After life comes death
When the Shaikh dies, no one should weep
Write “in the name of God,”
For everything begins that way
Our Lord is the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
And we ask for His mercy
Let us beg for His mercy
And that the Shaikh be granted His compassion
May the Shaikh be spared
The torturous agonies of dying
Shaikh Nureini, the Gentle Breeze,
Let us pray that God shows him mercy
There is the paradise called Eden
Reserved for the beloved of our Lord
It is for those who are very much beloved and pious
And whose souls have been specifically selected
Those who are closest to God
Will all be assembled
And the Prophet’s Companions
Will all stay by his side
We can benefit from sitting next to the Shaikh
And we pray for this,
To acquire religious knowledge
And treasures worth preserving
As well as other knowledge
Of practical use
We gain wisdom from him
Precious stones worth looking for
Value the Shaikh’s life
Since eternal life is impossible
Eternal life is impossible
And death is a certainty
Pray that the Shaikh may live on
And that his life be extended
For if his life is extended
He will disseminate more knowledge
The dissemination of knowledge
Will strengthen our religion
And whatever the Shaikh says
Warrants careful consideration
When the Shaikh dies, no one should weep
Instead people should recite dhikr
Dhikr will echo from all corners
And the Quran will be read
Why should people weep,
As it is a day of joy
[The day he dies] is actually a day of joy
And a day to visit each other in celebration
Those who are standing and reciting dhikr and Quran
Tears will flow down their cheeks
Tears will keep flowing
And wet their clothes
All will follow the funeral procession
And the town will be deserted
Local people and visitors
Will be indistinguishable in this crowd
And then a divine call will be made
For the crowd to be rewarded
Angels will descend
To perform this service
They will distribute heavenly rewards
Much like roasted coffee beans are distributed
Even those watching from the windows
Will receive this blessing
And those looking down from the rooftops
It will be thrown to them
Only after they have been blessed this way
Will people start to walk back
The pathways along which he walked daily
Will feel sad,
As will his daily circle of students
And the lessons he used to teach
The Mosque will be dark
Even when it is lit
For he was the light
A bright light we all watched
Calm down and be consoled
For the Shaikh is out of our reach
He is residing in Heaven
Waiting for us to join him
Dada Masiti [Mana Siti Habib Jamaluddin] (c.1804 – 1920) Somalia
Translated by Mohamed Kassim
Source: “Dhikr will Echo from All Corners:” Dada Masiti and the Transmission of Islamic Knowledge, Mohamed Kassim, Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies: Vol. 2, Article 7
When the Shaikh dies, no one should weep
Write “in the name of God,”
For everything begins that way
Our Lord is the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
And we ask for His mercy
Let us beg for His mercy
And that the Shaikh be granted His compassion
May the Shaikh be spared
The torturous agonies of dying
Shaikh Nureini, the Gentle Breeze,
Let us pray that God shows him mercy
There is the paradise called Eden
Reserved for the beloved of our Lord
It is for those who are very much beloved and pious
And whose souls have been specifically selected
Those who are closest to God
Will all be assembled
And the Prophet’s Companions
Will all stay by his side
We can benefit from sitting next to the Shaikh
And we pray for this,
To acquire religious knowledge
And treasures worth preserving
As well as other knowledge
Of practical use
We gain wisdom from him
Precious stones worth looking for
Value the Shaikh’s life
Since eternal life is impossible
Eternal life is impossible
And death is a certainty
Pray that the Shaikh may live on
And that his life be extended
For if his life is extended
He will disseminate more knowledge
The dissemination of knowledge
Will strengthen our religion
And whatever the Shaikh says
Warrants careful consideration
When the Shaikh dies, no one should weep
Instead people should recite dhikr
Dhikr will echo from all corners
And the Quran will be read
Why should people weep,
As it is a day of joy
[The day he dies] is actually a day of joy
And a day to visit each other in celebration
Those who are standing and reciting dhikr and Quran
Tears will flow down their cheeks
Tears will keep flowing
And wet their clothes
All will follow the funeral procession
And the town will be deserted
Local people and visitors
Will be indistinguishable in this crowd
And then a divine call will be made
For the crowd to be rewarded
Angels will descend
To perform this service
They will distribute heavenly rewards
Much like roasted coffee beans are distributed
Even those watching from the windows
Will receive this blessing
And those looking down from the rooftops
It will be thrown to them
Only after they have been blessed this way
Will people start to walk back
The pathways along which he walked daily
Will feel sad,
As will his daily circle of students
And the lessons he used to teach
The Mosque will be dark
Even when it is lit
For he was the light
A bright light we all watched
Calm down and be consoled
For the Shaikh is out of our reach
He is residing in Heaven
Waiting for us to join him
Dada Masiti [Mana Siti Habib Jamaluddin] (c.1804 – 1920) Somalia
Translated by Mohamed Kassim
Source: “Dhikr will Echo from All Corners:” Dada Masiti and the Transmission of Islamic Knowledge, Mohamed Kassim, Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies: Vol. 2, Article 7
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