Leilah Usman awaits an acceptance from a university abroad so she can leave the country she never loved when she stumbles upon an ancient diary. Through the eyes of Mahrosh Irfan, she finds herself in a world so completely different from hers.
One w...
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A wind blew; and the seasons of the heart changed.
Some matters take time in being understood — and it is often the rawness and vulnerability of one's heart that helps one comprehend them. Aleena understood that night; in a way she never had before. The foundation of her fears melted as a newfound noor took its place.
Walid's dream was no longer his alone. Mahrosh' passions did not just belong to her anymore. Aleena joined them; and with such zeal and talent that the effects of her hard work were instantly shown. "There is always work to be done," Walid would say, "You just need to figure out what that is."
Just as Walid did not need to tell Mahrosh that she could write, he did not have to tell Aleena that her artistic skills could be used for dawah. Aleena visited his halaqah once and instantly decided on the lamp she would carry to partake in spreading the noor of Allah's deen. Walid's halaqat and talks were well thought of — but it was Aleena who designed reminder cards so the attendees could take that knowledge back to their families.
In a visit to a neighbor at the birth of their daughter, Mahrosh and Aleena realized something else too. Walid was educating the men in his halaqat but the need to educate women and bring them back towards the root of Islam was just as necessary. In a society such as theirs where women seldom left the comforts of their homes, a women halaqah was an ideal but not a workable solution. Instead the girls decided on another technique:
They would cook things for their neighbors, visit their homes and spare an hour longer to discuss matters with them of importance.
There were some who listened attentively; whose hearts opened to the haqq as soon as it was spoken. Others were polite but harder to move. And there were some who frowned upon these new ideas — especially when it collided with deep-rooted traditions and cultures. After some visits, Mahrosh and Aleena would return home with a serene heart full of gratitude and prayers of acceptance. Other times... their visits did not go that well.
"They hardly listened to a word you were saying Mahrosh-" Aleena was livid as she rolled her wheelchair inside. "You explained perfectly well why you did not bring any dowry with you! Is that something to look down upon? And to say your parents had no sense – Astaghfirullah."
Mahrosh closed the door behind her. The hurtful words, though they had weighed on her chest in her neighbor's house, did not linger in her own home. Aleena was not as used to such experiences as Mahrosh was, and the latter did not take it as bad as Aleena did.
"Asar Kuch Khawab Ka Ghunchon Mein Baqi Hai To Ae Bulbul !
"Nawa Ra Talakh Tar Mee Zan Choo Zauq-E-Nagma Kmyabi"
If there is still some trace of sleep left in the buds, my nightingale,
Then make your songs more plaintive, for you found their desire to hear your melody too little."
