“Then how do you pray without regular hijab?” He asked her
“What do you mean by regular hijab?” She asked him.
“You know for a Muslimah to observe Salah, you need to cover up all the part of your body, leaving at most your face and Palm.” He explained .
“No one told me that , I thought it is only the head... You know I wear short and three quarter skirts alot. I only have just a long skirt ..” She said , she and her sister had only few outfits, having lost all their dresses to the fire years ago, the only outfits they were left with were just the few they took with them to school and that is what they have been wearing since the death of their parents, no one seem to care about their outfits.
“You can start with that ... And if you don’t mind, I can get you one hijab and a skirt , you can always have it in your bag to pray ...” He said to her.
“You will buy one for me ?” She asked with a frown...and he sensed it.
“I said if you don’t mind, it is not a must ...” He said to her and she nodded.
“What do you want in return if you do that for me?” She asked him, she know a man would not do something for a girl for free... She learnt that in the village.
“Want ke? I don’t understand you.” He said to her, not understanding what she was trying to say.
“One don’t do things for free.” She said to him and he sighed.
“I don’t understand what you mean but i really don’t want anything from you... Nothing at the very least.” He said to him.
“I will appreciate it if you develop a special connection with your Rabb...” He said
“Rabb?” she asked
“Yes, your lord, Rabb means Lord... ALLAH.” He explained
“Oh.” She said with a nod.
“So, your Arabic name is ....” He asked her.
“YASMINA....” She said to him and he smiled.
“ That is a beautiful name, I think I will call you Yasmina henceforth. The name is beautiful.. do you know the meaning?” He asked.
“Beautiful Flower?” she said to him and he nodded.
“So what do you say about the ...”He asked and was cut short by Shade’s voice.
“Ashabi...” She called .
“Anti mi.” Ashabi said and raised to her feet while Ismail did the same.
“Let’s go in.” She said to her after giving Ismail a disapproval look.
“Talk to you later...”Ashabi said to him and went in with her elder sister while Ismail return to his seat enjoying the cool breeze and listening to the gists of the other students without interrupting.
It was almost nine in the evening and he wondered who was knocking at his door, he opened the door and saw Shade at the door.
“Oh..Neighbour.” He said
“I am here to warn you...I want you to stay away from my sister ... this is going to be my last warning.” Shade warned and he listened to her.
“We don’t need anyone to take care of us... We have been doing that since ...so stay away from us.” She said and he was glad she didn’t make noise.
“Okay... But you know your younger sister is an adult right?” He asked her.
“I don’t care, she is my younger sister.” She said.
“Alright , good night.” He said to her and closed the door at her.
Shade sighed deeply and walked back to the room where her sister was sitting on the bed.
“Anti mi, that was wrong ...” She said to her sister as soon as she enter the room.
“I don’t want to see you two together, why can’t you listen, stay away from boys..!!!” Shade warned.
“We aren’t doing anything, he was teaching me somethings about prayers , can’t you just believe for some moments , must you always think of me as that prostitute, I am not doing anything with him..You saw us. We aren’t even sitting very close to each other.” Ashabi said with tears in her eyes.
“I just want you to be careful, those boys are nothing but bad people ... And I never called you Prostitute ...” Her sister said to her and move towards her.
“I am just watching out for your ...” She said to her sister.
“He is different anti mi... He was telling me to cover up properly when I want to pray .. he was not the like others.” She said to her sister who sighed and wondered if her sister would ever listen..
“He just want to be a friend.” She said to het sister.
“Are you sure?” Shade asked her and hugged her.
“Yes, I want him to teach me about Islam.” She said
“And I think you need to do that too.” She added and look at her elder sister.
“Remember we promised to do that...”She said to be sister who only stared at her .
“Just be careful, you know.” She said to her sister and stood up from the bed.
Then they heard the call to prayer, Shade watched her sister stood up from where she sat and walked to the bathroom, she returned a minute later with her wudhu observed and took a long wrapper , tied it around her Waist and started prayer.
She was still on her first Rakah, when the door got knocked, shade who was busy watching her sister walked to the door to open it and check who it was.
It was Ismail smiling at her despite how rude she was to him the previous time.
“Sorry to disturb you, I just want to remind Yasmina to observe her Maghreb Salah and you don’t mind she can come with me to the Masjid.” He explained.
“She is already praying , thanks.” She said to him.
“Okay, I will come check her for Ishai as well ins sha Allah… and don’t forget to observe yours too.” He said and walked away., She sighed and watched him until he disappeared and went back into the apartment.
She went to the bathroom to observe her wudhu as well and observe her Salah.
After the Salah, Ashabi faced her sister .
“He said that the only things that should be exposed on a woman's body is face and palm… you should use a long dress next time.” Ashabi explained to her sister who sighed and then smiled.
“Hummm, Alfa Ashabi… what are having for dinner?” her sister asked her.
“I don’t know …I didn’t made anything. .. but you know we still have cooked rice that we had this morning on the stove.” She reminded her sister and she nodded.
“Then let's have dinner.” She said.
“There is work tomorrow, remember I had to leave early by six .”She said to her sister.
“Hello Yasmine… he called her as soon as she was about to enter the building corridor and walked to her room, she smiled and turned to look at him as he walked to catch up with her, he was holding a disposable bag in his hand.
“How was work today?” he asked and she told him how stressful it was.
“Just say Alihamdulilah. Is your sister back?” he asked as they resumed walking towards their apartments, the building was almost empty now and a lot of students seem to have travelled for the semester break.
“When are you travelling home?” He asked and he shook his head.
“Not for now, I am waiting for the graduating list.” He said to her.
“Okay, she said with a nod and stopped as soon as they got to his door and he gave her the bag he was holding.
“for you and your sister.” He said to her and she wondered what was there.
“I promised to get you a hijab and a skirt for Salah, but since I didn’t know your size, I just got an Abaya instead … and there is a translated Quran and Islamic starter books.” He said to her and she looked at him with surprise.
“Wow… this must have cost you a lot … I was already thinking of buying one…”She said to him and he shook his head.
“Come on, I got exact too for your sister.” He said to her.
“Oh thanks …” she said
“I hope he would not be mad again.” He said to him.
“She is only watching out for you, you know.” He added and she nodded.
“Yes, I know. I am lucky to have her.” She said with pride and he nodded with amazement .
“Thanks so much, I will study those books …”She said.
“Wow… you are so different .” she said to him.
“Rather than to say , wow! You can just say Ma Sha Allah.” He said to her.
“Ma Sha Allah… my Madam do say it all the time.” She said to him and he smiled.
“That is also a great house to learn about the Deen. Hikmah is the muslim female coordinator of the faculty.” He said to her and she shrugged.
“Why that face?” He asked.
“She is not a very good person, she hardly want to see me around the house.” She said to him and he smiled.
“Perhaps you girls always meet at the working time.” He said to her and she sighed.
“We will talk more ins sha Allah… you say that if you want to make a statement about the future… ins sha Allah means if Allah wills.” He said to her and she smiled at him.
“Okay, I will perform my Maghreb Prayer ins Sha Allah.” She said to him and he nodded.
“Ma sha Allah, you are learning … have a sweet nice rest. I will be going to the Masjid soon, so I might not be able to come check on you “ He said and she nodded then went to their apartment … it was just next door.
In the room, she opened the bag he gave her, there were two abaya and two hijab, she used one eagerly and smiled at herself, it covers her hip.
“Just like Hikmah… just that her own is longer.” She said to herself
The abaya fitted her perfectly and the hijab too. She heard the adhan and walked to the bathroom to have her wudhu done and she observed salah with it just like that.
She was on her third Rakah when her sister retuned home. She looked surprise to see her sister in a new outfit and she wondered where she got it from.
Perhaps it is her boss ... She gave her some dresses...
“Anti mi, you are back.” She asked as her sister sat down on the well laid bed looking at her in the abaya.
“This look beautiful on you? Who gave you this? Your madam?” she asked not leaving where she was and she shook her head.
“ No ooo, she would not give me new clothes ... Ismail gave me these and even got one for you and he gave us some books to read to learn more about islam.” He said and the smiles on her sister face vanished.
“What Ismail?” she asked as she stood up on her feet staring hard at her sister.
“Our neighbour... He said this is better for Salah.” She said to her sister and wondering why she seem so mad.
It is just some clothes.
She swallowed hard as she stared hard at her sister who was looking at her too.
“You this girl?” Shade muttered to her self and bent to check the disposable bag and brought out all that were in it...
Some books, a translated Quran, a brand new abaya and Hijab .
Why will he give something like this?
“i didn’t ask Me to give any of these ...and I feel so secure wearing this for Prayer anti mi.” Ashabi explained and her sister sighed.
“Okay, you can have it. Use the one he got for me too.” She said to her sister and he beamed with smiles.
“But which one would you keep using for prayer?” She asked her sister who shrugged.
“Never mind ...” She said to her younger sister and laid down on the bed.
“Are you on your period?” She asked her elder sister.
“Yes, why did you ask?” her sister asked
“You haven’t perform your Prayers.” She said to her and Shade sighed the more.
That night as soon as her sister was asleep, she stood up and tiptoed out of the room and stood in front of Ismail room and knocked softly.
She knocked twice and was on the verge of leaving when the door opened showing Ismail who seem surprised to see her at that time of the day. It was past ten.
“I am sorry to come here ... But... I need to ask you some simple questions?” She asked.
“Yes, I am listening.” He said looking at her and rested his back on the wall as soon as he out while she stood looking at him, the house was a bit quiet and she wondered if people who listen to their discussion.
“Do you like my sister?” She started, her heart was beating faster as soon as she said it and watched Ismail broke into smiles.
“Yes I do.” He said
“You want to have a relationship ... Or marry her?” she asked him and he shook his head.
“Yes, Yasmina is such an adorable young lady, I love her zeal to learn, her plain nature and that is is why I like her... But I have no intension of doing any of those with her. In her, I see a young girl who which to learn about islam and need encouragement and that is exactly what I am giving her, no more no less.” He said to her and she swallowed hard.
“Are you sure of what you are saying?” She asked.
“Sure, if there were female muslimah in this house, I would have refer her to them, and she is too busy to be taken to MSSN ... I am still looking for some other alternative and as soon as I can get someone fit enough, I will back out Ins sha Allah and besides I am likely going to leave this place soon.” He said to her and she breathe deeply.
“And you... I think you should also learn from your sister.” He said to her and she forced out a smile.
“Thanks and sorry to bother you.” Shade said to him.
“Alihamdulilah, so am I permitted to give her one hour lecture daily after Ishai? We can take the lecture outside ...” He said
“And you can join us too.” He said to her and she swallowed hard.
“Okay, you can take her ... But as you know I am hardly home, so I cannot join you and thanks. Have a good night.” She said to him and left for her room, this time with relief.