Love versus Love
Love versus Love
The cool air
brushed his hair as he walked through street 17. Saad was alone. His best
friend, Tahir, wasn’t with him tonight as his paternal relatives were invited
at his place on dinner.
He was about to
turn the corner towards the fields, when he heard the door of his friend’s
house open. Although it was a moonless night, the light emanating from the
windows enabled Saad to recognize the silhouette of a girl coming out of the
house. He was about to turn away when, to his astonishment, came out another
figure that Saad could not mistake. Tahir, a tall boy in his late teens,
wearing a shining kurta shalwar and supporting a young beard, walked the
length of his house and turned into the shadows beside the trees. Saad was sure
he saw the reflection of confusion in his friend’s face. Rooted on the spot, Saad
was trying to make up his mind whether to follow his friend or to leave him to
his matters. A fraction of a second later, he too vanished into the bushes.
It was a shock
for Saad to see his friend following a girl. The Tahir he knew was a very pious
person. Saad had always been quite impressed by his actions and thoughts… at
least until now. He had to find out. There was definitely something wrong about
it.
A few steps into
the bushes, he heard two voices talking. They seemed sad, but deep in debate.
One of them, the voice of a girl, seemed offensive, but his friend’s voice
barely reached his ears, leave alone being comprehensible. He moved a little
closer. In a small clearing bordered by the trees, the girl was standing with
her arms folded and eyes frowning, talking to Tahir as though scolding him.
Tahir was looking the other way, with his eyes unfocused, his expression
unfathomable.
“Why, Tahir,
why?” the girl pleaded, “Why do you want us to split up now? We've been friends
for so long ... enjoying small games and trips together, having discussions for
hours about novels and computer games and… whatever else! How can you say
this?”
Tahir heaved a
sigh. “I’ve already explained this to you in my e-mail, I can’t befriend you
anymore.” Tahir paused. “Ah yes! I have also enjoyed good days with you. You
have been my best friend. But, we can’t see each other anymore. If we want to
---!”
She turned to
face him in anger. “What do you mean? You can’t befriend me anymore?”
she asked, her voice rising. “Are you tired of me as your friend? Or have you
found some other girl who is better-looking than I?” She hit the ground hard
with her foot.
Tahir frowned.
“You know me, Sana .
How can you ever think I’d leave you to go for someone else?” his voice still
calm, “you've been a great friend, a great companion. But, as I have explained;
we are nearly of age, and if we must pave our way to achieve Allah’s Favor,
then we must stop meeting.”
“You talk of
Allah’s Favor; while He wants love and peace to prevail in this world, doesn’t
He?” Her voice was now becoming hysterical. “If it is obligatory to love all
human beings, what is wrong with two young people loving each other?”
“You
misunderstand the concept.” Tahir replied in his calm & deep voice. “We are
to love all, not for our personal desires, but to promote other’s favors, to
give all their rights, to do what’s better for them.”
“Then do you
think my friendship is not good for you,” she said sobbing, “that it might
spoil your reputation or something?”
“It is not I who
thinks that our friendship is wrong, but the teachings of Islam say so. A man
and a woman who aren’t close relatives may talk only as much as needed,” Tahir
narrated, “free chatting isn’t allowed. If Allah and His Prophet (Sallallahu
alaihi wasallam) think it’s wrong, who am I or you to negate it.”
“What ... Why?”
he said.
“Just look at me
for this last time.” She said as though scolding. “I know you've been avoiding
looking at me for the few past months. I ask you this for one last time, Tahir:
look into my eyes!”
Tahir consented
as though melting at the sound of his name from her.
“Do – you – love – me – or – not?” She
said it in a clear voice, separating each word emphatically.
Tahir closed his
eyes, his head hung a little. “Yes, I do Sana ,”
a tear trickled down his face, too, “but the fact still remains that I love
Allah more.” Tahir turned away from her. “Pave your way towards His favor, and
may we meet together in Heaven.” He left the clearing.
۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞
As the sun sank
lower behind the mountains the next evening, two boys sat at ease in the corner
of the fields, the wind fondling their faces. Tahir sat with his arms around
his knees, his eyes following a faraway soaring eagle. Saad was looking
sideways towards his friend, his face anxious.
“I’m sorry to have spied on you like that,”
Saad said apologetically, while they enjoyed a breezy evening at the corner of
the fields, “but I can’t have stopped myself. It looked too… fishy!”
There was a
short silence. “Yeah ... it’s okay.” Tahir said heavily.
Wondering
whether he should press the matter or not, Saad asked hesitatingly, “So, is
this the fact that has been troubling you for the past six months?” Tahir
looked up in surprise. “I have been noticing it, you know.” Saad added.
“Yes, it is.”
Tahir said after a while, smiling. “I didn’t want you to know. But I guess I
should’ve told you. You are after all a great friend, too.”
“Did you really
love her or you…?”
Tahir’s eyes
flashed, but he recoiled instantaneously. When he spoke, it was again his usual
calm voice, “I think I do… or maybe it is just a teenager’s crush.” Tahir
shrugged. “But it’s driving me mad anyway.” Saad gave a shaky laugh.
“Did she ... um
... say anything else to you, after getting home?” Saad asked, desperate to
hear the ending of his friend’s troubled story.
Tahir heaved a
sigh, took out his mobile, pressed some buttons and handed it to Saad. “Just do
me a favor;” Tahir said, “don’t tell anybody about this little expedition of
yours… or about the storms that have been raging in my heart, ok?”
Saad nodded and
looked down upon the mobile. It was an SMS from Sana that read: “It might take me sum time 2
undrstand ur
reasoning, Tahir. Bt, plz, always remmbr: U shal alwys hve a place in my hart.
I love you too, Tahir.”
Saad looked at
his friend. He was flat on his back upon the grass, tears trickling down his
cheeks (this was hitherto the only time Saad had seen him cry), as he recited
under his breath:
(Translation):
“Yet of mankind are some who take unto themselves (objects
of worship which they set as) rivals to Allah, loving them with a love like
(that which is the due) of Allah (only) – those who believe are stauncher in
their love for Allah – Oh, that those who do evil had but known, (on the day)
when they behold the doom that power belongeth wholly to Allah, and that Allah
is severe in punishment.”
(Al-Baqarah:
164)
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