_- ZULAIKA-
Four months into our marriage, my relationship with Asad has been tremendous. Asad and I decided to start a partnership company. Asad takes care of the financing part as he buys the equipment and handles our business paperwork. On the other hand, I make content for cosmetic videos and fashion. Asad and I decided to start a small web series about us being newlyweds.
On our show, we allow our audience limited access to our lives. We record us going on dates, cooking together, shopping, and other basic lifestyles a married couple would do. Social media was rapidly growing. Even though Suffiya made every negative comment on every post on my social media accounts, everything was great. While reading an email from my subscribers, one particular email caught my eye. Sheik Abdelnoor sent an email demanding that I talk to him. I emailed him to refuse his demand. He then threatened to expose my countless Muk'tah marriages.
"You and your husband have cheated on me. You could have paid more money for what I did for you."
I responded with a scathing email.
"Please leave me alone. It is not Islamic for you to contact a married woman. I no longer want or have the need to talk with you. My husband paid your fee that you agreed to take."
Hoping that it would end the conversation. Sheik Abdelnoor was unrelenting with his demands. Sheik Abdelnoor has sent me a document of my previous marriage to my first husband.
"It appears that you are still married. Your current marriage is invalid according to Islam. Do you know how damaging this can be to your image? However, I am willing to file a petition for divorce on your behalf if you pay me 20,000 American dollars to cover my fees."
Evidently, the Sheik was blackmailing me; however, he was right about not being adequately divorced by law. However, I did not have $20,000 to give him. I do receive donations, but no more than 100 dollars a week. I asked Sheik if I needed time to gather the money he gave me two days ago.
My anxiety was so high that I forgot to cook dinner. When Asad returned home, I told him what had happened.
- ASAD -
Today was a long day at work, and I could not wait to see Zulaikah and eat one of her home-cooked meals. However, I was met with Zulaikah crying. Once Zulaikah told me what was going on, I immediately sent Abdelnoor an email.
"I don't know what you are trying to do, but we are not paying you another red cent. I asked for your assistance with my marriage to Zulaikahs so that she can escape the life you tricked her into having.
Once I hit send, within five minutes, Sheik responded.
"I am not asking for more money for your marriage. I am offering my assistance for Zulaikah's divorce from her first husband. As I told you, it is not permissible for a woman to have two husbands in Islam. Your marriage is invalid. For $5000, I can help proceed with the divorce in my country.
After reading that text, my fingertips released explosive words of anger and contempt.
"ZULAIKAH HAVEN'T SEEN HER FIRST HUSBAND IN YEARS. IF YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT ZULAIKAH, WHY DID YOU MARRY HER COUNTLESS TIMES IN TEMPORARY MARRIAGES JUST TO LINE YOUR OWN POCKETS WITH MONEY! NOW THAT ZULAIKA IS DOING WELL FOR HERSELF, YOU THINK SHE IS SWIMMING IN DIAMOND AND GOLD."
Shortly after sending the abusive email, Sheik sent one final email stating that we would regret our decision. I told Zulaikah what happened, which caused her to panic more.
"Abdelnoor threatened to release information about me. What if he tells me what I have done," Zulaikah cried.
"I am so sorry. This is my fault. If I had not chosen to involve myself in temporary marriages, this would not be happening."
"You did what you have to do to survive. That is in your past."
"But it will ruin what we have built."
Zulaikah's concerns were valid. However, I was not worried about her image as much as I was concerned about her safety. Our marriage can be annulled if Zulaikah is still married, which means she could be deported. However, Zulaikah stated her husband divorced her word by mouth three times, which, legally in Islam, her divorce is valid. Would this be enough without proper divorce documents? I needed to think, and I could not do that on an empty stomach. I decided to order a veggie pizza so we could focus on finding a solution.
Zulaikah and I ate in silence. Zulaikah was still shaken by the email, and I was lost in thought about how my wife could avoid ridicule if the Sheik went public about her past. We hoped to have kept this a secret within our marriage, but that was no longer an option.
"Zulaikah, I think, may have a solution to Abdelnoor's blackmail."
"What is it?"
"Since he threatens to expose your past, I think you should do it first."
"What! I can't do that!"
"I am afraid you may have to."
"People will hate me! They would look at me like some whore!"
"If you allow Abdelnoor to expose you, he is liable to say anything disingenuous against your character. However, if you share what you have been through with the world, you can control the narrative."
"I am scared. Do I really have to?"
"I know you are scared. I won't force you, but I advise that you should act first."
-ZULAIKAH-
I can't believe that my husband wanted me to share my past with the world. I am not very proud of what I did to survive. After offering tawbah for my sins, I hoped to take my secret to my grave. After praying and sleeping on it, my mind was clear enough to think about Asad's suggestion.
Since I met him, Asad has done nothing but be honest and forthcoming with me. He has been the best husband I have had. If he thinks it would be better for me to share my traumatic experience. Allah clearly sent this man in my life to guide me. I put my trust in Allah.
That morning, I made my video. "My Soul Killing Muk'tah Marriage Experience" was the title of my video. I told everything that had happened to me from my first marriage to when I met Asad. My lips were quivering in nervousness and shame. However, after recording at least an hour, Asad edited the video with some special effects and uploaded it to my social media accounts. I just sat back and waited for the fallout and shaming emails. Asad even screenshots of my emails from our recent encounter with Abdelnoor.
The next day, I went onto my social media accounts to read all the negative comments. However, to my surprise, I received an overwhelming amount of support. My video went viral with over 1 million views. I looked in my email, which had over 1000 messages._
- SUFFIYA -
Since I started looking at Zulaikah's online videos, she started pissing me off. The way she would flaunt on her videos with my Asad was classless. Asad and I should have made those videos. When Asad was married to me, he never had this much ambition. Now he thinks marrying Zulaikah is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I know I made my mistakes, but I have learned from them. I just have to get Asad to see that, but I can't do that with little Ms. Arabian Girl in the way.
Two days ago, Sheik Abdelnoor contacted me by email. He inquired about my constant criticism of Zulaikah about being married to Asad.
Somehow Sheik came across Zulaikah's videos and said he could help me. I told Sheik I was divorced from Asad, but I was working on remarrying him. I did not explain the reason for my divorce as it was none of his business.
Sheik Abdelnoor said he had information that would help me get rid of Zulaikah for a fee. I told him that I was not paying. I called him a fraud and told him to never contact me again. Within moments of my email, I received pictures of Zulaikah and Asad from his office's cameras. He had my interest peaked.
The Sheik devised a plan to have Zulaikah deported but for a fee. Sheik Abdelnoor wanted me to pay him $5000. I was not paying that until we negotiated a fair price. $500 was more than reasonable to get Zulaikah out of Asad's life. I sent him half via the cash app, and he will only get the other half once the job is done. For two days, I had not seen anything from Sheik. However, I received a notice from Youtube that Zulaikah posted another video.
When I saw Zulaikah's confession video, I knew Sheik had failed. I emailed Sheik demanding my money back. He refused as he said he had one more trick under his sleeve.