Dear Allah

“Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,

The Beneficent, the Merciful.

Owner of the Day of Judgement,

Thee (alone) we worship;

Thee (alone) we ask for help.

Show us the straight path,

The path of those whom Thou hast favoured.

Not (the path) of those who earn Thine anger

Nor of those who go astray.”

This we said to you, oh Great One, in the Quran

So many years ago.

But Lord your flocks are fleeing from your fields.

We need your Sheepdog to round them up in their confusion.

They do not see you are a God of many names,

“God” being one of them.

Over the ages you have been Zeus, Jupiter, Odin, Mother Earth, Jehovah, God, Allah

And many others.

But always you were The One True One,

Beneficent and Loving.

All men (and women) are equal in your eyes.

All Life to be cherished and preserved.

Thou shalt not kill

Is what you said.

So Allah now’s the time

To correct your children:

Breathe into them

The essence of your thoughts.

Enter their minds as The Holy Ghost,

So many Scrooges there:

Enlighten them

To know what is really Good

And rediscover what it is

To Love.

Amen.

Paul Butters