Just emerging from sujood, I whispered the last remnants of my constant dua of “Oh Allah, you hold the key to the heavens and the Earth. Please bless me with those things that are best for me and remove those things that will take me from you. Please bless me with a loving and kind, Muslim husband. Someone who loves me but loves You more.” I was greeted by a woman beckoning an answer to her incessant question of “when you getting married?” I glanced up at her eyes that were hungry for an answer that I did not possess myself. “Allahu alim auntie”, I replied as I stood up. Straightening the pleats in my skirt, I went off in search of my shoes. I was meeting my father for lunch. Therefore, I could not afford the time (nor energy) to divulge the details of marriage possibilities rooted in mutual love and adoration, but just were not “The One.” She screamed, “Give your ummi my salaams!” As the mosque doors closed behind me, I thought “Hmmm, good luck with that”. Interestingly, I had no clue of her name or why she was so invested in a wedding she would not be invited to anyway.
Upon meeting dad, he held the door open for me leading into our favorite restaurant as he has done for 31 years. After taking our order, the owner who is an old friend of dad began to inquire about our family. He looked to me with a huge smile on his face and asked about my husband and children. I smiled and replied that I was not yet married and did not have any children. After his initial look of embarrassment, he began with one of the most beautiful statements I pray I never forget. “Know that your husband exists and he is a great man. I know because Allah (swt) created you from him.” Subhanullah, those words were what I needed to hear. They were the answer to my everyday dua.
In the meantime, I discovered 10 things about enjoying the here and now of singlehood … in preparation for marriage.
