When the people of Makkah scoffed at the Messenger and the Message, and they ridiculed the very thought of life after death, the resurrection and accounting (hisaab), Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’aala said
“And they said: ‘When we are dead and lost in the earth, shall we indeed be resurrected anew?’ No, but they deny the Meeting with their Lord!
Say: “The angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls, then you shall be brought to your Lord.”
And if you only could see when the Mujrimun (sinners) shall hang their heads before their Lord saying: “Our Lord! We have now seen and heard, so send us back to the world, we will do righteous good deeds. Verily! We now believe with certainty.”
[Al-Sajdah: 10-12]
Subhaan’Allaah… what a scene and what khasaara (loss).
I had recently mentioned the poet Abu al-‘Ataahiyah in one of his shi’r al-‘afawi (spotaneous poetry). He was a famous poet during the Abbaasid era who was often seen wherever the kings and khaleefs would be. After he turned 40 years in age however, he lessened his poetry and turned more towards the Deen, restricting his poetry to ones of zuhd, and remembering death and the hereafter. Below is an interesting incident which captures those merging moments of his life: [1]
Abu al-‘Ataahiyah himself narrates:
“I entered upon Haroon, Amir al-Mu’mineen and when he saw me he said, ‘Abu al-‘Itaahiyah?’ I said, ‘Abu al-‘Itaahiyah.’ He said, ‘the one who recites poetry?’ I said, ‘The one who recites poetry.’ He said, ‘Give me a reminder and preach to me with some lines of poetry or prose.’ So I said to him,
لا تأمن الموت في طرف و في نَفَسٍ *** و لو تمنعت بالحجّاب والحرس
“Do not feel safe from death neither in a blink nor in a single breath
Even if you were concealed and well-protected by guards
واعلم بأن سِـهَـام الـمَــوتِ قاصِدَة *** لِــكـل مدّرع مـنا و مـتّرس
And know that the arrows of death are aimed
At every shielded and armoured one from amongst us
ترجو النجاة و لم تسلك مسالكها؟ *** إن السفينة لا تجري على اليبس
You hope for salvation, yet you haven’t taken to its path
Indeed, the ship does not sail on dry land.
Upon hearing this, it is said that Haroon al-Rashid fainted and passed out.
I recently noticed that this poet, Abu ‘Ataahiyah is also behind the poem Dar al-Ghuroor – which have been put together in a nasheed by Ahmad al-Bukhatir.
Listen or download here
ألا كل ماهو آت قريب و للأرض من كل حي نصيب *** و للناس حب لطول البقاء فيها و للموت فيهم دبيب
Is not everything that’s on its way, close by?
And the earth has an entitlement to every living thing
Man loves to dwell long in it, but death is creeping towards him
و للدهر شد على أهله فبين مشت و نبل مصيب *** و كم من أناس رأيناهم تفانوا فلم يبقى منهم غريب
And Time has a firm grasp over its people
So they are between scattered and aimed arrows
How many of a people have we seen pass away so no stranger was left from them
و صاروا الى حفرة تحتوي و يسلم فيها الحبيب الحبيب *** أرى المرء تعجبه نفسه فأعجب و الأمر عندي عجيب
They left for an encompassing grave
Where the beloved surrenders to The Beloved
I see a man amazed at himself
but I am amazed and the matter amazes me
و ما هو إلا على نقصه فيوما يشب و يوما يشيب *** ألا يعجب المرء من نفسه إذا ما نعاها إليه المشيب
And he is not, except full of shortcomings,
one day he is young and the next he is ageing
Does man not wonder at himself when he starts to age?
إذا عبت أمرا فلا تأته و ذو اللب يجنب ما يستعيب *** و دع ما يريبك لا تأته و جزه إلى كل ما لا يريب
If you find fault in something, then do not approach it
For the intelligent one abandons what is full of error and fault
Abandon what is doubtful and do not approach it
Abandon it for all that which is not doubtful
أغرك منها نهار يضيء و ليل يجن و شمس تغيب *** فلا تحسب الدار دار الغرور ألم تدري أنك فيها غريب
Are you deceived by a bright day, a dark night and a setting sun?
Then do not think that this world is a world only of deception
Do you not see that you are indeed a stranger in it…
__________
[1] Rawdha al-‘Uqalaa’ by Abu Hatim (Ibn Hibbaan)
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