Ten Minutes With: Shaykh Abdul Aziz Fredericks in KL, January 2015 | Five random questions

Bismillah

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

At long last we managed to publish this video which was supposed to be the first to come out on Al Falah TV channel. We planned this and that, we shall continue planning this and that but Allah's plans prevails everytime, all the time. 

The lessons I personally learned while trying to get this short piece out was that you should not depend on a single person to assist you because there are people who would especially turn you down when they know you depend quite a bit on them. That Allah is always there to open many other doors. That a student can actually do a better job than a "teacher" sometimes. That one should not be so proud about having a particular specialist knowledge because there are many others who in fact have better knowledge and understanding. That we should be humble and persistent in trying to learn new things. One of my earliest guides once said, "Knowledge is like water. Water can only accumulate on low grounds. Knowledge, likewise, will accumulate in a humble heart."

Anyway, folks, please watch the video below. It may be short, but Shaykh Abdul Aziz spoke succinctly about inculcating in youth the love for Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam; about incorporating Al Falah (success) principles in our daily lives; about explaining tasawuf/Sufism to young people; about timeless New Year resolutions a Muslim should make; and his views about Muslims in this region.

Oh, it's 3 a.m. I need to prepare for a road trip. Pray Allah will keep us safe and carry us to another "Heavenly Garden" bi-iznillah. Pray we are given the tawfiq to have high aspirations in everything we do. Honestly, I wish I could write more regularly but....

But of course I miss you too!

Screencaptured the video
on poor quality due to horrible internet connection at our new office.
Half a loaf is better than none.

Gear up and chill

Bismillah.

Pardon me, am still in holiday mood yet can't wait for my young and talented team mates to fill up those chairs. InshaAllah. I sure hope they'll love our new office as we are all set to work, work, work bi-iznillah.

The best part about being a boss is you can decide when you need to clock out, go chill and go for a swim : D

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

"To have faith is to trust yourself to the water.
When you swim you don't grab hold of the water,
because if you do, you will sink and drown
Instead, you relax and float."
- Alan Watts

A bunch of us are going for a night swim now YaHuuuu...

Allah Kareem. Allah Wadud.

Enjoy the long weekend folks! Enjoy the present moment. Here's one quote I have just found and thought oh how profound. It's by Leornado da Vinci:

"In rivers, the water that you touch
is the last of what has passed
and the first of that which comes;
so with present time."

Let's embrace the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes.

Forward momentum | BHAG

Bismillah.

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

It's such a joy to feel grateful for His bounties. No wonder we are told to be grateful for the ability to be grateful. And to be grateful for the ability to pronounce and proclaim our gratitude. That's like a double dose of bounties.

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

I still am busy and keeping busy with all kinds of activities, just like you. We are all super busy, aren't we, because there's always something to work on and there will always be something that's in 'work in progress' stage before we get on with the next task.

The above pic is a 'before' photo of my new [second] office. It's still WIP as you can see. Alhamdulillah, Allah Kareem, we all know that even if the whole wide world conspires to block His bounty from reaching us, there's nothing they can do if He wills it for us. Tangible and intangible bounties are an "inside job" of the Magnificent and Munificent Creator. Praise be to Him.

In the bestseller by J. Collins and J. Porras, Built to Last, Sony has been listed as one of 18 organizations which is visionary. A visionary organization is more than successful. Did you know that Sony's first product was a rice cooker which failed to work? When they first started in 1945 they did not have a great idea which they could bank on. Its founder Masaru Ibuka and seven of his first batch of hires sat down to brainstorm on what they should be doing and they even considered selling sweetened bean-paste soup! Then they grew and learned. And eventually left an indelible imprint on the world.     

In the said book, the authors argued about the myth of blue-chip companies 'playing it safe'. I think it applies to individuals too. We should be bold and not afraid of having BHAGs, that is Big Hairy Audacious Goals i.e. things that we think are beyond us - "a BHAG may be daunting and perhaps risky, but the adventure, excitement, and challenge of it grabs people in the gut, gets their juices flowing, and creates immense forward momentum."

Yes, that's what we all need, a forward momentum. Let the critics bark and judge. Let's just do and move forward.

Best wishes,

-E-

Feeling loved and blessed 10 to the power of 18.

Alhamdulillah

Exa = 10 to the power of 18
Once again, Brother Amirul has been commissioned 
to do a super large poster.
This time it's for our new office.
Brother Amirul is a medic student who is talented in Kufi and graphics design.
He did a a 6x9 feet Asmaul Husna Kufi for my Penang house.
Always support young talents y'all. 

Glorious days | Five key points | Upon some matter

Bismillah.

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah for another awesome day in April. Yes April keeps getting more awesome, praise be to the Generous Lord.

I am feeling good on this glorious Saturday, hence that photo of KL taken this morning - a fajar in April.

Feeling excited and highly motivated mostly because I have just completed a superb training given by a trainer of high caliber. His precious words: "With the passion and enthusiasm that you have, whatever you want to do in this world, you will succeed because you want it very badly. If you don't succeed the first time, learn from the mistakes and become better. That's the roadmap to success."

Five key points there: 

• passion
• enthusiasm
• wanting it badly
• learning from mistakes
• become better

***

O folks, I appreciate your visits, despite the fact that some postings might not be as spiritually loaded as you were expecting. But this is my language of faith. It's simply about: simply living along His af'al.

Surah Ar Rahman 29:

"All those in the heavens and the earth beseech Him (for their needs). Every day He is in a state of action."

[Translated by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Uthmani]

"All that is in the heavens and the earth, implore Him. Every day He is upon some matter."

[Translated by Royal AlBayt Institute]

Allahu a'lam.

Wish y'all a fabulous weekend.

: ) 

Challenging oneself | Learning for the longest time

Bismillah.

  

Boy, that camera looked very intimidating to me. But not until my new videography sifu threw me in "Lake Confusion" and said 'Eza, give me Shallow Depth of Field'. And that's after having heard that jargon for the first time, 10 minutes earlier.

I guess that's the best way to learn - learn new things the hard way. When you learn things the hard way, you will remember better.

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah, Allah is Kareem indeed to let us learn something new everyday.

We really ought to thank the Director for saying 'Lights, camera, action!' because that can only mean one thing, that He wants us to be around still, for His "Production" in this life before the next eternal stage unfolds.

And we are told to keep learning for the longest time right until the day we cross over to the next stage.  

Rabbi zidni 'ilma
war zuqni fahma

p/s

I am delighted and humbled that I have been offered to interview two prominent shuyukh soon, InshaAllah. One is a descendant of Shaykh Abdul Kadir Al-Jailani from Turkey and the other one is a descendant of Wali Songo/Sunan Gunung Jati. Kindly pray so that my team and I at Al Falah TV would be able to carry out the task well. Bi-iznillah.

It looks like the more envious/sour people call us "stupid", the more good opportunities come our way. Alhamdulillah let us  praise the Giver of Honor. For that Alhamdulillah, we say one more time, Alhamdulillah. 

                                   

Rajab Mubarrak | A cup of faith

Bismillah.

May this small gesture of wishing you Rajab Mubarrak gets counted by the Lord as an effort to glorify the shi'ar of the religion.

May Allah bless us in this sacred month and let us live to see Ramadhan.

As we inch our way through the days and months, let's pray so that our cup of faith gets filled up with good stuffs. Let's keep pouring in it whatever we can. May the murky water eventually become diluted and will be entirely replaced with cleaner water by God's Will.

Some holier than thou people mocked me for pretending to be good by attending majalis of the habaib etc. I say I am helpless and lacking of qudrah to even lift my leg to go anywhere or do anything except that which He permits. So I rest my case. I think those who are at a mature age especially should know better that truly we have no power whatsoever to do any good deeds, save by His power and help. And that we have no power whatsoever to leave the bad, except by His power and help. So if you want to fault me for "being pretentious in doing good things", why don't you go complain to my Lord?! Tell Him not to lift my limbs for anything good.

The best disclaimer clause has got to be:
la hawla wala quwwata illah billah

May the Almighty let us be the receptacle and instrument of everything praiseworthy. Ameen.

***

On a lighter note, if you wish to drink from the cup of Lisan al-Din do look out for it soon InshaAllah.

That mug you see in the picture is a hand-made, by yours truly. 

That's what I was up to last weekend : D

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.
And for that Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah, I say one more time, Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

Rajab Mubarrak!

-E-

Built to last | Staying power

Bismillah.

Hi folks,

Am getting on the Surface because a blogger's gotta do what a blogger's gotta do. Thank God for Wadud, my new writing companion. By the way, I have got several private blogs which I update quite actively. It's good to have a couple of places to document things, me thinks. It's good to stay active and positively productive. May Allah grant us the strength to be consistent and to persevere because we should strive to do something that would last and stay around for the longest time, bi-iznillah. 

Am reading...nah let me re-phrase that, I am trying to find time to read these two books in between four jobs - day job, Lisan al-Din, Exa Publishing and Al Falah TV. It's pretty taxing but we have to say Alhamdulillah anyway, everyway, all the way. 

Please bear with me, if you are not seeing new postings here then you may expect some new sharing on Al Falah TV. And to our English speaking viewers, please don't give up. We are trying hard to get the English subtitles sorted out. 

Rejab is coming soon and we have got two videos to share about lessons and virtues of the sacred month. InshaAllah. So please stay on and stay tune.

Look out for recordings of this majlis. InshaAllah.

April keeps getting awesome, Alhamdulillah. And for that Alhamdulillah we say one more time, Alhamdulillah.

p/s

Dr N - mucho gracias for the lovely gifts from Sarawak and Down Under : D