Down from Heaven

The imams say that the Christians will be chastised

   by Allah on the Day of Judgment

for preaching that the prophet Jesus

—peace be upon him—is Allah in human form.

I say that the Christians err only in saying

that the prophet Jesus alone

is the incarnation of Allah.

For if all this wide world is illusion

except for the Beloved,

then every child is sent from Allah, and is Allah.

For only in Him do we have any ground to stand on

any reality to boast of

any substance one can touch.

There is no light in our eyes but His.

There is no nose to scrunch that is not, ultimately, His nose.

There is no giggle or cry that is not an expression of His Voice.

There is no sin in saying,

“This baby has come down from Heaven,”

for truly, what child hasn’t?