LOVE THE EXPATRIATE

30. Muhammad Furqan Alhabshi

A matic motorbike driven by Rais entered the mosque complex and stopped in the courtyard.

Tonight somehow the heart of the man was so eager to follow the study of Ustadj Faruk which will be called bada isya later. So after finishing the magrib prayer, he immediately invited Sarah to leave. Usually they go before the prayer of Isha. After Sarah got off the piggy bank and into the mosque, the man pointed his motorcycle into the parking lot.

Rais was just about to step into the ablution when a large motorbike entered the mosque compound and stopped in the parking area. The owner is a handsome man with light skin, fringed and curly hair, and has slightly narrowed eyes. With such a physical people will be difficult to guess, whether he is a Malay, Menado, or maybe Aceh? Reportedly Acehnese men have a beautiful level because their ancestors are a combination of Portuguese, Chinese, Indian, and Persian.

Inadvertently Rais's view was directed to the man who was wearing kopah kupluk and gamis pakistani. The man was like anyone he had ever known, but he hesitated. So to make sure the assumption is right or wrong, with curiosity Rais also caught up with the man who will climb the stairs of the mosque.

“Assallamualaikum Akhi.” greet Rais while touching his back. The man who was greeted also reflexively turned his head while returning a greeting.

“Wa’alaikumsallam.”

Instantly, neither Rais nor the man looked at each other and smiled as his eyes sparkled. And soon they both cried out.

“Tengku Furqan!?”

“Tengku Rais!?”

They embrace too. Instantly, a sense of haru enveloped their hearts.

“Subhanallah!! How are you doing Tengku Rais? I almost did not sign with Tengku.” asked the man.

“Alhamdulillah my good news. I was also hesitant to say hello. The Tengku Furqan is now much different. Very handsome and dashing.” said Rais saw Furqan's tall body from face to foot.

“Sukran Tengku, So now settle here?” furqan asked after the two of them sat on the steps of the mosque.

“Since returning home from the old days, before long I went to work in this city until now. Yes it has been about ten years.” he said while exhaling.

“Not enough science that I can, I already have to go home to help dad.”

“What's Tengku, supporting the family is also worship, right? Now we can still learn?”

“He's right, Tengku. Oh yes, Tengku Furqan also want to follow the study of Ustadj Faruk?”

“Iya, Tengku.” he said nodding.

“It has been two months that I followed his studies.”

“It's been two months?” tanya Rais frowned.

“Kok never met ya?”

“Allah has determined Tengku, if tonight we are only met.” said Furqan smiled.

“I always come after the recitation starts. There was a little bit of activity that took up my time. Just tonight I took the opportunity to come bada magrib.”

Actually Furqan came to the mosque early because he wanted to meet Ustadj Faruk. There are things he wants to convey with the Imam of the Salman Al-Farisy Mosque. But since the man had met his old friend, he repudiated the intention. God at another time, he thought.

Rais looked at the man sitting leaning against one of the mosque's pillars. Meeting Furqan again, made the man remember his youth when he first knew his sidekick.

He was born thirty years ago as Muhammad Furqan Al Habsy. He was born and raised in a village in Pidie, Aceh. Rais knew him when he deepened his religious knowledge in Dayah Istiqamatuddin Darul Muarif, Aceh Besar. He who has the status of a new santri often asks for the guidance of Furqan who has gone first in the dayah. Therefore, the two of them not only became close and friendly, but Furqan's parents also considered themselves like their own children.

Every day in the village held a ride Maulid, Furqan would go home and invite her along. And every time before Ramadan, before he returned to his hometown in Tanjung Pura, he certainly took a stop at Furqan house to skip Makmeugang and fast the first day with his family. And when Rais takes his leave, he will always receive a large bag of skin crackers and mulieng crackers, a special meal from Pidie to take with him as a gift.

But their togetherness was not long. Just two years Rais studied religion in the dayah, he was asked to go home to help the livelihood of his family. His father was old and began to be sickly, so he could no longer work in the fields and fields as before.

Rais becomes moved if he reminisces about the past.

After not meeting for ten years, now he found his childhood friend had transformed into a handsome and handsome adult man.

“Had married Tengku Furqan?” ask Rais.

“This again endeavors, Insha Allah. Pray for me, Tengku.”

“God willing, Amiin. Then Tengku Furqan lost to me. I was married four years ago.” said Rais laughing while bending his right arm like a bodybuilder that was showing off his muscles.

“And now it has been given a little whiz.”

Furqan laughed when he saw the man.

“Ya Tengku Rais is my senior in terms of age, so it is natural to do the sunah apostle first.”

“Oh yes, how are Father and Mother?” ask Rais.

“Thank you he is both in good health. But since you are old, you are tired now. We can't let him work anymore. Let us her children who are looking for money shopping.”

“Alhamdulilah if you are in good health. Please send my greetings to both of them if Tengku returns home later.”

“God willing, Tengku.” said the man nodded.

Furqan laughed at the man's words.

“Oh yes, Tengku Furqan how long have you been staying here?” ask Rais.

“I've only been here seven months, Tengku." replied Furqan.

“Work?” ask the man again.

“Ya just looking around Tengku, who knows my missing rib one, I found here.”

Rais laughed at the man's words. His friend has not changed, he likes to be funny.

“I pray yes hopefully quickly found his ribs.”

“Amiin. Sukran, Tengku.”

“But Tengku Furqan, looking for a companion here should be smart-smart. Girls in this city are not like Acehnese girls who are still shy. Here the girl is sophisticated-sophisticated all.” said Rais reminded.

Furqan only smiled hearing the man's words while glancing at his watch. Because soon the azan isya will reverberate, the man also invited Rais immediately into the mosque to do the prayer of the tahyatul mosque. Rais allowed the man to enter first because he would take ablution first. While the pilgrims who will follow the study have also started to arrive.

...------------------------------------------------...

“I opened a small coffee shop in Pondok Kelapa. The result of a capital joint venture with cousins. He has already crossed this field.” Furqan said to Rais while going down the stairs of the mosque with other worshipers.

The study just finished a few minutes ago.

“If Tengku has time, come to my shop.”

“Ouh, it's not far from Sei Sikambing area. I rented a house there. God willing, sometime I will stop by.” promise Rais.

Actually Furqan wants to invite Rais to stop by his coffee shop tonight. But he had not spoken yet, a girl came to the man.

“Assallamaicum.”

“Waallaikumsallam.” reply the two people simultaneously.

Furqan was surprised to see the girl.

“Sorry Bang, can we go home now? It's been eleven and a half hours, you know.” the girl told Rais.

“Iya, Sarah.” said and turned to Furqan.

“Tengku, it looks like I have to go home first this.”

“Sorry Tengku, this is his wife?” ask Furqan while grimacing.

“Not, Tengku. This is Sarah, my cousin sister.” Rais smiled.

“Sarah, Akhi is Tengku Furqan from Aceh. He was brother's roommate when he went to the boarding school.” he said turning to Sarah.

Furqan greeted the introduction by cupping his palms together. And so did Sarah.

“Sorry, Ukhti Sarah, I think Tengku wife Rais.” said the man in a relieved tone. Sarah just nodded.

The two of them finally paid their respects to Furqan. Before the split, the man asked for Rais's phone number.

Furqan looked at the motorbike that led Rais and Sarah to leave the mosque compound until it finally disappeared from his view. The man's face was beaming because his heart was happy. Before the introduction, he had actually known the girl for two months. He often stole glances when passing in the courtyard of the mosque or when the girl asked questions during recitation. Sarah is famously active in asking. That girl was the reason Furqan wanted to meet Ustadj Faruk tonight. But he found out that the girl was named Sarah. And it turns out that he is the cousin of his best friend.

Subhanallah! Furqan cried in his heart.

Remarks :

Makmeugang is a tradition of cooking meat, whether beef, buffalo, or goat on one day before the holy month of Ramadan, to then be eaten together. This tradition in Aceh is intended to welcome Ramadan and for Muslims who will fast for a full month. This tradition also exists in other areas but with different terms and types of cuisine.

Timphan: traditional Acehnese food made from glutinous flour containing coconut or srika jam and wrapped with young banana leaves.

Mulieng crackers: emping melinjo

Sukran: thank you

Tengku: a call for men who are good at Islamic science.

Akhi ; name for brother (singular)

Ukhti: the name for a sister (singular)