[This dialogue is a continuation of #17. The girl appears to the judge in a dream]
Judge: Why are you waking me; it is still night.
Girl: I am not waking you. You did not say your night prayers. You must pray five times each day. Naughty boy!
Judge: You upset me so badly this morning; I fell asleep with a headache.
Girl: I see. Well, sleeping through means you can make it up. If you were upset by hanging me this morning, how do you think I felt?
Judge: It was nothing personal.
Girl: Oh but it was personal. You took my life. That is personal! It was all I had.
Judge: I had to do that; you broke the law.
Girl: That is why I am here to speak to you. I met several people since I have been gone… and by the way, I am not going to the flames!
Judge: (stirs uncomfortably) You are not going to the flames?
Girl: Do you remember the phrase, “Allah knows what is in your heart”? That is why I am not going to the flames and that is why I am allowed to visit you. Allah knows what is in my heart—and yours!
Judge: I do not understand.
Girl: I can say that Allah knows of my innocence—you must think about the rest, I can say no more about that. Think, Judge, think!
Judge: If you are innocent, what about the law?
Girl: My new friends here said that I may say only so much; you must use your mind—free of clinging algae—to use the information I give you to figure out the rest. I cannot run your life.
Judge: What sort of information?
Girl: You may take it from my friends here; I am innocent of the charges for which I was hanged. I am happy, content, and am not destined for any fire or any punishment. Does that help?
Judge: What am I to understand from what you say?
Girl: You are not talking to a lawyer, judge. Think for yourself.
Judge: Are you saying the law is wrong?
Girl: I am sorry; I cannot break the rule. You must do the thinking and the deciding, not me.
Judge: Have you seen the Prophet there?
Girl: I have not been here that long. You only hanged me this morning.
Judge: I need to know so many things.
Girl: I am glad you said that. I already know the answers to so many things. You want to know the true source of the Qur’an because you have always had a modicum of doubt. You want to know if Our Most Beloved actually did lead a perfect life and thus, he should be emulated by all men. All of those answers I now have.
Judge: Will you tell me?
Girl: I so much wish I could. I can tell you that all the answers will be the same. It is for the living to discover the truth and the way. Many people will see the fires because they have discovered only their truth—the truth they wanted. It is not Allah’s truth.
Judge: What is Allah’s truth?
Girl: I cannot tell you; however, it is all around you.
Judge: How do I recognize it?
Girl: It is beautiful. It is a summer afternoon by a quiet lake or a visit from an old friend, long forgotten. Allah’s truth is a gift that suddenly appears in your heart and your mind, making you feel happy to be alive and at peace with your neighbors. It is the look in an elderly wife’s eyes, when you take the heavy pail from her and carry it to her home.
Judge: That does not make sense to me. You must always be wary of your neighbors. If you do not stop them from sinning, they will affect others also. If you do not punish the transgressors, everyone will transgress.
Girl: Judge, I asked you if you remembered the phrase, “Allah knows what’s in your heart.” You indicate that you did. Did you see anything wrong with that phrase?
Judge: Of course not. Allah truly knows these things.
Girl: Judge, a young girl is brought before you and accused of having an elicit encounter with a man twice her age. You look at her and she is small, dainty, humble and devastated. You look at the man accusing her and see a strong rough, beast of a man that is a known bully and has been in similar situations before. He is loud and continually demands hell-fire for her. What is your first thought concerning the case?
Judge: I must follow the law and seek witnesses.
Girl: I expected that answer. Suppose the man’s wife points to the man, her husband, and says he raped her and the victim tried to stop him. What would you make of that?
Judge: Nothing. The girl needs four female witnesses. You know all of this.
Girl: Yes, I should.
Judge: Then why are you asking me these questions?
Girl: You need to know the right answers. I cannot tell you; you have to figure it out. But it is important that you look at your answers again and see what is in your heart to make that reply.
Judge: But I have only been given the law.
Girl: You have also been given a brain. You must seek Allah’s truth in all things.
Judge: You will not tell me what that is.
Girl: I came close enough and my time here is finished. I must return.
Judge: Will you visit me again?
Girl: Only if you wish me to.
Judge: I must learn more about Allah’s truth.
Girl: I told you it’s all around you—the beautiful things around you. It is light and color and nice sounding, like the whisper of wind in the trees. It is your granddaughter laughing in her crib. Allah’s truth is everywhere, except perhaps in the darker corners of some minds who prefer scurrying around in the darkness, looking… oops! I am saying too much. If I say too much I cannot come back. Pray to Allah, Judge, to open your eyes, and pray until you cry real tears. If Allah smiles upon you, His truth will appear clearly and you will wonder why you never saw it before.
I must go now. Goodbye.
Judge: Wait. Just another minute, please. (The girl is gone)
In a few minutes, the judge awakes and remembers the conversation. He looks at his clock and sees it is again time to pray. He can also make up for his missing prayer. He tries to push aside the conversation, but he cannot. He elects to do the prayers in his room. He wants to avoid questions if he spends longer than usual in prayer. He also knows that his eyes are already welling up with tears that no amount of face rinsing will dissipate. He does not understand these emotions. Perhaps, he thought, he is just tired and upset.
HJS
Judge: Why are you waking me; it is still night.
Girl: I am not waking you. You did not say your night prayers. You must pray five times each day. Naughty boy!
Judge: You upset me so badly this morning; I fell asleep with a headache.
Girl: I see. Well, sleeping through means you can make it up. If you were upset by hanging me this morning, how do you think I felt?
Judge: It was nothing personal.
Girl: Oh but it was personal. You took my life. That is personal! It was all I had.
Judge: I had to do that; you broke the law.
Girl: That is why I am here to speak to you. I met several people since I have been gone… and by the way, I am not going to the flames!
Judge: (stirs uncomfortably) You are not going to the flames?
Girl: Do you remember the phrase, “Allah knows what is in your heart”? That is why I am not going to the flames and that is why I am allowed to visit you. Allah knows what is in my heart—and yours!
Judge: I do not understand.
Girl: I can say that Allah knows of my innocence—you must think about the rest, I can say no more about that. Think, Judge, think!
Judge: If you are innocent, what about the law?
Girl: My new friends here said that I may say only so much; you must use your mind—free of clinging algae—to use the information I give you to figure out the rest. I cannot run your life.
Judge: What sort of information?
Girl: You may take it from my friends here; I am innocent of the charges for which I was hanged. I am happy, content, and am not destined for any fire or any punishment. Does that help?
Judge: What am I to understand from what you say?
Girl: You are not talking to a lawyer, judge. Think for yourself.
Judge: Are you saying the law is wrong?
Girl: I am sorry; I cannot break the rule. You must do the thinking and the deciding, not me.
Judge: Have you seen the Prophet there?
Girl: I have not been here that long. You only hanged me this morning.
Judge: I need to know so many things.
Girl: I am glad you said that. I already know the answers to so many things. You want to know the true source of the Qur’an because you have always had a modicum of doubt. You want to know if Our Most Beloved actually did lead a perfect life and thus, he should be emulated by all men. All of those answers I now have.
Judge: Will you tell me?
Girl: I so much wish I could. I can tell you that all the answers will be the same. It is for the living to discover the truth and the way. Many people will see the fires because they have discovered only their truth—the truth they wanted. It is not Allah’s truth.
Judge: What is Allah’s truth?
Girl: I cannot tell you; however, it is all around you.
Judge: How do I recognize it?
Girl: It is beautiful. It is a summer afternoon by a quiet lake or a visit from an old friend, long forgotten. Allah’s truth is a gift that suddenly appears in your heart and your mind, making you feel happy to be alive and at peace with your neighbors. It is the look in an elderly wife’s eyes, when you take the heavy pail from her and carry it to her home.
Judge: That does not make sense to me. You must always be wary of your neighbors. If you do not stop them from sinning, they will affect others also. If you do not punish the transgressors, everyone will transgress.
Girl: Judge, I asked you if you remembered the phrase, “Allah knows what’s in your heart.” You indicate that you did. Did you see anything wrong with that phrase?
Judge: Of course not. Allah truly knows these things.
Girl: Judge, a young girl is brought before you and accused of having an elicit encounter with a man twice her age. You look at her and she is small, dainty, humble and devastated. You look at the man accusing her and see a strong rough, beast of a man that is a known bully and has been in similar situations before. He is loud and continually demands hell-fire for her. What is your first thought concerning the case?
Judge: I must follow the law and seek witnesses.
Girl: I expected that answer. Suppose the man’s wife points to the man, her husband, and says he raped her and the victim tried to stop him. What would you make of that?
Judge: Nothing. The girl needs four female witnesses. You know all of this.
Girl: Yes, I should.
Judge: Then why are you asking me these questions?
Girl: You need to know the right answers. I cannot tell you; you have to figure it out. But it is important that you look at your answers again and see what is in your heart to make that reply.
Judge: But I have only been given the law.
Girl: You have also been given a brain. You must seek Allah’s truth in all things.
Judge: You will not tell me what that is.
Girl: I came close enough and my time here is finished. I must return.
Judge: Will you visit me again?
Girl: Only if you wish me to.
Judge: I must learn more about Allah’s truth.
Girl: I told you it’s all around you—the beautiful things around you. It is light and color and nice sounding, like the whisper of wind in the trees. It is your granddaughter laughing in her crib. Allah’s truth is everywhere, except perhaps in the darker corners of some minds who prefer scurrying around in the darkness, looking… oops! I am saying too much. If I say too much I cannot come back. Pray to Allah, Judge, to open your eyes, and pray until you cry real tears. If Allah smiles upon you, His truth will appear clearly and you will wonder why you never saw it before.
I must go now. Goodbye.
Judge: Wait. Just another minute, please. (The girl is gone)
In a few minutes, the judge awakes and remembers the conversation. He looks at his clock and sees it is again time to pray. He can also make up for his missing prayer. He tries to push aside the conversation, but he cannot. He elects to do the prayers in his room. He wants to avoid questions if he spends longer than usual in prayer. He also knows that his eyes are already welling up with tears that no amount of face rinsing will dissipate. He does not understand these emotions. Perhaps, he thought, he is just tired and upset.
HJS
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