Introduction to Asma ul Husna

 Excerpt from 'The Hard Choice' by Umm Imaan 

“Assalamualaikum sister Wardah”

“Walaikumsalaam. May I know who this is?”

“I’m a sister who’s in dire need of your help. But you’ll have to first promise me that you’ll have the patience to hear me out completely“

“InshaAllah sister, go on”

“I’m Zainab. Your husband’s second wife, because of whom you are going to divorce him. The help that I’m in dire need of from you is to save him. He can’t survive without you. He needs you. He was trapped into marrying me. He did it only to protect me. One of the first things he told me before marriage was that he will never be able to be a regular husband to me as he is in love with his wife and he has no interest whatsoever to accommodate another woman in his life. I still agreed due to my dire situation. And that’s how it happened. Please do not do this to him. I beg you. I promise you that I will disappear from your life forever the moment I hang up this call. Please please do not do this to him. He loves you and he needs you”

Wardah had all mixed emotions surge through her. She was angry as she couldn't believe the audacity of 'that woman' to call her up and talk to her! On top of that, the way she trapped her by making her promise to listen to her fully without hanging up on her!! She was astonished to hear what she had to say. Whatever she said about Adnan is Adnan! Typical Adnan! Strangely, she also felt empathetic towards the woman who was desperately pleading with her to save her husband even if it was at the cost of herself! She felt jealous to know that another woman other than herself could love Adnan so deeply.

The whole day and the whole night, her words kept echoing in Wardah's ears. Wardah knew she was a revert who had left behind a great deal only to be able to practice her faith. So she could be trusted to keep her word. The word that she gave Wardah... that she will disappear from their lives forever. 

Wardah felt a sense of hope and guilt at the same time She thought about Adnan. His words to Zainab before their marriage! She realized how he must have found himself torn between an Islamic responsibility and his own personal choice. 

She suddenly started to miss Adnan

The days and the years they spent together in love and respect. How he never ever disrespected her even once in their entire marriage Could she not forgive him? If only she could just forget everything that happened in between like it did not exist, like it was all a bad dream, and could continue their extraordinary and enviable life together... 

The next morning Wardah called up Adnan and told him that she was coming back home and that she will take his offer, which is to divorce Zainab. Adnan sighed in relief. He couldn't say he was happy. He was not sure if he will ever know that feeling again. If he will ever deserve it!

Wardah came back home with the children. Together, they started rebuilding their old life.

 “Have you forgiven me completely?”, Adnan asked Wardah. 

“Yes, I have. I want to put the whole thing behind us like it didn’t even exist” 

Those words cut through his heart like a dagger, “like it didn’t even exist". Like some of his best days and memories never existed. Like his love for Zainab never existed. Like Zainab never existed. Adnan nodded and they embraced each other.