Faith, the morning sun brings along the scent of my house, and the rusty village roads boast of their adolescence. The lush paddy fields brag about our diligent farmers. The common well looks worn out. Our school radiates through the jostle of the village. The ancient and widespread banyan tree I’ve shared about all my secrets stands unpretentious.
The world might have moved on in the fourteen years since September 11th, 2001. But I haven’t. Events of that day are fresh as if yesterday and are still encapsulated in me, waiting to be released when I get back to where I come from; the house that saw me transform into a man and the woman who would be very old now. Not a single day passed when she would not pray for my well-being, my mother. To my other woman, who made my life beautiful just by being in it, and our boy, who must be a teenager by now, was a toddler when I traveled to the USA in search of fortune.
I hadn’t yet checked out of the airport; I was called into the commanding officer’s office. They interrogated me for six long hours before taking me to the Federal prison on a suspicious case of being involved in terrorist activity.
I screamed, I cried, and begged, for it was a mistake from their side, but in vain; they had reprimanded a wrong man. I was being punished for something in which I was not involved. Was it because of my long beard or the place I came from?
Maybe the decision to travel to the land of Religious Bigot directed my destiny to a decade and a half of imprisonment. But, I have faith in my Allah; he must have thought something about me and is waiting for the opportune time when I would be released and be back to my people, my village. I don’t hold any grudges against the guards here; they are just doing their duty. They were kind in allowing me to keep my Holy Quran in my cell. It gives me strength, firms my belief, and helps me have faith in Allah.
I know I would be out of here, sometime, someday. He, above us all, knows when’s the best time for it. And he would make his move. I have faith.
“Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark.”
Since September 11th, 2001 (9/11), Abdul Zain was trapped in a US federal jail on suspicious charges of being involved in the events that changed the shape of the Nation and the lives of many. It’s about his faith, what he believes in.
–Aarohan Paul.
Last Updated on by Steffy Michael
The mention of the Holy Quran as a source of strength within the prison cell adds a powerful layer to the narrative. It reflects the solace and guidance that faith provides during challenging times.
This story serves as a reminder of the importance of empathy and understanding, especially in times when individuals are unfairly judged based on appearances or origins. It prompts reflection on the enduring nature of faith and its role as a source of hope in the midst of adversity.