All thanks and praises for Allah. To be a Muslim is not one's making, niceties or background but it is out of Allah's mercy and favour. May He never lead us astray. My father was a babalawo (diviner). He died when I was 17 years old. He was kind-hearted, nice and likeable, people felt comfortable with him, but he didn’t die as muslim. Whenever I remember him, I always feel that pain.
I bear a Muslim name, the reason being that in our house any child born of a Muslim mother will be given a Muslim name and whoever is from a Christian mother will be given a Christian name. I grew up not knowing anything about Islaam. I did not attend any Arabic School (Ile kewu), though I learnt some songs for Maulud Nabiyy celebration.
It was when I got to higher institution that a fellow student came to me and asked if I was a Muslim because of my name. She enquired why she hadn't been seeing me in the College's mosque and promised to call me the following moming after laking my room number. She fulfilled her promise and we went to the mosque together for Salatul-Subhi in spite of the fact that I didn't know anything except Surah Al-Fatiah.
She advised that I should do what the others did and I followed suit. The following day, she asked why she didn't see me for the other prayers and I told her that I thought I had completed it by observing the early morning’s prayer.
Furthermore, I started learning Alif, Bah, Tah...in my HND I (Eko agba you will say). Alhamdulollahi I did walimat in my HND II. Allahu Akbar, me the daughter of a babalawo doing walimat- it was like raising the living from the dead.
After graduation, I worked in several places where people reckoned with me as a Muslim -though no hijab but conscious of the other duties. I later got employment in Lagos, working with the MD (a non-Nigerian). After two years of being with them, I was to get married to a conscious Muslim brother who would want his wife to follow the Islamic mode of dressing. What would I do? I was in a dilemma. What would I do if I was told to leave my job because they could not condone my new way of dressing?
La hawla wa la quwwata ilia billahil aliy al azeem. One day, I broke the jinx. I put on a black turban and a pair of black shoes to the office. I was jittery. The first colleague I saw commended my outfit saying she loved the way I dressed. Others joined us in the staff bus - some had their reservations but many of them liked it. The main person was my boss. When he saw the 'hijab', he asked why I covered my hair and I told him that the chemical that I used to retouch my hair damaged it and I had to cover it.
Henceforth, I started using it every day, changing the colours and making sure I was very clean and neat about it in order not to give them room for complaints. They all eventually, accepted my new way of dressing after several comments. I never budged. I also took, to the office, a mat that I used to observe my prayers in a small place carved out.
I resigned after my Nikkah and started wearing hijab. If only one knows the barakah, beauty and goodness of hijab, every female will be eager to use It with favour. It gives one sell-confidence, peace of mind, honour, respect and top most, knowing that one is obeying Allaah, the Lord of all that exists (man & jinn).
Alhamdulillah Rabbil-al-Amin. I thank Allaah for His love, blessings and mercy on me forma king me a Muslim. In fact, whenever, I reflect on my background, I always shed tears of joy, happiness and gratitude. My joy knew no bounds when, by Allah's grace, I went for Hajj. I saw the Kaa'bah live, I circumambulated, went to Mount Arafa! performed all the rites. Imagine it! Me, going to Hall? Which of the favours of Allaah will I deny? And If I were to count the graces of AIIaah, never could I be able to count them. I pray fervently to Allaah to bless all the fruits that He has given us and make us better Muslims.
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited