Zāwīyā al-Farīṯīyyā: Inscription

 

On the lintel of a grilled window, tabula ansata, 95 by 37 cm., five lines:

۱. بِسْمِ الله الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ. إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا ٱللهُ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَقَـٰمُوا۟ تَتَنَزَّلُ

۲. عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا۟ وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا۟ وَأَبْشِرُوا۟ بِٱلْجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِى كُنتُمْ

۳. تُوعَدُونَ. نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَآؤُكُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِىٓ أَنفُسُكُمْ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا 

٤. تَدَّعُونَ. نُزُلًۭا مِّنْ غَفُورٍۢ رَّحِيمٍۢ. هذه تربة الفقير إلى رحمة الله الشيخ علي الفريثي بن شهريار قدّس

٥. الله روحه توفّي في العشر الآخر من جمادى الآخر سنة أحد وعشرين وستّمائة

1. In the name of allah the merciful the compassionate. Surely those who say, “Our Lord is Allah,” and then remain steadfast,

2. the angels descend upon them, ˹saying,˺ “Do not fear, nor grieve. Rather, rejoice in the good news of Paradise, which you have been 

3. promised. We are your supporters in this worldly life and in the Hereafter. There you will have whatever your souls desire, and there you will have whatever

4. you ask for: an accommodation from the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful ˹Lord˺.” (Qurʾān 41: 30-32) This is the tomb of the one in need of  Allah's mercy, aš-Šayẖ ʿAlī al-Farīṯī son of Šahrayār — Allah sanctify

5. his soul! — he passed away in the second decade of Ǧumādā II 621 (July 1-10, 1224).

The tabula ansata is topped by a relieving arch with an elaborately joggled basalt key carrying the following inscription:

العزّة لله

لا إله إلّا الله 

محمّد رسول الله

All honor and might belong to Allah, there is no deity but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God. 

Ernst Herzfeld. Damascus, Studies in Architecture III. Ars Islamica XI-XII 1946 (p. 1-71).

Photo credit: ʿUmar Ḥāfiẓ (Wikimedia August 10, 2024)