English Column: How’s your Ramadan?

“Don’t lose hope, still have time”
Picture by Shattered Infinity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simplyshutterbug/5349882579/in/photostream/

The very question that whenever people asks us, we cannot answer. Even if we answered it, the answer we replied is not an honest answer.

What is the question then? The question sounds like this “How’s your Ramadan?”

I do not know what will you answer, but for me, whenever anyone posts me that question, I’ll answer between two answers. Answer number one will be a long silence and a nod in the head whereas answer number two will be “Ok laa…” (in Manglish.)

If you can answer like this “My Ramadan is great!” I’ll give you my respect of honour because that answer indicates that you have fulfilled what is asked in this hadith:

“Whoever prayed at night in it (the month of Ramadan) out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.” [1]

What is asked in the hadith above? Two things; one, you have prayed at night of Ramadan with full of sincerity only for Allah and two, you have been hoping like mad for Allah to shower His reward for you.

By saying “My Ramadan is great!”, from my point of view, you are actually saying that “my sins have been forgiven.”

It is not that I cannot answer it; it is because I don’t have the guts to say “My Ramadan is great!” I’m simply just a coward to say it.

Why?

Judging from how I treat Ramadan until today that is the 18^th of Ramadan, I surely know that Allah has not forgiven my sins.

For today’s article, let us ponder, “Do you think Allah has forgiven our SINS?”

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Help me! I’m slowing down!

“Help me! I’m slowing down!” says the rabbit
picture by TIO… of flickr.com

Have you ever experienced you set your alarm clock at full volume for Sahuur, but you end up waking up when the light of dawn (or even dhuha) is shining in your eyes and the feeling of depression and hunger that you just missed your only appetite of the day? 

Can you still remember the moment when you’re fasting; you were so thirsty and hungry and tired that you were so disturbed, intimidated and annoyed by the presence of non-fasting people eating with full of pleasure in front of your eyes?  

Can you remember again the time when you spent all day long thinking of what you are going to eat for iftar and then after iftar you felt bad because you missed a day of rewards?  I am sure that you remember the sinking feeling when you went back to sleep after Subuh, and woke up late for work/class in the mode of not-in-the-mood for anything plus being lectured by your mom for wasting half of the day?  

Have you ever felt so energetic for the first ten days of Ramadan you could finish more than 10 juz of the Quran but towards the middle and end of Ramadan, you can’t continue on reciting and you just don’t know why?  

Answer these questions honestly, reply “ T_T “ for yes and “ ^_^ “ for no. No need to answer it to me. Answer it in your heart and let it be a little secret between you and Him.  

I’m not being all great here, frankly, this is what I’m feeling and experiencing this very instant as we approach the 12th of Ramadan. “Help me! I’m slowing down!” Are you experiencing the same as me, love?

(Read more)

English Column: Our hopes in Ramadan

 

“My hope is to be free from SINS!”

Picture by ~JosCos of deviantart.com

I’ll tell you the truth about Ramadan. What is the truth? Ramadan is our visitors. Not an ordinary visitor but VVVIP. Ramadan is a visitor that brings a lot of fortunes. But the question is:

1. How do we treat Ramadan?
2. It is already day five, have we treated it wholeheartedly?

Let us look back the hadith that is often repeated every year again and again, time and again:

“Whoever fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven .”[1]

Here, the hadith is translated as “hoping for a reward from Allah” for the word “ihtisaba”. But the literal translation of “ihtisaba” is not “hoping for a reward from Allah” but is “counting.”

What does it mean by “counting”? What are you “counting”? The mathematical equations that you are “counting” are how you treat Ramadan.

Hadith ihtisaba

There are several narrations that narrates the hadith on ‘ihtisaba’, I’ll list three of them.

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Let’s get ready to rumble!

Let’s get ready to rumble!
by Ameen Misran

While browsing through my old 4310 Acer notebook, I saw a picture of the Musolla of my ex-high school, MATRI. Then I looked at my desk calendar. Today is 27 Syaaban and I am 3 days away from  Ramadan. Will I manage to enter the doors of Ramadan? Last year, our beloved Ustaz Asri of Rabbani passed away before entering Ramadan. What about me? I don’t know. I just don’t know.

Gazing at the picture brings me unforgettable memories when I was in high school. It has been almost four years since I’ve finished my studies at that school near the woods. I can assure myself, to me, MATRI is the best place to celebrate the festival of deeds during Ramadan. Comparing the places I’ve been in my life, no place can challenge the beauty of the people nurturing Ramadan. No place, not even IIUM Gombak.

In MATRI, from morning to midnight, the Musolla was so full of students reciting and praying. After Terawih prayer, many circles, big and small ones was making Tadarus Al-Quran. Finishing the Quran more than 3 times in one month was a norm in MATRI. But my past Ramadan, finishing it once was the maximum number for me and I was among the minorities. I feel peace and tranquillity seeing the students competing with each other and to some extend making contests to win who finishes the Quran first. Huh! Old memories.

In that picture, there was a picture of my former senior and former xifu, Ustaz Muhtad. A great guy who finished his studies in University Al-Azhar, Dumyati, Mesir. He was staff of MATRI teaching Arabic. He was also the warden of Huffaz Dormitory at that time.

I sunk deep in my thoughts. A memory took place five years ago went rolling my head.

Click here to read more ^_^

English Column: Lose Yourself in Ramadan

Want to understand nature? Lose yourself in it.
Picture by Umar Aziz at DQ lake

“Ramadan is magic. It can change my whole life in an instance” says a friend of mine to me. ‘Magic’ he says. Nice choosing of words yeah. Ramadan is ‘magic’ only for those who nurture and the thirst of 11 months waiting is only quenched upon Ramadan’s arrival. You will never wait for it to come to your door step and knock on your door, but your door is already open and you’re more than ready to welcome it with open arms. Ramadan is magic because of the Quran.

The majestic Quran and the month of Ramadan

                The Quran loves Ramadan and Ramadan loves the Quran. The two of them are beloved friends, no, they are ‘lovers’. Lets understand why the Quran is important first then what it has to do with the Quran in Ramdan. Allah has proven their ‘love’ to each other in the Quran:

“The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey – then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.” (Al-Baqarah: 185)

For those who read the Quran while fasts combines two powerful entities, Ramadan and the glorious Quran. So, those persons therefore will live this holy month with the Noble book and following what Allah has said. What Allah has said? The Quran is a reflection and reminder to us:

“[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.” (Sad: 29)

But why sometimes or most of the time we read the Quran but we feel nothing? Let’s reflect from this verse:

“Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?” (Muhammad: 24)

It is either between we don’t understand the message or we haven’t at all tried to understand. The other possibility is Allah does not want us to understand, that is the most feared thing in life. The thing ‘lack’ in our hearts is preventing ‘light’ from coming into our hearts. Erase that ‘lacks’ and ‘light’ will enter.

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English Column: A love greater than Allah’s love

“looking for a greater love”
Picture by ~Saaruhh of deviantart.com

“Is it wrong to be in a relationship?”

“It is Allah who made us in love, not us; are we to be blamed?”

“If I don’t have an intimate relationship with her, how will I know my future wife?”

These are typical answers claimed by many people as an excuse to legalize their so called love out of the wedlock. Sadly, majority of us are implementing it.

These excuses are left unanswered. The truth is still hidden from them. Whether being in a relationship out of the wedlock is haram or halal? Who is going to make them understand that what they are doing is wrong? Their parents? Friends?

For those who are close with the Quran and Sunnah, you are so close to the truth. But for those who favour ‘scholarly’ opinions from entertainment magazines, romance movies or music videos, you are so deep in the darkness of ignorance.

The Quran and Sunnah are two substances for us to shape our personality, route map for our life’s road journey and as a shield detaining ourselves from being influenced by the tempting and seducing worldly pleasures. “I leave behind me two things, the QURAN and my example, the SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray” (Narrated by Imam Malik)

But why, with the Quran and Sunnah present alongside our life, we still claim there is a Love Greater that Allah’s love? Who is to be blamed? Is it the Quran and Sunnah or ourselves?

Click here to read more ^_^

Marriage is mirage

"You and I are different" picture by jeyminems of deviantart.com

 

Marriage is the most awaited moment,

many people switch to fast forward for that particular moment.

Marriage is the proof of love between two people,

no matter how they look, crossed eyes or full of pimples.

Love does make the world go round,

and love certainly heals all wounds.

But I, I do not feel happy for this so called marriage,

to me marriage is a mirage.

I'm too scared for that moment to come,

I'm too chicken to be called a husband or a father.

To be honest, I can't even afford my life,

so what will I give to my future wife?

It is difficult, so difficult to maintain another life besides my own,

I better of living alone.

If Allah wills, I wanna be a bachelor all my life.

If you wanna say I'm a coward young man, then so be it!

I am coward!

For my future wife, I do not know when will I be ready,

do you think you can still wait for me?

TAQWA: The "Boring" Weekly Call

 “See what happens when we miss an important call”
Picture by *04young of Deviantart.com

FRIDAY is the most exhausting day of the week. Even though I do not have classes on this day, sleeping half a day will always be my top priority. Study? Rarely. Breakfast?Hardly any. Just sleep and sleep. Exhausted I guess.

When the clock strikes 1 pm, I would get ready for prayer, Friday prayer of course. Walk to the IIUM Masjid and wait for the first azan. After an interval for about 10 minutes, the khatib gives salaam and then the second azan is heard.

The azans normally sounds beautiful like a lullaby making the Friday jamaah feel so sleepy. When the azan is over, the khatib starts his khutbah. As the khatib starts with:

“O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him].” (Ali-Imran: 102)

I witness in front of my eyes, most of the guys, head down! Their head goes up and down not indicating that they understand what the khatib is saying, but because they doze off to dreamland!

Why are they sleeping?  Why are we (men) dozing off? If the purpose of Friday prayer is a place for men to ‘rest’ then, sleeping will be quite acceptable.

But Friday prayer is a weekly call for TAQWA. Is this call a ‘boring’ call?

Click here for more ^_^

Have you swallowed a dictionary?

If you can’t swallow it whole then eat it!

Picture by Lala (Shady Lane Studios) of flickr.com    

“If you have one thousand words in your head, then you will have no difficulty in speaking Arabic” my father said as he taught one of his classes. I was just there to see him teach. It wasn’t my class actually, my father is teaching a senior class in Sekolah Agama Taman Sri Pulai.  

One of my weakest subject was Arabic language, I can’t even write properly, what more if I speak Arabic then? It’ll definitely sound like trash. But what he said just now made me feel that he is challenging me. The challenge was to speak Arabic fluently. Do I dare to speak Arabic? 

So I grew up still I can’t master Arabic that good but at least I can speak or sometimes debate in Arabic language. I tried to apply what my father said by memorizing all the words I can. I listened to lectures and tried by very best to use the language. 

In my own words, I came out with a solution for a person to excel in language; the solution is to ask yourself “Have you swallowed a dictionary?” (Thanks to my dad of course)

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The battle to heaven

 

Look at the picture, what do you see?
If you see only twigs that you’re not looking properly!

I see twigs yes but I can see so much more!
I see a ‘battle to heaven’ and what I’m looking for!

If twigs are strong and lively,
will dead leaves grow sadly?

When the twigs are dry,
the leaves clinging onto it cannot cry.

They are crying alright,
but crying without tears all day and night.

Dry waterless as the dead twig,
useless like people who talk big.

I don’t want my life to be in drought!
Because my heart will be in doubt!

I want my life to be full of watery full of water,
Water is a source of life for me to treasure.

This is the battle to heaven!
We do not want our life to be rotten!

If I am before Allah, rotten!
I do not know whether I will win this battle to heaven!

But when I try my best to attain His Rahmah!

I will enter Jannah!

“One day your life will flash before your eyes, make sure it’s worth watching”,
I will, because on that day, I will enter heaven!

 Click here for more ^_^

Bachelor of Taqwa from University of Ramadan

“That is Taqwa!” Picture by ~theForlorn of deviantART.com

On the tenth of Eidul Fitr, two old friends decided to meet each other. They wanted their special meeting to be at a special place, which is at their previous high school. It’s kind of killing two birds with one stone, missing a buddy and missing a school. With the combination of both, it brings back old unforgettable memories.

So they meet up at the musolla of the school.

“Assalamualaikum broer!” says Ameer to his old friend. “Long time no see. How have you been?”

The two of them hugged each other.

“Waalaikumussalam!” answered Ali “Yeah, it has been some time. I’ve been good.”

The both of them had a chit-chat over some old stories. Then Ameer asked Ali a question “You just graduated right from IIUM? What was your bachelor? Bachelor of English was it?”

“Me? Bachelor of English? No. That was a long time ago. Now I have a bachelor of Taqwa” said Ali confidently.

“Bachelor of Taqwa? From what university?” Ameer confused.

“From University of Ramadan” says Ali.

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This is your final Ramadan!

“Do we have a second chance?
Picture by D.Jelen of flickr.com

“Ameen! Sahur time! Come down, let’s eat” says mama to me. Cold it was at that time approximately 1 hour and a half before Subuh. There I sat in my Sajadah, reciting some Dzkir, just finished two rakaah of Tahjud, but looking forward for more.

I wasn’t really hungry but I was thirsty, thirsty for my ‘date’ with Allah. I need to quench that thirst, if not I will regret my life not able to capture that instant. Ramadan comes only once a year and there should not be a moment to be lost.

“Thanks mama, I’ll be down in 40 minutes” I responded half shouting.

“Okay” she replied. My little brother was with her. She has company so I don’t have to worry.

The next prayer I’m about to perform is Solah Taubah. It was dark. I love praying in a dark environment, it gives me the khusu’ in my prayer. It also centers my attention to only Allah and me alone in that darkness. It really symbolizes a ‘date’ of two lovers. This is the darkness that brings me to light. So I stood up back again facing my Lord in that darkness.

So I said my lafzu niyyah before prayer. Then I made my takbir ratul Ihram, at that moment, my whole body feel so cold, as cold like the South Pole. So cold. As if someone is watching me from behind. I tried to ignore that feeling. I kept continuing my prayer.

As I went on, losing myself in prayer, my body reached under zero temperature. So very cold. I really felt like a dark figure is behind me. Like that figure or someone is trying to do something to me. “Why not just strike me now?” my heart says.

Do you know the figure who I felt was standing behind me? It was like Malikul Maut. I really really thought that it was my time to go. I will leave this world. I will leave my mother without me eating Sahur together. Death will not be delayed not even a single split second.

“Why not just strike me now?” What am I thinking? Am I ready to meet Allah? I’m speaking as if I’m ‘fit’ and ‘ready’ to go. No no! I’m still not ready; I don’t even know when I will be ready. Please Allah! Don’t take me now. I don’t want this to be my final Ramadan!

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The sky is cryin', are you?

The sky is cryin’, are you?
Picture by Masterpiecestudios of flickr.com a.k.a my big bro

“Why can’t I cry?” I said to myself on the sajadah, longing for those tiny droplets to run free from my eyes. But it seems impossible to do so, just impossible. I’ve tried but it’s still not working.

“Why? Why it is so hard?” I stood up from where I sat and went to the mirror to see myself. Through the reflection of the mirror I see the body Allah has borrowed for me. I tried again crying in front of the mirror wanting to witness myself crying. But no. No physical change. No sad face. No heart pumping hard. No nothing. Just my old stiff face full of ignorance. 22 years of ignorance? Maybe. It freaks me out becoming the owner of a dark rusty heart.

Why am I craving so much for just crying? Isn’t crying a sign of weakness? Because only women cry and men don’t? If men cry they are not macho anymore? No no no!

I have a strong desire to cry because crying makes me strong.

To read more, click here ^_^

Just say "I don't know" will ya?

Just say “I don’t know” will ya?

I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads…..
Picture by Bônita²- Miss Nonalita of flickr.com

  

Once upon a time there was a guy who traveled thousands of miles from Morocco to Madinah. This hell of a journey was only to accomplish one mission that is to meet Imam Malik and to ask and discuss some questions

.

These unanswered questions were imposed by the people of Morocco to the great, well known, renowned Imam al-Madinah that is Imam Malik. That guy was just a representative whose journey to Madinah was weeks and months

.

As he reached Madinah, the first station he went was to attend a program conducted by Imam Malik. In the gathering, that guy asked the unanswered questions to Imam Malik in front of many others. But sadly Imam Malik replied back “I don’t know. That problem has never risen so far in our place. Our elders have never taught us about that. Please go home tomorrow.”

The next day, before he went off to Morocco, that guy came back to Imam Malik with his donkey that was his medium of transportation. He asked again Imam Malik: “O Imam, how’s my question last night?” 

Imam Malik answered: “I still do not know the answer.”

That guy did not want to go back empty handed, he insists: “O Abu Abdillah, these are issues raised by my people in Morocco. They say that there’s no person wiser and more intelligent in the world than Imam Malik. What am I suppose to report to them after this?” 

Once again Imam Malik answers: “When you have returned to your hometown, tell them that Imam Malik do not know”

For more of this post, please visit Langit Ilahi ^_^

Best in the world

“Find the key…” Picture by by ~endrju100

Everyone has a story to tell, so do I. My story is about persons who took my hand and showed me the path, right and left, when I was confused in a life full of mazes. They are not my Xifu, not my Sensei but they are my Murabbi(s). ß plural of Murabbi , converted to English (my English \^_^/ )

Murabbi… yeah…

From the day I learnt this word till the moment I’m breathing, as far as I know, it seems that no other word in any other language can give the same powerful meaning as the word Murabbi. If you don’t believe me then, go make a little research.

 

Well, the word Murabbi can be translated as the word ‘Teacher’ or ‘Guru’. And from the word teacher comes the day when we celebrate “Teacher’s day” or “Hari Guru” that is on 16^th of May every year. You know, if I have the power (“If ade power la, soon…” – in Manglish), I’ll change this celebration into “Murabbi Day” or “Hari Murabbi” and I do not care if people will say it language pollution.

For more of this post, please visit Langit Ilahi ^_^