Dust Is My Bed

In the name of Allah, Lord of this World and the Hereafter.

Today after Maghrib prayer, my roommate received a call from his parents. It was a sad news. Goodbyes are always sad, no matter to whom and when it happens. Especially when it involves eternal goodbye. Yes, my roommate's grandma just passed away. Innaa lillaah wa innaa ilaihi raaji'uun.


This reminds me of an Arabic song I have been listening to for the past two days. I put the song on repeat mode and it was the only song I have been listening to. I have no idea why - I didn't fully understanding the lyrics - yet the song makes my heart trembles in fear and melancholic whenever I listen to it. Surprisingly, I didn't bother to look for its lyrics because I can guess what the song is about. When dust becomes your bed, what else can you think of?

And today when I heard the news about my roommate's grandma, I just had this urge to look for the song's lyrics. My heart trembles even more looking at the lyric. Fear of Death and Allah, rush into my heart I almost burst into tears. It reminds me that the life of this world is but for a short time and not permanent. Our final abode is the Hereafter, after all.

It is a song by Mishary Al-Aradha, titled Farshi al-Turab or Dust Is My Bed.

Here is the Arabic lyric of the song:

فرشي التراب يضمني وهو غطائي
حولي الرمال تلفني بل من ورائي
واللحد يحكي ظلمة فيها ابتلائي
والنور خط كتابه أنسى لقائي
والأهل اين حنانهم باعوا وفائي
والصحب اين جموعهم تركوا اخائي
والمال اين هناءه صار ورائي
والاسم اين بريقه بين الثناءِ
هذي نهاية حالي فرشي الترابِ
والحب ودّع شوقه وبكى رثائي
والدمع جف مسيره بعد البكاء
والكون ضاق بوسعه ضاقت فضائي
فاللحد صار بجثتي أرضي سمائي
هذي نهاية حالي فرشي الترابِ
والخوف يملأ غربتي والحزن دائي
أرجو الثبات وإنه قسما دوائي
والرب أدعو مخلصا أنت رجائي
أبغي إلهي جنة فيها هنائي


And here is the English translation:

Dust is my bed, embracing me, and is my cover
The sands are around me, engulfing me from all directions
And the tomb recounts [the story of] the darkness of my calamity
And the light has destined that my pleasure is in meeting [Allah].

Where is the kindness of kin? They relinquished fidelity!
Where are the scores of friends? They dispensed with my brotherhood!
Where is the bliss of money? I left it behind
And where is the glory of fame and compliments?
That’s my end; dust is my bed.

The beloved bade farewell to his love, and cried my elegy
The tears flow dried out, after crying
The vast universe shrank, narrowing my space
The tomb to my corpse became both my land and my sky
That’s my end; dust is my bed.

Fear overwhelms my estrangement and sadness is my ailment
Hoping for steadfastness, which is – I swear – my remedy
Sincerely supplicating to the Lord; You are my Hope
Hoping – O Allah – for a Paradise, in which my Bliss shall be attained.


Try listening to this song, I hope you can feel as how I feel when I listen to it.

"Every soul shall have a taste of Death; and only on the Day of Judgement shall you be paid your full recompense ... for life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception."

[Ali 'Imran, QS 3:185]

"O Allah! I seek refuge in Thee from the deception of this world and I beseech Thy Mercy to grant me with Bliss and help me to live my life as a true Muslim, and have a good end."