Bismillāhir-Rahmānir-Raheem
All praise and thanks are due to Allāh (SWT), who blessed us with the Glorious Qur’ān. Abundant salutations be upon our beloved teacher and role model, the first haafidh, Nabi Muhammad (SAW).
Living in Cape Town, we get to be tourists in our own city, subhanAllah! My holiday started the day after my tamat (hifdh graduation) and apart from my ‘umrah journey a while ago, I had the most amazing holiday everrr, Alhamdulillah! For the past three years I was in and out of mild depression and dreading going back to school after every holiday, so this year was different. I came alive. I am back. I’m told there’s a brightness in my face that wasn’t there before and I feel like there’s a spring in my step. I capture this holiday of mine in this post for myself to look back on in years to come, and to show that being a haafidha isn’t boring and doesn’t mean that you have to be in-doors reciting all day. My intention is not to show off in any way and I humbly ask of you that you don’t feel even a tinge of jealousy, but have good feelings towards me, and maybe even spare a du’a for me – I promise the angels will make du’a right back for you! In no particular order, here goes:
Hifdh Mentoring
The point that I’m at now feels like the moment Allah (SWT) speaks to Musa (A.S.), when, after He tells him his life story, He says, “And I have prepared/produced you for Myself.” (Qur’an, 20:41). I feel like I’m fulfilling my purpose through this and what could feel better than that? (Apart from feeling close to Allah through other ‘ibaadah of course.) Read more about my first session in my blog post.
Meeting my potential Mister
Day one of my holiday (or holidays?) started with an anticipated meeting with a potential mister. (We had waited months for various reasons.) Meeting for marriage the right way actually isn’t uncomfortable and awkward as some might think – maybe we were just lucky, or blessed; what do you think? Whether he’s The One, Allahu A’lam, but it was a really enjoyable evening getting to know him for the sake of Allah, Alhamdulillah.
for those who are lost, these are conjuctions that only make sense when paired together.
Just clarifying, there was no proposal but this is spot on!
Being featured on VOC
I am intending to host a show some time this year in-sha-Allah, but in the mean time I got an opportunity to be featured on Evening Live on VOC, 91.3fm. It was so much fun. I love being live on radio. I enjoy the spontaneity of the impromptu questions. I hope to post the recordings in future.
Breakfast on the Beach
Some of my friends and I were planning on going to Muizenberg beach but I overslept (embarrassed face), so it was too late to go but we ended up having our brekkie on Sea Point beach instead.
Babysitting
Babysitting Mlm. R and Ml. K’s three gorgeous girls (ma-sha-Allah) is so much fun! Aged one, two and three, they can be a handful at times, but I’d do it for free any day. After swimming, jumping on the trampoline and playing on the jungle gym, I’m exhausted when I come home, but full of grattitude. Grateful for the life that I lead, that I don’t (yet) have those responsibilities, for the opportunity to help out my Mu’allimah, for her family and her life that I get to be a small part of, for my health and fitness (barely) and whatever else I can think of. Alhamdulillah.
Their pretend jungle gym
Mingling with monkeys
I spent the last day of last year at the World of Birds. We went specifically to visit the “Monkey Jungle.” Those monkeys were so adorable I wish I could adopt one!
Kirstenbosch Gardens with my MSA sisters
What a beautiful afternoon it was! I was running late (embarrassed face, again!) so we went later than planned and got there on the waqt of Dhuhr. We made salaah in such pure tranquility – we wish every salaah could feel like that. Catching up with the girls was memorable.
Hiking!!!
Freshly made coffee and jaffles at the waterfall in Cecilia Forest with awesome company – need I say more?!
The full-moon, after Fajr hike up Lion’s Head was another memorable experience, Alhamdulillah.
Did you know – it’s sunnah to say Allahu Akbar while ascending and subhanAllah when descending?
Swimming!!!!!!
There’s something about swimming that I can’t even try to explain. Being enveloped by the water, I swim without thinking about it; my mind filled with different thoughts. I make dhikr in-between as well. I went every Tuesday except one, when I went cherry picking with my family (which wasn’t all exciting unfortunately but the cherries were delish). I’m grateful for the ladies-only time slot. I can only go in my holidays so I always make the most of it! For me, swimming needs to be in a 25m pool, otherwise it’s just splashing around. My dream mahr (dowry) would be my own 25m pool with just 2 lanes.
Splashing Around and Chilling
This is just a splash pool but it was needed on that hot day nonetheless. I spent the day with my older sisters – friends I made when I first started studying deen. Those friends are truly friends for life, even if I don’t often see or speak to them. All of my friends are older than me and almost always have been in the past as well.
Meeting my three R’s
I went to visit one of my first tajweed teachers, Haafidha R, then met up with the inspiring Mu’allimah R – a mother seven amazing children, ma-sha-Allah and later visited Aunty R, one of my mother’s friends who is on a different path but who has touched my life. It was an incredibly inspiration-filled day and I felt a deep-found contentment at the end of it. I’m blessed to have so many amazing women in my life, Alhamdulillah.
Catching up with friends
I met up with absolutely ALL of my friends. I went to their houses or we went out for lunch. I try to remember to make the intention that it’s for His sake, so that the time spent may be blessed and rewarded, in-sha-Allah.
With best wishes for your hifdh success,
