Baca Novel...

Assalamualaikum...

Alhamdulillah, saya baru balik dari kampung di Melaka, dan terus terasa hendak menulis sesuatu di sini. Lagipun dah lama sangat rasanya tidak mencoretkan apa-apa, dan lebih lama lagi tidak menulis dalam bahasa Melayu. So, minta maaf awal-awal kalau tulisan ni sedikit tunggang-langgang ek...

Balik baru-baru ni, dua kakak saya dan anak-anak saudara saya semuanya sedang dalam 'mood' membaca novel. 'Ayat-ayat Cinta' dan 'Hijab Sang Pencinta'. Untuk pengetahuan anda, mood membaca bukanlah sesuatu yang aneh dalam keluarga saya kerana kami boleh dikategorikan sebagai ulat buku. Malah, ia adalah situasi biasa jika kedengaran mak saya memanggil, namun tidak mendapat sebarang jawapan lantaran semuanya sedang sibuk membaca!
Namun, jangan risau. Panggilan kali kedua biasanya akan terus mendapat reaksi positif daripada kitorang semua kerana suara mak saya... huu... nyaring betul! Hehe, Sori Mom...!

Berbalik kepada kisah membaca tadi- bagaimanapun. ada sesuatu yang sangat berbeza sebenarnya di sebalik 'kebiasaan' itu. Iaitu material bahan bacaan kami; novel berbahasa Melayu.
Sebelum weekend baru-baru ni, sudah lama benar rasanya tidak ada novel Melayu di rumah kami. Sebulan sekali kami balik kampung, masing-masing pasti akan membawa buku masing-masing. Namun, semuanya buku omputih. Sesekali kami kongsi 'review' buku yang kami baca dalam bulan tu, juga tiada satu pun buku dalam bahasa ibunda.

Dan seperti yang saya katakan tadi, hinggalah hujung minggu ini.

Saya telah membaca novel 'Ayat-ayat Cinta' lama dulu. Memang best! Mungkin novel bahasa Melayu paling bagus yang pernah saya baca. Kakak saya baru nak membaca novel itu sejak menonton filemnya baru-baru ni. Dan anak-anak saudara saya pun baru nak menurut langkah. Since saya sorang saja yang dah baca buku tu, saya pun bagi review pada mereka. Saya katakan pada mereka, novel itu memang bagus, dan mereka memang patut membacanya!

Namun, bukan itu yang hendak saya ceritakan...

Buku yang kedua bertajuk 'Hijab Sang Pencinta', tulisan Ramlee Awang Mursyid, terbitan Alaf21.
Buku ini adalah buku ketiga dan menurut penulisnya, buku terakhir, dalam siri kisah Laksamana Sunan, watak utama dalam buku itu. Buku pertamanya, Bagaikan Puteri, diikuti, Cinta Sang Ratu, dikatakan telah menjadi 'best-seller' dan dijangka buku ketiga itu juga tidak ada masalah untuk mencapai status yang sama.
Saya harus akui, ketiga-tiga buku ini adalah buku-buku yang saya betul-betul suka. Begitu juga dengan ahli keluarga saya yang lain. Jika tidak, masakan saya harus 'beratur' di belakang anak-sanak saudara saya untuk membaca buku itu!

Jadi, di sini saya ingin ambil kesempatan untuk memberitahu, barangsiapa yang seperti dalam mood untuk membaca novel Melayu yang sedap dibaca, saya sarankan ketiga-tiga buku Ramlee Awang Mursyid tadi. Banyak unsur-unsur supernatural diselang-selikan dengan unsur islamik. Unsur sejarah yang menjadi latar belakang buku ini berjaya dikupas dengan menarik, di samping unsur 'romance' yang agak ringan... InsyaAllah, anda akan menyukainya.
Hmm, dalam kealpaan saya, perkembangan buku Melayu sejak kebelakangan ini sudah semakin rancak, dan saya lebih daripada gembira untuk mengikutinya. Jadi, jika anda pernah terbaca buku/novel Melayu yang baik/best, bolehlah beritahu saya ye. Sharing is improving...

Terima Kasih...



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Hamba Ramadhan @ Hamba Allah?

Assalamualaikum...

This is the first post-Ramadhan, post-Aidilfitri entry i write in here. For most part, life has gone back to normal, yet i still cannot make myself to write anything in here. In fact, everytime i opened the 'create post' page for this blog, i can only stare blankly at the screen while frowning deeply, until i closed the page and went to do something else.

But tonight, i vowed that i will write something. Anything. Just to get back 'the mood', i told myself. And so i choose to write about something i read in the newspaper recently. Perhaps because it struck me squarely on the face. Perhaps because i hope it will serve as a reminder to us, myself especially, for this post-Ramadhan period.

The topic is, are we the servant of Allah or the servant of Ramadhan? Sounds controversial. But, that's the fact most of us didn't realize.

The issue is, why during Ramadhan, we can do all sorts of ibadah, such as reading Al-Quran, Sedekah, Solat sunat, Control our nafsu and anger, and so many things? Then, once Ramadhan's over, all that seem like a distant memory, if not history?! It was as if, we're two different people; strong and obedient Muslim during Ramadhan, while weak and 'culas' during post-Ramadhan period?

I must admit, i happened to be one with the 'split-personality' as well. Like i said, that revelation struck me squarely on my face. Without realizing, I have been the servant of Ramadhan, while not really served Allah, the Only, and Truly God of mine! Somehow, I'd forgot that Ramadhan is only the medium for me to get closer to Allah, not the end target of my ibadah!

God, it was hard. To maintain the level of Ramadhan for the next 11 months, huh, it was like.. impossible. Just look at 'Puasa Enam'! I don't know about you, but it sure was impossibly hard for me! (and i still didn't finish it yet!)

So, what are we waiting for? Let's check whether we're truly the servant of Allah... or not?!

May Allah bless us...




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Selamat Hari Raya

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI
MAAF ZAHIR BATIN

Salam Eid ul Fitr

Assalamualaikum...

Today is Saturday, 27 Ramadhan/27 Sept 2008. 4 more days to complete the fasting month of Ramadhan and 4 more days to celebrate 'Idulfitri. Yet, the feeling all around is already in a celebration mood, don't you think? My house, for example, has already gotten empty. 3 of my housemates already off to their hometown on Thursday. I will go back tomorrow (Sunday) and so will the other two.

So far, i've restrained myself from saying anything -any word- about Raya. That's the rule i strictly put upon myself. I said to myself, it's Ramadhan that matters the most. Not Raya. Finding LailatulQadar is the target, not Raya! After all, there must be reasons Allah made Ramadhan, 30 days of 'wajib puasa', followed by only 1 day of 'haram puasa' to celebrate (30 : 1 in value and importance?) Well, that's what i reasoned with myself.

However, i also realized one thing. If we have tried our best -real effort- in this holy month, then we have every reason to celebrate Raya with all the happiness we can muster. Because, we truly deserved it.

So, to all the readers, in the spirit of upcoming 1 Syawal, i wish you Happy 'Idulfitri. May you find joy alongside your families and your loved ones. Take care of yourselves and don't forget to pray so we can still meet the next Ramadhan.

May Allah bless us and accepts all of our ibadah...

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An Eventful Day.

Assalamualaikum...

Have you ever had a day, you really want to rip your own hand off of you, being chased by a police patrol car, and being told 'Sir, it's time to break fast' by a Chinese guy?
Well, i had all that yesterday.

In what could arguably be one of the most eventful day for me in this Ramadhan, i experienced all the above situation with lots.. lots of emotions - from anger, frustration, horror, shock, regret to awe, humbleness and grateful.

Let's go to 'bad' emotions first.

1) I twisted my right wrist - the starting of everything!
I would say, this was the worst thing that happened to me yesterday. My tennis hand was twisted! What could be worse? That was the first thing that flashed through my mind - and with horror too - as i suddenly felt the sharp pain when i lifted my rather heavy bag yesterday.

Despite my vow to not get angry in this fasting month, i felt very very angry with myself! Why did i always have to rush to do things - in this case, lifting my bag. If only i was a little bit more careful, and patient, it won't happen, I chastised myself.

And as the anger - and panic - enveloped me, i made things even worse by twisting my wrist really hard in every direction possible, hoping the pain will subside, but to no avail. And as i learned soon after that, that reckless action of mine just made my wrist hurt even more by the hour!

2) Soon after that, i was in my car, in a hurry to go to One Utama. I was asked to book a table at Shogun, a Japanese Buffet Restaurant, where i planned to break fast with my friends, Aiman and Amir.

No need to say, i still didn't do the booking. While i could't find where i put the phone number of the restaurant, and my watch showed it was already near 6 o'clock, i sped my car heading toward OU.

Come this one intersection at Damansara Perdana, i made an illegal U-Turn, only to see there was a police car there. I felt a bit panic then, but i said, what the heck, almost everyone did that!

I realized the patrol car was following behind, and i saw the light started to flash together with the siren sound. But still, i didn't slow down. I still think that patrol car was after someone else!

At last, when i realized the police started to edge my car to the side of the road, only then i knew, it was me who they were after!

No wonder the policeman was really angry after that! With a glare and a really harsh tone, he asked for my I.C and license and went away for almost 30 minutes! He didn't even tell me what was my mistake and why he needed to give me tickets!

The 30 minutes was supposed to be the time where i felt humiliated - all the other cars were slowing down to see who was the bad guy! - and upset, and frustrated. But I didn't!

As i sat silently in my car, waiting for the ticket, i felt oddly in peace with myself. I stared at my painfully-throbbing hand, as my mind adjusted to what had just happened to me.

Hmm, i said, these - my twisted wrist and the police incident - are obviously a test for me! A Ramadhan tests! To see how i would react and cope with it. I would say i failed for the first one, but i learned to get over it for the second one.

When the policemen came back to me, he almost threw the ticket together with my IC and driving license, but i offered him a smile and a thanks. He didn't return any of them, but it was understandable. I made the mistake, i paid the price.

3) Lucky, during my brief 'arrest', Aiman arrived at OU, and i asked him to do the booking instead. He came from Shah Alam but he was earlier than me, the 'local guy'! hehe. If Amir also managed to be earlier than me, i was dead. He's from Perak!

It was the first time i've been to Shogun and the food; wow! I glanced around and i can see we were not the only Malay there. Quite many, actually.

As we settled down with food almost covered the table, Aiman and I talked. (Amir didn't arrive yet) We talked about old friends, and many others. Then, suddenly one Chinese waiter came to our table and said something like, "Sir, it's already time to break fast!"

Instinctively i looked at my watch. "Haah lah! It's time!". Then Aiman and I laughed! It was so bizarre! And as Aiman said, "It wasn't everyday a Chinese guy come and tell you to break fast! You should write this in your blog."

Later, Amir arrived and we shared the story with him. Oh, and along with so many other stories. As a result, we were among the last group to leave the restaurant.

Although I felt a twinge of guilt for the missing tarawih in the mosque, i was lying if i said i didn't enjoy myself. I'll make it up later, i said, to my conscience.

As for my day, I would say, "All's well when end's well"
I certainly learned my lesson.
and
I certainly need to find a good masseur to do something about my wrist before the holiday finished! Or i have to tell my tennis-buddy Sham, about the 'grieving' news.

Pray for me, will ya? (desperate...)

P/S: My friend told me i need to buy a camera so that i can put pictures in here. A picture worth a thousand words. He's right. But until then, please bear just with my messy writings, ok?




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Malaysian teenager's Quran recitation wins hearts

Assalamualaikum...

Dubai: The young Malaysian participant who was eventually declared the winner of the recitation event at the Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA) event had the jam-packed audience in a thrall.

The contest began at midnight on Thursday after the conclusion of programmes associated with the event. The prizes will be announced on Saturday at 9.30pm in the presence of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, at the Cultural and Scientific Association.

There were seven participants in all who vied for the top three prizes. A Turkish contestant and a Kuwaiti participant were adjudged second and third respectively in the recitation event.

Showcasing talent

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Thirteen-year-old Mohammad Bin Ahmad Zahid's performance moved some members of the audience to tears.

His recitation of verses from Surat Ar-Rahman (The Beneficent, The Mercy Giving) of the Quran during the stage of the competition when each participant was given seven minutes to showcase his talent went down especially well with those assembled.

The other contestants in the fray were from Yemen, Mauritania, Libya, and Somalia.

Speaking to Gulf News, other participants at the event recalled how they had pursued their Quran studies. Senoussi Daoud from Chad said he had memorised the Quran along with his three siblings in a Khalwa, a traditional mosque school in Africa.

The 20-year-old is a high school student at a public school that imparts the Saudi curriculum.

"Memorising the Quran is part of one's cultural upbringing in Chad. Most people in my hometown memorise the Quran," said Daoud.

Solidarity

He told Gulf News the Khalwa also served as key centres of education for those wanting to learn the Arabic language.

"Everyone in the Khalwa shares equally what is available. The values and the experiences of the Khalwa help to forge a solidarity among its members which lasts for a lifetime," said Senoussi.

Ahmedou Salem Taleb, a 21-year-old participant from Mauritania, said students used a lawlah, a small wooden tablet, to take notes while memorising the Quran back in his home country and generally across North Africa.

Students would then repeat what they memorised around 300 times-using the Misbah (counting beads), he said.

**I got this article from Gulfnews and i felt compelled to put it here.

I know adik Muhammad (above picture) because he's a constant figure at Masjid Taqwa, TTDI. Although i didn't know him personally, i can tell he is the pride of TTDI residents. I had a conversation with his father once and he told me adik Muhammad is a Hafiz since he was 8 years old! And his other siblings also wanted to follow suit.

Amazing huh! When i asked how he did what he did, he said he planned everything about the education of the children wih his wife since they were really little. They sacrificed a lot in the early stages, instilled interest of Islam and Al-Quran in their children's heart while at the same time worked hard to balance their childhood life.

It really sounds like a lot of work, but for all i can see now, it was all worth it!
In my heart, I hope i can do the same with my children when the time come...


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Krisis Kewangan??

By Mullah

Assalamualaikum dan Alhamdulillah, penulis dapat menulis lagi dalam blog ini setelah sekian

lama menyepi dan memencilkan diri daripada dunia penulisan. Alhamdulillah jua kerana penulis

dapat menulis tentang krisis kewangan yang melanda ketika ini

Menurut laporan akhbar, 10 bank di Amerika Syarikat telah 'gulung tikar' kerana krisis sub -

prima sektor perumahan dan baru-baru ini, AIG (American International Group) telah kerugian

USD 18.5 billion (RM 68 billion) dan mungkin akan diselamatkan oleh Federal Reserve. Hhmmm

Di Malaysia, saham kita telah mengalamai kejatuhan yang teruk sejak 2 tahun lepas dan

menurut laman web The Star, saham kita telah melonjak naik ke paras 1025.7 apabila ditutup

pada 19 September 2008 yang lepas. Jadi, apakah penyelesaiannya???

Di sini, penulis ingin berkongsi ilmu daripada sebuah buku yang sedang dibaca oleh penulis iaitu

'Make Money, Not Excuses' yang dikarang oleh Jean Chatzky, seorang penasihat kewangan

terkenal Amerika Syarikat dan pernah muncul dalam rancangan Oprah. Pesanannya ialah :-

1. Maksimakan Pendapatan kita

2. Minimumkan lagi Perbelanjaan

3. Laburkan Simpanan kita (minimum 10% setiap bulan) dan

4. Lindungi Simpanan kita

Okaylah, sampai di sini sahaja penulis berkongsi idea dan ilmu. Jumpa lagi

What i really missed during Ramadhan?

Assalamualaikum...

I don't remember where i got the question.

What i really missed during Ramadhan?

I said that was easy. I can think of one immediately. In fact, i didn't really have to think at all. I really missed this one thing, it's always there in my mind.

But the questioner didn't satisfied. That, i remember, because i was asked to list 10:
Okay, i said. Here is the list:

1) Tennis
2) Tennis
3) Tennis
4) Tennis
5) Tennis
6) Tennis
7) Tennis
8) Tennis
9) Tennis
10) McFlurry

There. That's my list of what i really missed during this fasting month.

In fact, whenever my friends told me about 'Raya Sales', here and there, i surprised them by asking: hei, do you happen to know if there's Sales for Nike' or Adidas' Tennis Shoe?
Well, I just couldn't help it, really.

And there's also this one 'secret' i never told anybody.
Everytime, i got back from Tarawih or Subuh Prayer from the mosque, i'll almost certain to wander away from the main road and follow this one route back to my house.
Along the way, exactly at one particular quite spot, i'll slow down my ride a little bit and stare longingly to one simple structure by the side of the road.

A tennis court. Where i played almost daily before the start of Ramadhan.

Huhu, How i really missed playing Tennis!

Only long after that, did i realize, somehow, i also missed McFlurry...



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Anouncement

Assalamualaikum...

One quick announcement:

Tonight (17 Sept/17 Ramadhan), an imam from Masjidil Haram, Syeikh Abdur Rahman will come to Masjid Wilayah, Jalan Duta to lead the Solat Tarawih.
So, for those who are free tonight and lives nearby, let's go to Masjid Wilayah.

It may be awhile for us to go visit the Masjidil Haram itself, so this opportunity may served as an intro to the visit later huh...

InsyaAllah, i'll see you there...

Aidan Z


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Another Half left...

Assalamualaikum...

I remember when i was little, i always dreaded Ramadhan. For some reason, i just couldn't stand not eating and drinking for more than 12 hours everyday, moreover for a month. I still remember pleaded to my mom to break the fast, giving her all sorts of excuses that crossed my mind, hoping she would bend to my childish whining.
Well, it was useless anyway because Mom only needed to raise her voice once and i will scramble to save my butt from her effective 'rotan'.
Hmm, thanks Mom!

Alhamdulillah, that wasn't the case for me anymore, (otherwise there's something very very wrong with me, right?)
In fact, i love Ramadhan now.
Not just because of the good(s) and barakah(s) in it, also because of the way this holy month makes me feel of myself and life in general:

1) This is the month i can maintain my weight.. and health too.
Well, that's the most natural thing to do, don't you think? We're fasting.. we cannot eat...
3 Ramadhan ago, i started my 'diet' program. and from there on, i successfully reduce my weight from 76kg, (one time it went as high as 78kg) to 62 kg within 5 month... and Alhamdulillah, i've maintained the ideal weight until now.
To my good friend, M; and H too: come on, you can do it!!!
Oh, to A, and another M, you too can do it, mate...

2) I can control my temper.
Well, a lot of people, even my close friends didn't know that i have some temperamental problem! I may appeared mild-mannered and happy go lucky to most eyes, and Allah knows I am. But very few knew that i also have this problem i am still learning to control. 'Short-fused'... that's what my brother said of my temper. He knew better, as he was sometimes been at the receiving-end of it. (Sorry, abang!)
Maybe you can ask my tennis racquet, especially the broken one, which i smashed to the floor after i missed several easy shots not long ago.
But no need to panic my friends, Ramadhan is here. The special month is here. And if there's something i really want so badly after the fasting month was over, is that my temper still very much in check, if not reduced. I pray hard to Allah so that He, who Himself is the Most Merciful and Graceful towards His servants, will grant me the patience that has eluded me so far.. Amin.

3) I feel so peaceful with myself and with the world.
Just like everybody else, i have high expectations on myself and world itself. Sometimes it worked the way i wanted and more often than not, it wasn't. It was either i put so much pressure on myself or i didn't put enough pressure. Maybe both.
But come Ramadhan, all the worries seemed to evaporate into oblivion. It didn't matter. As if somebody just soothed all my worries, saying things like, 'it's okay, you know can always start anew', and more importantly, 'no fuss Z, Allah is with you. Everything happened, happens for a reason. There's always 'hikmah' behind each of it...'
And i will smile, to no one in particular. A knowing smile, comes from within, feeling peaceful and happy the way i can't describe, even to myself. Alhamdulillah.

4) Be a Grateful servants.
All the above and other things, made me think, i've spent so much time worrying and complaining about things i didn't get. But what about things i do have? Did i spend a lot of time thinking about how lucky i am to have what i have? Did i ever complain when i got what i wanted? And, have i gone too far into becoming an ungrateful 'jerk' to Allah The Almighty?!
So i closed my eyes, breathing hard while asking for forgiveness from the Most Merciful for all my ignorances. Forgive me, Ya Allah. I'm nothing without You, and Your Blessing. Open my eyes to what clouded my eyes from seeing your Gift to me and let me become one of your grateful servants...

Therefore, i urge and implore all of you, my fellow friends, brothers and sisters. Let's find our inner self during this holy-month. Ask ourselves, are we really living the Ramadhan the way Rasulullah taught us to? Are we really embracing Ramadhan the way Allah wants us to?!!

Ramadhan was already half-way. Take this opportunity!
Who knows maybe this is the last Ramadhan... for any of us...




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