Kadir

What is beyond the end of the world?

Young Kadir sat as usual on the highest dune within the limits of his tribe and gazed at the horizon. His eyes were lost in that distant point where the skies blend with the desert sands. There, at that point, he ended his world, everything that was known to him. As his eyes gazed into the distance, his thoughts repeated the same question that had been in his soul since he was a child: "What lies beyond the end of the world?"

The horizon in the desert seems to have no end. It gives the impression of dying at a distance amid colors and lights that spark the imagination and promote dreams and daydreams. Kadir's attention was focused on that unknown, distant territory, which he had longed to know and explore since he was little. A desire that was not expressed in words, as few would understand it. Most of the people around him, his father, brothers or childhood companions did not share the same desires. They were desert warriors, ready to defend territory, expand domains and pray to Allah, the Most Merciful. None of them would waste time in contemplations that could not solve the immediate needs of daily life in the desert. In the entire tribe, the only one capable of understanding him was grandfather Abdul, his late mother's father. The old Sheikh was responsible for piquing his curiosity during his childhood by telling stories about distant lands and fantastic places. The result was that Kadir moved away from everyone, becoming a very lonely young man and increasingly attached to his grandfather and his narratives. Together they made countless forays into the desert, mounted on camels or horses, and while they rode, their grandfather pointed out the horizon and spoke to them about Jannah, paradise. He told stories about the promised land, which lay beyond the limits of Káf[1], the circular mountain, far beyond the end of the world. The Promised Land, or Paradise, the grandfather said, was described in rich detail by a few people who saw it when they were still alive, including the prophet Muhammad. Furthermore, it was always presented as the final destination of the pure of heart, a land where the mysterious desert manna sprouted and could satisfy the hunger of countless tribes and peoples.

Kadir was a young man from the desert, the firstborn of the Sheikh of a Bedouin tribe. Still at the beginning of the century XIII, the numerous tribes in that region of the Middle East began to lose space and spread out into the confines of the desert, far from the disputes and interests of the large colonizing nations. The coming and going was intense. The desert became smaller and smaller and more divided between countries, tribes and people, eager for land, wealth and power. In this way, the ancient nomads retreated further into the interior of the arid lands, almost definitively losing contact with civilization. That's why Kadir listened to his grandfather's words and read the books he lent him with enormous avidity. They were the only words that brought him news of a world different from the one in which he lived. Most of the boys in his tribe were content with what they had around. He no. He wanted more. He wanted to know the lands beyond the end of the world where Paradise was.

Paradise, for Muslims, as well as for other people in the world, is a place where there is no pain, injustice, illness or other sadness. In his imagination, the young man portrayed it as a great oasis, full of surprises and delights for those who obey Allah and wage honorable struggles and conquests. Grandfather guaranteed that it was a resting place for faithful souls and even if humanity was distant, lost and without faith, Jannah, paradise, would always be there, in a place beyond the horizon.

The boy, possessing a fervent and restless faith, pursued in his dreams and thoughts this mystical place that was hidden from human eyes. He began to cherish the idea that it would be possible to achieve it, just as the prophet Muhammad had done many years ago. He then became more withdrawn and removed from the life of his tribe. He ran away from banal conversations, disputes and even female seductions. For his family and youth companions, this was not normal. Kadir's behavior made everyone uneasy.

His father, Sheikh Kaleb Abn Jahzir, warrior and desert explorer, did not understand his son's desires or his strange attitudes. He was his firstborn, likely heir to his position and his possessions, but, to his chagrin, among the three princes he had placed in the world, Kadir was the one who least accompanied him or showed interest in the tribe's campaigns. He was right to be concerned about who would inherit command of the tribe. There were not many of them and they lived in a time of many tribulations. Increasingly, the desert became the scene of many disputes. The foreign advance and the emergence of some caliphates taking over the occupied regions made it increasingly smaller. The region where his tribe was located was protected from conflict, but a chief needed to remain alert, develop sagacity and other qualities necessary to guarantee everyone's future. That's why the eldest son's aloof and uncommitted attitudes disappointed his boss. After all, he was already a man and instead of changing his attitude and becoming more mature, with each passing day he became, on the contrary, more distant, frail and disinterested. Kaleb Abn Jahzir already had many concerns with the women of his harem, the other children, the men under his command and countless other issues typical of those who live in the deserts. As much as he regretted it, he didn't have time to waste on his firstborn's strange attitudes. Whenever he could he tried to encourage him to follow him. One day, finding him in the hall of the main tent, he asked him:

— By Allah, boy! Already looking tired so early? What is the reason for so much discouragement? Cheer up! Come join us in this morning's riding exercises. We are preparing for the meeting of the great chiefs, scheduled for after Ramadan. We will have many moons of travel – he said hopefully, giving the boy a strong slap on the back, who moved a few centimeters forward with the unexpected blow.

– I'm not tired, my father! Just thinking.

– I hope you seriously think about coming with us to the meeting of the great chiefs. It's time to take your position in the tribe and stop running away from the responsibilities that await you! –insisted

– I don't know, my father. I appreciate the invitation. But I promised grandfather Abdul to help him with the herd of goats.

The Sheikh made a displeased face and preached another blow, this time not so strong, on the son's back:

– I like and have a lot of respect for your old grandfather. I admire your friendship. But tell him that when we meet, this time you will go with me. Remind him that his destiny is not to be a pastor but a boss. You are a prince of this tribe, Kadir. Be as such.

The young man did not respond, but the word "boss" sounded completely strange to him. He was sure this was not his destiny. He had no intention of taking a place as a leader in the tribe. This was for his other brothers who, although younger, enjoyed the life of small chiefs and took their father's example in all their actions. Prince Kadir Abn Kaleb preferred to hide among the dunes, look far beyond the desert and dream of the promised land. In his daydreams he always saw images of the mysterious land described in the sacred book, a white city surrounded by golden mountains. It featured the golden dome of a huge mosque built among refreshing palm trees and rivers whose waters never stopped flowing. The paths were made of gold and precious stones. Milk and honey flowed from the palm trees and rocks. The manna fell like flakes, settling on stones and plants. The vision was so real that it was possible to hear the birds singing and the whisper of the fountain of life, from which the crystal clear and magical waters of eternal youth gushed. According to old Abdul's teachings, the oasis of paradise held many treasures. Whoever finds them does not die, does not suffer from illness or hunger and never ages.

Kadir never mentioned his visions and thoughts about Paradise to his father. Unlike his maternal grandfather, his father would never understand what was in his heart. "The heart is the home of secrets." – said old Abdul – and Kadir's heart was full of them. Over time, the boy ended up becoming so obsessed with this idea that his life seemed to find no other meaning.

– Where is Paradise, in which direction? – the boy asked his grandfather when they were both resting from their last meal of the day, leaning against a rock next to the old Sheikh's Tent. The sun was setting on the horizon, coloring the sky and sand with an orange tone that was gradually fading. Abdul, on this day, felt different, as if inspired by his grandson's ideas. He took a few puffs from his hookah[2] and said:

– Ahh, paradise! How many of us would give everything to get there, in life, without having to die to be taken to it, right?

– And do you think this is possible? – asked Kadir

– I don't know, boy... and you? What do you think? – She spoke with a kind of affectionate malice.

The boy fell silent. In daydreams he had seen himself crossing the portals of Paradise several times, but he was afraid to expose these visions. Even his grandfather did not have the courage to confess the strange feelings he had in this regard. The old man didn't notice his grandson's hesitation and continued as if speaking to himself.

– I know little about the sacred book to say anything about this..., but I have heard stories of people who entered Paradise as alive as we are, although, for our faith, this is impossible.... I once met a hermit, a foreigner , who claimed to be the priest of the Nazarene prophet, the blessed Issa or Jesus. He said he came to the desert looking for Paradise. I have no idea if he got there or not. I also don't know if the Christians' Paradise is the same as ours....

Kadir interrupted him without being able to hide his excitement:

– Did he come to the desert in search of paradise? So is Paradise really around here?

– Where else could it be? It was right here in these lands, perhaps a little further east, that our parents Adam and Eve founded their roots after they were expelled from Jannah. I don't know for sure, my son, but it could be so... I've also heard that he's on the Káf mountain, at the edge of the world. But where is the limit of the world? – He asked thoughtfully while taking another puff of the Hookah – How do you know? I've lived my whole life in this desert and I've never seen anything but the sands. Nor have I seen a mountain bigger than the one at Oásis Pequeno. They say, however, that whoever finds this mountain will find Paradise, that's what I know.

Once again Kadir lost himself looking towards the east. Apart from the nearest dunes he saw nothing ahead. No mountains. The horizon was blurred with the remaining light and, from then on, it was just a mirage.

– But, my boy, – continued the grandfather – don't think that anyone can achieve the feat of entering Paradise on their own. I believe that only true Saints can do this. We ordinary mortals, like you and me, must hope that the good death will lead us to him.

"Yes, thought Kadir, grandfather must have been right. Only saints can approach Paradise." However, instead of thinking about the "good death", the young prince began to think about what to do to become a saint. He fasted and prayed to Allah for seven days in the hope of enlightenment, but Allah did not listen to him or was in no hurry to respond to him.

Kadir Abn Khaleb then fell into great discouragement. He lost his appetite, his eyes were lost, he almost fell ill, but he didn't lose his faith. He continued to say his prayers and read some excerpts from the Quran daily.

One day, months before the excursion scheduled by his father, he appeared in the tribe, Balam, a wise dervish from the order of the Mevleviya[3] who live in perpetual pilgrimage around the world. Balam was an old wanderer about whom countless stories were told. Kadir had already heard about him and thought his appearance was the answer to his prayers. He assumed that he had been sent by Allah himself in response to his requests. He then began to follow him from afar, in a modest and stealthy way so as not to be noticed. One day, however, the dervish stopped and faced him head on:

– Are you following me, little Sheikh?

The boy, in a humble bow that was in no way befitting his position as prince of the tribe, made a surprising proposal:

– I would like you to accept me into your service, Lord!

 The wise man looked at him curiously:

– At my service, boy? I don't think I have any service to offer you. But anyway, for what?

– Of knowledge, Lord. I want to learn about faith, the scriptures, and what to do to get to Paradise

The dervish shook his head with a smile and examined him attentively:

– Get up, little Lord, you must not bow-

yourself before me. – He spoke after a while – I don't know how I can help you in this crazy endeavor, but if you want to know the sacred book I can give you some lessons in exchange for food and shelter for a few days.

Kadir looked so pleased that he stood up in a single jump:

– Of course, my Lord, my tent and all my servants are at your disposal...

The dervish made an evasive gesture as if he didn't understand the boy's proposal and said:

– I already have my own tent, young man, just tell me where to pitch it. And I just want some water and, if possible, later, a mug of that strong, tasty coffee that your people prepare so well...

From that day onwards Kadir thought he had found a strong ally in his desire to become a Saint. Every day he stood next to the pilgrim, always looking for opportunities to provide him with some kindness and small services. The old man taught him many lessons based on the Holy Book of the Islamic faith – the Koran – and introduced him to prayers and sacred postures to honor Allah. He even showed him some steps of the secret dance that dervishes perform when they want to provoke visions and raptures. The steps of this dance consisted of rotating movements of the entire body and head, which, according to him, reproduced the movement of celestial luminaries in relation to the earth.

– It is necessary to perform these movements regularly to harmonize the mind and body with the entire universe and its countless suns – said Balam after spinning several times in front of the boy.

– "How many suns does the universe have?" – asked the boy.

– Hmm… – grumbled the dervish – this answer is not easy. It is necessary to first achieve the perfect spin, then the entire number of suns and stars of this immense universe will be revealed to you. If you so wish! – He completed smiling

Kadir had no idea that there could be more suns than the one that lit up the desert during the day and hid deeply at night. But he understood that in the art of spinning dance there must be some kind of magic. A few times he tried to follow his master and perform the sacred spinning movements, but he always ended up dizzy and retching.

– The Universe is movement, boy, it spirals. – said Balam – It has time and rhythm. Our art begins when we learn to imitate him, even if it is at the cost of the last food we eat – and laugh a lot at the tragic face of the boy trying to stop himself from vomiting...

The dervish dance was considered sacred. As they twirled, the priests imitated the expansion movement of the universe and entered a strange ecstasy. It was said that through this trance they became capable of reading the past, predicting the future and discovering remote secrets. Aware of these things through his master, the young man followed his guidance in the hope that Balam would help him with his countless knowledge to discover the path to the lands of Paradise. But, Balam did not go beyond piquing his curiosity even further by telling him desert myths and mysterious facts from his own travels and adventures.

– The desert is a region of many secrets and mysteries. It has fantastic caves that open paths into the interior of the earth, oases with singing fountains and lakes with warm waters that are not recorded on any terrestrial map. There are floating dunes that cover truly paradisiacal regions and there are also sliding moats of quicksand that take people and even entire caravans to who knows where. I know the story of a man who was swallowed by the desert sand in front of several witnesses and later turned up very much alive in another region.

Kadir let out a crystal clear laugh considering it was one of his master's jokes.

– Well, that's just a legend! – He exclaimed

- Could it be. – Balam continued with a shrug – But that's what I heard.

The boy loved Balam's stories, although he didn't take them seriously most of the time. He spent hours and hours reliving them in his mind as if he were drawing them on canvas. He felt a certain envy of the dervish for his life as a wanderer. It was a life without any comfort or wealth, but full of freedom, knowledge and access to places he only dreamed of. So he resolved with himself to follow him as soon as he decided to leave. He would tell his father that before becoming chief he wanted to complete his pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj, and that he would enjoy the company of the holy man. He tried the best possible arguments to convince Balam to agree to his company, but, to his surprise, when he looked for him the next day at the usual place and time, the old dervish did not appear. He looked for him on the outskirts of the tribe, in the nearest caves and there was no sign, not even of his tiny tent. He had a hard time concluding that his master had left with the little that belonged to him. Kadir was quite disappointed. They hadn't even said goodbye. He had not completed his lessons and, on top of that, it had left him with a greater number of questions and no answers about Paradise. Balam was a wanderer, a pilgrim, he belonged nowhere and had no one to answer to. It came and went like a desert breeze.

The young man greatly missed the old dervish's company and teachings and was even sadder than he normally was. He retreated into a silence so profound that he became almost a kind of living dead, looking worse than a jhin[4] banished to the desert. Most of the people in his tribe didn't even notice him. Even his father ended up forgetting the invitation he had made to his firstborn and, urged by the main wife of his harem, he began to prepare his second son to accompany him to the meeting of the great leaders.

Kadir was motherless. Kaleb's first wife had died during his birth. The boy didn't even have a portrait or any other record that reminded him of her. His father had chosen another main wife from among the women in the harem, and she managed the chief's family life, influencing him in decisions that concerned his children and servants. Kadir, being the firstborn, had a certain independence. He had inherited a considerable fortune from his mother, which was well managed by his grandfather. Fortune in the desert is measured in gold, precious stones, servants, warriors and livestock. He had his own tent and private servants, like a true little chief. He never cared to have very close contact with his father's wives or his brothers. In this way, he stayed away from family intrigues and disputes. He didn't have many people to cling to, with the exception of Balam who had just left, his grandfather, who was very old, and his nurse, Amira, who was also at the end of her days.

Kadir then had the idea of ​​tracking down Balam. The pilgrim certainly wouldn't be far away. But how do you know where you were headed? Perhaps he was heading towards the lands of Turkey, where he was born, or he was heading towards the city of Mecca, which is the destination of all the prophets of Islam. He had no way of knowing, but he was a believer who believed in signs. Surely his master would leave some sign behind him and he would find it.

In the days that followed, the boy silently organized everything he thought he would need for a big trip. He intended, it is true, to follow in Balam's footsteps, but, deep down, his main motivation was his own search for the Paradise he dreamed of. He wrote a long letter to his grandfather and made a package with some personal things for old Amira. He was sure she would miss him. From what he knew, besides his grandfather, she was the person who had loved him most in his entire life.

However, Kadir was unaware that another person had such intense devotion to him that he thought he was capable of giving him his own life. A small, slight person who had always gone unnoticed in his eyes. Aisha, a young gypsy, possibly an orphan, who was sold as a child to the sheikhs' family.

[1] In Islamic and Sufi tradition, Káf is a mountain range that surrounds the world, outlining its limits. It is also associated with the center of the world, a place where paradise for Muslims would probably be located.

[2] Species of Arabic pipe.

[3] Order of whirling dervishes from Turkey and ancient Persia whose main founders are the wandering poet Jalad ad-Din Rumi (1207-1273)

[4] According to Arabic mythology, the jhins, jhinii or geniuses, are ancestral spirits who would have lived close to Paradise, but fell out of favor with the Creator. Since then, they have lived confined in caves, in the center of the earth, mountains and remote areas of the desert.