THE VIRTUE OF KEEPING PROMISE - by Muhammad Mercurial

In the land of Mauritania, where the Atlantic Ocean washes the long coastline and the people live by mining iron, gold, and copper, as well as fishing and farming, there lives a virtuous woman named Afraa Ummul Nazeeya.She has a daughter named NAZEEYA. Her girl is the most beautiful among all, not only in her face but in her spirit. She is gentle in speech and kind in heart. She shows respect to both young and old. Wisdom guides her words, and patience follows her steps. She is generous, always ready to share, even if it means she goes without.Her beauty shines in her humility, her modesty, and her fear of Allah. Her smile comforts the sad, and her presence brings peace. Wherever she goes, people admire her, not just for how she looks, but for the goodness that flows from within her.Nazeeya blossoms into a young woman of striking presence. She has a graceful, curvy figure, with a firm and well-shaped body that reflects health and strength. Her chest is full, her hips rounded, and her posture upright, giving her an elegant and dignified look. Her movements are soft and measured, and even in her natural beauty, she remains modest, carrying herself with humility and self-respect.Nazeeya is standing upon the wide ocean, yet she does not sink. The breeze sweeps gently against her, carrying the scent of salt and freedom. She is eating with ease, calm, and unshaken by the waters beneath her feet. But suddenly, the vision shatters-she wakes up and finds herself transformed.No longer strong and radiant, she feels a heavy weakness. An illness grips her body. She lies down, trembling, her beauty dimmed by pain. The wisest healers and those who know the secrets of curing sickness gather around her, but none can bring her relief. The pretty damsel, once so full of life, is now beyond the touch of mortal remedies.Her mother, Afraa, carried her across Mauritania and beyond, seeking every remedy known to man. She flew her from land to land, from healer to healer, yet all efforts returned in vain. Each result declared the same-Nazeeya was perfectly fine. But her body told another story, for she remained weak and ill, a mystery no medicine could explain.Her mother’s friend, Wafeeqa, advised her gently, “In situations like this, we seek spiritual help.” Desperate and determined, Afraa spared no expense. She poured her wealth into journeys far and near, offering gifts and payments to Alfas, pastors, and even idol worshippers. Shrines were visited, prayers were chanted, and sacrifices were made. Yet, despite her riches and tireless efforts, nothing changed-Nazeeya’s sickness remained, hidden behind a mystery no healer could touch.That virtuous woman became a beggar and grew poorer as a result of her daughter’s illness. Afraa sold all she had worked for, all she had gathered in her lifetime, because Nazeeya was her only daughter. Nothing mattered to her anymore, neither wealth nor comfort, except the hope of seeing her child well again.One night, at exactly 2:01 a.m., Nazeeya suffered a sudden attack that almost took her life. She gasped for breath, her frail body trembling, while Afraa clutched her only daughter, tears streaming down her face. She became paranoid and said...“Ya Allah,” Afraa cried out, her voice breaking, “I have been to countless places seeking my daughter’s treatment, but all has amounted to nothing. All my wealth has drained away in search of a cure. Ya Allah, I return to You, the Maker of all healers. Look at your servant Afraa, my strength has ended, my wisdom has ended, my connections have ended, my influence has ended. I have nothing left but what You decide. If You grant my child good health, I promise to appreciate You in return by leaving the open sky for seven days…” Their tears flowed together, mother and daughter, until at last they both wept themselves into sleep at the same time.Nazeeya, who had been unable to move for many weeks, suddenly stood on her feet. Her beauty returned in a way that surpassed what it had ever been before. With a soft voice, she said, “Ummii, I want water.”Afraa jolted up in shock and screamed with tears of joy. She rushed to hold her daughter, her heart trembling between disbelief and gratitude.By evening, Nazeeya asked for food. Within a week, she was healing rapidly. The child whose flesh had nearly melted into the floor now had her skin glowing once more. And by the end of two weeks, Nazeeyah was fully restored, healthy, radiant, and more beautiful than ever before.. “Afraaaa… Afraaaa… Afraaaa!”A mighty voice echoed, shaking her very soul.“I hope you do not forget the promise you made to your Creator, the One who healed your child when all the doctors, your wealth, and your influence could not. Afraaa, Afraaa, Afraaa! If you do not fulfill it, a greater problem will come, worse than the one before.” Suddenly, Afraa woke up, drenched in sweat. Her chest heaved as she looked around in fear. Then she whispered, trembling, “Alhamdulillah… it was only a dream.” Afraa kept thinking deeply and finally called her friend Wafeeqa. In a trembling voice, she confessed, “I’ve been having the same dream for three weeks now…”Later that day, she called her daughter. “Listen, Nazeeya,” she began softly. “When you were sick, I struck a deal with Allah out of my emotions.”Nazeeya tilted her head, worried. “Ummi, what is the deal about?”Afraa sighed. “I told Allah that if He granted you good health, I will leave under the sky for seven days. And now, a voice has been reminding me of my promise. It’s time to fulfill it. Go to Wafeeqa’s house for now.”Nazeeya's eyes filled with tears. “Oh, mother… You are the pillar of my life. You are my strength, my comfort, my protector, my everything. How can I watch you do this? It’s only those who die that stay under the sky. How will you bear it?”Afraa held her daughter’s hands, her eyes firm yet wet with tears. “Follow me to where your father was buried,” she said. Then she turned to her friend. “Wafeeqa, please take good care of my daughter.”She looked at Nazeeya again. “Now, my child… take the axe and dig my grave near your father’s own.” Nazeeyah fell to her knees, clutching her mother’s clothes, sobbing, “Ummi, please don’t do this! Don’t leave me!”Afraa’s face was set like stone as the wind howled over the graves. She raised her hands to the sky and whispered something only she and Allah could hear… Part 1 ends.

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