Muhammad Issam Shorbagi

This year we meet again in the same spot in the Masjidil Haram. You will meet him too if you are there the last ten days of Ramadan. All you've gotta do is go up the second floor. Take the elevator door. Look for a group of Egyptians, Turks, Sudanese, and a Malaysian (that would be me) learning qur'an from a 60 year old Syrian named Muhammad Issam Shorbagi. He teaches the old-fashioned way. Twisting your mouth if you don't voice out correctly, each mahraj. I am a slow learner, so a short surrah like Al-Aqla would take me like 30 minutes to finish, with him correcting every mahraj every step of the way.

You can learn to read the Qur'an from him too. He has been teaching in the same spot in the Masjidil Haram the last 15 years. Next year I shall see him again, Insya'Allah. Let me know if you are coming. I can add you up as one of his students.

By the way, once you celebrate Eid Fitr in Mecca, or Medinah, you wouldn't want to celebrate it anywhere else in the world ever again.

UMRAH SUMMER 2010

OKAZ/SATURDAY/ SEPTEMBER 11 2010 / KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

Masjidil Haram / Masa solat sunat Aidil Fitri / 3.9 juta orang.

One day the whole world will become Muslim.

Nanti tulis entry. Baru balik petang tadi after a 3 hour delay in Jeddah.