"...pray for the Muslim ummah; treat their elderly with respect, their young with compassion, and their scholars with reverence."

(Umar Series)

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At the far east wing was a region of the estate filled with the most appealing scenery. It comprised a large garden, with a flamboyant array of exotic scented blossoms, and a fish pond filled the most exquisite-looking sea creatures.
A young girl of late adolescence stood at the brink of the pond, feeding the carps and the lot swimming within, and also the ducks and fowls that surrounded it, treading at her feet.

The animals seemed to have no fear of her, but rather approached her with fondness, and excitement. With her was a younger sister dressed in azure gown and a black abaya draped around her as she aided her elder sister in her chores.

It was morning, a little after sunrise.

This was Aasiyah, and her elder sister who exuded a beauty and grace, Maryam. Even as Maryam gently fed the ducklings with apparent fondness, Aasiyah looked at her with deep admiration. With her black chador draped all around her deep violet gown, she indeed looked spellbinding, like an ethereal dark rose.
Of all the ladies in the family, to Aasiyah, Maryam was the most gentle and kind. With a delicate nature and captivating beauty, her additional moon-like fairness made it seem like she was an otherworldly beauty come to fill the world with charming goodness.

"What do you think of Arkaan..?"Maryam softly asked, even as she fed the little creatures meticulously.

"Wait, what?!!.."

Aasiyah was caught off guard, her mind racing with several thoughts, and her heart churning like a stormy sea.

Maryam looked at Aasiyah's flustered face and gently laughed, her voice as clear and soothing as spring breeze. In a sudden fluid movement, she reached over to Aasiyah and had her sister's fair soft cheeks in both palms.

"Wa na'uudhu billah(and we seek refuge in Allah)"She said, looking straight into her younger sister's intelligent eyes,"Not that, Sheikha!" Maryam laughed again, gently covering her mouth.

She knew Arkaan was gorgeous so much that her sharp-witted younger sister had become flustered just by hearing his name; but that was not what she had in mind.

"I mean his Qur'an recitation. I heard you and Abdullah had spent some time with him yesternight, even as he read the Qur'an.

I also heard from Zak that you both had instructed him in tajweed lessons.

The people who stood with him in salah, including our own family members did not cease to praise his voice in recitation..."

Aasiyah softly chuckled,"I think people have exaggerated him a bit too much."

Regaining her composure, she calmly continued,"I mentored him personally -with Abdullah.
He had a nice voice, so nice I heard some of the attendants liken him to the five Quraa' of Madinat-ul-Asghar's south district halaqah."

Her eyes narrowed,"But they can't be further away from the truth..."
She could see her elder sister was interested in the Qur'an of Arkaan.

Maryam kept silent for a while, during which Aasiyah did not continue. Maryam then sighed,"It's been two years now, isn't it...?
Since -the sounds of Qur'an recitation of several voices filled the air, so one could almost hear it from afar." She spoke with a feeling of nostalgia engulfing her.

"It's been two years now, since I last saw Elder brother Zakariyya smile and laugh like before, -radiant. The one that brings warmth and light in the most dark and depressing of situations..

Even now when he smiles, it's unlike before...I know he misses them..." Aasiyah added absentmindedly.

"But why did you ask about Arkaan's recitation?"Aasiyah suddenly asked. She wanted to understand Maryam's sudden interest.

Thinking for a while, Maryam answered,"For a moment, I thought and hoped that somehow - just somehow, the halaqat-ul-Qur'an of the south district would be revived again. That, they would rise to become the best of the city Tâ Hâ like in the past." Her eyes beamed brightly like stars, in admiration of things lost to time. She seemed to yearn for a period lost in the coursing flow of time.

"-and that, unlike in the past, this new team would show to the rest of the world, what it means - the people of the Qur'an... The household of Allah and His favoured ones." Her eyes radiated excitement and expectation which was unusual in her calm personality."Do you remember that ahadith?" She looked at Aasiyah calmly. Then, she quoted a hadith in eloquent Arabic.

Aasiyah spoke, remembering the hadith of the Holy Prophet, may Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,"It was reported by Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who narrated: The messenger of Allah, may Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

For Allah,from amongst the people, there are some who are those of His household.

The companions, upon them be Allah's pleasure asked: Who are those people?

(It was answered) Men of the Qur'an. They are the household of Allah, and are His favoured ones."

Hearing the hadith itself being mentioned, caused Maryam's heart to palpitate. To be part of Allah's household, the favoured ones amongst the people...

She had seen many people even in a short span of seventeen years of life, who had their own reasons for learning the Qur'an.

There were those who read for only the ajr(reward) of recitation, they thought of the hereafter. And then those who sought the transient gains of the world. Seeking praise and fame amongst men, they forgot their Lord.

Many were those who read the book without even bothering to understand message, they had the greatest loss.

There were some who understood, but did not put it to practice, so the light never emanated from them to benefit them.
Yet still, most of the ummah, who were known as the people of the Qur'an did not propagate it, and rescue those wandering in the dark with it.

"Why was the Book revealed in the first place?..."Maryam sighed into nothingness.

"They forgot the reason for revelation, or they just didn't know..."She thought in silence."We read it and yet, did not contemplate. We read it, and yet did not understand the 'essence' of the revelation. So who amongst us can be referred to as being part of His household."

Even as Maryam said this, Aasiyah seemed to ponder on her words; for it was true, if one were to look at the nature and plight of Muslims today. Our suffering only comes from ignoring the Holy Book; not learning it, not practicing it, and then again, not propagating its beautiful teachings.
We turned away from the Book that raised us from the lowest of the earth to commune with the Lord on high. We went after the world and were humiliated whereas before, our predecessors ruled over it by their bond with the Book.

Maryam then remembered something from the past. She only really got to understand it at that time; eight years ago, when there came a travelling scholar from afar to the backwater city of Tâ Hâ, one pushed to the background and shadows of the nation due to its relative farness, and its being an isle. The development here was slow compared to the other cities, and many a scholar never even batted an eye to come here. Thus, Tâ Hâ also suffered from ignorance in the Dîn!

The travelling scholar stayed for a time, and caused a revolutionary change in Tâ Hâ that resounded, echoing throughout all the lands. He was the first to form a halaqah in Tâ Hâ, the city where many scholars dared not to come, for it was as remote to Islamic learning as it was from the mainlands. How would the people cherish the knowledge when they show no eagerness to learn, and honour those who'll teach, some voiced out.
Better stay where they were connected to everything they'd need, and the bright students and the high officials in the country, others would say.

When Sheikh Al Iskandarī arrived, he established a halaqah of the Qur'an in the South district, and taught many students. Soon enough, within the halaqah arose five students who reached such a level that they could challenge the mainland students, and rival the crème de la crème of the land.
It caused an upheaval in the kingdom, and for the first time, Tâ Hâ was the centre of it!

After that, some scholars began to arrive on the island, and form their own halaqat, seeing that Tâ Hâ was like some untapped ore.

There was something unique about those students of the Qur'an who would normally raise such upheaval in the country. 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.)
[Qur'an 73:4]

This was the command of Allah to the Holy Prophet, upon him be peace, and all believers to the end of time. Yet, only a few ever reached there...

It was said that the beautiful recitation became like a key, opening up the treasures of the Qur'an, and immersing the people within a state of divine contemplation.

The people of Qalb-ul-Ard called it the Domain of Ar-Riqâq (heart softening). And so, whoever heard their recitation felt different levels of awe manifest. Each recital had its own unique form!

It had such a strong attribute of reviving hearts, and bringing people closer to the Qur'an to also seek some of its treasures. Each person found something different and unique, so some reached levels higher than others. Competitions and rivalry arose, people sought to listen, and thus attain enlightenment. This was because Qalb-ul-Ard was a land of the Qur'an.

Soon enough, scholars who had later arrived and formed their own halaqat, competed against the premier halaqah of the South district. Each fell in defeat.

The halaqah of South district seemed to have no match in the land, especially after the event that occurred in the towns of Hâ Mîm.

Yet, before the group had the chance to face the other Cities in a national competition, the scholar left.

The halaqah died out. Some students left to other cities to continue their studies. Others stayed, but nothing was ever the same again.

The south district, which had held the best position in all of Tâ Hâ fell to the deepest bottom. There was no halaqah. There were no students... There were no recitations resounding the verses of scripture in the South district of Tâ Hâ, except occasionally a lone voice-Ukashah..

Even as the sisters continued feeding the animals, their minds travelled far to the happy old days; students of all ages, and from everywhere in uniform white. Smiles and laughter filled the air. Like young monks and saints of unparalleled devotion to the Holy scriptures and learning, their voices resounded with the verses of Allah, the Lord of the worlds. The hymns filled the ears of the heart, and caused the beauty and splendour of the world to fly away, as people felt ascendant to commune in Divine glory.

•••

Arkaan and Zak made for the central masjid in the whole of the South district on Mt. Shirah-Masjidur Rahmân.
The whole population of the south district could fit into it, and yet, on most days it was as empty as could be. Only a few rows were filled for fardh Salah, for people would usually pray in their musallahs( prayer places) at home.

At one time when a great Sheikh arrived in their district, causing revolutionary changes, the masjid was almost always full. One would hardly find any male - adult or child at home, or around anywhere but the masjid, when the time for Salah approached.

Those were the high days - days of happiness and imaan! Yet, the south district had gradually deteriorated, as the Sheikh left. The most present person in the masjid on the mountain, was an aged man fondly called Old man Abdul Sattâr. He was the caretaker of the masjid.

Since the Sheikh left and the halaqah which took place there dissipated, he also took on the role of Imam. The only other person who kept him company, reading the Holy Qur'an unceasingly, as if trying to make up for the eerie silence caused by the departure of the scholar and the other students was Ukashah.

If one came near the masjid, one might hear his constant recitations, even as he'd help old man Abdul Sattâr look after the masjid, keeping it clean. He was also very hardworking, and at the time of the scholar, he was appointed by the scholar as the student leader of the halaqah. Even after many left, Ukashah stayed.

As Zak and Arkaan jogged that early morning to the masjid, Zak explained everything to Arkaan. He told him how he was found by Ukashah, and they both carried him to the Maghribi estate. Ukashah stayed for a while, looking after him till it got so late, and he had to return.

Even as Zak mentioned this, Mt. Shirah came into view, and a modern art white masjid appeared above it. Mt. Shirah was a range of four mountains, the masjid on one of the middle plateaus. A splendid masjid like a white sun, its green minarets seemed to tower up to the sky like emerald pillars.
It was simply beautiful and serene.

The mountain path leading to the top had steps, like a natural staircase carved into the mountain. A stream flowed just nearby, beyond a linear array of houses near the mountain.

From the top, Arkaan felt he could see the whole South district, its delta streams and numerous buildings, arranged in a defined pattern.
Even as they stood on the mountain top which was a plateau, Arkaan deeply inhaled the fresh breeze of the morn.

It was kind of hazy, and so the sun hid behind the fluffy white clouds.

Even as Arkaan stood there, a relieved smile on his face, he suddenly heard a faint Qur'an recitation that sent a shiver down his spine.

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