Monday 4 June 2007

Dont read this...

'Why is it so busy?'

'Don't you know?Its 7 AM and everyones off to work.thats why this time of day is called
rush hour.its this busy everyday,and in larger cities its even busier.
Hey look at that car!It looks like a muslim is driving it.yeah.thats Doctor Abdullah!'

'What?are there muslims living in this town besides you?'

'Of course!actually,forget about town,there are over 30 muslim families just in my neighborhood.'

'Hey!do you mind if i ask you a question?'

'No,not at all.'

'Well,about an hour ago,i went to the masjid for fajr and no one was there...i was
wondering...did all of these people become muslims after fajr...?'


Women Of Piety

I take oath by Allah Ta'ala and say:

Give
women Deeni education and then see their superiority.You will witness
in them intelligence,understanding and even accomplishment in such worldly affairs
which concern them.Women who possess degrees of B.A and M.A cannot compete
in understanding and intelligence with women who have acquired Deeni knowledge.
Yes,in deception and schemes,the western-educated woman may be ahead.
But remember,that words of intelligence will come out from women of piety.

~Maulana Maseehullah~

The Veiled One

Ignored, left and abandoned by association
Seen as a germ, convicted of the sin of abandoning assimilation

The veil of hers, not combined with tight jeans or cute ditsy little shirts,
With an attitude that says no to flirtation--not wanting attention, even if it hurts

A person of that type and especially a female
Is not well liked, for many believe that she should be on sale


For all to see,
bought cheap as eyecandy

They say its freedom to dress as if there's a shortage on cotton,
And its apparently fine for everyone to look at her bottom

But when a girl wants to cover up and respect herself and her deen, they call her oppressed--
Sling at her names, give odd looks and try to make her depressed

Nonetheless, she's patient, persevering, and not succumbing to their jargon,
For the duniya is a prison to the believer and to the kafir, a garden...

Looking Back At Me

She was sitting there, staring at me straight in the eye--
Not moving, not a flinch was made, on a face so dry
Then suddenly, her eyes fixed on the ground and released a heavy sigh
As her features turned softer, she gave a low sorrowful cry



Tears running down her face, frown after frown
What ever made her feel so down?
Outside she's happy, very nice, and at times acts like a clown
But there she is, in her own reality, with drooping eyes of brown


After sitting there observing her, I thoughtfully said:
"Why are you putting yourself in this mess, don't let it get to your head--

Take all that bothers you and bury it in the ground,
You better believe in Allah more than this, stop bein' a fool and keep your heart sound"



With that she smiled, smacked her head silly and right away went her frown,
And putting her life and aspirations in Allah's care and mercy...

I put the mirror down...

A Feeling Within

The feeling of pain is hard to sustain…
But don’t just sit there and cry in the rain,
The world is like this, if you’re on the faith train

It seems like no one cares, no one can bear
To heal his brother and listen to his pain’s share
They treat you like you’re not there, only because you are a treasure and rare…

An instant your fellow, another your foe
One day you’re appreciated and the other not so…
Before, was nice and mistakes would kindly flow, but now you know…

The good thoughts you thought and wished to think…
Are shamefully and deeply sadder than you wished to sink--
Into that mind of yours that was hopeful of the best even at the edge of the brink…

Know that Allah is your only One to wish to and to face
In all times, happiness, excitement, trouble and disgrace…
Allah is the Merciful and the Ever Forgiving - Creator of the Human Race

No one can rely on mankind for everything
So keep that in mind, if you wish to accomplish anything---
True of real value and reward, something----
That is ever-growing, never boring and everlasting

This world is full of troubles, problems and pain…
Nothing could wash all of the bloodshed, not even the rain…
We know where our place is, it’s not this, and it’s definitely more sane

Jannah is its name and inshaa'Allah our domain!
AlFerdous is our wish to attain
Inshaa'Allah no more pain and inner peace we shall gain,
Alhamdulilah, we are Muslims, we’re on the right lane!

The Eighth World Wonder

Have you seen the 8th world wonder?
It's amusing, strange, and takes a deep mind to ponder

It's not a monument or a gigantic mountain,
Neither a mystical star nor a magic fountain

It's a creation that denies the existance of The One who made him,
He, once living the darkness of his mother's stomach, a place so dim

In the darkness of his father's back, there was this oath he took,
That Allah is his Lord, and never to associate with Him any other--but Look!

See him roam the earth-- See him deny and disobey,
Poisoned by Duniya's toxic venoms and excessive play

Poor eighth world wonders out there, believe and don't fear
Don't despair, no matter what, Allah is always near

Wake up from your stupor and look around,
Who created the heavens above, the water below and the earth round?

Do you think the creator of all that which you see and more--
Will not accept you if you come back to Him, shook in your heart's core?

Do you forget, Son of Adam, that you have been honoured and elevated above the others?
When will you join your obedient brothers?

And find solace in your heart like before--
Before you opened to Satan your heart's door?

Brothers and Sisters in Humanity, Islam is truly beautiful,
Allow your open hearts and minds to discover this way of life that is simply wonderful

A Heart's Concern Over It's Friend

In the midst of the enchanted night, there comes an hour
A time of deep thought, one that gives me power
And at times cultivates a pain of worry, at times, so sour

Reminiscing back to the better times we spent
"I wonder what happened and where you went"
I pray to Allah all is fine, as I cry and repent

A friendship so dear to me can make me feel
So blessed and content, for real
I pray to Allah that you're fine, I supplicate as I kneel

Raising my head from the ground, I cry
"Oh Allah, I fear to live and see my friend die!
I have no one but you, Allah, but a human is weak" I said with a sigh

A voice came in and said: "I know that a human is weak but one must
Fight against this weakness as much as they can and trust
The Almighty, who is capable of everything and anything, creating man from dust!"

Without looking behind my back I said,
"Yes, thats right, its just the pain in the head,
that can get one to struggle from moving ahead

I seem to you weak right now, in the middle of the night
but in the day, I laugh, open up and keep the sadness out of sight
I shy from showing my thoughts and weaknesses out in the daylight"

The voice came back and I felt it sit beside me on the floor,
It told me to knock at optimism's large, wide open door
And how unwise it is to make oneself suffer and feel so sore

"Allah is the caretaker, do you not agree?" the voice said
"Of course! I do indeed!" I replied. "Then don't worry about your friend, clear your head,
Your friend is in Allah's care" the voice reassured me--- and almost right away-- it fled...

Khadija and the Wise Woman

"I cannot take it anymore!" shouted Khadija in frustration
"The pressure is driving me nuts, I never get what I want" she sobbed with burning sensation

*A Wise Woman puts her hand on Khadija's shoulders*


"Dear", said the wise woman, "look at what you possess,
So long as you firmly believe in The One and Only, there is no need to stress

Don't think of this duniya as your eternal home,
You are like a guest; In a house that is not your own

What is it but a bridge to the next and a test?
One that few pass and fail the rest?

*The wise woman brings out a rose*

Observe the beautiful rose; for a short time its lovely and vibrant--
It only takes a short time to see it wilt, crinkle and dormant

Feel its thorns, painful, right?"
"Yes Indeed, sharp as a knife" Khadija said, looking towards the sunlight

The rose is like the duniya, its short-lived and if you get close to it, it will hurt--
Its pain is not limited to your stay, but extends after you're dug under its dirt"

*Khadija cries* "It seems as though everytime I dare,
to wish for something, I see it not there, why is it that life's unfair?"

"Listen" said the woman "If Allah took something away from you, know its for the best"
or Allah is testing your faith in him and gives it to you in a way your couldn't ever expect

Don't you know that to everything, there is a wisdom behind it?
"Everything?!" said a perplexed Khadija on the verge of a fit

"Of course, Remember..."the woman chuckled "that time you wanted to buy that car?"
"heh, oh yeah" blushed Khadija "It turned out to be a rip-off, It wouldnt've taken me far"

"And by the way" the woman warned "I'm giving you an example we realized,
Imagine the ones we may have never noticed or recognized?

"Listen child", the woman said tenderly placing the rose aside,
"Know that pain here is inevitable, it comes in some shape or form, it can't slide"

The pain you feel comes to either cleanse your soul or elevate your status in the hereafter,
And think once more, pain makes you grow and understand on a deeper level thereafter

*Khadija nods in agreement*

The secret for happiness in this world is to be content what what Allah has ordained,
This, for many, may not be easy to do--for these people have their souls tamed

The key to this secret is complete trust in Allah and hope,
Without hope, you won't even try, and if you try then you've got to cope

Daughter, you have a long way to go, Masha'Allah,
Try your best and you'll find yourself in Jannah insha'Allah"

"Insha'Allah!" said Khadija with a smile radiating her face,
"So Khadija," said the woman "I rest my case?"

"Yes, thank you so much, I can't tell you how better I felt"
The wise woman looked at her and smiled, Khadija knelt

And gave the wise woman a hug, so tight...
But to her surprise she opened her eyes and the wise woman was out of sight...

Inspiration By His Creation

I open my eyes and witness Your splendor
Subhanak, Allah, the Perfect creator

Creator of the glimmering stars and vast sky,
Amazingly in a great way, Lord of the Universe, Most High

People of the Earth, can you see--
The Bounties of your Lord given to you with no fee?

Did you pay for the breath that you just took--
Or have you written a check for these eyes by which you look?

You know these bones you use to walk,
And the mouth that lets you talk

Are blessings of your Lord
-Such favors that money can never afford

Ever seen the beautiful clouds on a clear sunny day--
See how the grass bows and the tall yellow flowers sway?

Ever sat out in the rain and thought--
"Without this, we'd suffer drought"

Have you witnessed the majestic thunder--
How it glorifies Allah in its own way and wonder?

Have you woken up on the song sang by the Rooster--
Trying to wake you up for Fajr--his way of giving you a booster?

Ever seen a praying mantis building its nest--
that insect that you might consider a pest?

Watch the Sunset on the horizon and contemplate,
Or look upon the moon and stars and meditate

Verily, we can't count the blessings and creation Allah made
If we were to list them out with the ink of several oceans, before finish, the ink would fade

Oh Allah, the Most Devine,
Please show me a sign

To soften my heart,
A sign that shows if I really do my part
Before the time comes for me to depart

Ameen, Ameen, Ameen Ya Rab

Cries in the Midnight Hour

The winds of my heart whistle
As the thunder of my faith roars

The cries of my desires becon once more
As the pacifier of my taqwa shushs them away

*silence fills the mind, the heart begins to speak*

Fearing the destruction of my soul, helping myself set it on Guidance road
Before a Satan instills his whispers in my head and leads me to hell's abode

I pray to you, the Most Merciful,
Ya Allah, you made your servant weak and sinful

Nonetheless, your compassion for him surpasses that of his Mother's
And all of his friends, combined, along with his brothers

O my Creator, you gave us forgiveness and told us to never lose hope in You,
I come to you broken-hearted, with a chest ridden with pains felt in my soul, feeling blue

O Allah, Creator of the crooked rib of which is made Eve,
There is no one besides you where I can find relief

With my forelock fixed on the duniya's unforgiving ground, I plead...
Oh Allah, the All-Knowing, you know what I wish for and need

Oh the Guide, Guide my heart closer to your deen,
And make it to your service more and more keen

The illusions of this duniya are simply mirages,
That any wise person recognizes and dodges,

For the sake of your pleasure and his salvation,
For without our obedience, our souls will suffer starvation

Oh Allah, the All See-er, the All Hearer,
My invocations to you make me feel to you more nearer

What beauty is this, the beauty of faith so sweet, My Lord
And yet the many say "For the sake of this duniya, I cannot afford--

To give up my exceeding luxury,
my desires, my fame, my usury

Life's short, you gotta have fun" they say,
But what will they come up with on Judgment Day?

There will come a time where a man will cry--
Oh Allah! Give me another try, I will change, but let me not die!

And to him will be said "Nay, but fool, you have been given a chance"
Sorrowful indeed, is his last hopeless glance...

Oh the Sustainer, sustain me on your Halal
And save me from the way of Dualal

Oh Allah, make this temporary world not a pose a danger to my final abode
Truly, for every Muslim's heart who is true, for Hell Allah has forbode

I do not wish to have much in this life,
But wish for a moderate, quiet one with not too much strife

A wish I truly hope for is also this--
A spouse who firmly believes in You and makes this tiring world seem like bliss

In return, I would promise that person my devotion for your sake,
and of course, Allah, that person I will never forsake

Oh Allah, my master, I am your humble slave in this duniya underneath,
I wish to attain the Gardens of Ferdous, with rivers flowing beneath

But only with your guidance and light
Can I ever get myself to think right

To make the right choices along life's way
And not from the straight path stray away

Crying with need, and asking you with my supplications
I ask you Allah, please help me and my parents establish deeper communications

SubhanaAllah, Master of the Universe, You made humankind so diverse
With your mercy unite us on your truth, and lift from our hearts hatred's curse

May Allah unite us all at the fountain with the Prophet,
For truly indeed, this is our ultimate target

~Ameen Ya Rabal Alameen~


Alhamdulilah--You created me a Muslim Believer
Knowing this gives me more relaxation than any pain reliever

Ash-Hadu All-La illaha illa Allah, wa Ash-Hadu Anna Mohammadan Rasulul Allah

A Moment Of Silence

So you want a moment of silence?
And we are all left speechless
Our tongues snatched from our mouths.
Our eyes stapled shut.

A moment of silence
And the poets have all been laid to rest
The drums disintegrating into dust.

Before i begin this poem
You want a moment of silence
You mourn now as if the world will never be the
same
And the rest of us hope to hell it wont be.
Not like it always has been.

Because this is not a 9/11 poem
This is a 9/10 poem
It is a 9/9 poem
A 9/8 poem
A 9/7 poem.

This is a 1942 poem
This is a poem about what causes poems like this
to be written.

And if this is a 9/11 poem,then
This is a september 11th poem for Chile,1971
This is a september 12th poem for Steven Biko in
South Africa,1977
This is a september 13th poem for the brothers at
Attica prison,New York,
1971.

This is a september 14th poem for Somalia,1992.
This is a poem for every date that falls to the
ground in ashes
This is a poem for the 110 stories that were never
told
The 110 stories that history chose not to write in
textbooks.
The 110 stories that CNN,BBC,The New York
times,and Newsweek ignored.
This is a poem for interrupting this program.
And still you want a moment of silence for your
dead?
We could give you lifetimes of empty;
The unmarked graves
The lost languages
The uprooted trees and histories
The dead stares on the faces of nameless children.

Before i start this poem we could be silent forever
Or just long enough to hunger,
For the dust to bury us
And you would still ask us
for more of our silence.
If you want a moment of silence
Then stop the oil pumps
Turn off the engines and the televisions
Sink the cruise ships
Crash the stock markets
Unplug the marquee lights
Delete the instant messages
Derail the trains,the light rail transit
If you want a moment of silence,put a brick
Through the window of Taco
Bell
And pay the workers for wages lost
Tear down the liquor stores,
The townhouses,the white houses,the jail
houses,the penthouses and the
play boys
If you want a moment of silence
Then take it
On super bowl sunday
The fourth of July
During Dayton's 13 hour sale
Or the next time your guilt fills the room
where my beautiful people
Have gathered
You want a moment of silence
Then take it
Now,
Before this poem begins.
Here,in the echo of my voice
In the pause between goosesteps of the second
hand
In the space between bodies in embrace
Here is your silence
Take it
But take it all
Don't cut in line.
Let your silence begin at the beginning of crime
But we,
Tonight we will keep right on singing
For our dead.

Emmanuel Ortiz 9/11/02