Fatima Zahra (as)

 By: Sister Fiddha

To The mother of Hussain

Your black shawl,
Saturated with grief,
Enwraps your body of light.
Veiling you from
Our shameless eyes.

O Lady of Heaven,
How did you come to fall?
O Kauthar,
How did they come and carve you up,
On the plains of Kerbala,
Each part of you,
Praising Allah,
Despite your excrutiating pain.

Weren't you the one to whom,
The Prophet would salute?
Didn't your cheeks
Now dripping with your blood
Touch his beloved lips?

O silent warrior,
How did you walk amongst
The tents,
Eavesdropping on your
Progeny,
Listening to their prayers,
While your footprints lay
Invisible on the sands.
Your tears falling
Unnoticed.

Who was protecting you,
When Hussain fell?
Who was consoling you,
When Hussain cried out for help?
And who was silencing your agonising screams
As horses trampled bit by bit by bit over,
His lifeless, harmless body.

Salaams to your patience my lady!
Salaams to your forebearance,
O lady who raised up Masjid e Nubbawi
From its very foundations,
When the caliphs came for you!
Can't you see the red sky bowing to you,
The bleeding earth trying to please you,
Furaat begging forgiveness from you.

Your silken hair revealed before drunkards,
Your beauty exposed,
In zainab,
Your dignity and honour,
whipped by kafirs,
Taunted by kafirs,
Touched by kafirs.

Your son tried to protect the image of you in Sugra,
Then how did you bear their slimy hands on your cheeks,
Their sticks prodding your severed head,
Their drunken breath on your skin.
Worse still the betrayal at kufa?
Following your daughters- your souls
You were forced up on a bare backed camel,
Parched and hungry,
Paraded , beaten, whipped,
Hurled abuse at,
Had food thrown on ,
Spat at,
Had rocks thrown at
you.The Queen of heaven.

How did you come to fall?
O queen of my heart.

Your words fell on deaf ears,
Your silken hair wove a curse on them,
As you proclaimed the
Message of your father,
Leaving them without an argument or excuse.
A mass of crumpled, pitiful worms,
Killed by your rays.

I wail for you my lady,
I weep, for you
And you who I have never truly honoured,
Come like a humbled slave
To my side
Collecting my tears.
For my own salvation.

Salaams my bibi,
For you these words,

Eh daaste bevafa,
Meera Maula hein be gunaah.

ps. How did you ever come to fall?