That night, after everyone else had gone to bed, Zahid began his preparations. He performed wudu, washing his hands, mouth, and face. Then he washed his forearms and his feet.
The Qur'an was sacred – more sacred than any other book in existence – because it was the very Word of Allah, given directly to the Prophet, peace be upon him. Purifying oneself before touching it or reciting it gave testimony to its importance.
When he was finished, he knelt on his sajda – or prayer rug – and began.
"Audu Billahi min ash-shaitanir rajeem."
I seek refuge from Allah from the shayateen.
He took a deep breath before continuing.
He laid the Qur'an open in front of him and prayed, "Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem."
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious and Merciful.
"'Allah! There is no God but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, the Eternal.'"
He felt a strange chill in his chest, spreading throughout his body. He ignored the sensations and started reciting the Sura Al-Fatiha, the first chapter of the Qur'an.
"No slumber can seize Him, nor sleep."
After only a few verses, he started to feel sleepy as well as cold. Exhaustion washed over him like an icy wave. His eyes started drooping and his head felt heavy.
"I'm so tired," he thought. "I can do this another night. Maybe I should just go to bed."
But he shook off the temptation and continued, "All things in heaven and earth are His..."
Just then, his stomach growled.
"I shouldn't do this on an empty stomach," he thought. "I should go eat something."
There was an odd breeze hitting him that made him fantasize about all of his favorite warm meals. Even a simple cup of hot tea sounded wonderful at the moment.
But he willed himself to continue.
"...Who could intercede in His presence without His permission? He knows what appears in front of and behind His creatures...."
"Oh shoot!" a thought reminded him. "I still have to finish my English homework. That's going to take forever. I should get started now."
No, Zahid thought, now shivering with the cold. This is more important.
"'Nor can they encompass any knowledge of Him except what he wills.'"
"Why should I worship Allah?"
The angry and aggressive thought stopped Zahid in his recitation.
"What has God ever done for me?" the thought continued vehemently. "He is nothing but a cruel tyrant who demands slavery! Maybe He doesn't even exist. How could He exist and let such horrible things happen?"
It was then that Zahid realized that these were not his thoughts. They were the whispers of a shaitan – a jinni. And it was fighting back.
A frightened chill covered his arms with goosebumps. He had only speculated that there was some supernatural evil pestering him. Now he knew it was true.
And it was terrifying.
He felt like he was playing with fire.
"Yes, this is too dangerous for me," the whisper seemed to answer. "I should stop now and think about hiring a professional. Or maybe just go on living. It's not like I'm suffering."
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Zahid Nasir and the Wicked Whisperers
Ciencia FicciónZahid had enough trouble trying to balance his life as an Arab Muslim immigrant in America, but things really heated up when fire started shooting out of his hands. That was only the beginning, however, as Allah had appointed him to be a raqi - a Mu...