Selamat Hari Lahir Mak Chah!

Semalam, ada kenduri doa selamat di rumah Pak Long. Ketika doa baru saja mahu dimulakan kami semua digembirakan dengan kedatangan Mak Chah sekeluarga dari Melaka. Kebetulan keesokan hari (hari ini) ialah hari lahir Mak Chah yang ke-48, Mak Ina dan Lina telah diam-diam keluar membeli kek untuk kami sekeluarga menyambutnya.



Semoga dipanjangkan umur, dan dimurahkan rezeki.

Mengaji

Saya mula-mula belajar mengaji ketika tinggal di Kampung Pinang, Sungai Besi. Sewaktu itu saya mengikut kawan yang sudah dahulu belajar mengaji di Surau Kampung Pinang. Setiap pagi, berbekalkan Muqaddam dan rehal serta tudung yang diikat belakang saya akan berjalan ke surau bersama-sama rakan karib saya ketika itu, Faishah.

Pengajian mengaji di surau setiap pagi dipimpin seorang ustazah. Sudah tidak ingat pula saya apakah nama ustazah itu. Atau mungkin saya tidak pernah mengetahuipun namanya apa. Kami semua anak murid hanya memanggil beliau 'ustazah'.

Mula-mula saya belajar 'Alif, Ba, Ta' yang memang saya sudah hafal. Kemudian belajar mengeja sedikit-sedikit berpandukan Muqaddam. Tetapi pelajaran mengeja saya baru sahaja beberapa kali sudah ustazah hentikan untuk memandu saya menghafal ayat-ayat lazim. Saya sangat cemerlang dalam menghafal ayat-ayat lazim. Malah dapat 'memotong' rakan-rakan yang sudah dahulu mula menghafal dari saya. Untuk menggalakkan kami menghafal surah-surah ini, ustazah sering kali mengadakan pertandingan, dan menyediakan hadiah bagi para pemenang. Saya beberapa kali memenangi pertandingan, dan ustazah juga memuji prestasi saya. Saya berasa bangga.

Mama dan Pakcik Yahaya ketika itu berasa ianya sangat kelakar yang saya banyak menghafal surah-surah lazim tetapi tidak pandai mengeja.

Sebagai seorang kanak-kanak, ada surah yang saya 'tidak suka' kerana sukar dihafal. Surah yang saya rasakan sukar ialah Surah Al-Falaq. Ada pula surah yang saya sangat suka, yang saya rasakan senang dihafal dan membawa perasaan istimewa kepada saya ketika itu. Saya masih sangat menyukai surah ini, Surah An-Nas.

Dengan nama Allah, Yang Maha Pemurah, lagi Maha Mengasihani.

1. Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad): Aku berlindung kepada (Allah) Pemelihara sekalian manusia.
2. Yang Menguasai sekalian manusia.
3. Tuhan yang berhak disembah oleh sekalian manusia.
4. Dari kejahatan pembisik penghasut yang timbul tenggelam.
5. Yang melemparkan bisikan dan hasutannya ke dalam hati manusia.
6. (Iaitu pembisik dan penghasut) dari kalangan jin dan manusia.

Rahah

Semalam, 1 Ogos 2010 adalah ulangtahun kelahiran sahabat karib saya Rahah Mokhtar yang ke 26. Happy Birthday, Rahah mok mok.

Saya mula-mula kenal dengan Rahah ketika bertukar ke Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Datok Bendahara Jasin di Tingkatan 1. Waktu itu saya ditempatkan di kelas 1B, dan Rahah pula di kelas 1A. Kami sekelas apabila tiba subjek Ekonomi Rumah Tangga dan Pendidikan Agama Islam. Sewaktu kelas pertama ERT, guru subjek ERT pada waktu itu iaitu Puan Muawanah menasihatkan saya untuk membuat salinan fotostat nota-nota minggu sebelumnya daripada kawan sekelas. Dia mencadangkan nota Rahah kerana menurutnya, tulisan Rahah kemas, dan dia rajin menyalin nota. Saya memandang Rahah, dan sudah tentunya ketika saya memandang dia tengah tekun menyalin nota kelas hari itu. Pandangan saya sewaktu itu, tentunya budak ini pendiam, budak rajin yang baik. Saya juga mendengar dari rakan-rakan yang Rahah ini sangat pandai, antara pelajar terbaik kelas 1A. Saya fikirkan ketika itu mungkin saya akan kekok dengannya.

Ketika mula-mula berkenalan, kami menggelarkan masing-masing "saya" dan "awak". Kami agak kekok, tetapi saya sangat senang berkawan dengan dia kerana dia senang menerima saya. Kawan-kawan saya di kelas 1B ketika itu seperti tidak sukakan saya, mereka tidak suka dengan "budak KL" (saya dengar sendiri dari Zaleha, rakan sekelas 1B) dan tidak sukakan saya berbaik dengan guru-guru yang mengajar. Walaupun saya seharusnya lebih bersedih dengan perkara ini, saya ketika itu sangat tidak kisah, kerana saya semakin rapat dengan Rahah. Kami mendapati kami mempunyai banyak persamaan, dan perkara yang meyakinkan saya bahawa dia ini memang 'satu kepala' adalah ketika saya bertanya kepada dia : "Awak baca komik tak?" dan dia menjawab... "Baca! Dragon Ball, Yuyu Hakusho, SlamDunk, Dragon Quest..."

"Saya/awak" bertukar kepada "aku/kau" dengan cepat. Kami kemudiannya seperti tidak dapat dipisahkan. Setiap kali rehat, siapa yang dilepaskan guru terlebih dahulu akan tunggu di luar kelas untuk ke kantin bersama-sama. Tiap kali kelas ERT dan PAI kami akan duduk bersebelahan dan apabila naik ke Tingkatan 2, kami sekelas, duduk bersebelahan, bergayut di telefon, keluar ke Melaka dan bersama-sama sehinggalah ke Tingkatan 4 apabila saya bertukar sekolah. Selepas itu saya sudah jarang bertemu dengannya, tetapi disebabkan ikatan persahabatan yang amat erat, setiap kali kami berjumpa/berbual di telefon ianya seolah-olah kami baru dipisahkan loceng akhir sekolah sebentar tadi.

Tingkatan 2 di SMDB. Kereta merah Mak Chah ada di dalam gambar ini.

Saya rasa sepanjang hayat saya ini, tidak akan ada lagi sahabat yang lebih rapat dengan saya selain Rahah. Kami sangat rapat, sehinggakan ketika di sekolah beberapa kali orang memanggil Rahah sebagai "anak saudara Cikgu Hafsah", terkelirukan Rahah dengan saya. Kami sangat rapat dan seluruh keluarga kami mengetahuinya. Nenek Rahah memanggil saya 'Pablin' dan Atuk saya memberitahu Rahah kalau saya mengusik apa-apa barang dirumahnya: "report terus dekat Polis". Kami kemudiannya mendapati 'betapa kecilnya dunia' apabila mengetahui Busu Zai dan Nek Busu Rahah adalah kawan baik kerana berjiran di Johor Bharu, dan Uncle Roji dan Auntie Shila Rahah adalah pensyarah yang rapat dengan Pak Busu di UTM Skudai. Perkara yang masing-masing merapatkan lagi hubungan saya dan keluarga dengan Rahah dan keluarganya.

Kaifa dan Rahah di Melbourne. Berjalan tak ajak!

Terlalu banyak yang telah saya lalui bersama Rahah. Saya sudah mengenalinya separuh dari hayat saya. Rahah, atas persahabatan yang kau hulurkan aku ucapkan terima kasih. Lets be best friends forever.

Campeones Del Mundo!

Back to back winnings : Euro 2008 and now World Cup 2010. These boys are legends. World Cup 2010 will always be remembered as the one with noisy vuvuzelas, psychic octopus and Spain as the champion.

I love him.

Lawak Minggu Ini

Discovered totally by accident. I was telling my friend in Dubai that our internet is more a 'berukband' than broadband. So I googled 'beruk', and I discovered.. jeng jeng jeng.

Try it yourself. Search for beruk in Google and look at the first result that it returns. Typing in beruk and clicking the 'I'm Feeling Lucky' button would make the experience even better.

How is this possible? Because of Google Bombing. I wonder who diligently did this.

Sharing : Book Depository Online Bookstore

Edited to Add : I've received the book today (15th July 2010). It took about 20 days, and I don't know whether this is standard/early/late because I've never ordered anything from England before. I noticed one thing though, it took quite some time for the order to change from 'Processing' to 'Dispatched'. Around 3-4 days. I've since ordered another book, and this time it was dispatched within 24 hours. So maybe the first time Visa took a while to process the transaction?

Anyway, here's the picture! Taken by phone's camera so sorry for the poor quality.

So, if you don't mind waiting for the book to be delivered, this online bookstore is really a good alternative to buy imported books, especially those hard-to-find/out-of-print titles. Coincidentally Book Depository is also giving out 10% off vouchers at the moment so now is a good time to try the store out.

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First, let it be said I receive no commission whatsoever from writing this. :)

I would like to share a site that I just recently discovered, Book Depository. This online bookstore is most famous for its free worldwide shipping. Yes! Free worldwide shipping! Intrigued, I made a visit to this site.

Prices can be shown in 5 currencies : USD, GBP, EUR, AUD, CAD. I chose EUR because after comparisons of each currencies using the website XE.com, price in EUR is actually cheapest when converted to MYR.

I checked the price of a title I've been wanting to buy, but previously there was only hardcover version in Malaysia and the price was MYR99.90. The site list a paperback version, costing 9.55 EUR after a 9% discount. (9.55 EUR = 37.9084 MYR).


To make a comparison, I head to MPHOnline to see the price listed for the same title:

The same title, the same publisher (Harper UK) but at MPH Online it costs RM 44.90. A 7 ringgit difference.

And this is where MPH as a local bookstore loses SO MUCH against Book Depository:

MPH can't even provide a next day delivery when it costs that much for shipment. FAIL.

I checked with Kinokuniya Online Store KL, and the price for the book is same as MPH Online. However the shipping fee is RM 8 for West Malaysia and a whopping RM 40 for East Malaysia. Free shipping will only be given when one's total order is more than RM 300 for East Malaysia and RM 500 for West Malaysia. Either way, those living in Sabah & Sarawak lose. They are better off getting their books from Book Depository.

p/s: I've succesfully placed my order from the site. Will update this entry when the book is delivered!

Penyokong Menyokong

Malam ini. Pasukan pilihan saya akan bermain, menentang Switzerland pada jam 10.00 waktu tempatan : SEPANYOL!

Penyandang Kejuaraan Eropah

Berkata tentang Piala Dunia, ingin saya bercerita bagaimana saya mula-mula berminat dengan bola. Pada tahun 1998, ketika itu Piala Dunia diadakan di Perancis. Saya berasa kagum apabila mengetahui 'Zinedine Zidane' yang sangat hebat itu ialah seorang Muslim, dan 'Zinedine' adalah salah satu cara mengeja nama 'Zainuddin'. Menurut Pak Busu, selepas Zizou menolong Perancis memenangi Piala Dunia tahun itu, toleransi terhadap penduduk Muslim di Perancis semakin meningkat. Semenjak itu saya rajin menonton perlawanan bola sepak, kagum dengan impak bola sepak dan pada masa yang sama saya selalu mengambil tahu siapakah pemain-pemain Muslim terkemuka dunia.

Menjulang Piala Dunia 1998

Izinkan saya menyimpang sebentar. Dalam perbincangan mengenai Qur'an, Falsafah dan Sains, ada satu 'trend'/fahaman yang agak popular. Ia dipanggil Bucaillism. Dinamakan sempena Maurice Bucaille, pengarang buku The Bible, The Qur'an and Science, penyokong trend ini cuba mencari bagaimana penemuan sains semasa boleh dikaitkan dengan ayat-ayat di dalam Al-Qur'an. Teori-teori dan fenomena seperti pasang surut air laut, Big Bang serta pelbagai telah terlebih dahulu disebut di dalam Al-Qur'an mengikut penyokong fahaman ini. Antara pengarang yang 'masuk' dalam kategori ini ialah Harun Yahya.


Namun terdapat kritikan terhadap trend Bucaillism ini. Kritikan paling vokal terhadap bahaya menghubungkan ayat-ayat suci Al-Qur'an dengan teori-teori sains ialah bagaimana bila teori sains yang dihubungkan ini terbukti salah? Adakah ia juga membuktikan bahawa ayat-ayat Al-Qur'an itu salah?

Di internet terdapat banyak perbalahan antara golongan penyokong Bucaillism dan mereka yang 'anti-Bucaillism'. Pembacaan menarik.

Apa pula kaitannya dengan bola? Sebelum ini saya mengagumi pemain-pemain bola Muslim. Namun.. Muslim sayangnya tidaklah bermakna mereka ini mempunyai sifat terpuji. Contohnya apabila Franck Ribery dan Karim Benzema sama-sama ditahan kerana skandal pelacur bawah umur. Aduh!

Jadi, saya kini tidak lagi selektif dalam memilih pemain untuk disokong. Semua mereka sama di mata saya. Kriteria 'saudara seIslam' sudah tidak ada, sebaliknya saya melebihkan cara dan skil permainan. Jika pemain itu juga 'cute', ianya bonus.

Budak Katolik

Sofiya, Koko dan Abdullah

(bukan tajuk sebuah novel cinta).

The Quran and I by Anas Zubedy

Yesterday I finished reading The Quran and I by Anas Zubedy. The title caught my attention and I finished it in one sitting at Sunway Pyramid's Popular. Oops.

The description of the book (taken from Anas Zubedy's blog)

The Quran and I by Anas Zubedy is a collection of reflections and childhood memoirs featuring among others, inter-faith and inter-racial friendships and depictions of how the multi-cultural Malaysian setting is fertile ground for personal growth. The book highlights universal values found in the Quran through daily life experiences and serves as a simple introduction to the Quran.

credit : Anas Zubedy's blog

I was expecting a story of how Qur'an helps him in making choices in everyday life or something close to that, I was expecting Qur'an as a central topic but this book is not exactly that.

He told his story, from a childhood submerged in poverty until he is now a successful adult. He had a very interesting story to tell, I especially love the stories of his remarkable mother, and his friendship with his Christian best friend. Throughout this book there are numerous Qur'an passages that fits with the story he was telling.

But I can't help feeling the Qur'an quotes are just that. Quotes. That fit with the theme. I remember reading on how the writers of Glee decided what songs to be featured in an episode. First, they will write the storyline, and then scour the music catalogues to decide what songs suit that episode. Sometimes the songs fit perfectly, sometimes we viewers are left wondering how the heck that even relate?? In many ways this book feels this way.

credit : Fox

Plus some of his interpretations of Qur'anic verses sound like a personal interpretation, interpretations that suit his values. This could be dangerous.

BUT. The book is quite interesting. I absolutely agree with the writer's sentiments on the importance of unity, and how diversity is God's creation so we must love/embrace it. I may not agree with all the ways he interpreted the holy verses, but I appreciate the story he was telling.

Another Birthday

It is going to be World Cup again soon. This blog was first created on a World Cup year. In a way it is celebrating its birthday I guess. Like someone who was born on 29th February, aging every year, but older only once every four years.

(There was also something here about how after all these years and everything that happened I still remember the boy that broke my heart four years ago but I deleted it.)

Saya, Mama dan Doraemon

Saya punya banyak memori tentang zaman kanak-kanak, antara yang paling saya ingat ialah betapa gemarnya saya terhadap komik Doraemon.

Doraemon mula-mula saya kenali dengan menonton anime (kartun) nya yang ditayangkan di TV. (Kartun Doraemon ini nampaknya begitu evergreen. Saya baru saja selesai menonton satu episod di NTV7 sebentar tadi). Kemudian pada sekitar tahun 1992 (jika tidak silap) Syarikat Penerbitan Tora Aman mula menerbitkan komik Doraemon secara bersiri.

Saya masih ingat, Mama mula membelikan komik Doraemon untuk saya semenjak keluarannya yang pertama. Sewaktu itu cuti sekolah, dan seperti selalu saya berada di kampung. Mama membawa komik itu ke kampung untuk bacaan saya. Sewaktu Mama sampai, saya tidak berada di rumah Nenek, sebaliknya di rumah Tok Ali. Apabila saya sampai di rumah Nenek, Mama memberitahu dia ada membeli komik Doraemon untuk saya. Wah! Saya sangat seronok. Tetapi kemudiannya saya mendapati komik itu sedang dibaca Nadiah. Mak Lang menyuruh Nadiah memberikan komik itu kepada saya, tetapi Mak Chah (dan keadilan sosialnya) memberi arahan kepada saya untuk menunggu giliran. Saya menunggu dengan tidak sabar-sabar.

Doraemon Volume 1

Maka bermulalah kisah cinta saya dengan komik-komik Doraemon. Komik-komik ini menjadi peneman zaman kanak-kanak saya. Saya berasa amat kagum dengan imaginasi pengarang Fujio F. Fujiko. Komik ini menceritakan tentang pelbagai perkara, daripada apa yang menyebabkan kepupusan Dinosaur, kepentingan menjaga alam sekitar, dan pelbagai lagi konsep-konsep sains dan sosial.

Namun melebihi kekaguman saya dengan jalan cerita yang pelbagai, saya merasa dekat dengan watak di dalam komik itu. Seperti Nobita saya (ketika itu) adalah seorang anak tunggal, dan saya juga seorang pelajar sekolah rendah. Saya juga teringat membandingkan Mama saya dan Mama Nobita. Kedua-duanya memakai cermin mata tetapi di situ persamaan berakhir. Di mana Mama Nobita ialah seorang yang sangat garang, saya teringat memikirkan bahawa Mama saya tidak garang (sekurang-kurangnya tidak segarang Mak Chah dan keadilan sosialnya).


Terdapat satu ketika, dua keluaran Doraemon telah keluar tanpa kami sedari. Sewaktu kami ke kedai Titian Emas yang berdekatan dengan sekolah, Mama membelikan saya kedua-dua keluaran Doraemon itu untuk saya. Seorang budak Cina yang juga berada di kedai itu pada ketika itu seperti kagum dan berkatakannya kepada kami. Mama membalas;

"Ialah budak ini, emak dia sayang dia."

... Doraemon akan sentiasa mengingatkan saya tentang zaman kanak-kanak saya. Namun yang penting sekali, Doraemon akan sentiasa mengingatkan saya tentang kasih Mama kepada saya.

Terima kasih Mama. Selamat Hari Ibu.

Saturday Night Song Recommendation!

This song never fails to make me be in a fun! mood. Plus the group name is "fun.". Hahaha.

fun. - All The Pretty Girls

So I call your name, cross my fingers
uncross the others, hesitate.
Oh,I don't think straight with nothing to prove.

I don't wanna say I'm leaving
I will stay until the weekend.
And you can take all your things;
the boxes and rings
and get going.

'Cause I've been waiting for...

All the pretty girls on a Saturday night.
Let it be, and come to me with the look in your eyes.
Well you break and take all the words from my mouth.
I wish all the pretty girls were shaking me down.

So I call(I call) you out(out baby)
Just to feel a little bit better about myself(he does)
And I do(you do), baby I do
'Til their lips start to move,
and their friends talk music
I say "I've never heard the tune!"
But I have, I just hate the band
'cause they remind me of you.

Every single night ends up the same,
I don't say much at all, but I bring up your name.
(Over and over and over)
I think it's striking me out.

All the pretty girls on a Saturday night
Let it be, and come to me with the look in your eyes.
Well you break and take all the words from my mouth.
I wish all the pretty girls were shaking me down.
But not you,
you still wear boots and your hair is too long
and then this one doesn't want to admit she's fallen in love
Oh c'mon, oh c'mon, what's a boy to do
When all the pretty girls can't measure to you?

I don't understand your reasons
Please just stay over the weekend
You can't take all those things
They define you and me
everything we've become,
You're all that I need
Please don't make me face my generation alone.

All the pretty girls on a Saturday night.
Let it be, oh come to me with the look in your eyes.
And you break and take all the words from my mouth?
I wish all the pretty girls were shaking me down.
But not you,
I feel your faith is destroying the world
and then this one never really understood
the 80s is over and done
Oh c'mon, what's a boy to do,
when all the pretty girls can't measure to you?

p/s: I don't condone violence, but to piñatas oh yeah!

Museum Hunt @ Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

This morning me, Nadiah, Anis and Arina competed in Museum Hunt, arranged by Young Muslims Project. I found out about this event from Young Muslims Project's Facebook event, where a whopping 80 people 'confirmed' their attendance and another 400 said they 'might attend'.

I was expecting a big crowd, but there were less than 20 of us this morning. Heh. But we had a great time nevertheless.

Me and Anis were paired together, and we actually finished all our tasks first. But we were placed second because we counted the number of domes of major mosques' replicas wrong. Being replicas and small it's hard to distinguish whether some of them are domes or just random circlish things. We counted more than 1000, when it is probably around 900. We never found out how many domes there were in the end.

Pictures : (to say a thousand words)

Drawing task. The only art I can do is where a mouse is used and an undo button is available.

'Tasbih' we made for one of the tasks. It is now together with other tasbihs hanging at Anis car's rear-view mirror.

One thing I really like about this museum is how big and bright it is. I remember the National Museum being dark and very gloomy. Arina took a wrong turn into the National Museum this morning and we saw that the museum is hosting a ... Pameran Keranda.

@--}----

I think I am too sarcastic/cynic now for chat room chatting. I can say I had my fill back in 1997/1998, when this house first subscribed to the internet. Back then I remember spending hours in front of the PC, chatting to strangers at channel #kampung in mIRC. Those were the days.

I think back then people were more sincere to get to know others on the net. The ability to communicate with someone only through a medium of PC and modem was so noble that people just be themselves. And they were a lot funnier back then too.

I went into a chat room today, and seconds after I logged in, I was bombarded with messages, mostly from perverts (ewww) asking for 'bicara romantik' (double, triple, major EWWWW). And the a/s/l question immediately after saying 'hi' now just annoy me. And most of them seems to be 25/male/kl too. Yeah right.

Where have all the decent guys in chat rooms went? Achik, I think you got the last one.

The Crisis of Modern Consciousness

Semalam, 28 Mac 2010 saya dan Nadiah telah menghadiri Workshop 'The Crisis of Modern Consciousness' anjuran bersama HAKIM, ABIM dan Fajr Symphony. Alhamdulillah, niat saya yang begitu beria-ia hendak pergi mendengar syarahan Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad tercapai, malah dapat juga ditemani Nadiah. Thank you dear. Kami pergi ke sana dihantar pagi-pagi lagi oleh Mama. Terima kasih Mama.

Antara isi-isi syarahan beliau yang dapat saya catatkan:

• According to BBC, humans are less happy now than 50 years ago.
• Women were happier then than now
• Values such as self-esteem, security, optimism, sense of hope have been down in UK since 1950's
• These are the values that secularism can't really supply
• Humans are exposed to many kind of technological advancements
• But they are not more happy because of it : technology are just distractions and modern world is a world of distractions
• A story by Maulana Rumi - about a baby that can't stop crying, and not satisfied with every food offered
• We are all holding a crying baby in our arm, human soul that is crying out for authentic nourishment
  
• The soul is not satisfied with bits and pieces e.g : technology
• Zikrullah - milk the crying baby needs

• What is a moderate muslim? - If u believe in materialism and Darwinism but at the same time believe in Qur'an & Sunnah, there will be a crisis in spirituality
• Technology - are just toys and tools, we should pay no heed to them
• Intelligent muslim sense an estrangement with duniya
• Grip with akhirat - there's enough for everybody
• Grip with duniya - envy, because resources are finite
• State of joy comes from intimacy with akhirat

• History of human is cyclical
• Believers must always be in a state of optimism; pessimism -> despair -> kufur
• Certain shafts of lights are visible
• Study of quantum mechanics - future already exist (I wish I know more about this subject. Fascinating stuffs!)
  
• Time is no longer what it seems to be
• Reaffirm the concept of qada' and qadar
• Our view of reality now : far more dynamic, slippery

• On 'self', modern world view : self is glorious, can do extraordinary things. e.g : be yourself, challenge yourself
• But no single entity of self : consciousness -> collection of memories? (a bit lost here)
• We are not really what we thought we are, no linear continuity of thoughts
• What is self?

• There's a collapse of ethics, rise of communism, totalitarianism
• Modern world, inharmonious, paradox, focus on materialism but also try to fight for universal human rights
• Religion have more to offer now than what it did previous years ago

• Imam Ghazali, when confronted with hedonism : e.g - modern world, we must see what we can use
• But a spiritual soul must be inside in order for us to see what is usable, what is forgery (like a money changer)
• How do we get the wisdom? It is right of believers
  
• Someone with wisdom, firasat, intuition can know and differentiate belongingness to term of Allah's rule
• But human consciousness can be polluted with envy, ego, nafs
• Ugliest manifestation of religion comes when driven by ego, frustration, trauma, envy, rage rather than spiritual
• Example, distortion of Jihad, ends in destruction
• To be in the middle - hardest path to be
• Sirratul Mustaqim - hardest place to be
  

• Quality of believer is having awareness that we are just passing through
• Human's soul is not from this world, but from a divine world
• Our true home is the heaven
• We must set a boundary from free-fleeting wandererness, pray for hikmah
  
• People with wisdom restrain themselves
  

Pada sesi petangnya, Shaykh Seraj Hendricks pula memperkatakan tentang identiti Muslim, tetapi ketika ini saya sedang 'gila-gila' menahan mengantuk maka hanya beberapa perkara saja dapat saya fahami.


Usai workshop, kami berjalan ke Stesen Keretapi Kuala Lumpur, sambil menangkap gambar-gambar seperti pelancong. Kami menaiki komuter ke Subang Jaya, makan malam di Subang Parade dan pulang diambil Mama (terima kasih lagi Mama).

InsyaAllah saya akan berusaha untuk ke majlis-majlis ilmu sebegini lagi di masa akan datang. Ucapan tahniah kepada pihak penganjur yang berjaya menganjurkan program syarahan yang sangat bermanfaat.

Lecture & Workshop by Sheikh Dr. Abdal Hakim Murad

The Program

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6.00 p.m. :	Registration
7.30 p.m. :	Maghrib prayers Arrival of guests / buffet dinner
8.45 p.m. :	Opening Doa
8.55 p.m. :	Welcoming Speech by En. Azril Mohd. Amin Chairman, Islamic Outreach ABIM Introduction by Dr. Mohd. Farid Mohd. Shahran Chairman, The Assembly of Young Intellectuals (HAKIM)
9.15 p.m. :	Public Lecture by Shaykh Dr. Abdal Hakim Murad
10.15 p.m. :	The Launch of "The Travelling Light Series" & Cambridge Mosque Project
10.30 p.m. :	END

Workshop Title:
THE CRISIS OF MODERN CONSCIOUSNESS

Date & Venue:
12 Rabi'ulakhir 1431H / 28 March 2010
Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur.

Fees:
Professional RM50
Students RM25

Program:

8.30 a.m.	:	Registration
9.00-9.30 a.m.	:	Opening remark by Dr. Mohd. Farid Mohd. Shahran, Chairman of HAKIM
9.30-10.45 a.m.	:	Workshop 1 - Shaykh Dr. Abdal Hakim Murad
10.45-11.15 a.m.	:	Tea Break
11.15-1.00 p.m.	:	Workshop 2 - Shaykh Dr. Abdal Hakim Murad
1.00-2.30 p.m.	:	Lunch / Zuhr prayer
2.30-4.30 p.m.	:	Workshop 3 - Shaykh Seraj Hendricks
4.30 p.m.	:	Disperse

I'm very interested.

Source 1 : www.abim.org.my
Source 2 : www.hakim.org.my

Pertandingan Hafazan Peringkat Negeri Selangor 2010

Wakil Keluarga Othman kali ini :

1. Muhamad Zul Aiman Bin Zahidi - Kategori 1-10 juzuk
2. Khairul Amir Bin Zahidi - Kategori 1-20 juzuk
3. Muhamad Izzul Bin Zahidi - Kategori 1-30 juzuk

Aiman telah pun memperdengarkan bacaan pada pagi ini (10 Mac 2010). Izzul dan Amir pula pada malam ini. Doakan mereka mendapat kejayaan cemerlang dalam pertandingan ini, Insya Allah.

kredit gambar : jais.gov.my

We Shall Overcome

Our family is yet again tested, this time with the news that my Achik is diagnosed with a tumour in one of her ovaries.

Its a very devastating news, but somehow.. I have this very big instinct that she's gonna get over this. This is just another test that she's going to excel through. Achik is very good with big hurdles. She once told me when she was doing her master, that she feels like the world is going to end before she ever get her doctorate. And yet she performed beautifully with her postgraduate study. Even in the subject of looking for that ever elusive significant other, she made it look so easy. (I know this is not so, there were some losers thrown in the mix but she sailed through the challenge too).

This, is another big challenge God give her because He know she is gonna ace this test too. Just another bump in the road, hole in the path, in the epic life story of one Dr. Azizah Othman. She'll pass through this. We are willing it so, and God's willing so will it be.

Meeting Pertama AJK Hari Keluarga Othman

Malam Ahad lepas, selesai kenduri tahlil di kampung, saya dan Nadiah telah memanggil sepupu-sepupu untuk mengadakan mesyuarat mengenai perancangan kami untuk mengadakan Hari Keluarga yang telah lama tidak diadakan. Alhamdulillah, mesyuarat berjalan lancar dan kami berdua sangat berbangga dengan penyertaan semua pihak.

Mesyuarat telah dihadiri oleh :
1. Nadiah
2. Fadzlin
3. Muhammad
4. Ahmad Sobri
5. Muhd Hafiez
6. Abd Muiz
7. Aminah
8. Muhammad Firdaus
9. Nafisah
10. Naziha
11. Haslina - Mak Ina sebagai pemerhati/penasihat/wakil adik beradik keluarga Othman

Mesyuarat telah memutuskan beberapa perkara :

1) Pelantikan AJK Hari Keluarga.
Terdapat 7 Jawatankuasa yang telah dikenal pasti, dan ahli-ahlinya adalah seperti berikut :

AJK Kewangan
-Firdaus
-Nadiah

AJK Makanan
-Muhammad
-Ahmad Sobri

AJK Malam Keluarga
- Abd Muiz
- Aminah
- Abd Rahman *

AJK Riadah
- Nafisah
- Naziha
- Ahmad Afiq *

AJK Kerohanian
- Khairul Amir *
- Muhd Izzul *
- Muhd Hanif *

AJK Dokumentasi
- Muhd Hafiez
- Ahmad Aizat *

AJK Logistik
- Nurlina *

* menandakan ahli tiada sewaktu mesyuarat, jawatan diberi berdasarkan cadangan ahli-ahli mesyuarat.
** AJK boleh meminta pertolongan ahli keluarga lain yang masih belum diberikan portfolio untuk diserap masuk ke jawatankuasa masing-masing

2) Tentatif Hari Keluarga
Boleh dilihat di sini.

3) Cadangan Tempat Hari Keluarga
Pusat Latihan LKIM @ Camar Laut Bagan Lalang, Sepang
Penerangan mengenai tempat boleh dilihat di sini.

4) Budget Hari Keluarga
Tidak disebut disini atas sebab-sebab tertentu.

5) Mesyuarat Kali Kedua
Akan diadakan pada 14 Mac 2010 di rumah Mak Ngah di Subang Jaya.

Perkara yang tidak dapat diputuskan di mesyuarat adalah tarikh sebenar hari keluarga akan diadakan. Ini kerana cadangan tarikh pada 12, 13 Jun 2010 mendapat beberapa tentangan. Penentuan tarikh memerlukan perbincangan dengan adik-beradik keluarga Othman yang lain dan akan diumumkan di mesyuarat kali kedua pada 14 Mac 2010.

Semua ahli jawatankuasa yang menawarkan diri masing-masing nampak begitu bersemangat untuk menjayakan Hari Keluarga Othman. Sobri dan Muhammad sudah terfikir-fikir menu untuk dihidangkan, Aminah dan Muiz mengadakan mesyuarat mereka sendiri selesai mesyuarat rasmi, Kak Chik dan Nafisah pula bertanyakan bajet tambahan yang mereka boleh dapatkan. Kita doakan Hari Keluarga Othman 2010 akan dapat dijayakan dengan cemerlang, InsyaAllah.

Music

Its official. My (pirated) music collections have officially exceeded 20GB in size. My old trusted mp3 player can only store up to 1GB amount of music and deleting songs is becoming a very sad routine. I want a bigger storage mp3 player. I want the iPod Classic. Why is it so freaking expensive???

Demon of a different kind

The new semester starts this coming Monday, and I'm trying to put my mind and focus into the course I registered.

I have been feeling very jitterish and nervous about this latest undertaking. While I am excited and interested in doing research, I suffer from every student's disease : procrastination and inconsistent motivation.

There were times when I was an undergrad where I thought I worked best under pressure. And what better way to add pressure in your life than postponing your work to the very last? Pulling all-nighters, typing and exhausting my brain so that I can come out with an acceptable (at least to me) research. During the time when I had to submit my Final Year Project, I actually did not sleep for more than 36 hours. Crazy I know, but miraculously that project was awarded best FYP. If only the awarding committee knew how much of a lazy bum I was during the earlier part of the semester I think they wouldn't have given me that award.

I know that if I had started doing my writing earlier, I won't need to go through that hellish last week before submission. And this is the most scary part : I know that the same tactic ABSOLUTELY won't work now that I'm a graduate student. It would be like comitting suicide.

I can't ever remember me finishing an assignment not before the day/night it was due. That is how chronic my procrastination problem is. I guess that's how I always work. I need that extra push, that extra adrenaline rush, that fear of impending due date before I can focus and actually finish what I started.

I need to change. I need to find a different sort of rush/motivation for doing work. And I still don't know if I can find it. That is a bit scary.