Chapter One
Concerning the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ‘Alaihi Afdhala Shalatu WasSalam
In this chapter Imam Busairi R.A. speaks of his love for Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. He tries to conceal this love and who his beloved is . For this reason he has not mentioned the name of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, directly in the whole chapter. By mentioning places and things close to Madinah, he alludes to Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. Due to this excessive love and devotion for Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, he has become completely restless, thus exposing this love to everyone.
1. Is it because of your remembrance of the neighbours of Dhi-salam.
Dhi-salam is a place between Mecca and Madinah, rather closer to Madinah. Imam Busairi mentions Dhi-Salam as it reminds him of the migration of the Prophet saw, it reminds him of the beginning of Muhammad’s Prophethood.
2. That tears mixed with blood are flowing (from your eyes).
These tears mixed with blood are due to his overwhelming love for the Prophet saw
3. Or is it because of the breeze blowing from Kaazimah.
Here Imam Busairi questions the reasons for the happenings in line 2. Kaazimah is a village in Madinah and as the breeze reaches Imam Busairi, his heart turns toward his Beloved. Imam Busairi has not yet revealed who his Beloved is, but by mentioning Mecca and then Kaazimah in Madinah, he alludes to the resting place of his Beloved.
4. Or it is the lightning struck in the darkness of the night Idam
Idam is a mountain in Madinah. As Imam Busairi sees the lightning he wonders if it is the same lightning that struck on Idam. Even the ightning reminds his troubled heart of his Beloved. After mentioning Dhi-salam, kaazimah and Idam it becomes completely clear who his Beloved is, though Imam Busairi is actually trying to conceal the name of his Beloved.
5. What has happened to your eyes, (the more) you tell them to stop, the more they continue flowing.
Due to immense love for the Prophet and an intense feeling of separation from the Beloved, tears continue to flow from Imam Busairi’s eyes. As every true lover knows, the more one tries to stop crying, the more thoughts of the Beloved bring tears to the eyes.
6. What is the matter with your heart, (the more) you tell it to come to its senses, (the more it is distracted).
Here Imam Busairi asks his ailing heart, why is it that when i ask you to come under control, the more you long for the Beloved and become grieved by its separation.
7. Does the lover think that his love can be concealed.
Now Imam Busairi shows the reason for his tears and why his heart is ailing.
8. While his eyes are shedding tears and his heart is glowing.
Even though Imam Busairi had tried to keep his love a secret, his tears and troubled heart exposed his love to everyone.
9. Had it not been for the love, you would not have shed tears at the ruins (of your beloved).
Imam Busairi says, had it not been for love, such tears would not have flowed. Upon seeing something of the beloved (‘ruins’ (of your beloved)), tears exposing his love begin to flow.
10. Nor would you become restless at the remembrance of the cypress (tree) the high mountain.
Love causes sleeplessness to Imam Busairi at the recollection of the cypress on a high mountain, a symbol of love. That cypress reminds Imam Busairi of the place his Beloved lived.
11. How do you deny love after the testimony.
Although Imam Busairi tries to conceal his love, yet evidences show otherwise, exposing his love.
12. Borne against you by (such) reliable witnesses as your tears and your illness.
The evidences spoken in the previous line are Imam Busairi’s tears and ailing heart. They constitute such trustworthy witness that no doubt can be placed on Imam Busairi being in love with the Beloved. Due to tears and grief, misery and sleeplessness, Imam Busairi has become ill.
13. Love has ingrained two lines of fear, and withered your face.
The effect of Imam Busairi’s love caused two streaks to appear on his cheeks due to excessive tears and his face become feeble and withered.
14. On your cheeks like yellow rose and the reddish tree.
Imam Busairi’s cheeks are compared to a yellow rose because of its paleness. Due to excessive tears, the lines on his cheeks are compared to the reddish colour of a tree.
15. Yes! Thoughts of the beloved came to me at night and kept me awake.
Imam Busairi says that the thoughts of his Beloved kept him awake at night.
A point to note: because of an immense love for the Prophet, many of his true lovers are blessed with seeing his noble countenance in a dream.
16. And love transforms pleasure into pain.
When a person is in love or in grief due to love, he no longer finds enjoyment in the things he used to enjoy before.
17. you who reproach me, regarding my love, excuse me.
Imam Busairi close ones reproached him on his love and tries to explain to him that he is harming himself and will become seriously ill, but Imam Busairi asks to be excused because he is helpless and cannot control the love in his heart.
18. From me to you if you do justice, you would not reproach me.
Imam Busairi says to his reproachers that you know i am hepless in this love, and if you were just, you would not reprimand me but rather symathise with me.
19. My state (of love) has been expressed to you, (now) my secret is no longer concealed.
Imam Busairi admits his love and is so grief stricken that his love no longer remains a secret.
20. From those who malign (me), nor is there (something to) check my agony.
This line continues from the previous in that Imam Busairi’s secret love is no longer hidden from those who malign him and that there is nothing to stop the pain of his love.
21. You have sincerely advised me , I did not heed it.
Imam Busairi refers to his reproachers as people who sincerey try to help him but he remained heedless of their advice.
22. For verily a lover is deaf to those who advise him.
Imam Busairi explains why he did not heed the sincere advice. He admits that love overwhelms him, he no longer has control over his emotions. Love has made him deaf to everything else.
23. I regarded with suspicion the advice of the elders in reproaching me.
Due to being lost in love, Imam Busairi regarded with distrust the advice of people who claim to have experienced love before.
24. (Wisdom) in the advice of the elders is above suspicion.
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