From within a hostile land

A Poem by Brother Tarek Mahenna

Halfway around the planet from the holy desert sands,
Upon which God’s final Prophet built with his hands,
A refuge for the believers, a Madinah so grand,
I grant you these words from within a hostile land,
To get you to understand that it was planned,
To imprison a small band,
Of young men upon the Truth who found their understanding outlawed and banned,
Remanded to the custody of injustice’s American brand,
Branded for life because of a way of life passed down from Negroes of sand,
Slave masters and house Negroes conspiring to stop a force unstoppable,
Inhospitable to the proposals of RAND,
I am hostile,
To any who would revile,
The Truth even if they smile,
In my face all the while,
Yes, I live my life by the Book,
So, don’t give me that look,
You crooks,
It is you who took,
From humanity its freedom to let its soul fly,
To its sole Creator,
In Whose eyes this capitalistic, materialistic prison of a world isn’t worth the wing of a fly,
So, we wait in this prison like knights without horses,
Weeping on the nights that we recite His verses,
Or hear it,
Serious and bearded,
No one had to force us,
We just read ancient texts and decided to join forces,
With the Prophet and his Companions,
To accompany their fight,
To become companions of the Right,
Right to Heaven we hope to go and avoid Hellfire’s fright,
To Hell with the enemies who frighten us with shackles and chains,
Who go to great pains to keep us in pain,
All in vain,
Because our veins flow with blood,
That is worth less to us than the Pleasure of the Lord who created them from mud,
Their tears flow: “Why? Why won’t he submit to our manmade gods?” they furiously ask,
As I throw mud in their faces, lean back, and laugh…

- Tariq Mehanna, Ramadan 5 1433
(July 24, 2012)

(May Allah release him)