Cherished Memories of Africa — Page 37
29 verandah outside. He offered that to us openheartedly. The verandah proved to be an unexpected blessing for us. There were carpet-like mattresses in the verandah; we laid on these. The family was very hospitable. Inspite of their poverty they took good care of us. The couple was angelic in character. We introduced the jama’at to them; they listened to us attentively but did not perform bai’at. Tayammum (dry ablution) on a Stone The man was elderly and very religious. At Zuhr time many people came to his place and started praying in the same verandah. I noticed that whenever somebody entered, he would lift a stone placed on one side, rub his hands on it and put it back. I asked Ahmad Ly as to what they were doing. He told me that they were performing tayammum on this stone. Actually these people came from the villages close to the Mauritanian border. As such their habbits are similar to those of Mauritanians who are saharans. There is severe shortage of water there, therefore, they use water very carefully. It has become such an habbit for them that even when on a river bank, they perform tayammum. At DAKAR Dakar is a very beautiful city. It’s weather is wonderful. Neither hot nor cold throughout the year. I had acquaintance with a Pakistani Ambassador. Once he said that he had travelled around the world a lot, but had not seen a weather like Dakar’s. Business is dominated by Lebanese. It is said that Lebanese are in the world to eat, drink and be merry. I had a Lebanese friend. One day he said, ” Ustaz , wherever you go in this world you will meet