The poem of Abdullah ibn Mubarak to Al-Fudhayl bin Ayyaadh (who was a great scholar from the salaf)

in which he disapproved of his settling in the vicinity of Makkah and neglecting Jihaad.

[Listen]

‘O Worshipper of the 2 Holy Mosques. If only you could see us,

you would know that you are merely playing with your worship.

Whoever is dying his neck with tears (out of fear of Allah)

Should know our throats are being dyed with our blood.

Or he who tires his horse in falsehood

Our horses are fatigued on the ‘day of adversity’.

The scent of perfume is for you, but for us, our perfume is

The dust of our horses hooves and the more pleasant dust.

From our Prophet came a statement that is true and cannot be denied.

The dust from a horse in the path of Allah that enters the nose of its rider

Cannot come together with the smoke of the Blazing Fire (of Hell)

This is the Book of Allah that speaks the truth before us,

The Martyr is not dead, and this cannot be denied’