In the summer of 2017 I went to Yemen.
I stayed for two months in a small city called Tarim, in the valley of Hadramawt.
Every morning after the fajr prayer, in the seminary which I was visiting, the people would form lines and walk in single file, shaking everyone’s hands…
I stayed for two months in a small city called Tarim, in the valley of Hadramawt.
Every morning after the fajr prayer, in the seminary which I was visiting, the people would form lines and walk in single file, shaking everyone’s hands…
Until everyone had shaken everyone else’s hands. This practice, the Musafahah, goes back to the tradition of the Prophet ﷺ in which he said ﷺ:
“The people of Yemen have arrived and they have gentler hearts than you. They are the first to offer the handshake.”
…
“The people of Yemen have arrived and they have gentler hearts than you. They are the first to offer the handshake.”
…
A practice of the people is to kiss the hands of those elder than them, or those who are recognised as people of good.
As I would walk in single file, shaking the hands of every worshipper, one man in particular, around 40 years old, would pull my hand and attempt to kiss it…
As I would walk in single file, shaking the hands of every worshipper, one man in particular, around 40 years old, would pull my hand and attempt to kiss it…
And each time I would pull my hand away.
I began attempting to kiss his hand, whereupon he would pull his hand away from me.
This battle continued every day for 2 months, until we came to the last day of the program I was attending. This was a morning filled with tears…
I began attempting to kiss his hand, whereupon he would pull his hand away from me.
This battle continued every day for 2 months, until we came to the last day of the program I was attending. This was a morning filled with tears…
Tears that contained many meanings, sadness at leaving such a place, hope that we could take something of what we learnt and implement it, wonder if we would ever return.
That morning, as I made my last round of handshakes, I saw him…
That morning, as I made my last round of handshakes, I saw him…
He stepped out in front of me and embraced me, tears in his eyes and mine.
That would be the last time I saw him. I never even knew his name, or where he was from, or why he was there.
I still think about that man sometimes and consider the biggest lesson I learnt…
That would be the last time I saw him. I never even knew his name, or where he was from, or why he was there.
I still think about that man sometimes and consider the biggest lesson I learnt…
“The people of Yemen…have gentler hearts than [us].”
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