Sayyid Qutb: Brother, you are free behind these gates

Let me share a post that a dear friend posted on social media:

There are so many innocent fellow Muslims imprisoned for their Islamic views and stance globally (e.g Bangladesh, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE).  I wish we could hear what they are thinking. I just came across a poem that Sayyid Qutb wrote when he was in prison. I get emotional listening to it, knowing that a man of such high intellect was allowed to be hanged by the Egyptians. 

أخــي أنت حــرٌ وراء السـدود

أخــي أنت حـــرٌ بتلك القيود

My brother, you are free behind these gates.

My brother, you are free within these chains.

إذا كـنـت بالله مستعـصـــما

فمــــاذا يضيرك كيـد العبيـد

For if upon Allah you do rely,

The intrigues of his slaves can bring no pains.

أخــــي ستبيد جيوش الظـلام

ويشــــرق في الكون فجر جديد

My brother, the armies of darkness will be extinguished.

And a new dawn will shine in the universe.

فــأطلق لروحــك إشراقــها

تـرى الفـجر يرمـقـنا من بعـيد

So then ignite your soul with it’s rays.

See the dawn consume us from afar

أخــــي قد أصابك سهـم ذليل

وغـــدرا رمـاك ذراعٌ كـليـل

My brother, you have been hit by a lowly arrow

And the blunted arm shot treacherously at you

ستُبترُ يــومـا فصـبـر جـميل

ولم يَـدْمَ بعـدُ عريـنُ الأســود

It will be severed one day, So be excellent in patience

And no longer is there the den of the lions

أخـي قد سرت مـن يديـك الدماء

أبت أن تُشـــلّ بقيـد الإمــاء

My brother, blood flowed from your hands

They refused to be paralyzed by the fetters of slave girls

ستـرفعُ قُــربـانهـا للسمــاء

مـخـضـبة بدمـاء الخـلــود

They will raise their sacrifice to the heavens

Stained with the blood of the undying

أخـي هل تُـراك سئـمـت الكفاح

وألقـيت عن كاهـليك الســلاح

My brother, it appears you have given up the fight

and cast off the weapons

فمن للضحـأيـا يواسـي الجـراح

ويرفـع رايـاتها مـن جـديــد

so who will console the wounded victims

and raise up the flag anew.

أخـي هـل سمـعت أنـين التراب

تـدُكّ حَصـاه جيـوشُ الخــراب

My brother, did you hear the moaning of the soil

The armies of destruction tramples its pebbles

تُـمَـزقُ أحشـاءه بالحـــراب

وتصـفـعـهُ وهو صلـب عنيـد

Its entrails are torn by spears

And slap it, and it is solid, stubborn

أخـي إنـني اليـوم صـلب المراس

أدُك صخـور الجبـال الـــرواس

My brother, verily this day I am strong in my resolve

I could dig through the root of the mountains

غـدا سأشـيح بفـأس الخــلاص

رءوس الأفــاعي إلى أن تـبــيد

Tomorrow I will chop with my axe and finish

the heads of the snakes into oblivion

أخـي إن ذرفـت علـىّ الدمـوع

وبللّـت قـبري بهـا في خشــوع

My brother, if you shed a tear for me

and moisten my grave with sincerity

فأوقد لهـم من رفـاتي الشمــوع

وسـيروا بهـا نحـو مجـد تلــيد

then kindle a light from my remains

and tread a path to the glorious revival

أخـي إن نمُـتْ نـلـقَ أحـبابـنا

فــروْضـاتُ ربي أعــدت لـنا

My brother, if we die we will meet our beloved ones

then we will have gardens that our Lord has prepared for us

وأطـيـارُها رفـرفـت حـولـنا

فـطوبى لـنا في ديـار الخـلــود

and the birds will fly around us therein

and we will have eternal dwellings

أخــي إنـني ما سـئمت الكفاح

ولا أنـا أقـيـت عـني السـلاح

My brother, verily I did not tire of the fight

And I did not cast off the weapons

وإن طـوقتـني جيـوشُ الظــلام

فإني عـلى ثـقـة … بالصـبـاح

And if the armies of darkness surround me

then I have confidence in the morn

وإني عـلى ثقـة مـن طـريقــي

إلى الله رب السـنـا والشــروق

And I am confident in my path

To God the Lord of Sublimity and Radiance

فإن عـافـني السَّـوقُ أو عَـقّـنِي

فـإني أمـين لعـهـدي الوثـيـق

If the vulgars loathed me or they are ungrateful to me

Then I am honest to my solid promise

أخــي أخــذوك عـلى إثـرنا

وفـوج على إثر فـجـرٍ جـديـد

My brother, they took you following us

And a new throng follows another throng

فـإن أنـــا مُـتّ فـإني شـهيد

وأنت ستمـضي بـنـصر مجـيـد

Then if I die, I have become a martyr

and you are on your way to a glorious victory

قـد اختـارنا الله ف دعــــوته

وإنا سـنـمـضي عـلى سُـنـته

God has chosen us in His call

And we continue in His tradition

فـمــنا الـذين قــضوا نحبهم

ومـنا الحـفـيـظ عـلى ذِمـتـه

There are those among us who died

And there are those among us who are the protectors of His covenant

أخـي فامـض لا تلتـفـت للوراء

طريقـك قد خـضبته الدمـــاء

My brother, proceed and do not turn back

Your road has been stained by blood

ولا تـلـتـفت هـهنا أو هـنـاك

ولا تـتـطلع لـغـيـر السـمـاء

And do not turn around here or there

And do not look at anything except to the heavens

فـلسـنا بطـير مهـيض الجنـاح

ولن نستـذل .. ولن نسـتـبـاح

We are not birds whose wings are broken

We shall not be humiliated and we shall not be violated

وإنـي لأسمـع صـوت الدمــاء

قـويا ينـادي الكـفـاحَ الكفـاح

And I hear the Voice of Blood

Calling powerfully: fight, fight

سـأثـــأرُ لكـن لـربٍ وديـن

وأمـضي عـلى سـنـتي في يقـين

I will revenge, but my revenge will be for a Lord and a religion

And I will proceed in my manner of certitude

فـإما إلى النـصـر فـوق الأنـام

وإمـا إلى الله في الـخــالـديـن

Either to victory over the world

Or to God among the eternal inhabitants