The Circle Of The Qur'an #2[The Arkaan Series|Book One]

24 |The Marabout's 1000 Profound Steps.[Five Secrets(5)]

AsSalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, I hope you are all doing well.

Alhamdulillah, I was able to somehow complete today's chapter.

Enjoy! :D

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“Grand Doyen,” The voice suddenly cut in, saying,“If I may, allow me to ask the Sayyid one question before he's conferred any title.”

The Grand Doyen nodded in assent, noticing the relatively young Doyen had an inexplicable bland look on his face. Sheikh Habil turned to Abdul Bâqi, his eyes shrewd and piercing. They were calmly intimidating, but they did nothing to bother Abdul Bâqi who was used to such looks since he arrived in the school. Abdul Bâqi recognized him. He was the fair-faced young scholar with Urwah-type fan, who had been the first to question him, after he stepped down from the quest. Presently, his fan was folded in front of him elegantly.

“You still have not expounded to us how you traversed the quest.” The Sheikh's crisp voice rang throughout the gathering, and at once, the whole gathering became quiet. The mystery, splendour and awe that had previously surrounded Abdul Bâqi completely disappeared; all eyes became fixated upon him. Some were filled with complex emotion, some with distaste, and yet still, they were those who had began to look at him admirably; all were equally thirsty for answers. They enjoyed his recital of the Ayah in sooth, but that didn't explain how he came by that verse of the Qur'an, whilst traversing the 1000 Steps quest. It was still a mystery to them.

There were some among the elite who had comprehended his reasoning just by the few words he said prior to reciting the verse, but for the majority of them, they were still left in the dark. Sheikh Habil was part of the former. However, he had asked the unspoken question just so those who hadn't comprehended it, and yet felt shy to ask, would comprehend. And also, ..its being answered comprehensively would give the needed legitimacy to his title once the Grand Doyen had conferred it upon him. Thus, the Grand Doyen would not be accused of favouritism and the like. All this, the Sheikh had in mind, but only a few discerning elders in the gathering would understand, including the Grand Doyen. That was why the aged Sheikh had no objection to his request, and rather assented to the intrusion. There was good intention behind it.

Abdul Bâqi partly understood this. In that, he at least could feel no oppressive aura from the Sheikh, and thus knew the question had no ill intent behind it. Even though one would be offended by the Doyen's crude way of questioning, he wasn't. He smiled, his slightly lowered head concealing it from public.

The Grand Doyen gently said to him with an assurance,“Go ahead. Before you're conferred what is inevitably yours, it's only right the people understand why.”

Nodding, Abdul Bâqi proceeded to give his answer. The entire gathering was quiet, as though pigeons had perched on their heads and they didn't wish to scare them.

“When I first started the quest,” Abdul Bâqi said, his voice composed and calm, flowing like pearls from a beaded string,“having myself once come across a fine work of calligraphy by the Grand Marabout; Heaven's Gathering Clouds—” He paused briefly, and in that split second, taking a momentary glance at the Grand Doyen, he noticed the slight disruption in ambience which indicated unequivocally to his surprise. Yet it was so subtle that one who was inattentive wouldn't detect it. Abdul Bâqi's smile turned smug at this, his confidence emboldened in every new word he uttered. Knowing that the Grand Doyen of SLH knew about the other work of the Grand Marabout made him more collected and calm.