Friday, October 3, 2008
My Raya post from sunnysideup2
OK--- I didn't want to post this on this blog because I thought it's a little too soppy! But then , its not fiction--so here goes ! From my other blog.
"Of John Lennon and Suatu hari di Hari Raya ……?
Another Raya eve… and what have we done… another year older … and the next one has begun…
The above words actually come from John Lennon’s song, ‘So This Is Christmas “with slight modification. . I remember watching this video over and over again when I was a student in UK. And even much more so after he was killed by a lunatic. At that time it also showed his mate, Yoko Ono, Japanese, mourning his death. Yoko Ono had been a loyal friend and mate to the late John.
So what has the title of my blog got to do with John or Yoko? Nothing –other than the beautiful lyrics of that song. I can only think of M Nasir’s to match John’s.
Anyway , this morning, as every year, I went to the locale Mosque to fulfill my Eid obligatory prayer. These prayers are always special to me. While listening to the Takbir, my mind would often wonder. The years gone by , the places I’ve been and seen , the people I knew and know ---all these would just flashed thru my mind.
When the prayer started, I was stumped – by the Imam . The way he recited the surah , the clarity, the melody and most of all the tenderness with which his voice radiated in the mosque to all the members of the congregation. I just stood there and I could not stop the tears from flowing. The voice was truly filled with love as it gives out the words which I do not even know the meaning of--and yet was so meaningful as if I understood every word of it at that moment. Indeed it’s the most beautiful recitation I have ever ever heard, And really, I have never ever been so affected by a prayer as much as this morning. And it was all because of this man!
The melody simply fits in and as I was standing there, drops of my tears continually welled up in my eyes and I could not stopped it.. I was sniffing away and have never truly felt this way during a Raya prayer as today. I was definitely moved and humbled by this experience. I wish I could describe it better. Or maybe it was meant to be like this - beyond any description in words.
For what it was worth, I thanked Allah from the bottom of my soul for giving me this. Initially, I wanted to look for the Imam and complimented him, but on second thought, I told myself not to do it.--- because I did not want to put a face to this experience and make it human. I want to maintain this as a mystery. A mystery (as I would like to believe) given to me with no explanation for it.
You see, after the prayer, I looked around me and the faces are just normal faces who had just completed their prayers. I asked myself , why aren’t these people affected. If not in tears , at least with a special look to tell me that they heard it too. Haaa---I'm dreaming all this .......
I didn’t see them doing it. Didn’t they hear it ? Or is there something wrong with me ?
(This was written on the first Raya in the rented apartment at Air Keroh. Am alone here and I waited the whole day to write my experience. I could only do so until after 9.00pm but could not post this as there is no internet connection – wireless or otherwise (..and it sucks big time …)…So have to post this when I get back to KL tomorrow. I do not want to post this in my other blog for fear of ridicule -- but then why shouldn't I. Maybe I would - .......................)"
"Of John Lennon and Suatu hari di Hari Raya ……?
Another Raya eve… and what have we done… another year older … and the next one has begun…
The above words actually come from John Lennon’s song, ‘So This Is Christmas “with slight modification. . I remember watching this video over and over again when I was a student in UK. And even much more so after he was killed by a lunatic. At that time it also showed his mate, Yoko Ono, Japanese, mourning his death. Yoko Ono had been a loyal friend and mate to the late John.
So what has the title of my blog got to do with John or Yoko? Nothing –other than the beautiful lyrics of that song. I can only think of M Nasir’s to match John’s.
Anyway , this morning, as every year, I went to the locale Mosque to fulfill my Eid obligatory prayer. These prayers are always special to me. While listening to the Takbir, my mind would often wonder. The years gone by , the places I’ve been and seen , the people I knew and know ---all these would just flashed thru my mind.
When the prayer started, I was stumped – by the Imam . The way he recited the surah , the clarity, the melody and most of all the tenderness with which his voice radiated in the mosque to all the members of the congregation. I just stood there and I could not stop the tears from flowing. The voice was truly filled with love as it gives out the words which I do not even know the meaning of--and yet was so meaningful as if I understood every word of it at that moment. Indeed it’s the most beautiful recitation I have ever ever heard, And really, I have never ever been so affected by a prayer as much as this morning. And it was all because of this man!
The melody simply fits in and as I was standing there, drops of my tears continually welled up in my eyes and I could not stopped it.. I was sniffing away and have never truly felt this way during a Raya prayer as today. I was definitely moved and humbled by this experience. I wish I could describe it better. Or maybe it was meant to be like this - beyond any description in words.
For what it was worth, I thanked Allah from the bottom of my soul for giving me this. Initially, I wanted to look for the Imam and complimented him, but on second thought, I told myself not to do it.--- because I did not want to put a face to this experience and make it human. I want to maintain this as a mystery. A mystery (as I would like to believe) given to me with no explanation for it.
You see, after the prayer, I looked around me and the faces are just normal faces who had just completed their prayers. I asked myself , why aren’t these people affected. If not in tears , at least with a special look to tell me that they heard it too. Haaa---I'm dreaming all this .......
I didn’t see them doing it. Didn’t they hear it ? Or is there something wrong with me ?
(This was written on the first Raya in the rented apartment at Air Keroh. Am alone here and I waited the whole day to write my experience. I could only do so until after 9.00pm but could not post this as there is no internet connection – wireless or otherwise (..and it sucks big time …)…So have to post this when I get back to KL tomorrow. I do not want to post this in my other blog for fear of ridicule -- but then why shouldn't I. Maybe I would - .......................)"
# posted by sunnyside up @ 7:09 PM 
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