We have come again upon that time of the year
Yes, certainly the month of Ramadan is near
So to Allahs teachings we must adhere
Fasting has been ordained to attain unto fear
The Prophet, on whom be peace, said on the last of Sha'baan
As narrated in Bayhaqi by the trusted companion Salman,
Telling the companions that a great month was in sight
And better than a thousand months in just one blessed night.
The gates of Paradise are open, gates of Hell are closed
Among the bounties that the Prophet disclosed
And as our beloved Prophet explained
In this blessed month, the devils are chained
So for one full month, Muslims celebrate
By virtuous actions, not by what they ate
Breaking their fasts with a simple date
And still somehow end up gaining weight
It is a test of patience and self-restraint
To abstain from food without complaint
To leave routine during the entire day
To worship and reflect, and especially pray
It is to give to the poor, to show we care
It is to pray at night, the Tarawih prayer
It is to learn respect and learn to share
It is to give up comfort without despair
Obscene language must go, for those who cursed
And if you lie, you might as well also quench your thirst
For fasting is not just about the food and drink
It is about our conduct, our actions, the way we think
In a narration by Muslim, the Prophet reported
That fasting will be exclusively rewarded,
While rewards for other deeds are generally known
The reward for fasting is with Allah, and Allah alone
Fasting is a shield, so let us defend ourselves well
If we live another year, only Allah can tell
September 23, 2005
Rhyme-adan
I've been rather busy over the last week, so instead of writing something new and meaningful, I'm just going to recycle a silly poem I wrote last year for the Ramadhan issue of Muslim Link.
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I like this poem because it highlights the most important points about Ramadan. Good work.
ReplyDeleteCool poem. You shouldn't call it stupid, you know - not just because it is about Ramadan and contains the word "Allah - but because it isn't right to degrade something you compose. I 'degraded' a poem I wrote recently before posting it on my blog and didn't feel good about it later.
ReplyDeleteThe part I loved most in this poem was -
Obscene language must go, for those who cursed
And if you lie, you might as well also quench your thirst
I generally mean "stupid" in the sense of "immature" when I use it in the context of my poems; indeed, I don't mind being recognized as someone proficient in writing "stupid poems". I've changed it to "silly" mainly because of the first reason you mentioned which is that it is about Ramadhan and addresses issues mentioned from Quran and Hadith. And in spite of the lack of rhythm or cohesion, it actually does highlight some useful points, as Shan said. But generally, I don't intend for my poems to be taken very seriously, nor my writing in general; I don't mind my poems being considered silly or immature, or my opinions being considered irrelevant for that matter. But I do appreciate that people read them; this particular poem was published in a newspaper distributed to thousands of people every month, and I would not have the confidence to have submitted it if I believed it was "stupid" in the traditional sense.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the lines you mentioned, the actual hadith from which this comes is as follows:
Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA), Rasulullah SAW said, "If one does not leave lies and false conduct, Allah has no need that he should abstain from his food and his drink." (Bukhari)
Wa salam,
Faraz
Salaam alaikum Faraz,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry I didn't get in touch with you in time for the Ramadan issue of your newspaper but if there is anything I can do, please e-mail me at [e-mail address removed by Faraz, spam is bad!]