We cleaned the house… Washed the curtains… Wiped up the dirt and dust… Everybody at home was so much excited. Days and Hours flew fluttering away in planning to receive the guest of honor. ‘Make sure to Switch off the TV throughout his stay ,We don’t want the guest to be annoyed’ mum was nervous. No facebook for God’s sake’ Dad’s voice was stern and firm. Fancy magazines and film DVD’s were put out of the sight. ‘Make sure that your treat our neighbour Saleem uncle with a nicest smile , forgo the grudge of they cutting our tree.’ Big brother suggested. ‘Alhamdulillah, Mum would become a humanitarian and generous beyond imagination’ I said with a glee. Sister dusted Qurans and arranged all Islamic literature in a elegant array.Younger brother came running to play ‘Angry birds’ and was turned away. On a crescent lit evening, amidst the starry dreams scattered here and there, the long awaited guest arrived bringing in the gifts of serenity and peace. Aching for a kind glance, longing for a favor, everybody was fussing over to serve him.Most of the darkest of the nights turned lively, sparkling with longest prayers. After few days initial enthusiasm died the guest was seen to be a bit neglected at times…And then days grew in lightning speed and the guest was ready to part. He had brought enormous gifts wrapped in Love and Mercy yet they were unwrapped. Instead we preferred to go shopping in search of hottest fashion. ‘Tick tick’ A hidden guilt knocks the door, but always suppressed by worldly desires. Tomorrow the guest would leave us, with teary eyes we would bid him Good bye.And the story would not end there… I would continue hours and hours of Facebooking until late night… Then I would sleep cuddling into the cozy dreams and blankets often missing fajr prayers… Holy Quran would be made to sit in a forgotten corner in my heart.My brother would become a busy bee , Mosque of serenity put behind his profession. Mum would drop a coin or two in the extended hands of the poorest of the poor, preserving and saving the hard earned money for future. Dad would keep on creating new arguments and groan for the simplest of the things. Sister would wear that skimpy outfit and call that the modern hijab. We can not make the Guest stay the year long but we may preserve his fragrance living within our souls. That is the least we could do, isn’t it? 2012 Ramadhan written by Shameela Yoosuf Ali
Posted on: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 03:40:01 +0000
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