Qualities of Imam Ahmed Raza’s poetic works [Hadaiq e Bakshish]

The work Hadaiq e Bakshish is a wonderful literary contribution of Ala Hazrat. In esoteric sense, it is a Reality of Realities, a Divine Reality seen by those who have eyes of intelligence. Some outstanding qualities of his poetic works are mentioned below.

• In the domain of composing eulogies in Praise of the Prophet [sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam] Imam Ahmed Raza has no match, there is none other like him. For all poets, he is a beacon of light and guidance, the immense beauty and love emanating from his poetry leave many in awe and intoxicated in love for the Prophet [sallAllahu Alaihi wa sallam]
• Hierarchy of status from the highest to lowest is always maintained i.e. Allah subhan wa ta’ala, the Prophet’s, their blessed Companions and the Awliya Allah.
• He avoids using words such as temple, tavern, kufr and zunnar (cincture) for sanctums (the Holy Kaab’a, the Arsh, Mosques, and Paradise etc.)
• His poetical works are exempt from lies, exaggeration, hypocrisy and pretence. Each and every word is full of sincerity, truthfulness and reflects the immense love Imam Ahmed Raza Khan had for the Beloved Prophet [sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam].
• Propagation of the tenets of the Ahlus Sunnah, teaching obedience and love for the Prophet of Allah [sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam] and refutation of those with heretical beliefs are a special characteristic of his works.
• Utmost humble devotion to Huzur Ghawth al-Azam is also a distinctive feature of his expression.
• To prove virtues and excellence of the Holy Prophet [sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam] by cogent reasons is his outstanding ability, to such an extent that even an immature mind would not consider it to be exaggeration in the slightest way.
• Literary writings of many poets are devoid of sincerity; rather they are full of fabrications and embellishment, whereas the works of Ala Hazrat are replete with spiritual intoxication and are based on none other than the Qur’an and Hadith.
• Verily, his eulogies are a Tafseer of Qur’an and Hadith, each verse being based on Divine Revelation and the Narrations of the Prophet sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam. The level of detail in his poetry is of such calibre, that voluminous explanations have been written by Ulema on his poems alone.

jo kahe she’r-aw-paas-e shara’ dono ka ĥusn kyūN karāye,
la isse pesh jalwa’ye zamzam’e razā ke yūN

if anyone asks, ‘how can beauty of poetry and regard for divine law converge?’
bring him here in the radiance of raza’s poetry and say: ‘like this’.