Sunday, September 28, 2008

Reflections Of The Night

The worry was there on the guys with the clipboard.
The target was high - it was half a million dollars.
The times were tough - it was a recession.
Yet, the speaker wasn't worried.
He knew the mosque wouldn't be let down.
At the end of the evening, the money raised was over a million.
Yes, it is our way.
THEY WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND.

It's just a month.
Is it over yet, they ask.
It's the night of the 27th.
It's not over, but it feels like it.
It's sad, yet it's a night of bliss.
Yes, it is our way.
THEY WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND.

People's feet are swollen.
They stand all night.
The comfort of the bed beckons,
Yet the voice of the Qari is the one they respond to.
The Quran is over. The Quran is begun anew,
Grown men cry. Why? Silent tears are shed by the women.
Even the mischievous children are quiet.
Something momentous has taken place.
Yes, it is our way.
THEY WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND.

The community is all here.
Men, women, children of all ages.
It feels like Eid. Sweets are distributed.
It's midnight. Soon, the lot is empty.

Then it starts filling up again.
Into the starry sky, the crescent is playing hide and seek.
The 15-year-old is reciting the verses.
"Then which of your Lord's favors will you deny?"
It's almost morning.
The faithful are fed.
The CEO a neighbor of the sweeper, eating on the floor.
That night, the building is full of people.
Yes, it is our way.
THEY WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND.
.
.
.
. [Eid]
.
.
.
A week has passed.
It's the time of the night prayers.
Faithful are called for prayers.
Only a handful have shown up.
Yes, it is also our way.
Perhaps, WE, do not understand.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent post, Mezba

Can't add much more; you've said it all, really. MashaAllah.

Suroor said...

Beautiful, M!

Eid Mubarak to you and your family!

Anonymous said...

thanks mez....
a powerful post.... very much a candidate for an other award...

you deliver it once again!

/Behbood

Thaakirah said...

aah, beautiful p0em,mashalah('',)
eid mubarak

'liya said...

Excellent!

I like how you gave the message in the last stanza. It really does speak volumes to see the mosque empty throughout the rest of the year.

shaz said...

wow mezba. profound even! :)

Eid Mubarak to you and yours

Anonymous said...

Poignant and extremely well - written, well done and Eid Mubarak !

Anonymous said...

I wish you a very happy and peaceful Eid. May Allah accept our good deeds, forgive our transgressions and help us become better muslims & better human beings.

Eid Mubarak :-)

Anisa said...

you have brought tears to my eyes.

this morning, despite the fact that the imam talked so loud that the speakers crackled (and i could therefore not hear him) and despite everything else going on with muslims today...when i heard hundreds of men chant "ameen" in unison, tears came to my eyes.

"they" won't understand, but i knew you would. superb post.

mezba said...

Thank you, I am glad you all liked it. It was heartfelt - and now as we celebrate Eid, I must say I will now iA wait for the next one.

Eid Mubarak everybody.

tee dimensionist said...

Eid Mubarak to you! InshAllah your year will be filled with faith, health and happiness!

All the best!

mezba said...

thank you and Eid Mubarak to you as well!

Muhamad Lodhi said...

happy eid mezba.

i have question about the youtube clip...where it refers to ancestors, I guessing it's talking about the ancestors of Arabs? As far as I know, Bengalis have different ancestors to Arabs.

mezba said...

Muhammad Lodhi: I think if you trace everyone back far enough, you will find they all have common ancestors. Originally most humans were around the Middle East region (particularly Iraq).

Where the Quran talks about history (Ad, Thamud, for example), most of them refers to history or people or stories known to the Arab people.