At the Islamiyya(Qur'an School)
The three men who slept in a cave in what seemed like a few days and woke up years later. This is the second time I've heard the story. The first was on an Islamic channel during Ramadan last year. This is the topic of our Tafsir. On Saturdays we do Tafsir during the first hour of the morning.
This story is captured in the Qur'an chapter 18, Surah Al Kahf (the Cave). I pick up my Qur'an and trace the pages with my fingers gently. Real life recording of a time freeze. The miracles of the Most High. I take a while to ponder. This defies every law of physics there is. But that is man's way of understanding the world. Allah does not exist in our time. He is outside of it. He created time and put everyone and everything in a correct order. But how did they survive in that cave for years without eating anything? Doesn't the very act of sleeping itself consume energy?
I'm still deep in thought when I hear loud thud. The striking of a whip. Why that skinny looking whip can deliver such a heavy blow always baffles me. But it's not supposed to sound like that. Could it be because my mind was far away I heard it so loudly. I look up to see who the scapegoat is this time. Who dares anger our teacher, Alfa as we call him? I see Tawfeek looking distressed and in pain. He is the closest in distance to the one with the whip. What did he do this time? Tawfeek is not the best student in our class, to put it lightly. I observe that his uniform is dirty. Could that be the reason why he is being flogged? "Alfa I was not feeling fine, that's why" he cried out.
"Why are the rest of you looking at? Continue looking" Our teacher says, now directed at the rest of us. Three seconds later the sound of recitations fills the room. Is Tafsir class over already? So sad that's usually my favourite. Tafsir is basically where we learn the meaning of the words in our Holy Book. I look around me everyone is engrossed in reading, bubbling their heads up and down. My eyes circle around until they meet our teachers'. My heart skipped a beat. I look down praying silently that I don't get in trouble. To my surprise nothing happens.
An hour later we start to take turns to go and sit in front of our teacher and read what we memorized. At this point everywhere becomes silent you can hear a pin drop. Whatever you didn't learn during the one hour is forfeited. I listen to the best students recite so eloquently and flawlessly. No way these folks lived all three lives in Nigeria. I mean, they must have some background in Arabic or something. This is just me making excuses for my laziness. As my turn draws near I can't help but fear. Who wouldn't be afraid? When the slightest mistake is followed by a whip. If you can get through this, you can endure anything.
I'm up next. The person was reprimanded a few times but all in all she did well. I get up and proceed to the front. I somehow wish I could freeze time or at least slow it down. I sit before our teacher. His gloomy face looking down at me. He has a tribal mark on both sides of his face. He is a typical Yoruba man with a striking appearance. When I began my recitation it was smooth and I was enjoying the flow myself. I get to a point that was really difficult for me. I brace myself for what is to come. It wouldn't be the first time I was whipped but somehow one can't just get used to it.
Suddenly there is a disturbance outside our class. I think it came from one of the lower classes. Everyone is at alert. We all hear a shrieking sound, like the cry of a cow in labour, not that I've ever seen a cow in labour. But I imagine that's what it would sound like. Our teacher is the first to go and investigate. If this isn't Allah himself rescuing me then I don't know what is. Moments later one of the female students is seen carried by four others who are having a hard time holding her. The crying continues. You don't need to be told that this is another case of jinn possession.
You become ever more aware of the existence of these beings when you see what they can do to a person. The girl wiggles free from her captures and launches at one of them and pushes her to the group in a firm grip on her neck. Our teacher and others standing by try to separate the two. You can see the innocent girl on the ground struggling to breathe. The possessed girl looks up and screams. The black in her eyes is gone. Recitation of the Qur'an is heard, suddenly she starts to cry. She climbs down from the girl on the ground and bends down and tries to cover her ears. The recitations become louder at this point she is a bit calm. People rush over and grab her. She tries to run but they get to her and pin her down. It would seem that today's activities have been permanently disrupted. I can't watch this any longer. I leave the premises staggering in my steps and go and sit down by myself in one of the pavements. I try to keep my eyes open but I can't. The last thing I remember was the blue sky. I wake up after what feels like a ten minute recess to find everyone staring down at me. I must have passed out. That has never happened.
It must have been the chores from that morning or stress from the adrenaline rush from apprehension of our teacher's whip. These are not unusual circumstances. I can't see to place it but something feels different.
That night I woke up sweating profusely. My room is dark. It must have been a nightmare. I don't remember anything. I strain my eyes trying to look at the wall clock. It's a few minutes after three. I say a few azhkars (sublications) and go back to sleep.