Be Grateful

Ramadhan is here again. I have been fasting since I was a kid, perhaps around 9 years of age. However, I can't remember much except that my mother prepared and cooked all the foods for iftar (arabic word) or sungkai (a Bugis word). No buying of food or eating out. Those practices were non-existence when I was small. I used to be the messenger in the customary exchanging of food with our neighbors. We made only one kind of kuih but when the iftar was drawing near, there would be several kinds of kuih on the table.


Our diet was quite healthy, our main protein sources were seafoods, mainly fish which were deep fried, grilled or simply boiled in assam soup. Vegetables were either boiled or stir-fried but mostly boiled. No meats except during weddings or religious celebrations such the two Eid days and aqiqah. 

Now, life has been easy. Foods are bountiful. And there is love and peace surrounding us. We are able to perform our religous obligations during Ramadhan with great ease. Alhamdulillah. Thank you to our non Muslim community who accept and tolerate us as we do them.

As I'm entering my 5 decades life on earth, the coming of Ramadhan was welcomed with reverence. It is normal to know people our age got sick or died with age related illness or with no cause at all. Death will come sooner or later and what matters most is our preparation for it. Our life in this world is just a transitional stage. We are tested with trials and tribulations and get 'marks' for them and these 'marks' will define our fate in the Hereafter when we meet out Lord. Oh Allah, have mercy on me.

"Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our Protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people" Al Baqarah:286
 Ameen.

Thank you for reading and visit me again.