Soon after Isabella was taken to the large room in which her friends were sitting and the monk informed them that Princess Arkia would come shortly after finishing her preliminary prayer and then he left. Now Mirano, Mertha and Hanana found the opportunity to talk secretly to Isabella. They had full talk about their present situation and various plans were discussed about releasing Isabella. It was put to Isabella that, in order to be relieved of her permanent troubles, she

One day Mirano, Mertha and Hanana went to the head priest and told him that as Isabella was their classmate and was also amenable to their advice, so if they were permitted to talk to her they might be able to bring her back to the Christian fold. This last chance of persuasion might be given them and they had ninety-nine per cent hope that they would succeed. Holy father, they said : Isabella is a piece of our heart

While Isabella was in her room, a maidservant gave a letter in her hand which read: “Sister Isabella, I have to talk to you on some important things, so be kind to take the trouble of coming here at once. The matter is very important. You should not delay at all. Just now I am waiting for you anxiously in another house. Please come along with this maidservant. Your sister, Mirano.” Isabella immediately got up to follow the maidservant while

Evening came after anxious waiting and Isabella started for the garden of Cordova well in time. On the way she met Michael’s daughter, Mirano, who also accompanied her and her other two friends, who had listened to the talk at Michael’s house, also joined them in the garden. Mirano: Isabella, there is great sorrow on your face. Why? You have to part some day from your relatives. Isabella: I was in great plight after I parted from you. But luckily

Continuing her talk Isabella said: Christ has no power to perform miracles as it has been proved from the Bible. Now I say that Jesus Christ was as powerless in everything as any other man. If he were God he could not have been so helpless and he would have been free to do anything like the Almighty God and could not have felt the need of seeking the help of others. (Opening the Bible) Jesus Christ says: “Foras the

Next morning a maid-servant brought a note from Michael to Isabella which said : Daughter Isabella ! I have to talk to you on something; you should come to me at once leaving all other work. I am waiting for you. Isabella realised that it was in continuation of the previous day’s plan. Informing her mother she left for Michael’s house, where Peter and another well-known monk, highly popular and famous throughout Spain for his ascetic life, were also present.

Leaving the auspicious and glowing meeting at the house of Ziad b. Umar, Isabella took the road straight to her home which ran through the Palace of Martyrs to Suqul Asafir. Isabella’s house was just a few paces away. The meeting had filled her with such joy that, unmindful of everything around, she walked quietly and soberly with downcast eyes. Half an hour later she reached home where her mother was waiting impatiently for her. On enquiry about the cause

In the course of this talk Umar Lahmi addressed Isabella. Umar Lahmi: So for securing forgiveness of sins all kinds of dirty acts have to be narrated? But how did you use to seek forgiveness? Isabella (lowering her eyes with modesty): On a given date everyone has to go to the great church, the same where you had discussion with Michael and Peter and then… Umar Lahmi: Are girls also bound to appear? Isabella: Yes, every adult girl and boy

This was the time when Muslims had started building mosques and schools all over Spain and eminent divines and jurists of Islam had come over to this country. In the capital Cordova the Islamic system of teaching and training had been introduced. Ziad b. Umar was a highly learned traditionist, philosopher and interpreter of the Quran. At the same time he had no equal in offering prayers and, due to his integrity, purity, and unostentatious prayerfulness, he was held in

Let us see what Isabella had been doing in connection with these discussions and what were her activities in the meantime. In fact, all this time her mind was filled with the subject-matter of these discussions and all other engagements and social entanglements were relegated to the background. After ‘the discussion’ between the priests and Umar Lahmi she had come to the conclusion that the priests had no answer to the objections of Muslims and her belief in Christianity had