The Perks of Having a Nikah (A Muslim Love Story) *BACK 2023*

04.

❝O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious).❞ (Surah Baqarah)

"Yasmeen, where are your pins? Mine broke." Fadwah says from the bathroom, the door wide open as she examines her face in the mirror.

"It should be in the third drawer." I say as I put my abaya on over my head and down past my shoulders where it envelopes my body, the bottom dragging on the floor. I hear her yelp a 'found it' and go back to tying my matching black hijab. Asr prayer is in twenty minutes and I couldn't be more excited to go to the masjid for class. I'm more than ready to recite some Quran.

"Got it!" She shouts and I shush her with a scowl. "Sorry."

"I'm looking so cute." I sing.

"Singing is haram, Yassy. That's not good." She wags her finger at me.

"Shut up, don't act like you weren't singing an hour ago."

"That was different, though."

"Oh yeah, since singing a Chris Brown song is so different from singing about Ramadan."

"Anyways," She grins at me, knowing I've already won the arguement. "What's Zane The Irresistible doing?"

"Zane The Irresistible? Are you serious right now? Out of all nicknames." I pull my niqab up and lay it on top of my head after I lock my door. I am definitely making sure it's locked under all circumstances after what happened. "Do you know what he did to me earlier?"

Her eyes widen a fraction. "What'd he do? Did he kiss you? Oh my God, he kissed you, didn't he?" She jumps up. "I knew it. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it."

I clap my hand over her mouth. "Will you shush and let me talk?" I try to hide my laugh. Fadwah is simply crazy, but I love her for it. She nods and I slowly remove my hand from her mouth. "Okay so, I'm here, you know, sleeping like a normal person would at five o'clock p.m." I put my hand to her mouth before she can comment that a normal person wouldn't do that. "And you know what he does? He barges in, doesn't even knock, talking about Yasmeen, it's time to pray Asr."

She looks at me dumbfoundedly. "What's wrong with you? How is that a bad thing? You should be so happy about that. He cares enough to wake you up for prayer. Aww, Habibi." She puts her hand over her heart lovingly.

"No, you mean he cares enough to find out what I look like under these garments." I roll my eyes at her. How could she be so okay with this? He almost saw what I looked like. Almost. That was such a close call; if it wasn't for my thick covers he probably would've found out what I looked like today.

She wiggles her eyebrows at me and winks. "He wants to know what his sexy roommate looks like under there."

"Ew, stop it. I don't even like him like that."

"Oh that's okay. I'll just take him, then." She says nonchalantly, examining her nails.

"No, you will not."

She accuses her finger at me quickly. "I knew it! You do really like him. You just don't want to admit it."

"I don't." I throw my hands up in exasperation. When will everyone get that I don't like Zane and will never like Zane? "I said no because he would be a bad influence on you."

"Yeah, right." It was her turn to roll her eyes. "I know you like him, Yasmeen. I just know it. And you know it, too. You just won't admit to it yet. But you'll see one day, and I'll be there to tell you I told you so. Now come on." She grabs on to my hand. "We have to leave now before we're late for Asr prayer." I pull my niqab on and in a minute we're outside in the cool air. Since the masjid isn't far from my house, we decide to walk. It takes us about five minutes to reach our destination but we get there in enough time to pray the two Sunnah rakats before the athan (call to prayer) is called.