Bismillahi Rrahmaan Rraheem.
My reads are growing Maa Shaa Allah,  my last chapter has 80 reads, that's like two whole classrooms listening to what I have to say.
BaarakaLlahu Fiikum.
ul1999 - You are amazing Maa Sha Allah. May you always be happy like you make me so.

- I have loads of unmentioned sweethearts, but believe me, I speak to Allah about you all. Asking Him to bless you and grant you all your desires.

I am on 2.2k, Yay!
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After Arafah and Lali were done eating, they received a call from university informing them of the laboratory’s cancellation.

Upon hearing that, Arafah felt like she was taken to the moon by one of NASA members, while Lali.. Lali had taken a rocket to Pluto.

Being full and lazy, Arafah stayed at Lali’s the whole afternoon where they ended up taking a nap on Lali’s bed, only to be woken up by Lali’s mother, Layla.

“Girls! Wake up. If you don’t you will drown in your dreams.” She shouted as she pulled the curtains apart.

“Mom. You didn’t have to seek help from the the solar system. We are waking up.” Lali groaned. She liked sleeping in the dark, whether it is full night sleep or a little midday nap. The room just had to be dark. Unless the nap was taking place in the university hall, then that would be another case.

“Arafah darling. Don’t let her sleeping demons get to you. I swear they aren’t friendly.” Layla told Arafah as she smiled, proud of her antics.

“Yeah. Auntie thanks for warning, and here I was worried that my friend got bit by a tsetse fly.” Arafah said with a bright smile on her face. Without doubt she was totally going to side her friend’s mother.

“And I thought my first born is sensible enough to hide her behaviors at home. Did she tell you she still sucks her thumb?” Layla was then sitting on Lali’s study chair, as she pulled a slightly serious face.

“Gosh! Eeew Lul! Can’t you grow up?” Arafah said as she chuckled.

“Says the baby.” Lali replied as she rolled her eyes. “Mom I told you it was just a coincidence that day, it was something to do with a dream I had that night. I suck no thumbs.”

Layla raised her eyebrows as her head inclined to the left, “Believed me?” she asked Arafah with a tint of amusement.

“Hundred percent, auntie.” Arafah replied as she leapt from the bed towards Layla and gave her a high five. They were both laughing by then, as Lali bore that it's-not-funny expression.

“Alright now, refresh and come to the sitting room.” She ordered as she walked away.

“Thumb sucker!” Arafah grinned at Lali as she tried her new nickname. And sweet it tasted.

Lali stuck her tongue out. Why did mothers always have to entertain their daughter’s girlfriends? Thinking of that cheered her mood a bit, as she recalled all the embarrassing stuffs Maimunah had related to her. Like how Arafah broke their stove, because she didn’t like to cook.

Or How Arafah is their family’s As-habul Kahf (because she sleeps a lot), as per Arafah’s dad. And the list was endless.

With a beaming smile, she bluffed at Arafah, “Guess what? I dreamt you turned into a bear.” She told her as she bat her eyelashes.

Arafah started laughing.

“Lul. Astaghfirullah it’s a grave sin to lie about dreams. The prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) forbade that.” She told her amidst laughing.

“Astaghfirullah.” Lali said with an oops reaction. Like her friend, she didn't take pleasure in disobeying Allah nor His messenger deliberately.

“But this bear thing, totally suits you. Why don’t you just be a lovely best friend and let me give you a nickname of my choice.”

It was funny how the pair would pick random and silly topics and discuss them as if they were suggesting on how to patch the ozone layer.

“Two play better than one, you know that right?” Arafah smiled, “I am in love with thumb sucker.”

“Duuh. Whatever.” Lali chose not to go on with it. “Go refresh, and I’ll follow afterwards.” She said as she sought comfort from her beloved bed.

Knowing well, that getting into an argument on who will go to the washroom first, won’t deem her any benefit, nor declare her the winner, Arafah just got up and left. A few steps away, she noticed Salim in the sitting room with his mother, she was startled as she ran back inside.

“Luuul! Salim’s back!” She said as she tried to breath at a normal rate.

“So?” Lali asked puzzled by the way Arafah was reacting.

“I wasn’t having my scarf on! And am only on my vest.” Arafah explained to Lali. That’s how harmful Lali’s sleep demons were.

“Oh, sorry. Take my black scarf from the hanger there.” Lali told her as she pointed to her cupboard. Arafah obliged and after dressing well, she went out again.

Minutes later, she was back. “It’s five! I have to be leaving, you know.” She told her friend. “Let me pray and go.” There was no reply and it didn’t need a genius to see that Lali was back to Pluto.

Arafah picked a muswallah, and started praying A’sr. She wanted to just be done with it, so she mentally made a note to wake Lali afterwards, so as not to delay the obligation.

A few minutes later, she was done praying.

Just like at dhuhr, with not a single dhikr of post prayers dhikr, she took off the praying gown and started on her mission.

“Get up and pray! Luul.” Arafah shook her friend as if she were some syrup bottle. “Up! Up!”

“Am coming. There is still time for Asr.” Lali deluded her self once more. "Stop shaky shaking me."

Unknown to her and many Muslims in our society the extreme danger that lies in missing the Asr prayer.

The  prophet may peace be upon him said,

من فاتته العصر فقد حبط عمله.

In a narration by Al-Bukhari: “Whoever abandons the ‘Asr prayer, his deeds of worship become void.”

Many explanations have been given concerning this Hadeeth, including the fact that, whatever good deed one had done in that said day, will be lost and not recorded in the Book of records.

What a loss to incur!
What a great loss man invites to loose a whole day’s deeds when there would come a day where a single good deed would be so precious, that kins would run from one another for fear of being asked for aid which themselves badly need.

“The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children.”

“On the Day a man will flee from his brother. And his mother and his father. And his wife and his children.”

May Allah save us from His wrath.

Arafah didn’t like the feeling that she had prayed while her friend hadn't. She kept on waking her up while Lali gave her a deaf ear.

The she thought she could enjoy some fun.

“Auntie Layla. Lul isn’t waking and she hadn’t prayed.” Though their mother, wasn’t really a perfect Muslimah nor anywhere close to one, missing prayers wasn’t a habit she entertained.

“Lali Haroun!” Layla using full name plus their late father’s name only meant one thing! Obey or face the music. “Go and pray. You will miss Asr.”

Lali immediately sat on her bed as she heard her  mom stomping towards her.

“I am going mom. I am going.” Lali rambled as she got off her bed and went to take ablution as Arafah took full of the chance to hide behind Layla and stick her tongue out at Layla as her eyes twinkled like little star.

Arafah couldn’t help but feel dazed on how Lali’s mother’s moods were rarely affected by their misbehavior. If she was happy like she was that day, it would stay like that, until the sun sets and rises again. If she wasn’t, then both her kids knew how to deal with it. Unlike Maimunah, she could be laughing her heart out, and give you a decent scolding within a fraction of a second.

Or she could cane her kids up, and laugh at her phone, even before their tears have dried on their cheeks. It used to disturb her a lot when she was a kid, she never had the luxury to live that, ‘I’ll ask mom when she is in good mood’ rule girls use when they need permission.

“Saliiim. How’s you?” The difference between those who have let Allah control their lives and those who haven’t. Even including the Islamic greetings which consist of a wonderful prayer is actually a heavy burden in their lives.

A simple Assalam Alaykum, to them, is only for elders, guests or strangers, and definitely not for their friends. Inna Lillaahi WA Innaa Ilayhi Raajiuun.

The fact remains that, souls need to be nurtured and fostered like infants, so as to have them help believing men and women in fearing Allah and not otherwise.

Even to our great swahabahs, it never happened out of the blue. They worked hard in training their souls to fear the Almighty.

“Hey! Arafah. Am good. You?” Salim looked from his phone, happy to see Arafah.

“Cool like a pool.” Arafah replied as she smiled.

“Someone’s pretty engrossed I see, got a new catch?” Arafah teased Salim, the playboy.

Salim smiled at that as he giggled. “Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart.” He recited melodiously. To that Arafah gave her an amused look. And impressed.

He went on, “But nah. It’s nothing of the sort. I am busy heartbreaking right now.”

“Ouch. Mishkinah. What happened this round?”

“There is this girl, Shakeera. Lali says her cousin is a friend of hers, and you know the rule.”

“No dating my friends, nor their relatives.” Arafah mentioned Lali’s rule. She had forbidden him from such, as she wished not for his brother’s silliness and and hobby in heartbreaking to affect any of her friendships. When Lali befriended someone, she was keen on respecting that relationship, and keeping it lasting.

“What’s the friend’s name?” Arafah asked Salim. They were sitting on adjacent sofas as they chatted.Arafah was already on her abayah as she had planned to leave minutes back. While Salim was in casual tee shirt and jeans, with earphones hanging around his neck.

“No idea. It had something to do with Humpty.” He said that nonchalantly.

“Humpty!?” What Muslim girl's name resembles Humpty?  Arafah gasped as she laughed. Till the world ends, nobody would ever doubt whether Lali and Salim truly were siblings.

“Arafah! Salim didn’t tell you to have some desserts for you guys in the fridge?”Layla interrupted as she joined them from her bedroom.

“Mom. You didn’t.” Salim moaned as he shifted his gaze from his screen to his mother.

“Stupid. Was I talking to the wall?” She huffed. “And where is Lul. Probably sleeping on the floor.” She complained as she shook her head. “When will I start living with a matured woman and man?” She asked no one in particular.

“The day you hold your tiny grandchildren?” Salim asked his mother who was now in the kitchen, taking her bowls of strawberry jelly layered with custard and some chocolate toppings.

“Yes. I can see you are negotiating the mahr now.” Her mom was good in witty responses. Who learnt from who? Well, this seemed more of group discussions then teacher based learning.

“Moom!” Salim whined not happy at how Lali popped from nowhere and started laughing at him.

“Okay. Here you go my babies. Just pray that I never get old and fragile, because I see you aren’t even thinking of growing up.” Their mom went on with her rants. As she held a trayer with four bowls.

“Aww thanks Mom.”

“Shukran Auntie.” Arafah and Lali spoke at the same time.

“Mom you’d always be a blossoming tulip and blooming roses.” Salim wiggled his brows to his mother.

“Look at him using his silly pick up lines on his mother.” Layla dismissed his chivalry.

“Mom. Can’t a boy praise his queen?” Salim faked being hurt. He was used to such jokes from his mother. Thanks to the texts his mother keep catching from his phone.

“Okay son. Have your dessert.” She gave his bowl to her son. “And Thank you dear.”

Smiling at Salim, she appreciated him and her eyes held that fondness that seeps in whenever she is joyfully spending time with both her kids. If one looked closer, he would see through her heart, and hear the message, the message to her late husband, saying ‘I wish you were here so we could be proud of them together.’

“Arafah, you are leaving already. I was happy to see you came, I had loads of designs to show and discuss with you guys. But it’s fine. Next time. If possible visit on weekends, okay?”

Auntie Layla, forgetting her In Sha Allah and not even noticing.

Layla owned a boutique which was still new in the market. Lali and Arafah were her favorite and biggest advisors on how to run her business.

She had great faith in them and she loved talking to them as friends rather than children, when it came to her boutique.

Before that, she worked from home as a tailor, her income was limited, hence, making Lali and Salim living a lesser luxurious life when compared to Arafah and her family. Throughout the years she had saved enough cash to then dive into entrepreneurship and try her chance in the field.

Though Alhamdulillah, fees and allowances for her kids came from relatives, Arafah’s father being the main caretaker when it came to their family’s well-being and she couldn’t be more thankful.

“Aaaww auntie. I wish I knew before. I will try making time in Sha Allah.” Arafah promised. Touched by Layla’s gesture.

Then, Layla’s phone rang from her bedroom so she left to receive her call.

“Aargh. This one’s bad.” Salim spoke while massaging his temples.

“What?”  Lali asked more like demanded an answer.

“Shakeera.” The response made Lali frown. “You are still texting her. Are you dating?”

“Noo. She is not bugging off. When I told mom about the tulips and roses, I was reading from a photo she sent to me, some minutes ago.”

“Salim. You don’t want to make me angry. You so don’t want. I don’t care. Just keep off her. I wouldn’t mind you marrying from my social circle. But heartbreaking! No way.”

“What if am healing her. Cause she already fell so hard that her heart is shattered into pieces. The only thing to heal her is I.”

“I don’t care Salim. What do these girls see from you? Lord!” Lali yelled as she moved her arms, utterly annoyed.

“What’s the friend’s name?” Arafah asked as she remembered the Humpty joke from Salim. Or was he serious?

“Imtithaal. The one I met at my attachment.” After their third year, the girls have joined separate firms for their attachments which was why Arafah didn’t know her.

“Just have my bowl. Sweeten your mood. You are so bitter.” Salim offered his jelly. He disliked Lali’s commands, all thanks to her bad waking up moods. She almost always wakes up with a sour mood.

“or go back to sleep. I’ll cover up for you.”He added up after second thoughts.

“I don’t want. I order and others follow. Not the other way round.” Lali stated the facts to her brother.

“See. Look at this. Look at what am talking about.” He handed over his phone to Lali, where Shakeera had sent a snap chat filtered photo without a scarf on. Caption?

In each of your jokes you had me laughing,

Can’t describe how, but I know I am falling,

Will you catch me when I land?

Cause am falling for you.

“Eeeeeewwww.” Lali looked so pissed. “No. I won’t blame the girl. You showed her that you are interested, you had her fall for you. Am sure.”
She spoke as she vigorously shook her head.

“Lul. What’s up with you? The girl is at equal fault here if not more.” Arafah took the phone from Lali’s hands as she said that.

“Give me the phone again. Such an innocent girl." She still didn't want to believe what she was seeing.

"Now this! This is why I don’t date. You’d be crying for a guy and here he is, thinking on how to end it.” She said as she scrolled up and read how Salim was trying to chase her.

Salim just shrugged. The good girls fall for bad/playboys isn’t something he initiated, and if anyone was to blame then it was none other than them, the girls.

“Just end it before it gets critical, I will have no choice but give in and date her. Just tell her anything.” Salim told his sister. That's how he couldn't stand a pissed Lali. It's like she was named after a tornado.

Lali started typing instantly. ‘Assalaam Alaykum sister. This is Lali, Salim's sistah and Imtithal’s friend. I know you will be shocked to see my message, but yah everyone says I am too nice and I really can’t control it.

You are too sweet and kind, innocent and beautiful.' She sent that part to get her digest.

'But do you really know the jerk you are talking to. Lord! The bed sheet on his bed as we speak has been there since five and a half months. He is nothing like he shows you babes outside. Plus, in case you didn't know, he is the world’s known famous heart breaker.

Leaving him aside, you wouldn’t want to have your heartbroken right? Along breaking your parents/families when they find out?
Just keep off him and keep off dating, I won’t tell you boys suck coz they don’t, but one thing I have learnt as Salim’s sister is, not all that glitters is Gold.

And dating is one of the worst craps of this world.

And go to sleep wondering why I, her sister has never tried dating nor has he ever hooked his friends with me?
Don’t forget to recite your sleeping du’a before that though.
*winks*

Stay blessed, honey.

Loads of love.' Lali finished typing, as Arafah’s phone rang.

Arafah felt that spooky feeling every time she receives an unexpected call from her mother, the feeling that would immediately make her mind recall the whole day's events and see if she had done any mistakes or abandoned any of the orders, her mom had commanded.

“Assalam Alaykum, mom.”

“Waalaykumussalam my baby.” Mahya replied with an evil grin on her face, that could be felt in her voice.

“Aargh. What do you want?”

“We are at grandma’s. Mom said you should come here after uni.” She used her commanding voice. Which most probably meant Maimunah was within earshot.

“Fine.” Arafah replied and cut the call.

“I got to go.” Perks of being in university, nobody notices when you visit the places, so long as it’s within university’s period.

“Let me drop you.” Salim offered to give her a ride on his motorbike.

“But you will have to drop me like three four houses away. Know-whar-I-mean?”

“I don’t wanna see you turned into kebab either.” Salim chuckled as he envisioned Maimunah reaction upon seeing her daughter on a motorbike with Salim.

“Let’s go.”

“Let me say bye to Auntie.” Arafah told them and went towards her room.

When she was back, a squeaky Lali showed her Shakeera’s text.

“Oh sister. Thank you so much for your advice. I feel so blessed, yes, I know I have been wrong and I am so ashamed.

You are like an angel from the heavens. I will follow your advice and keep off. Sorry if I ever hurt you in any way, and please explain it to Salim. He was my first crush and I wanted him to be my first and last love.

But I know, happiness is when your parents are happy. Please don’t tell Imtithaal about this, she might tell on me.

And again thanks loads and loads.

Loving back. *tears*”

“Aaaawwwwww.”Arafah exclaimed as she placed both her palms on her hands. “she is so adorable.”

“Yeah.” Lali smiled while Salim just ignored the movie episode taking place in their sitting room and using that time to reply on behalf of her sister's reply with:

Aaawww. P.s the bedsheeet's part was a joke.
Salim The Jerk needs his phone.
Can't reply at peace.
Bye.

When Lali saw the text, she got annoyed, as she used all her might to push Salim's head.
"You had to ruin the moment. Feeling ashamed of your dirt, huh?
You are lucky I promised mom, news would have been all over Insta and snap chat by now."

"Hhhaaaa!" Salim stuck his tongue out, as Lali picked a pillow and gave him a taste of cotton, cause it landed right on his tongue."

Salim scoffed as Arafah cheered for her friend. Lali then picked another pillow, singing loudly, as she threw it:

Am falling for you dear tongue,
Will you taste me when I land,

She laughed loudly, enjoying the moment as Arafah gave full support. Salim just grabbed it and threw it on the floor,

"Am I now a pillow breaker?" He said and they all laughed. Until Lali spoke,

“When she pleaded not to tell her parents. It had me thinking if we Muslims, especially the youth, feared Allah like we feared people. We would have been more happier.”

“Whoever fears Allah and reforms – there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.” – [Quran 7:35]

Lali was subconsciously talking of that ayah.

“Yeah. You right." Arafah responded.

"Salim, it doesn't matter if the other girls aren't related to my friends.
Won't you just quit heartbreaking? The whole Dating thing. Just quit it." Lali spoke with great emotions.
"I know am not sinless, but, we can atleast try to sin less with each coming day."

"Woooah! Madam, dictatorship died with Hitler." Salim stopped her from going on, not really dazed by the topic.

"But Arfa, hasn't this touched you? Even if we don't date we aren't better than her, not even better than our Salim, Swalah is still too heavy on us, and it's all cause our failure in fearing Allah."

"Don’t get me depressed, yah?” Arafah referred to how she wasn't enjoying the conversation as she totally lived against that verse concerning fearing Allah.

"Nobody is perfect. There always is room for improvement. Let's just pray for one another."

Salim spoke unwisely. As much as du'a has ever been encouraged in Islam, seeing that through du'a Allah has promised to even alter the Lawhin Mahfudh (a slate where all events to happen in the universe have been recorded.)

It didn't mean that one goes on with his sins. It didn't mean that one doesn't take a U-turn and attempt to worship Allah more.

We aren't asked for a sinless life. The motto is sin less, repent more, as Lali puts it.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “By Him in whose hand is my soul, if you did not sin Allah would replace you with people who would sin and they would seek the forgiveness of Allah and He would forgive them.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 2749

Grade: Sahih (authentic )according to Muslim.

عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ اتَّقِ اللَّهِ حَيْثُمَا كُنْتَ وَأَتْبِعْ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا وَخَالِقِ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ

Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Be mindful of Allah wherever you are, follow a bad deed with a good deed and it will erase it, and behave with good character toward people.”
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1987
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to At-Tirmidhi

Allah We should fear,

The one whose ever near,

He, Allah who brought us to the Dun-ya,

Decreeing that we will worship Him here,

Wallahy, To Him we are so dear,

He gave us Qur-an, a book so clear,

And sent us a Prophet, our beloved Nabiyya,

The Creator of seven seas is waiting for your tear, 

As He keeps you under His love and care,

He is waiting for you to worship Him as you cheer,

Repent from your sins, escape them with full gear,

Abstain from angering Him, as you do from beer,

Let Allah be to you as Lion is to deer,

It uses all five senses to detect if its near,

Ever conscious not willing to disappear,

O dear, Allah We should fear,

Jannatul Firdaus has hurdles every where,

But constant repentance, are enough to take us there,

As slow as a tortoise or as fast as a hare,

So long as, Allah our Lord we fear.

Everytime and everywhere.

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