Ch 12: Isabella’s Prayer

Evening came after anxious waiting and Isabella started for the garden
of Cordova well in time. On the way she met Michael's daughter,
Mirano, who also accompanied her and herother two friends, who had
listened to the talk atMichael's house, also joined them in the
garden.
Mirano: Isabella, there is great sorrow on your face. Why? You have to
part some day from your relatives.
Isabella: I was in great plight after I parted from you. But luckily
my mother, being engaged in other things, could notcome to me,
otherwise Heaven knows what trouble she would have caused. But now by
Allah's Grace I am not worried but prepared to bear all troubles for
the sake of truth.
Mirano: But, sister, you were wonderful today, you gave such crushing
replies to priests that they were flabbergasted and could not reply,
and moreover whatever you argued was from the Bible.
Mertha (the other friend):But what is strange is that despite being
silenced they do not confess.
Mirano: They may not confess by mouth but their hearts do believe.
After you left my father Michael said to Peter: It istrue that the
divinity of Christ is not proved by the Bible, but anyway wehave to
abide by the judgment of the Church. Father Peter was convinced of the
weight of your arguments and said that your arguments were not weak.
Mertha: But today's discussion proved that Islam is a true and firm
religion while in Christianity there is nothing but misguidance.
Mirano (to Isabella): Would you like to leave your parents, brothers,
sisters and relatives, and the life of ease and comfort? And what will
you do if your father is strict on you and gives you up to the
Inquisition?
Isabella: I have now freedmy mind from all these worries. Allah Who
has conferred on me the boon of Islam will also help me in future and
will not discard my good cause. I find great solace in the verse of
the Quran which says: "Whosoever has fear of Allah in him, then Allah
will provide for him the means to findthe path of salvation and give
him sustenance fromquite unexpected quarters."
Mirano: Well, when shall we go to meet Ziad b. Umar and his company?
Isabella : We have to go there a little early so as tobenefit by the
company of respected Ziad as much as possible and return home in time.
Mirano: Will you report torespected Ziad the eventsof today?
Isabella : Why not? But letus go now so that we may reach there at the
time of isha (early night prayer) and return after staying there for
an hour.
Coming out of the gardenof Cordova Isabella, accompanied by her
friends, took her way to the' great Mosque of Cordova and on the way
Isabella informed her friends that, although in her heart she has
becomea Muslim , she has not been formally converted. She would now
take the pledge at the blessed hands of Ziad b. Umar, so that Allah
may grant her more courage and firmness and take in her heart the full
measure of Allah's help. All her friends congratulated heron her good
intention and expressed their pleasure also.
Half an hour after this, the girls entered the inner part of Umar
Lahmi's house, which adjoined the house of Ziad b. Umar, who had
already been informed oftheir visit by Umar Lahmi.So after isha prayer
divines, devotees, traditionists, poets, men of letters, academicians
and eminent scholars assembled there. After formal talk Umar Lahmi
asked Ziad b. Umar's permission to bring the girls to his presence,
and on getting permission the girls were called fromUmar Lahmi's
house.
As soon as the girls arrived Ziad asked about their welfare. Isabella
narrated to him the happenings of the last two days with her
father,the head priest, and other priests and also thetalk she had had
with Michael and Peter on different subjects and also the arguments
which she had put beforethem. The learned men present there applauded
her achievement and greatly encouraged her. All were impressed by
theprofound knowledge of Isabella.
Isabella (to Ziad b. Umar):Respected sir, this has all passed and
whatever comes after will be seen, but now my request is that you
formally convertme to Islam and include me in the universal
brotherhood of the believers of one God. So Ziad b. Umar formally
converted her and all those present prayed sincerely for her firmness.
Ziad b. Umar: Daughter Isabella, now that you have formally embraced
Islam, you should put a veil on your face as Islam enjoins concealment
of the woman's face. In future you should always be veiled. At the
same time five times of prayer are incumbent on you and see that it is
never missed as this is the only door to felicity. Well, are these
girls with you the same whom you had mentioned ?
Isabella: Yes, one of them is the daughter of Michael, whose name is
Mirano, and the other two are my friends and confidantes. Their names
are Mertha and Hanana.
Ziad: Have they any doubt about Islam?
Isabella: They have no doubt about the truth of Islam and, like me,
they believe in it and when Allah wishes they will formally declare
their Islam, yet Mirano has some doubts which my spiritual father,
Umar Lahmi, will resolve. She will come here some timeand present her
doubts and have satisfaction.
Umar Lahmi: It appears from your father's attitude that he will be
strict with you and it will not be surprising if he secretly hands you
over to the Inquisition. By the morning Michael and Peter will report
to him the details of your debate after which he is sure to antagonise
you. Now, what remedy have you thought of it ?
Isabella: Allah knows better what is going to happen in future. I have
submitted my case to Allah. Yet I have resolved that if he is more
oppressive I will come over to your house.
Umar Lahmi: You may do this whenever you like; anyway you have to do
this sometime, for Christians are not so broadminded as not to oppress
you and leave you free when they find that you have accepted Islam.
Isabella (to Zia'd b. Umar): Respected sir, you pray for me that Allah
may grant me endurance and firmness. Now permit us to leave.
Ziad b. Umar and others present said goodbye to the girls and, after
leaving the place, Isabellaand her three friends gotto their
respective homes.
Isabella slept in a corner of her house and, long before dawn, when
she woke up, she could not leave her bed. While still in bed the voice
of Allah-o-Akbar reached her earsand made her quite restless, while
the idea ofGlory and Grandeur of Allah and His Awe and Might filled
her eyes and tears began to fall from them. Getting some solace after
weeping she fell in prostration and with all humbleness prayed to the
Creator of the earths and heavens: "O Allah! grant me Thy love and Thy
most loved one. O Allah ! fill my heartwith the light of Islam and
Tauhid (Unity) and make the obedience of Thy Apostle my fate in life.
O Allah! I am so grateful to Thee for conferring on me the honour of
following the Mercy of the Worlds.O Allah! grant my parents, my
relatives and all Christians and the misguided ones the blessings of
Islam and let us all live and die on Islam. O my Lord! just grant this
humble prayer of the oppressed one, forThou art the hearer and the
seer."
After concluding this prayer Isabella felt that her soul had got
solace and a great load had been lifted from her mind. She found that
a treasure-house of endurance, firmness and elation had been installed
into her heart. She was very happy as she had secured a great wealth
like Islam. She was now fearless and bold, for the Tauhid had cast off
from her all fears except the fear of Allah.
Isabella's mother was in an unusual great rage. It appeared that Peter
and others had conveyed all their talk to her parents and convinced
them that she had become an apostate and all the doors of persuasion
had closed on her.
Isabella – A girl of Islamic Spain

--


- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

- - - - - - -