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

Crescent 14: Elder sister, That's simply impossible!(2)

Even as the competition preceded with the round one on Qur'an; hifz and general knowledge - everything began in a fierce spark!

The eloquence and fluency with which the competitors answered their questions was exhilarating. There was no sign of even taking time to think before answering.

Zak was on fire; as an elder brother, and a former student of Sheikh Al Iskandarī, he couldn't dare to lose, especially to his younger sisters, no matter how learned they were; although the age gap between he and Maryam was in weeks!

Maryam alike, though calm like glass on the surface, was answering each and every question like flowing water, her every word with undeniable conviction and truth!

Aasiyah calmly watched from the sides. Her intelligent eyes seemed to say a lot on her perfect trust in her sister's understanding on the Dîn. Yet, she was also ready to assist if the need ever arose.

The only one who seemed calm on the surface, but had his heart thumping like an awakened volcano was Arkaan! Are they even human?!!

The craze with which the brother-sister duo were answering the questions, as if on a challenge to see who's superior! One was on ice, and the other was on fire! Zak was burning with the passion of a raging flaming fire, his answers did not take sawt into consideration, but accuracy and precision of the verses with their Tajweed rules; and yet, the voice of recitation was with a beauty, simply eloquent.

Maryam on the other hand answered with a calmness, and yet, an almost palpable and unyielding will, of the dominance of frost on the dead cold winter! Her eloquence, no less of the elocution of Zak.

It got to a time, everyone noticed the round was going to end in a draw, and so, Ismaîl shifted to general knowledge of the Qur'an. In this, once in a while, Maryam let Aasiyah also answer.

On the boys' side though, Arkaan remained kinda mute, as Zak dominated in answering all the questions; so people didn't know whether it was intentional on their side, or Arkaan just didn't know. In this state, Arkaan was feeling kind of depressed. He felt he had to make an appearance, - at least once.

He noticed how Zak was intentionally answering in such a way that it'd look like he was enough, so Arkaan didn't need to help. It seemed to be his plan, to stand-in for Arkaan till the end.

Maryam noticed it, and watched Arkaan sympathetically. Her brothers had not done well. Since they couldn't answer the questions, and wanted to save face, they put the guy as a sacrifice for their themselves. She scoffed inwardly. Aasiyah didn't seem to notice anything though.

Even the audience who had expected much from Arkaan were at a loss. Harun and Musa felt they had grievously wronged the guy as they sighed inwardly. Who would have known it'd go like this.

Well! At least we tried. I think Zak would do well to win for us, because - there's no way we're sweeping East wing! Go Za'aak!

It was there that a question came that Arkaan knew he wouldn't have known the answer at first, but after the intense research Hilya had indirectly coerced him to make on the Qur'an though -

Ismaîl asked, a charming smile on his charismatic demeanour,"In which Surah did Allah state, that the purpose of jinn and men on Earth, was to worship Him?"

Before Zak even realized the question was for the boys' side, Arkaan had already calmly answered," Adh-Dhâriyat, Chapter fifty-one of the Holy Qur'an, The Winds that scatter."

Arkaan's words carried the calmness of a sage who was so genuinely sure of his knowledge on a subject of study that no one would doubt him. Even he didn't know wherefrom he got such chilling confidence!