As-Salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh..

Eid Mubarak to y'all!
Taqabbalallahu minna Wa minkum!

Alhamdulilaah, I'm releasing the last two parts of Crescent 22(Echoes from the past...) as our Eidi, one for those who celebrated Eid yesterday, and the other for those celebrating today:D :D :D

Hope you enjoy!

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She walked along the corridor, silently, like a radiant fairy in the moonlight. Her destination was the room where she knew her sister was still awake, from the lights which were still on.

She had helped her younger sister with her murâjah as always, that night. Having gone out for some one or two things, she was returning to her room, only to see Maryam's door slightly opened, the luminous lights spilling from the aperture.

"aap vahaan baithakar apanee paayal ko itanee sahajata se kyon dekh rahe hain?(Why are you sitting there staring so intently at your anklet?)"The silvery complexioned girl said.
Whenever they two were alone, they resorted to using their mother tongue.

Even though they were essentially born and raised in Tâ Hâ, they learnt their native language from their mother, except for Aasiyah.
At times like this, it'd just flow naturally.

She stood at the entrance to her younger sister's bedroom, her expressionless face suddenly morphed a teasing smile, which increased her beauty in several degrees.

"kisee ko lagata hai ki aap apane ateet se ek premee ko yaad kar rahe hain.(Somebody would think you're remembering a lover from your past.)"

Maryam sat against her pillow on the bed, she raised her head to look at Hayaa standing at her room's threshold,

"Elder sister Hayaa, kya aap us samay ko yaad karate hain jab main beemaar tha? .. aapane kaha tha ki ek ladaka ek baar eest ving mein is kamare mein daakhil hua tha.(Do you remember that time when I was ill?.. You said a boy once entered this room in the East wing..)"

Crossing the purple room, Hayaa approached Maryam,"I remember saying 'yah ek sapane jaisa lag raha tha(It seemed like a dream)'."

She raised her hands shrugging,"It all occurred so fast. He was in and disappeared the next moment, main kasam kha sakata tha yah ek spasht tha..(I could swear it was an apparition..) I wouldn't have seen had I even blinked an eye!

Don't think too much about it. I've thought of it as a dream since that time O-so long ago."

"ek sapana..(A dream..)"Maryam murmured, her eyes seemed to travel far. That's the way in which Arkaan seemed familiar to her. Apart from his intense green eyes that resembled the Lady Principal, everything about him - his features were all so familiar to her, except - it all felt like a dream..

"apane premee ke baare mein yaad dilaana samaapt ho gaya?(Finished reminiscing about your lover?)"

She dodged a pillow thrown at her by Maryam, a silly smile on her face.

"I told you about that boy, Arkaan.. Be careful with him younger sis. The past should be enough as a reminder for us.."She suddenly turned serious.

Maryam groaned into a pillow,"I told you I've nothing to do with him!.. "

"Have you also considered what I told you the last time, - about HOVS?.."Hayaa raised an eyebrow.

"Hayaa~, I'm not yet ready for that now!"Maryam got up from her bed as she playfully shoved her elder sister out of her room.

"Don't forget to think about it~" Her voice cut off, the door banging behind her.

Maryam stood with her back against the door, facing her purple room.

She looked down at her anklet. It seemed to possess some charm and a pulling force, like gravity, drawing in her thoughts and feelings, temporarily leaving her in a trance.

Maryam frowned playfully as she looked at a key attached to her trinket,"It's all like from a dream.."

•••

The boys gathered around the Ustadh, smiles graced their radiant faces. They looked like holy disciples who had gathered in front of their Maula.

"Ustadh, what are we going to do today?"Abdul Bâqi said cheerfully, there was never a bored day, here at the halaqatul Qur'an.

"Today, I'm going to teach you one among the many barakaat of Al Qur'anul Majîd.

Tell me, what do you know the Qur'an can be used for, apart from reciting to gain ajr?.."

"Me~me~me!"Zak raised his hand most joyously. The other boys looked at him in complaint. After all, since this boy came, he had taken the spotlight in answering all the questions.

At first, they were enjoying his discourses, but soon enough, they noticed he knew things that they didn't know, and sometimes, even felt clueless about. Being a little muhaddith did have its advantages..

The Ustadh smiled at Zak, nodding.

"The Holy Qur'an can be used for healing purposes among others.

Allah Azza wa Jall said in the Holy Qur'an,

Ba'da A'uudhu billahi minash Shaytaanir-rajîm

Bismillahir Rahmânir Rahîm..."

Zak recited an aayah in Arabic, then proudly stated,

"And We send down of the Qur'aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe, and it increases the Wrongdoers in nothing but loss..

Thus, Al Qur'an does not just heal the spiritual diseases of the hearts, but even gives healing and tranquillity, calmness to the soul..and brings healing for physical diseases too bi'iznillah!

This is evident from its being used in many forms of ruqyah, physical and spiritual.."(Al Isra' 17:82)

To get their Ustadh's attention, the other boys already started to feel a sense of spirit of competition, though not everyone was able to achieve the healthy kind, most were; where each challenged themselves to grow.

They understood from their Ustadh's lectures that, envy was a fire for their progress on the path. Envy was a terrible obstruction if allowed to infest one's heart, and would halt the progress of the heart's cultivation.
It serves to distract the seeker from his goal, the object of his search.

"I know something too.."Abdul Bâqi said, smiling wildly in challenge. He read a verse of the Qur'an, then continued,

"Allah says,

This is the Book, whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqûn[al-Baqarah 2:2]

Certainly, this is the main purpose and use of the Scripture, - to guide the people in their general way of life,- their ibâdat(worship), their mu'âmalât(business transactions), their âdab(etiquette), and their akhlâq(character)! This is attained by their understanding and contemplation upon the verses.."

From here, others began openly stating their own views till the noise began rising to a cacophony. So Al Iskandarī intruded before things escalated,

"Maasha Allah, you all have very intelligent answers on its uses. Zayn, you wish to say something?" He turned to the only boy in the hall who had seemed to be quiet all the while.

"From my point of view, the barakât of Kitâbillah are divided into the worldly.., and the otherworldly..

For the worldly, Kitâbillah has benefits like healing as Zak said, and others like seeking favours from Allah, removing grief and anxiety..

For otherworldly, we take from the ahadith talking about the gaining of hasanât by one's recitation of Kitâbillah, where one letter recited yields ten hasanât.

We have the blessings of being among the noble scribes on Qiyâmah, and for those who struggle in learning, they get twice the reward.."

Like this, Zayn went on to enumerate several blessings of reciting and using the Qur'an.

At the end of his speech, Al Iskandarī laughed,"Barakallahu feek, yaa Zayn.."

Turning to the gathering, a radiant light in his eyes, he said,"It's just as you've all mentioned.

But today, I want to teach you about the verses of sakînah..

Ibn al-Qayyim, rahmatullahi alayh, summed fifteen ways through which Allah may dispel worries and regret. In describing one of the ways, he mentions;

Letting one's heart wander in the garden of the Quran, seeking consolation in it from every calamity, seeking healing in it from all diseases of the heart, so that it will bring comfort to his grief and healing for his worries and distress.

...

Sakînah, I'm sure you all have heard of it; from the root word - Sukun..

What comes to your mind when you think of this word?.. "He began asking his students one by one, leaving the five.

"Peace."

"Tranquillity.."

"Serenity."

"Quietness or sedateness.."

...

In time, he had reached their turn. He turned to Ukashah.

"It refers to Inner Peace, the freedom from worries and the shackles of the lower world.. Attaining perfect control of one's Qalb"The stoic boy answered.

He'd known that these five had that peculiarity of giving thoughtful answers of what they really felt. That was why he'd always saved them for the last..

"I believe it's that feeling you get, when a person first embraces Islam, having seen through the illusions and darkness of the world.."Urwah answered at their Ustadh nodding in his direction."Or that serene feeling after having shed sincere tears of tawbah to Allah, knowing that he's At-TawwâburRahîm and He would forgive you.."

He turned to Zak.

Zak's blue eyes looked calm, as if he were dreamily seeing it,"Calmness..like the sea in when fair winds roll off its surface..the vast blue sky, when clouds fill the blue and the sun is radiant, yet not scorching. It's a state of the contented nafs."

"Abdul!"The man called out to the seemingly absentminded boy.

He smiled smugly, answering"Control of one's heart and emotions. It's a gift Allah bestows on the believers, which further increases them in Imaan."

The blind boy who knew it was his turn next, began,"A calmness, the elusive state that is sought by all in this world of turmoils.

It's like the feeling of one sitting beside a quiet lake, under the glimmering stars, in the dark night..the silence and harmony of the universe and all creation.

It can only be achieved by submission, - aslama.. to Allah's commands found in Kitâbillah as well as the sunnah.

Also, in the avoidance of all sins, one can find sakinah..

Sakinah is a gift..a grace bestowed.. "

"A--" Abdul Bâqi was about to protest, when the Ustadh stopped him, raising a finger in his face.

"All you've said is true. But what Zayn described as the way of attracting Sakinah is primarily the way..

In times of disturbance, scholars have used and proven another way to inspirit Sakinah in oneself or.. another!!!"

Ukashah sat down in the crosslegged form. He closed his eyes as he tried to remember well what his Ustadh had taught them that day.

They all sat around the Ustadh in a lotus formation. In their white attires, they really resembled the pure lotus flower.

The Ustadh raised his hand to them in gesture as he spoke,

"Ibn al-Qayyim rahmatullahi alayhi said in his 'Madaarij As-Sâlikeen';

Whenever Shaykul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, rahmatullahi alayhi found things difficult, he would recite the verses mentioning tranquillity - As-Sakînah.

I heard him say about a difficult situation that happened to him during his sickness,

'When I got very sick, I asked those who were around me to recite on me the verses that speak about tranquillity.

Once they did, I recovered completely.'

Ibn al-Qayyim, rahmatullahi alayhi had said,'I read these verses and I had found they had a great influence on the assurance and tranquillity of the heart.'

The verses are six!"Al Iskandarī continued, a light shining in his eyes.

"We may also use them in the way shown by the scholars and salaf, to draw sakînah, whenever we face any difficulty.."

Even as Ukashah's recalled that day, and how Al Iskandarī had mentioned all the six verses of tranquillity, he recited them from memory.

The verses came out from his lips, words of the Heavenly King..slowly, beautifully, and filled with invigorating energy, like a sprouting plant, rising steadily from every nook and cranny of the vast Earth, nourished by the reviving rain. Each droplet, - to salvage the world..

These words were a salvation for one's spirit..

The vibrant voice of Ukashah resounded upon the masjid walls. Soon enough, it filled the entire western prayer hall.

Even the jinns upon the eastern terrace, watched in anticipation as the words of the Qur'an reached where they perched.

Arkaan's internal world suddenly turned dark...

________________________________

•The Six Verses of Sakinah(recited in the YouTube video above) are;

١.Surah Al Baqarah, 2:248
[And (further) their Prophet said to them:"A Sign of his authority is that there shall come to you the Ark of the covenant, with (an assurance) therein of security(Sakinah) from your Lord, and the relics left by the family of Moses and the family of Aaron, carried by angels. In this is a symbol for you if ye indeed have faith."]

٢.Surah At Tawbah, 9:26
[But Allah did pour His calm(Sakinah) on the Messenger and on the Believers, and sent down forces which ye saw not: He punished the Unbelievers; thus doth He reward those without Faith.]

٣.Surah At Tawbah, 9:40
[If ye help not (the Prophet), (it is no matter): for Allah did indeed help him, when the Unbelievers drove him out: he had no more than one companion; they two were in the cave, and he said to his companion, "Have no fear, for Allah is with us": then Allah sent down His peace(Sakinah) upon him, and strengthened him with forces which ye saw not, and humbled to the depths the word of the Unbelievers. But the word of Allah is exalted to the heights: for Allah is Exalted in might, Wise.]

٤.Surah Al Fath, 48:4
[It is He Who sent down tranquillity
(Sakinah) into the hearts of the Believers, that they may add faith to their faith;- for to Allah belong the Forces of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is Full of Knowledge and Wisdom;..]

٥.Surah Al Fath, 48:18
[Allah's Good Pleasure was on the Believers when they swore Fealty to thee under the Tree: He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down Tranquillity(Sakinah) to them; and He rewarded them with a speedy Victory;..]

٦.Surah Al Fath, 48:26
[While the Unbelievers developed in their hearts indignation - the indignation of ignorance, - Allah sent down His Tranquillity(Sakinah) to his Messenger and to the Believers, and made them stick close to the command of self-restraint; and well were they entitled to it and worthy of it. And Allah has full knowledge of all things.]