It's Not All Roses...

Chapter 14_ Double Trouble

Jaleel and I have been married for two weeks now and I was just going to meet his family for the first time. I know it's strange but the thing is that his mom travelled to Dubai and she only just returned. He didn't want to introduce me without his mum being present.

We were going to spend a few weeks with them in their family house. I was a bit nervous, but Jaleel told me to be calm. He re assured me that his family was really nice, especially his mother.

The best part is, Jaleel allowed me to wear my niqab. Well, it was after a series of begging. He wasn't sure how his parents would take it.

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The house was quite big, it reminded me of all those houses in the Yoruba movies I used to watch when I was younger. The compound was spacious and you could see little children playing outside, Jaleel explained to me that they were probably the neighbor's children. It was obvious that Jaleel's family were the landlords though.

The people looked at me in amazement and I wondered why. Jaleel smiled and said, it's not everyday you see a woman in niqab in the area. Also, they were probably surprised that he had married a niqabi.

Jaleel knocked softly on the door, and a young girl of about 16 opened it. Her round eyes were really pretty and they looked familiar. I realized immediately that she was Hamdalah or Amdalat as it was wrongly pronounced by the people. She was Jaleel's younger sister.

She gave Jaleel a hug and I realized what I thought her hair was, was actually a weave.  She then turned and smiled at me. "Is this your wife?" She asked in a very fluent Yoruba.

"Yes, she is the one I told you of. Zahrah, that's her name" Jaleel replied in Yoruba also. His was not as nice though.

She knelt down to greet me, which I must admit shocked me a bit. "No, no need. Get up dear" I said in English

"Bro Jaleeli" she called. I chuckled at her pronunciation of his name. "is she oyinbo(white)?" She asked. "She's talking like a white person." She said.

"Can we come in first? You ask too many questions Amdalat. And No, my wife is Nigerian" Jaleel replied.

"Please don't be annoyed. Let me help you with your bags". She said.

"Take her to my room, I need to go and see mummy". Jaleel said.

"This is bro Jaleeli's room, make your self at home" Hamdalah said shyly.

I was a bit shy but I didn't want to take of make the situation more awkward than it already was, so I took of my niqab. 

She waited while fidling with her fingers as if she wanted to say something.

"Anty, you are very beautiful" she said. "Thank you very much" I replied.

"You can sit down" I said tapping the space beside me on the bed. "My name is Zahra, what's your name?" I continued.  "Amdalat" she said. I chuckled "how are you Hamdalah?" I replied.

"Wow, see how you pronounced my name" she said in amazement. " You must understand Arabic, you pronounce it so well" she continued.

I laughed at loud "what makes you say that? Unfortunately I actually don't understand Arabic, but my bro..."
I stopped. I wanted to tell her that my brother understands Arabic but I remembered that Ibrahim hasn't spoken to me since my wedding. No one in my family has.

"I hope to learn it soon inshaaAllah" I say.

We talk more for a while, "I like you already, you are really nice" she says.
"I used to think that all these jilbabis and niqabites were usually wicked" she said.

"Subhanallah,why would you think so? " I replied.

"A lot of reasons. I have to go and check the food in the kitchen. I will come back to see you. I  have never spoken to a niqabite before so I  have a lot of questions."

"I'm all ears" I reply. She chuckled, "ehen, why do you people cover your face" she asked . "It's because Allah said so" I reply calmly.

"I know Allah said we should cover, and even me I try to cover my hair once in awhile but still, Allah didn't say we should look ugly" she continued.

I couldn't hold back my laugh, I threw my head back and laughed at her statement. 

"Do you actually think those who wear jilbab are ugly" I asked still laughing. 
"Ehn, but their dresses are not fine, I mean why can't you look stylish with hijab, why must you wear jilbab" she asked.
It was then I realized that she was actually serious, to be honest I was sad that she actually had that kind of notion about the jilbab.

"Okay, Hamdalah listen, do you know that Allah asked us to wear the jilbab in the Qur'an? Yes, Allah actually mentioned the word Jilbab" I said.

She looked at me like I had grown a second head, "really? Where?"

"Al-Ahzab 33:59

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَٰجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَٰبِيبِهِنَّۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰٓ أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful."

"In this verse, the word "Jalaabib" was mentioned which is basically the plural of the "jilbab", also if you read the tafsir (explanation) of the verse, you will see that the correct Hijab is an outer garment that starts from the head of a woman, and ends at her feet. In fact some scholars even believe that the verse also speaks about women covering their faces, just like the women during the time of the prophet saw. (In a hadith narrated by Aisha RA) along with numerous other ahadeeth.

So my dear can you see that there are numerous evidences for the jilbab and niqab in the Qur'an and Sunnah ."

"Hmmm, I never knew about any of this, may Allah make it easy" she said.

"It's not just about asking Allah to make it easy, it's also about us making a conscious effort.
It's just like when you have an exam, you don't just make dua without reading and expect to miraculously do well. You have to revise and then make dua. It's the same with issues like these, we have to work hard and ask Allah swt to ease our affairs" I reply.

"I can see that the two of you are getting along well" Jaleel says, he was standing at the entrance to the room.

"Yes,we are" I replied

"Hamdalah, go and wash those plates in the kitchen" he said.

Hamdalah grumbled and went off

"Anyway I was speaking to mum; she wants to meet you" he said.

My heart did a mini flip flop.

A/N: Guys I know I have been MIA
I am so sorry.
Just help me manage this one.

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