Sentimental Journeys

I lay awake in the dark. The chill of the atmosphere make the hairs on my body rise with a shiver, like soldiers standing tall in the snow. Then, I get up to ablute and wrap my head in a warm stole like a hijab and cover my body in a woollen robe to keep the cold at bay. As I stand on the prayer mat to offer the first Salah of the day, I hear the chorus. I hear the chitter chatter of the birds outside my bedroom window. I try to continue but I am pleasantly interrupted by their choir. The birds are very alert and active at the earliest hour. I am amazed. What energy they have, what enthusiasm they have! A smile plants on my lips at the thought of their joy and harmony.

I remember that I need to pray, hence, I shift my focus back to the prayer mat and begin with the intention for Fajr Salah. This is offered before sunrise. It is highly recommended as it helps to prepare us for the coming day. It encourages dialogue with our Creator and the aim of having good and pure thoughts throughout the day. The process is like planting good seeds for harvest, like tiny buds waiting to blossom.

While performing my act of worship with the dawn chorus in the background, I feel as though I have a sweet melody accompanying me during the invocation. Their presence feels as though they are there to remind me to get up as early as they have and to call upon the Almighty. They are clearly delighted to see another day and are rejoicing in each other’s company. Yes, it is a blessing. I feel myself gleaming from within, it is wonderful to intertwine with nature.

The prayer offers us the opportunity to speak to Allah swt and thus starting in a positive way to set the tone for the hours to come. There is immense calm and gentle tranquillity in the moment, I feel spiritually elevated as I utter the Arabic words in my heart and mind whilst prostrating in devotion. I give thanks for all the blessings I have and pray for betterment as the stillness surrounds me while the world sleeps in peace. I have an audience with my Creator and the birds continue to chirp merrily in the background. Perhaps they too, are having a heart-to-heart conversation. I will never know the details of their high pitch interaction, but I am content in understanding that they are happy.

Towards the end of my worship, I hear the dawn chorus quieten, slowly, for they have done their duty by starting the day. They motivate us to rise and shine like the sun rays peeking through the clouds, warming every home on its ascent. I raise my hands for Dua and hold them open, ready to receive whatever my Allah deems suitable for me. They are open like a book so the Almighty can read my hearts wishes without words. The Umma, the whole diaspora of Muslims, pray like this, including the rich and the poor, the young and the old and the kind and cold. We awake to engage in prayer as the songbirds’ chime to welcome the new day, a new dawn, a beginning.

Regardless of different faiths, we are all created by something bigger than ourselves, and we have our own ways of showing our zest for life and gratitude for every day we live to see. The dawn chorus is nature’s expression, while namaz is the expression of the living Muslims, showing their devotion to their deity. As I listen to their charming chatter, I realise that different creatures use their unique ways to communicate with the one who created us and life continues to blossom in our own worlds, in our own ways.