You are what you think of.
Posted on Wednesday 31 July 2013 at 23:42.

Bismillah.

I have spent some time reading some books lately.
And alhamdulillah, I'm almost over with a book by 'Dr. Farhan Hadi - Tuhan Lebih Saintifik' and I found that this book was something that I need.

There have been questions, doubts and hesitations ever since my break started.
I figured that they came from my own insecurities - a result of me not doing, but just thinking - and it occurred to me how amazing it is that Allah has created all of us with 'aql (the ability to think) which differs us from any other beings that He has created.

I realized that I have managed to achieve some great things with His will when I made up my mind to do it.
Because once I've decided to do something, and really driven to do it, I find myself getting closer and closer to achieving it by simply being brave to make the first step.

You see, the human mind is capable of so much more than we give it credit for.

And what I can say is that, all of us should start thinking more positively.

The way we set our minds to think affect everything else that happens around us.

A simple example would be,
Two persons, who had undergo the same thing, but gives different result.

Like reading a book for instance. I can say that there will be two situations:

1.
One may be "open" to different perspectives by others, even if it means going against his or her own, but decided to take it on a 'different light' and accepted the fact that everyone can have different opinions.

2.
One has the mind set that ONLY his or her own opinions matter and while reading the book found out that the author goes had different perspectives and thus decided that it would be a waste of time to continue reading.

Two people. Same book. Opposed results.
Differed in the way how one thinks than the other.

And I think the nature of humans being imperfect and would from time to time make mistakes, if someone was to approach us with the sincere intention of advising us in a polite way, but with the mind that is set that they are completely wrong and we are always right, I don't think that will get us anywhere, would it?

Ramadhan Mubarak :)
Posted on Wednesday 10 July 2013 at 00:26.

Alhamdulillah wa kulli alhamdulillah.

All praises to Allah.
Allah enabled us to reach Ramadhan this year.

It is that part of the year in which all Muslims look forward to, will never get enough of and will always value.

Ramadhan is the month of reflection, where we gather together and feel a sense of unity, secure-ness, together-ness, all for one reason and one reason only. Seeking Allah's forgiveness :)

It is pretty much a big deal to be able to experience Ramadhan again in our lives.

Rasulullah (SAW) had mentioned,
"Who fasted in the month of Ramadhan out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all of his past sins will be forgiven." - Bukhari.

And also in another hadith,
"Those who are at loss during Ramadhan are the ones who did not obtain Allah's forgiveness out of it."

Some of the reasons why Ramadhan is just so awesome:

1. It gives us time to reflect upon our mistakes and change as much as we could for His sake.
To me, the beauty of Ramadhan is felt because you know Allah has made it so special that the syaitan are chained, and the gates of Jannah are wide open. Allah is making it easier for us to fight our nafs (no syaitan whispering in our ears to do this or that, how cool is that? ^^), to avoid the worldly temptations and to give it all we've got doing as much of good deeds as we can. During Ramadhan, you just know,  that Allah is giving you a chance.

2. It gives a reason to start doing more good and preventing from the bad. And with this kept in mind, insya Allah, in time, with sincere hearts, we'll go on and continue doing good and preventing from the bad for Allah's sake.

3. It is a month filled with forgiveness. Allah's door of forgiveness has always been opened for His servants and His Mercy can never be compared to anything in this world. So let's try our best to be more forgiving towards others, noting the fact that we would like the same if we did others wrong. Tolerate more, give in more and value the relationship you have with others more and for once, let your ego slide.

4. If there is a word to describe how special something so beautifully and amazingly special may be, it would be the night of Lailatul Qadr. Allah describes in the Qur'an, it is the night better than a thousand months. And allow me to ask you this, what better way to welcome this night than devoting ourselves completely before the Creator of the universe? :)

5. Charity charity charity. Allah multiplies every good deeds when Ramadhan comes. So even if it's a little, let's do charity every day. Give sadaqah (please do not forget that a smile is also a form of sadaqah ^^) and let our hearts be purified after every sadaqah. Ameen.

To me, these are some of the few things Ramadhan offers. There are a lot more, trust me.
So in a nutshell, it is an opportunity all of us should seek.

May this Ramadhan be better than the last.
May all of us come out victorious in the end. Ameen.

Ramadhan Mubarak everyone! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8PPo-SyThU







When you believe.
Posted on Friday 28 June 2013 at 07:16.



Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabrakatuh.

I'll be travelling in a few hours from now but I decided to spend a little time writing.
I'm sure some of us are familiar with the above verses. They are from Surah At-Talaq, Verse 2-3.
In Malay we call it, "Ayat 100 Dinar."

I do wish you understand the meaning of the above verses.
It's simply beautiful :)

"...And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out. And He will provide him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set everything a [decreed] extent."

There comes a time in our lives that we are tested. And those are the times where we are reminded just how much we are in need of Allah in our lives.

There are also times when we feel like all hopes are lost, and there's nowhere to turn to, but lucky are those who believe in Allah.
And that's the reason why, when we ask from Allah, BELIEVE He will answer.
No matter how impossible something may seem, with His help, all is well, yes? :)

The answers may not come in the form that we expect them to, but they come in the form of His love sent especially for us.
Allah will give you the best when the time is right.
We may feel as though the things happening to us are leading us nowhere, but with the belief that Allah will give us the best, insya Allah soon enough He'll show us the way.

There's an interesting story that I'd like to share. May Allah bless the one who shared this story with us during our "happy circle".

If I was not mistaken, it was the time of Imam Ahmad Hanbal (please correct me if I'm wrong). He was sent to prison for what he believed in and when he was released, he wanted to offer His salah (prayers) at the mosque but was not welcomed by the men and had to find other places to offer His salah.

And so as he walked in the city, searching, he acquainted with a bread-maker, whom with politeness & not knowing who Imam Ahmad Hanbal really was, offered his home as a place for the Imam to offer his salah.
After performing his prayers, Imam Ahmad Hanbal was watching the bread-maker and intrigued by the fact that his lips were constantly praising Allah with zikrullah.

And out of curiosity, Imam Ahmad asked,
"Tell me, what have you obtained from saying zikrullah all the time."

The bread-maker smiled and said,
"There hasn't been a prayer of mine that was not answered except one by Allah."
And so Imam Ahmad asked,
"What is it?"
"I wish to meet Imam Ahmad Hanbal someday." was the bread-maker's reply.

And thus, we know from the story how ALL of his prayers & wishes has been granted by Allah, in ways that he would have never expected.

That's why Iman is faith. We may not be able to see it, but it can be one of the strongest thing we have in ourselves, that we can try to improve for His sake.

We're all trying. We all make mistakes.
But don't ever lose hope in Allah.
Therefore ask, for He is constantly listening.
And believe that He will answer.

Please pray that we'll all be given strength by Allah.
Please also pray my journey will be eased tomorrow.
May Allah bless.

8th June
Posted on Friday 7 June 2013 at 21:58.


Sannah Helwah.



Syukran kathiran.
May your days be blessed.
May Allah grant you Jannatul firdaus.
May He give us all strength to keep striving for His Mardhotillah.



Where's the harm in trying, right? :)
Posted on Thursday 6 June 2013 at 08:07.

I don't know if it's just something that I like doing, but I have recently entered a competition by Owh So Muslim (OSM) where they will be giving away 5 tickets to the Being Me Conference ^-^

Awesome eh? The giving away tickets I mean. Not only that, they also prepared some goody bags for the winners.

I thought,
Why not try participate? There's absolutely no harm in trying.

The basic rule is that participants are asked to write creatively and presenting them by photographing their work in the best way that they can.
The winners will be decided only by the Admins, unlike some other competitions where voters 'likes' are taken into account.

I think it's very interesting :)
Well, if Allah wills it, I will be one of the 5 lucky contestants.
And if Allah does not, I believe my rizq is waiting for me in another surprise He has prepared.

Please keep me in your prayers.
Here's a view of my entry and the link on OSM facebook page.






'The important thing is that you try'.


Tranquility.
Posted on Sunday 19 May 2013 at 09:37.

True tranquility lies when you submit yourself to Him in your sujud.


Islam is to submit.

Radhitu billahi rabba, wabil islami deena, wabimuhammadin nabiya warasula.

- And I am satisfied with Allah as my Lord, Islam as my deen (religion) and Muhammad as my Prophet & the Messenger of Allah.


I may have a long way to go, but as long as Allah is with me, I have courage in my soul.

Persevere. Determined.
Posted on Wednesday 15 May 2013 at 08:17.

Assalamu'alaikum.

I think ever since vacation started I get to spend more of my time into writing.
Alhamdulillah, so far things have been well.

My post today will mainly be about self-perseverance.

I know, each and every one of us has our own struggles.
It will never be fair for us to judge someone and say, "Hey, his/her test is only the tip of the iceberg of mine, and he/she is already acting like it's the end of the world."

Nope. This kind of thinking, we want none of that in our lives.

Remember, Allah tests every one of us according to our own capabilities.
Who knows us better than Our creator Himself? 
Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahiim ^-^

Take a moment to ponder,

Allah creates us to complete one another. And He did not create mankind, except to worship Him.

In life, ups and downs, hurricanes and tidal waves.
But there's more to life than just that. We will fail to see the beauty Allah has created in life if we only focus our minds on the bad stuffs.
It's time to expand our minds, don't you think?
It's time we stop thinking that the world is only about "Me, myself & I."
It never was, it never will be.

I always try my best to tell this to myself,
"Treat everyone the way you would like to be treated." I guess that can be one of my daily motto.
To try to improve the way I communicate with the people around me. I am still trying.

I think that is one of my points today.
TRY.
This 3 letter word, it means a lot to me. Why? Because only by trying, we use our effort. Based on our own initiatives.
In my life, I will try my best to appreciate those who try. Because seeing them makes me smile. I know that they're trying to improve for Allah. And to me, that's what makes them beautiful.

Whenever I convey my opinions to others, I want them to realize that Allah not only appreciate, but also loves those who try. I may not know what is within their hearts, but Allah does. And when He knows that His servants are trying for Him, He guides them towards Him, insya Allah (:

I wish people would start realizing that only by trying you value the end result of it. Because you know, you've put in your effort and there is  nothing left to regret after that.
I also wish that people would start realizing that all of us, who's trying to improve have gone through those moments. Just what kind exactly do you ask?

The kinds that make you realize just how weak you are to The Almighty Creator, Allah.
You see, we struggle with ourselves towards betterment. Struggling means we avoid ourselves from doing what's bad, and do more of good. Amar makruf, nahi mungkar.
Typing it may seem like an easy thing to do, but doing it takes a whole 'nother level.

Easier said than done, huh? Or is it easier typed than done now?

My main point here is that, it's okay to fall down. It's okay to fail. It's in our nature. We will never ever reach perfection. In our journey of trying for Allah, there are times where we fall. But that does not mean we do not get back up. Absolutely not. It only means otherwise.
When you fall, get back up, standing tall. Because we know, the strength that we have within ourselves is from Allah and none other than Allah.

My wish is that people would start to understand, that those who struggle do understand the struggle of another. It may take a while to wrap your head around it, but I hope this is easy to digest.
I do understand the struggles some of the people that have come to me for help. If I don't fully at least I try my best to understand. And I really do appreciate them for trying. Because I know, I used to be in their position. Trying to find my path towards Him. Trying my best to be a faithful servant to Him. Knowing that the tests He sent are hard but will turn easy with His love. 

I still am trying.

My effort may be small. I know it's not much. But I wish you realize while reading this, Allah knows you're struggling. And He will never disappoint you because He will always be there for you. 
So don't be afraid to try. Do not hesitate to walk towards Him. May Allah ease all of our journey. Amiin.

The Prophet said:
"My Lord says, 'If My slave comes nearer to me for a span, I go nearer to him for a cubit; and if he comers nearer to Me for a cubit, I go nearer to him for the span of outstretched arms; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.'"

To whoever that may be reading this:
I know it's hard,
I know it can be painful.
But hey, it's Jannah that we'd like to enter.
It is Allah & Habibullah that we'd like to meet.
So this is our chance, no other way to say it,
When Allah knocks upon the doors of your heart,
Seize the moment and do not wait to open it,
Cus His hidayah (guidance) should be seek,
And it does not comes and goes as we please.