THE RHYMING PATTERN MANIFESTS LOVE

There are various characteristics of these salawaat that are worthy of note. First, that they are ever expanding. For example, the first salaat quoted above is comprised of one sentence whereas the other salawaat consist of two or more sentences. We also observe that the first salaat mentions the beloved Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam only, the second includes his blessed family and companions while the third and the fourth also mention the saleheen (the pious) who follow tariqa (spiritual path leading to Allah Ta'ala). Another interesting feature of these salawaat is that the end words rhyme. For example, in the second salaat just quoted, the words "tahqeeq" and "siddiq" rhyme; in the third salaat, the words "kullihaa", "Haamiduhaa" and "qawaaidahaa" all rhyme while in the fourth salaat, the words "mukammal", "akmal", "afdhal" and "aqbal" all rhyme. Such rhyming is accomplished throughout the kitab. It appears that al-'Arif Billah Sayyidunal Imam 'Ali bin Muhammad al-Habshi has perfected this ageless rhyming tradition among Muslims.

In the following salaat, Imam al-Habshi, may Allah Ta'ala make us benefit from him, not only shows his deep love for Rasulullah Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam in talking of his sifaat (beautiful attributes) which made him the perfect human, but also reveals his own stature as a scholar in the rhyming he achieves.

Allahumma Salli 'alaa Sayyidina Muhammad-in-i'l-Hameedi'l Mahmood
Wa's-sirri'l ladhee laa yanqati'u madaduh
Wa laa yanhasiru 'adaduh
Ashrafi maujood
Wa a'zami maulood
Allazee sharrafa kullu maulood
Ashrafi'l mursaleen
Wa aqrabi'l muqarrabeen
Wa afdhali'l khalqi ajma'een
Ashrafi'l mukammaleen
Wa afdhali'nnaasi ajma'een
As-sirrillazee saraa fi'l arwaahi wa'l-masaami'a
Laa tahya'l quloobu illa bi zikrih
Laa ba'eeda illaa qarrabahu
Aqraba kulla qareeb
Wa ahabba kulla habib
Hayaati kulli rooh
Baabi'l fadhli wa'l futooh
Wa baabi'l azeemi'l maftooh
Sirri'l asraar
Wa nuri'l anwaar
Wa miftaahi baabi'l yasaar
Wa jaami'i'l kamaal
Hayaat-i'r-roohi wa'l baal

O Allah! Shower blessings on Sayyidina Muhammad,
the praiseworthy and the praised one,
the help of whose secret is never cut off
and is uncountable;
who is noble in his presence;
whose birth was the most significant
and the best among all births;
the best among the Messengers of Allah,
the nearest among those drawn near
and the best in all creation,
the best among all those who are perfect
and the best in all humanity
whose sacred mystery was that he sojourned
into the realm of souls and hearers.
One's heart does not become alive except with his zikr (rememberance).
There is no one who is far away, except he brings him near.
He is closer to one than everyone else who is close
and most beloved of all those loved.
He is the life of all souls,
the door of graciousness and victories;
and indeed a big open door (of magnanimity),
the secret of secrets, and the light of lights,
and the key to the gate of ease and abundance
and the one who combined in himself all wonderful qualities;
the life of souls and hearts.

We notice that in this salaat, the words "madaduh" and "'adaduh" rhyme; the words "maujood" and "maulood" rhyme; the words "mursaleen", "muqarrabeen", "ajma'een" and "mukammaleen" rhyme; the words "qareeb" and "habib" rhyme; the words "rooh", "futooh" and "maftooh" rhyme; the words "asraar", "anwaar" and "yasaar" rhyme; and the words "kamaal" and "baal" rhyme. Seven different rhymes in just one salaat on the beloved Sayyidina Muhammad Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam!

The biggest salaat in Lataaif i'l 'Arshiyyah is one and half pages long and has eight different rhymes. In it, the words "tajalliyaatika", "dhaatika", "ladayka", "yadayka", "Wahdaaniyyatika", "millatika", "lihubbika", and "mahboobuka" rhyme; "fardaa" and "sardaa" rhyme; "binaseebih" and "habibih" rhyme; "ilayhim" and "'alayhim" rhyme; "sifatuhu", and "khuluquhu" rhyme; "ibtihaajaa", and "mi'raajaa" rhyme; "amalih" (which starts with the letter alif), and "'amalih" (which starts with the letter 'ain) rhyme; and "shuhooduh", and "wurooduh" rhyme.

One other salaat has eleven end words that rhyme. These are: "haqiyyah", "ghaybiyyah", "'indiyyah", "roohiyyah", "saniyyah", "Muhammadiyyah", "qalbiyyah", "Mustafawiyyah", "wa'n-niyyah", "bariyyah", and "wa'z-zurriyyah". Such rhymes and rhyming patterns are achieved in all the salawaat throughout the kitab. This is only one manifestation of the love for Rasulullah Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam. Is there anyone in the whole wide world more loved than the Holy Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam in all humanity throughout history, we begin to ask? This naturally makes us stand up in reverential awe of the beloved Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad al-Mustafa Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam as we begin to give words to our as yet dim understanding of his grandeur before Allah Sub'hanahu wa Ta'ala.

Sallallahu 'alaa Muhammad Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallim
Sallallahu 'alaa Muhammad Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallim
Sallallahu 'alaa Muhammad Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallim

May Allah's blessings be on Muhammad;
May Allah's blessings and peace be on him.

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• The Rhyming Pattern Manifests Love