AYAT: A verse Of Qur'an

Ayat walked slowly through the corridor of the madarsa, her recent surgery making it difficult for her to move quickly. She soon arrived at Sabeeha's open bedroom. Without knocking, she stepped inside and found Sabeeha engaged in her Fajr prayer. Ayat was up early, having not slept all night, lost in thoughts about Ashar, someone who mattered deeply to her. But perhaps she didn’t mean anything to him. Wiping away a lone tear, Ayat removed her veil and took a seat on the sofa.

After finishing her prayer, sabeeha stood up, not bothering to fold her prayer mat as she intended to retrieve the Qur'an. However, her gaze landed on Ayat, who was sitting quietly, lost in her own thoughts. Concerned, Sabeeha moved closer and sat beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Ayat flinched slightly at the touch, but Sabeeha smiled warmly.

“It’s me… your guide!” Sabeeha said with a bright smile. Ayat managed a small smile in return and nodded.

“Let’s read the Qur’an together, then we can talk, okay?” Sabeeha proposed, but Ayat shook her head to decline.

“You read, and I will listen!” she replied. Sabeeha chuckled softly, recalling how in the early days, when Ayat hadn't yet learned to read the Qur'an, she would simply listen to Sabeeha recite.

“As you wish… come, let’s sit on the floor,” Sabeeha said, standing up and taking Ayat's hand. They both got up, and Sabeeha settled onto the prayer mat while Ayat folded her legs and sat beside her. Sabeeha opened the Qur'an and began with “Bismillah.”

Then she looked at Ayat and asked, “Do you know why we read Surah Yaseen after Fajr?” Sabeeha wanted to see if Ayat remembered her teachings. Ayat's face lit up as she recognized the question, recalling her long-lost teacher in her best friend.

“Because our Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, ‘One who recites Surah Yaseen in the morning, Allah Almighty will be responsible for fulfilling all his needs,’” Ayat recited the hadith word for word. Sabeeha beamed with pride.

“That’s my Ayat,” she said, making Ayat smile genuinely, though her eyes misted up slightly. She quickly blinked to hold back the tears.

Then Sabeeha opened Surah Yaseen and began to recite with tajweed. Her voice was captivating during her recitation, and while Ayat always tried to mimic her, but as it was said that a teacher would always retain a special quality. Although Ayat could recite correctly, Sabeeha's distinct charm was something she only found in her.

As Sabeeha continued reciting, she closed her eyes, fully immersing herself in the words. Then a verse came…

إِنَّمَا تُنْذِرُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الذِّكْرَ وَخَشِيَ الرَّحْمَـٰنَ بِالْغَيْبِ ۖ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِمَغْفِرَةٍ وَأَجْرٍ كَرِيمٍ

(You can only warn one who follows the message and fears the Most Merciful unseen. So give him good tidings of forgiveness and noble reward)

She remembers Ashar and how, on that day, she had asked for his prayer, only for him to refuse bluntly. A lone tear rolled down her cheek, but before Sabeeha noticed, she quickly wiped it away and concentrated on her recitation.

فَسُبْحَانَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

(So exalted is He in whose hand is the realm of all things, and to Him you will be returned).

Sabeeha recited the last verse, and as she closed the Qur'an, she noticed Ayat, who was as always closing her eyes like she had done before. Today, Ayat was living in her early days, and sensing Sabeeha's gaze, she opened her eyes to see Sabeeha's admiring look and smiled.