Highlights

I was watching TLC few days ago, and when watching Bobby Chin strolled in between bazaar in Istanbul, I was reminded for umpteenth times of what I used to dream. I have  a set of wish list . This is some 3 years ago. There are things that I have never got to start, but there are things that I did which was not in the list (waka-waka for instance).

For the learning languages bit, am on track. For the traveling bit, yeah, not so much, especially when my money is already commited to something of longer term (20 years!!!) . One thing for sure the list is growing, and definitely I'll add on more to it. Now I have too many highlights of the weeks, but who's complaining? ;)

This Ramadhan...

Yesterday people in the office were sharing this link. I found it very user friendly. In addition to viewing the verses, you can select from a number of translations (including Malay) and you can listen to recitation. For someone like me who is not good in complex translation, this is good enough. At the very least can brush up on the ayat-ayat lazim...(ini tak..asyik repeat 4 Qul je...)

http://www.quran.com/

Personally, not sure whether I have been a better Muslim this time around. Am glad that here, at work, there are a group of people that continuously gearing the da'wah effort. We have a Ramadhan program lined up that includes tadarus, tajwid classes and also tazkirah.

I had the opportunity of having iftar at Masjib Besi Putrajaya the previous week, somehow the masjid reminds me a lot of Masjidil Haram, not the architecture, more of the feeling. Lately, I really missed the day when I don't have to care about anything else in the world, sit in front of Kaabah and just be there. I wish I can spend the whole Ramadhan there...someday insyaAllah, I will.....

Field of Diamonds

I had this in my mailbox, as usual, this friend of mine (Asma) never fails to amuse me, she did not read my blog, but thought that it would be good to share it here :

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This morning I had a very delightful chat with my friend Mr Venezuela.

He told me he was happily married for 35 years. That in itself is older than most of us. I remarked how young he must have been when he married to have 35 years with his wife. And then, as most parents or in his case grandparent, decided to give me advice:

Asma, when I met my wife, I knew she was a diamond. She was a rough diamond. I wanted to polish her and make her perfect for me. The trouble with youngsters these days, they want to meet someone who is already perfect. Someone who meets all their criteria. They don’t realize that nobody is perfect. You have to work very hard to keep something, to mould something, to educate and nurture something to be perfect. Like diamonds. They are in its original form, carbon. They are raw. With a kazillion years of heat and pressure, they turn into diamonds. And still, they are still raw. You have to wash, polish, put in on a ring. Then it’s perfect.

(Ok I added that last 2 sentences. LOL)

He reiterated to yours truly: You have to find the raw diamond. Find the potential. Together you both work at being perfect.

Asma: I do look for raw diamonds.
Mr Venezuela: Asma, you need to differentiate between raw diamonds and a fool’s gold. Do you know what a fool’s gold is?
Asma: An idiot’s gold….*chuckle*
Serious looking Mr Venezuela: Be serious.
Bored Asma: Alritey. Fake gold.
Mr Venezuela: Yes, it’s gold that looks like gold but really isn’t. It’s people who appear perfect but really are not.
Now I have a story to tell you.


Asma: It’s not bedtime yet *chuckle*
Mr Venezuela: Asma…
Asma: Ok ok go on
Mr Venezuela: There once was a man who was rich. One day he went to see a fortune teller. The fortune teller predicted that he will find a lot of diamonds. So he searched in many continents. Spent all his money. He found no diamonds. He then passed away. The fortune teller came looking for him. Instead, he found the rich man’s son working the family field. When he asked the son whether the father had found his diamond, the son replied no. Suddenly, the son’s watchamacallit (I forgot what tool he was using) hit something. Upon digging, he uncovered carbon. Do you know what I’m telling you?


Asma: The diamond was in his backyard all along.
Mr Venezuela: Exactly. See Asma, sometimes we search the world to find the perfect person, the perfect job, the perfect everything. Sometimes it’s right under our noses.


Asma: But I don’t have a yard…KIDDING! So what happened to the son?
Mr Venezuela: He became one of the biggest diamond manufacturers or something .


Asma: I get your point. Thanks. The only thing in front of me right now is my PC monitor and under my nose is my keyboard. That isn’t really what I was looking for…
Mr Venezuela: Asma…
Asma: CHUCKLE

MORAL:


1) Find the raw diamond
2) Mould it with patience & heart
3) Don’t be duped by a fool’s gold
4) Don’t have to look far, it may be right in front of you

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My reply to her : Alaa......susah...I need to get myself a rough diamond detector….even for the closest diamond, I wouldn’t know how to tell ;p

p/s: thanks for sharing :)

And I Pronounced Thee.....

I was watching TV last weekend like nobody's business. I got to watch the catch up episode of Giuliana & Bill series on E! and also their marriage in Italy episode. I was like aawww..... most of the time. First off I like Bill A LOT, back when he was the contestant in The Apprentice, very handsome, charismatic, and very good businessman (back then he was known as cigar business owner).

When he married Giuliana, I think its a marriage made in heaven, as they look compatible with each other. At the beginning of the episode, both mentioned that they were in no hurry to get married, but somehow fate decides and the proposal came after 10 months they known each other. I must say that the whole interview-proposal-engagement-wedding sounds like fairy tale to me.

I don't know why I'm writing about them, but I like the couple, both of them, and I wish I'll find someone who will be good to me as Bill to Giuliana, and maybe just maybe I can have that kind of wedding and all....

p/s: guess I'm going to be one the loyal fans for the couples weekly episodes ;)

Dakwah??

Da‘wah (Arabic: دعوة‎) usually denotes preaching of Islam. Da‘wah means literally "issuing a summons" or "making an invitation", being the active participle of a verb meaning variously "to summon, to invite" (whose triconsonantal root is د ع و). A Muslim who practices da‘wah, either as a religious worker or in a volunteer community effort, is called a dā‘ī, plural du‘āt. A dā‘ī is thus a person who invites people to understand Islam through a dialogical process, and may be categorized in some cases as the Islamic equivalent of a missionary.

I have never thought that I will be part of it. Back when I was a child, da'wah has always been associated with extremist, a group that called themselves Al-Arqam, or the tabligh people. These people either locked their wives at home while they go out on a mission, or let the wifes fend for themselves and the family, while they will go away for months in the name of jihad.

I got the concept all wrong. That is not all about da'wah, there is more to it than just the male went out and preaching about Islam while neglecting their utmost resposible besides Allah, their family. I see the bigger picture now, and actually proud that in a way, I am in it.

Remember when I mentioned about the Ramadhan program? Well, we had a discussion abouth Hadith 40 by Imam An-Nawawi every Friday. And for yesterdays' session, I prepared the slide. Its not that I know about it, just few things that I copied and pasted from the net. We talked about the first and foremost act of all action 'Niat' which is intention, purpose why you are doing certain things.

In Islam, everything that we do must be because of Allah, and as a bonus, the act can be done for other purpose. For example, you study because of Allah, and also because of knowledge, so when you put the intention as to study because of Allah, it becomes an ibadat and InsyaAllah if the study process is done as recommended in Islam, you will be rewarded later (apart from gaining the knowledge).

There is another part to niat, which is the intention to change for the better (hijrah). If all are done because of Allah, we will InsyaAllah be granted the better change that we intended for in the first place. Everything must have a sense of purpose, and this hadith tells us, to whom the purpose should be in the first place, the mighty creator Allah S.W.T. All that we gets apart from that just bonus.

I hope I'll be strong enough to start influencing people that I care (family and friends) towards living a blessed life as Islam always wants it. InsyaAllah..

Holy Month is Coming....

As I am updating, it is less than 24 hrs to Ramadhan. In fact, the ibadah starts tonight with the first Taraweeh. This year, I vow to make extra effort to complete as many as I can. Even when I have iftar outside.

The muslimah in the office are having special session during lunch time, we are having strings of activites such as tadarus& tafsir, and also session to discuss certain hadith from Hadith 40 by Imam An-Nabawi.

Hopefully this Ramadhan, I will be able to utilise my time wisely, improve my ibadah and make the biggest investment for Qiamat, insyaAllah..

Tonight my sisters and I are going back to SP, the celebrate the first day of Ramadhan with the rest of the family there. My mum ordered sugar stock, as she could not get any in SP (it is that bad...) I managed to get 6kg in Seremban (lucky had 2 colleagues with me to pay for the extra 4 kg). PD is also having stock out situation of sugar. I will continue 'sugar purchase' ops in KL before we depart tonight....I am so feeling like sugar smuggler right now...hehehe...

Anyhooo....wishing for a safe journey and anybody who is reading this a blessed Ramadhan ahead.

Semoga kita berjaya mempertingkatkan amalan di Ramadhan ini, siapa tahu bila lagi akan bertemu Ramadhan yang akan datang.... InsyaAllah....

Promo poster for the activity from Dr.K

Qudwah Hasanah

It means a good example.

I watched the repeat for BET 2009 Awards last night, and was make known that the organisers have to change the format last minute in order to pay tribute to late MJ. What kind of impact does a person leave, to have such a magnitude of tribute after his death. It is undeniable that MJ has been a legendary icon. Although the later part of his life were filled with controversy with all the courts hearing and many more issues, he is still much respected and adored.

I remember when I was small, my mom used to say that I would dance along his 'Beat It','Billie Jean' and even 'Bad' records. I couldn't even understand a single word and yet was a hardcore fan. As I was growing up, he produces more songs with message, Earth Song, Black or White, Heal the World and many more to mention here.

He is a person that has dedicated his life to entertain, and was gifted to touch many other peoples life. Whether or not he is a Muslim, Allah knows best, but all his good deeds has impacted many people. Even his songs are legendary and will last forever (I think).

This is one of my favourite song and message was deep. In other words, to make yourself a qudwah hasanah, it starts with the Man in The Mirror. RIP MJ.

p/s: hope they did not remove the clip yet.

Done..Done..Done.

This time around, my summary of achievement is a bit delayed. Just recovered from very hectic schedule of organising a wedding. Not mine, but my younger sister..hehe...of course I get more of 'the' question, but I have developed enough thick skin to kow-tow most of it. Even my mom is not directly asking, I know she is worried its just that it has never came out from her mouth. Anyhow.....

Last year I had summarise these as my achievements in 2007....read here. For 2008, not sure what I have accomplished...I think its not much but I can say enough for now.

I know for sure that I have achived these;

1. Renovating the house in SP in progress : 50% done (not including the furnishing part..)
2. Holiday trip in Bali with frens :)
3. Gone through yet another Major Turn Around (plant shut down, without falling sick and managed to shed some 5 kg..hehehe..)
4. Celebrate Aidilfitri in our new home in SP. My sis and I even made our own dodol ;p.
5. Help Shaz organise the BBGS Class of 98 10th year reunion!!
6. Attended more than 30 weddings (not sure whether this achivement but definitely a record)
7. Drove all alone from JB to PD, from PD to Maran, and many other places..I am no fan of driving and would be prefer to be the passanger, but always the case I am either travelling alone, or with those who cannot drive, so no choice.

Other than that, not sure what I have proudly done during the rest of the year....am planning to accomplish few stuffs in 2009. Not listing here, will update as we go a long 2009. Can expect more spending...... sigh.....

Actually my new year starts at 1 Muharram 1430H, slightly earlier than the Gregorian calender..so that leaves me less day to pursue my wish. Hopefully I can become a better Muslim this year, insyaAllah.....