By: Sude Guvendik, Staff Writer

Salam, we mumble, as we see one another,
May peace heal us, the hearts and the minds,
All of the earth is a sacred space,
As you can pray and seek Allah’s grace,

From the dawn’s first blush till the dusk,
Five times we prostrate, our souls to recharge, 
The Athan’s call, invitation for the humanity,
A divine moment when the soul transcends time.

And, the world slides behind our back, all the noise subsides,
In the stillness, the soul’s yearning resides,
For in this moment, the heart does know,
The essence of what it means to truly love,

In prostration, we humbly bow,
The self and pride, we wave off,
A whispered prayer, a silent plea,
In this form, our spirits are set free.

It’s not just rituals or prayers we recite,
But a journey of surrender,
To submit to the most loving, the most compassionate,
In Sujood’s shadow, we answer the call,

To release the grip of anxiety,
To submit to the Almighty’s plan, to understand that,
Submission is freedom, anxiety’s nemesis,
Located right in the center of the oasis.

In the storm’s outrage or the wind’s delight,
At times, we heal in the gloomiest sight
In a world where chaos takes its toll,
Having faith is like holding onto a burning coal,

Fragile hearts, so vulnerable, yet invisible,
The safest space, closer to the Creator,
The one we fear and love the most,
Because you fear the one you love most,

In the depths of prayer we find safety,
The fragrance of earth and the tears we shed,
As we supplicate, our souls are fed,
To be a Muslim is to plant a seed,
Hope and love to all in need.