In the world of Al Qalb-ul-Ard, there are reciters of the Qur'an who have reached such a level as would cause wondrous changes once they recite, and raise upheaval in the country.

There was no question to the apparent and inapparent rules of tajweed. For all the Quraa and Huffaaz, to whatever level, could all testify to those reciters having passed that realm.. to reach a whole new different realm, where only hearts could tell recitations apart!

They perfected recitation by profound contemplation and abiding by the laws of Qur'an reading.

They combined in a perfect blend; Tajweed(proficiency), Tahazzun(sorrow), Tarannum(melody), Tadabbur(contemplation) and their Ikhlas(sincerity) to reach the level of Tarteela(hymnody).

...Wa rattilil Qur'ana tarteelaa(...and recite the Qur'an in Tarteelaa.)
[Quran 73:4]

The beautiful recitation became like a key, opening up the treasures of the Qur'an, and immersing the people within a state of divine contemplations.

The people of Al Qalb-ul-Ard called it the Domain of Ar-Riqâq (heart softening).

Yet, only a few chosen ever reach there...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Present Day

"I remember that day.."Zak laughed, looking at Old man Khidr, a light shining in his eyes,"So it was true, when they said a Tâ Hâ merchant had sold his entire wealth, staking his bets on us.."

Khidr looked at him, annoyance slightly playing in his eyes,"That day, you and Ukashah won those rounds.. You secured victory for Tâ Hâ, and we were at the top of the list for the first of the three competition days."

"Aww..I would have never known it was the same beggarman across the street in the Chinese landmass.."Zak tried empathizing, the playful grin on his lips however, seemed not to want to go away.

"I think it's good for you though.. "Ukashah said in a low tone,"For a Muslim to engage in something like that.., at a halal event too??". He scoffed.

Arkaan watched Khidr's eyes lower.

Was that regret visible in his eyes.

Even if it was just for a slight second, Arkaan saw the shame written across old man Khidr's face.

He felt that Ukashah and Zak had gone too far.. They hadn't been lenient in trying to correct him.. Yet, it might not be bad after all.. Perhaps, it would be the best way to prevent him from going back to that act..

Though he's a poor man now..

Khidr sighed, knowing that he could not expect pity from these kids, to whom it had been ingrained, - to hate everything that went against the commands of Allah.

He definitely was never going back to that again, even if the world called him a coward for that!

He continued in a low storytelling fashion that complimented the dull tapping sounds echoing outside the masjid.

"Seven tournament days at Hâ Mîm,

three days of competition..,

but only the final seven groups..would make it to the Iqra Colosseum at Madinatu-Anwar for the finals.

The fifteenth was gone, sixteenth was for rest.

Of the days that remained, only seventeenth and nineteenth were left for the Musâbaqah.

But who would have known.., that that day would end with bad news??.. That four of the youth participating in the GQRC would be announced missing on the said same day..

If I remember, King Dhul Qarnayn made things difficult for you that day, didn't he?"Khidr laughed lightly, looking at Ukashah. It eased up the tensed air in the masjid that had surrounded them.

The rain seemed to be abating outside. The winds had already become cool air breezes and the darkness outside was deep as a nightmare.

The sky outside was starless. There was no moon either.

It made the storytelling atmosphere in the masjid even more distinct, and images of that day seemed more vivid to Arkaan who was just seated there, listening to the narrative in absolute silence.

No one could tell what was on the boy's mind..

"Sounds of glorification, voices from across time,

The language of the soul, (which have been) taught the speech divine..

Ar-Rahmân
'Allamal Qur'an..
(The Most Gracious Deity
Taught the Qur'an..)

Your recitations were unmatched..

For you seemed to portray the meanings of those words, - that what we were listening to, were not mere words and phrases stitched together by a human mind..

But were..

the echoes of Jibril alayhis salaam from across centuries, descending with the Divine Speech, to Al Mustafa, alayhis salaat was salaam.

..Nay, it'd have been unfair to put you guys at the same level with all those that day, who recited the Qur'an before you.

It was clear, the difference of recitation and enlightenment of the recited verses between you and them, - were as the heights of the heavens and the depths of the earth!!"

•••

15th Ramadan[The Competition]
2 Years Ago..

Laughter rings through the seven heavens,

The wind rose and carried with it, the breeze of a thousand flagrant flowers.

Time seemed to slow and forever mark their existence,

and that of this gathering.

It was as if, any one who was ever to pass here,
would forever hear ballads sang of these reciters,
who entered this town once upon a time for GQRC,

and moved the great gathering of Hâ Mîm!!!

This was the power and beauty of Al Qur'an Kareem, manifested through an enlightened recital!

Zak's recitation was a living recital.

For the words that came out, seemed to be given life the moment they left his lips, - like the symphony of birds.

Piercing into the realms of the souls and spirits, the beauty of Zak's Qur'an was radiated by the essence of his very own heart.

It was such that the joints and marrows of the people filled with joy, brimming with elation.

The sweet scent of sandalwood spread through the atmosphere, pleasing the sensory receptors of the people, so the people didn't know whether it was simply just from evoked memories, or a strange phenomenon that had occurred.

For the verses he read were those of Surah Al Waaqi'ah, and they described the gardens of delight so wonderfully, one would feel his soul had already ascended!

عَلَىٰ سُرُرٖ مَّوۡضُونَةٖ
مُّتَّكِـِٔينَ عَلَيۡهَا مُتَقَٰبِلِينَ
يَطُوفُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وِلۡدَٰنٞ مُّخَلَّدُونَ
بِأَكۡوَابٖ وَأَبَارِيقَ وَكَأۡسٖ مِّن مَّعِينٖ

لَّا يُصَدَّعُونَ عَنۡهَا وَلَا يُنزِفُونَ
وَفَٰكِهَةٖ مِّمَّا يَتَخَيَّرُونَ
وَلَحۡمِ طَيۡرٖ مِّمَّا يَشۡتَهُونَ
وَحُورٌ عِينٞ
كَأَمۡثَٰلِ ٱللُّؤۡلُوِٕ ٱلۡمَكۡنُونِ

جَزَآءَۢ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ
لَا يَسۡمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغۡوٗا وَلَا تَأۡثِيمًا
إِلَّا قِيلٗا سَلَٰمٗا سَلَٰمٗا

وَأَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡيَمِينِ مَآ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡيَمِينِ
فِي سِدۡرٖ مَّخۡضُودٖ

On thrones woven [with ornament],
Reclining on them, facing each other.
There will circulate among them young boys made eternal
With vessels, pitchers and a cup [of wine] from a flowing spring -

No headache will they have therefrom, nor will they be intoxicated -
And fruit of what they select
And the meat of fowl, from whatever they desire.
And [for them are] fair women with large, [beautiful] eyes,
The likenesses of pearls well-protected,

As reward for what they used to do.
They will not hear therein ill speech or commission of sin -
Only a saying: "Peace, peace."

The companions of the right - 

What are the companions of the right?

..[They will be] among thornless lote-trees...

Like this Zak's recital went on, and the Qaadi who had read the beginning ayah for him to complete, couldn't even stop him anymore.

For their hearts were carried away, and their senses were blown by the readings of the winds of Jannat.(May Allah bless us with it!) 

...

Âyatullah's brows furrowed as he tried to gain enlightenment on the blond boy's recital..

What had made it so, that contemplation was easy for all people within hearing range, and had skillfully entranced them all, like a spell on their senses?

Indeed his beautiful voice that read the scripture, filled it with delight!

It was not just his complete and perfect application of all the Tajweed laws. He had gone beyond that, using the gift of his voice.

Perhaps, it was only possible because the boy himself before them, ..was already lost to the gathering.

From Zak's eyes, you could see the loss of awareness of his environment. Such a level of focus and concentration was exceptional.

It was like, all failed to exist for him except the words of Allah..

Perhaps, at that very moment the boy could see himself in another dimension where only his Rabb existed before him, and all he had to do.. - was read for the pleasure of his Rabb, the Ruler of Seven Skies!

Thus, his voice found form,
melody and harmony, the mellifluous flow of rivers..

Birds chirping happily on flowered branches..

Each letter had its secret,
And each verse, its form.

The subtle mysteries to every verse were hinted at in his recitation..

So no verse was left without one reflecting upon.

It was with charming eloquence he articulated the holy words, so each harf(letter) had its place from which it emanated, and when it did, it did so with all its rights and dues allocated.

All the Quraa and Huffaaz present that day, to whatever level, all could testify to the boy's having passed the realms of simply Tajweed, to reach a whole new different realm, - One of divine contemplation, where only hearts could tell recitations apart!

The verses had taken vibrant lifeforms so they could exist on their own.

It was a simple charm. But it was marvellous!

And all the commoners could do, was but sigh. For the intoxicating music of lutes and flutes would have failed to entrance them all and even beyond, like how Zak's recital had done.

It had stirred the crowds!

From the moment he had began, the fate of that round was sealed. For even the Qaadi had simply stopped to listen, and dared not sober up from contemplation, to stop the reciting boy.
For he feared prematurely putting an end to something phenomenal, - an otherworldly experience.

So Zak just read and read, he himself entranced in the very recitations that flowed from his mouth, like eternal rivers towards the vast ocean, divine.

However.., one thing those adept at Qur'an reading and Tajweed, including Âyatullah Al Hamdy realized was that, - Zak's recitation was also not only bounded to one Qira'a among the seven known ones..

It was subtle, but it was ever present.

Zak was reading into different Qira'at. Whenever he came across a new tone of speech of Allah different from the one before, he seamlessly read into another recitation style, and he seemed to do so subconsciously too.

This competition was about one's insight towards the Qur'an, and Zak's own seemed to span all the recitation styles!

This meant, - he could trace his path of Qur'an from all the seven famous reciters of the past!!!

But more amazing was that, Zak's recital expounded the truth of contemplation for them. It was as if he had summed up the mysteries of the universe in a line of phrases. And for the first time, they looked at the Qur'an in a whole new different light, understanding what it meant as Kitâbullah.

This subtle influence had spread from the reciter unto his audience. So for the first time in their lives, in that moment in time, they saw in the simple verses of Qur'an, the wonder they had always searched for, knowing very well it was there, and yet, - had always missed.

His extraordinary recitation had captivated the entire Colosseum. It seemed to continue endlessly, and all the hearts wished it would too.

However, all good things must come to an end. For in this world, we're all bounded by time and space. So nothing can last forever, and this, - the gathering at Hâ Mîm got a better understanding of, when Zak's recitation reached its ending verse..

•••

"We wish to hear his companions recite too!"

The protest of the people was as clear as daylight. The moment Zak had stopped, they all knew the round had already been won, even though the Qaadi never got the chance to try him with several other verses again.

However, it was agreed that it'd be unfair to let the assessment go this way. King Dhul Qarnayn particularly, in his guise as Special guest of honour, commanded for another test to be made.

He unwillingly praised Zak for his level of enlightenment and recitation on the verses of the Qur'an, but said things had to be made fair.

As all were in anticipation of hearing what the other Tâ Hâ kids had to offer, they chose for Ukashah to stand in for that supplementary end of the round.

"If one master taught them all, then they obviously must all have something exclusive to present."The discussions arose.

"We want to hear them all!"

"Tâ Hâ!"

"Tâ Hâ! Tâ Hâ!"

"Tâ Hâ! Tâ Hâ! Tâ Hâ!!"

The boys looked about the uproarious Colosseum in shock. Who would have known things would turn out this way. For a moment in the light of the hailing and cheering, they forgot what Inaayat had once said..

Only in sincerity, can the heart truly be in existence by Allah..
Praises, once entered into the unmindful heart,
Rip it apart like how water floods the sailing ship.
Leaving those on board bereft,
Of all their valuable possessions and treasure.

...

The required number to compete ranged from as low as one person to as many as five people, and Tâ Hâ brought five!

This way, one person didn't have to stand for all the competitions and wear himself out. But in the end, it seemed the five being there, meant they all had to recite to show the crowds what enlightenment and bonds of the Qur'an they had each tapped into.

"Ukashah, you're next.. I believe that will end our round for today, considering Zayn and Urwah are not back yet.

Looking at how things are going, we might all have to recite in this round of competitions at Hâ Mîm.. Though, that wasn't Ustadh's plan, the people won't let us off"He held his head,"Maybe we shouldn't have come after all, this is the first time I'm experiencing this uneasiness in my heart after reciting.."

"So you agree Ustadh was right.. That day we sat together to decide on whether to participate or not.."Ukashah looked up, into Zak's eyes.

Zak looked away, ashamed. That day, it was because of him Ustadh gave in. Geez, the man didn't know how to reject their earnest wishes, as long as it was not haram though..

But this was what endeared the Ustadh to Zak even more.. He was always kind to them like a doting father-figure.

"However.."Zak looked at Abdul Bâqi who seemed to be mentally absent..

•••

Some Note on the Seven recitations

The Khalifa, Uthmân bin Affan, radhiyallahu anhu, is said to have standardized the Qur'an in one out of the seven ahrûf(styles) of revelation. This was because the people from all over the Muslim world at that time had different dialects and this affected their pronunciations and recitals of the Arabic Qur'an.

In order to unite the people and preserve the recitation, the Khalifa ordered its standardization, and sent copies to all known districts of the Muslim world.

This solved the problem.

So it's said that, of the seven, ten, or fourteen Qira'at(recitals)[according to different narratives] of the famous Quraa of the eighth century, which is widely accepted, they all fall under one harf(of the seven).

Thus, it seems the remaining six are lost to the ummah and all recitations are under one style of revelation.

This is open to discussion..

However, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah explains the proper relationship of the different recitation styles:

A house may have a number of roads leading to it. If it is the
ruler's judgment that allowing people to use all the roads
causes conflict and confusion, then he may decide to permit
the use of one road only, forbidding the others. He does not
thereby abolish the roads as such, as they could still lead to
the house; he merely forbids their use
...