Ar-Rafi" (the Exalter)
"O you who have believed, when you are told, "Space yourselves" in assemblies, then make space; Allah will make space for you. And when you are told, "Arise," then arise; Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees. And Allah is Acquainted with what you do."— (Qur'an 58:11)
Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari:
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
"Allah, the Exalted, will continue to stretch out His Hand in the night so that the sinners of the day may repent, and continue to stretch His Hand in the daytime so that the sinners of the night may repent, until the sun rises from the west."
Overall, the name "Al-Rafi" serves as a reminder of Allah's power to elevate, uplift, and exalt, with profound implications for personal development, social justice, humility, and spiritual aspiration in the modern world.
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)
Byakuya summoned the Junnipan after his Fajr prayers that early morning, signaling with a wave of his hand. Suddenly, they emerged from the shadows like phantoms of the night.
"Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatallahi wa barakatu, Kuchiki-sama," they greeted in unison.
"Wa alaykomissalam wa rahmatallahi wa barakatu," he replied with equal courtesy, his voice authoritative. "Report."
"In the realm where shadows wane, within the dance of veiled domain, a silent whisper, faint and low, speaks of warriors, a hidden foe. When Ra stirs beneath the stars, his defenders, fierce and bold, turn against their own kin's grace and bring torment to their embrace. Swollen joints, a twisted fate, where movements falter, pain dictates, a silent struggle in the night, where darkness reigns and stars take flight," Oruko recited solemnly.
Byakuya remained silent for a while before dismissing them to their tasks. Only Vaijin remained, veiled in the shadows.
"Escort her, Lady Jin," he commanded the older woman, who was his late father's older sister, a former Elder of the Kuchiki clan who stepped out after her husband was sealed off. Though she remained fiercely loyal to the clan and held immense influence.
Lady Jin nodded before retreating to the shadows.
Byakuya was soon left alone in his study, contemplating how the balance of power in Soul Society constantly shifted minutely. He remembered the assassination attempts when he was young and weaker, especially during the incident with the Shihoin clan and Central 46, weakening the four greatest noble clans.
Despite the odds, Byakuya had risen and strengthened the Kuchiki clan to the point where no one would dare lay a finger on his fragile wife while she wandered alone in Rukongai. With Rukia's admittance to the main branch of his clan, he knew that most of his own people didn't want an outsider gaining a foothold again. This internal strife, along with external pressure from ambitious clans, would tax him in earnest.
Rukia woke up from her sleep feeling drained as memories of her childhood in the orphanage reminded her of how life had always been dim.
She groggily got up from the bed she shared with six other people in the Soul Academy's dormitory room, walking towards the bathroom feeling weak and off-balance.
Proceeding to wash her face, she looked at her own reflection in the mirror. Her messy shoulder-length raven hair was tossed carelessly, her large eyes red-rimmed from silently crying last night, along with her reddened nose and cheeks. She looked very small and fragile, unlike the fierce street rat feared by the strays of Inuzuri.
"Kuchiki," she mumbled to herself, reminding her that the orphanage which took care of her as a baby and when she was weak belonged to them. Although she didn't have fond memories of that place, she still felt a debt of gratitude to pay.
Suddenly, she remembered the night she stole medicine for her dying childhood friend.
"Why do some people have so much while we barely have anything to eat? Why do some have everything while we have nothing?" She recalled her frustrations and desperation, questioning the unfairness and inequality.
"Byakuya," she found herself whispering his name. Back then, she didn't know anything about him except that he seemed too privileged to understand her plight.
Sadness filled her heart as she remembered how he didn't even look at her- for someone who wanted to adopt her as his sister, much less remember their first meeting in Rukongai, a memory she herself didn't really want him to recall.
Rukia abruptly splashed water on her face to banish the negative thoughts, but tears fell from her eyes when Renji's face appeared in her mind. Although she wasn't one to cry easily, the thought of losing a loved one yet again made her feel weak and helpless.
She didn't want that. She didn't want to be weak and hopeless.
After a while, she finished bathing and prepared to go to her morning classes. But unlike before, Renji was nowhere to be seen the entire day. It persisted for days, which turned into weeks, until finally, she relented.
Rukia decided to accept the adoption offer, seeing as Renji had completely abandoned her.
Lady Jin arrived at the academy and escorted Lady Rukia to the famous Kuchiki Manor, the most luxurious residence in all of Soul Society.
Rukia looked at Ichigo in surprise, noticing that he didn't complain about performing her duties as a Shinigami.
'Subhanallah... There goes more of my sleeping time,' he internally mumbled.
"No complaining?" she asked curiously.
"Yeah, yeah," he answered nonchalantly.
Rukia's eyes softened as she gazed at him, deep in thought.
"He is still a brat... But... Alhamdulillah, he is now worrying about others after feeling the presence of their spirit," she thought.
"Perhaps he's gained some of what it takes... To be a Shinigami."
to be continued...