My Islamic Imam toldme to pray 5 times a day,
so i listened and felt larger than life in a peculiar way.
My Islamic Imam then toldme to respect my parents,
especially my mother,
so i did and the anger,arguments and blarings,
switched to loving one another.
Though his tasks were getting harder,
i listened closely,
coz it switched me from purposeless to purposful,
and from a stranger to homely.
And the angel and devil in my mind,
ever discussing the Imam askin "was he right?".
And me ol me at ever such times,
wondering and saying "God loves me right..".
My Islamic Imam told me to do charity,
so i did and got what they call,moments of clarity.
My islamic Imam told me,todays humanity,
was only ever ever lost in vanities.
and then he looks to me with a searching sight,
and i look to him and say "whatever you say im guessin is right"
And the angel and devil in my mind,
ever discussing the Imam askin "was he right?".
And me ol me at ever such times,
wondering and saying "God loves me right..".
My Islamic Imam toldme to keep a beard,
i said oh please let me not,i shall look so weird.
He told me i know your afraid it would make the girls go,
But they chase away the germs by boiling water you know.
He said love her who loves you and not your looks,
a little...no,actually very uncertain... his advice i took.
But my friends did laugh,and the girls did flee,
and the ambarassment amassed,and felt it only Me ol Me.
And the angel and devil in my mind,
ever discussing the Imam askin "was he right?".
And me ol me at ever such times,
wondering and now saying "God loves me... right?".
My Islamic Imam told me not to listen to music,
i said oh please not this,if i did so id lose it.
he says see what i mean? its aldready harmed ya,
i said "how?"
he said "learn from the example of the snake charmer"
he said "music is idle play,distraction of the mind,
that may help u gain in worldly politics.
But worldly politics leaves u unsatisfied,
and music's similiar to alcoholic tricks".
so i did what he asked and it didnt amaze me,
when everyone i knew yelled "boy you crazy!!!".
And the angel and devil in my mind,
ever discussing the Imam askin "was he right?".
And me ol me at ever such times,
wondering and now saying "God loves me... right?".
My Islamic Imam told me to tell him about my friends,
i said most of em are non muslim,hindus and christians.
He said teach them of Islam that we surrender to only One,
i gulped as i heard his new order and my body went numb.
He said "tell them that they say 1 is equal to 3 and three is equal to one,
tell them to not ignore truth,and stop being mathematically dumb.
But if they heed you not,then leave them be,for your task is done,
and tell them everything goes to God,as from God does it all come".
with trembling hands i told my friends and unlike the "jour" to the "bon",
they were there one minute and the other they were gone.
so to my Islamic Imam i expressed myself in a suppressed rage,
he just smiled and said "to the believer in truth,this lifes like a cage...
but this life is ever fleeting,and the hereafter endures for ever,
in an everlasting life would u fancy the garden? or the fiery nether?"
i said "its about time i stop listening to you and you philosophical clues....
but he smiles and says "Asalamualikum - wa barakatuhu"
(may the peace,mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you)
And the angel and devil in my mind,
ever discussing the Imam askin "was he right?".
And me ol me at ever such times,
stopped wondering if God loved me right.
I woke up the next day and shaved my beard,
the hostility of my friends and peers dissapeared.
Girls walked on either side of me,i was full of dare,
and at home i let the music on my speakers wildly blare.
i smoked and i drank with my friends at clubs,
and danced to the beat like a monkey and thought i was loved.
The spot in my home where i used to pray,
became a spot where all my girlfriends lay.
My life was full of sugar and alot of spice,
and i was as they said "living the life".
later i thought about myself but not about the good Lord,
and got a lil responsible and got a good job...
i got a sexy back woman and made her my good wife,
a couple of cars in my garage,i said "this is the good life".
i got it all they say that in life makes you "be",
"not to be" wasnt an option for "me ol me"
But did i know that these were the fertilizing rains?,
that were mere deceptive beacons of a wretchful storm.
i woke one day and realization pained,
as i realized that calamity had struck and all my friends had gone...
and my friends were goin coz was goin my money,
a buisness failure,but i still had my beautiful wife to love me.
or did i? ...could i? know that also a villain,
was my wifes beauty that she branded tempting other men to be illing.
my beloved wife who i wished someday would be my baby's mother,
ran away with my best friend,who i considered to be a brother.
and i remembered in sorrow with my head in my palms,
the now ancient words of the ol Imam...
he said "we protect our woman like pearls with the Burkha",
oh why wouldnt i just forget about that beirded Mullah?
and now amidst the loss i was stuck in,
continued, at night as i tucked in....
the angel and devil in my mind,
ever discussing the Imam askin "was he right?".
And me ol me at ever such times,
was wondering "God still loves me...right?
It took me sometime to get past my fears and the tears,
i got out my prayer rug and stopped shaving my beard.
i made sure i followed not just a religion,but also the truth,
because i had to know the right path through and through.
because death doesnt come to you considering your age,
and my Imam used to say "to a believer,life is like a cage".
So of everything that didnt matter i decided to let go,
and submitted to the One,kneeling,my head on the floor.
and i found that peace for which many have sought,
in 'Islam' which means "acquiring peace surrendering to one God".
ahhhhh...but...
the angel and devil in my mind,
ever discussing the Imam askin "was he right?".
but me ol me learned in time,
and understood that "God loves me right".
at the end would you understand if i say to thee,
that the Imam was none other than Me ol Me.
coz theres an Imam in all of us who believe,
and guidance is meant for all those who wish to recieve.
so i looked in the mirror and thanked the Imam,
and said "Imamji salamualaikum.."
he said "wa'alaikum as salam".
- Saad Merchant
so i listened and felt larger than life in a peculiar way.
My Islamic Imam then toldme to respect my parents,
especially my mother,
so i did and the anger,arguments and blarings,
switched to loving one another.
Though his tasks were getting harder,
i listened closely,
coz it switched me from purposeless to purposful,
and from a stranger to homely.
And the angel and devil in my mind,
ever discussing the Imam askin "was he right?".
And me ol me at ever such times,
wondering and saying "God loves me right..".
My Islamic Imam told me to do charity,
so i did and got what they call,moments of clarity.
My islamic Imam told me,todays humanity,
was only ever ever lost in vanities.
and then he looks to me with a searching sight,
and i look to him and say "whatever you say im guessin is right"
And the angel and devil in my mind,
ever discussing the Imam askin "was he right?".
And me ol me at ever such times,
wondering and saying "God loves me right..".
My Islamic Imam toldme to keep a beard,
i said oh please let me not,i shall look so weird.
He told me i know your afraid it would make the girls go,
But they chase away the germs by boiling water you know.
He said love her who loves you and not your looks,
a little...no,actually very uncertain... his advice i took.
But my friends did laugh,and the girls did flee,
and the ambarassment amassed,and felt it only Me ol Me.
And the angel and devil in my mind,
ever discussing the Imam askin "was he right?".
And me ol me at ever such times,
wondering and now saying "God loves me... right?".
My Islamic Imam told me not to listen to music,
i said oh please not this,if i did so id lose it.
he says see what i mean? its aldready harmed ya,
i said "how?"
he said "learn from the example of the snake charmer"
he said "music is idle play,distraction of the mind,
that may help u gain in worldly politics.
But worldly politics leaves u unsatisfied,
and music's similiar to alcoholic tricks".
so i did what he asked and it didnt amaze me,
when everyone i knew yelled "boy you crazy!!!".
And the angel and devil in my mind,
ever discussing the Imam askin "was he right?".
And me ol me at ever such times,
wondering and now saying "God loves me... right?".
My Islamic Imam told me to tell him about my friends,
i said most of em are non muslim,hindus and christians.
He said teach them of Islam that we surrender to only One,
i gulped as i heard his new order and my body went numb.
He said "tell them that they say 1 is equal to 3 and three is equal to one,
tell them to not ignore truth,and stop being mathematically dumb.
But if they heed you not,then leave them be,for your task is done,
and tell them everything goes to God,as from God does it all come".
with trembling hands i told my friends and unlike the "jour" to the "bon",
they were there one minute and the other they were gone.
so to my Islamic Imam i expressed myself in a suppressed rage,
he just smiled and said "to the believer in truth,this lifes like a cage...
but this life is ever fleeting,and the hereafter endures for ever,
in an everlasting life would u fancy the garden? or the fiery nether?"
i said "its about time i stop listening to you and you philosophical clues....
but he smiles and says "Asalamualikum - wa barakatuhu"
(may the peace,mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you)
And the angel and devil in my mind,
ever discussing the Imam askin "was he right?".
And me ol me at ever such times,
stopped wondering if God loved me right.
I woke up the next day and shaved my beard,
the hostility of my friends and peers dissapeared.
Girls walked on either side of me,i was full of dare,
and at home i let the music on my speakers wildly blare.
i smoked and i drank with my friends at clubs,
and danced to the beat like a monkey and thought i was loved.
The spot in my home where i used to pray,
became a spot where all my girlfriends lay.
My life was full of sugar and alot of spice,
and i was as they said "living the life".
later i thought about myself but not about the good Lord,
and got a lil responsible and got a good job...
i got a sexy back woman and made her my good wife,
a couple of cars in my garage,i said "this is the good life".
i got it all they say that in life makes you "be",
"not to be" wasnt an option for "me ol me"
But did i know that these were the fertilizing rains?,
that were mere deceptive beacons of a wretchful storm.
i woke one day and realization pained,
as i realized that calamity had struck and all my friends had gone...
and my friends were goin coz was goin my money,
a buisness failure,but i still had my beautiful wife to love me.
or did i? ...could i? know that also a villain,
was my wifes beauty that she branded tempting other men to be illing.
my beloved wife who i wished someday would be my baby's mother,
ran away with my best friend,who i considered to be a brother.
and i remembered in sorrow with my head in my palms,
the now ancient words of the ol Imam...
he said "we protect our woman like pearls with the Burkha",
oh why wouldnt i just forget about that beirded Mullah?
and now amidst the loss i was stuck in,
continued, at night as i tucked in....
the angel and devil in my mind,
ever discussing the Imam askin "was he right?".
And me ol me at ever such times,
was wondering "God still loves me...right?
It took me sometime to get past my fears and the tears,
i got out my prayer rug and stopped shaving my beard.
i made sure i followed not just a religion,but also the truth,
because i had to know the right path through and through.
because death doesnt come to you considering your age,
and my Imam used to say "to a believer,life is like a cage".
So of everything that didnt matter i decided to let go,
and submitted to the One,kneeling,my head on the floor.
and i found that peace for which many have sought,
in 'Islam' which means "acquiring peace surrendering to one God".
ahhhhh...but...
the angel and devil in my mind,
ever discussing the Imam askin "was he right?".
but me ol me learned in time,
and understood that "God loves me right".
at the end would you understand if i say to thee,
that the Imam was none other than Me ol Me.
coz theres an Imam in all of us who believe,
and guidance is meant for all those who wish to recieve.
so i looked in the mirror and thanked the Imam,
and said "Imamji salamualaikum.."
he said "wa'alaikum as salam".
- Saad Merchant
