Pre Ramadan Umrah.

With the grace of Almighty Allah, I should be leaving for Saudi Arabia for my usual Ramadan umrah on 25 July 2013 ie sometimes in the afternoon by Saudi Airline, SV 831 expected to depart at 1530 hrs. This Ramadan umrah is later than usual, midst Ramadan not earlier due to the restriction by the Saudi authorities.

The visa is now confirmed and my duration of stay in Saudi Arabia is up to 07 August 2013. Insyallah will be touching down KLIA on 08 August 2013 at 1330 hrs, on Hari Raya afternoon. Welcoming Aidilfitri will be at around 35,000 feet in the air insyaalah.

I look forward to be in Masjid Nabawi in Medina, during the earlier stay at the Holy Land. I feel nearer to Almighty Allah and His Messenger. The Holy Prophet, Mohamed (pbuh) was enshrined inside the Mosque.

Syukur alhamdullillah, this will be my third trip to the Holy Land for 2013 and I thank Him for inviting me again to His Bait (House). I always pray and doa every time when I am there, I will always be invited to the Baitullah Hir Haram again.

Terawih in Malaysia.

Before departure, daily terawih back home was at various Masjids of my choices. I played nomadic. It had been a couple of years ago that I performed terawih* in homeland Malaysia.

Night before 1^st day of Ramadan: At Masjid Kampong Raja Uda. Imam 1 led the prayers.

1^st day Ramadan: At Masjid Kampong Raja Uda. Imam 1 led the prayers.

2^nd day Ramadan: At Masjid Di Raja Sultan Sulaiman, Klang. The Imam was Hafiz al Quraan. Rushing after Isyakh from home, I managed to perform only 16 rakaat out of 20.

3^rd day Ramadan: At Masjid Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, Bukit Jelutong. The Imam was specially brought from Masjidilharam Mekah. It was graced by the presence of the Royal Highness Sultan of Selangor. The interesting part, Imam 1 of Kampong Raja Uda Mosque came along.

4^th day Ramadan: At Masjid Di Raja Sultan Sulaiman, Klang.

5^th day Ramadan: Just at home between me and Allah. Performed the sunnah, eight (8) rakaat only. Being Sunday, it was weekend family gathering iftar.

6^Th day Ramadan: At Masjid Sultan Salehuddin, Shah Alam - the Grand Mosque of Selangor State. It was like Friday prayers and I had problem locating a parking lot.

  

7^th day Ramadan: At Masjid Bandar Di Raja Klang. The Mosque is by the Klang riverside easily seen if you are crossing Jambatan Kota towards Klang or Banting. On the way home, make a long detour as Klang town has plentiful of one way streets.

8^th day Ramadan: Masjid As Saadah, Bandar Sultan Sulaiman, Klang Utara. There was tazkirah pre terawih. The Mosque only conducted the minimal, eight (8) rakaat of terawih, the sunnah by the Holy Prophet (pbuh). By 2225 hrs it was all over.

9^th day Ramadan: At Masjid Ar Rahimah, Jalan Banting Klang. The terawih was led by two (2) young Tahfiz Alquraan. Other than the Imam from Masjidilharam, (see 3^rd day of Ramadan) these two (2) Imams stood the best so far in term of surah recitation and presentation. After the solat witir+ one of them led the congregation to doa qunut.

10^th day of Ramadan: Just at home, performed the terawih way past midnight. I took the silence of the night, personally to confer with Almighty Allah. Among others, I seek for safe journey, Allah blessings and good health for my forthcoming umrah. Thank you Almighty Allah, the visa for the umrah had been duly approved by the Saudi Government.

11^th day Ramadan: At Masjid Ar Rahimah, Jalan Banting, Klang. There are ample parking spaces available.

12^th day Of Ramadan: Terawih simply at home. I was quite busy during the day, being the last Sunday before I leave for Saudi Arabia.

13^th day of Ramadan: At Masjid Ar Rahimah, Jalan Banting Klang. I like the place because the recitation of surah by the Tahfiz Al Quraan, the Imam is very clear and loud. 

     

14^th day of Ramadan: At Masjid ar Rahimah, Jalan Banting Klang.

15^th day of Ramadan: Last Terawih in Malaysia and decided to perform it at home. Check listing all the needy to pack. I also entertained well wishers.

I reserved my own Kampong Mosque just to experience the differences. Top of the agenda was to experience the different feeling among different congregation. The Mosques were different, so as the Imam and their deliveries of the surah. I preferably prayed in the Mosque where the Imam is Hafiz al Quraan.

To all my Muslim friends: Best Wishes for the Aidilfitri & Happy Holidays. Maaf dzahir batin.

I will blog on my Ramadan Umrah experience after I return insyaalah. Please pray for my safe journey and good health.

What is Terawaih?

*Terawih – Eight (8) to twenty (20) or more rakaat sunat prayer only performed after isyakh during the month of Ramadan. It is not compulsory but every Muslims are encouraged to perform at least eight (8) rakaat per Ramadan night. It is not sinful failure to perform. The most auspicious night is one odd night between the nights of 20 to 30, the Night of Lailatuqadar.

What is witir?

+Witir – Three (3) rakaat sunat prayer after the terawih.  

The Young Lady in Kebaya.

We took Shasha for Raya shopping as this weekend would be the last before I leave for Saudi Arabia on 26 July 2013.

We left it to Shasha to choose her liking and her favorite is pink. After getting all the apparels, we then went to the Traditional Dress Department and she preferred “kebaya” than “baju kurung”. Surprisingly she loves purple kebaya. Atok and Nenek had no objection and she always had her say.

Back home Shasha dressed on the kebaya and what a cute young lady she is. She definitely had grown up. Stylish young lady!!

The pampered Lady of the House.

Last Sunday pre Ramadan.

It was a beautiful sunny Sunday morning and the Muslim folks were usually busy welcoming Ramadan with their own chores. It was a day where most families would do marketing to fill up their refrigerators. I chose to do it yesterday as Saturday where less people go shopping as it is a “no plastic bag” day.

My day started by visiting the Kampong Cemetery. Though I have no relatives buried within but I do have friends and acquaintance who resides permanently there. There was a “gotong royong” organized by the kampong folks to clean up the place. I entered the complex and recited Alfathihah for all. There was no specific graveyard that I had to house keep. However I was very pleased to see the two (2) “bunga tanjong” trees that I planted several years ago had grown well. Perhaps one fine day someone would be buried under its shade.

Cleaning up.

Newly buried.

RIP with shade.

The cleared area, plan for the Cemetery expansion.

The Cemetery in general.

Bunga Tanjung tree.

Bunga Tanjung tree.

I then drop by at Rukun Tetangga Melikai and got into another “gotong royong” do, where the members of Melikai residents preparing for the forthcoming after Isyakh tahlil arwah & kenduri. The men and women folks were busy voluntarily preparing and cooking for the night dishes. They were in complete harmony, laughing and assisting each other to make the night kenduri successful. It reminded me of my kampong days when I was a little kid and I wish this type of inter cooperation can prolong.

The Gotong Royong at RT Melikai.

I am not part of this community but I used to drop by once in a while and my presence is normally welcome up till now. The sad thing, PAS members is staying away from the community activity even though they reside within the vicinity. I was invited for the night function but I had forewarned them insyaalah. I am not really keen to cross path with the Ketua Kampong appointed Mosque Nazir and the Ketua Kampong himself. I did not want to be in the circle of species that are numbskull of the meaning “democracy”. The Mosque Nazir has no moral standing to hold on the position as the Kampong kariah did not elect him. I detest and hate injustice!!!

I am open to criticism but not humilation.

The Big Boss.

After asar, I finally catch hold of the Indian Ice cube Vendor. I paid him off to deliver a sack of ice cube pallets every evening to the Kampong Mosque for the whole month of Ramadan for breaking of fasting. May Allah accept my humble graciousness of the small sedekah.

Dinner – quietly at home with the wife, the daughter is with my son in KL attending to Siti Nurhaliza Concert. Dinner was fried ikan rebus, sambal sotong kering, and daging rendang pedas. All are my so favorite dishes and I surely don’t need to bloat my tummy to attend the RT Melikai kenduri. I am also watching my weight which had increased to 65 kg lately and the recommended is 60 kg. Malaysian is very well known to fall dead for over eating. I just went to the Kampong Cemetery early morning, physically standing.

To all my Muslim Readers: Let us all welcome Ramadan Almubarak and hope this year Ramadan is always better than the previous. You are accountable to Allah for your own deed. A day pass by, a day closer to be summoned by Him.   

The last of the Ali.

On 03 July morning, I received shocking news that my wife’s aunty (my late father in law youngest sister) Datin Norkaedah Mohd Ali had passed away around 0900 hrs at her daughter’s residence at Kampong Sungai Tua Baru near Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur. Being the youngest of the Ali’s children, we address her as “Uchu Dah”. With her demise, all the Ali children had been called by Almighty Allah to assemble in the Kingdom of Barzakh.

She was 91+ coming to 92 very soon. A veteran Malay School Teacher and passed away peacefully due to old age. Her late husband, Orang Kaya Maha Bijaya, Yang Mulia Dato Raja Mohammad bin Raja Alang passed away sometimes in the late 60s.

By noon, I and the wife and daughter managed to locate Kampong Sungai Tua Baru. My son regrettably could not make it as he had a conference to attend. The extensive development around that area made me lost my bearing. When we arrived they were in the midst of cleaning her body in preparation for burial. I joined the tahlil and the burial had been fixed after asar besides her late husband at Jalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery. One of her son was on the way from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

In the meantime we had time comingling around meeting all the in laws, cousins and the relatives. Most of the nephews and nieces had grown up and I hardly could recognize them.

Raja Ismail finally arrived from Cambodia exactly when the asar azan filled the air. Alhamdullillah, he made it on time. Notably absent at the funeral was one of the late daughter who is serving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Croatia.

When the lying in state was over and the relatives had the last glimpse, the hearse made its way to Masjid Kampong Sungai Tua Baru for the solat jenazah. We soon left for home as attending to the burial at Jalan Ampang Cemetery at that peak hours in the middle of KL would be a little problem for us. I was sure the arwah was in the good hands of her children and they will take the best care of everything. Even though Police outriders had been deployed, I don’t think we could have made it easily to the Cemetery.

Uchu Dah………farewell dear aunty to Rahmatullah, may your soul rest in peace together with the almukminin. Our turn to join you in assembly will surely come. 

Alfatihah………