Welcome, it’s our monthly Poetry day again! If you want to share your verses with everyone here, kindly email us at poetry[@]muslimmatters[.]org stating your name, along with your poem. Our next Poetry day is on 7th January, 2012. As soon as your poem is selected for publishing, we’ll let you know so that you can keep an eye out for it, Insha’Allah. JazakumAllahu khayr for sending in your poems!
Without further ado, here are the three inspiring poems we’ve selected for today…
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The Candle of Truth (or The Candles)
by Hira Ali
The story, true, I tell you now, is a very inspirational one to me
How vital I sincerely vow, I shall try to help you understand and see
He sat there working by candlelight, as it flickered and cast shadows abroad
Matters of state and papers a sight, he worked intently in silence unflawed
His name was Ali, a companion blessed, a man of greatness; he enforced the law
A cousin, a son, a Caliph hard-pressed, he worked and cared for the sake of Allah
Pen scratched parchment, ink flowed smooth, wise and thoughtful was Ali
Silent taps touched the door, the number of men now was three
They entered, the men, took seats and sat down, the names of the two I’ll narrate now
Talha was one, Jubair the second, they sat there silent with a puzzled brow
They sat like so in darkness still, Ali had put out the candle see
He lit another and confusion filled the room and so sowed the seed
Of a question that’s asked even now, how did the second differ from the first?
“O Ali, we have come to you on some important business,” one of his companions simply versed
“But why did you put out the first candle?” he asked to sate his curiosity
“That was a candle bought with treasury funds,” Ali replied with sincerity
“As long as I worked for the treasury, I used it,” his words held meaning and still they stunned
“Now you have come for some personal work, so I used the candle bought from my personal fund.”
He paid such thought to a thing so small, today dismissed as trivial
But he knew that when Qiyamah calls, the scales shall weigh each and all
He understood this simple truth, he knew life is but a test
How can we Muslims be? When these simple lessons we’ve learned not yet
We’ve much to strive for, much to learn, how truly deep is our concern?
Compassion, mercy, humility, and more, traits for which I dearly yearn
Simple choices affect us through, this life which is but full of them
Carefully we must pick and choose, for wrong ones before have condemned
We all know what is good and bad, but right and wrong are for us to choose
In every second, at every turn, Shaitan, accursed, can confuse
Trust in Allah, sincere and true, is the answer, is the key
Nothing is hard and nothing easy, Allah decides, don’t you see?
My verses now are at an end, I hope they were able to benefit
I hope like I wished before, you’ve understood, you have seen
May Allah guide us, may He give us what is beneficial for this Dunya and the Hereafter, Ameen!
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Patience of a western muslim
by Mohsin Vora
You walk the western road, watching lovers kiss
You tell yourself
Just wait
Sometimes you’re noticed, and admired is it? but hurrying along
You tell yourself
Not my way
Sometimes colliding into another, or if your hands chance to touch, you
rush the thought away
And you tell yourself
One day
And when you meet a stranger, with a sweet inviting smile, it almost makes
you forget, the fantasy can be overwhelming, but
shaking your head
You tell yourself
I’m saving myself for someone else
The unthinkable happens
a love note in your inbox
Writing back carefully, you apologize, and as you do
You tell yourself
Not yet
Maybe in shared joy, someone unknowingly embraces you, and lowering your head
You tell yourself
I have to be a bit more careful
And alone you move from place to place, watching others walk hand in hand
And dream of the soul that you’ll permit
To take your breath away
Then with a smile
You’ll tell yourself
I’m taken
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Nur (Light)
by Sabeen Mansoori
The layers of darkness
The veils of despair
Abuse in the home
Tyranny in the street
Suspicion clouds judgment
Blinded by their fears they retreat
Into the shadows of distress
And defeat
Superstition seals their sight
Greed devours their souls
They lust after
Power, profit, and pride
An insatiable hunger
The desires of the flesh they cannot hide
Steeped in the delusions of arrogance
Fear and loathing in their hearts reside.
The waves of darkness
Are impenetrable and deep
The one to whom Allah grants no light
Is lost on a path treacherous and steep
Allah alone
Is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth
Through His light we perceive
The perfect glint of the dawn
On the lip of a drop of dew
Or the light of a supernova born
Somewhere in the deep recesses of space
And the warm glow of affection when we are smiled upon
By His light we tread in this life
Between the valleys of Right and Wrong
We pray that Allah grants us
The light of His Words in our grave
And illumination across the Siraat
For our nafs, we attempted to enslave
Intense in our desire to meet the Master
Though the desires of this dunya we intensely crave
Feel the emptiness, the yearning, the despair of your heart
And search sincerely for that insight…
That long lost memory of contentment
And pray that Allah floods your soul with His Light.
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#Islam3 weeks ago
Daughter of Adam (AS)
December 3, 2011 at 11:50 AM
I love the first one! Great job Hira masha’Allah!!
Yasmin
December 3, 2011 at 12:49 PM
Mashallah, all of them are lovely and they all carry an important message!
Abu Ibrahim
December 3, 2011 at 1:55 PM
Ma sha’Allah! These were excellent. I usually don’t read poetry, but I really enjoyed these. The first one was especially dear to me, as I love the companions and I love to read about them. As such, and Allah knows best, I think the name in the first poem is supposed to be Zubair, not Jubair. Zubair ibn Al-Awam, may Allah be pleased with him, was a very famous Sahabi and a courageous fighter in defense of Islam. Both he and Talha ibn Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) were promised paradise by the Prophet, may peace be upon him. I hope to meet them both one day in paradise, in sha’Allah. Thanks again for sharing these poems.
Hira A
December 3, 2011 at 2:36 PM
I had a lot of fun writing the poem and it means so much to me that it touches you all. JazakAllahu Khairun :) I was so excited!
@Abu Ibrahim- jazakAllah for letting me know, I’ll check on it inshAllah. The book from where I got the story said it was Jubair (R).
Sahla
December 7, 2011 at 6:32 AM
Mashallah……………………….May Allah bless you all………..