My childhood spirituality

[Nur]

Sheherezad sis

 

MaashaAllah, I just came across your writup, and girrrrl! was it a trip! imagination is the greates gift Allah SWT gives to us, when our eyes close, we can see with our other eyes, those of the imagination, and its amazingly free of charge.

 

As a kid Dinasaurs triggered my imagination, then, it was Quasars, the vast Universe, these close encounters with the unseen helped me grasp the greatness of Allah SWT, his wisdom and splendour, Allah is the light of the Universe, later I developed love of sailing and the ocean, this time my dreams came true as i could actually sail and dive beneath the torquise blue waters to feed the fish below, its peaceful and serene down there, no sounds, just bubbles on your ears, it feels like I can defy gravity and hover over large corals with colorful crustacians, I then set my feet on the sea floor to make Zuhr prayers, what a fun wallahi, it felt like the Appollo 11 landing of the moon, I couldnt keep my balance as my head was not falling fast enough to make the sujuud, I almost performed a somersault flip, but I struggled to keep my forehead on the sea bed, once I was done, it was a dream came true, Allah Akbar walillahil Hamd, ther I was with fellow creatures who were busy going by their daily lives, looking for food and curiously getting close to see who I was, a barracuda scared me off, divers call it the mad dog of the sea. Talk about death, at 40 meters below, and the need to contiously inhale and exhale, any mistake or panic can mean sure death, but Alhamdulillah, I never thought about it, my adrenaline was flowing for the thrill.

 

Nur

[CHE]

very satisfying read

[sheherazade]

Thank you both. Nur, am I allowed to be envious of your trip?

 

I forgot to finish the story...

 

Eid morning. I arrive early at the Mosque, a bag of goodies for the kids bumping into my knees and making walking unladylike. The bag has a tear in it and it is all I can do to keep the bits and pieces from spilling out and onto the street. The neighbours give me extra long looks. I'm too excited to stop and explain Eid. Their eyes linger over the bulging bag, the camera, the pink hijab and the sparkle in my eyes. Was I going on a trip?

 

At the Mosque, I crane my neck every now and then in search of the girl. Eventually I see her come in. She too is in a pink hijab. Copy cat! She is there though and I have a little something for her. We pray. The Imam talks and talks. Come on Imam, I have something to do!! Once he's finished I aim to immediately give out a few goodies to the children before they leave. I won't have time to spare then; it would have to be now.

 

I turn around, catch her eye and beckon to her. Silently she walks over and sits behind me. I shift my position and we look at one another. She looks up at me expectantly. I look down in appreciation. Every opportunity she got that Ramadan the girl had chosen to pray next to me. She had cajoled others away from 'her' spot next to me and once even stole the spot from another girl who had walked away briefly only to return and find her place occupied. The other girl had stood there blinking at the back of the new occupier and finally walked away in a huff when she got no response from the occupier and a smile and a small 'What can u do?' shrug from me.

 

I reach into my bag and pull out the small, see-through square plastic bag holding the ring. I put it into her hand. We don't speak. It sits in the palm of her right hand and she looks at it in wonder. She inhales once, her mouth an oh-shape. And stops breathing. I remove the ring from its place, reach for her hand and slip it onto her finger. I fits, I had done my homework. I squeeze her hand. She breathes again and manages two thank yous. She is absolutely blown away. Who would have thought a cheap ring could have had such an effect? The ring is green and has crescents on it and the moment I saw it it reminded me of Islam and I knew it belonged with someone who would love it and be reminded of that special Ramadan. Someone who had chosen me for some unknown reason and who needed to know I'd noticed.

 

Finally she smiles and smiles. I can't help but join in, my face nearly aching from the effort. Who would have thought a cheap ring would have had such an effect?

[Arwa]

Shahrazaad your imagination blew me away Maasha'Allah so sweet!

 

I don't mind reading the rest of your 1001 postings one at a time

 

Surprisingly I am not falling asleep!

 

Keep them coming

[sheherazade]

^Thanks. My imagination keeps me awake at night and even during the day when I'm at work. LOL. Alhamdullilah.

 

The story with the little girl has ended. Unfortunately she moved away before I could give her the photos I took of her outside the Mosque that Eid day. But she has the ring as a reminder and I have her pictures, ring a-blinging...

[sheherazade]

Last night at Tarawih, a little girl of about 4 stood next to me, so high she nearly reached my elbow.

 

I don't see her face at first; she appears out of nowhere with her sister when a lady next to me vacates her space. I look down at her head wrapped in a bright pink hijab. She wears bangles(a little big) on her right wrist and baby pink socks. She looks about her bored, in want of something to do but stays put nonetheless. When we finish the first raqaca side by side she shouts loudly: Ameeeeeeeeeen, right on cue. I stifle a grin.

 

When she sits she plays with the bangles, when she's in sujuud, her head tilts a little my way sometimes. When we're back up, she moves the bangles to the other hand. She looks up, searches my face and runs her eyes all the way down to my feet. When we're back down in sajdah, she spots my gleaming watch and with a magpie's desire fingers my watch. I stifle a smile.

 

We're back up and she's out of line. I worry that if I touch her to put her back in line with the rest of us she might be spooked by a stranger's touch. Before I decide, she looks up and to her right towards me and beyond. Hurriedly she takes a step back, looks to her left and finding her older sister also out of line pulls her back in. Another smile dares to escape.

 

Way to go kid, way to go.