HERBS

Tsalji

A year ago, as I was passing through the streets around an elite housing estate in Tokyo, I saw a body lying in the snow. A silly, shameful act. Is he a madman who ran away from the hospital? That's how I thought at the time. I better hurry up and continue on the road.

But when those eyes secretly stole a glance at me, everything seemed to stop. His eyes are round and big. It's hard to take your eyes off those eyelids, like you're hypnotized.

Every man must see a woman in his eyes. Then the chest. That's normal, and that's what I do because I'm a normal guy. Then I looked at his face. His nose was sharp, his eyes big and round. Her skin is white, her hair is a bit red. He's not Japanese! We are narrow and most are not sharp except superstar—— I am also not sure it is genuine or operative.

“Ah, excusme, Sir!”

I thought he wasn't Japanese. Damnit damnit! Where most Japanese people do not think English is necessary. Yes including me. Why does he greet me anyway? It was beautiful, but unfortunately crazy.

Waitaminute! Since when has he stood before me? I still enjoy the snow. Women's magic is so amazing that men like me don't notice her movements.

“A-aa, a-ano ..”

Kusos!

He laughed at my nervousness. Damn again, she looks beautiful with her behavior.

“My name is Hima. You?”

If you can speak Japanese, why do you speak the language of the invaders anyway? Wait, I don't remember Japan being colonized by Great Britain. After all, the invaders are us.

“You can speak Japanese?”

He nodded. Her unravelled hair was so shiny despite not being hit by the sunlight. After all, this season is difficult to distinguish when morning, afternoon and evening. Everything looks the same.

“Japanese book,” said the woman while playing her hair.

When he played with his hair, there I remembered the Lord. The pleasure of God that is hard to deny is women. All this time I had no knowledge of anything about God and such. I'm an agnostic.

“What were you doing? Sleep in the snow so.”

“Finding veil ... and yes, you have not introduced yourself.”

“Finding veil? Aren't you wrong way and place, Hima-san?”

He sighed while looking at me in disbelief. He must be upset because I didn't respond to his introduction. She grew beautiful one level in my eyes.

I now believe that first sight love is real, true.

“So I fell!” reply jengah.

“Kawaii!”

He was getting embarrassed. I saw her cheeks become red.

Then I helped her find her absurdly lost veil. Which turned out to be buried in the snow that he slept in earlier. Ridiculous, no?

Because of that silliness until now we have a relationship called friendship. His mother is Japanese and his father is Indian. The mixing of her parents created a daughter who looked like a goddess. Actually I have never met a goddess, but people describe beautiful women with the word goddess, and I only cheat their sentences.

“Why do you daydream?”

Her soft voice returned me from memories a year ago. Even now we are sitting on a bench near the scene of last year's crime.

“What do you think, hm? Come tell me!”

“I was wondering, how should I call you?” honest reveal.

I like him. We have a friendship relationship. Not to mention every week, he and I spend time just like dating. There was no physical contact. He was somewhat different, still holding fast to his religious values and his father's cultural norms.

“I really don't understand what you mean.”

He put on a serious face.

“Love of heart, pretty girl, juwita, jelita .. All I just mentioned is your name.”

When I finished my sentence, I could not find the pink hue that used to decorate her face when she praised me. This time, the look on her face was strange, and I did not want to interpret the meaning of her expression.

“You like me?” ask him without aling-aling.

Yeah, of course you are. I don't sound, but I nod.

“What's it like?”

That's what I don't know. What kind of likes is this? It's just because she's beautiful or something else.

“As I want us to live together.”

“We must get married first, Fujiwara-san.”

He laughed. He must think I was joking.

“I don't mind. My age is enough, you are too. Jobs are also well established.”

I speak because I really mean it.

“Although if I liked you, we couldn't be together.”

“Don't say that. Islam is my religion. In my religion, there is no abrahamic religion. There is only islam.”

He smiles.

“Good kuralat, is it because you are a believer and I am not?”

He nodded, confirming it.

The next meeting, I met him, tried to persuade. Is not a marriage of different beliefs still possible? This country is not as strict as other Islamic countries. At that moment, he was angry with me.

“Entertainment prohibited by religion. That includes major sins after polytheists, apostates and kills.”

Since then, we have not met again. I decided to seek the truth about God because of one sentence after that sentence. I am curious about the law and all that is governed by Islam.

I didn't do it because of Hima. But I did it by fate that brought me to Hima by the permission of God.

A month after I found out, I officially reverted to Islam. Human nature is subject to God Almighty. Islam means submission to God.

*****

That day, I didn't know what it meant. I don't know about his words:

“Even if you are a book, unlawful I accept your application. Another story if I'm a boy, you're a girl, it's still allowed.”

Yes, that sentence led me to Islam.

“You believe too much in your holy book.”

I was really sorry at that time, insulting the Koranul Karim without knowing what it contained.

“Only the scriptures revealed to the Prophet Shallahu Alaihi Wasallam are reserved for all mankind. Our holy book is universal. Don't poke fun. I can be hurt.”

I was grieving at that moment.

Thank God, I was guided, otherwise I would still be lost. I did not even apologize for blaspheming Kalamullah.

“You know? Prophet said that we will be with the people we love. And I believe that. The Word of Prophet and the word of God in the Quran I believe more than one plus one equals two.”

Now, I just found out what it means. Unfortunately, why after his departure? Will I meet him later? He loved me too, but loved religion, the Apostle and God more than anything else, even though it was his parents.

Where else can I find a girl like this?

After that sentence, I increasingly searched everything about Islam. How can he be so firm. The religion that he espouses is truly magical.

“Kaa-san! I want to shahadat!” I said when I had encountered so much truth in Islam.

I did not learn it from the Muslims. I read their books. As recommended by one of the doctors from India, a highly knowledgeable person, who can even memorize all the scriptures. Allah Masyaa.

I attended because he was from India. I miss Hima, so it might sound silly. But that's the truth. Because of the longing for Hima, and the coincidental Japanese arrival of Muslim geniuses from India, why not?

India. Hima was also half Indian, and she had returned there with her father, with her mother as well.

Ah yes, my mother's reaction when I said it was just a smile, saying that if I think it's true, I can only be supportive.

My wise mother, may Allah also guide her. Aamiins.

After that, I went to a cleric in Tokyo, saying my point. Some people said hamdalah and started to hug me.

Witnessed by one of the Kobe Mosque's sheikhs and several worshippers, I made my martyrdom.

“O Lord of the Universe! O Lord of Abraham, Lord of Moses and Ya’kub, Lord of the Messiah and Lord of Prophet Muhammad. I testify that there is no God but Allah! And I testify that Isa ibn Maryam, Israil ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim, also Muhammad shalallahi alaihi wassalam are messengers of Allah!”

Then, the sheikh uttered a sentence in Arabic called shahadatain. I was told to say that. At his guidance, I also said that grand sentence.

“Asyhadu alla Ilaha Ilallah. Wa asyhadu anna muhammadan abduhu wa aposturuhu.”

The next thing I heard was the takbir being proclaimed.

Fujiwara Toneri officially embraced Islam. Alhamdulillahot.

I don't change my name like other Japanese converts. I heard Dr. Zakir Naik that I do not need to change the name as long as the name is good. God sees faith, not your name or who you are in the world. Nobles and slaves are equal in the sight of God, which makes faith different only. This is the one that got me interested in Islam, not because of women or Hima. At first it was, but the more I looked, the more I believed it was because of God's guidance.

For ten years I have embraced Islam, studied and gave something to this religion. Writing Quranic exegesis to translate shahih hadith into nihon-go.

For ten years I have always dedicated prayer in one third of the night:

O Malikul Kuddus, give me Hima at the end of the day.

Aye! Hima has not arrived in India for a week. Once a year I visit his grave in India. He suffered from severe pain, and his goal to Japan a few years ago was to recover. However, destiny was written before we were born into the world.

This is a summary of my story. Love story and self-search story. I hope my story can benefit.

Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Westarakatuh.