I don't think i could have described my experience of ziyarat in words but my very talented friend Habib proved otherwise. Here is a poem she wrote for me...=). Go visit her blog(
scentedscroll) for more of her poems, mashAllah she is very talented.
The Journey of Love
A lover’s footsteps can be traced along this path,
Wrought with dangers, placed by those who seek;
by their actions and words, to extinguish this
love.
But the call has been made; and the lover must
obey,
Despite the thorns that wish to make her stumble,
Her anxiously fevered heart cooled by the thought
of the return,
Returning her to a land she has never visited,
Except in her dreams…
The first step on the soil of Qom,
Like the resting of one’s head on a mother’s lap,
A shelter of love and affection; yet, at the same
time,
A myriad of emotions, like a pandoras box opened
up:
Love, Peace, Joy, and Sadness.
Yet, the journey is only beginning,
The source of love has not been visited:
The pure sister of the lonely Imam.
As one approaches the spot where she lays,
The heart is overcome by grief,
And the eyes overflow with tears,
Overwhelmed by the humbling effect of being so
close,
To one whose faith and purity was known far and
wide,
A reminder like a ray in the dark evil world.
For once the lover feels at home,
Like the heart has found the place of its rest;
and
As the head prostrates on the cool marble floor,
Sending out a soothing energy,
The heat within me subsides, extinguished.
Time loses all meaning; and
Hours rushed by like seconds.
A place of new perceptions,
Where problems, hardships and anxiety,
Suddenly look like mirages,
Disappearing at the proximity with the pure ones,
And the heart takes root,
Despairing at the thought of ever having to leave,
For now, heaven’s doors open wide,
For now, the moment is mine.
Dreams only last because they will end,
Reality breaking through, dragging you from home,
The journey to the beloved must come to an end.
Grief like a gushing fountain of water drenches
the lover,
Like that of a child torn away from their parents.
The heartbreak subsides only through hope,
That I came once, I will surely return again.
Will you turn away the hopeless who has found
peace with you?
Will you chase the beggar whose needs you
fulfilled?
I tear my body away with a whispered prayer,
By your grace,
Let me visit again, allow me to return home.
Away from home, the lost is left wandering,
The need to return blots all meaning from life.
How am I to bear this separation?
How is this feeble heart to tolerate this grief?
When will I be back?
When will I cleanse my soul at the waters of your
tomb?
How long will I be able to bear the weight of the
dust,
Of sins and the pretensions of this world?
How long?
Please make it soon,
Before I am lost…
Lost forever in this dust.
I think having a good disposition is one of the great struggles of these days. Society has become such that we are faced with rude, arrogant, mean people at every turn of our lives. It becomes that much harder when its someone closer to us. Sometimes its our relatives themselves who behave in such a manner that it becomes difficult to maintain good akhlaq. We feel like lashing out, showing our frustration, being rude to them etc. BUT is this the way we should act? I know it's very hard, i only felt the need to write this because sometimes i struggle with this as well. Its obvious that the more closer and attached you are to someone the more power they get over you to hurt you.
You know how the phrase goes: "Home is where the heart is"...?! Until we find that home (meaning we find where our heart lies) we can never find peace. We can travel millions of miles, live in the most luxurious of settings, have the best food, best weather etc. BUT still we won't find peace or happiness.
