A large number of shoes on the steps or around a doorway is a pretty good indication that through the door there probably is a mosque. We have a mosque in the school that the boys go into, I believe with either their Islamic / Religion teacher or sometimes their Arabic teacher. That is teacher of the curriculum Arabic, as most teachers in our school are Arabic by Nationality!
Today my beloved Grade 7. 1's were going into the Mosque as I came by. If ever there is a class that really tests your patience and every single teaching and behaviour strategy you have, its Grade 7.1. Today typical boys they were having a bit of push and shove as they head in. The boys have a bathroom beside the mosque where they wash their hands, feet etc before they head in.
Now by mere coincidence Ali got talking about Islam today. We were moderating ( he sits on one side of a huge desk and I always on the other) in the lab when one of the science teachers walked by, waved to us, sneezing as he did so. Ali then launched into the responses you always make when some one sneezes and the response you make in answer to their response. For example if you say to someone shokrun, thank you, they will reply with afwan, thank you for thanking me. So rather than "bless you" they use something like Inshallah... God willing but it is more "mercy of God".
Now comes the interesting part. When the males wash before they pray, they wash the extremities of the body, face, hands, feet, ears. And, as I was to learn today, they rinse their mouth out 3 times. Of more interest still is the fact that they inhale water, in through the nose and sneeze it out, to cleanse the sinus passages. The sneeze also has some religious significance, to do with their Prophet Mohammad.
In times gone by the respose to the sneeze and mercy of God, was to acknowledge that you were alive, and thanks be given to Allah. The significance can be drawn from a babies first breath, and a person's dying breath. I'm not too sure if the next bit is a leap of faith or an actual scientific fact. Apparently the heart stops when you sneeze, so if I reply or acknowledge a sneeze by a response or responding then I have assured everyone around me I am quite alive, my heart has started beating again and praise be given to allah for this..... thank you.
Whatever, this was a really nice time. Two colleagues in the midst of student moderation, deviating from the task at hand, to talk. As the conversation developed, I definitely felt a little more than a colleague, perhaps a friend, and I felt enormous admiration about the distance the 2 of us have travelled, and the chasm we have navigated re culture and gender difference to be a team, and to be off task!
Ali went on to explain more about Islamic faith... so that’s post number 2 coming tomorrow.
2 comments:
What a wonderful discussion to have. You must feel very privileged in the way that these teachers open up and explain things to you. So much fascinating information and insight to the culture.
That is so cool Jocelyn. Cool on two counts, 1) you learnt a little bit more of what it means to be Muslim and its link to everyday life and 2) Ali trusted (read that as respected) you so much to share with you what would be not be shared readily to a westerner let alone a woman. You have every reason to be proud and what you have experienced. Well done!
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