half past nomad

I’m sitting with my back against the wall, looking over the mosque filled crowd of Isha. Some folks have already started their sunna, others are trying to leave by climbing over those in the back, cutting their salat path and shoving their way to the door. Leave. I didn’t want you here anyway.

It amazes me how many people lift their hands to make dua after salat. It boggles my mind, all these abdullah’s asking away. And I look left, right and shake my head each time, a disbelief of an amazement clings to me, the disbelief amazed itself. Sitting next to me is a young man, a goldsmith, with his hands raised.

“What are you asking for?” I asked
“Me? I’m, um, asking my duas. You know, for all of us, for me, for you”.

I ask my duas anytime I can. The best, the most preferred, are those in sajood. I stand up to pray my sunnah far later then usual, having spent my time simply breathing the mosque, feeling the carpet, the wall I leaned up against and the sound of the fans clicking clicking clicking. I take my time, for that’s how I love to pray.

Afterwards, my dad and I walk back home quietly, our company being sufficient of a conversation in itself. I’m still thinking of all those hands raised in each salat, in each jamaat, in each mosque, in each street of this city. So many people, asking away. Subhan-Allah.

I’ve made a point recently, that in each salat, I would ask my Allah for more then just forgiveness. Sometimes, our mistakes make us pause and sometimes, we pause too long, a sorrow within, a mercy without. So I’ve made it a point to ask Him something each and everytime. My favourite is “Allah, give me a character you would love”. I pray He grants me that.

On returning home, we were informed that my sisters’ mother-in-law had just passed away in St Louis. Her son, by the Grace of Allah, was there to spend the weekend with his parents. Now, his parent. In his pain, the father tells us “Bhai saab (my father), today my entire universe has collapsed around me”.

So I ask You again. Oh Allah! You are the most forgiving and love to forgive, so forgive her her sins. Oh Allah! You are the most caring, and so I ask you to protect her from the punishment of the grave, from the fire of Hell and grant her Paradise. Ameen.

For today, my brother-in-law lost one of his greatest treasures in life.
For today, he lost one of the greatest mercies from Allah.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 22nd, 2004 at 12:20 am and is filed under General Lee.