The Ten Blessed Days: a Collation of Prose (MSA Scribes)
Contents:
- The Seeds of Sacrifice by Aisha Abdu
- 49 Pebbles by Atilla Olgun
- My Dhul Hijah Rhyme by Amira Rahman
- The Ultimate Race by Rafa Rahman
The Seeds of Sacrifice
“It is neither the flesh nor the blood of (animals) that reaches Allah, but it is your piety that reaches Him.” (Surah Al-Hajj, Verse 37)
When the Babylonians and Greeks gathered for the communion feast
When they offered fruit and gold as a symbol of spiritual devotion
Was it forgotten that the All-Sustainer has no need for sustenance
And that the Generous gains not from their generosity?
—
The true measure of sacrifice was contorted and lost,
But by God’s grace, regifted to man in the virtue of Ibrahim (AS)
Prepared to sacrifice his son at God’s command
Leave his wife and child alone in a barren land
Indeed, he was rewarded (37:105).
—
Yet men are trees and their limbs like branches; swayed by the winds of worldly whims
Their roots waver and leaves droop in the desolation of a heedless heart
For when the seeds of sacrifice are sown, they summon rain
Of which feeble faith cannot muster.
—
So in the blessed days of Dhul Hijjah,
May the remembrance of God be the rain that nourishes our roots
And establishes them in the earth like a steadfast heart in our chest,
Yielding fruit by the seasons and the Will of its Lord (14:25).
—
May God’s eternal words protect us from human vice,
Remind us of sincere sacrifice
And guide our paths to the gardens of Paradise.
By Aisha Abdu
***
49 Pebbles
I dropped a pebble into a pond,
And watched the circles ripple gently across the water’s surface.
Then all was quiet.
I threw a pebble into the water, and made a big splash.
And all the birds took flight and fish swam away,
And there I stood, looking at my own reflection, alone.
—
My Rabb once brought water from out of a desert,
And summoned His Friend nearby.
Who called out with a voice that reverberated across
The Earth’s surface.
All those who heard, responded in swarms from all corners of the earth.
Making a circle that rippled across the land.
And there I stood looking across,
In the company of something far greater.
By Atilla Olgun
***
My Dhul Hijah Rhyme
The middle of the ten holy days are already upon us
To maximise the rest of them is simply a must
As soon, we will be nothing but mere dust
—
All this craze around the blessings of Ramadan,
but when Dhul Hijah comes around,
Why is it that no one seems to make a sound?
—
Can’t we see that these ten days are the absolute best?
It is surely not a time for rest,
so let us challenge our limits and put them to the test!
—
Allah, my Lord who is always the Most Wise
Is calling upon us to once again rise
He grants us this opportunity to reboot
So let us silence all worldly bribes,
And place our head on the ground while leaving our phones on mute
—
Lockdown has given us bountiful time
I hope we make use of it after this rhyme
One good deed is even more than 70–7000 multiplied!
So let us do good & keep our desires tied,
and respect the holy sanctity,
as each moment passes us by
By Amira Rahman
***
The Ultimate Race
All eyes were fixated on the black stallion
Bold dark mane, standing with no companion
Everyone in awe of its inspiring elegance
Its sheer might a spectacle of reverence
—
Hunched behind him the young white horse
Patiently waiting to race around the course
Hidden behind the triumphant bold stallion
No one would think he could be a medallion
—
The black stallion revelled in the attention
How could any other horse be competition
When all bets were on black to finish number one
The race decided even before it had begun
—
They lined up together at the starting line
The stallion’s muscular build looked so sublime
In the rays of the sun, shadowing the young white
It seemed no competitor to the stallion’s might
—
Frenetically, the race had started
Dust flying and everyone excited
Sparks from the hooves electrifying
Panting intensely, almost death defying
—
Quickly the jubilation turned to shock
Their aspirations had hit a rock
When they saw the black stallion being overtaken
By the young white horse. Were they mistaken?
—
No, it absolutely could not be!
Yet it was, you had to see
How they had been so deluded
The white horse was first to have concluded
—
Like that, Dhul Hijjah is oft forgotten
These ten days have been down trodden
In the shadows of our blessed Ramadan
Where everyone is longing for Ar-Rahman
—
Why do we neglect these blessed ten days
In which any deed you do is always,
Better than any other time of the year
Did you forget the hadith or did you not hear?
—
No deed is more beloved to our Master
Than those done in the first ten of Dhul Hijjah
In Ramadan we strive and we strive
Why not in these ten while we are alive
—
Ramadan, blessed it is, has stolen the spotlight
Everyone overlooking the one with more might
They cast all their bets in the month of fasting
While their time in these ten they are wasting
—
Even better than jihad, why don’t they take heed?
Race with all your might to any deed
Even if you are on your last breath
Strive and strive until your death
—
Don’t let these days slip from your hands
Make most of your Lord’s commands
Don’t be like those who bet on the wrong horse
The white horse’s victory only brought remorse
—
Worship the Lord of the night and the day
Without Him, there is no other way
The Lord of Ramadan and Dhul Hijjah
If you die upon this, surely you are the victor
—
Upon the teachings of our final Prophet,
And his father Ibrahim, friend of the Most-Beloved
Follow in his footsteps and sacrifice,
And give to the needy food and rice
—
This is the way of our balanced deen
Both Ramadan and Dhul Hijjah held in high esteem
The purpose of both is to turn back to Allah
And earn the reward of a pleasant Hereafter.
By Rafa Rahman
