Random: The songs that really capture me today (and yesterday night) are Syukur and Bismillah by Raihan on NI blog hehe.

Ok, I shall start with the uestions Ustaz posted while introducing Maqasid Syariah. (Adibah, it's Syar'iyyah actually ehk?)

1) Dalam kehidupan ini, bagaimana anda mengenalpasti samada suatu perkara itu penting untuk diri anda atau kurang penting?
English: In life, how do you determine whether something is importance to you or less important?

2) Jika perlu buat pilihan antara dua perkara bagaimana anda buat penilaian untuk menentukan pilihan anda?
English; If you have to decide between two matters, how do you analyse to determine your choice?

3) Bagaimana anda menyusun/mengatur urusan keutamaan dalam tugas/tanggungjawab?
English: How do you priotise your tasks/responsibilities?

Side question: Importance of islamic studies and what will happen if it is cast aside?

Take a time to reflect upon the questions... Everyone have their own answers.

I realise that answers flashing through my mind are textbook answers, what I SHOULD do, instead of practical answers, what I WOULD have done or HAS ALWAYS done.

Anyway, happy birthday Amalina! Wherever you are... I miss you y'know...

Received this article from Kak Sarah. It's unbelievable, but then again why should it be unbelievable? It is true what they mentioned. "how important religious homogeneity was considered in the Muslim World; if you share religion, you are treated not as a foreigner, but as a local, and Muslims do not attack Muslim women even in war." Read on... Sorry for the misalignment, I'm too lazy to correct it.

Ahead of Iraq Deployment, 37 Korean Troops Convert to Islam

"I became a Muslim because I felt Islam was more humanistic and peaceful than other
religions. And if you can religiously connect with the locals, I think it could be a big help
in carrying out our peace reconstruction mission." So said on Friday those Korean
soldiers who converted to Islam ahead of their late July deployment to the Kurdish city of
Irbil in northern Iraq.
At noon Friday, 37 members of the Iraq-bound "Zaitun Unit," including Lieutenant Son
Hyeon-ju of the Special Forces 11th Brigade, made their way to a mosque in Hannamdong,
Seoul and held a conversion ceremony.
Captain Son Jin-gu from Zaitoon Unit recites an oath at ceremony to mark his conversion to Islam at a
mosque in Hannam-dong, Seoul on Friday. /Yonhap
The soldiers, who cleansed their entire bodies in accordance with Islamic tradition,
made their conversion during the Friday group prayers at the mosque, with the
assistance of the "imam," or prayer leader.
With the exception of the imam, all the Muslims and the Korean soldiers stood in a
straight line to symbolize how all are equal before God and took a profession on faith.
They had memorized the Arabic confession, " Ashadu an La ilaha il Allah, Muhammadur-
Rasool-Allah," which means, "I testify that there is no god but God (Arabic: Allah),
and Muhammad is the Messenger of God."
Soldiers from Zaitoon Unit pray after conversion ceremony at a mosque in Hannam-dong, Seoul on
Friday./Yonhap
Moreover, as the faithful face the "Kaaba," the Islamic holy place in Mecca, Saudi
Arabia, all Muslims confirm that they are brothers.
For those Korean soldiers who entered the Islamic faith, recent chances provided by the
Zaitun Unit to come into contact with Islam proved decisive.
Taking into consideration the fact that most of the inhabitants of Irbil are Muslims, the
unit sent its unreligious members to the Hannam-dong mosque so that they could come
to understand Islam. Some of those who participated in the program were entranced by
Islam and decided to convert.
A unit official said the soldiers were inspired by how important religious homogeneity
was considered in the Muslim World; if you share religion, you are treated not as a
foreigner, but as a local, and Muslims do not attack Muslim women even in war.
Zaitun Unit Corporal Paek Seong-uk (22) of the Army's 11th Division said, "I majored in
Arabic in college and upon coming across the Quran, I had much interest in Islam, and I
made up my mind to become a Muslim during this religious experience period [provided
by the Zaitun Unit]."
He expressed his aspirations. "If we are sent to Iraq, I want to participate in religious
ceremonies with the locals so that they can feel brotherly love and convince them that
the Korean troops are not an army of occupation

Well, as usual I lunched alone. This time I went to MegaBite at Science School though. Everything was fine. Enjoyed my meal (even if the rice was too soft and the sauce too sour but I shall not complain as I filled my tummy to the fullest) while enjoying a book. Shall tell you my dear blog about the book another time perhaps. Which reminds me, I've yet to post the continuation of the previous post...

So anyway, after finishing my food I realised that I had wasted so much time going so far and taking my own sweet time eating while reading when I have, as usual, 1001 things to do at TLL. And so I rushed.

Nothing out of the ordinary. I always rushed with my tasks, unless I'm super duper tired or fed-up or my tendonitis acted up...

Until, I alighted the A2 bus, after taking the so-called short cut, opposite TLL to the face of a very smiley lab colleague from Aaron's group, (he seems to smile 24/7 fyi) and seeing the bus taking its time, I turn right infront of the bus and, I dunno what stupid idea struck me, I dashed across the road and erm... got hit by a while car. Can't remember how exactly I got hit and how was I right after the hit and as I've always mentioned, I never ever fall unconscious and today was no exception. I just remember seeing the white paint of the car and immediately standing up, gathering my things and moving off to the pavement as if nothing happened. Mind you one of my shoes was amongst the things I carried in my hands to the pavement while the other flung a few metres away. I couldn't think of anything except how stupid I'd been, not to mention extremely careless, which I avoid since all those careless mistakes I do in primary school Maths papers, and how much trouble I would cause.

And it is quite a lot of trouble I caused to myself, to the driver and his friend, to the bus driver, to my mentor, to my friends (Hui Yi especially) and to my family indefinitely.

Such a hassle too to wait for so many routines in the hospital.

But I'd just like to thank Allah for still allowing me to live, to repent for all my past sins, alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah the car wasn't going at a fast speed. Alhandulillah the driver was a kindly young man who insisted on sending me to the hospital and paying for my bills, plus a bit of compensation, and wait with me throughout the whole boring waiting and waiting and more waiting, and to send me back to office. He was insisting on sending me home, but I couldn't let him, really.

Alhamdulillah for like everything! I'm normal, perfectly fine with a good appetite still (or at least I can eat without vomiting) except a badly scraped left elbow which has stung on off since I scraped it against the road, a mini scratch on my right ankle which seems to habve some minor soft tissue injury to the very kindly female Dr Lee who examined me and a bit of bruise and ache here and there, which could actually be due to the long waiting time... Oh and a 2-days MC for today and tomorrow ;)

And I gotta go see a General Practitioner on Friday, hopefully getting me another MC. I NEED the rest badly.

I just can't help thinking, the car COULD have been speeding, I COULD have flund a few metres from where I dashed, the driver COULD have just left me there, I COULD have broken a bone or two or all or worse, my neck, I COULD have been hospitalized, I COULD have been DEAD BY NOW and on this very bed I'm sitting covered in kain batik waiting for me to be bathed, clothed, prayed and buried early tomorrow morning. Really, I could have been...

And so, I shall not complain of my pain. It's just a sting. (Ok maybe MUCH MORE but I shall pretend so) It could be just a fall from a bicycle you know... Well, but I would remember giving a quick ahriek not too loud, and seeing the white front part of the car, and seeing one of my shoe a few metres away. Just bits of the whole thing. I can't even remember how I landed, how I hurt my arm etc.

Oh, actually it was erm... rather fun. Ok sorry. I dunno. I mean, I don't wish that to repeat, of course! Especially since I dunno the outcome of what COULD happen the next time... But then again, I can't help wanting to laugh every once in awhile at what happened.

Pray for my speedy recovery! Not much to recover from. Just less sting.

What an unexpected turn of events... All those stuff I left hanging halfway at TLL. I hope my mentor won't scold me when I come back, which I intend to do nothing of the sort this week *big grin*.

Oh, happy belated birthday to Chan Jun Jie and my dear auntie (11/11)! And happy birthday to Peng Ya Zhi (12/11)! Wish all 3 of you all the best in whatever you do ;)

Time to rest, which I ought have done since I reached home 3hrs ago, haha, nvm...

Saff Perdaus is humbled to be given the opportunity in organizing a Qurban campaign where canned "qurban" meat from Australia will be distributed to the refugees from Darfur and Palestine. Since, there are lack of electricity thus proper refrigeration, canned meat are the best form of contribution from us to them.

As such, I implore you to join us in this cause. A goat is enough for 24 can of meat which can help families to sustain for weeks if not months - something we take for granted here in Singapore.

For more information or to order - email to Sis Afifah (Executive Officer, Saff Perdaus): afifah@perdaus.org.sg or call us at 65132305 today.

You can say it's a continuation of this morning's post... But no, it's not really so... These were what we talked about in Maqasid syariah (Reason behind a Law of Islam) module, apart from a few other things. The first lesson of this module today inspired me to do 2 things. One is to blog about it hehe.

Finally, something non-sejarah (history)! I mean, the Ustaz still brings us back to sirah (prophets' histories) and sejarah at parts, but that's perfectly fine with me. I can see the relevance. To study sejarah the whole lesson is just plain boring. Especially when the lecturer fails to state its relevance. It just makes me feel like pulling out my hair. K, that's an exaggeration. Especially so since I have a hijab covering my hair lol.

So anyway, the Ustaz for Maqasid Syariah is... ok. I like how he started with a tazkirah about death. Ok, that sounds crude. But if you were there listening to the tazkirah you'd understand why I like it. And this Ustaz is up to date with current issues, local and global. But... I dunno why he likes to repeat all over again what our fellow classmate just said. We're not deaf lah Ustaz. We're not dumb either. Repetitions are only for emphasizing on something important. And I dunno why he sounds rather nervous as he keeps forgeting words and takes a long time. I hate to waste my time.

I hate wasting time so much so that when he asked questions I actually put p my hand to answer quite a number of times, which I don't normally do. Volunteering to talk in class in just makes my face feel so hot as I feel all eyes and attention on me. Normally after I answer a question or something, I'd look down on the floor and slowly slump down my seat as if trying to disappear. As much as I wanna be like Hermione, I just can't. But for his class I just had to answer. Other than bro Amir and Sis Jun, no one else seems to have a voice and it really unnerves me to see the teacher just standing infront repeating the question again followed by silence and he just continue standing waiting for an answer. Gosh. But he learned after sometime that he is SUPPOSED TO pick one of us to answer instead of asking for volunteers. The latter only means you'd hear bro Amir or sis Jun's voice. And maybe once in awhile Sis Faseha or Cik Salleh or Sis Rohana or 1 or 2 others speaking up.

Guess what time we ended? 5.20. Instead of 5. And he hardly covered half the notes!

So anyway, what of importance, choices and priority? wait for my next post. I've got a cramped neck right now. Hehe. so watch out for part II of this post!