Finding Islam

24: Father - Memorising Qur'an

- KING'S POV -

"Alright. We've got one hour before Maghrib to organize this place. Let's get to work." Ahmad spoke up, clapping his hands as we all sat in a circle around the masjid.

We all got up and everyone began leaving the doors of the masjid to the back yard. All the stall tents were in pieces over the floor. We split up into four groups of five and started from the beginning, setting up the tents for the fundraiser the next day.

We had put in our absolute all to spread the message to every masjid in close proximity, telling all of them about Walter's condition and asking them to spread the message to people that they know too.

I found it so unfair how chemotherapy was so damn expensive. It's not like people chose to have or asked for cancer. With the billions of dollars in the government system I'm sure they could have provided free treatment to cancer patients all around the world and not only in our country, yet of course it was income for them and they would not get rid of the opportunity to gain that money, no matter what the cost. Even if it was human lives.

It was a messed up system. Unjust. Cunning. Foul.

Of course, none of this had bothered me prior to becoming a Muslim, but now, I knew the issues going on around me. These things started to bother me. Muslims weren't selfish people. As the prophet ﷺ said; The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever. [Bukhari & Muslim]

It was not only my own problems that worried me, but the problems of those around me also.

Most people now knew about Walters condition. Everyone now put the pieces together and Walters silent quiet moods, his disappearances every now and again had all made sense. Alhamdulillah he wasn't as quiet anymore. The support of our masjid was proving to be helpful for him and his mood was much better than that night when we had spoken at my place.

"Grab this part, King." One of the guys said. He was a chubby young kid. He was a good bloke and pretty funny too. I took hold of the metal rod and lifted it up as he slipped the cover through and pulled it over with the help of one of the other guys.

"Oi, Ahmad!" I shouted. He looked up, his face reddened from sweat as he was doing more of the sturdy work in his group since the other guys weren't as fit. He raised his eyebrow at me and I called out, asking him if he had any idea when Ayman was coming.

"Should be any minute now." He called back before looking away and getting back to work. Ayman had messaged me this morning that his dad wanted to finally meet me. It had only been two meetings with A'ishah, but seeing as though everything was so far so good on our ends I suppose he wanted to get involved.

I mentioned to him that I would be setting up for Walter's fundraiser at the masjid the whole day nearly and he didn't reply after that. I suppose he had spoken to Ahmad instead. I'd be lying through my teeth if I'd said that I wasn't a nervous wreck. That seems to be all I ever feel as of late. To be honest, I couldn't really tell whether I was more nervous during my meetings with A'ishah or whether I was more nervous now, knowing that I'd officially meet her dad, her first wali, as her potential husband.

"Assalamu alaykum, lads." A voice shouted from a distance and I inhaled deeply, recognizing it in an instant. Calls of wa alaykum salam were heard throughout the open air and I turned my head slightly, my shoulders tensing up as I did indeed see an older looking man beside him. That was him. A'ishah's father.

He had Ayman's features, a slightly greying beard covering his cheeks and chin, a Jubba on his head, but I could tell her was bald, or close to it. He was wearing a dark blue thawb that looked fairly old and worn out and he had brown sandals over white socks.