Oh You Who Are Leaving To Mina Without Me! Your Departure Has Set My Heart Ablaze!

Last night, after isha prayer, people in the masjid broke up into the circles that they always do, socializing and tending to different issues. One of the brothers was receiving hugs from everyone, when I asked him what he was getting all that love for, he looked down and with a radiant face said “I’m leaving for hajj tomorrow in sha Allah.”

All I could say was

يا راحلين إلـى منـى بغيـابي ** هيجتموا يوم الرحيـل فـؤادي

Oh you who are leaving to Mina without me! Your departure has set my heart ablaze!

It is narrated that a man by the name of Abdur-Raheem AlBur’i was a person who frequently made the journey for Hajj. In one year however, as he was approaching the final tier of the journey he fell ill. The pain of not performing the pilgrimage was more severe than the pain of the sickness however, and he articulated his emotions in a beautiful piece that is below. I’ve also copied on the bottom a youtube video of the performance of the second half of the poem.

يا راحلين إلـى منـى بغيـابي ** هيجتموا يوم الرحيـل فـؤادي

سرتم وسار دليلكم يا وحشتـي** الشوق أقلقني وصوت الحـادي

وحرمتموا جفني المنام ببعدكـم** يا ساكنين المنحنـى والـوادي

ويلوح لي مابين زمزم والصفـا **عند المقام سمعت صوت منادي

ويقول لي يانائما جـد السُـرى** عرفات تجلو كل قلـب صـادي

من نال من عرفات نظرة ساعة** نال السرور ونال كـل مـرادي

تالله ما أحلى المبيت على منـى** في ليـل عيـد أبـرك الأعيـاد

وأنا المتيم قد نحـرت فـؤادي ** ضحوا ضحاياهم ثم سال دماؤها

لبسوا ثياب البيض شارات الرضى** وأنا من أجلهم لبست سـوادي

يارب أنت وصلتهم وقطعتني** فبحقهـم يـا رب فُـك قيـادي

بالله يا زوار قبر محمد** من كان منكم رائحاً أو غادي

بلغ إلى المختار ألف تحية**من عاشق متفتت الأكبادٍ

قولوا لهم عبـد الرحيـم متيـم** ومفـارق الأحـبـاب والأولاد

صلى عليك الله يا علم الهـدى** ما سار ركب أو ترنـم حـادي

Oh you who are traveling to Mina without me!

On the day of leaving you set my heart ablaze!

You have gone, and gone is your guide, oh my loneliness!

Missing you and the voice of the caravan leader, has made me anxious

Your distance has prevented my eyelids from sleep

You who reside in the curves and valleys!

“And it calls to me! What is between Zamzam and AlSafa!

At the station of Ibraheem, I heard a voice start!

Saying to me, “You who is sleeping, journey the night

Earnestly, for Arafat polishes every rusty heart!

Whoever receives from Arafat, but a moments glimpse,

Acquires bliss and all that I request,

By Allah, how sweet is a night spent in Mina,

On the eve of Eid, the Eid most blessed!

They offer their animals, their blood gushing forth,

And I, the one left behind, have offered my heart,

They are adorned in white for their jubilation,

And I am adorned in black for their part,

Oh my Lord, you have connected them, and cut me off!

So by their right my Lord! Release my captivity!**

By Allah, oh visitors of the grave of Muhammad

Whoever of you returns or departs!

Inform the Chosen one of a thousand greetings

From a Lover whose heart is shattered in parts!

Say to him, Abdul-Raheem is enchained,

And separated from loved ones and offspring,

May peace and blessings be upon you, oh Banner of Guidance,

As long as a caravan goes forth, or a chanter does sing!

*This is where the recitation of the poem starts in the youtube video copied

**It is not appropriate to ask Allah by the “Right” of any of his creatures as no one has rights over Allah. He does what He wishes subhannah.

May Allah write for all of us to be guests at His house.

Watch this space for Ammar’s new column Rusty Heart Chronicles.