Our Day of Love

25. Our Day of Love

And thus, came the harvesting week. People were brisk, happy and extra energetic. People were afraid that the rain would spoil the harvest. It sometimes does. You could see people in field all day long. They harvested as fast as they could, but this was a lucky year. There was only slight drizzling. Since the peace treaty all the grains were stored in the fort. The grains will be distributed to the people on the seventh day of the harvest and will be celebrated with feasts. By then the crops would be packed for each people separately. Rice, cereals, wheat were all put in small sacks and the small sack from each grain will be packed into a huge sack. A family's ration would be three sacks. If they need more than that, they have to pay by selling their personal harvests and cattle. Everybody takes part in harvest packing at the fort the day before the distribution.

Hifza as always was excited about the get together. The journalist in her planned what she would write about this system. The energetic girl in her packed along with the woman. Her work was to measure the cereals and pass it to the next woman who had the sack ready. The next woman would then seal the sack. There were many such small groups. Hifza never had so much fun before. The system trusted the people to measure it equally and no one wanted to cheat. It was like a huge family was united.

Everytime Hifza left for prayer, people became curious. And to her immense pleasure they asked her about it. Turns out it was the same case with Ehsaan. On the sixth day night, the tribes usually gathered to sing and dance. All the small tribes also gathered there the night before. And so Ehsaan asked if he could explain things publicly. Some opposed for they were afraid of new things. But many agreed. They gathered around him while some dispersed.

Ehsaan first explained about the oneness of Allah. He went on to explain how the sun and rain and the idols they worship were mere creations and that Allah was the creator of all. Ehsaan explained how Allah was omnipotent. He explained that they were all created by a single hand because had there been more than one god, the earth wouldn't function in a sync like this. He went on to explain that Allah was eternal and above all. How there is no starting and ending or a gender. He explained that time is only a thing which has a starting and ending like humans have birth and death. So, Allah don't need time, thus he was eternal. That Allah is the one rightful to be worshipped.

He explained that the hereafter is true. When Allah has created man from void and then return him to void, then why can't he bring man back from void. To simplify that he challenged them not to sleep. A silence fell at the simple yet impossible task. He then went on to challenge them not to wake up after they go to sleep. The people's thoughts were in a rollercoaster. There goes your minor death and resurrection he exclaimed. He also explained that every action has equal and opposite reaction. So why then do the murderers go unpunished, the good people go unnoticed, unless until their reaction was not in this world. Suppose it was in the hereafter?

He illustrated hell with a rubber band. He stretched it a few centimetres and let it hit his hand. It hurt. He stretched it to its maximum extent and let it hit him. It hurt a lot. It was the same. If you get reaction in this world it is only stretched a few centimetres. If its in hereafter its stretched to its maximum extent. Thus, the more just you are, the more the elastic stays in equilibrium. But then how do you know what is just? You are only creations. You commit a sin and you don't even know it was a sin. Thus, Allah sends his messenger and books to guide us. The past books were corrupted slowly along with time. So, in order to update it, Allah send Quran through Mohammed(SAW). He went on to explain a brief history of how the first verse came down on a illiterate Mohammed(SAW). How the people who trusted him turned against him. How many torture they endured. How many wars they fought. He said that was the base for 2 billion Muslims in the world.

He next explained about the five pillars. Shahada, prayer, fasting, Zakah and Hajj. He explained why they should believe, pray, fast, give and go on hajj. He explained about the major sins like worshiping things other than Allah, adultery, murder, interest. He explained them as much as he can. Ehsaan was surprised at the structure that formed in his mind to explain Islam. He had never done anything like this before. So, he was surprised that the speech came out half decent. He knew he did not explain things expertly and that he only explained things by his understanding. He knew he might even be wrong.

And then the people started the questions. Ruma and Ryder formed a team and fired question left and right. It was then that Ehsaan realised he needed actual help from the dawah team. He answered them as much as he could. When people left that night, they had a new way of thinking about their life. This troubled them, cleared them, relieved them and then troubled them again. Ryder finally put on the brave face and uttered the shahada. Ehsaan hugged him immediately after that. It was a turning point for both of them. Ryder cried with relief. Ruma and some more people were intrigued too but was not as brave as Ryder.

The delicious food, the united work, the thought provoking speech tired Ehsaan and Hifza. They stumbled into their bed straight from their prayer mat after praying isha. They were huddled together without realizing they were in the same bed. It was not weird. It was natural and home. Thus, the couple slept peacefully till the alarm went off by fajr.

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