫ عجب جواهر قدسية ؛‬،‫) ديوان علي بن محمد‬
2
Syedna Ali bin Moula Mohammed bin Walid r.a, Al qasaid al muntakhaba 7, Al-Jamea-Tus-Saifiyah,
pg.14.)‫(ال در در النلئبات فكم لها*من حادث جلل وخطب كارث‬
3
Syedna Ali bin Moula Mohammed bin Walid r.a, Al qasaid al muntakhaba 7, Al-Jamea-Tus-Saifiyah
23.)‫(جل المصاب فبز الصبر واستلبا* وبالتجلد عنا والعزا ذهبا‬
4
Ahmed Bin Ali Al-Nasir, Al-Risa fi Ehd-il-Nubuwate-wal-Khilafat-al-Raashida: Dar-ul-Mamlakat-al-
Arabia-al-Saudia, pg. 79.
5
Syedna Ali bin Moula Mohammed bin Walid r.a, Al qasaid al muntakhaba 7, Al-Jamea-Tus-Saifiyah ,
pg.14.)‫ترمي قسي الحتف ارباب العلى*بنوافذ يصمبن غير لوابث‬
)‫( لكن صرف الدهر فيما قد مضى*مستصغر في جنب هذا الحادث‬
)‫(كل المصاب فان تعا ظم امره*واشتد دون مصابنا بالحارث‬
 narration proving his intimate emotions for Al Dai Al Ajal Syedna Hatim
Mohyuddin R.A in the latter as he expresses that:
“Due to his demise our hearts are inculcated by scorching anguish by which our
eyes are weeping with a downpour of tears.”
“The news of his demise arrived, due to which our emotions arose and we
exclaimed “may this news be false”.”
“If fate had not preordained our lives, our souls would have left our bodies in
grief.”6
Likewise, the number of verses written in this mourning illustrates an intimate
bond between Syedna Ali Bin Moula Mohammed Bin AlWalid R.A and the passed
away as he laments upon Al Dai Al Ajal Syedna Hatim Mohyuddin R.A in detail
as we can see how he has utilized rhetorical questions7 to convey the intensified
mourning and displaying that all worldly and heavenly masses have been
encompassed in this immense grief as stated above, rather than in the lamentation
of Sultan Haris bin Imran from who’s demise only his clan and community
members are suffering, mourning upon him in short number of verses.
2. Praising noble virtues of the deceased
The eulogies extolled in both the lamentations, vary in describing the physical
virtues in the former and illustrating spiritual as well as physical virtues in the latter.
Syedna Ali Bin Moula Mohammed Bin AlWalid RA describes physical virtues of
Sultan Haris bin Imran as a courageous lion, mountain of distinction and glory and
a bright star8 collectively, whereas the eulogy of Al Dai Al Ajal Syedna Hatim
Mohyuddin R.A combines his spiritual virtues with his physical ones, like he has
been illustrated as a bright star who directs his followers towards salvation, as well
as a radiant sun who provides life for whoever accepts his taasir(radiant

6
Syedna Ali bin Moula Mohammed bin Walid r.a, Al qasaid al muntakhaba 7, Al-Jamea-Tus-Saifiyah,
pg. 23.
)‫(اذاب حر االسى اكبادنا فجرت* دما نجيعا فقا االحداق وانسكبا‬
)‫(جاء النعي فطاشت عند مسمعه* احالمنا ثم قلنا ليته كذبا‬
)‫(لوال المقدر من اعمارنا زهقت* نفوسنا جزعا واستفرغت رعبا‬
7
Syedna Ali bin Moula Mohammed bin Walid r.a, Al qasaid al muntakhaba 7, Al-Jamea-TusSaifiyah,
pg. 23.
)‫(من للمساجد ام من للمحارب ام* من للفوائد يوليها لمن رغبا‬
)‫(من للمعالم ام من للمكارم ام* من للعظائم اما اعيت االربا‬
)‫(من ذا لثغر الهدى يحمي حماه اذا* جيش الضالل تدانا منه واقتربا‬
8
Syedna Ali bin Moula Mohammed bin Walid r.a, Al qasaid al muntakhaba 7, Al-Jamea-Tus-Saifiyah,
pg. 14.
)‫(ما كنت احسب ان ليثا باسال* تغتاله انياب كلب الهث‬
)‫(او ان طود المجد في خلل الثرى* يهوي فيستره تراب الباحث‬
)‫(والكوكب الوقاد يحجب نوره* جدث به واراه كف الجادث‬
grace)9.This combination reveals that his prominence is not only reflected in his
subjective qualities but also in his contributions in the revival of dawat and
wellbeing of mumineen, as he was the pillar on which shariat and islam stood.10
Likewise, the eulogies differ as explained by Syedna Ali Bin Moula Mohammed
Bin AlWalid R.A while describing Sultan Haris bin Imran’s virtues, that his passing
has inundated them, whereas the radiant grace and blessings received by mumineen
from Al Dai Al Ajal Syedna Hatim Mohyuddin R.A have not been inundated due to
his passing but are still accumulated from his son and his successor Al Dai Al Ajal
Syedna Ali Bin Al Dai Al Ajal Syedna Hatim R.A.11
3. Alleviates the sorrow and distress befallen by the demise
Syedna Ali Bin Moula Mohammed Bin AlWalid R.A, in the condolence exhibited in
both of his lamentations advises the relatives of the passed by to make Awliyaullah
their exemplars in withstanding their sorrows and griefs, which signifies that a
virtuous and righteous individual endures pain and discomfort more often in their
lives. He comforts the clan of Sultan Haris bin Imran as a companion, and advises
them to bear with this calamity when he consoles them, while commanding them to
alleviate their despair and desolation by seeking solace in the great calamities that
befell Amir-ul-mumineen Moulana Ali Bin Abi Talib S.A and his son Imam HusainS.A
who are the most virtuous and have endured pain and discomfort throughout their
lives.12 Similarly, he recommends and counsels Al Dai Al Ajal Syedna Ali Bin Al
Dai Al Ajal Syedna Hatim R.A to make the former tragedies befallen on the heir of
RasulullahS.A.W an exemplar,13 as a loyal adherent believing that consoling him is
obligatory and clarifies by stating that all these recommendations and counsels

9
Syedna Ali bin Moula Mohammed bin Walid r.a, Al qasaid al muntakhaba 7, Al-Jamea-Tus-Saifiyah,
pg.24
)‫(قد كان حاتم شمسا في جزيرته* بظظا الحياة لمن تأثيرها اكتسبا‬
10
Syedna Ali bin Moula Mohammed bin Walid r.a, Al qasaid al muntakhaba 7, Al-Jamea-Tus-Saifiyah,
pg.24.
)‫(يا عظمه من مصاب فت في عضد* االيمان فتا واولى اهله هربا‬
)‫( وزلزل الشرع واالسالم مصرعه* وكاد يهدم ركنا منهم نصبا‬
11
Syedna Ali bin Moula Mohammed bin Walid r.a, Al qasaid al muntakhaba 7, Al-Jamea-Tus-Saifiyah,
pg.24.
)‫(وكان لوال علي حق اْل علي* الطاهرين شتيت الشمل منقضبا‬
)‫(لكن تالفاه داعي الحق نجل ابي* طي فالءم منه الصدع وانشعبا‬

12
Syedna Ali bin Moula Mohammed bin Walid r.a, Al qasaid al muntakhaba 7, Al-Jamea-Tus-Saifiyah,
pg.14.
)‫ (وبنجله الطهر الحسين وقد سطا* الشمر اللعين عليه سطوة حانث‬،)‫( ولنا بموالنا علي اسوة* اذ غاله سيف الشقي الناكث‬
13
Syedna Ali bin Moula Mohammed bin Walid r.a, Al qasaid al muntakhaba 7, Al-Jamea-Tus-Saifiyah,
pg.25.
)‫لكن لنا اسوة بالمصطفى وبنيه* الغر اشرف من يمشي ومن ركبا‬
discussed were a goodwill from a well-wisher. Other than that, he better understands
how to remain steadfast and withstand this great sorrow and grief.14
To sum up these two lamentations written by Al Dai Al Ajal Syedna Ali Bin Moula
Mohammed Bin AlWalid R.A briefly, the intensity of mourning expressed due to their
demise and the magnificence of the virtues described differs, while they play a
similar role in prevailing against the sorrows befallen by their demise.

14
Syedna Ali bin Moula Mohammed bin Walid r.a, Al qasaid al muntakhaba 7, Al-Jamea-Tus-Saifiyah,
pg.25.
)‫(ما ان ننبيك امرا انت تجهله* بل ذاك نصح علينا فرضه وجبا‬