Came across this and I like :)

Allah's Apostle said, "If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials." [Narrated by Abu Hurairah, Sahih Bukhari]

What if Allah has been blessing a person with so many good, alhamdulillah for that ...but should one fear and ask why he/she is not inflicted with trials?

There was an alim' who fell on his knees and ask Allah, "Why I've not been afflicted to any trials for a period of time", "Ya Allah, im begging you to put me on trial".. Masya Allah.

We have to know that every single breathing day, we're ...put on a daily test which tests us on 2 things :
Sabr (patience) and Syukr (gratefulness)

May Allah swt bestow us all strength to face His trials. And may we smile, when we're facing it. Insya Allah.

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

Allah uji, tandanya Allah sayang.

Ini adalah antara ungkapan terfamous yang biasa kita dengar dari mulut ke mulut orang yang memberi nasihat kepada mereka yang mendapat musibah.

Saya pernah terfikir, kalau Allah tak uji, maknanya Allah tak sayang ke?

Sejak akhir-akhir ni, apa sahaja yang saya nak, Allah bagi. Apa sahaja yang saya minta dalam doa, Allah makbulkan. Alhamdulillah sangat-sangat.

Sampaikan pada satu tahap, saya rasa, kenapa Allah tak uji saya seperti mana Dia menguji rakan-rakan yang lain?

Saya terus menerus mencari dan mencari, bilakah masanya Allah menguji saya?

Uji dengan kesenangan?

Ya, saya faham.

Tapi, saya pernah terdengar, orang mempersoalkan, kenapakah orang kafir yang selalu berbuat dosa dengan Allah, sering dapat apa yang mereka inginkan tapi kita, orang-orang Islam yang patuh dan taat kepada Allah, sering mendapat ujian dariNya?

Ada yang menjawab kerana Allah nak mereka terus menerus hanyut dalam kefasikan dan kekafiran mereka. Sebab itulah Allah sering memberi kesenangan kepada mereka.

Bagi yang Allah sayang, Allah akan uji mereka agar mereka sentiasa beringat dan berdoa kepadaNya.

Bagaimana dengan saya yang Allah sentiasa senangkan urusan saya? Adakah seperti mereka, orang-orang yang fasik dan kafir itu?

Diri ini terus menerus mencari jawapan dan malam ini, akhirnya saya ketemu juga. Ujian yang Allah nak turunkan kepada saya.

Rupa-rupanya Allah hold dulu ujian ni dan Allah turunkan ujian ni dalam bentuk dan cara yang agak berbeza.

Pada mulanya, agak sukar untuk saya terima. Saya memberontak. Saya menangis.

Tapi Syifa, nanti dulu!

Bukankah bila Allah uji, tandanya Allah sayang?

Bukankah selama ini, Allah beri sahaja apa yang saya minta?

Teringat dialog Nabi Ayyub dengan isterinya:

"Sudah berapa lamakah Allah berikan kesenangan kepada kita?"

"80 tahun."

"Dan sudah berapa lamakah Allah uji kita dengan derita?"

"7 tahun."

Selama 2 tahun sebelum, saya tiada masalah ini. Allah uji kawan-kawan yang lain tapi tidak saya.

Sekarang, tiba pula giliran saya untuk Allah uji kekuatan iman sendiri.

Sesungguhnya Allah akan uji kita dengan sesuatu yang bisa untuk kita handle, insyaAllah.

Bila saya fikir-fikir kembali, kalau saya pilih untuk ini, ada benda yang perlu dikorbankan tapi dari sudut yang lain, ada juga benda yang boleh saya settlekan.

InsyaAllah, jika ini yang terbaik untuk saya, saya redho. Jika ini adalah salah satu cara untuk saya raih redhoNya, saya rela.

Dan kerana Tuhanmu, bersabarlah...

'Ikhlaskan diri hanya untuk Illahi, bersungguh-sungguh demi Islam ini.'

From http://syifa-zainalazhar.blogspot.com/2010/07/allah-uji-allah-sayang.html

Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, Allah has given me this wonderful opportunity to meet Ramadhan again :)

Ahlan wa sahlan ya Ramadhan! I've been longing for you :)))

Actually, I was hesitant to start this post. I was hesitant, scared of people's judgement, scared of what people will say... Because people have judged (wrongly I must add) and people have said... I wrote an entry in a book yesterday, I felt so free to write anything and everything! But, it felt selfish... I want to share my thoughts and experiences... I just have to be more careful...

Putting that aside, aaahhh, it feels great to be in Ramadhan again. And this year, because of YOG (the only good thing about it in my opinion, after all the hassle it has caused) many if us have 3 weeks of free reign this Ramadhan, whee~!

Anyway, I helped out for awhile at Ghufran this afternoon, packing, carrying, counting the porridge to be given out. It feels good to be doing it again. The first year I was a volunteer at Ghufran, I helped with the packing, not knowing many people smile here smile there don't talk much. Today, 5-6 Ramadhan down the road here I am still! But with a slightly more responsibility. People trust you, and with trust comes responsibility :)

It was nice to see the Spingfield students helping out. I heard that some of them ASKED their teacher to be part of it. Hmm, many might be negative and say, "Alar, just because they want more CIP hours...." but let's give the the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they really want to join in the spirit of helping during Ramadhan :))

This year I felt a renewed purpose for being there packing. As my fingers get red and hot (and sticky) from handling the hot porridge with my bare fingers, I pray that these very fingers would be my witness in the hereafter that eventhough I did not contribute in monetary form, I contributed in terms of effort in making food for people to break fast with (it'am) :))) I was very excited about this fact that I so wanted to share with the Springfield students, but they were all boys, and I was kinda paiseh haha so in the end, I didn't.

Oh, Ramadhan teaches me to talk nicely. HAHA. Cause... other people are fasting too. People are tired and hungry and thirsty, and therefore, they are grumpy.... So you have to smile and talk nicely to them. As the powerpuff girls love to sing "Love love love love love, love love, makes the world go round" hahahaha. So yeah, no matter how bad is the day, smile, be nice and polite... It's a sadaqah anyway ;)

Some people can get pretty unreasonable, volunteer and jemaah alike. Probably they're tired... y'know... What matters is, as long as we are not one of the kind :)

That's pretty much my thoughts for today. Have about 30-45mins more to go before break fast....

I think I shall type out parts of what I wrote in my book yesterday...

Day 0 Ramadhan

Ramadhan... Ramadhan... I wonder how this Ramadhan would be.

Two years ago, I was having internship and my Ramadhan was spent doing my SIP and MP, and because I would usually finish my tasks late, I had to break fast at work or at a mosque near the workplace (TLL, NUS) Sometimes I had to miss my Terawih (I think) as I go in and out of the cold room with my project... Sometimes I would do my own Terawih at home. Or if I have the chance, I would rush to any mosque near there be it Masjid Haji MOhd Salleh (izzit??), Masjid Tentera DiRaja or Masjid Darussalam. Or even Masjid Darul Aman or Masjid Mydin if I was on the train home during break fast. Rarely do I get to go to Ghufran.

Last year too I didn't get to Terawih often at Ghufran because I was staying at hostel and I either have NTUMS Ramadhan meeting or silat at night... So i ended up doing my Terawih in my room on my own, if I had the strength... Or if I could, I encouraged my friends to join the NTUMS Terawih prayers at South Spine.

Ramadhan means alot to me. I so-called 'turned over a new leaf' in Ramadhan in 2006. Or at least it was the point I was introduced to Ghufran's activities, volunteering etc. I started doing many new things that year, including Terawih (if I'm not mistaken) and it was the start of my journey in becoming a better Muslim, and a better person in general. And I want to make sure that every Ramadhan will me become better and better.

I have many goals this Ramadhan. Mainly is to keep what I did last Ramadhan and to UP those where possible. Yeah... And Ghufran dakwah department has prepared a list of ibadah goals that tops my list, yet what's the point of doing them if my heart isn't there. This Ramadhan is a training for my whole self inside and out....

I wonder how this Ramadhan will be for my family. Last year, it wasn't really pleasant, in my opinion. I have many prayers and wishes, mostly concerning my family... May this Ramadhan be better, much much better for my family. I shall keep praying and not lose hope.

Anyway, I had been watching Imam Muda on youtube for the past few days and awww... I'm so kagum of these young men. Haha. Like... woah.... Respect... I pray that, may my jodoh be a true imam (in all aspects) not only for my future family, but also for the community :) Heheh

Oh! It's Maghrib already! May this Ramadhan be a blessed one for me!

Ramadhan is here! Ramadhan is here! Ahlan wa sahlan ya Ramadhan! Alhamdulillah, all praise be to Allah for giving me this opportunity to meet Ramadhan once again.

Tubna ila Allah. Wa raja'na ila Allah. Wa nadimna ya Allah. Wa nadimna ya Allah...

I want to make good use of my Ramadhan. Be well into the spirit of Ramadhan and may I come out of Ramadhan victorious (a better person) or I syahid in it. Either way would be lovely.

I'm currently at Ghufran. Aaaah home sweet home. No matter what people say about this blue mosque, it'll always have a special place in my heart. Ghufran means alot to me.

Darul Ghufran... The meaning of the name itself is already so beautiful. House of forgiveness... May in this house, this Ramadhan, I would be able to do good deeds and be cleansed of my sins.

There's so many people at Ghufran!! While some people find that it is noisy and uncomfortable etc with having so many people, I'm different, I like to see so many people in the House of Allah. It's just so heartwarming...

I received a message from my mum and Fatimah earlier on. It reads:
Salam everyone. My name is SYAABAN. I;m advising you that my neighbour RAMADHAN will be visiting you soon with his wofe REZEKI and two children SAHUR and IFTAAR. They will be accompanied by three grandchildren RAHMAT, BARAKAH and TAUBAT. They will leave after thirty days by EID airlines. Treasure them and you will be blessed. Ramadhan mubarak. May this coming Ramadhan bring lots of NUR in our life. Amin.

Once the great Imam Al-Ghazali posed 6 questions to his students as follows...

Al-Ghazali: Q1 - “What is very close to us in this world?”

Students: The students gave all kind of answers such as our parents, spouse, close friends, our children and etc.

Al-Ghazali: “Yes, those answers are quite correct but the perfect answer is ‘death’ because Allah SWT has promised us that those who lives will definitely die” (refer Sura Ali Imran : 185)

Al-Ghazali: Q2 –" What is the furthest from us in this world?”

Students: The students gave all kind of answers such as the country of China, the moon, the sun and etc.

Al-Ghazali: “Yes, those answers are quite correct but the perfect answer is ‘our past’ because in whatever the circumstances , whoever we are and whatever vehicle we use we cannot go back into the past. So we have to always take care of today and the coming days with righteous deeds that is taught by Islam”

Al-Ghazali: Q3 – “What is the biggest in this world?”

Students: The students gave all kind of answers such as the mountain, the earth, the sun and etc..

Al-Ghazali: “Yes, those answers are quite correct but the perfect answer is ‘temptation (Nafs)’. So we must always be cautious with our temptation so as not to allow it to drive us to hell (Jahannam)” Refer Sura Al A’raf 179)

Al-Ghazali: Q4 - “What is the heaviest in this world?”

Students: The students gave all kind of answers such as iron, steel, the elephant and etc...

Al-Ghazali: “Yes, those answers are quite correct but the perfect answer is ‘being trustworthy (Amanah)’ Al Ghazali explain “ The plants, trees, animals and the mountain could not accept the task of being the caliph of this world but human, with arrogance and conceit accepted the task and so much so many human beings are being thrown into hell (Jahannam) by Allah SWt because they have breached the trust others place on them. Refer Sura Al Ahzab 72)

Al-Ghazali: Q5 - “What is the lightest in this world?”

Students: The students gave all kind of answers such as cotton, dust, the wind and etc...

Al-Ghazali: “Yes, those answers are quite correct but the perfect answer is ‘neglecting the salat (daily prayer). Al Ghazali explain this is especially true as people are known to simply neglect the salat because they are having a business meeting , having to work etc

Al-Ghazali: Q6 - “What is the sharpest in this world?”

Students: The students gave all kind of answers such as the sword, knife and etc...

Al-Ghazali: “Yes, those answers are quite correct but the perfect answer is ‘human tongue’. Al Ghazali explains that with their tongues human arrogantly will offend and hurt the feeling of others.

I like this particular post on Nur Ikhwan's blog :)


Love For Allah s.w.t, our Creator.

(The most firm bonds of belief are: Supporting others for the sake of Allah, showing enmity for the sake of Allah, loving for the sake of Allah, hating for the sake of Allah the Almighty ) (Sahih Aj Jame' 2539).

Love for the sake of Allah means loving others just in the way and for the cause of Allah the Almighty, not for other objectives, just like the following verse of the Holy Quran {And those who strive in Our (cause),- We will certainly guide them to our Paths} Al-Ankabout 69. i.e. they strive in the way, for the cause and for the sake of Allah alone.

Love is a tendency toward something for certain perfection therein; therefore, if the believer acknowledged that the real perfection is just for Allah, and that any perfection observed by him in himself or in others is just a grant from Allah, his love will be sincere for the sake, in the cause, and in the way of Allah, and this entails the full obedience to Allah The Almighty; accordingly, love is construed as a wish for compliance which entails following the Prophet peace be upon him.

Islam is the religion of love for the sake of Allah, and hate for the sake of Allah; because the heart is always attached to a beloved, and if Allah The Almighty Alone was not his beloved and worshiped, the heart will be attached to others i.e. polytheism; therefore, love for the sake of Allah is the religion itself.

(Allah will overshadow seven kinds of persons at the Day of Judgment, wherein there is no shadow except His ….. two persons loved each other for the sake of Allah, met and separated under such love …..), narrated by Al-Bukhari, 1423, and Muslim.

source:http://www.rasoulallah.net/subject_en.asp?hit=1〈=ar&parent_id=346&sub_id=7764
So anyway, they have a daily reminders sms. I love the initiative. May Allah bless them and reward them for their efforts in spreading the true religion...

Pada hari terakhir pesantren, Ustaz Hassan pesan pada setiap satu dari kami supaya ingat! Ingat untuk bertaqwa pada Allah dan ikut sunnah Rasulullah s.a.w. Tangisan bercurah-curah membasahi pipi...

Pada hari rabu, hati itu dilembutkan oleh satu doa... kerana doa itu mengingatkan untuk takut pada azab Allah...

Lalu Ustazah Sakinah memujuk bahawasanya tangisan itu bukan bererti kelemahan.

Dan disini aku selikan sebuah video yang menerangkan tentang Rasulullah s.a.w. menangis, dan juga Abu Bakr as-siddiq...

Today... I went to madrasah... We started the first lesson of this year (FYI: my year 3 sem 1 term 1) with a discussion within 4 groups. 1) female youths, 2) male youths, 3) female adults, 4) male adults. We were to discuss what we think people our age out there generally envision for themselves within the next 10 years... And we talked about 4 aspects. 1) career, 2) community, 3) religion, 4) community. It was an interesting discussion. Unfortunately, we did not have access to internet and such to back up what we say with survey findings etc.

Ustaz gave an insight (it was like a tazkirah) about how is the world like now. he reminded us, that with the passing of another year, we are one more year nearer to returning to Allah swt. Yet, the world nowadays are guiding us away from Allah instead of towards Allah. The older generations are putting their hand on the youths of today to be the leaders (be it political, spiritual etc) of tomorrow yet our youths nowadays are more concerned about glamour, about money. Sadly, the mindset now is such that, what is ma'aruf is viewed as mungkar, not only by the youths btw, while what is mungkar is viewed as ma'aruf (memang dasarlah sekarang ni aku confuse sangat2 dan sedang mencari apa yang haq).

Ustaz directed a question towards us, students of the DPI program, year 3 and above... "Apakah peranan aku dalam agama?" We are ambassodor of Islam everywhere we go. We are da'ie ila Allah, whether we like it or not. It is our role, our responsibility, our amanah as students of this program...

Actually, I do want to know more about what it is like out there. I realise that I have been closing one eye all these while. I'd been living in my own bubble, oblivious of what's happening out there. I say I want to outreach to the community, yet I do not know what is really the situation in the community. I realise that I had been assuming all these while, never really going out there to find out for myself, never really observing, opening my eyes wide to everything around me...

But how do I find out???

For BILL camp, we did a survey on the general public in Tampines. That was interesting. I like what Sufyan's group did. Sufyan, gangster like as he is, can be an asset to us actually. Hmmmm....

Anyway, the module title was actually 'Pengajian Tazkiah Nufus', which actually means 'membersihkan jiwa daripada sifat mazmumah, yang tak elok, kepada sifat mahmudah, yang mulia', which is actually wajib in our lives. Ustaz talked about our purpose in life, yakni: Tidak Aku menjadikan jin dan manusia melainkan untuk mengabdikan diri kepada Aku (Surah 51: ayat 56). It is 100%, no less, obedience to Allah.

Ustaz elaborated further about ibadah umum and ibadah khusus, and bring us to reflect how many of us, even us who learns about the religion, do not prioritise our ibadah khusus, like solat, zakat, puasa, selawat etc, when in fact it is much much more important than our ibadah umum, which is anything good that we do, that is halal, that gives benefit to others such as whatever we do for our job, our volunteer work etc...

Ustaz went on to talk about 2 syarat amalan kita diterima... 1) ihklas, which is beribadah semata-mata mencari keredhaan Allah s.w.t. 2) mengikut landasan syara'.

Woah... That's just the first lesson... 4 more lessons to go!

I have a few interesting reads to share...

1) Siapakah orang-orang yang berakal?

2) Terima kasih ya Allah kerana memilihku

3) Salah faham umat Islam mengenai bab jodoh***

***Yang ni aku setuju!

"Anda tidak perlu TAKUT siapakah jodoh anda kerana pasangan anda sudah pun ditentukan oleh Allah SWT dan apa yang perlu anda lakukan ialah untuk berusaha mendapatkan calon yang soleh dan solehah sebagai memenuhi PERINTAH ALLAH dalam keadaan anda penuh sedar dan yakin ianya sudah ditetapkan."



"Tiada sesiapa termasuk anda dan ulama dapat mengetahui siapakah lelaki atau wanita yang sesuai atau baik untuk anda. Mr. Right atau Mrs. Right tidak akan dapat diketahui oleh Kita selama-lamanya tanpa WAHYU di sisi."

"Majoriti orang "menyelidik", "mengkaji" latar belakang calon pasangan masing-masing dengan tujuan "merisik" mencari calon yang paling sesuai dan terbaik. Hakikatnya hanya ALlah yang mengetahui, boleh jadi setelah dikaji "di dalam makmal"maka didapati seorang wanita itu baik untuk kita atau sebaliknya namun setelah berkahwin dan hidup bersama maka dia kemudiannya berubah hati dan menjadi jahat serta menyeleweng."

"Jangan membuang masa mencari Mr. Right atau Mrs Right sehingga mengabaikan tanggungjawab kita yang banyak. Masa kita terhad, maka perlu dipergunakan semaksima mungkin di dalam gerak kerja ibadah kita seharian."

"Hal ini membuktikan bahawa Islam menganggap perkahwinan itu cuma alat dan tools untuk merealisasikan perjuangan dan tuntutan ibadah bagi menyalurkan keperluan fitrah manusia ke arah yang halal. Lantas untuk orang yang sedar akan segera memahami bahawa adalah tidak perlu untuknya mengambil masa yang lama untuk memberi respon kepada jemputan atau pinangan perkahwinan apabila dirinya dipinang jika cara dan kaedah yang digunakan adalah menurut syarak."

4) Bukan Awla' Membawa Alpa

"Kerap kali saya berjumpa di profile orang yang "menambah" saya di facebook mereka sebagai penggemar filem korea dan peminat novel ayat-ayat cinta.

Bukan sukar untuk saya menemui gadis-gadis bertudung labuh dan berpurdah yang "bergedik" dengan lagu-lagu nasyid bertema cinta.

Apabila kehidupan yang dilalui saban hari tidak didasari oleh Aqidah yang Sahih, manhaj kehidupan yang berpaksikan kepada Al-Quran dan As-Sunnah maka kehancuran umat adalah semakin dekat.

Bagi menghadapi situasi yang sukar ini saya berpendapat sudah tiba masanya cerita-cerita wanita Islam dan tokoh salaf terdahulu perlu ditampilkan kepada massa.

Islam (yang sahih) perlu mengambil alih dunia...

Kisah berkenaan Khadijah isteri yang setia perlu diketengahkan bagi mengantikan cerita cinta yang hina, kisah Zubaidah isteri Khalifah Harun Ar-Rasyid yang bijaksana perlu ditampilkan bagi mengantikan cerita Cleopatra yang jelek.

Pengajaran-pengajaran berkenaan kisah hidup wanita salaf terdahulu seperti teladan isteri-isteri rasulullah, para sahabat wanita perlu disuburkan sentiasa kepada para gadis dan wanita Islam agar mereka terbiasa dengan agama.


Kita perlu ketengahkan kepada mereka bahawa para wanita salaf terdahulu tidaklah bercinta sebelum nikah, tidak bercouple dan berkasih-kasihan sebelum diakad nikah.

Kita perlu cerita kepada mereka para sahabat wanita berkahwin dan bercerai sebagai fitrah dan lumrah kehidupan. Zainab Al-Jahsyi merupakan isteri kepada Zaid bin Haritsah anak angkat rasulullah dan setelah bercerai dengan Zaid maka Zainab kemudian telah dikahwini pula oleh rasulullah, bapa angkat kepada bekas suaminya ~ No hard Feeling...tanpa segan silu...tanpa resah pilu atau nasyid dan sendu...

Kita perlu bercerita kepada mereka Umar bin Khattab yang tua meminang anak Ali bin Abi Tolib bernama Ummul Kultsum yang masih muda usia dan ~ No hard feeling...tiada menjadi berita sensasi atau menjadi tajuk utama di media massa...

Kita perlu bercerita kepada mereka bahawa rasulullah di datangi oleh wanita yang menawarkan diri kepadanya dan apabila baginda tidak menginginkan wanita tersebut maka sahabat yang berada di sisi baginda meminta untuk menikahi wanita itu dan baginda kemudian menikahkan mereka dengan mahar daripada ayat Al-Quran lantaran kemiskinan lelaki itu....tiada menjadi heboh dan kecoh semua jiran tertangga...habis mengata sekampung...miskin tapi gatal nak berkahwin...

Ianya berlaku sekelip mata ~ no hard feeling.

Sungguh Islam yang di amalkan oleh mereka (kaum muslimin) di zaman salaf adalah sangat berbeza dengan kita."

"Sekiranya jumlah pelajar yang menyertai pertandingan menulis kitab, risalah ilmiah, menghasilkan karya sirah dan sejarah Islam, ulasan dan kajian masalah feqah berjumlah 100 buah karya setahun bayangkanlah jumlah naskah ilmu yang akan terhasil apabila 2 tahun ? 5 tahun ? dan seterusnya... Banyak di kalangan kita lupa dan alpa perkara yang awla sehingga mereka terjebak dengan masalah-masalah dan perbuatan yang membuang masa."

5)Islam anda tafsiran siapa***

***In my effort searching for what is the truth and what isn't

"Tafsiran Islam yang terbaik dan paling sempurna ialah apa yang ditafsirkan oleh rasulullah kepada para sahabat baginda radiallahuanhum.

Tafsiran itu namanya Sunnah !

Ianya disebut sebagai sunnah di dalam bahasa arab yang bermaksud : “ Jalan atau teladan yang ditinggalkan oleh rasulullah kepada umat-Nya baik melalui ucapan baginda, perbuatan atau taqrir (pembenaran) baginda. “ (Qawaid Fil Bayan Hakikatul Iman Indal Ahlul Sunnah Wal Jamaah, ms.22)

Imam Ibnu Rejab (Abd Rahman bin Ahmad, meninggal 795 Hijrah) menyebutkan bahawa yang dimaksudkan dengan sunnah itu ialah : “Jalan yang dilalui oleh nabi salallahualaihiwasalam dan para sahabatnya yang selamat daripada syubhat dan syahwat.” (Kasyfu Al-Kurbah Fi Washfi Hal Ahli Gurbah, ms. 15)

Maksud sunnah ini pelbagai namun semuanya merujuk kepada makna yang satu iaitu tafsiran rasulullah terhadap agama ini yang perlu menjadi teladan dan ikutan kita di dalam memahami agama.

Malangnya tafsiran ini semakin lama semakin menjauh daripada kita kerana perbezaan jangka masa dan waktu yang jauh di antara kita dan rasulullah yang mencapai seribu tahun lebih. Menafsirkan Al-Quran dengan tafsiran rasulullah dan memahami Islam dengan kefahaman rasulullah ialah merupakan hikmah dan pertunjuk kebenaran.

Inilah yang disebut di dalam Al-Quran dengan bermaksud : “Sesungguhnya Allah memberikan hikmah kepada sesiapa yang dikehendaki-Nya dan barangsiapa yang diberikan hikmah maka sesungguhnya dia telah mendapat kebaikan yang sangat banyak.” (Surah Al-Baqarah : 269)"

Cure for Hard Heartedness
Abu Hurairah(R.A.) reported that , a man once came to the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, and complained that he feels hardness in his heart. The Messenger of Allah said, what translated means, "Would you like that your heart becomes soft and that you acquire what you need ? Be merciful with the orphan, pat his head and feed him from what you eat. This will soften your heart." ( Ahmad)

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""God has revealed to me: Whoever walks in the pursuit of knowledge I facilitate for him the way of heaven" (Hadith)"

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do not be diheartened! for there is hope:
formula one
knowledge + amal + iman = LOVING ALLAH
- as we all know, knowledge is veryyyyy important. for without knowledge, it is as if we are living in the dark. however so, having the knowledge but not doing anything to it, it is almost pointless.

"Verily, After Hardship Comes Ease"
At a time in which the Muslims are beset with trials from every periphery, it is a time when Muslims should continue being Muslims, only better Muslims. I would say to my dear brothers and sisters in Islam "don’t be Sad"; if you are on the true religion – believing in One God and all the Messengers sent to mankind, then don’t be sad.

"...Bear with patience whatever befalls you...." (Qur'an 31:17) and "Be not sad, surely Allah is with us." (Qur'an 9:40)

Our Prophet (pbuh) said: "Verily, if Allah loves a people, He makes them go through trials. Whoever is satisfied, for him is contentment, and whoever is angry upon him is wrath." [Tirmidhi]

Being sad is not encouraged in Islam

"So do not become weak, nor be sad..." (Qur'an 3:139)
"And grieve not over them, and be not distressed because of what they plot." (Qur'an 16:127)

Sadness prevents one from action instead of compelling one towards it. The heart does not benefit through grief. The most beloved thing to the devil is to hinder the worshipper in the path of Allah. The Muslim must repel sadness and fight in any way that is permissible in Islam.

Allah is sufficient for us

"Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs. So they returned with Grace and Bounty from Allah. No harm touched them; and they followed the good Pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the owner of Great Bounty." (Qur'an 3:173-174)

"And put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed..." (Qur'an 5:23)
"O you who believe! Seek help in patience and the prayer..." (Qur'an 2:153)

By leaving your affairs to Allah by depending on Him, by trusting in His promise, by being pleased with His decree, by thinking favourably of Him, and by waiting patiently for His help, you reap some of the greater fruits of faith. When you incorporate these qualities, you will be at peace concerning the future, because you will depend on your Lord for everything. As a result, you will find care, help, protection and victory.

Pre-ordainment

"No calamity befalls on earth or in yourselves but is inscribed in the Book of Decrees – before We bring it into existence." (Qur'an 57:22)

The pen has dried, and the pages have been lifted: all events shall come to pass have already been written. Whatever has befallen you was not meant to escape you, and whatever has escaped you was not meant to befall you: if this belief were to be firmly ingrained in your heart, then all hardships and difficulty would become ease and comfort.

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Whoever Allah wishes good for, He inflicts him (with hardship)." [Bukhari]

For those who are afflicted with disaster, glad tidings await them: so remain patient and happy with your Lord. "He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned." (Qur'an 21:23)

Verily, with hardship, there is relief

"Verily, with hardship there is relief" (Qur'an 94:6)
"Perhaps Allah may bring victory or a decision according to His Will." (Qur'an 5:52)

Prophet Ibrahim ('alayhissalam) did not feel its heat because of the help he received from Allah. "We (Allah) said : O' fire! Be you coolness and safety for Ibrahim." (Qur'an 21:69)

The sea would not drown Prophet Moses ('alayhissalaam) because he uttered in confident, strong and truthful manner: "Nay verily! With me is my Lord, He will guide me." (Qur'an 26:62)
And the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said to 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas (radiyallahu 'anhu): "..Be mindful of Allah, you will find Him before you. Get to know Allah in prosperity and He will know you in adversity... And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship." [Tirmidhi]

Accept life as it is

If you read the Qur'an you will see that all the Prophets went through trials and tribulations. Life is a test so let us learn from the best examples of our Prophets. "Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty, ailments and were shaken." (Qur'an 2:214)

We should know that if we are pleased with our Lord, He will be pleased with us. And if you are pleased with your Lord no matter what the situation is, then you will find that you have earned your Lord's pleasure. On the other hand, there are hypocrites whom Allah rejects their deeds. They are displeased with what Allah sends down and they hate seeking His pleasure; thus their deeds are performed in vain.


Your recompense is with Allah

When Allah, the Exalted takes something away from you, He compensates it with something better, but only if you are patient and seek His reward.
Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whoever loses a loved one from the people of this world and then seeks recompense with his Lord, will be compensated with Paradise."

Those who are in this world and are close to Allah will be raised in the highest of heaven: "Peace be upon you, because you peresevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!" (Qur'an 13:24)

Truly, the life of this world is short and its treasures are few. O' afflicted ones, if you are patient you lose nothing; and though you may not perceive it, you are profiting.
Extract honey but do not break the hive

"Repel (the evil) with one which is better, then verily! He, between whom and you there was enmity (will become) as though he was a close friend." (Qur'an 41:34)
"….and harm them not. And put your trust in Allah." (Qur'an 33:48)

Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Verily, Allah ordered me to keep relations with those that cut off, forgive the ones who does an injustice with me, and to give to those who withhold from me."

"Those who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allah loves the good-doers." (Qur'an 3-134)

Remembrance of Allah

"Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." (Qur'an 13:28)
"Therefore remember Me and I will remember you…" (Qur'an 2:152)

We should not be surprised when we hear that people who remember Allah are at peace. What is truly surprising is how the negligent and unmindful survive without remembering Him. Allah says in the Qur'an, "They are dead, lifeless and they know not when they will be raised up." (Qur'an 16: 21)

Truly, He is near when supplicated: He hears when he is called and He answers when He is invoked, so humble yourself before Him and ask of Him sincerely. Repeat His beautiful names, and mention Him alone as worthy of worship. Mention His praises, supplicate to Him: you will find then – by the will of Allah – happiness, peace and illumination. “So Allah gave them the reward of this world and the excellent reward of the Hereafter.” (Qur’an 3:148)

Loving Allah, knowing Him, remembering Him, seeking peace in Him, singling Him out for complete love, fear, hope and dependence – these qualities when combined in a person, constitute a sort of heaven on earth.

These are qualities that bring peace to those who love Allah, a sort of peace that has no comparison in this world.It is important that a special relationship exists in the heart between the slave and his Lord, a relationship that allows the slave to feel so close to his Lord that he requires no other.

Thus, he finds company when he is alone, and he tastes the sweetness of remembering Him and supplicating to Him. Allah's slave will continually face hardship and difficulty until he dies, but if he has a special relationship with his Lord, all of the hardships of life will become easy for him.

The prayer….the prayer – we must return to our mosques

"O' you who believe! Seek help in patience and the Prayer." (Qur'an 2:153)

By earnestly performing the five daily prayers, we achieve the greatest of blessings: cleared off our sins and increase in rank with our Lord. Prayer is a potent remedy for our sickness, for it instills our faith in our souls.

As for those that keep away from the mosque and away from prayer, for them is unhappiness, wretchedness and an embittered life.

"For them is destruction and Allah will make their deeds vain." (Qur'an 47:8)

Take a moment to reflect

O whose mind has wandered in grief, O' you whose eyes are loaded with tears; relax and know that your Creator aids, and that His mercy will bring you peace. And know that your reward is secure with He Who doesn’t disappoint the one who seeks to please Him. Be at peace, for after poverty comes joyous meeting, and after sleeplessness comes sound rest. O you who are oppressed in the lands, who suffer from hunger, pain, sickness and poverty, rejoice in the knowledge that you will soon be satisfied with food and that you will be happy and in good health.

Let us make these supplications, their purpose being to eliminate hardship, anxiety and grief:

"There is no worthy of worship except Allah, the Ever Forbearing, the Most Great. There is none worthy of worship except Allah, the Lord of the Tremendous Throne. There is none worthy of worship One Who sustains and protects all that exists, there is none worthy of worship except You, and by Your Mercy do we seek Your aid."
"So be patient, with a good patience..." (Qur'an 70:5)

Taken from "Verily After Hardship Comes Ease"

Semua manusia akan menghadapai pelbagai ujian dan dugaan.
Namun semua ini bukan penghalang untuk kita kelihatan senyum
dan ceria. Sebaliknya,dengan senyuman dan kecerian kita akan
mampu untuk menghadapi ujian hidup.Biasalah jika susah hati
atau ditimpa masalah dan musibah ada yg menanggis.Dalam situasi
anda tidak akan dapat berfikir dengan rasional dalam situasi yg tidak
tenang.

Paling penting,anda perlu menyediakan diri anda untuk menghadapi
dan menyelesaikannya, juga tidak akan selesai jika anda melarikan
diri.Masalah akan selesai jika kita berusaha.Memang susah! memang
payah! Ada tikanya perit dan mengeciwakan malah melukakan.Tapi
bila anda menerima setiap yg berlaku didalam hidup anda sebagai
ujian,anda akan tetap boleh kekal senyum menerima dengan redha.

Inilah panduan:

1-Kenapa aku diuji?
Apakah manusia itu mengira bahawa mereka dibiarkan saja mengatakan,
“sedangkan mereka diuji? Dan sesungguhnya kami telah menguji orang2
yang sebelum mereka, maka sesungguhnya ALLAH mengetahui orang2
yang benar dan sesungguhnya Dia mengetahui orang yang dusta.
….Surah Al-Ankabut ayat 2-3

2-Kenapa aku tak dapat apa yang aku idam-idamkan?
” Boleh jadi kamu membenci sesuatu padahal ia amat baik bagi mu,dan
boleh jadi pula kamu menyukai sesuatu, padahal ia amat buruk bagimu.
ALLAH mengetahui sedang kamu tidak mengetahui,”
…..Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 216

3-Kenapa ujian seberat ini?
” ALLAH tidak membebani seseorang itu melainkan sesuai dengan kesan-
ggupannya,”
…..Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 286

4-Kenapa rasa keciwa?
” Jangan kamu bersikap lemah, dan janganlah pula kamu bersedih hati,
padahal kamulah orang-orang yang paling tinggi darjat-darjatnya, jika kamu
orang-orang yang beriman,”
…..Surah Al-Imran ayat 139

5-Bagaimana harus aku menghadapinya?
“Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Bersabarlah kamu ( menghadapi segala
kesukaran dalam mengerjakan perkara-perkara yang berkebajikan), dan kuat-
kan kesabaran kamu lebih daripada kesabaran musuh, di medan perjuangan ),
dan bersedialah ( dengan kekuatan pertahanan di daerah-daerah sempadan)
serta bertaqwalah kamu kepada ALLAH supaya, kamu berjaya ( mencapai
kemenangan).”
…..Surah Al-Imran ayat 200

6-Apa yang aku dapat daripada semua ini?
“Sesungguhnya ALLAH telah membeli daripada orang-orang mukmin,diri,harta
mereka dengan memberikan syurga untuk mereka……
….Surah At-Taubah ayat 111

7-Kepada siapa aku berharap?
“Cukuplah ALLAH bagiku, tidak ada Tuhan selain daripada-Nya.Hanya kepada-Nya
aku bertawakal.”
…..Surah At-Taubah ayat 129

8-Aku dah tak dapat bertahan lagi!!!
“…..dan janganlah kamu berputus asa daripada rahmat ALLAH. Sesungguhnya
tiada berputus asa daripada rahmat ALLAH melainkan kaum yang kafir.”
…..Surah Yusuf ayat 12

Dipetik dari "Janganlah kamu bersih"

This made me smile and I wanna share this to all of you so that you may smile too. Come on people, face life and it's trials and tribulations with a smile by holding strongly to the Qur'an & Sunnah!!! =)

*Psst... Sidenote: I like the lafaz ijabkabul in arabic, uwaah!*

Pengorbanan... Apakah sebenarnya erti sebuah pengorbanan?

Erti Pengorbanan
Album : Erti Pengorbanan
Munsyid : Haikal
http://liriknasyid.com


Apa erti jihad tanpa pengorbanan
Apa erti kata-kata tanpa dikotakan
Nabi Ibrahim lambang kejujuran
Hati bercahaya penyuluh zaman

Apa erti hamba tanpa ketaatan
Apa erti cinta tanpa pengorbanan
Nabi Ismail contoh tauladan
Sanggup mati untuk Tuhan



Berkorban apa saja
Harta atau pun nyawa
Itulah kasih mesra
Sejati dan mulia

Kepentingan sendiri
Tidak diingini
Bahagia kekasih
Saja yang diharapi

Untuk menjadi bukti
Kasih yang sejati
Itulah tandanya
Jika mahu diuji

Tidak dapat dipisahkan kasih sayang dengan pengorbanan. Kasih sayang memerlukan pada pengorbanan.

Kasih sayang. Cinta. Untuk apa? Kepada siapa?

Allah... rabbi
Rasul... habibi
Islam... deeni
Ibubapa... ummi wa abi

La ilaha illa Allah... Muhammad rasulullah...
inna sholati wa nusuki wa ma yahya wa ma mati lillahi rabbil alamin

I just dreamt that I was at a workshop/camp observing 3 people racing (I think with chairs) in a game infront of me. Somehow, weirdly, I realised I had a school desk on my head, with my neck stuck between the tabletop and the metal grill under it. But I managed to get it out. As I was laughing at the stupid situation and trying to stand up at the same time, I suddenly felt dizzy, saw the room in a blur, called Kak Yati's name as I try to reach out for her chair beside me and then I fainted. And I woke up, with my eyes still closed, about a minute before Nassier called.

This morning I dreamt that I swung myself out of bed and hit the stool beside my bed with both legs. When I woke up to the sound of the Subuh azan from my laptop, which I forgot to switch off, I felt a bruise on my left leg and right toe. Apparently I wasn't dreaming that. Heh.

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Actually I miss blogging about my life here. And I'd been wanting to update. I thought I'd do it today, but I spent time doing my vision board instead (as shown below)...



Inspired by ITQAN NEMC Camp

Hopefully it's not just another Mat Jenin story... Pray for me yea?

Shared to me by Sis Mahirah and I'm sharing it with you:

After praising, and thanking Allah he 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.

ALLAH 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. Allah 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 Allah’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 Allah, 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 Allah 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 Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people.”

http://www.islamicity.com/articles/articles.asp?ref=IC0107-322

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Today is the last lesson with Ust Fathurrahman for this semester. I dunno when will we get him to teach again.

Anyway, an important message he sent to us all today and I feel it is really something we, who call ourselves Muslim who performs our five daily prayers, who fast in the month of Ramadhan, who give zakat, and who have gone/wants to go for hajj, should ponder upon and do our 'homework'.

We pray. Why do we pray? Why do we pray five times a day? Why do we pray the way we pray? Why do we say the words we say when we pray? Why do we pray at certain intervals in the day? Why do we dress the way we do when we pray? Why must we take wudhu' before we pray?

We fast. Why do we fast? Why must we fast in the month of Ramadhan? Why do we fast from fajr to sunset? Why do we abstain from certain things when we fast?

Etc etc.

The answer: The Qur'an and the Sunnah.

But do we really KNOW which surah, which verse? Do we really know which book, which compiler, which hadith?

Etc etc.

For those who know, good for you, and do share!
For those who don't, perhaps it's time we find out.

don't be like the imam and the cat, or the granddaughter and the fish tail. ;)

I miss my old favourite songs, and therefore I shall change my imeem player back. To those of you non-Muslim friends who visit these blog, you can pause the player if you don't feel comfortable. Afterall, I too would do the same if I'm not comfortable with your songs :)

The previous song I put was:



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I wonder what's happening in Gaza. I'd been getting daily 'doses' of news bits from TODAY on the way to work. And I haven't read any newspaper today, so yeah...

I hope the Palestinians get a bit of relieve with the 3hr daily ceasefire...

Anyway, there was an article in Berita Harian a few days ago about 'understanding' why the Jews of Israel do what they do. It goes all the way back to a period before the WWII. Jews slowly lost their rights as humans, living in Germany. And during the WWII, thousands were tortured and killed for no reason except for the belief they believe in (right?). It was NOT by Muslims btw, it was by the Germans, in case you're wondering... Anyway, that holocaust, that genocide, that massacre, as it is said in the article, affects the Jews greatly (of course it would). It is said that when Hamas sent rockets flying into Israel, the Jews probably feel threatened and decided to relatiate.

However, why do they want to retaliate by killing more than 700 Palestinian CIVILIANS, I have no idea. Especially since these too are the Palestinians who had to give part to their land for the Jews from German to live it. (right?) These are the Palestinians who gave them a chance to live, and here they are killing them.

Reminds me of a peribahasa, "bagai melepaskan anjing tersepit". :I

What we see today is a Jewish extremism act. My point is, just as there are Islamic extremists/militants, there are Jewish extremist/militants, Christian extremist/militants and other kinds of extremists/millitants (I'm thinking of Tamil Tigers etc). These extremists/militants most probably become extremists/militants because they themselves or their fellow 'brothers and sisters' or ancestors had had to face oppression in one way or another.

And the aftermath of this Israel attacks on Gaza, I'm afraid, may just give rise to the world seeing more Islamic extremists/militants. (there was an article in TODAY I think which mentioned this) They saw violence, all they saw was violence and they shall grow up to embrace violence as part of their lives... I'm just saying that if after this, we see more Islamic extremists/militants coming from Palestine, don't blame the Islamic teachings...

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Just wanna share what was shared with me... What is aqidah?

3 translations of Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 177

Yusuf Ali:
It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe in God and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing.

T.U. Hilali-M. Khan:
It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, and each and every act of obedience to Allâh, etc.) that you turn your faces towards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allâh, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to Al-Masâkin (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and gives the Zakât, and who fulfill their covenant when they make it, and who are As-Sâbirin (the patient ones, etc.) in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of the truth and they are AlMuttaqûn (pious - see V.2:2).

M. Pickthall:
It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the God-fearing.

Taken from here.

As I've mentioned earlier, English (or Malay too for that matter) cannot cover the Arabic words fully. Arabic words are rich with meaning and one English translation do not truly give justice to the real meaning of alot of Qur'anic verses...

Anyway, do visit youngmuslims.ca... The online library looks interesting. And there was one book recommended to me: "To be a Muslim" by Fathi Yakkan.

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The Tafsir of Surat Al-Ikhlas (Chapter - 112)
Which was revealed in Makkah
The Reason for the Revelation of this Surah and its Virtues

Imam Ahmad recorded from Ubayy bin Ka`b that the idolaters said to the Prophet, "O Muhammad! Tell us the lineage of your Lord.'' So Allah revealed(Say: "He is Allah, One. Allah He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none comparable to
Him.'')

Similar was recorded by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Jarir and they added in their narration that he said,"(As-Samad) is One Who does not give birth, nor was He born, because there is nothing that is born except that it will die, and there is nothing that dies except that it leaves behind inheritance, and indeed Allah does not die and He does not leave behind any inheritance.(And there is none comparable to Him.) This means that there is none similar to Him, none equal to Him and there is nothing at all like Him.''

Ibn Abi Hatim also recorded it and At-Tirmidhi mentioned
it as a Mursal narration. Then At-Tirmidhi said, "And this is the most correct.''

A Hadith on its Virtues

Al-Bukhari reported from `Amrah bint `Abdur-Rahman, who used to stay in the apartment of `A'ishah,the wife of the Prophet, that `A'ishah said, "The Prophet sent a man as the commander of a war expedition and he used to lead his companions in prayer with recitation (of the Qur'an). And he would complete his recitation with the recitation of `Say: He is Allah, One.' So when they returned they mentioned that to the Prophet and he said,(Ask him why does he do that.) So they asked him and he said, `Because it is the description of Ar-Rahman and I love to recite it. So the Prophet said,(Inform him that Allah the Most High loves him.)'' This is how Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith in his Book of Tawhid. Muslim and An-Nasa'i also recorded it.

In his Book of Salah, Al-Bukhari recorded that Anas said, "A man from the Ansar used to lead the people in prayer in the Masjid of Quba'. Whenever he began a Surah in the recitation of the prayer that he was leading them, he would start by reciting `Say: He is Allah, One' until he completed the entire Surah. Then he would recite another Surah along with it (after it). And used to do this in every Rak`ah. So his companions spoke to him about this saying; `Verily, you begin the prayer with this Surah. Then you think that it is not sufficient for you unless you recite another Surah as well. So you should either recite it or leave it and recite another Surah instead.' The man replied, `I will not leave it off. If you want me to continue leading you(in prayer), I will do this; and if you all do not like it, I will leave you (i.e., I will stop leading you).' They used to consider him to be of the best of them to lead them in prayer and they did not want anyone else to lead them other than him. So, when the Prophet came they informed him of this information
and he said,(O so-and-so! What prevents you from doing what your companions are commanding you to do, and what makes you adhere to the recitation of this Surah in every Rak`ah) The man said, `Verily, I love it.' The Prophet replied,(Your love of it will cause you to enter Paradise.) This was recorded by Al-Bukhari, with a
disconnected chain, but in a manner indicating his approval.

A Hadith that mentions this Surah is equivalent to a Third of the Qur'an

Al-Bukhari recorded from Abu Sa`id that a man heard another man reciting(Say: "He is Allah, One.'') and he was repeating over and over. So when morning came, the man went
to the Prophet and mentioned that to him, and it was as though he was belittling it. The Prophet said,(By He in Whose Hand is my soul, verily it is equivalent to a third of the Qur'an.) Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i also recorded it.

Another Hadith Al-Bukhari recorded from Abu Sa`id, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said to his Companions,(Is one of you not able to recite a third of the Qur'an in a single night) This was something that was difficult for them and they said, "Which of us is able to do that, O Messenger of Allah'' So he replied,("Allah is the One, As-Samad'' is a third of the Qur'an.) Al-Bukhari was alone in recording this Hadith.

There's more. You can read it here.

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

Before I type about anything else, I'd like to take this opportunity to ask for forgiveness from all my family and friends who're reading, for all the wrongs I'd done to you. Sekiranya terkasar bahasa. Sekiranya tergurau berlebihan. Sekiranya tersakitkan mana-mana anggota badan baik tangan atau hati dan sebagainya. Dan segala-galanya lah, baik yang sengaja dan yang tidak sengaja...

Bukannya apa, Ustaz Fathurrahman ada cakap pasal Nisfu Syaaban di mana pada malam it Allah akan mengampunkan dosa mereka yang meminta kecuali mereka yang takabbur dan mereka yang memutuskan silaturrahim... And he suggested that malam Nisfu Syaaban ni, eratkanlah silaturrahim bersama keluarga dan kawan-kawan...

I tried to find the hadith online, but didn't find the exact one. Yang I found is riwayat At-Tarmizi and Ibn Majah. Sahih ke, hasan ke tak sure pulak. But I trust Ustaz won't quote a hadith unless it is sahih/hasan/boleh dijadikan hujjah punya. Otherwise, he'd state that the hadith is da'if or maudhu' etc. Dear friends, if you have the hadith, do send to me soon :) thx.

Anyway, what an adventure today!!! I went to Biopolis Matrix building in the morning for a bioethics public forum, Afterwhich around Zohor I went to Assyakirin to support NI and SPMLS for the fund-raising.

Of which... nak publicise sikit nih!! 50% of the money we get from the jumble sale will be used to fund our iftar project with Darul Ma'wa and Chai Chee residents. Do come down to Assyakirin (alight at Lakeside and take 98) between 9am and 6pm tomorrow and help us raise the funds needed. Do bring your family and friends along! Kat Assyakirin tu there's nour.sg badges booth as well as an archery booth (tadi uh, besok... insyaAllah ade!) So bawaklah duit banyak-banyak and have fun sambil beramal!

K, back on track. Around Asar I left Assyakirin and the adventurous side of me took the better of me and somehow I found myself cruising around in a bus for 2 hours!! And it didn't get me where I should be. Had to drop off at Al-Kaff for Asar prayers afterwhich cepat-cepat balik, change, Maghrib and went to Ghufran for Nisfu Syaaban :)

K that was just the summary. Wann know more? InsyaAllah siaran akan dilangsungkan esok malam kalau pemberitanya mampu hehehe.

There's really a lot to talk about. Serious issues included. Hopefully I have time tomorrow.

To end this off, just spreading the announcement. There will be gerhana bulan between 3.15 and 6.45 am this morning of which the peak will be at 5.15am. Kalau mampu, bangunlah untuk menunaikan solat sunat gerhana, sekaligus solat sunat tahajjud and solat sunat taubat... Do remember to ask Allah to ampunkan segala dosamu! Alamak tempting nye nak share what Ustaz Fathurrahman shared pasal doa and zikir, but I'm so sleepy!! InsyaAllah lain kali... Or kalau ada yang lain who attended tamanilmu last Thurs at SP bolehlah share and bagi kita link ;)

K tu je, selamat malam dan maaf zahir dan batin semua!

Muslims should be like Flowers..
Flourishing in the garden of Islam.
Spreading the fragrance of Kindness and Love everywhere..
Loving each other for the sake of Allah..


Muslims should be like Flowers..
Flourishing in the garden of Islam.
Keeping the garden most attractive and charming.
Flowers having the colors of sabr and taqwah.


Muslims should be like Flowers.
Flourishing in the garden of Islam.
Smiling always and
Thanking Allah for the beautiful bounties.


Muslims should be like Flowers..
Flourishing in the garden of Islam.
Helping each other..
Enjoining the right and forbidding what is wrong.


Muslims should be like Flowers..
Flourishing in the garden of Islam..
Always Remembering Allah..
Obeying his commands and pleasing Him.


Muslims should be like Flowers..
Flourishing in the garden of Islam.
Enjoying the rain of mercy,
Praising Allah.. saying Alhamdulillah.~



In this world there are lots of Muslims..
Muslims from different nations and tribes..
from different backgrounds..
looking different from each other..
just like different flowers in a garden..
roses, sunflowers, jasmines and many more beautiful fragrant flowers..
all look different from each other but they all are beautiful. SubhanAllah.



We all are like flowers..
Some are roses, some are sunflowers , some are jasmines.
We all are in the same garden..
That is the garden of Islam.
We are asked to enjoin the right and forbid the evil.
We are commanded to love each other for the sake of Allah.


We must try to strive hard to follow the Quran and the authentic sunnah of prophet Mohammad pbuh. We must respect each others' views.

Even if we ever realize that a brother or a sister is somehow not following Islam correctly, we should try to correct them with kindness and love. We must not treat them harshly. We must not hurt anyone's feelings.


Help each other for the sake of Allah.
Let the Imaan be your strongest weapon against shaytaan.
Let sabr and taqwa adorn yourselves,
like the dew drops adorning flowers.


Brothers and Sisters~
We all are from Adam and Eve.
None of us has the superiority over the other except for piety
(as told by our beloved Prophet Mohammad pbuh).
There is no room for racism.


Always remember
Allah is watching us, wherever we are, whatever we are doing.
Prepare for the day we will be facing Allah swt and will be questioned about our deeds.


Let's be like the flowers~~
Spreading the fragrance of love, kindness and peace everywhere.. InsyaAllah.

Suatu hari, Imam Al-Ghazali berkumpul dengan murid-muridnya lalu beliau
bertanya (Teka Teki ) :



Imam Ghazali = " Apakah yang paling dekat dengan diri kita di dunia ini
?

Murid 1 = " Orang tua "
Murid 2 = " Guru "
Murid 3 = " Teman "
Murid 4 = " Kaum kerabat "
Imam Ghazali = " Semua jawapan itu benar. Tetapi yang paling dekat
dengan kita ialah MATI. Sebab itu janji Allah bahawa setiap yang
bernyawa pasti akan mati ( Surah Ali-Imran :185).


Imam Ghazali = " Apa yang paling jauh dari kita di dunia ini ?"

Murid 1 = " Negeri Cina "
Murid 2 = " Bulan "
Murid 3 = " Matahari "
Murid 4 = " Bintang-bintang "
Iman Ghazali = " Semua jawaban itu benar. Tetapi yang paling benar
adalah MASA LALU. Bagaimanapun kita, apapun kenderaan kita, tetap kita
tidak akan dapat kembali ke masa yang lalu. Oleh sebab itu kita harus
menjaga hari ini, hari esok dan hari-hari yang akan datang dengan
perbuatan yang sesuai dengan ajaran Agama".


Iman Ghazali = " Apa yang paling besar didunia ini ?"

Murid 1 = " Gunung "
Murid 2 = " Matahari "
Murid 3 = " Bumi "
Imam Ghazali = " Semua jawaban itu benar, tapi yang besar sekali
adalah
HAWA NAFSU (Surah Al A'raf: 179). Maka kita harus hati-hati dengan nafsu
kita, jangan sampai nafsu kita membawa ke neraka."


IMAM GHAZALI" Apa yang paling berat didunia? "

Murid 1 = " Baja "
Murid 2 = " Besi "
Murid 3 = " Gajah "
Imam Ghazali = " Semua itu benar, tapi yang paling berat adalah MEMEGANG
AMANAH (Surah Al-Azab : 72 ). Tumbuh-tumbuhan, binatang, gunung, dan
malaikat semua tidak mampu ketika Allah SWT meminta mereka menjadi
khalifah
pemimpin) di dunia ini. Tetapi manusia dengan sombongnya berebut-rebut
menyanggupi permintaan Allah SWT sehingga banyak manusia masuk ke neraka
kerana gagal memegang amanah."


Imam Ghazali = " Apa yang paling ringan di dunia ini ?"

Murid 1 = " Kapas"
Murid 2 = " Angin "
Murid 3 = " Debu "
Murid 4 = " Daun-daun"
Imam Ghazali = " Semua jawaban kamu itu benar, tapi yang paling ringan
sekali didunia ini adalah MENINGGALKAN SOLAT . Gara-gara pekerjaan kita
atau urusan dunia, kita tinggalkan solat "


Imam Ghazali = " Apa yang paling tajam sekali di dunia ini? "

Murid- Murid dengan serentak menjawab = " Pedang "
Imam Ghazali = " Itu benar, tapi yang paling tajam sekali didunia ini
adalah LIDAH MANUSIA. Kerana melalui lidah, manusia dengan mudahnya
menyakiti hati dan melukai perasaan saudaranya sendiri "

I.am.feeling.... worried over something. I have a notion worried over what, but I can't be sure. Had this feeling since last night. Resah, gelisah... Tak tenteram. Macam ada yang sungguh tak kena gitu...

I hope it has nothing related to this hadith:




Al-Nawwas bin Sam'an, radiyallahu 'anhu, reported that the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said:

"Righteousness is good character, and sin is that which wavers in your heart and which you do not want people to know about."
[Muslim]


According to Wabisah bin Ma'bad, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said:

I came to the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, and he said: "You have come to ask about righteousness ?" " Yes," I answered. He said: "Consult your heart. Righteousness is that about which the soul feels tranquil and the heart feels tranquil, and sin is what creates restlessness in the soul and moves to and fro in the breast, even though people give you their opinion (in your favour) and continue to do so."
[A good hadith transmitted from the Musnads of the two Imams, Ahmad bin Hanbal and Al-Darimi]

from http://fortyhadith.iiu.edu.my/hadith27.htm

LAST was horrible yesterday... Goodbye rat...

Anyway, took my NAPFA this morning. What the toot... Failed my standing broad jump and 2.4km run quite badly... Oh wells... Expected actually. Always didn't do well in these in Sec school either. Passed just because My Ng and the other PE teachers seriously push us till we pass. No wonder Temasek won the fitness award for lik how many consecutive years sehh..

So unfit... So sad... No wonder I always lazy to do things. Korang let's play netball and badminton yok! And who wanna go rockclimbing? NI-ans *ahem*!! Hehe. Fityan too ;)

I feel creative juices welling up in my brain but I can't put aside time to pour them on paper! Wish to open Secret Gate again!!! Missing my bcreative side. Missing Sylvia badly too!

And Siti... She asked me out today and I'd wanted to go, but I was super tired after NAPFA that I just went flat.

I'd been eating ALOT despite the ulcer in my mouth. Opps~ Cotrol!!!

Oh oh, the ulcer has more or less healed already whee~!

Watched Spiderman3 for awhile just now on HBO. "whatever comes our way,whatever battle we have raging inside us, we always have a choice. my friend harry taught me that. he chose to be the best of himself. its the choices that make us who we are, and we can choose to do whats right." :)

Just wanna share another hadith:


Abu al-‘Abbas ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas, radiyallahu anhuma, reported: One day I was behind the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, and he said to me:


"O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice] : Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. If you (have need to) ask, ask of Allah; and if you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that even if the Nation (or the whole community) were to gather together to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you with anything except that which Allah has already recorded for you, and that if they gather together to harm you with something, they would not be able to harm you with anything except that which Allah has already recorded against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried."

from http://fortyhadith.iiu.edu.my/hadith19.htm

Juz for sharing :)

I remember Ustazah Aishah saying about points 1 and 6. It helped a little y'know. So, for those still having to memorize specific surahs from the holy Qur'an for madrasah oral exams, try it!

Memorizing the Holy Quran
Posted by miorkhabir on October 21, 2007


What you should do before, while, and after memorizing the Book:

1. Ikhlaas - (Sincerity)

The purification of ones intention and correcting ones desire is obligatory. It is likewise for making ones concern with and memorisation of the Quran for the sake of Allah, and for gaining success with His Paradise and obtaining His pleasure. Also for obtaining those mighty rewards which are reserved for those who recited the Quran and memorised it.

“Say: Verily, I am commanded to serve Allah with sincere devotion…”
Az-Zumar, verse 11.

2. Correction of ones pronunciation and recitation (tajwid)

Taking the Quran from a good reciter is obligatory. Likewise, correcting ones recitation firstly and not depending oneself in its recitation even if one is knowledgeable of the Arabic language and of its principles, is also obligatory. This is because in the Quran there are many verses which occur in a way that is opposed to what is well known in the rules of the Arabic language.

3. Specifying a daily limit for memorization

It is necessary for the one desiring to memorize the Quran that he sets himself a daily limit for memorizing; a number of verses for example, perhaps a page or two or even an eighth of a juz (maqra’). So he begins, after he has corrected his recitation and set his daily limit, to learn by frequent repetition. It is also necessary that this repetition is done melodiously and this is so that a person follows the Sunnah firstly and that the memorization is made firm and strong secondly.

“Whoever does not beautify the Quran (recite it melodiously), he is not of us.”
Riwayat Sahih Bukhari.

4. Not surpassing one’s daily limit until you have perfected its memorization

It is not permissible for the memorizer to move to a new portion of the Quran until after he has perfected the memorization of his previous limit, so that what he has memorized is firmly established in his mind.

5. Memorize using the same copy (mushaf) of the Quran

Among the things which aid the memorization is that the memorizer should keep for himself a specific mushaf (copy of the Quran) which he should never change. This is because a person memorizes using the sight just as he memorized using the hearing. The script and form of the verses and their places in the mushaf leave an imprint in the mind when they are recited and looked at frequently. If the memorizer was to change his mushaf from which he memorizes or if he was to memorize from a number of different copies, the places of the verses would be in different places and also the script may also be different. This makes the memorization difficult for him, and therefore it is obligatory for the one memorizing the Quran that he does so from a single script and mushaf and should never replace it.

**There are differences of script in the Rasm Uthmani mushaf and the other ones, such as the symbols of sakinah (tanda mati) and tanwin.

6. Understanding is the way to memorize

Among the things which greatly aid the process of memorization is understanding the verses that one has memorized and knowing their relationship and link, one to another. Tafseer is necessary, no doubt, and this makes easier for him to memorize the verses. But it is not good to know the meaning alone in the term of memorizing. Repetition of these verses should be the foundation. Ones who rely upon the meaning alone will forget often and his recitation will be disjointed due to his mind being scattered and occupied with other things. This occurs frequently, especially when the recitation is long.

7. Do not move from a complete surah until you have completed the first part of it to the last

It is desirable for the memorizer that he does not move onto another surah after finishing one, except after having perfected its memorization and connecting its first part to its last so that his tongue can flow in the recitation, from beginning to its end. It should be like flowing water and like a person who recites al-Fatihah without any difficulty or having to think about it.

8. Reciting to others

One should not depend on himself for his memorization. He should test his memorization by reciting the verses or surah to somebody else. Many individuals among us who memorize a surah make mistake and a person may not realize that until he looks into the mushaf. Furthermore, he may not realize by himself at which place he makes an error in his recitation despite the fact that he may be reciting from a mushaf. Reciting to others is a means of perceiving and knowing these errors and being constantly aware of them.

9. Constantly returning to what one has memorized

The Quran is different from any other materials that is memorized such as poetry and prose. This is because the Quran is quickly lost from one’s mind.

“By Him in whose Hand is my soul, it is faster in escaping than a tied camel.”
Riwayat Sahih Bukhari and Muslim.

So it is obligatory and a must upon the memorizer of the Quran to continuously recite what he has memorized from the Quran. Without it, what he has memorized will escape.

10. Being aware of the resembling parts of the Quran (mutashaabihat)

The Quran has approximately six and a half-thousand verses and there are approximately a thousand verses in which there is a resemblance of some sort. One of the ways to aid oneself in this matter is to study those books which deal with this topic of resembling verses in the Quran. Among the most famous of them are:

1) Durratut-tanzeel wa ghurratut-ta’weel fii bayaanil aayaat al mutashaabihaat fii kitaabillahil aziiz - by al-Khateeb al-Iskaafee.

2) Asraarut-tukraar fil-Quran - by Mahmood bin Hamzah ibn Nasr al-Kirmaanee.

11. Taking advantage of the golden years of memorizing

The successful one, inevitably, is the one who takes advantage of the best years of memorization and these are from the age of 5 to 23 approximately. A person’s ability to memorize during these years is very good. In fact, these are the golden years of memorizing.
To memorize at this stage can be done very quickly and forgetting is not so easy. The opposition happens after this time when a person memorizes with difficulty and forgets with great velocity.

And with Allah is success and prayers and peace be upon our Messenger Muhammad, upon his family and all his companions.

* Taken from “Al-Qawaid adh-dhahabiyyah lil hifzil quranil azeem” by Abdurrahman Abdul Khaaliq.

** English translation by Amjad ibn Muhammad Rafiq, University of Essex Islamic Society.