Sunday, March 27, 2011

Couple

Young love, sweet love...but is it true love?

In this modernised era, 'coupling' is no longer an issue but a trend and the current 'in-thing' whereby having a boyfriend/girlfriend is seen as a necessity rather than a sin. Just look around us, especially in places such as shopping complexes, cinemas, bowling arenas and etc, these places are often packed with young lovebirds. And most of the times, they are REALLY young.

For years I have been observing my surroundings and i note a pattern in this whole trend. Guys often choose girls who are pretty, stylish, sexy and at times 'gedik'. Girls on the other hand tend to choose guys who are good in satisfying their needs and paying them a lot of attention. I see girls with thick make-up and revealing clothes who just allow guys to hold their hands, hug them and even kiss them. Sometimes they do wear the hijab, but still their mode of dressing does not fully obey the guidelines of Islam. When they wear short sleeved tops, their arms can be seen. Sometimes, their t-shirt is short and their jeans are tight. Often too, their t-shirts are also so tight that it reveals every curve of the female body. What else, if the girl does not even wear a hijab, of course, much more is revealed. And now there is this trend of wearing dresses and mini-skirts. Yes, every part of the body is covered in cloth, but since these dreses are often body fit, in which the chest part is often emphasized, the dress is still not fully decent. And when the dress or skirt is worn over tights, the shape of the legs are still revealed.

The above are often the very thing that catches a guy's attention and so called 'love'. Then the drama begins. The guy starts to call the girl, or talk to the girl , or better still, even take her out on a date. And soon the girl will go 'Oh! He cares so much about me!'. When the girl is upset, he's there to offer her some words of comfort, and this time the girl will go 'He is sooooo understanding!'.

Girls, a man who is worthy of your love is not the man who hangs on the phone with you for hours, or send a few hundred msgs a day or even the ones who takes you out on dates. The man who is TRULY Worthy of your love is he who respects your dignity as a muslim girl and protects you from the straying eyes of all men who are not your mahram , including himself. The man who is best for you is the one who brings you closer to Allah, instead of allowing you or even helping you stray further from the path of Islam. Choose the man who guides you to do good and forbids you from sinning and he who reminds you to remember Allah in your every deed.

Guys, Islam puts you a step higher than the female gender. In doing so, you do not own the latter, rather, you hold a responsibility to protect them and guide them. When you marry, you carry the sins of your wife. Now, what kind of girl would you prefer, the one who is pretty, sexy and smoking hot or the one who is decent and God-fearing?

Our love for worldly matters must never exceed our love for Allah, and this includes our boyfriends and girlfriends. It is not a sin to fall in love, but it is a sin to cross the boundaries of religion. Do not look for worldly love, until you have found the everlasting love towards He, who is most deserving of your love. Once you find that love, you will eventually find all other loves in the world.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

WHo do you want to please?

Saya pilih keimanan dan ketakwaan.
Saya pilih keimanan dan ketakwaan.
ye...
Saya pilih keimanan dan ketakwaan.

Selama ni, Alhmadulillah, berjaya berpegang teguh pada prinsip2 hidup. Memang ada waktu dan ketika di mana pegangan menjadi lemah tatkala pencarian nikmat dunia yang lebih cepat dikecapi walaupun hanya kekal sementara, mengatasi pencarian nikmat abadi yang kekal selamanya.

So many times i fall for that trap, but then, i know i'm still strong with my believes as in the end of the day, I return to Him and know for certain that I am doing the right thing and in doing that, i find all the peace and hapiness that I need.

I'm a normal person, worldly pleasures do waver my stand more often than not. But when I pray and read Quran and ask for His signs and clues, i get that strong feeling that I deserve much better. What do wealth, good looks and popularity bring in the end? When we die, we bring nothing with us, only our deeds accompany us. What ever wealth we have in the world is of no use then, unless, while alive we had spent it in His path. Good looks? That too could be a yes if we don't leave prayers and we read Quran a lot. Otherwise...well...Fire is not a form of beauty treatment is it? And popularity...when you die, you're gone. That's it. No one's going to follow you in that grave, at the most, they accompany you for the burial, probably visit your grave during some rare occasions...and that's about all. At all other times, life goes on for the living.

Life here is temporary. What is valued by people in this world may not be the exact thing that is valued by Allah. And what counts in the end, is what ALLAH thinks of you, not what your friends or loved ones think of you (unless they value the same things Allah does).

So who do you want to please now? Allah? or the human species (who is ever so often hard to please anyway)?

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Money Matters

I am a careful person when it comes to cash. However, after years of being careful, i slacked and now i realise i have overspent a bit. well, partly, it is the fault of the housing agents who caused me to have 170pounds of my cash burnt, but on the rest of the part, this situation is due to the decisions which i myself make. Tracing back my steps i find that there are some changes i need to make in the future so to not allow this situation to happen again.

1. No more online shopping unless i really need something. I have most of the things already, like printer, winter clothes, sleeping bag, and books for this year.

2. Next year, definitely will still travel, but gotta cut down on unnecessary expenses.

3. No more expensive gifts back home. Will only post stuff when it's one of my parents birthday. And even then, will try to get something economical, and also light so to safe on the postal fees.

4. Gotta cut down on the chocolates and cakes and pastries. After this no more buying chocolate drinks from costa or curiositea. if buy also, only once a term or if really need to have outings with friends. And instead of having cakes and pastries on a weekly basis, or even a few times a week, I have to cut that down to one month once at the most.

5. cut down on top-up...use skype instead =).

Insyaallah, next year, i wont look at my bank statement again and go 'uh-oh!' =)

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Of Lion King!!!

When i was young, I really loved Walt Disney cartoons, especially Lion King and Aladdin. This hasn't changed. Till this day, i still love both these cartoons way above all others. I remember having a Lion King T-shirt when i was a child and it was one of my favourite t-shirts. everytime it was clean, i just had to wear it. It had a picture of Simba and Nala i think. My favourite character back then used to be Nala (now i prefer the hyenas...they're just super amusing!)

We outgrow clothes and toys but sometimes there are just some things you'll never outgrow. For me it is these two cartoons. When I am down or stressed and need some cheer, i just play these cartoons and for the period of time that it is playing, I return to the state of a child, where worry and tension are two unknown matters and my only concern is the 'happily ever after' that comes in the end of the cartoon. Sometimes, it takes innocent cartoons like this to remind us that when life gets so hard and unbearable, it is just temporary and that in the end, something good will come out of it as long as we ourselves are the good ones and not the bad ones.

One of muslims' greatest liability-the mouth

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said :”Do you know what backbiting is?” They said, “God and His Messenger know best.” He then said, “It is to say something about your brother that he would dislike.” Someone asked him, “But what if what I say is true?” The Messenger of God said, “If what you say about him is true, you are backbiting him, but if it is not true then you have slandered him.” (Muslim)

"O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, for some suspicions are a sin. Do not spy on one another, nor backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would abhor it, [so similarly, avoid backbiting]. And fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful." Qur'an, [49:12]

The Prophet (s) once gave counsel to Abu Dharr (r) , saying: “O Abu Dharr! Beware of backbiting, for backbiting is graver than adultery (zina’).” Abu Dharr (r) said: “Why is that so, O Messenger of Allah?” He (s) replied: “That is because when a man commits adultery and then repents to God, God accepts his repentance. However, backbiting is not forgiven until forgiven by its victim.” [Al-Hurr al-`Amili, Wasai'l al-Shi`ah, vol. 8, hadith no. 18312]

I am remarkably surprised by Muslims who pray and fast, and read the Quran but are still unable to refrain themselves from backbiting others and even spreading slander/fitna. What a pity all their prayers (some even have performed their haj/umrah) are still unable to make them strong enough to control their own tongues. Wouldn't it be better for us to utter zikr, or some verses of Quran rather than talking bad about others? Even when we have been wronged by someone, our religion teaches us to be patient and not repeat the persons bad deeds to others, what else if you have not been wronged?

It is not easy to control our words, but as backbiting and spreading slander are considered heavy sins which will be punished both in the dunia as well as akhira', it is wise for us to take this issue seriously and improve for the better.

For a start, before you talk bad about others, reflect your own self. Do you pray 5 times a day? Do you complete your fast during Ramadhan? Does your dressing obey the guidelines of Islam? Does your daily communication obey the limitations provided by Islam, especially when talking to the opposite sex? Are you free from committing sins especially,the heavy sins?

If we ourselves are not perfect, why condemn others? A person who is really good will not simply talk bad about others. Raqib and Atib are by our sides every moment of our lifes. The former jots our good deeds while the latter our sins. There is no escape for anyone and Allah is All-Knowing and also All-Merciful.

Often we take prayers and fasting seriously but forget that our mouths are one of human's greatest liabilty. Lets repent, and do our level best to correct oursleves. It is not easy, I know, I am not perfect either. But I want to change and i hope anyone who have also committed these sins will change too.

From Him we come and to Him we return. We were born in a state which is clean from sins, but what state will we be in when we return to HIm?

Monday, March 7, 2011

When I Wake Up Too Early

I have 2 and a half hours to settle things which i usually need to do in less than half hour. why? because i woke up early...a bit weird really. i've been sitting and staring and my lappy without knowing what to do with my time. i truly lack motivation lately. but well, last night was a good move i guess. today is a good maintenance.

Now the whole good thing about waking up early is that i get to beat the cleanes to use the kitchen and the bathroom. if i wake up late, i'll have to 'rebut' (fight) for this places with them. i wonder why do they come so early.. also, i have to fight for the place with the other residences on this floor. the bathrooms are all occupied as early as 8 am and sometimes even before that. but yeah, that's hostel life.

Though i have not done any reading yestearday and today, at least i've settled some other things. at times, it does get stressful when you have too much to see to in such short time. but waking up early and having so much extra time to do little things helps so mch to lessen my worries...