*
"Almae alnujum hu al'akthar wuduhaan eind al-fajr."
The room looked just as dark and foreboding as it always did, with everything exactly the way it had been ever since the beginning. The men were gathered around the table like always, talking quietly amongst themselves. A few of them were still arguing about the latest decision reached at the council meeting, which stated that their tax payment would now be according to an individual's income rather than a fixed price for everyone. The wealthier ones amongst them saw this as an outrage; the poorer ones saw this as an improvement in the system.
"Settle down," Hassan said as he took his seat. "We've wasted enough time as it is."
"You should have spoken up against that ruling, Hassan," Hamza said. "A lot of people are upset with this
