Anak Asset Ke Syurga

TOF [Part 4]

Ok...third post for the day. Former Mdm posted this link in FB and I feel so thankful to the person who uploaded the videos. Barakallahu feek whoever you are.




[didn't attend this workshop...prolly I was upstairs or in another workshop but this is definitely something,ahem!]








[me,AK,AK's mom and sis...we were at the front row! awesome talk mashaAllah! =)]

What is your ID?

Among what I love about IIUM is the great speakers that come and share their thoughts! :)




Last week's Friday sermon at SHAS Mosque, IIUM

Refreshment

One of the speakers that really touched me with his speech was Sheikh Navaid Aziz. Before TOF I never heard of this name at all so alhamdulillah for the opportunity to know such a great man.



I would like to share with you a video of Sheikh Navaid giving his speech i found in youtube. Such a profound video. It made my heart wept T_T



>>>>>HERE<<<<<<<

~He who has no one has Allah. He who has Allah has everything~

This life is a test from Allah. Both calamities and blessings are test from Allah. We should be both patient and grateful and Allah will give glad tidings to us.

"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, (155) Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return." (156) Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided. (157)"    [Al-Baqarah: 155-157 ]

This was shared by a friend of mine in FB regarding single men and ladies. I remembered what Dr.Harlina Halizah said when a sister asked a question during the workshop [TOF]. She asked about is it wrong if a sister stays single because she wants to achieve her dreams first? [well it goes something like that] and Dr. replied it is not wrong for a lady to still be single due to that matter but one must not block or close their hearts toward accepting the idea of entering marriage or finding a partner when the right time comes.And we must continuously repair and improve our relationship with Allah.

Me? No comment     *better safe than sorry*

TOF [Part 3]

The Building Blocks by Sh.'Alaa Elsayed


In this speech, sheikh 'Alaa talked about how we can build a strong nation.How we form a strong nation, a solid individual,more importantly a good Muslim is like developing a building,a 'bangunan'. One must have the right structure, the right bricks,tools and materials so that it won't disassemble right after being built.

So, how to build?

Get the right foundation. We must have a good foundation in order to build a beautiful ummah. What are needed? Iman and amal. Gain knowledge and put it into action.

Briefly saying: Boost our Iman with 'ilm,with prayers and express it through amal. By obeying His orders, leaving His warnings,do good deeds, help others. You don't keep it to yourself hoping that you may enter Jannah alone.Nay it doesn't work like that. Fahimtu? :)


Sheikh also mentioned, ONE BRICK at a time. Jangan dok kalut nak buat semua,karang yang dikejar tak dapat,yang dikendong berciciran. [read: don't rush into doing things. You don't want to lose what you have while chasing what you want more]  (wah pandainya mentranslate ikut dannn je :p)


The nation starts with the younger generation and also the future soon to come. Those future generation that will help build back the nation have their own rights under the parents responsibility. Their rights are there even before they are born.


The rights for the unborn child is even before the parents get married, HOW?!It's by CHOOSING the right partner [read: husband or wife-to-be]


A lady trying to find her future husband should look into 3 criterias:

1) STRONG [in terms of faith, religious stance, knowledge,etc]
2)TRUSTWORTHY [has that passion equipped in him that when he has a family,he will lead them to jannah]



While a guy finding his future wife should look into:

Beauty+wealth+lineage+deen BUT the best of them are those who possess strong DEEN.



Later on,while raising them, adults should pay attention to these matters:

*They imitate us as adults so be careful what we show them. A dad who smokes at home,in front of his children can't be mad when his son is caught smoking at school or elsewhere.
*Listen to what they hum. Are they continuously humming to the lyrics of Justin Bieber,Selena Gomez or SNDS or whatever? Make sure they are humming the right tune: ZIKRULLAH,QURANIC RECITATIONS.
*Look at who their friends are
*Look at how we speak with them. Don't compare them with other kids because this will demotivate them in the long run of growing up.

"Be careful with words, they hurt more than a physical wound"

Talk about look at whom their friends are, we could also practice it in our current life:

1) If you see them, they always remind you of Allah
2)They guide you with their lifestyle
3)When they speak, their words always remind you of the hereafter and supplies that we need to bring with us. I guess one wins when they succeeds to do that and not even noticed by their friends as being too preachy. Not everyone is comfortable being around an ustaz/ustazah and totally acts like one all the time. You can be fun at the same time guide them. Be creative in this matter!




The best of nations were in the times of Prophet Muhammad S.A.W so go back to their era by reading back the seerah. Remember who we are, whom our ancestors were, the best of nation.

I end my note with:


REMEMBER WHO WE ARE, WE ARE A BUILDER, NOT A BRAKER OF THE NATION.



Wallahu a'lam,


I apologize if my notes are not up it's par as what Sheikh had delivered but inshaAllah I've covered the gist of it. Allahu musta'an.







ps: I didn't proofread this entry so please bear with the terrible errors,LOL *peace ^^*

TOF [Part 2]

 You Are The Best of Nations [by Sh.Yahya Adel Ibrahim]

Islam is a beautiful religion and we as Muslims are the official ambassadors for promoting it. How should we show the best of our religion to others?

By portraying the best of character. How do we do that? By implementing simple steps but continuously like:

-smile when you meet people ^___^
-greet each other
-be the best of friends
-offer help when you see someone in need  [even if you think it is beyond your capabilities but you sincerely try to help a person in need, Allah will help you not only in this duniya but also in the hereafter]

Gain knowledge and put it into practice

-Put an effort to gain knowledge and put it into action. This is not only the supply for this worldly life but also for the hereafter inshaAllah. By practicing it, we will reflect the beauty of religion to others bi'iznillah =).

Be steadfast, be gentle, be wise in spreading the beauty of Islam and we will be the best of nation inshaAllah.

TOF [Part 1]

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

Updated

25th December 2011,
Workshop [sisters only]
Struggling to be a better Muslimah Everyday [Wardina Safiyyah Fadlullah]


Alhamdulillah praise be to Allah for His blessings and mercy. Alhamdulillah I have been given the chance to attend the awaited program TWINS OF FAITH and alhamdulillah I have been blessed with the best of health.


I will not lie but the two days had met me with the right path again. There are so many to share and I would be very delighted if I could share the knowledge and reminders that I gained with my fellow beloved brothers and sisters in Islam. Just a heads up, I may be spamming this blog with bits and pieces of what I've jotted down from time to time.


The first thing that I would like to share in this post would be the reminder given by the inshaAllah mukminah sis Wardina Safiyyah. Her talk was exclusive for sisters only and the participants were limited but alhamdulillah me,AK,her mom and her lil sister managed to enter the hall. Albeit the fact that she was down with a fever, she still came and gave the best and may Allah bless her. This workshop  [and all the workshops and speeches held] really gave a big impact on me so let's jump right into business shall we?

We were given a pamphlet and a mustard seed each. WHY?


Her topic was about our deeds and its relation with Allah. [I'll update the full title later on]

And We place the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be treated unjustly at all. And if there is [even] the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as accountant.  [Al-Anbiya': 47]




The reminder was; whatever our intentions are, whatever our deeds are, big or small, praiseworthy or bad,indeed Allah knows everything even if it were to be the size of a mustard seed. 


Sometimes, we forget to act upon righteousness like for example: we are walking down the street and we see a tinie tiny piece of paper and to our conscious mind we'd say: "alah....kecik je sampah tu bukannya orang nampak pun bla3" [mind you this is my self-made example,not from sis Wardina:D]. In that act alone, we have wasted and given away the reward that Allah has promised us for good deeds EVEN if the act seems...well.....nothing much. 


A sneak peak of the talk  [hey, this is a sisters only event! no worries, the knowledge should be spread ^^ ]

KELIK ME KELIK ME!!!

So, after this, I write this to remind myself first, the next time I see the need for me to act upon something, regardless of how small the deed may seem, Allah sees it and will value it for our future "saving's account" inshaAllah.


I came back from the two days program with a reviving knowledge and inspiration alhamdulillah.


I will share more after this inshaAllah.

Allahu musta'an


toddles~

salam~~

Qalb

KEEPING THE HEART ALIVE

by sis Yasmin Mogahed

exceptionally profound,mashaAllah

Sunnah-sunnah di bulan Zulhijjah

Tidak ada amalan soleh yang lebih disukai oleh Allah S.W.T lebih daripada (amalan) pada hari-hari ini (iaitu10 hari bulan zulhijjah). Para sahabat bertanya: Wahai Rasulullah, sekalipun dengan JIHAD di jalan Allah?".Rasulullah SAW menjawab, "Sekalipun dengan jihad. Kecuali jika seseorang keluar dengan dirinya dan hartanya dan tidak kembali lagi (mati syahid)". [Hadis riwayat Bukhari]

Sunnah-Sunnah Di Bulan Zulhijjah

 


a) Berpuasa di hari Arafah/9 Zulhijjah:

عَن بَعْضِ أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَتْ : كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ “ يَصُومُ تِسْعَ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ وَيَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ وَثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ أَوَّلَ اثْنَيْنِ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ وَالْخَمِيسَ “

Beberapa isteri nabi s.a.w berkata: Nabi s.a.w sering berpuasa pada sembilan Zulhijjah, hari Asyura, dan tiga hari setiap bulan, Isnin awal setiap bulan dan hari Khamis [Sunan Abi Daud: 2085, Shaikh al-Albani mensahihkannya]


قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ….، صِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ ، وَالسَّنَةَ الَّتِي بَعْدَهُ …..

Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda: Puasa Arafah, aku berharap agar Allah menghapuskan dosa setahun sebelumnya dan setahun selepasnya [Sahih Muslim:1983]


b) Menyembelih korban

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : ” مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ سَعَةٌ وَلَمْ يُضَحِّ ، فَلَا يَقْرَبَنَّ مُصَلَّانَا “

Daripada Abu Hurairah r.a bahawa Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda: Sesiapa yang mempunyai keluasan (harta) tetapi tidak menyembelih korban, maka janganlah dia mendekati tempat solat kami. [Sunan ibn Majah:3122, Shaikh al-Albani menyatakan ia hasan]

c) Membanyakkan amal ibadah pada sepuluh hari pertama Zulhijjah

عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ” مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيهِنَّ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ الْعَشْرِ ” فَقَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلَا الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ” وَلَا الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا رَجُلٌ خَرَجَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِشَيْءٍ “

Ibn ‘Abbas r.a berkata: Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda: Tiada hari yang mana amal soleh pada hari itu lebih dicintai Allah daripada sepuluh hari (awal Zulhijjah). Para sahabat bertanya: Ya Rasulullah, tidak juga jihad di jalan Allah? Baginda s.a.w menjawab: Tidak juga jihad di jalan Allah melainkan jika seorang lelaki itu keluar dengan nyawa dan hartanya, dan dia tidak pulah (terbunuh). [Sunan at-Tirmizi: 687, Imam at-Tirmizi berkata: Hadis ini Hasan Sahih Gharib]


d) Melakukan solat hari raya di Musolla/tanah lapang

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ، قَالَ : ” خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي أَضْحَى أَوْ فِطْرٍ إِلَى الْمُصَلَّى

Daripada Abu Sa;id al-Khudri r.a, Rasulullah s.a.w keluar ke musolla/tanah lapang pada hari raya Aidiladha dan Aidilfitri [Sahih al-Bukhari: 296]


e) Membanyakkan takbir bermula pada satu Zulhijjah sehingga Asar 13 Zulhijjah.
وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ فِى أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ أَيَّامُ الْعَشْرِ ، وَالأَيَّامُ الْمَعْدُودَاتُ أَيَّامُ التَّشْرِيقِ . وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ وَأَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ يَخْرُجَانِ إِلَى السُّوقِ فِى أَيَّامِ الْعَشْرِ يُكَبِّرَانِ ، وَيُكَبِّرُ النَّاسُ بِتَكْبِيرِهِمَا . وَكَبَّرَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِىٍّ خَلْفَ النَّافِلَةِ .

Ibnu ‘Abbas berkata, “Berzikirlah kalian kepada Allah pada hari-hari yang ditentukan iaitu 10 hari pertama Zulhijah dan juga pada hari-hari tasyriq.” Ibnu ‘Umar dan Abu Hurairah pernah keluar ke pasar pada sepuluh hari pertama Zulhijah, lalu mereka bertakbir, lantas manusia pun ikut bertakbir. Muhammad bin ‘Ali pun bertakbir setelah shalat sunnah. [Dikeluarkan oleh Bukhari tanpa sanad (mu’allaq), pada Bab “Keutamaan beramal di hari tasyriq”]

Takbir terbahagi kepada dua. Takbir Mutlaq-bermula pada awal Zulhijjah sehingga Asar 13 Zulhijjah. Ia boleh dilakukan pada bila-bila masa. Dalilnya di atas

Takbir Muqayyad- takbir yang dilaungkan selepas solat fardhu. Ia dilakukan bermula pada Subuh 9 Zulhijjah, dan berakhir pada selepas Asar 13 Zulhijjah. Dalilnya ialah: Daripada Ali bin Abi Thalib radiallahu ‘anhu, bahawa beliau bertakbir setelah solat Subuh pada 9 Zulhijjah sampai Asar 13 Zulhijjah. Beliau juga bertakbir setelah Asar. [Musannaf Ibn Abi Syaibah & Al-Baihaqi. Shaikh al-Albani mensahihkannya]


f) Tidak Makan Sebelum Solat Raya

عَنِ ابْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ” كَانَ لَا يَخْرُجُ يَوْمَ الْفِطْرِ حَتَّى يَأْكُلَ ، وَكَانَ لَا يَأْكُلُ يَوْمَ النَّحْرِ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ “

Daripada Ibn Buraidah r.a, bahawa Rasulullah s.a.w kebiasaannya tidak akan keluar daripada rumah (untuk pergi mendirikan solat raya) kecuali sehingga telah makan, dan baginda s.a.w tidak makan pada hari raya haji melainkan selepas pulang (daripada solat raya). [Sunan Ibn Majah: 1746, Shaikh al-Albani menyatakan ia hadis sahih]


Source

Come and ponder together

TAKING OFF THE HIJAB

by Shazia Ahmad




Question:

I understand that hijab is required, and I’ve been wearing it for some time now but I feel like putting it on might have been a mistake.  I don’t feel like it’s made me become a better Muslim, and I feel almost like I’m deceiving people because they look at me as an example even though I’m still struggling with a lot of things. Also, if I take it off, is it really something Allah will punish me for? It seems like such a petty thing. Isn’t the most important thing having a clean heart?



Answer:
Assalaamu `alaykum dear questioner,

Thank you for asking this question which opens up a number of important issues, and for entrusting us enough to share with us some of what you’re struggling with. I ask Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala – exalted is He) that He makes the words that I write beneficial to you and others who are reading, and that He leads you to the best decisions.

I’d like to start by addressing what I believe is the least important factor in this equation, and that is ‘what other people might think.’ It should never be the case that we alter our practice of Islam or our worship for the sake of other people, or what they might think or assume. People may be quick to judge or jump to conclusions, but whatever thoughts or opinions they have are strictly their responsibility, and not something we should be overly concerned with.

You said that you’re worried that wearing hijab may be deceiving, because people see you as better than you really are. But in truth all of us are sinners, and it is only from Allah’s mercy upon us that He is as-Siteer - the One who veils our faults and our flaws, and makes us seem better than we really are in others’ eyes. One famous scholar said, “If sins had a smell no one would come near me because of the stench!” Every single one of us has deficiencies and weaknesses, has made mistakes, has taken missteps or is presently taking them. We only do the best that we can, and any good deed that Allah grants us the opportunity to perform should be considered a blessing that we take advantage of. Instead of worrying about not being good enough, we can instead consider this as an opportunity to be thankful to Allah for concealing our negatives, and pray, “O Allah, forgive me for what they do not know about me, and make me even better than what they think.”


You will be hard-pressed to find anyone on this earth who can be considered ‘worthy’ of being a representative of Islam, because everyone has one dimension or another in their faith or practice in which they are lacking. However that doesn’t mean we should stop encouraging each other by whatever means are available to us.  There is a very beautiful hadith related to this issue:

Anas relates that, “We asked the Prophet ﷺ, ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, shouldn’t we refrain from calling others to goodness if we don’t practice all good things ourselves, and shouldn’t we refrain from forbidding wrong things until we ourselves have abstained from all the bad?’ ‘No,’ he replied, ‘You should call others to goodness even if you don’t do all good, and you should forbid bad things even if you don’t abstain from all of them yourselves.’” (Al-Tabarani)

Remember that by wearing hijab you are not saying to others ‘I am Islam’, but simply that ‘I am a Muslim’, meaning – I am someone who is trying to follow this religion, who accepts it as truth, sees beauty in it and hopes to beautify myself with it.  I remember a quote attributed to Yusuf Islam: “Islam is not a state of being but it is a process of becoming,” – becoming more, become better, striving to reach that state of perfect submission and connection with Allah Most High, and May He help all of us achieve that, ameen.

You also said that you feel hijab has not really made you a better Muslim. A lot of times when a person first starts performing a good deed they feel an iman ‘rush’, a feeling of happiness at doing something good for the sake of Allah and energy to do more, improve themselves, etc. However, after some time, when that action starts to become just another part of a daily routine, it loses that power, and that increase in iman and excitement dissipates.

What a person needs, instead of focusing on those ‘rushes’, is a steady and constant diet of good deeds and spiritual nourishment. We cannot rely on one particular deed to ‘make’ us better Muslims. Instead, we have to take the reigns and make sure we are doing things regularly that increase us in iman, like recitation of the Qur’an, performing salah with consciousness and focus, dhikr, and so on. Wearing hijab can definitely be one of those things, but it is only one part of a whole that needs to be constructed. Just like exercise is important for good health, yet it has to be combined with eating right and many other things in order for the person to see the desired results in the end.

Also know that there is a direct relationship between a person’s actions and their inner state. We know that when someone is in a high state of iman it’s natural for him or her to start performing more good deeds. However, we may overlook the fact that the opposite is true as well – that just performing good deeds, even if one may not be ‘feeling it’, can affect us and change us. The limbs are inroads, and performing good deeds with them can soften a hardened heart, bring enlightenment to a closed mind, and give a person a feeling of rejuvenation and desire to come closer to Allah and do more positive things. I heard a scholar say that if one is feeling troubled, confused or in a low state of iman, “go quickly to action”; because good deeds can bring about that inner reawakening one may need. If we don’t see a change happening in us when we do a good deed, that doesn’t mean we should stop it but that perhaps we need to supplement it with others in order to gather the momentum needed to see results.


Thirdly, you are absolutely correct when you say that the most important thing is for us to have purified hearts. Allah (swt) emphasizes this in the Qur’an when He states that on the Day of Judgment nothing will be of benefit to the servant except “one who brings to Allah a clean, sound heart” (26:89). The question is, how does one achieve that? What purifies us and cleanses our hearts?''

In our times we find that some people feel that we’ve reached a more ‘enlightened era’ in which spirituality can be derived solely from philosophy and ideas, and need not be bound by rituals and details of religion. However those who propound this notion forget that Allah did not create us as minds and souls alone – but coupled them with our physical bodies. We cannot deny the fact that we are body and soul, content and form, together, and each has its own needs and specifications for refinement. This is a sunnah of Allah in the way that we were created, and why prayer, fasting, and all our spiritual endeavors have very specific physical components. These forms house within them dimensions of meaning, but it is only from enacting them precisely that a profound spirituality can be achieved.

Purifying our hearts is the goal, but the means to reaching that goal is through the very real and specific physical prescriptions and commandments that Allah (swt) has given us. It is through His obedience and through following the teachings of our deen that we clean and polish our hearts. It is for this reason that I have to say that hijab is not something trivial. Anything that leads us to spiritual awareness, elevation, and purification – that helps us come closer to Allah – cannot be considered trivial or petty. Perhaps it is more likely that there are hidden depths within it that we do not perceive, or that we are not putting it in the proper context of its deeper purpose and meaning.

About punishment from Allah: a better way of looking at this issue is not considering the smallness or pettiness of the sin, but the greatness of the One whom we are sinning against. From His infinite wisdom, all-encompassing knowledge and vast mercy, in accordance to His Law – which is at its core about attaining benefit and warding off harm – He has instructed us to perform this action. In the Qur’an Allah says, ‘It may be that you dislike something and in it is goodness for you’ (2:216); ‘It may be that you dislike a thing but Allah brings about from it a great deal of good.’ (4:19) If someone chooses to step away from a prescribed action knowingly, we cannot deny that this is a sin, and that Allah holds us to account for our sins. However we always have hope in and pray for Allah’s mercy and kindness, as we know He can forgive all sins if He chooses.

In closing, I want to leave you with a beautiful quote from a Hadith Qudsi. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala said:

“My servant draws not near to Me with anything more beloved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him.” (Bukhari)

Know, dear questioner, that if you feel far from Allah, the solution is not to stop what you are doing and find a different way, but to persevere and continue on the path you are on, even though it is hard. This will make you beloved to Allah, and one who feels the happiness of being close to Him and being shaded by His Loving Mercy and care.

May Allah enliven and enlighten our hearts and grant us closeness to Him. May He make us people who love to worship Him, and through our worship become close to Him and gain His love. May He make our hearts firm and steadfast on our deen, and grant us strength and bravery in our spiritual struggles. May He guide us to the best decisions and make easy for us the path of khayr [goodness]. Ameen ya Rabb.

WAllahu a`lam – and He alone knows best.

Wasalaamu alaykum.


source: here

They leave but do they come back?

[copied from Yasmin Mogahed's]



Leaving is hard. Losing is harder. So a few weeks ago I asked the question, ‘why do people have to leave each other?’ The answer took me into some of my life’s deepest realizations and struggles. But it has also led me to wonder: After people leave, do they ever return? After something we love is taken from us, does it ever come back? Is loss permanent—or just a means for a higher purpose? Is loss the End itself, or a temporary cure for our heart’s ailments?

There’s something amazing about this life. The very same worldly attribute that causes us pain is also what gives us relief: Nothing here lasts. What does that mean? It means that the breathtakingly beautiful rose in my vase will wither tomorrow. It means that my youth will neglect me. But it also means that the sadness I feel today will change tomorrow. My pain will die. My laughter won’t last forever—but neither will my tears. We say this life isn’t perfect. And it isn’t. It isn’t perfectly good. But, it also isn’t perfectly bad, either.

Allah (glorified is He) tells us in a very profound ayah (verse): “Verily with hardship comes ease.” (Qur’an, 94:5). Growing up I think I understood this ayah wrongly. I used to think it meant: after hardship comes ease. In other words, I thought life was made up of good times and bad times. After the bad times, come the good times. I thought this as if life was either all good or all bad. But that is not what the ayah is saying. The ayah is saying WITH hardship comes ease. The ease is at the same time as the hardship. This means that nothing in this life is ever all bad (or all good). In every bad situation we’re in, there is always something to be grateful for. With hardship, Allah also gives us the strength and patience to bear it.

If we study the difficult times in our lives, we will see that they were also filled with much good. The question is – which do we chose to focus on? I think the trap we fall into is rooted in this false belief that this life can be perfect—perfectly good or perfectly bad. But that’s not the nature of dunya (this life). That’s the nature of the hereafter. The hereafter is saved for the perfection of things. Jannah (paradise) is perfectly and completely good. There is no bad in it. And Jahannam (hell – may Allah protect us) is perfectly and completely bad. There is no good in it.

By not truly understanding this reality, I myself would become consumed by the momentary circumstances of my life (whether good or bad). I experienced each situation in its’ full intensity—as if it was ultimate or would never end. The way I was feeling at the moment transformed the whole world and everything in it. If I was happy in that moment, past and present, near and far, the entire universe was good for that moment. As if perfection could exist here. And the same happened with bad things. A negative state consumed everything. It became the whole world, past and present, the entire universe was bad for that moment. Because it became my entire universe, I could see nothing outside of it. Nothing else existed for that moment. If you wronged me today, it was because you no longer cared about me—not because this was one moment of a string of infinite moments which happened to be tinted that way, or because you and I and this life just aren’t perfect. What I was experiencing or feelings at that instant replaced context, because it replaced my entire vision of the world.

I think in our experiential nature, some of us may be especially susceptible to this. Perhaps that is the reason we can fall prey to the “I’ve never seen good from you” phenomenon which the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) referred to in his hadith. Perhaps some of us say or feel this way because at that moment, experientially we really haven’t seen good, because our feeling at that instant replaces, defines and becomes everything. Past and present becomes rolled up into one experiential moment.

But, the true realization that nothing is complete in this life transforms our experience of it. We suddenly stop being consumed by moments. In the understanding that nothing is limitless here, that nothing here is kamil (perfect, complete), Allah enables us to step outside of moments and see them for what they are: not universes, not Reality, past and present, just that—a single moment in a string of infinite moments…and that they too shall pass.

When I cry or lose or bruise, so long as I am still alive, nothing is ultimate. So long as there is still a tomorrow, a next moment, there is hope, there is change, there is redemption. What is lost, is not lost forever.

So in answering the question of whether what is lost comes back, I study the most beautiful examples.  Did Yusuf return to his father? Did Musa return to his mother? Did Hajar return to Ibrahim? Did health, wealth and children return to Ayoub? From these stories we learn a powerful and beautiful lesson: what is taken by Allah is never lost. In fact, it is only what is with Allah that remains. Everything else vanishes. Allah (swt) says, “What is with you must vanish: what is with Allah will endure. And We will certainly bestow, on those who patiently persevere, their reward according to the best of their actions.” (Quran 16:96)

So, all that is with Allah, is never lost. In fact the Prophet ﷺ has said: “You will never give up a thing for the sake of Allah (swt), but that Allah will replace it for you with something that is better for you than it.” (Ahmad) Did not Allah take the husband of Umm Salimah, only to replace him with the Prophet ﷺ?

Sometimes Allah takes in order to give. But, it’s crucial to understand that His giving is not always in the form we think we want. He knows best what is best. Allah says: “… But it is possible that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and that you love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knows, and you know not.” (Quran 2:216)

But if something is going to be returned in one form or another, why is it taken at all? Subhan’Allah. It is in the process of ‘losing’ that we are given.

Allah gives us gifts. But then we often become dependent on those gifts, instead of Him. When He gives us money, we depend on the money—not Him. When He gives us people, we depend on people—not Him. When He gives us status or power, we depend on, and become distracted by these things. When Allah gives us health, we become deceived. We think we will never die.

Allah gives us gifts, but then we come to love them as we should only love Him. We take those gifts and inject them into our hearts, until they take over. Soon we cannot live without them. Every waking moment is spent in contemplation of them, in submission and worship to them. The mind and the heart that was created by Allah, for Allah, becomes the property of someone or something else. And then the fear comes. The fear of loss begins to cripple us. The gift—that should have remained in our hands—takes over our heart, so the fear of losing it consumes us. Soon, what was once a gift becomes a weapon of torture and a prison of our own making. How can we be freed of this? At times, in His infinite mercy, Allah frees us…by taking it away.

As a result of it being taken, we turn to Allah wholeheartedly. In that desperation and need, we ask, we beg, we pray. Through the loss, we reach a level of sincerity and humility and dependence on Him which we would otherwise not reach—had it not been taken from us. Through the loss, our hearts turn entirely to face Him.

What happens when you first give a child a toy or the new video game he’s always wanted? He becomes consumed by it. Soon he wants to do nothing else. He sees nothing else. He doesn’t want to do his work or even eat. He’s hypnotized to his own detriment. So what do you do, as a loving parent? Do you leave him to drown in his addiction and complete loss of focus and balance? No.

You take it away.

Then, once the child has regained focus of his priorities, regained sanity and balance, once things are put in their proper place in his heart and mind and life, what happens? You give the gift back. Or perhaps something better. But this time, the gift is no longer in his heart. It is in its proper place. It is in his hand.

Yet in that process of taking, the most important thing happened. The losing and regaining of the gift is inconsequential. The taking of your heedlessness, your dependence and focus on other than Him, and the replacing it with remembrance, dependence and focus only on Him was the real gift. Allah withholds to give.

And so sometimes, the ‘something better’ is the greatest gift: nearnesss to Him. Allah took the daughter of Malik Ibn Dinar in order to save him. He took his daughter, but replaced her with protection from the hell-fire and salvation from a painful life of sin and distance from Him. Through the loss of his daughter, Malik ibn Dinar was blessed with a life spent in nearness to Allah. And even that which was taken (his daughter) would remain with Malik ibn Dinar forever in Jannah.

Ibn ul Qayyim (may Allah be pleased with him) speaks about this phenomenon in his book, Madarij Al Salikin. He says: “The divine decree related to the believer is always a bounty, even if it is in the form of withholding (something that is desired); and it is a blessing, even if it appears to be a trial and an affliction that has befallen him; it is in reality a cure, even though it appears to be a disease!”

So to the question, ‘once something is lost, does it return?’ the answer is yes. It returns. Sometimes here, sometime there, sometimes in a different, better form. But the greatest gift lies beneath the taking and the returning. Allah tells us: “Say, ‘In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy – in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they hoard.’” (Quran, 10:58)


SOURCE

Just a 2 cents from me~

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

DISCLAIMER: This entry is about covering the aurah but directs specifically to the shawl-wearers as that is the most famous hijab style currently.

"And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed."  [Surah An-Nur verse 31]

Nowadays we can see more and more girls/ladies covering their hair and that is a GOOD thing.

What seems to be the problem is HOW they are covering up their hair. Women and fashion are two items that cannot be separated. And what is obvious in my current observation is that; fashion has once again succeeded in dominating the female minds by coming up with some ridiculous fashionable shawls.

I am no religious scholar to point out "oh sister, that is haram, you are not wearing it the right way etc". I repeat that by being an item, one can still acknowledge the correct wear and abide the the laws of Allah. There's always the longer option, the ones that suit the requirement of covering over the chest [and preferably lower than that if you can]; the Pashimina or you can just buy the material and DIY your own hijab/shawl so that you can make it very nice in length.

Then comes the clothing part. If you have decided to wear the headscarft/shawl/hijab/pashmina/tudung,etc, remind back yourself, for WHAT PURPOSE? Don't drown yourself in being a victim of fashion crime.

The fashion crime I'm talking about here is combining two opposite features. You wear the hijab but at the same time you also wear tight clothing or transparent clothing. And then comes the excessive accessories fashion to put over the shawl/hijab which I just don't understand.

In covering our aurah lies MODESTY and we should all reflect back are we COVERING OURSELVES MODESTLY?

Don't make ourselves drown into the ocean of TABARRUJ.  [Tabarruj according to Imaam Al-Albaanee(rahimahullaah)said:Tabarruj is when a woman exposes her adornment, body features and all that she is obligated to cover which invites the desires of men.], Na'uzubillah~

Can read about it HERE [ni versi indonesia...boleh google lagi kalau rajin]

I don't intend to babble much about this as I know there have been plenty posts over the net. I find some intriguing and some others have the content but too harsh in giving views  [IDK,maybe that's their style of writing so it's up to individuals]

What I want to remind...to me and to all my sisters in Islam  [bukan SIS ye] is that; when Allah made that rule for us, it is never to burden us. Everything from Him is for our sake so we must open our minds a little to really acknowledge that and to really2 understand before fulfilling it. Don't do it for the worldly matters but do it for the hereafter's sake.

"Nak nampak cantik depan manusia itu fitrah tapi apa gunanya kalau di mata Allah, nampak jelik?"

Renung2kan dan selamat beramal~

toddles~

salam~~

USRAH =)

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

As promised to farah and fifi, I will share a little bit about this new USRAH that I just started a few weeks ago.

A sudden idea of wanting to join an usrah just came into my mind one day. But,due to some constraints,it would not be achievable so I took an alternative. I tweeted the idea and CCed two of my tumblr friends whom I've grown fond of and they responded positively,alhamdulillah. They were excited as much as I was :D. Then, I also invited AK and she also agreed to the idea. So, there were 4 of us. Later on, I decided to add some more members so I proposed the idea to two more fellow tumblrians and they also agreed so we set up a date to "meet" virtually =). The meeting was supposed to be on Saturday Night,after isya' prayer. I added them in my YM because,a noob I am, didn't know that we can conference via SKYPE 0_o

skipping some funny parts, our meeting started successfully on the first usrah. We didn't jump into a topic. It was only a taaruf session, getting to know better each members. There were Kak H,Kak S,dik N,dik M, AK and myself. Then, we discussed a little bit of what an usrah is and what topic should we be discussing in the next session.  Worrying that we might be misleading ourselves, I proposed to them the magazine Solusi for them to read and we could just pick a topic to discuss and they agreed. So, I sent them a soft copy.

The first topic we discussed last Sunday was about PATIENCE. Everyone [who were present] participated and shared their thoughts and SubhanAllah,amazing words! By knowing a few, we shared, making a few doubled up to more understanding and more reminders. Alhamdulillah.

As far as up to now, I do not regret this usrah. To be frank, I left usrah for quite a long time albeit the fact that I did study in an Islamic based University  [personal reasons] so this is a good way to join an usrah,at our own comfort. No force, no hard feelings,inshaAllah =). Just a little attempt to improve ourselves, simple yet hopefully constant inshaAllah =)

Oh yah,BTW, me and my fellow usrah mates [except AK], we have never met face2face. We were tumblrian friends for quite some time and we are not strangers anymore there so I proposed to them. Not only we gained knowledge, we also gained new friends, a nice ukhwah =)

That's about it I guess. Everyone can do this actually! Rather than chatting online pointlessly, better converse something beneficial.Jokes between the line is a NO PROBLEM at all  as long as we stick to the right purpose of the conversation =)

Allahu Musta'an. May our little effort be blessed by Him,ameen =)

toddles~

salam~~

Musim Mencari Jodoh

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

I read this interesting article in Solusi magazine last night [isu.31] and felt like sharing it here so without further ado, let's get started! =)

Grateful that I found a piece while googling for the article [since I am still lazy to write..hoho]

credits to : HERE

DEKATKAN JODOH ANDA

Apabila seseorang itu mengetahui ciri2 idaman bakal pasangan masing2,,,so sekarang boleh meneruskan langkah dengan memikat hati mereka dengan :

Berdoa Bersungguh2 Dan Berusaha Dengan Tepat

Jodoh di tangan Allah s.w.t., tapi kita wajib berusaha mencari dengan usaha dan ikhtiar (dibenarkan syariat Islam) dan terus berdoa dan bertawakal, insyaAllah dapat jodoh yang diimpikan. Walaupun berdoa mengikut adab2 serta tulus, tetapi masih tidak dikabulkan.

Sabda Rasulullah s.a.w. yang bermaksud :

"Sesungguhnya doa seseorang itu tidak terlepas dari tiga perkara, iaitu, adakalanya diampuni dosa2nya, adakalanya diberikan kebaikan segera(dimakbulkan sesuai dengan permintaanya) dan adakalanya ditunda pengabulanya." (Riwayat al-Dailami)

Amati Orang Di Sekitar Kita

Mungkin orang yang hampir dengan kita itulah salah seorang yang mempunyai ciri2 idaman kita. Lumrahnya, kebanyakan jodoh kita terdiri daripada orang yang tidak jauh dari kita. Namun, masih tidak dinafikan ada jugak yang jauh seperti Malaysia dengan Bangladesh [from the article]

Tahap Pengabulan Doa

Sebagai orang beriman, kita harus yakin bahawa hal2 yang dianggap baik tak semestinya dianggap baik oleh Allah s.w.t.. Oleh itu, pengabulan doa ada beberapa kemungkinan :

• Dikabulkan sesuai dengan permintaan dan doa kita
• Dikabulkan hal2 yang serupa atau setaraf dengan apa yang diminta dalam doa
• Dihindarkan kita daripada malapetaka atau bencana yang sepatutnya menimpa kita
• Diampuni dosa2 dan diganti dengan pahala
• Ditunda pengabulan doa sebab tidak baik kepada kita jika dikabulkan sekarang
• Doa itu tetap akan dimakbulkan di akhirat

Tidah Mudah Patah Semangat

Kebanyakkan orang yang berputus asa dalam mencari jodoh akan bertanggapan negatif terhadap isu ini menyebabkan dia sukar BERTEMU JODOH.

Sabda Rasulullah s.a.w. yang bermaksud :

"Allah benci kepada orang yang patah semangat tetapi syaitan sukakanya"

Mengisi Hati Dengan Ibadah Tertentu

Setelah hati disucikan, kita perlu fokus terhadap tindakan kita untuk mempertahankan kejernihan hati kita. dengan ibadah2 tertentu walaupun sedikit, tapi jika ikhlas dan istiqamah, mampu menjadi benteng pertahanan untuk mengekalkan kesucian hati daripada sifat2 mazmumah!

Firman Allah s.w.t. yang bermaksud :

"Orang yang memelihara solatnya, mereka itulah orang yang akan mewarisi syurga firdaus, mereka kekal di dalamnya." (Surah al-Mukminun 33: 9-11)

Firman Allah s.w.t. yang bermaksud :

"Wahai orang2 beriman, bertaqwalah kepada Allah dan berkatalah yang benar, nescaya Allah akan memperbaiki perbuatanmu serta mengampuni dosa2 mu. Barangsiapa taat kepaada Allah dan Rasul-Nya maka sungguh dia akan berbahagia dengan kebahagian yang agung." (Surah al-Ahzab : 70-71)

Menyayangi Semua Orang Di Sekitar Kita

Semua orang disekitar kita perlu disayangi dan dihargai agar kita mudah dihormati. Orang yang penyayang mudah menarik orang lain sayang kepadanya. Sifat berkasih sayang sangat dianjurkan dalam Islam. Allah s.w.t. mengiktiraf bahawa sesama Mukmin adalah bersaudara. Oleh itu, bersangka baik dan sayangi lah orang lain sebelum bersangka buruk dan membenci mereka.

Sabda Rasulullah s.a.w. yang bermaksud :

"Mahukah kamu, aku beritahu tentang sesuatu yang apabila kamu kerjakan kamu akan saling menyayangi? Sebarkanlah salam antara kamu." (Riwayat Muslim)

Menyucikan Hati

Hati manusia sentiasa tertanam sifat hasad dengki,riak, takabur, benci dan sebagainya. Oleh itu, kita perlu muhasabah diri, bertaubat dan beristighfar serta memaafkan orang lain. Hati yang bersih akan terpancar ketulusan di wajah menyebabkan orang sejuk memandang. Maka, mudahlah orang jatuh cinta kepada kita.

Sentiasa Bersedia Bila2 Masa

Persiapkan diri anda walau dimana dengan berpakaian kemas, wangian, bersih dan ceria kerana tanggapan pertama sangat penting.! Tempat yang tidak disangka-sangka mungkin kita akan bertemu dengan bakal pasangan. Lagipun Allah sukakan keindahan kerana Allah itu cantik serta indah. So, jadilah hamba yang disukai Allah dengan sentiasa menitik berat kebersihan dan kekemasan diri.


Cuba Melengkapi Ciri2 Si Idaman
Kita perlu memperbaiki kelemahan dan beristiqamah serta bersyukur dengan kelebihan kita. Sebagaimana kita ingin bakal pasangan kita mengikut ciri2 idaman, bakal pasangan kita juga mengimpikannya. Maka, coraklah diri kita sebagaimana yang diimpikan oleh insan lain
Contohnya, seorang perempuan perlu menjaga wajah dan bentuk badan kerana satu dunia mengiktiraf kecantikan adalah faktor untuk menambat hati bakal pasangan, seperti :

• Melakukan senaman secara istiqamah
• Diet
• Buat kerja dengan pantas
• Kurangkan tidur dan rehat
• Kurangkan santai dan bermalas-malasan
• Gerak dan sibukkan minda untuk berfikir dan bekerja. Ini kerana, metabolisme anda akan tinggi dan tenaga yang anda dapat daripada makanan akan terarah kepada otak dan tidak tersimpan ke otot2.

Contoh bagi lelaki pula :

• Bijak memilih fesyen atau warna
• Pakaian dalam yang bersih terutama hendak solat
• Memakai stoking yang tidak berbau
• Menggunting rambut dan bercukur dengan rapi
• Mengerat kuku tangan dan kaki
• Meminyakkan rambut
• Menggosok gigi dan elakkan mulut berbau
• Bersederhana dan serba-serbi

Perspektif Jodoh

Yang Salah	Yang Betul
Jodoh tidak perlu dicari	Allah menyuruh manusia berusaha
Perempuan perlu menunggu	Sayiditina Khadijah meminang Rasulullah s.a.w.
Perempuan tidak banyak pilihan, sebaliknya lelaki banyak pilihan	Perempuan berhak memilih
Alang2 sudah terlanjur, diteruskan saja keran tidak mungkin lagi untuk bertemu pasangan yang baik	Allah s.w.t sentiasa membuka pintu taubat kepada hamba-Nya
Pasangan banyak perbezaan, tidak kekal dalam hubungan	Perbezaan boleh menjadikan pasangan saling melengkapi
Perlu cinta sebelum kahwin	Ramai pasangan bercinta gagal ke gerbang perkahwinan atau tidak kekal. Islam menganjurkan cinta selepas kahwin
Pasangan yang bercinta perlu merapatkan hubungan dengan selalu sms atau berjumpa	Selagi belum kahwin, syariat membataskan hubungan antara pasangan. Tidak dibenarkan bebas berjumpa dab bersms sehingga melalaikan
Janji manis pasangan harus dipercayai . Contohnya, lelaki berkata kepada wanitanya, “I tidak ada harta, tapi I ada cinta”	Lelaki sedemikian tidak bertanggungjawab kerana tidak bekerja keras untuk mengumpul wang menyara bakal pasangannya. Hidup rumahtangga perlu banyak belanjawan.
Contoh lain : “I tidak akan usik U sebelum kita nikah”	Dengan sebab wanita percaya, dia mula mengikuti lelaki ke mana sahaja sehingga menyebabkanterjebak ke kancah perzinaan akhirnya.

Sumber : 

1. Dato' Dr Hj Mohd Fadzillah Kamsah
2. Majalah Solusi Isu No. 31

p/s: this article entails nothing to myself though : D

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On a different yet not too far from the topic note,I had so much fun going back to my parent's home in JB [walaupun sehari sahaja]. I managed to attend my sweet friend's solemnization night and also the reception [Walimah]. They both looked happy and I pray for them the very best in their marriage life. May their marriage be blessed until jannah,ameen =)

toddles~

salam~~

Ku kongsikan dengan semua

copy-pasted from: SERENDIPITY

**read until finish...sangat2 menyentuh hati  T_T


'IBU BAPA BUKAN LIABILITI'


PETIKAN : 'NOTA HATI SEORANG LELAKI' Oleh Pahrol Mohd Juoi

Ini adalah cerita benar. Cerita benar seorang penulis yang berjaya. Beginilah kisahnya...


Entahlah apa yang selalu bermain pada fikiran ayah. Apabila saya ingin pulang kembali ke kota, dia kerap meminta duit. Seakan-akan mendesak.... "Ada duit? Minta ayah sedikit..."

Saya masih ingat waktu itu kehidupan saya terlalu sukar. Untuk mendapat seratus ringgit di dalam poket pada satu-satu masa pun payah. Kalau balik kampung selalunya duit yang ada hanya cukup-cukup tambang. Mujurlah, isteri dan anak-anak saya sudah faham. Alhamdulilah mereka 'sporting' dan tidak banyak meragam.

"Emak, ayah asyik minta duit. Bukan tak mahu bagi, tapi saya memang tak ada duit," Bisik saya kepada emak. Emak seperti biasa, berwajah selamba, sukar ditembak reaksinya.

"Bagilah beberapa yang ada," cadang emak pendek. "Takkan 5 ringgit?"

Emak mengganguk. Saya rasa bersalah untuk memberi ayah wang sebanyak itu. Apalah yang boleh dibeli dengan wang 5 ringgit. Tapi kerana tidak mahu menghampakan harapan ayah dan ikutkan cadangan emak, saya gagahi juga memberinya.

Ayah selalunya tersenyum menerima pemberian saya. Tetapi yang mengejutkan ialah apabila kami sekeluarga berada dalam perut bas dalam perjalanan pulang ke kota. Di kocek anak saya sudah terselit wang sepuluh ringgit. Siapa yang bagi kalau bukan ayah? 10 tolak 5, saya masih 'untung' 5 ringgit. Geli hati mengenangkannya.

Begitulah selalunya tahun demi tahun. Apabila kami pulang ziarah ke kampung, saya akan memberi pemintaan ayah. Kadangkala terlupa, tetapi ayah akan selalu mengingatkan. Akhirnya, saya memang sediakan peruntukan khas untuk diberikan kepada ayah setiap kali pulang kampung. Kedudukan ekonomi saya yang masih goyah kadangkala hanya mengizinkan wang dua ringgit untuk diberikan kepada ayah. Ironinya, ayah tetap dengan pemintaannya dan tetap tersenyum apabila menerima. Tidak kira berapa jumlahnya. Emak terus-terusan selamba. Saya masih sukar menandingi ketajaman rasa seorang isteri (emak) dalam memahami hati suaminya (ayah).

Begitupun setiap kali dalam perjalanan pulang, kocek anak saya akan jadi sasaran. Kadang-kadang itulah duit pelengkap membeli tiket pulang. Ayah akan siap memasukkan duit yang melebihi jumlah yang saya berikan kepadanya. Saya tidak mengambil masa lama untuk memahami apa maksud tersirat di sebalik perlakuan ayah itu. Dia meminta wang pada saya bukan kerana 'tidak ada', tetapi dia ada sesuatu yang lebih besar ingin dicapainya atau disampaikannya.

Namun, secara bertahap-tahap buku tulisan saya semakin mendapat sambutan. Bukan itu sahaja, perniagaan yang saya mulakan secara kecil-kecilan semakin membesar. Kalau dulu kami pulang ke kampung dengan bas, tetapi selepas beberapa tahun saya pulang dengan kereta milik sendiri. Saya masih ingat komen ayah ketika saya pulang dengan kereta kecil Kancil milik kami sendiri.
"Nanti, besarlah kereta kamu ini...." ujur ayah sambil tersenyum.

Apapun saya tetap memenuhi permintaan ayah setiapkali pulang ke kampung. Wang saya dahulukan kepadanya. Dan ayah juga konsisten dengan sikapnya, ada sahaja wang yang diselitkan ke dalam kocek anak saya.

"Eh tak payahlah ayah..." Sekarang saya mula berani bersuara. Ekonomi keluarga sudah agak stabil. Malu rasanya mengambil duit ayah walaupun perantaraan pemberian datuk kepada cucunya. Saya tahu dan sedar, hakikatnya ayah hendak memberi kepada saya sejak dulu, tetapi sengaja atau tidak ingin, saya merasa segan, duit diberi melalui anak.

"Kenapa, dah kaya?" usik ayah. Namun, duit dikocek anak tetap diselitkannya. Cuma sekarang bezanya, duit itu tidak lagi 'dikebas' oleh saya. Dan dalam hati, saya mula berasa senang kerana jumlah yang saya berikan kepada ayah, kini sudah melebihi apa yang mampu diselitkan ke kocek anak saya. Tidak macam dulu lagi, duit pemberian ayah kepada anak saya sentiasa melebihi duit pemberian saya kepadanya.

Masin sungguh mulut ayah. Tidak sampai tiga tahun, kami bertukar kereta. Di samping menulis, saya menjadi penerbit. Perniagaan semakin rancak. Oleh sebab bilangan anak bertambah dan keperluan kerja yang meningkat, saya sudah membeli MPV utuk kegunaan harian. Anak-anak mula menjejakkan kaki ke menara gading. Kehidupan semakin laju dan aktiviti semakin rancak. Namun sibuk sekalipun saya tetap pulang menziarahi ayah dan ibu. Anehnya ayah tetap memberi kepada anak saya walaupun kini saya telah dikenali sebagai seorang tokoh korporat yang berjaya. Rupa-rupanya, ayah memberi bukan kerana kekurangan atau kelebihan kami,


Tetapi dia MEMBERI KERANA ALLAH. Mencontohi Allah al-Wahhab itu.


Anda ingin tahu apa pesan penulis itu kepada saya? Ya, mari kongsi bersama :

"Kini aku benar-benar faham bahawa ibu ayah yang tua bukan beban dalam kehidupan di dunia, lebih-lebih lagi dalam kehidupan di akhirat. Mereka bukan 'liabiliti' tetapi sebenarnya aset untuk kita (walaupun istilah itu sebenarnya kurang atau tidak tepat kerana ibubapa bukan benda). Rugi betul siapa yang mempunyai ibu bapa yang telah tua tetapi mengabaikannya.

"Memberi kepada ibu bapa hakikatnya memberi kepada diri sendiri. Walaupun itu bukan niat kita ketika memberi, tetapi percayalah rezeki berganda akan pulang kepada kita semula. DOA MEREKA MUSTAJAB. Harapan mereka kenyataan. Kasih mereka bekalan. Benarlah seperti mana sabda Rasulullah s.a.w, keredhaan Allah terletak kepada keredhaan ibu bapa."

Baiklah, inilah sebenarnya rahsia 'perniagaan' yang jarang-jarang diperkatakan oleh tokoh korporat. Juga tidak pernah ditulis dalam mana-mana buku perniagaan. Masih punya ibubapa? MEMBERILAH KEPADA MEREKA. Tidak ada? Tidak mengapa, memberilah kepada anak-anak anda. Tidak ada juga? Memberilah kepada sesiapa sahaja. Kita sentiasa berfikir untuk memberi. Memberi kepada orang lain bererti memberi kepada diri kita sendiri walaupun itu bukan maksud kita ketika mula memberi.


SAHABAT SEKALIAN,

Cerita dibawah menjadi IBRAH bagi kita semua.

Apa yang paling utama dalam memberikan khidmat terakhir kepada ibu ayah ialah MEMANDIKAN JENAZAHNYA, MENGKAPANKAN TUBUH MULIANYA,MENYEMBAHYANGKAN JENAZAH NYA DAN MENGKEBUMIKAN JENAZAHNYA. Lakukan dengan tangan-tangan kita sebagai anak-anak. Lakukanlah sahabat,lakukannya jika ditakdirkan ibu ayah kita meninggal dunia.

Saya menangis apabila ada sahabat saya menceritakan bagaimana ibu kepada Tuan Guru Dr Harun Din meninggal dunia. Bacalah wahai sahabat, pengalaman Dr Harun Din dan keluarganya.

Jiran kpd ibu Dr Harun Din (DrHD) menziarah ibunya pada waktu petang selepas asar. Beliau memberi salam tetapi tak bersahut salamnya.Beberapa kali salam diberikan tetapi tak ada jawapan. Maka jirannya itu mencari ruang mencari ibu DrHD, akhirnya terlihat ibunya sedang sujud dalam solat. Lalu jiran ini balik ke rumah dahulu. Beberapa minit kemudian, datang semula berjumpa ibu DRHD, dilihatnya masih sujud. Firasat jirannya, ini ada yang tak kena. Lalu masuk ke rumah untuk melihat dari dekat ibu DrHD. Rupa-rupanya, ibu DrHD telah kembali ke rahmatullah dalam masa ibunya sujud menghadap Allah. Ya Allah mulianya kematian ibu DrHD.

Perkara yang paling comel yang dilakukan keluarga DrHD ialah,menyempurnakan dengan tangan-tangan anak-anak jenazah ibunya. Mandikan ibu, kapankan ibu, sembahyangkan ibu dan kebumikan tanpa diusik orang lain ke atas tubuh ibunya. Ada jiran-jiran yang ingin melakukannya tetapi ditolak oleh Dr Harun Din, Hasan Din dan Ishak Din dengan hujah,"BERILAH SAYA SEKELUARGA PELUANG MEMBUAT KHIDMAT YANG TERAKHIR UNTUK IBU". Ketika hujah itu diberikan, seluruh masyarakat yang hadir melinangkan air mata kerana tawaaduk dan alimnya anak-anak ibu itu. Paling menyayatkan hati masyarakat adalah apabila ketiga-tiga adik beradik ini iaitu Harun Din,Hasan Din dan Ishak Din turun sendiri ke lubang lahad mengebumikan jenazah ibunya. Ada beberapa orang yang hadir, memohon dan berkata;

"Wahai Tuan Guru, biarlah kami buat semuanya ini menurunkan jenazah ibu Tuan Guru." Permintaan ini ditolak oleh DrHD dgn hujah yang sama "Berilah kami adik beradik peluang mengebumikan jenazah ibu ini kali terakhir". Seluruh yang hadir di kuburan ketika itu, mencurahkan airmata tawadduk di atas akhlak anak-anak ibu yang diasuh
hingga se"alim" sedemikian. Peristiwa ini disempurnakan hingga selesai.

HEBAT IBU ini membina akhlak dan keilmuan anak-anak mereka, maka tidak hairanlah kita semua bahawa DrHD , Hasan Din dan Ishak Din memang disegani oelh kawan dan lawan di Bumi Malaysia ini kerana "AKHLAK"nya yang mulia dan "ALIM" nya mereka.


Terus terang sahabat, ketika saya mendengar cerita ini, air mata saya berlinangan apabila tergambar ketika saya dan 11 orang adik beradik menguruskan jenazah ibu bersama Februari 2009 yang lalu.


Ya Allah, rahmatilah ibu kami semua. Rahmatilah mereka dan Ampunkanlah kami.

Wallahu A'lam.
Baca, hayati, selami dan insafi. Amalkan. Sesungguhnya doa ibu bapa amat mustajab. Bahagia dunia akhirat.



I LOVE YOU BOTH, AYAH and MAMA   <3


Ya Allah, jadikanlah aku anak yang diredhai ibubapaku kerana RedhaMu terletak dalam redha mereka,ameen




toddles~

salam~~

Nice Article

"Why Do People Have to Leave Each Other" by Yasmin Mogahed





When I was 17 years old, I had a dream. I dreamt that I was sitting inside a masjid and a little girl walked up to ask me a question. She asked me: “Why do people have to leave each other?” The question was a personal one, but it seemed clear to me why the question was chosen for me.

I was one to get attached.Ever since I was a child, this temperament was clear. While other children in preschool could easily recover once their parents left, I could not. My tears, once set in motion, did not stop easily. As I grew up, I learned to become attached to everything around me. From the time I was in first grade, I needed a best friend. As I got older, any fall-out with a friend shattered me. I couldn’t let go of anything. People, places, events, photographs, moments—even outcomes became objects of strong attachment. If things didn’t work out the way I wanted or imagined they should, I was devastated. And disappointment for me wasn’t an ordinary emotion. It was catastrophic.

Once let down, I never fully recovered. I could never forget, and the break never mended. Like a glass vase that you place on the edge of a table, once broken, the pieces never quite fit again.




But the problem wasn’t with the vase. Or even that the vases kept breaking. The problem was that I kept putting them on the edge of tables. Through my attachments, I was dependent on my relationships to fulfill my needs. I allowed those relationships to define my happiness or my sadness, my fulfillment or my emptiness, my security, and even my self-worth. And so, like the vase placed where it will inevitably fall, through those dependencies I set myself up for disappointment. I set myself up to be broken. And that’s exactly what I found: one disappointment, one break after another.

But the people who broke me were not to blame any more than gravity can be blamed for breaking the vase. We can’t blame the laws of physics when a twig snaps because we leaned on it for support. The twig was never created to carry us.

Our weight was only meant to be carried by God. We are told in the Quran: “…whoever rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And God hears and knows all things.” (Qur’an 2: 256)

There is a crucial lesson in this verse: that there is only one handhold that never breaks. There is only one place where we can lay our dependencies. There is only one relationship that should define our self-worth and only one source from which to seek our ultimate happiness, fulfillment, and security. That place is God.

But this world is all about seeking those things everywhere else. Some of us seek it in our careers, some seek it in wealth, some in status. Some, like me, seek it in our relationships. In her book, Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert describes her own quest for happiness. She describes moving in and out of relationships, and even traveling the globe in search of this fulfillment. She seeks that fulfillment—unsuccessfully—in her relationships, in meditation, even in food.

And that’s exactly where I spent much of my own life: seeking a way to fill my inner void. So it was no wonder that the little girl in my dream asked me this question. It was a question about loss, about disappointment. It was a question about being let down. A question about seeking something and coming back empty handed. It was about what happens when you try to dig in concrete with your bare hands: not only do you come back with nothing—you break your fingers in the process. And I learned this not by reading it, not by hearing it from a wise sage. I learned it by trying it again, and again, and again.
And so, the little girl’s question was essentially my own question…being asked to myself.

Ultimately, the question was about the nature of the dunya as a place of fleeting moments and temporary attachments. As a place where people are with you today, and leave or die tomorrow. But this reality hurts our very being because it goes against our nature. We, as humans, are made to seek, love, and strive for what is perfect and what is permanent. We are made to seek what’s eternal. We seek this because we were not made for this life. Our first and true home was Paradise: a land that is both perfect and eternal. So the yearning for that type of life is a part of our being. The problem is that we try to find that here. And so we create ageless creams and cosmetic surgery in a desperate attempt to hold on—in an attempt to mold this world into what it is not, and will never be.

And that’s why if we live in dunya with our hearts, it breaks us. That’s why this dunya hurts. It is because the definition of dunya, as something temporary and imperfect, goes against everything we are made to yearn for. Allah put a yearning in us that can only be fulfilled by what is eternal and perfect. By trying to find fulfillment in what is fleeting, we are running after a hologram…a mirage. We are digging into concrete with our bare hands. Seeking to turn what is by its very nature temporary into something eternal is like trying to extract from fire, water.  You just get burned. Only when we stop putting our hopes in dunya, only when we stop trying to make the dunya into what it is not—and was never meant to be (jannah)—will this life finally stop breaking our hearts.

We must also realize that nothing happens without a purpose. Nothing. Not even broken hearts. Not even pain. That broken heart and that pain are lessons and signs for us. They are warnings that something is wrong. They are warnings that we need to make a change. Just like the pain of being burned is what warns us to remove our hand from the fire, emotional pain warns us that we need to make an internal change. That we need to detach. Pain is a form of forced detachment. Like the loved one who hurts you again and again and again, the more dunya hurts us, the more we inevitably detach from it. The more we inevitably stop loving it.

And pain is a pointer to our attachments. That which makes us cry, that which causes us most pain is where our false attachments lie. And it is those things which we are attached to as we should only be attached to
Allah which become barriers on our path to God. But the pain itself is what makes the false attachment evident. The pain creates a condition in our life that we seek to change, and if there is anything about our condition that we don’t like, there is a divine formula to change it. God says: “Verily never will God change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.” (Qur’an, 13:11)

After years of falling into the same pattern of disappointments and heartbreak, I finally began to realize something profound. I had always thought that love of dunya meant being attached to material things. And I was not attached to material things. I was attached to people. I was attached to moments. I was attached to emotions. So I thought that the love of dunya just did not apply to me. What I didn’t realize was that people, moments, emotions are all a part of dunya. What I didn’t realize is that all the pain I had experienced in life was due to one thing, and one thing only: love of dunya.

As soon as I began to have that realization, a veil was lifted from my eyes. I started to see what my problem was. I was expecting this life to be what it is not, and was never meant to be: perfect. And being the idealist that I am, I was struggling with every cell in my body to make it so. It had to be perfect. And I would not stop until it was. I gave my blood, sweat, and tears to this endeavor: making the dunya into jannah. This meant expecting people around me to be perfect. Expecting my relationships to be perfect. Expecting so much from those around me and from this life. Expectations. Expectations. Expectations. And if there is one recipe for unhappiness it is that: expectations. But herein lay my fatal mistake. My mistake was not in having expectations; as humans, we should never lose hope.

The problem was in *where* I was placing those expectations and that hope. At the end of the day, my hope and expectations were not being placed in God. My hope and expectations were in people, relationships, means. Ultimately, my hope was in this dunya rather than Allah.

And so I came to realize a very deep Truth. An ayah began to cross my mind. It was an ayah I had heard before, but for the first time I realized that it was actually describing me:  “Those who rest not their hope on their meeting with Us, but are pleased and satisfied with the life of the present, and those who heed not Our Signs.” (Qur’an, 10:7)

By thinking that I can have everything here, my hope was not in my meeting with God. My hope was in dunya. But what does it mean to place your hope in dunya? How can this be avoided? It means when you have friends, don’t expect your friends to fill your emptiness. When you get married, don’t expect your spouse to fulfill your every need. When you’re an activist, don’t put your hope in the results. When you’re in trouble don’t depend on yourself. Don’t depend on people. Depend on God.

Seek the help of people—but realize that it is not the people (or even your own self) that can save you. Only Allah can do these things. The people are only tools, a means used by God. But they are not the source of help, aid, or salvation of any kind. Only God is. The people cannot even create the wing of a fly (22:73).  And so, even while you interact with people externally, turn your heart towards God. Face Him alone, as Prophet Ibrahim (as) said so beautifully: “For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him Who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah.” (Qur’an, 6:79)

But how does Prophet Ibrahim (as) describe his journey to that point? He studies the moon, the sun and the stars and realizes that they are not perfect. They set.

They let us down.

So Prophet Ibrahim (as) was thereby led to face Allah alone. Like him, we need to put our full hope, trust, and dependency on God. And God alone. And if we do that, we will learn what it means to finally find peace and stability of heart. Only then will the roller coaster that once defined our lives finally come to an end. That is because if our inner state is dependent on something that is by definition inconstant, that inner state will also be inconstant. If our inner state is dependent on something changing and temporary, that inner state will be in a constant state of instability, agitation, and unrest. This means that one moment we’re happy, but as soon as that which our happiness depended upon changes, our happiness also changes. And we become sad. We remain always swinging from one extreme to another and not realizing why.

We experience this emotional roller coaster because we can never find stability and lasting peace until our attachment and dependency is on what is stable and lasting. How can we hope to find constancy if what we hold on to is inconstant and perishing? In the statement of Abu Bakr is a deep illustration of this truth. After the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ died, the people went into shock and could not handle the news. But although no one loved the Prophet ﷺ like Abu Bakr, Abu Bakr understood well the only place where one’s dependency should lie. He said: “If you worshipped Muhammad, know that Muhammad is dead. But if you worshipped Allah, know that Allah never dies.”

To attain that state, don’t let your source of fulfillment be anything other than your relationship with God.
Don’t let your definition of success, failure, or self-worth be anything other than your position with Him (Qur’an, 49:13). And if you do this, you become unbreakable, because your handhold is unbreakable. You become unconquerable, because your supporter can never be conquered. And you will never become empty, because your source of fulfillment is unending and never diminishes.

Looking back at the dream I had when I was 17, I wonder if that little girl was me. I wonder this because the answer I gave her was a lesson I would need to spend the next painful years of my life learning. My answer to her question of why people have to leave each other was: “because this life isn’t perfect; for if it was, what would the next be called?”





source:  HERE




toddles~

salam~~