HAFSAT ✔

EIGHTEEN

18.

They say wonders never cease.
Hafsat believed her life was proof of that.

From the program in Saudi Arabia to the admission she was working towards, and finally a proposal from a good man.

Right now, her life was a streak of answered prayers.
At some point it was overwhelming. All she could do was say Alhamdulillah.

One thing she kept registered was to not get carried away.

Yes she spent months praying to Allah for all these and they were finally here. But the biggest mistake she would ever make is getting occupied and forgetting the One who gave her.

She clearly remembers times in her life when she'd pray for something, Allah gives it to her, sadly she uses it in a way that displeases Him or she puts all her attention into it, forgetting the Giver.

Two months went by which Hafsat spent studying for her JAMB exams.
By February registrations began and Khalil drove her to the centre to register. She settled with Biochemistry as planned with her first choice, Gombe state university.

Towards the end of March, Hafsat wrote her exams and got a descent score. The idea of staying home doing nothing, until September when a new session would begin, didn't sit right with her.

So she went back to Islamiyya, this time around of a higher level judging by how smooth her Arabic was. In thesame Islamiyya were Quran classes that would assist her in retaining her memorization.

What Hafsat never saw coming was Khalil asking for her hand. She could swear he never showed he had feelings for her. So you could imagine the surprise when Mama called her one particular night and presented it to her.

"I'm not ready, Mama. "
Hafsat declined at once.

"What are your reasons,  Hafsatu?"
"Do you have someone else in mind?" Mama added.

Hafsat chuckled lowly at that. That is obviously not the reason.

"I am scared. Marriage is no child's play. "
In her mind, Hafsat saw exactly what she was scared of. She knew it too well.

"You have to be in the game to learn Hafsat. You can't do it from the side; experience is the best teacher. We all started at the lowest of levels and worked our way through it.  Besides, marriage is a school you never stop learning from. Every day brings with it new lessons."

Hafsat nods in understanding. All Mama said are facts. However, her mind was still not at rest.

She stands her ground, "Mama, I'm still not sure I can do this."

"I trust you can but I won't force you. Do not forget the knowledge you've accumulated over the past year, I'm sure you know better than me now. Sleep on it, make a decision, pray istikhara and tell me your choice. "

There, Mama said it.
It was the knowledge.
Hafsat was super scared she would transgress against herself. What if with all the knowledge she's armed with,  she doesn't do right by him?
What if she lets her feelings rule her in times of anger and she fails to guide with what Allah and the prophet commanded?
What if it slips her mind that her husband is her key to Jannah and she treats him in a way not befitting?
And then when they have kids, would she raise them well as required of her?

To be very honest, she was not thesame person who fantasized about a man.
Studying the religion has taught her alot, it's not love that holds a marriage. Love is not enough.
She was way past the teenage years where she imagined a man in her head to her like.

At the end though, she wasn't the one in control of her life. She would submit everything to Allah and let Him decide the best.
After all, His choices are always the best.