Nisfu Sya’aban

A couple of years back, I joined a discussion over lunch without touching any of the food and drink because I was fasting on the Nisfu Sya’aban. A colleague asked, why fast today – what’s so special about Nisfu Sya’aban? A good opportunity to talk about Islam, and I flunked big time. I actually said, “Errr.. I’m not so sure.” It’s not that I didn’t know. Of course Nisfu Sya’aban is special because that’s the day when my ‘yearly book’ (or ‘annual performance review’, the terminology my corporate colleague would certainly be able to relate to) is sent up to the heavens and a new blank one is opened, so to say. But at that moment, my mind just went blank. I wanted to tell him afterwards when I recalled the fact, but somehow it didn’t seem appropriate. *Sigh* – hampeh! Macamana nak jadi ‘ambassador of Islam’ ni?

Rabbi-'shrah li sadri; O My Lord! expand my breast for me;
wa yassirli amri; And ease my task for me;
wa-hlul 'uqdatan min lisani; And loose a knot from my tongue;
yafqahu qawli. (That) they may understand my saying.
To-ha: 25-28