Finding the Prophet's Way

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تَشَعَّبَتْ الأهواء بِالْنَّاسِ

Desires multiplied among the people.

فَشَرَّدَهُمْ فِي بَيْدَاءِ الضَّلَالِ

Then he scattered them into the desolate wilderness of error.

حَتَّى عَبَدُوا الْأَصْنَامَ

They went so far as to worship idols.

وَاِخْتَلَفُوا فِي الْعَقَائِدِ وَالْأَفْعَالُ اِخْتِلَافًا

And they differed greatly in beliefs and in actions.

خَالَفُوا فِيهِ اَلْرُّسُلُ وَالْعُقُولُ اِتِّباعًا لِأَهْوَائِهِمْ

They opposed the messengers and sound reason in that, following their desires.

وَمَيْلًا إِلَى عَادَاتِهِمْ وَتَقْلِيدًا لِكُبَرَائِهِمْ

and a leaning toward their customs and an imitation of their elders.

فَصَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ ابليس ظَنُّهُ فَاتَّبَعُوهُ

So Satan's suspicion about them proved true, and they followed him.

إِلَّا فَرِيقًا مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Except for a group of believers.

وَأَعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ جَاءُوا بِالْبَيَانِ الْكَافِيِ

Know that the prophets came with sufficient clarity.

وَقَابَلُوا الامراض بِالدَّوَاءِ الشَّافِيِّ

And confront illnesses with the healing medicine.

وَتَوَافَقُوا عَلَى مِنهَاجٍ لَمْ يَخْتَلِفْ

And they agreed upon a method that did not differ.

فَأَقْبَلَ الشَّيْطَانُ يُخَلِّطُ بِالْبَيَانِ شُبْهَةً

Then Satan came, mixing a doubt into the statement.

وَبِالدَّوَاءِ سَمًّا وَبِالسَّبِيلِ الوَاضِحِ جَرْدًا مُضِلًّا

And by the remedy he was exalted, and by the clear path he stripped them bare and led them astray.

وَمَا زَالَ يَلْعَبُ بِالْعُقُولِ

And he continued to toy with people's minds.

إِلَى أَنْ فُرُوقَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فِي مَذَاهِبٍ سَخِيفَةٍ وَ بِدَعٍ قَبِيحَةٍ

until the divisions of the Age of Ignorance became foolish doctrines and ugly innovations.

فَأَصْبَحُوا يَعْبُدُونَ الْأَصْنَامَ فِي الْبَيْتِ الْحَرَامِ

So they began to worship idols in the Sacred House.

وَيُحَرِّمُونَ السَّائِبَةَ وَالْبُحَيْرَةَ وَالْوَصِيلَةَ وَالْحَامَ

And they forbade the roaming animal, the animal marked for pregnancy, the animal tied to others, and the animal declared taboo.

وَيَرَوْنَ وَأْدَ الْبَنَاتِ وَيَمْنَعُونَهُنَّ الْمِيرَاثَ

And they practiced burying daughters alive and denied them inheritance.

إِلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الضَّلالِ الَّذِي سَوَّلَهُمْ إِبْلِيسُ

and other such misguidance that Satan suggested to them.

فَابْتَعَثَ اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدًا

So Allah sent Muhammad.

فَرَفَعَ الْمَقَابِحَ وَشَرَعَ الْمَصَالِحَ

Then he removed the obstacles and established the public good.

فَسَارَ أَصْحَابُهُ مَعَهُ وَبِعَدِّهِ فِي ضَوْءِ نُورِهِ سَالِمِينَ مِنَ الْعَدُوِّ وَغُرُورِهِ

His companions set out with him and with his retinue, walking in the light of his radiance, safe from the enemy and its deception.

فَلَمَّا انْسَلَخَ نَهَارُ وُجُودِهِمْ

When the day of their presence drew to a close.

أَقْبَلَتْ أَغْبَاشُ الظُّلُمَاتِ فَعَادَتْ الأَهْوَاءُ تُنْشِئُ بَدْعًا

The darkened masses drew near, and desires returned, bringing forth innovations.

وَتَضِيقُ سَبِيلًا مَا زَالَ مُتَّسِعًا فَفَرَّقَ الأَكْثَرُونَ دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيعًا

And a path that had remained wide became narrow, so the majority divided their religion and became sects.

وَنَهْضُ إِبْلِيسُ يَلْبَسُ وَيَزْخَرِفُ ويفـرق وَيُؤَلِّفُ

And Iblis rose up, clothing, adorning, dividing, and forming factions.

وانما يَصِحُّ لَهُ الْتَلَصُّصُ فِي لَيْلِ الجهل

And it is only justified for him to spy in the night of ignorance.

فَلَوْ قَدْ طَلَعَ عَلَيْهِ صُبْحُ الْعِلْمِ اِفْتَضَحَ

So if the dawn of knowledge had risen upon him, he would have been exposed.

فَرَأَيْتُ أَنْ أَحْذَرَ مِنْ مَكَائِدِهِ

So I decided to beware of his schemes.

وأدل عَلَى مَصَايِدِهِ

And it makes his snares even clearer.

فَإِنَّ فِي تَعْرِيفِ الشَّرِّ تَحْذِيرًا عَنِ الْوُقُوعِ فِيهِ

For in defining evil there is a warning against falling into it.

فَفِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ مِنْ حَدِيثِ حُذَيْفَةُ قَالَ

In the two Sahih collections, from the hadith of Hudhayfah, he said:

كَانَ النَّاسُ يَسْأَلُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ عَنْ الْخَيْرِ

People would ask the Messenger of God about what is good.

وَكُنْتُ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ الشَّرِّ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يَدْرِكَنِي

And I used to ask him about evil, for fear that it might overtake me.