"The Path to Allah...There's no hopelessness on this path...

Sometimes, determination is all that is needed to change the course of an entire lifetime... "

(Hilya's Diary)

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The nations of the Eastern world were diverse. A myriad cultures, beliefs, and politics bloomed everywhere. The lands mostly seemed at peace with one another; civilization and learning prospered. Such were the lands in the East for about a hundred years now.

Among the nations in the East was one – a Muslim nation that seemed to stand at the heart of the land, and reigned supreme, as if no other power could match it.

It was called Qalb-ul-Arḍ. 

Culture, economics and knowledge flourished here.

Seven provincial cities with many towns spread about, comprised the main structure of this nation, and included the capital–the renowned Madinatu-Anwâr, formally called the City Nûn.

The most spectacular grand palace of the monarchy was located here: Ath-Thurayya. It was said, in all the Eastern world, no ruler's abode could compare!

In these lands, the advancement of science, as well as all other forms of secular knowledge played an important role, leading the forefront to the future, as it sided with the knowledge of the Dîn.
Such was the City Tâ Hâ, the farthest of the seven provincial cities to the south –the only city on an isle.

Commonly known as Madinatu-Asghar, this Isle consisted of four districts; North, East, South, and West.

The North district was more of a working region with a fishing niche, principal market, and port.
The West district had the fortress of the native tribes, a principal hospital and the City hall of the council.

The South and East districts together made up the central part of the entire city.
It was a bustling metropolitan region with all the characteristic features of a blooming city.

•••

Far out to the southeastern shore of the island, a young boy in his late teens sat on the greenery of the meadows, overlooking the azure sea in its meeting with the cerulean horizon in the far distance. The meadow was upon a cliff which had its sides tapering into a shingle beach and sand dunes.
A bay further formed to the west of where the boy sat, so near he had a bird's eye view of everything down below.

Yet, this youth was not there to enjoy the great view and the ocean breeze. Sitting arched back, supported by his left hand, he held an opened Holy Qur'an in the other.

The pocket-sized book looked particularly old, yet neat. Had it been in the hands of another, it would have been completely worn out from the excessive use. But it was kept well by the owner. 

Utterly immersed in his recitation and contemplation of the Holy book, a holy and refined aura seemed to encompass him. Thus, it was no surprise that, when the dark clouds began gathering above, he remained unnerved.

Then the drizzle heralding the rain started.

One..

Two...

Three drops.. fell upon his soft cheeks and rolled downwards.

He raised his gaze upwards, looking at the dark grey clouds in discontent. His gold-tinged brown iris stood out against the white on his kohl-lined piercing eyes of an eagle. These eyes seemed to be able to tell the detailed nature of everything they looked at.

He lowered his eyes, which instantly turned soft in gaze, resigning himself to the teasing of the oncoming storm.
He got up abruptly, closing his Qur'an in the same motion, and tucked it into the breast pocket of his white thobe.
About to turn back, and head towards the more central parts of the city, his sharp eyesight noticed a figure drawn up on the beach down below, at the bay.

He took a critical look and noticed it was a person, soaked and lying still on the beach sand.

"Ukashah!"A voice called out from behind him. It was Zak, his friend from the South Circle. His wide grin spread across his radiant features.

"Thought I should come fetch you, since you seem oblivious of your surroundings once you pick up your Qur'an to recite."Zak smirked. By now, the drizzle of the rain was cascading into a heavy downpour. Zak just stood there, drenching in the rain,seemingly unwilling to leave without him.

Ukashah felt himself soaking up, and trembled slightly as the cold gradually seeped into his pores from the wet clothes. His gaze shifted back to the figure on the shore. It didn't move, even though the rain was now dangerously building up into a torrent. He was sceptical about going to help, always cautious about everything.

But it didn't take long to make a decision – his soft heart had won the argument. How could he leave someone in need of help unattended to, whilst he could help.

"There's someone lying unconscious down the beach, let's go help!" Ukashah called loudly to Zak as he rushed down by the tapering sides of the cliff.

The falling rain was now deafening, but Zak was able to make out what Ukashah said.

Surprised at his statement just now, Zak promptly trailed after Ukashah down the meadows. When the figure came into sight, he was shocked.
It was a young boy, just about their very age. His black hair was drenched, his body and clothes muddied, seaweed and all.

He looked foreign, and had a handsome countenance.

Lightning cackled in the dark sky, with deafening booms of thunder ringing in its wake, obliterating all other sounds.

Hurriedly, the two friends supported the unconscious boy by their shoulders. Lifting him, they carried the boy towards the safe haven of the city Tâ Hâ.

•••

The sunset after a heavy downpour is one of the most beautiful and yet ephemeral scenery in life one could experience.

A young and otherworldly beautiful girl stood on the corridor of a huge mansion, within the most grand estate in the entirety of the South district, appreciably isolated from the other settlements.

It had everything; from a lake to orchards with palm trees, to the most splendid scenery of meadows, around decorated and elegant pavilions.
One could tell that, the family which lived here was more than the word 'well-to-do'.

The girl, dressed in a deep shade of violet with a dark chador around her, looked into the last soft orange glows of the tainted sky. Her gaze seemed to be looking far, as if in reminiscence.
Earlier during the rainy day, her elder brother had come with his friend from their former Qur'an halaqah, carrying a young boy drenched thoroughly in dirt and mud.

They brought him home so he could be catered well for by the family.

Zak had done this so many times in the past, that the family had lost count.
Since he was little, he'd bring orphans and strangers, and people in miserable plights to their home. When he was little, he did it out of his innocence and naivety. He was just too kind..

Maryam could never forget how once, Zak brought a little beggar boy from the street. Looking innocently with much enthusiasm into their father's eyes, he joyously asked,"Abii, I saw Lil Khayr on the street asking for alms.

He said he has no parents, so I said he could share my dad and mum with me, can we keep him?!"

He stared with a cute expression at their father who opened his mouth agape in shock. If he could, their dad would have gotten a heart attack at that very moment.

Zak's mother smiled at her little kind son encouragingly, warmth and kindness radiating her eyes. She went on to explain to the boy the ways of the world, and how they couldn't just go adopting every person.

Zak innocently asked,"But why?.."He seemed to be on the verge of tears. He could not believe there were so many other children in this world in the same plight as Lil Khayr.

Why could they not enjoy the same as him? Why were there days when people would go without eating a meal?

If he could, he'd keep all of them!!

Nana Aishah went on to explain to her little son more about life. But it only seemed to increase his questions, and then his resolve to make all orphans, his younger brothers and sisters!

What happened after that was the bringing of orphans did not stop. Rather, it cascaded to envelope a wide variety of homeless people, orphans and beggars to strangers and poor people, even stray animals!

The worst case was when he brought a mentally disturbed man to their home. Things had escalated by that time, reaching a boiling point!

Yet, as Zak grew, he began to mature, and gradually ceased his eccentric behaviours, to focus on learning.

In order to do something that would pacify their son, and earn Allah's pleasure, the parents of the Al Maghribi family built an orphanage in the southeast of the Central city, to aid and host underprivileged children, like those they had seen Zak spend his childhood bringing home.
It was famed 'Al Bayt-ul-Rahma'(The House of Mercy) orphanage, – the first and only one in the whole Madinatu-Asghar.

Maryam had always secretly admired her elder brother's kindness, though they were step siblings.

She wished she had the confidence to do as he used to do, but she was the reserved type.

As she grew older, her modesty only increased, and she spent most of her time in various forms of Ibaadah and Adhkar.

In the whole Maghrib family, she showed the most devotion in learning Islam, and scholarship which could only be rivalled by Zak!

Due to her devotions, everyone in and around the family considered her the most pious of the Maghribi family kids. But she had no joy in that, and actually detested it, fearing for her Imaan.

But one thing commonly known about the Maghribi family, was their kindness and generosity, famed throughout the entire city.

Since their father was a Council member, it only served to make the family even more eminent. All the kids of his three wives were nurtured to show kindness and generosity to people, irrespective of their social backgrounds.

Perhaps, that was why their family was so blessed by Allah, people would think and contemplate.

Some people envied them, others admired them.
The poor used to thank Allah that such a wealthy family was endowed with kindness and generosity.

In this way, many prayers were said for the family. It was therefore not that much of a surprise to people, seeing Zak behave thusly as a child.

So when Zak brought the unconscious boy in that late afternoon, no one complained, but rushed to assist.
All aided, finding ways to help alleviate the unfortunate plight of the boy. Maryam included.

Yet there was something about the boy that left her wandering when she first saw his face. A pensive feeling..

Maryam stood, thinking hard."Could I have seen him somewhere before..?"

He evoked a nostalgic feeling within her. But as far as she could remember, she lived almost her entire life on the island, and he looked foreign.. They couldn't possibly have met somewhere before.

Just then, she recollected his finely crafted matured features. His face was calm, innocent, yet held an imposing aura to it. He was indeed a comely youth.

Maryam blushed hard, as she stomped her foot out of nervous habit, the faint jingle of an anklet ringing in the wake. She was thinking too far about things..

"Since I can't recall, then it's probably not important."The sun had already gone down. She had to prepare for Salah.

She walked away from the balcony, entering into the inner confinements of her home.

At the same moment in a different apartment of the large and annexed mansion, even as the adhaan for the Maghrib salah was being called, the eyes of a young boy flickered open; wild dashing green eyes looking as bright as emerald stones.

If they opened under the moonlight, they'd look more spectacular–But these eyes contained defiance, and an air of freedom to them!

_________________________________

Footnote

1. Madinatu-Anwâr - City of Lights

2. Nûn - A letter of the Arabic alphabet, used at the beginning of a Chapter of the Holy Qur'an, Al Qalam(The Pen). This letter forms part of the Muqaṭṭaʿāt° (Arabic: حُرُوف مُقَطَّعَات‎ ḥurūf muqaṭṭaʿāt, "disjoined letters" or "disconnected letters"; also "mysterious letters")It's said that, none but Allah knows the meanings.

°The Muqaṭṭaʿāt are combinations of between one and five Arabic letters figuring at the beginning of 29 out of the 114 chapters (Surahs) of the Qur'an, just after the Bismillah(In the name of Allah, used to begin each Surah except the ninth). The letters are also known as fawātiḥ (فَوَاتِح) or "openers" as they form the opening verse of their respective surahs.

Four surahs are named for their muqaṭṭaʿāt: Tâ Hâ, Yâ Sīn, Sâd, and Qâf.

3. Ath-Thurayya - The Pleiades

4. Tâ Hâ - These are two separate letters, Tâ and Hâ of the Arabic alphabet. Used as the name of a city here, they're the beginning of the Chapter of the Qur'an also named Tâ Hâ, forms part of the Muqaṭṭaʿāt.

5. Madinatu-Asghar - The Smaller City

6. Ukashah - Arabic male name which means "Spider". The most notable aspect of the name is the historical figure, Ukashah bin Wahsan Al-Asadi. He was a companion of the holy Prophet, and was part of the 313 companions who fought in the first battle of Islam, Badr. These companions were blessed with the highest bounty; Allah revealed that they were forgiven, and so no matter what happened after then, they were still people of Paradise. This man had other notable things about himself in Islamic history.

7. Zak - short form of Zakariyya, the great Prophet of Allah who fathered the Prophet Yahya(A.S.), upon them both be peace. He was assigned as the caretaker of Maryam, the mother of 'Isa, upon them be peace. According to the wiki, Zakariyya is a masculine given name, the Arabic form of Zechariah which is of Hebrew origin, meaning,"God has remembered".

8. Chador - a full body-length hijab(Muslimah° veil) variation that veils the head and body, but is open down the front. This cloth is tossed over the woman's or girl's head, but then she holds it closed in the front. The chador has no hand openings, or any buttons, clasps, etc., but rather it is held closed by her hands or tucked under the wearer's arms.

°Feminine for Muslim

Example of Hijab variations is provided down below. The girl's black veil garment is a good example of the Chador.

9. Halaqah - sing. for Halaqât, a Circle of Learning

10. Maryam - The name of the mother of 'Isa, upon them both be peace. She was the handmaiden of Allah, and was described by Allah in the holy Qur'an as an example to all believers, thus;

And [the example of] Mary, the daughter of 'Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel, and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.

11. Abii - Arabic for "My Father".

12. Khayr - lit. Goodness. Can be a name.

13. Nana Aishah - Nana has so many meanings in different languages. Here, it stands for "Lady". Aishah is a feminine name, derived from the third wife of the Holy Prophet. She was notable for being a Scholarly woman who narrated a lot of traditions, especially, on Islamic jurisprudence.

14. Al Maghribi - relating to Northwest Africa, the Arabs of this region, bordering the Mediterranean sea.

NB: In this story, the Al Maghribi family seemingly have their origins from that region, but have essentially integrated into the fabric of the Country Qalb-ul-Ard.

15. Al Bayt-ul-Rahma - The House of Mercy

16. Ibaadah - Worship. In Islam, every act can become a form of worship when done with Ikhlâs(Sincerity; for the sake of Allah alone), and according to the sunnah(way and practices of the Holy Prophet, alayhis salaam). Obedience to Allah in performing what He has ordered, and avoiding what He has prohibited, all form part of Ibaadah.

Even normal action like a 'smile' can be an act of worship, if they meet the two criteria above.

17. Adhkar - (pl. for Dhikr) the Remembrance of God, done by mentioning words of glorification.

18. Imaan - Faith, the belief that's present in the heart.

19. Maghrib - lit. Sunset, also the name for the fourth prayer of the day, performed at that very time by Muslims.

20. Adhaan - The Call to prayer, made before every one of the five daily prayers to alert people on the time for prayers.