A Poem by Imam Zain Al-Abideen (Ali Bin Al-Hussein) may Allah be pleased with Him the
Stranger.
The Stranger
The Stranger is not the one who is far from his country;
He is the one who is a lone in his tomb and coffin!
My journey is long , and my food is not enough
My power is weakened , and death is following me.
I still have sins only Allah knows
Both in secret and in public!
How tolerant My Lord is towards me
While l've gone so far with my sins.
Hours of days pass , and I don't repent
I don't weep , fear , or regrieve.
I closed my doors trying to commit what people don't see
But the Eyes of Allah do see me everywhere.
My errors are registered while I am unaware
But Alas! I am still burnt with grief!
Let me lament myself and cry.
And spend my life remembering with sorrow!
As if I were Laid down sick on bed
In the hands of my family who tries to treat me.
As if they called a doctor to cure me, but
I don't think that my cure is in medicine!
Hardly , I was dying , and death started
to pull up my soul from each vein Perociously!
They closed my eyes , and went away
In despair , they bought my coffin!!
My beloved , hastily , rushed to
Wash my dead body!
They laid me on the wooden table and
Poured water to clean my corpse.
They wrapped me up with clothes
That had no sleeves , and perfumes me.
They took me away from this world
How sorry I am to be foodless and hopeless!
Four of Them carried me on their shoulders
Followed by some audience behind.
They put me in the shrine of the mosque
And prayer behind the Imam to say: "Farewell" to me.
They handled me carefully down to my tomb
One of them - with trees - graved me with bricks,
They covered my grave with soil and prayed
That Allah might have mercy on me!
There , in the darkness of the tomb
Where no merciful father or mother to Lull me.
Alone, also, Alas! Farewell!
With no good deeds to save me there.
I was appalled by what my eyes saw!
The horrifying sight of Angels "Munkar and Nakeer" who scared me.
They called me with a question that
Only Allah can help me to answer and be solved!
My family shared my left money , but
any sins are still a burden on my back
My wife got married to another husband
She offered him all the fortune that I saved!
My own son has become a slave to serve her
My money became their owns with no price to pay instead.
My brother!
Don't be enticed by this world and its decoration!
Look what it does to people and home!
Look at that who owned everything in it,
Did he gain more than a tomb and a coffin?!!
Take satisfaction from this world, and be content
Even if you have nothing , but peace of mind and body!
You, who plants good doing , shall harvest goodness
You , who , plants evil , shall gain no more than that frustration.
My soul , refrain from disobedience of thy Lord
And get a favour , so that Allah might have mercy on thee.
Repent , my soul , and do well
so , after death thou could be well rewarded!
Then , peace Be Upon our Holy Prophet
Mohammad , our selected person by Allah
Thank Allah who bestows us
With this favour an blessings , day and night!
