One Minute: Hausa Love Story

OM 2

On the authority of 'Umar, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: "While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him.
He sat down close by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, rested his knee against his thighs, and said, O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam." Said the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, "Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity save Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, that you should perform salah (ritual prayer), pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it)." Said he (the man), "You have spoken truly."
We were astonished at his thus questioning him and telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, "Inform me about iman (faith)." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, "It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects." He said, "You have spoken truly."
Then he (the man) said, "Inform me about Ihsan." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, " It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you." He said, "Inform me about the Hour." He (the Messenger of Allah) said, "About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner." So he said, "Well, inform me about the signs thereof (i.e. of its coming)." Said he, "They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings." Thereupon the man went off.
I waited a while, and then he (the Messenger of Allah) said, "O 'Umar, do you know who that questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion.""

•••

"Weddings are so tiring" Aysha grumbles as they climb the stairs to the guest house. They both need a breather and since there are no guests in the guest house it is the perfect place , well apart from the twins that is. The twins being Abdulrahman and Abdulrahim, Aysha's older brothers and the first borns of their parents. As soon as the hustle and bustle of the wedding had started they both migrated to the guest house claiming that the main house is filled with ladies. Although the guest house is as a big as an average house she is pretty sure the only thing keeping them there was the food, they both are suckers for homemade food or they would've since left the house to rent a hotel suite too where all the other men are.

"I swear to God. Weddings are so much better when you only have to go as a guest, being part of the procession sometimes sucks away the fun" Hadiza complains too. Hadiza has been sleeping over since the wedding prep started and none of them could go back to sleep after subh prayers. Loud noises from the ladies cooking breakfast had kept them up, who knew cooking breakfast for the 50+ guests that were in the house needed to start from as early as 6am.

Aysha drops the breakfast tray she is holding on the floor so she can ring the bell, the only reason why they have been able to escape from the main house is under the pretense of bringing the twins breakfast. It's like all the elders were having a blast sending them around, while Hafsat is probably still asleep undisrupted, lucky her. Although she is definitely going to be woken up soon, because of the guests and other things.

Abdulrahim opens the door wearing a slightly rumpled jallabiya, his eyes heavy with sleep and he struggles to clear the sleep away.

"Toh alarm clock mai jini. Have you no idea what the time is? It's too early for you to start buzzing around" he says slightly annoyed from being woken up from sleep.