Never you say must....

ALWAYS SAY INSHAALLAH

PROLOGUE

It is advisable for whoever wants to say he shall do anything in the future to always start with insha Allah which means if Allah so wish. It is important to note that only Allah is the Doer and He alone can do independent of anyone as He is absolutely unstoppable. Should anyone say he shall do without saying insha Allah is trying to take Allah’s stance and surely Allah will prove him stoppable, because human beings holistically depend on Him. Hence, in a typical Hausa settings, Jegede- the major character of this play you are about to explore met his misfortune for foolishly thinking he can do independent of Allah. Anyway, Allah proved him wrong. Ride on and I hope you will enjoy it.

Scene one

Jegede: (sitting on the mat, he keeps staring at his wrist watch and frowning his face) oooh! What is wrong with this woman ehe? She always delays my food. Now look at it. It’s almost late. Duduwa! Duduwa!! KeDuduwa!!! (He called).

Duduwa: Yes, maigida (she answered with a faded voice from behind the veil).

Jegede: Mcheww! (He hissed and murmured)

Duduwa: here I am. (She said as she appears and kneels on the same mat before him)

Jegede: is the food not ready?

Duduwa: No ooh, it is ready. Should I serve it now?

Jegede:  Do as you wish. (After a brief pause he said)Will you common serve us!  At this time of the night you are still asking me if you are to serve the food or not. Haba! (Now angrier)

Duduwa: (immediately, she went behind the veil and emerged with dishes on a tray. Kneeling and keeping the tray before him almost at the same time) here is the food maigida.

Jegede: (still frowning and looking straight to her face) must you delay our meal every day?

Duduwa: (facing the ground) wallahi am very sorry maigida.

Jegede: (now drawing close to the tray and opening the plates with a relaxed face) aha! So, what are we waiting for. Let’s eat.

Kuluwa: Ok! (She draws close to the tray too as they both washed their hands in a little bowl of water.)

Jegede: (after some minutes as they were eating together) tomorrow at sunrise I shall go to farm and when it’s dusk I shall go hunting.

Duduwa: why don’t you say insha Allah?

Jegede: I will not say insha Allah. Must I say it? I said tomorrow I shall go to farm at sunrise and at dusk I will be going for hunting you are telling me to say insha Allah. Hah! Infact I shall come back home safely.

Duduwa: Please don’t turn this into a quarrel matter for ‘am just trying to advise you and that’s all.

(Now through with the food and Duduwa has packed the plates on the tray with her knees up and was about to lift the tray)

Jegede: ah! Lest I forget please inform Tanko that he shall accompany me tomorrow.

Duduwa: ok! Maigida (as she lifts the tray and went off stage)

Jegede: (now alone, removes his babban riga, his cap and hang them on a nail) kai! Let me go and sleep now so as to wake up early tomorrow. (he goes off stage)

SCENE TWO

Jegede: (he appears and sit down while staring at his wrist watch with a chewing stick in his mouth) tanko! Tanko!! Oooh! Where is this boy for Allah’s sake?

Tanko: (only his faded voice without appearing) na’aam baba! Am coming.

Jegede: come quickly.

Tanko: (as he appears before his father) here I am baba.

Jegede: (now he removes the chewing stick from his mouth and wears a more serious face) its sunrise now. I guess your mother told you yester night that you will accompany me to farm today and at dusk we shall both go for hunting.

Tanko: of course baba. That’s what she told me. In fact, am even prepared. (While scratching his head)

Jegede: good! Now go and fetch our hoes and cutlasses as well as my hunting gun with the basket.

Tanko: is that all we need to take?

Jegede: Yes ‘mana’.

Tanko: (went behind the veil and emerged with two hoes and cutlasses in a basket as well as a hunting gun as he drops them on the floor) baba, here they are.

Jegede:  (as he picks up the gun and place it across his shoulder he said) you should carry the basket and the other tools.

Tanko: Ok! Baba. (He turns round and says) Mama! Mama!! We are going to the farm until we come back insha Allah.

Jegede: hmm! So, your mother has inflicted you with this her insha Allah ko! (Now on their way as he is in forefront while tanko walking behind with the basket containing the farm tools on his head) let’s move faster mana!

SCENE THREE

Jegede: (as they reach the farm, tanko dropped the basket and brought out the farm tools as jegede put down his gun too.)Ha! Indeed if we can clear this land to that end (pointing at a direction) before dusk it will do us good as for tomorrow will be just a finishing touch.

Tanko: I agree with you baba. (Immediately they both bend down and started working on the farm seriously. At interval they separately rise up while they bend their accusing fingers to mop the sweats gathered on their forehead and stand akimbo for some seconds looking at the cleared part of the land as they keep comparing it with the untouched part so as to see how far they have gone.)

Jegede: (after sometimes, rise up his head and first looks at the sun and then at his wrist watch and said) it’s almost dusk, I suppose we go for hunting now for this is the right time.)

Tanko: that’s true baba.

Jegede: (he picks up his gun and said) just carry the farm tools in the basket and follow me from behind.

Tanko: ok!

Jegede: (after some moments as they were walking towards the tied rabbit on the stage) shhhhh! (He puts his accusing finger across his lips) stop. That is a rabbit. What a big game!

(Five Soldiers and their commander moving to and fro with full agility while fully armed as though they lost their way. They stopped few meters away from jegede)

Commander: (facing the rest of the soldiers) who among you actually knows the way to Gwagwa Karimo?

Soldiers: (in chorus) we don’t know Sir!

Commander: sergeant Moroko! (Demonstrating with his accusing finger as he drew a semi circle in the air pointing further) go round and ask anyone you see for me.

Sergeant: (taps his right foot and salutes with his right hand) yes sir!

(Jegede was aiming at the rabbit and about to shoot when the sergeant meets him)

Sergeant: hey! Mr. Man, come here. I said come here. I won’t repeat myself again.
Jegede: (rise up his head and says in anger) what is it? Are you blind, can’t you see ‘am doing something?

Sergeant: (walks back to commander with agility and says) the bloody civilian is not cooperating. Sir!

Commander: Boys! Let’s go there.

(Jegede was about to shoot his game when the soldiers meet him again)

Commander: Hey! Mr.  Man. Please show us the way to Gwagwa Karimo.

Jegede (now angrier and rise up) will you people please leave me alone? Look at it now you have scared my game away with this terrible voice of yours. In fact, I will not show you the way. Now, go away or else I will fight you tooth and nail.

Commander: (looked at his boys in anger and surprise) boys! What the hell are you waiting for? Teach him a lesson.

Soldiers: (in chorus) yes sir!

 (Before a twinkle of an eye, the soldiers were already pounding him with their fist like pounded yam, kicking, bruising and brutalizing him)

Jegede: please! Please!! Please!!! Don’t kill me. I will show you the way. (He keeps repeating)

Tanko: (running helter skelter while continuously shouting helplessly) help! Help!!  Help!!! Don’t kill my father please.

Commander: Boys halt! (Soldiers stop immediately)

Jegede: (satisfied with the hail of beatings, is now belching and panting in a nasty, baggy and muddy cloth) I will show you. In fact, I will show you. Ah! I will show the way.

Commander: you will not only show us the way. You will take us to Gwagwa Karimo yourself. Sergeant! Grab his boy and don’t release him until you receive my order.

Sergeant: yes sir!

Jegede: (leading the way while the commander and the others were behind him) let’s take this way. (He keeps directing them. After several corners on the stage) ah! This is Gwagwa Karimo

Commander:  sergeant, release his boy.

Sergeant: (with immediate effect) yes sir!  (He released him)

Tanko: Baba! (He rushed to his father and held his right arm across his own shoulder with his right hand and put his left arm across his father’s shoulder, to drag him towards home)

Other soldiers: get lost! Nonsense!! You bloody civilian!!!

Jegede: (Tanko still dragging him towards home. For moment no one say a word until amid their way home) ah! Hmm! Tanko, I remember your mother warned me yester night to say insha Allah when I said I shall go to farm today at sunrise and go for hunting at dusk. So, I think perhaps it’s because I blatantly refused to say insha Allah, that’s why things went wrong but I have learnt my lesson.  Anyway, don’t tell your mother any of this as that will be of more disgrace to me.

Tanko: Ok! Baba.

(So, they trekked in that way until finally home)

Jegede: (now manage to look strong and normal) Tanko, go straight to your hut and don’t talk to anyone.

Tanko: (with immediate effect) ok!  (And went straight)

SCENE FIVE

Jegede: (knoking at the door) Assalamu alaikum! Assalamu alaikum!! Haba!

Duduwa: (was on the mat knitting and answered with a faint voice) Wa alaikumussalam! Who is that?

Jegede: it’s me Jegede your husband insha Allah.

Duduwa: (open the door) welcome! Come in.  

Jegede: ha! Hmmm! Ouch! Kuluwa, please get me some water insha Allah.

Duduwa: (on the mat with her knitting stuff aside) should I serve you the food now?

Jegede: yes, insha Allah.

Duduwa: (immediately she went behind the veil and emerged with dishes of food) here is it maigida. But ‘am surprise that you are saying insha Allah. What is the matter?

Jegede: (devouring the food altogether) you will not understand insha Allah. (Without even looking at her face just busy eating)

Duduwa: any way, alhamdulillah that you are saying it. (After some moments of silence she said) Let me go and fetch some water from our neighborhood.

Jegede:  hmm! Make sure you warm some of it for me. I really need to take a warm bathe insha Allah.

(Now Duduwa goes off stage and jegede is through with his food)

Jegede: (shifts the empty dishes on the tray aside) Kuluwa! Kuluwa!! Kuluwa!!! Insha Allah

Kuluwa: (appeared on stage) na’aam, baba. Here I am.

Jegede: pack these plates to the kitchen and make sure you bring a broom to sweep this place insha Allah.

Kuluwa: ok! Baba. (Immediately packed the plates and went off the stage)

Jegede: (now alone on the stage walking towards the exit in pain with his left hand placed on his forehead and the right hand on his waist while in a bending position) ha! Wayyo Allah na from today on if I want to eat I will say insha Allah, if I want to talk I will say insha Allah, if I want to do anything I will say insha Allah. Infact, if I want to say insha Allah I will say insha Allah first. Let me go and take my bath insha Allah. (Off the stage he goes)

EPILOGUE

It’s unlawful for a Muslim to say I shall do anything without saying insha Allah. As you can see, Jegede refused to say insha Allah in the first place not until when he met his dead end before he realized his mistake. Thence forth, ‘insha Allah’ became his most mentioned words and his second name. Allah (SWT) said in the glorious Qur’an in Sura 18:23-24

“And never say about anything, ‘behold I shall do this tomorrow’. Without (adding) ‘if God so wills.”

              By:

Sulaiman Abdullahi

                 Albaji

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