Poem by Ejaz Rahim, July 2007
On being advised to pray
At the spot
Where Hazrat Abu Zar Ghaffari
Used to meditate
Inside the Prophet’s mosque
I sould-searched my life
To judge if I deserved
Such an honour to desire.
Beyond some feeling for the underdog
And indulging in profitless bombast
In the name of the poor
I found little to commend myself
For undertaking this meritorious act
In memory of a savant who believed
History will only advance
If the right to dignity of every human being on earth
Is secured. Without it,
History will be
A tale of infamy
Replete with thunder
That will dissipate momentarily.
The revolution of the Quran
Is to enrich the whole world
By giving everyone
An equal chance
To grow full stature.
Tyranny left unchallenged
Will turn satanic
And perpetuate
The plight of the weak.
History teaches
How Abu Zars have shaken
The ribs of the unconscionable
And kept alive
The dream of dignity
In the eyes of the forgotten.
Heeding the venerable Khwaja’s advice
I mounted the raised platform
Facing the Prophet’s pulpit
With an astounding ease
Where the grand master
Used to pray
Envisioning the day
In which impoverishment
And inhumanity
Will cease to be.
