What is beyond the end of the world?

 R.B.R Barreto

Young Kadir sat as usual on the highest dune within the boundaries of his tribe and gazed at the horizon. His eyes were lost in that distant point where the skies merge with the desert sands. There, at that point, his world ended and everything he knew. As his eyes gazed far away, his thoughts repeated the same question that had been in his soul since he was a child: "What is beyond the end of the world?"

The horizon in the desert seems endless. It seems to die away in the distance amidst colors and lights that awaken the imagination and promote dreams and daydreams. Kadir's attention was focused on that unknown and distant territory, which he had longed to know and explore since he was a child. A desire not expressed in words, because few would understand it. Most of the people around him, his father, brothers or childhood companions did not share his desires. They were desert warriors, ready to defend territories, expand domains and pray to Allah, the Merciful. They would not waste time on contemplations that could not solve the immediate needs of life in the desert.

In the entire tribe, the only one capable of understanding him was his grandfather Abdul, his deceased mother's father. The old sheikh was responsible for arousing his curiosity during his childhood by telling him stories about distant lands and fantastic places. As a result, Kadir became distant from everyone, becoming a very lonely young man who became increasingly attached to his grandfather and his stories. Together, they made countless forays into the desert, riding camels or horses, and as they rode, his grandfather would point to the horizon and talk about Jannah, paradise. He told stories about the promised land, which lay beyond the limits of Káf, the circular mountain, far beyond the end of the world.

The Promised Land, or Paradise, his grandfather said, was described in rich detail by some people who visited it while they were still alive, including the Prophet Muhammad. Furthermore, it has always been presented as the final destination of the pure of heart, a land where the mysterious manna of the desert sprouted and could satisfy the hunger of countless tribes and peoples.

Kadir was a young man from the desert, the firstborn son of the sheikh of a Bedouin tribe. At the beginning of the 13th century, the numerous tribes of that region of the Middle East began to lose ground and spread to the far reaches of the desert, far from the disputes and interests of the great colonizing nations. The coming and going was intense. The desert became smaller and smaller and more divided between countries, tribes and peoples, eager for land, wealth and power. In this way, the ancient nomads retreated further and further into the arid lands, almost definitively losing contact with civilization. For this reason, Kadir listened to his grandfather's words and read the books he lent him with great avidity. They were the only words that brought him news of a world different from the one he lived in. Most of the young men in his tribe were content with what they had around them. He was not. He wanted more. He wanted to see the lands beyond the end of the world where Paradise was.

Paradise, for Muslims, as for other people in the world, is a place where there is no pain, injustice, sickness or other sadness. In his mind, the young man pictured it as a great oasis, full of surprises and delights for those who obey Allah and fight honorable battles and conquests. His grandfather assured him that it was a resting place for faithful souls and even if humanity was far away, lost and without faith, Jannah, paradise, would always be there, in a place beyond the horizon.

Kadir was have of a fervent and restless faith and, in his dreams and thoughts, he pursued this mystical place that was hidden from human eyes. He began to entertain the idea that it would be possible to reach it, just as the prophet Muhammad had done many years before. Then he became more withdrawn and withdrawn from the life of the tribe. Avoided trivial conversations, disputes and even female seductions. To his family and fellow youth, this was not normal. Kadir's behavior made everyone uncomfortable.

His father, Sheikh Kaleb Abn Jahzir, a warrior and desert explorer, did not understand his son's desires or his strange attitudes. He was his firstborn, the likely heir to his position and his wealth, but, to his dismay, of the three princes he had brought into the world, Kadir was the one who least accompanied him or showed interest in the tribe's campaigns. He was right to be concerned about who would inherit the leadership of the tribe. They were not numerous and lived in a time of many tribulations. The desert increasingly became the scene of various disputes. Foreign advances and the emergence of some caliphates taking over the occupied regions made it increasingly smaller. The region where his tribe was located was protected from conflicts, but a chief needed to remain alert, develop sagacity and other qualities necessary to ensure the future of all. For this reason, the eldest son's distant and uncommitted attitudes disappointed the chief. After all, he was already a man and, instead of changing his attitude and becoming more mature,with each passing day , on the contrary, he seemed more distant, fragile and disinterested. Kaleb Abn Jahzir already had many concerns about the women in his harem, his other sons, the men under his command and countless other issues typical of those who live in the desert. As much as he regretted it, he had no time to waste on his firstborn's strange behavior. Whenever he could, he tried to encourage him to follow him. One day, finding him in the main tent hall, he asked him:

— By Allah, young man! Do you look so tired? Why are you discouraged? Cheer up! Come join us in this morning's riding exercises. We are preparing for the meeting of the great chiefs, scheduled for after Ramadan. We will have many moons of travel — he said hopefully, giving the young man a strong slap on the back, who moved forward a few centimeters with the unexpected blow. — I'm not tired, my father! Just thinking.

— I hope you'll seriously consider coming with us to the meeting of the great chiefs. It's time to assume your position in the tribe and stop running away from the responsibilities that await you! — he insisted.

— I don't know, my father. I appreciate the invitation. But I promised Grandfather Abdul that I would help him with the herd of goats.

The sheikh made a face of disgust and struck his son another blow, this time not as hard, on the back:

— I like and have great respect for your old grandfather. I admire his friendship. But tell him when you meet him, that this time you will come with me. Remind him that your destiny is not to be a shepherd, but a chief. You are a prince of this tribe, Kadir. Act like it.

The young man didn't answer, but the word "chief" sounded completely strange to him. He was sure that this was not his destiny. He had no intention of assuming a place as a leader in the tribe. This was for his other brothers who, although younger, enjoyed the life of small chiefs and followed their father's example in all their actions. Prince Kadir Abn Kaleb preferred to hide among the dunes, look far beyond the desert and dream of the promised land. In his daydreams, he always saw images of the mysterious land described in the holy book, a white city surrounded by mountains where the golden dome of an enormous mosque stood out, built among refreshing palm trees and rivers of crystal clear water that never stopped flowing. The paths were made of gold and precious stones. Milk and honey flowed from the palm trees and rocks. Manna fell like flakes, landing on stones and plants. The vision was so real that it was possible to hear the birds singing and the whisper of the fountain of life from which the waters of eternal youth gushed. According to the teachings of old Abdul, the oasis of paradise held many treasures. Whoever finds them does not die, does not suffer from illness or hunger and never grows old. Kadir never mentioned these visions and thoughts about Paradise to his father. Unlike his maternal grandfather, his father would never understand what was in his heart. "The heart is the home of secrets," was say old Abdul, and Kadir's heart was full of them. Over time, the boy became so obsessed with this idea that his life seemed to have no other meaning.

— Where is Paradise, in which direction?" he asked his grandfather as they both rested after their last meal of the day, leaning against a rock next to the old Sheikh's old tent.

The sun was setting on the horizon, coloring the sky and the sand with an orange hue that slowly disappearing. Abdul felt different that day, as if inspired by his grandson's ideas. He took a few puffs on the hookah and said:

— Ahh, paradise! How many of us wouldn't give anything to reach it while we're still alive, without having to die to be taken there, right?

– And do you think that is possible? – asked Kadir

– I don't know, boy... and you? What do you think? – replied the old sheikh with a kind of affectionate malice.

Kadir remained silent. In his daydreams he had seen himself crossing the gates of Paradise many times, but he was afraid to reveal these visions. Not even to his grandfather did he have the courage to confess the strange feelings he had about it. The old man did not notice his grandson's hesitation and continued as if talking to himself.

– I know little about the holy book to say anything about it... but I have heard stories of people who entered Paradise as alive as we are, although for our Islamic faith this is impossible... I once met a hermit, a foreigner, who claimed to be the priest of the Nazarene prophet, the blessed Issa or Jesus. He said he came to the desert in search of Paradise. I have no idea whether he got there or not. I also don't know if the Christians' Paradise is the same as ours...

Kadir interrupted him, unable to hide his excitement:

—He came to the desert in search of paradise? So Paradise is really around here?

— Where else could it be? It was right here in these lands, perhaps a little further east, that our parents Adam and Eve put down their roots after being expelled from Jannah. I can't say for sure, my son, but it could be so... I've also already heard that it's on Mount Káf, at the end of the world. But where is the limit of the world? - he asked thoughtfully as he took another drag from his hookah. "How can I know? I've lived my whole life in this desert and I've never seen anything but sand. I've also never seen a mountain bigger than the one in the Little Oasis. However, they say that whoever finds this mountain will find Paradise, that's what I know."

Once again, Kadir got lost, looking east. Apart from the closest dunes, he saw nothing ahead. No mountains. The horizon was blurred with the remaining light, and from then on it was just a mirage.

— However, my son, - continued the grandfather, - don't think that anyone can achieve the feat of entering Paradise on their own. I believe that only true saints can do it. We, ordinary mortals, like you and me, must wait for a good death to take us there."

"Yes," thought Kadir, "grandfather must be right. Only saints can approach Paradise."

However, instead of thinking about the "good death," the young prince began to think about what he could do to become a saint. He fasted and prayed to Allah for seven days in the hope of enlightenment, but Allah did not listen to him or was in no hurry to answer him.

Kadir Abn Kaleb then fell into great discouragement. He lost his appetite, his eyes looked lost, and he almost fell ill, but he did not lose his faith. He continued to say his prayers and read some passages from the Quran daily. One day, months before his father's planned excursion, Balam, a wise dervish of the Mevleviya order who lived in perpetual pilgrimage around the world, appeared in the tribe. Balam was an old wanderer about whom countless stories were told. Kadir had heard of him and thought that his appearance was the answer to his prayers. He imagined that he had been sent by Allah himself in response to his requests. So he began to follow him from afar, modestly and furtively so as not to be noticed. One day, however, the dervish stopped and looked him straight in the eye:

—Are you following me, little sheikh?

The young man then bowed in a humble bow that was completely unbecoming of his position as prince of the tribe and made a surprising proposal:

—I would like you to accept me into your service, Lord!

The wise man looked at him curiously:

— At my service, young man? I don't think I have any service to offer you. But, anyway, in exchange for what?

— Knowledge, Lord. I want to learn about faith, the scriptures, and what to do to reach Paradise.

The dervish shook his head with a smile and examined him carefully:

— Stand up, little Lord, you must not bow before me.- He spoke after a while.—I don't know how I can help you in this crazy endeavor, but if you want to know the holy book, I can give you a few lessons in exchange for food and shelter for a few days.

Kadir was so pleased that he got up in a single jump:

— Of course, my Lord, my tent and all my servants are at your disposal…

The wise man made an evasive gesture and said:

— I already have my own tent, young man, just tell me where to set it up. For the rest, I just want some water and, if possible, a cup of that strong, tasty coffee that your people prepare so well...

From that day on, Kadir thought he had found a strong ally in his desire to become a Saint. Every day he stayed by the pilgrim's side, always looking for opportunities to do him some kindness and small services. The old man taught him many lessons based on the Holy Book of the Islamic faith – the Quran – and introduced him to prayers and sacred postures to honor Allah. He also showed him some steps of the secret dance that the dervishes perform when they want to provoke visions and raptures. The steps of this dance consisted of rotary movements of the entire body and head, which, according to him, reproduced the movement of the celestial luminaries in relation to the earth.

— It is necessary to perform these movements regularly to harmonize the mind and body with the entire universe and its countless suns,— said Balam after spinning several times in front of the boy.

— How many suns does the universe have? — asked Kadir.

— Hmm… – grumbled the dervish – that answer is not easy. You must first achieve the perfect spin, then all the suns and stars in this immense universe will be revealed to you. If you so wish! – he added, smiling.

Kadir had no idea that there could be more suns than the one that illuminated the desert during the day and hid deep at night. But he understood that in the art of the whirling dance there must be some kind of magic. A few times he tried to follow the master and perform the sacred spinning movements, but he always ended up dizzy and vomiting.

– The Universe is movement, my boy, it spirals. – said Balam – It has time and rhythm. Our art begins when we learn to imitate it, even if it means costing the last food we ate – and he laughed a lot at the tragic face of the young man trying to stop himself from vomiting...

The dance of the dervishes was considered sacred. As they spun, the priests imitated the movement of the expansion of the universe and entered a strange ecstasy. It was said that through this trance they became able to read the past, predict the future and discover remote secrets. Aware of these things, the young man followed his guidance in the hope that Balam would help him with his vast knowledge to discover the path to the lands of Paradise. But Balam did nothing more than further arouse his curiosity by telling him myths of the desert and mysterious facts from his own travels and adventures.

— The desert is a region of many secrets and mysteries. It has fantastic caves that open paths to the interior of the earth, oases with singing springs and lakes of warm waters that are not recorded on any terrestrial map. There are floating dunes that cover truly paradisiacal regions and there are also sliding pits of quicksand that carry people and even entire caravans to who knows where. I know the story of a man who was swallowed by the desert sand in front of several witnesses and later appeared very much alive in another region.

Kadir let out a clear laugh, considering it to be one of his master's jokes.

— Well, that's just a legend! — He exclaimed.

— Maybe. - Balam continued to shrug his shoulders — But that's what I heard.

The young man loved Balam's stories, although he didn't take them seriously most of the time. He spent hours and hours reliving them in his mind as if he were drawing them on a canvas. He felt a certain envy of the dervish for his life as a wanderer. It was a life without comfort or wealth, but full of freedom, knowledge and access to places he only dreamed of. So he resolved to follow him as soon as he decided to leave. He would tell his father that before becoming a chief he wanted to complete his pilgrimage to Mecca - the Hajj - and that he would enjoy the company of the holy man. He tried the best arguments possible to convince Balam to agree to his company, but, to his surprise, when he looked for him the next day at the usual place and time, the old dervish did not appear. Kadir looked for him in the outskirts of the tribe, in the nearest caves, and there was no sign, not even of his small tent. He concluded that his master had left with the little that belonged to him then was quite disappointed. They had not even said goodbye and he had not completed his lessons. In addition, he had left him with a greater number of questions and no answers about Paradise. However Balam was a wanderer, a pilgrim who belonged nowhere and had no one to answer to. He came and went like a desert breeze.

The young man greatly missed the company and teachings of the old dervish and became even sadder than usual. He retreated into such a deep silence that he became almost a kind of living dead, looking worse than a jhin banished to the desert. Most of the people in his tribe did not even notice him. Even his father ended up forgetting the invitation he had made to his firstborn and, urged by the main wife of his harem, began to prepare his second son to accompany him to the meeting of the great leaders.

Kadir was a motherless . Kaleb's first wife had died during childbirth. He did not even have a portrait or any other record that reminded him of her. His father had chosen another main wife from among the women in the harem, and she managed the chief's family life, influencing him in decisions concerning his children and servants. Kadir, being the firstborn, had a certain independence. He had inherited a considerable fortune from his mother, which was well managed by his grandfather. Fortune in the desert is measured in gold, precious stones, servants, warriors and cattle. He had his own tent and private servants, like a true small chief. And never cared to have too close contact with his father's wives or his brothers. In this way, he kept himself away from family intrigues and disputes and did not have many people to cling to, with the exception of Balam who had just left, his grandfather who was very old, and his old nurse, Amira, who was also at the end of her days. Kadir then had the idea of ​​following Balam. The pilgrim would certainly not be far away. But how could he know where he was going? Perhaps he was heading towards the lands of Turkey, where he was born, or towards the city of Mecca, which is the destination of all the prophets of Islam. He had no way of knowing, but he was a believer who believed in signs. Surely his master would leave some sign behind and he would find it.

In the days that followed, Kadir quietly organized everything he thought he would need for a great journey. He intended, it is true, to follow in Balam's footsteps, but deep down, his main motivation was his own search for the dreamed Paradise. So he wrote a long letter to his grandfather and packed a package with some personal things for old Amira. He was sure that she would miss him. As far as he knew, besides his grandfather, she was the person who had loved him most in his entire life.

However, Kadir was mistaken. He did not know that another person had him such an intense devotion to him that she would be capable of giving her own life. She was a small and frail person who always went unnoticed in his eyes. Aisha, a young gypsy, possibly an orphan, who was sold as a child to the sheik family.

[1] In Islamic and Sufi tradition, Káf is a mountain range that surrounds the world, outlining its limits. It is also associated with the center of the world, a place where paradise for Muslims would probably be located.

[2] Species of Arabic pipe.

[3] Order of whirling dervishes from Turkey and ancient Persia whose main founders are the wandering poet Jalad ad-Din Rumi (1207-1273)

[4] According to Arabic mythology, the jhins, jhinii or geniuses, are ancestral spirits who would have lived close to Paradise, but fell out of favor with the Creator. Since then, they have lived confined in caves, in the center of the earth, mountains and remote areas of the desert.