The Surah of Trust

وَالسَّاعَةِ قَبْلَ الفَجْرِ، حِينَ تَنْسَى المَدِينَةُ التَّمْثِيلَ.

By the hour before dawn, when the city forgets to perform.

وَالنَّفَسِ الَّذِي مَا زَالَ لَكَ.

By the breath that is still yours.

وَالأُجْرَةِ الَّتِي تَأْتِي كَسُؤَالٍ.

By the wage that arrives like a question.

الرِّزْقُ لَيْسَ بُرْهَانًا.

Provision is not proof.

وَالرَّاتِبُ لَيْسَ خَلَاصًا.

Salary is not salvation.

فَلَا تَرْكَعْ لِلرَّقَمِ.

Do not kneel to the number.

خُذِ العَقْدَ بِيَدِكَ،

Take the contract in your hand,

وَلَا تُوَقِّعْ قَلْبَكَ.

but keep your heart un-signed.

أَحْسِنِ العَمَلَ،

Do the work cleanly,

ثُمَّ دَعْهُ حَيْثُ يَنْبَغِي.

then leave it where it belongs.

وَاجْعَلْ لِلصَّمْتِ نَصِيبًا.

Give a portion to silence.

وَاجْعَلْ لِلْحُبِّ نَصِيبًا.

Give a portion to love.

وَاجْعَلْ لِلْكَاتِبِ فِيكَ نَصِيبًا، الَّذِي يَكْتُبُ بِلا إِذْنٍ.

Give a portion to the part of you that writes without asking permission.

وَإِنْ تَمَزَّقَ يَوْمُكَ فَسَمِّهِ انْقِطَاعًا لَا فَشَلًا.

If your day tears, call it rupture, not failure.

سَمِّ الفَجْوَةَ.

Name the gap.

وَأَصْلِحْ مَا يُصْلَحُ.

Heal what can be healed.

وَاحْمِلْ مَا لَا بُدَّ مِنْ حَمْلِهِ.

Carry what must be carried.

هَذِهِ هِيَ الأَمَانَةُ:

This is the Trust:

أَنَّ رِقَّتَكَ لَا تُشْتَرَى،

that your tenderness is not bought,

وَأَنَّ حُضُورَكَ لَا يُسْتَأْجَرُ،

that your presence is not outsourced,

وَأَنَّ الحُبَّ لَا يُسْتَعْمَرُ.

that love stays uncolonised.