Volume 5: ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ,
(Alhamdulillah)
During the summer of 2019, I was given the opportunity to study abroad and learn arabic. After hearing I was assigned to live in Centre Ville Rabat, the middle of an urban capital, a wave of terror washed over me. I felt petrified by the idea of living in an inherently misogynistic, Islamic society that primarily communicates in a starkly different language.
However, my comfort levels immediately skyrocketed after meeting my host family; a single mother and her daughter, Zineb. I knew my months would not be spent walking on eggshells in an attempt to please the man of the family. That evening Zineb took me to the roof of our building where we chatted about boys, school, and religion. During that conversation, she shared that she is a student in the equivalent to law school. While Zineb never received a formal university education, she scored very well on her entrance exam and tested fluent in MSA, Darija, French, and English.
As I spent more time learning about her life, I felt immediately humbled by Zineb’s raw tenacity and determination. She disclosed that her mother had to sell their family heirlooms in order to pay for school and her motivation stemmed from her hope of being able to provide for her mother. Later I learned that she was one of the only 2 women in her law class.
Despite her hardship, Zineb never let animosity or bitterness cloud her undoubtedly pure morale. Even with going to school, taking care of her mother, working an internship, and praying 5 times a day, Zineb leads each day with an open heart and an open mind.
Before leaving for school every day, Zineb said:
أتمنى لك يومًا آمنًا إن شاء الله حبيبي
(Have a safe day, if God wills my dear)
After studying together each evening, Zineb said:
نم جيدا ان شاء الله حبيبي
(Sleep well, if God wills my dear)
In the morning, I was greeted by:
اليوم يوم جميل حبي
(Today is a beautiful day my love)
Before a meal:
الحمد لله على هذه الوجبة
(Thanks to God for this meal)
When speaking about school:
حصلت على شكر الله
(I got an A, thanks be to God)
Before either of us had a test in school:
ستعمل بشكل جيد إن شاء الله
(You will succeed because God wills)
When I would tell her about something stressful in my life:
لأن الله ما شاء كل شيء سيكون على ما يرام عزيزي
(Everything will be ok my dear)
After overcoming a society in which she was reduced to being a wife, Zineb perseveres to work harder than anyone I have met. Further, she leads each day with an overwhelmingly loving, kind, and grateful attitude. Through these interactions, I felt humbled and became more keenly aware of the privilege I have as a female in America. This acutely inspiring experience enabled me to recognize my sheer egocentrism and disregard for how many amenities and opportunities I implicitly enjoy daily.
Zineb’s words not only impacted my personal psyche but also inspired me to soften my outlook on life. I still marvel at her strength and love that enabled her to overcome systemic oppression and inspires me to work harder everyday.
الحمد لله عليك وشكرا على تعليمي
(Zineb, to you I am forever grateful)
