Pathumma
was an elderly, light complexioned, witty woman with attractive features. She
was always clad in a ‘Mukkumundu’, a
white dhoti with a dark green border. An ‘Arapatta’,
a silver ornamental belt would be worn on her waist. She also put on a ‘Chatta’, a breast-cloth with long
sleeves and a ‘Hijab’, a head scarf,
white or black, which concealed her grey hair. ‘Alikkath’ a few small
golden earrings adorned her upper-ear-lobes and a large golden stud sported on
her lower-ear-lobes. She used to wear anklets; silver bracelets jingling on her
wrists and loved to sport a lot of silver bangles or glass bangles of various
hues clinking on her hand. She told me that they do not make any sound to
attract the attention of ‘Jins’,
wicked people. Lipstick was unknown to the villagers. She used to chew betel
pan to make her lips red. Her squint in one eye gave her an identity. She used
to put ‘Surma’, Collyrium, linings to
make her eyes attractive. When she met Jacob and me at our gate she would have
a cute smile on her face. She may be going to the tea shop to deliver
goats milk or for provisions.
While returning, she visited Ammachi to
have a chat and collect some leaves of jackfruit tree which her goats loved
most of all.
We
used to spend some time with her. She knew a lot of riddles. She would make a
statement and ask us to state what it is, like - “All the children of a mother
wore caps.” She raised her eyebrows as usual when she challenged us. When we do
not know, she giggled as usual and would say, “It is Areca-nut.” Then she would
ask another one, “What goes up when rain comes down?” I said, ‘An umbrella.”
“Absolutely right,” she said and promised to give me a delicious mutton
biriyani. I was so fond of her.
I
remember how she used to scare the life out of children who irritated her. She
would warn them that she would tell her younger son, Sulaiman, who was a head
constable in the Kerala Police.
She
wore an ‘Abaya’ a full veil and
normally hold an umbrella while going to meet her relations in town. On festive
occasions she decorated her hands and feet with henna, ‘Mehandi’. She said that she used to religiously do the five ‘Niskars’, prayers without fail, as prescribed
by Koran. She also wished, “Inshallah,” if
God wills, to make a pilgrimage to
Mecca.
I
have learned that Prophet Mohammed was a religious teacher and a social
reformer, and the Koran is both a sacred book of religion and a book of law.
The conduct of life and details of etiquette are carefully regulated. Wines and
other intoxicating liquors are prohibited, as is gambling. Infanticide and
murder are condemned. In Islam it is strictly prohibited to take interest; the
Koran strictly prohibits lending
money on Interest. "O you who have believed, do not consume usury, doubled
and multiplied, but fear Allah that you may be successful" and “Allah has
permitted trade and has forbidden interest." In contrast with Christianity, the Mohammedan form of
worship is much simpler than the Christian churches. There is a conspicuous
lack of sacraments, priesthood in the Christian sense of the word and ecclesiastical
hierarchy. Religion, to the faithful Mohammedan, is an everyday affair, not a
concentration of religious practices into one holy day in the week. The mosque
is a place for prayer and for reading the Koran, rather than for a formal
service. It is a personal and individualistic religion. The faithful Muslim needs
no intermediary between himself and his God. The Muslims would throw their
prayer-rug on the floor and they would get on to their knees, lower their
forehead to the ground. The form of worship is to recite the creed, “La illaha il Allah, Muhammed u rasul
ullah,” which meant that “there is but one God and Mohammed is his prophet”
and, to pray five times a day, to fast, to give alms to the poor, and to make at
least one pilgrimage to Mecca. On festival days and on important days the
Muslim brothers greeted each other hugged, kissed and exchanged food.
The
next world is graphically described in Koran. Hell is described as a dismal
place. “The companions of the left hand shall dwell amidst burning winds and
scalding water, under the shade of a black smoke neither cool nor agreeable.” Heaven
is described as a super oasis. “Youths shall continue in their blossom
forever……” and there shall accompany those fair damsels having large black
eyes; them resembling pearls hidden in their shells… They shall have their
abode among trees free from thorns and trees of Mauz loaded regularly with
their produce from top to bottom; under an extended shade, near flowing water
and amidst fruits in abundance.”
My
Pathumma taught me the prayers; “Bismillah
Ir Rahiman Ir Rahim”, which meant “I
begin in the name of God, the Compassionate and the Merciful” and “Alhamdullellah,” which meant “All
praise to God.” Early in the morning
when I hear the call for prayer, “Allahu Akbar Allah……” on a loudspeaker
from the mosque at Nettoor, I remember those two short and sweet prayers she
taught me.
Excerpts from
MEMOIRS
An autobiography
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com
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