The Three Struggling Muslimahs

44

Muhammad saw Khawla leaving and when he was about to ran after her, Maryam's dad stopped him.
"She's okay," he said," Trust me."

To be honest, he didn't. This was his sister he was talking about. His sister, that he too overprotective with. So he began to excuse himself and was about to leave when the most unexpected thing happened.

"Hey,"
He thought he was imagining all of it but she said it again.

"Hey, Muhammad. Can I come with? I need to see for myself that she is okay. And by tomorrow she'll have convinced you to tell everyone she was okay. Just a little sick maybe."
He smiled, killing her in ways she never understood.

"We'll need permission though. You know that right?"

"Umar is willing to come."
At this point Muhammad couldn't help it anymore, he let out a laughter that caught everyone's attention. Rayhannah smiled and excused herself to go get her abayah.

She ran to her room, confused - only to be followed by Samarah. The girls could never hide anything from her.

"You know its worth it right? All those butterflies in your stomach and the tagging in your heart." Rayhannah had always wondered how she did that. How she knew exactly what was going on.

"How do you know?"

"Shoaib. I remember all the halaqah meetings, the gatherings mama arranged. It was TORTURE!" The girls laughed.

"Honest though. He was such a free soul. Laughed at everything, smiled all the time. He was social with everyone BUT the sisters at the mosque. He literally was perfect. And he did all these things unknowingly and that right there is what got me every single time. I would go home and cry Rayhannah wallahy. All the time. I'd cry in my duah sessions, swalah, ya3ni everywhere. But wallah if I knew what marriage life would be with him, I would NEVER have shed a single tear. Rayhannah I'm telling you this, all of it will work out. Just involve Allah habibty. Bac!"
Rayhannah had already started tearing up, happy tears. Thinking of life with her Qalb was something that brought her untold happiness.

"He's waiting. So I'd better go."
Samarah smiled at her little girl. She was growing up too fast.

"Abi! I'm going to Khawla's. She needs me."
He nodded.

"As long as Muhammad is with you I'm okay."
Muhammad was within earshot and he couldn't help but think that Rayhannah's dad was just being nice. If only he knew! If only he truly knew!!!

On the way to Khawla, Umar and Muhammad made small talk involving Rayhannah in one or two points.

"Salaams Khaltu Wafaa. I missed you." Ray said the minute they got to Muhammad's place.

"Awww lovely. I missed you too habibty. Why are you here though? I thought there was a gathering at your place! I couldn't come because of the triplets. They are such a hand full. I literally just woke up for a glass of milk."

"Khawla ran off. So I came to check on her."
Wafaa was shocked.

"My baby!" She said as she ran up the stairs only to find Khawla in tears - asleep!
She broke down. What pain was her daughter feeling? Why was she unconsciously crying?

Muhammad, who was running behind his mom, was broken by the sight. What was said to Khawla? What was the box she was hugging?

"Khawla habibty," Ummu Khawla said, "Khawla wake up please."

She woke up and immediately started full on crying. Umar, who was standing outside the door began crying too. His tongue felt too heavy to make duah so he hoped Allah would listen to his heart.

"Yummaaaaaaaaa!" Khawla kept saying as she cried. "Yumma wallahy I miss baba."
Wafaa couldn't believe what she had said. Nurein Hassan had been a man and a half! Religious, loving, caring and most of all, kind. Oh so kind! She remembered the first time she saw him.

Wafaa had been living with her aunt in Kenya for a year and a half. They were at the cinema and she dropped her bag. He didn't pick it up though. He was watching from a distance, too scared to approach for she was so beautiful and covered. Nurein had never been comfortable around girls. He had no sisters, his mom had walked out on them so he had no idea at all what to say or what to do. Wafaa has seen him from the moment she walked in. He was in a thobe. A white shiny thobe! He looked AMAZING!

Next time she saw him, he was helping at the orphanage. She kept telling her aunt, unconsciously, of how much she loved him. Or thought she did. Everyone knew Nurein felt the same. Everyone but Wafaa. Soon enough (ages to Wafaa) Nurein asked for her hand in marriage and they had a simple but beautiful wedding. A year later and they had the twins. Wafaa could never have been happier.

"Let's go downstairs," Khawla got her scarf after Ray told her Umar was there. She took her box with her and they sat on the carpet in a perfect circle. And she began talking.

"I met up with baba's friend today. By accident. He was at Ray's place ..." And she told them the whole story. She showed the box to them and mama asked to hold it and she gave it to her.

She gave the only letter she had opened to Rayhannah who began reading it.

"Happy fourth birthday my little Khaulaty. Owwww my baby. My little girl, my first born!" Muhammad made at face at Khawla who gave a weak smile back, "I don't know why I'm writing a letter to a four year old but I'm just so in love with you two. My Muhammad who will grow into a fine young lad and marry the best ... And marry the best Muslim lady in the city. Hahaha! Funny I'm thinking about that and he's just four. Four and five minutes younger than you." Khawla smiled. Her dad and her would have made a great team at ruffling up Muhammad's feathers.

"My baby. Duty calls. Just know that I've always got your back habibty. You are my princess. My only princess. Say hi to my queen for me. Tell her I love her. Always have and always will. Ours is a love that says not even death will do us apart ..."

"Because we will be reunited in Jannah In Shaa Allah," Ummu Khawla said in tears.

"People tell me I need to move on. Because I barely knew him."

"Crap!" Umar whispered but everyone heard him. And Muhammad smiled thinking, ' He truly loves my little girl.'

"Sorry. What I meant was no matter how much time passes, you will always have lost a dad. Not a friend, or a cousin! A dad. Feel the pain. Grieve it. Accept it. And whoever the hell doesn't agree with you can move on. You've got us. You've got me!" With that he got up and left. Stood outside for a while bfore he finally found a stool and sat.

Moments later, after everyone had calmed down, Khawla went outside, stood about three arms away from Umar and began talking.

"I appreciate!"

"I just said what I meant."

"Exactly why I'm grateful."

"Khawla, appreciate yourself. You have no idea what a gem you are. Truly! All these people who are messing with your head, they don't deserve your time. Can't you see?" She knew she was about to cry so she took deep breaths and closed her eyes for she was about to make a huge promise, one bigger than herself.

"In Shaa Allah! Not for what you've asked of me. For Us. You and I. In Shaa Allah."

Umar's heart grew warm amd he couldn't get his eyes to look at Khawla. "In Shaa Allah!"

And that night, everyone went to bed peaceful and content. Umar had just began to understand Muhammad's tears when it came to Rayhannah. Now he needed to understand how he was to supress the feelings when his heart felt too small.