Journey to Paradise

Assalamu Alayka Ya Ameerul Mu'mineen

These parting words uttered as you take his blessed leave

As you prepare to embark on this holy mission 

You request for the father’s permission

To visit his son, the saviour of our religion

As you set out on your journey, from Najaf to Karbala

It is always painful to leave the shrine of Ali

No place on Earth has that level of serenity

But then every footstep your mind anticipates

Zaynab and Sajjad's struggles, you're about to emulate

In this walk to Husayn, millions participate

And your excitement begins to grow

By walking, your allegiance to Husayn you show

You let the enemies know

That you're Husayni, from head to toe

And no

We will never forget Husayn

As you start your voyage, you begin to observe

The extent to which locals yearn to serve

Tell me a place where your eyes have seen

20 million people, all fed for free

The generosity of locals humbles you to the core

For you, the Zuwaar, they give their wealth and more

Bread they will bake, chai they will pour

And our minds cast back to our life in the west

Luxuries aplenty, our facilities the best

Our problems so trivial, yet we complain

But then you see an orphan who only knows of pain

But her hopes kept alive through the love of Husayn

And this is the beauty of this walk to Karbala

You look to the left and see a little toddler

And then to your right to see someone decades older

Every age group, gender, nation comes together

The CEO walks in unison with the beggar

Rich or poor, from near or afar

Everyone is here for Aba Abdillah

Your walk to Karbala will be physically straining

Your muscles will tire; your feet will be aching

At times you may want to quit and just stop walking

But ignore these feelings, it’s just Shaytaan talking

Because every single step is blessed by Allah

Each step equivalent to 100 Hajj and Umrah

So when you feel the sun bears down on you

Before you complain

Remember Sajjad and his sharpened chains

When your limbs begin to ache, remember Husayn’s sister

As you continue to walk, your feet may have blisters

But at least you won’t be dealing with the whips of Shimr

As you continue to walk, your brother will be by your side

You won’t be remembering the moment he died

Sisters, as you continue to walk, your Hijab will be in tact

There won’t be a threat that your veil will be snatched

The moment you’re thirsty, you’ll have access to water

Remember the thirst of Imam Husayn’s daughter

When your limbs tire, on your brother you can lean

Remember Abbas, son of Ummul Baneen

And at the end of the day, you’ll have the whole night to rest

Remember Sakina’s face, when someone else was on Husayn’s chest

For when you complete this walk to Sayyed Al-Shuhada

And step foot in the premises of Husayn and his brother

You’ll look up from your slump and such a sight will appear

Awe-struck and in shock, any pain will disappear

As you’re overwhelmed on seeing Abbas’ golden dome

At that very moment, Karbala becomes your home

You begin to realise why this is heaven on Earth

You understand why Karbala, to miracles gives birth

A look at the holy dome, you see a fraction of Husayn’s worth

Some people cry, others faint

In disbelief that they’ve been invited to visit this Saint

But as the tears begin to drop, it becomes reality

You’re in Karbala, Jannah’s capital city

Utterly humbled, you walk to Baynul Haramayn

On one side Abbas, on the other, Imam Husayn