Awkward Questions; "Don't You Feel Hot?"

  Nigeria, especially Lagos is not best the place

to be presently. Is it the endless queues

at filling stations (I saw the longest

queue ever over the weekend

and I nearly wept for those in it. They

were even given tickets! *sighs*)? The

almost non - existent power supply? Over

priced food items? I could go on but let

me stop here. Oh! I forgot the main

reason for this post which is the heat or

should I say  THE HEAT? At least that is

not one we can blame the government for

except if we want to talk about improper

waste management, pollution, green

house gases, ozone layer depletion etc

but this is not the place for that. We can

however bemoan the fact that the power

supply and lack of fuel for our

generators is making it difficult for us to

cope with the heat.

  So, I'm not one to go out often as I

find pleasure in solitude but going for

classes and other essential outings can't

be avoided which is why I was out that

day and met another one of those people

who don't seem to enjoy minding their

own business.

  "I'm sorry to ask but don't you feel

hot in that?", she asked. My mind was 

thinking, "Aunty, what is your own na?

Can't you see as this sun is shining? Is it

your hot? Somebody cannot even wear

black in peace again? Na market I come

buy o!" But the well mannered person in

me smiled sweetly at her and responded,

"I feel the same amount of heat you

feel." She goes, "That's not true."

"You be thermometer? , ' That's my 

subconscious again but I pay no mind to

it and politely respond, "Maybe I used to

feel very hot when I just started wearing

it but let's just say I'm used to it."

"Better. So, why did you start wearing

it?"  At this moment, I want out of there

but the store owner seems to be taking

forever and I decide to indulge her

more, "Because it's an obligation."

She asks, "But not all Muslim women wear

it. Why's that?"

"Maybe they don't know about its

obligation."

She seems to be in thought for some time

and asks again, "You're still going to

cover your face, right?"

I give her my best smile , "I'll love to"

then revel in the look of horror on her

face.

"By then you won't have friends again",

she says. I tell her I have friends who

already cover their faces and she 

concludes that it's marriage which made

them do it. To correct that assumption, I tell her that

most of them were unmarried and were still

schooling when

they started. She has no response and

the store owner chooses that time to come

out with my items and chips in rudely "Na

that one go make you see Muhammed or

Allah?"

"Actually, yes." I respond, asking for my

bill. His rudeness made me decide not to

buy the other things I needed from him.

Now, the lady has found her voice and

asks, "So, you'll cover your face when

you're married?"

"Actually, I am married. Have a nice

day." I smile and leave her with her

thoughts.

 Later, I recall the exchange and reflect

upon my response and why, despite the

scorching heat, women choose to cover as

legislated. I would have given her

the popular response found on the

internet about the Fire of Hell being

hotter but that's cliché and would not

have portrayed my true reasons. These

verses of Ar Rahman come to mind, "And

march forth in the way (which leads to)

forgiveness from your Lord, and for

Paradise as wide as the heavens and the

earth, prepared for Al Muttaqun ( the

pious ). {Suratul Al Imran;133}

I realise that the store owner in a way

was right. Yes, we fear the Fire of Hell.

We fear the punishment of our Lord but

one thing we love more is to gain His

pleasure and see His Glorious Face.

The Messenger (sal Allahu alaihi wa

sallam) said, “When the inhabitants of

Paradise enter Paradise, Allah will say to

them, ‘Do you want Me to give you

anything more?’ They will reply, ‘Have

You not made our faces bright? Have You

not brought us into Paradise and moved

us from Hell?’ Allah will then remove the

Veil and they will feel that they have not

been awarded anything dearer to them

than looking at their Lord.”

[Sahih Muslim]

To my sisters who choose this path and

know it's not just about the cloth but

something deeper, I pray Allah continues

to make it easy to follow His dictates

without question and that on That Day,

we will be among those about which it was said,

"Some faces that Day shall be Naadirah

(shining and radiant). Looking at their Lord (Allah)" 

{Al-Qiyaamah :22-23}