that as Isabella was their classmate and was also amenable to their
advice,so if they were permittedto talk to her they might be able to
bring her backto the Christian fold. This last chance of
persuasionmight be given them andthey had ninety-nine per cent hope
that they would succeed. Holy father, they said : Isabellais a piece
of our heart and we will not spare any effort to
persuade her. So let us go to the monastery and talk to her.
Head priest: Let that accursed girl go to hell. She has become very
hard-hearted and Lord Jesus Christ has cut her off. I am afraid she
may not lead astray even you.
Mirano; Well, there is no harm in making a last effort of persuasion.
If she comes round, well and good, otherwise youmay give her whatever
punishment you like.
Head priest: Very well, I give you permission to go to the monastery
on condition that you should talk in the presence of two monks so that
the accursed may not misguide you, and you may not be influenced by
her apostasy. Now go and tomorrow evening you may go to the
monastery.I am writing to the monk for it today.
After getting permission Mirano, Mertha and Hanana returned pleasedand
began to make preparations to leave their homes for ever, as the plan
they had conceived was such that they would also have to leave their
homes along with Isabella. Anyway they prepared for their permanent
departure with great care and precaution and before the time of their
leaving for the monastery they informed Ziad b. Umar and Umar Lahmi
asking for their help in that enterprise.
After all preparations hadbeen made the three friends came out of
their houses and met at an appointed place and at the time given by
the head priest they started for the monastery. The head priest had
written to the manager of the monastery that these friends of Isabella
were going to make a last effort to reconvert Isabella at a specified
time and they should be allowed to enter the monastery and given
necessary help. Maybe bypersuasion of her friendsIsabella might see
the light. So when these girlsreached the monastery the monks and nuns
welcomed them cordiallyand thought that to give guidance to Isabella
Jesus Christ had sent his Virgin Mother in the formof these girls and
that the help of all saints was with them. Entering the monastery the
three girlssat down before the statue of Virgin Mary anda group of
monks surrounded them.
A nun (to Mirano): Blessing of the Lord JesusChrist may be with you
and God may give you success in your mission. You know that some devil
has misguided this unlucky girl, Isabella. How good and learned was
the girl! May God destroy the devil, what pious people he has seduced!
Another nun: Virgin Mary's shadow be over you. By the Deliverer,
youwill certainly succeed in your mission. Your beautiful faces assure
your success. If Lord JesusChrist's grace again supports Isabella it
will be a great feat of yours. The news has spread all over Cordova
and all Christians have been humbled.
Third nun: By God, just last night I saw girls of your features in my
dream who were sitting in the lap of Virgin Mary and on the other side
Lord Jesus Christ was indicating by gestures that the honour of the
church will be established through these girls. When the monks heard
of this dream they cried: It is these girls.
Chief monk: Isabella is locked up in the underground chamber and her
hands and feet are chained. The accursed girl is so hard-hearted that
the severer the punishment, the more she applauds Islam and in this
condition she does not hesitate even to preach to us. Now when do you
propose to go to her?
Mirano: Our idea is to talkto her calmly and explainto her the truth
of Christian creed, but on condition that except one or two monks none
others should be with us.Now that the sun is about to set, after three
hours of the night you may bring her here so that we may induce her to
pray and practise austerities. Possibly therewill be no need
thereafter to persuade her and by the blessing of Virgin Mary
(pointing to the statue) her heart will be opened for the crucified
God.
Chief monk: Whatever you order we are ready to carry out. I am
directing all the monks not to interfere in your prayers and keep away
from you.
Mirano : Thank you very much, but first let us meet Isabella in the
underground chamber and after some usual talkexclusively on personal
matters bring her here. (Pointing to the statue ofVirgin Mary) Look,
the Mother of our Lord is quite ready to take Isabella in her arms and
it is hoped that Isabella will not refuse to go to her arms.
Thereafter the monk and the three girls went towards the underground
chamber, the lock was opened and all were lost in darkness.
Hanana: Oho ! How dark !
Monk: I am lighting the lamp. You just go a little ahead, but be
careful not to stumble for many skeletons are scattered all over here.
The monk lighted the lamp. When Isabella saw her three friends she
wasoverjoyed. While Mirano, Mertha and Hanana had not yet seen her,
Isabella loudly called the Muslim salutation of peace.
Monk: O unlucky accursedgirl! Just yesterday you got so much beating
for it, yet you do not take lesson and reform yourself.
All the girls suddenly laughed on hearing the call of Muslim
salutation of peace, but when they came nearer their eyes became wet
on seeing Isabella bound in chains.
Mirano: How do you do, Isabella? How is life here?Did you realise what
is the punishment of rejecting the truth?
Isabella (smiling): You areright, sister, for the sake of truth people
have even gone to the gallows.
Mirano: We have not come here to discuss with you but to adopt your creed.
On this all the girls laughed loudly and the two monks also could
notsuppress their laughter.
Mirano: Isabella, after all how long you will continue to remain in
thegrip of satan? Just see how the Christians all over Cordova are
perturbed on your apostasy!
Isabella: There is no other way of protection from satan except by
accepting Islam. It is only this strong fort from the cover of which
man can successfully confront all satanic powers. It is a vain thought
that only bybecoming a Christian onecan save oneself from thegrip of
satan. You have read the Bible and should know that even holy
Disciples could not escape satan's grip and even Jesus Christ called
some of his Disciples satan. When these Disciples who, according to
you, were trained under the direct supervision of Jesus Christ, could
not escape from satan's strong hold, how can Christians of today save
themselves from satan? But the Quran says that satan cannot even touch
the devoted servants of Allah.
Mirano: You have again started the same discussion in which you have
been defeated by the priests (laughing) and by God's grace we have
emerged successful.So you should stop this religious discussion and
just look to your tortures.O Isabella! It is God's punishment to you
that now, being the daughterof the head priest of Cordova, you sleep
on the bed of thorns and your hands and feet are chained. For God's
sake, take pity on yourself.
Isabella: If truth could be given up to avoid troubles, then early
Christian martyrs would not have tasted martyrdom. If troubles come
only on untruth, then most of the Christians who were the pride of the
church would be counted to be on the wrong. In fact, your talk has
tortured memore than what I suffer on the bed of thorns and grip of
chains. Did you come here to give me torture over torture?
Mirano (to the monk): Isabella can never be defeated by discussion.
Her only remedy is that tonight we include her inour prayer and
devotion before the idol of Virgin Mary. You will see that this very
night she will becompletely transformed and her heart will be turned
towards crucified Christ.
Monk : May Lord Jesus accomplish this, but apparently Isabella's
turning to the truth seems to be very difficult.
Mirano: It is the rule that one who is more hard-hearted will come to
the faith more with reality. Just see how unbending the enemy of the
Lord Saint Paul was and what tortures the believers suffered at his
hands, but this very SaintPaul became the pillar of Christianity and
was the greatest recipient of Lord's grace.
Monk: You are right. May Lord Christ may do the same for Isabella and
shealso joins our fold !
Mirano: Well, now we should go from hers and prepare for the prayer in
the same large room. (To the monk See, after three hours of the night
you should bring Isabellato our room and also depute a nun to be with
us to keep a watch over Isabella.
Monk: Very well. Isabella will be brought to you at the appointed time.
Mirano: Can you or any other monk also take the trouble of remaining
with us for the night ?
Monk: Most surely. But you know that all the night we are engaged in
prayer and remembranceof God.
Mirano: Well, just as you like, and there is no needeither. But at the
time of the morning talk as arranged, you will be with us.
Monk: In the morning not only myself but othermonks also will listen
to your talk.
Mertha: If Lord Jesus wills, the object will be gained during the
night and there will be no need of any talk.
Mertha said this in a tonethat, except the monk, allothers understood
its implication.
Thereafter Mertha, Hanana and Mirano along with the monk came out of
the underground chamber and reached the large room of the monastery.
The monk locked the underground chamber. After dinner and toilet
Mirano, Mertha and Hanana took another round of the monastery and
talked to monks and nuns who began preparations for the night vigil.
These girls returned to their room. The purpose of the roundof the
monastery and talk to monks and nuns was to find out a nun who was the
greatest devotee and they found out a nun of this type and also the
time of the night when she used to engage herself in prayer.Now three
hours of the night were about to pass and these girls were talking
quietly. At last thedoor of the large room opened and the same chief
monk entered when the girls stood up to pay him respect as he was
chief of the monks. The monk informed the girls that Isabella was
being taken out of the underground chamber and brought to them as
arranged and soon a nunwould also be sent to them.
Mirano: Please send here the nun who is most devoted to prayer in the
night and is also saintly. Is there any such nun in the monastery?
Monk: All the nuns that are here are devotees and practise all kinds
of austerities for the sake ofLord Jesus, but there is one among them
whose name is Arkia who is the most pious devotee, recipient of Divine
revelations and performer of miracles . About her family it is enough
to say that she is a Princess of France and has given up her riches
and royalty for the sake of Virgin Mary.
Mirano: So our object is gained. We needed such a nun who could
influence Isabella with her spirituality. Does she also perform
miracles?
Monk: Her miracles are known far and wide. Have you never heard about
it ? You may just take this that she drinks the cup of poison and is
not at all affected. Once avery dangerous and poisonous snake
enteredthe monastery and fell at the feet of Arkia. This I saw myself.
Mirano: God's name be glorified! The work is done. Now, you please go
and send Isabella to us.
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And Allah Knows the Best!
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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
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