The soviet girl
(Translated from the Arabic short story of: Muna Al-Amad)
In one of the busy streets of Russia
She walked and walked but every now and then she looked behind her shoulder making sure he was following her and smiled encouraging him…
Her attitude intrigued him, rather confused him… though her behavior was immodest but her eyes overflowed with innocence.
They walked for a while until she turned around a corner and then entered a house leaving the door half open. He hesitated for only a moment and then entered.
The girl had disappeared and instead of her he found an old, aged woman blocking his way.
She spoke with an unaccented Arabic, “Is this the conduct of the grandsons of the prophet of Allah? Harassing and following girls in the streets to their houses?”
The man was taken aback. He bit his lip nervously and looked around for the girl and muttered coyly, “but… she… she was smiling at me… I mean she enticed me here…” then he hurriedly added, “or may be I misunderstood… I am terribly sorry”
The woman said calmly, “yes she was inviting you here.”
He gaped at her dumbfounded. She continued, “I am her mother. I asked her to make use of her feminine abilities to allure an Arabian student to our house. We need the book of God; the Quran…”
Silence fell between them. He felt faint… moving slowly to a nearby couch he sat down trying to comprehend.
The old woman continued, “Surely you know that we, Russian Muslims are deprived of the Quran. We are not allowed to keep not even a single copy in our homes. And whoever is found to have one is executed under the law of the state. But you tourists and students are allowed such privileges. I couldn’t have asked of you this outside my house for lack of privacy and this is a very serious issue if it were ever disclosed… unfortunately there was no way other than using my daughter…”
The young man not knowing what to say; feeling so little, so low; mumbled his apologies and promised to bring her a copy.
Returning to his apartment he remembered the moment when he bade farewell to his parents. His mother with tears in her eyes put the little Quran in his hands and closed firmly her hands around his, whispering shakily, “don’t forget to recite it and abide by it, my boy! Don’t forget that God is watching you.” He winced at the memory, thinking about his past days how he had forgotten all about the book and kept it on the shelf. People in Russia
Allah says in the Quran:
"Then the Messenger will say: "O my Lord! Truly my people took this Qur'an for just foolish nonsense."" (Quran, surah al-Furqan: 30)
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