What difficulties do you have?

We had a visit by Sister Mariah Ma the other day. for those of you who are not in the know, Sister mariah Mah is a muslimah from Singapore and is a very active philanthropist over there. She is involve with tremendous charity work. Her work mainly focuses on improving the Muslims brothers and sisters in China. She is also cited to be one of the 500 most influential muslims in the world 2009 due to her charity work in China. Masya Allah! Google the book up.

Do you know that there are about 30 Million Muslims in China? And do you know that the Malaysian population alone is about 28 Million people (latest stats Jul 2010). And another trvia is that there are 1.4 billion Muslims in the world.

Anyway Islam in China goes a looong way. Some said that Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wasalam has already send the risalah to china at the same time He (sallahu alaihi wasalam) sent the daawah to Emperor Heraclius of the Roman Empire and Chrosoe in Persia. And Allah knows best.

A more notable history is that during the time of Khalifah Uthman bin Affa radiallahu anhu, he sent an envoy led by one of the most prominent sahabahs, among the ten promised jannah, Saad bin Abi Waqas radiallahu anhu, to spread daawah of Islam in China. With the guidance of Allah, many embraced Islam and they have been Muslims for more than a thousand years.

However, many of our brothers and sisters of Islam in China are poor and many of them are deprived from the basic necessity that you and I are enjoying. Sister Mariah Mah shared with us some photos and many are living in very poor accommodation and some still live in caves.

Sister Mariah Mah work involve in providing water, rehabilitating masjids, mengimarahkan masjid, setting up madrasah and paying the teachers, setting up orphanages, giving scholarships and so on. Masya Allah.

She is calling for plenty of charity drives to help her to help our brothers and sisters in China. There are many ways you can help but one of the most interesting charity drive she is doing is, providing a tour service around the famous places in China of which all the profits go to the charity projects. If you are interested to go to China, but afraid of eating improper food and not knowing where to pray perhaps you can consider her services. The best part is, depending on the package, you can choose to go visit the Muslim community there. If you wish to volunteer to become a teacher, she would also welcome you with open arms.

Check this site out China Muslim SilaturrRahim. She also do a qurban project.

Anwyway when she was showing pictures of the condition of their living and the orphanage houses, I felt sad but not too sad. Because there are something even more sad than being poor. What saddens me is when she also said that many of them do not practise Islam anymore. Life is hard in china especially during the hardcore communist time.

Just proclaiming believing a religion may deem persecution and torture! Many of them had to smuggle themselves out to do hajj. Saving up so much money, smuggle themselves out and back in only to come back being discovered and death on them.

The imams who survived narrated that they had to hide to learn the quran when they were young. These are all risks to the families. Fear and death are looming on them all the time.

And after some time, what is left on them is just knowing Lailahhaillah, no pork, no alcohol and to say Bismillah when slaughtering animal. But because they are poor, slaughtering is a rare occasion anyway. The woman mostly don on hijab to distinguish themselves that they are muslims. But no more solah, no more fasting and other things.

And Subhanallah time is easier now, it is time to revive what is lost among our brothers. And Insya Allah that is what Sister Mariah Mah is doing. Many of those who Allah kept their heart firm with iman are coming out to spread Islam again.

I came across a hadith or saying of the salaf. i am not sure. once but I cannot find it anymore. So do correct me

"There will come a time when people only know Lailahha illallah and that is only because they heard the older people say so. What good would it be? It will make them enter jannah."

May Allah alleviate their difficulties.

The question to myself again, so what difficulties do you have Lollies?

Again do consider this charity tour programme if you are thinking of going abroad. I would.

We are having it easy

I would like to share with you today the story of one of my favourite soorahs - Suratul Burooj. It is in Juz Amma. Juz Amma is what the malays like to call muqaddam.Or perhaps surah lazim. Hah! I have a story about surah lazim, eh tapi nantilah story. Anyway it is Surah no 85 and it has 22 verses.

I strongly suggest that you memorise this surah. Actually I strongly suggest that you memorise the quran (I have not though :( ) at least aim to finish the whole of Juz Amma first. When one memorises the surah and know the meaning of it or at least the gist of the meaning, the level of concentration is different in solah, Insya Allah.

Anyway, I am putting a hadith that comes with this particular surah. It is a good story in it.

The Book Pertaining to Piety and Softening of Hearts (Kitab Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqa'iq)
Muslim :: Book 42 : Hadith 7148

Suhaib reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) thus said:

There lived a king before you and he had a (court) magician. As he (the magician) grew old, he said to the king: I have grown old, send some young boy to me so that I should teach him magic. He (the king) sent to him a young man so that he should train him (in magic).

And on his way (to the magician) he (the young man) found a monk sitting there. He (the young man) listened to his (the monk's) talk and was impressed by it. It became his habit that on his way to the magician he met the monk and set there and he came to the magician (late).

He (the magician) beat him because of delay. He made a complaint of that to the monk and he said to him: When you feel afraid of the magician, say: Members of my family had detained me. And when you feel afraid of your family you should say: The magician had detained me.

It so happened that there came a huge beast (of prey) and it blocked the way of the people, and he (the young boy) said: I will come to know today whether the magician is superior or the monk is superior. He picked up a stone and said: O Allah, if the affair of the monk is dearer to Youe than the affair of the magician, cause death to this animal so that the people should be able to move about freely. He threw that stone towards it and killed it and the people began to move about (on the path freely).

He (the young man) then came to that monk and informed him and the monk said: Son, today you are superior to me. Your affair has come to a stage where I find that you would be soon put to a trial, and in case you are put to a trial don't give my name.

That young man began to treat the blind and those suffering from leprosy and he in fact began to cure people from (all kinds) of illness. When a companion of the king who had gone blind heard about him, he came to him with numerous gifts and said: If you cure me all these things collected together here would be yours. Be said: I myself do not cure anyone. It is Allah Who cures and if you affirm faith in Allah, I shall also supplicate Allah to cure you.

He affirmed his faith in Allah and Allah cured him and he came to the king and sat by his side as he used to sit before. The king said to him: Who restored your eyesight? He said: My Lord. Thereupon he said: It means that your Lord is One besides me. He said: My Lord and your Lord is Allah, so he (the king) took hold of him and tormented him till he gave a clue of that boy.

The young man was thus summoned and the king said to him: O boy, it has been conveyed to me that you have become so much proficient in your magic that you cure the blind and those suffering from leprosy and you do such and such things. Thereupon he said: I do not cure anyone; it is Allah Who cures, and he (the king) took hold of him and began to torment him. So he gave a clue of the monk.

The monk was thus summoned and it was said to him: You should turn back from your religion. He, however, refused to do so. He (ordered) for a saw to be brought (and when it was done) he (the king) placed it in the middle of his head and tore it into parts till a part fell down. Then the courtier of the king was brought and it was said to him: Turn back from your religion. And he refused to do so, and the saw was placed in the midst of his head and it was torn till a part fell down.

Then that young boy was brought and it was said to him: Turn back from your religion. He refused to do so and he was handed over to a group of his courtiers. And he 'said to them: Take him to such and such mountain; make him climb up that mountain and when you reach its top (ask him to renounce his faith) but if he refuses to do so, then throw him (down the mountain). So they took him and made him climb up the mountain and he said: O Allah, save me from them (in any way) You like and the mountain began to quake and they all fell down and that person came walking to the king.

The king said to him: What has happened to your companions? He said: Allah has saved me from them. He again handed him to some of his courtiers and said: Take him and carry him in a small boat and when you reach the middle of the ocean (ask him to renounce) his religion, but if he does not renounce his religion throw him (into the water).

So they took him and he said: O Allah, save me from them and what they want to do. It was quite soon that the boat turned over and they were drowned and he came walking to the king, and the king said to him: What has happened to your companions? He said: Allah has saved me from them, and he said to the king: You cannot kill me until you do what I ask you to do. And he said: What is that? He said: You should gather people in a plain and hang me by the trunk (of a tree). Then take hold of an arrow from the quiver and say: In the name of Allah, the Lord of the worlds; then shoot an arrow and if you do that then you would be able to kill me. So he (the king) called the people in an open plain and tied him (the boy) to the trunk of a tree, then he took hold of an arrow from his quiver and then placed the arrow in the bow and then said: In the name of Allah, the Lord of the young boy; he then shot an arrow and it bit his temple.

He (the boy) placed his hands upon the temple where the arrow had bit him and he died and the people said: We affirm our faith in the Lord of this young man, we affirm our faith in the Lord of this young man, we affirm our faith in the Lord of this young man.

The courtiers came to the king and it was said to him: Do you see that Allah has actually done what you aimed at averting. They (the people) have affirmed their faith in the Lord.

He (the king) commanded ditches to be dug at important points in the path. When these ditches were dug, and the fire was lit in them it was said (to the people): He who would not turn back from his (boy's) religion would be thrown in the fire or it would be said to them to jump in that. (The people courted death but did not renounce religion) till a woman came with her child and she felt hesitant in jumping into the fire and the child said to her: 0 mother, endure (this ordeal) for it is the Truth.

This hadith cum story affected me alot. I am born a Muslim. Living in a country where it is easy for me to be a Muslim. No one threatens to kill me if I say Lailahhailallah . No one rips off my hijab and put a saw on my head when I want to obey Allah's command. No one spies on me in case I am making solatul fajr and point a gun at me when I go out in the morning.

I do not have to throw my baby and my family in a trench of fire for obeying Allah!

Currently the one who is telling me to deny Allah's command is my own nafs who is easily defeated by the whispers of Shaytan and the beauty of the world.

If in easy times, we cannot do it for Allah, do we think we can do it when Allah test us with difficult times? Easy life does not stay forever. Look around the world and you can see how difficulties are encroaching us.

Indeed all the tests around us now is nothing compared to the biggest one that is sure to come - the Dajjal. And at that time, we will be as what we are. Our eeman will not increase but in fact will be tested to the core.

If we do not have the eeman now, be rest assured we cannot have the eeman of the People of the ditch during the harder time.

May Allah make our eeman firm!

Do listen to the story of the Companions of the Ditch (Ashabul Uhdood) by Anwar Awlaki for better excerpt of lessons, Insya Allah.

either on youtube



or download the audio from here

Mooned

The thing about jeans nowadays, most of them are cawat pendek or what they called hip-jeans or low-rise jeans. Basically instead of clinging to the waist, which now they call it the mommy's jeans (degradation of a mummy's status in my opinion like as if wearing this type of jeans is a sign that you are old), this jeans now cling on the hip.

However not everyone can put on the hip-jeans and look good in it. Those who can pass wearing it must be pencil slim. Thanks to the western ideas of beauty, pencil slim now is Marilyn Monroe in the past. So if you are one of those who still want to be in the trend and insist wearing the hip-jeans, be very aware of the fleshy bits that overflow out.

Now, in my opinion, to those who fear Allah, if you so wish to wear these jeans, pencil-slim or overflow flesh alike, do wear a top that not only covers your butt but go beyond your thigh to the knee. Or better still cover it with a jilbab/ abaya.

O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the faithful to draw their JALABIB close around them; that is better that they will be recognized and not annoyed. And God is ever Forgiving, Gentle. Surah Al Ahzab 33: 59 (jalabib is the plural for jilbab. And jilbab is like an outer covering)

If one chooses a short top - say to the waist - even at normal posture one can see her butt crack and also her g-string. If one chooses a slightly longer top that covers the butt, during standing and walking, the butt crack is covered, but when one is in the sitting position is another story altogether.

I have to feel resentment for this because Allah resents this. We all know our awrah. Some of the butt crack may be pleasing to the men, but Allah is not please with this. Whether you wear hijab or not, please do not incur sins on yourselves and other people by mooning your butt crack to people because you cannot cover your crack. And trying best to cover it each time you feel chill on the butt - meaning you know it is exposed - is very distracting to the one who is sitting behind you.

So I do not appreciate it that when I am sitting and listening to Dato' Dr. Asri in his passionate talk, here in Doha, that the ummah should strive to be among the uhlul albab (meaning the people with understanding), I have to be constantly mooned by your butt crack.

May Allah forgive all of us.

Discipline

My class has started. And thus storm is brewing.


This is my fourth year in my class and understandably it is getting harder.

In the tajweed class the teacher was stressing on my ihfaq. I have managed to get that "kaf" sound of it but now she wants me to move the tongue to move to the next letter's makhraj. And I am finding it difficult to do all the min shahri... in both suratun Nas and Al Falaq.

Not to mention the letter ain when it has kasrah and dommah.

May Allah make it easy for me and all of us.

I have a new arabic teacher who is so cute Masya Allah. Masya Allah, I am amazed that she herself is taking up english course so she can communicate with the non-arabs like me. Masya Allah. Allahumabareek. And she is not getting paid at to teach us. And she doesn't have to trouble herself for she can teach the arabs which would be far easier for her.

I find many arabs are like this. When they do daawah, they'd go all out. So sometimes when people talk badly about them, I am just happy that I have met many are beyond good. May Allah increase their reward.

We will continue with our tafseer class. Through skype this time you, because my beloved teacher, may Allah bless her, has now moved to Egypt. So, Insya Allah, we will still continue lessons with her through skype. The problem with lessons through network is unstable lines.

And we have new aqeedah class (WITH EXAMS!!). I am also taking Quranic Arabic which concentrates on grammar used in quran. It's tougher but the best part is, it brings out alot of the quran words to explain a particular grammar. Even if I am lost in the mudhof ilaih, maf'ul bih, fael, feel and apa lagi entah, I am just happy that I learn at least one word from the quran. I am easy to please.

The storm is brewing but I am already feeling that two hands are not enough. My mind is continually making time-planning of what I should do now and the next hour and the next hour until i get to sleep.

If you do not know already, I am particular about my time schedule. And I get agitated when my scheduled is disrupted.

The thing is many times, the one who disrupt my own schedule, is myself. But being a mother, lover, student, driver, strategist, planner, chef, tukang mop require flexibility in the time. So as much as I want to sleep early (because subuh is at four in the morning), I find myself getting excited writing out notes for K@f@ or the kids' halaqah. I have passed the bedtime and my eyes are as big as saucers.

I need a stick perhaps because the carrot is already right in front of me.

Panitia = Kahuna

I just want to tell that at the moment I am happy with what is happening at the K@F@ Doha that I am "working" with.

Loads of credits must be given not only to the teachers but to the working committee members who, in my opinion, gave their very best to make this programme a success.

Masya Allah, I love the idea that they came and gave up their time to work together. The way I see it, many can gain the ajr of spreading knowledge. In the previous years, they have the same people who would teach, run administration, layan parents, layan students, registration, layan government officials, layan traffic jam bila masuk sekolah. But now, Alhamdulillah, the support system are there, the teachers can concentrate on doing what they should do - teach.

None of this credit go to me but rather my friends here and I am here to glide along and learn, Insya Allah.

This year they have formally selected the headchamp (HM as in head master. LOL!!!)So now they are trying to be more systematic with a more detailed syllabus guidleine. They are creating new posts - PANITIA - for different subjects like aqidah, fiqh, seerah, al quran and akhlaq. And this year we even have the sacred academic calendar. Whoa!!

These are all going so fast and making me seperti biasa excited such that I am sure I have thousands of typos in this post. But fast going action and non stop thinking makes me lompat sana-sini.

Until of course when they told me that I am the panitia for the subject akhlaq.

Hah!!! Excuse me mrs Headchamp, I cannot accept this. Is panitia some kind of dummy that kids hit at a party?



Ahlaq ah? You sure or not?

May Allah facilitate me and help me have ikhlas for all that I do.

Should Not be in Denial

I turned one year older a few weeks ago. i am 38 now.

One grey hair.

Sakit lutut.

Sakit tumit.

Bau lauk sedap aje badan naik 500 gram.

Sakit dada bila marah.

A wonderful lover.

Three wonderful children.

An alive father.

Missing my Ibu whom I ask Allah to be reunited in jannah.

Still alive and still have chance. And that is alot to be thankful for.

Alhamdulillah ala kulli hal.

May Allah make the rest of my predestined life easy to worship Him.

Cast Off

Alhamdulillah Jack is now released from his clenching cast. It has been a month.

I was worried at the thought of taking off the cast and was wondering what kind of tool would they used. And would it scrape some of my beloved son's fragile skin? And he is so skinny would it accidentally slice off his skin and flesh and ohhhhh.

Of course a good friend had to remind me of the story of another friend's daughter who was on the body cast and they actually did slice her a bit. Horrors!

But Alhamdulillah it went well. The instrument was scary but the doctor said it is safe and demonstrated how it won't cut soft things rather only hard things. Hmm. See it on the first video.




After the cast was off, Jack went on in the same position for sometime, very afraid to straighten his hands. Infact to day being the third day, he still is very concious about his hand. We are seeing the doctor again for follow up in case he would need physio therapy. Pray not.

Anyway the video of the moment. Apparently I was laughing at the end of the video because the doctor commented that the mother was more scared than the son. Ngarut aje doctor ni. Macho tau!

Jangan jadi hipokritlah

When I related the story of Bee earlier, I realised that I wrote this part. That the other lady was only doing solah initially sebab terpaksa.

Reminded me of the story of Hamzah Abdul Mutalib radiallahu anhu. Remember how he came to islam? It was initially out of him defending Rasulullah sallahu aliahi wasalam who was hit by the despicable Abu Jahal. Out of spontaneity he also told Abu Jahal that he is now a Muslim, believing in the one God and the religion that his nephew was teaching. Much to the dismay of the other mushriks especially Abu jahal himself. But he is Hamzah. Well known for his bravery even in his mushrik days. So they left him at that.

But Hamzah went home and realised what he had said. Am I really a Muslim? What have I done, he'd probably said. He then asked Allah to show him the truth from the wrong. And Allah guided him after that.

Hamzah later on became the Lion of the Dessert always at the forefront of Islam. He became a martyr in The battle of uhud. May Allah accept his deeds.

Do not underestimate your lack of sincerity when you started off to do deeds that you know are commanded. Many times when we want to put the step on doing good, we would be overcome by insecerity, laziness and the feeling of hypocriteness.

Rather if it is already a command of Allah, go ahead and over time fight the feeling of inserity. Ask Allah that He show you the correct path.

This include putting on the hijab for instance. Many times i was overpowered by the whispers of Shaytan, alaaa jangan jadi hypocritelah. Pakai tudung tapi jahat nak buat apa? True pakai tudung tapi jahat buat apa. But remember Allah asks us to do all good and obey His command. So we do and strive. Because that is what life is. Striving.

Like what I have said in my post AGENT OF CHANGE. What you need to concentrate not on making your slightly weak side worse, but rather to enhance your good side. Do what Allah commands and work hard to please Him. Ask Allah for sincerity in your heart and Insya Allah, Allah will open up more doors for you.

I was watching in dismay when a lady said, "takkan I dah balik haji tetiba i nak jadi baik, Assalammualaikum she said mockingly. Kita jangan jadi hipokritlah." Do we become even more of a hypocrite when we are striving to obey Allah's command and wanting to please Him even with all the weakness in ourselves?

Jangan jadi hipokritlah is an old Shaytan's trick to make you procrastinate. Don't allow them to trick you anymore! Win over our greatest enemy!

Jom change.

Enjoining Good

I have a friend. Her name is Bee. I remembered her as always persistent in asking her friends who were lazy for solah in the office to go and make solah.

And I know through her actions, and mostly through hidayah from Allah, a lady after that actually make solah. Starting from only twice a day - Dzuhur and asr (because it is the office timing) till she finally bring herself to make solah 5 times a day.

Perhaps initially it was terpaksa sebab asik kena ajak aje, but somehow after years, she knew the importance.

Imagine you are Bee. You are the one persistent in enjoining good to people you care. For any good deed that the lady did, the hasanat will, Insya Allah, go back to Bee without reducing the reward for the other. And if by making solat one starts doing even more good deeds (because truly that is what solah does to a person), wallahu alam, some of the hasanah may go back to Bee.

Come judgement day, Bee may find herself with heaps of hasanah which she doesn't even know where it comes from.

Do we not want to have the same hasanat as Bee?

Jom enjoin good.