He ran toward the door with fear in his eyes, his gaze filled with terror. Abbasi quickly closed the door, causing Mahomet to stop in his tracks. Mahomet’s eyes, darkened by the black coal he had used on his face, glowed as he stared at Abbasi. In a soft voice, Abbasi asked, “Where are you going, Mahomet?” Mahomet didn’t respond; instead, he turned to look at Ammi, who held a pair of scissors and appeared frightened. He returned to Abbasi and placed his dirty hands on Abbasi’s clean white shirt.
“Ammi, he doesn’t want to be left alone,” Abbasi explained, and Ammi responded, “Can’t you see how overwhelming it is for him? He seems like he’s lost his mind. I left him alone for a short while, and this happened.”
Abbasi lifted his head to look at his mother, who was shaking her head. He then turned and took hold of Mahomet’s hand. Ammi followed them back to their house until they reached Mahomet’s room. They entered the living room, and Mahomet pulled away from Abbasi and stood by the door, eyeing the scissors in Ammi’s hand. Seeing this, she placed the scissors on the table. Mahomet quickly ran to his room, with Abbasi following closely behind.
In Mahomet’s room, Abbasi found him sitting on the bed, wrapped in a blanket, leaving only his face exposed as he stared at the entrance door. Upon seeing Abbasi, he turned his head to look at him. Mahomet’s disheveled appearance prompted Abbasi to comment, “What you put on your face doesn’t look good.” Mahomet simply shrugged his shoulders and shook his head as if he disliked it.
Abbasi assured him, “I’m not here to give you a bath. Let’s just wash your face. Don’t worry about it.” Mahomet agreed with his brother and headed to the bathroom. Abbasi washed his face with a sponge and soap. As Mahomet looked in the mirror, he examined his reflection, noticing his dimples and thin red lips that revealed his white teeth. Abbasi shaved while Mahomet continued to admire himself in the mirror. There was nothing in the world Mahomet loved more than looking at himself.
Abbasi helped Mahomet bathe, sprinkling water on him playfully, which made Mahomet burst into laughter as he felt the cold water on his skin. Abbasi applied shampoo to Mahomet’s hair, but Mahomet, much like a small child, began to cry and tried to resist, shaking Abbasi’s efforts.
Even after the bath, Mahomet remained somewhat annoyed with Abbasi, who always seemed to be like this when he bathed him. Abbasi, however, found amusement in Mahomet’s behavior.
Seeing this interaction, Abbasi smiled and left the room. In the living room, he found Ammi with a concerned expression. She stood up and commented, “Did you lose all your hair during the bath?” Abbasi, unbothered, replied, “Ammi, I made sure to wash him well in the bathroom. He didn’t like it, but I used soap and shampoo on him.”
Ammi wiped her hands on her apron and warmly expressed, “May Allah reward you, Abbasi, for how well you take care of your brother. May He grant you children who show you mercy.” Abbasi graciously accepted her kind words.
Grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, Abbasi returned to Mahomet’s room. Mahomet was lying on the bed, covered in a blanket like a new bride. As soon as Mahomet heard Abbasi’s voice, he uncovered himself, leaving only his shorts, and sat in the middle of the bed. He blinked his eyes as he looked at Abbasi, who commented on Mahomet’s earlier behavior regarding the coal on his face. However, Mahomet couldn’t respond; he simply blinked his eyes.
Abbasi called him by name, “Muhammad,” and Ammi entered the room. Mahomet blinked at her, and she lovingly asked, “What’s wrong, Muhammad? How do you feel now?” Mahomet blinked again and attempted to speak, saying, “I will pray.” Ammi smiled with joy and replied, “That’s right, Muhammad.”
She encouraged him to perform ablution and handed him a long robe. After assisting him, she spread a prayer mat, and Mahomet began to pray. However, when he reached his heart’s content, he paused, as he was only able to complete two units of prayer. He remained calm, then turned to Ammi, who was sitting on the bed. He gestured to his chest and blinked his eyes, unable to speak.