The Evening Family Gathering

As usual, I collected my book of fiqh, or Islamic jurisprudence, after the evening prayer.

Everyone had gathered in the middle of the family compound, where the young people spent the evening talking and exchanging stories.

Khadija was telling the others about a young man she had met at a public gathering.

According to her, he initially gave her a gift of one hundred naira. She angrily struck him across the face because she believed the amount was too small.

The young man then gave her two hundred naira, which she and her friends used to buy yam and eggs.

I watched them laughing together while I concentrated on my book.

Bilkisu Studies Islamic Jurisprudence

When I finished reading, Hajja, our grandmother, called me.

“Yar Gata, come and sit beside me,” she said.

I moved closer to her.

“Everyone is sharing stories, but you have separated yourself from them,” she observed.

I smiled before answering.

“Inna, you already know that I am not as talented at talking as Khadija.”

She smiled.

“That is true. What are you studying today?”

“The essential pillars of prayer,” I replied.

I sat beside her and explained everything I had learned from the book.

Our evening meal was soon served. We were given millet meal with baobab-leaf soup.

I joined the others to eat while they continued their conversation. They understood my quiet nature and did not expect me to participate in their gossip.

Bilkisu Returns to Her Mother’s Room

After finishing the meal, I stood and called my younger sister.

“Hajja Teema, come. Let us go to bed.”

“All right,” she replied.

We entered our mother’s room and found her seated on her prayer mat.

It was her usual practice to remain there for more than two hours after the evening prayer, worshipping Allah and making supplications.

My sister and I lay down and began having the kind of conversation shared between an elder sister and her younger sibling.

After some time, Umma asked:

“Where is Abdul?”

She was referring to our eldest brother.

“He has not returned home today,” I replied. “I have also been searching for him. I need him to give me thirty-five naira so that I can buy another book about Islamic jurisprudence.”

Umma looked at me.

“Do you never have anything else to do apart from collecting books?” she asked.

“You would not understand, Umma,” I replied. “Our teachers are the ones who instructed us to buy them.”

She said nothing else, and we eventually fell asleep.

Abdul Gives Bilkisu Money for a Book

Early the following morning, after we had completed the dawn prayer, Abdul returned home.

When he finished speaking with Umma and prepared to leave again, I called him.

“Brother, please buy a book for me.”

He turned around.

“How much does it cost?”

“Thirty-five naira,” I answered.

He handed me fifty naira.

“Give the remaining change to Hajja Teema,” he instructed.

I collected the money and thanked him.

Bilkisu and Hajja Teema Leave for Islamiyya

Later that afternoon, Hajja Teema and I prepared to attend our Islamic school.

We wore large hijabs, and I also covered my face with a niqab.

We left the family compound and began walking towards the school.

There was a shop along the road where the young men of the neighbourhood regularly gathered.

They knew the faces of almost every girl in our family, but I was the only one whose face they had never seen.

Among the young men was Ahmed, who had apparently decided that he would uncover my face one day so that everyone could see me.

Unfortunately, I did not know he had made such a plan.

Ahmed Follows Bilkisu and Removes Her Niqab

As we continued walking, I heard someone greeting us from behind.

I refused to respond, but Hajja Teema answered the greeting.

“I want to speak to the girl beside you,” the young man said.

Neither Hajja Teema nor I replied.

He continued following us until we reached the shop where the other young men were gathered.

Ahmed suddenly stepped in front of me and forcefully pulled off my niqab.

The movement also caused my hijab to fall away.

My long hair, which reached down my back, fell across my face.

Overcome by anger, I quickly pushed my hair aside and struck Ahmed across the face.

He held the side of his face in shock.

He was not the only one surprised. Every young man standing near the shop stared at us in disbelief.

They were shocked by two things: the beauty of the face they had never seen and the powerful slap I had given Ahmed.

Ahmed’s Unexpected Reaction

Surprisingly, Ahmed did not appear troubled by the slap.

I heard him glorifying Allah and expressing gratitude after seeing my face.

I immediately replaced my hijab.

“Hajja Teema, let us leave for the sake of Allah,” I said.

We quickly continued our journey and eventually arrived at the Islamic school.

Bilkisu Sees Ahmed Again

When we were returning home, I saw Ahmed seated with his friends.

Only Allah knew what they were discussing.

This time, five of us were walking together: Khadija, Maryam, Aisha, Hajja Teema and me.

We passed them quietly without saying anything.

My body was still trembling.

Apart from my brothers, I had never physically touched a man before. Yet because of Ahmed’s behaviour, I had struck him across the face.

Umma Warns Bilkisu About Ahmed

When we reached home, Umma noticed that I was unusually disturbed and began asking me what had happened.

I told her everything.

Instead of supporting what I had done, she strongly criticised me for slapping Ahmed.

According to her, a woman should not humiliate a man in that manner.

She warned that Ahmed might insist on marrying me simply because I had slapped him, and under the traditions of our community, I might be unable to prevent it.

Umma also warned that he could choose to take revenge in an even more dangerous and shameful way.

“May Allah protect us,” she prayed.

I remained silent after hearing her warning, but all my earlier courage disappeared.

For the first time, I began to feel genuinely afraid of what Ahmed might do next.

Read Bilkisu Book One Complete Hausa Novel

This chapter of Bilkisu Book One Complete Hausa Novel highlights Bilkisu’s love for Islamic knowledge, her modest lifestyle and the difficult traditions surrounding young women in her community.

Ahmed’s decision to remove her niqab publicly humiliates her and provokes a reaction she may later regret. Although Bilkisu believes she was defending herself, her mother fears the incident could force her into an unwanted marriage or expose her to retaliation.

Continue reading to discover whether Ahmed will attempt to marry Bilkisu, how the village will react after seeing her face and whether the slap will change the future of Yar Gata.

Explore more complete Hausa novels, village stories, family dramas and English translations on this website.