Jack Sad When Abang is Not Here

Haziq is in Bangkok now. This year, we see him flying off to Dubai a few times and now to Bangkok for the final rendezvous this school year. He has been participating in several school debates, parliament style debate in Dubai, World Scholar's Cup Regional Round in Dubai. They were among the finals in the Dubai round and now they are in for Regional Round in Bangkok. Allahuma Bareek.

He participated in the same thing a few years ago. They didn't that well for that round though.

I hope the experience he gains from this will shape him to the best of character. May he become the leader of the muttaqun.

He left in the middle of the night when the kids were sleeping. So Jack woke up in the middle of the night finding his abang not in the bed. Cried, picked up abang's stuffed cat and his stuffed cat and walked to my room and slept next to me.

Weeee.. Ibu suka.

A brief introduction of what the World Scholar's Cup is all about.

The First Crack

Imagine this setting.


Sayidinna 'Umar before him becoming Muslim.


He was a fiery man and was known to be harsh with the Muslims. He beat up his slave upon knowing of her conversion. He was feared and respected in Makkah.


His matching rival was perhaps Abu Jahl himself, another staunch enemy of Islam.


So much so that prophet sallahu alaihi wasalam raised his hands and ask Allah,


"O Allah! Give strength to Islam through either of two men you lov more, "Umar al Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hisham."


One night 'Umar al Khattab set out from his house and headed to the Kaabah. Lo and behold, he saw the Prophet Praying towards Kaabah. He thought this would be a great time to ambush the Prophet sallalhu alaihi salam. He sneaked behind the kiswah, the Kaaba's covering.


Kaabah at that time, would be generally dark. there are no lights like we see now in the area. It is not surprising, if one can sneaked behind the kiswah unnotied.


Umar came quite close to the Prophet such that he could hear the recitation of Prophet sallalahu alaihi wasalam. Prophet Muhammad sallalhu alihi wasalam was reciting Al Haqqah surah no 69. I have already put up the surah in my last two posts.


Umar thought the words are beautiful and the words were  poetic. He said to himself, this must be the words of a poet just like what the Quraysh has said. Then the Prophet sallalalhu alaihi wasalam said still reading surah Haqqah,

That this is verily the word of an honoured Messenger [i.e. Jibril (Gabriel) or Muhammad SAW which he has brought from Allâh]. (40) It is not the word of a poet, little is that you believe! (41) 

Shocked of this recitation which as if was responding to him, he said, "He must be a soothsayer/"


Then prophet sallahu alaihi wasalam continued his recitation in surah al Haqqah

Nor is it the word of a soothsayer (or a foreteller), little is that you remember! (42) This is the Revelation sent down from the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists). (43)

And thus the kufr of darkness in his heart cracked.


Indeed Allah guides whom He wills.





I guess each one of us at one point of time in our life (except those who have remained steadfast since they are young) has a turning point or realigned point in our life. Allah gives plenty of opportunities for us to see this point, most of the time we ignored it and brush the whisper of our hearts.


Allah will continue to give His signs in various ways until we ourselves chose not to from our words, actions and most importantly our hearts. 

Allâh has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearings, (i.e. they are closed from accepting Allâh's Guidance), and on their eyes there is a covering. Al baqarah 2: 7

Indeed Allah will never lead anyone astray after he has shown them guidance.


At Tawbah 9: 115

and Allâh will never lead a people astray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them as to what they should avoid. Verily, Allâh is the All-Knower of everything. 

It's us who refuse to follow.


As Saf 61: 5

 So when they turned away (from the Path of Allâh), Allâh turned their hearts away (from the Right Path). And Allâh guides not the people who are Fâsiqûn (the rebellious, the disobedient to Allâh). (5) 

May Allah continuously give us His Tawfiq and Hidayah for us to be steadfast and make it easy for us to please Him the way He commands us to.

Someone is Eight

The littlest boy in this house has turned eight.Masya Allah.

Zachary has been harping about the date for ever so long like as if he couldn't wait to become a big boy. When asked how do you feel yesterday in a seven year old body to today's eight year old body. Err it feels the same.

Kih kih kih really we get old every second of the day.

Let's see what he's done. Hmm he can read and apparently may get emotional when he reads. he was reading a sad story about a girl losing his mother and started sobbing to himself. Hey! Who got him this book in the first place??

However, having said that he is not an avid reader. I hope just not yet. Perhaps we can still build that soon.

He said he likes maths and he doesn't like english. I hope he would like both later.

I still carry him even though he is getting longer and heavier.

Lover still help him change in the morning even though I told him Jack is a big boy now. But lover said, otherwise he is too slow.

He talks alot! Still remember him not talking when he was littler.

He probably has fairly good memory retention. I hope we will be able to nurture this to what pleases Allah the most. May Allah instill quran in his heart and make his studies easy too.

He doesn't like doing homework and not bothered with it too. This is made worse because I was too busy to look at it too. This has got to change!

He loves his siblings but play mostly with sya. However when Haziq had to go Dubai for a few days the other day, he cried. Yeah it has been established that he is a sensitive boy.

Yeah he is still my baby. I don't know how long can I kiss him like how I kiss him now until it would look weird.

He is everyone's baby really.

I ask Allah that we will be happy family smiling and laughing all the way to jannah.

Surah al Inshiqaq 84: 7-9

Then, as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand, (7) He surely will receive an easy reckoning, (8) And will return to his family in joy! (9)

We will concentrate on aiming to receive the book on our right hand for now. Ya Rabb facilitate us.

Parenting Skills

If there is any in me. Allah musta'an.

Every Friday morning (which is the weekend over here), I will tell the children to clean up my little garden. Pull out the weeds, pick all the dried leaves, sweep and sometimes wash the steps. The have been doing it every Friday not whole heartedly I suppose. But this is what I call character building Insya Allah. And plus because I can.

Last friday Jack came snuggling beside me and complained and complained like he usually does. He complained to me about Haziq. That Haziq is always angry at him, that Haziq accused him of being slow and Haziq always take his job away when he was going to do this. Abang is always angry at me.

I always watch them when they are together supposedly working and Jackjack being the youngest and sometimes either clueless or just plain lazy is always working ever so slow. He would sometimes get so involved in his own imaginary world of fighting zombies and stuff, he would be playing by himself and sway his broom or brush everywhere.

He usually gets the easiest job which is to put the collected leaves in the plastic and put it near the bin. But he would spend his time "fighting" that the he forgot about his job. And usually he would rush when I am down there for inspection or when his abang and akak are nearly finished. Then he got panicked and complain even more.

So after he complained, I hugged him and said to him, maybe you are playing too much and not doing your job properly. He retorted, I am doing my job!" It's abang who always take my job away! So I told him today, you must quickly put the leaves away in the bin, so abang doesnt take your job away and he doesnt get angry. Of course he would say, "Abang will still be angry." Yeah he complains a lot. Peck in the cheek. A tickle. He was fine Insya Allah.

Then later, haziq came to me complaining about Jack. he was only playing. he never does his work. And when I told him to be quick, he got angry. Then because I cannot wait any longer, I had to finish his work for him, then he got angry.

Then I told him to be patient. he is only seven and very imaginative. Give him small task, and remnd him often because little kids need more reminders. Never finish his work for him. You can slightly punish him by leaving him when you are all done, or threaten him sometime before you are going to actually finish. But as the bigger one and also the leader you have to know his talents and his weaknesses and play with it. Gentle but stern. And in the end, you have me to report to. You have to instill team work and keep the team happy so that all of you achieve the same goal - i.e. please me (and a clean frontyard).

And remember Haziq, I had to deal with you when you are at that age.

This is all so funny I think. Their squabble. Their argument. But I need to skill to be somewhat fair and also not demotivating either. Otherwise I can easily say, O shaddap!

I pray that they are close with each other even after I am gone.

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It is worth to note also, that no one has a fight with Sya. Sya diligently pull out weeds, cut off unwanted branches and throw things away. Allahuma Bareek.