The campus prayer hall was quiet after dhuhr. A few students had already left, while a handful lingered in silent dhikr, beads slipping through their fingers, lips moving gently.
Amira remained seated on her prayer mat, palms raised in dua. The sunlight filtered through the window, casting a soft glow on her closed eyes.
“Ya Allah, You are the Turner of hearts. Protect mine. If this feeling is good for me, for my deen, and for my akhirah, then make it easy. If it is not, then remove it from me and grant me patience.”
Her chest tightened as she whispered the words. She hadn’t said his name, but she didn’t need to. Allah knew.
When she finally lowered her hands and brushed them over her face, her heart felt both lighter and heavier at the same time.
She rose, folding her mat carefully, ready to leave—when the sound of quiet footsteps entered the hall.
Her breath caught.
Zayd.
He stepped inside with calm composure, placing his bag to the side before spreading his mat. Amira quickly turned away, not wanting to be caught staring.
But her heart, traitorous and wild, beat faster as she heard him begin his prayer.
She left silently, her footsteps soft, but her thoughts loud. Ya Allah, what is this test?
---
✦
For Zayd, the prayer hall had always been a place of focus, of quiet surrender. But lately, even here, his thoughts had become restless.
He pressed his forehead against the mat in sujood, the ground cool beneath him, his heart spilling out in silence.
“Ya Allah, if this feeling I carry is from You, then guide me and grant me the means to pursue it in the halal way. But if it is not, protect me from it, and do not let my heart fall into what displeases You.”
He lingered in sujood longer than usual, his chest rising and falling with the weight of unspoken emotions.
When he rose, he felt the echo of her presence still lingering in the prayer hall, as though the air itself remembered her.
---
✦
Days passed, and their encounters remained brief yet powerful.
One afternoon, Amira was seated under a tree with Aisha, reviewing notes. The sun was warm, the courtyard alive with students hurrying to classes.
“Amira,” Aisha said suddenly, narrowing her eyes, “you’ve been glowing lately. Don’t even try to deny it.”
Amira stiffened. “Glowing? I’m just tired from exams.”
“Tired people don’t glow,” Aisha shot back with a grin. “So, tell me. Who is he?”
Heat rushed to Amira’s cheeks. “There’s no one.”
“Really?” Aisha leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Because I’ve noticed the way your eyes wander in the library sometimes. Toward a certain someone.”
Amira’s heart stumbled. “Aisha—”
“Relax, I won’t tell anyone,” Aisha said, chuckling. Then her tone softened. “But if there is someone, make sure he loves Allah more than he loves you. That’s the only love worth having.”
Amira fell silent, her chest tightening with unspoken truths. She whispered to herself later that evening, Ya Allah, only You know what’s in my heart.
---
✦
Meanwhile, Zayd found himself caught between focus and distraction.
He sat with his older brother, Yusuf, at a small café near campus. Yusuf, ever the protective elder, watched him with sharp eyes.
“You’ve been distracted lately,” Yusuf said, sipping his tea. “Is it your studies? Or something else?”
Zayd hesitated. “It’s nothing.”
“Nothing doesn’t make you stare into space for minutes at a time,” Yusuf pressed. “Talk to me, Zayd. Is there… someone?”
Zayd’s jaw tightened. His brother had always been perceptive.
He sighed quietly. “There’s a girl. But I’ve done nothing haram. I just… admire her. From afar.”
Yusuf leaned back, frowning. “Be careful. Feelings can lead people astray if they don’t act wisely.”
“I know,” Zayd replied firmly. “That’s why I’ve been making dua. If she’s written for me, Allah will make it easy. If not, I will let it go.”
Yusuf studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly. “That’s the right way. Just… don’t let your heart get ahead of your deen.”
Zayd gave a faint smile. “I won’t.”
But later that night, when he prayed, he couldn’t help but whisper, Ya Allah, if she is meant to be mine, let me protect her, honor her, and love her for Your sake.
---
✦
The next week, a small moment changed everything.
Amira had stayed late in the library, finishing her notes. The sky outside darkened, the world quiet. She gathered her things, stepping out into the cool evening air.
The path to the bus stop was dimly lit, and the campus had grown eerily quiet.
As she walked, clutching her bag, she heard footsteps behind her. Her chest tightened, fear prickling. She turned slightly—two men were walking not far behind, laughing loudly, their voices carrying a tone that made her uneasy.
Her pace quickened.
“Excuse me!”
She froze. The voice was familiar.
Zayd.
He appeared from the opposite direction, striding toward her with steady steps. “Amira, you’re leaving late?” he asked, his tone polite but firm, as though addressing a classmate.
Relief washed over her. “Yes. I lost track of time.”
“I’ll walk you to the bus stop,” he said simply, keeping a respectful distance. “It’s safer.”
The two men behind them quieted, their presence fading as Zayd walked beside her, his posture calm but protective.
Amira’s heart pounded—not from fear anymore, but from something far more dangerous.
“JazakAllahu khair,” she murmured.
He glanced at her briefly. “No need to thank me. It’s what we should do for each other as Muslims.”
They walked in silence until they reached the bus stop. Amira turned slightly, her eyes lowered. “May Allah reward you.”
Zayd nodded, his voice low. “And may He protect you always.”
Her chest ached with unspoken words. She wanted to say more, to ask why he cared, to confess that her own heart had begun to tremble with his name. But instead, she lowered her gaze, boarding the bus quietly.
From the window, she saw him standing there, waiting until the bus pulled away before he turned back.
That night, as she lay in bed, her whisper was trembling.
Ya Allah… what is this I feel?
And across town, Zayd’s whisper was just as heavy.
Ya Allah… is this love, or is this a test?
Neither knew the answer. But both carried the same prayer, echoing in different rooms, reaching the same heaven.
Whispers of the heart.
Whispers of dua.
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