“A Voice For Abdul”

Let’s embark on a journey of truth and veiled pain from those we seldom hear, or see

The voyage at hand is East of the Motherland, where so many live true to their Dīn

Descendants with ancestors who had no choice, but to adopt an Arabic way of being

Tribes strongly coerced and now well-versed, having lost their traditional beliefs

One such account comes from a faithful man, who vulnerably shared his-story

Who am I to deny the hurt that resides in those words, as a we paint the scene

Abdul’s kin were a tribe, that lived and thrived, amongst their land symbiotically

They rejected their ways, so as not to be slaves, for they were deemed “unholy”, “haram”, “unclean”

Once called Bantu, their identity insignificant, for a new way, one ummah, was key

Take a vow, loud and proud, adopt language, bend knees, be grateful for your new community

There’s no need to discuss race, we’re a family in faith, you’ll never go unheard or unseen

Sadly it’s fair to say, that in this modern age, Abdul’s noticing some familial dissimilarities

He hears from afar, of Dubai and Qatar, where brothers & sisters live as kings and queens

It’s beginning to feel terse as he can’t recall a verse about his prophet living a life of luxury

A promise was made to evade being slaves, no longer be an “I”, but a “We”

Once a thriving tribe, with a culture that’s died, living a life of enforced humility

Imagine the heartbreak to know his brothers & sisters forgo, their faithful, African family

Those who live the way they were instructed to obey, faith, charity & genuine piety

Peace be upon all oppressed wherever they are, for no choice, or voice, is bondage today

Abdul’s voice further proves, dismissing these truths, is the way to silence those without say

(based on an educational and vulnerable discussion with Abdul and visit to the Stone Town Slave Museum, Zanzibar Island 2024)