Always, songs of joys are modulated on the plectrum of hopes. Their expressions are adorned on being drawn from the future’s sack. A child complains, “Mother! Sleep’s eluding me. Tell me a story.” She lays down a condition, “Close your eyes first and only then will I narrate one for you.”
The child does as told but the constant batting of the eyelids gives away the fact that sleep is still far-off. She begins, “One day, the Awaited One will certainly come, mounted on a white steed. He will have a sword in his right hand and a flag on his left shoulder. The flag’s banne r will be green in color. Signs of victory and conquest will be written all over it. His face will shine like a brilliant sun. The harmonic sound of his horse’s hooves will tell that a helper is arriving. His sword will not instill fear because it is meant to protect us. The flying b anner of his standard will bring tears of joy to dreary eyes. His gorgeous gaze will soothe the crying and wailing innocent children. Caressing their tiny hands on the lips of their mothers, they will laugh with joy, in a way that their uvula will be seen. Mothers will hug their children and shower their infinite love on them. (A child can never realize the ocean of love gushing forth restlessly from the mother’s heart!) Then, they will see the rider approaching near. So near, yet so far. A light emanating from his forehead breaks and forms a halo around him. Occasionally, his forelocks will fall on his forehead and play with its light. Darkness will disperse. Dawn will break from the East, almost leisurely, and spread to other parts of the globe. Paths will turn fragrant wherever he treads. Barren lands will become laden with scented flowers of various hues and colors, pink, red, blue, yellow, turquoise, etc. Their soft petals will increase their beauty twofold. Their aroma will instill hopes in desperate hearts. Slight drizzle will bring forth refreshing fragrance from the earth.
He will alight from his mount. The part of the earth where he steps will smile with joy. Tidings of peace and security will follow the direction he moves in.
Lo! His moving lips can be seen very clearly now. Pearls of wisdom will flow forth from him. He will be engrossed in the praise and glorification of Allah,
Blessed and High be He. Doors and walls will testify for his truthfulness. Thereafter, he will move towards a glowing camp, atop which, the divine sign will be hoisted. He will pitch the blessed flag on the ground and hang his sword on another side. He will summon his fortunate servants in his presence and issue orders. ‘Go to the innocent children, whose mothers put them to sleep during my occultation by talking about me. First, convey my greetings to these mothers and then, order sleep to rest undisturbed in the eyes of my tiny soldiers.’ Now, even the mother starts feeling drowsy. She goes off to sleep because she has to get up for the night-vigil prayers.
From the breast-beating of the present, a scream is heard. The person blaring was doing so in a manner that fire-balls were emanating from his tongue. ‘Who is talking about a new law, a new world order and a new setup in my government?’ he thundered. ‘I am the fear, the terror and the dread of innocent children. I will turn all of them topsy-turvy.’ He orders his blood-sucking soldiers to withdraw their draconian teeth from the jugular vein of the sobbing and miserably poor and venture towards this mother to destroy her pure thoughts. The winds of Satanic power blew but for a few seconds. It sent them all to the gallows by forming a tight noose around their necks.
The child was in deep slumber as the night ticked away. Suddenly, the alarm bell rings and the mother gets up for the night-vigil prayers. The child, in his
sleep, is having a glorious visitation of his kind Imam (a.t.f.s.). Traditions
of the infallible (a.s.) prophesy that when the Flower of Narjis (a.t.f.s.) reappears, infants in cradles will welcome him with a broad smile on their
lips.
