I sat with Fikri and we talked. Mostly he talked and I listened. It was completely dark outside with the exception of street lights, as the last traces of sunlight had just disappeared from the horizon. We sat under a light on plastic chairs outside of his barber shop, where he had butchered my hair the night before. He tells me that God has gifted us with a brain, intelligence, and that's what distinguishes us from animals.
"Had God put our brain in a dog, and the dog's brain in a human, the dog would be the ruling species and not the human."
He is a very generous man in his late 50's, though he appears no old than forty-five. He smokes a cigarette as he explains to me how he once bought a bible so that he could understand the differences between himself and the Christians. He explains he has nothing against Jews, only something against Zionists. The adhan is called for isha - he pauses his learning to listen to the invitation to success, to prayer. He invites me to pray with him so that he can introduce me to all sorts of wonderful, knowledgeable people from whom he himself learns.
Before the iqama is called he continues to explain to me what it means to be a Muslim. A car is stopped in the street directly in front of us with a young driver in the driver's seat, and there are three young men pushing the car from behind. Fikri takes a pull off his cigarette before getting up to help the young men.
"Come here son, let me show you. First of all, is this your car?"
The young man replies in the affirmative, and Fikri proceeds to help him. He sits in the driver's seat and orders the young men to push the car backwards. After they start pushing, he gets the car to start. The young driver thanks him, gets into the car, and drives off.
"You see, I could have waited to help them until they asked me, but you have to help the people before they ask."
With Fikri's philosophy spilled all over me, the iqama is called and we make our way towards Qa'd Ibrahim. After the prayer, Fikri introduces me to Hagg Ahmed, who is a round, older man with a beautifully kind face, dressed all in white, his being illuminating. They invited me to their daily course the attend every day after Fajr.
That night, I slept sound.
"Had God put our brain in a dog, and the dog's brain in a human, the dog would be the ruling species and not the human."
He is a very generous man in his late 50's, though he appears no old than forty-five. He smokes a cigarette as he explains to me how he once bought a bible so that he could understand the differences between himself and the Christians. He explains he has nothing against Jews, only something against Zionists. The adhan is called for isha - he pauses his learning to listen to the invitation to success, to prayer. He invites me to pray with him so that he can introduce me to all sorts of wonderful, knowledgeable people from whom he himself learns.
Before the iqama is called he continues to explain to me what it means to be a Muslim. A car is stopped in the street directly in front of us with a young driver in the driver's seat, and there are three young men pushing the car from behind. Fikri takes a pull off his cigarette before getting up to help the young men.
"Come here son, let me show you. First of all, is this your car?"
The young man replies in the affirmative, and Fikri proceeds to help him. He sits in the driver's seat and orders the young men to push the car backwards. After they start pushing, he gets the car to start. The young driver thanks him, gets into the car, and drives off.
"You see, I could have waited to help them until they asked me, but you have to help the people before they ask."
With Fikri's philosophy spilled all over me, the iqama is called and we make our way towards Qa'd Ibrahim. After the prayer, Fikri introduces me to Hagg Ahmed, who is a round, older man with a beautifully kind face, dressed all in white, his being illuminating. They invited me to their daily course the attend every day after Fajr.
That night, I slept sound.
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