Wanita Melayu

A very good read, by Ustaz Emran Ahmad : Wanita Melayu Menjadikan Allah sebagai Jin Lampu

اَللّهُمَّ اَنَّانَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ اَنْ نُشْرِكَ شَيْءًا نَعْلَمُهُ
وَنَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لاَ نَعْلَمُهُ

Allahumma, kami berlindung pada Mu dari mensyirikkan ( i.e. menyekutukan) Engkau dengan sesuatu yang kami ketahui, dan kami memohon ampun dari (menyekutukan) dengan sesuatu yang tidak kami ketahui.

On a side note, What's the difference between istighfar and taubah?

The verb ghafara does not linguistically mean “to forgive”; rather, it means to shield, to protect, to conceal, and to cover. Like a helmet, which is called a “mighfaar.” From the root word ghafara comes istighfar and two of Allah swt's names, Allah al-Ghaffur wal-Ghaffar.

In a talk, Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim once said, (from my understanding coupled with extra reading, mafhumnya) like a mighfaar, which the Arabs used in fights to cover their heads from injuries and dust, - dust that creeps up into their eyes, blinding them from an otherwise easy victory, we ask Allah to forgive us and along with that forgiveness,

1. cover up our sins from being publicly exposed, ( e.g. due to us mencari2 ke'aiban org lain " .. maka barangsiapa yg mengintip ke'aiban saudaranya, nescaya Allah akan mengintip ke'aibannya, dan siapa yang diintip Allah akan ke'aibannya, maka Allah akan membuka ke'aibannya walaupun dirahsiakan di lubang kenderaannya" as in HR Tirmizi )

2. protect us from being held accountable down till the nth degree level of sins ( e.g the fitnah we create from our negative akhlak or wrong words of advice as in HR Ibnu Majah; " .. sesiapa yang merintis kepada kejahatan lalu diikuti maka dia menanggung dosanya dengan sepenuhnya dan dosa-dosa mereka yang mengikutinya tanpa dikurangi dosa mereka itu sedikitpun.), and

3. protect us from the sins that creeps up unbeknownst to us (e.g. syirik kecil and riya' as in the HR Ahmad: "Shirku'l-Khafi in the Muslim nation is more inconspicuous than the creeping of a black ant on a black stone in the darkness of the night." ). 

In a shorter version, a scholar Barmawi explains in a commentary of Imam Bukhari that it is protecting man from the commission of sin or protecting him from the punishment of a sin that he has committed. There's also an opinion that it includes asking for strength and Allah's protection from the hawa' that had led us to sin and to avoid repeating, especially since " Seorang mu'min tidak akan jatuh ke dalam satu lubang dua kali" (HR Bukhari wal Muslim). 

On the other hand, Taubah, is "returning". Syarat2 dia are menyesal, meninggalkan, berazam x buat lagi, selesaikan hutang manusia, but those are simply the rules untuk taubat diterima, it is not the taubat itself. Taubat is kembali kepada Allah - its an action. Literally. Whether you actually change your action/course/attention or not. 

You can't say, saya bertaubat, without action. Okay, stopping the sin is an action by itelf iA, but you have to 'kembali' jugak. It's like, if you rebelled and ran away from home, then you menyesal and decided to come back again. It's whether you actually do make the effort to come back. Or is it just a decision without action, where you simply sit down at the place you stopped and cry hoping your parents will  miraculously find you. So when you make a U-turn towards your house, that U-turn is the taubat. 

InsyaAllah, Allah melihat pada usaha, bukan hasilnya.

When we say, astaghfirullah al Azhim wa atubu ilaih, we're asking (begging) for Allah's forgiveness and saying (declaring to Allah) that we are returning to Him and His orders. Dengarkanlah Ya Allah, I'm returning to You.. Those words are nothing unless accompanied by the heart and limbs. You can't say I'm returning I'm returning 100x a day without actually doing it. Moga kita tak termasuk dalam golongan munafik.

Allah at-Tawwab means, Allah the Oft-Returning, scholars say it means that when we turn to Allah swt with a sincere heart, Allah swt turns even more to us, like in HR Bukhari where Allah swt says " .. and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running." Allah is at-Tawwab.

Dalam al Qur'an, ada ayat Allah suruh istighfar, ada ayat Allah suruh bertaubat. Let's tadabbur and contemplate on the meaning of those orders every time we read them.

Wallahu a'lam

Frodo and Sam

Sam: Do you remember the Shire Mr Frodo? It’ll be spring soon, and the orchards will be in blossom, and the birds will be nestling in the hazel thicket, and the whistle in the summer barley in the Lower Fields, and eating the first of the strawberries with cream. Do you remember the taste of strawberries?

Frodo: No, Sam. I can’t recall the taste of food, nor the sound of water, nor the touch of grass..

:’(

That was Frodo, after such hardships along the journey. Tired. They were already so close, yet the pain and darkness were now becoming too much for him to bear. And, even until the end, Frodo never did recover..

Pain and sufferings can have an everlasting effect. The sufferers of long-term illnesses may have different perceptions of life. Children who suffered childhood abuses may carry their fear and helplessness over into their adulthood. War victims may never look at people and buildings the same way again. Some recover, some may not.  

Be it physical abuse, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, when it stretches for too long or when the severity is too great, the traumatised victims lose energy, hope and will. All happiness will seem to fade away. Senses and thoughts are on their edges and can only revolve themselves around the present pain. There’s no more capacity in the mind to be diverted back to those fond memories of yesteryears, nor is there any more energy to produce happy hormones for positive wishful thinking of the future.

Our situations in an-Naar are way, beyond that.

Al Qur’an, 79:46: During that period (the eternal life) they will see that is as though they had not remained (in the world) except for an ‘Ashiyyah’ (the time it takes for the sun to set below the horizon) or the period of twilight.” 

Rasulullah s.a.w said: "One of the people of Hell who found the most pleasure in the life of this world will be brought forth on the Day of Resurrection, and will be dipped into the Fire of Hell. Then he will be asked: O son of Adam, have you ever seen anything good? Have you ever enjoyed any pleasure?" He will say, "No, by Allah (swt), O Rabb"" (HR Muslim).

How much depression would we get if in an-Naar we wouldn’t remember even a second of goodness on earth? How can we ever imagine its traumatic effect on ourselves if the ‘earth-level’ torments can already result in suicides? (And earth’s worth is less than even a mosquito’s wing to Allah swt).Whether we bear the torture with patience or not, we will certainly continue being the end receiver of never ending physical and emotional abuses and tend to lose all hope of a lesser punishment, what more numbness to pain or to ever come out.

 Sometimes we sympathise those with psychological disorders here. But if we’re prisoners of an-Naar, we’ll be worse. Mentally and physically, we’ll be brought down to become the lowest of lowlife.We’ll loathe our own existence, wishing we’re dust.

At least, for future safety, let the strivers strive. Ittaqullah.. Ittaqullah.!!

Like it or not while we still can, save ourselves. If we fall down, we get back up again. If need be by force so be it. There is no rest, for there never is a rest. 

Rest is only when the feet enters Jannah.

So keep on striving. Follow the Path. Towards the Few.

Rabbana aatina fiddunya hasanah, wa fil akhirati hasanah, waqina ‘azab an Naar, waqina 'azab an Naar, waqina 'azab an Naar.

The Inevitable

For our suffering ummah around the globe,

Make us their fighting halves,

Make us identifiable by Rasulullah,

Make us the front liners of Your soldiers,

Make us love Your akhirah more than Your dunia.

(at Takwir,29) : You cannot will except by the will of Allah, Rabbul 'aalamin.

Ya Zaljalali wal ikram, Ya Arham Arahimin,  Ya Muqallibal Qulub, Ya Maliki Yaumiddin,

allow us to die as almuttaqin, walmuqarrabin, wasshadiqin, wasshuhada', wasshalihin.

i miss this place! and the taken for granted view!

the meeting point junction for most people i know~

yes, life is short :')

Shahadah: Daily Renewal

“Aku bersaksi bahawa tiada Tuhan yang selayaknya aku tujukan segala bentuk amal ibadahku, dari hatiku, lidahku, amalanku, melainkan kepada Allah, dan aku bersaksi bahawa Muhammad itu pesuruh Allah, yang telah Allah lantik untuk menyampaikan risalah dan syariatNya, dan dengan pengakuan ini aku cerminkan di dalam setiap tingkah laku seharianku sebagai orang yang berserah diri kepada Allah dan mengikuti ajaran Rasulullah saw”.


Bear the witness, Bear the responsibility, Bear the consequences. 

Yes it's not easy

I remember a beloved girl telling me how in surah Kahfi, Khidir a.s hid the orphans’ treasure, because abuhuma shaliha, ‘their father was a shalih man’. He also killed the young boy, and prayed for a son of greater purity as replacement, because abawaahu mu’minain, ‘their parents are both mu’min’.

I remember another beloved girl telling me how Yusuf a.s was beautifully raised up in the house of Ya’qub. With a father who had perfectly prepared him in both iman and akhlak, young Yusuf faced his subsequent tests after tests, gracefully righteously. 

I remember Hajar with her excellent level of tawakkal. Even after being left to raise isma’il in the desert alone, she managed to bring him up as a strong faithful child who, when his father came to claim his life, calmly said ‘’do what you are commanded, you shall find me very patient insyaAllah.".

I remember Zakaria a.s, never losing hope in Allah, iz nada rabbuhu nidaa an khafiyya, ‘ketika berdoa kepada rabbnya dengan nada yang rendah (khafiyya)’, was blessed with the miracle of Yahya, who was given hikmah, purity, taqwa, wa barram bi walidaih, ‘and is dutiful to the parents’.

I remember Khadijah, with her selfless sacrifices for Islam, blessed with daughters as dwellers of jannah. 

I remember Ummu ‘Aiman with her deep love for Allah and Rasul, blessed with sons ‘Aiman and Usamah, as well as zauj Zaid. All three, martyrs. syahid fi sabilillah. 

I remember Yassir wa Sumayyah, killed right before the eyes of their teenage son. But Allah took care of ‘Ammar.

Rabbana hablana min azwajina wa dzurriyyatina qurrata a’yun, waj’alna lil muttaqina imama. (25:74) "Our Rabb, grant us in our mates and offspring the joy of our eyes and make us imam for those who guard against evil."

While scrubbing the surface of the living room table, (mom made me scrub off the soooooo BANYAK permanent marker stains I left while writing down ifa's kertas mah-jong presentation the other night), I was reminded of what another beloved girl of mine used to tell me, it’s not easy being a parent, so don’t blame parents for the fault of the offsprings. Each child has own personality, and you'd never know what's to become of them when you're away or gone.

 

Some say parents will be the ones who are left to scrub off the mistakes of the children. They say parents are like erasers while children are like the pencils who scribble around aimlessly. And the erasers struggle to erase up their mistakes, bound to get all used up sooner or later. 

Yes it’s not easy. But we have Allah. ^^

Flee from Total Eclipse of the Heart

The heart carries most of what we present to Allah when we return. Whose iman is the most complete? Whose taqwa level is the highest? All are matters of the heart, so who, has, the purest heart?

“Rasulullah saw was asked which of the people are best. He saw said: “Every person with a makhmum heart, and every person with a truthful tongue.” So they said: “We know what a person with a truthful tongue is but who is the one with the makhmum heart?” He saw said: “The (heart) that is pious and pure, with no sin in it, or transgression (injustice) or envy.” [Ibn Maajah]

Imagine the humility, the shame, when we’re called forth to show our hearts to Allah. Each passing thought, exposed. All feelings you used to have towards anybody or anything, good or bad. All unsaid words, unseen hawa’ kept secret due to ke’aiban if revealed. All the sins you don’t know whether forgiven, all the sins you don’t even know are sins due to your lack of ‘ilm, and all the sins you don’t even remember doing due to your lack of taqwa. I guess that's why Rasulullah said, "Buatlah sesuka hatimu, jika kamu tidak malu"(Bukhari) The regrets we’d have when all hidden contents of the heart are questioned and judged on that Day,

"the day on which neither wealth nor sons will be of any use, except for whoever brings to Allah a sound heart." (ash Shu'araa 26: 88-89)

Dan Allah Maha Teliti.

On that Day, only those who come to Allah with a sound heart will be saved. Baik hati, baiklah segala galanya. Sakit mata, patah kaki, pedih luka sana sini x apa lah, as long as our islam heart is still intact, ‘aqidah and iman still safe and sound.

The earth is protected by the ozone layer, and we’re all now having growing concerns of its thinning problem and widening holes. We protect our eyes and skin from the scorching sun with its invisible cancerous rays using shades, moisturisers and sun blocks. We protect our walking feet by wearing suitable walking shoes. We wrap fragile items carefully when travelling, transporting them in boxes. We keep our cell phones in their respective rubber cases so they won’t get scratched, and put rubber layers on top of our laptop keypads so the prints won’t fade. We package our food properly and complain when suppliers are careless in doing so. Such are the initiatives of ‘covering’ the ones we hold dear. Coated and veiled, with sometimes extra layers for extra protection. 

And the same is needed for the heart. To be tightly sealed and aggressively guarded from all sources of evil darkness, external and within.

When Frodo Baggins got the ring, (that one ring to rule 'em all) he went all out to guard it and complete his mission, fully aware that it may cost him his life.. ok that’s fiction!.. When we alhamdulillah receive one thing we’ve secretly wished for and liked. Or when we’re given one task, one chance to prove our worth. We wouldn’t wanna screw it. If a peasant was given a durian runtuh of gold, ‘happy giller’ would be an understatement as to what he’s actually feeling. And you can predict his next steps in securing the fortune. If a drowning man, ( say, who is helplessly tied up, unable to swim, and doesn’t wanna die ), is suddenly rescued and pulled towards the surface at the very last second he can hold his breath, his gratitude for that first gasp of air is undoubtedly indescribable. 

Know that to have islam in our hearts is way more precious than all those glorious ni’mat. Alhamdulillah. But hidayah might come to us only once. What’s more even if it did touch our hearts, it may or may not stay. So let's not blow this gifted opportunity away. Surrender our hearts and embrace Islam fully. What is better than sibghah Allah? It's the one liberation never ever ever to be taken for granted.  Our gratitude for it’s coming, our acts and expressions in cherishing it, and our fierce determination to protect it, should be up to the level of INFINITY, and beyond! 

 

Therefore, when Allah alone is not a strong enough motivational factor, we’re officially unfortunately having, a heart disease. :S if left untreated, a heart attack too! There are so many people who admit to not having the purest heart and not being the best ‘abid, yet are still very much satisfied with it..

رَبَّنَا لاَ تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ

"Our Rabb, do not make our hearts go astray after You have guided us, and grant us rahmat from Yourself. You grant rahmat without measure." (ali ‘Imran 3: 8)

Note: I find it enriching to know the differences in the words al qalb, al fu’ad, al lubb and as sadr. Please, :)

 

Ni’mat terbesar ialah islam dan iman.  Our love towards our iman can be measured by the extent we go to keep it, either from the nasty evil tyrant as how the ashabul kahfi experienced, or simply from our own lower self like how Yusuf a.s did when seduced by his master's wife. Berbahagialah mereka yang tetap teguh, sedangkan untuk mengerjakan sekecil kecil kebaikan pun adalah dengan keizinNya.

Ya Allah, protect our hearts.

"Temptations are presented to the heart, one by one. Any heart that accepts them will be left with a black stain, but any heart that rejects them will be left with a mark of purity, so that hearts are of two types: a dark heart that has turned away and become like an overturned vessel, and a pure heart that will never be harmed by temptation for as long as the earth and the heavens exist. The dark heart only recognises good and denounces evil when this suits its desires and whims."  (HR Muslim)

In our current Islamic condition, with immoral acts widespread even among the youngsters, lebih lebih lah kita rasakan mahalnya harga iman. Mahalnya harga tarbiyyah. 

Because like how, just by owning a DSLR doesn’t make you a photographer and just by active participation does not necessarily make you a da’ie ila Allah, just by being born as a Muslim does not make you a muslim at heart.

Lepaskan dunia dari hati, insyaAllah kelak di tempat tertinggi. 

Ya muqallib al-qulub, tsabbit qulubana ‘ala deenika wa ‘ala tha’atik. Amitnaa ‘ala deenil islam.

Kerja Kita Lebih Banyak Daripada Masa Yang Ada

Being a musafir is fun as well as beneficial. You see people, you see the world, and you get thousands of ways to feel closer to Allah.

The night of 22^nd jan marked my last night with Azeem in melb, together as students. We’ve had our fair share of moments and now it’s time to say goodbye, just as expected since the very beginning of 2009. Tears of sebakness streaked down my face again as I remembered, yet again, the good old times we’ve shared, from conflicts to apologies, from I’m-gonna-die-in-this-pet-camp to oh-yeah-comfy-cs-apartments, from tears-of-joy to tears-of-sorrow, from bookworming-in-the-libraries to phototakings-in-the-suburbs, from stressing-my-mind-crazy to after-exam-detox, from nothing-to-do-ness to too-much-work-ness, from insecurity-of-the-future to contentment-of-the-present, from I’ve-had-enough-of-you’s to am-missing-you’s, from you’re-embarassing-me to all-right-i-trust-you, from annoyance to acceptance, from pillow talks to speeches, from secrets to sharings, from feverish selesema mornings to sweaty sporty evenings. Yeapp, we’ve had our moments. Tsk tsk...

Tskkkkkkkk *blow nose*

I’ve said goodbyes to a lot of friends before, its nothing new. And its not like the end of an ukhuwah either. We can contact online, if not via phone calls. For sure we’ll see each other again iA, the catch is, we’ll be students no more, and that’s a BIG deal. Despite adulthood being a stage of life we’re both eager to experience, we’ll be having bigger commitments and bigger fish to fry, and less time for you-and-I. As I imagined my soon to come missing-close-friend-syndrome and coming up with strategies to combat its possible resulting emotional distress, my mind wandered to the kind of friend each of us has been.

Dear Zm,

Thank you for being the shoulder I lean on, my punching bag, my pillar of strength, and thank you for letting me be the shoulder you lean on,your punching bag, your pillar of strength. Thank you for being my personal mentor and thank you for allowing me be your mentor. Thank you for being a part of my growing up and I hope I played a good role in your growing up too. Jazakillah khayr. Moga terus tsabat,

Hugs, Z.

The best kind of friend is the one whom when you look at her, she increases your taqwa:

Dari Ibnu Abas r.a berkata, Rasulullah ditanya : Siapakah di antara teman-teman kami yang paling baik? Rasulullah menjawab, "Seseorang yang mengingatkan kalian kepada Allah dengan melihat wajahnya, menambah ilmu kalian dengan pembicaraannya dan mengingatkan kalian dengan akhirat oleh amalanya." 

( HR: Imam Abdu bin Humaid)

And one of the best gifts in life is a good companion. One of the best perhiasan dunia is wanita solehah (HR Muslim), and some of your vital needs after death are doa anak yg soleh (HR Muslim) and pahala anak yang ber’amal dengan al qur’an (HR Ahmad)

How great is it to have these jannah helpers always by our sides. Either as a friend, as a daughter or as a wife, we girls have so many opportunities to be one, to find one and to make one. IA. Lets never stop reminding and racing each other towards becoming as solehah as we can ever be.

2:148  +  3:133  :  Quick

Everybody wants the best, everybody wants syurga. The problem is many of us are too occupied tending to our mixed priorities, thus hindering us from selecting the best deed, gaining the best reward and reaching the highest point. For instance, how many of us try our hardest to be the best kind of friend as stated in the above hadith? It really is difficult to get disciplined and rational minded when your al hawa’ keeps pulling you to the other side. Not to mention the whisperings and temptations of shaytan everywhere. Understanding Fiqh al awlawiyat iA can help us make wiser choices in our everyday life bi iznillah. In economics the term would be for us to make more efficient allocation of our limited resources. By limited, think about time, energy, health, money, intellect, raw materials, people...

With our limited resources of almost EVERYTHING, its all the more reasons for us to properly select our ‘amal and improve our efficiency and capabilities.

Examples of the ‘amalan that should be more prioritised as they're more loved by Allah, ( in my own words, bear with it ) =_=


      - Org yg paling dikasihi Allah swt is org yg paling bermanfaat. And perbuatan yang paling dikasihi Allah swt is kegembiraan yg dimasukkan ke dlm diri seorang muslim ... And it is better to walk with someone utk satu keperluan da’wah than beri’tikaf in masjid for a month. (HR Thabrani)


            -  It is better to sit alone than in company with the bad; and it is better still to sit with the good than alone. It is better to speak to a seeker of knowledge than to remain silent; but silence is better than idle words."
(HR Bukhari)


            - It is better to solat awal waktu than berbuat baik to your parents, and it is better to be kind to your parents than berjihad (HR Muslim)


            -  It is better to become a mu’min yg kuat rather than being a mu’min yg lemah (HR Muslim)


            -  It is better to participate in (medan Jihad) di jalan Allah than bersolat di rumah for 70 years. (HR Tirmizi)

Even on personal love we have priorities: Love Allah and Rasul more than you love your parents, for a daughter. Love Allah and Rasul more than you love your husband, for a wife. And love your parents / husband more than you love yourself. For they (and by loving them) hold the keys to your heaven and hell. I read this somewhere. Errkkk, scaryyyyyyyy *biting nails* And at the same time, you won’t complete your iman until you love all your muslimin wal muslimat as much as you love yourself (HR Bukhari).

And many many more, not only on the individual basis but also on the community level. So at every second, train your mind to recall the more prioritised ‘amal, and train your body and al hawa’ to adhere to and prefer it. (there’s a hadis regarding this, x sempat nak quote) At every chance you get, perbaharukan niat and consistently weigh your deeds and options. Be your own self observer, and have taqwa.

This is of course not undermining the less prioritised ‘amal. They’re still ‘amal, not sins, and if you opt for them instead they’ll still iA menghasilkan buah.

Another thing to note is that different people have different capabilities, therefore have different priorities in contribution.


"Orang kaya yang memiliki banyak harta, dan hatinya merasa sayang untuk menyumbangkan hartanya itu: maka sadaqah hartanya dan kerelaan hatinya untuk menyumbangkan hartanya itu lebih utama baginya dibandingkan qiyamullail dan berpuasa sunnah di siang hari. Orang yang berani dan kuat, yang ditakuti musuh: keikutsertaannya dalam pasukan jihad walau sebentar, dan berjihad melawan musuh-musuh Allah, baginya lebih utama dibandingkan melaksanakan ibadah haji, berpuasa, bersedekah dan melakukan ibadah sunnah. Orang yang berpengetahuan, yang mengetahui sunnah nabi, ilmu halal haram, dan ilmu tentang mana yang baik dan mana yang tercela menurut agama: baginya bergaul dengan manusia, mengajarkan mereka, dan memberikan mereka nasiat dalam agama, itu lebih utama daripada mengucilkan diri, menghabiskan waktunya untuk solat, membaca al Qur'an dan bertasbih. Pejabat pemerintah yang memegang urusan manusia: baginya duduk sbentar untuk mengurusi perkara masyarakat, membantu orang yang dizalimi, menjalankan hadd Allah, membantu pihak yang benar, melawan pihak yang salah, itu lebih utama baginya daripada beribadah bertahun tahun." ( 'Uddatu as Shaabiriin wa Dzakhiiratu asy Syaakiriin)

Which one are we ?

A gift of tazkirah for you zm! Reminders can go a long way iAllah. Haaa! apa take home msg? Homework: cari and buat some more amal2 yang awla’=P Jom mengarang manusia. Take care and keep in touch <3 

Allah al Wali

yesterday evening was soooooooooooooooooooooooo.., i cant find words to describe it but, i pray Allah would always keep me reminded of those intense feeling of pasrah and reliance on Him. please dont let me forget, please guide me towards the path of those who are forever bertaqwa. havent felt such nervousness, non study oriented nervousness, for a very very long time..maybe ever since my first flight to australia. always have a good laugh everytime i recall those moments on the plane, me, being scared of heights, did everything in my power that came to mind to meditate (forcefully), be it, berzikir out loud, much to the embarrassment of azeem and iman next to me haha.

so yesterday was a very similar case, and i do not know why! sleepless nights of thinking, wondering, practicing and praying did no good to help me relax. and i think i flunked it.. 1st impression: FAILED.. waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! T_T
may Allah bring out the best of everything.

from another point of view, i appreciate this feeling of total helplessness and in desperate need of support from the All Mighty. wouldnt mind having to face it everyday, at least that would get me constantly reminded and on my toes.

hey, by the way, its interesting to note that the english idiom of "on your toes" is in line with the islamic comparison of taqwa.

being on your toes would generally refer to someone being alert and always ready to go/ react, right?.

while taqwa can be compared to as walking through a narrow path with thorny bushes on both sides and the person walking though tries his best to keep his clothes from being torn, with the clothes resembling iman and the thorns resembling sins. this opinion of one salaf illustrated a picture of a person walking on tip toes and being alert on the every location of the thorns.

so when you look at your feet and toes, remember how cautious you should be, how you should always be on your toes regarding everything every time.

back to yesterday. i didnt eat the whole day, and i couldnt really sleep the night before. but i'm still energetic and 'on my toes' when evening comes haha. must be the nervous hormones keeping me awake. hmm, they're pretty handy when caffeine is not around yea. so thankful for this amazing experience, strengthening my belief on my everlasting unconditional need for Allah al Waliy.

ya Allah al Waliyy, ya Allah al Waliyy, ya Allah al Waliyy
ya Allah my Wali, ya Allah my Protector, ya Allah my Guardian.

the example of Allah as al Waliyy is significant in many surahs in the alqur'an, from how Allah is the Wali when Rasulullah saw and his friend were in the cave when the Quraisy were searching for them and were just near the cave entrance,  to how Allah was the Wali to Nabi Yusuf as. his whole life was dependent on the mercy of Allah swt.

yusuf as said,

12:101: "Creator of the heavens and earth, You are my Wali in this world and in the Hereafter"

and indeed,

2:257: "Allah is the Wali of those who believe"

when a girl is to get married, her father (or her other closest adult male relative) is the wali, to hand her over to the future husband. for the wife, its the husband.

for children, the father/mother is the wali in all their affairs, be it in signing school record books and payments, or just in any mischief they do. when neighbours get angry, they complain to the father/mother.

for orphans, their wali might be their nearest relative alive, or they may get adopted and have a non blood related person as their wali.

for a person in court, her wali is her lawyer whom she trusts, fighting for her best interest.

wali is simply, the one who has custody over us, who is our guardian and helper, closest friend whom we can put our whole trust and reliance on. the wali is the the one who talks on our behalf, the one whom our actions and decisions are based upon and the one to whom we seek refuge to.

and on top of all these mortal walis of ours, is the most perfect, our ilah, our rabb, Allah al Wali.

may Allah increase our iman, and our iman in Him as our ultimate, sole, one and only al Waliyy.

with al haq

2011 has gone so fast! think last year was the year that went fastest pour moi! undoubtedly due to the busy schedules. and summer in melb was the bomb man, c'est the truth. merci beaucoup to all my guests and friends who stayed for summer, you girls made my months, holidays not to forget. alhamdulillah.

and last year was also the toughest of the toughest of years so far! phewww to have survived alive still standing. i will soooo miss my friends :') you girls were with me through the thick and thin, only Allah can repay, i pray. xxxx

and jan 2012 welcomed me with such good news and hopes, thank you Allah, thank you Allah. alhamdulillah alhamdulillah..

c'est la vie of a student. you study hard, and long for the holidays. you struggle, and then you rest.

after hardship comes ease, after hardship comes ease.

how easy was it for Rasulullah to submit to these words when they were first revealed? people threatened him, Muslims were tortured, hatred towards the muslim minority were everywhere expressed, no, it wasnt easy. but al fatah did come after all, apres beaucoup of faith and struggles, and after many tests separating the real mujahids and munafiqs.

if we were born during those times, which path would we have chosen?

i remember there was a gift card once i saw in a shop it read: "families are but accidents, you're just born in it." it would have been such an honour to have been born during Rasulullah's time, living in the community of the salfusshaleh. learning the sunnah fresh and live, seeing the revelation itself, living with our most beloved.

...

but yeahhh nowadays we have edgy tech savvy stuffs, we have electricity, travel convenience, and education opportunities, al qur'an as sunnah are compiled and distributed, a much easier life by farrrrrrrr, who wouldnt wanna miss that.

then let us be thankful for our qada' and qadar, to be born in this generation, in our particular family, it is iA a gift in itself, with reason and al haq, by the careful planning of The One All mighty, perfect in every way, and never need to rest. Allah chose you family for you. its not, an accident.

 after hard ship comes ease. after hardship comes ease.

but lets not allow our ease be the cause of our eternal hardship, on the day where many would so wish that they were turned to dust, were never born, never been given life.