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Five Simple Pillars, Five Simple Steps*

There go the seconds, the minutes, the hours to the end of the day,
Wandering here and there, trying to find your way.
What is it you look for? What do you desire?
A life of ignorance or protection from The Fire?

We’re not going to force you, hold you against the wall,
But we will be there, should you stumble and fall.
Together we’d be one, the greatest family,
Hand in hand, we’d embark on this, the supreme journey.

First the biggest step, the words La-ilaahaa-ilallah,
‘There is no God but The One, Allah’.
Second, Salah, the prayer, get your head down to the ground,
Communicate with The Almighty, without the slightest sound.

Then when it comes to that special time of year,
It’s time to put your body to the test, see what you can bear.
Number three, Ramadhaan, the month of fasts,
Enjoy the blessings for as long as it lasts.

Now look around you, those starving near and far,
Share with them a bit of wealth, we call this Zakah.
It isn’t a lot, and your wealth, it will not diminish, +
But the reward is infinite, when this temporary life does finish.

Finally, we come to the pilgrimage, for those who are able,
We gather in white sheets, equal with no need for a label.
Be you black, red or white, a king or a pauper, 
The reward is by no means any lesser.

The heaps of bounty and the multitudes of rewards are there to be seen,
But we will not force you, as there is no compulsion in our Deen. ^

~ 2nd June 2007


*Narrated Ibn Umar: Allah's Apostle said: Islam is based on (the following) five (principles): 
1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's apostle. 
2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly. 
3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity). 
4. To perform Hajj (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca). 
5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan. 
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 1, p. 17).

+ Abdullah bin Abbas (R.A.) reported that the Prophet of Allah (sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) has said that
"Charity does not diminish wealth." [Tabrani]

^Surah Al-Baqara, Ayat 256: “ La Iqrah fid-Deen ” meaning that there is no compulsion in Deen.

Rummaging through the clutter
To dig out the friend of old
The light glints off it
When you pull it out
From its exile
So long buried away
Not needed
As reality was hidden
Concealed
Living a lie
Until it too comes to light
Hitting home
Forcing you back down
To that friend of old
Who glides across your skin
Parting the way to the red sea.

But that’s as far as it goes
Because aside from the bluntness
There’s the lack of courage to go
Any further.
But cowardice is the epitomy
Of all that you see
That leads me to
Dig out this friend of old.
Internalise it
Personalse it
Just out of sight.
And when it’s done,
Finally feel something
Sheath it back and
Say goodbye to the friend of old.
Until tomorrow.

I'm sure you have noticed the lack of, well, anything here as of late. Especially in terms of anything creative. So I decided to force myself to write a poem and this is what I came up with. It's not my usual style. More like a rap than anything. But it seems to convey my state of mind. I think.

It seems unfinished so may I will finish it one day; hopefully soon.

Once more

I explore

the cliché of

squeezing blood from a stone

or words from

a pen

ideas from the

abyss that is

my mind.

Within and without

I know

I have the ability

the talent

the words

but lack

the motivation

the inspiration

to create

the fascination

needed to feed

the writer’s desire to be

just to be.

So I spurt words in a manner

that you may not comprehend

but may pretend

to spare me the

humiliation

trepidation

caused by these words which are merely

my procrastination.