“But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.” (Al-Quran, Surah Al-Anfaal, Verse 30)Morocco. For weeks, I have been looking forward to visiting this country. There's just so many beautiful photos of the place; the narrow streets, the well-preseved Islamic architecture, the unique archways and domes, the intense warm colours, the intriguing shops, and the vast desert landscapes. All these images were in my head as the day of the trip drew closer and closer. I absolutely could not wait to start exploring Morocco!
When Nadhira, Natasha, and I reached Fez Saiss International airport, I was taken aback by the intricacy of the airport architecture. I could already feel my excitement about to burst. We were then brought to our Airbnb by our host, who was ready to provide us with any information we needed. So we asked him the question,
“Can you tell us how to get to Chefchaouen?”
We didn’t prepare ourselves for his answer.
“Oh, I’m sorry, sisters. It’s raining very heavily in the Blue City, so you won’t be able to enjoy yourselves there.”
When we went inside our rooms, we allowed ourselves a bit of time to bask in the disappointment. The Blue City was definitely one of our priorities when coming to Morocco. We were so eager to capture many beautiful photos of the uniquely coloured lanes and walls, to go around the expansive desert, and to soak in the natural beauty of the country, far away from its noisy markets and bustling roads.
But well, with time, we got over the disappointment (it wasn't that hard for me personally), and decided to make most out of what we had. It was, after all, the beautiful city of Fes. We were pretty sure there's gonna be way more to see. We went around the medina of Fes. The city centre isn’t exactly the most navigable, which brought about confusing turns and déjà vu moments, and it was frustrating at first, considering our data – and thus access to Google maps – was limited, but I find some moments to be part of the adventure. We then found ourselves in a street restaurant after a while of walking around somewhat aimlessly.
The food was beyond amazing. The store owner was extremely generous with his portions! Aside from giving us a delicious assortment of meat, vegetables, and potatoes, he also provided us with more than one serving of Moroccan mint tea (a type of tea that I dare declare my favourite). We conversed with him and his cook, despite the slight language barrier, and he brought us into a neighbouring shop. I was touched by how much he supported his friends and neighbours by advertising their businesses. Maybe the people there would see the barakah in supporting one another, even if it does not directly bring them more profit.
In the neighbouring shop, we saw so many charming and enchanting carpets and sajadahs, and I wanted to try them out by performing sujuud on it (it was a real method to see if I like it, and yet I'm still made fun of by my friends until today). Suddenly, a group of Muslim men came in. "Is she prayin'?!" One of them asked. I immediately stood up and shook my head, but everyone already started laughing hahaha.
It was so comical that somehow, we ended up linking up with one another. And because of that, we formed an unlikely bond. So we didn't just link up, but we also walked around the streets of Fes together. The whole day was consisted of walking around the beautiful streets, having camel burger meals on a rooftop terrace with a stunning view, and visiting holy sites of prominent Muslims throughout African history.
While walking through the quaint streets, one of the men told me how they actually had a train to catch at 5:35PM. I looked at my phone. 4:30PM. He saw my face of utter surprise and chuckled. It will be okay, he said reassuringly, Let’s get Moroccan tea. My face was probably in total confusion because he chuckled again. I mentioned my worry that they would miss their train but all three of them were extremely calm. They even mentioned a backup plan if they do end up missing their train. 30 minutes later, we were still waiting for our food and drink. We even got to converse and exchange contact numbers. Finally, 20 minutes before their designated train departure, they left.
Before we parted ways, I told them how extremely grateful I was to have met them. One of them points to the sky and says “maktuub”.
Maktuub. The Arabic word for “something written”. Literally, it can refer to anything that was expressed in the written form. However, when one says “maktuub”, one usually refers to how all our fates and destinies have been written by God. Everything has been ordained and planned for us. Contrary to popular belief, everything being planned for us does not necessarily mean that we don’t have choice or we don’t possess any willpower. It is, instead, a reminder of reassurance. Despite how things may go wrong (like it often does) or how unprecedented changes may take place, all these incidents are part of His plan.
When my friend said that, it served as an explanation as to why they were so calm. They knew everything was going to be fine, even if things will not be. Some people call this delusion, these days such an attitude even gets the title of “toxic positivity”, but I see it as a unique form of strength and faith. It isn’t about being irresponsible, it’s just understanding and accepting that sometimes things don’t go according to our own plan, and that’s okay.
I’m reminded of how my two friends and I weren’t able to go to the places we had wanted to, but ended up enjoying ourselves so much more than we had ever initially expected. We visited sacred places, ate delicious food, entered beautiful areas, and formed a very wonderful friendship.
The experience I had, while not as picturesque as Chefchaoeun, or as scenic as the Sahara Desert, was beyond priceless. It could not be captured in images, and definitely difficult to be captured in words. But try I will, for such a beautiful adventure must definitely be shared.
