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I proposed to her before I met her
BRIDE: Zeitun Abdishakur
GROOM: Billow Adan Abdi
DATE: June 6, 2015
GUESTS: 370
VENUE: Eagle palace Hotel Nakuru
BUDGET: Sh1.5m
First date:
On February 24, this year, my family proposed a lineup of five girls from whom I was to choose a wife. At around the same time, I was travelling to Sudan on official duty, but before I left, I asked them to pray ‘istikhara’ (seeking goodness and guidance from Allah). I too, undertook the prayer for Allah to guide me. While in my short stay in Sudan, I met Imran Abdishakur (on February 26) who told me he had a sister called Zeitun and gave me her number.
I called her immediately and the first question I asked her is if she was ready to get married. She said yes, so I asked her to pray ‘istikhara’ for three nights. Once I came back to the country at the beginning of March, I called and asked her if she was willing to let me ask for her hand in marriage from her parents. She agreed and I called my family elders to make arrangements. Then we started exchanging photos through WhatsApp.
The proposal:
On Saturday, March 14, 2015, I drove to Nakuru to meet her parents. This task is undertaken by elders, we don’t take part. As they did this, we were exchanging photos with Zeitun. A week later, I went to Mandera to meet her for the first time.
The drama:
Since I had taken part in planning many weddings for friends, I was able to put everything together. We delegated some duties to some friends and they gladly helped us. Our biggest challenge was the short time to put everything together.
With hindsight:
Always pray and remember that with Allah, all things are possible. Try to save for your wedding and seek guidance and assistance, if need be from people who have gone through the process. Plan with right-minded people - not all your friends will be happy about your marriage. Work with those who sacrifice their time and energy.
Memorable moments:
The unique aspect was the wedding being held in two places simultaneously, while the main wedding reception was in Nakuru, there was another reception in Mandera town for the extended family members. It was a mixture of culture and religion as my friends decided that I should wear religious attire to make it unique, yet religious. The honeymoon part was my most memorable one. We went to Mecca and Madinah in Saudi Arabia.
PHOTOS AND TEXT: Willis Awandu
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