"Lo! This is a Reminder. Let him who will, then, choose a way unto his Lord."
- Surah Al-Muzzammil, Ayat 19
- Surah Al-Muzzammil, Ayat 19
Assalamu'alaykum,
Today, we were invited to go to an open house at Al-Bayyan, Doha Qatar. It was a Malaysian gathering for 'Eid organised by the Malaysian community living in that residential area. We arrived a bit late after Dzuhr, somewhere around 2pm. There were a lot of guests, Malays, Chinese and Indians and we could see how Malaysians utilizing the hall very well. Sisters sitting at one side and Brothers sitting at another, beautifully separated.
I took a plate of Briyani rice, 2 pieces of Sambal Ayam and pour some curry gravy on top of it. The smells were really nice and all the foods were so delicious. I had like a mountain of rice on my plate. I fed myself up and enjoyed the atmosphere that filled with the unity of different races under one flag. My eyes were glued at the corner of the hall where a Chinese girl was tickling a Malay girl and they guffawed overwhelmingly. I smiled and then I turned around, I saw one fine Malay lady greeted a Punjabi Malaysian sisters that were there to fulfill the invitation. What made me happier was when they shook hands and hugged each other with no problem whatsoever.
I scooped the rices with my fingers and when I was about to stuff it in my mouth, I unintentionally overheard the conversation between Ustaz Salman Ali and Uncle Mansor, Malaysian Engineer in Qatar. Basically, they were talking about a new recent revert, Brother Harry Banks, an African guy who happened to be there as well. Uncle Mansor told us that he met Harry at the side of the road, offering him a ride to everywhere he wanted too and that was when the conversation, began.
He called Brother Harry to introduce himself to all of us and I was really excited and suppressed the feeling. Like seriously, meeting a revert is like meeting an inhabitant of the heaven.
" Hello, how are you?." He came and greeted us.
" I am fine Alhamdulillah." Ustaz Salman entertained him for a few minutes.
I was occupied with the discussion that took place between them while waiting for my turn to have a little bit of Ta'aruf.
After for quite some time, I jumped in.
" You are from Nigeria?." I started.
" Yeah."
" Ok, I am from Malaysia,just got back from Morocco and decided to have this stopover for one month in Qatar."
" Oh, wow, that is amazing."
" Are you working here?. " I was a bit confused.
" No, not yet. I am looking for one. It has been 2 months."
" Are you married?. Haha" I tried to make things don't go mundane.
" Hehe. Next year brother. I already have a fiance. "
" Nice, beautiful. So you have a degree, Master?."
" I have Bachelor in Mathematics and Statistics."
" That is like awesome man!. So, what do you think about Islam?." I waited patiently.
" Man, I really love this religion. It's so beautiful and how they practice the same things that Prophet Jesus (a.s) was preaching towards the people."
" How did you get to know Islam by the way?."
" It was really funny. It's all happened when Uncle Mansor picked me up at the side of the road and sent me back home. He started to share with me about Islam; its history, basic principles and what it is all about. That's how it started. "
" It is the same man with Prophet Jesus." He continued.
" Subhan Allah. How beautiful. By the way, are you planning to pay a visit to our country Malaysia?. It is so nice there and you are much welcomed."
" Oh, yeah sure!. I have been hearing a lot about your country. It is like so great. I plan to go there one day."
The conversation went on and on and I dominated most of it. It was until this one point that I intrigued with this rare question.
" I have to ask you this, what is your stand about the bad that 'comes' and 'from' Israel. Why it should be that way?. Are you against it or what.? He looked at me deeply.
" Alright, brother, frankly speaking, I am against Israel, of all hated reprehensible acts that they have been imposing on the Palestinian people that you can see now on the tv or wherever you wish. Clear enough. I don't want to give a confounding statement which does not represent my stand on them. You see, history has taught us that the people of Israel resisted a lot and they often transgressed towards the heavenly revealed divine scriptures that were descended upon them. They even chopped off the head of their own prophet, Prophet Zakaria 'alayhisalam. That is one of the reasons why, they have no longer received blessings from Allah swt. So, if I were about to say that God has no mercy on them because of the absence of blessings what would they be?. No, what I meant about the absence of blessings is resulted from their contemptuous acts, being arrogant and proud of their own tribes that have led to a severe depredation all over. I am against with things that they are doing in the land of Palestine. They are killing human beings there. I am not only fighting for the rights of my Brothers and Sisters in Islam, but also for the Christians which their rights as human beings are not being served. I have no reason to refuse to have a conversation with them, but if they want respect from me, they have to respect the people of the world first. Am I like using a lot of bombastic words here because you know once I get the chance to have this sort of conversation, it pushes me to like Nabil talk, talk, more and more. "
" Haha, no no no. Don't worry. You are right and I am like so shocked you are only 20."
" Naah man, I am still learning. Nothing great about me."
" How do you spend your free times like your personal pleasures?." I changed the topic.
" Ouh, back in my country I loved hip hop. You know what I am saying here?. I rapped a lot and I asked them to send me down my Cds. You listen to Hip hop?."
" I used to when I was in high school and now I only listen to Islamic songs like Sami Yusuf, Maher Zain, Irfan Makki and stuffs. I find it more meaningful, somehow."
" You see, I want to learn Islam more and do you what does Islam say about music because if it forbids music, I will leave it , once it for all. " This really inspired me.
" There are differences of opinion and you can ask Ustaz Salman. He is more knowledgeable than me and I am pretty sure that he is qualified enough to elucidate to you about this debated issue."
" I have to excuse, 'Asr prayer." I told him. He just reverted so we don't have to force him to do everything. Slowly slow and steady.
" You are going back to Malaysia this Saturday?. Man! I want to talk to you more." He spilled out to me.
" How I wish so brother. Insha Allah we shall meet some day, in Jannah maybe."
The conversation ended and we headed to the Masjid. I felt overjoyed. We met him once again before going back home and he looked a bit disappointed.
Allahuakbar!
Today, we were invited to go to an open house at Al-Bayyan, Doha Qatar. It was a Malaysian gathering for 'Eid organised by the Malaysian community living in that residential area. We arrived a bit late after Dzuhr, somewhere around 2pm. There were a lot of guests, Malays, Chinese and Indians and we could see how Malaysians utilizing the hall very well. Sisters sitting at one side and Brothers sitting at another, beautifully separated.
I took a plate of Briyani rice, 2 pieces of Sambal Ayam and pour some curry gravy on top of it. The smells were really nice and all the foods were so delicious. I had like a mountain of rice on my plate. I fed myself up and enjoyed the atmosphere that filled with the unity of different races under one flag. My eyes were glued at the corner of the hall where a Chinese girl was tickling a Malay girl and they guffawed overwhelmingly. I smiled and then I turned around, I saw one fine Malay lady greeted a Punjabi Malaysian sisters that were there to fulfill the invitation. What made me happier was when they shook hands and hugged each other with no problem whatsoever.
I scooped the rices with my fingers and when I was about to stuff it in my mouth, I unintentionally overheard the conversation between Ustaz Salman Ali and Uncle Mansor, Malaysian Engineer in Qatar. Basically, they were talking about a new recent revert, Brother Harry Banks, an African guy who happened to be there as well. Uncle Mansor told us that he met Harry at the side of the road, offering him a ride to everywhere he wanted too and that was when the conversation, began.
He called Brother Harry to introduce himself to all of us and I was really excited and suppressed the feeling. Like seriously, meeting a revert is like meeting an inhabitant of the heaven.
" Hello, how are you?." He came and greeted us.
" I am fine Alhamdulillah." Ustaz Salman entertained him for a few minutes.
I was occupied with the discussion that took place between them while waiting for my turn to have a little bit of Ta'aruf.
After for quite some time, I jumped in.
" You are from Nigeria?." I started.
" Yeah."
" Ok, I am from Malaysia,just got back from Morocco and decided to have this stopover for one month in Qatar."
" Oh, wow, that is amazing."
" Are you working here?. " I was a bit confused.
" No, not yet. I am looking for one. It has been 2 months."
" Are you married?. Haha" I tried to make things don't go mundane.
" Hehe. Next year brother. I already have a fiance. "
" Nice, beautiful. So you have a degree, Master?."
" I have Bachelor in Mathematics and Statistics."
" That is like awesome man!. So, what do you think about Islam?." I waited patiently.
" Man, I really love this religion. It's so beautiful and how they practice the same things that Prophet Jesus (a.s) was preaching towards the people."
" How did you get to know Islam by the way?."
" It was really funny. It's all happened when Uncle Mansor picked me up at the side of the road and sent me back home. He started to share with me about Islam; its history, basic principles and what it is all about. That's how it started. "
" It is the same man with Prophet Jesus." He continued.
" Subhan Allah. How beautiful. By the way, are you planning to pay a visit to our country Malaysia?. It is so nice there and you are much welcomed."
" Oh, yeah sure!. I have been hearing a lot about your country. It is like so great. I plan to go there one day."
The conversation went on and on and I dominated most of it. It was until this one point that I intrigued with this rare question.
" I have to ask you this, what is your stand about the bad that 'comes' and 'from' Israel. Why it should be that way?. Are you against it or what.? He looked at me deeply.
" Alright, brother, frankly speaking, I am against Israel, of all hated reprehensible acts that they have been imposing on the Palestinian people that you can see now on the tv or wherever you wish. Clear enough. I don't want to give a confounding statement which does not represent my stand on them. You see, history has taught us that the people of Israel resisted a lot and they often transgressed towards the heavenly revealed divine scriptures that were descended upon them. They even chopped off the head of their own prophet, Prophet Zakaria 'alayhisalam. That is one of the reasons why, they have no longer received blessings from Allah swt. So, if I were about to say that God has no mercy on them because of the absence of blessings what would they be?. No, what I meant about the absence of blessings is resulted from their contemptuous acts, being arrogant and proud of their own tribes that have led to a severe depredation all over. I am against with things that they are doing in the land of Palestine. They are killing human beings there. I am not only fighting for the rights of my Brothers and Sisters in Islam, but also for the Christians which their rights as human beings are not being served. I have no reason to refuse to have a conversation with them, but if they want respect from me, they have to respect the people of the world first. Am I like using a lot of bombastic words here because you know once I get the chance to have this sort of conversation, it pushes me to like Nabil talk, talk, more and more. "
" Haha, no no no. Don't worry. You are right and I am like so shocked you are only 20."
" Naah man, I am still learning. Nothing great about me."
" How do you spend your free times like your personal pleasures?." I changed the topic.
" Ouh, back in my country I loved hip hop. You know what I am saying here?. I rapped a lot and I asked them to send me down my Cds. You listen to Hip hop?."
" I used to when I was in high school and now I only listen to Islamic songs like Sami Yusuf, Maher Zain, Irfan Makki and stuffs. I find it more meaningful, somehow."
" You see, I want to learn Islam more and do you what does Islam say about music because if it forbids music, I will leave it , once it for all. " This really inspired me.
" There are differences of opinion and you can ask Ustaz Salman. He is more knowledgeable than me and I am pretty sure that he is qualified enough to elucidate to you about this debated issue."
" I have to excuse, 'Asr prayer." I told him. He just reverted so we don't have to force him to do everything. Slowly slow and steady.
" You are going back to Malaysia this Saturday?. Man! I want to talk to you more." He spilled out to me.
" How I wish so brother. Insha Allah we shall meet some day, in Jannah maybe."
The conversation ended and we headed to the Masjid. I felt overjoyed. We met him once again before going back home and he looked a bit disappointed.
Allahuakbar!
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1 comments:
shukran for sharing akhi. May anta be inspired and be increased in anta's Iman after meeting a revert. inshaAllah.
wslm.
p/s: Ana love maher xain, irfan makki and sami yusuf too. plus a few others as well.
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