I prayed and dhikir all the way to the restaurant last night. Allah s.w.t really tested our patience and faith. It was not the best of days; we started off badly. Husband was home late because he was stuck in traffic. Then we rushed along the busy trunk roads to pick up my husband’s parents about 15 minutes away. By the time we passed the gate of the golf resort where the dinner was held, we were very late. Mum and Brother had waited for an hour since 7pm. We arrived at 8pm. It certainly was not the best way to start the first meeting between my family and my husband’s.
Great, we’re going to get steamed by Mum, I thought as I hurried to the venue.
Alhamdulillah Allah swt is Merciful. Mum did frown and Brother complained of hunger. Otherwise, it was a smooth meeting. Everyone settled down well at the table after the brief introduction. At RM20++ per head, there was plenty of halal food on the table. We ate until we couldn’t move, while keeping the conversation going. The two senior ladies got along well, and the three gentlemen joked and gorged themselves on the food.
I was ready to be interrogated by Mum but she seemed to be in a good mood. I wore a jubah-pants suit (gift from husband for being in the dean’s list) with a long shawl instead of the usual tudung. There were about eight tables of steamboat guests other than ours’ (three Malay families, two Indians, two Chinese) at the venue but ours was the only one with a combination of Chinese and Malays. Even the Malay waiters notice the difference as they’d linger near the table and attended to our needs immediately.
We took family photographs during and after the dinner. Usually Mum will refuse to be with me as I wear a tudung, but last night she relented and had photos taken with this daughter, hahaha… the first since I reverted to Islam. Well, I suppose a full stomach makes a happy and contented person, or perhaps she did so because my mum-in-law is with us. Anyway, I’m glad that the dinner ended in a positive note. I hope Mum is happy to meet her new son-in-law and her new ‘besan’ (husband’s parents).
Brother even invited us home for first day of Chinese New Year but as Dad is around (don’t want to risk a quarrel on CNY day), we decided to visit later. After all, there are fifteen days of Chinese New Year festival. And yes, I did wash my hair today and swept the floor. We had a simple home-cooked lunch, just husband and I.
Syukur alhamdulillah for everything. Hopefully the dinner will urn out to be a good platform of developing siratulrahim between my family and my husband’s, so that we can slowly do dakwah about Islam. Of course, it will take time but insyaAllah I believe it can be done. After last night’s events which might have gone badly, I have to admit my trust and faith in Him has strengthened somehow. Thanks to Allah All Mighty for everything.
“… For us Allah suffices, and He is the best disposer of affairs.” (3:173)
Great, we’re going to get steamed by Mum, I thought as I hurried to the venue.
Alhamdulillah Allah swt is Merciful. Mum did frown and Brother complained of hunger. Otherwise, it was a smooth meeting. Everyone settled down well at the table after the brief introduction. At RM20++ per head, there was plenty of halal food on the table. We ate until we couldn’t move, while keeping the conversation going. The two senior ladies got along well, and the three gentlemen joked and gorged themselves on the food.
I was ready to be interrogated by Mum but she seemed to be in a good mood. I wore a jubah-pants suit (gift from husband for being in the dean’s list) with a long shawl instead of the usual tudung. There were about eight tables of steamboat guests other than ours’ (three Malay families, two Indians, two Chinese) at the venue but ours was the only one with a combination of Chinese and Malays. Even the Malay waiters notice the difference as they’d linger near the table and attended to our needs immediately.
We took family photographs during and after the dinner. Usually Mum will refuse to be with me as I wear a tudung, but last night she relented and had photos taken with this daughter, hahaha… the first since I reverted to Islam. Well, I suppose a full stomach makes a happy and contented person, or perhaps she did so because my mum-in-law is with us. Anyway, I’m glad that the dinner ended in a positive note. I hope Mum is happy to meet her new son-in-law and her new ‘besan’ (husband’s parents).
Brother even invited us home for first day of Chinese New Year but as Dad is around (don’t want to risk a quarrel on CNY day), we decided to visit later. After all, there are fifteen days of Chinese New Year festival. And yes, I did wash my hair today and swept the floor. We had a simple home-cooked lunch, just husband and I.
Syukur alhamdulillah for everything. Hopefully the dinner will urn out to be a good platform of developing siratulrahim between my family and my husband’s, so that we can slowly do dakwah about Islam. Of course, it will take time but insyaAllah I believe it can be done. After last night’s events which might have gone badly, I have to admit my trust and faith in Him has strengthened somehow. Thanks to Allah All Mighty for everything.
“… For us Allah suffices, and He is the best disposer of affairs.” (3:173)
Asalamualaikum,
ReplyDeleteI followed your blog. Please rewrite your entries in Bahasa so that I can publish it!
Waalaikumussalam warahmatullah,
ReplyDeleteThanks Pn.Ainon.
InsyaAllah will do that soon. Writing a bi-lingual blog is quite time-consuming :)