The Three Struggling Muslimahs

31

"WELCOME HOME!" Khawla and her three brothers shouted as soon as Nusaibah walked through the door, with a tired and overly exhausted Muhammad right behind her.

"Awwwww! Shukraan habibty. And my three little munchkins. I knew I wasn't wrong to get you all a truckload of presents." The triplets jumped on Muhammad searching ever so viciously for the mentioned gifts.

"Nusaibah I am never forgiving you for this. Ever!" Muhammad shouted as the girls ran upstairs to talk, leaving him with so many bags around his neck and all he could feel was the triplets pulling and pushing the bags on and off him.

"Agh! I've terribly missed Birmingham wallahy. Not that the UAE wasn't good. It was, but home will always be the best." Nusaibah confessed

"By home you mean wherever Khawla is!" They laughed.

"Lemme go find what I got you then we'll talk okay?" Khawla nodded.

'Should I tell her about Umar? But is it really something worth mentioning? What will she say. She left for the UAE to detox so what would be the point of it all if I just make her feel sulky all over again!?'

"You will HAVE to tell me whatever that was that you were thinking about because I've been calling your name the past few moments and you didn't notice. What's wrong hayaty?"

Nusaibah was standing right in front of Khawla with bags of presents around her. "Umar texted me. Nothing serious but I've not answered him and it has been about two months now."

Nusaibah's mouth dropped open. "Why?"

"Haraam!"

"Okay. Good point. What did Rayhannah say?"

"Nothing."

"She let it go?"

"She doesn't know."

"Ya Allah! Why? Since when do we keep things from each other hayaty. Why haven't you told her?"

"Because she stopped talking to Muhammad and she needs me to be there for her so now all I have to do is suck up my problems and help her get through this hard time."

"Two words. Bull crap! Astaghfirullah. Sorry. But you know Rayhannah doesn't work like that. Not only Rayhannah but also this friendship. It doesn't work like that. You have a problem, you share. We sort it out and move on. When have we ever made you feel like your problems were a burden to us. When?"

"Never"

"So?"

"I'm sorry."

"Awww habibty. I'm sorry too. Come here."

They hugged as Khawla broke down for the first time in a long time. "Rayhannah told me that silent love is hard. Nusaibah I don't think I'm strong enough."

"Shhhhhh! Its all going to be okay habibty. Everything is going to be A okay. Don't stress."

After Nusaibah managed to stop Khawla's tears she rummaged through her bag to get the extra cheesy Nachos. Khawla gasped. "How did you not tell me you had this. And I've never seen a packet this big. Owwwww I looooooove UAE!" She dived into the packet as Nusaibah laughed at her friend. They made small talk and after talking about everything, they fell into a comfortable silence.

"Mama is cheating on Baba!"

Khawla chocked! "What!?"

"I didn't go to the UAE to detox. I found that out so mama sent me away to think about what I'd do with that information. She thought I'd tell baba. But wallahy Khawla I don't get why she would do that. I get it would be painful but why didn't she just get a divorce. What's the point of staying with baba if she's doing this to him. He doesn't deserve this. And neither does she. She was raised right and she has always been my mentor in everything I do but right now, I don't know what to think or say. I mean, she's Muslim. She got married to a religious man who adores her and loves her and would go to the ends of the earth for her. And yet she's throwing it all away. I know baba travels a lot but that's not reason enough. The night I was leaving, I heard her crying in swalah asking for forgiveness from Allah. Khawla I should hate her but every night since I left I have been crying to Allah to forgive her and conceal her sins from the world and everyone in it."

"Aww habibty," Khawla said in between tears, " And that's exactly why I love you. People make mistakes, some bigger than others and some more evident than others. But all in all, what matters is the aftermath. I'm not saying its your baba's fault but the traveling might have been what pushed her. I don't want to make excuses for any of the parties but it wouldn't change anything if I judged her either, now would it?" Nusaibah shook her head. The girls fell silent with a thousand things running through Khawla's head and zero things running through Nusaibah's. 'How can she trust me this much? Ya Allah bless her soul and forgive her mother and make it easy for her to forgive her too.'

"It's not the right time to tell you this but I'd die of guilt if I didn't tell you right now."

"Anha"

"Khaleed doesn't feel the same way. He likes ..."

"Maryam Abbas. I know. He came to me for advice. Said I was the closest thing he had to a sister apart from you and Rayhannah but he felt drawn to tell me in stead of either of you. He broke me in ways I can never explain in words but if Khaleed isn't for me then there must be better out there. Because my fate wasn't written by a Nora Roberts or Julie Garwood. It was written by Allah(S.W), the keeper of hearts and the writer of destinies. He knows me more than I know myself so I know that my match will be a hundred and one percent on point."

"Aaaaaagh! Nusaibaaaaaaaaah! How can you be this strong! Masha Allah!" Khawla said as she strained to stop the tears from flowing, "I missed you my baby. And I never cried the whole time you were gone meaning that you are to blame for all my tears. And plus, why do we always say a hundred and one percent. Why not a hundred percent?"

"Hahahahaha! My little Khawla! You ask the weirdest questions!"

The girls fell on the floor mat laughing and every time they caught their breath,  multiple 'Alhamdulillah's escaped their lips. Their friendship was one to be envied by all. For what was more valuable to two girls than an everlasting connection to each other via their Lord?

A knock was heard on the door and Khawla answered, "Come on in."

"Assalamu Aleikum my lovelies."

"Waaleikum Salaam Khaltu Wafaa." Nusaibah answered as she got up to kiss Khalwa's mom's hand.

"How was your trip?"

"Aaaah! Aunt is was amazing! I saw soooo many thing and learnt even more."

Wafaa Amer sat with the girls as they talked about Nusaibah's trip. She loved how she connected with her daughter and her friends on all levels. The girls talked excitedly about everything as Wafaa looked on, remembering clearly how her own mother had sat on her bed and listened to her and UmmulKhayr talk about all kinds of things. Truly history would repeat itself but she didn't want everything  that happened to their trio to happen to these girls' trio.

Author's note:
Assalamu Aleikum Warahmtullahy Wabarakatuh! Through every test you go through I want you to always remember three things.
1) Allah has made you to undergo that because you are strong enough to pass it. The higher your Iman, the harder your test. Don't underestimate yourself. Ever!
2) You don't have to go through it alone. By that I don't mean tell the whole world. Get someone you are comfortable with. Most preferably, someone who pulls you towards Allah. If you don't want that then just sink in sujood and cry all your troubles out. The results will be amazing.
3) SWABR! PATIENCE!

And that's all. You'll ace that test better than you think. So much love your way ❤