Tuesday 27 June 2023

Father's Advice




Scenes from the famous Teluk Kemang Beach

After a long period (perhaps a few years!) of not having any proper family vacation, we finally had a short escape to Port Dickson (25-26 June 2024). The main objective was to visit my niece Hana, whose parents are currently performing Hajj in Makkah (May Allah accept from them and all Hujjaj, ameen). Me, my 2 younger sisters (K & Ay) and my nephew Umar later tried to lure our parents to descend the stairs for the beach, but my father had a painful knee that he was only able to overlook us from above (May Allah cure him and grant my parents a healthy, blissful life ahead).


Anyways the second objective of the trip was to discuss some details pertaining to the much-anticipated year-end family retreat, which was achieved in a brief After-Maghrib session. 


The beach I had long dreaded to visit since the beginning of this year



What captivated me most about this trip, however, was the priceless advice my father gave. Among the take-away(s) I learnt:
  • We can choose what to do with our lives. Life can accommodate to whatever small or big things, nothing is impossible. Thus, gantungkanlah cita-cita yang besar untuk hidup. Whether we achieve it or not, that is secondary. Allah ingin melihat usaha. & mental strength is needed through and through; it is the mentality that - whatever needed to get there, I will do & I will give.
  • Have plannings, but above all, have tawakkal: Dengan tawakkal, semua perkara akan boleh dicapai.
  • Di mana ada kemahuan, di situ ada jalan (Where there is a will, there is a way)
  • Be visionary - Think of what you may contribute and what legacy to leave behind - plan for what benefits humanity and solve their problems ahead of time. It is easy to be stuck in today's hustles and events, and hard to see beyond them/what's coming in more than say, 50-100 years. i.e. As a scholar, you may want to publish something that serves as a manual for people to hold onto the era of uncertainty. Having that said, dengan adanya cabaran dan permasalahan di sekeliling, di situ jugalah letaknya peluang amal yang amat mahal & bermakna untuk kehidupan akhirat kita terutamanya.
  • Always improve yourself (i.e. update to a better version over and over again). Plan for the future that's coming instead of being stuck in the present. Grow, grow and grow.
  • Don't settle for the status quo. Always think of how you may challenge yourself, polish yourself, learn new skills, improve your condition. See where the battle is and be there. Ask questions and keep on learning. Be sharp, be analytical and push forward i.e. work for the betterment of yourself and the Ummah. Always think of what you could give / contribute to the Ummah.
  • Always have hope. Allah will not give you a problem without possibilities of solutions, and there's always wisdom in His planning. Even if you can't seem to trust yourself, trust in Him. He will take care of your affairs, and grant you things beyond imagination.

I know that my parents have always wanted only the very best for us. My utmost hope is that Allah SWT bless them with the best of this dunya and aakhirah, and put them under constant care and guidance. May we be blessed with union in this world and in the eternity of the hereafter, in His Firdaus Al-A'la. 

p/s: Today 28/6/23 is also the Day of 'Arafah (9 Zulhijjah 1444H) in Malaysia. May this writing constitute 'amal soleh for me and 'amal jariah for my parents later on, ameen.

Ukhti, aku ini...


Ukhti,
Aku ini orang jauh.
Aku ini tidak di sisimu.
Tapi aku selalu melihatmu.
Mendoakan, walau jarang kita bersua.

Ukhti,
teruslah berjalan,
teruslah berdiri.
jauh di sini,
ku tahu
gerakmu pasti.

Ukhti,
sungguh
aku merasaimu,
terutama pabila direnggut pilu
kerana ternyata
ruh kita menyatu.

Ukhti,
aku merindui
himmahmu
nasihatmu.
Namun kau jauh,
hanya gerakmu bisa ku rasa.

Ukhti,
semoga mimpimu
citamu
menjadi realiti
kerana kamu
satu dari rantaian itu

*Draf 3/11/2014 jam 3:55pm yang ditemui semula, dan baru dimuat-naik hari ini

Wednesday 8 April 2020

Jaminan Ketenangan bagi yang Beriman

"Barangsiapa mengerjakan amal soleh dari kalangan lelaki & perempuan sedang dia dalam keadaan beriman, maka pasti akan Kami berikan kepadanya kehidupan yg baik (hayaatan tayyibah). Dan akan Kami beri mereka balasan dengan pahala yang lebih baik dari apa yang telah mereka kerjakan" (Al-Nahl: 97)

"Sungguh, Allah bersama orang-orang yang bertaqwa & orang-orang yang berbuat kebaikan (ihsan)" (Al-Nahl 16: 128)

"Dan barangsiapa menghendaki kehidupan akhirat & berusaha ke arah itu dengan bersungguh-sungguh, sedangkan dia beriman, mereka itulah orang yang dibalas usahanya dengan baik" (Al-Isra' 17: 19)

Tuesday 3 July 2018

2018 Anxiety and Reflection

Bismillah & subhanallah.

It's truly amazing how time flies.
My last post was in 2014, and today it's already 2018 - That's 4 years apart!

"Maka nikmatNya yang manakah yang akan kau dustakan?"

All praises be to Allah for all the bounties that HE has lovingly and continuously bestowed upon us. Hopefully, we have improved ourselves & our relationship with Him as an 'abd [after years and years of self-practice, self- islah and mujahadah day in and day out, Ramadan after Ramadan, days after days] Ameen.

Anyways,

Among this year's biggest events are:
- The 2nd anniversary of Trump's victory in the US Presidential Election which has witnessed racism & bigotry magnified in scale 
- The opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem (previously, it was in Tel Aviv)
- The "re-election" of President Abbas Al-Sisi in Egypt which is followed by the hike in goods and oil prices in the already over-stretched Egyptian people 
- Gratefully, kemenangan Pakatan Harapan untuk membentuk Malaysia Baru dalam GE14 dan the re-election of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Definitely something to cherish.

Having all those said, alhamdulillah, actually we Malaysians are better off in many aspects in comparison to many countries. Thus, we must gather our spirit and enthusiasm in order to push forward and create greater impact in our lives as an individual, as a nation, and what more as an Ummah. Remember, whatever we do is not for ourselves alone - We are actually leaving behind traces for the next generation for indeed, kita hanyalah salah satu dari sekian banyak mata rantai semenjak zaman Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. dan umat manusia sebelumnya lagi. Oleh itu, amatlah penting untuk kita berpegang dengan hadith yang indicate bahawa barangsiapa memperkenalkan suatu kebaikan/keburukan, akan beroleh pahala/dosa semisal dengan pelaku yang mengikutinya. It's scary to think of for sure, but nevertheless inspires us at the same time to keep on evaluating our actions and the qudwah that we portray to others. 

And as mentioned before, there are so many issues that we need to address as a muslim, and as a citizen of the world 'cuz if we refuse to care, we'll simply be the side-liners, those who are easily swiped off along with history (luput ditelan zaman tanpa mengambil bahagian). Thus, as ambassadors of this deen, certainly we will have to keep on reviewing and re-think our self-positioning: what role to play and which field to dive into in order to be part of the solution. But, sometimes we don't have enough time to do enough of such reflection. Thus, perhaps we may keep on pursuing whatever is in hand to the best that we can, while at the same time not depriving ourselves from trying different field, and keep ourselves open to new ideas, new perspective, new innovation and different mindset. Not to forget praying for Allah's tawfiq 'cuz the possibility of Allah's rizq & guidance is truly beyond us. 

Last but not least, try not to panic 'cuz nothing is meant to be instant. Even Al-Qur'an pun turun gradually - kita ditarbiah dan berubah bit by bit, slowly but surely, confidently & permanently insyaAllah. Release your anxiety just like the Palestinians who care not of the Israeli snipers & keep on coming again and again like The Great March is a hobby of their own. 

Dear self, untuk akhiratmu, stay strong!

And again, love yourself.

"your goal is to inspire you, not beat you up"

Wednesday 9 April 2014

Simple yet Always Forgotten


Sometimes we forget how powerful simple words are.
That's why our tongue and hearts should be constant of dzikrullah.


Sometimes we forget to make du'a.
And the fact that HE is Al-Samee' Al-'Aleem (All Listening, All Knowing).
Visualize good things, learn not to sweat small stuffs.
There surely are many tactics and strategies.
wa inna sa'yakum lasyatta. 

Bila kita bersikap positif, insyaAllah responNya pada kita juga positif.
Let's also not forget the power of Al-'Amal Al-Saalih.
Be consistent of it. Ihfazillah, yahfazuka.

Last but not least,

Don't be distracted from our missions.
May Allah keep us on purpose.

Tuesday 25 February 2014

The Reason behind that Smile


Di tempat kerja saya ada seorang Lecturer merangkap Editor.
Dia sangat berbeza daripada editor-editor lain yang pernah saya lihat.
Pertama kali jumpa, sudah terasa kebaikannya. Walaupun sekadar bersalaman.
Sangat tertib orangnya. Sangat sopan. Lembut dan berhemah. Tak banyak cakap tapi sentiasa tersenyum.

First impression saya:
Someone very pleasant to be around, someone that makes things easy and light for everyone.

Peribadinya mengingatkan saya kepada serangkap lirik dalam nasyid Talib Al-Habib ini:

Shine your mercy like the sun
and be gracious as the earth.
Let your kindness come like rains
that cares not whom it falls upon

...yang penting boleh buat kebaikan.
Macam angin yang menyapa. Macam rumput yang melata.

Dan semalam saya terima 1 emel daripada beliau semasa menyelesaikan urusan bersama. Habis membaca isi emel, mata saya terus terpaku pada sepotong hadith yang dijadikan signature di hujungnya:

“أحب الناس إلى الله  أنفعهم للناس”
“Manusia yang paling dicintai Allah adalah yang paling bermanfaat kepada manusia lainnya".


And need not say much then. Everything just makes sense. 
When you find pleasure in helping others, dan dalam mempermudahkan urusan-urusan mereka. Bila kita aim untuk menjadi manusia yang bermakna kepada yang lain, yang memberikan manfaat kepada semua. There you get it - Kind words, and a warm smile that greets everyone. Bukan sukar pun. Cuma perlukan hati yang lapang dan bersih.

Ini membawa saya kepada poin kedua dalam perkongsian ini;
That it is possible each one of us to be:

Yang paling solehah.
Yang paling bersyukur.
Yang paling penyayang.
Yang paling pemurah.
Yang paling sabar.
yang kita boleh.
Sungguh, potensi diri kita tidak terbatas.

Seperti mana it is also very possible to be:

Yang kurang bersyukur.
Yang kecil hatinya.
Yang berkira.
Yang susah nak sabar.

Pembezanya ialah which attitude yang kita pilih untuk diri kita.
Pilihlah yang tinggi, yang kemilau dan yang disukai Allah itu.
Orang akan menilai diri kita dengan akhlak, berbanding dengan kata-kata.
Dan kata cg Hasnah, akhlak itu ialah sesuatu yg tidak boleh dibuat-buat.
Macam mana pun kita cuba sembunyikan/cover, tetap akan terkantoi jua.
Sebab akhlak ialah part of diri kita. Apa yang terkandung dalam diri kita. 
Pendek kata, akhlak ialah kita.

Umpamanya:
Sabar, sabar. Dalam tazkirah memang senang.
Tapi dalam dunia nyata? Allah.

Good news though,
Bukankah kita diciptakan drpd tanah liat.
Dan tanah liat itu sifatnya boleh dibentuk.

Maka sesuatu akhlak itu juga boleh ditrain. Tadrib. Dan suatu habit itu boleh ditanam. Cuma perlu cuba amalkan habit tersebut dalam masa 21-30 hari secara berterusan. Dalam istiqamah ada keberkatan. Cubalah mulakan dengan beberapa goal yang kita rasa nak capai, tampalkan sebagai contoh:

Saya akan berbaik sangka dengan semua orang.
Saya tak akan mengeluh.
Saya akan berfikiran positif.

Cubalah.
Kata Dr. Tareq Suwaidan, "you may not be able to control your feelings, but you can control your behavior". 
And even habits that die hard, may change.
Allah Al-Muqallib. Allah Al-Musta'an.

Thursday 13 February 2014

Wife = Diamond?

As we strive to be women of great ethics and morality, support is needed.

"A believing man must never hate a believing woman; if he dislikes one trait in her, he will find another trait in her with which to be pleased." (Hadith in Muslim)

The likeness of a believing women is like diamond.
Whichsoever you choose, taribat yadaak. You will be fortunate, insyaAllah.


To those women who are married, be that diamond to your husband
so that they may thank Allah and be part of those who testify this good news.

Try hard to be high & precious.
Be believing partners that helps one another with regard to the Hereafter.