This poem recounts the bond of love between Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and his daughter Fatimah.

The time for the second ascent ¹The first ascent of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) to heaven was during the night journey which first took him from Mecca to Jerusalem and then on to the heavens. The second ascent represents the final journey to heaven upon the Prophet’s death. See:  Qur’an (17:1) LIMITLESS in His glory is He who transported His servant by night from the Inviolable House of Worship [at Mecca] to the Remote House of Worship [at Jerusalem] - the environs of which We had blessed  -so that We might show him some of Our symbols: for, verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-seeing. Translation: Muhammad Asad. had come,
She ²This is a reference to Fatima Al Zahraa, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad and the most beloved of women to him.  See, Jami at-Tirmidhi 3868 (Book 49, Hadith 268) #29530 Narrated Buraidah: "The most beloved of women to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was Fatimah and from the men was 'Ali."  cried as he so confided ³This describes the scene where Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) told his daughter Fatima of his impending death, causing her to cry and then told her that she would be the first of his family to follow, causing her to laugh.

Then, drawing her near to him one last time,
The tears were dislodged by laughter ⁴Jami at-Tirmidhi 3872 (Book 49, Hadith 272) #29534 Narrated 'Aishah: "I have not seen anyone closer in conduct, way, and manners to that of the Messenger of Allah in regards to standing and sitting, than Fatimah the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)." She said, "Whenever she would enter upon the Prophet (ﷺ), he would stand for her and kiss her, and he would seat her in his sitting place. Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) entered upon her, she would stand from her seat,  and kiss him and seat him in her sitting place. So when the Prophet (ﷺ) fell sick, and Fatimah entered, she bent over and kissed him. Then she lifted her head and cried, then she bent over him and she lifted her head and laughed. So I said: 'I used to think that this one was from the most intelligent of our women, but she is really just one of the women'. So when the Prophet (ﷺ) died, I said to her: 'Do you remember when you bent over the Prophet (ﷺ) and you lifted your head and cried, then you bent over him, then you lifted your head and laughed. What caused you to do that?' She said: 'Then, I would be the one who spreads the secrets. He (ﷺ) told me that he was to die from his illness, so I cried. Then he told me that I would be the quickest of his family to meet up with him. So that is when I laughed'."

Others looked on, in vain, trying to decipher
A secret exchanged between father and daughter

That she would be the first to follow,
In ascending the stairway to the highest assembly.

With his last breath, whispering the promise of eternal life,
As the sunset implausibly announces the onset of daybreak

Of their sons they boasted with arrogance,
Taunting ⁵The meaning of the name Muhammad is “the Praiseworthy” the Praiseworthy for being, of his, bereaved ⁶When Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) lost his infant son Ibrahim, his enemies taunted him by saying that he will be cut off and that his name will be forgotten with his death because he has no boys to carry forward his name.

But the One full of majesty and glory,
For posterity announced ⁷To silence the enemies of the Prophet, Allah revealed Chapter 108, Al Kawthar.  This chapter of the Qur’an informs the Prophet that instead of being cut off, because he has no sons, he was being given abundance (“al kawthar”).  One interpretation of this chapter is that Al Kawthar is a reference to the Prophet’s daughter, Fatima Al Zahraa.  Following that interpretation,  the Prophet’s name will live on with the message and with Fatima’s progeny.  See, Qur’an, Chapter 108: “We have truly given abundance to you [Prophet].  so pray to your Lord and make your sacrifice to Him alone.  it is the one who hates you who has been cut off.”  Translation: Muhammad Abdel Haleem.

That it is in the gift of a daughter,
Thence, pride ought to be sought and found

With her birth, abundance he was given,
Cascading through the ages, like a river through a garden

A river cleansing all that abords it, like prayers
Cleansing the sin of a pious errant

Fatima, your attribute is interchangeable with a river in paradise!⁸A common, and competing, interpretation of the noun “al-Kawthar” (literally, “abundance”) is that it is the name of a river in paradise. See, Sunan Abi Dawud 784 (Book 2, Hadith 394) #21075 Anas b. Malik said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: A surah has just been revealed to me. He then recited:"In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Lo! We have given thee Abundance" until he finished it. Then he asked: Do you know what Abundance (al-Kawthar) is? They replied: Allah and His Apostle know it better. He said: It is a river of which my Lord, the Exalted, the Majestic has promised me to give in Paradise.
Your progeny filling the world with light

Enrobe us with the armor you were given on your wedding night,⁹As part of the marriage contract, the groom is to provide the bride with a gift of value, known as “mahr”.  When Ali married Fatimah, he did not have anything to give her so the Prophet suggested that Ali should give her his armor.  See, Sunan an-Nasai 3376 (Book 26, Hadith 181) #17988 It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said: "When Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, married Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him: 'Give her something.' He said: 'I do not have anything.' He said: 'Where is your (Hutami) armor?'"
To deflect assailants of the heart

Other poems by Salah Dandan:  Spiritual Distancing, The Beloved Family.