Musings of a Servant of Allah
Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. (13:28)Archive for Snapshots
Eid Mubarak! (or Selamat Aidilfitri)
Umm Atiyah (ra) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) commanded us to bring out on Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha, young women, hijab-observing adult women and the menstruating women. The menstruating women stayed out of actual Salaat but participated in good deeds and Duaa (supplication). I (Umm Atiyah) said to the Holy Prophet (saw): Oh! Messenger of Allah, one does not have an outer garment. He replied: Let her sister cover her with her garment.” (Muslim)
Eid Mubarak, dear reader! Or Selamat Aidilfitri/Hari Raya 
Words, once cannot encapsulate the radiant joy which this blessed day brings. May Allah protect you and your loved ones, always.
My family and I have the absolute privilege of living 10 minutes away from the masjid….so here’s a snapshot of this morning:
Ahmad: Wake up! Eid prayer starts at 6:45 am.
Me: Uuuuugh.
Household: *General commotion, sounds of last-minute ironing, showering, “Have you fed the cats??”, “Did Mak (mum) already leave for the masjid??”, all against the soothing backdrop of takbeeratul Eid wafting from the radio*
Radio: *live broadcast from the nearby masjid* Allahuakbar!
Boys: Oh no! It’s started! *Ahmad and Abdul Hadi dash off*
Muhummed: Funny how slow it takes to button your clothes when you’re late.
Me: Murphy’s Law.
Muhummed: Where are my socks? Ah. Got it. Ok let’s go.
Me and Muhummed: *Shut the door and start jogging to the masjid*.
Muhummed: So what’s the ruling on running to the masjid?
Me: Well it’s best not to, just to maintain dignity…
Muhummed: Ok. Well they’re still on the first ra’kaat, so that’s a good sign.
Both of us: *We maintain the brisk pace, the sound of the imam’s beautiful recitation grows louder as we draw closer…and the sight of worshippers overflowing from the masjid and into the street tugs unbearably at our heartstrings*
Me: *getting emotional* Ok, maybe you should say goodbye to dignity just for now so you can make it to the prayer on time!
Muhummed: Ok! Bye!
It is absolutely breathtaking, seeing rows and rows of worshippers bowing in unison.
It’s a reflection, once again, of the paradisial reality. Angels scattered throughout the heavens worship Allah throughout their lifespans, so when we mortal humans put the world behind and raise our hands in prayer, we embrace our angelic natures. By the same token, when we recklessly succumb to baser desires, we sink to the level of unthinking animals.
Eid is all about celebrating our angelic natures. For an entire month, during daylight hours, we successfully abstained from all those things which mark our creatureness – the need for food, water, and the act of procreation. By effectively suspending our creatureness, we better orient ourselves towards God, every soul’s true north.
May Allah accept our fasts and bless us with the opportunity to greet the next Ramadan.
*
And when the prayer ends, everybody gets up, and order dissolves into chaos. Ha, another reflection. The trick is to maintain that inner tranquility one feels inside prayer, outside prayer. The state of ‘eternal prostration’ which the realised Sufi attains.
The mad hunt for friends and family begins.
This is part of the fun of Eid at the masjid. Navigating through the throngs of people, prams and police officers. lol.
It’s always great, bumping into old friends from highschool, my previous university, my current university…reminds me of how connected we all really are, despite our different directions in life. We all worship the same God.
Beauty
I’m typing this on Anu’s laptop, looking at the view from her balcony.
Huge, indigo clouds are coasting through the sky. They look like humpback whales.
*
I saw two gorgeous little girls at the post office today. They were with their father. All three of them had the same stunning, liquid, green-hazel eyes. It was heart-warming…watching them.
*
On teaching
“The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.” – Kahlil Gibran
So when I’m not at uni, studying, chilling out with friends and family, going on retail therapy….I’m teaching. I’m a part-time English tutor, surprise surprise. My love affair with the English language compels me to share my passion with others. My youngest sister sat in one of my classes recently, and describe my style of teaching as “Engaging!”. Why, I’ve never felt so complimented before
The kids I tutor remind me so much of myself when I was younger. Junior highschool – a time of best friends forever, of boys, of music, of awful teachers and bad canteen food. Teaching them keeps me connected with their pulse, which keeps me invigorated. Many hours with a fat textbook does deaden one’s soul, at times.
They make me laugh. Smile. Groan. Wring my hands in frustration. By the same token, they never cease to impress me. I befriend them, and they respect me for it….and then they listen.
Although I’ve applied for several jobs over the christmas break (time to rake in $$$), I plan to continue teaching part-time over the next few years.
Comment on the 21st century
So I’m on the train home, snoozing away in the sweltering heat…when the racous sound of Unhappy Jan jolts me out of semi-sleep.
She’s screaming into the phone, to the equally enraged person on the other line. Summary: Unhappy Jan stole Unhappy Tam’s bird, because the latter stole $75 from her. And the screaming ensues. She looks hot, sweaty, angry and incredibly bitter.
It’s only $75. But that’s from my perspective. Sure, I’m not living in style, but I went shopping yesterday and paid a lot more than $75 for my new pair of Fiorelli sunglasses, sharp red points, babydoll dress and choco-orange hot chocolate mix.
Sad, sad. Strange how in one society you have an entire spectrum of social classes. The filthy rich who swim in diamantes, and the dirt poor who fight tooth and nail for the last cent.
Alhamdulilah for all our blessings.
