Eid al-Adha prayers at Freemans Bay<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Eid al-Adha in New Zealand falls on June 18, 2024, one day after Indonesia. It was funny when I wished my family in Indonesia Eid al-Adha on June 17, and they replied the next day \ud83d\ude05.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There’s an Eid al-Adha event nearby, right at the mosque on the AUT campus. However, my friends and I chose to go to Freemans Bay. I went with three friends: Ayes (my flatmate, who will definitely appear frequently in my posts later), Bu Prima (a fellow PhD student), and Rifka (a friend I met through Ayes). All are Indonesian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The journey from the apartment to the Eid al-Adha prayer location is quite long: a 5-minute walk to the bus stop, a 15-minute bus ride, and then another 10-minute walk to the venue. Why go so far when there are closer options?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Perjalanan](\"https:\/\/rianitapuspitasari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/20240618_075745-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Eid al-Adha prayer at Freemans Bay was organised by HUMIA (Himpunan Umat Muslim Indonesia Auckland<\/em>– the Association of Indonesian Muslims in Auckland). So, we wanted to meet other Indonesian friends (and, of course, get some free food\u2014well, just kidding\u2026 or not \ud83d\ude05).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prayers were held at the Freemans Bay Community Centre. It’s not a mosque, but the committee managed to transform the place into a prayer room and a socialising space that day. I was surprised to see so many congregants, not only Indonesians but also people from other ethnicities. The language spoken was a mix of Indonesian and English. Most touching of all: finally, after so long, I heard the sound of takbir<\/em>, live again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar La Ilaha Ilallah Wallahu Akbar Allahu Akbar Wa Lillahil Hamd.” (Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest. There is no deity (no god) besides Allah, and Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest, and to Allah, all praises belong).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Besides Ayes, Bu Prima, and Rifka, I also met several familiar faces. There were also some I’d only heard of or chatted with before, like Adhis and Ira. I also got to know Adhis’ adorable little daughters, Zi and Zel. They all felt like a new family here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And of course, food! It’s tradition: pray, meet family\/friends, and then eat together. The menu is varied: rice, grilled ribs, beef soup, salad, various fruits, and traditional snacks. For children, there’s an additional sausage menu as a snack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the way, I had a funny experience. In Indonesia, as far as I know, grilled ribs are usually beef, while soup is usually goat\/lamb (personal experience). So, I got grilled ribs and salad. I don’t like lamb (because of the smell), and it’s not recommended for me (health reasons). But it turns out, Bu Prima said, the grilled ribs I was eating were lamb! I should have stopped, but\u2026 I kept eating \ud83e\udd2d. Alhamdulillah<\/em>, I’m fine, and I have to admit it tasted so good it was hard to stop \ud83d\ude02.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I do miss many things about Indonesia\u2014especially my family, the call to prayer, and the unique atmosphere of Eid al-Adha. But I’m also incredibly grateful for the opportunity to live and study in Auckland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moral message from my experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hi friends! A few days ago, Muslims around the world celebrated an important day. The 10th of Dhulhijjah marks Eid al-Adha. Happy Eid al-Adha to all our Muslim friends! May we all strengthen our faith, be blessed by Allah with peace, happiness, and a meaningful life. This year was my first Eid al-Adha in Auckland,…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":706,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[126,38,37,36],"class_list":["post-8","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-phd-journey-auckland","tag-about-islam","tag-living-in-auckland","tag-phd-life","tag-story-of-my-life"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
![\"Sebelum](\"https:\/\/rianitapuspitasari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/20240618_082940-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\nHappy with Friends\u2026 and Food<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rianitapuspitasari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/20240618_091255-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\nClosing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Auckland, New Zealand
Friday, June 21 2024<\/span><\/span><\/h4>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"