One Minute: Hausa Love Story

OM 6

On the authority of Abu 'Abdullah al-Nu'man bin Bashir, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, say:
"Truly, what is lawful is evident, and what is unlawful is evident, and in between the two are matters which are doubtful which many people do not know. He who guards against doubtful things keeps his religion and honour blameless, and he who indulges in doubtful things indulges in fact in unlawful things, just as a shepherd who pastures his flock round a preserve will soon pasture them in it. Beware, every king has a preserve, and the things Allah has declared unlawful are His preserves. Beware, in the body there is a flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt, and behold, it is the heart."

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

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Hafsat together with Hajiya Iya and Aunty Zuwaira enter a room where the remaining elders are so they could do their own version of fada before she goes. Hafsat rests her head on Aysha's shoulder when she comes out of the room, sobbing. That seems to be her undoing as Aysha too cried.

They go to the men's side, where her father, her brothers Abdulrahman and Abdulraheem and her uncles all are. Hafsat enters the parlour while Aysha and Hadiza wait outside for her, they are quietly drying their tears with the edge of their veil as they wait for her to come out.

She comes out with their father, Abba escorting her. Cars are lined, waiting to take the bride to her new home. Both Aisha and Hadiza enter the car just behind the bride's own, none of them want to enter the bride's car because they know Hajiya iya would be driving together with her and they are both trying to avoid her.

They first go to Hafsat's In-law's house, where the budan kai is taking place. The in-laws receive them with the sound of the local trumpet (Algaita) and Hafsat is guided to the house and they go inside. Her mother in-law is seated on a royal blue majestic sofa and Hafsat squats to greet her and in turn she gently guides her up and sits her down right next to her, she drags back her veil that is covering her face and she prays for her and their union before the rest of the people there take turns in giving out gifts and blessing the couple. It is like a little event right there and even before they could set off for the brides house over 2 hours has pass.

They arrive to the bride's house without much traffic and hassle on the road. The house is filled to the brim. Everybody wants to see the bride's house, some to have something to gossip about later.

Most of the guest didn't leave until it was after 7pm, leaving the house only to Hafsat, her friends and some close cousins that she is friends with. Hafsat roams around getting familiar with the house. The rest of them are in the parlour waiting for the groom's friends to come for the siyan baki, this is a tradition whereby the groom's friends will come and pay on behalf of their friend - the groom - before he could see his bride.

Three of Umar's friends come in after a swift knock. "Salam Alaikum" they say coming into the sitting room where all the girls are gathered.

"Wa'alikumussalam" they all answer.

Muhammad, or Moh as he like to be called,one of Umar's friends, who she is most familiar with waves at her before sitting next to her. It's not one of her brightest moments to admit that they've kind of dated before, back then when she wasn't looking for anything serious, and it's safe to admit not all the feeling have left at least not for him, he still calls her sometimes to talk about 'them'. How he thinks there's even a 'them' anymore baffles her.