Poem by al-Farazdaq (d.

730)
about Zayn al-Abideen Ali ibn al-
Husayn (d. 712)
Imam Zayn al-Abidin (A.S.) went to the Mecca to perform the Hajj
pilgrimage. Meanwhile Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (the crown-prince
of the Umayyad dynasty at the time) went there for the same
purpose. Hisham tried his best to reach the Kaaba but he was unable
to do that, for the people were overcrowded around it. Every time
he would try pushing and forcing his way through – he would be
pushed back by the crowd circulating around the Kaaba. He decided
to give up and wait till the crowd became less so would be able to go
through with ease. A pulpit was installed and he sat on it. He began
looking at the crowds of the people from above. Then Imam Zayn al-
Abidin (A.S.) came to perform his circulation of the Kaaba. When the
pilgrims saw him, they were astonished at his humble solemnity and
the glow of piety on his face, the face was similar to that of his
grandfather,Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and his family.
The people were shouting: “There is no god but God! God is great!” –
With great respect – they parted, made way for him and allowed him
to pass through to kiss the Kaaba. The Syrians were astonished
when they saw that situation. The pilgrims saw the people did not
receive Hisham, the nominated caliph after his father, warmly
though the Syrians honored him and the Caliph’s guards surrounded
him.
One of Hisham’s companions from Syria asked him: “Who is that
man whom the people have honored very much?” Hisham was hurt
and pretended not to know the Imam and angrily, shouted at the
man, saying: “I do not know him!
The great Arab poet Al-Farazdaq was there. He knew that Hisham
was lying. He could not control himself at this insult to the great
Imam. Thus, he said to the Syrians: “I know him.” “Who is he, Abu
Firas?” The Syrians asked. Hisham shouted at al-Farazdaq, “I do not
know him!” “Yes, you know him.” replied al-Farazdaq. Then he rose
and composed the following poem whose effect was stronger than
the hitting of the swords and the stabbing of the spears against
Hisham.
He said (translation of the poem):
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the son of Husayn (A.S) and the grandson of Fatima (A.S) the
daughter of the Apostle through whom the darkness dispersed.
This is he whose ability the valley (of Mecca) recognizes, He is known
by the (Sacred) House and the Holy sanctuary and the lands outside
the sanctuary.
This is the son of the best of God”s servants.
This is the pure pious man, the pure eminent man. When the Quraysh
saw him, their spokesman said: Liberality terminates at the
outstanding qualities of this (man).
He belongs to the top of glory which the Arabs of Islam and non-Arabs
fall short of reaching.
When he comes to touch the wall of the Kaaba, it almost grasps the
palm of his hand.
He takes care to be modest and he is protected from his fears.
He only speaks when he smiles.
There is a cane in his hand. Its smell is fragrant from the hand of the
most wonderful (of all the people), who is proud.
The prophets yielded to his grandfather’s favor.
The nations yielded to the favor of his community.
The light of guidance emanates from the light of his forehead.
He is like the sun whose shining disperses darkness.
His family tree belongs to the Apostle of God.
Its elements, its natures, and its qualities are good.
This is the son of Fatima if you do not recognize him.
His grandfather was the seal of Prophethood.
God honored and favored him from antiquity.
Your words ‘ who is this?’ do not harm him.
All the Arabs and non-Arabs recognize him whom you deny.
Both his hands are relief.
Their advantage has prevailed.
The hands are just.
Nonexistence does not befall them.
He is the carrier of the burdens of the people when they are oppressed.
His qualities are good.
The ‘ yes’ is sweet with him.
He does not break a promise.
His soul is blessed.
His courtyard is wide.
He is intelligent when he decides.
He is from the people whose love is religion, whose hate is unbelief,
whose approach is refuge and protection.
If the God-fearing are numbered, they are their Imams.
If it is said who are the best of the earth, it is said they are.
No generous man can reach their far purpose.
No people, though generous, can compete with them (for generosity).
They are rain when a crisis happens.
They are lions when fear becomes intense.
Poverty does not decrease the relief from their hands.
That is the same, whether they are rich or poor.
Misfortune and tribulation are driven away through their love.
Kindness and the blessings are regained through it.
In every affair their praise is after the praise of God.
The speech is ended by it.
Abasement refuses to stop at their space.
Their natures are noble, and their hands are full of liberality.
None of mankind has within their souls such primacy as he does or
such grace as he does.
Whoever knows God, knows His friend. Our Religion came from the
House of this man.
Hisham was so furious at al-Farazdaq after hearing this poem, he
ordered that he should be imprisoned in Asfan, located between
Mecca and Medina. In prison, he continued to write poetry in favor
of the Ahl al-Bayt. Imam Zayn al-Abidin sent some money to al-
Farazdaq, since he was in the prison and had no means of earning
his livelihood. Al-Farazdaq didn’t accept it and said that he had
recited the poem only to please God. The Imam insisted and sent
him the money saying: “God Almighty is well aware of your
intention, and will reward you appropriately. If you accept this
money, it shall not reduce your reward from God.” And he urged al-
Farazdaq to accept the gift and finally al-Farazdaq accepted it.
‫الح ُّل َوال َح َر ُم‬ ‫َوالبَ ْيتُ ي ْع ِرفُهُ َو ِ‬ ‫طأتَهُ‪،‬‬ ‫طحا ُء َو ْ‬ ‫ف البَ ْ‬ ‫عر ُ‬ ‫هَذا الّذي ت َ ِ‬
‫الطا ِه ُر ال َعلَ ُم‬ ‫ي ّ‬ ‫ي النّق ّ‬ ‫هذا التّق ّ‬ ‫َير ِعبا ِد هللا ُكلّ ِه ُم‪،‬‬ ‫ابن خ ِ‬ ‫هذا ُ‬
‫ِب َج ّد ِه أ ْنبِ َيا ُء هللا قَ ْد ُخ ِت ُموا‬ ‫ت جا ِهلَهُ‪،‬‬ ‫إن ُك ْن َ‬ ‫ابن فاط َمةٍ‪ْ ،‬‬ ‫هذا ُ‬
‫ت َوالعَج ُم‬ ‫ف من أن َك ْر َ‬ ‫عر ُ‬ ‫ب تَ ِ‬ ‫ائره‪ ،‬العُ ْر ُ‬ ‫ض ِ‬ ‫ْس قَ ْولُ َك‪َ :‬من هذا؟ ب َ‬ ‫َولَي َ‬
‫عرو ُهما َع َد ُم‬ ‫فان‪َ ،‬وال يَ ُ‬ ‫يُ ْست َ ْو َك ِ‬ ‫اث َع َّم نَفعُ ُه َما‪،‬‬ ‫ِك ْلتا يَ َد ْي ِه ِغيَ ٌ‬
‫شي ُم‬ ‫ق َوال ّ‬‫سن الخَل ِ‬ ‫اثنان‪ُ :‬ح ُ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫يَ ِزينُهُ‬ ‫س ْه ُل ال َخ ِليقَ ِة‪ ،‬ال تُخشى بَ َواد ُِرهُ‪،‬‬ ‫َ‬
‫شمائ ِل‪ ،‬تَحلُو عن َدهُ نَ َع ُم‬ ‫ُح ُلو ال ّ‬ ‫أقو ٍام‪ ،‬إذا افت ُ ِد ُحوا‪،‬‬ ‫َح ّما ُل أثقا ِل َ‬
‫َت ال َءهُ نَ َع ُم‬ ‫ش ّه ُد كان ْ‬ ‫لَ ْوال الت ّ َ‬ ‫ش ُّه ِد ِه‪،‬‬ ‫قط‪ ،‬إالّ في ت َ َ‬ ‫ما قال‪ :‬ال ُّ‬
‫الق والعَ َد ُم‬ ‫واإلم ُ‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫َع ْنها الغَيا ِه ُ‬
‫ب‬ ‫ت‬‫ش َع ْ‬ ‫باإلحسان‪ ،‬فا ْنقَ َ‬
‫ِ‬ ‫َع َّم ال َب ِريّةَ‬
‫ار ِم هذا يَ ْنت َ ِهي ال َك َر ُم‬ ‫إلى َم َك ِ‬ ‫ْش قال قائِلُها‪:‬‬ ‫إذ َرأتْهُ قُ َري ٌ‬
‫فَ َما يُ َكلَّ ُم إالّ ِحينَ يَ ْبت َ ِس ُم‬ ‫ضى من َمهابَتِه‪،‬‬ ‫ضي َحيا ًء‪َ ،‬ويُغ َ‬ ‫يُ ْغ ِ‬
‫ع‪ ،‬في ِع ْرنِينِ ِه ش َم ُم‬ ‫أر َو َ‬ ‫ف ْ‬ ‫ان ِري ُحهُ َع ِب ٌق‪ ،‬من َك ّ‬ ‫ِب َكفّ ِه َخي ُْز َر ٌ‬
‫ُر ْك ُن ال َح ِط ِيم إذا ما َجا َء َيست َ ِل ُم‬ ‫َيكا ُد يُ ْم ِس ُكهُ ِع ْرفانَ َرا َحتِ ِه‪،‬‬
‫ذاك لَهُ في لَ ْو ِح ِه القَلَ ُم‬ ‫َج َرى ِب َ‬ ‫ظ َمهُ‪،‬‬ ‫هللا ش َّرفَهُ ِق ْدماً‪َ ،‬و َع ّ‬
‫ألو ِليّ ِة هَذا‪ْ ،‬أو لَهُ نِع ُم‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ت في ِرقَابِ ِه ُم‪،‬‬ ‫س ْ‬ ‫ق لَ ْي َ‬ ‫ي الخَالئِ ِ‬ ‫أ ُّ‬
‫ت هذا نَالَهُ األ ُ َم ُم‬ ‫ِين ِمن بَي ِ‬ ‫فال ّد ُ‬ ‫َمن يَش ُك ِر هللا يَش ُك ْر ّأو ِليّةَ ذا؛‬
‫األكف‪ ،‬وعن إدرا ِكها القَ َد ُم‬ ‫ُّ‬ ‫عنها‬
‫َ‬ ‫ص َرت‬ ‫ّين التي قَ ُ‬ ‫يُنمى إلى ذُ ْر َوةِ الد ِ‬
‫َت لَهُ األ ُ َم ُم‬ ‫ض ُل أ ُ ّمتِ ِه دان ْ‬ ‫َوفَ ْ‬ ‫ياء لَهُ؛‬ ‫ض ُل األ ْن ِب ِ‬ ‫َم ْن َج ُّدهُ دان فَ ْ‬
‫ش َي ُم‬ ‫والخي ُم َوال ّ‬ ‫سهُ ِ‬ ‫غار ُ‬ ‫ت َم ِ‬ ‫طا َب ْ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫سو ِل هللا نَ ْب َعتُهُ‪،‬‬ ‫ُم ْشتَقّةٌ ِم ْن َر ُ‬
‫الظلَ ُم‬‫إشرا ِقها ُّ‬ ‫نجاب عن َ‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫غر ِت ِه كالشمس ت َ‬ ‫نور ّ‬ ‫ب ال ّد َجى عن ِ‬ ‫َي ْنش َّق ث َ ْو ُ‬
‫ص ُم‬ ‫نجى َو ُمعت َ َ‬ ‫ُك ْف ٌر‪َ ،‬وقُ ْربُ ُه ُم َم ً‬ ‫ض ُه ُم‬‫ِين‪َ ،‬وبُ ْغ ُ‬ ‫من َمعش ٍَر ُحبُّ ُه ْم د ٌ‬
‫في ك ّل بَ ْدءٍ ‪َ ،‬و َمختو ٌم به ال َك ِل ُم‬ ‫ُمقَ َّد ٌم بعد ِذ ْك ِر هللا ِذ ْك ُر ُه ُم‪،‬‬
‫األرض؟» قيل‪ :‬هم‬ ‫خير أهل ْ‬ ‫ْأو قيل‪« :‬من ُ‬ ‫ع ّد أ ْه ُل التّقَى كانوا أئِ ّمتَه ْم‪،‬‬ ‫ْ‬
‫إن ُ‬
‫إن َك ُر ُموا‬ ‫َوال يُدانِي ِه ُم قَ ْو ٌم‪َ ،‬و ْ‬ ‫ال َيستَطي ُع َج َوا ٌد َبع َد ُجو ِد ِه ُم‪،‬‬
‫البأس محتد ُم‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫ش َرى‪َ ،‬و‬ ‫َواألُس ُد أُس ُد ال ّ‬ ‫ت‪،‬‬ ‫أز َمةٌ أزَ َم ْ‬ ‫وث‪ ،‬إذا ما ْ‬ ‫ُه ُم الغُيُ ُ‬
‫إن َع ِد ُموا‬ ‫ّان ذلك‪ :‬إن أث َ َر ْوا َو ْ‬ ‫ِسي ِ‬ ‫سر بَسطا ً من أ ُكفّ ِه ُم؛‬ ‫ص العُ ُ‬ ‫ال يُن ِق ُ‬
‫ان َوال ِنّعَ ُم‬ ‫س ُ‬ ‫اإلح َ‬ ‫َويُ ْست َ َربّ بِ ِه ْ‬ ‫الشر َوالبَ ْل َوى ب ُحبّ ِه ُم‪،‬‬ ‫ُّ‬ ‫يُست ْدفَ ُع‬

‫)‪(Source: Ali Hujwiri (d. 1077), Kashf al-Mahjub‬‬