Saturday, September 04, 2004

 

Day 2 ~ Wednesday 25th August 2004

9.55am

We intend to go to the old quarters of the Albaicin today.

My nephews’ 10th birthday – will need to wish him some duas soon.

At the moment, I’ve just done some Ibaadat and now am sitting awaiting my companion so we may have breakfast downstairs. I’ve come out with spots on my legs and arms – just put some cooling lotion on them.

I really really miss UK and Muslims! :( 9.57am

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1.35pm

We are sitting outside a café / restaurant at the Albaicin. The Alhambra is behind us. We have trekked loads today. My companion is feeling hot flushes big time!

We went into the new Mosque of Granada, its MashaAllah beautiful. I managed to pray 2 rakah and do some dhikr for a while. How blessed we are to prostrate so widely upon the earth. My companion loved the wudu area and insisted she wanted a shower in there. She said it was an unexplainable feeling to cleanse oneself (physically) in the ‘House of God’. We brought no towels so she refrained after a tough resistance.

We are hoping to meet Shaykh AbdurRahman (the son of Shaykh Murabit al-Hajj AbdurRahman) soon. (We were advised to visit this Shaikh before we set out. When we spotted the minar of the mosque, we rang the doorbell and spoke to the individual indoors. He told us to come back at zuhr time which is after 2pm, and that he would be able to tell us more about the Shaikhs' whereabouts then).

Right now I feel so excited; blessed and numb.

Food is here… 1.42pm

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7.45pm

Just sitting at a Moroccan restaurant, watched a video of a woman who starts wearing hijab and is discriminated against.. loses job. Hmmm interesting.

I’m awaiting my companion whose in the Aseos before we order.

Shaikh has left for Mauritania. Imam Hamid from Mauritania is in Spain.

Shes’ back. 7.48pm

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9.28pm

I’m sitting at the (old) mosque after maghrib prayers. (This mosque is not far from the restaurant).

SubhanAllah such a peaceful moment.

So tranquil.

Each moment as if it were a thousand.

…before we go and do some shopping! 9.29pm

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0.55am

OK so its gone way past midnight – my companion is tossing and turning – I feel so bad making an entry in the room… hope not to disturb her too much.

We visited the Albaicin today – wow, cobbly, calm streets full of peace. Really took us back into time…

Perhaps to the state where we were in our celestial frames of being. A moment of quietness lasted a thousand at the new mosque.

We saw a beautiful gate of a palace, now closed for entry. (I did go up to it and there was too much overgrowth so nothing could be seen. I had been warned by mum and dad to not climb walls, mountains or hills. Bad little girl I am not taking heed to their words of wisdom).

I am a bit taken aback with the lack of adhab for Islamic art. We saw an engraving of inscriptions in a bar!! Need I say more… oh yeah and on sweatshirts.

We met many hijabis. We also met some kind Muslim brothers who helped us get into the mosque for prayers. Alhamdulila.

(Apparently the Shaikh teaches at the old mosque and has gone to travels. We met the imam at the mosque and requested him to pray for us. I spoke to him behind the wooden partition; he seemed a senior man of average height and build. As I spoke to him he made me feel so humble and conversed with me like a real fatherly figure. There was an interpretor between us and the Imam asked me where we had come from, and who we were travelling with. He laughed when we replied there was no man with us. It was a nice experience meeting him and really made me feel 'connected' as we are meant to be, as one nation).

(Throughout the day the Muslims we met would say 'Salam' to us and place ther hand on their upper chest. I remember asking an older brother in the UK about this practice since I had seen him do this many times. And he didn't say much. I think now we have also embraced this practise from our Andalusian brothers and sisters! Alhamdulila, it must be said though that this practise does "personalise" the greeting of peace in a very warm way :)

I am really tired – will return.

Oh met some street vendors… (there were 2 women we met; one from Brazil and the other from Paris. They were very nice and we had a good chat with them for a while). We brought some bracelets – a girls’ best friend huh.

Good night.
1am



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