Month: November 2018

My ancestors,

They didn’t give me grand majestic empires to run
Nor powerful thrones to vie for or crowns to hold in;
They didn’t bequeath me ancient magical wisdom
Nor gave me secrets and sorcery to run in my blood;
They didn’t pass me down multimillion dollar luxuries
Nor oil wells and gold mines to topple economies with;
They didn’t leave me with old famous textbook names
Nor family trees on tapestries to hang in the living room;
They didn’t even let me have mysterious affairs in manors
Nor generations of journalists to poignantly answer to;

But what they did do is this,
They left behind a never-dwindling wealth,
They left behind a never-fading fame,
They left behind a never-ending history,
In a different city, a country apart, a continent away, or maybe right here,
A generation ago, or a century ago, or a millennia ago or maybe yesterday,
They whispered,

أشهد أن لا إله إلاَّ الله و أشهد أن محمد رسول الله

Ashadu an la ilaha illa illa-ilah, wa ashadu anna muhammadan rasul ullah.

They gave me the ‘different’ name that doesn’t translate into my native,                                 They gave me the ‘different’ language that doesn’t read left to right,
They gave me the ‘different’ identity that seemingly doesn’t fit;
They gave me something very, very beautifully different;

They gave us ourselves; Alhamdulillah we’re born Muslim

~sanaa