Salam. Everyone deserves to be happy. It's in our mind. If we choose to be happy, then the happiness is yours. But if you choose to be grumpy then, no one will be able to help you.
I know of someone who has a dream job, a dream husband, a dream child, supportive well-to-do family but as usual there is a wee bit of imperfection in her life. Out of frustration, she sometimes refuses to go to work. There was tension in the family and everybody was worried. She pulled herself together after an outsider pointed out, how lucky she was.
There are practically solutions to every problems that we faced. We have our parents, brothers, sisters and eventually we have Allah the almighty to help us.
The basic foundation of my happiness is the trust that my husband gives me. Then there are my children. Cik tutor calls almost everyday. I don't mind the sobs and the tears because that's the time she opens up to me. She might look strong to her friends but actually she is lonely in Armidale. Only Allah knows how hard I pray for her well-being. Kerol on the other hand, loves to shower me with his mushy, lovey words. Halim with his funny comments in the facebook which never fail to bring laughter to the household.
The greatest happiness of all is when my children reminded me of my duties.
'I'm proud of you and Ayah. May Allah gives you pahala for every kilometers that you travelled!'
She texted me when we were on our way to Alor Setar from KB. May Allah bless En suami, Dijah, Halim,Aman, Kerol and Aa.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Granddaughter
This is the picture of my first granddaughter, Amani Humaira bt Abdul Halim. I haven't met her in person yet as en suami and I are busy with our work. We call her Humaira. At the moment she's staying with her maternal grandparents in Kota Bharu. I know she's in safe hands and I'm sure they are looking after her well. We plan to visit them during the festive season this weekend.
Since she is our first grandchild, and also the first niece to a vogue aunt and 3 admiring uncles, we couldn't help it but felt excited with her birth. Eventhough we can't hug, cuddle and kiss her, we can keep track of her progress when her father uploaded her photos and tag us in the facebook. We pray that she'll grow up to be a fine, obedient,solehah young woman just like her adorable aunty Dijah!
Friday, October 7, 2011
Nepal
I was really busy with work and attending to family matters. It was indeed a happy moment when all my children were able to attend Aman's wedding. The last time we were together, was back in 2006, before Aman left for Egypt to study medicine .
Yesterday morning Aman flew to Cairo with his wife.Both families sent them off at the airport.Aman and I took the bus from Ipoh and on arrival at the airport, a young man hesitatingly approached us.
'You speak English,' he asked Aman. Aman was quite reluctant to answer because he was taught to be careful with strangers.
'We do,' I answered and I asked whether he had any problems.
My motherly instinct was right. The nineteen-year old boy came to Malaysia to find work and after a month of labour in a furniture factory in Ipoh, he was found medically unfit and his visa was terminated.His employer used his hard-earned money to buy him the flight ticket home. He looked lost and unhappy so I asked Aman to buy him some food . We chatted and he told us about himself. He was the eldest in a family of three. In Nepal, he worked as a rafter (carrying people across the river using rafts). I was quite impressed with his command in English and his willingness to find work so far away from home. I asked Aman to make sure that all his documents were in order and consulted the information personnel about his flight which was due the next morning. We departed soon after.
Later that day, while en suami, Aman and I were heading towards the surau,the Nepalese boy approached us, beaming. 'Thank you friend,' he kept saying. He also introduced us to his countrymen who worked in Selangor, whom he met at the airport.I was glad that he was not travelling alone. I wished them luck and to have a safe journey home.
The encounter with the Nepalese boy made me ponder how difficult life can be. To make ends meet, he has to use all his savings to find jobs in our beloved country. Unfortunately, it did not turn out well and he has to resume work as a rafter when he gets home. Maybe, when he has enough money, he would further his studies and his life will be much better after that.
Yesterday morning Aman flew to Cairo with his wife.Both families sent them off at the airport.Aman and I took the bus from Ipoh and on arrival at the airport, a young man hesitatingly approached us.
'You speak English,' he asked Aman. Aman was quite reluctant to answer because he was taught to be careful with strangers.
'We do,' I answered and I asked whether he had any problems.
My motherly instinct was right. The nineteen-year old boy came to Malaysia to find work and after a month of labour in a furniture factory in Ipoh, he was found medically unfit and his visa was terminated.His employer used his hard-earned money to buy him the flight ticket home. He looked lost and unhappy so I asked Aman to buy him some food . We chatted and he told us about himself. He was the eldest in a family of three. In Nepal, he worked as a rafter (carrying people across the river using rafts). I was quite impressed with his command in English and his willingness to find work so far away from home. I asked Aman to make sure that all his documents were in order and consulted the information personnel about his flight which was due the next morning. We departed soon after.
Later that day, while en suami, Aman and I were heading towards the surau,the Nepalese boy approached us, beaming. 'Thank you friend,' he kept saying. He also introduced us to his countrymen who worked in Selangor, whom he met at the airport.I was glad that he was not travelling alone. I wished them luck and to have a safe journey home.
The encounter with the Nepalese boy made me ponder how difficult life can be. To make ends meet, he has to use all his savings to find jobs in our beloved country. Unfortunately, it did not turn out well and he has to resume work as a rafter when he gets home. Maybe, when he has enough money, he would further his studies and his life will be much better after that.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Nice
There were tears of despair. In between sobs, she confided,'I always treat people nicely, but why are they mean to me.'
Then it struck me. Before I left for UK to study ages ago, my mum wrote a short reminder in my autograph book. The message was short but I never took much notice, until this afternoon.
'Buat baik berpada-pada, buat jahat jangan sekali,' she wrote.
Actually,you can be nice to people, but please make sure that the people that you are nice to are nice! There shouldn't be any hidden motives for being nice to other people; in other words be nice sincerely. Allah knows what's in our hearts and for every good deeds that you've done, Allah would give you great rewards.
I don't know the statistics of bad people versus nice people. But I'm really sure that nice people outnumber bad people. We need to be careful when getting acquainted with a new person; not to reveal too much about ourselves and always be nice to your own self before you are good to others!
I always refer to the seerah of the prophet whenever I came across a problem. Read this touching story about Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) and realise how patient and noble he was during his lifetime.
In the corner of the marketplace of Madinah, was a blind Jewish beggar, who would cry out daily to all those who came near him, "O my brothers, don't be near Muhammad! He's a lunatic, he's a liar, a sorcerer! If you are to be close to him, you will be influenced by him!"
No matter whoever approached him, the blind Jewish beggar will definitely not waste his chance to incite them to hate the Prophet Muhammad, Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam (peace be upon him).
All kinds of curses would spew forth from the beggar's mouth even though he had never known the Prophet personally!
The news about the blind Jewish beggar's daily cursing and badmouthing him came to the knowledge of the Prophet (pbuh).
Even then, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) did not get angry and he ignored the blind Jewish beggar's insults against himself!
On the contrary, from that day onwards, at each morning, the Prophet (pbuh) visited the blind beggar and brought food for him!
Without saying a single word, the Blessed Messenger (pbuh) would feed the beggar with his own hand!
The blind beggar would chew the food being fed to him and eat contentedly. Once he was full, he'd express his gratitude without knowing that the one who had fed him was the Holy Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (pbuh).
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) continued to feed the blind beggar without fail each day till the day he died! Throughout his service to the blind beggar, he never revealed his identity to the blind Jewish beggar.
After the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had passed away, no one brought food to the blind beggar anymore.
The blind Jewish beggar waited daily and was perplexed as to why the kind man did no longer come to feed him and provide for him as he had done all this while. The blind beggar waited in vain for the kind gentleman who had fed him。
One day, the closest Companion of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), Saiyidina Abu Bakar As Siddiq @ The Truthful One, Radhiallahu Anhu (May Allah be pleased with him) visited the home of his daughter, Saiyidatina Aishah, Radhiallahu Anha (May Allah be pleased with her), the widow of the Blessed Messenger (SAW).
Abu Bakar asked Aishah, "O my child, is there any habit of my beloved (Prophet) that I have yet to carry on?"
Aisyah replied, "Dear Father, you are verily a follower of the Sunnah (Habits) of the Prophet and there is none that you have yet to do except for one deed only!"
"What is that?" asked Abu Bakar.
"Every morning, the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) will go to the end of the marketplace, bringing food to a blind old Jewish beggar who lives there and feed him by his hand," said Aishah.
The next day, Abu Bakar As Siddiq went to the marketplace with food for the blind beggar. Abu Bakar As Siddiq approached the beggar and started to feed him.
At the first handfull of food being fed to him, the blind Jewish beggar became angry and shouted out, "Who are you?"
Abu Bakar answered, "I am the one who usually feeds you every morning".
"No! Don't you lie to me!" objected the blind beggar.
Abu Bakar was shocked, thus he asked, "Why do you say so?"
The blind Jewish beggar answered, "Because when he comes to me, I always felt it easy to hold his hand and found it easy to chew the food he fed me! The man who used to feed me would make the food fine before feeding it to me!"
Abu Bakar As Siddiq could not hold back his tears anymore and he burst out crying and had to disclose who he actually was to the beggar.
"Verily, I am not the one who used to come and feed you. I am one of his Companions for the noble one is alive no more! He was none other than the Blessed Prophet of Allah, Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam!"
"Muhammad?" asked the blind old Jewish beggar, totally shocked with what he had just heard.
"You mean to tell me that the one who came each morning without fail and fed me by his hand was Muhammad?" asked the beggar."Yes! It was Muhammad!" answered Abu Bakar.
Immediately, the blind old Jewish beggar wailed out in despair and cried so pitifully coming to realise that it was none other than the Holy Prophet (pbuh) who had been feeding him all this while.
"All this while!... all this while, I had been cursing him, I had been slandering him! Not once has he ever scolded me! He kept coming every morning to feed me! He is so noble!.." cried the old blind Jewish beggar as he wiped away his flowing tears on his cheeks.
The blind beggar reached out to Saiyidina Abu Bakar As Siddiq, the first Caliph of the Muslims and testified before him the Kalimah Shahadah
Then it struck me. Before I left for UK to study ages ago, my mum wrote a short reminder in my autograph book. The message was short but I never took much notice, until this afternoon.
'Buat baik berpada-pada, buat jahat jangan sekali,' she wrote.
Actually,you can be nice to people, but please make sure that the people that you are nice to are nice! There shouldn't be any hidden motives for being nice to other people; in other words be nice sincerely. Allah knows what's in our hearts and for every good deeds that you've done, Allah would give you great rewards.
I don't know the statistics of bad people versus nice people. But I'm really sure that nice people outnumber bad people. We need to be careful when getting acquainted with a new person; not to reveal too much about ourselves and always be nice to your own self before you are good to others!
I always refer to the seerah of the prophet whenever I came across a problem. Read this touching story about Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) and realise how patient and noble he was during his lifetime.
In the corner of the marketplace of Madinah, was a blind Jewish beggar, who would cry out daily to all those who came near him, "O my brothers, don't be near Muhammad! He's a lunatic, he's a liar, a sorcerer! If you are to be close to him, you will be influenced by him!"
No matter whoever approached him, the blind Jewish beggar will definitely not waste his chance to incite them to hate the Prophet Muhammad, Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam (peace be upon him).
All kinds of curses would spew forth from the beggar's mouth even though he had never known the Prophet personally!
The news about the blind Jewish beggar's daily cursing and badmouthing him came to the knowledge of the Prophet (pbuh).
Even then, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) did not get angry and he ignored the blind Jewish beggar's insults against himself!
On the contrary, from that day onwards, at each morning, the Prophet (pbuh) visited the blind beggar and brought food for him!
Without saying a single word, the Blessed Messenger (pbuh) would feed the beggar with his own hand!
The blind beggar would chew the food being fed to him and eat contentedly. Once he was full, he'd express his gratitude without knowing that the one who had fed him was the Holy Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (pbuh).
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) continued to feed the blind beggar without fail each day till the day he died! Throughout his service to the blind beggar, he never revealed his identity to the blind Jewish beggar.
After the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had passed away, no one brought food to the blind beggar anymore.
The blind Jewish beggar waited daily and was perplexed as to why the kind man did no longer come to feed him and provide for him as he had done all this while. The blind beggar waited in vain for the kind gentleman who had fed him。
One day, the closest Companion of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), Saiyidina Abu Bakar As Siddiq @ The Truthful One, Radhiallahu Anhu (May Allah be pleased with him) visited the home of his daughter, Saiyidatina Aishah, Radhiallahu Anha (May Allah be pleased with her), the widow of the Blessed Messenger (SAW).
Abu Bakar asked Aishah, "O my child, is there any habit of my beloved (Prophet) that I have yet to carry on?"
Aisyah replied, "Dear Father, you are verily a follower of the Sunnah (Habits) of the Prophet and there is none that you have yet to do except for one deed only!"
"What is that?" asked Abu Bakar.
"Every morning, the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) will go to the end of the marketplace, bringing food to a blind old Jewish beggar who lives there and feed him by his hand," said Aishah.
The next day, Abu Bakar As Siddiq went to the marketplace with food for the blind beggar. Abu Bakar As Siddiq approached the beggar and started to feed him.
At the first handfull of food being fed to him, the blind Jewish beggar became angry and shouted out, "Who are you?"
Abu Bakar answered, "I am the one who usually feeds you every morning".
"No! Don't you lie to me!" objected the blind beggar.
Abu Bakar was shocked, thus he asked, "Why do you say so?"
The blind Jewish beggar answered, "Because when he comes to me, I always felt it easy to hold his hand and found it easy to chew the food he fed me! The man who used to feed me would make the food fine before feeding it to me!"
Abu Bakar As Siddiq could not hold back his tears anymore and he burst out crying and had to disclose who he actually was to the beggar.
"Verily, I am not the one who used to come and feed you. I am one of his Companions for the noble one is alive no more! He was none other than the Blessed Prophet of Allah, Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam!"
"Muhammad?" asked the blind old Jewish beggar, totally shocked with what he had just heard.
"You mean to tell me that the one who came each morning without fail and fed me by his hand was Muhammad?" asked the beggar."Yes! It was Muhammad!" answered Abu Bakar.
Immediately, the blind old Jewish beggar wailed out in despair and cried so pitifully coming to realise that it was none other than the Holy Prophet (pbuh) who had been feeding him all this while.
"All this while!... all this while, I had been cursing him, I had been slandering him! Not once has he ever scolded me! He kept coming every morning to feed me! He is so noble!.." cried the old blind Jewish beggar as he wiped away his flowing tears on his cheeks.
The blind beggar reached out to Saiyidina Abu Bakar As Siddiq, the first Caliph of the Muslims and testified before him the Kalimah Shahadah
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Happy Eid
This year all my sisters and brother plus their families celebrate raya at their in-laws. En doktor and his in-laws will be in Ipoh on the third day of raya so we decided to keep mak and ayah company. Glad that we came up with that decision because there are lots to be done on raya's eve. Alhamdulillah Aman and Azhar were forever willing to help with the preparation : hanging the curtains, washing the dishes, laying the carpets, peeling the onions , preparing the drinks, and of course serving the guests.
So, this will be the last raya for Aman as a single man. I hope he'll be a good son-in-law. As a son, I couldn't wish for a better one. In fact all my children are very nice, pleasant to be with, obedient and they have lots of good sense of humor. They are very dedicated with their work or studies and have great respect to the elderly. I wish that they remain humble and that success will not get on their heads.
Dijah is celebrating raya in Uruguay. Well, not really celebrating but she is doing her work there. At least in Aussie, she is part of the Islamic community, so she can join in the Eid prayers and other activities. Being in Latin America at this time of the year is a once in a lifetime experience. I hope she'll enjoy the trip and gain lots of knowledge and experience. I'm glad that she tried her best to keep in touch, and kept us informed of her whereabouts. The conference in Buenos Aires, the trip to the Iguazu Falls and another working trip to Uruguay kept her busy most of the time. I hope the experience will enrich her life and open her eyes to Allah's wonderful creation.
Personally, I am already looking forward to next year's holy month of Ramadan. I hope Allah will be pleased with me and my family.
So, this will be the last raya for Aman as a single man. I hope he'll be a good son-in-law. As a son, I couldn't wish for a better one. In fact all my children are very nice, pleasant to be with, obedient and they have lots of good sense of humor. They are very dedicated with their work or studies and have great respect to the elderly. I wish that they remain humble and that success will not get on their heads.
Dijah is celebrating raya in Uruguay. Well, not really celebrating but she is doing her work there. At least in Aussie, she is part of the Islamic community, so she can join in the Eid prayers and other activities. Being in Latin America at this time of the year is a once in a lifetime experience. I hope she'll enjoy the trip and gain lots of knowledge and experience. I'm glad that she tried her best to keep in touch, and kept us informed of her whereabouts. The conference in Buenos Aires, the trip to the Iguazu Falls and another working trip to Uruguay kept her busy most of the time. I hope the experience will enrich her life and open her eyes to Allah's wonderful creation.
Personally, I am already looking forward to next year's holy month of Ramadan. I hope Allah will be pleased with me and my family.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Student's Pencil
It was the last day of school before the festive holidays. I was quite impressed by the tazkirah given by my ex-student (UPSR 2000) during the closing ceremony of Semarak Ramadan Program.
It was about a pencil. He asked the students to be like a pencil!
1. A pencil is idle without a hand to guide it. There must be a steady hand to hold it and guide it to write something useful. Everybody needs parents, teachers and also Allah to guide us through our lives. We will live a blessed life if we have our elders to share their wisdom with us.
2. Imagine, you are the pencil and the white paper is your life! Before you write anything down, we must bear in mind that it will leave a lasting mark on the paper even after you erase it. If you do something good then it will leave a remarkable effect that will bring cheers to others . But if you unintentionally do something wrong, then erase it at once and vow never to repeat the same mistake. Pray that Allah will forgive you and move on with your life.
3. As you use your pencil, the pencil lead will get shorter and you need to sharpen it to maximise the effectiveness of your writing. The same goes with our lives. We need to sharpen our mind and our soul by reading more books, perform daily prayers, reading al-Quran and listen to advices from our parents. It was quite funny when Adzwan told the students that they need to sharpen themselves. 'Hah! asah' exclaimed the Year One students who were seated in the front rows!
4. Lastly, people might be drawn to the colourful wooden outside of the pencil, but what is the most important is whether it writes clear enough. The same goes to us. Our inside should be more important that our appearance. Of course we have to look nice and be presentable but at the same time ,we have to nurture our hearts to be sincere in everything we do.
Thanks to Adzwan for the talk. He'll be a pharmacist with a bright future insyaAllah!
It was about a pencil. He asked the students to be like a pencil!
1. A pencil is idle without a hand to guide it. There must be a steady hand to hold it and guide it to write something useful. Everybody needs parents, teachers and also Allah to guide us through our lives. We will live a blessed life if we have our elders to share their wisdom with us.
2. Imagine, you are the pencil and the white paper is your life! Before you write anything down, we must bear in mind that it will leave a lasting mark on the paper even after you erase it. If you do something good then it will leave a remarkable effect that will bring cheers to others . But if you unintentionally do something wrong, then erase it at once and vow never to repeat the same mistake. Pray that Allah will forgive you and move on with your life.
3. As you use your pencil, the pencil lead will get shorter and you need to sharpen it to maximise the effectiveness of your writing. The same goes with our lives. We need to sharpen our mind and our soul by reading more books, perform daily prayers, reading al-Quran and listen to advices from our parents. It was quite funny when Adzwan told the students that they need to sharpen themselves. 'Hah! asah' exclaimed the Year One students who were seated in the front rows!
4. Lastly, people might be drawn to the colourful wooden outside of the pencil, but what is the most important is whether it writes clear enough. The same goes to us. Our inside should be more important that our appearance. Of course we have to look nice and be presentable but at the same time ,we have to nurture our hearts to be sincere in everything we do.
Thanks to Adzwan for the talk. He'll be a pharmacist with a bright future insyaAllah!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Convinced!
Everybody has problems but the way people react to the problems make a lot of difference. As a muslim I believe and I pray that Allah will only give me problems that I can cope with. Without any difficulties in life, my faith is not tested. Some people might talk about the problem for hours, others might keep it to themselves. Others prefer to wake in the middle of the night and 'talk' it out will Allah the Lord of the universe.
Alhamdulillah, problems come and go and I am glad I am still standing tall. I hope Allah will give me the strength to face the adversities of life and Allah is pleased with my effort.
One of my favourite dishes during breaking fast is the dessert, traditional or western. I came across a recipe on bread pudding and it seems my family love it very much. The original recipe is very rich which calls for 9 egg yolks and 2 cups of cream but for health reasons I use 4 whole eggs and 1/2 cup of cream instead.
Bread pudding
raisins - soak in water for 2 hours
12 slices of bread - cut 3 pieces into triangles and the rest into cubes.
100g melted butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup cream
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Method :
1. Soak the triangular pieces of bread in butter and line the baking tin. Use the cubed bread to soak the remaining butter and pile it on top. Sprinkle the raisins.
2. Beat eggs, sugar and milk in a bowl. Add cream, vanilla and beat till the sugar dissolves.
3. Pour the egg mixture on the bread. Let it rest for 2 hours.
4. Bake in the oven until the top is crisp and golden. Serve with custard or just on its own.
Alhamdulillah, problems come and go and I am glad I am still standing tall. I hope Allah will give me the strength to face the adversities of life and Allah is pleased with my effort.
One of my favourite dishes during breaking fast is the dessert, traditional or western. I came across a recipe on bread pudding and it seems my family love it very much. The original recipe is very rich which calls for 9 egg yolks and 2 cups of cream but for health reasons I use 4 whole eggs and 1/2 cup of cream instead.
Bread pudding
raisins - soak in water for 2 hours
12 slices of bread - cut 3 pieces into triangles and the rest into cubes.
100g melted butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup cream
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Method :
1. Soak the triangular pieces of bread in butter and line the baking tin. Use the cubed bread to soak the remaining butter and pile it on top. Sprinkle the raisins.
2. Beat eggs, sugar and milk in a bowl. Add cream, vanilla and beat till the sugar dissolves.
3. Pour the egg mixture on the bread. Let it rest for 2 hours.
4. Bake in the oven until the top is crisp and golden. Serve with custard or just on its own.
Monday, August 15, 2011
NASTA (Tat Nanas Gulung)
Ingredients for the dough:
250g butter
50 gram powdered sugar (icing)
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg yolks
375 g multi purpose flour
25 gram cornflour
Method :
Cream butter and sugar. Add in the egg yolks. Add in vanilla essence, cornflour and flour gradually. The dough should be soft so that it's easier to press.
Ingredients for the pineapple jam:
2 pineapples - grated coarsely
300g sugar
2cm cinnamon stick
Mix all the ingredients except sugar in a saucepan. Using slow fire, cook until the juice is reduced.
When the jam is thickened, add sugar.
250g butter
50 gram powdered sugar (icing)
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg yolks
375 g multi purpose flour
25 gram cornflour
Method :
Cream butter and sugar. Add in the egg yolks. Add in vanilla essence, cornflour and flour gradually. The dough should be soft so that it's easier to press.
Ingredients for the pineapple jam:
2 pineapples - grated coarsely
300g sugar
2cm cinnamon stick
Mix all the ingredients except sugar in a saucepan. Using slow fire, cook until the juice is reduced.
When the jam is thickened, add sugar.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Limited Time
We were in Tesco the other day. I was surprised to see the price hike of the food items sold there. Really absurd. I was wondering how families with growing up children can afford to make ends meet. Even though there were only Azhar and me, I still cook for berbuka and sahur. I managed to refrain myself from going to bazaar Ramadan ; you know how shopping with empty stomachs feels like. You end up buying food of your choice but you won't be able to consume it due to time restraint!
Usually I will cook 3 dishes; savoury item for the main meal, a vegetable dish and of course I will never forget my favourite, kuih! Ayah was admitted to the hospital on the fourth day of Ramadan because of gout. He loves breaking the fast in the surau. All the seafood and the meat dishes are not good for the gout sufferers. He wasn't able to walk and mum had to call my brother from Bangi to see Ayah. The pain was unbearable that he decided to go to the hospital. Now, I make sure that my parents stay at home and I will bring the home-cooked meals to be eaten with them. After maghrib prayers, we went to the surau for Isya' and tarawih prayers. I always look forward to the tazkirah session after the prayers. Around 11 p.m. we go home to Desa Perwira.
I still remember one of the ustaz telling us that one of the virtues of Al-Quran is its mukjizat. During the time it was revealed, the Quran was highly regarded because of its beautiful kalimahs. Later, even the Europeans used the Quran to draft their country's constitutions and at present, there are many scientific facts being proven by the Quran. So, hold fast to al-Quran and aim to finish reading the whole book during this month of Ramadhan.
Usually I will cook 3 dishes; savoury item for the main meal, a vegetable dish and of course I will never forget my favourite, kuih! Ayah was admitted to the hospital on the fourth day of Ramadan because of gout. He loves breaking the fast in the surau. All the seafood and the meat dishes are not good for the gout sufferers. He wasn't able to walk and mum had to call my brother from Bangi to see Ayah. The pain was unbearable that he decided to go to the hospital. Now, I make sure that my parents stay at home and I will bring the home-cooked meals to be eaten with them. After maghrib prayers, we went to the surau for Isya' and tarawih prayers. I always look forward to the tazkirah session after the prayers. Around 11 p.m. we go home to Desa Perwira.
I still remember one of the ustaz telling us that one of the virtues of Al-Quran is its mukjizat. During the time it was revealed, the Quran was highly regarded because of its beautiful kalimahs. Later, even the Europeans used the Quran to draft their country's constitutions and at present, there are many scientific facts being proven by the Quran. So, hold fast to al-Quran and aim to finish reading the whole book during this month of Ramadhan.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Al-Waqiah 14 times
Allah gives Barakah and Rahmah and let me keep all the things I love in my life. I appreciate whatever I have had and I cherish them forever and ever.
Ameen
Ameen
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Updates
Salam. Lama betul tak update.
1. Ada email dialamatkan kepada saya tajuk update. Saya balas lebih kurang begini: Thank you very much for everything you have done to my family. I wish you all the best and this would be my last e-mail to you.
Siap dapat thumbs up!
2. Update kedua tentang kawan-kawan anak yang menemui calon suami melalui facebook. Wow, really cool. Mak cik doakan semoga kalian semua berbahagia ke anak cucu dan hidup di dalam barakah dan rahmah Allah. Adalah diharapkan perkahwinan kalian akan menjadikan anda semua insan yang lebih baik, beriman dan lebih bersemangat! Bercintalah selepas diakad nikahkan. Jalani hidup dengan penuh toleransi dan saling memahami. Mudah-mudahkan proses perkahwinan supaya kehidupan seterusnya akan jadi lebih mudah dan dirahmati Allah.
That's all for today. Nak pegi walimatul urus anak sahabat......
1. Ada email dialamatkan kepada saya tajuk update. Saya balas lebih kurang begini: Thank you very much for everything you have done to my family. I wish you all the best and this would be my last e-mail to you.
Siap dapat thumbs up!
2. Update kedua tentang kawan-kawan anak yang menemui calon suami melalui facebook. Wow, really cool. Mak cik doakan semoga kalian semua berbahagia ke anak cucu dan hidup di dalam barakah dan rahmah Allah. Adalah diharapkan perkahwinan kalian akan menjadikan anda semua insan yang lebih baik, beriman dan lebih bersemangat! Bercintalah selepas diakad nikahkan. Jalani hidup dengan penuh toleransi dan saling memahami. Mudah-mudahkan proses perkahwinan supaya kehidupan seterusnya akan jadi lebih mudah dan dirahmati Allah.
That's all for today. Nak pegi walimatul urus anak sahabat......
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Count Your Blessings
Life is full of surprises. Life is full of trials and tribulations. Life is not a bed of roses. Roses are beautiful to look at, the fresh sweet aroma of roses never fails to enchant us BUT don't forget the thorns, that can cause us hurt and pain.
Sometimes things happen because Allah loves us dearly. And if we are obedient servants of Allah, with friends and family members who pray for you day and night, then don't despair. The experience will toughen you up and later we'll realise that there is a blessing in disguise to the incident.
Meanwhile, walk with your head held high. Be proud that we are practising Muslims!
Sometimes things happen because Allah loves us dearly. And if we are obedient servants of Allah, with friends and family members who pray for you day and night, then don't despair. The experience will toughen you up and later we'll realise that there is a blessing in disguise to the incident.
Meanwhile, walk with your head held high. Be proud that we are practising Muslims!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Me
They didn't really care, that's why I survive!
Studying in boarding school was a great privilege to most of us when we were in our teens. Food was fantastic and our daily activity was studying. My sister and I studied in the same boarding school in Kelantan while our family moved back to Ipoh. Every school holidays, we took the long train journey to Ipoh. Mind you, we weren't treated like princesses once we reached home. We still had to wake up very early in the morning, hand washed all the clothes and prepared meals for the family. Our rest was the occasional afternoon naps and watching television before bedtime.
We were required to study hard and ayah would buy any reference books that the school suggested. Mum would cook abundant food to be brought to the hostel. That's the end of the caring relationship. If we were homesick, or had problems with our friends , we have to cope by ourselves,sometimes crying our hearts out in the middle of the nights. No phone calls or even snail mails.
But we survived! Sometimes we wondered, what would become of us if they were a bit more caring. Passing on their wisdom to their teenage daughters in the time of need. How nice if they could make the trip and visit us in the school or the least they could do was gave us a big, bear hug when we reached home. None whatsoever and it left a vacuum in my heart.
There were times when we took turns telling them our stories.... but it fell on deaf ears. That was life!
Without their guiding lights, we moved on and persevered. By experience, we knew that people hate us if we were bossy and arrogant. We lose friends if we don't watch out our mouth and utter hurtful remarks. The more cheerful we are, the more friends we'll have. We needed our friends so we behaved well during our entire stay in the school !
Studying in boarding school was a great privilege to most of us when we were in our teens. Food was fantastic and our daily activity was studying. My sister and I studied in the same boarding school in Kelantan while our family moved back to Ipoh. Every school holidays, we took the long train journey to Ipoh. Mind you, we weren't treated like princesses once we reached home. We still had to wake up very early in the morning, hand washed all the clothes and prepared meals for the family. Our rest was the occasional afternoon naps and watching television before bedtime.
We were required to study hard and ayah would buy any reference books that the school suggested. Mum would cook abundant food to be brought to the hostel. That's the end of the caring relationship. If we were homesick, or had problems with our friends , we have to cope by ourselves,sometimes crying our hearts out in the middle of the nights. No phone calls or even snail mails.
But we survived! Sometimes we wondered, what would become of us if they were a bit more caring. Passing on their wisdom to their teenage daughters in the time of need. How nice if they could make the trip and visit us in the school or the least they could do was gave us a big, bear hug when we reached home. None whatsoever and it left a vacuum in my heart.
There were times when we took turns telling them our stories.... but it fell on deaf ears. That was life!
Without their guiding lights, we moved on and persevered. By experience, we knew that people hate us if we were bossy and arrogant. We lose friends if we don't watch out our mouth and utter hurtful remarks. The more cheerful we are, the more friends we'll have. We needed our friends so we behaved well during our entire stay in the school !
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Nostalgic
It was time for zuhur prayer this afternoon and I got ready to join the students for the congregational prayer in the surau. I entered the washroom and there they were ; cute little girls patiently waiting for their turn to take wudhu'. So young, innocent and naive. They were chattering away and once they were ready, they left the washroom in twos or threes.
Once I got home, I searched for cik tutor's photo taken when she was in Year 1 back in 1989. If I'm not mistaken, the students were getting ready for a day trip organised by the school.
I wish that all the girls will be blessed with glorious future!
Once I got home, I searched for cik tutor's photo taken when she was in Year 1 back in 1989. If I'm not mistaken, the students were getting ready for a day trip organised by the school.
I wish that all the girls will be blessed with glorious future!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Birthday Girl
Yesterday was my 53rd birthday. Time flies very fast and I try to cherish the day as it comes. No more moping and crying for the past. I will live for today, making sure I start the day by reciting the du'a,reading the holy book and living life to the fullest.
'Hajar! You are so serious. Relax and cheer up a bit. It looks as if you've given up hope on life. Relax... just follow the flow. Things will be fine, I know it will. Have faith'
After thirty years, I haven't change much. I am serious and emotional. I am hopeless in facing problem. Added to that, I dislike discussing my problems with my friends however trustworthy they are. I don't feel like it. Luckily, en suami is a wise man. Only recently,I learn the art of discussing the problem so that at the end of it, it won't create another problem!
This is how I do it. First make sure everyone is happy and contented. If one of you is driving, make sure that there is no traffic jam to cause the outburst of temper. Then, you can start telling your problem in a relax manner. If you are sad and upset, you can shed your tears but do not overdo it. Then wait for the response. Even if the problem is not solved, you will feel better to get it out of your system.
Making assumption is the evil of life. When Kerol decided to make the trip to Armidale, we only booked the return flight tickets. Kerol was stranded at the airport for the day because the train ticket was sold out! To avoid making assumption, do some research and ask around .
Life is always beautiful but short.Be adventurous and live life to the fullest. If ever you face the shortcomings of life, don't despair. Analyse the situation and don't ever take matters in your own hand. Consult the wise man and always look at the bright side of life. You may take a trip and visit friends to lift your spirits up. It is advisable not to expect life to be bed of roses. But if one day, unexpectedly, you were SLEEPING on the bed of roses, then say your praises to Allah and after that please stop complaining!
'Hajar! You are so serious. Relax and cheer up a bit. It looks as if you've given up hope on life. Relax... just follow the flow. Things will be fine, I know it will. Have faith'
After thirty years, I haven't change much. I am serious and emotional. I am hopeless in facing problem. Added to that, I dislike discussing my problems with my friends however trustworthy they are. I don't feel like it. Luckily, en suami is a wise man. Only recently,I learn the art of discussing the problem so that at the end of it, it won't create another problem!
This is how I do it. First make sure everyone is happy and contented. If one of you is driving, make sure that there is no traffic jam to cause the outburst of temper. Then, you can start telling your problem in a relax manner. If you are sad and upset, you can shed your tears but do not overdo it. Then wait for the response. Even if the problem is not solved, you will feel better to get it out of your system.
Making assumption is the evil of life. When Kerol decided to make the trip to Armidale, we only booked the return flight tickets. Kerol was stranded at the airport for the day because the train ticket was sold out! To avoid making assumption, do some research and ask around .
Life is always beautiful but short.Be adventurous and live life to the fullest. If ever you face the shortcomings of life, don't despair. Analyse the situation and don't ever take matters in your own hand. Consult the wise man and always look at the bright side of life. You may take a trip and visit friends to lift your spirits up. It is advisable not to expect life to be bed of roses. But if one day, unexpectedly, you were SLEEPING on the bed of roses, then say your praises to Allah and after that please stop complaining!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Armidale
Kerol is in Armidale, visiting his sister, Cik tutor. He took MAS flight from KLIA to Sydney and off to Armidale by bus.
'How's the weather in Sydney?' I asked.
'Nice,it's cool and refreshing just like being in your room with the air-condition on!'
He is impressed with Armidale. 'I won't mind being the only Malaysian here!The scenery is beautiful.'
Everybody at home misses Cik tutor very much and she misses us too. But we couldn't make the trip just yet because of school and the plane tickets were quite expensive during the holiday season. Instead, we ask kerol to visit her. I really hope she is happy with kerol's company and spend the time well. Kerol brought along packets of malaysian curry powder, instant noodles and small gifts for cik tutor's closest friends. When Kerol's trip is over in a week, and cik tutor's work is almost done, I hope she would take the pleasure of visiting friends in Melbourne or any other cities in the country. I hope that will ease her homesickness and gives her the motivation to finish off her studies.
At home, my mum is recovering well and so does my father, who's had an eye operation about a month ago.
Tomorrow school reopens for the new term. I'll be busy as a bee.
'How's the weather in Sydney?' I asked.
'Nice,it's cool and refreshing just like being in your room with the air-condition on!'
He is impressed with Armidale. 'I won't mind being the only Malaysian here!The scenery is beautiful.'
Everybody at home misses Cik tutor very much and she misses us too. But we couldn't make the trip just yet because of school and the plane tickets were quite expensive during the holiday season. Instead, we ask kerol to visit her. I really hope she is happy with kerol's company and spend the time well. Kerol brought along packets of malaysian curry powder, instant noodles and small gifts for cik tutor's closest friends. When Kerol's trip is over in a week, and cik tutor's work is almost done, I hope she would take the pleasure of visiting friends in Melbourne or any other cities in the country. I hope that will ease her homesickness and gives her the motivation to finish off her studies.
At home, my mum is recovering well and so does my father, who's had an eye operation about a month ago.
Tomorrow school reopens for the new term. I'll be busy as a bee.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Islam
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, MMNS
Quite often I hear from young people in our religion who have many questions about the Qur’an, hadiths, and the application of both to our daily lives. Many are questioning presumed misogynist ideas of some Muslim men. Some are questioning whether the rote rituals are necessary, or if they’re even a part of the religion. Some are even questioning whether it is necessary to be a Muslim at all – or any organized religion for that matter. I’ve heard them say “I’m a good person. I don’t smoke, drink, treat people badly or any such things.” They say that they don’t feel it necessary to pray five times a day, or even perform salat in the traditional way of the Muslims.
They do bring up a point, especially when they point to people who pray five or more times a day, attend the masjid every Jumah prayer, and can quote Qur’an scriptures from memory better than some people can read them from the Book; and, at the same time, be some of the worst people around.
But there are things we need to look at before we try to lessen the importance of organized religion – especially the last and universal perfected religion – Al-Islam.
First of all, human beings have too much responsibility to do it alone. We are the Khalifa. We have the responsibility of overseeing the entire world. But the overseer is not the owner. He just carries out the overseer’s directives.
Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone did their own thing according to their own mindset? If everyone drove their cars without regard for traffic lights, it would be virtually impossible to get to your destination without being in numerous accidents.
Religious doctrines and directives do pretty much the same thing; just on a higher level. We humans are so complex and have such amazing abilities that nothing, short of reaching ALLAH, is impossible for us. We can fly higher than the birds. Go to the deepest depths of the oceans – and, overcome whatever is living there. So with each one of us possessing so much power, it is easy for us to start believing we are ‘gods,” and you know that’s a problem for there is only One ALLAH.
We need guidance. The opening chapter of the Qur’an, Al Fatiha, is only recognizing the Omnipotence and Omnipresence of ALLAH and asking Him for guidance. The next chapter starts off telling you it’s Al Qur’an that has the guidance and also tells you those that will receive that guidance. If you lived your life without Divine guidance, you would do things like commit adultery just because you “feel” like it. But we all know it is one of the major sins and causes untold heartache in the individual, the couple, their families, the community, and the entire society. Lower animals can indulge, but they do not have human sensibilities and human consciousness, or human responsibility.
Make no mistake about it; religion is necessary for human beings. The Law, guidance, and Wisdom help keep us on the sensible, straight path. Prophet David (as) says in scripture, “Oh how I love the Law as it keeps me pure and whole.”
The rituals of salat are important for us. Salat 5 times a day gives us discipline which is necessary for an orderly life. To submit yourself to ALLAH when you may not feel like it, lets ALLAH occupy the highest levels of your consciousness.
ALLAH is so merciful that just consciously following His directives gets you 10 times the reward for that good deed. Just refusing to do wrong gets you the benefit of consciously doing one good deed.
The trick in getting the benefits of following this organized religion is to first, believe. Then apply the plain, simple instructions to your life. You cannot fail. ALLAH says so.
With ALLAH’S name, the Merciful Benefactor, Merciful Redeemer
As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah Bey El-Amin
Quite often I hear from young people in our religion who have many questions about the Qur’an, hadiths, and the application of both to our daily lives. Many are questioning presumed misogynist ideas of some Muslim men. Some are questioning whether the rote rituals are necessary, or if they’re even a part of the religion. Some are even questioning whether it is necessary to be a Muslim at all – or any organized religion for that matter. I’ve heard them say “I’m a good person. I don’t smoke, drink, treat people badly or any such things.” They say that they don’t feel it necessary to pray five times a day, or even perform salat in the traditional way of the Muslims.
They do bring up a point, especially when they point to people who pray five or more times a day, attend the masjid every Jumah prayer, and can quote Qur’an scriptures from memory better than some people can read them from the Book; and, at the same time, be some of the worst people around.
But there are things we need to look at before we try to lessen the importance of organized religion – especially the last and universal perfected religion – Al-Islam.
First of all, human beings have too much responsibility to do it alone. We are the Khalifa. We have the responsibility of overseeing the entire world. But the overseer is not the owner. He just carries out the overseer’s directives.
Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone did their own thing according to their own mindset? If everyone drove their cars without regard for traffic lights, it would be virtually impossible to get to your destination without being in numerous accidents.
Religious doctrines and directives do pretty much the same thing; just on a higher level. We humans are so complex and have such amazing abilities that nothing, short of reaching ALLAH, is impossible for us. We can fly higher than the birds. Go to the deepest depths of the oceans – and, overcome whatever is living there. So with each one of us possessing so much power, it is easy for us to start believing we are ‘gods,” and you know that’s a problem for there is only One ALLAH.
We need guidance. The opening chapter of the Qur’an, Al Fatiha, is only recognizing the Omnipotence and Omnipresence of ALLAH and asking Him for guidance. The next chapter starts off telling you it’s Al Qur’an that has the guidance and also tells you those that will receive that guidance. If you lived your life without Divine guidance, you would do things like commit adultery just because you “feel” like it. But we all know it is one of the major sins and causes untold heartache in the individual, the couple, their families, the community, and the entire society. Lower animals can indulge, but they do not have human sensibilities and human consciousness, or human responsibility.
Make no mistake about it; religion is necessary for human beings. The Law, guidance, and Wisdom help keep us on the sensible, straight path. Prophet David (as) says in scripture, “Oh how I love the Law as it keeps me pure and whole.”
The rituals of salat are important for us. Salat 5 times a day gives us discipline which is necessary for an orderly life. To submit yourself to ALLAH when you may not feel like it, lets ALLAH occupy the highest levels of your consciousness.
ALLAH is so merciful that just consciously following His directives gets you 10 times the reward for that good deed. Just refusing to do wrong gets you the benefit of consciously doing one good deed.
The trick in getting the benefits of following this organized religion is to first, believe. Then apply the plain, simple instructions to your life. You cannot fail. ALLAH says so.
With ALLAH’S name, the Merciful Benefactor, Merciful Redeemer
As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah Bey El-Amin
Monday, May 16, 2011
I'm Yours
Last Friday evening we were on our way to my parent's house. We stopped at Giant supermarket to buy some snacks and orange juice.
We were strolling passed the Mexican bun stall and an area with lots of exercise equipment in the supermarket when Azhar stopped me and whispered.
'Lagu Am!'
'What? Here?' I didn't believe him at first.
We turned back and voila, it was indeed Amri's familiar voice singing ,I'm yours in Malay.
They use it as a background music for their exercise machine.
It was indeed a nice surprise. Imagine getting acquainted with a would-be famous artist. We were giggling all the way home. Really made our day!
We were strolling passed the Mexican bun stall and an area with lots of exercise equipment in the supermarket when Azhar stopped me and whispered.
'Lagu Am!'
'What? Here?' I didn't believe him at first.
We turned back and voila, it was indeed Amri's familiar voice singing ,I'm yours in Malay.
They use it as a background music for their exercise machine.
It was indeed a nice surprise. Imagine getting acquainted with a would-be famous artist. We were giggling all the way home. Really made our day!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Phd
Her facebook status told me that she was facing problems with her experiments. That was about a fortnight ago. Later in the day, the phone rang. There were no cheerful salams or hellos, instead I heard cries of despair on the other side.
' I want to go home.' she told me in between sobs.
' Just tell me when , and I'll tell Ayah to book the tickets.' I assured her.
Those were the only conversations that we've had and she hung up 15 minutes later.
It's tough being in her position. Practically alone with no Malaysian community. Luckily, she makes a few friends who are kind enough to accompany her when they are not occupied with work.The landlord's children are nice and friendly and their cats are always at her doorstep. Every Sundays, if time permits, she teaches Quran to the Muslim children. She loves the stress of teaching the boisterous children.
I know she is not the only one. There are thousand others who are pursuing further studies and as mothers , we hope we can provide words of comfort to ease the difficult situation. I did the same thing to Aman when there was an unrest in Egypt a few months ago. Mind the telephone bills and the long hours. I am glad she reached out and called home.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; that's my advice. Treat people with respect and dignity and they will treat you the same. Be strong and confident. If the going gets tough, turn to Allah and if you wish someone to talk to, I will always be there.
Yesterday was a different story. I called and she was bubbling with excitement.
'Mak, can you call me only once a month.'
No, I can't and I wouldn't. I will miss you terribly!
' I want to go home.' she told me in between sobs.
' Just tell me when , and I'll tell Ayah to book the tickets.' I assured her.
Those were the only conversations that we've had and she hung up 15 minutes later.
It's tough being in her position. Practically alone with no Malaysian community. Luckily, she makes a few friends who are kind enough to accompany her when they are not occupied with work.The landlord's children are nice and friendly and their cats are always at her doorstep. Every Sundays, if time permits, she teaches Quran to the Muslim children. She loves the stress of teaching the boisterous children.
I know she is not the only one. There are thousand others who are pursuing further studies and as mothers , we hope we can provide words of comfort to ease the difficult situation. I did the same thing to Aman when there was an unrest in Egypt a few months ago. Mind the telephone bills and the long hours. I am glad she reached out and called home.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; that's my advice. Treat people with respect and dignity and they will treat you the same. Be strong and confident. If the going gets tough, turn to Allah and if you wish someone to talk to, I will always be there.
Yesterday was a different story. I called and she was bubbling with excitement.
'Mak, can you call me only once a month.'
No, I can't and I wouldn't. I will miss you terribly!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Mother's Day
To someone, somewhere whom I respect and adore, for the things that he does sincerely from his heart.
As born Muslims, we always take things for granted, the presence of our beloved parents , for instance.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.2 Narrated by Abu Huraira
A man came to Prophet Muhammad and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Who is more entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man said. "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man further said, "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man asked for the fourth time, "Who is
next?" The Prophet said, "Your father."
We are taught that a Muslim should respect and appreciate his or her parents every day throughout the year. In the Qur'an, appreciation and treatment of parents is described beautifully in Surah Al-Isra in which Allah (swt) says, "Your Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness lower to them the wing of humility and say: 'My Lord! Bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.'" (Quran 17:23-24)
It was indeed a thoughtful gesture when someone would spend his entire holidays looking after his parents , being there when they need him and sharing light moments together.After all, the love is mutual and you will always be mummy's darling boy. It's not how much worldly goods you are giving them, but in the end it's your presence that counts.
I have seen a lot of people who find reasons to shun away from their parents. I guess we have to be constantly reminded on our duties towards our parents. If the nice guy mentioned above, can do it brilliantly, all by himself, juggling work and taking care of his beloved parents at the same time, then we should be really ashamed of ourselves.
Last Sunday was Mother's Day. I saw a steady stream of customers in the mall and restaurants. Everyone was trying their best to entertain their mothers on that day. Then, suddenly I think of you. Your mum must be the luckiest mother in the world because with you by her side, everyday is MOTHER'S day to her.
As born Muslims, we always take things for granted, the presence of our beloved parents , for instance.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.2 Narrated by Abu Huraira
A man came to Prophet Muhammad and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Who is more entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man said. "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man further said, "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man asked for the fourth time, "Who is
next?" The Prophet said, "Your father."
We are taught that a Muslim should respect and appreciate his or her parents every day throughout the year. In the Qur'an, appreciation and treatment of parents is described beautifully in Surah Al-Isra in which Allah (swt) says, "Your Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness lower to them the wing of humility and say: 'My Lord! Bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.'" (Quran 17:23-24)
It was indeed a thoughtful gesture when someone would spend his entire holidays looking after his parents , being there when they need him and sharing light moments together.After all, the love is mutual and you will always be mummy's darling boy. It's not how much worldly goods you are giving them, but in the end it's your presence that counts.
I have seen a lot of people who find reasons to shun away from their parents. I guess we have to be constantly reminded on our duties towards our parents. If the nice guy mentioned above, can do it brilliantly, all by himself, juggling work and taking care of his beloved parents at the same time, then we should be really ashamed of ourselves.
Last Sunday was Mother's Day. I saw a steady stream of customers in the mall and restaurants. Everyone was trying their best to entertain their mothers on that day. Then, suddenly I think of you. Your mum must be the luckiest mother in the world because with you by her side, everyday is MOTHER'S day to her.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Appreciate
Mum is away in Bangi at my brother's house. My brother came home to Ipoh and accompanied her for the hospital check up. Next week, my third sister and en doktor would come home to visit mum.
As usual Azhar and I would spend the night at my parent's house. Every morning, before I leave for school, I use to cook rice porridge, fish and vegetable soup for mum. Tomorrow I hope I can cook much flavorful food for ayah.
When a member of your family whom you love and respect very much, is inflicted with illness,you feel helpless, demotivated and cheerless. Actually, there are so many good things happening and occasions to look forward to: Aman asking the permission to get married, en doktor might be expecting twins, new TV at home, Kerol coming home for the holidays and the joy of teaching well-behaved children in school.But my main concern now,is my mum's health. I would do anything to make her comfortable and happy. I just hope that Allah gives her the strength and patience to face the uncertainties of life..
Alhamdulillah, I have the support of my brother and sisters, even though they live in other states. En suami is adorable, always providing mum with the best honey he could find.I really appreciate it when en suami drives straight from Pilah to my parent's house and without fail spend the night there. My children would once in a while call their Opah and cheer her up. Only Allah knows, how happy mum is being surrounded by lovely people like YOU.
As usual Azhar and I would spend the night at my parent's house. Every morning, before I leave for school, I use to cook rice porridge, fish and vegetable soup for mum. Tomorrow I hope I can cook much flavorful food for ayah.
When a member of your family whom you love and respect very much, is inflicted with illness,you feel helpless, demotivated and cheerless. Actually, there are so many good things happening and occasions to look forward to: Aman asking the permission to get married, en doktor might be expecting twins, new TV at home, Kerol coming home for the holidays and the joy of teaching well-behaved children in school.But my main concern now,is my mum's health. I would do anything to make her comfortable and happy. I just hope that Allah gives her the strength and patience to face the uncertainties of life..
Alhamdulillah, I have the support of my brother and sisters, even though they live in other states. En suami is adorable, always providing mum with the best honey he could find.I really appreciate it when en suami drives straight from Pilah to my parent's house and without fail spend the night there. My children would once in a while call their Opah and cheer her up. Only Allah knows, how happy mum is being surrounded by lovely people like YOU.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Masak Lodeh
Bahan-bahan ( 4 orang )
Bahan yg dikisar halus * :-
*5 tangkai cili kering - Opah guna cili besar merah tumbuk dgn belacan sikit.
*1/2 biji bawang besar
*1 ulas bawang putih
sedikit kunyit serbuk
*1 sudu udang kering
*1 sudu ikan bilis
*1 sk jintan kasar - digoreng tanpa minyak
1 batang serai - dititik
1/4 jari lengkuas - diketuk
100 g udang hidup yg dikupas kulit
Bahan sayur di potong kecil ikut cara masing2 :-
1/4 biji kobis
4 batang kacang panjang
1 batang lobak merah
1 biji terung panjang
1 keping tahu kering (fucok)- rendam
2 keping tauhu - di potong kecil dan goreng
2 keping tempe - dipotong dan digoreng
1 ikat su'un - direndam
lada merah dan hijau - dipotong serong
1 ltr santan pekat dan cair - drpd 1 biji kelapa
air secukupnya
garam secukup rasa
2 sudu besar minyak utk menumis
Cara-cara
1. Panaskan minyak dlm periuk dan tumis bahan2 kisar dan serai hingga wangi.Masukkan udang dan tumis lagi dan masukkan santan,lengkuas dan masak hingga mendidih.
2. Masukkan sayur2an bermula dgn yg keras dulu dan tambah air secukupnya hingga sayur tenggelam. Bubuh garam secukup rasa dan masak lagi hingga mendidih dan sayur lembut.Masukkan soun, tempe dan tauhu.
Hidang sayur lodeh dgn lontong,ketupat atau nasi himpit dan juga sambal tumis dan serunding. Atau makan dengan nasi.
Bahan yg dikisar halus * :-
*5 tangkai cili kering - Opah guna cili besar merah tumbuk dgn belacan sikit.
*1/2 biji bawang besar
*1 ulas bawang putih
sedikit kunyit serbuk
*1 sudu udang kering
*1 sudu ikan bilis
*1 sk jintan kasar - digoreng tanpa minyak
1 batang serai - dititik
1/4 jari lengkuas - diketuk
100 g udang hidup yg dikupas kulit
Bahan sayur di potong kecil ikut cara masing2 :-
1/4 biji kobis
4 batang kacang panjang
1 batang lobak merah
1 biji terung panjang
1 keping tahu kering (fucok)- rendam
2 keping tauhu - di potong kecil dan goreng
2 keping tempe - dipotong dan digoreng
1 ikat su'un - direndam
lada merah dan hijau - dipotong serong
1 ltr santan pekat dan cair - drpd 1 biji kelapa
air secukupnya
garam secukup rasa
2 sudu besar minyak utk menumis
Cara-cara
1. Panaskan minyak dlm periuk dan tumis bahan2 kisar dan serai hingga wangi.Masukkan udang dan tumis lagi dan masukkan santan,lengkuas dan masak hingga mendidih.
2. Masukkan sayur2an bermula dgn yg keras dulu dan tambah air secukupnya hingga sayur tenggelam. Bubuh garam secukup rasa dan masak lagi hingga mendidih dan sayur lembut.Masukkan soun, tempe dan tauhu.
Hidang sayur lodeh dgn lontong,ketupat atau nasi himpit dan juga sambal tumis dan serunding. Atau makan dengan nasi.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Syukur
There are so many things I want in life. Am I selfish? Greedy perhaps? Fortunately, I kept the wishes to myself.
In the early hours of the morning, the moment I woke up from sleep, silently I made the request.
When it rained heavily, I stopped doing my chores and contemplate on my many wishes.
On Fridays, after sending Azhar off to the mosque, I spend my free time asking for favours.
I should be grateful with everything I have. Thankful and grateful.I'm thankful that I can make a difference to a little boy's life.
I'm thankful that I am around to look after my parents.
I'm grateful to Allah for giving me the most loving and understanding husband..
I'm grateful for the amazing children, lovely friends, and everything!
Alhamdulillah..
In the early hours of the morning, the moment I woke up from sleep, silently I made the request.
When it rained heavily, I stopped doing my chores and contemplate on my many wishes.
On Fridays, after sending Azhar off to the mosque, I spend my free time asking for favours.
I should be grateful with everything I have. Thankful and grateful.I'm thankful that I can make a difference to a little boy's life.
I'm thankful that I am around to look after my parents.
I'm grateful to Allah for giving me the most loving and understanding husband..
I'm grateful for the amazing children, lovely friends, and everything!
Alhamdulillah..
Sunday, April 10, 2011
New Routine
Salam. Staying at mum's house is a bliss. Actually, I am in a state of denial. There are loads of things to do. By staying at mum's place , I have reasons to dilly-dallying.
Next Friday, my colleagues and I are off to Pulau Pangkor for a short course.To be followed by Mum's hospital appointment. There are also loads of work to do in school ; PTA meeting is just round the corner, lessons to be completed, books to be marked and students' test results to be analysed.
Personally, I have started on a healthier diet ; lots of vegetables and fruit and try to cut on rice.Azhar accompanies me to the park for brisk walks and I hope I'll be able to do it every day.
Spiritually, I read al-Waqiah as well as 5 pages of al-Quran everyday , fast every Mondays, recite al-maathurat every morning and due to time constraint I haven't been able to offer dhuha prayers as much as I hope to.
Still struggling to be a better person, insyaallah.
Next Friday, my colleagues and I are off to Pulau Pangkor for a short course.To be followed by Mum's hospital appointment. There are also loads of work to do in school ; PTA meeting is just round the corner, lessons to be completed, books to be marked and students' test results to be analysed.
Personally, I have started on a healthier diet ; lots of vegetables and fruit and try to cut on rice.Azhar accompanies me to the park for brisk walks and I hope I'll be able to do it every day.
Spiritually, I read al-Waqiah as well as 5 pages of al-Quran everyday , fast every Mondays, recite al-maathurat every morning and due to time constraint I haven't been able to offer dhuha prayers as much as I hope to.
Still struggling to be a better person, insyaallah.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Children
Khairul called just now. He's sitting for his exams soon and he's bought the ticket to fly home this coming June.
"Don't you worry about me. I'm fit and healthy. I studied hard for the exams and all my friends are good to me" he assured me time and again.
My children are always in my thoughts.They are an amazing lot so I shouldn't worry much about them. They are thoughtful, generous, kind, friendly ; the type of people that will draw them many friends.
But a mother's main concern is their children. Eventhough, they are thousands of miles away from me, I couldn't stop thinking about them.
Do they eat proper food?
How do they cope with the studies and everyday life?
How do they manage financially?
Do they behave well ?
Khairul sums it up nicely. "Mak sempoi. You trust us, and your only wish is to be able to follow our progress closely."
So, thank you very much to Cik Tutor who calls and SMS's almost everyday to update on her well-being, Aman who skypes almost every night and kerol whose blog really cheers me up. En doktor is a bit busy nowadays caring for his expectant wife. He calls occasionally, so no hard feelings! Just take good care of Cik Hanim and make sure she eats nutrituous food and has enough rest.
Physically, we are far apart.But, remember, you are all close in my heart. If you need someone to talk to, I will always be there. Muahs!
"Don't you worry about me. I'm fit and healthy. I studied hard for the exams and all my friends are good to me" he assured me time and again.
My children are always in my thoughts.They are an amazing lot so I shouldn't worry much about them. They are thoughtful, generous, kind, friendly ; the type of people that will draw them many friends.
But a mother's main concern is their children. Eventhough, they are thousands of miles away from me, I couldn't stop thinking about them.
Do they eat proper food?
How do they cope with the studies and everyday life?
How do they manage financially?
Do they behave well ?
Khairul sums it up nicely. "Mak sempoi. You trust us, and your only wish is to be able to follow our progress closely."
So, thank you very much to Cik Tutor who calls and SMS's almost everyday to update on her well-being, Aman who skypes almost every night and kerol whose blog really cheers me up. En doktor is a bit busy nowadays caring for his expectant wife. He calls occasionally, so no hard feelings! Just take good care of Cik Hanim and make sure she eats nutrituous food and has enough rest.
Physically, we are far apart.But, remember, you are all close in my heart. If you need someone to talk to, I will always be there. Muahs!
Morning Talk
Salam. While driving to the market this morning, I heard a motivational talk in the radio. An audience asked about a problem concerning her sister. Her sister(graduated from Dublin),now a houseman in a local hospital felt that she was being bullied by the medical officers. She was unhappy and decided to quit.
I would like to share what the speaker, an opthalmologist with 25 years experience, told the audience.
1. Whenever you feel down, you must always remember you are the BEST to have reached this far in life.You cannot afford to waste years of your life just because someone treated you badly in your 1 year of service.
2. Those medical officers who like to bully people around, are the ungrateful lot. As a medical specialist who have taught hundreds of doctors, she mentioned that she is not happy if these doctors turn out to be arrogant and selfish.
3. Appreciate people that you meet. Think good of other people and always treat people kindly. To do so you must have a good relationship with Allah.
That's all. Actually there are lots more. Thank you.
I would like to share what the speaker, an opthalmologist with 25 years experience, told the audience.
1. Whenever you feel down, you must always remember you are the BEST to have reached this far in life.You cannot afford to waste years of your life just because someone treated you badly in your 1 year of service.
2. Those medical officers who like to bully people around, are the ungrateful lot. As a medical specialist who have taught hundreds of doctors, she mentioned that she is not happy if these doctors turn out to be arrogant and selfish.
3. Appreciate people that you meet. Think good of other people and always treat people kindly. To do so you must have a good relationship with Allah.
That's all. Actually there are lots more. Thank you.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Hoping
These couple of weeks Azhar and I spent the nights at my parent's house in Tambun. Yesterday, my third sister, Zie from Sungai Petani came home to look after mum. So, here I am, updating my blog after a long silence.
Mum was wrongly diagnosed by the doctors. The GP at the clinic told her, she only had gastritis. When we admitted her for 2 days at KPJ hospital and after a few tests were done, she was given gastric medicine and discharged. She was better for a few days and then the pain got worse, and we brought her to the emergency unit at Ipoh general hospital (HRPB). She was dehydrated and after a night at the temporary ward, she was discharged.
When she was not better, en doktor suggested that we go to HRPB again. To our relief, the doctor found the source of the problem. She had an operation two weeks ago and is recovering at home now.
I am glad that all my sisters except for Ros who lived in Durban SA, took turns in looking after my mum during the weekends. On weekdays, Azhar and ayah help me to make mum comfortable and prepare her favourite food.
So many things happened in this short span of time. Aman flew to Egypt to resume his study, mum had an operation and an uncertain event that kept us guessing. It makes me turn to Allah forever more, hoping for His blessings and guidance. I hope everything will be fine, soon, InsyaAllah.
Mum was wrongly diagnosed by the doctors. The GP at the clinic told her, she only had gastritis. When we admitted her for 2 days at KPJ hospital and after a few tests were done, she was given gastric medicine and discharged. She was better for a few days and then the pain got worse, and we brought her to the emergency unit at Ipoh general hospital (HRPB). She was dehydrated and after a night at the temporary ward, she was discharged.
When she was not better, en doktor suggested that we go to HRPB again. To our relief, the doctor found the source of the problem. She had an operation two weeks ago and is recovering at home now.
I am glad that all my sisters except for Ros who lived in Durban SA, took turns in looking after my mum during the weekends. On weekdays, Azhar and ayah help me to make mum comfortable and prepare her favourite food.
So many things happened in this short span of time. Aman flew to Egypt to resume his study, mum had an operation and an uncertain event that kept us guessing. It makes me turn to Allah forever more, hoping for His blessings and guidance. I hope everything will be fine, soon, InsyaAllah.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Daughters
Last week I visited my close friend, Puan Nurhaya, who stayed just a stone's throw away from my house. Her daughter Syahidah had just given birth to baby girl about a month ago.
' Remember this baby cot' she asked me. The new baby was sleeping soundly in it.
'Is it Syahidah's cot?' I recognised it since I bought the same cot for cik tutor about thirty years ago.
Time flies very fast. Puan Nurhaya is a grandmother to two grandchildren now. The first grandchild was born in Perth . Syahidah is a pharmacist working in Sungai Buluh hospital. I have photos of syahida and cik tutor when they were little. Cik tutor was one year old and syahidah is 6 months younger. Our families shared a flat when we were students and cik tutor loved to pay them a visit.
' Remember this baby cot' she asked me. The new baby was sleeping soundly in it.
'Is it Syahidah's cot?' I recognised it since I bought the same cot for cik tutor about thirty years ago.
Time flies very fast. Puan Nurhaya is a grandmother to two grandchildren now. The first grandchild was born in Perth . Syahidah is a pharmacist working in Sungai Buluh hospital. I have photos of syahida and cik tutor when they were little. Cik tutor was one year old and syahidah is 6 months younger. Our families shared a flat when we were students and cik tutor loved to pay them a visit.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
kenangan lalu hik!
Pada suatu pagi di satu sekolah menengah, ada seorang pelajar bertanya pada seorang guru yang sedang mengajar. Ketika itu, guru tersebut sedang menyentuh mengenai kasih dan sayang secara am.
Dialog di antara pelajar dan guru tersebut berbunyi begini :
Pelajar : Cikgu, macam mana kita nak pilih seseorang yang terbaik sebagai orang paling kita sayang? Macam mana juga kasih sayang itu nak berkekalan?
Cikgu : Oh, awak nak tahu ke? Emmm... baiklah, sekarang kamu buat apa yang saya suruh. Ikut je ye... mungkin kamu akan dapat apa jawapannya.
Pelajar : Baiklah... apa yang saya harus buat?
Cikgu : Kamu pergi ke padang sekolah yang berada di luar kelas sekarang juga. Kamu berjalan di atas rumput di situ dan sambil memandang rumput di depan kamu, pilih mana yang paling cantik tanpa menoleh ke belakang lagi walaupun sekali. Dan kamu petiklah rumput yang paling cantik yang berada di depan kamu tersebut dan selepas itu bawa balik ke kelas.
Pelajar : Ok. Saya pergi sekarang dan buat apa yang cikgu suruh. Apabila pelajar tersebut balik semula ke kelas, tiada pun rumput yang berada di tangannya. Maka cikgu pun bertanya kepada pelajar tersebut.
Cikgu : Mana rumput yang cikgu suruh petik?
Pelajar : Oh, tadi saya berjalan di atas rumput dan sambil memandang rumput yang berada di situ, saya carilah rumput yang paling cantik. Memang ada banyak yang cantik tapi cikgu kata petik yang paling cantik maka saya pun terus berjalan ke depan sambil mencari yang paling cantik tanpa menoleh ke belakang lagi. Tapi sampai di penghujung padang , saya tak jumpa pun yang paling cantik. Mungkin ada di antara yang di belakang saya sebelum itu tapi dah cikgu cakap tak boleh menoleh ke belakang semula, jadi tiadalah rumput yang saya boleh petik.
Cikgu : Ya, itulah jawapannya. Maknanya, apabila kita telah berjumpa dengan seseorang yang kita sayang, janganlah kita hendak mencari lagi yang lebih baik daripada itu. Kita patut hargai orang yang berada di depan kita sebaik-baiknya. Janganlah kita menoleh ke belakang lagi kerana yang berlaku tetap dah berlaku. Dan semoga yang berlalu tidak lagi berulang. Jika kita berselisih faham dengan orang yang kita sayang itu, kita boleh perbetulkan keadaan dan cuba teruskan perhubungan tersebut walaupun banyak perkara yang menggugat perhubungan tersebut. Dan ingatlah orang yang kita sayang itulah kita jumpa paling cantik dan paling baik pada mulanya walaupun nak ikutkan banyak lagi yang cantik dan baik seperti rumput tadi. Kecualilah jika perhubungan tersebut tak boleh diselamatkan lagi, maka barulah kita mulakan sekali lagi. Maka sayangilah orang yang berada di depan kita dengan tulus dan ikhlas.
Maka, bersyukurlah dengan kasih-sayang yang kau terima pada hari ini, kerana jika kau meninggalkannya, mungkin kasih sayang itu tidak akan kembali seperti sediakala.
Sedarlah wahai insan, kasih sayang Allah itulah yang paling hakiki, jika kau memalingkan dirimu dari kasihnya, maka kamulah serugi-rugi manusia.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Field Trip
Last Saturday, my two children and I accompanied en suami to Cameron Highlands. His students and a few academic staffs were there to collect some plant specimens.
There is so much development around Cameron Highlands that the place has lost its natural beauty.
Our driver. Nope. En suami won't trust him!
We had some scones, waffle and strawberry cake with hot Cameronian tea!
At Strawberry Hill Cafe.
Strawberries!
Strawberries plants.
Cabbage farm
Students collecting the specimens. (N9 matriculation college)
Hard at work with En suami supervising!
The collected specimen. One of them!
There is so much development around Cameron Highlands that the place has lost its natural beauty.
Our driver. Nope. En suami won't trust him!
We had some scones, waffle and strawberry cake with hot Cameronian tea!
At Strawberry Hill Cafe.
Strawberries!
Strawberries plants.
Cabbage farm
Students collecting the specimens. (N9 matriculation college)
Hard at work with En suami supervising!
The collected specimen. One of them!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Ferrero Rocher
I attended a talk on Women and Health last Tuesday in conjunction with the MaulidurRasul celebration. A lady doctor was specially invited from Kelantan for the occasion. We were enlightened with the recent facts and figures concerning women's health and it is common knowledge that most women in the third world countries (mostly muslim) are not being treated well. The speaker encouraged the young ladies in the audience to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and fight for those who are abused. It is time the muslim women voice their opinion in the world stage to initiate change. Depression, malnutrition and domestic violence among muslim women are most rampant at the moment. Most of these women are also illiterate.
I would like to write down the last Sermon of Prophet Muhammad concerning our duties as a good Muslim and on how we should treat women.
This sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H. in the 'Uranah valley of Mount Arafat' (in Mecca).
I would like to write down the last Sermon of Prophet Muhammad concerning our duties as a good Muslim and on how we should treat women.
This sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H. in the 'Uranah valley of Mount Arafat' (in Mecca).
After praising, and thanking God the Prophet (s.a.w) said:
"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.
O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. God has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. God has judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn 'Abd'al Muttalib (Prophet's uncle) shall henceforth be waived...
Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.
O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under God's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.
O People, listen to me in earnest, worship God, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.
All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.
Remember, one day you will appear before God and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.
O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example, the Sunnah and if you follow these you will never go astray.
All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O God, that I have conveyed your message to your people".
Imagine if we are physically fit, beautiful to look at even though we are covered from head to toe, with iman and good faith in our heart, spreading goodwill to everyone around us, muslims and non-muslims alike. I'm sure everybody will benefit from our presence. Just like Ferrero Rocher !
Monday, February 14, 2011
Reminder
Work, work, work. There is so much to be done. I'm not complaining because by being busy I don't have the spare time to chit chat! At the beginning, the chit chat was not supposed to be harmful but after sometimes it became out of control.
These are a few guidelines to be observed when we have to talk:
1. Lower our voices
Al-Hujurat :VERSE 2 -
"O you who Believe! Raise not your voices in the presence of Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak loud to one another, lest your deeds may be rendered fruitless, while you perceive not."
Revelation - Narrated Az-Zubayr (radhi allahu anhu): "When a delegation from tribe of Tameem came to the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), Abu Baqr (radhi allahu anhu) suggested to the Prophet that al-Qa'qaa ibn Ma'bad (radhi allahu anhu) be sent to meet them and Umar ibn Khattab (radhi allahu anhu) suggested that al-Aqra bin Qays (radhi allahu anhu) be sent instead. Abu Baqr was irritated by Umar's counter proposal so he turned to Umar (radhi allahu anhu) and said: "You only said that to contradict me" Umar in turn replied that he did not do it to be contrary. A quarrel aroused and both of them raised their voices to such a level that the Prophet's voice was drowned . Allah then revealed the verse "O you who Believe! Raise not your voices in the presence of Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam)..."
Raising the voice is a sign of bad character, and Islam has abandoned such ill manners. Allah recalls the saying of Luqman (alaihi as-salaam): "Lower your voice, (my son) for verily, the most detestable (hateful) voice is the braying of a donkey." [Soorah Luqmaan (31): 19]
Furthermore, Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) referred the raising of voices as being among the signs of the Last Day and said: "Voices will be raised loud in the masjids and the tribes will be lead by their most sinful members" [At-Tirmidhee]
2. Sins of the mouth
He (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) also said: "The signs of a hypocrite are four and anyone who possesses one of them possesses a characteristic of Nifaaq (hypocrisy) until he abandons it. When he is entrusted he betrays his trust, when he talks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when he quarrels he uses foul (bad language) words" [Saheeh al-Bukharee v.1 p.32-33, no. 33, Muslim v.1, p.40, no.111, and Abu Dawood v.3, p.1313, no.4671]
3. Avoid arguments that lead to ill feelings
"It is not allowed for a Muslim to cut off his relations with his Muslim brother for more than three nights by turning away from each other whenever they meet. And the best of them is the one who greets (Salaams) to the other - first." [Saheeh Bukharee v.8, pp.64-65, no.100]
This is a reminder to myself. I need to speak up when there is the necessity and keep quiet while lending my ears at other times. Pray that Allah will give me the courage and hidayah to be a good muslimah.
These are a few guidelines to be observed when we have to talk:
1. Lower our voices
Al-Hujurat :VERSE 2 -
"O you who Believe! Raise not your voices in the presence of Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak loud to one another, lest your deeds may be rendered fruitless, while you perceive not."
Revelation - Narrated Az-Zubayr (radhi allahu anhu): "When a delegation from tribe of Tameem came to the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), Abu Baqr (radhi allahu anhu) suggested to the Prophet that al-Qa'qaa ibn Ma'bad (radhi allahu anhu) be sent to meet them and Umar ibn Khattab (radhi allahu anhu) suggested that al-Aqra bin Qays (radhi allahu anhu) be sent instead. Abu Baqr was irritated by Umar's counter proposal so he turned to Umar (radhi allahu anhu) and said: "You only said that to contradict me" Umar in turn replied that he did not do it to be contrary. A quarrel aroused and both of them raised their voices to such a level that the Prophet's voice was drowned . Allah then revealed the verse "O you who Believe! Raise not your voices in the presence of Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam)..."
Raising the voice is a sign of bad character, and Islam has abandoned such ill manners. Allah recalls the saying of Luqman (alaihi as-salaam): "Lower your voice, (my son) for verily, the most detestable (hateful) voice is the braying of a donkey." [Soorah Luqmaan (31): 19]
Furthermore, Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) referred the raising of voices as being among the signs of the Last Day and said: "Voices will be raised loud in the masjids and the tribes will be lead by their most sinful members" [At-Tirmidhee]
2. Sins of the mouth
He (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) also said: "The signs of a hypocrite are four and anyone who possesses one of them possesses a characteristic of Nifaaq (hypocrisy) until he abandons it. When he is entrusted he betrays his trust, when he talks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when he quarrels he uses foul (bad language) words" [Saheeh al-Bukharee v.1 p.32-33, no. 33, Muslim v.1, p.40, no.111, and Abu Dawood v.3, p.1313, no.4671]
3. Avoid arguments that lead to ill feelings
"It is not allowed for a Muslim to cut off his relations with his Muslim brother for more than three nights by turning away from each other whenever they meet. And the best of them is the one who greets (Salaams) to the other - first." [Saheeh Bukharee v.8, pp.64-65, no.100]
This is a reminder to myself. I need to speak up when there is the necessity and keep quiet while lending my ears at other times. Pray that Allah will give me the courage and hidayah to be a good muslimah.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Mee kari
Aman is at home now. He should be studying for the coming exams, but most of the time I caught him napping. We attended a wedding feast in the afternoon and went shopping afterwards.
For breakfast I cooked 'Mee kari'. Cik tutor told me that her culinary skill has improved. Her close friends and even the landlady's daughters loved her home-made brownies. She would like to try other dishes, so may be she can try this simple but delicious recipe.
Ingredients :
300g mee (blanched in hot water) or boiled spaghetti
A (chicken stock)
1 chicken breast - cut into bite size pieces.
3 cups water
B
6 dried chillies* - soaked in hot water
1 medium onion*
2 clove garlic*
0.5 cm ginger*
1 small packet meat curry powder
50 g ikan bilis*
C
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tablespoon cooking oil
2 lemon grass
salt and sugar
Garnishing :
calamansi lime (limau kasturi)
mint leaves
red chillies
hard-boiled eggs
fish cakes/fish balls - cut into small pieces
1 piece bean-curd - deep fried and cut into pieces.
1 stalk sawi
Method:
1. Simmer chicken pieces in water until cooked.
2. Blend the ingredients marked *
3. Heat the oil in the pot. Saute sliced onions and crushed lemon grass. Saute the blended
ingredients until fragrant. Then add in the curry powder. Stir.
4. When the oil separates, pour in the chicken stock and the chicken pieces. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the fish cake and the fried bean curd pieces.
6. Add coconut milk and the sawi. Put salt and sugar to taste.
7. Served the noodle with halved calamansi lime, sliced red chillies, boiled egg and sliced mint leaves. Pour piping hot sauce over the noodle when it is time to eat.
For breakfast I cooked 'Mee kari'. Cik tutor told me that her culinary skill has improved. Her close friends and even the landlady's daughters loved her home-made brownies. She would like to try other dishes, so may be she can try this simple but delicious recipe.
Ingredients :
300g mee (blanched in hot water) or boiled spaghetti
A (chicken stock)
1 chicken breast - cut into bite size pieces.
3 cups water
B
6 dried chillies* - soaked in hot water
1 medium onion*
2 clove garlic*
0.5 cm ginger*
1 small packet meat curry powder
50 g ikan bilis*
C
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tablespoon cooking oil
2 lemon grass
salt and sugar
Garnishing :
calamansi lime (limau kasturi)
mint leaves
red chillies
hard-boiled eggs
fish cakes/fish balls - cut into small pieces
1 piece bean-curd - deep fried and cut into pieces.
1 stalk sawi
Method:
1. Simmer chicken pieces in water until cooked.
2. Blend the ingredients marked *
3. Heat the oil in the pot. Saute sliced onions and crushed lemon grass. Saute the blended
ingredients until fragrant. Then add in the curry powder. Stir.
4. When the oil separates, pour in the chicken stock and the chicken pieces. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the fish cake and the fried bean curd pieces.
6. Add coconut milk and the sawi. Put salt and sugar to taste.
7. Served the noodle with halved calamansi lime, sliced red chillies, boiled egg and sliced mint leaves. Pour piping hot sauce over the noodle when it is time to eat.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Busy
Just coming back from mum's house. She was better yesterday than today. May be she had overeaten. Ayah bought some doughnuts for her and it seems she only takes porridge for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I brought along some chicken soup for mum and sambal for ayah.
We are busy training the students for the sports day. It was very tiring but I quite enjoyed it. Wish that I'm younger and more energetic!
Got to finish my school work and tidy up the house. We didn't get any news from Aman the moment he reached Jeddah. I hope he is well and in the best of health. En suami has booked a flight ticket for him from Jeddah. Expected to reach KLIA on Thursday morning, insyaAllah.
We are busy training the students for the sports day. It was very tiring but I quite enjoyed it. Wish that I'm younger and more energetic!
Got to finish my school work and tidy up the house. We didn't get any news from Aman the moment he reached Jeddah. I hope he is well and in the best of health. En suami has booked a flight ticket for him from Jeddah. Expected to reach KLIA on Thursday morning, insyaAllah.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Visits
There is a turmoil in Egypt. The evacuation program was slow, as slow as the snail or is it as slow as the tortoise? And to top it all, mum was warded on Chinese New Year.
On Wednesday, ayah called while I was at school and Azhar was having co-curricular activities. He said that Mum was not feeling well since the night before. Ayah called the doctor home and both of them had nothing to eat. We rushed to Tambun, stopping at the pasar malam to buy some food and a bowl of chicken porridge at Giant's Marrybrown.
Mum woke up when we reached the house and ate the porridge. Then she vomitted. She slept after Isya' and she would not eat any food until the next day.
She refused to go to the hospital. I called En doktor and told him on mum's condition.
'If opah hadn't eaten or drunk anything, then you have to bring her to the emergency. She might get dehydrated'.
We spent the night at my parent's home and after zuhur we brought her to the hospital. En doktor was right. She was dehydrated. Further tests showed that she was anaemic and thankfully she only had gastric, not so serious than thought.
Alhamdulillah she was discharged this afternoon after 2 nights at the hospital. I am grateful that my youngest sister, my only brother and my sister who resided in Penang visited mum in the hospital. En doktor also came home with his wife and the 'rombongan' from Kelantan. His parents and sisters-in-law also came to visit mum.
I am really grateful to en suami for his concern. He knew that mum is scared of hospitals, so he brought her to Ipoh Specialist. She had the best care and he gave me the permission to accompany her at nights. Everything happened on 5th February, his 53rd birthday.
Deep inside, I wish that Allah grants us good health and May Allah bless my husband.
On Wednesday, ayah called while I was at school and Azhar was having co-curricular activities. He said that Mum was not feeling well since the night before. Ayah called the doctor home and both of them had nothing to eat. We rushed to Tambun, stopping at the pasar malam to buy some food and a bowl of chicken porridge at Giant's Marrybrown.
Mum woke up when we reached the house and ate the porridge. Then she vomitted. She slept after Isya' and she would not eat any food until the next day.
She refused to go to the hospital. I called En doktor and told him on mum's condition.
'If opah hadn't eaten or drunk anything, then you have to bring her to the emergency. She might get dehydrated'.
We spent the night at my parent's home and after zuhur we brought her to the hospital. En doktor was right. She was dehydrated. Further tests showed that she was anaemic and thankfully she only had gastric, not so serious than thought.
Alhamdulillah she was discharged this afternoon after 2 nights at the hospital. I am grateful that my youngest sister, my only brother and my sister who resided in Penang visited mum in the hospital. En doktor also came home with his wife and the 'rombongan' from Kelantan. His parents and sisters-in-law also came to visit mum.
I am really grateful to en suami for his concern. He knew that mum is scared of hospitals, so he brought her to Ipoh Specialist. She had the best care and he gave me the permission to accompany her at nights. Everything happened on 5th February, his 53rd birthday.
Deep inside, I wish that Allah grants us good health and May Allah bless my husband.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
My son is in Egypt now.
My son, Aman is in Alexandria. We usually skype in the evening. On 24th January, he told us that he was busy with the video production for the medical society general election. It was supposed to take place on 31st January 2011. I am wondering whether the voting took place as planned.
He briefly mentioned that the Egyptions were going to stage a nationwide protest against the ruling government around midnight. I advised him to stay indoor and study for the coming exams.
Then there were no more messages from him.
On 29th January, he called using a friend's phone, asking us to make a return call . We had a long telephone conversation that night. He was fine and there was a curfew from 4 pm until 8 pm. Food was scarce but he managed to buy some eggs and instant noodles. He mentioned that the police station and the supermarket were burned down. The prisoners escaped and the Malaysian girls lived in fear. Thankfully,the male students took the initiative to escort all the girls to stay at a safer location.
On Monday morning, the crew from Astro Awani came to school. They were very interested to know about the condition of the Malaysian students in Egypt and interviewed us, the four mothers. Our message is clear. Before the condition worsens and the riots escalates, please move our children to a safer country.
From that moment onwards, I called Aman a couple of times. On 31st January, he was able to buy a chicken, considered a luxury now. There were 8 of them in the apartment. I could hear laughters in the background.
'Why are they laughing? Shouldn't you be scared?' I asked Aman.
' Dapat makan ayam, mak.'
Alhamdulillah, I am glad that I can still communicate with Aman. I pray that Allah will ease the hardship of the Egyption people and may Allah grant them a peaceful and blessed life.
Please pray for everyone's safety.
He briefly mentioned that the Egyptions were going to stage a nationwide protest against the ruling government around midnight. I advised him to stay indoor and study for the coming exams.
Then there were no more messages from him.
On 29th January, he called using a friend's phone, asking us to make a return call . We had a long telephone conversation that night. He was fine and there was a curfew from 4 pm until 8 pm. Food was scarce but he managed to buy some eggs and instant noodles. He mentioned that the police station and the supermarket were burned down. The prisoners escaped and the Malaysian girls lived in fear. Thankfully,the male students took the initiative to escort all the girls to stay at a safer location.
On Monday morning, the crew from Astro Awani came to school. They were very interested to know about the condition of the Malaysian students in Egypt and interviewed us, the four mothers. Our message is clear. Before the condition worsens and the riots escalates, please move our children to a safer country.
From that moment onwards, I called Aman a couple of times. On 31st January, he was able to buy a chicken, considered a luxury now. There were 8 of them in the apartment. I could hear laughters in the background.
'Why are they laughing? Shouldn't you be scared?' I asked Aman.
' Dapat makan ayam, mak.'
Alhamdulillah, I am glad that I can still communicate with Aman. I pray that Allah will ease the hardship of the Egyption people and may Allah grant them a peaceful and blessed life.
Please pray for everyone's safety.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Friends
I am not very friendly. I seldom remember names. I prefer working to talking. I have only a few close friends because I don't have much time for socialising.
Alhamdulillah, a few friends that I made in the past are my closest friends now. I kept their secrets, celebrate their son's and daughters' weddings, give them words of comfort in time of their sorrow and respect them for who they are.
Alhamdulillah, I too became fast friends with some of those in the usrah group. Although I cannot choose my 'friends' at first, we build up the bond of friendship as time goes by. There are a few of those whom I adore even though we belong to different usrah groups now.
Those that are close to me are the nicest people I have met. We talk about our families not about other people, we support each other and think highly of other people. Most important of all, they seek the pleasure of Allah in what ever task they are doing.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Mother
My mum was not feeling very well. She was coughing and she spent her time sleeping. She didn't talk much.
'Let's go to the clinic,' I suggested to her.
'Which clinic?'
'Dr Khairuddin's because we know him well.'
I knew she was not sick. Something was bothering her, but she wouldn't tell.
On Saturday morning, I went to the wet market and bought live freshwater fish. I also bought mum's favourite kuih, bingkang ubi. She was lying on the bed , fully dressed when I reached her house. I served her the kuih and she sat up and ate it, much to my delight.
While she was eating, I cleaned the fish and grilled it in the multi-purpose cooker.
Then off we went to the clinic.
While I was driving, she told me what had happened. I listened.
She is going to celebrate her 70th birthday this February and she is still taking care of us. She worries about us all the time.
When we were young, there were only six of us to be fed and to be clothed. She made sure we excelled in our studies, so that hopefully, we can live happily ever after.
Her duties did not end there. She still has to monitor her 6 children and their respective spouses plus the grandchildren. She will be happy if everyone is happy, but she will be doubly sad if it happens otherwise.
To those young families, who still have mothers to come home to, please remember this:
i) Always be grateful to Allah for you are blessed with a life partner. Cherish him/her and live life according to the syariah. Observe your daily prayers, guide your chastity, be kind to your partner and look after your family well.
ii) Try your best to make ends meet. Plan your financial well and don't indulge in luxury item. But please be generous to your parents and Allah will reward you handsomely.
iii) Regard each others' parents as your own. Love them just the way you love your own. Make a time table for regular visits. Make them HAPPY.
When your mum is happy and well, your life is worth living!
'Let's go to the clinic,' I suggested to her.
'Which clinic?'
'Dr Khairuddin's because we know him well.'
I knew she was not sick. Something was bothering her, but she wouldn't tell.
On Saturday morning, I went to the wet market and bought live freshwater fish. I also bought mum's favourite kuih, bingkang ubi. She was lying on the bed , fully dressed when I reached her house. I served her the kuih and she sat up and ate it, much to my delight.
While she was eating, I cleaned the fish and grilled it in the multi-purpose cooker.
Then off we went to the clinic.
While I was driving, she told me what had happened. I listened.
She is going to celebrate her 70th birthday this February and she is still taking care of us. She worries about us all the time.
When we were young, there were only six of us to be fed and to be clothed. She made sure we excelled in our studies, so that hopefully, we can live happily ever after.
Her duties did not end there. She still has to monitor her 6 children and their respective spouses plus the grandchildren. She will be happy if everyone is happy, but she will be doubly sad if it happens otherwise.
To those young families, who still have mothers to come home to, please remember this:
i) Always be grateful to Allah for you are blessed with a life partner. Cherish him/her and live life according to the syariah. Observe your daily prayers, guide your chastity, be kind to your partner and look after your family well.
ii) Try your best to make ends meet. Plan your financial well and don't indulge in luxury item. But please be generous to your parents and Allah will reward you handsomely.
iii) Regard each others' parents as your own. Love them just the way you love your own. Make a time table for regular visits. Make them HAPPY.
When your mum is happy and well, your life is worth living!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Nice people deserve everything nice
We were having our first usrah for the new school session. One of the rukun usrah is taaruf (introduction) where everyone would introduce themselves. We have known each other for almost two years and we are close like sisters. So today, as an introduction, I pose them a different question.
How did they meet their spouses and their involvement in dakwah.
Almost all the usrah members , (7 of us) were from religious schools. To protect their privacies, I called two of them Mrs N and Mrs Z. Only my junior , Mrs M and I were from a different background.
Mrs N
She worked in a kindergarten. One day, after getting home from work, her mother told her that she had accepted a marriage proposal on her behalf . She was speechless because unknown to her mother, she had a crush on someone else. She prayed istikharah and without any doubt, accepted the proposal. They were married a year later and and were blessed with beautiful children.
Mrs Z
She was a final year student in a college when she got engaged with her collegemate, P. Unknown to her, P, was her husband's best buddy in Secondary school. They were planning to get married when P fell sick and passed away. Z carried on with her life, got a job in Ipoh and stayed with her parents. Six months later, she received an SMS from her would-be-husband. The friendship blossomed and six months later her husband called her mother a visit. They were married a year later.
Listening to their life stories is a great reminder , how fragile life is. We planned and Allah also planned, but Allah is the greatest Planner. As a mere human being, we should always be humble and live lives according to Allah's will. We should always be grateful to Him, be it in time of sorrow or happiness.
Both Z and N were obedient daughters. As dutiful daughters, they prioritised the parents' wishes more than their own desires. N could just decline the marriage proposal from an unknown suitor, but she chose to turn to Allah for the answer. Alhamdulillah, Allah had guided her in the right path. Allah, in return, has blessed her with a blissful married life .
I was humbled.
I would like to remind myself to find ways to make my mother happy. To lend her my ears, to buy her favourite food , let her speak out her dissatisfaction and just be there when she needs me.
How did they meet their spouses and their involvement in dakwah.
Almost all the usrah members , (7 of us) were from religious schools. To protect their privacies, I called two of them Mrs N and Mrs Z. Only my junior , Mrs M and I were from a different background.
Mrs N
She worked in a kindergarten. One day, after getting home from work, her mother told her that she had accepted a marriage proposal on her behalf . She was speechless because unknown to her mother, she had a crush on someone else. She prayed istikharah and without any doubt, accepted the proposal. They were married a year later and and were blessed with beautiful children.
Mrs Z
She was a final year student in a college when she got engaged with her collegemate, P. Unknown to her, P, was her husband's best buddy in Secondary school. They were planning to get married when P fell sick and passed away. Z carried on with her life, got a job in Ipoh and stayed with her parents. Six months later, she received an SMS from her would-be-husband. The friendship blossomed and six months later her husband called her mother a visit. They were married a year later.
Listening to their life stories is a great reminder , how fragile life is. We planned and Allah also planned, but Allah is the greatest Planner. As a mere human being, we should always be humble and live lives according to Allah's will. We should always be grateful to Him, be it in time of sorrow or happiness.
Both Z and N were obedient daughters. As dutiful daughters, they prioritised the parents' wishes more than their own desires. N could just decline the marriage proposal from an unknown suitor, but she chose to turn to Allah for the answer. Alhamdulillah, Allah had guided her in the right path. Allah, in return, has blessed her with a blissful married life .
I was humbled.
I would like to remind myself to find ways to make my mother happy. To lend her my ears, to buy her favourite food , let her speak out her dissatisfaction and just be there when she needs me.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Au Revoir
14th January 2011. My fifth sister's 44th birthday. Then, on 15th January at 2.30 a.m, off she went to Durban, South Africa with her husband and family.
In a special way, she is my favourite sister. When she was single, I sometimes couldn't understand her. She was not the ' gedik' type, not even the 'manja' type. She will never talk behind our back, and she was not scared to speak her mind out. She was and is still very serious with everything especially her work and the well-being of her/my parents. She is also very generous.
Luckily she got even better after she got married. She became more tolerant, gentle, understanding and more concerned, the opposite of Tuan Haji Azman who was more serious . He is the youngest in the family and he even has a nephew who was born in the same year as him. My sister and her husband is a match made in heaven. They were the ones who often visited my parents and lavished them with everything that they fancied. Once she employed the Indonesian maid to look after my parents for two years. She also bought health gadgets, the latest household appliances and furniture for my parent's house. Whenever I suggested that I chipped in as well, she protested, telling me that I had helped enough by staying near and helping them out.
Now, my sister and her family are in Durban. Her husband was posted there so she took one year unpaid leave. Their son, Aiman , a student in MRSM Serting stayed behind and will join them after the SPM examination.
None of us were in tears. I just hope, she'll be a much better person when she gets home in future.
I'll upload the photos later, insyaAllah.
In a special way, she is my favourite sister. When she was single, I sometimes couldn't understand her. She was not the ' gedik' type, not even the 'manja' type. She will never talk behind our back, and she was not scared to speak her mind out. She was and is still very serious with everything especially her work and the well-being of her/my parents. She is also very generous.
Luckily she got even better after she got married. She became more tolerant, gentle, understanding and more concerned, the opposite of Tuan Haji Azman who was more serious . He is the youngest in the family and he even has a nephew who was born in the same year as him. My sister and her husband is a match made in heaven. They were the ones who often visited my parents and lavished them with everything that they fancied. Once she employed the Indonesian maid to look after my parents for two years. She also bought health gadgets, the latest household appliances and furniture for my parent's house. Whenever I suggested that I chipped in as well, she protested, telling me that I had helped enough by staying near and helping them out.
Now, my sister and her family are in Durban. Her husband was posted there so she took one year unpaid leave. Their son, Aiman , a student in MRSM Serting stayed behind and will join them after the SPM examination.
None of us were in tears. I just hope, she'll be a much better person when she gets home in future.
I'll upload the photos later, insyaAllah.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Lovelorn
You cried your hearts out. You spent sleepless nights, thinking.... What have I done wrong? What should I do to make it right? You walked like a zombie, unaware of the people around you. Your phone was left unanswered and you shut yourself off from the universe. Your tears flowed freely, especially when your song, 'kenangan terindah' was in the air. Food tasted bitter and you kept asking yourself, 'When will this end? Will I be happy again? Why me?
You wouldn't recognise yourself when you saw your reflection in the mirror. There was a feeling of general malaise and you looked so unhappy. You felt as if the world might just come to an end!
Don't despair. Time will heal the painful memories.Believe me, you deserve to be happy for only Allah knows how hard you try to make it worked . Take charge of your life and get this in your mind ; the jerk was not meant for you.
Love Allah first before you love others. Take good care of yourself before you care for others. You don't have to spend your entire life looking for love or expect love to be knocking on your door. Just be yourself. Remember to keep yourself busy with remembering Allah and in fulfilling your duties, and Allah in His mercy will never let you down. Let's pray that you are not going to be afflicted with another heartache. We pray that you spend the rest of your life with remarkable feats that will make us, proud of you.
You wouldn't recognise yourself when you saw your reflection in the mirror. There was a feeling of general malaise and you looked so unhappy. You felt as if the world might just come to an end!
Don't despair. Time will heal the painful memories.Believe me, you deserve to be happy for only Allah knows how hard you try to make it worked . Take charge of your life and get this in your mind ; the jerk was not meant for you.
Love Allah first before you love others. Take good care of yourself before you care for others. You don't have to spend your entire life looking for love or expect love to be knocking on your door. Just be yourself. Remember to keep yourself busy with remembering Allah and in fulfilling your duties, and Allah in His mercy will never let you down. Let's pray that you are not going to be afflicted with another heartache. We pray that you spend the rest of your life with remarkable feats that will make us, proud of you.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Enrolment
3rd January 2011.
Almost 200 new students enrolled on the first day of schooling. The Year 1 students particularly caught my attention. They are the cheerful bunch, full of energy and always eager to obey the teachers' instructions . Until today, all the students looked happy and contented. Until this morning, there were still a few parents who sat in the school canteen waiting for their children.
I saw one boy wearing sandals. I was thinking of ignoring it, but he cheerfully told me,
"Lupa pakai kasut. Nanti ayah datang bawa kasut."
During recess, I saw one of the teacher's son sitting alone in the corner. His mother is on maternity leave , and he looked so unsure of himself. Alhamdulillah, there is always a teacher to assist him.
4 January 2011
There was a commotion in the school. A Year 1 student was found missing.He was supposed to wait for his mother in the canteen. Everyone looked for him and his mother was almost in tears. Half an hour later, we found him strolling happily around the school grounds with his friend!
We also got acquainted with a generous couple who offered to equip the school surau with a new curtain. Since the students perform Dzuhur prayers at the end of the day, they also offered to buy everyone a pair of rubber slippers each! We were very humbled by their kind gesture.
There is still a lot to be done ; new faces to be remembered, new skills to be taught and new souls to be coaxed. I have to get myself organised and strive to work smarter!
Almost 200 new students enrolled on the first day of schooling. The Year 1 students particularly caught my attention. They are the cheerful bunch, full of energy and always eager to obey the teachers' instructions . Until today, all the students looked happy and contented. Until this morning, there were still a few parents who sat in the school canteen waiting for their children.
I saw one boy wearing sandals. I was thinking of ignoring it, but he cheerfully told me,
"Lupa pakai kasut. Nanti ayah datang bawa kasut."
During recess, I saw one of the teacher's son sitting alone in the corner. His mother is on maternity leave , and he looked so unsure of himself. Alhamdulillah, there is always a teacher to assist him.
4 January 2011
There was a commotion in the school. A Year 1 student was found missing.He was supposed to wait for his mother in the canteen. Everyone looked for him and his mother was almost in tears. Half an hour later, we found him strolling happily around the school grounds with his friend!
We also got acquainted with a generous couple who offered to equip the school surau with a new curtain. Since the students perform Dzuhur prayers at the end of the day, they also offered to buy everyone a pair of rubber slippers each! We were very humbled by their kind gesture.
There is still a lot to be done ; new faces to be remembered, new skills to be taught and new souls to be coaxed. I have to get myself organised and strive to work smarter!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
New Year, New determination , a better person.
InsyaAllah.
It is not dificult to be a better person. Be a better mother/mother-in-law, a better teacher, a better daughter, a better sister, a better wife, a better colleague, a better leader but of course with the intention of seeking Allah's pleasure and with the mercy of Allah .
For example : In any organisation, there'll always be a few with all sorts of problem; not punctual, avoiding work, absent from work and we can just ignore him/her resulting in dissatisfaction among the others. A good leader should let the problem worker analyses his/her problem and improve himself /herself in the process.
It is easier said than done. To be a better mother, you have to be a good listener. To be a better friend, you have to reduce talking and listen more. In hadiths, Rasulullah s.a.w always stresses the importance of listening to talking. In fact, if we have nothing good to talk about, we are advised to shut up! May be, this is the first thing that I have to remind myself . Talk when necessary or keep quiet.
What if somebody persistently called you names and hurt your feelings ? In my experience, only people whose lives are not blessed with Allah's guidance will do this directly to you. I would check myself first : Do I perform my daily prayers? My manners to friends, parents, siblings? My quran reading? My food consumpion, is it halal?
If you hardly perform your prayers, only khatam al-quran once in your entire life, and you don't bother to be well versed in spiritual matters then you are the likely candidate to cause sorrow and hardship to people who happen to cross your path.
Rasul Allah (s.a.w) said: "The example of a good companion and a bad one is the bearer of musk and the worker on the fires. A bearer of musk would give you some, you might buy some from him, or you might enjoy the fragrance of his musk. The worker on the fires, on the other hand, might spoil your clothes with sparks from his bellows, or you can get a bad smell from him." [Sahih Bukhari]
Who are the top 5 people you hang out with? List them. Now look at their qualities and you'll notice that you are the product or the sum of them. Do they have the outstanding qualities that you seek? If not, then it's time to find some bearers of musk that you can truly smell great from.
Wallahualam.
It is not dificult to be a better person. Be a better mother/mother-in-law, a better teacher, a better daughter, a better sister, a better wife, a better colleague, a better leader but of course with the intention of seeking Allah's pleasure and with the mercy of Allah .
For example : In any organisation, there'll always be a few with all sorts of problem; not punctual, avoiding work, absent from work and we can just ignore him/her resulting in dissatisfaction among the others. A good leader should let the problem worker analyses his/her problem and improve himself /herself in the process.
It is easier said than done. To be a better mother, you have to be a good listener. To be a better friend, you have to reduce talking and listen more. In hadiths, Rasulullah s.a.w always stresses the importance of listening to talking. In fact, if we have nothing good to talk about, we are advised to shut up! May be, this is the first thing that I have to remind myself . Talk when necessary or keep quiet.
What if somebody persistently called you names and hurt your feelings ? In my experience, only people whose lives are not blessed with Allah's guidance will do this directly to you. I would check myself first : Do I perform my daily prayers? My manners to friends, parents, siblings? My quran reading? My food consumpion, is it halal?
If you hardly perform your prayers, only khatam al-quran once in your entire life, and you don't bother to be well versed in spiritual matters then you are the likely candidate to cause sorrow and hardship to people who happen to cross your path.
Rasul Allah (s.a.w) said: "The example of a good companion and a bad one is the bearer of musk and the worker on the fires. A bearer of musk would give you some, you might buy some from him, or you might enjoy the fragrance of his musk. The worker on the fires, on the other hand, might spoil your clothes with sparks from his bellows, or you can get a bad smell from him." [Sahih Bukhari]
Who are the top 5 people you hang out with? List them. Now look at their qualities and you'll notice that you are the product or the sum of them. Do they have the outstanding qualities that you seek? If not, then it's time to find some bearers of musk that you can truly smell great from.
Wallahualam.
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