The Echo of the Call to Prayer Reverberates

The echo of the call to prayer was heard, a sign that the time for Isha prayer had arrived. Doddy hurriedly walked towards the mosque located to the right of his house, after arriving at the mosque and performing ablution, he entered and took a position to perform the Isha prayer at the mosque.

The Isha prayer was followed by the tarawih prayer in congregation, Doddy felt something different when he was in the mosque and at home, not because of the physical form of the building, but more about the coolness of his soul and mind, until he performed raka'at after raka'at of the tarawih prayer devoutly.

Meanwhile, in the back row which was separated by a barrier, Anisa and Fauzana were seen performing the tarawih prayer on the first night of the holy month of Ramadan, the distance between them was about half a meter, as had been arranged by the mosque management during the pandemic.

Fauzana went to the mosque with her mother on a scooter that she often used to go to the office because their house was quite far from the mosque, while Mr. Zain, Fauzana's father, rode his own motorbike. The difference this Ramadan is that apart from the fact that they have to stay at a distance of approximately half a meter and wear masks, there are also no short lectures which were often held in Ramadan before the pandemic, after the tarawih prayers are carried out they immediately go home.

"Well, that's it! That's just your handsome son." praised Mrs. Hasnah, who at that time was walking hand in hand with Doddy towards their house. Doddy just smiled, while Anisa and her father who were walking behind were laughing at something they had never seen in Doddy before.

****** The early morning was quite cold, but that didn't dampen the enthusiasm of several young men and boys walking around shouting sahur to the villagers, coupled with the call for sahur from a garim through the mosque toa. Mrs. Hasnah was seen walking towards the top floor of her house, while Anisa and her father were sitting at the dining table.

"Doddy... Doddy..! Wake up kid! It's time for sahur!" cried Mrs. Hasnah, who at that time was standing in front, banging on her son's bedroom door.

"Yes ma'am, just a minute. Hoaaaaaaaammm..!" Doddy replied with his eyes still closed, he got up from bed then walked to the bathroom, not long after he went to the bedroom door, opened the door and met his mother outside.

"Come on, hurry up! Your father and Anisa are waiting at the dining table." Doddy just nodded his head while walking behind his mother towards the dining table located in the living room downstairs, after eating sahur Doddy intended to return to his room.

"Hey Doddy, where are you going? Don't sleep again after sahur! Wait for the dawn call to prayer first and go pray at the mosque!" Mrs. Hasnah shouted while intercepting Doddy's steps.

"Yes ma'am, I'm just getting my cigarettes in my room. Later I'll go down again and wait for the dawn call to prayer on the terrace of the house." Doddy said then continued his steps upstairs to his room.

Fauzana and her family had finished eating sahur together, while waiting for the morning call to prayer, she filled her free time by reading verses of the holy Koran, even though her voice was soft but it sounded melodious, she recited verse by verse. She is truly an almost perfect girl, apart from having a beautiful face and being a civil servant, she also obeys the five daily prayers and fasts, plus she is good at reciting the Koran.

It's not surprising that she is a role model for the girls in her village, including Anisa. Good attitudes and good manners seem to have become a habit in Fauzana, it is not easy to realize this attitude in the midst of developments in the times which also have many negative influences, especially from a social perspective.

Religious teachings that are aligned with correct principles of life will make a person have noble character, just as for Fauzana, religion is the right guidance for living life in the world, whether it is a relationship with Allah SWT. As well as relationships between human beings.

She is also not a fanatical and hypocritical Muslim woman, the religious teachings that she practices are in line with the development of the times, she also does not limit herself in terms of socializing both in the office environment and in society, it's just that the principles that she instills in herself are able to fortify herself from things that deviate from religious guidance and are detrimental to her.

The dawn call to prayer echoed in the gentle breeze before dawn, Anisa and her parents were getting ready to go to the mosque, while Doddy was still sitting sleepily on the porch.

"Come on, let's go to the mosque! The call to prayer can be heard!" exclaimed Anisa who was standing on the porch with her parents next to the chair where Doddy was sitting.

"You guys go to the mosque, okay? I'll just pray the dawn prayer at home, my eyes really can't stand the sleepiness. After the dawn prayer, I want to go back to sleep." said Doddy who occasionally yawned, Anisa and her parents just shook their heads at Doddy's behavior and then they walked towards the mosque.

*******

The first day of fasting felt very hard for Doddy, he seemed moody and irrational after the Dhuhur prayer, sometimes he was in his room, sometimes he was sitting on the porch. Anisa and her parents were not surprised to see him, because Doddy often did that in the previous month of Ramadan.

Until the afternoon arrived, Doddy felt his body very weak, he was seen sitting on the terrace with his legs stretched out on the table. Anisa who had only been watching from the living room suddenly approached and sat next to her brother.

"Well, it's only been one day and your body is already so weak. How are you going to complete the 30-day fast this month? I think Brother Doddy will give up this week." Doddy was surprised because he didn't realize that his sister Anisa was sitting next to him, because all this time his gaze was focused on the highway in front of the house.

"Don't underestimate me, okay?! Just look later, I will definitely be able to complete my fast this month for a whole month." said Doddy straightening his seat.

"Are you sure? If you don't get used to it from the start, it will feel hard, Brother, but believe me after you successfully get through the second day of fasting, Brother Doddy will find it easy to fast on the third day and so on." Anisa gave encouragement.

"Yes, I promised to complete my fast this month so I will keep trying. By the way, did you meet Fauzana at the office earlier?" Doddy asked, Anisa smiled.

"Yes, I see you every day, Sis. It's also called the same office, why is Sis Doddy asking Sis Fauzana? Miss you, don't you?" Anisa pointed her finger at her sister.

"Hus, don't be so loud, mom and dad will hear it!" said Doddy, gently touching Anisa's forehead.

"Ouch..! It hurts Sis!" Anisa pursed her lips.

"That's why when you're talking about Fauzana, don't speak so loudly!"

"So why? "After all, sooner or later they will find out that Sis Doddy is trying to pursue Sis Fauzana's love." said Anisa.