PUISI 2007 - Begin with THE END in Mind.

Salaam everyone,

I heard about this, I was informed about it, I was interested to be a part of it, but Allah knows best. Time is not by my side, because most probably I will be home at around that time. I was informed about it months ago by LUMSOC and knowing that I won't be around to join, seeing the video makes me more eager to come and participate. (perhaps I can work something out? *raising eyebrows*)

Masya Allah. May Allah reward and bless the brothers and sisters who enjoin together to do good for the ummah.

What's best also is that the invited speaker is him.

Alrighty. Insya Allah, will be off to London later. Despite a few 'complications' that arise at the very last minute, I am still 'bertawakal' to Allah to make ease my journey throughout, insya Allah.

Pray for my safe journey, everyone.

And kaka Hana, insya Allah, will see you later for iftar. What's the menu? ;)

Psst psst: it's Nuzul al-Qur'an today. And I'm polishing my tajuid so to speak, insya Allah :D

because i am a girl. a muslimah.

Salaam everyone,

I'm sure most of you have received the following information mostly via email.

But it doesn't hurt to have a quick looksie..

Kenapa Allah jadikan Hawa dari tulang rusuk Nabi Adam, bukan dari bahagian lain. Ada hikmahnya.

Tulang rusuk tu dekat dengan hati, menunjukkan kaum hawa dicipta untuk dikasihi oleh kaum adam.

Tulang rusuk tu dekat dengan ketiak menunjukkan kaum hawa dijadikan untuk dilindung oleh kaum adam.

Allah tak menjadi kan kaum hawa dari bahagian kepala untuk menandingi/melebihi kaum adam, dan juga bukan dari bahagian kaki untuk dipijak-pijak oleh kaum adam.

Beza Lelaki & Wanita

:: Lelaki ::

• Lelaki bujang kena tanggung dosa sendiri apabila sudah baligh manakala dosa gadis bujang ditanggung oleh bapanya.

• Lelaki berkahwin kena tanggung dosa sendiri, dosa isteri, dosa anak perempuan yang belum berkahwin dan dosa anak lelaki yang belum baligh. BERATKAN?

• Hukum menjelaskan anak lelaki kena bertanggungjawab ke atas ibunya dan sekiranya dia tidak menjalankan tanggungjawabnya maka dosa baginya terutama anak lelaki yang tua, manakala perempuan tidak, perempuan hanya perlu taat kepada suaminya. Isteri berbuat baik pahala dapat kepadanya kalau buat tak baik dosanya ditanggung oleh suaminya. BERATKAN??

• Suami kena bagi nafkah pada isteri, ini wajib tapi isteri tidak. Walaupun begitu isteri boleh membantu. Haram bagi suami bertanya pendapatan isteri lebih-lebih lagi menggunakan pendapatan isteri tanpa izin.

:: Wanita ::

• Auratnya lebih susah dijaga berbanding lelaki. Perlu meminta izin dari suaminya apabila mahu keluar rumah tetapi tidak sebaliknya.

• Saksinya kurang berbanding lelaki.

• Menerima pusaka kurang dari lelaki.

• Perlu menghadapi kesusahan mengandung dan melahirkan anak.

• Wajib taat kepada suaminya tetapi suami tak perlu taat pada isterinya.

• Talak terletak di tangan suami dan bukan isteri.

• Wanita kurang dalam beribadat kerana masalah haid dan nifas yang tak ada pada lelaki.

Wanita perlu taat kepada suami tetapi lelaki wajib taat kepada ibunya 3 kali lebih utama dari bapanya. Bukankah ibu adalah seorang wanita?

Wanita perlu bersusah payah mengandung dan melahirkan anak, tetapi setiap saat dia didoakan oleh segala haiwan, malaikat dan seluruh makhluk ALLAH di mukabumi ini, dan matinya jika kerana melahirkan adalah syahid kecil. Manakala dosanya diampun ALLAH (dosa kecil).

Di akhirat kelak, seorang lelaki akan dipertanggungjawabkan terhadap 4 wanita ini: isterinya, ibunya, anak perempuannya dan saudara perempuannya.

Manakala, seorang wanita pula, tanggungjawab terhadapnya ditanggung oleh 4 org lelaki ini: suaminya, ayahnya, anak lelakinya dan saudara lelakinya.

Seorang wanita boleh memasuki pintu Syurga melalui mana-mana pintu Syurga yang disukainya cukup dengan 4 syarat sahaja: sembahyang 5 waktu, puasa di bulan Ramadhan, taat suaminya dan menjaga kehormatannya. (masya Allah)

Seorang lelaki perlu pergi berjihad fisabilillah tetapi wanita jika taat akan suaminya serta menunaikan tanggungjawabnya kepada ALLAH akan turut menerima pahala seperti pahala orang pergi berperang fisabilillah tanpa perlu mengangkat senjata.

MasyaALLAH…sayangnya ALLAH pada wanita ….

Seorang wanita adalah pelengkap dan sememangnya istimewa di sisi seorang lelaki, tetapi ingatlah wahai lelaki…kamu sebenarnya adalah istimewa disisi Allah, maka dengan sebab itu DIA mengangkat kamu menjadi pemimpin…maka dengan keistimewaan itu, JAGALAH dan HARGAILAH wanita sebaik-baiknya…supaya kelak masing-masing lelaki dan wanita dapat pulang mengadap Allah dalam keadaan istimewa disisiNYA.

********

grab the chance untuk jadi ahli syurga ya Muslimah (insya Allah), Alhamdulillah, Allah jadikan tani seorang wanita muslimah, Alhamdulillah indeed :)

Because of this, and because I am a girl, because I am a muslimah...

pasal rasa terlalu sayang arah babahku, dan pasal terlalu sayang kepada bakal suamiku (whoever he might be, insya Allah), dan pasal kasih seorang adik & kakak kepada abang dan adi-adiku, makanya, sebagai seorang wanita muslimah, I am trying my best to minimize berbuat dosa in terms of pemakaian seharian, memperbaiki akhlakku sebagai seorang muslimah, meningkatkan dan meluaskan lagi pengetahuanku dalam bidang ugama dan pemahamanku dalam perkara-perkara yang berkaitan dengan Islam, penjagaan auratku yang memang sudah sangat susah untuk dijaga, even though it seems to be something that is hard to be done, but I will keep reminding myself that:

Firman Allah s.w.t.:

"Dan jika kamu mengikut sebahagian besar manusia (majoriti) di atas muka bumi ini nescaya kamu akan disesatkan dari jalan Allah

(Surah Al-An'aam, 6:116)

Rasulullah s.a.w. bersabda:

"Islam itu bermula dengan keadaan dagang (asing) dan akan berakhir dalam keadaan dagang, Maka beruntunglah orang yang dagang, yang menghidupkan sunnahku ketika orang merosakkannya"

Insya Allah, Allah knows best. Yang penting, mudahan beroleh keredhaan Allah s.w.t. dan mendapat berkat dalam apa jua perkara yang dilakukan demi untuk mendapat keampunan dari-Nya jua, Amin.

Whatever it is, apa pun jua dugaan yang datang, Allah knows, Dia Maha Mengetahui. Mudahan Allah tingkatkan lagi tahap kesabaranku, insya Allah.

Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu ‘anhu) was asked about taqwa. He said, “It is a road full of thorns. One who walks it needs to have extreme patience.”

There is nothing more conducive to concentration of the heart on God than silence and fasting, just as there is nothing more conducive to scattering than too much food and too many words, even about what concerns us. [Letters of Sheikh al Darqawi]

************

When it all feels so insignificant,
leave me be
so that I can alone
alone so that I can concentrate on worshiping my Lord

When it all feels less important,
leave me be
I won't mind being alone
because I know, with remembrance of Allah, my heart does find rest...

When it all feels so strange,
leave me be
I won't mind being the odd one out
because I know the road to purification is a hill I have to climb
struggling and crawling if I must
as long as I reach the top, insya Allah
to attain Allah's pleasure.

-NAHS [20th September 2007]

ps: Happy Birthday to Izzah and Mas~ Semoga sentiasa dalam perlindungan Allah dan semoga Allah menetapkan dan meningkatkan keimanan dan memberkati kehidupan di dunia dan di akhirat, insya Allah.. Amin..

Ten Useless Matters.

Salaam everyone,

somehow the weather has been very weird (wallahu'alam). These past two days, it's been rather chilly than usual. Kinda made me wonder, has winter come early this year? On the down side of it, I've put my winter coat in the box that's ready to be shipped, so that's a big "OH NOES" for me since I have a few more weeks left here, insya Allah. On the other hand, it made me wonder why the sudden drop of temperature. Wallahu'alam. Allah knows best.

Anyhoo, found an interesting article to ponder upon.

Ten Useless Matters

By:
Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah
Al-Fawa'id
© 2004 Umm Al-Qura

Taken from: here

1. Knowledge that is not acted on

2. The deed that has neither sincerity nor is based on following the righteous examples of others

3. Money that is hoarded, as the owner neither enjoys it during this life nor obtains any reward for it in the Hereafter

4. The heart that is empty of love and longing for Allah, and of seeking closeness to Him

5. A body that does not obey and serve Allah

6. Loving Allah without following His orders or seeking His pleasure

7. Time that is not spent in expiating sins or seizing opportunities to do good

8. A mind that thinks about useless matters

9. Serving those who do not bring you close to Allah, nor benefit you in your life

10. Hoping and fearing whoever is under the authority of Allah and in His hand; while he cannot bring any benefit or harm to himself, nor death, nor life; nor can he resurrect himself.

However the greater of these matters are wasting the heart and wasting time. Wasting the heart is done by preferring this worldly life over the Hereafter, and wasting time is done by having incessant hope. Destruction occurs by following one’s desires and having incessant hope, while all goodness is found in following the right path and preparing oneself to meet Allah.

How strange it is that when a servant of Allah has a [worldly] problem, he seeks help of Allah, but he never asks Allah to cure his heart before it dies of ignorance, neglect, fulfilling one’s desires and being involved in innovations. Indeed, when the heart dies, he will never feel the significance or impact of his sins.

Memang banyak dugaan for me these past few days, but I believe that Allah knows best, I always tell myself to 'bersangka baik' in Allah, most importantly and to others, regardless of what might appear afterwards. Mungkin ada hikmah disebaliknya.

There's no time to rant, it's Ramadhan, I wanna make use of the time doing something beneficial, insya Allah ;) (besides, Allah has blessed us with a new member to the family, haven't you heard? I have a nephew!!! and he's as adorable as littlecuddlybabyyouseeonteeveethatmakesyouwannagigit *grins*)

Until then, Allah hafiz everyone.

Selamat berbuka puasa~

For my sisters.

Salaam everyone,

I woke up this morning getting email from Akhi Faridul (fyi, I'm included in his mailing list so whatever post he would post in his blog, he would send to his mailing list as well), and from one post, I got directed to another blog - writer is an ustaz. And from his previous posts, I got interested to click on the ones that concern my sisters - muslimahs.

:: Tolonglah Wahai Wanita - Rayuan Seorang Lelaki ::
:: Women's Aurat - What Has Happened? ::
:: Wanita, Aurat, Kerjaya & Suami Nusyuz ::
:: Seluar Londeh, Pakaian Seksi Wanita - Suatu Hak Kebebasan Peribadi? ::

Some of the posts made me re-think again and again about how I come about. The way I am, the way I dress. The way I present myself. Every little detail. Sometimes this cautiousness made me 'sadar' for a while, then because of my weak Iman, I go back to how I used to be.

Tsk.

Sigh.

Insya Allah, I'm still struggling myself, but I know Allah is Most Generous and Most Kind. May this Ramadhan will be a chance for me to better and improve myself, insya Allah.

On a different note, I went to see my Programme Leader today to talk about my leaving. Alhamdulillah, everything went smoothly. I even met a new Malaysian postgraduate taking a course in the Business School as she was sitting at the corner in the cluster and being an official 'postgraduate' myself (teehee), I was able to help out regarding printing and other information, Masya Allah. I personally love the idea of how a hijabi can recognize another hijabi, and with a simple "Salaam 'Alaykum" and a smile, strangers practically become 'sisters' in a matter of minutes. Alhamdulillah. I guess that's the beauty of Islam. It spreads peace among the sisters and brothers.

grins.

After that, I went to sort out my ticket and other matters, then stop by the meat shop and then the book shop. And I got myself this:



Now I'm browsing through IIPH online - Islamic Bookstore and I want them:





Now, if only I can find out if they do deliveries to UK within these two weeks then I'm all set ;)

Have a blessed day, everyone.

Allah hafiz.

Salaam.

inni akhafullah...

sejauh manakah kecintaanku terhadap-Mu Ya Allah...
sekiranya aku melafazkan rindu dan cintaku terhadap-Mu, tetapi masih ku rasa belum cukup untuk mengecapi tahap keagungan cinta-Mu,

sekuat manakah pendirianku untuk menegakkan kebenaran Agama-Mu Ya Allah...
sekiranya aku menyatakan sepenuh keinginan untuk menjalani hidup sebagai seorang muslimah dan berusaha untuk menjadi seorang mujahidah, tetapi masih ku rasa diriku serba kekurangan sedangkan aku mencuba sedaya upaya untuk menjadi yang terbaik di pandangan-Mu,

seteguh manakah keimananku kepada-Mu Ya Allah...
sekiranya ku rasa terlalu lemah tika kala ujian-Mu hadir dalam hidupku dan ku merasa diriku tidak sanggup untuk menghadapinya...

setakat manakah keinginanku untuk mendapatkan keredhaan-Mu Ya Allah...
sekiranya segala perbuatan yang telah ku lakukan selama ini belum mendapat keberkatan dari-Mu kerana aku belum mampu meninggalkan beberapa perkara yang Engkau larang.

Sesungguhnya aku sungguh sungguh lemah tanpa-Mu Ya Allah...
Pimpinlah daku dalam mengecapi impianku untuk mencari keredhaan-Mu.

(nahs, 26/08/07)

Salaam 'Alaikum semuanya,

I've finished editing parts of my thesis with the help from my supervisor's comments... Alhamdulillah, I only have about 2000+ to go, then insya Allah, I'll be done with my thesis, mudahan Allah permudahkan segala urusanku, Amin...

I came across a few blogs that copy paste a particular article/story regarding 'ber-couple', semoga ia menjadi iktibar untuk kita semua dan may we benefit from it, insya Allah. I personally find it quite disturbing because as I was reading through the long story, I found myself saying "ouch" and biting my lips for contradicting myself, hence knowing that I am a hypocrite myself...

"Mengapa kamu suruh orang lain (mengerjakan) kebajikan, sedang kamu melupakan diri (kewajiban) mu sendiri,padahal kamu membaca Al Kitab (Taurat)?Maka tidakkah kamu berfikir?"

"Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture? Then will you not reason?"

(Al-Baqarah, ayat 44)

Fyi, it is quite a long post, but it is worth the read - clickey here. I, on the other hand will summarize it in my own words.

A guy's point of view on coupling. Just like any other guys/human being, memang sudah lumrah ada keinginan untuk mencinta dan dicintai. Yes, we all have been there. Bila bercinta, semuanya rasa indah, everything seems perfect and it feels like dunia kitani berdua yang punya. But this guy suddenly realized that in Islam, coupling is actually haraam. Even though niatnya ikhlas untuk mengubah dirinya dan dalam masa yang sama, ia ingin mengubah wanita yang disayanginya, seperti memberi nasihat yang bernas, mengingati untuk solat dan membaca al-Quran, dan sebagainya, just like what I had in mind... prior to reading this post.

(which reminds me of what A told me about more than a year ago - "buat masa ini, kita sama-sama melakukan apa yang terbaik untuk diri kita sendiri, dan untuk kehidupan kita sendiri, dan dalam masa yang sama, kita bertawakkal dan berdoa kepada Allah supaya beroleh keberkatan dari-Nya dalam apa jua yang kita lakukan dalam kehidupan kita... insya Allah, kalau sudah dituliskan dalam Lauh Mahfuz yang awak adalah (dan akan jadi) milik saya dan saya adalah (dan akan jadi) milik awak, walau sekeras mana pun kita tolak benda nie, kalau awak tak suka saya pun, atau kalau saya tak inginkan awak pun, kalau sudah tiba masa dan ketika dan sampai jodoh, kita akan bertemu juga, dengan izin-Nya, kerana jodoh pertemuan itu sudah ditentukan oleh Yang Maha Mengetahui..." - now baru ku faham maksud kata-kata yang dituturkan olehnya dulu...)

Anyways, back to the post:

Tiba satu saat, di dalam satu ukhwah, dia bertanya arah seorang ustaz tentang 'coupling', jawapan yang diterimanya begitu sukar untuk ditelan. Memang lumrah bercinta, even though tani tau atu salah, we will try habis-habisan to find a reason to make it 'acceptable'. Kenapa masih mahu melawan hukum-hukum Allah? Astagfirullah, neez, Ya Allah, ampunkan dosa hamba-Mu ini, betapa jahilnya diriku...

Ustaz mentioned:

Allah firman dalam surah Al-Isra', surah ke 17, dalam ayat yg ke 32:

"Dan janganlah kamu mendekati zina; sesungguhnya zina itu adalah suatu perbuatan yang keji dan suatu jalan yang buruk."

"And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way."

Sambil brother tu bukak Al-Quran dia, dan tunjuk pada saya ayat ini:

"Dan (juga) kaum 'Aad dan Tsamud, dan sungguh telah nyata bagi kamu (kehancuran mereka) dari (puing-puing) tempat tinggal mereka. Dan setan menjadikan mereka memandang baik perbuatan-perbuatan mereka, lalu ia menghalangi mereka dari jalan (Allah), sedangkan mereka adalah orang-orang yang berpandangan tajam."

"And [We destroyed] ‘Aad and Thamud, and it has become clear to you from their [ruined] dwellings. And Satan had made pleasing to them their deeds and averted them from the path, and they were endowed with perception."

(Surah Al-Anakabut,Surah 29, ayat 38)

"Akhi, kalau nta paham ayat ni, sebenarnya apa yang berlaku pada nta ialah, setan telah buat nta pandang indah benda buruk yang nta lakukan. Walaupun nta berpandangan tajam, maksudnya nta berilmu tinggi. Memang pada mulanya niat nta baik, tapi ingat, syaitan itu sangat licik. Dia akan sedaya upaya buat nta terjerumus ke dalam kemaksiatan. Lagipun, takkanlah sepanjang masa nta sms dengan dia, nta ingat Allah. Mesti ada masanya nta hanya melayan perasaan dengan dia, kan?"Betul juga katanya.

Walau tanpa berjumpa, kita dapat mengelak zina seperti zina mata, zina tangan, zina kaki, zina telinga, zina lidah, tapi masih ada satu zina yang susah sangat untuk dielak - iaitu zina hati yang dilakukan dengan mengingati dan merindui seseorang itu (sigh)

Rasulullah bersabda, mata boleh berzina dgn melihat, lidah boleh berzina dengan bercakap, tangan boleh berzina dengan berpegangan. Kaki boleh berzina dengan berjalan ke arah tempat maksiat. Hati pula boleh berzina dgn merindui, mengingati dan membayangi si dia. Hakikatnye, macam mana pun anta buat, anta tetap tak dapat lari daripada zina hati.

Last-last, the guy texted the girl that same night...

Assalamualaikum..Sebenarnya selama ini hubungan kita salah di sisi Islam. Saya ingat dengan mengubah cara pergaulan kita, ia dah dibolehkan, tapi sebenarnya ia tetap berdosa. Saya harap awak akan istiqamah meneruskan perubahan yang awak dah buat, kerana Allah. Saya minta maaf atas segala yang dah berlaku. Kalau ada jodoh insya-Allah, akan bertemu juga. Assalamualaikum.."

....diselubungi dengan kesedihan, malam tu, the guy ingat satu ayatAllah dari Surah Al-Baqarah yang lebih kurang bermaksud:

"Diwajibkan atas kamu berperang, padahal berperang itu adalah sesuatu yang kamu benci. Boleh jadi kamu membenci sesuatu, padahal ia amat baik bagimu, dan boleh jadi (pula) kamu menyukai sesuatu, padahal ia amat buruk bagimu; Allah mengetahui, sedang kamu tidak mengetahui"

"Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not"

(Surah Al-Baqarah, ayat 216)

After a few months, I think, the girl sent a text message to the guy with a picture of a flower saying, "seindah gubahan pertama...", meaning that the girl still hasn't got over the guy and the guy replied saying:

"Tiada yang lebih indah daripada mendapat keredahaan Ilahi..seindah manapun gubahan pertama tu, selagi tak mendapat keredhaanNya, tetap tiada gunanya..Assalamualaikum.. saya tahu, dulu saya cakap, kalau ada jodoh, insya-Allah akan bertemu juga. Tapi saya tak nak awak tunggu. Lupakan saya. Biar Allah yang menentukan..Lagi satu, Jangan cari cinta manusia,ia penuh dengan penipuan, kekecewaan, dan tak kekal..Tapi carilah cinta Allah..tiada penipuan, tidakkan pernah mengecewakan itulah cinta abadi..Cinta yang diredhai..-Yang Terakhir- "

Masya Allah, if only I have his courage to do what's right, alangkah indahnya dunia... plus dia yakin, yakin dengan keputusannya, dan yakin dengan Allah bahawa Allah akan sediakan yang terbaik untuk dirinya...

Ya Allah... mampukan aku mengecapi tahap kekuatan hati dan keimanan sepertinya untuk mendapatkan keredhaan-Mu yang selalu ku dambakan dan yang selalu ku tuturkan? tepuk dada tanya selera...

(SO HOW NOW BROWN COW???)

~jangan berhenti berdoa...Tuhan, berikan ku hidayah agar dikuatkan iman yang lemah~

Bertemu dan berpisah hanya kerana Allah...

the significance of the 'insignificant'.

And never say of anything, "Indeed, I will do that tomorrow", except, "if Allah wills". And remember your Lord when you forget [it] and say, "Perhaps my Lord will guide me to what is nearer than this to right conduct"
(Surah Al-Kahl, Ayat 23-4)

Salaam,

(somehow I tend to post a lot today, eh?)

I supposed we as human beings (and muslims, for that matter) understand to the extend that you never know what will happen in the future (understand that future means later on, tomorrow and in the future), who you will meet, who you will befriends with, who you will fall in love with, who you will marry, when you'll be married, when you'll start working, when you'll die. Because you just don't. That is something that is kept from our knowledge, and only Allah knows best for He is the Knower of the Unseen and He Alone Knows what was and what is yet to happen and what is not to be.

His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, "Be," and it is.
(Surah Yaasin, Ayat 82)

For all you know, you might marry someone who you hate right now, or you might end up with someone who sixteen years ago tried to 'mengurat' you and you 'jual mahal' and now Allah has willed it that you two met after so many years and fall in love with each other, or that someone you dislike might be a part of your life in the future, or that you make plans to work here and there but then your rezeki is not there but somewhere else, or that you plan to go travelling or do such and such in the future... whatever it is, by all means, yes do make plans for your future (andang digalakkan untuk membuat persiapan dan persediaan), but the point is - Allah knows best and you don't;

"Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not"
(Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayat 216)

There's a story.

My friendship with Ness actually started by us deciding to exchange nasheeds via email. Simple as that. Like many others, I was one of her silent readers and on a daily basis, I would read her updates because personally I find her eloquent way of posting quite refreshing - that of a combination of a blonde and hijabi, to be exact - so as days passed by, and with much supplication to Allah as that time around I was in need of a true friend who I could 'connect' with. Due to my life history and the sudden decision to become a hijabi, I somehow can connect my story with hers. Meaning, I understand what she went through when she decided to don the hijab while she was still studying in Toowamba, (sp?) Australia last year.

Perhaps because we got the same name that kinda made us closer, cause we would joke about it saying how would people react if we introduce each other to our family and friends, the conversation would go something like this:

"Ma, ani kawan Nisah, Nisa"

and mum would look confuse saying "apa?"

and repeating the same thing, "kawan Nisah ni, Nisa..."


(which, by the way, we had fun introducing each other to our family and friends later on)

But anyways, for the first time, it felt like I can love her for the sake of Allah, Alhamdulillah. With the exchange of nasheeds, we would share with each other bits of our stories, and remind each other to remain and be steadfast in our Iman and always put our faith in Allah for He knows best. Just like any normal human beings - and girls/muslimahs like us - we too endure life as it comes, we too deal with problems and in need of someone to talk to for advice and comfort, we too have our ups and downs, and we too have our happy and sad moments. I remember feeling down because I was in a confused state of mind at that time, so much so, I turned to her (after Allah) for comfort, and Alhamdulillah, being the caring ukhti I was starting to be fond of, she would advise me and give me extracts from the Glorious Qur'an to link to her advice. And I would do the same when it was her turn to find comfort in our friendship which was based and started with the intention of loving and helping each other for the sake of Allah.

And this 'love relationship' went on for quite a few months, with a lot of emails addressed and replied to our inbox containing portions of our past history, what we did, how we felt, why we chose this road, how it happened, all the personal thoughts that I never thought I was able to share so freely with anyone before. Masya Allah, I was so thankful to Allah for giving us the chance to meet via the Internet. We were like lovebirds. The time difference between us wasn't an obstacle for us to get online and chat for hours, exchanging views and perspectives on Islam, sharing Islamic links and articles, downloading nasheeds... (makan tak kenyang, tidur tak lena kinda situation this lol ;) )

We got closer by the day because we would share blonde moments (her, most of the time, of course) and we would share jokes that we find so funny and would "hahahhahahahahhaha" like there's no tomorrow. Added in a lot of "lols" and facial massages and cramps due to extreme cases of "rofls", somehow we grew fond of each other. Sometimes, it even feels like we read each other's mind/thought and there were times when we were about to text one another but the other one texted first and we'd be like, "how you know?? I was reaching the phone to text you and you texted me". Amazing, innit? I'd say Alhamdulillah...

And when I went back to Brunei back in June to do my thesis' data collection, she was one of the first few that knew about my surprise-coming-back-to-Brunei plan. When I arrived at the airport, she was there to greet me, and that was actually the first time we laid eyes on each other (macam love story this), that was the first time Hanisah Lia met Nur Annisa, that was the first time Ness met Neez, that was the first time Nisah met Nisa, and that was the first time we met. And hugging her in person was one of the greatest moments in my life. You would too, if you consider that person to be the 'love of your life' (in a non-s**ual term, of course) teehee.

Although we didn't get a lot of chances to meet up and spend time together when I was in Brunei due to our own personal commitments, but we never fail to remind each other that we always remember each other in our duaa, insya Allah :) The few times when we did meet up, there was one I remember very well because we spent quite a long time in a bookstore in Seria looking through books, giggling like two little girls and once in a while, I'd be poking her, shushing her and reminding ourselves that we're in public so we have to maintain our haya' and modesty (good times, huns). We share interests in collecting Islamic-related books, magazines and articles and copy paste any beneficial links that we find online. Masya Allah, the blessings of a friendship that is based on common understanding that '...because we are muslimahs and I love you ukhti, for the sake of Allah" is undeniably sweet, innit!!

Who would've thought that a simple 'nasheed-exchange' act could turn out to be a beautiful friendship that blooms over time? Masya Allah, Allah knows best. As of this moment, we both know that we are still struggling to better ourselves, with our weak Imans we try our best to be there for each other, to support each other as much as we are able to, if not physically, we remember each other in our duaas, insya Allah, and with Allah's will, I pray that more and more of our sisters would be willing to share in this special bond of friendship that Ness and I share and have, if not building a much better and stronger friendship with other sisters no matter where they are...Ameen Ameen Ya Rabbal 'Alamin...

And with the halaqah muslimah group going on at the moment, I am only counting down the weeks until I can actually physically be there to be a part of this amazing group of muslimahs sharing and discussing Islamic-related issues and stories, insya Allah... well done, ukhtis, keep up the effort ;) May Allah reward you accordingly for doing something that's beneficial for others, insya Allah.

"And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful"
(Surah Al-'Imran, Ayat 104)

Now, I'm back here again and the routine "chat online for hours" is still active, and I notice one thing every time we chat and before we say our goodnights, hugs&kisses and Salaams, we always always say:

"Talk to you tomorrow huns, insya Allah"

And if we don't get the chance to chat with each other, we would be okay about it because we know that Allah wills it that way, we understand that by Allah's will, we are not supposed to chat that day, perhaps maybe because if we were to chat, then we might end up doing more haraam things such as gheebah (nauzubillahiminzalik) instead of talking about something that could benefit us both. So, Ness and I have that silent understanding that if we're meant to chat, then insya Allah we would, but Allah knows best, and if we didn't, then we trust that Allah knows the reason why we didn't get the chance to chat that day.

Simple, easy and common fact to be understood, yes?

Now, you see why I put on such a long story about my personal experience, because, this is where the point of my post lies - the word 'insya Allah' which is translated to "if Allah wills it".

It is such a small matter and can be considered so insignificant to a few hence many tend to take it so lightly, but it is actually quite a 'heavy' thing, if you actually think about it.

Sabda Rasulullah sallahu alayhi wassalam;

"Barangsiapa yang hafal dan mengamalkan 7 kalimah ini akan dimuliakan oleh Allah dan malaikat dan akan diampun dosa-dosanya walau sebanyak buih di lautan"

• Bismillahirahmannirrahim - pada tiap-tiap hendak melakukan sesuatu

• Alhamdulillah - pada tiap-tiap habis melakukan sesuatu

• Astagfirullah - jika tersilap mengatakan sesuatu yang buruk

• **Insya Allah - jika ingin melakukan sesuatu pada masa akan datang

• Laahawla walaa quwata illa billah - bila tidak dapat melakukan sesuatu yang agak berat atau melihat sesuatu yang buruk

• Innalillahi wa inna lillahirajiiun - jika menghadapi musibah atau melihat/mendengar kematian

• Laa illaha illallah - dibaca sepanjang siang dan malam sebanyak yang mungkin serta amalkan selalu moga-moga kita tergolong di kalangan orang-orang yang terpilih oleh Allah

So from now on, you know that every time you make a plan, be it with yourself, or anybody else for that matter (no matter what the plan is), always remember to add in 'insya Allah', because you never know what might happen in the future.

If people start asking redundant questions like, "bila ko balik?", or "bila tah ko kan keraja?" or the more obvious soalan-cepuk-emas or the million-dollar question, "bila ko kawin?" or anything yang sewaktu dengannya, then say whatever you want to say, the normal replies of "ada rezeki, ada tah tu; ada jodoh, ada tah tu" could work or have a cheeky comeback prepared for those questions if you must, but don't forget to add in the bit '...insya Allah...".

Ness posted a more detailed explanation on this matter on her NurAnneesa site, if you wish to find out more, insya Allah may it benefits you as much as it has benefited me.

Perhaps Allah has willed it that today you would come across my site, or find my blog link from somewhere, and happen to read this particular post so that I may be able to share this bit of my thoughts with you so that, one way or another, I hope it benefits you, your life and the people around you, insya Allah. Things do happen for a reason, don't they? Allahu a'lam, Allah knows best.

Everything that is good comes from Allah s.w.t. and everything that is bad comes from the imperfection on my part.

Jazakallahu khairan for reading, see you again soon, insya Allah ;)

Allah hafiz.

Salaam 'Alaykum.

Far East - Kembali

Wahai Tuhan yang Maha Pemurah
Terangilah ku dengan Nur imanMu
Hanya Engkau tempat ku berserah
Mohon magfirah di dalam syahdu

Wahai Tuhan yang Maha Pengasih
Ampunilah segala dosaku
Laksana bumi di laut memutih
Hanyut ditelan gelombang nafsu

Hari hari yang telah aku lalui
Ingin ku tinggalkan terus bersemadi

Ingin aku kembali kepada fitrah insani
Tak sanggupku jelajahi rimba duniawi
Bebaskan lah diriku dari di belenggu
Dosa noda nafsu durjana

Terimalah taubatku ya Allah
Bimbinglah daku ke jalan redhaMu
Moga sinarMu terangi hidupku
Didalam kegelapan
Aku kan kembali padaMu Rabbi
MengadapMu Ya Rabbulizzati
Segala ketentuan ku pasrahkan
Di hujung penghayatan

Wahai Tuhan yang Maha Pemurah
Ampunilah segala dosaku
Laksana bumi di laut memutih
Hanyut ditelan gelombang nafsu...

perbetulkan niat?

Salaam,

Jazakallah for your daily visits, all my silent readers.

I came across this website and so far, it's been very good and informative. Clickey here to find out more, insya Allah bertambah ilmu kefahaman tani tentang isu-isu kefahaman Islam.

Anyhoo, having an undoubtful interest to deepen my knowledge on *ehem* marriage, I came across this article. Enjoy.

Niat Sebelum Bernikah

Setiap pasangan yang akan berkahwin hendaklah memasang niat-niat yang baik, sesuai dengan tujuan-tujuan perkahwinan yang telah digariskan oleh Islam; antaranya:

1. Ingin meramaikan umat Islam.

Firman Allah s.w.t.bermaksud: "Wahai sekalian manusia! Bertaqwalah kepada Tuhan kamu yang telah menjadikan kamu (bermula) daripada diri yang satu (Adam), dan yang menjadikan daripada (Adam) itu pasangannya (isterinya Hawa) dan yang membiakkan dari kedua-duanya zuriat keturunan lelaki dan perempuan yang ramai." (an-Nisa': 1)


2. Membersihkan zuriat dalam keluarga Islam.

Firman-Nya yang bermaksud: "Dan Allah menjadikan bagi kamu isteri-isteri dari jenis diri kamu sendiri, dan menjadikan bagimu dari isteri-isteri kamu itu, anak-anak dan cucu-cicit, dan memberimu rezeki dari yang baik-baik.Maka mengapakah mereka beriman kepada yang bathil dan mengikari nikmat Allah?" (an-Nahl: 72)


3. Menceriakan kehidupan umat.

Seperti maksud firman Allah s.w.t.: "Dan antara tanda-tanda yang membuktikan kekuasaanNya dan rahmatNya bahawa Dia menciptakan untuk kamu (wahai kaum lelaki), isteri-isteri dari jenis kamu sendiri supaya kamu bersenang hati dan hidup mesra dengannya. (ar-Rum: 21)


4. Membantu menyuburkan iman.

Firman Allah s.w.t. yang bermaksud: "Dan orang-orang yang beriman, lelaki dan perempuan, sesetengahnya menjadi penolong bagi sesetengahnya yang lain,mereka menyuruh membuat kebajikan dan melarang daripada berbuat kejahatan,dan mereka mendirikan sembahyang dan memberikan zakat serta taat kepada Allah dan RasulNya, mereka itu akan diberi rahmat oleh Allah. (at-Taubah:71)


Tujuan-tujuan sebegini wajar diteliti oleh setiap orang yang hendak berkahwin agar perkahwinan itu dibina di atas landasan yang betul dan kuat serta dikaitkan dengan kepentingan agama. Namun demikian, ini tidak bermakna Islam menafikan kepentingan peribadi dalam setiap perkahwinan. Malah di atas kepentingan peribadi itulah dibina kepentingan Islam tadi, sesuai dengan maksud beberapa hadis berikut:

1. Rasulullah s.a.w. bersabda, maksudnya: "Kahwinilah perempuan yang keturunan anak ramai, sesungguhnya aku berbangga dengan kamu kerana ramainya ummah." (Riwayat Abu Daud dan Nasa'i).

Untuk menambah bilangan umat Islam ke tahap yang membanggakan Rasulullah, mestilah dengan keinginan seks. Seorang yang berkahwin tanpa ada keinginan seks tidak akan menghasilkan zuriat, malah orang yang tidak bernafsu seks tidak dibenarkan berkahwin. Untuk mencapai kehendak Rasulullah di atas maka setiap kali melepaskan keinginan seks, niatkan untuk menambah bilangan umat yang bertaqwa.


2. Rasulullah bersabda, maksudnya: "Pilihlah tempat menyimpan air mani yang baik (isteri solehah) dan kahwinilah wanita yang sepadan." (Riwayat Ibnu Majah dan al-Hakim).

Pilihan yang tepat ada kaitan dengan zuriat keturunan. Perhubungan seks dengan pasangan yang baik itu menjadikan zuriat keluarganya baik-baik juga. Sebaliknya, jika keturunan salah satu dari pasangan itu terdiri daripada orang yang pernah membuat maksiat maka kesannya akan menjalar kepada zuriatnya pula.

Rasulullah bersabda: "Apabila suami mengajak isterinya ke tempat tidur lalu dia enggan, maka tidurlah suami itu dalam keadaan marah kepadanya. Akibatnya malaikat turut marah kepadanya sehingga Subuh. (Riwayat al-Bukhari dan Muslim).

Hubungan seks boleh menceriakan hati pasangan suami isteri. Tanpanya akan menjadikan hati pasangan menjadi gundah, menderita dan tidak tenang. Isteri perlu sedar tanpa berkahwin pun seseorang itu boleh memakai pakaian bersih,boleh makan makanan yang enak dan boleh berhibur hati, tetapi tanpa perkahwinan dia tidak boleh menyalurkan keinginan seks secara halal. Kerana itu, hormatilah suami demi menceriakan jiwanya.

3. Rasulullah pernah juga bersabda yang menggambarkan apabila seseorang itu berkahwin menangislah para syaitan dan sembahyang orang yang berkahwin lebih pahalanya daripada mereka yang belum berkahwin.

Dengan berkahwin, seorang isteri itu akan terbela kehidupannya, terselamat kehormatannya manakala suami pula tidak akan terjebak lagi dengan dosa dan maksiat kerana semuanya ada di dalam rumahtangga mereka. Ini dengan sendirinya boleh meningkatkan iman dan taqwa masing-masing.

Begitulah antara sebab mengapa perkahwinan disyariatkan dan begitu dititikberatkan. Seorang lelaki tidak minta dirinya dikahwinkan, wanita tidak minta dirinya dilamar dan janda tidak minta diri dan anak-anaknya dibela melainkan hanya untuk kepentingan Islam. Demi mahu merebut kasih sayang, rahmat dan redha Allah sebagai jambatan selamat menuju ke hari
akhirat.

"Janganlah mengahwini wanita-wanita kerana kecantikan. Mungkin kecantikan itu memburukkan hidup. Jangan mengahwini mereka kerana harta, mungkin harta itu menyebabkan kezaliman mereka. Tetapi kahwinilah mereka atas dasar agama.Seorang sahaya yang hitam, berbibir tebal yang beragama adalah lebih baik."- Ibn Majah

############

Now, the question is, betulkah niat kita untuk mendirikan rumahtangga? wallahu a'lam.
Who am I to criticize question something I've never experienced before?

even though, back to the question asked, I would react this way>> *neez nods vigorously* lol insya Allah :)

... and this is when ness and neez's theme song comes in line.. NESS, CUE!

All we have is time.

Ambillah waktu untuk berfikir, itu adalah sumber kekuatan.
Ambillah waktu untuk bermain, itu adalah rahsia dari masa muda yang abadi.
Ambillah waktu untuk berdoa, itu adalah sumber ketenangan.
Ambillah waktu untuk belajar, itu adalah sumber kebijaksanaan.
Ambillah waktu untuk mencintai dan dicintai, itu adalah hak istimewa yang diberikan Tuhan.
Ambillah waktu untuk bersahabat, itu adalah jalan menuju kebahagiaan.
Ambillah waktu untuk tertawa, itu adalah muzik yang menggetarkan hati.
Ambillah waktu untuk memberi, itu adalah membuat hidup terasa bererti.
Ambillah waktu untuk bekerja, itu adalah nilai keberhasilan.
Ambillah waktu untuk beramal, itu adalah kunci menuju syurga.

source: here

title-less

Salaam everyone,

Alhamdulillah, I have finished my decoding late last night. Although by the time I was done, I just want to NOT think about the next process - writing up. So I slept it off, sore shoulder and swollen fingers (*inda bah, not swollen, but very very tired fingers). I guess all those secretarial jobs and meeting minutes and letters typing I was exposed to back when I was the secretary for the Student Welfare Body in ITB for 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 sessions really paid off, eh? ;)

I could feel the sudden rush as I switched off my recorder after my last and final interview. Phew. Finally, I said.

So, today, I gathered all my notes, articles which were totally abandoned when I was in Brunei, and my notebook - flipping through the pages, trying to find my rhythm so that I know where to continue. Starting to write up is the hardest, innit? (I could hear in the background - ness' voice saying "MELAYU!")

I sighed a lot lately, and I noticed that.

So, I gave myself a break and went online to read articles - particularly on Isra' Mikraj which falls on 27 Rejab, (and by the way, tomorrow, insya Allah there will be a function being held at the university's student union to celebrate one of the historic and miraculous events in Islam). And I found one that, as I was reading it, my heart just felt so heavy, then I realized how much I've gone astray (again!) and why all of a sudden I so really miss our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

"Maha Suci Allah yang telah memperjalankan hambanya pada suatu malam dari Masjidil Haram (Mekkah) ke Masjidil Aqsa (Palestin) yang kami berkahi sekelilingnya, untuk kami perlihatkan padanya tanda-tanda (kekuasaan) kami. Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Mendengar lagi Maha Melihat" (Surah: 17 Al-Isra', Ayat 1)

"Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing" (Surah: 17 Al-Isra', Ayat 1)

The article that I want to share is this one. Bits and pieces I take from the article;

Langit Keenam:
Naik tangga langit keenam. Bertemu dengan nabi-nabi. Seterusnya dengan Nabi Musa a.s. Rasulullah mengangkat kepala (disuruh oleh Jibril) lalu dapat melihat umat baginda sendiri yang ramai, termasuk 70,000 orang yang masuk syurga tanpa hisab.

Langit Ketujuh:
Naik tangga langit ketujuh dan masuk langit ketujuh lalu bertemu dengan nabi Ibrahim Khlilullah yang sedang bersandar di Baitul- Ma'mur dihadapi oleh beberapa kaumnya. Kepada Rasulullah saw, nabi Ibrahim a.s. bersabda, "Engkau akan berjumpa dengan Allah pada malam ini. Umatmu adalah akhir umat dan terlalu dha'if, maka berdoalah untuk umatmu. Suruhlah umatmu menanam tanaman syurga yaitu LA HAULA WALA QUWWATA ILLA BILLAH". Mengikut riwayat lain, nabi Irahim a.s bersabda, "Sampaikan salamku kepada umahmu dan beritahu mereka, syurga itu baik tanahnya, tawar airnya dan tanaman- ya ialah lima kalimah, yaitu: SUBHANALLAH, WAL-HAMDULILLAH, WA LA ILAHA ILLALLAH ALLAHU AKBAR dan WA LA HAULA WA LA QUWWATA ILLA BILLAHIL- 'ALIYYIL-'AZHIM. Bagi orang yang membaca setiap kalimah ini akan ditanamkan sepohon pokok dalam syurga".

Setelah melihat beberpa peristiwa lain yang ajaib. Rasulullah dan Jibril masuk ke dalam Baitul-Makmur dan sholat. (Baitul- Makmur ini betul-betul di atas Baitullah di Mekah).

Tangga Kedelapan:
Di sinilah disebut "al-Kursi" yang berbetulan dengan dahan pokok Sidratul-Muntaha. Rasulullah s.a.w menyaksikan pelbagai keajaiban pada pokok itu : Sungai air yang tak berubah, sungai susu, sungai arak dan sungai madu lebah. Buah, daun-daun, batang dan dahannya berubah-ubah warna dan bertukar menjadi permata- permata yang indah. Unggas-unggas emas berterbangan. Semua keindahan itu tak terperi oleh manusia. Baginda Rasulullah s.a.w dapat menyaksikan pula sungai al-Kautsar yang terus masuk ke syurga. Seterusnya baginda masuk ke syurga dan melihat neraka berserta dengan Malik penunggunya.

Tangga Kesembilan:
Di sini berbetulan dengan pucuk pokok Sidratul-Muntaha. Rasulullah s.a.w masuk di dalam nur dan naik ke Mustawa dan Sharirul-Aqlam. Lalu dapat melihat seorang lelaki yang ghaib di dalam nur 'Arasy, yaitu lelaki di dunia yang lidahnya sering basah berzikir, hatinya tertumpu penuh kepada masjid dan tidak memaki ibu bapanya.

Tangga Kesepuluh:
Baginda Rasulullah sampai di Hadhratul-Qudus dan Hadhrat Rabbul- Arbab lalu dapat menyaksikan Allah Subhanahu wa Taala dengan mata kepalanya, lantas sujud.

Begitu besar kecintaan Nabi kita kepada Allah s.w.t.

(and I dare tell and let myself to fall in love with another and give my love to another when i know the deserving of my love first and foremost is Allah? sigh. My iman is so so so weak!! I need to fight back, I need to re-gain what is missing - I admit that sometimes I am terlalu leka dan alpa with this dunya, mengejar something that is only temporary, astaghafirullah - sigh - need slapping on the face this!)

"Ya Allah, berikanlah cintaMu kepadaku. Jadikanlah orang yang mencintaiMu mencintai aku dan jadikanlah aku mencintai segala sesuatu yang membawa kepada kecintaanMu"

Pray for me. May Allah have mercy on me, and bless me with His taufiq and hidayah. Ameen.

Isn't Islam a beautiful religion WHEN and IF you really understand and believe and practice what it teaches? Masha-Allah.

[Such believers are] the repentant, the worshippers, the praisers [of Allah], the travelers [for His cause], those who bow and prostrate [in prayer], those who enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and those who observe the limits [set by] Allah. And give good tidings to the believers.
(Surah 9 At-Taubah, Ayat 112)

- thanks to botbot (Ness' and Neez' little toy information bot to play with) teehee)

need.rest.now.

waxed up.

Allah berfirman:

“Ketika Aku menciptakan seorang wanita, ia diharuskan untuk menjadi seorang yang istimewa. Aku membuat bahunya cukup kuat untuk menopang dunia, namun, harus cukup lembut untuk memberikan kenyamanan.”

“Aku memberikannya kekuatan dari dalam untuk mampu melahirkan anak dan menerima penolakan yang seringkali datang dari anak-anaknya.”

“Aku memberinya kekerasan untuk membuatnya tetap tegar ketika orang-orang lain menyerah, dan mengasuh keluarganya dengan penderitaan dan kelelahan tanpa mengeluh.”

“Aku memberinya kepekaan untuk mencintai anak-anaknya dalam setiap keadaan,bahkan ketika anaknya bersikap sangat menyakiti hatinya.”

“Aku memberinya kekuatan untuk mendukung suaminya dalam kegagalannya dan melengkapi dengan tulang rusuk suaminya untuk melindungi hatinya.”

“Aku memberinya kebijaksanaan untuk mengetahui bahawa seorang suami yang baik takkan pernah sakiti isterinya, tetapi kadang menguji kekuatannya dan ketetapan hatinya untuk berada disisi suaminya tanpa ragu.”

“Dan akhirnya, Aku memberinya air mata untuk dititiskan. Ini adalah khusus miliknya untuk digunakan bilapun ia perlukan.”

“Kecantikan seorang wanita bukanlah dari pakaian yang dikenakannya, susuk yang ia tampilkan, atau bagaimana ia menyisir rambutnya. Kecantikan seorang wanita harus dilihat dari matanya, kerana itulah hatinya, tempat dimana cinta itu ada.”

Source: here
Picture credits to A&H (Kay-El, 2007)
[I was told that a guy should 'support' the girl in any way possible, hence the symbolic of the hand-wax]

early bird - morning person.

Salaam all,

I guess I just need to re-adjust myself to the time difference again, these past two days, I slept around 6pm and waking up around 4.30am and then it feels like the day is long, I like~

For those who are not familiar, sunrise this time of the year is around 4am and it looks like it's already 7-8 o'clock in the morning. Man, I'm gonna miss the weather and time!

I was doing some decoding for the interview sessions I had back in Shell, and it's mighty tiring. And I have about 13 more to go, each lasts about an hour. Yikes~

I was browsing through the pictures while I was in Brunei and KL, then realized, pictures I put up, missing out two of my brothers, the eldest one, E (who's always away - work - family commitments) and AM, who's currently in Newcastle. Haiya~ not that I forgot to mention them, but AM's been busy with his masters project as well, so we leave him be. He'll be back for good in September anyways. A sister can just pray for his well-being, yes? ;)

N's introduced me to a msn Quran and Hadith search bot and I told her it was like getting a new toy, I got addicted straight away. I was asking for Quran verses and the more I like it, the more I put aside my notes for decoding interviews. lol. Short span of attention, you say? No lah, I was just taking a long break. teehee. For more info, reach her or me. Whichever. We don't mind.

To Ammey, just stay strong ok. Always believe it in your heart that Allah is always with you.

From Abu Hurairah, Rasulullah S.A.W. said:
"The strong man is not the one who is strong in wrestling, but the one who controls himself in anger." (Bukhari, Muslim)

Isn't it funny.

Salaam everyone.

I have come across this post and it's quite interesting.

It's titled Buat Bakal Suamiku, credits go to the writer, Zahranuur.

=================================================================

Let me tell you one secret.

Truthfully, I am scared. Emotionally, I am SCARED.

Lately, I have been somewhat compromising with myself. And I blame it none other than myself and my weak iman. I would love to rant and/or let it all out here, but I decided not to, I told myself, I have a better listener (not that you guys are any less than better ;)), so it's either I keep it to myself, or I tell Him.

All my happiness, all my sorrows, all my smiles, all my sadness, all my tears, all my secrets, I tell Him.

So many things I want to share with you. One of the things that I have been avoiding to talk about is - love and relationship.

Because it might be considered as - unmuslimah - for me to talk about it since quite more than a few times I have mentioned about the beauty of muslimah, lower gaze, haya'... then you might wonder, how am I going to find a suitable husband?

Allah knows, my readers. You don't know what I've gone through, what I am going through. But Allah knows :D

It seems a lot more complicated to be put into words - for fear that you might get all judgmental - but at the end of the day, I know my intentions are right, insya Allah, and before I try to correct you, I am still trying to correct myself. Yes, I am not perfect. Yes, sometimes, I do feel lonely. Yes, I am still single. But I am not alone. Nor I am lonely. In fact, the very idea of a relationship scares the wits out of me. Perhaps because I have been out of it in a long time that I keep on telling myself that the next time I am in a relationship, let the guy be the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, the one who can guide me through living happily in this world and the next, insya Allah. To find that kind of guy, for me, is a challenge. Yes, there are a lot of potential out there, masya Allah. When I didn't ask for it, it seems like they're there queuing up - without being invited. Choices, choices, choices. But to know someone is to know how they are - islamically. It is a difficult task for me, but after reading this post, then I realize that it's quite simple. Yes, I do usaha as well, but more importantly, I leave it to Allah's hands.

It states that "... Tetapi anda perlu ingat, bukan semua perempuan mempunyai hati yang lembut dan mudah di bentuk. Keimanan dan kekuatan sikap merealisasikan Islam perlu ada pada lelaki. Perempuan yang beriman mesti mencari lelaki yang lebih kuat imannya daripadanya kerana lelakilah yang menjadi ketua keluarga…"

Lelaki lah yang menjadi ketua keluarga. How important that is in memilih calon suami? For me, that's quite important. Especially, when I have the intention to lead an Islamic life for my family one day, insya Allah. And for that, I supplicate to Allah to temukan jodoh with someone who can bimbing myself and our family in Islamic upbringing, because he will be my husband, my better half, my imam, insya Allah.

So, how now? How to find such worthy guys? They are around, ladies. Maybe a bit shy to approach knowing that a muslimah is usually 'out-of-reach'. For those who are daring and willing to take risks, can just go ahead and ask the girl or guy out. There's no harm in that. I've read books that advice girls or women to make the first move, instead of waiting for the guy to make the move - yes it might sound 'bari malu' and can di perumpanakan seperti 'perigi mencari telaga' (or is it the other way around? lol - right neez, kan guna peribahasa pun nda tau). In cases where you're a bit 'shy' to make the first move, this is where 'orang tengah' main peranan. 'Orang tengah' in this sense, can be someone we personally know, or a friend of that person we are interested to get to know.

Easy said than done, you know!

Ey-elahhhh... Let me tell you a little story.

Disclaimer: Based on true story this. And the person concerned has given approval for her story to be published.

Girl likes boy. But girl heard from sources that boy is apparently 'not available'. Then, girl keeps the friendship strictly friends for fear of being called names - 'perampas', 'gatal', 'nda sadar diri', etc. But at the same time, boy seems interested. Boy gives hints. Boy flirts. Girl plays along. But girl also gets confused. How meh? He's not available but why boy is saying things that are obviously flirtatious. Dangerous territory this. (Please note: flirtatious in a sense that is not melampaui batas, as boy and girl communicates most of the time via internet. Boy and girl still maintain the haya' or modesty between them in their conversation, wallahu'alam, but a lot of hinting is playing around. Hence, boy and girl never actually go out, nor dating, unless it is either attending functions where boy and girl are both involved in and when boy and girl meet, they keep it strictly casual). Then, one day, boy and girl meet up (accompanied by friends lah - not just the two of them), then boy and girl hit it off. This is also the day where boy and girl exchange phone numbers (finally) after knowing and communicating with each other for the past few months. They clicked. They enjoy each other's company. Girl likes boy even more. And boy seems to give positive feedback as well. Then friend of girl jokingly asked about the boy's beau. SHOCKER!

Boy says "I am single. I am not attached. I don't have a girlfriend". Boy looks at girl and repeats "I am still SINGLE". Girl blushes. All these times, it was false assumptions (which is why it's quite dangerous to assume things without proof - especially when it comes from a third party not from the person concerned). Anyways, after knowing that boy is single, girl gets a bit excited on what to do next. Girl likes boy. And seems like boy likes girl too. Plus when girl calls boy, a friend of boy hints "... boy is driving at the moment, any messages? want to say girl misses boy har?", girl, of course maintain ayu saying, "no.. just tell boy to call girl when boy is not so busy". It shows that boy tells friend about boy's interest on girl. And girl also tells close friends about girl's interest on boy. So, one day, girl and boy decides to watch movie with a bunch of friends. Then what?

Then, girl hints. Boy hints also. No direct talk. Just hints. Gaaahhhh~

Annoying right? Talk about stubborn and ego! heehee

Then, come third party - orang tengah - OT. OT says "bah give me boy's number, I text on girl's behalf". Girl gives in, thinking OT is joking. OT isn't.

So, OT texts guy stating, "(intro)... asking on behalf of girl because girl's shy and girl's the reserved one and I break rules... so what say lunch together... yes, no?"

The boy replies, "ehem.... I think I will text and ask her personally. Tell her also, don't be shy ;)"

JENG JENG JENG.

Then, boy texts girl. Boy asks girl to go out lunch. An official date :)

Moral of the story: Don't always take wholeheartedly any assumptions/stories without knowing/finding the truth from the person/s concerned. A little effort doesn't hurt. A little help from orang tengah is sometimes welcomed. But more importantly, set our intentions right, berdoa kepada Allah to permudahkan urusan, insya Allah..

Although, some might perceive it as "membari malu" or "never in my life will I ask a guy out". Babe, belum cuba belum tau... kalau atu tau malu, mendedah aurat depan non-muhrim, inda malu dengan Allah?(including me especially!! sigh). Don't let our ego keeps us away from a chance of happiness. As long as ia inda melampaui batas, dating pun dating jua, but when two people non-muhrims are together, best believe the third party is there to shake your iman. Nauzubillah... set your boundaries, get to know the guy, know hati budi nya, know how he brings himself, because if he fits the criteria of 'the one', then berdoa kepada Allah supaya dipertemukan jodoh dan diberi rahmat dalam perkenalan.

This is a reminder to myself, first and foremost, as I take the matter of marriage quite seriously nowadays. Love can be planted after marriage, but for those who are lucky enough to have found love before marriage, cherish it, minta keberkatan dari Allah supaya dijauhkan membuat kemungkaran dan semoga jodoh diperkuatkan, insya Allah...

Next up. Bab Kahwin. Excited this!!

Because, in a few hours, Khairul Aini will no longer be his fiance, but she will be his wife, his zaujah, his better half. Alhamdulillah. May Allah bless this union and strengthen both your and husband's iman, tingkatkan ketaqwaan dan kesabaran dalam menempuh hidup berumahtangga. I love you, sis. Words cannot express how I truly feel, cukuptah I include you in my duaa, insya Allah ;)

Ness, smitten much? ;) Speak soon, sweetiebums.

A reminder for myself.

KENAPA AKU DIUJI?
"Apakah manusia itu mengira bahawa mereka dibiarkan saja mengatakan; "Kami telah beriman," sedangkan mereka tidak diuji? Dan sesungguhnya kami telah menguji org2 yg sebelum mereka, maka sesungguhnya Allah mengetahui org2 yg benar dan sesungguhnya Dia mengetahui org2 yg dusta." -Surah Al-Ankabut ayat 2-3

KENAPA AKU TAK DAPAT APA YG AKU IDAM-IDAMKAN?
"Boleh jadi kamu membenci sesuatu padahal ia amat baik bagimu, dan boleh jadi pula kamu menyukai sesuatu, padahal ia amat buruk bagimu, Allah mengetahui sedang kamu tidak mengetahui." -Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 216

KENAPA UJIAN SEBERAT INI?
"Allah tidak membebani seseorang itu melainkan sesuai dengan kesanggupannya." -Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 286

RASA FRUST?
"Janganlah kamu bersikap lemah, dan janganlah pula kamu bersedih hati, padahal kamulah org2 yg paling tinggi darjatnya, jika kamu orang-orang yg beriman." - Surah Al-Imran ayat 139

BAGAIMANA HARUS AKU MENGHADAPINYA?
"Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Bersabarlah kamu (menghadapi segala kesukaran dalam mengerjakan perkara-perkara yang berkebajikan), dan kuatkanlah 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

"Dan mintalah pertolongan (kepada Allah) dengan jalan sabar dan mengerjakan sembahyang; dan sesungguhnya sembahyang itu amatlah berat kecuali kepada orang-orang yang khusyuk" -Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 45

APA YANG AKU DAPAT DRPD SEMUA INI?
"Sesungguhnya Allah telah membeli dr org2 mu'min, diri, harta mereka dengan memberikan syurga utk mereka... ..

-Surah At-Taubah ayat 111

KEPADA SIAPA AKU BERHARAP?
"Cukuplah Allah bagiku, tidak ada Tuhan selain drNya. Hanya kepadaNya aku bertawakkal." -Surah At-Taubah ayat 129

AKU DAH TAK DAPAT BERTAHAN LAGI!!!!!
"... ..dan jgnlah kamu berputus asa drp rahmat Allah. Sesungguhnya tiada berputus asa dari rahmat Allah melainkan kaum yg kafir."
-Surah Yusuf ayat 12

Source: http://ahas.multiply.com


On Hiatus commencing now.
If Allah brings me to it, He will bring me through it, insya Allah.

Ummahfilms - Culture vs. Islam

A little bit of push.

Salaam everyone.

(Ness will surely marak-ing her mata if she knows I'm blogging at this very moment)

BUT...

Two out of three of my assignments are done and over with. Tunggu kana print and submit saja esuk, insya Allah.

Now, I'm dealing with the latest and MOST DIFFICULT assignment ever. Of all my life, I've had my fair share of assignments and whatnots, but this particular one, is... by far... THE HARDEST. And I'm not the only one complaining about it. Most of my friends actually discussed about how they don't understand what the question is asking. Lol. I know, you're saying "napa inda jumpa lecturer to make it more clearer?", my bad. Aku malas. Plus, I had enough of readings and readings and more readings (huhuhuh.. cemani attitude kan sambung belajar?? lol) ~~~ inda, kalau sambung pun, it'll be in an area I like and understand, so nyeh! >_<

Anyways, since I'm practically procrastinating, might as well rant. Batah udah inda rant. I don't do rant anymore. If ada pun, not as much as I used to. :D Oh, I've almost finished reading the book "Tentang Cinta", my verdict so far..?

DEFINITELY WORTH EVERY PENNY!

You see, I would love to take bits out here and there and share with you, but somehow I feel that, by sharing bits here and there might seem 'incomplete' because the whole of the book is the whole of the book, geddit? You have to have to read the WHOLE book to get the WHOLE point. (Yes, I put 'have to' twice to emphasize it)

But some bits I like:

Under the chapter "Cinta Tanpa Perantaraan"

~ Tidak payah bersentuhan tangan kerana mereka sudah bersentuhan hati. Tak payah berbalas kerlingan mata kerana mereka sudahpun berbalas-balas doa.

Kalau cinta tanpa perantaraan ini terjalin antara lelaki dan perempuan yang belum diikat oleh tali perkahwinan, maka mereka tidak perlu berjumpa, bercanda atau memerlukan apa saja 'medium' yang bertentangan dengan kehendak Allah. Cinta mereka tidak akan dikotori oleh luapan nafsu yang melanggar syariat. Sebaliknya cinta itu bertaut pada rasa suci. Ingin sama-sama berganding bahu, bersatu rasa, untuk sama-sama mentaati Allah.

Under the chapter: "Cinta mesti ada 'class'"

~ Cinta sejati, bukan dari mata turun ke hati, tetapi dari hati turun ke mata

Untuk mengekalkan rasa cinta sesama manusia, pertama-tama sekali ialah meletakkan asas cinta kepada Cinta Allah s.w.t. dan memastikan bahawa cinta kita benar-benar di asaskan kepada Cinta Allah, jika cinta kita kepada manusia itu tidak melalaikan kita daripada melakukan perintah Allah...

Fuuhh~~

Actually there's a lot more I wanna share. But I'm looking at the time and I'm thinking "Nisa... assignment. Alum siap"

So, here I go again. Panicking. :D

Pray I'll be fine, insya Allah.

Allah hafiz everyone.

(on hiatus tah karang... huhuhu)

Salaam.

A meeting with Allah

Got Love....?

In the midst of my readings for the exam that's coming in ten days, I can't help but read through the pages of this book which came in a few days ago.

So far so good. In fact, I would definitely recommend this book to everyone, who's in love, supposedly looking for love, get sick and tired of love and talking about it, or simply, who wants to find out more and understand what 'love' really is.

Besides, it's a good remedy for the heart. My heart, in particular :)

Lately I've been 'exposed' to questions regarding emotions and feelings, how I admitted willingly to my confidant (you know who you are, Ness - lol) that being so out of it, I feel incompetent on how to 'deal' with a relationship if one is to offer me it in a platter. Allah knows best, when that's gonna happen.

One quote I got from the reading so far is this:

"Cinta yang dicari adalah lebih baik, tetapi cinta yang didapati tanpa dicari adalah lebih baik"

Make sense, no? :D

Anyways, pokoknya, the reading so far covers issue such as love and its boundaries and from Islamic perspectives, plus it adds on more towards our 'budaya' (culture). (fyi Ness, there's a few things I wanna share with you as well - about moderation and perfection - if I can still remember the pages teehee) And since it's written in Malay, and the author is Malaysian, so there are a lot of things that we could relate to our everyday life, especially back home.

And I've been contemplating to shut down go on hiatus from the blog, so insya Allah, when the time is right, then it'll happen.

Until then, take care everyone. Allah hafiz. Be safe.

<3

Salaam.

Anak Soleh

Take a moment, recite duaa for our beloved parents, love them even more for the sake of Allah, and because without them, we will not be here today. Appreciate parents and give them the happiness that they deserve, by reciting duaa for them dari anak yang soleh...

Amin Amin Ya Rabbal 'Alamin...

ps. In case you're wondering why they are crying, Ness and I guessed that they might be anak yatim, who were asked to remember their parents who have left them...

Renungkanlah...

Assalamu'alaikum WBT my dear readers...

Somehow I just feel like blogging tonight.

I was having a discussion with him over the net. Alhamdulillah for the internet connection, and I have to salute his effort to get online, despite the lack of connection availability at the hotel he is currently staying at. Schweet, no? :D Well, it is for me. Made me smile this big. lol

I was telling him that one of the akak (is what I usually call my Malaysian friends who I know are older than me...) said to me things that made me blushed. And all I could reply to that was "ala... takde lah..." Isn't haya' a part of a muslimah's characteristics? The word haya' means shyness.

'Imran ibn Husayn (r.a.) narrated that the Prophet s.a.w. said:

"Shyness brings nothing but good"

And I just love having discussion about Islam with him because he added on a few things that just made me feel so proud to be a muslimah, and insya Allah, a practising Muslimah, I might add to that.

My dear sisters, each one of you are a jewel that is so precious that only your husbands have the right to see it. That is why Islam puts the status of a Muslimah so high that we are ordered by Allah s.w.t. to cover up, to observe piety, to practice shyness. Alangkah beruntungnya dan bertuahnya seorang lelaki untuk mendapatkan seorang isteri yang menjaga maruahnya. I doubt that any sane muslim guy would like a muslimah who's ever-so-freely shows off her body to others. Lelaki yang baik adalah untuk perempuan yang baik... dan sebaliknya. Wallahu'alam. Allah knows best.

Women impure are for men impure, and men impure for women impure and women of purity are for men of purity, and men of purity are for women of purity: these are not affected by what people say: for them there is forgiveness, and a provision honorable. (Holy Quran 24:26)

Macam dalam lirik nasheed kumpulan In-Team:

.... wanita hiasan dunia, seindah hiasan adalah wanita solehah ...

It's like a perumpamaan whereby wanita Islam itu diibaratkan sebagai satu permata, kalau disimpan di luar dan tak di jaga, orang akan anggap permata itu adalah kaca... tetapi kalau permata itu kita jaga dan kita simpan di tempat yang selamat dan tertutup, then itu bererti permata itu sangat berharga.

In other words, something that is so precious, we have to hide it... untuk menjaga nilainya... :D

My sisters,
the beauty of a woman, is not in the clothes she wears
not in the figure that she carries,
or the style she does make up.

the beauty of a women must be seen in her Hijab, and her eyes,
because that is the doorway to her heart,
the place where love resides

the beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole,
but true beauty of a woman is reflected in her soul.

the beauty of a woman is in her modesty,
and the real glamour of her is her honesty,
it is the caring that she lovingly givesm
the passion that she shows

and the beauty of a woman,
with passing years - only grows!

Of course, if you want to compliment on this view, you are most welcome. Add up to what I have to say, by all means are most welcome :)

I stumbled across this site which posted this amazing article.

:: Words to My Muslim Sister ::

My dear sister,

know that you are man's sister and half of humanity. You are a mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, grand daughter or grand mother.

Allah has granted Islam to this nation, made a high place for Muslim wmen, and decreed that they share in the responsibilities of enjoining truth, forbidding evil and raising the flag of Islam. He said, what translated means, "The Believers, men and women, are loyalists of one another, they enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, they offer their prayers perfectly and give the Zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will leave His Mercy on them. Surely Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise [9:71]

Allah has given Muslim women what they can bear of orders and duties. He is the God Who knows His creation, Should He not know what He created? And He is the Most Kind, All-Aware (of everything) [67:14]

My dear sister, you are called upon today to truly become an active member of the Muslim nation, strive to establish victory for Allah's Word, implement the Qur'an and help build the generation of Iman.

What do your enemies want from you?

There are those who want to distract you from doing your duty. They want to distract you from meeting your noble obligation, that is, to defend the religion of Allah and raise His Word high.

How? First, they distract yo from what Allah created you to perform of worship, belief and Da'wah.

Secondly, they ignite enmity between you and man. To those sinners, you are a daughter that is put down, a humiliated mother, an abused wife and an oppressed sister!

Thirdly, they try to portray piety and honor as chains on freedom. To them, hijab does not cover the head, but also covers the mind; prayer, fasting and zakat are a waste of time and effort.

Advice for my sister in Islam

Be proud of your religion and the religion of your ancestors. Be a good example for your sons and daughters and sincere in your belonging to this mighty nation. Know that honor is an honor to all wise people and that adultery is also done with the eyes by seeing, with the ears by listening, and with the mouth by kissing, as was mentioned in a Hadith related by Imam Muslim. Your happiness is in being an obedient and believing daughter, a loyal and generous wife and a pious and merciful mother. Know that prayer is the cornerstone of Islam. Fasting one day, for the sake of Allah, takes your face seventy years away from Hellfire, as the Hadith, related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim states - Charity is a major cause for gaining forgiveness and for repenance to be accepted.

Those women who are showing parts of their bodies to men, will not enter Paradise or smell its fragrance and are cursed, as in the Hadith related by Imam Muslim.

Hijab is an honor and protection for you. Hijab must be modest in color and not exotic, wide and thick and not revealing. (albeit, I am still guilty of this. Most of my hijabs are colourful of colours, may Allah forgive me for my weakness)

My dear sister,

Be a slave of Allah, righteous and descendent of righteous women.

Remember my sister, you might be a daughter today, but tomorrow, insya Allah, you are going to be a wife, and a mother, and a grandmother... so set a good example from today so that this ummah will expand to provide the best of believers, insya Allah.

A special note goes to Ammey, good luck and all the best. xoxo ;)

And to an ever-so-loving beloved sis alai of mine. Sis, I may not know that you are in pain trying to deal with the harshness of this world, and I may not know of the tears you've cried recently, but Allah knows sis. He knows. Be patient, my dear sister. Remember, my dear sister...

Fa Inna Ma’al-'Usri Yusra, Inna Ma’al-'Usri Yusra
"With hardship comes ease. Indeed, with hardship comes ease."

I love you sis. Even though I'm THIS FAR, but with my prayers of you that I supplicate to Allah (insya Allah), you and I are THIS CLOSE.

Allah hafiz, my readers.

May Allah guides us towards His right path, and guide us with His Mercy and Hidayah, may He forgives us for our sins, for He is Most Kind and Most Merciful.

Goodnight Leeds, Good morning Brunei.

xoxo

ps. can't you tell I have free time to add on colours? lol. Sleep annisa. Sleep! (right, I just remembered about something that he said that made me smile THIS BIG again. heehee *dreaming* *giggling-tutup-mulut-ala-ness.gif*)