Poetry at Umratul Qadha
Hazrat Saeed (ra) bin Jubair relates that the Holy Prophet (sa) entered Masjid al Haram on his camel and out of reverence for the Hajr-e-Aswad [black stone], he touched it with his staff. Alongside him was also Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Rawaha, who was holding the reins of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) camel whilst reciting the following couplets:
خَلُّوْا بَنِي الْكُفَّارِ عَن سَبِيْلِهْ
نَحْنُ ضَرَبْنَاكُمْ عَلٰى تَأْوِيْلِهْ
ضَرْبًا يُّزِيْلُ الْهَامَ عَنْ مَقِيْلِهْ
meaning, “O disbelievers, make way for the Holy Prophet (sa), for after accepting him, we have dealt you such a blow that removes the head from its resting place.”
Hazrat Qais (ra) bin Abi Hazim relates that the Holy Prophet (sa) told Hazrat Abdullah bin Rawaha (ra) to dismount and have our camels moving, i.e. recite such poetry that shall cause our camels to move swiftly just as was the tradition of the camel riders. He replied, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah, I have abandoned such poetry. Hazrat Umar (ra) then said, “Hear and obey”.
Consequently, Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Rawaha dismounted his camel and recited the following couplets:
يَا رَبِّ لَوْلَا أَنْتَ مَا اهْتَدَيْنَا
وَلَا تَصَدَّقْنَا وَلَا صَلَّيْنَا
فَأَنْزِلَنْ سَكِيْنَةً عَلَيْنَا
وَثَبِّتِ الْأَقْدَامَ إِنْ لَاقَيْنَا
إِنَّ الْكُفَّارَ قَدْ بَغَوْا عَلَيْنَا
That is, “O Lord, if it were not for You, we would not have attained guidance, given alms or offered prayers. Send down peace and tranquillity upon us and grant us steadfastness when we meet the enemy, for the disbelievers have attacked us.”
Waqee‘ has also narrated this, with the addition of:
وَإِنْ أَرَادُوْا فِتْنَةً أَبَيْنَا
“And if they desire to create disorder, we oppose it” i.e. they would put an end to this disorder and not allow it to spread. The narrator then states that the Holy Prophet (sa) said, “O Allah, have mercy on them”, to which Hazrat Umar (ra) answered, “It has been ordained”.
In other words, through the prayers of the Holy Prophet (sa), mercy had been decreed.