Karo Na Zikr Khata Ka Ata Ki Baat Karo: Allama Riaz-ud-Din Soharwardy
The Talk of Divine Bestowal
کرو نہ ذکر خطا کا عطا کی بات کرو
سُنو سُنو کرمِ مصطفیؐ کی بات کرو
Karo Na Zikr Khata Ka Ata Ki Baat Karo
Suno Suno Karam-e-Mustafa Ki Baat Karo
Do not mention my mistakes; speak instead of His bestowing grace;
Listen, listen! Speak only of the boundless generosity of Mustafa ﷺ.
The Radiance of Wad-Duha
کرو نہ دل کی سیاہی کا تذکرہ کوئی
حبیبِ حق کے رخِ والضحیٰ کی بات کرو
Karo Na Dil Ki Siyahi Ka Tazkara Koi
Habib-e-Haq Ke Rukh-e-Wad-Duha Ki Baat Karo
Let no one discuss the darkness of the heart today;
Speak of the face of the Beloved of Truth, radiant as the forenoon sun.
Sovereignty through Devotion
کھلیں گے راز شہی تخت و تاج ہوگا نصیب
غلامیِ شہِ ہر دو سرا کی بات کرو
Khilein Ge Raaz-e-Shahee Takht-o-Taaj Hoga Naseeb
Ghulami-e-Shah-e-Har Do Sara Ki Baat Karo
The secrets of kingship will be revealed, and thrones will be attained;
If you but speak of being a slave to the King of both worlds.
The Illumination of the Heart
چراغ صدق و صفا کے دلوں میں چمکیں گے
امین و صادق و شاہِ ہدیٰ کی بات کرو
Chiragh Sidq-o-Safa Ke Dilon Mein Chamkein Ge
Ameen-o-Saadiq-o-Shah-e-Huda Ki Baat Karo
The lamps of truth and purity will begin to glow within our hearts;
Speak of the Trustworthy, the Truthful, and the King of Guidance.
The Generosity of the Messenger
اگر یہ چاہو کہ ہو جائیں دل تمہارے غنی
رسولِ پاکؐ کے جود و سخا کی بات کرو
Agar Yeh Chaho Ke Ho Jayein Dil Tumhare Ghani
Rasool-e-Paak Ke Jood-o-Sakha Ki Baat Karo
If you desire that your hearts become spiritually wealthy;
Speak of the immense generosity and bounty of the Holy Prophet ﷺ.
The Claim of Divine Affection
اگر خدا سے محبت کا ہے تمہیں دعویٰ
خلوصِ دل سے حبیبِ خدا کی بات کرو
Agar Khuda Se Mohabbat Ka Hai Tumhein Daawa
Khuloos-e-Dil Se Habib-e-Khuda Ki Baat Karo
If you claim to have a love for God within your soul;
Then with total sincerity, speak of the Beloved of God.
Curing the Pain of Separation
مریضِ ہجر کو ہو جائے گی ابھی تسکیں
ذرا مدینے کے دارالشفاء کی بات کرو
Mareez-e-Hijr Ko Ho Jaye Gi Abhi Taskeen
Zara Madine Ke Dar-ush-Shifa Ki Baat Karo
The one sick with separation will find immediate relief;
Just speak for a moment of the “House of Healing” that is Medina.
The Vision of the Luminous Face
دل و نگاہ سے اٹھ جائیں گے حجاب تمام
شہِ عرب کے رخِ پُر ضیا کی بات کرو
Dil-o-Nigah Se Uth Jayein Ge Hijab Tamam
Shah-e-Arab Ke Rukh-e-Pur-Ziya Ki Baat Karo
All veils will be lifted from the heart and the eyes;
Speak of the radiant and luminous face of the King of Arabia.
The Remedy for the Sinner
گنہگار ہوں بیمارِ دردِ عصیاں ہوں
کرو نہ ذکر دوا کا دعا کی بات کرو
Gunahgar Hoon Beemar-e-Dard-e-Esyan Hoon
Karo Na Zikr Dawa Ka Dua Ki Baat Karo
I am a sinner, sick with the pain of my own transgressions;
Do not speak to me of medicine; speak of the power of Prayer.
Silence on the Day of Reckoning
کرو نہ ذکرِ قیامت رہو خموش ریاض
کرو تو شافعِ روزِ جزا کی بات کرو
Karo Na Zikr-e-Qayamat Raho Khamosh Riaz
Karo To Shafi-e-Roz-e-Jaza Ki Baat Karo
Do not mention the terrors of Judgment Day; stay silent, Riaz;
If you must speak, speak of the Intercessor of the Day of Reckoning.
Vocabulary: Hikmat-e-Soharwardy
- Khata (خطا): Error, mistake, or sin.
- Ata (عطا): Bestowal or Divine gift.
- Wad-Duha (والضحیٰ): Referring to the radiant light of the late morning; a title for the Prophet’s ﷺ face.
- Har Do Sara (ہر دو سرا): Both worlds (This world and the Hereafter).
- Sidq-o-Safa (صدق و صفا): Truthfulness and purity.
- Dar-ush-Shifa (دارالشفاء): House of healing; clinic or hospital.
- Esyan (عصیاں): Disobedience or sinfulness.
- Shafi-e-Roz-e-Jaza (شافعِ روزِ جزا): The Intercessor of the Day of Judgment.
Insight: The Remedy of Remembrance
In this Kalam, Allama Soharwardy teaches us a fundamental Sufi psychological principle: to focus on the Cure rather than the Disease. Instead of dwelling on the “dil ki siyahi” (blackness of the heart) or the terrors of Qayamat, he directs the seeker toward the “Rukh-e-Wad-Duha” (The Radiant Face). This Naat serves as a Dar-ush-Shifa (House of Healing) for the Aasi (sinner), replacing the anxiety of sin with the peace of Prophetic Intercession.