To My Beloved Khalifa

Mahrukh Arif-Tayyeb, UK

To my beloved Khalifa,

I want to call you my Father
But I do not feel worthy

I want to fill your heart with pride
But I do not feel worthy

‘Fulfill the rights of God and Mankind’ he says
‘Be kind to your parents and honour the rights of your spouses’ he says

Be just and truthful he says
Be humble and patient he says

Be loving and forgiving he says
Be soft and determined he says

Every word he utters feels holy
Every deed of his feels saintly

My Beloved possesses such Beauty
that gives you a glimpse of the Almighty

My Beloved’s jewel is his Taqwah
And profound bound with Allah

My Beloved beholds such compassion
That can heal the World from affliction

My Beloved is a beautiful reflection
Of Allah’s most loved Prophet (saw) and companion

Thus tonight, I feel like writing these meager lines
Silently wishing in my heart I could call you mine

And pray the Master of this World and the Hereafter
To make me a better believer

So one day my meaningless being

May be worthy of being
called your daughter

About the Author: Mahrukh Arif-Tayyeb is a French Muslim currently living in the UK. She holds a Masters degree from Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales – a prestigious School of Social Sciences in Paris. She has previously worked as a journalist for a French newspaper.