Durr-e-Sameen

Sighting the Moon
a poem by Akram Ahmad 

The ivory disc poised up front in the starry sky;
Its beauty, left unappreciated—by most—makes me sigh

Our moon is surely one of a celestial kind;
Yet, to its elegance, most are blind

Gently blazing the ebony darkness of the sky;
It offers illumination to the seeking passersby

Likewise, how many at the time were there;
Who accepted the call when truth was laid bare

Recall too: at its quintessence is the moon (every month) on the fourteenth;
So came a Reformer most noble, in century (of the Hijrah) the fourteenth

Cleansing the Faith of untruths that had crept in insidiously, slowly;
This Reformer wept for the Ummah's stature become decrepit, lowly

Staunchly defended the Faith on many a front, from many an attack;
Yet upon him the many turned their back

Did meagerness of vision make those ingrates do so;
Or stone-hard hearts that would not ply, would not flow

They failed to recognize this (Divinely appointed) Reformer, who restored;
Faith to its eminence, while the Ummah slumbered, while it snored

He—this Reformer—to whom our beloved Holy Prophet gave his com­mendations;
That he who meets him, should convey the Prophet's salutations

Perhaps then, truth is not appreciated in its time;
In many an era, in many a clime.

Meanwhile, the ivory disc, poised as ever in the now-starless sky;
Its radiance, still unsighted—by most—made me sigh.

In this Reflection, we will take a trip down memory lane, plus writing when inspiration strikes.

Whereas in the previous Reflection, we had taken an informal look into the need for avoiding translating in a literal way, this time we…

Art is never finished; it is only abandoned 

Leonardo Da Vinci

Screenshot of post plus link…