It was just past dawn in the city of Istanbul. The soft blue light of early morning slipped through the lace curtains, and the only sound was the distant cry of a single seagull over the Golden Horn.
Hayya ‘ala-s-salah… Hayya ‘ala-l-falah… (Come to prayer… Come to success…) azan in baby ear
Yusuf placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Now,” he said softly, “he belongs. Not just to us. To something much bigger.” It was just past dawn in the city of Istanbul
When Yusuf reached the final Allahu Akbar , and then whispered the declaration of faith directly into the baby’s left ear ( La ilaha illa Allah ), the room was so still you could hear the soft thump-thump of the baby’s heart. ” he said softly