Having It Easier

Truth to be told, it has been an easier fasting month (for me) in the mid of the hot scorching summer in this country.

Since it is summer, the kids have no school. And since the kids have no school, I don't have to brace the summer sun sending them and picking them up like the previous years.

So I got to stay in the house most of the time the whole day and nearly for a whole week. The only time I go out is for my once a week Tauhid class.

I don't have to do groceries for I already have the major stuff. For the perishable I have my lover to order from. Unlike me, of course, he has to work and still walk under the hot sun drenched in sweat and bearing the heat (no wonder he lost so much weight). And then he will get orders from me to buy spring onion, keledek, togeh, tepung, shawarma and such. And I know he loves me asking him to buy this things.

I do almost all my cooking in the morning while I listen to the children practice their surah. And am free almost all afternoon to do what I want. Then when it is about one and half hour to iftar time, I would reheat the food, make some form of savoury or dessert (because I don't favour nasi for buka) that was prepared half way earlier, prepare some hot and cold beverage and Insya Allah leave myself about half hour to iftar time where usually i would tell the children to have their own "me" time and concentrate to make dua'.

By the way, the best time for dua' that one needs to grab is the time when nearing the iftar time.

The prophet (SAW) declared, 'Three men whose dua is never rejected (by Allah) are: when a fasting person breaks fast (in another narration, the fasting person until he breaks his fast), the just ruler and the one who is oppressed.'[Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi - Hasan]

I don't do the tarawikh at the mosque. Not my time yet. Insya Allah one day Allah will give me the time. I don't fancy bringing the cannot-keep-still JackJack to the long tarawikh prayer. He goes to other fards when lover is at home though. So slowly Insya Allah. And I don't feel easy leaving at home alone either.

And tarawikh usually finishes at 930 over here. And that is a loooong one mind you. On average, some mosques finsih tarawikh at 9.

Fasting in this country is easier and there are very little distractions. The malls (if yo do go there) does not play music. Usually they play dzikir or the quran. And the masjid here will get busier as Eid approaches particularly the last ten nights. There will be some selected masjids that will provide food for those who wish to do i'tikaf. But otherwise you can go to any masjids you wish. The last ten nights are the the most "festive" time at almost all masjids. The imam will start doing qiyam in the later part of the night and people who don't actually stay in the masjid for i'tikaf will come from their homes as if it is another fard prayer.

And if you are living in such environment, you'd feel you want time to stop in this last ten nights. You can feel that people are actually immerse in the business of worshipping Allah. It's like rushhour. fast and furious. I feel so much excitement during this time.

And when the Imam announced that the next day is eid, you may just cry because you would feel that you have not done enough. But then you will still enjoy the next day of eid when you go to solatul eid in the open. It is a glorious day.

Alhamdulillah. I have to remind again and again that time and easier to practice is an expensive commodity.

I am leaving for Malaysia tomorrow.

May Allah protect me from my own evil soul.

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By the way. I have a few books left for sale. The title is Explanation of Important lessons. You can read here for the review of the book.

If you are interested email me at hudishh at gmail dot com. First come first serve. :)