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Fire was emerging from her mouth, along with a green tongue. Her hair stood on end, while some strands fell forward to cover her face. In this terrifying state, she advanced toward where someone was tied to the trunk of a large tree. The victim wanted to pray, but could not even remember the opening word, Alif.
The figure stopped abruptly right in front of her. The fire issuing from her mouth vanished, and she used her hand to push aside the hair covering her face...
Mabrukha woke up with a start from the terrible nightmare—a recurring bad dream in which she desperately wished to see the face of the woman who frightened her almost every night.
She checked her body to the left and right, her limbs trembling, and her body drenched in sweat.
"La'ilaha illallahu wahadahu lasharikalahu lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wahuwa ala kulli shai'in qadir. Rabbi ighfirli warhamni warzuqni ilman nafi'an. Allahumma ajirni fi masibati wakhlifni khairan minha."
She wiped her face with her palms.
She slid her legs out from under the rug and staggered toward the bathroom, feeling dizzy. She performed ablution (wudu), came out, slipped into a soft, long dress and a long hijab, and faced the Qiblah.
She performed four units (raka'at) of voluntary prayer (nafila). In the first, she recited Al-Fatihah and Surah Al-Ikhlas 10 times. In the second, Al-Fatihah and Al-Ikhlas 20 times. In the third, Al-Fatihah and Al-Ikhlas 30 times, and in the fourth, Al-Fatihah and Al-Ikhlas 40 times.
This totaled 100 recitations of Al-Ikhlas. After finishing, she made Istighfar 100 times, invoked blessings upon the Prophet (PBUH) 100 times, and completed it with the Tahlil (La ilaha illallah) 100 times.
She raised her hands and poured out her supplications for a long time. Afterward, she wiped her face, feeling a profound sense of peace and inner strength suffusing all her limbs.
"Alhamdulillah, Ya Allah, You have brought me a way out of this agonizing nightmare that has become as routine to me as eating food. Amin."
She leaned against the bed, closed her eyes, and kept pulling her prayer beads (tasbih). Sleep tried to overtake her, but she resisted it because dawn (Subh) was approaching, and she did not want to miss her formal prayers.
"Ah, good morning, my queen mother! I hope you woke up well?"
Smiling warmly, she replied, "I am fine, Mama Gajiya."
"Masha Allah."
"Mama, I need a large quantity of koko (porridge) and kosai (bean cakes). I want to give them as charity (sadaka) to the Almajirai at the neighborhood school."
"Consider it done, my queen. In sha Allah, before you get out of bed, everything will be ready."
"Thank you so much, my mother. May Allah reward you with goodness."
"Amin."
As she climbed upstairs, she caught sight of Momy emerging from her room, so she quickly slipped into her own room.
She stood in the middle of the parlor in silence for a moment, then walked toward Momy’s room, her mind filled with suspicions.
She found her lying on the bed, completely covered head-to-toe with blankets.
"Momy," she called out. Silence was the only answer. She called her name again, and this time Momy responded, but in a groggy, sleep-drunken voice. Seeing this, Mabrukha walked back out, her heart burning with curiosity to know what had really taken her into that room.
She dressed hurriedly, glancing repeatedly at the wall clock.
Her fragrance announced her arrival before the sound of her shoes followed behind.
She descended gracefully, wearing a black atamfa dress patterned with red, white, and golden flowers. She looked breathtakingly beautiful; her fair complexion perfectly matched the outfit.
She sat in her usual chair, leaned forward slightly, and said, "Momy, good morning."
Momy ignored her completely as if she hadn't heard a word.
Mabrukha smiled, turned to face the young man sitting beside Momy who was sipping his tea with an air of arrogance, and said, "Muftah, good morning."
He gave her a single wink, sucked on his lower lip, and replied, "Morning. How are you, beauty?"
Frowning slightly, she answered, "Fine."
"Good," he murmured, continuing to sip his tea slowly, though his attention remained entirely fixed on her.
After that, no one spoke until they finished eating. She was the first to stand up, leaving the dining area for the center of the parlor.
"My mother!"
"Yes, my queen?"
"Bring a hijab and accompany me, please."
"Right away, Hajjaju," she answered respectfully.
As they prepared to step out, Momy called out, "Where do you think you're going all dressed up like that, Ishashshiya?"
Mabrukha smiled, turned around and said, "I'm just running over to school, Momy."
"Oh, and Gajiya? Where is she tagging along to?"
Mabrukha turned and walked away without answering. This severely angered Momy. Furious, she rushed upstairs, and upon entering her room, immediately turned back around, ran down to the compound, and grabbed the door handle of the car.
"Mabrukha, this attitude of yours toward me is completely unacceptable!" Momy scolded in a low, tight voice. "I am in the position of a mother to you, yet I talk to you and you act like I'm invisible! Would you dare do this if it were Hajia Saleemat?"
Mabrukha closed her eyes briefly, opened them with her signature smile, and said, "Momy, you were the one who ignored me first, so I just returned the favor. You shouldn't be upset—especially not enough to drag Ummie into this."
Momy forced a tight smile. "Oh, fine! I admit I was wrong not to return your greeting, but that happened because of what you did last night."
"What did I do?"
"Oh, spare me! Anyway, where are you taking the maid?"
"We are going to give out charity to the Almajirai."
"Charity?"
"Yeah, because I had a nightmare last night, so I'm giving out charity—it's protection against every kind of calamity."
Before Momy could utter a word, Gajiya, who was sitting in the back seat, chimed in, "Hajiya, I think this house needs a complete Quranic recitation because of the strange occurrences happening inside it, especially at night when they start intensifying."
"You!" Momy snapped. "Shut that filthy, hypocritical mouth of yours right now! Who even asked for your opinion, you crawling maggot?"
"Forgive me, Hajiya," Gajiya murmured, biting her lip.
Mabrukha, who had been watching silently, let out a heavy sigh that prompted both Momy and Gajiya to ask simultaneously, "Is everything alright?"
"Nothing," she answered briefly.
She locked the car, walked to the gate, and the gateman opened it for her to drive out, while Momy turned back slowly, deeply unsettled and wondering what on earth Gajiya kept seeing in the house to make her speak out like that.
The Almajirai were overjoyed, showering her with prayers and blessings. Even their teacher walked all the way to her car window to offer lengthy prayers for her.
As she drove, a happy smile played on her face.
"Mama Gajiya, every three days, you will continue making koko and kosai, along with heavy meals like dafaduka or whatever soup is available, to bring here."
"In sha Allah, my queen, that will never be a burden to me."
"Thank you so much, my mother."
"No, thank you, because you've set me on a path to earn massive rewards."
She smiled brightly, showing her teeth.
"Mama, please talk less about these things. Whenever you see something, just pray about it, and keep these matters strictly between the two of us to avoid Momy's temper. Understand?"
"Understood, my queen. But these things are truly puzzling because, by Allah, even if I see something at night, the moment day breaks, I completely forget it."
"May Allah protect us."
"Amin, Ya Allah."
She dropped Gajiya off by the side gate, watched her go inside, and then drove off to school.
Summary
The narrative follows Mabrukha, a young woman plagued by terrifying, recurring nightmares of a demonic, fire-breathing woman tied to a tree. Seeking spiritual refuge, she wakes up in the middle of the night to perform intense nocturnal prayers (nafila), Istighfar, and dhikr, finding profound peace afterward.
The next morning, Mabrukha interacts with her household: her cold and emotionally distant stepmother/guardian Momy, Momy's arrogant and inappropriate son Muftah, and her loyal caretaker Mama Gajiya. Mabrukha's primary focus is performing acts of charity—distributing food to local Almajirai—as a spiritual shield against her nightmares. Meanwhile, tension builds in the household as Momy exhibits strange, secretive behavior (locking herself away), and Muftah repeatedly harasses and crosses boundaries with Mabrukha, earning her constant disdain.
Mabrukha also crosses paths with a mysterious, foreign-looking man near the gate who speaks imperfect Hausa, raising her curiosity. The chapter highlights family dysfunction, domestic friction regarding Momy's lack of moral discipline, and Mabrukha's deep reliance on faith to cope with spiritual and emotional turmoil.
Story Description
- Protagonist: Mabrukha — a deeply religious, pious, yet reserved and strong-willed young woman who struggles with haunting nightmares and a toxic family environment.
- Antagonistic Figures: Momy (her cold, manipulative step-mother/guardian who harbors malice toward Mabrukha) and Muftah (Momy’s arrogant, boundary-crossing son).
- Supporting Characters: Mama Gajiya (the loyal, supportive domestic worker) and Madeena (Mabrukha's close friend/sister figure).
- Themes:
- Spirituality vs. Toxicity: The contrast between Mabrukha's heavy reliance on midnight prayers (Tahajjud) and charity, versus the spiritual darkness and corruption within her household.
- Hidden Secrets: Strange supernatural occurrences in the house, Momy's secretive actions, and dark past actions hinted at by Muftah.
- Resilience: Mabrukha's emotional armor and refusal to be intimidated by Momy or harassed by Muftah.
Literary Analytics
- Characterization & Dynamics:
- Mabrukha is characterized as a "misikina" (introverted/reserved) character by those around her, but she possesses immense inner steel. Her use of spiritual disciplines (exact rak'ah counts and adhkar) showcases her deep grounding in Islamic tradition.
- Momy represents classic domestic friction—authoritarian, hypocritical, and openly resentful of Mabrukha's independence and piety.
- Symbolism & Motifs:
- The Nightmare: The fire-breathing woman tied to a tree symbolizes an impending spiritual or domestic threat, acting as a catalyst for Mabrukha's constant reliance on protection through sadaka and du'a.
- Charity (Sadaka): Serves as Mabrukha's psychological and spiritual defense mechanism against the malice and toxicity surrounding her.
- Pacing & Narrative Structure: The excerpt utilizes parallel scenes—shifting swiftly from quiet spiritual devotion to tense domestic confrontations, building psychological suspense regarding what secrets Momy and the household are hiding.
