Sorrows Sufferings [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

(3) PREACHINGS AND INITIAL STRUGGLE

He preached Islam, as ordained by
God

Pure and simple is the MESSAGE of
Lord

"There is no God but God,

Muhammad is the Messenger of
Lord!"

A most practical religion of selfless
love is Islam

To develop body and soul, without
causing anyone harm

Most rational and logical in
concept

Viewed from every angle, even in
depth.

Five fundamental principles he,
steadfastly proclaimed

Ten holy commandments he, unambiguously,
named

Monotheism, Divine Justice, Prophethood,
Imamat

And the day of Resurrection, were
the five pillars of Islam's Hut

Five times Namaz, one must pray

A month's fasting, during the
day

Zakat, Khums, Pilgrimage, for them,
he ordained,

Who fulfilled the conditions, he
proclaimed.

Defend the honor of Islam and self,
he commanded

Disassociate yourself from its enemies,
he demanded

Pursuit of missionary activities,
out of love and not hate

Love and loyalty, he sought, for
his "Ahle-bait".

He taught them the 'Unity of
God'

And the diverse attributes of the
Lord

He was the giver of daily bread

On the Judgement Day, He would raise
all dead.

God is the focal point of all
life

Through Him flows peace, driving
out strife

If man joyfully submits himself to
Him,

This life, and hereafter, he would
win.

God created human beings, out of
His Grace

Best of creation was the human
race

He endowed it with such guiding
light,

To discern the wrong from the
right.

A heavenly reward for the doer of
good

And for those, who for truth
stood

A blazing hell for the doer of
evil

Who shall dwell with the king of
the devils.

He cultivated the values of life

Equal partners were man and wife

A man was brother, one to
another

Respect they should, their father
and mother.

Those who look after the needy
orphans,

The anger of God would be
softened

Those who care for the uncared
widows,

Can aspire for heaven's meadows.

And those who treat their slaves
well,

Shall not normally taste the fire
of hell

Those who free them from
bondage,

Shall generally be immune from hell's
rage.

Truth was the base of all his
teachings

Unity of God, a constant theme of
his preaching

Charity, love and faith were to him
most sublime

Brotherhood, was his solution for
the ills of mankind

His offer was not of sensual
heaven,

As alleged by biased heathens

But a bliss of highest spiritual
essence

Of enjoying the radiance of Divine
presence.

Live in this world and yet be out
of it

Self discipline; not celibacy is
the holy writ

Physical body is, indeed, perishable
but not the soul

Service before self should be life's
goal.

He first invited his near if kin

And declared to them his mission

He asked whether he had ever told
a lie

"No never"! In one voice, was their
reply.

He invited them to the path of
'truth'

A path which in heaven had its
roots

Blessed would they be, in this world
and the next

Most fortunate possessors of the
Divine text.

"Who, among you, will be my brother
and heir

And with me God's mission
share."

They exchanged glances; they ridiculed
and scorned

Only Ali stood by him, alone and
forlorn.

Thrice did he repeat his request

Each time only Ali rose to his
behest

Holding him by his hand, he
declared,

"Behold, he is my brother and
heir!"

In public he now started to
preach

But soon a stage was reached

When like a fugitive he was
stoned

And place to place, forced to
roam.

For years was thus his plight

Only Ali aided him in his fight

Far and few were the conversions

So fierce was the persecution.

In burning sand, with stones on his
chest,

A new convert stood his gallant
test;

"Ahadun! Ahadun!" (One God) Bilal
cried,

But refused his faith to be
decried.

Such were the tortures they had to
face,

For believing in God and the new
faith

Handful were they, old men, mostly
slaves

With courage, all difficulties they
braved.

A day soon came, when it was
declared

That those who could, to Abysinia,
should migrate

Few persons made up the small
group

Ja'far, Ali's brother, commanded
this troop.

The Quraish were furious; they sent
their envoys

They requested the king to return
the exiles

The king was just; he rejected their
plea

He sheltered the poor Muslim
refugees.

The wrath of Quraish reached the
boiling point

To murder Muhammad, they planned
conjoint

They chose a person, one from each
tribe

So that no vengeance could take the
Hashemites.

The plans to Muhammad, God soon
revealed

And desired, that he should ward
the evil

And leave for Medina, the same very
night

Letting Ali sleep in his bed and
aid his flight.

Soon was the house surrounded by
those,

Armed cap-a-pie were each of the
foes

With handful of dust, Muhammad blew
his fist

And calmly walked through their
midst.

They raided his house, ere it was
morn

Surprised to see Ali, the bed
adorn;

"Where is Muhammad?" they demanded,
"where is he?"

"Did you entrust him to me, that
you ask of me?"

Foiled in their attempt, they started
a search

"Dead or alive, capture him", they
urged

Thus started a hunt, for three days
long

They searched all over, including
caves.

The Prophet's companion became
scared

As enemies' shouts increasingly filled
the air

"We are lost, we two", helplessly,
he cried

"No! We are three, for God is with
us". Muhammad replied.

Tired and forlorn, he slept under
a tree

When rushed a foe: " who will now
save thee?"

"God", was the reply; it thunder
struck the foe,

Trembling, he dropped his sword and
bowed.

"Who will now save thee?" Muhammad
cried

"Alas, none!" the foe imploringly
replied

"Learn from me to be merciful" he
said

As was his want, he pardoned him
instead.

He reached Medina, a poor
fugitive

Except a new way of life, he had
nothing to give

Yet, he was welcomed with open
arms

This was a turning point for
Islam

He paired them, one with the
other

And showed the brotherhood, how to
further

Himself with Ali, he lovingly
paired

Because the same heavenly light,
they shared.