Monday, July 23, 2012

Ramadhan: Unity in multiplicity


Bismillah.

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

I felt the first taste of the sweetness of Ramadhan on the eve of this sacred month in Kuala Lumpur. First Ramadhan falls on Saturday here in Malaysia, unlike some other countries where the holy month has begun one day earlier on Friday. Multiplicity is a blessing while knowing we are united in a single faith and practice. 

Masjid Khalid Al-Walid near where I live looked resplendent on the eve of Ramadhan 1433 Hijri. It has been refurbished and smells brand new as it welcomes its second Ramadhan. Its grand chandelier swiveled graciously above the ever eager worshipers. The imam explained the agenda for the month. That we would be doing 8-rakaah of Teraweh plus 3 Witir instead of 20-rakaah of Teraweh. Immediately before witir, there will be a short tausiyah. There will be Tadarus Al-Quran after Teraweh and on the last 10 days of Ramadhan will be Qiyamulail, InshaAllah. On weekdays, from Asar onward, the masjid will be giving out packets of porridge for iftar and of course there will be Iftar Jam'ee everyday at Maghrib.


Alhamdulillah, we will not be able to enjoy all these if there was no peace and stability in our country or community. And inwardly I felt good reminiscing the time when the honorable Habib Umar bin Hafiz graced the masjid several months back.

My mum and I walked home after Teraweh cheerfully. It felt almost like in Makkah because together in the elevator with us was a Bangladeshi woman, still wearing her prayer gown, and her little boys who looked like they have enjoyed going to masjid and to be living in Malaysia. When the lift stopped on the musolla floor, muslimin from Middle Eastern countries appeared looking pleased. Oh...such a happy Ramadhan atmosphere!

The moment I stepped inside my study, a sweet Ramadhan greeting came from someone in South Africa. What a beautiful feeling. As sahur approaches, I realized how lucky we are nowadays. We can tune in to so many Islamic TV channels round the clock or view live streaming of lessons by shuyukh from far away places. Thank God for the barakah cloud called the internet. By the way, 1000+ people visited this space on the eve of Ramadhan searching contents on the blessed month. MashaAllah this auspicious month could really make people upbeat about their faith and their lives as a Muslim, no matter where they are. [Luckily, I changed my mind about making this blog private].

But deep down I feel empathy for our brothers and sisters in the US and UK where they have to fast for a longer period this summer. May Allah grant them tawfiq, good health and strengthen their iman. Surely, not an iota of extra effort will escape the record of Allah.

Anyway, I am hoping to capture more Ramadhan scenes in KL InshaAllah because there are readers who are keen on knowing about the place and culture of this side of the world.

It's a great feeling to know that we may be 10,000 miles apart, living in different circumstances, yet we are united in embracing and reaping the bounties of Ramadhan.
Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah. Ramadhan Kareem!


Masjid Khalid Al-Walid

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