Monday 28 July 2014

My 10th Hari Raya Celebration.. And A Miracle.

Assalamualaikum friends..

Wow, I think I have never given salam on this blog before. Have I? Sorry, I'm too lazy to check. Hehe.. So today is the first day of Syawal for 2014 otherwise known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri/Eid Mubarak. It also signifies my 10th time celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri as a Muslim revert. I can't believe it's been that long! Anyways, I would like to share with you a short story this Eid. It is about something that happed yesterday and today that made me very happy.

My parents had just known of my conversion for the past 5 years. When they knew, it was hard for them to swallow because they have strong faith in the Christian religion. Alhamdulillah, they did not beat me or disown me like some of my other less fortunate fellow reverts. It took them a while to accept and it is still a work in progress.

My parents have this practice of muting the sound of Azan/Athan whenever it comes on TV. To say that they are not a fan is an undestatement indeed. Hence when the Takbir Raya sounded last night, I expected my mum to mute the sound when she picked up the remote. Instead, she merely turned down the volume and left the sound on.

It is a simple action my friends, but it spoke volumes to me. It signifies acceptance and respect towards my beliefs, something I had never expected to see. I kept quiet, afraid to make even a peep in case it breaks the 'magic' of what I was seeing. A tear dropped from the corner of my eye and I wiped it away discreetly. Thank you Allah.

This morning I got ready for work. When I ran into my mum in the living room, we looked at each other awkwardly for a split second before she opened her arms, took a step forward towards me and said,"Selamat Hari Raya". I stepped forward, accepted her hug, kissed her hand and asked for her forgiveness. "Whatever it is, we are still family" I said. "Of course", she said and both of us started crying. She gave me a few words of advice and told me to eat breakfast.

A few minutes later my dad came into the living room as well and I immediately went to him, kissed his hand and asked for his forgiveness. "It's okay", he said and patted me on the shoulder. I realized that today was the first time that I had ever kissed my parents' hands and asked for their forgiveness as was customary during Raya Aidilfitri. It's so surreal but then again anything is possible when Allah SWT wants it to be. Thank you Allah.

To fellow reverts who are still having a hard time with family members accepting your Islamic Faith, do not despair and to potential reverts, do not let fear stop you from doing what feels right. Allah SWT is Great and nothing happens without His permission. Stick fast, persevere and ask for His help. In shaa Allah, He will give more that you'd ever imagine. Amin.

Alhamdulillah, this is the most wonderful gift that I have ever received from Allah SWT aside from the Islamic Faith. It gave a spring to my step and made me more determined to move forward and leave the past behind and become a better Muslimah. In shaa Allah, Amin.


As an end to this post I would like to wish a very Happy Eid Mubarak to all friends, family and readers who are celebrating. Drive carefully and eat responsibly peeps. Toodles!




Love,
Phyllicia

No comments:

Post a Comment