saved

My feet ached. My energy ached more. Gatvol is that not-so-pleasant (eek) Afrikaans word that describes me. We are just pushing along this 24hours.

I do a zombie walk to the gynae ward at 3am, and scrutinize the files through the light of the passage. The patients' groans don't strike me as anything strange - most woman in this rotation are groaning anyway. As I scan the drs notes, the pt whispers "bietjie water asseblief" (some water please).

The gatvolness in me flares up - in retrospect unnecessarily so - my thoughts race... this is not my job, does anyone know how tired I am... I'm not a Sister, speaking of which where are them Sisters? Uff, sleeping as usual. If I have to walk around handing pts water I will never learn what I'm supposed... there's not even any cups in sight...

 Wait a min.

A parable of primary Madrasah comes back to me through my zombieness - 'that sinner-lady of long ago was granted Jannah (heaven) when she gave the thirsty dog water, using her shoe as a cup.'
I shook my sleepy head, severely rebuking myself for allowing my frustration get the better of my humanity. Of me, being Muslim.

Everything around me suddenly took the shape of a possible water-holding utensil.

I thanked Allah, glad that thoughts were not counted as deeds. It still bothers me as to why I was thinking of myself as not worthy of handing out water. As a Dr once told me  - its time for a career change if patient care is no longer the most important.
 May all my evil thoughts be highlighted so I can stop them in time.

"Aren't you hot in that?"

I'm certain anyone living within a Western community has been asked: "Wow! Don't you feel hot in your Hijab?!"

10. "I'm more protected against skin cancer"

9.  "It's cooler than my hair"

8. "I have air-conditioned thoughts"

7. "Yeah. I'm dying.  *whispers* I need you to free me"

6. "OMW, I don't believe you actually think that far"

5. "So what if i do?"

4. "Hell is hotter"

3. "My hijab is what a thorn is to a rose"

2. "Anything for my Allah, is cool"


and no. 1.

Feel free to add any more responses :p 

Youth Day

So yesterday (Sat 16th June) I was invited to join the 'Muslim Women's Group' (lol, I'm not sure they call themselves as such) to  a children's shelter to help hand out Soup and bread and Blankets.

There were more children than I expected - probably since it was a public holiday, other kids also decided to be part of the shelter for the day.


First they performed a few songs for us, most of em in Sotho so we understood little. I enjoyed observing the expressions of the Muslim children; the older ones seemed to stare in pity, the younger ones looked on with a mixture of curiosity, fear and wonder. One of them commented that the children seemed well dressed, to which I agreed. But I am certain they were told to were their best clothes for the "Youth Day celebrations"

We need to see more people whose needs of the day include finding food and shoes that fit. Guilty feelings enveloped me when I looked down at my own branded jeans and matching scarf, and added up the approximate cost of all I was wearing.

If I've got it right, most of these children are abandoned, or orphaned or their parents are too sick or too drunk or too poor to take care of them. Sigh. The injustices of the human race.

I felt an urge to pick each one up. Cuddle them. Each one is special. Each one deserves to be hugged.

Our youth are still suffering, They are still being shot and killed. The only difference is the killer is not the Apartheid  police. Youth Day cannot be a celebration.

Hijab and stethoscope

So being a health-care professional requires you to be neat and also to have access to your ears for a stethoscope. (Ha-ha, some doctors [rigid in their belief that a stethoscope has very limited uses] would probably cringe at my juxtaposition of health-care and stethoscopes)

Unfortunately I’m not willing to make ear-holes in all my scarves so we have to come up with other options.

The orni/khimaar

Having a long scarf held together with a pin might be an option but may become a little overwhelming when you start concentrating on preventing your scarf from touching the patient.

The Kuwaiti style is an option. I’m not sure of its correct name and come to think of it, I’m not even sure why we refer to it as the Kuwaiti style :o It reminds me of an adaptation of the MMSG (Maritzburg Muslim School for Girls) scarf.  Essentially a sort of tube with a long end that can be draped over your head.  Works great.

The Ameera

This is the most useful option especially with a recent flood of their availability in South Africa. The Ameera (small burqa as some prefer calling it) can be neatly tucked away inside the white coat and obediently stretches when you require your stethoscope.  No problems J

You could also spice up your ameera-look by adding a Spanish-style atop it. This doesn’t interfere with your ear access. Just make sure you secure it well with some sewing pins lest it slips off.

Or else try wrapping a long scarf loosely over the ameera, and again securing it with pins

Shukran to Sabeehah for style tips and comments. And to Hamada for the mannequin head.

Apology for the hasty photos, obviously not my speciality :p 

What would you do in this case? #4

You are invited to a Muslim family's house for a meal. They probably cooked special for you. Suddenly you get this frightening, random thought that the meat might not actually be Halaal (There are more than four halaal-certifying organisations in South Africa)
Do you:

A. Just keep quiet, recite Bismillah and Eat.

B. Bluntly enquire where their meat is purchased from.

C. Lie that you are vegetarian (or maybe just became one)

D. Nibble on the salad.(Note, you are the guest so expect being asked why?)

E. Slyly bring up the topic of Halaal-certifying organisations. (BAM! Be ready for debate)

F. Other (explain)
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The best of the Boeremark

Salaam Alaikum :)
I'm back home, just for a few days though then we go back to start the new semester. Exams are over, Alhamdulillah but waiting for results seem just as stressful. Aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhh! I don't want to think about this. *blocks exams out of mind*
It's awesome to be back home (for some reason I was really really missing home this term) and have free fast internet connection. My sister has dubbed be "Giga-Bhen" coz when I'm around, there always is a need to top-up the internet gigs :) I noticed I have a few more followers = JazakAllah for following =)
So I found this post in my drafts collection, it's already about six months old, but anyways...
oh, ya, the photo's are rather clumsy but then I am a shy photographer


For the non-South Africans, "The Boeremark" refers to a Saturday "Farmer's Market" where you can find... uhmmmm...almost anything. From freshly made braai (all haraam btw), to antiques, clothes, 2nd hand stuff, fruit & veggies and even puppies! You'd get it all! Its predominantly Afrikaaner and starts about 6a.m. We generally frequent the Boeremark, when it's exam time -  the only thing that has me ready @ 7:30a.m. on a Saturday morning. I suck at describing scenes so I'll leave it to some of these random pictures of the Boeremark.

The most amazing sight though, is when I pass a particular stall that sells metal items. No, its not the metal thats amazing - rather it's the Muslim man (of African origin) that makes the best use of his time. Totally ignoring the hustle-bustle around him- he just calmly recites Qur'an. (I couldn't take a photo of this much too sacred sight) A scene like this is most appreciated in Bloemfontein (where the mere spotting of another Muslim is actually exciting!).It almost makes me uncomfortable, shouldn't I be doing something more worthwhile than walking around at the Boeremark? Even my friend noticed him one day - and commented on how strange that was-"how could he be ignoring the music and reading your bible?" she wanted to know. Inspiring indeed.

Will you?

Are u strong enough to perform Salaah anywhere?

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You know you're flyin Durban to Bloem when...

* Your boarding gates are right @ the end, downstairs. Deserted. Away from the hustle & bustle of the rest of the airport.

* There are about 5 people @ the waiting area.

* They all look @ you and count "6".

* Bloemfontein is not listed on the flight schedule boards until 5mins before the boarding time.

* The pilots walk pass and comment on whether they see any familiar faces.

* The use of a hopper bus is mandatory since our 29 seater plane is parked some distance away.

* I'm the only Asian on flight.

* You appreciate being both short & thin as soon as you enter the aircraft.

* There are no arm-rests or overhead cabins.

* When the plane switches on, you check out of the window to make sure you're not sitting in a helicopter.

* There is only 1 air hostess on-board & she re-caps the safety regulations 6seats @ a time. (Ha! No need for a microphone).

* You always get free coke and chips.

* You are glad no one is sitting next to you, it's too painful to have a conversation anyway.

* You are awed @ the differences in beauty of creation, within the same country.

* You wonder why the flight is so ridiculously priced.

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Mawlud/Wafatun Nabi (SAW)

Yes, it’s the month of Rabi’ ul Awal (in fact 12^th already!) , the month during which our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was born and passed away. (Aside: how beautiful must it have been when the world lit up on the birth of Muhammad (SAW). The one who came to this world to lighten up darknesses).

I was however disappointed on my recent visit home, to see signboards decorations on the light poles of a street. Maybe I should be a little more descriptive: each light pole had two round/star-shaped boards (on either side) written “Muhammad (saw)”, flanked by two red flags. And no, I refuse to go into any debate regarding the permissibility of such actions but I do believe we need to set our priorities straight. I think we need to question ourselves first:

• Are we not succumbing to imitating the practices of the Kufaar?
• Don’t we have more important things to spend money on?
• If Muhammad (saw) was here, would he have been pleased to see this?

The month of Rabi’ ul Awal ought to be used to as an opportunity to learn more about the life of the most beloved (pbuh) and more importantly to practice his beautiful example.

PS. These are my very own personal opinions and were not intended to insult anyone.

A rant

Dear readers, I hate to be of the type that complains about everything but after attending the Mayyit (funeral) of my dear aunt (may Allah grant her Jannah), I have renewed irritation. So here goes my very own dos and don’ts of attending a Mayyit. (This is intended for ladies of South Africa).

1. The purpose of attending a Mayyit is to offer condolences to the family, remind yourself of approaching death & the unpredictability of life and to make Du’aa for the deceased. Do not sit there and stare at all the people that are grieving and contemplate on who you think is ‘feeling it the most’. WTH.

Solution: Please take one of the many Qura’ns and read it as Ithaale-thawaab for the deceased.

2. I realize that in today’s rat-race of a life, one often only meets people at hatches, matches and dispatches... but really! Do not loudly whisper about the health, education status and emotional well-being of all your long-lost friends. This is not the time! In addition, it is not the time to announce “How you came to know about the Mayyit” and “who dropped you off at the house and how you intend finding your way home”.

Solution: Make Dhikr and please leave these unnecessary panchaat stories for later. Take note of your long-lost friends and give them a call the next day to catch up on details.

3. Keeping quiet must really be a challenge but try to control yourself when the Mayyit has just been lifted up. It totally pisses me (sorry for the bad word) that the Mayyit has barely reached the end of the drive-way road and there goes the noise. No more whispers. Now it’s loud talking amidst tears, oohs and shames. Why must it be that someone must start a loud recitation of the Qur’an before our wonderful sympathy-offerers shooooosh?

FYI this is terribly RUDE.

Solution: KEEP QUIET and read something. Make Du’aa. This is the time for asking for forgiveness for the deceased.

4. A Mayyit was never and will never be a ceremony. So do not sit and wait to be served food. Especially if you are from the same city, please go home and have your next meal. Is it really necessary for people to go and have large meals prepared for you?

(In SA, food is served but is intended for the immediate family & people coming from far- away places.)

Solution: Food should be sent to the deceased house (as mentioned in Hadith) and not eaten from there!



5. It is both unnecessary and contrary to Sunnah for every Fathima, Ayesha and Maryam to request ‘seeing the face’.

Solution: Please refrain from doing this.

6. Personal hygiene and dressing neatly is definitely an important aspect of Islam – but NB NB NB – this does not mean you must wear your latest Swarovski/ excessively gaudy Abaya. !!! . This is a Mayyit and is by no means an opportunity for ostentatious parading.

Solution: Figure out yourself. And forget the make-up for the day as well.



7. When attending a Mayyit you ought to remember that you still remain a guest in that house. You can be as untidy as you wish in your own house but please do your bit (when @ a Mayyit house) and keep the bathrooms/ wudu areas etc as clean as possible. (It was particularly frustrating to see my aunt’s [well-known for her almost OCD-clean habits] house being messed up)



8. And finally, learn how to offer sympathy. Stop asking people to stop crying – crying is only a natural emotion and it is within limits allowed in Islam. Telling a grieving person “it’s very hard” is also not the best. Try to encourage them to display patience and to accept the will of Allah.

Solution: learn how to offer sympathy or keep quiet.

(delayed) !عيد مبارك

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

I hope you all had a splendidly awesome Eid-ul-Adha. Eid in South Africa was celebrated on Wednesday (17th November). Mine was spent here in Bloem but I don’t think it really brings out the actual SA style of Eid-ul-Adha so I won’t say much about ‘SA style Eid’. As I mentioned to someone just the other day – “In Bloem we have loads of animals, just not enough Muslims!” lol

The Bloemfontein Muslim community, in an attempt of spending Eid together, organised a braai for the entire Muslim community. The food was great, but actually the best part for me was that Muslims from different racial groups spent the afternoon together – I love seeing this! I met a number of interesting people too. It was definitely a new experience for me – first time I ever spent my Eid with total strangers! Pity that there was no Qurbaani atmosphere though.

I had to unfortunately attend a lecture yesterday, it wasn’t all that bad since it was only 2 ½ hours long. However, one the lecturers had me frustrated. Her lecturing style includes much humour and her presentations are always filled with funny pictures to help us remember stuff. Enjoyable, no doubt. However, her one acronym read “HAMMAS” and she had a picture of a bearded skeleton entitled “Achmed the Terrorist”. She made mention of a group somewhere in the Middle East that wore baklavas and used guns. The class laughed at the idea; and while I fully well understand that she mentioned it only in jest (& to help us remember) – I was irritated with this perpetuation of negative stereotypes already formed by the media. Now most of the class would associate “Hamas” and “terrorism”. I didn’t find it particularly funny.

On a more pleasant note, I had the beautiful (and sometimes difficult) opportunity of explaining our celebrations to my not-so-well informed friends. [Through my limited experience I have realized that explaining Islam adequately in English can be quite a trying and difficult experience, for instance, in English there is one word - prayer - but in Arabic we have 'Du'aa', 'Salaah', 'Zikr', 'Qur'an recitation' etc.  and after all my explanations, I often receive a 'blank look' or an 'Oh' suggesting that my audience didn't actually understand. I recall my one classmate asking me "What do you do when you'r home, I mean your exact routine?" She almost didn't believe my response and smirked "...so that means you pray all the time???" What is seen as the absolute minimum in the life of an average Muslim was considered to be overtly religious!] Anyway, I think practice makes one better at correctly explaining Islam, this time wasn't bad at all because my friends related to the story of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) and I seemed to sense a bit of amazement that we actually commemorate this occasion.       

Sjoe! I've no idea why I discussed all of the above in a post titled "Eid Mubarak".

How did you spend your Eid?

Ps – the picture is not mine, I got it from a brother’s blog a long time ago but can’t seem to find the link right now so I can’t acknowledge it. 

مع السلامة و في رعاية الله

**this ought to have been posted yesterday but remained as a draft due to exhaustion, sleep deprivation and exams. Sorry**

Salaah @ Malls





I recently went for a short, splendid weekend visit to Pretoria. I was pleasantly surprised to note that two of the malls I had visited, had Salaah facilities for men and women. (No more performing Salaah in fitting-rooms!) I was especially thrilled by the Musallah (fondly referred to as ‘J.K.’ =Jamaat khana in South Africa) in the Menlyn Park shopping centre.WOW! It was certainly the best I’ve ever visited, its interior design was spectacular and made me feel as if I was in some posh Muslim country abroad (interesting too, is that the embassies are based in Pretoria and so there’s many foreign Muslims visiting Menlyn). It even has toilets catering for the needs of Muslims – awesome!

A big “Thank You” to the Muslim community that were part of building this Musallah in one of the most convenient places ever.





 

















No more excuses for missing Salaah whilst shopping!

Superiority complex or Inferiority complex

I went shopping today (yay!) and I saw some Muslim sisters (yay! again). Now, when you see Muslims in Bloemfontein – it’s something to be very excited about because unlike most of the other South African cities, the Bfn Muslim community is very small (though it is growing). Getting back to my story – I looked at them and attempted greeting them. But, I was unlucky enough not to get even a smile back in return! Okay, I was only trying to practice on the Hadith (to the effect): “Spread Salaam amongst yourselves”. And if you don’t want to greet its fine with me - I had three other totally strange Afrikaner non-Muslim ladies greet me. I thought it was supposed to be part of Islamic culture to greet other Muslims but it seems that not everyone likes to practice this. Bad thing is that the one who was trying to initiate the Salaam is left standing with a bit of a shocked expression and half-spoken words.

On this topic of greeting – have you ever had the experience of trying to greet fellow (female, in my case) Muslims especially from the African continent - and they just walk past you? I feel somewhat insulted. I don’t know if it’s because they think they are superior or inferior to me? WTH, we’re all the same and hey, I’m technically African too! Maybe I’m misinterpreting their lack of reaction but I as far as I know its Waajib to reply to a Salaam.