A cool breeze swept across the face. Bright lights illuminate the beautiful dome. Starry dots scattered across the dark sky. It was squashed by a loud voice that beckoned in the distance ringing around the dome. A voice urging us to pray. I sat there, in the middle of the UKM Mosque. Looking sideways and backwards. As if searching for someone. I waited and waited. He didn’t come. A dear friend of mine was supposed to be meeting me here tonight. And suddenly I remembered that he couldn’t be here. Not now. I smirked and laughed by myself. Half-cursing him. He’ll only be back tomorrow I remembered.
A thought gathered pace inside me. This was the same spot that I sat to meet up with friends at the mosque. It’s been 11 years I think. I don’t know why but we usually tend to meet up at this very same spot without even discussing about it beforehand. Memories were carved here.
I pondered, Ramadhans had always been dear to me. Trials and tribulations followed by success and happiness. And it always had a major impact on me as person and how I see life. But the early memories always stick the most.
Year after year pass by and we seldom notice nor care about how it had pass us by. We treat is as routine time and again. There are many things associated with Ramadan. Grown-ups treat it differently with that of a kid. As a kid, fasting was something that is considered an achievement that would make you be in the league of grown-ups. Did we know why were fasting then? No. Did we understand the significance of the month? The Tarawih prayers? No. But fasting was something you want to do as a child. It was thrilling to say the least. Childhood memories. We all had them. Yours might be the same as mine or may be totally different, but here are some to share.
Getting up for Sahur : This was the toughest part of fasting. I still cant understand how the parents could be so cheery and wide awake for the meal in the middle-of-the-night. All the ‘I already ate a lot last night’ and ‘I can fast without eating’ would not work as an excuse not be waken up for Sahur. And because of not wanting to lose sleep, we would keep our eyes shut all the while eating. Oh, what a scene at the table.
School : It was always going to hard not eating at school. I would rather sleep than waste my precious energy on learning. Learning was hard you know! And what’s with the empty canteens? And I always wondered back then, why some girls brought water bottles with them? Weren’t they fasting as well? And we boys sometimes would keep spitting as afraid to keep to the belief, as nothing is to enter the mouth. That was then though.
After School : The countdown began. This is the most taxing moment. Its time to have a shower once again! Sometimes during the shower, a sip of water happened to just fly by into the mouth. And aaahhhhh. That’s better. Ops.
Iftaar preparations : Everyone had to help. And whoever enters the kitchen first would get the easiest job. Sometimes just bringing out the plates or setting up the table. The latecomer (my little brother usually) had to help mum prepare some of the dishes. Cut veggies or salads. That’s a no for me.
Iftaar : This is the time that I have been waiting for the whole day. Lots of food. The eyes widen and with dates in the hand. Everyone waited for the sound of the wonderful Azan. And then, as soon as the 1st sound of Azan is heard, we all would tuck in to the foods withouth being invited. Sometimes, our parents would make us stop because we forgot to recite the dua. After eating a lot, the drowsiness started to creep in and would be in no mood to go the mosque after that.
Tarawih Prayes : Remembering all the fun and friends at the Mosque, I would be all pumped up. For Isya’ prayers, I would behave and pray by my dads side. But when Tarawih comes, the time had come. I would be free to play. We would throw our songkoks and would play handballs. And would jump, run and slide all around the UKM Mosque. And when the prayers are on the last rakaat, we would run back and pray at the back all sweating. Oh the time. And not to mention the firecrackers. That would really annoy the Imam.
There are many other Ramadhan memories carved along the way. Perhaps we would, one day, relate them to the next generation and also be able to observe the new memories they will create. The memories that will colour our lives and theirs.
THE PONDERER 
Ramadhan Mubarak !
Yeah , I totally remember ramadhan in my nearest mosque as well. When everyone was so keen at finishing with the imam, I ‘ll have so much to catchup with friends at the back , doing our on ‘saf’. When ruku’ starts, we’ll start rushing to now catchup with the rakaat.
and that doesn;t count for some of the kids there who would settle their terrawikh by just ‘doing’ a ‘ tahiyyat akhir’ just for the sake of their parents seeing from in front!
How great is this month, and how much innocence do we have as a child?
Oh , may Allah forgive the past, and may This Ramadhan be accepted insyaALlah…
and ! may that friend whose always looking around just after isya’ repent as well.AMIN.
Salam bro.
Ramdhan Mubarak !
Haha. That would ‘save’ the energy of standing a long time rite? haha.
Yeah, I used to do the
thing. It is usually done rite after tired of playing n having lots of fun “exploring” the masjid. I must say, the masjid is big. A lot of places to go n see.
N u know the thing that I love about it all. That there would be ice-syrup for drinks when we’re tired of playing. Well it is usually left overs from iftar. But still…slurpppppp.
May this Ramdhan be the best up until now. InsyaAllah.
p/s: Looking forward to seeing u in that spot soon. next week iA 🙂
Hahaha.hilarious.
Dunno why do we share the same experiences back then. And why do u share about “2-in-1”-at-the-shower thing and handball games we had! they are top secret..hahaha. can’t stop laughing until then!
Salam Bro.
Ramdhan Mubarak! How r u?
Yeah, we share a lot of experiences back then. I must say, I miss those times. The experiences that we had, would be forever remembered. Not just in Ramdhan for that fact.
Its TOP SECRET rite? hehe.
p/s: Skang ni byk solat terawih kat masjid mane? Ada nak recommend mane2 ke?
Yeh, jom tarawih kat UIA. Imam mmg mantop2 imported punya. Ibadah lebih menghampiri sunnah, insyaALLAH. atau nak jadi my makmum pun ok, tapi suara out sikit la…hehe
Oh ya, jgn lupa 10 mlm terakhir kita pulun i’tikaaf di UIA, kalau free. Kalau jadi, do tell me k. sebab bese akan terputus dari dunia luar waktu tu…:)
Salam yeh, semua-semua yang komen ni sekampung bangi mari….
ha’ah memang seronok pk zaman kecik2..hidup tak pk macam2…
makin besar makin banyak tanggungjawab, tanggungjawab membentuk generasi yang lebih baik dari kita. Sungguh macam tak sedar masa jalan sangat cepat, tup tup dah habis study, and bigger responsibilty awaits..
neway, nice shot la entry ni.. keep on writing..k salam
Perkara yg paling menakutkan bila kita fikir sendiri. Generasi sekarang tak cam kita dulu. Kalau kita dulu nakal, still kita hormat orang lain, orang lebih tua. Kalau buat salah mintak maaf. Sekarang dah lain.
Sebab tu sgt wajar cara dakwah kita pun berubah. Dunia sudah jadi tanpa sempadan. Kita yg perlu turun padang dan berhadapan dgn generasi baru, bukan tungu diorang datang kat kita.
Wallahua’lam.