The Circle Of The Qur'an #1[The Arkaan Series] ✓

Crescent 16: His Character was the Qur'an!(1)

"Devotion to the Book did not cease,
but it lost its active character while
retaining what was irrational and mystic.

The Qur'an lost its authority as law while gaining in sanctity as an object.

In study and interpretation, wisdom yielded to hair-splitting, essence to form, and grandeur of thought to the skill of recitation.

Under constant influence of theological formalism, the Qur'an was read less and recited more, while commandments on struggle, uprightness, personal and material sacrifice - harsh and repellent to our inertia - dissolved and vanished in the pleasant sound of the Qur'anic text learnt off by heart.

This unnatural state of affairs came to be accepted as the norm because it suited an ever more enormous group of Muslims who could neither break with the Qur'an nor summon the strength to order their lives according to its dictates."

Alija Izetbegovic

NB: Thoughts and Flashbacks are in italics.

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Even as he made it almost halfway up the bridge, he heard the sound of the tinkling of an anklet.

That sound...

His mind went into a daze as he conjured up a long forgotten memory.

He smiled a faint smile, as he waited at the middle of the stone bridge for the owner of the sound to make their way up the bridge.

Maybe he had long known that it would be her, maybe he had only wanted her to say it first. Maybe he had only hoped that she recognized him first so it'd be all the more lot easier.

Thus his eyes didn't reveal any shock when he saw Maryam run up the bridge. He laughed inwardly. She's still the same, always running about like it's the end of the world even though she's growing into a lady.

Maryam reached the middle of the bridge to find Arkaan waiting on her. She was still panting and sweating a bit heavily, but the sweat came off her beautiful self as shining pearls in the rising morning sun, making her even more beautiful, and Arkaan was stunned once again.

It was when she came up close that the sound of her voice brought him out of his daze.

There he was again, in his usual leather trousers and black long sleeves top.

"Arkaan?"

He didn't know whether to lower his gaze or not. The girl had afterall, come to meet him.

There was no girl who I was stuck in a dilemma about except for you.

I didn't know how I could ever find obsession in anyone till I met you.

Seeing that the boy was at a loss upon seeing her, Maryam who had come up, turned to look at the flowing stream underneath the river, whilst standing by his side.

Seeing her turn towards the river, a calm expression on her face as she watched the flowing river, Arkaan also turned towards the river, his green eyes seemed to reflect the glimmer of green that the calm waters reflected, imaging the tree crowns around them.