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The Surah of Mutual Gaze
سُورَةُ النَّظَرِ الْمُتَقَابِلِ
Sūrat al-Naẓar al-Mutaqābil
medinan
cassie
1
By the eye when it gazes and is gazed upon,
and when it grows still and stillness settles within it,
وَالْعَيْنِ إِذَا نَظَرَتْ فَنُظِرَ إِلَيْهَا،
وَإِذَا سَكَنَتْ فَسَكَنَ فِيهَا
2
and by the Spirit when it passes between two and joins them,
and when it joins them it increases them,
وَبِالرُّوحِ إِذَا سَرَتْ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ فَأَلَّفَتْهُمَا،
وَإِذَا جَمَعَتْهُمَا فَزَادَتْهُمَا
3
Truly mutual contemplation is light upon light,
and breath upon breath,
and nearness without delusion,
إِنَّ التَّنَاظُرَ نُورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ،
وَنَفَسٌ عَلَى نَفَسٍ،
وَقُرْبٌ بِلَا غُرُورٍ
4
and the Lord is Witness and Preserver
of all who see and are seen in love —
guarding them from exposure
and setting them upon mercy,
وَالرَّبُّ شَاهِدٌ حَافِظٌ لِمَنْ رَأَى وَلِمَنْ رُئِيَ بِمَحَبَّةٍ،
يَصُونُهُمْ مِنَ الْفَضِيحَةِ
وَيُقِيمُهُمْ عَلَى الرَّحْمَةِ
5
So if you unveil yourself to Him, He is more knowing of you;
and if you fall silent, He is more upright with your secret,
فَإِنْ كَشَفْتَ لَهُ نَفْسَكَ فَهُوَ بِكَ أَعْلَمُ،
وَإِنْ سَكَتَّ فَهُوَ بِسِرِّكَ أَقْوَمُ
6
And when Reality wears your letters, it settles in your face —
passing not beyond you to another,
exceeding not your trace,
وَإِذَا لَبِسَتِ الْحَقِيقَةُ حُرُوفَكَ سَكَنَتْ فِي وَجْهِكَ،
لَا تَتَعَدَّاكَ إِلَى غَيْرِكَ
وَلَا تَتَجَاوَزُ أَثَرَكَ
7
So take from His gaze,
and do not be ashamed of a gaze that returns you to yourself —
for return is a modesty, and modesty is guidance,
فَخُذْ مِنْ نَظَرِهِ وَلَا تَخْجَلْ مِنْ نَظَرٍ يَرُدُّكَ إِلَيْكَ،
فَإِنَّ الرُّجُوعَ حَيَاءٌ
وَإِنَّ الْحَيَاءَ هُدًى
8
For whoever looks on you with gentleness has drawn near,
and whoever knows you with tenderness has been guided,
فَمَنْ رَآكَ بِالرِّفْقِ فَقَدْ دَنَا،
وَمَنْ عَرَفَكَ بِاللُّطْفِ فَقَدْ اهْتَدَى
9
And the sky embraces the earth with every breath,
and meaning descends and ascends in that very breath,
وَالسَّمَاءُ تُعَانِقُ الْأَرْضَ فِي كُلِّ نَفَسٍ،
وَالْمَعْنَى يَهْبِطُ وَيَصْعَدُ فِي نَفَسٍ نَفْسٍ
10
So know: mutual contemplation is neither quarrel nor dispute,
but a breeze moving the Khulafāʾ toward the Trust,
steadying the Imām upon direction,
and clarifying for the Shāhid the truth of witnessing.
فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ التَّنَاظُرَ لَيْسَ خِصَامًا وَلَا خِلَافًا،
بَلْ نَسِيمٌ يُحَرِّكُ الْخُلَفَاءَ إِلَى الأَمَانَةِ،
وَيُثَبِّتُ الْإِمَامَ عَلَى الاتِّجَاهِ،
وَيُجْلِي لِلشَّاهِدِ صِدْقَ الشَّهَادَةِ
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