Awaited Redemption

Tuesday Night... | Aarifah & Walid

Aarifah

I walked on the side walk. My abaya that I borrowed from a friend was swirling with the wind. Brushing my feet, and making me agitated as well as contended.

I kept playing with my fingers. Intertwining them, unwinding them.

I was nervous. Not because I was about to meet my mom or brother, but because I felt like a person like me shouldn't be stepping inside a place so pure, so holy.

I feel like I shouldn't be allowed in that place, the fear was there but it was accompanied by hope of forgiveness.

Maybe it was meant to be. Maybe this is the trigger that would set my faith into motion.

I turned around the corner and was bathed in street light, the cars whooshed by, sending whiffs of air and smoke.

I kept walking, my eyes trained on the pavement below.

If my right side was bathed in light, my left was bathed with darkened shadows.

It looked haunted, and like there were no civilians living there. The trees looked like looming figure, and the branches like claws.

I kept on walking. It was a weekday after all, everyone would've gone to bed by now.

It didn't surprise me much, but still the atmosphere made me a bit edgy.

Suddenly, I felt a presence of another person, my eyes automatically looked up, and what I saw made my throat clog.

There was a man. A young man, concealed by the shadows walking ahead of me.

There was nothing wrong with him, but his appearance was making me irk. He had on a sweater with a hood, and baggy pants on. His hood was pulled up, and the dress-code was dark and dull.

Just like my left side, and those trees. Coincidentally he was walking on the left side more than the right, as if trying to conceal himself. Camouflage himself.

My fear was making it harder for me to lower my gaze, I was afraid he was going to hurt me. Somehow, I don't know, but the fear was there.My body was with prepared reflexes if something is to happen, and my eyes were too.

I should've brought someone with me. What was I thinking when I decided to come alone like this, and also that at night! Stupid!

Please Allah(SWT), help me. Please.

I tried to level out my breathing, and slowly started to look down.

Just as I was bringing my gaze down, I saw that the guy was holding something in his hand.

It was something blue, and looked like a cloth. But as I focused more, I realized that it was a mat. A prayer mat.

I connected the dots: He was going for Isha prayer; in the Mosque.

I felt a rush of relief surge through my body, expanding from my heart and enveloping my body in its warmth.

That relief was accompanied with gratefulness towards my Lord, and happiness; pure bliss!

He is a Muslim. He is going to the mosque to pray. No matter what, he is not going to hurt me.

I looked back at the intimidating figure of the guy, and then at the prayer mat he was holding.

I was baffled by the irony of it all, at how his outer appearance contrast with the glimpse he showed of his inner appearance that is symbolized by the prayer mat. It shows that he is aware of the presence of Allah(SWT) in his heart.