He said with a smile turning to us and went, ‘better than the men? Mm?’ 🙂
Two weeks ago right before final exams started, there was a meeting for students of the school who live outside the school.
Typically they are older, married and categorized in three: Yemenis/Arabs, Easterners and Westerners. There’s a specific office in the school that takes care of their affairs. They help from securing a house to rent to visa renewals, from medical assistance to a string of other issues including personal ones when needed. They report directly to Habib Omar.
The meeting was with Habib Ali Shaykh Abu Bakr (Habib Smiley) at his house and the staff of the said office. Habib Omar, whom to have a long day is just another day for him (visible in pic), heard about the meeting and came, to everyone’s surprise. He was given a summary of what was discussed prior to his arrival and invited everyone there to speak their mind and express any issues.
Surprisingly, a lot of people spoke out and were quite vocal. There were times where on the spot he turned to the officers and ask ‘what’s being done with regards to what this student just said?’ Other times, he indicated something needs to be done and few he proposed solutions for the staff to execute.
One key matter discussed was the annual calendar for the month of Rabi’ul Awwal. It is the month of the Prophet’s (pbuh) birth and many gatherings remembering the life of Prophet are organized. The Mawlid, or the Burdah and so forth, in mosques, schools and homes. The outcome is, in a day you may attend up to five such gatherings in Tareem.
Students are encouraged to host such gatherings in their homes inviting schoolmates and neighbors. And to get organized within the community by having a calendar where its members can see the schedule as well as put their name down for the day they’d like to host at home. This is an annual, and growing thing.
Habib Omar was given an update as to the progress of the calendar for each student community. Then the officer said, ‘for the women community it’s good. Their calendar is almost complete.’
He said with a smile turning to us and went, ‘better than the men? Mm?’ 🙂
النساء احسن.
احسن من الرجال؟ ممم؟ 🙂
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Some people reading this, yearn for such an environment. Suggestion: do what can be done in your own homes. Even here despite the many such gatherings, there are homes here that hold them at home daily, just for members of the house even if it’s only two of them.
