The 9th & The 10th Zulhijjah 1428

Eid Adha this year was on the 20th December 2007 on a wet monsoon season. Some states in Peninsular Malaysia; was underwater, besieged by weeks of heavy downpour and floodings - the worst being in Kelantan,Pahang,Johore and Kedah. Thousands (20,0000 +) spending their Eid Adha in Relief Centers. Most rural peasants had lost their live stocks, while others, their possessions.

Alhamdullillah my village Tanjong Bayan was not effected by flood, maybe because the Imperial British Malaya Administration before Malayan Independence had successfully grid the Malay Reserve Lands with proper irrigation system. Although now the monsoon drains are very much neglected and far from good meantenance, I remember Kampung Tanjung Bayan never at any time experience flooding.
However to the Malaysian Muslim al large, the wet season: heavy rain and the floods did not dempened their spirit of Aidil Adha. Undauntedly they braved the downpours and the floods in their ritual homeward or 'balik kampong' exodus.

I was one of them. This year was my 3rd Eid Adha at my kampung.

So in anticipation of flash floods and heavy downpour along the 200 km+ ‘balik kampung’ trip on the eve of Eid Adha, I changed route, instead choose the Expressway to the north rather than the usual coastal road via Kelang, Tanjung Karang and Sabak Bernam. Unfortunately, the highway traffic too was heavy since morning. At certain point vehicles travelled at ‘snail speed’. Lucky though there was no heavy downpour along the way.

I prayed hard for the safe journey. Thank Allah for His blessings. I safely reached my destination on time.

My plan was to be with the kampong folks for the Maghrib prayer, reciting the Hari Raya Takbir; followed after Isha Prayer with the reciting Surah Yassin and Tahlil and a Kenduri Kesyukuran - feasting. This was the 3rd year in a row my family and the village folks organized the event.

The congregation began on the eve of AidilAdha on the 19th. through special Eid Adha Prayer & Reception, 'Ibadah Korban', and luncheon feasting on the 20th Dec.07. It was drizzling as I reached Mardarsah Ahmadiah Parit 25 Baruh a few minutes before the azan Maghrib. I was met on arrival by the Imam Haji Jumari ( a childhood friend ) and soon the whole ‘jemaah’ joined in. I was enthralled on the big turnout. Additional prayer area was prepared to house the big congregation. The evening event lasted till 11.00 pm.

The special Eid Adha prayer, followed by Eid Adha 'open house brunch', Ibadah Korban and luncheon on the next day saw a bigger turnout, including some Indonesia foreign workers from the nearby factories, and some of my home coming relatives.It was a job well executed. We slaughtered 3 cattle. The kampong folks, young and old helped to cut the meat, equally weight and wrapped to be distributed to the poor and needy peasants as far as the adjacent villages and squatter areas. It was a team output. Each member played their role well and without fuss, true to the ‘gotong ruyong’ - togetherness spirits still alive and well practiced in rural villages till the present day.The event was symbolically a novel cause, worth repeating.

Insyaalah.

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“ Those who (in charity) spend off their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public, have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”
Surah Al-Bukarah, ayat 274.