Cycle of Pillars

          -What did Marcus call you just now?

             Some African name, wasn’t it?

          -Barack.

          -I thought your name was Barry.

          -Barack’s my given name.

            My father’s name. He was Kenyan.

          -Does it mean something?

          -It means ‘Blessed.’ In Arabic.

            My grandfather was a Muslim.

          (Obama 2004 : 104)

SHAHADA

A Thing of Beauty Is a Joy Forever

There is no God but Allah and Muhammed is His Prophet (Shahada)

mute without any windows from outside

like black burqa of Qatari women

it stands out on a pier from Corniche

it captures it inspires—and leaves one more Muslim

Xanadu (Ofmuhammadfame) for Angelfire  (July 2011)

(Thanks to IM Pei 2008 Museum of Islamic Art Doha Qatar)

AL-SALAT

Poem from A Mosque

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar

Ashhadu an la Ilah ila Allah

Ashhadu an Mohammed rasul Allah

Haya ala as-salat

Haya ala as-salat

(i)

Red carpet allover

rectangular and circular columns

two oblong ones in the back

four round ones to the front

cutting out center

where Muslims

sit down for prayer

when ceiling reaches out

for a square dome

of old-fashioned lanterns

which need not lit

next to giant neons.

(ii)

Gothic tapering arches

resting on brown pillars

of mihrab setting

Kaaba direction

next to high minbar

like Mohammed

house of salat (sura 11:114)

marking a handrail

to top where its height

nears at clock

pointers now showing

six and ten

id est ten to six we say we sad

on the fourth day of our journey

when time seems to fly--

prayer time.

(iii)

Fluorescent lights all over

starring out

like four leaves

of two tubes each

around rosebud

of four smaller neons

captured in square of bud

A/Cs and fans

to pillars end walls.

Xanadu (Ofmuhammadfame) for Angelfire (July 2011)

(Thanks to Abdullah--

Sura 11:114

And perform As-Salat at the two ends of the day

and in some hours of the night.

Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds.

That is a reminder for the mindful.

from The Noble Quran in the English Language)

REFERENCES

Dr. Muhammed Taqi-ud-Din AL-HILALL, Dr. Muhammad Muhsin KHAN 1996.

Interpretation of The Meanings of The Noble Quran in the English language.

Darussalam

Barack OBAMA 2004.

Dreams from My Father, A Story of Race and Inheritance. [1st Ed 1994]

Canongate