'Killing' Time?

 بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم

If you feel like 'killing' your free time, then it's actually.......a problem! Because time is money, time is gold, time is sword etc etc...well, you know it better than I do. Let me share some useful tips with you. Nope, I did not figure these things out by myself, some good people on iLoveAllah.com did....you can read the full article there. May Allah reward you O' servant of Allah.

1-   Doing acts of worship such as reciting dhikr and wird, praying, reading Qur’aan, fasting and thinking about the signs and blessings of Allaah.  

Solah,Dhikr and reading Qur'an may sound normal, but think again. How much time do we spare to perform these acts properly? 1 hour 5 times daily? Can it be that the time we spend watching movies is more than the time we spend on our I'badah? Let's try this. If I watch TV for 3 hours (no hal...), I'll perform my I'badah for 3 hours also....(sembahyang apa lama sangat ni..?)

2-   One should pay special attention to the Qur’aan, memorize more so that one can memorize the whole Qur’aan, before one becomes burdened with the responsibilities of life. For (reading) each letter is a hasanah, and each hasanah brings a tenfold reward. And each verse raises one in status and increases one’s reward, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Read and rise (in status), for as you used to recite in this world, your position (in the Hereafter) will be determined by the last verse you read.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1464; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Saheehah, 2240. 

3-   Adopt a cause affecting Muslim in the country where you live, such as helping to teach Muslim kids, undertaking charitable projects, and so on. 

4-   Find good and righteous friends with whom you can meet and get together. 

5-   Read Islamic books in particular and useful stories in general. 

6-   Get involved in da’wah, women’s activities and children’s sports in Islamic centres. 

7-   Listen to tapes and lectures, and write summaries which you can distribute to those who will benefit from them. 

8-   Learn some useful areas of worldly knowledge such as cooking, sewing, etc. 

9-   Learn about computers and useful programs, for this is a vast area which will take up a lot of time and can be used to do a lot of good and useful things. This will take you away from sitting in front of the TV which does not help you in any way, and does more harm than good. 

10-   You should read some books which speak of the importance of time and how to manage it; listen to some useful lectures on this topic too.

"Since when do you listen to lectures???" 

"Excuse me? On Fridays....khutbah is waajib you know."

"So what do you listen to daily?"

"Music?" 

I agree, sometimes it takes more effort for some people to listen to Islamic lectures on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis. But, seriously, our Iman cannot live without it. It's food for souls. There are many good websites for this purpose, why don't try and search a bit? I'll give you a clue.....http://www.sacredlearning.org/general-talks/category (the website it's currently down, but it has really good ones.)  

Jika bertengkar........

Rabi'ah Aslami r.a. telah bercerita : "Pada suatu hari aku telah bertengkar dengan Abu Bakar (radhiallahu anh). Semasa pertengkaran itu berlaku, dia mengeluarkan sepatah kata kesat kepada aku. Dengan serta-merta dia telah menyedari kesilapannya lalu berkata: "Wahai saudara, gunakanlah perkataan itu terhadapku sebagai tindakan balas." Aku enggan berbuat demikian. Dia menggesaku supaya menggunakan perkataan kesat itu dan berkata hendak merujuk kepada Nabi SAW. Aku tidak juga mahu mengalah. Dia pun bangun meninggalkan aku. Beberapa orang dari ahli puakku yang menyaksikan peristiwa tadi mencemuh: "Ganjil betul orang ini; dia yang melakukan kesalahan dan dia pula mengancam hendak mengadukan kepada Nabi SAW." Dengan segera aku menyampuk: "Kamu tahu siapakah dia? Dia adalah Abu Bakar. Menyinggungnya bererti menyinggung Nabi dan menyinggung Nabi bererti menyinggung Allah. Kalau perbuatanku menyinggung Allah, siapakah yang akan menyelamatkan aku?" Aku pun bangun lantas pergi mendapatkan Nabi SAW, kepadanya aku bercerita apa yang telah berlaku. Baginda SAW berkata:" Keenggananmu mengeluarkan kata-kata kesat itu sudah kena pada tempatnya. Tetapi untuk mengurangkan penderitaan batinnya (Abu Bakar), sekurang-kurangnya kamu berkatalah: "Semoga Allah mengampunimu, hai Abu Bakar."

*InsyaAllah, bila hati saya sendiri tenang, saya akan buat ulasan tentang cerita ini...Sekarang fikiran tengah bercelaru dan perasaan tak teratur, nanti ayat semua jadi berterabur...By the way, all credit to: TAZKIRAH-Contoh Taqwa Abu Bakar (Radhiallahu anhu)

Suatu Kekalahan - Festival Tak Jadi

Malam tadi lepas saya log out dari account Hotmail saya, tajuk berita di homepage MSN membuatkan mata saya yang hampir terkatup terbuka luas. Malaysia Police Ban Gay Festival! Macam tak pecaya saja, tetapi Alhamdulillah, I felt very happy at that moment.
Bacalah berita selanjutnya...

"Deputy national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said the decision to halt the three-year-old "Seksualiti Merdeka" (Sexuality Freedom) festival set for November 9-13 came after Muslims called for it to be banned.

"Police will take action... to prevent any function relating to the programme," Khalid was quoted as saying by the national Bernama news agency.

He said Muslim and other groups had protested that "the programme could create disharmony, enmity and disturb public order."

A senior police official confirmed the decision to AFP.

Festival organiser Pang Khee Pik said the announcement marked a "very tragic day for Malaysia."

"We are aware that homophobic polices in Malaysia are not isolated, but (the police decision) is a symptom of a systemic breakdown in human rights in the country," he told AFP.

Pang said 1,500 people attended the event last year and organisers had expected that to double this year.

He said the "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community of Malaysia are tired of having our rights continually taken away from us. We are tired of being bullied, harassed, persecuted and put in jail for who we are."

Pang added the festival was "likely to be cancelled and we will have to re-strategise."

The police decision came after rising pressure from Muslims, with one Islamic group threatening to protest on Friday.

Homosexuality remains a taboo subject in Muslim-majority Malaysia, where sodomy is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Last week, members of the conservative opposition Islamic party PAS called for a concert later this month by British superstar Elton John to be banned.

They said the openly gay singer promotes "hedonism" and that his sexual orientation would corrupt Muslims.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was quoted earlier Thursday by Bernama as calling the gay-rights festival "immoral."

"Any activity that does not benefit the majority of Malaysians should not be carried out. It's a waste of time, although they can say it's their own right and freedom," he said.

"That's why to me, it (the festival) is totally unsuitable and I don't know its benefits. I don't understand why they carry out such promotions. Is there any political agenda behind it?"

Past festivals have included a mix of gay-themed film screenings, concerts, discussion forums on homosexual issues, and other events.

The police ban on the festival comes after Prime Minister Najib Razak -- who is expected to call fresh polls within months -- in September announced plans to expand civil liberties and break with the country's authoritarian past."

Syabas dan tahniah kepada polis Malaysia atas usaha kalian. Ini adalah kemenangan sesuatu kebenaran ke atas sesuatu kebatilan. Walaupun begitu, kita masih perlu berusaha dengan lebih gigih dalam menyedarkan golongan seperti ini. Marilah kita lihat beberapa langkah yang boleh dipraktiskan bagi merawat Iman yang sakit disebabkan oleh penyakit 'gayness' ini. 

1. Strengthening his Imaan (faith), by encouraging him to do i'badaat (acts of worship) and avoid evil deeds.

2. Instilling the love of Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his heart. 

3. Teaching him the meaning of love for the sake of Allaah. Love a person for his  faith and acts of obedience, not for his appearance, image or status.  

4. Should not make contact repeatedly or to visit frequently; explaining to him that if a legitimate  relationship (halal relationship such as brotherly love and kindness between friends) transgresses the limits it becomes haraam and must be stopped. 

5. When meeting, not allowing him to look continuously, embrace or kiss. 

6. Giving him academic or da’wah-related tasks to do, such as collecting evidence on a certain issue, or summarizing a book, or listening to tapes, or doing da’wah-related activities such as calling people to Islam, distributing pamphlets and tapes, and other things which will fill his time with beneficial acts of worship and permissible activities. 

Artikel penuh di sini :

The danger of admiration between members of the same sex, the remedy, and how the one who is admired should react.

Possible Reasons for Turning Gay

Today I was checking up Hukum Tepuk Tangan, and I accidentally stumbled on something disturbing. Some people are organizing a festival called Seksualiti Merdeka 2011 which will be held on 1 Nov-13 Nov 2011. Shocked, upset, puzzled and now concerned about this matter. Saya dapat rasakan bahaya yang sangat dasyat sedang  melanda kita semua di Malaysia. As a Muslim, Malay and living in the country where all these are happening, I felt responsible. If Allah sends punishment, who can guarantee that you and I are going to be safe from it? Minta Allah jauhkan. Let's ponder over these possible reasons which lead men to turn g**. As for he who wants to save himself from this situation should examine these causes and rid himself of them. Refer to detailed advice/consultation here: http://islamqa.com/en/ref/101169


These reasons are;
1- Weakness of Imaan and remoteness of the heart from love of Allaah, and a lack of fear of His punishment.
2- Looking freely at beardless youths, and enjoying their beauty and form.
3- Not fulfilling the obligatory acts of worships (5 times daily solah, Jum'ah prayer, fasting etc)
4- Forsaking the Qur’aan and failing to read books about the lives of righteous men.
5- Falling short in seeking knowledge of Islam.
6- A lot of spare time in their lives. 

If they kept themselves busy with acts of worship, sport, permissible actions and seeking knowledge, they would not have time to spend in thinking of haraam things, let alone doing them.

7- Making friends and keeping company with bad people.

One of the gravest mistakes is to think that there is no remedy for this disease, and that the homosexual can never become straight. Allaah told the people of Loot to repent, and the Prophet of Allaah Loot (peace be upon him) advised and invited them to give up their perversion. Allaah is the Creator of man, and He knows what can be changed in man and what cannot, so have more trust in Allah and sincerely ask Him for help.


*This topic is quite 'heavy' for myself, but there's still one more thing I need to share. It's about the remedies for this matter. Percayalah, tiada penyakit yang tiada ubatnya. 

What is life all about?

When I woke up this morning, I asked myself, “What is life all about?”

I found the answer in my room. The fan said, “BE COOL.” The ceiling said, “AIM HIGH”. The window said, “SEE THE WORLD!” The clock said “EVERY MINUTE IS PRECIOUS.” The mirror said “REFLECT BEFORE YOU ACT.” The calendar said “BE UP TO DATE.” The door said “PUSH HARD FOR YOUR GOALS.” The floor said, “KNEEL DOWN AND PRAY!”

Life is about controlling your temperament. So getting angry too easily is not a good idea. Be cool, be more understanding. Over look people’s mistakes and help each other to improve. There’s always a solution to a problem. So don’t make it a big thing!

Life is about aiming high. Learn from people who are successful. You wanna ace in your exam, learn from those who have aced the exam before. And more importantly, you wanna ace your Akhirah life, you’ve gotta read more stories of the pious because they have aced their life of Akhirat!

Tick tock tick tock and every minute is precious. When you feel bored, instead of thinking of what you can do to ‘kill’ some time, why not read 1 SUBHANALLAH while playing football? Your garden (Jannah) will be decorated with 1 tree InsyaAllah. Or maybe LAA ILAHA ILLALLAH while jogging? Your sin is forgiven with every step you take. After all, you are a Muslim athletic person right? 

Now girls....Mirror, mirror on the wall! Who’s the prettiest of all?! Give some attention to your internal beauty while you care for your external beauty. Have good character with parents, siblings, friends and co-workers means no BENCI, no DENGKI, no BALAS DENDAM, no MENGUMPAT and lots more!

Nokia N9? iPad 2 ? Samsung Galaxy tablet? Be up to date with the latest gadgets, fashion and music trends? Don’t worry about that so much people, those things get out-dated too quickly. Rather up date yourself with knowledge and ‘amal’ (practice). Are you still repeating the 4 QULS (Surah Ikhlas, Falaq, Naas, and Kaafirun) in 5 times Solah? Whoa….that’s so out dated!

Alright, you want to memorize few more Surahs? Now push hard for your goal. Learn 1 new surah every week, or if you can’t do that, memorize 1 surah in one month. Come on, we have 12 months in a year. If you are consistent, you’ll know 12 new surah every year, Subhanallah. This is not just a wishful thinking. Try and you’ll see the result.

Nothing is ever too hard when we ask help from Allah the Al-Mighty and Powerful. He will make impossible things become possible and unimaginable conditions become reality.  So KNEEL DOWN AND PRAY to Allah and sincerely ask HIM to help us in every aspect of our sweet and sour life!

Muslim Home- Assisting with house chores

Many men are reluctant in helping around in the house. In-fact many people feel that they will lose their status as men by sweeping, washing dishes, doing laundry etc. However the practice of Rasulullah was contrary to this. The beloved wife, Aishah (r.a) narrated that “Rasulullah used to assist in household chores and when the time for salaah would approach, he would leave immediately for salaah.”

Aishah (r.a) was once asked, “What work did Rasulullah do while at home?” She replied, “Rasulullah was a man among men. He would clean his own clothes, milk the goats and take care of himself.”

If all men of today follow this wonderful example, we will also reap the following benefits;

1. We will be fulfilling a beautiful sunnah of Rasulullah S.A.W
2. We will be of great help to our families at home.
3. Humility will develop in us.
4. The bond between husband and wife strengthened. 
5. Loving and caring environment in one's home.

Why not start with these simple tasks?

1. Setting and clearing of the table/sufrah/dastarkhan for meals.
2. Washing dishes or at least your own plate
3. Putting away the ironing. 
4. Helping with the children like getting them dressed when you're not working)
5. Making the bed after sleeping.
6. Helping the children with their homework.
7. Light maintenance work at home e.g. changing light bulbs, tab washer, etc.

Men shouldn't have a very demanding nature. Instead of assisting with the children and household work, they demand attention for themselves. Yes, that is your right, but Rasulullah taught us the 'give and take' rule.This sunnah is in-fact a prescription to cure many of the ills which are so common in marriages today.

Lifestyle of the pious - Moulana Ashraf Ali Thaanwi (RA);

He once said, “This is something that I don’t wish to mention, but due to necessity I am saying it. If you wish you can find out from my wife how I conduct myself with her at home and what service I take from her. Al-hamdulillah neither am I restricted, nor do I restrict anyone else. In this way, one lives like a king.”

It is always my practice that when I go home to eat and if there isn’t any fresh bread that has been baked then I eat the bread which was left over from the previous day. Most of the time when I arrive home and I see my wife engaged in some household work, I take the bread myself, fill the container with water, dish out the curry from the pot and sit down to eat. Actually if I see that she is busy cooking and she needs anything at that time, for example she needs water for cooking, I will fetch the water for her from the water pump and first give it to her.

If I see that she is not busy doing any work then I will ask her to serve me. It is very important to be considerate in these aspects. After all, she also is a human being. It is not possible for her temperament to remain the same all the time. Even a servant feels lethargic at times.

I do lots of work on my own and I don’t regard it as a burden. If she wants to be of any service to me, I allow her and I feel comforted that she is serving me. She also feels at ease when I am at ease. At nights I sleep very little but when I see my wife fast asleep, I thank Allah Ta’ala that she sleeps so well otherwise I would have been burdened with a double worry, one that I cannot sleep and the other that she cannot sleep.

When I am about to leave the house, I ask her if there is anything that needs to be done before I go. If she doesn’t need anything, then I leave. If she indicated that there was some work to do, I would remain behind and complete the chore. For example, If there was a letter to write to someone, then I would complete writing it before leaving the house. After meals if I felt like eating some *paan, I would ask her where the container with the paan is kept. She would point it out to me and I would take out the paan and help myself.

In present times the youngsters call their wives their life companions. What companionship are they talking about? Have they even fulfilled the rights of this companionship? This is mere lip service. Infact, instead of being their life companions they have distanced their wives because of their uncaring attitude. [misaali gharaana pg. 56]

May Allah Ta’ala enable us all to follow in the mubaarak footsteps of our noble master Sayyidinah Rasulullah and grant us the taufik and ability to be of assistance in our homes. Aameen.

* paan - An Indian, Pakistani and Southeast Asian tradition of chewing betel leaf (Wikipedia)

Jangan Cemari Ayat 'Bismillah' di Kad Kahwin

KAJANG: Sikap sesetengah umat Islam memandang remeh ayat al-Quran yang ditulis di kad jemputan perkahwinan atau di cakera padat (CD) agama dengan meletakkannya di merata tempat secara tidak langsung melakukan penghinaan terhadap ayat suci itu. Walaupun hanya tertera kalimah Bismillah dalam bahasa Arab di kad jemputan perkahwinan maknanya tetap sama, sekali gus perlu mendapat penghormatan seperti kitab al-Quran dan jika mahu dilupuskan ia mesti melalui tertib tertentu.

Pengurus Percetakan Saufi yang menguruskan tempat pelupusan al-Quran, Rahmat Mahdan, berkata selain al-Quran, ada di kalangan umat Islam terlepas pandang petikan ayat suci itu yang ditulis di tempat lain seperti barang perhiasan, seramik, jam dinding, pinggan, sejadah atau kaset agama.

“Al-Quran ialah mukjizat yang diturunkan Allah kepada Rasulullah SAW, jadi dalam apa juga bentuk ia mesti dihormati dan dimuliakan kerana darjatnya yang tinggi."

“Misalnya dalam CD agama yang mengandungi bacaan al-Quran, sewajarnya ia dihormati sama seperti kitab, namun ramai di kalangan kita tidak mengambil berat soal ini sehingga dibuang atau diletakkan di tempat tidak sepatutnya. Kalau kad kahwin seeloknya ditulis terjemahan al-Quran bagi mengelak ia dibuang di merata tempat selepas habis kenduri,” katanya yang ditemui di Batu 9, Cheras, di sini, baru-baru ini.

Rahmat berkata, sejak mengusahakan tempat pelupusan al-Quran bersama ahli keluarga, dia bukan saja menerima kitab al-Quran sama ada uzur atau tersalah cetak, malah barang lain seperti ukiran kayu dan kulit kambing, kepingan kaca hiasan, kitab pengajian agama, buku teks, kad kahwin, kain, kaset, pita video dan CD mengandungi ayat al-Quran.

“Kesedaran perlu wujud di kalangan umat Islam mengenai perkara ini supaya kesucian ayat al-Quran terpelihara kerana dalam apa juga bentuk, maknanya tetap sama,” katanya.

Di sebalik tanggungjawab fardu kifayah yang dilaksanakannya itu, Rahmat kesal kerana ada pihak memandang hina tugas dilaksanakannya, malah disebabkan marah, kitab al-Quran turut mendapat penghinaan.

“Saya buka tempat ini tanpa mendapat pembiayaan mana-mana pihak, jadi apabila ada orang mahu menghantar al-Quran, saya meminta sumbangan untuk menggaji pekerja, membayar bil elektrik serta kos operasi lain, namun ada di kalangan mereka menganggap ia umpama menjual surat khabar lama di tempat kitar semula dan mengharap wang daripada saya.

“Menguruskan pelupusan kitab suci memerlukan tertib tertentu dan saya memerlukan sumbangan kewangan, tetapi disebabkan tidak mahu membayar ada yang memberi ‘kata dua’ supaya saya menerima al-Quran dibawa atau ia akan dicampak ke tengah jalan. “Ada juga yang meninggalkan kotak mengandungi kitab suci ini di depan pejabat tanpa pesanan atau akad semata-mata tidak mahu membayar kos operasi pelupusan,” katanya.

Menurutnya, tujuan dia membuka pusat pelupusan itu bukan untuk mengaut keuntungan sebaliknya rasa tanggungjawab selepas mendapati al-Quran dibuang sesuka hati di tempat kitar semula selain tidak mendapat penghormatan sewajarnya.

“Apabila ada orang yang menghantar kitab lama dan membuat sumbangan, kami akan memberi al-Quran baru sebagai menghargai mereka, namun masih ramai yang tidak faham usaha kami sehingga membuat tuduhan dan menghina kami,” katanya.

Rahmat berharap jabatan agama Islam serta agensi berkaitan bekerjasama dengan pihaknya bagi memudahkan fardu kifayah itu dilaksanakan.

“Kerja ini dilakukan atas dasar tanggungjawab dan kami amat mengharapkan bantuan serta kerjasama pelbagai pihak,” katanya.

Lihat sumber untuk keterangan: Percetakan Saufi

* Nota saya:

Sebagai individu yang beragama Islam, kita memainkan peranan yang penting dalam hal pelupusan al-Qur'an ini. Sudah tentu sukar untuk kita pergi ke tempat pelupusan al-Quran yang terletak di Kuala Lumpur ini jika kita tinggal di suatu tempat yang jauh, dan naskah yang kita nak lupuskan itu  hanyalah 1 naskah atau beberapa helai kertas. Eloknya, kita lakukan sahaja sendiri. Caranya mudah, jika kita punyai naskah al-Qur'an lama atau helaian kertas yang mengandungi ayat suci al-Qur'an hatta kalimah Allah sahaja pun, dan kita tidak lagi menggunakannya, janganlah kita sewenang-wenangnya buang ke dalam tong sampah. Sebaliknya, kita harus bakar, kemudian buang abunya ke dalam air laut atau sungai. Atau cara kedua; balut naskah al-Quran itu dengan kain bersih, kemudian tanamnya di tempat yang tidak dipijak oleh orang ramai yang lalu lalang. InsyaAllah kita dapat pahala sebab beradab dengan al-Qur'an dan nama Allah. Wassalam

Matematik Isteri Solehah (very interesting)

Pious

Beautiful

Wealthy

Good lineage

=

SUPER WOMAN

Now how is this for MATHS ?

Al Khawarizmi, a Muslim mathematician, was asked about the best woman,
He said : If a woman was pious and religious so she is = 1
If she was beautiful, so add a 0 to 1 = 10
If she was wealthy, so add another 0 = 100
And if she was from a good and known family, so add another 0 = 1000

But if "1" is gone then nothing remains but a bunch of zeros.
* Bijak tak bijak ahli Matematik Islam kita? 

Take your Heart Back

Ocean of Dunya

No one likes to fall. And few people would ever choose to drown. But in struggling through the ocean of this life, sometimes it’s so hard not to let the world in. Sometimes the ocean does enter us. The dunya does seep into our hearts.

And like the water that breaks the boat, when dunya enters, it shatters our heart.  It shatters the boat. Recently, I was reminded of what a broken boat looks like, of what happens when you let everything in. I was reminded because I saw someone, just like me, fall in love too much with this life and seek to be filled by the creation. So the ocean of dunya shattered her boat, as it had shattered mine, and she fell out into the water.  But she stayed down too long, and didn’t know how to come back up or what to hold on to.

So she drowned.

If you allow dunya to own your heart, like the ocean that owns the boat, it will take over. You will sink down to the depths of the sea. You will touch the ocean floor. And you will feel as though you were at your lowest point. Entrapped by your sins and the love of this life, you will feel broken. Surrounded by darkness. That’s the amazing thing about the floor of the ocean. No light reaches it.

But, this dark place is not the end. Remember that the darkness of night precedes the dawn. And as long as your heart still beats, this is not the death of it. You don’t have to die here. Sometimes, the ocean floor is only a stop on the journey. And it is when you are at this lowest point, that you are faced with a choice. You can stay there at the bottom, until you drown. Or you can gather pearls and rise back up—stronger from the swim, and richer from the jewels.

If you seek Him, God can raise you up, and replace the darkness of the ocean, with the light of His sun. He can transform what was once your greatest weakness into your greatest strength, and a means of growth, purification and redemption. Know that transformation sometimes begins with a fall. So never curse the fall. The ground is where humility lives. Take it. Learn it. Breathe it in. And then come back stronger, humbler and more aware of your need for Him. Come back having seen your own nothingness and His greatness. Know that if you have seen that Reality, you have seen much. For the one who is truly deceived is the one who sees his own self—but not Him.  Deprived is the one who has never witnessed his own desperate need for God.  Reliant on his own means, he forgets that the means, his own soul, and everything else in existence are His creation.

Seek God to bring you back up, for when He does, He will rebuild your ship. The heart that you thought was forever damaged will be mended. What was shattered will be whole again. Know that only He can do this. Seek Him.

And when He saves you, beg forgiveness for the fall, feel remorse over it—but not despair.  As Ibn ul Qayyim (ra) has said: “Satan rejoiced when Adam (peace be upon him) came out of Paradise, but he did not know that when a diver sinks into the sea, he collects pearls and then rises again.”

There is a powerful and amazing thing about tawbah (repentance) and turning back to Allah (swt). We are told that it is apolish for the heart. What’s amazing about a polish is that it doesn’t just clean. It makes the object that is polished even shinier than it was before it got dirty. If you come back to God, seek His forgiveness, and refocus your life and heart on Him, you have the potential to be even richer than if you’d never fallen at all. Sometimes falling and coming back up gives you wisdom and humility that you may never otherwise have had. Ibn ul Qayyim (ra) writes:

“One of the Salaf (Pious Predecessors) said: “Indeed a servant commits a sin by which he enters Paradise; and another does a good deed by which he enters the Fire.” It was asked: How is that? So he replied: “The one who committed the sin, constantly thinks about it; which causes him to fear it, regret it, weep over it and feel ashamed in front of his Lord—the Most High—due to it. He stands before Allah, broken-hearted and with his head lowered in humility. So this sin is more beneficial to him than doing many acts of obedience, since it caused him to have humility and humbleness—which leads to the servant’s happiness and success—to the extent that this sin becomes the cause for him entering Paradise. As for the doer of good, then he does not consider this good a favor from his Lord upon him. Rather, he becomes arrogant and amazed with himself, saying: I have achieved such and such, and such and such. So this further increases him in self-adulation, pride and arrogance—such that this becomes the cause for his destruction.”

Allah (swt) reminds us in the Qur’an to never lose hope. He says: “Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against their souls [by sinning], despair not of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful,’” (39:53).

And so, this is a call to all those who have become enslaved by the tyranny of the self, imprisoned in the dungeon of thenafs (self) and desires.  It is a call to all those who have entered the ocean of dunya, who have sunk into its depths, and become trapped by its crushing waves. Rise up. Rise up to the air, to the Real world above the prison of the ocean. Rise up to your freedom. Rise up and come back to life. Leave the death of your soul behind you. Your heart can still live and be stronger and purer than it ever was. Does not the polish of tawbah remake the heart even more beautiful than it was? Remove the veil you have sewn with your sins. Remove the veil between you and Life, between you and Freedom, between you and Light—between you and God.  Remove the veil and rise up. Come back to yourself. Come back to where you began. Come back Home. Know that when all the other doors have shut in your face, there is One that is always open. Always. Seek it. Seek Him and He will guide you through the waves of the cruel ocean, into the mercy of the sun.

This world cannot break you—unless you give it permission. And it cannot own you unless you hand it the keys – unless you give it your heart.  And so, if you have handed those keys to dunya for a while—take them back. This isn’t the End. You don’t have to die here. Reclaim your heart and place it with its rightful owner:

God.

All credit to : SuhaibWebb.com

Favourite Qoute of the Day

‎"If she’s not on the deen, she's not fit to be your queen...If he hasn't got Iman, he’s not fit to be your man"

(ml sulaiman ravat)

Konsep Syukran dan ‘Afwan

Suatu ketika ada teman yang mengucapkan syukran ke saya. Kemudian saya jawab sesuai dengan kebiasaan orang Arab dengan kata ‘afwan. Sesaat kemudian, teman saya itu bertanya, “Kok minta maaf, din?”… (‘afwan = maaf). Saya menjelaskan kalo orang Arab diberik ucapan syukran, maka jawabannya adalah ‘afwan. hehe…teman saya terkekeh.

Ada yang bisa kita pelajari dari kebiasaan orang Arab ini. Ketika diucapkan padanya kata Syukran maka jawabannya adalah ‘Afwan. Mereka masih merasa perlu meminta maaf ketika sudah berbuat baik kepada seseorang. Mereka merasa bahwa seharusnya masih bisa melakukan lebih daripada itu, namun yang dilakukan hanya sebatas itu. Sehingga masih merasa perlu mengucap kata ‘Afwan.

Bingung ya? Saya juga bingung gimana mau ngejelasinnya… 

Langsung ke contoh aja deh..

‘Ali memberi ‘Umar makanan berupa nasi goreng (di Arab ada nasi goreng ga ya? nasgor kan dari China). Kemudian ‘Umar berucap “Syukran wa jazaakallah.” ‘Ali karena merasa seharusnya mampu memberikan lebih daripada nasi goreng mengucapkan, “Afwan wa iyyaka.”

Yah, semoga dari contoh itu bisa ditangkap isi pesannya.

Begitulah kurang lebih konsep syukran dan ‘afwan. Tidak seperti orang Indonesia yang kalo diucapkan padanya terima kasih, maka jawabannya adalah sama-sama. Seolah dia memang pantas untuk mendapatkan ucapan terima kasih itu. Yang dilakukan orang Indonesia ini sama dengan yang dilakukan oleh orang yang menggunakan bahasa Inggris.Thank You, maka jawabannya adalah you’re welcome atau doesn’t mind.

Saya lebih sepakat dengan kebiasaan orang Arab mengenai konsep terima kasih ini.

Satu hal lagi, orang Arab atau orang yang menggunakan bahasa Arab, sangat senang sekali dalam tutur katanya mendoakan orang lain. Misalnya dalam pengumuman hasil ujian. Maka selain Lulus, istilah lainnya adalah bukan Tidak Lulus, melainkan Semoga Allah Mengizinkan di lain waktu.

Sungguh indah sekali jika kita senang menebar doa kepada lawan bicara kita dalam keseharian kita.

Baarokallahu fiik bagi yang membaca tulisan ini. Semoga bermanfaat.

* all credit to : http://dinoyudha.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/konsep-syukran-dan-afwan/#comment-2602

How To Gain Tawfiq To Perform Tahajjud?

Tips to help you wake up for Fajr (and Tahajjud!), Insha'Allah:

1. Keep Away from Ma'aasi (acts of disobedience).
2. Avoid eating too much food.
3. Drink one or two glasses of water before going to bed.
4. Perform Wudoo (ablution) before going to bed.
5. Go to bed early.
6. Make intention in your heart to get up for Fajr/Tahajjud.
7. Set your alarm.
8. Establish Fajr/Tahajjud wake up calling system with family and friends e.g. friends/family members calling, texting etc each other to help one another wake up for the prayer.
9. Say prescribed supplications (dua) before sleeping
10. Once awake, do not linger lazily in bed.
11. Go to your local masjid to pray

Also... one thing that helps that I do when I study late, or am up until the early morning, is to put my alarm clock (which is very loud) in the bathroom... thus forcing me to get up to go to the bathroom to shut it off. While you're in the bathroom, just splash yourself with water and voila! You are awake and ready for Fajr.

Okay... so you dont have to do the splashing part, but try it.. it works Inshallah.

And the above 2 advices above about staying away from sins and sleeping early is very important. It is from the Rizq (provision/bounty) of Allah that He allows you to get up for Fajr and especially Tahajjud, and when you start sinning He may deprive you from turning to Him at Fajr/Tahajjud due to your sins and having turned away from Him. May Allah swt protect us all and grant us forgiveness and abundant tawfiq. Ameen!

Successful Husband? Beautiful Tips!!

How to be a Successful Husband

10 Beautiful Tips!

1. Dress up for your wife, look clean and smell good. Just like the husband wants his wife to look nice for him, she also wants her husband to dress up for her too. Remember that Rasul Allah - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - would always start with Miswak when returning home and always loved the sweetest smells.

2. Use the cutest and affectionate names for your wife. Rasul Allah - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - had names for his wives, ones that they loved. Call your wife by the most beloved names to her, and avoid using names that hurt their feelings.

3. Don't treat her like a fly. We never think about a fly in our daily lives until it 'bugs' us. Similarly, a wife will do well all day - which brings no attention from the husband - until she does something to 'bug' him. Don't treat her like this; recognize all the good that she does and focus on that.

4. If you see wrong from your wife, try being silent and do not comment! This is one of the ways Rasul Allah - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - used when he would see something inappropriate from his wives - radi Allahu 'anhunn. It's a technique that few Muslim men have mastered. If there needs correction an the matter is serious then think before you act. ALWAYS use Hikmah(wisdom).

5. Smile at your wife whenever you see her and embrace her often. Smiling is Sadaqah and your wife is not exempt from the Muslim Ummah. Imagine life with her constantly seeing you smiling. Remember also those Ahadith when Rasul Allah - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - would kiss his wife before leaving for Salah.

6. Thank her for all that she does for you. Then thank her again! Take for example a dinner at your house. She makes the food, cleans the home, and a dozen other tasks to prepare. And sometimes the only acknowledgement she receives is that there needed to be more salt in the soup. Don't let that be; thank her!

7. Ask her to write down the last ten things you did for her that made her happy. Then go and do them again. It may be hard to recognize what gives your wife pleasure. You don't have to play a guessing game, ask her and work on repeating those times in your life.

8. Don't be little her desires. Comfort her. Sometimes the men may look down upon the requests of their wives. Rasul Allah - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam set the example for us in an incident when Safiyyah - radi Allahu 'anha - was crying because, as she said, he had put her on a slow camel. He wiped her tears, comforted her, and brought her the camel.

9. Be humorous and Play games with your wife. Look at how Rasul Allah - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - would race his wife Aisha - radi Allahu 'anha - in the desert. When was the last time we did something like that?

10. Always remember the words of Allah's Messenger - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam: "The best of you are those who treat their families the best. And I am the best amongst you to my family." Try to be the best!
In conclusion: Never forget to make Dua to Allah - azza wa jall - to make your marriage successful. And Allah ta'ala knows best !!

Forgiveness: Its Something Extra Special!!!

Pernah tak bergaduh dengan adik? Ya, ADIK. Gaduh dengan adik ni lain sikit bagi saya. Kalau saya bergaduh or tak puas hati dengan kakak saya, senang je nak mengalah sebab hormat pada kakak yang lebih tua. Tapi kalau berselisih pendapat dengan adik, susah sikit nak mengalah, especially bila dia yang salah, kita nasihat dia tapi dia degil tak nak dengar dan tak nak ikut. Jadi kalau bergaduh tu....SUSAHnya Ya Allah nak minta maaf! ( but I really don't like fights). Sebagai seorang kakak, memang rasa nak beralah. Mungkin boleh cuba nasihat dia lain kali dengan cara lain. Tapi, disebabkan kita tak bersalah, dan kita lebih tua.......2 sebab utama saya rasa susah nak kata "I'M SORRY". 

Now, dapat pula adik yang ada 'strong character'. Miracle la kalau dia yang mengalah and say "I'M SORRY". Kesimpulannya, sorang degil sorang lagi ego. (oops!)

Tapi masa bulan Ramadhan, kita digalakkan berdoa' dan minta ampun pada Allah atas dosa-dosa kita yang lepas. Masa tengah doa tu, tiba-tiba teringat yang saya tak bercakap dengan adik saya dah lama. Saya rasa....agaknya Allah terima tak doa saya ni? Allah suruh kita jaga hubungan dengan Nya dan hubungan dengan manusia yang lain, apatah lagi keluarga sendiri. Hari demi hari, perasaan bersalah dan sedih makin menebal dalam hati. Sampai satu hari, saya betul-betul azam nak cari sesuautu yang boleh pecahkan ego saya ni. Cari punya cari, inilah dia...article yang saya terima dalam bentuk email bulan Ramadhan hari tu. Bila baca ni, saya pun "BAIK! Saya akan minta maaf (salah ke tak salah, itu belakang kira...) sebab, orang yang maafkan kesalahan orang lain, Allah akan tinggikan darjatnya...Jadi kalau saya tak salah, tapi saya minta maaf, maknanya...saya maafkan pihak yang lagi satu....Bacalah article ni, jadikan panduan untuk minta maaf atau memaafkan orang lain...

The Messenger of Allah Muhammad [Peace be upon him] is reported to have said:

" If one gives charity it does not diminish his wealth; if one forgives others, Allah bestows more honour on him; and if one humbles himself for Allah's sake, Allah exalts him higher." (Hadith-Muslim)

HANDY TIPS...

• Make dua[pray] For only Allah can reconcile hearts and differences
• Forgive- He who forgives is forgiven and Allah will elevate his status!
• Act- SMS[text], call, email etc or even better personally approach the person/s and ask them forgiveness.
• Remove Hatred-Don't hold any hatred in your heart. Hatred is the cancer of the heart and soul. It Destroys the Hater and Not the hated!
• It's a process- Remember, forgiveness is a process that takes time and patience to complete. You must be ready. Realize that forgiveness is for you - not for anyone else.
• Not Condoning- Realize that forgiving does not mean you are condoning the actions of the offender or what they did to you. It does mean that you will blame less and find a way to think differently about what happened to you.
• Refocus-Refocus on the positives in your life. A life well lived is the best revenge. People who find a way to see love, beauty and kindness around them are better able to forgive and get past their grievances.
• There is no such thing as an unforgivable act.So don't let your fear of what you did, or rage about what was done to you, dissuade you from either seeking or granting forgiveness.
• Stay balanced. The number of apologies you seek should be proportional to the number you are willing to offer, because the doing of each nurtures the capacity for the other.
• Know that you are never alone. Allah is always with you!
• Allow love to triumph over logic. There will always be a good reason to keep doing what you are doing or to withhold your forgiveness from someone else. But real issue is whether or not you love them enough to go beyond that logic.
• Keep it simple. Apologize for, or forgive, one thing at a time. There is always more to the story, but this is not the moment to explore it.
• Remember that forgiveness is not always the end of the process, but the beginning of a new level of relationship which may continue to be shaped into something very special
• Celebrate the moment of forgiveness by thanking Allah for giving you the opportunity to remove this burden off your shoulders. Give Sadaqah[charity] as it pleases Allah and removes Allah's anger.

Daily Routine During Ramadhan

4:30 a.m - Tahajjud, Doa, Qur'an (1/2 Juzu')
5:00 a.m - Prepare for Sahur, Sahur, Wash dishes (basuh pinggan + kemas meja)
6:00 a.m - Subuh Solah, Qur'an (1 Juzu' and Yaseen)
7:00 a.m - Sleep
8:00 a.m - Wake Up, prepare for Tadarus
9:00 a.m - Tadarus at the Surau
12:30 p.m - Rest (Qailullah/Siesta)
1:20 p.m - Zohor Solah, Qur'an (1 Juzu')
2:15 p.m - FREE
4:30 p.m - Asar Solah
5:00 p.m- House chores
6:15 p.m - Prepare for Iftaar
7:15 p.m - Doa ( spend more time making dua, because the dua of a fasting person is not rejected by Allah)
              - Iftaar
7:45 p.m - Maghrib Solah
7:55 p.m - Ta'leem (Fadhai'l A'maal) / or any ilmi activity.
8:10 p.m - Surah Lazim (Al-Mulk and Al-Waqiah)
8:40 p.m - Isha' and Taraweeh solah ( try your best to perform 20 rakaats)
10:15 p.m - I normally finish around this time. But if I go out somewhere during the day, then at night I'm usually tired, so Taraweeh will finish a bit later.
10:30 p.m - Qur'an (1 Juzu')
11:00 p.m - Bed time

How do I encourage myself to perform 20 rakaat of taraweeh?

1- It's the reward. Lagi lama kita dalam solat, lagi banyak pahala InsyaAllah. Malaikat doa kan rahmah untuk seseorang itu selagi dia berada dalam solah di tempat solatnya (sejadah/masjid etc)
2- Malam Ramadhan dr lepas Isya' sampai sebelum Sahur tu ( lbh kurang 7 jam) dikhaskan untuk Ibadah, kita banyak sangat masa....Jadi gunalah dgn sebaiknya.

Taraweeh is one of the highlights of Ramadhan besides 'buka puasa'. We should be excited to perform taraweeh just as excited we are to break our fast....You know how excited everybody gets when it comes to buka puasa right? A tip to perform 20 rakaat of taraweeh is getting enough rest during the day. If you rest during the day with the intention to gain strength for solah during the night, then that rest also is rewarded!

Well, this is how I manage my time during Ramadhan (especially when it's holiday for me), as you can see, there's nothing work related activity in the schedule. If we lessen the time we spend to go shopping, internet and television, we should be able to read at least 3 Juzu's EVERYDAY. Completing one whole Qur'an twice in one month won't sound so impossible anymore right? Like I said, AT LEAST. The huffaz normally Complete the Qur'an more than 5 times and even more in this month alone. Subhanallah! I'm still very weak compare to these people, however we try our best according to our capability nah? Good luck everyone!

Muslim Manga

Read Islamic Manga at Muslim Manga!

The Pious Student : http://muslim-manga.com/manga/the-pious-student

A Change To Fisabilillah : http://muslim-manga.com/readmanga/A_Change_To_Fisabilillah

Kazruya Awakes The Thief : http://muslim-manga.com/readmanga/Karzuya_Awakes_the_Thief/complete/1

I'm not telling you to waste your time, but perhaps you can use it as a stepping stone towards leaving the habit/hobby of reading romance novels, watching non-mahram men/ women over the television and listening to music. Whether it's K-Pop, J-Pop or any of those similar ones...........Really, I understand the feeling of being addicted to those influences and how difficult t is to stop, it requires a lot of effort and strong determination to stop watching and listening to music.

People tell me, you must listen to Quran, Asma'ul Husna, and Zikr, but trust me, how can you possibly skip the breast stroke basics of swimming and go straight to BUTTERFLY? When you erase a black colour, the black shade fades away to grey first, then to white (completely gone). It's not BLACK to WHITE in one step.

What I'm trying to say is, listening to any kind of music, Korean, Japanese, Lady Gaga or even Justin Bieber's is not Islamic, and against the Syariah (I'm not going to explain the dalils in this post, if you want, then InsyaAllah I'm more than happy and willing to explain). We have to try and break ourselves away from them slowly but surely, taking one step at a time.

This KJT (made my own short formed of Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese) phenomena is a disaster to not just our Muslim youth, but the older generation too. It kills me to see so many and so many of my friends, and other people around me all over the places in Malaysia, so blinded by these people. So again, this website is not to waste our time, but to slowly draw ourselves out from this crazy craze. Maybe from watching too much dramas on You Tube or televisions, you switch to these comics first, then another step. Cute stories with good morals these comics have. And aren't those actors and actresses non mahram from whom we are supposed to lower our gazes?  Instead what we do is staring and admiring them too much?!