Looking Back

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wa barakaatuh

Its really hard to be consistent in lots of things. In study...in leisure-reading (especially for someone like me who's at a kindergarten stage in learning-to-make-reading-as-a-habit thing)...in 'amal (going to usrah or reading daily ma'thurat, perhaps?)...in jogging (love jogging but sometimes toooo lazy to go out)...in relationships (calling home once a week?)..in blogging (like reading, writing won 2nd place in my so-called lazylist)

Well, easy to say...its difficult to be consistent in maintaining high spirit, high physical, high mental knowledge, high positive-emotions...anybody remember "J.E.R.I" ?? zaman sekolah dulu kala..

Anyway, today is 14th of Muharram 1431 hijrah..and tomorrow is 1 January 2010..how time flies..alhamdulillah I got to experience new year hijrah at home..and now new year 2010 here in Auckland, New Zealand! Can't wait to see the fireworks!!

Looking back at the previous year, what have I done? Where did I improve? What have I overlooked? Was I any better from last year? Or still the same old unchanged me?

A question after another...which goes on and on and on.....

A good step for evaluation is to find your "I have a dream for 2009" list from last year, which unfortunately I couldn't find..silly me..It wasn't in my planner..so must've been somewhere else at home. Anyway if you do have it try to tick the ones that made it to the target. For me myself, I'd have to make a new list of what I think I have improved for the last one year.

One thing that I've learned was that a good start would be having a daily checklist, the 'mutaba'ah amal'...and for the long-run aim - be practical. This reminder is totally for none other than myself. Having an ideal idea of for example -working out 3 times a week to lose weight or hafazing a surah every fortnight, seems too good to be true. We all know our own potential..our own abilities..our own constraints..So, build yourself with little things to start with, and add up from year to year. You can't consume all the food in the world at one time, you know..enjoy it bit by bit as you go along..then only you'd get the chance to taste different kind of food at different places with different people throughout your journey. Its not so much about getting your stomach filled, but the invaluable experience you'd get while you're filling you stomach. Does that make any sense? Well, I would say it as an indirect blessing from Allah which you can't see but you could feel. What is more to that is the ultimate reward of Jannah for those who are Istiqamah

" Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang berkata "Tuhan kami adalah Allah", kemudian mereka meneguhkan pendirian mereka (thumma sstaqim), maka malaikat-malaikat akan turun kepada mereka (dengan berkata), "Janganlah kamu merasa takut dan janganlah kamu bersedih hati; dan bergembiralah kamu dengan syurga yang telah dijanjikan kepadamu."
                                                                    [Surah Fussilat, 41:30]

Subhanallah isn't that good news, ya mukmineen? Yes, you and me! InsyaAllah.

Everyone wants their dreams to come true..My suggestion is that, start now..plan in detail..make progression..maintain high spirit..never lose hope to Allah..

I just remembered what this one ustaz said during his ceramah back home. He said that if it was written that we were to reach a high position 'indaAllah (di sisi Allah), and we couldn't reach it with our possession (harta), then Allah would test us with our health and family until we do reach that invaluable position.

So my dear friends, to be consistent and berpendirian teguh (istiqamah), it needs hard work..Struggle is a must. Let me share with you a story of a butterfly:

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole. Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further. So the man decided to help the butterfly.


He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings. The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body.


To his surprise, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly!
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was:


The restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us. We will not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly with flying colours.

A reminder just in case you forgot. Sounds familiar? :P

Wallahua'lam. Allah knows best.

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wa barakaatuh.

 

My Prayers Have Been Answered

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wa barakatuh

I'm in my final exam week. InsyaAllah by this Saturday I'll be finishing my first year in the University of Auckland :D

I came across this wonderful poem

I asked for STRENGTH...
And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for WISDOM...
And God gave me Problems to solve.
I asked for PROSPERITY...
And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.
I asked for COURAGE...
And God gave me Danger to overcome.
I asked for LOVE...
And God gave me Troubled People to help.
I asked for FAVOURS...
And God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted,
I received everything I needed,
My prayers have been answered.

 

Refresh your soul...

Assalamualaikum~

==Selamat Hari Lahir, Hazwani Hadzir [ ^_^ ] ==

Assalamualaikum...

Today is the birthday of my dear friend, Siti Norhazwani binti Hadzir. Now becoming 21. Your old! haha..

She adores, admires, loooooves cats...so u could call her Ummu Hurairah, i suppose :D
or simply Wani Meow Meow..obviously, that explains the birthday gift I gave..(the cat-frame, if u look closely :D)



She likes green too..the prophet's favorite color! Its a good thing no cats are green..or else she would be surrounded by them..weird aiyh?



We've been good friends since college..was my roomate and also unofficial usrah partner.
Had superb time together..went to a lot of programs..self-developed ourselves..also a great jogging partner :)  Looking forward for more wonderful time together, InsyaAllah!


She brigthens peoples' day with her smile. Sya even said she has this sort of naughty smile..whatever that means..


Anyway, friends are gift from Allah. Appreciate them <<< A really good advise for me, I'd say.. Too hard to show affection, i guess.


Deep from my heart I believe this journey to New Zealand has been the greatest moment of my life yet..thanks to all my dear friends..old and new..from all walks of life..


To Wani : Thank you so much and May Allah bless you. Uhibbuki filllah~


Wassalam.

++ Kau Aku Berbeza ++

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wa barakatuh

Okie dokie..What will I be talking about today? I feel like talking about you..me..them..well basically US!! :p

So, don't you ever feel like why am not I like her...like him..being soooo famous....soooo intellectual..sooo understanding...soooo goodlooking...soooo rich..soooo can-get-along-well-with-everyone.....sooo pious....and all the sooo sooo's...

Sometimes it feels like why does everyone get what they want. They have everything, the looks, the name, the position, the 'ka-ching'. And me? err...natha??

People tend to see those above them..those who are more successful..happier..not having any difficulties in life..those having all the things they want. What exactly is the definition of living a happy life? Money? Understanding partners? Looks?

Syed Qutb when going overseas saw that Englishmen had very narrow perspective on what they define as happiness in life. They live for the sake of satisfying themselves, their families, and at most probably their job or career. Their cita-cita, goal in life was very narrow..short-termed..because they didn't understand about the hereafter. The goal that a true muslim would have. The goal that would give eternal happiness or eternal suffering. The jannah or the jahannam.

So its not the material that gives us happiness, its Allah's blessings..His rahmat on us that gives us sakeenah ketenangan jiwa.

Like what Allah mentioned in Surah al Layl:

" .....And [by] He who created the male and female.
Indeed, your efforts are diverse.
As for he who gives and fears Allah
And believes in the best [reward]
We will ease him towards ease...." [92: 3-7]

SubhanAllah..what more can you ask for? Your Protector who promises to help everything you do..always being there for you..

What more would you define happiness than satisfactory.

For example, if you were to sit in an exam and the result was truly beyond your expectation, wouldn't the feeling of satisfied be enough to describe all your hard work?

Or even if you d idn't get a very good result but Allah helped you on the day of the exam. You did your very best..but still you think you might fail..and it turns out that you got a B! which was way different than the D you expected..wouldn't you feel satisfied with Allah's help?

Just remember..Allah is the Bestower..Al-Wahhab..Yang Maha Pemberi..He who gives to whom He wishes. A poor man does not mean that Allah belittles him. A rich man does not mean that Allah honours him. Its taqwa that Allah sees.

" O mankind! Indeed we have created you male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous (atqaakum) of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted."                              

                                                                             [Surah Al Hujurat, 49:13]

In the book, 99 Kecerdasan Berasaskan Asmaul Husna the author says that Allah positions someone with what that person could afford. He gave Prophet Sulaiman and Daud the greatest and biggest kingdom there is. No one has yet have a kingdom greater than them. Yet, there were among Allah's best hamba (ni'mal 'abd)..pious..a prophet spreading the word of God..the shadatul haq..Were they proud of the kingdom they own? of the people, jin, and animals they ruled? No. Instead they praised Allah, as was recorded in the Quran

" My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to do righteousness of which You approve. And admit me by Your mercy into [the ranks of] Your righteous servants."

                                                                                       [Surah AnNaml, 27:19]

It could be that Allah made a person poor, so that he or she could be closer to Him. Don't be like Qarun of Fir'aun, who was rich, famous, owned an empire but denied Allah. Thought that what they earned was through their effort, hardwork, and their knowledge alone. How arrogant. Na'uzubillah..

So, yes we might come from different worlds. But just remember..Allah sees what's in our hearts :)

Assalamualaikum~

++ Life Is Not A Box ++

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wa barakatuh~

I'm so supposed to be in the exam mood. Supposed to. Alhamdulillah got the mood today. I would say I spent today much much better than last week. 

I just came back from work. While I was cleaning with the earphone plugged, Dawud Wharnsby Ali's song 'Life is not a box' really made me think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdu4iKKZnpA

Which kind of person am I? 

What would you describe you??

hmm...muhasabah diri kembali..

Till we blog again.

Wallahu'alam~

Cookies, anyone??

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wa barakatuh

Sangkaan. Sangkaan. Sangkaan. People tend to make assumptions over something without even having to look at it in detail, nor discussing it with others. We make decisions base on what's in our head. What we perceive as right.

But letting it out or sharing it with someone does really help. Totally. We think its really really complicated, as if, 'that's it..I'm screwed', but the fact is its not. Just sit with someone you trust, and let it out.

Allah even mentioned it in Surah Al-Hujurat, 49:12

"O you who believe! Avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed some
assumption is sin..."

Making negative assumptions on a matter wont do you any good. It just messes with your head. May the effort of avoiding assumptions be rewarded by Allah. May the decision we make be the best for us.

Fa itha 'azamta fatawakkal 'alallah.....

Here's another no-good-of-being-prejudice-story-telling poem. Enjoy!

A woman was waiting at the airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shop
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.


She was engrossed in her book, but happened to see,
That the man beside her, as bold as could be,
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between,
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene,

She read, munched cookies, and watched the clock,
As the gustly "cookie thief" diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I'd blacken his eye!"

With each cookie she took, he took one too.
When only one was left, she wondered what he'd do.
With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, and he ate the other.
She snatched it from him and thought, "Oh brother,
This guy has some nerve, and he's also so rude,
Why he didn't even show any gratitude!"

She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate,
Refusing to look at the "thieving ingrate".

She boarded the plane and sank in her seat,
Then sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached her baggage, she gasped with surprise,
There were her bag of cookies in front of her eyes!

"If mine are here," she moaned with despair,
"Then the others were his and he tried to share!"
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief!!!

Wallahu'alam.
Allah knows best~

:: Muhasabah Ramadhan ::

Assalamualaikum..

Its been almost a month since I last posted anything here. Alhamdulillah first Ramadhan n Syawal here was not as bad as I thought ( I never did think it as bad, though). But still nothing can beat Malaysia. I love Malaysia! Love Bangi! Love me casa!

Well...oh yes..Alhamdulillah praise be to Allah, since tarbiyyah here had also increased linearly proportional to the 'grab-a-deal' Ramadhan. The month was filled with lots of activities, sittings, and halaqah with a murabbi from Malaysia. Jazakumullah to all!! ;)

Alhamdulillah alhamdulillah alhamdulillah. We never do realize how lucky we are, how AlMighty Allah is, how Gracious He is for making us who we are now. A sister once taught me, whenever we feel stressed out, or complain on anything..say Astaghfirullah once and Alhamdulillah ten times. Then, u'll realize that the things that we complain of is way smaller than the things Allah has given us..the things we already have. Subhanallah.


Being overseas we could see Islam much much better. I have this one Arab friend. Her name is Syaheed. One thing about her that inspires me is that whenever she is with her friends, she is never ashame of saying Alhamdulillah, SubhanAllah, MasyaAllah, even when she's around Kiwis.

Once, when it was time for solat zohor I said to my Tonga friend "Oh..hey..mm..gotta go somewhere..c ya". I was kind of like segan to say that I wanted to go the the prayer space. Ya Allah what a fool I was. Somehow when I speak English I tend to care about the people I would be talking to. Its like not being myself...how do I say this..well..its like as if I've put on an 'english-speaking-mode' mask on...and speak as what a white person would speak..until I forgot the muslim identity that should be shown through words..through what I say..I mustn't care too much on what others would say, eyh..what matters most is what would Allah say..

But Alhamdulillah practice does make perfect. So now after realizing how a fool I was for being malu tak bertempat, I do now try to practice a bit here and there.

Talking about gratefulness...Allah reminded us in the Holy Quran

" So remember Me, I will remember you.And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me"
(Surah AlBaqarah, 2:152)

Also an inspiring quote from Khalifah Abu Bakar,

"Ketahuilah wahai hamba Allah, sesungguhnya Allah Taala dengan hakNya mengambil diri kamu sebagai gadaian. Untuk itu Dia mengambil janji setia dengan kamu. Dia membeli daripadamu sesuatu yang sedikit dan akan binasa, dan membayarnya dengan sesuatu yang banyak dan kekal."

Just a bit of muhasabah Ramadhan. May the enthusiasm of Ramadhan be with us until the next Ramadhan insyaAllah.

Have faith in what Allah has promised to the Mukmineen. May He guide us all.

Oh yeah..another thing I'd like to share..this beautiful poem (dont know who the author is):

Allah Knows whats best for us
So why should we complain
We always want sunshine
But He knows there must be rain

We always want laughter
And the merriment of cheer
But our hearts will lose their tenderness
If we never shed a tear

Allah tests us often
With suffering and with sorrow
He tests us not to punish us
But to help us meet tomorrow

For growing trees are strengthened
If they can withstand the storm
And the sharpness of the chisel
Gave the marble its grace and form

Allah tests us often,
And for every pain He gives us
Provided we are patient
Is followed by rich gain

So whenever we feel that
Everything's going wrong
It's just Allah's way
To make our spirits strong



Wallahu 'alam...Till then. Assalamualaikum~