"So I swear by the afterglow of sunset; And by the night and whatever it gathers in its darkness. And by the moon when it is full, you shall certainly travel from stage to stage (in this life and the hereafter)."

[ Al Inshiqaq : 16 - 19 ]

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Ibrahim could feel his lips curve into an effortless smile as he watched Tanvir's failed attempt at trying to wish his family and walk out of the house.

His niece though however little she might be had seemed to picked on that her father was leaving for she was making sad eyes at him compelling him to take her along with him. The look on the little angel's face was priceless, it was one that could melt even a heart of stone. Ibrahim knew for sure that Tanvir would melt after seeing it. It was but a matter of time until Tanvir gave in to her demands. Five months and the girl already had them all wrapped around her fingers.

His eyes flickered between the little one and her father, silently observing what conspired between them. Sure enough Tanvir hesitated at entrance. His hand on the door knob, he turned around to face his wife and kid. A look of helplessness washed over his face. It was clear that he didn't want to leave his daughter, not when she was making those eyes.

Eshaal laughed, shifting her daughter in her arms. "She is such an actress. Go. I'd take care."

Hesitantly consenting to what she said, Tanvir smiled swooping down to peck his daughter on her cheeks and turned around clapping Ibrahim on his back. "We'd leave now before I change my mind. Come on."

Ibrahim gave him a short nod before taking a few steps forward and kissing his niece who at once switched her target and started making eyes at him instead of her dad. "Aeewhsshh." Little fingers probed at Ibrahim's beard. "Aeshshehsskllaasshh." Cocking her head to a side she lifted her arms in the air giving him a full blown smile. They all laughed. She knew the effect she had on them.

Something pinched at Ibrahim's heart. He couldn't find it in him to move away. Taking her chubby hands in his, he kissed them loving how she cackled when he did that. "How do you manage to ignore this bundle of cuteness man?"

Tanvir laughed. "We are used to her antics. She does that almost every other day."

Ibrahim kissed her cheeks again when his eyes fell upon his watch. He straightened up with reluctance. "Khair baby. Your uncle and dad have to leave now. We'd be back soon. Be a good girl for mama now. And you", he fixed his eyes on Eshaal. "Don't be too hard on my little girl. She has to be well fed and in a good mood when I come back."

Eshaal rolled her eyes at her brother. That was something only Ibrahim could say. "Yes boss, now leave. If you both continue behaving like old ladies and not walk out of the house this instant, I'm not responsible for any action of mine."

Ibrahim hummed eyeing Tanvir. "I don't know how you manage her either."

Tanvir shrugged. "You people gave me no warning while handing her over to me. What else option do I have now other than managing with her? It's too late for a replacement, don't you think?"

Eshaal shot him a glare. "Yes, yes. You have a difficult time with me, so difficult that you are not going to be able to enter the house tonight."

Tanvir started to say something but his wife cut him off. "Now go please. My pain has returned. I can't stand for long."

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry. Are you sure you don't want me to stay back? I can look after Taskeen. You can take rest."

Eshaal's eyes softened. "You've been working hard for this day. I can't be selfish and stop you from going there. I took my medicines, I can manage Insha'Allah. It's going to take more than vitamin deficiencies to get me down. You know there's nothing to be worried about."

"But still-"

"He might want you there."

Tanvir pursed his lips knowing she was right. His eyes crinkled and he looked at her with something Ibrahim couldn't fathom. Sensing that he was intruding on a private moment, Ibrahim quickly wished them and exited the house not wanting to become the third wheel to his sister and her husband. His kid sister now had a kid of her own, had a family of her own and he was beyond happy for her. His family had indeed chosen well - a man of deen and dunya as well. Tanvir was a model son, a loving husband, a doting father, an active member of a dawah group and a senior his subordinates at work looked up to. Even now he was helping a Korean who was to revert today. He had been doing a great job at it for a while now and Ibrahim's heart swelled with pride knowing the Almighty had chosen to show light to someone through his brother. There could have been no one else other than Tanvir who would have suited his sister well. He was glad about it.

Stepping outside the house, Ibrahim observed the street. The air was still crisp from the night before. The January breeze that was blowing was rather cold. The street was not crowded as it would normally be. There were very few people walking about.

A good few feet from him a father was teaching his two kids to ride a bicycle. Looking at them, Ibrahim was transported to his childhood days. He remembered his father laughing and following him with Eshaal as he rode away from them. A sigh rose in his chest. Everything was less complicated and more enjoyable those days. Now he constantly had to dodge nosey relatives, pesky aunts in society and a lot lot more.

Ibrahim leaned against his bike that had been parked outside his sister's house. He started humming his favourite nasheed while waiting for Tanvir to make his appearance.

Few stray dogs passed him. A kid picked on his riding and his father walked away with the other to another block. Just as he was starting to think his brother-in-law wouldn't arrive until he rang the bell, Tanvir appeared and Ibrahim stood up from his bike. Both of them tightened their mufflers around their neck and started walking in the direction of the dawah centre. It was a good ten minutes walk away but they chose to walk rather than using any vehicle. It gave them a strange sort of contentment. They felt at ease.

"So you've been working with the guy for over two months now right?" Ibrahim slipped his hands inside his pocket and kicked a stone out of their path.

"That's right", Tanvir replied. "Three months to be precise. He was standing outside our masjid one day. Broken Tamil and broken English as well. No one seemed to ask him what he wanted and he was terrified to approach someone as well. He kept standing there looking quite lost, unsure of himself. I noticed him, asked him if he wanted something and he replied he wanted to know more about Islam."

"It would be such a feeling right? What ran in your mind at that moment?"

"I literally froze for a while. I could think of nothing but His miracles."

"He sure works wonders in ways beyond our comprehension."

"He does." Tanvir agreed.

"Tell me more."

"As I was saying before you interrupted me", Tanvir laughed, "he asked for more information. I offered to take him to the imam. He agreed to it and I took him to the imam too but the guy later confessed that the imam has sharp eyes and looks much like his uncle and he would want someone else to teach him instead. I volunteered."

"Masha'Allah."

"Alhamdulillah."

After that, both fell into companiable silence. They had turned around a block and found it to be deserted. The cold Sunday morning had arrested all the citizens in their homes.

"How did Taskeen let you go finally?" Ibrahim questioned looking around the empty street. "I was sure she'd make you carry her too."

"I wanted to take her along you know but she is hardly five months old. She would start crying for Eshaal after a while and I cannot rush back home with her if she wants her mum in the middle of the session. I've never had to go through this earlier because Eshaal usually joins me at the centre on Sundays but she is feeling under the weather of the late and I don't want to stress her out."

"Yes, as she said the guy might be wanting your support today."

"Maybe but he has outgrown the fear he had for the imam now. He could very well manage without me."

"His name?"

"Lee. Don't ask me his other names. They're difficult to even pronounce." They joked about and their laughter echoed in the empty street.

"I think your dawah group is doing a wonderful job", Ibrahim stated after a while.

"Alhamdulillah they are a wonderful bunch of people. I'm sure you'd love them. It's a bonus that the centre is attached to the masjid. That way we never run short of people or volunteers."

"I think I might want to join you people too."

"Masha'Allah that is great news."

Ibrahim stopped in his tracks and fixed his eyes on Tanvir's back. "Shoot."

Tanvir spun around drawing his brows together in confusion. "What?"

"I sense a question coming. Shoot."

A grin broke out on Tanvir's face. "You have grown to know me too well, I'm glad."

"The question." Ibrahim wasn't in the mood to give in.

"Well, the question", Tanvir shrugged. "I don't think you'd like it."

Raising his left brow, Ibrahim met his gaze.

"Has anyone caught your eyes yet?"

Ibrahim nodded his head in denial and resumed walking. "None. There were a couple of men who approached me both in my work place as well as the masjid but they backed out after asking me about my community and other stuff."

"Issues I see", Tanvir sped up trying to match Ibrahim's pace.

"No, it's not just issues. It's 'community' issues. In a way it's good that they backed out. As I told you I'm fed up of all these things but why is it you're very eager to see me married?"

"She cares about you."

"Your wife?"

Tanvir gave him a weird look. "If you mean to say my wife who is your sister, then yes, she does. She is worried and as her husband I share her anxiety as well."

"I've told you earlier it's not that I don't want to get married but that that the people I meet haven't broadened their views yet. They are still stuck up on old old things. I mean come on, people of different races marry each other in the wider world and these", Ibrahim left the sentence incomplete. "I've decided on not fretting about it anymore. If it has been decreed by the Lord, none can stop it from happening. If it has been decreed by the Lord to not occur, no amount of searching will produce any positive results."

"Even though you may be my brother by law, you've been my childhood friend and we've rediscovered our friendship again. I just...just want you to have the joy I have."

Ibrahim gave him a heartfelt smile. "Insha'Allah one day."

A couple of minutes later, they reached the centre and got started on the work that awaited them. The special speaker had to be collected from the station, the microphones and other stuff had to he organised. The refreshments for the people who might arrive had to be seen to. The seating arrangement had to be looked after too and all of it had to be done separately for both men and women.

A couple of volunteers arrived as soon as Ibrahim and Tanvir reached the place. Little by little people started filing in. Everything was going as expected. The speaker was fetched from the railway station, the mics were set, the volunteers were assigned jobs and soon they busied themselves for a good cause while the whole city was still lazing around, exploiting their Sunday.

Ibrahim on his part enjoyed the session very much. He felt it to be an enriching experience for both his mind and soul. The speaker managed to keep them all engaged, speak what he intended to and still not put them to sleep. In fact he cracked jokes, used personal experiences along with Quranic verses, ahadeeth and real life incidences. It was so peaceful in the gathering, so serene. The angels had surrounded them and crowded over them until they reached His arsh. Ibrahim's heart was at ease. Inexplicable peace washed over him. He made a mental note to keep visiting the place often.

Initially, Tanvir was the first one who had joined this centre when he had come to stay in the city due to his job. Later when Eshaal had married him, she had joined here as a volunteer and even though the birth of the cute bundle Rida Taskeen brought few complications in Eshaal's health, she had made it a point to attend as many sessions as she could. Some days such as today when she wasn't really able to manage, she let her husband go alone. Ibrahim thought that it was a selfless thing to do. Even on the only day of the week she could keep her husband all to herself, she let him spend considerable hours in the way of the Almighty. If that wasn't being considerate, he didn't know what was.

The speaker continued to keep them all engaged for the entire session. They took a break in between when the volunteers served refreshments to everyone but soon enough they re-commenced their session again. It was soon time for Lee to come into the picture but at the last moment they found that his mic wasn't working. The speaker had a mic but Lee had to have an amplified version. After a failed attempt at trying to make it work, Ibrahim volunteered to go get another one from the store room. He hurried outside to get one while the speaker agreed on keeping the people engaged until Lee could speak.

Running down the steps two at a time he took a right turn where Tanvir had said the store room would be. He rummaged through the keys to find the one that fit into the keyhole and the moment he found the right one he inserted the key, opened the door and ran in to grab a mic which was thankfully in working condition. He locked the room behind him pleased that he had found the mic so quickly and sped up the stairs again.

He heard someone rushing up the women's staircase in the opposite end but thought nothing of it since the session had begun long ago and all the ladies had settled in their section. Ibrahim climbed the stairs untangling the mic's wires and just as he entered the corridor, a woman appeared from the opposite staircase seemingly in a hurry too. A flurry of black abaya for a few seconds and then, she was gone. Disappeared into the women's section.

The lady is very fashionably late!

Feeling silly, he shook his head at himself. He had to get the mic there on time. The speaker cannot keep them engaged for long. He opened the door and slipped inside not quite able to place in his head why the girl looked so familiar.

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Glossary:

💦Masha'Allah : as Allah willed it to be.

💦Insha'Allah : if Allah wills.

💦 masjid : mosque.

💦 dawah : calling towards Islam.

💦 Arsh : Allah's throne.

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Assalamu alaikum warahmathullahi wabarakatahu!

I'm so sorry for the delayed update. It's not about the lack of ideas (I have a truckload of them) but the lack of motivation because of which I wasn't able to write. Do boost it by answering these questions ☺

🎯 What do you think of the lil' one's name - Rida Taskeen?

🎯 How do you think Lee grew attracted to Islam?

🎯 Would you like to know more about him?

🎯 Have you ever been affliated with some dawah or halaqah group? If you have the chance please don't let it go. Trust me it feels so fulfilling.

🎯 Who do you think passed by Ibrahim? Why did she seem familiar to him? 😉

And guys I'm soon going to be at crossroads at life and I'm going to be needing all the dua I could. If there is something I would love to get from you, then it would be your dua. Please do remember me in you prayers (mention my name for your dua won't reach a person if you don't specify them). And there's a bonus for you in that - you get the same whatever you ask for a fellow Muslim in his/her absence.

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See you soon Insha'Allah. Do leave feedback and remember me in your dua.

Assalamu alaikum warahmathullahi wabarakatahu!