The Other World - My Late Father's Presence

"Mak tak pernah tengok muka Bapak engkau cantik macam tadi." 

"Bapak kita memang cantik, Mak." My Elder Sister replied.

Our Late Father is indeed spiritually beautiful.
He is often present when My Mother recites Her 'wirid'.

My Eldest Sister, whom My Late Father stayed with, during His last days, used to call Me to inform of the glow on Our Late Father's face, especially on Fridays.
So, not only was My Late Younger Sister was present yesterday, there was My Late Father too.

******

I saw only straight row of trees that was planted in the middle of the big road along Bedok Reservoir.

Why was I seeing only trees?

Where are the cars?

After a while, a big bus passed through the deserted road...

It was a casket bus.

My Father's body was inside...

Immediately I called My Eldest Sister to inform Her what I had just seen in my dream.
Our Father will pass away during most people are out spending their long holiday.
I feared nobody will be around to send Him off.
I requested Her to pray hard that Our Father will be properly being sent off.

It was few months before His final days.
He passed away of old age, not of any sickness.
I received the news at 10am on Friday, the second day of 'Eidul Fitr, 2005.

Thank GOD, there is no better days for Him to meet YOU then the day that YOU had chosen for Him.

Thanking My Eldest Sister too, for Her endless day and night prayers.

While I preferred Qur'an reading to have direct communication with HIM, My Eldest Sister finds solace on Her praying carpet.
My Dhuha, if any, is only two raka'at compared to Her, twelve.
My closure prayer, Witir, is only one raka'at that invited scolding from Her.
I devise My own lazy and shortcut ways to get HIS attention.
But nevertheless, My Eldest Sister would turn to Me for things that doubted Her.

******

While I was performing my 'tawaf' around the Ka'abah, My Late Father came to Me.

"Assalaamu 'Alaikum,"

"Eh, Bapak. Bapak buat apa kat sini?" I did not reply His salam.

Too shock to see Him appeared from nowhere during My circumambulation round the Ka'abah.

"Bapak ada kerja sikit lagi ni. Ada tujuh..."

Then I was suddenly awake.

******

I had just finish the first ritual at the jamrahs.
It was My first night in Mina when He approached Me.
I was in the midst of answering the call of Prophet Ibrahim 'alaihis salam to perform Haj on GOD's instruction.

It worried Me as He did not finish His sentence.
It had been seventy days since He passed away, and 'things' are still at work.
But, by just voicing out my worry, usually things will straighten themselves, GOD willing.

"Seven, seventy, seven hundred, seven thousand, which number will justify the lingering doubt?" My Eldest Sister asked when I called to inform Her of my dream. 

"Seven hundred." I said as straight away I remembered,

"The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of ALLAH is like a seed (of grain) which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. 

And ALLAH multiplies (HIS reward) for whom HE wills. And ALLAH is all-Encompassing and Knowing." - Surah Al-Baqarah 261. 

Upon my return from the Haj, My Eldest Sister told me she had made a sadaqah of S$700 in My Late Father's name. 
My Elder Sister 'saw', although My Late Father had almost nil contribution of His possession, He was then sitting on a big chair among prominent men who shared their knowledge and wealth in Singapore during their living days. 

"And whatever you give for interest to increase within the wealth of people will not increase with ALLAH. 
But what you give in zakah, desiring the countenance of ALLAH - those are the multipliers." - Surah Ar-Rum 39.  

Charity does not in any way decrease the wealth and the servant who forgives, ALLAH s.w.t. adds to his respect. 

And the one who shows humility, ALLAH s.w.t. elevates him in the estimation of the people. - Hadith narrated by Muslim.              

The Other World Story - Proper Departure

A man appeared from the middle of  a lake near Tiban Kampung in Batam and walked across. Wahyu could not believe what he saw. The man was then standing in front of him.
The man drowned while fishing at the lake. Though his body's buried deep underneath the mud, it needed proper ritual to rest. For a week, his soul was searching living human to carry out the task.

Wahyu happened to fish at the lake. Wahyu, like the drowned man, fish to feed his family - The only fish source they can get. They've no means, never enough money to buy fish. If not the freshwater fish, their meals would be rice with tempe, tempe and more tempe (fermented beancurd).

Wahyu was asked to perform prayers with few others. Food for those who pray must be covered with - Gold.

Ever since the incident, for almost a week, Wahyu was down with fluctuating fever. He did not fish. Only when his 5 year old girl asked when will be the time the family could have a fish meal again, then he told his wife of the drowned man's wish.

She should have known the real story earlier. She had sensed something's not right with his fluctuating fever. Wahyu's mind was too focused on - Gold. Where's the money to buy gold?
The wife insisted she has the means - Wahyu thought she's as crazy as him thinking about gold.

The next day, Romlah, the wife, readied a tray of plain rice with tempe (yes, tempe gain) cooked in thick coconut milk. The food was covered with -
Romlah whipped up 5 eggs (her money could afford only 5) to make a very, very thin omelette covering the only tray of food. It was sent to a nearby musollah. The local imam headed the prayer.

As Wahyu was heading home from the musollah, on his friend's bike (he was still down with fever), his eyes caught the sight of a plastic bag on the deserted road. Looking inside, there was 5 slaughtered chickens. He gave one to his friend and his family of 4 had chicken meals for a week sharing with his immediate neighbours, who's living the similar lives as his.

Though I found the story strange, but knowing Romlah, she had experinced more stranger incidents than this.