As the end of Ramadan is drawing near, i've had this intention to blog this out but have not done so. I remembered my mentor once posed this question to me: "How's this year's fasting compared to the last?"
I answered: "Better than last year". it was unlike me to give such short answers in my sms reply. probably because i chose to blog out my thoughts right here as i have more underlying the word, 'better'.
Last year, i was given the opportunity to hear about Islam. i was doing my studies in this faith for a considerable amount of time and i had this chance to meet Ramadan before my conversion. though it was not required of a non-muslim to perform the acts of fasting, i wanted to try it out anyway. to get a feel of it. to experience how fasting was prescribed for people before us for Abraham,Jesus, Noah etc etc...
i still remember my mentor reminding me to stop if my body could not take it and there would not be required to be so 'on the ball'. but thank God, i successfully fasted for the first day and the next and the next, but when my gastric strikes me, i had to give it up. 30 days were over in a blink, and i successfully completed my 'unofficial fasting month'.
but now, as a real muslim, the experience of fasting before and now is totally different. when i was a non muslim, fasting doesnt reap rewards. when you dont fast, you also dont earn bad points. and the act of fasting for a non muslim is only literally just fasting. of not inducing food or water into your openings purposely. but all this was not the only thing to avoid, there were more as i went deeper in studying this new faith...
when i became a muslim this year, this Ramadan became my first 'official fasting month'. Official year of reaping rewards from God. an authorised member to be liable for any kind of benefits. now fasting has got a totally new meaning in my dictionary. i realised that the act of fasting doesnt just require you to abstain yourself from food from sunrise to sunset, you have to restrain yourself from sex, vulgarilities, lustful gaze,gossiping and backbiting and many more other vices. you might think that oh so muslims only do good in this month yeah. BUT NO, we are told to refrain from those vices 365 days per year. (of course, sex is allowed when you are married) and of course there are also acts like giving charity and engaging yourself in the remembrance of Allah s.w.t are highly encouraged.
so this year, i was put on a test. a test of not just on the physical body of going without food from sunrise to sunset but a test on the spiritual level of my desires. so i can say that it's not only more difficult than the previous year but it's more challenging. You are more aware and conscious of your thoughts, acts and behaviour. You develop taqwa, or called God-consciousness in layman terms. You carry out every thought and action consciously, reminding yourself 24/7 to think,do and behave accordingly to the commands of God. for every good thoughts or actions, you get multifold rewards from God. because God has shackled up Satan in this month. and so every muslim know that for any bad,undesirable thought or actions that we have, it is within ourself whether you are able to keep it under control.
this is also a blessed month whereby gates to Paradise are open and gates to Hell are closed. so it is also a golden opportunity to repent for the sins you have previously done. and not to repeat them again. Gain lessons from them. not to repeat them. God mercifully forgives if you are sincere in repenting. so i've also taken this opportunity to repent for any silly mistakes that i've done, hoping for forgiveness. earnestly reaping rewards.
as the days of fasting are getting lesser and the much sought after holidays of celebrating the completion of fasting is nearing, perhaps it's also time to reflect: "have you really done anything justificable to use this month to reap the benefits that God has laid down for us? have you learned anything from it? is there anything you need to change for the months to come?"
Nature provides us with many examples or refreshment and renewal. Dawn becomes day which becomes night and rolls out into dawn again. Just think, Allah s.w.t could have just as easily created a worl that just keeps going on and on, but instead He created a world that highlights renewal, as a sign for us to reflect.
so make full use of the time given. May Allah give us the strength to overcome all obstacles to renew ourselves. amin.
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
'iftar' and mosque-hopping activities
Some updates on my experiences of breaking my fast in local mosques during Ramadan.
I had a great start. (but subsequently, not that great la) My mentor took the effort to break fast with me on my first day of fasting. though we didnt perform prayers together but nevertheless, the experience was comforting and heartwarming. because being the one and only muslim in the family,you dont get the chance to have 'iftar' with your family members.
2nd day of fasting, i rushed out of the office soon after the clock strike 5.30pm. didnt even perform my mid-noon prayers. took a bus and went straight to Darul Aman. heavy traffic. darn! when i finally reached the mosque, the call was nearing. i didnt know what were my priorities. to pray first or to break first. in the end, i was late for my prayers and i didnt even get to eat any porridge. i had only my dates and a slice of bread to rely on. waited till 8pm for the call to start the special 'night prayers called Terawih'. that mosque was near my house, so going home straight after prayers was only a few bust stops away.
subsequently, i began to squeeze more brain juice and came up with many contingency plans. either this mosque or that. today this mosque, tomorrow that mosque. all without the company of my mentor. he had the benefit of doing all this ramadan stuff with his family all the time. unlike those who are without any kins.
my 4th day of fasting, i went to Masjid Kassim near my class in Kembangan. when i reached, all the makciks were already seated on the strawmats in an airconditioned area. woww... aircon somemore... i was ushered into a group of muslimahs already seated with a BIG PLATE of rice infront of them. and there was 5 bowls of porridge for each individual. i was hungry so i thought there might not be enough for 5mouths. but when i actually finished the porridge, my appetite dropped. i wanted to forgo the rice but wasnt allowed to. i was persuaded to finish the 'section' under my nose. omigosh, that's alot to cope i thought to myself. but since no wastage is encouraged, i did my best. okay, so that was my impression of sharing food in a BIG PLATE.
after that, i had a tough week. everyday (except the days i had my classes) i cracked my mind and thought about where would be the fastest yet most convenient place to have my 'iftar'. because i also need to consider the allowance for me to perform my prayers.time was an important contributing factor. but amidst all this rushing, i am actually enjoying myself. enjoying my first ramadan in mosques having 'iftar'. though i wont deny the loneliness does kills the mood. haha. (= but its alright.
so it was mosque-hopping for me for the past few weeks. i remembered knowing another muslim sister in Al-Mujahidin mosque and then i saw her in Al-Falah mosque again. what a small world yeah. about Al-Falah mosque, the serving of 'iftar' is far more humongous than Masjid Kassim. ( i really wished i could snap it down and load it, then my blog would be more interesting) this time round, the PLATE became BIGGER! the rice served was more. as i knew i couldnt take alot, i restrained myself to only a bowl of porridge and a slice of kueh and 3dates. but guess what, told not to waste again, must help to finish. in the end, i ate it afterall. no regret because i never tasted such tender mutton with no smell, and the spice was just right. POWER!!!
and today, i had the opportunity with the will of God, to try breaking fast at Al-Muttaqin. the mosque near my workplace. this mosque do not have even LARGER PLATES but rather it is a first come first serve basis and its SELF SERVICE! i dont mind. at least i get to take how much i can consume so as not to result in gorging the food in because we cant waste. but i did noticed that they helped themselves with lots of fried fritters etc... lucky those didnt appeal to me. and this mosque ended the 'night prayers' quite early.
so now i know. but i'm still continuing my mosque-hopping. havent tried the one which i heard was air-conditioned. hmmm... maybe i'll leave that for the weekend ahead....
I had a great start. (but subsequently, not that great la) My mentor took the effort to break fast with me on my first day of fasting. though we didnt perform prayers together but nevertheless, the experience was comforting and heartwarming. because being the one and only muslim in the family,you dont get the chance to have 'iftar' with your family members.
2nd day of fasting, i rushed out of the office soon after the clock strike 5.30pm. didnt even perform my mid-noon prayers. took a bus and went straight to Darul Aman. heavy traffic. darn! when i finally reached the mosque, the call was nearing. i didnt know what were my priorities. to pray first or to break first. in the end, i was late for my prayers and i didnt even get to eat any porridge. i had only my dates and a slice of bread to rely on. waited till 8pm for the call to start the special 'night prayers called Terawih'. that mosque was near my house, so going home straight after prayers was only a few bust stops away.
subsequently, i began to squeeze more brain juice and came up with many contingency plans. either this mosque or that. today this mosque, tomorrow that mosque. all without the company of my mentor. he had the benefit of doing all this ramadan stuff with his family all the time. unlike those who are without any kins.
my 4th day of fasting, i went to Masjid Kassim near my class in Kembangan. when i reached, all the makciks were already seated on the strawmats in an airconditioned area. woww... aircon somemore... i was ushered into a group of muslimahs already seated with a BIG PLATE of rice infront of them. and there was 5 bowls of porridge for each individual. i was hungry so i thought there might not be enough for 5mouths. but when i actually finished the porridge, my appetite dropped. i wanted to forgo the rice but wasnt allowed to. i was persuaded to finish the 'section' under my nose. omigosh, that's alot to cope i thought to myself. but since no wastage is encouraged, i did my best. okay, so that was my impression of sharing food in a BIG PLATE.
after that, i had a tough week. everyday (except the days i had my classes) i cracked my mind and thought about where would be the fastest yet most convenient place to have my 'iftar'. because i also need to consider the allowance for me to perform my prayers.time was an important contributing factor. but amidst all this rushing, i am actually enjoying myself. enjoying my first ramadan in mosques having 'iftar'. though i wont deny the loneliness does kills the mood. haha. (= but its alright.
so it was mosque-hopping for me for the past few weeks. i remembered knowing another muslim sister in Al-Mujahidin mosque and then i saw her in Al-Falah mosque again. what a small world yeah. about Al-Falah mosque, the serving of 'iftar' is far more humongous than Masjid Kassim. ( i really wished i could snap it down and load it, then my blog would be more interesting) this time round, the PLATE became BIGGER! the rice served was more. as i knew i couldnt take alot, i restrained myself to only a bowl of porridge and a slice of kueh and 3dates. but guess what, told not to waste again, must help to finish. in the end, i ate it afterall. no regret because i never tasted such tender mutton with no smell, and the spice was just right. POWER!!!
and today, i had the opportunity with the will of God, to try breaking fast at Al-Muttaqin. the mosque near my workplace. this mosque do not have even LARGER PLATES but rather it is a first come first serve basis and its SELF SERVICE! i dont mind. at least i get to take how much i can consume so as not to result in gorging the food in because we cant waste. but i did noticed that they helped themselves with lots of fried fritters etc... lucky those didnt appeal to me. and this mosque ended the 'night prayers' quite early.
so now i know. but i'm still continuing my mosque-hopping. havent tried the one which i heard was air-conditioned. hmmm... maybe i'll leave that for the weekend ahead....
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Evolution??
Have anyone watched the latest documentary screened on Channelnewsasia? It is called 'Species Odyssey'. here's the link. click here to find out about what is it all about.
When i was still a student. a student with low intellectual thinking. a student with a brain not quite fully developed, i was deceived by my teachers and fellow classmates in schools during science lessons or what-not, that HUMANS evolve from APES. that explains why some are hairy and some are not. some has little hair above their lips and some has 'abundance' of it. those with hairy legs are those who couldnt shed off and there are also some who totally have rid all of it.
but as i grew older, i couldnt accept that theory. theoretically speaking, it doesnt make alot of sense. not even 2cents. i pondered and pondered. but that pondering did not trigger the curiousity inside me to be so bothered to study deep into where actually HUMANS come from. furthermore, teenhood over, then came adulthood and adulthood has other problematic issues to resolve (career, studies, relationship woes etc...)
ha.it was not until when i reach my mid 20s, i had the golden opportunity to learn about the true evolution of HUMAN creation. you might not believe where i got my answers from because you would think that this is a bias statement. a statement which not only this religion can proclaim credit to answer such profound questions. but if its the truth, there's nothing to proclaim about. because in actual fact, it contains just the truth and nothing but the truth.
it takes two hands to clap. so this might take a muslim to understand what the other muslim is talking about. i'm not preaching my religion but just felt an urge to share and not be mislead by other information which might not be as accurate as it seems.
meanwhile, to satisfy your curiousity (only if you wanna know), watch out for this space while i go and do some search of verses in the Book. if you are really interested, you may like to read some other information here. click only if you are interested. if you dont like, don't click and dont complain about me okay?
When i was still a student. a student with low intellectual thinking. a student with a brain not quite fully developed, i was deceived by my teachers and fellow classmates in schools during science lessons or what-not, that HUMANS evolve from APES. that explains why some are hairy and some are not. some has little hair above their lips and some has 'abundance' of it. those with hairy legs are those who couldnt shed off and there are also some who totally have rid all of it.
but as i grew older, i couldnt accept that theory. theoretically speaking, it doesnt make alot of sense. not even 2cents. i pondered and pondered. but that pondering did not trigger the curiousity inside me to be so bothered to study deep into where actually HUMANS come from. furthermore, teenhood over, then came adulthood and adulthood has other problematic issues to resolve (career, studies, relationship woes etc...)
ha.it was not until when i reach my mid 20s, i had the golden opportunity to learn about the true evolution of HUMAN creation. you might not believe where i got my answers from because you would think that this is a bias statement. a statement which not only this religion can proclaim credit to answer such profound questions. but if its the truth, there's nothing to proclaim about. because in actual fact, it contains just the truth and nothing but the truth.
it takes two hands to clap. so this might take a muslim to understand what the other muslim is talking about. i'm not preaching my religion but just felt an urge to share and not be mislead by other information which might not be as accurate as it seems.
meanwhile, to satisfy your curiousity (only if you wanna know), watch out for this space while i go and do some search of verses in the Book. if you are really interested, you may like to read some other information here. click only if you are interested. if you dont like, don't click and dont complain about me okay?
Friday, October 21, 2005
Pump coffee(caffeine) into my bloodstream!
Yesterday i suddenly had this wish.
Because i have been extremely caught up with classes and prayers and they usually end quite late,and then i had to cope with the waking up in the wee hours of the morning to grab a bite before i start my fast for the day.
now all that committments had taken a toll on my sleep.SLEEP had been compromised to a mininum of 4hours per day only.and being my first Ramadan, there was indeed lots of 'homework' to be done. having to accustom my body system to clock a minimal of 4hrs sleep, trying so hard to make out what is being recited during prayers and waking up in the last third of the night to supplicate to God. it has been told that this time is one of the times the believers could get their supplications answered because God has descended to the lowermost heavens and says:
"Who is calling Me,so that I may answer him? Who is asking Me so that may I grant him? Who is seeking forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him?"
Because late at night, when people are sleeping and are busy with wordly pleasures, Allah gives the believers an opportunity, or an answer hour if they can fight sleep and invoke Allah for whatever they need.
this post reminds me of a topic which i read from nawooz's topic on coffee addiction . i wouldnt ask to pump caffeine in exchange of my blood of course. but if only we could consider this option temporarily when we need to. I havent been drinking coffee for 4 weeks (almost) because ever since Ramadan started,everytime when i wake up so early in the morning i couldnt find the time to make myself a cuppa of nice aroma smelling coffee.
sometimes unadmittedly, mankind requires the provisions in this world to be able to sustain our existence. but we need to be aware of WHO actually provides the provision for our sustenance??
Because i have been extremely caught up with classes and prayers and they usually end quite late,and then i had to cope with the waking up in the wee hours of the morning to grab a bite before i start my fast for the day.
now all that committments had taken a toll on my sleep.SLEEP had been compromised to a mininum of 4hours per day only.and being my first Ramadan, there was indeed lots of 'homework' to be done. having to accustom my body system to clock a minimal of 4hrs sleep, trying so hard to make out what is being recited during prayers and waking up in the last third of the night to supplicate to God. it has been told that this time is one of the times the believers could get their supplications answered because God has descended to the lowermost heavens and says:
"Who is calling Me,so that I may answer him? Who is asking Me so that may I grant him? Who is seeking forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him?"
Because late at night, when people are sleeping and are busy with wordly pleasures, Allah gives the believers an opportunity, or an answer hour if they can fight sleep and invoke Allah for whatever they need.
this post reminds me of a topic which i read from nawooz's topic on coffee addiction . i wouldnt ask to pump caffeine in exchange of my blood of course. but if only we could consider this option temporarily when we need to. I havent been drinking coffee for 4 weeks (almost) because ever since Ramadan started,everytime when i wake up so early in the morning i couldnt find the time to make myself a cuppa of nice aroma smelling coffee.
sometimes unadmittedly, mankind requires the provisions in this world to be able to sustain our existence. but we need to be aware of WHO actually provides the provision for our sustenance??
Thursday, October 20, 2005
An ordeal or a test?
Guess what,i have spilled the beans to him.i wasnt sure what i did was right but at least i got it off my chest.i dont know about you guys,but when i hear such 'news', i simply cant function properly.when i say i cant function properly,it means i think about it 24/7.i kept it away from him for two days and in the end,i couldnt take it anymore.
Though i didnt have the opportunity to clarify what i heard about him,but there was some consolation that the 'news' was not 100% accurate.i didnt tell him everything because he said he didnt want to hear what was said about him.and i think that's a very cool and positive attitude to adopt when it comes to knowing or hearing bad stuff about what other people have been spreading with their tongues.curiousity kills the cat.if such things were to happen on me,i would be so anxious to find out.maybe i should learn a few survival skills from him.
its amazing how people can fabricate tales like that of another person.and i guess the root of evil stems either from envy or jealousy developed towards that particular person. i wont deny that at times i do experience a tinge of jealously or envy towards another individual but that is only to spur me to do better and not to talk bad about that person.
from a religious viewpoint, we need to eradicate jealously,envy or suspicion towards others. i'm not sure how little will do good to mankind but if you can't suppress that feeling, then it will be bad because from time to time, it keeps growing in your heart and then it will obstruct your natural inborne disposition to be good, do good and think good.
Do you guys or gals have any bad experience of having to hear what other people have been speaking behind your back?and how do you deal with that deadly act of speech?
Though i didnt have the opportunity to clarify what i heard about him,but there was some consolation that the 'news' was not 100% accurate.i didnt tell him everything because he said he didnt want to hear what was said about him.and i think that's a very cool and positive attitude to adopt when it comes to knowing or hearing bad stuff about what other people have been spreading with their tongues.curiousity kills the cat.if such things were to happen on me,i would be so anxious to find out.maybe i should learn a few survival skills from him.
its amazing how people can fabricate tales like that of another person.and i guess the root of evil stems either from envy or jealousy developed towards that particular person. i wont deny that at times i do experience a tinge of jealously or envy towards another individual but that is only to spur me to do better and not to talk bad about that person.
from a religious viewpoint, we need to eradicate jealously,envy or suspicion towards others. i'm not sure how little will do good to mankind but if you can't suppress that feeling, then it will be bad because from time to time, it keeps growing in your heart and then it will obstruct your natural inborne disposition to be good, do good and think good.
Do you guys or gals have any bad experience of having to hear what other people have been speaking behind your back?and how do you deal with that deadly act of speech?
Monday, October 17, 2005
Lost for words
What do you do when you hear terrible 'news' about the one that you love?how would you respond?Can you clarify your doubts with him/her??If they are innocent,they would.but if they aren't,they will tell you to forgive them...
'News' came to me as a shock.i didnt know how to react.Especially in this month of ramadan,not just my mouth and stomach are fasting,but my eyes and ears are fasting too.i wasnt prepared to hear such stuff that would affect my fast in this blessed month.Because hearing such news,would take your attention away from attaining God-consciousness.it just takes away everything.like as though the hard work that you've put in has all gone to waste.
as i began to piece everything that i hear,i didnt expect it to make any sense out of it. the dosage i received this time was double of what i got from the previous betrayal.more details were given.doubts were converted to affirmations and questions were beginning to form in my head.
i didnt know where have i gone wrong.have i not done enough?was the other party/parties having something better than me or doing something more than what i've done for him?upon hearing what was told,my guess might be right.Perhaps the gifts or surprises that i planted on him wasnt sufficient to keep his heart at bay..i know i am not supposed to ask anything in return.i never asked for expensive gifts or fanciful surprises,never did i demand him to acknowledge that i am his girlfriend.i really couldnt understand why is this happening...
i know i would not be able to decipher how important or valued i am to him.but indeed,i have truly learnt a much important and valuable lesson from him.i guessed,since i am not acknowledged as his girlfriend, there wouldnt be any code of conduct that you need to abide: faithfulness.
since the calling of huney has stopped, well i guessed this is a very good start for me to release the accelerator and pull up the hand brakes and stop attaching myself so emotionally to a person that doesnt want to be with me.
BUT....BUT.... BUT....as i've said earlier...Its Ramadan.a blessed month for muslims.i'm supposed to feel physically and spiritually charged up.consciousness of God's commands should be at my fingertips and not the back of my mind.these are all tests that had been decreed by God,to test the beliefs that i've held close to my heart and the religious obligations that i've been commanded to follow.i should not dwell on the unnecessary but only concentrate about building my faith stronger and stronger. (though it can be quite hard to fight all these thoughts away)
An excerpt from the Book of God:Chapter of The Chambers(Surah Al-Hujurat 49:6~8)
"O Believers, if an evil-doer brings you a piece of news,inquire first into its truth,lest you should wrong others unwittingly and then regret your action.Know that God's apostle is among you.If he obeyed you in many matters, you would surely come to grief.But God has endeared the Faith to you and beautified it in you hearts,making unbelief,wrongdoing,and disobedience abhorrent to you.Such are those who are rightly guided through God's grace and bounty. God is all-knowing and wise."
if God willed,i would be given the opportunity to clarify.but i'm not sure if it was alright to warn him about the 'news' that was said about him. if its true would i be able to take the truth? but i didnt want to create any fitnah (false accusations based on hearsay). but right now, i seriously dont know what to do.
'News' came to me as a shock.i didnt know how to react.Especially in this month of ramadan,not just my mouth and stomach are fasting,but my eyes and ears are fasting too.i wasnt prepared to hear such stuff that would affect my fast in this blessed month.Because hearing such news,would take your attention away from attaining God-consciousness.it just takes away everything.like as though the hard work that you've put in has all gone to waste.
as i began to piece everything that i hear,i didnt expect it to make any sense out of it. the dosage i received this time was double of what i got from the previous betrayal.more details were given.doubts were converted to affirmations and questions were beginning to form in my head.
i didnt know where have i gone wrong.have i not done enough?was the other party/parties having something better than me or doing something more than what i've done for him?upon hearing what was told,my guess might be right.Perhaps the gifts or surprises that i planted on him wasnt sufficient to keep his heart at bay..i know i am not supposed to ask anything in return.i never asked for expensive gifts or fanciful surprises,never did i demand him to acknowledge that i am his girlfriend.i really couldnt understand why is this happening...
i know i would not be able to decipher how important or valued i am to him.but indeed,i have truly learnt a much important and valuable lesson from him.i guessed,since i am not acknowledged as his girlfriend, there wouldnt be any code of conduct that you need to abide: faithfulness.
since the calling of huney has stopped, well i guessed this is a very good start for me to release the accelerator and pull up the hand brakes and stop attaching myself so emotionally to a person that doesnt want to be with me.
BUT....BUT.... BUT....as i've said earlier...Its Ramadan.a blessed month for muslims.i'm supposed to feel physically and spiritually charged up.consciousness of God's commands should be at my fingertips and not the back of my mind.these are all tests that had been decreed by God,to test the beliefs that i've held close to my heart and the religious obligations that i've been commanded to follow.i should not dwell on the unnecessary but only concentrate about building my faith stronger and stronger. (though it can be quite hard to fight all these thoughts away)
An excerpt from the Book of God:Chapter of The Chambers(Surah Al-Hujurat 49:6~8)
"O Believers, if an evil-doer brings you a piece of news,inquire first into its truth,lest you should wrong others unwittingly and then regret your action.Know that God's apostle is among you.If he obeyed you in many matters, you would surely come to grief.But God has endeared the Faith to you and beautified it in you hearts,making unbelief,wrongdoing,and disobedience abhorrent to you.Such are those who are rightly guided through God's grace and bounty. God is all-knowing and wise."
if God willed,i would be given the opportunity to clarify.but i'm not sure if it was alright to warn him about the 'news' that was said about him. if its true would i be able to take the truth? but i didnt want to create any fitnah (false accusations based on hearsay). but right now, i seriously dont know what to do.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
The story of the swan, the ostrich and the ugly duckling
I'm gonna tell you the story of a love triangle relationship between 3 birds:the swan(f),the ostrich(m) and the ugly duckling(f)
Epilogue:
This happens in a New York zoo.Before the ugly duckling met the ostrich,the swan had a happy relationship with the ostrich for many years.in each other eyes, perhaps they were perfect for each other. and even a perfect match labelled by many living around their community.Although they were not from the same species, but both of them were good looking. and somehow the differences maybe vast, nevertheless, both of them were darlings to each other.
First and Last chapter:
One cloudy day(dine day is outdated already),a shipment has arrived and a few ducks were brought in.and amongst these few ducks, there was an ugly duckling.and they lived in the swamp area,slightly less developed part of the zoo.The ostrich was out on his usual walks in the zoo when he passed by this pond.She looked ugly and pathetic.compared to the beauty of the swan,she was far worse.don't know was it out of sympathy for the duckling or because the ostrich was looking for another companion/liaison,the ostrich went over to the pond and talked to the duckling in 'bird language'. the ostrich was telling the duckling that there was another much cleaner pond elsewhere in the zoo. and he volunteered to show her the place. so the ostrich stretched out his neck and let the duckling climbed onto it and went up to shore.
Ever since,friendship developed into a liaison relationship between the ugly duckling and the ostrich. though one was ugly and the other one was handshome, they both clicked very well.because of the time spent together, the ugly duckling subsequently fell in love with the ostrich. but the ugly duckling was not aware that the ostrich was already someone's else.when the ostrich was with the ugly duckling,she did everything she could to pamper him.she would saved up her food for the ostrich and even went around the zoo to source for beautiful things to decorate his nest.
surely, good things normally do come to an end. you cant always have the sweetest harvest all year round.in those days, the pigeon was used as a communicator(just like the current system of sms-ing). the pigeon came to the ugly duckling to collect a message for the ostrich.before the pigeon flew off,it was told to the ugly duckling that the ostrich was already going out with the swan.the pigeon also revealed other juicy gossips about the swan and the ostrich.
the ugly duckling was very sad. she felt cheated.she shed so many tears that the pond's water level was higher than normal.despite avoiding the ostrich for many days,he also told the duckling that everything would come to an end with the swan if the duckling will forgive him.because of the love she had for the ostrich, she decided to forgive the ostrich.but in her heart,she knew that the ostrich heart was not with her anymore because the zookeeper had previously took a picture of them together and ostrich was still hanging it in his nest.
perhaps there might be some code that's being decided among the animals that once mating started, you are not to be involved with anyone else. henceforth, the swan was furious that the ostrich had left her and she decided to stage a revenge on the ugly duckling. sadly,things were also not going pretty well because the ostrich was not as intimate anymore.because calling 'darling' belonged to the swan, the ostrich decide to adopt a different calling to the duckling.but that has also stopped after the incident. the duckling didnt know why.so the pigeon delivered the answers to her. besides the swan,there were more parties involved.because calling intimately would cause the ostrich to committ himself to the duckling and he didnt want to,fearing better chances would come his way. but yet,the ostrich still secretly continued calling 'darling' swan in his pigeon messages.
the revenge didnt led to a bloody mess. but the ugly duckling was hurt and felt betrayed.if she had knew that the ostrich was 'taken' in the 1st place, she wouldnt be so desperate to take away someone else's partner,let alone hearing that they have already mated.the ugly duckling only wanted a partner that is true to her,not just using words to make people happy but behind her, the swan and the ostrich were still secretly meeting each other.
the ostrich didnt want to say the truth to the ugly duckling but she managed to know alot of things about the ostrich through the pigeons.perhaps the ugly duckling would have no other option but choose to return the ostrich back to the swan's arms or to the rest of his partners.
Analysis:
Perhaps,the ugly duckling had probably taken this liaison too seriously.or perhaps it was just a game.or maybe just 'fowl play'.
What do you think?Do you pity the ugly duckling?
Being true and faithful no longer can guarantee that the relationship would be everlasting anymore?Is that the cold hard fact that the ugly duckling need to accept?
Disclaimer:no animals were abused,sacrificed or tested during this process of story-telling.
Legend: (x)denotes the sex of the bird.
Epilogue:
This happens in a New York zoo.Before the ugly duckling met the ostrich,the swan had a happy relationship with the ostrich for many years.in each other eyes, perhaps they were perfect for each other. and even a perfect match labelled by many living around their community.Although they were not from the same species, but both of them were good looking. and somehow the differences maybe vast, nevertheless, both of them were darlings to each other.
First and Last chapter:
One cloudy day(dine day is outdated already),a shipment has arrived and a few ducks were brought in.and amongst these few ducks, there was an ugly duckling.and they lived in the swamp area,slightly less developed part of the zoo.The ostrich was out on his usual walks in the zoo when he passed by this pond.She looked ugly and pathetic.compared to the beauty of the swan,she was far worse.don't know was it out of sympathy for the duckling or because the ostrich was looking for another companion/liaison,the ostrich went over to the pond and talked to the duckling in 'bird language'. the ostrich was telling the duckling that there was another much cleaner pond elsewhere in the zoo. and he volunteered to show her the place. so the ostrich stretched out his neck and let the duckling climbed onto it and went up to shore.
Ever since,friendship developed into a liaison relationship between the ugly duckling and the ostrich. though one was ugly and the other one was handshome, they both clicked very well.because of the time spent together, the ugly duckling subsequently fell in love with the ostrich. but the ugly duckling was not aware that the ostrich was already someone's else.when the ostrich was with the ugly duckling,she did everything she could to pamper him.she would saved up her food for the ostrich and even went around the zoo to source for beautiful things to decorate his nest.
surely, good things normally do come to an end. you cant always have the sweetest harvest all year round.in those days, the pigeon was used as a communicator(just like the current system of sms-ing). the pigeon came to the ugly duckling to collect a message for the ostrich.before the pigeon flew off,it was told to the ugly duckling that the ostrich was already going out with the swan.the pigeon also revealed other juicy gossips about the swan and the ostrich.
the ugly duckling was very sad. she felt cheated.she shed so many tears that the pond's water level was higher than normal.despite avoiding the ostrich for many days,he also told the duckling that everything would come to an end with the swan if the duckling will forgive him.because of the love she had for the ostrich, she decided to forgive the ostrich.but in her heart,she knew that the ostrich heart was not with her anymore because the zookeeper had previously took a picture of them together and ostrich was still hanging it in his nest.
perhaps there might be some code that's being decided among the animals that once mating started, you are not to be involved with anyone else. henceforth, the swan was furious that the ostrich had left her and she decided to stage a revenge on the ugly duckling. sadly,things were also not going pretty well because the ostrich was not as intimate anymore.because calling 'darling' belonged to the swan, the ostrich decide to adopt a different calling to the duckling.but that has also stopped after the incident. the duckling didnt know why.so the pigeon delivered the answers to her. besides the swan,there were more parties involved.because calling intimately would cause the ostrich to committ himself to the duckling and he didnt want to,fearing better chances would come his way. but yet,the ostrich still secretly continued calling 'darling' swan in his pigeon messages.
the revenge didnt led to a bloody mess. but the ugly duckling was hurt and felt betrayed.if she had knew that the ostrich was 'taken' in the 1st place, she wouldnt be so desperate to take away someone else's partner,let alone hearing that they have already mated.the ugly duckling only wanted a partner that is true to her,not just using words to make people happy but behind her, the swan and the ostrich were still secretly meeting each other.
the ostrich didnt want to say the truth to the ugly duckling but she managed to know alot of things about the ostrich through the pigeons.perhaps the ugly duckling would have no other option but choose to return the ostrich back to the swan's arms or to the rest of his partners.
Analysis:
Perhaps,the ugly duckling had probably taken this liaison too seriously.or perhaps it was just a game.or maybe just 'fowl play'.
What do you think?Do you pity the ugly duckling?
Being true and faithful no longer can guarantee that the relationship would be everlasting anymore?Is that the cold hard fact that the ugly duckling need to accept?
Disclaimer:no animals were abused,sacrificed or tested during this process of story-telling.
Legend: (x)denotes the sex of the bird.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Oopss... i dont mean to be thinking about this song
During Ramadan,it has been recommended and encouraged by my teachers and mentor to recite several verses to remind ourselves of God. but for a couple of reasons i'm thinking about this song.it just suddenly came up to my mind. though the popularity has died down but its still a nice song.i dont intend to sing it to anyone but hoping someone else would use this to sing to me.
"The Reason"
I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you
I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
Thats why i need you to hear
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is You [x4]
I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you
I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you
"The Reason"
I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you
I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
Thats why i need you to hear
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is You [x4]
I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you
I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Feed me or feed the car?
In singapore,before you get to drive a car on the road, you need to have a valid driving license of course. then you need to buy a piece of paper to put your vehicle on the road. that paper is called "Certificate Of Entitlement". and mind you, that piece of paper will cost you more than S$10k. Don't believe me right? take a look here
so besides paying for the piece of paper right, there's road tax, parking labels and vehicle insurance to take into account.besides all this, there's parking coupons to deal with, cashcards for ERP gantry and cashless car parks. and with the recent price hike of petrol prices, all these are going deep deep down into your pockets, reaching for your wallet and then it will creep into your hard earned money$$$$....without you realising...
since the amount of money you need to spend on the COE already requires you to spend more than S$10k,and then on top of this you need to pay for the actual vehicle price. the cheapest from $50k onwards for a 1.3litres vehicle... of course the high end ones will cost you more. if you want a mercedes or a BMW Z4, it will cost you more than $120K.then when you buy such expensive cars right, your insurance will cost more than the low-end ones.
recently,there was a big drop in the COE prices.It fell to as low as $11,200.see here to believe.It was so much different from the last time i was interested in buying a car for myself.at that time, the paper cost me $15K.Wwhooaa... BIG DROP man! that's why my father told me to chip in some cash as well and change a new car.i didnt ask him what car he was interested in but i told him that if i were to buy the car,i would have no money left to support my 3 meals.
i think feeding my stomach is cheaper than feeding the car with petrol. my stomach can leave on a bowl of $2.00 mee soto for 7days.but $21.00 would not be sufficient to fill up even 1/4 of the tank. cant even bring me anywhere with $21.00 of petrol.if i were to pour the amount of money i spend on food onto 'food' for the car, i would have to 'eat wind'(hokkien translated) because i would just drive the car around and can only fill my stomach with 'wind' from the breeze...
so daddy, drop the car. and Linus* too, don't ask me to get a Ford Mondeo. i can't afford it.perhaps i'm thinking i might eye on a motorcycle license instead. that is the cheaper alternative in getting mobile around the island.
so besides paying for the piece of paper right, there's road tax, parking labels and vehicle insurance to take into account.besides all this, there's parking coupons to deal with, cashcards for ERP gantry and cashless car parks. and with the recent price hike of petrol prices, all these are going deep deep down into your pockets, reaching for your wallet and then it will creep into your hard earned money$$$$....without you realising...
since the amount of money you need to spend on the COE already requires you to spend more than S$10k,and then on top of this you need to pay for the actual vehicle price. the cheapest from $50k onwards for a 1.3litres vehicle... of course the high end ones will cost you more. if you want a mercedes or a BMW Z4, it will cost you more than $120K.then when you buy such expensive cars right, your insurance will cost more than the low-end ones.
recently,there was a big drop in the COE prices.It fell to as low as $11,200.see here to believe.It was so much different from the last time i was interested in buying a car for myself.at that time, the paper cost me $15K.Wwhooaa... BIG DROP man! that's why my father told me to chip in some cash as well and change a new car.i didnt ask him what car he was interested in but i told him that if i were to buy the car,i would have no money left to support my 3 meals.
i think feeding my stomach is cheaper than feeding the car with petrol. my stomach can leave on a bowl of $2.00 mee soto for 7days.but $21.00 would not be sufficient to fill up even 1/4 of the tank. cant even bring me anywhere with $21.00 of petrol.if i were to pour the amount of money i spend on food onto 'food' for the car, i would have to 'eat wind'(hokkien translated) because i would just drive the car around and can only fill my stomach with 'wind' from the breeze...
so daddy, drop the car. and Linus* too, don't ask me to get a Ford Mondeo. i can't afford it.perhaps i'm thinking i might eye on a motorcycle license instead. that is the cheaper alternative in getting mobile around the island.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
'Sahur' and 'Iftar'
These two terms might look alien to you but these two words mean alot to me especially in this month of fasting.
'Sahur' is a pre-dawn meal muslims will partake to prepare for the rest of the day during the fasting month.Waking up at 0430hours is a struggle for me as my nights always end around 0030hours.and this meal is especially important for me because if i cant get up ontime to eat something,for a gastric-prone person like me,i might develop gastric for the rest of the day.and i would have to stop my fast to consume food,and that would invalidate my fast.and that's the last thing on my mind.
'Iftar' is the sunset meal to break our fast for the day.Usually occurs around 1855hours.If i'm hungry,by 1600hours,i would be checking the time at my watch for at least a hundred times till 1800hours,until i think the watch would shout at me:"Hey,how many times you want to look at me??!!"
if hunger pangs do not strike me, normally i would feel sleepy...very sleepy... if you give me a pillow,i would definitely fall asleep anytime,anywhere.yes,trust my words. i can sleep anywhere.i sleep on buses and i doze off during meetings*(my boss better not see this) the moment i got up the bus,position the air-conditioning,say a lil' prayer and off i go to DREAMLAND... if i'm lucky,i will wake up before my designated alighting stop but if i'm not,i'll end up at the depot.(where the buses have parked in those gigantic car parks)
so i started fasting a little later than the rest.on sunday,i bought a loaf of bread and my favourite peanut butter.I prepared my alarm clocks and i tried to tuck in a little early but my system dont seem to cooperate with me.in the end, i slept at almost 0100hours.goodness gracious!how to wake up??!!!
Lucky for me,my mentor gave me a buzz.a wake up call.whooaa!!! struggled to get out of my bed and sleepily walked to the bathroom and then to the kitchen for my 'sahur'.so this is my FIRST 'sahur' for my FIRST fasting day in my FIRST Ramadan. so many FIRSTS!!(of course... a freshie what!!!)
so i went to work as usual.the unusuals are not going to the pantry as often because i wont be making any beverages for myself.but the only problem is,time is passing EXTREMELY slowly and things at work arent getting on fine.(if fighting is allowed,i think my colleague wants to challenge a fight with me by the way she looked at me)the time from 10am to 12pm, and then from 2pm to 5.30pm seems to be ticking away like its taking ages man!i was lucky because there was training conducted during the morning and afternoon but nevertheless,i cant help but keep looking at my watch... and fasting requires you to keep away from undesirable behaviour,thoughts or actions.its about character building and anger management and importantly,strengthening your consciousness of God.
finally when the hour hand shows 5 and the minute hand shows 30minutes,i excitedly packed my bag and shut down my computer because my mentor is WILLING to break fast with me.no joke man!!! so i chucked away my sadness and happily went to meet him.i told him about my unhappiness at work but he didnt offer any consolation or advice.
He had laksa and i had my favourite soto ayam.after dinner we parted for our individual appointment.He went for his terawih prayers and i went for my class.so that was how i spend my FIRST day of fasting...
*disclaimer:only during this period.
'Sahur' is a pre-dawn meal muslims will partake to prepare for the rest of the day during the fasting month.Waking up at 0430hours is a struggle for me as my nights always end around 0030hours.and this meal is especially important for me because if i cant get up ontime to eat something,for a gastric-prone person like me,i might develop gastric for the rest of the day.and i would have to stop my fast to consume food,and that would invalidate my fast.and that's the last thing on my mind.
'Iftar' is the sunset meal to break our fast for the day.Usually occurs around 1855hours.If i'm hungry,by 1600hours,i would be checking the time at my watch for at least a hundred times till 1800hours,until i think the watch would shout at me:"Hey,how many times you want to look at me??!!"
if hunger pangs do not strike me, normally i would feel sleepy...very sleepy... if you give me a pillow,i would definitely fall asleep anytime,anywhere.yes,trust my words. i can sleep anywhere.i sleep on buses and i doze off during meetings*(my boss better not see this) the moment i got up the bus,position the air-conditioning,say a lil' prayer and off i go to DREAMLAND... if i'm lucky,i will wake up before my designated alighting stop but if i'm not,i'll end up at the depot.(where the buses have parked in those gigantic car parks)
so i started fasting a little later than the rest.on sunday,i bought a loaf of bread and my favourite peanut butter.I prepared my alarm clocks and i tried to tuck in a little early but my system dont seem to cooperate with me.in the end, i slept at almost 0100hours.goodness gracious!how to wake up??!!!
Lucky for me,my mentor gave me a buzz.a wake up call.whooaa!!! struggled to get out of my bed and sleepily walked to the bathroom and then to the kitchen for my 'sahur'.so this is my FIRST 'sahur' for my FIRST fasting day in my FIRST Ramadan. so many FIRSTS!!(of course... a freshie what!!!)
so i went to work as usual.the unusuals are not going to the pantry as often because i wont be making any beverages for myself.but the only problem is,time is passing EXTREMELY slowly and things at work arent getting on fine.(if fighting is allowed,i think my colleague wants to challenge a fight with me by the way she looked at me)the time from 10am to 12pm, and then from 2pm to 5.30pm seems to be ticking away like its taking ages man!i was lucky because there was training conducted during the morning and afternoon but nevertheless,i cant help but keep looking at my watch... and fasting requires you to keep away from undesirable behaviour,thoughts or actions.its about character building and anger management and importantly,strengthening your consciousness of God.
finally when the hour hand shows 5 and the minute hand shows 30minutes,i excitedly packed my bag and shut down my computer because my mentor is WILLING to break fast with me.no joke man!!! so i chucked away my sadness and happily went to meet him.i told him about my unhappiness at work but he didnt offer any consolation or advice.
He had laksa and i had my favourite soto ayam.after dinner we parted for our individual appointment.He went for his terawih prayers and i went for my class.so that was how i spend my FIRST day of fasting...
*disclaimer:only during this period.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Surprises galore!!!
Yesterday i received a basketful of SURPRISES...
to begin with my 1st surprise: since Ramadan is on Wednesday, Linus* sms-ed me that he would meet me for lunch at 1pm after he finished his lunch with his friends. and then he would continue his 'gung ho-ness' after his 1st appointment to meet me and these 2 appointments will take up 2 hours of his time. i was touched and went like: "waah... really ah?am i dreaming?" i feel like asking someone to pinch me. so i excitedly waited till 1245hrs and i called him. but there was no answer on the phone. i panicked. i sms-ed him. no reply. was it called off? i missed two buses and before i knew it, i was in a limousine cab. haha. i told the driver my destination but i told him if only i could go further because it's a Mercedes taxi man. No joke!!! anyway, when i was in the taxi, he called and told me he would be late... hmmm... and because he already had lunch, he just sat there and watched me eat. so that was it, the LAST LUNCH of the month for me.
2nd surprise came from a friend i knew from my secondary school. this friend of mine frequent my previous house because we stayed very near to each other. i think he would forgive me for my forgetfulness because i cant recall which block he stayed. we actually exchanged phone numbers when i first met him at a coffeeshop after a gap of more than 7years. i was reluctant to give him my number at first but i recalled that we used to share a very good platonic friendship. he called quite a couple of times but i told him i was busy and we never talked for more than 10mins. it was only last sunday, i made the effort to talk to him a little longer. before he hung up, i told him that there was a big turning point in my life. after some brief exchanges, he said we should meet up.
so yesterday, i choose to meet at my favourite hangout after work. as usual, i normally don my headscarf after work. i was kinda afraid that my friend would felt uncomfortable seeing me in the attire and i didnt want to compromise my commandments too just because i want to accomodate my friend. so i sms-ed him and told him that i would be in a blue headscarf. he asked me why. i told him that its' a religious commandment. after that he didnt respond when i asked him for a final confirmation. i was worried about being stood up by him. patiently waited for him. thank God, he appeared.
the first thing he said about me was: "you looked very cute." i was pretty amazed. after wearing for so long, i never received such compliments. i dont see it as sarcasm but just very interesting comment about my new attire. so i told him to get his food if he didnt want mee soto. occasionally, i mixed english with mandarin. and guess what, after he left the table. another handsome guy sitting next to me turned to me and said: "your mandarin very good. very fluent." i told him: "of course, i'm a chinese." then he went: "Oh... i see..."
when my friend came back, he asked for a bigger table. so while we were looking around, the handsome guy actually offered his seat to us but we didnt take because he was still eating. when we finally got a seat, shortly after he finished and even walked past to said 'bye-bye' to me. this is not the first time i get stares from men when they see a tudung clad woman talking in mandarin...
after dinner, we continued chit-chatting at a void deck near my house. so we talked about life, relationships, family problems, work, goals and religion. he was curious about my decision to convert. and he was also the only one who doesnt express extreme thoughts. even though his perceptions are almost similar like the rest of the people, his opinions were not based one-sided and that really surprised me alot. except for the few times he joked about the way i looked but he didnt make me uncomfortable.
he had spent 3 years studying on christianity and because many people felt that chrisitianity and islam have many similarities, it's never been an easy task to discuss about religion with a christian. but at least there's room for more open talk because he's positive about learning from other religions.. but he said that the belief that i have now would change in the future. but i told him NOPE because i was sure that i had found the TRUTH.
i asked him if he's interested to attend an orientation course about islam, he said he's game for it.
Good, i told him. God's will. we will arrange for him to go for the orientation. hee hee...
Monday, October 03, 2005
a little disappointment
at first i was anticipating for Ramadan to arrive. but my adrenalin pumping moments were gone when i first began to notice some signs of an AV*(aunt's visit) now, i don't get to officiate the 'opening ceremony' of Ramadan like what the rest are going through. (terawih, and having their pre-dawn meal on 5th October etc...) but of course, this is a nature's call. cant be helped. so i would make the best of my 'rest days' to prepare for some other important stuff. i've got two new sets of clothings. (last year i was given the permission to claim for a new set of clothings but i did not. not sure if it has expired) and i've also bought a box of dates(prunes) for break-fasting purposes. well, i guess that's about it. hopefully i didnt miss anything out so far. because i didnt want to do last minute shopping in the 'always-so-crowded-bazaar'.... stickysmellysardine-packedbazaar... hmmm...
i am not sure if i should remind my mentor again, that i needed some pointers about the things to do during Ramadan, verses to recite, what to do and what to avoid etc etc... i remembered telling him once that i needed a little more attention or guidance much earlier. i dont want to keep on nagging because i was afraid of him getting frustrated that i keep pestering him. sigh, what should i do now? get on the internet for help? is it a bad sign that i should always rely on others for help? i hope they understand for i'm still undergoing 'probation'. its only coming close to 8 months of conversion... please forgive if there's anything that i've said or done wrong.
i'm also requ-ing around. hoping to get invites from friends to visit their homes on the 1st day of Hari Raya. but looks like, things arent looking good. This is the day for families to get together with their close ones, how am i suppose, as a stranger to join people's families for visiting leh? hmmm...i wonder?? maybe i'll pass my time in shopping centres after the 'eid-fitr' prayers.
anyway, the bridge will be there when i get there. (literally translating a chinese proverb) if you know what i mean.
i am not sure if i should remind my mentor again, that i needed some pointers about the things to do during Ramadan, verses to recite, what to do and what to avoid etc etc... i remembered telling him once that i needed a little more attention or guidance much earlier. i dont want to keep on nagging because i was afraid of him getting frustrated that i keep pestering him. sigh, what should i do now? get on the internet for help? is it a bad sign that i should always rely on others for help? i hope they understand for i'm still undergoing 'probation'. its only coming close to 8 months of conversion... please forgive if there's anything that i've said or done wrong.
i'm also requ-ing around. hoping to get invites from friends to visit their homes on the 1st day of Hari Raya. but looks like, things arent looking good. This is the day for families to get together with their close ones, how am i suppose, as a stranger to join people's families for visiting leh? hmmm...i wonder?? maybe i'll pass my time in shopping centres after the 'eid-fitr' prayers.
anyway, the bridge will be there when i get there. (literally translating a chinese proverb) if you know what i mean.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
My 1st Ramadan(fasting month)!!!!
Pretty excited that it's nearing... 3 more days!!!
Actually it is not my first time experience on fasting. last year, before my decision to convert, i tried it out, in the month of Ramadan,together with the rest of the muslims around the world. i wanted to get a feel of it and to see if my system could take up the challenge or not. my mentor keep reminding me that if i couldnt take it, i could stop the fast anytime and i should not pressure myself since there's no rewards or sins inflicted should i wish to discontinue the act of fasting. i told him not to worry,i'll be fine. (= and i actually kept my 'fasting act' under wraps from my colleagues. so during lunch i would still go out but i went to the park nearby and waited for the time to fast. so i carried radio la, books la, slips of paper containing some prayer notes. and boy, during ramadan, it was especially an extremely sunny afternoon! and amazingly, i completed 29 days of fasting. God bless! Praise be to Him! but i couldnt get to complete the islamic celebration of Eid Al-Fitr because i'm not a full-fledged muslim yet. at least i got some consolation from a friend because she wished me 'selamat hari raya puasa'.
a brief introduction for non-muslims:
Ramadan is the ninth month of the islamic lunar calendar. the islamic lunar calendar months are only 29 or 30 days long. an islamic month begins with the sighting of the new crescent in the western horizon,immediately after sunset. muslims look toward the western horizon for the new moon the the 29th day of Sha'ban, the eighth month. if the new moon is sighted, Ramadan has begun with the sunset but fasting begins with the next dawn. if the new moon is not sighted on this 29th day, Muslims complete 30days of Sha'ban and Ramadan begins the following day.
God says in the Quran:
" O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed fo ryou, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain God-consciousness. (2:183)
"In the month of Ramadan the Quran was revealed, a book of guidance with proofs of guidance distinguishing right from wrong. therefore whoever of you is present in that month let him fast. but who is ill or on a journey shall fast a similar number of days later on. Allah desires your well being, not your discomfort. He desires you to fast the whole month so that you may magnify Him and render thanks to Him for giving you His guidance." (2:185)
Fasting begins with dawn and ends with sunset. muslims rise before dawn, eat a pre-dawn meal (sahur) and drink liquids for the preparation of fasting.eating and drinking stops at dawn. during the day no eating, drinking or sexual activity is allowed. in addition, a muslim must also adhere to the moral code of islam very strictly as failure violates the requirements of fasting. of course, women who are having their menstrual period or who have not fully recovered from childbirth can make up for the days in other months. muslims fast because God has commanded them to do so. for muslims, the benefits of fasting include developing control over hunger, thirst and secual urges, training to be a good moral person and a test of our sincerity to the Creator. but of course, muslims dont just be extremely good in this month, and bad in the next. muslims would try to be a good person all year round. we just wanna be extremely good so that we get extra blessings and hoping to get additional rewards in this month. so our fast will be broken immediately after sunset with dates and water. but of course, any lawful food or drink is allowed to break the fast.
afterwhich, we will perform our sunset prayer (Magrib) followed by a complete meal. after a brief rest, muslims go to the mosque to offer our night prayer(isyak) and then a special night prayer called terawih. during this prayer, a leader who is well versed in memorizing the Quran will lead the prayers. this will be performed everynight for 29 or 30days in the month of Ramadan. and traditionally, the 114 chapters was divinely divided into 30sections, will be read out every night.
Additionally, muslims are obliged to perform this material help called Sadaqat al-Fitr to the poor and the needy. this is usually given before the 'eid prayers' for the poor to prepare for the celebration. so every family and its member are required to donate a small amount of cash and its usually done by the head of the family. i was wondering where am i supposed to donate this money to... hmmm...
The end of the fasting month is celebrated on the first of Shawwal, the 10th month. on the day of Eid, people would wear their best clothes, and proceed to the place of Eid congregation while pronouncing 'takbir' (Allah is the greatest, there is no other gods but Allah and all praises belongs to Him). the leader that leads the prayer (imam) rises at the appointed time and delivers a sermon. after the sermon, muslims supplicate, greet, embrace and congratulate each other for the successful completion of Ramadan and ask Allah for the acceptance of their efforts in His obedience.
this clears the misconception that muslims celebrate 'new year' at this time of the year. i used to have this misconception before but not anymore now. (= i hope this short introduction of the purpose of fasting month (ramadan) proves useful information for people who wants to know about it but just don't have the opportunity to find out.
Actually it is not my first time experience on fasting. last year, before my decision to convert, i tried it out, in the month of Ramadan,together with the rest of the muslims around the world. i wanted to get a feel of it and to see if my system could take up the challenge or not. my mentor keep reminding me that if i couldnt take it, i could stop the fast anytime and i should not pressure myself since there's no rewards or sins inflicted should i wish to discontinue the act of fasting. i told him not to worry,i'll be fine. (= and i actually kept my 'fasting act' under wraps from my colleagues. so during lunch i would still go out but i went to the park nearby and waited for the time to fast. so i carried radio la, books la, slips of paper containing some prayer notes. and boy, during ramadan, it was especially an extremely sunny afternoon! and amazingly, i completed 29 days of fasting. God bless! Praise be to Him! but i couldnt get to complete the islamic celebration of Eid Al-Fitr because i'm not a full-fledged muslim yet. at least i got some consolation from a friend because she wished me 'selamat hari raya puasa'.
a brief introduction for non-muslims:
Ramadan is the ninth month of the islamic lunar calendar. the islamic lunar calendar months are only 29 or 30 days long. an islamic month begins with the sighting of the new crescent in the western horizon,immediately after sunset. muslims look toward the western horizon for the new moon the the 29th day of Sha'ban, the eighth month. if the new moon is sighted, Ramadan has begun with the sunset but fasting begins with the next dawn. if the new moon is not sighted on this 29th day, Muslims complete 30days of Sha'ban and Ramadan begins the following day.
God says in the Quran:
" O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed fo ryou, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain God-consciousness. (2:183)
"In the month of Ramadan the Quran was revealed, a book of guidance with proofs of guidance distinguishing right from wrong. therefore whoever of you is present in that month let him fast. but who is ill or on a journey shall fast a similar number of days later on. Allah desires your well being, not your discomfort. He desires you to fast the whole month so that you may magnify Him and render thanks to Him for giving you His guidance." (2:185)
Fasting begins with dawn and ends with sunset. muslims rise before dawn, eat a pre-dawn meal (sahur) and drink liquids for the preparation of fasting.eating and drinking stops at dawn. during the day no eating, drinking or sexual activity is allowed. in addition, a muslim must also adhere to the moral code of islam very strictly as failure violates the requirements of fasting. of course, women who are having their menstrual period or who have not fully recovered from childbirth can make up for the days in other months. muslims fast because God has commanded them to do so. for muslims, the benefits of fasting include developing control over hunger, thirst and secual urges, training to be a good moral person and a test of our sincerity to the Creator. but of course, muslims dont just be extremely good in this month, and bad in the next. muslims would try to be a good person all year round. we just wanna be extremely good so that we get extra blessings and hoping to get additional rewards in this month. so our fast will be broken immediately after sunset with dates and water. but of course, any lawful food or drink is allowed to break the fast.
afterwhich, we will perform our sunset prayer (Magrib) followed by a complete meal. after a brief rest, muslims go to the mosque to offer our night prayer(isyak) and then a special night prayer called terawih. during this prayer, a leader who is well versed in memorizing the Quran will lead the prayers. this will be performed everynight for 29 or 30days in the month of Ramadan. and traditionally, the 114 chapters was divinely divided into 30sections, will be read out every night.
Additionally, muslims are obliged to perform this material help called Sadaqat al-Fitr to the poor and the needy. this is usually given before the 'eid prayers' for the poor to prepare for the celebration. so every family and its member are required to donate a small amount of cash and its usually done by the head of the family. i was wondering where am i supposed to donate this money to... hmmm...
The end of the fasting month is celebrated on the first of Shawwal, the 10th month. on the day of Eid, people would wear their best clothes, and proceed to the place of Eid congregation while pronouncing 'takbir' (Allah is the greatest, there is no other gods but Allah and all praises belongs to Him). the leader that leads the prayer (imam) rises at the appointed time and delivers a sermon. after the sermon, muslims supplicate, greet, embrace and congratulate each other for the successful completion of Ramadan and ask Allah for the acceptance of their efforts in His obedience.
this clears the misconception that muslims celebrate 'new year' at this time of the year. i used to have this misconception before but not anymore now. (= i hope this short introduction of the purpose of fasting month (ramadan) proves useful information for people who wants to know about it but just don't have the opportunity to find out.
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