I was at my village this weekend. I tried to go back home at least once in two weeks. I need to get away from this hectic, chaotic, and merciless city. Even though I’ve been to many cities around the world, and lived in many places, I still can’t blend in with the city life style. Even though, mostly I grew up in the cities around Malaysia, the most memorable of my childhood experience are those times I had in my grandma’s village – my cousins and I were climbing the Rambutan trees, fishing, and our always-failed haunting ghosts projects. We played Rounders (like the Baseballs, for city kids) and Congkak from dirt. We played with our Qurban goat until all of us smelled like one. Ohh my village, I miss you now.
I need to get away from the city to keep me sane. I need to hear the zikrullah of the trees, birds, river, and the wind. The trees and birds in the city are still chanting and praising God the Almighty but this sound of music is consumed by the noise of people who are busy chasing this materialistic world. The trees and birds in the village are always happy, singing praise to God, smiling to me, and whispering to me how God loves me so much. The trees and birds in the city seem to me a bit sad with people who forgot about God because of wealth and fame. They are sad to see these people chasing something that’s temporary. O human, how we are easily tempted by this temporary world.
It’s so good being at home, back to my root. At home, I didn’t hear the slanders caused by jealousy, but I heard the sound of Athan clearly. Masha Allah, all praise to God, it’s so beautiful. At home, I wasn’t part of the crowd who was consumed with the materialistic world, but I was part of a loving, caring family.
I love the village. Even though some of the village kids turn their back to their root, but the trees, birds, and the river are still there smiling back at me, chanting and praising God, and whispering to me that God loves me so much. Alhamdulillah.
I purified my heart, my soul, and myself to face the city again. The slanders, backbite, jealousy, greed will leave black spots on my heart, my soul, and myself again. I will return back to my village to find solace, to seek God’s forgiveness of sins I committed in the rat race.
On my way back to the city, I prayed to God to keep my village just the same — green, peaceful, and far away from the so called ‘modernized’ and ‘civilized’ cities.
