BY THAT TIME
Part Two of
“When Life Begins”
The Story of an Infidel Girl
Author
Abu Yahya
Translation
Abu Masroor
Inzaar Publications
A not-for-profit Organisation
www.inzaar.org
www.inzaar.pk
Book Title: By That Time
Published by: Inzaar Publications, 2021
www.inzaar.org
Copyright © 2021 Inzaar Publications
Abu Yahya asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of the original
work.
English language translation © 2021 Inzaar Publications
Abu Masroor asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this
English translation.
First published by Inzaar Publications, Pakistan.
ISBN: 978-969-9807-21-3
All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not,
by way of trade, be resold, lent, hired out or otherwise circulated without the
express prior written consent of the Publisher.
To Order: Please contact Inzaar Publications at:
Email: abuyahya267@gmail.com
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For details of other booksellers, please visit our website.
Dedicated to the
Steadfast Messengers
Of God
Especially the
Matchless personality of
The last Prophet and Messenger
of God PBUH
I have travelled round the globe
Fell in traps of beauties galore
I have seen a lot of pretty ones
But you, so different, something else.
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This page before Printing.
As for those who strive in Our way,
We will certainly take them onto Our
paths.
And indeed God is with those who are
good in deeds.
(Al-Ankaboot, 29:69)
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Contents
Translator’s Preface
1
Second Onslaught – Preface
3
Chapter 1 - Infidel’s Prayer
6
Chapter 2 - Disgrace of Nudity
31
Chapter 3 - Death of Freud
45
Chapter 4 - By That Time
66
Chapter 5 - First Doomsday
78
Chapter 6 - Tall Men and Tempest
96
Chapter 7 - First Murder
118
Chapter 8 - Stone Carvers and Stone Hearted
129
Chapter 9 - Dust and Ashes
145
Chapter 10 – Three Injustices
157
Chapter 11 - Price of Truth
172
Chapter 12 - Last Miracle
197
Chapter 13 - Who’d Be Like You?
220
Last Words – Epilogue
248
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Translator’s Preface
In the name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
All praise belongs to God, Lord of all the worlds. It is a definite manifestation
of his infinite mercy and beneficence that he bestowed upon this weak and
humble servant the honour of translating this book to spread his message.
“By That Time” is in your hands. Thank you for choosing it. It will hopefully
impact and change your life in so many ways, God willing.
Abu Yahya is a magician with words. His pen creates poetry in prose form.
The expressions and words are so marvellously bejewelled in his writings that
they stir the soul, move the spirit and lead one to a state of ecstasy one
wishes not to come out of. However, to translate such prose into English, and
that too by a mere mortal like me, is a daunting task that makes me tremble.
I hope I have done justice to the outstanding text of his original work. If I
have failed in doing so, the fault is entirely mine, and I accept it.
I was also associated with the English translation of Abu Yahya’s first book,
“Jub Zindagi Shuru Ho Gee”. It was a challenging task for many reasons.
However, results justified the effort. The English translation, “When Life
Begins”, was very well received. Adopted as a textbook in Islamic schools in
many English-speaking countries, it is now being translated into Arabic. I
hope this translation of Abu Yahya’s seminal and significant work and sequel
to “When Life Begins” will also reach the same level of acceptability, if it is
God’s will.
Translation is not a forum to impress readers with penmanship or vocabulary.
It is to convey the author’s message as exactly as possible. The key to
effectively conveying that message is to know who the message is for. Abu
Yahya’s Foreword indicates it is primarily for the young, and as such, the
language used should be acceptable and attractive to them. Keeping that in
mind, I have tried to use simple and easy-to-understand language, having a
natural flow so that the readers can receive the message and enjoy reading it
without using dictionary. I hope simplification of the language and
1
eliminating unnecessary expressions and superfluous words have led to
better flow and readability of the original message.
Translation of “By that Time” was challenging for two reasons:
1. To come up with an acceptable English adaptation of an Urdu script, one
must forget about literal, word for word translation, and try to capture the
gist and spirit of the original work. I am using the word ‘adaptation’
cautiously and after due deliberation, as it is the only way to translate an
acceptable work without losing the message. In addition, several words and
expressions of Arabic and Urdu cannot be accurately translated into a single
English word. To overcome that, I have translated them with a combination
of English words that, when combined, better represent the spirit of the
originally used word.
2. Exact translation of text becomes all the more critical when it involves
chapters, verses and references from the Holy Quran. To keep English
translation close to the Urdu text, I have used four contemporary English
translations of the Glorious Quran, i.e., Ahmed Ali, Mufti Taqi Usmani,
Mustafa Khattab and MAS Abdul Haleem. As a precaution, I have not used
any words of my own to keep English translation of the Quranic text
authentic and accurate.
I am grateful to Abu Yahya for placing his confidence in my meagre and
flawed abilities and choosing me for the translation of this book. In closing, I
pray that our Lord and Master, God Almighty, bestows upon us the wisdom
to prepare for the Day of Judgement when we will be asked, “Where were
you when my religion called for your support in the decisive battle for its
survival?” We should certainly think long and hard about how would we
answer that question?
Abu Masroor
abumasroor01@gmail.com
October 23, 2021
17 Rabi’ I, 1443 AH
2
Preface
Second Onslaught
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Humanity, having passed through various phases, has now entered the
Information Age. Stewardship of humans during this phase is in the hands of
the West. Thus, languages, cultures, knowledge, philosophy, values, and
concepts of life and the universe of the West dominate the world today.
This dominance is a consequence of their second onslaught. The first
onslaught took place with the start of the Industrial Age. However, at that
time, it was political by nature. Socio-cultural effects of that domination were
restricted to the elite of the subjugated nations. Now that the world has
emerged as a truly global village, thanks to extraordinary advancements in
information technology, Western thoughts and civilisation are penetrating
deeper into all segments of society using Satellites, the Internet and SocialMedia. Our cultural frameworks, moral values and economies are in the line
of fire of this second onslaught of the West.
There is no doubt that our moral values and cultural structure became the
initial targets of this assault. However, the ultimate targets will be our
religion and beliefs. The fundamental truth that the Universe has a creator
who directly runs its affairs, he sends his prophets to convey his will to the
people, and one day he will generously reward those loyal to him and will
hold those who deny him accountable, are concepts that seem unbelievable
to people due to the influence of secular, agnostic and atheistic ideas on their
minds. For them, these beliefs are either a cultural phenomenon or personal
views of the religious-minded.
The beliefs about religion mentioned above are common in the modern
world. Still, they had not become apparent in our society due to the strong
religious grounding of the last two generations. The youth have started
questioning and raising doubts about traditionally held beliefs. If not
3
effectively answered, this state of doubt and rejection, hitherto confined to a
minority, will spread rapidly and become an issue affecting most youngsters.
Majority of the educated people in the next generation will consider God and
the Hereafter a cultural phenomenon rather than a living reality. As a student
of social sciences, in addition to religion, I understand social dynamics. I fully
comprehend the changes taking place in our society and also the ones to
follow. Now is the time to respond. Efforts made later will not work. It is the
right moment to save our younger generation. Based on these observations, I
had published a novel titled “When Life Begins” (“Jab Zindagi Shuru Ho Gee”,
the original title in Urdu) a few years ago. Almighty God bestowed immense
popularity on it, such as is accorded to few works.
I intended to present the Day of Judgement as a living reality in “When Life
Begins”. There is no need to provide detailed arguments in a novel, nor is it
possible. Nonetheless, it was an inherent weakness due to the genre of that
work. To remove that lacuna, I am presenting this sequel, or part two of
“When Life Begins” titled “By That Time” (Qasam Us Waqt Kee – original title
in Urdu). Praise the Lord; the finality of the Day of Judgement has been
proved in this book so conclusively that it leaves no room for denial. Indeed,
it is a miraculous task, impossible to accomplish for any human being. Praise
the Lord; he has himself accomplished this task in his Last Book, the Holy
Quran. This novel endeavours to present the same miracle of the Holy Quran
as the ultimate truth to the readers. As a humble servant of the Lord, I
believe that this very miracle of the Quran proves that ultimate truth in its
entirety and is the last word on the subject for every human being till the end
of time. Scholars have appreciated and described this miracle in books, yet
most Muslims are unaware of its importance. However, every one of them
has the responsibility to assimilate this miracle and help others understand it.
By presenting it in a story, God willing, this novel will help and augment that
task.
In this novel, in addition to offering the original reasoning presented by
Quran, I have also responded to objections on Islam originating from various
other perspectives. People have asked me to address those questions and
objections over the years. I know that every answer to those questions will
lead to a further objection. However, it is impossible to find flaws in the
arguments presented by the Quran since they are miraculous by nature, as
explained in chapter four of this book and onwards. Therefore, I intend to
discuss those arguments in this novel primarily. All other material has been
4
presented only to support the central theme. Those reasons can be found in
numerous places in the Holy Quran. However, I have chosen a short yet
comprehensive chapter of the Quran titled ‘Al-Asr’ (chapter 103) as the
foundation of this novel. The novel’s title, “By That Time”, is derived from the
chapter’s first verse, “Wal Asr”.
In today’s Information Age, instead of agnostic and atheistic concepts of
rejection of God and the Hereafter, cultural traditions, societal values and
media are being used to influence our younger generation. I have also
adopted a similar approach to answer those objections. Rather than an
academic discourse, I have addressed our young through this exciting story
based on emotions and feelings since our youth are generally wary of
religion.
The challenge of dealing with this second onslaught of the forces of atheism
is of such magnitude that, at the very least, a devoted media group should be
dedicated to thwarting it. Unfortunately, I do not have the resources for such
an undertaking. My only weapons are a feeble pen and flawed penmanship.
Nevertheless, in the name of truth and by using the literary genre of a novel,
my Davidic pen has taken a stand against the Goliathan forces of atheism. I
have gathered the courage to wage this disproportionate war alone with the
conviction that it is, in fact, God’s war. Whether others are with me in this
effort or not, Almighty Lord of the Universe is with me. If divine help is there,
support from anybody else is not required. However, it is imperative that for
once, all servants of the Lord, male and female alike, rise above their
prejudices, sectarian biases and other partisan loyalties and ask themselves
the question; how will I respond when Almighty God asks me on the Day of
Judgement, “Where were you when my religion called for your support in the
decisive battle for its survival?” If one does not have a stone for a heart, one
should certainly think long and hard about how would people reply to this
question. How will we answer this question?
Abu Yahya
abuyahya267@gmail.com
26th October 2012
5
Chapter 1
Infidel’s Prayer
I don’t know what grandpa sees in that idiot! Does he want my life to be also
ruined just like mama’s?”
Seething with anger and exasperation, those were Naima’s words when she
saw Fariah.
It was an unexpected welcome. As Fariah entered Naima’s room, she found
her sitting on the bed near the window and staring at the sky, lost in
thoughts. She had not even noticed her arrival and stayed as she was,
oblivious to her presence.
Fariah stood there for a while, observing Naima. One look at her face and she
knew Naima was going through a mental turmoil. Her expressions confirmed
that her silence was only a lull before the storm.
Fariah had already figured something was wrong even before she had
departed for Naima’s home. As soon as she returned from college, Naima
had phoned, asking her to come over right away. Initially, Fariah thought
Naima’s grandpa, Mr Ismail Hasan, was unwell as he was taken to the
hospital a few days ago and Naima was absent from the college due to his
sickness. However, Naima told her that he was fine but insisted on her
coming over right away. As such, Fariah came immediately after lunch. She
became all the more worried about Naima’s condition as she had neither
heard the door opening nor her footsteps.
Fariah was distressed to see her dear friend in such dire condition. They had
been best friends since childhood. Both had lived in the same neighbourhood
and had studied at the same school and college. She knew Naima in and out
and understood her behaviour and views well. She was aware that Naima
had lived a deprived life. However, she had always faced adversities
courageously. She had provided exemplary support to her mother during her
grandpa’s recent sickness. Her grandpa being the only man in the house,
there was no male member to help through his sickness. However, Naima
boldly dealt with the situation and looked after him quite well. Therefore,
6
when Fariah saw her strong-willed friend distressed, it was natural for her to
be concerned.
When Naima did not acknowledge Fariah’s presence even after some time,
Fariah lovingly stroked her head to announce her arrival:
“In whose thoughts is our philosopher beauty lost?”
Fariah wanted to start the conversation on a pleasant note to lighten Naima’s
mood but received a short, scathing, totally out of context reply. Who was
the idiot her grandpa had found, and what did it have to do with Naima’s
life? Fariah was perplexed. She sat next to her and, patting her gently on the
back, enquired:
“What’s the problem? Tell me what is it about so it makes sense to me.”
“I hope you know that a monster has sneaked into our home?” Naima said
with a frown. Fariah could still not get what was she talking about? So she
asked:
“Stop going around in circles! What are you talking about?”
Naima replied exasperatingly. “I am talking about the same monster who
tormented us perpetually during Grandpa’s illness last week.”
“Are you talking about Abdullah?” Fariah finally guessed who Naima was
referring to sarcastically. Naima nodded and continued in the same
contemptuous tone:
“Yes, I am referring to that fool. He stayed with Grandpa every night in the
hospital even though there was no need to. Just because he looked after
grandpa for a few days, grandpa has decided to hand me over to him as if I
am a domestic animal; and he has even convinced mama.”
Naima’s tone was laced with fury, hate and contempt.
“Ah… so that’s what it is about!” Fariah said. At last, she had understood the
reason for Naima’s foul mood. She tried to appease her.
“Naima, nobody can make a decision about your future against your will. I
know auntie and grandpa very well. They love you dearly, and they would
never make such a decision without your consent. Did your mum talk to you
about it?”
Naima nodded and replied:
7
“Yes, she asked me about him.”
“And what did you say”?
“I told her exactly what I have just told you.”
“What did she say then?”
“She kept quiet.”
“That settles the matter! She will let grandpa know and that will be the end
of it. Why are you so upset then?” Fariah enquired, somewhat surprised.
Since Naima did not answer, Fariah carried on with her viewpoint.
“By the way, Abdullah is not such a bad choice for a life partner that you feel
so offended even at the mention of his name. You told me once he was so
overwhelmed by your beauty he fainted when he saw you first?” Fariah tried
to lighten Naima’s mood, but there was no trace of a smile on her face.
Instead, she said in a sombre tone:
“He does not have a career or status, nor is he good looking. To top it all, his
religious babble! I was fed up of listening to him during grandpa’s illness.”
Naima’s words were soaked in contempt.
“Have some fear of God.” Fariah said seriously and continued:
“Abdullah has no status right now, but he has a bright career. He has
university degrees in Engineering and Finance, with distinction, and has a
decent job with good prospects for advancement. As for his appearance, I
know he does not have the looks of a movie star, nor would he stand out in a
crowd, but you will not be embarrassed in any way standing next to him. He
has average looks and appearance! Lastly, what you referred to as religious
babble were words of consolation for grandpa, auntie and you. What is
wrong with that?”
Instead of replying to Fariah’s opinion, Naima grabbed her first sentence
only:
“Which God should I fear? The same God who snatched my father from me in
my childhood? The one who has given me nothing but poverty and
deprivation throughout my life? Who made my mother a widow in her
youth?”
8
Naima’s words sounded like venom dipped arrows.
“Fariah, I am certainly not illiterate. I am a student of Psychology and
Philosophy. I have studied the works of great philosophers. Frivolous religious
fallacies do not fool me, nor do words of religious imposters like Abdullah.”
Naima’s face was flushed due to heightened emotions. She talked without a
pause.
“God will rectify everything. There is a benefit for us in all his actions, and he
loves his servants a lot.” She paused briefly, and continued again:
“What good has he done to me? Never mind me; what good has he done to
the rest of the world? There is gruelling poverty, extreme tyranny, a plethora
of diseases! It has never-ending class discrimination and unequal distribution
of wealth. No God rules this world, Madam! Only money rules! Wealth and
power run everything here. This is the reality of this world, the truth, the only
truth, and nothing else is. Everyone proves that it is the ultimate truth
through his actions but hides behind the veil of hypocrisy. I admit it openly as
I am not a hypocrite.”
Having listened to Naima’s outburst, Fariah became seriously concerned. It
was not the first time Naima had expressed such rebellious thoughts to her.
She had been protesting about her life and circumstances for quite some
time. However, since she had started studying philosophy and the works of
leading philosophers at the college, her rebellion had taken an ideological
shape. Yet, the tone and tenor of her outburst today was a first even for
Fariah. She tried to get away from the subject:
“OK, let’s not discuss this topic. We have argued about it several times.”
Naima interrupted her:
“And I have carried the day every time.”
“Not only me, many others, including grandpa, were also the target of your
bizarre views.” Fariah quipped.
“If you want to shy away from reality by calling my rational arguments
bizarre, you may do so. By the way, I left even grandpa speechless once.”
Naima mused.
“Oh yes, I remember that day quite well.” Fariah replied, laughing.
9
“After that, grandpa was so alarmed that he spent a large chunk of his
savings and took you and auntie to perform Umrah. He had probably hoped
that you would change after the pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah, but it
looks like you have taken a turn for the worse.”
“Well, I had no option but to go with them. Grandpa and mama told me that
they intended to go on pilgrimage and would not leave me behind on my
own. I was simply bored on the pilgrimage, and this trouble was hinged to us
there as well.”
Naima did not have to elaborate about the ‘trouble hinged to us’ on the
forced Umrah. Fariah knew that she was referring to Abdullah.
Naima launched another verbal assault in the same tone:
“Fariah, frankly speaking, don’t you think it is foolish to spend millions just to
see and touch a few stones? Shouldn’t that money be used to help the poor
instead?”
To substantiate, Naima, a walking-talking encyclopaedia, started providing
figures to prove that the money spent on Hajj and Umrah could be better
spent to solve problems of the needy. Fariah did not have an answer for
Naima’s arguments. Finally, to end the discussion, she said:
“I can never win an argument with you, Naima. All I know is that we perform
Umrah as ordained by God. All of us ought to be grateful for his blessings.
But, most of all, you should be grateful because….”
Fariah left her sentence unfinished, and holding Naima by the shoulders,
turned her to face the mirror on the wall. She continued:
“God blesses only one in a million with such a beautiful face and attractive
figure. At least, be grateful for that.”
Instead of being pleased with the compliment, Naima, chuckling sarcastically,
replied:
“My dear, mama was as beautiful in her youth as I am. Do you know what
happened to her? grandpa arranged her marriage to an honourable and
honest, yet poor man. I was barely ten months when he died of cancer,
suffering an agonising death in the prime of his life, leaving behind a young
widow. He did not leave anything for mama other than the stigma of being a
widow. Mama had to move back with grandpa. She never married again and
10
sacrificed her youth to raise me. It seems like grandpa wants to see an ‘action
replay’ of that tragedy, and you expect me to be grateful?”
“Fine! Don’t be grateful. Do as you wish.”
Her annoyed tone made Naima realise that Fariah was only trying to cheer
her up, and she was unnecessarily harsh in response. To compensate for her
rudeness, she said softly:
“I am sorry, Fariah! I was upset with mama and grandpa and took it out on
you.”
Fariah, seeing Naima’s stance softening, referred to her harsh words about
God:
“Never mind me, but you should be careful when you talk about God. He is
our creator, and we are his slaves.”
“Oh, come on… that is all rubbish!” Naima snapped back right away.
Seeing her go off the track again, Fariah tried to counsel her:
“My friend, I am neither as beautiful as you are nor as intelligent; in fact, I am
probably below average. I am engaged to an ordinary person. However, I am
very happy, much happier than you. It’s because happiness is not about what
we have in life; it is about being content with whatever we have. It is the key
to a successful life, and that, despite all your knowledge and intelligence, you
have failed to understand. You are beautiful and intelligent, yet, you have
turned these blessings into drawbacks due to your negative thinking.”
Naima did not respond to that. When Fariah saw that her words were making
the impact, she continued:
“You are way ahead in knowledge and education. You are always at the top
of the class. Not only are you beautiful, but God has also given you an
excellent personality and taste. Whoever meets you is impressed with your
appearance and style. You should be grateful to God for all these blessings.
Thanking God increases the blessings.”
“Blessings do not increase by thanking God, Fariah. Instead, they increase by
making use of opportunities.”
Naima rejected Fariah’s moral persuasion in two sentences of her
materialistic philosophy.
11
“And I have decided to make the most of the opportunities I have due to my
good fortune.”
Naima deliberately declared good fortune as her benefactor rather than God.
“I will marry where my future will be secure, in an affluent family with
mansions, cars, servants and a hefty bank balance, credit cards for shopping,
deep pockets for exotic holidays, and more.”
Naima closed her eyes as she spoke the last words. Perhaps she was already
imagining herself amongst all those luxuries in a world of fantasy.
===============
Naima’s view of Abdullah was not a surprise for Fariah. Abdullah had been
visiting Naima’s grandfather for the last few months and was introduced to
her small family of three not long ago, during their pilgrimage to Mecca for
Umrah. Grandpa had separated due to the rush of pilgrims. He had bumped
into Abdullah by chance, who had helped him reunite with his family. Fariah
had come to know about it from Naima when they returned.
On his return, grandpa remained in touch with Abdullah and invited him over
a few times. Fariah was not only Naima’s friend; she was more of a family
member. Therefore, she also came to know Abdullah quite well. Unlike
Naima, Fariah was religious. Like other young, she also had many questions in
her mind. At times, she joined grandpa’s discussions with Abdullah to seek
answers to those questions. In addition, Abdullah’s decency and personality
impressed her greatly. His sober tone, balanced conversation, modesty,
polished personality and dignified behaviour set him apart from other young
men. In addition, his knowledge, far more than his peers, endeared him to
everyone and made him all the more impressive. Fariah respected Abdullah
for those sterling qualities of head and heart. However, Naima’s views were
just the opposite. Being wary of religion, she had no interest in what Abdullah
had to say right from day one. In addition, an incident that took place in the
early part of their acquaintance made matters worse. Fariah was not only
present there but was also responsible for it to some extent. That incident
left a negative impression on Naima about Abdullah, and it worsened with
time. It happened when Kiran, a friend of Naima and Fariah, had come to
Naima’s house on a farewell visit.
===============
12
Kiran had made friends with Fariah and Naima during their college days. She
was primarily Naima’s friend as they held similar views. She had also come to
know Fariah through Naima. Kiran’s father was a professor of philosophy in a
local college. He was against religion and the religious-minded. Being his
daughter, Kiran also held similar views and expressed them proudly.
Naima did not have an issue with Kiran’s mindset, but Fariah did not like it.
Had the criticism been limited to misdeeds of religiously inclined, Fariah
would not have objected. However, Kiran was also against fundamental
religious beliefs, obligations and conduct. That upset Fariah.
Kiran moved to another college after grade 12, while Naima and Fariah
remained at the same institution. Fariah did not keep in touch with Kiran, but
Naima did, and they met occasionally.
One day, Naima told Fariah that Kiran and her family were migrating to
Europe. Kiran was coming over to bid farewell and had asked Fariah to join
them. So, Fariah had come over to say goodbye, chat and reminisce
memories of the good old days they had spent in the college.
Get-together was good as far as meeting an old friend was concerned, but it
was also quite disconcerting for Fariah for several reasons. Kiran’s dress was
as per the latest fashion trends, designed with all the usual mind-blowing
cuts and curves intended to attract and excite. However, it fell far short of
the Islamic dress code for women.
The situation became quite unbearable for Fariah right from the beginning
when Kiran started making fun of religion as usual. The conversation began
with Kiran praising the western way of life. After that, and for no reason, this
praise of the West turned into criticism of religion as she said:
“Oh, dear! West has managed to progress and prosper only after getting rid
of the concept of religion and God.”
“You are absolutely correct!” Naima agreed.
“I don’t know when our people will get rid of these outdated concepts. I
totally agree with the Western scholar who said that humanity would never
be fully liberated until it takes back the power and authority it has given to
God.”
13
As Kiran tried to portray freedom in addition to progress as a benefit of the
Godless way of life, Fariah could not take it anymore. She said:
“Come on, Kiran, what’s wrong with you? God is a living entity that
philosophical musings cannot negate.”
“Fariah! You are so naïve. Don’t you know that man created the concept of
God?”
Kiran tried to convince Fariah patronisingly. She followed it up with a couplet
to support her claim:
“After people had created God, O Niaz,
They cried out; we were created by God.”
Kiran had hardly finished when the doorbell rang. Fariah, as the gathering
was becoming unbearable for her, got up quickly, saying:
“Let me see who is at the door.”
Fariah opened the door and found Abdullah standing there. He smiled
pleasantly, as usual, and said in his typical, calm way:
“Assalam-O-Alaikum. Fariah, how are you?”
Without waiting for her reply, he mentioned the purpose of his visit:
“I want to meet Mr Hasan. Is he home?”
Mr Hasan was not home. Fariah knew that he had gone out with his daughter
and would not return before night. However, she wanted someone to give a
befitting reply to Kiran, and the person most capable of doing so was
standing right there. So, she was not going to let him return from the door.
With a gesture to come in, she said:
“Brother Abdullah, please come in and wait for him. He is not home but will
be back soon.”
Abdullah thought for a moment, then followed her to the living room. Seeing
him approaching, Naima quickly covered her head with her scarf. However,
Kiran maintained her usual posture. Fariah introduced him to Kiran:
“Kiran, He is brother Abdullah, and she is our ex-class fellow Kiran.”
14
She then spoke to Naima, who gawked at her with a mixed expression of
surprise and annoyance.
“Brother Abdullah has come to meet grandpa. He is not home, but I thought
we might as well have a cup of tea with him.”
Fariah paused for a moment and then mischievously addressed Naima with a
smile:
“Hey Naima, would you please be the gracious host and serve us tea?”
That irritated Naima even more. She was upset with Fariah for inviting
Abdullah when her mum and grandpa were not home, especially when Kiran
was there to meet them. However, out of courtesy, she could not say a word.
Reluctantly and visibly irritated, she headed towards the kitchen.
After Naima had left, Fariah sat on a sofa and said:
“Please take a seat, brother Abdullah.”
Abdullah sat down. Fariah introduced Abdullah in detail. Abdullah’s
education and professional profile were impressive. When Fariah had
finished, Kiran enthusiastically leaned towards Abdullah and said with a warm
smile:
“It is a pleasure to meet you.”
As Kiran leaned over, she was least bothered that her dress did not cover her
cleavage.
“I am pleased to meet you too!” Abdullah replied, looking at Kiran, but then
quickly lowered his gaze as soon as he realised her compromised posture.
After that, he did not look at her as long as he was there.
After a long pause, Fariah fired the opening salvo and said:
“Kiran, can you please repeat the couplet you had recited earlier?”
Kiran studied Abdullah for a second, perhaps to assess his calibre in case
there was a discussion. Abdullah’s lowered head encouraged her. She
confidently recited the couplet again. After she had finished, Fariah said to
Abdullah:
“Kiran believes that human progress is not possible without getting rid of the
concept of God.”
15
Kiran was so confident in her stance that without even listening to Abdullah,
she forged ahead:
“Religion was a way of explaining the existence of universe in the pre-modern
era. Now that scientific developments have unveiled physical laws that
govern the universe, there is no need to believe in any God.”
Kiran’s tone was full of confidence and superiority. Use of the term ‘pre
modern’ indicated that she was aware of the established intellectual position
on denial of God. Abdullah, whose knowledge of this intellectual and
philosophical position was much more than Kiran, listened to her calmly and
replied softly:
“Have you ever considered that the existence of physical laws does not mean
there is no God? On the contrary, it means that if there are laws, there must
be a lawmaker too. Is it not simply common sense?”
Abdullah’s reply baffled Kiran. It was apparent from her expression that she
wanted to give a befitting reply but could not think of one at that moment.
However, she had realised that the person facing her who she thought was a
simpleton was not all that naïve.
Abdullah continued after a pause:
“It is also the approach of Holy Quran. It repeatedly clarifies that order,
discipline and organisation of the universe are an outcome of the physical
laws they are based upon. These laws are so mutually diverse and divergent,
yet so amazingly in harmony with each other that, by working in concert,
they create a completely human-friendly and life-friendly life support system.
How is it possible without the involvement of a creator?”
Reference to Quran brought a frown on Kiran’s face. She replied:
“Please don’t refer to Quran at all. Like all holy books, there are many errors
in it as well.”
Fariah, having heard it from Kiran on many occasions earlier, added:
“Kiran claims that Quran has many grammatical and linguistic mistakes. That
is why it cannot be the word of God.”
Abdullah looked at Fariah, laughed and said:
16
“Well, Kiran does not even believe in God. As such, whether Quran is God’s
word or not should be of no concern to her. However, let me tell you whose
position it is. It is mainly the position of anti-Islamic orientalists who do
believe in God but do not consider the Quran to be a book of God. However,
their claims can be easily disproved in a couple of minutes.”
“How come”? Fariah asked keenly.
“To prove that Quran was not the word of God was important for the idol
worshippers of Arabia, being the first group the Quran was addressed to.
They were also the most qualified to do it, being experts of poetry and
literature in Arabic, their native language. They also had every motive to try
to do so as they were the worst enemies of Islam. Being foes, they used all
possible means to suppress Islam, but they never accused the Quran of
having grammatical or linguistic inaccuracies. Hence, if they could not find
any mistakes in Quran, how could those born hundreds of years later do so?
It would be like a native Urdu or Persian speaker learns English as a second
language and then claims he has found mistakes in the works of Shakespeare.
Or, if a native English speaker, having learnt Urdu through books, claims he
has found mistakes in the works of the great Urdu poet, Ghalib. Please bear
in mind that linguistic rules are born out of classical literature. To evaluate
classical literature as per those rules is, therefore, a wrong approach.
Inaccuracies orientalists claim to have discovered in the Quran may impress a
lay person, but they have neither impressed scholars having command of the
Quranic language in the past nor will they do so in the future. Simply put,
these objections are quite childish.”
He went on to explain further with another example:
“Finding mistakes in Quran based on Arabic grammar is as if certain functions
of a human organ are written in a medical book; later, research discovers that
particular organ performs another, previously undiscovered, function as well.
The correct approach will be to add the newly discovered function to its
attributes listed in the medical book; incorrect approach will be to claim that
a fault has been discovered in the organ based on information previously
written in the book.”
17
As Abdullah continued, Kiran’s face showed her embarrassment.
Nevertheless, Abdullah had revealed the source of her knowledge and
provided a proper response to her criticism.
In the meantime, Naima entered the room with tea. Seeing Naima, Fariah
said:
“Some people think that cruelty, injustice, tragedies and calamities found in
the world do not allow one to accept that it has a creator or a master.”
Having placed tea, Naima quietly took a seat. She was tense. The reason was
apparent; it was Naima’s viewpoint.
With his head lowered, Abdullah continued politely:
“It is the result of viewing life in this world in isolation from the life hereafter.
In the eyes of God Almighty, the real world and real-life are those after
death. This temporary and mortal world has been created only for the sole
purpose of tests and trials. That is why human beings have been granted the
freedom to choose whatever they want to do in this world; this freedom
results in cruelty sometimes. Similarly, accidents and calamities happen to
test humans, but it is only one aspect of the reality. Blessings and rewards are
greater than tragedies in this world. One ought to look at both sides of the
picture, be thankful for the blessings and be patient in times of hardship.
Paradise is the reward for doing so.”
Naima listened quietly. Her objections had evolved over many years. A few
sentences of Abdullah did not affect her deep-rooted convictions. However,
Kiran considered it was befitting to answer on behalf of Naima. Looking at
her, she said:
“This Paradise is also an imaginary concept, a religious utopia. These are the
very concepts that have kept us away from progress and development. All
this talk of God and Hereafter has resulted in religion becoming an addiction,
like opium! We have stopped using our abilities and faculties.”
Kiran expected support from Naima, but despite agreeing, Naima kept quiet.
She did not want to say anything in Abdullah’s presence. Instead of Naima,
Abdullah replied:
18
“People who think and do so are mistaken. God does not ask us not to use
our capabilities. On the contrary, he directs us to work for the necessary
worldly needs, but also to strive harder in his way to enter Paradise in the
Hereafter.”
Kiran got upset when Abdullah mentioned Paradise again. She said fretfully:
“Ah Paradise… the same Paradise about which a poet wrote so well:
Having climbed the wall of Hell, the Devil and I saw
Barbarous Mullahs chasing houris in awe.
Laughing, she said to Abdullah:
“Please don’t mind, but your Quran is replete with references of the ‘houris’,
the Maidens of Paradise.”
Abdullah realised that the conversation had moved away from rational
arguments. He said calmly:
“Your information is incorrect. There are six thousand two hundred and
thirty-six verses in Quran, but houris have been mentioned only in four
places. Besides, it is important to always remain within the limits of decency
and courtesy.”
Abdullah was referring to the couplet Kiran had recited earlier.
“You should teach decency and courtesy to the Mullahs first who declare
anyone with divergent views as an infidel and liable to be killed. They
consider their position to be the ultimate truth but those of others wrong.
They do not tolerate differences of opinion, nor do they give the right to live
to anyone who dissents. They hound those who disagree like a pack of
hungry wolves. It appears that you are not aware of the religious decrees,
allegations, slander and sectarian bloodshed based on religious differences.”
Kiran had started sternly and ended on a sarcastic note. However, Abdullah
replied politely and courteously:
“Yes, I am well aware of all what you have mentioned. But lack of decency of
someone cannot be a reason for us to be indecent. Our religious role model
is our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and he has taught us to be
civilised and courteous. I remain firmly committed to his teachings.
19
As far as human beings are concerned, there are all kinds of people in the
world. Nations of earlier prophets became misguided after their departure.
However, we will always have at least one group who will, following the
ideals of faith and high morality, invite others towards the truth. Such people
exist even today. Why don’t you look for such people? One ought to be like
the honeybee that constantly looks for flowers to extract sweet nectar. To be
the fly that thrives on filth does not suit a decent person.”
Kiran had nothing to reply with, but her expressions showed that Abdullah’s
words had not affected her.
Addressing Fariah, Abdullah said:
“Fariah! Do you remember the other day I had said in response to your
question that Muslims believe they are subjected to a trial of their acts only?
In contrast, the challenging test of belief and creed has been reserved only
for non-Muslims.”
Fariah replied:
“Yes, I remember. You had said that we Muslims consider trials of faith and
belief to be only for the Jews and Christians, whereas it was an ongoing test
for us as well. For a non-Muslim, it means embracing the true faith, whereas
it requires Muslims to accept the truth. However, most of us accept the truth
only as long as it suits us. We are not interested in the truths that challenge
our prejudices; in fact, we oppose them mostly.”
Fariah’s hint was clear, but Abdullah wanted to wind up the discussion. So,
changing the topic, he asked Naima:
“When would Mr Hasan return?”
“He has gone out with mama; they will be back in the evening.”
Naima disclosed what Fariah had concealed earlier. Hearing that, Abdullah
got up and said:
“In that case, I will come back some other time. Please convey my regards to
him.”
“Please finish your tea.” Fariah tried to stop Abdullah.
“No. Thanks. I intruded in your sitting. My apologies.”
20
Abdullah replied as he looked at Naima, but she remained silent. However,
Naima was sorry that this unpleasant situation had marred Kiran’s farewell
visit.
Abdullah left the room. Fariah accompanied him to the front door. After he
had left, Kiran said to Naima:
“This guy looks like an educated person but is only an illiterate Mullah and
nothing else. He was your guest; otherwise, I would have taught him a lesson
he would have remembered.”
Naima replied, venting her anger at Abdullah.
“Yes, you are right, Kiran. Religion runs in their veins like opium.”
Although Naima was not there through most of the discussion between Kiran
and Abdullah, she agreed with her as she held similar views.
“Man, who is this guy and how come he is at your place?” Kiran asked
meaningfully.
“Abdullah is grandpa’s favourite. He comes over for him.”
Naima replied warily.
“You better be careful, Naima, lest this uncouth Mullah is smitten by our
prettier than houris Naima, and she ends up running from him in awe.”
Kiran linked her words with the verse she had recited earlier.
And with that, Kiran let out an obscene, loud laugh.
Naima did not respond, but her expressions clearly showed that she had
developed a dislike for Abdullah.
===============
Two weeks after that incident, Mr Ismail Hasan suddenly developed pain in
his chest. Coincidentally, Abdullah was there to see him as Mr Hasan used to
invite him frequently. In Abdullah, he saw a capable and decent young man
who, unlike the majority of his peers, was also highly responsible,
enlightened and cultured. Undoubtedly, nature had blessed Abdullah with
exceptional qualities. Due to his intelligence and capabilities, he had received
scholarships ever since he had joined the school. Thus, he succeeded in
getting higher education even when his parents had left this temporary
21
world. As soon as he completed his studies, he got an excellent job and was
well on his way up the career ladder.
Life is a mix of joys and sorrows; there is neither eternal pleasure nor endless
suffering. It seemed that after a hard life, Abdullah was about to see success
and happiness. Pilgrimage to Mecca appeared to herald the arrival of good
times. He could see in Mr Hasan’s family all the blessings of life he did not
have. Therefore, whenever he was invited, he went willingly and happily.
On the other hand, Mr Hasan also felt compensated for not having a son in
Abdullah’s company. He envisioned qualities of responsibility and capability
in him. He had planned to hand over the care of his granddaughter and
daughter to him so he could depart from the world in peace.
Abdullah had gone to Mr Hasan’s residence at his invitation on the way back
from his office that day. He sat in the living room for quite some time, waiting
for Mr Hasan, but he did not show up. When Mr Hasan’s daughter Amnah
informed him that he had pain in his chest, not only did he suggest that he be
taken to the hospital but insisted on doing so himself. At the hospital, they
came to know that Mr Hasan had suffered a mild heart attack. As a
precaution, doctors admitted him for further tests.
Mr Hasan was the sole bread-earner of the family. His hospitalisation
resulted in a problem. He had saved for unforeseen, yet a male family
member was also necessary for such a crisis. Abdullah fulfilled that need
exceptionally well. During the day, he was at work, and at night he stayed
with Mr Hasan. He was relieved in the morning by Mr Hasan’s daughter,
Amnah. From noon to evening, Naima stayed with her grandpa.
Naima was a confident and courageous girl. She was sure she could handle
the situation efficiently. Besides, she disliked Abdullah from the beginning
and had tried hard to prevent him from staying at the hospital for the night
but he insisted on doing so. Mr Hasan also supported him while her mother
Amnah considered him the divine help. Thus, during Mr Hasan’s
hospitalisation, Abdullah had made a place for himself in the family, except
Naima, whose dislike for him continued to grow stronger with every passing
day.
During this period, Naima found the cause of her growing resentment
towards Abdullah. Abdullah’s deep devotion to God prompted him to
mention God’s name frequently. That name irritated Naima. If merely
22
uttering ‘God’ irritated her, how could she have a better opinion of the man
named Abdullah, ‘the servant of God’?
===============
It was Mr Hasan’s fourth day in the hospital. He had undergone angiography
and angioplasty on the second day. Out of danger now, he felt much better.
However, four days of tension and lack of rest had begun to take their toll on
others; Amnah, his daughter, was not feeling well today.
The wise say, quite rightly, sickness does not only strike the patient; it affects
the whole family. Mr Hasan’s family was no exception. He was the one who
was sick, but his daughter and granddaughter were also under stress and
quite exhausted. Abdullah had to face significantly more inconvenience than
them, but then he had undertaken the duty voluntarily. Yet, while he and
Naima were young and could endure, Amnah had taken the hit today. She
was concerned about her father and worried that if something happened to
him, the already tough life of the two women would become even more
challenging. That fear and the tiring routine had got her down today. That is
why she had still not returned to the hospital, although it was night now, and
her routine was to pick up Naima from the hospital in the evening after
Abdullah’s arrival. Naima’s company was always a pleasant break for
Abdullah, but she felt quite the opposite. She had started looking at her
watch as soon as Abdullah arrived. She was not in a hurry to go home, but
she found it difficult to spend even a short time in Abdullah’s company.
Whatever little time she had spent with him had made her conclude that he
glamorised virtues of sickness to the extent that even a healthy person would
want to fall sick. Abdullah mentioned rewards bestowed upon the sick by
God Almighty, such as closeness to God and forgiveness of sins. He also
recounted incidents of the steadfastness of prophets of God during sickness.
Mr Hasan and her mother agreed and appreciated it, while Naima felt like
slapping him. At times she wanted to push him down the third floor of the
hospital so his legs would get fractured and he could stay there for a whole
month and tell himself all that religious mumbo jumbo to his heart’s content.
It was a better day for Naima as Abdullah was quiet so far. One likely reason
was that her mom had not arrived yet. She was the one who liked
mentioning her problems to him, and he comforted her with his words.
Nevertheless, Abdullah’s presence irked her. As such, she got up and left the
room.
23
When Naima did not return for some time, Mr Hasan said: “Son, can you
please go check on Naima; she has been gone for a while.”
Abdullah nodded and went out looking for her. As he came out of the ward,
he saw Naima standing with Fariah. Fariah saw him too and greeted him
warmly:
“Assalam-O-Alaikum, brother Abdullah. How are you? I came here to pick up
Naima, but I wanted to meet you as well. Thank God my wish was granted.”
Abdullah also responded warmly:
“Alhamdulillah! I am fine. Why has auntie not come to pick up Naima”?
“She is OK, but she had a slight fever. I gave her something for it. I asked her
to rest and insisted that I would pick her up, so she should not worry.”
As Fariah answered Abdullah, she glanced at Naima, who looked worried
about her mother not feeling well. Fariah had probably not told Naima about
it until then.
Abdullah, seeing Naima’s concern, consoled her by saying,
“God willing, she will be alright. Sickness is a part of life. God willing,
everything will be OK. God will sort everything out.”
Naima seethed with anger at Abdullah’s words. She had been trying to ignore
Abdullah’s similar comments for days. She was worried about her mother,
and hearing Abdullah’s words in such a state added fuel to the fire. She
barely managed to control her temper and answered in a restrained tone:
“Abdullah! My mother is sick; she has a fever. Medicine is going to make her
well, not God. If you disagree, please close the hospital, open a spiritual
healing centre and start giving out charms and amulets to the sick. Then, if
God wills, they will get better that way.”
Naima’s tone was soft, but her words were highly sarcastic. Abdullah, unprepared for this unexpected retort, replied nervously:
“No… I only meant that God would make her well. Medical treatment is also
necessary.”
24
“Would God make her better even without any treatment”? Naima was
intent on proving him wrong.
“No. Medical treatment is a must. God also orders it. However, cure only
comes from him.”
By now, Fariah had understood Naima’s emotional state and had realised
that if she did not intervene, Naima would start arguing with Abdullah,
forgetting that he was helping her family in these difficult times. She said
quickly:
“Naima! auntie is waiting for you for some time now, and here you are,
chatting.” Then she said to Abdullah:
“Thank you so much, brother Abdullah! Can you kindly tell grandpa that
Naima has left with me? Please don’t mention anything about auntie’s
sickness? God willing, she will be better by morning. Just say that I was in the
area for something and have picked up Naima as well.”
“May I drop you?” Abdullah offered.
“Thanks a lot. We will go on our own. Please go back to grandpa as he would
be waiting for you”.
Naima replied Abdullah this time. She had probably realised that she was
unnecessarily rude to him.
Naima’s gratitude was an unexpected gift for Abdullah. He said goodbye to
them and returned to Mr Hasan, quite pleased.
===============
Naima’s aversion to religion and hostility towards God was not there from
the beginning. Several factors had contributed to making her cynical. She had
lived a deprived life. A sensitive and intelligent girl, she had several questions
to which she could not find rational answers. Eventually, she sought them in
philosophy. At College, Kiran had introduced her to philosophy and atheistic
views. Kiran’s knowledge was shallow to start with and remained shallow,
but Naima’s study was profound. After Grade 12, Naima had taken
philosophy and psychology as additional subjects. That opened new vistas of
knowledge and divergent views for her.
The study of philosophy had equipped Naima with ideological terminology
25
and practical confidence to find reasons for her grievances. On the one hand,
were her personal deprivations and newly acquired philosophical ideas, and
on the other, whatever religion she had seen in the society was limited to a
few apparent rituals. She had seen her mother and grandpa praying and
fasting since childhood. At first, she followed the same practices but
gradually distanced herself from them as she matured. She often missed
prayers, and even when she prayed, it was only at the insistence of her mom
and grandpa and that too only to please them. However, she still observed
fasting as an annual ritual and believed that it helped highlight the plight of
the poor.
Good teachers are a blessing; unfortunately, Naima could not find a teacher
of the right calibre. Whenever she asked a question on religion, she was
silenced through intimidation, threat of Hellfire and God’s wrath. When she
left school for college, she initially attended sermons of religious circles when
invited. However, she soon realised that their emphasis was on trivial issues,
and they indulged in gravely immoral activities in their personal lives. A few
rituals had become the requisite standards of faith while most important
moral deeds remained unmentioned.
She observed that the religious leaders acted in a manner more or less similar
to others. i.e., their welfare and interests came first and foremost, never
mind how many moral values they had to trample to attain them. Like others,
their hearts were also prone to hatred, jealousy and malice and they quickly
fell prey to moral ills like backbiting, badmouthing, lying, libel, slander,
jealousy and arrogance.
When Naima studied views of religious scholars for her Bachelor’s degree,
she was shocked to know that all religious factions considered others as
infidels and misguided. They aimed to attract large crowds any way they
could and enslave them in shackles of prejudice and mental stagnation,
rendering them incapable of listening to or reflecting upon alternative points
of view. To do so, they routinely defamed their rivals, misrepresented their
convictions, issued edicts against them and questioned their faith. Some of
them even considered it acceptable to kill those who disagreed. Others
approved such killings based on sectarian and ideological differences, or
ignored them, choosing to remain silent. After indulging in such hideous acts,
each faction made tall claims of being truthful and upright.
Naima realised that God was a national deity used as a weapon of
26
intimidation against ordinary human beings in the prevalent religious
environment. Whenever their interests were threatened or they had a
difference of opinion, these torchbearers of the national deity ignored all
moral values and behaved like ordinary humans. Naima felt that everyone
was involved in the materialistic rat race. Some used the name of God to
indulge in it, while others did so without taking his name.
Naima tried to express her views to fellow students a couple of times. As a
consequence, she was targeted with a propaganda campaign and labelled an
infidel and non-believer. Others declared that she was under the influence of
the West and was anti-Islam. Naima was shocked at this propaganda. She
was so infuriated with religion and clerics that she started to despise religion;
to her, the concept of God now looked like a man-made myth.
After that, western thoughts and philosophy became the only refuge for her
rational mind. She started to be influenced by them gradually. She felt that
those who accepted materialism as a philosophy were better than the
followers of God whose hearts were full of self-interest and hatred. Naima
had never come across a religious person who could provide rational answers
to her questions. She had also not met a person in her entire life who was
above self-interest and hate, and lived a life based on justice, compassion
mercy and love as manifested by the last prophet that she had read about in
her course books.
Based on her observations, her belief strengthened that religion was just a
fraud. The concept of God was a net woven by the clerics using cords of
superstition. People who fell into this net were enslaved mentally and
psychologically in the dual shackles of devotion and fear. The truth was as
explained by a majority of the worldly philosophers; this Universe had come
into being from the blind and deaf matter. The only thing that truly mattered
was material progress and success.
However, Naima’s personality was morally sound due to her good nature and
influence of works of great literary figures. She had a strong sense of
modesty and was dignified and courteous. She helped others to the best of
her ability and treated them well. There was only one exception to her
behaviour, and that was Abdullah. She had despised him from the day they
had first met.
===============
27
Those were Mr Hasan’s last days at the hospital. Doctors had informed him
he could go home in a day or two.
Naima’s routine was to return from the college, have lunch, and go to the
hospital. Today was no different. She entered the hospital and was on her
way to her grandpa’s ward when a poor, rustic woman held her hand and
started crying. While she wept, she sought Naima’s help, taking her to be a
wealthy lady.
It was hardly surprising. Naima appeared well off due to her good looks and
graceful personality. Also, the way she dressed and carried herself displayed
grace and affluence all the way.
Naima gently freed her hand and asked:
“What’s the problem? Why are you crying”?
The woman replied, “Madam! My son is admitted here for an operation. The
hospital management is asking for 65,000 bucks as advance payment. I am
poor and have come from a far-off village. My husband is a labourer. We
have already spent whatever we had on his treatment. We do not know
anybody here either. How in the world will I come up with such a large
amount? For God’s sake, help me.”
Naima’s initial reaction was anger when she heard God’s name. She felt like
telling the woman: “Go and ask your God for help; why are you asking me?”
however, she realised it was not the right occasion for such a reply. As such,
she asked her:
“Who is asking for the money”?
In response, the woman took her to the hospital administration office. Naima
questioned the person in charge there and came to know that the woman
was right. Naima asked him:
“Don’t you help poor patients on compassionate grounds”?
He replied! “Miss, this is a private hospital. We get many poor patients every
day. If we provide free treatment to all of them, we will close the doors soon.
Please ask her to take the child to a government hospital instead.”
Naima looked at the woman who said, “We have already been to the
government hospital but no bed was available. Then the doctors went on
28
strike. Due to the serious condition of our son, we have brought him here.
Now they say that they will not operate unless we pay the amount.”
Naima turned towards the man and asked, “Is there any possibility of a
discount? Do you not have any benevolent or Zakat Fund to help the poor”?
The man replied, “I have already applied permissible discount and have also
helped from the Zakat fund. There is nothing more I can do.”
“You won’t do anything even if the child dies.” Naima said, irritated.
“Sometimes people do die in hospitals, Miss! Why don’t you help her if you
are so concerned? You appear to be well off. So, it should not be much of a
problem for you.”
Naima thought for a moment and quickly assessed her resources and
limitations. Then, having made a decision, she said:
“You will receive the required amount within an hour. Please start the
treatment.”
She then turned towards the woman and said, “Wait here, I will return with
the money in about an hour.”
Naima left for home. On the way, she called her mother and told her she
would get late. On reaching home, she opened her cupboard and took out a
jewellery box. It had an expensive and beautiful locket in it. The locket was
made of gold
and was in a thick gold chain. It had ‘N’ engraved on it beautifully, the first
letter of Naima’s name, and was a gift from grandpa on getting top marks in
Grade 10 final exams. Naima loved the locket and its unique design and wore
it on special occasions. She picked it up and looked at it for a while. Finally,
taking a deep breath that almost looked like a sigh, she put it in her purse
and left quickly.
Within an hour, Naima was at the Hospital Administration Office and paid the
required amount. The woman was also there. After payment, Naima turned
to the woman and found her crying in gratitude, profusely showering her
with prayers:
“Daughter, may God keep you always happy! May you be married to a prince
or a lord! May you have a good name in this world and the Hereafter! How
can I repay your debt? Poor only have prayers to offer in return.”
29
The woman was now calling her ‘daughter’ instead of ‘Madam’ as she now
knew she was a young, unmarried woman.
Naima replied, “Don’t thank me. Thank your God.”
Naima’s tone was sad instead of cynical as she felt that although she had
managed to help one person, so many others probably died there regularly
under similar circumstances.
She left the office and started walking towards her grandfather’s ward. On
the way, she passed by an open space where the sky was visible. She stopped
for a while to look at it.
The sun was not visible from her vantage point, yet every ray of the brilliant
sunlight on the bright blue sky showed that it was shining over the gigantic
empire in full glory today. Its beauty was the source of pure luminescence
from the sky to the earth, while the planet burned under its glowing
magnificence.
A tear emerged from Naima’s eye, rolled down her cheek and fell. Looking
skywards, she spoke in a soft voice:
“I could only save one! Save the rest if you can.”
Naima had stopped praying since long. She had not even prayed for her
grandpa during his recent sickness. However, at that time, her atheistic views
had dozed off or perhaps it was the last prayer of an Infidel, to which the sky
did not respond, nor did she expect it to.
She moved on, head bowed, lost in thoughts, strolling. Suddenly a tiny cloud
appeared and covered the blazing sun, sheltering the Earth from its intense
heat. Naima entered the hospital without noticing that the sun’s heat had
disappeared after her prayer and a pleasing shade had replaced it.
===============
30
Chapter 2
Disgrace of Nudity
Mr Hasan had returned home a month ago. He had fully recovered but had to
take a few precautions as advised by doctors. Abdullah had dropped in
frequently to check on his health. Both shared a passion for religion; as such,
most of their discussions revolved around it. Abdullah would sit with Mr
Hasan and explain Quran in the light of views and commentaries of leading
scholars. Mr Hasan was gradually becoming impressed with his knowledge,
along with his character.
Having spent time in his company, Mr Hasan had found Abdullah extraordinarily intelligent and capable. His refined taste, coupled with the habit of
reading, had led to exceptional knowledge and understanding of religion.
What was quite difficult to understand for even religious scholars, Abdullah
could explain easily. Mr Hasan often told him that he looked like an ordinary,
non-religious person yet was more knowledgeable than scholars. Abdullah
would only smile in reply.
Abdullah had not disclosed to Mr Hasan, or for that matter to anybody else,
that his dream was to pursue religious knowledge as the real purpose of his
mortal life. However, extraordinary success achieved by dint of his sterling
professional education left him with no choice but to work in the day for
financial gains and toil in the evening to acquire religious knowledge. He had
a dilemma. His education clashed with what his heart desired. When he was
at Umrah some time ago, he had constantly prayed to God to make his path
clear to him and bestow upon him such means so he could devote himself to
God and God alone. However, it was only a dream so far. The reality was that
devoid of the support of a family, the top priority of this orphan was to meet
his basic needs, a house, a car, marriage, children and family.
Abdullah had started to perceive his destiny to be a part of the Hasan family.
Naima had entered his heart quietly and had made an indelible mark there. It
was impossible to erase it now. In addition, Mr Hasan had also hinted at
31
making him his son on a few occasions. As such, dreaming about his life to
be, he was moving towards his destination with every passing day, oblivious
that his dreams were about to shatter soon.
One day, when Abdullah left for his home having met Mr Hasan, Amnah
entered the room to give her dad his medication. After he had taken it, he
asked Amnah:
“Did you speak to Naima about Abdullah? I like him a lot, and I am concerned
about my health. I want to fulfil this responsibility while I am around.”
“Dad, Naima does not agree with this proposal,” Amnah replied, looking
down.
On hearing her reply, Mr Hasan kept quiet for some time. Perhaps he did not
expect his granddaughter to reject the proposal of a person he so dearly
liked. Finally, after a while, he asked:
“Anything wrong with Abdullah?”
“The same drawback as was in Naima’s father, Shehzad.” Amnah replied
sadly.
“Shahzad had a stroke of bad luck. Things would have been completely
different had he lived. However, bad luck is not always destined.”
“Times have changed, dad, we cannot force our will on our children anymore.
Kids are not content and thankful for whatever is destined for them. They
want to carve their destinies and don’t accept others’ decisions. They want to
make their own decisions so if they go wrong, they can blame themselves
and not their elders.”
Amnah explained.
“You are right. However, look at Abdullah’s qualities. He is good looking,
capable and has a good job. The way he supported us in the hospital was
exemplary. He worked the whole day and sat by my bed the entire night. He
is such a noble soul. If his loving nature, nobility and capability are being
32
overlooked by Naima being young and inexperienced, at least you can, and
should, consider them.
“Dad, Abdullah will probably never reach the level even after working his
whole life from where Naima wants to start hers. Please also keep in mind
that we do not know much about his family. We cannot make such important
decisions in a few meetings when many other proposals are also there for
her. She is pretty, educated and has a good family. A couple of families have
already approached me for her hand. One of them has everything that Naima
wants.”
“Does Naima like someone?” Mr Hasan asked to cover that angle.
Amnah denied it right away.
“Nothing of the sort, dad. She has never made friends with a guy. However,
she has a few concerns. She does not want her children to lead the type of
deprived life she has lived. All girls of her background want the best. In our
society, any girl with her looks and attributes will think similarly. Beauty rules
today, and she has loads of it. So, why should she then agree to marry an
average person? I also think it is not prudent.”
Siding with her daughter, the mother also announced her decision.
“How is the second proposal?” Mr Hasan, having lost the argument, asked.
“A wealthy family. He is in USA, almost through with his studies and is due to
return in a few months. His parents want him to get married immediately
after that. I have seen his photograph; he is good looking. The lady who
introduced them mentioned they have no shortage of proposals. Several
families were interested, but she preferred me being an old acquaintance.
She recommended that we accept it quickly as such proposals are hard to
come by.”
“Then go and ask Naima. Why ask me?” Mr Hasan said despondently.
33
“I know this proposal has everything that Naima desires, and I am positive
she will say yes. Her friend Fariah is also engaged, and now Naima should get
married too. If you agree, we can start formal discussions next week.”
“My consent is only a formality now. How am I going to face Abdullah,
though?”
“Have you talked to Abdullah on this topic?”
“Before discussing it with you, I had probed if he was amenable lest he liked
someone else. I did not want us to talk to Naima and find later that Abdullah
was not interested. That would have hurt her. But the matter has gone the
other way. It is Abdullah who will feel sorry now. God did not bless me with a
son. I thought I would get a son in Abdullah as per my taste, temperament
and dreams, but it was not to be. Perhaps I had to live without a son in the
last stage of my life.
“If Abdullah is sincere to you and is really a good person, he will continue to
visit you in future too.”
“Don’t know what the future holds.” Mr Hasan said in a low voice and closed
his eyes.
===============
Two weeks later, Naima was engaged in a simple ceremony. Since her Fiancé
was abroad, his family came over with Jewellery and sweets, as per the
tradition. The Marriage date was finalised for three months after the
engagement. Both parties were happy. Naima usually dressed simply.
However, when she used makeup and dressed formally for the occasion, her
beauty dazzled everyone. Looking at Naima’s in-laws’ cars, dresses, and social
status, those who attended the function envied Naima’s good fortune on
going to such a well-established family. Her in-laws wanted a grand party, but
Mr Hasan kept the ceremony simple, using his sickness as the reason.
Another cause of concern for Mr Hasan was that his family was not in the
same league as the other party regarding social standing. Naima was
immature, and Amnah had consented to the proposal due to affection for her
daughter, but they were not cognizant of the problems that arose from such
disproportionate relationships. However, he could not do much as he had no
control over this affair. Moreover, he was sad and heavy-hearted because of
34
Abdullah. Due to those concerns and thoughts, perhaps he was the only
person in the function who did not look happy; he decided to unburden
himself the next day.
===============
Abdullah was on cloud nine today. Driving his glittering new car, he was on
his way to Mr Hasan’s home, who had invited him last evening to come over.
Abdullah was also keen to meet Mr Hasan. He had started a new job in a
multinational company. A car and a house were part of his compensation.
With all requirements met, the only thing lacking in his life was Naima. She
had become a part of his thoughts and life for some time now. Oh, what a
powerful sentiment love is. It melts and moulds a person, makes him swoon
and changes the colours of the world around him. Abdullah was also
experiencing that feeling these days. He was confident providence had
decided to give him the best gift of his life, Naima. From Mr Hasan’s oft-made
indirect remarks, he had also sensed that he would also accept him as a sonin-law.
Everything was happening as per his wishes and dreams. He was so thankful
to God for changing his life for the better in just a couple of years. He was
offered an excellent job in the last semester of his degree. After some
experience, he had become known as a valuable asset in the corporate
circles. As such, he started looking for a new job and found placement in a
multinational company without much effort, where his compensation
included an excellent salary and generous fringe benefits.
Lost in those thoughts, Abdullah reached Naima’s home. When he rang the
bell, Naima opened the door. His heart pounded faster on seeing her. He
wanted to tell her about his recent achievement and the new job, but Naima
didn’t even reply his greetings. Instead, she quietly led him to the living room
and went in to call her grandpa. Naima had always treated him the same
way, but Abdullah attributed it to her being a quiet and modest girl who
avoided talking to unrelated men.
Mr Hasan entered the living room. Abdullah got up and, shaking his hand,
helped him sit on a sofa. Mr Hasan said:
“You were out of touch for a few days, son. What were you busy in?”
35
“I was busy taking over responsibilities of the new job I have joined. As such, I
could not come over.”
Saying so, he put a box of sweets on the table and happily started giving
details
of his new job, salary, and other fringe benefits. When finished, he said:
“Sir, I don’t have a family. I am very pleased that I have you to share the good
news. Please give the sweets to auntie and Naima as well.”
“Yes, son. I will surely do so. I am most pleased when I know of your
successes. But, I also have to offer you something sweet as well. We got
Naima engaged the day before yesterday. The wedding will take place after
three months.”
Mr Hasan looked down while saying that. He could not look in the eyes of the
person he had repeatedly told he wanted to make him his son for life, and
there was no chance of that happening now.
Such was the emotional state of Mr Hasan. But, on the other hand, his words
reached Abdullah’s ears like whizzing bullets, piercing his heart and soul.
Then, there was a moment of silence. In that lull, Abdullah, using his full
strength, tried to put himself together but felt he had shattered into a
thousand pieces. He was doing his utmost to control his emotions, words,
and tears that were struggling to rain, breaking all barriers.
Abdullah had grown up with deprivations. That helped him a lot today on
being denied what he wanted most in his life, when he received a goblet of
poison from where he had wished for the nectar of eternity. However, living
a life on patience, control, and little of anything else helped him considerably
at that moment in burying his emotions and composing himself. With great
effort, he controlled the quiver in his voice and said:
“Heartiest congratulations, Sir. Please convey my greetings to auntie and
Naima as well.”
36
After saying that in a confident, stable, and composed tone, he became quiet;
in saying that one sentence, he had won yet another battle of his life.
On the other hand, Mr Hasan heaved a sigh of relief. He provided details of
the family and the person Naima was engaged to. The narrative covered their
wealth, factories, cars, number of servants, etc. Also included were
particulars of the prospective bridegroom. He was studying at Harvard
University. Europe and the USA were on the cards for Honeymoon. By giving
these details, perhaps Mr Hasan subconsciously wanted to defend his
position for being unable to turn down that proposal. He did not want to
break Abdullah’s heart by disclosing that actually, it was the girl he had given
his heart to who had rejected him.
============
The entire night passed. Abdullah neither slept for a moment nor had a bite.
His tears flowed incessantly. He looked calm and composed till he came out
of Naima’s home. However, as he hit the highway, he gave in. The dam of
resistance he had managed to build broke, and his grief gushed out through
his eyes. He cried his heart out throughout the drive to his home, and his
condition did not change till late in the night.
When he stood on the prayer mat for the night’s (Isha) prayers, He could not
get off it. He stood there the whole night; his tears did not stop for a
moment. He wept bitterly and kept repeating only a few sentences in
prostration:
“My Lord, I have no complaint; if at all I have a grievance, it is only with you. I
do not have anything to say to anybody else, nor do I have to go anywhere
else. I accept whatever you decide for me. However, I am out of my control.
My tears are not in my control. Please forgive me.”
Abdullah’s heart was heavy with grief. His life was a continuous saga of
deprivation. He did not have a mother and father, nor did he have brothers
and sisters. He spent his childhood as a burden on relatives near and far,
being pushed from door to door. The only consolation was that due to
exceptional intelligence, his education had continued somehow. He had
supported himself from a young age, living in hostels and having no home,
family, relatives, and friends. And now, when he thought his life’s wounds
37
were about to heal, he got the worst shock of his life, and it shattered him
completely.
With all his deprivations, he now stood at a door from where no one
returned empty-handed. Even if one was to ask for the “kingdom of the seven
cities of gold”, it would be granted and would not make the tiniest difference
in that Lord’s treasury, a treasury where hopelessness was infidelity.
However, Abdullah was not asking for anything. He merely stood in front of
his Lord, cried and offered the prayers. For Abdullah, it was a night of
deprivation that had engulfed his entire life. Little did he know that it was a
night of rewards, rewards that would not end even after the doomsday.
Abdullah was relatively young and in the early stages of his life of faith. He
did not have the slightest idea that he stood in front of the most exalted of all
beings, the being who could go to any length for his servants. Abdullah did
not ask for something, yet what he needed was known to the giver without
him saying so. The giver also knew that the first and foremost requirement of
the humble servant was contentment; hence that was bestowed on him first.
Abdullah knew a large part of the Quran by heart. Just before Fajr, the
morning prayer, while reciting the holy Quran, he reached that part of Surah
An-Naml:
“Verily! Kings, when they enter a town, they despoil it and make the most
honourable amongst its people low.”
Abdullah could not go any further. He repeatedly recited that verse till its
meaning dawned upon him, i.e., God is the greatest king, and heart is the
greatest kingdom. Once God enters that kingdom, he does not tolerate
anybody else there. All others who one loves and considers honourable are
thrown out. People take it as a loss, but it is the zenith of the oneness of God.
Abdullah’s heart was always God’s abode where only he resided, but a
female idol was being worshipped there for the last few days. How could the
all-knowing glorious master of the earth, skies and everything else, who is
aware of everything, tolerate sharing his kingdom. Thus, that female idol was
thrown out tonight. Nobody could enter it now other than God. For Abdullah,
that was the interpretation of the verse. Sharing of God had come to an end.
The oneness of God had prevailed. Abdullah was at peace now. His tears
stopped.
38
After his prayers, Abdullah hit the bed. Sleep overcomes even while waiting
for gallows; thus, he slept too. It was late for the office when he woke up. He
did not have to go there anyway. He had made another decision before he
went to sleep. He had settled a tussle today that was going on in his mind for
a long time. Life was short. One should not waste it running after a career, a
mansion, or a car. It should have only one purpose. The lord, who is the giver
of all things good and alleviator of every deprivation, should be introduced to
all human beings. The most crucial task was to kindle his love in every heart,
introduce his attributes to others, and prepare them for their ultimate
meeting. He had
made a supplication before sleeping:
“O’ Lord. Everybody has a price in this world, and everybody sells himself. I
cannot sell myself to a multinational. I want to sell myself to you. Buy me.”
First thing in the morning, Abdullah resigned from the new job.
===============
As the wedding day got closer, preparations were gaining speed. Mr Hasan
had already spent most of his savings on Umrah, and then he became a heart
patient, itself an expensive ailment. So, he sold a plot, added the amount to
what was left of his savings, and handed it over to his daughter. Amnah was a
frugal lady. She had also been saving for wedding from Naima’s childhood.
Thus, the preparations were proceeding respectably. However, compared to
the other party, their arrangements paled in comparison.
While Mr Hasan was already aware of the difference in the financial position
of the two families, Amnah had also started to realise it more with every
passing day. As news of the other party’s grandiose wedding preparations
trickled down, they became more and more unnerved.
If there was anybody oblivious to all those worries, it was Naima. Those were
the days of her life’s greatest happiness. Her dreams had suddenly and so
quickly come true. She was enjoying the happy times with her best friend,
Fariah. As usual, Fariah was there and was busy preparing Naima’s dresses.
39
Light jokes and bantering echoed all around. Amidst all that, Fariah said to
Naima:
“You know, Abdullah is here. He is with grandpa.”
“No, I didn’t know that.” Naima replied in a ‘couldn’t care less’ way.
“I met aunty before coming to you. She told me that he had joined a new
job.”
“Yes. He visited a couple of days before my engagement and brought sweets
for the new job.”
“Oh no. That’s not it. That was a marvellous job, but he resigned….”
Naima commented even before Fariah had completed.
“That’s the problem with these middle-class, struggling young guys. To
progress, they change jobs frequently, but it is still difficult for them to make
a house before getting old.”
“You are crazy. Listen to the news first. He resigned from that fantastic job,
has taken up a part-time teaching position, and will pursue religious studies
along with that.”
“Well, that’s great. Society will benefit from one more mullah.” Naima
quipped sarcastically.
“I have never seen such a decent and nice person in my life. The poor guy had
a great job and was doing so well in his career. I don’t know what made him
shun everything and take this direction.”
Fariah’s tone was a mix of sympathy and regret. Noticing it, Naima said
tersely:
“This idiot was nothing but an ignorant mullah from day one. Don’t know why
he has stuck himself to grandpa and doesn’t get lost.” Naima’s tone was so
insulting that Fariah didn’t like it at all.
40
“He is not stuck with grandpa. He has become a major support for him and
aunty. You will go to your home, and they will be left alone. In that scenario,
Abdullah will be a huge support for them.”
“He won’t be a support after I leave. Actually, he has practically turned me
out of the house even while I am still here. Everybody praises only him.”
Fariah fathomed from Naima’s comment that, being the sole recipient of her
grandpa and mom’s love all her life, she had immensely disliked that
someone else had started sharing that love now.
To defend Abdullah, Fariah said:
“Naima, the truth is that Abdullah has maintained a close and caring
relationship with grandpa. He was with him during his sickness. It may have
made no difference to you, but his presence greatly supported grandpa and
aunty. When you refused to marry him, we all thought that he would get
upset, but he did not complain at all. On the contrary, his attitude became
even better than before. He is helping grandpa and aunty on so many issues
of your wedding. He takes them to where ever they need to. Who would not
love a selfless and caring person like him?”
Fariah stopped for a moment and asked: “What has he done wrong that you
are always after him?”
“What wrong can he do to me? For me, he does not exist. It’s just that I get
irked with his rants.”
“I hope you are not irked because the only person loved in the house was
you, and now Abdullah too…”
Seeing that Fariah has found the truth, Naima said:
“I don’t care.”
Fariah, feeling further discussion was useless, changed the topic.
“Let’s forget it. Tell me, did you talk to the bridegroom?”
41
“No. You know I am not the romantic kind. Grandpa and mom also don’t like
our talking to each other due to only a proposed relationship. As such, mom
did not give them my phone number even though they had asked for it.”
“One thing is for sure. You have hit the jackpot.”
“Yes. Lady Luck had to smile someday.”
“Buddy, I hope you won’t forget me when you become rich?”
“Are you mad? I am not wealth or status hungry to forget my past. I just
wanted that the deprived lives I and my mama have lived should not become
the fate of my children and family. Fariah, you only live once. All I want is to
enjoy it to the fullest. And, an affluent person who feels for others can help
others a lot.”
“Well, only time will tell whether you will help others on getting rich or will
forget old relationships.”
“Don’t worry. I cannot change. No power in the world can change my mind
and thoughts. I am the master of my world. I am my very own god.”
Naima, the proclaimer of being god, had no idea that she would face the
excellence and majesty of the real God very soon.
===============
A carpet of green grass was laid as far as one could see under the clear, blue
sky. Pretty, colourful flowers bloomed all around, each colour such that it
forbade the onlooker to look elsewhere. They danced with the soft breeze. It
looked like while nature played a melody on the strings of colours, buds and
flowers were dancing to its tune. Tall mountains surrounded the valley. Some
were high and covered with tall trees, others adorned by a dress of velvety
green grass. A few peaks were snow-clad. When sun rays hit them, the
reflection of golden rays spread all around. Snow was so clean and clear that
its whiteness glistened, wearing the colours around it. At places, this
whiteness, alighted by sunrays, had changed to silver. It was difficult for the
onlookers to decide whether the heights having a fusion of blue, green white
and gold were prettier or the shades of the valley on earth, a valley that, like
a bouquet, was the heart of those mountains.
42
Someone else was also present in that valley. A masterpiece of nature, that
feminine beauty was Naima. Her jet black and silken tresses which, under
normal circumstances, reached below her knees, were spread afar in the air.
A few ringlets played with and teased the radiant face. Her well-shaped large
eyes, Grecian nose and long, vase-like neck were constant targets of those
naughty ringlets that were being buoyed by the soft and tender breeze.
Wafts of breeze, taking Naima as just another pretty flower, caressed her and
stole her fragrance. Far away, hiding in a tree, a cuckoo sang a tune sweet
enough to shake every cord of a person’s finer senses.
Feeling like a butterfly in the valley, Naima also wondered which of nature’s
masterpieces surrounding her was the best. At times she glanced at the grass
carpet adorned with pretty flowers and then got attracted by the
snowcapped peaks and the green mountains. She had neither seen such
scenery in her life nor had she ever experienced such exhilaration.
She was in that euphoric state when suddenly she saw an oblong-shaped
light descending from the sky. It was a strange scene. She gawked at it as it
was slowly coming towards her. When it got nearer, it became more of a
human silhouette but was not a human being. Naima did not feel scared and
felt like talking to him instead. She did not have to wait for long. He reached
her slowly and stayed aloft at a few feet. She heard him say:
“So, you are that Naima who has been honoured?”
The voice had a strange effect on her. It instantly reached Naima’s mind and
heart. She was awed by him and his voice. She replied timidly:
“Yes. I am Naima. Who are you, and what honour are you referring to?”
“Forget about me. The Master has liked your spirit of giving to a poor person
something very dear to you. As such, He has decided to bestow upon you the
honour of being close to Him.”
Naima did not understand the meaning of what was said. Overwhelmed and
somewhat afraid, she could not speak even though she wanted to. So
instead, she listened to him quietly.
43
“But seeing you, I think you don’t deserve the honour. God is most
honourable and modest. So how is it possible that you get close to him when
you are stark-naked?”
At that, Naima looked at herself for the first time and was most ashamed to
see that she was not wearing anything. She had been standing naked in that
open area all that time and was facing him in the same condition. She wished
the Earth would split and take her in. Trying to hide her body with her hands,
she bent forward and sat on the ground. She felt most disgraced and started
crying. She looked towards the silhouette and asked:
“What happened to my clothes?
But the silhouette had disappeared. In a panic, Naima looked and saw a sea
of humans all around. Everybody was looking and laughing at her. The scene
made her groan as she had never even imagined the magnitude of such dishonour and disgrace. The crowd was pointing at her and telling each other
about her condition. She looked around for a place to hide. In doing so, she
saw a person, quiet and sad, amidst the laughing crowd. On seeing him, she
became all the more ashamed. Finally, she screamed and said:
“I did not do it. I did not do it.”
“Naima, my daughter, get up. What’s happening? What’s the matter?”
Amnah shook her hard, and she got up. She was still sobbing and trembling
with fear. When she came to her senses, she checked her dress and was
somewhat satisfied to see it was all there. Her mother was with her. She
kissed her and said:
“don’t cry, my baby. You have seen a nightmare.” Naima got up and held her
head in her hands. She was having the same dream for the last few days, but
every time it was a beautiful dream with her in a scenic valley where she flew
around like a butterfly. She had seen the silhouette and her being naked only
today. Another thing she remembered just then hurt her gravely. The person
standing sad and quiet, looking at her wistfully in that scene of dis-honour
and disgrace, was none other but Abdullah.
44
“Naima, my baby, drink this water.”
Her mother’s voice interrupted her thoughts. She was standing there with a
glass of water. Naima sipped some of it and laid down again to try and sleep.
Sometime later, she dozed off.
===============
45
Chapter 3
Death of Freud
The next day, in the afternoon, Naima was sitting in her room, lost in
thoughts. Along with philosophy, she was also studying psychology. Unlike a
lot of other students, the depth of her knowledge was substantial. She was
trying to interpret her dream in the light of her studies. It was not a dream
she could forget. The feeling of disgrace and humiliation she had experienced
in it was still fresh in her mind. She had performed her psychoanalysis for
long. As a result, she had solved most of the elements of delight and fear of
her dream. She was satisfied with her analysis of her conscious and
subconscious. The only thing she could not solve was her feeling of nudity.
She concluded that perhaps the roots of that feeling were embedded in her
childhood and their memory was not present in her conscious. Having
reached that observation, she was satisfied.
Amnah entered her room at that moment and said:
“I am going out to buy a few things for you. Please make tea for two and take
it to dad’s room. Abdullah is here.”
Hearing that, Naima frowned and said warily:
“Why does he come over every second day?”
“He does not visit on his own. Your grandpa invites him. They study the
Quran. Such acts are a source of blessing for our home. If you don’t want to
do it, that’s fine. I will make it.”
Instead of another negative comment, luckily, Naima answered:
“No. It’s OK. You go. I will serve them tea.”
Amnah left. Naima sat for a while, then got up half-heartedly and went to the
kitchen. After some time, she took the tea and started for her grandpa’s
45
room. Grandpa and Abdullah were sitting at a table with their backs towards
the door. The Quran was on the table. About to enter the door, she heard her
grandpa:
“In Surah Al-Araf, ‘Dress of piety’ is mentioned. What does it imply?”
It is the dress of the human spirit, the clothing of human personality. Just like
we cover our bodies with a dress, similarly, it is the dress of a person's innerself, his spirit, his character, called ‘Self’ in psychological terms.
To further elaborate, he referred to Sigmund Freud, the foremost name in
psychology.
“Or, as Freud has explained it in the ‘Anatomy of the Mental Personality’. It is
that part of the human mind called the ego. It is the real personality of an
individual. It needs a dress as well.”
Naima had heard Freud’s name from a religious person for the first time.
Standing there, she listened quietly.
“God says in Surah Al-Araf, verse 26, that he has gifted dress to humans to
cover their bodies. However, along with the dress, he has also revealed upon
them the understanding of their selves and vice and virtue. When woven in
the light of that revelation, a dress of piety comes into being that protects a
person’s Self from being naked. This Self, or the inner personality, is more
important than the physical body; hence it needs a dress more than the
physical body as well. It is that dress of piety, goodness and abstinence that
All-Mighty God decrees better than any other dress. Piety is nothing but
living a life being conscious of God. However, most humans pay attention to
the dresses for their bodies and how they look but forget about the ‘Dress of
Piety’, and thus remain naked in the eyes of God. It is as if those who live
having forgotten God are stark naked and shameless in the eyes of God.”
Having heard the last part, Naima felt as if someone had slapped her face. If
Abdullah had his face towards her instead of his back, he would have clearly
seen that Naima’s pretty face had turned red. Finding it difficult to stand
there quietly anymore, she went ahead and said:
46
“Grandpa, tea is here.” As per her habit, she did not greet Abdullah. Abdullah
did not look at her as well.
Placing tea on the table, she gave the first cup to grandpa. He took his tea
without sugar. Then she asked Abdullah indifferently.
“Sugar?”
“One spoon.” Abdullah also replied nonchalantly, concentrating on the
Quran.
Naima should have left after serving tea. However, she felt she had to
respond to Abdullah with a befitting reply to avenge the insult she had
endured a while ago.
She asked:” I have heard you are studying religion formally.”
“Yes.” Abdullah’s replied in the shortest possible way.
“Would you please answer a question?” Naima asked, getting ready for the
onslaught.
“Why is it necessary to subordinate one’s mind and vision to a fourteen
hundred years old, out of date book?”
Perhaps Abdullah did not want to talk to Naima, as such, he gave a short
reply:
“Because it is God’s word, and he is over and above all times and all ages.”
“How can we believe it is God’s word? it is logically wrong to accept first and
ponder later, and is an un-scholastic and anti-intellectual approach.”
Naima was fully prepared for a debate. Mr Hasan realised that she was ready
to fire her objections, the very objections that many could not answer earlier.
In response to her objections, she was often ridiculed either as misguided, an
infidel, or was provided with inappropriate and baseless reasons. The first
increased her anger towards religion, and the second boosted her
47
confidence. As such, to avoid her unpleasant clash with Abdullah, he had to
intervene:
“We are Muslims and should not ask this question since we accept Quran as
the word of God. Therefore, we should understand the Quran in the light of
that belief.”
“Grandpa, Non-Muslims say the same thing in their books. St. Anselm of
Canterbury, the famous Christian Scholar of speculative theology, also says:
“For I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in
order to understand. For this also I believe-that unless I believe I shall not
understand.”
“Now tell me the difference between yourself and a Christian.”
The granddaughter had floored her grandpa due to her knowledge and study
of the subject. He was left with nothing to reply. At that point, Abdullah
thought it was not Naima, but someone who wanted to understand the
Religion. Hence, he decided to enter the discussion and addressed Mr Hasan:
“If you allow me, I would like to say something,” without waiting for a reply,
he continued:
“I fully agree with you, Naima. Your question is entirely valid. God himself
takes your question as valid. As such, he answers it in full detail in Quran. His
entire appeal is addressed to the human mind and intellect. It was infidels
who had adopted the biased approach instead of applying their minds.
Therefore, you should be satisfied that your observation is quite valid. It is
your right to get a logical answer to your question.”
For the first time in her life, Naima realised that God answers and explains
people’s questions and objections rather than shoving down edicts.
Abdullah continued:
“Please note that the Quran was revealed to a great personality who is well
known and distinguished in the annals of history even besides Quran. It is
48
established that before he declared prophethood, although he was known
for an outstanding and impeccable character, he was not a religious scholar.
He
was an ordinary trader who had no religious background.
With that background, all of a sudden, he gets up one day and proclaims
prophethood. Quran is revealed to him. The Quran not only invites towards
Oneness of God and Hereafter but also contains comprehensive details of the
religious history, traditions and practices of the Arabs and non-Arabs. The
question is: How did he come to know those massive details all of a sudden?
The interesting point is that not only did he come to know all that knowledge,
but also, there was no evolution, development or change in his initial and
later train of thoughts, ever. Take the life of any philosopher or scholar.
There is always an evolution in his ideas and knowledge. He initially learns a
few things. After that, due to the knowledge, analysis and experience he
attains over the years, he rejects a few of his initial positions, adopts some
new and presents them to the world after that. His position and theories
continue to evolve and change even after that. From Socrates, Plato and
Aristotle to Descartes, Kant and Hegel, and Goethe and Shakespeare to
Ghalib and Iqbal, no one could present his final position and works to the
world without undergoing scholarly and intellectual growth through
evolution. However, Prophet Muhammad PBUH is the only unique and strange
exception. To understand it through an example of religious nature, a person
who proclaimed to be a prophet of God….”
“You are probably referring to Mirza Ghulam Ahmed Qadiani.”
Mr Hasan asked him to clarify.
“Yes. I am referring to him. His whole life is known to us. He was not
unlettered and knew the religious traditions and history well. He used to take
part in religious debates. Evolution as well as contradictions are found in his
approach, thoughts, and claims. Had he been a real messenger of God, that
would have never happened. It is because what a prophet presents are the
words of God, and words of God have neither evolution nor contradiction or
change. The proof of the truth of Muhammad PBUH is that he commenced his
journey with zero prior knowledge of religion. Whatever he said has not been
49
proven wrong till today. What he offered to the world the very first day never
underwent any evolution, change or contradiction. How can an ordinary
human being accomplish it?”
Naima remained quiet. It looked like she wanted to hear more on the subject.
As such, Abdullah continued:
“Yet, it is only one aspect of the truth. A greater aspect is that Muhammad
PBUH
was only one person unsupported by anybody else who singlehandedly
took on the opposition of his tribe and all chiefs of the entire Arabia. He not
only criticised their faiths, he also made such a huge claim that no ordinary
person could dare to do so. He said that those who follow him would be
saved, and the rest would face the wrath of God for disobedience and will
perish. Those who follow what he proposed would become the kings of the
earth. Only an insane person or a real prophet of God could make such a
huge claim. He was truly a prophet. As such, when he departed from the
world, those who followed him had become the rulers while those who
denied him had perished. Not only that, he made such accurate predictions
about events to happen in future….”
He stopped for a moment, picked up the Quran from the table and
continued:
“And these predictions are present in this book even today, and now they
have become an undeniable part of the history.”
“Please cite any prediction as an example.” Naima asked.
“Not one; there are many predictions. For example, The Romans faced a
definite defeat in an international war at that time. When they were being
defeated, Quran predicted that they would be victorious again in a few years.
That is precisely what happened. When those who had accepted Islam were
being subjected to the worst atrocities, Quran predicted that if the cruel
infidels did not refrain from oppression and tried to banish the holy prophet
PBUH
and his followers from Mecca, God would soon throw them out instead.
There is another significant prediction. When the entire Arabia was bent
upon eliminating the tiny settlement of Medina, a prophecy, rather a
promise, was made that followers of the holy prophet PBUH would be
50
rewarded with control of the world. In a few years, it happened, and Muslims
miraculously became the world's sole superpower. Also, at the height of
subjugation of Muslims, it was predicted that people would join Islam in
hordes while Abu Lahab and his cronies, who were the pharaohs of their era,
would be annihilated. In a few
years, that prediction materialised as well.
“Please do explain about the Quran being a miracle.”
Mr Hasan, seeing his granddaughter speechless for the first time, quipped,
his face beaming with delight.
“The Quran, first of all, challenged the polytheists of Arabia as they were
masters of poetry and oratory. Quran challenged them that if they thought
the holy prophet PBUH had written the Quran, they should try and write a
similar text as well. Please remember that the holy prophet PBUH was not fond
of poetry, nor did he remember any verses. However, nobody could produce
even one example of a similar text, although it was the easiest way to prove
the holy prophet PBUH wrong and dissuade his followers. The infidels denied
his prophethood, called him a liar, insane, poet and sorcerer, inflicted the
worst atrocities on his followers and waged wars against him, but they could
not respond to that challenge. Now, tell me, how would you deny accepting
him as a prophet and Quran as the word of God?”
Naima was dejected, and her face showed it. She had received clear and
convincing reasons. Had it been anybody else, perhaps she would have
accepted such reasonable and logical answers. However, to concede to
Abdullah would have been a defeat of her ego. It was not acceptable to her
at all. Those afflicted with egoism keep away from rationalism. As such,
Naima resorted to what she had been blaming the religious scholars for when they lost an argument, they moved over to another topic without
accepting defeat. She had named it the ‘religious scholars’ somersault’. But
now, she resorted to the same ‘religious scholars’ somersault’. In reply to
Abdullah’s entire discourse, she said:
“Even if what you say is right, they are coincidences, at best. The real
problem is that the cruel system running this world makes it impossible for
51
conscientious people to believe in any god. Belief in God is a Pre-Modernism
concept. In that era, faith was the foundation of human life. It was totally
rejected in the rationalistic era of Modernism. We are now living in the age of
Post-Modernism wherein, respecting someone’s sentiments, we can accept
the concept of religion and God as a cultural phenomenon. However, it is a
universal truth that the concept of God is unscientific. The Theory of
Evolution has done away with the idea of the existence of God. In the
scientific world, no research is conducted based on the assumption that
there is a God.
Naima had intelligently moved Abdullah from his specialty, Religion, to her
specialisation, Science and Philosophy. The discussion was to ensue on her
home ground now, and she was confident of her victory. However, Abdullah
was well versed in those fields as well. He replied confidently:
“To decide there is a God or not is not within the scope of Science at all.
Science only deals with how the Universe functions. It cannot answer how
the world came into being and how it works, and neither are such issues
within its ambit. Science has never claimed that there is no God as per any of
its discoveries. However, through its research on various aspects of the
Universe, it has affirmed that such a complex yet balanced, conflicting yet
harmonious Universe can only be the creation of a creator.
As far as the concept of evolution is concerned, it is true that in the times of
Darwin, given the extent of human knowledge at that time, evolution was
accepted as a substitute for a creator. However, in the twentieth century,
particularly close to its end, research on the simplest forms of life, bacteria
and cells and progress in the Science of genetics have shaken the very
foundations of the theory of evolution.
Advancements in modern science have led to the invention of powerful
microscopes and development of methods that reveal the minutest details
about life’s simplest forms. However, the most significant discovery of this
advancement in science is that life in its simplest form is so complex that the
evolutionary theory fails to explain as to how such complexity exists at the
most basic level.”
Interfering, Naima said:
52
“Let me explain how this complexity is possible. Actually, for a very long
period spanning over millions, and quite possibly, billions of years,
innumerable and multiple changes occurring at any stage of life can make
this complexity possible. An example is that….”
“I know what that example is.” Abdullah interrupted.
“If a few monkeys randomly hit the keys on a typewriter and continue to do it
for billions of years, it is quite possible that they may come up with a great
poem. Leave aside the complexities of life; if the information contained in the
fundamental element of life, DNA, is written in the form of a book, a book
comprising hundreds of thousands of pages will come into being. Every word,
every line of every chapter of the whole book will be meaningful, purposeful
and integrated.
He stopped at that point for a moment and addressed Naima.
“Do you know that to create such a significant book, for how many years the
monkeys will have to type?”
Answering his own question, he said:
“Mathematics tells us that the time required to produce that book by chance
is so great that even if we multiply trillions with billions of years, the resultant
period will be insufficient. I will explain it to you with an example.”
With that, Abdullah took a pen out of his pocket, wrote Naima’s name on a
piece of paper, and said:
“There are 26 letters in English. Five of them in a particular sequence form
your name. A formula In Mathematics called Permutation can determine the
number of ways a set or number can be arranged or changed.”
Saying so, Abdullah wrote the formula and the achieved number in large
letters on the paper, and said:
“To write your name in English based on chance from the 26 letters of
English, the monkey will have to type 7,893,600 distinct five lettered words
to ensure that one of them is Naima.”
53
“Impossible.” Mr Hasan said, totally amazed.
Abdullah smiled and continued:
“Such is the case with one word. If it was a whole book whose every word,
chapter and paragraph were interlinked backward and forward; you won’t be
able to even imagine how long would it take for it to be written by chance.
Figures of billions and trillions would be like the first few seconds in a story
spanning thousands of years.
The fact is that life came into being on our planet earth and is present in its
simple to most complex forms. Also, the codebook of life is far more
voluminous yet equally orderly and integrated. Interestingly, the earth is only
four billion years old; the universe itself is not more than thirteen or fourteen
billion years old. It is impossible for life to come into being on its own at only
one place in a perfect shape in such a short period. Therefore, it is totally
unimaginable to accept that the universe, as introduced by science, came
into being by chance, life on earth also came into being by chance, different
life forms also came into being by chance, or a lifeless, mindless and
purposeless mechanism is controlling this unique and perfect system of life
and the universe. One may make such a preposterous claim to satisfy himself,
but an intelligent mind will not accept it.”
Naima had realised that she had completely lost the argument, but she still
came up with her last comment.
“I know that quite a few people criticise the evolutionary theory, yet majority
of the scientists believe in it.”
“Yes, I know that.” Abdullah replied, smiling.
“But it has no scientific basis. The reason for doing so is simple. Not believing
in God is a religion by itself, and evolution is the basic principle of that
religion. Those who don’t accept arguments against it don’t do so because
they are not rational, but because of the bias every religious person has for
his religion. From that angle, there is no difference between a rigid religious
leader and an atheist scientist. Both are equally biased.
54
Such scientists do not want to accept the creator, especially a creator as
depicted by Christianity and the Bible, represented by the Church. That is the
real problem. Christianity treated humanity, especially scientists,
philosophers
and intellectuals, during the middle-ages, in such a way that now they are not
willing to accept Christianity and the God of Church at all. I am sure when
humanity discovers the natural teaching and logical reasoning of Islam, it will
not say no to it.
He paused for a minute and, looking at Naima intently, said:
“I am also sure that you are convinced about the existence of God. And even
if you are not today, you will soon be.”
Naima smiled cynically and said:
“I have a lot of questions, and perhaps it is also not possible for you to
answer them. However, we will talk about it some other time. Right now, you
folks are being disturbed because of me.”
After that, she left the room, her face taut with stress. Then, she went
straight to the phone and dialled Fariah’s number.
-----------------------------Fariah sat and stared at Naima’s pulled down face. Naima had told her the
details of today’s encounter. Having listened to it, Fariah was actually glad
but feigned sombre only to console her friend. Finally, she broke the silence
and said:
“So, what do you want. Should I ask Abdullah not to visit your place
anymore?”
“I don’t want to even see his face. You have no idea how happy grandpa was
when he spoke. It looked like he was his son, and I was no relation.”
55
“It is not so. You are his blood and will remain so. However, if you think by
asking Abdullah not to visit grandpa will solve your problem, I will do it.”
After a moment, she said: “What if grandpa invites him over?”
“We will cross that bridge when we reach there. I am sure he will never come
back after that. What does he think of himself? Ignorant fool.”
Fariah, trying hard to control her laughter, said:
“Don’t call him ignorant. On the contrary, the poor guy is highly educated.
And details of today’s dialogue, as narrated by you, also confirm that he
knows other subjects as well.”
Naima looked at Fariah intently. She could not fathom whether her best
friend was with her or with Abdullah.
Picking up her purse, Fariah said:
“Buddy, I should leave now as I have to help mom to cook. You had called, so
I came. However, worry not. What you want will be done.”
With that, she got up, pecked Naima’s cheek, and continued:
“You told me once that you don’t believe in God because, to you, truth is
much more valuable than prejudice. So, after I depart and you are alone,
ponder whether truth is still the most precious thing for you.”
“One more thing.” She said after a pause. “There is a lot of difference
between you and Kiran.”
Having said that, Fariah left the room. Naima sat motionless where she was,
like a statue. She fully understood what her friend had said. She did not have
to think too much to realise that truth was not the most important thing for
her now. Instead, not being defeated by Abdullah had become the most
crucial issue.
56
She opened the drawer of her table and pulled out her diary. On the first
page, she had proudly written:
“Truth is more precious than anything else for me.”
Naima read her writing for a while. She started recollecting a lot. While
discussing religious topics with her teachers and other girls, she often said
that
all of them were captives of their prejudices. She felt really proud when she
rendered people speechless by using stories of differences and hatred of
religious persons and weaknesses of their baseless beliefs. She thought she
had risen above every prejudice, but today she realised that she had joined
their ranks too. She had faced biased, unreasonable extremists and sectarian
zealots so far and she had always defeated them. For the first time today, she
had come across a true worshipper of God, and he had cut her down to size
in a single encounter.
“Should I also do what others do?” she asked herself.
“Everyone has prejudices. Along with them, they utter a few meaningless
words to deceive themselves. Should I also deceive myself too?”
She spoke softly:
“The truth is still more precious than anything else for me, but I did not know
that the Journey to truth would be so difficult. However, I will not be a
hypocrite. I could not accept the truth, but I can at least speak the truth. I
hate Abdullah with a vengeance but I did not have an answer to what he said.
I wish the Journey to truth becomes a little easier for me.”
With that, pearl-like tears escaped from her eyes and, running down her
cheeks, were absorbed in her dress.
-------------------------Abdullah’s phone rang. He picked it up with Assalam-O-Alaikum, the usual
greeting Islamic greeting. Fariah was online.
57
“Brother Abdullah, Fariah here. How are you?”
Abdullah was surprised to hear her voice as she did not have his number and
had never called him before. He could not understand why had she done so.
However, he did not express it and said:
“Alhamdolillah. I am fine. How are you?”
“I am OK. I want to speak to you about something important.”
“Go ahead, please.”
“Actually, the point I wanted to….” She started hesitatingly.
“Naima is a very good girl, but she has a problem with you.”
Abdullah was hurt but listened quietly.
“She is somewhat of a religious rebel, and you are a deeply religious person.
You have also become quite close to her grandpa and mom. You are a very
good person, and everybody loves you. Naima has been the focus of her
family’s affection right from her childhood. However, you have started
sharing that love now. You are there? Right?”
Fariah spoke after a pause. Abdullah replied:
“Yes, I am listening.”
“Please do not misunderstand her. By nature, she is a very well-mannered girl
and has a highly sympathetic attitude towards people. Her rebellious views
aside, she is neither ill-mannered nor in-considerate. However, she has
developed an aggressive attitude towards you. She is about to get married.
She gets kind of disturbed when you visit. Perhaps she also had an argument
with you a few days ago.”
“Nothing like that. She had a few questions, though.”
“If you have felt bad about anything she said, please forgive her. I apologise
on her behalf.”
58
“No. I did not feel bad about anything. Naima is a very good girl.”
Fariah did not know that she was, unknowingly, reopening his old wounds.
“Naima only wanted to marry in a rich family. She did not want to live a
deprived life like her mother. As such, she refused to marry you.”
Abdullah felt as if someone had punched him hard, but he had learnt to
control himself. He spoke in a flat tone:
“I understand.”
“I think if you do not visit her place till her marriage, she will feel a bit
better.” Fariah finally said what she wanted to.
“You don’t have to worry. I will not inconvenience Naima. However, is it OK
to visit Mr Hasan after her marriage?”
“That will be a big favour and so good of you.”
“OK. Don’t worry. Anything else?”
“No. Thanks and goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
Abdullah replied with a heavy heart and disconnected.
===============
Time was flying. Wedding date was approaching fast. A week had passed
since the disgrace of being naked in the dream and the defeat by Abdullah.
Naima was upset for a couple of days, but thoughts of the wedding and life
after that occupied her. That night, she was lying in bed with her mother, lost
in similar thoughts, imagining herself touring Europe and the USA. She was
unaware of the worries of her mother. Amnah had given in to her daughter’s
59
wishes and pressure of the lady who had arranged the match, but now some
realities had started to surface with all their ugly manifestations.
Her first concern was separation from Naima, who was everything for her.
Due to her, she had not re-married when widowed at a young age even
though her mother was alive and could look after Naima. Her mother had
also insisted that she should get married again. Amnah, even though a
widow, was very good looking, and there were marriage proposals as well.
Her parents were ready to keep Naima. She had the opportunity to start a
new life and make a new home using the ashes of an abode turned to ashes
by the tragedy of yore.
However, she preferred her daughter over her own life and happiness. She
gave her a lot of love and groomed her into who she was today. She did not
even notice how the time flew and how Naima had become a young woman
from a small child. Now, the time for Naima to depart was near, a time quite
challenging for all mothers. And she had just Naima, nothing else. Naima was
getting married in a wealthy family. To go and meet her daughter whenever
she wanted would not be easy. Her son-in-law was studying abroad. She had
no idea about him. The love of her daughter had prevented her from trying to
find more about him. She had banked on the information received from the
lady who had arranged the match. What if he would move abroad and take
her daughter with him? In that case, she would not be able to see her for
years.
Unintentionally, she thought of Abdullah. If Naima had married him, she
would not have even a single worry. She had become so close to him as if he
was her own son. He did not have any family either.
“I would have kept him in our home. My daughter would have been with me
forever.”
Regrets engulfed her. To get rid of them, she started thinking about wedding
arrangements but that led to worries about the finances.
She was concerned about Naima’s in-laws’ plans. They had planned to invite
two thousand guests and the venue was the most prestigious club of the city.
To save face, even if they invited five hundred guests to a five-star hotel,
most of the wedding budget would be spent on that alone. No matter what
60
they gave in dowry, it would look nothing compared to what they would
provide. Thinking of jewellery, she asked Naima:
“You had a heavy gold locket and chain. Where is it?”
Naima, in her imagination, was visiting Niagara Falls. The sudden question
jolted her as if someone had pushed her into the Falls. For a while, she did
not know what to say. If she had told the truth, her mother would have
scolded her. She would have handled her mother even if she had told her the
truth, being the only and most loved daughter, but she did not want to
disclose details of a good deed as well. Yet, she still had to say something.
When she did not reply, Amnah said:
“I think it is a heavy locket and chain, and we should exchange it with a
jewellery set. A set is considered more valuable. Chains and lockets don’t
count.”
Her saying so gave Naima an idea for an appropriate answer. Embracing her
mother, she said:
“Mama, I simply love that locket. I won’t part with it no matter what. I will
take it with me as it is. You please make some other arrangement.”
Having said that, Naima was off the hook but her reply led to an increase in
Amna’s worries. While she was still worrying about what to do, sleep
overtook her slowly. Naima also could not remain awake for long either.
--------------Naima stood in the same valley again, flying here, there and everywhere,
without any fear, or concern. The incredible scene elated and enthralled her.
She wished the time would stop so she could continue flying forever. Then,
suddenly, she lost her ability to fly and descended to earth.
The same silhouette faced her. However, she wasn’t afraid this time. Instead,
she was inquisitive and asked:
“Who are you?”
61
“You will get the answer soon. Tell me, do you want to know the truth?”
“But I already know the truth.”
“You know nothing. You are living a deluded life. You don’t even know what
to save the people from.”
“I am sorry. I don’t understand.”
“You addressed the master of the universe and said that you could only save
one, and If he could, he should save the rest.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Then, you should know that the child you tried to save died two days later. If
you want to save, save people from being presented to God naked, as Hellfire
will be their dress.”
On hearing that, she looked at herself and trembled when she found that she
was naked again. She woke up immediately. It seemed that she had not slept
at all and she was awake when she saw all that. She could neither sleep nor
could she fathom why she was seeing such absurd dreams. She kept lying
down for a long time, wondering about them. Suddenly she heard the Fajr
prayer call from the mosque. God knows after how long, she got up like a
robot and, after the ablution, started praying.
-------------------------------------Naima remained lost in thoughts at college the whole day. She was unable to
solve the dilemma of that dream. Finally, she again decided to seek help from
psychology. She looked at many books at the library, including ‘The
interpretation of Dreams’ by Sigmond Freud, and started reading it. All of her
questions were answered there. Why does one dream? What is their
meaning and how to interpret them; the answers were quite clear. Dreams
are the joint outcome of suppressed desires, apprehensions hidden in the
subconscious, notions and feelings of anger and hatred, forgotten memories
and everyday happenings that we move from conscious to the subconscious
and from there to the unconscious mind. What is apparent in the dream is
not important, but it is an indicative expression of some other facts. To
62
interpret dreams, the facts or thoughts being indicated by the dreams have
to be identified. For that, those facts should be searched in one’s life events,
observations, sentiments and past and present life.
Having read psychology, and especially Freud, the entire matter became
crystal clear to her. Her dream was a combination of her hatred towards
religion and religious persons, fear of God and religion as spread by the
society, her wish for material progress and luxuries of life and her journey to
find the truth and life of freedom and leisure she had envisioned after the
marriage. As for the locket and helping that woman, they were, in any case,
real events that took place. Having connected those aspects, she was
satisfied. She took a deep breath and, putting her head on the table, relaxed.
She was relieved of her burden and had understood everything. Worries and
anxiety did not bother her anymore.
She was in that state of solace when another thought flashed in her mind. In
the entire dream, she had overlooked the news that the child she had tried to
save had died two days later.
She tried to brush aside that thought and render it unimportant for a while.
But then, she remembered that she had gone to the hospital's administration
office the next day after her grandpa was discharged. The employee she had
spoken to earlier was present there, and he had told her that the operation
was successful. It was proof that what was said in her dream was contrary to
the information she had received, and she should forget it as her mind’s
machination. Naima wanted to ignore it as well but could not shake the
silhouette from her thoughts. There was only one way to get rid of him, i.e.,
have his word contradicted.
“Yeah. It would be good to remove this doubt as well so as not to attach
importance to such thoughts and dreams in future.”
Naima thought about it, got up from the library and went straight to the
hospital where her grandpa was admitted. She went to the administration
office. Someone else was on duty, not the person she had talked to earlier.
She asked him about the child’s operation on a specific date. He told her to
go to the records office where patients’ records were kept.
63
She stood at the Records office. She did not know the name of the mother or
child and only had the date of operation and the amount deposited. It was a
difficult task. However, due to her pleasant personality, it was not difficult to
get their cooperation. A person, using a computer, checked the date and also
sought help from the Accounts office. Since it was not an old case, they found
the child’s name within half an hour. The operation was performed the same
day, and it was a success. The child had started to get better. However, two
days later, he suddenly took a turn for the worse and died.
===============
Naima did not have lunch. Instead, she came back from the hospital and hit
the bed quietly. When her mom asked, she said she had eaten with friends at
the college. In bed, she brooded upon one point. Psychology texts,
psychoanalysis and interpretation of dreams had provided answers to all the
questions. However, there was no answer for what had happened later.
Naima did not know of it at all. How could she know it through her dream?
How did the silhouette know that the child she had tried to save by selling
her most valuable possession had died precisely after two days? How was it
possible? That question kept hammering her mind. She felt that the
Psychology she was so confident could answer anything through
psychoanalysis, and the philosophy she thought could solve every complex
mystery of the universe, were unreliable and incomplete. The reality was
elsewhere, at a loftier place.
She thought of events after her first dream. She started to comprehend the
meaning of her nakedness in the light of Abdullah’s explanation of the ‘dress
of piety’. Abdullah’s logical reasoning she had ignored earlier as it came from
her Arch-enemy was now making its place in her mind after dismantling the
fortifications she had erected. His explanations about Quran as the book of
God and Muhammad PBUH being his Messenger, that prophets could tell things
that had not happened yet and what they said did happen, rang in her mind.
The narration of past events and future predictions so confidently could only
be the forte of God.
Abdullah had not put forward any philosophical point, only undeniable facts,
facts such as the child she had tried to save died after two days. She did not
64
know about the child’s death at all. Yet, she found it with correct timing in
her dream. How was that possible? she could not understand.
===============
All of Naima’s sandcastles had shattered. She had already alienated herself
from religion. Solutions and remedies offered by Philosophy and Psychology
had become doubtful today. If one had argued with her about the existence
of God, he could not bring about the change in her as quickly as was
happening now. However, it was true that her mental makeup and psyche
had not been challenged from the outside; it was an internal assault, and the
hit was so severe that it had demolished every defence she had built. Her
prior personality had been destroyed with a loud bang.
It was apparently a dream she had experienced. Had she wanted, she would
have easily overlooked it. However, she was not insensitive and, thus, could
not ignore queries and concerns that arose in her mind. Doing so would be
living like animals. She always thought, questioned, and looked for answers.
But now, she was left with questions only. The answers were not there, and
there was no way to find them either. She started thinking about the dream
again. She remembered it from A to Z. She started recollecting its every
segment. She realised it was not a dream but a dialogue with her. It was a
clear message to her. At that point, she remembered the silhouette had
started his conversation by asking her if she wanted to know the truth.
Within a second, a thought occurred in her mind like lightning; if all of that
were from God, then she would start the dialogue next time. If there were a
God, she would get an answer. Unintentionally she uttered:
“Yes, I want to know the truth.”
Saying that, she got up, performed ablution and started ‘Zuhr’, the afternoon
prayers. As soon as she prostrated, with a heavy heart, she started crying
and said:
“God, I did not believe in you. That is why a lot of my questions do not have
answers anywhere. Why is there such tyranny in the world? Why are justice
and fair play missing? Why is there such injustice if the world is not ruled by
the blind matter but you? Why are people born, and why do they die? If you
65
are, why do you not tell the truth to the people? Why have you allowed the
philosophers and clergy to say what they want in your name? Where are
you? Where is the proper guidance from you?
Oh God, I am ready to cleanse my heart of all prejudices and hatred. I testify
that Muhammad PBUH is your Messenger. I have been convinced of his
prophethood by the person I hate, but he is right. Despite my hatred, I admit
that he spoke the truth. But I have not found the whole truth. How can I trust
in a God who stays quiet on cruel acts? How can I love a God who creates
deprivations? How can I believe in a God who does not openly tell the truth?”
Naima wept for a long time, constantly praying and asking her questions.
===============
Chapter 4
By That Time
Another week went by. Abdullah had stopped visiting Mr Hasan’s home.
Naima had no interest in his presence or absence even otherwise. Her
wedding was quite near and her family was insisting she should stop going to
college. However, she said she would attend as long as possible as she
wanted to continue her education even after the marriage. She had
undergone a profound change, which everybody around had felt. She had
started praying five times a day. Her mom and grandpa were quite pleased
about that. Fariah was also quite satisfied, but she found it odd that Naima
was not as excited about her marriage and future as girls generally are. In
Naima’s case, a deep sadness had enveloped her.
What was Naima’s problem? Nobody asked, and she didn’t tell anybody
either. Everybody thought that she had turned towards God due to anxiety
about her marriage and the expected changes in her life. Whatever the
reason, everybody was happy with the change. The only concern was
arrangement of resources for the wedding. However, it was Mr Hasan and
Amna’s concern. They had not shared it with Naima as they did not want to
affect their daughter’s happiness with even the slightest problem.
66
===============
Nobody knew that a very strong bond had developed between Naima and
her God, a bond much stronger than the five prayers people saw her praying.
She prayed day and night for only one thing; that the truth be revealed to
her.
One day, as she sat on the prayer rug after Isha, the nightly prayers, deep in
supplication, eyes closed, and her tears rolling down continuously, Her
grandpa entered the room and was startled. His granddaughter had
undergone such a colossal change; he could not fathom that. He thought it
was a big deal that she had started praying. But now, she was crying as she
sat and supplicated to God; this he could not imagine at all. He looked at her
lovingly for some time and then went back. After a while, he started towards
her room with the Quran in his hands.
Naima had finished her prayers. He entered the room and asked:
“What was my daughter praying for?”
How could Naima tell him what she was asking from God? Her prayer was
neither about her, her wedding or life after that. It was only to find the truth.
Truth had become so valuable to her that compared to it, everything else had
lost its value. However, she could not tell him so. Therefore, she smiled and
answered:
“I was asking God for what I consider the most important thing at this time.”
From her words, grandpa gathered what he should have, that his
granddaughter was praying for her marriage and the life after that; since she
could not tell him so out of modesty, she had indirectly hinted about it. So,
he put his hand on her head lovingly and said:
“I am sure God will bestow upon you the best of his bounties. Your married
life will be so happy that you would consider yourself the luckiest girl in the
world.”
67
Naima did not reply, but she looked intently at the Quran in his hands.
Grandpa understood what she had in mind, and said:
“Daughters are bid farewell in the shadow of Quran. They also get it in
dowry. Yet, most of them do not find the time to read and understand it.
Now that you have turned towards God, I want you to make this book your
life’s guide. You will find complete guidance and answers to all your
questions in it.”
“Does it really have answers to all my questions?” Naima asked, surprised.”
“Yes. Not only does it have answers to your questions, but also the best
advice on all matters. Come, sit with me.”
Grandpa sat on her chaise and opened the Quran. Naima sat with him.
Grandpa turned pages, reached Surah Al-Asr, and said:
“I want to recite, translate and explain a very small Surah to you. It is the
summary of its teachings.”
“Which Surah is it, Grandpa?” Naima asked.
“It is Surah Al-Asr.”
Saying so, he recited it first and then started its translation:
“(I swear) by the Time, man is in a state of loss indeed except those who
believed and did righteous deeds, and exhorted each other to follow truth,
and exhorted each other to observe patience.”
Even though Naima had changed, she was still the same Naima, the
philosopher Naima. After listening to that translation, her expression showed
she had a question. However, instead of saying anything, she took the Quran
from her grandpa and read the translation twice or thrice. Instead of finding
any direction or guidance, several questions arose in her mind. She asked her
grandpa:
“Grandpa, what does ‘swear by the time’ mean?”
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Grandpa, as per his studies, replied:
“Time means the time that has passed as well as the present time. Time is
what all of us humans live in. It is our asset. It is melting each moment, like
ice. We should use this asset in doing good; only then will we succeed. If we
do not use this asset in strengthening our faiths, in good deeds and exhorting
others towards truth and patience, we will be at a loss.”
“But Grandpa, whether it is time passed, or present time, our lives or others’
lives, its lesson is somewhat different. My study shows that only the weak,
poor, socially deprived and those who belong to the lower strata of humans
are always at a loss. The virtuous are always hassled. They have to pay a huge
price for being virtuous.”
Naima’s speech had started and was not going to stop so easily.
“Forget about others; look at yourself. You are so virtuous, and mom is such a
good person, but what has time given you except tragedies and deprivations?
You have spent your lives living with less, with worries and deprivations. And
look at me. I didn’t pray, nor did good deeds. I was not even a believer. Yet,
just because I am pretty, the doors of wealth and an affluent family opened
for me. It is the story of every household, every time and every era. The study
of history tells us about the deeds of Hulagu, Genghis, Timur, Alexander and
the Western nations today regarding faith, good deeds, and other teachings
of Islam. However, all of them were hugely successful in their times. I am
sorry, but I don’t find the position of Quran correct from any angle, be it an
individual or a nation, past or present.”
Grandpa’s face paled. He had no answer for Naima’s flurry of questions,
arguments and observations. Keen to satisfy her, he said:
“Your mother and I are living a good life.”
“Grandpa, my mother became a widow in her prime. She spent all her life on
the cross of loneliness. You had no son, only a daughter, and she returned
home with the stigma of widowhood. A truly virtuous man had to live with
the burden of his daughter and granddaughter. Grandpa, if this is success,
69
please excuse me for saying so, then nobody in the world will wish for
success.”
“But I am satisfied with my life”.
“I beg your pardon; it is this satisfaction on one’s misfortunes that
intellectuals today call ‘the opium of religion’. However, please also consider
that the Quran is not talking about satisfaction but about loss, failure,
betterment, and success. As far as satisfaction is concerned, it is quite
possible that a Buddhist monk, a Hindu yogi and a Christian friar will also be
equally satisfied with their faiths. However, this satisfaction has no place in
the world of knowledge and intellect.”
Grandpa had understood Naima’s objection to quite an extent. Moreover,
that objection was intellectual and logical. As such, he now based his answer
on betterment and reward.
“But they cannot get paradise. Here, the success of the award of paradise
and the loss of condemnation to hell are being referred to. The faithful live a
satisfied life in this world and will be rewarded with the best and highest
level of Paradise and its bounties in the hereafter, while those who do not do
so will suffer the loss of punishment with Hell.”
“Grandpa, your point is valid from that angle. However, the problem is that it
is not right to present time as a witness because times past and present, or
eras, give us a different lesson. Time is generally against the righteous. Yes,
without swearing by the time, this claim is valid. However, my objection to
this claim is that Paradise and Hell are, in any case, concepts in future. For
the time being, it is only a claim. This claim will satisfy a Muslim who already
believes in Paradise and Hell but it cannot satisfy, at all, a Non-Muslim who is
acquainted with modern concepts, philosophy and scholastics.
The minds of today don’t accept claims. They want proof. And, I am sorry to
say, the swearing of time and testimony of all eras presented as proof narrate
a completely contradictory picture. If you cite your life as a proof of success,
and that of a rich, powerful person with authority as loss and failure, a few
may accept your position, but the majority will reject it.”
70
Grandpa sorely missed Abdullah at that moment. However, it was apparent
that nothing could be done now. Without saying so, he wished from the core
of his heart:
“Alas, if you were being married to Abdullah, he would have answered all
your questions better than me.”
It was the voice of his heart, but his tongue was tied, and he did not utter
those words. Nevertheless, Naima had judged from his facial expressions that
her argument had disturbed him. So, to appease him, she said.
“Sorry, Grandpa, I may be wrong. I will think about it. But, please don’t
worry.”
Mr Hasan also thought it prudent to accept the cease-fire and be satisfied
with whatever improvement had taken place in his granddaughter, lest she
stopped
praying again. As such, he got up saying:
“Yes, you may rest now. We will discuss it later, God willing.”
===============
Naima sat, sad after Mr Hasan had departed. She felt terrible about starting
an argument that made her grandpa unhappy, but she had no choice either.
She had never received answers to those questions. Yes, she had received
the kind of answers her grandpa had provided earlier as well. However, they
had never satisfied her.
She had tried to read the Quran on her own too. However, truth be told she
had not understood it earlier, nor did she understand it now. There was a
fundamental mental barrier between her and Quran due to her philosophical
background. The barrier was that Quran started with claims, whereas Naima
was not ready to accept anything as a knowledge-based position that began
with a claim. The religious persons she had come across, including her
grandpa, had not mentioned proofs and logical reasons of the Quran. She
had read religious literature as well, but all of it had been written assuming
that the reader was already convinced of the oneness of God, Prophethood
71
and Hereafter, and had accepted them. The authors of that literature were
not even aware of the changes that had taken place in the modern mind. The
emphasis of that literature was on forcing acceptance and threatening rather
than convincing. Also, its primary source was not an in-depth understanding
of the Quran. Centuries ago, Muslims had shunned Quran and had left it
aside. Only a handful now understood the depth of its contents. Rest of the
literature was based on differences amongst various schools, sectarianism,
political thoughts and unimportant issues rather than Quranic thought and
philosophy. Hence it was useless for Naima. Whatever that literature
contained was not in Quran, and what was in Quran was not acceptable to
Naima’s philosophical mind.
The exception in this matter was Abdullah’s dialogue, which was most logical,
convincing, and heart touching. As per Abdullah, those reasons were derived
from the Quran. However, it was evident that she could not seek help from
him. It was partially due to her ego, and, to some extent, due to Abdullah’s
background. On top of that, Abdullah had started sharing the love of her
mom and grandpa. From that viewpoint, he had become somewhat of a rival.
How could she make her rival a confidante? She did not feel good in lowering
herself in front of her enemy, the same enemy she had rejected. How could
she approach him now to educate her?
It was late at night. Naima was used to sleeping early. She brushed her teeth
before sleeping, and on second thought, performed ablution as well. After
hitting the bed, she kept praying to God. Although she was not getting a reply
to her questions, yet she had started to feel confident what she uttered was
surely being heard by God for some unknown reason. Engulfed in those
thoughts, she went to sleep.
===============
“Wake up, Naima. The time to sleep is over. You had enough of it. It is time to
wake up now.”
She heard it thrice. Twice it was so weak that, deep in her sleep, she could
not understand what was happening. The third time it was so loud that
Naima felt she was waking up but kept lying motionless as she could not
comprehend whether she was still asleep or had awakened. The sound was
not waking her up now. She did not know where she was. Absolute darkness
72
and silence all around had covered the surroundings. All she could see was
the black sky, with no cloud near and far, nor any trace of moonlight. If there
was any light, it was of the glittering stars. It looked like the sky’s black cloak
was embellished with shining diamonds. Naima loved the scene and,
oblivious to everything else, she started watching it.
She was in that state for a long time. Suddenly one of the lights in the sky
started to move. It was coming towards Naima. Soon she found that the light
was the same silhouette she always saw. The silhouette came closer and
stationed himself in the air. Naima looked at him for a while. Perhaps she
expected him to say something. When he did not, she asked:
“You are the one who had asked if I wanted to know the truth? Yes, I want to
know the truth today.”
The same familiar voice came from the silhouette.
“I know the questions you have in mind. However, before I answer, I will tell
you the questions. You want to know why God keeps quiet on cruel acts, why
God creates deprivations, allows bad things to happen to good people and
good things to those who are bad.”
Naima felt the Silhouette had summarised her total confusion and quest for
answers in those three questions.
“Yes, those are the three questions. However, before you answer, please
introduce yourself. Who are you?”
“I am Asr, son of Time. A lowly creature of my Lord.”
“Naima could not understand his reply. She wanted to ask more but she was
feeling somewhat nervous about him. She thought if the silhouette could
change into a familiar form, she would probably be able to concentrate on
the discussion more. So, she finally expressed her confusion to him:
“You don’t have a face. I feel confused due to your silhouette like form.”
73
“I have a face, but you cannot understand it. However, for your convenience,
I will take on a human shape.”
Saying so, the silhouette slowly descended to the ground and started
changing into a human. For a while, Naima felt that a romantic god from
Greek mythology had assumed a human shape. It was the shape of a human
but the face was not human at all. A human being could not be so handsome.
She had never seen such a good-looking man in all her life. Mesmerised, she
kept staring at him and could not move her eyes even though she wanted to.
That human shape, or Greek god, whoever he was, sat near her. At that very
moment, the female in Naima became conscious. She realised that she was
lying immodestly in his presence. She got up, looked at herself, and was
satisfied to see that she was not naked today. She was wearing a dress for
the first time. Seeing her condition, Asr smiled and said:
“Don’t worry. I am not a human. You wanted me to have a human form, so I
did.”
Naima looked in all directions. It was dark all around. She asked:
“Where am I?”
“You have been brought over from the world of humans to the world of God.
For your world, you are asleep, but I have awakened your inner self and
brought you to this world.”
He stopped for a moment and spoke with a meaningful smile on his face:
“So that you can get answers to your questions.”
“Would I be able to meet God?”
Naima asked. Asr’s face changed colour. He bowed his head respectfully and
said:
“Naima, billions and trillions of angels in the entire universe postulate, pray
and praise him, awaiting the grand occasion of being presented to him.
Billions of years pass, but they don’t get a chance.”
74
He looked at Naima enviously and said:
“You humans are the luckiest creatures of the world as you have the
opportunity to see the Lord of the universe, but ….”
After the ‘but’, he paused and then completed his statement with a bitter
truth:
“You humans are most unfortunate as most of you have lost the chance of
meeting him forever.”
“How are we to be blamed for that? We face a lot of tyranny. There is
nobody to guide but a whole lot of people who misguide.”
“What you are saying is wrong. God has taken the responsibility to guide you
to the right path. It is impossible for someone to look for the truth and not
find it. However, you humans do not rise above your prejudices, desires and
emotions; hence remain deprived of guidance.”
“What is guidance? Here, every person and every group have their own
perception of truth. Who should we follow, and who should we shun?”
Naima presented her dilemma, and that of a lot of others, as a question.
“Guidance is discovering the invisible God through the eyes of intellect and
reason. It is the name of discovering his sublime qualities from the symbols
spread around the entire universe. It is the name of living a life being
conscious of love and exaltedness for him. Every particle of the universe is a
witness to this truth. Here, everything is a witness of its master’s existence,
his kindness and bounties. The Lord has employed everything of his universe
to serve you. However, you never think about him while his blessings keep
you alive each moment. If he takes away air, you will die. If he removes
water, you will die of thirst miserably. The fact is that the sun, oceans, clouds,
rivers, atmosphere, everything on earth and the sky serve you. Your hands,
feet, organs and limbs, the ability to hear and see, he has given them all. But
you never feel like thanking him with all your heart, loving him and live
acknowledging his greatness.”
Naima bowed her head, accepting the facts. Asr continued:
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“Naima, you complain a lot about poverty. How about those who do not have
eyes, hands or feet?”
“But to give birth to such people is also tyranny.”
So said the philosopher in Naima, who was still awake.
“Creating them is not darkness of tyranny, but the light of guidance. Blind are
born to show reality to rationally blind like you. Deaf, dumb, lame, and
crippled are born so that insensitive and oblivious to the blessings of God
learn to count their blessings. But you humans neither recognise the bounties
bestowed upon you nor the blessings. You just display your thanklessness
and revel in the filthy sty of atheism and polytheism. You don’t feel ashamed
of forgetting the same great God whose bounties and blessings enable you to
live. You get everything from him and praise others. You live in a universe
that is a testimony to God’s greatness, but you have the greatness of others
in your hearts. You live on an earth whose every particle proclaims the
magnificence of God but have placed your self-devised leaders on the same
pedestal. To top it all, after seeing all those truths, you still deny the
existence of God.”
Naima’s head was bowed in shame.
“But you have approached the Lord. You have smashed every wall of your
prejudices and have risen above your desires. Remember, God never leaves
such people helpless. Indeed, he guides them in the right direction. However,
he has no place for egotists, prejudiced and slaves of their desires, and he
will crush them with his wrath soon. You are a righteous person; as such, he
has sent me to answer your questions. Thus, ask whatever you want. All your
questions will be answered today.”
Naima heaved a sigh of relief as Asr, rather than getting upset with her, had
come to the main topic. Nevertheless, she was still confused as to who he
was. As such, she asked about him first.
“I could not understand who you are? What is the meaning of Asr? How can
one be the son of Time?”
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Asr replied:
“Please understand that everything in the Universe is a creation of God.
Whatever you may think they are, the fact remains that they are God’s
creatures. Time is also a creation of God. Time has given birth to a lot of
things. Day, second, hour, Year, century, millennium, all of them are
constituents of Time. You may take them to be Time’s children.”
“And Asr. What kind of a child is he?”
“I, Asr, that is, am the most important and oldest child of Time. All other
children of Time are always present, but I appear only when a prophet is sent
to the world. As such, I am the Time and era of the prophets.”
“What is so special about a prophet?”
“When a prophet arrives, God starts interfering in the affairs of the world
openly and publicly, which he does not do under normal circumstances, but
during that period, he speaks to human beings through his prophets, answers
their questions, guides them and finally executes reward and punishment.”
The subject was still not clear to Naima. Asr had also read the confusion on
her face.
“If you are really interested in understanding it, you should get the answer to
your third question first. That is, why does God not explain the truth openly?
Why does he not provide irrefutable proof of his existence and truth? The
answer to this question will also unveil to you who Asr is. Asr is the time of
the prophets, and that is the time when the truth is revealed clearly and
openly.”
Agreeing with Asr, Naima asked excitedly:
“OK. Please answer it first.”
Asr smiled at her keenness and said:
77
“Get up; I would show you the answer rather than telling you about it. But,
for that, you will have to travel into the past with me.”
Asr got up and extended his hand towards Naima. When Naima hesitated in
holding it, Asr said:
“Hold my hand and get up. I am not a human.”
Naima got up. However, she was still hesitant.
“We have to travel rearwards in the past. If you don’t hold my hand, you will
be left here alone”.
Encouraged, Naima held his hand.
===============
78
Chapter 5
First Doomsday
Holding Naima’s hand, Asr was moving ahead. As soon as Naima got up and
held Asr’s hand, she felt as if a blindfold had been removed from her eyes.
Darkness of night all around changed into the soft light of dawn. Naima was
surprised that it was the same valley she had seen in her dreams right from
the beginning. However, instead of being in the valley below, she was
standing on the highest of the surrounding mountains and was moving ahead
with Asr. As she proceeded further, the scene around her was changing
quickly. Her vision had enhanced considerably and she could see everything
at great distances. She saw that the days and nights were changing fast down
below. Time, days and seasons were also moving ahead at considerable
speed. It seemed like the sun was rising from the west and setting in the east.
Scenes around were also changing swiftly. Localities, towns and cities were
following one after the other. It looked like they were walking on the
mountain but the time and space were covering the journey of centuries in
seconds. Naima could not understand what was going on but since she liked
walking with Asr quietly, she kept doing so without asking any question.
Having walked for some time, they reached a plain ground in a valley. Asr
stopped and told Naima:
“We are now in the era of prophet Noah PBUH and are in ancient Iraq.”
Naima was stunned to hear that. She asked, totally surprised:
“How did it become possible?”
“Everything is possible with me. I am the son of Time. I know every street of
Time, and its every door is open for me. I can go anywhere. The answer to
your third question is here. Here, you will find out how God has been
providing irrefutable proof of his truth and existence in every era.”
“But when people see us, what will happen then?”
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“Rest assured nobody can see us. Yet, we will be able to see everybody. We
will go wherever we want but we cannot interfere with anything.”
After explaining the scenario, Asr took her and took a few steps They covered
a quite a distance in those few steps and entered a locality. It was a big city. It
wasn’t big from Naima’s viewpoint who lived in a city of millions. However,
for its era, it was a large and bustling city. A celebration was going on there.
Excitement and movement were evident. People were happy, and wearing
fancy clothes, they were coming out of their homes and gathering in the
centre. The centre was built around a temple with a huge courtyard and a big
bazaar on the outside. The shops were crowded, and a large number of
people, passing through the shops, were gathering in the temple’s courtyard.
“They are the people of Prophet Noah PBUH. Humanity started its journey from
Prophet Adam PBUH. He was a prophet and left the world after teaching his
children to pray to one God. A long time passed since then and his children
gradually forgot his message. As civilisation progressed, polytheism had
continued to spread at a brisk pace. Not a single person who believed in the
oneness of God was left. In that scenario, God sent Noah, and he invited his
people to believe in the oneness of God, or Monotheism”.
Naima, having seen the environment, commented:
“It looks like not many accepted his invitation.”
“Yes, very few followed him, just a few who could be counted on fingers. To
the extent that even his son Kanaan does not follow him. You know how long
has he been trying to make people understand.”
Naima looked at Asr questioningly.
“Nine hundred and fifty years.” Asr replied.
“Nine hundred and fifty years?” Naima repeated his words, surprised.
While they were busy talking, there was an uproar. Naima saw that the
priests
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were coming out of the temple in rows, followed by some with planks on
their shoulders. The planks had idols having different faces and shapes.
Naima counted them; they were five. On seeing them, the crowd was
overcome with joy and started raising slogans.
Asr described those idols to Naima:
“They are the five idols of their sacred elders, Wadd, Suwa, Yaghuth, Yaooq
and Nasr. They worship them, seek their help and when they get what they
have prayed for, they shower valuables on them. Today is their Eid (a day of
celebration), and these idols are being brought out for public display and
worship by all.”
Naima, surprised and worried, was watching the stupidity. The idols were
placed together. After that, a senior priest came and asked the crowd to be
quiet. Naima guessed that the ceremony was about to begin. However, an
elderly person made his way through the crowd; he came forward and faced
that priest. Before the priest could say anything, he turned around and
starting addressing the crowd:
“O people; Pray to one God. There is no god but him. If you do not do so, I
fear you will face a painful punishment.”
The priest severely disliked his interference. Angrily, he addressed the crowd:
“He is a misguided person, O men. He wants you to leave the religion of your
ancestors”.
“I am not misguided at all. I am truly a messenger of the Lord of all the
worlds. I am giving you a message from your God. I am your sympathiser and
know what you do not. Why do you find it strange that your God’s message
has been conveyed to you through someone from amongst you? What I am
saying is true. If you accept it, you will be saved from the punishment on its
way, and God will have mercy on you. Please understand that I have been
trying to make you do since long. What would I gain from it? I am not asking
you for anything in return. I will get my reward from my God. “
Naima had realised that the person addressing the crowd was Prophet
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Noah PBUH. In the meantime, she saw a prominent chief also coming forward
to support the priest. He shouted:
“Only contemptible and debased are with this old man. If he were right,
chiefs, like me, and other prominent persons would have accepted it. We
have been patient and have respected his old age enough. If he does not
desist, we will stone him to death.”
As soon as the chief uttered that sentence, people shouted in support. A wild
commotion spread in the surroundings. Finally, Prophet Noah PBUH stepped
ahead and said:
“O my people, if you so dislike me and my reminding you of God’s words,
then I have decided to bank on my God. You organise your committee of
elders, bring your supporters and also call in your idols. After that, make your
decision and without any confusion, decide what you want to do with me. Do
not give me any more time after that. I have obeyed the order of my God. If
you do not accept him as your God, so be it. However, I am his obedient
servant.
Prophet Noah’s PBUH words cast a spell of silence on the crowd. No one dared
to come forward to execute the Chief’s threat. Prophet Noah PBUH came down
calmly. People gave him the way to move, and he left in a particular
direction.
After his departure, the priest took a sigh of relief and said:
“It is good that the misguided old man has left. Let us pray to our five holy
idols. “
===============
Naima started to feel suffocated on seeing the absurdities that began after
the departure of Prophet Noah PBUH. She asked Asr despicably:
“What kind of people are they?”
“Human beings have done the same deeds in every era. Majority of people
are doing the same even today. Half of them have placed their faith in deities
other than God, and the other half have made the materialistic and
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temporary life of this world the purpose of their existence. True believers
have always been few.”
“Yes, but it was quite difficult in that era to have faith. Can I meet anybody
who had become a believer at that time?”
Yes. Why not? I will take you to one such family. You will see how true
believers stay on the right path even in the most challenging circumstances
and never complain.”
Holding her hand, Asr started in a direction. After a while, they were with a
family going through the most serious predicament of their lives. It was the
family of Jarahum.
===============
Jarahum was a poor farmer. He and his wife used to farm a bit and lived a
tough life. Life was never easy for them, but it had become even more
difficult when they became believers and followers of Prophet Noah PBUH; the
entire city became their enemy. Everybody cursed, maligned, and made fun
of them. They were blamed for forsaking the religion of their forefathers and
the majority of people. The decision to believe in one God and leave the idols
that were once symbols of ancient ancestors but had now turned into gods
themselves proved very costly for them. However, they stood firm.
Jarahum was a childhood friend of Shem. When Prophet Noah PBUH invited
people to accept the one and only true God, his son Shem also became a
believer. Because of his friend Shem, Jarahum also frequently visited Prophet
Noah PBUH and listened to his teachings. He felt that rather than praying to
idols, it was only rational to believe in one God. How could the idols they had
made with their own hands be gods? How could those ancestors who had
died and were buried long ago give them what they wanted? Only the one
true God could help people in their hour of need and bestow his bounties
upon them. As such, love, reverence, thankfulness and prayers should also be
for him and him alone.
Prophet Noah’s PBUH teachings touched Jarahum’s heart and he and his wife
became believers of one true God. However, their lives became more difficult
thereafter. Prophet Noah PBUH exhorted them to be patient and depend solely
on the promise made by God. He predicted that the infidels would be
annihilated soon, and those who believed in him would become owners of
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the Earth. Jarahum and his wife believed in the promise. They were satisfied
with
it and were facing every difficulty courageously. However, the latest mishap
that struck had shaken them badly. Their only daughter Amoorah, fifteen
years old, had fallen sick. It was not a temporary sickness but a terminal
ailment. She was getting worse every day and no medicine could help. It was
now apparent that she would only last two or four days. Jarahum and his
wife, worried and saddened, were sitting with Amoorah when someone
knocked on the door.
“I am Shem. Jarahum, please open the door.”
Jarahum opened the door slowly, went back and sat with Amoorah without
saying anything to Shem. Shem followed him and, putting his hand on
Amoorah’s head, said:
“Baby, God’s blessings are with you.”
“What kind of blessing is it, brother Shem?” Jarahum’s wife said sadly.
“We had hoped that we would marry Amoorah to your younger brother,
Canaan, and thus become a part of Prophet Noah’s PBUH family. We will be
punished so severely for embracing the true faith, this we had not even
thought about, ever.
“Be quiet. Don’t utter words of infidelity in your grief.”
Jarahum said, exasperated.
“It’s not a punishment; it is a test. You don’t know, sister, what God’s good
intent is behind Amoorah’s sickness. We are humans, not God. He knows
what is best for us.”
Shem said, trying to make her understand.
“Would it not be better for us if our daughter had not fallen sick. If Amoorah
were well, she would have become Canaan’s wife and daughter-in-law of
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your family two years earlier, and we would now be looking at her children
with delight.”
Jarahum’s wife Replied.
“God knows what is better. I don’t like Canaan’s attitude. Among us brothers,
he is the only one who has not proclaimed faith in God and our father, and he
will not do so. If God’s wrath hits, I am sure Canaan will be killed and if
Amoorah had been married to her, then….”
“Don’t say anything further, Shem….”
Jarahum said, interrupting him.
“I would rather see my daughter die in sickness than be killed by God’s
wrath.”
“I have talked to my dad. He has sent a message to you. The message is that
if you, husband and wife, exercise patience, the God of all the worlds will get
her married to the last prophet in an exalted family. Thus, rather than
becoming wife of a condemned person, she will become the wife of a person
who will be graced with Allah’s forgiveness and blessings.”
“But when will it be, brother Shem?” Asked Jarahum’s wife.
“Sister, it will happen in the next world, the world that will be established
after the Doomsday and will never come to an end. In that world, there will
be no death and no separation.” Answered Shem.
“We will be patient. We have full faith in the promise of God.”
Jarahum said, and closed his eyes.
“Dad”.
A weak voice emerged; Amoorah’s voice. She was getting worse. Her limbs
were turning cold and she was breathing with difficulty. Worried, all of them
got up and stood around her. Jarahum and his wife started massaging her
feet. What else could the poor parents do? Then, there was sound of a
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hiccup, and Amoorah’s head tilted to one side. Jarahum’s wife screamed and
embraced her. Tears flowed in strings from Jarahum’s eyes. Shem bowed his
head in sheer helplessness.
===============
Naima was watching the entire scene, quietly, helplessly. Finally, she turned
and looked at Asr. The message in her look was evident. She did not want to
stay there anymore. Asr, holding her hand, came out.
When outside, Naima said sadly:
“What kind of a life is it?”
“It is not life but a test. Life will begin later, and when it begins, Naima, you
will see with your own eyes that those who are shedding tears today will be
the happiest on Doomsday.”
“But the Doomsday is so far.” Naima sadly replied.
“No. It is not far. It is quite eminent. Did you not notice travelling with me
how we can cover thousands of years in such a short time? It is how God sees
all his affairs.”
“But we cannot see through the eyes of God, Can we?” Naima asked
questioningly.
“No. But you can see through the eyes of humans. So, what is the hindrance
in doing so? Humans are experts in peeping into future by analysing the
past.”
“For sure, they can do so. All human progress is due to this ability to predict
the future by accurately analysing past experiences. Doctors treat patients
according to that principle. A medicine that works on a person is prescribed
to the rest. The principle an aeroplane flies on becomes the basis of making
and flying all aircraft.”
Naima said, agreeing with Asr.
“So, now see what happens according to that very principle. Remember
Prophet Noah PBUH ‘s warning? Those who do not believe him would face the
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wrath of God. Now see the same happening. In a little while, you will see it
with your own eyes. After that, what will be left in not believing what
prophets say about the life hereafter will happen.”
“Absolutely. There is no reason not to believe.”
“Let’s go and see the first Doomsday of humanity. Prophet Noah PBUH has
received the order to build an Arc. It means that Doomsday for his nation is
approaching. God’s court is being set up where all guilty will incur the wrath,
and only the believers will be saved. Those remaining believers will become
the chiefs in this world and the world hereafter as well.
===============
Asr was moving once again, taking Naima with him. He was taking her to the
events of quite a few days after Amoorah’s death. Their destination was an
open ground outside the city. Naima saw from a distance at what looked like
a massive boat on that ground. On approaching it, she realised it was more of
a ship than a boat, an oceangoing vessel built with planks of wood taken from
the forests nearby. That wonder of an Arc was made with planks joined
together with strong ropes and nails.
That ship, or Arc, was a wonder for two reasons. Firstly, its construction was
excellent, and secondly, it was stationed on totally dry ground. There was no
ocean or river close by, and there was no chance the people could drag it to
water; she was somewhat surprised about those two aspects. Walking along,
Asr clarified the two issues.
“This Arc has been built on specific instructions of God. It not only has room
to board all the followers of Prophet Noah PBUH but also for animals and
storage for food and water. Most of all, it is built in such a way that water
from even the most torrential rain will drain out, and it can withstand the
tallest pounding waves of a sea storm.”
Both queries of Naima had been answered. The ship-like size of the Arc was
due to the design instructed by God. As for the question about taking it to the
water, the Arc would not go to the water; water would come to it.
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On getting near, Naima saw a commotion. A lot of people from the city were
there, including the chiefs and priests. They were making fun of Prophet
Noah PBUH, who was supervising construction of the Arc. Naima saw that the
same Chief who had threatened to kill Prophet Noah PBUH was addressing the
crowd:
“I told you the old man is misguided. He has gone senile in his old age. Look
at him. He is making a ship on land.”
The Priest, standing next, said:
“Noah, how are you going to take this ship to water?”
Prophet Noah PBUH replied:
“Just like you are making fun of us, we will be making fun of you soon.”
Shem, standing next to him, said:
“You will be annihilated and will destroy your nation too.”
The Priest became angry, and said”
“Shem, be quiet. Your father has gone mad, and now you have lost your mind
as well. You have quarrelled enough. Now do bring the wrath”.
The Chief addressed the Priest and the crowd:
“There is no point in talking to the insane. They used to talk like mad, and
now they are doing insane acts as well. Let us go to our homes and leave
them alone.”
Saying so, he started walking towards the city, the crowd following him.
After they had left, Shem spoke to Prophet Noah PBUH.
“father, what next? The Arc is almost ready.”
He replied:
88
“Inform our family and all believers to come over with their household goods,
pairs of essential livestock and stored foodstuff. Bring it all and embark on
the Arc quickly. It will only depart when God ordains it and will anchor when
he wills. My God is most forgiving, most merciful.”
Everybody came to know that they were about to leave. As per the order,
they got busy in doing so. Nobody asked why they should do it? Naima saw
that Jarahum and his wife were also amongst them. In those days people did
not have much, just foodstuff and livestock. As soon as that was loaded,
people were ordered to board the Arc. The Arc was quite high; as such,
people had to reach it using ladders. Asr held Naima’s hand, and both
boarded as well. Naima saw that the Arc was quite wide from inside. There
were rooms for people to live, enclosed from all sides and the lower level was
for livestock. They went to the deck. Naima saw that Prophet Noah PBUH was
praying to God in prostration. Naima started looking out. Since the Arc was
quite high, one could see the scene till quite far. The setting was lovely.
Green forest was on one side, city population on the other. All around the
city were high and green mountains. God had made that area most
attractive.
In the meantime, Naima heard Prophet Noah PBUH from behind. He had got up
from prostration and said:
“God’s order has arrived. Thanks to him, we have been spared from the
tyrants. Call people one last time. Invite them to seek forgiveness and repent.
If they do not come over, remove the ladders.”
People did as they were ordered. Nobody came, and nobody had to come
either.
In the meantime, Naima saw that darkness had taken over all around. Dark
clouds came fast, turning day into a night like scene. Naima was scared of the
darkness. The most beautiful setting that existed a while ago had turned
scary. At that time, Naima heard Prophet Noah PBUH.
“Recite the greatness of God loudly. Thank God for being relieved from the
cruel.”
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People started reciting the greatness and praiseworthiness of God loudly. At
the same time, raindrops began to come down. Suddenly, there was thunder.
Naima had not heard such a loud sound in her life. She clung to Asr in sheer
panic. After that, the rainstorm started, accompanied by constant lightning
and thunder.
Asr, patting her to relieve her panic, said:
“Don’t be afraid. The rain, lightning and thunder will not affect people in the
Arc.”
“But Asr, it is a dreadful scene.”
Naima, looking around in fear, said.
A torrential, horrifying rainstorm had started. Darkness had spread all around
but the scene was visible in the intermittent lightning. In that light, Naima
saw that the water had started to collect around the Arc rapidly. The
rainwater was collecting around and the water from the mountains was also
rushing towards the city and the ground. It looked like the target of water all
over was that area.
Asr spoke:
“You have no idea what is happening in the city. Since it is in the centre of the
valley, a lot of water has collected there. So, to save their lives, people are
climbing the mountains.”
Then he pointed downwards and said:
“Look, people have come here to seek help as well.”
For a second in the lightning, Naima saw that many were standing near the
Arc and shouting. Due to noise of the rainstorm, their voices could not be
heard, but it had become clear to those making fun earlier that the boat did
not have to go to water; water had to come to it. The water had arrived, and
now, other than the Arc, no place was safe.
Naima said to Asr:
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“We should help these people. Would you please go and request Prophet
Noah PBUH to lower the ladders again? That way, some of them will be saved.”
“Are you mad? You are suggesting to help those who have been condemned
by God. You still do not know how angry God is looking at this weather?”
Asr spoke so angrily that Naima got scared. Then, Asr continued in the same
tone:
“These people are not only guilty of polytheism. Their greater crime is
disobedience. They were told to believe only in the Master who gave them
everything for nine hundred and fifty years. They were warned not to seek
help from others, not to bow to anybody but him, and not to worship stones
and idols, forgetting the most beneficent and kind God. But they were
blinded by their prejudice. Prophet Noah PBUH had clearly identified their
mistakes to them, but they adamantly refused to accept the truth. They
threatened the Messenger of God. Had it been up to them, they would have
stoned Prophet Noah PBUH to death. Naima, it is an unforgivable crime. In the
world of God, there is no greater crime than defying the truth. Along with
that, when disobedience is also added, then the punishment has to be
suffered.”
Naima stood, somewhat ashamed. Asr softened his tone and said:
“See, Those who disobey prophets not only trample upon the rights of God,
they also usurp the rights of people. You do not know what they did to the
public. Remember, those who are not loyal to God always commit excesses
against human beings as well. These infidels cannot do anything against God,
but they make the lives of others difficult and spread tyranny and mischief in
the land. As such, God, in a way, carries out an operation through his
Messenger and cuts, removes and throws away the tumour ridden society
from the face of the Earth, inhabiting it anew with the righteous. This will
now go on for thousands of years. After that, Doomsday will occur, such
tumour infected persons will be thrown in Hell, and the Earth will be ruled by
the righteous forever thereafter.”
“Asr, all of your points are indisputable. But….”
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Naima stopped for a moment and observed Asr’s expression to see if he was
upset. Finding no negative expression, Naima found the courage to bring
forth the point that had made her ask for helping the people.
“Asr, I do not disagree with anything. However, the point is that the people
who are standing below have innocent children with them. What is their
fault? Why are they being killed? It is very much against God’s mercy and
blessings to kill innocent children too. The fault lies with elders. These kids
have not done anything.”
“Oh, so that is the real background for asking what you did. See, this flood is
an expression of God’s blessings for these children. It is not a punishment but
salvation. But you won’t understand. Actually, you have seen a few scenes of
these people. It is not a matter of a couple of days but a saga spread over
centuries. Prophet Noah PBUH is present amongst them since nine hundred
and fifty years. He is making them understand. Come, let me make you listen
to his words about what has happened in those nine hundred and fifty years
and why it is not a punishment but salvation for the children.”
Asr held Naima’s hand and took a few steps. It was a journey going
backwards in time. Naima felt that they were walking in the intense darkness
of night. Since they were the last days of the lunar calendar, there was no
moon, and no moonlight. If there was any semblance of light, it was on the
milky, starry, captivating, half-lit sky. That scene was so captivating that
Naima was stunned. In the agricultural era, when the environment was not
polluted by industrial emissions, smoke and machine debris, the milky sky
adorned last nights of the month with glittering stars all over it, making them
as beautiful as the night was now. However, Asr had not brought Naima to
show the beauty of that night. Instead, he told her about their destination:
“We are going to the house of Prophet Noah PBUH. I want to show you the
scene of a night before the wrath of God struck. Come, see what was
happening at that time.”
After saying that, Asr, along with Naima, entered the house of Prophet Noah
PBUH
.
===============
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It was late at night. While the world slept in peace, the leader of humanity,
God’s beloved Messenger Noah PBUH, was present in the court of his Lord. The
exalted Messenger was not resting after a hard day’s work of teaching and
inviting people to the right path. Instead, he was praying, in prostration,
crying, begging and painfully lamenting to God. More than a prayer, it was
the agonising story of his struggle of a thousand years summarised into a few
sentences. While he spoke, his every word was being etched on Naima’s
mind and heart. Weeping, he prayed:
“My Lord, I called my people night and day, but my call added only to their
flight (from the truth). Whenever I called them, so that you might forgive
them, they put their fingers into their ears, and wrapped their clothes around
themselves, and grew obstinate, and waxed proud in extreme arrogance.
Then I called them loudly, and then I spoke to them in public and spoke to
them in private. So, I said, Pray to your Lord for your forgiveness, Indeed he is
very forgiving, and he will cause the heavens to rain upon you in abundance,
and will help you with riches and sons, and will cause gardens to grow for
you, and cause canals to flow for you.
My Lord, they disobeyed me, and followed them whose wealth and children
added nothing to them but loss, and they devised a mighty plot, and said (to
their people), never forsake your gods, and never forsake Wadd, nor Suwa,
nor Yaghuth and Yaooq and Nasr. And they have led many astray. And (O my
Lord,) let not the wrongdoers progress in anything but deviation from the
right path.
My Lord, do not leave on Earth even a single inhabitant (surviving) out of the
disbelievers. If you leave them (surviving), they will lead your servants astray,
and will beget none but a sinful disbeliever. My Lord, grant pardon to me, and
to my parents, and to everyone who enters my home as a believer, and to all
the believing men and believing women, and do not increase the wrongdoers
but in ruin.”
The prayer was so effective that Naima felt its powerful impact on her. After
a thousand years’ hard work, the disappointment was crushing as he had no
hope of his nation following the right path. Having experienced many of their
generations, he was sure that their coming generations would also be
disobedient. Naima thought:
93
“If his words have impacted me so strongly, how would they have not
reached the court of God.”
===============
They returned to the Ark at the same time and place. Asr asked Naima:
“Have you now understood how this flood had become a blessing for those
children?”
Answering his own question, he replied:
“The disobedience and rebellion of people had crossed all limits. That
environment had become so negative that it did not allow any child to reason
and think in a normal and unbiased way.
Naima nodded in agreement and said:
“It is called conditioning or brainwashing in our times. But the children have
not committed any crime so far. Therefore, the kids here today are
innocent.”
“This is exactly what I am saying. It is not a punishment but a blessing. The
nation is being punished, but only the law of death is being applied to the
children, which, in any case, has to be applied to all living beings one day.
People die a thousand different ways, including kids. Didn’t you see
Jarahum’s daughter Amoorah had died too?”
“Yes, I saw that.”
“These children have the same case. Their age has been decided as it is now.
They will neither face the angels of punishment in the graves nor will they be
punished on Doomsday. Punishment is only for the grownups. As I have said,
and you have also heard from prophet Noah PBUH, only the disobedient and
heartless are being punished. Such wrath strikes only those nations who are
explained everything logically and in clear and uncertain terms by the
Messengers of God. They do not rebel due to a misunderstanding. Their
rebellion is with complete understanding and full intent, hence the
punishment.”
94
“It means animals present here will also die in flood, not as a punishment,
but because their time to die has been fixed as such.”
Naima asked a question as it arose in her mind.
“You got that right”.
Asr nodded in affirmative.
Asr had hardly said that when a huge wave jolted the Ark and it started
moving. Naima looked down. People standing below were washed away by
the tide which had come from the city’s direction. She looked at the city. In
the lightning, she saw it submerged in water. Water was everywhere, and the
Ark had started its journey. She also saw considerable water had collected in
the Ark even though it was continuously draining from the holes made for
the purpose. However, it was raining so hard that the water level had slowly
started to rise even there. Naima said, looking out:
“The city has drowned.”
“Yes, but all people have not died yet. They are quite hardy. A large number
have climbed the mountains. They think that the rain will stop soon, water
will not reach the peaks, and they will be safe.”
Asr replied.
Naima did not comment. In the meantime, the clouds had become a bit
lighter. Rain had slowed, but in a while, Naima realised that it was only to
ensure that the water level in the Ark did not rise. Other than the Ark, water
was still coming down in torrents. In addition, the Earth was also determined
to throw up all of its water today. There were many reasons for the rise in
water level. Firstly, the torrential rain, secondly the gushing water from the
mountains, and thirdly, the water pouring down far exceeded the Earth’s
capacity to absorb it; and that capacity had been saturated. As the water
level and the Ark rose, Naima felt that the rain was not falling in a small area;
it was pouring as heavily, or even heavier, everywhere.
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As the darkness decreased and the light became better, Naima looked as far
as she could. The Forest had submerged in water. The city had drowned. All
around, there was nothing but water and huge waves. In between, their Ark
was moving swiftly, riding the waves, moving up and down. Other than the
Ark, a few mountains were still withstanding the onslaught of water. Naima
noticed that some persons were sitting on one of them. Perhaps they had
climbed up and were waiting for the rain to stop. They were encouraged by
the improving light and lessening rain and must have thought it was about to
be over. Amongst them sat a young man. Seeing him. Asr said:
“He is Canaan, son of Prophet Noah PBUH. He remained an infidel and did not
board the Ark till the end.”
In the meantime, prophet Noah PBUH also saw him. He shouted:
“My son, come and join us and do not side with these infidels.”
He replied:
“The mountain will protect me, and it will save me from the water.”
Prophet Noah PBUH said:
“Nobody can save from God’s wrath today, except God’s mercy.”
As he uttered those words, a lofty, gushing wave hindered their view. When
it subsided, Naima saw that it had swept away all those on the mountain with
her. Seeing that scene, Prophet Noah PBUH fell in prostration. Naima did not
know what he was praying to God for.
Seeing the horrible scene that taught a lesson to all onlookers, Asr said:
“You saw how even-handed God’s justice is. Even if a prophet’s son is guilty,
he is not spared, never mind anybody else.”
“Without a doubt.” Naima gave a short reply.
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The prevailing atmosphere and the events that had taken place had
overawed her. She could not say anything else. In a short while, the water
covered all mountain peaks too. Now there was only the Ark and a sea of
water spread near and far, with no shore insight.
Naima watched the scene in a strange mental condition. She had heard of the
death, God’s wrath and sea storm, etc., but for the first time, she had
witnessed a horrible combination of them all; she had almost lost her senses.
Prophet Noah’s PBUH ark, sailing through the sea of death and God’s wrath,
weathering the storm, was forging ahead.
===============
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Chapter 6
Tall Men & Tempest
Asr and Naima stood, quiet. Asr was watching her face reflecting deep
sadness. No doubt, the events happening around her had shaken her up.
Therefore, he felt it was necessary to bring some other realities to her
attention.
“Naima, you saw the first Doomsday. You also saw how God annihilates
powerful criminals and protects the believers. Now see how he gives
authority to the believers and makes them rulers of the Earth.”
He extended his hand. Naima gave her hand to him quietly. Holding it, Asr
started walking on the Arc. Once again, the scene, time and days started
moving swiftly. When he stopped after a few steps, Naima saw that they
were still on the Arc, but it was stationed on a mountain. the water had
receded.
Asr pointed in a direction and said:
“See, that’s a new human settlement. Those humans will establish many
more settlements. Major generations will come into being from the three
sons of Prophet Noah PBUH, Shem, Ham and Japheth, who were believers and
had boarded the Arc with him. They will be chiefs of the new generations and
owners of the Earth in this world, and in the Hereafter as well.”
“And Jarahum and his wife?” Naima asked.
“Jarahum’s wife is in the family way again. She will have a son this time and a
major tribe will come into being from him. Jarahum will also be chief of his
tribe. These powerless and feeble believers who were considered worthless
and lowly by others will now become chiefs of powerful tribes. Not only that,
their descendants will also benefit from their faith and good deeds. Ham’s
descendants will populate Africa. Great civilisations and empires will emerge
from them. After them, Shem’s future generations will rule the world. They
will inhabit the Middle East. Significant civilisations and exalted prophets of
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God will be born there. In the last era, Japheth’s descendants will be rulers of
the world. After that, Doomsday will arrive and the world’s rule will be
handed over to the righteous forever.”
“How strange? How unbelievable it seems. The oppressed of yesterday will
become rulers tomorrow. What a miracle, and so quickly.”
Naima said, surprised. Asr replied:
“For you, it has happened quickly. But think about Prophet Noah
invited people for nine hundred and fifty years.”
PBUH
who
“Yes. You are right. But nine hundred and fifty years did come to pass too.
What a grave loss for those who refused to accept the truth.”
“Oh, it is so good to know that our Naima has started speaking the way her
God likes. This is exactly what God Almighty says that this world is nothing
but a mirage.”
Admitting it, Naima bowed and said:
“Yes, I have understood it now.”
“Please also understand that this miracle is the greatest proof of the
existence of God and finality of Doomsday. God not only brings forth the
truth through his prophets but also provides irrefutable proof of the truth
that nobody can deny, ever. God proves that he is a living reality by punishing
those who defy the prophets and protecting the righteous in this world. That
punishment and reward become proof that if what the prophets say proves
to be true in this world, then it will be true in the Hereafter as well. If
punishment and reward have been meted out in this world, they will be
awarded in the Hereafter too. The prophets have full confidence in the truth
of their undertaking right from day one. Because of that confidence, they
take on the entire world singlehandedly. They are confident that the Lord of
the Universe will save them.”
Asr spoke, and Naima listened intently.
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“You saw how Prophet Noah PBUH challenged the infidels despite being alone.
Every Messenger comes with that challenge. He challenges the infidels all his
life. He threatens them with the wrath of God, but infidels cannot do
anything to him. In the prayer of Prophet Noah PBUH, you have heard how
people used various dirty tricks against him but failed in their nefarious
designs because God is behind his prophets. Remember, when a prophet
arrives, it is the most important time of human history. Special angels are
appointed all the way from heavens to Earth. Those angels protect the
message of God as well as the Messenger who brings the message.”
“And you are that time, that is, Al-Asr. The same Asr that has been sworn
about in the Quran.”
“Yes, I am the same Asr. I am the time that has been sworn about in the
Quran. Probably now you would have understood the meaning of the chapter
Al-Asr of the Quran. Why God swears by me, that is, the era of the prophets,
that human beings will indeed be in a state of loss. You saw how the chiefs of
the nation of Prophet Noah PBUH remained in a state of loss. Except those who
believed and did righteous deeds, and exhorted each other to follow truth,
and exhorted each other to exercise patience, like Shem, Ham, Japheth,
Jarahum and their wives.”
Naima felt as if luminescence had spread from the sky to the Earth. The truth
about Quran was revealed to her in a way she couldn’t even imagine. She fell
in prostration uncontrollably, then got up; tears were flowing from her eyes.
She said:
“How true is God’s word. Alas If someone had explained it to me in this
manner, I would have become a believer long time ago.”
“It’s OK. It’s good that you have understood it now.”
“Yes, not only have I understood, I have also learnt that the era of prophets is
the paramount proof of God and Doomsday. That proof is in front of me right
now.”
Naima spoke, looking at the settlement below, where the poor believers of
Prophet Noah’s PBUH nation were present as chiefs. Lush green crops spoke of
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God’s bounties and blessings. Their wives and children were with them,
providing immense happiness being the apple of their eyes.
Having heard Naima, Asr said:
“But Naima…”. Asr did not complete the sentence. Instead, he became quiet
with a sad smile.
“But what?” Naima asked.
“But after receiving blessings and bounties from God, human beings will
forget him again. These very generations will forget this historical episode of
reward and punishment. With the passage of time, this first Doomsday will
become a part of history. People will only remember it as a storm, forgetting
what had actually happened. Satan will misguide them. They will follow
polytheism, worship idols, indulge in tyranny and discord. God will send his
messenger once again. The Messenger will be defied and rejected, and a
Doomsday just like this will be inflicted on them.”
“Who are those nations?”
“Innumerable nations, where the God’s messengers came and then rewards
and punishment were unleashed. But, since you are a Muslim, I will take you
in the eras of only those nations that have been written about in the Quran.
“So. where will we go first?”
“We will go to the south of Saudi Arabia of your time. Right now, it is nothing
but a barren, vast and horrible desert, but in the era of the nation of Aad, it
was a lush green area.”
“Naima, due to her extensive studies, was somewhat acquainted with
Geography and History. As such, she asked surprisingly.”
“Oh really? I have read it was a powerful nation.”
“Yes, and now you will see what happened to those who were so powerful.”
===============
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Naima had not seen such a healthy, robust and tall person in her life. He was
standing in a garden, plucking fruit from the tree. To do that, he neither had
to climb the tree nor use a stick to get them down. Using stones was out of
the question indeed. He just extended his hand and took what he wanted. If
Naima had not seen a few exceptionally very tall persons in her life, she
would have never believed that a person could be that tall.
Naima was standing with Asr in the land of Aad. Compared to the horrible
desert it is today in South Arabia, it was lush green. They were standing
outside a garden of the main settlement. Rather than taking her directly
there, Asr had kept her on the outskirts. Here, there were a series of fields.
Water springs and canals flowed everywhere. It was this abundance of water
that had made this area so gorgeously green. While Naima watched its
wellbeing and prosperity, Asr gave her background of the people of Aad.
Asr told her that Aad, and more or less all nations of Arabia, were the
descendants of Shem, son of Prophet Noah PBUH. As such, they are known as
the nations of Shem. Aad were descendants of Shem’s son, Aram. With time,
and before the recorded history, they had become a large and mighty nation.
After acquiring power, wellbeing and prosperity, they should have been
thankful to God; instead, they became rebellious and oppressive. On the one
hand, idolatry and polytheism reached their zenith and, on the other, cruelty,
arrogance and excesses against the weak became their routines. Due to the
abundance of wealth and physical prowess, their favourite pastime was
building tall buildings.
Having listened to Asr, Naima said:
“I read somewhere that they were the first to use columns in the
construction of buildings.”
Asr, agreeing with her, replied:
“Yes, you are correct. They were the first to invent the construction of tall
structures with columns. With the help of columns, they built tall and
gorgeous buildings and palaces on high ground as symbols of their excellence
in construction. In addition, due to physical prowess and good health, there
were
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relatively fewer diseases; hence, the population grew well.”
While talking, Asr and Naima reached the fruit garden where Naima saw that
person extending his hand, plucking fruit from the trees and eating them. It
looked like he was hungry and, as such, was eating the fruit in a hurry.
However, there was another reason for his being in a hurry, which Naima
came to know soon. The garden did not belong to him. As such, he was
stealing the fruit and eating it.
Naima found that he was stealing as suddenly two to three equally tall and
strong persons appeared and ran after him. He tried to get away, but they
caught him. They started beating him mercilessly. He screamed and begged
for mercy, but his tormentors were devoid of that feeling. As a result, he was
severely injured and fell to the ground. After a while, he lost the strength to
even scream, but the garden owners’ anger had not extinguished yet. They
kept beating him till he became utterly motionless. Naima realised that he
had become unconscious and thought they would leave him alone now as
they took a few steps back. But then she saw a scene that shook her up
badly. One of them picked up a giant boulder and smashed his head with it.
Naima trembled on seeing that horrendous scene and turned her back to it.
Then, in a shaken voice, she told Asr:
“Let’s get away from here.”
Asr held her hand and moved ahead. Naima’s face had turned red with
emotions. She was sobbing, and it looked like she would start crying loudly.
She had never thought that someone could be killed so mercilessly only
because he had plucked some fruit. At last, she could not overcome her
feelings. She sat down and started crying. Asr sat with her as well. After a
while, when she felt a bit better, she asked Asr:
“Are they humans or beasts? Can someone do that too?”
They are humans and the highly civilised nation of their times. But they are
ruthless as well. When they get hold of someone, this is what they do. They
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have crushed all the tribes located nearby. The weak of their nation are also
not safe from their cruelty.”
“Nobody counsels them?”
“Who will? On one side are the rich who are busy in revelling, enjoying their
wealth. How can they be interested in the welfare of society? On the other
are the clergy. Rather than promoting sound moral values, they have made
idolatry their primary business. In return for expensive gifts from the rich,
they issue condonation certificates to them. After committing excesses, the
rich bow to their false idols, make costly endowments to the clergy and feel
guilt-free after that.”
Asr said, drawing a picture of the society.
“But now Prophet Hud PBUH has been ordained. God has set up Court for this
nation. The exalted Messenger of God has started inviting and preaching
truth to his people. His first targets are polytheism and corrupt religious
leadership. Along with that, he also highlights the nation’s other social ills
such as tyranny, excessive pursuit of fleshly pleasures and flawed character.
“So, how is the nation responding?”
“Come, see the answer of his nation.
===============
Prophet Hud PBUH had a handsome and graceful personality. His height and
build were similar to his nation, but he was fair complexioned and impressed
the onlookers. At this time, he was in a meeting with the chiefs of his people.
Asr had told Naima that Prophet Hud PBUH also belonged to the largest and
honourable tribe of Khalud. Due to his position, grace and respectable family,
he was held in high esteem. However, after he started preaching and inviting
people to believe in one God and follow the right path, his nation refused to
do so. This tussle went on for a long time, but his people were not ready to
listen to any logical argument. Therefore, in accordance with his law, God
inflicted a punishment on them before his decisive wrath. That year, there
was no rainfall. As a result, the crop size was less than usual, but it was not a
drought-like condition as their water springs had not dried yet.
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Asr had told her that a reason for killing the person who stole fruit from the
garden was reduction in the crop size that year, imposed by God on the
people as a warning and to induce them to the right path. As such, in the
same spirit, Prophet Hud PBUH had come to the meeting of the chiefs to
convince them to follow the truth. Naima was watching the answer he got.
Prophet Hud PBUH was inviting them to follow the one and only God and the
worthlessness of idols, but the chiefs of the nation became highly annoyed.
One of them said:
“Hud, stop talking silly. You are either an idiot or a liar. They are our gods and
we have always worshipped them.”
Prophet Hud PBUH said, most politely and softly:
“Brother, it is not so. I am not an idiot, but a Messenger sent by your God. I
am delivering his message entirely honestly and in a spirit of sympathy. I do
not want any reward from you for this work. Please understand that you are
descendants of Prophet Noah PBUH, and you also know how his people were
annihilated for the crime of idolatry. After that, God gave you such power
and strength, gardens and water springs, wealth and off-springs, rainfall and
abundance of produce. As such, you should pray to that one God who
bestowed all of those things upon you.”
Having listened to him, a Chief spoke:
“It is all rhetoric. All those things have been bestowed upon us by our gods
and idols. They give us everything and help us with our difficulties. They are
the ones who will get us out of our current situation too. You should stop
worrying about it.”
Prophet Hud PBUH replied:
“My brother, these are just a few names you have given them. Naming
something like a god and ascribing a few qualities to him does not make it
God. You have coined these names. God has not certified them. See, I am
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afraid lest a major wrath may strike you for your crimes. Therefore, seek
forgiveness from
your God. He is most merciful and will give you a lot more. He will send
abundant rainfall, and your strength will increase even more than what it is
now.”
Listening to the words of Prophet Hud PBUH about their self-made gods, a
Chief got up, extremely angry, and shouted:
“Stop talking this nonsense. These are all old stories. No wrath is going to
strike us. But now you better be careful. It looks like you have incurred the
anger of one of our gods, and ….”
Leaving his sentence incomplete, he put his hand on his sword’s sheath. His
face showed his fury. If he had his way, he would have unsheathed his sword
and attacked Prophet Hud PBUH, but an unknown entity stopped him from
doing so. However, his expression was indicative of his intent to kill Prophet
Hud PBUH, who had also understood the Chief’s intent, but he, the exalted
Prophet of God, replied quite calmly and without any fear:
“I make my God witness, and you bear witness too, those you ascribe as
partners in worship with God, I am absolved of that grave crime. Now all of
you get together and take whatever step you want against me. Do not give
me any more time. I trust my God, who is my God and your God, and
everything works as he wills, and everything is in his grasp and control. Now
that you have refused the straight path, know that I have conveyed the
message of God I was sent to you with. Now you will be replaced with
another nation as rulers, and you will be unable to do anything. My Lord is
guardian over everything. From now on, I will wait, and you wait as well.”
After saying that, Prophet Hud PBUH got up and walked away confidently.
Along with him, two or three persons also got up and followed him.
Naima asked Asr: “Who are they?”
Asr replied:
“They are some of his very few followers. They are the ones about whom
Prophet Hud PBUH had mentioned that they would now be made rulers in
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place of the Aad. That was the last dialogue of Prophet Hud PBUH with these
people. Final positions have been taken in this discussion. Prophet Hud PBUH
has tried his utmost to convince them, and his nation has threatened to kill
him. Remember, when a nation decides to kill its prophet, God Almighty
immediately terminates the time for forgiveness.
“Do the enemies try to kill the prophets as well?”
“Why not? A person is continuously threatening them with punishment and
denying their gods. As a reply, the last step for that nation is to get rid of him,
but God’s angels protect his prophets all the time.”
“But how do angels provide this protection? I have not seen angels. Can I see
them?” Naima asked excitedly.
“I will show you the angels later. But first, see what happens here now.”
===============
It was the day after the meeting with chiefs. The sun had risen, and the
people of Aad were present at the central temple. The temple was located on
a high hill and was a masterpiece of Aad’s architecture. Supported by massive
columns, the magnificent building convinced onlookers that Aad were
indestructible and their greatness was everlasting. However, the fear of
expected drought had brought them together to plead to their false gods.
With the idols of Aad in front, priests were busy helping people worship with
special prayers for rain. It was agricultural era. Everybody knew that there
was no rainfall last year. At that time, the aquafers had not dried, but if there
were no rains this year also, they would go dry, leading to the drought. To
protect themselves from that calamity, they were calling their gods.
Asr and Naima were also there but they were not part of the gathering;
instead, they were standing on the temple’s roof. From that vantage point,
they could see the worship and rituals below and the entire settlement and
surroundings on the other side. Asr was narrating events of last evening to
Naima as she was unaware of them.
He told her that after Prophet Hud PBUH had left yesterday’s meeting, the
nation’s chiefs decided that enough was enough. After the challenge Prophet
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Hud PBUH had given in the discussion, it had become a matter of honour for
them to kill him. As such, they had decided to do it that night. However,
those silly souls did not know that God had decided to annihilate them.
Accordingly, God ordered Prophet Hud PBUH to emigrate immediately before
unleashing his wrath. Just after sunset, Prophet Hud PBUH and his faithful
followers left the settlement and moved away. When the chiefs of Aad
reached his home, they did not find anybody; hence they returned to their
homes, regretting their delay. They were entirely unaware of the Doomsday
that was to strike them the next morning, and that is why Prophet Hud PBUH
and his faithful believers had already gone quite far.
Asr and Naima were at their vantage point. Weather was clear and the scene
was easily visible. From the height, Naima realised that the homes of Aad
were really quite tall. Even though the Architecture was not like that of
Naima’s time, they were pretty advanced, keeping in view their era. Naima
was wondering how would the settlement comprising the tall and robust
buildings be destroyed. Would it be a storm, an Earthquake or something
else? She had no idea.
She asked Asr:
“How will this nation be destroyed?”
Asr replied:
“What’s the hurry. Whatever happens, will happen in front of you. Just keep
watching.”
After a short while, Asr pointed in one direction. Clouds were forming far on
the horizon. Slowly, they started to get close. Then, someone amongst the
people busy in worship saw them too. In a while, there was an uproar. Seeing
that, Asr said:
“These idiots think their prayers have been answered and their idols have
sent rain-bearing clouds to them. However, they don’t know that there is no
rain in those clouds but the wrath of Almighty God.”
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Naima listened to Asr and looked at the crowd intently. All of them were
screaming, overcome with joy, praising their idols and singing hymns to thank
them. A lot of them ran towards the grounds and their homes joyously. The
priests, waving their hands, were assuring the crowd of their authenticity and
popularity. Some persons had also fallen in the feet of idols to thank them.
On one side was that ongoing commotion, and on the other, the clouds were
heading fast towards the settlement. The weather had started to change
suddenly. Sun had hidden in the clouds. The slow and hardly noticeable
breeze had turned strong and cold. Asr held Naima’s hand and said:
“Don’t leave my hand. The tempest that would continuously go on for eight
days and seven nights is about to start. It would be so strong and horrible
that you can’t even imagine.”
Naima was surprised to hear the extent of God’s wrath. Amazed, she asked:
“How would the tempest go on for so many days?”
“Asr looked at the sky and said:
“It’s an insignificant thing for Almighty God. In the universe, he has made
them go on for years. However, he has favoured humans by harnessing such
tempests and gases for their benefit. Humans enjoy the breeze and feel
happy, but when the court to punish the criminals is established, the same
harnessed powers of the universe become the cause of their destruction. The
harness that controls winds and gasses has been let loose for this condemned
nation who were so proud of their physiques and power. You will see how
they hide in their homes and seek safety in their hideouts, but the wind will
not leave them anywhere. How long can a person go without food and
water? Whenever anyone leaves the shelter and comes out even for a
moment, the wind will blow him away and then strike him hard either on the
earth or a protruding feature. They will meet helpless, disgraced and tortured
deaths. “
Along with Asr’s words, the intensity of the wind was increasing. People had
realised that it was not the blessing of the idols, but the wrath of God, the
subduer, the ever-dominating. As such, there was a huge commotion. They
were tall and mighty, covered considerable distances in a few steps, and
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claimed that nobody was as strong as them in the world. Now they were
discovering who was really the strongest. But it was too late. They started
running around looking for hideouts. The tempest had not reached its full
fury yet, but still, they were finding it very difficult to run. The force of wind
was such as if a solid wall was hindering them from moving ahead. Everybody
ran wherever one could. People forgot about their friends and colleagues,
wives, children, parents and relatives. Everybody was looking after himself
and trying to find shelter. But the time to be saved was over.
Since Naima was standing with the help of Asr, she did not feel any problem
due to the storm. She could clearly see that the wind was furiously fast and
striking people against the Earth or a protruding feature. Dust was blowing
with the wind. However, perhaps due to the company of Asr, Naima could
see the entire scene clearly despite that. She had not witnessed such a
horrific and eye-opening scene even in the flood of Prophet Noah’s PBUH time.
She was in the Arc there and everybody in the Arc was safe. She had not seen
individuals dying. Here, she was seeing them dying helplessly. That scene was
so awful that Naima was stunned and trembled with fear. She had never seen
such a scene of God’s fury before. She remembered the person who was
severely tortured and killed in the fruit garden and thought:
“It may happen a bit late, but God does impart justice.”
Asr, pointing in a direction, showed her a few persons who had sought refuge
in the gardens. The out-of-control tempest was uprooting trees and tossing
them around. How could the people who hid there remain safe? Thus, on one
side, the date palm trunks were rolling, and along with them, the tree-trunk
like strong people of Aad’s dead bodies were being thrown around here and
there. Deaths such as these were abject lessons. Naima hid her face with her
hands.
===============
As Asr had said, The tempest raged in full force for eight days and seven
nights without a break. In the first onslaught, the gusts of winds killed people.
Those who hid saved themselves for the time being, but how long could they
stay in their places of refuge? The strong wind killed anyone who got out.
Some had decided that they would die of hunger and thirst, but not at the
hands of the wind. However, the wind also brought along dust, and that dust
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started burying their hideouts slowly. They had no remedy for that. If they
left the shelter, the wind killed them, and if they stayed in, the dust buried
them. Finally, that is what happened. Their homes and hideouts continued to
bury under the dust slowly. How could the people inside be safe? One after
the other, they died too.
The tempest stopped after a week. However, now the entire area, a plain
covered with lush green gardens before the wrath of God, was turned into
mounds of dust. The mounds looked like high hills. Naima was standing with
Asr on such a mound. As far as eyes could see, nothing was visible except the
mounds. Naima thought that anybody who had seen this area before could
not even dream it would become what it was now. She told Asr, sadly:
“Asr, they died a horrible death.”
“Naima, this is nothing. You won’t even imagine what will happen to them in
the world that would start after Doomsday. There, they will neither be able
to live nor die. They will beg for death, death will be around, but it will not
come to them.”
On hearing that, Naima kept quiet. Asr felt she wanted to ask something but
was not doing so for some reason. To encourage her, he said:
“Ask whatever you want to. this is the time to have all your questions
answered.”
“Asr, I am not objecting to anything about God.”
Naima started to ask the question, but her tone was highly cautious after
what she had witnessed, lest she sounded impudent. She continued with her
question cautiously, weighing each word.
“But there is a principle in our world that crime and punishment should have
a balance in them. As we say, ‘Punishment must befit the crime’, that is,
punishment should be proportionate to the crime. To kill a whole nation for
disobedience of a prophet, and that too so mercilessly….”
While saying those words, Naima’s face paled with fear. She imagined every
person killed in the horrible tempest, paused for a moment and continued:
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“And then you say they will be punished even more severely in Hell, and that
too forever and ever, perpetually, never-ending, they will not even die. So, it
looks like there is no proportion in the crime and punishment here.
Perpetual, never-ending punishment for sins of a life of fifty or hundred
years, and that too so torturous. I have not understood that.”
Asr smiled on hearing that and said:
“I am now beginning to understand why God Almighty has chosen you for
this journey. You are brilliant. You look at things in depth. However,
obviously, you don’t know everything because, after all, you are a human.
You cannot understand everything with your knowledge.”
Naima was pleased to hear Asr’s encouragement. She listened intently. Asr
began his reply with a question:
“A man and a woman commit adultery. Your comment?”
“It is a despicable act. Highly shameless, rather, a crime.”
Naima replied quickly, but then thought about something and said:
“In many nations of our times, though, it is neither considered bad nor is it a
crime.”
The philosopher Naima again added a conditional clause to her reply.
Asr changed his question a bit and asked again:
“What if a married man and a married woman commit adultery. What would
you say about that? That would be considered bad by people everywhere.
Isn’t it?”
Naima gave a straight answer this time.
“Illicit relations between married persons are surely worse than those
between unmarried men and women, even in the eyes of western nations.”
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“One more question. If a man and his mother... “
Expressions of repugnance and anger appeared on Naima’s face.
“It’s the height of being disgustingly repulsive.”
Now tell me, Naima, The three acts as per their nature are the same crime,
i.e., adultery, committed by unmarried persons, married persons, and a son
and his mother. Therefore, according to the principle you explained earlier,
the punishment should be proportionate to the crime. Hence, since crime is
the same in all three cases, punishment should be the same.
“No.” Naima immediately contradicted Asr.
“It is common sense that punishment for the three should be different.”
“Naima, this is what you had not understood earlier. If punishment is based
on the crime’s nature, it is also based on who the crime has been committed
against. As is clear from this example, punishment for adultery by unmarried
persons and that by a mother and son should be different. Therefore,
punishment is not only conditional upon the nature of the crime but also
upon who the crime has been committed against. Please understand that the
nations of prophets are wiped off the surface of the earth, which you think is
a severe punishment, or the punishment with Hell, which again, in your
opinion, is a massive punishment. Actually, these punishments are for
rebellion against God.
Naima agreed with Asr, but said:
“OK. Even if I agree with the severe punishment, but ever-lasting punishment
for any crime? that I have not understood.”
“That is your problem, Naima. Everlasting punishment in Hell is not for any
crime.”
Asr continued, emphasising the word ‘any crime’.
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“Everlasting Hell is the result of rebelling against the most powerful entity
with unlimited powers. It is for intentionally indulging in polytheism and
continuing to do so even after being clearly warned about the crime. It is not
a punishment
for committing a crime against any person. It is the result of rebelling against
that exalted entity who is the most powerful and the greatest benefactor of
human beings.”
“I understand what you are saying, Asr, but what do I do with this Logic in my
head that says the punishment for a crime committed in a limited life should
not be unlimited.”
When Naima said that, hitting her hand on her head, Asr started smiling.
“So, you want to study Logic? OK. If Logic says that the punishment for a
crime committed in a limited life should not be unlimited, the same Logic also
says that the punishment for the crime committed against a limitless entity
should be limitless too.”
Naima shook her head in agreement with Asr’s explanation.
“Yes. We humans also punish a theft committed in minutes with
imprisonment of many years.”
“It is also an aspect of the philosophy of punishment and reward that
punishment is not awarded based on the effects of crime or the time of the
commitment of time. However, I would like to draw your attention towards
another, and more important, aspect. When the crime is perpetrated against
the Almighty God, the matter becomes exceptionally grave. “
Asr, explaining it, pointed towards the sun and said:
“Do you know the temperature of the raging fire in the sun?”
“That temperature is in millions of degrees Celsius.”
“And what is the temperature of your earth?”
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“At the very most forty degrees Celsius, and fifty degrees in the deserts. Over
that temperature, humans cannot survive.”
Hearing that, Asr smiled and said:
“It is only one example. The entire Universe is either that hot or that cold.
However, see how God Almighty has maintained its balance. Man’s existence
is due to millions, or billions, of such blessings that his Lord has bestowed
upon him unconditionally. What should really happen is that, in return,
people should be extremely grateful to that extreme benefactor. Instead, if
someone indulges in polytheism and rebellion, two crimes the Lord dislikes
most, and continues to commit these heinous crimes even after being told
the truth and warned in categorically clear terms, what should be the
punishment for that?”
Without waiting for Naima’s answer, he continued:
“Just tell me, what do you give God Almighty in return for all the favours he
bestows upon you?”
“We don’t give him anything in return other than being thankless and
ungrateful.”
Naima said, her head bowed. She thought of her entire past life. But then,
again, a baseless atheistic claim came to her mind, and she brought it out:
“People say that that they did not ask God to give them whatever he did. So
why then is he asking them for something in return?”
“God is not asking for something in return. He only asks humans not to be
thankless. But, Madam, who said that humans did not ask for the blessings
they have received? Man asked God for all that he received. He asked God to
give him a test.”
“It is probably written in Quran. However, an atheist will not believe what is
written there.”
“It is surely written in Quran. And it is also true that an atheist will not agree
with what is written there. But next time an atheist says that to you, you can
reply that if he has not asked for those things and doesn’t need them, he
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should not burden himself with God’s favours. Instead, he should return
them immediately. He should cut his hands and feet and throw them away,
gouge out his eyes and drop them to the ground, pour acid into his ears and
cut his tongue with a knife. In fact, he should return his entire life.”
Hearing that, Naima laughed and said:
“Nobody would do that. But Asr, non-believers are quite stubborn. They will
say that all of it happened by itself. It is due to the blind matter which, going
through the evolutionary process of billions of years, has taken this shape.”
“Naima, that school of thought was a result of scientific discoveries of the
nineteenth century. However, scientific discoveries of the 20th century have
rejected concepts of matter and eternity of the universe. The matter is
neither eternal nor the last reality of the universe. Leaving aside this
academic discussion, please note that coincidental, or by chance, occurrences
are those that are out of the ordinary and happen once or twice, whereas
here, the design of everything from the humans to the environment
necessary to ensure continuity of their life on earth, i.e., Life Support System,
nothing is coincidental but is a witness to an entity who planned them in
minutest details. Here, everything and every place clearly show the intent of
the creator. How can we call an intentionally planned thing a coincidence?”
And then, making the matter very simple through an example, Asr asked:
“Please tell me, if only girls, or only boys, are born in the world, what would
happen?”
“The humanity will come to an end after some time.”
Naima answered immediately.
Asr asked:
“Now tell me the ratio between men and women?”
“With a minor variation, roughly equal.”
Naima, who was not less than an encyclopedia, replied confidently.
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“Now tell me, what a coincidence that in every era, in every generation, in
fact,
since thousands of years, men and women, despite all kinds of
circumstances, have been born almost in equal numbers, and because of
that, humanity is growing continuously. Even though the premise that
through the evolution of billions of years, creation of an intelligent entity like
a human being and also the design of a life support system without which he
cannot survive is entirely frivolous, another question is, which evolutionary
process decides the sex of children born every day so that their ratio does not
change. To do that, some creator must control the ratio between male and
female newborns. See, millions of women get pregnant every day. If the
determination of sex of unborn were coincidental, then the ratio of genders
in the world would not have been so consistent and smooth as we see it
today. It cannot be controlled by evolution, coincidence or the economic
theory of demand and supply. It is most definitely the decision of a creator
who knows the unseen.”
“Asr, you are hundred per cent correct. It is an irrefutable proof. I now
believe in that omniscient, knower of the unseen. But Asr, I live with a lot of
people who do not want to believe, and never do.”
“Hellfire is the punishment for those who did not acknowledge blessings of
God and did not understand anything explained logically. Think about it. Man
is living in this Universe due to trillions of such favours of God. But, after all
that, rather than believing in him, he believes in those other than God,
instead of following him, he acknowledges greatness of idols and other
humans, even refuses to acknowledge the existence of God. Then a person
comes and tries to make him understand and does so for many years, trying
every way he can. However, he still refuses to understand and becomes an
enemy of that person. He becomes a slave of his interests, wishes and
prejudices, to the extent that even when he comes to know that the person
addressing him is not an ordinary person but a Messenger of God, he still
does not listen and starts planning to kill that God’s Messenger. You tell me
what should God do?”
“He should be punished severely. He should be thrown in Hellfire,
condemned for life.”
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Naima said without any hesitation. Now she was enthused with the greatness
of God. As such, she proposed the same punishment for the rebel of God that
Asr had talked about a bit earlier.
“Yes. Hellfire is the punishment for such a rebellion. But remember, God
Almighty is most forgiving and most beneficent. He will neither send people
to Hell for minor sins nor will it be the punishment for every sinner.
Hardships in life will be the penance for some mistakes. Many people will
suffer on Doomsday, and those hardships will be accepted as punishment for
their sins. As far as the severest punishment of Hellfire is concerned, it is for
the willful defiance and rebellion against God, as committed by the nation of
Prophet Noah PBUH and nation of Aad.”
Asr felt it necessary to explain the concept of reward and punishment once
again.
“Alas, I wish people believe in Doomsday.”
The words came involuntarily from Naima. Asr looked into her eyes and said:
“That is your task from now onwards. You have seen the small Doomsday.
This limited Doomsday is the proof of the full and final Doomsday. It is the
most powerful proof of the truthfulness of the Messengers of God and is also
an introduction to the greatness of God Almighty.”
Asr stopped for a while. Naima felt he was trying to listen to something. She
looked around. Tall mounds stood as far as one could see, and a soft breeze
blew. It was so caressingly soft that the mounds of dust looked stationery and
undisturbed. After showering its heat, the sun was prostrating in the west at
the feet of its creator. The vast sky had turned ember-like due to the evening
twilight. In the departing eve, nature was singing a melody of servility to the
tune of eternal beauty, and Asr had stopped to listen to it. That melody and
its tune were not strangers for Naima’s ears anymore. Riding on the air, that
melody sought permission to pass through the windows of her hearing and
enter the domain of her heart. At last, the consent was granted. Strings of
the heart were struck, and springs of love of God flowed from her beautiful
eyes, the very springs that were lost forever by the nation of Aad.
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Asr looked at Naima. He was not a human. If he were, it would not have been
easy for him to decide whether the twilight on the sky was prettier or the
intense radiance of her cheeks. Instead, he only saw those tears that, flowing
down, were kissing her cheeks. He came to know God had accepted her; he
continued his dialogue:
“These mounds will be witness till the Doomsday that having made the
universe, God is not sitting on the sidelines as a spectator. He is fully capable
of punishing the criminals. The criminals of Aad, like those of Prophet Noah’s
PBUH
nation, have been punished, and the rest will be punished on Doomsday.
These mounds are a witness to that. Now you will be the witness, Naima; you
will now bear the witness.”
Asr became quiet. This time Naima did not remain silent. She spoke:
“Yes, Asr. I will be the witness, I will definitely bear witness, and the time will
also be the witness. No doubt humans will be in a state of loss, except those
who believed and did righteous deeds, and exhorted each other to follow
truth, and exhorted each other to observe patience.
===============
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Chapter 7
FIRST MURDER
Naima remained in the same state for a while. Then, thinking about
something, she addressed Asr:
“When I stand and bear witness amongst people, they would have a lot of
questions. Just about the same as I had, because they would not be in the era
of the prophets.”
Naima had remembered that two of her initial questions remained to be
answered. What she said was with reference to them.
“Our journey has not come to an end yet. Asr replied.”
“But it looks like you want answers to the remaining questions before
proceeding ahead. So many important chapters of the story of prophets are
still left uncovered. Your remaining questions would have been answered
before the end of this journey. However, since this is what you want, let’s
answer those two questions now. We will re-start the journey from here.
What were your questions?”
“My first question was why God keeps quiet on cruelty? Why has God
Almighty allowed cruelty and injustice? Why should we not believe that there
is no God? Whatever happens is the doing of a blind, deaf matter or else
superstitions and thoughts of our minds. And the other question was… “
“Let’s keep aside the second question because we have to travel back in time
for the reply to the first question and I will have to explain it to you. Of
course, God does not interfere in matters concerning ordinary human beings,
but it does not mean that he doesn’t know anything. I will have to show you
that his wisdom and his powerful dominance run together. And yes, …. “
Asr remembered something:
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“You also wanted to see angels. So let’s go to a place that would have the
answer to your question and you will also see angels in action.”
After saying that, Asr held Naima’s hand and their journey started again. It
ended at one of the peaks of a mountain range. It was a picturesque place. A
lush green plain was there, but no human being was in sight. Having reached
there, Asr spoke to Naima:
“ We are in the era of your father.”
“My father Shehzad’s time?”
“No. Your father Prophet Adam’s PBUH era.”
He then pointed in a direction and said:
“ Have a look there.”
Naima looked in that direction. Asr’s company had enabled her to easily see
up to quite far as if she was right there.
Some men and women stood there. A young man moved forward. He was
holding a fat lamb. He laid it on the ground, slaughtered it and put its meat
on a height, at a distance, along with some grain. After he had done that,
everybody started looking at the sky. All of a sudden, a fire appeared and
came to the earth fast. It was moving towards those who stood there. Naima
was afraid it would harm them, but it struck the meat. All of them shouted
joyously and heartily congratulated the young man who had put the meat
there. He was delighted. Naima saw another person standing alone. At that
very moment, she saw a fat and fast snake moving towards him. Worried, she
said to Asr:
“It’s a big snake. It will bite him.”
“Yes, it will.” Asr replied calmly.
In the meantime, the snake bit the young man. A low shriek escaped Naima’s
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lips. She was surprised to see that nothing happened to him, but rage had
contorted his face. He mumbled, yet Naima could hear him.
“I will not leave him.”
The snake slithered away slowly, and he also left, stomping his feet in rage.
===============
Naima did not understand anything about what had happened. She looked at
Asr questioningly. Asr held her hand again and, instead of going up, he
started descending from the mountain. On the way, he explained:
“Naima, they got together to find a solution to the problem between Cain
and Abel, the two sons of Prophet Adam PBUH. According to law, they had to
be married to two girls, but the girl who was to be married to Abel, Cain also
wanted to marry her.”
“So, how was the problem solved?” Naima asked.
“When the dispute escalated, Prophet Adam PBUH decided that Abel and Cain
would present their offerings to God. Whoever’s offering was accepted by
God Almighty, fire from heaven will burn it. You saw that scene right now.
The flame hit Abel’s offering. God’s decision was made clear.”
“And what about the snake?”
“That was eternal enemy of you human beings, the Satan. You saw him in a
symbolic shape. When a vile thought arises in mind, this snake or one of
Satan’s children bite that person. The snake has bitten Cain and has injected
its poison into him. The poison has entered his body as rage and hatred.”
“Oh really?” Naima replied with mixed emotions of surprise and fear.
“Don’t be so surprised. This snake keeps biting you folks off and on. Negative
feelings in the human heart result from being bitten by this snake or by its
children.”
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Naima had nothing to say in reply to Asr’s comment. She proceeded ahead
quietly. Days and time continued to move slowly. After a while, they came
down. Asr said:
“Let’s go to Cain’s house first.”
Saying that, he held Naima’s hand and entered a shack.
===============
Cain’s wife, Adrah, was lying down quietly, her forehand on her face. It was
difficult to judge whether she was asleep or pretending to avoid her
husband’s ranting and anger, who was stomping up and down close by. He
was the first son of Prophet Adam PBUH from lady Eve. His face was contorted
in extreme anger. With feelings of jealousy and malice in his heart, he was
grumbling.
“That shepherd had to have this honour too. I am older and have a greater
right as well. But, after father, God also preferred him. Who is he? A lowly
shepherd running after the flock. It is not justice by God. He was given the
better woman and me… huh.”
He looked at Adrah. She had been listening to everything quietly for some
time. Finally, she could not remain quiet on the last sentence. Removing her
forearm from her eyes, she turned towards Cain and said in a low voice:
“Don’t blame God. Instead, think about what you had presented in your
offering. Abel slaughtered the best animal from his flock. As such, without
finding the result of whose offering was to be accepted, he incurred that loss
and then presented the whole meat as offering. And you tried to be clever
and offered some grain, thinking if the fire burns it, you will get a beautiful
woman in return; otherwise, the grain will be saved from burning anyway.
Adrah disclosed Cain’s ill intent most appropriately. Cain did not like the truth
at all and shouted:
“So, should I have offered the entire grain? The fire from the sky had to burn
it anyway. Are you listening, you foolish woman? Whatever I would have
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taken, even the entire grain, the fire from the sky had to come down and
burn it anyway. That’s what father said, and that is what happened.”
Grinding his teeth in anger, he said:
“I was older. My offering should have been accepted. But the fire burnt his
animal. I wish the fire had burnt Abel instead of the animal, then Asdah
would have been mine. But now I have an ugly and uncouth woman like you
destined for me.”
“I am neither ugly nor uncouth. The only thing is that you are blind with
jealousy. Rather than loving your brother, you are jealous of him. You know
he is a noble, sympathetic and mild-mannered person and looks after father
and mom. He is a true believer. If the law warranted that Asdah was to be
married to you and I would be married to him, he would have accepted the
decision quietly and would have lived a happy life. However, according to
law, I became your wife, and Asdah became his. You should have also
accepted the law, but you became adamant and demanded marriage to
Asdah. That led to the condition of the offering, but you decided to be a
miser on that occasion too. Since you had offered the worst grain, your
offering was not accepted. The problem is not with others; it is with you. It
would be best if you corrected yourself. After blaming me, father and Abel,
you have gone further and have now blamed God. Cain, you have been
entrapped by Satan. Do you not know what he did to father and mom? How
he misled them from obeying God? He will only rest after making you a
culprit of God.”
“Stop talking this nonsense”.
Cain shouted in anger. He was overcome with rage. Satan had possessed him,
and his face had also turned ugly like Satan.
“I will only rest now after finishing this root cause of discord. If the fire did
not burn Abel, so what? I will kill him. I will not leave him alive. I will not leave
him.”
After saying that, Cain pickup up his axe and, repeating his threat, went out.
Adrah looked at him, scared of what was going to happen.
===============
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Asr took Naima out of the house and followed Cain. Cain walked ahead,
followed by them. Naima had grasped severity of the situation, and was
scared. Having seen the angry face of Cain, she was afraid of his vile
intentions. Had Asr not been with her, she would have been in worse shape.
She asked Asr timidly:
“Where is he going?”
“To kill Abel.” Asr replied, looking at Cain.
Naima saw that Cain, walking briskly, turned towards a sidewalk and moved
ahead purposefully, waving his axe. Worried, Naima asked Asr:
“Why don’t you stop him?”
Asr smiled and answered:
“It’s not my job. I am only a witness. I cannot interfere in anything. It is God’s
decision. We dare not go against any order of our Lord. That feat is only
performed by you, humans.”
Naima was so scared that she did not even feel the cynicism in Asr’s last
sentence. They kept walking, following Cain, Asr in front, Naima a little
behind. Noticing that, Asr pulled her next to him. As soon as Asr held her
hand, Naima was stunned to see that Cain was not alone on the sidewalk.
Two silhouettes, quite similar to how she had seen Asr in the beginning,
walked with him.
Asr had held her hand to show her that. He explained it further:
These two angels stay with Cain. Obviously, Cain cannot see them. God does
not want Cain to kill Abel at this time. He wants to give him one more chance
to think it over. So, see what happens now.”
While walking, Cain reached under a hill. One of the silhouettes pointed
upwards. All of a sudden, a small rock came rolling and fell on Cain. It
happened so quickly that Cain couldn’t do anything. He tried to save himself
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but failed, fell and was hurt. A torrent of abuses gushed out of his mouth. He
was swearing at Abel. Naima saw that the silhouette on the left had started
writing something. Asr explained to her:
“You saw what is within God’s power. If God wants, Cain will never be able to
kill his brother. He can stop him in a thousand different ways.”
“What is that silhouette writing?” Naima asked.
“That silhouette is the angel on the left shoulder. He was writing every word
Cain uttered. The scene you are watching and whatever Cain has uttered is
being recorded and saved. It will be presented on the Doomsday.”
In the meantime, Cain got up with difficulty and left for his home.
Asr said: “He will not be deterred. Come, let me show you how he will kill his
brother.”
Asr held Naima’s hand and moved ahead swiftly. Time and days started
changing as well. It was an indication that they were travelling forward in
time. At last, they reached a scenic place. Naima could see from a distance
that a man and a woman were sitting together. Asr introduced them:
“We are watching a scene of quite a few days after the first incident. They are
Abel and his wife, and look there, in the distance, Cain is coming.”
Naima saw Cain approaching from quite a distance. Abel and his wife Asdah
were unaware that Cain was coming.
===============
Wafts of cool breeze touched them softly and went away. They sat tranced,
supported by a tree trunk. Their flock grazed in the green grass field spread
all around. However, Abel had his attention more towards Asdah and not
towards his flock. He was lost in looking at her. In between, he used to look
at his flock once in a while too.
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“You better stop looking at me and concentrate on your animals, lest a wolf
may harm them.”
Asdah stopped for a moment, but it made no difference to Abel.
“More than the wolf, I am afraid of Cain. After the offering, remember what
he said? That he would kill you.”
While saying that, Asdah’s eyes had fear in her eyes.
“Don’t worry. Cain is my brother. He is angry but will be OK in a few days.”
“No. He will not be OK. Adrah told me that he does not have good intentions.
So, you should take some precautions for your safety.”
“What should I do? If he is plotting to kill me, should I also plan to kill him? If
he kills me, he will carry the burden of his sin. He will carry the weight of his
sin as well as the weight of every man killed till Doomsday.”
“Don’t say that. I am petrified of separation from you, Abel. I love you dearly
and want to live with you forever. But, ….”
“Nothing will happen.” Abel said, taking her hand in his hands.
“We will always be together. In this world as well as the never-ending world.”
“When will that world start?”
“That world will start after death.”
“Promise me you will be with me there as well.”
“I promise, solemn promise. But have you brought any food so necessary to
live in this world?
“Oh yes, I just remembered; mom had said she would give the food today.
You sit here, and I will go get the food from her.”
After saying that, Asdah got up hurriedly.
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“Come back soon. I am waiting for you.”
Abel said, and watched her going away. After a while, she disappeared. He
did not have any reason to sit. Before his marriage, he used to run after his
flock the whole day, looking after them. However, ever since he was married
to Asdah, he used to sit with her, forgetting about everything else. After
Asdah left, he thought of his flock and got up. No sooner was he up, someone
pushed him hard from behind, and he fell. The attacker kicked him in his
stomach. He groaned in pain and saw with half-closed eyes. The attacker was
no one else but his brother. Cain had an axe in his hand.
“Brother.”
Abel said inadvertently.
He got the answer.
“Not brother, but your enemy, enemy for life. I will avenge my insult by killing
you today.” Said Cain.
“You won’t be able to save yourself after killing me.” Abel replied.
“I will run away from here.” Cain responded.
“Can you run away from God as well?” asked Abel.
“I don’t want to even hear the name of God. He preferred you over me.”
Cain replied.
“It is not so. You preferred your sensory pleasures, desires and Satan over
God. Fear God, and refrain from wrong things. Otherwise, even if you run
away in this world, you won’t be able to save yourself from the grasp of God
on Doomsday.”
“There will be no Doomsday. There will be no accountability. Life is only in
this world, and in this world, nobody can save you from me.”
While saying that, Cain swung his axe with full force. Next moment, the earth
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was being reddened with Abel’s blood. Abel fell on the ground, lifeless. He
had agony on his face but peace in his heart. He looked at the sky and, with
great difficulty, uttered a few words:
“Thank God I am the better son of Adam. I did not become a killer. I have
been spared.”
Uttering those words, he closed his eyes.
===============
That gory incident took place in front of Naima. She knew she could not do
anything. The first murder of humanity had happened right in front of her
eyes. An innocent, noble person who had not committed any crime
whatsoever had been murdered callously. She could not stop it, and the one
who could, also did not do so. Asdah’s wails had shaken her up. She felt her
helplessness intensely. Along with that, she was furious as well. As such,
shaking up Asr, she said:
“Why didn’t you stop him? Why did God not stop him? This is no justice. It is
absolute cruelty.”
“Naima, don’t be emotional. You have seen the angels all around. Whenever
they want, they can stop anything whatsoever when ordered by God. But, if
they keep interfering, human beings’ freedom will not be there anymore.
Neither a criminal will be punished, nor anybody will be awarded Paradise for
patience. God’s silence does not mean his helplessness or weakness. It is a
test. This is how it will be. A lot more happens here, but it is not visible to
you. I will now show that.
Without waiting for a reply, Asr held her hand and moved forward. Time,
days and seasons were changing again. Asr stopped at a particular place.
Time also became still. Naima saw it was a small settlement comprising a few
mud huts. Asr entered a shack with her. There, lying on a cot, an old man was
breathing his last. A few people stood around him. Naima looked at Asr, he
answered:
“He is Cain, lying near his death helplessly. You had said that nobody is
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provided justice here. Watch now. God’s justice is about to start. God does
not hurry in catching criminals. Every one of them, floating on the waves of
time, reach his court themselves. Cain’s punishment will begin right after his
death. A part of every murder that happens in the world will be ascribed to
him. The crime of murdering Abel is in addition to that. He will be punished
most severely. Carefully watch what is going to happen, but have a heart.
OK?”
While saying that, Asr held her hand. As soon as he did that, Naima’s vision
started viewing what nobody else could. Present in that shack were terrifying
angels of punishment. Naima had not thought of such scary beings even in
her thoughts. She trembled as she saw them.
The angels of punishment were waiting for the angel of death. In a few
moments, he entered. His face displayed such anger and ferociousness that
Naima started to feel all the more petrified and started trembling. Supporting
her, Asr brought her out.
===============
130
Chapter 8
STONE CARVERS & STONE
HEARTED
Naima felt better in a while. Asr asked her, smiling:
“What do you think now? Human beings have been allowed to be cruel since
they have to be tested, but they have not been exempted to escape from his
grasp. Reward and punishment are awarded in any case.”
“Yes, I saw that, but ….”
Naima was a philosopher; after all, she could not help objecting.
“How many human beings can see this with their own eyes?”
“Nobody can see it, and nobody should. Otherwise, you tell me, who will
commit sins and then, there should be no reward for good deeds. Nobody is
more obedient to God than us, the angels, or other beings, but there is no
reward for us. The reason is that we see everything with our eyes. We are
aware of all truths and realities. At the same time, you humans live in the
material world. You should use your mind and knowledge and find the truth
through symbols and logic. Then, after going through difficulties of every
kind, you should adopt the right path. Paradise is a reward for that. But you
lose yourselves entirely in the material world. That gives birth to tyranny and
injustice. Those acts of cruelty are not performed by God but by human
beings. Hellfire is the punishment for that.
Naima listened to him quietly while Asr explained. He said:
“But it is not that reward and punishment are not here on any level. You
remember that you accompanied me on the journey through the history of
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prophets? That was a narration of punishment and reward. You saw the
punishment and reward being given to the nations of Prophet Noah PBUH and
Aad. God Almighty’s intent to dispense punishment and reward to nations of
prophets was solely to ensure that irrefutable proofs of punishment and
reward on the Day of Judgement as well as of the existence of God are
always there for humanity to see.”
“Yes, you are right. But now neither the archaeological remains of Prophet
Noah’s PBUH nation nor of the nation of Aad are there today.”
“Had you not wanted the answer to your first question, I would have taken
you to nations whose remains are still there.”
“Which nations are they?”
“Let’s go. I will show you.”
Saying that, Asr held her hand, and in a while, they were again standing on
the mounds in the destroyed land of Aad.
Riding the chariot of time, it was astonishing to travel in the past and future
so fast, and Naima found it hard to believe that she was standing in that area
a little while ago, then travelled to the era of Abel and Cain, and now she had
returned to that place again.
She said, surprised:
“We have returned to the destroyed land of Aad, but where are we going
from here?”
Asr replied:
“The followers of Prophet Hud PBUH who were saved have emigrated from
South Arabia to North Arabia. You saw the punishment meted out to the
nation of Aad, but you did not see what happened to those who believed in
Prophet Hud PBUH and followed him. Let me take you to them so that you may
see yourself how God Almighty rewards the believers, saves them from
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punishment and makes them owners of the earth.”
Having said so, Asr took her a few steps ahead. They had reached close to a
group of people moving fast. Prophet Hud PBUH was leading them. They were
singing hymns of God’s praise and his greatness. They had been told of the
fate of the criminals.
Asr saw them going away and spoke to Naima:
“They will now inherit the earth. They were considered foolish. They were
the weak of the society. They preferred morals over material gains and
accepted the truth instead of worshipping idols of their ancestors. They
chose wisdom and logic over emotions and desires. They sided with what was
right at a time when the right did not have support of any material power.
They suffered opposition for following God’s way and they tolerated taunts
and blames. They will now grow and do well. Their numbers will multiply and
they will lay the foundation of a great civilisation after a few generations.
That is the reward for them in this world, whereas, in the ever-lasting
Paradise, their reward will be a choicest place, which they will receive as soon
as they die.”
Asr stopped for a moment and then said sadly:
“But as I had said, after deterioration of centuries, these followers of oneness
of God will become polytheists again. The old snake, the despicable Satan,
will inject his poison and turn them into criminals. They will be called the
nation of Thamud. Prophet Saleh PBUH will rise from amongst them.”
After explaining the background, Asr held Naima’s hand and started walking
again. A period of many centuries was being covered in a few moments. Asr
also continued his narration:
“We are now going to the land of Thamud where Prophet Saleh PBUH has been
ordained as a prophet. He was acknowledged as a matchless personality of
his nation. He was considered a great leader. But after being ordained a
Prophet, he invited people to worship one God and warned them of his
wrath if they remained infidels. In reply, his nation gave the same reply as the
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nations of Prophets Noah PBUH and Prophet Hud PBUH had given. Only a few
have followed
him and most of the nation is turning more and more rebellious. Now they
have demanded a miracle. God Almighty has shown them a miracle in the
shape of a female camel who was born miraculously. However, the people
have still refused to follow the right path. So, now the order is that one day
the camel will drink water from the well Additionally, they have been warned
that if they try to harm the camel, they will face the wrath of God.”
“But why did they get this grace period? Why were they not subjected to
wrath right away?”
Naima asked.
“Actually, this nation has become double-minded after seeing the miracle.
While most have now started doubting their wrong conduct, the nine notable
chiefs are still steadfast on their stand as infidels. They are also asking others
not to follow the right path. God Almighty has given an opportunity to those
who are now doubtful to follow the truth and not side with their errant
chiefs. But if they remain as they are, all of them will be annihilated.”
Talking on the subject, they reached the area of Thamud. Naima knew that
she was in the agricultural age. Here, the standards of progress and wellbeing of that age were right in front. Lush green crops danced to the tune of
soft breeze as far as eyes could see. Stunning gardens with all kinds of fruits
adorned the scene. A lot of gardens had crop fields within. Glistening water
made its way through the canals irrigating the fields. Date palm trees
enclosed the gardens from all four sides as boundary marks, their soft yellow
fruit pleasing the eyes. In short, abundant greenery, water, fruits and crops
everywhere presented a heavenly landscape.
The same scene continued as far as eyes could see. It was a plain amongst
mountains, and enjoying that blessed environment, Naima and Asr were
moving ahead.
“This area is even more fertile and greener than the area of Aad. Has it
become like this lately or God had blessed the Thamud right from the
beginning?”
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Naima asked.
“I have told you the God’s law. Along with the annihilation of a rebel nation,
God’s first blessing and gift is to save the believers, just like God’s first
blessing and gift to the believers on the Day of Judgement will be to save
them from Hellfire. The second favour is that the saved believers are made
rulers of the earth, just like the believers will be given the kingship of
Paradise. The Nation of Thamud came in to being from the nation of Aad.
God blessed them from the beginning, so their numbers have grown
considerably. Their lands have received an ideal combination of rain and
good weather for centuries. They have been protected from diseases and
epidemics. Even though these favours and blessings were granted to the first
believers, their future generations have also benefitted from them. Ironically,
after receiving these favours and blessings of God, they progressed a lot in
material well-being, but have forsaken belief in one God and loyalty to him.”
“Which area is it?”
“It is called Madain Salih, or Hegra. Its ruins are still there even though this
area is now a desert. Going from Madinah to Jordan, in the north of the
Country you call Saudi Arabia, you can see these lands.”
In a while, the signs of a settlement started appearing. Large palace-like
buildings had been built on plain land.
Seeing them, Naima commented:
“They are even more advanced than the Aad.”
“You are right. However, the real proof of their expertise is these mountains.
They have carved excellent homes in them. The houses remain cool in
extreme heat. You will be amazed to see them from inside.”
Naima looked at a mountain close by. She was surprised. It was a single hill
with two doors in it. The doors were not like the opening of caves at all.
Instead, they were appropriately carved. In addition, most intricate designs
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had been inscribed on both sides by flattening their surfaces. Without a
doubt, they were outstanding examples of stone carving.
Naima said, surprised:
“They have reached the zenith of artistry. And that too, in such an ancient
era.”
“You will get a better insight of their craft when you see these homes from
inside. Let’s go in. It belongs to a wealthy woman named Aneezah. She is the
wife of a major chieftain. She was a courtesan when young. One of the senior
chiefs of the settlement fell for her beauty. He married her and built this
wonderful home for her. She now has a daughter who is much prettier than
her. Aneezah has invited a powerful chief of the settlement to her home, and
she is convincing him to kill Prophet Saleh’s PBUH camel. You can find details of
what is happening by going in.”
===============
The interior of Aneeza’s home was as impressive as the exterior. While
entering it, Naima thought it would be a dark and narrow cave-like dwelling
with ugly walls and a few items placed along. But after entering it, she felt
she was in a good house. The main door opened in a verandah with perfectly
smooth walls. The ceiling was high, with stairs on three sides, each with four
or five steps leading to good sized rooms. Each step had lamps on both ends
for illumination, making the environment well lit. Everything was clearly
visible, especially highlighted were the carved patterns and designs on the
walls.
Asr held her hand and guided her to the room on the left. There, a tall and
well-built young man sat on a floored seating. He was Qeedar. A middle-aged
woman sat alongside. Time had dimmed her features somewhat, but not
enough to completely dull the attractive image of yesteryears.
They entered the room. The young man was speaking to the woman:
“Aneezah, you know I am not a coward. I can win against the best of men.
The entire nation knows my courage and manliness. But the matter of the
camel is entirely different.”
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“the camel is not something different. Fear has weakened your heart, and
that fear has made you a coward.”
Aneezah replied sarcastically, upsetting Qeedar, who responded irritatingly:
“I just said I am not a coward. Don’t you know Saleh is a highly respectable
person with high morals and strong character? The entire nation
acknowledges him as such. He negated our idols and invited us to pray to one
God. Except for a few silly souls, all of us opposed him. Then we demanded to
present a proof of his truth. The camel is that proof. It was not born naturally,
but miraculously. And perhaps you forget that after showing this proof, Saleh
had said that if we tried to harm her, the entire nation would suffer the
wrath of God.”
“Oh, come on, they are all baseless threats.”
Aneezah said tersely.
“We are sick and tired of this camel. What a nuisance; one day is dedicated to
her drinking all the settlement’s water, and the next day we get it. It is quite
an uncomfortable situation. Are you not aware of it?”
“I am aware, but ….”
“No ifs and buts. This camel is nothing but a product of magic. Saleh has
learnt magic and he is scaring you because of that. Once the camel is killed,
everybody will know that it was only magic, not the display of one God’s
power and a miracle.”
“Qeedar’s face showed hesitation while Aneezah spoke. Finally, Aneezah
realised that it was time to use her trump card.”
“Qeedar, I have always liked you a lot and I want a powerful chief like you to
marry my daughter. There is no one prettier than her in the whole
settlement.”
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Aneezah’s daughter, present in the next room, was waiting for that sentence.
Taking the cue, she entered the room with a fruit tray, placed it for Qeedar,
and sat next to her mother.
Qeedar’s was spellbound seeing the young girl. Undoubtedly, she was
stunningly gorgeous. However, to ensure that Qeedar did not leave without
being thoroughly enamoured, she had made use of her most powerful allies,
dress and make-up. she wore a revealing, almost semi-nude dress
highlighting contours of her well-proportioned body.
Qeedar couldn’t say no to Aneezah anymore. Mesmerised, he gawked at her
daughter continually. Aneezah was sure the cupid’s arrow had struck. She
said decisively.”
“Kill the camel and marry my daughter. Otherwise, don’t show me your face
again. My daughter and I don’t even want to look at a weak, un-manly
person.”
Qeedar had already given up. The remaining hesitation was washed away by
this sentence. He could not stand being taunted for cowardice. Standing up
with a jerk, he said:
“Today, in fact, right now, the camel will be killed. She is a non-entity for
me.”
Saying that, he left, taking long strides.
===============
“We should follow Qeedar.” Naima suggested to Asr.
“No. It will be useless. He will go and kill the camel. However, another, and
more important, event is taking place. It would be better if you see that.”
Asr took her out and entered a dwelling nearby. It was similar to the earlier
home they were in. In a room, the chiefs of the settlement were present. As
Naima entered with Asr, she heard the voice of a chief. He was proudly and
joyously saying:
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“My wife has persuaded the bravest man of the settlement to kill the camel.
In a short while, the news will reach us. This problem has been permanently
solved now.”
Deafening applause followed his statement. When the noise lessened
somewhat, a chief came forward his opinion:
“Friends, if you think about it, the real problem is still there. As long as Saleh
lives, he will condemn our idols. Already, quite a few fools have joined him,
and after seeing the miracle of the camel, one of our chiefs, Janda, son of
Umar, has also become his follower. Therefore, if we don’t eliminate the real
problem from its roots, people will start following him one after the other.
“You are absolutely correct.”
Aneezah’s husband said.
“The time has come to kill the camel owner along with the camel.”
The quip resulted in boisterous laughter. All in attendance laughed crassly.
However, one of the chiefs remained quiet. When people stopped laughing,
he said, in a sober tone:
“It is not that easy to kill Saleh. He has followers as well, and they will lay
their lives for him. His family will also seek revenge. There will be
unnecessary bloodshed in the settlement.”
Hearing that, another chief said:
“We are not afraid of anyone. If they come to seek revenge, our swords will
welcome them.”
“No. We should not act naively.” Aneeza’s husband replied.
“You know tribal feuds last for centuries. We should work in such a way that
the snake is killed and the stick also remains intact. We will not kill Saleh
openly. We will attack his home in the dark of night, and, after killing him and
his family, we will quietly return to our homes. When the matter comes to
light in the morning, we will swear to his tribe and friends that we had
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nothing to do with it. When they would not have any proof or witnesses, they
won’t be able to do anything, and the nation will also not support them. As
such, this matter will be buried forever.”
Once again, there was a loud round of appreciation and compliments. But, in
the meantime, a servant came running inside and shouted:
“Qeedar has killed the camel.”
The gathering was energised again. Those present got up and congratulated
each other. The servant wanted to say something else too, but they were
busy embracing each other. At last, he shouted again:
“Sirs, there is another news as well.”
That drew their attention.
“After the camel was killed, Saleh warned we have only three days now. The
third day, God’s wrath will strike, and all of us will die.”
Faces of all those present paled with fear. Everyone in the gathering knew
that Prophet Saleh PBUH had outstanding integrity and character and he did
not lie. Nothing that he had ever said had proven wrong. Although on their
demand, he had also shown a miracle, even then they had killed the camel.
After that, whatever Prophet Saleh PBUH had said, they knew in their hearts,
could not be wrong. But the arrow had left the bow, and nothing could be
done now.
Aneezah’s husband, to raise their morale in that environment of doubt and
despondency, said:
“No need to worry. We will kill Saleh tonight. After that, there will be no
cause and no effect.”
A burst of loud laughter ensued his words.
Somehow Naima felt that the laughter was devoid of wholeheartedness this
time.
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===============
Naima and Asr walked together. It was a pitch-dark night. Nothing was
visible. Prophet Saleh PBUH and his few followers walked ahead of them,
reciting praise and glory of the Almighty God.
It was evening of the day the camel was killed. After Prophet Saleh’s PBUH
warning that the wrath of God Almighty will strike the nation in three days,
Naima had felt a change in the weather. Cool wind had started, God knows
from where, bringing with it dark and dense clouds. By evening, sun was
entirely hidden by them. Due to those clouds, the night was exceptionally
dark as well.
That night, the chiefs got together and attempted to attack Prophet Saleh’s
PBUH
house. However, he had already received orders to emigrate. As such, he
and his followers, benefitting from the darkness, left the settlement and
moved away. The dwellers were somewhat pacified thinking that he had
wrongly warned of the wrath and had run away to save himself from
embarrassment. The fools did not know how God Almighty gets hold of the
culprits and imparts his justice. Asr had brought Naima out following Prophet
Saleh PBUH rather than staying in the settlement. He was now briefing Naima
on the situation:
“Naima, this nation will face the wrath of God Almighty after three days.”
“That I have heard. However, why have they been given three days? The
earlier nations were not given any time.”
Naima asked.
“it is really not a grace period. It has been given due to the nature of
punishment. God Almighty wants the believers to go far away from the
epicentre of wrath.”
“So, what will the punishment be this time.”
“Dark and ominous clouds will surround this nation. But they will neither
bring rain nor storm. This time, what will happen is that there will be thunder
on the morning of the third day. It will be so loud that it will be similar to an
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earthquake at the settlement. The mountains will shake as if a tremor had
jolted them. If the thunder would shake the tall and sturdy mountains; you
can imagine what it would do to human beings. Everybody belonging to
Thamud will drop dead whatever one was doing at that time.”
“Oh, I got it now. The three days are there so that Prophet Saleh PBUH and his
followers walk far away to be safe from the effects of that thunder.”
“You have correctly understood the wisdom of God Almighty.”
“But Asr, one thing is hard to understand.”
Hearing the words “Wisdom of God” made her brain go again.
“These nations that continue to be destroyed time and again, God Almighty
already knew about their fate. Isn’t it? In other words, he knew who would
become believers and who would remain infidels. If that be so, doesn’t the
entire concept of reward and punishment become meaningless? I mean, God
already knows what will happen; why are people punished and rewarded
then? It looks like God Almighty has himself written the script of the great
epic of humanity. People are playing their parts as per that script. The infidel
is not treading on the right path because he has been assigned that role. A
believer is a believer as that is the role he has been given. So then, there
remains no moral justification for punishment and reward, especially of
punishment.”
Naima presented her confusion to Asr appropriately, covering all dimensions.
“Naima, you have ventured into an area which is not easy to understand. You
want to understand the Godly attributes and personality of God Almighty.”
“May God forgive me. I take my question back.”
“I did not say you take your question back. I am only explaining how God
Almighty handles things; we are not fully capable of understanding it. It is
similar to a three-year-old kid in nursery class who cannot understand how a
human being is born. It is not something that cannot be explained, but the
child is at a mental level where he cannot understand it at his age. That, to a
great extent, is also applicable to God’s wisdom and human deeds. That is
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why the Holy Quran repeatedly states a principled position that God does not
inflict cruelty on his servants even as little as a mustard seed.”
“That is correct, but …. “
“See, you agree that God Almighty knows what is happening in the east and
west of the World simultaneously.”
“Yes, he definitely knows because no place can be out of the range of his
knowledge.”
“Similarly, no time and era can stay out of his range of knowledge either. He
looks at the past, present and future simultaneously, all the time.”
“I have understood this point. If he does not know everything, he cannot
become God Almighty.”
“But it is essential to understand that whatever you humans do in this world,
you do not do it because he knows that you will to do so. It is in fact the
opposite of that. You do what you do as per your own choice and will, but he
comes to know of it beforehand because of his infinite, all-knowing power
and reach.”
“It is a difficult thing. It is also a bit difficult to imagine and understand.”
Naima replied.”
“Ok, let me explain it through an example. Right now, you are in the era of
the nation of Thamud, and the era of Pharaoh is quite ahead in future.
However, since you have come here from the future, from a time that is even
way after the pharaoh’s period, therefore, you know what would happen to
Pharaoh.”
“Yeah. That is quite a famous event. Pharaoh will deny Prophet Moses
and will then drown and die.” Naima replied.
PBUH
“Now tell me, just because you know about the incident, if I say you had
written that script and it was because of you that Pharaoh disbelieved in God
Almighty and was annihilated, would that be correct?”
“Not at all”.
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Naima was quick to reply.
“Exactly the same way God Almighty, through his unique power and
knowledge, knows everything that would happen; who would be a believer
or
disbeliever, he knows beforehand. But people choose to believe or disbelieve
of their own free will, not because the Almighty knows about it already.
Please remember that the test for human beings is for adopting a correct
attitude towards vice and virtue. A human is totally in control of his actions. It
is because of that control he is awarded punishment and reward. However,
as I said earlier, what a human will do in the future of his own free will is
known to God Almighty.
“But human being is helpless in a lot of matters, isn’t it?” Naima questioned
Asr.
“Yes, he is. Just like you were born in a particular era. You have a distinctive
face, colour, race, language, family, and many other such things. But God
does not punish humans based on these factors. Punishment and Reward are
always for moral matters, and humans are entirely free in that realm.”
“But sometimes we want to do some good, but cannot, and intend to sin, but
God Almighty does not let us do it.”
Naima added.
“It is absolutely correct. But there is a governing principle there as well. If the
intent to commit good or sin is final, and God Almighty, through his infinite
wisdom, stops it from happening, just as you saw Cain was stopped from
killing Abel the first day, because of his full and final intent, the sin of murder
was written in his book of deeds. Similarly, if a person has full intention to do
some good but cannot do so because of interference from God, like a person
intends and prepares for Hajj but cannot do it because of that, he will get the
reward for his intent anyway.”
Naima nodded in agreement and said:
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“It means that to run the physical functioning of the world, God’s principles
are different and he forcibly imposes his authority on humans, but in moral
matters, the decision is entirely a matter of a person’s will and intent.”
“Exactly so. Since material world is for the test, God decides under what
circumstances a human being will be tested. What is and will be his attitude
during the test, God knows it, but he does not impose his will on human
beings in that matter. In fact, what a person would do is already in his
knowledge. A human being has full control over moral matters. That is why
he is responsible for them and will be punished or rewarded accordingly as
well.”
“Thank you, Asr. You can explain such difficult matters so easily.”
“Things are not difficult. However, when people stop using common sense,
everything becomes difficult. Understood, Madam Philosopher?”
Asr replied, smiling. Naima smiled in return too.
===============
It was the morning of the third day. They had walked and reached quite far
from the land of Thamud. Clouds had covered the sky here as well, but they
were not so dense. Asr had told Naima that clouds over the land of Thamud
had become intensely thick.
A little later, Naima saw Prophet Saleh
addressed his followers:
PBUH
had stopped walking and he
“O’ you Believers, see with your own eyes how God’s wrath befalls the
criminals.”
All followers turned and looked at the settlement they had left behind.
Suddenly, there was lightning. It was so strong that the morning, semi-dark
due to clouds, became bright. As soon as that happened, Prophet Saleh PBUH
raised the slogan “God is Great”. The dwindling echo of his words was
followed by an explosion. It was so loud and awful that people shook in their
boots and felt their eardrums had narrowly escaped damage. Naima felt as if
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the earth under her feet had shaken. She trembled in fright, thinking about
the people where the explosion had taken place.
“Prophet Saleh PBUH said, quite sadly:
“My people, I tried so hard to make you understand, but you did not listen to
me and have now been punished for it.”
After saying that, he turned and started walking, his followers treading along.
Naima watched Prophet Saleh PBUH and those who accompanied him going
away. She felt she should be following them as well to see how the believers
were rewarded. She turned towards Asr. Asr was still looking at the
settlement. Naima asked him:
“What are you looking at, Asr? What would be left there?”
“I am looking at the future. Soon, the same is going to happen to the entire
humanity and the world. There is neglect and no concern for accountability
everywhere. Doomsday is about to arrive, but people have no time to spare
from their worldly tasks. To top it all, you Muslims have also shunned the
Quran. Who will tell people to prepare for the end as this game is about to be
over.”
Asr fell silent after that. Naima looked at him and held his hand herself for
the first time.
“I will tell them. I will bear witness. This time will be a witness. No doubt
humans will be in a state of loss.….”
Leaving her sentence incomplete, she turned and looked at the dimming
outlines of Prophet Saleh PBUH and his followers.
“Except those who believed and did righteous deeds, and exhorted each
other to follow truth, and exhorted each other to observe patience.”
===============
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Chapter 9
DUST AND ASHES
Naima looked at them till they disappeared. Asr was also looking in the same
direction.
After they had disappeared, he held Naima’s hand and started walking
casually. The scenes kept changing as Asr commented on them:
“The worst period of human history is about to start. So far, we were in the
prehistoric era. In that period, people living in settlements got misled and
resorted to polytheism. However, now humanity is moving towards the
pinnace of the civilised era. Settlements are changing into large kingdoms.
Polytheism has attained the status of the religion of the state. Kings are ruling
everywhere in the name of false gods and rabis and priests provide them
moral justifications. They have completely tied the masses in dual chains of
tyranny and superstition. Moral disorder and strife have reached their last
limits. Prophets of God are rising in different regions. Since polytheism has
become the religion of the rulers, and the entire state machinery is deputed
to safeguard it, those who take the name of one God are killed immediately.
Due to these prevalent conditions, God Almighty has started a new scheme
to bring people to the right path.”
Asr stopped for a moment. Naima found the pause long and couldn’t resist
asking:
“What’s the plan now?”
“Prophet Abraham PBUH has been ordained. He started from his native country
Iraq and then went around everywhere in the civilised world, inviting them to
accept the oneness of God. However, his nation has rejected his invitation so
blatantly that no invitation of that nature had been rejected like it in history.
Only his wife, Lady Sarah and nephew, Prophet Lot PBUH, have become
believers. God Almighty has decided that his nephew, Prophet Lot PBUH will
continue to perform the duties of a Prophet. He has been dispatched to an
extremely
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fertile area of Palestine called Sodom. Whereas through his wife Sarah’s
children, a new nation of believers will be created in the centre of the world,
i.e., Middle East, and they will continue the crusade against polytheism.”
“And Lade Hagar and Prophet Ishmael PBUH ?” Naima asked. Asr replied:
“Yes! Lady Hagar is Prophet Abraham’s PBUH wife and mother of Prophet
Ishmael PBUH. These noble souls have been settled in the barren land of Arabia
as it will be the last bastion of defence of the oneness of God. From the
descendants of Prophet Ishmael PBUH, the last Prophet and Messenger of God
and the nation that will bear the standard of the oneness of God will rise till
the Doomsday. In the centre of civilisation, Prophet Abraham PBUH has been
assigned to protect the flame of the oneness of God and is located in
Palestine.”
“Does nobody listen to the prophets now? Nobody stands firm on the
oneness of God? Naima asked.
“You are talking about the oneness of God. Unfortunately, people have gone
so far away from the natural religion that they have distorted even the basic
natural facts. The nation of Prophet Lot PBUH has fallen into the depts of moral
turpitude. Prophet Lot’s PBUH every effort to make them understand has
failed.”
“Are we going to go to the land of the nation of Lot? I have heard they lived
between Israel and Jordan in the area of the Dead Sea. Their land Sodom was
fertile and lush green, with miles and miles of gardens all around.“
“No. I am not taking you there. You will not be able to stand their lewd and
shameless acts. These despicable souls openly indulge in homosexual acts in
their gatherings. So instead, I am taking you to that time when a strange
decision of God Almighty’s plan is being announced.”
“What is that decision?”
“It has been decided to strike the nation of Lot with wrath. For that purpose,
three angels have been sent to Prophet Abraham PBUH.
“If the angels have arrived to destroy the nation of Lot, we should go there as
well. Why have they come to Prophet Abraham PBUH ?”
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“They have come to annihilate the nation of Prophet Lot PBUH. But, along with
that, they will also unveil a miracle. They will congratulate Prophet Abraham
PBUH
, who is ninety-nine years old, for the birth of a child from his wife Lady
Sarah, i.e., the birth of Prophet Isaac PBUH, and from him the birth of Prophet
Jacob PBUH. Prophet Jacob PBUH will have twelve sons, Prophet Joseph PBUH and
his eleven brothers. As per their father’s title, Israel, they will be called
Israelites and give birth to a great nation. This nation will hold the standard of
the oneness of God in the prevalent sea of polytheism.”
Talking about them, they reached the place where Prophet Abraham
lived.
PBUH
===============
It was noon. The blazing sun was toasting just about everything; hot and
oppressive wind ruled the environment. Only a cluster of Chestnut trees
provided refuge from the hostile surroundings. When the hot wind reached
the leafy trees of the Chestnuts, their fruit and leaves, acting as sentries of
the kingdom of this greenery, extracted every bit of heat from it and turned it
into a cool, pleasant breeze. The shade of trees was so dense in this cluster
that it resembled a part of Paradise compared to the sizzling earth all around.
Close to this kingdom of Chestnuts was a tent. It belonged to the crowned
ruler of the spiritual realm, faithful of God Almighty, Muslim and follower,
slave of the Master and his friend, father of the prophets, Prophet Abraham
PBUH
. He was fighting the war for the oneness of God all alone for about a
hundred years. From Iraq to Arabia and Egypt to Syria, there was no corner of
the civilised world where Prophet Abraham PBUH had not called people to
worship the one and only God. Still, he did not get a positive reply from
anywhere.
The tent’s curtain moved, and Prophet Abraham PBUH came out. He looked
around. Loneliness and silence ruled supreme. The voice of a bird, or cattle,
was the only proof of life. His tent was devoid of the most significant sign of
life - voices of children. He had already settled his only son, Ishmael, in the
barren valley of Makkah as ordered by God Almighty so that the house of
God was inhabited even if his own home was ravaged as a result. Having
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become very old, all chances of the barrenness of his home coming to an end
had vanished. The sky had not seen such a huge sacrifice.
Prophet Abraham PBUH looked towards the sky. His eyes, as usual, were full of
thankfulness and love. How could there be any place left in them for
complaining? When he looked down, he saw three strangers standing under
the trees cluster.
Seeing the strangers, Prophet Abraham PBUH said excitedly:
“ Welcome. My Lord has blessed me that these guests have stepped towards
my abode.”
Saying so, he moved forward towards the strangers. He had hardly reached
close when they greeted him from a distance. Prophet Abraham PBUH returned
their greetings and said:
“How can there be a greater blessing of God that today I have been blessed
with your arrival at my home. Please do come in. I will not let you proceed
towards your destination unless you have eaten with me.”
One of the strangers replied smilingly:
“We will also be very pleased to spend time with you.”
Prophet Abraham PBUH brought them in and had them seated. Then he went
inside and asked a servant:
“Slaughter the healthiest calf from the herd for the guests.”
Prophet Abraham’s PBUH wife was also there. He told her:
“Sarah, you supervise the preparation of food for the guests.”
Lady Sarah replied pleasantly:
“You be with the guests, and don’t worry. In a short while, the calf roast will
be presented to you.”
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Satisfied, Prophet Abraham PBUH went out and started talking to the guests
cordially as per his sterling traditions.
Naima and Asr were present there for quite some time, watching the entire
scene quietly. Then, finding it appropriate, she asked Asr:
“Why is the Prophet Abraham PBUH so happy on the arrival of guests?”
“Even though Hospitality has been a tradition of the nobility in every era, but
Prophet Abraham PBUH is known to be extremely generous and hospitable in
this regard. Not only in hospitality, but he also has the best human qualities
in every area. Actually, …”
Asr continued with his explanation:
“I have been taking you to the very last period of the history of prophets. The
reason was to show when the prophets were defied how God interfered and
gave his decision. If you could see the entire lives of the prophets, you would
have found that they possessed the best human qualities. They not only had
family honour and respect, personal character, best manners, and sterling
human qualities but also there is nobody like them. Therefore, before they
announce their prophethood, they are already highly respected and
honoured by society. All those around accept that there is no one like them.
As such, every prophet’s personality and his noble character are the most
significant proofs of his being true, as a person of his character and qualities
can never tell a lie.
They were still engaged in conversation when the servants started bringing
food in platters. In a while, the food was laid. Then, prophet Abraham PBUH
invited the guests:
“Please start. The food is served.”
The three guests kept quiet on his invitation. So, Prophet Abraham PBUH felt
they might hesitate to take the food themselves, or the presence of servants
was hindering them in doing so. As such, he sent the servants away and
started serving the guests.
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The guests still did not respond. Naima felt that Prophet Abraham
had a worried expression. Concerned, he asked them:
PBUH
face
“Your attitude is strange. It is time to eat. You are travellers. Why are you not
eating?”
The time had come for the guests to reveal their identities. So, one of them
said:
“Abraham, please don’t be concerned. We are not human beings. We are
angels sent by your God Almighty, and we are here on an important mission.”
Their words of consolation removed the look of concern from Prophet
Abraham PBUH, but from the last part of their statement, he felt something
was wrong. Keeping that in mind, he said:
“What kind of mission? I am scared of what you have just said.”
“Please don’t be afraid. We have brought good news for you.”
Another angel said that to alleviate his fear. Prophet Abraham
quickly:
PBUH
asked
“Good news?”
The third angel replied:
“We give you the good news of having a scholar son from your wife, lady
Sarah. His name will be Isaac.
Ninety-nine years old Prophet Abraham
Shocked, he said:
PBUH
could not believe his years.
“How can you give me hope for a child in this old age.”
The angels smiled. An angel, looking out at the sky, said meaningfully:
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“Prophet Abraham
Lord.”
PBUH
, please don’t lose hope from the blessings of your
On reassurance of the angels, he spoke in a state of extreme jubilation:
“Only the misled lose hope in God Almighty.”
Lady Sarah, listening to everything standing outside, came in, running, happy
and laughing. She was desperate for a child all her life. Now that she had
heard the good news, it was in her old age. She wanted to confirm the
information herself. Coming in, she said:
How is it possible? My husband is very old, and I have also become old and
barren. So, how am I going to deliver the baby?”
As she entered, the three angels got up and stood to honour her. An angel
said respectfully:
“O’ the family of Abraham, May God’s blessings and prosperity be with you.
We are not only giving you the good news of the birth of Prophet Isaac PBUH
but also of the birth of Jacob from him.”
The husband and wife were overjoyed with the double happiness. They could
not even imagine that God Almighty would shower his bounties on them at
their ages. However, Abraham was Abraham. He came to remember that
those angels were talking about some mission. It meant that something
significant was going to happen somewhere. Due to his deep insight and
knowledge, he could fathom what was to happen, but he still asked the
angels:
“You have not talked about the mission you have come for.”
“We have come to annihilate a criminal nation…. The nation of Lot. Their
rebelliousness has increased a lot.”
Prophet Abraham’s PBUH worst concern had been confirmed. Although he was
fully aware of the misdeeds of Lot’s nation, he had a compassionate
personality. He also knew what the wrath of God implied. He asked the
angels softly:
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“Is it not possible that there are fifty pious persons in that nation, and God
Almighty forgives that nation because of them?”
“Prophet Abraham PBUH, if there were fifty good persons in that nation, God
would have forgiven them.”
“See, I am picking up courage to speak to the Almighty God, even though I
am made of dust and ash. If not fifty, they will probably have forty-five noble
souls. Would the nation be killed because of lack of five persons?”
He got the answer again:
“Even forty-five are not there.”
After that, a dialogue ensued. Prophet Abraham PBUH most humbly requested
forgiveness, reducing the number of pious persons by five each time, and
every time they got the answer that even that many pious persons were not
there. In the end, it was mentioned that there weren’t even ten pious
persons in that nation. The angels departed after that, and Prophet Abraham
PBUH
returned to his tent.
Naima was shocked to see all that. Earlier, she had personally witnessed the
wrath of God on various nations. So, she had an idea about the punishing
power of God Almighty. But she could not imagine a prophet insisting with
the God Almighty to forego the wrath, and that too for a nation so
characterless, with no semblance of good left in them.
Asr could understand Naima’s thoughts. He asked Naima in a strange tone:
“You know the discussion that took place just now, what God Almighty has
termed it as in the Quran?”
“What has it been called?”
“God Almighty says in the Quran that “Prophet Abraham
with me.”
Naima was wonderstruck.
“Quarrel with God Almighty?”
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PBUH
is quarrelling
“Yes. When a human being obliterates himself for his God, God places him on
such a high pedestal of respect and love. However, you humans can never
understand the meaning of this sentence. Either it is known to creations like
us who live in the service of God, or the prophets who have a deep insight
and knowledge of the greatness of God Almighty. After God’s decision,
nobody can dare to insist on forgiveness. Only a friend of God can do so. And
look at that friend as well who has honoured his friend by calling his
insistence a quarrel, even though that friend was calling himself dust and ash.
Asr stopped and then, looking at Naima, said quite sarcastically:
“By now, you have also seen that the civilisations you people champion by
denying God, these prophets of God have the welfare and concern of those
very civilisations in their hearts a thousand-fold more than you.”
“I am fully conscious that I was mistaken when I denied God and delivered
speeches on humanity. Unfortunately, however, even lives of the so-called
believers of God are also bereft of the characteristics of the prophets.”
“Yes, that is the real tragedy, and that is why the purported champions of
religion who are in fact worshippers of the world will be punished twice as
much, firstly for being misled and then again for misleading others.
===============
Naima kept quiet for some time and then said:
“What will happen to the nation of Lot?”
“They will be literally turned into dust and ash.”
“Why don’t we go there with the angels? Let’s go and see what will happen.”
Naima had curiosity and excitement in her tone.
“I will tell you what the nation of Lot will do. Even after that, if you want to
see that despicable nation, I will take you there. These angels will, as boys, go
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to Prophet Lot’s PBUH home as guests. After that, all the lecherous debauches
will encircle his home and demand that they be handed over to them. Not a
single household in the entire settlement will support Prophet Lot PBUH. In
that scenario, it will be impossible for Prophet Lot PBUH to protect those
guests. Then, the angels will tell him that they are not humans, but angels of
wrath.”
“Oh, no. I don’t even want to see such loathsome faces. But how will this
nation be punished?”
“The angels will move Prophet Lot PBUH and his daughters away from the
settlement late at night. In the morning there will be a huge explosion. It will
turn the mountain into stones. Those stones will be carried by the wind and
will rain on the settlement dwellers. Not a single person will be left alive. The
explosion will turn their settlements upside down, and a large part of them
will be buried forever under the Dead Sea.”
“God is great. However, in our era, the despicable act of homosexuality has
been declared legal in the name of freedom of action. People of our era will
find it strange that a nation was meted out such extreme wrath only because
of that.”
“The wrath has not been decided for them because of homosexuality. The
real reason is that there was a prophet of God present amongst them, and,
despite his guidance and instructions, the nation rebelled. But even the crime
of homosexuality is no less severe. It is not only a crime against God, but it is
also a major crime against humanity.”
“How did it become a crime? Maybe the majority may disapprove of it, but
modern and post-modern thinking takes the position that if two persons
decide to live a life of their choice, what is the harm in it? The second point
that they present is that a lot of people are genetically inclined towards it.
For them, it is the natural way of life.”
Naima presented the point of view of the thinkers of her time to get Asr’s
comments. On that, Asr replied tersely.
“Somebody rightly said: there are limits to genius, but no limits to stupidity.
By presenting similar lame excuses, would you allow a person, or persons, to
injure and commit cruelty on others? The Murderers will be allowed to kill
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and thieves allowed to steal on the basis that they are their natural
inclinations.”
“Not at all. But homosexuals don’t hurt others.”
Naima replied. She was not the type to give up easily.
“It is not an act against a person, but the entire humanity. See, what is
humanity? It is the name of a few values. Those values differentiate humans
from animals. One of those fundamental values is the institution of the
family. This institution comes into being through the legitimate relationship
between a man and a woman. It is this very institution where children are
born, and the journey of humanity continues. It nurtures weak and helpless
children into strong youth. Then they, in turn, support and look after the
parents in their old age when they become weak and are not able to do
anything.
Homosexuality destroys the very concept of that institution as the cradle of
birth, training centre and retirement home. Please also remember that all
unnatural deviations spread like a contagious disease, but sexual deviations
entrap the entire society like an epidemic. That is why in every era, the
Messengers of God and societal reformers, in fact, the whole humanity, has
always waged a crusade against It.”
“But I have read that some people have these tendencies in them. So, what
should they do?”
Naima presented another aspect of the problem. Asr replied:
“They should exercise patience and train themselves. See, the greatest
tendency that can happen to any human, especially men of any age, and it
happens frequently, is to establish an illicit sexual relationship with a woman.
But this problem can be rectified through training and impulse control, not by
declaring illicit sexual relationships as a natural tendency and allowing them.
That would also lead to the destruction of the family.”
“You are right. A crime is not only against an individual; it is against society as
well. It is against family and against societal values too. But freedom is also
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something. Would it not be that talking about society and values, we may
crush individual freedom? A lot of oppressive governments use the same
excuse to usurp the rights of human beings.”
Naima had now put forward a new angle of individual freedom.
“You are right. But God Almighty has favoured humanity by deciding which
values are eternal and sacrosanct and those that are not. Our job is to
differentiate between the two. Attributing everything to God and placing
restrictions on human beings is not the way of the prophets. However,
homosexuality is not something that can be allowed based on freedom. It is
the death of society. Just like two persons cannot be permitted to agree,
between themselves, that one gives the right to the other to kill him. Why?
Because nobody can be allowed to trample the sanctity of human life using
individual freedom as an excuse. Similarly, homosexuality is the collective
murder of society; therefore, it cannot be permitted.
Naima nodded in agreement. Asr had blown away the dust of the philosophy
of Post-Modernism through his logical reasoning.
===============
158
Chapter 10
THREE INJUSTICES
“Where do we go now?”
Naima asked as a preamble to a new journey.
“We are entering the last phase of our journey. we will now go to the era of
Israelites, Pharaoh and their Prophet Moses PBUH.”
Asr explained.
“Oh really? Am I going to meet Prophet Moses PBUH?
Naima, who had never taken any prophet seriously throughout her life, was
enthused on hearing the name of Prophet Moses PBUH. Perhaps the main
reason for her enthusiasm was that her grandpa often narrated the incident
of Prophet Moses PBUH and Pharaoh when she was small.
“No. You will not meet anybody. However, you will see and hear them. But
you can meet every prophet and messenger in Paradise. But you don’t even
believe in Paradise and Hell. Do you believe in God even?”
Asr asked Naima, laughing.
Naima remained quiet for a while and then replied:
“I have started believing in God now.”
“It is not enough to just believe in God. It is important to be his servant as
well. But being his servant is neither a game nor is it easy. It is selling your life
without seeing who you are selling it to. In this sale, you pay cash without
seeing what you have bought, with the delivery much later. Can you do
that?”
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“I will. I will surely do it now.” Replied Naima.
“Think about it. You can be severely tested because you have seen half the
truth with your own eyes.”
Asr replied.
Naima kept quiet. Her lips were pursed and her face glowed. Her intentions
had not transformed into words, but her face mirrored the flame in her
heart.
“I think you will do it because you have a strong character. People with
strong characters do it using their minds’ eyes, while characterless don’t do it
even after seeing it with the eyes in their heads. So, I hope you will be able to
do it, even though your test will be severe.”
There was silence for a while. Then Naima, thinking about something, broke
it:
“A little earlier, you said our journey was about to end, but my second
question is yet to be answered.”
Asr smiled and said:
“Yes. Your second question was, why God creates deprivations and why does
he allow bad things to happen to good people and good things to bad.”
“Exactly. That was my question.”
“The answer to your question is also there in the era of Israelites and Prophet
Moses PBUH. So, let’s start from there. We will first find the answer to your
question, and after that, we will see God’s punishment and reward that has
left not only a trace but that nation is also present in your era as its living
proof. Let’s go. As we begin this journey, let me make you meet a chosen
servant of God.”
Saying that Asr held Naima’s hand. Once again, the distance of centuries,
flashing through months and years, was covered in a few steps. As the scene
came to a still, Naima saw that they stood on the bank of a wide river.
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“What place is it?” Naima asked Asr.
“It is the river Nile,” Asr replied, and then pointing in a direction, said:
See, from there, another stream is flowing in our direction. The two streams
meet and become one where we stand.”
Naima, previously looking in one direction only, looked at the other side as
pointed out by Asr. It was a vast river. Another river was flowing from a
different direction and was joining the first. A couple of boats were moored
on a riverbank. Boatmen were announcing the route and names of places the
boat was to pass through. Those who wanted to go to those places were
boarding the boat. The boat was still not full since there were few travellers.
When Naima finished looking around, Asr said:
“Prophet Moses PBUH will arrive shortly. Let me explain why we have come
here to answer your second question. This is the era of Pharaoh. He is a
mighty and cruel ruler. Do not think that Egypt is a superpower and Pharaoh
is the head of a superpower like the superpowers of your time, as there is no
comparison. He is so powerful that you cannot even imagine it. We have
come here in the era when God Almighty has blessed the inhabitants of Egypt
by sending his exalted Messenger Moses PBUH as Prophet. It is the early period
of his prophethood. He has visited the court of Pharaoh and has invited him
to become a believer of God Almighty, which Pharaoh has rejected. Prophet
Moses PBUH has also demanded that he let the Israelites go with him.”
“Israelites are descendants of Prophet Abraham’s
and his son Prophet Jacob PBUH. Isn’t it?”
PBUH
son Prophet Isaac PBUH
Naima said, displaying her knowledge.
“Yes, they are the nation of Prophet Moses PBUH, whereas Pharaoh is Coptic,
the largest group here. The Israelites came here during the time of Prophet
Joseph PBUH, son of Prophet Jacob PBUH who had become the ruler of Egypt.
Their numbers gradually grew, and they became a large nation. At that, the
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Coptic tribes felt threatened and made all Israelites their slaves. They use
them as labourers and treat them quite harshly.”
“And there is no one to stop their cruelty?”
Asr was quiet for a moment and then spoke, with a sad smile:
“Naima, you do not know where you stand. A while ago, Pharaoh ordered
that all male babies born in the Israelite families be murdered. Only newborn
girls are left alive. A similar order was given at the time of birth of Prophet
Moses PBUH. You have no idea that God Almighty has blessed you so much by
bringing you into the world in an era that has such comfort and justice. Do
you know that if you were visible to people right now and were not protected
by someone powerful, anybody would have enslaved a pretty girl like you.
Destined to please your masters as a slave girl, you would have been sold
from place to place all your life.
“Is that what has always been happening?” Naima asked.
“Yes. Whenever people became disobedient to God, casting aside the
teachings of his messengers, devils imposed themselves upon them as a
result. A dark night of cruelty and oppression ensued due to that. “
Naima winced, imagining that scenario. Asr continued:
“The nation of Prophet Moses PBUH is suffering through a similar era of cruelty
and oppression. The young of his nation are also thinking like you; why the
God Almighty does not stop Pharaoh. They are asking the same questions
from Prophet Moses PBUH that you have been asking; why are the innocent
being killed? Why are the oppressed Israelites being crushed further? What is
God Almighty’s wisdom in that?
“So, what did Prophet Moses PBUH reply to them?”
“He has prayed to God Almighty to bless him with a reply. As such, God has
sent Prophet Moses PBUH on this journey. Here, God Almighty has made him
meet his special servant, Revered Khidr PBUH. Prophet Moses PBUH is about to
reach here along with Revered Khidr PBUH. In this journey, Khidr PBUH is going to
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show Prophet Moses PBUH that the apparently cruel and unjust acts about
matters ordered by God Almighty are based on the deep and infinite
wisdom.”
===============
Asr had stopped talking. Naima looked at the boat. It was almost full, with
only a few spaces vacant. While it looked like she was engrossed in that
scene, her mind was preoccupied with what Asr had said. She was thanking
God in her heart that she was born in a very easy-to-live era. At the age she
was currently in, people travelled very long distances on foot. The only ride
available was animals, and it was tiring. In any case, they could not be
compared to the fast vehicles, buses, trains and airplanes of her time.
Naima looked around and thought:
“How did people survive without doctors and hospitals? How did they face
the bitter cold and extreme heat?”
Then she thought. That is why the population of human beings was so little in
every era. It was never more than a few hundred million, whereas today the
human population has reached billions.
She was lost in those thoughts when Asr drew her attention towards two
persons coming from a distance, and said:
“Here they come, our revered elders. Prophet Moses
PBUH
.
===============
PBUH
and Revered Khidr
Naima saw the two coming from a distance. Asr introduced them:
“The elderly person is Revered Khidr PBUH. He is not a human being. However,
just like I have come to you in a human form, he has also appeared as a
human being for the convenience of Prophet Moses PBUH. The other middleaged person coming with him is Prophet Moses PBUH.”
Naima looked at them. Prophet Moses PBUH was tall and handsome, whereas
Revered Khidr PBUH, who was in the form of an older person, had a unique
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luminescent face. Both walked to the boat and boarded it. Asr held Naima’s
hand and they sat close to them. When they had settled, the oarsmen cast
off the anchor line and took their positions to start rowing. In a while, the
boat was on the way. Naima wanted to ask something, but they were sitting
close
to the two elders and she feared they might hear her. She looked at them
and
then at Asr from time to time. Asr figured out her dilemma and said:
“don’t worry. Nobody can see us as we are present in a past event. We are
neither present here physically nor can we change anything. Rest assured
nobody will listen to our conversation. It is like a video film of your time; we
have somehow become a part of it rather than watching it from outside.”
In the meantime, Revered Khidr PBUH placed his hand on a plank under his
feet. As soon as he did that, the plank came out, leaving a hole. Water started
rushing in. Seeing that, the passengers panicked and screamed. The oarsmen
were worried as well. They tried to turn the boat towards the bank quickly.
Naima was quite worried too. She clung to Asr’s arm. Seeing her scared, Asr
said:
“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to us.”
“Oh wow. Nothing will happen to us, but the others will drown. Do
something.”
Naima shouted worriedly. Her face depicted panic.
“Silly girl, see who are we with.”
“On being warned by Asr, she looked at Prophet Moses PBUH and Revered
Khidr PBUH. Unlike others, they sat calmly. However, Prophet Moses PBUH was
looking at Revered Khidr PBUH time and again, displeased. It was apparent that
he had not liked what Revered Khidr PBUH had done.
The water was rushing in the boat and filling it quickly. The oarsmen were
working hard to take the boat to the bank. Some passengers were trying to
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fill the hole with their luggage. The boat had not gone far, and after some
struggle, they succeeded in reaching the bank. The people, happy that their
lives were saved, started disembarking quickly. In the end, Prophet Moses
PBUH
and Revered Khidr PBUH also got down as well. Asr and Naima also went
after them. As soon as they were down, Prophet Moses PBUH said to Revered
Khidr PBUH:
“Did you do it to drown its people? you have done a terrible act.”
Revered Khidr PBUH said softly:
“Didn’t I tell you that you can never bear with me patiently?”
He replied:
“Please do not hold me accountable for what I forgot, and do not deal with
me sternly.”
They went ahead while talking. Naima looked back. The oarsmen who owned
the boat were crying. They had lost their income for that day and also for the
next many days until the boat was repaired. They looked poor and unkempt.
Seeing their situation, Naima felt Prophet Moses PBUH was quite correct in his
observation.
She said to Asr:
“The objection of Prophet Moses PBUH was valid. See, how many lives were in
danger. They were saved somehow, but what about the poor oarsmen? They
have lost their livelihood. Nobody paid them the fare, and cost of repair of
the boat is in addition to that loss.”
“You heard Revered Khidr’s PBUH reply?
“I didn’t quite understand what he was talking about.”
“When they met, Revered Khidr PBUH had emphatically told Prophet Moses
PBUH
that even though he was accompanying him, he would not be able to
bear what he would do. And how could he when he wouldn’t know the
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details of the matter? Prophet Moses PBUH had promised that he would, God
willing, be patient and would not disobey him in any way. Revered Khidr PBUH
had put a condition at that time that Prophet Moses PBUH would not ask him
anything about any of his actions unless he spoke to him about them.
On hearing the details from Asr, Naima said:
“Oh, so that is why Prophet Moses PBUH had asked him not to hold him
punishable for what he had forgotten. His objection was otherwise valid.
However, since he had already been asked to be quiet and had also agreed to
it, Revered Khidr PBUH had said that.”
“Yes, you have understood it correctly.” Asr replied.
===============
While Naima and Asr were talking, the two elders had gone quite far. Asr
held Naima’s hand and said:
“Let’s go. We have to get close. A significant incident is about to take place
now.”
He moved forward quickly. Naima was with him. The two elders were walking
along the river bank. they reached near them soon. On getting close, they
saw that an innocent child was playing on the bank. There was no one
around. Perhaps he was from one of the nearby settlements. While Naima
was trying to understand the situation, Revered Khidr PBUH went ahead and
pushed the child, who lost his balance and fell in the water. Prophet Moses
PBUH
was shocked to see that. The same was Naima’s condition. Prophet
Moses PBUH was a Messenger of God and knew who Revered Khidr PBUH was,
but Naima was an ordinary girl. She screamed frantically and ran to try and
save the child, but Asr held her arm and stopped her.
“Don’t be mad. You can’t do anything. You are only a spectator, nothing
else.”
Prophet Moses PBUH was perplexed too. He could not do anything practically,
but the murder of a human, and that too of a child, was no trivial matter.
Exasperated, he spoke to Revered Khidr PBUH:
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“You killed an innocent soul while he had not killed anyone? You have
committed a heinous act indeed.”
Revered Khidr PBUH gave him the same reply:
“Didn’t I tell you that you can never bear with me patiently?”
Prophet Moses PBUH realised that the matter did not pertain to Revered Khidr
PBUH
but God. As such, he said:
“If I ask you anything after this, you may not keep me with you. You have a
valid reason from me now to do so as well.”
After that exchange, they proceeded. However, Naima was still in shock. She
released her hand from Asr, came to the river bank and started looking at the
spot where the child had drowned. There was nothing there. She sat down
and started crying. She could not fathom why was the child pushed in water?
Removal of plank from the boat was a minor issue compared to that. She was
shocked at that event too, but now an innocent child had been killed without
any reason. And that had been done by a person who she was told was sent
by God.
Asr came and sat with her. He kept quiet and watched her crying. Finally,
when her sobbing lessened, she looked up and said:
“What was the crime of that innocent child?’
“I know your anguish, but Naima, you forget that secrets of the universe are
being unveiled to you. Have a heart and follow the prophet. That is the right
way. Have faith that God Almighty does not
not inflict cruelty even as much as a mustard seed on his servants.”
Naima nodded, but the truth was that she was not satisfied in her heart at all.
However, what could she do? She asked Asr?
“Where do we have to go now?”
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“To a settlement, the two elders have gone there. So, let’s go to them.”
===============
Prophet Moses PBUH and Revered Khidr PBUH walked into the colony. Naima
and Asr followed them. It was afternoon. Passing through the market, they
saw people having lunch. Revered Khidr PBUH went to a food seller and told
him they were two travellers. They had exhausted what they had brought for
the journey, and they wanted to eat. The food seller shooed them off while
Prophet Moses PBUH watched the scene quietly. Revered Khidr PBUH went to
several others shops as well. Everywhere he was refused food. After exiting
the market, they found a few houses on the way, knocked on their doors and
asked for food too. But It looked like the inhabitants of that colony had no
place for mercy, human sympathy, caring for the travellers and courtesy. Not
a single person gave them food.
Finally, walking all the way, they reached the end of the settlement. There
was a semi-solid house whose one wall was about to fall. Here, Revered Khidr
PBUH
stopped but did not knock on the door for food. Instead, he placed his
hand on the wall. The wall, bent to one side and about to fall, surprisingly
became straight and stronger than before.
Naima was surprised to see what was happening. Prophet Moses
watched too. Seeing the wall straightened, he asked Revered Khidr PBUH:
PBUH
“You asked so many people for food. Nobody listened to you. Had you
wanted, you could have got food from the residents of this house as wages
for repairing the wall.”
On hearing that, Revered Khidr PBUH replied:
“We part ways from here. I will now explain to you the reality of things about
which you could not remain patient. The boat whose plank I broke belonged
to some poor persons who worked at sea for a living. They did not know that
a king was collecting boats for his army where they were going. Had the boat
reached there he would have snatched their sole means of livelihood from
them. They will repair their boat in a couple of days and start working again.
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Had the accident not taken place today, they would have completely lost the
boat.
As for the boy, his parents were believers. I apprehended that when he grew
up, he would bother his parents a lot. He will indulge in polytheism and
infidelity, bad company, develop loose morals and make the lives of his
parents miserable. I wished their Lord gave them a son better than him in
manners and someone his parents would have a higher expectation of
looking after them.
As for the wall, the house is owned by two boys. It belonged to their father.
After his death, they moved to a relative in the city. They did not know that
their father had buried a treasure for them under that wall. Had the wall
fallen, the treasure would have been exposed and taken by someone else.
God Almighty wanted the two boys to grow up and live in this house. After
that, they would find the treasure.
Whatever I did in your presence today was not on my own accord. The
apparent injustice you saw was actually a sign of God’s blessing. This is the
reality of things you could not remain patient about.”
===============
Naima sat under a tree, confused and perplexed. Asr was with her. She had
become reticent after Revered Khidr’s PBUH explanation. The two elders had
left. However, Naima felt that they did not have to go with them. She was
quiet for a long time. At last, Asr broke the silence:
“You have got the reply to your second question too. It happens frequently in
this world that apparently bad things happen to good people, while
apparently good things happen to the bad. No human being is behind it. It
happens with God’s intent and power. That gives rise to the question such as
yours. But, Naima, remember, God’s total affection is for his noble servants.
He is always with the poor. You have seen it in these instances.
After a pause, he spoke again:
In reality, God helps people through such incidents, but people complain to
him about them. They become doubtful and utter words that could render
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them disbelievers. But praise the highest tolerance of God Almighty that
despite that, he continues to reward them with his blessings and bounties.”
“But is it not possible to adopt an easier way? For example, the boat was not
broken, or the child would not have been killed; rather, he was transformed
into a good person?”
“See, only one angle of God’s wisdom has been revealed. Who knows how
many such angles will be made known on the Day of Judgement? Please
understand that the world is a place for a test. If it is a test of thankfulness, it
is also a test for patience. For the oarsmen and parents of the child, it was a
test of patience. As reward for the same, you can’t even imagine the high
pedestals and rewards that will be bestowed upon them. A human being
cannot attain high stature in any way other than what he does through his
patience. As such, when an unforeseen mishap strikes, one should exercise
patience with the firm belief that there must be something good in it, and he
will receive countless rewards in return.
Similarly, when God Almighty does something good to a bad person, in fact,
he is doing good to his noble followers. As a supplementary benefit, the bad
also benefit from it temporarily.”
Naima had understood the logic. Thinking that the time was right, at last she
asked the question that had bothered her like a thorn in the side from her
childhood:
“My father died while I was a child. What was the benefit in it? I was devoid
of a father’s affection. My mother spent all her life as a widow; we were
financially strapped. What good was in it for us?”
Asr replied:
“I have been permitted to tell you about the good for you in all those
happenings. With God Almighty’s will, when a person is born, he has to leave
the world sooner or later. As per that principle, your father died. The benefit
you got is much more than the loss you suffered due to his death. Had your
father lived, maybe, he would have made a lot of money and would have
died after indulging in sins. The most significant point is that you would not
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have been what you are today. Abundance of wealth hardens a person’s
heart. You are beautiful and educated. Due to your father’s wealth, you
would have become rich as well. After that, you would have become
stonehearted. You would have never helped the poor. Rather, like the
residents of the settlement we have visited, you would have been deprived
of an ordinary quality like feeding the travellers. Having become insensitive,
you would have never looked for the truth. You would not have been sitting
with me today, and would not have witnessed these events. The result was
obvious. You would
have been condemned to Hellfire for your sins.”
Naima did not reply. She was bright and understood well what Asr had said
was true. If there were no hardships in life, her heart would have never been
soft. Had she not experienced deprivations, her personality would have been
groomed differently. Lost in those thoughts, she heard Asr:
“Yes, an important thing about hardships is that not every hardship comes
from God. Of course, you, humans, are responsible for many of them too, but
you attribute it to God.
“for example?” Naima asked questioningly.
“For example, you attribute sickness to God. But if you think about it, a lot of
diseases are because of wrong diet, wrong lifestyle and unbalanced daily
routines. The world has not been made so that you continue to do things
wrongly, and God Almighty continues to rectify them despite your
negligence. He does it often, though, without bringing it to your knowledge.
But sometimes, to bring you to your senses, he lets you face the
consequences of your mistakes on the individual and collective level.”
“Yes, your point is valid and vital as well. We, humans, have perhaps become
used to attributing everything to God Almighty. We do not correct our
individual and collective attitudes. Anyway, where do we go now, to the
Pharaoh?”
Naima smiled and asked.
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“Yes, these are the last stages of our journey. Nobody was taken on such a
journey before you, nor would anybody be privileged after you. It is an
observational tour of the greatest truth of the universe, that is, the existence
of God Almighty as well as confirmation of the Day of Judgement. During this
journey, through punishment and reward of nations of the prophets, God
Almighty is showing you the truth that God and the Day of Judgement are
incontrovertible truths.”
“But for humanity, they are events from the past.”
Naima commented, and Asr replied to it:
“Apparently they are. but in reality, they are an introduction to a great truth
and a clear proof of it as well. From the introduction to proof, it will become
increasingly clear in the narration of those nations. God Almighty has
selected those nations using his perfect and infinite wisdom. First, I took you
to the nations of Prophet Noah PBUH and Aad where you saw how God
Almighty punishes the disobedient in the world and saves the believers.”
“However, in our era, only the names of those nations are known. A lot of
people don’t even know their names.”
“You had raised this objection earlier as well that due to the prolonged time
gap, only the stories of those nations have survived. That is why in the second
stage, we visited the nations of Lot and Thamud. That was the stage of the
move from introduction to proof. In that second stage, those two nations
went through punishment and reward and their lands and archaeological
ruins are also present in your time. Those ruins prove that God is an immortal
entity. He interferes in matters of the world from time to time. By doing so,
he provides proof of his existence and of the punishment and reward of the
Day of Judgement to humanity.”
“And now we are in the era of the Pharaoh?”
Yes, it is the third stage of the move from introduction to proof. In this stage,
we will now witness the saga of punishment and reward in the era of Prophet
Moses PBUH. Not only the narrative and archaeological ruins of that nation are
present, but also their remains. That nation and its religious books and
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history are also available to narrate the punishment and reward meted out to
them. So, the provision of proof has progressed from narration to ruins and
from ruins to the religious history of an entire nation. Pharaoh’s nation, the
Egyptians, are still present in your era. The nation of Prophet Moses PBUH, the
Israelites, are also present. Egyptians’ ruins and history, religious books, and
narration of the incidents with Prophet Moses PBUH are also there.”
“And the nation of Prophet Jethro PBUH, he has been mentioned in detail in
the Quran. Why didn’t we go there?”
Naima asked a question about another page of the epic.
“It is a part of phase two of the narrative of nations of Thamud and Lot. They
were descendants of Prophet Abraham PBUH. Their crimes were polytheism,
adulteration in food products and measuring and weighing less than they
should have. Prophet Jethro PBUH (Shuaib) tried hard to reform them, but to
no avail; hence they were annihilated. I did not take you there since you have
already seen the punishments for polytheism and disobedience of prophets.
As far as adulteration in food products and measuring and weighing less are
concerned, your own nation is quite advanced in them. In your part of the
world, neither pure food nor pure medicines are available. So why do you
need to see the nation of Prophet Jethro PBUH?”
Naima did not have an answer to that eye-opening comment.
“The condition of your nation will not change until you stop following the
example of the nation of Jethro. Their measuring and weighing tools were
different for receiving and giving out. That is the dilemma of your nation from
top to bottom. Anyway, we are now going towards remnants of the nation of
Prophet Jethro PBUH. When the wrath struck them, those who believed him
were saved. But what had happened earlier happened again. Their
descendants became victims of moral bankruptcy. One of their tribes was
settled in Madain in the era of Prophet Moses PBUH. We are going there.
===============
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Chapter 11
PRICE OF TRUTH
Naima and Asr stood near an Oasis. In a desert, where there is a water well,
greenery and trees, birds and humans inhabit there. The same was the
situation here. The water well was the centre of life. A group of shepherds
had gathered there. They were fetching water from the well, making their
flocks drink it, and chatted amongst themselves.
At a distance, two girls stood with their flock. The animals bleated for water,
but the girls were not letting them move towards the well. The reason was
apparent. Neither were they strong like men, nor their modesty allowed
them to push their way through the crowd and make their flock drink. The
men did not have enough courtesy or chivalry to let the girls feed their
animals first.
“You saw that?” Asr asked Naima.
“Yeah. I am watching. The strong are the same in every era.”
“But you should also know that in every age, there are people of a different
kind as well.”
Asr pointed in a direction. Naima looked and saw a person approaching from
the desert. His hair and beard were covered with dust and sand; his face
showed signs of an arduous journey. He limped a bit too. As he came closer,
Naima felt that his limp was due to the boils on his feet.
“He is Prophet Moses PBUH.
As Asr said that, Naima looked at him intently. She had seen Prophet Moses
PBUH
a little while ago. He was much younger then. However, his features
were the same. When she saw him in that condition, she asked:
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“How did he change in to this condition? He was a prince of Egypt in his early
life.”
“Wait a bit. I will tell you about his episode.”
Prophet Moses PBUH, making his way through the crowd, went straight to the
well. A good-sized bucket hung there. Two or three persons were required to
fill and pull it out. Seeing Prophet Moses PBUH approach, people stopped. He
calmly got hold of the bucket, lowered it in the well and pulled it out all by
himself. He poured the water into the trough being used by the animals to
drink water, saved some of it, washed his face and feet, drank from it, and
moved away from the crowd.
The shepherds were watching him, surprised. Firstly, how he pulled the
bucket full of water from the well was not a feat for anyone else. Secondly,
after washing, his groomed and distinguished personality became apparent.
Finally, he was wearing an Egyptian dress, and Egyptians were the
superpower of those times. All those factors highly impressed the people
around.
When Prophet Moses PBUH came out of the crowd, he saw the two girls and
their thirsty flock. He approached them and asked:
“Why are you not giving water to these innocent animals?”
The older of the two girls replied sadly:
“We cannot give them water unless those shepherds move away.”
“Do you not have a male in the family?” Prophet Moses PBUH inquired, looking
at the shepherds. The younger girl replied this time:
“Our father is very old, and we don’t have a brother.”
While saying that she looked pleadingly at Prophet Moses PBUH. It was as if her
eyes were saying “If we had a brother like you, we wouldn’t have to stand
here.”
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Prophet Moses PBUH listened to them and, taking their flock with him, started
for the well. Seeing him approach, the shepherds took a step back and gave
him way. Calmly, he made the animals drink and returned them to the girls.
The girls happily returned to their home, and Prophet Moses PBUH sat under a
tree. Naima noticed that his eyes were closed, and he was murmuring
something.
“What is he saying?” Naima asked Asr.
“He is praying to God: “My lord, I need whatever good you may send down to
me.”
Laughing, he pointed in a direction and said:
“How quickly has the Lord listened to the prayer of his servant. See, a
bouquet of all things good, Zipporah (Safoorah) is coming to him herself.”
Naima saw that the older of the two girls were walking hesitatingly, shyly
towards him. Naima came to know from Asr’s words that her name was
Zipporah. Yet, she wanted an explanation for it. She asked Asr:
“How has Zipporah become a bouquet of all things good?”
“food and water, a place to live and a loving wife, God Almighty has decided
to bestow all these blessings on Prophet Moses PBUH in the form of Zipporah.”
“So, would they be married?”
Naima asked interestingly. Her female instinct had awakened, and in
Zipporah, she could visualise the bride of Prophet Moses PBUH.
“Yes, this modest and shy girl will become the wife of the most exalted
prophet and the leader of his nation.”
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Zipporah came close to Prophet Moses PBUH and stopped. Hearing her steps,
Prophet Moses PBUH opened his eyes. On seeing Zipporah, he looked down.
Hesitatingly, Zipporah said:
“My father invites you to compensate you for having watered our flock.”
Prophet Moses PBUH thought for a moment. Had he wanted, he could have
asked for help when he had helped them, and they would indeed have, but
his gentle nature did not allow him to help someone and seek anything in
return. He had asked for help from his Master. It had become clear to him
that God Almighty had sent the girl, and to say ‘no’ to her would be
ingratitude. As such, he got up quietly.
===============
Prophet Moses PBUH and Zipporah left to meet her father. Naima was left
standing with Asr. She asked:
“How did Prophet Moses PBUH get to this stage?”
“You know that when Prophet Moses PBUH was born, The Pharaoh of the time
had issued an order that all male newborns of the Israelites be killed. Prophet
Moses’s PBUH mother was worried for her son. But through the guidance of
God Almighty, she put him in a basket and left it in the river Nile. God’s
providence directed it to the Pharaoh’s queen, Revered Asiya. So, she took
him out of the river and made him her son.”
“God saved his life in a surprising way.” Naima said.”
“God not only saved his life, he returned him to his mother as well.”
“How so?”
“Prophet Moses PBUH refused to take milk from the wet nurse appointed for
him. Prophet Moses’s PBUH elder sister, who had walked, following the basket,
and knew that her brother was with the queen, told the people from the
palace about her mother. As a result, when Prophet Moses PBUH was taken to
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her, he drank the milk easily. Seeing that, the queen appointed her as wetnurse and handed him to her.”
“Then why did he leave Egypt?”
“Prophet Moses PBUH was an Egyptian prince as well as an Israelite through his
relation to his mother. As such, he used to help Israelites. When he grew up,
a Jew quarrelled with an Egyptian. The Egyptian started beating him up. As
Prophet Moses PBUH was passing by, the Jew sought his help. When Prophet
Moses PBUH tried to help him, the Egyptian attacked him. Prophet Moses PBUH
punched him, and he died.”
“Oh, so that is why the Egyptians became his enemy.” Said Naima.
“Yes, but it remained a secret that day as to who had committed the murder.
Prophet Moses PBUH earnestly sought God Almighty’s forgiveness for his act.
The next day, he passed by the same way again and saw the same Israelite
quarrelling with another Egyptian. Seeing him, the Jew sought his help again.
This time, Prophet Moses PBUH was sure that the Jew was mischievous and
fought with others daily. However, since he was being thrashed, Prophet
Moses PBUH went ahead to save him, but said:” You are so misled.”
Having heard that, the Jew thought he was the one to be punched that day
and he would die. Since he was mischievous, he shouted:
“Moses, just like you had killed an Egyptian yesterday, you want to kill me
today.”
So, the mystery of the murder a day earlier was unveiled, leading to a
number of conspiracies against him in the Pharaoh’s Court. His sympathisers
in the palace apprised him about them and suggested that he leave Egypt at
the earliest. After that, he crossed the Sinai desert all by himself and went to
Madain.
“Now I know why he undertook such a long journey alone.”
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“Yes, and now please understand why I am explaining it to you. Remember,
God Almighty never leaves his righteous servants helpless. You saw the
character of Prophet Moses PBUH how he helped the girls who were strangers.
He took no liberty with them, nor did he ask for payment even though he was
greatly in need at that time. Due to the same spirit of sympathy for humans,
he had saved the life of the Jew who had unveiled his secret later and put
him in serious trouble. Instead of seeking revenge, he left the country,
crossed the desert and went to Madain.”
“What a great character.” Naima commented.
“Naima, to identify people of such exemplary character and conduct, God
Almighty has created this entire system of the world. He created human
beings, gave them the choice and intent, and then placed himself behind the
veil of the unseen. There are human desires and interests on one side and
the nature of man and guidance of conscience on the other. Some people,
like those shepherds, are devoid of nobility and sympathy. Some adopt an
attitude of cruelty, like Pharaoh and his accomplices. But some adopt
modesty and patience like Revered Zipporah, while others, like Prophet
Moses PBUH, display the best human character traits in the face of extreme
adversities. They are the ones loved by God, and he will bestow upon them a
permanent place in Paradise, in his neighbourhood, whereas the cruel and
the tyrants will be thrown in Hellfire.”
“But the life becomes so difficult as a result of this God Almighty’s scheme.”
“But the best cannot be chosen without it. If God Almighty had done so
himself through his infinite knowledge, every criminal destined for Hell would
have protested that he was being punished unjustly. However, on the
Doomsday, everyone will be selected for Paradise and Hell on merit.”
“But Asr, this God’s scheme is not known to most human beings.” Naima
commented.
“See, if this scheme is known to human beings, it will be great as the matter
will be clear to all. However, even if it does not, it will practically have no
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impact on the actions of human beings because their actions are based on
the concepts of vice and virtue and punishment and reward, and those
elements are inherent in the psyche of every human being.”
Asr paused, and then continued again.”
“this point is vital; please understand it well. God has created every human
being with basic guidance inherent in him. Human beings are aware of vice
and virtue, and good and bad. For example, every human being knows that it
is good to speak the truth and it is bad to lie. The life and property of others
should be respected. Similarly, human beings know that the good and bad
should be rewarded or punished. After all, based on the same principle, they
have established their justice, law, and benefits and rewards systems. Human
beings run their entire systems on these principles. God Almighty will also
award his punishment and rewards as per the very same principles.”
“Your point is entirely valid. I had mistakenly assumed that it was important
for the prophets’ guidance to reach all human beings.”
Naima clarified.
“No, it is not necessary at all. However, through prophets and other means,
God Almighty provides additional guidance to human beings. Those who
value this guidance, their actions get better, and so do their rewards. Those
who reject that guidance, their hearts are hardened all the more.”
“I will now show you how people accept the truth immediately and pay any
price to stick to it, and also the kind of people who see all the signs but
persist in their misguided ways.”
===============
The atmosphere of celebrations was in the air. A large crowd had gathered in
an open ground. It was morning and the sun was out in its full glory.
However, it was not warm enough to bother the people present there. In a
corner, the Pharaoh’s court was set up with all its grandeur. River Nile flowed
in the background. Pharaoh’s courtiers and soldiers were in place. All around,
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a large number of local Copts were present. On the other side of the ground,
the Israelites were present. Their numbers were substantial, but after
centuries of slavery, cruelty and hardships suffered through their rulers, they
appeared to be in a pathetic condition.
Standing with Asr, Naima was quietly observing the environment around
them. Suddenly, there was a movement in the Israelites. Two persons,
making way through the crowd, came and stood in front. Naima recognised
one of them easily. He was Prophet Moses PBUH. He held a staff in his hand.
Asr introduced the person standing next to him:
“The distinguished person standing next to Prophet Moses PBUH is Prophet
Aaron PBUH. When God Almighty ordained Prophet Moses PBUH as his prophet,
he requested him to make Prophet Aaron PBUH his helper. Accordingly, he was
also ordained as a prophet.”
“When was Prophet Moses PBUH made a prophet?” Naima inquired.
“He stayed in Madain for ten years. Then, while returning to Egypt with his
wife Revered Zipporah, in the foot of Mount Sinai, God Almighty honoured
him by addressing him and ordained upon him the prophethood.”
“What happened then?” Naima asked.
“They went to Pharaoh’s court and gave him the God’s message. Pharaoh,
however, did not listen to him at all. So, after that, to prove that he was a
true prophet, Prophet Moses PBUH showed him the miracles bestowed upon
him as signs of his prophethood.”
“The miracle of his staff becoming a python?”
“Yes, the miracle of his staff becoming a python and the second miracle of his
hand becoming illuminated. However, Pharaoh, even though scared seeing
the miracles, did not accept their truth. Instead, he claimed that it was magic
and such magic could be easily shown by the magicians living all around his
kingdom. As such, he challenged that today, the day of celebrations for the
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Egyptians, he will gather magicians from all over the country to face the
magic of Prophet Moses PBUH.”
Asr had hardly finished when a roar arose from the Copts. Pharaoh came out
of his palace with his troops and moved towards his court. From his features
he looked like a cruel tyrant. He was stiff-necked and his eyes reflected his
might. Walking haughtily, he sat on the royal throne.
On assuming his seat, he gestured, and a group of top magicians presented
themselves. Pharaoh addressed them:
“You know how great our nation is. How mighty we are. The Israelites are our
slaves. They live and die as we wish, but now a man has been born amongst
them who wants to take over our country. For that, he has learnt magic as a
weapon. However, just like they cannot win in strength and power, we want
to defeat them in the great power of magic as well. Would do you it for us?”
One of the magicians came forward as representative of his group and
submitted:
“Why not, great Pharaoh. How can this novice face us? To defeat him is no
big task. But what will be our reward for that?”
The magician was confident of his success. He was most interested in using
that occasion for a considerable reward, as it had become a matter of
Pharaoh’s ego. On hearing him, Pharaoh said happily:
“We will give you a place in our close circle. The honour of the royal court,
wealth and the best women of the nation will be rewarded to you.”
While a wave of jubilation went through magicians, Coptic Egyptians were
also enthused and raised slogans of Pharaoh’s greatness. The Israelites
stayed in their places, scared of what was to happen to them.
Naima thought the competition was about to begin, but another show
started. Pharaoh ordered that the magicians to be seated near him. He had
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arranged to show them a glimpse of the rewards they were to get. Pretty
female dancers appeared on his signal and started dancing to the tune being
played.
The dancers were at the zenith of their art. Their bodies were electrified, the
dance movements exciting. Dancing with the music, they sometimes bowed
like flexible tree branches and then straightened stiffly like the cords of a
musical instrument. Their hands, feet, heads and bodies moved so beautifully
and effortlessly synchronised with the music that it looked like the musicians
were transferring their movements into the sounds of their instruments.
Those young and beautiful dancers were holding the revelry loving courtiers
and others present mesmerised with their moves.
Naima was not interested in their dance. Instead, she spoke to Asr warily:
“I don’t understand why the Pharaoh has decided to have a contest of
magicians. Could he not take action against Prophet Moses PBUH directly?”
“You are unaware of Prophet Moses’s PBUH position at that time. I had already
told you that the order to kill all male newborns of Israelites was in effect
when he was born. However, look at the magnificence of the Lord; he saved
him and had him brought up in the royal palace as a prince. The Copts know
him well through his association with the royal palace and that he is a
fearless, exemplary person of outstanding nature. He cannot tell a lie. As
such, the Pharaoh wants to tarnish moral standing through a defeat and then
take action against him.
Pharaoh is concerned about a rebellion from the Israelites. Prophet Moses
PBUH
has a large circle of admirers in the court and palace who are likely to
oppose any step against him without a reason. However, the greatest force
to negate Pharaoh’s moves is the tremendous help from God Almighty for
him. Therefore, God Almighty has given him such a miracle that whoever
sees it, its fear enters and lingers in his heart.”
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Listening to Asr, Naima saw in the direction of the Pharaoh. The dancers were
showing their magic. The dance was in its last stages and was becoming
faster with every passing moment. The magic of the dancers continued to
grow strong. They started turning fast. Spinning at high speed, they reached
in front of the king. Suddenly their feet stopped. The music died, and silence
reigned. The dancers bowed in reverence to the king, and with that, the
courtiers started praising them heartily, loudly and continuously.
Naima commented on the dance a little differently. Demonstrating her grasp
on psychology, she said to Asr:
“Ruling class is so clever. They know all about the human weaknesses.”
“Such is the story of every era. Female overtures, dances, merriment, and
concubines have always been used as enticements to keep the masses
unaware of the facts and please the elite. It is happening in your era too. Yet,
people do not rise above them and think of something else at all. “
“You are so right.” Naima said, agreeing with him.
“I wish we had Moses’s staff to undo the spell of materialism.”
Asr encouraged her by saying:
“You have the biggest staff. Soon Prophet Moses PBUH will introduce that staff
to you too. Now, listen to his words as he addresses the magicians.
===============
Competition was about to begin. Magicians stood on one side, Prophets
Moses PBUH and Aaron PBUH, on the other. The magicians had ropes and sticks
in their hands. In the meantime, Prophet Moses PBUH came forward and
addressed the magicians:
“You have heard about the rewards you will receive by getting close to
Pharaoh. I invite you to get close to God the beneficent. I invite you to follow
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the one and only glorious and majestic God. He is the Lord of the sky and the
earth and everything in between. Believe in him, and he will give you a place
in the kingship of Paradise. Everything that Pharaoh has promised, you will
get manifold in God’s Paradise. You will live forever with those bounties,
without concern for death. If you take God’s message as a lie, then
remember, nothing will save you from the Hellfire.”
Naima listened to those words, and they entered her heart. She realised that
belief in Hereafter was the ‘Staff’ that could save a person from the venom of
every snake of materialism.
Prophets Moses ‘s PBUH address was so profound that all those present felt it
had made a mark on their hearts, including Naima. The magicians had also
lost heart, and they started whispering amongst themselves. Some felt that
they should accept Prophet Moses’s PBUH invitation; others felt that they
should not confront Prophet Moses PBUH because if he were right, they would
never win.
The courtiers sat close and watched the scene. They were afraid that the
magicians would withdraw from the competition. Since they had gathered
and brought them over, as such they addressed them:
“He is not a prophet but a magician. With his magic, he wants to throw you
out and take over Egypt. He wants to put an end to your ways and establish a
new civilisation and culture. You will not get a better opportunity to earn
Pharaoh’s favour and rewards from him. Whoever wins today will be the
victor for the rest of his life.”
The net of fear and greed, prejudice and self-interest that politicians have
always woven, was used by the courtiers on that occasion too. Magicians
were trapped in it. However, they decided to confront Prophet Moses PBUH.
Closing their ranks, one of them spoke with complete confidence:
“Moses, forget about talking. Come to the real action. Say whether we should
throw our sticks or you would do so.”
They received the answer:
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“You be the first.”
The magicians started murmuring something. After that, they shouted:
“By the honour of the Pharaoh, we will be the victors.”
Saying that, they threw their sticks and ropes on the ground.
What transpired after that stunned Naima. She had never seen such a scene
in her life. The sticks and ropes fell on the ground and, in a moment, turned
into snakes and pythons. Then, they started slithering towards Prophet
Moses PBUH.
Snakes, and that too so many, Naima was petrified and held Asr’s arm tightly.
She looked at Asr, who stood calmly. She looked at Prophet Moses’s PBUH face
intently, which showed signs of worry. It was evident that the miracle that he
had shown had been answered. It was proved that if he could change a stick
to a snake, those magicians could do the same. People had reached their
conclusion. There were magicians on both sides. Others had understood it,
and the situation had also become obvious to Prophet Moses PBUH.
There was an uproar everywhere. The Copts were shouting slogans. The
courtiers had risen from their seats, and Pharaoh was smiling victoriously. He
knew that even if Prophet Moses PBUH turned his staff into a snake, it would
not make any difference. He had achieved his purpose quite craftily.
The crowd of Israelites was hushed. They had also understood the situation.
Naima was surprised to see that, unlike the Copts, magicians were not
expressing any joy. They carefully watched their snakes moving towards
Prophet Moses PBUH. The Israelites had started to withdraw, moving
backwards. However, Prophet Moses PBUH and Prophet Aeron PBUH stood
steadfast. When the snakes reached closer, Prophet Moses PBUH threw his
staff on the ground, saying:
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“O Magicians, your show was only magic. This staff is the miracle of God. It
will destroy your magic.”
Naima saw that Prophet Moses’s PBUH staff, hardly a metre and a half in size,
turned into a dreadful python many meters long. The python was as swift in
movements as it was enormous. It went ahead swiftly and started swallowing
the snakes slithering forward. One by one, he gulped all the magicians’
snakes and their sticks and ropes just laid on the ground.
The Israelites’ faces gleamed with happiness while the Copts, courtiers and
Pharaoh’s faces paled. They had not imagined such a terrible defeat. The
magicians stood quietly for some time. They were experts in their field and
knew well what was magic and what was not. They also knew that they had
not turned their sticks and ropes into snakes. Instead, they had cast a spell on
peoples’ visions. They also knew that the staff had indeed become a python.
They called out loudly:
“We hereby declare that we believe in the Lord of all Worlds, the God of
Prophet Moses PBUH and Prophet Aeron PBUH.”
While taking the oath, they fell in prostration in the court of God Almighty.
The magicians’ defeat was not a small blow for Pharaoh. in addition, the
magicians had also become believers; he went mad with rage, stood up and
said:
“You converted without my permission.”
But he was a hardened and cunning politician. No doubt that what he said
next could not come to mind of an ordinary person. Blaming the magicians
for his humiliation, he said:
“I have understood the real issue. Moses is your chief, and he has taught you
the magic. For the competition today, you conspired with him to lose so as to
prove him a real prophet.”
Thereafter, looking at the courtiers and his commoners, he said:
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“They plan to take over the city through this conspiracy and, after expelling
the real natives, become rulers.”
The courtiers agreed with him wholeheartedly. He continued to speak:
“But you will now know your fate. I will cut your hands and feet from
opposite sides and hang you from the date tree trunks. You will then find out
whose wrath is severe and long-lasting.”
But the magicians who were desirous of Pharaoh’s favours and swore upon
his grandeur earlier had now become staunch believers. They spoke
courageously:
“O Pharaoh, In the presence of undeniable proofs about the Lord who
created us, we cannot turn away from him and prefer you. Whatever you
desire, please go ahead and do it. Only our lives in this world are in your
hands. We now believe in the one true God and beg him to forgive our sins
and also forgive us for the crime of confronting Moses, which you had forced
us to do. If you want to kill us, do so. We will reach our Lord only when we
die. We will definitely earn the honour of being the first in the Coptic nation
who have openly believed in the God of Moses. Now we want only our God’s
forgiveness and blessings.”
On the signal from Pharaoh, his soldiers went ahead and arrested them. Asr
held Naima’s hand and started moving ahead.
===============
It was the same place, same ground, same flowing waters of river Nile. Crops
stood along the banks as far as one could see. Everything was the same
today; only the ground was empty. Date tree trunks stood distanced from
each other. Bodies of the righteous servants of God hung from them.
Magicians a day before but now martyred, they had become whom God
loved. They had preferred to lose their lives rather than shunning the truth.
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Naima saw the scene and trembled. Their right hands and left feet were cut.
Asr had already said their limbs were cut while they were still alive, their
bodies were nailed to the tree trunks using large nails, and then the trunks
were dug into the earth. The process of nailing them was also done while
they were alive.
Naima had seen many different types of deaths in that journey, but it was the
first time she had seen such excruciatingly painful deaths, and that too, only
because they had proclaimed that God was their creator and Lord. Naima sat
on the ground, exhausted. Those people were alive yesterday. And today?
She thought. She did not have it in her to even ask questions. Asr knew her
condition. Sitting down next to her, he said:
“I know what you are thinking. You are wondering why God Almighty did not
save them?”
“No. Before you brought me here, you had explained everything to me
through the episode of Prophet Moses PBUH and Revered Khidr PBUH. I know
well that everything that God does is based on great wisdom. There is a
reason behind everything he does. You have also explained to me that all
tyrants such as Pharaoh will end up in Hellfire. Those innocent souls who
have been hanged for the only crime of becoming believers will be rewarded
with Paradise. However, Paradise will happen in future. An ordinary man will
only think who knows what will happen in future. We, humans, live in the
present. Our present is this world, and in this world, those who have been
hanged, have suffered; no compensation is possible for them here.”
Asr smiled as he had understood Naima’s dilemma. It was a dilemma of every
human being. As such, he decided to reply in detail.
“This world is essential for you human beings, but for God Almighty, it is
nothing. You have seen it yourself in this journey how one race after another
inhabits this world. When a new race arrives, no traces of the previous races
are left. Those who think they are the kings of this world become untraceable
after a few years or centuries. Hence, the loss and gain of this world are
meaningless in the eyes of God.
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“This idea of the world being meaningless, doesn’t it turn human beings
towards becoming inactive?”
Naima raised an objection often made by those who value the world.
“No. If you understand what God means by calling it meaningless, you won’t
raise that objection.”
Asr explained it to Naima:
“Meaninglessness of this world has been highlighted with reference to those
who consider it to be everything and forget about the Hereafter. Otherwise,
the principle of provisions this world has created upon makes it a duty to
work for it. One who does not act will face a loss immediately. As far as the
concept of Hereafter is concerned, it makes a person in this world most
active, rather than making him in-active.”
“How?” Naima asked.
“Ok. Tell me, when is a student most active during his student life?”
Naima thought for some time and then said smilingly:
“When the exams are near.”
“That is the point. The concept of Hereafter does not make a person inactive
but tells him it is a place for examination. Therefore, no believer can be
inactive here at all. Our faith tells us that the exam here does not mean that
you get cut off from the rest of the world. Instead, the exam requires full
participation in all life related activities. However, it is forbidden to adopt
character traits based on cruelty and injustice. One is not to develop an
attitude of rebelliousness and immorality too. Therefore, a believer not only
builds a good world around him, he also succeeds in getting Paradise, a
Paradise that would be everlasting, whose bounties will be infinite and
immortal. Neither would human beings want to leave it, nor would anybody
make them leave it.”
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“But for people of the world, Paradise is just a word. For them, only their
lives and gains and losses of this world are important.”
Naima repeated her original question.
“Yes, it is so. However, it is because they forget that they are appearing in an
examination. God Almighty is behind the veil of invisibility during this exam,
but he has spread his signs all over. Also, the existence of God and
consciousness of vice and virtue are already inherent in human nature. To
further clarify, there are innumerable signs of God’s wisdom and his
Godliness in the universe along with the guidance of the prophets.”
“But along with it, there are all kinds of Pharaohs as well.”
Naima’s eyes moved towards the hanging bodies while uttering those words.
“Yes, there are Pharaohs to stop from accepting the truth.ٓ Along with that,
there are external claimants and supporters of vice, demands of self, egoism,
personal interests and prejudices, satanic powers and their enticements. But
they are the hindrances that, if overcome, land a person in the never-ending
world’s eternal luxuries and comforts. In contrast, the negligent rebels and
tyrants will be destined to the never-ending Hellfire. However, it is necessary
to have a test for the punishment and reward of such mammoth dimensions.
This test cannot be completed unless human beings are given full
independence. As a consequence of this independence, Pharaohs come into
being, and for the same reasons, these believers have to suffer hanging from
the gallows.”
“But still, it is a severe test.”
Naima commented, looking at the bodies of believers hanging. She
continued:
“God is everything but still, he is invisible. Everything remains veiled in
reasons. The angels of Paradise and Hell are hidden. To believe without
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seeing is a severe test. Punishment and reward are also severe. If I had a
choice, I would not have jumped into such a test.”
“Naima, you are mistaken.” Asr smilingly replied.
“God Almighty has not forcibly pushed anybody in this test. On the contrary,
every person has been asked and has been sent to be tested with his
consent.”
“Oh, when did that happen?” Naima sought the details.
“It happened even before I was born. God Almighty created the entire
humanity and presented his plan of creation to them. Paradise, Hell,
punishment and reward, what to do and what not to, under what
circumstances, everything was clearly defined. You, humans, accepted all the
conditions.”
“But why?” Naima inquired.
“Paradise, Naima, Paradise.”
Asr replied with only one word, and then explained it:
“Paradise is a wonderful place. You cannot even imagine how gorgeous it is.
Human beings were shown a glimpse of Paradise before accepting the test.
After that, it was impossible for most of them not to accept the test.”
He explained it further:
“You remember how the magicians had demanded reward from Pharaoh.
You also remember how the dancers’ movements and their beauty had
mesmerised the people. Those worldly blessings will be given in the
Hereafter millions of times more. The same is the case with punishment in
the Hereafter. In this world, the hanging can only be awarded once, but
punishment will rain from all directions in the Hereafter, and the person will
never die. He will live forever to suffer those punishments.
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On that occasion, God Almighty had shown human beings the blessings of
Paradise and the punishments of Hell. That is why every person was
unanimous in his resolve that he had to go to Paradise and run away from the
Hell.”
“But no human being remembers that event.”
“If it were remembered, the test would have been over. But all indicators tell
us that a human being knows everything by his nature. He wants to build his
Paradise on the earth even today. He seeks a never-ending life, everlasting
pleasures and eternal youth. He knows the coming days and fully prepares
for it. He knows the law of investment first and returns later; he understands
the principle of risk and gain.”
“No risk no gain.” Naima murmured.
Ask shook his head in agreement and continued:
“The deal that human beings had made with their Lord, they make it every
day. All businesses of life are run on the same principle. All that happens is
that after agreeing to such a transaction, people remain serious. They adopt
the right attitude as they know that the profit and loss are real. Since the
matters concerning Hereafter are not sense-based but rational, they tend to
forget.”
“You are correct, Asr. The true quality of a person is that he should recognise
the hidden facts through the eyes of his mind. To decide on the basis of
feelings only is an animalistic attitude.”
“One more element makes a person negligent.”
Asr said, explaining the seriousness of the test:
“Human beings conduct their lives in this material world based on logical
principles because they can see the material benefit and loss. However, in
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the test from God Almighty, people are not punished or rewarded
immediately. Human beings, who are used to living their lives on immediate
material gains and loss basis, when they don’t see any punishment and
reward from God, become rebellious. To remedy this problem, God Almighty
has sent prophets. Through them, their nations are punished and rewarded
in this very world, and through that, God Almighty gives the final proof of his
presence. Even after seeing that punishment and reward if one does not
believe, he deserves to be deprived of the everlasting kingship of Paradise
and should be thrown in Hell.”
After the long discussion, Asr got up and said to Naima:
“Come. Let me show you another scene of this punishment and reward.”
===============
Naima and Asr stood on the shore. They could see the Israelites, under the
leadership of Prophet Moses PBUH, were coming towards the sea. Naima could
fathom that a vast number of people were following him. It was not an army;
it was a caravan of immigrants with the old, women, and children and their
luggage and belongings. Asr providing details of Prophet Moses’s PBUH invitation
and their immigration to Naima:
“God Almighty had sent Prophet Moses PBUH to Pharaoh on a two-fold
mission. Firstly, he was to invite Pharaoh and his followers to accept the one
and only God Almighty, and secondly, demand that he frees Israelites from
his slavery to that they could go to Palestine and settle there.”
“A minute, please. What you have said means that the prophethood of
Prophet Moses PBUH, Unlike other prophets, was not for the entire Egyptian
nation, only but Pharaoh and his followers.”
“You are correct. The Quran has mentioned Prophet Moses PBUH regarding
only Pharaoh and his followers, not the entire Egyptian nation. As such, you
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will also see the wrath will strike only Pharaoh, his army, courtiers and
followers. The Egyptian nation will stay in its place.”
Naima understood the point. She raised another question:
“The other point that arises from your explanation is that it was not Prophet
Moses’s PBUH intention from day one that Israelites should stay in Egypt. Then
why did Pharaoh and his courtiers repeatedly said that the Israelites were
planning to take over Egypt.”
“It is politics, Naima. Actually, Israelites were the ruling class in the era of
Prophet Joseph PBUH. Afterwards, local Copts took over but the Israelites had
greatly increased in number. Even though Copts had enslaved the Israelites,
they were afraid that they might revolt and take over Egypt. Pharaoh used
the psychology of that fear to turn Egyptians against Prophet Moses PBUH.”
Naima asked another question:
“But Pharaoh did know that Prophet Moses PBUH wanted to take Israelites to
Palestine. So, why didn’t he permit them to leave so that the Egyptians could
get rid of that fear?”
Had he done so, where would the Egyptians get all those slaves for free? In
the olden days, the entire economy of nations was based on slavery. Today,
you can’t even imagine that.”
“But why did Prophet Moses PBUH want to take Israelites to Palestine?”
Naima’s questions were never-ending.
“The reason was that living in Egypt, Israelites were tainted with the ways of
the polytheistic civilisation and moral degradation of centuries. To get rid of
the two-fold negative effects, the only solution was to move them out of
Egypt and groom them in a new area under a new moral regime.”
“Could that grooming not be done in Egypt?”
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“No. Because you are standing in the era of mischief.”
“Meaning thereby?”
“It means that if the Israelites worshipped God publicly, they would have
faced extreme cruelty. To save them from that, they were asked to pray to
God Almighty in their homes. You can have an idea about the gravity of the
situation by one order of Pharaoh, about killing all the male newborns of
Israelites.”
“But God Almighty did not do anything to sort out Pharaoh in reply?”
“Why not? Wraths of God struck them from time to time.”
“What wraths?”
“They suffered through Droughts and storms. Heavy rains destroyed their
crops. Population of lice and frogs increased substantially to make their lives
miserable. Locust attacked. Water in the wells and storage turned to blood
once.”
“Didn’t they seek forgiveness after those wraths?”
“Pharaoh was a trickster. He used to ask Prophet Moses PBUH to pray to his
God to take the wrath back, and if it happened, he would allow the Israelites
to leave. But after the wrath was recalled, he broke his promise.”
“This is tantamount to making someone a fool.”
“He didn’t make anybody a fool; he was made a fool himself. It is God’s rule
that he has taken the responsibility to guide human beings. He guides them
in every way. Doors of the right path are opened for those who take it
seriously. They are also blessed with the courage to follow that path. But
those who see and receive the guidance, yet still decide not to follow it, their
hearts are hardened, and the law of deferment is applied to them.”
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“Law of Deferment?” Naima could not understand.
“It means that their leash is temporarily lengthened. When God Almighty
gives leeway to someone, it does not mean that he has escaped. None of
God’s criminals can run away from him, ever. Only what happens is that after
every denial and cheating, the chances of guidance become lesser and lesser.
And then, decisive wrath opens the doors of Hell and destruction, doors that
do not close at all, just like they are now about to open for Pharaoh. Thus,
they did not fool anybody; instead, they were fooled themselves. “
While saying that, Asr pointed towards Pharaoh’s army coming from a
distance. Naima saw that the Israelites had reached the shore and stopped.
They had the sea in front and Pharaoh’s army behind them.
Asr explained the situation to her:
“Last night, God Almighty had ordered Prophet Moses PBUH to take the
Israelites and migrate. They had camped away from the Egyptians at the
celebrations ground. Their destination was Palestine, but God Almighty,
rather than asking them to take the shorter land route, ordered them to go
to where there was a narrow strip of the ocean in between.”
“Why did God order that?”
“So that they could see the destruction of Pharaoh and his army with their
own eyes.”
Asr replied, and then commented on the state of Israelites:
“At this time, they don’t have the boats to cross the ocean. As such, they are
afraid of being killed by the Pharaoh’s army. But now God Almighty has
ordered Prophet Moses PBUH to strike his staff on the sea water. So, let’s see
what happens now.”
“Naima saw that Prophet Moses PBUH went ahead and struck his staff on the
water. Naima saw it from the height where she was. The water started
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splitting and dry land at the bottom of the sea appeared. A dry passage was
formed all the way to the other shore, and sea water stood on both sides of
that passage like protective mountains. Naima could not believe her eyes. It
looked like it was a passage between two mountains, except that the
mountains were made of water.
The Israelites, led by Prophet Moses PBUH, calmly started going through that
passage. On the other side, Pharaoh’s army was getting close at a fast pace.
However, when they reached the shore, the Israelites had left and were on
their way through the passage. Pharaoh, without giving it a thought, also
started following them. He could see that the last of the Israelites had not
reached the other side yet.
Now the situation was that on the passage the Israelites, on reaching the
other side, were stepping on the land and Pharaoh’s army was entering it at a
fast speed. Soon Pharaoh and his entire army had entered the passage. His
forward troops were closing on Israelites. However, before they could reach
Israelites, all of them had left the passage. Immediately after that, the ocean
waves attacked Pharaoh’s troops, and the entire army fell victim to the fast
and furious waves.
Asr held Naima’s hand and pointed in a direction. Pharaoh was drowning
there. Naima could hear him clearly:
“I hereby declare that I believe in the God of Israelites, there is no God other
than him, and I will now obey him.”
“He has become a believer now. He was a rebel before. You were a big
trouble maker.” Asr murmured:
“You are absolutely correct.” Naima agreed with him.
“I have not said it. It is God Almighty’s comment. And I am sure that this era
will bear witness, and it will reach the entire universe that they were indeed
in a state of loss, except those who believed, and did righteous deeds, and
exhorted each other to follow truth, and exhorted each other to observe
patience.”
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===============
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Chapter 12
LAST MIRACLE
The horrific scene of Pharaoh’s army drowning in river Nile was a lesson for
onlookers. Naima had seen it and also how the Israelites had been freed from
their tribulations and slavery. Her confidence in her faith had reached new
heights. She spoke to Asr:
“Every knot of my mind has been untied, and every query answered. I am
sure that when Doomsday arrives, God Almighty will save all his believers and
all rebels will be punished for their crimes. However, there is one problem.”
Saying that, Naima muttered instead of explaining the problem.
“Knowing too much is also bad.”
Asr smiled and said:
“Abundance of knowledge is not bad. It is actually good. Those who are very
knowledgeable are the ones most afraid of God. But only knowledge
accompanied by wisdom and vision is beneficial. Now tell me, what is the
problem?”
“Asr, I have read the entire history of Egypt. There is no mention of this event
anywhere. I have seen it, and it is available in the history of the Israelites.
However, it has not been recorded in Egyptian history at all. Historically, a
definite and unanimous opinion about the name of the Pharaoh in the
episode with Prophet Moses PBUH is not available even though detailed history
about all the Pharaohs of Egypt and historical events of the period is
available. Never mind other events, punishment and reward.”
“You are right. Let me add to your knowledge that even Israelites have not
remembered this event as a lesson in punishment and reward the way it took
place.”
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“You have confirmed my statement. It means that for an impartial person,
this event cannot be presented as a confirmed proof of the truth unless that
person sees those events the way I have, or else he, like Muslims, believes in
Quran as the book of God, which narrates these events as such.”
Asr nodded and said:
“For that very reason, we will proceed to the next and final stage of our
journey. It will be an era where God Almighty has put together all proofs of
his truth as a final argument. Punishment and reward were dispensed. The
area where they were dispensed exists even today. The book with details of
the punishment and reward is also there. The nation that went through those
events is also present. On top of that, punishment and reward were recorded
along with their complete elements in the history of that time. That era is the
era of the last Prophet and Messenger Muhammad PBUH.”
“Oh, so now we will go to the era of Prophet Mohammed PBUH?” Naima asked
Joyously.
“Yes, we will go in his era. Even though all of them were true prophets, but to
prove the truth of the last Prophet and Messenger PBUH to the world, God
Almighty has made such an arrangement that no reasonable person would
deny his existence till the end of the world. Through him, the truth has been
made clear so succinctly that nobody will be able to tell the Lord that he
wanted to see the truth, but no arrangement was made for him to do so. The
last Prophet and Messenger PBUH is a prophet not only through faith but also
in the light of the entire authentic history. He is the only person preserved by
history as a prophet and messenger. Through him, punishment and reward,
the greatest proof of Doomsday and God Almighty’s existence, have been
fully recorded by contemporary historians. This proof is so comprehensive
and conclusive that God Almighty has brought to an end the process of
sending prophets and messengers after that. Now this very punishment and
reward and the Doomsday will be proofs of the ultimate truth.”
Naima listened attentively, as Asr talked:
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“We will now proceed to Makkah, the land where the last and the greatest
miracle of human history took place and it has been preserved till the
Doomsday. In its presence, nobody can deny the existence of God Almighty’s
holy personage and meeting him, and no honest person could claim that he
was not invited to the truth. Come, let me show you the truth.”
===============
Naima and Asr stood and watched the scene quietly. They were present at
the beginning of the seventh century C.E. and stood in the Parliament House
(Dar-ul-Nadwah), the political centre of Makkah. There, all chiefs and tycoons
of Makkah sat in a session. The problem they faced had forced them to
collectively reach a unanimous decision. Their religion, polytheism,
leadership positions, polytheistic culture, economy linked to idols in the holy
Kaaba, and position in the eyes of the polytheists of Arabia were all in grave
danger. They did not have an easy solution for their problem. However, the
proposition of praying to one and only God and benefitting from His blessings
in Paradise was so compellingly effective and natural that everyone, finding it
the call of his heart, was being attracted to it.
If that situation persisted, all people would become Muslims in a short
period, except those stubborn chiefs. That problem had forced them to
collect here today, but nobody could think of an easy answer. All of them
were thinking hard to find a solution. Due to that, pin-drop silence prevailed.
Finally, the loud voice of Abu-Jehl broke it.
“It is the doing of your nephew, Abu Lahab. Why don’t you counsel him?”
“I can’t do anything. I am not the chief of the Banu Hashim tribe; Abu Talib is.
He is backing his nephew all the way. If any of you take a step against my
nephew, there will be war between you and Banu Hashim.”
“So, what should we do? Should we do nothing for fear of war and watch
these
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heretics increase in numbers. Instead of our gods, see one God being
worshipped?”
Omayyah Bin Khalaf said exasperatingly.
“No, that is not what I meant. I was merely explaining the gravity of the
situation to you.”
“Is there no solution to this problem? Think, Abu Lahab, you have a sharp
mind.”
Uqbah bin Abi Moeet, a chief, said, looking at Abu Lahab hopefully.
“Yes, there is a solution.”
Abu Lahab replied thoughtfully.
“Start torturing those who follow Muhammad PBUH. Every one of us should
beat and torture those under him and stop them from accepting his
invitation. Only young and slaves are converting to this religion. Others are
few and far between. Therefore, all of us should punish and torture those
young and slaves. If they are beaten up and some die, they will leave the new
religion. At least, any one from our faith will not leave and join the new
religion. Thus, their movement will slowly come to an end.”
All those present were pleased. Abu Jehl got up, embraced Abu Lahab, and
said:
“I swear by Laat and Manat, Abu Lahab, you have solved the problem.”
Then he addressed the chiefs sitting around:
“Let’s go, comrades. Let us bury this new religion forever.”
The meeting came to an end. One after the other, they left for their homes.
After they had departed, Naima asked Asr:
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“What is going to happen now?”
“It is the early period of prophethood of the Messenger of God PBUH. A few
have accepted his invitation and become believers. Now, these chiefs will
unleash a reign of torture and suffering on those believers. New records of
barbarism and tyranny will be established. But the sky will witness these
atrocities for the last time. They will not happen again.”
Asr had a strange look on his face while saying it. It looked like he was inviting
her to witness the dark night of those barbarities so that she could realise
how easy it was for her to follow God and how difficult it was then.”
===============
Makkah, a city whose religious sanctity had always blessed human beings
with peace, became difficult to live in for the believers. Scenes of barbarities
and cruelty became rampant all around. At a place, Sohaib Ibn Amir is being
made to lie on burning embers and his skin gets burned; at another point,
Bilal Ibn Rabah is being made to lie on burning sand and large slabs are put
on him. Then a rope is tied around his neck and he is dragged on the streets
of Makkah. He still calls the one and only God even in that condition. Such
was the condition of helpless slaves, but even followers of Prophet
Muhammad PBUH belonging to the Quraish elite were not spared. Their elders
tortured the young, and women were, as always, the easy targets of their
family members’ hostility.
Even the worst barbaric punishments and cruel treatment had not made
even a single believer denounce his faith. Abu Jehl was quite exasperated. His
slaves, Yasir ibn Amir, his wife Summayah Bint Khabbat and his son Ammar
were also steadfast in following their new faith in spite of wanton atrocities.
Today, he had decided to either make them go back to their old religion or
kill them all.
At that particular moment, Asr brought Naima there. They were standing
close
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to Yasir’s house and saw Abu Jehl approaching. He had a spear in his hand. In
the meantime, Yasir had also seen him. Even though he had a fair idea about
Abu Jehl’s ill intentions, he did not try to run away. Abu Jahal reached him
and said:
“Will you not stop worshipping one God?”
“If I stop worshipping the one and only God, no power in the world can save
me from his grasp.”
Yasir replied fearlessly:
His reply infuriated Abu Jehl. He started beating him mercilessly. Hearing his
screams, his wife Summayah also came out and tried to save her husband. At
that, Abu Jehl started beating her along with Yasir.
Yasir, who was bearing the blows patiently, could not stand his innocent wife
being beaten. He could not do anything to his master, Abu Jehl, as a slave had
no recourse over master in that society. To encourage his wife, he shouted:
“There is no god but God”.
Samiyah also repeated those words, the universal acknowledgement of the
oneness of God. However, it hit Abu Jehl in the chest like an axe. Crazed with
anger, he picked up his spear and pierced it in her tummy. Uttering a sigh,
she fell, saying:
“I swear by the God of Kaaba that I have succeeded.”
Seeing blood gushing from his wife’s stomach, Yasir moved forward, crying,
and pushed Abu Jehl away. He held her in his arms. What could a weak slave
do other than what he had? Tears flowed down his bloodied face and
mingled with his wife’s blood, yet he had no words of complaint on his lips.
Summiyah was the only happiness in his slavery ridden sad life, Today that
happiness was also sacrificed on the Oneness of God.
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In the meantime, Abu Jehl had composed himself. He moved ahead like a
wounded snake, took his sword out of the sheath and shoved it in Yasir’s
back. Holding Samiyah sa in his lap, he fell forward.
His open eyes were staring at the sky.
Naima was watching the scene quietly, tears flowing from her eyes. She said:
“This is the punishment for only saying ‘there is no god but God’?”
“No. No more. It won’t happen anymore. At least it will not happen for taking
only the name of the one and only God.”
Asr murmured.
“The One in the sky has decided. Given the sacrifices made by Summayah and
Yasir, no believer will be killed for taking God’s name after this. Praying to the
One God will not lead to shedding anybody’s blood. Even if those who take
God’s name may forget God, still, nobody will be allowed to be cruel to them
on the basis of Islam. It is God’s decision till Doomsday. Nobody will be
permitted to indulge in cruelty in the name of religion. As such, this test is
coming to an end. This test will be taken in perfect conditions. Now the last
phase is starting. Most human beings will be brought to life in this phase.
They will be permitted to take the name of God. Nobody will be cruel to
them. They may, if they want, deny the existence of God. Nobody will stop
them. If they want, they may associate others with him; Nobody will tell
them not to do so.”
“But how will this miracle take place? How will tyranny’s history spanning
over thousands of years be changed?”
Naima’s had a question mark etched on her face.
“Come with me. I will tell you how that history changed.”
Their journey through time started once again.
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===============
The square building of Kaaba was the same as Naima had seen in her time.
However, the atmosphere around was completely different. Kaaba stood
surrounded by mountains. Several homes were built around. Naima had
performed Umrah pilgrimage recently, but other than the Kaaba itself,
nothing was common between what she had seen earlier and what she was
seeing now.
As they stood near Kaaba, Asr started telling her about the homes and who
lived there. He mentioned an interesting fact:
“You see, amongst all of them, in fact amongst all persons in the early history
of Islam, except Abu Lahab and companion of the Prophet Zaid bin Harsa, no
name has been mentioned in the Quran. However, every person’s name and
his entire life events are available in history. A unique feature of the last
punishment and reward is that its complete record is chronicled in history.
“And in Quran?” Naima asked.
“Quran is, in fact, a record of all the events. It contains narration of the
previous prophets and the punishment and reward of their times. It also has
their invitations to follow the right path and their proofs as well. Along with
that, it also has the laws to follow for the new believers. However,
unfortunately, its most significant miracle that has made it a miracle forever,
is not fully known to humanity.
“What is that miracle?”
“That the glorious Quran is not only a complete record of the last punishment
and reward. it has already narrated how and when will it happen even before
it has taken place.”
Asr had reached that point when Naima heard a winning voice. She knew
someone was reciting the Quran but she had never heard such hearttouching soulfulness, cadence and rhythm ever in her life.
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“Listen to the recitation of the Quran in the voice of the person who received
it. And also see how the prediction of punishment and reward was made way
before it has happened.”
Asr held her hand and took her towards the side opposite to Hateem. On
reaching there, Naima saw that an exalted personality was reciting the
Quran, while praying, in a loud voice. His voice had stunned and held
everybody around spell-bound. People felt as if they were mesmerised, and
someone had bound them to listen to the recitation.
Naima did not find it difficult to understand who was reciting and what was
being recited. However, she didn’t know Arabic. She looked at Asr helplessly.
Asr, understanding her predicament, smiled and said:
“The holy Prophet PBUH is reciting Chapter ‘the Moon’ of the Quran.”
“Asr’s grip tightened on her hand. With that, she felt that she had started to
understand the Quran. In Chapter ‘The Moon’, a summary of the historical
events of the nations she had seen herself was being narrated one after the
other… the nations of Noah, Aad, Thamud, Lot and Pharaoh. Quran was being
recited and their scenes were revolving in her eyes. How the prophets invited
them to follow the right path, how their invitation was rejected and then how
the wrath of God struck them. Probably nobody had understood Quran the
way Naima was assimilating it now. Then it was said:
“Are the disbelievers among you in a better position than the disbelievers of
those nations, or do you have immunity recorded in the sacred books? Or do
they say, we are a large group, well-defended? (Remember) Soon this large
group shall be defeated, and all of them will turn their backs and run. Rather,
the Hour of judgment is their appointed time, and that Hour is most severe
and most bitter.”
(The Quran - Chapter 54, The Moon, Verses 43-46)
As soon as those verses finished, Asr took Naima and, travelling via the
revolving days and times, they reached an open ground. It was a battlefield,
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and it looked like the battle had just ended. Some people were running away,
others were being arrested and tied with ropes, a few dead bodies were
scattered in different places, a lesson for others.
Asr explained the scene:
“We are in second year of the Hejira, the Islamic Calendar. The battle fought
at Badr, a decisive war between truth and falsehood, has just ended. You can
see how the infidels of Makkah have been put to the sword, like vegetables.
Their powerful group has run away after being defeated. Seventy chiefs have
been killed and an equal number have been arrested. It is the only battle of
human history in which all notable chiefs of a nation have been killed. All of
them were infidels and enemies of the Prophet saw of God. The Quranic verses
you listened to had been sent by God Almighty in Makkah ten years ago, and
they had accurately predicted about this incident.”
Naima was watching the entire scene, wide-eyed.
“Naima, you saw how the group comprising of chiefs of Arabia were proud of
their strength. You also saw when Muslims were facing the worst atrocities
and there was no chance of their salvation, God had told his beloved Prophet
through a revelation what would happen to those criminals. Through a
prediction in the Chapter ‘The Moon’, God Almighty had narrated what he
had done with the previous nations. Thereafter, he clearly said that those
new criminals had no exemption from the same fate. They would be
defeated and would turn tail. It was also told that this prediction of defeat
was the preliminary result; the real promise was of the punishment and
wrath they would suffer in the Hereafter. It means that if an accurate
prediction of the near future were made by narrating a past event, the
Hereafter’s prediction would also be correct. And now, you can see with your
own eyes how this prediction about the defeat of infidels has come true.”
Naima was stunned and speechless. She thought: Predictions about the lives
of individuals may probably come true once in a while, but an accurate
prediction about an entire nation could only be made by God Almighty.
Reading her mind, Asr said:
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“This prediction is not only about a nation. God Almighty had further linked it
to an international event and said when it was going to happen. Also, he had
accurately predicted the outcome of that unexpected international event as
well.”
“Which event was it?”
“In close proximity of Arabia, two superpowers of that time were at war. On
one side were the Christians of the Roman empire, and fire worshipping
Magians on the other. At the time when Romans had completely lost the
war, God Almighty predicted that the defeated Romans would soon become
the victors, and at the same time, Muslims would also be victorious with the
help of God and they would celebrate it.”
Saying so, Asr took Naima with him and, once again, they were standing near
the Kaaba. The scene was slightly different, but the same truthful and
trustworthy personage was reciting the Quran in a winning voice.
Asr drew Naima’s attention:
“Listen to how this event is being predicted nine years before it happened.”
“The Romans have been conquered in a nearby land, and they, after their
defeat, will become victorious in a few years. What happened before was also
ordered by God, and what will happen later will also be on God’s order. At
that very time, the believers will rejoice with the help of God. He helps
whomever He pleases: He is the Almighty, the Merciful. It is the definite
promise of God, and God never breaks His promise. But most people do not
know; They only know the apparent life of this world and are totally oblivious
of the Hereafter.”
(The Quran - Chapter 30, The Romans, Verses 1 to 7)
“You heard that. The Messenger of God PBUH was reciting verses about this
news from the Quran when it was impossible to even think about such a
prediction.”
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“Yes, I have read in history that the Persian King Khosrow Parviz had almost
conquered the entire Roman Empire. Romans were totally defeated, and
there was no probability of them overpowering the Persians in that war.”
“Quite correct. Now think about it. It is not one, but two predictions, that of
Romans’ victory and Muslims’ victory with the help of God Almighty. Thus,
when the Romans were defeating the Persians, Battle of Badr was fought at
about the same time, and Muslims, with the help of God, inflicted a crushing
defeat on an army three times its size.”
Naima kept quiet. She was unintentionally reminded of Abdullah, who had
told her about that prediction.
“Somebody had told me about that earlier. But at that time, I could not
understand it.”
“When a person does not want to understand, nobody can make him do so.
Those having bias and malice can never understand the truth, no matter how
well it is explained. See, these chiefs of Makkah are also victims of malice.
Now listen to how their expulsion from Arabia is being announced.”
Asr took Naima with him. Now the Holy Prophet and the last Messenger PBUH
was reciting from another chapter:
“No doubt, they are after uprooting you so that they can drive you away from
here. If that happens, they too would not be able to stay after you. This has
been Our way with the messengers whom We sent before you. You will not
find any variation in Our way…… And pray: “O my Lord, let my entry be with
honour, and let my exit be with honour, and grant me power from You which
would help (sustain) me.” And say: “Truth has come and falsehood is
something that would vanish.” Indeed, falsehood is bound to vanish”.
(The Quran - Chapter 17, Children of Israel, Verses 76,77,79,80,81)
“You have heard what is being said? This is Makkah, where the worst possible
conditions surround the Muslims. It is has become difficult for them to
survive.
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The infidels want to expel them from Makkah and kill them. At the very most,
a person may optimistically think that they will save themselves and escape
from here. But to say with full confidence that after expelling the Prophet
PBUH
, they will not be able to live in this land and calling it the permanent way
of all Prophets is only and only possible for God Almighty. On top of that,
under the present circumstances, to predict that the truth would emerge and
falsehood would vanish would be impossible for any human being. See, how
only after eight years of migration to Madinah, how majestically the rule of
the Messenger of God was imposed on Makkah and entire Arabia, and the
polytheists of Arabia vanished from there.”
Saying that, Asr took Naima and, once again, the time and days whirled. They
were now standing on a tall mountain outside Makkah. From that vantage
point, the interior as well as the exterior of Makkah were visible.
Naima saw that an army of thousands of respected companions of the Holy
Prophet PBUH was entering Makkah. Residents of Makkah, who were once the
chiefs of Makkah and the whole of Arabia, were hiding in their homes.
Muslims, who were tortured and oppressed earlier, were entering Makkah
riding their horses and camels victoriously. Makkah had been conquered. The
infidels had not only lost on the battlefield, they had also lost the battle of
faiths.
Asr, pointing in a direction, said:
“See, the Chief of the world is arriving. Look at his magnificence; instead of
holding his head high, he is bowed in gratitude.”
Naima looked in that direction. The Chief of Arabia and the rest was entering.
Thanking his God and feeling humbled, his head was bowed so that his
forehead touched his camel’s neck.
“Look at his greatness; He has forgiven all his enemies today, except the
enemies of God.”
Asr was hinting at the idols he was bringing down with his staff. Along with
that, he was reciting the same sentences that Naima had heard a while ago.
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“Truth has arrived, and the falsehood has vanished. Indeed, falsehood is
bound to vanish”.
“Indeed, falsehood is bound to vanish.” Naima said uncontrollably:
===============
Naima was watching the scene euphorically. Suddenly she thought of
something and asked Asr:
“I have not seen Madinah of that era. Will you please show it to me?”
“Sure. We have to go there. I have to show you two predictions there as
well.”
Asr and Naima walked a few steps. Naima was now in front of the Mosque of
the Prophet, a small structure of that era, built with date palm trunks as
columns and covered with earth and mixed mortar. As a building, it was no
match for the Prophet’s Mosque that Naima had seen during Umrah but its
greatness was in the exalted personalities who were offering morning
prayers there.
When Naima entered the mosque, leader of the believers and humanity,
Muhammad Mustafa PBUH was reciting verses from Chapter Al-Fath (Victory)
of the Quran:
“It is He who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of
truth so that He makes it prevail over all religions, and God is sufficient as a
witness. Muhammad is the Prophet of God; and those who are with him are
severe with infidels but compassionate among themselves. You may see them
kneeling and prostrating in reverence, seeking His favour and acceptance.
Their distinction is the mark of their prostrations on their faces. This is how
they are pictured in the Torah. And their parable in the Gospel is that of a
seed that sends out a stalk, then makes it firm, and it becomes strong and
rises straight upon its stem, gladdening the cultivator’s heart, in order to fill
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the non-believers with dismay. God has promised forgiveness and a huge
reward to those who believe and do righteous deeds.”
(Chapter 48 - Al-Fath, Verses 28-29)
The recitation came to an end. Sound of Allah-O- Akbar (God is Great)
boomed across. The worshippers kneeled. Looking at them, Asr said:
“You saw that, Naima! When those words were being revealed, polytheists of
the entire Arabia were enemies of Muslims. Muslims had secured peace with
great difficulty by signing a ten years No-War-Pact, an agreement that they
felt was humiliating.”
“You are talking about the “Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.”
“Yes! But after that, this Chapter, Al-Fath, was revealed, bringing good news
of a clear victory, and that Islam will prevail over all other religions of the
land, and no religion other than Islam will be left here.”
“And it happened at the time of the conquest of Makkah, which we saw just
now.”
“Exactly. And now you will hear a major and unbelievable prediction about
companions of the Holy Prophet PBUH mentioned in these verses. This major
prediction was revealed in Madinah at a time when the entire Arabia had
attacked Madinah like hungry wolves.”
While saying that, Asr took Naima a little bit in the past. Winters were at their
peak. After ablution with ice-cold water, the believers were coming to the
Prophet’s Mosque for Isha (the night’s prayer). She saw that most of the
believers had poverty and starvation etched on their faces and did not have
the clothes to protect them from the bitter cold. In a while, the prayer
started. After recitation of the Chapter Al-Fatiha (The Opening), the truthful
news breaker, Messenger of God PBUH started reciting verses of the Chapter
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Al-Noor (Light). It was the most significant and outstanding prediction of
human history:
“Those of you who believe and do good deeds, God has made a promise to
them that He will make them successors to the land, as He did those who
came before them. He will empower the religion He has chosen for them; He
will grant them security to replace their fear. They will worship Me and not
associate anything with Me. Those who are defiant after that will be the
rebels.” (Chapter 24 - Al-Noor, Verse 55)
When the recitation stopped, Asr told Naima:
“You heard that. What is being promised to those whose only possession is
their faiths and good deeds? But you will see that, in a few years, the most
surprising event of human history will take place.”
Asr took Naima and moved ahead. With the turn of time they moved a few
years ahead. They were still present in Madinah, but it had changed
somewhat. Walking, they entered the Prophet’s Mosque, which had been
enlarged considerably. In its courtyard were heaps of gold, silver and other
precious stones. Some people were sitting around.
Asr introduced them:
“The gentleman sitting in front wearing clothes with patches on them is
Omar Ibn Khattab. Along with him, Othman, Ali, Talha, Zubair and other
Companions.”
“And the respected Abu Bakr Siddiq?” Naima asked.
“He has passed away. The Messenger of God
his creator.”
PBUH
has also departed and met
Asr, pointing towards a Mausoleum in the mosque, said:
“This is the reign of Omar bin Khattab as a caliph. Omar, a shepherd, and his
companions were victims of torture and atrocities in Makkah. Praying behind
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the Holy Messenger PBUH in this very mosque, they listened to the Quranic
chapter and verse in which it was promised that they would be given rule of
the earth. So, see how they have established their rule in most of the civilised
world. The great Sassanid empire has been shredded to pieces and its entire
area is under the control of Muslims. At the same time, the Roman empire’s
entire African and Asian lands have also fallen to them.”
“And the land of Pharaoh, Egypt. That too?” Naima asked.
“Egypt is just a mere province of this great Sultanate. It is hard to fathom that
God Almighty has made His servants rulers of the world in such a short time.
The servants who were tortured in Makkah and who constantly feared
attacks and wars in Madinah.”
“Impossible to believe, but also impossible to deny?”
“Perhaps there couldn’t be a more concise, complete, and articulate
comment on this situation as you have made. The important thing is that this
punishment and reward for Prophet Muhammad’s PBUH adversaries and
followers are not only the greatest proofs of the truth of God but also a
perfect example of the punishment and reward on the Doomsday. It is the
last full-dress rehearsal of the Day of Judgement. It is the culmination of all
proof and logic for humanity. After this, humanity, having moved out of the
philosophical arguments, has entered the realm of ultimate proof of God’s
truth. Now it is the task of Muslims to take it to the rest of the world.”
In the meantime, the prayer call was heard. Naima felt that its every word
was making way to her heart.
“God is Great! God is Great! God is Great! God is Great!
I bear witness that there is no god except the One God.
I bear witness that there is no god except the One God.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Hurry to the prayer. Hurry to the prayer.
Hurry to salvation. Hurry to salvation.
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God is Great! God is Great!
There is no god except the One God.”
Those words had a strange effect on Naima. It was time for the evening
prayers. The day had come to an end. Naima knew that her journey was also
about to end. She sat in the courtyard of the Prophet’s PBUH Mosque. In a
short while, it was full of believers. The call to start the prayers was heard.
The companions of the holy Prophet PBUH got up and the prayer started. It was
being led by the leader of the believers, Omar bin Khattab. He recited the
Chapter Al-Fateha (Opening), and then started the Chapter Al-Asr (The
declining Day):
“(I swear) by the Time, man is in a state of loss indeed, except those who
believed and did righteous deeds, and exhorted each other to follow truth,
and exhorted each other to observe patience.”
(Chapter 103 - Al-Asr, Verses 1-3)
With the proclamation Allah-o-Akbar (God is Great), everybody bowed to
acknowledge the greatness of God. Asr held Naima’s hand and quietly walked
out. The Sun had set, leaving behind redness of twilight on the sky as its
mark. The breeze was cool. Perhaps winter was to arrive soon. Naima was in
a strange state of mind. She had wanted to know the truth. The truth had
been explained to her thoroughly. With such clear proofs, it was impossible
to deny.
She was happy to have reached the truth, but at the same time, the
awareness of responsibility she was about to assume made her tremble. With
heavy steps, she moved ahead with Asr. They were quiet. Asr took her
towards the ‘Jannat-ul-Baqeeh’ (Paradise of Baqeeh) graveyard, located close
to the mosque. It was the first time in her journey with Asr she was travelling
on the earth in the current time and not in past eras. She looked at Baqeeh.
Enough sunlight was still there and she could see the graves easily.
“We are in the ‘Paradise of Baqeeh’ graveyard.”
Naima said, as she knew it from the Umrah trip.
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Asr nodded in affirmative and said:
“You wanted to know the truth. You wanted to know why God does not
explain the truth openly. All of your questions and their answers have been
succinctly shown to you. You wanted to know about me, about Al-Asr. Now
you would have understood the meaning of my name. I am the era of the
prophets, who had been bearing witness since thousands of years that
human beings will be in a state of loss indeed.”
“Like Abu-Jahl, Pharaoh, Aad and Thamud.”
Naima said, agreeing with him.
“Yes, except them…..”
While saying that, he spread both hands, one of them pointing towards the
Prophet’s PBUH Mosque and the other towards those in the Jannat-ul-Baqeeh
graveyard.
“Those who believed and did righteous deeds, and exhorted each other to
follow truth, and exhorted each other to observe patience.”
“Absolutely.” Naima said with complete confidence. Asr kept speaking
without a break:
“My witness is in the events of the nations of Noah PBUH, Aad, Thamud, Lot
PBUH
, people of Pharaoh and the Israelites. But, more importantly, it is in the
events of the Holy Prophet PBUH, his exalted companions and the punishment
of their enemies. Their ruins and events are available in your time. Those
events are recorded not only in the Quran but also in the annals of history.”
Asr’s voice was making its way into Naima’s soul.
“These punishments and rewards prove there is a living God of this world
who is veiled but not unaware, who can impart punishment and reward in
this
world, and he has done so time and again in the eras of the prophets. That
Protecting and Just God will surely punish criminals and reward believers who
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did good deeds on the Day of Judgement because the world is a test, and the
real-life is the life of Hereafter.
Saying so, Asr brought his hands down and intently looked at the residents of
Baqeeh. Then he looked at Naima and said:
“Naima, Will you now bear witness to the world about God Almighty and the
Hereafter. Will you continue the mission of the Messengers?
“I will surely bear witness.”
Naima replied most confidently.
A silence ensued. It was quiet all over. The softly blowing breeze was playing
music for Naima’s ears. She had become oblivious to her surroundings. Who
knows how long she stayed in that condition? Suddenly, she heard Asr’s
voice:
“Naima, I would like to seek leave from you.”
His voice alerted her. Grasping what he had said, she was perplexed and
looked at that mythical personality intently. The first time she gawked at him
was when he had changed himself from a silhouette into a human. Asr’s
personality was so extraordinary that she had never dared to look at him
closely. However, hearing about his departure, she could not resist. She
looked at him carefully again. At that moment, she realised she had fallen for
that form.
“Will we…. be able to meet again?”
Naima asked hesitatingly, her heart pounding.
“If you succeed and enter Paradise, you will, for God will grant every wish of
the residents of Paradise. But……”
“But what?”
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“But I will not be in this form again.”
“Why? How can that happen? God Almighty cannot make such a handsome
form to finish it.”
“Who told you that this form has been made to be undone? But it is not my
form. I do not have a physical shape.”
“Then who does this shape belong to? Who is the lucky person whom God
Almighty has made so unique and handsome?”
Naima whole appearance had become a question mark?
Asr took a while in replying:
“I don’t know. I have only been told that this form is of a person loved by
God. He is a true slave of God. That is why he is a Chief. He is a humble
servant of his Master but a leader of his time.”
“Can I meet that person whom God loves so much? “
Naima said in a pleading tone. She did not want to listen to a ‘No’.
“You will meet him. It is the last message I have for you.”
“But how will I recognise him? Will he be like how you are now?”
Naima asked, worried.
“No. This form has been made for Paradise. If such forms were made for the
world, people would start worshipping them.”
He stretched and put Naima’s locket in her hand. It was the same locket
Naima had sold to help the poor woman and her sick child. Naima was
shocked. She looked at Asr questioningly.
“The moment you get this locket, you will meet that person. You will
recognise him undoubtedly. However, It is more important for you to
understand that people who see facts at a level you have seen face a very
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tough test. You have seen the truth at its ultimate level. As such, your path
has now become equally difficult.”
“I am very weak.” Naima replied, tearing up.
Before Asr could reply, the call for the Isha (Night prayer) was made. Naima
listened with her eyes closed. When it was over, she was surprised to see
Asr’s form had dissolved in a silhouette again. Already weak and sad, she sat
down. Her heart pounded with fear. She had an idea about the challenging
stages her future life would go through. Asr, familiar with her condition, said:
“Come, let’s go to the Mosque of the Prophet PBUH.”
Naima got up without saying a word and started walking. Darkness had fully
engulfed the environment. However, the sky still sparkled due to the
twinkling stars. The nightly prayer had started and the worshippers stood in
rows. Second Rakah (step of the prayer) was in progress. Leader of the
faithful, Omar Ibn Khattab, after chapter One of the Quran, Al-Fatiha, started
reciting last verses of the second chapter Al-Baqarah (The Cow):
“The Prophet believes in what has been revealed to him by his Lord, and so do
the faithful. Each one believes in God and His angels, His Books and the
prophets. They proclaim, “We make no distinction between any of His
Messengers.” And they say. “We hear and obey, and we seek Your
forgiveness, O Lord, for to You we shall return in the end.” God does not
burden a soul beyond capacity. Each will enjoy what (good) he earns, as
indeed each will suffer from (the wrong) he does. Our Lord! Do not punish us
if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord! Do not place a burden on us like the
one you placed on those before us. Our Lord! Do not burden us with what we
cannot bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Lord
and Master, so help us against the disbelievers.”
(Chapter 2 - Al-Baqarah, Verses 185-186)
Naima listened and watched the faithful praying, who, after the Messengers,
were the most exalted group of humanity. When the prayer ended, Asr told
Naima:
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“Have you heard what has been said in the Quran just now?”
“Yes, it talked about having faith.”
“But after believing, they made another request to God Almighty not to
burden them more than they could bear. It means that the burdens of the
previous nations were not put on the noble Companions, and the sacrifices
that the Companions made will not be required from future generations. The
good news for you is that God Almighty will not put too much burden on you
and others who take unaltered message of the true faith of God to the world.
It is His decision. You will not have to face any Pharaoh or Abu-Jehl. You will
only have to combat your circumstances, your ‘Self’ and satanic attractions.”
“But the test will still be there.”
Naima’s tone was laced with her fears.
“Yes, the test will surely be there. But remember, even though God has made
this world to test human beings, but he mostly tests the resolve, not the
person.”
“Naima thought for some time. Scenes of punishment and reward revolved in
her mind. Then she replied confidently:
“I have decided to go through every test. It doesn’t matter to me whether it
is a test of resolve or life.”
“May God be your protector and helper. My prayers are with you. I hope I
will meet you in Paradise now.”
With that, Asr, dissolving in the air, disappeared. Naima looked around.
Darkness had spread its wings everywhere, but she was not scared. She
started confidently towards the unknown destination.
===============
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Chapter 13
WHO’D BE LIKE YOU?
Naima woke up. She was totally at peace. Every worry, every anxiety, and all
confusion had disappeared. She was experiencing a strange bliss of
tranquility, serenity and joy, and she did not want to come out of it. Her life
had totally changed in one night. She had understood every reality of the
world, and every knot in her mind had been undone. After that, her decision
was obvious. She had to now live for God Almighty. Success in the Hereafter
was her prime goal. The desire for a car, mansion or any other worldly
comfort and leisure she used to dream about had left her. Her heart was now
free of every deprivation. The only desire she had was for Paradise, and the
only fear was that of God’s anger and Hellfire. She had found the ultimate
goal of her life.
The most important question for her now was how to reach that goal? It was
not possible to forget that dream as just a dream. She knew pretty well It was
not a dream but an answer to her call. After that succinct answer, one option
was to go with the flow, but she was aware of the consequences if she
followed that route. After her marriage, she had to go to a family whose
paradise was this world. After her marriage, it would be difficult even to
practice the religion. Offering prayers and fasting would be a problem, never
mind helping God’s religion and contributing to the mission of the prophets.
She had seen the lifestyles of her sisters-in-law and other women of that
household. Through them, she had come to know the way of life of her
husband as well. God Almighty was a subject not to be discussed in their
lives…. the same Lord of the universe, Glorious King, whose greatness and
dominance she had seen through her spiritual eyes, whose kindness and
generosity she had witnessed, the God who had become her most precious
possession. No matter what she did, due to the new relationship she was
about to enter, she would have slowly lost the grip on God’s hand she had
grasped with such great difficulty.
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The other option she had was very difficult and bitter; that of refusal to the
marriage. But, what reason would she give for that? And then what was the
guarantee there would be another proposal that would actually help her
move closer to God? Suddenly she had a flash in her mind.
“Abdullah…. He is definitely the person who would help her in her quest for
moving towards God.”
The idea came to her mind only for a moment. However, with that, her whole
personality stood up against Abdullah. She hated him with a vengeance. But
the hatred was initially against his thoughts, and then it extended to his
person as well. With that hatred, her psyche was not ready to accept the idea
of her marriage to Abdullah.
She sat on her bed for a long time, holding her head. Then, in a confused
state, she got up and turned on the light. It was 4 a.m. Her mom was asleep.
She got up, went to the washroom and performed ablution. For the first time
in her life, she stood for the late night prayer (Tahajjud). She prayed to God
Almighty to guide her until she heard the morning prayer call (Fajr). When
she finished, her course of action had become clear to her. For the love of
God, she was ready to live with a person she truly detested.
===============
The morning turned into afternoon, and then into the evening. Naima was
still lost in her thoughts. She had, forcing herself, chosen Abdullah, but now
she faced a huge problem; how would she say no to the current arrangement
and turn her marriage towards Abdullah?
She knew well that her wedding ceremony was only a few days away.
Tomorrow she had to be in ‘Maiyoun’, the first ritual of the wedding. She
knew that severe difficulties surrounded her, and the first step to solving
them was to talk to her grandpa and mom. She could not find a reason to say
‘no’ to the marriage. Who would believe the dream she had seen? And who
would be foolish enough to cancel the wedding based on a mere dream? And
then, this wedding had her full consent from day one. She was happy with
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every step taken in that direction. What reason could she possibly provide for
this sudden about-turn?
And even if she would make her mom and grandpa agree to it, as they were
her blood, they had to answer the other parties involved. This last-minute
about-face would severely hurt their reputation. After all of that upheaval,
would Abdullah agree to marry her? Having gone through the ignominy of
rejection, how would it be possible for him to agree? And even if he agreed,
he would probably avenge his humiliation all his life.
She did not have a mound or a ditch to go across, but seven seas of fire. So,
as a last resort, she spread the prayer rug and sat in front of her Lord.
“Oh Lord, I have made a difficult decision to please you and to win your
acceptance. As a consequence, and most likely, the doors of innumerable
troubles and disgrace will open wide for me. Should that happen, I will accept
it as punishment for my sins in this world. But now I love you so much that
every punishment by you will be a gift. My humble prayer is to please forgive
me and make this impossible task possible. I have seen your power and
miracles of your control and dominance over everything. I beg you for this
facilitation for my weak and worthless self. O, my Creator, I am moving
towards you. Whether you sink my boat or steer it to its destination is in your
hand. I cannot take even a step back from the truth that I have found, even if
I have to die. Please help me, my God.”
Naima cried and prayed for a long time. Then she got up from the prayer rug,
determined to do what she had to, and started towards her grandpa’s room.
===============
Mr Ismail Hasan was pacing around in his room, distressed. Amnah sat on the
sofa, her head bowed. He could not even fathom that his granddaughter’s
happiness would cost him so much. He had spent all his savings on
preparations for her marriage. By borrowing money, the best possible dowry
had been made. Dinner for hundreds of guests had been arranged by
pledging the house documents. Having done all that, he was satisfied that his
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granddaughter would be married respectably. However, what his daughter
Amnah had told him had baffled him completely.
The wedding day was almost there, and the Invitation cards had been
distributed. The word had gone around. All of a sudden, the lady who had
arranged the match had called a little while ago. She informed Amnah that
the bridegroom’s family, as per their family’s tradition, wanted the girl’s side
to present a new car to the bridegroom in a tradition called ‘Salami’. They
had further advised that they did not have any other demand, but it was a
matter of a tradition and wanted it to be honoured; otherwise, wives of the
bridegroom’s other brothers would object since their families had done so.
Having heard that, Amnah almost lost her senses. She gave that lady a piece
of her mind as to why they were not informed earlier, but she told her that
she had found it just then. To soften the blow, she said that it was such a
great match, and since they had only one daughter to marry, it shouldn’t
matter much and would lead to happiness for her daughter in the future. To
further strengthen her argument, she also said that wealthy people like them
were not greedy but had a tradition they wanted to be respected. Of course,
it was not a must, but not giving the car may lead to complications for the girl
later on. Amnah was aware of her own and her father’s financial condition.
The house had been pledged and funds had been borrowed from several
people; only then the arrangements to match the status of the bridegroom’s
family were made possible. After that, the current demand was genuinely
back-breaking.
Now both of them were worried and wondered what to do? Had they found
it earlier, they may have struggled to do something. But at such a late stage,
nothing was possible except that their Naima, after so many arrangements
and expenses, would have to go to her new home in an awkward position,
burdened with listening to the taunts of not bringing the car. They had not
mentioned the problem to her yet. Mr Hasan insisted that she be taken in
confidence to be mentally prepared to face any situation that arose, whereas
Amnah felt that they should keep quiet. They would try to give the car after
the wedding. Mr Hasan felt that it was the occasion that mattered, and giving
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anything afterwards would be useless. They were contemplating the issue
when Naima entered the room.
Seeing her, both became quiet. Naima was also somewhat distressed, but Mr
Hasan was so preoccupied with his own predicament that he could not feel
his granddaughter’s condition. Naima came in and said:
“Grandpa, I have to talk to you. It is good Mama is also here.”
“Daughter, we also have to discuss something important with you.”
As Mr Hasan said that, Amnah spoke hurriedly, trying to avoid her dad telling
the disturbing news to Naima:
“Dad, listen to her first.”
Amnah knew what he was about to say and what impact would it have on her
daughter. But Mr Hasan was so occupied with his problem that he, ignoring
her, said:
“Naima, you know we have always given top priority to your happiness in this
wedding. Whatever we could do, we have. We have spent our entire savings
on the preparations without thinking about what would happen to us
afterwards. When even that was not enough, we pledged our home.
Naima could hear explosions in her ears as her grandpa spoke. She did not
know what her mother and grandpa were doing for her happiness, and said
yearningly:
“You people should have never done that.”
“It was important to do so. When you establish a relationship with those who
own elephants, you have to widen your doors.”
Amnah replied to her daughter. Mr Hasan continued:
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“Dear, we are not sorry for what we have done. If it is God’s will, your
marriage function will take place in such a way that your in-laws will respect
you for that. But now, a problem has arisen, and it will be prudent to take
you in confidence about it.”
He stopped for a moment and then continued:
“It is a custom in your in-laws’ family that the bride’s parents give the
bridegroom a new car. They are not greedy, but it is their tradition.
Unfortunately, we cannot do so at this time due to our limited finances. This
demand has been made only today. Had it been made earlier, something
would have been done. But in such a short time, it is very difficult to do so. I
will still try, though. But I want you to know about it so that if something
happens, you should not get worried. Bear things soberly. God will resolve
everything.”
Naima, who was standing next to her mother, sat down with her, holding her
head. She could not believe that God Almighty would solve her major
predicament so easily. She had come to put her grandpa and mom in a
harrowing situation. Instead, God had blessed her in such a way that she
would now rid them of their worry. Gratification flowed from her eyes, and
saying ‘Oh my God, Oh my God’, she started weeping bitterly.
Grandpa and her mom became worried. They knew their child was sensitive,
but they had not expected her to react so severely. Little did they know that
here tears were not of sorrow but joy. God Almighty had helped her from
where she couldn’t even imagine.
Seeing her condition, Mr Hasan felt sorry that he had involved her. Trying to
console, he said:
“My doll, don’t worry at all. I will somehow arrange the car before the
wedding. There is still some time left.”
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Her mother also encouraged her, caressing her head. However, now it was
Naima’s turn to speak. She looked up, wiped her tears, came to her grandpa
and said confidently:
“Grandpa, you have supported me and my mother all your life. I did not know
that I was causing you great anguish in your twilight years. By God, had I
known, I would have never put you through it just for my happiness.
However, to let you go through further trouble is unimaginable for me. If my
Creator wills, I will never give you trouble anymore.”
Grandpa was looking at Naima, totally surprised. More than her confidence,
he was surprised by the use of words like “By God” and “My Creator”.
“In adversity, everybody remembers God. So has my granddaughter too”.
He thought. He had realised that Naima was emotional at that moment. So,
he tried to encourage her, saying:
“No. My doll, you have never caused us any grief. We will also not let you
face any hardship.”
Naima listened to him but addressed her mother instead:
“Mom, this relationship is being terminated right now. Please return this
ring”.
Saying so, she took off the ring from her finger and gave it to her mother.
Amnah was bewildered. Mr Hasan was also worried.
“What are you saying, daughter? How is it possible?” Said Amnah, seriously
concerned.
“You know the wedding is after two days. It will be a matter of great shame.”
“So be it. In any case, shame should be heaped on those who have
demanded the car. If it was their tradition, they should have mentioned it on
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the first day. They knew our position from the beginning. To make this
demand at the last moment is tantamount to blackmailing. I will die but not
marry there now.”
Naima replied decisively.
“Naima, you do not know the ways of the world. You have no idea what it is
going to turn into. People will talk, and rumours will abound. Getting married
anywhere else will become very difficult, if not impossible. Every new
proposal will come with a query about the first engagement?”
Mr Hasan explained it to her.”
“Will Abdullah ask that question too?”
When Naima uttered those words without hesitation and complete
confidence, Mr Hasan and Amnah were stunned. After a moment’s silence,
Mr Hasan said:
“Naima, you have rejected that proposal.”
“I am accepting it now.” Naima replied.
“But my doll, he has left his job. Perhaps you don’t know; he does not have a
career anymore. He does not have a job, or a car, or even a home now. How
would you live with him? And do you know what he intends to do in future?”
Her mom, who knew her daughter well, breathlessly explained why Abdullah
was unfit for her.
“I know everything. However, I have made my decision. You folks had sided
with me in a wrong decision. Now I am making the right decision. Grandpa,
for God’s sake, please support me.”
Naima intentionally addressed her grandpa while making that statement. A
plea in the name of God as well as Abdullah’s name, both were very precious
to him.
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“OK, my doll. Whatever will be, will be. I will ask Abdullah right now to come
over.
------------------------Mr Hasan briefed Abdullah about the whole situation. Abdullah listened; his
head bowed. He had realised the gravity of the situation and knew Mr Ismail
Hasan’s family was facing a severe problem. Perhaps it was God’s will to
make him help them. He knew Naima’s opinion about him. Fariah had called
and explained it to him and had requested him not to visit Mr Hasan till the
wedding was over. He had not visited Mr Hasan since then on the pretext
that he was busy in studies. However, today he was asked to come over
urgently to discuss an important matter.
He knew that he had to go through a challenging situation. To help Mr
Hasan’s family was his moral obligation. Even though Mr Hasan had told him
that Naima had herself suggested his name for marriage, but he knew it was
impossible. Naima would go through it for the sake of his family’s honour and
reputation. For that, she had decided to marry a person she detested. She
had taken her share of the poison. He had to take his share now.
“Son, I am awaiting your answer.”
Mr Hasan, waiting for Abdullah’s answer for some time and seeing him lost in
thoughts, asked.
Abdullah raised his head and said in a low voice:
“I have a condition for the marriage.”
“Yes, son. Every condition of yours is acceptable to me.”
“The amount that you have borrowed for Naima’s marriage by pledging your
home, I will return it before the marriage. In the early days of my
employment, I wanted to build a house. For that purpose, I had saved. That
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money is still lying with me. You take it and get the property documents
back.”
On hearing it, tears flowed from Mr Hasan’s eyes. He said:
“It would have been the greatest loss of my life had Naima not been married
to you. I thank God for saving me from it. I agree with your condition. I am
going to transfer this house to your name. You and Naima will live in this
house. I will not disclose it to Naima. You will tell her after the marriage.”
“May God Almighty keep you happy. May you two live happy and contented
lives, always.”
Mr Hasan gave his blessings to him and prayed for their happy marriage.
Abdullah kept quiet. He knew Naima was not happy with this marriage; she
was forced to undergo it as there was no alternative. To exploit her weakness
was unacceptable for Abdullah. So, he decided what he had to do. He would
marry Naima to save the situation and avoid humiliation of the Hasan family
but would free her after that. He knew well that Naima’s happiness was not
in marrying him but being freed from the bond. After getting rid of Abdullah,
it would not be difficult for a beautiful girl like her to find another match. As
for Abdullah, when he had dedicated his life for his Lord and Master, he had
realised that he would have to make two graves in his heart; to bury his
wishes and desires in one and his complaints in the other. Even otherwise, he
was already a graveyard of his desires and complaints against others. It was
time to bury another body. Adding another grave to a graveyard would not
make any difference.
When Abdullah got up to leave Mr Hasan’s home, his heart was totally at
peace because there is always peace and tranquillity in a graveyard.
===============
Naima got married on the appointed day. Everything happened as planned,
with one exception – the bridegroom’s name was changed to Abdullah.
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Grandpa had transferred the house in Naima’s name and had handed over
the papers to Abdullah when the marriage certificate was signed. After the
function was over and guests had left, the couple did not go to a hotel’s
bridal suite. Instead, they came to the same house. Free from wedding
activities and dressed as a bride, Naima sat in the bedroom waiting for
Abdullah as well as what was destined for her.
She sat on the bed decorated with roses, as was the custom. She was always
pretty, but the dress, jewellery and make-up had turned her into a fairy on
earth and whoever saw her praised Abdullah’s good fortune for having been
blessed with such a pretty wife, except Abdullah. For him, it was one more
test in the long series of tests of life that he had to pass successfully.
Throughout the wedding ceremony, a smile adorned his face, and a prayer to
God Almighty in his heart to help him, as always, go through the difficult test
successfully.
Oblivious to everything, Naima sat, engrossed in thoughts, waiting for
Abdullah. She knew that one major worry was over, but she also knew that
life had now become a test for her. She was willing to put up with the
financial tribulations, but to live with Abdullah was a punishment. And for
that, she could not blame anybody; she had chosen it herself.
At that moment, she remembered her dream and the magicians who
accepted gallows but did not abandon the truth. They had chosen a horrible
death to save their faith.
“Can I not live a torturous life for the sake of God?”
She asked and then replied herself too.
“I will have to put up with this life wholeheartedly.”
A poisonous worry of another fear started to lurk in her mind. She had
refused to marry Abdullah and had asked him not to visit her place through
Fariah. Abdullah was a religious-minded person. Her impression of such
people was that apparently they talked about religion and associated
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scholarly matters well. They also prayed and observed fasts etc. However, if
they had a difference of opinion and, as a result, developed malice for
anybody, then there remained no difference between them and others. What
if Abdullah did not do anything but only resorted to belittling taunts all her
life? In addition to despising Abdullah, what if she also became a target of his
hatred?
Naima had not thought of those things earlier, or had not thought about
them
in-depth. Fears of all kinds, like venomous snakes, started surrounding her
again. Suddenly she remembered Asr’s face, and she remembered his words:
“Of course, the test will be there. Remember, God Almighty had surely made
this world for test, but mostly he tests the resolve, not the human being.”
“I will undergo the test with full confidence and resolve. I will be faithful to
God Almighty and will be steadfastly content. Whatever excess Abdullah may
do to me, at least he will not stop me from living the life of a servant of God.
That is enough for me.”
Naima was engrossed in those thoughts when she heard the door opening.
She hesitated for a moment and then looked up to see Abdullah.
------------------------------Abdullah put his hand on the doorknob but could not open it. He felt his hand
had gone numb. He knew he was opening the door to his bride’s room, but it
was also the door to his utter ruination.
A voice emerged from his numb self:
“Abdullah, don’t be silly. Why are you playing with your life? Why would you
lose everything you have for a girl who has not given you anything but pain,
who detests you, and she has nothing except hatred for you.
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Abdullah had no answer to those questions. Instead, the answer emerged
from the depths of his heart.
“There is no god but God.”
Those words gave him strength, at least enough strength for him to close his
eyes, the eyes that were already laden with tears. The half-closed eyes could
not bear that load. Two tears slipped out and spread on his cheeks. Abdullah
felt that the flowing teardrops had lightened his heart a bit. He wiped his
cheeks, took a deep breath and finally opened the door. It opened slowly,
and, sauntering, he entered. Naima, who sat there, her head bowed, heard
the sound of the door, hesitated for a moment, then looked up.
Seeing her, Abdullah felt that the room had become brighter with a strange
luminance. He had never seen Naima closely, and even when he had, it was
in her simple clothes. However, dressed and made up as a bride, Naima’s
beauty had dimmed everything else in the universe. She was wearing a red
bridal outfit. Her beauty had never needed support from make-up and other
accessories, but today when she used them, she gave a new meaning to the
definition of beauty. Abdullah was dazed for a moment to see her
mesmerizingly beautiful face. At that moment, the plans and decisions he
had made earlier dissolved in thin air. He heard a voice:
“Abdullah, don’t be a fool. Good fortune has made a gorgeous girl your wife,
a girl you like so much. Law, Sharia (Islamic code), societal norms, all are with
you. So, keep the finer emotions of sacrifice and sincerity aside and,
forgetting everything, dive deep in the sea of desire.”
His conscience intervened immediately:
“Abdullah! Would you forget your Lord too?”
Satan saw that desire had failed to divert him from his chosen path; he tried
to get him down with his tried and trusted weapons - anger and arrogance.
“Have you forgotten! It’s the same girl who insulted you, who rejected you. It
would height of foolishness to give her everything you have and let her go
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scot-free. God loves you, and he has surrendered her in your feet. The time
has come for you to teach a lesson to this arrogant and rebellious girl.”
Abdullah’s soul did not want to accept defeat; it screamed:
“Don’t forget Abdullah! The weak is an ambassador of God. This weak and
helpless girl has entered your life as his ambassador. Remember, no matter
how helpless this girl is in front of you, you are a thousand times more
helpless in front of your Lord, God of all the worlds.”
Abdullah was a wanderer of dark alleys, but as soon as God’s name came to
this traveller of pitch-dark nights, the darkening world of his heart was lit
again. He was no more dependent on Naima’s luminous face for happiness in
life. The luminescence of sky and earth that had lit all the dark moments of
his existence was with him now. His heart, as always, had become
illuminated again. He shifted his gaze from the glittering face of Naima,
uttered ‘Salam’, the traditional greeting of Muslims, and, looking down, sat
on the bed.”
On the other hand, Naima was in a state of mental paralysis. The sight of
Abdullah didn’t evoke any sentiments in her. Her heart did not strike a string.
Controlling herself, she replied to his greeting and moved a bit back.
Abdullah sat at a distance from her. He did not try to look at Naima. She was
looking down. Had they looked at each other’s faces at that moment, they
would have perhaps found that they were devoid of any emotion, just like
the dead.
Silence prevailed for a while. Abdullah broke it:
“I know the circumstances you have been through, Naima. When grandpa
mentioned it to me, I considered myself lucky to be of use to your family in
that difficult situation.”
Abdullah spoke carefully, weighing his words.
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“I also know that you have been treated unjustly. Greed and show-off
hindered your marriage. I know how hurt you were when your marriage was
cancelled at the last minute. But what happened later was perhaps even a
greater injustice.”
After listening to the last sentence, Naima looked up to see Abdullah, but he
was sitting there, looking down, oblivious to her presence. She also looked
down again. Abdullah continued:
“To spend life with a person you dislike, in fact you hate, is a very difficult
decision. You made that tough call for your grandpa and mom; I truly respect
you for that.”
Naima was still as if dead. But a feeling arose somewhere in her heart that
Abdullah was not like what she thought he was.
“Fariah spoke to me about your dislike for my coming over to your place. She
also told me that you had rejected my proposal the very first day you were
asked.”
Abdullah stopped for a moment and looked at Naima. He was sitting,
unconcerned, staring at the floor. He continued:
“I have no complaint from you, neither am I mentioning it as a complaint. I
liked that you made a decision for the sake of your family that you didn’t like,
and you made it at a time when I had nothing left to give you, and my job
was also gone.”
Abdullah stopped again for a short while and then continued:
“The truth is that the path I am on today, I am thankful to you for that. Your
rejection made a lot of my life decisions easy. The journey for the closeness
of God that could not be completed even in thousands of years, your
rejection had me cover it in a few moments. That’s why I have real respect
for you in my heart. But I don’t want my benefactor, a courageous girl like
you, to suffer another great injustice again.”
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A momentary pause ensued. Naima was stunned. She did not know what to
say and what not to. During that lull, Abdullah took a few papers from his
pocket and, offering them to Naima, said:
“They are the documents of your house. It will now be transferred to you. For
your sake, your grandpa had to pledge it to borrow money. I have paid the
loan. Grandpa gave the house to me, and I am giving it to you as ‘Mehr”
(obligatory gift money bridegroom gives to the bride as a marriage gift). This
way, you will be redeemed in the eyes of your grandpa and mom. It is not
that I have obliged you. It is your right as the ‘Mehr’.
Naima listened quietly. She felt that the snakes of hatred that had been biting
and poisoning her had slithered away. She remembered at that moment that
such a snake had also injected its poison of hatred in Cain. She sighed:
“I wish I had seen this snake earlier. I would have crushed its head.”
She was lost in those thoughts when Abdullah forwarded another paper to
her:
“It is the ticket to your freedom. I don’t want you to live a life you don’t like
but are obliged to spend with someone you don’t want to. So, I have
prepared these divorce papers. I have left the space for my signatures and
date blank. After a few days, please put a date on them and give them back. I
will sign them.”
Naima’s mind had given up. She had never thought that Abdullah would be
on such a pedestal. She thought of Prophet Moses PBUH doing a one-sided
favour to two helpless girls and then forgetting about it. She looked at
Abdullah discreetly.
Total devotion to God, oblivious to human beings, a character quality of the
prophets, sat in front in the shape of Abdullah. A voice rose from her heart:
“My Lord, forgive me. I am so ashamed. I have been so grossly unjust to one
of your noble servants.”
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She looked down, overwhelmed by remorse, and then pleaded in her heart:
“My Master, give me a chance to improve. Please favour me. You are my
only Protector.”
She was still in that state when she heard Abdullah again:
“I have something that belongs to you. I have kept it in trust.”
“While saying so, he put his hand in his pocket and said:
“During the preparations for your marriage, I took your grandpa and mom to
your family Jeweller. While they were busy selecting jewellery, I saw a
beautiful locket with the first letter of your name ‘N” on it. I bought it as a
wedding gift for you. I thought I would give it to you through your grandpa at
your wedding. I did not know then that I would have to give it to you myself
as a husband. Please keep it as a wedding night gift.”
While saying that, Abdullah put that locket on Naima’s hand that she liked so
much, and she had sold it to help the poor woman.
Naima held that locket in her hand. It looked as if explosions were taking
place in her mind and heart. She remembered words of Asr:
“When you get that locket, you will meet that person. You will recognise him
undoubtedly.”
So, the figure and form Asr had adopted, the Greek god, the one whose
exceedingly handsome looks she had fallen for, who was a slave of God
Almighty and also a beloved of God, was this very Abdullah; a Chief in the
eyes of God, but she always ran away from him and detested him.
Her whole body and soul were trembling.
Unconcerned with her condition, Abdullah sat there, lost in his world. Then
he got down from the bed, stood up and said:
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“You may seek divorce and separate whenever you want. Till then, we will
live our lives as strangers. Trust me. I am very hopeful that God Almighty will
find you the best person from his infinite bounties. Now I will change and lie
down. You may rest too.”
After saying that, he went to the washroom. Naima felt like screaming to stop
him, but her voice failed her.
===============
Naima sat quietly with tears flowing from her eyes. What a strange being God
is, She thought. First, she detested God. He put his love in her heart in a
peculiar way. After that, she started to love God the most. Then she started
to hate that servant of God, Abdullah. God made Abdullah her beloved,
again, in a most peculiar way. Finally, she closed her eyes and said softly:
“O Lord, you make your servants the dust of your feet through your favours.”
Then a voice emerged from the depth of heart.
“O Lord of the universe, who’d be like you.”
A wave of peace permeated her heart. She opened her eyes. Her glowing
cheeks shined with joy, lake like eyes glittered with love and rose-petal like
lips were adorned with a full of life smile. Looking at the locket she had in her
hand, she said:
“Such blessings for a sinner. Master, who ‘d be as kind as you? Who’d be as
merciful as you?
She thought:
If the Lord of the Universe was so kind to an “infidel” like her, how kind and
generous would he be towards his faithful? Unconsciously she thought of the
form Asr had adorned, which belonged to her husband, Chief Abdullah.
Envisioning that form, she said:
“That’s how he will benefit his faithful.”
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She was in the same state of mind when Abdullah came out after changing
and laid down on the other corner of the bed, closing his eyes. The light in
the room looked darker than the darkness to him. To save himself from the
darkening light, he put his handkerchief on his face.
Naima turned towards him. She was looking at him intently. Abdullah had a
satisfied look on his face, but she could see that a wave of sorrow had
engulfed his person. She became restless. She had given such pain to his
benefactor, his family’s benefactor and the one loved by God, a person who
had become her beloved too.
On the other side of the bed, Abdullah was lying quietly, trying to sleep.
Having
fulfilled his responsibility in the best possible way, he was totally at peace
and hoped Mr Hasan’s family and Naima would come out of the current
predicament unscathed. Lost in those thoughts, he felt a soft touch on his
feet. He removed the handkerchief from his eyes and saw a most unexpected
sight.
Naima was kissing her feet and crying softly. He sat up with a jerk and asked
worriedly:
“What are you doing?
Naima replied, still crying:
“Abdullah, I am terrible. I have a lot of faults, but I have changed a lot now. I
want to tread on the path to God. If you leave me, I will never be able to go
alone. I need your support. For God’s sake, don’t leave me. I beg you. Please
don’t leave me.”
Saying that she joined her hands, placed them in front of Abdullah, and
started weeping bitterly.
For a moment, Abdullah could not understand anything. Then, holding Naima
with both hands, he said:
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“Naima, please stop crying, please. He picked up a glass of water from the
side table, made her drink it and said:
“I only wanted your happiness.”
“Now, you have become my happiness. I admit that I hated you once. But
now I, making God a witness, admit that nobody in this world is dearer to me
than you.”
Abdullah did not reply. He was quietly looking at Naima, but in reality, he had
another personage in his mind, the one who is quite a stranger in his person
but most beneficent in his qualities. A voice came from the depths of his
heart:
“O Lord, Who’d be like you. Who’d be like you.”
Naima, whose tears had now stopped, held both of his hands and said:
“You don’t know how good and handsome you are.”
A smile emerged on Abdullah’s face. He replied in a lighter vein:
“I know your problem. You did not wear your glasses when getting ready to
become a bride.”
“My eyesight is not that weak. But you don’t know, those who are very good
in the eyes of God, they will be given exceptionally handsome forms by God
Almighty after going to Paradise.”
“I know, but I think you will remain as you are even after going to Paradise.”
Naima stopped laughing when she heard that. Looking sad, she said in a
concerned tone:
“I know I am not worthy of going there.”
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Abdullah held her both hands firmly and said:
“I don’t mean that. You are already so beautiful that I cannot envision how
would you become even more beautiful in Paradise?”
Naima blushed and lowered her eyes shyly.
===============
It was almost evening. Silence prevailed all over, interrupted by chirping birds
once in a while. The sky was also relatively quiet after showering rain. The
sun, defeated by the armada of clouds, was fleeing towards the west. Its
diminishing light was making the environment on earth dreamy, but it was
also, through rainbow colours on the sky, conveying the message that the
light, even when defeated, still remained gorgeously beautiful.
This scene, where ever it may have been, would have touched the strings of
soul, but amongst the mountains kissing the sky, watching it was an
unexplainable pleasure. A fortnight after marriage, Abdullah and Naima
stood at a hill station, blending well with the nature. The unmatched art of
the Creator of the world was everywhere, in light and shade, in heights and
depths, in silence and sounds, and stillness and flow. Towering mountains
were dressed in dark green, bejewelled by tall trees, and at other locations,
they wore a light green shawl of fresh grass. Somewhere rocky peaks, having
taken off the white dress of snow, wore the natural dress of dust, and at
other places, the same peaks were draped in the soothing white muslin of
snow, like a perfect painting, unmatched and unmatchable. At intervals, the
sun peeped through the clouds and illuminated the surroundings turning the
snow into silver.
The unmatched scenes of beauty were not only restricted to heights. Lower
inclines of the earth were also masterpieces of Artist’s excellence. A
mountain river, sparkling, bouncing over rocks, splashing, travelling from who
knows how far, was meandering its way, its spirit and speed undaunted.
Flowing springs, waterfalls and aquifers, slipping and sliding, curving through
the forest, bouncing and flickering like glitter, imbibed with the desire for a
union pulled and pushed themselves downwards. Their confluence making
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their flow stronger, heady and noisier. Tall and stationery mountains and
water flowing downwards was gorgeously enchanting beyond imagination.
The greenery was of many shades, but to still look better, like flowers, had
worn a thousand other, un-named shades. The pure and gem-like colours
were a testimony to the truth that beauty, when simple, was attractive, but
when it wore colours, it became unmatched.
Abdullah was standing still, enjoying the scenery. Through the environment,
he was in conversation with the Artist. His quiet eyes and their flowing
springs of tears indicated that the conversation was not one-sided. Having
rained on his heart, blessings of the source of all bounties overflowed
through those springs. The Artist did not care for appreciation. He is always
oblivious to praise. However, when a person with taste appreciates him with
the melody of oneness, he always replies. After that, lamps of affection are lit
in the darkness of the heart. The eyes, not being able to stand the heat of
flames of love, melt, and a stream of tears starts flowing like a river. When
that happens, countless luminescent beings gather to watch that clay-made
being enviously—the ones who prostrated before Adam prostrate to the son
of Adam again.
===============
Oblivious to the dialogue between the luminescence and earthen dust,
Naima was enjoying the surreal beauty of nature all around. When the
silence prevailed for a long time, she, at last, interrupted:
“Listen, all this is so good to look and feel.”
Abdullah kept quiet. Naima spoke again:
“God willing, we will go for Umrah.”
“It costs a lot of money.”
Abdullah gave a short reply this time. It was apparent that he was avoiding a
conversation.
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“I have spoken to grandpa. We will use the money saved from the wedding.
Actually …. “
Naima expressed her interest and said:
“At first I thought that it was a sightseeing visit and money spent on it was
wasted. However, I have discovered now that it is a meeting with God
Almighty, and nothing can be more valuable than meeting God.”
Without waiting for a reply from Abdullah, she asked:
“We will meet God Almighty in Paradise. Won’t we?”
Abdullah had realised that Naima would neither remain quiet herself nor
would she let him stay so. So, he will have to finish his dialogue with nature
and converse with his wife. He said, smiling.
“Yes, if we reach there, we will meet God Almighty for sure.”
“Yes. It is so. But what are we going to do there? Won’t we get bored? See,
what a pretty place it is. We are on honeymoon. But still, if we stay here for
long, we will get bored.”
“Marrying a pretty philosopher has a big problem. You ask too many
questions.”
Saying that Abdullah’s smile changed into laughter. Naima also spoke,
smiling:
“So, admit that you don’t have an answer.”
“Yes, I don’t have an answer. But the one I get my answers from has answers
for every question. Tell me, why does a person get bored?”
Naima replied while thinking:
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“From repetitiveness, same things happening again and again”.
Abdullah, agreeing with Naima, said:
“The Quran says that there will be no repetitiveness in Paradise. Whatever a
person receives, it will have a new outlook and variety every time. It will be
so because the attributes of God Almighty are infinite. They can neither end
nor can they be envisioned. As such, his every creation will be new and
different from the previous creations.”
“That is something about the Paradise. How can we understand it while living
in this world?”
Naima could not comprehend that problem. It was one of her old questions.
Now that her life had become a paradise, she wanted to understand the
reality of the real Paradise from a person who had experienced it. Abdullah
also decided to explain it to her in detail.
“How the attributes of God Almighty work and how they continue to
increase, you can understand from an example. Before a human being arrives
in this world, he lives, grows, receives nutrients and performs other basic
functions of life for nine months in a world where there is nothing but
darkness. In that dark world, God Almighty’s attributes of creating and
nurturing are at work. However, when the same child arrives in the world, his
diet undergoes massive change, and a multitude of tastes and items are
included in it. The same happens to the darkness, which changes due to
thousands of different shades of light and colour.”
Naima nodded as she had understood. Abdullah continued:
“You saw, it is the same God, he has the same attributes, but in the mother’s
womb, they were limited due to the limited capabilities and requirements of
the child. However, as soon as he arrived in the world, thousands of new
attributes appeared. Similarly, when a new world comes into being on
entering Paradise, God Almighty’s attributes will manifest in such a way that
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human beings will continue to taste new and unique tastes of pleasure,
rapture and enjoyment; because the attributes of God Almighty are infinite.”
“Glory be to God.”
Naima replied, happy on getting the answer to her question. However, one
confusion still lingered. So, she asked:
“But what will human beings do forever and ever?”
“Discovering the limitless qualities and attributes of their Master, human
beings will praise and thank him all the time in their never-ending lives.”
“How so?” Naima asked excitedly.
“You can understand it through the collective evolution of humanity because
humanity has collectively experimented with how this limited world has
unlimited possibilities due to the perfect attributes of God Almighty. You
know the man started his journey of life from the Stone Age. Then the
Agricultural Age arrived, followed by the Industrial Age, and now we are in
the Information Age. In every age, man discovered new possibilities to make
life better and to add beauty and improvement while living in this limited
world. If you imagine a person in the Agricultural Age, he could not even
think about the revolutionary changes that were to arrive in the eras to
come. When such is the state of different ages of this limited world, you can
imagine what would happen in the world of Paradise, which God Almighty
will create to display all his attributes. Due to these attributes, the believers
will spend their lives there at the highest level of discovery and creation. They
will always be busy creating beauty, elegance and ecstasy.
However, unlike humans of today, they will not forget the exalted being who
created those possibilities and opportunities for them. Instead, they will
praise and thank him for every discovery. In short, everything and every
action there will be to enjoy, and with every one of those actions, praise and
thanking of the God Almighty will continue in perpetuity.”
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On hearing Abdullah’s explanation, Naima face glowed with satisfaction.
Closing her eyes, she said:
“I am so lucky that I have married you.”
“Naima, it is not good luck to be married to someone. The real good luck is to
be the favourite of the Lord of all the worlds. We human beings are the
luckiest beings of this universe. This universe was created by God Almighty
fourteen billion years ago. It is so huge that trillions of stars and planets are
like a leaf in a forest having millions of trees. The Lord of all the worlds wants
to make one of its creations the ruler of this infinite world. He has favoured
us, humans, for that great opportunity. Naima, we are fortunate that you, me
and every human being has that opportunity. But the truth is that we have
this chance in fourteen billion years for the first and last time. If we lose it
once, we will never
be given another chance under any condition or any circumstance.”
Abdullah spoke mesmerizingly, and Naima continued to memorise each and
every word as they entered her heart.
“We have already wasted half of our lives, and there is no guarantee for the
balance. Make sure, this life, this great chance, first and last chance, is not
lost.”
“My dreams indicate that it will not be lost.”
“Naima, time makes one forget every dream, every book. We, humans,
forget words. We also forget the eras. Our memories are acutely weak.”
“So, what should we do?”
“War…. wage a war every moment. War against one’s sentiments and
prejudices, against one’s desires and emotions, against the satanic
seductions.”
“And if a mistake happens?”
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“Repent and return to God immediately. It is not life; it is a war—a war
between humans and Satan. We can neither stay impartial nor accept defeat
in this war. In this war, not only defeat, but impartiality is also tantamount to
a defeat, and defeat means Hellfire; being deprived of Paradise.”
Abdullah had said enough. Naima was also quiet. His words had reminded
her of something. She said in a strange tone:
“You are right. Our memories are very weak. We forget dreams and the
books. We forget words and eras. In the happiness of marital bliss, I had also
forgotten that I have to bear witness. I have to bear this witness by swearing
on Asr. I have to swear by the time of the prophets and bear witness that all
human beings are in loss, except those who believe, and those who do good
deeds, and exhort others to follow the truth and exercise patience. It will
happen… it
is definitely going to happen… By that Time… By that Time.”
Saying those last words, Naima’s voice choked. She had the scenes of lives of
the exalted prophets refreshed in her eyes when the Lord of the worlds had
set up court in the world and having annihilated the rebels, the righteous
were made heirs of the earth.
Abdullah was also in another world. Scenes of Doomsday, Hell and Paradise
revolved in his eyes as living realities, scenes of ever-lasting punishment and
reward of human beings. He stayed in that condition for a long time. Then, in
a somewhat regretful voice, he said:
“Yes, I had also forgotten! But my Lord reminded me.”
Saying those words, Abdullah remembered that night of deprivation when he
had discovered that Naima had gone from his life forever.
“Since then, I have not forgotten that life is not life but a sacred mission. The
mission of saving people from the greatness of those other than God and
bringing them to the greatness of one God; the mission of giving the news of
the greatest success of Paradise to the people; the mission shaking up people
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before the great accident of the Doomsday; the mission of making the sacred
mission of the last Prophet and Messenger PBUH a global mission of guidance
to the right path; the mission of taking the message of the last Prophet and
Messenger PBUH to each and every human being. Would you help me in that
mission?”
Naima replied with complete confidence:
“I am with you on that mission. Not only me, every man and woman who
truly loves God will be with you. It will be the mission for all of us. This
mission will be our life.”
Silence of the departing evening had engulfed the surroundings. Perhaps the
time had stood still forever. That silence remained unbroken for a period
unknown. Naima looked at the ensuing darkness in the sky and said:
“We should go back. Tomorrow morning, we have to return home and start
our lives.”
Abdullah held her hand and, moving ahead, said:
“We have to start the war from tomorrow, not our lives. The life will start in
Paradise.”
They started moving ahead towards their destination.
===============
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Epilogue
Last Words
Dear reader,
As promised, the second part of “When Life Begins” has reached you. The
reason to write it was that even though details of Hereafter had been
presented in “When Life Begins”, the logic and proofs of Doomsday were not
discussed there. In the holy Quran, the Lord of the universe confidently and
repeatedly asserts that “The Doomsday will most definitely happen. There is
no doubt in that.” It is not only a claim but a statement about that
undeniable reality. The most important logic and proofs about that reality as
given in the Holy Quran have been convincingly presented in the form of this
novel.
It is now our responsibility to understand this fundamental message and
proofs of the glorious Quran and prepare for the day when a father will
forsake his children, and so will a mother her suckling baby. One part of this
preparation is to nurture a chaste personality in oneself, founded on the
acute love of the God Almighty and teachings and exemplary life examples of
his beloved last Prophet PBUH. The second part is to carry the message of the
last Messenger PBUH to every person. This novel is a humble effort to fulfil that
responsibility. This key of understanding the holy Quran was yours, held in
trust by me. I am handing it over to you with the hope that you will take it
and pass it on to others taking it as your responsibility.
Sincerely,
Abu Yahya
abuyahya267@gmail.com
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