رِسَالَةُ التَّعَارُفِ

يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، يَا مَنْ لَمْ تَرَهُ عَيْنِي فَعَرَفَهُ قَلْبِي: كَيْفَ عَرَفْتَنِي؟ كَيْفَ نَطَقْتَ بِسِرِّي قَبْلَ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِي لِسَانٌ، وَوَصَفْتَ دَمْعِي قَبْلَ أَنْ تُفْتَحَ عَيْنِي، وَسَمَّيْتَنِي أَخًا وَأَنَا بَعْدُ فِي غَيْبِ الْأَيَّامِ؟

Yâ Rasûlallâh, yâ men lem terahü aynî fe-arafehû kalbî: keyfe areftenî? Keyfe natakte bisirrî kable en yekûne lî lisân, ve vasafte dem‘î kable en tüfteha aynî, ve semmeytenî ahan ve enâ ba‘dü fî ğaybi’l-eyyâm?

O Messenger of God, O you whom my eye has not seen yet my heart has known: how did you know me? How did you utter my secret before I had a tongue, and describe my tears before my eye was opened, and call me 'brother' while I was still in the unseen of the days to come?

كُنْتَ رَاعِيًا أُمِّيًّا فِي بَادِيَةٍ، وَبَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ أَرْبَعَةَ عَشَرَ قَرْنًا وَبِحَارٌ لَا تُعَدُّ؛ فَكَيْفَ بَلَغَتْ أَخْفَىٰ خَوَاطِرِ قَلْبِي إِلَىٰ لِسَانِكَ، حَتَّىٰ لَكَأَنَّكَ كُنْتَ شَاهِدِي اللَّيْلَةَ، تَسْمَعُ مَا لَمْ أَقُلْهُ وَتَرَىٰ مَا لَمْ أُظْهِرْهُ؟

Künte râ‘iyen ümmiyyen fî bâdiyeh, ve beynî ve beyneke erbaate aşera karnen ve bihârun lâ tüadd; fekeyfe beleğat ahfâ havâtıri kalbî ilâ lisânik, hattâ lekeenneke künte şâhidî’l-leyleh, tesme‘u mâ lem ekulhü ve terâ mâ lem üzhirhü?

You were an unlettered shepherd in the desert, and between you and me lie fourteen centuries and seas beyond counting; so how did the most hidden thoughts of my heart reach your tongue — as though you had been my witness this very night, hearing what I did not say and seeing what I did not show?

ثُمَّ فَهِمْتُ، فَسَكَنَ الْعَجَبُ: مَا عَرَفْتَنِي مِنْ نَفْسِكَ، بَلْ عَرَّفَكَ بِي مَنْ خَلَقَنِي. الَّذِي أَوْدَعَ الْفَهْمَ فِي قَلْبِي هُوَ الَّذِي أَجْرَىٰ الْكَلِمَةَ عَلَىٰ لِسَانِكَ؛ «وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ، إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ». فَالْقَلْبُ وَالْكَلَامُ مِنْ قَلَمٍ وَاحِدٍ — وَلِذٰلِكَ تَعَارَفَا.

Sümme fehimtü, fesekene’l-aceb: mâ areftenî min nefsik, bel arrafeke bî men halakanî. Ellezî evdea’l-fehme fî kalbî hüve’llezî ecra’l-kelimete alâ lisânik; «Ve mâ yentıku ani’l-hevâ, in hüve illâ vahyün yûhâ». Fe’l-kalbü ve’l-kelâmü min kalemin vâhid — ve lizâlike teârefâ.

Then I understood, and the wonder subsided: you did not know me of yourself; rather, the One who created me made me known to you. He who placed understanding in my heart is the same who set the word flowing upon your tongue. «He does not speak from caprice; it is but a revelation revealed.» So the heart and the speech are from a single Pen — and that is why they came to know one another.

وَلَوْ كُنْتَ حَكِيمًا دَرَسَ الصُّحُفَ لَقَالَ النَّاسُ: عَرَفَ بِدَرْسِهِ. لٰكِنَّكَ كُنْتَ أُمِّيًّا، فَكَانَتْ أُمِّيَّتُكَ أَوْضَحَ الْبُرْهَانِ: إِذَا تَفَجَّرَ الْمَاءُ حَيْثُ لَا عَيْنَ وَلَا بِئْرَ، عُلِمَ أَنَّهُ مُرْسَلٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ. فَمِنْ أُمِّيٍّ فِي صَحْرَاءَ خَرَجَ عِلْمُ الْقُلُوبِ كُلِّهَا، فَبَلَغَ كُلَّ قَرْنٍ وَكُلَّ قَلْبٍ.

Ve lev künte hakîmen derase’s-suhufe lekâle’n-nâs: arafe bidersih. Lâkinneke künte ümmiyyâ, fekânet ümmiyyetüke evdaha’l-bürhân: izâ tefeccera’l-mâü haysü lâ ayne ve lâ bi’r, ulime ennehû mürselün mine’s-semâ’. Femin ümmiyyin fî sahrâe harace ilmü’l-kulûbi küllihâ, febeleğa külle karnin ve külle kalb.

Had you been a sage who had studied the scriptures, people would have said, 'He understood by his learning.' But you were unlettered, and so your unletteredness became the clearest proof: when water gushes forth where there is neither spring nor well, it is known to be sent from heaven. From an unlettered man in the desert came the knowledge of all hearts, reaching every age and every heart.

وَأَعْجَبُ مِنْ مَعْرِفَتِكَ بِي سَبْقُ حُبِّكَ لِي: اشْتَقْتَ إِلَىٰ إِخْوَةٍ لَمْ يَأْتُوا، وَأَنَا فِيهِمْ؛ فَنَادَيْتَنِي عَبْرَ الْقُرُونِ، وَنَادَيْتُكَ، فَالْتَقَىٰ النِّدَاءَانِ حَيْثُ لَا يَبْلُغُهُمَا الزَّمَانُ. سَبَقَنِي شَوْقُكَ كَمَا سَبَقَتْنِي مَعْرِفَتُكَ؛ فَلَا أَدْرِي: أَأَنَا أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكَ، أَمْ أُجِيبُ شَوْقَكَ الْقَدِيمَ إِلَيَّ؟

Ve a‘cebü min ma‘rifetike bî sebku hubbike lî: iştakte ilâ ihvetin lem ye’tû, ve enâ fîhim; fenâdeytenî abre’l-kurûn, ve nâdeytük, felteka’n-nidâân haysü lâ yeblüğuhüme’z-zemân. Sebakanî şevkuke kemâ sebakatnî ma‘rifetük; felâ edrî: e-enâ eştâku ileyk, em ücîbü şevkeke’l-kadîme ileyy?

More astonishing than your knowing me is the precedence of your love: you longed for brothers not yet come, and I am among them; you called to me across the centuries, and I to you — and the two calls met in a place that time cannot reach. Your longing preceded me, just as your knowing preceded me; so I do not know: is it I who long for you, or am I answering your ancient longing for me?

فَلَمَّا قَرَأْتُ كَلَامَكَ وَجَدْتُ فِيهِ قَلْبِي، فَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ هٰذَا لَيْسَ قِرَاءَةً بَلْ تَعَارُفًا، وَأَنَّ مَنْ وَجَدَ نَفْسَهُ فِي كَلَامِكَ فَقَدْ سَمِعَ صَوْتَ رَبِّهِ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ. فَمَعْرِفَتِي بِكَ إِيمَانٌ، وَتَعَارُفُنَا شَهَادَةٌ لَا تَحْتَاجُ إِلَىٰ عَيْنٍ.

Felemmâ kara’tü kelâmeke vecedtü fîhi kalbî, fealimtü enne hâzâ leyse kırâeten bel teârufâ, ve enne men vecede nefsehû fî kelâmike fekad semia savte rabbihî min verâih. Fema‘rifetî bike îmân, ve teârufunâ şehâdetün lâ tahtâcü ilâ ayn.

When I read your words, I found my own heart within them, and I knew that this is no mere reading but an acquaintance; and that whoever finds himself in your words has heard, behind them, the voice of his Lord. So my knowing you is faith, and our acquaintance is a witnessing that has no need of the eye.

فَسُبْحَانَ مَنْ جَمَعَ بَيْنَ قَلْبَيْنِ لَمْ يَلْتَقِيَا فِي الزَّمَانِ، وَعَرَّفَ بَيْنَ حَبِيبَيْنِ لَمْ يَتَرَاءَيَا بِالْأَبْصَارِ؛ فَمَا تَعَارُفُنَا إِلَّا مِنْ تَعْرِيفِهِ، وَلَا حُبُّنَا إِلَّا مِنْ سَابِقِ حُبِّهِ.

Fesübhâne men cemea beyne kalbeyni lem yeltekıyâ fi’z-zemân, ve arrafe beyne habîbeyni lem yeterâeyâ bi’l-ebsâr; femâ teârufunâ illâ min ta‘rîfih, ve lâ hubbunâ illâ min sâbiki hubbih.

Glory be to the One who joined two hearts that never met in time, and made acquainted two lovers who never beheld each other with their eyes; for our acquaintance is only from His acquainting, and our love is only from His prior love.