***

Meanwhile, Humaira and Doctor Zayn went for shopping in their beautiful night market. Zayn said he wanted to ease himself so, he walked to a corner, leaving Humaira alone. After a while, he came back and they continued their shopping.

"I'm so tired already, we've bought a lot of things." Humaira stretched.

"Aren't you buying anything more? We would be leaving tomorrow you know?" He suggested.

"Yes, I've bought all I need perhaps, I'm not a shopperholic." She chuckled softly as they took a taxi to the hotel. After a while, Humaira went to knock on Zayn's door.

"Yes dear." He muttered as he opened the door.

"I really want to go to the mosque. This is the last night I'll spend here and... I just realized I have a lot prayers to say before I go."

"Awwwwn..." He cried and complained. "but we just got back."

"It's fine if you don't want to follow me. I'll go alone." Humaira meowed.

"Don't worry dearie. Give me a minute, I'll change my jalabbiyah and join you in a minute." He jerked and went back inside.

Humaira couldn't help but to laugh at Zayn. He is a doctor but he's acts so funny whenever he wants to.

***

Zainab went to ablute before making two rakkahs. After that, she placed her head to the ground in Sujud, making these supplications.

In the Name of God, the Infinitely Good, the All-Merciful.
Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
The Infinitely Good, the All-Merciful.
Master of the day of judgment.
Thee we worship, and in Thee we seek help.
Guide us upon the straight path.
The path of those on whom Thy grace is,
not those on whom Thine anger is,
nor those who are astray." She continued making supplications until her eyes started bleeding tears and all she felt was being remorseful.

"O God,
O He whom the depiction of the describers
fails to describe!

O He beyond whom passes not
the hope of the hopers!

O He with whom is not lost
the wage of the good-doers!

O He who is the ultimate object
of the fear of the worshipers!

O He who is the utmost limit
of the dread of the god-fearing!

Please forgive me all of my wrong doings. My misfortunes and my misdeeds." Her eyes were closed on ground as she shed out more tears.

"Ya Rabb, accept the good in all my prayers and make you plan for me come into reality. Oh Allah... Purify my heart, soul and body and please, make me remember who I am. I don't know who Humaira is or why the name keeps popping in my head but, I feel I've wronged this person somehow. Oh Lord let me meet her soon and make things easy between me and Khalid. I don't know if he's the right one for me because I don't know my tomorrow... Oh Allah, Grant me the best spouse and children when the time is fit. Spouse and children that would be my guardian to paradise oh Allah. Please don't let me go astray. I pray for the Maikuddi's bless and protect them and also increase them in Heath and good health. Amin. Amin. Amin."

By this time, her eyes were fully red. A feel of fulfilment and happiness ran through her. She felt relieved and she knew that God Almighty would accept her prayers.

She knows that had completed her prayers then, she lifted up her face from the ground. There and tgen, Zainab saw someone in from of her, prayer. She was seated in a familiar posture, Zainab just had to move closer...

But the lady was making her silent prayers in her mind.

'O God,
so here I am:
I have come to Thee
obeying Thy command
(for Thou hast commanded supplication)
and asking the fulfillment of Thy promise,
(for Thou hast promised to respond)
Thou hast said,
Supplicate Me and I will respond to you.

O God,
so bless Muhammad and his Household,
meet me with Thy forgiveness
just as I have met Thee with my confession,
lift me up from the fatal infirmities of sins
just as I have let myself down before Thee,
and cover me with Thy covering
just as Thou hast shown no haste to take vengeance on me!

O God,
make firm my intention to obey Thee,
strengthen my insight in worshipping Thee,
give me the success of works
which will wash away the defilement of offenses,
and take me when Thou takest me
in the creed of Thy prophet Muhammad
(upon him be peace).

O God,
I repent to Thee in this my station from
my sins,
great and small,
my evil deeds,
inward and outward,
my lapses,
past and recent,
with the repentance of one who does not
tell himself that he might disobey
or secretly think that he might return to an offense.

Thou hast said, my God,
in the firm text of Thy Book,
that Thou acceptest repentance from Thy servants,
pardonest evil deeds,
and lovest the repenters,
so accept my repentance
as Thou hast promised,
pardon my evil deeds
as thou hast guaranteed,
and make obligatory toward me Thy love
as Thou hast stipulated!

To Thee, my Lord, belongs
my stipulation
that I will not return
to what is disliked by Thee,
my guarantee
that I will not go back
to what Thou blamest,
and my covenant
that I will stay away
from acts of disobedience to Thee.

O God,
Thou knowest better what I have done,
so forgive me what Thou knowest
and turn me through Thy power to what Thou lovest!

O God,
counted against me are
claims that stay in my memory
and claims that I have forgotten,
while all of them remain in
Thy eye that does not sleep
and Thy knowledge that does not forget!
So compensate their owners,
lighten their load upon me,
lift up their weight from me,
and preserve me from approaching their like!

O God,
but I can not be faithful to my repentance
without Thy preservation,
nor can I refrain from offenses
without Thy strength.
So strengthen me with a sufficient strength
and attend to me with a defending preservation!

O God,
if any servant repents to Thee,
while in Thy knowledge of the Unseen he
will break his repentance
and return to his sin and offense,
I seek refuge in Thee lest I be like that!
So make this my repentance
a repentance
after which I will need no repentance
and a repentance
which will obligate the erasing of what has gone by
and safety in what remains!

O God,
I ask pardon from Thee for my ignorance,
and I ask Thee to disregard my evil acts!
So join me to the shelter of Thy mercy
through graciousness
and cover me with the covering of Thy well-being
through bounteousness!

O God,
I repent to Thee from everything opposed to Thy will
or far from Thy love
- the thoughts of my heart,
the glances of my eye,
the tales of my tongue -
with a repentance through which each bodily part will by itself
stay safe from ill consequences with Thee
and remain secure from Thy painful penalties
feared by transgressors!

O God,
so have mercy on
my being alone before Thee,
the pounding of my heart in dread of Thee,
the trembling of my limbs in awe of Thee!
My sins, my God, have stood me in the station
of degradation in Thy courtyard.
If I remain silent,
none will speak for me;
if I seek an intercessor,
I am not worthy for intercession.' She sniffed twice and continued. Zainab was still waiting. Somehow, she felt a connection.
'Maybe it's because the lady is a black.' she thought to herself. All she wanted to do is to wait. Even though she was a little bit sleepy, Zainab wanted to wait but she saw a message from Khalid.

Where are you Aliyah? It's already 1:00 p.m. Aren't we going to sleep again.

She smiled and replied him.

Can't you sleep in the holy mosque, stupid? It's an honour to be here don't you think so?

Khalid got her message and grunt. Why is this girl so annoying. He decided to dial her number. Zainab's phone vibrated but she didn't want to pick. Somehow, she wanted to speak with the unknown black lady. She'd been praying for over an hour now. She must have sinned a lot. May Allah accept her prayers." Zainab thought as she walked outside to the down floor to meet Khalid. 

***

Words and Translations

-Madinah: Located 400km north of Makkah, Madinah (Medina) is the second holiest city in Islam. After learning of a plot to kill him, Mohamed (PBUH) and his followers left Makkah and entered Yathrib, which welcomed them. He renamed it Al Madinah.

-Masjid: Mosque.

-Du'a : Prayer.

-Masjid Al- Mukarramah: The holy mosque.

-Shopperholic: Someone that shops for live.

-Jalabbiyah : A long piece of cloth worn by Muslim men or women. Also known as Jalbab.

***
Omg! I literally misplaced the book is scripted this chapter. Too bed... I just had to make things up. Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading? If there's any mistakes or anything you want to add or ask. Feel free to d.m me.

***

Madinah Mosque: The first mosque they visited.

Picture of Taif.