Jamal's Diaries
Jamal wakes up on Wednesday morning suffering from a severe hangover after spending a debauched night with his lover, Noha, at her place. He returns to his mother’s house without greeting her, fearing she will detect his foul odor. After showering and changing his clothes, he appears in the living room, where his mother surprises him with a question that bachelors detest: “When will you get married?” Jamal replies, “I have conditions for marriage. First, she must wear a hijab and an abaya, and second, she must be a homemaker.”
Our friend Jamal calls his friend Aws, boasting about his plans to win the bets on the Spanish and Italian league matches this time, after losing two thousand dinars last week. He wants to perform Umrah with his colleagues and post about it on social media. Minutes after the call, he switches off his phone, fearing calls from creditors demanding their money, which he had promised to invest commercially and in real estate—all funded, of course, by betting and online roulette.
After sunset on Thursday, Jamal goes to his cousin’s diwaniya, where he is known as a “sneaky and hypocritical guy who adjusts his ghutra.” The regulars of that diwaniya are preachers and philanthropists. Some recount the rewards of maintaining family ties, while others emphasize the importance of prayer and other religious duties. When it is Jamal’s turn, he begins to question and mock the attendees with his usual doubts regarding the permissibility of drinking wine and denying the authenticity of Prophetic hadiths. After hours, a caller announces the Isha prayer. Jamal moves to the front row and prays without ablution—or rather, in a state of major ritual impurity.
Jamal leaves his cousin’s diwaniya after taking a commemorative photo with the attendees, which he posts on his social media platforms with a caption invoking blessings for good company and seeking Paradise. He then speeds off in his car to Noha’s place to catch her party. On Friday morning, he wakes up to find his phone filled with messages and incessant calls from his mother, who is worried about him, but he does not reply. Minutes later, Noha calls her lover Jamal to have breakfast together. He replies, “One moment, my love. I’m having a drink with my relatives and colleagues. Blessed Friday.”
