A Letter from a Journey

Masjid Daerah Kuala Penyu. 28.08.08 (27 Sya'ban 1429)

Assalamua'laykum,

My darling wife. It's been ten days since I left home to go in the path of Allah. My jamaah consists of 9 brothers including myself. Our amir is Hj. Muhammad Zain of Sg. Kantan. I am writing this letter as a sunnah of our beloved Prophet SAW. We took of from KLIA on 21 August 2008 by MAS flight to KK. Earlier at Sri Petaling markaz, I met my senior at RMC, Ustaz Yahya, who was also on his way to K.Kinabalu to join a Pakistan jamaat there as mutarjim (translator). He got a RM400+ Air Asia return ticket to Labuan, and from there taking a RM20 ferry ride to KK. We could have saved some money on flight tickets if we take the same route as him. Bu, insha'Allah, whatever way we spent our money will have countless rewards from Allah SWT. Anyway, we reached KK at around 6.35am. We prayed solat subuh with difficulties on board the flight. Sadly on our jamaah managed to pray amongst the many more Muslims on board. Two brothers from Beaufort were waiting for us at KK Airport ready with a 10-seater van to bring us to Beaufort markaz. Masjid Kg. Bingkul is a large two-storey masjid that could cater for approximately 2000-3000 persons. This Beaufort markaz is built on a wakaf land from a large Pakistani family. Many of them are actively doing the work of dakwah and tabligh. This family is also related to Musa Aman's family.

We stayed at Beaufort markaz overnight before we were tasykiled to halqah Kuala Penyu. We were driven to Kuala Penyu by Ustaz Saiful and Ustaz Haswadi's cars and by a local karkun's van. Both of the Ustazs are teaching in a local school in Beaufort. Our first route is Surau Kg. Kepayan. Masha'Allah, only one active karkun who is a mu'allaf is doing the nusrah here. All his own family had reverted to Islam but his father, mother and siblings are still non-Muslim. This mu'allaf karkun family is very poor but he had been to IPB for 4 months. He drives a car which makes our 1993 Proton Wira looks like a Rolls Royce. They lived in a shed which makes our house looks like Taj Mahal.Truly, only in Bangladesh I've seen such a place for a family to live. But this poor family, even as I'm writing this letter, is making so much nusrah to our jamaat. He drove us around tirelessly in his 1978 run-downed car to meet the local people.

We are now at the second route, Masid Nurul Hayat, a district masjid of Pekan Kuala Penyu. We had much difficulties in convincing the chairman of the masjid to let us in. Only after giving several conditions that he let us stay in. One of the condition is that our jamaat cannot cook our meals. Sobri, the mu'allaf karkun, insisted that his wife would cook for our jamaat. My dear wife, she even washed our clothes and I'm sure that they do not own any washing machine. Alhamdulillah, I believe Allah SWT makes it easy for our jamaah to eat and keep our clothes clean using the asbab of this poor family because of your nusrah of cooking and washing clothes for the several jamaat that had come to our masjid. And I remember you a lot for this khuruuj (journey)...

Ah! I'm glad that I bring along my mosquito net tent. Subhanallah! This is a drastic change from the comfort of air-conditioned room at home.

My darling wife, I'm leaving behind you to take care of our kids. Please encourage them and keep encourage them to make amal. I know sometimes it is quite frustrating but it will be easier when you show them by example. I trust that you could handle this. May Allah SWT makes it easy for you and may the kids listen and obey as obedience to you is obedience to Allah and His Rasul provided you keep encouraging them for amal. Do not discard dakwah iman yakin at the time of ta'lim.

I wish you and the kids SELAMAT BERPUASA. May this Ramadhan and all the coming Ramadhan will be the source of much blessing to all of us. Hugs and kisses to Ayesha, Imaan, Zubayr, Talhah & Abudzar.

Wassalamu'alaykum.

Abu Az-Zubayr