Jaihoon’s poem on a dream visit to the house of Ayesha Siddiqa (ra) and her advice to the Modern World

– Jaihoon

Heretic by day
Heretic by night

Heretic in my say
Heretic in my sight

Lost all faith
Soul without light

Eyes open
Heart closed

Spirit’s wealth lost
Body’s pleasures boast

In such a state
Of days late

I saw a dream
When asleep at night

My wretched soul
Knocked on Siddiqa’s door

The world gained one third
From this Lady Learned

Mustafa left the world
In her lap his head laid

I hung my head in shame
A pauper I felt, lame

The Faithful’s Mother
Offered date and water

All who came for a visit
Left with a bite or new insight

Of my whereabouts she enquired
The gloom which on face shrouded

‘I am the son of troubled times
Songs of my age have no rhymes

If a faithful I in the morn
At night kufr in me is grown

Like pinch of salt I melt
Stones of solitude on me pelt

Distinction of right and wrong
Hard as separating wool from thorn

An arrow gone from the bow
We are astray from His Law

We recite His Book day and night
It goes not beyond our throat

Our reins in the wrong hands
Our caravan treads the dry sands

Men drunk in wine taste
Women no more chaste

Time become too short
For virtues to complete

Barefooted Shepherds-
Build high towers:
Blinded by envy
Fooled by glory

O Mother of Believers!
Ah! Blood spread in the rivers!

How shall I seek light?
Blinded I am with dark so bright

Tell me what to bring near
So that from dark I am afar

A luminous stick I need
To show the way as I ride”

Siddiqa replied:

“O the Son of Last days
Trials are many you face

Each day afar from Beloved
Is worse than the preceded

My own days were witness
Without Beloved is all mess

You need to be as close
Meem to be your garden’s only rose

His body and soul is light
Dark is scared of his sight

Days when he lived
Nights when he neared

In the dark when I wanted light
The thread in the needle to go right

Take your heart near
Let it shine with his noor

As the world expands in space
His light covers all such distance

A moment of his imitation
Better than life of misguided intuition

Paradise doors appear in that light
Hell is the prize who ignore that light

Above that light is light of God
Greater than him is alone God

It warms your heart from sinful shiver
It fills pearls not blood in your river

Therefore mark my words
Set yourself free as birds

You need to be as close
Mim to be your garden’s only rose

16 Dec 2008. Inspired during a tafsir session of Sura Al Noor