مرثية الشيخ محمد أحمد يحيى Elegy for Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Yahya

2024 · 13 verses · basīṭ metre

Poet: Abd al-Baqi al-Mahmoud Muhammad

Introduction

Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Yahya, the poet’s uncle, died on 16 May 2024. The poet wrote this elegy for him the same day, in Niamey.

He honours a scholar whose companions were books, a model of patience whose home was always full of students, who raised and taught generations and recited the Qur’an day and night.

The poem

Show the translation

قصيدة رثى بها الطالب عبد الباقي المحمود محمد يحيى عمّه الشيخ/ محمد أحمد يحيى المتوفّى 16 مايو 2024م، رحمه الله ورحم معه موتانا وموتى المسلمين.

مَا بَالُ عَيْنِكَ مِنْهَا الدَّمْعُ يَنسَكِبُ أَلَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الدَّهْرَ يَنقَلِبُ

What ails your eyes, that tears pour from them? Do you not know that time turns?
مَا الْمَوْتُ إِلَّا حُسَامُ الدَّهْرِ سَلَّطَهُ عَلَى الْأَحِبَّةِ يُفْنِيهِمْ وَذَا عَجَبُ

Death is nothing but the sword of time, which it brings down on our loved ones to destroy them — a strange thing.
الْيَوْمَ قَطَّعَ أَوْصَالَ الْقُلُوبِ فَهَلْ يَغْتَالُنَا لِانتِفَاعٍ أَمْ لَهُ أَرَبُ

Today it has severed the ties of hearts: does it strike us down for gain, or has it some purpose?
دَهْيَاءُ فَاجَأَتِ الْأَقْوَامَ فَاندَهَشُوا وَاسْتَرْجَعُوا إِذْ رَمَتْهُمُ الرِّيَبُ

A calamity took the people by surprise and left them stunned; they said “To God we belong and to Him we return” when misfortunes struck them.
رَمَتْهُمُ بِوَفَاةِ الشَّيْخِ عَالِمِهِمْ مُحَمَّدَ أَحْمَدُ مَنْ أَصْحَابُهُ الْكُتُبُ

They struck them with the death of the sheikh, their scholar, Muhammad Ahmad, whose companions were books.
لَمَّا رَأَى ضِيقَ هَذِي الدَّارِ غَادَرَهَا وَاخْتَارَ دَارَ الْهَنَا، وَاللهُ مَنْ يَهَبُ

Seeing how narrow this abode is, he left it and chose the abode of bliss — and it is God who gives.
مُحَمَّدَ أَحْمَدُ رَمْزُ الصَّبْرِ فِي زَمَنٍ قَدْ عَزَّ فِيهِ صَبُورٌ لَيْسَ يَضْطَرِبُ

Muhammad Ahmad, an emblem of patience in an age when a patient man who does not waver is rare.
عُمَّارُ مَنزِلِهِ طُلَّابُ عِلْمٍ وَذَا عَلَامَةُ الصُّلْحِ، وَالْأَخْلَاقُ تُنتَخَبُ

His home was filled with students, a sign of peace, and fine manners were cultivated there.
رَبَّى وَعَلَّمَ أَجْيَالاً وَهَذَّبَهُمْ لِنَيْلِ أَجْرٍ عَظِيمٍ وَهْوَ مُحْتَسِبُ

He raised, taught and refined generations, for a great reward he hoped for from God alone.
قَدْ كَانَ يَتْلُو كِتَابَ اللهِ فِي يَوْمِهِ وَفِي اللَّيَالِي، وَأَجْرَ اللهِ يَكْتَسِبُ

He recited the Book of God by day and through the nights, earning God’s reward.
هَذِي الْمُصِيبَةُ عَمَّتْ فَاصْبِرُوا فَلَكُمْ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ بِإِذْنِ الرَّبِّ فَاحْتَسِبُوا

This affliction touches us all: be patient, for a great reward awaits you, God willing; entrust it to Him.
اللهَ أَسْأَلُ لِلْمَرْحُومِ مَغْفِرَةً وَجَنَّةً لَيْسَ يَأْتِي بَعْدَهَا تَعَبُ

I ask God for forgiveness for the departed, and for a Paradise after which no hardship comes.
ثُمَّ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ وَالْأُلَى فِي إِثْرِهِ ذَهَبُوا

Then blessings be upon Muhammad, upon his Companions, and upon those who followed in his footsteps.

نيامي بتاريخ: 16 مايو 2024م.

The Arabic text is reproduced as the poet wrote it, vowel marks included. The translation, offered verse by verse by the site’s team, follows the meaning rather than the rhyme: only the Arabic text is authoritative.