Miss Iman Tammam

All I wanted was a pen and paper.

I have a small notepad for all my nonsense, but seems that I’ve misplaced it. I’ve decided to find a natural solution for those irritating spots on my face, and needed to jot down a remedy recipe. I wanted my nonsense notepad. Instead I found an old organizer of mine. Yeah, I used to have an organizer as a teenager. I remembered that I had a bunch of papers that I’d added to my organizer for lists and notes. So I thought to myself, that would do.

As I open the organizer memories come rushing back. There was a poem hidden somewhere between those pages. A poem that I didn’t write. Home phone numbers of all my school friends are there. Remember, land lines? Yeah. My parents’ business cards. My favorite stickers. Bits and pieces of newspaper articles that I found interesting. A couple of facts about Ancient Egypt.

All that I remember. But it seems like I forgot one very important thing.

As a kid, those autograph books were so in, along with colored pens. We’d get a book and make all our friends and teachers write something. I got myself a tiny autograph book. It had Goofy on the cover, in 3D and all, I had to have it. However the papers started falling out, one after the other, till none were left. The sad part was, I lost them all. Or so I thought.

In one of the organizer pockets, a tiny paper was peeking out. As I pulled it out, my heart skipped a beat. I had forgotten all about it. I don’t even know how I did.

“إلى ابنتي الحبيبة منة. أحبك يا ابنتي في الله. بارك الله فيك وأسعد أيامك. ميس إيمان.”

I owe this woman a lot. My Qu’ran and Fiqh teacher for years. My sound of wisdom as a rebel teen. She never stopped smiling. Her eyes were always filled with joy and kindness. You’d feel her love and warmth as soon as she looks at you. She was an angel. She truly cared about us all. We were her daughters. She had two boys and always wanted a girl. She considered us all her daughters. She would treat us that way, and advice us accordingly.

Miss Iman was the highlight of my week. I always wanted her to be proud of me.

At the end of our summer camp, and when it was time for the final Qu’ran contest, she’d be even more nervous than us. She’d sit with us before the exam and help us revise. She wouldn’t lift her eyes off us as we recited to the judges. If during the reciting one forgets and looks at her in a panic, she’d comfort them with just a smile and nod. At the end of each day, she’d give us a hug and kiss; she loved us as her own.

When my aunt passed away I went to talk to her. I was 13 or 14 at the time. Grown-ups around me kept talking about her funeral, and how light she felt as they carried her despite her heavy weight. How everything went so smoothly and all other sorts of things. I heard everything they said, but didn’t understand much. I told her everything I heard. I wanted to understand. She looked at me, and smiled, comforted me and reassured me how my aunt was definitely in a better place, insha’Allah.

That’s the type of woman she was. She helped each and everyone of us whatever was on our minds. From trivial fights with friends, to how hard it was to make our parents understand us and even more.

I was in Dublin when I heard she had died. It was not a good day. I hadn’t seen her for almost 2 years. College took me away from those camps and lessons. I had stopped attending the Qu’ran lessons, but went to Mostafa Hosni’s lessons which where in the same mosque, my mosque. I’d sometimes run into her before the lesson, and would ask her if I could join her again. But I was too old, and had to move to the “grown-up” group. I wanted her.

And now she’s gone from this Earth, but lives with me everyday. Everyday I apply something she taught me. And every time I do, I pray for her.

This is what she always wanted, to forever be remembered by her teachings rather than anything else. That was her main goal, giving back what God had blessed her with.

عن أبي هريرة -رضي الله عنه- أن رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قال: إذا مات ابن آدم انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاث: صدقة جارية، أو علم ينتفع به، أو ولد صالح يدعو له، رواه مسلم

اللهم انها كانت لكتابك تالية فشفع فيها القران وارحمها من النيران واجعلها يا رحمن تترقى فى الجنه الى اخر ايه قرأتها
واخر حرف تلته. اللهم احشرها مع اصحاب اليمين واجعل تحيتها سلام لك من اصحاب اليمين. اللهم اجرها عن الاحسان احسانا وعن الاساءة غفوا وغفرانا. اللهم ارحمها وإغفر لها وتجاوز عن سيئاتها وجازيها عنا خير يا رب.

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