Oily Oily

Yesterday, I took half day leave from work, wanted to spend some time shopping and yum-cha-ing with my mother.But unfortunately, my father applied leave too and they decided to make a trip to JB for other errands. So I told my husband that my mum couldn't make it, and he took half day leave, stashing away his piles of work to accompany me. Actually, I didn't need any company but I guess he took pity on me, afraid that I was all alone.

So we went to Vivocity. It was quite near to his workplace and there's a mosque nearby. On my way there, it started raining. We usually eat at Banquet but I thought we should go and have some cheap food so we went to Seah Imm Food centre.

So as you can see from the picture above, I ate something really OILY. and guess what was that??

LAKSA.(did u guess it correctly?)

I thought Malay laksa was going to be of the same kind like how the Chinese prepare.

Extracted from Wiki:
Origin
The origin of the name "laksa" is unclear. The name may originate from the Sanskrit word laksha (लक्ष)[citation needed], meaning "many" (in modern Hindi, lakh, or 100,000) and referring to the soup's many ingredients[1]. Another theory[2] traces it back to Hindi/Persian lakhshah, referring to a type of vermicelli. It has also been widely believed that "laksa" may also be derived from the Chinese word "la sha" (辣沙; pronounced "latsa" in Cantonese), meaning "spicy sand". This is because the laksa gravy contains an ingredient that feels mildly sandy.

Types of laksa
The term laksa is used to describe two different types of noodle soup dishes: curry laksa and assam laksa. Curry laksa refers to noodles served in coconut curry soup, while assam laksa refers to noodles served in sour fish soup. Usually, thick rice noodles also known as laksa noodles are preferred, although thin rice vermicelli (bee hoon or mee hoon) is also common and some variants use other types.

Curry laksa (in many places referred to simply as “laksa”) is a coconut-based curry soup. The main ingredients for most versions of curry laksa include tofu puffs, fish sticks, shrimp and cockles. Some vendors may sell chicken laksa which uses chicken instead of shrimp. Cockles are usually very commonly used in laksa and most vendors would add them into laksa unless customers request not to have cockles for hygiene reasons. Laksa is commonly served with a spoonful of sambal chilli paste and is traditionally garnished with Vietnamese coriander, or laksa leaf, which is known in Malay as daun kesum. This is usually known as "Curry mee" in Penang rather than curry laksa, due to the different kind of noodles used (yellow mee or bee hoon, as opposed to the thick white laksa noodles). The name "Curry laksa" is more commonly used in Singapore. With the popularity of laksa in Singapore and Malaysia, there are even more 'varieties' of ingredients like lobster laksa, laksa yong tau foo and even plain laksa, just noodles and gravy, like the type found on Sungei Road. Laksa is extremely popular in Australia, especially in the Chinatown districts of the capital cities. Special deals, such as "Laksa Thursday" encourage many local business workers to frequent the Asian cafes to dine on Laksa and other noodle based soups.

Variants of curry laksa include:
Laksa lemak, also known as nyonya laksa (Malay: Laksa nyonya), is a type of laksa with a rich coconut gravy. Lemak is a culinary description in the Malay language which specifically refers to the presence of coconut milk which adds a distinctive richness to a dish. As the name implies, it is made with a rich, slightly sweet and strongly spiced coconut gravy. Laksa lemak is usually made with a fish-based gravy and is heavily influenced by Thai laksa (Malay: Laksa Thai), perhaps to the point that one could say they are one and the same.

Katong laksa (Malay: Laksa Katong) is a variant of laksa lemak from the Katong area of Singapore. In Katong laksa, the noodles are normally cut up into smaller pieces so that the entire dish can be eaten with a spoon alone (that is, without chopsticks or a fork). Katong laksa is a strong contender for the heavily competed title of Singapore's national dish.

Sarawak laksa (Malay: Laksa Sarawak) comes from the town of Kuching in the Malaysian state Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. It is actually very different from the curry laksa as the soup contains no curry in its ingredient at all. It has a base of Sambal belacan, sour tamarind, garlic, galangal, lemon grass and coconut milk, topped with omelette strips, chicken strips, prawns, fresh coriander and optionally lime. Ingredients such as bean sprouts, (sliced) fried tofu or other seafood are not traditional but are sometimes added.

A bowl of Penang laksa, a variant of assam laksa.
Assam laksa is a sour fish-based soup. Asam (or asam jawa) is the Malay word for tamarind, which is commonly used to give the stock its sour flavor. It is also common to use "asam keping" also known as "asam gelugor", dried slices of tamarind fruit, for added sourness. Modern Malay spelling is asam, though the spelling assam is still frequently used.
The main ingredients for assam laksa include shredded fish, normally kembung fish or mackerel, and finely sliced vegetables including cucumber, onions, red chillis, pineapple, lettuce, common mint, "daun kesum" (Vietnamese mint or laksa mint) and pink bunga kantan (ginger buds). Assam laksa is normally served with either thick rice noodles or thin rice noodles (vermicelli). And topped off with "petis udang" or "hae ko", a thick sweet prawn/shrimp paste.

Variants of assam laksa include:
Penang laksa (Malay: Laksa Pulau Pinang), also known as assam laksa from the Malay for tamarind, comes from the Malaysian island of Penang. It is made with mackerel (ikan kembung) soup and its main distinguishing feature is the assam or tamarind which gives the soup a sour taste. The fish is poached and then flaked. Other ingredients that give Penang laksa its distinctive flavour include lemongrass, galangal (lengkuas) and chilli. Typical garnishes include mint, pineapple slices, thinly sliced onion, hε-ko, a thick sweet prawn paste and use of torch ginger flower. This, and not 'curry mee' is the usual 'laksa' one gets in Penang.
Johor laksa (Malay: Laksa Johor), from Johor state in southern Malaysia, resembles Penang laksa only in the kind of fish used but differs in everything else. Johor laksa has coconut milk, use 'kerisik', dried prawns, lemon grass, galangal and spices akin to curry. The garnishing comprises slices of onion, beansprouts (taugeh), mint leaves, Vietnamese coriander or 'daun kesum', cucumber and pickled white radish. Sambal belacan (a kind of chili paste) is placed on the side. Finally, just before eating, freshly squeezed lime juice is sprinkled on the dish. Unique to Johor laksa is its Italian connection - spaghetti is used instead of the normal rice noodles or vermicelli.

Ipoh laksa (Malay: Laksa Ipoh), from the Malaysian city of Ipoh, is similar to Penang laksa but has a more sour (rather than sweet) taste. The soup stock contains prawn paste.
Kuala Kangsar Laksa (Malay: Laksa Kuala Kangsar), made of rice flour (usually hand made). The soup is rather lighter than the common laksa taste and so much different from Ipoh Laksa in shape, taste and smell. The local municipal council even built a complex called "Kompleks Cendol dan Laksa" near the river bank of the Perak River. It is the main attraction for tourist in Kuala Kangsar.

Perlis laksa (Malay: Laksa Perlis) and Kedah laksa (Malay: Laksa Kedah) is very similar to Penang laksa and only differs in the garnishing used. Sliced boiled eggs are usually added to the dish. In some places the soup is made of eel flesh.

Kelantanese laksa (Malay: Laksa Kelantan), white noodles served with curry and vegetables, is made differently in every state in Malaysia. The Kelantanese laksa employs the creamy white gravy which is richer and has full-bodied flavour. The main ingredients is fish flesh, although connoisseurs would certainly prefer the ones made of eels. Also known as "Lakse" in Kelantanese Malay dialect.

Laksam, a speciality of the Malaysian state of Terengganu, is made with very thick flat white rice flour noodles in a white gravy of boiled fish and coconut milk. Traditionally laksam is eaten with hands rather than with eating utensils due to the gravy's thick consistency.

Now, that's alot of information about Laksa which I didn't know.

Prayers - a man's best deeds

Some days I travel near, some days I travel far. I'm not talking about travelling to my workplace but rather, 'travelling spiritually' during my prayers. And most unfortunately, not even anywhere near God but everywhere that my thoughts would bring me. That's actually not something to be proud of though.

I really hope I can improve the state of humility and awareness during my Prayer. So I kept on finding the most suitable book that, insya allah will help me in achieving my goals. This excerpt that i'm highlighting here is from the book: The Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship by Imam Ghazali. (you can get it from Wardah Bookshop)

Internal Prerequisites of Prayer: Actions of the Heart


Many Quranic Verses and traditions could be cited in evidence of this, including the words of God, Exalted is He:

'And perform the Prayer to remember Me.' (Surah Ta Ha, 20:14)


The obvious force of the imperative is to make something obligatory. Since heedlessness is the opposite of remembrance, how can someone who is heedless throughout his Prayer be performing it in remembrance of God? The Exalted One said:

'Do not be one of those who are neglectful.' (Surah al-A'raf, 7:205)


Here we have a negative imperative, with the obvious foce of a prohibition. God, Great and Glorious is He, also says:

'... until you know what you are saying.' (surah al-Nisa, 4:43)


This explains the reason for debarring those who are intoxicated(from the Mosque), but the term 'intoxicated' applies by extension to those who are wholly preoccupied with temptations and worldly thoughts.

When the Prophet saw, said: 'The prayer is nothing but submissiveness and humility....' he used a particularly definite and emphatic construction in Arabic. He also said: 'If a man's Prayer does not deter him from indecency and mischief, he gains nothing from God but remoteness.' Heedless Prayer does nothing to deter a man from these vices. The heedless are alluded to in the Tradition: ' Many of those who pray derive nothing from their prayers except weariness and strain. The Prophet saw said: 'A man gets credit only for that part of his Prayer of which he is conscious.' This is confirmed by the Tradition: 'When performing the Prayer, one is conversing intimately with one's Lord. Speaking in a state of heedlessness is certainly not what is meant by intimate conversation with the Lord.


What is the point of praying: 'Show us the Straight Path,' if one is in a state of absent-mindedness?If it is not intended as a humble entreaty and supplication, why bother with the idle mouthing of the words, especially if it has become a habit?

The purpose of Quranic recitation and expressions of remembrance (at various stages in the ritual Payer) is undoubtedly praises and glorifications, supplications and entreaties, addressed to God, Great and Glorious is He. But the veil of heedlessness screens the heart from Him. Far from seeing or witnessing Him, the heedless worshipper is not even aware of Whom he is addressing, as his tongue moves purely from force of habit. How remote this is from the purpose of ritual Prayer, which was prescribed for the refinement of the heart, the renewal of Divine remembrance, and to secure the knot of faith!

Ritual Prayer has been made the chief pillar of religion, the criterion for distinguishing between unbelief and Islam. It takes precedence over the Pilgrimage and other forms of worship. It is unique in having capital punishment as the penalty for its abandonment. I (writer) do not believe that ritual Prayer enjoys all this special dignity by virtue of its external motions, unless these are linked to the purpose of intimate communion with God. That is what has priority over Fasting, Zakat, Prilgrimage and so on; indeed over sacrifices and offerings which entail self denial through financial outlay. As God, Exalted is He says:
'It is not their flesh nor their blood that reaches Him. It is your devotion that reaches Him.' (surah al-Hajj 22:37)

What is meant here by 'devotion' (taqwa), is a quality that gains control over the heart, disposing it to comply with the commands it is required to obey.

What, then, of the ritual Prayer, if its actions are without purpose?
___________________________________________________________________
That marks the end of the excerpt.

Well, this acts as a warning for myself. To remind myself the importance of gathering all my humility and awareness for the One Lord, Most Majestic, Most High, the all-Knowing.

Disclaimer: I am only a lowly servant who wants to seek solace and obedience with my Lord. I am in no position to judge anyone or to pass comments on anyone.

Do not despair

Do not despair of Allah's mercy.(Al-Zumar:53).

Do not despair when in spite of intense supplication, there is a delay in receiving the expected gift. He has guaranteed that he will respond what He chooses for you, and not what you choose for yourself,and at the time He chooses not the time you desire. (Ibn Ata'illah)

Flashback through a black Ford

My husband and I was supposed to meet his long time friend for a reunion and a very early farewell dinner. But it was postponed to Sunday due to some personal committments that he had to attend to. So after we finished cleaning the house, we washed up, changed and left home for magrib at a nearby mosque.

Straight after prayers, we went to his usual makan place at Bukit Timah. We have been here for umpteen times, so much so that we don't need the menu. Flipping the pages of the menu is just a formality. And that's because we always have our usuals. Not that we weren't daring enough to try other things, but somehow it's either this dish or that. Mee bandung was a long time favourite for me there but on 2 occassions, the standards dropped so badly that the soup was so oily that i barely touched it. (usually i finished most of the soup) So we decided to abandon that, assuming that there was a change of chef and the standards have deteriorated. We hardly patronise that restaurant nowadays.

I was sitting near to the walkway and the carpark lots located alongside the restaurant. Taa-dah, i saw this familiar vehicle parked right infront of me:

The Ford Hatchback, the sports rim, the tinted window shield, the stickers on his car etc etc... Now the only thing left to confirm if this vehicle is his vehicle plate number. Somehow all these stuff seemed to be retrievable at any time. Haha. And though the vehicle was parked so near to me, because it was nightfall, i couldn't spot the vehicle number without my glasses. I told my husband to check the vehicle number for me but he could't see too. He stood up from where he sat, went to the toilet, walked near the vehicle and came back with the vehicle number. It was really Linus*.

I looked around but I didn't see him. When i finished my dinner, I stood up and I saw him and his wife at another table near the wash basin. Oh my God! I need to walk to that area. My hubby told me to say hi but i didn't dare to. As I walked past, he stood up too and almost hit me. I didn't turn my head and went straight to the basin. When I walked back, he was still at the cashier. But he didn't see me. I went back to my seat and my hubby asked me why didn't I greet my friend. I told him I was shy because his wife was around. Or perhaps I wasn't courageous enough to face them. Why? I wasn't sure myself either.

My hubby being the funny one, waved at him when he got into the car. But I told him not to. Because his window shield is darkly tinted(we can't see him but they can see us), so even if he sees us waving at him, he might wave back and we wouldn't know. Or he could have seen us but plainly ignored. I was procrastinating if I should email him to ask him if he sees us.

Arrgghh, flashes of memories returned...

And I finaally met his wife. In a silent mode.

Birthday Present

My husband claims that he is giving me either one of these as a birthday present:

How real is his promise coming true..... Allah knows best...

Well, now i have to make up my mind to decide which one i like; the Mazda 2 hatchback or 5-door or the Ford Focus hatchback....

Tough decision to make though. :)

Look at the bigger picture

It was said that Allah revealed to Prophet 'Uzayr a.s, "O 'Uzayr! If you committed a small sin, do not look at its smallness; rather look at Whom you have sinned against. If you are granted a small blessing, do not look at its smallness; rather look at the One who has granted it to you. And if a calamity befalls you, then do not complain against Me to My creation, just as I do not complain against you to My angels when your bad deeds are raised to Me."

(taken from Imam Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Preparing for the day of Judgement)

Toilet interview

It's so hard to get squatting toilet bowls in modern buildings these days. Even if it exists, there would only be ONE. So after working here for almost a year now, there were only a few 'regulars' using that squatting cubicle. Besides the Muslimah colleagues in my office, not many of the other Chinese or Indian likes to use that cubicle.

But apparently, all of my colleagues have noticed that there was another colleague from another department in the same block likes to use that toilet too. At times, she would stand right infront of the cubicle and wait. At other times, when she is inside, she would take ages to come out. (right now, it seems like i know 'every toilet user' in this block.Haha) And after a few encounters in and out of the toilet, she hardly put on a smile on her face.

But things began to change when she caught me speaking mandarin. O Allah, may you please forgive your servant, for I have no intention to brag. Frankly speaking, a mandarin speaking tudung clad woman catches attention.(Of course, not the looks but the lingo she uses) So right after she heard me, she turned around and asked me:'Oh, you can speak mandarin?' And i replied; 'Yeah'. We didn't interact much that day.

And so we met again. But it was in the toilet. Not quite an ideal place to da'wah. But if Allah swt put me in that situation, so be it. And here goes our conversation:

B.C :'So you are that girl right, that can speak mandarin?'
me :'Yes, that's me.'
B.C :You chinese or malay?
me :'Chinese Muslim'.
B.C :'Why you convert?
me :'I was searching for the truth of my existence in this world. I was a Buddhist before but didn't get my answers, and I chanced upon Islam and realised that this should be the right religion.
B.C :'Actually i think all religion is good and true.'
me :'Hmm... not quite. Islam want you to acknowledge the one and only God.'(at this point, she didn't wanted to ask further about Islam from her face expression)
B.C :'so your husband malay?'
me: 'Nope, he's also a Chinese.'
B.C :'oh, that's strange. I hardly know got such thing. So when did he convert?after knowing you?
me :'nope he converted at quite a young age of 18. So it was through a mutual friend that we began to know each other.'
B.C :'So your family all muslims?
me :'Nope, just me.'
B.C :'oh why like that? Your parents ok with it?
me :'not quite ok at first. but now they are ok.'
B.C :'But why you dressed like that?' i thought only Malay dress like that?'
me: 'this is how all Muslims dress.' God wanted all women to cover themselves modestly, that's why we cover ourselves.'
B.C :'But not all Muslims wear like that right?'
me :'eerrmm...'

I couldn't remember how we ended the conversation. As much as I want to share more details about the beauty of Islam, but normally people only like to ask what B.C asked and not about the religion per se. It's a pity though but never mind; for Allah wills whom He guides.

And Allah swt works miraculously in ways you can't imagine. so we leave it to our Creator and Sustainer of the Worlds.

Now, B.C is so friendly. and we even greet each other in the toilet.

Surah Al Nur

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.
The parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche
And within it a Lamp:
The Lamp enclosed in glass;
The glass as it were a brilliant star:
Lit from a blessed tree, an Olive,
Neither of the East nor of the West,
Whose oil is well-nigh luminous,
Though fire scarce touched it:
Light upon Light!
Allah do guide whom He will to His light:
Allah do set forth parables for men:
And Allah do know all things.
(Lit is such a light) in houses,
Which Allah have permitted to be raised to honour;
For the celebration, in them, of his name:
In them is He glorified in the mornings
And in the evenings, (again and again).
(Quran 24:35~36)

Prophet s.a.w - our Perfect Exemplar

"And thou (Muhammad) standest on an exalted standard of character. "
(Qur'an : Al Qalam 68:4)
Thus the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w himself said:
''Verily I have not been raised (as a Prophet) except to perfect the noble nature ( ahklaq) of mankind''. (Hadith)

Muslims, who bear witness that Muhammad s.a.w is the Messenger of Allah. We regard him as our teacher, guide and leader. Muhammad s.a.w. was sent as a mercyfor mankind and Allah refferred to him as the best examplar:
''Verily, in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad) you have a good example for everyone who looks forward (with hopes and awes) to Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah unceasingly''. (Qur'an: Al Ahzab 33:21)

Allah SWT, our Creator, has provided for us the way. Islam being the code for living, the guidance. As to how we should follow this, it is not merely the superficial adherence to its laws alone. Rather, being Muslims, requires us to emulate Muhammad s.a.w. for he epitomises the perfect man, who submitted and obeyed Allah. Thereby Allah educated and moulded his life and adorned it with exalted character. This is what Man should become, when he devotes himself as a servant of Allah. Although physically Man shares certain similarities with animals, he is destined to become the noblest of all of Allah's creatures. It is not something farfetched nor an idealist dream, but a reality which has been demonstrated in the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w, a man perfected by God.

I would like to share with all an interesting article from the desk of my teacher, Ustaz Zhulkeflee

http://zhulkeflee-archive.blogspot.com/2008/04/story-of-animals-in-farm.html

Reflection article in the new millenium

Here's another article which made me ponder alot too:

http://zhulkeflee-archive.blogspot.com/2008/04/new-millenium-reflection-as-witnesses.html

Once you are on his blog, you get to read so many articles there. Alhamdulillah.

Seminar on 'Our Beloved Mustafa'

I attended this seminar with my husband on Saturday, 3May 08. I was attracted to this seminar for several reasons mainly:
1.wanted to know more about our beloved Prophet saw
2.after knowing more, insya allah, be able to carry out his examples towards mankind.
3.to inculcate and instill a deeper love towards him. insya allah.
4.there were so many esteemed speakers. They were all my 'favourites'.
5.there was Qasidah and burdah recitals too. 'Live' somemore... (what more can you ask??)
6.and this was Ust Saifur's last participation

When we arrived, the Qasidah had already began. There were only back row seats available,that's because we were late. sob sob. We were given a folder with the program outline and the presentation papers inside. Masya allah, the papers prepared were packed with powerful knowledge about our Prophet saw.

The eminent As-Sayyid As-ShaykhAfeefuddin al-Gaylani, the 19th direct descendant of the famous scholar and saint ofIslam, Shaykh AbdulQadir al-Gaylani (1077-1166 AD/472-561Hijrah) delivered the keynote address for the seminar. He had shared with us many characteristics of Prophet saw that we should emulate with stories I never heard before.('cause my knowledge is limited) He talked and talked and everyone enjoyed what he shared, so perhaps it had lapsed into the other speaker's time. He was supposed to stay back but he had to rush off to Malaysia for a funeral.

The next esteemed speaker is our Prof Syed Farid from NUS. He is very good too. He talked about The Image of Prophet Muhammad and Islam today-Where did we go wrong? It's a good subject but somehow, there wasn't enough time for him to share with us his paper. Being a prof, i'm sure his research papers aren't limited to just that 30minutes or less. Anyhow, he still continued talking and asked for additional 10minutes. There wasn't enough time for Q&A either. I wanted to ask a question but couldn't find the opportunity. sad.

Then next was my ex teacher, Ust Mohammad Iqbal. He's well known as 'The convert who accomplished alot'. He presented, 'The Guidance and Counsel of Saiyidinna Muhammad saw.He too, had given us alot of hadith stories about our Prophet saw. And again, he was also prompted that he didn't have much time left, and likewise as the speakers before him, he couldn't finish what he wanted.

We broke for Asar prayers and refreshments. It didn't start ontime as scheduled henceforth, the constraint of time kept snowballing and snowballing from one speaker to another. From Shaykh Mohd Ibrahim(the Message of Rasullulah) to Ust Firdaus Yahya(Scenes from the Prophet of Mercy) (he's good with astronomy at Mjd Al-Falah) and then Ust Saifur Rahman(the Path of Love-Burdah of Imam Al-Busairi), everyone had to be so concerned with the time. Despite having such knowledgeable speakers and their marvellous notes, it wasn't that enjoyable to a certain extent because of the time factor.

Of course, SimplyIslam.sg really have to be applauded for their efforts to bring in so many knowledgeable and esteemed speakers but hopefully with the feedback i gave them, they would not squeeze in so many 'excellent stuff' within such a small frame of time.

Perhaps over the weekend would be fine. I wouldn't mind coming back twice to enjoy such marvellous 'company' amongst these speakers.

Nevertheless, thumbs up for the organisers and the seminar! Keep up the good work!

Have mercy upon us, Allah swt

I thought that it would be the end of my means of being close to my teacher, or attending his classes or acquiring knowledge when he came down with a stroke.

When I heard from another muslim sister that he had started a blog, masya allah! I was so elated. Finally I get a platform to communicate to him and enjoy the vast knowledge that Allah swt had bestowed upon him. Alhamdulillah, Allah didn't take him away from us. Yet.

Here's his blog address: (have sought his permission)

http://an-naseehah.blogspot.com/

Disturbing emails

My ex colleague emailed me an article or rather, another forwarded email from another Muslim. It was about 'sabotaging' Denmark products because of some stupid thing they did and hence got themselves into hot soup.

The previous saga was about the cartoonist who drew caricatures of our Prophet saw and the recent one was from a film director who released a anti Quran documentary.

To date, i've received about 3 emails of such content. But I deleted straight away after reading it, ignoring pleads to 'sabo' the country's products, and the threat of being questioned by Prophet that we will be asked;'What did you do when they laughed or make fun of me?How did you defend me?'

In my humble opinion, (many might not agree) Muslims should circulate emails responsibily. Even if it calls for justice, we should not simply take it into our own hands without knowing the facts or finding out the truth. What happens if there are Muslims in Denmark trying to make a living? What will happen when you sabotage the products but in actual fact, affecting the livelihood of the Muslims there? The cartoonist and the film director are all creations of Allah swt. To a certain extent, they are the ignorant ones. Allah swt is the 'Master of the Day of Judgement' so which means He holds the key to judgement followed by punishment of what we do here in this world. He preserved the Quran for mankind as guidance, so whoever distorts the truth as falsehood, He Himself will do the punishment as He deems fit.

Who are we to punish the Denmark like that?

I speak for myself. I am accountable for my own deeds. I deleted the email without forwarding to any Muslims. In my opinion, i feel that if we were to carry out that sabotage act, does it makes us to become just like them? not acting with proper intellect?

May Allah swt forgive me and my opinions and guide all Muslims on the straight path.amin.

Feeling nostalgic

My Primary School (Before)
My Primary School(after)

MacRitchie Reservoir

This is the place where I used to do my cross country run during my 5 years in secondary school. and i think I never came back to this place after so many donkey years. Haha.


Many would be familiar with the 2.4km run but yesterday, my friends was requesting that they want to do the 4.8km run and they prefer the terrain type because the normal route would bore him. Omigosh. My back wouldn't be able to take it. I'm lousy nowadays. Getting old. Backpain is my old injuiry.


I told them that they could continue without me if i can't catch up with them. Well, my husband volunteered to keep me company me because he got no choice.


I had forgotten how the 2.4km run scene looked like. But anyway, I started slow. Not long after, I approached a platform trail.(i couldn't remember seeing this donkey years back) And there were aluminium stands packed with information about the trees, inhabitants of the rainforest, the snakes, the animals found next to the water edge. So everything i passed by the stand, i would either stop or jog on the spot to read the information. And because of this, i was the last one in the pack. My husband would randomly slow down and looked out for me. And that in turn, slowed him down alot too. So in the end, my friends decided to cut short the platform trail and proceed to cut in through the terrain. It was pretty dark in there. Creepy crawlies, dead leaves and muddy spots everywhere. but without doubt, the air was fresh.

Perhaps i could make a fortune from my jogging in MacRitchie. Try my luck at spotting Mas Selamat b Kasturi. then i can get my hands on the reward. Heard it's more than $100k now.

I was really getting slow but i am steady. My husband might get pissed off, having to always slow down because of my tortoise like jogging. He didn't showed any expression of being pissed. He's a good guy. Not like me. Anyway, back to my run. So somehow, i ran and ran. Thoughts like ' is the end of this terrain coming soon' never appeared in my head at all although i was very tired and my legs were tired too. But suddenly, I just mustered all my energy preserved for this last bit and sprint all the way. Surprisingly, lesser than 6 mins, i saw light in front. I was happy. Finally.

After the jog, we treat ourselves to breakfast at Adam Food Centre. My ex favourite hangout. Nope, not my ex's fav hangout. Ok la, let's put it this way. My favourite place to get my favourite mee soto and teh halia. I got to eat my mee soto with lots of chilli but i didn't get to drink my favourite teh halia. I'm missing it. I missed the company of my ex too. (just kidding)

after the breakfast, me and my husband continued to slog ourselves with our household chores. Vacuuming. Mopping. Cleaning. Oh come to think of it, i have yet to clean my kitchen cabinets. Oopss.

Next day, I woke up with a terrible backache. Medicated plasters were all over my back.

Stained

What should I do when my heart is stained with black spots(from the sins that i committed)?


Has the spots stained the whole heart or half of it; or worse still, the Singlish way:'stain until cannot stain anymore'. This means: NO HOPE liao.


There's so many types of cleansing agents available in NTUC FP. Like; Clorex,Vanish O2, Bleach, Dynamo etc etc.. Which one does it job of cleansing away my spots better? Should i gulp it down or should i do some pre-soaking first?Maybe the latter would be more effective. Living costs has also risen, so can only buy the cheapest yet most effective cleansing agent.


Well, enough of my nonsense. If you think I would try that, don't be silly. Why?

Because it doesn't work this way.


Islamically speaking, purification of the heart is the key.


Nonsensically speaking, drinking Clorex might help.

Seriously speaking now, dhikr purifies your qalb or heart and makes it sound. (If your heart is sound, your body is sound) And you can only attain salvation and true success by having a pure and sound heart. The qalb or heart referred to here is not the pump in your breast that pushes blood around your body but rather the centre or locus of your personality which pumps out your desires and motivations and which makes you conduct yourself as you do. It is this qalb that lies at your centre and dictates your actions which is the key to your ultimate success.

And, another point to note is that seeking continuous forgiveness of Allah will assist in ensuring that our hearts and souls remain pure and wholesome. The Prophet saw said in this regard:
When a Believer sins, a black spot appears on his heart. But if he repents and seeks Allah's forgiveness, his heart becomes cleansed and polished. However if he continues to commit more and more sins(without seeking forgiveness), the spot continues to spread and ultimately covers all of his heart. This is the rust which Allah mentions in the Quran: 'What deeds they earn rust upon their hearts.'(al-Mutaffifin 83:14)

Though i sought forgiveness, but i still sinned. And then instead of repenting and not going back to repeat the sin, i forgot and then sinned again. i am hopeless.

In God's hand

Yesterday I went to visit my friend's wife in the hospital. She couldn't breathe on her own and had to be supported by the ventilator. She was in critical condition.

Actually I didn't know that she had been admitted into the hospital.

This is all part of Allah's plan.

I passed by Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and I thought i saw my friend in the cafe.I didn't want to knock on the glass panel, afraid of recognising the wrong person so i text him. And the reply came back:'My wife in ICU.Can't speak to you now. Sorry.' I was terribly shocked. I asked many questions in my reply to him but I received none after that. I became very worried about them.

I tried calling him but the woman on the other end of the line told me that it's not convenient to tell me what happen and told me not to go to the hospital. But I was worried. I couldn't sleep well at night.Still, I didn't give up. I continued asking him if I could drop by and pray for her.

The next day morning, he told me to go ICU of that hospital. Still worrying, I went to work and applied for afternoon leave and went to the hospital.

She was lying there, with all the tubes attached to her nose and mouth and some other parts of her body and mouth. Her lips were dry and I could see the chest breathing heavily through the machine. I felt sad. I kept reading Surah al-Fatiha even though she wasn't a Muslim. May Allah lighten her burden and keep her safe and healthy.amin.

Events that took place around me showed me signs of God's almightiness and power. His decree, no one could ever run away from it. His plan, no one could ruin it.
Signs of deterioration in one's body, from the lungs to the kidneys or even the heart will cause one to collaspe and never come back to earth again. Imagine His Almighty Powers? Does anyone understand?
The Gods that was carved out by mankind into idols or statues doesn't guarantee that every organ in his/her body will work well all the time. Do the idols work everyday to ensure that his/her heart will beat?

God fashioned us in the best shape.
(All Praises and Glory belong to Him)

and He positioned every organ in the right place. (Masya allah) Our organs doesn't come with the 'Big Bang'. Who else besides Him has the wisdom and might to do all this?

Ponder...

Friday Sermon - Emulating Prophet's character in us

Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
Friday Sermon
28 March 2008 / 20 Rabiulawal 1429

(3rd of Maulid Series)
Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h as a Blessing to All
My dearest brothers, may we all gain the blessings of Allah,
Let us remain truly conscious of Allah through taqwa. Taqwa that will develop in us the love for Allah s.w.t. and His beloved Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. Taqwa that is further developed when we follow his footsteps and emulate his examples. Such will enable us to bring blessings and mercy to everyone around us.

Last week, we reinforced our commitment to recite the selawat upon our beloved Prophet s.a.w., as a sign of our love for him. We have also promised to follow his footsteps and beautiful character that bring blessings to others.
This week, let us learn how we can bring blessings to anyone around us, as taught by our beloved Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

My dear brothers,
In the Islamic history (sirah), it is reported the story of an old Jewish lady who hated the Prophet s.a.w. She would litter the path of the Prophet s.a.w. with thorns and waste. The Prophet s.a.w. ignored her actions, and removed the litter so that others would not be hurt by it if they take the path. One day, the path was clear of any litter. The Prophet s.a.w. asked those who sat around the path what happened to the old lady. They responded that she was not well and was resting at home. The Prophet s.a.w remarked ”Poor lady, she must be very sad. Let’s pay her a visit.”

The Prophet s.a.w. went to her house, together with several companions. The Prophet bought some sweets as a gift to the old lady. Upon reaching her house, they sought permission to enter. The old lady was shocked to learn who had come to visit her. She felt embarrassed too. The Prophet s.a.w. presented the sweets, whilst asking after her. She relayed news of her illness to the Prophet s.a.w. Soon after, the Prophet raised his hands in prayer for the lady. Allah s.w.t. the Most Benevolent would not reject the prayers of His most beloved Prophet. The old lady felt better and was able to sit up. She wept out of sheer intrigue, and said”I never expected you to be so concerned with what befalls me. This, despite the fact that I hated you and did everything to hurt you. From this moment, I declare my faith as a Muslim.” She then recited the syahadah.
Let’s pause for a moment and reflect upon the beauty of the Prophet’s character. His boundless kindness, which had such a profound effect on a person who hated him that she repented and embraced the faith. That is the beauty of Rasulullah’s character.

This is in accordance to what Allah has said in the Holy Quran:
Which means: “and We have sent thee not but as a mercy to all the universe.”
( Surah Al-Anbiya: 107)

Let us reflect: how would we act if we are in the same situation? Can we show the same strength and pureness of character that Rasulullah has, no matter to whom? Can we repay an evil deed with kindness? Can we bring goodness even in the face of challenges?

My dear brothers,
We can still contribute and bring benefit to others although we face very difficult challenges in our lives today.

If we look at the example of our Prophet s.a.w., he always brought goodness to others at all times. In each of his role, whether as a husband, father, neighbour, leader or general, the Prophet remained compassionate and exhibited the best of moral character. He was concerned with what happens to others. He was very affected by the tribulations that afflict others. He loves his ummah dearly. These are the characteristics of our Holy Prophet s.a.w. at all times and in facing all challenges. Allah states this in the Holy Quran:

"Now has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that you should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the believers is he most kind and merciful.”
(Surah At-Taubah verse 128)

Thus, my dear brothers, in facing the challenges of today, we must always seek the path of spreading compassion and blessings to others. Lets think of how others can enjoy the mercy and blessings of Islam through our personality and actions. What we therefore need to do is to embody the examples of the Holy Prophet s.a.w.

Firstly: We must be aware and concerned with all that happen around us. We need to know what happen to our families such as our children and wife, our relatives, neighbours and also friends. Share with them our concern and sorrow for them in times of need, in a kind and compassionate manner.

Secondly: Offer our help and assistance to them. We should not only be concerned, but instead, manifest our concern in offering assistance to those in need, either through financial means, or guidance, motivation and other ways possible. Any of these help will ease the burden on those going through periods of hardship in their lives.

Finally: In face of adversity and challenges, either to ourselves or our families, we must remember how our Prophet s.a.w. reacted. He had always remained patient and sought goodness to those who had hurt him. Let us follow his examples in doing good and bringing blessings and compassion to all. Leave the outcomes to Allah. As Allah says in Surah At-Taubah:
Which means: “But if they turn back, say: Allah is sufficient for me, there is no god but He; on Him do I rely, and He is the Lord of mighty power.”
(Surah At-Taubah verse 129)


Hopefully, with sincere love for Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., and by emulating his honourable personality, our community will stand firm with an honourable Muslim identity. We can become a community with a deep sense of kindness (ihsan) and desire to brings blessings to all. This is the essence of our Singaporean Muslim Identity that we aspire to forge together, InshaAllah.

Remember our Lord

Each day in our solat,we repeatedly make one humble request to Allah, our Creator and Sustainer: 'Guide us on the Straight Path'.(al fatiha 1:4) It is only by seeking and staying on the straight path, that we can ever hope to attain true salvation and success.

The Quran explains:
'Whosoever holds onto Allah, he has already been guided onto a Straight Path.'(al-imran 3:101)

'Remember Allah, for He has guided you. '(al-Baqara 2:198)

'O you who believe! Remember Allah often with much remembrance. And glorify Him morning and evening.' (Luqman 31:41-42)

Hadith literature is similarly replete with references to the remembrance of Allah:

The Servant cannot perform a better deed which will save him from God's punishment than the remembrance of God.

The significance of dhikr lies in the fact that it is God's own chosen and recommended mode by which the muminun or Believers show gratitude for having been shown the straight path.In addition, it is indeed the surest way of attaining God's forgiveness and achieving the ultimate reward of Paradise.

The importance of dhikr then is not difficult to understand. It is dhikr that purifies your qalb or heart and makes it sound.And you can only attain salvation and true success by having a pure and sound heart.The qalb or 'heart' referred to here is not the pump in your breast that pushes blood around your body but rather the centre or locus of your personality which pumps out your desires and motivations and which makes you conduct yourself as you do.It is this qalb that lies at your centre and dictates your actions which is the key to your ultimate success.Thus, with reference to the Day of Judgment, the Quran declares:

'(It will be a Day) when neither wealth nor children shall profit, (and when)only he (will be saved)who comes before God with a sound heart(free of evil).' (ash-Shuara 26:88-89)

This point is more elaborately made in a hadith in which the Prophet says:
'Listen(to me)carefully.There is a lump of flesh in the body - if it is set right and made good, the entire body becomes good and healthy; but if it becomes diseased, the entire body becomes diseased.Remember well - it is the Heart. (Bukhari)

If the heart is the key to ultimate salvation and success, it may, likewise be the seat of much curruption and open doors to many evils.It may facilitate the corruption of political and economic activities and ultimately the social institutions of a society. Where such a state prevails, the Quran suggests that it is because people, individually, have become diseased in their hearts. (al-Baqara 2:10). In this state, people stop seeing and doing what is right.The Quran explains that this is not because they have become blind in their eyes but because their hearts have become blind.(al-Hajj 22:46) This blindness only draws them nearer to the ultimate chastisement.

It is the heart, as the decider of our ultimate fate, that must then be the starting point of any tazkiya programme, to purify this heart and then summon it to the service of mankind.Ibn al-Qayyim, one of the great scholars of Islam, states in his Kitab al Adhkar (the Book of Remembrance), that 'the heart which is devoid of the remembrance of Allah is a heart that is dead'; it is dead even and long before the body carrying the heart reaches its grave.Indeed, this living body that carries the heart is the heart's grave. Ibn al-Qayyim's statement is reminiscent of the hadith of the Prophet which states: 'The difference between someone who remembers His Lord and someone who does not is like the difference between the living and the dead.'(Bukhari) The statement is also reminiscent of the following verse of the Quran: Do not become like those who forget Allah and Allah makes them forget themselves. It is they who are truly deprived. (al-Hashr 59:19)

The purpose of tazkiya is to ensure that the heart never falls into a sorry state of being and that it is always alive with the remembrance of God. Prosperous indeed is one who purifies himself and remembers the name of his Guardian-Lord, and prays (unto Him). (al-Ala 87:14-15) The Prophet s.a.w further emphasised the importance of dhikr when he said to his Companions: 'Shall i not inform you of the best of your actions, the purest in the sight of your Lord, which raises your rank to the highest, which is better for you than spending gold and silver, better than meeting your enemy so that you strike at their necks and they strike at yours?' They replied: 'Yes indeed,' and he said: 'It is the remembrance of Allah.' (Tirmidhi)

Strive then, to fill all your moments, all your thoughts and all your actions with His remembrance. Recite tasbih or words of glorification and praise to punctuate all your actions and achievements.

taken from 'In the Early Hours..reflection and spiritual development by Khurram Murad

Muhammad (saw) - The Ideal Prophet

Man needs the light of his past experiences to brighten his present and future.

The different segments of humanity which have done anything to make this world a better place to live in deserve our gratitude; but, the most deserving of our gratitude are the prophets of God. Each one of them has, in his own time, presented a winsome example of his sublime conduct and moral behaviour. If one was a model of endurance, others were embodiments of selflessness, sacrifice, fervour for Truth and Oneness of God, submission to the Will of the Lord, chastity and piety. In short, each of them was a lighthouse of guidance showing the path of exalted behaviour in one or the other walk of life every man has to tread in his sojourn on the earth. Man, however, stood in need of another guide who could illuminate the entire gamut of human behaviour, in all its diversity, by his comprehensive example of goodness and virtue.

Man, in other words, needed a perfect and universal exemplar who could place in his hands a guide book of practical life, so that every wayfarer may reach his destination safely. And this exemplar did come to the world in the person of the last of the prophets, Muhammad, on whom be peace and blessings of the Lord.

taken from Muhammad - the ideal Prophet

Slippers were Stolen!

I went to Vivocity with my husband last Saturday. I planned a birthday luncheon celebration for my mum.

After our noon swimming, we headed straight down to the Temenggong Mosque for our zuhr prayers. As usual, there wasn't much people in the mosque. After zuhr, we headed to Vivocity, Swensens to meet my family. It was a hearty and sinful lunch. I could have burnt away quite alot of calories after the swim but i ordered 'fried chicken delight'. Too late for regrets. Since everyone was so full, we didn't have any desserts after that. Instead we walked around to digest the food and we had some hot drinks before we parted.

Asar (prayers) sets in by the time we left Vivocity. So we headed back to the mosque. Frankly speaking, I didn't quite like the toilet there because it's quite open and you need to leave your shoes at 2 different spots and they were actually quite exposed to the 'public'. After taking my ablution, I left my slippers (at the usual place) and walked towards the female praying area. A lady who just walked out from the female prayer hall passed me. Usually, i wouldn't think so much after removing my slippers but strangely, I had somekind of a feeling that something would happen.

After my prayers, I walked towards the shoes area. I was already looking ahead before I reached. My blue slippers was GONE!!!!!!! I called out my hubby, who was standing there, that my slippers was gone. I told him to look around for me while i check the toilet. Perhaps there might be some makcik who mistakenly used my slippers and went to the toilet. But it was not there either. We looked around and checked everywhere; the drains, rubbish chute, ablution and toilet cubicles but my favourite slippers was nowhere to be found.

I was very sad. I just experienced a 'stolen experience' at a mosque. A place which i never thought that stealing would happen.Though i knew that this wasn't right but i had some suspicions about that lady that passed me because no one left the prayer hall after her.

I had to console myself that 'everything comes from Allah and shall return back to Him'.

Inevitably, I can't help to think about my slippers till now. I do feel a little bit for my slippers even though i know i should not yearn for the 'dunya' (worldly)things too much. I don't want it to get attached to my heart but i don't know why i kept thinking about it. Maybe the reason is, I can't accept the fact that this has happened. In a mosque. Period.

Or perhaps, it's a test from Allah.

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

"If Allah touch thee with affliction, none can remove it but He; if He touch thee with happiness, He hath power over all things. "He is the Irresistible, (watching) from above over His worshippers; and He is the Wise acquainted with all things." (Surah al-anaam 6:16-17)

Sometimes we would forget that EVERYTHING comes from Allah swt. When something bad falls upon us, we tend to ask ourselves;'Why?' or 'This shouldn't happen'. When something good happen to us, did we remember to thank Him, or all we did was;'Something far more better than this should happen' or maybe 'Why was I given this, when i asked for that?'

We can only perceive things from our level of wisdom but Allah knows all things. He has power over ALL things. He knows us better than we know ourselves. Though Allah might not answer your du'as (supplications), that doesn't mean He didn't hear you. In actual fact, He hears and He knows what we asked for. But because whatever that He gives, He knows if it's good or bad for us.

Here's the good news (i was told) that if Allah swt doesn't answer your supplications here, don't despair or be disheartened. Because He is keeping all that you have asked for when you goes to Paradise.

Alhamdulillah.

May Allah swt forgive my mistakes in this post. May Allah swt forgives us all. Amin amin.

How do you use your time?

Think and reflect about this:

As time slipped past us so swiftly everyday, is it wise to ask ourselves, have we done anything fruitful here in this world or for the Hereafter?

We will be asked about how we spend the time given to us, the wealth given to us, the knowledge bestowed upon us.... Did we use it wisely?

Ihsan (Best or Righteous Conduct)

In the name of Allah, most Compassionate, most Merciful

'To Allah belongs whatever is in the east and in the west: and whereever you turn, there is the countenanace of Allah. Behold! Allah is Infinite, All knowing.' (2:115)

The third aspect of the concept of Tauhid (attestaion to the Oneness of Allah) after Iman (faith or conviction) and Islam (practical submission and obedience to Allah), is Ihsan.

What is the meaning of Ihsan?

Ihsan in Arabic means: "best conduct, performance of good deeds, righteousness, excellence", etc and basically it pertains to the quality of our attesting to the Onesness of Allah. If Iman serves to strengthen one's conviction, and Islam guides one's practices in life, then Ihsan completes the attestion to the Oneness of Allah.

What is righteousness or best conduct?
Responding to this question, the Prophet Muhammad saw said:
"Ihsan(righteousness or best conduct) - it is that you serve (and worship) Allah as though you are seeing Him, while you see Him not yet truly He sees you". (hadith reported by Muslim)

From this statement, we may understand that the worth or merit of our striving to attest to the Oneness of Allah is in the attitude of doing it - 'as though you are seeing Him'. Although we may have developed a strong faith and are doing the correct practices, ultimately, merit lies deeper than this. Fuller understanding perhaps can be found in another statement of our Prophet Muhammad saw:
"Action is but by intention, and every man shall have but that which he intended..." (hadith reported by Bukhari and Muslim)

Sincerity the crucial criteria
Standard of righteousness in Islam is an absolute one i.e. it must be according to that which is acceptable to Allah. And in the Holy Quran, Allah swt says: ".... they were not enjoined aught but that they should worship Allah sincerely in their faith in Him alone, turning away frm all that is false." (98:5)

From this we must understand that we should never fall prey to conceit nor forget the actual reason for our striving to do good i.e. as an act of attesting to the Oneness of Allah; serving and worshipping only Him. To be sincere means to negate alll other considerations except that it is for Allah alone. This consciousness must accompany all our striving for it to be deservedly categorised as true attestation. Therefore with Ihsan, a Muslim is to always regard himself solely the servant of Allah, always conscious that Allah sees and knows all things both secret and apparent. It is because of this consideration that he patiently perserveres, neither expecting human recognition nor for the purpose of pandering to his vanity and falling prey to the desire to exalth himself. It acts as a genuine act of serving his Creator; to be steadfast whether in public or in private, hoping only for the acceptance of Allah swt, the Lord of the Universe unto whom we shall be made to return.

(Excerpts from Beginners' Manual on Islam by my ustaz Zhulkeflee Hj Ismal)

Examine your heart

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

Islam emphasizes on intention. Intentions are from the heart. Whether your intentions are good or bad, sincere or ostentious, all depends on the condition of the heart.It is mentioned:

On the Day of Judgment no one is safe save the one who returns to God with a pure heart.

'Surely in the breasts of humanity is a lump of flesh, if sound then the whole body is sound, and if corrupt then the whole body is corrupt. Is it not the heart?(Prophet Muhammad saw)'

'Blessed are the pure at heart, for they shall see God. (Jesus a.s)'

(Excerpts from'Purification of the heart' by Hamza Yusuf)

Almost universally, religious traditions have stressed the importance of the condition of the heart. In the Muslim scripture, the Day of Judgment is described as a day in which neither wealth nor children shall be of any benefit(to anyone), except one who comes to God with a sound heart (Quran, 26:88-89). The sound heart is understood to be free of character defects and spiritual blemishes. This 'heart' is actually the spiritual heart and not the physical organ per se, although in Islamic tradition the spiritual heart is centered in the physical. One of the extraordinary aspects of themodern era is that we are discovering aspects about the heart unknown in previous times, although there were remarkable insights in ancient traditions. For instance, according to traditional Chinese medicine, the heart houses what is known as shen, which is spirit. The Chinese characters for thinking , thought, love, the intention to listen, and virtue all contain the ideogram for the heart.

This book which I'm currently reading exposes all kinds of diseases that the heart will develop and what kind of treatment which the scholar recommends in the form of poetic composition. It is a very good book and I'm definitely recommending to all. Well, we might all think that we have a good and sound and sincere heart, but when you read it, you will know what I meant. For Muslims who does really have a sound and sincere heart, alhamdulillah, take the information in the book as reminders.

As for me, tremendous training is undergoing right now, so I'm not fit to give any good advice to anyone. Insya allah, i'll share with you what i've read from there.

Alhamdulillah. Allahu akbar!

What does a Muslim believe in

I do not know what shall I call this: an emblem, artistic calligraphy?But anyway, I took this picture at a neighbourhood mosque. When I was working in my ex company, this mosque was still under construction. But nevertheless, I managed to 'check' that mosque out. It's a nice, cool and quiet place to do some reading. If you are lucky, you get some cool breeze too if it's not too sunny. I like that mosque very much. Again, memories flashed back to my mind.

Every Muslim will know that picture is the word; name of God: ALLAH

A Muslim's 5 pillars of Islam:

1.The declaration of faith:I bear witness that there is no god except Allah and Prophet Muhammad saw is the Messenger of Allah

2. 5 daily prayers.(required diet and nutritions for our soul)

3. Ramadan (fasting)

4. Zakat (purification of wealth)

5. Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)

Our tenets of faith: 1. Belief in Allah 2. Belief in Angels 3. Belief in Prophets 4. Belief in His books. 5. Belief in Predestination (Qada and Qadr) 6. Belief in the Last Day

It is that easy. May Allah swt guides us on the straight path and not be blinded by the world. amin

Post Chinese New Year updates

While it was a long weekend break for the non-chineses, my husband and I was busying ourselves visiting our friends and relatives over the 4 days of CNY.


Ever since the day Allah opened up my breast to Islam, i've always tried to wear long sleeves and a cap every time I go out with my parents. Last year's CNY, I wore a bandana to my relatives house and they were already looking at me with weird expressions. This year, with the full hijab on my head, I can imagine more weird expressions on their faces. I might consider covering my 'aurat' in a different manner if my mum puts a request to me about this hijab thing but since she didn't, I decided to be in the way i've always been. Well, it might be quite hard on her, having to answer all the questions from my relatives about my 'strange','malayu' attire. Hope that God gives her an easy way out of all that. amin.

We tried to squeeze in both sides of our relatives in the 1st day. And we also arranged to visit some of our Chinese Muslim friends. Well basically, what the Chineses do during CNY is that we exchange mandarin oranges and some good words (prosperity, health, wealth etc). Thereafter, we just sit down, eat, drink and catch up with each other. One of our Chinese Muslim friend bought 'bak kwa'. (Not bbq pork but bbq chicken) And it's halal.(meat that is slaughtered according to islamic laws) This is the one thing that i missed alot. Heehee. And I helped myself(non-stop) to the bbq bak kwa, ignoring the pleads of my good nafs. :)

It was pretty tiring, having to run so many places in a day. All that pineapple tarts, cashew nuts and cookies, peanut cookies also made me tired.

But the consolation is, that I do not have to get stressed up over with not being able to find a place to pray because I have my husband to 'save' me. We can easily tell my mum that we have other houses to visit and we also can pray before committing ourselves to another visit.

Alhamdulillah.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Today is Chinese New Year's eve (Chu Xi Wan). And it has been a tradition for most families, to gather at the dinner table for a reunion dinner.

For daughters and sons who had been away for a loong loongg time, this night will be the night where they reunite with their family. And usually, reunion dinners would involve generations and generations of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren...

Steamboat would usually be served.And during the CNY period, the shelves of most supermarkets would be packed with cans and cans of abalone,mushrooms, sea asparagus, limpets and packets of sea cucumber.

This year, my reunion dinner is going to be different because, for the first time, i am going back home with my husband. During my singlehood and i was still living with my parents, reunion dinner wasn't exciting. And my mum would serve steamboat from afternoon to dinner time. Well, the only thing i'm looking forward to was the ABALONE. Yummy...
When my grandparents were around, things were more happening. All my father's siblings, together with their families will be gathered at my grandparents place. After they left this 'dunya', it's just me, my bro and my parents.

This year, we have an additional member in the family. With him, it's much more easier to break away from my family for prayers. I remember vividly, that I had to find places to pray if i'm not near any mosque. And even if i'm near to one, i have to find excuses to go out and pray. And no hijabs were allowed during Chinese New Year.

Everything will be different.

Anyway, i would like to wish all of the Chinese and the Chinese Muslims bloggers out there:

A Happy and Healthy Lunar New Year!

Alhamdulillah.

All Good and Bad comes from Allah

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Blessed is He Who sent down the Criterion to His servant, that it may be an admonition to all creatures― (1) He to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: no son has He begotten, nor has He a partner in His dominion: it is He Who created all things and ordered them in due proportions. (2) Yet have they taken besides Him, gods that can create nothing but are themselves created; that have no control of hurt or good to themselves; nor can they control Death nor Life nor Resurrection. (Surah Al-Furqan 25:1-2)

My girlfriend told me a shocking news about her close friend. She was having a bad cough and it went on for almost a few months and it didn't get better. So she went to several GPs but none detected anything serious. But she got worried, and decided to see a specialist. Little did she know that, after going through a scan, she was diagnosed with cancer of the lymphnodes. Oh my God!! There was actually a mass thingy that was growing at a rapidly rate and it was so huge that it rested on the lungs causing discomfort, thus coughing nonstop.

I felt really sad about hearing such news, but i know all good or bad comes from Allah swt. Though we might feel very sympathetic towards our friends for the illness that falls upon them, but we do not have the knowledge or wisdom to know what other kind of blessings that Allah swt has in store for us. It might take alot of faith and trust for one person to feel that there's goodness in whatever that Allah has bestowed upon us, because the word 'alhamdulillah' would not come out from one's mouth or heart so readily while preparing mentally to accept the 'new illness' in the body.

And one more thing i've realised is that, for everything that we are able to do; run, jog, swim, talk, listen, eat, sleep, walk, and not forgetting the most important thing that we do every second of our lives: BREATHE! An ustaz ever said in one of the class which i attended at Darul Arqam about the oxygen that we inhale. If ever Allah swt decides to charge us for the oxygen that we used, we will be broke!

We will not be able to count the blessings that Allah swt has bestowed upon us. Countless!

A 3-year old birthday

In the name of Allah most Compassionate most Merciful

Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clear from Error; whoever rejects Evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things. (256)

3 years ago, I took my shahadah at Darul Arqam with 2 witnesses. This day marks Ashura, the tenth day of Muharram. Muharram is the first islamic month of the year and Ashura means 10, denoting the date in the month. Shortly after the Hijira in AD 622, Prophet Muhammad saw designated Ashura as a day of fasting from sunset to sunset, perhaps patterned on the Jewish Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Traditionally, Ashura commemorates two events: the day Nuh (Noah) left the ark and the day Musa (Moses) was saved from the Egyptians by Allah.
When Jewish-Muslim relations became strained, however, Prophet Muhammad saw designated Ramadan the Muslim month of fasting, making Ashura a voluntary fast, as it has remained among Sunnis.

I recalled i was pretty nervous on that day. I still remember the details. I had bought a white scarf for this special moment to match my white blouse and skirt. My parents were out that morning so i don it before i came out of the house. I hid myself a few blocks away from my block and nervously waited for my witness to pick me up. I was really very excited but he looked normal.

As i have already reserved a slot for this day much earlier, I handed over my IC to the officer and waited outside their office for them to call my name. I filled up the form with my new muslim name (which i have thought for a long time). I remembered i was pondering whether should i add 'nur' or should i not. think and think and think... I decided to put it in. :)

We went into a small room together with the officer and my two witnesses. He asked a few questions to confirm my conversion. I nod my head and signed on the dotted line. Thereafter, i was told to attest the shahadah:
' I bear witness that there is no other god worthy of worship except Allah and i bear witness that Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah'

and I became a MUSLIM. :)

I could have complete the evaluation on that day but i didn't want to because i still needed more time to polish my prayers and the recitation. So after the conversion ceremony, we went for a meal to celebrate my identity as a new muslim.

And so, here I am today, a Chinese Muslim. whom still celebrate Chinese New Year, speaks mandarin and does not have a Malay husband.

If you ask me why do i convert? My only answer is: Alhamdulillah! Allahu Akbar! Allah swt saved me (not Jesus) and showed me the path to the Truth. No words are able to describe the gratitude i have for HIM alone.

I don't consider myself as an exemplar to others as i am still consistently trying to improve my own weaknesses and insya allah, to be a Mukmin(true believer). Ameen.

(my witness remembered this day. Thanks! :)

Prayers - Your assurance of the Hereafter

I took this photograph in a mosque when i went overseas for a short holiday.

No one was inside the mosque except me and my few other friends. The architecture of the mosque was very magnificent. Subhan-allah.

Surah al Naml 27: 1-5

Ta Sin. These are verses of the Qur'an― A Book that makes (things) clear; (1) A Guide; and Glad Tidings for the Believers― (2) Those who establish regular prayers and give in regular charity, and also have (full) assurance of the Hereafter. (3) As to those who believe not in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds pleasing in their eyes; and so they wander about in distraction. (4) Such are they for whom a grievous Penalty is (waiting): and in the Hereafter theirs will be the greatest loss. (5) As to thee, the Qur'an is bestowed upon thee from the presence of One Who is Wise and All-Knowing

Muharram 1429H

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh Brothers and Sisters,



Today marks the last day of Zhulhijjah 1428H. And tomorrow will be 1 Muharram 1429H.
Eid Muharram 1429!



As we 'migrate' to a new year, have you made any new year resolutions yet?



Ustaz Shaykh Mohd Ibrahim said that Muslims in this era, though they could not perform any 'migration' liken what our Prophet saw did, we could actually do a spiritual 'migration'. That is, to change from bad to good, or better still, from good to best!

He also quoted some examples so that we could reflect on them:
1. If you don't pray on time, try this year to make sure you pray as soon as the time calls for the specific prayer. Do not procrastinate till the very last minute.

2. If you have always been doing charity and good deeds, resolve to do more. and do it for the sake of Allah, and not for others.

3. Try and wake up for Tahajjud.

4. Read more Quran.

5. Resolve to change your undesirable habits.

I pray that may Allah swt gives us(all muslims over the world) the blessings, strength and constancy to perform all good deeds and supereogatory acts just for the sake of Him, and for the sake of our Hereafter. Amin.

...Death and the Afterlife (continued)

The Traverse

Mankind, after the terrors(mentioned previously), shall be drive to the Traverse, which is a bridge stretched over the gulf of Hell, sharper than a sword and thinner than a hair. Whosoever has in the world kept upright upon the Straight Path (al-sirat almustaqim) shall bear lightly upon the Traverse (sirat) of the Afterlife, and will be saved. But whosoever deviates from uprightness in this world, and weighs down his back with burdens, and disobeys his Lord, shall slip upon taking his first step on the Traverse, and shall go to perdition.

Now mediate upon the terror which shall alight upon your heart at the time when you behold the Traverse and its slenderness, and when your eye then falls upon the core of the Inferno beneath you as your ears are assailed by the moaning and raging of Hell.

You are obliged to walk over this Traverse, despite your weak condition, your palpitating heart, your quaking feet and the burdens which lie so heavily upon your back that you would be incapable of walking upon the flat earth, let alone the sharpness of the Traverse. How shall you fare, then when you have set one of your feet upon it and felt its sharpness, and are compelled to lift your other foot up, while all the time people before you are staggering and slipping off, to be caught by the Angels of Hell with hooks and grapples. You shall watch them toppling over and falling head first towards Hell, with their feet uppermost.

O, how foul is that scene, how difficult that slope, and how narrow that crossing-place!
Look to how your condition shall be when you crawl and ascend upon it, weighed down by the burdens which lie upon your back, glancing to your rightand left at other men as they tumble into Hell. And the Emissary (s.a.w) shall be saying, 'O Lord! Deliver! Deliver!' while shrieks of woe and suffering rise up from the bottom of the Inferno (for many there are who have already slipped from the Traverse). How, then, shall you fare, when your own foot slips, and your contrition avails you not, and you cry in woe and sorrow, saying, 'This is what i used to fear!
Would that I had sent before me something for my ow life! would that I had taken a path with the Emissary! Woe is me! Would that I had never taken so and so as a friend! Would that I were dust! Would that i were forgotten, forgetting! Would that my mother had never begotten me!'....

How do you view your thinking now, when these perils are in front of you? Should you not believe in this, then how prolonged will be your abiding with the unbelievers in the Inferno's depths! Should you believe in it, however, but be heedless thereof and of making preparations for it, out of indifference, then how much have you lost, and how great is your sin! of what use to you is your faith if it does not spur you on to the diligent quest for the satisfaction of God through obedience to Him, and to abandoning acts of rebellion against Him. were there to lie before you no terror save that of the Traverse alone, and the dismay felt by your heart at the peril of crossing it, then even should you receive deliverance it would provide such horror, fear and panic as would always suffice you.... (to be continued)

Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife

I'm currently reading this book by Imam Ghazali r.a under his series of Ihya ulum al-din.... (Revival of Religious Sciences). There are two parts in this book.

1st part covers - Merit in the Remembrance of Death, Lengthy and Brief Hopes, Agonies and Violence of Death, the death of our Prophet saw and the 4 caliphs and their sayings, Sayings of the saints at funerals and cemeteries, the true nature of death and what the dead man undergoes in the grave and lastly the states of the Dead....

2nd part(which was enjoyable yet frightening) covers - Matters concerning the circumstances of the man deceased from the time when the Trump is blown to his Final Residence in Heaven or in Hell, together with a detailed account of the hazards and terrors which shall confront him.
Events:
The Trumpet Blast
The Land and People of the concourse
The Perspiration of the people of the concourse
The Length of the Day of Arising
The Day of Arising, and its Calamities and Names
The Inquisition of Sins
The Scales
The Adversaries, and the Restoration of Wrongs.
The Traverse ('Thread-like Bridge')
The Intercession
The Pool
The Inferno,its Terrors, Torments, Snakes and scorpions.

followed by Heaven and the Varieties of its bliss and many other descriptions...

I would like to share more details on the topic - The Scales

Be not heedless of the Scales. Think upon the flying of the Books to their left and right sides. For after the Inquisition mankind shall be in three parties. One party will be composed of those who have not a single good deed to their credit. In their case there shall emerge from Hell a black creature, which shall snatch them as a bird pecks at grain, and grasp them and pitch them into Hell, which engulfs them. A voice calls out to them,'Sorrow, never to be followed by any joy!"

Another party is composed of those with not a single transgression to their discredit. A voice calls out, saying,'Let those who did praise God abundantly in every state arise!' and they stand up and hasten to Heaven. Then this is done with regard to people who used to stand in the night vigil, and then with those whom no worldly commerce or sale distracted from the remembrance of God. A voice calls out to them, saying,'Joy, never to be followed by any sorrow!'

But a third party, which constitutes the greater part of mankind, still remains. They have mingled good works with ill, and although it may not be plain to them, it is plain to God which of them are those whose good or evil deeds predominate. God, however, demurs from not giving them to know of this, that He many manifest His generousity in pardon, and His equity in chastisement.

So the books and scrolls which contain the good and evil deeds fly up, and the Scales are erected, and all eyes are upturned towards the books: shall they fall into the left scale or the right? Then they look to the Scales themselves: shall they tip in favour of the evil actions or in favour of the good? This state is fearsome indeed, and dazes the minds of all creatures.

Insya allah, next time i'll share some on the topic - The Traverse

P.S: You can get the book at Darul Arqam bookstores or click onto the Wardah Books link on the right side of the blog.

Cyberspace Power

I received an email from a friend before lunch today. It shocked and disturbed me so much that i forgot to take lunch.

The initial email was probably sent out by a non-muslim who could have some prejudices against Islam and it has been circulated in the big big world of cyberspace. I don't know how long that email has been circulated but i could imagine the damage done to the image of Islam would definitely be humongous if it continued to be circulated amongst people who do not know the entire picture of what happened.

The email would not be linked or pasted here as I do not want to continue this mayhem.But i'll give a brief description of what was it about.From the picture, there was a small boy who positioned his hand near the wheel of a vehicle. Below the arm was a towel and near the boy stood another man who seemed to be holding a whistle in his mouth. Followed on, you will witness a terrible expression on the boy's face because the truck's wheel is now running over his arm.

And guess what, the pictures were narrated with the story of this boy who got caught stealing bread in a market in Iran. And his punishment in the name of islam (as it was stated) was to have his hand 'decapitated'. And the composer of the email 'instigated' everyone to pass the email on. And the purpose was to let everyone know what is happening in the name of God and the religion.

The email was forwarded from one to another and another and another.... don't even know where did it originate from. And it fell into the hands of non-muslims, which were ignorant of what actually happened to the boy. Everyone continued to forward because everyone pitied the boy. Who wouldn't? But how sure would you be, if you are the one receiving the email? Do you know the entire story? Do we always let others influence our perception of things? Are we forwarding emails responsibly?

The power of the information technology and the users that revolve around it.

Much attention has been paid to the 'religion for mankind' in this era, especially since after 9/11. This event have led to people detesting the people who were responsible for the bombing, and the religion that these people held on to and then assuming that all other believers are the same. Though it looked quite difficult to convince others that Islam is a religion of peace and love, yet the converts to Islam were on the rise after 9/11. Why?

They are curious about Islam, but they only base our religion on hearsay. Why didn't they seek clarifications from the right source? Since we are living in a multi-racial and multi religious society, shouldn't all of us learn to live in tranquility with one another?

"We the citizens of Singapore,
Pledge ourselves as One United People,
Regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society,
based on justice and equality,
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for Our nation"

Muslims are taught to respect every human being, for all creation came from Allah swt.

Respecting others means respecting yourself.