huh?”
“Yes, every family has them, even ours.” Sadiq walked over to the portraits and started naming the people in them. Hannah watched his face fill with emotion as he recounted a brief history of each of his ancestors.
She followed him along the wall and noticed that when he got to the newest of the portraits, he passed right by them without stopping.
“What about these?” Hannah asked, pointing to the faces looking down at her.
Sadiq looked at the wall and his face hardened. “Another time,” he said impassively. “Let me show you the temple.”
Hannah followed Sadiq out of the hall, adding yet another question to her list. He led her through wide passageways with glittering walls and down a long hall to a set of rounded doors.
“Here it is,” he said, with a smile on his face. “I’m assuming you’re not religious?” he asked.
Hannah looked at him thoughtfully. “Well, you should never assume. But you’re right; I’m not.”
“Well, ordinarily, non-believers aren’t permitted inside temples in our country. But that’s just a custom, not law. If you want to enter, though, you must take off your shoes and keep your voice low.”
“But I thought you lived here alone?” Hannah said.
“I do,” Sadiq said as he slipped off his shoes and laid them on the mat outside the door. “But my staff members worship here,” he said, pointing to the other shoes on the mat.
Hannah nodded in understanding and slipped off her heels as Sadiq slowly opened the door.
Hannah had never been inside a temple before and was totally unprepared for what she saw. Even though this one was rather small, the architecture and design of the exterior was breathtaking.
The doors swung open and Sadiq stepped inside. Hannah’s breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight in front of her. The room was as large as a basketball court and the walls were made of orange concrete, embellished with finely detailed cutouts and columns. Thick, red velvet mats formed rows across the marble floor. Archways and railings lined the perimeter and the ceiling was rounded and trimmed in gold and blue.
The most stunning part of the room was the light; stained glass windows ran from floor to ceiling along the two long walls. The back of the room was adorned with an even larger panel of stained glass that formed an arch underneath the rounded dome ceiling. The late morning sunlight pierced through the windows and cast brilliant cascades of light across the walls and floor, flooding the room with an atmosphere that was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
“Wow,” Hannah whispered as she stood at the door.
Sadiq watched as her eyes roamed the room, soaking in every detail. He wondered what was going through her mind. Was she thinking about the acoustics? Was she wondering what her voice would sound like echoing off the high walls of this glorious place. He certainly was.
“Come,” he said quietly as he grabbed her hand and walked along the back wall of the room.
Hannah slid her fingers into his, once again feeling the heat of his grip and sensing the same flutter inside her stomach. Sadiq led her to the front of the temple where she could look back on the room. There she saw how the light, and the reflection of the windows, the chandeliers and the gold and ivory appointments made patterns on the doors. It was truly a sight to behold.
Hannah looked around again from her new vantage point, trying to take mental snapshots of how beautiful it was. She couldn’t wait to share her experience with Chloe, with her parents, and others who might never get the chance to see something like this.
She leaned over to whisper something in Sadiq’s ear, but was stopped when he put his finger up and pointed to the floor, a few yards away from them.
There, in the middle of the room, were a few of Sadiq’s bodyguards, kneeling and praying. They were chanting in
“Yes, every family has them, even ours.” Sadiq walked over to the portraits and started naming the people in them. Hannah watched his face fill with emotion as he recounted a brief history of each of his ancestors.
She followed him along the wall and noticed that when he got to the newest of the portraits, he passed right by them without stopping.
“What about these?” Hannah asked, pointing to the faces looking down at her.
Sadiq looked at the wall and his face hardened. “Another time,” he said impassively. “Let me show you the temple.”
Hannah followed Sadiq out of the hall, adding yet another question to her list. He led her through wide passageways with glittering walls and down a long hall to a set of rounded doors.
“Here it is,” he said, with a smile on his face. “I’m assuming you’re not religious?” he asked.
Hannah looked at him thoughtfully. “Well, you should never assume. But you’re right; I’m not.”
“Well, ordinarily, non-believers aren’t permitted inside temples in our country. But that’s just a custom, not law. If you want to enter, though, you must take off your shoes and keep your voice low.”
“But I thought you lived here alone?” Hannah said.
“I do,” Sadiq said as he slipped off his shoes and laid them on the mat outside the door. “But my staff members worship here,” he said, pointing to the other shoes on the mat.
Hannah nodded in understanding and slipped off her heels as Sadiq slowly opened the door.
Hannah had never been inside a temple before and was totally unprepared for what she saw. Even though this one was rather small, the architecture and design of the exterior was breathtaking.
The doors swung open and Sadiq stepped inside. Hannah’s breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight in front of her. The room was as large as a basketball court and the walls were made of orange concrete, embellished with finely detailed cutouts and columns. Thick, red velvet mats formed rows across the marble floor. Archways and railings lined the perimeter and the ceiling was rounded and trimmed in gold and blue.
The most stunning part of the room was the light; stained glass windows ran from floor to ceiling along the two long walls. The back of the room was adorned with an even larger panel of stained glass that formed an arch underneath the rounded dome ceiling. The late morning sunlight pierced through the windows and cast brilliant cascades of light across the walls and floor, flooding the room with an atmosphere that was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
“Wow,” Hannah whispered as she stood at the door.
Sadiq watched as her eyes roamed the room, soaking in every detail. He wondered what was going through her mind. Was she thinking about the acoustics? Was she wondering what her voice would sound like echoing off the high walls of this glorious place. He certainly was.
“Come,” he said quietly as he grabbed her hand and walked along the back wall of the room.
Hannah slid her fingers into his, once again feeling the heat of his grip and sensing the same flutter inside her stomach. Sadiq led her to the front of the temple where she could look back on the room. There she saw how the light, and the reflection of the windows, the chandeliers and the gold and ivory appointments made patterns on the doors. It was truly a sight to behold.
Hannah looked around again from her new vantage point, trying to take mental snapshots of how beautiful it was. She couldn’t wait to share her experience with Chloe, with her parents, and others who might never get the chance to see something like this.
She leaned over to whisper something in Sadiq’s ear, but was stopped when he put his finger up and pointed to the floor, a few yards away from them.
There, in the middle of the room, were a few of Sadiq’s bodyguards, kneeling and praying. They were chanting in
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