Moses And The Saint (Sonnet 6), read by Mohammed Anthony Whelbourne


“Abdal Hayy Moore – rahim’ulah was – and is  – a treasure trove: and a life-affirming gentleman.  Out of the three quarters of a century that he was traversing this planet, I’ve only had the blessing of knowing him for the past four years, as a mentee, in a collective of poets. So I feel a bit diffident in contributing to this memorial, as there will people who knew him much more intimately then I. We wish a world of love to Malika and his children, and his family.

“In our sessions with him he would often say to us that we should avoid platitudes and write with more latitude, and so out of respect for him and his family I don’t wish to fall into a platitude here but by Allah, Abdal Hayy touched my life indelibly in time I knew him. During the past few years, he has been a mentor, a critical friend, a tutor, a counselor, an antidepressant, a sage, and a surrogate elder relative. Whenever I meet people like Abdal Hayy, I feel like I found my tribe.  His poetry makes Islam feel like a ceremonious homecoming, he has made a massive cultural contribution to our community, and he has shown us a way.  We love this man deeply, by Allah.”

Mohammed Anthony Whelbourne

 

Throughout Ramadan, SeekersGuidance is paying tribute to the late Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore, one of the most prolific and skillful poets of our time. Each day, a selection from Ramadan Sonnets will be read by a friend and loved one. To contribute, please email us. 

See also Sidi Haroon Michael Sugich’s moving tribute to Abdal-Hayy on the SeekersGuidance blog.