mandi

You moon-faced lovers

Dedicated as you are

Sovereign in your spirit

Yet bound in your spirituality

You moon-faced lovers

Birds of the night

Gales of His majesty

Your wings spread your faith

You moon-faced lovers

Martyrs in your own right

Mothers of sacrifice

Pregnant with selfless desires

You moon-faced lovers

Roses you are, thorns adorning your stems

Merely displaying the pedals of God

Arranged in a garden of elevated spirits

You moon-faced lovers

There is one place for you

In the moon light

Lit by a reflection, a grand one

Muhammad is often seen as the moon, whose light is merely a reflection of the sun’s. In this case, that “sun” would be God, the merciful. In the beginning the first creation that God created was Nur Muhammad, “the light of Muhammad”.  This light had not source other than God, Himself. Muslims recognize that Muhammad had no powers of his own but was merely a vehicle and a vessel through which God could work, and for that reason, God loved him.

The month of Ramadan is a month that Muslims hold very dear for several reasons. For one, it is the month during which the first revelation of the Qur’an was sent to Muhammad. Also during this month the martyrdom of Hussein took place. Thus, throughout the Islamic world there are reenactments of what exactly transpired on that day. Many hold it in deep reverence.

The poem I wrote is meant to reflect on what occurred through a means other than theatre and reenactments. It focuses a lot on the aspects of the story that we read this week, concerning the nature that was constantly alluded to. The moon was a major image that was mentioned and so I made that a central focus in my poem.  The moon represents Muhammad and the vessel that he represents. We are all vessels through which we must emanate the love of God.  In the Qur’an He says, “Heaven and Earth cannot contain Me, but there is room for Me in the heart of the believer”. I titled it “The Scripture” because it is believed that all of God’s creations, including all aspects of nature, are part of his nature. Thus, though another vessel is lost in Hussein there are the others including his wife, daughter, and sister that can carry on that role. However, martyrdom is considered to be an elevated state of spirituality which I believe is portrayed through my poetry. What Hussein is doing is meant to serve as an amplified message of God’s glory.