Fighting violent police repression and smears from university administrations.

My sister has survived yet another Israeli attack.

When was a college revolution on the wrong side of history?

Abu Ayyub reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan and then follows it with six days of fasting in the month of Shawwal, it will be as if he has fasted for the entire year.” [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1164]

(This story is an adaptation of “The Six Servants,” compiled by the Brothers Grimm)

***

The Pawang and Bomoh

Once upon a time, there lived an elderly pawang who practiced magic in the jungle. As powerful as she was, sorcery could not save her husband from the throes of war. He passed tragically in the Malayan Emergency. With her daughter, she retreated further and further into Kinabalu, surrounded by thousands and thousands of flora.

The pawang hated mankind for the devastation they wrought. The spraying of “Agent Orange,” the rationing of their food, and the slaughtering of livestock.

“We,” she told her daughter, “we will exact revenge upon them all.”

Years later, rumors began to spread about the pawang. The people said that she was beautiful. 

“Indeed, she makes flowers grow.”

“I heard that even the fog is shy to cover her.”

“Kasih, her name—oh, to earn her love!”

“Not to mention that she can cure any remedy.” With her mother as a pawang, it was no surprise that Kasih had become a bomoh, a traditional healer. 

All suitors were charged with three impossible tasks. If they passed? Betrothal! If they failed? Beheaded! Even that, no magic could fix.

Mukhtar, the sickly son of the King, heard the tales. As his health was always up and down, the most pertinent thing to him was that Kasih was a healer. He begged his father to attend, and begged Allah in the last ten nights. He must have begged on Laylat al-Qadr, because when Mukhtar inquired again on Eid, he was finally allowed to go. But the King had only one stipulation: that his son fast the six days of his journey to Kinabalu Park. 

The son, already feeling unwell, was puzzled by the request—but obeyed his father nonetheless. When it came time for him to set up camp in the jungle, and prepare for iftar, he collapsed on the ground next to what looked like a round rock surrounded by ferns.

“How am I going to manage?” he burst. “I am starving!” 

“As am I!” the rock said.

A Growing Band

Mukhtar yelped. The rock straightened itself upwards, and the ferns began to rustle. Lo and behold, it was the bulging stomach of another man, staring at Mukhtar’s iftar with equal hunger. Noting Mukhtar’s kopiah on his head, the stout man placed a wide hand on his chest.

“Assalamualaikum! I am Abdulbasit!” he beamed. “My stomach is large, but it can get even larger. A thousand times, at least! I recite Qur’an from my diaphragm—” Abdulbasit paused to gesture at the lower part of his stomach, “and I can go on for almost a minute. Will you take me into your service, good sir?”

Mukhtar, noting that the poor man was starving as he was, laughed, and accepted. When it was time to pray maghrib, Abdulbasit’s assertion was true—he could go on for ayat upon ayat.

‘Isha came, and then fajr. Abdulbasit practically inhaled his suhoor, which concerned Mukhtar. But he swallowed his complaints, as he was fasting, and pivoted. I will just have to hunt earlier than expected. But how would he, as tired as he was from traveling?

On the two went until the sun began to set. Abdulbasit remained with Mukhtar’s horse, saying that he would “make abundant du’a” with the great diaphragm he’d been bestowed. The prince sighed and caught sight of a deer, which he pursued with great enthusiasm. Through the trees and the vines, but with his lack of energy, the deer became too much to keep track of.

“Ahem,” another voice whispered. “If you’re looking for the deer, it’s that way.”

Mukhtar darted his head towards the newcomer. “How did yo—”

Quietly, the man pointed to his ears, almost as large as his face. “You want to catch the deer, do you not? Just shoot your arrow in that direction. I can hear him breathing just over there.”

The prince marveled at the man’s hearing. It was only a murmur of a “Bismillah,” and soon after, even he could hear the sound of the deer falling.

“Excellent shot, adik!” The man clapped gingerly, as though the loud sound might be too much for him. “Are you a hunter? Oh, please forgive me, my name is Abdulsami’. You might not have heard of me, but I have likely heard of you. At the very least, heard you.”

Mukhtar smiled, and like Abdulbasit before him, placed his palm to his chest. “Mukhtar.”

Abdulsami’ gasped. “The son of the king?!” Before the prince could go on, Abdulsami’ continued, “Yes, yes! I heard you just a day ago! You were talking to your father about the daughter of the pawang.”

The cheeks of Mukhtar grew red, but Abdulsami’ didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he shuddered. “Adik, I just heard another person has… well…” He drew a line across his neck.

“Would you like to join us, Abdulsami’? I have one servant already, but I can always use another.”

Delighted with the opportunity to serve the king in some way, Abdulsami’ joined their party. Abdulbasit was elated—his “abundant du’as” had worked after all!

The three men cooked the deer and then cleaned themselves for another iftar and Maghrib. As they approached a stream, they noticed a pair of legs sticking out from the bushes. Wary of another man wanting to compete for Kasih’s cure, Mukhtar instructed his other servants to ignore him.

But that proved impossible, as the man before them then stood up, taller than any they had ever seen. He was almost as large as the tree itself.

“My, what a beautiful deer you’ve got. I’m never quick enough to catch them.” He knelt. “If you like… I can tell you where they are headed next. Might I then have a share?”

Mukhtar hesitated a moment, then extended his hand. “Let me guess… Abdulkabir?”

The man burst into a grin. “Oh, how did you know?”

Abdulsami’ stifled a smile. “Mukhtar may not have great ears, or a great stomach—”

“—But he has got a great heart!” Abdulbasit said.

“Well then! I think it should be great to join you, if you will have me!”

The four men broke their fast together. Abdulbasit and Abdulsami’ volunteered to set up the camp, as Abdulkabir and Mukhtar would keep watch around them. The task was easy for Abdulkabir, but challenging for Mukhtar. The jungle had a noise at every turn—a branch snapping, an animal chattering, or something moving—

There, at the corner of his eyes. Mukhtar readied his bow in preparation. The footsteps were slow and steady. It sounded much like…

“A human?” Another man appeared, walking with a cane in one hand and a traveling bag in another. His forehead was swathed in bandages that completely covered his eyes. “Please, do speak and let me know. I wish you no harm.”

Mukhtar gasped and lowered his bow immediately. “Abang! Do you need help?”

The other man smiled, and shouldered his traveling bag to stretch out his hand. “Oh, adik, you need not worry about me. My eyesight is not damaged, rather, my eyes damage whatever they glance at. If you could perhaps lead me out of this jungle, I will do my very best to avert my gaze from you.”

“Better yet,” Mukhtar said, accepting his handshake. “serve me for the rest of my journey through this jungle, and I will find a way for you to be able to remove that bandage.”

The man’s smile grew wider—it must have reached his covered eyes. He shook Mukhtar’s hand, sealing the agreement, and introduced himself as Abduljabbar.

“We had four at maghrib,” Mukhtar told the rest of his servants, “and now five at ‘isha!”

“Perhaps six at fajr,” Abduljabbar said. The wink of an eye was heard in the lilt of his voice. Mukhtar knew what he meant—and the other men imagined the same, the beautiful Kasih joining them, and they teased him until he lightheartedly introduced Abduljabbar’s ability. Then they went quiet.

An idea came to Mukhtar. “Were all of you cursed by the pawang?”

All of them shook their head yes. Abdulbasit broke the silence first, still licking a bone clean. “We didn’t want to tell you, for fear of frightening you. And we thought that you could help us.”

Mukhtar didn’t appear phased at all. “Yes! Of course, I want to help. But—I thought pawang only had control over the weather and animals. Is she really that powerful?”

“Indeed. I once drifted too far close to her home, tantalized by the sound of the beautiful birds…” Abdulsami’ rubbed his ears, “and she cursed me with the kinds of ears that would be able to listen to them forever.”

Abdulkabir hummed in assent. “I always loved to travel through the jungle. With this kind of strange appearance, the pawang thought I might not want to return among people again.”

“And as you can see,” Abduljabbar said, gesturing towards the bandages,” I have only just returned, in an attempt to rescue the poor girl.”

“What do you mean?” Mukhtar asked.

“Haven’t you heard?” Abdulsami asked. “Kasih has accepted Islam, now.”

Mukhtar raised his eyebrows. “But that means she would have to give up being a bomoh…”

“Which that hag would hate!” Abdulbasit huffed.

“The poor thing,” Abdulkabir said. Then, when the group looked appalled at him, he clarified, “Kasih, I mean.”

Abduljabbar cleared his throat. “In any case, we ought to get our rest. Curses or not, neither of us can go on without sleep.”

Mukhtar only found mindfulness in prayer. Throughout the night, he began thinking of Kasih. Had she really become Muslim? Or was it just another ploy to lure in more men to their doom? It was no secret that the pawang hated men. Come to think of it, was he even to believe that Kasih was a bomoh to begin with? That might have been another trap… Suddenly, four servants seemed to be too few.

But it was too late to turn back now.

When the morning came and they all began the third fast, Mukhtar hoped that Abduljabbar’s guess would be true—and that they would indeed be a party of six soon. 

No sooner had dhuhr come in did they stumble upon a fifth man, lying like a starfish in the hot sun. Even then, he was shivering.

“Abang, I will not waste your time,” the prince began. “I presume you have a curse of some sort, courtesy of the pawang, and a name that matches it.”

“Abdulh-h-h-hayy,” he said. “And-d-d I get colder in th-th-the heat, and h-h-hotter in the cold.”

The other servants shuddered with sympathy. This was the worst curse they had seen.

“I and my servants are traveling to the pawang in the hope to undo all that she has done. If you would like to join us, then please do so.”

Choosing to save his breath, Abdulhayy rose, nodded, and took his place among them. He fit in nicely among the group, and was quite the survivalist. Being a party of six, now, all were careful to keep close together, and alert one another if they found anything suspicious.

A party of six [PC: Tobias Mrzyk (unsplash)]

Hours passed, and it was once again time to pray—or so they thought. The jungle canopy enveloped them, and even Abdulkabir struggled with batting away leaves and vines to see them down below.

“Maybe it is time for maghrib instead of ‘asr,” Abdulbasit said, hope gleaming in his eyes.

“It cannot be,” Abdulsami’ said, massaging his earlobes. “I would have heard the birds returning home to feed their young around that time.”

Abduljabbar sank his head. “I would look, but…”

And Abdulhayy said nothing. As they were cloaked in shadow now, he had begun to sweat profusely, and he was panting to cool himself down.

“Ya Allah,” Mukhtar exhaled. He could feel his own body weakening from the harsh elements of the jungle, but he wanted to persist. They had just reached the bottom of the mountain. If they could pray and then climb before night fell… “We need your help—I need your help—send us Your aid in the way You see fit!”

“Ameen!” the five servants echoed.

A small opening appeared in the canopy above. Suddenly, a floating head appeared. And there was chaos.

“Abduljabbar!” Abdulbasit screeched. “UNVEIL YOUR BANDAGES—”

Abdulsami’ was wincing in pain. “Ouch! Pipe down, you oaf—”

Abdulkabir placed his great hands over Abduljabbar’s head, reassuring him that there was no need for such a dramatic action. Abdulhayy struggled in the darkness for Mukhtar, and pointed once more towards the floating head.

“It is…” he wheezed. “It is not a spirit. It is another man.”

“What a fun bunch!” the floating head exclaimed. He bowed his head in introduction, and suddenly, it sank out of view. The servants formed a circle around their prince, and Mukhtar braced himself for an attack.

But there was none. Instead, the crevice in the canopy shined upon a man whose head was very much attached to his neck.

“I am Abdulwasi’!” He bowed apologetically towards them. “It is not my head that is the spectacle. It is the neck!” Abdulwasi’ paused for a moment, holding out his arms for effect. Then his neck began to stretch, upwards without limit, rivaling that of even a giraffe’s. The group was in awe.

“I wish I could do that,” Abdulhayy sighed. “I could go into the clouds and cool off.”

“The birds can be quite a nuisance!” Abdulwasi’ called from up above.

Mukhtar grinned, taking in a quick glance from Abdulsami’—who was less than pleased by the comment—and cleared his throat to address the newcomer. “Abdulwasi’, can you see the pawang from up there?”

“Oh, certainly! But not her spirit servants!”

The prince gasped. “She has servants, too?”

“Of course she does. Did you think you were new to the idea?”

Ordinarily, he might have laughed at the quip. But reality began to settle in on him more as they saw the path upward leering before them. He was going to need all the help he could get.

“Abdulwasi’, if you join me, I will let you see far more than this jungle. As the son of the king, I will employ you to travel far and wide. Will you be in my servitude?”

The man’s head snapped back onto his shoulders. “I was waiting for you to ask! Come—perhaps we’ll make it in time for dinner!”

“Hopefully we will not be the ones being served,” Mukhtar replied, allowing Abdulwasi’ to lead the way.

As they rose up the mountain, Mukhtar would often stop to catch his breath. He was not used to a high altitude, and while he was fasting, no less. 

But Abdulsami’ heard him when he lagged behind, and urged the others to wait. Abdulhayy, feeling hotter around the curtain of fog, gave Mukhtar his own woolen coat. Abdulbasit began to recite a nasheed as they went up, one that Mukhtar recalled from the sirah:

“La aysha ‘illa aysha alakhira!” There is no life besides the afterlife. All of the men began to chant it. Even Abdulkabir, who was brushing aside leaves for them to cross.

As they continued, Abdulwasi’ turned his long neck back to check on Mukhtar every few steps, to ensure his new master was feeling all right. And Abduljabbar, using Mukhtar as a guide, patted his shoulders, urging him to continue.

Then they all fell silent. The sky was tinting purple and pink, darkening from its golds and oranges. It was time to pray maghrib. Even in all of his sicknesses, Mukhtar had never felt closer to death.

So he prayed as though it would be his last prayer. When he rose again, he was startled to see that his servants did not follow him. 

“The challenge is for you only,” Abdulsami’ said. “I heard the other men come alone. And the same must be done in your case.”

Abduljabbar nodded. “Say you are here to complete the three tasks, and she will not harm you unless they are finished.”

“Even in the w-w-world of a p-p-pawang, there are r-r-rules and r-r-rituals,” Abdulhayy forced. “So obey the r-r-rules—” 

Abdulhayy sneezed, and Abdulkabir continued. “But not the rituals!”

“But eat first, will you? I certainly would not eat from a pawang.” Abdulbasit advised.

Abdulwasi’ snorted. “Yes, you would.”

Mukhtar laughed. At the end of the third fast, he had begun to grow very fond of his new servants. He would not have survived the trek to Mount Kinabalu without them. And he hoped that he would survive with them to tell the king about his adventure.

He prayed maghrib, asking for his strength and their protection. Then he followed the remainder of the path upwards.

“La aysha ‘illa aysha alakhira,” he whispered into the empty air. “La aysha ‘illa aysha alakhira!”

“Now whatever does that mean?”

The Tasks

The voice that spoke to him was aged but not weak by any means. The pawang appeared seemingly out of nowhere, emerging from the fog as though it were her curtain call. Her baju kurung covered her completely, save for her wrists and head. There were more colors on all of them than he knew the name of.

“Speak up, now. Or are you here to make trouble instead of conversation?”

Mukhtar gulped, then was seized by a bout of coughing. The pawang raised her eyebrows, but he was persistent. “I have journeyed for your daughter, Kasih.”

The pawang grinned, revealing a set of crooked teeth. Doubtless, even more crooked intentions were behind it. “Of course,” she murmured. “What else would call a prince from his castle into the jungle?”

Before he could reply, she waved her hand forward—calling to attention her barren fingers. “I have dropped my ring in Low’s Gully.”

His face paled. The one-thousand eight-hundred-meter gorge? She had dropped her ring there?

“So you know it,” she said smugly. “Surely a prince who has made his way so bravely up here can make his way down there. You have one day. Run along!”

He had no choice but to obey. Feeling defeated already, he descended back to his camp of servants. They welcomed him as a hero, happy that he had made it back in time for ‘isha in congregation.

“I heard it all,” Abdulsami’ told Mukhtar. “And we were just devising a plan on how to retrieve it. Rest easy tonight, my prince, and we will guard you.”

Abduljabbar affirmed the promise, tapping his bandaged eyes once.

The fourth fast began, and three of the servants walked to Low’s Gully after fajr came. Abdulwasi’ extended his long neck down into the ravine. As he rose, drenched in rainwater, he told Abdulkabir and Abdulbasit that he had seen the ring—just found no way to retrieve it. Abdulbasit sniffed, and with a great inhale, slurped the rainwater into his stomach. Then it was Abdulkabir’s turn. With his great height, it was easy for him to slope down the gully as though it were steady ground, and he returned with the ring happily on his finger.

“Alhamdulillah!” Mukhtar proclaimed when they returned for iftar.

“Yes, alhamdulillah!” Abdulbasit said. A spread of delicious tropical fruit lay before them, and cooked birds for them all. 

Mukhtar once again prayed maghrib and returned to the pawang. Now, she was the speechless one — examining the ring for any hints of magic.

“Well done,” she said simply. “Your next task, then. Surely you have seen the Enggang badak flying all throughout the Kinabalu? We use their beaks and feathers for our medicines. And their meat for our food. But,” she said with a sinister smile, “It will be you who will do the eating. As a treat. As for myself, I require three hundred and sixty-five beaks and feathers for the rest of the year. Now run along. Work up your appetite.”

The young man hesitated. Well, if she was a woman of ritual… “Pawang, I am fasting. May I have a friend to feast along with me?”

“Yes, but only one,” she said with a smirk. She had suspected that the boy had help before, but this only confirmed it. “For happiness shared is doubled.”

“And food for one is food for two,” Mukhtar quoted in kind. When he came back to the camp, his servants were waiting to begin ‘isha.

“Let me guess…” Mukhtar said with a sly glance at Abdulsami’.

“Quietly, if you please,” Abdulsami’ replied.

The next morning, Abduljabbar, Abdulhayy, and Abdulsami’ allowed the rest of their compatriots to rest. With his supreme hearing, Abdulsami’ directed Abduljabbar where to look. The birds passed peacefully with one glance from Abduljabbar, and Abdulhayy ran back and forth to catch them. It allowed him to feel less cold.

Beaks and feathers [PC: Javardh (unsplash)]

By midday, Abdulwasi’ peered his great neck to check on them. They had reached three-hundred and sixty-five birds, with no trouble at all! Abdulkabir took long strides back and forth, loading his pack with birds and leaving them at camp. Mukhtar prepared their beaks and feathers, Abdulbasit licking his lips all the while. He could hardly wait until maghrib adhan came, and he devoured them all in the minutes leading up to the iqama. Thankfully, Abduljabbar had also hunted a deer for all of them to share.

So Mukhtar prayed, and once more ascended to the pawang. He greeted her, and then set the pack of feathers and the pack of beaks before her. He thought to rub the smile off of his face, and for good reason—she looked anything but happy to have free materials for a year.

With a frown still creasing the wrinkles on her face, she addressed him for a final time. “My daughter is dear to me, and this jungle is most fearsome—the world even more so. To prove to me that you can protect her, she will stay at your camp this night. If you want her to remain in your care for longer than that, then you must not fall asleep. Only then may I know that you are quite serious about guarding her.”

Mukhtar placed a hand to his chest. “You can trust her with me.”

“But just to be sure,” the pawang said with a cunning smile, “I will check on you at midnight. If she is gone… then you will be gone from this world.”

The prince knew that his servants were already planning a way to make this work. He nodded, his confidence leading him to impatience. “Yes, pawang, I will be sure not to close my eyes.”

“Kasih!” she called. Mukhtar waited breathlessly, and once he laid eyes on her, he forgot what breath was. 

Prince or Protector?

The rumors were true. More than the intricate baju kurung that she wore, and the hijab that cloaked the top of her head, her smile appeared genuine at the sight of him, and her eyes lifted with delight.

She was beautiful. And better than that, she was Muslim.

“… Assalamualaikum,” he choked out.

Kasih burst into laughter, and she hastily covered her mouth with her hands. The pawang looked mildly agitated, but she allowed them both to leave her presence. Mukhtar led the way, only looking back every so often to make sure she was following him without trouble.

“Since coming to this jungle,” he said, “I have had a habit lately of guessing the names of the people I meet. Do you think you can—”

“There are other people here?” her eyes grew wide.

“Yes,” he said, “my servants. I will introduce you to them. One is tall, one eats a lot, one has exceptional hearing, the other has a long neck, and the other is… well, he is cold sometimes, and other times, hot…”

“Are you a prince?” she asked.

“Yes, I am.”

“Hmm… so your name would be Ameer?”

He laughed. She was funny, too! “You get three guesses, just like your mother gave me three tasks.”

“Fair!” she said with a smile. “If it is not Ameer… could it be… Muhammad?”

“I wish.”

“Aww, I thought about changing my name to Kadijah.”

“From Kasih? Well, that would be cute… but you do not have to change it. I think it is a nice name.”

She blushed. “Thank you. But you are distracting me, Mister!”

“N-No I am not!” he protested. “In fact… it is a hint! My name rhymes with Mister!”

“Mister… hmm, it would not be Sister…” She was quiet for some time. He allowed her to be with her thoughts. Besides, it helped him settle his nerves. 

Then they reached the camp. It was at the sight of him that his servants opened their mouths, and she did as well. 

“Mukhtar!”

The servants applauded, and he tried to quiet them quickly. “Tonight, our task is to keep the princess safe until midnight. Er—after midnight, as well. We just…”

Kasih giggled. “Just do not let me be abducted in the middle of the night.”

“We can do that!” the servants chimed. The six of them surrounded the two at the center. The two resumed their conversation deep into the night, losing track of time all on their own.

But the pawang, being a woman of trickery, felt it was only fair for her to cast something to help her succeed, as Mukhtar had also taken advantage of outside help. 

A wind swept through the gathering at the camp, and they all fell asleep. The sound of all six servants’ snoring was too much, and Mukhtar awoke to a fallen camp. And worse, Kasih was nowhere to be found.

“My servants!” he burst. “What happened?! She—Kasih is gone—what time is it?!”

“Suhoor?” Abdulbasit asked hopefully.

Abdulsami’ rubbed his ears, still startled by the jarring scream of Mukhtar. Abdulkabir stood tall, trying to look for her. Abdulwasi’ did the same, stretching his neck. But Abduljabbar was hanging his head in guilt, and Abdulhayy was shivering once more.

“I f-f-felt a wind,” he said. “It m-m-must have c-c-carried her.”

“And it carries her voice now! Hush!” Abdulsami’ furrowed his brows and strained to listen. Relief crossed over his face. “Yes—at the base of the mountain. Surrounded by leopards. Abdulkabir, the journey would not be long for you, and Abduljabbar— quickly!”

In a matter of motions, Abdulkabir took his companion by the hand and strode to the bottom of the mount. Kasih was pressed against a tree, faced by the jungle leopards. Abduljabbar removed the bandages once more, and the leopards fell where they stood. He shut his eyes in time for Abdulkabir to retrieve him and the lady, and they returned to camp unharmed.

Another round of cheering, and Kasih steadied her feet on the ground. Mukhtar sighed at her with relief, welcoming her back with a wide smile on his face. She returned it waveringly, still jarred by the entire event.

Then fog cloaked their camp. The pawang emerged from the shadows beyond the jungle trees, angrier than Kasih had ever seen her. She had been bested by those she had cursed.

“Rules and rituals…” she began. 

The six servants readied themselves, and Mukhtar took his place in front of Kasih. The completion of a third task was too much to hope for. He swallowed an oncoming coughing fit, and prepared to make this stand his last.

“And I abide by both.” The pawang glided forward. “I only came to wish Kasih farewell.”

The six servants steadied, and Kasih went forward. Her expression was a mixture of worry and sadness, all of it laced with pain.

“Goodbye, my love,” the pawang whispered into her daughter’s ear, “I hope you are satisfied living with a prince who has his servants do everything you want.”

Jannah on Earth

Kasih slept unsoundly that night, thinking of nothing but that statement. Was this really a man that she could trust? A prince who had cheated his way through the clear terms and conditions her mother had put forth? 

The sixth fast began, and Kasih ate her suhoor with reservations, as the others were joyful. The group agreed to rest shortly after fajr, and when the sun truly rose, they would begin their descent.

But as they slept, Kasih gathered branches together. While she had given up magic, she still knew how to start a fire. The others awoke to the sound of crackling and smoke.

“Kasih?” Mukhtar mumbled in confusion.

“Mukhtar!” she called. “My mother had three tasks, and I have mine. I will not be your wife unless someone sits in this fire.” Inside, she hoped that Mukhtar might be the one to do it. To get up from his cot, to do anything for himself—or for someone that he cared for.

“A fire!” Abdulhayy cried out. He jumped into it, having been sweaty from the jungle heat. As seconds turned into minutes, he began to shiver, and the curse was truly realized. Finally, he stayed until he could no longer, and darted towards the shadow.

“She is a bomoh, it is true!” he said. “She must have enchanted that fire to be cold!”

Kasih shook her head in disbelief. Mukhtar came to her side, peering into her eyes for any source of charm. She looked away in shame. Mukhtar was silent.

The other servants urged them to get a move on. Abdulkabir, in the time that had passed, had found horses for them all to ride down.

They all rode silently. Mukhtar finally decided to break the silence.

“A fire like that would have killed me. And then I would not be able to be with you.”

She looked back at him. “I am sorry. I… I was always taught to question whatever it was that men did for me. Especially powerful men.”

“You have every right to. I am weak,” he confessed. “It is true. I am not a king. I am a sickly prince. I will probably never see the throne in this life. But I hope for one in the next from how I have to live between coughs and covers. And what could be better than that?”

“Well, the next best thing to—it is called ‘Jannah,’ right?”

“Yes.”

“The next best thing to Jannah might just be a Jannah on Earth. A good spouse like you.”

Was this how Abdulhayy felt? Mukhtar could tell his cheeks were growing red and hot, and he chuckled in embarrassment. On they rode, following Abdulwasi’ as he guided their way home.

Just as they reached the valley bordering the palace, the sky grew black. The pawang’s voice echoed all around them. “This disgrace!” she called out. “This disgrace!”

It seemed as though the jungle followed them. Fog billowed from all directions, encircling their horses and blinding their sight. One slip, and they would fall into a valley of no return.

“I heard you already, you vile pawang!” Abdulsami’ called out. “Abdulbasit—the rainwater from before! For the spirits and for her!”

Abdulbasit nodded, and opened his great mouth to expel the rainwater. The spirits dispersed and scattered about.

“I see her now!” Abdulwasi’ said from his great height.

“Now, let me see her!” Abduljabbar undid his bandages and gazed in her direction. There was no need to hear a cry of death nor a splash—the sky returned to its beautiful blue.

Abdulkabir swallowed. “Let me see if she is truly gone.” But when he went to move, he found that his strides were as a normal person’s. Slowly, the other servants realized that they, too, had been lifted of their curses.

There were tears of joy. Mukhtar and Kasih rode into the palace, and a great feast was held for their iftar. All six servants were employed in the service of the king and promised great reward for their sacrifice.

In the presence of his parents, Mukhtar introduced Kasih to them. She again accepted to be his wife and their daughter-in-law. Their wedding was grand, so much so, that even the dignitaries who were unable to make it wished that they could.

After their nikkah on the first jummah of Shawwal, he pulled his father aside.

“Why the six fasts for my journey, Father? It was hard… I feel like I would have managed easier if I was not fasting.”

“Because, my son,” he answered, “if fasting is how we are protected from the Hellfire in the next life, imagine what it does for us in this life!”

Mukhtar beamed. Truly, the sickly prince felt healthier—and happier—than ever.

 

Related:

– Bismillah, The Beast [Part I] – A Short Story – MuslimMatters.org

– Breakfast With The Khans [Act One] – A Play

The post The Six Fasts – A Short Story appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Israel seizes “operational control” of Rafah crossing, shutting down only route for Palestinians to exit and for medical teams to enter.

Poor diet weakens immune systems.

A homecoming without joy.

Since the first Gaza solidarity encampment launched at Columbia University on April 17, 2024, college students around the county have adopted this form of peaceful protest on their own campuses.

UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) encampment [PC: Eric Fang]

Students from all faiths and ethnic backgrounds have banded together to lead these efforts in a heartening wave of solidarity. These encampment protests are largely to demand that their universities divest from all economic ties to Israel, with some students also asking for their administrations to make changes in their academic approaches or reconsider punishments taken against pro-Palestinian students, faculty, and other employees. As the wildfire of hostile administrative actions and violent police brutality that aims to dismantle the peaceful protests spreads, it turns out that many American Muslim scholars support the encampment protests, visiting various campuses and delivering messages of solidarity and encouragement for the brave individuals risking their academic/professional careers and personal safety to draw attention to and make meaningful changes for the Palestinian cause. 

Here’s a roundup of some of the messages. Please like, comment, and share on your social media accounts, as well as tweet your favorite quotes to help this content gain traction online. 

Imam Omar Suleiman’s Khutbah at Northwestern University

Imam Omar Suleiman encourages student protesters to remain steadfast in their activism for Palestine and to stay in their encampments. He acknowledges the timeliness of these protests and how they are actively changing the trajectory of the Palestinian cause. 

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Shaykha Maryam Amir Addresses Parents’ Concerns

 

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Shaykha Maryam Amir addresses parents of college students who are scared for their children to join the encampment protests because of safety and repercussions in the future. Should parents give their children permission to join an encampment at their campus? Firstly, she praises these parents for raising children who care so much about fighting for justice. Secondly, she reminds parents that Allah is The Protector of the children He has put in their trust. She finally recommends that parents make istikhaarah and hopefully join their children at the encampments to support their efforts. 

Click To Tweet Dr. Yasir Qadhi’s Islamic Stance on Student Encampments and Visit to Students at Yale University

Dr. Yasir Qadhi provides the historical context of protests in America, as well as explains his understanding that the student encampments are Islamically permissible. 

He also gave a speech at his alma mater, Yale University, supporting the protesters and delving into how transparent the injustices of the Israelis against Palestinians are. He also emphasizes the difference between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. 

Dr. Tasneem Alkiek Praises Students for Their Ingenious Protest

 

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Dr. Tasneem Alkiek of Yaqeen Institute praises students for their encampment protests, pointing out their similarities to powerful protests that have changed the course of American history. She calls the student protestors the trailblazers of justice for the Palestinian cause and reminds them that any sacrifice they make for the sake of Allah will be rewarded. 

Click To Tweet Shaykh Jamaal Diwan Shares a Moment From the Seerah

 

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Shaykh Jamaal Diwan of The Majlis reflects on a moment from the life of the Prophet Muhammad that reminds him of the encampments. After the Prophet Muhammad receives his first revelation, his wife Khadijah takes him to an older relative, Waraqah. He warns the Prophet that the truth he is trying to spread will be rejected and it’s likely that he will be cast out from his society. This is similar to what many protesters are experiencing today. The other thing that Waraqah mentions is his longing to be young again so that he can stand next to the Prophet as he experiences this struggle. No doubt, this is one that resonates deeply with those of us who are no longer students. However, this is a call to action for us all to help and act in our own capacities to support the students and all other efforts trying to end the genocide. 

Click To Tweet Dr. Haifaa Younis Encourages Students to Stay Steadfast for Victory

 

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Dr. Haifaa Younis of Jannah Institute praises students for their activism and reminds them to not be discouraged if it seems like victory is not coming. Reflecting on the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah at the Prophet’s time, she mentions that apparent victory comes on Allah’s timeline. 

Click To Tweet Shaykh Mikaeel Smith Speaks at the University of Texas, Richardson

 

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Qalam Instutute’s Shaykh Mikaeel Smith emphasizes the unity that joins all in the fight for justice, not only for the Palestinians, but also against oppression everywhere in the world. 

Click To Tweet Imam Tom Facchine

Yaqeen Instutute’s Imam Tom Facchine visits Columbia University and speaks to two pro-Palestinian student protestors about the history of student activism at the university in recent months, and of their current and future plans. This video provides a unique opportunity for viewers to learn about the realities the students face on the ground and their strategic approaches to advocating for meaningful change. 

Shaykha Muslema Purmul Speaks from UC Irvine’s Encampment

 

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Shaykha Muslema Purmul reflects on the impact of the student encampments. She speaks about how these protests are touching the hearts of those suffering in Gaza and how the youth in this country have taken the torch of Palestinian liberation from previous generations. She also encourages people to visit Gaza solidarity encampments and experience how peaceful they are, rather than believing what mainstream media and university administrations claim. 

Click To Tweet Shaykh Hamzah Maqbul Rallies the Students at the University of Chicago

My speech today to the protesters, part one. pic.twitter.com/NwOou4p2Ve

— Hamzah wald Maqbul (@hwmaqbul) May 1, 2024

Shaykh Hamzah Maqbul passionately encourages students to honor their commitment to justice and standing against oppression. He recognizes their spiritual fortitude in taking immediate, meaningful action.  

Click To Tweet Imam Suleiman Hani Supports the Encampment at the University of Michigan 

 

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Read the message and see photos AlMaghrib Institute’s Imam Suleiman Hani shares after visiting the Gaza solidarity encampment at the University of Michigan. 

Imam Suhaib Webb Encourages UC Berkeley Protest

 

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Imam Suhaib Webb reassures students at UC Berkeley that he is with them in spirit as they persist in their encampment protest. He acknowledges how demanding their form of protest is and respects them for their commitment. He reminds students to conduct themselves in a prophetic manner and not sink to the level of the Zionists.

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Related:

– Quranic Verses For Steadfastness For The Valiant Protestors On Campus

– Callous Campus Crackdowns On Pro-Palestinian Protesters Grip The United States

 

The post American Muslim Scholars Express Support For University Student Encampment Protests appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Zionist ASU Professor Jonathan Yudelman Harasses Muslim Woman

A well-connected academic has been suspended from his university post after he was taped aggressively harassing and abusing a Muslim woman in what appears to be a hate crime related to his support for Israel. Jonathan Yudelman, a Zionist and Jewish professor of Political Theory at Arizona State University, was suspended after he was filmed with a well-known Israeli reservist taunting and throwing personal and religious insults at a Muslim woman.

A widely shared online clip from Arizona showed Yudelman, who has held positions at the prestigious Princeton and Harvard universities and was most recently working at the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University, in an altogether less savoury light. Accompanied by Sammy Ben, an Israeli soldier who has participated in the genocidal Israeli campaign at Gaza and filmed his mockery of prisoners, Yudelman is seen, chest puffed out and arms threateningly raised, advancing menacingly on a Muslim girl in hijab who is clearly trying to get away from him and objecting to his verbal abuse.

Physical and Verbal Attacks

Jonathan Yudelman advanced on the Muslimah and threatened her.

While much of Yudelman’s speech is drowned out by the louder Ben’s offerings – “Go back to Iran” and “Go back to jihad” among them – the professor is clearly heard mocking the woman’s objections as she raises her hands to hold him off. When she begins, “You are literally…”, he interrupts, “I’m literally in your face, that’s right!” and goes on to mock her accent. As the woman protests, “You’re disrespecting my religious boundaries”, Yudelman sneers with another thrust of the breast, “You’re disrespecting my sense of humanity, bitch.”

When bystanders – apparently the individuals who filmed the interaction – repeatedly call out, “Hate crime!” Ben and Yudelman swagger over to confront them. The reservist asks them if they glorify the October 2023 Palestinian raid that has become Israel’s pretext for the genocide, while both challenge them to take off their masks.

When another bystander shouts, “Free Palestine!” Ben retorts, “From what? From what? From a bunch of terrorists?” It is unclear if this last sentence refers to Palestinians, who have routinely and regularly been smeared by Zionists in such terms, or to the Israeli military in which Ben has himself recently featured and which has terrorized the Palestinians in a genocidal assault that has killed tens of thousands and unleashed shocking misery to add to the generations-long occupation.

ASU Suspends Yudelman

Be that as it may, Yudelman’s conduct clearly raises questions about his ethics, professionalism, basic decency, and the wisdom of keeping him around students. His employer has responded by suspending him under an investigation. In addition to his academic career, he does hold a position at the Tikvah Fund, a Zionist “ideas institution committed to supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.” Before he deleted his social media account, Yudelman also shared, in apparent approval, an anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian post by the far-right British provocateur Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who goes by the pseudonym Tommy Robinson.

The viral clip of the abuse was shared by the Gaza Notifications account on social media with the introduction, “His identity must be discovered and revealed!” It did not take long for the answers to emerge, presenting a well-connected academic with a bigger channel than he bargained for when bullying an outnumbered Muslim woman in the street.

 

Related:

Callous Campus Crackdowns On Pro-Palestinian Protesters Grip The United States

6 Quranic Reflections On The Current Situation In Palestine

The post Professor Suspended After Harassing Muslim Woman appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

News report (01:28); Abubaker Abed reports live from Gaza (23:33); Dr. Adel Elsharkawy on treating newborns in Gaza (41:05); Sabiya Ahamed of Palestine Legal and Shahd al-Hadid of Sheffield University talk about university encampments and knowing your legal rights to protest (01:04:50); Jon Elmer analyzes latest resistance videos (01:31:10); Group discussion (01:21:08).

Doha was rescued from the rubble.

Aid cut off as “full-blown famine” in Gaza’s north spreads southward.

Mothin Ali has not been suspended from city council despite proclaiming ‘Allahu Akbar’ and other remarks causing offence

A Green party councillor at the centre of an antisemitism row has apologised “for the upset caused” by his remarks but hit back at “Islamophobic” attacks against him.

The Green party has launched an investigation into Mothin Ali, who was elected to Leeds city council last week, but has declined to suspend him.

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Netanyahu’s war cabinet unanimously decides to press on with offensive.

My daughter deserves a better life.

Network anchor claims if not for student protesters, he really would cover Gaza.

Every time he walks down the dimly lit corridor toward his dorm, Isa crosses the room of the Residential College Advisor—an upperclassman whose role is helping first-year students like him acclimate to life at Princeton. A faded Wawa plastic bag with a handful of condoms dangles from the doorknob. “Please help yourself,” nudges a yellow sticky note pasted on the door. Isa walks past this offer of self-help. Though sex on campus has been normalized—last Valentine’s Day, Princeton had even invited students to a condom art contest and exhibit—Isa, like thousands of Muslim students in colleges across the US, strives to avoid sexual activity on campus. What animates this resistance to a pervasive feature of modern college life?

Media portrayals of young Muslims’ sexuality have tended to focus on less insightful but more eye-catching questions. The hijab’s alleged repression of Muslim women continues to make headlines, and to inspire rebuttals championing Islam’s purported liberation of women from their objectification in Western capitalist societies. Until recently, mainstream media was captivated by stories linking the supposed sexual repression of Muslim men to religious violence. The hottest issue now is the question of Islam and homosexuality, especially the perceived conflicts between Islamic scripture and progressive politics. Implicit in much of this media coverage around Islam and sexuality is an underlying assumption: young Muslims are sexually repressed, ever-burdened by the disconnect between their other-worldly aspirations and their sensual present.

Of course, there are other stories too, such as those about the long tradition of explicit sexual discussion in Islam, or the much-discussed New Yorker piece exploring one way that Muslim college students are addressing their sexual desires: secret marriages. But such well-meaning articles risk reinforcing the notion that the many Muslims not giving in to their sexual desires—outside or inside marriage—are sexually repressed. In my own experience, and through extensive conversations with Muslim students and chaplains from different campuses across the US, I find a far more complex picture of Muslim sexuality. Young Muslims resisting sexual interactions make meaning of their choices in ways that disturb the neat links between desires, actions, and identities conceived in secular imaginaries. In resisting sex, Muslim students transcend the binaries of repression and liberation, the sexual and the spiritual. 

***

Given that most Muslim communities in the US disapprove of sexual relations before marriage, many Muslim students never have the opportunity to explore their sexuality—until they enter college. (I have obscured the identities of the students who spoke with me for this piece, for obvious reasons.) 

“The parental oversight is gone, you’re living in mixed-gender dorms, you have hormones raging inside you—it’s hard not to be tempted,” admitted Maryam. “You have freedom like you never had before.” 

For international students coming in from Muslim-majority countries, the contrast is dramatic. “There are literally no restrictions here,” reflected Wakeel, a graduate student. “Anyone can be in anyone’s room at any time. In my country, miles separated the gender-segregated hostels, and students attempting to cross the distance faced disciplinary action.” 

With logistical ease come the ideological challenges that make college life harder for Muslim students wishing to adhere to Islamic limitations on premarital sex. Many residential universities require all incoming students to attend safe-sex sessions. According to Sana, a sophomore at an Ivy League university, the takeaway is clear. “If you want to have sex—and who doesn’t!—only two concerns matter: one, is it consensual, and two, is it safe? Nothing else matters,” she said. “These lessons soften the moral question of premarital sex, so it starts to become more like an Islam problem than an ethical one.” 

Perhaps the biggest temptation is the pervasive party culture across campuses. For Muslims going to places renowned as “party schools,” the challenges are even harder. 

“When all your friends—including some Muslim friends—are going out every Thursday and Saturday night to have some fun, sooner or later there comes a point when the FOMO hits you hard,” said Zeeshan. 

He invoked a narrative that recurred frequently in my conversations: the story of Prophet Yusuf (the biblical Joseph). In one of the most evocative scenes in the Quran, a young, dashing Yusuf finds himself alone with the beautiful wife of the minister who purchased him. She locks all the doors before inviting him: “Haita lak (come on).” To some students, the cool breeze blowing across campus on party nights still carries that faint but unmistakable echo: Haita lak.  

***

Haita lak – [PC: Saif71 (unsplash)]

Dealing with one’s desires is difficult enough, but communicating your choices to others can be a challenge of its own. 

“I could avoid going to a party on campus—I’d just steer clear of the street where I knew there was trouble,” shared Ayhan, who graduated last year. “The bigger problem was when the dorm next door would have a party, and I’d get a text from my neighbor: Hey come over. It’s hard to say no because they know you’re in the room and they know you’re not doing problem sets Friday night at 9 pm.” 

Saying no can be a particularly thorny issue because some Muslim college students do attend parties—and have sex. Zahra, a junior, attends a large public school in which fraternities host events “where the entire point is to get drunk and get laid.” Invoking her Muslim identity to turn down these events is hard because there are other students—Muslims—who do attend such events. 

“I’m then in the awkward position of saying ‘sorry, I can’t come because Islam prohibits these,’ which indirectly sounds like I’m holier-than-them,” she said. 

But if she believes that Islam does prohibit sexual interactions outside marriage, isn’t that an accurate judgment? Zahra disagrees. 

“Look. There could be someone who goes to these events and commits many haram acts but is still dearer to God than me. ‘He knows better who is more guided’, the Quran tells us. So only God can judge individuals. But I can judge actions, because the same Quran has established a clear moral compass to distinguish between the permissible and the prohibited.” 

In practice, however, judgments are hard to avoid, and expressing one’s feelings, even to other Muslims, can be difficult. Muhammad grew up in a conservative Muslim-majority country, where religious gatherings—and many other public spaces—were segregated by gender. He was told that this promotes modesty. But even same-sex spaces can have their temptations.

“In my all-boys madrasa, there were one or two guys who I just couldn’t stop staring at,” recalled Muhammad. I would get goosebumps when they spoke to me or when our hands met. I couldn’t understand these feelings; they thrilled and frightened me.” 

Confused, Muhammad began frequenting a larger madrasa nearby, where many students lived on campus. The scholars there would openly warn against the temptations that other young boys could arouse—hence the madrasa’s policy, for instance, of prohibiting two students from sleeping under the same blanket. 

“I realized now that my own feelings were nothing unnatural but simply one version of the different trials through which Allah tests His slaves,” reflected Muhammad. “The temptations remained, but since they were acknowledged as temptations, I was able to better deal with them.” 

But when Muhammad came to the US for the first time as a college student, he experienced a shock. He shared his struggles with same-sex desires with some Muslim friends, at which “one of them jumped back, gasping ‘You’re gay!’” 

Here was Muhammad’s first introduction to the sexual culture of the US. 

“It’s a strange culture, where your feelings define your very being,” he said. “Unfortunately, Muslims are affected by such ideas too, so that the moment they hear you have certain desires, they put a label on you. And if you refuse that label, they think you’re closeted or something.”

Muhammad eventually found solace through an online support group. But his first few years of college life tested him to the brink, as he recalled:  “So many guys and girls around me were exploring their sexuality, and there were times when I wondered if I would get through with my chastity intact.”

For Muhammad, as for many of his peers, being in college is a bit like being Yusuf in the house of the minister: hearing the same invitation, facing a similar challenge—mustering the strength to refuse the call. 

***

How does one deal with powerful sexual desires without fulfilling them? For some students, the necessity of exercising caution in entering physical relationships comes from observing those who, as they perceive it, don’t. 

“You hear so many girls in physical relationships complaining about an overwhelming emotional emptiness, about feeling neglected and used,” said Fatima, a member of a peer counseling team on campus. “Even as you support them, you feel grateful that Islam protects you from such relationships.” 

To Ahmed, who admitted being envious of his friends in high school who were dating and pursuing romantic relationships, the experience of living with some of them as roommates brought a realization: “You know what, these guys aren’t actually happier than I am; in fact, many of them are pretty miserable!” 

Other students commit to avoiding intimacy in hopes of what they see as a more wholesome relationship in the future—marriage. “I strive to ensure I don’t do anything that I wouldn’t want my future spouse to have done,” was an ambition frequently echoed, as was the related goal of keeping oneself “pure” for the “one.” According to a Muslim chaplain at one Ivy League institution, this reasoning is particularly salient among Muslim men who are all too aware of the double standards that Muslim (and non-Muslim) communities have generally applied to male sexual relations as compared to female.

And the double standards are certainly prevalent. Most American Muslim families and communities avoid discussing female sexual desires, focusing on general discussions of modesty and “virtue.” The latter can sometimes be taken to unhealthy extremes, according to Rachel, a graduate from a college in NYC. 

“I had roommates who had boyfriends who would spend the night at our dorm,” she said. “I had a burning desire to explore that [sexual] side too. But I had so much fear. It was drilled into me that, if I sinned, my future husband would find out; I would be divorced, my life ruined, my family humiliated. I just wish someone had acknowledged my desires positively, or at least reminded me that no amount of past sins are greater than Allah’s Mercy.”

Even amongst her friends, noted Nura, a graduate from an elite private institution, female sexual desires could be taboo. Though some of her Muslima friends openly discussed strategies like running on a treadmill to cope with intense feelings, others shied away from any mention of them—even if it pertained to religious teachings. 

To illustrate, Nura recalled a time when she and some friends made wudu (a ritual washing of the hands, face, and feet; which is a prerequisite to performing the five daily prayers mandated on Muslims). On their way to the multi-faith prayer room on campus, one of them met a male friend and they hugged. She then asked the other girls to return to the bathroom so she could make wudu again. Nura was surprised for, per her understanding of Islam, nothing had transpired that would break the wudu. Her friend explained that Nura’s knowledge was correct according to the school of Islamic jurisprudence followed by Nura. However, the friend’s family had raised her in a different school which considers the wudu void if you touch a na-mahram, a person from the opposite gender (such as a friend or cousin) who you could legally marry. 

Upon hearing this, another girl rejoined that, actually, the wudu is void only if the touch arouses an intense bout of passion accompanied by fluid discharge. Controversy ensued.

“The other friends who were with us suddenly became visibly agitated and exclaimed that we shouldn’t be talking about such shameful things,” Nura recalled. “But the Quran itself mentions female desire!” 

***

The open acknowledgment of sexual desires in the Quranic account of Yusuf surprises some modern Muslims—the discussion appears to them a bit too explicit, perhaps even erotic. For centuries, however, Muslims across the world have celebrated the narrative, versifying it in poetry and illustrating it in manuscripts. This is partly because these Muslims recognized—as do many Muslim students today with whom I spoke—that powerful desires are a gateway to God.

Resistance through worship [PC: Ashkan Forouzani (unsplash)]

“In resisting his desires, Prophet Yusuf became closer to Allah ,” reflected one student. “Living on a campus with all these temptations is likewise an opportunity for me to get closer to God. But like Prophet Yusuf , I must be humble. When faced with the seductive offer, he sought refuge in Allah —and then ran to the door. So I have to ensure that even as I’m seeking Allah’s help, I also don’t put myself in spaces that I know are seductive.”

For Siddiq, the relationship between desire and spiritual growth was revealed during his sophomore year. Infatuated with a fellow Muslim student, he experienced heartbreak when she chose to remain his sister-in-faith. The experience, however, transformed him. 

“Until that moment, I had never tasted true love—love as an obsession, where you can only see this one person and everything else ceases to be visible, even to exist, [where] all that matters is to speak with her, to be near to her,” he recalled. “This, I realized, is a glimpse of how the lovers of Allah see Him,” he said. 

In terms of the Muslim profession of faith, La ilaha illa Allah (No god but Allah ), Siddiq now had experiential knowledge of that first negation: la. 

In his struggles with same-sex desires, Muhammad, too, has reached the conclusion that unfulfilled desires can lead to God. The way he sees it, “this world was never meant to be a place of ultimate fulfillment.” When Prophet Musa (Moses), out of his overwhelming love for God, desired to see Him, God replied: “You cannot see Me.” According to the reported sayings of Prophet Muhammad , the ultimate blessing in Paradise will be to gaze at God.

“This life, however, is not— cannot—be the place where the veils are lifted between the lover and the beloved,” said Muhammad. “So I strive to channel my insatiable feelings toward getting closer to Him, hoping for union in the next life. It’s not a solution for everyone, certainly, and it doesn’t always work for me, But it gives me strength, at times, and hope.”

Even to those students whose desires may find a permissible outlet in this world, the spiritual is not out of sight. For Urooj, fantasies of a fulsome sexual relationship after marriage are made more meaningful in spiritual terms: “The pleasure of sexual intimacy is a taste of the flavors of Paradise, according to our scholars. It’s something to enjoy together with one’s spouse, so that both may be grateful for the blessing bestowed by Allah .” 

Thinking about marriage has also transformed the very meaning of sexual intimacy for some Muslim students. Witnessing what he saw as the strained, sometimes broken, marital bonds of some of his close friends, Ahmed felt his rosy image of marriage wilting—until he spent time with what he described as more stable Muslim families. The peace and meaning he experienced in their homes alerted him to a new way of conceiving sex. 

“I realized that, in Islam, sexual intimacy is situated within a wider cosmic space of a much deeper relationship,” he said. “In contrast, for some of my friends who were sleeping around in college, the act had lost meaning. It seemed that they felt a post-climactic emptiness, like you feel after a binge watch, or when you devour a lot of dessert. On the other hand, these Muslim couples—even though they too would fight and quarrel—seemed to be basking in the pleasure, close to each other, closer to God.”

For Aysha, the realization that your relationship with your spouse could be a metaphor for your relationship with God came through reading: “I was perusing a 17th-century text on Islamic mysticism and came across the line: ‘does not every lover desire to be near their beloved in the darkness of night?’ I thought the author was describing marriage—he was talking about tahajjud (the voluntary night prayers).”

The seductive echoes of haita lak are thus not the only ones reverberating through the campus air; the morning breeze also rings with hayya ala al-salat (come to prayer), hayya ala al-falah (come to success)—the words of the azan recited in mosques across the US. To some, the two calls can often be heard simultaneously. Together, they symbolize the temptations and aspirations that college life presents for many Muslim students in America.

 

Related:

– Modesty And Gender In Islam: A Reconciliation

– A Statement From Straight Struggle Muslims

– How University Made Me a Better Muslim

 

The post Beyond Repression: Muslim Sexuality On Campus appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Families are being torn apart.