Original Arabic Text

Metre: mefâ‘îlün mefâ‘îlün fe‘ûlün (vāfir). The scansion is ours; the name used in the edition is serî‘.

القَولُ فِي مَراتِبِ الأصْحابِ وَخِلافَتِهِمْ
el-Ḳavlu fī merātibi’l-aṣḥābi ve ḫilāfetihim (on the ranks of the Companions and their caliphate)

وَبَعْدَ رَسُولِنا خَيرُ البَرايا
أبُوبَكرٍ صَدِيقٌ ذُو خِصالِ

Ve ba‘de resūlinā ḫayru’l-berāyā
Ebūbekrin ṣadīḳun ẕū ḫiṣālī

وَبَعدَ وَفاتِهِ عُمَرٌ نَقِيٌّ
كَثِيرُ العَدْلِ مَمْدُوحُ الشِّمالِ

Ve ba‘de vefātihī ‘Umerun naḳiyyun
Kes̱īru’l-‘adli memdūḥu’ş-şimālī

فَذُو النُّورَينِ عُثْمانٌ زَكِيٌّ
حَيِيٌّ عالِمٌ ذو اكْتِهالِ

Fe-ẕü’n-nūreyni ‘Us̱mānun zekiyyun
Ḥayiyyun ‘ālimun ẕü’ktihālī

فَثُمَّ الحَيدَرُ الكَرّارُ حَرْبًا
عَلِيٌّ المُرْتَضَى لَيثُ القِتالِ

Fe-s̱umme’l-Ḥayderu’l-kerrāru ḥarben
‘Aliyyü’l-Murtażā leys̱u’l-ḳıtālī

وَذا التَّرْتِيبِ تَرْتِيبٌ صَحِيحٌ
وَمَنْهَجُ أهْلِ صِدْقٍ وَاعتِدالِ

Ve ẕe’t-tertībi tertībun ṣaḥīḥun
Ve menhecu ehli ṣıdḳın ve’‘tidālī

خِلافَتُهُمْ بِهذا النَّهْجِ أيضًا
فَلا تَتْرُكْ هَواكَ عَلَى الضَّلالِ

Ḫilāfetuhüm bi-hāẕe’n-nehci eyżan
Fe-lā tetruk hevāke ‘ale’ż-żalālī

زَمانُ خِلافَةٍ بَعدَ الرَّسُولِ
ثَلاثُونَ سِنِينًا يا خِلالِي

Zemānu ḫilāfetin ba‘de’r-resūli
S̱elās̱ūne sinīnen yā ḫilālī

فَثُمَّ إمارَةٌ مُلْكٌ عَضُوضٌ
كَذا قالَ المُحَمَّدُ ذُو فَعالِ

Fe-s̱umme imāratun mülkun ‘ażūżun
Keẕā ḳāle’l-Muḥammedu ẕū fe‘ālī

القَولُ فِي الإمامَةِ
el-Ḳavlu fi’l-imāme (on the imamate)

لِأهْلِ الدِّينِ بَدٌّ مِنْ إمامٍ
لِيُنْفِذَ حُكْمَهُمْ فِي كُلِّ بالِ

Li-ehli’d-dīni buddun min imāmin
Li-yünfiẕe ḥukmehüm fī külli bālī

وَيُنْصَبُ لِلإقامَةِ فِي حُدُودٍ
وَسَدِّ ثُغُورِهِمْ مِنْ ذِي خَبالِ

Ve yünṣabu li’l-iḳāmeti fī ḥudūdin
Ve seddi s̱uġūrihim min ẕī ḫabālī

وَتَجْهِيزِ الجُيُوشِ لِيَومِ حَرْبٍ
بِأهْلِ البَغْيِ أو أخْذِ العِقالِ

Ve techīzi’l-cüyūşi li-yevmi ḥarbin
Bi-ehli’l-baġyi ev aḫẕi’l-‘iḳālī

وَقَهْرِ اللِّصِّ وَالمُسْتَغْلَبِينَ
وَقُطّاعِ الطَّرِيقِ أولِي فِعالِ

Ve ḳahri’l-liṣṣı ve’l-mustaġlibīne
Ve ḳuṭṭā‘i’ṭ-ṭarīḳı ülī fi‘ālī

وَإمامَةِ جُمْعَةٍ وَصَلاةِ عِيدٍ
كَما فَعَلُوا المُلُوكُ مِنَ الأوالِي

Ve imāmeti cum‘atin ve ṣalāti ‘īdin
Kemā fe‘alū’l-mülūku mine’l-evālī

وَقَطْعِ مُنازَعاتٍ واقِعاتٍ
خِلالَ النّاسِ مِنْ سُوءِ افْتِعالِ

Ve ḳaṭ‘ı münāza‘ātin vāḳı‘ātin
Ḫilāle’n-nāsi min sū’i’fti‘ālī

وَإصْغاءُ الشُّهُودِ عَلَى حُقُوقٍ
عَلَى وَجْهِ التَّأنِّي وَاعْتِدالِ

Ve iṣġā’u’ş-şühūdi ‘alā ḥuḳūḳın
‘Alā vechi’t-te’ennī ve’‘tidālī

وَتَزْوِيجِ الصِّغارِ بِلا وَلِيٍّ
وَتَقْسِيمِ المَغانِمِ حَسْبَ حالِ

Ve tezvīci’ṣ-ṣıġāri bi-lā veliyyin
Ve taḳsīmi’l-meġānimi ḥasbe ḥālī

وَبُدٌّ لِلإمامِ مِنَ الظُّهُورِ
وَلَيسَ لَهُ اخْتِفاءٌ لِاهْتِيالِ

Ve buddun li’l-imāmi mine’ẓ-ẓuhūri
Ve leyse lehu’ḫtifā’un li’htiyālī

وَلَمْ يَكُ قَطُّ مُنْتَظَرًا بِوَعْدٍ
كَما هُوَ زُعُمُ بَعضٍ مِنْ رُذالِ

Ve lem yekü ḳaṭṭu muntaẓaran bi-va‘din
Kemā hüve zu‘mu ba‘żın min ruẕālī

وَلَيسَ إمامٌ إلّا مِنْ قُرَيشٍ
كَما قالَ النَّبِيُّ بِلا احْتِيالِ

Ve leyse imāmun illā min Ḳurayşin
Kemā ḳāle’n-nebiyyu bi-lā’ḥtiyālī

وَلكِنْ لَيسَ يُشْرَطُ هاشِمِيٌّ
وَلا العَلَوِيُّ فَاتْرُكْ كُلَّ قالِ

Ve lākin leyse yuşraṭu Hāşimiyyun
Ve le’l-‘Aleviyyu fe’truk külle ḳālī

وَعِصْمَةَ لَيسَ شَرْطاً لِلإمامَه
كَذا فَضْلٌ عَلَى كُلِّ الرِّجالِ

Ve ‘iṣmetu leyse şarṭan li’l-imāmeh
Keẕā fażlun ‘alā külli’r-ricālī

وَيُشْرَطُ كَونُهُ أهلَ الوِلايَة
مُطْلَقَةَ وَجامِعَةَ الكَمالِ

Ve yuşraṭu kevnuhū ehle’l-velāye
Muṭlaḳate ve cāmi‘ate’l-kemālī

يَسِيسُ لِأهلِ بَغْيٍ أو فَسادٍ
وَيَحْكُمُ بِالإيالِ وَ ايتِيالِ

Yesīsu li-ehli baġyin ev fesādin
Ve yaḥkumu bi’l-iyāli ve’ytiyālī

وَيَقْدِرُ بَينَهُم تَنْفِيذَ حُكْمٍ
وَسَدَّ الثَّغْرِ مِن أهْلِ الخَيالِ

Ve yaḳdiru beynehüm tenfīẕe ḥukmin
Ve sedde’s̱-s̱aġri min ehli’l-ḫayālī

وَأخْذَ حُقُوقِ مَظْلُومٍ بِعَدْلٍ
مِنَ الظَّلّامِ يا ذا الانْتِخالِ

Ve aḫẕe ḥuḳūḳı maẓlūmin bi-‘adlin
Mine’ẓ-ẓallāmi yā ẕe’l-intiḫālī

وَلَمْ يُعْزَلْ إمامٌ بِالفُسُوقِ
وَلا بِالجَورِ فَاسْمَعْ بِاجْتِذالِ

Ve lem yu‘zel imāmun bi’l-fusūḳı
Ve lā bi’l-cevri fe’sma‘ bi’ctiẕālī

يُصَلَّى خَلْفَ فُجّارٍ وَبَرٍّ
كَما صَلَّوا لَهُمْ عِندَ ارْتِحالِ

Yuṣallā ḫalfe fuccārin ve berrin
Kemā ṣallev lehüm ‘inde’rtiḥālī

In English

171. After our Messenger the best of creatures is Abū Bakr the Truthful, a man of fine qualities. (The print has "ṣadīḳ" without doubling.)

172. After his death comes ‘Umar, pure, abundant in justice, praised for his character.

173. Then he of the two lights, ‘Uthmān: pure, modest, learned and mature of mind. (Footnote: "iktihāl", maturity of reason.)

174. Then Ḥaydar, who charges again and again in war, ‘Alī al-Murtaḍā, the lion of battle.

175. This order is a correct order and the way of the people of truth and moderation.

176. Their caliphates followed the same order; do not leave your desire upon the path of error.

177. The time of the caliphate after the Messenger is thirty years, O my friend.

178. After that comes rule by emirs, a "biting" kingship; so said Muhammad, the generous. (Footnote: what is meant is rule mixed with oppression and excess.)

179. The people of religion cannot do without an imam, to carry out their rulings in every matter.

180. He is appointed to carry out the prescribed penalties and to close their frontiers against the corrupt,

181. to equip armies for the day of battle against rebels, or to collect the alms; (Footnote: "‘iḳāl" is the alms tax; the imam is appointed to collect the people's alms.)

182. to subdue the thief, the usurpers and the highway robbers of evil deeds;

183. to lead the Friday and festival prayers as the kings of old did; (Footnote: "evālī" is the plural of "evvel", first.)

184. to cut short the disputes that arise among people from evil doings;

185. to hear witnesses on rights with deliberation and balance;

186. to give in marriage minors who have no guardian, and to divide the spoils as circumstances require.

187. The imam must be visible; it is not for him to hide out of fear. (Footnote: out of fear.)

188. He was never one promised and awaited, as some base people claim.

189. There is no imam except from Quraysh, as the Prophet said without doubt. (Footnote: without doubt or uncertainty.)

190. But it is not a condition that he be a Hāshimite or an ‘Alid; leave all talk aside.

191. Sinlessness is not a condition of the imamate, nor is superiority over all men.

192. It is a condition, however, that he possess full and absolute authority. (Footnote: the final "te" of "velāye" belongs to the second hemistich.)

193. He governs the people of rebellion or corruption and rules by policy and management. (Footnote: "iyāl", statecraft.)

194. He is able to enforce judgement among them and to close the breach made by the people of fancy,

195. and to take the rights of the wronged from the oppressor with justice, O discerning man.

196. An imam is not deposed for wickedness nor for tyranny; listen to this gladly.

197. Prayer may be performed behind the sinful and the righteous alike, just as the funeral prayer is performed over them when they die.

Literary and Historical Commentary

Four Caliphs and Thirty Years

The order of excellence among the Companions is given in five couplets, one for each caliph, with a short cluster of epithets added to each name. Abū Bakr is of fine character and truthful; ‘Umar is pure, abundant in justice, praised for his character; ‘Uthmān is "he of the two lights", modest, learned and mature of mind; ‘Alī is Ḥaydar who charges in battle and does not turn back, the lion of the battlefield. The epithets are the customary ones, but their placing is careful: ‘Umar is remembered for justice, ‘Uthmān for modesty and learning, ‘Alī for valour. Two rulings come after the sequence. This order is the correct order and the way of the people of truth; their caliphates followed the same order. After the Messenger the caliphate lasted thirty years, and what followed turned into a "biting" kingship. The edition's footnote explains the word "‘ażūż" as rule mixed with oppression and excess; Sa‘dī gives this ruling as a saying of the Prophet.

The Duties of the Imam

The part on the imamate is one of the longest topical sections of the poem, and its weight lies in a list of duties. The people of religion must have an imam; he is appointed to carry out the prescribed penalties, guard the frontiers, equip armies against rebels, collect the alms tax, subdue the thief, the usurper and the highway robber, lead the Friday and festival prayers, cut short disputes among people, hear witnesses, give in marriage minors without a guardian, and divide the spoils. This enumeration, running over seven couplets, advances from couplet to couplet with the conjunction "ve" and reads like a single long sentence. The list describes a state's army, treasury, judiciary and public order together. For a madrasa student who had read the praise of Sultan Bayezid in the introduction, with his justice, his lightning in war and his cloud of bounty, these couplets might read less as an abstract theory of the caliphate than as a familiar description of kingship; the text itself does not draw this connection.

Conditions and Rejected Views

After the duties come the conditions, given together with a series of refutations. The imam must be visible and cannot hide out of fear; he is not, as some suppose, one promised and awaited. The editors read these couplets as a refutation aimed at the Imāmī Shī‘ī belief in a hidden imam. The imam must be of Quraysh, but it is not a condition that he be a Hāshimite or an ‘Alid; nor must he be sinless or the most excellent of all people. What is required is full capacity to govern: to restrain rebels, to enforce judgement, to take the rights of the wronged from the oppressor. Two practical rulings are left for the end. An imam is not deposed for wickedness or tyranny; prayer may be performed behind the righteous and the sinful alike.

The Quraysh condition also became an issue in the later history of Nasafī's text. As Yusuf Şevki Yavuz reports, the treatise's section on the imamate was removed from printed copies in the last years of the reign of Abdülhamid II, when his opponents exploited the rule that the caliph must be of Quraysh. In Sa‘dī's poem this section appears in full detail. That in the hundred and ninety-second couplet the last letter of the word "velāye" runs over into the second hemistich is noted in a footnote as well.

Bibliography

Academic studies

Online sources