Chapter 5

Hawa’s POV

[A few days later]

I got up at dawn like every morning, took my bath, did my ablutions, wore my long abaya, took my scarf, and went to the living room. To my great surprise, I found my uncle praying. I put my carpet behind him and first did my two rakats of al-mandoub or as-sunnah, which were supererogatory acts. The supererogatory act is, for example, the rawatib of the prayers (the regular supererogatory prayers preceding or following the obligatory prayers). It is a set of acts which, when performed, bring rewards.

I believed that’s what he was doing because as soon as he finished, he led the prayer.

I was surprised because, in general, those who had been in the West rarely or did not pray on a regular basis.

I didn’t know much about him. I had seen him the day I arrived in Conakry after the death of my