O Latif: a poem by 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani
By ’Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani.
This poem was composed in the twelfth century by the founder of the Qadiriyya path. It is still sung today, in its Arabic-language version, in certain branches of the brotherhood. As such, beyond its poetic and spiritual interest, it constitutes a modality of collective dhikr, that is, an operative support of spiritual practices contributing to the illumination of the disciples’ hearts.
O Latif!1 O Latif! Does goodness2 not belong to Thee?
Thus Thou art Latif and, emanating from Thee, Thy benevolence extends3 over us.
Latif! Latif! Yes, in truth, I am of those who attain to Thee4 through Thy favour5.
Grant me Thy grace, now that Thy benevolence has already manifested itself!
In Thy goodness we seek refuge, O Latif, and through it we penetrate into the heart of Thy grace, and Thy gentle benevolence envelopes us.
We are saved by the grace of Allah, by the grace that, in truth, comes from Him.
Latif! Latif! His grace is a permanent benefit6.
Through Thy subtlety, Thou procurest for us the intuitive grasp7 of what is hidden, O Thou who givest!
Thou art the One who heals and Thou art the One who pardons.
He is our help. He is our help. O Latif towards Thy creatures!
After the decree has descended, grace appears8.
By the glory9 of the lord of the Messengers, Muhammad, for without the grace of his merciful eye10, divine goodness would not be manifested.
Upon him be the prayer of Allah, as the reciter has said.
O Latif! O Latif! Does goodness not belong to Thee?
Upon him be the prayer of Allah, as the one who speaks has said.
O Latif! O Latif! Does goodness not belong to Thee?
Upon him be the prayer of Allah, as the one who makes rhymes has said.
O Latif! O Latif! Does goodness not belong to Thee?
Further reading
- The Burda: the poem of the mantle
- The Hikam of Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah commented by Ibn ’Ajiba
- The Qadiriya Boutchichiya path
Footnotes
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This word is a divine name. As such it is a face of the divine Reality, a face through which God makes Himself known to human beings. It is at the same time, and thereby, a divine secret. For this reason it is not translated here, for the Arabic term is steeped in the mystery of its true signification. It can however be related to the following English terms: the Subtle, the Benevolent, the Gentle, the Omnipresent. ↩
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This is divine grace (al-lutf), which evokes the ideas of goodness, favour, benefit or the power of appeasement. This word is also translated elsewhere in the poem as “benevolence”. ↩
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Shamala: to encompass, embrace, envelop. Divine grace covers all things and all things are an effect of that grace. ↩
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Mutawassilun: the category of saintly men who have “attained” to God through His favour. ↩
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“Were the veil of His goodness not to cover your actions, none would deserve to be accepted.” Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah, Hikam 123. ↩
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God dispenses His grace totally and uninterruptedly: “In truth, Thou art the continual Bestower” (Qur’an III, 8). ↩
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Idrak: a modality of intuition opening onto an immediate comprehension of what is usually veiled. The man gifted by God with this faculty partakes of the divine subtlety. ↩
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From man’s point of view, the divine decree appears as a condemnation, a sanction. In reality it is always followed by grace, that is, it is itself an aspect of divine mercy: “To what has He accustomed you if not goodness, and with what has He filled you if not benefits?” Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah, Hikam 37. ↩
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Jah: power, rank. ↩
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’Ayn: eye, origin, essence. There is thus a connection between the spiritual reality of the Prophet and the descent of divine grace upon our world. ↩
