The Three Struggling Muslimahs

50

"Patience!" She chanted!
"Patience!"
"Patience!"

Ummu Khawla, who was standing by her daughter's door couldn't help but wonder what had happened. Muhammad had explained to her briefly what they had talked about and how their conversation ended and she truly had shocked him when she told him that she'd known all along.

"Mama that's not possible. Khawla is like the most secretive person ever!" He exclaimed.

"And I'm her mom!" She answered back.

Figuring her out truly was difficult but the bond that had grown over the years between mother and daughter made it extremely easy to decipher hidden feelings. She debated whether or not she should go in when Muhammad pulled her out and offered to go in himself.

"Hey you!"
She quickly covered her face to hide the tears that had been flowing for the past half hour. Being a girl was hectic, but being Khawla was over the top dramatic.

"Ummm hi! Why are you not at the mosque?"

"Because its way past swalah time and so I came back home!"
She looked confused. As though for her, time had stood still. She checked her watch and sure enough it truly was way past swalah time.

"Have you not prayed?"

"I have, Alhamdulillah. Its just that I zoned out."

"A dollar for your thoughts?"

"How about a hundred!" She teased and when he accepted she was beyond shocked.

"Muhammad!"

"I'm worried. And so is mama."

"By the way," she began changing the topic, and since she looked too fragile, he let her,
"I was listening to a lecture about the Prophet's (S.A.W) first tears. Do you know it?"

Yes he did but Khawla was always animated when she told such historic tales about Islam and so because of that, he answered.

"Tell me the story."

"Okay bismillah! Now the Prophet was six years old when all this happened. Remember all he had was his mom right? His dad had passed away and he had no relatives directly from his baba. So anyway, this happened when they were migrating right? The Prophet's (S.A.W) mother fell ill. Like seriously ill. So she was lying on a bed of some sort and there he was the Prophet (S.A.W) and Baraqah. So he notices that his mom is going through alot of pain. She was ill and she was taking her last breaths. And at one point she looks at Baraqah and tells her that, 'Baraqah, now he's your son!' Through all this he kept calling her, 'mom, mother' you get the picture right? And after sometime she stopped answering back. The woman who always answered back whenever the Prophet (S.A.W) called unto her! She stopped answering him. Why? Because her soul had left her body. At this point the Prophet is literally on top of her crying and shaking vigorously and Baraqah literally has to peel him off her. And she's trying to calm him down and all he can say is, "Ya Baraqah! You are my mother now. Don't leave me. I have no one else. Just you." Imagine that Muhammad! Our Prophet experiencing such pain at the age of six. I mean Amer, Ali and Amar are six this year right? What do they know about pain? When the electricity goes off and they can't play games anymore! Subhanallah! But this was all Allah's plan. Because from then on, whenever he met an orphan he understood their pain way more than the orphan himself did. And then fifty plus years after this, the Prophet passes over his mother's grave and he begins crying so much. He's here with the swahabas and a couple of other people too. Umar is here! And because they truly love the Prophet Fii Sabilillah, they can't handle him being in pain they start crying too. And Umar comes and hugs him from behind begging him to stop. And he finally does. Afterwards he's asked, 'Ya Rasullah, why were you crying like that?' And he says, 'Because that was my mom's grave. And when I passed there I remembered her and I miss her.' Subhanallah! He was six! What does he remember!? Six!!!! But do we value our moms nowadays? Or parents in general?"

Khawla needed to take a breath. Whether or not she had planned to, she reminded both herself and Muhammad of their father, but no tears were going to be shed.

"Anyway," she began to change the topic, "How was your day?"

"It was good. Relaxing and all. Yours?"

"Real slow!"
Muhammad laughed at her.

"Honest," she continued, "You remember mama's sisters from Istanbul?"

He nodded.

"They were here today. And all they kept asking mama was when I'll be getting married."

Now yes the conversation was meant to be a serious one, but Muhammad couldn't help it. He laughed so hard.

"Its not funny! They kept saying they've arranged oh so many weddings so they don't mind helping in mine. And imagine mom didn't say anything the whole time other than the necessary exclamatives here and there."

"What did you expect her to say!?"

"I don't know. Maybe tell them to mind their own business. I mean so many of our cousins want to get married why don't they help them in stead of me?"

"Next time I'm sure ..."

"There won't be a next time!"

"Okay fine! Your phone is ringing!"

Khawla answered it only to be answered by Maryam.

"Assalamu Aleikum Warahmatullahy Wabarakatuh Khawla,"

"Waaleikum Salaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam Warahmatullahy Wabarakatuh. How are you? How's everyone?"
Muhammad signalled that he was about to leave but Khawla forced him to stay.

"Everyone's good on my side, yours?"

"Alhamdulillah, same!"

"I was asking if you could spare sometime tomorrow. I'd love to talk to you about something."

"Yeah sure. What time?"

"I'm home the whole day so whenever you are free let me know."

"I'll do just that."

"Maasalam habibty."

"Fii Amanillah!"

To say the least that was weird. Khawla and Maryam had never been close and the constant phonecalls were honestly shocking Khawla but she knew a thousand and one percent she should help. For who knew when Allah would turn the tables around?

Brother and sister talked more until the adhaan of 'Ishaa was sounded. Khawla decided to tag along to the mosque and when the imam began leading swalah, her tears began to flow. For who knew, other than Allah, that on the night of the twentieth of March, she would pray under Umar!

A/N:
Salaams people. I'm hoping you are okay. Sooo what do you guys think so far?