Another (awaited) Ramadhan, another spring in Manchester (Alhamdulillah)
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.
I'm writing this entry from the comfort of my bedroom in Manchester, enjoying the 3rd day of Ramadhan 1441H amidst a pandemic lockdown. It is no doubt a totally strange experience altogether, but when Allah decrees anything to happen, it will definitely happen according to His will.
Ma shaa Allah. Despite the misery of being cooped up in this humble abode, Allah still gives us enough food, peaceful days and nights to do 'ibadah, strong Internet connection, and sanity, still. This whole experience should never be likened to being detained in a prison or even in a refugee camp as we get to still enjoy the luxuries of life albeit with minor limitations.
Ramadhan in lockdown means we don't get to spend our taraweeh at the masjid, have sumptuous iftaar with friends and families, or even visit bazar Ramadhan (-__-"). But hey, Ramadhan doesn't stop when all these can't happen, does it? Because Ramadhan is all about growing closer and closer to Allah, the One who gifts us this blessed month in the first place. And this process of muraqabah does not need to happen in the masjid or other formal institutions only; it can always take place even in our homes - especially in our homes.
Just put on the rose-tinted glasses again to see the beauties behind all this chaos.
At least we get to be more reflective about the whole situation as well as our current state of aching hearts.
At least we still have a home to go to.
At least we can still go to grocery stores to stock up our food supplies.
At least, at least, at least.
(Not to forget, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, no bazaar foods will go to waste this Ramadhan - at least in Malaysia.)
Alhamdulillah for the Internet connection. Not only will we not be bored so much (with all the resources that we can find at the tip of our fingers), but we will also be able to finish our work from home. With less commute, work can still be done with less stress - hopefully (?).
Though, to be honest, I terribly missed the 20-minute daily walk to uni.
I missed gazing at the majestic Whitworth Hall, swiping my card to enter the Ellen Wilkinson postgrad common room, and definitely meeting friends in lectures.
It's true that "you'll never miss the water till the well runs dry" ey?
I'm writing this entry from the comfort of my bedroom in Manchester, enjoying the 3rd day of Ramadhan 1441H amidst a pandemic lockdown. It is no doubt a totally strange experience altogether, but when Allah decrees anything to happen, it will definitely happen according to His will.
Ma shaa Allah. Despite the misery of being cooped up in this humble abode, Allah still gives us enough food, peaceful days and nights to do 'ibadah, strong Internet connection, and sanity, still. This whole experience should never be likened to being detained in a prison or even in a refugee camp as we get to still enjoy the luxuries of life albeit with minor limitations.
Ramadhan in lockdown means we don't get to spend our taraweeh at the masjid, have sumptuous iftaar with friends and families, or even visit bazar Ramadhan (-__-"). But hey, Ramadhan doesn't stop when all these can't happen, does it? Because Ramadhan is all about growing closer and closer to Allah, the One who gifts us this blessed month in the first place. And this process of muraqabah does not need to happen in the masjid or other formal institutions only; it can always take place even in our homes - especially in our homes.
Just put on the rose-tinted glasses again to see the beauties behind all this chaos.
At least we get to be more reflective about the whole situation as well as our current state of aching hearts.
At least we still have a home to go to.
At least we can still go to grocery stores to stock up our food supplies.
At least, at least, at least.
(Not to forget, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, no bazaar foods will go to waste this Ramadhan - at least in Malaysia.)
Alhamdulillah for the Internet connection. Not only will we not be bored so much (with all the resources that we can find at the tip of our fingers), but we will also be able to finish our work from home. With less commute, work can still be done with less stress - hopefully (?).
Though, to be honest, I terribly missed the 20-minute daily walk to uni.
I missed gazing at the majestic Whitworth Hall, swiping my card to enter the Ellen Wilkinson postgrad common room, and definitely meeting friends in lectures.
It's true that "you'll never miss the water till the well runs dry" ey?
*
Since the UK government still allows us to do one form of exercise outdoors, Aisyah & I went on an impromptu walk - with social distancing, of course - at Platt Fields Park two days ago. We went out to buy groceries (ONLY) initially; but since the weather was super nice, we decided to go to Platt Fields to enjoy the spring sunshine.
The 'exercise' inadvertently transformed into the most random one-hour park trip that I have ever taken; we plucked a bundle of wild daisies to make ourselves a daisy crown! Though the both of us were somehow bemused by this random activity of plucking daisies on a hot sunny midmorning, I told Aisyah that this moment will be reminisced as one of the best moments that she had spent outdoors in this lockdown period.
Of course, it's a wonderful time that I myself do not wish to forget either.
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