#ALSO that means more summoner supports so naturally ;3; ;3; ;3; two more husbands to kiss

[lululeighsworld]

kisses...........

[godsofhumanity]

Do you have any headcanons/opinions on the Titans’ other siblings (elder cyclops, hecatoncheires, giants, etc.)

hellllllll yeahhhhhh ❤

THE CYCLOPES (Brontes, Steropes, Arges)

ok so in terms of the age order of Gaia's first few groups of children, i think that the Titans came first, then the Cyclopes, and then the Hecatoncheires.

i've already said this before, but i like the idea the Ouranos was the first being ever created by any primordial ever, and i think that Gaia also didn't know exactly how she did it (after all, there was no one to teach the primordials, right?)

and so, Ouranos comes out and he's completely super-powered and he's effectively on par with the other primordials.

but then Gaia and Ouranos create the Titans, and i think that when that happened, Gaia was creating them with the intention of creating helpers for herself- beings to take care of the Earth.. and this meant that the Titans didn't really need to be super-charged the way Ouranos was.

and we know that Ouranos named the Titans "titans" because they were "puny"- they were always trying to "over-reach" to Ouranos' level.

BUT! i think when Gaia creates the Cyclopes, she was doing it with the intention of creating bigger, stronger children. i mean, i think she definitely loved her Titan kids, but she wanted to create something even bigger than before.

i think Gaia was very proud of Ouranos as a creation, and she wanted to see if she could do it again- so i like the imagery of her moulding the Earth into these little clay figures, and then she breathes life into them and they grow rapidly in size.

and i think that when they were "born", the clouds gathered and rumbled, and there was lightning everywhere... and that's how the Cyclopes were named- Brontes ("thunder"), Steropes ("lightning") and Arges ("bright").

Hesiod describes the Cyclopes as having "violent hearts" and i like to interpret this as meaning that the Cyclopes have a lot of emotion. they feel a lot- just like their mother.

i think that when Ouranos became aware of the Cyclopes' presence, and he chucked them into Tartarus, that scarred them deeply. and when Cronus freed them, only to imprison them a short while later again, they were filled with an immense distrust of the gods (understandably!).

still, the fact that the Cyclopes were willing to forge the lightning bolt for Zeus during the Titanomachy indicates to me that they weren't cold-hearted, and that they could be reasoned with.

i also think that the Cyclopes are highly intelligent beings. they're very skilled with metal-work obviously,, and i like the idea that after all the shit they've been through, Zeus really does honour them and treat them well.

in the Asclepius myth, the Cyclopes are killed by Apollo in a rage, but i like the version where Zeus brings them back :D

also, i like the idea that the Cyclopes taught Hephaestus how to forge stuff and how to be a blacksmith. i think that they are really supportive of Hephaestus and the four of them have a really close relationship.

i think that Hephaestus addresses them sometimes as "Lord Brontes" etc. etc. just as a sign of respect. the Cyclopes are a proud race, and i think that they appreciate being addressed like that- after all, they are older, and wiser and just as worthy of such a title as any of the other gods are.

in terms of individual personalities, i think Brontes is the self-designated leader. he's the oldest, and he's the most sensible. i think he likes to sing/hum while he works :)))

Steropes is more serious than his brothers. he's the middle child and i think sometimes he can be really scary,, but he appreciates those with confidence (not to be confused with: arrogance), and i think he tells awesome jokes.

Arges is the youngest. i think he can be a little quiet, but he's very light-hearted and friendly ^-^

about Polyphemus- i think he and the other Cyclopes are kinda disregarded by Brontes, Steropes, and Arges. they are not brothers and don't really have any obligations to each other as far as they are concerned.

THE HECATONCHEIRES (Cottus, Briareus, Gyges)

after Gaia made the Cyclopes, she created the Hecatoncheires, also called the "Hundred-Handers".

when she made the Cyclopes, i think she made them just to have a little fun. but when Gaia made the Hecatoncheires, i think she made them with the intention of creating beings powerful enough to destroy Ouranos.

Ouranos pretty much got rid of the Cyclopes as soon as they were born- and i think this was a real wake-up call for Gaia concerning the true nature of her husband.

and Gaia is a super maternal being- there could be no greater pain for her than having her children separated from her like that. so she was super pissed at Ouranos when she created the Hecatoncheires.

and i think she channelled all that anger into them. where she had earlier taken time to create clay forms for the Cyclopes, i think Gaia just straight up placed her hands on the Earth and summoned all the rage within her- and that manifested into three great, strong, hulking creatures- the Hecatoncheires.

because Gaia made them with the intention of deposing Ouranos, i think that the Hecatoncheires are more violent and angry than their Cyclopean or Titan siblings.

i don't think that they're particularly intelligent- they're not dumb, but they're not geniuses- but they ARE extremely skilled fighters.

as with the Cyclopes, i think the Hecatoncheires matured to adulthood as soon as they were born. and like 5 minutes later, Ouranos came and they battled.

during his fight against the Cyclopes, i don't think Ouranos broke a sweat- but during the fight against the Hecatoncheires, i think they were the first creatures to ever make Ouranos bleed.

and that was pretty frightening for Ouranos. i think that the Hecatoncheires probably could have won, but since they were technically still just children, and lacked proper fighting experience, they were eventually defeated like the Cyclopes and sent to Tartarus, much to Gaia's despair.

also, i like the idea that the Titans witnessed the defeat of the Hecatoncheires- i think it helps us understand why the Titans were so reluctant to fight Ouranos.. i mean, if the Hecatoncheires barely scratched him, what hope did they have? at the same time though, i like the idea that Cronus saw Ouranos bleed- he knew that his father wasn't invincible and that's where he got the courage to fight him from.

compared to the other "giants", mythographers often say that the Titans were "large", but that idea just doesn't gel with me. i think that they were a normal size for regular gods, but significantly smaller than the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires.

anyways, similar to the way the Cyclopes had a lot of trust issues, i think the Hecatoncheires definitely were a little doubtful about Zeus.

there's later versions of the Titanomachy that suggest that the Hecatoncheires fought on the Titans' side, but i reject this version. if Cronus locked up the Cyclopes, then i definitely think he'd have locked up the Hecatoncheires also. it doesn't make sense why he'd imprison one and not the other.

there's another version as well that suggests that the Hecatoncheires were not monstrous at all- they appeared as regular men but were called "hundred-handers" because they lived in a city called Hecatoncheiria ("hundred-arm"), and they rescued the citizens of a city called Olympia. again, i reject this because what's not awesome about having 100 hands?????????

we don't really hear too much about them in later myths, but i think that they went into retirement and are living their best life :)

Briareus, in particular, is mentioned as being given a wife by Poseidon- Cymopolea (who was Poseidon's daughter). and i think that they are very happy together and are in love <3

i'm not sure about the rest of the Hecatoncheires. maybe they had wives as well ^-^

TYPHON

Typhon is best known for his rule as the final challenger for authority over the cosmos, and as such, i think he was born much much much after the rest of Gaia's children- during Zeus' rule in fact.

however, i think he was "created" by Gaia during the Castration of Ouranos.

what i mean by this is that Typhon was born from two eggs, and i think these eggs were created around the time that the Titans first began to fight against Ouranos. but he only hatched during Zeus' rule.

regarding his parentage- some say that he's Gaia's child, some say that he's Cronus', and some say that he was Hera's child alone. well,,, i like the idea that all three of them had some role in the birth of Typhon.

in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, it's suggested that Hera was furious with Zeus for giving birth to Athena by herself, and so she prayed for a son stronger than Zeus and thus became pregnant with Typhon. in the Iliad, Gaia gets pissed at Zeus for destroying her Giant children, and decides to slander Zeus to Hera, who, in her anger, goes to Cronus for advice on destroying Zeus. in this myth, Cronus gives Hera two """""""""special"""""""" eggs and tells her to bury them so that Typhon can be born.

now,, i really like both of these versions so my hc is that Gaia is the primary progenitor- she created Typhon- but Cronus and Hera both gave Typhon part of their power in order to strengthen him and make him pretty undefeatable.

so what i'm saying is that all three of them had a role in Typhon's birth. i think Hera was angry at Zeus about Athena, so she goes to Cronus and he tells her about Typhon.

this version of events makes sense to me because i think it really emphasises just how angry and hurt Hera was by Zeus- i mean,, you know things are bad when you're resorting to conspiring with your estranged father who tried to murder you as a child.

also, this isn't "canon" i don't think, but my hc is that Typhon was created by Gaia as a back-up in case the Titans were really unable to defeat Ouranos. this would explain how Cronus knew about Typhon, and also why Typhon never ended up fighting Ouranos.

Typhon usually ends up being thrown into Tartarus or gets Mt Etna thrown on top of him by Zeus. tbh, i like the Mt Etna version.

in Greek mythology, gods never die. so i imagine that after a few hundred years of being crushed by Mt Etna, Typhon regathers his strength and that's when he meets Echidna,, and they fall in love, and i think Typhon still likes to make trouble for Zeus through his monster children, but i don't think that Typhon attempts to usurp Zeus again- he's lost interest.

in terms of personality, i think Typhon is pretty violent, but he also has a super short attention span. he has pride, but i don't think it's his weakness.

also, i like Apollodorus' description of Typhon as appearing humanoid from the waist-up, but like a serpent from the waist-down.

THE GIANTS

okay tbh i don't have really have any hc's for the giants. their myth is so vague and sparse and there really isn't anything solid about them T-T sorryyyyyy

[kurara-black-blog]

Since it's Pride Month and I’m bored at 2 AM, here's some Jotakak headcanons:

Jotaro is demisexual and demiromantic.

He found out after the trip to Egypt, during a school day, when he looked at Noriaki and felt the urge to kiss him.

Which he did.

Noriaki is bisexual and demiromantic.

He never had crushes before Jotaro, but, boy, is he horny.

Watching Jotaro change clothes during the trip was a sweet torture.

Noriaki is also genderfluid, though he usually presents as a man.

He’s prideful of his androgynous appearance.

He appreciates how his family and friends try their best to support him.

Jotaro is a silent romantic.

You won’t be able to take this headcanon awa from my dead, cold hands.

He might not serenade at 3 AM (Joseph’s idea), but silently offering flowers to Noriaki is a Thing™ he indulges every so often.

Honestly, he’s like Gomez Addams, but less vocal. Yes, that means he’ll dip Noriaki and kiss him at random, but usually only when they are alone.

He loves pampering Noriaki, so gifts, massages, cuddles, dates (when possible)... anything that lets him express his silent devotion goes.

Jotaro is forever glad Noriaki understands him.

PDA is a thing they both enjoy with certain moderation.

Holding hands, walking with arms linked, hugging, cheek kisses (usually from Noriaki) and hand kisses (surprisingly from Jotaro, who more often than not will end up kissing up Noriaki’s arm) are common things that happen.

Sometimes, the rare peck on the lips.

Full on mouth kisses are reserved for their moments alone, together with make out sessions, neck kisses and cuddling time.

Unless they are high on adrenaline/excitement, in that case they really won’t care about who’s around.

Do they use petnames? Kinda. Usually they stick to “JoJo” and “Nori”,

However, Noriaki is known for using more lovey-dovey petnames at random, like “love”, “dear” and “honey”.

When playful, “husband” or “hot stuff”.

“Big guy” and “big bear” are also popular.

Jotaro knows he fucked up when Nori calls him “Jotaro-darling”.

Again, Jotaro usually sticks to “Nori”, but he has called Noriaki “gorgeous” every now and then.

Jealousy? Their jealousy mostly comes from the same place: the idea that they’re not good enough for the other. They eventually grow out of that insecurity, but at the beginning it’s very present.

They have fought about it a few times, mostly because Jotaro is shit with feelings and thinks he can solve everything either with a punch or a cold shoulder.

The other factor of their jealousy is that they are both quite possessive of each other and the idea of being separated ruffles their feathers.

“Sorry, JoJo. I’m being greedy, am I not? Wanting you all to myself...” “‘S fine... I... am greedy too.”

Holly, Joseph and Suzie Q practically adopted Noriaki and, honestly, I don’t blame her.

Sadao wisely kept his mouth shut about his son dating a genderfluid person. He’s not against, but he’s not in favor either. He’s never at home anyways, so it’s not his place to say anything.

Nori’s parents took their sweet time accepting their child was dating a delinquent, but Jotaro is nothing but determined and managed to win them over.

Out of all people he has faced, Noriaki’s mom has to be the scariest of them all and he’d rather fight Dio three times in a row than get on her bad side.

You think you’re the biggest Jotakak shipper? WRONG, IT’S POLNAREFF AND JOSEPH.

And Avdol, but he’s more subtle about it.

They have a hard time sleeping alone because of the nightmares the trip gave them.

Noriaki is not the biggest fan of babies thanks to Death 13, but he melts when the twins, Jolyne and Jouta (fuck you, I love egg boy), are born from a surrogate mother.

Jouta is a born Stand user and Noriaki is having flashbacks. Nori’s trying his best to be a good parent, but, Lord, if Charmy Green hasn’t startled him every now and then.

Nori swears any other children they might have are going to be adopted and older than five because he really can’t take another experience with baby Stand users.

Hierophant Green and Star Platinum are sentient, conscient and they somtimes come out without being summoned. They’re a big help around the house, or then their users can’t snuggle but really want to.

They marry only a few years after Highschool.

They often hear “oh, you were so young!” and, honestly, after those two months going after a vampire to kill it, they really don’t feel young.

They both go on missions for SPW, but mostly missions that are too difficult for “regular” agents.

They have a family to look after and careers of their own, after all.

They go together to Morioh, kids left with grandma Holly.

Josuke has a small crush on Noriaki, those “I admire this person so much” types of crush.

Nori thinks it’s cute, Joot is not amused.

The crush goes away naturally as Josuke starts to spend more time with Okuyasu.

The couple kinda becomes the parents of the group.

Okuyasu and Nori get along very well, and Nori is the first to know about the boy’s crush on Josuke.

He successfully matchmakes them, of course.

In the end, Nori and Jotaro adopt Shizuka. 

Yes, he is aware he said they would adopt older children. Shut up.

Their relationship in two words: POWER COUPLE.

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh): Before His Birth, His Birth and His Childhood

The Prophet is Given to a Foster Mother

The universe, which rejoined its master was joyful. The heart of the Arabia, which harbored the person that would provide the heart of the humanity with light and peace, was very excited.

Makkah, in which the unmatched event of the universe took place, was so excited and joyful that it was as if it wanted to fly to the lofty realms.

Hazrat Amina was peaceful and jubilant. It was as if the sweet smiles of her lovely child were helping her to forget a tinge of the intense pain that she felt over her husband’s death. Her child was her only consolation that secured her hope for the future.

The fortunate Amina could only suckle her glorious child for week. After this, Abu Lahab’s handmaiden, Lady Suwayba became the wet nurse of the Master of the Universe and suckled him for days. 

Before that, Lady Suwayba had nourished Hazrat Hamza. In this way, she had attained the fortune and honor of being the means in joining the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his esteemed uncle as foster brothers.

The Master of the Universe (PBUH), who possessed such virtue and feelings of faithfulness, never forgot the smallest favors that people did for him, nor did he leave them unrequited. Throughout his entire life, he never forgot Lady Suwayba who nourished him for a period of time. He would frequently visit her and would always show her kindness, respect, and pay her compliments.

Yes, faithfulness was the foundation of good manners that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) brought to the face of the Earth. The smallest trace of ingratitude cannot be found in the immaculate and upright life of   our Beloved Messenger (PBUH).

At one point in time, Hazrat Khadija, who had taken lessons from the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) virtue and gratitude, wanted to purchase Lady Suwayba, who would frequently visit Hazrat Khadija’s home, for the purpose of setting her free; however, Abu Lahab did not lend himself to this idea. It was not until after the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) migration to Medina that Abu Lahab freed Lady Suwayba on his own. 

Abu Lahab was our Holy Prophet ‘s (PBUH) own paternal uncle. Afterwards he did not testify and admit to the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) Prophethood; he did not forsake being a pagan and did not refrain from his attempts in being our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) biggest enemy, either. For this reason, he incurred the wrath of Allah and did not earn a value that is equivalent to the nail of his slave, Lady Suwayba. In fact, it has been explained that because of Lady Suwayba, Abu Lahab has obtained a driblet of grace in the afterlife.

After his death, he was seen in a dream where he was found screaming in the severe punishment of hell. They asked him: “Why are you screaming? What is the matter?”

He answered: “What else could be the matter? The absence of water is making me burn! I never saw any good in my life, yet I did find one fortune: Because I set the woman, who nourished Muhammad, free, I have been spared the opportunity to absorb water and be watered” and as he said this, he showed his index finger (the finger that testifies faith). 

This incident is certainly a case in point. A ferocious enemy of Islam, like Abu Lahab, who did not refrain from oppressing, torturing, and insulting the Master of the Universe throughout his entire life, was the recipient of such beneficence and grace and a tinge of his punishment in hell was alleviated. This means that goodness done not only upon our Beloved Messenger PBUH, but also upon those who have served him, is also not left unrequited by God Almighty’s grace and beneficence.

In addition, one should think of the greatness in gifts, favors, and Divine endowments of the eternal realm that are awaiting those who have made the Master of the Universe (PBUH) their absolute imam and guide in every matter and the true believers who have felt honored to uphold his Sunnah on the Earth .

The Custom of Giving Babies to Wet Nurses

Mecca’s weather was hot and muggy. It did was not good for the children’s delicate nature and was not a favorable condition for a healthy upbringing. In the desert, the weather was nice, the water was sweet and clean, life was easy, and the climate was mild. Besides, some of the tribes that lived in the desert had a language and diction that was smooth and sharp. They maintained their nobility and practiced good conduct.

Based on this, the Qurayshi gentry and leading figures practiced the custom of handing their children over to the tribal women in the desert to be breastfed for a cost, so that their children could grow and be brought up under healthier conditions and to learn and speak a dialect of Arabic that was appropriate in its essential form. The child would remain with his/her wet nurse for 2-3 years, and sometimes even more.

For this reason, many tribes that lived in the uplands/prairies, Sa’d bin Bakr’s tribe in particular, would have a caravan of women go to Mecca a few times a year in which the women would take the newly-born infants with them to their homeland for the purpose of nourishment.

Among the tribes in the vicinity of Mecca, Sa’d bin Bakr’s tribe was the one that had acquired fame since it was distinguished for its honor, generosity, chivalry, humility, and speaking Arabic properly. For this reason, the leading figures of Quraysh mostly wanted to hand the custody of their children over to the women of this tribe.

The Arrival of the Women from Bani Bakr’s Tribe to Mecca

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) was being nourished by Lady Suwayba.

At that time, a strong drought was prevalent in the homeland of Sad’s sons although such a strong drought had not occurred till then. The drought resulted in a famine that left the tribal community poor and miserable. It was so bad that they had difficulty finding something to eat. Their camels and sheep had weakened and their milk had ceased.

During this year of intense famine and drought, the tribeswomen of the Bani Bakr had gone to Mecca in a crowded procession with the intention of finding a child to nourish and of obtaining a portion of their livelihood.

All of the women, with the exception of one extraordinary lady, had chosen a child who was appropriate for them. Strangely enough, none of them chose nor approached our Beloved Messenger (PBUH) because they thought they would not be able to obtain much money and help since he was an orphan.

There was only one woman who arrived late in Mecca. She was distinguished among her tribe for her decency, cleanliness, gentleness, and modesty. Due to their old and frail donkey, Halima and her husband had fallen behind the rest of the procession. When they entered Mecca, all of the newly-born Qurayshi children, with the exception of one very extraordinary infant, had been chosen by the women of the Bani Bakr tribe that were in the forefront.  With the fate and wisdom of the Possessor of the Absolute Power, Halima could not find anyone in need of nourishment.

Her husband, Harith, was sad, too. All of their friends shared the children of the wealthy families among themselves. She was the only one who was left empty-handed and it was only because she arrived late.

This virtuous woman, who now had a pale and sad countenance and was unaware of the plan that Divine fate had drawn for her, wandered the streets of Mecca with despair and the distress of not being able to find an appropriate fitting child.

Incidentally, she encountered an old man with a friendly face and who, through his presence, summoned the respect of his surroundings. This individual was Abdulmuttalib, the grandfather of the Master of the Universe (PBUH). They looked each other as if they had been looking to become the relief for their troubles. Then they began to engage in conversation:

Abdulmuttalib asked, “Where are you from?”

Halima: “I am a woman from the Bani Sa’d Tribe” (Sons of Fortune/Luck)

Abdulmuttalib: “What is your name?”

She answered, “Halima”.

Abdulmuttalib: “How wonderful! How wonderful!  Fortune and gentleness are two traits that carry the beneficence of this world and the honor and glory of the afterlife” After he said this, Abdulmuttalib took a deep breath and followed with: "Oh, Halima! I have an orphaned child next to me. I offered him to the women of the Sons of Sa’d but they did not accept him. Come and be the wet nurse of this child. Maybe you will attain prosperity, wealth, and fortune for taking care of him”.

At first, Halima became hesitant upon hearing this unexpected offer. However, she did not want to return to her homeland empty-handed. For this reason, she overcame her hesitation and accepted the offer from within. Nevertheless, she did not want to disclose her answer without first asking and receiving permission from her husband. She immediately returned to her husband and after she explained everything to him she said, “I was unable to find a child to nourish. I do not favor going back empty-handed among my friends. By God, I am going to take that orphan”.

Her husband, Harith, supported her view and said, “There is no harm in taking him. Perhaps Allah will endow us with prosperity and blessings thanks to him”. 

Upon this, they returned to Abdulmuttalib.

Abdulmuttalib took Halima to Hazrat Amina’s modest home which the Beloved Prophet (PBUH) illuminated.

Halima went to our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) bedside. Our lovely Master (PBUH) was wrapped in a white fabric made from wool and was sleeping soundly on a blanket of green yarn. The surrounding smelled like musk!

Halima was in a state of amazement. She immediately warmed up to this child so much that she could not bear to wake him up!

The cloud of gloom and anguish had left Halima. She was so happy that it was as if she was walking on air. It was such a great bliss to have suddenly come across an infant of excessive beauty after squirming in the distress of not being able to find a child.

Halima could not resist anymore. She neared the Master of the Universe’s (PBUH) bedside very closely and slightly lifted the corner of his blanket. With a mother’s love and compassion, she kissed his forehead and hands that smelled like roses and that were softer than cotton and as white as snow.

At that moment, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) opened his eyes and replied to Halima’s kisses with a sweet smile. They got along with one another.

While one of them was in despair because of not being able to find a child, worn out, and downhearted, the other was a radiant orphan who had been rejected by the women. Fate had filled both of their worlds with happiness.

[yoificfinder]

Any recs for the best omegaverses?

Hi nonnie~, preference is subjective so I don’t know about “best”, but here are some a/b/o stories I really enjoy(ed) reading:

a covenant with a blazing star series by @seventhstar [G to E, 56K] *WIP

The A/B/O Regency marriage of convenience AU no one actually wanted.

In which the reclusive and highly respectable Lord Yuuri Katsuki is offered fifty thousand pounds if he remains married to poor, scandalous trademan’s son Viktor Nikiforov for a year. Desperate for funds, he accepts.

It’s only one year, after all. What’s the worst that could happen?

A Silhouette of Three by Anna (arctic_grey) / @finleighsaid [E, 21K]

Yuuri and Viktor are aiming for a third consecutive Grand Prix gold as the new skating season rolls around. Halfway through the qualifiers, however, Yuuri realises that he’s pregnant. He can either tell Viktor, who he knows would freak out and demand that he withdraw from the Grand Prix, or he can keep his mouth shut, keep his mate at bay, and win the gold that he’s worked so hard for.

Easier said than done.

Black Ink by Anonymous1313 [Not Rated, 60K] *WIP

Being together was what nature had dictated them to be. Alpha and omega. Their families had thought so too, agreeing to marry them to one another once they were old enough. A joyous union between the Nikiforovs and the Katsukis.

But Viktor had decided that they would not be controlled by what their parents had set out for the both of them at a time in the past when neither he nor Yuuri even knew the other existed.

“I was hoping as soon as you turn eighteen, you’d… sign the termination contract.”

Because after all, he and Yuuri were no good for each other.

...Right?

--

"If… if that's what you really want."

 "It is. I'm sorry."

By Any Name by @kiaronna [T, 7K]

Makkachin pounces, and the white paper bag spills from Yuuri’s hand onto the floor of Yu-topia’s entryway. A printed out medical prescription—and two bottles of what are unmistakably heat suppressants.

“Beta,” is all Viktor can croak as Yuuri stops kissing Makkachin’s head enough to start unceremoniously scooping the mess back into the bag. “But you’re a beta?”

“Hmm?” Yuuri says, eyes flicking to the pill label, “oh, these are for Mari.”

“I see,” Viktor replies, gathering himself together enough to sweetly wink at his student, “Mari.”

Yuuri just squints at him, tilts his head. “Yes, that’s what I said?”

Viktor Nikiforov is convinced his student has a massive, sexy secret, and will not be swayed (or distracted)! He will be supportive! Even when the evidence isn’t lining up…

Choice by ayn2390 [E, 5K]

“Look, it’s a shitty world for Omegas, kid. I’m not going to pretend it’s not. You can either make the best of it or–” she waves her hand, beer sloshing in the bottle “–give up on it. That’s the one thing you have a choice in.”

don’t call me baby (unless you mean it) by sparklespiff [E, 9K] *Yuuri/Victor/Yuri

When Yuri got home that night, he couldn’t help himself. He lifted the fabric to his face and inhaled. Their scents had faded a little, but it still smelled like Victor and Yuuri, mixed with his own scent. This was what it would smell like if he were theirs. If they were his. This was what it would smell like every day, if he lived in a world where they wanted him. He took another deep sniff– champagne and fresh ice and saltwater and metal and Yuri– and then, instead of throwing it in the wash like he should have, he brought the hoodie with him to bed.

He wore it the next day, and if anybody noticed that he smelled like Victor and Katsudon, they didn’t say anything.

Or:

Yuri has a hopeless crush. (spoiler alert: it’s not hopeless)

hold me tender, hold me sweet by @crossroadswrite [M, 9K]

Here are a couple of things to have in consideration about the scenario Victor finds himself in:

1. Yuuri is wearing three different pairs of very soft looking socks because his feet are very cold, a pair of boxers, Victor’s blanket and nothing else

2. Victor’s never actually helped another omega through a heat. He’s barely had enough heats to know what he’s doing, choosing to supress them until his doctor’s lips were a thin line and they started talking about impact on his performance and making the supressants less effective. There wasn’t really anyone around when he had to have his heats, so it’s not like he even has the experience of watching others do

3. Yuuri’s room smells like sex, strawberry candy and energy drinks

4. Victor likes Yuuri very, very much and he has no idea what to do with himself around him most of the time

(OR: what if heats sucked a little bit and you just cuddled a lot and also being touch starved made you physically ill?)

my feelings, this love for you series by crossroadswrite [T to E, 7K]

a/b/o AU where Yuuri is a dog groomer omega and Victor is a dog clothes designer omega

My Name On Your Lips by @feels-like-fire [E, 108K]

Yuuri Katsuki has been betrothed to the High King's son, Victor, since he was just a child; furthermore, as an omega, he's forbidden from practicing magic in combat. For years, he's been able to put off the former because the Prince was traveling abroad, and gotten around the latter by practicing with his mentor in secret.

Now Victor Nikiforov has finally returned home, and Yuuri is being summoned to the capital for their wedding. He needs a plan to put off marriage long enough to find a way to break the betrothal, while keeping his practicing from being discovered.

If only the Prince didn't have other ideas.

(Or, the swords-and-sorcery arranged marriage AU. Updates weekly.)

Panta Rhei by Kashoku [E, 93.8K]

This was a mistake. Viktor needed to somehow pry Yuuri off of him and leave the room immediately. Viktor was drunk, and Yuuri was so far beyond gone that there wasn’t even a word for it. But the alpha in Viktor was having an incredibly difficult time resisting the pungent scent of cherry blossoms and ocean that filled his nose. Viktor snapped.

They had been reckless.

Take Care by @burningphoenixwings [T, 2K]

Yuuri Katsuki is an alpha.

He hates it.

Growing up, he never thought he’d present as anything. Classmates would talk about what they wanted to be — in hushed tones, since it wasn’t considered a polite subject for children—and could spend hours discussing why they were so sure they were an alpha or how this one thing that happened this one time definitely meant they were an omega.

Yuuri just wanted biology to leave him alone.

Those Three Words by @azriona [M, 31K]

Their one night of passion in Sochi left Victor Nikiforov with a bit more of a souvenir than either he or Yuuri Katsuki bargained for. Oops?

To Hold, To Have Universe series by @jaeger-babe [E, 41K] *WIP

Summary of the first fic in the series

Yuuri pulls the sheets back over himself, despite his burning skin. “My heat has come early, is all.”

“Oh!” Minami gasps, wringing his hands and suddenly looking hopelessly lost. “Should I get Lord Nikiforov for you?”

“No!” Yuuri says sharply. The fear of his Lord Husband seeing him in his heated state far outweighs any guilt he feels for yelling at his servant. “Minami, you are not to tell Lord Nikiforov that I’m in heat!”

Unintentionally Yours by articas_ursula [T, 77K] *WIP

Yuri foolishly barges in right before Yuuri’s heat starts; Victor attacks him, thinking Yuri wants to steal his mate; Yuuri nearly kills Victor for harming “their pup”; Yuri just wants his skates back.

In the present, the three grow as a family while in the past, Victor faces the events of Yuri On Ice with an ABO twist.

You Can’t Plan for Everything by RivDev [E, 168.8K] *WIP

Yuuri forgets that he has a scheduled heat coming up until it’s just a couple weeks away. He scrambles to get everything ready in time, including deciding whether he’ll spend it alone or with someone. Victor only wants to help.

@alykapediaaa’s a/b/o fics in their like an overripe fruit series [M to E, 8K]

@dreaming-fireflies’ Three Prompts AU Collection, some of which are set in omegaverse [M, ?]

@yukipri ’s Future!Verse ABO AU, a multi-media (art, comics, headcanons) Yuuri-centric polyamory (with Victor, Yuri, Phichit, Minami, Chris, and Otabek) a/b/o AU. Mostly domestic fluff with OC children. [G to M, ?]

---

ETA - Other people's rec:

The Art of Scraping Through by fuzzycatsandgoofyhats, IncandescentAntelope

Thanks for the rec, @alistairvt! ❤

[pantheum]

Introducing:

series: bnha.

full name: rania ashraf. nicknames: nia. ran. hero name: puppet master. “puppet”. etymology: rania means “delightful” in egyptian and “noble” in norse. ashraf is an egyptian arabic surname meaning “most noble, most honored”.

ethnicity: egyptian. nationality: japanese. though ethnically egyptian, she was born in japan. language: egyptian arabic, japanese, english.

quirk: shadow possession. the ability to blend into the shadows and corner her targets. one look into her eyes when her quirk is activated will turn control of her opponent’s body over to her. they become awash in darkness and blind to the world around them. this lack of light forces the brain to generate images of what it believes is happening around it. by triggering signals in the brain, rania can orchestrate false scenarios that coerce those she “possesses” into acting in line with her wishes. these signals can also include immense pain.

even without possession, she has proven to be a difficult opponent in the cover of darkness. the ability to manipulate light is one she earned from her mother, but to a lesser degree, and she is only able to trick her opponents into believing the area around them is darker than it may actually be. she must actually “possess” her opponent in order to produce her “illusions” in the mind.

if her eyes can’t be seen in the capture stage, her quirk will fail. shadow possession is strongest at sunrise, early morning, and sunset. there are already enough shadows and enough light present at these times for her to effectively capture her opponents without any added effort put into tricking them. those she successfully possesses are noted to seem to have had their own shadow taken and turned against them.

additional abilities: cloaking oneself in shadows, manipulating shadows, shadow solidification, blocking out light, small illusions, night vision.

ultimate abilities:

eclipse: an ability that turns the surrounding area dark to the point that one cannot see their nose in front of them. this serves as more of a support ability in a scenario that calls for either seizure or assassination.

umbrakinetic blades - alpha: a set of two bladed weapons crafted from darkness that are summoned and used in close combat.

umbrakinetic blades - beta: bladed weapons crafted from darkness that are summoned in order to encircle foe(s) and are released to strike them. the amount of weapons she can form depends on the amount of natural darkness present. her current minimum is four in standard conditions.

erebos blast: her body becomes charged with darkness and a destructive blast is released from her palms.

class: 3-A. affiliation: UA.

personality:

a third-year at UA who seems to take much joy in toying with and manipulating others, even when not making use of her quirk. the nature of her quirk requires her to be crafty, observant, and already have a wealth of knowledge at her disposal in order to properly manipulate her opponents. this leads to her often hiding among the shadows and eavesdropping on conversations, or spending much time reading or watching documentaries. this makes her particularly good at reconnaissance. 

though she certainly doesn’t attempt to actually ruin lives with the information she collects, her mere presence is enough to make people uncomfortable as they don’t know what she may know about them. rightly so, most are afraid to get on her bad side. regardless, rania makes an irreplaceable ally. in the end, the woman believes in the protection of the public

by the time she is a pro hero, she is ranked on the list of heroes that look like villains.

historia:

rania ashraf is the product of a quirk marriage between pro heroes “shadow walker” / aharon ashraf, a man able to turn himself into shadows and craft weapons from the darkness, and “mirage” / isis ashraf, a woman with the ability to manipulate the light around her to create illusions. when rania was conceived, her parents had already moved to japan, thus making rania a japanese citizen once she was born. rather than return to egypt, her parents chose to remain in japan as they preferred the quality of life there more and hoped to one day enroll her in the UA hero course that the both of them had graduated from.

the idea for the marriage had been her mother’s, and also became one of accumulated wealth given the deep pockets of her family and her husband’s. following the mysterious suicide of the woman’s father-in-law and rania’s grandfather, the entirety of aharon’s family’s wealth was entrusted to them as per the conditions of the note his father left behind. as a result, rania lives a life of privilege, though that is not something that is apparent from her behavior. it typically only shows itself in her manner of casual dress and her large amount of resources and her connections to heroes.

by the time of the end of her third year, she will have collected much information on her mother’s crimes from the shadows, leading to her hero license being revoked and the woman then being placed into a high detail facility for superpowered criminals. 

her dark appearance, as compared to her mother’s “light” and innocent look, leads her to come under suspicion following the case and countless times thereafter. she’d always appeared to be a villain, possessed the abilities that one may have, and was raised by a criminal mother; it only made sense that she should join the league of villains. 

but despite all expectations, this modern day hatshepsut stands as a defender of justice.

[matthew-trs]

History of Lazberia, Part 4: Biographical Information

I changed my mind regarding what I wanted to cover next. You might want to take another look again at Part 3; it’s been heavily revised quite a bit, which was necessary after realizing I’d gotten the order of events wrong: the Raze Empire allied with the Western Powers before the Apostle’s Oracle, not after it.

Today’s subjects will be biographical in nature. I also decided to move the fate of the Leian royalty to here rather than awkwardly squeeze it into the previous section.

Do be warned that the section on Anastasia/Friedrich/Arcturus has massive spoilers. (The other sections are spoiler-free.)

Bernstol

Reese’s father Bernstol was the third son of a royal knight, born in 571 VAC in a small village in the northern reaches of the Kingdom of Veria. As a child, he was thoughtful and mature, and he had a natural talent for swordplay. At age 15, he left home and traveled the countryside supporting himself as a freelance mercenary. He was hired by backwater towns and villages to ward of pirate attacks, typically after all other mercenary bands had abandoned the area due to the great risk involved. But even with such high-risk, low-reward jobs, he fulfilled them to his best ability.

He gained quite a reputation among the local people, who were fascinated with his eagerness, honesty, and dependability. It was in this period that he first met Ward, who was a guard at a border fortress. Bernstol also became friends with Prince Marius of Riana, who hired him during a tumultuous time in Riana’s history. It was also around this time that his best friend, a fellow mercenary in his group, fell in battle, leaving behind his young son Elbert, who Bernstol vowed to look after.

Bernstol’s reputation grew and grew, reaching even the ears of King Harmel VII, who was so impressed that he appointed Bernstol’s unit to be his direct subordinates. Bernstol did his best to politely decline the king’s offer, but after much urging, he became the captain of the king’s palace guards at age 26 (597 VAC). It was around this time that Bernstol met and married his wife.

And three years later, shortly before Harmel’s death, in recognition of his achievements--and not to mention being the king’s personal champion who had won victory in the annual Berwick League’s jousting tournament three years running--Bernstol was made a full-fledged knight of the kingdom. He was gifted a small castle land near the capital and named its lord, and he used his newfound influence to arranged that that his dependable acquaintance from years before, Ward, be reassigned from the borderlands to his own soldiers. Bernstol’s only son, Reese, was also born this year.

During his time as a lord, Bernstol’s direct superior was King Harmel’s Domestic Minister Padolf (the elder brother of the “Padolf” who appears in-game), with whom he did not see eye-to-eye. On one occasion, Padolf was harassing a young maid on the palace grounds, and Bernstol, filled with rage, struck him violently to stop him.

Padolf, who was of weak constitution, was severely injured, and it was expected that Bernstol would be executed for insubordination and assaulting a nobleman. However, he was pardoned by Prince Mordias (who had never cared much for Padolf in the first place), and while Bernstol was allowed to keep his peerage, his lordship was revoked. Instead, he and his soldiers were assigned to serve directly under Mordias.

During the Berwick Civil War, Bernstol and company were the key players that allowed Mordias to emerge victorious at the Battle of Sevall River. King Carloman of Leia had sandwiched himself in a naturally defensive position between the Sevall River and the Sergia Plateaus, creating a makeshift but nigh impenetrable line of troops by spanning the narrow pass. Bernstol, being familiar with the area and anticipating that Carloman would make his stand there, got Mordias’s permission and hid with this men on the slopes of Sergia, overlooking the Eastern camp from far above.

Mordias’s and Carloman’s armies clashed furiously the first day of the battle, and thousands of lives were lost. After the Leians retreated to their camp, Bernstol made his move. In the dim light of early morning, he charged down the slopes in an ambush, overwhelming the exhausted Leian army. Though he suffered many injuries himself, in all the confusion, Bernstol managed to make his way into the camp’s headquarters and slit Carloman’s throat himself. In recognition of his success, Mordias honored Bernstol by granting him land once more, naming him the first Margrave of Sinon.

Up until that point, the March of Sinon had been known as the Sinon Territory, an unincorporated frontier inhabited solely by indigenous pastoral tribes. Although it and the rest of the Barmoar Region had come nominally part of the Crown Lands half a century before, it was untamed and unwelcoming. The native horse-riding people of Sinon, who were proud and unyielding, had rebelled and killed all previously appointed governors. Harmel VII had deemed it a lost cause and left peacekeeping in the area to the discretion of the neighboring Duchy of Serenia. The Duke of Serenia in those days, Louvet, had also decided to simply leave the tribes alone.

Therefore, when Mordias decided to have Bernstol attempt to fully incorporate the land into a new fifth march of Veria, the entire kingdom expected him to fail and run away. But Mordias believed that if anyone could control those incorrigible aborigines, it was Bernstol.

Bernstol was determined to succeed at the task that had been set for him. As soon as he arrived, he summoned the tribal chiefs and asked each for his tribe’s laws and conditions for vassalage. He accepted all that were possible, and established a basic code of laws to which all in Sinon agreed to be bound. To form his new government, he appointed many young people from the various tribes as civil servants and military personnel. With Duke Louvet of Serenia’s assistance, he also undertook an effort to assess the conditions of the whole land, distributing food and livestock to the impoverished.

Through these measures, the once-rebellious people of Sinon slowly grew to trust their new margrave. At the time that Bernstol’s son Reese was sent to Narvia, his was a rich and stable--albeit rather small--country.

Due to his position close to Mordias (occupationally) and the penal colony in the March of Mineva (geographically), Bernstol was also able to secretly assist Paramythis and the other members of the Shining Knights during the latter days of the Civil War, as well as ensuring that the exiled Prince Bernard was not badly mistreated.

At the time of King Volcens’s call to arms, Bernstol was too ill to answer, hence why he sent his son Reese in his stead. Later, after recovering, he would assist on the northwestern front alongside his confidant Bernard.

Ferianne and Enid

On Martius 10, 604 VAC, Leia Palace fell to the Raze Army. During the storming of the palace, Ferianne’s husband Bengrion Goddegram used his own body as a shield to protect his wife and sister-in-law. He was an elite soldier of the Church of Veria, an officer in their military corps, Shining Knights. It was said that he was 28 years old.

Ferianne wished to share the same heroic fate as her husband, but doing so would mean abandoning her sister and her children to their death--not to mention (as she later realized) her unborn child as well. Ferianne, Artemia, Anastasia, and Friedrich escaped north into the mountainous wilderness, but it was a grueling journey, and the four of them eventually got separated during an ambush by their Razite pursuers. Ferianne collapsed to do fatigue and anemia, and Anastasia and Friedrich were captured by the Raze Army. [What happened to Artemia isn’t mentioned here.]

However, Ferianne was rescued by a passing hunter and brought to the mountain village of Tasbury in northern Leia. There, despite difficulties with her harsh pregnancy (and later childbirth), she gathered her compatriots and formed a resistance movement, led by herself and her brother King Alecto.

In the village of Tasbury, Ferianne gave birth to her daughter Enid on Novembris 604 VAC. This was after the Apostle’s death and Mordias’s subsequent declaration of war--meaning the Raze Army retreated, giving them a brief respite. However, Mordias had instructed the armies of Duke Roswick of Narvia to put down the remnants of the Eastern Powers, and he marched on Tasbury two months after Enid’s birth, in Ianuarius 605.

King Alecto was captured and forced to surrender, and the Tasbury resistance was beaten. Ferianne, still in a weakened state to her particularly harsh childbirth, knew that she would be captured if she did not flee, but she could not guarantee the safety of her newborn Enid during her escape. For the sake of her daughter, she met with Duke Roswick personally, who was a kind man who understood her plight. Ferianne entrusted Enid to him, and he secretly urged her to flee into the Northern Lands, where the harsh winters served as a natural deterrent against Mordias’s wrathful ambitions.

Ferianne escaped into Riana, where King Marius graciously agreed to hide her. She stayed there for a brief time serving as the wetnurse of his daughter Aegina, but soon, rumors began to spread and she left for the rural parts of the country. She came to a city of outlaws called Myfelle. There, years later, she rescued an orphan boy with magical talent who’d been captured by rogues--a boy named Perceval, whom she adopted herself.

As for Enid, Duke Roswick kept his word, and he decided to entrust her to his daughter Catherine, who was childless. Catherine was married to the Duke of the Lowland, Mikhail Warrenheit, and so Enid was brought up as their own daughter, Enid Warrenheit. No one in the Lowland even suspected that Enid was not their child. She was loved by her foster parents and wanted for nothing, growing up into a gentle and lovely girl.

Anastasia, Friedrich, and Arcturus [MAJOR SPOILERS]

When Anastasia (14 y.o.) and Friedrich (11 y.o.) were captured by the Raze Army (Martius 604 VAC ≈ Eanair 631 RAC), they were fortunate that their captors were unaware of their true identities. As such, Anastasia made up false identities false names for the two of them; they were Spica and Zephyrus, two commoners from the Kingdom of Pesil. “Zephyrus” was placed into the Empire’s janissary program, where he was raised in the arts of war until he was of age.

During Zephyrus’s training, he met a fellow slave who had once been an influential aristocrat’s son, but whose family had been killed in a political feud against Pope Urbanus and Imperial Prince Pfeizal. On one occasion, this boy was being flogged severely during training and was on the verge of death, but Zephyrus begged the abusers to stop, and the boy was spared.

As for Anastasia (”Spica”), she became a domestic slave in the house of a wealthy merchant for a handful of weeks. This merchant was a kind person, and he turned a blind eye to Spica’s efforts to keep in contact with her brother. On occasion, he even bribed the military trainers so that the two of them--and later the three of them, when Zephyrus’s friend was included--could meet and take short vacations. Together, the three of them vowed that they would one day escape from the Empire together. Spica gave Zephyrus’s friend the name “Arcturus,” since he was forbidden by his captors to use his birth name.

However, their plot was soon interrupted when Spica accompanied her master on a visit to the Temple of Raze, where she was recognized as a Princess Anastasia of Leia and Veria. She was imprisoned for a short time, but when she was brought before Emperor Cleiman himself, he was smitten with her beauty, and he arranged for her to become his wife, Empress Anastasia of Raze.

Anastasia gave birth to her first and only child, Imperial Prince Manaris, later that year; soon after (in the same year, RAC 631), the elderly Emperor Cleiman VI died, making the newborn Manaris the next emperor, regnal name Emperor Cleiman VII. This inconvenient appearance and subsequent inheritance of a child of Cleiman VI infuriated Prince Pfeizal (his nephew), who for decades had been the heir apparent to the throne.

With Anastasia now the Empress, Zephyrus and Arcturus’s plan was put on permanent hiatus, and they instead devoted themselves to helping her in any way possible. They began to embrace their training, quickly becoming their overseers’ favorites, and they were eventually granted their freedom and named generals in the Raze Army. Everything they did was for each other, and for Anastasia’s and Manaris’s sake.

When the armies of the Berwick League invaded near the Imperial Capital of Leoglard in 610 VAC, Zephyrus was the one who pushed them back to Ft. Sakiria. After years of sieging the fort, he eventually captured it as well, and due to his (false) identity as a Pesilian commoner, he gained much support among the citizens of the Eastern Three, who were already thoroughly dissatisfied with Veria after the Civil War and being on the border of the Raze-Berwick conflict. It was thanks to this popular support that Zephyrus continued to be so successful, eventually taking his revenge on Mordias himself, killing him in battle in 616 VAC.

When Pfeizal led his coup d’état against Emperor Manaris in Februarius 620 VAC, he was met by Zephyrus and his army at the Battle of Thiedlitz. Zephyrus, despite being outnumbered 60000 to 30000, achieved an overwhelming victory, and Pfeizal was killed by his own men as they fled from his side.

After the war, when Manaris’s and Anastasia’s safety were secured, Arcturus was named the Prime Minister of the Empire. He produced no heirs nor amassed any sort of fortune, instead focusing his whole effort on supporting his young emperor. On his deathbed at the unfortunately young age of 42, he declined advanced treatments and refused a large state funeral. He passed away in silence in the arms of his sole caretaker, Empress Anastasia.

Zephyrus, on the other hand, resigned from the army and wandered across the continent after the war. However, after years of persuasion by Arcturus and his brother King Bernard, he eventually returned to his homeland of Leia, where he succeeded the vacant throne. A year later, he married a beautiful and noble woman, the daughter of a Pesilian aristocrat.

His friendship with Arcturus never faltered in life, but when Arcturus died, he did not attend any mourning. Instead, he mourned privately with his queen. As for why this was the case, no one knows for sure. Some say he must have understood that it was the way Arcturus would’ve wanted it.

Later, the Eastern Three united under the banner of the Leian King, and the continent of Lazberia celebrated the entrance to a new peaceful era of three great superpowers: Veria, Leia, and Raze.

Next(?) Time - The Raze-Berwick conflict, up until Berwick Saga

[johneburton]

Leaving The Church? It Must Be The Pastor’s Fault. People are leaving the church in droves, and most fingers are pointed at the senior pastor. Triggered. That’s the best way to describe a lot of people when the topic of “going to church” is brought up. You see, there’s a group of ex-church goers who are so angered by their previous church experiences, that any suggestion of support of the local church triggers them. I’ve had interactions with many people who tense up the moment I start a discussion about the church and the importance of being rightly aligned and connected with leadership. Let me be clear: I’m a fierce advocate of the local church. I’m also a passionate visionary. I see well beyond the current structure and I regularly rock the boat and challenge systems, motives and traditions that exist within the local church. I believe we should stay connected, submitted and tender hearted within the church while we are, with wisdom and honor, advocating for reformation. Sadly, many who share my passion for revolution within the church have gone the route of abdication, accusation and hibernation. They have abandoned their post while pointing fingers at pastors and leaders who didn’t measure up to their standards. They end up spiritualizing their decision to stop going to church so they can, as they say, “be the church.” The problem? You can’t be the church if you don’t go to church. I dealt with that in my article: You are NOT the church : The scattering movement. I also address the abandonment of the church in my book Covens in the Church. People are leaving assignments and putting the church at great risk. It’s a movement of witchcraft and rebellion in the name of God. A key reason why people are so disenchanted with the church is simple: Their expectations of what pastors are supposed to do and how the church is supposed to function are wrong. MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE ROLE OF PASTOR AND THE CHURCH THE PASTOR IS SUPPOSED TO BE MY CLOSE, PERSONAL FRIEND There are many disappointed people who expected the pastor of the church they once attended to become a close, personal friend. While it’s true that pastors will have friends, and it’s possible to be counted among them, that should not be the goal or the expectation. In fact, it’s a bit ludicrous to presume the pastor has to squeeze time, emotional energy and attention to you into his very busy and important life. The pastor’s role is not to be your close, personal bud. It’s to be a faithful leader and to watch out for your soul. Stop and think about this for a moment. Do you have unlimited time and energy to give to literally everyone who chooses you as their new friend? How would you do it? Would you go out to lunch with them every day? What about hundreds of others who have the same demands? It simply doesn’t make sense. We need to honestly understand just why pastors may choose not to be your close, personal friend. Here are a few: His mandate is mostly to pray and study the Word. 1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:1-4 (ESV) It’s concerning today that pastors, instead of spending loads of time on their knees and in the Word, are being pulled in every direction to visit people in the hospital, meet with visitors, answer the phone at all hours of the night and meet the needs of everybody in the church. One of my favorite stories about Mike Bickle of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City brings clarity to this point. A person of great influence was flying through Kansas City and wanted to meet with Mike during his layover. Mike was unavailable. The layover was during Mike’s daily scheduled prayer time. He politely declined the meeting. We need a new breed of leader that will install a team who will take care of the people and then focus on meeting with God, getting wrecked in his presence, gaining powerful revelation in the Word and, as a result, stand behind the pulpit with fire in their eyes and a tremble in their spirit. He may not have sufficient time or emotional energy to invest in another close relationship. Related to the point above, pastors are busy. Really busy. Even those who lead small churches can’t be expected to be best friends with everybody. I’ve heard people say that if they can’t be close friends with all, they should resign from ministry. Ridiculous. Further, do you know how many ministry families are being torn apart because of the pastor having absolutely unreal, unnecessary demands placed on them? Burnout is real. Pastor’s kids are often neglected. Pastor’s wives often live with great resentment against the church and those who are crushing her husband under the weight of their demands. This study by Robin Dunbar is revealing: Is there a limit to how many people you can actually be friends with at a time? According to psychologists, the answer is yes. A study by Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary psychologist at University of Oxford, shows the average person can only manage five close relationships at a time. So, if your church has more than five people attending, chances are the pastor simply won’t have room for another close friend. He may not like you. This one may sting. I’m confident you don’t have a blast hanging out with everybody. You have your favorites. So do pastors. It’s natural. It’s normal. Your personalities might not match. You might be clingy, weird, co-dependent, high maintenance or unbalanced. He'll be most effective ministering to you from afar. This doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. It doesn’t mean you can’t be friend at a less intimate level. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about you. He just isn’t going to take you on vacation or hang out in his PJ’s watching football with you. You have yet to prove yourself or invest in the ministry. Smart leaders will invest mostly in those who have proven themselves faithful. Jesus devoted himself to twelve, and then at a closer level to three. Pastors will hang with those who share his vision, who are fierce defenders of the church and who don’t exhibit selfish tendencies. The pastor has a serious call of God to lead the church into an impossible vision, and he needs people around him who will empower that vision. If you are dead weight, they will love you, pray for you and do their best to awaken you, but they won’t—and shouldn’t—be close friends with you. God told him not to get too close to you. There have been a number of people over the last two plus decades of ministry that I was specifically warned about. God told me not to befriend them. Some had devious intentions. Others would be a time-suck. Others would want to be inappropriately close to my family and me. Healthy boundaries were necessary. Sometimes, my wife would be the one to wave the red flag of warning about an individual. It’s always wise to listen to a discerning spouse! And, often, God didn’t tell me exactly why I should keep my distance. I simply had to obey. Other reasons God may keep you from a close personal relationship with your pastor abound. God may want you in a desert season. He may want you to pass the test of rejection. He may want you more focused on God than man. The list goes on and on. You would be better served connecting with others in the church. While a pastor’s charisma and maturity may be appealing, they may not be the best fit for friendship. It would be best to honor their role in your life as teacher, intercessor and leader while enjoying deep relationships with a few others in the church. The fit would simply be much better. You wouldn't be able to handle his strong leadership in a close relationship. Good leaders will slice and dice you in love, challenge you to the extremity of your limits and rebuke you, again in love, for deficiencies that are ignored. Most people can’t handle such a direct approach. Their skin isn’t thick enough. A well known, influential senior pastor of a huge mega-church met with my wife and me in his office one day. I had ministered with him in prayer events and, while we were not close friends by any means, we were friends. He had access to my life. At this particular meeting, he reached into my soul, pulled it out and threw it against the wall. He challenged me. He was very direct and the meeting was extremely upsetting. My wife cried on the way home—and several times thereafter. We were rocked, but we took his counsel to heart. I didn’t know if I agreed with everything, and I felt he was quite harsh about simple philosophical differences. I was troubled. The next week we had another scheduled meeting. We were anxious to see him again in hopes of asking some questions and gaining clarity. We were also a bit uptight as we didn’t now what else he may challenge us with. To our surprise he looked me in my eye and simply said, “You passed the test.” Then he hugged me. He went on to explain that he was intentionally pushing me to my limit, challenging things he knew I held dear in ministry and wanted to see how I’d respond. He said other pastors and leaders have stomped out of his office in pride and indignation after similar confrontations. Though I admittedly was angry after the first meeting, I also understand that’s the culture within structures led by leaders with strong personalities and cutting-edge leadership abilities. He is mostly focused on connecting with his leaders, who, in turn, train others to connect with the body. Pastors should be spending most of their time and energy on a small number of leaders, not the entire body. Those leaders will then multiply what they received into others. Do you think Moses could be best buds with every one of the millions who left Egypt? That’s ridiculous. It’s also unnecessary. There’s a better way to ensure people in the church are connected. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.” Exodus 18:18-23 (ESV) THE CHURCH IS SUPPOSED TO MOSTLY FOCUS ON MEETING MY NEEDS This possibly may be the most destructive belief about the local church. People who are disenchanted about the church are usually upset that their needs haven’t been met. In fact, for many it’s a strange thing to hear that the church isn’t mostly their for them. They to be there for the church. Churches should not be started in the hopes of drawing in people and simply ministering to them. But, this is the extent of the vision of many church planters and pastors. Churches should be started when there’s a powerful, God-given vision for advance. For example, if God speaks to a man about transformation and revival in a certain city, it might make sense to start a church and gather the laborers. Those laborers will be trained for the sake of running the specific race God has given that church. Yes, churches should absolutely reach out to widows and orphans. They should be centers of healing. When there are needs, the church should do what it can to help (though, it can’t always help in every way at all times). That being said, those who have been trained, healed and equipped should understand the church needs them as laborers, as intercessors, as financial givers and as champions of the vision. Most of the spiritual needs we have don’t require the involvement of the pastor. We can easily grow in the Word on our own. We can seek out deliverance through others. We can learn to lean more on God than man. If our churches were strong militaries where everyone signed up to give to the mission instead of making demands, the world would be turned upside down. RELATIONSHIPS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING If there one thing that troubles me, it’s when people gather together in the church to meet with friends and then lose passion when they are called to invest in the vision. I’ve seen this happen many times. People who want to connect relationally will stay involved until that well runs dry. Then, the pastor and leadership are accused of not having a loving church or facilitating friendships. While relationships are important, they aren’t the goal. The pastor’s job isn’t to develop a friendship club. The mission of intercession and Kingdom advance should be their focus. I heard a story, again about IHOPKC, that speaks to this. Long ago, they instituted small groups. They started to flourish as people focused on developing relationships and satisfying that desire to make friends. That’s good. However, the primary, foundational purpose of IHOPKC was compromised. The main reason the ministry was founded was to gather people to pray and worship night and day. The prayer room started to empty as the small groups grew. They put an end to the small groups. It wasn’t until years later that they reinstituted them using a different model, one that ensured the small groups empowered the prayer room instead of threatening it. This is one reason many churches today focus on small groups, visitor assimilation, pot lucks and connecting events—as the call to prayer goes silent. That’s what will fill the church, and kill the very reason we are to gather in the first place. To pray. Prayer is to be the main thing in every church. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” Mark 11:17 (ESV) WE SHOULD ALL BE ALLOWED TO MINISTER DURING THE SERVICE 26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 1 Corinthians 14:26 (ESV) This is the famous verse many disgruntled people use when they share their frustrations about the church. They want to minister in the service and they don’t like just sitting there and listening to one person teach. They attempt to spiritualize their irritation. This argument is often a manifestation of a spirit of rejection. Their ministry has not been given a place and they took offense. As one who has led churches for years I don’t apologize for disallowing certain people from ministering in the service. My role is to protect the sheep. If someone desires to minister, but it’s from a wounded heart, it can do great damage. But, let’s leave that alone for a moment and deal with the context of the passage. Shortly after Pentecost, the early church had, as some estimate, over 10,000 Christians. There would be, of course, no way for all of them to teach a lesson or deliver a message in tongues, and then wait for an interpretation. It’s impossible. The reality is there were two complimentary expressions of the church, the large group meeting and the small group meeting. In the small group meeting, spiritual gifts could be exercised. A variety of people could share a message. Various songs could be sung. However, this is not the only expression of the church. In fact, I’d argue the large meeting just might be the most important. This is where God’s ordained leader would gather the people and bring mature, focused instruction. In fact, the Ekklesia best defines the large group meeting. It’s a secular term that indicates a governmental gathering where leadership gives instructions to the people. Paul did this. Peter did this. God reveals key information to pastors and leaders regarding the mission of the church, the culture, the hour and the resistance of the enemy. The pastor must then have the attention of the people so they can rightly respond. WE AREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE SPECTATORS Let’s deal with this two ways. First, I believe at times we absolutely are to be spectators, meaning, we sit at attention and listen carefully to the teaching. We can’t diminish the value of this, as I revealed in the previous point. Second, it’s true that we all have a role to play. The pastor has no obligation to allow us to minister any way we choose. When I was a youth pastor in a large church in Texas, the pastor assigned some ministry assignments to me that I despised. My ministry was to clean all of the bathrooms between services and to spend 8 hours every Friday in the scorching heat mowing their massive lawn. Oh yeah, I got to do some youth pastor stuff too. I guarantee, those who are truly serious about not wanting to be spectators will have many opportunities to serve in the church! In fact, I bet if you ask your pastor where you can serve he’ll give you at least two or three options. WE CAN WORSHIP AND GROW IN THE WORD ALONE OR IN SMALL GROUPS Yes, we absolutely can grow alone. In fact, we should grow alone and in small groups. As I explained above, the small group expression of the church is valuable. Additionally, we should all be students of the Word and in prayer all by ourselves. Our prayer closets can’t hold more than just one of us. However, don’t forget, the purpose of the church isn’t primarily to meet our personal needs, be they spiritual or natural. It’s great that you can grow better on your own than by sitting in the pew on a Sunday morning. That’s exactly what’s supposed to happen. But, remember, the purpose of the church is to be a house of prayer for all nations. You are needed as a soldier to show up for duty. You are needed on the wall. The church isn’t there to load you up with Bible knowledge or to act as a bridge between you and intimacy with God. You can do that on your own. The church needs you to meet it’s needs. THE CHURCH ISN’T A BUILDING Somebody needs to shout this loud and clear: Stop saying the church isn’t a building! This argument is most often a passive aggressive attempt to devalue the Sunday local church gathering. People say this to validate their decision to disengage from the local church and to just “be the church.” Yeah, no. That doesn’t work. As far as I can tell, people who leave “the building” to meet in homes are still meeting in buildings. Homes are buildings. Further, buildings are really great when it’s snowing or raining outside. I’m a big fan of buildings. They may also argue that they don’t want to invest money in the maintenance of a building when they can simply meet in homes instead. This argument doesn’t work either. As I shared above, there must be two expressions of the church. The large group gathering is important. What happens if the church grows beyond 50 or 100 people? Some would say to multiply out and start new home groups. This might work at times, but very often it doesn’t. We forget that God will specifically call a man or woman to lead a work. It’s important that we have the opportunity to sit under that person’s leadership, and that will most usually require a large venue. When I was a part of IHOPKC, it was important for me to be in services with the entire community to hear Mike Bickle teach, share vision and give direction. It was invaluable. It required a large auditorium to do that. WE ARE ALL EQUAL AND PASTORS SHOULDN’T BE ELEVATED ABOVE US Nonsense. God absolutely favors people differently and he calls people differently. Some are able to teach, and some aren’t. Some have the gift of leadership and others don’t. We all play a part, but every single part is different. Throughout Scripture, God called specific people to give leadership over others. Moses, Joshua, Paul and many others were put into leadership roles. Their function was not the same as others. Their maturity was not the same. Their gifting was not the same. Their anointing was not the same. None of that was equal. Of course, God is no respecter of persons when it comes to his love, his passion for their lives and the fact that he died for them. But, you’d have to be biblically blind to say he favors and positions everybody equally. We must understand there is rank and order in God’s government. God has generals, captains, privates, and, sadly, a bunch of people who have gone AWOL because they don’t affirm this leadership in their lives. FINAL THOUGHTS I’d encourage you to recalibrate your expectations of the church and of pastors with Scripture. God hasn’t called us into rebellion against his precious church. We need the large and small group gatherings. God’s leaders must spend their time in prayer and the Word. The church isn’t mostly about feeding you, it’s about equipping you as a soldier in a war. When we all get unified in prayer and mission, the church becomes both a beautiful bride and a potent weapon in the hands of God.

[foresthillsirisgardens-blog]

Bluebird Haven Iris Garden a labor of love

http://www.bluebirdhavenirisgarden.com/

http://www.bluebirdhavenirisgarden.com/siteV2/catalog.html

Driving on a South County country road hugged by spring-green fields, you near an ornate gate that has a sign: Bluebird Haven Iris Garden. Suddenly your car slows down as you hear a loud “Gasp!”

Startled, you quickly realize it was you — so you pull in through the gate to see whether all those glorious, gorgeous, eye-popping flowers that overwhelmed your senses can possibly be real.

And they are. For three or four fabulous weeks that affirm God’s appreciation for fine natural form accompanied by incredible depth of color and creativity, the iris bloom turns 3 acres of Mary and John Hess’ 10-acre spread into a color-blended blanket of beauty.

Asked whether she ever loses her excitement in waiting for springtime to unveil her garden’s gifts each year, Mary, 66, smiled widely and exclaimed, “Oh! Oh, I can hardly wait for the bloom each year!”

This from a woman who has been lovingly coaxing her iris to greater and greater displays for 25 years at the site along Fairplay Road at Dorado Canyon Road — and has cherished the flowers since 1967 when she acquired her first bulb.

“It is so cool, checking on each bloom in each row and saying to myself, ‘I know who you are,’ making sure of the discovery — and then moving on to the next one.”

Mary’s excitement is doubly remarkable in that except for the spring bloom, the Bluebird Haven Iris Garden is a lot of work.

A lot of work.

The care

Instead of spotting colorful iris waving in the springtime breeze, motorists cruising along the lovely country road in summertime months instead will spot occasional puffs of dust as Mary goes about her daily chores. In the long, hot days of summer she is busy showing the iris how much she cares by weeding, digging, re-planting and conducting the latest skirmishes in an ongoing battle with gophers and, more recently, ground squirrels that consider the iris rhizomes (bulbs) a grand meal.

“I wish that the public understood that when they kill off the predators — the coyotes, foxes and even hawks — that gives the gophers and ground squirrels too much room to become problems,” said Mary, who despite her profound love of flowers and other beautiful things should not be confused with being a pushover. “I take the gophers I kill and freeze them to give to Sierra Wildlife Rescue later, to feed to their animals.”

It takes a tough gal to tackle the land and turn it into a gorgeous garden. It also takes the support of a loving husband who despite the fact that he refuses to weed, has backed his wife in all other things “iris.”

Love at first sight

And Mary has loved the iris since she laid eyes on a batch at a relative’s house up in Oregon, shortly after she married John, with the couple making their home in El Dorado.

“We got married in 1967 and I dragged my poor husband up to Oregon to meet my relatives,” said Mary, eyes crinkling at the corners. “One of my relatives, I don’t remember who … I was admiring her iris and before I know it, she grabs a shovel and digs some up, sending me home with a bunch of rhizomes and an old iris catalog.”

It was the old catalog that did it, Mary confessed all these years later.

“That first year, I ordered $30 worth of rhizomes, then the next year I spent $60,” she recalled with a soft smile, sitting on a loveseat inside the softly lit living room of the Hesses’ stunner of a Victorian home on the iris farm. “Then it was $120, then $240 — my garden in El Dorado was so pretty I felt guilty about hogging all this beauty.

“So I had the gem and mineral society (of which the Hesses are members) come out and one of them said, ‘Have you ever considered selling your iris?’

“I figured, if I could sell them, then I wouldn’t have to dip into the household account anymore.”

And that worked for a while, until the day the couple found 15 cars parked in the driveway at their El Dorado home, all customers waiting to get to Mary’s magnificent iris.

“I told John, ‘We have to move.'”

John Hess is a civil engineer and at that time was working for the Army Corps of Engineers.

The move to South County

“He is such a good husband (for an iris lady), with his knowledge of dirt and soil, sun requirements,” smiled Mary. “Plus, he had lots of topographical maps.”

Even armed with such knowledge, though, it was pure happenstance that brought the Hesses to the Fair Play property where they would end up building a breathtakingly beautiful, two-toned blue Victorian mansion, the perfect complement to the Victorian-inspired iris plantation.

Blame it on the wine, Mary said with a laugh.

“We came out here for a wine festival, on a hot summer day,” recalled the iris lady. “We had been tasting wine all day; we were hot and tired — but as we were going home, we spotted a ‘for sale’ sign that was nearly covered in weeds. John said, ‘Want to look?’ and I lied and said, ‘Sure.'”

Mary said after the couple crawled and scraped their way through “really obnoxious weeds,” she finally stood on her husband’s shoulders so she could get a good look at the property near Dorado Canyon Road.

“The price was right,” she reflected 27 years later. “We had it bulldozed and cleared, cleaned up the slag piles left by someone we heard had come in and logged the place then left it a mess.”

Moving the flowers

Then the really tough part began, Mary said, as the daunting task of transferring her flowers from El Dorado to Fair Play began.

“It took us two years to transplant them all — including 70,000 daffodils.”

Today those daffodils join the more than 100,000 iris that unfurl their fabulous secrets each springtime, with the bloom beginning roughly the last week of April through the third week of May. Mary said her garden has 4,000 different varieties of iris, which might sound like a huge amount until one considers that there are 80,000 to 90,000 registered iris variations, she said.

“I learned that from the American Iris Society,” of which she is a member.

Of Mary’s 4,000 varieties, a great deal of them are “historic,” meaning they have been established and registered for at least 30 years.

Mary also is a member of the Historic Iris Preservation Society and is proud of the number of tried-and-true iris that grow at Bluebird Haven.

Special flowers

What Mary also has come to realize is that many of the iris in her gorgeous garden are extremely special, having come from the Camino acreage where world-renowned iris hybridizer Lloyd Austin had grown his special flowers. The first director of Placerville’s Institute of Forest Genetics in 1925, Austin’s achievements as a breeder of plants were widely recognized and applauded.

“A few years after Lloyd Austin died, his (widow) Grace had me come up and dig up some of his iris,” said Mary.

Then, when Grace had to leave the property known as Rainbow Iris Garden in Camino, Mary said she was summoned again to dig up any and all the rhizomes that she wished.

That was in the late 1960s, and Mary said, “I really didn’t realize at the time what I was getting.”

The offshoots of those long-ago iris are contained within the treasure trove of tangled roots that wind through the property at 6940 Fairplay Road today. And despite all her careful cultivating and attention to detail, the lineage and even the type of iris there are not all known to Mary Hess, much to her chagrin.

“I do a tremendous amount of computer work these days and as a result I have found that when you order a flower and people send you one — they are not always correct.”

Unknowns

Mary let her words sink in for a moment, then grimly confided, “There are 750 unknowns in my garden.”

(The tendency might be to chuckle, but don’t do it in front of Mary.)

“My reputation is that when you order a flower, it is right on,” she explained. “As a member of the American Iris Society, I started seeing some of them — their names — and thought, ‘That doesn’t look like my iris. That one doesn’t look like my iris, either.'”

It turns out that an iris, by any other name than its own, does not look as sweet — not to the serious grower of the gorgeous gals.

Although Mary spends much of her day doing research, poring through tens of thousands of iris images, she said she knows she will not be able to make her garden completely “pure.”

“I have been able to match up five or six a year, using the internet …” she said, her voice trailing off as her listeners did the math. It appears the 750 renegades will range freely at Bluebird Haven, never to be identified.

Unless they are dug up and tossed instead of being dug up and replanted.

“Ideally, the iris would be dug up and separated, redone every four years,” said Mary, wiping her hands on her britches after checking a gopher trap (empty). “I have 24 blocks (50 feet by 16 rows) and have gotten one or two blocks done a year, so you can see I am running behind.”

The iris are thinned out, separated and then re-planted, with Mary’s goal of keeping 10 of each variety for her own, to continue the preferred varieties.

Preserving the rare

“The stuff I have got is so rare,” she said. “I have been told that I have one of the highest number (of rare, historic iris) among not only commercial gardens but private as well.

“I want to preserve that genetic potential.”

And that takes a lot of work.

A typical day for Mary is up at 5:30 a.m. and outside turning on “the first water” by 6. “Every two hours I change water lines — it used to be every three, but that’s my concession to the drought.” Mary wraps up the watering about 6 or 8 in the evening.

“During the summer I am weeding, planting, digging up the iris, putting space between the rhizomes.”

Asked, “How’s your back?” Mary offered another grim smile and said, “No trouble with my back but I am having some hip trouble. I never thought I’d be one to complain — and I do find that the more I work, the better I feel.”

Those are strong words from the tough lady, but Mary said she has to admit that the years might be catching up, just a bit.

“I’m 66 — could be 67, I’m not sure — but my mom Dorothea worked outside and she was 94 when she came inside from working and ended up falling in the bathroom, breaking her ribs.

“She was never the same after that, but she made it past 95. My mom was my No. 1 weeder.”

Mary said these days she “follows the shade” as she works her garden and quits toiling in the summertime heat by mid- to late morning. “That’s because I had an episode not too long ago. I overheated and ended up in the ER.”

That’s when she retires into the cool and pleasant interior of the Victorian, where she goes to work on her computer, trying to identify — for certain — each of her beloved iris varieties.

A favorite

Her efforts have been fulfilling, especially when it came to one of her favorites, an iris called “Persian Smoke.”

“Persian Smoke is just a gorgeous, gorgeous flower,” Mary began her tale, pointing out on her computer the salmon-colored standards on the iris in question. (The “standards” are the frothy part of the flower that exuberantly burst from the top, while the petals that sweep downward are the “falls.” Other parts of the iris include the “tongue” or “beard,” with some having “horns,” little protuberances that are self-explanatory.)

“Well, I got an e-mail from a woman who said, ‘Your Persian Smoke is incorrect.'”

Those are fightin’ words in the world of the iris, according to Mary, who can set her computer to smokin’ with the best of them.

“I hate to sound like I’m bragging, but it turned out that I had it right,” said Mary, her smile rounding like the curve of a flower’s fall. “A guy from Australia ended up deciding the point and I had it right and everyone else had it wrong.”

The issue of the Persian Smoke was put to bed.

While Mary is eager and willing to talk about her beloved iris, she also indicated that by doing so, she had cut into her morning routine of tending to the little lovelies. When the team from the Mountain Democrat jokingly offered to help weed to make up for the lost time, Mary came uncomfortably close to accepting.

That’s because last March, the iron lady of the iris fell and broke her wrist pretty badly, leaving her “desperate to catch up.”

“I have fallen behind and I could use some help taking the weeds out, clipping back the foliage, cutting the iris back and clearing up the dead leaves,” said Mary, once again checking an empty gopher trap.

“My husband doesn’t weed,” she added. Her two children, Eric and Erin, also are long-grown and unable to pull garden duty.

“The interesting thing is, last spring was the best we’ve had here in four years, probably because of the rains,” she said. “The year before, on Mother’s Day, we probably didn’t have more than five or six visitors. But this year, it was great.”

Mary sells her iris by taking orders at the farm, where visitors are welcome to walk among the rows of insanely beautiful flowers, marveling at the colors, textures and shapes that set the imagination aflame. She also sells online, but the website for Bluebird Haven is being refurbished and likely won’t be up and running properly until the beginning of next year.

“The best thing to do is to e-mail me your wish list and I can let you know what’s available,” said Mary. “The sad thing is, I have 500 new varieties this year and no way to get them on the website.”

That means folks will just have to set aside a day or two to take a trip to South County in the springtime, pulling into the driveway that leads to the color-splashed hills where the iris await. Mary’s prices are reasonable but as you negotiate your purchase, remember one tip: If you don’t want Mary Hess to know just how much you covet her iris, try not to gasp.

Bluebird Haven Iris Garden may be reached at (530) 620-5017 or e-mail mhess1863@innercite.com. Mary Hess said she would welcome anyone, service clubs or individuals, wishing to volunteer to help in her garden.

https://www.mtdemocrat.com/prospecting/bluebird-haven-iris-garden-a-labor-of-love/

Bluebird Haven Iris Garden 6940 Fairplay Rd. Somerset, CA 95684 (530) 620-5017 E-mail: mhess1863@innercite.com Website: www.bluebirdhavenirisgarden.com

Notes: Mary Hess has been selling historic iris for many years. She has a huge selection and is adding new ones all the time. Many hard to find cultivars, for which they are the only source. Email your request list to Mary.

http://www.bluebirdhavenirisgarden.com/

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad: Before His Birth, His Birth and His Childhood

The Prophet is Given to a Foster Mother: Part 1

The universe, which rejoined its master was joyful. The heart of Arabia, which harbored the person that would provide the heart of humanity with light and peace, was very excited.

Makkah, in which the unmatched event of the universe took place, was so excited and joyful that it was as if it wanted to fly to the lofty realms.

Hazrat Amina was peaceful and jubilant. It was as if the sweet smiles of her lovely child were helping her to forget a tinge of the intense pain that she felt over her husband’s death. Her child was her only consolation that secured her hope for the future.

The fortunate Amina could only suckle her glorious child for a week. After this, Abu Lahab’s handmaiden, Lady Suwayba became the wet nurse of the Master of the Universe and suckled him for days. 

Before that, Lady Suwayba had nourished Hazrat Hamza. In this way, she had attained the fortune and honor of being the means of joining the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his esteemed uncle as foster brothers.

The Master of the Universe (PBUH), who possessed such virtue and feelings of faithfulness, never forgot the smallest favors that people did for him, nor did he leave them unrequited. Throughout his entire life, he never forgot Lady Suwayba who nourished him for a period of time. He would frequently visit her and would always show her kindness, respect, and pay her compliments.

Yes, faithfulness was the foundation of good manners that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) brought to the face of the Earth. The smallest trace of ingratitude cannot be found in the immaculate and upright life of our Beloved Messenger (PBUH).

At one point in time, Hazrat Khadija, who had taken lessons from the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) virtue and gratitude, wanted to purchase Lady Suwayba, who would frequently visit Hazrat Khadija’s home, for the purpose of setting her free; however, Abu Lahab did not lend himself to this idea. It was not until after the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) migration to Medina that Abu Lahab freed Lady Suwayba on his own.

Abu Lahab was our Holy Prophet ‘s (PBUH) own paternal uncle. Afterward, he did not testify and admit to the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) Prophethood; he did not forsake being a pagan and did not refrain from his attempts in being our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) biggest enemy, either. For this reason, he incurred the wrath of Allah and did not earn a value that is equivalent to the nail of his slave, Lady Suwayba. In fact, it has been explained that because of Lady Suwayba, Abu Lahab has obtained a driblet of grace in the afterlife.

After his death, he was seen in a dream where he was found screaming in the severe punishment of hell. They asked him: “Why are you screaming? What is the matter?”

He answered: “What else could be the matter? The absence of water is making me burn! I never saw any good in my life, yet I did find one fortune: Because I set the woman, who nourished Muhammad, free, I have been spared the opportunity to absorb water and be watered” and as he said this, he showed his index finger (the finger that testifies faith). 

This incident is certainly a case in point. A ferocious enemy of Islam, like Abu Lahab, who did not refrain from oppressing, torturing, and insulting the Master of the Universe throughout his entire life, was the recipient of such beneficence and grace and a tinge of his punishment in hell was alleviated. This means that best done not only upon our Beloved Messenger PBUH but also upon those who have served him, is also not left unrequited by God Almighty’s grace and beneficence.

In addition, one should think of the greatness in gifts, favors, and Divine endowments of the eternal realm that are awaiting those who have made the Master of the Universe (PBUH) their absolute imam and guide in every matter and the true believers who have felt honored to uphold his Sunnah on the Earth.

The Custom of Giving Babies to Wet Nurses

Mecca’s weather was hot and muggy. It did was not good for the children’s delicate nature and was not a favorable condition for a healthy upbringing. In the desert, the weather was nice, the water was sweet and clean, life was easy, and the climate was mild. Besides, some of the tribes that lived in the desert had a language and diction that was smooth and sharp. They maintained their nobility and practiced good conduct.

Based on this, the Qurayshi gentry and leading figures practiced the custom of handing their children over to the tribal women in the desert to be breastfed for a cost, so that their children could grow and be brought up under healthier conditions and to learn and speak a dialect of Arabic that was appropriate in its essential form. The child would remain with his/her wet nurse for 2-3 years, and sometimes even more.

For this reason, many tribes that lived in the uplands/prairies, Sa’d bin Bakr’s tribe in particular, would have a caravan of women go to Mecca a few times a year in which the women would take the newly-born infants with them to their homeland for the purpose of nourishment.

Among the tribes in the vicinity of Mecca, Sa’d bin Bakr’s tribe was the one that had acquired fame since it was distinguished for its honor, generosity, chivalry, humility, and speaking Arabic properly. For this reason, the leading figures of Quraysh mostly wanted to hand the custody of their children over to the women of this tribe.

The Arrival of the Women from Bani Bakr’s Tribe to Mecca

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) was being nourished by Lady Suwayba.

At that time, a strong drought was prevalent in the homeland of Sad’s sons although such a strong drought had not occurred till then. The drought resulted in a famine that left the tribal community poor and miserable. It was so bad that they had difficulty finding something to eat. Their camels and sheep had weakened and their milk had ceased.

During this year of intense famine and drought, the tribeswomen of the Bani Bakr had gone to Mecca in a crowded procession with the intention of finding a child to nourish and of obtaining a portion of their livelihood.

All of the women, with the exception of one extraordinary lady, had chosen a child who was appropriate for them. Strangely enough, none of them chose nor approached our Beloved Messenger (PBUH) because they thought they would not be able to obtain much money and help since he was an orphan.

There was only one woman who arrived late in Mecca. She was distinguished among her tribe for her decency, cleanliness, gentleness, and modesty. Due to their old and frail donkey, Halima and her husband had fallen behind the rest of the procession. When they entered Mecca, all of the newly-born Qurayshi children, with the exception of one very extraordinary infant, had been chosen by the women of the Bani Bakr tribe that were at the forefront.  With the fate and wisdom of the Possessor of the Absolute Power, Halima could not find anyone in need of nourishment.

Her husband, Harith, was sad, too. All of their friends shared the children of wealthy families among themselves. She was the only one who was left empty-handed and it was only because she arrived late.

This virtuous woman, who now had a pale and sad countenance and was unaware of the plan that Divine fate had drawn for her, wandered the streets of Mecca with despair and the distress of not being able to find an appropriately fitting child.

Incidentally, she encountered an old man with a friendly face and who, through his presence, summoned the respect of his surroundings. This individual was Abdulmuttalib, the grandfather of the Master of the Universe (PBUH). They looked at each other as if they had been looking to become the relief for their troubles. Then they began to engage in conversation:

Abdulmuttalib asked, “Where are you from?”

Halima: “I am a woman from the Bani Sa’d Tribe” (Sons of Fortune/Luck)

Abdulmuttalib: “What is your name?”

She answered, “Halima”.

Abdulmuttalib: “How wonderful! How wonderful!  Fortune and gentleness are two traits that carry the beneficence of this world and the honor and glory of the afterlife” After he said this, Abdulmuttalib took a deep breath and followed with: "Oh, Halima! I have an orphaned child next to me. I offered him to the women of the Sons of Sa’d but they did not accept him. Come and be the wet nurse of this child. Maybe you will attain prosperity, wealth, and fortune for taking care of him”.

At first, Halima became hesitant upon hearing this unexpected offer. However, she did not want to return to her homeland empty-handed. For this reason, she overcame her hesitation and accepted the offer from within. Nevertheless, she did not want to disclose her answer without first asking and receiving permission from her husband. She immediately returned to her husband and after she explained everything to him she said, “I was unable to find a child to nourish. I do not favor going back empty-handed among my friends. By God, I am going to take that orphan”.

Her husband, Harith, supported her view and said, “There is no harm in taking him. Perhaps Allah will endow us with prosperity and blessings thanks to him”. 

Upon this, they returned to Abdulmuttalib.

Abdulmuttalib took Halima to Hazrat Amina’s modest home which the Beloved Prophet (PBUH) illuminated.

Halima went to our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) bedside. Our lovely Master (PBUH) was wrapped in a white fabric made from wool and was sleeping soundly on a blanket of green yarn. The surrounding smelled like musk!

Halima was in a state of amazement. She immediately warmed up to this child so much that she could not bear to wake him up!

The cloud of gloom and anguish had left Halima. She was so happy that it was as if she was walking on air. It was such a great bliss to have suddenly come across an infant of excessive beauty after squirming in the distress of not being able to find a child.

Halima could not resist anymore. She neared the Master of the Universe’s (PBUH) bedside very closely and slightly lifted the corner of his blanket. With a mother’s love and compassion, she kissed his forehead and hands that smelled like roses and that were softer than cotton and as white as snow.

At that moment, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) opened his eyes and replied to Halima’s kisses with a sweet smile. They got along with one another.

While one of them was in despair because of not being able to find a child, worn out, and downhearted, the other was a radiant orphan who had been rejected by the women. Fate had filled both of their worlds with happiness.

The First Abundance

Our lovely Master (PBUH), who had captivated Halima’s heart, was now in her arms.

Yet, what was this? The breasts that had lacked milk for days were immediately filled with milk as soon as our Holy Prophet (PBUH) began to suck from them.

Halima was surprised and her husband, Harith, was in a state of amazement.

Her right nipple was in our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) mouth and her left nipple was in the mouth of his new foster brother, Abdullah, who was Halima’s son. From then on, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) would always drink from the right breast.

The Camel’s Breasts were filled with Milk

Halima was not willing to put the radiant orphan (PBUH) down from her lap for one second. They immediately bid their farewells to Abdulmuttalib and Hazrat Amina and departed from Mecca.

Teardrops were combined with Amina’s sadness. She had virtually become a cloud as she followed her radiant child.

That night, the Harith family had a peaceful sleep outside Mecca. When the morning came, Harith ran to milk their camels. Every nipple he touched had become a fountain of milk. He called out to Halima in amazement: “Oh Halima, know that you have taken a very holy and auspicious child!”

Halima affirmed her husband’s statement: “By God, I hope he is”.

Mecca was left behind.

Halima was riding on a female donkey and had the Master of the Universe (PBUH) in her arms. What happened to the weak, frail donkey that had fallen behind her friends? Where did this speed and steadiness come from? It was as if she was not the same donkey that Halima rode on her way to Mecca.

When she passed and left all the animals in the procession behind, Halima’s traveling companions were surprised and asked with astonishment, “Oh, Abu Zuaib’s daughter, shame on you. Why do you not wait for us? Or is the donkey that you are riding not the same as the one that you rode when you first came?”

The donkey was the same donkey. The only difference was that there was someone else on her, and he was the Master of the Universe (PBUH). The honor of carrying him (PBUH) had exhilarated that weak and frail animal.

“No, by God she is the same donkey; in fact, I’m not directing her. She is going steadily on her own. There is something strange about this”.

It was a shame that nobody from the procession was able to discern the reason for this difference and from where it came.

Yes, all of these occurrences were open proofs that this radiant-faced infant (PBUH) would embrace the future with his grandeur!

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) in the Homeland of the Sons of Sa’d

Halima and her husband returned to their homeland after these peculiar occurrences.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) would now remain in the land of the Sons of Sa’d.

At that time, intense drought and famine were prevalent in the area. The soil’s abundance had been cut-off, the wells and fountains did not have water, faces were pale, and the animals did not have the strength to stand on their feet.

However, the view suddenly changed when the Holy Prophet (PBUH) arrived. Before his arrival, the animals were not able to find any grasses to eat but now they were filled to repletion. Their breasts were overflowing with milk and like a fountain of mercy, they were pouring it continuously. There were no longer any pale faces in Halima’s home.

The other inhabitants of the area were still experiencing a famine and were continuing to suffer in a circle of hardship. Their animals were still frail, weak, and did not provide adequate milk.

It was as if those who did not accept our Holy Prophet (PBUH) for being an “orphan” were being punished by having to remain in deprivation.

The upland folk was about to burst from curiosity when they saw this situation before their eyes. They could not understand what they saw. They were blaming their shepherds and were scolding them: “How do Halima’s sheep get full? As they walk, milk continuously drops from their nipples. Who knows where she is grazing her sheep? Why do you not go to the place where she goes and grazes your sheep there!?”

The shepherds knew for certain that their employers were being unfair in blaming them. The place where Halima was grazing her sheep was no different from where they were grazing theirs. For this reason, the shepherds were disputing this, however, their objections made no difference. This time, their employers added:

“Very well, how is it that while the sheep in your herd are having difficulty carrying themselves due to starvation, hers are being satiated and are returning with milk-filled breasts?”

Neither the shepherds nor their employers were able to find the answer to this question. All they could do was look at one another with wonder and bewilderment.

However, there was a reason for this and at that time, nobody other than Hazrat Halima and her husband knew what it was. When the shepherds came and asked what the reason was, Halima gave them this answer:

“By God, this is not about pasture or grass. This work is one of the many secrets of the Lord. Everything began on our return from Mecca!”

Of course, the shepherds were not able to understand much from these words; thus, they were unable to get rid of their curiosity.

This was the secret that the prairie folk were unable to conceive:

Since Halima had displayed generosity in accepting our Holy Prophet (PBUH), who is the most beloved to the Possessor of the Universe, Allah, her household was generously being endowed with gifts from His mercy.

Halima and her husband were very well aware of this and for that reason, they looked at this radiant infant in a different light. So to speak, they would protect him from a flying bird and the rising sun as they fluttered around him with great love and care.

[ishipbertigwain-blog]

Piers Plowman Passus II, William Langland

The second passage of Piers Plowman by William Langland speaks largely of a woman of affluence, Meed the Maid, who dresses very lavishly and holds herself with high esteem. The narrator seems to be enchanted by her and dreams of the line of suitors that must await her wherever she goes. Later in the passus, the narrator introduces the seven deadly sins, which is also pertinent to the topic of sexuality since lust, greed, and envy often go together. The male suitors in the narrator’s dream embody these sins, an important point because in a way it degrades Meed, who doesn’t seem to really need any of them.

In stanza 18, the narrator describes Meed as a “maiden of wealth” which I feel explains the last line of the stanza, “And might kiss the king · as his cousin, if she would.” Unlike most young maidens of the time, Meed seems unpressured to find a husband and I feel like that is in part due to her riches. She doesn’t need a man to support her or her lavish lifestyle. The the narrator goes on to speak about how Meed is often chosen by men for her goods, not her virtues or kind nature, which is a prime example of misogyny towards the female gender in the medieval ages.

Piers Plowman Passus II, William Langland

1 YET I knelt on my knees · and cried of her grace, And said: `Mercy, Madame · for Mary's love of Heaven, That bore that blissful Child · that bought us on the rood, Teach me by some skilled way · Falsehood to know.' `Look upon thy left side · and lo! where he standeth, Both Falsehood and Flattery · and their many fellows!'

2 I looked on my left side · as the lady taught me, And was ware of a woman · worthily clothed, With fringes of fur · the finest on earth, Crowned with a crown · the king hath no better Featly her fingers were · framed with gold wire, And thereon red rubies · as red as any coal, And diamonds of dearest price · and two kinds of sapphires, Orientals and beryls · poison banes to destroy.

3 Her robe was full rich · of red scarlet dyed, With ribands of red gold · and of richest stones; Her array me ravished · such riches saw I never; I had wonder what she was · and whose wife she were.

4 `What is this woman,' quoth I · `so worthily attired?' `That is Meed I the Maid,' quoth she · `who hath vexed me full oft, And lied of my lover · that Loyalty is called, And slandered him to lords · that have to guard laws; In the pope's palace · familiar as myself, Though truth would not so · for she is a bastard.

5 `For Flattery was her father · that had a fickle tongue And never said sooth · since he came to earth. And Meed is mannered after him · right as nature requireth;

6 Qualis pater, talis filius; bona arbor bonum fructum facit (1) `I ought to be higher than she · my birth is the better. My father the great God is · and ground of all graces, One infinite God and I his good daughter; And he gave me Mercy · to marry with myself. And what man be merciful · and loyally me love Shall be my lord, I his leman · in highest Heaven. And what man taketh Meed · mine head dare I lay That he shall lose for her love · a lot of caritatis. How construeth David the king · of men that take Meed

7 And of men of this mould · that maintaineth Truth And how ye shall save yourselves · the Psalter beareth witness: Domine, quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo (2), etc. `And now will Meed be married · all to a cursed wretch, To one Fickle-Tongue · offspring of a fiend. Flattery through his fair speech · hath this folk enchanted, And all is Liar's leading · that she is thus wedded. `To-morrow will be made · the maiden's bridal, And there might thou know if thou wilt · which they be all That belong to that lordship · the less and the more. Know them there if thou canst · and keep thy tongue still, Blame them not but let be · till Loyalty be judge And have power to punish them · then put forth thy plaint.

8 `I commend thee to Christ,' quoth she · I and his clean mother, And may no conscience cumber thee · for coveting of Meed (3).'

9 Thus left me that lady · there lying asleep. And how Meed was married · meseemed in a dream That all the rich retinue · that with Falsehood reign Were bidden to the bridal · on both the two sides Of all manner of men · the mean and the rich. To marry this maiden · was many man assembled, As of knights and of clerks · and other common people, Assessors and summoners · sheriffs and their clerks, Beadles and bailiffs · and brokers of wares, Couriers and victuallers · advocates of the Arches- I cannot reckon the rout · that ran about Meed.

10 But Simony and Civil Law · and assessors of courts Were most privy with Meed · of any man, methought. But Flattery was the first · that fetched her out of bower, And like a broker brought her · to be with Falsehood joined. When Simony and Civil Law · saw the will of them both, They assented, for silver · to say as both would. Then leapt Liar forth and · said `Lo here! a charter That Guile with his great oaths · gave them together,' And prayed Civil Law see · and Simony read it. Then Simony and Civil Law · stand they forth both, And unfold the enfeoffment · that Falsehood hath made, And thus being these fellows · to read out full loud:

11 `Sciant praesentes et futuri, etc. (4) `Wit ye and witness ye · that wander on this earth,

12 That Meed is married · more for her goods (5) Than for any virtue or fairness · or generous nature. Falseness is fain of her · for he knows her riches; And Flattery with fickle speech · invests them by charter To be princes in pride · poverty to despise, To backbite and to boast · and false witness to bear, To scom and to scold · and slander to make Disobedient, and bold · to break the Ten Laws. 'And the earldom of Envy · and of Wrath together, With the stronghold of Strife · and Chattering-out-of-Reason, The county of Covetousness · and its coasts about, That is, Usury and Avarice · all them I grant, With bargains and brokerage · and the borough of Theft.

13 `All the lordship of Lechery · in length and in breadth, As in works and in wards · and watching with eyes, And in clothes and in wishings · and with idle thoughts Where the will gladly would · but the power is weak.'

14 Gluttony he gave also · and great oaths together, And all day to drink · at divers taverns, There to jangle and jape · and judge their fellow Christians. And on fast days to feed · before the full time And then sit and sup · till sleep them assail, And to breed like town swine · and repose at their ease, Till sloth and sleep · make sleek their sides; And Despair to awaken them so · with no will to amend; They believe themselves lost · this is their last end.

15 And they to have and to hold · and their heirs after, Dwelling with the Devil · and damned be for ever, With all that pertaining to purgatory · in the pain of hell. Yielding for this thing · at one year's end Their souls to Satan · to suffer with him pains And with him to wander with woe · while God is in heaven.

16 In witness of which thing · Wrong was the first, And Piers the pardoner · of the Pauline order, Bart the beadle · of Buckinghamshire, Reynold the reeve · of Rutland soke Mund the miller and many more other. `On the date of the Devil · this deed I enseai, In sight of Sir Simony · and by Civil Law's leave.'

17 Then Theology was vexed · when this tale he heard, And said to Civil Law · `Now sorrow mayest thou have

18 Such weddings to wangle · to work against Truth; And ere this wedding be wrought · woe thee betide! For Meed is a woman · of Amends engendered, And God granted to give · this Meed to Truth; Thou hast given her a beguiler · now God give thee sorrow! Thy text telleth thee not so · Truth knows the sooth, For dignus est operarius · his hire to have; Thou hast fastened her to Falsehood · fie on thy law! For all by lying thou livest · and lecherous works; Simony and thyself · shame Holy Church; The notaries and thee · annoy the people. Ye shall atone for it both · by God that me made! Well wot ye, ye liars · unless your wit fails, That Falsehood is faithless · and false in his works, And was a bastard born · of Beelzebub's kin. And Meed is a mistress · a maiden of wealth, And might kiss the king · as his cousin, if she would (6).

19 'Therefore, work ye by wisdom · and by wit also, And lead her to London · there law is declared, If any law will allow · of their lying together. And though justices judge her · to be joined with Falsehood, Yet beware of their wedding · for a wise one is Truth And Conscience is of his council · and knoweth you each one; And if be find you in default · and with Falsehood hold, It shall beset your souls · full sour at the last!'

20 Hereto assented Civil Law · but Simony would not Till he had silver for his service · and also the notaries. Then fetched Flattery forth · florins enough, And bade Guile to give · gold all about, And notably to the notaries · that them none might fail, And fee False-Witness · with florins enough: `For he can manage Meed · and make her assent.'

21 When this gold was given · great was the thanking To Falsehood and Flattery · for their fair gifts; And they came to comfort · from care this Falsehood And said: `Certes, sir · cease shall we never Till Meed be thy wedded wife · through the wits of us all. For we have Meed managed · with our merry speech, That she granteth to go · with a very good will To London to look · if that the law would Adjudge you jointly · in joy for ever.' 22 Then was Falseness fain · and Flattery as blithe, And caused all men to be summoned · from the shires about, And bade them be bound · beggars and others, To wend with them to Westminster · to witness this deed. But then looked they for horses · to carry them thither, And Flattery fetched forth then · foals enough, And set Meed on a sheriff · all newly shod; Falsehood sat on an assessor · that softly trotted; Flattery on a flatterer · finely attired.

23 Then had notaries none · annoyed they were That Simony and Civil Law · should on their feet go. But then swore Simony · and Civil Law both That summoners should be saddled · and serve them each one, And had provisoes apparalled · in palfrey wise. `Sir Simony himself · shall sit their backs.

24 `Deans and subdeans · draw you together, Archdeacons and officials · and all your registrars, Saddle them with silver · our sin to sanction, As adultery and divorces · and secret usury, To bear bishops about · on visitations.

25 `Partisans of the Paulines · for plaints in consistory Shall serve myself · that Civil Law is called; And cart-saddle the commissary · our cart shall he draw, And fetch forth our victuals · from fornicators' fines.

26 `And make of Liar a long cart · to draw all these others, Such as friars and false fellows · that on their feet run.' And thus Falsehood and Flattery · fared forth together, And Meed in the midst · and all these men after. I have no time to tell · the tail that them followed, Of many manner of men · that on this mould live; But Guile was foregoer · and guided them all.

27 Truth saw them well · and said but a little, But pricked his palfrey · and passed them all, And came to the king's court · and Conscience it told. And Conscience to the king · rehearsed it after. `Now by Christ!' quoth the king · `if I might catch Falsehood or Flattery · or any of his fellows, I would wreak on those wretches · that work so ill, Make them hang by the neck · and all that maintain them! Shall no man on this mould · go bail for the least,

28 But right as law shall allow · let it fall on them all.' And commanded a constable · the first one that came, To, 'Arrest those tyrants · at any cost, I bid; And fetter Falsehood fast · in spite of any gifts And get off Guile's head · and let him go not. And if ye light on Liar · let him not escape Ere he be put in pillory · for any prayer, I bid; And bring ye Meed to me · in spite of them all.'

29 Dread at the door stood · and the doom heard, And how the king commanded · constables and sergeants Falseness and his fellowship · to fetter and to bind. Then Dread went quickly · and warned Falsehood And bade him flee for fear · and his fellows all.

30 Falsehood for fear then · fled to the friars. And Guile started to go · aghast for to die. But merchants met with him and made him abide And shut him in their shops · to show their wares, And apparelled him as a prentice · the people to serve.

31 Lightly then Liar · leaped away, Lurking through lanes · lugged about by many. He was nowhere welcome · for his many tales, Everywhere hooted · and hustled away; Till pardoners had pity · and pulled him indoors. They washed him and wiped him and wound him in clouts; And sent him with seals · on Sundays to churches, To give pardons for pence · by pounds at a time. Then looked at him leeches · and letter they sent That he should live with them · and look at men's water. Spicers spoke with him · to inspect their wares, For he kenned their craft · and knew many gums. But minstrels and messengers · met with him once And held him an half-year · and eleven days.

32 Friars with fair speech · fetched him thence, And lest others should know him · dressed him as a friar. But he hath leave to leap out · as oft as him liketh, And is welcome when he will · to stay with them oft.

33 All fled for fear · and were hiding in holes; Save Meed the Maid · no man durst abide. But truly to tell · she trembled for dread, Her hands wrung, and wept · when she was arrested.

1. “As is the father, so is the son; good tree bears good fruit.”

2. “Lord, who may dwell in your…” The beginning of a Psalm.

3. Seeing as how this is partly a theological allegory, coveting Meed would be seen as a fatal sin.

4. “know all [men] present and future.”

5. She is coveted for her riches and her looks rather than her good nature.

6. This sinuates that Meed feels free to be with who she likes, perhaps because she is already affluent and seemingly supporting herself.

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad: Before His Birth, His Birth and His Childhood

The Prophet is Given to a Foster Mother (Part 1)

The universe, which rejoined its master was joyful. The heart of Arabia, which harbored the person that would provide the heart of humanity with light and peace, was very excited.

Makkah, in which the unmatched event of the universe took place, was so excited and joyful that it was as if it wanted to fly to the lofty realms.

Hazrat Amina was peaceful and jubilant. It was as if the sweet smiles of her lovely child were helping her to forget a tinge of the intense pain that she felt over her husband’s death. Her child was her only consolation that secured her hope for the future.

The fortunate Amina could only suckle her glorious child for a week. After this, Abu Lahab’s handmaiden, Lady Suwayba became the wet nurse of the Master of the Universe and suckled him for days. 

Before that, Lady Suwayba had nourished Hazrat Hamza. In this way, she had attained the fortune and honor of being the means in joining the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his esteemed uncle as foster brothers.

The Master of the Universe (PBUH), who possessed such virtue and feelings of faithfulness, never forgot the smallest favors that people did for him, nor did he leave them unrequited. Throughout his entire life, he never forgot Lady Suwayba who nourished him for a period of time. He would frequently visit her and would always show her kindness, respect, and pay her compliments.

Yes, faithfulness was the foundation of good manners that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) brought to the face of the Earth. The smallest trace of ingratitude cannot be found in the immaculate and upright life of our Beloved Messenger (PBUH).

At one point in time, Hazrat Khadija, who had taken lessons from the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) virtue and gratitude, wanted to purchase Lady Suwayba, who would frequently visit Hazrat Khadija’s home, for the purpose of setting her free; however, Abu Lahab did not lend himself to this idea. It was not until after the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) migration to Medina that Abu Lahab freed Lady Suwayba on his own. 

Abu Lahab was our Holy Prophet ‘s (PBUH) own paternal uncle. Afterwards, he did not testify and admit to the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) Prophethood; he did not forsake being a pagan and did not refrain from his attempts in being our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) biggest enemy, either. For this reason, he incurred the wrath of Allah and did not earn a value that is equivalent to the nail of his slave, Lady Suwayba. In fact, it has been explained that because of Lady Suwayba, Abu Lahab has obtained a driblet of grace in the afterlife.

After his death, he was seen in a dream where he was found screaming in the severe punishment of hell. They asked him: “Why are you screaming? What is the matter?”

He answered: “What else could be the matter? The absence of water is making me burn! I never saw any good in my life, yet I did find one fortune: Because I set the woman, who nourished Muhammad, free, I have been spared the opportunity to absorb water and be watered” and as he said this, he showed his index finger (the finger that testifies faith). 

This incident is certainly a case in point. A ferocious enemy of Islam, like Abu Lahab, who did not refrain from oppressing, torturing, and insulting the Master of the Universe throughout his entire life, was the recipient of such beneficence and grace and a tinge of his punishment in hell was alleviated. This means that best done not only upon our Beloved Messenger PBUH but also upon those who have served him, is also not left unrequited by God Almighty’s grace and beneficence.

In addition, one should think of the greatness in gifts, favors, and Divine endowments of the eternal realm that are awaiting those who have made the Master of the Universe (PBUH) their absolute imam and guide in every matter and the true believers who have felt honored to uphold his Sunnah on the Earth.

The Custom of Giving Babies to Wet Nurses

Mecca’s weather was hot and muggy. It did was not good for the children’s delicate nature and was not a favorable condition for a healthy upbringing. In the desert, the weather was nice, the water was sweet and clean, life was easy, and the climate was mild. Besides, some of the tribes that lived in the desert had a language and diction that was smooth and sharp. They maintained their nobility and practiced good conduct.

Based on this, the Qurayshi gentry and leading figures practiced the custom of handing their children over to the tribal women in the desert to be breastfed for a cost, so that their children could grow and be brought up under healthier conditions and to learn and speak a dialect of Arabic that was appropriate in its essential form. The child would remain with his/her wet nurse for 2-3 years, and sometimes even more.

For this reason, many tribes that lived in the uplands/prairies, Sa’d bin Bakr’s tribe, in particular, would have a caravan of women go to Mecca a few times a year in which the women would take the newly-born infants with them to their homeland for the purpose of nourishment.

Among the tribes in the vicinity of Mecca, Sa’d bin Bakr’s tribe was the one that had acquired fame since it was distinguished for its honor, generosity, chivalry, humility, and speaking Arabic properly. For this reason, the leading figures of Quraysh mostly wanted to hand the custody of their children over to the women of this tribe.

The Arrival of the Women from Bani Bakr’s Tribe to Mecca

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) was being nourished by Lady Suwayba.

At that time, a strong drought was prevalent in the homeland of Sad’s sons although such a strong drought had not occurred till then. The drought resulted in a famine that left the tribal community poor and miserable. It was so bad that they had difficulty finding something to eat. Their camels and sheep had weakened and their milk had ceased.

During this year of intense famine and drought, the tribeswomen of the Bani Bakr had gone to Mecca in a crowded procession with the intention of finding a child to nourish and of obtaining a portion of their livelihood.

All of the women, with the exception of one extraordinary lady, had chosen a child who was appropriate for them. Strangely enough, none of them chose nor approached our Beloved Messenger (PBUH) because they thought they would not be able to obtain much money and help since he was an orphan.

There was only one woman who arrived late in Mecca. She was distinguished among her tribe for her decency, cleanliness, gentleness, and modesty. Due to their old and frail donkey, Halima and her husband had fallen behind the rest of the procession. When they entered Mecca, all of the newly-born Qurayshi children, with the exception of one very extraordinary infant, had been chosen by the women of the Bani Bakr tribe that were in the forefront.  With the fate and wisdom of the Possessor of the Absolute Power, Halima could not find anyone in need of nourishment.

Her husband, Harith, was sad, too. All of their friends shared the children of wealthy families among themselves. She was the only one who was left empty-handed and it was only because she arrived late.

This virtuous woman, who now had a pale and sad countenance and was unaware of the plan that Divine fate had drawn for her, wandered the streets of Mecca with despair and the distress of not being able to find an appropriately fitting child.

Incidentally, she encountered an old man with a friendly face and who, through his presence, summoned the respect of his surroundings. This individual was Abdulmuttalib, the grandfather of the Master of the Universe (PBUH). They looked at each other as if they had been looking to become the relief for their troubles. Then they began to engage in conversation:

Abdulmuttalib asked, “Where are you from?”

Halima: “I am a woman from the Bani Sa’d Tribe” (Sons of Fortune/Luck)

Abdulmuttalib: “What is your name?”

She answered, “Halima”.

Abdulmuttalib: “How wonderful! How wonderful!  Fortune and gentleness are two traits that carry the beneficence of this world and the honor and glory of the afterlife” After he said this, Abdulmuttalib took a deep breath and followed with: "Oh, Halima! I have an orphaned child next to me. I offered him to the women of the Sons of Sa’d but they did not accept him. Come and be the wet nurse of this child. Maybe you will attain prosperity, wealth, and fortune for taking care of him”.

At first, Halima became hesitant upon hearing this unexpected offer. However, she did not want to return to her homeland empty-handed. For this reason, she overcame her hesitation and accepted the offer from within. Nevertheless, she did not want to disclose her answer without first asking and receiving permission from her husband. She immediately returned to her husband and after she explained everything to him she said, “I was unable to find a child to nourish. I do not favor going back empty-handed among my friends. By God, I am going to take that orphan”.

Her husband, Harith, supported her view and said, “There is no harm in taking him. Perhaps Allah will endow us with prosperity and blessings thanks to him”.

Upon this, they returned to Abdulmuttalib.

Abdulmuttalib took Halima to Hazrat Amina’s modest home which the Beloved Prophet (PBUH) illuminated.

Halima went to our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) bedside. Our lovely Master (PBUH) was wrapped in a white fabric made from wool and was sleeping soundly on a blanket of green yarn. The surrounding smelled like musk!

Halima was in a state of amazement. She immediately warmed up to this child so much that she could not bear to wake him up!

The cloud of gloom and anguish had left Halima. She was so happy that it was as if she was walking on air. It was such a great bliss to have suddenly come across an infant of excessive beauty after squirming in the distress of not being able to find a child.

Halima could not resist anymore. She neared the Master of the Universe’s (PBUH) bedside very closely and slightly lifted the corner of his blanket. With a mother’s love and compassion, she kissed his forehead and hands that smelled like roses and that were softer than cotton and as white as snow.

At that moment, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) opened his eyes and replied to Halima’s kisses with a sweet smile. They got along with one another.

While one of them was in despair because of not being able to find a child, worn out, and downhearted, the other was a radiant orphan who had been rejected by the women. Fate had filled both of their worlds with happiness.

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh): Before His Birth, His Birth and His Childhood

The Prophet is Given to a Foster Mother: Part 1

The universe, which rejoined its master was joyful. The heart of the Arabia, which harbored the person that would provide the heart of the humanity with light and peace, was very excited.

Makkah, in which the unmatched event of the universe took place, was so excited and joyful that it was as if it wanted to fly to the lofty realms.

Hazrat Amina was peaceful and jubilant. It was as if the sweet smiles of her lovely child were helping her to forget a tinge of the intense pain that she felt over her husband’s death. Her child was her only consolation that secured her hope for the future.

The fortunate Amina could only suckle her glorious child for week. After this, Abu Lahab’s handmaiden, Lady Suwayba became the wet nurse of the Master of the Universe and suckled him for days. 

Before that, Lady Suwayba had nourished Hazrat Hamza. In this way, she had attained the fortune and honor of being the means in joining the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his esteemed uncle as foster brothers.

The Master of the Universe (PBUH), who possessed such virtue and feelings of faithfulness, never forgot the smallest favors that people did for him, nor did he leave them unrequited. Throughout his entire life, he never forgot Lady Suwayba who nourished him for a period of time. He would frequently visit her and would always show her kindness, respect, and pay her compliments.

Yes, faithfulness was the foundation of good manners that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) brought to the face of the Earth. The smallest trace of ingratitude cannot be found in the immaculate and upright life of   our Beloved Messenger (PBUH).

At one point in time, Hazrat Khadija, who had taken lessons from the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) virtue and gratitude, wanted to purchase Lady Suwayba, who would frequently visit Hazrat Khadija’s home, for the purpose of setting her free; however, Abu Lahab did not lend himself to this idea. It was not until after the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) migration to Medina that Abu Lahab freed Lady Suwayba on his own. 

Abu Lahab was our Holy Prophet ‘s (PBUH) own paternal uncle. Afterwards he did not testify and admit to the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) Prophethood; he did not forsake being a pagan and did not refrain from his attempts in being our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) biggest enemy, either. For this reason, he incurred the wrath of Allah and did not earn a value that is equivalent to the nail of his slave, Lady Suwayba. In fact, it has been explained that because of Lady Suwayba, Abu Lahab has obtained a driblet of grace in the afterlife.

After his death, he was seen in a dream where he was found screaming in the severe punishment of hell. They asked him: “Why are you screaming? What is the matter?”

He answered: “What else could be the matter? The absence of water is making me burn! I never saw any good in my life, yet I did find one fortune: Because I set the woman, who nourished Muhammad, free, I have been spared the opportunity to absorb water and be watered” and as he said this, he showed his index finger (the finger that testifies faith). 

This incident is certainly a case in point. A ferocious enemy of Islam, like Abu Lahab, who did not refrain from oppressing, torturing, and insulting the Master of the Universe throughout his entire life, was the recipient of such beneficence and grace and a tinge of his punishment in hell was alleviated. This means that goodness done not only upon our Beloved Messenger PBUH, but also upon those who have served him, is also not left unrequited by God Almighty’s grace and beneficence.

In addition, one should think of the greatness in gifts, favors, and Divine endowments of the eternal realm that are awaiting those who have made the Master of the Universe (PBUH) their absolute imam and guide in every matter and the true believers who have felt honored to uphold his Sunnah on the Earth .

The Custom of Giving Babies to Wet Nurses

Mecca’s weather was hot and muggy. It did was not good for the children’s delicate nature and was not a favorable condition for a healthy upbringing. In the desert, the weather was nice, the water was sweet and clean, life was easy, and the climate was mild. Besides, some of the tribes that lived in the desert had a language and diction that was smooth and sharp. They maintained their nobility and practiced good conduct.

Based on this, the Qurayshi gentry and leading figures practiced the custom of handing their children over to the tribal women in the desert to be breastfed for a cost, so that their children could grow and be brought up under healthier conditions and to learn and speak a dialect of Arabic that was appropriate in its essential form. The child would remain with his/her wet nurse for 2-3 years, and sometimes even more.

For this reason, many tribes that lived in the uplands/prairies, Sa’d bin Bakr’s tribe in particular, would have a caravan of women go to Mecca a few times a year in which the women would take the newly-born infants with them to their homeland for the purpose of nourishment.

Among the tribes in the vicinity of Mecca, Sa’d bin Bakr’s tribe was the one that had acquired fame since it was distinguished for its honor, generosity, chivalry, humility, and speaking Arabic properly. For this reason, the leading figures of Quraysh mostly wanted to hand the custody of their children over to the women of this tribe.

The Arrival of the Women from Bani Bakr’s Tribe to Mecca

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) was being nourished by Lady Suwayba.

At that time, a strong drought was prevalent in the homeland of Sad’s sons although such a strong drought had not occurred till then. The drought resulted in a famine that left the tribal community poor and miserable. It was so bad that they had difficulty finding something to eat. Their camels and sheep had weakened and their milk had ceased.

During this year of intense famine and drought, the tribeswomen of the Bani Bakr had gone to Mecca in a crowded procession with the intention of finding a child to nourish and of obtaining a portion of their livelihood.

All of the women, with the exception of one extraordinary lady, had chosen a child who was appropriate for them. Strangely enough, none of them chose nor approached our Beloved Messenger (PBUH) because they thought they would not be able to obtain much money and help since he was an orphan.

There was only one woman who arrived late in Mecca. She was distinguished among her tribe for her decency, cleanliness, gentleness, and modesty. Due to their old and frail donkey, Halima and her husband had fallen behind the rest of the procession. When they entered Mecca, all of the newly-born Qurayshi children, with the exception of one very extraordinary infant, had been chosen by the women of the Bani Bakr tribe that were in the forefront.  With the fate and wisdom of the Possessor of the Absolute Power, Halima could not find anyone in need of nourishment.

Her husband, Harith, was sad, too. All of their friends shared the children of the wealthy families among themselves. She was the only one who was left empty-handed and it was only because she arrived late.

This virtuous woman, who now had a pale and sad countenance and was unaware of the plan that Divine fate had drawn for her, wandered the streets of Mecca with despair and the distress of not being able to find an appropriate fitting child.

Incidentally, she encountered an old man with a friendly face and who, through his presence, summoned the respect of his surroundings. This individual was Abdulmuttalib, the grandfather of the Master of the Universe (PBUH). They looked each other as if they had been looking to become the relief for their troubles. Then they began to engage in conversation:

Abdulmuttalib asked, “Where are you from?”

Halima: “I am a woman from the Bani Sa’d Tribe” (Sons of Fortune/Luck)

Abdulmuttalib: “What is your name?”

She answered, “Halima”.

Abdulmuttalib: “How wonderful! How wonderful!  Fortune and gentleness are two traits that carry the beneficence of this world and the honor and glory of the afterlife” After he said this, Abdulmuttalib took a deep breath and followed with: "Oh, Halima! I have an orphaned child next to me. I offered him to the women of the Sons of Sa’d but they did not accept him. Come and be the wet nurse of this child. Maybe you will attain prosperity, wealth, and fortune for taking care of him”.

At first, Halima became hesitant upon hearing this unexpected offer. However, she did not want to return to her homeland empty-handed. For this reason, she overcame her hesitation and accepted the offer from within. Nevertheless, she did not want to disclose her answer without first asking and receiving permission from her husband. She immediately returned to her husband and after she explained everything to him she said, “I was unable to find a child to nourish. I do not favor going back empty-handed among my friends. By God, I am going to take that orphan”.

Her husband, Harith, supported her view and said, “There is no harm in taking him. Perhaps Allah will endow us with prosperity and blessings thanks to him”. 

Upon this, they returned to Abdulmuttalib.

Abdulmuttalib took Halima to Hazrat Amina’s modest home which the Beloved Prophet (PBUH) illuminated.

Halima went to our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) bedside. Our lovely Master (PBUH) was wrapped in a white fabric made from wool and was sleeping soundly on a blanket of green yarn. The surrounding smelled like musk!

Halima was in a state of amazement. She immediately warmed up to this child so much that she could not bear to wake him up!

The cloud of gloom and anguish had left Halima. She was so happy that it was as if she was walking on air. It was such a great bliss to have suddenly come across an infant of excessive beauty after squirming in the distress of not being able to find a child.

Halima could not resist anymore. She neared the Master of the Universe’s (PBUH) bedside very closely and slightly lifted the corner of his blanket. With a mother’s love and compassion, she kissed his forehead and hands that smelled like roses and that were softer than cotton and as white as snow.

At that moment, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) opened his eyes and replied to Halima’s kisses with a sweet smile. They got along with one another.

While one of them was in despair because of not being able to find a child, worn out, and downhearted, the other was a radiant orphan who had been rejected by the women. Fate had filled both of their worlds with happiness.

The First Abundance

Our lovely Master (PBUH), who had captivated Halima’s heart, was now in her arms.

Yet, what was this? The breasts that had lacked milk for days were immediately filled with milk as soon as our Holy Prophet (PBUH) began to suck from them.

Halima was surprised and her husband, Harith, was in a state of amazement.

Her right nipple was in our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) mouth and her left nipple was in the mouth of his new foster brother, Abdullah, who was Halima’s son. From then on, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) would always drink from the right breast.

The Camel’s Breasts were filled with Milk

Halima was not willing to put the radiant orphan (PBUH) down from her lap for one second. They immediately bid their farewells to Abdulmuttalib and Hazrat Amina and departed from Mecca.

Teardrops were combined with Amina’s sadness. She had virtually become a cloud as she followed her radiant child.

That night, the Harith family had a peaceful sleep outside Mecca. When the morning came, Harith ran to milk their camels. Every nipple he touched had become a fountain of milk. He called out to Halima in amazement: “Oh Halima, know that you have taken a very holy and auspicious child!”

Halima affirmed her husband’s statement: “By God, I hope he is”.

Mecca was left behind.

Halima was riding on a female donkey and had the Master of the Universe (PBUH) in her arms. What happened to the weak, frail donkey that had fallen behind her friends? Where did this speed and steadiness come from? It was as if she was not the same donkey that Halima rode on her way to Mecca.

When she passed and left all the animals in the procession behind, Halima’s traveling companions were surprised and asked with astonishment, “Oh, Abu Zuaib’s daughter, shame on you. Why do you not wait for us? Or is the donkey that you are riding not the same as the one that you rode when you first came?”

The donkey was the same donkey. The only difference was that there was someone else on her, and he was the Master of the Universe (PBUH). The honor of carrying him (PBUH) had exhilarated that weak and frail animal.

“No, by God she is the same donkey; in fact, I’m not directing her. She is going steadily on her own. There is something strange about this”. 

It was a shame that nobody from the procession was able to discern the reason for this difference and from where it came.

Yes, all of these occurrences were open proofs that this radiant-faced infant (PBUH) would embrace the future with his grandeur!

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) in the Homeland of the Sons of Sa’d

Halima and her husband returned to their homeland after these peculiar occurrences.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) would now remain in the land of the Sons of Sa’d.

At that time, an intense drought and famine were prevalent in the area. The soil’s abundance had been cut-off, the wells and fountains did not have water, faces were pale, and the animals did not have the strength to stand on their feet.

However, the view suddenly changed when the Holy Prophet (PBUH) arrived. Before his arrival, the animals were not able to find any grasses to eat but now they were filled to repletion. Their breasts were overflowing with milk and like a fountain of mercy, they were pouring it continuously. There were no longer any pale faces in Halima’s home.

The other inhabitants of the area were still experiencing a famine and were continuing to suffer in a circle of hardship. Their animals were still frail, weak, and did not provide adequate milk.

It was as if those who did not accept our Holy Prophet (PBUH) for being an “orphan” were being punished by having to remain in deprivation.

The upland folk was about to burst from curiosity when they saw this situation before their eyes. They could not understand what they saw. They were blaming their shepherds and were scolding them: “How do Halima’s sheep get full? As they walk, milk continuously drops from their nipples. Who knows where she is grazing her sheep? Why do you not go to the place where she goes and graze your sheep there!?”

The shepherds knew for certain that their employers were being unfair in blaming them. The place where Halima was grazing her sheep was no different from where they were grazing theirs. For this reason, the shepherds were disputing this, however their objections made no difference. This time, their employers added:

“Very well, how is it that while the sheep in your herd are having difficulty carrying themselves due to starvation, hers are being satiated and are returning with milk-filled breasts?”

Neither the shepherds nor their employers were able to find the answer to this question. All they could do was look at one another with wonder and bewilderment.

However, there was a reason for this and at that time, nobody other than Hazrat Halima and her husband knew what it was. When the shepherds came and asked what the reason was, Halima gave them this answer:

“By God, this is not about pasture or grass. This work is one of the many secrets of the Lord. Everything began on our return from Mecca!”

Of course, the shepherds were not able to understand much from these words; thus, they were unable to get rid of their curiosity.

This was the secret that the prairie folk were unable to conceive:

Since Halima had displayed generosity in accepting our Holy Prophet (PBUH), who is the most beloved to the Possessor of the Universe, Allah, her household was generously being endowed with gifts from His mercy.

Halima and her husband were very well aware of this and for that reason, they looked at this radiant infant in a different light. So to speak, they would protect him from a flying bird and the rising sun as they fluttered around him with great love and care.

The Upland was freed from the drought

The drought and famine that were prevalent in the land of the sons of Sa’d had still not ended. Every week, the upland folk continued to recite a prayer for rain in accordance with their own beliefs and customs. However, they returned sad and empty-handed each time.

It was a Friday.

The entire tribal community went on top of a hill and took their milkless sheep and hungry camels along with them for the purpose of praying once more for rain. After they sacrificed their animals, they began to pray. They were begging and invoking the Lord of the universe to send rain. Even though they had been praying for hours, a single raindrop did not fall.

Our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) wet nurse, Halima and her husband, Harith, were also in the crowd. Halima would always protect the Master of the Universe (PBUH), and for that reason, she did not bring him among the crowd and had left him at home with his foster brother, Unais.

The end of the prayer was reached. Everyone was hopeless, exhausted, and was preparing to leave. In the meantime, a woman, who was one of Halima’s neighbors, approached the priest upon the completion of his prayer, and said: “Oh Priest, we prayed so much; however, we received no result. If there was someone favorable and auspicious among us, then maybe the Lord of the universe would accept our prayer”.

It was as if the priest was bothered by the old woman’s words and said, “All we can do is pray to Him; however, we are not able to know His plan. Only He knows what is right and what is favorable”.

This time, the old woman shared her real intention: “I know, what you have said is true; however, I meant to say something else. In our neighbor Halima’s home, there is child from Mecca. Ever since he came, Halima’s home has been overflowing with abundance. It appears like he is a very favorable and auspicious child”. Maybe his presence will bring us luck and the Lord of the universe may accept our prayer by granting us rain for his sake”.

At first, the priest was hesitant, but consented to the idea of our Holy Prophet (PBUH) being brought after the woman insisted.

The old woman looked for Halima and once she found her, she explained the offer that she had made to the priest.

Halima found this idea as being feasible since she was the one who saw what an auspicious and favorable child he was the most. She quickly ran home and once she arrived there, she hugged our Holy Prophet (PBUH). Afterwards, she bundled him and covered his face with a cloth to protect him from the impact of the burning sun. Then, the two went outside.

The sun was severely thrusting its flaming arrows towards the face of the Earth. It was as if blazing fire was rising from the ground. After leaving the house and having walked for a bit, Halima’s eyes noticed something strange. A cloud had been following them. At first, she did not pay much attention and said “could be” to herself while she continued walking; however, this cloud did not leave. In fact, it had undertaken the duty of protecting them from the sun’s boiling heat by acting as an umbrella. Inevitably, she was overcome with wonder and was surprised, and on the one hand, she was happy. It was no longer necessary to cover the radiant infant’s face with a cloth. When she lifted the cover, his cute eyes looked at her very sweetly and it was as if his smile was saying, “That cloud is shading me”.

They continued their way underneath the cloud that acted as an umbrella, and mixed in with the crowd once they arrived at their destination. Although the priest had been initially uncomfortable when the request was made, he was now greeting the two with a smile because he had seen a cloud from afar shading Halima and her companion as soon as they had left their home.

The priest took our Holy Prophet (PBUH) from his wet nurse’s arms and shouted to the crowd: “Oh, people! This is the child from Mecca that brings blessings to whichever household he is found in. Altogether, let us pray for the Lord of the Universe to deliver rain with the love and kindness that He has towards this favorable child”.

Everyone opened their hands once more and their lips began to excitedly recite a new prayer.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) stood like a ball of light in the priest’s arms and while everyone was begging Allah the-Almighty, he was looking at the sky with hopefulness as his eyes emitted an intense light. The priest was captured by this radiant infant’s large and eminent black eyes that were incomparable in beauty and he forgot everything at once.

The final moments of the waiting period that persisted for months with sadness and longing were finally nearing. The tiny cloud above of Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was seen to have begun expanding and spreading across the horizon. In a short period, that tiny cloud abandoned its location in favor of becoming a huge cloud that covered the entire sky. Instantly, screams of happiness were combined with sounds of prayer. The coming of clouds meant that the arrival of rain was near, and a short while later, the area resonated with shrieks of happiness. “Rain….!!! Rain….!!! Rain….!!!”

Yes, two weeks of deprivation was enough for the Sons of Sa’d to understand the nature of the warning.  For the sake of this radiant infant, clear and sweet raindrops began to harmoniously fall from the trove of God Almighty upon their homeland. Supposedly, mercy had embodied the form of rain and was pouring on the face of the Earth as it bestowed hope upon the hopeless people. Because of the drought, the face of the Earth had cracked, but it displayed its happiness too by releasing a sweet fragrance.

This community still did not know the secret as to why their continuous prayers for months on end were not accepted until that day. It was a secret that would remain a secret. The cause of such mercy was just yet a baby in the eyes of the people. In reality, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) was the Prophet of all Prophets, was recognized as the Beloved of Allah by the angels and Allah Himself, and was the Sun of both realms.

The mercy that brought smiles to the homeland of Sad’s sons continued for a week with intervals in between.

The soil was saturated all the way to its pith by the rain. The grass sprung up again, the trees sprouted young and fresh buds, crops grew tall, and the breasts of sheep began to be filled with milk.

Among the people, only a few understood the reason for the arrival of rain.

They said, “This child is very auspicious and beneficial” among themselves.

The weather was clear and nice in the pure and wide desert. It was a suitable condition for the children to have a prompt and healthy growth.

Our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) growth was different from that of the other children. He began to speak when he was eight months old, spoke smoothly and without error when he was nine months old, and was strong and robust enough to throw arrows like the other children when he was ten months old.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) stopped being breastfed when he reached two years of age. Until that time, Halima and the upland folk had been fully endowed with a rain of abundance, mercy, and bounty.

Even at this age, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) possessed a far greater beauty, charm, and superior manner of conduct than his peers. He was earnest and dignified like a grown adult.