Okay,.... the one joke or at least I thought it was just a story I know but that has others laughing.
A friend of mine was having a conversation about covering yourself as a woman with me and we went on and on till we reached crescendo, so said I listen my dear, what you wear is not the only determinant of faith. And I told her why.
*****It was at jumat prayers or jumat mosque as we sometimes call it in Africa to emphasise the day of congregational prayer. In the mosque some women were wearing makeup and even their hair was styled into the hijab, some wear wearing flambouyant clothes and others fashionable clothes, we prayed and left.
Later in the week, each person went to their own mosque locally for regualar daily prayers, but on the thursday and sunday they usually had asalatul. At asalatul, the women and men can ask the iman questions using a microphone and in other mosques a lot of people commented and asked questions about what they thought about a particularly beautiful woman, she wore a flowing beautiful satin skirt and her hair was beautifully styled and showed over her hijab in front and she had gold teeth around her entire mouth, when she smiled which she did often during the prayer, others were nearly blinded by the dazzle. Many were enraged, hmppph how can this kind of woman even dare come to Jumat.
So the next Friday, the sermon at the mosque started and agitated parties seized the microphone before question time and asked the imam, please remove this woman from our midst, she is spoiling the mosque. The imam listened to the furore and the woman was shoved to the front. The imam asked her to identify herself and she said who she was, whose daughter and whose wife and mother. He thanked her and then addressed the crowd.
He said, I was going to lecture on something else, but I am servant to my congregation, you want to talk about this woman her name is Shukurat let me help. Here are the five pillars of islam, if you can keep these, then the rest comes with ease...
He turned to her and said Shukurat, do you beleive in Allah and she said, Alhamdillilahi, Allahu Akbar, the congregation said Allahu Akbar
Shukurat do you pray, and she said Alhamdilillahi, Imam every day, I wake for Asuba, pray, start my work and then at 2pm, 4pm, 7pm and 9pm and I make extra nafilat when I can. The crowd said Allahu Akbar
He said Shukurat do you fast, and she said Imam, no woman can ever complete ramadan except if they are old, I do and I have paid back all I missed and I made extra nafilat during and did not miss any of my congregational prayers during the fast, When It was my turn I hosted the ramadaan prayers, my husband and I provided meals for the entire congregation. The crowd said Allahu Akbar.
He said Shukurat, do you give Zakat, and she said, ah... Iman, I should not declare that but I do, everytime, I help others, I give when I can afford to help the poor and I endeavour to help less fortunate people and take in orphaned or poor friends and relatives. The crowd said Allahu Akbar.
At this point the Imam then addressed the congregation and said I allowed Shukura to speak because I did not want to be partial, but I remember being there for prayer and supplication each time she has gone to Mecca and I know you are all not so pleased, you see when she smiles you feel blinded, I know, but you are blinded by ignorance, look at yourselves, you see these 18 teeth Shukura has that that are not white but Golden, they represent the number of times she has been to Hajj, so try to be like her in deed and now.... can we get on with the prayer, the heat of the afternoon will soon reach a peak... ***
my friend collapsed in creases of laughter uncontrollably before I could finish because at the end
the crowd immediately started to chant
SUBHANALLAHI, WALHAMDILLILAHI, ASTAGAFIRULAHI, LAI LA ILLA LAH
A friend of mine was having a conversation about covering yourself as a woman with me and we went on and on till we reached crescendo, so said I listen my dear, what you wear is not the only determinant of faith. And I told her why.
*****It was at jumat prayers or jumat mosque as we sometimes call it in Africa to emphasise the day of congregational prayer. In the mosque some women were wearing makeup and even their hair was styled into the hijab, some wear wearing flambouyant clothes and others fashionable clothes, we prayed and left.
Later in the week, each person went to their own mosque locally for regualar daily prayers, but on the thursday and sunday they usually had asalatul. At asalatul, the women and men can ask the iman questions using a microphone and in other mosques a lot of people commented and asked questions about what they thought about a particularly beautiful woman, she wore a flowing beautiful satin skirt and her hair was beautifully styled and showed over her hijab in front and she had gold teeth around her entire mouth, when she smiled which she did often during the prayer, others were nearly blinded by the dazzle. Many were enraged, hmppph how can this kind of woman even dare come to Jumat.
So the next Friday, the sermon at the mosque started and agitated parties seized the microphone before question time and asked the imam, please remove this woman from our midst, she is spoiling the mosque. The imam listened to the furore and the woman was shoved to the front. The imam asked her to identify herself and she said who she was, whose daughter and whose wife and mother. He thanked her and then addressed the crowd.
He said, I was going to lecture on something else, but I am servant to my congregation, you want to talk about this woman her name is Shukurat let me help. Here are the five pillars of islam, if you can keep these, then the rest comes with ease...
- Declare your faith and allegiance to Allah, He is the greatest no one above or besides him
- Pray, five times daily
- Fast in the month of Ramadaan
- Give Zakat
- Go on holy pilgrimage.
He turned to her and said Shukurat, do you beleive in Allah and she said, Alhamdillilahi, Allahu Akbar, the congregation said Allahu Akbar
Shukurat do you pray, and she said Alhamdilillahi, Imam every day, I wake for Asuba, pray, start my work and then at 2pm, 4pm, 7pm and 9pm and I make extra nafilat when I can. The crowd said Allahu Akbar
He said Shukurat do you fast, and she said Imam, no woman can ever complete ramadan except if they are old, I do and I have paid back all I missed and I made extra nafilat during and did not miss any of my congregational prayers during the fast, When It was my turn I hosted the ramadaan prayers, my husband and I provided meals for the entire congregation. The crowd said Allahu Akbar.
He said Shukurat, do you give Zakat, and she said, ah... Iman, I should not declare that but I do, everytime, I help others, I give when I can afford to help the poor and I endeavour to help less fortunate people and take in orphaned or poor friends and relatives. The crowd said Allahu Akbar.
At this point the Imam then addressed the congregation and said I allowed Shukura to speak because I did not want to be partial, but I remember being there for prayer and supplication each time she has gone to Mecca and I know you are all not so pleased, you see when she smiles you feel blinded, I know, but you are blinded by ignorance, look at yourselves, you see these 18 teeth Shukura has that that are not white but Golden, they represent the number of times she has been to Hajj, so try to be like her in deed and now.... can we get on with the prayer, the heat of the afternoon will soon reach a peak... ***
my friend collapsed in creases of laughter uncontrollably before I could finish because at the end
the crowd immediately started to chant
SUBHANALLAHI, WALHAMDILLILAHI, ASTAGAFIRULAHI, LAI LA ILLA LAH
