Food For Thought

There is no compulsion for man to accept the TRUTH. But it is certainly a shame upon the Human intellect when man is not even interested in finding out as to what is the TRUTH! Islam teaches that God has given man the faculty of reason and therefore expects man to reason things out objectively and systematically for himself/herself. To reflect and to question and to reflect.

Nobody should press you to make a hasty decision to accept any of the teachings of Islam, for Islam teaches that man should be given the freedom to choose. Even when man is faced with the TRUTH, there is no compulsion upon man to embrace it. But before you begin to form an opinion about Islam, ask yourself whether your existing knowledge of is thorough enough. Ask yourself whether that knowledge has been obtained through non-Muslim third party sources; who themselves have probably been exposed to only random glimpses of Islamic writings and have yet to reason on Islam, objectively and systematically themselves.

Is it fair, that one should form an opinion about the taste of a particular dish just by hearsay from others who may themselves not necessarily have tasted the dish yet, or has different tastes from you?

Similarly you should find out for yourself about Islam from reliable sources and not only taste it, but digest it, well before you form an opinion. That would be the intellectual approach to Islam.

It is up to you to make the next move. In making your move Islam continuously reassures you that your rights to freedom of choice and freedom to use that God given faculty of thought and reason will be respected. Every man has that individual will. No one else can take away that will and force you to surrender to the will of God. You have to find out and make that decision yourself.

For all of you who are studying Islam in the quest for Truth and enlightenment-May your intellectual journey towards the TRUTH be a pleasant one.

The Lost Generation

Once we were Kings and Queens,
Enlightening the world with the treasures,
Of the Qur'an and Sunnah of our deen.
But we lost it all, We have lost it all.

For those for whom chastity was a virtue,
Immodesty has now become the theme.
For those for whom Allah was the aim,
The wealth of the world has now become their dream.

It is as if we walk in a trance.
A lost generation of souls.
To Shaytaans tune we dance.
Paying no attention to higher goals.

The eyes of the pious shed tears,
In sorrow and grief for a people deceived,
But we continue in our ways,
Paying no attention and taking no heed.

How long will this situation continue?
How long will we continue to play?
How long will we ignore the questions,
That will come from Allah when our life ends
And we finish our stay?

Is it not time to change our situation?
Is it not time to change our way?
Is it not time to change our direction,
Turn over a new leaf and begin a new day?

The doors of guidance are still open,
The window of opportunity still awaits,
But the pen of life waits for no man.
So take hold of yourself and return.
Return to Allah before its too late.

Sharing A Thought On...Happiness

For the longest time, it seemed that life was about to start. Real
Life.
But there was always some obstacle along the way, an ordeal to
get through, some work to be finished, some time to be given, a
bill to be paid. Then life would start.
I finally came to understand that those obstacles were life.

That point of view helped me see
that there isn't any road to
happiness.
Happiness IS the road.

So, enjoy every moment.
Stop waiting for school to end, for a return to school, to lose ten pounds,
to gain ten pounds, for work to begin, to get married, for Friday evening,
for Saturday morning, waiting for a new car, for your mortgage to be paid
off, for spring, for summer, for autumn, for winter, for the first or the fifteenth
of the month, for your song to be played on the radio, to di e, to be
reborn.... before deciding to be happy.

Enjoy every moment, treat every problem as a lesson to be learnt, and thank the Lord of Man for giving you....Life.

Best Husband Ever In The History Of Man

The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said:- ' This life is gratification. The real object of gratification is the companionship of an upright and pious marriage partner. ' (Saheeh Jami Sagheer)

In order to cement his marriage bonds, the prophet peace be upon him applied language to instill love and happiness in the hearts of his wives. Instead of calling her Ayesha, he would call her Ayesh. He conveyed messages and greetings of peace from Angel Gabriel as reported by his wife Ayesha (r.a).
(Bukhaari)

The prophet peace be upon him was a loving husband. Ayesha (r.a) talked about the times when she enjoyed meals with him. He enjoyed his meals only when she sat next to him. They drank from one cup and he watched where she placed her lips so that he could place his lips on the same area. She also said that he placed morsels of food into her mouth and she would do the same.
(Muslim)

When the prophet peace be upon him left his house-even as he left to pray in the mosque-he kissed his wives.
(Abu Dawood/Tirmidhi)

Ayesha (r.a) stated that the prophet peace be upon him visited his nine wives on a daily rotation basis.
(Muslim)

Once Ayesha (r.a) accompanied the prophet peace be upon him on a trip. She and He were at the back of the group. They heard the guides in front calling to them and others to move faster. The prophet challenged her to a race (they were on horseback) and she beat him. Then later, on another trip, he challenged her again, and this time, he beat her. Ayesha (r.a) said that she was slender when she beat him in the race; when she put on weight, he knew he was going to beat her and therefore challenged her a second time.
(Ahmad)

The prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was loved and highly respected by his wives. He succeeded to live harmoniously with them all, while many husbands find it extremely difficult to cope even with a single spouse. Abu Hurairah (r.a) reported that a recipe for his success in married life, besides the grace of Allah Ta'ala, was his insistence on spiritual activity in the house. He was constant in his very late night prayers (Tahajjud) and encouraged his wives to observe these with him. When they were reluctant to leave their beds he would drip drops of water softly over their faces to help them to abandon sleep.
(Ahmad)

Why ' Happy renewal day? '

Assalamu Alaikum-:)

I hope you all enjoyed reading the poem in the post below just this one, by my talented friend Layla Khayyam. She will occasionally be posting more of her work here, so stay tuned. Also check out her poetry blog; the link is in the list of links at the side of this blog page.

I turned 20 yesterday. Yes, it was my birthday yesterday; the end of another decade.
Whilst we are on the subject of birthdays i'd like to share with you this excerpt; written by my dear friend Clement from Malaysia on the subject of birthdays. Enjoy.

Why ' happy renewal day'

I've always been thinking about the idea that you only celebrate your 'Birthday' once...
I.e on the actual day you were born on, and even on such events, its literally our parents
who are elated and celebrating the occasion.

And i guess
cakes, presents and parties would most definitely work for elementary years of life,oh yeah,
good measure for an immeasurable childhood memory...
But
as we reach the age of Mukallaf, i reckon birthdays are always good to be commemorated with deep reflections and in depth introspections,
what say you...?

Other than Ramadhan, this is also one of the best times for a new years resolution.
It is the time to look back (in time) into that one year of being 15 or 17 or '19'....and
to just simply ask ourselves what have we been up to for the past 1 year?
Y'know, its nice to actually introspect on how much wisdom we have actually acquired from life...and again, how much we have developed spiritually? intellectually? emotionally?... and of course, the physical growth is highly likely apparent...lol...
And with regards to our 'Amal (deeds) it should rightfully be a session of the 'end of the year' of self-Mutaba'ah (self assessment) the checklist being for example;

...Have we made any notable progress in our Ibaadah, worship? Are our deeds/practices enhanced or have they deteriorated?Some graphs would actually help! ...How many rounds of Tilawatul-Quran did we manage throughout that one whole year? ...What are the virtues that we have successfully nurtured and should continue grooming? ... What about the vices that needs to be eliminated immediately! from our personality.

If our 'Birthday' is scheduled tomorrow, then by right, we should be on the last page of the glorious Quran, as tomorrow a new cycle begins.
Heh, just my two cents. They are all reminders foremost for my own sin committing self before thay are for anyone else, i stand to be corrected for any mis-guided point of view.

' Ala Kulli Haal ' Happy Renewal Day and may we all be renewed , our Imaan refreshed, and our A'amal rejuvenated.

Like A Lightening Rod

Assalamualykum Honoured Keekee's Blog Readers,

I wrote this poem one day as I was thinking about the state of the ummah, and more precisely, ourselves. Especially during these harsh times and the current events happening in the Middle East, one can't help but feel some sorrow not just for the state that we are in as Muslims, but for humanity as a whole. I hope you find this poem touching and mind-refreshing, insha' Allah...

Like A Lightening Rod

Many of us are drowning in the Sea of Sin,
Oh Allah help us out of the mess we're in

Our Brothers and Sisters are suffering abroad,
While we stand like a lightening rod

Still, paralyzed, not knowing what to do in the midst of the rain
Absorbing the lightening, hoping for it to stop, keeping in the pain

Every time a lightening comes---again and again--News flash
On the television set I hear the anchor reporting the details on my brothers' clash

People killing left and right, the enemy continues killing my brother
While our own brethren are fighting and killing one another

But what about us, those afar-- how many black dots
Do we have on our hearts?

Why don't we start being kinder to ourselves,
Look at the dusty Quran sitting on your shelves

Read! By the name of the Al-Mighty--this book
That Allah sent down on our Beloved Prophet--which shook
His heart, The ArchAngel Gabriel and those who understand
Truly, its a reminder for those who contemplate our Lord's demand
To hold on the rope of unity, tight and firm, humble and kind
Like a chain, a jigsaw puzzle, like a hard book's bind

Pages in a book, that's what we should be
One spine holding all the pages together, all in unity

What we watch everyday on the news, the channel of sadness
Is now a source of misery that shows the madness
That happens everyday and we see only a fraction--our picture is distorted
Much worse happens that never gets reported

And here we are, drowning in the sea of sin
Asking Allah to help us out of the mess we're in

Standing dormant like a lightening rod
Crying to God...

Layla Khayyam

Elusive Rulers...

In a book written by Raghib Al-Isfahani, Maamun Bin Mehran said that he was with the
Caliph Umar Bin Abdul Aziz, who asked his guard, " Who is at the door? " The guard replied that it is a man who claims to be the son of Bilal, the son of the one who called for the prayers (Adhaan) for the messenger of Allah, Muhammad peace be upon him. The Caliph permitted him to enter and asked him to relate something of the Prophet.
Ibn Bilal said that his father related to him that he had heard the prophet peace be upon him say,
" Whoever is given authority in a matter that is related to the people and then creates a barrier
( referring to the guard) between him and them, Allah will place a barrier in front of him on the day of judgement. "

Umar immediately asked the guard to leave his post and return to his home. No one ever saw a guard at 'Umars door again. He stated that there couldn't be anything more unfavorable to the leadership of a people than the harshness of guards and the inaccessibility of the rulers themselves. The wicked acts of the citizens can only become more widespread in the land, knowing that a ruler is difficult to gain access to. It has been said that a leader prevents people from speaking to him because of the evil that is in him or out of sheer stinginess and pride.

Women In Islam

Never in the history of the World, under any religious or constitutional systems, have women enjoyed the rights and privileges which Islam gave to her. The status of women in Islam is something unique, novel and something that has no similarity under any other system other than Islam.

The Qur'an categorically stated that women are as vital to life as men themselves and granted a status to women equal to that of men. The rights and responsibilites of women are equal to that of men, but they are not necessarily identical to them. Equality and identity is not that same thing. The difference lies in the very nature of the roles that the two have to play and there is no ground to assume that she is in any way less less important or inferior to men. Islam gives her due consideration and recognises her independent personality, makes her directly accountable to Allah and confers rights on her equal with men though not identical.

In the pre-Islamic world the plight of women was abject and pathetic. Somewhere she was brannded as a product of evil or the seed of evil. Some systems placed men as the lord of women who has to surrender to his will. Somewhere else questions were raised if she at all possessed a soul. Never in the history of Islam has any muslim doubted the dignity of women, her possession of a soul and other fine qualities.
The Qur'an has honoured women so much so that there is an entire chapter titled Surah Nisa'a (chapter on women) and her status and dignity are explicitly stated therein as well as in many other verses of the Qur'an. Those who look at Islam with a positive view will realise what rights Islam has really granted women; as Lady Cobbold says in her 'Pilgrimage to Makkah'; " It was Islam that removed the in which women are held from the very dawn of history and gave them a social standing and legal rights such as were not granted to them in England till many later centuries. "

Islam did more than that. What it gave her suits her nature, gives her full security and protects her against disgraceful circumstances and uncertain channels of life. It is a pity on those who have failed to understand that the divine system that gives every male and female their due rights.

Ibn Sina ( Aviccena)

Abu Ali Al-Hussain Ibn Abdallah (Aviccena) was born in 980 A.D at Afshana near Bukhara, a part of Iran. The young Abu Ali received his early education in Bukhara, and by the age of 10 had become well versed in the study of the Qur'an and various sciences. He started studying philosophy by reading various Greek, Muslim and other books on this subject and also learnt logic and some other subjects from Abu Abdallah Natili, a famous philosopher of the time. While still young, he attained such a degree of expertise in medicine that his fame spread far and wide. At the age of 17, he was fortunate in curing Nooh Ibn Mansoor, the king of Bukhara, of an illness in which all the well-known physicians had given up hope. On his recovery, the king wished to reward him, but the young physician only desired permission to use his uniquely stocked library.

On his father's dea th, Abu Ali left Bukhara and traveled to Jurjan, where Khawarizm Shah welcomed him. There, he met his famous contemporary Abu Raihan Al-Biruni. Later, he moved to Ray and then to Hamadan, where he wrote his famous book Al-Qanun Fi Al-Tibb. Here he treated Shams Al-Daulah, the king of Hamadan, for sever colic. From Hamadan, he moved to Isfahan, where he completed many of his monumental writings. Nevertheless, he continued traveling and the excessive mental exertion as well as political turmoil spoilt his health. Finally, he returned to Hamadan where he passed away in 1037 A.D.

He was the most famous physician, philosopher, encyclopaedist, mathematician and astronomer of his time. His major contribution to medical science was his famous book Al-Qanun, known as the 'Canon' in the west. The Qanun Fi Al-Tibb is an immense encyclopedia of medicine extending over a million words. It surveyed the entire medical knowledge available from ancient and muslim sources. Due to its systematic approach, " formal perfection as well as its intrinsic value, the Qanun superseded Razi's Hawi, Ali Ibn Abbas's Maliki, and even the words of Galen, and remained supreme for six centuries. " In addition to bringing together the then available knowledge, the book is filled with the authors original contribution. His important original contribution includes such advances as recognition of the contagious nature of Phthisis and tubrculosis; distribution of diseases by water and soil, and interaction between psychology and health. In addition to describing pharmacological methods, the book described 760 and became the most authentic materia medica of the era. He was also the first to describe meningitis and made rich contributions to anatomy, gynecology and child health.

Effort In Islam

Islam is true. There are four types of effort in Islam:

The effort of listening....Ta'illem
The effort of speaking...Da'wah (Tabligh)
The effort of thinking...Dhikr
The effort of asking...Du'a

Faith ripens through mujahadah, It is strengthened through Da'wah,
It spreads through migration and it is saved through discharging the rights of Allah's servants.
(Maulana Ahmad Ladh, Ijtima Bhopal)

Imam Zahabi recorded from Sayyidina Imran Bin Hussain (r.a) that the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him said:
" On the day of judgement, the ink which was used by a (true) scholar
to put religious knowledge and injunctions into writing, and the martyrs b lood shall be
weighed. The scholars ink however, shall turn out to be heavier than the bloo d of the martyr "
(Ma'ariful Quran 3/235)

Something sweet, light hearted and maybe untrue!

Back From Hajj-:)

Assalamu Alaykum Warahmatullah

Well, as you can see, i'm back from Hajj-:)
We set off on the 22nd of November, from Manchester Airport, and Alhamdulillah reached Stanstead safely on the 17th of January, 2008. Due to the emergency Landing at Heathrow airport, we were diverted to Stanstead Airport, which added to the jet lag, but other than that, all went well, by the grace of God.

My two months in the two Holy cities were pure heaven. we stayed in Makkah for about two weeks first. It was relatively calm then, all the hajjis hadn't arrived at the time so the Haram (Holy mosque) wasn't as crowded as it is nearer Hajj time, and it was easier to get around. After which we proceeded to Madina Tun Nabi, the city of the Prophet for 7 days, a totally inadequate period of time to stay in such a serene, beautiful city. Nevertheless, we made the most of it, and i soaked in the cool atmosphere there. The absolute calm quiet at morning prayer, when the light is soft and just risen, and everyone is hurrying quietly to the mosque...the scene continues to stay in my mind even now.

After the seven days, we proceeded back to Makkah, a mere two days before the five days of Hajj begun. Hajj preparations were made, which included simply getting ready sleeping bags and getting the essentials we'd need for the five days. The rituals of Hajj passed beautifully, the Saudi Government has made it incredibly easy for the Hajjis, much easier than it was before. Stoning the shayateen seemed so simple to me this time, so much ease, plenty of space for the 3 million or so Hajjis who attended this year. The last ritual of Hajj to be performed was stoning the shayateen, and after that, we all - family, rest of the hajj group- embraced each other and there was a lot of joy, a sense of joy and a hope deep as the ocean that Allah almighty accepted our humble efforts.

This was my 5th trip to Saudi, my second Hajj, but every time i go there it feels like i am going for the first time, every time i see the Ka'ba it feels as if i am seeing its beauty for the first time.
I think every person who goes there, yearns to go back with deep longing. I certainly do, England seems very depressing after all that brightness and beauty!
But Khair, i had a beautiful trip and thats what matters.

WasSalam

A Dialogue Between A Flower & A Pearl

One day, a brilliantly beautiful and fragrant flower with attractive colours met a pearl that lives far in the bottom of the sea and has none of these characteristics. Both got acquainted with each other.

The flower said; " Our family is large; roses and daisies are members of the family. And there are many other species that are various and countless, each has a distinctive scent, appearance, etc."
Suddenly, a tinge of distress appeared on the flower. "Nothing accounts for sorrow in your talk; so why are you depressed?' The pearl asked.

" Human beings deal with us carelessly; they slight us. They don't grow us for our sake but to get pleasure from our fragrance and beautiful appearance. They throw us on the street or in the garbage can after we are dispossessed of the most valuable properties; brilliance and fragrance." The flower sighed.
And then the flower said to the pearl; " Speak to me about your life! How do you live? How do you feel? You are buried in the bottom of the sea. "

The pearl answered; " Although i have none of your distinctive colours and sweet scents, humans think i am precious. They do the impossible to procure me. They go on long journeys, dive deep in the seas searching for me. You might be astounded to know that the further i lay, the more beautiful and brilliant i become. Thats what upraises my value in their thought. I live in a thick shell isolated in the dark seas. However, i'm happy and proud to be in a safe zone far from wanton and mischievous hands and still the humans consider me highly valuable. "

Do you know what the flower and and the pearl symbolize?
The flower is the unveiled woman ( who shows her charms ) and the pearl is the veiled woman ( who conceals her beauties).

First Day Of Forever

27 Ramadhan, 611 C.E

It is a typical day in all respects. The inhabitants of Makkah wake up to the fierce rays of the Arabian sun. In the Batha quarter of the city, the chiefs of the Quraysh slowly begin to recover from the hang overs which last night bought. The recovery rate from repeated nights of drinking, and vibrating music is nearly static.

A group of men leave the rich segment of the city and make their way towards the depression in the central part of Makkah. Here lies the Ka'aba and the house of Hubal. The men enter the circled arena, bow down with respect and one by one kiss the unclothed red-agate statue. Hubal remains unmoved. The group begins to stroll up and down the Ka'aaba, bowing to statues of various shapes and sizes; the rising sun throws immense shadows of the men over the 365 stone gods.

Right adjacent to the Ka'aba a household is in mourning. The rising sun bought an addition to the family; a daughter. Two men leave the house, with the baby wrapped in muslin. With their faces down they walk with the crying child towards the cemetry. In the centre of the city a caravan arrives; camel after camel loaded with spices and silk, wines and perfumes, followed by, in a slow single line, a multitude of slaves. Some local men dance and sing as the slaves march towards the market. The Makkan market is a place for the deaf and the blind; a continuous irritation to the ears, a constant offence to the eyes, a pleasure (if somewhat crude) to the nose, the pungent odour of aromatic liquids, distilled elsewhere, diffused through an ob scene, spectacle of gamblers, habitual drinkers, and barterers of slaves. Commodities as well as wealth and property change hands. A young man, after losing his wealth, gambles his freedom away.

Free from the attachment to self, to social games, to Makkan indulgence, to worldly awareness and even to this moment, a middle-aged man leaves a modest dwelling of the city. Avoiding the centre of the city, he sets out on a long, narrow road which slopes gently uphill. That half hour, between his house and the end of the city, was one of the most irritating moments of his day; and for hours afterwards he would brood over its pestiferous existence and pray for the end of this godlessness in Makkah.

The man- of middle height, slim but with broad shoulders and wide chest- walked with steps quick and elastic, yet firm, towards the henna-coloured mountain. His dark, slightly curled hair flowed in a dense mass down almost to his shoulders. His long arched eyebrows d ominated his bearded face. He walked quite undisturbed by camel dwellers gathering their flocks. The dust raised by the herds caught the last rays of the setting sun, turned into gold, and scattered in the night air.

From the peak, the man looked down on Makkah. A city at the bottom of an abyss. The moonlight could hardly do anything for a people so deep in darkness. He turned his face, thereby turning his whole body away from the city, looked towards the desert, and gazed at mountains lined up one behind the other. The man remained at the summit for several hours, then he moved down to a cave, a place of retreat, some fifty yards from the peak. There he laid himself down to rest.

He was in a state of meditation and prayer when a vivid light shone into his eyes. He opened his eyes in fright, and heard a commanding voice: 'Muhammad!'

Sweat broke out all over his body.Trembling, he answered;
'Who is it?'
' Read!' said the voice.
' I am not of those who read.'
The angel Gabriel took hold of Muhammad, hugged him vehemently and then released him.
' Read!'
' I am not of those who read.'
Once again Muhammad was hugged till he was exhausted.
'Read!'
' I am not of those who read.'
He was hugged for the third time.
' Read!'
' What shall i read?'
' Read in the name of your Lord who creates, created man from a clot of b lood.
Read, for your Lord is most generous, ( it is he) who teaches by means of the pen, teaches man what he does not know.'

Muhammad recited.
The rays of the emerging sun embraced his trembling voice.

Dhikrullah

Kalimataan Habeebatani Ilar Rahman
Kafeefatani Alal Lisaan Thakeelatani Fil Meezan

Do Kalimay Hain Jo Rahman Ko Mahboob Hain
Zubaan Par Halke Pulkey Hain, Tarazoo Main Bharee Hain

There Are Two Phrases That Are Beloved To Allah
Light To Speak Yet Weighty In The Scales:

1)SubhanAllahi Wabihamdihee
2)SubhanAllahil Adheem

(Rawah-al-Bukhari)

A lesson from disabled people...

Once, a visitor was being shown around a leper colony in India. The colony was built to provide a shelter for those people who were poor and had various physical disabilities. At noon, a gong sounded to gather the inhabitants for the midday meal. People came from all parts of the compound to the dining hall. Suddenly, everyone started laughing at two young men, one riding the others back, pretending to be a horse and a rider. They seemed to be enjoying the charade. As the visitor watched, he was told that the man who carried his friend was blind, and the man being carried was lame, and was unable to walk. The one who couldn't see, used his feet; the one who couldn't walk, used his eyes. Together, they helped each other and reached their destination.

Let us use each other's strengths to make up for the weaknesses of others. Our strength is in Unity, not in division.

The Role Of Women In The Work Of Tabligh

People who like to mock and disagree with the work of Tabligh often bring up the role of women, in households etc where the men folk are Tablighi. There are a lot of mis-conceptions on this subject and id like to post a link to an article written by Barbara Metcalf on this matter, its extremely enlightening, not to mention, an extremely interesting read.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/SHR/5-1/text/metcalf.html

Look After Your Rocks...

A professor of Philosophy stood before his class, lazily picked up a large, empty jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So, the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly and the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up all the remaining spaces.

'Now,' said the professor, ' This is your life. The rocks are the important things like family, health, children, things that if everything was lost and only they remained, your life will still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, and your car etc. The sand is everything else, the small stuff.
If you put the sand or pebbles into the jar first then there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life, if you spend your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have time for the things that are important.'

So, pay attention to the things that are critical, worship Allah, bring up your children properly,Look after your health, spend time with and look after your family.
There will always be time to go to work, clean the house and do errands...

Take care of the rocks first, the rest is just pebbles and sand!

Eid-Al-Fitr

Eid Mubarak!!!

What Do I Want...?

Knowledge of God be my capital
Reason be the root of my faith;
Love be my foundation;
Enthusiasm be my horse;
Remembrance of God be my friend;
Firmness be my treasure;
I find compassion in sorrow;
Science be my weapon;
Patience be my mantle;
Contentment be my booty;
I find pride in poverty;
Devotion be my art;
Conviction be my power;
Truth be my redeemer;
Obedience be my sufficiency;
Struggle be my manner; And
My pleasure be in my prayer...