NUSAYBAH: BRAVEST OF BELIEVERS Adeel Ahmed
A Village in Arabia, Circa 7th Century
In the training yard, a middle-aged man and a teenage boy circled and lunged at one another, the air cracking as their weapons clashed. “I yield!” cried the boy, as he began to lose balance, overwhelmed by the sheer force of his opponent’s strikes. The man grunted, poking him hard in the side and causing him to crumple to the ground. “See? That’s what happens when you keep skipping practice. You should be spending less time listening to that prattling old woman in the orchard, and more time preparing your defense against me! Want to shame me by getting shredded like wheat in your first battle?” “I would not wish to disgrace you in that way, Ustad Murad,” the teenager mumbled, “but the lady Nusaybah is a wise woman, who teaches us about our great Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.” “You don’t go to her out of piety, but for the love of her war stories. I say she’s making most of it up on the fly.” Murad out of the side of his mouth. “A hag with delusions of grandeur, that’s
what she is.” “She is a companion of the Prophet, who blocked him from his enemies’ swords with her own body!” the boy insisted. “How can you say such things about her?” “Qasim,” sighed the teacher. “You are young, and believe everything you hear. I am a veteran myself, and know for a fact that fabricated tales of glory come in by the cartload, especially from camp followers.” “But I have seen gifts and letters in her home from Caliph Umar himself!” Murad circulated his shoulders uncomfortably. “Well... maybe she’s got him bewitched too with her tall tales.” Besides, when was the last time any of the boys he taught had asked to hear his own war stories? No, they just took him for granted, and fawned over that shriveled shrew. Murad was in a sour mood when the lesson ended and he returned to his small hovel at the end of the street. He had never managed to purchase anything finer with his meager earnings, and felt decidedly disgruntled by
Fellowship & Fairydust
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