Post CNY update

I haven’t been updating for a long time. And all the things which I wanted to post were stuck in my head for a very long time.

I think I will start from my trip to Malaysia, Genting Highlands during the recent Chinese New year period.

It has been donkey years since I went up to the Highlands with my parents and relatives. Man, this has really been donkey donkey years ago. I am not joking. When I was young, say about 5-6 years old, my parents will make a trip to the Highlands at least twice a year. And until now, the Genting Saga continues…

My husband really hated the idea of going up to the Highlands because it’s a place where it’s not blessed due to the fact that there are casinos everywhere. Gambling thoughts are prevalent in almost every visitor up there. I had a hard time convincing him to go because I wanted to go because my parents asked me to go and because it’s Chinese New Year and because my Auntie and her entire family (cousins and nephews and nieces) are also going too. And that makes the entire headcount to 17! And we are driving up as a convoy. Doesn’t that sound exciting? When I was a teenager, my dad loves to drive up with his friends as a convoy. And the total number of cars: 8 cars!

So my husband relented but I know that at the back of his mind, he isn’t really looking forward to the trip as much as I do. I could tell. As for me, I was looking forward to spending time with my family even though it has to be up in the Highlands where my parents might most probably visit the Casino more often than anything else.

So our schedule was planned way ahead of our subuh time. They wanted to get to the Customs as early as 5pm so that we won’t bum ourselves into any massive pre CNY jam.
Which means, we will have a problem with our prayers. But my cousin assured me that once I pass the S’pore and M’sia customs, we will get to the nearest petrol station. (my cousin understood our prayers obligations and he related that to everybody)

But we forgot one thing. In S’pore, the K.S.S is prevalent. And our PM should be proud of us. Because WE are UNITED in our thinking. Every Singaporean who wants to go M’sia and spend their CNY actually thinks the same way as we do. And guess what, just before we even got to Woodlands to meet my parents and the others, there was a traffic message up on the LED board: ‘MASSIVE JAM AT BKE AND CAUSEWAY’. My jaw dropped!
When we had gathered everyone at Woodlands to set off for the Causeway, it was really bad. Cars were simply not moving at all. And this goes on for 10minutes. Imagine me and my husband’s reaction. So my dad decided (he’s like the Head/Chief of the convoy) to u-turn and go by the other way. It was much better but we know we wouldn’t be able to get out from this sooner than an hour.

My parents asked about our prayers. So I told them that if such circumstances arise, give us 10mins of silence and we will pray at our seats. She was more than happy to switch off her Buddhism ‘dzikir’ on the audio player in the car. (initially, husband said that it would really looked weird to them if we were to pray in the car, with all that actions of takbir and stuff). I think they peeped on us but they kept their comments to themselves.

While waiting, my mum developed this urgency to visit the toilet. I think she was really really urgent. It was so bad that she almost wanted to do it in a bottle. I kept talking to her to distract her from thinking. But it got so worse when we were finally served by an auntie officer at the immigration counter. I guessed it’s the urgency that is driving her crazy because the officer took her own sweet time, and she was really checking us one by one. And my mum was so mad at her. Finally when we cleared the immigration, everyone rushed to the toilet. J
There was another jam leading to the M’sia customs. So the entire episode of ‘jamming’ took us about 3-4hours. If I was taking the driver’s seat, my legs would get cramps because of the clutching. Thank God my father spared me the agony.

There wasn’t a lot of stops along the way. We didn’t had breakfast before we left S’pore so we just snacked on the tidbits I brought.

And Gosh, I thought we were almost reaching when we got stuck in another jam again. This was the last stretch of road before we reached the ‘entrance’ of Highlands below the hills. 2 traffic accidents happened causing the jam.

Jam here, Jam there, everywhere Jam Jam.. Oh MacDonalds, had a farm… Ooops..

Alhamdulillah! Finally, we got up there 2 hours later. Thank God!
But the moment I got out of the car and into the hotel lobby, I sneezed non-stop. Oh dear! Please no! I was cold, my nose was blocked and my throat began to hurt. My husband and I quickly went to find the musollah to settle our prayers. Now we can combine our zuhr and asar prayers as travelers.

The night itself, I slept with a blocked nose.

But Alhamdulillah. Thank God I was sick.

Misunderstood

Right up till now, 4 years into my conversion, I still have people coming up to me, asking if I do celebrate Chinese New Year since I’m a ‘Malay’ now.

Umpteen times have I repeated myself, that I am and will always be a Chinese. Wearing a scarf doesn’t make me less of a Chinese and being a Muslim doesn’t contradict nor clash with my beliefs and practices.

My colleagues were exchanging CNY cards one week before. Those who understood ‘who I really am’ would not leave me out on this, whereas those who didn’t, I received none. Receiving CNY cards or not is actually a small matter. I don’t really bother if I don’t get a single card. What bothers me most is the one-sided perception that people have towards muslims like us, who are not amongst the majority Malays/Muslims. And it really bothers me because I think there’s a need to let them in on the truth about Islam being a universal religion, and not a religion for the Malays (no offence to the Malays are intended in this post). Thus, I could really understand the urgency felt by my teacher to spread the message of Islam (da’wah) to the public.

So back to what happened at my workplace. On the last working day before CNY, all of us went around to shake hands and wished everyone. My Malay/Muslim colleague wished me ‘Happy Holidays’. I was shocked! I corrected her and say: “You should wish me Happy Chinese New Year, and I should wish you Happy Holidays instead.” And she replied: “ oh yeah yeah. Sorry.”

Maybe it was just a slip of the tongue. Allah knows best.

I think I would rather they ask from the horse’s mouth than to assume that I’m a Malay and I have adopted the ‘Malay’ religion and culture. Seriously, I wouldn’t mind sharing with them if they are INTERESTED to find out more.

A different phase

In the name of Allah Most Compassionate Most Merciful

My good friend has given birth to a baby girl this morning. In the wee hours of Tuesday at 2.09am.

All Praises is to Allah swt!

She didn't want to know the sex of the baby, so I bet it must have been really exciting when the baby finally exited the womb of her mother and entered this world.

With the birth of her first child, she enters motherhood. Another phase of her life. I am so happy for her.

May Allah swt keep this baby safe, healthy and let her be pious and righteous and filial to her parents. Amin ya rabbal alamin!

A break

Chinese New Year is around the corner.

And I will be away. Taking a short break away from S'pore and away from work.

This blog will not be updated with posts for about 2 weeks.

I will keep everyone posted of any musings when i'm back.

Meanwhile, chill out, stay cool and remember Allah swt always.

And remember our Muslim brethen in Gaza and Palestine, and of course all around the world in your supplications to Allah.

Allah's Manifestation of His Signs

In the Name of Allah Most Compassionate Most Merciful

Alif Lam Ra. These are the Ayat of the Book of Wisdom. (1) It is a matter of wonderment to men that We have set Our inspiration to a man from among themselves? that he should warn mankind (of their danger), and give the good news to the Believers that they have before their Lord the lofty rank of Truth (but) say the Unbelievers: "This is indeed an evident sorcerer!" (2) Verily your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then He established Himself on the Throne (of authority), regulating and governing all things. No intercessor (can plead with Him) except after His leave (hath been obtained). This is Allah your Lord; Him therefore serve ye: will ye not receive admonition? (3) To Him will be your return― of all of you. The promise of Allah is true and sure. It is He Who beginneth the process of Creation, and repeateth it, that He may reward with justice those who believe and work righteousness? but those who reject Him will have draughts of boiling fluids, and a Penalty grievous: because they did reject Him. (4) It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory and the moon to be a light (of beauty), and measured out stages for it: that ye might know the number of years and the count (of time). No wise did Allah create this but in truth and righteousness. (Thus) doth He explain His Signs in detail, for those who understand. (5) Verily, in the alternation of the Night and the Day, and in all that Allah hath created in the heavens and the earth, are Signs for those who fear Him. (6) Those who rest not their hope on their meeting with Us, but are pleased and satisfied with the life of the present, and those who heed not Our Signs― (7) Their abode is the Fire because of the (evil) they earned. (8) Those who believe, and work righteousness their Lord will guide them because of their Faith: beneath them will flow rivers in Gardens of Bliss.

My 4th anniversary

Today is 10th of Muharram. Day of Ashura.

4 years ago, I had my conversion at Darul Arqam. Time seemed to pass so fast without realizing that it has been 4 years already.

As I began writing this, all those memories keep coming back, little by little. From the time I knew about Islam, to the time I took the decision to convert, and all that difficulties, obstacles and trials as a new Muslim.

When I looked back, I never realized that I’ve gone through all that by myself.

During my initial 2 years, it was really tough being all alone. Though I had my mentor with me for about a year, I really wished that we could spend more time learning together. But nevertheless, I’m really thankful for all that time he has forked out to teach me patiently. Jazakallah khairan, Mentor M. He may not be reading this anymore, but I hope he knows how I feel.

After he left for good, the trials became tougher. Faith was tested. Love was tested. No one could understand what I was going through. I almost gave up. It was : God’s Love vs Man’s Love. Which one is stronger in fight?

Anyhow, I’m glad and most thankful to Allah swt that I have survived another year as a Muslim. Surprised? I do not want to take my religion or faith for granted because God has the power to take it all away from me. I’m always praying to Allah for guiding me on the straight path, strengthening my faith, increasing my God consciousness (taqwa), obedience, sincerity and humility towards Him. And I shall pray to none except Allah.

And I hope, with this new Islamic year, and my new year resolutions:

1. to be a better Muslim, in the eyes of Allah and only for the sake of Allah’s pleasure.
2. to love our Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. not just in writing or saying motion but literally carrying out that action by studying about Rasullulah saw in details. Carry out his sunnah and his exemplary behaviour and character upon all creations of Allah.
3. to have respect and love for all creations as Prophet saw did it with no bias judgement on colour, race or religion. (filled with guilt whenever I think about my lapses on this part)
4. to be an excellent wife to my husband and insya allah, an excellent mother to my children.
5. to be able to receive Allah swt invitation to visit the Sacred House in this year.

Insya allah, may Allah swt gives me the strength, remembrance and resolute to execute them out with ease.

And yesterday, Ustaz Feisal shared with the Sirah class a terrible episode of how the Day of Ashura was marked on the pages of history.

In the year 680 A.D., an event happened that was a turning point for what was to become the Shi'a Muslim community. Ustaz reiterated that although we are mostly Sunni Muslims, we should never forget or be ignorant of this part of history. Saiyidinna Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was brutally murdered during a battle against the ruling Caliph -- on the 10th day of Muharram ('Ashura). This took place in Karbala (modern-day Iraq), which is now an important pilgrimage site for Shi'a Muslims.

To cut the story short (because as how Ustaz elaborated the story for us, I was utterly sad and shocked at how the battle took on, I didn’t take much notes on this entire event. I can remember what happened but I'm not good with names so i can't share with all of you)

Shi'a Muslims observe the day in mourning for Hussein and in remembrance of his martyrdom. Re-enactments and plays are performed, attempting to relive the tragedy and keep the lessons of this event alive. Some Shi'a Muslims beat and flog themselves in parades on this day, to express their grief and to re-enact the pain that Hussein suffered.

It is a wrong practice related to this month is to hold the lamentation and mouming ceremonies in the memory of martyrdom of Sayyidinna Hussain, R.A. As mentioned earlier, the event of Karbala is one of the most tragic events of our history, but the Holy Prophet, s.a.w, has forbidden us from holding the mourning ceremonies on the death of any person. The people of jahiliyyah (ignorance) used to mourn over their deceased through loud lamentations, by tearing their clothes and by beating their cheeks and chests. The Holy Prophet, s.a.w, stopped the Muslims from doing all this and directed them to observe patience by saying "Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji'oon". A number of authentic Ahaadith are available on the subject. To quote only one of them:
"He is not from our group who slaps his checks, tears his clothes and cries in the manner of the people of jahiliyyah." (Sahih Bukhari)

All the authentic jurists are unanimous on the point that the mourning of this type is impermissible. Even Sayyidinna Hussain, R.A, shortly before his demise, had advised his beloved sister Sayyidah Zainab, Radi-Allahu anha, at not to mourn over his death in this manner. He said, "My dear sister! I swear upon you that in case I die you shall not tear your clothes, nor scratch your face, nor curse anyone for me or pray for your death." (Al-Kamil, ibn Kathir vol. 4 pg. 24)

It is evident from this advice of Sayyidna Husain, Radi-Allahu anhu, that this type of mourning is condemned even by the blessed person for the memory of whom these mourning ceremonies are held. Every Muslim should avoid this practice and abide by the teachings of the Holy Prophet, s.a.w and his beloved grand child Sayyidinna Hussain, r.a.

So, Ashura is a religious observance marked every year by Muslims. The word 'ashura literally means "10th," as it is on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic year. 'Ashura is an ancient observance that is now recognized for different reasons and in different ways among Sunni and Shi'a Muslims.

During the time of the Prophet Muhammad, local Jews observed a day of fasting at this time -- their Day of Atonement. The Prophet Muhammad learned of this tradition, and stated that the Muslims should also fast. He himself fasted for 2 days, and recommended that others do so as well. This fast is not required, simply recommended.

May Allah accept my sunnah prayers and fasting on this Day.
And keep me as a Muslim till the day I meet You on Judgement Day, ya Rabb!

Maal Hijrah 1430H

Assalamualaikum wr wb

Selamat Maal Hijrah 1430H to all Muslim bros and sisters, teachers and friends

It’s a new Islamic year again! I started off the new year by attending the Nasqbandi dzikir and du’a session for Muharram. Attending such sessions made me ponder a lot about the new year. And the dzikir and selawat sessions revive my ever-flutuating remembrance of the Lover and the Beloved.

In secular terms, new year means setting new resolutions. But some say, why set new year resolutions when you can’t fulfill them?

New year means new beginning.

New beginning means shedding the bad stuff and putting on your good behaviour.

May Allah swt grant all Muslims with increased taqwa and iman level all year round. Amin!

Certainty

On a clear, bright and sunny day....



Suddenly, this thought came to my mind:



Life is so uncertain but Death is.



Isn't it true?



2008 is coming to an end soon. In just one year, so many things have happened around the globe. Great Depression, stocks plummetted, big companies go bankrupt; while some were on the verge, economic crisis etc etc (just to name a few). Mankind can't really predict what's going to happen next.



That's why i felt that life is uncertain.



And why Death is more certain than Life.



Because you know death will surely come. But you don't know when. You can't avoid it because you know it will surely APPROACH you, you just don't know when is the time.



So.....



Life is uncertain. Death is.

Journey of Faith (part 3)

In the name of Allah most Compassionate most Merciful

Of Haj and Hardships
More substantial factual accounts about Haj pilgrimage in the Malay Archipelago started to appear in the 19th century. According to Michael Laffan in Islamic Nationhood and Colonial Indonesia, the first actualised account that mentions journey to Mecca is Munshi Abdullah’s Kisah Pelayaran Abdullah (The Story of Abdullah’s Voyage). Munshi Abdullah, whose literary contributions had earned him the title the father of modern Malay literature, made his journey in 1854. His Haj account stopped shortly before his death in Jeddah. There is also information that points to an even earlier Haj pilgrimage, made by Sayyid Muhammad bin Zainal al Idrus, a Trengganu ulama who is known as the father of Trengganu’s literature. Sayyid Muhammad went to Mecca around 1815 at the age of 20 and spent several years there pursuing his studies. Yet another account in the 19th century relates the story of Muhammad Yusof bin Ahmad better known as Tok Kenali Kelantan who went to Mecca in 1886 at the age of 18.

Two of these intellectuals, Munshi Abdullah and Tok Kenali, described a Haj journey that departs from the pompous-fleet-of-ship and entourage-full sailing found in Hikayat Hang Tuah and even Sultan Mansur’s Haj preparations. They wrote of hardships and gave readers a more realistic version of Haj, as if to warn them of its mental and physical exertions. Munshi Abdullah drew up a will before he left, accepting the fact that he might not survive the Haj.

In the actualised accounts, we learn of the many stops Haj pilgrims had to make. The pilgrims also waited for ships, which in turn waited for the right winds to depart. In the days of sailing ships, the Indian Ocean and the lands along its coast lay in wait for the ‘trade wind’. The phrase ‘trade wind’ is ancient and is derived from an old use of the word ‘trade’ to mean a fixed track. In navigation, it refers to any wind that follows a predictable course. As such winds are instrumental to merchant ships making long ocean voyages, the term evolved to mean in the 18th century as winds that favour trade. In the Indian Ocean, the monsoons are the famous trade winds. They are particularly beneficial to long distance merchants because they change direction at different seasons of the year. The northeast monsoon blows from October to March and the southwest monsoon from April to September. As the change in the monsoon winds take months, traders and pilgrims alike had to stay in the various ports of call for the right wind to carry them to their next stop.

Pilgrims would seek out trading ships to book their passage. As trading ships had their own destination, the pilgrims had to change ships to ensure that they boarded the right ship. Their journey would bring them to various ports in the Archipelago where ships would load up on water and other supplies. The last stop in the Archipelago was Aceh and here the pilgrims would wait for ships bound for India. From India, the pilgrims sailed on ships that would bring them to Hadhramaut, Yemen or directly to Jeddah. The perils of sailing for months were many. The ships could sink or be stranded in unknown islands. The pilgrims could be robed by pirates or even by the ships’ crew. They were vulnerable to diseases while both at sea and on land. Having set foot in Arabia, they could be attacked by the Bedouin tribes. In the Netherlands Indies, between 1853 and 1858, less than half of the pilgrims who went to Mecca made it back safely. This high attrition rate was attributed to mainly death at sea or being sold as slaves.

For Tok Kenali who went on his pilgrimage in 1886, he could only embark on his journey after securing contributions for the voyages’ fare. His friends in Kelantan gave him $50 and his mother topped it up with $22. The cost of his journey was $100. He set out from Kelantan in an ailing ship which had its sail broken in the middle of the ocean. As a result, a journey that was expected to take 3 months extended to 6 months. The delay also depleted the supply of fresh water onboard and Tok Kenali had to survive on salt laden seawater.

Haj and Arab shipping in Singapore
The rise of Hadhrami shipping in the Malay Archipelago in the mid 19th century boded well for pilgrims in this region. Hadhrami Arab shippers hailed from Yemen and competed successfully with the Europeans and Chinese in trade and shipping in the Indian Ocean. The Alsagoffs, a prominent Arab family in Singapore, established the firm Alsagoff & Co. in 1848 to conduct trade within the islands of the Archipelago using their own vessels.

In the 1850s, Sayyid Ahmad Alsagoff extended the realm of his family business by starting a profitable business of transporting pilgrims between Southeast Asia and Jeddah. Using Singapore as the base, the Alsagoffs’ position in the pilgrim trade was tremendously strengthened by the Dutch restriction on the flow of pilgrims from Indonesia. Pilgrims from the Netherlands Indies during the first half of the 19th century numbered a few hundreds only as the Dutch imposed a tax on prospective pilgrims. This is to discourage the return of religious fanatics who, the Dutch feared, would be groomed while performing the Haj and deepening Islamic knowledge in Mecca. Singapore, thus, became the hub of an expanding pilgrim trade from Southeast Asia partly because of this restriction, as many would bypass it by beginning their Haj from Singapore. This tax was removed in 1852.

When steamship arrived in the late half of the 19th century, the Arab shipping merchants capitalised on the speed and capacity of these vessels. By 1871, the Alsagoff-owned Singapore Steamship Company had ferried pilgrims to Jeddah by steamers steered by a European captain and a Chinese hand. Another Arab shipping merchant who ran steamer services for pilgrims was Syed Mohsen Al-Joofree. Towards the end of the 19th century, he was locked in fierce competition with 2 Dutch steamers for pilgrims. But his business flopped some time before his death in 1894.

Conclusion
By the early 20th century, the Haj had become a competitive business with serious investments by international shipping companies. The waves had been tamed by large steam-powered vessels custom-built to combine pilgrim and cargo transport. While the duration to get to Jeddah had improved tremendously, the well being and safety of Haj pilgrims still lagged behind. The number of pilgrims had swelled to a point where effective sanitation, hygiene, administration and guardianship of pilgrims could not adequately addressed by purely commercial concerns. The British and Dutch colonial governments introduced regulations to protect Haj pilgrims but tales of extreme overcrowding in pilgrim ships and of Haj pilgrims getting stranded without a return ticket after being manipulated by shipping agents and brokers continued to be heard. The comfort that Haj pilgrims experience today is a result of decades of reforms by various parties, helped by the advances of transportation. For a journey that is deeply spiritual, Haj pilgrimage in the Malay Archipelago cannot be divorced from its social and economic dimensions.

Journey of Faith (part 2)

In the name of Allah most Compassionate Most Merciful

Convergence of Human Waves
During the first 13 centuries of Islam, to embark for Haj was like attempting to run an endless marathon. The journey could take years as many pilgrims were poor and had to stop en route to work and save before setting out again. Before the first half of the 19th century, a vast majority of pilgrims took the overland route to Mecca, which proved to be more arduous than the sea route. There were 3 slow moving waves of pilgrims entering Mecca during the Haj season. The first arrived by an armada of ships that ploughed the vast Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea from these locations:
1. the sprinkled archipelagos of the East Indies
2. the great inverted triangle of the Indian subcontinent
3. the coast of East Africa and the horn of Africa

The next wave, slower than the first, trotted by foot or on horse/camel caravans, bringing pilgrims from the Middle East and North Africa. Even slower is the last wave, which trudged across Central Africa.

Pilgrims on all these waves braved hardships; the adventurous overland folks had to conquer harsh terrains, fought off raids by moving tribes or found themselves just plain lost. For their sea-faring counterparts, the spectre of diseases loomed or they risked their boats and hence live being overturned by ruthless waves.

Haj in Malay Traditional texts
Early records of Haj pilgrimage from the Malay archipelago showed that pilgrimage wa a private enterprise and confined to certain classes of individuals. Before the commercialisation of the Haj in the late 19th century that enabled en masse pilgrimage to Mecca, Haj incumbents either individually or in small groups made their own arrangements for Meca. Those who went were usually men of some standing in the community – either they had the resources or they had attained a relatively high level of Islamic education.

The Malay hikayat contain some of the earliest instances of Haj in this region. Hikayat Hang Tuah (possibly first written in the 16th century) records a Haj pilgrimage in the 15th century, undertaken by Hang Tuah, a great Malay warrior. While the authenticity of both this epic and the legendary hero is debatable, the detailed account of his deeds in the Holy Land is not too far from the rituals preached to Haj pilgrims. On this basis, there were claims that Hang Tuah’s pilgrimage in the 15th century leans more towards fact than fiction. Authenticity aside, the Haj journey in Hikayat Hang Tuah is useful for its insights on the route, ports of call, places traversed and the modes of transportation. The Hikyat records Hang Tuah as taking more than 2 months to reach Jeddah, leading a fleet of 42 ships and bringing with him 1,600 followers and 16 officials. The route he took is mapped as below:
a. from Malacca to Aceh – 5 days 5 nights
b. from Aceh to Pulau Dewa – 10 days
c. from Pulau Dewa to Bab Mokha (Mocha is in Yemen. The journey from Pulau Dewa to Jeddah took 2 months).

According to Hikayat Hang Tuah, Hang Tuah’s pilgrimage was coincidental for his ultimate quest was the quasi-mythical empire of Rome and his imperial mission was to establish ties with the king of Rome and purchase weaponry. On his way to Rome, Hang Tuah called at Mecca just at the time when the Haj season was about to begin, and so he joined the pilgrims there for Haj. This is unlike other Islamic kingdoms in Indonesia whose kings consciously planned missions to Mecca with the desire to be conferred the title “Sultan” by the Great Sheriff (Syarif Besar). Their actions could be prompted by the belief that only the Great Sheriff, with his control over the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, had spiritual authority to bestow supernatural aura and power on Islamic kingdoms, although there was no such tradition in Mecca. In 1630s, competition between the king of Banten and the King of Mataram led each of the kingdoms to send holy missions to Mecca. The mission from Banten returned in 1626 while that from Mataram arrived home in 1641.

Journey of Faith( part 1)

In the name of Allah most Compassionate most Merciful

Today marks the celebration of Eidul-Adha. This day holds many significant events for Muslims and for the pilgrims.

Making the journey to Mecca to fulfil the obligation of the Haj is a long and cherished ambition for most Muslims. In heeding the call of the Ka’bah (House of God)in Mecca, where all Muslims turned to in their prayers, the Haj is not for the faint-hearted or the ill prepared. In Haj, the pursuit of spiritual upliftment transcends worldly wants and often requires stoicism in the face of hardships. Travelling in strange Arab lands and in close company of multitudes of strangers, hardships are never few. As an obligation, in fact, the Haj is not demanded on those who cannot canvass the strength and earnings to leave their routines and family dependants behind in order to complete the intense Haj rituals.

Extracted from an article in biblioasia (NLB)
Far flung devotees such as Muslims in Southeast Asia, just traversing parts of the globe to reach Mecca was once a severe test to their mettle.

Today, because of advance transportation, flights from anywhere in the world has diminished the distance to Mecca, making the trip to the Holy Land bearable. Surviving the journey to Mecca is almost a certainty and forms the least of the pilgrims’ worries. A return passage to their homeland at the end of the Haj is also guaranteed, as most pilgrims would have booked a two-way ticket. This was not the practice in the old days as it was the custom for pilgrims to book a one-way ticket to Jeddah. They booked their ticket home from Jeddah only after they had completed their haj. In the pre-flight days, many pilgrims, often due to the treachery of their motowwafs (local pilgrim guides), found themselves with no money for their return passage. In one instance, in 1897, the British Consul in Jeddah had to assist 106 pilgrims to make it back home. There were others however who were not so lucky. They became victims to shipping agents’ manipulation to secure cheap labour.

Just before the turn of the 20th century, in what was to become a big scandal in Singapore, the colonial government in Singapore uncovered a syndicate, which cunningly offered destitute pilgrims an advance on their return fares in exchange for the pilgrims; agreement to work in the shipping agent’s plantations. For pilgrims in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia (and for most part of the world), hassle-free journeys only came about in the 1970s when flights became regular and affordable. Prior to that, malay pilgrims travelled to Mecca mainly by sea on sailing ships and later steamers. It would take months to reach the port at Jeddah where the vessels would congregate and spill their contents.

to be continued....

Time is not on our side

In the name of Allah most Compassionate most Merciful

"By time, indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience."
(Surah al-Asr 103:1~3)

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh brothers and sisters in Islam

Do you feel that time is slipping through your hands like sand, or by the blink of your eye, it was Monday; another blink, comes Friday...

Time passes so quickly that I realised that I haven't been really making full use of it. How would i be able to answer to God, for the time He has given me throughout my lifetime?

With all the time i was given, did i seek knowledge with the intention to know Him and the religion better?

With all the time given, did i seek to carry out more ibadah so that He will be pleased with me? Who and what did i give my time to? Useless time spent in the malls, infront of the TV, or perhaps web-browsing?

Ya Allah, why do my heart get diverted away from You so easily? I seek refuge with you, O Rabb, from the whisperings and promptings of Shaitan and this dunya, nafs and hawa!

Ya Allah, please take me away from the depths of my past that will drown me and pull me away from Your Remembrance! For the past do me more harm than good and You are the most Compassionate most Merciful God, have mercy upon me!

I was getting really worried when I hadn't been sick for a long time. For I always hear, sickness is a way Allah swt blots/removes your sins. When I had fever at almost 39degress C, and my head was spinning and spinning, and not even my favourite food could tempt my poor appetite, I did not forget to thank Allah swt for making me sick. Alhamdulillah! I wished my fever won't go down so fast... and when i heard from my husband that fevers bring blessings, I had wished that it wouldn't go away the next day; for Prophet s.a.w had fevers, even when he was about to pass away.

Nevertheless, I recovered. Alhamdulillah. Well, now that i'm back to normal already, I still need to thank Allah for the good health that He bestowed upon me, for this body is on loan from Him, and I should(and everyone should) take good care of it. Don't destroy it.

Allah swt blessings and favours are upon all of US. MANKIND. REGARDLESS OF RACE. COLOUR. BACKGROUND. ENTIRE CREATION. PERIOD.

p.s: One of the signs of the Last Hour/Judgement Day is that TIME will pass very quickly. Indeed, this is happening already. and many other signs mentioned by Prophet s.a.w are also happening.

Take heed, even if your faith is as small as a mustard seed.

How much time do we have?

Power of Basmalah

This is a story i'm sure most of us would have hear it, either from your sheikh, or probably your friend's sheikh, or perhaps your teacher's sheikh. Anyhow, I guess this story is popular because of the value it contains.

It happened to one of the teachers who was a sheikh in Yugoslavia. It was during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. There once was a hoja, a teacher, who preached to the people every day in the mosque. One day he was talking about the importance of saying Bismillah, that this word held great power. With this word you could open enormous doors. With this word you could even walk across the lake in front of the mosque.

In the congregation was a man who lived on the other side of the lake. As he left that late afternoon, he began thinking: why should I walk around the lake? It takes 2 hours to walk around the lake, I could say Bismillah and walk across the lake.

That day he said Bismillah, and he walked on the water across the lake. In the morning, on his way to the mosque, instead of taking the 2 hour road, he said Bismillah and again walked across the lake. He went directly to the hoja and said, "Hoja, you are a wonderful teacher. I've gotten so much from you that I would like to invite you to iftar with my family tonight." As an invitation cannot be refused, the hoja said," Alhamdulillah, Insha'Allah, we'll break fast together."

At the day's end, they left the mosque and walked to the bank of the river. As he was about to cross he said," Come on hoja."

The hoja said," Don't we have to go around the lake to get to your house on the other side?"

He said," No, we'll say Bismillah, and walk across the lake."

He said Bismillah, and began walking across the lake. When he was about twenty feet out, he looked back, and seeing the hoja still on the shore, said, " Well, hoja, say Bismillah and come on."

The hoja said," Wait a minute, I mean, I know I said that, but I don't think that I'm at the level where i can say Bismillah and walk on water." The man said, "All right, come, I'll carry you across."

He put the hoja on his shoulder, said Bismillah, and walked across.

Now, the hoja had book knowledge. The hoja had not experienced what he knew. The man was truly an alim, a man of knowledge and a true believer.

I think it takes more than book knowledge, for a believer, to let him 'walk' on water.

Non muslims would probably think if all muslims can perform such an act, we would be doing some kind of 'black magic' or something.

Now here's another story about a woman. She has the habit of saying Bismillah before carrying out any act, I literally mean, every single action; from drinking water, to opening of fridge, right down to the act of opening her cupboard. So one day, the husband wanted to 'teach' her a lesson that she do not need to say Bismillah for EVERY single action. He gave her a bag of gold coins and told her to keep it with her. And so she kept it in her wardrobe, repeating Bismillah for every single action. At night, while she was sleeping, her husband crept out of bed, took the bag of gold coins from the wardrobe and dropped it into the well.

The next day, the husband went to the wife and asked for the bag of gold coins. Again, she said Bismillah before opening the wardrobe, she said Bismillah and she picked up the bag of gold coins and Bismillah again before she handed the bag of gold coins to her husband. It was dripping wet!!!

Brothers and sisters in Islam, never underestimate the Power of Basmalah.

Guidance from above

There is this uncle who works as a cleaner at my workplace and he's amazingly friendly and quite knowledgeable. And coincidentally, he is the uncle of my friend.Such a small world indeed!

So everytime, he comes into the office to clear the rubbish from my workstation, we would exchange greetings and ask one another's wellbeing.

One day, I asked him if he has any knowledge of Islam. And he said he knows because he has friends who shared the information about Islam with him. And truly indeed, everytime he comes by my workstation, he would clarify the doubts he has about the Islamic rituals and stuff. Like for example, he told me that he had a friend who was a very pious Muslim. When he fast, he would spit out the saliva from his mouth. And through such sharing, i would help to dispel the confusion or doubts he has about fasting.

I really enjoyed talking to him about Islam. I was determined to show him the Quran but i only have a copy of the Quran in chinese translation and furthermore, i was unsure if i could pass him the Quran that contained arabic words. So i sought help from one of the sister from Darul. Finally, after a couple of months, i managed to meet this sister and got her to obtain 2 copies of the Quran for me. And alhamdulillah, i got clearance that it is okay to give someone a Quran translation.

And so, the day came, when i passed him the Quran. He was elated, and he kept on thanking me. I briefly told him about the simple dos and don'ts (not wanting to scare him away). Guess what? The next day, he came to me that he had placed it in a big box and he would keep them in a high place. And amazingly, because of his prior knowledge of Christianity and Catholism, he was able to understand what was said in surah al-Baqarah. All Praise be to Allah! Allah swt has bestowed wisdom and understanding upon him.

Ya Allah! Please continue to bestow guidance upon him and his family and guide them on the straight path..and make them muslims in this life.. amin.

Luqman's wisdom

Wisdom provides us with the capacity to solve real life problems. So, acquiring wisdom becomes a must if we want to live meaningful lives. As we live through life and its experiences, it is vital that we reflect on such experiences to make our subsequent steps in life easier.

As Immanuel Kant, a famous philosopher said that “Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.”

So, if wisdom enables a person to make more sound decisions, take a shortcut path to success, recalibrate values for the better, and simply live a better life, then why not spend time reflecting on our own experiences as well as learning from others?

As Will Durant, a renowned philosopher and Pulitzer Prize winner stated, “A wise man can learn from another man’s experience; a fool cannot learn even from his own.”

The words of the Quran and teachings of our prophet Muhammad guide us to a wealth of wisdom and knowledge. In fact, Allah calls Quran the “Book of wisdom” in many places in the Quran. He says: “A.L.R. These are the ayats of the Book of wisdom.” (Yunus, Chapter #10, Verse #1). The Almighty also says: “We have sent it down as an Arabic Quran, in order that ye may learn wisdom.” (Yusuf, Chapter #12, Verse #2)

Quran emphasizes the importance of wisdom throughout its text. Allah sent prophets and messengers to propagate that wisdom. He says in one of such verses: “A similar (favor have ye already received) is that We have sent among you a Messenger of your own, rehearsing to you Our Signs, and sanctifying you, and instructing you in Scripture and wisdom, and in new knowledge.” (Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #151)”

In its text, Quran also teaches wisdom through the words of a person named Luqman. Although not a prophet, Allah had granted him enormous wisdom. He was wise enough to have an entire chapter named after him. He was a pious person and according to the Quran was granted wisdom by Allah. As Allah says in the Quran: And indeed We bestowed upon Luqman AlHikmah (wisdom and religious understanding, etc.) saying: “Give thanks to Allah,” and whoever gives thanks, he gives thanks for (the good of) his ownself. And whoever is unthankful, then verily, Allah is All Rich (Free of all wants), Worthy of all praise. (Luqman: 12)
In his book “Stories of the Prophet”, Ibn Katheer writes that Luqman’s real name was known as “Luqman Ibn ‘Anqa’ Ibn Sadun” or according to some “Luqman Ibn Tharan” who was from among the people of Aylah (Jerusalem) (Stated by As-Suhaili from Ibn Jarir and Al-Qutaibi). Some accounts describe him as an Ethiopian slave who worked as a carpenter. Because of his wisdom people went to him to settle their affairs and therefore he was also known to be a judge.

Although Quran makes no reference regarding him being as a prophet, it is narrated by some as described by Ibn Katheer in his book “Stories of the Prophet” that he was offered to become one. Ibn Katheer mentions, Sa’id said: I heard Qatadah as saying: It was said to Luqman: “How did you prefer wisdom to Prophethood when you were enabled to choose between them?” He said: “If Allah were to assign me with Prophethood, I would accept it and try hard to win His Pleasure, but He enabled me to choose. I feared of being too weak for Prophethood, so I chose wisdom.”

Luqman’s Wisdom
The following are the words of wisdom of Luqman as described in the Quran. Later, another section quotes his wisdom as narrated by other reliable narrators as mentioned by Ibn Katheer in his book “Stories of the Prophets”.

Luqman’s wisdom in the Quran
Luqman’s wisdom in the Quran is described in the context of him explaining it to his son. It is described in the Quran in the following verses.

Regarding not to associate anyone in the worship and oneness of Allah –
And (remember) when Luqman said to his son when he was advising him: “O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah. Verily! Joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zoolm (wrong) indeed. (Quran: Luqman: 13)

Being dutiful to ones parents –
And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years give thanks to Me and to your parents, unto Me is the final destination. (Quran: Luqman: 14)
Being dutiful to ones parents except where they tell you to deviate from the Right path –
But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not, but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who turns to Me in repentance and in obedience. Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do. (Quran: Luqman: 15)

Every person is accountable for everything that he does –
“O my son! If it be (anything) equal to the weight of a grain of mustard seed, and though it be in a rock, or in the heavens or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Verily, Allah is Subtle (in bringing out that grain), WellAware (of its place). (Quran: Luqman: 16)

Enjoining Prayers
“O my son! perform AsSalat (prayers), enjoin (people) for Al-Maroof (Islamic Monotheism and all that is good), and forbid (people) from AlMunkar (i.e. disbelief in the Oneness of Allah, polytheism of all kinds and all that is evil and bad), and bear with patience whatever befalls you. Verily! These are some of the important commandments ordered by Allah with no exemption. (Quran: Luqman: 17)

Do not be arrogant and proud
“And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah likes not each arrogant boaster. (Quran: Luqman: 18)

Be humble and lower your voice
“And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the voice (braying) of the donkey.” (Quran: Luqman: 19)

Other words of wisdom from Luqman (not narrated in the Quran) [ibn Katheer]

Luqman on being granted respect and honor
Narrated Ibn Wahb: I was told by ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Ayyash Al-Fityani after’ Umar, the freed slave of ‘Afrah as saying: “A man came to Luqman, the wise and asked: Are you Luqman? Are you the slave of so and so? He said: “Yes!” The man said: You are the black shepherd! Luqman said: As for my black color, it is obviously apparent, so what makes you so astonished? The man said: You became frequently visited by the people who pleasingly accept your judgments! Luqman said: 0 cousin! If you do what I am telling you, you will be like this. The man said: What is it? Luqman said: Lowering my gaze, watching my tongue, eating what is lawful, keeping my chastity, undertaking my promises, fulfilling my commitments, being hospitable to guests, respecting my neighbors, and discarding what does not concern me. All these made me the one you are looking at.”
Lowering of the gaze usually refers to not looking at men / women (other than your spouse) with a bad desire and to look at them only for valid reasons as prescribed in the religion. Refer to Islam-qa.com for detailed explanation on this topic.

Luqman on the value of Wisdom
Narrated Damurah after As-Sariy Ibn Yahia as saying: Luqman said to his son: “O my son! Verily, wisdom has brought the indigent to the courts of kings. ”
Luqman on propagating wisdom to others and to take it seriously when given by others
I was told by my father after ‘Amr Ibn ‘Uthman after Damurah Ibn Hafs Ibn ‘Umar as saying: “Luqman placed a bag of mustards beside him and started to advise his son, giving him with every piece of advice a mustard till it all ran out. He said: O my son! I gave you advice that if a mountain was given, it would split………”

Luqman on the need to have a pleasing tongue and sound heart
Yazid Ibn Hamn and Waki’ told us after Abul AShhab after Khalid Ar-Rab’i as saying: “Luqman was an Ethiopian slave who worked as a carpenter. One day, his master ordered him to slaughter a goat and bring him the most pleasant and delicious two parts thereof. Luqman did so and brought him the tongue and heart. The master asked: Did not you find anything more pleasant than these? Luqman said: No! After a while, the master ordered him to slaughter a goat and to throw the most malignant two parts thereof. Luqman slaughtered the goat and threw the tongue and heart. The master exclaimed and said: I ordered you to bring me the most delicious parts thereof and you brought me the tongue and heart, and I ordered you to throwaway the most malignant parts thereof and you threw the tongue and heart, how can this be? Luqman said: Nothing can be more pleasing than these if they were good, and nothing can be more malicious than these if they were malignant.”

Luqman on “Speech is silver and slince is golden”
Luqman said to his son: “O my son! I have never regretted because of keeping silent. If words are silver, silence is golden.”

Luqman on the need to have kindness, mercy and love for others
Abu Mu’awiyah told us after Hisham Ibn ‘Urwah after his father as saying: “Wisdom dictates: O my son: Let your speech be good and your face be smiling, you will be more loved by the people than those who give them provisions.” And, he said: “It is stated in the wisdom -or the Torah - : “Kindness is the head of wisdom.” And, he said: “It is stated in the Torah: “As you show mercy (to others), mercy will be shown to you.”

Luqman on giving
And, he said: “It is stated in the wisdom: “You will gain what you give (or, harvest what you grow).”

Luqman on friendships
And, he said: “It is stated in the wisdom: “Love your friend and the friend of your father.”

Luqman on patience, knowledge, and goodness
`Abdur Razzaq told us after Mu’amir after Ayyub after Abu Qulabah as saying: Luqman was once asked: Who is the best one in terms of patience? He said: It is the one who practices no harm after observing patience. Those who asked him said: Who is the best one in terms of knowledge? He said: It is he who adds to his own knowledge through the knowledge of others. They asked: Who is the best from among the whole people? He said: It is the wealthy. They said: Is it the one who has properties and riches? He said: No! But, it is the one if whose good was sought, he would not hold it back or prevent it. And, it is the one who does not need anything from others.

Luqman on the need to keep good company and to consult scholars
‘Abdullah Ibn Ahmed said: I was told by Al-­Hakam Ibn Abu Zuhair Ibn Musa after Al-Faraj Ibn Fudalah after Abu Sa’id as saying: Luqman said to his son: “O my son! Let only the pious men eat your food, and consult the scholars over your affairs.”

Finally, wisdom in matters is one of the blessings that Allah grants to His creation.
The Almighty says in the Quran: “He grants Hikmah to whom He pleases, and he, to whom Hikmah is granted, is indeed granted abundant good. But none remember (will receive admonition) except men of understanding.” (Quran: Al-Baqara: 269)

Note: Hikmah here refers to “Wisdom”

Source: Taken from iqrasense.com

Pre conversion days

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) Allah is the Protector of those who have faith: from the depths of darkness, He will lead them forth into light. Of those who reject faith the patrons are the Evil Ones: from light they will lead them forth into the depths of darkness. They will be companions of the fire, to dwell therein (for ever). Surah al-Baqarah 2:255~256

Do you live a meaningful and purpose-driven life?

Do you have the slightest idea what are you here for?

Do you feel lost during certain phases of your life?

It was ‘Yes’ for all in my 20 odd years of living. But that was 3 years ago. The life that I had before Islam was like as though I was in complete darkness. I passed each day with no sense of direction. Day by day, year by year, my life was always the same. Even though I was practicing Buddhism; going for ‘chanting’ at the temple with my mum, going for overnight prayers for 7days straight in a row in the temple etc, they were rituals done superficially. My heart wasn’t there. Whenever I’m in there, I yearn for the shopping malls outside. There was no willingness, thus no concentration. I still remember the times when I told my mum I was going to the temple for prayers, she would be very happy. But she didn’t know that I probably stayed there for only an hour or so, and I would skive off to shop in town. (the temple was slapped in the town area near Somerset MRT).

So this went on for almost 4 years and it’s about the same length of time I was a vegetarian. This special diet only lasted for 2 years, after that I don’t know when did I began my yearning for chicken. Seriously, then the chicken tasted extremely delicious. Probably because it was ‘forbidden fruit’ for me at that time. Slowly, my vegetarian meals were only at home.

Despite me reading and reading the Buddhism materials over and over again, I couldn’t find what I wanted to know all my life. I wanted to know where did I come from, besides from the womb of my mother. Who else holds the decision to decide which child should be born into which family? Who maintains the universe? Who decides when the world should end? All these wasn’t mentioned in any of the scriptures that I’m always chanting. I was getting sick of it. Of course, there was the good side of Buddhism. That is, all Buddhists must love human beings. They must love the animals too, that’s why they are not eating them. They must be the people who don’t lie, cheat, steal etc.. all those bad things, you get the point? They too, have their own commandments. They should be people who have a lot of compassion. All these are acceptable, except for the fact that they are worshipping other statures.

Finally, one day, The One and Only God who created me shone light upon the path that I was walking on. He let in a glimpse of light upon me by sending me a guardian cum colleague cum mentor cum good friend. By the grace and mercy of Allah swt, I was given answers that I had been longing to hear. Finally, I heard the TRUTH. TRUTH about myself, about my surroundings, about the Universe, about when the world will end, and last but not least, about the existence of my CREATOR. Allahu Akbar!!!

Slowly but steadily, I was guided by Allah swt through my mentor on the path towards Islam. I thought it should be quite easy but it wasn’t. I faced ostracised by colleagues and friends when they heard what I did to myself. What I faced at home was even worse. To an extent, I was threatened by my parents that if I convert, I would get chased out of my home. I was really really very sad. The next day I went to work and confided in my colleague. He was the only person I could go to during those trying times.

Till now, when I recall these memories, I realised that I had to cope with so much changes at one go. Everything just happened at the same time. (silly me, of course it would). I was hoping that my friends would accept who I am truly and not judge me or the friendship that we have based on the religion alone. It isn’t fair but never mind.

I am very fortunate and grateful to Allah swt for giving me the opportunity in this life to be a Muslim. There’s no more other lives to come, to be able to receive this guidance. It is this very moment in my life, and only this life that is so crucial. For whatever that I do, or whoever I become determines my state in the Hereafter.

I hope this inspires other Muslims who think that they have lots of time in this world to repent later.

Think again. Do you know when are you going to die?

伤心的回忆

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate Most Merciful

我有一直在研究该如何用华文字母来 。现在我想得通了。原因何在，要写华文字？因为我将说一些很伤心的事，况且大部分的读者都是朋友，也不受华文教育，所以不会看得懂。

这几个月来，我的脑海里老是出现以前的回忆。

我再这么的努力也无法忘掉所有发生过的事。我们所共享的回忆都有甜的，也有苦的。

我以为我真的能放得下，可是我太高估我自己了！会发生这种事也是我自己造成的。或许，因为我们在一起的日子也有一段长的时间，又刚好在我还没进回教的时候发生的，所以，回忆还是那么的新鲜。

我请安拉原谅我。

我要加油。我要停止回想我的过去而已，爬出这个恐怖的黑洞。

我现在，很真诚，很努力的在专心于我的真主祷告，求他来帮助我， 引导我，不要让我迷失了方向。

"And whether ye hide your word or publish it, He certainly has (full) knowledge, of the secrets of (all) hearts. Should He not know― He that created? And He is the One that understands the finest mysteries (and) is well-acquainted (with them). " Surah al Mulk 67 ：12~13

Supplications

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

All Praise is due to Allah, the One, the mighty Administrator of all worldly affairs, who favoured us with is faith and bequeathed upon us blessings that enabled us to worship Him and duly thank Him. Peace and blessings be upon His noble Slave and Messenger, Muhammad s.a.w, Mercy to mankind, and upon his family and all of his companions.

Du'a or 'supplication' or 'prayer', is the medium of direct communication between man and his Lord wherein man reveals his intimate feelings and desires: wherein he beseeches his Creator and Lord to fulfill his aspirations and needs. Supplication is a source of contentment and peace of mind at times of great distress. It is an inspiration for the hopeless. It is the expression of a man's loneliness, meekness, and inability in the court of Almighty Allah. Du'a is also a form of ibadah. The significance and reality of du'a is explained in the following hadith: Nu'man ibn Bashir r.a relates that Allah's Messenger s.a.w said:" Du'a is worship", then he recited the following verse:" And your Lord says 'Call on Me. I will answer you. Surely those who are too proud to serve Me will enter Hell abased.'(Quran 40:60) (Tirmidhi) And also we should supplicate to Allah, in times of difficulties and ease. To remember Allah in any situation; standing, sitting, or lying down on their sides.

Allah swt says," Remember Me and I will remember you."(Quran 40:60) and "I have not created the Jinn or Humans but for My worship" (Quran 51:56).

We feel a sense of belonging, protection, and safety, when we call out to Allah. And, when coupled with the powerful formulae of supplication and remembrance, this calling leads to a feeling of tranquility within our heart and mind.

The etiquette of supplication
When supplicating to Allah swt, these are just a few to mention:
1. Abstain from unlawful(haram) food, drink and clothing.
2. Abstain from unlawful income.
3. Be sincere in what you ask for.
4. Confess one's sins.
5. Praise Allah before and after the du'a.
6. Send salutations and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah s.a.w at the beginning and at the end of the du'a.
7. Plead to Allah in utmost humility.
8.Make du'a through the mediation of Allah's beautiful names.
9.Begin by first making du'a for oneself, then for one's parents, then for the whole Ummah.
10. Be realistic when making du'a. Do not ask Allah for unreasonable things.
11.Do not be impatient, expecting the du'a to be granted immediately.
12. Make du'a with conviction regarding its acceptance.
13. The du'a should be made from the depth of the heart and with full concentration, for Allah does not accept the du'a of a careless person.

These are not all but the list mentioned above are the ones you can pay special attention to.

I'm trying my hands at motherhood, as i once mentioned, which means i'm still trying.

May Allah grant me offsprings whom He will be pleased with. amin. And May Allah swt, the Most Generous Creator, grant offsprings to my friends who are also trying to have additional members in their family. amin.

I miss you, Wang Lee Hom

Wang Lee Hom is in town!!! For his World Tour Concert 2008 happening on 1 November 2008!

I got wind of this poster when i passed by the information counter at IMM. I got really excited about it, and had planned to watch it, no matter what.

So i snapped a picture of this so that I can show my husband.

But unfortunately, after several appeals, I've failed in all my missions.

At first, he tried to dissuade me with this comment:" You see, darling. You might be the only Chinese girl that wears the scarf to a Chinese music concert."

"That's the best da'wah i could do!" I exclaimed.

He asked for the ticket prices and i listed out to him from the lowest category ($78) to the highest ($198). Of course, I won't spend so much money on a concert. (Though i very much would hope to do so because i could come so close to him). I told him that I wouldn't mind going to the concert alone if I am allowed the $108 category. He grinned and started complaining the steep ticket prices again.

I started to 'haunt' him as early as late September till the very last week of October. But all he did was to ask me to get his DVD concert when it's released. So long I have to wait!!!! Sigh....

Till today, he still asked me about the ticket prices. Aaarrgghhhh.... rubbing salt into my wound...

I'm gonna miss you very much, Lee Hom.

Wishing you success for your concert tonight! Mmuacckss!!!!!!!

Benefits of Prayers

The benefits of fulfilling one's prayers is countless. These points are just a few of what every book says about the prayers that a Muslim does helps in his spiritual development:

1. It enriches the soul and fulfills its yearning to connect with its Lord. This gives the soul peace and contentment.


2. It purifies the heart from the effects of indolence and sin by providing a continuous opportunity for communication with Allah and for repentance. The Messenger (peace be upon him) indicated this when he said to his Companions: “Consider if one of you had a river by his door in which he bathed five times a day. Would any filth remain on him?” They responded in the negative. He said: “Likewise, Allah wipes away sins with the five daily prayers.” This stresses the meaning of Allah’s words: Verily prayer forbids licentiousness and wrongdoing. And the remembrance of Allah is the greatest thing.


3. It emphasizes the proximity between religion and daily life. Life, from an Islamic standpoint, is to be directed to Allah. Life is an opportunity for worship and the remembrance of Allah. Praying repeatedly throughout the day, interrupting the daily activities, brings about the realization of this concept. The believer, through prayer, acquires a spiritual awareness that he takes with him throughout all of life’s endeavors.


4. It teaches a Muslim punctuality. Prayer shows how important time actually is. Allah says: Prayer is enjoined upon the believers at prescribed times.


5. It teaches the Muslim the virtues of constancy and perseverance. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “The best of deeds with Allah are the ones performed most regularly, even if it is small.”


6. It cultivates brotherhood, equality, and humility between the Muslims.

Thoughts and Supplications

O Allah! How can I ever live this life without You!

O Allah! I cannot imagine living this life without having You by my side!

What would my life be, if You are not with me in times of ease or difficulties?

If I was not given the knowledge and guidance, I could have die and left this world not knowing that You exist. With this knowledge, You brought meaning and purpose to my life, and thus guided me towards Your light.

I am so very thankful and grateful to You, O Allah for all the gifts and favours that you have bestowed upon me all my life. And the greatest favour that you have bestowed upon me, to be a Muslim in this life. Now that I'm a Muslim, I dread the thought that i would not be able to return to you as a Muslim in the Hereafter.

So please Allah! I know I may not have been an exemplary Muslim, but i'm trying my best.

O Allah! Please guide me on the straight Path! The Path whom You bestow favours upon before us, not the path that incur Your wrath nor the path that went astray. Amin.

The Fashioner

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). Surah al Huja'at 49:13

Last year, in preparation of my wedding gifts, I wrote this verse amongst many others, which I had selected on a few hundreds of coloured papers that were to be inserted into photo frames. And i've also wrote at least 30 pieces of that same verse translated into Chinese; for my Chinese-educated guests.

My purpose for that was not because i had alot of time; but rather, i got my husband to agree to my intention of doing some da'wah activities with our non-muslim guests. Probably he would have more muslim guests than me, henceforth, this activities was directed more to my side. I had my primary school classmates, my ex colleagues from the airport as well as my colleagues from my present workplace.

It had to be a verse that would be easily understood and clearly manifested in this world, evolved around everyone, and not something that could cause misunderstandings about Islam. Insya allah.We researched through some parts of the Quran and this was also one of the verses we selected:

And among His Signs is the sleep that ye take by night and by day, and the quest that ye (make for livelihood) out of His Bounty: verily in that are signs for those who hearken. Surah al-room 30:16

By the mercy and grace of Allah swt, we hope that these verses would trigger them to be interested to know more about Islam. But none came back to us asking about the religion of peace. Never mind. It is indeed Allah alone, who guides mankind away from the crooked path.

And so, 1 year has passed... I am trying my hands at motherhood. =) So far, alhamdulilah.

O mankind! if ye have a doubt about the Resurrection, (consider) that We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, in order that We may manifest (our power) to you; and We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then do We bring you out as babes, then (foster you) that ye may reach your age of full strength; and some of you are called to die, and some are sent back to the feeblest old age, so that they know nothing after having known (much), and (further), thou seest the earth barren and lifeless, but when We pour down rain on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells, and it puts forth every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs).

Allahu Akbar! God is the Greatest!

In Allah, i put my trust in Him.

Books Galore!!!

Alhamdulillah. Many praises be to Allah!

Finally the Kinokuniya Members' Privilege is here! And it's 20% STOREWIDE!!!

I can get the books i've been longing to get and I could get some books on stuff like pregnancies and babies. Haha... It's a 'bookie week'.

And Muslimedia.com is also having one week 20% discount storewide from 17October to 25 October.

Masya allah!!!

And I'm a member of both bookstores. (hehe)

Alhamdulillah. All Praises and Thanks be to Allah!

Of Hoofbeats and Zebra

I'm currently reading this book titled 'When you hear hoofbeats, think of a Zebra.' by Shems Friedlander.
Title sounds abit strange right? But it's an interesting read about Sufism. It contains several short stories on Sufism.

Would like to share the introduction with you. If you like it, you can get it from wardahbooks . It's back in print. :)

When we hear hoofbeats, do we think of a zebra? Probably not. Because we usually do everything the way we've always done it. I'm interested in how we perceive reality and how we gain the knowledge to accomplish this. Islam and Sufism ask us to gain knowledge. To have knowledge of Allah it is necessary to have knowledge of ourselves. If we truly know ourselves, then we will know Allah. If Allah allows us to know Him, we might know ourselves.

This body we live in is a kingdom and a grave. It is a kingdom where our heart resides. It is the grave of our soul. Our heart has the spiritual faculty of knowing Allah. Through this body we experience the world, we travel through this world like a traveler in the desert, and no one remains here. When it is their time, all the prophets and beings endowed with divine grace and knowledge, regardless of their achievement and station, will go. He who created them will also take them, whether they are willing to go or not. This power that brought us here will remove us from here. This power of Allah not only created us, but created everyone and everything we love; whether it be a man, woman or flower, it is His creation.

To understand Sufism, we have to understand that Allah, who created the heavens and the earth and all in between, also created us. If we can fathom and accept that Allah created each of us, then we know that He has created everyone who is on this planet. We are not just something that happened; each of us is a miracle. If we understood this, we would not take ourselves for granted....

Not only are we obliged to seek knowledge, we must also understand how to behave in life. We will never understand this unless we observe ourselves in daily life. Observe ourselves, and not try immediately to change, but to say,"Ah, this lazy one again, how easily he got angry." We must first try to recognize all the faults within us, in order to change them into qualitites, in order to become our own shepherd...

A man was wounded in battle, but he didn't let his friends draw the arrow out of him. First he wanted to know who the archer was, what he looked like, and where he was standing when he shot the arrow. He wanted to know the type of bow and the length of the arrow. As he discussed all these things, he died.

This is how we are in life. We must pull out the arrow of useless thoughts, throw it away, and discard the toys of our mind before it is too late.

We make our prayers and roll our beads. If we do it mechanically, we don't change, and then we argue that there is something missing in the Path. How do we change ourselves? When we say Bismillah, in the name of Allah, before we eat and then just gobble down the food, never thinking of Allah, we come to the end of the meal feeling stuffed and only know that we have eaten a lot of food. If we say Bismillah knowing that we are putting the Nur, LIght of Allah, into the food, and if we eat this food with the idea that the food will nourish us so that we may be strong to pray to Allah and thank Him, then we are eating correctly. If we dress not out of vanity and not for fashion, then we are dressing correctly.

What is this life, that passes so quickly and in a moment is gone? An old dervish in Madinah once said to me that life is a gift that consists of 3 days and 2 are gone. No matter how much money you have, regardless of how much influence you have in this world, you cannot bring those days back. We have one day left, and in that remaining day are we going to seek the pleasures of the world that we know are so temporary? Can we not put the love of Allah in our hearts before that heart becomes dust? For dust it will become. And for those who could never have enough of big houses and acres of land, one day they will have to be satisfied with six feet of earth....
(end of introduction)

That's a little preview of the book. I like it because it's presented in stories form.

Observing your 5 daily prayers with sincerity and love

This is a timely video. It's taken from http://www.sufilive.com

I need those reminders.

Our Prophet s.a.w and his companions all prayed to Allah with great sincerity, concentration and humility. There was a story about Saiyidinna Ali. He had a toothache and he was so scared of pain. So he told the other companions to extract his tooth in his prayers. And they really did. So when he finished his prayers, he was shocked to find so many blood on his clothes. His tooth has been extracted. What kind of level is this? Very very high level i would say.

How i wish I could at least possess half of what Saiyidinna Ali has.

And all these while, i've felt that my prayers were not perfect. Whenever I enter it, my mind brings me to many places. Sometimes, I might even 'travel regionally' and if I get really lucky, I might fly across the Pacific Ocean.

Actually it's a sad thing.

And it's depressing to read from books that if your prayers aren't good, and Allah swt doesn't accept, those prayers will be wrapped up like a heap of clothes and THROWN back to you!

That's scary isn't it?

I need to buck up. Time is running out. and we know the Judgement Day is near for its signs are all around us.

And Shaykh Hisham also talks about the condition of the heart.

May the video benefit us all.

May Allah swt purifies our heart from within. amin.

O Allah! I beg of you to change the state of my heart if it's tainted or damaged. amin.

Da'wah

My recent spate of experiences with non Muslims has made me to conclude that:

Islam is indeed a misunderstood religion.

The other day, my colleague saw me playing with her soft toy. So she told me to go home and pro-create so that I do not have to resort to playing with soft toy but a real baby instead. But I told her, it’s up to God when He decides to give me a child. So she continued telling me to go home and pray to Him at night. I told him I can’t pray because I was having ‘mother nature’ but I could still pray to God (in terms of supplications).

She asked me why did our religion forbid us (the women) to pray. So I explained to her in details: God gave relief to women by not laying any difficulties upon us during our menses; imagine the discomfort some may feel during that time. And I also told her that God didn’t stop the women from supplicating to God at all times whenever they remember God.

But she continued to say that the religion is being unfair to women; ‘Why women can’t do this, can’t do that, why only men can marry 4 women etc etc? (so it was veering further and further away) I quickly add on, explaining to her about the equality of men and women in the eyes of God.

4:124] If any do deeds of righteousness - be they male or female - and have faith, they will enter Paradise, and not the least injustice will be done to them.

She reiterated her statement by adding this; ‘this thing has been in the religion since a long long time. And your Muhammad, he can’t read and write, why did he set this kind of rules?’ I told her that revelation came from God, and it’s through Angel Jibrail that revelation was given to our Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. And because the Quran contained words of God, we do not disobey God’s commandments by praying during our menses.
“Aiya, aiya, anyway, it’s just my own perspectives lah.’

I also didn’t want to continue if not it might seemed that I am arguing with her because she kept insisting that ‘it’s just my own perspectives’.

Probably, I’m just guessing here. She’s born in Malaysia and she has probably seen a lot of things happening back in her country, resulting in a very negative perspective about Islam and Muslims. I could sense it in her tone. By the way, she’s a Catholic.

Insya allah, I’m hoping that I will have more opportunities to explain to her everything she wrongly perceives of Islam.

May Allah swt guide and assist me in my mission. Amin.

Whenever I’m in the taxis, I try to speak Mandarin to the drivers. I realized, most of them, misunderstood Islam as a religion for the Malays. One of the drivers, which I met recently, started exclaiming that how can I, as a Malay, do not know how to speak the language and claim myself to be a Muslim. That’s a common misconception. And I really hope to broadcast this aloud.

I explained myself as being a Chinese Muslim and I am a Chinese even though I embrace Islam. The driver couldn’t believe me and I almost resort to taking my IC out for him to verify my identity. My husband was shocked and he dissuaded me from doing so.

Anyway, I continued my conversation with him because he asked the golden question: “Why did you convert?” My husband was smiling and shaking his head vigorously. He told me frankly that he has never met such a person and was truly surprised that such people exist.

Omigosh! Am I supposed to laugh or cry or remain expressionless?

My 2nd 'Marriage' ... Finally it's over!!

Last week had been a crazy and hectic week for me.

It was Eidul Fitri on the 1st of October. I couldn't take leave because of my work committments.

I was busy with work because there was an Big annual event coming up for my department. And I had to take care of logistics, catering and all nitty gritty stuff surrounding the entire event.

I was busy with the preparation of my '2nd wedding'. ( getting another husband?? No la, of course not). Actually, it's a traditional tea ceremony and is quite common amongst the Chinese. The purpose of this tea ceremony, I suppose, is for the relatives to get to know the bride/groom and vice versa. And the newly wed couple has to go through a series of 'serving tea' to the in-laws, parents and relatives(directly related, not simply any Jane,Mary or Kate). Sort of like an acknowledgement that he/she has entered the family. Apparently, when I decided to hold my wedding reception last year, my parents forbade me to hold that tea ceremony in that month because of her superstitious. Silly right? Anyhow, I went ahead because I really don't believe that. So because of this superstitious month, not much of our relatives were invited except for an auntie who was the closest to my family. They had seen me with the tudung before, so I think they were okay with it. Preparation of my tea ceremony was crazy too! Everything had to be done within a short span of time. Just 2 days before the actual day, my mum was mad at me over trivial matters. Patient, patient...

And by the Will of Allah, every important thing clashed together around the same period. First,was Hari Raya, then came my department's event, and then followed by my tea ceremony.
My boss couldn't approve my leave for my Hari Raya celebration, even though I told her I had an important day to manage. So I was left with 2nd of October to do some visiting and try and finish up all the important stuff for the tea ceremony. Both me and my husband were so tensed and uptight about this, sometimes, we couldn't get each other's understanding about things. Never mind.

The event went smoothly. Alhamdulillah.

After work, I met my husband for prayers and dinner before he sent me back to my mother's place. Well, traditionally speaking, although i've been married(solemnized) for a year and already staying at my own place, my mother wanted me to go back to her home, so that my husband could come over and 'fetch' the bride over OFFICIALLY. well... well... Just to please her, I agreed to all her requests...

So after picking me up, we had to go back to our own home. Where I had my tea ceremony with my in-laws. This session was much easier to cope and stress free. :) (i thought usually inlaws give much pressure but i didn't feel any pressure at all).

We had to 'report' back to HQ during a certain period of time, given by my mum, checked by my auntie, certified by the 'almanac book'. So after the tea ceremony at my place, we left about 11am. Instead of going straight home, we went to pick my bro's gf at Bukit Timah. Haha. Somehow, we still manage to make it back.

When we arrived, I realized that most of my relatives have reached. Shortly after, we began the tea ceremony. My mum positioned the chairs infront of a 'buddha poster'. My auntie prepared the tea cups and the tray and told us to kneel infront of my parents. But another relative of ours said no need. I was glad but at least i made sure i bow lower and i offer the tea with due respect. I guess kneeling is not so necessary nowadays right?

Thank God, I really do not have a lot of relatives on my parents' side. but by the time, we finished everyone, I could feel the tiredness and sleepyness creep in. In the midst of everything, my husband and I took a short nap in the room. Both of us were knocked out!

Finally, we got the 'clearance' to go back home. It was almost asar. Oh God, we were so tired... we slept in the car, on our way home.

ALHAMDULILLAH! Am I not glad this thing is really really finally over!!!

I prayed additional raka'ats of shukran prayers to Allah swt to thank Him.

During the reception, I've heard conversations about the traditions of the Malays; the religion of the Malays etc ... and saw pairs of eyes staring at me... I tried my best to explain the basics to them, but I wonder if they truly digest and reflect what I said. Insya allah hopefully.

I will update some of my encounters soon. Insya allah...

Eid Mubarak

Here's wishing all the Muslim readers out there:

Selamat Hari Raya Adilfitri!!!! Eid Mubarak!!!

May Allah swt continue to show us His Mercy and bring on the light of Syawal upon us. May Allah swt makes it easy for us to continue our ibadah with sincere devotion, and win more battles against our nafs and hawa. Amin.