Starting with the Quran

Ever since the girls started going to dugsi, our lives have really changed, in the sense that I am learning more about the different people around me. Again I have to stress that this enriching experience is one that I will treasure for the rest of my life. That is why I love staying here in the midst of a multitude of different cultures. However, the difference between living here and in Malaysia, is the fact that the Muslims here are in a melting pot of their own, but in Malaysia we're all basically from the same mold. That variety in the Muslim world itself, is what makes these experiences so rich and it only increases my love for our Muslims sisters and brothers as a whole, alhamdulillah. I would love for my children to continue growing up in this environment, though it does render us both, parents and children in a continuous learning process. Nevertheless, I do believe it opens our eyes and widens our perception. I can better tolerate differences and will not immediately jump to judgments of other people, and in fact will try my best to see it from their perspectives while keeping my own or sometimes adjusting my own. Nothing better for tightening the bond between Muslims of different backgrounds, insyaallah.


The first time I went to the dugsi to pick up the girls, it was just after the dugsi was done. As I stepped in the masjid, Ifound myself facing a hoard of yelling, running and shoving teenage girls, mostly taller and bigger than my pregnant self. Of course my pregnancy wasn't that obvious with my attire. I literally was fearful for my and the baby's well being, as I found myself constantly struggling in my slow amble to dodge these girls who found it normal to shove people out of their ways.

As I made my way out of the foyer into the musalla area, younger girls came to me with bright faces and asked,

"Are you looking for S?"

"Are you S's mom?"

I nodded. Obviously finding my daughter was easy there, as we were the only non Somali in the masjid. We prayed Zuhr there and I couldn't help but notice that while we were praying, well, at least, while I was praying, a girl in front of me kept turning back to look at me. I suppose she was making sure the 'Chinese-looking' lady was actually praying and is a Muslim. I couldn't help but smile at the thought. It was funny yet somewhat endearing and cute. As I headed out with N alongside me, a girl about the age of ten, asked me,

"Are you her sister?"

"No, I'm her mom," I replied.

She looked taken aback and let out a surprised, "Ohh."

One thing I have to say about the Somalis : they are very friendly and warm people. If my girls were in a school full of Arabs, they would probably get a totally different treatment from the Arabs. Just one day in the dugsi, and my girls were already swarmed by these other girls who quickly became their friends. They are so friendly, just like their older counterparts who are my dearest sisters in Islam.

As H put it,

"They now have a group of their own at break time."

I do worry about bad influences as the girls came home one week telling me that two bigger girls got int trouble for passing notes in class, and the teacher, H, read out their notes out loud. Apparently it was about Hanna Montana, whom I know practically NOTHING about, but it bothered me that my kids were talking about it as if they knew the person so well. I dug more into what happens at the dugsi, but after further digging, I simply found out that my girls aer in a group of innocent girls insyaallah. Those girls who are TV-addicts are the ones whom are forced to go every week by their parents and the way of life is most probably not enforced at home. I am too familiar with that.

S is miserable though about her Quran memorization assignments. Yesterday I talked to R, who gave me some pointers on what to do about that.

1. Continuously play Quranic recitation by different qaris so they develop a love for hearing it.
2. Focus on listening to it as one would listen to music (well of course you also have to observe the ettiquettes)
3. Parents also have to be enthusiastic abuot memorising themselves.

Alhamdulillah, the kids are constantly 'chanting' Quran in the house, to the point that N would actually accidentally memorize something she wasn't assigned to memorize but would fail to memorize her own assignments.

I've also started to constantly have them read the Quran after either Zuhr or Asr. So far, after a few weeks, I have seen encouraging improvements in their pace and tajweed alhamdulillah. H does read faster than N though. I still have to learn to adapt and have more patience with N. She is so different than S and H.

I also was recently told that 4th grade is the turning point.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It's when things start to get serious, as you have probably noticed," said HB.

I nodded agreeably. I have felt that since this school year started, and being told that only reinforces that belief. I am now in a frenzy trying to find S a planner. It's time for her to be more independent, though she already is masyaallah. However, if I'm to have this baby insyaallah, she'd better be more independent.

Saad al Ghaamidi seems to be our favorite Qari in the house. I tried the others but the girls kept shaking their heads and I have to revert back to Saad al Ghaamidi.

Our venture in this Quran odyssey started significantly last summer and I have to say attending AlMaghrib's Route 114 by Muhammad Faqih has really changed how I see the Quran, alhamdulillah. H is flourishing in his Quran class at the masjid, and as chatty and goofy as ever. So goofy and crazy that he actually goes out of the house in subzero temperature wearing a short sleeveed T-shirt and knee-length shorts!

"You're not going out of the house like that anymore," I told him.

Talk about being American. Well, he doesn't have to be that American!