a definitely better, more rational and guiding phrase (compared to the common one: seeing is believing) for us in living our lives in this temporary world full of tests, trials and tribulations, temptations, high hopes etc. Yep, having perfect eyes are truly a great blessing from Allah, if only we are able to use them in the way that will gain the pleasure of its Creator or its Real Owner. Otherwise, this great gift may, naudhubillah be the cause of our permanent destruction in the HereAfter.
AllahuAkbar, the joy of looking at your child smile at you alone is i think more than enough to describe the value of this gift.. (thats if one can ever describe it that is).
in bukhari it is mentioned:
Anas Radiyallahu'Anhu narrates that i heard Nabi Sallahu'alaihiwasallam say: Allah says: 'when I afflict my bondsmen with his two beloved possesions, he then exercises patience, I will grant him Jannah in lieu of it.'
His two eyes are meant (here)
So come, lets be very thankful to Allah for what He has given us.. the gift of sight.
How?
Train them to see something that it can never see without zikrullah!
Let zikrullah overpower us until everything around us can remind us of His Greatness and Splendour!
Look at a tree and admire.. Not how big and beautiful it is, but how Great and Grand is its Sustainer, its Grower!
Look at a big, luxurious house and ponder.. not how rich the owner is, but ponder.. how we shall be questioned on our worldly possessions in the HereAfter. That when the time comes, we shall leave all our wealth. Our true possesions are really only those deposited on our book of deeds.
Anas RadiAllahu'anhu narrates Rasulullah Sallahu'alayhiwasallam said: On the day of resurrection, a person from the people of the fire who had been living a most comfortable and luxurious life in the world will be brought (and) dipped once in the Fire. Then he will be asked: O son of Adam! Do you recall seeing any good or a moment of luxury? No, by Allah, O My Rabb (Sustainer).
And (likewise) a person from the people of Paradise who had been living the most distressful life in the world, will be brought and dipped once in Paradise. Then he will be asked: O son of Adam! Do you recall any adversity or a moment of misery? He will reply: No. by Allah O my Rabb! Neither an adversity passed over me nor a moment of misery! (Muslim)
See but dont be deceived.. lets train our eyes to see beyond and thus strengthen our iman
unfortunately, i think, nowadays with our ever-fluctuating level of iman its very difficult. so maybe the best way is to avoid seeing as much as possible. lets lower our gazes with humility and zikrullah in our hearts. InsyaAllah, Allah will give us that pair of eyes that will be a witness to our steadfastness in this world.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
A MEGA PROJECT
Nope, we're not talking about a community project, or a state or global project.
And its definitely not a multi-million or billion project.
It's simply a MEGA PROJECT! And the director or the head of the project is anyone with any of the following titles: mum / mama/ ummi/ mummy/ ibu/ mak/ amma etc..
And mind you that this project is not a choice, as long as u've got the aforementioned titles.. that's it!
You're in it! Whether you like it or not!
Regardless whether u're a doctor/ a teacher/ scientist,
whether you're a PhD holder/ a degree holder or Diploma holder,
malay. chinese, or mixed
Whoever you are
as long as you have delivered a child, then thats is
you're a shepherd! Congratulations! Seriously!
The objective of the project is simply to gain the pleasure of Allah.
The special most important task of the project is to shape a human being/ human beings for those with more than 1 child.
Its called a mega project here, because as you can see the task is difficult.
Its not a multi-million project because the benefits or reward or profit you're gonna get by accomplishing the project cannot be compared to anything in the world. Its way way bigger, grand and most importantly... its permanent!
As mentioned in a hadith:
Hadhrat Mu'aaz Juhani (RadiAllahu'anhu) reports tha Rasulullah Sallahu'alayhiwasallam said:
Whoever reads the Qur'an and acts upon what is contained in it, his parents will be made to wear a crown on the Day of Judgement, the brilliance of which will excel that of the sun, if the same were within your worldly houses. So, what do you think about the person who himself acts upon it?
In another narration, it was said that: One who recites the Qur'an and acts upon it will be made to wear a crown woven with noor, and his parents will be made to wear garments which will be more valuable than the entire world. They will say; Almighty Allah! what is it that we are given these garments for? In lieu of the reading of Qur'an by your child, will be the reply.
Also, it is given in Jam'ul Fawaa'id by Tabrani (rahmatullah alaih) that Hadhrat Anas had reported the saying of Rasulullah:
Whoever teaches the reading of Qur'an to his son (without memorizing it), all his sins whether previous or subsequent, will be forgiven; and whoever makes his child memorize the Qur'an will be raised in the Day of Judgement in the ssemblance of a full moon; and his son will be asked to start reciting, and for everyayat read by the child, the status of the parent will be raised to the next higher grade of Jannat, till the recitation of the Holy Qur'an is completed.
AllahuAkbar! If we are still in doubt whether or not to at least try make our children hafeez after having read all the hadeeth above, then we definitely need to question the state of our iman!
Allah, give us true iman, ya Allah!
Problem with us is that most of the time we fail to realize that this is truly a mega project thus we tend to ignore it or take it lightly.
As much as we'd like to handle our big projects in the field we're working in, ourselves or with the help of someone better, we should also regard the same for this project. Even more for this mega project cause failure to do so will cause us a great punishment in the HereAfter.
Unfortunately, many people today is happy to just leave their mega projects in the hands of maids, or daycares. Am not saying that we cant go out and achieve our aim in our careers but the point is we have to realize that by doing so, we are actually putting our mega projects at risk!
Dear mothers, these kids are great gifts and responsibilities from Allah.
Lets put all our effort to shape them up the way Allah wants it.
Of course, no one can promise that all of them will turn out the way we want them to but have full confidence that Allah is the Most Just, and Allah Knows whether or not you've done you're part.
Naudhubilllah, we have enough sins in our account, we dont want because of our negligence, our own kids, whom we used to call the apple of our eyes, on the Day of Resurrection.. they would come to us asking for their unfulfilled rights! AllahuAkbar! save us all from this great calamity!
Amin...
And its definitely not a multi-million or billion project.
It's simply a MEGA PROJECT! And the director or the head of the project is anyone with any of the following titles: mum / mama/ ummi/ mummy/ ibu/ mak/ amma etc..
And mind you that this project is not a choice, as long as u've got the aforementioned titles.. that's it!
You're in it! Whether you like it or not!
Regardless whether u're a doctor/ a teacher/ scientist,
whether you're a PhD holder/ a degree holder or Diploma holder,
malay. chinese, or mixed
Whoever you are
as long as you have delivered a child, then thats is
you're a shepherd! Congratulations! Seriously!
The objective of the project is simply to gain the pleasure of Allah.
The special most important task of the project is to shape a human being/ human beings for those with more than 1 child.
Its called a mega project here, because as you can see the task is difficult.
Its not a multi-million project because the benefits or reward or profit you're gonna get by accomplishing the project cannot be compared to anything in the world. Its way way bigger, grand and most importantly... its permanent!
As mentioned in a hadith:
Hadhrat Mu'aaz Juhani (RadiAllahu'anhu) reports tha Rasulullah Sallahu'alayhiwasallam said:
Whoever reads the Qur'an and acts upon what is contained in it, his parents will be made to wear a crown on the Day of Judgement, the brilliance of which will excel that of the sun, if the same were within your worldly houses. So, what do you think about the person who himself acts upon it?
In another narration, it was said that: One who recites the Qur'an and acts upon it will be made to wear a crown woven with noor, and his parents will be made to wear garments which will be more valuable than the entire world. They will say; Almighty Allah! what is it that we are given these garments for? In lieu of the reading of Qur'an by your child, will be the reply.
Also, it is given in Jam'ul Fawaa'id by Tabrani (rahmatullah alaih) that Hadhrat Anas had reported the saying of Rasulullah:
Whoever teaches the reading of Qur'an to his son (without memorizing it), all his sins whether previous or subsequent, will be forgiven; and whoever makes his child memorize the Qur'an will be raised in the Day of Judgement in the ssemblance of a full moon; and his son will be asked to start reciting, and for everyayat read by the child, the status of the parent will be raised to the next higher grade of Jannat, till the recitation of the Holy Qur'an is completed.
AllahuAkbar! If we are still in doubt whether or not to at least try make our children hafeez after having read all the hadeeth above, then we definitely need to question the state of our iman!
Allah, give us true iman, ya Allah!
Problem with us is that most of the time we fail to realize that this is truly a mega project thus we tend to ignore it or take it lightly.
As much as we'd like to handle our big projects in the field we're working in, ourselves or with the help of someone better, we should also regard the same for this project. Even more for this mega project cause failure to do so will cause us a great punishment in the HereAfter.
Unfortunately, many people today is happy to just leave their mega projects in the hands of maids, or daycares. Am not saying that we cant go out and achieve our aim in our careers but the point is we have to realize that by doing so, we are actually putting our mega projects at risk!
So we have to minimize this risk if we can't get rid of it totally.
Believe me.. insyaAllah, do it for Allah, whatever you sacrifice for His pleasure..
its gonna be worth it!Dear mothers, these kids are great gifts and responsibilities from Allah.
Lets put all our effort to shape them up the way Allah wants it.
Of course, no one can promise that all of them will turn out the way we want them to but have full confidence that Allah is the Most Just, and Allah Knows whether or not you've done you're part.
Naudhubilllah, we have enough sins in our account, we dont want because of our negligence, our own kids, whom we used to call the apple of our eyes, on the Day of Resurrection.. they would come to us asking for their unfulfilled rights! AllahuAkbar! save us all from this great calamity!
Amin...
 |
| My Mega Projects: Mus'ab & Maryam |
Thursday, June 16, 2011
XXX-Ray
We know how x-rays allow us to see through to the skeletons. Last time, maybe in the 90's there was this famous malay movie entitled XX-ray, a science-fiction story about the discovery of a more powerful ray than x-ray, thus the name xx-ray. Now, my post today is on XXX-ray!
Its the power to look through people up to the level that you can't even see that person in front of you!
Very powerful dont you think?!
Of course every powerful thing has to come from a very powerful source.
And this very powerful source we're talking about here is none other than the heart filled with the greatness of Allah!
Because the greatness of Allah is so great in their hearts, everything around them can only remind them of Allah. When tested with friends or relatives for example, the greatness of Allah is so big in their eyes that they can only see Allah behind everything that anyone did to him. They believe with certainty, that these people causing them trouble are merely tools used by Allah to test His slaves.
As much as the 'commonfolk' believe that the one to be blamed in a case of murder is the murderer and not the gun or the knife used for the murder, these special people believe that everyone around them are merely tools and they have no power to do anything without the Will of Allah. And who are we to blame our Creator. For verily He knows whats best for us. His love for us is more than anything in the world.
Lets choose to please Him. Lets choose to get closer to Him with every difficulties we may be facing in life.
Just remember that however severe the hardship we're facing in this world, if we manage to please Allah by putting His pleasure above anything else, insyaAllah, in the HereAfter we'd definitely realize that its definitely worth it. Cause the eternal, unimagineable rewards in the HereAfter is far far greater than the biggest of hardship in this temporary world!
so how do we get this 'XXX-ray'?
simply by trying our very best to be His favourites.. how?
by increasing our optional deeds! -reminding myself, firstly!
As mentioned in a hadeeth:
My servant ceases not to seek nearness to Me through optional deeds until I make him my favourite, and thus I become His ears wherewith he hears, his eyes wherewith He sees, and his hands wherewith he holds, and his feet wherewith he walks.
May Allah make us all His favourites!
Amin!
Its the power to look through people up to the level that you can't even see that person in front of you!
Very powerful dont you think?!
Of course every powerful thing has to come from a very powerful source.
And this very powerful source we're talking about here is none other than the heart filled with the greatness of Allah!
Because the greatness of Allah is so great in their hearts, everything around them can only remind them of Allah. When tested with friends or relatives for example, the greatness of Allah is so big in their eyes that they can only see Allah behind everything that anyone did to him. They believe with certainty, that these people causing them trouble are merely tools used by Allah to test His slaves.
As much as the 'commonfolk' believe that the one to be blamed in a case of murder is the murderer and not the gun or the knife used for the murder, these special people believe that everyone around them are merely tools and they have no power to do anything without the Will of Allah. And who are we to blame our Creator. For verily He knows whats best for us. His love for us is more than anything in the world.
Lets choose to please Him. Lets choose to get closer to Him with every difficulties we may be facing in life.
Just remember that however severe the hardship we're facing in this world, if we manage to please Allah by putting His pleasure above anything else, insyaAllah, in the HereAfter we'd definitely realize that its definitely worth it. Cause the eternal, unimagineable rewards in the HereAfter is far far greater than the biggest of hardship in this temporary world!
so how do we get this 'XXX-ray'?
simply by trying our very best to be His favourites.. how?
by increasing our optional deeds! -reminding myself, firstly!
As mentioned in a hadeeth:
My servant ceases not to seek nearness to Me through optional deeds until I make him my favourite, and thus I become His ears wherewith he hears, his eyes wherewith He sees, and his hands wherewith he holds, and his feet wherewith he walks.
May Allah make us all His favourites!
Amin!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Mus'ab's 'Abstract' Art
I can still remember the moment when I first hold him in my arms the morning after the delivery!
He was so tiny, hairy and looks like khairi! He is my along aka ango (as pronounced by Maryam) then, now and forever, insyaAllah
He is... Muhammad Mus'ab b. Mohd Khairi!
Now all grown up, toilet trained and soon.. will be sleeping in his own room..
Noooooooooo!!!!
(ok... maybe not too soon) ;P
Alhamdulillah, all praise is to Allah for giving me the chance to watch him grow for the past 2 and a half years now. SubhanAllah, i am simply amazed to see them grow by day..
How everyday they advance further physically, mentally, emotionally and socially..
- someone to cheer for them for their achievements, someone to answer their never-ending questions, someone to tell them stories.. also.. to listen to their stories..someone to kiss their hands or knees when their in pain.
AllahuAkbar, I am sure this motherly feelings You put in me is for a great purpose!
When some people may regard it as a weakness, insyaAllah, I believe its a strength that every mum out there should be proud of and not suppress it.
Okay, am waaaay out of topic!
- maybe not- thats what abstract art is all about.. waaay out of reality!
Just wanna share some of Mus'ab's 'Abstract' Art.
Try to figure out what the pictures are before reading the caption ok.
Enjoy!
He was so tiny, hairy and looks like khairi! He is my along aka ango (as pronounced by Maryam) then, now and forever, insyaAllah
He is... Muhammad Mus'ab b. Mohd Khairi!
Now all grown up, toilet trained and soon.. will be sleeping in his own room..
Noooooooooo!!!!
(ok... maybe not too soon) ;P
Alhamdulillah, all praise is to Allah for giving me the chance to watch him grow for the past 2 and a half years now. SubhanAllah, i am simply amazed to see them grow by day..
How everyday they advance further physically, mentally, emotionally and socially..
one can never estimate the rate at which one's child is growing..
we tend to underestimate them, most of the time
being a full-time mum i notice that these kids are ever-ready to absorb and ever-in need of company,- someone to cheer for them for their achievements, someone to answer their never-ending questions, someone to tell them stories.. also.. to listen to their stories..someone to kiss their hands or knees when their in pain.
AllahuAkbar, I am sure this motherly feelings You put in me is for a great purpose!
When some people may regard it as a weakness, insyaAllah, I believe its a strength that every mum out there should be proud of and not suppress it.
Okay, am waaaay out of topic!
- maybe not- thats what abstract art is all about.. waaay out of reality!
Just wanna share some of Mus'ab's 'Abstract' Art.
Try to figure out what the pictures are before reading the caption ok.
Enjoy!
 |
A yellow goose. The sad looking face on the top right is actually a sad sunshine. |
 |
Looks like a chicken huh? but nope, its another goose according to the artist.     Thats it for now, insyaAllah. May Allah bless! |
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Playtime with Aunty Muna :)
SubhanAllah, how time passes by these days..
we already had our 12th session of playgroup last monday and Alhamdulillah, its been quite an experience.
last time, i remember i used to have 3 ambitions.. just to share with you
to be a doctor, a teacher or a chef (yes, its a bit out of place but yep it was on the list)
to be a doctor, a teacher or a chef (yes, its a bit out of place but yep it was on the list)
Alhamdulillah, at this point, by the will of Allah, i got the chance to be all three..quite!
Anyhow, am writing to share what we did in our playgroup. Personally, i think its a really good learning event for the kids and a great get-together for the mums. Kids have fun and learn while mums exchange ideas and experiences on parenting.
and seriously..its not difficult to start one if u dont have any at your place.
Do it for the sake of Allah, to teach our children and get the sisters together, insyaAllah, Allah will make it easy... and fun!
 |
| Learning to grow! Mus'ab with his grown-up cress |
The following are some of the pics taken during the playgroup:
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| Learning to smile as well! Mus'ab and Ryu Iskandar with their egg-carton camels. |
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| Adli, Azfar, Mus'ab, Umairah and Iskandar with their handprint-butterflies. |
 |
| One of those 'quiet' sessions: Here are Mus'ab and kak yaya with their paper plate bees |
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| This time maryam was not asleep so she joined in the fun making big-mouthed puppets with kak Yaya and 'Ango' (aka Mus'ab). |
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| Yes.. another paper-plate craft (finishing up the stock)! This time, its a rabbit mask. Here are Iskandar, Mus'ab and Kak Yaya. I think, at the back there is Aqil who refuse to put the mask on.. |
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| This is our 11th session: paper-plate crowns. Mus'ab looks like a happy king here, all alone in the middle. |
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| Its suppose to be fingerprints-fish.. anyway, as long as they're happy! Here are Iskandar, Umairah, Hafsah, Maryam, Azfar, Mus'ab and Nur Amani |
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| Our most recent session: we were suppose to make personalized pencil cases using used bottles, but unfortunately, only 1 mum did her homework! Anyhow, it was fun! |
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Disciplining Difficulties
If you ask me whats the most difficult thing in disciplining a child.. I would say.. to discipline yourself!
Truly... action speaks louder than words!
of course.. words play an important role too.
came across this article in a magazine here in Perth and thought that i should share it here as a reminder for all of us...
Truly... action speaks louder than words!
of course.. words play an important role too.
came across this article in a magazine here in Perth and thought that i should share it here as a reminder for all of us...
LITTLE EARS ARE LISTENING
Guard your lips when a child is nearfor children repeat the things they hear.Let no ugly tone be heard, no careless talk, no careless word.For it is grievous sin to mar the innocent withinLanguage vulgar or unkind,leave its mark upon the mindLittle ears are listeningLittle ears catch everything!control your feelings, check your tonguein the presence of the young,for a child is sent to youas fresh and pure as morning dew.So let your speech be wise and mild.
In the hearing of the child.
Alive but Dead
Here she goes again.. a weird topic or should i say.. a strange topic.
strange.. but common. We see this everywhere and sometimes, Naudhubillah, we could be one of them..
Those who are alive but dead!
They are alive- they eat, walk, sleep, work. They can be successful in their career, physically fit and healthy, financially stable, a great family etc but in reality..in the eyes of Allah.. they are dead.
Why?!
because they don't remember Allah.
and if u think about it.. it is sooo true! theres no better word to describe these people.
without the remembrance of Allah, that Allah is our Lord.. that we were created to serve Allah and to please him as His slave, then beware we'd found ourselves servants to something else ie our desires, ego, career, wealth, power etc.
in reality, we, human can only be slaves, what differentiates us is our masters.
we have to realize that if we choose other than Allah to be our lord or to dedicate our whole life to.. then rest
assure that these things are all temporary and can never be satisfied no matter how much we try.
But if we choose Allah as our Lord, then verily He is the Self-Sufficient. He has power over everything, He is eternal. He does'nt need us but we need Him not only in this life, but also the next.
so lets wake up.. lets not die before the time comes.
lets remember to please Allah in everything that we do.
when we're tested by Allah with anger, for example.. choose to please Allah.
remember.. Allah love those who can control their anger.. Allah love those who forgive and forget, for His sake. So with these thoughts in mind, its easy to understand why those whose got the remembrance of Allah in their hearts can react very calmly and wisely when tested emotionally.
Why?!
well, simple because, they're conscious! in other words... they're ALIVE.
they consciously decide to suppress their anger.. to please Allah.
one heart with zikrullah will have no place for syaitaan. Their ego or nafs cannot overpower their actions.
Unlike those without zikrullah... when tested emotionally for example, they would just go with the flow.
Being dead, they just cant make a conscious decision.
Their reactions are driven by their ego, nafs and feelings.What i call reflex action.. it doesnt go to the brain.. only up to the medulla oblongata!
Rasulullah Sallallaho 'alaihi wasallam said: The contrast between a person who glorifies Almighty Allah and one who does not remember Him is like that between the living and the dead. (Baihaqi, Muslim, Bukhari)
May Allah guide us all!
Why?!
well, simple because, they're conscious! in other words... they're ALIVE.
they consciously decide to suppress their anger.. to please Allah.
one heart with zikrullah will have no place for syaitaan. Their ego or nafs cannot overpower their actions.
Unlike those without zikrullah... when tested emotionally for example, they would just go with the flow.
Being dead, they just cant make a conscious decision.
Their reactions are driven by their ego, nafs and feelings.What i call reflex action.. it doesnt go to the brain.. only up to the medulla oblongata!
Rasulullah Sallallaho 'alaihi wasallam said: The contrast between a person who glorifies Almighty Allah and one who does not remember Him is like that between the living and the dead. (Baihaqi, Muslim, Bukhari)
May Allah guide us all!
Friday, March 18, 2011
The Heartless with the most beautiful Heart
Another strange topic...no wonder i named this blog the stranger huh?
so you would expect strange ideas out of this blog.
but dont make a mistake by thinking that strange things are usually wrong/ impossible/ cant exist in reality
simply because most people are not doing it doesnt mean its wrong.. its strange, but its not necessarily wrong. Especially so when we know our beloved Prophet Sallahu'alayhiwasallam had said:
Islam began as something strange and will revert to being strange as it began, so give glad tidings to the strangers..
So you wanna receive glad tidings.. come lets be one of the strangers!
one girl used to be called heartless because she seldom react emotionally...
u cant hardly see her cry after being scolded
people may say anything that might upset her on her face but she wouldnt shed a tear (in front of that person)
she would just keep quiet, apologize and then move on with her life with a cheery face..
yes.. a cheery face even in front of that person who shouted on her face.
why?
because her heart is not hers, she doesnt own her heart,
she's heartless..
she has given her heart to The One Whom she knew will never fail her.. whatever happens!
The One Who is Eternal, The Most Loving, The Most Forgiving
she believe that her heart can only be safe in His hands and no one elses, even herself.
because other than Him are all creations.. fragile; ever-changing and temporary.
to put the 'king' (the heart) in the hands of these things is a colossal mistake which outcome we see almost everyday..
how many times do we came across the following headlines:
-a girl gave her heart to her boyfriend who then found another girl and leave her, commits a suicide
-businessman turned mad/ commits suicide following the fall of his business
-people killing themselves following the death of their loved one
cause without 'the king', how can one move on with life?
even if one does manage to move on.. he or she would lead a dead life..
Na'udhubillah,may Allah save us all
May Allah makes it easy for us to leave our hearts in His hands
It is He alone who can give us the understanding and the strength
to let go of our ego, to let go of our hearts
away from any other creations
away from our own nafs
so that then we shall be the 'heartless' with the most beautiful heart!
Ameen!
so you would expect strange ideas out of this blog.
but dont make a mistake by thinking that strange things are usually wrong/ impossible/ cant exist in reality
simply because most people are not doing it doesnt mean its wrong.. its strange, but its not necessarily wrong. Especially so when we know our beloved Prophet Sallahu'alayhiwasallam had said:
Islam began as something strange and will revert to being strange as it began, so give glad tidings to the strangers..
So you wanna receive glad tidings.. come lets be one of the strangers!
one girl used to be called heartless because she seldom react emotionally...
u cant hardly see her cry after being scolded
people may say anything that might upset her on her face but she wouldnt shed a tear (in front of that person)
she would just keep quiet, apologize and then move on with her life with a cheery face..
yes.. a cheery face even in front of that person who shouted on her face.
why?
because her heart is not hers, she doesnt own her heart,
she's heartless..
she has given her heart to The One Whom she knew will never fail her.. whatever happens!
The One Who is Eternal, The Most Loving, The Most Forgiving
she believe that her heart can only be safe in His hands and no one elses, even herself.
because other than Him are all creations.. fragile; ever-changing and temporary.
to put the 'king' (the heart) in the hands of these things is a colossal mistake which outcome we see almost everyday..
how many times do we came across the following headlines:
-a girl gave her heart to her boyfriend who then found another girl and leave her, commits a suicide
-businessman turned mad/ commits suicide following the fall of his business
-people killing themselves following the death of their loved one
cause without 'the king', how can one move on with life?
even if one does manage to move on.. he or she would lead a dead life..
Na'udhubillah,may Allah save us all
May Allah makes it easy for us to leave our hearts in His hands
It is He alone who can give us the understanding and the strength
to let go of our ego, to let go of our hearts
away from any other creations
away from our own nafs
so that then we shall be the 'heartless' with the most beautiful heart!
Ameen!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
TOTfulTOTs Muslim playgroup
Alhamdulillah, recently we..the perth's muslim foreigners, just started a new muslim playgroup for our kids aged between 6 months and 4 year-old.
We had 2 sessions already and so far i think its been entertaining not only for the kids but also for the mums. Its amazing how Allah can bring so much joy to one by just looking at the kids interact and play together.
Having a playgroup is a great way for the kids to learn and interact with others. ESpecially being the foreigners here, most of the time, the kids one and only loyal playmate would be their mums.
So just to get them out of their mama or mummy world for a while, this playgroup was born.
people call it mus'ab's playgroup, but if i could give it a name .. it would be TOTfulTOTs playgroup!
cool huh?!
Anyhow, just wanna share with you some of our activities. Just to give you an idea, perhaps yo can start your very own playgroup wherever you are.
Our session is every wednesday 10-12 at my house in victoria park.
we usually started off with colouring session. Since its a muslim playgroup, i printed out coloring templates with arabic alphabets from the internet.
We had 2 sessions already and so far i think its been entertaining not only for the kids but also for the mums. Its amazing how Allah can bring so much joy to one by just looking at the kids interact and play together.
Having a playgroup is a great way for the kids to learn and interact with others. ESpecially being the foreigners here, most of the time, the kids one and only loyal playmate would be their mums.
So just to get them out of their mama or mummy world for a while, this playgroup was born.
people call it mus'ab's playgroup, but if i could give it a name .. it would be TOTfulTOTs playgroup!
cool huh?!
Anyhow, just wanna share with you some of our activities. Just to give you an idea, perhaps yo can start your very own playgroup wherever you are.
Our session is every wednesday 10-12 at my house in victoria park.
we usually started off with colouring session. Since its a muslim playgroup, i printed out coloring templates with arabic alphabets from the internet.
 |
| From left: Mus'ab's, Maryam's, Mus'ab's, Iskandar's, Mus'ab's, Kak Yaya's. Yep! Mus'ab is a coloring-holic |
Then, craft-making!
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| Today we made rabbit masks! From left (with their masks): Iskandar, Mus'ab and kak yaya |
Then meal sharing!
And last but not least.. story telling.
Educative, Enlightening and Entertaining, insyaAllah.
May Allah guide our kids and may He guide us as parents in raising our kids.
May they all grow up to be pious and obedient servants of Allah.
Ameen.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
A dust speck!
When we thought that we are soo significant and important in this world...
when we think that what matters in this world is OUR opinions, OUR desires or OUR feelings
lets take a time-out once in a while
look all around us
at the stars.. the vastness of the sky above us and the mysteries beyond them
then, may Allah make us realize how small we are...
a dust speck?
or maybe smaller?
AllahuAkbar!
Truly, Allah is The Great!
when we think that what matters in this world is OUR opinions, OUR desires or OUR feelings
lets take a time-out once in a while
look all around us
at the stars.. the vastness of the sky above us and the mysteries beyond them
then, may Allah make us realize how small we are...
a dust speck?
or maybe smaller?
AllahuAkbar!
Truly, Allah is The Great!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Satiety in Piety
A friend of mine once told me, when she just got back from india, that no wonder many people there strived so hard for the religion... they have nothing else to look forward to in this world...
They lead such a simple life in this world so that they can strive more for the religion.
Basically they have had enough of this deceiving temporary world. They couldnt imagine how they can have a better life here.. so, with strong believe in the HereAfter, while imagining the rewards promised by Allah- the unimagineable beauty of Jannah and the everlasting comfort therein, they decide to strive, struggle and sacrifice for the religion.
AllahuAkbar!
No wonder during the time of our beloved Prophet Sallahu'alayhiwasallam, we found most of his earlier companions Radiallahu'anhum were among the slaves and the poor. Infact, if we look through the stories of the earlier prophets 'Alayhimussalam, most of their early followers were also among the weak and the poor.
Maybe during those days, the fact that one's social status in the society was something that one inherit from one's parents and it was almost impossible to break through the system, these people, who were at the bottom of the hierarchy chose to strive and give their all to be on top in the next world... where where you'll be will not be determined by from which family you came from, or from the colour of your skin or how much wealth you accumulate, but what matters is how much you manage to please Allah by striving in his course.
These people, they are, in a way, satiated with this world, so they strive in piety.
Unfortunately, on the other hand, most of the time, we would find ourselves feeling complacent with the state of our iman and ever unsatiated with this world.
Somehow, we just want more of this world..and more and more!
When it comes to our cars for example, we may started of desiring a 60k car, then after having that car, we would put our eyes on a 100k car and the cycle continues.
In terms of certificates, for example, we may first wish to have a degree, then, once its achieved, we would found ourselves craving for a masters and a PhD and so on.
Don't get me wrong.. am not saying its wrong to progress in terms of education or wealth etc, but my point is, most of the time because of these neverending worldly wishes we tend to forget the HereAfter. Or maybe, sometimes we remember, but because we need to put some effort to achieve these worldly desires we just cant afford to spend some time or energy for our deen.
From my personal experience, its very difficult if not impossible to strive for your deen without sacrificing your worldly desires/ wishes and vice versa- its very hard to really strive for worldy achievements without having to sacrifice deen ...if not much, a little.
In religion somehow, we tend to be complacent with where we are. Our normal justifications would be:
-well, at least, i pray 5 times a day
-at least i dont go to the clubs
-at least i fast in ramadhan
-at least i know al-fatihah and an-nas
Its always at least, at least, at least!
Astaghfirullah.. guide us ya Allah, protect us from the ever deceiving devils and our own nafs!
But when it comes to our worldy wishes 'at least' would be the last words anyone would think of
Think of it... (reminding myself as well)- If we call ourselves ambitious,intelligent and we think we can achieve anything in this world, wouldnt we feel ashame of ourselves to see, in the next life, someone else who was seemingly weak and helpless in this temporary world enjoying a better life there in the Eternal world? Imagine how upset we would be towards ourselves to see someone enjoying a much greater reward in the HereAfter for deeds that we know we can easily do but yet due to our complacency we chose to ignore it.
Na'udhubillah, if we only realize it by that time, then its too late cause in that world there shall be no more striving and the hierarchy will be set... Not based on your wealth, family or intelligence but based on your piousness.
So now lets check where we are in deen?
Lets progress in deen!
Alhamdulillah, you've done the 5 obligatory salah, now try doing the nafl or supererogatory salah
You know an-naas now try memorizing al-Qaari'ah or some other longer surahs
ok you dont go to the clubs, now try stop going to the cinemas or listening to music!
the point is..complacency should never be our policy when it comes to our deen.
As much as we always want more for this world, we should have a much more eagerness to strive more for the next world. if only we realize how short this life is compared to the everlasting hereAfter, if we really believe that any of our desires that we holdback for the sake of Allah in this world, just for a short while, would bring a significant reward in the Eternal world, then we would sacrifice everything we've got of this temporary world. Only then that we would be amazed at how Bountiful Allah is that for such little sacrifice we did in this world, a great reward awaits us in the hereAfter.
The Day they see it, (it will be) as if they had not tarried (in this world) except an afternoon or a morning.(79:46)
They lead such a simple life in this world so that they can strive more for the religion.
Basically they have had enough of this deceiving temporary world. They couldnt imagine how they can have a better life here.. so, with strong believe in the HereAfter, while imagining the rewards promised by Allah- the unimagineable beauty of Jannah and the everlasting comfort therein, they decide to strive, struggle and sacrifice for the religion.
AllahuAkbar!
No wonder during the time of our beloved Prophet Sallahu'alayhiwasallam, we found most of his earlier companions Radiallahu'anhum were among the slaves and the poor. Infact, if we look through the stories of the earlier prophets 'Alayhimussalam, most of their early followers were also among the weak and the poor.
Maybe during those days, the fact that one's social status in the society was something that one inherit from one's parents and it was almost impossible to break through the system, these people, who were at the bottom of the hierarchy chose to strive and give their all to be on top in the next world... where where you'll be will not be determined by from which family you came from, or from the colour of your skin or how much wealth you accumulate, but what matters is how much you manage to please Allah by striving in his course.
These people, they are, in a way, satiated with this world, so they strive in piety.
Unfortunately, on the other hand, most of the time, we would find ourselves feeling complacent with the state of our iman and ever unsatiated with this world.
Somehow, we just want more of this world..and more and more!
When it comes to our cars for example, we may started of desiring a 60k car, then after having that car, we would put our eyes on a 100k car and the cycle continues.
In terms of certificates, for example, we may first wish to have a degree, then, once its achieved, we would found ourselves craving for a masters and a PhD and so on.
Don't get me wrong.. am not saying its wrong to progress in terms of education or wealth etc, but my point is, most of the time because of these neverending worldly wishes we tend to forget the HereAfter. Or maybe, sometimes we remember, but because we need to put some effort to achieve these worldly desires we just cant afford to spend some time or energy for our deen.
From my personal experience, its very difficult if not impossible to strive for your deen without sacrificing your worldly desires/ wishes and vice versa- its very hard to really strive for worldy achievements without having to sacrifice deen ...if not much, a little.
In religion somehow, we tend to be complacent with where we are. Our normal justifications would be:
-well, at least, i pray 5 times a day
-at least i dont go to the clubs
-at least i fast in ramadhan
-at least i know al-fatihah and an-nas
Its always at least, at least, at least!
Astaghfirullah.. guide us ya Allah, protect us from the ever deceiving devils and our own nafs!
But when it comes to our worldy wishes 'at least' would be the last words anyone would think of
Think of it... (reminding myself as well)- If we call ourselves ambitious,intelligent and we think we can achieve anything in this world, wouldnt we feel ashame of ourselves to see, in the next life, someone else who was seemingly weak and helpless in this temporary world enjoying a better life there in the Eternal world? Imagine how upset we would be towards ourselves to see someone enjoying a much greater reward in the HereAfter for deeds that we know we can easily do but yet due to our complacency we chose to ignore it.
Na'udhubillah, if we only realize it by that time, then its too late cause in that world there shall be no more striving and the hierarchy will be set... Not based on your wealth, family or intelligence but based on your piousness.
So now lets check where we are in deen?
Lets progress in deen!
Alhamdulillah, you've done the 5 obligatory salah, now try doing the nafl or supererogatory salah
You know an-naas now try memorizing al-Qaari'ah or some other longer surahs
ok you dont go to the clubs, now try stop going to the cinemas or listening to music!
the point is..complacency should never be our policy when it comes to our deen.
As much as we always want more for this world, we should have a much more eagerness to strive more for the next world. if only we realize how short this life is compared to the everlasting hereAfter, if we really believe that any of our desires that we holdback for the sake of Allah in this world, just for a short while, would bring a significant reward in the Eternal world, then we would sacrifice everything we've got of this temporary world. Only then that we would be amazed at how Bountiful Allah is that for such little sacrifice we did in this world, a great reward awaits us in the hereAfter.
The Day they see it, (it will be) as if they had not tarried (in this world) except an afternoon or a morning.(79:46)
Friday, February 18, 2011
Calvin'S Mind
"We're so busy watching out for whats just ahead of us that we dont take the time to enjoy where we are.."
-like when you try to enjoy sunday knowing that the next day is monday. the point is, be thankful with what we have now cause no one can be sure that ur gonna see monday or ur gonna have the chance to get that thing which is just ahead of you. The thing is if we put this temporary world as our aim, its difficult or should i say impossible for us to achieve this feeling of contentment, cause the reality of this world is everything is ever changing, fluctuating and temporary. So we have to set of purpose of life clear and aim for the permanent HereAfter.
"Often, it takes some calamity to make us live in the present.."
-but we should not wait for a calamity to strike us first before we wake up, cause sometimes, we may not be strong enough to face up with the reality..thus, naudhubillah it can cause us to drift further away from the truth.
May Allah Guide us all.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
FUN: Fulfilling / Fooling?
Everyone wants to have fun. Life is short.. lets have fun! We're still young, lets enjoy while we still can!
Yabadabadoo!!!
True.. its human nature to have fun but the thing is ...how do you have fun?
what do you do to get this thing called fun?
come to think of it what is fun? how do you define it?
Don't worry, am not a philosopher and am not looking forward to be one either cause Alhamdulillah, i have found the best, most comprehensive and perfect way of life, not only for myself but also for everyone in this world, wherever you are, whoever you may be.. how old or young..as long as you stick to this way of life you'd be safe and happy not only in this world but also in the next.
Of course.. the answer is.. I S L A M!
Some people thought that its impossible to be religious and have fun at the same time...
especially when that religion you're talking about here is Islam!
I mean if I try to put my self in those people's shoes, i would definitely wonder how in the world can that lady have fun being in that black dress everywhere?!
When everyone else is having fun 'socializing' in the clubs its difficult to imagine how one can have fun when his or her religion forbid its followers from going to those places where free-mixing and alcohols are the main things?
When the religion forbid pre-marital relationship- how can one really find their soulmate?
No music! No cinemas! No datings! No touching! = NO FUN?!
A famous scholar once mentioned that there are 2 main obstacles on the way to righteousness:
They are DESIRES & DOUBTS.
When one is so overpowered by their desires. When one is a servant to their own desires... one would do anything to satisfy it.
Islam teaches us to control our desires. Allah gave us the ability to think and to decide. So use them wisely. Choose to be a servant of God, not your desires.
Another thing is doubts. This is basically related to the state of our iman or belief in Allah. If we truly, strongly believe that Allah is Ever Watching each and every action of ours in this world and that we will be held accountable on the Day of Judgement on our smallest sins or deeds, then surely we would have no problem to practice complete deen in our lives. The thing is, since these things, the dark grave, punishments of Hell, the beautiful Jannah are not in front of our eyes now, while the gold and glitter of the 'fun' in this world is all over us, we're always in doubts... time and time again.
Allah, protect us ya Allah.
If you find your heart more inclined to listen to music than the holy Quran,
if you find your mind always thinking of that boy/girlfriend of yours,
if you find yourself in the cinema/ night-clubs every other weekend,
then beware! wake-up! before its too late!
Naudhubillah, lets have that fear in our hearts that because of our sins, our hearts might have been so blackened that we find solace in things that are forbidden by our Creator. O Allah clean our hearts!makes it easy for our hearts to love what You love, and hate what You hate.
So, then how do you have a fulfilling fun rather than a fooling fun?
Fulfilling fun is basically everything in the world that you can think of, except those that are forbidden by Allah. On the other hand fooling fun is those things you know is forbidden by Allah; its gonna cause you to loose your time, energy, and money, and worst.. more sins and more black spots on your heart!
so lets choose to have a halal, clean and fulfilling fun!
The following are some practical ways to avoid fooling fun and thus achieving fulfilling fun:
Yabadabadoo!!!
True.. its human nature to have fun but the thing is ...how do you have fun?
what do you do to get this thing called fun?
come to think of it what is fun? how do you define it?
Don't worry, am not a philosopher and am not looking forward to be one either cause Alhamdulillah, i have found the best, most comprehensive and perfect way of life, not only for myself but also for everyone in this world, wherever you are, whoever you may be.. how old or young..as long as you stick to this way of life you'd be safe and happy not only in this world but also in the next.
Of course.. the answer is.. I S L A M!
Some people thought that its impossible to be religious and have fun at the same time...
especially when that religion you're talking about here is Islam!
I mean if I try to put my self in those people's shoes, i would definitely wonder how in the world can that lady have fun being in that black dress everywhere?!
When everyone else is having fun 'socializing' in the clubs its difficult to imagine how one can have fun when his or her religion forbid its followers from going to those places where free-mixing and alcohols are the main things?
When the religion forbid pre-marital relationship- how can one really find their soulmate?
No music! No cinemas! No datings! No touching! = NO FUN?!
A famous scholar once mentioned that there are 2 main obstacles on the way to righteousness:
They are DESIRES & DOUBTS.
When one is so overpowered by their desires. When one is a servant to their own desires... one would do anything to satisfy it.
Islam teaches us to control our desires. Allah gave us the ability to think and to decide. So use them wisely. Choose to be a servant of God, not your desires.
Another thing is doubts. This is basically related to the state of our iman or belief in Allah. If we truly, strongly believe that Allah is Ever Watching each and every action of ours in this world and that we will be held accountable on the Day of Judgement on our smallest sins or deeds, then surely we would have no problem to practice complete deen in our lives. The thing is, since these things, the dark grave, punishments of Hell, the beautiful Jannah are not in front of our eyes now, while the gold and glitter of the 'fun' in this world is all over us, we're always in doubts... time and time again.
Allah, protect us ya Allah.
If you find your heart more inclined to listen to music than the holy Quran,
if you find your mind always thinking of that boy/girlfriend of yours,
if you find yourself in the cinema/ night-clubs every other weekend,
then beware! wake-up! before its too late!
dont let your desires drive you in this life! let the deen be your driver!
for desires can never find satisfaction in this temporary world.
Abu Umamah RadiAllahu'anhu narrates: Rasulullah Sallallahu'alayhiwasallam said: If anyone loves for Allah's sake, hates for Allah's sake, gives for Allah's sake and withholds for Allah's sake, he will progress towards perfection of ima. (Abu Dawud)
So, then how do you have a fulfilling fun rather than a fooling fun?
Fulfilling fun is basically everything in the world that you can think of, except those that are forbidden by Allah. On the other hand fooling fun is those things you know is forbidden by Allah; its gonna cause you to loose your time, energy, and money, and worst.. more sins and more black spots on your heart!
so lets choose to have a halal, clean and fulfilling fun!
The following are some practical ways to avoid fooling fun and thus achieving fulfilling fun:
- have the intention first! decide to please Allah, NOT your desires. get your principle of life right- that you're in this world to serve Allah, NOT to serve YOUR desires!
- pray to Allah so Allah makes it easy.
- believe that death can come to you anytime and you dont want to die while sinning.
- realize that Allah is Ever-Watching
- try to be with those who can remind you of Allah, choose the right company
Ibne 'Abbas RadiAllahu'anhuma narrates: Rasulullah Sallallahu'alayhiwasallam was asked: Which of our companions is the best? He replied: The one, when you see him, he reminds you of Allah; and when he talks, your deeds improve; and his deeds (actions) remind you of the HereAfter. (Abu Ya;la and Majma-'uz-Zawaid)
6. try as much as possible to be in an Islam-friendly environment which, nowadays can sometimes be very difficult to find but at least if you try to look for it, insyaAllah you'll find it- the gatherings of remembrance of Allah. The thing with us is we dont even have that urge to look for it, Astaghfirullah.
7. stay away from the bad places and the bad guys!
8. explore your other interests ie if you're fond of baking, instead of spending your time in the cinema on the weekend, maybe you can spend it in the kitchen, bake for the family etc.
Listing down these steps in words really is easy, but to put them into practice needs a lot of effort and sacrifice. Believe that behind every sacrifices and difficulties for the sake of Allah, there lies great rewards as promised by Allah.
May Allah give us the strength! Amin.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
How much is that doggy in the window?
woof! woof!
I think it was during the last eid that my youngest brother, umair, then, 8 year-old, was given AUSD50 as ang-pow. He then happily got himself into a deal with his dear 'wise' old brother who's 18 years older than him. the deal was to exchange his AUSD50 with RM100. Well, thats one of those problems u'll get when the age gap is too big.
Anyway, the point i'm trying to lay down here is the importance of knowing the value of things in this world.
If only umair knew the exchange rate, then he would surely refuse the 'offer.'
Once i read a book in which there was a story of a student who was asked by his teacher to go to the market to buy some things, in exchange to a stone. The student then went to the market and did as was told but the seller refused to accept the stone for the goods he was selling. So then the student came back to his teacher and told him what had happened. Then, his teacher told him to go to a gold smith and sell the stone to him. When the student showed the gold smith the stone, the gold smith was shocked to see such a valuable diamond stone that he didnt even have enough money to buy it.
Moral of the story is, we need to have knowledge on the values of things. The thing with us is that we tend to just look superficially on things and then ignore it so that we can go with the flow and move on with our lives in ignorance! and this thing sometimes happened again and again til suddenly we found ourselves in our late 20s, or our late 30s or 50s or 60's! And naudhubillah, we pray to Allah that we will not only realize it when we're in the grave.
Sometimes i cant help feeling sorry for those old folks who are still tiring themselves day and night in search for a better livelihood. Of course, what i meant by a better livelihood here is a bigger car or a fancier holidays or a bigger TV etc. Its only natural, that when the value of deen is not in our hearts then the value of this world will creep in. We dont have to tell our hearts that to own a big house is success, it will automatically creep into our hearts, given the very materialistic environment around us. Everyone around us is talking about it. Everyone is looking at what ur driving, how big is your house etc.
We have to get our values right. Of course the right values can only be found in our religion. If we turn to our own desires or other peoples values, people can say this and that and theres no guarantee that its gonna be the right thing. And its not a feel-good-channel kind of thing. As long as you feel good about it, its right... NO!
We have to turn to our Creator, cause in the end, we shall all return to Him.
So we have to tell our hearts, for the men, that praying in congregation in the musjid is so many times more valuable than praying alone at home. That 3 ayaat which one recite in his salat are better than 3 big pregnant and fat she-camels. That the 2 rakaat sunnah before the Fajr salah are more beloved in the eyes of the Prophet Sallahu'alayhiwasallam than the whole world.
That for the ladies: taking care of their home is their jihad. Some of us may regard homemaking, staying at home to take care of the children is a waste of time or substandard in todays so-called age of women liberation. But here, Islam declares that homemaking is a jihad for the ladies and jihad is the epitome of Islamic life. It is the highest possible status in an Islamic society. Jihad usually comes with sacrifice. And its easy to understand why being at home is a great jihad for ladies nowadays since to be at home nowadays means sacrificing their career, their chance to get more income, more certificates, name in the society, titles etc. But with any sacrifice in the name of Allah, there is that contentment and joy that can never be bought by anything in this world.
Everything in this world will soon perish and our life after death is a beginning to an eternal life.
Its difficult to find people talking about this so we need to find these people, talk about it ourselves, find that religious environment, gatherings of remembrance of Allah, the gardens of Jannah in this world.
We have to make effort to get deeni values into our hearts. Train our hearts to believe strongly on Allah's promises and rewards in the HereAfter.
Its very important for us to know the values of amal.
From my personal experience, just looking at my parents happy for my achievements is in itself a great joy for myself thats more than enough for me. Though initially you may thought that the rewards they promised will make you really happy, in the end you would realize that its not the reward, but its the fact that you knew you had made them happy, that gave you great joy and fulfillment.
Allah.. guide us ya Allah!
open our eyes and heart so that we can differentiate whats valuable and whats not in this life..
give us the right understanding before u call us back, ya Allah.
let this heart yearn for the things that are of value to You, O Allah.
this whole life is a test, and this test can only happen once. No second chance.
Let this heart love what You love and let it hate what You hate.
Amin.
I think it was during the last eid that my youngest brother, umair, then, 8 year-old, was given AUSD50 as ang-pow. He then happily got himself into a deal with his dear 'wise' old brother who's 18 years older than him. the deal was to exchange his AUSD50 with RM100. Well, thats one of those problems u'll get when the age gap is too big.
Anyway, the point i'm trying to lay down here is the importance of knowing the value of things in this world.
If only umair knew the exchange rate, then he would surely refuse the 'offer.'
Once i read a book in which there was a story of a student who was asked by his teacher to go to the market to buy some things, in exchange to a stone. The student then went to the market and did as was told but the seller refused to accept the stone for the goods he was selling. So then the student came back to his teacher and told him what had happened. Then, his teacher told him to go to a gold smith and sell the stone to him. When the student showed the gold smith the stone, the gold smith was shocked to see such a valuable diamond stone that he didnt even have enough money to buy it.
Moral of the story is, we need to have knowledge on the values of things. The thing with us is that we tend to just look superficially on things and then ignore it so that we can go with the flow and move on with our lives in ignorance! and this thing sometimes happened again and again til suddenly we found ourselves in our late 20s, or our late 30s or 50s or 60's! And naudhubillah, we pray to Allah that we will not only realize it when we're in the grave.
Sometimes i cant help feeling sorry for those old folks who are still tiring themselves day and night in search for a better livelihood. Of course, what i meant by a better livelihood here is a bigger car or a fancier holidays or a bigger TV etc. Its only natural, that when the value of deen is not in our hearts then the value of this world will creep in. We dont have to tell our hearts that to own a big house is success, it will automatically creep into our hearts, given the very materialistic environment around us. Everyone around us is talking about it. Everyone is looking at what ur driving, how big is your house etc.
We have to get our values right. Of course the right values can only be found in our religion. If we turn to our own desires or other peoples values, people can say this and that and theres no guarantee that its gonna be the right thing. And its not a feel-good-channel kind of thing. As long as you feel good about it, its right... NO!
We have to turn to our Creator, cause in the end, we shall all return to Him.
So we have to tell our hearts, for the men, that praying in congregation in the musjid is so many times more valuable than praying alone at home. That 3 ayaat which one recite in his salat are better than 3 big pregnant and fat she-camels. That the 2 rakaat sunnah before the Fajr salah are more beloved in the eyes of the Prophet Sallahu'alayhiwasallam than the whole world.
That for the ladies: taking care of their home is their jihad. Some of us may regard homemaking, staying at home to take care of the children is a waste of time or substandard in todays so-called age of women liberation. But here, Islam declares that homemaking is a jihad for the ladies and jihad is the epitome of Islamic life. It is the highest possible status in an Islamic society. Jihad usually comes with sacrifice. And its easy to understand why being at home is a great jihad for ladies nowadays since to be at home nowadays means sacrificing their career, their chance to get more income, more certificates, name in the society, titles etc. But with any sacrifice in the name of Allah, there is that contentment and joy that can never be bought by anything in this world.
Everything in this world will soon perish and our life after death is a beginning to an eternal life.
Its difficult to find people talking about this so we need to find these people, talk about it ourselves, find that religious environment, gatherings of remembrance of Allah, the gardens of Jannah in this world.
We have to make effort to get deeni values into our hearts. Train our hearts to believe strongly on Allah's promises and rewards in the HereAfter.
Its very important for us to know the values of amal.
its human nature that we like rewards. Allah, Our Creator knows what we like, thats why its no wonder that there are so many verses of the Quran and hadith which mention the rewards of deeds promised by Allah for those people who perfom those deeds for the sake of Allah.
Let our ears listen to these promises again and again. Let our tongue talk about it again and again. InsyaAllah, Allah will give us the desire to do as much deed as possible to please Him.
Of course, its not just about the rewards, by knowing the rewards of deeds, then we'll more or less know how much that deed is loved by Allah. As an analogy, when a father promise to give a great gift for his son for achieving something, its only natural that the father really love that achievement of his son. Like my father last time used to promise me RM100 for every A i got in UPSR, then during my SPM, he promised me RM1k for every A. The more he loves the achievement, the more reward.
 |
| a diamond: before and after processing |
From my personal experience, just looking at my parents happy for my achievements is in itself a great joy for myself thats more than enough for me. Though initially you may thought that the rewards they promised will make you really happy, in the end you would realize that its not the reward, but its the fact that you knew you had made them happy, that gave you great joy and fulfillment.
Allah.. guide us ya Allah!
open our eyes and heart so that we can differentiate whats valuable and whats not in this life..
give us the right understanding before u call us back, ya Allah.
let this heart yearn for the things that are of value to You, O Allah.
this whole life is a test, and this test can only happen once. No second chance.
Let this heart love what You love and let it hate what You hate.
Amin.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A VOICE BEHIND A VEIL
The following is an article written by
By Khadijah Natalie Arbee
(Thanks to aunty ana for sharing) .
I am a muslim woman. I wear the niqaab (face veil).
I’m one of those to whom the new law in France would apply.
I’m one of the ones being discussed by politicians, human rights groups and the media.
I’m one of those whom many feel the need to liberate.
I’m one of those you may think is oppressed.
I’m one of those many of you detest the sight of...
I’m one of those whom you may believe is uneducated; one of the ones you may think has no voice.
But I do. So let me speak.
I am not Arab, Asian or even African. I am Australian. I grew up as a Christian, and attended church occasionally. I was in the school swim team, and district netball team. I holidayed with my family in the summer on the Gold Coast, and I’m educated. I have a university degree.
When I was 18 years of age I was introduced to Islam. I studied it, and accepted it a year and a half later. By the time I reached 20, I was wearing the headscarf, and after I married I donned the niqaab.
Because of my husband? No.
My husband did not want me to wear it, although his mother and sister do, and out of respect for his wishes I didn’t do so for two years. But I wanted to, and eventually did, and knowing it to be in line with our religion, my husband knew he had no authority to prevent me, and he now greatly admires my strength.
Then, I wore it because of my father? No. He’s a catholic.
Because of my brother? Nope, haven’t got one.
My uncle? He’s an atheist.
Then because of my son? My eldest is only 8 years old. Then why??
Because I want to, that’s why.
And seeing as though my niqaab does not hurt anyone, that should be sufficient reason for all of you liberals of a liberal society; I should be able to finish my discussion right here. But although it may be so for any other style of dress, it isn’t enough when it comes to niqaab for some reason.
You want more. So I will continue.
What makes me want to then?
Two things: Faith and experience.
Faith? Yeah, faith. Faith in my Creator , faith in His decisions, faith in Islam. A deep faith. Many wonder at the faith of Muslims, at their conviction and their commitment. It’s a faith, that if you are not Muslim, is hard to explain or describe. The scripture of Islam, the Qur’an has scientific miracles in it, such that have captivated scientists globally, leading many to accept Islam. Moreover, the Qur’an has not been changed in over a thousand years, since it was revealed; not one letter moved from its place. I dare say there isn’t a religious scripture like it, and this lends a clue as to the root of such faith.
In the Qur’an, Allah Ta'ala tells us to cover ourselves, ‘so as to be known, but not molested’. So our covering is a protection; a liberation.
Protection? you ask. Liberation? From what?
This is where I move on to my second reason for veiling. Like I said, I grew up in a Western secular society, in true Western secular style. I dressed secular, lived secular, and enjoyed all the ‘liberties’ of such a society. Did I feel liberated, free? Suffice to say, we were taught we were, so I never thought to think otherwise. It wasn’t until I became Muslim, and started covering , that I really felt liberated, and realised , before that I wasn’t.
Yet, time and time again we hear it said that we Muslim women are forced to veil, are oppressed; treated by our men folk as nothing more than ‘objects.’ And that niqaab, burqa, hijab; whatever term you use, is a form of ‘imprisonment’.
But what about the imprisonment of anxiety and depression?
What about the imprisonment of anorexia and bulimia?
What about the imprisonment of frequent rigorous exercise routines?
What about the imprisonment of always feeling the need to look like the super-model on the cover of Cosmo, or the pop-singer in the music video?
What about the slavery to fashion?
What about the entrapment of jealousy??
How many women waste their hard-earned money, destroy their physical and mental health, expose their bodies to vulnerability, abuse and extortion in order to...... in order to what??
In order to gain approval and praise.
Who’s approval and praise?
Men’s.
And yes, it seems even other women too. So it seems non-Muslim women are not only slaves to men, but slaves to society as a whole.
Before you scream your disagreement, which many of you may do as a knee-jerk reaction to being told you’re also oppressed , stop and think. Look around you, contemplate society today, and its values, its aspirations, its goals, its direction, its past-times, its hobbies....
What good has it done for women to doff more and more clothing?
What good has it done for images of uncovered made-up women to be plastered on every billboard and magazine, on the TV, in the movies, and on the net?
Has it really brought any good for women?
The women in the images may aptly feel good about themselves for a while, but what does it mean for every other woman?
Women who look upon these images usually become anxious, jealous, unsure and critical of themselves, or all of these things. Many men who view them will become aroused, or even unhappy, less satisfied with the partners they already have. What can, and does, this lead to?
Cheating, dumping, chastisement, and even harassment of other women, and even children by men who cannot find a legitimate outlet for their constant arousal. And yes, I can hear some of you; ‘then the men must control themselves!’ Frankly speaking that argument is well spent, not to mention futile, as most men are, inherently, only able to react to that, the same way a hungry lion would react if thrown a juicy piece of steak, and told not to eat it....
Do the uncovered women captured in these images and industries, or parading around, realise or even care how many young girls are starving, purging and stressing themselves trying to mirror their image? No.
It seems they even take perverse pleasure in it. One barely-dressed singer even boldly and crudely sung recently, ‘Don’t you wish your girlfriend was hot like me?’
What?!
What is this woman and her ilk saying??
What are they implying??
What are they doing to their sisters in humanity??!
So many poor girls, eroding themselves physically and mentally as they watch with jealousy and anxiety their partners ogle singers like this. Have the same thing occur to these women, these ‘idols’; have their partners swoon over another similarly attired, and witness their reaction! And when their daughters are molested by men they themselves, or women like them, have aroused, will they reflect?
Will they act?
Will society act?
Yeah, we see it reacting: ban the burqa!
It just amazes me how many women, especially, despise my choice of dress.
Yet, would they rather their husband’s secretary be dressed like me or otherwise?
Would they rather the waitress serving the table at their anniversary dinner, be dressed like me or otherwise?
Is it me and my sisters who are turning their husband’s head, or attracting their boyfriends??
Is it me and my sisters who have led their daughters to anorexia, or their sons to pornography?
Is it me and my sisters whose bodies and faces solicit their husband’s/boyfriend’s attention on every corner? Is it me and my sisters who have aroused that man to rape or harass their sisters?
Whose mode of ‘dress’ is truly oppressive and harmful to women??
So now I’ve spoken, and although I am one, I speak on behalf of hundreds. I’ve explained to you that the majority of us have chosen this mode of dress, especially in the West. I have told you that we love it, we want it, and I’ve exemplified for you the inherent good in it. I’ve discussed here the issue of niqaab based on the suggestion that it is oppressive, or harmful to society, as this is the main reason stated by the French for the ban. So to those of you who really are so concerned about ‘liberating’ me, then you will listen to what I have said, and let me and my sisters be.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Petty Pity
Its easy to feel pity towards a physically handicapped person. Our hearts will automatically burst out of sadness to see a blind man or a mentally retarded child on a wheelchair. Sometimes, even if he is completely perfect physically, our hearts just couldnt help to have that sense of pity towards that person for the fact that he is a cleaner.
It came as a surprise for me to see that even in this country there are people who waits at the traffic light to clean the cars windscreen as a way of gaining some income. Of course, this heart again, felt sorry for that person.. Under the hot summer sun, he was willing to just clean any cars passing by not knowing whether the driver will give him any tip for the effort. Poor man..
Of course, its not wrong to have this feeling because its only human nature to feel sorry for these kinds of people. But the thing is, sometimes our hearts fail to feel sorry for those far more handicapped people, those whom Allah, our Creator has promised that their destination will be the Hell fire... forever! AllahuAkbar!
Clean our hearts ya Allah!
As much as we feel sorry for a physically handicapped man.. make this heart even more sorry for those who are spiritually handicapped. As much as we feel pity towards a materially poor man, let this heart burst out of sadness looking at a rich man not practising deen!
As much as we feel sorry looking at a mentally retarded child, let our hearts scream to see an old man without iman!
How far we are from our Prophet Salallahu'alayhiwasallam and his companions!
In a lecture, it was mentioned that, if a survey was to be done on an average man, beyond religious backgrounds, most probably the 2 things in life that he would be scared of are poverty and sickness. On the other hand, our beloved Prophet Salallahu'alayhiwasallam had once stated that he'd be worried of the state of his ummah when there will be abundance of wealth.When we fear that we would not be able to leave anything material for our children, or when we find happiness looking at our evergrowing money in the bank or investments, our Prophet and his companions were restless with extra wealth in hand!
When we believe that abundance of wealth is success, the sahabah was sure that sacrificing all they have for Allah is true success. Be it their money, their children, or even their own lives, they'd rather sacrifice them all to please Allah. And they did all these with pleasure.. not an iota of doubt on Allah's promise of a business thats sure to profit! These are the people whom Allah had promised Paradise. Truly, this is true success!
Ya Allah, give us the right worry!
Let Rasulullah Salallahu'alayhiwasallam's worry and concern be our worry and concern too.
Once, someone felt sorry for my children since there is no TV in our house,thus, this person thought that they are devoid of entertainment, like other kids are having...
Some people felt sorry for the niqabis for having to cover their faces all the time.
some felt sorry for those ladies whose husbands are out working for the religion with their time and wealth..
Ya Allah.. from You we came and to You we shall return.
If only everyone of us have that knowledge and strong believe of the rewards awaiting those who suppress their desires for Allah or those who hold on to even 1 sunnah of the Prophet Salallahu'alayhiwasallam or those who sacrifice their time, wealth and family to go out in His path.. then everyone would then be even more sorry for those who leave their kids with TV all the time, everyone would then feel sorry for those half-naked ladies walking on the streets, everyone would then feel sorry for those ladies whose husbands had to leave them for the sake of some petty gains in this world.
Suddenly the hadith on tasbeeh fatimah came across my mind, in which, Ali RadiAllahu'anhu requested from Rasulullah Salallahu'alayhiwasallam a servant for Fatima RadiAllahu'anha. To help her with her domestic works. But, instead of giving one to his most beloved daughter. he gave an even better helper- tasbeeh fatimah. Imagine, our Prophet Salallahu'alayhiwasallam who was being sent as a mercy to mankind, look how he treated his most beloved daughter. On the surface it may look unfair for some of us but this is the man whom we had all sworn that he is the messenger of Allah. A mercy to all mankind.He is the best of man and no man can ever surpassed him in mercy and good conducts... ever!
Ya Allah guide us all.Give us the right understanding!
We have all wronged ourselves too much!
Bring us all back ya Allah, before we come back to you..
It came as a surprise for me to see that even in this country there are people who waits at the traffic light to clean the cars windscreen as a way of gaining some income. Of course, this heart again, felt sorry for that person.. Under the hot summer sun, he was willing to just clean any cars passing by not knowing whether the driver will give him any tip for the effort. Poor man..
Of course, its not wrong to have this feeling because its only human nature to feel sorry for these kinds of people. But the thing is, sometimes our hearts fail to feel sorry for those far more handicapped people, those whom Allah, our Creator has promised that their destination will be the Hell fire... forever! AllahuAkbar!
Clean our hearts ya Allah!
As much as we feel sorry for a physically handicapped man.. make this heart even more sorry for those who are spiritually handicapped. As much as we feel pity towards a materially poor man, let this heart burst out of sadness looking at a rich man not practising deen!
As much as we feel sorry looking at a mentally retarded child, let our hearts scream to see an old man without iman!
How far we are from our Prophet Salallahu'alayhiwasallam and his companions!
In a lecture, it was mentioned that, if a survey was to be done on an average man, beyond religious backgrounds, most probably the 2 things in life that he would be scared of are poverty and sickness. On the other hand, our beloved Prophet Salallahu'alayhiwasallam had once stated that he'd be worried of the state of his ummah when there will be abundance of wealth.When we fear that we would not be able to leave anything material for our children, or when we find happiness looking at our evergrowing money in the bank or investments, our Prophet and his companions were restless with extra wealth in hand!
When we believe that abundance of wealth is success, the sahabah was sure that sacrificing all they have for Allah is true success. Be it their money, their children, or even their own lives, they'd rather sacrifice them all to please Allah. And they did all these with pleasure.. not an iota of doubt on Allah's promise of a business thats sure to profit! These are the people whom Allah had promised Paradise. Truly, this is true success!
Ya Allah, give us the right worry!
Let Rasulullah Salallahu'alayhiwasallam's worry and concern be our worry and concern too.
Once, someone felt sorry for my children since there is no TV in our house,thus, this person thought that they are devoid of entertainment, like other kids are having...
Some people felt sorry for the niqabis for having to cover their faces all the time.
some felt sorry for those ladies whose husbands are out working for the religion with their time and wealth..
Ya Allah.. from You we came and to You we shall return.
If only everyone of us have that knowledge and strong believe of the rewards awaiting those who suppress their desires for Allah or those who hold on to even 1 sunnah of the Prophet Salallahu'alayhiwasallam or those who sacrifice their time, wealth and family to go out in His path.. then everyone would then be even more sorry for those who leave their kids with TV all the time, everyone would then feel sorry for those half-naked ladies walking on the streets, everyone would then feel sorry for those ladies whose husbands had to leave them for the sake of some petty gains in this world.
Suddenly the hadith on tasbeeh fatimah came across my mind, in which, Ali RadiAllahu'anhu requested from Rasulullah Salallahu'alayhiwasallam a servant for Fatima RadiAllahu'anha. To help her with her domestic works. But, instead of giving one to his most beloved daughter. he gave an even better helper- tasbeeh fatimah. Imagine, our Prophet Salallahu'alayhiwasallam who was being sent as a mercy to mankind, look how he treated his most beloved daughter. On the surface it may look unfair for some of us but this is the man whom we had all sworn that he is the messenger of Allah. A mercy to all mankind.He is the best of man and no man can ever surpassed him in mercy and good conducts... ever!
Ya Allah guide us all.Give us the right understanding!
We have all wronged ourselves too much!
Bring us all back ya Allah, before we come back to you..
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Floating Leaves?!
SubhanAllah, today i got to see one of the many signs of Allah that we seldom notice unless we set our eyes to look for it. Last time when i was a medical student, we, the medical students were always reminded that the eyes cannot see what the mind doesnt know. So when examining a patient, we have to know what to look for, then we'll see what we're looking for. Otherwise, the thing will be 'staring' at you but you just cant see it. Come to think of it, same goes with the signs of Allah. Allah's creations all around us are actually signs of His existence, if only we really observe and ponder over the magnificence of these creatures.
So today, i saw floating leaves! From a distance, it looked as if it was floating but when i looked at it closely, there was a very fine string of spider thread holding it from a branch of tree above!
it was amazing because, it was quite a windy day, the tree branch from where the leaves were hanging from was quite high above and the fact that its not just 1 leaf, but a bunch of it, made the thing even more amazing.
i did heard somewhere, some time ago that spiders silk is truly amazing.
The following are some interesting points i got from harunyahya.com on the spiders thread:
So today, i saw floating leaves! From a distance, it looked as if it was floating but when i looked at it closely, there was a very fine string of spider thread holding it from a branch of tree above!
it was amazing because, it was quite a windy day, the tree branch from where the leaves were hanging from was quite high above and the fact that its not just 1 leaf, but a bunch of it, made the thing even more amazing.
i did heard somewhere, some time ago that spiders silk is truly amazing.
The following are some interesting points i got from harunyahya.com on the spiders thread:
- Spiders' thread is five times stronger than steel of the same thickness, and can stretch to four times its own length.
- A silk thread stretching around the whole world would only weigh 320 grams
- spider thread, from the point of view of its resistance to breaking and the extent it can stretch before breaking, is a material the like of which does not exist
- Spider silk is stronger and more elastic than Kevlar, and Kevlar is the strongest man-made fiber
In the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and day, and the ships which sail the seas to people's benefit, and the water which God sends down from the sky – by which He brings the earth to life when it was dead and scatters about in it creatures of every kind – and the varying direction of the winds, and the clouds subservient between heaven and earth, there are Signs for people who use their intellect. (Surat al-Baqara: 164)
Friday, January 14, 2011
Living as a Stranger...
Ibne 'Umar Radiallahu'anhuma narrates: Rasulullah Sallallahu'alayhi wasallam held my shoulder (to draw my attention and to emphasize what he wanted to say) and said: Live in the world as if you are a stranger or a wayfarer. (Bukhari)
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i was reading a new book with mus'ab 1 day and i was surprised to find a lady in burqa illustrated here in an australian award-winning children book! |
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