05-04-2014, 07:26 PM
Hasan nodded at the stranger. Yes, he was definitely a foreigner, but a curious one at that, to have addressed Hasan as the Twelfth Imam because it implied the foreigner's belief in the Major Occultation. Either that or he was simply attempting to be respectful for his own reasons, including decency or self-preservation. Considering that fear and hope were the first steps on the road to true faith, that wasn't altogether a bad thing.
Hasan hadn't spoken much English in the past couple of months -- most imams from English-speaking countries were fluent in Arabic and chose to use that language -- but he quickly fell into his fourth learned tongue without any real difficulty. "You may thank almighty and merciful God for your life, for each breath is a gift from him alone,"
Hasan replied, a soft but obvious rebuke of the man's slightly off-target statement. "But it is a good thing that you recognize your continued existence is not entirely in your hands."
The English was a definite change of pace from Hasan's usual speech. Ideas and thoughts that flowed naturally from Arabic did not always have their immediate counterpart readily available for appropriate expression. "Islam" itself was an excellent example, as it did not mean "submission" so much as "perfect submission of a form where a man's will becomes aligned with God's." But even that was only just getting closer to the real concept. As a result, the intended recipient of the message was at risk of losing something of the message.
Something was wrong with the man's eyes. They hadn't dilated evenly when the light had struck them. He probably had a concussion if not a more serious injury in the brain. Perhaps he was hurt much worse than Hasan first thought. If the man was Custody, he could prove useful. "We can discuss in a moment whether there is something you can do for me,"
he said to the man. Yes. He wouldn't want to lose someone who might have tactical knowledge that could be put to use during the fighting. "For the moment, if it pleases Allah, it would be helpful if you were feeling better."
Allah protect me. Allah, guide me. Allah show me the true path.
The Keramat flooded into Hasan and he felt Air, Water and the Spirit flow through him and weave together in answer to his prayer as he reached out to touch the man's forehead.
Hasan hadn't spoken much English in the past couple of months -- most imams from English-speaking countries were fluent in Arabic and chose to use that language -- but he quickly fell into his fourth learned tongue without any real difficulty. "You may thank almighty and merciful God for your life, for each breath is a gift from him alone,"
Hasan replied, a soft but obvious rebuke of the man's slightly off-target statement. "But it is a good thing that you recognize your continued existence is not entirely in your hands."
The English was a definite change of pace from Hasan's usual speech. Ideas and thoughts that flowed naturally from Arabic did not always have their immediate counterpart readily available for appropriate expression. "Islam" itself was an excellent example, as it did not mean "submission" so much as "perfect submission of a form where a man's will becomes aligned with God's." But even that was only just getting closer to the real concept. As a result, the intended recipient of the message was at risk of losing something of the message.
Something was wrong with the man's eyes. They hadn't dilated evenly when the light had struck them. He probably had a concussion if not a more serious injury in the brain. Perhaps he was hurt much worse than Hasan first thought. If the man was Custody, he could prove useful. "We can discuss in a moment whether there is something you can do for me,"
he said to the man. Yes. He wouldn't want to lose someone who might have tactical knowledge that could be put to use during the fighting. "For the moment, if it pleases Allah, it would be helpful if you were feeling better."
Allah protect me. Allah, guide me. Allah show me the true path.
The Keramat flooded into Hasan and he felt Air, Water and the Spirit flow through him and weave together in answer to his prayer as he reached out to touch the man's forehead.