The boys had underestimated Arafat...

The sun was shining high up in the sapphire sky. It's gold rays filtered through the tinted glass windows of the white masjid.

Whilst Ukashah sat near the mihrâb, reading from the Qur'an, the four boys were gathered in a small circle away at a distance; Zak, Abdullah, Arkaan, and Rafik sat facing one another, thoughtful expressions mirrored on their faces.

"Do you think they'll make it?.." Arkaan asked, uncertainty lacing his voice.

It was just yesterday when they had an almost full halaqah. Now though, they were back to square one.

It seemed as if the promises and assurances made the day before had just been no more than superficial. It carried no weight.

Arafat and the boys weren't present. The sun had long risen after Fajr salah and it was already forenoon.

"Looking at things.."Zak shook his head disappointedly. He'd be lying if he said he had expected everything to go on smoothly, but perhaps, in a part of his heart had existed that little hope, that something would come out of yesterday's events.

"Those guys.."Abdullah sighed. Suddenly, thinking about something, he fisted the carpet as he made to get up, determination in his eyes,

"I'm to going to scare the living daylights out of them, and drag them here if need be!"

Arkaan held him by the collar, easily keeping him from rising, an amused grin adorned his features.

"We know you have powerful muscle when it comes to many matters of the tongue. But do you think you're a match for all those boys?

What do you do if your ploy fails to work this time, and the boys want to get back at you?"Arkaan's eyes narrowed. This boy seemed to have lost his senses due to being upset.

"Then I'd beat the living daylights out of them!"Abdullah now seemed unreasonable.

Arkaan sighed.

He really couldn't believe Abdullah. Right now, it were as of they'd do anything, even forcing people to join their halaqah.

If somebody didn't want to join, what was it their problem. You can't just go around forcing people against their will..

He looked at Ukashah. The lukewarm boy seemed to have finished his Qur'an recitation. He had spent the whole after-Fajr, reading. Even as they waited for the boys, he hadn't said a single word.

Now though, he got up, making his way over to the gathering.

"But we can start now, even if we're few.. right?"Rafik asked, looking around innocently at the dispirited faces.

Zak raised his head and faintly smiled.

"Na'aam."Ukashah answered before him.

"What?"The boys looked up.

"Na'aam. We can start the halaqah."He had an unusual gleam in his eyes."Remember? Zak,"

Zak smiled, radiantly this time, his eyes lighting up. Abdullah was stunned for a while. The past Zak is back..

Only his family members, and perhaps those who were close to him in the former halaqah, knew this smile.

Ukashah too was in a rare bright mood.

"Hope I didn't miss anything.." A vibrant voice called out from the masjid entrance.

"No. Naah!..You leave your sandals outside.."The boys in the circle simultaneously shouted, as they saw Haru almost walk into the masjid in footwear.

Al-Ilah knows where he'd been to, with those..

Arkaan smiled widely,"You're welcome! We never thought you'd return."He couldn't say he wasn't pleased. His heart would almost burst for joy.

"Yesterday, you had just left us without any feedback whatsoever!"

"I guess that means Elder brother over there, won me over with his note."Haru grinned,"I'd be honoured to take you as my sensei(teacher)."

Even as he approached Zak, making a low bow to him, Zak quickly got up to hold him back up, an awkward smile on his face."We don't make such bows to anyone but our Lord, ..in Islam."

Then thinking about something, he added,"At least you can avoid doing that while you're here with us. "

Haru smiled,"Hai(Okay)!"

He sat down.

...

"Studying the Qur'an is the same as cultivating one's heart. Cultivating one's heart refines the character. A cultivated heart makes one's body and soul whole..

A cultivated heart reflects the vast sky!!"The scholar's eyes glowed in augury. The students seated in a circle about him were left mesmerized by Inaayat.

"Ustadh",Abdul Baqi called out, his eyes transfixed in the gardens of contemplation,"What does the last statement mean? - 'A cultivated heart reflects the vast sky'?"

"The vast sky is generous, metaphorically.

When rain falls, all homes are nourished.

The peasant's rice fields, and the King's flamboyant garden both equally receive the blessing of rain.

It rains on the houses of the tyrants as well as the hermitage of the saints.

No one is left unattended to.

Such is the revival of the Earth.

Thus; a cultivated heart would attain the stage where it can reflect a portion of the divine attributes of Ar-Rahmân.

They develop compassion for all living things. Both the deserving and the undeserving.

They wish salvation for all, they shed tears for all man and jinn, saying 'Ya Allah! Let me be the Sirât across Jahannam so all souls may cross safely into Jannah!'

Or they become the ark of Nuh by purpose, - meant to salvage all Allah's people."

Al Iskandarī continued,"It's as was related in the hadith,

The messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Verily, the parable of myself and the people is that of a man who kindled a fire. When it lighted what was around it, moths and insects started falling into the fire. The man tried to pull them out, but they overcame him and rushed into it. I take hold of your belts to keep you from falling in, yet you rush into it."

Thus the hearts of the blessed ones. They keep on wishing good for all, and salvation for the souls as was the worry of the prophets and messengers.

Till they become Allah's beloved on Earth!"

"Ustadh,"Abdul Bâqi asked once again,"You said;

Studying the Qur'an is the same as cultivating one's heart.

Cultivating one's heart refines the character.

A cultivated heart makes one's body and soul whole..

From what you said, refinery of the character manifests by reflection of divine attributes. And such divine attributes were manifested in the prophets as seen in their wish for all mankind's salvation..

And the saying of our Nabi, alayhis salaam, when he said,

'I take hold of your belts to keep you from falling in..'

The first two, I understand. But how does a cultivated heart make one's body and soul whole. After all, you've only succeeded in refining just a single part of the body, - the heart?"

Inaayat smiled happily. This kid was a menace sometimes, but when it came to ilm, he was as thirsty and absorbing of it as anyone in his Al Aswâdi clan. Sure enough, he might be one of his top students, if not the topmost!

All the students seemed enlightened by his words just now. Even those who were slow to catch up, had attained to the same level of enlightenment by Abdul Bâqi's submission.

They seemed to also ponder the question,"How does a cultivated heart yield a cultivated body and soul?"

He called out with a gleam in his eyes,"Barakallahu feek yaa Walad!"

Turning to the gathering, he answered,

"You must have heard the hadith of An Nu'man bin Bashir, radhiyallahu anhu, who mentioned, to the end of which Sayyidul ambiyaa'i wal mursalîn, alayhis salaat was Salaam said,

'..Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body. If it becomes good (reformed), the whole body becomes good. But if it gets spoilt, the whole body gets spoilt, and that is the heart.'

"So that's the purpose of our gathering?"Haru asked rubbing his head in uncertainty.

"I thought you'd teach us how to sing like you did yesterday. Ya know, the words you spoke in that language, and the voice~~, how did you attain that?"

"You mean 'Recitation' yaa Akhii.."Abdullah corrected, a teasing smile on his lips, earning a bump on the head from Arkaan.

Zak answered,"That's just secondary. The Qur'an is not meant for just reciting.

Today, many people pay attention to aesthetics, and forget the essence;

What is the Qur'an and why was it revealed? Why should we come to know of the Qur'an?

Who revealed the Qur'an and for what purpose? Who does the Qur'an address in its revelation?

Above all, Who is the Rabbul 'Aalamîn?.."

Haru nodded, though it was possible he didn't really understand anything ~ . At that time, Zak had already began the relation of the ahadith concerning the virtues of the Qur'an.

He took each one with its commentary and the important statements made by scholars through time.

...

So it began..

'Uthman bin 'Affan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it."

...

Time seemed to flow eternally past them as they sat within the Circle, Al Iskandarī reciting and expounding upon ahadith of the holy Prophet and its commentary..

This time, it was Zak, reciting and expounding upon the holy prophet's ahadith and its commentary.

The new South district's halaqah had began. The first pioneers were very few to be considered a real halaqah, but they were enough..

•••

Ihtishâm walked along the exquisite corridor in an elegant green robe. Everywhere one could look, was made in gold and silver and all such adornments as royalty could waste. Rare antiques lined the way, adding to the beauty of the archway.

He headed for the place where King Dhul Qarnayn was busy in a meeting with his ministers of state.

All morning, the sly King had cleverly avoided him. It seemed he had had a gist about what he'd hoped to talk to him about, and thus, had avoided him.

He'd be a fool to think that the night before, the King was in the dark about the secret message he had received.

Even if Bilâl with all his stealth, had passed through the security and sentinels, for sure the King's own spies and guards in the shadows, wouldn't remain unaware of the silver arrow.

This place was one of the seven architecture which made up Ath-Thurayya, the Pleiades; Blazing Sun Hall.

Just when he had made the turn towards the central hall, he espied the astute Prince Fridaws, grinning from ear to ear, with a shady smile.

"Elder brother Ihtishâm, Ah~ what a surprise to meet you here~!"He walked over to him.

"This morning, Reyaz informed me of one new student who had entered into Sky Legacy Haven. It'd be a delight to go meet this new person with you!"

"Apologies, but I'm rather in no good mood for visitations as of the moment. I'll have to see your father now."Ihtishâm's last statement came out in a hushed whisper.

Prince Fridaws never changed his expression even once,"Listen, my dad is in an important meeting right now, and I dare say it would not end anytime soon.

However, the person you'll meet on this visitation of ours is a new student you cannot resist not knowing.

Come with me!"Like this, Ihtishâm was whisked away by his arm outside the Grand hall. He knew the sly fox of a King had set Prince Fridaws up on him. Due to this, there was no way he'd get audience with the King unless he himself wanted to see him.

He also didn't have anything else to do that day, so they might as well return to the Sky Legacy Haven.

...

Within a short moment of riding in one of those royal carriages they had around the Pleiades palace, Ihtishâm and Fridaws had already covered the appreciable distance separating the two magnificent structures, enjoying the ethereal scenery all along the way.

It was not long before Ihtishâm and Firdaws were walking under one of the numerous surrounding cloisters of Sky Legacy Haven.

Like a grand maze of an edifice, the entire building stretched acres, with many arcades and rooms, terraced by high quality woden roofs exquisitely modelled to look gold and silver-made. The colonnades opened into several flowering courtyards, all within the entire structure.

Even as they approached the part of the cloister overlooking one of the many central courtyards of the entire building, Fridaws called out, pointing,

"There! The immaculate boy in white, standing under the peach tree.."

Ihtishâm's eyes narrowed as he tried to make out the features of the boy standing afar from their position.

He was a little above average in height, clearly in his late adolescence. And had a striking dark handsomeness, certainly one of African descent. His shaven head added to his mature looks.

Upon further look, Ihtishâm noticed a smug smile curled up the dark boy's lips, enshrouding him in a peculiar charm and gorgeousness.

At the moment, he stood beneath the peach tree, its colourful petals dancing in the cool wind settled upon and around him.
It seemed they were paying obeisance to their Overlord.

The other students stood within the corridors and walkways, crowding everywhere. They had excited expressions upon their faces, and murmurs rose up in the air.

Ihtishâm could catch some waft of it, but the words weren't audible enough.

"Why is no one going to meet him in the central pavilion if they're all that excited about him?"

"It's not that they don't want to.. Ustadh is already engaging him in a discussion."Prince Fridaws smiled,

"Let's get closer so we can eavesdrop!"

Ihtishâm:"..."

Before he knew what was going on, Prince Fridaws was already pulling him along, as they edged closer to the central pavilion, where the boy stood.

At the central pavilion, was a pleasant old man in a cream thobe, sitting under the peach blossoms.

In front of him, was a small wooden round table, set with tea and cake, and a go as well as a chess board.

Taking a mouthful of a piece of the cake, he eyed the boy looking up at the blossoming tree.

"You're invited to share with me my sweet dish.. provided you'd play a game with me.

Go or chess, whichever you're much fluent in.."

The boy looked down, examining the set table in front of the old man. An imperceptible gleam passed through his eyes.

"You do know Heaven Gathering Clouds, don't you? Sheikh Zeeshan.."The boy smiled slyly,"I'd like to play that game.."