In celebrating new born in the family, the parents is encourage to do small gathering attend by close relatives and friends. The event is filled with religious activities such as prayer, doa, surah chanted (Yassin, Qursi, Fatihah and etc) and berendoi song and normally done by local community people called ‘The Marhaban Group’. The Marhaban group is attended by group of people either man or woman group to perform the activities. The event is accompanied with Aqiqah, when you need to sacrifice animals that are allowed for the activities to be performed. The animal can either be goat, cow, Qibas or Unta. In Malaysia, it is common to have goat for the Aqiqah. After sacrifice the animal, it is strong encourage that the family to cook in sweet cooking home food and give away to immediate family, neighbour, friends and poor people. It is advisable 02 for boy and 01 for girl. This activity is not a compulsory activity to be performed and it is depending on the family financial.
At first, we decide to have Aeidan Aqiqah and Cukur Jambul event in July, 2 months after giving birth. But due to Ramadhan and Eidul-Fitri approaching, we have moved it after Eidul-Fitri together with open house for the family. It is more on welcoming and introducing the baby to our relatives and friends.
The marhaban group we still choose the same group that we had last event for Rayyan. We loved the group as they always give their best in every event that we hosted. They come is same uniform about 35 to 40 people depending on your request. But we always request for full team to attend. Lucky we have big living hall that able to fit all (if all the furniture is out).
The event starts at 11:00am, attending by close relatives and friend, also the Marhaban team. 11:30am the marhaban start with prayer in Yassin, Qursi, Al-Fatihah and few surah for our late relatives. Everybody is welcome to submit their family who have died before during the prayer time. We also prepare water that during the YASSIN reading and kept the water for our daily drinking.
After the Yassin, Qursi and other surah reading, the team will start the Cukur Jambul while singing song to our late Prophet Muhammad and the entire prophet before him with thanking Allah s.w.t for his gift to the family. I with Aeidan will be circling the group 3 times before they start cutting a bit of hair from Aeidan and give him Zam Zam water (holy water from Mecca). It is a belief that Zam Zam water can cure illness and also satisfying thirsty and hunger. In Aqiqah wise Zam Zam water is to open and improve the baby sensor for taste.
Fact by Wikipedia :
Muslims consider the Zamzam well a contemporary miracle, never having gone dry despite the millions of liters of water attributed to the well consumed every year. The safety of consuming water from the well has recently been debated in light of a BBC study into Zamzam water’s arsenic content, though Saudi authorities state that the levels are much lower than the maximum permitted by the World Health Organization.
After Cukur Jambul event take place, Aeidan need to be put in the cradle for Berendoi session. The group sang a softy melody song. As usual, the entire mom will burst into tears while listening to the wording that Ustazah and the group are singing. Life can be so challenging now days but it is not a way of you forgetting your parent’s sacrifice- one of the song wording.
While doing the berendoi, Aeidan fall asleep in hubby laps. Well must say the berendoi really capture in his heart and hopefully that everything that we hope and pray will turn out well in future. Look like he really cannot stand the test of sleeping after 7 am wake up to take bath and get ready.
While having this event, we have to ask my father to baby sit Rayyan at the AV room. Rayyan had been protective to his younger brother ever seen he first saw of Aeidan at the hospital. He cherishes love for Aeidan are divine and cannot be separated. He had this thinking that else people want to take his younger brother. So, not to take the risk of screaming and crying by Muhammad Rayyan Harris towards Muhammad Aeidan Raffael, we decide to lock him up and only bring him down after the berendoi event take place.
After berendoi, all guests are being directed to our car porch where we had this little lunch gathering aka Open House Aidilfitri. We had Wadi Hadrawat from Jalan Ampang to be our main caterer, variety local dessert and candy buffet from my fb friend.
Our caterer comes a bit late as they are unable to locate our house, a bit disappointing plus sudden heavy rain at our area. Lucky only guest from Marhaban team and few of relatives and family friend will there if full guest list, I will be crying endless.
Our maid contributes yellow rice with beautiful decoration to be the main highlight for the day. Accompany with that we had side dishes ranging from fried chicken to authentic traditional Indonesian food to match the yellow rice.
Event can’t get better with hubby sponsoring Barbican drink (Arabic non-alcoholic beer) during the event. Thankful to Allah s.w.t that we both being promoted after Aeidan birth and have extra to share with others.
As for door gift, we have decorated cookies in rompers (thanks to Kak Zida for the gorgeous cookies-we love it so much) and Arabic sweet giving out. We expected about 50 to 100 guests to come but Aeidan luck is shine brightly. We had about 250 to 300 guests come star egged –apology for those who didn’t received door gift. But we are honor of your attendance to our small house.
The event end at 01:00am with last 2 families visited us. Aeidan and Rayyam have been dozed off after 12 midnight leaving me and hubby still chatting with the last remaining guest. The event runs smoothly and thanks to all for making it happen.