The Woman with Muhammad: poetry and spokenword

Original poems read by Tamam Kahn recorded live at CIIS (California Institute of Integral Studies), December, 2005

Coleman Barks has written about Tamam’s efforts, “Finally we get to meeet the First Women of Islam!” All spokenword beats are courtesy of DJ Solomon. Some poems are accompanied with music by Shabda Kahn and Irina Mikhailova. Recorded by Shabda Kahn, and mixed by Al Shabda Owens. Photo and artwork by Shabda. ©completeword productions, 2008.

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Media type: CD

                                              

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Hafsa’s Qu’ran

 Marwan, governor of Medina… sent a courier to Hafsa

asking for the folios but she refused him…

                                                            hadith from Anas ibn Malik

 

Tell The Governor I say no,
I don’t accept command or bribe
I do not vacillate
and you can leave, now go.

 

I am the Prophet’s librarian.  And this
is the book: al-Kitab. The only set
of Abu Bakr’s folios, first copy of God’s kiss.
Its ink still hums against my very skin.

 

The Mother Who Reads, the Prophet’s librarian,
how blessed I am by al-Kitab,
which, after the last companion’s gone
may wash believers in the Word-of-God

 

Arabic, a printed alembic architecture of light
recorded on palm stalk, on camel’s
shoulder-bone, or held in memory;
copied to parchment then, and
swaddled with a length of green cloth, first

 

Qu’ran passed from my father
down to Uthman, then to me. Between the leaves
is Revelation. How can someone like you understand,
Marwan? You set yourself to be the one

 

to grab and shred and burn
this first Qu’ran (may copies rise and multiply),
as soon as I am shrouded in clean cloth
and lowered into earth.