"Now please would you all turn to page twenty-nine of your books... the subject of today's lesson is the Future Simple Tense..." instructed Mr. Robert, a tall, slim English language teacher with red hair.

As the students flicked through their books in obedience to their teacher, Abdallah remained still and began to look directly into Mr. Robert's eyes. It was a long penetrative stare. For an instant Mr. Robert's composure had dropped. It was the first time I had seen our teacher - normally self confident - appear somewhat uneasy. I then glanced over to Abdallah. There was an intense expression upon his face. I wondered to myself, "What troubles our Abdallah?"

“Abdoolah, is there something the matter?" asked our teacher gradually regaining his composure.
"The Future Simple!" replied Abdallah in a somewhat abrupt manner.
"Yes…?" prompted our teacher.
"Mr Robert, I don't want your Future Simple" stated Abdallah.
"Excuse me...?"
"Ya'ni, I don't want to learn your Future Simple; you see I am afraid it will corrupt my heart."
"I'm sorry, Abdoolah, I don't understand. What an earth are you saying?"
"Mr Robert, I am a Bedu man; my world is an Araby one. I feel a tension in your Future Simple. It does not come easily to me. My galb... ya'ni … my heart resists it. I cannot do what my heart is unable to do."
"I'm sorry Abdoolah. I'm not with you. Please what precisely do you mean?"
"I mean I cannot learn your Future Simple because my heart simply prohibits it. My heart is at war with your Future Simple. Do you not see it Mr. Robert?"
" Abdoolah, what’s got into you young man! Really I've never heard so much nonsense. The Future Simple is no more than a language structure. It is hollow! I promise you there is nothing inside. You must understand, Abdoolah, that all language is essentially neutral. It is only you who will decide the use to which you wish to put the Future Simple. I am merely imparting to you a structure. I am merely giving you a tool. How you use that tool is entirely up to you."
"Mr. Robert, you know Arabic?"
"Abdoolah, in my humble experience as a language specialist, I am proud to say that I have acquired an admirable mastery of eight languages, and I can tell you quite confidently that all languages in this respect are essentially the same. In short, the linguistic structures embedded in any language are nothing but communicative instruments. You see, Abdoolah, you really must begin to appreciate the arbritariness of language, if you want to..."
"Your words are very beautiful Mr. Robert, but do you know Arabic?"
"Umm…okay, no Abdoolah ... but..."
"Then how. Mr. Robert, can you understand the state of my heart?"
"Now look here Abdoolah... language is communication. Hymes teaches us that we use language for communicative purposes. Consider, for example, this utterance: I shall go to Abu Dhabi tomorrow and I shall have tea by the Corniche. How could this possibly affect you? How indeed does this trouble your heart? You refer simply to a point in the future from a point at the moment of speaking. How else could you possibly communicate this idea?"
"Mr Robert, Ibn Khaldun teaches us that language is emotion. For an Arab, language is the voice of the heart. For you, English Man, it is only the voice of the mind. You see, Mr Robert, you forget the heart."
" Abdoolah, I'm sorry my patience is running. We’ve already wasted a lot of time with your rambling. You just have to learn this structure. It’s not up for discussion. It's part of the English language. And remember English is now the language of the world. Now come on, look at it in this light, Abdoolah, if I were to ask you very simply: what will you do after the lesson? What indeed would you reply?"
"I say this: If Allah wills, I go to the cafeteria. You understand me?"
"Yes but it sounds funny... I mean it sounds awkward. It's just not done. It's not English!"
"But Mr. Robert I feel myself in this sentence. I know who I am. If it sounds funny, it is because I am funny to you. It is the Arab inside me, which you find funny. And so I cannot and will not learn your Future Simple."
"Very well, Abdoolah… please leave my class!"
"Ah Mr Robert, you see, now you speak from the heart!"