The Chronicals of Alaraf

“Are you sure you want him at your left hand…?” asked my Meowlana, the combat medic-chaplain, after debriefing & handing over my notes

     “Molana, I don’t have a choice, he swore bayat; I fail to understand his version of our religion in the slightest, but I love him.  I thought we were Muslims, and the dude uses Qur’an verses the way an Englishman uses seasonings, sparingly and generally sticking to Salt only…the rest is seriously Mohammad fanfic”

      “Welcome to world religious politics”

        “Seriously though, wtf.  He could literally be standing up there making up all this hadith and no one would question it or even know.  Do you know how many Qur’an I have in my house Meowlana?  Guess, because I lost count sometime around 2022.  You literally pick it up, open a random page, and Boom! Exactly what you need to know. I’ll even do it right now.”

      “Or, I could pull on our Fana al Baqa, make you super exhausted, and have you write about cats again… Title: ‘Angry Kitten stomps on keyboard thinking he is Talking Head.’” Replied Mewlana, licking his forearm to wash his kitty face.

      We are over a thousand miles apart, estranged, and somehow closer than ever due to subtle realities I cannot pretend to understand, only embody, endure, and accept…as cats, as I transcribe our general interactions as cats so we don’t get flagged by censorship filters.

I found the verse through a random Qur’an app & read;

      “Who does greater wrong than he, who, when reminded of his Lord’s revelations, turns away from them and forgets what his hands have put forward? We have placed coverings over their hearts, lest they understand it, and heaviness in their ears. And if you call them to guidance, they will not be guided, ever…’

     ….That’s Surah Al Kahf, Sir. That’s our second most important Surah in the entire Kitab outside of Surah Al Jinn-, and that was just pulled from online” said I.

       “Simulation is breaking. The only thing covering your heart is cloisonné & distlefink feathers. I have been told” he implied

        Finally, Thank God, I miss you.