The Mystical Flutist

The Mystical Flutist     Born 1984, F, from Pune, India  BY=face2up.blogspot.com

Chapter 1: The first tune Tuhi opened the window, the air was crisp and chilly. She pulled the cardigan closely around her shoulder and stood there. The dormitory room behind her was quiet, as the other girls had not woken up yet. Tuhi looked straight at the rising sun and folded her hands in prayer, just as her mother had taught her. Today the school re-opens after summer vacation, and Tuhi will start her year at standard VII. She is excited, scared and a little sad to leave her mom, dad, and mostly Didan. After a month long vacation Tuhi and her friends are back at St. Mary’s School, at Ooty for their new term. The morning bell rang, and Tuhi could hear the other girls waking slowly. She collected her uniform and headed for the bathroom.  Tuhi is 12 years old, soft spoken, and naïve, with a heart of gold. She trusts her friends easily and forgives her enemies too easily. The only constant emotion in her world is Love. It’s almost like she lives within this huge bubble through which she sees the world as a beautiful place…full of love and trust. Her mother at times would sit next to her bed when she’s asleep and sob, thinking of what her little girl will go through when the bubble bursts. But she knew just too well that the bubble had to burst.  The new semester started with a lot of hustle and bustle. New books, new syllabus, new teachers, new subjects, new challenges, new growing up. Tuhi almost lost track of time in the midst of the din. It was late one Saturday evening, she finished her dance classes and lazily walked towards the old tower house. This place was at the back of the playground and was not frequented by the students much. Tuhi came here whenever she wanted to be on her own…which was quite often. She had many friends whom she loved a lot. But still she loves being away from the maddening crowd, losing herself in her ‘own little world’. Here sitting on the dilapidated iron bench, she watches the birds sing, leaves slowly dropping from the trees and falling right on her lap, the stars playing hide and seek with the clouds. When she is here alone, she can be anyone and go anywhere. While sometimes she’s flying across the Turkish minarets on Alladin’s flying carpet, on others she day-dreams like Belle or runs away from home like Rapunzel with a total stranger, just to fulfill her dream. Today, she came to the old tower after a long time…thanks to the crazy schedule. But before she crossed the old tower house she stopped short at her track… what was the music she could hear? It was soft and sad. It was like someone was crying, just that the tears could not be seen…but heard. Tuhi slowly walked towards her usual place…the old and dwindling iron bench under the pine tree, from where she watches the setting sun. She saw a figure sitting at her spot…hunched over, playing a flute. She slowly moved forward to get a closer look. The boy was almost her age, fair, skinny, his hair fell over his eyes, which were shut. His head tilted to a side as he played the flute. Tuhi was mesmerized by the tune. She knew the song…had heard it many times. But today for the first time it felt like the song was meant for her……and only for her to hear. Duur deshi shei rakhal cheleAmar bate boter chayaiShara bela gelo khele….. (The shepherd boy from the far away landCame to my garden and played under the shade of the tree…) The boy stopped and looked up…straight at Tuhi. She had never seen so much pain in anyone’s eye. Tears welled up in her eyes seeing those eyes, the colour of deep forest pool. She was about to take a step towards the bench. But the boy suddenly got up and the pain in his eyes quickly gave way to fear. Before Tuhi could even stop him he ran away. Tuhi stood there motionless, unable to fathom what just happened. Who was this boy? Where did he come from? Where did he go? What did he tell her?  Chapter 2: The unsaid words Tuhi told her friends about the ‘strange boy’. But no one had heard of any new student, and it was unlikely that any new student would join in the middle of the semester. Couple of days passed, and Tuhi forgot about the boy…but the tune lingered on in her mind. Gailo ki gaan shei ta janeSuur baaje tar amar prane….Bolo dekhi tomra ki tarKothar kono abhash pele…. (Only he knows what he was singingBut the tune lingers in my heart….Can anyone tell me what is it, he was talking about….) It was Thursday, laundry day. Tuhi collected her soiled clothes and was on her way to the girls’ laundry room. While she was crossing the staff quarters she heard him. She stopped at her tracks. Tears swelled in her eyes…again. She followed the music and found him sitting under the old banyan tree, eyes closed, head tilted to a side, playing his flute. Tuhi walked up to him. The boy looked up, saw her and stopped playing. He slowly stood up facing Tuhi…the flute tightly clasped in his hands. He looked at her as if he was waiting for her since an eternity…as if ‘she’ was the only person he ever wanted to see. Tuhi didn’t know what to say. No one had ever seen her like this before. She fidgeted, but couldn’t look away from ‘those eyes the colour of deep forest pool’.  But then someone called out Tuhi’s name from behind. Tuhi looked around and saw Alisha and Veena, had come looking for her. Before she could turn back the boy ran away again. This surprised her, why did he run away. She wanted him to meet her friends. But he was gone. “What are you doing here?” Alisha asked Tuhi.“Nothing”, she replied, her eyes still looking at the old banyan tree.“Why do you always wander along Tuhi?” Veena complained. Tuhi carried on with her daily chores. But after dinner when she went to bed…. she couldn’t hold herself anymore. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She felt sad, angry, elated, betrayed and a whole lot of other things. But she didn’t know what exactly she was feeling. She had never felt this way before. Though she had not hurt herself, she felt a strange pain and her tears just wouldn’t stop. Every time she closed her eyes she could see those ‘deep green eyes’ soo full of pain. This wrenched her heart more. Tuhi cannot see anyone in pain. When she was 6 years old, in her Kolkata house a sparrow had built a nest on the ‘chile-kotha’ (a small room at the rooftop). The sparrow had given birth to 3 little baby sparrows. Tuhi loved to hear the little birdies chirp and every afternoon she would sneak up to the roof to see the babies. One morning when she woke up, she saw that a little sparrow had fallen from the nest and was lying hurt on the staircase. Tuhi was hysterical. She gently picked up the little one, put it on a stack of cotton and tried feeding it. But the little bird was too small to eat on its own. Tuhi sat with the bird the whole day, and refused to move from there, no matter how much her mother insisted. By the end of the day the little bird, who was hurt and traumatized… died. Tuhi’s heart broke. She cried for 2 days and sulked for many more to come. That was her first tryst with death and loss. Tuhi attended her classes, went for the dance practices, participated in the church choir and continued with her life. Nothing seemed to have changed apparently, but deep within she just couldn’t shake off that pain. It gripped her heart, and every so often clouded her eyes. She had never felt anything like this before…it was as if nothing was making any sense. She did her homework, giggled with her friends, laughed at the jokes…but couldn’t feel anything. The only time when she remembered “those eyes the colour of deep forest pool” that her heart ‘twisted, twirled & twitched’ in pain.  Chapter 3: The beckoning It was while she was fighting with this confusing state of heart that the most unexpected thing happened. Tuhi was walking back from the choir practice with her friends. The November chill has started setting in and the valley snuggled cozily within the thick blanket of fog. The girls walked down the road, lined with eucalyptus trees, next to the staff quarters. Tuhi was taking in the heady smell of the eucalyptus, while humming a tune in her head. Suddenly she stopped at her track. Behind the old pine tree next to history teacher, Mrs James quarter, ‘those eyes the colour of deep forest pool’ appeared. Tuhi slowed down, so her friends could walk ahead. The shadowy figure emerged from behind the tree and stood, staring at Tuhi. He then gave her a faint smile and beckoned her. Tuhi’s heart flipped and her stomach did a somersault. She followed him down the narrow alley behind the staff quarters. He was walking ahead, and every 2 seconds turned his head to see if Tuhi is still following his trail. They crossed the playground, and headed straight towards the old tower house. Tuhi immediately remembered the first time she met ‘the boy’ here. What was his name? He never told it to Tuhi. It never seemed necessary…. Now he reached the old dwindling iron bench and stopped. He motioned Tuhi to sit and went and perched up on the other corner. He waited expectantly till Tuhi sat down. Tuhi felt weird that someone was asking her to sit at her own spot. She wanted to tell him that this is her ‘little world’ where she comes when she’s sad, happy or sad & happy. And it is he who without even knocking has stepped into her world. But she kept quiet. She somehow just couldn’t speak when those eyes are looking straight at her. She sat down, obediently. He then took out the flute from his pocket and started playing it. The music, ever so soothing and ever so painful engulfed her. To her it didn’t seem like music, it was more like his voice, talking to her. She closed her eyes….as tears streamed down her cheeks. But they were happy tears, as Tuhi had never felt so happy in her entire life.  Duur deshi shei rakhal cheleAmar bate boter chayaiShara bela gelo khele….. Gailo ki gaan shei ta janeSuur baaje tar amar prane….Bolo dekhi tomra ki tarKothar kono abhash pele…. (The shepherd boy from the far away landCame to my garden and played under the shade of the tree Only he knows what he was singingBut the tune lingers in my heart….Can anyone tell me what is it, he was talking about …) In front of them the sun was setting lazily behind the undulating Nilgiri range. The sun seemed to be in no hurry today. It spread its dusk glow like a warm hug on the two little kids sitting on the old dwindling iron bench, with their eyes closed, tears streaming down both their young pink cheeks. The music stopped. Tuhi opened her eyes and looked at him. His head was tilted to a side, and the soft green eyes glistened warmly. He got off the bench and slowly walked to where Tuhi was sitting and stood facing her. He had not moved his gaze from her for a minute. There was a strange intensity in his eyes, which reminded Tuhi of the way she and her friends study the night before their exam. It’s almost like they drink in all the words in the book so they will never forget the black & white print. He was now standing facing her. Tuhi’s heart leapt to her mouth. She tried putting up a brave face and continued looking at him. But deep inside, her heart was twitching and twisting like poor Bambi caught in a vine. He held her hand. His eyes were like warm summer day, assuring and gentle. Tuhi was glad to see that the dark cloud of pain was nowhere to be seen. She drew a deep breath, and before she could understand anything she stood up hastily. “My name is Tuhi. It means the ‘chirping of birds’. What is your name?”, she blurted in one breath and looked up at him.  He stood there in silence. But the gentleness of the summer day has been replaced by the stormy dark clouds. Tuhi was confused. What did she say to make him so upset? She looked at him with pleading eyes. But he looked like he was just being stricken across the face. He lifted Tuhi’s hand and before she could understand anything, he removed the silver bracelet with the dangling star from her wrist. Tuhi gasped. That was her most prized possession. It was a gift from her Didan (Grandmother) on her 10th birthday, and she never removes it. Didan had given it to her and told her that the little dangling star will look after little Tuhi and protect her always. She couldn’t believe that the boy had removed it from her hands. She became livid, angry tears rolled down her cheeks. She was just about to lunge at him to get back her silver bracelet. But he started retreating fast. Tuhi just couldn’t make sense of anything. Why did he get her here? If all he wanted was the silver bracelet, he could have taken it near the staff quarters. And why is he looking like he’s in so much pain, after he took the bracelet.  “Why did you take my silver bracelet?” she shouted. But the boy now turned his back and started running, faltering over the playground as his vision was blurred too. Tuhi’s head reeled and she sat under the pine tree next to the iron bench. She dropped her face between her knees and cried.  Ami tare shudhay jabe ‘Ki tomare dibo ani’-She sudhu koy ‘Ar kichhu noi, tomar golar malakhani’ (I asked him, “What is it that I can get for you”He replied, “I want nothing but the necklace around your neck”) The moon peeped from behind the clouds and seeing the little girl crying hid behind the clouds again. She knows that the first heart-break is the most difficult pain for a girl. The moon wished she could hold the little girl and cradle her gently till her tears dry. She asked her firefly friends to help her. The fireflies flew down to Tuhi and glowed gently around the little girl. If anyone could see the little girl crouching under the pine tree now, they would think that the fairy godmother had made a ‘circle of angels’ around her to keep her safe. The next few days went like the worst nightmare for Tuhi. In her head she had gone through that evening some hundred times, but still nothing made sense. There were so many questions in her head. But where will she get the answer. She had crossed the staff quarter in the pretext of some work or other almost 10 times a day. She had even gone behind the pine tree pretending that she lost an earring. But he was nowhere to be seen. No one had seen him, and Tuhi will never see him again. It was almost after a week that Tuhi walked past the playground and climbed towards the old tower house. Her heart twisted at the sight of the old dwindling iron bench. She slowly dragged herself towards it and slumped down at the same place she sat that evening. Her eyes stinged and big fat tears rolled down her cheek again. Tuhi wondered exactly how many gallons of tears can her body hold. She held her face in her hand and the only word she could utter was “why….why….why”. Just as she was wiping her eyes with the back of her palm, something familiar caught her eyes, below the pine tree. Tuhi got down and walked towards it. As she bent down and removed the dry pine leaves, her amber eyes widened.  She picked up the flute and held it in her hands.  Di jodi toh ki dam debe jai bela shei bhabna bhebePhire eshe dekhi dhulai bashi ti tar geche phele (If I give you my necklace how will you repay me?He kept thinking about it the whole dayAt daybreak when I came backI found he has left his flute on my garden) ---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4: And ‘now’ “Hmmm. But do I need to go today itself”, Tuhi asked on the phone, sounding a little distracted.  Roma, her manager, tried to explain in her high-pitched and fast paced voice that the fund-raising event was next day, and Tuhi had to reach Ooty tonight. Tomorrow morning she had arranged for a breakfast meeting with the founder of the NGO, who has arranged for the fund raising event. Tuhi had asked for this meeting as she was very eager to know more about the organisation and would like to extend her support to them. They were doing very good work by teaching the deaf, dumb and blind children to read, write and pursue a vocation of their choice and capability so that they can be independent human beings. Roma kept babbling how this event will garner good coverage for Tuhi and how the owner of the NGO insisted that no one but Tuhi Banerjee should be the artist performing for the evening.  But Tuhi’s mind had drifted elsewhere. She was thinking of the NGO, and what a noble cause the founder has been working on. In the last 2 years Tuhi has achieved much fame as a singer. Singing had always been her passion, and she didn’t realize when her passion turned into her profession. But for her, her passion is still bigger than any fame. Deep within her heart she wants to do something as selfless as this NGO founder. She wants to spread happiness and smiles among those who appreciate life. In her own way she tries to do as much as she can for such causes. Her concert for ‘Banshi’ (Flute) - the NGO was one such effort to do her bit for the little kids.  “Ok, so I will arrange for your tickets to Ooty and mail it across to you”, with that Roma hung up. Tuhi looked around her desk, and straightened the pristine white photo frame. For a second her eyes caught Ishaan’s smiling face in the photo frame. It was a photo of her and Ishaan at Udaipur, taken last year during their anniversary. She has known Ishaan for 6 years now, and they are married for 3 years. Tuhi always considers herself lucky to have Ishaan in her life. It was not a love at first sight for Tuhi (though she always thought that’s how it will happen). She couldn’t hear any bells ringing, angels singing around her or showering flower petals from heaven. ….all of which she was very sure would have happened when she fell in love with her man. But instead what happened was, for the first time in life Tuhi learnt to appreciate herself, love herself and grow more confident. He gave her the wings to fly. People who knew them said they had a ‘perfect marriage’. Perfect it definitely is….but still Tuhi cannot understand why at times a grey cloud lurks in her thoughts whenever she sits alone. What is it that she pines for….she doesn’t know. It’s almost like no matter how many accolades and awards she wins and how great she sings…Tuhi knows that her music can never touch the soul in a way ‘the sound of the flute’ did. At this sudden thought Tuhi shuddered. She quickly picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Hello love. How was your day today?”, a reassuringly kind voice answered. The moment Tuhi heard her husband the frown on her forehead vanished and the dimpled smile was back. The bus for Ooty left Bangalore at 10:45 PM. As she waved at Ishaan, Tuhi felt pangs of guilt over leaving him alone over the weekend and that too at such a short notice. But she knew that he would understand. As one by one her co-passengers dozed off, Tuhi pulled the shawl closely around her shoulder and leaned against the foggy window. It has been 11 years, since Tuhi last went to Ooty, to her alma mater. After completing her junior college from St. Mary’s School, Tuhi had never gone back to Ooty. Now when she thinks of her boarding school days…it seems like a different life altogether. As she closed her eyes, she saw herself with her two neat ponytails hanging over her shoulder sitting with her best friends sharing ‘imli ka achar’, stealing guavas from Mr. Jame’s immaculate garden or taking the old care-takers cat and painting its tail blue. Life was carefree and fun. In school they were not afraid to dream, as they had not experienced the pain of dreams shattering. Suddenly ‘the music’ played inside Tuhi’s head. Instinctively her eyes moistened and her heart grew heavy. In these 11 years a lot had changed…..except this. Till this day whenever Tuhi thinks of those ‘eyes the colour of deep forest pool’, her heart twinges and the sharp pain clouds her eyes. She reached out inside her bag and took out the flute. Whenever she goes for any concert the flute is always with her….it is her inspiration. Tuhi held the flute close to her heart and closed her eyes. Ooty had changed so much over the years that Tuhi almost felt like she has come to the wrong place. The serene and picturesque hill station has become a cluttered town. With people jostling, cars honking and tourists milling around, the earlier sleepy little hill station looks forcefully busy and tired. The car was waiting for Tuhi, the driver, a short round man, greeted her with a big smile. Tuhi reached the hotel, freshened up and got ready for the breakfast meeting with the founder of Banshi. She checked her watch, it was 09.20 AM and her meeting was at 10:00 AM. She told the driver to wait back, as she wanted to walk down to the NGO office.  The road leading to the Botanical Garden had not changed much, except that there are too many shops now along the side of the road. As Tuhi’s feet trudged along the uphill road, her mind walked down the winding memory lane. In school days, during their Sunday trip to the market place Tuhi and her friends used to come here to buy sugar candies and mirchi pakodas (chily fries). A young boy saw Tuhi standing and came to her with packets of colorful sugar candies and imli golis hanging around his neck. She bought 3 packets of candies from him and slipped them in her bag. In her mind she silently gifted them to her best friends Alisha and Veena. When Tuhi reached Banshi, she was taken aback by the simplicity of the office set-up. It was a modest 2 storied building, with the classrooms on the first floor, and the office and children’s’ residence on the ground floor. As soon as she entered, a big writing on the wall caught her attention: No voice in this world can be louder than silence.If anyone can understand your silence. They can never misunderstand your words. She walked towards the reception area, where a chubby kind-faced young girl looked at her from behind the desk and smiled. “I’m here to meet Mr Surjo Sengupta. I have an appointment at 10:00 AM.” The girl quickly typed something on her keyboard, jumped down from her chair and went inside a big brown door. Tuhi stood there, and looked around. She saw a group of children sitting under the big banyan tree in the garden. They looked on attentively as a middle-aged woman wrote something on the black-board and then explained with gestures. A faint sound of piano floated in the air. Tuhi walked across the lobby to the big glass room, and saw a little girl bent over a huge piano. She opened the door and walked towards the girl. The little girl was staring hard at the big sheet of musical note and was struggling with the right chord. Tuhi gently bent over and touched the little girl’s shoulder affectionately. She then hummed the tune and played it on the piano. The little girl clapped out relieved and hugged Tuhi tightly. Tuhi was taken aback by this simple and unadulterated show of gratitude. The girl then jumped off the high stool, faced Tuhi and touched both her palm on her chin and gestured something. Tuhi was completely lost as she doesn’t understand sign language. Seeing her confusion the little girl gave her a big smile, ran to the white board next to the piano and scribbled ‘Thank you so much’. Tuhi was overwhelmed, she walked to the girl and hugged her tight, tears streaming down her cheek.  Just then there was a soft knock at the door. Tuhi looked up to see the kind faced young receptionist. She gestured Tuhi to come with her. Tuhi quickly wiped off her tears and took a deep breath to compose herself. She waved at the little girl and left the music room. While crossing the lobby the writing on the wall caught her attention again – “No voice in this world can be louder than silence.” Suddenly a memory from years back flashed across her mind.  “My name is Tuhi. It means the ‘chirping of birds’. What is your name?” she blurted in one breath and looked up at him.  He stood there in silence…...” Tuhi quickly tore herself from that memory and walked towards the big brown door. She was really looking forward to meeting Mr. Sengupta. He has been doing some great work, and she would love to support him in whatever little way she could. Tuhi’s mind was so occupied with the thoughts of how she could change the lives of these kids that she didn’t realize that soon her life is going to be changed forever. Tuhi followed the young receptionist inside the room. The room was very different from the rest of the building. It had thick wooden walls, and what caught her attention immediately was the 2 walls that had book shelves right from the floor till the ceiling. Right next to the bookshelf was a huge oil painting of a little girl and a boy sitting with their back, on a bench under an old pine tree, watching the setting sun. Tuhi stopped for a second in front of the painting, taking in the warm hues of the canvas. She liked the way the girl rested her head on the boy’s shoulder. She heard a soft rustling behind her, and turned around, suddenly remembering why she had come in here. She was so absorbed by the surroundings in the room, that for a moment she felt like she belonged here.  As Tuhi turned around she saw a huge desk. Behind the desk a tall man was sitting on a chair, bending over some of the papers. He was wearing a blue tweed jacket over a white shirt. He had a strong jawline, and wore black-rimmed glasses. She couldn’t see more, as he was looking down. He signed the papers with a practiced flourish and gestured the young lady to leave. He then removed his glasses and stood facing Tuhi.  As Tuhi’s eyes met those ‘eyes the colour of deep forest pool’, she shuddered and her head reeled. She quickly held on to the chair in front of her and steadied herself. He slowly walked around the table, pulled the chair and made her sit. She looked up at him, and this time she knew that it was him. Her heart is beating so hard that she can feel the pain throbbing through her veins. He slowly walked towards the huge French window and pulled the curtain. As the room plunged into darkness, Tuhi’s mind grew numb. ‘He’ was always a puzzle for her….but what is happening now is surreal.  He flicked a switch and a big projector screen lighted up right in front of Tuhi. He walked up to the desk and sat on the corner of the desk…just inches away from her As the familiar sound of the flute started playing…..Tuhi looked up and saw these words flashed across the screen: “Hi Tuhi, my name is Surjo. It means ‘mighty as the sun’. I cannot speak. I was born this way, and had made my peace with my silent life…until I met YOU. The first day I saw you near the old tower-house I found what I had been looking for all my life. I found my muse, who added soul to my music. I wanted to hold your hand and bring you to my world and tell you how much I had longed for you. But how could I have told you Tuhi, as in my world there is no voice, no words, no song. My parents died when I was very young. Mrs James, your history teacher at St. Mary’s was my godmother. She had no children so she took care of me after my parents’ death. I used to stay with her mother at her village house. One year, when I was 14, Aunty James could not visit her village, as she had a surgery, and so I along with Grandma James came to visit her at her quarters in Ooty. It was during this visit that I met you. I still remember the last day, before leaving for village. I knew I had to meet you once as I knew deep down that you understood my silence. You could read my eyes, and no words could ever express what my music had expressed to you. Do you remember the song I played for you that day? You had tears in your eyes. And when I held your hands you shivered. It was perfect….until you spoke. You asked me my name and my dream burst. I realized, we need words between us…as you couldn’t understand my silence. The very moment that you gave me the meaning of my life…you took away from me the reason to live. I knew I couldn’t live without you, and neither could I be with you.  I knew I would never see you again. But I could not go empty handed. I wanted something of yours that I can keep as my own. So I took your bracelet. I know you were hurt Tuhi…but I didn’t want to hurt you. I had to have something that belonged to you…..if not your heart. I never played the flute since that day. My music was for you…and it stayed with you. I knew you had a lot of unanswered questions that you had carried along with you for so many years. I hope I could answer them today. This school that you see here, is built so that no other ‘Tuhi’ ever goes without getting an answer to her questions. Yes Tuhi, when I met you, had I been able to write or express myself you need not have had to carry on this burden within your heart for so long. But I didn’t know how to read or write, as no school entertained children like us. At ‘Banshi’, I give voice to the young people who do not have a voice of their own. This is all I have to say. Your bracelet lies on the desk. You can take it, as now I have lived you for so many years that I do not need anything else to remind me of you. I’m YOU.” With this, the projector screen went blank. Darkness filled the room. Surjo walked towards the window and pulled back the curtains. The warm glow of the morning sun streamed in through the huge glass window….softly hugging the two people who sat there in silence. --------The End-------

somnat ki knniya part 3

face2up.blogspot.com

somnat ki knniya part 2

somnat ki knniya

tension free life

PROPHET ISA

                                                       PROPHET ISA         

In many verses of the Glorious Qur'an Allah the Exalted denied the claim of

 the Christians that He has a son. A delegation from Nagran came to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). They began to talk about their claim about the Trinity, which is that Allah is three in one, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with some disagreement among their sects. That is why Allah affirmed in many verses of the Qur'an that Jesus is a slave of Allah, whom He molded in the womb of his mother like any other of His creatures, and that He created him without a father, as He created Adam without a father or a mother.

Allah the Almighty said: Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham and the family of Imran above the Alamin (mankind and jinns)(of their times). Offspring, one of theo other, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Remember when the wife of Imran said: "O my Lord! I have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services (free from all worldly work; to serve Your Place of worship), so accept this, from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All Knowing."

Then when she delivered her (child Mary), she said: "O my Lord! I have delivered a female child," and Allah knew better what she delivered, - "and the male is not like the female, and I have named her Mary, and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Satan, the outcast."

So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zechariah. Every time he entered Al-Mihrab (a praying place or a private room), he found her supplied with sustenance.

He said: "O Mary! From where have you got this?"

She said: "From Allah. Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit." (Ch 3:33-37 Quran)

Allah declared that He had elected Adam (pbuh) and the elite of his offspring who obey Allah. Then He specified the family of Abraham (pbuh), which includes the sons of Ishmael (pbuh), and the family of Imran, the father of Mary.

Muhammad Ibn Ishaaq stated that he was Imran Ibn Bashim, Ibn Amun, Ibn Misha, Ibn Hosqia, Ibn Ahriq, Ibn Mutham, Ibn Azazia, Ibn Amisa, Ibn Yamish, Ibn Ahrihu, Ibn Yazem, Ibn Yahfashat, Ibn Eisha, Ibn Iyam, Ibn Rahba am, Ibn David (Dawud).

Prophet Zakariyah's (pbuh) wife's sister had a daughter named Hannah. She was married to Imran, a leader of the Israelites. For many years, the couple remained childless. Whenever Hannah saw another woman with a child, her longing for a baby increased. Although years had passed, she never lost hope. She believed that one day Allah would bless her with a child, on whom she would shower all her motherly love.

She turned to the Lord of the heavens and the earth and pleaded with Him for a child. She would offer the child in the service of Allah's house, in the temple of Jerusalem. Allah granted her request. When she learned that she was pregnant, she was the happiest woman alive, and thanked Allah for His gift. Her overjoyed husband Imran also thanked Allah for His mercy.

However, while she was pregnant her husband passed away. Hannah wept bitterly. Alas, Imran did not live to see their child for whom they had so longed. She gave birth to a girl, and again turned to Allah in prayer: "O my Lord, I have delivered a female child," and the male is not like the female, and I have named her Mary, and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and her offspring from Satan, the outcast." (Ch 3:36 Quran)

Hannah had a big problem in reference to her promise to Allah, for females were not accepted into the temple, and she was very worried. Her sister's husband Zakariyah, comforted her, saying that Allah knew best what she had delivered and appreciated fully what she had offered in His service. She wrapped the baby in a shawl and handed it over to the temple elders. As the baby was a girl, the question of her guardianship posed a problem for the elders. This was a child of their late and beloved leader, and everyone was eager to take care of her. Zakariyah said to the elders: "I am the husband of her maternal aunt and her nearest relation in the temple; therefore, I will be more mindful of her than all of you."

As it was their custom to draw lots to solve disagreements, they followed this course. Each one was given a reed to throw into the river. They had agreed that whoever's reed remained afloat would be granted guardianship of the girl. All the reeds sank to the bottom except Zakariyah's. With this sign, they all surrendered to the will of Allah and made him the guardian.

To ensure that no one had access to Mary, Zakariyah built a separate room for her in the temple. As she grew up, she spent her time in devotion to Allah. Zakariyah visited her daily to see to her needs, and so it continued for many years. One day, he was surprised to find fresh fruit, which was out of season in her room. As he was the only person who could enter her room, he asked her how the fruit got there. She replied that these provisions were from Allah, as He gives to whom He wills. Zakariyah understood by this that Allah had raised Mary's status above that of other women.

Thereafter, Zakariyah spent more time with her, teaching and guiding her. Mary grew to be a devotee of Allah, glorifying Him day and night.

Ali Ibn Abi Talib narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "The best of the world's women is Mary (in her lifetime), and the best of the world's women is Khadija (in her lifetime)." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

Abu Musa Al-Ashari also narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "May among men attained perfection but among women none attained perfection except Mary the daughter of Imran, and Asiya the wife of Pharaoh, and the superiority of Aisha to other women is like the superiority of Tharid (an Arabic dish) to other meals."

While Mary was praying in her temple, an angel in the form of a man appeared before her. Filled with terror, she tried to flee, praying: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Beneficent (Allah) from you, if you do fear Allah."

The angel said: "I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son."

She said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?"

He said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: "That is easy for me (Allah): And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (Allah), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by Allah).'" (Ch 19:18-21 Quran)

The angel's visit caused Mary great anxiety, which increased as the months went by. How could she face giving birth to a child without having a husband? Later, she felt life kicking inside her. With a heavy heart, she left the temple and went to Nazareth, the city in which she had been born where she settled in a simple farm house to avoid the public.

But fear and anxiety did not leave her. She was from a noble and pious family. Her father had not been an evil man nor was her mother an impure woman. How could she prevent tongues from wagging about her honor?

After some months, she could not bear the mental strain any longer. Burdened with a heavy womb, she left Nazareth, not knowing where to go to be away from this depressing atmosphere.

She had not gone far, when she was overtaken by the pains of childbirth. She saw down against a dry palm tree, and here she gave birth to a son. Looking at her beautiful baby, she was hurt that she had brought him into the world without a father. She exclaimed: "I wish I had died before this happened and had vanished into nothingness!"

Suddenly, she heard a voice nearby: "Grieve not, your Lord has placed a rivulet below, and shake the trunk of this tree, from which ripe dates will fall. So eat and drink and regain the strength you have lost; and be of good cheer, for what you see is the power of Allah, Who made the dry palm tree regain life, in order to provide food for you." For a while she was comforted by Allah's miracle, for it was a sure sign of her innocence and purity.

She decided to return to the city. However, her fears also returned. What was she going to tell the people? As if sharinhis mother's worry, the baby began to speak: "If you meet any person say: 'I have vowed to fast for The Beneficent and may not speak to any human today.'" With this miracle, Mary felt at ease.

As she had expected, her arrival in the city with a newborn baby in her arms aroused the curiosity of the people. They scolded her: "This is a terrible sin that you have committed." She put her finger to her lips and pointed to the child. They asked: "How can we speak to a newborn baby?" To their total amazement, the child began to speak clearly: "I am Allah's servant. Allah has given me the Book, and has made me a prophet, and has blessed me wherever I may be, and has enjoined on me prayers and alms-giving as long as I live. Allah has made me dutiful towards she who had borne me. He has not made me arrogant nor unblessed. Peace unto me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive."

Most of the people realized that the baby was unique, for it Allah wills something, He merely says "Be" and it happens. Of course, there were some who regarded the baby's speech as a strange trick, but at least Mary could now stay in Nazareth without being harassed.

Allah the Exalted revealed: And mention in the Book (the Qur'an, O Muhammad, the story of) Mary, when she withdrew in seclusion from her family to a place facing east. She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our Ruh (angel Gabriel), and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects.

She said: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Beneficent (Allah) from you, if you do fear Allah."

The angel said: "I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son."

She said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?" He said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: "That is easy for Me (Allah): and (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (Allah), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by Allah).'"

So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a far place (Bethlehem valley, about four to six miles from Jerusalem). And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: "Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out of sight!"

Then (the babe "Jesus" or Gabriel) cried unto her from below her, saying: "Grieve not! Your Lord has provided you a water stream under you; and shake the trunk of palm tree towards you, it will let fall fresh ripe dates upon you. So eat and drink and be glad, and if you see any human being, say: 'Verily! I have vowed a fast unto the Most Beneficent (Allah) so I shall not speak to any human being this day.'"

Then she brought him (the baby) to her people, carrying him. They said: "O Mary! Indeed you have brought a thing Fariyya (an unheard mighty thing). O sister (the like) of Aaron (not the brother of Moses, but he was another pious man at the time of Mary)! Your father was not a man who used to commit adultery, nor was your mother an unchaste woman."

Then she pointed to him. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?"

He (Jesus) said: "Verily! I am a slave of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet; and He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined me prayer, and Zakat, as long as I live, and dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest. And Salam (peace) be upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!"

Such is Jesus, son of Mary. (It is) a statement of truth, about which they doubt (or dispute). It befits not (the Majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son (this refers to the slander of Christians against Allah, by saying that Jesus is the son of Allah). Glorified (and Exalted be He above all that they associate with Him). When He decrees a thing, He only says to it, "Be!" - and it is.

Jesus said: "And verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him (Alone). That is the Straight Path. (Allah's Religion of Islamic Monotheism which He did ordain for all of His Prophets)."

Then the sects differed (the Christians about Jesus), so woe unto the disbeliveers (those who gave false witness saying that Jesus is the son of Allah) from the meeting of a great Day (the Day of Resurrection, when they will be thrown in the blazing Fire).

How clearly will they (polytheists and disbeliveers in the Oneness of Allah) see and hear, the Day when they will appear before Us! But the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) today are in plain error. And warn them (O Muhammad) of the Day of grief and regrets, when the case has been decided, while now they are in a state of carelessness and they believe not. (Ch 19:16-39 Quran)

It was said that Joseph the Carpenter was greatly surprised when he knew the story, so he asked Mary: "Can a tree come to grow without a seed?" She said: "Yes, the one which Allah created for the first time." He asked her again: "Is it possible to bear a child without a male partner?" She said: "Yes, Allah, created Adam without male or female!"

It was also said that, while pregnant, Mary went one day to her aunt, who reported that she felt as if she was pregnant. Mary in turn, said that she, too, was feeling as if she was pregnant. Then her aunt said: "I can see what is in my womb prostrating to what is in your womb."

The Jewish priests felt this child Jesus was dangerous, for they felt that the people would turn their worship to Allah the Almighty Alone, displacing the existing Jewish tenets. Consequently, they would lose their authority over the people. Therefore, they kept the miracle of Jesus's speech in infancy as a secret and accused Mary of a great misdeed.

As Jesus (pbuh) grew, the signs of prophethood began to increase. He could tell his friends what kind of supper waited for them at home and what they had hidden and where. When he was twelve years old, he accompanied his mother to Jerusalem. There he wandered into the temple and joined a crowd listening to the lecture of the Rabbis (Jewish priests). The audience were all adults, but he was not afraid to sit with them. After listening intently, he asked questions and expressed his opinion. The learned rabbis were disturbed by the boy's boldness and puzzled by the questions he asked, for they were unable to answer him. They tried to silence him, but he ignored their attempts and continued to express his views. Jesus became so involved in this exchange that he forgot he as expected back home.

In the meantime, his mother went home, thinking that he might have gone back with relatives or friends. When she arrived, she discovered that he was not there, so she returned to the city to look for him. At last she found him in the temple, sitting among the learned, conversing with them. He appeared to be quite at east, as if he had been doing this all his life. Mary got angry with him for causing her worry. He tried to assure her that all the arguing and debating with the learned had made him forgot the time.

Jesus grew up to manhood. It was Sabbath, a day of complete rest: no fire could be lit or extinguished nor could females plait their hair. Moses (pbuh) had commanded that Saturday be dedicated to the worship of Allah. However, the wisdom behind the Sabbath and its spirit had gone, and only the letter remained in the Jews' hearts. Also, they thought that Sabbath was kept in heaven, and that the People of Israel had been chosen by Allah only to observe the Sabbath.

They made a hundred things unlawful on Saturday even self-defense or calling a doctor to save a patient who was in bad condition. This is how their life was branded by such hypocrisy. Although the Pharisees were guardians of the law, they were ready to sell it when their interests were involved so as to obtain personal gains. There was, for example, a rule which prohibited a journey of more than one thousand yards on the Sabbath day. What do we expect of the Pharisees in this case? The day before, they transferred their food and drink from their homes two thousand yards away and erected a temporary house so that from tthey could travel a further thousand yards on the Sabbath day.

Jesus was on his way to the temple. Although it was the Sabbath, he reached out his hand to pick two pieces of fruit to feed a hungry child. This was considered to be a violation of the Sabbath law. He made a fire for the old women to keep themselves warm from the freezing air. Another violation. He went to the temple and looked around. There were twenty thousand Jewish priests registered there who earned their living from the temple. The rooms of he temple were full of them.

Jesus observed that the visitors were much fewer than the priests. Yet the temple was full of sheep and doves which were sold to the people to be offered as sacrifices. Every step in the temple cost the visitor money. They worshipped nothing but money. In the temple, the Pharisees and Sadducees acted as if it were a market place, and these two groups always disagreed on everything. Jesus followed the scene with his eyes and observed that the poor people who could not afford the price of the sheep or dove were swept away like flies by the Pharisees and Saducees. Jesus was astonished. Why did the priests burn a lot of offerings inside the temple, while thousands of poor people were hungry outside it?

On this blessed night, the two noble prophets John (pbuh) and Zakariyah (pbuh) died, killed by the ruling authority. On the same night, the revelation descended upon Jesus (pbuh). Allah the Exalted commanded him to begin his call to the children of Israel. To Jesus, the life of ease was closed, and the page of worship and struggled was opened.

Like an opposing force, the message of Jesus came to denounce the practices of the Pharisees and to reinforce the Law of Moses. In the face of a materialistic age of luxury and worship of gold, Jesus called his people to a nobler life by word and deed. This exemplary life was the only way out of the wretchedness and diseases of his age. Jesus's call, from the beginning, was marked by its complete uprightness and piety. It appealed to the soul, the inner being, and not be a closed system of rules laid down by society.

Jesus continued inviting the people to Almighty Allah. His call was based on the principle that there is no mediation between the Creator and His creatures. However, Jesus was in conflict with the Jews' superficial interpretation of the Torah. He said that he did not come to abrogate the Torah, but to complete it by going to the spirit of its substance to arrive at its essence.

He made the Jews understand that the Ten Commandments have more value than they imagined. For instance, the fifth commandment does not only prohibit physical killing, but all forms of killing; physical, psychological, or spiritual. And the sixth commandment does not prohibit adultery only in the sense of unlawful physical contact between a man and a woman, but also prohibits all forms of unlawful relations or acts that might lead to adultery. The eye commits adultery when it looks at anything with passion.

Jesus was therefore in confrontation with the materialistic people. He told them to desist from hypocrisy, show and false praise. There was no need to hoard wealth in this life. They should not preoccupy themselves with the goods of this passing world; rather they must preoccupy themselves with the affairs of the coming world because it would be everlasting.

Jesus told them that caring for this world is a sin, not fit for pious worshippers. The disbeliveers care for it because they do not know a better way. As for the believers, they know that their sustenance is with Allah, so they trust in Him and scorn this world.

Jesus continued to invite people to worship the Only Lord, Who is without partner, just as he invited them to purify the heart and soul.

His teaching annoyed the priests, for every word of Jesus was a threat to them and their position, exposing their misdeeds.

The Roman occupiers had, at first, no intention of being involved in this religious discord of the Jews because it was an internal affair, and they saw that this dispute would distract the Jews from the question of the occupation.

However, the priests started to plot against Jesus. They wanted to embarrass him and to prove that he had come to destroy the Mosaic Law. The Mosaic Law provides that an adulteress be stoned to death. They brought him a Jewish adulteress and asked Jesus: "Does not the law stipulate the stoning of the adulteress?" Jesus answered: "Yes." They said: "This woman is an adulteress." Jesus looked at the woman and then at the priests. He knew that they were more sinful than she. They agreed that she should be killed according to Mosaic Law, and they understood that if he was going to apply Mosaic Law, he would be destroying his own rules of forgiveness and mercy.

Jesus understood their plan. He smiled and assented: "Whoever among you is sinless can stone her." His voice rose in the middle of the Temple, making a new law on adultery, for the sinless to judge sin. There was none eligible; no mortal can judge sin, only Allah the Most Merciful.

As Jesus left the temple, the woman followed him. She took out a bottle of perfume from her garments, knelt before his feet and washed them with perfume and tears, and then dried his feet with her hair. Jesus turned to the woman and told her to stand up, adding: "O Lord, forgive her sins." He let the priests understand that those who call people to Almighty Allah are not executioners. His call was based on mercy for the people, the aim of all divine calls.

Jesus continued to pray to Allah for mercy on his people and to teach his people to have mercy on one another and to believe in Allah.

Jesus continued his mission, aided by divine miracles. Some Qur'anic commentators said that Jesus brought four people back from the dead: a friend of his named Al-Azam, an old woman's son, and a woman's only daughter. These three had died during his lifetime. When the Jews saw this they said: "You only resurrect those who have died recently; perhaps they only fainted." They asked him to bring back to life Sam the Ibn Noah.

When he asked them to show him his grave, the people accompanied him there. Jesus invoked Allah the Exalted to bring him back to life and behold, Sam the Ibn Noah came out from the grave gray-haired. Jesus asked: "how did you get gray hair, when there was no aging in your time?" He answered: "O Spirit of Allah, I thought that the Day of Resurrection had come; from the fear of that day my hair turned gray."

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love story,

A man bought 12 flowers. 11 real and 1 fake. He said, "I will love you until the last flower

dies.

One night a guy and a girl were driving home from the movies. The boy sensed there was something wrong because of the painful silence they shared between them that night. The girl then asked the boy to pull over because she wanted to talk. She told him that her feelings had changed and that it was time to move on.A silent tear slid down his cheek as he slowly reached into his pocket & passed her a folded note.
At that moment, a drunk driver was speeding down that very same street. He swerved right into the drivers seat, killing the boy. Miraculously, the girl survived. Remembering the note, she pulled it out & read it. "Without your love, I would die."

There was a girl named Becca and a boy named Joe. Becca was in a burning house. None of the firefighters could get in the house because the fire was too big. Joe dressed in one of the fire suits and got into the house. When he got up the stairs, the steps fell off behind him. When he got into her room he sealed the door up behind him. He held her tight, kissed her, huged her, then said that he loved her. She asked what was wrong, and he said that he was going to die. Her eyes widened as she began to cry. He picked her up and jumped out of the four story house. He landed on his back with her on top of him. He died to save her life.

There was girl who loved a boy so much she said to the boy, "If I told you that I liked you, would you take it as a joke?"
The boy said, "Yes I would."
She asked, "Why?"
The boy replied, "Because I know you don't like me, I know you love me!"

A girl and guy were speeding over 100 mph on a motorcycle.
Girl: Slow down. I'm scared.
Guy: No this is fun.
Girl: No its not. Please, it's too scary!
Guy: Then tell me you love me.
Girl: Fine, I love you. Slow down! Guy: Now give me a big hug. (Girl hugs him)
Guy: Can you take my helmet off and put it on? It's bugging me.
In the paper the next day: A motorcycle had crashed into a building because of brake failure. Two people were on the motorcycle, but only one survived. The truth was that halfway down the road, the guy realized that his brakes broke, but he didn't want to let the girl know. Instead, he had her say she loved him, felt her hug one last time, then had her wear his helmet so she would live even though it meant he would die.