Halal kitchen and halal chicken soup

Remembering my mother's cooking

Whenever I make soup, it would be the soups my mother used to boil for us, from the time we were little kids.  They are the best soups ever and even today, my friends and family enjoy the same soups. Alhamdulillah today we know the chicken  and all meat must be halal.

Nostaligia about the soups we used to have

Just imagine the wonderful fragrance of old cucumber soup or lotus root soup boiled with red dates, some octupus tentacles and kampung chicken.  Or winter melon soup or even the lowly but actually highly nutritious chicken potato, onion and carrot soup, aka ABC  soup.  Chicken with groundnuts, watercress or spinach soup with friend fish or salted vegetable tofu  soup with duck or chicken, lightly spiced with dried chillies and dry tamarind .Also homemade fishball , suhoon/bean vermicelli and mustard greens or Tientsin cabbage soup with chicken and carrots.  Oh so nostalgic and so nutritious.

Halal chicken?

After I was married I  remember telling my mom to buy halal chicken only.  Actually halal food was not emphasised long ago because people presume new Muslims know all about that.  Yes they may know but they did not know the importance of eating only halal foods.  I did not even know halal merely means permissable and haram is something that is forbidden. It sounded so very foreign and intimidating at that time.  Very vague understanding but we plodded along anyway.

A chicken is a chicken.  Why must it be Halal now?

My mother, many years ago, asked me "Why is it that you now say you can only eat halal chicken?  You had been eating the normal chicken for years ever since you were young.  What must you insist?" To put it mildly.  Anyway Alhamdulillah,  she obliged me though she was unhappy about it.  It was a hassle to order halal chicken at that time..  I would worry about  her source and I made the vegetable seller who came to the house to give me the name of his chicken supplier.  He supplied me a Muslim name and number.  I found buying chicken from the supermarket and Ayamas solved the problem..

I could not explain to convince my mother why halal was best. I did not know the wisdom and rationale as well as the benefits of eating halal.   I simply did not  have enough of the right knowledge at that time.  

Horror stories of torture and doubts

Until I heard the grumblings about how chicken were tortured, treated and slaughtered by some mass production facilities.  That put me off chicken for a while.

Liquor battles

I had to battle about the wine in the fish and prawns and the brandy in the fruit cake.  Actually earlier on I  too did not realise about this due importance to carelessness, ignorance or mere indifference.   I did not want a full battle in the kitchen so I used to hide the Chinese wine and the brandy, hoping my mother would not remember. I also hid all the expensive brandies my father received as presents from his company.

Struggling in the dark

Many  new reverts do not know everything.  When they hear of something, they may obey immediately or they may have a time lapse, trying to adjust and  realign themselves.  So many things to adjust... sometimes its very overwhelming. They need friendship, support and encourage.  They need knowledge.

Sometimes we had to go about trying to make our family get used to our way of life without disruptting too much of theirs.  We did not know the right way to deal with some sensitive issues. That takes time.

Revert and Converts go together

It is right to say we reverted.  Also right to say we reverted and converted.  Why?  Because we really had to change almost everything we used to think and did and said.  From the head to the toe, from the way we ate to the way we dressed.  To they way we conducted ourselves, our speech, our thoughts and our source of income.  Islam is so complete and thorough.  A complete way of life, suitable for all times, until the end of the world.  Alhamdulillah.

Misconceptions of Islam caused by  Muslims

The believers are not perfect so we sometimes create wrong impressions that make people misunderstand Islam.  That is why dawah and islah ( spreading message of Islam) is a way of life for us.  Spread the word and help others to find the way to the straight path. 

In the past it was not easy to find books published in the language we could understand.  It was not easy to find an English translation of Al Quran.  Not easy to find sunnah books or hadiths in English.  Or it was becasue we did not know where to find them. Actually I had no idea  about sunnah, hadiths and all the terminology which sounded Greek, well actually Arab. 

Islam  is the best Way of Life

Islam is perfect because it is specially chosen for believers by the Creator. It is available to anyone who believes in that God is One and we believe in all the prophets and Prophet Muhammade is the seal of all the prophets.  Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jacob,  Jonah, Joseph and Isa, his name being distorted to become Jesus.  All are prophets of Islam and we love and believe in all of them.

My first translation of Al Quran

My first translation of Al Quran was by Marmaduke Pickthall, an English gentleman.  I furtively bought the book and read it quietly.  My interest was a well kept secret. People may officially embrace Islam just to be able to marry a Muslim.  I had to find a Muslim to marry just to become a Muslim.

Hard to tell Parents I wanted to be Muslim

Funny, isn't it?  Just the exact opposite.  You see, I was not a very brave girl where my parents were concerned.  We were very close and I loved my mother very much.  I did not want to upset her and I could not bear to imagine the unhappy scene if I told her I decided to be Muslim.  She was quite strong willed and I could not bear to fight with her.  Did not know how my father would have taken it as he used to spoil me and I did not want to face his anger or disappointment..

Muslim in name only

Some people  who converted did not mind accepting Islam officially.  Officially only.  Some never bothered much because the man or woman they married was only Muslim in name.  Many did not pray or eat pure halal food.  Many Muslims only fasted and became very religious only in Ramadan.  They then dressed themselves up very beautifully in expensive new clothes to pray at the masjid on day of Eid or Hari Raya,  Then they go home to eat and enjoy themselves..

Ignorance is Loss

Whether the spirit of Ramadan was remembered or carried on or abandoned, only Allah knows.  Many reverts were like that too.  Because they only followed their new Muslim families and thought that was how Muslims live their lives.  I had been like that too initially while trying to seek the right knowledge.  It was not easy and very trying at times. I think with regret the many times I failed to take best advantage of Allah's generosity and offer for rewards and forgveness.  Ignorance is a poor excuse but we learn from our mistakes.

So easier to learn about Islam today

Today many reverts have the great advantage of accessing accurate information on Islam from many sources.  There are so many good books published in various languages.  Tapes, cds, youtube, seminars, talks, workshops and conventions.  Such things were unheard of during the time of earlier converts.

Do not leave our families and loved ones behind

It is never too late and all reverts have to work hard and pray hard to dawah their non Muslim family members.  They may be skeptical, angry with us, hurt us or hate us.  We do not stop loving them.

Improve ourselves in hope our duaas will be answered 

This is something we must never give up and we have to purify ourselves all the time to be closer to Allah.  How do we expect our duaas/supplications to be answered if we keep on disobeying Allah?  We may not be perfect and we will continue to sin and make silly mistakes.  But repent sincerely and never stop believing and hoping that Islam will enter the hearts of our parents and our families.

Only Allah can Guide and Forgive

We cannot change what Allah has predestined for us  but he can change whatever He wishes.  So  we have to strive and make it our continuous struggle to invite our loved ones to the straight path that leads to Jannah/Paradise.Even if we loved our husband or wife very much, blood is thicker than water.   We may even change our husbands or increase our wives through divorce or remarriage  but we must remain loyal to our parents and love our children and care for  relatives..

What happened to my parents?  I may write a little about that soon,  Insha Allah.