As Salaam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,
Last Saturday, I made an appointment to take Dhuha to see a raqi. I was meant to take her at dhuhr time to the masjid and after the jamaat he would spend 15 minutes with her. I had to pray before going because there would be no way to pray and look after her at the same time, which was a bit weird especially since I got there just after the salaah started.
I waited for about 15 minutes after the salaah had finished in the passageway just outside of the prayer hall but I couldn’t see the brother. I started to think that he hadn’t come and was thinking of leaving. I only didn’t because I know the brother is mashaAllah a good man and there’s no way he would abandon an appointment without justification. I kept looking through the glass trying to spot him but I couldn’t. Finally, after speaking with another brother I realised that the raqi was tucked away into a corner of the room just out of sight from the window.
He had been waiting for me patiently but was getting ready to leave himself convinced that I hadn’t come. I explained to him that I couldn’t bring Dhuha into the prayer hall because she would make too much noise and there isn’t any way for me to keep her quite. An explanation that he accepted and after he was sure that I’d prayed, he turned his attention to Dhuha.
I explained to him that Dhuha is autistic but I brought her there because she has been acting out of character ever since she started school a few months ago. My once docile Dudu has moments of trying to intentionally hurt people by biting, slapping and pinching. She is so intense that her face gives an expression of angry intent, which worries me greatly. Other problems are long periods of crying for seemingly no reason, not sleeping at night and appearing distressed at bedtime.
He took her on his lap and began reciting from the Quran. Dhuha seemed quite happy about sitting on this stranger’s lap and appeared to be listening attentively to his recitation. After a minute or two, she started laughing and laughing as if she had just heard the funniest joke. She laughed so hard that I could see all of her teeth at the same time. She continued to laugh right through, mixing it with trying to get off his lap, playing with his beard and stretching her body out. It was a strange spectacle and for a still unknown reason, I started to cry. Perhaps, the setting allowed me the opportunity to express the emotions that I normally bottle up, but I’m really not sure why I cried. At the end, he made du’aa, which caused Dhuha to stop laughing. She stared at him attentively again.
He gave her back to me. I looked at him waiting for him to say something like ‘there’s no problem’ or ‘there’s a problem and she needs more treatment’. He just said, ‘khair’ and gave me the impression that I should make another appointment. I got up and left with Dhuha and he walked over to another person and began speaking to him. That was it. I left feeling quite happy and Dhuha seemed to be happy as well.
Over the last week her behaviour has gotten worse but at least two days can be attributed to bowel problems and it is likely that the whole week of problems are leftovers from those problems. I hope that I will have another opportunity to take Dhuha to see him.
Ya Allah, ya ar-Rahman, have mercy on me, my family and all the Muslims. Give us the strength and the wisdom to overcome the trials of life in a manner that You are pleased with. Ya Rabbi, we are pleased with what You have given us in blessings and trials and we are pleased with You as our Rabb; be pleased with us and do not call us to account for our shortcomings. All praise and thanks belongs to You, there is no god except You, You are the greatest.
As Salaam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,
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