A very Brilliant Conversation

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

I was clearing my old hotmail account which is flooded from junk and found this little piece of email from a friend.

A VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION

An Atheist Professor of Philosophy was speaking to his class on the problem Science has with GOD, the ALMIGHTY. He asked one of his New Christian Students to stand and . . .

Professor : You are a Christian, aren't you, son ?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor : So, you Believe in GOD ?
Student : Absolutely, sir.
Professor : Is GOD Good ?
Student : Sure.
Professor : Is GOD ALL - POWERFUL ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : My Brother died of Cancer even though he Prayed to GOD to Heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn't. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

(Student was silent )

Professor : You can't answer, can you ? Let's start again, Young Fella. Is GOD Good?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Is Satan good ?
Student : No.
Professor : Where does Satan come from ?
Student : From . . . GOD . . .
Professor : That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this World?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Evil is everywhere, isn't it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?
Student : Yes.
Professor : So who created evil ?

(Student did not answer)

Professor : Is there Sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the World, don't they?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor : So, who Created them ?

(Student had no answer)

Professor : Science says you have 5 Senses you use to Identify and Observe the World around you. Tell me, son . . . Have you ever Seen GOD?
Student : No, sir.
Professor : Tell us if you have ever Heard your GOD?
Student : No , sir. Professor : Have you ever Felt your GOD, Tasted your GOD, Smelt your GOD? Have you ever had any Sensory Perception of GOD for that matter?
Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Professor : Yet you still Believe in HIM?
Student : Yes.
Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my Faith.
Professor : Yes,Faith. And that is the Problem Science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as Heat?
Professor : Yes.
Student : And is there such a thing as Cold?
Professor : Yes.
Student : No, sir. There isn't.

(The Lecture Theatre became very quiet with this turn of events )

Student : Sir, you can have Lots of Heat, even More Heat, Superheat, Mega Heat, White Heat, a Little Heat or No Heat. But we don't have anything called Cold. We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is No Heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as Cold. Cold is only a Word we use to describe the Absence of Heat. We cannot Measure Cold. Heat is Energy. Cold is Not the Opposite of Heat, sir, just the Absence of it.

(There was Pin-Drop Silence in the Lecture Theatre )

Student : What about Darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as Darkness?
Professor : Yes. What is Night if there isn't Darkness?
Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the Absence of Something You can have Low Light, Normal Light, Bright Light, Flashing Light . . . But if you have No Light constantly, you have nothing and its called Darkness, isn't it? In reality, Darkness isn't. If it is, were you would be able to make Darkness Darker, wouldn't you?

Professor : So what is the point you are making, Young Man ?
Student : Sir, my point is your Philosophical Premise is flawed.
Professor : Flawed ? Can you explain how?
Student : Sir, you are working on the Premise of Duality. You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a Good GOD and a Bad GOD. You are viewing the Concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can't even explain a Thought. It uses Electricity and Magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view Death as the Opposite of Life is to be ignorant of the fact that Death cannot exist as a Substantive Thing. Death is Not the Opposite of Life: just the Absence of it Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your Students that they evolved from a Monkey?

Professor : If you are referring to the Natural Evolutionary Process, yes, of course, I do.
Student : Have you ever observed Evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a Smile, beginning to realize where the Argument was going )

Student : Since no one has ever observed the Process of Evolution at work and Cannot even prove that this Process is an On-Going Endeavor, Are you not teaching your Opinion, sir? Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher?

(The Class was in Uproar )

Student : Is there anyone in the Class who has ever seen the Professor's Brain?

(The Class broke out into Laughter )

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's Brain, Felt it, touched or Smelt it? . .. . No one appears to have done so. So, according to the Established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that You have No Brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then Trust your Lectures, sir?

(The Room was Silent. The Professor stared at the Student, his face unfathomable)

Professor : I guess you'll have to take them on Faith, son.
Student : That is it sir . . . Exactly ! The Link between Man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that Keeps Things Alive and Moving.

NB:I believe you have enjoyed the Conversation . . . and if so .. . You'll probably want your Friends / Colleagues to enjoy the same . . . won't you? Forward them to Increase their Knowledge . . . or FAITH. That student was Albert Einstein.

Night Prayers; Qiamulaill

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

The uncertainty of how to perform these night prayers for the last 10 days or better known as Qiamulaill has made me restless and unable to sleep thus I went online to search for some answers.

But before I begin this long entry, I just want to sedekah an Al-Fatihah to an old friend of mine from way back in secondary school who has recently met with a sad incident. Inalillah... I told him that it is still Ramadhan and Allah has taken something away from him for a reason and he should redha and not be angry at his fate.

Alright, so to begin this 'lesson' proper, I'd like to quote some verses from Surah Al-Muzzammil ayat 1-8:

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ

O thou folded in garments!.

قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

Stand (to prayer) by night, but not all night,-

نِّصْفَهُ أَوِ انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا.

Half of it,- or a little less,

أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا.

Or a little more; and recite the Qur'an in slow, measured rhythmic tones.

إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا.

Soon shall We send down to thee a weighty Message

إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْئًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا.

Truly the rising by night is most potent for governing (the soul), and most suitable for (framing) the Word (of Prayer and Praise).

إِنَّ لَكَ فِي النَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيلًا

True, there is for thee by day prolonged occupation with ordinary duties:

وَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلًا

But keep in remembrance the name of thy Lord and devote thyself to Him whole-heartedly.

And that... is in essence what Qiamulaill is really about. The later part of the night (1/2am till sahur time) should be spent in ibadah with the sole purpose of pleasing Allah and seeking forgiveness and kindness from Him. In addition to reading the Quran, here are the prayers that can be performed accordingly:

1. Solat Sunat Tahajjud
2. Solat Sunat Hajat
3. Solat Sunat Taubat
4. Solat Sunat Tasbih
5. Solat Sunat Witir

Here are some sites that came in useful for me:
http://www.epondok.com.my/index.php?p=mutiarailmu/qiamullail.php
http://www.scribd.com/doc/5462255/Panduan-Solat-Tarawih-Witir-Tahajjud-Qiamullail-yang-Benar

It's quite alot for a first timer like me... but insyaallah I will be able to do it.

Aisyah r.a. ; The True Beauty (Book Review)

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

From the cover itself, any woman who appreciates beauty would have been attracted by its colourful and stylish designs. However, the cover page, which entitles it in English is actually a book written in Malay or Bahasa Indonesia.

The author, Brother Sulaiman An-Nadawi has compiled what he considers the most comprehensive biography of Saidatina Aisyah r.a., the Prophet's youngest wife. That being said, I applaud his scholarly work which cites many historical data and hadiths.

May Allah give him many blessings for sharing this book with us.

The Book:

The first part of the book is written chronologically- depicting the life of Aisyah r.a from birth till her wedding with the Prophet s.a.w. Later on, the author tries to portray Aisyah r.a through various themes such as her relationships with the Prophet's s.a.w's other wives, her character, her intellectual discussions and contributions to the Islamic society and a few more.

The book is written in simple language, with footnotes explaining the context behind certain hadiths and incidents and in a nutshell, managed to make Aisyah r.a. very much alive and real in our minds.

One of my takeaways from this book, although I have only read 1/4 of it, is that the relationship between Aisyah r.a and the Prophet s.a.w is not only special but a basis for which his ummah can emulate. The stories inside this book shows us that our Prophet s.a.w. is also human and he too had marital problems which he always found solutions to. But it is without a doubt that he was a kind and gentle husband, father and grandfather.

As for Aisyah, although she was relatively young when the Prophet s.a.w was still alive, she has been described as a very intelligent child that had an excellent memory and was very curious and asked alot of questions. Her intellectual contributions after the Prophet's death are also laid out in the book; evident that women in Islam have been and should be given the right to knowledge, as are men.

As women of Islam, we should try to emulate the behaviour of the Prophet's wives and learn as much as we can about them because through their eyes we could see the Prophet from a lover's eyes and hopefully feel love for him and Allah as well. From them too we can learn what it means to be a good muslimah and a good wife and a good mother. Insyaallah.

May Allah bless us for our efforts to learn and acquire knowledge in His name.

Amin.

A meaningful Fast =)

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

I'm currently exhausted and waiting for my hair to dry before I perform my Asr prayers. Today has been a whirlwind of housework- laundry, cleaning and clearing. Heh heh.

When I was younger, I used to hate doing the cleaning and will always lament that my brothers are useless and do not help with the chores. I still do think that and I have made it a point that when I have sons, I will make sure they know how to cook, bake and clean just like the girls.

So after doing handwashing of laundry, I sorted out my past years' worth of readings and notes; dug out what I may need for this semester and chased away the dust mites and god knows what else inside that cupboard of mine.

After that, its cleaning the windows. But by the 4th room, my hands were having blisters and rashes and I had to stop. =( Sensitive skin with no more natural protection.

But the day feels very meaningful because I've done all these with the intention of pleasing Allah and I feel very contented.

Alhamdulliah...

Berkahs from Allah s.w.t

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

There are always these simple things in life that you have that makes you feel grateful for His blessings and His love.

For example, I bought this new plant yesterday. Isn't it beautiful?



Then it got me thinking- Allah shows His magnificence when He creates such beautiful creations... and He must truly love beauty and perfection because isn't all that He created beautiful and perfect?

In every living thing He created, He had blown into it, His spirit of life and in that, allows us humans to be close to Him everytime we are near His creation. I love my plants and I take care of them everyday because of Allah. Because I marvel at how they grow and how they stand strong resisting wind and rain, cold or sunshine... Subhanallah...




Apart from that, there is also the pleasures that He has given me in terms of food. The first is a picture of sushi I bought from the Hei Sushi Kiosk. Not much, but enough for break fast. It occured to me while looking for sushi that I must find the halal one and not simply eat at any sushi kiosk. The halal-ness of a food would complement the journey I have taken during my fast.

Next is a picture of mooncakes that Hubtobe bought for my family. Isn't it lovely? I marvel at the intricate design on the mooncake skin.



Allahuakbar!

The Islamic Diet

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

I think I have made mention of this topic in an earlier entry, but I was again reminded by a dear friend's email about 'the islamic diet' and so I decided to post it up here.

Islamic Diet

The Islamic diet is not only to help you lose weight, but also allows you to gain in deeds and improves your spirituality.

The prophet (P.B.U.H) was described to have had no belly even at the age of 63 and said obesity is the root of disease, modern medicine agrees. The message of Islam provides us with the solution with all our problems and this includes losing weight. All you have to do is follow the Sunnah….

The Amount of food:
The prophet (P.B.U.H) said the worse vessel the sons of adam fill is their stomach, and recommended that we should only eat when hungry and never reach satiety. Alhamduallah he (P.B.U.H) did not leave it ambiguous but defined the amount of food we should consume, the minimum being the amount we require to ‘keep our backs straight’ and maximum being ‘the third of our stomach’. Unfortunately for many of us it is very easy to perceive our whole abdomen to be our stomach, which of course is not true. The stomach can at maximum contain a litre of liquid, meaning that at maximum we should eat an amount of food which if liquidized should be around 333ml!!!

One of the main principles of good health is a balanced diet. Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) emphasized the habit of eating less as a method of preventing sickness and disease.

Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) said:

"Nothing is worse than a person who fills his stomach. It should be enough for the son of Adam to have a few bites to satisfy his hunger. If he wishes more, it should be: One-third for his food, one-third for his liquids, and one-third for his breath." - Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah


Times for food:
In the Sunnah it is mentioned that there is no time when you are not allowed to eat, except during prayer or while fasting. The prophet (P.B.U.H) had soaked dates first thing in the morning, which could be considered breakfast. There are also hadiths that mentions that he ate salads after Asur prayer. There is also the command if food is prepared and it’s time to pray Isha, to eat first. Other than that there is no strict adherence to certain times, and thus in other times it is about eating when hungry.

Method of eating:
The prophet (P.B.U.H) commented on his position when eating by saying ‘I only sit like the slave sits and eat like the slave eats’. He (P.B.U.H) sat on the floor when he ate, and warned from eating while reclined or supported. This is of great wisdom, as when one is reclined or supported the muscles of the chest and back relax, and affect the posture of the body and thus the food as it is swallowed. The position is also one of humility and remembrance of our relationship to the Creator of the food.

The prophet (P.B.U.H) ate with three of his fingers, the index, thumb and middle finger. This makes sure that only a small amount is eaten at a time, which helps make sure the food is chewed properly aiding digestion as well as restricting calorie intake. Using your fingers help you identify bones or other objects that might choke you, it also helps you make sure that the temperature of the food is right and is not too hot to cause you damage. There is clear prohibition in the Sunnah to taking food that is too hot. In fact too hot a drink or food is the punishment of the people of hell. Food that is too hot can burn your lips, tongue and inner organs.


Sharing:
Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H), demonstrated to his followers the pleasures of sharing as opposed to over-indulgence in the good things of life. The sharing of food with neighbours, relatives, friends, the needy, and the destitute is emphasized. Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H) saying:


"He is not a believer who eats to his fill but his neighbour goes without food." - Sahih Bukhari


Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) elaborated on the duty of the Muslim to suppress greed, especially in eating. This appears in a very specific situation reported by Ibn Umar, in which the Prophet (P.B.U.H) prohibited anyone taking two dates together before asking permission from his companions (sharing the meal with him) - Sahih Bukhari.


Mindset towards Food and eating:
As Muslims we see food as a means and not an aim. Our aim is the worship of Allah. It is a spiritual illness to keep your mind occupied with food. It is also a disease to always fulfill your food desires. When Omar (R.A) asked a man why he was in the market and replied to buy a certain food that he desired Omar (R.A) told him “do you do everything your nafs commands?”

While we have to be wary of allowing our passion for food to lead us to excess, nevertheless we do not have to just eat for survival. We are allowed to enjoy food and have personal preference and dislikes. The prophet’s (P.B.U.H) favourite food was honey, and he disliked eating the meat of lizards even though are halal.

The Quran mentions the food of paradise, and even how its’ residents will be given the meat of birds which they desire. So to like the meat of birds (chicken etc) is one of the descriptions of the people of paradise while we have to be wary of allowing our passion for food to lead us to excess, nevertheless we do not have to just eat for survival.

Sometimes some of us want to restrict the amount we eat, but when it comes to it, we fall and end up eating a lot. Now this according to spirituality is considered a mental defect, and the cure for it is this ayah. The repetition of this ayah (7 times before every meal)<>, and/or having this ayah somewhere where you can see it cures. In no time you will find that you do enjoy food and also are able to stop before going to excess.

"O Children of Adam! wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters." Quran (7:31)

Never Criticise Any Food

Food should not be criticised for any reason, despite personal disliking. Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) never criticised any food that was offered to him.

"The Prophet (P.B.U.H) never criticised any food (he was invited to) but he used to eat it if he liked the food, and leave it if he disliked it." - Sahih Bukhari


Eating Together

Eating with others bring about harmony and understanding among people. People are usually more relaxed when eating in company. Their minds are less absorbed in their daily activities and are free of worries. Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) brought the attention of Muslims to the importance of eating together


"Eat together and not separately, for the blessing is associated with the company." - Ibn Majah

(Note: 'Eating together' here does not imply mixed eating by males and females at parties or banquets):

May Allah s.w bless our beloved and noble Prophet Muhammad s.a.w
Insya Allah.

Wedding jitters fritters

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

This is my first wedding discussion, although I am sure it won't be the last. Well, before I start, I just want to say that in Singapore, weddings have become such a big thing that on average, families spend about $25k for their whole wedding and that could just be on the female or male side of the couple.

I am thankful that at least me and Hubtobe do not wish to splurge so much on our wedding and see it simply as an opportunity to sedekah food and invite people to rekindle their bonds and ties to each other. But with that said, do you know how many people have already booked their caterer, clothes and everything else even when they're getting married in Dec 2011??? goodness! We haven't even started! In fact, Hubtobe hasn't even proposed to my parents! -laugh-

But seriously... this catering and wedding field is quite lucrative. In a month, surely there will be 3-4 weddings. And on the popular months like June and December... well, you can expect up to 8-10. Seeing how lucrative it is, I decided to look around for the pricing... and lo and behold, even my eyes are popping out!

1000 pax could fetch at least $9500 and at most $15k! That's very expensive. Then you add your decoration and your wedding gown and this and that and tada! You spend about $25k.

My only consolation is that we are having a combined wedding and at least we could share the cost. But $25k is almost like half the cost of my education in university!

Truth be told, I wish I could postpone this trivial spending to a few more years... but it would be right if we nikah first then have the whole hoo hah more than 1 year apart right? I don't get it. The purpose of a wedding is to make the couple halal... yet all these extravagance seems... so... over the top don't you think?

Expectations of Rewards from Allah

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

Today, it seems, Daily Reminders shared a wonderful link with us all; one which I'd like to put up here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiRD0ONUjK0

The speaker in the video talks about achieving Ihsan 24/7.

So, what is this 'Ihsan?'

In Arabic, Ihsan means "perfection" or "excellence" and is applied most in matters of one's inner faith, iman, by showing it in both deed and actions. It is the Muslim's responsibility to obtain ihsan in worship, such that Muslims try to worship Allah as if they see Him. But, we know we cannot see Him, but we believe that He is always watching over us.

As said by our Prophet Muhammad s.a.w, "[Ihsan is] to worship God as though you see him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you." (Al-Bukhari and Al-Muslim)

So back to the speaker- is it possible for someone to achieve that level of Ihsan 24hours a day, 7 days a week? Masyaallah...

His answer is yes and this marks the difference between a Mukmin and a Mukhsin. The difference is in the level of expectations that the Mukhsin has with regards to the rewards from Allah. The speaker then goes to explain it in this way:

The average Muslim who prays 5times a day, has his niat to do worship to Allah in total of less than an hour. But compare that to someone who does everything with Allah in his intentions- he goes to school because of Allah, he goes to sleep because of Allah and he even goes to gym because of Allah... and he believes that he will be rewarded by Allah. Insyaallah.

But the speaker warns us that even when we're doing something good, but we have no intentions to do it for the sake of Allah, then it does not count. Although I agree, I also do think that this is up to Allah to decide.

I felt a bit humbled and humiliated after listening to the speaker in his video. Because this morning when I went to my blog, my intentions were to lay out why I was so angry at my Hubtobe for not finishing the food that I cooked.

As a wife, when she cooks for her husband, she does it to please Allah first, then please her husband.... not the other way round. And therefore, she should not take her husband's criticism of her cooking as a means to degrade her but as a means to improve her.

Allah knows how I'm feeling and only Allah understands, even if I didn't say it out loud.

Wallahualam Bissawab

We are just moulds, casting plasticine

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

Remember when you were a kid in primary school and you had to make these ridiculous arts and crafts project with plasticine? I used to hate it because the pasticine smells so bad and my hands always felt so oily after playing with it. Plus, i hate to mix different plasticine together; I didn't like the colours tainted. Yeah, I'm disciplined in that way.

And yet plasticine is exactly the metaphor I will be using to describe the raising of children. I know it's so reductive of me... but in an essence, they are as malleable and pliable as you want them to be. And as parents, as adults, we are the moulds.

When I was younger, my consolation was always knowing that parents never had practice before having real children and they actually go into this parenting business blindly. As the eldest, that always meant I bore the brunt of all their experiments- be it punishment, disciplined, expectations and disappointment. And of course, to them, when I rebelled, it meant the world was going to end. Lol. So it is quite hilarious to see them go through the same process all over again with my brothers but guess what? This time, with more experience, they just sit back and say 'it's just a phase. he'll get over it. '

So on this topic of children I just wanted to lay out 3 different scenarios:

The first one is about a relative of mine, who due to his stable income, is able to afford living in a landed property and has the desire to have more children. He already has three children and his wife has just gotten pregnant with their fourth. But the sad thing is, his wife hardly takes care of their kids because she doesn't know how to. She leaves them to the maid and her in-laws. It's a bit sad to find out about such things. My mother was telling me that I better not dump my kids on her. I wanted to protest of course, seeing that my dad, being bored at home would love playing with the kids... but then, I also have Hubtobe's mom who is also bored at home and would love to take care of the kids.

The second is about my kids' maid who after 12 years of service, decided to return home to her own children and family, leaving behind, her surrogate children, whom she has helped to raise since birth. She had been their mother, raising them, educating them, enforcing solat and fast on them... and suddenly she's gone. But at the same time, I pity her own children who were devoid of their own mother's love and who had to grow up without her... how did they feel and what are they now without her influence?

Lastly, how does a mother decide which child to send to secular school and which child to send to a full-time madrasah? I was discussing with Hubtobe the other day and he said he'd want our girls to wear the tudung once they start preschool. I'd think 7 years old is a better time and best if we sent them to a full time madrasah too so they are surrounded by girls and women who are dressed conservatively.

We had this idea that we should send the first son and first daughter to a full time madrasah and then the rest we could send to secular schools. But I don't know... I'm not used to a madrasah system. Plus they'd not have the chance to mingle with non-malays and non-muslims for their entire schooling years. Ah, we'll think about it when we get there.

It's just... raising children is an amanah from Allah... and a very difficult task. It's not about dressing them up in the most trendiest clothes or enrolling them in ridiculously expensive early learning schools and what not...

Children are going to keep you awake at night and hound you restlessly during the day for attention and make all sorts of pleas and demands... then they grow up and start rebelling, shouting at you and then they get married and then you suddenly feel old and you're going to die.

How does one get over the fear of failing them? Of failing Him?

Wallahualam Bissawab...

Sleeping and Awaking

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

I saw something on this Happy Muslim Family and Friends page and decided to post it here coz I am ALWAYS in this situation.

Narrated 'Abdullah (Radi-Allahu 'anhum): A person was mentioned
before the Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) and he was told that
he had kept on sleeping till morning and had not gotup for the prayer.
The Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, "Satan urinated in his
ears." Bukhari Vol. 2 : No. 245

I sleep late almost everyday- not because of insomnia as some would say but the term is actually somniphobia which is a fear of sleeping. I fear going to sleep because I'm afraid I'd die in my sleep and that I haven't repent much... or sometimes I just won't sleep even when I'm so tired because I feel that I had not done enough things during the day to warrant enough rest at night. Weird right? But worst of all is when I won't sleep because I feel unfulfilled in certain areas of my life and I feel as though if I stay wake long enough, I might feel better.

As a result, I sleep as late as 3 or 4am on some days and now since it's Ramadan, that means I have to wake up at 5am and I have even fallen asleep on the prayer mat while waiting for the prayer call. Astagfiruallah... But mostly, I'll lie down while waiting for the subuh azan and lo and behold! I fall asleep until 8 or 9am to which I feel terrible and then just sleep some more till 11 or 12. Haiz...

What should the cure be for this?

I'm thinking of eating multivitamins again, in hopes that it would energize me... and yes I'm looking forward to my gym sessions again coz I always feel in the mood to sleep after that. But Hubtobe thinks eating multivites are a waste coz my body will just discard the unnecessary elements. -boohoo-

Being a couple

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

Alhamdulillah, Praise be to Him, we have made it through to the 16th day of Ramadan.

First of all, I'd like to put a quote I took from this blog entry :

"Jauhilah perhubungan cowo dan cewek (bahasa Jawa) sebelum kahwin, baik apapun bentuk perhubungan itu sama ada hubungan jiwa apalagi hubungan fizikal. Sedemikian banyak kemanisan yang dikecap antara hubungan dua jantina sebelum kahwin, sedemikian banyaklah kemanisan yang akan ditarik Allah sesudah di alam perkahwinan. Malanglah! Betapa manisnya masa cinta sebelum kahwin, hanya pahit dan sepah yang tinggal selepas kahwin, semua madunya telah dihisap dengan rakus dan tamak sebelum kahwin."

[ Stay away from relationships, be it emotional or physical, between male and female as long as you are not married. For as many sweetness that is shared between the couple before marriage, Allah will take as much sweetness from them after marriage. How unfortunate! No matter how sweet love is before marriage, only bitterness is left after marriage; all it's nectar sucked off by greed and gluttony before marriage]

I guess this entry is sparked off by an incident that happened last night at my cousin's birthday celebration. I must say that I was thoroughly surprised and happy that it was a cozy family affair that made me feel really comfortable and blessed.

It was very sweet to see my cousin and her husband around each other. Sometimes, I can't believe that they're already married. And I know they are waiting for their lives to be filled with the joy of being parents. And she reminded me about something very important yesterday-

That she and her husband are now halal and it struck me so hard how I envy that. For years in our lives before nikah, everything forbidden between a man and a woman is sinful and frowned upon by Allah. But everything after that, brings Him pleasure and we even get pahala for it.

Masyaallah... I'm sure no one wishes to have their marriage wrecked with unhappiness because Allah has taken away all the sweetness away because of their transgressions before marriage. And it made me also worry for my other loved ones who have yet to mend their ways and seek refuge in Him.

And so... I am looking forward to the end of this semester... and I put all my faith and yakin in Allah for He is the best of all planners.

Amin.

Islamophobia in America

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

Praise be to He, protector of Man of faith.

This morning, after sahur, I was sitting in the study room drinking a cup of water when I noticed the latest issue of TIME addressing the topic of Islamophobia in America. I mean, I am aware that such a sentiment exists in the West but for TIME to create a dedicated front cover article on it, I think it deserves some discussion.

The problem seemed to be aggravated by the proposal to build a Muslim cultural centre and mosque, two blocks away from Ground Zero in New York. As many of us are aware, Ground Zero would refer to the location of the 9/11 attacks. Some are arguing that to build a mosque there would reflect insensitivity towards the families of those killed in the attack. Some of the more lurid questions regarding this proposal include: "Will there be any weapons or military training at the mosque?"

Astagfiruallahalazim... And the 46% of the general American public also believe that Islam is more likely than other faiths to encourage non-violence towards believers.

I have to say that while I am relatively far from the situation in America, this news saddens me. And it makes me grateful that at least in Singapore, we do not have protestors outside our mosques and Muslims here are allowed to proudly claim they are Muslims without fearing defamation or assault etc.

Last semester I took a module on the History of Islam and we also touched upon current day issues such as the above; Islamism, Islamophobia, Islamist- all these are nouns coined only in this 21st century and force the noun Islam to coexist with all these other affixes that do not do justice to itself.

If our Prophet Muhammad s.a.w were to be here to see the world today, I think he would be both happy and sad. Happy in that his ummah has spread even further than the Middle East to all parts of the world; growing larger than any of the kaum of the Prophets before him. But he would be sad too when he sees the state of Iman his ummah is in... which is further weakened by the hostilities and violence propagated by both muslims and non muslims towards each other.

We have let our Prophet, the al-muallim down and we should all be ashamed of ourselves.

Wallahualam Bissawab.

Ramadan around the world

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

A friend of mine shared this link with us on Facebook and I really love the pictures!

Here it is: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2010/aug/11/ramadan-around-the-world#/

I hope the photographers doesn't mind that I put some of their photos up here. All courtesy to guardian.co.uk for compiling the photos:

Here's a picture of Friday prayers in Jakarta. Masyaallah...

Delhi: A man and child break their fast after sunset on the first day of Ramadan at Jama mosque



Nairobi: Children read the Qur'an in a madrasa



They didn't have any pictures of Singapore though! So I'm going to put my own. =)

These are just some pictures I took from a relative were taken of the Geylang Bazaar during Ramadan. It's always almost the same every year... but the atmosphere is different. I hope someday, I would be able to experience Ramadan in other countries as well; do terawih in their mosques and eat the food the Muslims eat over there. Insyaallah, if God willing.

Contemplative Conundrums

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

Last night, I saw a friend commenting that she despises people who do eat, smoke and drink in front of others during the fasting month. She also goes on to further point out that these people are not muslims and are despicable.

So, she has contemplated the situation and came out with a conclusion- all of which are really conundrums to her of course.

It is not in our place to question the WHY in people's actions or inactions. We should leave it up to Him to ascertain accordingly. Similarly, we have no right to judge if someone is a bad muslim or if that person is a muslim at all. So it was very disheartening for me to see such a post on Facebook. She has made this issue her problem and in that process riddle herself with the conundrum that can never be answered except by Allah.

But the irony is... fasting is the 3rd pillar of our rukun Islam... so before you begin to judge others, you should see if you yourself have fulfilled the first and second requirements- which are, proclaiming the syahadah and doing your five prayers. Many of us, have been fasting but all we get out of it is the feeling of hunger, thirst and fatigue... because our fast had been nullified when we leave out our obligations to pray.

-sigh-

Then there's the issue of he-who- shall- not-be-named-because-I'm- so-annoyed-at-you. Please do not take 8 years to complete your Honours because procrastination is a sin. (see here)

Ibnul-Qayyim said, ‘There is nothing that Allah has enjoined, but Shaytan has ways of dealing with it, either by inclining (people) towards falling short and being negligence or excessive and exaggeration. He does not care which of these two mistakes a person makes. So he may come to a person’s heart and check it out, and if he finds that he is lazy, negligent and looking for concessions, then he goes along with that. He holds him back and stops him from doing things; he makes him lazy, indifferent and negligent, and encourages him to seek alternative interpretations and hope for forgiveness etc., until a person may give up doing all things that have been enjoined.

One of the ways in which Shaytan does this is mentioned in the hadith recorded in Saheeh al-Bukharee from Abu Hurayrah (radhi allahu anhu), who said that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said,

‘Shaytan puts three knots at the back of the head of any of you if he is asleep. On every knot he reads and exhales the following words, ‘The night is long, so stay asleep.’ When one wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone; and when one performs ablution, the second knot is undone, and when one prays the third knot is undone and one gets up energetic with a good heart in the morning; otherwise one gets up lazy and with a mischievous heart.’ [Saheeh al-Bukharee (21/243)]

Therefore, seek refuge in Him whenever you feel lost because I can't always give you the right answers...

Allahumma innee a`dhu bika mina al-‘ajzi wa al-kasal wa al-jubun wa al-bukhl wa ghalabati al-dayni wa qahri al-rrijaal

(O Allah, I seek refuge in You from helplessness, sloth, cowardice, niggardliness, and burden of debts and domineering men.)

Laa ilaaha illa Allaahu al-`azeem al-haleem, la ilaaha illa Allaahu rabbu al-`arshi al-`azeem, laa ilaaha illa Allaahu rabbu al-ssamaawaati wa al-ardhi wa rabbu al-`arshi al-kareem

(There is no god but Allah, the Glorious and Clement; there is no god but Allah, Lord of the Great Throne; there is no god but Allah, Lord of the heavens and earth and the Noble Throne).”

Building a Library

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

Today I went for the forum entitled 'Dilemmas of the Knowledge seeker' at Sultan Mosque. It was really great and being the geek that I am, I took down notes worthy of an essay. I will write about what I learnt in another entry.

As knowledge goes, books are perhaps one of the oldest medium for the distribution and personalization of knowledge. In the past, in Prophet Muhammad s.a.w's time, knowledge was taught and gained in khalaqahs or small group teachings. Even the Quran was not compiled into a book until Saidina Uthman's time.

One of the speakers today shared a little about respect for books as an extension of our respect for the knowledge within that book as well as for the authors who have spent time gathering those knowledge.

As such, I am very proud to share the first two books that are gracing my bookshelves that will be the future building block for my Islamic Library. Of course, it is meant for personal use but family and friends are allowed to borrow any book they like because that knowledge is not mine to begin with.

On the left, the Medicine of the Prophet was actually bought because it reminded me of Hubtobe. He had once shared with me some of the herbs and healing strategies that our Prophet s.a.w used.

And so I bought the book; initially intending to give it to him but I know he is not one to read such lengthy books, so I decided to read it first then summarize it to him and lend it to him should he want to read it for himself.

The book on the right was actually bought for one of my dear sisters for her birthday. However, I wanted to read the book too and I wanted to have it in my library thus I bought another copy for myself. =)

I hope to fill the cupboard with more books in the future, insyaallah. Hopefully they'll be ready by the time my children can start to read and start to be curious to seek knowledge form around them.

Living by example

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

Before I begin, just wanted to share that my father replied my short email with a very lengthy one! It seems my brothers haven't been emailing him much and worst of all, he doesn't get to talk to us much because this month we're always at terawih when he calls. I miss him very much and I really pray that he will be home with us for Hari Raya. Insyaallah... if God willing...

Actually, the purpose of this entry is to write about the three levels of fasting that I've learnt these past few days during the short takzirah after terawih. And again I read it this morning on 'Happy muslim husband and wife'. So I guess that's a sign that I should write what I learnt.

From their website:

Three Grades:-

It should be known that there are three grades of Fasting: ordinary, special and extra-special.

Ordinary Fasting means abstaining from food, drink and sexual satisfaction.

Special Fasting means keeping one's ears, eyes, tongue, hands and feet -- and all other organs -- free from sin.

Extra-special Fasting means fasting of the heart from unworthy concerns and worldly thoughts, in total disregard of everything but Allah, Great and Glorious is He. This kind of Fast is broken by thinking of worldly matters, except for those conducive to religious ends, since these constitute provision for the Hereafter and are not of this lower world. Those versed in the spiritual life of the heart have even said that a sin is recorded against one who concerns himself all day with arrangements for breaking his Fast. Such anxiety stems from lack of trust in the bounty of Allah, Great and Glorious is He, and from lack of certain faith in His promised sustenance.

To this third degree belong the Prophets, the true awliya and the intimates of Allah. It does not lend itself to detailed examination in words, as its true nature is better revealed in action. It consists in utmost dedication to Allah, Great and Glorious is He, to the neglect of everything other than Allah, Exalted is He. It is bound up with the significance of His words: 'Say: "Allah (sent it down)": then leave them to play in their vain discussions.' [al-An'am,6:91]

The above is just a segment of it. But it is something that is often repeated during Ramadhan by our ustads and ustazahs...

It makes you think doesn't it... at which level are you fasting at right now? And how many days were you able to sustain that level? Did you try for the extra-special fast and do you think you succeeded?

But something Ustad said last night, really resonated within me. He said that Nabi Muhammad s.a.w, despite being the key opener of syurga, still sets an example by spending his days fasting and his nights praying. In fact he had asked permission from his wives to excuse him during Ramadhan to allow him to be only with Allah. I was truly touched by that...

And yet, here we are, as his ummah, taking for granted that we'd go to heaven too eventually and we do not put in much effort into our ibadah. Ustad reminded us that Ramadhan is our practicing ground. If we do something during Ramadhan (like night prayers), then we should continue with it throughout the year; not just be good during Ramadhan. Insyaallah... I will try...

However, I must say that sometimes other worldly concerns are more applicable to men than women. Women still have to concern themselves with worldly considerations... like cooking for the breaking of fast, laundry, taking care of the children and keeping the house clean so it is more conducive for ibadah. But I am sure that if they do it with the sincerest of hearts, to seek His pleasure, then I'm sure He will reward these women for always remembering Him.

As much as we can, we must follow the examples set by our Prophet s.a.w, his companions and his wives.

Wallahualam Bissawab...

Of flowers and Hubbies

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

Alhamdulillah, I have just returned home from sending food to Hubtobe for his buka, dinner and sahur. He sometimes forgets to eat or doesn't eat enough especially now that it's fasting month and he's working and schooling back to back. At times I don't trust that he'll eat unless he's eating in front of me.

But Hubtobe's so sweet... when I met him he said he was looking for a flower shop; said he wanted to buy a flower for me because he hasn't done so in a long time. Awwww... So I pointed to him to the florist on the other side of the street and I chose a sunflower!

I love sunflowers. They're so beautiful... masyaallah... in fact, all flowers are beautiful and I'm really itching to go to the nursery to get more flower pots. Preferably before Hari Raya for I think there might be a sale.

Here's the sunflower he bought for me today:


Hubtobe's really the first guy to constantly buy flowers for me... I don't expect flowers of course... but he's so sweet in that way.

Women can go silly at times when they get flowers. It makes them feel appreciated... especially after sweating while cooking and all those blisters from laundry and cleaning the house. That's why I buy flowers for my mom sometimes for no reason. Also the plants outside the house bring joy to her and my dad. =)

Anyway, I was reading Tuttie's blog a while ago and under her tags 'Busted', had me laughing so much! Especially the one where she found her hubby reading her blog! Lol. Then I read the comments and made me laugh even more. Yeah... I have the same feeling too! I mean, I don't really like ppl I know to read my blog. Hahahaha. weird or what. It's like she said- they're gonna psychoanalyze everything you say and then cross refer to their own memories of said incidents. -laugh-

But with that said, Hubtobe does read my blog... but he doesn't have much time to read it everyday... with all his workload and all. He managed to whine his way to letting me let him read my blog. Lol. Or wait... was that me? Hahahaha.

The meaning of عيد الفطر

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

Contrary to popular belief, Eid ul Fitr, or Hari Raya Aidilfitri as it is known here in Singapore, is NOT the Muslim new year. I even saw this mistake in a scholarly paper written by a Malay whom I will assume is Muslim as well.

Many here are unaware just the same that the real Islamic new year is in the month of Muharram, not Syawal. Yet, the level of celebration our community devote to Aidilfitri is at times superfluous.

In retrospect, Eid ul Fitr should be celebrated at a smaller scale as compared to the 'Greater Eid' which is Eid ul Adha...

Eid ul Fitr simply marks an end to the month of Ramadhan... and although we celebrate it with joy, we must not forget that it is also a sad goodbye to the most beautiful month in Islam and also it is a sad parting for the souls who have to return back to the grave and face their continued punishments.

The reason why I'm bringing this up is because I was a little angry this morning when I heard the donation drive advertisement on radio. There was a small boy who was crying, saying that he wanted new clothes for the coming Hari Raya but his mom says they can't afford coz they're poor and their father is sick. Then the boy says that he too wishes to live a life of means like his friends. Then the DJ says that we should help these families so that they too can have a meaningful Aidilfitri.

The advertisement disturbs me on 2 levels:

First- Hari Raya does not equal to new clothes every year. Are you telling me that these people, who receive the donations every year desire to buy new clothes every year? Then they're much more well off than I am for I only buy a new set of baju kurung every 3-5 years. Astagfiruallah.

Second- It reminded me of a family I know whom, upon receiving alms, would spend quite a lot on new clothes...
The money that you receive from this donation drive is meant to cover you for a few months... but sometimes they blow it all on just Hari Raya. =(

When the boy says that he too wishes to be well off like his friends... I don't know if I should pity or feel upset with him. There is alot to be grateful for, even when you are poor. You should be grateful that Allah has willed you to wake up another day, so that you can strive to work or study hard for rezeki.

My mother used to say that we should not be jealous of our friend's wealth or wish to be like them. Instead we should be jealous of those who have more ilmu than us; especially knowledge in religion and we should try to learn as much as we can from them. That is what we should strive for... not compare ourselves to the financial status of others then lament at our own state and blame God for it.

I remembered a story about an Imam (I can't remember which one now) who would cry when he saw a poor person and also cry when he saw a rich person. He said that the poor person, being poor never stopped praying to Allah, asking for halal rezeki and seeking His protection. While the rich person, always prays to Allah, to give his thanks and show his gratitude for all that He has given.

So that is why, in the recent years, I begin to realise that Hari Raya is not a day to show off who has the most expensive or branded handbag or who has lost the most weight or who has the prettiest looking outfit. I am grateful to be covered in whatever baju kurung or abaya that I have and that the hijab covers me inside and out. I go to the elders house to seek forgiveness and meet my relatives... so for me... materials are possessions of this world.

And that... is enough for me.

Furry companions

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

I love cats but my mother doesn't like having pets at home because she doesn't like to clean after their mess and also doesn't want the furniture to be a scratching post for the cats.

As such, I've made compromises in the past. And had hamsters and fish and terrapins. Hamsters were probably the closest furry creatures that I had. When they grew old and died, I threw away their cages coz they have gnawed on the bars until they were down to their iron. Plus, it had been 4 years old and very worn out. These hamsters would bite at almost anything when their teeth start to grow.

My two female pearl hamsters look something like this:



Very adorable right...
Sometimes I'd let them run around in the house in a ball and it's really hilarious watching them run around- although I must say they're really fast runners!

I'm thinking of getting hamsters again... I love the feel of them in my hands... so warm and cuddly...

But my true love is still cats. And I take pictures of them at random places whenever I can. I have to admit that using a phone camera doesn't yield that great results... but at least I get to capture their beauty.

Well, I hope to take more photos of them when I can. They are really beautiful creatures and some of them are so manja when they rub themselves onto your legs even though you're a complete stranger. Sometimes when I have cats or kittens doing that, I have that urge to just bring them home...

If I recall, I read somewhere that if you looked after a cat or elderly in your house, He will always ensure that you have rezeki in your house. I suppose it is because you take the time to care for and love those who need your attention and He rewards you for it.
I've already whined to Hubtobe that I want kittens and cats in our home in the future. I forgot what he said but I think it's a yes. But then, we'll let the cat go in and out of the house as they like after they're neutered so they can have all the leisure that they like, without feeling trapped. It's just like letting my hamsters run around in the house. They really like the exercise. Plus, they get to catch their own spiders and whatever else they like.

Here we have my ustazah's and ustad's cat sitting on the carpet while we were reading the Quran while waiting for Isyak azan.

She's actually not neutered yet and I think she's really agitated by it because she wants to mate but is afraid to venture out on her own. Ustad's kids were contemplating to release her or take her to the doctor to be neutralized. I don't know...

Is it right for us to neuter animals?

There is this one hadith that goes:

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “A woman entered Hell because of a cat which she tied up and did not feed, nor did she allow it to eat of the vermin of the earth.” The vermin of the earth means mice, etc. (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Well... the debate can be read here.

For me personally, I would prefer to neuter the cat when it's still a kitten and has not yet entered sexual maturity- it's like circumcision...

From the article:

“Neutering or sterilizing animals, while not encouraged in Islam, is not completely forbidden either. `Abdullah ibn `Umar, a Companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reported that the Prophet forbade the neutering of horses and other animals.

However, according to another tradition, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is said to have permitted the sterilization of an animal so long as the operation is carried out early in its life and not when the animal reaches maturity. Hence, it may be acceptable to neuter pets such as cats, particularly if one wants to prevent the birth of a multiplicity of unwanted kittens.”

Wallahualam Bissawab..

Doing Research

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

I've been thinking alot about my thesis paper this coming semester and its giving me slight headaches. But the real headache will begin once I know who is my supervising tutor and of course when I actually start collecting data and so on.

But for now, the preparations should have already begun. I have about two weeks before school officially starts and over the past months I had collected about 10 articles... but I don't think that's enough. Yes I know, I'm such a hardworking perfectionist. I am not sure if I need more but I intent to do a complete literature review of these articles before I start school.

My thesis idea is not confirmed as of yet, but it should roughly be covering the meaning of 'leisure' for indonesian domestic maids in Singapore. Unlike their Filipino counterparts, they do not have a fixed rest day and it is negotiable on a case to case basis. This, I have to support with evidence from their agency as well as whatever body that is governing their work regulations.

Truth is, I am looking forward to my thesis project... yes it will be tiring and I will meet alot of rejections here and there but insyaallah, I will persevere.

Sometimes, it is difficult for me to explain to Hubtobe how to study or how to excel in one's discipline when we have different levels of passion for the subject we are studying. I admit that I am a bookworm... and I devour books, articles and journals with no mercy; scrutinizing every detail and re-writing them all out in my own words.

Academia is like that... even in a mathematical book, a good command of english is needed to comprehend the rubbish and twisted way these academics write. Seriously... over the years, I have read works of dead scholars from the 1800s and they have such a way with their language that it is uncomprehendable!

But the true challenge of academia and research is producing your own thoughts... I see it as a puzzle... I take bits and pieces of ideas from few scholars and try to merge them into my own... and then find evidence from the real world to support it. You have to see that every scholar is writing in a 'pure' type of analysis, meaning that they usually try to explain phenomenons in its extreme forms to highlight its incredulity. I mean just take Karl Marx's idea of communism, in its pure form; yet no society in the world is able to emulate this pure form in all its precisions- suggesting that, this pure form cannot really exist. But of course, you could argue otherwise, if you like. =)

Alright! I'm going back to reading the 10 articles and hopefully I won't get too exhausted and mentally drained by buka time.

May Allah open my mind and my heart into understanding these knowledge that He has made available to me.

Doa before studying:

الْفَهْمِ. اَللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ عَلَيْنَا اَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ، وَانْشُرْ عَلَيْنَا خَزَآئِنَ عُلُوْمِكَ بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَااَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِيْنَ

Ya Allah, bukakan kepada kami pintu-pintu rahmat-Mu, dan curahkan kepada kami khazanah-khazanah ilmu-Mu dengan rahmat-Mu wahai Yang Maha Pengasih dari segala yang mengasihi.

Oh Allah, help us open the doors of Your rahmat, and pour onto us all the vessals of Your knowledge with Your rahmat, for You are the most Compassionate of all those who are compassionate.

Amin

Happy Anniversary...

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

Alhamdullillah...

May Allah strengthen our love for each other and may he keep us in Iman and among those with Iman...

May He bless us with a fulfilling life to make worship for Him and make us muslims with Taqwa...

May He bless us also with a happy family, a happy home and healthy relationship.

May He grant us forgiveness for our past sins and our future sins and forgive the sins of our parents and our siblings and children.

May He guide us down the right path, shine the light of Ilham on us for our studies and help us seek knowledge in His name.

Insyaallah, with His permission and His will, we will be enjoyed in matrimony soon; in hopes that we become more responsible and faithful in our ibadahs in the name of Allah.

Lihub Billah...