Bismillah
Amazingly, the workmen didn’t come today. Was it because rain was forecast, or because they had to go shopping for materials? One never knows the answers to these and most other Algerian mysteries. Anyhow, we are almost assured that tomorrow there will be peace as it will be Jumuah, Friday, a day sacrosanct, usually. It was wonderful today with no workers, no in-laws, little girl in school and husband doing stuff. I’d love to see the husband and the child, but honestly sometimes the extraordinary peace is also such a blessing. Now, if only the little cousin will stay downstairs as there is no terrace to play on tomorrow – ya Rabb!
I’m adjusting to life behind a massive sheet of thick plastic. There have been hidden benefits that I wouldn’t have foreseen: it blocks the sun which reduces the temperature in our part of the house, and it already shields us from a lot of the rain, though not totally. When the workers are here I do have to wear hijab, but not even to the extent of a jilbab or niqab – just a big khimar as I move from bathroom to kitchen to bedroom. It’s really not a big inconvenience, masha’Allah. Although the clothes lines have to be cemented into the balcony walls properly, it’s been wonderful to hang up clothes but not have to be in the heat, masha’Allah, and additionally the hanging clothes provide an excellent screen to block both prying eyes and more sun. I sort of like the sense of closeness and privacy and hiddeness masha’Allah.
The blowing dirt is a bit of a drag, and my dear mother-in-law refused to let my teenager sweep it, saying it would only get dirty again. Yeah, she’s right – but she doesn’t have to have blowing concrete bits litter her bedroom floor. AstagfiruaAllah, there is one word to describe that woman: niggardly. I don’t like to use it often, but gosh it is apropos.
Homeschooling is going fairly well, masha’Allah, though I feel panicky about what my kids don’t know. Still, I think that things like the Rosetta Stone will help them, and Timez Attack insha’Allah. We’ll get there somehow – it’s not for lack of du’aa, that’s certain.
There is evidently a fairly good chance that the Academy will open, and I feel a bit panicy about that, too, and also nostalgic as I am actually really enjoying homeschooling. Still, there is no way I can meet my children’s language needs, French and Arabic being totally beyond me.
May Allah just give us only what is best – ameen!
As a sort of side note, I have totally fallen in love with Surah Ar-Rahman – especially ayah 26 and 27. I find the repletion that Allah uses, “Which then, of the favors of your Lord, will you deny?” absolutely crushing, devastating, beyond sobering. And when Allah subhanna wa t’ala talks about that everything, everything will be totally obliterated and all that will be left will be the Majestic Face of Allah – this concept is so mind-bendingly overwhelming I cry every single time I really think about it. The very idea that eventually there will be absolutely nothing, nothing, NOTHING left is, for some reason, almost beyond scary. The triviality of this life. The foolishness and waste of it all. Everything will be gone, less then smoke, less then air. Even the non-Muslims cannot imagine this level of oblivion subhannaAllah. May Allah guide me to only good deeds – that will be all that is left. Ya, Rabb!