New Convert, New Wife

Last night, Khaled and I attended a lecture at The New Mosque about relationships between husband and wife.

When we arrived, Khaled joined the men in the Imam’s office, and a young woman came into the lecture room with a pashmina hijab haphazardly wrapped around her head.  At first I thought she was like me, then the Imam’s wife took this young lady under her wing and rearranged her hijab.  When she was finished, the lady’s hijab was wrapped in perfect Egyptian style.

Everyone prayed, and then assembled into the chairs for the lecture.  These lectures are given in Arabic, so I don’t get the whole story until after we leave to go home.  There is usually a woman sitting in the back with other non-Arabic speakers translating, but I prefer to sit and listen to the Imam and watch his facial expressions as he tells the stories.  I take notes of the words I recognize and I text back and forth with Khaled so I get the general gist of what is being said.  I’m hoping that the more I listen, the more I will understand.

So, shortly after the beginning of the lecture, the young woman was invited up to the podium and she took her Shahada.  First she said it in English, the second in Arabic.  While she spoke, her fiancée took photos.  Later, after the lecture had concluded, the young man came to the front of the room and told the story of how they met.

And then he asked her to join him at the front of the room, and he proposed to her again.  With a ring, and she said yes.

Before everyone left for the evening, the young woman joined the female congregation for her first prayer as a Muslim woman.  Everyone gathered around her, congratulating her on her choice and welcoming her into the ummah.

I happened to have a Wudu Cling with me in my bag, so I showed it to the Imam’s Wife and asked her if it would be okay to give it to the new Convert.  She gave me her blessings.

I gave the New Convert my Wudu Cling, and explained that she could hang it on the mirror in her bathroom, and it would help her remember the steps to make Wudu.  She said that it would help her so much and was very appreciative.

Today, as I’m doing my family keeping, I keep thinking about this New Convert and new converts in general.  And I compare them to the young Catholic girls who are making their First Communion.  First Communion is met with special gifts, special parties and special clothes.  We are doing a disservice to our converts in not having something special to give them to mark the occasion.  People don’t just make Shahada on the fly, they make appointments and plans…their loved ones know in advance.

Available at VianneFere and The Cling Shop