Random April

Assalamualaikum (Peace be upon you),

I haven't blogged for some time. I have been either busy, lazy or not up to it for some reason. However, today, I'm somewhat compelled to blog a bit because of this:

This is 'daging rendang' by the way. I should actually say the first picture is the post-mortem/left-over taken from my kitchen, while the second picture which is more visually-appealing is from a random website. The latter looks too good to be true, if I cooked it (I just wanted to show what rendang truly looks like...and drool over it for a bit).

Anyhow, I've decided to cook for my housemates today and nearly every time I cook something proper, I'm reminded of my mother. My mother is a great cook and I am perhaps spoilt of that, whenever I'm home. Ever since I started cooking more, i.e when I'm overseas, I feel that she must have so much patience and love to cook for us at home. Being in a family with more males than females, growing up, we (my brothers and I) were less likely to be in the kitchen helping out. To cook for us and to cook great food requires such a dedication and patience, in my opinion. I can't help think of my mother and how much she, and my father, has shaped me to be the person I am.

Today, I also remember two mothers whom I interviewed last year. One is a relatively younger single-mother bringing up her young children alone.  The other is also a single, mother, be it retired, trying to make sure her bills are paid for, even though her children are all grown up. I don't know what happened to them. I pray that their patience and perseverance to do the best they can, be rewarded in one form or another.

I never forget, and I hope I never do forget, this particular saying of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), as compiled by Bukhari and Muslim.

Narrated Abu Huraira:
A man came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Who is more entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man said. "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man further said, "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man asked for the fourth time, "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your father. "

All in all, I hope and pray that I do my mother (and father) justice by doing what I do. I also pray that the mothers I met be assisted and get their wishes. And I also pray that we never forget.

Peace,

Umar