In the Shade of Sidrat. Maryam Nashkhoeva
her last peaceful New Year. At that moment, she was afraid even to think about losing her children.
– Don’t cry, Sonya. You shouldn’t show them your tears. We must stay strong for their sake to help them confront their fear, and the kids will take after us and remember us as cheerful, no matter how difficult it is for us, – Markha said.
– Yes, you’re right, but my strength has run out. Sometimes it seems like we would all die and put an end to this suffering, – she replied, wiping away her tears.
– We still have time to die, look what you’re wishing for! – Akhmed said, smiling.
Everyone began bustling around like it was a real New Year’s Day, as if there was no war going on outside. The children decorated the small tree, a source of joy and happiness for them. Akhmed played the role of Grandfather Frost (the Russian Santa Claus), and Sonya was the Snow Maiden. Kerosene lamps served as Bengal lights. Instead of a festive atmosphere, there were gray walls, the smell of mold, and pieces of stale bread. Instead of fireworks, there was another bombing, and instead of gifts and candy, Akhmed found a pair of dried out lollipops in his brother’s house, which he divided equally among all the children. It seemed like their most unusual New Year, the new year of 2000, full of beautiful dreams and hopes.
– Kids, you will never forget our wonderful New Year, will you? – Akhmed asked, laughing.
– Of course, we won’t, Uncle Akhmed! – they answered in syne.
– Then I didn’t live my life in vain, – Akhmed replied, smiling.
Adam did not speak all day. He was watching the fuss around him with absolute indifference. After the experienced stress he suddenly lost his ability to speak… everyone hoped he would eventually recover. Almost every night, he dreamed of his parents, but on this festive day, he saw them in a special place he had never heard of before! Towards evening, he dozed off and saw them sitting in the shade of a beautiful paradise tree, the beauty of which could not be described in words. The tree, releasing an amazing heady scent, had huge golden leaves and so appealing fruits that Adam felt eager to try them immediately.
Akhmed and Khava, Adam’s parents, were sitting under this tree in white clothes, their faces shining with a beautiful white light. Adam stood nearby, but he could not approach them, as if an invisible wall separated them. He begged his mother to let him stay with them, saying he was reluctant to return to the hell on earth. But his father just told him “Not now”.
Waking up from the dream, Adam felt tears well up in his eyes, but he could not tell anyone about the dream because he couldn’t speak. This made him even worse. He slowly got up and headed for the stairs to go outside for fresh air.
– Adam, where are you going? Don’t go out, it’s already dark, – Akhmed said, noticing him climbing the stairs. He looked at Akhmed questioningly, hesitated for a moment, then went back down to the basement.
– We’ll have dinner soon, a festive New Year’s dinner! – Akhmed laughed, trying to cheer everyone up a bit.
Later, after a modest dinner, everyone returned to their places. Every evening the women took turns telling the children different fairy tales and stories from their childhood to pass the time and get distracted from reality. This time, Markha was supposed to tell them something enchanting, a story that would make their hearts warm with magic on this wartime New Year’s Eve.
– Today I will tell you about a beautiful magical place where I was longing to get e in my childhood dreams, – Markha said.
– Aunt Markha! What kind of place is it? Why haven’t you told us about it before? – Vera smiled and asked.
– I left it especially for today to add even more magic to this day. When I was little, my grandfather often told me about a beautiful place in heaven, a place where the tree called Sidrat al-Muntaha2 grows. This beautiful and amazing paradise tree is located on the seventh heaven in paradise. Grandfather told me that the names of all the people who have ever lived on earth, starting with Adam, the very first person on earth (peace be upon him), and ending with the last person before the end of the world, are written on its huge golden leaves.
And every year, in the middle of the Islamic month of Sha’ban3, by the will of the Almighty, as many leaves fall down from the tree, so many people are destined to pass away that year. At the same time, as leaves with new names appear, so many people are supposed to be born that year, by the will of the Almighty.
Hardly had Markha uttered that Adam pondered: could he havehad a vision of his parents in this place? Then he became all ears again.
– So, the appearance of a new leaf on the Sidrat tree apprises of a new person’s birth, and the fall of an old leaf apprises of somebody’s death. I wonder, have the leaves with our names already fallen this year? – Vera asked, reflecting.
– Only the Almighty knows this, don’t think about the bad, always hope for the mercy of the Almighty! – Markha replied, hugging Vera tightly.
– Mommy, tell us more about this beautiful tree, what does it look like? – Magomed asked with interest.
– Grandfather said that its leaves are as big as an elephant’s ears, and its fruits, being all edible, resemble large pitchers. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad was elevated to this tree, may Allah bless him and greet him. And what is beyond this tree, no one knows except the Almighty.
– Even angels? – asked little Makka.
– Even angels do not know, only the Creator of the earth and heaven knows. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and greet him, described this tree this way: “This tree is so magnificent that even a horseman riding in its shade wouldn’t be able to leave it over a hundred years of travel. One leaf of this tree can cover all the mankind”4. I have always set my heart on beholding this tree in my dreams, touching its magical leaves, trying its magical fruits, and sitting in its shade.
– I would also like to see these heavenly places! What a Mighty Creator of the earth and heaven! So much beauty on earth, such beautiful nature, numerous curious nations and cultures, noble people and kind hearts! There is enough space for everyone on the planet, why kill one another, what is this hatred and fighting for… We used to live wonderfully, visited each other, celebrated all holidays together, rejoiced and shared sorrows, respected and valued each other, we didn’t want this war, why did no one ask us if we favoured it or not?! Will it never be like before? – saying this, Vera covered her face with her hands and cried.
– Don’t cry, my girl! My grandfather was a believer, he always said that the Almighty is one, He is the Creator, He created all living creatures in the heaven and on earth, He created all people on the planet and endowed them with different languages so that they could understand each other, live in peace and harmony. And my grandfather also said that there exist neither bad nor good nations, all people are equal, all created by the Almighty! There are only two nations, two types of people: virtuous and unvirtuous ones. Always bear this in mind. Remember that all trials are from the Almighty and we must be patient. After every hardship there comes relief5. Everything will be fine, – said Markha, smiling.
– I saw it! I saw it! – suddenly exclaimed Adam from his stool.
– He spoke up! – rejoiced Alla.
– What did you see, Adam? – asked Markha.
– I saw this place you’re telling about in my dream; I saw the heavenly tree Sidrat, I saw my mom and dad there!
– When? – asked Akhmed.
– Today, when I dozed off in the evening… They were sitting in the shade of this beautiful
Sidrat al-Muntaha – the lotus of the utmost limit. This is the name of the tree that grows on the seventh heaven and is located near the Throne of Allah (Arsh). It received this name because it is to this tree that everything rising from the earth reaches, and everything descending from Allah arrives. There is a supposition that it is named so because it is above the earth and the seven heavens, and at it ends the knowledge of the creations. There are other opinions regarding this matter. Sidrat al-Muntaha is mentioned in the Quranic verse: “And he certainly saw that ˹angel descend˺ a second time at the Lote Tree of the most extreme limit ˹in the seventh heaven˺ – near which is the Garden of ˹Eternal˺ Residence – while the Lote Tree was overwhelmed with ˹heavenly˺ splendours! The ˹Prophet’s˺ sight never wandered, nor did it overreach. He certainly saw some of his Lord’s greatest signs” (Quran, 53:13—18), (“Islamic Encyclopedic Dictionary” – A. Alizadeh, Ansar, 2007). “Sidrat al-Muntaha is a huge paradise tree, so beautiful that its beauty cannot be described. It is entirely covered with butterflies made of gold” (Ali Demirli. Islam. Its terms, symbols, and attributes, 2017).
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The superiority of the month of Sha’ban over the other months is like my superiority over the other prophets”. All good deeds performed in this month are increased up to 700 times and ascend to the heavens without any obstacles. As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The name of the month of Sha’ban comes from the word ‘tasha’aba,’ which means ‘to spread’ – in this month, goodness spreads” (http://serdce-chechni.ru).
It is reported that while describing this tree, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “This tree is such that if a rider on horseback were to ride in its shade, he would not cross its shade even after seventy years of travel. One leaf of this tree is capable of covering the entire community” (https://islam-today.ru/veroucenie/vopros-otvet/cto-takoe-sidratul-muntaha/).
“So, surely with hardship comes ease” (Quran, 94:5).