Twice Upon Qadr - A Shot At Love **EDITING**

Chapter 1

Salaam everyone! Thanks for following me on over to my new story! If you have yet to read the first book in the series, Once Upon Qadr, that's probably because you didn't get a chance to read it before I took it down to rewrite it!

Never fear, you can read this one first and read OUQ as a prequel when I finish it! Or if you really can't stand spoilers I guess you'll have to wait *sad Houssami face*

Also, I am EDITING this story. I am not taking the entire book down, but will be editing it chapter by chapter.

#StayAwesome

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The flashes of what felt like millions of cameras blinded him as he stepped out onto the court, and the sounds of screaming fans filled his ears like the roar of an angry wave. It was almost like a dream, it was completely unreal. His teammates took their positions around him and it took him a second before he remembered he was going for the jump shot. He lined up opposite the opposing team's jumper, shook hands with the man, and stood tensed, ready to grab the ball. It was his first time playing, and he needed to prove that he was worthy enough to be on such a great team...

"Mr. Shaykh! Mr. Shaykh! Is it true you are being courted by both the Knicks and the Bulls for next season?"

Houssam was jolted out of his memories by one of the reporters asking him a question. He was at a press conference that was taking place before his second to last game of the season, and he was most anxious for it to be over. When the reporter repeated her questions, he leaned in close to his microphone.

"I am sorry," his voice came out slightly hoarse as if he was still muddled from his daydream. "I am not able to discuss it at this moment."

The cameras around him began to click furiously, and he resisted the urge to close his eyes against the blinding lights and the aggressive shouts of the reporters as they all clamored to get his attention.

"Mr. Shaykh! Do you feel it will be weird playing again after taking time off?"

Houssam and his parents had recently gone to Algeria to visit family, and he had been so excited to have this much needed break! The whole trip there, he had been imagining how amazing it would be to take a break, kick back and relax, and be in a place that not many people would recognize him.

Or so he had thought.

What Houssam had failed to realize, was that he was now the token star, the beacon of hope for the Algerian people.  He was someone who was so successful, so famous and well known, and he did it all while being in an environment and career where drinking, drugs, sex, and many other things were not only normalized, but pushed. And it was because of his ability to say 'no', and to hold tightly to the rope of Allah (swt), that many Muslims around the world were happy to claim him as their representative. It was a tremendous honor, but also something very scary, and he only hoped he would be able to live up to their image, and expectations of him.

Whenever a Muslim supporter came up to him and praised him, and commented on the amazing person and Muslim that he was, he always made sure that he said the Du'aa by Abu Bakr (RA),

'Oh Allah, you know me better than I know myself, and I know myself better than these people who praise me. Make me better than what they think of me, forgive those sins of mine of which they have no knowledge, and do not hold me responsible for what they say.'

Ameen

So after almost his entire vacation of signing autographs, taking pictures, playing with little kids, smiling and listening to sobbing mothers and grandmothers praise him and make Du'aa for him, and talking to random people on random cell phones so that those around him could prove that it was really him, he was definitely happy to be back home! He had barely been able to hang out with his family and eat some food! But he just didn't want to be at this press conference...