The vast grey sky sighed melancholy at her devastated state. Her desperate thoughts wandered in search of an answer but she wasn't ready to accept the reality her mind was concluding. The clouds yearn to embrace her in a warm hug, willing to absorb sadness and shower it as rain, the blessing from above. Feeling exhausted she sat on the swing and rested her head. She closed her eyes and a tear cascade down her cheeks leaving a wet trail behind. From far away wind brought the call of Esha prayers ( the night prayer ). The authoritative yet silky voice of the Moizen melted like butter in a hot pan in her ears. She wept with every word regardless of the meaning devouring it with greed as if her life depends on it.
الله اكبر
God is The Greatest
اشهد ان لا اله الا الله
I bear witness that there is no lord except God
اشهد ان محمدا رسول الله
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God
حي على الصلاة
Make haste towards prayer
حي على الفلاح
Make haste towards welfare [success]
الله اكبر
God is The Greatest
لا اله الا الله
There is no lord except God
The call ended leaving a void around her. She had never felt like this before though she had been living here for ages. The call, the invitation from Allah had never affected her ever before. It was the same as something you do daily, a part of your routine, a ritual you know but don't follow, a picture on a wall that was always there but you never noticed until suddenly it grabbed your attention.
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Alizey's PoV
It was dark so dark that I feel like I was blind. Having no sense of direction I started walking the way I was facing without looking back in fear of not what would be behind but in front. I hasten my pace to get a breath in the light again. Soon I was running as fast as my feet could carry me but there was no light to guide me. I tripped and landed on my knees. I cried in pain, Ya Allah!
" Ah..." I was sweating and panting like I had run a marathon. I took a moment to recognise my surroundings. I was not somewhere lost in darkness, I was in my room in my bed witnessing another nightmare. Bewildered by the sudden realisation I tried to recall the dream, I couldn't remember except the last moments, it was as vivid as reality. My head was throbbing with pain.
" Ya Allah, " I tasted the flavour of these words from my dream. Shivers ran down my spine.
" Ya Allah, " I repeated myself liking the sound of it. liking the aftertaste of these syllables.
I felt drained yet contented. I curled myself into a ball and pulled the blanket over my body. My breathing had normalised, listening to the sound of my breath sleep consumed me, taking me far from the real world.
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Ayesha PoV
It was 3:00 in the morning but sleep was far away from my eyes. After twisting and turning for hours I gave up and get down from the bed. I went to the washroom and performed ablution to cool down myself.
I skimmed through the bookshelf deciding to read a book. Whenever I see my collection, instant pleasure delights me, each book has a specific place in my heart, a beautiful memory, a reminder of the time when I lived the life in them. Caressing them with my fingers I smiled to myself.
The book with the green hardcore grabbed my attention. It was the Quran that Nana ( Maternal Grandfather) gifted me on our last visit. I grabbed the book and went to the couch.
I randomly open it and Surah Ankaboot blessed my sight. Ankaboot means the spider. I recited Taus and Tasmiyah and begin the recitation of the Surah. During the recital, I lost the track of time. I read the meaning of each verse. Quran is like having a conversation with Allah. Our Devine and only friend. Our well-wisher and caregiver.
I recited the last verse; 69;
"And those who strive for us will surely guide them to Our way. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good "
(29:69)
' Those who strive for us ' This phrase replayed in my head on loop. These words drifted my thoughts to my dear cousin, Alizey. She is lost and exhausted. She is not opening up but from what I have observed I think she is in search of Sirat ul Mustaqeem, the straight path, the path to Jannah, the way to Allah.
"May Allah Grant her peace and make situations easy for her " sudden prayers came on my lips. I wholeheartedly wished for her and got up from the couch and put the Quran back on the shelf.
I never knew my prayers will be answered so soon. After laying on my bed my thoughts wandered around Alizey, she seemed off these days.
At such a young age she had suffered a lot I don't want her to suffer more. I had known her since we were four. We are now eighteen, I am a month elder than her. The moment they return from England misfortune followed them. My Uncle Yousuf aka her father two years after their return died in a terrible plane crash except for certain body parts nothing was found. He left us devastated and traumatised. His death brought a drastic change in our lives especially Aunt Lauren's, his wife. She was pregnant with their third child but the sudden death played a troll in her, she had a severe nervous breakdown that cost her unborn baby boy. She turned vulnerable after the great loss of two lives at a time. She didn't know the language either the customs of this land, she had come here for love, with the love of her life who was not with her anymore but her return to her native was even more difficult. Nobody was left there for her so she stayed with us and we survived the storm through mutualism.
Gradually we recovered from those mournful days but the after-effects had hit us hard. Alizey turned silent. it was the first effect Uncle death had on her. It seemed like her playfulness, joy, her lively spark had been buried with her father. She turned serious which was unlikely of the Alizey I knew. I liked old Alizey, the one who joked, the one who laugh carelessly, the one who fights with me, the one who once had trimmed my hair because of that I had to bald my head. (Well, that was painful yet hilarious.)
As time pass, we get over the trauma and return to our lives but nothing was the same as before, everyone had lost a part with him. Alizey's personality carries a sense of leadership because she was the elder daughter and had to take care of her family, this made her responsible at a very young age. Alhumdulillah she was getting better and back to life.
" Please Allah make everything easy for her " I prayed again and close my eyes.
It hurts when one close to your heart is in pain and you can't do much!
But we should trust in Him He is the one who had created all these hardships so He must have created solutions to them.
Put your trust In Him and let Him sail your boat!
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