Mutum Da Aljan 1 Littafin Yaki by Abdulaziz Madakin Gini

Description

The Chronicle of the Emperor of Jinn and the Prince of Egypt

Part I: The Emperor of Dilhar and the Sorrow of Zulfulaifa

A very long time ago, there lived a notorious and legendary Emperor of the Jinn named Emperor Masarul Anjana. Emperor Masarul Anjana ruled over a vast empire called Dilhar, situated at the farthest edge of the territory of Sin (China). There was no earthly glory that Emperor Masarul Anjana had not achieved—whether in wealth, political might, military prowess, the sheer size of his territory, or an abundance of offspring. He possessed three hundred and sixty married wives, and they bore him one thousand four hundred children.
However, by the absolute will of God, it so happened that every year, approximately one hundred and something of his children would pass away. They did not suffer from any prolonged illness; their life forces would simply expire, and they would return to their Creator. What initially seemed like a fluke continued systematically until only one single child remained alive. She was the youngest of them all, a daughter named Zulfulaifa.
Zulfulaifa was a beautiful young maiden beyond all description. Ever since she was an infant, the news of her breathtaking beauty had spread to every corner of the world, even across the lands of mortal men. From her very birth, Emperor Masarul Anjana developed an unparalleled, profound love for Zulfulaifa. He remained by her side day and night, never allowing her to move out of his sight, and he could not bear to see even a common fly land on her body. Indeed, if Emperor Masarul Anjana noticed Zulfulaifa suffering from even a mild headache, all the physicians of the realm would be summoned to attend to her. Whoever administered a treatment that brought her relief would have their lineage's fortunes permanently secured; they would be granted wealth so immense that generations of their descendants could never exhaust it. Conversely, if a physician made a mistake and administered a treatment that caused her further distress, the death penalty was guaranteed for him and his entire family. For this reason, every physician exercised extreme caution and actively withdrew whenever Zulfulaifa fell ill.
When Zulfulaifa attained her eighteenth year, Emperor Masarul Anjana summoned all the governors of the provinces within his empire to his grand palace—a structure three times the size of the entire territory of Sin. He looked upon them and said:

"O leaders of the provinces of my empire, know that in three months' time, my daughter Zulfulaifa will fully mark her eighteenth birthday. I, on the other hand, will mark my three thousand and seventy-third year in this world. Because of this, I am filled with immeasurable joy. For this reason, I desire to organize a massive banquet, the likes of which has never been witnessed before in this world, and the celebrations shall last for forty consecutive days. I want all the singers and drummers of the world, from both the species of Mankind and Jinn, to be gathered before me. I want all the heroes of the world, human and jinn alike, to be assembled. Furthermore, bring before me anyone who is capable of making my daughter Zulfulaifa laugh."

Ever since Zulfulaifa was an infant up to her current age of eighteen, she had never smiled, let alone laughed. Not a single living creature had ever seen her teeth because of her absolute lack of laughter and speech. She possessed an incredibly fiery temperament, and the slightest thing could reduce her to tears. On any given day, she would cry nearly a hundred times (Uhmm, the absolute Queen of Pampering).
The Emperor continued his decree:

"Any creature who successfully makes her laugh, or changes her life's disposition from constant weeping to smiles and joy, I shall bestow upon him whatever he desires in this world, provided it exists. However, there is one condition: If a human or a jinn attempts to make her happy but inadvertently makes her weep instead of smiling or laughing, I will cast him into my deepest dungeon and bind him. He shall never step foot outside until the day Zulfulaifa laughs. If she lives for another forty thousand years in this world without laughing, then he too shall remain in that dungeon for that entire duration, even if he dies, rots, and his very bones dissolve into dust."

"I want the letters of invitation written right this instant and distributed to all the kingdoms of mortal men and jinn within the next three hours. Let it be made known to every reigning king that if he fails to gather his people and honor this invitation, I will dispatch my war battalions to level his kingdom until their homes are reduced to dust."

Upon hearing this decree, all the governors answered in unison, "It shall be done, O leader!"
Immediately, Emperor Masarul Anjana dismissed his governors. Each of them, along with their high-ranking officials, ascended into the sky and dissolved into the clouds, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye. At that time, the entire world stood in absolute awe and terror of Emperor Masarul Anjana, because no other nation possessed a military force as powerful as his. Consequently, wherever his desires were made known, rulers trembled and rushed to fulfill them. In terms of affluence, he had completely outpaced everyone and had no equal. Furthermore, God had fashioned him into an incomparable warrior; if provoked, he could single-handedly wage war against an entire nation and crush it within less than half an hour, regardless of how massive its population was, be it a land of humans or jinn.
Yet, a fascinating paradox regarding Emperor Masarul Anjana was his remarkable humility; as long as he was accorded proper respect and his commands were obeyed, one could live in absolute peace with him, and he would never oppress a human or a jinn. The single thing he detested above all else was arrogance or insubordination. Regardless of a creature's status, renown, or political power, if they displayed arrogance or disrespect toward Emperor Masarul Anjana, their life was effectively over, and they would become nothing more than a memory in history books.
What baffled the entire populace of jinn and humans regarding his character was that religion did not concern him in the slightest. Within his empire, the jinn practiced over a thousand different religions, and everyone possessed the absolute freedom to practice their faith anywhere without facing restriction or persecution. Emperor Masarul Anjana himself worshipped an idol sculpted in the likeness of a massive catfish. This idol was carved from pure gold and placed inside a gigantic glass bottle filled entirely with water. Crucially, this glass bottle was completely sealed; it had no lid, no cork, and no opening whatsoever. Anyone who saw it was left completely mystified as to how the water had been introduced into it. This bottle was kept inside a specialized, sacred chamber within the royal palace and had resided there for over ten thousand years, having been passed down since the ancestors of Emperor Masarul Anjana. Traditionally, every reigning emperor during his era was obligated to visit this idol three times a day—morning, afternoon, and night—to pay homage and perform three full prostrations before the idol before standing up to exit.
However, during his own reign, Emperor Masarul Anjana altered this system of worship, reducing it to just once a day. He also reduced the prostration to a single occurrence. When his courtiers confronted him regarding this new system he had introduced, he looked at them and remarked:

"Ten kings, ten eras. My parents and ancestors had nothing better to do in their time, so they chose to waste their hours in futility. As for me, simply managing the affairs of the royal court is more than enough to consume my energy. Therefore, I do not have massive amounts of time to waste inside a house of worship."

From that day forward, everyone held their tongue, and the matter was never raised again.

Part II: The Council of Governors and the Dispatch of Messengers

When the provincial governors of the Empire of Dilhar departed from the capital where the Emperor’s palace stood, they made a straight path to the territory of one of their colleagues—a governor named Asmaru bin Aiyan. Upon arriving at his palace, they proceeded directly to the grand conference hall, where they sat down and began discussing the monumental task that Emperor Masarul Anjana had assigned to them.
After they had settled in and the handmaidens had served them refreshments, Governor Asmaru looked at them and spoke:

"O my brother governors, you must realize that this task the Emperor has handed us cannot be completed within three hours, for the world is vast beyond measure. Despite our nature as Jinn, and despite the fact that no other species of jinn can outpace our flight speed across the heavens, we still cannot physically traverse every single nation of humans and jinn within three hours to deliver this message to every individual king. Therefore, our strategy must be to deliver the letters to the grand monarchs of each continent. We shall then place the responsibility upon them to distribute the message to the minor kings beneath their rule. Since we have ninety days before the day of the banquet arrives, they will have ample time to ensure the message reaches every single sovereign."

When the remaining governors heard this proposal, they were overcome with profound relief and joy, recognizing that this was their only viable solution. Without wasting any time, they assembled over one billion messengers and entrusted them with the letters. Half of these messengers were tasked with delivering the invitations to the kingdoms of the jinn, while the other half were dispatched to the lands of mortal men. Every messenger sent to a human territory was strictly instructed to deliver the message directly to the Chief Sorcerer of the city they visited, and that sorcerer would, in turn, present the letter to their reigning king. In this manner, within less than three hours, every single messenger had successfully fulfilled his duty.

Part III: The Kingdom of Egypt and the Unshakable Prince

At that particular time in the history of mortal men, no nation enjoyed greater renown or prestige than the Kingdom of Egypt, celebrated for its unmatched glory, immense wealth, the grand scale of its court, and its formidable political power. The monarch ruling over Egypt at the time was King Alkasim Bin Mas'ud. Just as God had granted Emperor Masarul Anjana every luxury and earthly pleasure, He had similarly bestowed them upon King Alkasim; the sole difference was that King Alkasim was a human being, whereas Emperor Masarul Anjana was a Jinn.
Furthermore, King Alkasim had fathered only one child throughout his life—a son. God had blessed him with an exceptionally handsome young prince named Kamsus. Prince Kamsus stood as one among a thousand compared to all the young men of their continent. Ever since he was a mere ten years old, his fame had spread far and wide, making him a point of reference and an examplar for all. His qualities were so extraordinary that some went as far as to label him "The Gift of God."
The first legendary attribute recorded in his history was that no one had ever witnessed Prince Kamsus display anger, owing to his immense patience and profound stoicism. Indeed, even if he were insulted or physically struck, his countenance would not alter in the slightest; instead, he would simply smile and offer words of peace, even if he were the victim of flagrant injustice. Prince Kamsus was also a phenomenal warrior possessed of extraordinary bravery; no matter how massive the enemy army was, he never feared charging into their ranks entirely alone. Regardless of the catastrophe unfolding around him, he would inevitably emerge unscathed, and he had never sustained a single wound on the field of battle. Every malevolent force that terrorized the continent and baffled others—be it a wicked monster, a rogue jinn, or a ferocious beast—it was Prince Kamsus who would hunt it down and eliminate it.
Kamsus was deeply compassionate, helpful, and empathetic. From his infancy through his adulthood, his mother affirmed that aside from the typical cry of a newborn on the day he was delivered, she had never heard him cry again, nor had she ever seen a single tear drop from his eyes. Hardship, joy, or sorrow could never move him to weep; they only elicited a calm smile and a cheerful disposition. He was exceptionally lucky; whatever endeavor he set his mind to, he never met with failure.
This divine grace bestowed upon Prince Kamsus earned him immense popularity among men and women alike, particularly young maidens, who completely lost their minds and became hopelessly overwhelmed in the ocean of his love. Yet, he remained indifferent to their advances, refusing to accept anyone’s affection because of a profound ambition harbored deep within his heart. He had sworn an oath to fulfill this ambition before he would ever consider marriage. This secret desire of Prince Kamsus was known to absolutely no one—not even King Alkasim.

Part IV: The Interruption of the Court and the Stance of the King

The royal court of Egypt was filled to maximum capacity. Wherever one looked, there was nothing to see but a dense sea of human heads, leaving absolutely no room to spare. King Alkasim and Prince Kamsus sat side-by-side upon the throne of power, conducting the administrative affairs of the empire as was their custom, surrounded by an array of courtiers.
At that particular moment, the court was in high spirits. Four beautiful young maidens dressed in vibrant green attire were dancing energetically in the center of the hall, accompanied by the soft, melodious strains of traditional Arabic music. Every face in the court was adorned with laughter or smiles, and many vocalized their admiration, thoroughly enjoying the performance of these maidens who provided such delightful entertainment through their impressive and captivating dance moves.
Suddenly, in the midst of this joyful atmosphere, Sorcerer Rausum rushed into the court, holding a highly valuable piece of parchment in his hands. Upon seeing the sorcerer in such a frantic state, the music and dancing ceased instantly, and the entire court fell into a dead silence, as though it were completely deserted. A path was immediately cleared for Sorcerer Rausum, who strode down the center of the hall toward where King Alkasim was seated.
When he was barely five paces away from the throne, he bowed low to pay his respects, then raised his head to face King Alkasim. Every ear in the court strained to hear what he was about to say, for the letter in his hand was of a design and quality none had ever seen before.
Sorcerer Rausum cleared his throat and announced:

"O my sovereign, just moments ago, a messenger arrived from the city of Dilhar, bearing a letter directly from the hands of Emperor Masarul Anjana."

Upon hearing that name, the eyes of everyone present in the court widened in sheer terror. Panic rippled through the crowd; some felt their stomachs churn instantly, and their hearts began to pound wildly with fear. The only exceptions to this terror were King Alkasim and Prince Kamsus. In fact, instead of experiencing fear, Prince Kamsus was overcome by a wave of intense delight. A brilliant smile spread across his face, and he beamed with happiness as though he had just received glad tidings of inheriting the entire world. King Alkasim, however, scowled deeply, his face darkening as though he had been handed a death notice.
Turning to Sorcerer Rausum in a fit of intense rage, the King commanded:

"Quickly, hand that letter to the royal scribe and let him read it aloud so we may hear its contents!"

Hearing this, Sorcerer Rausum swiftly handed the parchment to the scribe. The scribe received it with hands that trembled violently from sheer terror. He unrolled it slowly, looking at it as though he were opening the very jaws of a wild hyena. Not only were his hands shaking, but his legs were knocking together uncontrollably. Seeing this display of weakness, King Alkasim thundered at the scribe:

"Compose yourself and stop shaking! You stand before the King of Kings, whose wrath multiplies that of the author of this letter a thousand times over! If you do not pull yourself together this instant, I will have your head severed from your shoulders!"

Upon hearing this threat, the scribe quickly composed himself. Though sweat began to pour profusely down his face, his body stopped shaking entirely. Truly, an immediate, visible danger is far more effective at enforcing discipline than a distant threat. Right then and there, the scribe began to read the letter aloud to the court as follows:

"This is a missive from the hand of the KING OF KINGS, the leader of the world’s wealthiest tycoons, and the WARRIOR OF WARRIORS, Emperor Masarul Anjana, to Alkasim of the city of Egypt. O leader, know that I, Emperor Masarul Anjana, along with my daughter Princess Zulfulaifa, shall be hosting a grand banquet to celebrate our respective milestones of her eighteenth year and my three thousand and seventy-third year of life. Consequently, I command you to assemble all the singers, drummers, and heroes of your nation, along with any master of comedy or unique talent, and bring them to my city on this designated day to entertain us."

"Be informed that my daughter has never laughed or smiled once in her entire life. Whoever successfully makes her laugh or smile, I shall grant him whatever he desires, provided it exists in this world. Conversely, anyone who makes her weep shall be thrown into my dungeon and shall never emerge until the day someone else succeeds in making her laugh. Any king who fails to follow our command, we shall dispatch our warriors to level their city and slaughter every living, breathing thing within his territory."

Part V: The Ambition of Prince Kamsus and the King's Counter-Strategy

The moment the scribe reached this portion of the letter, King Alkasim leaped to his feet in a towering rage, his face contorted with fury. He bellowed at the top of his voice:

"His command shall not be obeyed! Who does he think he is to interfere in the sovereign governance of mortal men? He must learn to stay within his bounds and his own species! Man and Jinn are not the same! Let them practice their customs, their religion, and their governance within the boundaries of their own territories and people, and we shall remain sovereign within ours! Quickly, draft a letter of rejection and hand it to Sorcerer Rausum!"

Before King Alkasim could even finish his speech, the courtiers and the citizens present had already become thoroughly terrified and paralyzed with fear, fully aware of the catastrophic wrath of Emperor Masarul Anjana. Prince Kamsus, however, quickly stood up, took his father's hands, and said:

"O my father, cool your heart and put your mind at ease. Know that bowing to another is not a sign of weakness or defeat. I assure you, this is the grandest opportunity I have ever received to fulfill my greatest ambition in this world—the very ambition you have continuously pressed me to reveal, which I refused. Know that you are on the verge of learning exactly what this ambition is, but only if you grant me permission to travel to the city of Dilhar as one of those who will attempt to make Princess Zulfulaifa laugh."

Upon hearing this statement, astonishment gripped everyone in the hall, especially King Alkasim. He looked at Prince Kamsus with deep concern and said:

"How can you, holding the status of the sole prince of a realm, go to the daughter of another king in the capacity of a common comedian, thereby humilating yourself? Know that there is nothing Zulfulaifa possesses that surpasses you, save for the fact that she is a Jinn and you are a human being."

Prince Kamsus smiled and replied:

"I am well aware of this, my father. But know that true glory does not simply fall upon a man; he must endure hardships or humble himself before he can attain the grand status he seeks."

As Prince Kamsus concluded his speech, King Alkasim’s anger cooled, but his mind became deeply agitated. He fell into a profound silence, analyzing and pondering the matter within his mind for several moments. The entire court remained dead silent, every eye fixed upon the monarch, waiting to hear the response he would give to Prince Kamsus.
Suddenly, the King let out a heavy, deep sigh, looked at the young prince, and said:

"O my son, I grant your request. I will allow you to travel to the city of Emperor Masarul Anjana, but only on the condition that we travel together. I, too, shall disguise my appearance and go in the capacity of one who seeks to make Princess Zulfulaifa laugh, just as you will disguise yourself to do the same."

Upon hearing this declaration, the minds of everyone in the court were profoundly unsettled, especially that of Prince Kamsus. He immediately dropped to his knees before the King, begging and pleading with him to reconsider and not accompany him on this perilous journey.

Part VI: The Arrival of the Mysterious Twins

(The narrative shifts slightly to a scene of travelers or guests arriving at the royal estate).
...Even though the woman had completely veiled her face.
Indeed, it was not just King Alkasim and Prince Kamsus who were captivated; all the other guests and the entire household of the palace found themselves staring intently at these two young individuals, marveling at how God had fashioned them with such breathtaking beauty and an identical appearance. The King and the Prince did not even realize how long they had been staring at these twins, falling completely silent and abandoning the conversation they were having.
Prince Kamsus made a move to step down from the raised staircase where they stood to approach the ground floor, intending to get a closer look at the twins and speak with them. However, the King swiftly caught his hand and checked his movement, saying:

"Come now, do not embarrass me. You behave as though you have never seen a marvel greater than these twins before. Or do you want people to suspect that you have instantly fallen in love with the woman?"

Hearing this, a wave of shyness washed over Prince Kamsus. He stepped back behind the King and said:

"You speak the truth, my father. But I have truly never seen twins quite like them. I simply wish to learn their history and find out what unique talent or gift they possess that prompted them to undertake this journey."

King Alkasim burst into a hearty laugh and remarked:

"Well, if not for your curiosity, what else would it be? Whatever provisions or talents they are carrying, we shall certainly witness it over the course of this long journey we are about to undertake."

Having said this, King Alkasim summoned the Master of the Household, looked at him, and commanded:

"Go and assign accommodations to all these guests so everyone can rest and recuperate. Furthermore, inform Sorcerer Rausum that we shall not depart from the city of Egypt until tomorrow evening."

Hearing this command, Prince Kamsus’s eyes widened in panic. Looking at the King with clear signs of anxiety and distress, he protested:

"Oh, my father! How can you decree that we delay our departure until evening, when Sorcerer Rausum explicitly stated that we must move with the utmost urgency to reach the city of Sin in time?"

King Alkasim burst into laughter once more, then suddenly hardened his expression, reached out, and firmly gripped the collar of Prince Kamsus’s robe. He said:

"Verily, you are still a boy. Know that there is absolutely nothing I fear in this world. I swear by the greatness of my ancestors, I will not blindly follow the dictates of Emperor Masarul Anjana! Emperor Masarul Anjana must be made to realize that I am different, and that I am not among the masses who tremble before him or fear his name. Only through this defiance can we demonstrate our true standing to him."

"I command you to be like me; do not dare display unearned subservience to Masarul Anjana. Know that man holds a higher dignity and worth than jinn. Since the dawn of creation, it is man who commands the jinn. They are our servants, and we are their masters. Do not dare humiliate yourself before them."

As King Alkasim finished his passionate speech, Prince Kamsus smiled and responded:

"Excellent, O lion, father of the pride, possessor of a heart of iron! You have truly reminded me of what I know, and I give you my solemn promise that I shall strictly adhere to all your commands."

Hearing this, the King released the Prince's collar and embraced him affectionately in a moment of pure joy. Taking his hand, they began to descend the staircase together.
At that exact moment, the two twins—the male and the female—happened to pass directly in front of them, the distance between them being no more than five paces. At this time, all the other passing guests were bowing respectfully to greet the King and the Prince, but these twins did not accord them so much as a proper glance.
This blatant lack of respect infuriated King Alkasim. Just as he opened his mouth to thunder a reprimand at them, Prince Kamsus intervened, cutting his breath short:

"Leave them be. There is something we need to find out about these twins first."

Kamsus then locked his eyes intently onto the female twin. Noticing his intense gaze, the young woman quickly lowered her head toward the ground. It was only after they had walked a short distance past them that she turned her head back for a brief moment, her eyes locking directly with Kamsus's, before she swiftly averted her gaze once more.
Right then and there, Prince Kamsus began to rack his brain, desperately trying to remember exactly where he had seen those eyes before…