Echoes Of The Heart

Chapter 6

CAROLINE'S POINT OF VIEW:

I sat beside my bed, on the floor.

I had the translation of the Quran that I had brought yesterday.

It was 3 in the morning. I had tried to sleep but could not. Every time I closed my I eyes my head started filling up with questions... These were questions I had for myself.

What would happen to me if I died tonight?

Where would I go?

If what Muslims believe came true, what would I do?

I had been brought up as an atheist. I was made to believe that all I had to deal with was this life. Nothing would be after this, after I die, I would be gone. No me anymore.

But this was not what I believed anymore. I had these questions in my mind all the time. I wanted to find answers.

So I had gotten up from my bed.

I had the Quran in my hand now. I randomly opened a page.

(In Falsehood will they be) until, when

Death comes to one of them, he says: 0

My Lord Send me back (to life),

[23: Al-Muminun-99]

I was taken aback by the power of the speech. It was amazing how it was totally according to my situation. I sat in shock for a while. Then I had tears in my eyes. I took my face in my hands and began to weep. I felt my heart melting with every tear that fell from my eyes.

I didn't know why was I crying but I felt helpless. I wanted to be content with life. I had been feeling a burden over my heart since I had seen that man dying. I wanted to throw that burden away, to feel free.

I felt a presence around me. Someone who was taking me towards this path. Someone who wanted me to see the truth, to feel free, to get rid of that burden on my heart. Someone as powerful and real as this speech in front of me. Someone who wanted me to know the truth, help get to the right path.

I started weeping even more.

I opened another random page...

Say: "Travel through the earth and see

what was the end of those who rejected

Truth."

[6: Anam-11]

I had traveled all my life and I had seen destruction. I had seen entire cities being discovered beneath the earth. I knew that this had something other then what the analysts had written. And now I knew what it was. They had rejected the presence of someone who I had started feeling around me now.

I did not want the same thing to happen to me.

I closed the Quran and kept on the shelf beside the bed. I sat down on the bed and thought about what I had read today. Some of my questions had been answered and I knew that they were being answered by someone mighty.

I slept that night. My head was a little clearer than last night.

I got dressed. I wore something that covered me up a little more than usual. I wanted to do all that He said. I started to believe deep in my heart that He should be obeyed. Only then will I be able to remove the burden on my heart completely.

I reached my office and finished some work. After 2 hours I needed a file so, I called Umar in but I was told that he did not came. They told me that he had been in an accident last night and was admitted in a hospital.

On asking how it had happened. I was told that he was drunk and was crossing the road so; he got hit by a car.

I left my office immediately and went to see him. He had a bandage around his head.

"How are you feeling now?" I asked.

"Much better." He answered in a low tune.

I sat there for a while and then

left.

While getting out of the hospital a question aroused in my mind

Was Umar familiar with all that I was discovering about Islam?

If he knew then why was he violating the rules of his religion?

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