'Why shed these
tears of sorrow?
Why shed these tears of grief?
Ya nafsy how soon you forget,
After trials come sweet relief
Why turn you
from Ar-Rahman?
Why yearn for a listening friend?
Ya nafsy, do you not remember,
On ALLAH, you must depend?
Read you not
those stories,
Of the trials in days gone by,
Of the Sahabah beloved byAllah,
Who for Allah's cause did strive?
Why loosen your
hold upon Him?
Why fling away, His outstretched Hand?
Ya nafsy, do you not remember,
Bilal's sabr on the blazing sand?
"Ahad! Ahad!" He cried,
While his flesh did drip and burn.
"Ahad! Ahad!" He cried, To Allah alone he turned.
Forget you the
firmness of Hamza,
As the gleaming swords did fall?
With Sabr he turned to Allah,
As the Quraysh did slice and maul.
Why drown in
salty teardrops?
How can you dare compare your pain?
To that of Yasir and Summayah,
As the lay tortured on the scorching plain?
Forget you the
charring of Khabbab,
As on burning coals he lay?
Ya nafsy how meager your suffering,
Wherefore do you lose your way?
Why befriend
you not Al-Wali?
Why not in Salat to Him complain?
Like Job who only to Allah,
Turned in all his grief and pain?
Forget you
those trials in this life,
Cleanse your heart and make it clean?
Ya nafsy, why all this sadness?
Do you not wish your heart to gleam?
Be patient in
all your hardships,
Allah hears your cries of woe.
So trust Him and His hikma (Wisdom),
For He knows best and you don't know.
So tighten your
hold upon him,
Lest He withdraw His outstretched Hand!
And remember the example of Bilal,
As he lay anchored on the blazing sand.
"Ahad!
Ahad!" he cried,
While his flesh did drip and burn.
"Ahad! Ahad!" he cried,
To Allah alone he turned.'
Sister SN, UK,