Who pays the 'Salla bill'

While at the dinner table, Naima's phone started buzzing so annoyingly, and it caught her father’s attention. That was just a moment after they’ve broken the day’s fast and were taking their “Iftar” buffet.

So, in order not to cause more distress to her father who frowns upon condoning certain ethical anomalies at the dining hall, she went and

Read full articlestood by the roadside just to receive the call in peace. And thus kept strolling until she was in proximity to Amir Abass Mosque, situated just a stone’s throw away from their family house before coming to a standstill.

Some shadows were coming afar. With squinted eyes, she realised they were her bosom friends, hastening towards the Mosque because they had prayed Magribh (early evening prayer) at home.

Naima began waving at them to get close. As they came close, they wondered, “Errr, so when did you come back from school? Didn’t you say you’d be observing the Eid-ul Fitr prayer and holiday on campus?” “Let me end the call and we’d talk.” “O please,” dissenting beautifully, “we can’t afford to miss the congregational prayers of Isha (last evening prayer) and Taraweeh (special prayers made in Ramadan, after Isha).”

They had however seen that Naima looked so pale and somewhat irked on the phone as if her mother is dead. “You behave as though,” they said, to put smiles on Niama’s face, “traveling from Zabzugu to Accra is neither stressful nor a precarious journey.” She finally put up a smile.

“Khadijah,” Farida and Ruwayda took a stance, “hold your peace there! Don’t you know that it’s left with only three days to Eid-ul Fitr? “Ala Naima, you do all!”

In a rather low voice, Naima now put her proposition across: “Ladies, I've got hot gossip. Kindly wait for me so that we’d discuss this after the call.” She did this simultaneously well that her fiancé couldn’t notice that she had gotten company while talking to him on the phone. In no time, she ended the call romantically with “I love you, dear.”

But very abruptly, there were noisy hisses which followed. “And girls, could you believe this?” “What!” “My fiancé is bitter at me because I'm demanding my ‘Salla’ bill from him. " 'Sheege'! And so annoyingly, he said that my parents are still alive, so I should request it from them!” “The other gender though,” they all exclaimed, “and their foolhardiness! Anyway, Naima, what’s this ‘Salla’ bill thing about at all?”

"Poor you, girls! Haven’t you heard about it? Of late you people are becoming like Hajia Hawa, the old woman. Ah, so are you thinking of wearing that Ninja dress again to Eid? If that’d be your dress code, please don’t follow me to the Independence Square on Tuesday. I’m bent on showing my sense of fashion; I’d unleash the dragon in me. I’ve envisioned trending on people’s timeline and status even weeks after fasting. Or, have you forgotten that last year all the guys were showering praises and singing hymns for Jemila? Oops, she was on everybody’s gallery. Didn’t you see her tattoos, and how she unveiled some parts of her ‘apples', even one could see what she wore inside her dress. Me…I’ll dress to kill! Well, for your inkling, the ‘Salla’ Bill comprises of the trending material, shoes, jewellery, spray and some token of money which your boyfriend ought to pay willingly so that you’d look attractive on the day of Eid.”

"Oh, that’s very cool. So why were you making us look as if we can’t unveil ourselves and dress glamorously to Eid, too?” “We can,” Ruwayda launches insolence, “silly you!” "Okay girls, Naima ran everything down, “let’s talk more after the ‘Taraweeh’ prayers.”

They now left to the mosque. Unluckily, they had missed Isha but were able to observed it and caught up with the other prayer (taraweeh). After the prayers, they talked about the same issue for some 30 minutes more.

“So, Naima,” her girlfriends being skeptical, “how are you going to get all these that you’ve mentioned, now that your fiancé says he won’t afford it? Aren’t you aware that he could trap you into bed since you’ve quelled his decision of sex before marriage?"

"Not at all,” Naima responded with certainty, “Yusuf is such a noble guy; the worst he could demand from me would be just a mere kiss. I’ve told him to wait, after our engagement (which is just 20 days after Ramadan), then we can do what our parents do. More so, I’ll not step a foot close to his door; I’m being cautious.”

Ruwayda and Farida, with one big voice asked, “so how could we also get men to sponsor us with the ‘Salla’ bill thing?” “Don’t you have boyfriends?” “We have friends but they’re not boys with benefits.” “Naima retorted, "then let’s take the issue to the WhatsApp platform, maybe you people would have a catch from the guys there.” This was how come they left to their various homes to settle their burning desire on the social platform.

The next morning, Faruq visited Ismail at his place before he’d leave for lectures. Ismail didn’t come to fajr and wasn’t active online, too. They’ve been like biological brothers since childhood.

"Yesterday what happened, Ismail?” “Brother, I experienced some few glitches with my final project work. I hope you know I’m building an amplifier and a generator? And what is it that you’ve come here this early?” “The page was set ablaze.” “Really?” Do you know that Naima is back from school?” “No, I don’t.” “They changed the subject of yesterday’s Ramadan reminder which Ishaq used to discuss with us to this ‘Salla’ bill fad.”

”That’s cool. Because that’s what happens whenever Eid-ul Fitr is getting nearer. Some of the ladies would even stop fasting three days prior to Eid. This, they say, would enable them gain some flesh and shape, because the fasting has deteriorated their form. The truth, however is, I’ve been engaged in some amorous chats with Farida and she has exhausted my mobile wallet for airtime already. And she said I should get her “banku” and tilapia when coming to observe Isha prayer. I’m broke so I didn’t come to mosque at all. I only told her that I’m sick.”

"Ismail, I’m also chatting with her friend, Ruwayda. I’ve proposed to her but she hasn’t agreed yet. Oh, I'll soon win her over. I can't leave such a pretty edible lady to go untouched.” One would see how their hidden agenda was simmering.

“Brother,” Faruq asked, “how did the conversation end?” “It’s Iqbal,” Ismail called him out, “the ‘Sunna Police’ (one who ensures that Prophet Muhammad’s [pbuh] ways of life are maintained religiously) who had wanted to ruin our only opportunity. He was telling the girls some gruesome sayings of Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] which curses men and women who’d engage in courtship and fornication or adultery! And oh, he chastised them with scorpions and whips, that, if they should expose their body, make tattoo or wear wigs to Independence Square on the Eid day, they’d all be under Allah’s curse and wrath. He even shamed those of them who’d envisaged demanding the “Salla” bill from the shameful men (like us) they’re dating!”

“That guy, Ismail vented his spleens, “is a moron. Do you know that he’s still a virgin at age 25?” "Really? He hasn’t eaten before! Eissh!” “So what did you do?” “I created a new page and I added the three ladies. I told them you and the other boys would be added later so that we’d have a fruitful discussion, and then see to it how best we could be of help to them.” “Okay, I’m late for lectures, when I’m back we shall devise a strategy.”

Yusuf, on his way to work, gave Naima an urgent call and they converged at Amir Abass Mosque, in the afternoon. He informed her that he has rescinded his decision, and thus he’ll provide her with the “scopatu mana lace” she yearns for, an Amber kiss spray, a pair of shoes, a set of jewellery and a token of 400 cedi as the “Salla” bill she requested.

“You know I love you, Naima?” “Yes, I know, I love you more, dear.” “Please call me after Taraweeh, I’d be at home with your things by then. Today, I’m at afternoon’s shift thus I wouldn’t be able to meet the night prayers (Magribh and Isha). Moreover, I would offer my prayers at the town Mosque but not Amir Abass Mosque. So please be time conscious.”

This news sounded too good to be true to Niama, however, she disclosed it to her friends when they were going to offer the Isha and Taraweeh prayers in the mosque, which they had been late as usual because of their chitchats.

Now, the call for prayer was announced (Iqamah). Coincidentally, Naima phone kept ringing; a call from Yusuf, demanding her to come for the items immediately, and that he’s about to go out. Naima then pleaded with her girlfriends to go with her but they gave an excuse “we have to make it to observe the prayers, lest we’d be eaten alive by our parents.”

“Yusuf, promise me,” said Naima, “that I’d never enter your room when I come.” “Okay!” he ratified her stance.

No delay at all, Naima have announced her presence. Yusuf’s mother, Hajia Maryam, in spite of the pledge her son had taken, told Naima that she should go inside and wake him up, for her son is fast asleep. "Really, we just spoke on the phone.” “But don’t worry, I will go.”

She went inside and sat on the bed. There was no other chair except the bed which plays a dual function. If there were to be a chair, Naima would have sat on it.

There Yusuf was, if given a careful look, one could see that he has excellently feigned his sleep. Naima called him but he pretended to be asleep. For Naima, she started checking the items quickly to see whether it’s conforming to the ‘Salla’ bill she had presented. Immediately Yusuf saw that she’s busy checking the items, he jumped on her and started groping her uncontrollably. Unfortunately, she couldn’t hold herself back; silence they say, means concern!

Meanwhile Farida and Ruwayda were also waiting for Naima at the mosque. And as a result of her widening absence, Faruq and Ismail had to keep them busy with alluring words. All that they tried to do was to dilute their conscience seductively. They thus won them over. They convinced them that they’d buy all their needs in the “Salla” bill if they’d accept their long time pending proposal. Fortunately, the ladies accepted their proposal and, as it demands, they parted ways in order to know where the guys also reside. Naima had done, so they had to also follow suit.

Ismail manoeuvred his way and entered his room together with Farida. He didn’t waste much time; he made a new proposal that if Farida knows that she loves him genuinely after swindling his few coins, she should give him a deep kiss.

Farida, however, tried to use the Ramadan to thwart this aphrodisiac advance, but Ismail insisted that even kissing him in the fasting season shows how much loving she is, which would mean that Allah has blessed their relationship. She fell for the sweet words and embraced him and they started kissing each other altogether passionately.

Ismail made an attempt of putting her on the ground which she didn’t object. He managed and tore her long apparel apart (hijab) and, he peeked on her nakedness. She look unpleasantly disgraceful afterward, but Satan overpowered her the more. So, she rather proposed a new pledge instead of walking away. She said: “Promise you won’t leave me after doing it?” "I promise, my love.”

Ismail gauged his long ‘pen’. The ladies who love it called it “Otofo”. That which is very scary and long and strong. It does last 45 minutes on road.

The Otofo was almost getting to the banks of Farida’s sacred ocean, and suddenly, they both heard a deep voice shouting “a' uuzu bil-Lahi minash shaytwani rajeem” (I seek refuge from Allah against Satan, the accursed), then did Naima wake up and realised that it was a dream she was having where, Iqbal was narrating to them on the platform, to be wary of the new fad in town - the “Salla” bill.

Out of fear, she called Khadija on phone for a quick deliberation. This happened while she was still on campus at the University of Zabzugu. She asked Khadija to make the call a conference one so that Ruwayda and Farida could be added. When she did, Naima narrated the incident leading to the horrific dream she has had a night before.

They became very petrified, knowing that if they dare go contrary to the teachings of Islam, they might lose big to those pleasure seekers. This resuscitated them, and they invoked Allah to keep them steadfast on the right path. Indeed, they asked to be forgiven.

Thenceforth, her girlfriends headed straight to Imam Abdur-Razak who doubles as a social commentator and the spiritual leader of the Amir Abass Mosque where they worship, on the eve of Eid-ul Fitr.

“Imam, we have come with a very honest appeal. And it’s about the ‘Salla’ bill. It has gone viral. Now the ladies and men are planning to contumaciously flout Allah’s dictum.”

This broadened the horizon of the Imam and, he got to know that his congregation aren’t of kindergarten kids any more but high school and university students who could be gullible. So, he admonished all the parents in the Mosque that night, to attend to the needs of their female children.

He told them to buy if they have the means, all that their female children require, in order to decorate themselves beautifully to the Eid ground. Lest, they become tools for some unscrupulous men and savage boys. He concluded his message by censuring the maiden ladies to eschew courting and demanding from men who aren’t their blood-related brothers.

In summary, he says, “if there’s anything like ‘Salla’ bill in Islam, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) would’ve told us. However, if you want to adorn yourself, ask your parents. That said, if you’re married, then it’s the sole responsibility of your husband to buy all that you need for Eid.

To those in the haram relationship (dating), stop! Men would provide you with the bill and would bill your virginity in return. And as Qur’an 102:1-8 says ‘Rivalry in the worldly increase would distract you. Until you come to the grave. Nay, but you will come to know! Nay, you will come to know! Nay, you would know that with a piece of sure knowledge. For you will behold hell-fire. You will behold it with sure vision. Then, on that day, you will be asked about pleasure (it could be “Sanla Bill, dating, flirtatious dressing, fornication, and many others).’ So think!”