Al Maghrib class Part I

Since I've been busy with summer class, I've been procrastinating to write about the journey and the weekend classes that we (Kak Ena, Azni, and the brothers) attended at Memphis.

The Rules of Engagement : Islamic Rules of Ethics.
15-17 June & 22-24 June
Memphis, TN
by Shaykh Muhammad IbnFaqih

Well, let's see, where should I start ?

My first ever alMaghrib class, and I enjoyed it very much, thank you.

Headed out from Vanderbilt around 4pm, and reached there around 740-ish pm at the Holiday Inn Hotel. The Qabeelat Mubeen usually made the Friday class free for the local community to attend, since the registration fee was $160+ for a 2 week course. Fortunately we met Mohsinah during the break, because she is, after all, our hostess-to-be. We sat quite back, so we couldn't really see Shaykh and his voice wasn't clear because of some audio problems. He lectured about the Etiquette for Seekers of Knowledge.

Etiquette for Seekers of Knowledge.

1. 1. purify the intention - niat
2. 2. patience - what makes the difference : desperate or passionate
3. 3. putting knowledge into action
4. 4. be aware that Alllah is 'watching' : Fear of Allah - improve quality of work
5. 5. best use of time
6. 6. clarify & verify
7. 7. precision of focus
8. 8. studying on your own or in congression
9. 9. choosing companionship
10. 10. good manners with the Shaykh.

We were given notebooks which were already filled with key points (which was very good indeed, easy to refer back ).

" A man who seeks virtues is like angels; where as a man who seeks vices resembles Satan. Man has two sides to his nature; he has the capacity for sin and also for righteousness with God"
- Ibn Hazm

Well, there's more to it than the key points that I typed out.

Now, back to Mohsinah. She drove us all the way from the hotel to her house which was actually 20 minutes away. Her mother actually cooked a late dinner for us, which we were very grateful indeed, there was always seconds :) It was pasta that night. We were a given a bedroom, where the three of us gladly slept. The bedroom was actually Mohsinah's and her little sister, Aishah's. There were many prize and plaques on her shelves and study desk. She was once the best speaker for the Youths-United-Nation-something. I was quite astonished actually, she was so humble since the first time I met her, never once boasted about her achievements, and by entering Vanderbilt with a scholarship, well I guess she must be one of the top few. I guess, these small things, taking pride on what we achieved, accomplished, are better off not to be told, publicly, the act of boasting etc etc. I wished I could have that trait, I really do. Hurm, have to practice from now on. ;)

My first time entering an American house; it was very homely and cosy, with some Islamic decorations too (khat especially). The hospitality that we received, well I guess, the best one I've ever received. Breakfast, lunch, croissants and dinner were the most memorable during the stay. I think everyone would agree to that. (right ?) Mohminah, Mohsinah's sister, would always be there during the breakfast and dinner, Aishah unfortunately was attending a 6-week summer program at University of Memphis. Her dad, well, we didn't had the chance to speak to him.

All in all, it was a pleasant stay, the lectures were also great, full of knowledge; filling the empty places.



footnotes : There is actually a difference when you attend the program, or by just hearing the cd. I just realised that ;)
I've been hearing 'Attitude' by Shaykh IbnFaqih, that's why.

An excerpt

Abu Umamah Al-Bahili( May Allah be pleased with him) reported :
Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said ,

" I guarantee a house in Jannah for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right; and I guarantee a home in the middle of Jannah for one who abandons lying even for the sake of fun; and I guarantee a house in the highest part of Jannah for one who has good manners."

narrated by Abu Dawood

excerpt from pg 6, The Rules of Engagement
June 15, 2007 , Memphis

Man's best friend till the end

He cried when he was teaching today. He cried silently, again, when I asked him a question after class.

He didn't post the homework on Friday as he said he would. He had an emergency, he said to the whole class. We were listening, keen to know what happened. He, for once, looked very old and tired, well, I guess he is, because he is retiring during fall this year. He was sad, terribly sad, deep down inside, and we all saw it.

He once told us at the beginning that he prepared his lectures with his best friends, both of them. They've been best friends for so many years, 14 years, if I remembered correctly what he said that day. There were two of them. But one had a disease. He told us a very detailed description of the illness, but I guess I accidentally fell asleep then.

She was in great pain that Friday, that was why he couldn't post the homework then. He had to bring her to the vet. It was a terribly long wait he said. The doctors tried their best, and he was given a choice. He had to decide. Right there and then.

He went to see her, she couldn't remember him, her best friend for 14 years. She was in great pain. He laid beside her, to comfort her at least. But she didn't even realize he was there. He stayed there, for some time. But he couldn't stand it, the pain she had to go through, he had to put a stop to it. He had to decide.

He choked when he said ,

"I had to put her to sleep"

to the whole class.

There was silence, everyone was quiet. We waited. He sobbed.

But, life must go on.

He continued teaching. Till the end of class.

---

I stood as I waited for him to explain.
He was disturbingly quiet in front of the board.
Thinking ? Maybe..

But he shed a tear. Again.

The lecture hall was empty, except for the professor, and the lab assistant who watched silently and I.

I stood there waiting, saying nothing. I didn't know what to do or to say. But waited, patiently till he composed himself once again.

He explained briefly again, I understood, and I thanked him,

and then I left.

---

This kind of attachment..I don't understand.
I felt his sadness, and his pain.
But yet the loss, it's hard to explain.

Childhood Memories

I started school in standard 2, I was the new kid in class. When recess, Din would be the one who would buy me breakfast at the canteen and would sit and eat with me. It was a normal routine, everyday, during recess. But, Din started to make friends with his classmates, and that, I guess is another story, Din's story, which I unfortunately do not have access . We went to primary school in the mornings and sekolah agama in the afternoon, towards evening, at Umi's university. I usually wait for Din to come out from his class, since he's older, so the class that he had was a bit longer than mine. He had an Ustaz and I had an Ustazah, his class were all male and mine all female. But still it was fun. We always went back to Umi's office together, crossing the wide soccer field across the Sekolah agama, going through a building that always has the smell of chemicals, and finally reaching D07; and going up the stairs, all the way to 4th floor, not even using the elevator. My kain sekolah and Din's seluar baju Melayu would always have these tiny kemucup on them and it wasn't a nice feeling, the itch and all. Din would always go back out, when we reach Umi's office; and I never knew where he usually goes, I never did ask, and it never did crossed my mind, not even once.

I stayed a bit in Umi's office, finishing my homework and reciting the Surah's that were needed to be memorized, and I practised them with Umi. After that, I usually go out and search for kittens; everywhere in the building, under the coke machine, under the stairs, inside the store, outside the building, in the dry drains and at the cafeteria. Unfortunately, there weren't many times that I found kittens that live, most of them were dead, small kittens that were found dead, it was sad, seeing them like that. Where was the mother and it's family ?, I usually think. I guess, life just goes on, even after the death of one own. It's terribly sad to think of it that way, but in the end, we continue living, keeping the memories as we do; memories are to be treasured, not forgotten.

It was a bit hard when Din was changed into the evening session, since his class had to start in the evenings, and I unfortunately was left in the morning classes during primary school. It was my duty to put Din's baju in the surau lelaki, since he had to change his attire for primary school. I started to eat alone at the canteen, sometimes I was bullied in the bus, and it was a bit hard to make friends since my classmates were loud and talkative, which made me afraid and intimidated by them. It took some time, but I finally found a friend, who, fortunately attended Sekolah agama too, and was also my classmate. I started to sit next to her since then at Sekolah agama, and I shared many things with her. I could say, she was the one who stood up for me then when the naughty boys played around. She would scold them, and pinch them if they showed even the slightest intention of bothering me. She was tall, pretty too, but a bit boyish I might add. She always acted tough. But still, she was my best friend.

She came to school with her Dad, who also worked at the university, at the gates, the Front Gate. She loved cats and had families of cats living with her. Her mom was an architect but in the same time, her parents runs a kindergarden ' Tadika Idaman'. Her mum's name was Ida and her dad's Othman, guess it was a combination of both, she used to say. It was nice going to her house, met her little brother and sisters, and they had these small trays when eating. To my suprise, she cooked, and she was also very nice and caring towards the little kids who attended the kindergarten. The tough girl outside was actually soft inside.

We remained best friends for quite some time. Even though, she changed to a different class in standard five, we always had recess together and we would always sit together during Sekolah agama. We entered the same High school, but again, we weren't in the same class. Things started to change since then. I guess it was all about growing up, every thing was different. We started to drift apart. But we still remained friends, best friend still, for me that is. She changed to a new high school, since she lived at Taman Desa Skudai, and the new high school opened up, she had to enter there, it was the order of the school. We went our different ways.

---

I visited her, two years later. She was still the same, taking care of the kids in the kindergarten. But the cats weren't there, her little sister and brother had grown, she was taller, and more matured. But, I remained the same, she said.

"Same old Izzati"

To her, I looked the same, she too looked the same to me, nevertheless both of us knew, we had changed, we've grown up. (Well, maybe not much, but still a bit) .

I can stand up for myself now.

The day she went away

" Tuk, tocangkan rambut ati, boleh ? "

It was the mango season and I came back home from school, to spend some time with Umi and yaman. Didn't know that Tuk was there, nevertheless it was great having her there. She's a great cook, best one ever, yes even better than Umi.

She would always be there, in front of her door, waiting for us, for Umi especially. Umi drove all way. Din and I were still small. Yaman, smaller still. We tend to reach Perlis very late at night, but she would always have the 'toto' and 'kelambu' and the spiral ubat nyamuk ready for us. Always. In the mornings, there would always be breakfast and the milo and teh.


I never understood why she loved to cook, everyday she cooked, when she stayed with us, or when we came to stay in her house back at Utan Aji. I regret not learning how to prepare some dishes from her, I planned to learn once I finished my SPM exam, but there wasn't time.

"Tuk dah lama tak pi Stesen keratapi, lama sangat, Tuk nak tengok sekali lagi. "

I came by train and I returned by train, under college arrangements.

She looked happy that day, but I sensed her sadness, but I didn't really know why.
She was sick for quite some time, but I knew she hid it well.

-----

It was two weeks before the exams, when she left us. Forever.

It's hard to believe that she's gone.

Because, I still feel that she's still there, waiting for us,
in front of her door, back at Utan Aji.


al-Fatihah.

kepada Allahyarhamah Minah bt Saad.