Rivers Return to the Sea

Her scarred hand scribbled furiously at the piece of wet paper. The ebony
ink flowed on to the page, the words curved and twisted in an obscure fashion. At
last, a name was printed on the page in clear, bold letters, her name. The pen
crashed to the table, her hand trembling. The girl gripped the paper, her tears
smearing the ink. She knew leaving was the only option left. She couldnt bear her
brother anymore. After her parents had died in a fatal car accident, she was left in
her brothers custody. Her brothers greatest desire was for her to the best in
everything she did. He expected her to be diligent in her studies. He yearned for
her to be an preeminent exemplar, to set a courteous example for everyone around
her. But most of all, he wanted her to be a muslim who dedicated her life for the
sake of pleasing Allah. She strived to please Allah and become a successful
muslim, but it was often challenging to live up to her brothers expectations. At
times, she would perform poorly on a test or neglect one of the daily prayers.
These duties she would fail to perform properly or forget to do would incense her
brother, which always lead to strife between them. Her brother would shame her,
stating that she would be in Hellfire if she wasnt serious about pleasing Allah.
Sometimes, when he was very enraged, he would beat her until she couldnt bear
the pain. She never understood why he would be so angry with her. No human
being on this earth is perfect! she would restate. Sadly, her brother was an
obstinate person, never willing to pay attention to what she had to say. The disputes
between the two siblings continued, worsening their relationship. The girl realized
the truth: she couldnt live with her brother any longer. She couldnt handle his
abusive behavior or his insulting words. The girl stared at the paper for time before
pinning it to the door. She unlocked the door cautiously and ran out without
looking back.

A few years later

The girl was on her laptop, her nimble fingers punching letters into the
search bar. Pressing enter, she frantically awaited the results. A white void of
nothingness took the previous pages place, with a message that read: your search
did not match any documents. The girl smashed her fist against the keyboard, her
face flushed with anger. I cant even find one job that needs employees. She leaned
back into her couch and sighed heavily. If I cant find a job, Im gonna become
bankrupt. She forced her laptop shut and snatched her coat. I need to clear my
mind, she thought to herself. She slammed the door to her compact apartment and
dashed down the slippery stairs. The crisp air welcomed her as she exited the
apartment complex. She wrapped her arms around herself when a gust of chilly
wind blew in her face. A person passed by her a greeted her with a quiet Salam.
The girl kept her head down, but her ears perked up when she heard that word.
Salam, she hadnt used the word of peace in ages. She felt bad for ignoring the
muslim who had greeted her kindly, but he had already ambled past her.Why didnt
I reply to him? she thought, angry at herself for being a fool.The girl sighed and
and resumed her gloomy stroll. After a few minutes of treading with her head low,
she glanced up to find herself in front of a small, weathered building. She glanced
up at the sign that read Masjid Aisha. The girl stood in front of it. She hadnt been
to the Masjid in quite a while either. She forgot that masjids even existed. She
entered the masjid and went into the womens side. Nobody was there. Good, she
thought to herself. She walked towards a bookshelf in the masjid that had small
booklets filled with ahadith. She ambled towards the bookshelf and reached for a
booklet that read Interpersonal Relationships. She found a cozy spot in the masjid,
sat down, and opened the book. She fell on to a page with a hadith. Interested, she
read the following hadith:
Whoever loves that he be granted more wealth and that his life prolonged,
he should keep good relations with his relatives. (Bukhari)
She paused for a second, reflecting on the hadith. My brother, she
thought to herself. For the past few years, I havent even kept contact with him. She
looked towards the ceiling and gasped in realization. Maybe this is why I am close
to being bankrupt! Allah only gives wealth and grants a person a longer life if they
are close with their relatives,she thought. She looked down to find one more
hadith, which made her cry in guilt and horror:

The person who severs the bond of kinship will not enter paradise.
What have I done? she sobbed. Even though my brother did treat
me badly, I should have forgiven him, but instead I fought back with him
which has severed our relationship!. The girl closed the book, stood up, and
placed the book in its proper place. I know what to do. she said. She
pulled out her phone, dialed her brothers number, and patiently waited for
him to answer.
To be continued.