As Nicholas, Haroon, and Humaid sat under the shade of a willow, a gentle breeze blew through the curtains of nature. Books sprawled across them on a checkered blanket, a wooden pedestal holding the holy book in its grasps, the sides decorated with carvings of ancient mosques and wonders.

The Younes twins decided to offer their expertise in religious studies, trying their best every week to teach Nicholas the basics of Islamic etiquette.

He smiled once today's lesson was done. "No wonder Muslims are so polite," commented Nicholas, leaning back against the trunk of the tree. "They have so many mannerisms in their daily lives."

Humaid chuckled. "Well, obviously. Every religion teaches kindness. Some people just don't care enough to look into it."

"Which is precisely why we are shaping you into a great Muslim!" exclaimed Haroon with a twinkle in his light brown eyes.

A depressing thought crossed Nicholas, an image of his parents entering through the forbidden gates of security and justice, etching their crimes against his skull like a piece of art. They had infiltrated his thoughts once again, and they had tormented him without their voices. The trauma was enough for a lifetime, the time at a cold mental hospital was enough for his youth to be tainted.

The Younes twins exchanged glances with one another.

"You alright, Nick?" asked Humaid, sitting up. "We're here to talk."

"It's... nothing."

They weren't convinced.

Haroon's next words were soft, gentle as the winds that wrapped around them. It was like Allah pushed the three closer together, like Allah decreed their friendship to sustain Nicholas in his darkest hours. Allah was watching, and Allah had planned.

"Nick," started Haroon with a small smile, one that matched his sister's. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. We may not be related by blood, but in Islam, we're brothers. What's troubling you?"

Hesitant at first, but Nicholas slowly found himself opening up. "My parents hate me more than ever," he admitted. "It hurts to know that they don't love me like they should. One of the two most influential people in the business and entertainment industry, and I'm hated by both. Becoming a Muslim is the best decision I ever made, but I can't help but want my parents to be proud of me, to love me, to treat me like their son."

Humaid's eyes softened. "It's natural for you to feel that way."

"Is it though?" he questioned. "I did everything I could, yet I'm still useless to them. Why do I even keep trying?"

A brief silence ensued, neither of the twins knew how to respond to the pure, agonizing words that passed through Nicholas's dried lips, his blue eyes as cold as the snow from winter chills. Nicholas may have been snarky and rude, but the man had too many wounds and not enough stitches for his heart.

A dry laugh escaped Nicholas. "I guess you guys don't have the answer to everything," he said, averting his gaze. "I'm sorry for bringing you down with me."

"You're right," whispered Haroon. "We don't have the answer to everything."

"But Allah does," continued Humaid, causing Nicholas to glance at him. In those dark eyes, he saw honesty lacing around his next words like the string that pulled their friendship. "Allah loves you, Nick."

He scrunched his brows. "How do I know?" he asked.

Again, the twins exchanged subtle glances with one another, smiling widely as if they found a key to the puzzle of Nicholas Muller.

Humaid continued, soothing words touching the burns of his pasts like a minty ointment. "When Allah loves His creations, the believers also love that person."

Nicholas was even more confused.

"Humaid is referencing a hadith," said Haroon, fixing his beanie as another gust of wind followed. "Why is it so windy today?" he hissed under his breath, completely off topic.

"That's not the point, bro," coughed Humaid, giving his twin a pointed look.

"Ah, you right," he said. "What I meant to say was that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke of a situation much like yours. He told his followers of Allah's love and how no one else matters when Allah loves you."

"What do you mean by that? How could no one matter? If you haven't noticed, I care too much about what my parents think of me, so clearly it matters."

Haroon shook his head. "No, Nick. When Allah loves you, He tells His angels to love you and pray for you, and then He gets a mass of them to bless you everyday. From this, the believers will also love you," he said softly. "They won't even know why, and it's because Allah put that love within them, whispered those praises to them."

"But my parents-" tried Nicholas again, wrapping his arms around himself.

This time, Humaid cut him off. "If Allah didn't love you, Nick, then why did He give you a shot at redemption? Why did He lead you to us or to our family or to Islam? The Muslim community adores you like their own son, and they've welcomed you as if they've known you their entire lives," he continued. "That is the love that you should seek, that is the love that you deserve after all those trials in your life."

Haroon nodded in agreement. "If your parents don't respect or love you like that, then that's a problem within them. It's not a problem with you, Nick."

Tears brimmed Nicholas's eyes, water lining his lashes like a coat. It had been far too long since he heard those words. Like a man dying of dehydration, he realized that thrusting for the love of those who crushed it meant nothing and would guarantee him nothing.

If Allah loved him, then Nicholas would trust His plan.

----

Short, but sweet.

Honestly, I hate when some Muslims come onto my books and harass me for the sins of my characters. Religion is not supposed to hurt you. It's supposed to comfort you in your dark days.

Some things that my characters have done have a connection to me, and my writing is me helping others get through it. If Allah loves me, then He will make the believers feel the same.

Nothing else matters. Don't let what others say get to you because Allah knows you better than you know yourself.

Also, I started a new book (a collection of short stories). I put the synopsis for the first story, and that means for the next five weeks, that book gets updates like crazy. SO GO CHECK IT OUT!

It's historical fiction ; )

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