Salaam and Greetings of Peace:
“Truly, to Allah we belong, and truly to Him we shall return.” – Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 156.
Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali woke up early one morning as usual, said his prayers, and then inquired what day it was. His younger brother, Ahmad al-Ghazali, replied,”Monday.” At that, the Imam asked him to bring his white shroud, kissed it, stretched himself full length and said, “Lord, I obey willingly.” And he breathed his last.
Underneath his head rest they found the following verse; composed by him, probably, during the night.
Say to my friends, when they look upon me dead
Weeping for me and mourning me in sorrow
Do not believe that this corpse you see is myself
In the name of God, I tell you, it is not I,
I am a spirit, and this is naught but flesh
It was my abode and my garment for a time.
I am a treasure, by a talisman kept hid,
Fashioned of dust, which served me as a shrine,
I am a pearl, which has left its shell deserted,
I am a bird, and this body was my cage
Whence I have now flown forth and it is left as a token
Praise to God, who hath now set me free
And prepared for me my place in the highest of the heavens,
Until today I was dead, though alive in your midst.
Now I live in truth, with the grave-clothes discarded.
Today I hold converse with the saints above,
With no veil between, I see God face to face.
I look upon Loh-i-Mahfuz* and therein I read
Whatever was and is and all that is to be.
Let my house fall in ruins, lay my cage in the ground,
Cast away the talisman, it is a token no more
Lay aside my cloak, it was but my outer garment.
Place them all in the grave, let them be forgotten,
I have passed on my way and you are left behind
Your place of abode was no dwelling place for me.
Think not that death is death, nay, it is life,
A life that surpasses all we could dream of here,
While in this world, here we are granted sleep,
Death is but sleep, sleep that shall be prolonged
Be not frightened when death draweth near,
It is but the departure for this blessed home
Think of the mercy and love of your Lord,
Give thanks for His Grace and come without fear.
What I am now, even so shall you be
For I know that you are even as I am
The souls of all men come forth from God
The bodies of all are compounded alike
Good and evil, alike it was ours
I give you now a message of good cheer
May God’s peace and joy for evermore be yours.
Ya Haqq!
Note: *Loh-i Mahfuz, or Umm-al Kitab, is the Preserved Tablet, which has inscribed on it the original attributes of each creation, its function and relationship to other creations in the Universe.
- Originally from the Jannah.org website.
Posted by darvish 
Welcome Jack :) My Grandson is Born!!
March 20, 2009Salaam and Greetings of Peace:
Alhamdulillah! Praise God that last evening, March 19th, my first grandson was born, Jack Christopher Karchmar :)
Mother Christine and child are doing well, and for them, here again is a poem written for the birth announcement of baby Jack’s father, my son Matt, when he was born:
When a child is born, a Sun begins
In some dark and distant galaxy
And the ancient Weaver, warned thus,
Strikes Her loom
Pausing surely to gauge the thread for strength
And the needed courage to hold Life’s dream
Then spins rejoicing on the wheel
‘Ere the first heartbeat of creation.
- for Matthew, 1972 (and Jack, 2009)
May Allah bless the parents and the child with long life, good health, and love in a world or peace. May he be raised and grow up in righteousness, as a blessing to His parents and a joy to his family and friends. Ameen.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “A servant will have his rank raised after death and will say, ‘O my Lord how has this come about for me?’ and He says, ‘through your sons after you seeking forgiveness for you.’” [ibn Majah]
Ya Haqq!