Assalamualaikum
The kuliah after isya' class ended, and we gathered at the pantry to have some light refreshments before leaving the masjid. An unknown makcik pulled me by the arm, and settled me down in her 'clique', to eat together. A du'a was recited, and everyone started to dig in. But I've been keeping to a rather strict diet routine. It has become a habit that I have been trying to keep (strictly no eating, after 7pm) and the time on the clock reads, 10.30pm.
I wasn't the slightest bit hungry and so I decided not to eat. Also, the portion of briyani rice was waaaaay too much. With large bits of chicken and mutton meat, all smacked into one dulang. Then said Makcik A: "Jangan malu-malu la dik. Makan aje."
I smiled, and took a small bite, out of adab's sake. I stopped eating after about 3 mouthful of feeds and sipped my tea. I took pleasure in sipping the tea, taking my own sweet time to finish it, hoping that the other 3 makcik will forget about my existence in their clique, and help to finish up the briyani for me. But I was wrong.
Realising that I had stopped eating, the three makcik(s) reminded that it was highly encouraged to finish up every single grain of rice. One added, "nanti nasi nangis.", and even provided a hadith to support her statement. I wasn't too sure about the validity of the hadith though. The hadith could either be sahih, weak, or even invalid. But who was I too judge, for I am not an 'alim in this field and my knowledge of hadith is still very limited. So I took a neutral view, and continued to eat...still, with the small bites.
At that point of time, I felt a little frustrated as I thought about all the extra calories I'd be sleeping with for the night. Then as though they could sense my frustration, Makcik B mentioned: "Kita ni, sampai ke tua dapat makan dengan kenyang. Nabi kita dulu tu, makan tak pernah kenyang." Then there was a short silence between us.
In the silence, I recalled about how Rasulullah and his companions once used to tie stones around their stomach in an effort to overcome hunger.
Abu Talhah r.a says: "We complained to Rasulullah s.a.w about the severe pangs of hunger, and showed him the stones fastened on our stomachs. A stone was fastened on the stomach of every one of us due to severe hunger. Rasulullah s.a.w then showed us two stones fasted onto his stomach. From that, we know that Rasulullah s.a.w experienced more hunger than we did, and he had spent a longer period than us since he had last eaten." [Riwayat Imam Tirmizi]
A short commentary on the hadith:
It was a custom among the people of Madinah at that time, that they would fasten stones onto their stomachs when they experienced severe pangs of hunger. This was done so that they do not feel weak while walking, and to avoid wind from building up in the stomach. Some of the 'ulama are of the opinion that this stone, is a special type of stone in Madinah known as, mishba'ah. Allah swt has put this peculiarity in this stone that if it is worn, it will cool the pangs of hunger. Wallahu'alam bi sawaab. [Source: www.hadithcollection.com]
Subhanallah, and here, I have a dulang of free briyani rice laid right before my very eyes and instead of showing gratitude, I worried about calories instead. Oh dear me.
Then, Makcik C gently pat me on my shoulders and with a smile, she calmly said: "Makan pelan-pelan ye dik. Kita habiskan sama-sama. Rezeki ni dik. Niatkan agar nasi ini jadi sumber kekuatan untuk kita beribadah nanti."
Masyaallah. Such beautiful akhlak they've got. They were so polite when they 'tegur' me, and I am still amazed at how dakwah can reach us, in a circumstance when we least expect it. Allah's way of bringing us, His servant out from the light of darkness, is indeed worthy of our ponder and praise. Alhamdulillah. Allahuakbar
p/s: Picture courtesy from google, as I was too shy to snap a picture of the real briyani at the event. Kuliah was conducted at Masjid Kassim, Kembangan.
The soul still seeking for peace,
Suhaidah Amran
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