Islamic Calendar

"Ya Rasulullah what are these gardens of Jannah"
"They are gatherings that remind us of Allah"

Monday, August 30, 2010

Decree what you desire to decree..

Today as i was reading the 16th Juz...(Yeah i know, quite left behind..since today is already the 20th. been too busy with other useless things.) i came across the story of Musa (Moses) and his confrontation with the pharaoh.
In suurah Ta Ha (20)..Allah tells us of the story when Musa met the pharaoh and as the pharaoh claims that Musa is a wizard, he challenges Musa to a match..

Now, I'll skip the story of how they both agreed and what happened on the day.
Because my real point would be what was told in this verse;

65.  They said:"O Mûsa (Moses)! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?"
66.  [Mûsa (Moses)] said: "Nay, throw you (first)!" Then behold, their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast.
67.  So Mûsa (Moses) conceived fear in himself.
68.  We (Allâh) said: "Fear not! Surely, you will have the upper hand.
69.  "And throw that which is in your right hand! It will swallow up that which they have made. That which they have made is only a magician's trick, and the magician will never be successful, to whatever amount (of skill) he may attain."
70.  So the magicians fell down prostrate. They said: "We believe in the Lord of Hârûn (Aaron) and Mûsa (Moses)."
71.  [Fir'aun (Pharaoh)] said: "Believe you in him [Mûsa (Moses)] before I give you permission? Verily! he is your chief who has taught you magic. So I will surely cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will surely crucify you on the trunks of date-palms, and you shall surely know which of us [I (Fir'aun Pharaoh) or the Lord of Mûsa (Moses) (Allâh)] can give the severe and more lasting torment."
72.  They said: "We prefer you not over what have come to us, of the clear signs And to Him (Allâh) Who created us. So decree whatever you desire to decree, for you can only decree (regarding) this life of the world.
73.  "Verily! We have believed in our Lord, that He may forgive us our faults, and the magic to which you did compel us. And Allâh is better as regards reward in comparison to your [Fir'aun's (Pharaoh)] reward, and more lasting (as regards punishment in comparison to your punishment)."
74.  Verily! whoever comes to his Lord as a Mujrim (criminal, polytheist, disbeliever in the Oneness of Allâh and His Messengers), then surely, for him is Hell, wherein he will neither die nor live
75.  But whoever comes to Him (Allâh) as a believer (in the Oneness of Allâh), and has done righteous good deeds, for such are the high ranks (in the Hereafter),—
76.  'Adn (Eden) Paradise (everlasting Gardens), under which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever: such is the reward of those who purify themselves (by abstaining from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which Allâh has forbidden and by doing all that which Allâh has ordained).

Subhanallah, as i came across the 72nd verse, i couldn't hold my tears. These sorcerers, who so denied the existence of Allah the Almighty, could suddenly prostrate and submit their selves to such an extent!!
And as the pharaoh threatened them... what did they say??

"..decree whatever you desire to decree, for you can only decree this life of the world.."

Allahuakbar. Such Belief. And there Allah promises them the beautiful 'Adn. The question is, what made them so strong? A stick that turned to snake? Oh, come on...they've turned ropes into snakes many times..
Think about it.
On the day of the match, everyone saw the stick turn into a snake. Everyone saw it swallow the fakes. But how could these sorcerers believe to such a level??

It was the openness of their hearts.
because you see, only sorcerers know what magic is, and in seeing what Musa did, they realised that no power is capable of allowing such to happen other that the power of Allah!!

How about us, you, i, or whoever lives in this world?? I'm gonna be an engineer, you're gonna be a programmer, or doctor, or teacher, or psychologist, or whatever else..but then in seeing the Greatness of Allah in managing this life, the world, the sky, the sees, and every single activity of even the smallest bacteria to the most complex galaxy..have we ever fell down, prostrating ourselves to THIS utter POWER??
HAVE WE EVER??

Monday, August 23, 2010

Jo hai sama kal ho naa ho..

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Afwan

Some questions unanswered...
Some messages unreplied...
Some apologies needed...

afwan,,i'm sorry,,
for time ties men with unbearable responsibilities...
but i shall cope. insyaAllah.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Mightier than the sword

today an event really shook me. and now i know what it really meant by 'mightier than the sword'. i will not elaborate more on the incident, but if you are reading this then please swallow in these following messages carefully..

WATCH WHAT YOU SAY

sometimes words can mean more than mere sounds projecting out of your mouth. when heard, it can be manipulated, changed, and misunderstood. which means misunderstanding. though YOU know that it wasn't really meant that way..but do THE OTHER PEOPLE know? though not all of them would get upset with YOUR words..but at least ONE will..then suddenly..BANG..BOOM..and someone hates you.

Rasulullah PBUH once said:
"The best words are those that are short and precise"

learn to stop. learn to shut up.
remember..people have mouth..and most importantly..they have ears..
(this is a story of experience..so believe me it happened..)

Noor - All For You

My prayers, my breath, my life and my death are all for you
None but you, only you, ya Allah
Every second I live, every penny I give
Is just for you
Every breathe I breath, every trace I leave
Is just for you
In all my fears, in all my tears
I’m callin’ you
In all my shame, in all my pain
I’m callin’ you
Through the night I pray, and I’m seeking your way
And it’s just for you
When I shed a tear, I know you’re near
And it’s just for you
Hayaty wa mawty wa ruhy wa dammi ilayka ya Rabi
Anabtu ilayk laja’tu ilayk, ya Allah

Translation:
My life and my death, my soul and my blood
They’re all for you my Lord
I turn to You, I submit to You, my Lord

La Tahzan

There are some periods in life when you and i will always experience sadness. despair. hopelessness. we think that we could be strong. we think that we would be able to pass everything successfully. we think that we could just be ourselves..but then we were actually wrong. things turn out different. the surroundings change us, the conditions evolve us. so by the end of the day we regret everything we did. crying to ourselves how things have gone out of control. and then we ask ourselves.."what's happened to ME? what am i doing?"..
and then we keep telling ourselves that we mustn't give up..whereas deep in our hearts things are much harder than said...
So what SHOULD we do??
my dear brothers and sisters. la tahzan means don't be sad. because if we believe that everything comes from Allah..then it would really help the acceptance. but what we must really believe is that being who we are means being the person we must be..not because others wan't us to be who we must be..not because we think it appropriate to be who we must be..but because we KNOW that Allah wants us to be who we must be..and that if we achieve His blessings..then it shall be enough..no matter how hard things get...

Get it? Apologies for the jumbled up words..but just try to understand.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Thome Sings to ponder..

Brains gone a bit dizzy...i really should stop this habit of analysing humans and predicting their next move..
One of the things that weaken us is 'Ujub', and 'ujub only comes when you predict and compare others with yourself..

and in the end you come out with..
"im better than her"
or
"im better than him"

Must stop comparing..

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Its About Time

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful

A few weeks ago, I've been waiting for this time..always eager for it to come. Days I wait for it and I knew that i had to be prepared. But now. Knowing that it would be tomorrow..no...to be exact...this night..i suddenly feel this surge of fear. Fear that i am not prepared. Fear that I am not ready to go through this. 
No, im not scared about having to fast..oh come on..i've been doin it for years..
And definitely im not scared of the Tarawikh prayers..

But what im really fearing is the fact that i will be going through a system..and if i fail to graduate successfully it would be a waste..SUCH A WASTE!!
So to soothe this feeling i called my mom..and her reply was enough for me to understand.She said:
"It doesn't matter whether you're prepared or not..Ramadhans' still gonna come..so if you realise that you're not ready..BE READY as much as you can..because it really is about time you did."

 So from now on..I vow..no more playing around...no more late prayers..no more late night games..
and i'll be struggling for
more Quran..more rawatibs..more qiamullail...more reading..

FOR MY PURSUE IS TAQWA
AND I ASK NOTHING ELSE THAN IT

Ya Allah..aid us, Your weak servants in this sacred month..

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

this hypocrisy

ok, things are getting a bit hectic this week.
everyday, there would always be a new problem, but i dont mind. its a challenge for me.
have you ever felt that you were born in this world to please others, and make your own self suffer?
well not literally suffer..but you just can't 100% be yourself.
i do. kudos to me..
having to please others is one of the problems i have to face everyday.
ever heard of : "you've changed" or "stop acting" or even "dont need to be friends anymore" ?
if you have, then good. if you havent, then good also.
its just hard to please everyone at the same time. i don't care much if  people hate me for being who i am, but what hurts me the most is the fact that i sometimes lose in this battle of hypocrisy. that i sometimes surrender, questioning the rationals in wearing this 'mask', getting tired of being this actor. but in the end i learned that sometimes i just can't bluntly follow my heart..be who i wanna be..do what i wanna do..
for in Islam, there are rules, there are borders and lines, and if i fail to follow these lines closely, how am i supposed to gather my friends in the border?

friends are not measured on how long you have known them, but on how close you are with them and how much you care for them. not just here, but also in the hereafter.
and i admit that i care a lot for my friends. in fact, i care too much that some even consider me being a busybody. stopping them from falling in love, questioning each and everything they do, accusing them for minor things. but i believe as Rasulullah SAW once said:
"A good friend and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace." 
[Sahih al-Bukhari & Muslim]

so i apologise when things have been weird, or i've gone too much into your lives. i've been trying so hard to be the perfume and when i hold on to a principle, it clings to me like there's no tomorrow, so in the end, people hate me, i loose friend(s), and these are my weaknesses..
so please, as a human who does wrong..advice me in my weakness, where there is a possibility..i'll change..
and maybe you'll be the 'perfume' for me..

P/S: this is not a surrender...for i'll still be who i plan to be. though you call it 'bad' i call it a job..

Just 4 ladies..(19 above only)

Ok. Frankly speaking (writing)..this is being more of a counterpost to the gender-biased post before this. So when I finally decided on the topic.. I actually realised that I'm not that much expert in advising the opposite gender..
So here's what i've to say..
Have you ever been to a shopping mall..ok lets say SOGO..and it was a big sale day. Say that you arrive at the purse department. So there would be discounts..30%..50%..and even 70% off!! Okay..in your mind at that time..which would be more valuable? A purse on discount or the one under the NEW ARRIVALS?
Think about it..if you girls keep selling yourselves..promoting yourselves..with LOW PRICES, and even discounts..believe me..you will be the center of attraction. For a while. But the real demand would be for the new and clean. It would be everyone's dream..and the one's on discounts would be a temporary possession..depending on its attractiveness and up-to-dateness. Maybe a week..maybe two..
So think about it..
Think about your outfit before going out..AM I THAT CHEAP?
Think about your attitude before mingling with others..AM I THAT DESPERATE?
THINK..

My dear sisters, that is why Allah taught us..no I'm sorry..taught you all to watch your eyes and protect your'selves' (an-Nur:31), what you wear (an-Nur:59), how you speak (al-ahzab:32)..not because Allah envies your beauty (for He is al-Jameel), but because he wants you to be honored, to be respected..to be properly loved..


P/S: I'm not quite sure the proper message is clearly conveyed here..but believe me, if you think I'm wrong..then try it out..sell yourself..go 'showoff'..
But then be readily acknowledged that even I would never want you!! Haha..

Monday, August 2, 2010

The heart

Hardening of the Heart 4/5

Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
Methods of Cure: (3) the Qur'an

Transcript of a lecture

Darul Arqam, Singapore, 26th November 1998


The third way by which we can soften our hearts is the Quran itself. Allah states in the Quran, Al-Hadid, 57:16, "Has not the time come for those who believe for their hearts to fear Allah when they hear the Quran (dhikrullah here is in reference to the Quran) and what truth there is in it, so that they not be like those who received the Scripture before, but in the passage of time, their hearts became hard. And most of them are corrupt."
If we reflect on the Quran, it has the power to soften our hearts. Allah said, about the jinn who heard the Quran, "Indeed we heard an amazing Quran; it guides us to Allah and we believe in it and we will set not partners besides Allah." [See Quran, Surah al-Ahqaf 46:29-32]
Allah goes on to describe the righteous, "And if they (this is amongst the Christians) hear what was revealed to the Messenger, you will see their eyes welling up with tears because of what they know of the truth of what has been brought." This was the case of the ruler of Ethiopia. When Muslims sought refuge there and they recited a portion of the Quran, they saw his eyes fill with tears.
This is how we should be. When we hear the Quran, we should reflect on the meanings. The Quran should not become for us a replacement for pop songs that we used to hear before. People buy recordings of their favourite reciters for the beauty of their voice… The listening of the Quran has become more of a musical thing. We are entertained by that music, so much so that when the reciter is reading, we hear people in the background going, "Allah! Allah! Allah!" People making statements in the background as thought it were a pop show! This is not the Quran… Allah tells us, "Will they not reflect on the meanings?"
The Quran is a Book of Guidance and it is in the reflection on the meaning of the Quran that we benefit, for it is very important for us to re-assess how we are dealing with the Quran. We should be reading it regularly, not only leaving it until Ramadhan. We reflect on it… not reading it Ramadhan so we can finish the whole Book and say we finished the Quran in Ramadhan. It really does not matter if we don’t finish the Quran in Ramadhan. For most of the Prophet’s Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa sallam life, he did not finish the whole Quran in Ramadhan. Most of the companions did not finish the reading of the Quran in Ramadhan. Today, for us, Ramadhan is not complete unless we read the whole Quran in Ramadhan. We hire reciters to recite the Quran at 99 miles an hour so much so that even Arabic-speaking people cannot figure out where in the Quran the reciter is!
This has become the precedence — finishing the Quran in Ramadhan and if you can finish it twice, even better! But this is not what the Quran is for. The Quran is for reflection, so that when we hear it, as Allah says of the believers who hear the Quran recited, goose bumps come over their skins. It touches them and causes their heart to tremble.
[Quran Az-Zumar 39:23 : Allah has revealed (from time to time) the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book, consistent with itself, yet repeating (its teaching in various aspects): the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble threat; then their skins and hearts do soften to the remembrance of Allah.] If when we listen to the Quran, we don’t find this reaction of tears coming to our eyes, then we should make ourselves cry. Force ourselves to cry because we need to respond to the Quran in this way. If we don’t, we are lost! This is the Word of Allah, the only preserved Word of all the revelations that were given from Adam till now. This is the word of God preserved.
We should read the Quran believing this is Allah speaking to us, because that is what it is. It is Allah talking to us directly. Every time he tells us something about the Jews, we should not (merely) take it as a piece of information, that the Jews are this and that the Jews are that. No! Whenever Allah tells us something about the Jews, we should see in it as a warning to ourselves — that we don’t become like them. When Allah said, "… ghairil maghdoobi ‘alayhim wa la-ddaalleen…" in Surah Al-Fatiha, the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa sallam explained that al-maghdoob ‘alayhim are the Jews and that ad-daalleen are the Christians. Those with whom Allah is angry are the Jews and those who have gone astray are the Christians. Allah is angry with the Jews because they KNOW the truth and they don’t act on it. "Call people to righteousness and you forget yourselves." They changed the Book. The Christians are without knowledge; they are lost. They think that God is a man!
This is a warning to us. Every time we recite these verses, Allah is warning us not to be like them — we have the truth, we have the Scripture, but we are not acting according to them. If we do not seek knowledge, if we do not find out what it is Allah wants from us, then we are lost. Every time we read the "… ghairil maghdoobi ‘alayhim wa la-ddaalleen…", it should touch us. We should reflect on it and it should touch us.
There are so many verses throughout the Quran which remind us of the Hereafter, that remind us of the signs of the Day of Judgement. It is enough for us to open any part of the Quran to read about them. In virtually every chapter of the Quran Allah addresses the next life. It is linked to our second point of visiting the graves and remembering the Hereafter. The Quran speaks about the life to come and to reflect on it.

So keep reading the Quran..understand it..for it is The Guidance..