Let Me Be True

When it all comes down,
let me be true.
When seas thicken to brown,
and the world grows dim,
and love scatters
like ash on the wind,
and every man lies
to protect his skin:
let me be true to You Allah,
let me be true.
To the Messenger,
let me be near:
when in a dream I sat by him
against the beam of a wrecked ship,
he in a green turban, and a battleclashing…
we drank water, and breathed,
then he turned to me, and said,
"It's not what you speak that matters
but what you do."
To my heaven-blessed hero
let me be true.
To my love, let me be sincere.
I stand beneath a lamp
in a sphere of light
on a desert road. I don't peer
into the night. I listen,
beard dewed with rain,
for the footsteps of her soul.
Let me lead her to Jannah
and fulfill the shepherd's goal.
Let me soothe her sight,
carry her through storm,
and stand like a lion
as armies swarm on.
To my little daughter,
O Allah I implore you,
let me be forever true.
When she laughs and exclaims,
"You're so strong, Baba!"…
When I speak God's name
and she listens solemnly,
when she leaps and believes
that I'll save her…
To her nature and her dreams,
let me be true.
To myself – the greatest dare -
let me be real as earth.
Through the cinder heaps
and broken cities of the world
let me sweep, through black smoke,
eyes streaming, striding
like a bear. Let me hold on
to Book and pen, knife and drum,
true love as gun and guide.
Let me bow down on the roadside,
true to the Lord of the Dawn.
Let me rise, head up,
bloody and torn
but voicing truth
to the livid eyes of death,
and spreading peace
where only hate was found.
Dress me in taqwa.
Feed me dust and bone
and find me where sea meets stone
at the Western edge
when, finally, every secret is dredged,
and the world is used and done.
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Unbroken in the Sun

This won't break me
or even knock me down.
I remember El Reno,
thick brown stone
and layers of cages,
a thousand men
in various stages
of hidden rages
and nothing past the wire
but wind and grass;
and I lived through that
with ten knuckles and a laugh.
Do I look crazy?
That's okay.
Keep the games you play
and clear my way.
Break me? Come on now.
Drop a mountain
and I bust through stone.
I'm a pile of smile and bone
and when you see that light
in my eyes
you'd better step for your life.
Try, go on.
It'll be fun.
Come with your Black Hand
and sideshow man.
Come with your entourage,
your knives and guns,
lies and history redone.
Grind my love
beneath your heel – I'll reel it out
like blast wire,
and you'll catch fire.
Betray me and I bleed
but that's no test –
I fight bloody with the best.
So baby, I have to laugh.
Sorry if that lets you down
but I'm not wearing a frown
cause I've got Laa ilaha il-Allah
and as I look around
every glory
reflects the glory of the One,
and I stand unbroken
in the sun.
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1a] Ramadan: The Month of Deeds

1a]
beyond your normal deeds with more voluntary acts and increase them in
a gradual manner. Then whoever can perform i'tikaaf (confinement of
oneself to the mosque) they spend all of their time in good deeds
until the end of Ramadan, while those who cannot, exert themselves to
spend their days performing good deeds and their nights in prayer.
After celebrating Eid al Fitr, the six fasts of Shawwal should be
performed and good deeds should remain part of our routines until the
following Ramadan.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and his Companions (may
Allahbe pleased with them) would perform various good deeds in
Ramadan. Some of the deeds that have been mentioned in association
with fasting and Ramadan will now be mentioned, all of which are
highly recommended acts of worship to be performed.
Allah the Most High combined fasting with eight other deeds when
Hedescribed the successful believers "(The believers whose lives Allah
has purchased are) those who repent to Allah (from polytheism and
hypocrisy, etc.), who worship Him, who praise Him, who fast (or go out
in Allah\\\'s Cause), who bow down (in prayer), who prostrate
themselves (in prayer), who enjoin (people) for Al-Ma\\\'rûf (i.e.
Islaamic Monotheism and all what Islaam has ordained) and forbid
(people) from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds
andall that Islaam has forbidden), and who observe the limits set by
Allah (do all that Allah has ordained and abstain fromall kinds of
sins and evil deeds which Allah has forbidden). And give glad tidings
to the believers. [6] Ramadan is also the month of Quran as Allah the
Most High said
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, guidance for
mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between
right and wrong)" [7]
Abdullah ibn 'Amr (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah said
"Fasting and the Quran will intercede for a slave on the day of
judgement, the fasts will say, 'my Lord I prevented him (or her) from
food and desires so let me intercede', and the Quran will say, 'I
prevented him (or her) from sleeping at night so let me intercede',
then they will intercede" [8] .
It was said that the salaf would spend the days of Ramadan reading the
Quran [9] , and the importance of studying the Quran cannot be
emphasised enough. A single ayah recited with contemplation (tadabbur)
may be better then reciting many ayaat (verses) of the Quran without
contemplation. Scholars differed regardingwhether it is better to
recite more or recite less with contemplation. Although as isolated
deedsthey both may be equal, the latter will benefit you for the rest
of your life andthus the effects of understanding the Quran will
elevate you further in the Hereafter. Abu Jumrah once said to Abdullah
ibn
Masud 'I am fast in my recitation and perhaps I would recite the Quran
once or even twice in a single night', Abdullah (ra) replied 'For me
to recite one surah is more pleasingto me than if I did that which you
do, if you do so then make sure that you recite so that your ears hear
what you recite and your heart pays attention.' [10]
Ibn 'Abbas (ra) narrated
"Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) was the most generous of people
and he was the most generous in the month of Ramadan, when Jibreel
would meet him. Jibreel used to meet him every night of Ramadan to
teachhim the Quran." [11]
This hadith emphasises theneed to be generous in giving all kinds of
charity in Ramadan, in addition to studying the Quran. It is also
important to feed others, especially those with less. The Prophet
(peace be upon him) said
"whoever gives a fasting person (food or drink to break their fast),
they will have similar to the reward of the one who fasted, without
any decrease for the one who fasted." [12]
It is upon us all to fear Allah, and direct our best efforts in and
out of the month of Ramadan towards obeying Him. Allah the Most High
commanded us
"So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can; listen
and obey; and spend in charity that is better for yourselves. And
whosoever is saved fromhis own covetousness, then they are the
successful ones." [13]
No one is burdened with more than they can take, however it is through
the performance of good deeds and the attainment of taqwa that we will
earnthe reward prepared for the muttaqeen.
Notes:
Source: www.islam21c.com [1] Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183
[2] Mu'jam al-lughatul-fuqahaa, Dar An-Nafaes
[3] Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah, Zaad al-Ma'aad, Maktabah Al-Risalah,
Volume 2, pp27-29
[4] Sunan al-Tirmidhî 618 and Ibn Maajah 1632; authenticated by Sheikh Albaani
[5] Sahîh Ibn Khuzaymah 1887
[6] Surah At-Taubah 9:112/

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