Prayer for a friend who became a sister...

Was 'godek-godek'ing an old private blog of mine, and found an old poem I wrote for Emi, a close friend who reverted to Islam in 2004. (Throughout my life so far, I've been blessed with lots of good friends named Emi/Amy - some for a fleeting moment, some for life) When I re-read this - and now that I am a wife of an Imam who led several reversion sessions - it struck me that what I wished for my dearest friend back then, is similar to my hopes, wishes, and prayers for every new Muslim...

Once, we received a torn-into-2-pieces Muslim Certificate, and similarly torn Nikah certificate sent to the mosque (the lady converted in 2003). Just seeing the torn certificate was enough to make me and hubby 'mengucap panjang'... It got us both thinking about irresponsible Muslims who ask others to convert just for the sake of marrying, but do not help in guiding their partner towards the right path. While not every new Muslims get shunned from their family, relatives and friends, it is known to happen quite often - so if their trusted partner shun them too - where else can they go to?

If they have known Allah, at least they would know that Allah will never forsake them, but to most Japanese who have never believed in God for the most part of their life - this is a foreign concept. The concept of one Al-Mighty God is too deep, too complicated. A Japanese girl once asked me - "why are we not equal if Allah loves us all? Do you think we are equal?".

A simple question, yet it required a long detailed and thoughtful answer...

Doa (untuk teman yang kini menjadi saudara)

Tanganmu kugenggam erat
syukurku tidak terhingga
takdirNya kita sama memilih ad-deenul haq
tunduk pada Khaliq yang Esa

Satu persatu aku ungkapkan
hasrat, harapan dan doa
untuk seorang yang dulunya teman
kini sudah menjadi saudara

Pintaku
semoga hatimu disimbahi cahaya
rasa dilimpahi kebenaran
jiwa dihiasi ketenangan
bahagia berkekalan

Harapanku
agar kau sabar menempuh dugaan
tabah mengharung kesukaran
tekad dalam keputusan
nekad dengan pilihan

Doaku
mudah-mudahan kau tidak akan
rasa keseorangan dipinggirkan
rasa keasingan disisihkan
rasa kejauhan ditinggalkan
mudah-mudahan kau tidak akan
lupa bahawa betapa
selangkah kau mendekati Tuhan
seribu langkah kau akan didekatiNya

Saudaraku
mudah-mudahan kita sama-sama
dilindungi dalam rahmah dan barakahNya
sentiasa

Haizra Azida
4 Rabiul Akhir 1425
Kuala Lumpur