The Long Journey of 2011 [In Short]

So 2011 is coming to an end. 2011 had changed me a lot. Things happened, people grew, new insights gained, personality changed, friendships gained and ended, hope survived, stepped out of comfort zone, made movies, read books and life lessons learned - some in a hard way. What an eventful year it has been, masyaAllah!

So here are some of the things Allah had permitted me to learn throughout this year:

•  Be careful in advising people. No matter how pure your intention or how close you are to the person, some people may not take your words kindly and might lash back at you in a hurtful way. Don't be daunted. If your action is for the sake Allah SWT and because you truly care for the person, then take note that there are ways and techniques on how to advice people so that your points will come across to them successfully, insyaAllah (you can read about it after the break @ 'read more'). 

• Give advice in private. 

"Support me with your advice in private, and avoid advising me in public. Surely giving advice among the people is a kind of reproach, which I would rather not listen to. If you disobey and ignore my wish, don’t be saddened if you are not obeyed." - Imam Ash-Shaafi'ee

•  Do not be upset if your da'wa (e.g advice given) is not heeded. Remember that guidance is from Allah SWT. He gives it to those He wants. It is not your call. Allah won't ask how many people had turned a new leaf because of your da'wa, He will ask if you had done your responsibility as a Muslim in forbidding what is wrong and enjoining what is good.

• When you see someone who is not as religious, remember that you were once on the edge of the fire, and it was Allah (swt)’s favor upon you to guide you. Arrogance will wipe away any goodness from the transformation. - Nouman Ali Khan

• Take risks. Don't be afraid to try new things - it could be a very rewarding experience. Try that weirdly-named food your friend dare you to eat, talk to the girl you always bump into but never talk with, read a book/watch a movie from a genre you usually stay away from, break out from your routine.

• Expand your horizon. Take a long drive to places you have never been before. Embrace being lost, in a couple of months you'll remember it as funny. Go on a trip with your friends to someplace different -- note the difference in scenery from your own place, take pictures, learn their culture and eat their food. 

• Embrace the difference in you and the people around you. Always be asking yourself, "what can I learn from this person?" You will be able to significantly improve yourself as a person and as a Muslim just by asking and reflecting on this question. 

• I learn to give my family and friends a gift from time to time. Not just my daily du'a for them but a physical, special gift. Who says you need a reason or special day to give someone a present? Give it with a sincere niat and for the sake ukhuwah and insyaAllah, Allah SWT will reward you and improve your relationship with others. Plus, it's Sunnah! :) 

• The gift doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate to make. For example, I give my friends a small brown paper bag come exam season containing a couple packets of instant coffee, a snack like energy bar or unhealthy ones like Skittles, new pens, and a small card written with encouragement words. Or perhaps you see that your sister have been busy with work/assignment so buy her a packet of refreshing face mask to help her relax during downtime (you can find varieties of face mask at any drugstore that are relatively cheap). Anything, really. 

• Be inspired. Find things that will make you look forward to tomorrow.  

• It is better to be on your own than to be with people who always try to make you feel bad with negative words thinly-veiled as 'advice' or 'opinions'. They are not trying to advice you, they simply just want to put you down. This was a particularly huge blow to me as I felt deeply betrayed by the very person I trusted. I was taken aback when I finally realize that someone who I saw as my 'best friend' was actually not a friend at all. Just a jealous, pathetic person.

• Sometimes it's better to just keep calm and selawat than to argue. Remember: The Prophet (SAW) said, "I guarantee you a house in the surrounding of Paradise for a man who avoids quarreling, even if he was right..." However, there are times when you need to speak up firmly and defend your opinion/action. Otherwise some people will try 'step' on you because they think you are weak and easy to take advantage of. I learned this the hard way. The key, is balance.

• Most importantly, I learned that it's not a matter of where you are in this world, but it's a matter of where your heart is with Allah.. And it's not a matter of where or when you die.. but it's a matter of what's the state of your heart when you die. 

~Welcoming 2012 with open arms :) ~

Story: Jibril Bersujud Setelah Allah Menciptakannya

the muslim moments

Diriwayatkan bahawa Rasulullah SAW telah bersabda yang bermaksud: "Setelah Allah SWT selesai menciptakan Jibril as dengan bentuk yang cantik, dan Allah SWT meciptakan pula baginya 600 sayap yang panjang sayap itu antara timur dan barat (pendapat lain 124 000 sayap). Setelah itu Jibril as memandang dirinya sendiri dan berkata: "Wahai Tuhanku, adakah engkau menciptakan makhluk yang lebih baik daripada aku." Lalu Allah SWT berfirman yang bermaksud:

"Tidak." Kemudian Jibril as berdiri serta solat dua rakaat kerana syukur kepada Allah SWT, dan tiap-tiap rakaat lamanya 20,000 tahun.

Setelah selesai Jibril as solat, maka Allah SWT pun berfirman yang bermaksud:

"Whai Jibril, kamu telah menyembah aku dengan ibadah yang bersungguh-sungguh, dan tidak ada seorang pun yang menyembah kepadaKu seperti ibadah kamu, akan tetapi diakhir zaman nanti akan datang seorang Nabi yang mulia yang paling aku cintai, namanya 'Muhammad'. Dia mempunyai umat yang lemah dan sentiasa berdosa; sekiranya mereka itu mengerjakan solat dua rakaat yang hanya sebentar sahaja, dan mereka dalam keadaan lupa serta serba kurang, fikiran mereka melayang bermacam-macam dan dosa mereka pun besar juga. Maka demi kemuliaanKu dan ketinggianKu, sesungguhnya solat mereka itu aku lebih sukai dari solat mu itu. Kerana mereka mengerjakan solat atas perintahKu, sedangkan kamu mengerjakan solat bukan atas perintahKu."

Kemudian Jibril as berkata: "Ya Tuhanku, apakah yang engkau hadiahkan kepada mereka sebagai imbalan ibadah mereka?"

Lalu Allah SWT berfirman yang bermaksud:

"Ya Jibril, akan Aku berikan syurga Ma'waa sebagai tempat tinggal."

Kemudian Jibril as meminta izin kepada Allah SWT untuk melihat syurga Ma'waa. Setelah Jibril as mendapat izin dari Allah SWT maka pergilah Jibril as dengan mengembangkan sayap dan terbang, setiap dia mengembangkan dua sayapnya dia boleh menempuh jarak perjalanan 3000 tahun. Terbanglah malaikat Jibril as selama 300 tahun sehingga ia merasa letih dan lemah dan akhirnya dia turun singgah berteduh di bawah bayangan sebuah pohon dan dia sujud kepada Allah SWT lalu ia berkata di dalam sujud: "Ya Tuhanku apakah sudah aku menempuh jarak perjalanan setengahnya, atau sepertiganya, atau seperempatnya?"

Kemudian Allah SWT berfirman yang bermaksud:

"Wahai Jibril, kalau kamu dapat terbang selama 3000 tahun dan meskipun aku memberikan kekuatan kepadamu seperti kekuatan yang engkau miliki, lalu kamu terbang seperti yang telah kamu lakukan, nescaya kamu tidak akan sampai kepada sepersepuluh dari beberapa perpuluhan yang telah kuberikan kepada umat Muhammad terhadap imbalan solat dua rakaat yang mereka kerjakan."

- From Himpunan Kisah-kisah Malaikat by Muhammad Isa Selamat.

It's that time of the year again...

FINALS!! The bane of my existence. Winter break is almost here and lately the weather has been cold and cozy, perfect for spiced apple cider, bundling under your blanket and sleeping.

NOT studying. Alas, sometimes there are no good choices.

So here I am stocking up on my Mountain Dew supply (FTW!), chugging coffee, trying to eat healthy and failing miserably, while jotting down small notes and memorizing key points from lecture notes and textbooks.

And many students seem to adopt bipolar disorder come exam time. Some tend to be a bit jumpy and freak out about the smallest things. Recently we got stuck in the elevator for a few minutes and this one dude started to scream "Oh my God, we're gonna DIEEEE just like in The Devil!!". Seriously?

On the bright side, Allah is al-Mujeeb
 

Rabbi Yassir wala tu-'assir. O my Lord, make things easier for me, do not make things difficult for me.

Nonsense About Love

Artwork: Khazinatul Asrar

“Karou wished she could be the kind of girl who was complete unto herself, comfortable in solitude, serene. But she wasn't. She was lonely, and she feared the missingness within her as if it might expand and...cancel her. She craved a presence beside her, solid. Fingertips light at the nape of her neck and a voice meeting hers in the dark. Someone who would wait with an umbrella to walk her home in the rain, and smile like sunshine when he saw her coming. Who would dance with her on her balcony, keep his promises and know her secrets, and make a tiny world wherever he was, with just her and his arms and his whisper and her trust."

- Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor      

Interesting Read: Tak Couple Maka Tak Kenal? Haha ^^ by Hilal Asyraf
Beautiful Read: The Last Word: He said he was leaving. She ignored him.