Prophet Muhammad: Songs in Praise of the Prophet: Qawwali
This selection contains an invocation of God's blessings on Muhammad with a formulation that is bilingual in Persian and Arabic: nam-i Muhammad salli 'ala, "prayer/blessings on the name of Muhammad." In this selection, the formula has been used as a refrain in a composition which belongs to a musical genre cultivated by Sufi groups in South Asia called the qawwali. One of the principal purposes of the qawwali is to evoke spiritual emotion and ecstasy through the recitation of poetic verses and religious formulae accompanied by music with a strong beat. This particular qawwali, in Urdu, is recited by the Nizami brothers of India. Note the constant repetition and variations on the phrase nam-i Muhammad salli 'ala. Interspersed with the repetition of blessings on the Prophet are verses of poetry praising him. An approximate translation of the Urdu verses you hear in this selection follows:
Let there be no question of space and time
To be sheltered from the two worlds
nam-i Muhammmad
Speak of the grace of the two worlds
nam-i Muhammad
He is the mildness of the eyes and the brightness of the heart
Let us speak of him who banishes cares and adversity
nam-i Muhammad
Subhanallah "Glory be to Allah"
When in thinking back on their acts
Sinners feel shame rise to their cheeks
He who so loved his people
He will bestow grace on them
nam-i Muhammad
