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