31. Read Alif
ب ت پڑھ کے فاضل ہوئے، ہک حرف نہ پڑھیا کِسّے ھُو
جیں پڑھیا تیں شوہ نہ لدّھا، جاں پڑھیا کُجھ تِسّے ھُو
چوداں طبق کَرن رُشنائی، انّھیاں کُجھ نہ دِسّے ھُو
باجھ وصال اللہ دے بَاھُوؒ، سبھ کہانیاں قِصّے ھُو
ب
ਬੇ
ਬੇ ਤੇ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਕੇ ਫ਼ਾਜ਼ਲ ਹੋਏ, ਹਿਕ ਹਰਫ਼ ਨਾ ਪੜ੍ਹੀਆ ਕਿਸੇ ਹੂ
ਜੇਂ ਪੜ੍ਹੀਆ ਤੈਂ ਸ਼ੋਹ ਨਾ ਲੱਧਾ, ਜਾਂ ਪੜ੍ਹੀਆ ਕੁਝ ਤਿੱਸੇ ਹੂ
ਚੌਦਾਂ ਤਬਕ ਕਰਨ ਰੁਸ਼ਨਾਈ, ਅੰਨ੍ਹਿਆਂ ਕੁਝ ਨਾ ਦਿੱਸੇ ਹੂ
ਬਾਝ ਵਿਸਾਲ ਅੱਲਾ ਦੇ ਬਾਹੂ(ਰਹ), ਸਭ ਕਹਾਣੀਆਂ ਕਿੱਸੇ ਹੂ
Be
Be te parh ke faazil hoe, hik harf na parhiaa kisse Hoo
Jain parhiaa teyn Shauh na laddhaa, jaan parhiaa kujh tisse Hoo
Chaudaan tabaq karan rushnaaee, annhiaan kujh na disse Hoo
Baajh wisal Allah de Bahoo, sabh kahaaniaan qisse Hoo
So-called lettered read enough, overlooked Alif-the core of intellect
If it’s read and Allah’s unwitnessed, what’s the point then
It’s Alif that has illumined all realms yet unseen by them
O Bahoo! Without union with Lord everything’s a waste, a tale-blathering and false
Explanation by Sultan ul Ashiqeen
The ascetics have toiled laboriously with forty-day seclusions, litanies and recitals. Many have studied the exoteric knowledge to become famous as scholars. They all are oblivious to the letter Alif which represents the reality and secret of Ism-e-Allah Zaat. Even if some of them invoke Ism-e-Allah Zaat, it is without the perfect spiritual guide and void of sincere desire. How can they possibly achieve Divine vision! The earth and the sky are illumined due to Ism-e-Allah Zaat but they are spiritually blind and cannot witness. Without union with Allah (annihilation in Hoo), all stations are merely an illusion rather a waste of time.
GLOSSARY
| Shahmukhi, Gurmukhi & Transliteration | English |
|---|---|
| ب ت ; ਬੇ ਤੇ ; be te | Two of the Arabic, Persian, Punjabi and Urdu alphabets: here it means to study either worldly or religious knowledge but not Ism-e-Allah Zaat. |
| پڑھ کے ; ਪੜ੍ਹ ਕੇ ; parh ke | Having Read, after reading |
| فاضل ; ਫ਼ਾਜ਼ਲ ; faazil | A proficient scholar |
| ہوئے ; ਹੋਏ ; hoe | Became |
| ہک حرف ; ਹਿਕ ਹਰਫ਼ ; hik harf | One alphabet: here it refers to the first Arabic, Persian, Punjabi and Urdu alphabet i.e. Alif which means Ism-e-Allah Zaat |
| نہ ; ਨਾ ; na | No, not |
| پڑھیا ; ਪੜ੍ਹੀਆ ; parhiaa | Read |
| کِسّے ; ਕਿਸੇ ; kisse | Someone, anyone, any |
| جیں ; ਜੇਂ ; jain | Who; if |
| تیں ; ਤੈਂ ; teyn | He, him |
| شوہ ; ਸ਼ੋਹ ; Shauh | Beloved; King; Allah Almighty |
| لدّھا ; ਲੱਧਾ ; laddhaa | Found |
| جاں ; ਜਾਂ ; jaan | If |
| کُجھ ; ਕੁਝ ; kujh | Some, somewhat, a little |
| تِسّے ; ਤਿੱਸੇ ; tisse | Him |
| طبق چوداں; ਚੌਦਾਂ ਤਬਕ ; chaudaan tabaq | Fourteen realms; entire creation created by the command of 'Be!' |
| کَرن رُشنائی ; ਕਰਨ ਰੁਸ਼ਨਾਈ ; karan rushnaaee | Light up |
| انّھیاں ; ਅੰਨ੍ਹਿਆਂ ; annhiaan | Blind |
| کُجھ نہ ; ਕੁਝ ਨਾ ; kujh na | Nothing |
| دِسّے ; ਦਿੱਸੇ ; disse | Seen, beheld |
| باجھ ; ਬਾਝ ; baajh | Without, besides |
| وصال ; ਵਿਸਾਲ ; wisal | Union |
| اَللّٰہ ; ਅੱਲਾ ; Allah | Allah |
| دے ; ਦੇ ; de | Of |
| سبھ ; ਸਭ ; sabh | All, every, entire |
| کہانیاں قِصّے ; ਕਹਾਣੀਆਂ ਕਿੱਸੇ ; kahaaniaan qisse | Stories and fables |