The Month Without Sun

My calendar says that it's 11 days to Raya (or 10, give or take).
Which I find strange because I don't remember going through so many days.
Then I remember that I've only been up for so few of them so not being able to account for that many daylight hours should really come as no surprise.

So calendar is correct, crisis averted.

We may all look forward to a joyous end to the fasting month now.

If I may be allowed to be more serious, one does question the need to spend so many hours of one's day in perpetual slumber.

The denial of food can be blamed for the increased lethargy but surely, it cannot be to the point that one simply stops operating whilst one is forbidden to munch.

I would not go so far as to suggest that the whole endeavour of fasting becomes a waste because of this, I believe that is an issue that is beyond our reckoning, but it certainly does disappoint.

Alas.

(Image copyright © 2009 Shifted Reality Desktop Wallpaper)

20 Ramadhan

It was a simple majlis. Nothing ostentatious, food served on nondescript plastic plates, guests seated on linoleum. Doctors, lawyers, businessmen, students, slackers gathered in one humble hall to break fast together.

I sat at the back, as I always do. Its nearer to the exit, but that's not the point of the story. The purpose of typing this post juiced-up on caffeine so late at night is about the tazkirah that was given after the buka.

Now, it's important for me to tell you that officially the Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor frowns on this practice. To be fair to them, what they actually discourage is the giving of tazkirah after every 4 raka'ats of Tarawih, as they say it disturbs the concentration of the jemaah. Nevermind the fact most people bail out after 8 anyway, tazkirah or no tazkirah, and you pretty much lose concentration after the first mercun bang ten minutes into the first raka'at, but that's not the point of this post.

So this Ustaz reminded the faithful present in that humble hall, that tonight (local Malaysian time) marked the beginning of the final 10 days of Ramadhan. Of course, some people would say it was yesterday based on their own local sighting (of the anak bulan), and both are valid opinions, as Syeikh Hamza(h) Yusuf would say, although it is rather confusing, but that's not the point of this tale.

He reminded them, that in these final 10 days exists a night where deeds are rewarded the equivalent of 1000 months, roughly 83 years. That's ten years more than the Malaysian life expectancy rate for females, 14 years more than for its males. It was also mentioned how the Messenger of Allah (s) was the best of men during Ramadhan.

You see, these final 10 nights should be a sort of a wake up call. If you are like me, and the past 20 days of fasting have been more murtabak than mubarak, these final 10 days is the time to change.
If your tilawah has not progressed beyond page 5, then its time to pick it up again.
If your previous terawihs were impaired by the contents of your stomach, maybe its time to spend less at the bazaar ( despite what Tun Dr M says about the economy).
If your last tahajjud was... a long time ago, perhaps tonight would be a good time to resume it.

I advice myself and all readers of this blog this, and I ask Allah that I don't blow this last few days of Ramadhan. Amin.


Links:
Dato' Ishak Baharum's view of the current ban on tazkirahs. (In Malay)

Coffee and Company

'Eh what are you having?'

'Get me a latte'

'I’ll have a cappuccino'

'Make that two,'

The sun shone brightly that Thursday morning, and what better place to beat the heat than the conveniently located starbucks, a mere stone’s throws away from the college. Not that this visit there was anything unusual. It was just another weekly round of their favorite cuppa where the girls, Ash, Emma, Jaq, and Kayleigh, caught up with each other and be updated of the latest gossip.

As usual, they took some time to settle down, or in their own words, to “get in the zone” before they begin their weekly session. After 5 minutes of the usual outfit comparing and complimenting, and their piping hot drinks ready on the coffee table before them, it was time to get the ball rolling.

Kayleigh took the first strike, 'So, Ash, I hear there's something between you and Mr. Hotness.'

Ash flashed her world famous guy-crushing smile. 'What do you think?' she purred.

'Well, I heard that he finally got to asking,' Jaq said, adding almost breathlessly, ‘so what'd u say?'

Again, a smile. 'I said yes.'

'Oh My God!' they shrieked, destroying whatever shred of class left remaining of the establishment.

'Wah, so this will be one special raya for you, ya?' quizzed Kayleigh, 'so what color will your baju rayas be?'

Ash took a sip of her latte.

'Unfortunately, Johan won't be around during Raya. He's going back to his kampong in Kelantan, but we'll still be wearing matching outfits,' Ash said with a wink. 'I’m thinking pink.'

'I thought he was this macho fler?' Kayleigh interjected.

'Yeah,' answered ash, her sly smile ever present.

'Anyway, tell us when did he ask for it? He took you out for dinner is it?' asked Jaq.

Emma couldn't help herself, 'oh please, Johan? Dinner? He's been to the masjid every night since puasa started. Ash's very lucky to have caught such a good guy.'

Noting the sarcasm, ash parried,' yes, he's such a good boy, and besides,’ she looked Emma straight in the eye, ‘I terawih too, you know. You only get to perform it during Ramadan, so my dad takes us all to the masjid every night. He’s very particular about these things.’

She took a moment to wipe the spill from her latte off her top.

'Anyway, Johan,' she continued, 'it was Monday actually, I was having lunch with my classmates when suddenly, out of the blue, I received this sms from him, wait, let me get my phone. Here, u guys can read it yourselves.’

Kayleigh snatched the phone from her in a blink and loudly proclaimed the contents,' 'Hey, u knw i thnk we can b mr thn frnds''

'Such eloquence,' Emma, of course.

Ash pretended not to have heard, ‘of course, after what happened to Laili no way was I’m going to believe smses that easily,'

'So?' breathed Jaq impatiently.

'So I rang him up there and then' ash staccatoed. 'The thing is, the poor boy had class at the time, and I forgot. But you knowla, people in lovekan, sweetheart call of courselah must answer.'

'Ohmygod, that’s so sweet!' Jaq and Kayleigh said in unison. 'And then?' they demanded.

'Well, I asked him was he serious? He said yes. I asked him why? He said he was attracted to my 'sincerity' and the fact that I’m not like those other Malay girls he knows.'

'Wait, wait,' Jaq interrupted, 'I thought Johan was from a boarding school?'

'Yup, mrsm. Coed.'(‘Aah,' they went, except for Emma who was now deeply engrossed in her cappuccino.)

'Anyway, as I was saying, I asked him again whether he was serious, he said yes then he asked 'so how'?' the girls gasped except Emma who by now had finished her drink and was playing with her stirrer intently.

'I said, 'umm, i’ll think about it'' ash ended her tale.

‘I thought u said yes?' asked Kayleigh, whose poor head hurt from the contradictions.

'I didn't say no, did I?' ash stated matter-of-factly.

'Hisy, why you so slow one?' Jaq berated Kayleigh,' we girls must not be too easy. We have to jual mahal a bit. If not, the guy won't appreciate you and take you for granted' 'ooh,' Kayleigh squeaked, her dark green eyes wide with awe over this new piece of information.

'You see, that way, she has him all wrapped around her little finger,' Emma sneered.

'Yes, my little finger,' ash retorted without missing a beatt, displaying her pinky with the well-manicured black-polished nail.

'Well, I suppose that ends our session today,' Jaq announced, ‘I’ve class at 11.00'

'Oh yeah, me too'

'Me three'

'Same here'

Their meeting now over, the girls got up from their chairs, straightened their skirts, tugged their tops, picked up their sequined designer bags and duly trotted up to the cashier to pay for the coffee and company.

The end.

This post is totally blogging for the sake of blogging. Don't blame me. There's not much to do when you're stuck all alone for 3 hours in college while your friends are on the other side of the Klang Valley 'running' errands. Did I say 3, more like 3 1/2 if you take into account the time it takes before berbuka.

Side-tracking a bit here, somehow I much prefer the term berbuka to iftaar, though iftaar is of course the actual arabic word for the much-loved activity "breaking fast at sunset after refraining from eating since sunrise". Blame it on the the sentiments.

Oh yeah fasting! It's still the fasting month. The 14th (or 15th) {i think}[dependingonwhouask] of Ramadhan, the blessed month, when the gates of hell are shut for the peoples of Muhammad (s) whilst the gates of heaven are open widely. The month the Quran was sent down and revealed one night in the cave of Hira', marking the appointment of the final messenger, as a mercy to all mankind.

Also the month of bazaar ramadhan, kurma, ramadhan buffet, ayam percik (hoho, to overseas readers, read and weep hehe), murtabak, sirap bandung, kuih lapis, seri muka, bangkit etc etc.

Only those who feast, eh silap,fast can truly appreciate the sweet taste of the first kurma that enters your mouth, ending a long day of self-control or denial, followed by plates heaped with the various dishes (kuih, soup, nasi+lauk, desert,fruit) prepared for buka.

Of course its not all eating and drinking. There's still tarawih prayers to perform you know. Take your pic :8 ,20, 36, 4 rakaat (its all sunnat, some would say), but don't forget to witir. Then lets all get together at the local mamak for some teh tarik and moreh.

Fasting is not easy you know. Not eating, not drinking. How then should we fill the time between working, studying, and sleeping (oh and solat too)? Work even more? Nah,I'm so tired already. Besides with my stomach growling so much, I'm not really in the mood for more work, I think I'll just rest my head for a while. Wake me up when its maghrib ok?

"The messenger of Allah (S) said : “There are many who fast who will get nothing from the fast except hunger and thirst”"