SULTAN {Preview}

Chapter Six.

1323 AH

SULTAN

I stopped a few yards away when the palace came into view. I looked at the building and smiled, this was home, my place of birth. So many things happened after I was born. When I was four, my aunt Zahra gave birth to a baby girl and she was named Fatimah Batuul, a year later she gave birth to her second child, a boy who was named after my late father Ibrahim Khalil.

At age seven, my uncle, the Emir called me into his room and told me the story of my life and circumstances that surrounded my birth; my parents were late, they died when I was still a baby and so Jakadiya became my foster mother, although he told me in the most subtle way he could, I was sad, shocked, confused, broken, and I cried. I called him Abba, I thought he was my father and that I had two mothers; Jakadiya and Zahra.

The reason why he told me he said, was because he wanted me to pray for my parents for when a person dies and leaves behind offsprings, he is considered lucky because he has someone to pray for him while he is gone. He adviced me to pray for them after every obligatory prayer prayers and before i sleep at night, and not only them but all the muslim Ummah. He also said he would not be happy if I don't continue calling him Abba or calling his wife Umma.

After that, everyone started started telling me stories of my parents, how kind and religious they were. Abba showed me paintings of my parents, back then, I thought my father was very lucky for marrying such a beautiful wife, my mother. With time my sadness began to wear off as everyone spoke nicely of them and said they were good people.

When I was ten, Abba told me that he will be taking me to Madinah for Islamic Studies. I threw a tantrum, I didnt want to leave home, Abba, Umma, my cousins and Sameer my best friend. Abba then told me that he was sponsoring Sameer too so we could go together. He also told me that it was my parents last wish, for me to be knowledgeable. After learning that, I was eager to fulfil their wish and told him to take me already, i was also elated that Sameer was coming with me. Sameer was the chief Imam's son, his father taught us the Qur'an together, that was how we became friend, though he was 2 years older than i was.

We studied in Madinah for more than 10 years. We learned recitation of the Qur'an, memorized it and learned the translations. We also learned alot of hadiths and other Islamic principles. We could also speak Arabic fluently.

Abba sent a messenger to us in Madinah, he said to come back home 3 months to my 21st birthday. I and Sameer set for home as instructed and now we were back.

I snapped out of my thoughts when some guards greeted me, I didn't even notice that I was at the gate already, I was in deep thought.

"Long live Yerima, welcome back" they all chorused as they went down on their knees

"Thank you my people, but how did you recognise me?" I asked suprised. One of them laughed and said

"Royalty cannot be mistaken, besides, we have been working in this palace even before you were born."

I just smiled and went inside.

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Woah, Sultan is no longer a baby but a grown up now...lol

You will meet my new characters in the chapters that will follow. I pray you like them.