Saira Naeem shares a memorable wedding experience with her Tajweed teacher being the bride.
Saeeda
Qamar, our Tajweed teacher, came and sat at the head of our class just
like she did every day. But today she was not wearing her uniform
headscarf; instead, she had a black one. I was surprised, because none
of our staff members were ever seen without uniform. My classmate
whispered into my ear: “She’s getting married today.” I said: “How do
you know?” She pointed to her henna colored hands. Still I was not
convinced enough.
Our
Tajweed class started, and she kept on correcting us in the same manner
as she had always done. When, at the end of the class, Saeeda Baji said
an unusually long Dua and started weeping, I realized that maybe it
really was her wedding day.
Our Tafseer teacher came in and said: “Do you know that your Tajweed teacher is getting married today and is moving to Karachi?”
I
was amazed! I had heard about people committed to Allah (swt), who made
the Quran the first priority in their lives, but I had never actually
seen a person, who was going to have the so-called ‘biggest day of her
life,’ and yet wanted to give her duties to Allah (swt).
She
could have easily skipped the class, but this was her conviction - to
stay committed till the end. Saeeda Baji said she loved all her students
and asked us to hold onto the Quran, which is Allah’s blessing upon us.
And her actions spoke louder that her words.
Her
wedding was not going to take place in a big hotel or a park with mixed
gathering, dances and songs. It was to happen in Shah Faisal mosque. I
was wondering, what would the wedding be like? Will she get dressed up?
Will she wear makeup? How will the guests eat in the Masjid?
We
prayed Asr with the congregation in the upper ladies corner of Faisal
mosque. The bride also prayed along with everyone else - not at all
bothered about her dress getting messed up. Saeeda Baji was a very
pretty bride. Her makeup was just enough. She did not do any
back-combing - her hair was tied back nicely, with a Dopatta tucked on
her head and around her bosom. She was not wearing a low neckline,
quarter sleeves or extremely flashy jewelry. She did not pluck her
eyebrows; YET, she was looking so peaceful and graceful.
It
was the Noor of the Quran that made her look this way. Many brides
spend thousands of rupees on the wedding day just to look perfect. They
diet for six months to loose that extra weight, so that their figure
looks nice in the tight-fitted shirt. They undergo facials, hair does
and all kinds of treatments to get that perfect look. They complete
their beauty sleep, take rest at home for a month or so to look FRESH on
the wedding day. But this lady did not take even a day off from her
commitment to Allah (swt), and Allah (swt) gave her that freshness and
beauty without having to do any of the above things.
For
a person, who has not experienced the miracle of the Quran, all of this
might seem like a fairy tale; but trust me - seeing is believing. Allah
(swt) showed me that it is possible to follow His path at any point of
time - there will always be Sabiqoon Al Awaloon, who will do their good
deeds at the level of Ihsan.
I
asked Saeeda Baji’s mother, how they had managed the food arrangements.
She said that they ordered lunch boxes plus dinner for people at home. I
just thought of the expenses they had saved: hotel and food charges,
different kinds of Rasms, such as Joota Chupana, Doodh Pilana extra and a
whole lot more.
After
returning home, I kept on thinking about this perfect wedding. This
union would include Allah’s blessing and duas of all the people she had
been with, whether students or colleagues. May Allah (swt) give all our
teachers the greatest rewards in this world and the hereafter, and may
He give me the Tofeeq to follow their footsteps, Ameen.