Winged Dreams

Chapter 11: Detached

27th October, 2015

Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.

[Qur'an]

Chapter 11:

Detached

Dina sat staring at Ishaq, observing as his little hands moved while coloring, and the adorable little pout he sported for his mom had denied him candy. He had come to Dina's room and having found the coloring sheets, he immediately took them under his ownership.

Dina shuddered when the sudden thought of losing him crossed her mind, and immediately closed that chamber.

Detachment was a concept Dina had resorted to after her death. There was something about death that taught you grave lessons on life. It made you feel helpless, without power and control. It made you realize just how temporary this life was, and how minute you were in front of the universe, and how microscopic your existence was in front of The Originator of the heavens and the earth.

And this reinforced realization was followed by the most important lesson that the life of the world was just a preparation for the hereafter. If we built our homes here, spending every minute and every dollar in beautifying it, we'd live with nothing in the grave. The grave, the darkness, that abode where our deeds were all we had for survival. No friends, no family, no cars, nothing but us and our deeds.

With one squeeze in the grave, even the object we so desperately loved in the world would we forgotten. The torment for disbelievers, disobedient ones was promised to be horrendous. However, it would be another story for the pious. Their graves would be spacious, bestowed with light, and they would be given the glad tidings of Jannah.

And indeed, death was the door from which started the life of the hereafter.

Dina shuddered once again as she thought back to the people who had already reached the outcome of what they did, buried six feet under. Death did not ignite fear by itself; it was the aftermath of our deeds that caused the soul to shake in fright. To take action before the angels of death came looking for it, without notice, without warning.

While Amreen's death reinforced the lesson that we come alone in this world and we'll die alone, it had had such an impact on Dina, that she wanted to live alone too. She had come to understand that everything she loved would eventually be taken away by The Creator. And while this concept was something all of us needed to know, Dina had decided that she was going to stay away from all that ignited the emotion of love in her.

It was the rule of life to eventually lose the ones you loved so dearly, and continue to love them after the loss. But the silly girl, she was bent on repelling the forces of love. She had decided to take a step back, and practice detachment.

Little did she know, when love came your way, whether you'd throw it away or accept it, squeeze the life out of it, or let it bloom, you would get back nothing but love in return. You couldn't close your doors on it, for love had the power to break all walls.

"Di. Mamma is calling you. Di Di!"

Dina blinked as Ishaq waved his hands in front of her, and abruptly broke from her thoughts

"She's asking if you are ready."

Dina hurried to her closet, and brought out a pink kammez with green palazzo pants, the first attire she spotted.