- Jaihoon
As I turned the pages on the life of Sage of Delhi
His high station with the Lord influenced me greatly
The mother and son starved most of the nights
“Tonight we have nothing, so let’s remain His guests”
O Nizamudheen! Like you had I been
A like of you is nowhere to be seen!
O Nizamudheen! I too am in His quest
His love keeps burning in my breast
Tell this hypocrite a comforting word
For, I cannot ask this question aloud
The creed and its symbols are hijacked
Mercy and Love have they from it axed
They bring kaafir-made bricks to adorn the Masjid
And expel the Mulla to far off for uttering a bitter word
O Nizamudheen! Like you had I been
A like of you is nowhere to be seen!
Came the reply-
These comforts,
Which on your soul tie knots
These dishes-
You eat them as per the system’s wishes
These cushions,
Which in your home fashions
These skyscrapers
Which your heart’s growth hampers
This worry
To be rich in a hurry…
How is it possible you would ever find Him?
Tell me one reason you have to call upon Him?
How can you buy light in the market of darkness?
A rose is planted in the garden, not a land barren
Do you search for Abraham in the workshop of Azar?
Are you looking for Moses in the palace of Pharaoh?
The minutes you devote for so-called prayer,
Does no good more than split of hair.
Your ears are fondled by the musical melody,
And your heart surfs on the waves of fantasy.
You have no time for Him,
Not more than few minutes you give Him.
For hours you sleep,
For days and nights you work,
For months you strive for paying bills,
For years you save penny until death,
But for just moments you turn towards Him.
You are ready to waste your life in traffic,
But stingy when it comes to His worship.
You take a break for Him from your busy work
All my life I forgot to even a minute Him overlook
May God have mercy on you thirsty ones
May your sparks become mine-like flames.”
05 July 2005.
Notes
This poem is addressed to Nizamudhin Auliya, the mystic saint of Delhi, who won the heart of millions and continue to inspire a large number of people around the world. He kept away from the Kings who were eager to meet him at his residence. He slept and ate very little, and kept busy himself in the remembrance of the Lord. His father died at the age of five and was survived by his mother and himself. They lived in utter poverty.
The poet is asking the saint how would he be able to gain nearness to the Creator as the saint himself. In reply, Nizamudheen suggests that it is not possible to find Him when surrounded by all worldly comforts. Attempting to search for Him in middle of the material luxuries is as foolish as looking for a Rose in middle of the desert.
creed and its symbols are hijacked : A selected few people have self-declared their right over interpreting the creed. They go to extreme views in doing so.
kaafir-made bricks to adorn the Masjid : The irony today is that the Muslim nations import lifeless bricks from non-believing lands to build mosques which are meant for the worship of the One God, whereas export the live prayer-leader out of the country for opposing their non-religious practices.
heart’s growth hampers : The sky-reaching skyscrapers bring pride in the heart of man, making him feel superior to others around. He cannot share their pain and sorrows. This is in fact his decline.
workshop of Azar : The father of Abraham who made idols and sold them.
Assalamualikkum
I visited Hazrath Nizamuddin auliya with a great sufi shiekh in 2004. It gives me great spiritual pleasure.Nizamuddin auliya was a great scholar in CHISTY tariqah. Some of my friends( who have inner sight) said me that Nizamuddin auliya recieved SHADHILI tariqah from our Shiekh.
It’s a pity that we live in the land of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia (ra), and fail to follow his teachings. How on earth can we aspire to become like him, when we hardly think about him ! It appears as though only those who are “living” in the present age are worthy of emulation, while those saints who have passed away centuries ago need to be forgotten altogether!