Page 26 - Issue-27

ELITE

Classroom

Holi da y Rul es
Half a heart

Mohamed Elsawy , political science 2nd level

Barira: I no longer have a desire for him.
How bitter is this world to both the happy and the wretched? Man
So Mugheeth and Barira went separate ways. Mugheeth went
can never feel human inside himself until his soul adjoins another.
sad and broken-hearted, while Barira went free and happy.
Then each soul would feel the happiness and misery of one
Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) told his uncle
another. A couple, whether met or departed, their h earts have to
Alabbas (May Allah be pleased with him): Don't you feel
arrange a long meeting that can hardly be ended. Th eir hearts
astonished by Mugheeth's love for Barira and her ha tred for
have to devise a long talk that can hardly be inter rupted. Their
him? Poet Tarafah Ben Alabed Albakery said:
physical meeting is just a distraction from a yearn ing for union.
The bitterest love pain is being so close to a love r hardly be
The two lovers pour their souls into one another so their souls
attained Just like a camel in the desert nearly kil led by thirst
become unified in two bodies. Whenever a soul depar ts the other
while water is over its back The bitterest thing th at can ever
whether willfully or unwillingly by its death, sepa ration would
happen is that we feel intimacy with people who do not feel
torment the other as if it is disputed and becomes neither snatched
intimate to us; That we love those who do not love us; That we
nor settled. It is said that in the era of Prophet Muhammad (Peace
seek communion with those who do not want our reuni on and
be upon Him), there was a slave woman called Barira who was
wishes as if there is a long distance between us. I t does not
married to a slave man called Mugheeth, and both of them were
matter whether we met or not! What really matters i s whether
slaves to a master of the Ansaar. After adopting Is lam, Barira
we are walking to each other or one is surpassing w hile the
befriends Al Sayyida Aisha (May Allah be pleased wi th her),
other is catching up with him! Unilateral love look s like a bird
Prophet Muhammad's wife. She learned from her Islam ic
with a broken wing, its second wing won't help it k eep flying,
jurisprudence, especially laws of slavery that torm ented her for a
and if it tried to depend on that sole wing, it wil l only get
long time and struggled to get rid of. For that rea son, she
tiredness and exhaustion. Love makes miracles, but if
contracted her master to set her free after she pay s him nine
unilateral, it won't even do the ordinaries. This i s half a heart!
ounces of silver in installments, and asked Al Sayy ida Aisha to
With her, my heart laughs and cries, talks and keep s silent,
help her with payment. After she gained her freedom , Barira
feels joy and sadness, and with mine, her heart doe s not raise a
became so happy visiting her home, family, and frie nds telling
finger. This is half a heart! As always, cold-heart edness comes
them about her freedom. Meanwhile, Mugheeth was nei ther
from those you enjoy their company and not anyone e lse's!
happy nor sad, he was tormented by his thoughts as Barira
This is half a heart! Wrongdoer and wronged! Betwe en the
became free in whether to stay or break up with him , as she heat of fondness and the half-heartedness of reunio n, this is
became a free woman while he was still a slave. Fin ally, his heart half a heart! Perhaps we even turned a blind eye to their flaws
was devastated as Barira chose to break up with him as if the sun and they do not look at all at our merits. As it is better for a
heart to beat with dignity than to beat with blood, you have to
of her freedom can never combine with the darkness of his
know that generosity is honor and dignity in every aspect
slavery under one shelter. His love for her was not an accepted
except in giving feelings to those who give back no thing but
intercessor, and he became sadly hurt. He went to P rophet
humiliation and mortification! As for Mugheeth, he
Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) asking his intercessio n, so the
imprisoned Barira's love at his heart. How dearly t ormented is
Prophet agreed to be his intercessor at Barira.
the jailor while the prisoner is as free as a bird.
Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him): Would you get back to
him as he is your husband and the father of your ch ildren?
Barira: Prophet, are You giving me an order?
Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him): No, I'm just an
intercessor.
24