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

8 |The Marabout's 1000 Profound Steps.[The Guy We're Cheering For]

AsSalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh treasured readers! Hope you are all fine.

In shaa Allah this is the last of my Eid updates. I hope you enjoy! :D

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Even as the Doyen's call for initiation of the quest rang through the crowd, Abdul Bâqi said his Basmallah slightly audibly, and climbed up the steps of his assigned archway path. When the Doyen heard his words of commencement in the name of Allah, he looked at the boy in marvel. First a supplication, now the Basmallah..

Since this whole affair started, he had regarded the boy as someone who was all pomp and pride inside, who bore no respect for his seniors and took it that because of his title as Sayyidul Quraa' he had to show off in the Circles of learning. In all truth, the boy hadn't been wrong in correcting Sinan, however his obstinacy in his stance even in the face of a Doyen, ..made him to want to break that spirit, and force him into submission.

But there are some people who've a strong sense of justice and are naturally vehement against the wrong, aren't there..? He thought to himself, and remembered the great Sahabi who was known as Al Farûq – The one who distinguishes truth from falsehood, Umar Ibn Khattab radiyallahu anhu. Abdul Bâqi's words in the Hall resounded within him: SLH values the principle of truth in the face of oppression, even if it's in front of a tyrant King, does it not?

In the end he was only defending his friend in the process. The Doyen mused. Now that he meditated on his own actions in the Hall as well, he realized even he had behaved in vain and with pride at that moment..

“When did I get so high in knowledge that.., I thought myself better than a child..?” He murmured to himself, with a silent istighfar.“This was not the way of the Salaf. Even with all the his pompous words and hubris shown earlier in the Myriad Circle Hall, he still submits himself to his Lord and doesn't go rushing up the steps like all the others.

Is this how a person who holds himself in hubris behaves with his Lord..?”

Subtly the light in which he saw the boy changed. His cold smile became just a gentle one, and his eyes considered Abdul Bâqi with a soft gaze as he murmured,“Whatever starts in the name of Allah.. is never bound to failure.. Allah is with you, boy..”

Mika'il saw Abdul Bâqi moving upwards from a distance, and intoned,“Iqra wartaqi..(Read and ascend..)”. Even as Abdul Bâqi did, so did the other five competitors with him, as they advanced upwards towards the first archways of their chosen paths in a swift pace. Given the restricted duration of the quest challenge, they really had no time to spare!

The Nine Solitary Gates were the beginning archways, and were entirely open to the view of the crowded masses. As such, the people gathered around could see as the six students reached out to the steps of their very first archways.

Among them, the five Mureeds had immediately grabbed unto the nearby scroll parchments, inking their brushes and were already writing down the verses. However, even as Abdul Bâqi stood before his own archway, he looked up, visibly calm and almost lax as he stood there, head raised up high, seemingly studying the inscriptions on the arch. The truth was that, he was completely stupefied so as to appear staid and inert to the people! Earlier when he had been looking at the inscriptions from down below, he had been so entranced by their ornate designs and the embellishments, that he had actually failed to see what really had drawn him first to the writings, when he had initially gazed upon them.

Now that he was closer, he remembered; it was the uncanny similarity.. to that calligraphy style..

These inscriptions, just like them, were drawn in the same distinctively simple but quaint cursive calligraphy. There was no doubt that they were one and the same handwriting: a masterpiece that entranced the people! Whenever one was to gaze longer at this peculiar calligraphy style, they appeared to radiate an air of mystical profundity, as though beckoning to a hallowed secret rare, and filled with lustre. It induced within its beholder a strange feeling of catharsis and overwhelming befuddlement all at the same time!