This video brought back memories of my carefree childhood years. I remember reading the Quran as a child with Pakcik Rahman, our next door neighbour. He was of a stern demeanour and most kids were terrified of him! But he was really a cool guy. He'd hold a "rotan" [bamboo cane] which he used as a pointer - I don't remember him beating anyone with it. But that "rotan" [and its threat] was enough to inculcate terror in us.
5 nights a week, after maghrib, we'd assemble at his humble abode. There must have been at least 30 kids there of various ages. Makcik Jah [Pakcik Rahman's wife] and Kak Siah [his daughter] would help teach those still on the muqaddam. They were the sweetest folks on earth. Which didn't prepare us for Pakcik Rahman!!
Then came the day I completed the muqaddam and was deemed good enough to sit before Pakcik Rahman. Oh, my! From that day on, I felt like I didn't know the characters or sounds at all! I discovered muscles in my facial region which I didn't know existed.
Pakcik Rahman was nothing like the ustaz in this video. He wasn't a man of many words. Or of many smiles either. But he was my best ustaz ever. Pakcik Rahman did not let me get away with just knowing the Quranic characters - he made sure I knew how to recite them the right way. I remember whole lessons going by with just recitation of the basmalah or certain quranic characters.
The Quran starts with surah al-Fatihah....and I must have spent at least 2 weeks on that with Pakcik Rahman before he was okay with my recitation. Till today, I would remember him when I recite this surah. I remember his admonitions of, "kena ada angin kat "ha" tu Ijan!", "kena dengung kat "mim"", "senget mulut tu" at "walad...", "sebut elok2 "an'am"", etc. I never knew this simple surah which I had learnt to recite way before I sat before him would be this complex to read!
Pakcik Rahman was the one who lead me during my "berkhatam" ceremony before my "nikah". He had tears in his eyes then. I didn't know why and I didn't ask either.
I didn't get to finish my tajweed with Pakcik Rahman - my loss. Going away to boarding school meant I couldn't study with him any more. However, I learnt later [after his demise] that Pakcik Rahman considered me as one of his best students - his wife told me this. That brought tears to my eyes :)
Thank you, Pakcik Rahman. May you be amongst the righteous.
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