(this poem was originally shared on our forum by our esteemed contributor Javed Sheikh. You can join the discussion about it here)

Would You Permit Me?
نزار قباني
Nizar Kabbani

في بلاد يغتال فيها المفكرون، ويكفر الكاتب
وتحرق الكتب، في مجتمعات ترفض الآخر، وتفرض الصمت على الافواه والحجر على الافكار،
وتكفر اي سؤال، كان لابد ان استأذنكم ان تسمحوا لي..
In a country where thinkers are assassinated, and writers are considered infidels and books are burnt, in societies that refuse the other, and force silence on mouths and thoughts forbidden, and to question is a sin, I must beg your pardon, would you permit me?
فهل تسمحون لي
ان اربي اطفالي كما اريد، وألا تملوا علي
اهواءكم واوامركم؟
Would you permit me to bring up my children as I want, and not to dictate on me your whims and orders?
·
هل تسمحون لي
ان اعلم اطفالي ان الدين لله اولا، وليس
للمشايخ والفقهاء والناس؟
Would you permit me to teach my children that the religion is first to God, and not for religious leaders or scholars or people?
·
هل تسمحون لي
ان اعلم صغيرتي ان الدين هو اخلاق وأدب وتهذيب
وامانة وصدق، قبل ان اعلمها بأي قدم تدخل الحمام وبأي يد تأكل؟
Would you permit me to teach my little one that religion is about good manners, good behavior, good conduct, honesty and truthfulness, before I teach her with which foot to enter the bathroom or with which hand she should eat?
·
هل تسمحون لي
ان اعلم ابنتي ان الله محبة، وانها تستطيع ان
تحاوره وتسأله ما تشاء، بعيدا عن تعاليم أي أحد؟
Would you permit me to teach my daughter that God is about love, and she can dialogue with Him and ask Him anything she wants, far away from the teachings of anyone?
·
هل تسمحون لي الا اذكر عذاب القبر لاولادي،
الذين لم يعرفوا ما هو الموت بعد؟
Would you permit me not to mention the torture of the grave to my children, who do not know about death yet? ·
هل تسمحون لي
ان اعلم ابنتي اصول الدين وادبه واخلاقه، قبل
ان افرض عليها الحجاب؟
Would you permit me to teach my daughter the tenets of the religion and its culture and manners, before I force on her the ‘Hijab’ (the veil)?
·
هل تسمحون لي
ان اقول لابني الشاب ان ايذاء الناس وتحقيرهم
لجنسيتهم ولونهم ودينهم، هو ذنب كبير عند الله؟
Would you permit me to tell my young son that hurting people and degrading them because of their nationality, color or religion, is considered a big sin by God?·
هل تسمحون لي
ان اقول لابنتي ان مراجعة دروسها والاهتمام بتعليمها
انفع واهم عند الله من حفظ آيات القرآن عن ظهر قلب دون تدبر معانيها؟
Would you permit me to tell my daughter to revising her homework and paying attention to her learning is considered by God as more useful and important than learning by heart Ayahs from the Quran without knowing their meaning?·
هل تسمحون لي
ان اعلم ابني ان الاقتداء بالرسول الكريم يبدأ
بنزاهته وامانته وصدقه، قبل لحيته وقصر ثوبه؟
Would you permit me to teach my son that following the footsteps of the honorable Prophet begins with his honesty, loyalty and truthfulness, before his beard or how short his thobe (long shirt/dress) is? ·
هل تسمحون لي
ان اقول لابنتي ان صديقتها المسيحية ليست
كافرة، والا تبكي خوفا عليها من دخول النار؟
Would you permit me to tell my daughter that her Christian friend is not an infidel, and ask her not to cry fearing her friend will go to Hell? ·
هل تسمحون لي
ان اجاهر، ان الله لم يوكل احدا في الارض بعد الرسول لان يتحدث باسمه
ولم يخول احدا بمنح ‘صكوك الغفران’ للناس؟
Would you permit me to argue, that God did not authorize anyone on earth after the Prophet to speak in his name nor did he vest any powers in anyone to issue ‘deeds of forgiveness’ to people? ·
هل تسمحون لي
ان اقول، ان الله حرم قتل النفس البشرية، وان
من قتل نفسا بغير حق كأنما قتل الناس جميعا، وانه لا يحق لمسلم ان يروع مسلما؟
Would you permit me to say, that God has forbidden killing the human spirit, and who kills wrongly a human being is as if he killed all human kind, and no Moslem has the right to frighten another Moslem?
·
هل تسمحون لي
ان اعلم اولادي ان الله اكبر واعدل وارحم من
كل فقهاء الارض مجتمعين؟ وان مقاييسه تختلف عن مقاييس المتاجرين بالدين، وان
حساباته أحن وارحم؟
Would you permit me to teach my children that God is greater, more just, and more merciful than all the (religious) scholars on earth combined? And that his standards are different from the standards of those trading the religion, and that his accountability is kinder and more merciful?
هل تسمحون لي
Would you permit me?

نزار قباني
Nizar Kabbani

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