I was browsing through our pictures when I saw this pic. This pic was taken inside the Grand Mosque of Paris.. At that time, I was waiting for my friends and was taking pictures of the main hall when I heard a warm greeting from behind. I turned around and saw an old man greeting two non-Muslim tourists who were standing in front of the door looking at the worshipers inside..
"You never seen Muslim prayer before?"
"No. This is our first time.."
And then the old man start to talk about the concept of monotheism in Islam, the 5 daily prayers, explained the importance of purity and cleanliness as to why ablution is required before performing prayers etc etc. He stuttered in his speech but you can sense the purity of his intention from his effort to explain despite his poor English and how simply he had explained everything; trying to make the two understand in the limited time they had.
This brings me to a short conversation that I had with a dear friend a few weeks ago...
"Kadang-kadang segan jugak nak share bende2 Islamic kat social network.. Takut lak orang kate ape.. Macam nak tunjuk alim sangat.."
"GG pon dulu fikir jugak macam tu... Tapi bila fikir balik, bile orang laen post, I get inspired. Some post got me thinking.. So fikir2 balik, tak nak pedulik lah orang yang kate GG nak tunjuk Islamic ke ape. Nak fikir, bile kite post, walaupon maybe ade yang kutok, tapi mesti ade yg inspired.. And yang inspired tu matters. Maksudnye dapat pahala kan..???"
But, to tell you the truth, that leap of perspective had came rather late... It came right after Nurul's death..
Ok.. Chill this is not another melancholy post.. I just want to share how this little girl taught me about tabligh~
It was one of the Ramadhan night in 2011 and the whole family went for tarawikh prayer at the mosque. Nurul and I chose a spot at one corner and I started praying tahiyatul masjid. And when I finished, Nurul pardoned me,
"Kakak, ustaz cakap dalam solat kena ada tomakninah.. Berhenti sekejap sebelum perbuatan yang seterusnya.."
I was taken aback, of course. Not that I was offended. But at that very moment I realized how I'd forgotten to do that part of my daily prayer for many years. Perhaps for at least 5 years. Well, it was most obvious when I stood from my prostration because when I first get to do my prayer by standing again, I could not fully bend my knees. And I'd unconsciously made that a habit. And from that night onward, I'd tried to improve my prayer.
It was one of those nights after Isha' prayer after Nurul have left us. The whole family just finished reciting Al-Quran in the living room and it was time for some discussion. Aunty shared what Nurul once told her about Surah Al-Mulk that it will protect from the torment of the grave. I was again baffled and listened quietly as they talked about it. I was both touched and abashed at the same time. I'd acknowledged that fact more than 10 years ago, when I was still studying in the same school as Nurul.. But I never cared to share that simple fact what more to teach my family to recite the surah. Astaghfirullah..
Then, more and more stories about how Nurul had helped corrected her parents' and my mom's recitation with more patience than I could bear came into light. She is the softer and the more patient, that I cannot deny. But the fact that moved me most is how she had cared enough to share the slightest knowledge that she has with our family. That little knowledge that could actually make a big difference.. I was too proud to see that.. I should have just shared them though the chances that it might be made into practice is low.. I should have just shared with them of the things I've learnt rather than wait until I'm being asked...
Nowadays, I just waive away the thought of what people might say about me when I do this and do that. The most important thing is to set the intention right and to renew the intention every time it goes astray. Human's heart are made to change over time thus that's why renewal is just normal.
These days I've tried to be as informative and as patient as Nurul did.. But haha I think it's very funny when mommy would call me after Subuh prayer to listen to her recitation. Yeah, I would drag my feet to the prayer room, lay down on the bed and listen to her reading a surah with my eyes closed. Haha ikhlas itu payah especially when you have a mind setting "Balik Labuan is to relax..." But I am still trying hehe Susah.. Aku anak bongsu... Nurul anak sulung.. So that's why aku notty notty sket hahaha
Then again, isn't 'tabligh' is one the Quality of our beloved Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h. He had spread the words of Allah with such hardship at the very beginning and why can't we continue that with much ease these days?? I believe all of us have heard of this popular hadith...
‘Convey from me, even if it’s just one ayah (verse)...' (Bukhari).
Hurm.. I think... I'M BACK!
