00:00Islam is a religion that teaches us to take care of one's family, one's self, and one's
00:13relatives.
00:14Today is an opportunity for us to get together and strengthen our bond.
00:22On an average day, Ustaz Rafi Rahman can be found in a kopiah and jubah, preaching at
00:28his local mosque in Klang.
00:31But October is a much busier month for the Ustaz.
00:35On the weekends, after performing his midday prayer, the 38-year-old takes his wife and
00:39three daughters shopping at Klang's Little India in preparation for Deepavali.
00:45This is a tradition he has upheld for as long as he can remember.
00:50His parents, who were originally Hindu, embraced Islam in the 1980s, giving Rafi, born in 1986,
00:57the unique experience of growing up in an extended family with two different faiths.
01:03Yet, never once did he feel out of place.
01:27Every Deepavali like clockwork, Rafi's family gathers around dining tables and in living
01:46rooms, catching up over chai and murukku.
01:50Rafi's wife, Hadiba Daud, who is Malay, has embraced this tradition as well, finding joy
01:55in trying Indian dishes, mastering tusi making, and even creating kolems with the family.
02:20Rafi's cousin, Mohana Lechumi Gunasigrit, said Deepavali would never be complete without
02:25the Ustaz's family.
02:27To make them feel at home, prayer mats are prepared, while Mohana makes sure that every
02:32dish cooked under her roof is halal.
02:55On Deepavali, we are taught to forgive, to not look at our mistakes, so I feel that way.
03:10Sometimes I get upset with my mother-in-law, but when I go to Deepavali, I forgive her.
03:17It's an opportunity for us to forgive.
03:19Happy Deepavali to everyone.
03:23Happy Deepavali to us all.
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