Between the two books

 

Ayaat*, signs, envelope me

Stars and planets, earth and sky

Every drop of water in every great river

Flowing to meet the sea

Every cell in every body

Pulsating to some internal decree

DNA is a wonder

Mathematical modeling encoding life

Music, numbers in motion

All bound by the time-space continuum

All knowledge spiraling upward, upward

Like some unrelenting stream

Taking the disciple to an eternal ocean

Of oneness, one to one

You to your Creator

Me to the same

You and me and all that exists and ever did exist

All to Allah

Transcending time.

So these signs in the book

Rain from the sky

Verdant tree, bury your head in the ground

To stand tall. Sujood*

Roots connected to the earth

Your Lord will teach you.

Between two books of signs

The one you hold in your hand, you recite, you read, you revere

The other all around you, birds and trees, mountains and seas

All within you, your every cell and sinew, proclaim

God is one, God is one, God is one

You are a living proof, you cannot escape

One day I will join you, our streams joining to one ocean

Before the Creator, realization

Signs brought to final fruition

 

***

Copyright Joymanifest 2013

 

*ayaath = plural of ‘ayah’, meaning a sign. see below

*sujood = arabic word meaning ‘prostration’. The pose within the prayer, when we put our forehead to the ground. We say the slave is closest to the Lord during this pose in the prayer. We also believe that all of creation, whether animate or inanimate is in a constant state of worship to God. Not to be fluffy, rather theologians say this as all of creation is obeying natural laws; of physics, chemistry etc. and to obey these laws is to be in a state of worship. Some scholars say that trees manifest their constant worship simply by the way they exist..likening their root system to the human brain synapses…the roots buried in the ground are the trees in ‘sujood’ :). So then when your head is in the ground, is when you find most peace. Muslim theologians go on to say that as mankind has free-will, man is given the choice of whether to worship or not..whether to be in tune with the signs or not…and when he is in tune, he finds complete peace (as he is fulfilling his purpose) and if not, finds discord in his soul.

 

This poem is inspired in part by the arabic word for the verses in the Quran, each verse is called an ‘ayah’ which literally means a ‘sign’, and the commonly used English translation ‘verse’ is really a misnomer. However it was likely used as it is easier for people to understand ‘verses’ in a book rather than ‘signs’ making up a book :). Peace to you all, Assalamu alaikum