by M I A Harba
The Sheikh then summoned Sam for a two-Rakat thanks to Allah. The Sheikh stayed on his knees many more minutes after the prayer, blessing Allah for His kindness and protection. Then he stood up and asked for a bottle of water. He went about sprinkling water upon the dig, reciting more verses from the Quran.
‘If Allah’s wills it, this should be all done,’ said the Sheikh.
They stayed at the dig for about an hour and then drove back to the house. It was mid-afternoon when they arrived, and Sam set upon preparing a late lunch. The Sheikh demanded Al-Duhur prayer and followed an hour later by Asr Prayers. The five prayers a day is sacred in Islam, and the Sheikh was not going to miss any.
After the Asr Prayer, they sat down to eat lunch. The Sheikh produced a small copy of the Quran from his pocket and started reading. Sam sat listening to the recital performed in a beautiful voice of the Sheikh, in a manner known as Tarteel.
Then came the time for the Maghrib prayer, which they performed together.
They sat afterwards discussing faith and its magnificent effects on the soul. It was mainly the Sheikh talking and Sam merely listened. Sam did not believe all that was said and envied the Sheikh on his unshakeable faith and belief in religion.
‘Are jinnees Muslim?’ asked Sam.
‘Not all. The majority are, but some are kafir (infidel), with Satan being their king,’ said the Sheikh.
‘If one met a jinnee, how would they know if the jinnee was a Muslim or satanic?’ asked Sam.
‘The same way you can tell whether a human is a good Muslim, a god-fearing hum. Evil humans are generally non-religious. Of course, I am not saying non-religious people are evil, not at all. I meant if one is religious, they were most likely to be non-evil,’ answered the Sheikh.
‘But Sheikh, we read in history about where religion and religious beliefs were the cause of massacres of the innocent. Millions died because of the interpretation of their religious beliefs. Religion gave man the confidence to kill in cold blood. How could you generalise that religious people are not evil?’ asked Sam.
The Sheikh listened and nodded a few times.
‘This is very difficult to explain, and I can’t defend religion for such historic massacres. It’s human’s ignorance to blame.’
Sam noticed the Sheikh was reluctant to get into this kind of argument, so he stopped and started talking about other unrelated matters.
It was soon time for Ishaa prayer, which the Sheikh left as late as possible in the night. He took off his turban and placed it carefully on the table. It was the first time Sam saw the Sheikh without the turban and was surprised how much younger that made him look, probably ten years younger than he thought earlier.
Sam retired to his bedroom for the night, and the Sheikh slept on the sofa.
Sam slept well that night, with no visions or nightmares. He was woken up at dawn by the Sheikh performing Athan (the call for prayers) for the dawn prayer, which they performed together. Sam prepared an early breakfast and set upon preparing the house for a long abandonment. He was going to his family in Baghdad and didn’t know when he would be back, if ever.
He unplugged the solar panels from the batteries, switched off the fridge and freezer, and transferred all the foods to the back of the pickup. These would be donated to the poor, via the mosque. He made sure all switches were off, and the gas bottles turned off and disconnected from the stoves. He secured all windows and doors and was ready to leave.
The Sheikh prayed for the protection of the house, and the safe return of Sam if he decided to come back. Another two-Rakat and they were on their way.
Sam drove the Sheikh straight to the mosque as it was time for Duhur prayer upon their arrival in Rawa. He unloaded all the food in the pickup at the mosque, for the Sheikh to distribute to the needy. He said his goodbyes and set off home, to his family in Baghdad.
Homecoming: A Madman?
His arrival at home was melodramatic. His daughter was taken back when she saw him. She didn’t recognise him in his beard and suntanned face. After moments of hesitation, she jumped at him, hugging and kissing. Tears flooded Sam’s eyes and flowed down his cheeks. She wouldn’t let go or give her mother a chance for a hug.
It was a long time before they started talking.
‘We’ve missed you, Sam,’ said Sally.
‘You can never imagine how I missed you. You were always on my mind, never away, not even for a second,’ said Sam.
‘I hope all is done, and we can have you back for good,’ Sally said.
‘Yes, I hope so. I think I achieved what I wanted. My mind is less confused,’ said Sam.
Sam spent the following days at home, not going out at all. He hadn’t fully recovered from his ordeal, and he couldn’t help looking at the windows dreading the jinnee might have followed him here. He was on the edge of sanity and was more inclined to follow the teachings of Islam and to become a devout Muslim. It was the best theory, based on his recent experience.
He also wanted to make up for the time away from his daughter, Aya, and wife. He shaved off his beard and re-commenced his life that was interrupted by this period of madness. He decided not to tell his wife about the latest happenings, about the elusive guest, or his encounter with the jinnee. The last was the recommendation of the Sheikh, as it was unnecessary and might frighten them.
His wife noticed Sam often stared at nothing in particular and spent many hours alone. She was uncertain if she had her husband back, or a skeleton of a husband whose mind was still out in the desert. Sam often looked dazed, unable to focus. Even Aya noticed this, telling her mom that dad could not hear her when she asked something.
He would spend hours in the living room by himself, pretending to be reading even though the book lay flat on his lap. Sam was aware of what was happening to him, but unable to bring himself to normality. He didn’t go out at all, and his wife had to do the shopping as though he was still in the desert. She hoped this was temporary, and he would soon be back with her as before.
However, matters became worse, and Sam began to show symptoms of extreme depressions. He kept to himself, showed no interest in anything including his daughter, and lost his appetite. His answers were often short, and it was a struggle for Sally to engage with him in any kind of discussions. Sally became extremely worried and wanted to consult a psychiatrist. Sam didn’t agree and threatened he would go back to the desert if she persisted.
Sally thought Sam had not achieved his objective going to the desert, rather he came back mortally wounded in his sanity. She gradually became convinced Sam might never recover. She pressed him a few times to talk about his experience in the last few months, and if there was something that happened there to share it with her. His answer was a total denial that anything out of the normal happened.
His sleep at night was disturbed. He often woke up in the middle of the night moaning and sweating. He was pleading to some unknown beings he saw in his dreams. This continued daily, and Sally did not know what to do. She was careful not to invite relatives, as Sam was in no shape to meet them. However, she asked Sam if he agreed to call in the local mosque Imam for a chat. He hesitated at the beginning, but then refused outrightly.
The atmosphere in their house became tense, and Sally worried about Aya who couldn’t understand what was wrong with her dad, being not so unfriendly.
Sam never left the house within the four weeks he came back home. His looks deteriorated, and his body turned frail due to the lost appetite.
Sam tried hard to shield his family from the jinnee, or so he thought. He felt staying apart from them discouraged the jinnee from bothering them. He had forgotten about Sheikh Hatem and his assurances that the jinnee would not bother him anymore. He couldn’t risk it with his family. However, he was completely oblivious to what that was causing to his family, and the agony they had to endure because of it.
His mind, however, still wavered between believing the religious theory of reality, and those other theories he worried h
is mind about. He wanted to discuss his findings with those who would listen and not brush him aside outrightly. He thought about meeting with Salam or Dr Al Harith. There must be some interpretations of these obscure facts that messed up his mind. He thought Salam was an easier first step, to see how this reconciled this with his Simulation Hypothesis.
His next mission, therefore, was to meet Salam, to tell him his faith in Simulation Hypotheses was totally flawed. However, he was unsure whether to tell him about all what happened or not but decided to leave it to the meeting. He called Salam and agreed to meet him the next day.
Salam was anxiously waiting for Sam. He wanted to know how he fared after a few months of isolation in the desert. Salam was alarmed by how Sam looked, pale and frail. Sam must be sick, he thought. They sat alone in Salam’s living room, and Sam started,
‘Salam, my good cousin, the Simulation Hypothesis is flawed.’
‘How is that? Please explain,’ Salm said in his usual cool manner.
‘What I saw and experienced over the last few months was evidence enough,’ said Sam.
‘I’m all ears, tell me,’ said Salam.
Sam had decided not to tell Salam the whole story, for fear of being labelled mad or on the verge of madness.
‘I don’t want to go into details, by I tell you, what science knows is but a little of the truth about reality.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Salam.
‘There is yet undiscovered phenomenon that science is clueless about. I’ve experienced this phenomenon first-hand, and I tell you, science is nowhere to understand it,’ explained Sam.
‘What phenomenon? What are you talking about?’ asked Salam.
‘I’m sorry, let me explain. It has to be felt and experienced before one comprehends it. But I tell you this, all the paranormal, the UFOs, jinnees, sorcery, ghosts, etc are part of this phenomenon. It is not part of a simulation program. The Simulation Hypothesis is oversimplification.’
‘But I explained to you everything,’ said Salam.
‘Trust me, Salam, it is an oversimplification. Remember what Dr Talib said? We only understand 5% of the known universe. 95% is still unknown, Dark Energy and Dark Matter,’ Sam explained.
‘We know all this even before you went to the desert. So, what’s new? What happened?’ asked Salam.
Sam thought for a few moments, undecided whether to tell Salam the truth or not. Then, he remembered how Salam started his argument with him before and decided to adopt the same strategy.
‘Salam, you remember how you asked me to keep an open mind when you talked about the Simulation Hypothesis. How you asked me, if I was alive 400 years ago, not to disbelieve the earth was round if someone came to tell me. Right?’ asked Sam.
Sam nodded with a smile. That sounded very interesting.
‘OK. I met with this phenomenon,’ said Sam and waited for Salam’s response.
Salam did not say anything, waiting for more.
‘I was visited by an entity and he showed me things out of this world. He belongs to this phenomenon, part of it. He took me to a UFO base, and I experienced it first-hand,’ said Sam.
‘A UFO base?’ asked Salam.
‘Yes. I really saw it with my own eyes. Yet, it was in my mind. This being, and his phenomenon, play with our minds and can make us see what they want us to see. So the UFO base was not physically there, but he made me see it by playing with my mind,’ Sam continued.
Salam frowned, not believing what he was hearing.
‘He explained his version of what reality is, and none of our theories can explain it. The being said that they shared the same world as ours, but their molecular structures don’t reflect light. Consequently, we, humans, cannot see them,’ Sam explained.
Salam thought perhaps Sam was joking, but apparently not. He was dead serious about it.
‘I asked him about the Simulation Hypothesis. He appeared knowledgeable about it but said it was an oversimplification. It reflects only our current level of technology,’ explained Sam.
‘Interesting. Can I meet this being? Maybe we can go together to see the UFO base,’ suggested Salam.
‘No, I don’t think so. I think this being is a prolific liar. I don’t trust him now,’ said Sam.
Salam began to have serious concerns about the mental state of Sam.
‘That’s not all, in fact. I had an experience with another being, a jinnee as religion would call it. I was face to face with it,’ said Sam. Salam shook his head.
‘And how did you interact with this jinnee? Did he say anything about the Simulation Hypothesis?’ asked Salam.
‘No, I didn’t talk to him directly, and didn’t discuss the Simulation Hypothesis with him,’ explained Sam.
‘How then?’ asked Salam.
‘There was a dig near its burial grounds. It bothered that jinnee, and I felt the effects of his annoyance first-hand,’ said Sam.
‘How did you feel it?’ asked Salam.
‘He appeared in the middle of the night, rocked my bed violently, turned my furniture upside down, and left everything in disarray. Believe me, I had to run for my life,’ said Salam.
‘So, you left the place?’ asked Salam.
‘Yes, I drove to Rawa in the middle of the night, terrified,’ said Sam.
‘Are you sure about this? Did it actually happen?’ asked Salam.
‘Absolutely. Even Sheikh Hatem, Rawa’s main mosque Imam, saw it when I took him there,’ Sam explained. Salam could not hide a smile.
‘And what did the Sheikh say?’ asked Salam.
‘He actually sanitised the place. And I saw him in a trance whispering to the jinnee,’ explained Sam.
‘And did the jinnee disappear?’ asked Sam.
‘Yes,’ said Sam, who realised then that he fell in a trap set by himself. The story sounded so unrealistic, no one would believe it.
‘Sam, surely, you don’t believe a Sheikh can talk to jinnees. This is mythology. There are no jinnees, and you have a logical mind,’ explained Sam.
‘Trust me, Salam. I experienced myself. Nothing adds up. No theory can explain what I experienced,’ said Sam.
Salam was speechless. He felt sure there was something wrong with Sam’s mind. Being alone in the middle of nowhere, played cruel tricks on the mind. It was a mistake to let Sam go on this venture. He wished he tried harder to dissuade him at the beginning.
‘I hear you, Sam. But not necessarily convinced one way or another. This story is too fantastical to tell others, without tangible proof.’
‘Yes, I am aware of this. I’m only telling you, as we share similar outlooks,’ commented Sam.
‘Also, I suggest you talk to Dr Al-Harith about it. He deals with the paranormal, and perhaps has an explanation,’ said Salam.
Salam wanted Sam to meet Dr Al-Harith, not only from the paranormal angle but also because Dr Al-Harith was in a department interested in teaching Psychology. Sam needed a psychological assessment of his state of mind. Salam was genuinely concerned.
‘How’s Sally and Aya? Must be very happy you’re back,’ asked Salam, and the discussion continued back and forth, neither was able to convince the other. Salam was genuinely concerned and felt Sam needed help. Hopefully, Dr Al-Harith could offer this help. He decided to call Dr Al-Harith to warn him in advance of the state of mind of Sam. He certainly was falling off the edge of sanity.
Salam suggested he could spend a few weeks with him in the desert, to understand matters better. Sam agreed, but not now, in a few months, maybe.
Salam felt very sorry for Sam. He embarked on his project with good intentions, only to come back screwed in the mind, if not outright mad. He felt equally sorry for Sally and Aya, as he knew living with a person of the state of mind of Sam, was challenging.
Sam went back home, with the conclusion that humans’ lack of knowledge of this phenomenon was the cause of his confusion.
Religion, although had been proven inaccurate in many areas of Science, was the best de
fence against this phenomenon. It was a simple price to pay for the huge advantage of protection against the unknown.
* * *
[1] A jinnee is an invisible spirit mentioned in the Quran and believed by Muslims to inhabit the earth and influence mankind by appearing in the form of humans or animals.
About The Author
M I A Harba
M I A Harba's novels strive to dig deep in the minds of the characters, to bring out their intense emotions, whether in love, hate, or revenge. It also paints their frame of mind as a backdrop to whatever tragic actions they take.
Being of technical background - associate professor of Electronics and former CEO of a Telecoms company - his writing had been mainly technical, published in books and scientific journals.
Yet, his passion for writing fiction has always been with him since childhood. His recent novels are a fulfillment of a life-long dream, and, hopefully, they will provide good reading too.
Books By This Author
Share the Pain
He came to this derelict village a broken man, who left everything behind: his affluent life, successful business and all his friends.
He severed all his attachments with this world; he wanted to be left alone.
His personal tragedy was far beyond endurance, and he wanted an end. Fate had other plans for him however, way beyond what he could’ve imagined.
A chance meeting with a gentle, beautiful woman with her own personal tragedy overcomplicated his plans. She thought sharing her pain with his would absolve him. But can pain be shared?Their fates became linked together in a vow from Hell, which made him curse the day he arrived at the village.
His past and his present became entwined in a way he could not have expected. The visions of his tragedy tormented him, and he found no cure for this. The woman who loved him and cared for him disappeared without a trace. Had her personal tragedy caught up with her? Or was it murder?