I am spending the next few nights at Lyf – therefore no good morning sunrises to greet my WhatsAppers. Instead a photo of a watch – it is a Fossil that was masquerading as a Rolex. An extremely funny (in the end) story. This was the caption: Wearing my other watch this morning. Always worn with the Muslim ‘rosary’
Perhaps first I should explain what the Muslim rosary is and how it is utilized as a form of worship. I spoke of this in a November 19, 2023 blog. prior blog: A Day in the Life of the Oberio Hotel Refugee Camp: Discovering Bahrain in the Best Way, A Gift From a Bahrain Muslim Woman; 300 Signs to Recognize Your God; Sign 92; This is the Religion for Me; Another Gift From Another Fatima; A Muslim Rosary: Photographs of Book, the Religious Abacas, Letter Not Written by Muhammed (PBUH).
I quote from the November 19, 2023 blog. I commend to you the reading of it in its entirely. This is only a portion
“Me: I recently learned how and why Muslims use their ‘rosaries’. It is a soothing tradition. I have begun worshipping in this fashion.
Fatima gave me her ‘Muslim rosary’ telling me to think of her, and pray for her when I used it.
As Fatima and her grandson parted I hesitantly asked a question.
Me: Please ask your grandmother how old she is.
He did and she showed me with her fingers.
Me: Hahaha! I am older. You are my little sister Fatima
We all laughed.
The May 10, 2006 Arab News wrote about Te Art And History Of The Muslim Rosary
PRAYER beads, or masbaha, are more than something to keep idle hands busy or to dangle from the rear-view mirrors of cars, they are used as a tool by which Muslims perform the dhikr, or pronouncements in remembrance of Allah as instructed by the Holy Qur’an.
Essentially, the rope of prayer beads is a kind of abacus used to help memorize verses from the Qur’an or more commonly to keep track of the recitation of the 99 names of God. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims’ intimacy with their prayer beads gets closer. Masbaha can be simple — with beads made from cheap plastic — or they can be decorative and pricey, with beads made from decorative ceramics, hardwoods, precious stones, or the bones of rare animals, such as the rhinoceros. The string that holds the beads together can be made of cotton, silk or simple nylon. (In the age of machinery, some Muslims have been known to forego the masbaha altogether and use button-operated metal counters.)….ending “It seems that the tradition of the religious abacus isn’t fading away like so many other cultural aspect of “Old Arabia”; youths can be seen decorating their souped-up sports cars with the masbaha.Instead of fuzzy dice or air fresheners, they decorate their rear-view mirrors with a rrosary. And considering the way some Saudi youths drive, it’s probably a good idea to have a prayer aid within reach of the steering wheel!”
I read the ‘old blog’ with great interest, and actually amazement. That was almost two years ago – look at the research I did, the experiences I had!! Muslims meeting me today assume I know nothing about the faith. My knowledge often exceeds theirs. But this is not a competition. Hahaha. I smile and listen to their efforts to inform me. Last April a KL woman took it upon herself to teach me how to pray. I just silently followed her lead. The next day she took me on a tour of the Masjid. An amazing tour, led by the most competent of people. When they listened to the story of my reversion and my knowledge, they were in awe. She became incredibly envious. The Quran 113. Seeking Protection Against Evil “Say O Prophet “I seek refuge in the Lord of the daybreak from the evil of the night when it grows dark, and from the of those witches casting spells by blowing into knots, and from the evil of an envier when they envy.”
That woman became evil, lied and induced anger in another that caused me to be hit on the face, had a black eye to prove it. However, Allah did give me refuge. Refuge in the KL JW Marriott where I shall return at the end of the month prior to going to Jakarta for my (hopefully) last visa run.
But life these days in Penang is much more pleasant. Yesterday afternoon was lunch with Happy. (Aka Joy) Food delicious, my turn to pay. No definite plans to see one another again. She has not and probably will not read my blogs nor my blog breakdowns which contain few words and take little time away from her blessed profession. She is a nurse.
But a few hours later I had a wonderful and unique experience. Joy is an independent woman, which I applaud.
I fit that category but now, in my later years, am blessed with a wonderful ‘surrogate’ family. Surrogate is a complicated word, with more than one definition. This perhaps is the closest one to what I am trying to convey: a woman who bears a child on behalf of another person or a couple, typically via artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization. However when one looks at the origin of the word one finds this: early 17th century: from Latin surrogatus, past participle of surrogare ‘elect as a substitute’, from super- ‘over’ + rogare ‘ask’.Therefore it could be regarded as a substitution.
I did not have children, therefore I did not have grandchildren. But I do now have a substitution. My substitution is a grand-daughter of Mohan. A beautiful and accomplished fifteen year old, whom I met about six months ago when she walked into her grandfather’s restaurant and kissed him on the check, wearing a Colorado t-shirt. Oh my Allah! I have Colorado connections, maternal and then in my life as a Granny (a grand-daughter born during the third marriage, who name is Sara). I immediately connected with Laney. When her grandfather told her that I had been a lawyer said this:
She: I want to be a lawyer.
Right there and then, I committed myself to fund her law school education. If something happens there and then or then and there, it happens immediately.
I began the funding immediately, as best I can given great hurdles helpfully overcome by her Uncle Shamir. Last evening she, her mother and myself went for dinner at a posh restaurant. A photo was taken, shared initially with her grandfather and uncle. But now, with her mother’s permission, you shall see. It brings me such joy to be able to do this for an accomplished young woman and her exemplary mother who works so hard, as a single mother, to provide for her daughters and be a role model. (Which she is).
One does not have to marry and bear children to have a life of meaning. I have the blessing of an income, earned on my own entirely, to be able to help Laney, a Muslim Malaysian young woman. She does not cover her hair as you shall see, She is not required to do so by the Quran. She dresses modestly, as does her mother. Mohan’s three genetic daughters are approximately the same age of his grand-daughters. Those three daughters do not dress modestly at all. They are obviously legal Muslims. Their mother pretends she is a Spiritual Muslim. Allah (SWT) does know the difference.
