الزخرف‎  Beautiful.

Only a decade ago, the act of worshipping was different in Ramadan than it is now. There was a race of reading more Quran chapters than your cousins with the speed of light.

I had to complete it before they did, even if I had to make it a burden. If they made it before you then your capability to do good deeds was questioned in front of the whole family.

We would ask everyone which chapter they were on and then would work extra hours secretly to beat them.

There was also no concept of reading it by understanding its meaning and core message.

Then there was also a time when reading the Quran was mandatory only during difficult situations.
All the women would sit under one roof to read any specific surah until the target word count was achieved

Also reading stories(not authentic) of miracles of Fatima (may Allah be pleased with them) appearing in someone's dream and they end up gaining a fortune.

Their stories were told among a group of women in the family. For what?

• to fulfill halal desires or
• get out of any calamity.

Do you know why these gatherings were beautiful? Because at the end of this event, you would get something to eat.

All the patience was just to get those sweets and samosas.

Once one of my ex-aunts would do this miracle story reading thing every Thursday, for her brother to get out of jail. This would continue until he comes out of jail.

Every Thursday something to eat after those boring stories for which you have to behave and sit with Wadu.

And honestly speaking, no one of us was making a genuine dua for her brother, just for the endless snacks reward to continue.

Unfortunately, she gave up on her brother, so unloyal.

Fast forward to the pandemic that gave us time to spend with ourselves and learn something on our own.

The time when we started understanding the Quran without making it a burden.
Slowly and steadily it became a part of our routine.

Forwarding a few years again.
One day:

I was reading the Quran while fasting on March,9.
A new chapter, 2nd ayah it was when a few words got my attention.

Now you are at that stage when you can understand a few Arabic words sometimes. Don't know if it is a blessing or something else because you can't ignore them. Those words come directly from the sky.

Those three magical words were :

الزخرف
‎ قول
غرور

I knew the meaning of Zukhruf. It means gold, something which is extremely beautiful, the peak of aesthetics.

I checked its meaning in the dictionary, it has been used 4times in the Quran, and one of its meanings is Flowery Talk.

That's why it was used beside قول.

Does it mean the speech/conversation which is beautiful?

I think yes.

Gold is for women, and maybe beautiful conversations are also for them. They know the art of making something fancy with their word choices.

Those conversations happen so beautifully that you can't help it. You don't wanna end it.

The conversations that we do secretly in whispers but at the same time don't want to disclose it to others.

These conversations aren't for everyone to know about.

Then the last magical word was غرور.

Illusion of something that can deceive you, something which you are not sure if true or not.

A beautiful conversation that creates illusion

Before these words the ayah states:

There are Satans among humans and jinns, these are the enemy of the prophet, they seduce them of talk that deceives them.

They lure those who have sickness in their hearts and don't believe in the day of resurrection.

That was the moment when I recalled all the beautiful conversations I had had that day.

Flashbacks with my cousins, judging others for what they used to do in their past.
Judging someone's integrity.
Their choices in life.

I don't go to such people for gossip, they come to me and become a test for me instead. Women and their addiction to talking behind other's backs.

You know that you are doing wrong, but you pat on your heart and say:

Everyone does that.

You are also afraid of staying behind and being left alone if you confront these people and shut their ****talks.

However, when you open the word of Allah and read its commands, you can't live in a fool's paradise anymore. You can't blame satan because he has undergrounded.

You can't present your arguments that it's ok, it's the 21st century.

At that very moment, I decided to put a cap on my conversation and to do it consciously.

Things become easy when your priority is your Lord and then his creation.

رحمان کے بندوں کے لیے رحمان کو ناراض نہیں کیا جاتا۔

These commands are for our protection.

When you read these commands the next time, don't ignore it, check your conversations, filter them, and avoid the circumstances that can make you fall into a fragile position.

Understanding Quran is scary but it will open the doors of khair for us if we surrender.

^{In the end, it's both a blessing and a curse to feel everything so deeply.}

^{@mehwish-almas did you have these kind of gatherings like @naina9}.