.: المودة والرحمة :.

Love and mercy.

The word "love" in the Qur’an appears in over 90 places but interestingly it does not define the word love but speaks about the very first consequence of love - "committing". Islam talks about commitment. If you truly love, then commit. If you do not commit, then your claim of love is not real.

Sheikh Yassir Fazaga

Reflecting.

11.36pm, Malaysian Time

.: Being Me 2015 P2 :.

The compilation.

When one is on duty at conferences, one hardly has the opportunity to listen attentively to the lectures. Frankly, I only managed to scribble down a paltry selection of wisdom from Shaykhaa Wafaa's and Prof. Muhaya's lectures. Most points were highlighted in the previous post - Being Me 2015 P1.

As for my remaining notes, I have compiled it with a handful of Being Me GEMS that I came across recently via Twitter. Blessed the souls of the individuals who had been so kind to share it with the mass. May Allah SWT reward them well for their thoughtful gesture, ameen. 

Bear in mind that these points are carefully selected due to the impact it has on me. Should you want to seek other GEMS, kindly search for #LoveAisha or #BeingMe2015. Both hashtags work for Twitter and Facebook, insha'Allah.

1. What you manifest outside, is what you are feeling inside.
2. Make your secret life better than your public life. Your DVD will be uploaded on Judgement Day for all to see.
3. Being nice to others is an act of worship.
4. No matter how good your level of optimism is, you can always better that.
5. We spend so much time on social media, yet we do not use it to our own benefits.
6. The hijab is not to shape your face, it is to shape your heart. 
7. We forgot to be amazed over how beautiful the cloud is, so how can we be happy? The attitude of the believer is that he praises.
8. The biggest danger to our hayaa' these days is our conduct with non-mahram men.
9. When we find our passion, we do not have to push ourselves. We will be driven by it.
10. The reason we wear hijab first is to identify us - we are Muslims and we are proud of it.
11. True living is all about giving with a strong, clean and soft heart.
12. Hide your good deeds as much as you hide your evil doings.
13. Not that women cannot interact with non-mahram men, but adab must be followed in order to protect your self-respect.
14. Marry someone for their character. Marry someone who will be there for you whether you are 300 or 110 pounds.
15. Hayaa' and modesty will be taken first from this dunya.

Commencing Arabic.

11.58am, Malaysian Time

.: Waqf project :.

Crossing restrictions.

Brother Ikhwan Ng has recently embarked on a waqf project involving Chinese translations of the holy Qur'an. Being a convert to Islam with a Chinese background himself, he is fully aware of the need to read religious texts in a language one is proficient and comfortable with. This view is equally shared among other converts he has came to know through his blog - Another Chinese Muallaf. 

As of now, said texts are not readily available in Malaysia. Therefore, Ikhwan has taken the initiative to import these translations from China. Through this project, you may waqf a particular translation to gift a Chinese literate individual access to the holy Qur'an. You may also request or buy a waqf copy for yourself or your Chinese literate family or friends.

Version A

• RM100
• A4 size
• Qur'an text and Chinese translations
• Translated by Wang Zin Zai
• Detailed footnotes and written in layman terms

Version B

• RM70
• A5 size
• Qur'an text and Chinese translations
• Translated by Ma Jian
• Standard translation used in China

Version C

• RM30
• Pocket size
• Chinese translations
• Translated by Ma Jian
• Standard translation used in China

Orders and inquiries can be made via whassap to +6012 397 9998 or lifemualaf@gmail.com. All orders will be sent via Poslaju and take approximately 2 weeks to be delivered from China.

For information about this project in Bahasa Malaysia, kindly visit Ikhwan's blogpost.

This project is highlighted for others to get acquainted with the Qur'an. Wouldn't it be epic if there could be similar projects for other religious texts as well? 

Reading my Tao Te Ching. 

11.46am, Malaysian Time

.: Eeman charge :.

Ramadhan 2015.

A year had passed since the last Ramadhan, yet it felt as though time just went by. A reminder that the time lost, can never be regained. 

Let's take this opportunity to value the time we have left and those we hold dearly. Find it in our hearts to give and forgive, purely, sincerely, with no strings attached, and I hope and pray that your loved ones and many others will reciprocate with overflowing love, kindness and compassion. 

May Allah SWT permit us to fully utilise this blessed time to make significant and positive changes in our daily lives, spiritually and emotionally, for as long as we are on this dunya, and may this effort of ours lead to us committing ourselves to do even more meaningful things and having better relationships, ameen.

6 months.

10.51am, Malaysian Time

.: Being Me 2015 P1 :.

Love, Aisha.

The wonderful thing about attending knowledge gatherings is one can always count on each other to share the lessons learned. For this particular event, alhamdulillah, an old friend of mine had shared the following lessons:

GEMS from Shaykhaa Wafaa Hussain Yee 

1. Why is it more difficult to maintain your marriage with your husband than friendship with your sisters? Because shaytan always work on breaking a marriage. 
2. The nucleus family consists of the husband, wife and children. The nucleus family is the root of the society.  
3. When the root is problematic, then the tree (society) will be sick. So shaytan always work on destroying the roots. 
4. From the hadeeth, when shaytan reports to their leader that they made people kill each other, the leader said: "You did nothing". But when one shaytan said that it had caused a man and a woman to divorce, then the leader said: "This is shaytan's biggest success". 
5. If you behave like a queen to your husband, then your husband will behave like a king to you and your marriage will be difficult. Behave like a slave and he will also behave like a slave.
6. In the end, men look at your heart rather than your looks.
7. Men should not seek for a beautiful wife, rather seek beauty in your wife.
8. Know the rights of your spouse before yours.
9. The more you have expectations in your spouse, the more you will be disappointed. 
10. Say alhamdulillah even if things are hard.
11. "Please", "sorry", "thank you" - always say these three phrases. Don't be arrogant: Not saying "thank you" because you think it is your spouse's responsibility to do things for you. 
12. Your dua is never unheard.
13. End the circle of hate. Start goodness.
14. Relationships are tested at the time of hardships.
15. Listen attentively to your spouse, give them your time.
16. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
17. Don't be the typical woman, be a muslim woman.
18. The tongue can be a very destructive weapon so much that it can destroy life.
19. When you do a lot, but also complain a lot, then you will still be disliked. Grannies who don't do much but are always nice and say good things will be loved. So watch your words. 
20. When we get angry, our mind will blackout, so it is best to stay silent. Even if we want to say something good, the tone will be bad. So only speak after we have calmed down. 
21. Words that come from our mouth will go into someone's heart 
22. If you are bad at expressing your feelings by talking, then write a letter. You need to explain your feelings to your husband because men don't understand it. 
23. If your husband fears Allah SWT, then you have nothing to fear. You will trust him. 
24. As how you don't want to be compared, don't compare your man to others. 
25. Constantly check your intention. Purify it.

I will insha'Allah share my notes within the next couple of days. By all means, please feel free to share and extend the khayr for the benefit of others. 

May Allah SWT keep us sincere in our intentions and may He make it easy for all of us to implement the knowledge shared, in our daily lives, Allahumma ameen. 

Part one. 

12.31noon, Malaysian Time

.: Twisted perception :.

All that is glitter. 

The girl sits in a corner. She chews on her hair as she rocks herself to a soft lullaby. Gazing at the floor, her eyes sparkle like the stars illuminating the silvery night sky. Ironically, the same set of eyes reflect the depths of an empty soul. 

She had dreamed of being beautiful. She had read all the beauty magazines. She had idolized the celebrities and felt drawn towards their perfection. She believed in them when they said she could be beautiful too. She wanted to be just like them and become an inspiration to other girls. Girls like her.

Little did she knew that her dream would soon became a nightmare and she would remain imprisoned in the reality that she had so believed would be hers. A reality that for now has succeeded in controlling every single ounce of her life.  

The girl chuckles. 

Upon seeing an audience, she stands up, straightens the lines of her skirt and begins humming a little tune. She soon breaks into a song and dances around the room in sheer ecstasy. She is now lost in her world. A world where she is a figure of adoration.

Her singing eventually became louder and louder that her piercing screams penetrated through every nook and cranny of the room. And her screams finally revealed her silent cries of help. 

“I’m beautiful, aren’t I? They told me I’m beautiful. They said I’m a star!” 

They brought her back into her room. As she sits in her corner, chewing on her hair, and gently rocking herself to a soft lullaby, she scribbles these words on the wall: 

“I’m a star.”

And she chuckles.

Is not gold.

6.44pm, Malaysian Time

.: Chasing Jannah :.

Ahlan ya Ramadhan. 

One of the deeds often connected with the blessed month of Ramadhan is giving sadaqah or donations. Donations are often given in various forms, be it monetary, resources, time or even as simple as a smile. 

For those who would like to perform this good deed, you could do it as an individual or better still, gather your loved ones and do it as a collective effort. 

Whether you are a Muslim or a non-Muslim, and whether it is Ramadhan or any other months, I wholeheartedly believe we can all play a role in offering assistance to others. By helping others, we are developing ourselves to become better people. 

Places for you to channel your donations, insha’Allah: 

Mount Kinabalu Guides Association (Pemangkina) 

CIMB Bank Account No: 8005609923 

Community Recycle for Charity 

Islamic Relief Malaysia 

Rohingya . Syria . Yemen . Nepal . Palestine 

AlMaghrib Impact 

General . Malaysia . Singapore

If you may, please take this moment to utter a prayer for those who lost their lives during the recent earthquake in Sabah. Offer your prayers too to those who are undergoing difficulties in their lives.

May Allah SWT reward you for the good that you do and may He keep you under His guidance at all times, Allahumma ameen. 

Every life matter.

9.39pm, Malaysian Time

.: Shedding restrictions :.

Second guessing limitations.

Back from Incitement Ipoh. I reckon most would have written or shared about the contents, speakers, event flow, or possibly, the organisers. On my part, I prefer to highlight the little things that people often take for granted, but for some, these are the things that left indelible prints on them. Before anyone starts to hurl a tirade of conflicting statements, let me say that these are my personal thoughts. 

The adhan

As a Muslim, it felt really nice when the organisers kept silent throughout the adhan. Not many would do so. In fact, I have never been to an event in Malaysia, organised by non-Muslims, that actually does so. For that, I take my imaginary hat off them. 

Not saying that it is a must for non-Muslims to respect the adhan, but I personally felt it was a well-thought gesture. A week has passed and I still think it was nice of them. 

The volunteers

There is a warm feeling when you see young people volunteering their time for something they passionately believe could bring immense benefits to others. The fact that some travelled back to Ipoh just to help out is a commendable trait and I admire their spirit. 

Having spoken to a couple of them, I would say that in some ways their warmth and energy had played a significant role in making my trip all the more worthwhile. 

And as bonkers as this may sound, I would actually consider attending the next Incitement Ipoh event solely because of these two reasons. 

So for those in Ipoh or those thinking of taking a break away from chaotic KL, perhaps you can consider to pop by the event. One of their speakers is Dato’ Lat - the guy whose comics gave this city girl a glimpse of how a kampung and a simple life can be. 

Eventbrite :: Limitless by Incitement Ipoh

Facebook :: Limitless by Incitement Ipoh

At least challenge yourself to experience it once and if you like it, and if I can make it, we could probably catch-up at Incitement Ipoh's event in July, insha’Allah. I will be the introverted individual who camouflages in the background - the female version of the legendary gollum. 

Disclaimer: I am not a part of the Incitement team in Ipoh nor am I a part of the Incitement movement. I am just someone who happens to enjoy seeing enthusiastic young people doing worthwhile things. :)

Happy days.

3.08pm, Malaysian Time