Menyambut Bulan Syawal dengan hikmahNya

Afghan girl with complicated stories

Her name remained unknown for 17 years yet amazed the whole world. 

It was 3 Syawal night, also means 1 September 2011.. One day after Hari Merdeka. I was standing in front of a burger stall at Kepala Batas city, Penang. While my wife and daughter were staying in the car.. I was looking at the Kalimah Allah SWT and Prophet Muhammad SAW logo that sticked at stall's glass cupboard. Indeed it is rare to see any burger stall with islamic stickers.

Buying burger at roadside was not our first aim.. I was intended to bring my wife and daughter to have some delicious dinner at restaurant, especially it was a great family moment in celebrating bulan syawal. While we reached Fried Chicken fast food restaurant, every queue line was long till entrance.. The hall was full of people standing still and sweating a bit. After we waiting for 20 minutes and queue remain unmoved, we went out from restaurant and look for other alternatives.


While driving in the night of bandar Kepala Batas, we can see every Mamak and Tom Yam restaurant were crowded with numerous customer. Thought of having Nasi Arab stall that held up at roadside, however we gave up too with the long queue at counter and impatient peoples who waiting to be seated. We have the same frustrated situation after visit few more restaurant. The crowd have been come out of nowhere in this little city.

At last we decided to buy some burger at small stall. Better than nothing.. Especially my daughter have been feeling sleepy.

"Abang long... Cepat lah sikit, kami dah penat menungguh dah..." I saw there are few kids standing within fence at leftside of building, some of them even grabbing at the top of fence that full of metal thorn (3 Meter height). I didn't really pay much attention to those kid who standing within porch of building.

"Korang jangan memanjat pagar! Cepat turun balik !!" The burger seller was shouting at them. They remained still and looking at him.

It seems a very long while to wait for the burgers served, so I went back to the car and rest a while. After entered car my wife hand over me bunch of one Ringgit money paper. "Would you do me a favor?" she added, " Please help me to give RM 1.00 to everyone of them who staying behind that fence."

My wife told me what happened while I was ordering burger. She turn off the car engine and pull down the car window, those kids started to calling her.

"Makcik... Dia ni, dia ni.... (pointing at his friend who staying beside) Dia berkata sekarang ni dah musim Hari Raya, dia pun teringin nak beraya juga. Kan? betul kan?"

"Makcik... Boleh tak bagi kami duit raya? Seringgit pun cukup dah makcik..." Other kids were looking at my wife, telling the same thing in silent.

"I think they are anak yatim, as you can see they are wearing the same uniform." My wife explained to me, "Moreover I am feeling pity of them, by the way do you have more RM1 cash?"

"Why don't we just give RM10 to them? It is more easier."
"Nope, it will be unfair and there are more than 10 kids inside there I guess."

Therefore, I was standing outside of fence and giving duit Raya RM1 to each of them. I was wishing them Selamat Hari Raya and look more closer at them, all of them seems like just age about 8-9 years old. While I hand over the money, I can see their face was highly appreciated with the little money and telling me "Thank you uncle". Honestly, I never seen any kid feeling so satisfied with just one ringgit duit raya.

We always spend too much money on luxury.
We keep telling ourselves just spend few more ringgits only, no big deal... just pay higher price and we may get better enjoyment. Enjoy life, we keep reminding ourselves about that.

However we always forgotten the Rezeki we earned also being commanded by God to give out a part to those who really needed. No matter we are wealthy or middle class citizen, as Muslim we still reminded to donate.

Dan segeralah kamu kepada (mengerjakan amal-amal yang baik untuk mendapat) keampunan dari Tuhan kamu, dan (mendapat) Syurga yang bidangnya seluas segala langit dan bumi, yang disediakan bagi orang-orang yang bertaqwa; Iaitu orang-orang yang mendermakan hartanya pada masa senang dan susah, dan orang-orang yang menahan kemarahannya, dan orang-orang yang memaafkan kesalahan orang. Dan (ingatlah), Allah mengasihi orang-orang yang berbuat perkara-perkara yang baik.

(Ali Imran : 133-134)

Do we have to donate in limited time of Ramadhan month and celebrating Syawal with excessive expenses? Forgetting those orphans and poor one who still suffering whole time of their life? We shouldn't put our donates as seasonal habits, as if we are being generous only one month in every single year. Perhaps the one ringgit money mean nothing to us, but it does mean a lot to those who really needed.

While Muslims are celebrating Bulan Syawal happily, there are also group of people who have no family and relatives wishing them. They are staying still inside the Rumah Kanak-kanak and looking at people celebrating syawal outside of their world. Their ages might be small but they are also hunger for the feeling of having family, joining others in celebrating syawal, running around with no worries like other kids. Those fence separated them significantly from the world they should have, but most of us have been overlooked their existence in our own happiness and laughters.



I will never forget the smiles on their face and tiny hand shaken with appreciate
I never realize that tiny amount of money does mean a lot in their eyes