Be Good to Thy Neighbour

Next to my house is a local family. Not only are they local nationality, the man of the house is also the brother of my landlord. So sangat-sangat VVIP.

Anyway we didnt get to a very good start. When we parked very near to his house border, he sort of told my lover off. And sometimes when we try to make eye contact, we as in my lover and the man while me with the wife of course, you don't find the arab men to talk to women neighbours like we do in Malaysia. Anyway when we try to make eye contact, they avoided us. What more, the wife upon reaching home from work, drove by the driver, will wait for the car door to be opened, the gate opened and the nain door opened, then she will walk straight into the house.

Anyway we basically ignored each other. But one day I was listening to a lecture which advised to be good to neighbours. It was the first 10 Dzulhijjah, to do something extra to gain ajr. As usual the mu'alimah suggested exchange (or maybe just one sided pun tak apa) of food or anything. So I said to myself, what the heck, why not. No harm done insya Allah.

I know they have kids - 3 young boys in their primary school age - thus I bought a dozen of personally selected Krispy Kreme Donut.

When I ding dong their house, the helper spoke to me through the intercom with the voice that sounded panic and bewildered, "Yes. What do you want?", she asked. I had to explain that I am their immediate neighbour and I have something to give her. When she opened the gate, her face still panic-looking, her master was at the main door equally looking surprised but all of their expression changed when I passed them the Krispy Kreme box, "For the boys" I said. Then the helper went cheerful and thanked me on behalf of her master.

I didnt speak to the master.

I felt... good doing it. It doesn't really matter now whether we never talked, really what do you expect with the locals here, nor do we have eye contact or anything. I am just glad I did it.

One fine day, here was a ding dong at my house. It was the maid next door, and she practically screamed at the intercom, 'I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU MADAAAAAAAM". I opened the door and laughed. In her hand was a huge wovened basket of assortments.

Wow! I told my lover. This must be expensive, judging by the the quality of the confectionaries. Hmmm could this pose some form of dillema. I mean I would love to exchange food once in a while but I really do not want to make it into a competition. Surely I can't afford expensive confectionery like this. Well we agreed that we give when we want to give and what we want to give and will Insya Allah try our best to do it for Allah. The last bit is the hardest.

After sometime, I went to buy a cake for them.

A few days ago, they gave me this fancy decorated chocolate ala ala hantaran kahwin. Seriously nak makan pun sayang tau. There is candy floss in small cases too. Macam make up pulak.

Arabs really love this fancy confectionery. And that is why chocolate shops like patchi and godiva and many other confectionery shops are thriving. All these fancy decorated sweet shops are really good business here.

I wonder if I make something homemade would it be good enough to give them? Ataupun we will stick to a safe one, cakes and sweets of the sort. Yeah maybe we'll do the latter.

What G@ndalf Should Have Said

My kids are in the mood watching L0TR. They have been watching the three series for rounds and rounds.

This is perhaps the first time Jack is watching it in full and is able to comprehend what is happening.

So there was this scene at Moria, where G@ndalf had to face Balrog at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. Balrog is a demon of fire, darkness and shadow with fiery whip to boot.

As they were fighting, G@ndalf spew out some incantations in foreign language to Balrog followed with his famous, "You shall not pass!". At this point of foreign language, Jack said, "La ilahha ilallah, Muhammadur Rasulullah!!!! That's what he should say"

Well well well! Indeed that would probably be the best ruqyah.

The clip



The said moment was at 2:50

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Indeed there is no difference in white magic and black magic. Sorcery is disbelieve. Asking assistance from one sorcerer to cure the ailment caused by another sorcerer is a trap into further abyss of shirk. May Allah help us all.

The current movies such as harry P0tter, L0Tr, twilight and all the devil akin to human have dangerous elements of shirk and further beautifying the evil of the devil. In twilight, we take pity and sympathise and in torn to chose between evil Edward and jacob. in Harry Potter, you are forced to choose the lesser evil, the nice witches against the one who cannot be named. Whereas the matter of fact is,all of them are practicing shirk and magic.

Yes I do watch them. But warn your children that the one you rely on is Allah. Allah has prescribed to us the Quran to counter evil or Abracadabra and spells and incantations. Trust Allah. Ya Rabb protect me form these evil.

Allah says, “Verily, the plot of Satan is weak” (al-Nisaa 76).

Seeking power from other than Allah is shirk because there can never be other pwoer besides Him. The next time when your children pretend play by moving their "wands" and casting a spell, remind them what it means by doing that. That it is using other super power to perform supernatural things. Perform magic. And magic is disbelief.

Al Baqarah 2: 102

They followed what the Shayâtin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulaimân (Solomon). Sulaimân did not disbelieve, but the Shayâtin (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two (angels,) Hârût and Mârût, but neither of these two angels taught anyone (such things) till they had said, “We are only for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).” And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allâh’s Leave. And they learn that which harms them and profits them not. And indeed they knew that the buyers of it (magic) would have no share in the Hereafter. And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their ownselves, if they but knew. (102)

And be aware that Allah says in the Quran.

Al Ahzab 7: 16-17

(Iblîs) said: "Because You have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path (16)
Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You)." (17)

With so many series and movies beautifying the devil, do we not feel that this is the very trap that Shaytan promised to do to us, among others? Making us subconsciously having to choose between two evils.

Be aware and you can guard yourself and your children from all these lurking dangers around us.

It means a world to Haziq too

Because I cannot afford to miss some of my classes, I sometimes sacrifice not going to Haziq's award ceremonies at school. Well, mostly sebab dia dah besar anyway, I think he can understand. Unlesslah dia buat performance sekolah like debating or give a talk or anything of that sort, then I'll go. So I usually skip his award ceremony, but I still go for Sya's and Jack's because it means a world to them.

Award ceremony sekolah Haziq tu bukannya best sangat pun. Call out the names laju-laju and kasi cert aje. So yeah, skip school for that?

Sometimes Haziq would give me a letter from his school, saying ada award ceremony. And I would ask, what day is it? And he would name the day and I would say, I have class Haziq. It's ok, he would say, you make me nervous anyway. I might fell off the stairs. *Laughters* Closed case.

So one day, the award ceremony was not on my school day and I asked him, should I go. And he said, well it doesn't matter pun. I told him, I will go anyway.

So I went. But that morning, the traffic was really bad. The ceremony was at 8:30, I managed to be there at maybe 8:50. The ceremony was still going on trailing to the finishing part. Went through the bad traffic but didn't get to view Haziq receiving the cert? Oh well Qadr Allah. I went up to him anyway to say congratulations.

And he said, "Wow! You came! I was looking for you when I was on stage but couldn't find you and i actually felt disappointed. All the while I was looking for black tudung and you are wearing green! No wonder!" He grinned proudly.

Oh!

Yes haziq I am not wearing black today.

We just do not know what Allah's Plans are

Prophet Muhammad salllahu alaihi wasalam made alot of effort calling for daawah to the other Arab tribes especially those who come to make pilgrimage in Makkah. Prophet sallahu alaihi wasalam was also looking for other areas to refuge Islam in. He, however, had to fight the bad words spread about him that he is a mad man, magician and so forth.He went to speak to many tribes but was often rejected.

It was the eleventh year of Prophethood. And the pilgrimage season was coming. Prophet and some of his companions passed by Aqabah in Mina, and heard some people talking. They went towards them and found six men from yathrib, all of them were from Khazraj tribe - As'ad bin Zurarah, "Awf bin Harith, Rafi' bin Malik, Qutbah bin "Amr, 'Uqbah bin 'Amr and Jabir bin Abdullah.

Anyway, these Madinese always hearing from the Jews (who stayed in Madinah hoping to receive a prophet) that a Prophet was about to rise. The Jews were also threatening the Madinah people.

You see the Arabs from Madinah were always at war between tribes. They were also pagans and were never scholarly and knowledgeable like the Jews. The Jews threatened the Medina people that a Prophet will come and the time is near. And when a prophet does come, the Jews will follow him and then they will kill all of these pagans as the children of 'Ad and Thamud had been killed.

So the Madinese had the idea of a coming prophet for along time.

Prophet salllahu alaihi wasalam, introduced to them that he is a prophet and that he is calling people to tawheed that is to worship only one God. The God who create all things, the God that gives life and take life.

When they heard this, they exchanged ideas among themselves that this must be the Prophet that the Jews were threatening them about and they decided to haste in embracing the religion before the Jews get it first.

Thus they embraced Islam.

Who would have thought, that because the Jew were taking about the prophet so much, that this was a platform to prepare The Madinah people for a prophet. The Arabs at that time had no structured religion unlike the Jews and the Christians. They were worshipping idols that they made even though they do believe in God who creates.

With all that are happening in this world now, only Allah knows what kind of platform is He preparing for all of us. To create more shaheed? To create a stronger ummah. To wake us up? to be united? To open the eyes and heart of the believers? To prepare us for Imam Mahdi?

Indeed Allah knows best. He is the best planner.

Ooooppsss

I was driving to pick up the kids the other. I got at the junction where I am supposed to turn left. The traffic light was red and I stopped.

Then I heard honking. I ignored it for a few seconds because honking is so common so why bother. It has become some background nice sometimes. But the honking went on. I turned right. There was a Ford Mustang next to me. The driver was a man with long red curly hair tied up in a pony tail making a huge mop style hair. He was smiling and talking something in a made up sign language.

Oh he was asking permission from me to cut queue and whether he can go in front of me. Oh, what a nice chap, asking permission to cut queue. That was new. So I let him while I busy myself doing what I like in the car.

But he couldn't get in immediately because there was not much space in front of me and the light was red. So there he was waiting at the end of the line of short poles that are put so people don't cut queues or to put division between those who wants to drive straight or make a turning.

*Blink*. the light is now green. I gave him time to get in front of me because I am patient that way. And at that very moment, I heard a short police siren. Oooppss the big police Toyota Landcruiser was next to him pointing to him! He tried to say something to the police by giving some made up sign language. But the police was not buying it or he couldn't understand the sign language or he didn't find his mop red hair cute, followed the Mustang and tell him to stop over.

Oh!

But he did ask for permission.

Book Review

Haziq was asked to make a book review of any topic he wishes. This is what he wrote


Book Review

Title: The Holy Qur’aan

Author: Allah, the Lord of the Worlds

Genre: Comprehensive, covers every aspect thinkable

Why should we read it?
There are many benefits as to why. It is the book of which the words have been preservedfor more than 1,400 years, unedited. It is complete and perfect, and is a miracle both linguistically and intellectually. There are neither contradictions nor doubts in it. Its content include, but not limited to, how to greet people by giving the greeting of peace, stories of the great people of the past including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, the equality of woman, miracles of science, the demarcation of what is right and wrong, the limited world now and the never ending hereafter. It tells you how to worship the true Lord of the Worlds as He wants to be worshipped, without which human will be inventing their own ways to worship God or create their own God which always turns up to be a mere creation. It is the only book that can be read over and over again and each time with a refresh profound understanding. It gives contentment, peace, humility, love, fear and awe to His might. A universal book that can apply to all time periods and it has the solution for all of mankind’s problems - depression, discrimination, and inequality, political, financial, social, and moral. This is the book that gives guidance to mankind and in its pages contains the true salvation in this world and in the world after. Also, the Quran isn’t just a book, it is God’s speech, a discourse, in its original form, and should be treated likewise.




I pray that whoever reads it would be guided to pick the Quran and read the Great Book for themselves and may Allah guide them.



This is another book review he wrote.


Book Review

Title: October Sky

Author: Homer H. Hickam

Genre: Memoir

Why should we read it?
It is a book that can relate to teenagers or anyone that has experienced teenagehood very well. It is the story about a group of teenage boys living in a mining town, Coalwood, West Virginia in the 1950-60s, who against all odds from a rocket group and make rockets, the highest reaching 5 miles into the sky. It is a great read and very inspirational, and can be a good boost of morale or spirit anytime.

Jack Getting Wiser

JackJack sometimes would get in his reflecting moment and think about deeper things. I really should be recording his words but alas I forgot.

Jack told Sya the other day, "You know if you trace back everyone's parents' parents and their parents and their parents, we all go back to Adam. We are all really brother and sisters. All of us. Everyone of us in the world."

Wow! He gets overwhelmed by this idea. That's really alot of brothers and sisters.

Jack is not into world problems. To him the world is a happy world and having brothers and sisters is a beautiful thing.

He is just happy that he has so many brother and sister.

But this big family are fighting just about everywhere in the globe.

____________________

If you do read my past posts about him, he usually cries easily about things. Lately he has been crying each time he reads the last four verses of suratul Fajr. He heard my little talk to some teenagers the other day about these verses.

Really, I think sometimes I underestimate some children. They do and are ableto understand. perhaps it is their fitrah in them. I wrote about the surah HERE.

I ask Allah to give me patience and wisdom to nurture my children. And they become among those who are righteous.

Sod Lam Kha

I just finished my arabic exam. By the end of the two hour exam, my neck became stiff, out of stress looking down on the paper. There were two short essays of which one of them I err memorised beforehand (because I target it will come out and it did). But I am not saying it will be good though. Another one was an impromptu one about the kaabah. Insya Allah khayr.

So in the spirit of learning arabic, not that I am good at it, but I thought of sharing. One definitely cannot learn arabic using the transliteration. One must know how to read arabic from the font itself. Only after that, the words will jump at you if you look at it with contemplation and reflection. And that is just by tracing a word to word arabic word in quran without actually learning arabic formally.

For example if one transliterates the word 'ilm. You cannot tell that the word 'ulamak, 'alam, 'ulum, mu'alim are the derivatives of the word 'ilm. But you can sort of tell when you read it in arabic.

علم علماء عالم علوم معلم

Most arabic words are derived from a three letter word. For example 'ilm (علم) is the three letter word and from it other derivatives can be made as the examples above.
Can you spot the similarities?

Most of the times the meaning are similar. However any change of tashkil or harakat or baris can sometimes make the meaning difference. And that is why it is important to recite the quran correctly and to not make mistake in the harakat.

عالم can be read as 'alam or 'aim. The former meaning world and the latter meaning the one who knows.

I use to wonder how do the arabs understand or even read their paper without harakat. But slowly I am beginning to get the feeling of it. You have to know the word and also the context of the word in the sentence. Knowing grammar of arabic helps you to know the harakat of the letters also and is really important in understanding the meaning of the quran.

Anyway, today I just want to bring you the word soleh. صلح

The word صلح is usually translated as righteous. Or in malay just plain soleh/ salih.
The root word (صلح) actually carries the meaning of rectification, and being worthy or suitable, etc.

If you notice in one of the morning adzkar,

ياحـي يا قـيـوم، بـرحمـتك
استـغـيث، اصلـح لي شَ ـانـي ِ
كلـه، ولا تكلـني الى نفـسي طـرفة عـين

Ya hayyu Ya Qayyum birahmatik astaghis, Aslih li shakni kullahu wa la takilni ila nafsi torfata ain.
O You Who is Everliving and Sustains and Protects everything, I seek assistance through the means of your mercy, rectify for me all my affairs and do not leave me to myself,even for the blink of an eye.

The word aslih أصلح is translated as Rectify.


Then we have the word amilus solihat عَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ

solihat is صالحات

this is derived from the word صلح

وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ - amilus solihat is translated as good deeds.


Why Allah calls it solihat – because the deeds make them proper and good. The deeds are to correct and rectify the person. It makes them good and rectify the world affair and akhirat.

What it also means is doing deed that will rectify you so that you become among the solihin (صاليحين). The soleh people (solihin is the plural for soleh) are the people who did deeds that rectified them and they become those who are rectified or those who are worthy because they are rectified.

Becomes worthy for what? Rectified and only then will be يصلح suitable/ worthy/ fit to be among Ar Rahman in His Jannah.

Jannah is only for the one who are rectified and had taqwa and did deeds that rectified them and made them worthy.

Jannah is only for the righteous people who had taqwa and did righteous deeds.

Jannah are for the صاليحين who had taqwa and did عَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ. They become يصلح for jannah with the mercy of Allah

May we be among them.

Jack Can Swim

I remembered writing in the blog about sending the kids to swim last two summers. But then we had ramadhan and we went back to Malaysia and then come winter, I didn't continue with the class.

I enrolled them again last summer. They went for one month. Then we had Ramadhan and we went back to Malaysia and wehei now is winter. But this time, I wasa bit more serious. I have committed themselves (and me as the driver) to continue their swimming class and paid in advance last summer. This is in line with my mission and vision for them this year, Insya Allah.

So I have been spending some of my evenings ferrying them to their swimming class. And had to spend more time at the pool watching them.

Sya was doing very well. She seems to have flair in swimming. She looks very graceful in the water. Well done Sya! In three months she has jumped from Level 1 to Level 5. Allahuma Bareek.

Now jack is a different story. I have been watching him flapping his hands in the water and kicking wrongly or not kicking enough, holding on to the wall with one hand and pretending to swim with the other, cheating laps. Basically he just didn't get it. Even with the aid of the board he could half drown himself. Panas aje gua tengok.

Ferrying them home I would tell him what he did wrong, "You didn't raise your hips enough, you must put your head in the water, your hand must be straight. you didn't kick enough." And at home we practiced it on the bed. And in the car going to class, remember hips up, kick kick kick, head in water."

Months and months I am watching him in agony thinking how expensive the class is and wondering when will he get it.

But this year, he showed changes. Masya Allah. Like alot! He knows how to kick, raise his hips. I only corrected the way he raised his head to get some air. And for now, I didn't have to pay attention and watch him like a hawk anymore. I could actually read a book.

And he is now kept chosen to be the exemplary swimmer for his class. Allahuma Bareek.

Ya ya makcik sangat gembira.

Remember children, when we do something we do excellent all the way. This is IHSAN. The outcome is up to Allah. But try the best you must!

In the mean time, ketahuilah ibu membebel sebab ibu sayang.

Kasi Ibu Encouragement Sikit

With rusty brain like mine, I do find learning difficult and memorisation hard to enter, very easy to leave the memory.

Haziq and I started memorising together because I made it into a friendly competition. I had a head start but he has now leapt so far from me. Allahuma Bareek. May Allah make him (and my children) among the people of the Quran. Those who memorise the words of Allah. Those who understand it and apply. And Quran will be for them and not against them in yaumul akhirah and that Quran will only increase their status in yaumul akhirah. And that Quran is their intercessor in yaumul akhirah.

Saying out loud, "Boleh ke Ibu ni Haziq?"

Ibu, he said, nenek yang umur 82 tahun pun can do it, Insya Allah you can. Allah al Musta'an!

Umm Saalih, A Grandmother Who Completed Memorizing the Qur‘aan at 82 yeas Old.

O Allah bless him.