A place called there

Bismillahhir Rahmaannir Raheem

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going” – Anon

Jannah. That’s the place to be. That’s our final destination, insyaAllah.

It’s true what the saying is telling us. Here we are, aware of our purpose of life, aware that this life is temporary but the afterlife is eternal, believing with the utmost faith of the existence of Jannah, that we all dream of to be; thus striving hard to get there.

Word: striving. Hard.

I don’t quite know how to describe the hardship, but it helps if there’s an example to compare with. Let’s reflect within ourselves. Have you been tempted SO hard, to do something that you know is not going to benefit you? Something that you know is the calling of the nafs, therefore something you should avoid?

There you are, contemplating: Should I or shouldn’t I? The nagging voice egging you on to “just go do it; it will only take a while. For after you’re done, you can get back doing what it was you’re doing in the first place. Go on, take a chance on me. Live a little. Don’t be too rigid. You definitely EARNED a break.”

Behold, the trickery of Shaaitan and the soft summoning voice of the nafs; enticing us with exciting, temporary but immediate enjoyment.

But nay, for truly if you believe, you know what’s better for you. I know it’s quite hard to repel all these voices but that’s the way it is decreed to happen. [thus, ‘striving hard’]

“Mujahadah itu pahit, kerana syurga itu manis.” (Solusi, 4,p18.)

And this actually reminds me of another story. Of two fishermen; one who is an idolater and the other, an obedient Muslim. When they both went to the sea [I’m paraphrasing this story of course =)], the idolater said the idol’s name when fanning-out his net and the Muslim of course starts his, with the Lord’s name, a recitation of ‘Bismillah.’ When then it was time to draw the net, it was found that the idolater’s net was full of fish but the Muslim has none.

An angel watching the situation asked the Lord Al-Mighty: “O Allah, what has happened? The idol-worshipper has committed shirk but yet You gave him such generous provision while your faithful servant who remembers and says Your name before it, You grant him nothing.”

Then the Lord replies:

“For the idol-worshipper, I have reserved him a place in hell-fire. So what is the provision that eventually will get destroyed mean, if I give it to him? But for my faithful servant… I wanted him to have a place in my Paradise, and for that reason I put him on trials to see how deep is his faith in Me.”

So you see, this road that we have undertaken, to the place worth going… is definitely without a doubt will be full of obstacles and deterrants, a difficult one, never ‘all-singing-all-dancing’ but hey, on the other side of the coin, eternal Paradise, insyaAllah.

“Do the people think that they will be left to say, ‘We believe’ and they will not be tried?” [Al-Ankabut, 29:2]

Training my NFS

Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahhi wabarakatuh.

How have you been doing? Any progress with the training? :)

In the last post, I was talking about training oneself with a deed or committing oneself to a deed or deeds so that by the end of Ramadhan, hopefully insyaAllah it will become a habit. Ameen.

So I decided to train myself with patience. Oh yes! How trying it has been. But Alhamdulillah, it kinda works somehow. You know that we are not born with it (another brilliant note pointed out by that friend of mine :D ). Imagine a baby. If the baby wants something, really really want it, then the baby will try to get our attention in order that we satisfy its want. If however we are unable to give the baby the attention that it seeks, well what do you think the baby will do? The baby will cry lah. Like, really loud and annoying at an earsplitting tone that you just want to shut the baby up and eventually do what it wants. God, babies do know how to manipulate us. Tsk tsk.

Anyway, so basically, you see… babies don’t have patience. Therefore, it is not something that we are born with; rather it is something that is developed within us as we grow.

You know, there a hadith relating imaan and patience:

“As-sabru minal imaan.”

“Patience is half of imaan.”

So if we could get to train our self with patience, insyaAllah our imaan will eventually rose. Could it also be true the other way round, though? InsyaAllah, wallahu’alam.

But anyway, how do you train yourself with patience? Well, there is lots of way to achieve this. It depends on where you want to inflict the patience; be it in your daily routines, your favourite chores or your habits etc. Me? I choose driving. Why? Well here it goes:

I kind of have an affliction. It’s called NFS – need for speed. It happens whenever I’m driving (apparently, duh!). I don’t know why I have the need but I know that I could not stand driving oh-so s-l-o-w-l-y! Or so I thought, hehe.

So because of this NFS condition that I have, I decided… hey, let’s try it on that! After all, driving too fast is never good and since I ‘could not stand’ it, I shall have to suffer and drive s-l-o-w because I want to be a patient person. And so it began.

I remind myself at all times to drive at moderate speed. Not too slow but again, not as fast as I would normally have. Especially if I am not in a hurry to catch something important. So one day I was driving (duh!). And automatically my foot slammed on the accelerator. Seeing as no car is behind me (therefore no pressure!) and quite a few cars in front of me, I said to myself to slow down a bit. Okay, so I lift my foot off the accelerator – just a bit! But at least I’m progressing. I am fighting my nafs (i.e. nfs) and training myself to be more patient. Whee!

And that went on for quite a while. Few days later, I managed to not have to lift my foot of the accelerator because… I am used to not driving that fast anymore. (Uh, are you bored by now? You should be! :p). But I am still driving at moderate speed. I don’t know if my moderate is somebody’s fast but at least it’s moderate to me. Progress.

And just yesterday, I was driving quite slowly. I even managed to stay on the left lane without having too much of an urge to go to the right lane; all the way from my house to the city centre and then to my grandma’s house. The distance is saying something and I am controlling it! Double whee! Or it could be because it’s raining that day haha, lol. No lah, after a while the rain stopped and I am still driving quite slowly *grins*

So! Have I mastered patience? Well, it’s not a one-off job. It’s a constant thing. Not on just one main action/habit but we need to apply it in our everyday routine. The driving adventure is just an example. Hehe.

Again, it differs with a person. What do you want to train yourself to this Ramadhan? :D

Jaga Diri, Jaga Imaan, Jaga Hati

It's been a while... RAMADHAN KAREEM!

Bismillahhir Rahmaannir Raheem.

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahhi wabarakatuh.

Aloha world out there! It has really been a while, has it not? For that, truly sorry for the absence from us the 6-Thornbankers. Or should I say, ex-6-Thornbankers now? Hehe.

To start with, Ramadhan Kareem to you all! Yes, it is that time of the year again, where MASSIVE sales are everywhere, in every little step that we took, in every small deed that we commit. But of course, profitable only if the intention is Lillahi Taa’la!

I have a confession to make. Okay, before everyone expects something REALLY big about to be told, let me be frank and say… it’s probably nothing to you. Hewhew. Well, it’s just that, I have not been writing much since… ages! Oh my. So pardon me for the simplicity of this post and any following posts that may come. The last piece of decent writing probably would be my last academic assignment. Whoa! Haha. And that is saying a lot, by the way.

So anyhow, I thought I might take up a bit of writing now that I actually had the time to write :S. God knows I’ve been busy! :) But no matter. Here we go:

..................................

As it turns out, I am out of idea of what to write! Or should I say, there’s too much to write that I could not bring myself to settle on one else I shall have to write a jumbled, incoherent piece that no one but me could understand! That would be troublesome then, seeing as I have to explain it again, wouldn’t it? Hmm… let me see!

Ah yes. It’s Ramadhan now, as we all know. I remembered (vaguely) a friend saying something about nafs and our imaan and its connection with the holy month. Well, let me rephrase it to my own. So it goes like this. Our imaan and our nafs are always, ALWAYS conflicting between themselves in our daily life.

For example… like, when a friend/family member invited you to recite the Quran together after Isya’ prayer but at the same time a special show is aired on TV that you just HAVE to watch it at that time because everybody’s talking about it and if you don’t watch it then you’re like… uncool. Boo!

So when our imaan is up, we tend to not follow that inner voice that says “C’mon, just this one time… you know you can always do to that next time.” (Sounds familiar? :O) But when it is otherwise, well should I say more? The inner voice, the oh-so-innocent-but-venomous-voice won. And this is… well this is the lure of the Shaitan that feeds on our nafs, which is to watch the tv. So basically, we’re in constant battle. And let me tell you my friend, if we are not too careful, if we do not spend a little bit of our time to ponder upon these things, we lose. BIG TIME. Sad, I know. Which is why we need to be CONSTANT VIGILANT (hehe, as Professor Moody would say it lol).

Anyway, so again, we’re in constant battle. Sometimes we won, sometimes we lose. I admit the latter has a higher probability of happening than the former, for me. But again, trying is the keyword here. Try not to lose. Oh sorry, let me rephrase that. Try to win! :D

Okay so, this friend of mine… she brought to light this interesting fact that I – and probably most of us – have overlooked! Jazakillahhu khair friend : ) She said, we have 12 months in a year. And in all those months, both our imaan and nafs fight with each other. All the time! But, mashaAllah… As we all know, Allah is the Great Planner, Allah Knows All. He made Ramadhan to be the blessed month, for we know in Ramadhan all Shaaitan are locked up so that we are free to commit ourselves to various deeds that are available. This means, our nafs can be tamed as it does not has its best friend. It’s not easy, I can tell you but it’s a start.

MashaAllah. Interesting, don’t you think? Our nafs has 11 months but we have an extra one month to train our self for the better, to increase our imaan and faith, to tame our nafs so that simple, good deeds that seemed hard to do before will be able to flow easily; just like if before you were a barren piece of land, then after the extra month, you’ll be a fertile piece of land with healthy grass growing on it due to the pouring, descendant flow of the incessant water.

(In case no one gets it, the water equals the good deeds that you attached yourself to, or trained yourself to commit, etc, while the grass is the state of your imaan in your heart.)

SO! One month to do it all, one month for a change, for a better future. Are you up to the challenge?

I’ll tell you about my ‘adventure’ with one of the things that I decided to do in next post, insyaAllah. Pray that I have the time to write it!

Therefore, remember our battle. Remember the formula is constant vigilant. Remember the keyword is to TRY. And remember, fighting our nafs does not equal to a considerable loss but a definite win. InsyaAllah :D

Oh, don’t forget the sale!

Exam tips?

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahhi wabarakatuh.

First of all, apologies to everyone for not updating this blog in such a long time. It's been commented on, and so I suppose a little note to share at these trying times wouldn't hurt :) Okay, so some of you might have recognize this from somewhere else, but have a go at it again. It wouldn't hurt, right? hehe. Well, it's up to you really :D

Anyway, as we’re all aware, examinations are looming, that is for those who has not had it yet. So good luck guys! Semoga di permudahkan oleh Sang Rabb, insyaAllah.

This serves as a reminder, as well as to summarise what we talked about in our last solat hajat event. First and foremost, Allah is still our priority no matter how busy we are with our revisions. Remember him in everything you do for it is with His will that we get to do what we wanted to do. Therefore, set our niat that we’re studying because of Allah, because Allah has decreed it upon us. And if our intention is right, everything will be made easy, insyaAllah.

Begin your day, upon waking up with a niat. Say it out loud. Say, “O Allah, today I am going to do my revision. I am going to do it for You, because you decreed upon me to study. Therefore I am studying because of You, so make ease for me.”

Also, if we remember Allah in what ever it is that we do, that is also considered as dzikir… And Allah says in the Quran:

“For without doubt, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction (peace).” (13:28)

So if our heart is at peace, it will be much easier for us to absorb and comprehend our lecture materials, insyaAllah. Before starting your revision or your exam, recite the Fatihah to calm your hearts, read Ayatul-Kursi and Surah Al-Kafiruun, Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Naas, to guard yourself from the trickery of syaaitan. Take your time reading the questions, comprehend them and make those structure/plans of your answers, contemplate upon them. For it was said in a hadith:

“Deliberation is from Allah and haste is from syaitaan.”

And put your trust in Allah i.e. tawakkal, thus recite: “Laa haulawalaa quwwata illa billahil’aliyyil ‘adzim.” Anything that you may discover afterwards upon completion of the examinations, don’t ponder upon it. Do not deliberate over what-ifs and should-have-beens. If you truly do understand the concept of tawakkal, these thoughts would not cross you mind for you know Allah has a better plan for you. Instead, look forward and learn from it. Make better for next time.

But does this mean, we should just make our intention right and let’s rely solely in Allah? No! You have to work to get what you want. Nothing will come easy in this life. Get into grip with good discipline for a better work environment. You are blessed with ‘tools’ (intelligence, senses, etc) from Allah, so make use of them to achieve what you wanted. Stay vigilant on your revision and study plans. Keep on answering those past year questions, for they are good practices.

So does that mean we should just work hard and have good discipline and stick to our study timetable or schedule? No! Don’t ever think that you can get through this with only hardwork… because that is a foolish thought. Sayyidina Ali (r.a.) said:

“Those who think they can achieve their aims without working are dreaming, and those who think they will attain their goals through exertion alone are over-confident and consider themselves self-sufficient.”

So, no matter how hard and trying these times may be, bear in mind that, you can go through this. How do I know? Because Allah said so :D

“On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear…” (2:286)

So work and strive for it! And may I also add, that these are not only to be applied or emphasized during the exam times. Keep it as a habit in your life, a daily routine if you want, anything. It definitely would not cost you a thing :D Be vigilant for it is the best of deeds.

Bittaufiq wannajah dan semoga dipermudahkan.



Jaga Diri Jaga Imaan

Syair... sebagai peringatan.

An ukhti *winks* was kind enough to share this with me, so here I am sharing it with the rest of you.

Jika dunia dianggap berharga,

Maka negeri balasan Allah lebih tinggi dan mulia,

Jika harta dicari utk ditinggal,

Mengapa dia kikir terhadapnya,

Jika rezeki telah dibagi sesuai takdir,

Semakin kecil semangat utk memperolehnya semakin baik,

Jika tubuh diciptakan untuk mati,

Maka mati di jalan Allah kerana tikaman pedang lebih utama.

MasyaAllah.

A cold splash... 'tis what it is.

Assalamualaikum :)

Taking Off the Hijab

-by Shazia Ahmad

Question

I understand that hijab is required, and I’ve been wearing it for some time now but I feel like putting it on might have been a mistake. I don’t feel like it’s made me become a better Muslim, and I feel almost like I’m deceiving people because they look at me as an example even though I’m still struggling with a lot of things. Also, if I take it off, is it really something Allah will punish me for? It seems like such a petty thing. Isn’t the most important thing having a clean heart?

Answer

Assalaamu `alaykum dear questioner,

Thank you for asking this question which opens up a number of important issues, and for entrusting us enough to share with us some of what you’re struggling with. I ask Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala – exalted is He) that He makes the words that I write beneficial to you and others who are reading, and that He leads you to the best decisions.

I’d like to start by addressing what I believe is the least important factor in this equation, and that is ‘what other people might think.’ It should never be the case that we alter our practice of Islam or our worship for the sake of other people, or what they might think or assume. People may be quick to judge or jump to conclusions, but whatever thoughts or opinions they have are strictly their responsibility, and not something we should be overly concerned with.

You said that you’re worried that wearing hijab may be deceiving, because people see you as better than you really are. But in truth all of us are sinners, and it is only from Allah’s mercy upon us that He is as-Siteer - the One who veils our faults and our flaws, and makes us seem better than we really are in others’ eyes. One famous scholar said, “If sins had a smell no one would come near me because of the stench!” Every single one of us has deficiencies and weaknesses, has made mistakes, has taken missteps or is presently taking them. We only do the best that we can, and any good deed that Allah grants us the opportunity to perform should be considered a blessing that we take advantage of. Instead of worrying about not being good enough, we can instead consider this as an opportunity to be thankful to Allah for concealing our negatives, and pray, “O Allah, forgive me for what they do not know about me, and make me even better than what they think.”

You will be hard-pressed to find anyone on this earth who can be considered ‘worthy’ of being a representative of Islam, because everyone has one dimension or another in their faith or practice in which they are lacking. However that doesn’t mean we should stop encouraging each other by whatever means are available to us. There is a very beautiful hadith related to this issue:

Anas relates that, “We asked the Prophet ﷺ, ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, shouldn’t we refrain from calling others to goodness if we don’t practice all good things ourselves, and shouldn’t we refrain from forbidding wrong things until we ourselves have abstained from all the bad?’ ‘No,’ he replied, ‘You should call others to goodness even if you don’t do all good, and you should forbid bad things even if you don’t abstain from all of them yourselves.’” (Al-Tabarani)

Remember that by wearing hijab you are not saying to others ‘I am Islam’, but simply that ‘I am a Muslim’, meaning – I am someone who is trying to follow this religion, who accepts it as truth, sees beauty in it and hopes to beautify myself with it. I remember a quote attributed to Yusuf Islam: “Islam is not a state of being but it is a process of becoming,” – becoming more, become better, striving to reach that state of perfect submission and connection with Allah Most High, and May He help all of us achieve that, ameen.

You also said that you feel hijab has not really made you a better Muslim. A lot of times when a person first starts performing a good deed they feel an iman ‘rush’, a feeling of happiness at doing something good for the sake of Allah and energy to do more, improve themselves, etc. However, after some time, when that action starts to become just another part of a daily routine, it loses that power, and that increase in iman and excitement dissipates.

What a person needs, instead of focusing on those ‘rushes’, is a steady and constant diet of good deeds and spiritual nourishment. We cannot rely on one particular deed to ‘make’ us better Muslims. Instead, we have to take the reigns and make sure we are doing things regularly that increase us in iman, like recitation of the Qur’an, performing salah with consciousness and focus, dhikr, and so on. Wearing hijab can definitely be one of those things, but it is only one part of a whole that needs to be constructed. Just like exercise is important for good health, yet it has to be combined with eating right and many other things in order for the person to see the desired results in the end.

Also know that there is a direct relationship between a person’s actions and their inner state. We know that when someone is in a high state of iman it’s natural for him or her to start performing more good deeds. However, we may overlook the fact that the opposite is true as well – that just performing good deeds, even if one may not be ‘feeling it’, can affect us and change us. The limbs are inroads, and performing good deeds with them can soften a hardened heart, bring enlightenment to a closed mind, and give a person a feeling of rejuvenation and desire to come closer to Allah and do more positive things. I heard a scholar say that if one is feeling troubled, confused or in a low state of iman, “go quickly to action”; because good deeds can bring about that inner reawakening one may need. If we don’t see a change happening in us when we do a good deed, that doesn’t mean we should stop it but that perhaps we need to supplement it with others in order to gather the momentum needed to see results.

Thirdly, you are absolutely correct when you say that the most important thing is for us to have purified hearts. Allah (swt) emphasizes this in the Qur’an when He states that on the Day of Judgment nothing will be of benefit to the servant except “one who brings to Allah a clean, sound heart” (26:89). The question is, how does one achieve that? What purifies us and cleanses our hearts?

In our times we find that some people feel that we’ve reached a more ‘enlightened era’ in which spirituality can be derived solely from philosophy and ideas, and need not be bound by rituals and details of religion. However those who propound this notion forget that Allah did not create us as minds and souls alone – but coupled them with our physical bodies. We cannot deny the fact that we are body and soul, content and form, together, and each has its own needs and specifications for refinement. This is a sunnah of Allah in the way that we were created, and why prayer, fasting, and all our spiritual endeavors have very specific physical components. These forms house within them dimensions of meaning, but it is only from enacting them precisely that a profound spirituality can be achieved.

Purifying our hearts is the goal, but the means to reaching that goal is through the very real and specific physical prescriptions and commandments that Allah (swt) has given us. It is through His obedience and through following the teachings of our deen that we clean and polish our hearts. It is for this reason that I have to say that hijab is not something trivial. Anything that leads us to spiritual awareness, elevation, and purification – that helps us come closer to Allah – cannot be considered trivial or petty. Perhaps it is more likely that there are hidden depths within it that we do not perceive, or that we are not putting it in the proper context of its deeper purpose and meaning.

About punishment from Allah: a better way of looking at this issue is not considering the smallness or pettiness of the sin, but the greatness of the One whom we are sinning against. From His infinite wisdom, all-encompassing knowledge and vast mercy, in accordance to His Law – which is at its core about attaining benefit and warding off harm – He has instructed us to perform this action. In the Qur’an Allah says, ‘It may be that you dislike something and in it is goodness for you’ (2:216); ‘It may be that you dislike a thing but Allah brings about from it a great deal of good.’ (4:19) If someone chooses to step away from a prescribed action knowingly, we cannot deny that this is a sin, and that Allah holds us to account for our sins. However we always have hope in and pray for Allah’s mercy and kindness, as we know He can forgive all sins if He chooses.

In closing, I want to leave you with a beautiful quote from a Hadith Qudsi. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala said:

“My servant draws not near to Me with anything more beloved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him.” (Bukhari)

Know, dear questioner, that if you feel far from Allah, the solution is not to stop what you are doing and find a different way, but to persevere and continue on the path you are on, even though it is hard. This will make you beloved to Allah, and one who feels the happiness of being close to Him and being shaded by His Loving Mercy and care.

May Allah enliven and enlighten our hearts and grant us closeness to Him. May He make us people who love to worship Him, and through our worship become close to Him and gain His love. May He make our hearts firm and steadfast on our deen, and grant us strength and bravery in our spiritual struggles. May He guide us to the best decisions and make easy for us the path of khayr [goodness]. Ameen ya Rabb.

WAllahu a`lam – and He alone knows best.

Wasalaamu alaykum

The Rewards of Good Deeds

'AbdAllah ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) related this Saying from his Lord:

"Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) has written down the good deeds and the bad ones. Then He explained it (by saying that) he who has intended a good deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed; but if he has intended it and has done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as from ten good deeds to seven hundred times, or many times over. But if he has intended a bad deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed, but if he has intended it and has done it, Allah writes it down as one bad deed." (Bukhari and Muslim)

On the authority of Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) who reported that Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said:

"Whosoever removes a worldly grief from a believer, Allah will remove from him one of the griefs of the Day of Judgement. Whosoever alleviates (the lot of) a needy person, Allah will alleviate (his lot) in this world and the next. Whosoever shields a Muslim, Allah will shield him in this world and the next. Allah will aid a servant (of His) so long as the servant aids his brother. Whosoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. No people gather together in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, without tranquility descending upon them, mercy enveloping them, the angles surrounding them, and Allah making mention of them amongst those who are with Him. Whosoever is slowed down by his actions will not be hastened forward by his lineage." (Muslim)

Buraida (may Allah be pleased with him) said that one morning Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) called Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, "What did you do to get to Paradise before me? I have never entered Paradise without hearing the rustling of your garments in front of me." He replied, "Messenger of Allah, I have never called the adhan without praying two rak'a (salah) and no impurity has ever happened to me without my performing ablution on the spot and thinking that I owed Allah (The Glorified and The Exalted) two rak'a." Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said. "It is because of them." (Tirmidhi)

Ini Sejarah Kita

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah.

I was waiting for a show (cheh!) this late in the night, was browsing the net and masyaAllah, look what I found! I'm sure most of us have heard about the 1001 Inventions Exhibition that is to be held in London - Discovering The Muslim Heritage In Our World. In any case you have not heard of it, here's the video that is widely shared all over the net (esp. Facebook :P):

Thinking back, how silly was I to have thought that... Einstein is the physician/mathematician to look up at, works of Michelangelo and Da Vinci would set me apart by just knowing about them, to think that Antonio Pigafetta and Jean Passepartout (well, not really :P) are among the first few travelers that set out an expedition to explore the unknowns... and many more actually! To think that the Romans and the Greeks Civilization was one of the greatest... Man, how mistaken was I, huh?

Silly. That's what I am; for having thoughts like that.

No matter. For now, together I urge you all to embrace the fact that Muslim Civilization remains the greatest that had ever swept the world. The evidence are clearly there, what's to stop you from believing?

The next video... MasyaALLAH, I'll let you to form your own opinion about it =)

It's our turn now, InsyaAllah. Even if what we want to achieve now is not going to happen in our lifetime, maybe it will serve for better in the next. Remember the words:

"Dreams of yesterdays eventuate today. Tomorrow (future) held ours."

InsyaAllah.

Abdullah bin Alwi Al-Haddad dlm Kitabul Hikam berkata:

"Awalnya kebaikan itu berat utk dilakukan, tetapi akhirnya penuh dgn nikmat. Org yg berbuat baik ibarat seorg pendaki gunung. Ia tak akan merasa tenang sbelum sampai ke puncaknya. Sedang keburukan itu awalnya manis dan akhirnya kelak berat. Org yg melakukan keburukan ibarat seseorg yg jatuh dari puncak gunung. Ia baru akan merasa sakit setelah mendarat di tanah."

Beramal dengan jiddan

"Narrated Aishah (radhi-yallaahu 'anhaa): The Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) said, “Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and receive good news because one's good deeds will not make him enter Paradise.” They asked, “Even you, O Allah's Messenger?” He said, “Even I, unless and until Allah protects me with His pardon and His Mercy."

Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, Hadith No. 474

Ibnu 'Athaaillah dllm kitab Tajul Arus berkata: beramallah sesuai kekuatanmu, perbaikilah masa lalumu dgn bynk berdzikir sebab tidak ada amal yg lebih mudah dari dzikir... Dzikir dpt kamu lakukan ketika berdiri, duduk, berbaring maupun sakit...

Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda:

[ وليكن لسانك رطبا بذكر الله ]

'Dan hendaknya lisanmu basah dengan berdzikir kpd Allah...'

Kullu Ma Qaddarallahhu Khair =)

Bismillahhir Rahmaannir Raheem

Ibnu Taimiyyah bercerita tentang seorang menteri yang selalu menjawab ‘baik’ setiap kali ditanya pendapatnya tentang sesuatu. Suatu hari menteri ini menghadiri acara makan malam bersama Raja. Ketika sedang memotong buah, Raja dengan tidak sengaja telah mencederakan jari telunjuknya sendiri. Pisau yang dia gunakan untuk memotong buah telah menyebabkan jari telunjuknya terpotong dan merasa kesakitan. Raja pun bertanya bertanya kepada menteri yang duduk di sebelahnya tentang kejadian yang baru saja dialaminya.

“Baik wahai Raja,” jawab menteri itu tanpa keraguan.

“Apa? Kamu katakan ini baik?” Raja terperanjat dengan jawapan itu.

“Ya wahai Raja. Itu baik.”

Raja sangat marah dengan jawapan itu. Mana mungkin jarinya yang luka parah seperti itu dianggap menterinya sebagai hal yang baik? Maka dia pun memerintahkan menteri itu ditangkap dan dimasukkan ke dalam penjara. Kemudian Raja mengunjungi menterinya di penjara dan bertanya padanya, “Sekarang, apa pendapatmu tentang keadaanmu sendiri, masih mahu berada di dalam penjara seperti ini?”

“Baik wahai Raja,” jawab menteri itu tanpa ragu-ragu.

Mendengar jawapan itu, Raja menjadi semakin marah dan segera meninggalkan menterinya sendirian di dalam penjara. Dia merasa menterinya itu sangat bodoh dan keterlaluan dalam memberikan pendapat. Beberapa hari kemudian, Raja pergi berburu di dalam hutan dan ditemani menterinya yang lain kerana menteri yang biasa menemaninya telah dipenjarakan. Mereka pun berangkat dengan kuda menuju ke hutan. Oleh kerana menteri yang baru tidak biasa dengan cara Raja menunggang kuda, akhirya dia tertinggal jauh di belakang. Mereka terpisah dan Raja sendiri akhirnya sesat di dalam hutan. Bukan hanya tersesat, Raja juga ditangkap oleh sekumpulan penyembah berhala yang tinggal di dalam hutan tersebut.

Raja tersebut ditahan oleh para penyembah berhala dan mereka menetapkan Raja sebagai korban untuk berhala mereka. Mereka melakukan upacara selama tujuh hari dan pada hari ketujuh mereka membawa Raja ke tempat persembahan. Saat Raja sudah siap untuk dikorbankan, mereka melihat jari telunjuk raja terpotong, lalu mereka ragu untuk mengorbankan Raja.

“Kita hanya mempersembahkan yang terbaik dan sempurna pada berhala kita,” kata ketua suku yang memimpin upacara tersebut. “Orang ini jari telunjuknya terpotong, jadi dia tidak layak menjadi korban”.

Dengan itu, mereka melepaskan Raja tersebut dan beliau kembali ke kerajaannya dengan perasaan yang gembira. Selang beberapa hari peristiwa itu, Raja teringat akan kata-kata menterinya yang telah membuatnya marah ketika jarinya terpotong.

Dia segera ke penjara dan berkata kepada menteri itu, “Apa yang kamu katakan waktu jari saya terpotong memang betul. Itu memang hal yang baik."

Lalu dia pun menceritakan apa yang dialaminya hingga dia akhirnya selamat dari ancaman kematian. Menteri itu berkata, “Saya berada di dalam penjara ini juga baik kerana jika saya pergi dengan Raja pada hari itu, saya juga pasti turut tertangkap. Tentu saya akan dijadikan korban kerana anggota tubuh saya lengkap dan tidak ada yang cacat."

Maka Ibnu Taimiyyah menutup cerita ini dengan mengatakan, “Semua yang ditetapkan oleh Allah adalah baik."

Ref: Syed Alwi Alatas, "Bila Allah menduga kita."

Look back and learn

Bismillahhir Rahmaannir Raheem

Assalamualaikum all. So, in a few hours or so, most of you will be free from the exam fever that has gripped you for the past 3 weeks. And, the most frequent question asked would probably be: "How was exam? Ok?"

Then you go, "Uh... ok lah, I wish I did better." or "I should have... " or "If only..."

Word: IF. Iatah yang paling mahal ni.

But, usually after all those replies we uttered, we'll (probably) say "Tawakkal lah saja."

Then, if you truly do just that, the above replies wouldn't have come out from your lips. When (you're) asked the question, you'd just go straight to "Tawakkal" instead of playing around with ifs and what-should-have-beens.

But of course, we're human. We're never satisfied with what we did. However, if we understand the meaning of the concept of Tawakkal, we'll probably have a feeling of contentment though we did not do so well (in whatever it is that we're doing).

A friend of mine once said: "To know meaning is to know life and love... when the heart is empty, the mind doesn't work."

Thus with comprehension do we find satisfaction, insyaAllah.

Here's a very beautiful, self-explanatory excerpt on Tawakkal:

"You asked me about tawakkul [total reliance on Allah]: it means that you should strengthen your believe in everything promised by Allah the Exalted, that is, believe in whatever that has been destined for you will reach you inevitably, even if everybody in the universe should strive to keep it from you, and whatever has not been written for you will never reach you even if all of (the) creation assisted you."

So, other than hardwork and good discipline, Allah should be prioritised in everything that you do.

Sayyidina Ali (r.a.) said:

"Those who think they can achieve their aims without work are dreaming, and those who think they can attain their goals through exertion alone are overconfident and consider themselves self-sufficient."

Jaga Diri, Jaga Imaan

fortune-telling-and-what-not quizzes on Facebook

HUKUM BERTANYA TUKANG RAMAL

Nabi Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam telah melarang umatnya daripada bertemu dengan tukang ramal, apatah lagi mempercayai ramalannya.

Sabda baginda:

من أتى عرافا فسأله عن شيء لم تقبل له صلاة أربعين ليلة

Maksudnya, “Sesiapa mendatangi tukang ramal lalu bertanyakan sesuatu kepadanya, maka tidak diterima sembahyang baginya selama empat puluh malam”. (Direkod oleh Muslim).

Di dalam hadis lain:

مَنْ أَتَى كَاهِنًا أَوْ عَرَّافًا فَصَدَّقَهُ بِمَا يَقُول فَقَدْ كَفَرَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَى مُحَمَّد

Maksudnya, “Sesiapa mendatangi tukang ramal lalu mempercayai apa yang dikatakannya, maka dia telah kufur kepada apa yang diturunkan ke atas Muhammad”. (Direkod oleh Ashab Al-Sunan).

Mendatangi tukang ramal bukanlah satu kekufuran atau syirik secara mutlak. Menurut Syeikh Al-Utsaimin, ia boleh dibahagikan kepada tiga katagori.

Pertama: Orang yang datang kepada tukang ramal untuk bertanya ramalan sesuatu, tetapi tidak mempercayainya. Perbuatan ini adalah haram, dan balasannya ialah tidak diterima sembahyang selama 40 hari.

Kedua: Orang yang bertanya tukang ramal, dan mempercayai apa yang diramalnya. Perbuatan ini selain haram, ia menyebabkan jatuh kafir kepada Allah. Kerana mempercayai bahawa tukang ramal mengetahui perkara-perkara ghaib yang merupakan hak mutlak Allah. Ia juga satu bentuk mendustakan ayat-ayat Al-Quran yang menegaskan bahawa ilmu ghaib adalah kepunyaan Allah semata-mata.

Ketiga: Orang yang bertanya tukang ramal kerana maslahah untuk menyelidiki dakwaannya. Supaya dapat dijelaskan pendustaannya atau diambil tindakan terhadapnya. Tindakan ini adalah harus sebagaimana Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam pernah bertanya beberapa soalan terhadap Ibn Shoyyad.

Justeru, sebelum pengguna Facebook menyertai kuiz-kuiz ramalan, pastikan dulu dia termasuk dalam kategori manakah.

SEKADAR MAIN-MAIN

Sesetengah penagih kuiz-kuiz ini mempertahankan tindakan mereka dengan hujah kuiz-kuiz ramalan itu hanyalah satu bentuk permainan merehatkan minda sahaja, tanpa mempercayainya.

Sedarkah mereka bahawa dalam perkara Akidah, kita dilarang menjadikannya sebagai main-mainan dan olok-olokan? Bolehkah akidah tentang qadha dan qadar dijadikan main-mainan? Akidah bahawa Allah sahaja yang mengetahui perkara ghaib boleh dijadikan bahan mainan?

Di samping itu, adakah kita pasti kuiz-kuiz seperti itu langsung tidak memberi kesan kepada akidah pengguna Facebook yang rata-ratanya adalah remaja dan muda-mudi? Bagi saya, kuiz-kuiz ramalan di dalam Facebook adalah satu fitnah terhadap pengguna-pengguna Muslim, terutama mereka yang cetek ilmu agama.

Mereka yang bertanggungjawab mencipta kuiz-kuiz ini, hendaklah bertaubat kepada Allah kerana perbuatan mereka boleh membawa fitnah dan bencana kepada akidah orang Islam lain. Allah berfirman:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ

Maksudnya, “Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang menimpakan bencana untuk memesongkan orang-orang lelaki yang beriman dan orang-orang perempuan yang beriman, kemudian mereka tidak bertaubat, maka mereka akan beroleh azab Neraka Jahanam dan mereka akan beroleh lagi azab api yang kuat membakar. (Al-Buruj: 10).

so brothers and sisters, what can we learn from this? Menjaga akidah itu sangatlah penting and how I hear you ask? dengan mantapkan lagi ilmu agama ketani... :)

Syaitan pernah menyebut, " Sesungguhnya aku lebih takut dari seorang yang berilmu dari 1000 orang yang rajin beribadat tanpa ilmu".

Assalamualaikum.

Jaga diri, hiasi peribadi,

jaga hati, perbetulkan akidah dan mantapkan iman

Ameen Ameen Ya Rabb.

Mengenal apa itu kebaikan dan dosa

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Dari Nawwas bin Sam’an radhiallahuanhu , dari Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam baginda bersabda : “Kebaikan adalah akhlak yang baik, dan dosa adalah apa yang terasa mengganggu jiwamu dan engkau tidak suka jika diketahui manusia. “
(Riwayat Muslim)

Dan dari Wabishah bin Ma’bad radhiallahuanhu dia berkata : Saya mendatangi Rasulullah saw, lalu baginda bersabda : Engkau datang untuk menanyakan kebaikan?, saya menjawab : Ya. Baginda bersabda : Mintalah pendapat dari hatimu, kebaikan adalah apa yang jiwa dan hati tenang kerananya, dan dosa adalah apa yang terasa mengganggu jiwa dan menimbulkan keragu-raguan dalam dada, meskipun orang-orang memberi fatwa kepadamu dan mereka membenarkannya.
Ref: (Hadits hasan kami riwayatkan dari dua musnad Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal dan Ad Darimi dengan sanad yang hasan)

Mari ketani tingkatkan amal dan iman :)

La Taqrabuzzina.

Ummu Tariq

Reaching out

Salam :)

Maybe you're thinking... eh, masih jua update even though last time cakap: busy lah, revision lah, buat assignment lah, etc. Eksen saja dorang ani cakap cematu...

The answer is: I just can't keep away from this page. :P Banar! So do you, kan? If not, kenapa masih di sini, inda ja? :P Nadawah!! Main-main saja.. thank you anyway for reading. Even though selalunya.... nvm!

Anyway, iatah, I read this (the following) and I just knew it at that instant when I first read it that I need to share it with you lot out there. Happy reading!

---

Every Friday afternoon, after the Jumma prayers, the Imam and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out "PATH TO PARADISE" and other Islamic literature.

This particular and fortunate Friday afternoon, as the time came for the Imam and his son to go to the streets with their booklets, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring rain.

The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, 'OK, dad, I'm ready!'

His dad asked, 'Ready for what?'

'Dad, it's time we go out and distribute these Islamic books.'

Dad responds, 'Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring rain.'

The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, 'But Dad, aren't people still going to hell, even though it's raining?'

Dad answers, 'Son, I am not going out in this weather.'

Despondently, the boy asks, 'Dad, can I go? Please...'

His father hesitated for a moment then said, 'Son, you can go. Here are the booklets. Be careful son.'

'Thanks, Dad!'

And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a pamphlet or a booklet.

After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST BOOKLET. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a booklet to, but the streets were totally deserted.

Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered..

He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer.

Finally, he turned to leave, but something stopped him.

Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch!

He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.

Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly asked, 'What can I do for you, son?'

With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, 'Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that ALLAH REALLY LOVES AND CARES FOR YOU and I came to give you my very last booklet which will tell you all about God, the real purpose of creation, and how to achieve His pleasure.'

With that, he handed her his last booklet and turned to leave.

She called to him as he departed. 'Thank you, son! And God Bless You!'

Next week on Friday afternoon after Jumma prayers, the Imam was giving some lectures. As he concludes the lectures, he asked, 'Does anybody have questions or want to say anything?'

Slowly, in the back row among the ladies, an elderly lady's voice was heard over the speaker.

'No one in this gathering knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Friday I was not a Muslim, and thought I could be. My husband died few years ago, leaving me totally alone in this world.. Last Friday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, I was contemplating suicide as i had no hope left.

So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home.. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and broken-hearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.

I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly....

I thought to myself again, 'Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me.' I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder.

When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, 'Ma'am, I just came to tell you that ALLAH REALLY LOVES AND CARES FOR YOU!'

Then he gave me this booklet, Path To Paradise that I now hold in my hand.

As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this book. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more.

You see? I am now a Happy Vicegerent of the One True God. Since the address of your congregation was stamped on the back of this booklet, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell.'

There was not a dry eye in the mosque. The shouts of TAKBIR... ALLAH AKBAR.. rented the air.

The Imam (Dad) descended from the pulpit to the front row where the little angel was seated.

He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.

Probably no jama'at has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a father that was more filled with love and honor for his son... Except for one. This very one...

---

Beneficial? I do hope so! :)

Okeh, jaga diri, jaga iman. Salam!

p.s.: To those having exams, selamat berjuang! Jangan lupa selawat and tawakkal to Allah.

Yawm al-Qiyamat

The Signs are listed in roughly chronological order, although the order is not necessarily precise, especially for those in the future.

This is a brief summary of the signs; there are many books, articles, cassettes etc. which discuss these in greater detail. May Allah enable us to recognise and heed the Signs, and strengthen us in the times of tribulation.

"Are they waiting for anything except the Hour, to come to them suddenly? But its Signs have already come!" (Al-Qur’an, Surah Muhammad)


Past

1. Splitting of the Moon.

2. Death of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

3. A form of death which will kill thousands of Muslims. (Understood to refer to the plague of Amwas during the
caliphate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab.)

4. A major fighting in Madinah (understood to refer to the battle of al-Harrah during the caliphate of Yazid, 63 AH).

5. The Muslim conquest of Jerusalem.

6. The Muslim conquest of Constantinople.

7. Two large groups of Muslims will fight in war.

8. A war between the Muslims and a reddish people with small eyes, wearing sandals made of hair (understood to refer to
the Mongol Tatar invasion of the Islamic lands.)

9. A peace agreement between the Muslims and non-Muslims from the yellow race (Chinese, Mongols, etc.)

10. Thirty impostors (dajjal) will appear, each thinking he is a prophet.


Present?

11. Naked, destitute, barefoot shepherds will compete in building tall buildings.

12. The slave-woman will give birth to her master or mistress.

13. A trial (fitnah) which will enter every Arab household.

14. Knowledge will be taken away (by the death of people of knowledge), and ignorance will prevail.

15. Wine (intoxicants, alcohol) will be drunk in great quantities.

16. Illegal sexual intercourse will become widespread.

17. Earthquakes will increase.

18. Time will pass more quickly.

19. Tribulations (fitan) will prevail.

20. Bloodshed will increase.

21. A man will pass by the grave of another and wish he was in the latter’s place.

22. Trustworthiness will be lost, i.e. when authority is given to those who do not deserve it.

23. People will gather for prayer, but will be unable to find an imam to lead them.


Future

24. The number of men will decrease, whilst the number of women will increase, until for every man there are 50 women.

25. The Euphrates will reveal a treasure of gold, and many will die fighting over it, each one hoping to be the one who gains
the treasure.

26. The Romans (Europeans) will come to a place called A’maq or Wabiq, and an army of the best people will go forth from Madinah to face them.

27. The Muslim conquest of Rome.

28. The Mahdi (guided one) will appear, and be the Imam of the Muslims.

29. Jesus Christ will descend in Damascus, and pray behind the Mahdi.

30. Jesus will break the cross and kill the swine, i.e. destroy the false christianity.

31. The Antichrist (al-masih al-dajjal, the false christ) will appear, with all his tools of deception, and be an immense trial. He will be followed by 70,000 Jews from Isfahan (present-day Iran).

32. The appearance of Ya’juj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog), and the associated tribulations.

33. The emergence of the Beast from the Earth, carrying the Staff of Moses and the Seal of Solomon, who will speak to the people, telling them they did not believe with certainty in the Divine Signs.

34. A major war between the Muslims (including Jews and Christians who truly believe in Jesus after his return) led by the Imam Mahdi, and the Jews plus other non-Muslims led by the Antichrist.

35. Jesus will kill the Antichrist at the gate of Ludd (Lod in present-day Israel, site of an airport and a major Israeli military base).

36. A time of great peace and serenity during and after the remaining lifetime of Jesus.

37. Wealth will come so abundant that it will become difficult to find someone to accept charity.

38. Arabia will become a land of gardens and rivers.

39. Society will then decay.

40. The buttocks of the women of the tribe of Daws will again sway in circumambulation (tawaf) around the idol Dhul-Khulsah.

41. A great fire in the Hijaz, seen by the inhabitants of Busra.

42. Three major armies will sink into the earth: one in the east, one in the west, one in Arabia.

43. An Abyssinian leader with thin shins will destroy the Ka’bah.

44. The huge cloud of smoke.

45. The sun will rise from the west (its place of setting).

46. A gentle wind which will take the souls of the believers.

47. There is no-one left on the earth saying, "Allah, Allah" or "There is no god except Allah."

48. Eventually the Day of Judgment is established upon the worst of the people, who copulate like donkeys in public.

49. The blowing in the Trumpet by the Angel Israfil, upon which everyone will faint except as Allah wills.

50. The second blowing in the Trumpet, upon which everyone will be resurrected.

______________________________________________________________

The question here is..
Are we all ready for this?
Neither am i.

Stepping in to the puddle!

Salam readers.

What is it with rain and Bath? Seriously, I do wonder. Is it because Bath is named as such that we have rainy days for weeks? FYI, Bath rained everyday this week so far. Without exception! I suppose, andangnya kali sudah kana plan macam ani so that everytime kami ke uni, kami pakai payung and/or waterproof boots, so that inda sia-sia kami bali payung and the boots, so that kami inda kana masukkan dalam kategori membazir... kah? *Shrugs*

Tapi Syukur Alhamdulillah, ada hujan. Mun panas berabis, ngalih saja bayar extra cost for air-con. Atleast kalau hujan, makin banyak air di dunia. Inda ja? Jaaa! Manada... water cycle fixed kali ahh. Mun hujan banyak pun, inda jua increase the amount of water di dunia ani. :)

Did you know that, water made up 70% of the Earth surface? And of this 70% of water coverage, 97.5% of it is in ocean form. Massive banar! And actually, the amount of water available for us is just 2.5%. Kesian tani... And remember, this is out of 70%, not 100%. Calculate tia, lagi tah sikit the amount...

So okay, let's take the small percentage of water that's available for us. I.e. to be shared between all creation of Allah; human beings, animals, plants, etc. And let's call this... x%. So with this x% of water, basically we can have the commodity for a hot soak in the bathtub, wash our clothes so that we'll smell nice (p.s. ikut brand detergent lah jua ni ah :P), feed ourselves, dapat buat pasta or indomie and cucur pisang... etc.

If we were to delve deeper, x% of water (or less lah ah since tani sudah pakai some of this amount for all the commodities above) can encompass the manufacturing industry, such that the effect is what we are having and enjoying at the moment. Buat baju and coats for winter season, buat stokin thermal, buat Robinson (random pasal atm, aku taisliur Robinson hehe), apalagi.. manufacture of plastic for bottles or file utk simpan notes or bags or laptop or iPod/iTouch or (paham lah sudah ni ahh! Inda lagi ku tefikir apa :P) Pokoknya, macam-macam lah tani dapat, untuk tani enjoy!

My point is? I do have a point to say!

With just this x% of water, we gained a lot of worldly pleasures. Lavish lifestyle (for some), exquisite food supply, better quality of living conditions, semua lah.

But it's funny that, despite all these things that has been bestowed for us as a rahmat, we are too arrogant to even say thank you to the One providing us with all these nikmat. Is it really that hard, to stop and think for a while, where did we get all these things? Surely, all the nikmat didn't just come out of thin air, right? Is it really hard to say, at the very least, Syukur Alhamdulillah?

Having said that, let's reflect at this hadith:

"By Allah, this world (is so insignificant in comparison) to the Hereafter that if one of you should dip his finger in the ocean and then he should see as to what has stuck to it……" (Sahih Muslim)

So now, let's see. What is it that'll stuck (i.e. cling) to your finger when you dip it in the ocean? Jangan pulang cari ocean banar... air dalam cawan pun boleh kalau kan experiment :) Aku saja lah yang cuba. Boleh pulang kamu cuba jua, but then kalau ku tunggu answer everyone, inda bejalan ni post ah *winks*

Anyway, what clings on our fingertip is JUST a droplet of water. And from the hadith, this one drop of water is DUNYA - all these nikmat we've got to thank for, all the blissful things we enjoyed so far. And in comparison with the rest of the ocean, which is what's there in the Hereafter i.e. Jannah, Subhanallah, this amount is very very very small.

And this very very very small amount equals to the nikmat we get from the x% of water PLUS all the other nikmat that we get from air, fauna, flora, the changing of day and night, etc.

MasyaAllah. And to think, we seldom even say Thank You Allah for everything we've got. Did we, in our daily life, stop and have a look around, look at what this world i.e. dunya has got to offer - be it the mall or people or food or scenic environment - and say, "Wow, everything is created by Allah" or "Syukur Alhamdulillah" or "Thank You Allah for everything, All Praises is For You?"

Inda kan? Ok, bagi chan lah, ada lah ah, kadang-kadang. Tapi what do we usually say? "Waah! Lawa jua..." OR "Siuk ehh, basar shopping mall nya ah!" Inda ja?

So, let's pause and ponder about this.

Maybe I have not deliver this as good as it should have been, maybe you're not affected by these rhetorical words written here, but for what it's worth, all the good things come from Allah and others are from me.

:)
Assalamualaikum!

In fairness of things...

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Bismillahhir Rahmaannir Raheem

‘All praise is for Allaah who gave us life after having taken it from us and unto Him is the Resurrection.’

These are the words that escape my lips as I woke up. The splattering rain can be heard from the window. It’s raining again, I thought.

With the extra knowledge gained over the weekend, I go about wondering what I should do next. It reminds me really of what I should be doing here. At times it scares me – not in a bad way. But then again, to Allah is all praises, I am sure He will show me His Guidance along the way.

Having said that, I was overcome with joy when a friend of mine realizes the true meaning of Islam. Really, it was simple. I remembered once, another friend of mine recommended him about the documentary “The Arrivals.” I remembered us talking about it, and we were urging him to watch it.

He did eventually. And MasyaAllah, the impact it had on him was astonishing. He was watching this one episode (I don’t know which) and apparently it scared him real bad. I mean, when you think about it… yes, the documentary does makes you become more aware of what is happening around us. To him, the documentary curdled his blood. His heart was beating with each revelation that was shown. His hands were literally shaking. He said, none of the scary movies he’d watched before can compare to this. I mean, of course! After all, this is the truth. It’s happening, even now!

Anyway, so as soon as he became aware of all the things that we fell for, he literally deleted from his laptop all his music, all his movies and tv series… everything! He wants no association with what had been planted all these times by ‘those’ people. He said and I quote, “Yes, I prayed before. But now, every time I pray, I ask for forgiveness for I know I have done a lot (of sins).” “I am really ashamed…”

So, if that can be his turning point, do you think it’s safe to assume that that can also be ours? Maybe. But until you’ve watched it, I guess you’ll never know.

So now, we have a pact. Well, in a sense. We agreed on each one of us will have to remind each other so as to not be drawn to all the manipulative things that appears right to our susceptible minds. InsyaAllah. Again, as a self reminder, this is what’s expected from you by our Lord.

*blank*

Oh. And yeah, you know the song we had in Bamsa night last year, “Here in my home”? So I had the lyrics changed – to accommodate my view on the topic we had last time. (Okay, some of you may not understand this, but then again, this is the way it’s supposed to be. To the others, this is for you!)

Hold on, sisters hold on,
The road is long,
(But) we gotta keep moving on,
We are strong, this ain’t heavy!

Cool, no? Haha. At least I think so! :P

x
Assalamualaikum

Have you ever wonder...

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Assalamualaikum warahmatulahhi wabarakatuh.

Yes, two posts in one day! Berabis jua, you might say. Well, bila tah lagi kan membuat berabis cemani. Mun normal days, sama jua sibuk. Baik tah weekend ani top up posts, plus top up imaan jua :)

Anyway, me and a housemate was enthralled when we first saw this. And of course, again, it's good to share it with you all out there.

Why Our Supplications

Are Not Answered?

Ibraheem Ibn Adham, may Allah have mecy upon him, was a third century scholar, a teacher and a companion of Sufyaan Ath-Thawree, and he was asked about the saying of Allah - The Most High:

"And Your Lord says:

'Call on me and I shall answer your prayer...' [40:60]

We supplicate and we are not answered."

So he said to them:

"You know Allah,

Yet you do not obey Him,

You recite the Quraan,

Yet you do not act according to it,

You know Shaaitan,

Yet you have agreed with him,

You proclaim your love for Paradise,

Yet you do not act to gain it,

You proclaim your fear for the Fire,

Yet you do not prevent yourself from sins,

You say: 'Indeed death is true,'

Yet you have not prepare for it,

You busy yourself with finding faults in others,

Yet you do not look at your own faults,

You eat that which Allah has provide for you,

Yet you do not thank Him,

You bury your dead,

Yet you do not take a lesson from it."

Ref: Kushoo fis Solaat (p62) of Ibn Rajab al-Hambalee -rahimullah