Al Quddus (The Holy)

"Al-Quddus" is one of the 99 names (attributes) of Allah in Islam, emphasizing His absolute purity and perfection.

(2:255) Allah, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting by Whom all subsist, there is no god but He. Neither slumber seizes Him, nor sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Who is there who might intercede with Him save with His leave?

Hadith (Sahih Muslim): The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Allah is Pure and accepts only that which is pure."

Islamic term meaning:

auzubillah minashaitan ni rajeem (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the accursed Satan)

astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness in God)

auzubillah (I seek refuge in Allah)

In sha Allah (God willing)

Subhanallah (Glory be to God)

La hawla wala kuwata illa billah (there is no power and no strength except with Allah)

bismillah (in the name of Allah)

alhamdulillah (praise be to God)

Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest)

Assalamu Alaykom wa rahmatallahi wa barakatu (Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings)

Ma sha Allah (God has willed it)

"Become a shinigami," the man said as she walked away without even thanking him.

Rukia suddenly stopped walking and looked at him dead in the eyes. There was no way she would become like those corrupt souls who used their powers to make life more difficult for the Rukongai residents.

Even though she had long known that everyone had a chance to study for free in the soul academy to become a shinigami, she resisted, even if it meant they would be lifted from poverty. Having witnessed corruption among their ranks, she doubted if they had good principles, despite being the supposed protectors of the world.

But then... this man is a shinigami, Rukia thought to herself. He was considerate enough to let her go, even after knowing she had stolen an expensive medicine. It made her wonder and dare to hope that not all shinigamis were as rotten as those who made their existence in Hanging Dog, terrible.

Rukia gently opened her eyes after hearing Urahara calling for Fajr prayer. "Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi 'ahyana ba'da ma 'amatana wa'ilayhin-nushur (Praise is to Allah Who gives us life after He has caused us to die and to Him is the return)," she whispered a dua (supplication) for waking up from sleep, as she got up from her futon.

Not long after, she prayed Suboh and prepared for her first day at Karakura High as a transfer student, trying to put aside the memory of the first time she met Byakuya.

Rukia imagined his disappointed look and became saddened. Ever since she joined the clan, he never looked at her, muchless acknowledge her efforts to fit in. As though she was a burden, a nuisance that kept failing his expectations. However, she shook it away and decided to embrace what little remaining time she had to do her duty as a shinigami, sworn to protect the world.

"Bismillah," she prayed.

At the school's flag ceremony in Karakura High, she used the memory changer to alter everyone's memories of her, making them believe she had started yesterday instead of today.

Rukia then looked around for the strawberry among the crowd, mentally preparing her pitch to rope him into doing her job for her. A smirk graced her face, not even wondering why she felt excited to pester the young fruit.

As the two students left the classroom together, Orihime looked at the door worried.

Seeing her best friend's somber look, Tatsuki comforted her, assuring her that her assets are more than enough to snag Ichigo, which made the young girl blush.

The other students, on the other hand, wondered why the pretty girl went with their infamous orange-haired, always scowling classmate.

While Ichigo wondered what the heck this was about, Rukia kept walking, urging the boy to move along.

"How far are we going?" Rukia asked the grumpy strawberry, who was walking a few feet in front of her.

A sudden thought came, and Rukia decided to tease the boy who kept walking to nowhere after he told her to follow him.

"What's on your mind, big boy?" Rukia asked. "Taking me to such a secluded place."

"Astagfirallah! Don't say stuff like that, it's disgusting!" Ichigo immediately reprimanded.

"Disgusting?" Rukia asked, feigning ignorance. "How rude. I spent the whole night learning colloquialisms! Not bad, eh?"

"Shut up!" Ichigo yelled in irritation, not buying her charade. "Explain why you're here!"

"Explain?" Rukia asked, suddenly becoming serious.

"That's right!" Ichigo demanded. "Isn't your work here finished!? Why are you sneaking into my class? Why didn't you go back to the Soul Society or whatever?!"

"Shush!" Rukia interjected, annoyed at his barrage of questions. "I'd have to be a shinigami to return to the Soul Society!"

Ichigo remained silent, not getting her point.

"I can't go back," she admitted.

"Huh?" Ichigo asked in surprise. "Why not?"

"Because you took all my powers and became a shinigami!" she said, looking straight into his eyes.

"What...?!" Ichigo asked in surprise.

"Last night," Rukia began to explain, "you stole all my powers from me, and now I am stuck using this gigai."

"Gigai?" Ichigo asked in confusion.

"This temporary body I am wearing now is a gigai," she pointed at herself. "We shinigamis use it to recover our powers during emergencies."

"That's a gigai?" Ichigo asked, surprised as he looked at her carefully. "MashaAllah... It looks human."

"It has to," Rukia agreed. "Because without my powers, I would be easy prey for hollows. So I have to disguise myself as a human."

'That's why the others can see her,' Ichigo thought to himself, analyzing the situation.

"So?" he suddenly asked her. "What does a powerless shinigami want with me?"

Rukia immediately perked up, and with the charisma of a salesperson, she enthusiastically pitched, "Here it is! In Sha Allah... Until I regain my power you stole, you have to do the work of a shinigami!"

Ichigo was shocked beyond understatement.

"Huh?!" Ichigo suddenly yelled after what she said finally sank in.

to be continued...