A Diamond in Islam | (Published) ✔

{22} Awakening of Inquries

Damon Winters

I wanted to tell her so much. I wanted Amira to know how badly she made me want her, how her smile brightened up my day, how her eyes seemed to beg me to hold her and lavish her. She was too irresistible.

I sighed as I leaned back against my headboard. She was a Muslim. She couldn't date me. It wasn't allowed. I was an atheist.

Religion had no meaning to me, especially I found the idea of a religion stupid to begin with. My parents weren't religious either. I had never grown attached to the idea of God or spirituality. I preferred to live in the moment, absence of all chains of restrictions that religion imposed on helpless souls.

Islam had always been a religion I was weary of, unsure how anyone could follow a religion where terrorism reigned like a second nature, where anger overtook basica humanity. How Amira was a part of that religion, I had no idea.

Me: Y does Islam allow terrorism? Y are u part of such an oppressed religion?

Amira: Islam doesn't allow terrorism. If anything Islam is totally against it. Also, women are not oppressed. I speak from experience.

Me: Doesn't jihad mean terrorize? And how are women not oppressed?

Muslim women had to cover everything, hidden by layers of clothes in order to oppress them from society, keeping them away from basic social interactions. It was saddening to see. They didn't even get to marry four husbands unlike their male counterparts. That wasn't even fair.

Amira: Jihad means struggle like this is my jihad right here. It's my jihad (struggle) against ignorance. There r some Muslims that twist up the truth for their own advantages just like in any other religion. It's not just Islam that has people like that. There are a lot of serial killers that are from other religions, but they get no hate like Muslims do because they are told they have mental illnesses. That's the same with the other terrorists. Some have mental problems while others just uses religion to cover crimes.

Me: I see ur point but u still didn't answer y women aren't allowed to have multiple husbands but men are? Islam sounds like a religion that only fulfills men's need. It's filthy.

As I sent the message, I felt a little bit of fear in the pit of my stomach. If there was one thing I learned about Amira it was that I should never underestimate her knowledge. Why did I have a feeling that she's about to put me to shame? Considering how long it was taking her to type this I knew that I was doomed.

Amira: Damon, don't say stuff about a religion if u don't understand y they do it. When learning about Islam don't listen to the crap that the media says cause there is a lot of falsehood behind their words.

Secondly, in Islam it is believed that women and men have different roles that they fulfill. Men are the protectors and sustainers of women. Their role is to provide and protect their families. Women are the ones who help raise her family and support them. She also is the one that keeps her husband in check from doing wrong as her husband does the same for her. Men and women are like puzzle pieces that fit together to create a loving family.

Since men are the protectors and sustainers of women, how can a women fulfill that role if she marries more than one man? That creates more stress for her. As for men it says specifically in the Qur'an that if the man is not capable of taking care of another women, yet he still decides to marry a second wife and is bad at taking care of his wives, Allah will punish him because Allah warns us in the Qur'an about it. Don't believe me? Check Surah #4 An Nisa which is about women and men's rights.

She totally just won this debate, but I was not about to admit that.

Me: But still...

Amira: Actually a lot of girls convert to Islam compared to men. They're not oppressed and if they were these women wouldn't be converting. Also, Islam limits the number of wives one can have while other religions don't.

Me: Really? I didn't know that.

Amira: It's true.

Me: And u wonder y i like u so much;)

Amira was quickly becoming so much more to me. I never felt so affected by a girl, especially one who didn't show anyone her beauty. It was so unlike my normal self, but Amira somehow crawled her way into my heart, breaking all my previous standards with a mere smile.

Me: do u like me?

It was quiet for a while with no response from her.

Amira: it's complicated. Let's just say that u don't want to like me Damon. I don't want to hurt u.

Me: ur gonna hurt me more if u don't tell me.

Amira: u won't understand these feelings.

Me: I could help u go through those feelings. Amira, what r u so afraid of?

Amira: of this. Damon please.

I don't understand. Is she afraid of her feelings for me as well?

Me: are u ashamed of me?

Amira: No! It's religion. I don't know what to do right now. I don't want to hurt anyone.

My heart broke into tiny pieces, shattering around me in sharp shards. She didn't want me like I thought. My chest felt tight, squeezing my heart and making it beat out of rhythm.

It was getting hard to breathe as I let the rejection set in. The girl that I thought was perfect didn't want me. Why though? She had to have liked me. She acted like she did. I was the first guy she ever texted, something she'd never done before. I was her first.

Me: I just wanted to tell u I liked u. It's okay if u don't like me. We can still stay as friends. Nothing will change.

Amira: No, Damon, that's not it. It's just I can't like u. We can't be together. I want to, but I can't.

If only she knew how much I wanted her. Surely, there had to be a way for us to be together. I couldn't lose her. I couldn't suffer the same fate as before.

This time, I wouldn't be able to survive another tragedy.

Assalamualaikum guys!

So yeah pretty good timing for an update huh? Anyway remember to vote, comment, and fan! Thanks:)