What were you thinking
my Imam
upon you peace
when you last looked at the House of God
Did you think of your forefather Abraham
hands worn from work
looking at the completed structure
Did you think of your paternal grandfather Abu Talib
sweating under the blazing sun
boycotted while the Banu Umayya
relaxed in its shade
Did you think of your maternal grandfather
the blessed Messenger of God
blessings and peace upon him and his family
making tawaf in his farewell pilgrimage
and wonder how things had come to this
Did you think of your father ‘Ali
born inside its sacred walls
murdered in a mihrab
in faraway Kufa
Was the House of God
my Imam
a reminder of your family
of what had passed
and what was yet to come
Did you leave that blessed place
– even though you had more right to it than anyone –
because of the God who made it sacred
knowing that those who pursued you
had no shame
What was in your mind and heart
my Master
as time’s unfolding
and the plotting of men
drew you away
from a place you loved
and that loved you too
And as you began your journey
did you think of your son
who would one day return
and inspire the poet to speak:
This is the son of Husayn and the grandson of Fatima, the daughter of the Apostle, through whom the darkness dispersed
This is he whose ability the valley (of Mecca) recognizes, He is known by the (Sacred) House and the Holy sanctuary, and the lands outside the sanctuary
and know with certainty
that even should your body be desecrated
to protect the purity of this House
God would always preserve what you stood for
echoing the words of your great-great-grandfather across time:
“this House has a Lord Who will defend it”
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