Hazrat Idris (A.S.)

1. Episode 1: The Price of Standing for the Truth
2. “Wait.”
3. Imaan nearly walked into him.
4. “What?”
5. Three older students were standing there.
6. Imaan lowered her voice.
7. “What are they doing?”
8. Akhlaq shrugged.
9. “Maybe homework.”
10. Then they heard Hamza laugh.
11. “Now everyone in our group will know tomorrow’s questions.”
12. The smile disappeared from Akhlaq’s face.
13. Tomorrow was the inter-house science test.
14. Imaan looked at him.
15. He looked at her.
16. Neither spoke.
17. One of the boys folded the paper quickly.
18. “Delete the photo after sending it.”
19. “Relax,” Hamza replied.
20. “Nobody will know.”
21. For the first few steps, Akhlaq said nothing.
22. Then he muttered, “Maybe we misunderstood.”
23. Imaan stopped.
24. “You heard what I heard.”
25. “Yes, but perhaps those weren’t the real questions.”
26. “Perhaps.”
27. They continued walking.
28. Akhlaq kicked a small stone across the path.
29. “We could just ignore it.”
30. Imaan looked at him.
31. “And if they really are tomorrow’s questions?”
32. Akhlaq had no answer.
33. He played football with Akhlaq.
34. At the gate, Akhlaq sighed.
35. “I don’t like this kind of truth.”
36. Imaan understood exactly what he meant.
37. Some truths were easy.
38. “Did you eat the last biscuit?”
39. “Yes.”
40. “Did you break the pencil?”
41. “Yes.”
42. But some truths had consequences before you even spoke them.
43. Imaan finally said, “We shouldn’t accuse them.”
44. Akhlaq looked relieved.
45. His relief disappeared.
46. “That was not the ending I was hoping for.”
47. They turned around.
48. “Come in.”
49. Imaan and Akhlaq entered, but neither immediately sat down.
50. Sheikh Uncle looked at them.
51. “No broken window,” Akhlaq said.
52. “Alhamdulillah.
53. Sit.”
54. Imaan carefully explained everything.
55. She did not say that Hamza had cheated.
56. Sheikh Uncle listened without interrupting.
57. “No.”
58. “Did you see where it came from?”
59. “No.”
60. “Then we do not know yet whether anyone cheated.”
61. Imaan nodded.
62. Akhlaq looked uncomfortable.
63. “Will you tell them we told you?”
64. Sheikh Uncle paused.
65. “I will not unnecessarily announce your names.
66. But I also cannot promise that nobody will work it out.”
67. That was not very comforting.
68. One of the students had found it and photographed it.
69. The questions had already been shared with several children.
70. The test was cancelled.
71. By the next morning, everybody knew.
72. As they entered the Academy, conversations stopped.
73. Another child looked directly at Akhlaq.
74. Akhlaq called him.
75. “Hamza.”
76. Hamza stopped.
77. His face was angry.
78. “You got us into trouble.”
79. Akhlaq stared at him.
80. “We didn’t take the paper.”
81. “But you told Sheikh Uncle.”
82. Imaan stepped forward.
83. “We only told him what we saw.”
84. “And now my parents are angry with me.”
85. For a moment, Akhlaq felt guilty.
86. Hamza continued, “You could have just stayed quiet.”
87. Then he walked away.
88. The words stayed with Akhlaq for the rest of the day.
89. You could have just stayed quiet.
90. At lunch, he pushed his sandwich around without eating.
91. Imaan looked at him.
92. “We didn’t lie.”
93. “I know.”
94. “We didn’t accuse them.”
95. “I know.”
96. “Then?”
97. Imaan had been thinking the same thing.
98. “That is concerning,” he said.
99. Akhlaq looked up.
100. “What?”
101. “You have both been silent for almost thirty seconds.”
102. Neither laughed.
103. Sheikh Uncle sat beside them.
104. “I suppose this is about this morning.”
105. Akhlaq nodded.
106. “Hamza says we caused his punishment.”
107. “Did you take the test paper?”
108. “No.”
109. “Did you photograph it?”

The words follow the narration. Tap any line to jump there. The rest of the story continues in the app.