28 years ago, on Sunday morning, at 10:30 a.m. ... I was opening my eyes in the world on a blessed day... coz Sunday it is a blessed day for Christians around the world. Sunday it is God's Day in Christian religion. This year my birthday will be again on Sunday...
I was born on a blessed holy day of June... and at that moment none could guess or know that my future will be connected to far places, blessed places or neither that my steps will follow my heart in to total different world... where my soul mate was waiting for me even before I born. Coz yes, our destiny it is written for us before we born, but the way we achieve it it is up to us: the good or the bad way, the easy or the hard one...
Some people born again when they receive a second life after they escape from an accident or from a sickness... others born again when they start a new great moment in their lives... me I born again on Sunday... on May 8 in el Azhar from Cairo/ Egypt.
I went there with my beloved husband and our brother Ahmed for my certificate of Muslimah... although I was already had one from my country, I really want to have the one from el Azhar and it was a moment planned within months before.
In that day early in the morning, my husband wake me up to get ready coz we had to leave to Cairo early... so early... We got ready, we prayed together (which I must say that I love these moments so much; you can't imagine what I feel every time when I pray with my husband and how happy I am when after every prayer he hugs me and kisses my front head and I feel him so happy and so much in love with me; these are unique moments that I could never give up to them) and than we left to Cairo.
We arrived there around 8:30 and before 10 reached el Azhar... the great Azhar, the great mosque from Cairo. I remember that my husband told me: "Habebty you see those double towers? Only el Azhar has these." I was seeing the building from the car and believe me I was so nervous when we arrived in front of it...
There my beloved husband asked about the office where we could take the Muslimah certificate for me and the man from the entrance gate told him that we have to go a little bit up to el Azhar for the foreigners. DONE! We left immediately there... but something came up on the road...
Hey! You already know me, mashy?... Outside it was so hot and you could feel the hot weather even in the car... so of course I need it water... much water and so often... like kids... but after this, because of that much water... you know what was coming next... yes yes yes you guessed... so big need to el hamam :(((((((((((((((((((((( so you can imagine me stressed and so in a hurry and the traffic was killing me and I really felt many times that I will explode before I reach el Azhar... plus that I was all the time yelling: "I want el hamam!!! I want el hamam :((((((((((((((((((((((((!!! I can t more!!!! I will die here!!! I will die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"... My poor husband and his brother were keep trying to calm me down and were saying to me that in maximum 10 minutes we will be there and everything will be fine.
But those were the longest 10 minutes in my life and I was thinking that it passed a lifetime until we reached el Azhar for the foreigners. It was a real challenge with all the traffic and the cars that were coming so fast and everybody was trying to get in front... and really I was feeling that moment that I want to scream and let them know to step a side coz I have a physiological PROBLEM MUSHKELAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!
Finally we reached the building and I felt how life is coming back into my body until... ZBANG!!!!!!!!!!!!! There was no bathroom for women there :O :O :O :O :O :O... in the ground floor, right on the lobby there was just bathroom for men :O :O :O :O :((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
NO!!! NO!! NO!! NO!! NO!!! That time I really explode it and I was saying "HOW FOR HEAVEN SAKE HERE THERE IS NO BATHROOM FOR WOMEN????? THIS IS HARAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't move not a single inch so husband DO SOMETHINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!! And now!!!!"
My husband found the lady that was cleaning there exactly in that time in the ground floor - ALHAMDULILALLAH - and he asked her to enter with me in the bathroom for men... yes you read well... bathroom for men!!! coz I was about to die there and my bladder was like a basket ball... like a timing bomb!!! One more minute and I would just go nuts completely! And I was not the only one! There was another woman in the same situation with me, but she was not complaining and not saying nothing... but really she was so happy when she saw me entering with that lady to the bathroom so she came too :P :P :P :P!
In all this time, my husband was guarding the entrance of the bathroom from outside and the lady from inside. Knowing that no man can enter while we were there, I took advantage and I wanted to revenge on all the men that could be outside waiting me to get out :))))))))))))) yes to revenge, to let them know and feel what I felt, to make them jump on their feet until they will reach the roof, to make them pray to all the prophets to save them from the suffer... yup... I stayed there in the bathroom enough time to make anyone who was waiting outside die because of the X problem :D :D :D...
Finally, I decided to get out, after I finished to refresh myself, fixing my hegab and my clothes on me, taking a break... I went out and there were ... as I was expected... men waiting :D:D:D:D... I felt revenged :))))))))))))))))))))... well... of course that one of the men waiting to enter was my husband :))))))))))))))))))))))))... but he was just a victim in my war :P :)))))))))))))))))))))))))))...collateral victim... :D:D:D (if you will not see me posting for a long time, you have to know that my husband read this topic :)))))))))))))))hahahhahhahahahah.... joking people :P).
We turn back from the lobby and exactly on the right side how you enter in the building it is the office for el Azhar for the foreigners. We entered and there were already other people for the same issue as we: MUSLIM CERTIFICATE.
The sheik assistant came to us immediately and he took our personal information (me I gave the passport, my husband and his brother the IDs), 2 picture of me and he also gave us some forms to complete in Arabic and English. I was writing the one in English of course and my husband the one in Arabic (wish I must tell you that he was translating to me word by word, even that I was already had the same form in English too; my beloved husband did the same with the marriage certificate from before we go to the translator with it; LOVE YOU MY LION!). My husband was again my witness in el Shahadda as the first time too... First time I chose him without even know my intention :) and what I will do in that day... He found exactly with a few hours before :).
After we finished, the sheik called me to him and we started to speak about a lot of issues from Islam... from the meaning of Islam until the word of Allah (Praised be His name) and the Messenger (Peace be upon Him), as all about the others prophets too (Peace be upon them). The sheik was explaining me a lot of beautiful things and he was so patient and very delighted to find out that I was already a Muslimah from before and that I was there to be recognized as well by el Azhar as Muslimah too :).
From time to time I was keep looking to my husband's face (he was following me step by step) and I could see him radiant of light when he was hearing my answers to sheik questions :)... although he told me this right after we took the certificate :)...
After we finished speaking about Islam and after the previous tests on my knowledge in Islam, the sheik signed the Certificates and he send those to be stamped. Usually, the time to obtain the Certificate from el Azhar is one week, but Allah soften the heart of the sheik and he said that we will take the certificates in the same day, like in 30 minutes, just like others that were there one weak before and were coming to take it over a week, in the day we were there too. This was a real blessing from above :).
We took the certificate and before we leave, the sheik stopped us and he was asking me...what is my main language... English or French... I said to him - Both... so he gave me, beside other books, a special gift: Le Quran in French :).
After this he had a long discussion with my husband and the sheik told him special things about the marriage and the understanding about husbands and ask him no matter what will be, he always be patient with me and opens the heart to me and forgive me no matter what I do (of course you can imagine that I am already taking advantage of this thing and when something is not likable for my delicate nose I simply say: "I ll tell to the sheik from el Azhar" which makes my husband :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O)... because in Egypt he is my family an he has to make me be close to him, not be a stranger to me :). This was so wonderful from the sheik, but I tell you my friends... my husband already was doing this from the first moment we met :). The sheik told my husband also that he is so happy for us and that he sees that we are so different than other couples and that happiness and love are really strong bounds between us :).
We left the sheik and the Azhar for foreigners with our hearts full of happiness and deeds and we were in a hurry to reach the mosque el Azhar to have our prayer there. We made el wuddu and than we were ready to enter and to pray :)... me on the women side and my husband and our brother Ahmed on the men side :). When we entered there we left our shoes at the entrance and we were walking on our naked feet on the marble... I was seeing this in the movies in el Kabba and I wanted this thing so much... I felt like in my childhood, so happy, so full of life and good things, without worries or crazy ideas :P... it was wonderful, exciting and so magical!
My husband took me to the women side and he said to me that after I finish to wait him there behind the gate until he comes to take me :)... I saw there in el Azhar people praying, resting... sleeping... speaking and reading... even lessons about Islam I saw there...one was filmed and the other one was a normal Islam lesson with teacher and students (that I saw in the women side) all feeling comfortable and in peace like they were in the soul of Allah and in the soul of Allah nothing can touch you or make you feel something wrong... you are just you and Allah and the angels, the prophets... none else can enter there...
I went to pray and I spend some time there with Allah and myself... I was happy and grateful to thank HIM for all HE gave to us and for HIS help to cross all the obstacles found in our way.
After I finished, I went outside the prayer room to wait my husband and in just a few minutes, I saw him coming. We went after and we took many pictures... each one unique and special :)... and we were keep admiring the building which I tell you ... it is AMAZING!
We spend really magical moments there and full of blessings and it was even a special moment too: me and my husband we were both entering in el Azhar for the first time :). Subhan ALLAH!
After we finished, we left el Azhar with our hearts so happy and so peaceful :). We started our way back to Alexandria and right after we left from el Azhar... we found some street seller... that were selling books and camelssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss :)))) this time original authentic Egyptian camels hand made :)... and since my mother was saying to my husband that he has to give for me a lot of camels for me (they are still negotiating... mama raised the number from 100 to 1000 and I m afraid that if she will find out the little secret between me and my husband, she will ask 1.000.000 camels :O:O:O:O)... my husband bought me the camel no 2, this one purple... I mean the accessories all purple... coz I love purple and my husband wants to make all my world purple :*:*:*:*.
We were ready now to go back to Alexandria ... after a long hot day... full of events... and closed in such a blessed way... full of joy and happiness... AlhamdulilAllah :)