A Bad Start - A Story By Farida

Chapter 10 - The Portrait

The couple were blessed with Fahad in 1986 when El-Muneer was almost done with his NYSC and Naima was in her final year. Naima's family were extremely happy.

In 1988, Alhaji El-Muneer's family moved back to Kaduna after he secured a job with NITEL. After working for a year, El-Muneer pleaded with Mr. Fahad to let him continue handling the financial responsibilities of his family and Mr. Fahad reluctantly agreed. He felt the couple were just starting their lives and he should help them as much as he could but he had no choice than to give in to El-Muneer's request.

As Fahad was growing up, Naima had series of miscarriages due to rhesus disease. In 1998 when Fahad was 12 years old, the couple were blessed with a baby girl and Fahad was the happiest - he finally had a sibling. Asma', Fahad's grandmother named the baby 'Shazia' (Rare, extraordinary). Same year, with Allah's help, Alhaji El-Muneer built a house. He wanted Mr. Fahad and his family to live in it but Mr. Fahad forced him to keep it for himself. Mr. Fahad and Alhaji El-Muneer shared a very special bond.

After Shazia's birth, the doctors informed Alhaji El-Muneer that Naima could no longer give birth. He had no problem with that! Hajiya Naima on the other hand kept pestering him to marry another wife so he could have more kids. But when she realised he wasn't having any of it, she stopped. 'Pray to Allah to bless, protect and guide the ones He has already blessed me with'. He always told her.

In 2001, the Fahad family moved back to Cairo but before leaving, Mr. Fahad established a small car showroom for El-Muneer. With Allah's help, with time, the showroom gave birth to so many other businesses.

As a little girl, Shazia never liked performing her Sallah and it bothered Naima so much. One day, an idea popped into her mother's head. Shazia was watching Sleeping Beauty when her mother carried her and placed her on her lap.

'Do you want a castle like that?' she questioned, pointing to the TV set.

'Yes, yes, yes'. Shazia chanted excitedly.

'If you pray your Salahs, one day God will give you something bigger and more beautiful'. Shazia was excited. 'Besides, anything you want God to give you, just ask Him in your Sallah and as long as it is good for you, He will give you'. Hajiya Naima added.

'Anything?'

'Yes, anything'. Hajiya Naima responded. 'But always remember that Allah SWT answers our du'as (prayers) in different ways. The first way is you ask Him for something and He gives it to you immediately. Second way is you ask for something but He delays it for you till when He knows it is good for you. Third way is you ask Him for something but He gives you something far better either here or in the Hereafter'. Hajiya Naima paused, remembering she was talking to a 4 and half year old girl. 'Do you understand what I am saying?'.

Smart Shazia nodded. 'It means no matter what, Allah will not reject my du'a'. Hajiya Naima was totally flabbergasted. She didn't expect the little girl to understand what she said but she actually did.

From that day, whenever Shazia concluded her prayer, Hajiya Naima asked her what she prayed to Allah for and if it was something they could afford, she always snuck it into Shazia's room while she was sleeping or out of the room. If it was something they couldn't afford, she always told her 'perhaps Allah will give you something far greater'.

Shazia burst into fits of laughter. 'Do you know I always thought Allah sent it to me till I caught you keeping toys on my bed while I was in the bathroom'.

'So you knew it was me'. Shazia nodded. 'And you never said anything?'

'I was already used to praying and enjoying my Sallahs when I caught you so it didn't matter, alhamdu lilLah. Besides, I learnt to appreciate the efforts'. She walked over to her mother and hugged. 'You are the best mother ever'.