Anak Derhaka ~~~ Benar..!
Hairan saya melihat beberapa orang kampung berkumpul di kedai pada tengahhari itu. 1September 1994. Serius mereka berbual hingga dahi berkerut-kerut. Lepas seorang bercerita yang lain menggeleng-gelengkan kepala.
Pasti ada sesuatu yang 'besar' sedang mereka bincangkan, kata saya di dalam hati. Setelah enjin motosikal dimatikan, saya berjalan ke arah mereka.
" Bincang apa tu? Serius aku tengok," saya menyapa.
" Haaa...Din, kau tak pergi tengok budak perempuan tak boleh keluar dari kubur emak dia? " kata Jaimi, kawan saya.
" Budak perempuan? Tak boleh keluar dari kubur? Aku tak faham bah," jawab saya. Memang saya tak faham kerana lain benar apa yang mereka katakan itu.
" Macam ni," kata Jaimi, lalu menyambung, " di kubur kat kampung Batu 10 tu, ada seorang budak perempuan tolong kebumikan emak dia, tapi lepas itu dia pula yang tak boleh keluar dari kubur tu.
Sekarang ni orang tengah nak keluarkan dia... tapi belum boleh lagi ".
" Kenapa jadi macam tu? " saya bertanya supaya Jaimi bercerita lebih mendalam. Patutlah serius sangat mereka berbual..
Jaimi memulakan ceritanya. Kata beliau, memandangkan semalam adalah hari kelepasan semperna Hari Kebangsaan, budak perempaun berumur belasan tahun itu meminta wang daripada ibunya untuk keluar bersama kawan-kawan ke Bandar Sandakan. Bagaimana pun, ibunya yang sudah berusia dan sakit pula enggan memberikannya wang.
" Bukannya banyak, RM 20 aja mak! " gadis itu membentak.
" Mana emak ada duit. Mintak dengan bapa kamu," jawab ibunya perlahan.
Sambil itu dia mengurut kakinya yang sengal. Sudah bertahun-tahun dia mengidap darah tinggi,lemah jantung dan kencing manis.
" Maaak... kawan-kawan semuanya keluar. Saya pun nak jalan jugak," kata gadis itu.
" Yalah, mak tau... tapi mak tak ada duit," balas ibunya.
" RM 20 aja! " si gadis berkata.
" Tak ada," jawab ibunya.
" Emak memang kedekut! " si gadis mula mengeluarkan kata-kata keras.
" Bukan macam tu ta..." belum pun habis ibunya menerangkan, gadis tersebut menyanggah, katanya,
" Ahhh...sudahlah emak! Saya tak mau dengar! "
" Kalau emak ada du... " ibunya menyambung , tapi belum pun habis kata-katanya, si gadis memintas lagi, katanya ;
" kalau abang, boleh, tapi kalau saya minta duit, mesti tak ada! "
Serentak dengan itu, gadis tersebut menyepak ibunya dan menolaknya ke pintu. Si ibu jatuh ke lantai.
" Saida.. Sai.. dddaaa.." katanya perlahan sambil mengurut dada.
Wajahnya berkerut menahan sakit.
Gadis tersebut tidak menghiraukan ibunya yang terkulai di lantai. Dia sebaliknya masuk ke bilik dan berkurung tanda protes. Di dalam bilik, dibalingnya bantal dan selimut ke dinding. Dan sementara di luar, suasana sunyi sepi.
Hampir sejam kemudian, barulah gadis tersebut keluar. Alangkah terkejutnya dia kerana ibunya tidak bergerak lagi. Bila dipegang ke pergelangan tangan dan bawah leher, tidak ada lagi nadi berdenyut.
Si gadis panik.. Dia meraung dan menangis memanggil ibunya,tapi tidak bersahut. Meraung si gadis melihat mayat ibunya itu. Melalui jiran-jiran, kematian wanita itu diberitahu kepada bapa gadis yang bekerja di luar.
Jaimi menyambung ceritanya; " Mak cik tu dibawa ke kubur pukul 12.30 tadi.
Pada mulanya tak ada apa-apa yang pelik, tapi bila mayatnya nak dimasukkan ke dalam kubur, ia jadi berat sampai dekat 10 orang pun tak terdaya nak masukkannya ke dalam kubur. Suaminya sendiri pun tak dapat bantu."
" Tapi bila budak perempuan tu tolong, mayat ibunya serta-merta jadi ringan. Dia seorang pun boleh angkat dan letak mayat ibunya di tepi kubur."
Kemudian gadis berkenaan masuk ke dalam kubur untuk menyambut jenazah ibunya.. Sekali lagi beramai-ramai penduduk kampung mengangkat mayat tersebut dan menyerahkannya kepada gadis berkenaan.
Tanpa bersusah payah, gadis itu memasukkan mayat ibunya ke dalam lahad.
Namun apabila dia hendak memanjat keluar dari kubur tersebut, tiba-tiba kakinya tidak boleh diangkat. Ia seperti dipaku ke tanah. Si gadis mula cemas.
" Kenapa ni ayah? " kata si gadis. Wajahnya serta-merta pucat lesi.
" Apa pasal," Si ayah bertanya.
" Kaki Saida ni.. tak boleh angkat! " balas si gadis yang kian cemas.
Orang ramai yang berada di sekeliling kubur mula riuh. Seorang demi seorang menjenguk untuk melihat apa yang sedang berlaku.
" Ayah, tarik tangan saya ni. Kaki saya terlekat.... ... tak boleh nak naik," gadis tersebut menghulurkan tangan ke arah bapanya.
Si bapa menarik tangan anaknya itu, tetapi gagal. Kaki gadis tersebut melekat kuat ke tanah. Beberapa orang lagi dipanggil untuk menariknya keluar, juga tidak berhasil.
" Ayah...kenapa ni??!! Tolonglah Saida, ayah.." si gadis menangis memandang ayah dan adik-beradiknya yang bertinggung di pinggir kubur.
Semakin ramai orang berpusu ke pinggir kubur. Mereka cubamenariknya beramai-ramai namun sudah ketentuan Allah, kaki si gadis tetap terpasak di tanah. Tangisannya bertambah kuat.
" Tolong saya ayah, tolong saya.......kenapa jadi macam ni ayah? " kata si gadis sambil meratap.
" Itulah, kamu yang buat emak sampai dia meninggal. Sekarang, ayah pun tak tau nak buat macam mana," jawab si ayah selepas gagal mengeluarkan anaknya itu.
Dia menarik lagi tangan gadis yang berada di dalam kubur tapi tidak berganjak walau seinci pun. Kakinya tetap terpahat ke tanah.
" Emak...ampunkan Saida emak, ampunkan Saida..." gadis itu menangis.
Sambil itu dipeluk dan dicium jenazah kiblat. Air matanya sudah tidak boleh diempang lagi.
" Maafkan Saida emak, maafkan , Saida bersalah, Saida menyesal... Saida menyesal.... .. Ampunkan Saida emak," dia menangis lagi sambil memeluk jenazah ibunya yang telah kaku.
Kemudian gadis itu menghulurkan lagi tangannya supaya boleh di tarik keluar. Beramai-ramai orang cubamengeluarkannya namun kecewa. Apabila terlalu lama mencuba tetapi gagal, imam membuat keputusan bahawa kubur tersebut perlu dikambus.
" Kita kambus sedikit saja, sampai mayat ibunya tak dapat dilihat lagi. Kita tak boleh biarkan mayatnya macam tu aja... kalau hujan macam mana?" kata imam kepada bapa gadis berkenaan.
" Habis anak saya ?" tanya si bapa.
" Kita akan terus cuba tarik dia keluar. Kita buat dua-dua sekali, mayat isteri awak disempurnakan, anak awak kita selamatkan," balas imam.
Lelaki berkenaan bersetuju. Lalu seperti yang diputuskan,upacara pengebumian terpaksa diteruskan sehingga selesai, termasuk talkinnya.
Bagaimana pun kubur dikambus separas lutut gadis saja, cukup untuk menimbus keseluruhan jenazah ibunya.
Yang menyedihkan, ketika itu si gadis masih di dalam kubur. Bila talkin dibaca, dia menangis dan meraung kesedihan. Sambil itu dia meminta ampun kepada ibunya dengan linangan air mata. Selesai upacara itu, orang ramai berusaha lagi menariknya keluar. Tapi tidak berhasil.
" Bila dah lama sangat, aku balik kejap untuk makan. Dah lapar sangat. Lepas itulah aku singgah ke kedai ni. Lepas ni aku nak ke kubur lagi. Nak tengok apa yang terjadi," kata Jaimi.
" Aku pun nak pergilah," kata saya. Lalu kami semua menunggang motosikal masing-masing menuju ke kubur.
Kami lihat orang ramai sudah berpusu-pusu di sana . Beberapa buah kereta polis juga kelihatan di situ. Saya terus berjalan pantas menuju kubur
yang dimaksudkan dan berusaha menyusup ke celah-celah orang ramai yang sedang bersesak-sesak.
Setelah penat berusaha, akhirnya saya berjaya sampai kebarisan paling hadapan. Malangnya saya tidak dapat melihat gadis tersebut kerana di depan kami telah dibuat kepungan tali. Kubur itu pula beberapa puluh meter daripada kami dan terlindung oleh kubur serta pokok-pokok rimbun. Di dalam kepungan itu, anggota-anggota polis berkawal dengan senjata masing-masing.
Nasib saya memang baik hari itu. Dua tiga orang daripada polis berkenaan adalah kenalan saya.
" Pssstt...Raie. ...Raie..Psstt, " saya memanggil, Raie yang perasan saya memanggilnya mengangkat tangan.
" Boleh aku tengok budak tu? " saya bertanya sebaik saja diadatang ke arah saya.
" Mana boleh. Keluarga dia aja yang boleh," jawabnya perlahan-lahan seperti berbisik. Sambil itu dia menjeling ke kiri dan kanan, khuatir ada orang yang tahu.
" Sekejap aja. Bolehlah..." saya memujuk.....
Alhamdulillah, setelah puas dipujuk dia mengalah. Tanpa berlengah, saya menyusup perlahan-lahan dan berjalan beriringan dengan Raie, seolah-olah tidak melakukan apa-apa kesalahan. Namun demikian dada saya berdebar
kencang. Pertama, risau & takut dihalau keluar. Kedua, tidak sabar hendak melihat apa yang sedang berlaku kepada gadis berkenaan.
Selepas meredah kubur-kubur yang bertebaran, akhirnya saya sampai ke pusara yang dimaksudkan. Di pinggir kubur itu berdiri dua tiga orang polis memerhatikan kedatangan saya.
Raie mendekati mereka dan berbisik-bisik. Mungkin dia merayu supaya saya tidak dihalau. Alhamdulillah, saya lihat seorang polis yang berpangkat mengangguk-angguk. Raie terus memanggil saya lalu memuncungkan bibirnya ke arah sebuah kubur.
Bila dijenguk kedalam, dada saya serta-merta terasa sebak. Saya lihat gadis berkenaan sedang duduk di atas tanah kubur sambil menangis teresak-esak. Sebentar kemudian dia memegang tanah berhampiran lahad dan merintih;
"Emak... ampunkanlah Saida, Saida sedar, saida derhaka pada emak, Saida menyesal,
Saida menyesal.... .."
Selepas mengesat air jernih yang terus berjejeran daripada mata yang bengkak, gadis tersebut menangis lagi memohon keampunan daripada arwah ibunya. " Emak...lepaskanlah kaki saya ni. Ampunkan saya, lepaskan saya," Ditarik-tariknya kaki yang melekat di tanah namun tidak berhasil juga.
Saya lihat bapa dan adik-beradiknya menangis, di pinggir kubur. Nyata mereka sendiri tidak tahu apa lagi yang hendak dibuat untuk menyelamatkan gadis berkenaan.
" Sudahlah tu Saida...makanlah sikit nak ," rayu bapanya sambil menghulurkan sepinggan nasi juga segelas air. Si gadis tersebut langsung
tidak mengendahkan. Malah memandang ke atas pun tidak. Dia sebaliknya terus meratap meminta ampun daripada arwah ibunya.
Hampir menitis air mata saya melihat Saida. Tidak saya sangka, cerita datuk dan nenek tentang anak derhaka kini berlaku di depan mata.
Begitu besar kekuasaan Allah. Memang betullah kata para alim ulama, dosa menderhakai ibu bapa akan di balas 'tunai'.
Malangnya saya tidak dapat lama di sana . *****a 10 - 15 minit saja
kerana Raie memberitahu, pegawainya mahu saya berbuat demikian. Mahu tidak mahu, terpaksalah saya meninggalkan kubur tersebut. Sambil berjalan kedengaran lagi Saida menangis dan meratap " Ampunkan saya emak, ampunkan saya, Ya Allah, lepaskanlah kakiku ini, aku bertaubat, aku insaf..."
Lantas saya menoleh buat kali terakhir. Saya lihat bapa Saida dan adik beradiknya sedang menarik tangan gadis itu untuk dibawa keluar, tapi seperti tadi, tidak berhasil. Saya lihat seorang polis mengesatkan air matanya.
Semakin lama semakin ramai orang berhimpun mengelilingi perkuburan itu.
Beberapa kereta polis datang dan anggotanya berkawal di dalam kepungan lengkap dengan senjata masing-masing. Wartawan dan jurugambar berkerumun datang untuk membuat liputan tetapi tidak dibenarkan.
Mereka merayu bermacam-macam cara, namun demi kebaikan keluarga gadis, permintaan itu terpaksa ditolak.
Matahari kian terbenam, akhirnya tenggelam dan malam merangkak tiba. Saida masih begitu. Kaki terlekat di dalam kubur ibunya sementara dia tidak henti-henti meratap meminta keampunan. Saya pulang ke rumah dan malam itu tidak dapat melelapkan mata. Suara tangisannya terngiang-ngiang di telinga saya.
Saya diberitahu, sejak siang, tidak ada secebis makanan mahupun minuman masuk ke tekaknya. Seleranya sudah mati. Bapa dan adik beradiknya masih tetap di sisi kubur membaca al-Quran, Yassin dan berdoa. Namun telah disebutkan Allah, menderhaka terhadap ibu bapa adalah dosa yang sangat besar. Saida tetap tidak dapat dikeluarkan.
Embun mula menitis. Saida kesejukan pula. Dengan selimut yang diberi oleh bapanya dia berkelubung. Namun dia tidak dapat tidur. Saida menangis dan merayu kepada Allah supaya mengampunkan dosanya.
Begitulah yang berlaku keesokannya. Orang ramai pula tidak susut mengerumuni perkuburan itu. Walaupun tidak dapat melihat gadis berkenaan tapi mereka puas jika dapat bersesak-sesak dan mendengar orang-orang bercerita.
Setelah empat atau lima hari terperangkap, akhirnya Saida meninggal dunia.
Mungkin kerana terlalu lemah dan tidak tahan di bakar kepanasan matahari pada waktu siang dan kesejukan di malam hari.
Mungkin juga kerana tidak makan dan minum. Atau mungkin juga kerana terlalu sedih sangat dengan apa yang dilakukannya.
Allah Maha Agung...sebaik Saida menghembuskan nafas terakhir, barulah tubuhnya dapat di keluarkan. Mayat gadis itu kemudian disempurnakan seperti mayat-mayat lain.
Kuburnya kini di penuhi lalang. Di bawah redup daun kelapa yang melambai-lambai, tiada siapa tahu di situ bersemadi seorang gadis yang derhaka.
Wallahu'alam
*Sekalipun kisah diatas mungkin rekaan semata2,namun tidak salah kita ambil iktibar daripadanya.
sumber: emel dari seorang sahabat...
BeriMAN, BeriLMU, BerAMAL, BerTAWAKKAL, BerTAQWA-- Janji ALLAH~ Kebahagiaan Dunia Akhirat
02 December, 2009
Anak Derhaka ~ Kesah Benar
30 November, 2009
Kaabah ~ When I First Saw the Kabah
By Raya Shokatfard
The site of the magnificent building was just too awesome and grabbed me like a magnet.
As I was stepping down the wide steps leading to the center of the courtyard where the Kabah is located, I could only see ceilings and lots of people but suddenly… I froze.
My heart dropped when I saw the magnificent Kabah with the black cloth cover and shimmering gold Quranic verses surrounding it. I could not move. In a moment's time, 4000 years of history passed through my mind.
I imagined the day Prophet Abraham and his son, Prophet Ismail, (peace be upon them) put the first bricks or stones on top of one another to build this house. What was in their mind? I know a prophet does as he is commanded to do by his Lord and that was exactly the case with Prophet Abraham, as he was building the house of worship and a place for pilgrimage for the believers of the One God.
Yet, I could not help but wonder what was going through their minds. Could they ever imagine that a few thousand years later, millions would come from all over the world to this holy site to pay respect to the command of God and to make their pilgrimage?
I envisaged the centuries that went by and how this great house got ruined and was rebuilt various times. How it finally was turned into a house of idols instead of a house of God, as the pagan Arabs forgot the original purpose of this home and turned it into the most detestable site by bringing their commodities of idols to this holy site — bought, sold, and worshipped them.
The movie continued passing through my mind as I was wondering what it was like when Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) finally returned to Makkah after years of persecution, and at his first stop, he entered this holy site and destroyed all the idols at once and declared to all that, "There is no god but the One God."
I pictured again, what went on in the minds of those who had just embraced Islam upon Prophet Muhammad's arrival. Were they confused, happy, or just waiting to see what was next?
With this victory, and over time, Islam spread all over the world to include nearly one fourth of the earth population.
Suddenly, I came to myself, realizing that I was standing in the same place I don't know for how long. I stepped down and cautiously joined the crowd as they were circumambulating the Kabah. The site of this magnificent building was just too awesome and grabbed me like a magnet.
Everyone was walking, totally absorbed by the spiritual magnificence of this ritual, and busy in supplication. I also wanted to supplicate. I had a booklet telling me what to supplicate and where to do it, but I could not take my eyes off the Kabah to look at the book.
Finally, I just started supplicating from my heart and not reading from the book. I don't even remember what I was saying then. All I know is that I was so connected with my Creator without even uttering any words.
It was as if my mind was supplicating, but my tongue was unable to find the right words. I was supposed to circumambulate seven times, but I was so absorbed by the Kabah next to me, I couldn't remember how many times I did. Just to make sure, I did a few extra rounds.
As I was looking at the House of God, I remembered my home in northern California, surrounded by beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers, and green scenery. I always thought I was living in paradise on earth until I saw the Kabah.
No scene on earth could match this — no matter how awesome it is. What was happening with me? Most of my life, I preferred seclusion and spent much time in the mountains contemplating. But now among thousands around me shoulder to shoulder, breath to breath, even stepping on one another, I found such a deep peace I never had before.
Perhaps, it had something to do with feeling the presence of God in a more literal way than what I was feeling in the mountains. Also, realizing two of the greatest prophets who built and rebuilt this House were present at this site, enjoining on people pilgrimage, calling the worship of one God, gave me more sense of reality of time and space.
It took me some time to come to myself and feel what was going on around me till the second astonishment hit.
It came over the next few days… I had never seen so many people of various colors, languages, and backgrounds. It didn't really matter to them who is from where? They were all united like one body and doing the same rituals.
Sometimes I would see an old man or a woman looking up with their hands stretched in supplication, tears running down their faces, and caring for nothing except connecting with their Creator. Yet, people were extra courteous with each other in case of any needs.
Again, this reminded me of a different version of unity I experienced in the US. For years I attended a spiritual gathering with people of different backgrounds. Our motto was, "Unity in Diversity". We tried to love and help one another and be a brother, sister, mother, or father to one another. It felt good and was as if we had a unique community of our own.
But, now, I am one of nearly three million pilgrims. What about that? I asked myself, how the feeling differed. They were both spiritual and heartwarming; and this gave me a sense of belonging — but with one difference. The first one was cultivating human love toward other humans, and God was not among our concerns. But the second one was all about cultivating human love towards our Creator and as a result, love was cultivated among the adherents.
It was here that I truly felt the unity in diversity in its broadest sense. Had I not experienced this feeling, I may have still hung on to some of my good old memories of my spiritual group in the mountains, thinking that was the only time I felt unified with other humans. But on this pilgrimage, I had both: the Creator, and his creation, all finding their rightful place in my expanded heart.
_________________________________________________
Raya Shokatfard is the Editor in Chief of Reading Islam website. She has been an activist in promoting a better understanding of Islam and Muslims in the US for more than 20 years, and in Egypt for several years.
She holds an M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication as well as an M.A.D . in TV Journalism from the American University in Cairo. She can be reached at: mothers4peace@yahoo.com.
The site of the magnificent building was just too awesome and grabbed me like a magnet.
As I was stepping down the wide steps leading to the center of the courtyard where the Kabah is located, I could only see ceilings and lots of people but suddenly… I froze.
My heart dropped when I saw the magnificent Kabah with the black cloth cover and shimmering gold Quranic verses surrounding it. I could not move. In a moment's time, 4000 years of history passed through my mind.
I imagined the day Prophet Abraham and his son, Prophet Ismail, (peace be upon them) put the first bricks or stones on top of one another to build this house. What was in their mind? I know a prophet does as he is commanded to do by his Lord and that was exactly the case with Prophet Abraham, as he was building the house of worship and a place for pilgrimage for the believers of the One God.
Yet, I could not help but wonder what was going through their minds. Could they ever imagine that a few thousand years later, millions would come from all over the world to this holy site to pay respect to the command of God and to make their pilgrimage?
I envisaged the centuries that went by and how this great house got ruined and was rebuilt various times. How it finally was turned into a house of idols instead of a house of God, as the pagan Arabs forgot the original purpose of this home and turned it into the most detestable site by bringing their commodities of idols to this holy site — bought, sold, and worshipped them.
The movie continued passing through my mind as I was wondering what it was like when Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) finally returned to Makkah after years of persecution, and at his first stop, he entered this holy site and destroyed all the idols at once and declared to all that, "There is no god but the One God."
I pictured again, what went on in the minds of those who had just embraced Islam upon Prophet Muhammad's arrival. Were they confused, happy, or just waiting to see what was next?
With this victory, and over time, Islam spread all over the world to include nearly one fourth of the earth population.
Suddenly, I came to myself, realizing that I was standing in the same place I don't know for how long. I stepped down and cautiously joined the crowd as they were circumambulating the Kabah. The site of this magnificent building was just too awesome and grabbed me like a magnet.
Everyone was walking, totally absorbed by the spiritual magnificence of this ritual, and busy in supplication. I also wanted to supplicate. I had a booklet telling me what to supplicate and where to do it, but I could not take my eyes off the Kabah to look at the book.
Finally, I just started supplicating from my heart and not reading from the book. I don't even remember what I was saying then. All I know is that I was so connected with my Creator without even uttering any words.
It was as if my mind was supplicating, but my tongue was unable to find the right words. I was supposed to circumambulate seven times, but I was so absorbed by the Kabah next to me, I couldn't remember how many times I did. Just to make sure, I did a few extra rounds.
As I was looking at the House of God, I remembered my home in northern California, surrounded by beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers, and green scenery. I always thought I was living in paradise on earth until I saw the Kabah.
No scene on earth could match this — no matter how awesome it is. What was happening with me? Most of my life, I preferred seclusion and spent much time in the mountains contemplating. But now among thousands around me shoulder to shoulder, breath to breath, even stepping on one another, I found such a deep peace I never had before.
Perhaps, it had something to do with feeling the presence of God in a more literal way than what I was feeling in the mountains. Also, realizing two of the greatest prophets who built and rebuilt this House were present at this site, enjoining on people pilgrimage, calling the worship of one God, gave me more sense of reality of time and space.
It took me some time to come to myself and feel what was going on around me till the second astonishment hit.
It came over the next few days… I had never seen so many people of various colors, languages, and backgrounds. It didn't really matter to them who is from where? They were all united like one body and doing the same rituals.
Sometimes I would see an old man or a woman looking up with their hands stretched in supplication, tears running down their faces, and caring for nothing except connecting with their Creator. Yet, people were extra courteous with each other in case of any needs.
Again, this reminded me of a different version of unity I experienced in the US. For years I attended a spiritual gathering with people of different backgrounds. Our motto was, "Unity in Diversity". We tried to love and help one another and be a brother, sister, mother, or father to one another. It felt good and was as if we had a unique community of our own.
But, now, I am one of nearly three million pilgrims. What about that? I asked myself, how the feeling differed. They were both spiritual and heartwarming; and this gave me a sense of belonging — but with one difference. The first one was cultivating human love toward other humans, and God was not among our concerns. But the second one was all about cultivating human love towards our Creator and as a result, love was cultivated among the adherents.
It was here that I truly felt the unity in diversity in its broadest sense. Had I not experienced this feeling, I may have still hung on to some of my good old memories of my spiritual group in the mountains, thinking that was the only time I felt unified with other humans. But on this pilgrimage, I had both: the Creator, and his creation, all finding their rightful place in my expanded heart.
_________________________________________________
Raya Shokatfard is the Editor in Chief of Reading Islam website. She has been an activist in promoting a better understanding of Islam and Muslims in the US for more than 20 years, and in Egypt for several years.
She holds an M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication as well as an M.A.D . in TV Journalism from the American University in Cairo. She can be reached at: mothers4peace@yahoo.com.
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