SUFI POETRY IN SOMALI

8.5 •

in the centre of the Sacred Mosque in

Mec~a. This memorable Call took place when

the Muslims seized Mecca. The famous ex-

pression which found its way into the every-

day speech of many languages spoken by Muslims

ADHDHIN YA BILAL '0 BILAL, call for the

prayer! 'was declared by the Prophet at that

daj. The Call for prayer begins with the words:

ALLAHU AKBAR 'God is most great!'
Lines 68-78. The poet alludes to the various battles which

the Muslims fought against the unbelievers

who rejected Islam. The most important of

those battles were the ones which had been
fought during the life of the Prophet.
Lines 79-8~. The poet expounds the decree which has been

given to the believers to chant the Holy

Line 143.

Quran. As a result, the poet becomes

devoted to the recitation of the Quran which

he begins with the SURATU lL-BAQARAH. This

Sura is reckoned to be the second Sura pre-

ceded by SURATU 'L-FATII;IAH with wh~ch thy

poet ends his recitation.

This is an allusion to the Divine Light which

is believed to radiate around those who

involve themselves in the chanting of the Quran

during the night. The poet warns not to con-

fuse this divine radiance with burning grass.

The Quran alludes to this miraculous manifest-

ation: 'God is the light of heavens and earth.'

(Quran XXIV, 35).