KAMPAR: Two Tahfiz students regarded their experience becoming an imam (prayer leader) as challenging and gainful.
The two students, Muhammad Adzfar Zikri Mastor, 17, and Amirul Haziq Faizul, 19, from Maahad Tahfiz Al Quran Addin, were selected to serve as the imam at the Al-Hasanah Mosque in the Orang Asli Sungai village of Sungai Gapes, Sahom, for the Ramadan month.
According to Muhammad Adzfar, who is from Lumut, he was the imam for only a few days, but the experience was astonishing as it was the first time he was in an Orang Asli village.
“When I arrived at the village on the first day of Ramadan, I felt that the atmosphere is different from other villages. The place is peaceful and the scenery is beautiful,“ said the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia candidate when met by Bernama at the surau.
The youngest of six siblings said he was happy to be given the opportunity to take turns with Amirul Haziq to lead the congregational and tarawih prayers in an Orang Asli village.
“I used to be an imam too during Ramadan, but in previous years it was at residential parks and in the big towns,” he added.
Amirul Haziq, who is from Batu Gajah, said he was a bit nervous and hesitant when he was told that he would be an imam in an Orang Asli village, but his perception of the village changed when he arrived there a few days ago.
“When I arrived in the village and met the people, I found that the situation in this village is calm and serene. The people here are also nice and friendly. After a while I can get used to it,“ he said.
The eldest of three siblings said this was the fourth time he was chosen to be Imam during Ramadan and described being placed in an Orang Asli settlement as quite challenging.
“I can get a lot of experience here so that I can be sent to other areas that may be farther away later, but will be able to adapt to the new place,” he added. - Bernama
