When I Decided To Quit..

am keeping the first version wrote by Aimar for Kem Daie Pena Muda 2022/2023 submission >> qualified to represent Daerah Kemaman and States of Terengganu, Alhamdulillah

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by Muhammad Aqiel Aimar Bin Mohd Ashraf
SM IMTIAZ Yayasan Terengganu Kemaman

I was having a great time with the family, the chat and the food. All of the sudden I got a call from my friend telling me to check my Whatsapp messages. To my surprise, I found out that I've been selected for a campaign "Kem Daie Pena Muda" but needed to submit a story by midnight. 

In less than 6 hours??? Really?? It’s almost impossible!! I was all stressed out. Not that I was complaining. I know I should've been grateful I was selected. I felt upset due to the delayed information I got. The news was supposed to reach the contestants 2 weeks ago! I'm not the brightest tool in the shed, so how could I write a story in a day nevertheless 6 hours??!! I guess maybe this is not my time yet to shine. Maybe I should just give up. It seems to be so farfetched to achieve.

I told my mom about it, and she reminded me not to easily give in and follow the whispers of syaitan. Because that is what syaitan will do, ask you to give up before you try. 

Only then, I remembered my dad and the tragedy that happened and affected our family, deeply. A story of an unemployed man with a wife and 3 children who was doing all his best to bring food to the table for his loved ones. 

Back in 2017, the company Aboh worked at was badly affected by the oil and gas economic crisis. Many had lost their jobs.

One night, Aboh came back from work, he looked super tired and sad. He said he was okay. He didn't break the news to us right away, but we knew something was wrong. It was after 2 days, he finally broke the news and told us “The company is downsizing and I lost my job.” He was fired after working for 14 years. 

My siblings and I didn't think much of it, but my mom was worried about our wellbeing. My dad assured my mom that everything is going to be okay because Allah will never test His servant more than he could withstand (QS 2:286). 

Several months passed by and Aboh was still trying hard to get a job. It was hard for him. The economy wasn’t improving. Small companies couldn’t afford to hire him, meanwhile, big companies were not hiring people.  

Although it was difficult, Aboh never lost hope, especially in Allah. He would always make it to pray 5 times a day at the mosque, do qiyamullail, and increase in sadaqah even though he was jobless and need the money himself. He always reminded me to keep on doing good deeds no matter how hard it gets. He would also tell us to ask Allah especially when we are in hardship because Allah is always close and prepared to accept His servants' prayers if we call for Him(QS 2:186).

It was nearly four years of no good news, savings ran out, and Aboh had to owe money from his siblings and friends. But I never saw him giving up. 

He went for interviews but didn't get any job. Of course it frustrated him. I saw sorrow on his face yet he still kept a smile on his face when he was around my siblings and I. He said that Allah is the best planner and we must be grateful and accept whatever we go through in life. He told us, we might not like what he got and we might want something else, but we Allah knows best (QS 2:216)

Our worries worsened during COVID-19 and the whole country on movement control order (MCO). Even before MCO was hard for him to get a job, can we imagine how it would be possible to get a job during the MCO? 

But how wrong was I. In December 2020, Aboh got an invitation for online job interview. He was praying for the position, all of us were. I remember how my mom and dad kept on asking us to make lots of du’a, especially during the mustajab time; be it when it was raining, late Friday noon, late night, after all the prayers and all. My dad always encouraged my siblings and I to pray 2 rakaat before Fajr for the hadith saying it is better than this world and its contents.

And on one Friday, when it was about time for Maghrib prayer, my dad received a phone call.
“Alhamdulillah, thank you. I’ll wait for your email.”

After four years, that was the most awaited call he was waiting for. He got a job and we can never thank Allah Ar-Razq for the rizq He blessed my dad with, that day. Alhamdulillah.

Aboh is no longer jobless. Of course he has to start saving again. But reflecting back, Aboh has shown us the real example of to never give up.
“ My dear children, as long as we remember Allah, Allah will remember us. Never forget Him and never leave Him!” 

That was what Aboh told us when I asked  him how he did it. And that’s how I remember to never give up, when I decided to quit..
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