50,000 more | Push yourself

Bismillah.

No one is going to do it for you, so you gotta push yourself. But someone might push you (away) if you are going after their belongings. [Ya, someone parked his car at my allocated lot and I made a big fuss the other night, after having been a quiet, polite tenant for 3 years.  LOL.]

Numbers are nothing, except when it comes to money and the number of zikir or salawat we do. The stats shows there's 50,000 more reads to go before this blog hits a million page views. I hope there's at least one positive vibe people take away from this space for each of the page view. Ah...except maybe the ill-hearted spy-readers who come back a dozen times to each of the posting in which there is a photo of me, so they could count how many rings I have. LOL.

Stay true, I must, to my own goals. Push myself I must so I can marry my dreams. It doesn't have to be a man. LOL.

Mark Sanborn says:

"We don't do good because we feel good.

We feel good because we do good."

Let's heed this advice by Einstein:

Because, it's true.

Broke up | Marrying

Bismillah.

How many times have I chosen a title that deceived you?

LOL.

Yeah yeah yeah...busy busy weekend. It's all work and no play. Blessed is he who has a profession or the mentality like that of Thomas Edison (1847-1931). You know him of course - the American guy who invented the light bulb and a thousand plus other things which he patented. It's unbelievable he actually said this:

"I never did a day's work in my life. 

It was all FUN."

LOL.

This weekend, I realise I am able to say this:
Wama tawfiqi illa billah

"I cheated on my fears,
broke up with my doubts,
got engaged to my faith,
and now I'm marrying my dreams."

Marrying my dreams ; )

Welcoming Shaaban

Bismillah.

A day to be thankful, for we have come to the blessed month of Shaaban in good health - good mental health, emotional health, and physical health.

We seek refuge in Allah from being busy on matters that do not concern us and that are not beneficial to us in this dunya and the hereafter. We say Alhamdulillah, for the strength to utilize our time productively.

May Allah continue to bless us with life so we are able to see Ramadan with bigger himmah.

Today, let's choose to be kind, and choose to be positive - it's a simple attitude that could make a big difference for people around us and ourselves. We all know making a difference goes way farther than making an impression. And don't discount simple things for they can mean a lot.

Wish y'all a pleasant and fruitful weekend.

p/s
Like the simple pleasures of a cup of coffee and a plain cake, when you are under stress, working on your projects. Yes, a simple coffee and cake combo can mean a lot! I know, come Ramadan at around 5 pm, somewhere, I might be thinking of this coffee and cake moment. LOL.

  

La ilaha illa anta | La

Bismillah.

La ilaha illa anta
subhanaka inni kuntu minaz zalimin

We all know this verse very well. We all know it's related to Prophet Yunus. But did you know that this verse is not in Surah Yunus? It's actually in Surah Anbiya'. I came across the ayah last night. So I confessed to my Quran teacher: "Gosh, all this while I thought this popular verse is in Surah Yunus. LOL"

The moral of the story is: Don't assume!

La. No. Don't.

***

And I also found another very familiar du'a in Surah Mukminun last night.

Rabbi anzilni munzalan mubarakan

wa anta khairul munzilin

You know this one?

Yes? No?

You should, cos you are "holier" than me. LOL.

La, what lies below has nothing to do with the above.

*** 

La, don't live in the past 

Live in the present

My dear, you are above a silly poem

So let not our past bother us

Its sound has gone into oblivion

Be in the present honey

for the present is worth more 

than a thousand love stanzas from yesterday

of which the bees no longer care

for the fragrant of the present

is what makes the air sweet as a pear 

And what makes a great pair, ask, they may

it's just two souls

who know they will be pulled

to the place they belong
forever and a day

La...la...la...la...
Beautiful feelings
can't hide for long 
come out it will
like a song

Ahliz zikri | People with knowledge

Bismillah.

A reminder from my Quran teacher when we came to verse 7 of Surah Anbiya. He said:

"Always refer to people with knowledge. We must do something based on firm knowledge and certainty, and not based on assumption. Therefore, we have to refer to ahliz zikri." 

"Fas alu ahlaz zikri. Refer to people who possess the right knowledge. We don't know how to fix the car's AC, so we have to refer to the car specialist. We are not sure what medication to take, we must refer to the GP."

***

Oh sure, I must thank Allah and pray for the long list of ahliz zikri who have assisted me in many areas related to my projects, so that Allah grant them more knowledge and reward them with extraordinary bounties. Ameen.

Wa ma ar sal na qob laka 

illa rijalan nuhi ilaihim

fas aluu ahlaz zikri

in kuntum la taqlamun

Oh by the way, someone asked me for more information on Salawat Zaatiyah. If you are reading this, kindly refer to ahliz zikri, I am not one of them. I merely shared the salawat as taught to me by one shakyh and I did not get the chance to ask him for more background info of the salawat. And to all others who had asked me very specific/high level questions on matters of the religion, please know that I am not an ustazah. I am not an ahliz zikri. This place is for me to document my lessons. Sorry, I don't know much. Sorry to disappoint you.

: )

The benchmark of understanding, judgment and knowledge

Bismillah.

Alhamdulillah, my Quran lesson has resumed after a short break. May Allah grant my ustaz and his family sihah wal afiah and much heavenly bounties. Ameen.

I have got to place my notes here for ease of reference because Ustaz has asked me to memorize Verse 79 of Surah Anbiya and make it a daily wirid. (Since I haven't. Those of you who have and who are "holier" than me, please kindly stop reading now and go mind your own business. LOL).

Yes, we ask for understanding from Allah, but what kind of understanding? What is the benchmark? So, now I know, the kind of understanding that Allah has granted to Prophet Sulaiman is what we should pray and ask from Allah. What kind of sound judgment and knowledge we should aim for? That which was given to Prophet Sulaiman and Daud. 

Fa fahimna Sulaiman
wa kullan aa taina
hukman wa 'il ma
wa sakh kharna ma 'ad Dawud
dal jiba la yusab bih na wat thoir
wa kunna fa 'ilin

To Sulaiman We inspired the (right) understanding,
to each (of them) We gave
judgment and knowledge,
it was Our power that made the hills and the birds
celebrate our praises,
with Dawud
it was We Who did (all these things).

***

I shall practise and benefit from verse 79 of Surah Anbiya, bi-iznillah and I rejoice thinking how much benefit I could get if some of you readers will memorize and practise it too. Thank God for compounded rewards : )

Mikraj | Closing in

Bismillah.

On the eve of the day associated with Israk Mikraj, it might be good to reflect on our relationship with the Almighty, if indeed it's measured by "distance" then how far or close are we?

We have heard this question being posed by a couple of shuyukh. "Allah is close to you, but how close are you to Allah?"

I think the aim is to be continually conscious of His presence while He is continuously present and omni-present.

I remember a saying describing a person who is forgetful, that is one who is not in the state of making zikir (remembrance), is in fact a dead man. It's true, for how can a thing be alive if he/she is detached from Al Hay, due to forgetfulness and negligence. Perhaps, that's why we heard from the scholars about the importance of saying bismillah in any act that we are about to do, for only by saying bismillah, can we be connected with the blessings of Allah Ar Rahman Ar Rahim. That is one of the meanings of bi or ba in bismillah.

May Allah increase us in knowledge and makrifah and improve our akhlak.

Ameen.

May Allah continue to bless us in the remaining days of Rajab, bless us in Shaaban and grant us the opportunity to meet with Ramadhan. May Allah honor us with the capability to take full advantage of Ramadhan in the manner that will deliver us to safety and felicity in this world and in the hereafter. Ameen.

From Surah Qaf, verse no. 6.
May Allah be kind and compassionate and protect our faith
from any cracks that could increase the rifts between us and Him.
May our faith be completely sealed and fully cemented
so there is not even a tiny space
for shirik and kufur.
Ameen.

Progressive | A thousand ways to kneel

Bismillah.

Alhamdulillah for a super productive Friday.
Wa ma tawfiqi illa billah.
And my success comes only from Allah.

It's 2.47 a.m Saturday actually, it's raining so I pray Allahumma sayyiban nafi'a. May Allah pour more good stuffs in my life, my family, friends and you genuine readers of this blog. You know who you are : )

Wish you a pleasant weekend. I am winding down after a marathon of reading, thinking and writing. Praise be to God, it feels good to end a hectic day with this heart-warming view of good progress taking place at my kampung home. Alhamdulillah for the joy of having a kampung.

This man seemed very focused on his craft. It reminds me of an oft-quoted saying by Rumi:

"Let the beauty of what you love, 
be what you do. 
There are a thousand ways to kneel 
and kiss the earth."

Kneeling to finish up work for "Ablution Area"

so that my honorable guests could kneel and praise the Lord with purity and humility, soon bi iznillah.

Alhamdulillahi hamdan yuwafi ni amahu wa yukafi u mazidah

May Allah grant us more for each of His blessings that we proclaim.

"And as for the bounties of your Lord, do proclaim."
- Quran 93-11
  

Friday eve | Elevate the Words of Allah

Bismillah.

Maghrib on the eve of Friday, as we all know, is the beginning of auspicious times. It's good to be sensitive about how we use each hour of the blessed times. It's time to read Surah Al Kahfi or any sacred Words of His that one can afford to read.

Let's choose to spend the time to elevate the Words of Allah, for that would be better than to "elevate" or raise one's voice for any other reasons. We are asked to beautify our voice when we recite the Quran. How beautiful a reminder is that? For one's voice cannot possibly be beautiful when it's at a high pitch in a quarrel.  

Tonight, I realized I have begun to miss reading the Quran with my coach, as our lessons have to be postponed. I think you could say a teacher is good at its craft and sincere at that when the student begins to yearn for knowledge and progress. And in the case of Quran recital, its melody, its rhythm, its aura and its nur.

May Allah keep us pure and grant us the tawfik to continually enliven our homes with the sacred sounds of the Holy Book. Ameen.

Bring your own sunshine

Bismillah.

A.J D'Angelo

KL has been experiencing a spate of bad weather. But a positive person carries her/his own sunshine no matter what the weather.

Therefore,  always stay sunny emotionally and spiritually : )

I need to go back to reading all the required reading materials for my project. May Allah ease my task and grant me success and I wish you the same. You - the genuine sincere readers who are not here to check on me with negative intentions.

But then...

"A wise man gets more use from his enemies, than a fool from his friends."

- B Gracian (1601-1658)

LOL.

Get a life | Stay sane

Bismillah.

A lil bird told me a lonely woman (a spy-reader) has been combing my blog postings from the previous years checking my photos. Photos of me and my homes. I might have inadvertently made some men fall for me. LOL. Now, do I have a woman having a crush on me? LOL. 

I guess there are many sick people out there who got nothing better to do, despite having a handful of grandchildren already. I can imagine these people being sane only for a couple of days in a week and on other days they could go berserk, shouting, making drama as if they feed on it. I can imagine them staying up to spy on people and then miss their subuh. LOL.

May Allah protect us from having such mental/heart disease. We ought to thank Allah for the good things we have. And for NOT having the negative things that plagued some people. But we must thank these people for showing us who we do NOT want to be.

Says: Gina Carey

"Beware of the insight (firasah) of the believer. Verily, he sees with the light of Allah."
- Hadith At Tirmidhi

Turtle with a briefcase, on Sunday

Bismillah.

Hi folks, good morning!
Hope you managed to beat the rooster at pre-dawn this morning. I did. Alhamdulillah.

I may have beaten the rooster, but I am feeling like a turtle LOL. A turtle with a briefcase going to work on Sunday.

Just a quick hello, touch and go posting as I have got tons of reading, thinking and writing to do. Here's one motivational quote to psych up myself.

"We each know how good we have become but none of us knows how good we can be. One of the most exciting opportunities we get each day is to pursue our potential."

- Mark Sanborn

"The secret to getting ahead is getting started."
- Mark Twain

p/s

Gosh, someone thought all the positive principles I professed (quoted, actually) are just "idle talk" cos I don't practise what I preach. LOL. How silly. Did I come across as a preacher? Guess some people don't believe in/don't need positive affirmations. Good for them.

We do what's good for ourselves and never mind them.

Vision vs Mood

Bismillah.

I love following positive people on Twitter. Of course, these motivators, successful biz owners, authors, speakers, leadership gurus, life coach, religious scholars, may not be perfect. No one is and no one expects them to be. I like them as they motivate others with positive words every day. 

Here's one by Steve Gutzler:

Thank God for blogosphere so that weaklings like me can document and journal some of these cool stuff to remind myself, first and foremost. If you think I am preaching here then you are so wrong!

Wish y'all a productive and pleasant Saturday.

"Hold the vision.
Trust the process."

TGIF | It's your road

Bismillah.

Thank God It's Friday.

I say TGIF while feeling a lil nervous thinking about the amount of thinking, reading, and writing I have to do this weekend, for one important project at hand.

When the stress level is up it's hard to even smile, even though they say, a smile is a curve that sets everything straight. LOL.

Here's a poster I created to motivate myself. 

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.
Yes, I agree but sometimes money can set many things straight.
Cos you can buy all the scarves and clothes you like. LOL.
"Whoever said money can't buy happiness, simply didn't know where to go shopping." - Bo Derek
"Money can't buy happiness, but it can make you awfully comfortable while you're being miserable." - Claire B. Luce
: )

But, Napoleon Hill says:
"Happiness is found in doing, not merely possessing."
Yes, do some shopping.

LOL. I'd better sign-off now.

Educated mind | Beautiful mind

Bismillah.

Now I know why Aristotle is who he is. I am reluctant to say "was" cos he seems to be very relevant and true in this saying below. You know there are plenty of definitions for a person being "clever", "educated" or "intelligent", but I thought Aristotle's definition of an educated mind is so damn on point!

How many thoughts do we entertain in a day, in an hour, or in a minute, for that matter? It can get incredibly overwhelming. So thank Allah we must, if He gives us the mental capability, the tawfik (strength) to master our thoughts, as in control which of the thoughts that we want to accept and which thoughts we want to kick out.

We must also thank Allah for giving us a beautiful mind that is able to appreciate the unique gifts He grant us, so we don't care to keep up with the Joneses [especially if the Joneses has got a poor taste LOL].

Seriously, we have to own our mind and be a master of our own thoughts. It doesn't matter if the Joneses like to compete/copy us. There will always be people who are envious because our grass is greener. But, it does not matter because our minds are for entertaining better, more meaningful and more pleasant thoughts.

I think that's why they say: "Beauty starts in your head, not in your mirror."

: )

Mid Rejab Reflections

Bismillah.

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

We have come to mid-Rejab already.

May Allah continue to bless us in Rejab and the coming Shaaban. May Allah grant us the opportunity to welcome and thrive in Ramadan. Ameen.

I noticed the ever so beautiful full moon this morning. Glory be to Allah who orchestrates the night to leave and the day to enter in a smooth transition while a majority of the mortals take for granted this subtle divine show, day in day out.

The mortals are too pre-occupied "living" a life whilst being "dead" to the real life phenomenon unless we pause and take the time to reflect, recollect and realize who we are in the big divine scheme of things.

We often get sucked into the spiral of routine not so mindfully. We tend to pay attention to the petty. We have the tendency to entertain the noises. Oftentimes we let ourselves absorbed in the experiences and neglect our attention to our own Self. When we lose our attention to our own Self, we might become, sadly, completely lost. We run the risk of losing the true meaning of life, of existence, and of being.   

The often-quoted wise man, Rumi, says:

Full moon
Rejab 1438 H, at its peak.
Captured by yours truly at dawn.
May we not miss the whole point of BEING.

Faith 101 | Enter by the Gate of Truth and Honor

Bismillah.

Yeah...there are one hundred and one things to think about and do, these days. Yup, it's the 101st day of the year. I love counting the days this year somehow as I try to post some positive words on a daily basis, it's my own small weird way to make the days count, bi iznillah.

If you are familiar with the American education system, you'll know 101 is the course code used in American universities for any introductory courses meant for beginners e.g Psychology 101, Economics 101.  

What would constitute Faith 101 in regards to the Islamic teachings, lemme think? It must be an overview course of Fard al-Ain. I am not an ustazah, so don't take me seriously. LOL.

But in my opinion, the four verses I came across on page 290 of the Quran should be in "Faith 101". To be frank, I am being "selfish" here as I purposely create this posting to remind myself of some important takeaway from my Quran Recital Lesson last night. I have reached Surah Maryam in Part 16, by the way, YaHuuu! [And some of the critics thought I was a hopeless Muslim. Should I be bothered by their remarks or should I accept the compliments from my Quran teacher? LOL.]

Yes, verse 78, 79, 80 and 81 of Surah Al-Isra' should be emphasized in a "101" introductory course and not be regarded as some kind of advanced skill that only the experts or the brave should attempt.
  

78. Establish regular prayers at the sun's decline till the darkness of the night, and the morning prayer and reading: for the prayer and reading in the morning carry their testimony.

79. And pray in the small watches of the morning (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for thee: soon will thy Lord raise thee to a Station of Praise and Glory.

80. Say: "O my Lord! Let my entry be by the Gate of Truth and Honor, and likewise my exit by the Gate of Truth and Honor, and grant me from Thy Presence an authority to aid (me)."

81. And say: "Truth has (now) arrived and falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish.

***

Of course, many of you readers who are "advanced Muslims" are familiar with Tahajud prayers and the recommended du'a.

Personally, for me, I got excited at "meeting" verse 81 of Surah Al Isra last night, because it's one of my FQA - frequently quoted ayah. [Ayah = a verse of the Quran].

And my FAQ to myself lately is: would I be able to finish the Quran lesson before Ramadan? LOL. Two lessons a week, sometimes just one lesson when ustaz/I have to be away. Read/learn about one juzuk per lesson, there are about 7 weeks to go before Ramadan. Gosh, the race is on!

Ahh...some of the spy-readers of this blog might be thinking at this very moment: "Eza is bragging about the seemingly good things she does." 

Walt Whitman (1819-1892), an American poet/essayist/journalist/humanist says:

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

: D

p/s
Chances are, today, I beat the spy-readers and the roosters at pre-dawn. Let's compete again tomorrow - fastabiqul khairat!

Salam Subuh!
May we enter the day by the gate of truth and honor.

The 100th day

Bismillah.

No...no...way we should let this 100th day pass without reflecting on the 100 days that have passed us by this year. Passed they did so quickly.

Alhamdulillah, we should say thanks for each day of our life for we know not which day is our last day.

The company where I work 9-to-5 has got a new management team. They have done pretty well and gave everyone a small token for the good results achieved in their first 100 days. It's a team effort of course, but it's good that they were specific in the things they were planning/hoping to achieve in the first 100 days.  

What good have I done in the last 100 days? What about you?

We might have excelled and created some wonderful memories, but, past is past, we should not dwell too long on the past.

Wise men say: "Do not let your memories be greater than your dreams."

: )

Wish y'all a pleasant and productive week ahead.

Dream bigger than those big memories.

Happy Sunday from George Town

Bismillah.

Hi folks, wish you all a happy Sunday.

Just a quick hello as I wait for my ride back to KL.

This morning I had the privilege of chatting with my mother's old friend, and my sister's senior in school who is a politician and chairman of the mosque committee at Masjid Melayu Lebuh Acheh (a.k.a the Acheen Street Mosque was built in 1808.) According to the chairman Datuk Mujahid, they are raising funds to change the mosque carpet as preparation for Ramadan. A sum of RM20K is required for it and what's more exciting is the fundraising to refurbish the Maqam of Tengku Syed Hussein Al-Aidid. There will be a garden with a lovely canopy at the maqam area. It will cost about RM300K. 

I am pretty sure the funds will come rolling in quick because Allah is fair and generous. The late Tengku Syed Hussein Al-Adid was one pious and wealthy merchant from Aceh, Indonesia who migrated to Penang in the 18th century (in 1792 to be exact) and opened a thriving Muslim community both in material and spiritual terms. He was so rich that he could afford to loan the British with some 80,000 Spanish Dollars!

I heard this from Cikgu Mohamed the unofficial go-to historian for anyone who needs to know more about the rich past of the Muslim community at Acheen (Acheh) Street in George Town Penang.

Cikgu Mohamed and his father Yahya
studied at Penang Free School (Malaysia's oldest school established in 1816. It's the first English-medium school in Southeast Asia)

If you are a local Malay or Jawi Peranakan or a tourist, a good place to have scrumptious meals after paying a visit at the Acheh Street Malay Mosque [or wandering about the World Heritage site in George Town] is, of course, the Jawi House Cafe at No.85 Armenian Street which is a mere 5 minutes walk from the mosque.

Alhamdulillah for another beautiful day 😄

One of the lovely things to buy on Armenian Street is that cute plastic straw tote 😍

p/s

After having read the definition of Jawi Peranakan as given by the owner of the Jawi House Cafe - Datuk Dr Wazir Khan who is an anthropologist/researcher/author, I am inclined to believe that I am a Jawi Peranakan - a modernist Muslim 😂

http://m.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/10-things-about-jawi-peranakan-anthropologist-datuk-dr-wazir

Historical Penang | His-Story

Bismillah.

My mother and I attended a forum at the Penang Institute, aimed to create awareness on the history and biodiversity at Jerejak island, a small island to the southeast of Penang island. It's also known as the Alcatraz of Malaysia. The forum concluded with eight resolutions to be presented to the Penang state government in anticipation of the proposed development for Jerejak Island which many feared will cause much destruction to the island.

I was delighted to have met two historians/authors at the event and obtained their autographs. I think historians deserve a better recognition and attention from the society as compared to the celebrities in the entertainment industry. The former makes us think and reflect on useful knowledge whereas the latter provides infotainment at best.

History, in my opinion, is, in fact, His (the Almighty) story. It's about His af'al (actions) through time. It's about His manifestations through time. Thus, He is Time.

May Allah grant us the capacity to recognize His attributes and actions on the horizons and in ourselves.

Mike Gibby is author of 'Penang Hill: A Journey through time'
He is a British-born educator who has spent the majority of his life in Southeast Asia.

Khoo Salma Nasution is a Penang-born historian who authored a must-read publication (for Penangites especially) entitled 'The Chulia in Penang -- Patronage and Place-making Around the Kapitan Kling Mosque 1786-1957'

My mother and me with another participant at the forum held at the Penang Institute.
[Smart girls attend eye-opening talks regardless of their age. Smart girls make ideas work 😉] 

Rainy Friday

Bismillah.

Allahumma sayyiban naafi'a.

I love it when it rains on Friday, and I am home chilling in Penang. Alhamdulillah it's just a super wonderful feeling.

"O Allah, let it be a fruitful rain."
[It's based on a hadith as narrated by Aisha. Whenever Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam saw the rain, he used to say: O Allah, let it be fruitful rain.]

We are encouraged to make plenty of du'a when it rains.
What's on your du'a list?

I pray for a tranquil heart.
I pray for qalbun saleem.
I pray Allah grant me strength to protect my heart and mind from negative external influences.
I pray Allah grant me strength to multiply my ibadah and make me sincere at it.
I pray Allah facilitate and grant meaningful success to all my endeavors.
I pray Allah grant sihah wal afiah and a long happy life to my mother so I will have the opportunity to be an obedient daughter for the longest time.
I pray so that Allah always make me remain thankful and grateful for all the blessings and gifts that I have, while I have them.
I pray so that those people who are sincere and kind towards me (in their thoughts/words/actions) will be given the best rewards now in this dunya and in the hereafter, that all their needs will be met, their affairs will be eased, that they will enjoy very good health and spend their life meaningfully and happily.

Ameen Allahumma Ameen.
: )

TGIT | Tag happiness

Bismillah.

Thank God It's Thursday - TGIT.

Yes, go tag it.

Alhamdulillah it's weekend already, for me.

Happy and grateful to come home to my new mini waterfall in my backyard in Penang. Allah Kareem. I waited so...long for it. He gives when He wills.

Why are we all attracted to water? It's obvious, cos we spent our early life swimming in our mother's belly. LOL.

Take it easy folks, chill, don't burden your heart and mind with irrelevant issues. Enjoy life. They say: "Life is too short. You've really got no time to be anything other than happy."

I agree. Tag happiness, always.

  

We should be like flowing water, it doesn't care too much about the spots, the bends it has passed.
It simply 

gushes forward positively,
having faith in its future path taking it all in its stride.

Mid-way | Middle path

Bismillah.

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah, I am such a weak erring servant of Allah yet He is kind to guide my tongue and facilitate my reading of the Quran. With supervision and guidance from my Tajweed teacher, I have come halfway to the middle of the Holy Book, that is Juz/Part 15.

During lesson no. 28, tonight, the ustaz paused to emphasize the importance of being "in the middle" in reference to verse 29 of Surah Al Isra: "Do not keep your hand tied to your neck, nor extend it to the full extent, lest you should be sitting reproached empty handed." You all know this verse I am sure. It's about not being too stingy nor too generous.

Hmm...we all struggle to perform a balancing act between any two extremes, any, not just in relation to spending. I am a Libra, but I think Librans simply do not exist. LOL. I mean who could constantly strike a perfect balance? Continually, maybe. There must be a prize for those who could do it.

p/s
Maybe I should buy a scarf tomorrow, to reward myself for having reached Part 15.
: D

p/s

I hope you like all the posters I have created for this blog. My self-imposed KPI is to create fresh contents, find something good every day and say it. We will never have this day again, so make it count!

Morning glory | Glorious morning

Bismillah.

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah that Allah has given us the tawfik to be a morning person, to be an early bird who catches His wonderful gifts first thing in the morning. Because we are grateful for this, may He grant us a lot more as the sun rises and makes its journey to the West.

"It is He who made the sun to be a shining glory and the moon to be a light [of beauty]..." 

- Surah Yunus, 5

I am just happy and contented and have nothing much to say.

Ah...except that maybe one of my ambitions is: "to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book." LOL.

That's a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche. He is a German philosopher (1844-1900) and I'm pretty sure you know this one popular quote attributed to him: "That which does not kill us make us stronger."

OK folks, wish you a glorious morning, let's go out and seize the day. There are plenty of great stuff out there, waiting to be discovered and captured.

KL as captured by yours truly : )

Respect the old and the knowledgable | A morning with Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato Dr Khoo Kay Kim

Bismillah.

Yang tua dihormati
Yang muda disayangi

That's a Malay saying which is universally true.
It means: Respect the old. Love the young.

If you are a Malaysian, then you would surely know who Professor Emeritus Khoo Kay Kim is. Especially if you are one who appreciates history. If you don't know him, I dare say you know nothing about Malaysian history. LOL.

I sure have plenty of respect for Prof Khoo not just because of his age. Oh, he turned 80 just last week on the 28th of March! We all have great respect for him because he does not only teach us history, he makes us excited and appreciative of our own history.  

When Tan Sri saw my name card he remarked: Your name is unique, tell me about your background. At hearing my reply, he seemed reluctant to believe I was a Malay. LOL. But I have something in common with him, we are both from Penang. He was born in Perak actually but he considered himself from Penang because his parents and forefathers were from Penang. The Khoo clan is a Hokkien based in Penang ever since the seven Khoo brothers migrated from China to Penang in the late 18th century. According to Prof Khoo, the Hokkiens were mostly traders, therefore they would normally have settled in port cities throughout Malaysia. 

Let's not be a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree.
Let's continue to learn about history, learn from the past, and let's be cognizant of the history that is in the making - the present.

It was a historical day indeed to meet Tan Sri Khoo for the first time at this age of mine.

Thank God for a pleasant and fruitful morning.

Reading Singapore

Bismillah.

Wish you have had a wonderful weekend as I did.

I have been busy reading this engaging history book. I had first borrowed the book from the KL National Library and after perusing several pages I quickly phoned up Kinokuniya to reserve their only copy on the shelf. I guess what is meant to be ours will be ours by the grace of Allah. Alhamdulillah.

Singapore A Biography
by Mark R Frost and Yu-Mei Balasingamchow
Winner of the Asia Pacific Publishers Association Gold Medal 2010

I find it hard to put down this book which is arguably the most fascinating history book about Singapore. Unlike most history books, this one makes you excited and eager to read cover to cover. Five years from now, if I were to meet a Singaporean who has not read this book, I will say to him/her: shame on you! LOL. I am a Malaysian by the way. 

Why am I reading a history book on Singapore you might ask. It's because it is related to the history of one of the great AwliyaAllah in this region.

We are nobody compared to the great men of the past, suffice that we rejoice in the barakah of mentioning their name loudly or remembering them quietly in our hearts and minds.

Glory be to Allah for allowing the heart to connect with the unseen and the intangibles regardless of time and space continuum.

Wish you a pleasant and productive week ahead. May we spend time reading and increasing our knowledge. Choose to read beneficial materials and not forgetting the Holy Quran.

Rabbi zidni ilma war zuqni fahma.

p/s
Arghhh...blogging on the phone is driving me mad. No.....I have not forgotten you 😉

If you don't know history, then you don't know anything.
You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree.
- Michael Crichton

Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ninowy on the meaning of "solah"

Bismillah.

Assalamualaikum folks.

It's the first day of April. Let's not be a fool, let's make plenty of salawat.

What does it really mean when we say Allahumma salli ala Sayyidina Muhammad?

What does it mean by Allah and the angels making solah (salutations and prayer) on the Prophet?

Many of us take for granted the meaning behind salawat.

In this video, which I am watching/listening as I am typing this posting, we get to learn from Shakyh Al-Ninowy, the meaning of a salawat.  

Solah takes its root from sod-lam-ya meaning du'a, it means calling upon, that means you are directing yourself (tawajjuh) towards Allah. 

Take a listen. May we benefit from this lesson. 

May we benefit from a knowledge that could transform us, instead of just amassing information.

A little funny "trivia" I picked up from this video:

Where is niyyah? If you were to send an email to niyyah, where do you think it would go? It has got to be:

niyyah@heart.com

LOL.

On a serious note, niyyah is not on the tongue, it's in the heart.