Thanksgiving and Maulidul Rasul

May 1st every year is a public holiday in Malaysia and this year 1st and 2nd of May happened to be public holidays. Son Shaffik decided to take a break from work and brought his family back to PJ for the week. Sita too decided to do the same. Since all our children could come home at the same time Ram and I decided to hold a thanksgiving session; thanksgiving mainly for the Grace blessed by the Almighty for Ram to have the pleasure of regaining her sight in the right eye. The children agreed. However since it was close to the month when the Holy Prophet, pbuh., was born, all of us agreed to hold a Maulidul Rasul session as well to commemorate the birthday.

We started planning for the occasion and I checked with my ‘guru’ his availability and whether he could lead the Maulid prayers. His affirmative answer set our plans in motion. We scheduled it for 11.00am so that by the time prayers were over its lunchtime. I estimated that there would be at least two hundred guests, male and female, including some forty six orphans and young students coming from the ‘madrasah’, and add to that number about one hundred people from amongst my close relatives other friends and neighbours, a big crowd was expected to be in the house at one time. We had to erect tents in the compound of the house and to have tables and chairs to accommodate all of them for lunch. We also had to create space in the house for people to sit during the prayer session. Furniture from the hall and one bedroom had to be moved away somewhere to create the space. We were thankful that our immediate neighbour was kind enough to allow us to store the furniture in their house overnight. The logistics for all these were arranged by our children with Tessa taking the core lead.

A local caterer was arranged and menu selected for lunch to be served to the guests. We opted to serve local and traditional food. My sister volunteered to cook eggs ‘telur pindang’ which was eggs cooked traditionally and continuously for three days and nights, on low fire, and using herbs and spices, a specialty of people from my home state, Johore. These eggs, placed in colourful pouches, were distributed to the guests during the session when praises glorifying the deeds of the Prophet, pbuh., were chanted. Other door gifts were also arranged to be distributed to the guests. Special gifts of cash and kind were also arranged for the orphans and young students, mostly sponsored by our children and some of the guests and relatives. Distribution were carried out by our family’s young including grandsons Babang and Dedek. I am sure they had fun doing it.

Audio/video system was set up so that people sitting in the areas not visually apparent to the main hall could view and hear what went on there. Three TV screens and several speakers were set up for this purpose. All contributed by those who wanted to participate in the function.

Mum came all the way from Johore Bahru with my niece and her children to join us in the occasion. Ram’s sisters from Johore Bahru also came to help out, and so also our other kinfolks from around the Klang Valley.

1st of May came. Everything was in place. Preparation was made and ready. Audio visual system tested and working perfectly. Guests started trickling in from 10am. Our guru and his entourage, including the orphans and young students in a big bus, arrived at just after 11.00am. When everyone was comfortably seated I gave a short speech welcoming all the guests and then quickly passed the session to our ‘guru’ to lead. He started off by describing the various ways celebrating ‘maulid’ is traditionally held and mentioned which version that he will perform or the day. He also included a short ‘ tazkirah’ during the session. The prayer session ended at 12.40 pm when everyone adjourned, men to the garden under the tent, while the ladies stayed in the house for lunch.

The Main Table



Male Guests at Lunch




Ladies Having Lunch in the House














Students, Orphans and other guests at Lunch





Children Receiving Their Gifts










The last guest left at about 3.30pm. Clearing up, tearing down the tents and other paraphernalia commenced then. Furniture was brought back from the neighbour’s house and all rearrangement work was completed by 6.30 pm, thanks to the helpers that Tessa brought in.

So the day ended. We were pleased that all went well and as planned. We thanked the Almighty for making the occasion a pleasant success and we also thanked all those who had volunteered and/or contributed one way or another, to the occasion. May He be pleased with all our efforts.


MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya.