On the Fast Lane

Just back on a short hop for a couple of days in Singapore.

The city was gearing up for Formula 1 race next week. The preparation was quite astonishing especially around the Marina area whose roads are part of the circuit. The roads are starting to be barricaded and spotlights that will brighten up the area during race time seemed to be switched on all the time - this may be to ensure that everything to run smoothly on the race day when it matters.

But for the race itself, taking place next weekend, I could not imagine how the F1 cars could race up to 320km/hr on the road that my taxi could only zoomed no faster than 100 km/hr.

We had dinner by the side of Singapore River around the area where Stamford Raffles’s statue stands. The whole place has been rejuvenated into an interesting touristic and leisure area. The river, used to be liked an open sewer with horrible stench, has now been transformed into a clean and recreational waterway. Indeed the walkways on the river banks were crowded by joggers and early restaurant goers.

Across the river, one could see a significant and old landmark. The OCBC, 52 floors high, used to be the tallest building on the Island and even in the world outside USA when I was here during my study 32 years ago. Now it is dwarfed by many buildings round it. When looking at the whole area, there seemed to be no end to constructing new buildings, roads, subways and so on. The whole city is still on the fast lane.

Gerimis diMalam Raya

What a night! I went early to the mosque last night for the Isya prayer. I was also planning to perform the Terawih prayer, thinking tomorrow would be another day of fasting. As we were performing the Isya prayer, the sky opened up. Within 5 minutes, during the prayer, the whole place was hit by a flash flood. The water level went up by up to a metre almost in an instant. By the time we were able to check outside, our cars were already surrounded by water. We couldn't do anything, only to watch the situation escalating to worst and feeling utterly helpless. The water had entered all the cars or completely submerged a few within the mosque compounds.

As we waited for the water level to recede, even worse things awaited the jemaah. The water level actually continued to go up and started to enter the mosque. By the end of the night, most of mosque's carpetings were wet and nothing much could be done to save them. I got stranded for two hours and by the time I left the mosque, the water level was only starting to recede. My 4-wd car was flooded inside but I still felt very lucky and fortunate as other jemaah faced even worse fate. Some have to abandon their cars for the night and only to retrieve them in the morning.

So what a night, on the eve of Hari Raya, for the jemaah and our mosque to be faced with an unexpected predicament. The morning Hari Raya prayer on the next day had to be done elsewhere. The regular jemaah of 2000 strong had to spread themselves to the various mosques nearby.

A Miracle

Yesterday, thick and dark clouds shrouded the whole sky in our place. Then rains started to pour at around 5 pm, gaining intensity as the day was ending and dawn started to set in much earlier than usual. That was the hour when the moon was supposed to be sighted to see if tomorrow was to be another day of fasting or the start of Hari Raya. We were full of confidence to the point of total certainty that the moon could not be sighted and that we had to perform another day of fasting. But what a miracle........amidst the dark clouds, the religious and surveying officers were able to sight the moon. And of all the places in Bumi Bertuah, it was at our place, at the time when the heaven and sky were shrouded by dark clouds, the moon was sighted. God is most powerful and most merciful.

Setting Own Destiny

The last ten days of Ramadan - a very special period - and yet mostly ignored. It is no doubt a very challenging period to stay on course on increasing our ibadah in this modern world. But a few nights ago was somewhat special. We were joined by a small boy during our tedarus. Barely 5 years old, he recited the surah so well that he made my heart tremble. Indeed it is pleasing to have him in the group.

During this Ramadan, we are proud to say that we have not set foot to any restaurant for breaking of fast. It's just that the whole spirit of Ramadan, abstaining oneself from the normal pleasure of life, to cleanse our spirit and to raise our soul to higher spiritual level, do not jive with lavishing oneselves with excessive eating especially when presented with a sumptuous buffet spread.