October 25, 2004
The Days & Nights of Ramadan
by Saleem Safdar
Today rejoice! Today pray!
Ramadan has come to allay
The weary, the tears, & fears of the past
Year with the sanctity of the fast
Performed for the sake of the Almighty Lord
In the month He revealed His Sacred Word
To the Holy Prophet in the cave
For the sake of those He wished to save
With nothing but remembrance to quelch the thirst
Of The Inner, The Outer, The Last & The First
For whom we fast from dawn to dusk
To whom our breath is sweeter than musk
The month of joy and of delight
The breaking of fast and the praying at night
The kind words and the charity
Brings Muslims together in unity
The first ten days bringing Allah's mercy
To fall like rain on His nation thirsty,
Parched within and scorched without
Only Allah's grace can end the drought
The second ten days for Allah's forgiveness
To cleanse the filth of sin within us
Like morning dew evaporates into air
Of Allah's forgiveness do not despair
The last part brings emancipation from hell
As you flee from the world and the devil's spell
In Itikaf as one remains secluded
Alone with Allah all else is excluded
And like the exact time of The Hour
We know not when is the Night of Power
We pray to heaven it be twenty-seven
And look for it in the odd nights of the last ten
Our Holy Prophet was made to forget
Perhaps so his Ummah would not fall in the net
Of apathy on the Night, that if truth be told
Is better than a thousand months of heavenly mould
This is the time to plant the seed
Of Love in your heart for those in need
Who have not the strength or endurance to cope
If not for their holding fast to Allah's rope
Ramadhan grants a time to repent
For the rest of a year ill spent
Offending Allah and tending to Shaytan
A chance to mend the heart with new Iman
Allah, The Owner of Destiny
Knows the past, present, and what will be
And though man was created free
We submit to His command willingly
And for our brethren in the Holy Land
Who fight with stones for their stolen homes
Fear not for the time is at hand
When united under one banner we will make our stand
Though divided in body in spirit we are one
As together your blood and our tears run
As together we pray to The Lord of All Creation
For protection of Aqsa and the Muslim nation
Inshallah next Ramadhan we will celebrate
Eid together at Masjid Al-Aqsa's gate
Side by side at the dawn of a new day
When our sisters no longer fear and our children can play
This Ramadhan let us all
Fix our actions however small
Fix our vision on The Truth
And leave our deeds as the proof
This Ramadhan let us be
As the sustenance of a life-giving tree
Feeding neighbors, friends, and family
With examples of how to be
A Muslim testament to humanity
by Saleem Safdar
Today rejoice! Today pray!
Ramadan has come to allay
The weary, the tears, & fears of the past
Year with the sanctity of the fast
Performed for the sake of the Almighty Lord
In the month He revealed His Sacred Word
To the Holy Prophet in the cave
For the sake of those He wished to save
With nothing but remembrance to quelch the thirst
Of The Inner, The Outer, The Last & The First
For whom we fast from dawn to dusk
To whom our breath is sweeter than musk
The month of joy and of delight
The breaking of fast and the praying at night
The kind words and the charity
Brings Muslims together in unity
The first ten days bringing Allah's mercy
To fall like rain on His nation thirsty,
Parched within and scorched without
Only Allah's grace can end the drought
The second ten days for Allah's forgiveness
To cleanse the filth of sin within us
Like morning dew evaporates into air
Of Allah's forgiveness do not despair
The last part brings emancipation from hell
As you flee from the world and the devil's spell
In Itikaf as one remains secluded
Alone with Allah all else is excluded
And like the exact time of The Hour
We know not when is the Night of Power
We pray to heaven it be twenty-seven
And look for it in the odd nights of the last ten
Our Holy Prophet was made to forget
Perhaps so his Ummah would not fall in the net
Of apathy on the Night, that if truth be told
Is better than a thousand months of heavenly mould
This is the time to plant the seed
Of Love in your heart for those in need
Who have not the strength or endurance to cope
If not for their holding fast to Allah's rope
Ramadhan grants a time to repent
For the rest of a year ill spent
Offending Allah and tending to Shaytan
A chance to mend the heart with new Iman
Allah, The Owner of Destiny
Knows the past, present, and what will be
And though man was created free
We submit to His command willingly
And for our brethren in the Holy Land
Who fight with stones for their stolen homes
Fear not for the time is at hand
When united under one banner we will make our stand
Though divided in body in spirit we are one
As together your blood and our tears run
As together we pray to The Lord of All Creation
For protection of Aqsa and the Muslim nation
Inshallah next Ramadhan we will celebrate
Eid together at Masjid Al-Aqsa's gate
Side by side at the dawn of a new day
When our sisters no longer fear and our children can play
This Ramadhan let us all
Fix our actions however small
Fix our vision on The Truth
And leave our deeds as the proof
This Ramadhan let us be
As the sustenance of a life-giving tree
Feeding neighbors, friends, and family
With examples of how to be
A Muslim testament to humanity