Farewell MH 370 | Good Night Malaysians

Bismillah.

It's been a year since we last heard from MH370. It was on the 8th of March 2014. Their last words were: "Good Night Malaysians". We were told, amid uncertainties, they might have ended in the depths of the Indian Ocean, "buried" deep, equivalent to eight times the height of our pride and joy - the KLCC twin towers. But...it's almost certain that the sorrows of their loved ones are eight million times deeper.

All things froze
The heart keeps crying
Thinking
You are no longer around 

You went without any last words 
leaving me alone
counting the days
am left with no more strengths  
overcome by loneliness 

O dear sweetheart
tell me
that this is all 
nothing but a dream

I dread to think O dear
that I have lost you
though it be a moment
missing you
it hurts so deep

I  pray O dear one 
we will meet
at the door 
of the Heavens

Note: 
The above is a rough of translation of a beautiful Malay song. The original lyrics were written by Iman Imran.  

Duhai kekasih hati
katakanlah padaku
bahawa semua ini
hanya igauan mimpi

Aku tak sanggup kasih
kehilangan dirimu
walau sedetik
rindu mencengkam
terasa pedih

Doaku kasih
kita bersua
di pintu Syurga

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ahc3tR6YcE

Learning curve | Sweating it out

Bismillah.

I am writing from this little space in my crib - the so called Lisan al-Din Studio which has lately morphed into a war room for Al Falah TV.

Unlike the photo, it's pretty messy right now.

It's 2.22 am. I have been thinking about rambling a little something just so that a bunch of you could see something on this page when you wake up in the morning. And you will know that you have my company albeit virtually and despite the physical distance between us.

One particular person I have in mind is a friend who lives in Girona, Espana. Yes, the "Spanish fever" is not quite over yet. Hope you have enjoyed watching the videos of our new Spanish friends, as much as I do. To be honest, I know next to nothing about video editing or production. Credit goes to my teammate SDS who is a self-taught video editor in a way. She took a super-express-crash-course on Lynda.com and then dived into video editing. Her learning curve and my learning curve are pretty sexy I must say. LOL. 

I think at the end of it all, the sense of achievement, though small, feels sweeter knowing that although some people regard this blog as "stupid", it has some cool stuffs to share bi-iznillah ; )

Alhamdulillah, we pray so that Allah will grant us more beneficial knowledge. And that He will keep giving us the tawfiq to sweat it out and push ourselves farther.

Your average girl,

-E-

Going Golconda

p/s

"Going Golconda." is my new motto. Golconda is a new word I discovered and learned today. It means a rich mine or a source of great wealth. Hear it from me - one who once didn't know what mangrove was. LOL. Have a fabulous weekend y'all.

Interview with Ibrahim Hernandez, Vice President of The Seville Mosque Foundation

Bismillah

Ibrahim Hernandez was in KL in Feb 2015 for a fundraising on Seville's first purpose-built mosque since the great Andalusian era 500 years ago.

Ibrahim is Vice President of the Seville Mosque Foundation who is tasked to assist in building a new mosque and cultural center in the heart of Seville - home to 25,000 Muslims and growing.

The idea for having a proper purpose built mosque in Seville first surfaced in 2004 but only in 2014 have the Muslim community of South Spain begun to gear up their efforts. A suitable plot of land has been identified not far from Seville's original main mosque which had been converted to a church. A bell now adorns the minaret of the mosque.

The Seville Mosque Foundation is determined to make the new mosque a fully functional community and cultural center that is open and friendly to non-Muslims. If all goes well, the mosque is due for completion in 2017.

Ibrahim was a model based in South Africa for nine years before deciding to move to Spain as an effort to do something more rewarding in this dunya and akhirah. He said, dakwah is not an option, but is an obligation of each and every individual Muslim. 

For more info on the Seville Mosque project, please visit:
www.mezquitadesevilla.com


p/s Thank you MSA for arranging the meeting.

Visit Al Andalus | Interview with Muhsin Sierra, Director of Visit Al Andalus

Bismillah

Should we visit Spain? Yes! Yes! Yes!

You will know why, when you listen to this warm message from Brother Muhsin Sierra, Director of Visit Al Andalus.

Alhamdulillah, I had the privilege of interviewing him last week when he and his three travel companions visited my humble residence. The meeting was arranged as requested by an acquaintance, Mohamed Sidek bin Ahmad.

This is how Visit Al Andalus describe themselves: "We are a Destination Management Company focused on providing Muslim travelers from around the world with a holistic experience of South Spain, centering our itineraries and experiences on the fascinating legacy of Islamic Spain - the great civilization of Al Andalus, its history, art, and culture."

www.visitalandalus.es
Datanglah ke Sepanyol
That's Malay for 'Come to Spain'

      

Interview with Malik A. Ruiz, President of the Granada Mosque Foundation | Seville Mosque Fundraising

Bismillah

We had the privilege of listening to Haji Malik Abderrahman Ruiz speak about his experience as the leader of the Granada Muslim community and the Granada Mosque Foundation of Spain. His active involvement with the community began in 1975. By far, the biggest and most significant initiative and achievement for Muslims of South Spain in this modern era are none other than the Granada Mosque which took 20 over years to complete. The Granada Mosque project began in 1981. After having gone through many hiccups during the initial years, the mosque finally saw the light of day in July 2003 after having received support from Libya, Morocco, Malaysia, and the UAE. HRH Shaykh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi, the ruler of Sharjah of the UAE has been the biggest benefactor since 2001 until the present time.

During the interview, Haji Malik spoke about the important role the Granada Mosque has on the Muslims of southern Spain and also non-Muslims who come to the mosque seeking consultations on a myriad of issues. The mosque is not only a place for worship and a center for continuous learning for the growing Muslim population, but it has also become an increasingly important cultural center for the Granada community. Located on a vantage point overlooking the iconic Alhambra, the Granada Mosque and its public garden is a popular tourist destination. Due to its open-door policy, many non-Muslim visitors have been able to understand Islam better. Many of whom decided to convert to Islam. The mosque is witness to many reverts accepting Islam on a weekly basis, especially on Fridays.

The Granada Mosque is one of only five mosques in entire Spain.

Great Mosque of Granada
Mezquita Mayor de Granada

Haji Malik and his entourage are presently in KL to raise funds for a mosque cum cultural center in Seville. He said, it's especially important for Seville to have a mosque because it is a major capital city of South Spain. A province like Seville ought to have a mosque simply because it used to be home to many mosques. Imagine 500 years ago, Al Andalus (Muslim Spain/Islamic Iberia including Portugal) used to have some 500 masajid. When Seville gets one, hopefully in 2016 or perhaps 2015, it will be the 6th mosque for Spain, In sha Allah.

Do watch the interview with Haji Malik A. Ruiz below, courtesy of Al Falah TV.

Pic credit: www.mezquitadegranada.com

Thank you MSA for arranging the meeting.

Souvenir from Paris for the faithful readers, I promise

Bismillah.

Nothing clever this one. Just feeling elated having met some wonderful friends at an equally wonderful event yesterday. It's amazing the feeling, knowing you and the beautiful people you know very well are so attached at the soul, so much so that we were able to meet unplanned despite the huge crowd. It goes to show our souls were in the same rank in the realm of Spirits. You know who you are, ladies. I love you! 

Appreciate one self-confessed faithful reader who showed so much appreciation for this blog, for me and for the little things I do. You have my respect, because you are all very committed to the deen and are definitely more pious and learned than this faqir. I have to scrape the barrel to find something good and beautiful from within me to share while I can.

That's a cheeky proposal, heh heh...to promise the faithful readers with something from Paris...ooh la la...but who knows? In sha Allah.

Because je t'aime de deux amours - my love for you is twofold : )

New Islamic school in Granada | "By the fig and the olive..."

Bismillah.

Imagine. It's going to be beautiful, bi-iznillah.

If you have children of school-going age in 2017, you should have them enrolled in the new school that is being planned in Granada.

We had the privilege of hearing about the school project from Al-Hafiz Bashir Castineira, the newly appointed Director of Fundacion Mezquita de Granada - the Foundation of Granada Mosque, tasked to bring the school project to successful completion.

Brother Bashir is now in KL with three other colleagues for fundraising on the first mosque for Seville since the fall of the great Al Andalus civilization in Spain. The focus of their trip is on the Seville mosque but having heard him speak about the school project in Granada, I can't help but relish dreaming the beautiful dream - a school for the young ones, amid olive trees, engulfed by the breeze from a nearby lake in the outskirts of beautiful Granada. 

The school, according to Bashir, will be for 400 girls and 400 boys sitting for both primary and secondary education. Some will come in daily, some will get to experience it as a boarding school. It will adopt both Spanish and British curriculum and will thus have Spanish and English as its medium. The majority of the students will be Spanish from Granada and the neighboring towns but a good number of international students is expected.  It will be a fee-paying school but not everyone in Granada or anywhere else could afford the fee, therefore a waqaf program and scholarships will be arranged.

The plot of land where the school will be built has been identified. It is about 20 minutes drive from Granada city center. Flanked by a lake, the land is now home to some 3000 olive trees. The trees will have to make way for the school building obviously but there should be enough left for olive oil production that could bring income to the school's waqaf scheme.

The girls and boys will study separately. "There will be a high wall separating them" - Bashir mentioned jokingly. The school will have all Muslim teachers and a strong emphasis will be given on akhlak (Islamic behaviors) so from this perspective it will be an Islamic school. The school project would cost around 60 Million Euros. For the purpose of securing funding from various parties, the project is divided into eight phases. It is a big project under the purview of Fundacion Educativa al Andalus of which Haji Malik A. Ruiz is President.  

Ending the interview with Al-Falah online TV, Bashir said the Foundation welcomes sponsorship from anyone and everyone. He also invites the audience to visit Granada to appreciate not only its glorious past but also the exciting future that the beautiful city and its people anticipate.

***

This is Bashir's second visit to Malaysia. He was here in June 2014 representing Spain in the International Musabaqah (Quran recital) competition. We had the honor of listening to him recite several verses from Surah Al-Imran. Bashir who had, three weeks ago, completed memorization of the Quran explained the meanings of the verses he recited. He said we should reflect on the signs of Allah in His creation. In whatever situations we are in, we must reflect upon the signs of Allah, when we are walking, sleeping, eating, doing business, travelling when we are in the countryside or in the city, we must look at the signs of Allah. The verse which he recited, ends with a good du'a:

"Our Lord, and grant us what You promised us through Your messengers and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, You do not fail in [Your] promise." [Translation by Royal Al Bayt Institute]

***

Let's pray so that Allah - Who swears by the fig and the olive - would reward those who believe and do righteous deeds, with a reward, uninterrupted, as stated in Surah At-Tin. Those who work in support of the deen for the good of the deen, for the sake of Allah and His beloved Messenger. Ameen.

Al Hafiz Bashir Castineira reciting verses of Surah Al-Imran

Do visit www.mezquitadegranada.com for more information or if you wish to support the school project and/or the Granada Mosque's maintenance.