Post Aidil Fitri Reflection

I spent a whole week in my kampung this Hariraya, spending a few days before and a few days after the eid mubarak. My house is near the mosque and with a good PA system in use all the time I heard almost everything that happened in the house of Allah, even when busy in the bathroom.I did, however, attend most of the prayers, quran recitals lectures by various ustazs and tahlil (other recitals and homage to Allah).


But I must admit that I could not follow all the ibadah (prayers, recitals,lectures, tahlil etc) performed by the villagers. I've ghouts and other joint problems that prevented me from walking to and from the mosques effortlessly. Nonetheless, I was amazed at how the villagers could accommodate all the religious activities to fill the nights and mornings of the last 10 days of fasting, as taught by the Prophet PBUH. Even the Suraus and Mosques in my residential area do not do as much, They break their fast with a light refreshment, perform the Maghrib prayer, followed by a lecture, then perform the Tarawih followed by a quran reading session. They finished at about 10.30 pm.,starting the morning sessions at 4 am and ending it at 7.30.thus leaving about 4 to 5 hours for sleep.

And the mosque was almost always full. There were of course more elderly and old people than the young ones. But the dedication shown is just amazing.If all villagers in the country were as dedicated to their work and responsibilities in the daytime as they were at night during the fasting month, I think the productivity of the nation will double in no time at all.

What bothers me is whether the villagers can absorb the cermahs and khutbahs that seem to be endless. Certainly not many really understand the prayers and lengthy do'a delivered in Arabic by the various Ustazs invited to lead the ibadah sessions.I could see that some villagers actually dozed off during the talks. It was clear to me that the formality of the sessions was more reverred than the content.But they stayed in the mosque till late night and late morning very patiently.

It's a real experience which I had missed living in KL and balk kampung only two or three three days for the most. I wonder if some of the older citizens of KL had tried staying a longer period in the village especially in the month of Ramadhan. It could be very enlightening.