To be Muslim, we must believe
In the One God, His prophets, His last prophet.
We must pray, feed the poor, fast,
And make sacred our pilgrimage.

But this is not all.
We must be clean, at all times,
As when we come before our God.
We must be modest in our dress, both
Woman and man.
We must speak gently, not too loud,
And not walk proudly upon this earth
For one day we will meet our God.
This is the Prophets example.

We must care for our parents, and
Families; we must love our spouse, be true
To her or him, and bring up our children
In tender knowing of right and wrong.

But this is not all:
We must be honest in all our dealings:
Of business or home or work.
We must be honest with all, with
Muslims and non-Muslims.

It is not enough to pray and fast
And read the Holy Book; this is
Not all the Prophet taught; though he
Spent his night cloaked in prayer, in
His day, he changed the world.

So this is not all; we
Must also do good works,
Seek knowledge, teach, change,
Change the small
Part that is our world.

We must care for our communities:
For their welfare, their health
And cleanliness; we must strive to
Be upright, aim high in all things,
Especially in giving.

Revelation must come to us
Just as it came to him. We
Must struggle and strive
And learn the patience of
His vision. To find God,
You must first find yourself.

No matter what people say or do
You must act kindly, act with patience,
Your words must bring a smile,
Your bearing must be gentle.

If you practise Islam, you
You will eat and drink
In moderation. Bowing
In prayer will keep you humble,
Even supple; your fasting
Will purify you inside.
Your charity will make you
Strong. Your pilgrimage (all
Life long) will bring you
Peace.

And all of this will
Make you smile, will
Bring release from the
Long days toil and
The nights care, will
Make you sweet
In His image.

And one last thing: if you
Truly believe, you must
Know: He knows you: there
Is no hiding, no deceiving, He knows
Why you do what you do:
Your deepest motive, your
Most hidden thought. His gaze
Holds not only time and space
But all the depth behind
Your face. To answer
Him, you must answer first
Yourself.

So outer faith is not enough:
We must be pure inside:
Our deepest heart
Must pulse with love
For our Creator, and
His creatures: this
Is the longest, hardest
Pilgrimage:

The souls journey
To itself. Through sin, through
The darkness, endless depth, over
Sea and desert sand
To where it all began:
Footsteps of archangel,
Voice of God to man.

Our only faith
Is the faith that fills
Our words and actions
In the love of sister, brother.
Our only light
Is the Light of God.
No other.