Preserving The Lineage For Later Generations

 

It is heartbreaking to see my mum fighting her battles with the illness.  On any day, she would start her mornings with with tahajjud prayers, followed by making breakfast for the family, a morning walk at the nearby park and catch up with friends. But Allah puts every one of us in our places, to remind us that nothing is permanent in this life. For the past year, my mum has been shuttling in and out of the hospital.
One day, our parents will leave us. A big piece of family history and heritage will be forgotten, and our grandchildren and the generations after, will have no knowledge about their forefathers are. So, if your parents or grandparents are still around, sit with them and record a conversation about their childhood, challenges and struggles, how they felt watching you grow up, their education and work experiences, how was it living in the 60s and 70s, how they met each other, what were their first impressions, where they got married, who was their "tok kadi", and what did their parents work. You will learn more about your own nasab (lineage) and gain fresh perspectives about life from those who came before us and appreciate what we have today #learnfromtheelders

I did this with my mum and got a few precious gems.

1. Paya Lebar (the canal cutting through the train station) used to be a real kampung with streets named after vegetables - like Jalan Bayam, Jalan Kangkong and Jalan Kai Lan. Villagers used to plant a variety of greens along the area. Hence the green street names. #thenjalansenyumhow? 😝 #growyourownfood #cozthereisbarakahinfoodmadewithlove

2. The same canal used to be clean and she would play in the water with other kids. Until migrants from China, Malaysia and India settled on our shores and built their shops and factories in the area. The canal became polluted over time, with industrial waste, prompting a major clean up by the government #gogreenitspartofourdeen! #wearekhalifahsoftheearth #sayangtheenvironmentanditwillsayangyouback

3. When she tied the know, her "tok kadi" was Kiyai Zuhri. Wahh! I didn't know that leh. Haha. And with a tinge of sadness, she added that during her time, there were luminaries such as Ustaz Ahmad Sonhadji and Ustaz Syed Abdillah Al-Jufri who excelled in their respective fields. I shared with her that despite the demise of past scholars, Allah has preserved and blessed Singapore. Islam grew in every nook and corner of the island due to the hard work of our asatizah and also visits by overseas scholars. Today we have the masyaikh from Egypt, the habaaib from Tarim, and ulama from Europe and US visiting us for outreach #striveforperfection #wearenotreligiouscrusaders #onlyAllahcanpreservethedeen

May Allah grant our parents paradise Firdaus, without bring accounted for their deeds.