In Bilad Ash-sham in the city of Damascus lives Mohammad Azzumurrud who is a carpenter. Mohammad Azzumurrud is 25 years old. He lives with his father, Abdurrahman Azzumurrud, and his mother, Zaynab Albahr. His mother tongue is Arabic, the language of Holy Koran.
Bilad Ash-Sham (Arabic: بلاد الشام) is an Arabic word which means the countries of Ash-sham (Bilad in Arabic means countries). At that time, Bilad Ash-sham included the four modern countries of Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon. In the Arabic and Islamic civilization, Bilad Ash-sham is a blessed land for many reasons and here are four main reasons:
First, many of the Prophets of Allah were from Bilad Ash-Sham especially the Prophets from the sons of Israel. Israel is the name of Prophet Jacob who is the son of Prophet Isaac who is the son of Prophet Abraham peace be upon them all. Bilad Ash-sham was mentioned indirectly in the Holy Koran where Allah says:
“And We (Allah) rescued him (Prophet Abraham) and Lut (Prophet Lot) to the land which We have blessed for the Alameen (mankind and jinn). (71)” [THK: S 21: V 71].
Mohammad Attabari (محمد الطبري), one of the greatest Muslim scholars, said in his famous book about the exegesis of the Holy Koran which is known in Arabic as Tafseer Attabari (تفسير الطبري) that Allah rescued Prophet Abraham and Prophet Lot from the land of Iraq to the land of Ash-sham when Prophet Abraham and Lot migrated to Bilad Ash-sham.
Second, at the time of Prophet Muhammad, the tribe of Quraysh (the tribe of Prophet Muhammad) used to have two journeys during the year, one in summer to Bilad Ash-sham and one in winter to Yemen. Allah mentioned these two journeys in the Holy Koran in the Quraysh Sura:
“(It is a great Grace and protection from Allah), for the taming of the Quraysh, (1) (And with all those Allah's Grace and Protections for their taming, We cause) the (Quraysh) caravans to set forth safe in winter (to the south), and in summer (to the north without any fear), (2) So let them worship (Allah) the Lord of this House (the Kaabah in Makkah). (3) (He) Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear. (4)” [THK: S 106: V 1-4].
Third, Bilad Ash-sham contains one of the three sacred cities of the Islamic nation. The three scared cities of the Islamic nation are Makkah (Mecca) which contains the Sacred Mosque (nowadays in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Madinah (Medina) which contains the Mosque of Prophet Muhammad (nowadays in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Jerusalem which contains Alaqsa Mosque (nowadays in the State of Palestine).
Alaqsa Mosque is sacred for Muslims because Prophet Muhammad travelled to it by a miracle of Allah then he ascended to the Heavens accompanying Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) where he saw so many signs of Allah. The journey of Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Jerusalem, his ascent to the Heavens and then his return to Makkah was in a single night by a miracle of Allah. The journey of Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Jerusalem was mentioned in the Holy Koran where Allah says:
“Glorified (and Exalted) is He (Allah) [above all that (evil) they associate with Him]. Who took His slave (Muhammad) for a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque (at Makkah) to the Furthest Mosque (in Jerusalem), the neighborhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him (Muhammad) of Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.). Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer (1)” [THK: S 17: V 1].
Fourth, Prophet Muhammad prayed explicitly for Bilad Ash-Sham where he said once: “O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Sham! O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Yemen.” [BH-1]
For these reasons and others, Bilad Ash-sham occupies an exalted rank in the heart of the Islamic nation. Prior to Islam, Bilad Ash-sham was under the rule of the Romans. After Islam, Muslims conquered Bilad Ash-sham and they defeated the Romans in a myriad of battles until the Romans withdrew and Bilad Ash-sham became completely under the rule of the Islamic nation. Bilad Ash-sham was opened by Arabs and Muslims during the reign of Caliph Abu Bakr Assiddique and his successor Caliph Omar Ibn Alkhattab, the two greatest companions of Prophet Muhammad [W-5]. The word Caliph means in Arabic (the successor of). The caliph is the supreme leader of the Islamic nation and is equivalent to the king of a kingdom or the emperor of an empire.
Similar to the Chinese nation which has its own lunar calendar [W-8], the Islamic nation has its own lunar calendar as well. The Islamic lunar calendar is called the Hijri calendar and it consists of twelve months and each month can be either 29 or 30 days depending on the sighting of the moon. The Hijri calendar begins with the year when Prophet Muhammad immigrated from Makkah to Madinah. The Hijri calendar was established by Omar Ibn Alkhattab, the second caliph of the Islamic nation and the second greatest companion of Prophet Muhammad [W-9][W-10]. The Hijri months were known by Arabs prior to Prophet Muhammad and Omar Ibn Alkhattab but it was Omar Ibn Alkhattab who chose to make the year of the immigration of Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Madinah as the reference year for the Islamic calendar. The twelve months of the Hijri calendar are: Muharram, Safar, Rabee Alawwal, Rabee Althani, Jumada Aloola, Jumada Althaniya, Rajab, Shaaban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Thulqieda and Thulhijja. The two most important months of the Hijri calendar is Ramadan and Thulhijja. Ramadan is the 9th month of the Hijri calendar and it is the month of fasting for Muslims. Thulhijja is the 12th month of the Hijri calendar and it is the month of pilgrimage for Muslims. Fasting Ramadan is the 4th pillar of Islam while performing pilgrimage is the 5th pillar of Islam.
Back to Mohammad Azzumurrud who lives in Bilad Ash-sham in the city of Damascus. In Arabic, the vast majority of people's names are meaningful while a small minority of people's names are meaningless. So what are the meanings of the names Mohammad Azzumurrud, his father Abdurrahman Azzumurrud and his mother Zaynab Albahr?
In Arabic, Mohammad means the one worthy of praise for having so many good attributes. A myriad of Muslims select the name of Mohammad for their male sons to express their love for Prophet Muhammad. The name of Prophet Muhammad was mentioned four times in the Holy Koran and here are the verses:
“Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah, and Allah will give reward to those who are grateful. (144)” [THK: S 3: V 144].
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last (end) of the Prophets. And Allah is Ever All-Aware of everything. (40)” [THK: S 33: V 40].
“Those who disbelieve [in the Oneness of Allah, and in the Message of Prophet Muhammad], and hinder (men) from the Path of Allah (Islamic Monotheism), He will render their deeds vain. (1) But those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and believe in that which is sent down to Muhammad - for it is the truth from their Lord, He will expiate from them their sins, and will make good their state. (2)” [THK: S 47: V 1-2].
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down prostrate (in prayer), seeking Bounty from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure. The mark of them (i.e. of their Faith) is on their faces (foreheads) from the traces of prostration (during prayers). This is their description in the Torah. But their description in the Gospel is like a (sown) seed which sends forth its shoot, then makes it strong, and becomes thick, and it stands straight on its stem, delighting the sowers that He may enrage the disbelievers with them. Allah has promised those among them who believe (i.e. all those who follow Islamic Monotheism, the religion of Prophet Muhammad till the Day of Resurrection) and do righteous good deeds, forgiveness and a mighty reward (i.e. Paradise). (29)” [THK: S 48: V 29].
In Arabic, Azzumurrud means the emerald, Abdurrahman means the slave of the All-Merciful (Allah), Zaynab means a tree with a good view and a nice scent [W-2] and Albahr means the sea.
The parents of Mohammad Azzumurrud are pious and righteous Muslims and they took care of his upbringing very well. Mohammad Azzumurrud is a memorizer of the Holy Koran. The Holy Koran is around 600 pages and Mohammad memorized it in his childhood. Koran memorizers are highly appreciated in the Islamic nation and being a Koran memorizer is a supreme rank that every Muslim man and woman dreams of reaching. Prophet Muhammad said: “The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Koran and teach it.”
Abdurrahman Azzumurrud is a carpenter and he taught his son, Mohammad, carpentry since childhood and now Mohammad is a master carpenter. Zaynab Albahr is a housewife and she takes care of everything in the house such as cooking, cleaning and other housekeeping activities. Mohammad felt that he should move out to his own house in order to become self-reliant and self-sufficient. He wanted especially to learn cooking so he asked his mother to write him 100 Syrian recipes so that he tries the recipes one by one when he moves out to his new house. Zaynab wrote the 100 recipes for Mohammad with each recipe on a separate rollable slip. She placed the 100 recipe slips in a square box that is divided into 10 by 10 compartments and gifted the box to her son, Mohammad. Mohammad thanked his mother deeply and moved out to his new house. He then applied the recipes and became an excellent chef. We will share ten recipes that Zaynab taught Mohammad. These recipes are simple, basic and not very complicated. The Syrian cuisine has simple recipes and very complicated recipes that require hard work and preparation.
Recipe 1: Mtabbal (Appetizer) - متبل
Ingredients: eggplant, salt, yogurt, sesame tahini, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, cooking oil, olive oil.
Steps:
1. Chop eggplants into small pieces.
2. Fry eggplants in cooking oil until they become light brown.
3. Grind or pound the fried eggplants and add to them some salt, yogurt, sesame tahini, minced garlic and lemon juice and mix the ingredients well.
4. Garnish the plate with parsley and olive oil.
5. Eat Mtabbal with pita bread or other type of bread that you prefer.
Recipe 2: Baba Ghannooj (Appetizer) – بابا غنوج
Ingredients: eggplant, salt, pomegranate molasses, sesame tahini, garlic, walnuts, parsley, olive oil.
Steps:
1. Grill eggplants on a direct fire until they become soft and tender.
2. Peel eggplants.
3. Mash eggplants.
4. Add to the eggplants some salt, pomegranate molasses, sesame tahini, minced garlic, finely chopped walnuts and mix the ingredients well.
5. Garnish the plate with parsley, coarsely chopped walnuts and olive oil.
6. Eat Baba Ghannooj with pita bread or other type of bread that you prefer.
Recipe 3: Tabboola Salad (Appetizer) – سلطة التبولة
Ingredients: parsley, green mint, dry mint, lettuce, onion or green onion, tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, bulgur (crushed wheat), salt.
Steps:
1. Soak bulgur in water until it become soft and tender.
2. Finely chop parsley, green mint, lettuce, onion and green onion and dice tomatoes.
3. Mix bulgur with the previous ingredients and add to them salt, dry mint, lemon juice and olive oil.
4. Stir the ingredients well.
5. Garnish the plate with whole lettuce and tomatoes.
Recipe 4: Fattoosh Salad (Appetizer) – سلطة الفتوش
Ingredients: pita bread, cucumber, green mint, dry mint, lettuce, purslane, tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, cider vinegar, salt.
Steps:
1. Chop pita bread into small pieces and fry them (optional).
2. Pound garlic.
3. Finely chop green mint, lettuce, cucumber, purslane and dice tomatoes.
4. Mix the previous ingredients and add to them salt, dry mint, lemon juice, cider vinegar and olive oil.
5. Stir the ingredients well.
Recipe 5: Mfarrakeh (with Potatoes) – مفركة بطاطس
Ingredients: potatoes, onion, ground meat (beef), salt, pepper, Syrian 7-spice (made of ground carnation, ground black pepper, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground nutmeg, dry ground coriander), cooking oil.
Steps:
1. Chop onions into small pieces.
2. Dice potatoes.
3. Saute onions and ground meat with cooking oil and add to them salt, pepper and Syrian 7-spice.
4. After onions and ground meat are well cooked, add diced potatoes to the pan.
5. Stir from time to time and cover the pan until potatoes are soft and tender.
6. Eat Mfarrakeh with pita bread and one or more of these: pickles, tomatoes or yogurt.
Recipe 6: Mfarrakeh (with Marrow Squash) – مفركة كوسا
Stolen novel; please report.
This recipe is exactly the same as Recipe 5 except that we replace potatoes with marrow squash.
Recipe 7: Fool Mdammas – فول مدمس
Ingredients: boiled dried broad beans (brown), parsley, tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, salt, cumin, olive oil.
Steps:
1. Boil the brown broad beans.
2. Finely chop parsley, pound garlic and dice tomatoes.
3. In a large bowl, add tomatoes, garlic, and parsley to the boiled broad beans and have some hot water in the bowl.
4. Add salt, cumin, olive oil and lemon juice.
5. Stir the ingredients well.
6. Garnish the bowl with parsley, tomatoes and olive oil.
7. Eat Fool Mdammas with onions, radish or pickles and some morsels of pita bread (optional).
Recipe 8: Fool with Yogurt – فول باللبن
Ingredients: boiled dried broad beans (brown), sesame tahini, yogurt, tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, salt, cumin, olive oil.
Steps:
1. Boil the brown broad beans.
2. Add salt, pounded garlic, sesame tahini and lemon juice to yogurt and mix them well.
3. Add the boiled broad beans to the yogurt mix and stir them well.
4. Garnish the bowl with tomatoes, parsley, cumin and olive oil.
5. Eat Fool with Yogurt with onions, radish or pickles and some morsels of pita bread (optional).
Recipe 9: Fool Mqalla – فول مقلى
Ingredients: green broad beans in their pods, coriander, garlic, lemon juice, salt, yogurt, olive oil.
Steps:
1. Extract the broad beans from their pods.
2. Chop the pods into small pieces.
3. Saute the broad beans with the chopped pods in olive oil and add to them chopped coriander and pounded garlic.
4. Add lemon juice to the plate and eat Fool Mqalla with pita bread and yogurt.
Recipe 10: Potatoes and Chicken Tray – بطاطس و دجاج بالصينية
Ingredients: chicken pieces (breasts, legs or both), potatoes, onions, garlic, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, ground cardamom, ground turmeric, ground cinnamon, ground chili pepper, olive oil.
Steps:
1. Boil chicken pieces lightly to remove the scum (or foam).
2. Chop potatoes into slices with appropriate thickness.
3. Chop onions into slices.
4. Remove chicken pieces from the boiling pot and season them with salt, black pepper, ground cardamom, ground turmeric, ground cinnamon, ground chili pepper and other spices of your preference.
5. Season potatoes and onion slices with the same spices in the previous step.
6. In a large flat tray, put the first layer of potatoes slices.
7. In the second layer, put chicken pieces.
8. In the third layer, put onion slices.
9. Put some olive oil over the mix and add some water.
10. Put the tray in the oven covered until it is fully cooked and well-done.
11. Dipping Sauce: this recipe has a special dipping sauce composed of these ingredients: pounded garlic, lemon juice and ground chili pepper. Mix these three ingredients.
12. Eat potatoes and chicken with pita bread and dip your morsels in the dipping sauce.
After Mohammad Azzumurrud lived alone in his own house away from his parents and after he learned housekeeping activities, he decided to return to live with his parents in their house. Mohammad returned to his parents' house as a full-blown well-rounded person. He started to help his mother with cooking and other housekeeping chores. One time, the family stayed up late at night and exchanged an interesting speech. Here is a snapshot of their exciting conversation:
Mohammad Azzumurrud: Thank you so much, my beloved mother, for all your hard work throughout the years to manage and maintain our house. After living alone and doing all the things by myself, I now appreciate all your work.
Zaynab Albahr: You are most welcome, my dear son. I am glad that you are now able to cook and maintain the house by yourself. In the future, you can help your wife with the house chores.
Mohammad: Yes, the man should always support the woman whenever he can.
Aburrahman Azzumurrud: Mohammad, I know you love Arabic literature so much and you memorize so much poetry. Let us play a game together.
Mohammad: Of course, my dear father. It is my pleasure to play with you any game you suggest.
Abdurrahman: The game is called: “Bring the Proof”. I mention to you a general idea and you should support this idea with verses of poetry that you memorize. If you bring the proof you get one point. If you fail to bring the proof, I get one point. At the end, the one who accumulates more points wins. Is it clear?
Mohammad: Yes, my dear father. It is crystal clear. Let us begin.
Abdurrahman: Happiness is not in accumulating money.
Mohammad: Alhutayaa (الحطيئة) said:
و لكن التقي هو السعيد
و عند الله للأتقى مزيد
و لكن الذي يمضي بعيد
و لست أرى السعادة جمع مال
و تقوى الله خير الزاد ذخراً
و ما لا بد أن يأتي قريب
“And I do not see happiness in accumulating money but the pious is the happy.
And piety (the fear of Allah) is the best provision [you can amass for the future], and with Allah there is more [rewards] for the pious.
And that which is bound to come is near; and that which elapsed is far.”
Abdurrahman: Excellent, my beloved son. That is the correct proof. One point for you and zero for me. Next question: Knowledge is the most precious thing.
Mohammad: The poet said:
من كل شيء يصاب
يحثى عليه التراب
من لم ير العلم أغلى
فلن يفلح حتى
“He who does not see knowledge as the most precious sought thing
Will not succeed until dust is thrown on him (buried in his grave) [i.e. he will never succeed].”
Abdurrahman: Excellent, my beloved son. That is the correct proof. Two points for you and zero for me. Next question: Scholars remain alive even after their death.
Mohammad: The poet said:
ألباء مأمونون غيباً و مشهدا
و عقلاً و تأديباً و رأياً مسددا
و لا نتقي منهم لساناً و لا يدا
و إن قلت أحياء فلست مفندا
لنا جلساء ما نمل حديثهم
يفيدوننا من علمهم علم ما مضى
فلا فتنة تخشى و لا سوء عشرة
فإن قلت أموات فلست بكاذب
“We have companions with whose speech we do not get bored; they are smart and trustworthy in their presence and absence.
They benefit us from their knowledge the knowledge of the past, a wise mind, good ethics and a correct opinion.
Neither distress nor bad company is feared and we do not protect ourselves from their tongue or hand.
So if you say they are dead, you are not a liar; and if you say they are alive your saying shall not be refuted.”
Abdurrahman: Well-done, my dear son. That is the correct proof. Three points for you and zero for me. Next question: The value of a man is determined by the things he is good at.
Mohammad: Ali Bin Abi Taleb (the companion of Prophet Muhammad), may Allah shower his soul with mercy, said:
على الهدى لمن استهدى أدلاء
و الجاهلون لأهل العلم أعداء
الناس موتى و أهل العلم أحياء
ما الفخر إلا لأهل العلم إنهم
و قدر كل امرئ ما كان يحسنه
ففز بعلم تعش حياً به أبداً
“The pride is for no one except the people of knowledge (scholars) because they are the guides to people who seek guidance.
And the value of a person is determined by what he is good at; and the ignorant people are the enemies of the scholars.
So win knowledge with which you live a true life always; people are dead and scholars are alive.”
Abdurrahman: Great job, my great son. That is the correct proof. Four points for you and zero for me. Next question: Your true brother is he who supports you in times of hardships.
Mohammad: Ali Bin Abi Taleb (the companion of Prophet Muhammad), may Allah shower his soul with mercy, said:
و من يضر نفسه لينفعك
شتت فيك شمله ليجمعك
إن أخاك الصدق من كان معك
و من إذا ريب الزمان صدعك
“Your true bother is he who is with you and he who harms himself to benefit you.
And he who breaks himself to gather you when hard time breaks you.”
Abdurrahman: Nice work, my smart son. That is the correct proof. Five points for you and zero for me. Next question: Hardships let you distinguish your friend from your enemy.
Mohammad: Abu Nawwas (أبو نواس) said:
و إن كانت تغصصني بريقي
عرفت بها عدوي من صديقي
جزى الله الشدائد كل خير
و ما حبي لها إلا لأني
“May Allah reward hardships every good even though they make me choke with my saliva.
And my love for them is for no reason except that they make me distinguish my friend from my enemy.”
Abdurrahman: I am proud of you, my wise son. That is the correct proof. Six points for you and zero for me. Next question: Patience is difficult in three circumstances.
Mohammad: Zuhayr Bin Abi Sulma (زهير بن أبي سلمى) said:
و يذهل عنها عقل كل لبيب
و فرقة إخوان و فقد حبيب
ثلاث يعز الصبر عند حلولها
خروج اضطرار من بلاد تحبها
“Three things with which patience becomes difficult when they occur; and the mind of every sane person is perplexed because of them:
To leave forcibly a country that you love, the separation of brothers and the loss of a sweetheart.”
Abdurrahman: Marvelous work, my dear son. That is the correct proof. Seven points for you and zero for me. Next question: The impossible is three things.
Mohammad: Safiy Addeen Alholli (صفي الدين الحلي) said:
خل وفي للشدائد أصطفي
الغول و العنقاء و الخل الوفي
لما رأيت بني الزمان و ما بهم
أيقنت أن المستحيل ثلاثة
“When I saw the sons of time and there is no true friend among them that I can choose for hardships,
I became certain that the impossible is three: the ogre, the phoenix and the loyal friend.”
Abdurrahman: You are the best, my dear son. That is the correct proof. Eight points for you and zero for me. Next question: The benefits of travel is...
Mohammad: Mohammad Ash-shafeiy (محمد الشافعي) said:
و سافر ففي الأسفار خمس فوائد
و علم و آداب و صحبة ماجد
تغرب عن الأوطان في طلب العلى
تفرج هم و اكتساب معيشة
“Seek expatriation away from homelands in order to achieve high glories and travel because the are are five benefits for travels:
Relief from distress, earning provision, knowledge, ethics and the company of a noble man.”
Abdurrahman: You are the best, my dear son. That is the correct proof. Nine points for you and zero for me. Next question: The states that every human being encounters.
Mohammad: The poet said:
و لا بد أن تجري عليه الثمانية
و عسر و يسر ثم سقم و عافية
ثمانية لا بد منها على الفتى
سرور و حزن و اجتماع و فرقة
“Eight things that must happen to the boy and these eight things are bound to happen.
Happiness, sadness, gathering, separation, hardship, relief, then sickness and good health.”
Abdurrahman: Amazing work, my dear son. That is the correct proof. Ten points for you and zero for me. I must withdraw. I am not a competitor for you in Arabic literature. You are the supreme master.
Mohammad: Thank you, my beloved father. It was you and my dear mother who brought me up to love knowledge and seek knowledge since my childhood. Without Allah and then your help, I would not have learned so much in my life. I owe you whatever I have learned since childhood.
Zaynab: You are dutiful, Mohammad. You learned a lot on your own but it is very kind of you to attribute your success to us. You are well-bred and I am proud of you.
Mohammad: Thank you, my beloved mother. I hope to always be at the best of your expectations. I plan to continue with knowledge seeking and I want to be a certified Koran memorizer. I also want to learn the sciences of the Holy Koran and the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. This is the beneficial knowledge that every Muslim must seek.
Zaynab: I encourage you with this step. Knowledge is a gargantuan sea that is unlimited and you should always learn new things that benefit you and enrich your life.
Abdurrahman: There is so much knowledge in this world and you should be careful in selecting the most beneficial knowledge. I agree with you: the sciences of the Holy Koran and the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad are the most precious type of knowledge for a Muslim. You must learn these at first and then dive into other branches of knowledge.
Mohammad: Thank you for the valuable advice. Mohammad Ash-shafeiy said two eloquent verses of poetry:
كلا و لو حاوله ألف سنة
فخذوا من كل شيء أحسنه
لن يبلغ العلم جميعاً أحد
إنما العلم عميق بحره
“No person can encompass [all] knowledge even if he tries to do so for one thousand years.
Knowledge is a sea which is deep so take the best of everything.”
Zaynab: That is true and wise. Mohammad is clever in selecting what he learns. Mohammad, Islam is the religion of beneficial knowledge. What motivates you greatly to seek knowledge?
Mohammad: There are many verses of the Holy Koran and many words of Prophet Muhammad that encourage a Muslim to seek knowledge and learn in order to come nearer to Allah. For example, Allah said in the Holy Koran: “... And say: "My Lord (Allah)! Increase me in knowledge." (114)” [THK: S 20: V 114]. Prophet Muhammad also said: “Whoever takes a path upon which to obtain knowledge, Allah makes the path to Paradise easy for him.” [BH-2].
Abdurrahman: May Allah make us from those who seek knowledge in order to please Allah and come nearer to Him.
Zaynab: Ameen. The conversation is really bewitching with my dear husband and son. We can go on for hours with miscellaneous topics. Let us go to sleep now. It is late and we spent a lot of time talking.
Mohammad: As you like, my dear mother. We can continue our conversation tomorrow. Good night, my dear parents.
Abdurrahman and Zaynab: Good night, Mohammad.