My Palestinian Sister

Subject: my palestinian sister

My Palestinian Sister



Fire from the sky falls down on you

by night and day,

a rain bringing only destruction.



You don't sleep anymore.

It's hard to when you don't know if you will wake up,

and when you feel such emptiness inside.

Instead you sit in the darkness,

cut off from the world,

waiting for death, for relief from your pain.



You don't know your baby was on TV

– the light of happiness in your life, extinguished –

don't know how beautiful she still looked,

wrapped in a small cloth, like she was sleeping.



You didn't see when they put her,

with others, in a hole in the ground.

But I did.



You don't know how many

have raised their hands for you,

for your safety, your victory;

don't know how weighty your supplication;

your hands are far from empty.



I don't know you, have never met you,

but you are part of my body,

feverish and shivering.



They think you are weak,

that your blood is cheap,

but your conviction, your resolve, your belief

makes you heavier than a hundred

of those yellow men

who strike only from behind walls.


No matter the outcome

–how many lives are taken,how long the world turns its back on you -

you are the victor.

What is this life but part of a day,

the stepping stone to forever,

when you will laughat those who laughed at you,

when not an atom's weight remains in your heart

of fear, of hatred, of despair.


January 17, 2009


Sajak yang dihantar ke peti email dari seorang sister.

Alhamdulillah, doa mereka dan muslimin muslimat di seluruh dunia diperkenankan Nya. Semoga mereka terus bersabar dengan ujian Allah ini. Semoga mereka terus bersabar dengan kehilangan "zuyyina linnaas" mereka. Sesungguhnya didunia ini manusia akan sentiasa diuji...

“And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to the patient. Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: “Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return. They are those on whom are the salawat (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones.” (Al-Baqarah :155-157)

“After you there will come the days of patience (i.e., days which require patience). Patience during those (days) will be like grasping a live coal. During those (days) the reward for the one who adheres to the Commands of Allah will be equivalent to the reward of fifty men who did an action like his.” He said, “O Messenger of Allah, the reward of fifty of them?” He said, “The reward of fifty of you.” (Reported by Abu Dawud, 4341; Ibn Majah, 4014.)

“Be patient, for there never comes to you a time but what follows it is worse, until you meet your Lord. I heard this from your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).” (Reported by Al-Bukhari, 7068.)

Al-Mustawrid Al-Qurashi said to `Amr Ibn Al-`Aas: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying, “The Hour will begin when the Romans are the greatest people in number.” `Amr said, “Watch what you say!” He said, “I am saying what I heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).” He said, “If you say that, it is a fact, for they have four qualities. They are the most patient of people at times of tribulation; they recover quickly from calamity; they are quick to recover and attack again after defeat; and they are good to the poor, orphans and the weak. And a fifth good quality that they have is that they resist the oppression of kings.” (Reported by Muslim, 2889.)