The First Friday

Our first friday in Morocco was incredible. We had already settled by then, had explored near-by areas almost every night and day of that week, and were fighting off jet-lag with a determination that, to be honest, barely made a difference. 

That day we woke at a reasonable time, around 9:00 am, to eat out. The five of us took two taxis to Paul's, a Parisian cafe, and ate a very Moroccan breakfast near a wonderful fountain that kept the air cool. I had an egg and meat tajin, fresh orange juice, and mint tea.

the fountain at night, with Paul's to the left

Then it was into the taxi for Bab al-Futuh, a graveyard on a hill overlooking Fez, and the final resting place for a number of martyrs and saints. We went specifically to visit the maqam (mausoleum) of Sidi Abdulaziz ad-Dabagh.

The entrance is crowded with women and children. We climbed our narrow, careful way through the cemetery so as to avoid stepping on any graves, passing other visitors and a few caretakers.

When we reached the maqam, we said salaam to the saint and a few prayers (asking for them to be answered on behalf of God's love for His saint), took a few photos, and climbed back down. When I look back, I will remember that it was hot and the plants where sharp and dry, and I could distantly here Quran from someone, somewhere.
 
We then decided to go to the maqam of Moulay Idris II while we waited for Jumu'a (the Friday prayer) to begin. It's a custom on Fridays in Morocco to read from the Dala'il al-Khayrat, a blessed collection of prayers on the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم), and we hoped to hear this reading at Moulay Idris'. We were in luck! 

It was wonderful. We sat right behind the grave and listened to the melodious praise as it was amplified by the high dome and floated into the courtyard, like a warm and gentle, caressing breeze.

Unfortunately I hadn't brought my phone to record the reading or the later singing, but then I remembered I could take videos (it's a new camera, I'm not used to it yet). I took a very short one, because people don't like to be recorded here for the trouble it might cause. Here's a snippet!

After that we were off to the Kairaouine to pray Jumu'a! It's only open around prayer times so I hadn't had the chance to visit before. We entered through a side door. My brothers headed to the men's section across the courtyard, while my mother, sister and I went left to the women's section. 

It was a hot day, but the thing about hot days is that every lick of cool breeze is delightful. We sat right behind the little screens, stepping over feet and bags and bottles of water on our way. The fountains in the courtyard bubbled as men made wudu (ablution) and children and pigeons splashed in it. The tiles gleamed in the sun, hot to look at as they were (I'm sure) hot to touch.

I don't remember what the khutba (lecture) was about. I remember that I could understand a little of it, and I remember that a woman next to me chatting with me briefly, not minding how much I understood her.