My experience in learning Quran-in response to read the Quran campaign

Those were the good old days...It was in 1972 when my parents moved to our new house in my grandpa's village.Before that we had been staying in a government quarters, near my mother's workplace which was about 3 km from my grandad's.
It was at this new place that I started to learn reading Quran in arabic from Mak Long Peah.Not that she was my auntie,but seemed that every kid in my village called her by that name,therefore she was also a Mak Long to me.
Mak Long was a different version of Tok guru.In those days most Tok gurus were known for their fierce demeanor and loud voice,but my Mak Long was a fair,soft-spoken lady with a sweet -smiling face.
So every weekend morning I would walk to my friend's house first.More often than not, I had to wait for Mon to get up.Her mother would shout her name from the kitchen to wake her up.As for me,I would wait patiently, sitting on the staircase waiting for Mon to bath and dress up before walking together to Mak Long's house.
Mak Long's house stood on a large piece of land.There was a giant asam kundang tree( a small yellow fruit with yellow flesh and purple seed) in front of her house and we would stop by to collect the fruits.If we were lucky, we d get a pocket full of asam kundang,but sometimes other kids had had their share first, so we were left with nothing on the ground. When we reached Mak Long's house, the smell of breakfast filled the air..either from a pungent smell of ikan kering..or a fragrant smell of Nasi lemak or nice aroma of chekodok pisang.. ..Since we were using the middle entrance, we could see Mak Long's family having breakfast and they would normally invite us to join.Of course, we would not disturb them,just gave a polite thank you.
Then we would start reading, repeating the previous verses.The house would be filled with humming chorus of the Quran verses from sometimes up to 20 kids.Mak Long, after finished her breakfast ,would come to us with a rattan in her hand and call us one by one.The rattan however, was seldom used,if ever she got angry she would just hit the wooden floor.As far as I could remember,the rattan had never had its victim..My Quran lesson from Mak Long went on until I was in standard 6 where I had a Khatam ceremony. It was not a grand one, no white lacy baju kurung or glittering tiara with a veil.It was just a simple Khatam Al Quran ceremony where I brought pulut kuning with rendang, boiled eggs and berteh(white ,tasteless pop corn) to Mak Long's .Until now I never know what that berteh was for.As for my friend Mon, she stopped going to Mak Long's house after a year of lesson. I never asked her why..
My Quran reading stopped there.I seldom read at home.In those days once you had khatam, that was it.There were only a few Quran lessons at school and religious school.Those were the only times I repeated reading the Quran.
After my SPM, I left for US.I brought along a small Al Quran with a translated version.I remember buying it with my late Pak Oteh at one of the bookshops located at Jalan Masjid India.Sad to say, I seldom read overthere .With all the literature books to read and a Shakespeare lines to memorize and analyse, I guess I was just too busy for my Quran reading.So,it was just lying dusty on top of my drawer until I finish my first degree.
I started picking up my small Quran and reading it when I began my masters.I guess it is normal for a person to look for a source of strength when things get tough and muddled.Al Quran was my solace at that time.Although I didnt quite understand what I was reading,still I could feel a sense of calmness and peacefulness..
When I finished my studies, my small Quran was still with me and I planned to bring it back to Malaysia.On the day I left US, I put my Al Quran in a paper bag with the intention of reading it on my 20 hrs journey.But God had another plan.My best friend Om,now better known as Prof Ummul Khair Ahmad,presented me with a beautifully wrapped present in a paper bag.It was quite heavy.I had two paper bags and a hand luggage to carry along on the plane.Seeing that my hands were full, my other friend, K Ros asked for my Quran.Thinking that I was going back to Malysia and could find a replacement easily,I handed my Quran to her and hope that she would use it all the time.Not that I chose a crystal vase (a momento from Om, for she knew that i love to collect vases) over a Quran,but I thought K Ros would need it more over in US.Now I didnt know where that Quran of mine is, either still with K Ros or maybe she left it in US.But whoever owns it now, I hope she will use it to the fullest.
Nobody is perfect.My Quran reading was like on and off when I got back to Malaysia.I guess I was still young and assumed that I had all the time in this world to read,study and understand the content of Al Quran.But Allah knows what is best for us. Our doas and wishes are granted in different ways which we as servants do not understand .In every doa, I would ask from God to make me a strong individual who can face any tests and obstacles from HIM.To be strong,I was made a defeated soul first,almost suffered from nervous breakdown, was backstabbed ,not by foes but by people I love,had a sick child in my hand and most of the time raising my children single-handedly.So, how did I face all these?Where did I get all the energy, the strength,the motivation and the zest to continue living? It is non other than Al Quran.I started to pick up reading the Al Quran again and had Khatam many times since.Once I had an elderly uztaz coming to my house teaching all the tajwid and hukum.But after a year of teaching he passed away.
Now I am reading the Arabic and Malay translation.My reading is a bit slow for I need to digest what I am reading and there are also times when a Tok Guru is needed for explanation and clarification.To me the best way to learn and understand what you are reading is from a Tok Guru, meaning uztaz or uztazah.You just cant understand everything by reading a translation on your own.It s not as easy as you think.
I d try and read Al Quran every night, at least a page.On Friday morning, I d recite Surah Sajadah and other mornings I d read Surah Al Waqi'ah and remember before you go to sleep every night try to read Al Mulk.Those are my favourite surah besides Doa Shifak andDoa Haikal.When ever my kids are sitting for major examination, I d read Surah Yassin 40 times before the exam day.Those are my practice.
For my kids, three of them had khatam the Quran at the age of twelve.I made sure they khatam before leaving for the boarding school, then I would be one satisfied mother who had done her duty well.For my youngest he is still struggling to finish it and at the same time studying for his UPSR.Hopefully he could finish it by the end of this year.
For my late Mak Long Peah who was my first Al Quran teacher, and Uztaz Mat Noh who had taught me the tajwid, may Allah blessed your souls and put you among the good and the pious.
For now,let s read and understand the Al Quran, the center of our lives, the guidance for now and the world after.