*IF YOU GUYS HAVEN'T READ YOUR SALAH YET, THEN REMEMBER THAT THIS BOOK IS NOT IMPORTANT AT ALL COMARED TO YOUR SALAH*
Recap:
"Here. It hasn't been opened." He says handing me the water bottle. I drink it in the manner of the Sunnah and once I'm finished, I give it back to him even though I know that he's just holding it for me till the end of the ride.
"Truth be told... I'm terrified of Ferris Wheels." I tell Hamza because why not.
"I figured as much." He says sarcastically and I laugh.
The speaker in our cart states that the ride is about to start and to not lean on the doors.
"I can't do this." I tell Hamza quietly as the Ferris wheel slowly starts moving.
"Your parents are in the cart behind us." He states and as I look behind me, I see that true to his words, they are there. I wave at them and once they see me waving like a maniac, they wave back at me.
Once I do look outside, I see the beautiful scene that beholds my eyes and I gasp at the beauty of what I'm seeing. Just imagine Jannah being so much more beautiful than this.
"Isn't it beautiful?" I hear Hamza ask as I look outside.
"It truly is." I say with an awe tone in my voice.
When the Ferris wheel comes back down, I feel true disappointment but also in a way some feeling of calmness back in me.
"Let's get food now." Dad says and I'm jumping with joy inside right now.
We each get cotton candy, fries, fried chicken, and a sub. The food—although most is unhealthy—leaves a sensational taste to my taste buds.
We read Asr Namaz next because according to Uncle Nasir, and dad, it is time for Asr. Once we are finished our Salah, we all hop back in the car because we still have to go to the museum.
At the museum, we had spent thirty minutes there looking at ancient artifacts and documents there. I had to take a couple of pictures because if an assignment did come up, then I would have some knowledge and proof regarding the history of Dubai. Plus I like taking pictures for my own memories as well.
Mom and dad bought me some keychains and magnets from the gift shop as well because I love keepsakes that you can look back at years later.
As we leave the museum, the parents decide on which restaurant to go to and the ladies win their argument of having a heavy dinner over a light dinner much to the men's dismay.
We order a huge meal while we were at the restaurant and since everyone was so hungry, there were literally no leftovers. Once we got back to the hotel, I read Maghrib Namaz and take pictures of the view from the hotel window. I also read some more Quran and look over my notes.
I wait for Isha Namaz and once I have read it, I decide that it's time for sleep. I read all of the Surahs, Kalimahs, and Duas that I usually read before going to bed. I also read Surah Mulk because it protects a person from the punishment of the grave and one I'm finished, I fall asleep right away.
Chapter 23
I wake up for Fajr Salah by Auntie Lubna, and mom, and after reading it, I go take a shower. I read Surah Yaseen and Manzil afterwards because it gives me a sense of peace for the day. I fall asleep a while later, and am woken up again by mom who is freaking out because her alarm didn't go off.
"We have only twenty minutes to get ready and be downstairs Lubna!" Mom exclaims and I laugh because of the situation that we're in right now. I receive a glare from her in return.
You see this is very funny for me since all they have to do is wear an Abaya and they're ready. I decide to wear a maroon and red print maxi dress with a maroon hijab, and a crème cardigan which is opaque, but very thin nonetheless.
Mom and Auntie Lubna are ready before me and both of them are wearing the same Abaya which has sequins on the cuffs, and from the neckline to the bottom as well. We all go downstairs and say Asalam O Alaikom to the men, and then serve ourselves some breakfast.
After we have finished eating breakfast, we all go upstairs to read some Quran for a while and meet up at the front lobby. We all sit down on the couches there, and decide that we'll go shopping first today, and then to the Dubai Dolphinarium.
It takes us a while to get to the Mall of Emirates but that's okay since it is still pretty early right now, which means that there still are some parking spaces available. Once we have the car parked and are inside the mall, we split up so that the boys can do their shopping, and so that we can do ours.
Dad gives mom and I some money in Dubai currency so that we don't have to use our own, and Uncle Nasir gave Auntie Lubna some as well. Right now I had around 400 Dirhams from my own money that I had exchanged, and 650 Dirhams from dad. I know that, that was quite a lot, but to be honest but I didn't plan to spend all of it since we still have 1 and a half weeks to spend here.
I buy 2 Abayas from the mall because the one that I did have at home was pretty much worn out by now and wasn't wearable anymore. I also bought 3 one-piece Hijabs that reached my waist because I like having them for when I'm reading Namaz, and also because I wear them in the house since Hamza, and Uncele Nasir lives with us at the moment.
I then buy a couple of Pashmina scarves because I usually wear them outside the house and plus they will serve as gifts for Saafiya and Umme when I get back home. I also buy a couple of souvenirs for them, like bracelets, key chains, and magnets.
From one of the stores, I buy 2 maxi skirts, and a couple of tops. Just when I think that I'm done all of my shopping, mom drags me into a lingerie store. For a couple of seconds, my ears are gaped, and I feel blank.
"Mom why do I have to be here?" I ask her groaning.
"It's the best time to shop since your dad isn't around and there are only ladies here at this store." I want to mentally shoot myself now but know that she is correct after all.
I end up buying a lot more of everything than I probably needed but mom said that its okay since we're paying by cash and dad won't know that we shopped here. As we are about to leave the store, I shove my bag into one of my other bags even though the store wasn't flat out called Victoria's Secret or Pink which everyone knew were lingerie stores.
We meet up with the men in the food court and I decide to order a small platter from Villa Medina. Dad says that he'll pay so I decide to go sit down with mom and Auntie Lubna.
"Layla you need to buy some jewelry as well Bint (child)." Mom says.
"Yes Layla. Dubai is a wonderful place especially to buy wedding jewelry." Auntie Lubna says and I can't help but agree with both of them.
We spend some time eating food and after we're done, we go pray Zuhr in one of the prayer rooms in the mall and then decide to go to a couple of jewelry stores. From there, I buy a couple of pieces for the wedding which mom pays, and also a couple of bracelets and rings which I wanted myself.
By the time we are leaving, I have a lot of bags but most of them are pretty small so I stuff them in the bigger bags, leaving me with around three bags to carry. We all meet up at the front of the mall and head to the car together.
Once we arrive at the Dolphinarium, we first read Asr Salah in a private room and then start exploring the Dolphinarium. I of course take a lot of pictures because these dolphins are the wonderful miracle of Allah (swt).
The dolphins then perform a show for us and I couldn't help but be amazed at what I was seeing. Once we left the Dolphinarium and got back to the hotel, the sun was setting and it was time for Maghrib.
We all make fresh Wudhu and meet up in the men's room. Hamza leads the Namaz and when he read out loud, I literally felt tingles go through me because his voice was Subhan Allah so beautiful. When we were all finished our Salah, the effect of him reading out loud was still imprinted in my brain and I felt more peaceful than ever.
I read Tasbih-e-Fatima and made Dua afterwards. I make extra Dua at the end for Hamza's "mystery girl" because he truly deserves someone that is as pious and pure as him as his partner.
Once we are done, mom, Auntie Lubna, and I go back to our room. While they chat about my wedding, I decide to look over my notes because I don't want to go back to school with not a single clue about what's going on.
After I think that I have looked over my notes enough, I join their conversation.
"Since we have finished almost all of the shopping, I guess all that we have left is for both of you guys to agree on a Nikkah contract." Mom says.
"I guess that is true." I say agreeing with what she said.
"I would highly recommend you guys to sort out the main agreements Layla. You don't want to realize that his marriage agreements vastly differ from yours." Auntie Lubna says and mom shakes her head, agreeing with her.
"I'll discuss it with him when I am back from winter break." I tell them both.
"We should hold the Nikkah itself not so long before you guys actually marry." Mom suggests.
"How about right before the Walima." I say.
"That's probably a good idea."
After another half an hour of conversing, we decide to go to read Isha Namaz. Afterwards we all go to sleep since it has been a long, and tiring day.
-------
AN: I am EXTREMELY SORRY for not updating in time but honestly I have a very difficult semester right now, so I'm trying to balance everything out. I know that I haven't updated in MONTHS, but I have just had to deal with life. I hope you guys understand, and don't lose hope in this book.
Note that I'm not going to give up on this book because I know that I have some very dedicated readers that comment and vote on EVERY chapter. I feel blessed to have these people continue to have me pursue me in my dream of writing. I also feel blessed that I have able to had time to edit this chapter and put it up, because I wasn't going to for a very long time.
I don't want to include the time that I'll finish the next chapter because I don't want to give an update date that I won't be able to stick by. On the other sides of things, I have decided to inform you that "A Halal Love Story" has reached the top charts on the Spiritual genre on Wattpad for the past months and it has stayed that way since then!!!!!
----------
NOT EDITED
----------
Since my last update, I have gotten 3.5k reads, 194 votes, and 44 comments !!!!!!! Which I didn't think would happen but it did, so a huge thank you to everyone that read, voted, and commented.
I also wanted to thank a special someone that private messaged me, and told me to focus on whatever I felt was important at the time being, and that I could update this book whenever I actually had time. Thank you so much for the care that you had for me, because it gave me the energy to update this chapter, and many others that came before this.
Goal for this chapter: up to 9k reads, 40 more votes, and 14 more comments
I also wanted to say that this book has 94 pages!!!!!! Can you guys believe it!!! I wouldn't have ever thought that I could write this much in my life. I also wouldn't have gotten here, without your help and encouragement, so Jaza Kallah Khair to everyone.
--------
Quranic Verse of the chapter:
"Nay, seek (Allah's) help' with patient perseverance and prayer: it is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit,..."
[2: Al-Baqara-45]
--
I feel that this verse applies to me and probably many people in the universe, as a lot of us are dealing with difficulties in life; whether they be small, or big. Whether it be regarding marks, family issues, or marriage, Allah (swt) will never bear you with a burden that you can't go through.
--
REMEMBER TO PLEASE...
VOTE
COMMENT
FOLLOW
SHARE (VIA SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES)