Something From ANDALUS (part 1)

Salam everyone.

Hope you and me, both are in good condition; health, mind, and of course our IMAN..Well, firstly, to be honest, I'm not good in putting things into words and words onto paper. Those seem to be among my biggest problems in life. But, of course I found that couldn't be an excuse for me from sharing with others, as our beloved Rasulullah SAW has said, 'Preach, though a sentence'. So, here I am, with whatever I can, trying to share some of the priceless experiences granted by Allah to me, His little and delicate servant throughout my Andalusia Quest with my other Muslimah friends.

What's This?

Understood?

Can you understand the above boards? huhu.. I guess no except those who know Spanish.

Well, starting from our arrival at Malaga airport on April 4 until our next departure flight returned to UK on April 8, there was one prominent thing that I felt challenging throughout my Andalus quest.. It was the Language Barrier.

As Andalusia is considered as southern part of Spain since 16th century, so their first language since that is Spanish. Most of them hardly speak other languages including English. Thus, no matter what, to survive all along our trip, we have to learn to speak Spanish. Could you imagine how difficult it is? All along my student life in UK, good in English and some Arabic phrases help me a lot to survive being here.. If I get lost in the City, at least the language used in sign boards can direct me to home.. But in Spain, things were different. We had to survive two things in a time; being in a real new place and environment with a completely unfamiliar language (Spanish). We had lost so many times, and of course we hardly found way to home or to the place we want to visit because of the language barrier. Reffering to the signs just make us more confuse.. Thus, as the mastermind for this trip, I seemed to be the person who mostly forced to interact and use Spanish with the locals especially to ask them help for directions. To do so, I had to keep referring to the book bought by Husna (Easy Spanish Phrases) each time I wanted to talk to them. Oh, that’s of course not easy! Well, talking or asking them using Spanish is one thing, and trying to understand their answer in Spanish is another thing..! The most often I did while interacting with them were smiling and nodding to the speakers, and said 'Muchas Gracias!' .. that's sort of pretending to understand their words though often I totally wasn’t or sometimes merely a little bit! That’s funny, isn’t it? Yet, what else we can do..

Nevertheless, Alhamdulillah, I salute most Andalus people for their kindness, hospitality and helpfulness. Knowing that we couldn’t understand their language, Andalus people used various ways to help us. Often, they used body languages. Some of them drew maps or pictures on papers. There were times where they themselves brought us to the place we had asked them; in Granda, a Muslim old lady herself brought us to the At-Taqwa Mezquitta while in Cordova, a non-Muslim old man himself brought us to our hostel. Aren't they really nice to do such helps? But, the best of all was when they brought us to those who can speak English!

Well, this experience wasn’t really bad at all. It’s truely challenging, but it’s very precious and of course unforgettable one. Especially to me.. as I love to talk and to know people around me.. So, being in such condition sort of hindering me to be the Real Me. However, Alhamdulillah from zero knowledge I seemed to be gradually familiar to Spanish, which I consider a really good asset.

Well, I really thank Allah for His Mercy for giving me this precious experience. Having language barrier as one of difficulties in our journey made me really pondered and wondered how much other language that I didn’t know in this world! I felt tiny, delicate and powerless. We are no body in this huge wide world. Merely because of LANGUAGE differences, we can turn from being somebody in one condition to a nobody in other conditions... I believe, how smart a person is, there will be no human who able to master ALL the languages in this whole world. This shows Allah’s infinite Greatness.. I reflect one of the Quran verses that always being repeated by my mum when I was little, which means;

“and if all the trees and plants in the earth are turned to be the pens; and if the seas and oceans (are turned to be the inks), and another seven seas and oceans will be added as they have all dried, yet the words of ALLAH (knowledge of Allah) will never ever able to be all written. Indeed, Allah is the Most Powerful and the Most Brilliant.”
(Luqman, 27)

Truly, before this I did understand the phase meaning of this verse.. but, I couldn’t really feel it within my heart.. But, now.. Alhamdulillah.. with Allah’s love and guidance.. I gradually build the real feeling and understanding of this ayat..

ALLAH is the GREATEST and MOST BRILLIANT EVER..

we are really NOBODY to compare with HIM and what more to go against HIM… So, come on..WAKE UP..! Don't be such arrogant...! Let’s realize HOW much small and fragile we are as a servant and as a creation... and HOW GREAT and AL-MIGHTY ALLAH as the CREATOR and as the OWNER...! Let's notice that how ALLAH does not need us at anytime, but We do need HIM all the time..

Erm.. i think that's for now.. Hopefully you'll get something from this.. I'm nobody to tell you all this.... I'm just sharing what ever ALLAH has granted me... May ALLAH accepts this as a part of my good deeds in His eyes...

well, before end, here are some of the Spanish phrases that still remain in my mind.. may be it'll be usefull for you to know some of them..

Muchas Gracias ---> Thank You very much
Day na da --> you're welcome
Despenseme, Ahbla Estes English? ---> excuse me, can you speak English?
Comprendo! ---> I don't understand
Solo Habla English --> I can only speak Englishe
estes el-camino directo .... --> is this path direct to...
Por favour ---> please
Izquirda + Derecha --> left + right
Salida + Entrenda --> exit + entrance
Nueve ---> nine
Una --> one

wallahua'lam. Salamz

With Love and Care
-SERVANT-