The Ant

An ant once carried a grain of salt,
And felt accomplished in his achievement.
Till one day when realization dawned,
That the Master he served
Needed not his obedience,
Nor was He harmed by his disobedience.
Humbled by this reality and strengthened,
The next day he carried a melon seed.

As he journeyed his way,
With a load he had thought impossible to bear,
He came upon wisdom carved on a mountain side
Of the worthy traits:
Truthfulness, moderation and a good disposition,
With thirst for beneficial knowledge,
And equal strength in hardship and pleasure.
Unwavering in convictions, with his passions slain;
The traveler helps neither to reciprocate nor seek favour.
He doesn’t harm his enemy, or sin for his friend,
Accepting his faults, not forgetting, neglecting or slandering;
Abandoning both, the cloaks of deep gloom and excess joy.
He is neither impressed nor pleased by praises sung of him;
And seeks the help of his Lord in this test;
Causing the satan within himself to submit at his hand.
The ant took this advice as his creed,
And when he left, the mountain followed him.

As he went, he shed the layers of this world;
And saw heaven and hell, real before his eyes,
And he looked to the sky and proclaimed:
“Al jannatu haqq! Wan-naaru haqq!”
And his wants decreased as his wishes diminished;
All other than the Master lost its significance.
In the day he served the creatures;
And at night would seek cures in the Book;
Help for his impressionable heart,
Which was weak enough to glow from mere flattery.
Then when the day came again,
He went on his way, reconciling his deeds with his words
And the world became as salt-less food.

Were it not for the fact that his days on earth are fixed
He would escape it at a moment,
To reunite with his Lord.
But he lives on, this ant,
Pleading not to be left to his self,
Even for the blink of an eye,
Now bearing the world
Upon his lean, firm back.



Inspired by: The Sermon of the Pious