Poetry from Prison: I Invest Only in You

[al-istiqamah.com]

Click here (http://www.al-istiqamah.com/Images/InvestPoem.jpg) to see a scanned copy of the original poem

If not for your blessing of strength O Rabb
My weakness would overpower me
If not for Your Grace O Rabb
My view of Judgement would enslave me.

My eyes see as far as eyes can see
But only outwardly
You see further than can be known
To the very depth of me.
Things I truly believed I couldn’t accomplish
You’ve already seen me through.
Only asking that I put total trust in you

So where we only see smoke and fire, clouds and rain
You show us a diamond is but a rock
Until it meets the flame
So for Hellfire is luxury and enslavement of desire
But for Paradise is hardship and having to struggle and strive
Hand in hand they work
What fire heats, rain cools
O Rabb! Grant us the ability to obey only your rules.

So this is why we lay, sit and stand, worshipping You
We ask for an increase in taqwa and and iman so
We’re able to put our all in You
For if giving is receiving, then how can we lose?
How can we lose when we invest only in You?

Abdul-Hakim Smith
BC4664
HMP Manchester

[oneummah]

are we allowed to send him letters? the writer of the poem? may Allah bless him. mashAllah.

[Nu7]

Maasha Allah, may Allah ('Azza wa Jal) Reward the brother and may He Ta'ala hasten his release. Ameen!

Great poem!!

[al-istiqamah.com]

Maasha Allah, may Allah ('Azza wa Jal) Reward the brother and may He Ta'ala hasten his release. Ameen!

Great poem!!

Ameen.

are we allowed to send him letters? the writer of the poem? may Allah bless him. mashAllah.

The brother is allowed mail, but sometimes the guards take their time in giving it to the brothers. He is a Cat A prisoner and a revert to Islam. You can read a bit about him here:

From Kufr to Islam, From Imprisonment to Freedom (http://prisonersoffaith.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/from-kufr-to-islam-from-imprisonment-to-freedom/)

His address is:

Shevon Smith BC4664
HMP Manchester
1 Southall Street
Manchester
M60 9AH

I think he would appreciate any feedback on his poem.

With Cat A prisoners, the following conditions usually apply:

A5 envelopes only, not A4.

Never write anything that could be misconstrued by the prison's censor to mean that you are sending 'radical' messages. Bear in mind that all incoming and outgoing mail is read by the guards.

Some prisons, for example Full Sutton demand that your name and address is on the back of the envelope.

Staples, paper clips etc are not allowed as far as I know.

Also, some brothers have expressed dismay at sisters being too free in their writing to brothers. So if a sister sends a message of support, she should still bear in mind that this is a non-mahram brother, and treat them with that formality/respect.

[Dawn]

SubhanAllah so articulate.
thanks for sharing.