The Baji

The Green Room

When I first started at Leeds University, the Green Room had a purely functional purpose. You came in, did your wudhu, prayed, and then frog-marched back to lectures. It was a pretty drab place, with an even drabber atmosphere. Between the mould growing in the fridge and the peculiar smelling donated hijabs there wasn't much going on the place. Worst still there was a faint smell of farts because of the kebabs being sold in the hallway.

It wasn't really the kind of place you'd want to bring your non-Muslim friends.

Things started to change over time, especially when the sisters on the committee made a pact to smile, say salaam, and introduce themselves to absolutely anyone who walked through the door. To make the place feel more homely my beloved Ayeshah B hung old saris and scarves on the walls, put candles on shelves and hung strange Pat-Butcher-earring-type-thiniegs on the broken sprinklers. Ruqsy kept the kitchen supplied with milk and tea, and I made sure my merry voice could be heard as soon as any sister opened the door. We decided Muslim students at Leeds University were far too British and conservative for their own good - and we woz 'avin' none o'that.

The issue of friendliness between Muslim students on campus even came up in a meeting one time. I guess the President noticed the sisters were having fun in their section of the prayer room [sometimes a bit too much, like one time when we got told off for holding a rather rowdy nasheed contest].

"So how do things work with in the sisters section?" the brothers once asked.

"We just say salaam to anyone, and ask them how they are."

The brothers looked thoughtful. I guess after a while they picked up the habit of talking to random strangers in the Green Room, because Alhamdulillah over time the feeling of their being a community on campus grew. If you walk past the Brothers section now you'll hear backs being slapped and Shaku Maku and Kaysay Ho and Apa Khaber alongside all sorts of other enquiries after peoples health.

What is the Green Room, you might ask? Well, I'd say it's a place where people go to pray primarily, but also to eat, think, work, laugh, sleep, and sometimes shed a tear or too. I have even witnessed a sister do a stunning backflip across the carpet, however the less we say about that the better ;-)

The truth is that renovation aside, the people make the Green Room what it is - a sort of calm and friendly oasis amongst the daily storm of University life. No matter how bad your day has been, whether your presentation went wrong or your supervisor was an ass, or someone flicked body fat onto your hijab in the dissection room...it's nice to know there's a place on campus where you can walk in, take time out, and just gather your thoughts.

Alhamdulillah, we are very blessed.

أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ

Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.

posted by The Baji @ 3:26 PM