Iftarismo

The Prophet s.a.w.: He who provides for the breaking of the (Ramadan) fast of another person earns the same merit as the one who was observing fast, not diminishing in any way the reward of the latter.

- Related by Tirmidhi

The briyani at Masjid Khalid is legendary. The rice is light, and the mutton masala is a bit sweet yet slightly spicy, and mild. I think they use a fine brand of basmati rice. But the mutton portions leave much to be desired as they consist mostly of bone and cartilage. But that's ok.

We had the briyani yesterday, and I was reminded of a similar time last year with the Musketeers and one of the Musketeers' wife. This year, I was fortunate enough to break fast with three people whom I did not know. I didn't know their names, or where they came from, but I did know that we were destined to be there breaking fast together and enjoying the barakah of the meal served by the masjid.... alhamdulillah.

There are a lot more Hari Raya stalls in Geylang than last year. Every former empty space is now filled with stalls selling anything from cars to kuih. Fortunately, as it was a weekday, the crowd was less of a challenge. We bought some really nice clothes for Zayed, and on the way got some goreng pisang and washed it down with teh tarik. We wanted to explore our gluttonous sides further but decided against it. Luckily.

Today, we hosted iftar for our respective families - but the women outnumbered the men! My wife, mother-in-law, mother-in-law's sister, my mom, my sister and sister-in-law Vs my brother, me and Zayed. Cannot lah... no fair fight. The MIA-ed ones (my father-in-law and brothers-in-law) couldn't make it.

This Saturday we'll be hosting an iftar for another group of friends, Insha Allah. These guys I've known for the longest time... and it's always a joy to have them at home to have a meal and catch up. We've gone our separate routes in life, but it's these small gatherings that make us come together and update each other on what's happening to each other. Looking forward to seeing you guys...