Zahid
Zahid had enough trouble trying to balance his life as a Muslim immigrant in America,
but things got really complicated when fire started shooting out of his hands.
That was only the beginning, however, as Allah had appointed him to be a raqi
- a Muslim exorcist - battling the unseen jinn and shayateen in his small town.
Can he - with the help of his Christian and Wiccan friends - thwart the evil designs of
Iblis and his wicked underlings, whispering dark thoughts into the hearts of unsuspecting humans?
Learn all about this often-misunderstood religion while you follow Zahid
on his own journey, burning away the impurities of the jinn and of his own soul.
Preview:
Zahid was now
beyond terrified. His hands were shaking, his heart was pounding in his chest,
and his breathing was erratic. He debated whether he should continue to follow
her. He had no idea what he was up against. And he felt completely unprepared.
Sure, he had
prayed the Qur’an a few times in front of people and some weird fire came out
of his hands, but none of that gave him confidence now.
O Allah al-Khabeer, You know the truth of all things.
What do I do?
“Save Gina,” Hamasail’s voice whispered in his ear. “Hasn’t she been kind to you and your
family?”
Hamasail was
right.
She was way too
bold for Zahid’s sanity, but she had always been helpful. She had defended him
countless times and she had been so warm with his parents and siblings.
He had to help
her.
He gulped and
forced the prayer, “Bismillah,” before following her into the closet.
He saw the soles
of her feet and heard the:
CLANG! CLANG!
CLANG! as she climbed up a ladder.
He scrambled up
after her and emerged on the gravelly roof. A gust of wind rustled through his
hair.
They towered above
woods and neighborhoods. The view was spectacular, but his focus was on her.
She stood with her
back to him, shoulders still slumped as if it took all her effort to remain
standing. Her hand was placed against a silver industrial vent. It seemed to be
the only thing keeping her upright.
Then he noticed a
slight tremor, a shake in her shoulders, as if she were crying.
“Gina?” he called
out.
She jumped in
surprise and turned to see him.
Sure enough, she
had been crying. Her eyes were red and her skin was splotchy. She turned her
head slightly, letting her hair slide in place to hide her misery.
“Why is she sad this time?” a bitter thought
came to him. “It’s so annoying. She’s
always either crying or yelling.”
But he was ashamed
that he had had such a thought. He wanted to meet her with compassion, not
impatience.
“Are you okay?” he
asked.
She nodded, even
though he was sure it was a lie.
“I just need to be
alone,” she said.
Her words had a
force to them. Zahid knew that she meant it. And he was sure that the last
thing she wanted was to divulge her sadness to the likes of him.
“I should just leave,” the thought
whispered.
“Okay,” he said.
“Just let me know if you need anything.”
In the pit of his
stomach, it didn’t feel right. But she had said she wanted to be alone. So he
turned to head back to the ladder.
“What are you thinking?” Asheil’s voice
admonished him. “Turn back, now!”
Zahid sighed. His mala’ikah
could be relentless. Still, he obeyed.
As soon as he did,
his heart fell to his feet.
Gina was now only
a few paces away from the edge of the roof. Her feet were in motion, heading
towards her doom.
“Gina!” he cried
out in a panicked tone.
He instinctively
held out his hands and a painful stream of flames erupted from his body, out of
his hands. He yelped as it burned inside his arms. The fire formed a ring on
the ground, halting her steps.
She turned to face
him with a ferociously threatening snarl.
“Or jinni,” he
corrected himself.
Her face held more
hatred than Zahid had ever seen.
And he had seen a
lot of hatred.
From her,
specifically.
He suddenly lost
any courage he had had. He wanted nothing more than to run away and hide at
home.
“Stop messing with us, boy,” the jinni growled
through Gina, her voice transformed. “You
don’t want to become his enemy.”
Zahid gulped. He wanted
to ask who the jinni referred to, but he knew he wouldn’t get a clear answer
from a shaytan.
Zahid’s voice
quivered, but he found the courage to say, “You need to get out of that girl.”
The jinni laughed
in return. “The dog can bark,” it
mocked. “But you cannot stop us. You have
no power.”
“None at all,”
Zahid agreed. “But I am Allah’s slave. He will defeat you.”
Zahid forced his
feet to walk through the circle of flames. He bore the pain all through his
legs and torso, but he held a hand toward Gina’s forehead and said, “In the
Name of Allah, be purified.”
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