After we finished eating, Lily and I walked out of the cafeteria. The weather outside was soft and breezy—clouds floated lazily across the sky, as if Allah painted them just for peace.
"Fatima," Lily said suddenly, her voice more gentle than before, "Can I ask you something personal?"
I nodded with a small smile.
"You said you're staying loyal to your future partner because Allah told us to… but how can you love someone you've never even met?"
I looked up at the sky for a moment, taking a deep breath.
"Because I trust the One who writes my story," I replied calmly. "I don't need to see him to stay loyal. I just need to trust Allah's plan. And… I want to give my heart to the one Allah has written for me — pure and undivided."
She was quiet again, and I knew her heart was searching for something deeper.
I continued softly:
> "And among His Signs is that He created for you spouses from among yourselves so that you may find tranquility in them, and He placed between you love and mercy. Indeed, in that are signs for people who reflect."
— Surah Ar-Rum (30:21)
"Love and mercy, Lily," I whispered. "Not just attraction. Not just excitement. Real love that makes you grow closer to Allah."
She was still, almost as if something settled in her heart.
"I just never thought of love this way," she admitted. "I mean… all my life it's just been about fairy tales and movies."
"I know," I said gently. "But the love that Islam teaches is better than any fairytale. Because it's real. It's sacred. It's built with patience, respect, and faith."
Then I remembered a story my Mumma once told me…
> There was a young woman in Madinah who had received a proposal from a wealthy man. He had everything—looks, status, money. But her heart was not convinced. She spent the night in prayer, asking Allah for guidance. Later, she received a proposal from a humble, pious man—he didn't have riches, but he had deen. She said yes. Years later, their home was known in the town for being full of light and barakah. She once said, "I married him for the sake of Allah, and Allah filled our marriage with things no wealth could ever buy—peace, faith, and contentment."
Lily smiled softly. "You always say things that stay with me, Fatima."
I smiled too.
> The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
"A woman is married for four reasons: her wealth, her lineage, her beauty and her religious commitment. So choose the one who is religious, may your hands be rubbed with dust (i.e. may you prosper)."
(Sahih al-Bukhari)
"I want that kind of love, too," she whispered.
"You will," I replied. "But start with loving Allah first… everything else will follow in its time, beautifully and wisely."
She looked at me with hopeful eyes.
And in that moment, I prayed in my heart,
"Ya Allah, guide us both, and bless us with what brings us closer to You."
---
We walked in silence after that, but not the uncomfortable kind. It was the silence that feels warm — like something inside you is healing, or maybe just waking up.
"Fatima…" Lily said after a while, "Would you… maybe teach me more? About Islam?"
I paused. My heart skipped a beat.
"Of course, Lily. I'd love to. But not like a teacher. Just as a friend who shares light, okay?"
She nodded, and for the first time, I saw something new in her eyes.
A spark.
Maybe of curiosity.
Maybe of longing.
Maybe… of guidance finding its way.
---
That night, as I sat in my room, I opened my journal and wrote something I never wanted to forget:
> "Stay loyal to the One who writes your story. Don't rush. Don't settle. The heart that waits for Allah's will is the heart He Himself prepares for something beyond your imagination."
I looked up at the sky outside my window and whispered,
"Fi Amaanillah, Lily… may your heart one day taste the peace mine found in Islam."
__________________________________________________
Some hearts don't bloom through the world's applause,
But in quiet sujood and Allah's cause.
One waited with trust, one searched for light—
And both found peace in the silence of night.
(Do you guys like the second chapter?)