I enjoy celebrating Ramadhan in Egypt. The spirit is totally outstanding. The mosque received more than 20 saf fully occupied, ape lagi terawih..dah mcm solat raya kat Singapore. (There is a joke that Solat Raya Aidilfitri is wajib because that time the mosque is fully packed! Kalahkan solat Jumaat!) Everywhere you go, you can see people holding and reciting the Qur’an. When the night comes, Cairo is filled with colorful lights. Dah mcm raya kat sini, rumah kat depan ni ade lampu lap-lip sebijik mcm style kat Singapore.
Anyway, I started Talaqqi al-Qur’an with Syeikh Ashour (he would spell it himself as Shik Ashour heh!) sometime in Sya’ban and I thought it’s gonna be cool as I would be reading it in Ramadhan. So one day SA told me to come to his house and I could read long hours. I met him at Raba’ah and he said: “You’re going to read it in the Tremco (public van)”
I was like alamak! I cannot read something on a moving vehicle or else it would make me dizzy and he said the trip is going to take like 2 hours! So when we board the tremco, loud recitation from Syeikh Abdul Basit was playing from the cassette player (yes they still use cassette player), I took my Mushaf from my bag and start reciting it. Then I realized the driver lower down the volume and masyaAllah I thank him for being so considerate and I started to feel a little bashful because this is my first time reciting something aloud in the middle seat of 14 passengers. But what the heck! We are all muslims and buat apa nak segan kan and alhamdulillah i didn't felt dizzy after all.
“(This is) a Scripture that We have revealed unto thee, full of blessing, that they may ponder its revelations, and that men of understanding may reflect.” - Sâd : 29
So I was reciting beside SA, he was correcting me for tajwid and pronunciations and I rectified and re-recited it for the whole journey to Saiyyidina Ai’syah and we had to take another transport to Haram. I recited with my eyes 5 inches at close quarters with the mushaf and I was walking to the other station to Haram unsteadily, like how Jackie Chan struggling continues to walk after his face was bashed.
So to cut short about the journey to upper Giza, I reached his house and continued reciting for two hours. I asked SA for a rest, performed Zuhur and I had the chance to mingle around with his 3 beautiful children. Abdul Malik, Nusa (I thought she said Musa) and Asyour. Six year old Abdul Malik speaks fushah and a little bit of ammiyah. Alhamdulliah, if not I could not understand what he is talking about especially kids, they mumble when they talk.
From left: Nusa 4, Asyour 1 and Abdul Malik 6
Me: Are you fasting today? (Awkward question)
Abdul Malik: Yes
Me: What keeps you busy during Ramadhan?
Abdul Malik: Memorizing the Qur’an and playing with my siblings.
Me: MasyaAllah, how many have you memorize the Quran?
Abdul Malik: Right now 2 juzuk and I’m revising it.
Me: *gulp*
I was thinking, what did I do when I was 6 years old..and during Ramadhan?
1- puasa yok yok
2- perasan pergi bazaar beli kuih-muih untuk buka
3- tgk tv lepas buka
4- jgn kata baca Qur’an..pegang Qur’an pon takde!
Oh yeah, I was innocent though back then so I did not felt any guilt. But to make a contrast, Allah guides the boy to be the best gift for himself towards Him and best gift for his parents and family. I pray for him one day he would be like his dad. As for me, I thank Allah for His gift given to me for what I am today. I do believe that He still gives me the bridge to light and the path to show me what’s paramount to be among the solihin and the muttaqin. So people, every not-so-good things happened to you may have the hidden cause and all you need is not to stop searching, learning, observe, supplicate and tawakkal.
“But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.” - Al-Baqarah:216
Ramadhan Kareem to all!
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