Sidratul Muntaha

Chapter 47🚣🏽

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu.

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The dark cloak of the night had spread far and wide in the city of Aileen. Most people were awake though, preparing for the next day of eid. The cauldrons of different types of food were already over the fireplaces, in the kitchen. The women were all cleaning their homes and changing the curtains and bedsheets into new ones. The men were readying their clothes for the Salah of Eid, the next morning.

The house of Ismayeel was witnessing a flurry of activities within it's folds. The men had already chosen a spot for tomorrow's picnic in the gardens. The women were now looking at various preparations going on in the house and helping the servants with the activities. The first two levels of the building were all lighted up. The too floor of the building though was dark and there didn't seem to be any activity from the outside. From within though was another sight to behold.

Muntaha's men were in different stages of Ibadah of their Rabb on that night. Some were in sujood, some in qiyam, some in ruku', while some had raised their hands for supplications and some had opened their Quran and were tearfully reading each page with attention. Some sat around these recitors, listening as they read the Quran with low voices. Muntaha though, was away from every prying eye and in sujood, in one corner of his room, while the other was occupied by Daarim who himself was praying.

Muntaha was in tears as he supplicated to his Rabb. Tonight there was no Ghazdaan, no family and no love in his heart. The only one who had his sole attention was Allah, the Most High and the Most Beautiful. His heart was in shukr. He was an Abd, a slave, in that moment. His heart was solely connected to his Rabb, as his eyes shed the tears of Ibadah on his Musallah. How many years had he lived and how many years had he lived amongst different people? Years and years he had spent away from his home, from his people in the gatherings of Reehans, just learning everything he could. And then he had returned home and gone on missions at a very young age. He had realised one thing in all his life. Allah was the only permanence anyone could find in their whole life. There was nobody that could actually be more closer than your Rabb to you. Each minute He stayed with you and knew you inside and out. Rest all the world came and went with time. He was the only One who stayed and Muntaha's life had taught him that. He had fallen a little deeper in love with his Rabb.

His relationship with tahajjud was a permanent one. He felt restless if he didn't pray it. He tried his best to wake his men too, because he knew that this was the first step for ensuring their success and Allah's mercy upon them. In this war of Ghazdaan, where they had to eradicate the devil and bring back the Adhan, they had to first and foremost eradicate the devil of their hearts and minds and that's what he was doing. He was teaching his men to battle their nafs before they battled Mansoor. He was teaching his men the essence of ibadah. Tonight when the rest of the world either slept or prepared for the happiness of tomorrow, Muntaha's men bowed down to their Lord, because that's where their happiness lay. For the rest of the world, the eid was tomorrow, but for Muntaha and his men, they were already celebrating their eid, with their Lord, ArRahmaan.

Gradually the night was getting more deeper and more darker. When the cloak of the night, reached it's darkest point, Daarim lifted his head up in a suddden movement and frowned. Muntaha's form remained trembling in the sujood. Soon Daarim stood up and walked towards Muntaha, who had lifted his head and was finishing his Salah. Just as he raised his hands for supplication, Daarim crouched down beside him and with his eyes gestured towards the window. Muntaha frowned as he stood up and walked towards it. He watched as far away on the opposite shore of Tarab, a flame lit three times and went out. The same thing happened three more times in quick succession. From this far they felt like fireflies, but Muntaha knew what to expect and hence his forehead relaxed back.