I toss and turn. The call to prayer calls through the valley, rounding up the believers with an ethereal majesty. A coagulating chorus:
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
All??hu akbar, Allah, Ash-hadu an-l?? il??ha ill?? all??h, Ash-hadu anna Mohamadan-Rasul ull??h…
It’s hypnotic. I’m an apostate. Even I am compelled to pray. An impending doom. The end is coming. I am invited.
This is my unearthly alarm clock. My elderly neighbour proudly says with the piety of a lifelong believer, “This is god’s alarm clock. Prayer is more important than sleep.”