.: Inking thoughts :.

The end of the line.

Just a few more days to go to mark the end of the EHIA programme. Honestly, it never occurred to me that I would complete the entire programme. Nevertheless, I am glad that I went through with it. I came in not expecting much, but I came out of it with a wealth of immeasurable experiences.

I suppose it helps a great deal if one decides to remain open to new experiences, and I really ought to make myself more open-minded when it comes to government programmes. 

So I came in with a freelancing writing portfolio. 

All this while I had been churning articles, mostly for newspaper publications and blogging purposes. Little did I know that I would get several opportunities to get involved with some high level writing. By high level writing, I mean writing summaries, research reports and country reports for foreign clients. 

Obviously, I had long forgotten how to write such materials. Took a while for me to deliberate over it until I came to the decision I had to do some reading of my own. Heading to my first resource, I scoured for guides and resources on the internet. Thankfully, there were loads of references, including the one from Prescott Papers. Sure helped me a great deal in completing some of my most difficult tasks, plus it also helped to further hone my writing skills. 

Hope this explains my absence from the blogging scene. 

Moving ahead, I sure hope and pray that this new endevour would bring even more benefits in the long run. 

Looking forward to a promising 2017!

3.21pm, Malaysian Time

.: Bayyinah in JB :.

The email.

Received this in my inbox:

Assalamu Alaykum,  

Often times we forget the infinite wisdom in the trials we face. The Prophet (saw) faced many trials, but one of the most painful moments of his life was when his beloved wife Aisha (RA) was Accused.

Join Ustadh Nouman as he shows us how we can cope with the struggles that we face. Come see how the story of Aisha (RA) is still very relevant today.  

WHEN?  

Sunday October 23rd, from 2:00 PM to 6:00PM  

WHERE?  

Berjaya Waterfront Hotel  

88, Jalan Ibrahim Sultan, Stulang Laut,  

80300 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia.  

Register and get your tickets now!  

Bayyinah Institute

And I thought my day couldn't get any better. :)

1.42pm, Malaysian Time

.: Daily grind :.

Top of the hour.

Taking a break from the usual routine. Today's impromptu sharing is on a reminder shared by another friend on her Facebook wall.

The SHORTEST but POWERFUL dua?

Do you know it? 

Al-'Abbās, the uncle of the Prophet , came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: “Ya Rasūlullāh, teach me a du'ā'.” 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “O my uncle, say: Allāhumma inni asaluka al-'āfiyah (O Allāh, I ask you for 'āfiyah).” 

What is 'āfiyah? 

'Āfiyah means “to save me from any afflictions.  

To be healthy, you are in 'āfiyah. To have enough money to live, you are in 'āfiyah. To have your children protected, you are in 'āfiyah. And if you are forgiven and not punished, you are in 'āfiyah". 'Āfiyah means: “O Allāh, protect me from any pain and suffering.” This includes dunya and ākhirah. 

Al-'Abbās thought about this for a while, and then he came back after a few days and said (paraphrased): “Ya Rasūlullāh, this du'ā' seems a little short. I want something big.” 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “My dear uncle, ask Allāh for 'āfiyah for wallāhi, you cannot be given anything better than 'āfiyah.” It is a simple du'ā'. Sincerely mean what you say. “O Allāh, I ask You to be saved from any distress, grief, hardship, harm. Don't test me.” All of this is included in “Allāhumma inni asaluka al-'āfiyah.”

Riyadh As Saliheen, Sunan At-Tirmidhi

May Allah save all of us from any afflictions, ameen.

Back to the daily grind.

10.48am, Malaysian Time

.: Tadabbur Qur'an :.

1 juz a day with Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan.

If you're planning to read and understand the Qur'an this Ramadan but don't have enough time to go through the entire text and translation then spare some time and listen to the short explanation of some verses from each Juz each day. It will hardly take 5 to 10 minutes!

Juz 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt9fUcL8njY 

Juz 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWZDVYom3RE  

Juz 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFsYnwI6zEA  

Juz 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2kwFI7bKi0  

Juz 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C6QyjX53cg  

Juz 6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVh-W6CjIOc  

Juz 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXsMMj7m9tQ  

Juz 8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NFo35g7zo8  

Juz 9: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i80milYJAc  

Juz 10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlKDxmw466Y  

Juz 11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btsvfuu2eE4  

Juz 12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1uQ1l4LQFE  

Juz 13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eThSNtJe7SY  

Juz 14: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvn2WCO_zPg  

Juz 15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xOK85qRQ_o  

Juz 16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAwI1MvBViE  

Juz 17: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9nMCACgvqk  

Juz 18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5YpDilwN04  

Juz 19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_DMb8o32c8  

Juz 20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzSDr5xiGIE  

Juz 21: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qAhT7MV0Fg  

Juz 22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFUACCm25ok  

Juz 23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKFc1o8Yvzk  

Juz 24: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6XHHcbcitI  

Juz 25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLvV_1JT2Ik  

Juz 26: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_zrDh9Ny8g  

Juz 27: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvUU1g4i2bk  

Juz 28: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJRf_4tojx4 

Juz 29: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugx4MZK3EGQ

Juz 30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JL09VjJQWE 

Note: Please forward and help your fellow Muslims to understand some portions of the Qur'an this Ramadan. InshaAllah. Allah will reward immensely the person who took the time to compose this message and us too for spreading something beneficial.

Almost Ramadhan.

11.54am, Malaysian Time

.: Inspired 2015 :.

Shoot for the Moon.

By Mufti Menk. May Allah SWT reward the one who took down these notes and had been so kind enough to share it around, Allahumma ameen thumma ameen. 

1. Inspired? Then immediately take action! Within a few hours after listening to an inspirational talk, the motivation decreases. After 48 hours, it diminished completely!
2. When Allah SWT make you listen to 'the messages', take it seriously. It is NOT a coincidence. The messages are meant for you and is part of Allah's plan. 
3. Rasul'Allah SAW said: "Then HELP me to HELP you achieve this for you by devoting yourself often to prostration (Sahih Muslim) If you want jannah with me do something about it. If you want paradise you must work hard for it.
4. Analogy: Payment for paradise. Solat is part of our payment. Stay away from sin is part of our payment. 'Do' the compulsory then 'do' the voluntary is also part of our payment. If we missed the payments we might lose the house!
5. How many years are the balance of our life? The material world is taking over our life so badly and before we know it life comes to an abrupt end. Just imagine meeting with Allah SWT and be asked, "I've given you 60 years of your life and you have not put aside part of it to understand my word?". Purify our knowledge. Don' be tricked by syaitan. Syaitan is very focused and he will create reasons for you not to attempt and excel in understanding Allah's words. If we got tricked and then we die and then if we end up in hellfire and we are asked "Why didn't you understand the book of Allah to protect yourselves? Who give you these days? How can you didn't read my book, not even a page of translation per day?". Therefore do make it a priority, an aim to understand the words of Allah SWT so we will be able to answer "Yes, I didn't do it because You prohibit it", "Yes, I did it because You order me to do it'. (ie. we are following Allah's order and NOT following trend). 
6. Aim high but do not be impatient. Seeking knowledge involves 'struggle and effort' , 'sacrifice time, money and energy'. 
7. We must also work hard to get our provisions in this world. Rasul'Allah SAW wants us to work hard and with the best of quality. The hadith: A man from the Ansar came to the Prophet SAW and begged from him. The Prophet said, “Have you nothing in your house?” The man said, “Yes, a piece of cloth, a part of which we wear and a part of which we spread on the ground, and a wooden bowl from which we drink water.” The Prophet said, “Bring them to me.” The man brought these articles to him and the Prophet took them in his hands and he said, “Who will buy these?” Someone said, “I will buy them for one coin.” The Prophet said twice or thrice, “Who will offer more than one coin?” Someone said, “I will buy them for two coins.” He sold them for two coins and the Prophet said, “Buy food with one of them and give it to your family. Buy an axe and bring it to me.” The man brought it to him. The Prophet fixed a handle on it with his own hands and he said, “Go gather firewood and sell it, and do not let me see you for a fortnight.” The man went away and gathered firewood and sold it. When he had earned ten coins, he came and bought a garment and food. The Prophet said, “This is better for you than for begging to come as a spot on your face on the Day of Resurrection. Begging is correct only for three people: one in severe poverty, one in severe debt, and one who must pay a difficult compensation.” (Abu Dawud). Many of the companions of the Prophet were very very rich eg. Abdul Rahman bin Auf. He was very rich in Mekah and when he make hijrah to Madinah he had to leave ALL his wealth in Mekah. BUT then he started all over again and become very very rich again. 
8. We have to work hard. Don't be lazy. Most of our children nowadays are very lazy. They want to relax BUT they want to be rich. And the TV, electronic games, especially smart phone (without control) are great 'fitnah'. AND do not expect the children be good (to work hard, don't watch much TV, not playing games much and abusing their smart phones) if parents themselves are not good. 
9. When you 'aim high' you don't care much about 'PETTY things'. eg. Why am I not invited to the wedding, why this.., why that... 
10. Conclusion: If your aim is jannah, your boss is Allah. Aim high for both, this world and the hereafter. What do we aim to leave in this world? And more important is what do we aim to take with us when we go? Think and act.

Bliss.

11.16am, Malaysian Time

.: Transient life :.

Share the khayr.

Recently I have taken on the initiative to share some of my past work via this blog. Most of the learning materials were developed for children and the materials were customised according to the theme of Islamic events, seminars and conferences conducted in Malaysia.

The main reason for sharing is to make the materials easily accessible to others, particularly mums, homeschoolers, educators or anyone who would like to learn Islam using a simple yet fun approach. 

Samples:

For now I have placed the materials under The Extras tab. 

The materials will insha'Allah be updated every now and then. Kindly take note that all materials can be downloaded and used freely as long as not for profit purposes. I hope and pray may this little effort be of benefit to the mass and I thank you in advance for helping to spread the word around. 

Jazakumullahu khairan kathiran, ameen.  

12.12 noon, 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

.: 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

.: The dialogue :.

The mother's room.

"Being able to be here with our children means a lot to us. While we are focusing on the lecture, you have provided activities for our children to keep them occupied. Seeing that the children are able to absorb what we are learning as well is a greater blessing. We know that to accommodate to our needs, our children's needs, is not an easy task. May Allah reward all of you for your efforts."

Another 2 months. 

10.38am, Malaysian Time

.: Marriage Conference P2 :.

A wedding. 

That was how the hall looked like from inside. Everything looked splendid, the lectures were great, the speakers were masha'Allah tabarak'Allah, passionate and full of energy. However, I felt something was amiss. And for some odd reason, I felt I had to be elsewhere. 

It was probably during the third lecture when I decided to leave the hall to grab a cup of coffee. Instead of heading back to the hall, I found myself in the Mother's Room. Surprisingly, I was at ease. I found peace and tranquility. And as insane as it may sound, I felt I belonged there. 

Yes. Of all places, I felt I belonged in the Mother's Room.

I suppose, after being involved with children in previous seminars, I may have gotten used to the chaotic ruckus normally associated with them. 

Queer conclusion. 

Moving along, I would like to share some of the input I got from the conference. May it benefit you in one way or another, ameen.

1. The Five As in a relationship: Affection, Attention, Acceptance, Affirmation, Acknowledgement
2. The way you see the world is how you are educated at home. You are the product of your life experiences. 
3. Find time to engage, to communicate, to celebrate the love. 
4. Men in superficial relationships: Thinking that the grass is greener at the other side, but once you are there, you will realise there's only sand. 
5. There is human capacity to forgive. Marriage is worth it. 
6. Love is about sacrifice. Have mercy. 
7. Prevent jealousy. Spend on useful parts of social media. Distance yourself. Redirect to Islamic context. 
8. Have a clear focus of life. Know what really matters and do not be swayed by the glitter of dunya. Focus the heart. Ask Allah to cure us and to put things back into perspective. 
9. Some people show a photoshopped version of their lives. Get real. Have a deep understanding of life and what it means to be human. 
10. How to control own displeasure and judging people: Be more emphatic. Mind your own weaknesses. Their perspective may be different. Be compassionate. 
11. Women feel insecure. You must always tell them you love them. Re-assure them. 
12. Languages used to express love: Man is more physical. Woman is more emotional and psychological. 
13. When you belittle another person, when you make others feel like you don't value them, you are breaking the person's heart. Never make someone feel worthless, or even fortunate to have you. Make them feel valuable, and you are fortunate to have them. 
14. We should be complete. If we sense annoyance, we should respond with compassion. 
15. Love is not extracting so much from the other person and giving back so little. 
16. At some point in life, you will be miserable. You will disappoint each other. Face the disappointments with something that is pleasing to God.

Being Me is next!

11.01pm, Malaysian Time

.: Path to Justice P2 :.

Tariq Ramadan.

Selected quotes that I had paraphrased from attending his talk:

1. Living your life with principles means living for God.
2. We are critical of others but how is the quality of our life? Do we live by our principles? Do we struggle?
3. An evil word is like a tree with bad roots. What are the roots? Our heart. The roots are invisible but the roots show the strength of the tree. It is quality and stability.
4. If your roots are strong, and your mind is clear, you will not be bothered by others because you are strong within. Otherwise you become an object of perception, and you strive to please others, follow them and inclined to be weak.
5. Be serious in educating our hearts. Construct yourself with spiritual preparation to counter the threats to come.
6. Isolate yourself not from the people but isolate yourself from the lack of principles of the people. Isolation from the world is isolation from illusions.
7. Quality is missing. There are means for you to become better. Find it. Reconcile yourself with the mending of your life. This is it. Begin with yourself. Change your life. Be committed.
8. They know Islam is a good religion. But where are the great Muslims? What do you do to be a dignified person?
9. There are rules we must abide and respect.
10. If you watch the telly and become more stupid, you have been colonised. Read, read, and read. Be careful with the internet. Being stupid is your choice. Read and respond. Add knowledge to knowledge.
11. Many of us repeat without understanding. Love is not about taking everything. Love in Islam is critical love. I love you but I have a question.
12. Regarding the Dalai Lama. Anyone disciplined has something to teach you. You may not believe his beliefs, but he is a dignified individual and deserves our respect.
13. You have to be serious with your interactions with the people. It strengthens your principles.
14. Liberate Islam from the cultural dress. There are cultures that are biased towards women. That is wrong. There are cultures that champion another race. That is wrong.
15. We are a nation of clarity, not a confused lot.
16. Challenge our culture. Many are Muslims by culture, we should be Muslims by principles.
17. We are self-colonised by corruption. Stop blaming the west for colonisation. Stop complaining.
18. As a community, stop being defensive and apologetic. Be assertive, confident and have trust.
19. Stop having a distorted mindset. No generalisation. Challenge the reality. Be critical. Because we want to be aware. It is essential.
20. You may be Muslims but you must always be on the side of the oppressed. Have courage, not the lack of it.
21. Take care of myself, isolate to have time for myself and to look at the fine details in my life.
22. Are you an added presence or value in your neighbourhood? Start now.

May it benefit others, ameen.

2.12pm, Malaysian Time

.: Path to Justice P1 :.

Large in numbers.

"When we love, we count tragedies with our hearts not our heads."

Harry Fear

As I had attended Tariq Ramadan's talk a few years back, it didn't take long for me to make my decision to attend another one of his talks. He has always struck to me as extremely eloquent in his speech and complex in his thoughts. The plus side of it is this talk will also feature Harry Fear, an equally inspirational and intellectually stimulating individual. 

Foams in the sea.

12.55 noon, Malaysian Time

.: Journey of Faith P3 :.

Final share.

May it be beneficial to you and your loved ones:

1. Surah Al-Fatihah is a dua.
2. You are having a beautiful dialogue with Allah when you recite Surah Al-Fatihah. So don't rush into it. Savour the moment. 
3. As long as your dua is not a sin, it will be answered. Allah is All Hearing. 
4. Surah An-Nur talks about modesty and chastity but in the middle of the surah, Allah said that He is The Light of the sky. The light of Allah can be attained by being modest and guarding your chastity. 
5. Only in Surah As-Saffaat that Allah did not mention the west after mentioning the east. That is because Allah is talking about the rise of Islam and that it will never stop rising. There is no mention of the west since it is the side where the sun sets. 
6. Wisdom is to put things at the right time and its rightful place.
7. The problem with da'wah and educating Islam now is that people only hear it but do not see it. We must put Islam into practice! 
8. Your akhirah begins once you die.
9. Sleep is the minor death. Sleep should make us reflect on death. The dream that we have is different from one another and the emotion in it is physical. The effect of it is also physical. Just like whatever we will experience in the grave is physical. 
10. Reflect on the seed, how it can grow back when planted in earth even if it is a hundred years old. We will also sprout back from our death from the end bone of our backbone. 
11. When you believe in the hereafter, it will make you strong, motivate you to strive for goodness and stay away from sins.
12. If you are conscious of the hereafter, no disturbance will bother you.
13. Just because Allah knows everything, it doesn't mean that He doesn't give us choices. He knows what will happen and if things were to be done differently, than how it will be. 
14. The choice is ours. You can't blaim the qadr for your actions. 
15. You can't claim that you love someone for the sake of Allah if you don't make dua for them.
16. Give rights to your body/health, to your family and to Allah. Balance it all. Politely decline to people's request in order to follow your schedule. 
17. Seek 70 excuses for your brother and sister when you are in doubt. Shaytaan will always make the situation seems worse than what it really is.  
18. Say good or remain silent. If you have an opinion, it doesn't mean that you have to say it. 
19. Statistically, there are only 1% harsh people but we always make it seem like it is 50%. 
20. The brotherhood in faith is stronger than in blood.
21. When you are merciful to each other, Allah will be merciful to you.
22. Make dua for orhers, you will get it too.
23. When you love your brother or sister, tell her. Brother to brother. Sister to sister.
24. Your love to someone should be proportional to their closeness to Allah. But for the sinners, you must still love and make dua for hidayah and goodness for them. Hate the sin, not the sinner. 
25. Do not mock people. Are you making fun of the creations and the Creator? 
26. Everyone deserves to get knowledge. Share it! 
27. Learn one thing of everything. Learn everything of one thing. 
28. Seek your afterlife but do not forget about your share in this dunya 
29. When you ask something from the dunya, tie it with the akhirah. Eg: ask for provision so that you can spend in the way of Allah. 
30. You can have dunya in your hand but dunya should not have you in its hand. 
31. Shaytan will always trick you with the "all or nothing" trick. So you will not do good deeds if you don't have at least an hour of free time.  
32. Consistent small deeds do make difference in your life. 
33. Prioritize your goals. Write down what you need to do. 
34. Get good companies. Surround yourself with those who will remind you of Allah.
35. True friends are those who want you to enter Jannah. 

If time stood still.

4.43pm, Malaysian Time

.: Journey of Faith P2 :.

A continuation.

A little something to keep the spirits up:

1. Recite ayatul kursi before you sleep to have your own personal bodyguard while sleeping.
2. Raining time is a great time to make dua.  Every single rain drop has an angel bringing it down!
3. The angels change shift during fajr and asr. So you can get double the reward for praying fajr and asr.
4. Making others happy will make you happy. When you give to others, Allah will give to you back more!
5. Life is a test. The test of prosperity is more difficult than the est of hardship.  Because more people seek Allah in time of hardship while more people drift away from Allah when they prosper.
6. To be thankful for your wealth or children is to spend your wealth in the most pleasing way to allah and to teach your hildren to be obedient to Allah.
7. The best way to spending money is in seeking knowledge. When you spend it for knowledge (either for yourself or others), Allah will increase your wealth.
8. When there is no barakah in your wealth,  your money will easily flow out for useless reasons.
9. If The Creator addresses Rasulullah s.a.w. with so much respect, then we should at least do the same
10. Hadith explains the Quran
11. Raising your voice in an argument is a sign that your agument is weak
12. If you disrespect Rasulullah s.a.w,  then your deeds may be rejected
13. The companions gave up their life so that we can get the clear message of Islam
14. A lesson from Surah AlHujurat: Do not raise your voice above those of higher status (I.e., elders, teachers or those who hold position in society)
15. We are living in this dunya temporarily and don't know when our passport will expire
16. There are messengers who had very few followers, had only one follower and even had no follower at all. It was not their fault that their people do not accept Islam, rather it is the people's fault. Generally, people do not like to accept the truth that they consider strange.
17. Do not care about numbers or result rather focus of the quality of our work
18. If you obey most people on earth, they will indeed lead you astray (from Surah An'am)
19. The truth is strange so only few people will accept it. The number of believers compared to disbelievers are like a white hair on a black bull during the Day of Judgement. Be among the few!
20. Commit yourself to Allah, not to people
21. Your happiest, best moments should be the moments of your obedience to Allah
22. Even if you are alone, do not compromise tour deen regardless the pressure
23. People now leave the sunnah but do the bidaah
24. Are you a helper or a barrier for someone to become a Muslim? We are representing our deen whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not.
25. You will never be successful or creative in the field of area that you don't like. You must pursue the field that you like.
26. Believers should have the attitude of wanting to excel in halal matters better than others. Competitiveness in doing good deeds!
27. If you supplicate to Allah, He will love you more. Inversely, if you don't ask Allah, He will be angry at you.
28. When you lose something, always ask Allah to replace it with something better.
29. Nothing else can prevent a pre-ordained calamity to befall unto you other than dua.
30. You are on a battlefield against shaytaan. Always wear your armour! Recite the dzikr and duas in the morning and evening.

Reminding myself first before anyone else. 

8.45pm, Malaysian Time

.: Journey of Faith P1 :.

A traveler's guide.

A dear sister of mine is currently attending the Journey of Faith 2014 course held by IMuslim. Alhamdulillah, she has been sharing the knowledge to fellow friends. May Allah reward her immensely for sharing the knowledge and may we benefit from it as well, Allahumma ameen thumma ameen. As she is sharing the knowledge on a daily basis, there may be subsequent posts on this. 

Here are some of the GEMS that I got from her (edited):

1. To have eeman in Allah is to believe in Him, act upon your belief and utter your belief.
2. Barakah is consistent goodness. 
3. Sometimes Allah does not give you something right away because you are not ready for it.
4. The main focus of dakwah is tawheed.
5. Plant the seed of goodness. You never know when it will sprout.
6. To worship Allah is to do things that will please Him, be it actions, words or anything.
7. When we remember the blessings of Allah, we will become more obedient. Syukr!
8. When we don't clean something for a long time, the stain will get harder to be removed. That's the same as our heart that needs constant cleaning.
9. Constantly make tawbah, istighfar & remember Allah. Small deeds also cleanse the heart.
10. When there are so many sins, then there are so much dirt, then the heart becomes dirty and sick. Thus the sinner becomes weakened and hard to do good deeds.
11. Keep asking Allah for forgiveness via words and actions.
12. Everyone makes mistakes. And the best people are those who repent to Allah after they make mistakes. Allah loves the ones who repent.
13. A believer never falls into the same hole twice. He is either careful of that hole or takes another path.
14. Everyone gets angry but you must control it. Hold it back.
15. Be conscious of Allah.
16. The 5 daily prayers, jumaah & ramadhan are our pitstops to remind ourselves and refuel ourselves with taqwa.
17. Turn off your auto pilot. Don't make your ibadah as a mere routine without any reflection.
18. The quality of your heart is reflected by the quality of your prayer!
19. If our heart is clean & pure, then we will never get tired of Quran.
20. Be confident in your dua. Know that Allah is not incapable of granting your dua. The One who can create the heavens and earth from nothing can definitely grant you anything.
21. Ikhlas comes from the root word that means uncontaminated or pure. Let's keep our intention pure!
22. When Allah gives you knowledge, He wants to see if you appreciate it When you appreciate it, Allah will increase it!
23. Whoever seeks the path of knowledge,  Allah makes the path to paradise easy for him.
24. Consistency in seeking knowledge is the biggest challenge. Have the intention to understand and act upon it.
25. The gathering of knowledge is the inheritance of Prophet saws. Every moment of it is considered an ibadah.
26. Arrogance is rejecting the truth when you know it's the truth & belittling others.
27. If it is the truth, then you must accept it even if the person is less knowledgeable. That's the sign of humility.
28. The power to have the right intention is incredible.
29. No one knows what's inside your heart except for you and Allah.
30. The key to reach nafs muthma'innah is you must be contented with what Allah has given you.
31. To have the best relation with Allah, perfect your prayer.
32. Please Allah before pleasing others. You can't actually please people without pleasing Allah.
33. ASK - Just ask Allah. He is All Hearing.
34. Nafs Muthma'innah: Love what Allah loves, Hate what Allah hates, spend in His way and hold tight to His rope.
35. Make dua for beneficial knowledge, that is, a knowledge that will benefit you in dunya and akhirah. That you can reflect and apply, and not that you gain it to hurt others or for debate.
36. Allah commands us to worship Him not because He needs our worship but because we need the worship.
37. Regardless of how healthy, wealthy or influential you are, you will still need to depend on someone. But the creations will are not always dependable and will die. Thus depend on The Creator, The Ever Living, The Most Powerful.
38. It is very, very disrespectful to Allah to ask His creations first before Him! You must first supplicate to Him then only seek His response and search for the means via His creations.
39. The reason we don't depend on Allah is because our eeman is weak. We dont have enough conviction and dont have firm believe.
40. Sabr is at the beginning of the calamity, not the end. Then take the necessary actions.

Share the khayr!

1.51pm, Malaysian time

.: Ilmfest 2014 :.

The culmination of knowledge. 

Alhamdulillah, despite missing the first day due to work engagements, I had a brilliant time at the conference on the second day. The speakers were amazing, the experience was phenomenal, and the fact that family and friends from other parts of the world flew over just to attend it, was mind-boggling. So much to digest, and so much more to implement, there are just not enough words to describe. Love the camaraderie and may Allah S.W.T reward those in realising the conference into a tremendous success. Allahumma ameen, thumma ameen. 

Among the GEMS taken away from the conference (paraphrased): 

1. Many times when we hear about something, we think it refers to other people. However, sometimes we have to take it personally. Take it personally and reflect on yourself. 
2. It is alright to want to look nice, to want things, etc but do not let it consume you. 
3. Wake up with this in mind: "The weight of this ummah is on my shoulders. Be the change for this ummah."
4. Real change, actual tangible change, that change is going to come from you, and it has to come from you, even from a micro-level. Don't think someone will do it for you. 
5. A lot of people say they are grateful, but it is just a statement unless it is attached to the heart. Constantly check the status of your heart.
6. Don't dwell on your sin. Make repentance and move on. Add more good deeds. 
7. You have been working on yourself, but don't forget the people around you. 
8. Don't let people think or convince you that you are insignificant. 
9. It is not about how much knowledge we have, but it is about how we use the knowledge.
10. Be extra careful from becoming a ritualistic Muslim. 
11. Relationship is like a tree. If the roots are strong, all is strong. To be able to stay together for years, is something to be treasured, cherished and respected.
12. We are different, but we have to come together and cover each other's back. Cooperate. 
13. Da'wah is to upgrade the standard of living for people. 
14. Positivity: That's what we need to be the change.
15. Be careful that when you speak, it doesn't hurt people.
16. Love is not dormant, it is an action based verb.
17. Complaining about Allah S.W.T vs Complaining to Allah S.W.T. Know the difference.
18. Keep the focus clear, not the ego. 
19. If you are right, the truth will come out. If you did wrong, seek forgiveness. Focus on the relationship. Trust.
20. The prayer is a comfort, a shelter, a refuge. It protects us from shamelessness and doing evil.
21. We fight among ourselves that we forget the real enemy; the devil and our desires.
22. A catastrophe is a catastrophe if you allow it to realise its' cause.
23. Your projects will only go far as your own ability will allow. 
24. Create value before asking from others. 
25. Touch hearts before asking for hands. 

Obviously there were many more GEMS, but these are the few that I managed to compile. Look forward to attending the next event, the National Achievers Congress 2014, and Divine Speech. 

Knowledge acquisition, from the cradle to the grave.

11.11am, Malaysian Time

... 天很黑了 ...

由于这件事。

  

想着想着, 昨天是我们的第十次汉语课，也是最后的学生联欢。觉得很难过， 很难受，因为我认识了许多新朋友.他们对我很好. 当我要走的时候， 他们给我他们的电子邮件、电话号码还有Facebook信息.所以我们会联系。 

我没有忧愁的感情了。 

4.23pm Malaysian Time

.: ما منعك إلا ليعطيك :.

Metamorphosis.

A drop of ephemeral happiness is better than a lifetime of misery.

The transitory period has ended as once more I gingerly make my way into the corridors of the university of life, as a student, desperate in her attempt to grasp a better and viable comprehension of this shadowy life. Come this Saturday, if my health and God permit it, I will be at University Malaya attending the final weekend of Rays of Faith: Doctrines of Faith III, as taught by Shaykh Waleed Basyouni, the Vice President of AlMaghrib Institute. 

Philippines Sister :: You have attended so many AlMaghrib courses! Masha'Allah!

That statement catapulted a whirl of thoughts. Back to the time where I throttled endless questions asking God, the why, the what, the when, the how, but by far, after all those years, I had the presumption that nothing comes into light. Just when it appears as though one has reached the end of the passage, the doors begin to crack open, one at a time. Within a span of 4 years, the uncertainties, are answered. All that is left, is a continuous pursuit.

Closing in.

6.48pm Malaysian Time