That Means that.... JUSTIFIES the End

It's been all about Zaynab... Ya Allah!

Already making brilliant headways with his own project, Zayd had accompanied his two friends, who happened to be in the faculty of agriculture -while he was in engineering- to check out fruit trees at a particular distant part of the school premises he had never before moved close to, after observing Dhur Solah. He had been quite surprised to see an isolated completed building at such a location, and had asked his friends if they knew what purpose the building served, as they were more familiar with the route, both had however replied that they did not know. Moving further ahead, they could hear voices raised in pleasant enthusiasm coming from the building, Zayd wondered why in the world any people -females? He was more taken aback when he sighted  them- would choose such a place to hold a pleasant meeting.
Just as they walked, he felt his heart prick, and his interest piqued, something about the lady sitting on the tall stool interested him,but, he had not seen any of their faces as he kept them lowered with utmost great efforts. Then, he knew the lady rose then and remained standing, he could not look back at her to confirm his doubt for he was afraid of falling into the trap of the Shaitan, so he had kept his gaze lowered and walked on, flanked by his friends. On their return trip minutes later, the urge to confirm if indeed his instincts that told him the fair lady was his own missing -or run away- sister, Zaynab, became greatly intensified. However, just before they got to the window side from where he could see the occupants without any stress, his mind warned him against his earlier decision; 'if it's your sister, what can you do about it? Judge and hate her for it? And if it's not, what do you do after staring at a strange woman who is practically naked, Zayd? You should fear your Lord in all honesty, bro' and he had hearkedned to that advice, he had been ashamed of himself for having even thought of 'confirming' if it was indeed his sister among those sort of girls. The Liz whatever they called themselves was a very popular group on campus, there was not a party -one that was worth it- they were not invited to, there was not a club or bar they were not revered in, there was just nothing good to their title aside the deadly social, they never even attended their lectures and everyone knew  the worst they could ever get was a B grade, and rumour has it that they never even stepped into exam halls, God! The mere name roared crazy respect among the students, and for all that was right, Zayd loathed them with passion. Now, to think that his own darling sister was.... No, he forced himself to stop thinking about it, he knew his sister could be everything bad, but, she definitely was not in the likes of girls like... The Zaynab he knew -or never knew- was definitely not one to gallivant all about town, going from one party to another, and then the men?? No, it was too much, he knew his Zaynab could not do that, not at the expense of her lectures... Yes, that was one thing he knew certainly about his sister, yes, her dedication to her studies and in turn, good grades.
Hours later when they arrived  home in Yunus' car, Zayd had still not been able to totally take his mind off the probability of his sister being the one who answered that Zee that just joined the group the previous session, and was already practically leading the group in all their antisocial activities and atrocities. He sighed. 'Hey,man, don't tell me you feel things like that too' Abdus-Samad had teased jokingly, and both of his friends had looked askance at him, he coughed, 'I was just saying, I mean, he's been this way since the time we passed by them Liz girls, jumpy and lost in thoughts and all that'. The two friends had solemnly looked to Zayd for an explanation or anything at all  by way of clarification, but, they got none, Zayd seemed to be unwilling to share his troubles with them. In crisp steps, he left them and entered the house.
'I wonder what could be bothering him so much' Yunus said as soon as the door closed after Zayd. 'I mean, it's obvious he doesn't want to talk about it, but, it's so obvious, even EVER since he returned from home that Sunday' Abdus-Samad nodded in affirmative alongside a shrug, 'let's just keep praying for him'. Yunus concluded as they headed for the entrance. 'And, I think it'd be best if we both act like we don't notice anything weird in his attitude, bro' Abdus-Samad said when they got to the door. Smiling, they muttered the supplication for entering the house -separately- thus, 'Bismillahi wa lajna, wa bismillahi kharajna, wa 'ala Rabinna tawakkalna, thumma liyu sallin 'ala ahlihi' meaning 'In the name of Allah we enter, in the name of Allah we leave, and upon our Lord we depend', then they said the Tasleem 'Assalamualaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh' as they walked in.
Few minutes to the proclamation of the Adhan for Maghrib Solah, the three friends had performed their ablutions and made their supplication for leaving the house, 'Bismillahi tawakkaltu alallahi wa la haula wala quwwata illa billah' meaning 'In the name of Allah, I have placed my trust in Allah, there is no might and no power except by Allah' and were waiting for Yunus as he locked the door, when they heard Zayd's ringtone. Umar had paused a while to confirm whether or not his friend would rather go in to take his phone -as he had made it a habit to never go to the Masjid with his cellphone, to avoid any distraction that can come from it- the latter had  and told him to ignore it, despite being curious as to who would call him when it was almost time for Solah, and Yunus had completed his action of locking the door and they had proceeded to the mosque in silence, each occupied with his own thoughts and/or adhkars. Just before entering the mosque, each of them said, 'A'udhu billahil Azeem, wa bi Wajhihil Kareem wa Sultaani hil qadeem, minash shaitaanir rajeem, bismillahi, was salaati was salaamu 'ala Rasoolillahi Allahima aftahli abwaaba rahmatika' meaning 'I seek refuge in Almighty Allah, by His magnificent countenance, by His primordial power, from Satan the outcast. In the name of Allah, blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, Oh Allah, open before me the door of your mercy', then they entered and performed two nawafil (supererogatory) rak'ah individually before they picked a Mush'af of the Qur'an each for recitation, reflection or revision, as has always been their routine whenever they arrived the mosque early enough -which was more often than not.
After observing Ishai Solah -which they customarily stayed behind at the mosque for after Maghrib- they exchanged handshakes among themselves as well as some other occupants of the mosque on their way out after the Sunnah du'as and adhkars. Zayd was finally at ease, he was always at peace after prostrating to his Lord, tranquility and faithful hope always filled his heart and he was always deeply grateful to his Lord for His endless mercies in his low unworthy human life. Walking towards the door with his friends, he made the invocation for leaving the mosque thus, 'Bismillahi was salaatu was salaamu 'ala Rosoolillahi, Allahummak inni as'alika min fadlika, Allahumma 'simni minash shaitaanir rajeem' meaning 'In the name of Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. Oh Allah, I ask for your favour, oh Allah, protect me from Satan the outcast'. Through the length of their walk back to the house, they did not speak a word to one another, as they reflected on various lessons they had picked from the Imaam's sermon and enjoyed the solemnity of the night.
'Alhamdulillah' they had all chorused and then laughed all of the unpleasant events of the day off as it has (then) become their habit everyday after the last obligatory Solah of the day, after which they exchanged firm handshakes with broad smiles and bade one another goodnight with the Tasleem, as they headed indoors for their separate rooms, knowing certainly that they would still meet one another online and chat till Allah-knows-when before finally saying the final goodnight tasleem -for real- and that has just been how they roll, as Yunus would always say.
'Bismillah, assalamualaykum' Zayd said as he entered his room and closed the door behind him with a broad smile, he was going to communicate with his Lord yet again before hitting the bed, and nothing in this world, he knew, could ever give him as much joy as that which more opportunities to prostrate before his Creator did. Certain that his ablution was still very much valid, he walked over to his Musallah (prayer place). However, before he could raise his arms to signify the start of the prayer, his phone started ringing, and subconsciously, he had decided to ignore it -and he did- but, the incessant disturbing noise reminded him that it was actually in the living room and not there in his room with him, and by implication, was disturbing his two friends in whatever they were doing at the moment, so he decided to suspend his nawafil to get his phone and then put it on vibration -he still could not understand how he had set his phone on such a loud ring. Resignedly, he walked out of the room briskly.
The phone was ringing again as he entered the sitting room. Hurrying over to not miss it, he was wondering what exactly could be so urgent that someone -whoever if was- would be so determined to get through to him that night. Both of his friends entered the living room immediately he got hold of the cellphone. Stealing a glance at the screen as the last  ring just ended, he was alarmed to find out it was his father -that man he knew never called unless I was 'absolutely' essential, anything less came through his mom with whom he talked on phone virtually every day, even that morning -and he swallowed with mixed feelings, determined to not raise fear or suspicions in either of his friends, despite his serious inner conflict.
'Oh, sorry to have disturbed you with such noise, I forgot to take my phone in with me' Zayd managed to say in a light tone, hoping to God that his father would not call again till he got to the safety of his room, for, he now has the feeling that the frantic nature of the incessant calls definitely had something to do with those girls he saw earlier in the day. From where the conviction came, he knew not, all he knew was that something bound them together. And in whatever case, his friends did not have to worry over his family mess, they all have their own concerns and worries too, and Allah has always been sufficient for him.
Yunus and Abdus-Samad got the message, smiled and told him they had only wanted to be sure he was okay, 'okay? Of course, alhamdulillah, we are all okay' Zayd had tried his possible best to sound cheerful, his friends did not let on that they suspected any inconsistency -and he was grateful for that- they had smiled at him in reassurance and returned to their rooms. Zayd watched them leave and his thoughts returned to his sister...
Closing the door behind him in a hurry, he accepted the incoming call immediately and plugged the hands-free in his left ear, anxiety almost ripping his chest apart, 'assalamualaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, sir'  he barely managed to say as he lowered himself cautiously on the edge of the bed. 'Wa alaykumus salam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, Zayd' that was his mother's voice, and now his fear skyrocketed, he muttered 'Allahuma la taira illa tairuka, wa la khairan illa khairuka, wa lailaha ghairuka' meaning 'Oh Allah, there is no portent other than your portent, no goodness other than Your goodness, and no God other than You' as his mother muttered some inaudible words he could only decipher were explaining her anger and hurt at his not answering the phone since when she had been trying to reach him, and when she finally quieted for a while to catch her breath, Zayd got a few word of apologies in and explained the circumstances of the missed calls to her; and he heard his mother take a deep sigh and keep silent at her end. Zayd wished he could relish in the golden silence, but, his unrelenting anxiety would not afford him that much luxury, so he asked, 'is something  wrong, mum?' he hated beating about the bush anyway, he always appreciated facing circumstances head on. The silence at the other end grew more intense, then he heard a gruff male voice encourage his mother to go on -his father, he thought, it had to be his father, he knew- and he waited only a split second before the words, 'have you seen your sister recently, Zayd?' popped his eyes and freeze his body -as if he was spell bound- with just his brain performing some loud crazy movements as if it will burst out of his skull in a moment, the question could not have come at a worse time.
'Zayd?' His father must have collected the phone from his mother as his gruff voice gently prodded him to respond -he should say something, he knew, or at a least, a part of him knew, but, he just could not get himself out of the seeming spell. Then he heard his heart pump so loud and with such fierce force it jerked him right to his feet, he hissed out a sigh and blinked, words were pouring in his ears but he could not get any meaning from any of them, he paused till there was a break from the other end, 'mom, I haven't seen Sis at all' he doubted it even as he said it, but he knew he had not lied- or had he? He felt so agitated in his predicament- Subhanallah! He was being ungrateful to his Lord, he had to calm down - 'Mom?' He had said to confirm if the connection was still valid, but, his mother had broken into hard sobs he felt as if every sob wrenched hard at his tender heart.
'Don't mind your mother too much, son' Sulaymaan had taken the phone from his wife, he could not bear watching her hurt so much and so often in only one day. He explained to his son how his wife had narrated the dream she had right after her Asr Solah to him on his return from work, and they had decided to inform him so he could also intensify his prayers for their missing daughter, as well as hope he would run across her at some point soon, on or off campus, so he could give her a heads up at least, as they all know how seldom Maryam dreamt, and how even more certain it was that her  dreams, whenever they came, materialized.
They had prayed for Zayd and his two elder siblings abroad, and especially for Zaynab and then the whole family, before bading their youngest son goodnight and dropped the long call after the Tasleem. 'Wa alaykumus salam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, dad' Zayd said with all the energy left in him and remained on the spot as the line went dead, leaving him alone once again with his raging thoughts. He fell heavily on the bed in a sitting position and dropped the phone by his side,  sighing deeply as he pondered crestless over the severity of his mother's dream, he knew he had to get in contact with Zaynab -and fast- but how? His alarm buzzed 10pm, he put  it to a stop and got on his feet, whatever he would do about his sister's issue, Allah will guide him aright, and for now, right now, he needed to talk to that One Being, his Lord. The tension dissipated in him with every step he took towards the bathroom for his ablution, he knew there has not been a time in his life when he needed so desperately to talk to his God and ask His absolute help and mercy... The cool touch of the water on the palm of his right hand set right his inner equilibrium, making him more ready to stand in Solah with the needed focus and absolute submission; he needed His divine help -and  knew, strengthened with faith, that it was going to be just fine, in shaa Allah...
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*N.B*;
Surah Al-Anfal, Verse 45:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا لَقِيتُمْ فِئَةً فَاثْبُتُوا وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
O you who believe! when you meet a party, then be firm, and remember Allah much, that you may be successful.
(English - Shakir)
Surah Hud, Verse 23:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَأَخْبَتُوا إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
Surely (as to) those who believe and do good and humble themselves to their Lord, these are the dwellers of the garden, in it they will abide.
(English - Shakir)
Surah Al-Fath, Verse 4:
هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُوا إِيمَانًا مَّعَ إِيمَانِهِمْ وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا
He it is Who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers that they might have more of faith added to their faith-- and Allah's are the hosts of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Knowing, Wise--
(English - Shakir)
via iQuran

Following Zayd on this beautiful quest?? Well, we obviously know more than he does now, poor innocent Zayd... What secret stays hidden forever????
Smiles... We all wish he would find out the truth and be able to help our amazing beautiful Zaynab right? Ouch, I wish he could....  Don't forget though, lovelies, Allah guides whom He wills...