eid fitr

Abu Productive said :

"If you are standing in prayers in these last few days of Ramadhan doing your best to feel closer to ALLAH SWT, yet somehow you feel distanced. If you are wondering why those around you are all crying like babies whilst you are completely emotion-less. If you wish you could be of those with soft hearts and tearful eyes in Ramadhan, but it does not seem to happen and you fail to reach that level in your spiritual worship.


Then it is time to have a serious one-to-one conversation with your heart.


Ask your heart why it is so cold? Why do the Words of the Creator have no impact on it at all? Is it that arrogant that it does not need its Lord?


Ask you heart why it is so hard? Why no emotion are expressed of either fear or joy of being with its Creator?


Ask your heart why it is a hypocrite? It cries upon a movie -- knowing it is not real, but it does not cry when it hears the truth about its ultimate destination?


Keep digging deeper until you get the answer. Get your heart to break in front of ALLAH SWT this Ramadhan. There is no sweeter feeling than a sincere heart that cries out to ALLAH  SWT.


Don't let Ramadhan goes and you have not cried even once before your Lord."

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2011 is actually the third (or maybe forth) time I am celebrating the month of Ramadhan. Why third? Because after 18 years, only then I embrace Islam 'conscious'-ly (selepas di-ISK-kan). Yeah, I have been living with negligence and taking Islam for granted for more than a decade. How does that sound? =.='

Reviewing this one full month, however, I do not think I have made the best out of it.

ALLAH SWT said, "O you who believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous."

The analogy is simple.

An excellent student, A, was called to attend an award-giving ceremony which gathered all excellent students all over the country. Came along with A was his friend, B -- not an excellent student, and not listed to be awarded. At the end, A went home with his award and satisfaction of what he deserved. While B went home empty-handed. Nothing, except for the experience he got during the ceremony.

Same thing goes when ALLAH SWT asked HIS true believers to fast in the month of Ramadhan. When Ramadhan came, not only the real true believers who were fasting, but also the self-proclaimed true believers. After Ramadhan, only true believers achieved the spiritual objective -- which is to become the people of taqwa, while the other party only experienced the fasting moment itself.

They fast just as equal in terms of duration. Both experienced the hunger and thirst during the day. But, what makes them different in the eyes of ALLAH SWT is that the degree of faith  deep inside their heart. 

True believers are those who fast for the whole month of Ramadhan; who endeavour to take maximum benefit from the instructions of alQuran; who try to read, understand, and take guidance from the alQuran; who take advantage of character-building exercise which Ramadhan seeks to impart every Muslim. And Ramadhan brings them closer and closer to ALLAH SWT.

While, people who do not fall in this category are those who do not fully turn towards ALLAH SWT even in the month of Ramadhan. Ramadhan comes and goes but their homes do not indicate any sign that they are inhibited by Muslims. Nights of Ramadhan are left without them offering optional prayers. Those people start fasting but they are not inclined towards Islamic way of life.

This whole month is a training period prepared for us, Muslims, to restrain ourselves from worldly luxuries and to fully devote ourselves for ALLAH SWT. Just like any other training and courses, whether or not Ramadhan is a success depends on how we are behaving afterwards.

So people, let's strive to be the people of taqwa. Bak kata seorang ikhwah, "Mari kita sama 

sama berpuasa daripada nikmat dan keseronokan dunia yang berlebih lebihan, dan sama sama berbuka dengan nikmat syurga nanti. InsyaAllah."

With this, I extend my Eid greetings to all brothers and sisters in Islam. (: (: (: It is the day of victory for Muslims. Hopefully, we are all qualified to celebrate it with glory.

Reference :
Abu Productive, Ramadhan.
Syed Abul A'ala al Maududi, Let Us be Muslim.
Syed Abul A'ala al Maududi, Eid Fitr for Whom?






p/s 1 :
Walaupun dah 3 tahun embrace Islam consciuosly, tak pernah lagi dapat grad from Ramadhan with first class honour. =.='


p/s 2 :
Reference tak ikut format. Dah tak ingat. Sorry. Maaf zahir & batin.

of Lailatul Qadr

When I was very young, I used to be a very coward child. I was easily getting scared out of nothing. To the extend, every time I happened to see strangers (especially adult males) passing by my house, I would run for my life inside the house looking for Mom. The strangers was outside the gate and I was inside a safely locked house, do I miss a point here? And Mom was like, "Huhhh! What's now?" Yeah. I was a spoiled brat -- who fretted a lot and constantly demanded for attentions.


One good day, in the month of Ramadhan, I heard people at school talking about Lailatul Qadr. And I remembered this one girl bragged to the other kids that she had experienced Lailatul Qadr in the previous year. "I woke up because the air was so cold and I took a peep through the window. I saw nothing because everything was flatten to the ground (maksudnya semua tengah sujud la). In fact, I could see the ocean from the window," she said.


At that particular moment, I totally had no idea what Lailatul Qadr is. Even the word Lailatul Qadr itself sounded strange to my ears. So I helped myself to figure out something out of the story. A part of it did make sense, because back then the place I lived was real close to the seashore. But the other part did not. I was like, "Takkan la rumah jiran jiran dia pun sujud jugak. Abes la penyek orang dalam rumah tu."


But I dared not to provoke her (though I really wanted to) because the other kids was listening so faithfully -- and their faces told me that story was believe-able and trust-able. I taught myself a life-long valuable lesson as early as I was 7: Whenever you did not have your minions with you, do not be so loud. Or else you will end up being at the miserable-loser-side.


Later at night, when I was home, I asked Mom about Lailatul Qadr, to which Mom answered:


"Lailatul Qadr is a blessed night in Ramadhan where all the angles descend to earth -- visiting the faithful believers who constantly wake up at night to repent and seek the forgiveness from ALLAH SWT. Whoever wakes up and does prayer during that night, the reward is equal to those prayers he does in 1000 other months."


In my mind I started imagining about the angles. I pictured them wearing fulsome white clothes, with so fair and bright faces you cannot see the exact feature of the face because it somehow glows brightly from inside. The physical was big enough to occupy the whole panel of the door and tall enough to walk through the door. PARDON MY CHILDISH IMAGINATION. And so I said:

"Will they come and visit our house too? They are scary!"

"Yes, they will. Only if you have been a good servant of ALLAH and do good to other people. The angles are not going to scare you. They come with blessings."

"When is Lailatul Qadr?"

"Any night, starting from tonight. No one knows the exact date."


... ... ... *insert LIGHTNING, THUNDER, and STORM in the scene*


Guess who was the freaking coward girl -- terrified by her own underdeveloped imagination? Going to the bathroom alone had been the most adventurous and longest journey since. Every night I had to pray, "Please ALLAH, not tonight. I don't want to see the angles. Please send them down at the night which I don't feel like going to the toilet and, don't wake me up to see them." (Ya Rabbi, ada jugak orang yang doa macam ni? Rasa macam nak tenggelamkan dalam tempayan!)


When I was in the kitchen alone, I always had this feel that the angle (appearance was as the same when I first imagined them) was eyeing me from the corner where washing machine was placed. Thus I had to always force someone to accompany me going anywhere in the house, especially at night. At times, Dad caught me running with fearful face in the house and he asked:

"What's the matter?"

"I am scared."

"Of what?"

"Lailatul Qadr."

And he laughed so loud at the sheer-foolishness choice of words. That was the first time he caught me, next time ...

"Why are you running in the house?"

"I am scared."

"Of what?"

"Lailatul Qadr."

"Not funny. I told you not to run in the house, right? Run one more time, and you know what you will get!!!"

Haihhh. =.=" Being a coward child with wild imagination was not easy at all. Especially when your sister was not big enough to accompany you everywhere. And ... it was even harder when she got accompanied all the time, while you had to sort out your own way; how not to be left unattended by the parents without being labeled as an attention seeker. Haha.


But that was the story more than a decade ago. Now, I am a lot more braver. At least I think I am. Hehe. And more importantly, I am now waiting and looking forward to Lailatul Qadr. Tonight marks the last night of the second phase. Oh wait, I hear the sound of rain outside. Let me check ... ... ... Yeah, it is raining here people! RAIN!  :) How can I not to love this moment? What a blessed night! 


Okay. So tomorrow is the beginning of the last phase of Ramadhan. Time flies so fast. I don't know what exactly I feel at the moment. Anyway, let us work hard at these last 10 nights of Ramadhan. Grab the opportunity to achieve Mardhotillah -- not to mention the opportunities to gain extra profit for your account in aakhirah.


By the way, throughout this Ramadhan, I keep asking ALLAH for three things in my prayer. I mean three worldly-and-kind-of-materialistic-thing. I've got to be kidding myself, I know. But I really hope that HE will grant my wish. I want them so bad. 


"Hahaha. Do you think you are asking them from Santa?" said my sister. Yeah, when I said 'three things' I really meant it. They are things. Materials. No no, not toys, of course.


That's the story of my life.


All right. Semoga kita semua diberi kesempatan dan keizinan oleh ALLAH SWT untuk beribadah pada malam alQadr. :) Selamat melalui hari hari akhir Ramadhan dengan istiqamah.

al Qadr

Indeed, WE sent the Quran down during the Night of Decree.
And what is the Night of Decree?
The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.
The angles and the spirits descend therein by the permission of their LORD for every matter.
Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.


ALLAH SWT has given us many opportunities to gain rewards and do good deeds. Lailatul Qadr is one such night ALLAH SWT has made for us to pray and supplicate -- and ask HIM for whatever we wish for, especially forgiveness for our mistakes.


This blessed night, which is mentioned in alQuran, "the night of alQadr is better than a thousand months," comes in the months of Ramadhan, which itself is the most blessed month of all. During this night angles descend from the heaven bringing with them ALLAH's mercy and uncountable blessings for those who pray, fast, zikr, and ask for HIS forgiveness.


AlQuran also states that on this night, all the evil-beings cannot spread their evil. All throughout the night ALLAH SWT sends HIS peace and blessings for all the faithful men and women, both young and old, until the dawn of the new day.


The month of Ramadhan itself is a great month. ALLAH SWT revealed alQuran in this month. ALLAH SWT has made reaping rewards even easier in this month by chaining the syaitaan, closing the gates of Hell, and opening the gates of Heaven.


We should all try to do extra good deeds because this whole month is bestowed for us to gain ALLAH's pleasure. Let's treasure for Lailatul Qadr especially!

It is already the 17th of Ramadhan. Days pass by like the pages I flip through as I am reading a novel. Ramadhan is soon leaving. The feel is like when I was reading the final chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow, wishing that I could read as slow as humanly possible so that it would not be finished soon.

I am counting the days of Ramadhan left to be appreciated, wondering if I am going to leave these days left insignificant or am I going to make the best out of it. And I am afraid of the former one. I love the feel of Ramadhan. To sleep early, wake up early -- way early than usual, dine together, pray together, spend early part of the night at masjid, less watching TV, etc etc.

Despite all the soothe and ease at doing good, I can still feel the difficulties to keep them going consistently. More often than not I would feel the urge to go to bed after Subuh prayer. More often than not I would go on net for hours rather than reciting alQuran. I wonder if Ramadhan has really left, could I be able to keep up the good deeds at all. =.="

To fight our own nafs is, indeed, like battling in a big war.

Happy Nuzul Quran! :)

p/s : 
tak faham langsung kenapa ramai orang dah pasang lagu raya. isy. tak nak faham la.

ramadhan : random

Today I am in such a good mood. It was raining just now. I could not help but to feel so blessed when the rain poured the earth. Alhamdulillah. :) Maybe it was a welcoming remark for the second phase of Ramadhan.

I hope the feeling will just stay like this forever. Or be even better and better for each and every day to come.

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Today is all that you have.

"When you wake up in the morning, do not expect to see the evening -- live as though today is all you that you have. Yesterday has passed with its good and evil, while tomorrow has not yet arrived.

Your life span is nothing but one day, as if you were born in it and you will die at the end of it. With this attitude, you will not be caught between an obsession over the past -- with all its anxieties, nor to put much hope of the future -- with all its uncertainty.

Live for today : During this day you should pray with a wakeful heart, recite the alQuran with full understanding, and remember ALLAH with all the sincerity. In this day, you should be balanced in your affairs, satisfied with your allotted portion, and concerned with your appearance and health. 

Organize each hour of this day so that you make years out of minutes and months out of seconds. Seek forgiveness from your LORD, remember HIM, prepare for the final parting from this world, and live today happily at peace. Be grateful with your sustenance. Be content with your wife, your children, your house, and your station in life." -Ibnu Qayyim-

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"Today, when you are puzzled what dish of food you are going to serve your family, moms in Somalia has to decide which child has to feed while the other has to die. At every chance, let's us be grateful for we always know we will always have food on the table to break our fast." -Dr. Salman-

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As tomorrow in not guaranteed, let's purchase our hasanaat while we still can!

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