Hazrat Amman Jan - An Inspiration for Us All — Page 83
83 Her house was always clean and tidy , and nothing was ever wasted. For example, Hadrat Amman Jan ra would use old scarves and small pieces of cotton to make light summer quilts. She would trim them with “ gotta ” (a decorative border material taken from women's clothes). She would request people to keep old scarves and would then use them as filling for blankets. Her ingenuity in these matters knew no bounds. She would utilise the smallest scraps of old material to make cushion covers or tray covers. Amatullah Bashir Sahibah recall ed how Hadrat Amman Jan ra tried to avoid any kind of wastage. She reminisce d how on one occasion , Hadrat Amman Jan ra sent for salt to dye some clothes. After finishing the procedure , Hadrat Amman Jan ra did not even waste the remaining pinch of salt but carefully preserved it in a salt shaker. Hadrat Amman Jan ra kept everything in an orderly fashion in her house. Her granddaughter , Sahibzadi Amatun - Naseer Begum , relate d how neatly the books in her storer oom were stacked. She recall ed that this tidiness of nature was reflected in Hadrat Amman Jan's ra personal appearance. She never saw her grandmother in dishevelled clothes. She kept a red handkerchief by her pillow to wipe her face. She would always neatly consume “ paan ” (betel leaf), by keeping a small water basin by her bed to collect the “ paan ” water. Hadrat Amman Jan's ra excellent domestic management meant that she could easily locate whatever she needed in the house. Her granddaughter , Amatul Ma teen Sahibah , recalls how she once needed a “white pyjama suit” (long tunic and narrow legged trousers), for “Musleh Mau ’ ud Day”. After her mother failed to get her a suit , she went to ask her grandmother, Hadrat Amman Jan ra. Initially , Hadrat Amman Jan ra replied that she did not have a pyjama suit but then she pondered for a while and later requested one of her household ladies to retrieve one from her store r oom.