The Eid Gift: An Adam and Zayneb Story

Love From A to Z #1.5

by S.K. Ali

Adam and Zayneb —engaged but continents apart for so long— are finally in the same city!

Even though it’s during Ramadan, a month of fasting and spiritual devotion, A and Z can’t help spending any and all free time with each other. Enter parents and their idea for a nikah at the end of Ramadan, on Eid day itself.

Which would appear to be the greatest Eid gift of all — except that, unbeknownst to each other, A and Z have been working on spectacularly surprising Eid gifts for the other all along.

The only thing? In true “The Gift of the Magi” fashion, these Eid gifts are at complete odds with the other. Along with a nikah day over-run with “benevolent” family interferences, A and Z are up for either recording this Eid as the best one ever, as a real marvel...or as a completely upsetting oddity.


Author's Note:
WHEN IT TAKES PLACE:

The Eid Gift is a part of the Love from A to Z storyline; it occurs shortly before the epilogue. (If you haven’t read Love from A to Z yet, please consider doing so before reading this story—some of what occurs will not make sense otherwise.)

SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND:

While there’s nothing explicit in the story, it is more mature than S. K. Ali’s previous YA novels—there’s more physical touch here than in Love from A to Z— so readers are asked to exercise awareness of their reading comfort zones.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult, Short Stories, Muslims, Fiction, Novella

75 pages, ebook

First published May 12, 2021

About the author

S. K. Ali writes the characters she never saw growing up into the stories she never saw growing up. Find her on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/skalibooks/ , on twitter at https://twitter.com/SajidahWrites , on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@skalibooks , and on her website at https://skalibooks.com/.

Reviews

[S.K. Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

2023/2024 UPDATE : The Eid Gift is available IN PRINT for the first time -- the novelette is included as a bonus story in the paperback edition of LOVE FROM MECCA TO MEDINA as bonus content. Hope you get a chance to pick it up! (I reread it again after it was printed and the part where Zayneb talks to her sister about her first night with Adam made me tear up...like I hadn't written it myself lollll; but that made me think, yeah, I'm proud to share this with y'all!) Thank you for loving Adam & Zayneb. <333

-----
SEE LATEST postscript below! THE STORY IS GOING LIVE AGAIN

SEE SPRING 2021 UPDATE BELOOOOOWWWW

This is the only one of my stories that I rated 5 stars unabashedly (well other than ONCE UPON AN EID - which is not written by me but a compilation of authors I adore so of course i rated it 5 stars!)

I just love this little Eid tale with all my heart because I wrote it purely purely purely for my amazing readers who've received my books, especially LOVE FROM A TO Z, with so much love.

I just fell in love with EVERY. SINGLE. STEP. of writing it for that reason.

It's a thank-you and i-love-you-back story so it should simply be subtitled: Love from Me to You.

P.S. If you missed it and would still like to read it, please know that I'm looking into how to make it available more widely. <333

P.P.S. Re: availability of this story: SOON THERE WILL BE NEWS iA :)

P.P.P.S: SEE LATEST BLOG POST ON MY PROFILE <-- yes that was a scream to hopefully reach into all the Goodreads dens and caverns and secret hideaways etc etc

[m · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH OHMYGOD I NEED MORE THIS WASNT ENOUGH😭😭😭

Petition for S.k Ali to publish this so I can cherish and reread it forever thank you<3

[Enne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Listen,,, When I say I would do anything for Adam and Zayneb, I mean I would literally do anything for them because they are?? so precious?? And I love them with my entire heart?? I don't have much more to say about this short story that I didn't say in my review of Love From A to Z so I'll just direct y'all to that. But, this was absolutely adorable and I loved getting to spend another couple of pages with Adam and Zayneb because I adore them with everything in me.

[Puterica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. WANT. A. 500. PAGES. NOVEL. ABOUT. ADAM AND ZAYNEB. AND BERTHA. RIGHT. NOW!!!!!😠😠😠😠

[Zoulfa Katouh · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's like someone cut my chest open and filled it with glitter and confetti and then sewed it up back again. i have never read a story that tackled muslim marriage/expectations and being in love like this. this was so cute and literally has all the fluff and kisses we DESERVE! i reread it when i need a shot of happy that sustains me for a few weeks before my next reread fix.

[safa. · Rating 5 out of 5]

want me an adam.

[Seline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was EVERYTHING!!

I love Adam and Zayneb so much they suited each other perfectly.

[Ilhaam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give this a million stars because it freaking obliterated my heart and I’m really not okay right now nor will I ever be again.
Literally every single thing in this was perfect and so cute I actually don’t think I can exist on this planet because im happy and I’m sad and I’m just having a wild time and my heart is hurting because I love them way too much for it to be healthy.
Send help. Also go read love from A to Z because you’re funny If you think I’m not going to read it again rn.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story features Adam and Zayneb, the main characters from the novel Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali. It was a really nice and lovely addition to their love story. I read the full novel at the beginning of this year and I'm so glad the author decided to gift the readers with this novella, if you read and loved the book you totally have to read this one

[yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOOOO THIS WAS TOOOO CUTEEEEEE AHHHHHHH MY HEARTTTTT im squeelingggggggg

[aforestofbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely incredible and I wish it was still available so I could reread.

[On the Same Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was heartwarming and sweet and everything you want in a fluffy, romantic short story. If you enjoyed Love From A to Z and miss reading more about Adam and Zayneb like I did, definitely pick this up! Am so happy I finally got to read it.

I just wish it was longer because I would 100% read more about these two. I don't care if it's just them in living their daily lives.

[pally · Rating 3 out of 5]

i just don’t rlly care for these types of short stories that go into the details of their post nikkah love life ☠️ like good for u lol! but also i would’ve been fine not knowing…anyways i will take it as the CAT was the eid gift yes bc that’s rlly the only part i cared about 💪 i love you Bertha Fatima bint Muhammad Al-Fihriya Al-Qurashiya <3

ALSO BTW i was spot on for knowing his love language was physical touch in love from a to z like im literally a genius

[anis ♡ (literatanist) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*read this on 21 June 2020* now we’re talking eh S.K. Ali!!! i’ve finished The Eid Gift: An Adam and Zayneb Story AND IT IS THE CUTEST FROM SHY SHY ISLAMIC COMPLIANT TO HALAL HUSBAND AND WIFE RELATIONSHIP. Cannot wait to see them again in Misfit in Love!!!

[Mehvish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was truly an Eid gift !
Loved every bit of it. I liked how S.K Ali handled the intimacy between Adam and Zayneb- it wasn't explicit but it gave all the butterflies necessary;)

[Yusra ❥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really cute and I just think its so important to have this cute halal couple that young Muslim girls like me can look up to (idk if that's the right wording but you get what I mean).

[Fizah(Books tales by me) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so adorable 😍

[iamaunicornwithyellowfeet · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

[Another Chatterbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was soooo sweet 😭❤

[Sahar Jennah · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY HEART I LOVE THEM UR HONOR

[Shaazia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want you to know that I giggled like a schoolgirl reading this.

Thanks for more Adam and Zayneb!

[LovelyOwlsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular!

[h i n d · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cutee 🥺
Thank you for this eid gift

[sana · Rating 4 out of 5]

ahhh this was so cute 🥺

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This accompanying book was so adorable! Adam and Zayneb are one of my favorites, and I loved seeing them a couple years in the future. I absolutely encourage you to read Love from A to Z!

[Aya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt like reuniting with two dear friends ❤️ Adam and Zaynab are so precious 😭

[rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

that was so adorable i can't

[ounaïssa ★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ça m’a fait fondre le cœur c’était adorable par pitié je suis à genoux donnez moi un Adam dans ma vie les romances avec des musulmans sont INCROYABLES

[halima · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THEM SO SO MUCH 🥹🫶🏼

[Arisha (Free Palestine &#x1f1f5;&#x1f1f8;) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know the author said this would be more mature than YA but I did not expect this. I should have. There were no explicit scenes like the author said, but it was very mature. Not in an "I'm old and pay taxes" kind of way.

That being said, it was so cute and I loved it so much. It's a vibe. S.K. Ali is one of my favorite authors. I'm so Excited for Love from Mecca to Medina. I just need a collection of SK Ali's books. She writes muslim rep so well, and her characters are written so amazingly, I can both relate and look up to them.