.: a trip that almost never was :.

22 June 2006
2300 hrs - too tired to pack, "tomorrow-also-can" pack attitude sets in

23 June 2006
(to help you realise how LATE I was,
pls note that i was supposed to leave home between 0630-0700hrs)

0430 hrs - wake up; it is still a tad too early

0500hrs - i should really start packing but zzzzzz...

0530 hrs - ok, can't wait, PACK NOW!

0615 hrs - 90% ready, "now, where is my passport???"

0645 hrs - still can't find passport, exasperated especially when mummy, fiza & mai are already on their way to chua chu kang to meet blossom...

0700 hrs - trying to comfort self at the prospect of not being able to go for a loooong awaited trip with my girl-friends... "maybe God is not allowing me to go to melaka...mesti ada hikmah di sebalik segala..."

* * * * *

for those who are wondering whether i actually MADE IT, I DID!!! alhamdulillah, managed to find the passport at around 0730, immediately called the gang and then, rushed over...alhamdulillah, i am also blessed with kind & patient friends who would've otherwise gone off and left me miserable in singapore...

blessed also am i to be able to be part of such a wonderful experience...the drive, layan-ing the children; hanaa & nadhrah (who is sooo cute), the girls nite out at melaka central (loooong story- we sorta got lost there,while trying to find our way to jalan hang tuah-managed to reach home at 2 a.m.), the food (loads & loads of it- good prescription for those suffering from anorexia, but of course a hazard for those who easily puts on weight, like yours truly...), the girlish chatter (it was an all girls trip- all 7 of us...yeehaa!!!) but best of all, the mornings...

with a house situated just opposite the mosque, the recitation of the quran at 0530 hrs from the mosque's PA system acts as a wake up call which almost cannot be missed (the PA system is super loud!!!)...the azan at 0545 beckons you to pray...despite being sleepy & tired, the body wakes to the call of prayer...

with freshly brushed teeth, wudhu' and telekong donned straight from home, an almost undescribable feeling enshrouds - pure peace & bliss...as you see others, family & strangers alike, walking towards the mosque, with the same purpose - the sole purpose to worship Allah, you feel that you are a part of something bigger; a larger community of believers...

meeting relatives during subuh was an added bonus - a warm welcome, a stream of smiling, familiar faces...




after subuh, instead of still being sleepy & tired (like back at home), the body is energised, taking in the crisp fresh air...a morning walk to the sawah or padi fields proves to enhance this refreshing and enriching experience...

contentment sets in as i count my blessings...for the trip that almost never was...

And if you would count the graces of Allah, never could you be able to count them. Truly! Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

- An-Nahl 16:18 -

blog entry especially dedicated to:
cik midah, or more lovingly known as mummy, for the house & hospitality
kak erni a.k.a blossom, who accomodatingly (including layan-ing all our kerenah) drove us all there & back safely
fiza & mai for being such good company
the girls, hanaa & nadhrah who made the trip all the more interesting

special thanks to
abang uda a.k.a kak erni's husband, without who's car, we wouldnt have made it to melaka
auntie noi (mummy's sister) who prepared food for us & brought us out for wonderful roti prata
mak nah, mak eton, mak mah, mak kiah, mak uda, cu nan, pak yib, kak ida...basically orang-orang kampung serkam who made the trip all the more meaningful for me

* * * * *
kg serkam, melaka, 23-25 June 06

.: Contact :.

was watching the last part of the movie, 'contact', starring jodie foster, 
directed by robert zemeckiz & screenplay by micheal goldenberg 
- couldnt help but reflect on some of the profound dialogue.
immediately googled to get the transcript at simplyscripts.com 

"I had an experience I can’t prove, I can’t even explain it, 
but everything that I know as a human being, everything that I am tells me that it was real.
I was part of something wonderful, something that changed me forever;
a vision of the Universe that tells us undeniably 

how tiny, and insignificant, and how rare and precious we all are.
A vision that tells us we belong to something that is greater than ourselves. 

That we are not, that none of us are alone"

"I wish that everyone, if even for one moment, could feel that awe, and humility, and the hope ..."

a movie that attempts to show the need to combine both science & faith.  islam , has
always thrived on this because it is not just a meaningless, unfounded faith of purely
spiritual basis but instead explains in a clear and rational fashion where we are from,
who we are and what we are supposed to be.

And indeed We created man (Adam) out of an extract of clay (water and earth).
Thereafter We made him (the offspring of Adam) as a Nutfah
(mixed drops of the male and female sexual discharge) (and lodged it)
in a safe lodging (womb of the woman).Then We made the Nutfah
into a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood),
then We made the clot into a little lump of flesh, then We made out of that little lump of
flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, and then We brought
it forth as another creation. So blessed be Allâh, the Best of creators.

After that surely you will die. Then, again, surely you will be resurrected.

- al-mu'minun 23: 12-16

we are indeed, tiny, and insignificant because we are created by THE CREATOR.
we do not exist on our own; we are helpless unless given His aid.
and only to Him we turn to for HOPE.
we belong to something greater than ourselves because 
we are created for a GREATER Purpose.

As a line in the movie goes,
" we are an interesting species; capable of sweet dreams and the most horrible nightmares."

which would we choose?

.: Mus'ab :.

no, not a cute guy i met recently...actually, he is someone young...a youth like YOU & me (i am assuming that you - whoever you are, are a youth or at least youthful)...an inspirational figure, who was a companion of the prophet s.a.w...who gave up his material comforts for the TRUE CAUSE...

Mus'ab bin Umair had been brought up by his parents with great love and affection. He was very rich and was said to be the most well-dressed youth in mecca. His parents would buy a dress worth two hundred dirhams (i am thinking hugo boss or calvin klein equivalent?) for him. He embraced Islam in its early days without the knowledge of his parents. However, when they found out, they tied him up and compelled him to stay at home. He managed to escape and emigrate to abyssinia (the first hijrah) and then, to Madinah.

Even though he was brought up in luxury, he was living a life of abstinence. Once when the Prophet was sitting down when Mus'ab walked passed him. He had only one sheet of cloth to clothe his body which also bore a number of patches including one of leather. Then Prophet with tears in his eyes, mentioned abt Musab's life of luxury before Islam.

During the battle of uhud (second battle in islamic history), mus'ab was the flag bearer and even though there was a lot of confusion (during the battle of uhud, the enemies re-attacked after the archers came down from their posts where they were supposed to guard the passageway around the hill, causing heavy losses on the muslim army) he stood at his post like a rock. The enemy came and cut his hand holding the flag. He held it with the other hand and even this hand was cut. He held the flag to his bossom with his bleeding arms. Finally, the enemy pierced his body with an arrow.

At the time of his burial, he had only one sheet to cover his body. This sheet was too short for his size and when it was drawn to cover the head, the feet would be exposed and when drawn to cover the feet, the head would be exposed. The Prophet said, " Cover his head with the sheet and his feet with the Azkhar leaves."

- adapted from the book, The Stories of the Sahabah, An English Translation of Hikayat-i-Sahabah by Maulana Muhammad Zakaria

i was thinking that this is a guy who used to don on expensive clothes, and yet upon his death, he does not have even enough cloth to cover himself up. not that he became excessively poor but i think its because the companions of the prophet s.a.w knew what was REAl which was the hereafter...

guess we could still be stuck in the "MATRIX" (to be explained at another time) at times...

disclaimer: i am not propagating suddenly throwing away all your clothes & suddenly realising that you have none left.

.: action & knowledge :.

knowledge without action is insanity
action without knowledge is vanity
- imam al ghazali -

something which was shared during the youth matrix camp '06 conducted from the 9-11 june, which was just a few days ago. still recovering from the lack of sleep and mental exhaustion..yes, fmsa (pronounced as fam-sa, an acronym for Fellowship of Muslim Students Association) camps are full of mental and emotional somersaults and marathons which are good for me - we need both physical and mental exercises...

anyway...

vanity, according to oxford advanced learner's dictionary, 7th ed, pg 1412, means:
1) having too high an opinion of one's looks, abilities, etc; conceit.
2) quality of being unsatisfying or futile; worthlessness."

i think the quote is thus so precise...to act without knowledge actually shows that a person is vain (referring to the first meaning) thinking that he/she is able to deliver without knowing exactly the CONTENT and in doing so, does not benefit anyone, lest him/herself. just reflecting on all those times i 'bubble-d' (slang for weaved, go around, beat about the bush) my way through something - like during a debate or speech or etc. hhhmmm...

as for knowledge without action is insanity...i think it is self explanatory (my eyes are getting heavier) since we are enjoined to do good and forbid evil.

Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting all that is good, enjoining Al-Ma'ruf and forbidding Al-Munkar. and it is they who are successful. al-Imran 3:104

.: THE BATTLE :.

while i was trying to clear my yahoo inbox (they are in the thousands), i found this gem of a story in one of those forwarded emails:

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that

goes on inside people.

He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves. One is Evil. It

is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt,

resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility,

kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and

faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,
"Which Wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

.: REFLECTIONS :.

the rebutia entry triggered some memories; memories of my student days, which though is not too long ago (july marks a year's anniversary) is a Life-Phase away...

reflecting on the difference between the vibrance of knowledge seeking (in school setting) and the realities of working life....i've realised, eversince i started working proper 6 months ago, that one is most free when one is a full time student..i know most of the CURRENT students would beg (profusely) to differ on this but just think about it..

when else would you have the luxury to attend a two hour lecture physically and not mentally (this happens especially when there is an upcoming camp and you are part of the organising committee; worse, if you are the chairman)?? when else can you spend HOURS in the library, reading up on things that interest you while trying to find relevant books for your assignment?? when else can you engage with your fellow coursemates and lecturers, for the pure joy of seeking knowledge, and knowing that they too want the same - no, not only the 'A' grade but SOCIAL JUSTICE?

I enjoyed my years studying in uni tremendously (note: the enjoyment may wane a little during exam periods)...not that i do not enjoy work or that it is terribly arduous..just that the possibilities laid out for a student (yes, that 4 months-loooooong holiday can do a lot of things; humanitarian relief, overseas training, serious self reflection, catching up on other things or people who mean a lot to you, like your family)seems to be more than that for the working adult..possibly because, students are fuelled with youthful idealism, enthusiasm and energy compared to the working adult who spends eight to twelve hours in the office and then, has little energy left to do much after work..

" we need spirited, energetic & strong young people whose hearts are filled with life, enthusiasm, zeal & dynamism; whose souls are full of ambition, spark within you." -muhammad iqbal

may allah swt give me, and my teman - teman seperjuangan, the strength, patience and istiqamah to continue in our efforts to further His Cause with much creativity and enthusiasm...ameen


disclaimer: while student life should be the most embraced, studying should not be an end in itself, but a means towards achieving a higher purpose, that is to seek mardhatillah...wallahu 'alam