Writing again

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim,
Beautiful indeed is the name of Allah, accompanying any beginning of a task :)
I hope all friends and family who (still) check this blog are fine and in Allah's care.
Alhamdulillah, both of us are good here too. Celebrated our 1st anniversary last Muharram and now it's been a year and a half into our marriage. I'm coming to my 2nd year here in Madrasah Al-Ma'arif, teaching, developing myself, wanting to be better in my work. I love the children. InsyaAllah will always try my best to impart knowledge onto them. Not an easy task, masyaAllah. May Allah help us.
Faruq is still in CD. His shifts are the same. He is taking online Arabic classes from http://shariahprogram.ca May Allah help him :)
Both of us just came back from the Holy cities of Makkah & Madinah. We went with my parents and sisters from 4th-15th June. We hadn't been there for my years (8 years for me and 10 for Faruq). We thank Allah greatly for inviting us there... it was a beautiful place. May Allah preserve the holiness of Baitullah, the city of the Prophet and two mosques where they are the first and second holiest mosques in the deen. The third is Baitul Maqdis in Jerusalem and may one day Allah wills us to visit it too.
As all the Muslims know, the Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam (rukn Islam). It completes the deen. All Muslims thus must make intention to fulfil it (in my opinion). Faruq and I both hope from Allah to help us fulfil this intention of ours to make the Hajj in the near future, insyaAllah. Amin.

Al-Kaabah Al-Musyarrafah

99 Rahmah are sent around the Ka'bah everyday... thus how could one not yearn to be amongst the mutatawwifin, to tawaf around the Ka'bah and dua to Allah. I pray all those who read this blog will get to go this holy places in this life.

No conclusion, till we meet again insyaAllah :) maassalam.

Journey of love

Bismillah.
I was lucky last weekend when my auntie from my husband's side invited us to visit Maqam Habib Ali bin Jaafar al-Idrus. When she called my mother in law, we (me and my parents in law) were in JB at Larkin. My parents in law were very kind to accompany there... :) as I needed to collect the goods for my small online business of long hijab (tudung labuh/mini telekung). And while we were jalan-jalaning there, Wak Ati called mother in law... (Mak) to ask if we'd like to come along to Batu Pahat.

Mak was psyched... she was reallly happy and who wouldn't be? :) Especially Wak Ati who was kind enough to remember Mak who told her before that she and Abah (father in law) would like to go. And Wak Ati asked too masyaAllah, may Allah bless her for this :) I pulak.... just happened to be there. We were all just happened to be there. It was very well unplanned and I didn't know how to describe the feeling... Surreal, but acceptable with all my heart.

Wak Ati and Wak Jai picked us up while we were waiting at Dunkin' Donuts Larkin (had a nice brunch there :) And off we went in their Proton! We came by bus and was bringing soooo many things masyaAllah I felt so grateful when we took the car. Honestly, I've grown up all my life with car with my father... with my in laws I have to adapt and get use to public transport hehe.

And then, we drove off to Batu Pahat.... who would have guessed. We only planned to go Larkin and be home at noon and suddenly we went all the way to Batu Pahat (which is a few km away from JB, which is saying something).

At Batu Pahat Wak Jai drove to visit maqam Habib Ali bin Jaafar al-Idrus... a wali of Allah whose life was blessed with bringing himself closer to Allah, till Allah honored him the title of wali, a friend of Allah, recognized by Allah... loved by Allah. I remembered how my father took us to see him when he was alive. My husband also got to visit him twice: once, before our marriage in which Habib Ali advised him to get married :) And second, after our marriage with my father... with Habib's dua, I feel (and think) our marriage happened and the many duas of other habibullah.

The life of Habib Ali was full of trials but that was what Allah promised... "And we will surely test you with some fear, hunger and shortages of property, people and produce. But give good tidings to the steadfast. Those who, when a calamity befalls them say: "We belong to Allah and to Him we return." Upon these are prayers from their Lord and mercy and these are the rightly-guided ones." (Al-Baqarah: 155-157)
At 35, he lost his wife. Around the same year, he also lost 2 of his children.
Habib must have loved his wife very much because he didn't remarry. According to Wak Ati Habib said, "Tu isteri habib dunia akhirat". 'She is my wife in this world and the next' (Hababah Sharifah Alawiyah Al-Habsyi)
'Habib nak besarkan anak2' 'I would like to see my children grow' ...*touching..*

As we sat next to maqam habib, he was buried right beside his wife.... Wak Ati told us how he had expressed that wish before, to be buried beside his wife. Though by the time he passed away the cemetery was closed for anymore burials. But the people fulfilled habib's wish... as the people love him too.

And so he was buried just, nicely, beside Hababah Sharifah Alawiyah. Next to Hababah, is their daughter who passed away at age of 2, Sharifah Zahrah. And next to Hababah on her right, her mother, Salmah. All reunited in the yet another temporary world of Barzakh, a preview of Jannah (Paradise). Hababah's mother, Habib's mother in law was also a wara' (devoted). A family of pious, good and successful people, insyaAllah in religion and in the Hereafter.... how wonderful it must be.. How joyous to be together again (Sharifah Zahrah and her parents, imagine that *Allah...*)

As we sat next to the maqam, we read Al-Fatehah for the four souls.. (we gave salam first). My father taught me to read Al-Ikhlas and I did 33times, the pahala gave to Habib.. (may Allah accept this small sadaqah of mine to this man of God). We also read Yasin. I sent my husband's regards to habib (my husband was at work..) My husband asked to doa for us with the barakah of Habib Ali waliullah taala.

May Allah place Habib Ali and his family amongst the successful in the Paradise.
May Allah grant us all the Grand Syafaah of Rasulullah s.a.w. in the Hereafter.
Amin.

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An article of Allah's Test : http://members.cox.net/arshad/allahtest.html
For my online shop, http://facebook.com/farrasyah.shop (I sell tudung labuh that can be used by muslimah :)

PS: I got to know from Wak Ati Habib and his wife also used to sell kain! I'm loving this line of job! Alhamdulillah.
During the journey, we ate lots of stuff including pisang goreng,epok-epok, putu bambu it was great! tho i missed my husband, of course all the way hehe.

Because it is (just) Sunnah

...bismillah...

The Companions performed the Sunnah because it is Sunnah.

We hesitate or even leave the Sunnah because it is Sunnah.

What a constrasting view on Rasulullah (shalallahu'alaihiwasalam)!

The former are not satisfied with just the wajib (obligatory), and seek out to better themselves through doing the Sunnah, no matter how small. There is a story of a Companion who was asked as to why he was resting under a certain tree. His reply? Because he once saw the Prophet (shalallahu'alaihiwasalam) rest under it!

The latter are not only satisfied, but think it good enough to simply perform the wajib and leave the Sunnah because it is seen as 'extra'. Allah have mercy on us! Do we not realise who it is we are following by performing the Sunnah? Are we blind as to the status of the man we are imitating? Is Rasulullah (shalallahu'alaihiwasalam) just like any other man?

Has the honour and awe of this man left our hearts? Have we forgotten that he is the Beloved of God?

We do not honour him by doing his acts of Sunnah. He honours us by giving us an example to follow!

"You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful example (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah."
alAhzab : 21

May Allah give us the strength to follow His Beloved.

Sweetness of Faith

...bismillah...

And when they listen to the revelation received by the Messenger, you will see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognise the truth; they pray: 'Our Lord! We believe, write us down among the witnesses.'
alMa'idah : 30

A Constant Relationship

http://www.suhaibwebb.com/personaldvlpt/a-constant-relationship/
by Reehab Ramadan



All throughout life our environments change, but there is one thing that remains constant no matter what situation we may fall into: the fact that we are constantly in a relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He). With each emotion that results in action, we are paving our way to our permanent abode in the After Life.


There are four main states that we may find ourselves in:


1.The State of Blessing.


2.The State of Hardship.


3.The State of Sin.


4.The State of Obedience.



These four states are not completely separate from one another; a person may be going through more than one at the same time. For each one of these states, there is a specific form of worship mandated.


The State of Blessing
In the state of ni`am, or blessing, the believers should respond with shukr. Shukr is often times translated as “gratitude,” however it encompasses more than just that. There are three parts to shukr and if one of these parts is not present, the shukr is not complete. The blessing must be reflected in:


1. Your heart
Strive to be pleased internally with what Allah has bestowed upon you. Never think, “I deserve this,” or, “I earned this myself.

2. Your limbs
Be sure not to commit any haraam (unlawful act) with the blessing that Allah (swt) has bestowed upon you. This is the epitome of ungratefulness.


3. Your tongue
Thank Allah (swt) verbally and be sure to not boast about what has been bestowed upon you.


We must also remember that if you are thankful during times of ease and blessings, Allah (swt) will increase those blessings. On the other hand, if you are ungrateful, the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you will decrease and eventually disappear.



The State of Hardship
In the state of Al-Balaa’, or hardship, the believer should respond with sabr. Sabr is to have patience and ridda (acceptance) of the state in which you have been placed. You do not have to be pleased with your current situation, but you should acknowledge that the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing, has allowed you to be in this state so it must be for the best. During this time you should also increase acts of worship and obedience to Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala.


The State of Sin
Being human, we will all be in states of sin at one point or another. Our beloved Messenger ﷺ said, “Every son of Adam is a sinner, and the best of sinners is the one who seeks forgiveness.” From the words of Rasulullah ﷺ we see that when we are in the state of sin, we should react to this by doing istighfaar, or seeking forgiveness. It is not enough to simply mutter an “I’m sorry, God” and return to our daily routine, rather there are parts to istighfaar and if one of them is not there, the istighfaar is not complete. The istighfaar must encompass:



1.Renouncing the sin.


2.Firm intention to never return to the sin.


3.Regret for having committed the sin.


4.If the sin was against the rights of another human being: compensation for that wrong doing.



The State of Obedience
In the state of obedience (I pray that this is our most frequent state) the believer should respond by striving to maintain ikhlaas (sincerity) while acting, as well as responding with shukr. Any action, if done for the wrong intention, will not be accepted. We learn this from the first hadeeth (report of the words or actions of the Prophet ﷺ) in Imam An-Nawawi’s collection of forty hadeeth:

“Actions are (judged) by motives (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration (hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated.”


Shaytaan (the devil) often times, finding us in an obedient state, will use his whispers to cause us to be arrogant. Arrogance is one of the most tempting, yet destructive sins that one can fall into. Remember that the sin that shaytaan committed was a sin of arrogance and he is now destined to eternal destruction. A way to combat these whispers is to display shukr. Remember that Allah (swt) is the one who allowed you to be obedient. Any good that you do should be attributed to the blessing of Allah (swt) upon you, not the righteousness of your own soul. And the more you thank Him for allowing you to be obedient, the more He will bestow upon you the means to be obedient.

I ask Allah to cause us to be of those who respond in the appropriate manner no matter what state we are in.

Ketika Cinta Bertasbih 2

i give it 4/5 stars (both K.C.B 1 & 2)


Tags: Habiburrahman El-Sherazy, Islam in South East Asia, Islam in Indonesia, Nikah.

the part i like most is during nikah ceremony... when all the people doa for the couple. Ketika Cinta Bertasbih indeed.

The Blessed Tree

...bismillah...

The Blessed Tree - Trailer from AGCaustralia on Vimeo.

I Wanna Hug This Tree!

Burn-a-Quran-Day

...bismillah...

Sept. 11 Quran burn still planned

[ The leader of a small Florida church that espouses anti-Islam philosophy said Wednesday he was determined to go through with his plan to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, despite pressure from the White House, religious leaders and others to call it off. ]

Dear Rev. Jones,

Firstly, thank you for disposing of the Holy Quran in the right manner. Please ensure a total and complete burn, beyond recognition. We are not afraid of Qurans 'disappearing' from the face of the earth for we have plenty of huffaz (memorisers of the whole Quran) to go around. We do not hate you, we only hate what you're trying to do. We fear for you because you're disrespecting not OUR book but one authored by the Almighty God Himself. We'll leave Him to deal with you.

"A Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds.
Is it such a Message that you would hold lightly?"
alWaqi'ah : 80 - 81

"Leave Me alone, (to deal) with the (creature) whom I created (bare and) alone!"
Muddatthir : 11

Joshua Evans : How the Bible Led Me to Islam

...bismillah...

I stumbled upon this video on FaceBook.

It's a beautiful story of how Allah (Jalla Jallaluh) guided this man into Islam.

From his beginnings as a strict Christian, his disapproval of it (after actually reading the Bible), his search for Truth, his fall into the dunya, his near-death experiences, his discovery of Islam (albeit through anti-Islamic propaganda), his apprehension towards Muslims because of it and finally his reading of the Quran - which brought him where he is now.

MasyaAllah. I loved the quote he got after his miraculous escapes from death: "People do not just live through accidents like this. God has a purpose for you, that's why you're still here, still alive."

It is an hour and 20 minute long video but I assure you it is worth every second of your time.

We, born Muslims, need to be grateful that we have Islam right from the start. These people, who desire the Truth, who go about searching for it, look at what they have to go through to find Islam. Is it any wonder that converts have double the reward?

May Allah help us to be grateful for our Islam.

Rasulullah...

Peace and blessings be upon him who said, 'Allah loves if a believer does his craft, he does it diligently' (aw kazalik).

Craft= An art, trade or occupation requiring a certain skill (Dictionary.com)

I would like to think of my professions as both teacher and student as Craft. May Allah help me to perfect this craft of mine, amin :)

This Ramadhan, I pray too; that me and some of my old friends would tie our friendships again.. perhaps Allah will show us how... 
I put my faith in Allah and the sincere among His 'ibad. Amin.

Just a Beggar

...bismillah...

It was the evening of 1st Ramadhan, and I was at the surau after Maghrib, reading Ratib alHaddad. For the first time in my life I actually felt a sense of peace, gratitude, at having met another Ramadhan. I was about to finish the Ratib when I heard someone 'coughing' outside.

I turned and found two colleagues (non-Muslims). I heard one of them say to the other: "I told you we'd find him here." I smiled and gestured if they wanted anything. "No, nothing." They went away.

I reflected on what he said: that if someone wanted to find me, they probably would, at the surau. My heart saddened, as I told myself: "I'm just a beggar at His Door, gathering scraps of His Mercy and the leftovers of His Blessings, for I do not deserve any."

*weeps*

Ya Rasulullah

kami cinta padamu