Door to Jannah

Chapter 31

I drove the car hurriedly as Shirana was getting late for her test and stopped at the gate of her university.

"All the best and and don't forget to start with Bismillah." Ayesha told her while she was still indulged in her revision.

"Jazak Allahu khairan and both of you convey my hearty wishes to the new couple and tell them I'll attend the waleema in sha Allah." She said rushing out of the car.

I was driving silently, to be honest it was an awkward silence.

"Alllllaaaaahhhhh." Ayesha shouted on top of her lungs.

"What?" I immediately halted the car on the middle of the road by her sudden reaction.

"Did you forget jewellery or something?" I asked again.

"Shahrukh's new film is releasing." She said while pointing the poster of his some new film on the street.

"What?" I rolled my eyes to her.
And started my engine as there could be horns heard from behind.

"Ayesha that was so lame." I said to her while proceeding.

"You call it lame? There was a phase of my life when I was madly in love with him. I am his biggest fan ever and I have so many collections of every things related to him." Ayesha said describing her love towards a celebrity and I again rolled my eyes to her.

"What? Concentrate on the road." She said pointing her finger towards the road.

"Really? Give me some reasons regarding why do you love him." I said and focussed my attention towards the road.

"Okay so he's so handsome, he has such a good talent of acting and he's such a super hero in those fictional character." Ayesha said counting the reasons on her finger.

"That's it? Now tell me what did he personally do to you to gain so much love from you?"

"Are you serious? Such a celebrity doesn't even know that I exist." Ayesha said

"Exactly he doesn't even know that there's a girl named Ayesha, who is her freaking fan even exist in this world. You are just like others to him, just one of his fan. The ummah is in such a state that they are in love with things which are the ultimate cause of the fitnah to them, if you want to be a fan of someone then be of Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings be upon him) who cried for you entire night not the one who works entire night just to cause fitnah to this entire world." I told Ayesha while driving and focusing on the road.

"But the whole world is at the back of him just for his one glimpse." Ayesha protested.

"If the world is going into hell do you want to go to hell too? I don't get why people clung onto celebrities just because someone looks goods, or someone acted nicely or someone sung good songs. These are just a fitnah of this world. Even if the celebrity comes to my city, I won't be excited to see him, you know why? Because he's just a mere human to be who became famous just because of some good looks and acting. Yeah if some good personality like Dr Zakir Naik or Mufti Ismail Menk comes then I'll definitely go to hear them because they are the ones who draw us closer to Allah."

"Hmm, you are acting like old people." She said and I rolled my eyes to her.

"Yeah every other person who follows islam is being taunted by that line actually. The character who you love is fiction and it has nothing to do with their real life. How many of us are interested in the real life's of celebrities? Like 'oh look he has a new girlfriend, look he's marrying to her, look they had a divorce etc etc' nd how many of us interested in our prophet's and Sahaba's stories? If going to theatre makes you happy and islam gathering does not make you happy then you need to check your imaan, if watching and reading fiction makes you excited (which is a mere lie) and not the real stories of prophets and sahabas then you need to check your imaan. Remember this world is full of fitnah, it's we who have to avoid these things."

"So you didn't even have any favourite celebrity?" Ayesha asked her with a drop open mouth.

"Indeed I was mad for them too but it was a phase of my life untill I learned what islam actually is. I learned that if you want to be a fan of someone then be a fan of our prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and dream to meet him one day because he has been through so much while preaching islam and we on the other hand is not even able to guide one person to islam, he was slandered by his own family but he was so steadfast and we are instead a fan of people who just act for money. If you want to be a fan of someone then be a fan of Ayesha (Radi Allahu Anhu) who was slandered by the people of the community even though she was so pious rather than of the heroines who display their beauty by being naked and think themselves above everyone. If you want to be a fan of someone then be of Umar bin khattab (Radi Allhu Ahhu) bravery, whose conversion made islam more strong and after his conversion they started preaching islam freely with out anyone's fear and not the people who just act in the films that they are brave. If you want to be a fan of someone then be of other prophets in islam who were tested with hardships but after they eventually had patience while they were tested. There are so many examples I want to give but we are already here." I said to her with a wink and she was staring at me with some thoughtful look.

"You always make me go thoughtful about the little things which I do in my life." She said and I laughed.

We made our way to the house, everyone was already there as we were late. Ayesha went inside for Hana and I joined men to masjid as it was already time for duhr salah. I greeted everyone with salam and hugged Hammad.

"Where were you?" Hammad punched me right at my stomach.

"Sorry bro you know these girls take too much time to get ready." I said to him with a wink.

"I needed you so badly here." He said while wiping off his sweat with his hanker chief.

"Aww someone is nervous or should I say someone is being a girl." I teased him and I got a punch again.

"Not today Ahmad, this is why you have come to accompany me?" He protested and I laughed.

"Okay my Drama Queen, I spare you today." I said while pinching his red cheek.

The iqamah began and we concentrated on our salah for past twenty minutes. I made dua for the new couple and of course Ayesha too.

After some time a message popped up on my screen.

"Yippiee it's a yes from Hana."

I showed the message to Hammad and he blushed. He's such a girl.

The Qazi came to mosque and all the formalities regarding the nikah were done with Hammad soon and I hurriedly messaged Ayesha.

"Yippiiee it's a yes from Hammad too."

Everyone hugged each other on the occasion of the nikah and I congratulated and hugged Hammad tightly. Now we are on the same boat, I am not only the one who is left to be teased.

"The bride can't stop blushing and turned red when I showed her your message." Ayesha messaged me again and I gazed at Hammad, he was all the way blushing too.

"The groom is blushing like a girl."

"I am calling you Ahmad, let the groom and bride talk, and don't tell him who it is." Ayesha messaged me and I smirked.

I urged everyone to go while we'll accompany them to home in a while and Hammad asked me why was I doing that and I gestured him to tell later.

Finally Ayesha called and I picked up the call handing over the mobile to Hammad.

"Someone wants to talk to you."

"Who?"

"Just talk." I said urging him to keep the mobile on his ear.

"Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu." He greeted and I guess there was an answer from the other side.

"Sorry who is it?" He said while gazing me and asking me with his expression.

"Your wife." I winked at him and he almost lost control of the mobile from his hand. I walked past him to give a little privacy to the new couple and saw Ayesha looking up from the window. She smiled widely and gave me a thumbs up sign pointing out to the newly married couple.