Zainab Siddiqi
Dallas TX USA
I still feel the calm, though fourteen centuries have flown,
A serenity that settles deep, even among thousands unknown.
I feel the coolness of yourﷺ company, a nearness time can’t sever;
A warmth that touches heart and soul, a bond that lives forever.
Now I understand why Mu‘ādh wept, bidding farewell to youﷺ,
And why Bilāl left Madīnah when youﷺ departed—without you, it felt an empty place.
I understand why the Anṣār’s hearts tightened with worry when they feared youﷺ would choose Makkah after its victory—
For they desired no share of wealth, nor any portion of the world
Their joy was simply to have youﷺ among them.
Now I understand why ʿUmar’s heart could not bear the news of yourﷺ passing—
For grief so immense can make even the strongest soul tremble.
So I cherish the īmān gifted to me—unearned, yet life-giving—
And I honor those who believed when belief demanded sacrifice—
Who stood patient through Badr and Uhud,
Praying through every hardship of night and day.
They bowed when Masjid an-Nabawī had no marble, carpet, or gleam—
No chandeliers above their heads, no cooling air, no grander dream.
And the Prophetﷺ who made sujūd on earth where rain had turned to clay,
With humble mud upon his brow—still the purest place to pray.
How can I ever express my debt to a Prophetﷺ
Who left a piece of Jannah in his city,
So hearts like mine could wander back—
Seeking calm, finding sanctuary, learning once more to breathe.
And so I utter what youﷺ taught,
The words of devotion, sending upon you peace and blessings,
For you knew from the beginning that in this lies the truest treasure.
Allāhumma ṣalli wa sallim ‘alā nabiyyinā al-karīm.
