not really a poem but…

Ammar AlShukry

Back in 99, the good times, I was sitting on a porch
Sunshine, feeling fine, till my uncle made his course,
Dropped a line, gave a sign, that we were causing him remorse
Such waste of time, in your prime, you kids only talk about sports
Such a crime, for a dime, we removed you from the source
He said, now it’s a shame, you kids have no support,
I said uncle wait, I don’t agree with your report,
Not even a little bit, a fraction or a sort
He looked at me, his face beginning to contort,
“Recite Alfatiha to me” was his simple retort

I stood up and said, Alfatiha, goes by many names
So before I begin, allow me to explain
It’s the healing so it’s called Al-Shafiyyah
It suffices those who read it hence, Al-Kafiyyah
And it’s the mother of the book, Umm Alquran
And from its verses all of the major themes are drawn
it’s also called the seven oft repeated verses,
My uncle interrupted, “Just get to the verses”

Jesus said that this sign shall follow the believers
Something that will distinguish the true from the deceivers
In the Lords name they shall cast out satan
And WE seek refuge in Allah from his cursed creation

In His name, he is Ar-Rahman, Ar-Raheem
The one filled with Mercy for all beings
Rabb means the master and sustainer
Nourisher, creator, developer, maintainer

And Allah is such for His divine construction
So praise is the most appropriate introduction
to the conversation that will now take place
Between the Master and His slave, face to face

And he’s the Master of the day of Judgment in particular
because on that day no challengers, no competitors
None shall speak, not even The Whisperer
The terrors of that day, shall be enough of an inhibitor

You Alone do we worship, You Alone we seek for aid
And worship is everything that Allah loves for His slaves
And everything you’ve received was simply due to Him,
Don’t ever think you did it due to something you had within
or some knowledge you had learned, some skill you may have earned
it was All from Allah, and to Him the praise returns

And the straight path is that which leads to His pleasure
and to His treasure, what no eye or heart has ever measured
So to guide us the straight path, meaning guide us to it
And guide us while we’re on it, so we never lose it

Like those whom he has blessed from before
The prophets the righteous …and more
the truthful and the martyrs who bore witness
To their belief by giving their lives in an instance

Not those who blessings were taken away
Those who earned His anger, those who went astray
Earned His anger by knowing the truth and rejecting it
Or those went astray, not knowing the truth at all, never detecting it

“That’s good”, my uncle spoke up and interjected
“And without Al-Fatiha your prayer wont be accepted”
Of course” I said, sitting back down as I reflected
“that’s why its so easily recited and perfected!”

And so the conversation was concluded
My uncle nodded and rose, none of my info was disputed
Almost as if his lost hope, I had taken and renewed it