When others ridiculed and threatened He stood...

When others ridiculed and threatened He stood, by him alone, and unfrightened He declared him his brother and heir Destined to serve and his mission share. They had heard Muhammad at Khybar declare "This Alam is for one whose qualities are rare He is the beloved of Muhammad and his God Ever victorious is he, in the cause of Lord." They had had also heard the sermon at Ghadir-e-khum It left, for doubt, hardly any room Ali was Muhammad's heir, by God's decree Assigned to keep Islam pure and free.

They had watched him even before How Ali in stature grew more and more He slept in Prophet's bed in the midst of strife While hundreds lay in ambush, each with a knife. The Prophet's end was drawing near The dissension started, as he had feared He ordered the dissenter's to go to war But they guessed what the order was for. Death of the Prophet was a grievous blow Old enmities erupted like a volcano Busy with the funeral were the Hashemites, Unheedful of the maneuverings and internal strife.

Abu Bakr was declared Caliph in the interim He soon nominated Omar, to succeed him The Caliphate became, thereafter, Othman's turn Before the mantle, despite opposition, on Ali dawned. Ali, with his characteristic zeal, lost no time He acted sternly, to save Islam from further decline Firmly entrenched in power by now, the Ommayad's frowned And dared the simple and straightforward Ali for a showdown.

The hero of Islam knew neither malice nor fear Renowned warriors had fled before him from the rear He defeated the crafty Moawiyah, time and again But alas! Treachery and trickery ultimately gained. The internal rot had spread too deep, alas! Corruption and nepotism was practiced en-masse Ali, had soon to pay with his dear and precious life Engrossed in prayers, he was struck with a knife.

And so was the case with his eldest son, Most generous of all men was Hassan He was fond of recluse and quietude He was the symbol of patience and fortitude. The roots of seedling were still shallow A little shake up would render the ground fallow Muhammad's labor would thus be wasted Before the world its fruit had tasted. And thus the treaty with Moawiyah Hassan chose Rather than fight him like an open foe The time was not ripe for the showdown A lot remained for preparing the ground.

This he knew would fall to Husayn's lot To put his foot down and stop the rot It would cost his life there was no doubt But it had to be timed the tyranny to oust. Previous…