Sunday, December 31, 2017

A little bit about today | 31st December

Bismillah.

Let's do something a little ironic.
And I'd like to quote Loly Daskal in relation to that: 
"Focus a little less on the future, 
and a little more on today."

Yes, it may sound ironic because everyone is talking about the "future", about 2018, which is only tomorrow, the future is not too far away now.

Today is the 365th day of the year. I am indeed pleased to have scribbled 366 postings/ramblings this year. Oh, what a wonderful year it has been - sweet Twenty Seventeen! Alhamdulillah wa shukrulilllah.

So now that I have accomplished what I intended to do for 2017 - that is daily blogging (I got one extra post heh heh), yes now that it's all done, let's enjoy this beautiful Sunday, the last day of the year.

It's 5.23 a.m. 31st December 2017, I wanna get going and seize the day. Let's start with some morning prayers as we all should.

Let's focus a little bit more on today. Enjoy!

See you in 2018!

Best wishes!
-E. Ismail


View from my balcony one Maghrib in December.
It's the final weekend of the year, Yahuuuu!
I am enjoying lovely Penang, today.
What about you?
No matter your location, I wish you a fab day.



2017 Blogging?
It's a wrap!
: D


Saturday, December 30, 2017

Release| Springboard to a new you

Bismillah.

It's a good time to reflect on the bad/not so good habits that are holding us back from maintaining peace of mind, from productivity, from progress, from all things unbeneficial to our self-worth.  

During this busy weekend as we travel, partake in heightened leisure activities, it would be good to find some quiet time and spend it on oneself to simply reflect, do a self-assessment, identify what needs to go, what is good to stay and what new, better stuff that we should let enter into our day, our routine, our week that will make up a year - the new year.

No doubt, we should not let good things wait. We're reminded by Ibn Athaillah (in several postings earlier) about one major sign of stupidity - procrastination. One negative attribute that we all need to release is procrastination. We can be smarter.

Let's motivate ourselves and others, always, to springboard to a fresh and better version of ourselves. Of course obviously, anything that is fresher is certainly better. Pack up everything that is stale and chuck it out. It's something worth doing every morning, every day as we embrace a new chance at a second go. Certainly, it's even more important to do that as we are about to embrace a new year.

Quote credit: Jude Tousignant
  
We can do this.
We can only springboard to who we want to be, not who we have been.
Cos that's not how a springboard works.

Friday, December 29, 2017

Day 363 | FriYAY

Bismillah.

Hah...Hah... I can't resist mentioning it as we count down to the new year. It's Day 363. I know some people think it's not really a big deal this new year as compared to the new hijri year for us Muslims. To me both are significant. It represents a mental paradigm shift towards a fresh new start. The new year represents a time for renewed determination and a fresh hope for us to do and be better. It's a time when we are more excited than usual due to the energy surrounding it, to anticipate all things nicer, better and bigger.

The end of the calendar year is important especially for us who work, cos we know, soon, we will be rewarded with a Performance Bonus etc. for all the hard work and contributions made in 2017 : D

If I could name one achievement for me in 2017 - becoming a regular Quran reader. Alhamdulillah. Many people are Instagrammer, Blogger, Youtuber etc, but I think one profession, one activity, one hobby, one pastime that is most notable of all is Quran-reader. So I remind myself to be steadfast, to stick with this profession/hobby and to spend more time on it than spending time Blogging, Tweeting, Instagramming or Youtubing. 

Mark Twain says: 'Classic' is a book which people praise and don't read.
Let's ask ourselves honestly if the Quran has become a Classic book for us?!   

On this blessed Friday, we pray so that Allah would grant us tawfiq to invest our day and time wisely. It's how we spend the days that make a year.

Wassalamualaikum warahmatullah.
Jummah Mubarrak.





Thursday, December 28, 2017

Yay It's a Holi Holiday

Bismillah.



To be frank, I'm feeling kinda spoiled for having enjoyed one entertainment after another LOL.

But this is not the season to be serious eh. Thank God there's no major project/deadlines looming in the coming days, during the early weeks of 2018. So it's safe to declare:
Yay! It's a holi...holiday : )

Personally, I have a reason to say thanks to the Almighty for 2018 cos I will have to work for only about 100+ days and that's it! Yes, only one-third of the year. The rest is free time to explore other interests and more holidays. It's something I never thought possible but Allah is Al Kareem. He is capable of giving us plenty of pleasant surprise gifts.

The moral of the story is, we should not underestimate His Power, thus we should dare dream BIG unusual dreams, anything at all, cos nothing is impossible if He wills. Kun fayakun! Be and it is.



May our body, mind, and spirit, heal with play, laughter, and joy.

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

The Trusted Names | A new blessing

Bismillah.

Each morning we wake up is an opportunity to start over, to redeem, to do better, to be more thankful, be more humble for the opportunity called today. 

Each day, if I were to start from scratch, not having any basic knowledge pertaining to Life 101, I would cling on to the 99 Names of Allah because that, as a matter of fact, is the axis of life as everything is a manifestation of His Names from Al Qabidh (the Constrictor) to Al Basith (the Expander) so on and so forth. For when a door closes on us, we can rely on Al Fattah. No, wait, in fact, every day is a door for us to open, discover, learn, grow and move forward.

As the year comes closer to an end, we should thank the Almighty for each of the doors that He lets us enter every morning, up until this day-360 and year 2017.




Feeling blessed with daily blessings,
new awakenings, new learnings,
and renewed hopes
: )  

Monday, December 25, 2017

2017 Final Bend | 52/52

Bismillah.



YaHuuuu...we have come to week 52 of 52. Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

It's festive, it's cheerful, it's awesome...everywhere. I don't know how many times I have said 'Happy Holidays' LOL cos I have been in holiday mood since November.

Let's be grateful and enjoy these times of merriment. May this final week be filled with good thoughts, kind people and happy moments. And great health too, of course.




Hmm...Yes Doc, I swear I will keep tabs on my calory and cholesterol level after this holiday season LOL.



Sunday, December 24, 2017

Chuck out your dirty deeds

Bismillah.

In Tasawuf (Sufism) terminology, it's called takhalli meaning to chuck out your dirty deeds, to cleanse the rusts in your heart and entire self.




We are in the business of self-cleansing, self-polishing. So when people bother about our WIP (work in progress) status, call us a satan and all the ugly names, we keep quiet, we turn inward and continue polishing until we see our critics and/or their clans trip, we say 'Ahah!'.
LOL.

We are in the kaizen biz; thus, we relaunch our biz over and over again.

We chuck out our dirty deeds, then go have some clean fun (no alcohol/drugs involved ya) before we relaunch our self (mind and soul) and face the world with a sharper wit and stronger determination.

Have a fabulous weekend, folks.
It's a long special weekend.

As ever,
-E-

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Criticize NOT the Lord

Bismillah.

Subhanallah, this is the most profound saying I came across this year. It's by Badiuzzaman Said Nursi:

"Worry is itself an illness since worry is 
an accusation against the Divine Wisdom,
a criticism of Divine Mercy." 

OMG dare you, accuse or criticize the Lord?
Worrying is tantamount to accusing and criticizing the Lord!





Allah knows best and surely He is the Best Planner and Orchestrator.
Period.


Friday, December 22, 2017

AIF

Bismillah.


It's Friday by Ezatulhada


Alhamdulillah indeed. We thank Allah for the arrival of Friday, YaHu!

Not saying much, except to remind me-self of two actions:
- reciting the Quran
- making loads of selawat to the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam


AIF = Alhamdulillah It's Friday : )


Thursday, December 21, 2017

No explanation needed

Bismillah.

It's my life. It's your life.
No explanation needed. We have to just keep running our own race, make ourselves better than we were yesterday. That's it.


It's your life by ezatulhada

The above quote is by Mandy Hale.
More inspiring sayings by gorgeous Mandy Hale:
http://www.planetofsuccess.com/blog/2017/mandy-hale-quotes/

Yes, indeed our decision is ours. When we make a decision we know very well of the possibilities or consequences of the branching of fate as a result of our decision. As a Muslim, we know, regardless of the decisions made, we believe in the qada and qadar, we believe in Allah having His own divine prerogative.

Ahh...but I just want to say something about life in this world.
I love it : )
If God did not send us here to this world, we would not have known Him. It's a beautiful world and we keep it all in our hands, not in our hearts.
Rabbana aatina fid dunya hasanah
wa fil akhirati hasanah

By the way, today is the winter solstice. It's the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere and nights are longer.

We sure have lots to learn from the creation of this dunya.
Allahu a'lam.


except to the Lord
and people whom you have inadvertently wronged

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Self care commitment

Bismillah.

Hi folks, always make an effort to find sacred space and luscious moments to care for your self. Self-care is very important. I don't know about you but I am selfish about me-time, doing things that nourish the mind, body, and soul. As we approach the year end, it's especially crucial to allocate some time to reflect and regroup our mental faculties. 

We have to care for ourselves because we are the longest commitment we'll ever have to make and keep.

I am absolutely grateful for 2017 and all its wonderful gifts that Allah keeps granting the capacity to smile countlessly. We have to be grateful for our smiles, yes, cos how many people out there keep frowning not being able to acknowledge God's blessings on them?

May Allah make us smile even more in 2018 bi-iznillah.




Just caring for ourselves and being cognizant of the Lord who carries us from one moment to another moment.

May the remaining days of 2017 be even more wonderful for you and me.




Enjoy the moment because life is available only in the present moment.


Tuesday, December 19, 2017

What can you give to yourself?

Bismillah.

It's not just about buying stuff for yourself. It's about gifting oneself with space when you need it, it's about giving yourself peace of mind, it's about feeding your brain with positive thoughts to propel yourself farther in life.

More importantly, it's about rewarding your self with good deeds that might secure a good place in the Heavens. We only get admission to the Jannah by the grace of the Lord, not on account of our own good deeds. But we can and should reward our self with prayers and zikir because we are in need of it. The Lord does not need it.  

The best of zikir is solah and Quran recital. The best of gifts is finding/making time to do them. Let's reward ourselves appropriately and sufficiently.




Monday, December 18, 2017

This-cember is about to wrap

Bismillah.

This is week no. 51 folks.
I can't believe it.
Regardless, we have to be grateful that we have come this far.
How many people only made it to week 15 of the year?
Allahu Akbar!

Week 51 by ezatulhada


On the first week of Jan 2018, one question I want to ask myself is: what will I have accomplished in week 51 when there's only one week left for the year?
[Laughing nervously]

Have a productive and pleasant week peeps.

Are you one of those who have been reading my daily rambling here?
This is the 353rd posting.
Never mind this number, there's one number you should try to remember: 450 cos that's the number of times to recite Hasbunallah wa nikmal wakil, as recommended by Habib Umar bin Hafiz.

Hope you like my poster : )




Sunday, December 17, 2017

Present moment | Am I stupid?

Bismillah.


Says: Thich Nhat Hanh 


True, that's why Ibn Athaillah AsSakandari (1250 - 1309) says, and I was reminded by this hikam (bezel of wisdom) from watching telly, that "postponing a good deed until we are free is a sign of stupidity".

LOL I guess he need not say more. We are all fed with countless reminders by the big time life coach, motivational speakers etc. on one of many common ailments we share i.e. procrastination. About 700 years ago one wise man already warned us about it.

Each and every time we want to delay a good amal (deed), we should really pause and ask ourselves: "Am I stupid?" "Am I being stupid now?" 

Live in the present. Do it in the present moment, don't leave it for the future moment cos we might not even get there.

#selfcounselling

Next week is week no. 51, The second last week of the year, ma sha Allah.


Saturday, December 16, 2017

The power of belief | The Light

Bismillah.

We'd better be living our belief.

I'm sure many of you have experienced getting your wishes/wants, materialize. Me too. It's an amazing feeling, needless to say, cos only we know how strong the need, desire, aspiration, hope, effort, belief and, prayers for it.

We have to keep believing in ourselves and in the power and generosity of the Almighty.

Pic credit: @CleoTellier
  

May the lights (Nur) of the Lord continue to shine upon us so we remain guided on the Straight Path and attain success in this world and akhirah. When Allah chooses to shine His mercy and special bounties on us, no one could extinguish it.


Ya Nur, grant Light above me, and below me, to my right and to my left.
Ameen.


Friday, December 15, 2017

Be happy where you are

Bismillah.

It's a timely reminder. No, it's a timeless evergreen reminder as we mortals tend to be too analytical and judgmental of Allah's decree. Every little experience no matter how mundane is decreed. We are sometimes too egoistic to pause, be quiet and be still to observe the lesson, instead, we get restless reacting and questioning as to why it is what it is.

It is what it is cos God knows better what we need. It is what it is cos it's a gift. We are where we are meant to be.

"Believe all that happens to you is for good. Even when Allah allows bad things to happen, there's something good behind it. " - Dr. Bilal Phillips

"The perfection of every moment may not be apparent to you, yet that will make the moment no less perfect. It will be no less than a gift. " - Neale Donald Walsch
      



As mortals, we have the capacity to dream. Keep dreaming as it's a prelude to what gets manifested eventually.





Thursday, December 14, 2017

Happy Thursday

Bismillah.

Oh well, I am a Penangite through and through and due to family circumstances I couldn't venture far for weekend getaway lately other than trying out several beach hotels in Batu Feringghi Penang - but Hard Rock Hotel Penang is, of course, special because how many HRC hotels are there in the world? Not too many.

When I was in my 20s, I collected HRC Tees from around the world but just like many things in life we outgrow them.

Here's another short clip, more for the benefit of my clan, as something to remember by.

Let's not forget this season is a gifting season and gifting is sunnah.

Enjoy your day, folks. Today is the youngest we'll ever be again.




Let's stay occupied with activities that carry weight for the ultimate Scales.

"Your greatness is not what you have,
it's what you give."
- Unknown Author

Yes, especially to people you care about.
Give your time, attention, and most of all love : )

And space, when they need to be alone, LOL.
Oh...money too : D


Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Wednesday | Sow good seeds

Bismillah.

Happy Wednesday folks.
It's gardening day for me, nothing major, just wanna remove all the fallen leaves and tidy up a bit. We have to do the same in life, get rid of the mess to make way for the new.

Oh, of course, we gotta sow good seeds if we want to reap fruity awesome stuff, this I remind myself first and foremost.



Don't forget to proclaim the bounties of your Lord.
Alhamdulillah for today and for everything.

"In Allah's hands is all good." - Quran 3:26

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Fruitful | Roll clean

Bismillah.

Just a quick one as I am still holidaying in beautiful Penang.

Alhamdulillah for good times. May Allah grant many more fruitful and happy days to me and you. Ameen.

Am glad to hear that some of our readers are enjoying the smallish postings on my fun-filled activities. Sharing is caring. This we all agree eh?


Awesome looking fruits there.
 @Batu Feringghi Beach, Penang, Malaysia


This is how we roll.
We roll clean, ok.
We got wit. We don't do weed!
I'd like to say something in the Malay language.
Siapa makan cili dia rasa pedas.
It basically means: you know who you are.
Don't mess with me cos I PRAY rocking hard

Soon it will be time to resume my Quran recital marathon In Sha Allah. We all ought to read the Quran regularly so that our hearts will not be hard as a rock.

#fastabiqulkhairat
#iamintherightraceletsrace
#wamatawfiqiillahbillah




 
#tuladulumakcikhinadankutuksayamacammacamlol

Monday, December 11, 2017

Know your worth

Bismillah.

Alhamdulillah it's always a pleasure to be away on holiday on a Monday LOL.

Just a simple reminder to myself and the young ones - to stay sober. Sober as in free from negative substances; sensible, serious-minded, dignified, thoughtful, level-headed, pragmatic, rational and logical.   

To stay cool even if self-righteous/holier-than-thou people try to thrash you and ruin your image cos you know what you are worth and someday, the truth will prevail. They should not speak/brag too soon, or be too arrogant of their so-called good family background/kinship; they should not be too quick to judge and throw stones at others when they can't even manage those under their responsibilities.
   


#gratefultobehammockingonthebeachagain
#happymonday

Image result for beware of breaking hearts quran
#sekadarberdoapadatuhanmohonkeadilan
#ingatkanhangpatubaguihsangatlol



Sunday, December 10, 2017

Soften thy heart

Bismillah.

A hardened heart is no good. Always keep it soft by remembering Allah, no matter where we are. Build up our strength so that no matter what the environment, we don't waver on matters of principles, of what is right and what is wrong. May Allah continue to grant us hidayah and tawfik. Ameen.

Have a fabulous Sunday folks. I am spending some quality time with the clan. Wish y'all a wonderful time with your loved ones too.


Make full use of free time, 
before busy-ness overcomes us.

Always keep your vacation clean.
Don't do drugs and the likes yeah!
Seek solace and soften your heart with love and prayers always 😉




p/s
I noticed there's a sudden spike in interest towards my old postings re Martin Lings' book on the Prophet's Biography. Yes, I will continue writing proses of the book in 2018. Bi iznillah. In Sha Allah. 

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Love - Peace - Joy

Bismillah.

Hola from Georgetown, Malaysia - a Unesco World Heritage Site.

As we bask in peaceful and joyful gatherings, let's not forget our friends who are undergoing undesirable circumstances. And let us be more grateful for times of ease so that the Generous Lord will grant us a whole lot more happy times.



We have but only one world to share, may we - Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhist, and Hindus live harmoniously, uplifting one another for a more prosperous Earth instead of hurting and inconveniencing one another. 

He who inflicts harm on others, verily inflicts harm on himself, if he but knew.

Peace
-E-
Image result for love peace joy

Friday, December 8, 2017

Baitulmaqdis, may you stay safe and remain preserved

Bismillah.


O Most Merciful of those who are merciful, grant relief to the Muslims. Save and preserve Baitulmaqdis!

On this blessed Friday, in the wake of a recent shocking development, we Muslims who are not in a position to directly influence towards a better and rightful fate of Baitulmaqdis, Jerusalem and Palestine, should seek help from the Prophet salallah alihi wasalam. The selawat/salat as recommended by the honorable Habib Umar bin Hafiz for this sacred month of Rabiul Awal seems very fitting to the catastrophic political move affecting the Holy Mosque. And certainly who is Most Strong upon whom we could rely on issues that are insurmountable? Al Qawi. Al Matin.

Allahumma salli wasalim
'ala 'abdika wa Rasulika
khatamin Nabiyin
wa akramil awwalina wal aakhirina
Sayyidina Muhammad wa 'ala alihi
wa sahbihi wat tabi'in
wa farrij 'alal Muslimin
Ya Qawi ya Matin
wak fi sharaz zalimin

O Allah, bestow your peace and prayers
upon your slave and messenger
the seal of the Prophets
the noblest of all people from the first to the last
our Master Muhammad and upon his family
and companions and those who follow them.
Relieve the sufferings of the Muslims
O All-Powerful O Strong,
remove the harm of the oppressors.

Credit @muwasala












When a calamity befalls, we say:
Inna lillah wa inna ilai hi rajiun

And unto Allah we surrender:
La hawla wala quwwata illah billah


Thursday, December 7, 2017

Staircase to Heaven

Bismillah.

There's no easy path, we gotta walk up the staircase and sweat a bit (or a lot?). There's no escalator. There's no elevator either.

Heaven = Success.
Until then, we gotta work at it and work it out.
But worry not. No good deeds will be lost, ever.

Wama tawfiqi illah billah. 





As ever.
-E-

p/s
Escalator pic captured by yours truly.


Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Persistence pays

Bismillah.


A Wednesday reminder for me and you just because we need to care for ourselves - keep our minds in high spirits until we get our paycheque. LOL.

Of course, persistence pays!

Of course, below photo was taken by yours truly.


Says Jim Watkins
December is fast approaching its end, I don't want to be too hard on myself, it's not easy to craft something fresh every day for this space I so love. This is the 341st posting for the year. I gotta give myself a pat on the back, for trying, for keeping to my pledge - to express something daily. Just trying to cut through the rock [blog] persistently.

It's ok to lack power, it's persistence that will let us cover the distance.

Cheers!
- [None other than] E


Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Allahu Akbar | Big God

Bismillah.

I chanced upon this quote by "unknown" which makes a lot of sense: 
"You can tell the size of your God by looking at the size of your worry list. The longer your list, the smaller your God."

But of course as a Muslim, we understand the attributes of Allah as Akbar - Great. Another Beautiful attribute of His is Al-Wasi' - Vast and All-Embracing. In relation to that unknown saying, I think our worry list should only be limited to our performance regarding the obligatory duties that carry lots of weight for our fate in the akhirah, if we missed our salat, fasting etc. These are primary. But of course as weaklings we tend to have a longer list of worry-items that truly belong in the lesser-degree category.

Let's remind ourselves of the greatness of God hence we should have more confidence in Him as the Best Planner and the Best Implementer for the big ticket items of life, the small ones and everything in between. We gotta keep our God big as He is. It would be better to refrain from belittling Him.

Glory be to Allah subhanahu wa taala.

It's easy to remind ourselves of how big the God is. Just name three joy moments we have every day e.g. gifts He sent us unexpectedly i.e. a friend went to Turkey and gifted me with a pretty scarf and bracelet; my mother bought a pretty dress for me to wear this coming weekend; I happened to complete reading 30 chapters of the Quran on 12th Rabiul Awal.

What about you?
May our joy-list be a whole lot longer than our worry-list.


    


Monday, December 4, 2017

Silent Night | Meaningful Silence

Bismillah.


This December I thank the Lord subhanahu wataala for the late nite "dates", for the silent nights, for His invites to His Book and to the prayer mat. Alhamdulillahil lazi hadana li haza wama kunna linahtadiya lau an hada nallah.

What good is a day if it's filled with meaningless chats with mortals especially those who depend on whatsapp to kill their loneliness and boredom. Conversations should always be meaningful and honest. I wish to remind the young ones among us to be wary of people (men especially) who sweet talk you for nothing. Or people whose brain is a bit deprived so they talk about your past which has got nothing to do with them. But then, they say, those who mind, don't matter. 

On the other hand, it's not necessarily meaningful to craft words to prove a point to people whose heart and mind could be dead due to excessive lying or sinning.  

Let's be more stingy with our time. Meaningless conversations are stale. They don't have a place in our day. Each of the 1,440 minutes of the day is precious, it's irreplaceable. It would be better to reserve our energy for meaningful words during the silent moments at night, alone with the Creator who understands our silence, who also understands more than we could ever articulate, about anything and everything. 


I pity those who are stuck with a loud chatterbox partner.
***
"Be moderate in your pace and lower your voice,
truly the most horrible of voices is the voice of the donkey"
(Quran 31:19)

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Jack up your mood | Plant kindness

Bismillah.

Some say: 'Do one thing every day that makes you happy.'
Others say: 'Do more of what makes you happy.'
Bottom line is, be happy.

So, I jacked up my mood for a friend's wedding in a remote area. Put on some make-up and falsies 😉 and boy, was I thrilled when I saw a jackfruit tree. LOL. The last time I saw a jackfruit tree was like four decades ago. My grandparents had one. 

Thank God for the simple joys of life!
Yes, I'm easily pleased. LOL.




"A tree is known by its fruit
a man by his deeds.
A good deed is never lost.
He who sows courtesy reaps friendship
and he who plants kindness gathers love."
- St Basil

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Felt with the heart

Bismillah.


'The best and the most beautiful things in the world
cannot be seen or even touched.
They must be felt with the heart.'
- Helen Keller

Here's wishing you happiness. As we holiday, may the heart remains mindful of the Lord.

'Neither the earth nor the heavens can contain the Lord,
but the heart of a true believer can.'
- Hadith Prophet Muhammad pbuh



Friday, December 1, 2017

1st December 2017 | One beautiful Isha'

Bismillah.

KL, tonight, from my balcony
[Post-Isha' 9.44 pm]
The most afdhal of nights is the night of the birth
of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)


Assalamualaikum,
Hi folks,

I just can't resist sharing yet another beautiful photo of Kuala Lumpur (KL).
It's a special day as we Muslims in Malaysia continue to organize majalis honoring the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam.

Thanks to Mr Net, we are able to catch live streaming of a couple of events.

Time is precious, just a quick posting to mark this special day. It's extra special for this faqir, as I have completed 30 chapters of the Quran tonight. Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

It took me about 3 months. So next year I should aim to read and khatam 4 times, bi-iznillah InShaAllah.

I sure hope my nieces and nephews would be encouraged to allocate time for reading the Mother of the Book - Ummul Kitab.


#fastabiqulkhairat
Be sure to race in a race that matters. Do not be distracted or lured to participate in a race that does not contribute much to our Book of Deeds. Let's be more protective of our time. Invest/spend it wisely.



Thursday, November 30, 2017

Maghrib 12th Rabiul Awal 1439 H

Bismillah.



A sight to behold!
The skies of KL welcome an auspicious day.
I was proud to have witnessed the beautiful moment and captured it.

May we "dance" from moment to moment with thoughts and salawat for the Beloved of Allah, the only one who will defend us in the Hereafter. May we belong among those whom he salallah alaihi wasalam longs to see, though we have never met.

Sallu Alan Nabi.

Tonight as I reached chapter 29 of the Quran, I had a somewhat emotionally choking moment as I imagined the man through whom the sacred verses had been revealed, imagined the circumstances at the time of revelation. How simple his life was. How heavy his responsibilities were. How committed he was at wanting to guide mankind. How terrible the challenges he faced. How unassuming he was in his household. How much he loved and defended women and children. How warm a friend he was with his companions. Unlettered, yet a champion he was and still is.

Sallu alan Nabi.

Ya Nuuran Nuuri
Ya mudabbiral umuri
balligh anni ruha 
Sayyidina Muhammad 
tahiyyatan wa salaman

[Forgot where I learned the above selawat, but it has stayed in my heart for several years now.
Rabbi zidni ilma]

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Thank God It's Holiday Season

Bismillah.

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah, work-wise, it's a wrap! Already? Yes, already, for me even though it's not even December yet. LOL.


Thus, I'm taking things light and easy. Just trying to post a shorty a day because that's what I pledged to do at the beginning of the year. And the year is quickly coming to an end, it's getting more apparent as we see more red and green everywhere.



Many of us will be treating our families to a vacation, a quick get-away, shopping trips etc. As Muslims let's not forget to make a niyyat of earning the pleasure of Allah as we spend our earnings for people and things that matter. And be grateful for the good times and opportunities. 

"Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings."
- William Arthur Ward

What more, if the days are special as we spend leisure time with our loved ones.

May Allah grant us a whole lot more as we proclaim His bounties. Ameen.

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Respond & Change

Bismillah.

Happy Tuesday!
This is a backdated posting.
What was I doing on Tuesday?
Was thinking of fun stuff to do soon : D

May Allah grant you ease as He has granted me ease.
Ameen.

p/s
'Change is in all of us' is a new campaign by SK-II skincare, by the way. I spotted their promo booth at the KLCC mall. Credit must be given where it's due : )

Embrace change.
Embrace a better version of you
zahir & batin

Monday, November 27, 2017

Let's go for it | Gear up

Bismillah.

Monday was a fun day for me and my colleagues at the office. It was extra laid-back yet we were fed with some pertinent info re company's growth, in the presence of the CEO and the Chairman. When work feels fun, you know you are at the right place doing the right thing, heading towards the right direction. Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah for being awesome-ly gainfully employed.

"When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too."
- Paulo Coelho

The keyword is: strive. In Islam, as you all know we have a principle called fastabiqul khairat. Thus we have to gear up and go for it.

We ought to make the most of good health before we are afflicted by illness.
We ought to make the most of our ability before we are down with inability.

May all our hard work bear sweet fruits in this dunya and akhirah.
Ameen.



Geared up for Zumba cum briefing session.
The CEO (a non-Muslim) complimented me on my gear : D
[I think we can do our bit in showing to non-Muslims that Muslim women are active and that wearing hijab is not a hindrance to a progressive lifestyle.]

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Sunday Fun Day | Dance your dance

Bismillah.

Assalamualaikum,
Hi folks, just a quick one cos just like you, I was busy entertaining my loved ones and me-self. Just don't forget to make niyyat as ibadah to earn the pleasure of the Lord.

Visit Malaysia, we've got plenty of wonderful places to check out, put your feet up, chill and shop.

Genting Highlands, Malaysia



No one else can dance your dance. 
No one else can sing your song. 
No one else can write your story.
- Lisa Nichols


Let's embrace the coming week - Week#48 of the year, with gratitude and stronger resolve.