Grandpa

Taqabbalallahu minna wa minkum, shiyamana wa shiyamakum. Ja’alanallaahu minal aidin wal faizin. As the blessesd Ramadhan left us with the beckoning of 1 Syawal, time was spent with grams… Talking to aunt Zee on 2 Syawal revealed much about Motor Neurone Disease (MND), also called Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Iou Gehrig's disease. It often begins with weakness of the muscles in the hands or feet especially in the elderly. It eventually leads to generalised paralysis. In the majority of cases, the intellect and memory are not affected, nor are the senses of eyesight, hearing, taste, smell and touch (which explained why gram is still alert mentally – could recognise faces and converse through written words). I’ve read medical journals that seem to conclude that MNDs and certain hematologic disorders (such as lymphoma, which grams had previously) are not coincidental but pathogenetically related. Also, it does not help that gram’s have a history of heart disease and pneumonia. May Allah SWT purify him for his final return and may he attain husnul khatimah, aamiin Allahumma aamiin!

Great Expectations

Many have said that every form of relationship involves expectation. Shirke used to say, “Love doesn’t hurt; Expectations do.” Lao Tzu said, “Act without expectation.” Why? Dodinsky said, “If you are walking in the street of expectations, not far is a lonely bench called disappointment.” Shakespeare said, “Expectation is the root of all heartache.” For “Real love begins where nothing is expected in return”. So live life without expectations and you’ll appreciate things more as they come along. Hmm...

What does Islam say of this? Keep doing your part and leave the rest to Allah SWT. Indeed, the only reason you need to do something is none other than Allah SWT. Mum used to say, “If all the people are pleased with you but Allah is not, what have you gained? If Allah is pleased with you but no one else is, what have you lost?” 

“Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us; He is our Protector, and on Allah let the Believers put their trust” (QS 9:51). “… And live with them (people) in kindness. For if you dislike them, perhaps you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good” (QS 4:19). I'm reminded of what RasululLah SAW said - “Make it easy, do not make it difficult; convey glad-tidings and do not cause them to run away”. Indeed, in gentleness there is strength, reflecting a character of quality. Wa-Allahu a’lam :)

Sang Pencerah

Sang Pencerah is a film based on the true story of Ahmad Dahlan, the founder of the Muhammadiyah. I don’t quite have a good grasp of Indonesia's history and how the establishment of Muhammadiyah has impacted the Nusantara… may need to seek clarification from my relatives in Java, insya-Allah! :)

Interesting Conversations

 

AlhamdulilLah! Had an interesting post-class supper conversation with Ustaz, his family and some other students as we concluded the series of courses for this run. The topic of music came up and I learnt alot from Ustaz's sharing - maqamat, the definition of music, the adab of putting music in its proper place, use vs. abuse of a knowledge or skill, ziryab, 'Islamising music vs. musicising Islam', and the inspiration for P Ramlee's song "Achi-Achi buka pintu"... Indeed, the soul can be affected by the vibrations of sound and how I realised in the past, the elders would hum solawat, qasidah, etc while cradling a baby, almost like a soothing 'lullaby'. Sheikh Hamza Yusuf mentions hudur (presence of heart) in relation to music and the 4-beat like the song above 'La illaha ilalLah', subhan-Allah!

Also, catch up on Arabic tutorial (terms flashed in my mind's eye), barakalLah feek (you know who you are). As the saying goes - "Buah cempedak di luar pagar, ambil galah tolong jolokkan. Ana budak baru belajar, kalau salah tolong tunjukkan"... Loosely translated, "Sighting the jackfruit behind the gate of brick, prod at it with a long stick, as a student new at this trick, errors made correct me quick" :)

Kiyai

Sang Kyai is a film based on the true story of Hasyim Asy'ari, the founder of the NU. I don’t quite have a good grasp of Indonesia's history and how the establishment of NU has impacted the Nusantara… may need to seek clarification from my relatives in Java, insya-Allah! :)

Language

I'm reminded of this today - "Tiada kata secantik bahasa..." :)

Gurindam Jiwa

Hectic day but time well-spent today, alhamdulilLah! After a good session at a talk @Sultan Mosque, headed down to see grams... Auntie Ros took the opportunity to show the photographs we took during the last Umrah we did... looking back at the photos... I could see how loving my grandparents are... Indeed, when you reflect on the akad, you took an oath to accept your spouse as is... This song is dedicated to this loving couple... Just a niggling question - Why meet at the doorstep of heaven and not in heaven itself? Hmm... enough said, time to sleepzzZZ... Birthday shout out to my cousin Nurul, aunt Zulia and grandma! May Allah SWT bestow upon you a life filled with barakah, good health, rahmah, taufiq and hidayah, aamiin Allahumma aamiin!

Hmm...

Was working the night away and my pet cat kept me company... until a point where it felt that enough is enough (time for me to rest) ... so the strategy was "if you can't beat em, join em" (with the intent to distract)... it worked! Thanks for the timely reminder to take care of self before you take care of others, alhamdulilLah! :)

Luqman

AlhamdulilLah! Managed to spend some time with 1-month old Luqman yesterday. You can see the pride in mum's eyes when she cradled lil Luqman to sleep. Looking forward to seeing more of you real soon!

H&A

Had a chance to view the interview of the author of the book, "Habibie and Ainun"... touching! Masya-Allah... such a sentimental guy whose appreciation and love for his wife lasted beyond her last breath. I leave you with the movie's soundtrack and one of the poignant quotes from the book and the English translation of the soundtrack's chorus:

"Mereka mengira akulah kekasih yang baik bagimu, sayang... tanpa mereka sadari, bahwa kaulah yang menjadikan aku kekasih yang baik... Mana mungkin aku setia padahal memang kecenderunganku adalah mendua, tapi kau ajarkan aku kesetiaan, sehingga aku setia, kau ajarkan aku arti cinta, sehingga aku mampu mencintaimu seperti ini... Selamat jalan... Kau dariNya, dan kembali padaNya..."

(They think that I'm a good lover for you, darling... without them realising, that you are the one who made me the good lover that I am... How is it possible I remain loyal when my tendencies is to have more than one, but you taught me what it means to be loyal until I remain loyal, you taught me what it means to love until I'm able to love you this way... Farewell... From Him you came and to Him you shall return...)

"Cinta kita melukiskan sejarah, menggelarkan cerita penuh sukacita Sehingga siapa pun insan Tuhan pasti tahu - cinta kita sejati"

(Our love paints a historical picture, depicting a story filled with joy Until every servant of God will surely know - our love is pure and true)

Out of ICU

AlhamdulilLah! Luqman is out of ICU. Allahumma habbibhu wa ahibba man yuhibbuhuu, aamiin Allahuma aamiin! See you real soon, lil fella! :)

Walimatul Urus

To: Sofinah & Khai, Siti Aisyah & Mohd Saiful, Nurul Aidah & Faimee…

“BarakalLahulaka wa barakah ‘alaik, wa jama’a bainakuma fi khair (sakinah, mawaddah wa rahmah) li qulli marhalahatin rijalluha, amin ya Rabb!”

Luqman

Allah SWT says, “We gave wisdom to Luqman so that he may be grateful to Allah. The one who pay thanks, does so for his own good; and the one who denies His favors, should know that Allah is certainly free of all wants, worthy of all praise.” (QS Luqman 31:12)

AlhamdulilLah, Luqman Nor Hadi was born on 1 Safar 1434H. May he grow up to be a righteous, grateful and wise servant of Allah SWT (as his name suggests) and may his living and striving benefit him, his family, the Ummah and society at large, in this world and in the Hereafter, aamin Allahuma aamiin! :)

A Woman's Dignity

The 'in your face' approach initially irked me but with the pearls of wisdom weaved in between, inter-twined with the plot, I can't help but recommend the youths of today to have a go and watch this movie.

Zahrana

Read the synopsis of a story based on the book by Ustaz Habiburahman el-Shirazy. Can't wait to catch this movie soon :)

Hablu mina-Allah

Managed to catch this movie via SCTV... sad but profound ending, subhan-Allah! May many among the Ummah find a spouse whose love for Allah SWT supersedes all other love, amin ya Rabb!

Walimatul Urus

AlhamdulilLah! Witnessed the akad of my dear cousin, Hidayat with Azie at Al-Hidayah mosque. I really love the simple but meaningful ceremony - my kind of wedding! BarakalLahulaka wa barakah ‘alaik, wa jama’a bainakuma fi khair (sakinah, mawaddah wa rahmah) li qulli marhalahatin rijalluha, amin ya Rabb! :)

P.S. Happy wedding anniversary Aunt Sal and Uncle Hamzah :)

Eid Mubarak 2012



TaqabalLahu minna wa minkum. Taqabal ya Kareem, amin ya Rabb!

Missing My Bestfriend

Just watched "27 dresses". Lucky girl, she married her bestfriend! Moral of the story - ladies, don't let the moment pass you by... but let the gentleman take the lead then you know, you got a good catch :)

In Remembrance

This week is in remembrance of my late sister-in law (today is her birthday) and dad (whose birthday falls on 7 June)! To my niece, Sarah... you'll remain brave and strong *hugs*...

Baby!

AlhamdulilLah! One of the many supplications during the recent Umrah trip has come true... Masya-Allah! What beautiful news when my second sister-in-law informed us the good news that she's pregnant! I'm looking forward to the bundle of joy in December (and the extended family continues to grow!). May Allah SWT bestow upon them a healthy baby who will grow up with a noble akhlaq and who will be of great benefit to the Ummah, amin ya Rabb!

Hikmah

Subhaan-Allah wal HamdulilLah AstaghfirulLah wa-Allahuakbar... HasbiyAllah! Reflecting on the lesson this week on Adab towards Allah SWT on the significance of Istighfar... it dawned on me on how Islam is beautiful and indeed simple... in that Allah's wisdom in making it so easy for Muslims to gain reward if we only knew and apply the prescribed life ordained to us. Allow me to end this post with Hadith Qudsi - "Allah's mercy precedes His wrath", subhaan-Allah!

P/S: May Allah SWT bestow upon Grandpa Said baraqah, good health, hidayah, istiqomah, rahmah, rizq' and taufiq, amin ya Rabb!

Two

 

AlhamdulilLah! By Allah's will, had the opportunity to meet up with a faqir ilalLah and his beautiful wife. I learnt a great deal about ikhlas, shakur, taqwa ilalLah and sobr from this beautiful soul, subhaan-Allah!

QS at-Talaq: 65: 3 came to mind - "... And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, He will suffice him...". Looking at the lovebirds, the song above came to mind. Indeed, marriage is about mecy and love and sticking by each other, no matter what! :)

P/S: On a separate note, may Allah SWT bestow shifa' upon the beloved dad of a friend (across the ocean) and may He (SWT) fills his heart with ikhlas, mahabbah, rahmah and sobr as he goes about taking care of his dad and mum the best he can, amin ya Rabb! :)

Fitrah

"While chemistry and attraction are no doubt important, character precedes them both. Why? Chemistry ignites the fire, but character keeps it burning.”

Love is part of mankind’s primordial state (fitrah). But the idea of falling “in love” should never be the sole reason for marrying someone; it is very easy to confuse infatuation and lust for love." Truly Islam is beautiful for advocating love after marriage. Why do you want to marry? For fun? For satisfying your desire?  Because everyone is doing it so I have to as well? For Allah? If it is for Allah, insya-Allah the sense of responsibility in oneself will ensure compatibility. Indeed character and chemistry is two different things (paradigm even!)

For Muslimah, a husband is everything after Allah SWT and RasululLah SAW. It is not right for me to waste my love to other men (through social dating, which is haram in Islam) if in the end, the one that will be there through thick and thin, in life and death will be someone called ‘husband’. So to ladies out there, save the saying of “I love you” for your husband once it is halal…

How does one know if the person is the right one? Istikharah (Hasbi Allah wa ni’mal waqil /Allah is sufficient for me and is the best trustee of affairs) and seek Allah’s redha. Insya-Allah, if both have the same fikrah (mentality/worldview), sincere intention (mardhatilLah) and follow RasululLah’s advise to pick one with a strong religious foundation above all things (recall what Ummi said, Those who kneel down to ALLAH can stand up for anything, subhaana-Allah!).

Afterthought: Everyone has a past. And the past is not to be judged, but to be learned. A good man will not force you to do something that will incur Allah’s wrath. If he is truly serious about you, he will make you halal asap. So choose wisely the one who will be the imam of your family. Wallahu'alam bissawab...

Anticipation

 

 Soon... will be on the much anticipated journey... in search of truth :)

Taqwa ilalLah

Was channel surfing and saw this movie closer to the end and floodgates were let loose... I cannot fathom how the baby girl would grow up without the love of her mum... and how her dad will cope with the lost of his love in the midst of bringing up the gift that will be a constant reminder of the demise of his loved one. It brought back memories, ala kulli haal. What is most important is the realisation of putting your trust in Allah SWT. When you love His creations, they will leave you as life in this world is temporal. I'll end this post by saying that the greatest strength is gentleness. Wallahua'lam bissawab.

Rainy Days & Mondays

It is nice to hear the sounds of Pat Metheny especially doing a rendition of The Beatles... Thanks to a dear friend for sharing this video with me... it made the rainy monday even more beautiful... so am gonna share the 'love', ha!

Indeed, may Allah's blessings, just like the gift of beneficial rain, be upon us so hurry to supplicate for it is reported that rainy days are one of those moments when our supplications are answered, pronto! Truly, Allah knows best :)

Lessons from a 6-Year Old

A beautiful movie, adapted from a novel, of which many lessons could be learnt from a 6-Year Old :)

Redha

My heart instinctively went out to my dear niece after the demise of her mum (may Allah SWT bless her soul for to Him we came from and to Him we shall return) this week... I could not fathom if I was in that tragic state (and oh how close I am to Ummi... she's my life!), hence no matter how I try to convince myself that I fully understand what my 13-year old niece is going through, I'd be lying as I could never fully feel the pain! May Allah SWT bestow the patience and sincerity in my beloved niece to let go and redha.

Three things continue to benefit the dead after one' death - her amal jariah and beneficial knowledge she taught others in her lifetime as well as her child who supplicates to Allah and seeks His forgiveness for her. May Siti Maisarah remember this and be steadfast in her supplication for her beloved late mum, insya Allah, amin Allahuma amin.

Anti-Cyberbullying

[Source courtesy of Childnet International]

Reflecting on today's session and listening to constructive feedback from all perspectives, there's room for improvement for a programme that is in its first year of inception. I pray that the team have the compassion for the kids and the passion for learning to continually improve while maintaining the focus and stamina to do meaningful work, insya Allah ameen Allahuma ameen!

Miss Rania

I can't wait for lil Miss Rania to make her passport in January and visit her ole auntie... Miss her to bits :)

Responsibility

It is so easy to attribute a success to one's hard work as though you earned it; failing to see Allah's grace, generosity, love and mercy. Subhan Allah wal hamdulilLah wala illah ha ilalLah Allahu Akbar. With Allah's grace, may I be able to expedite the amanah (responsibility) assigned to me to the best of my ability and may Allah SWT protect me from istidraj, insya Allah ameen ya Rabbal 'alameen.

Afternote: I'm instinctively reminded of mum's advice - "Allah will not forsake those who seek out His guidance and remain steadfast in prayer", subhan Allah... inna lilLahi wa inna ilaihi rojiun :)

Instinctively Amiss

Hmm, in the midst of my busy work schedule, I instinctively felt this odd hunch that something is amiss but could not put my finger to it. Shall not lose sleep over it, alhamdulilLah ala kulli hal. When the time is ripe, it'll come to me, insya Allah :)

Sorry to hear that Regy was down with DVT. I'll pop by this weekend with hot baked muffins, yum, after the earlier ones were eaten by my nephews, ha! Yes they are that nice. Shall leave you with a beautiful monologue from one of the touching movies I've had a chance to catch, learnt alot from it :)

Assessment D&D

AlhamdulilLah, glory to Allah SWT for enabling me to gain the Statement of Attainment (SOA) in the design and delivery of assessment module under the ACTA series by Singapore National Employer's Federation (SNEF). This new competencies strengthen my conviction of getting it right at the onset of any undertaking and one has to take the time to research and elicit the root of the issue before proposing a solution.

Afternote: 2 CUs completed last year, 2 CUs this year, 2 more to go next year, insya Allah ameen ya Rabb. Already, I can see the workload piling up, as hinted by my beloved supervisor, alhamdulilLah ala kulli hal :)

Usabiliity Bootcamp

Had a blast this week at the Usability Bootcamp organised by the great guys at Pebbleroad (thanks guys!). Christine Perfetti shared great examples of user-friendly design and I met some great folks during the networking session. The information I gained will come in handy when I get started on the next project - revamping the company's website... and you thought Instructional Designers just design and develop courseware! Don't ask... that was a vent ;P

Afterthought: I stand by my conviction, that great design is truly about empathy :)

Taqwa & Hal

[Source courtesy of I Luv Islam]

Nur Rania Adriana

[Photo courtesy of Norhisham Isnin]

On 2 Nov 2010, this sweet and adorable baby girl was born into this world. May she grow up to be the light (Nur) of Purity, Contentment (Rania) and Integrity (Adriana; Nisbah Afaf) that her name suggests, submitting fully to the will of Allah SWT. Can't wait to hold her in my arms :)

Brother

Today will be a short post. I'm proud of my younger brother for saying his piece via the Newpaper about the recent case that happened at Singapore's sports school. Its great to have such Physical Education teacher taking a firm stand on such things. Yes, it is a privilege (not a right) and parents of such errant kids should be educated or reminded if they do not realise it yet. Enough said!