Sidratul Muntaha

Chapter 10🌪

Bismillahi Rrahmaani Rraheem•

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu•

__________________

It was the night again and she was sitting on the lowest step leading to the upper deck and watching the sky. Tonight it was slightly cloudy, hiding the half moon from her eyes now and then. She wanted her peace and quiet for some moments, to ponder upon her thoughts and to organize them.

She had been learning about Islam from Rushi since many months now. Rushi was quite passionate about it. She had been telling her about everything she knew and Adara had liked many aspects about it. She had mostly been drifting directionless since she was very young, in the matter of faith, just knowing that there was something powerful controlling everything. But when she witnessed her father's meeting, she had rejected the idea of worshiping the fire and also her father's ideals far behind. For a long time after she grew up, she had believed that there was no god at all and that idea had made her quite restless, like she was adrift in a vast space and nothing was centring her at all. It was slightly daunting to think that her existence was for no higher reason. Someday she was going to die and then? Nothing... nothing at all! She just wanted to be something even after her death, instead of just darkness.

When she had spoken to Ahyan that day, she had realised what Rushi was on about. Rushi had spoken passionately. But her words had affected her only to a certain level. But in Ahyan, she had found passionate actions where his faith was concerned and that is what had touched her. It had penetrated the wall of atheism and reached the centre of her being, pulling her softly, nudging her gently towards Islam and Allah. She had felt touched about His mercy, about His words which Rushi had repeated many times, but they got a new meaning when she conversed with Ahyan that day.

She had been on the edge of Islam and was doubtful about stepping into it, due to various reasons, but all those reasons had disappeared, suddenly enabling her to take a leap of faith that day and she had done just that. Her heart had proclaimed the oneness of Allah and believed in the message of Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam was sent with. What remained was the proclaiming of it with her tongue and she was going to do just that, but after she spoke with Amiza.

Suddenly she was being centred towards the one true Rabb of the Ardh (earth) and the Samawaat (Skies). She felt like her adrift life was centered once and she was happy about it. Adara Thuraiz wasn't someone who did things half-heartedly. She was nothing if not passionate about her cause of the moment. She displayed the fire of her name in everything she took up and Islam was now her passion. She had excelled at everything by her hardwork in her life and she was going to be extremely hard working even in this.

Adara smiled at the stars as she thought about everything that had happened in her life. Tonight, she felt at peace, finally after many months of the chaos in her life. She was at peace when she realised she didn't need to worry about her father again, because she had already reached far away from his reach. She had reached her safe haven, where now she could sleep safely and peacefully under the watchful eye of the One who never slept or napped. The people on the boat were finding their new home, but Adara had already reached hers.

•••••

Rushi was watching as Adara and Jasim sparred. No one could deny that Adara had gotten quite good at it in the recent months. She could now simultaneously fight three opponents. She could shoot from a long distance with precision of a good archer. She could throw knives and fight with daggers too. Now she was concentrating on fighting with a bow in the heat of the battle. She wanted to excel archery and Rushi had no doubt she would with enough practice. Her archery practice was taken over by Jasim too, making her feel something called jealousy. She just couldn't help herself, even though Adara had explained to her countless times about what she actually felt towards Jasim.