Verily he descended on the thirteenth of Rajab
And what do you really know of the striker of Marhab?
I don’t know what was just born – a baby or God’s book
All I know is that when he was born the idols shook
Did Ibrahim build the Ka’ba to be your cradle?
Did God give Muhammad arms so Ali he’d cradle?
I don’t know if as a baby you’d walk or crawl
For I can’t imagine crawling the father of all
Envious of this day is the night of destiny
As it sees that the Quran your pupils carry
How great is he who when he is born the idols shake
If he’d return to his cradle when idols he’d break
The man born to stand against the thousands of Hunayn
The mountain of Uhud upon Muhammad’s plain
It was him who taught me God when he was struck prostrate
He gave his killer water before meeting his fate
They could only kill Ali within his prostration
Not surprising when he was born in prayer’s direction
They tell me I call Ali God, but how can that be?
When it is God that I thank for guiding me to Ali
* * *
(London – 11/03/16)