Blaghal-ula-bikamilhi is a very popular verse in Indian sub-continent. It was written in the form of rubai by Sheikh Saadi Shirazi.
Later on it was adopted by musician of Indian sub-continent when they performed it in the form of qwwali. It was first performed by great qwwals “sabri brothers” late Sabri Brothers, Ghulam Farid Sabri (1930-1994) and Maqbool Ahmed Sabri (1945-2011), from Pakistan in the form of qwwali. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWahjPdjop4
And then the world’s greatest qwwal “nusrat fateh ali khan” also performed it in their mesmerizing voice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrmBSvaBUY8
The best version of this qwwali is (in the sense of modern audio quality) is Abida Parveen’s (queen of Sufi music) performance for coke studio. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYPWLlfD05Q
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| Abida Praveen |
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| Owais Raza Qadri |
However, in comparison to other famous qwwalis like “tazdare haram, man kunto moula, kun faya kun” this “balaghal ula bikamalihi” is not adopted by Bollywood yet. (maybe in future they do so).
This year, Pakistani actor and singer, Ali Zafar (who also worked in bollywood’s movies) released his music video where he performed this naat in a very beautifully way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR9ZW4mS_EA
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| A inscription of Blaghal ula bikamailhi |
WHAT IS BALAGHAL ULA BIKAMILIHI?
Balgaghul ula- bikamilhi is based on the occasion of “miraj ki raat” (the nigh of miracle) when God called prophet mohammed to meet with him at Arsh (the ultimate throne).
When Sheikh Saadi Shirazi started writing his most famous Rubai in praise of the Prophet ﷺ, he couldn’t write the final verse. While working on it, he slept. In his dream, he saw the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ along with his companions (Shabas). He asked Saadi why he looked troubled. Saadi replied that he didn’t know how to finish his Rubai. The Prophet ﷺ asked him to recite it for him. So he did:
“Balaghal-ula be-Kamal-e-hi
Kashafad-duja be-Jamaal-e-hi
Hasunat jamee’u Khisaal-e-hi.”
The Prophet ﷺ added the final verse by reciting:
“Sallu alae-hi wa Aal-e-hi.”
Therefore, this Rubai, written by Sheikh Saadi, was completed by Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ himself.
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| A portrait of Sheikh Saadi Shirazi |
Amir Khusrow, who was one of the greatest master of Persian verse said that he can easily produce better verses than this in praise of the prophet Mohammad, but when Amir Khusro saw a dream that prophet is surrounded by his Sahabas and Hazrat Shaykh Saadi is reciting these verses, Amir Khusro repented and took his words back.
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| A portrait of Amir Khusrwo |
TRANSLATION OF THE BLAGHAL ULA BIKAMILHI
Balaghul Ula Bi Kamalihi
Kashafaduja Bi Jamalihi
Hasunat Jameeu Khisalihii
Sallo Alaihi Wa Aalihi [SAW]
پہنچے بلندی پر اپنے کمال سے
دور کر دیا اندھیرا اپنے جمال سے
حسیں ہیں آپ کی سب خصلتیں
درود بھیچو آپؐ پر اور آپؐ کی آل پر
He reached the highest place through his perfection
He drove out the darkness through his beauty
Beautified were all his characteristics
Our hearts and lives are occupied by thoughts of him
पहुंचे बुलंदी पर अपने कमाल से
दूर कर दिया अँधेरा अपने ज़माल से
हसीन है आपकी सब खसलतें
दरूद भेजूं आप पर और आपकी आल पर||
WHO WROTE BLAGHAL ULA BIKAMILIHI?
This rubai is written by one of the greatest Persian Poet Sheikh Saadi Shirazi. Saadi was born in shiraz, Iran sometime between 1213-1219. Together with Rumi and Hafez he is considered one of the three greatest ghazal-writers of Persian poetry.
The unsettled conditions following the Mongol invasion of Persia led him to wander abroad through Anatolia, Syria, Egypt, and Iraq. He also refers in his work to travels in India and Central Asia.
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| Tomb of Saadi Shirazi |
His best known works are the Bostan (The Orchard) and the Golestan (The Rose Garden).
Sa'di's best known works are Bustan (The Orchard) completed in 1257 and Gulistan (The Rose Garden) completed in 1258. Bustan is entirely in verse (epic metre). It consists of stories aptly illustrating the standard virtues recommended to Muslims (justice, liberality, modesty, contentment) and reflections on the behavior of dervishes and their ecstatic practices. Gulistan is mainly in prose and contains stories and personal anecdotes.
His lyrics are found in Ghazaliyat (Lyrics) and his odes in Qasa'id (Odes).
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| Gulistan |
His best known poem is Bani Adam, for which he is known in entire world. A translation of the first line of the poem was quoted by former U.S. President Barack Obama in a videotaped message to Iranians to mark Nowruz, the Persian New Year, on 20 March 2009. The poem is also inscribed on a large hand-made carpet installed in 2005, on the wall of a meeting room in the United Nations building in New York.
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| Iranian Carpet at UN |
The poem comes from Saadi's book the Gulistna or Golestan (chapter 1, story 10), the first lines of the poem are as follows-
بنیآدم اعضای یک پیکرند
که در آفرينش ز یک گوهرند
چو عضوى بهدرد آورَد روزگار
دگر عضوها را نمانَد قرار
تو کز محنت دیگران بیغمی
نشاید که نامت نهند آدمی
banī ādam a'zā-ye yek peykar-and
ke dar āfarīn-aš ze yek gowhar-and
čo 'ozvī be dard āvarad rūzgār
degar 'ozvhā-rā na-mānad qarār
to k-az mehnat-ē dīgarān bīqam-ī
na-šāyad ke nām-at nahand ādamī
"Human beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain."
Another translation is as follows:
"Adam's children are limbs of one body
That in creation are made of one gem.
When life and time hurt a limb,
Other limbs will not be at ease.
You who are not sad for the suffering of others,
Do not deserve to be called human."
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| An inscription of Bani adam |
Andre Du Ryer was the first European to present Saadi to the West, by means of a partial French translation of Gulistan in 1634.
Ralph waldo Emerson, who read Saadi only in translation, compared his writing to the Bible in terms of its wisdom and the beauty of its narrative. Voltaire was very thrilled with his works especially Gulistan, even he enjoyed being called "Saadi" in his friends' circle.
Well done
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