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A Gathering of Muslim - lizhong - 06-17-2003
[i:b7dc4035a4][u:b7dc4035a4]Written by AMY [/u:b7dc4035a4][/i:b7dc4035a4]
Perhaps one in sorrow is likely to recall the past. One scene after the other passes through my mind today as if showing a film—thinking of the gathering at Id al-Fitr, thinking of the brothers and sisters that day. Though it is not long, I miss it so much—a true Muslim gathering.
Finishing salat al-Fajr, we several sisters started to busy with preparing a meal. Before long, one by one arrived, stretching head into the kitchen, salaaming to each other, and catching sight of what was going on inside. Feeling so friendly and kindly though some of us didn’t know the others. It made us forget fatigue at all even we had busied from morning to afternoon—so gratified to see everybody having a good meal. Then we washed up together and practiced noon prayer together with brothers in the living room while sisters in another room. That feeling was terribly nice.
I had taken part in many parties and gatherings, but none of them were between Muslims. Perhaps all here were young people so that we had no difficulty to communicate and had a good time that day. We were so grateful to Brother S, whom provided a chance for us all to get together. Brother S said that for many young brothers and sisters if you instructed religion and faith directly, in reality it should bring no effect at all. However, using a mild and indirect way may produce pretty good result. As that day, not all the participants did very well in religion—many of them merely know he or she was a descendant of Muslim，or Muslim by birth. But, just at that day, he or she felt and enjoyed the happiness between Muslim brothers and sisters—even some sisters were just standing aside and looking on. Brother S said, as a matter of fact, he or she was touched and even awed by the sight, and from that day on might start to pray. After all, we were all Huis—a Muslim minority. At the moment, your prayer set a wonderful example for those who didn’t— much effective than pure sermon.
After my prayer, watching the brothers at the living room contentedly, I am deeply moved by the true Muslim gathering for not having taken part in such one long. In the hustle and bustle of city life, we need purify our soul and need gathering of Muslims at intervals to carry out a sweeping for soul rather than wasting time on non-Muslim parties, which has nothing to learn from and leaves us nothing but emptiness after merrymaking and spree.
A moment ago, I received Brother S’s call informing me of another gathering in this weekend. Hopefully it comes earlier.
A Gathering of Muslim - lizhong - 06-17-2003
[b:17db27fa0e]The Touching of Corban [/b:17db27fa0e]
[i:17db27fa0e][u:17db27fa0e]
Written by AMY [/u:17db27fa0e][/i:17db27fa0e]
Getting through the longest winter vacation in life, the long-yearned honored Corban was coming. I stepped out the dormitory of a friend where I lodged at during the vacation all along as I finished salat al-Fajr and put on my purple hijab. Surprised eyes and whispers followed me on my way——for many times I felt obliged to take it off under the pressure of such eyes and whispers for my lack of courage. But today, thank Allah, plucking up courage, I kept it on and strode towards the bus stop. The day before yesterday several sisters and I had a date to celebrate Corban together at Madian Masjid. The bus is a bit crowded in mourning time. Swallowed up in the crowd and with the hijab on, I felt myself just like a violet floating at a sea of crowd, tender and helpless; but resolute, as if there was a mysterious power backing me from the bottom of my soul. Thank for it, I could get myself never lost even I was a violet at a sea of crowd——it was from the guide of Allah and the innermost al-iman that delivered me nerve.
I got off at Beitaipingzhuang when time was early enough. Sunny sunshine shed on my body, warm and tender. With purple hijab on and welcoming morning sunshine I walked on the street of Beijing, a feeling of serenity and peacefulness arose quietly, imperceptible of what was happening around me. At the moment, I felt I got into the glory from Allah, everything unhappy and the heart-struck matters in the vocation suddenly became nothing to speak of. The shattered self-confidence came back to me afresh. Thank Allah, You gave me self-confidence, encouraging me to go out with hijab on; Thank Allah, You made me advance welcoming the mourning sunshine of the Corban. Thank Allah, You filled sunshine into my soul, poured the self-confidence afresh that might have disappeared completely into my heart. I was neither lonely nor tender. Allah co-existed with perseverance; Allah shall always arrange something when one was in difficulty. So that one must never say something hopeless.
Welcoming sunshine, I came to Madian Masjid in this way. Familiar white prayer caps and hijabs, not being seen long, and Madian Masjid where I had a special memory of half a day——all these gave me a impulse to cry. Stepping into the Masjid, melodious recitation of the Koran reverberated over the prayer hall, so perfect and harmonious, every signal was washing the soul of us.
Then, an imam talked about al-iman, the significance of prayer. Prophet said, if a man washed five times everyday in the river in front of his house, then did he has dirt in his body? The answer was no; and then, if a man prayed five times everyday, washing his soul five times everyday, did he has dirt in his soul? The answer was no either. Payer is a regular duty for Mu’mins, it is from the innermost need of oneself rather than some disciplines of Allah. We need to ask for forgiveness from Allah by five times prayers everyday, ask for salaam and well-being—in a word, everything nice and beautiful.
After salat al-Idayn, an amiable aunt salaamed everyone she met and embraced every Muslimah in the doorway. With the eyes filled with tears, she said: “Thank Allah, I am so happy today to meet so many young people here. Jiaomen (religion) can’t count on our aged and hopefully we can see you again on next Juma. ” I went to her and greeted her with salaam, she hugged me, tightly. Tears accumulating for long fell down my check in lines, a sensation of warmth and inspiration filled into my heart. A sister not far away distributed candied Chinese-dates to everyone in celebration of fast breaking. Undergoing some unbearable blow and injury in my life, which I had supposed I couldn’t burden, I had been praying Allah all along for confidence, nerve as well as perseverance. Today, I got it! at the joyous and honored Corban and at age-old Madian Masjid. Heartful awe and touching, and the most pure-hearted affection between humans in the path of belief at Masjid and on Corban; the love and trust among brothers and sisters, the feeling of affability can be find no elsewhere. In the society indulging in creature comforts, it is no easy thing to deal with the relation between humans. But here, there is nothing to worry about. Everything here is so sincere and natural. The belief and love I had been seeking for lone are all here now.
Stepped out of the prayer hall, I saw a row of goats for the Corban lying on the yard, motionlessly. They must know where they go is paradisiacal, I believe. The signs of Allah’s existence can be found everywhere, which need to be comprehended by heart.
At the gate, I ran into Professor Lin Song, Chinese translator of the Koran. I had read some of his books before, whose name was so familiar because it had been spoken of often. But I didn’t expect that we could salaam each other, talk in such a close way. As an Islamic scholar, he wore a black prayer cap, amiable and modest. Real Muslim father figures should like that? I suppose.
Then, wearing hijab or white prayer caps, we visited Yi family. I was so fond of a beautiful vase there in melancholy blue. And then we went to a sister’s family, prayed together and prepared meal together
This is the true life-style of Muslim—we should have been that way. But in this bustling city, a wasteland of belief, such a life actually becomes a treasure on Ids. Bless Allah gives us confidence and spirit that we can resort to persist in our belief, our life-style rather than something appearing only on holidays.
I have so much sensation, so much touching at the Corban to write down, which maybe is out of my mood. I feel I have undergone an earth-shaking change. The old thing in my memory is just like something happened in another world. Bless Allah grant me the character of perseverance so that I can burden the test from Allah and keep up to be a violet at a vast sea of crowd in the bustling city.
A Gathering of Muslim - lizhong - 06-17-2003
AMY, the author, is a Muslim girl from the western region of China previously. After graduating from a University in Beijing, she works as a history teacher at a middle school in the outskirts of Beijing. During off hours, she devotes herslef into the public interest cause of Muslims such as helping the primary and middle school dropouts of Muslim.
She writes a lot of articles about Muslim on some Chinese Muslim BBS. Some even published in Muslim
magazine. The one above is one of them and I translated it from Chinese into English. Hopefully you like it. If so, I will do more. Her story, as well as others, gives a vivid picture of what it is like about Chinese Muslim, including both straits and hope.