Live in this world and yet be out of it Self discipline...

Live in this world and yet be out of it Self discipline; not celibacy is the holy writ Physical body is, indeed, perishable but not the soul Service before self should be life's goal. He first invited his near if kin And declared to them his mission He asked whether he had ever told a lie "No never"! In one voice, was their reply.

He invited them to the path of 'truth' A path which in heaven had its roots Blessed would they be, in this world and the next Most fortunate possessors of the Divine text. "Who, among you, will be my brother and heir And with me God's mission share." They exchanged glances; they ridiculed and scorned Only Ali stood by him, alone and forlorn.

Thrice did he repeat his request Each time only Ali rose to his behest Holding him by his hand, he declared, "Behold, he is my brother and heir!" In public he now started to preach But soon a stage was reached When like a fugitive he was stoned And place to place, forced to roam. For years was thus his plight Only Ali aided him in his fight Far and few were the conversions So fierce was the persecution. In burning sand, with stones on his chest, A new convert stood his gallant test; "Ahadun!

Ahadun!" (One God) Bilal cried, But refused his faith to be decried. Such were the tortures they had to face, For believing in God and the new faith Handful were they, old men, mostly slaves With courage, all difficulties they braved. A day soon came, when it was declared That those who could, to Abysinia, should migrate Few persons made up the small group Ja'far, Ali's brother, commanded this troop.

The Quraish were furious; they sent their envoys They requested the king to return the exiles The king was just; he rejected their plea He sheltered the poor Muslim refugees. The wrath of Quraish reached the boiling point To murder Muhammad, they planned conjoint They chose a person, one from each tribe So that no vengeance could take the Hashemites.

The plans to Muhammad, God soon revealed And desired, that he should ward the evil And leave for Medina, the same very night Letting Ali sleep in his bed and aid his flight. Soon was the house surrounded by those, Armed cap-a-pie were each of the foes With handful of dust, Muhammad blew his fist And calmly walked through their midst.