Selections From Shaykh

Ahmad al-Tijani’s
Commentary on
al-Qasidah al-Hamziyyah

Compiled by: Sidi ‘Ali Harazim Barradah

Translated by: Talut ibn Sulaiman Dawood

Lordly Guidance and Divine Openings
From the Outpouring of the Ahmadan Tijani
Presence
Being a Commentary on Umm al-Qura
fi Madh Khayr al-Wara (The Primordial
Provision Through Praising the Best of
Mankind)
Compiled by al-Khalifah Sidi ‘Ali Harazim
Barradah (may Allah be pleased with him)

Translated by: Talut ibn Sulaiman Dawood

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Then, he  said:

‫َها َلُه إِْسَر ُاء‬ ْ‫العَاَل ف‬

َ ‫َوق‬ ُ ‫ت‬ ِ ‫السَمَوا‬ َ ‫َطَوى‬
َ‫ف‬
َّ ‫ِرا َو‬
ً‫ض َسائ‬
َ ‫األ ْر‬
(73) Then he passed over the Earth, journeying and the Heavens,

Most elevated, above it did he ascend,

‫ِو ُاء‬
َ‫است‬
ْ ‫اق‬ ُ ‫ِيها َعَلى‬
ِ ‫البَر‬ َ ‫ِر ف‬ ‫ان لِْلُم ْخَتا‬
َ‫ك‬ َ ‫اللْيَلَة َّالتِي‬
َّ ‫ف‬ِ ‫َص‬
ِ‫ف‬

(74) So describe the night in which the Elect,

One mounted the Burāq.

The author shifts to speak about the night journey of the

Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬above the heavens. He (the Prophet) ‫ ﷺ‬said that while
he was near the House, between sleep and wakefulness, Jibrīl 
came to him with the Burāq. It is a steed that is smaller than a mule
but larger than a donkey. Then, he was brought a basin made of gold
that was filled with wisdom and faith. His heart was taken out. And
that basin was emptied out into it. Then, he rode the Burāq, until he
reached Jerusalem, along with Jibril. He then entered Masjid al-Aq-
sa and tied the mount at its gate. Then he entered the Masjid and
found in it all the Prophets and Messengers. They had gathered for
him in the Masjid. He ‫ ﷺ‬led them all in prayer. They all followed
him. After that, eh mounted the Burāq and elevated into the Heav-
en. They came to its gate and found a gatekeeper from among the
Angels, whose name was Ismā’īl, guarding it. Jibrīl requested that
the gate be opened and it was said, “Who is it?” He replied, “Jibrīl.”
He said, “Who is with you?” He said, “Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬.” It was said,
“Has he truly been sent for?” Jibrīl replied, “Yes.” It was said, “Wel-
come to him. And how excellent comer ‫ ﷺ‬has arrived.”
Then, he entered the first Heaven and he found in it
Ādam . He said, “Around him were all his children and prog-
eny. The people of the Fire were to his left and the people of
Paradise were to his right. Whenever he looked to his right,
he would smile. And when he looked to his left, he would cry.”
He then traversed to the second Heaven. He sought permission as
with the first. Then, he entered the second and, as he said, he found
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in it the two maternal cousins, Yaḥyā and ʼĪsā (prayers and peace be
upon them both). Then, he elevated to the third Heaven and found
within it Yūsuf (prayers and peace be upon him). He saw his face
like the moon on the night of its complete fullness. Then, he elevated
to the fourth Heaven and requested it be open like the first time. It
was opened and he entered. He found within it Idrīs (peace upon
him). Then, he elevated to the fifth Heaven and requested that it be
opened as before. It was opened and he entered and found within it
Hārūn . Then, he elevated to the sixth Heaven and requested that
it be opened as before. It was opened for him and he entered and
found within it Mūsā . Then, he elevated to the seventh Heaven
and requested that it be opened as before. It was opened for him and
he found within it Ibrāhīm . He found him reclining with his
back against al-Bayt al-Maʼmūr.
Then he arrived at the lote tree of the furthest limit. There
they saw an empty pulpit. JIbrīl (prayers and peace be upon him)
went towards it and sat down in it. The Messenger of Allah ‫ ﷺ‬asked
him, “What is it?” He replied, “This is my station. I do not traverse
it. You go on. He ‫ ﷺ‬said, “When Jibrīl parted from me, I found a
desolate place.” And a cushion was lowered for him to ascend. And
when he ‫ ﷺ‬felt lonely, a being was sent to him in the image of Abū
Bakr al-Ṣiddīq . He ‫ ﷺ‬asked, “Has Abū Bakr preceded me to
this station?” It was said to him, “No. However, his image will keep
you company.”
He ‫ ﷺ‬informed about the lote tree of the furthest limit that
no one can describe it because of its being covered by the command
of Allah ‫ﷻ‬. Then, he ‫ ﷺ‬ascended in on the cushion until he reached
the presence of his Lord, where there is neither duality nor other-
ness. He was prevented from revealing anything that he saw on the
cushion by his knowledge that there was a secret there that it was
imperative to conceal. And he ‫ ﷺ‬had even concealed the vision (of
his Lord) when ʼĀ’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked him
about it, saying, “Did you see your Lord?” He said, “No.” She said,
“Did Allah ‫ ﷻ‬not say: (And He had seen him another time. Near
the lote tree of the furthest limit)1?” He replied, “That was Jibril.” So,
she used to belie anyone that would relate that he ‫ ﷺ‬had seen his
Lord, saying, “Whoever assumes that Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬saw his Lord
has lied.” All the companions were in agreement that he never saw
1 Al-Najm, 13-14.
2
him except those to whom he ‫ ﷺ‬entrusted the secret, such as Ibn
ʼAbbās. For he once said to ʼĀ’ishah, “He did not see him.” How-
ever, when people pressed him, he said, “He saw him. He saw him.
He saw him.” To those to whom he ‫ ﷺ‬entrusted the secret, he said,
“When I saw my Lord, I did not see anyone from among creation. I
believed that all those in the Heavens and the Earth had altogether
perished.”
Then were imparted to him whatever hidden secrets were
imparted of which no one else was informed. Then, fifty prayers
were made obligatory for him. However, he continued going back
to his Lord asking them to be lightened until they became five. It
was Mūsā who had commanded him to return to his Lord when he
passed by him after returning to him. He said to him, “What have
you received?” He said, “He made obligatory upon me fifty prayers.”
Mūsā  said to him, “I would have to struggle vehemently with
the Children of Israel”—meaning to get them to pray fifty prayers—
“and they would be unable to do that, while your nation is weaker.
So, return to your Lord and ask him to lighten (the burden) of your
nation.” So, he returned and asked for (the burden) to be lightened.
So, ten were subtracted. Then, he returned to Mūsā, who asked him
about what had happened. He replied, “Ten were subtracted.” He
said to him, “Your nation cannot bear that. So, return and ask for it
to be lightened for your nation.” So, he returned and asked for it to
be lightened. Ten more were subtracted and they became thirty. So,
he began to descend and when he arrived to Mūsā, he again asked
him about it. He (the Prophet ) ‫ ﷺ‬replied, “Ten were subtracted and
they remained at thirty.” Mūsā  said to him, “Your nation cannot
bear that. So, return and ask him to lighten it for your nation.” Thus,
he ‫ ﷺ‬kept going back and forth between his Lord and Mūsā until
they became five. When He had made five obligatory for him and he
passed by Mūsā. The latter asked him about what had happened and
he informed him about the five. He said, “Your nation cannot bear
that. So, return and ask Him to lighten it for them.” He ‫ ﷺ‬replied, “I
feel shy before my Lord.” They then heard a call to him from Allah
‫ﷻ‬, “You left my obligatory prayers at five and I have lightened (the
burden of my servants). They are five. And they are multiplied by ten
to make fifty good deeds.” Then the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬remained silent. And
he concealed the remaining matters which are obligatory to conceal.
3
May Allah bless him, honor him, ennoble him and grant him peace.
Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has said: (And he had seen some of the greatest signs of his
Lord)2.

Then he  said:

‫اد ُة الَقْع َس ُاء‬

َ ‫السَّي‬
َّ ‫ك‬َ ‫ن َوتِْل‬
ِ ‫ْـي‬ ‫َو َسـ‬ َ ‫َوَتَرقَّى بِهِ إِلَى ق‬
ْ‫َاب ق‬
(75) And he was raised to the length of two,

Bows. And that is unmatched mastery,

The meaning, and mastery (sayyādah) is the loftiest degree of

creation, is that his ‫ ﷺ‬mastery in that place was the qaʼsā’ mastery,
which is aloof. In other words, it is the mastery of which all other
masters have despaired. Every station of those who have master in
existence is below this degree. No one, neither angel drawn near, nor
Prophet dispatched, has any hope of attaining it. That station is two
bows’ lengths. It means that he came near to Jibrīl until he was two
bows’ lengths or closer—the closer of the two. One bow’s length is
the closest that the came. This closeness is with relationship to Ji-
brīl alone. It is not to Allah ‫ ﷻ‬as some of the scholars had assumed
because it is impossible distance is impossible for Allah. There is no
distance between He and His servants. He is closer to everything
than everything else. He ‫ ﷻ‬has said: (And We are closer to him
than you, though you do not see)3. Whatever you take as an example
of nearness, the Lord is closer than that. Indeed, if you were to put
your hands on your eyes, the Lord would be closer to them than your
hands. Thus, there is neither union nor separation. So, how could
“two bows’ lengths or closer” express distance for Him. Rather it was
Jibrīl.

2 Al-Najm, 18.
3 Al-Wāqiʼah, 85.
4
Then he  said:
َ ‫ب َتسُق ُط‬
‫ن َو َر ٌاء‬
َّ ‫ُدوَن َها َما َو َر َاء ُه‬ ‫ِي َح ْسَرى‬
ُّ ‫األَمان‬ ْ ٌ ‫ُرَت‬
(76) Degrees from which aims fall short, weary,

Far below them, and beyond which there is no beyond,

He said, “No one can proceed towards that unmatched mas-

tery, i.e., towards that degree due to its loftiness and nobility.” In
the stanza, he said “Degrees from which aims fall short, weary”. The
meaning is his informing us that from those degrees, which are the
original confluence of his ‫ ﷺ‬degrees al-amānī fall short well below
them. Al-Amānī is the plural of amniyah, which refers to that which
a seeker or pursuer hopes to obtain, that to which his inner being is
attached. For the human being only moves towards his inner objec-
tive. In his saying, “Those are degrees from which aims fall short”, he
informs us that no seeker is able to aim for those degrees due to their
loftiness and the utter difficulty of the method of obtaining them.
Neither any Angel drawn near nor any Prophet sent has any hope
for them. As for other than them, this impossibility is even more
adequate and more explicit. That is why he said, “weary (ḥasrā)”. It is
the plural of ḥasīr. Al-Ḥasīr is someone who aims for something but
find between him and it impediments such as barriers and locked
doors. Thus, he finds no way of obtaining it.
The author is saying that the hopes of every pursuer and ev-
ery seeker fall short well below this degree and fail in weariness. This
degree is the manifestation of the Holy Essence in as it is. It has only
been obtained by the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬alone. He has no partner in that.
For the Lofty, Immense, Majestic and Holy Essence is the furthest
aim of all seekers and pursuers. However, He ‫ ﷻ‬has forbidden it
for all His creation, apart from the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬to see it. He made
him its owner and the one to obtain it. That is why the author said,
“beyond which there is no beyond” because below it were placed
impenetrable veils. Were those veils to be pierced, whatever existent
being that would witness it (the Essence) would become completely
nonexistent faster than the blinking of an eye. Likewise, he ‫ ﷺ‬said in
a hadith, “His veil is light. If it were lifted, the splendor of His coun-
tenance would incinerate whatever creation His vision reached.” It

5
is similar to what He ‫ ﷻ‬said in the verse to Mūsā : (And when
Mūsā came to our appointment and his Lord spoke to him, he said,
“My Lord, show me Yourself that I may look at You.” He said, “You
will not see Me. However, look at the mountain. If it remains in its
place, you will see Me. And when his Lord manifested Himself to
the mountain, He made it crumble to dust. And Mūsā fell prostrate
unconscious. When he awoke, he said, “Glorified are You. I repent to
You. And I am the first of the believers)4.
In some reports, it is said that the mountain split into seven-
ty parts out of awe of Allah ‫ﷻ‬. Then, from each part, Allah created
a person that said, “My Lord, show me Yourself that I may look at
you”, while Mūsā was looking on. He then said, “Did you believe
that you alone yearned for Me? Indeed, yearning for the Presence
pulls all existence toward the Essence”—meaning an existential at-
traction that is inescapable. However, Allah denies them (the vision
of the Essence).
It has also been narrated from Abū Yazīd al-Bisṭāmī 
that he had sought to seclude himself next to the Kaʼbah alone, at a
time when there would not be anyone other than him, so that this
manifestation—the manifestation of the Essence—would occur to
him. “So, I kept watch of it for a time and I did not find a way to do
that. So, I remained until there came an very cold night with heavy,
continuous rain. I said, ‘I will only be able to seclude myself next
to the Kaʼbah at this time.’ So, I went quickly to it. I arrived at the
Kaʼbah and the situation continued. However, when I got there, I
was accompanied by seventy from among the Gnostics from every
land. I said to them, ‘What is your situation?’ Each of them said,
‘We sought that which you sought.’” So, he was with them in that
state—meaning he found seclusion there and was alone. Thus, ev-
eryone that seeks Him finds Him. And that (meeting) was for them
like the manifestation of the Essence.

4 Al-A’rāf, 143.
6
Then he  said:

‫النْعَم ُاء‬ ْ ‫إِْذ أََتْتُه م‬

َّ ِ‫ِن َر ِّبه‬ ‫كًرا‬
ْ ‫اس ُش‬
َ ‫الن‬
َّ ‫ث‬
ُ ‫ُم َوافَى ُي َح ِّد‬
َّ ‫ث‬
(77) Then, he conveyed it in speech to people out of gratitude,

Since there had come to him from his Lord blessings

Then, after the signs that he ‫ ﷺ‬saw, when he awoke after the
night, he awoke “speaking to people out of gratitude” of that which
his Lord had given him and that with which He had blessed him.
Al-Nuʼmā’ refers to a blessing (niʼmah). However, it is those pro-
tected gifts which comes without any specified amount. All his gifts
and endowments are referred to by this Nu’mā’. He awoke speaking
to people about it out of gratitude for that which his Lord had given
him on that night.

Then he  said:

‫الغَّث ُاء‬
ُ ‫ول‬ِ ‫السُي‬ َ ٍ ِ‫كُّل ُمر‬
ُّ ‫يب أْو َيْبَقى َم َع‬ ُ ‫اب‬
َ ‫َارَت‬
ْ ‫َوَت َح َّدى ف‬
(78) He declared it openly and thus doubted every,

Doubter. Can rubbish remain with a current?

He said “He declared it openly” the meaning is that he an-

nounced it loudly among people. Al-Taḥaddī with something is to
announce it loudly. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬announced it loudly that night.
And when he announced it, “thus doubted every doubter” such
that many of the Muslims left Islam. Anyone who only had a small
amount of faith in his heart began to doubt and left the religion.
May Allah protect us from His punishment. He then said, “Can
rubbish remain with a current?” He compared the vision which he
had seen on that night to a strong current. And it is known that
rubbish cannot withstand a strong current. The former is the like-
ness of the level of perseverance the people of strong faith enjoy. Its
likeness is the scum and rubbish, which are those things that do not
remain in their place when a current passes over them. It is removed.
And the likeness of the vision that occurred during that night is the
strong current that pass over their weak faith. Thus, it removed their
7
faith and they disbelieved. He ‫ ﷻ‬said: (And We did not make the
vision that We had shown you, except to test people)5. Those who
were strong in faith remained steadfast on their faith. And the faith
of those who were weak was removed and they disbelieved.
It has been narrated that when the people heard the story in
the morning, there was a great disturbance in Makkah. Some of the
polytheists hurried to reach Abū Bakr and informed him of what he
‫ ﷺ‬had said, denying it. They sought for Abū Bakr to renounce his
Islam so that many of the believers would also renounce their faith.
They made a lot of clatter and said to him, “This one believes that
he has done such and such a thing.” He  responded to them, “If
he says that, then he has told the truth.” Thus, the doubt they were
seeking to sow was cut off. “Can rubbish remain with a current.”

5 Al-Isrā’, 60.
8