This is going to be a long post but I really felt like writing it even though it is 1.45 am already. Alhamdulillah alhamdulillah alhamdulillah. So much blessings from Him. It is true that when you help others, Allah will help you. InsyaAllah. Of course, besides thanking him, I am also immensely grateful to all those who have been so nice to me. Even though Allah puts me through all these obstacles, I feel that He is guiding me through them at the same time. Alhamdulillah!
I'm taking six mods this sem and it's been really taxing on me. Making me lose a lot of my sleep, draining me mentally due to the difficulty level of my modules and making me all stressed up because I couldnt understand what was going on in lectures.
Just when I thought I couldnt keep going, help came from Allah in so many different ways.
Firstly, I've got some really awesome tutors for my modules. They make everything a lot simpler. It gives me a great amount of self-assurance that I can count on them to clarify my doubts. Really alhamdulillah! This sem I was separated from my class and I was pretty sad at first but now I see so much hikmah :)
When I went for my computer programming lab session last Wednesday, I was so lost. I didn't know what was going on. AT ALL. Thus, you can imagine how thankful I was that there was a nice guy sitting beside me to help explain everything that was being taught. He just repeated everything slowly and made sure I understood. MasyaAllah, Alhamdulillah :)
During APEX yesterday, I was really tired in the morning due to lack of sleep. Thus I wasn't in the best of moods when I came to the ta'aruf session. I really needed something to perk me up. It was then that I saw my last year's mentee and she came and hugged me. I didn't know I missed her until then because I was seriously overjoyed! I just had this really warm and happy feeling. Somehow my fatigue just disappeared. MasyaAllah. Syukur Alhamdulillah. Plus getting free pure caramel drink (my favourite) and handphone pouch plus hp cover. Just felt this immense feeling of gratitude.
Then when I went to school for my make-up tutorial, my friend showed me the answer for this assignment question which I had no idea how to do and had to hand in by next Wednesday. Ahhh, so so thankful for it. Alhamdulillah.
Then last night, I attempted to do my computer programming online assignment. I didn't even know where to start. Usually I would ask my eldest brother but he was asleep. So I just tried to calm myself down and started reading everything right from the beginning. But I didnt get anywhere. Just when I thought all hopes were lost, abg shahiddin came home and he helped me straightaway. MasyaAllah, he spent 2 hours with me from 11.30pm to 1.30am explaining everything right from the beginning. My task could actually be completed in ten minutes cos it was just including one statement inside the programme. I feel so grateful that my brother actually bothered to explain everything (to make sure I get my basics right) instead of just telling me the solution. He must have been so tired, coming home at 11 plus. I felt really bad but extremely grateful to him. Seriously, I wouldn't have known what to do. Alhamdulillah!
GPac! had an overwhelming response for our first session. Alhamdulillah. My team members have been really awesome, so no complains whatsoever about that. I do hope we get more tutors so that we can break the students into smaller groups which will help them a lot more. InsyaAllah.
Words cannot describe how tremendously grateful I am for all the blessings Allah has bestowed upon me. MasyaAllah, whenever I think about the help I received from Him this week, I just feel an enormous sense of syukur. I truly believe now that if you work hard and tawakkal, Allah will be there for you. If you feel that He is not helping you, be patient and He will definitely reward you, insyaAllah.
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf said in one of his lectures that people are imitators by nature. Psychological studies has affirmed this. You might think that you are not imitating anyone but in fact, everybody is. Just at different levels.
Thus, as I was reading the newspapers, I felt that it was really unfortunate that we have world leaders not being good examples for us to imitate. Italy's Prime Minister having sex scandals. Corrupt leaders. Leaders who exploit poor countries just to get natural resources for their own benefit. Leaders who play dirty tactics in politics just to get to the top. Leaders who hold grand state dinners to please other leaders who come to their country. I mean, seriously, if leaders had the purest of intentions to actually improve the lives of their own citizens, is it necessary to have all of these high-cost events just to please the other party so that some deal could be signed?
As Muslims, we are very fortunate that Allah Most Merciful has sent down a man who has exemplary character for us to imitate. MasyaAllah. Of course, as we all know, he is Rasulullah S.A.W, the Beloved of Allah s.w.t. Muhammad S.A.W, as his name suggests, is the Praiseworthy. Even his worst enemies couldn't deny that.
"He was Caesar and Pope in one; but without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue; if ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammed, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports." --Bosworth Smith, MOHAMMAD AND MOHAMMADANISM, London, 1874, p. 92.
Another interesting issue which Shaykh Hamza Yusuf pointed out was about WikiLeaks. Many governments all over the world are intending to sue its founder for fear of having their secrets being leaked. Why is this so? Because they probably have done some really bad stuff which they did not want their citizens to know. Did our Prophet had anything to hide? No. His WHOLE LIFE was recorded by the sahabahs. Everything he did was good. MasyaAllah. THAT is a true leader in every sense of the word.
Kak Farhana Bibi's letter which came with this bookmark totally made my day yesterday. So sweet of her to send them to me before she went off to Syria. Plus those were the words I really needed to encourage me to keep going. I miss you already Kak Farhana! Will send you an email soon insyaAllah :)
MasyaAllah. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, also known as “Pearl Bridge”, is located in Japan and is considered as Japan’s finest engineering feat. Akashi Kaiko Bridge is the world’s longest suspension bridge in the world with a length of 3911 meters (12,831 ft). The Akashi Kaiko Bridge acts as a link between the city of Kobe and Iwaya by crossing the Akashi strait. The construction was finished in a span of 12 years. (K set, next time I wanna build Haslina's bridge in Singapore)
I wanna see the Blue Mosque one day in person! The atmosphere looks so serene and peaceful :)
I felt so happy eating this the other day. No prizes for guessing the flavour of the ice-cream. Haha. Super yummy! :) Thank you Kak Hanisah for giving me the durian kek lapis. Love it! I was eating it during lecture the other day. Hope the lecture theatre didnt smell of durian though :P The last time I ate durian kek lapis was at cik MOHAMAD Redwan's house, my dad's friend. During hari raya 2010.
All the best to Kak Sulaiha for her exams today and tomorrow! Whoa, you should have seen how anxious she was yesterday. Could tell from her facial expression. Plus she was going around telling everyone to doa for her. InsyaAllah sis, you will get excellent marks! These past few days, the house has been pretty kecoh thanks to us two anak daras. Won't ever forget the 'burnt-pan-until-dapur-betul-betul-berasap' incident and the 'bee's-nest-plus-worm-in-the-room' incident. Hahaha, super funny ah! I love my elder sister. (I hope she doesnt read this)
That was a pretty long post. Hahaha, just needed the break from studying :)
Ate lunch with my parents, grandfather and eldest brother today! Alhamdulillah..
I took the opportunity to ask my dad about the 6 points which people in tabligh groups knew about. (My dad used to be in a tabligh group) These 6 points were their principles in life and masyaAllah, I think I can definitely use these 6 points as my own life principles, insyaAllah :)
1) Kalimah Syahadah 2) Prayers 3) Zikr (Remembrance of Allah in everything we do) 4) Ikhlas (Doing everything with the intention of pleasing Allah) 5) Ikram (Loving one another - includes strengthening kinship) 6) Sacrifice for Allah
I was also telling my mum about the extra tips on cooking which Kak Hanisah shared with me. Taking wudhu' before cooking, doing zikr while cooking etc etc. She pointed out that it's not necessary that our cooking will taste delicious after we carry out all those steps. Sometimes, Allah just wants to test our patience. MasyaAllah, I thought my mum pointed out a really important point. Shall keep that in mind.. :)
I think this nasyid serves as a good reminder to me as to what my priorities in life should be. It can get pretty confusing at times, with me and my mum having different opinions and views as to what I should do in the future. As much as I would like to fulfill my mum's dreams (after all that she has done for me), I do think that I need to decide on a path that I will be satisfied with. Whatever decision I make, I shall remember this song and be reminded of my responsibility as a daughter, a student and most importantly, as a Muslimah.
I've a feeling I won't be looking forward to all my lectures/tutorials/lab. Physics, maths and engineering's not really where my interest lie. Never mind, take it as seeking knowledge yeah Haslina. The things I will look forward to weekly are
1) Arabic class 2) GPac! 3) Apex 4) Lectures in the bus :)
I need a plan to stop myself from falling asleep during the 5-hr back to back lectures every Tuesday! Currently I don’t have any. I’ve been having trouble staying awake in classes since my primary school days all the way till now. Hahaha, I remember my teachers scolding me, telling me to go to the toilet, asking if I was sick, etc etc. Even in Cedar and NJ, it was the same. Cannot cannot, must think of a way. Maybe I should utilise the water spray the Makciks gave me for my birthday. Hmmmm
Saw this as Atikah Redwan’s status on FB and I loved it! Prayer is a free call to Allah S.W.T, no network or battery problems, always a good signal and all messages are sent. Make prayer a habit. (:
I pray that Allah will keep me awake in lectures and tutorials! Ameen..
School's starting today! I am actually a bit excited to start learning all over again but I'm not sure whether this excitement will last. Haha. I'll have to be involved in other things besides my studies to make sure I enjoy myself this sem so yep insyaAllah.
Mum taught me the art of serving guests this morning. Good that she's advising me and all because I can be pretty clueless when it comes to such household matters. Plus since I am a female, I should know these things.
It's raining now and the weather's so cooling...
Oh! That day I ate free durian ice cream at abg firdaus' wedding and I felt so happy! I don't remember eating durian ice cream before so I think that was my first time :D My friends should know how much I loveeeeee durian. Hahaha. The simple pleasures of life :)
What a better way to start the day than to read my book and shaykh hamza yusuf's article on his blog. Haha. Really an eye-opener what he wrote in his blog. MasyaAllah, this man is so knowledgeable.
http://www.sandalaproductions.com/Blog.aspx
Alhamdulillah, me and ain managed to finish our gpac admin matters yesterday though we met with a few (what ain would call it) cobaans. Haha. The mosque's staff were extremely helpful and we felt so bad imposing on them actually. May Allah reward them for their good deeds, ameen! :)
It's been nice also meeting old friends these past few days. Everyone's gonna be busy once school starts so now's a good time. Thank you everyone for your awesome company..
I read this few paragraphs from the book 111 Wasiat Rasulullah S.A.W untuk Wanita Solehah. Would just like to include it here as a reminder to myself first. It's in malay though, about taubat.
Wahai Ukhti Muslimah! Boleh jadi ada seorang wanita Muslimah yang akan berkata kepada dirimu ketika dia diseru untuk bertaubat; Sungguh sangat susah bagiku untuk bertaubat, kerana aku menyedari bahawa nantinya aku akan melakukan dosa lagi dan aku tidak mempunyai keteguhan hati dalam bertaubat.
Ucapan semacam ini tiada lain kerana tipu daya syaitan. Sebab seorang wanita Muslimah dia tidak tahu bila ajal menghampirinya. Kerana boleh jadi dia akan mati ketika dia sudah bertaubat dan sebelum ia kembali melakukan dosa. Sedangkan masalah untuk kembali berbuat dosa, bagi seorang wanita Muslimah, harus benar-benar mempunyai keteguhan hati dalam bertaubat. Jika engkau mempunyai keteguhan hati untuk bertaubat dan tidak akan mengulanginya lagi terhadap dosa-dosa yang pernah engkau kerjakan, maka semuanya itu adalah berkat taufik dan kurnia Allah yang telah dilimpahkan-Nya kepadamu.
Jika engkau kembali lagi berbuat dosa dan engkau juga telah bertaubat kepada Allah dari dosa-dosamu yang lalu, serta mensucikan diri dari kotoran-kotorannya, sementara dalam dirimu ada dosa baru yang engkau kerjakan, maka ulangilah kembali untuk melakukan taubat itu. Oleh kerana itu, bagi seorang Muslimah tidak boleh merasa terhalang untuk bertaubat kerana takut akan kembali melakukan dosa. Sebab bagi orang yang pernah bertaubat pasti akan mendapat faedahnya.
Maka engkau harus berusaha dan bangun dari kelalaian, dengan harapan engkau dapat melepaskan diri dari kesalahan dan dosa.
New Year's was spent very fruitfully alhamdulillah.. Learnt so much about mentoring and becoming a better Muslim :) Am gonna be busy this whole week with GPac, reading my books and preparing resources for my younger sister's tuition. As busy as I am, I feel contented knowing that I'm not wasting my time away :)
I'm currently reading two books. One of them is this. Title: Women around the Messenger. MasyaAllah.. It's really an awesome book. It contains short stories of the female companions of Rasulullah s.a.w. Also includes stories of other male companions who are related to these women and the Messenger s.a.w himself. To read about the level of perseverance these women had is simply enlightening. Like wow. The trials that they face are just unimaginable. Losing their husbands and sons who fought in the cause of Allah. Having to witness/experience their loved ones and themselves being tortured. Which mother or wife can bear to experience that?! Yet they held strong to their faith, doing everything just for the sake of Allah. Sacrificing their time, their wealth, everything. I can't even begin to comprehend the love they had for Allah s.w.t and the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. MasyaAllah. It made me realise that the trials I face compared to theirs are minute. Seriously zero. Yet I still complain. Haslina, you have so many weaknesses you have to improve on.
Ya Allah, provide me with patience and endurance these noble women had. Provide me with the strong faith these women have in you and forgive me for my sins. Ameen!
Thank you Kak Farhana for the wonderful book on supplications. It will definitely help me remember Allah in everything I do. Jazakillah khair ya hilwati! :)
We have, as human beings, a storytelling problem. We're a bit too quick to come up with explanations for things we don't really have an explanation for.
Kak Farhana Bibi's letter which came with this bookmark totally made my day yesterday. So sweet of her to send them to me before she went off to Syria. Plus those were the words I really needed to encourage me to keep going. I miss you already Kak Farhana! Will send you an email soon insyaAllah :)
MasyaAllah. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, also known as “Pearl Bridge”, is located in Japan and is considered as Japan’s finest engineering feat. Akashi Kaiko Bridge is the world’s longest suspension bridge in the world with a length of 3911 meters (12,831 ft). The Akashi Kaiko Bridge acts as a link between the city of Kobe and Iwaya by crossing the Akashi strait. The construction was finished in a span of 12 years. (K set, next time I wanna build Haslina's bridge in Singapore)
I wanna see the Blue Mosque one day in person! The atmosphere looks so serene and peaceful :)
I felt so happy eating this the other day. No prizes for guessing the flavour of the ice-cream. Haha. Super yummy! :) Thank you Kak Hanisah for giving me the durian kek lapis. Love it! I was eating it during lecture the other day. Hope the lecture theatre didnt smell of durian though :P The last time I ate durian kek lapis was at cik MOHAMAD Redwan's house, my dad's friend. During hari raya 2010.
All the best to Kak Sulaiha for her exams today and tomorrow! Whoa, you should have seen how anxious she was yesterday. Could tell from her facial expression. Plus she was going around telling everyone to doa for her. InsyaAllah sis, you will get excellent marks! These past few days, the house has been pretty kecoh thanks to us two anak daras. Won't ever forget the 'burnt-pan-until-dapur-betul-betul-berasap' incident and the 'bee's-nest-plus-worm-in-the-room' incident. Hahaha, super funny ah! I love my elder sister. (I hope she doesnt read this)
