24th post - been in Tareem for more than a year now... just wrapped up serving in the English Dowra during my summer term break this year.. our reflections that we have to write about post the 2 months of planning and service stint are as follows...

1)     What have you learnt throughout the Dowra experience?

That nothing in life is wasted effort that Allah has been planning your life experiences for good things to come to put your experiences into use to serve HiM well.

I was in the hospitality industry for about 10 years and thought I would never put what I learnt in hotel training in any use islamically but MashaAllah those years of training came in real handy whilst doing khidmah in this English Dowra. I have quit hotels for about 3 years now and to be given a chance finally to do what I love best, in the best of ways in serving my deen InshaAllah, is quite an awesome experience I must say.

 

2)     What would you like better if you get a chance to do it again?

I learnt better comes when least expected. Allah is the best of all Planners.

 

3)     Would you like to serve in the Dowra again? Why?

Yes! InshaAllah. I would like to be involved from the planning stages, to be given the opportunity to know the girls even before I meet them. This way I could do homework on their issues i.e. if they have a certain allery, illness, what their expectations are etc.

 

Having said that, before I make intentions to serve in another Dowra, my first intention is to serve my own parents, to do khidmah to my own parents foremost when I go back for a visit next summer break.

 

4)     What would you advice your sisters in your team?

I just would like to share what I learnt in the first Dowra I came as a student. Ustadha Muniba said, “do not lie, do not backbite and do not tell-tale” and therefore in my first year I gathered the lesson as such...

Lying:- Everyone knows what a lie is so just don’t do it. Easy.
 

Backbiting: -Everyone knows the hadith about the flesh eating brother of another, about how your deeds will be claimed by the person you backbit about so basically don’t talk about another person. Easy.

Tell-tale:- Don’t be nosy. Easy.

Then this year the same lesson of do not lie do not backbite do not tell-tale came to mind again but on another level, well at least that’s what I think or it may be cuz I haven’t mastered the lesson yet the first time round.

So on the part of do not lie:- If I’m doing khidmah for the sake of Allah, it would not matter if no one appreciates me right? So why do I get upset when people doubt how much I have done? Why do I have to take such effort to stop myself from telling others what I have done just so everyone gets the picture? Why do I cry badly when I hear that a student or two saying that us mushrifas have not done enough? Where is my sincerity for the sake of Allah? Am I lying when I say I am doing khidmah for the sake of Allah?

On the part of do not backbite:- Even if I do not mention the name of the person im talking about, but im talking enough that the whole world could guess it, isn’t that backbiting? But how do I stay sane then if im bottling up my resentment and my frustrations? I am human after all, I have emotions , I too get upset. Well, I haven’t found an answer for that. I need another year in school I guess.

On not to tell-tale:- Dowra students talk bring forward to us heavy subjects/issues brought from home, their baggage as most say. Am I tell tale-ing if I refer to my ustadha or mushrifa their problems due to a lack of knowledge to my part? How do I not tell-tale but bring it up due to utmost concern for them without threading the line of confidentiality?

I'm looking forward to be shed another ray of light from the lesson of “do not lie do not backbite do not tell-tale”, wonder what is in store next year.