"Waiting for relief patiently [during times of hardship] is a form of worship, for verily the trials never last forever."

Imām Ibn Rajab رحمه الله

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She sat on the edge of the bed as hot tears rolled down her eyes one after the other, sobbing slightly not to wake her hungry kids.

She grasped Rahma close to her chest as more tears slide down her chin touching  Rahma's messed unkempt afro hair.

"Everything is going to be alright one day.... In sha Allah"

She whispered to herself with a heavy heart, as she wipes away her tears.

She gently laid Rahmah on the messy bunk bed,  picked Isma'eel's head that laid on her lap, laying him on the bed. And pulled the tart wrapper that was hanged on the bed, the one she uses as blanket to cover them.

She stands up from the bed and it  made a creaky sound,  she quickly wrapped her arms around them not to wake them up, humming a distant Yoruba lullaby.

She had only lured them to sleep because she had to lied to them that her sister - khairat would bring food for them.

She let out a heavy sigh at the thought.

It's been almost three days since they'd cooked food in their house.   Khairat would go to her aunt's house to bring some leftovers for them to eat, if not they starve. 

"Halima my dear, Omo mi" (my daughter) her mother who was just coming in the room called out in a raspy voice. She pulled a wooden chair near the bed and sat down.

"Mama-mi" (mommy) Halima answered,  She sat down on the bare cemented floor laying her head on her mother's lap.

"Maami...."she paused a little with a shuddered breath," It pains" her voice was coated with pain, as she continued

"all the rejections from my in-laws, neighbors and now everyone" she said. "I'm also a human being mama... No.. we are also humans like them... But they call us witches and all sort of abusive names'' She paused, gulping hardly as her body shook with emotions.

"Witches'' she whispered as her voice crack and tears falling harshly , "just because of our eye color..... I don't mind myself for now I'm old enough to handle myself, but my children mama"

she sniffed a little, "I'm tired of seeing them brought up like this,  maltreated by all and hungry" she said. "They don't  deserve a life like this mama! We don't deserve this....." She trailed off, tears falling from her eyes.

She broke into a heart wrecking cry.

Her mother caressed her head with her hand, her heart filled with hurt, eyes filled with tears. But she wiped them away so that she could be brave for her daughter. She is the only pillar she had left to her and her grandkids. She wiped her tears and consoled her child.

"Omo mi, My dear. Everything which has happened to you is for a reason and behind every reason there is a lesson. A lesson that makes you more stronger and wiser." She exhaled and continued. 

"Allah is well aware of the situation you are in and never thinks He abandoned you" her mother admonished.

"Allah says in Suratul tagahbun verse 4
" يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُسِرُّونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ"

"He knows what is in the heavens and the earth, and He knows what you hide and what you manifest; and Allah is Cognizant of what is in the hearts."

"This is a test upon you and us all... To those that mock you,  reject you, have fail and that time you tried to take out your beautiful eyes because of them being different would have failed too. Endure the test, accept it and finally win it. You have to be stronger my dear" Her mother advice, patting her head softly.

"I'm trying maami"she said softly," It's just sometimes I'm tired of all these-" she lamented as her mother cut her shut.

"When Allah wants good for you He tests you with hardships. He puts you in situations which lead you to the pathway of all the goodness that awaits you my dear" her mother confirmed,  lifted her face, stared at her blue eyes and wiped her tears.

"Maami, you really think that? but how, When?" she questioned.

"Never questioned Allah's will.  My dear, the time is written and will come only when it 's due time. Each step in life you take will only make you stronger. With Allah by your side you're never alone. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is your sole protector and guardian" her mother answered.

"Yes Maami, Allah is all I got,  then you.  I don't know what would I have done without."
She whispered to her mother, and hugged her.

"Allah knows what is Good for us. He does things in a way the human mind might not understand but Indeed there is a reason for good behind everything that He does. Have complete Faith and Tawakkul in Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. Turn back to Him in His remembrance. Build that connection with Him" Her mother added.

"Indeed Maami" she agreed, "I want to pray now and pour my heart out to Him to make all this come to an end" she said feeling relieved.

"Yes my dear, that's the right and best thing to do now. In Sha Allah, He will makes everything falls in place at the right time for this reason,he will grants you right people and reward you in
ways you've never imagined for all the Sabr and Tawakkul you moved on with." Her mother completed, kissing her forehead.

"Thank you so much Maami. I feel so stronger with you by my side billah.'' She hugged her mother back tightly.  (By Allah)

"Don't thank me my dear, it's my duty... And if I'm not here for you who will be there with my ọmọ mi? (My daughter)
She teased her getting up from the stool.

"Im going to bed now dear have a nice sleep."

"Okay mama-mi sweet dreams "
Halima replied as she gets up and enter the toilet and perform ablution.

She prayed until she started to feel dizzy and her head throbs. She hold her head and uttered.

She Place her hand on her thobing head and says

"بِسْمِ اللّٰهِٰ"(In the Name of Allah)

Three times then she recites 
"أَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ"
(I seek refuge in Allah and in His Power from the evil of what I find and of what I guard against) seven times.

It is narrated in Muslim 4/1728. That if you recite this dua when sick you'll feel better. And she felt better.

She sat on the praying mat her hands raised up in dua. And she starts to pour the heart out, tears sliding as she do.

"Yaa Rabb the creator of the heaven and earth and all what's  in it, yaa Rabb to You belong the beautiful names and I call you with all the them. You are the most merciful, ohh yaa Rabbur Raheem."

"You encourage us to make dua to you and only you yaa Rabb. And I call on you on this blessed night and only You my lord. Lord of the heaven and earth."

"You know the unseen, unheard and unknown and what's in the chest of  mankind. You know whats best for me yaa Rabb grant it to me. You never abandoned me and I'll always be a grateful servant."

"Make your test easy for us, ohh  Allah grant us good in this world and the next."

She kept quiet lost in her thoughts. As she remember the  time she finished her high school  with flying colors and none of her mates made it.

They cursed her, called witch, and says she bewitched the examiners and they scored her and failed them because they are not in good terms. While they know how brilliant she was.

"Give it to me"
One of her mates yelled at her. 

"It wasn't my fault that you didn't  pass wallahi i didn't do anything. I'm not a witch"(by Allah)

He walked to her and yanked the paper from her.

"You think you'll go with it"

"I read very well for the exams thats all i know"

She tried to explain to them.

"Okay now you are saying we didn't read for the exams?"

Another boy screeched walking to her and slap her right cheek.
She fell on floor with her knees,  holding her cheek with her palm. As tears swelled in her eyes.

"You're not going home with your bewitched result today"

The first boy confirmed and tore her result to pieces.

"Please, Nooooo"

She cried,  everytime he tears the result she felt her heart tears  with it.  He finished and throw the pieces on her.

"Teach her a lesson and this is my Farewell aje" (witch)

He hissed and ordered his boys walking away. As the other boys encircled her.

"Noo please......  don't.... You can't do this to me."

She stammered as blows and kicks hit her anywhere and everywhere.

She shout for help but kept quiet because the more she shout for help the more the beating because severe.

"Nobody can save you from us, even you Godfather wizard"

They beat her till they beat the living out of her and then they left spiting on her.

"Die here witch,  this is the end of your witchcraft since you messed with us" one of them uttered his word fading as he walks away.

She lied down there motionless for sometime untill she gather the strength to get up. She picked her tore result with a sore body and walked home straggling by the way.  

When she arrived she entered their room, she look for a sharp razor blade and murmured to herself

"it's better to be blind than to receive this hatred."

But luckily Khairat entered the room and notice what she's about to do and stopped her.

Shouting her mother's name
"Mama mama ooo" (mother, ohh mother) Halima is trying to cut off her eyes she screamed.

Her mother entered the room running and collect the razor from her.  Then asked what happened seeing the state she was. Who can beat badly. She wondered.

"Mama i don't want it.. I'm tired of all this,  it's better to be blind."
She sniffled.

"What happened this time my child" her mother asked as soothing as can and hugged her child.

"Adekunle and his crew beat me so badly and tore my result because they fail their exams....and they blame.... They blame-" 

her voice breaks and she couldn't complete it, and swallows hardly. 
But her mother understand what she wanted to say.

"It's okay now dear I'm here with you.... "
Her mother paused for awhile letting out a heavy sigh then continued.

"Halima life is not as easy as you dreamt for it to be. Or how you plan in your way."

"Allah test us with what we love the most, he knows what you are going through you tighten your belt for this exams and He make you past with flying colors, but this is a test upon to them Allah will deal with them, whether now or sometime in the future."

Halima hugged her mother tightly and cries silently listening carefully to every word her mother uttered. Her mother always know the right words to soothe her.

"But to cut off your eyes because you want to be normal like everyone is not the solution dear, you will never be like them because you are special, gifted and blessed. "

"You have to accept you for who you are and have strong faith in Allah, in life you must have ups and downs"

"One minute you feel better, the next minute you’re down again. Expect the highs and lows. Seek your strength from the Almighty. Only He can heal you. Have faith in the process. You’ll emerge stronger!"

"In sha Allah mama.... in sha Allah"

Halima melwed and hugged her mother tightly. 

"Mama I'm soo hungry, anty Khairat is coming soon right?"

Isma'il her youngest son mumbled, sleep talks, and brought her back from her thought.

He tossed in the bed and goes back to sleep again. Halima felt hot tears going down her cheeks. As she raised to continue with her hand prayers.

"Yaa Allah we have nothing to eat, bring a solution to me,my children are starving. The business I started last month was perish because the people don't buy from me, saying I'm a witch."

"Yaa Allah you are the only one I  put my trust on You,  and only you can help me in whatever situations I find myself."

"Yaa Rabbbi Taqabbal minee, yaa Rabbi Taqabbal du'a'ee. Ohh lord accept my prayers yaa Ar-hamar Raheemeen".

She completed the dua feeling relieved having completely trust in Allah. She lie down on the praying mat and dozed off to sleep. 

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Featured Nasheed :  La Elah Ela Allah by Mishary  Alafasy

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اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ و بركاته
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Next chapter is coming out Next week in sha Allah.
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lots of love💕 and du'as💚
في امان الله