"13"

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Fiction

Othman al-Maddan and Bakri al-Ghabshi are a pair of friends who live in one neighborhood. Both are also owners of the same grocery store. Since childhood, they never disagreed about anything. But Othman's wife, Naila, and Bakri's wife, Ferial, had always been at loggerheads since first meeting in the bathhouse, when Ferial caught a Naila glance mocking her breasts for being no longer tight. Naila suggested to Ferial to tighten her breasts through plastic surgery, even assuring her that all women do it secretly. For a long time, Ferial knew that Naila had spit rumors about her tired breasts to everyone, both old and young, while likening Ferial breasts like a pair of empty socks. Now there is an unstoppable hatred between the two women, and they have launched an eternal enmity by justifying any means to destroy the opponent. So each of the two women began to indulge in gossip to drop the reputation of each other.

One night, Ferial said to Bakri, "Today, the wife of your exquisite co-worker came to me and accused me of marrying a man who was no longer man while she married a man who could have sex three times a night."

Bakri said, startled, "What! Three times?"

Ferial gave a grudging laugh and said, "And four times every Thursday night."

Then the woman paused for a moment, noting the wrinkles that were visible on her husband's forehead and blessed, "You know what he suggested to me? Divorce you. She said her husband suggested that any woman in my position had the right to cheat and divorce her husband. "

Bakri's face suddenly turned dark, and from then on she felt a deep hatred toward Othman. The next day, they begin to disagree and the argument continues to peak until they decide to sell the grocery store they have been managing together for years. They divide the sales profits and agree to break up. But Bakri is not satisfied and still want to get revenge against his former colleagues. So he spit bad gossip about Othman, his family, his parents, even his grandparents. When Othman heard the accusations, he said in a sad tone, "There is no greater power than the power of God."

But it only makes Bakri annoyed, and he decides to further bring down Othman's reputation. One day, Bakri realizes that all his attempts to defame Othman are not taken seriously by anyone. He devised a strategy: the pollution must come from people who can be trusted and who have great influence in their residential community. So Bakri went to visit Sheikh Saleh al-Mandali at his residence while pretending to donate to poor families.

The Sheikh is a priest in the main mosque of the neighborhood. He has disciples, followers, and people, and his words, and his judgment, have never been denied by anyone. The sheikh accepts the money donated by Bakri and says, in a tone as if he is delivering the good news, "Your good will be avenged by God Almighty."

Bakri replied in a humorous tone, "I want nothing but His forgiveness and mercy." Then his eyes swept the floor, and in silence he showed his unrest. The sheikh asks what is bothering her, and Bakri answers in a trembling voice, "I'm not a person who likes to knock people down, but at the same time, I can not bear the reputation of a good person like you (may God bring more people like you!) has been defiled. "

Then he told the sheikh that his former colleague Othman al-Maddan had spread the gossip to everyone that the sheikh often leads the people's prayers without performing ablution. Hearing that, the sheikh responded with anger, "Lying, you liar! It just happened once. And that's also because I'm totally wrong - who except the God who never err? "

Bakri then went on to say to the sheikh that his former colleagues also secretly ate pork. The sheikh shouted in disgust, "What the fuck is this? A Muslim dare to eat pork? "

Bakri stressed that his former colleagues not only eat pork alone, he has also told his wife to do the same, until his wife long enjoy pork and constantly ask for pork bought. The sheikh would have been more disgusted to hear of it. Although there were only two of them in the room, Bakri then turned left and right before whispering, "Othman also says something that I find hard to believe comes out of his mouth, something I'm even embarrassed to say. He said you secretly keep a secret habit. "

The shiekh said, "Liar! A thousand times I say he's a liar! How can I do that while it's been two years, three months, and five days my wife I've treated like her own sister? "

Bakri held the Sheikh's hand as if to give moral support to the priest, saying, "How far is the distance between the earth and the stars in the sky? You are older and more grand than Othman. Do not pay attention to his words, because he is a man without self-esteem who has no legal power to declare what he thinks is good and bad. He was not satisfied with the affections his wife and mother had poured out, so he deceived the boys. I caught him by accident. I became worried about my reputation, and decided to end my friendship with him. "

The sheikh's sheen's brows look deeper as he triggers his anger, his voice shaking violently, "May God save us from the curse of Satan! God will save us from the curse of Satan! It is true that Satan has a follower living among us to spread evil. "

A few days later, Sheikh Saleh stumbled with the help of a stick. He was walking down a small alley to his house when Abul Ala, the toughest man in the neighborhood, blocked his path and kissed the back of his hand with respect and humility. He pleads with the sheikh to pray for him, and that God always guides him away from the unrighteous way of life.

But the shiekh suddenly chants, "How can I pray for you while my own heart is burdened with worries, sadness and anger? Prayer will never be answered unless it is offered from a pure heart. "

Abul Ala said, "I will kill anyone who has made our high priest so angry! Tell me the person's name, then say the opening confession in the scriptures to pray for his soul. "

Sheikh Saleh leaned against the wall of a residential building as if to hold the weight of his body so as not to fall, then he said with a sad and bitter tone, "Son, God is my only witness. Throughout my life I have always cared for and loved all people, both rich and poor. But the actions of Othman al-Maddan are quite contradictory to the law of the Prophet's precepts and teachings, and they really make me angry. I hate that man, who is immoral, wild, evil, and godless. "

How shocked Abul 'Ala heard of it. Then he said, "But as far as I know, Othman is a man who diligently worship, diligent fasting, and diligent charity. He has also made two hajj pilgrimages. "

Sheikh Saleh laughed and said, "You seem to have forgotten, son, that at first the Devil was an angel."

Sheikh Saleh sighed with sadness and continued, "It is incumbent upon every Muslim to fight those who are not God. Every people who succeed in liberating the world from the influence of unbelievers will enter Paradise. "

Again, Abul 'Ala kissed the sheikh's hand and said in a subtle tone, and his voice trembled, "May we all go to heaven."

A few days later, Othman al-Maddan's body was found dead from stab wounds. The last witnesses saw Othman alive say that before the man's body was found in a pathetic condition, he was in the neighborhood mosque, his position right behind Sheikh Saleh al-Mandali. After the prayers, Othman walked home, not far from the mosque.

But the man never got home. His wife, Naila, cried until his eyes were swollen. She was dressed in black and swore that she would not take it off for the rest of her life.

Meanwhile, the wife of Bakri, Ferial, again spread the rumor that Naila was grieving over her cat who recently died crushed by a car.