Lessons from Israk And Mikraj

A friday sermon by an imam in Singapore.

Let us bring our taqwa to Allah s.w.t to a higher level by submitting
to all that He enjoins and staying away from all that He prohibits.
May our lives receive the blessings and protection of Allah s.w.t.

My brothers in Islam,

Every year when Rejab arrives, we will be reminded of a particular
event in Islamic history - an event of enormous significance and which
has never happened to other prophets before Rasulullah s.a.w. That
event is Israk and Mikraj which will always be remembered by Muslims.
Many lessons can be drawn out of that single stamp in history. Allah
s.w.t has also recorded its occurrence in Surah Al-Isra, ayat 1:

Which means: Who took His slave (Muhammad) for a journey by night from
Al-Msjidil Haram (at Makka) to the farthest mosque (in Jerusalem), the
neighbourhood whereof in order that we might show him (Muhammad) of
Our ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc). Verily, He is the
All-Hearer, the All-Seer.

My brothers

From that ayat, Allah s.w.t has proven that Israk and Mikraj is a
definite reality. There is no doubt in that. It qualifies our faith
and conviction when we believe its truth. Besides, Allah s.w.t
illustrates His greatness in that one single event - among which is a
very special animal called Buraq. This animal was Rasulullah's s.a.w
vehicle while he embarked on his Israk and Mikraj experience that
special night. The animal transports Rasulullah s.a.w from Masjidil
Haram to Masjidil Aqsa in a very short duration.No one ever imagines
at that time how one can travel from Mecca to Baitulmaqdis in less
that one night. Indeed, with the help of the special animal,
Rasulullah made that journey within that unimaginable short time
effortlessly.

When Rasululah s.a.w was Mikraj-ed to the sky, Allh s.w.t showed him
flashes of mankind, their conditions and consequences of their
actions.Among them, are scenes of mankind in hell which can be used as
a lesson for us to sustain our faiths and conviction towards Allah
s.w.t. Besides that, Allah has proven His love and generousity towards
mankind by decreasing the number of solats. Even then, there are still
many among us who miss their solat.Aren't we afraid and ashamed of
ourselves?

My brothers

We can extract many lessons from the historic occurrence of Israk and
Mikraj. It can be our guide for us to increase our faiths. Among the
lessons are:

Firstly: Israk and Mikraj has opened our minds to think deeper about
Allah's s.w.t greatness. He has shown Rasulullah s.a.w scenes of how
those who has engaged themselves in wrong doings - going against the
laws of Syariah, will be punished in hell. These wrongdoings include
not praying, not paying zakat, zina, riba, breach of trust, not
controlling their tongues and many others. Allah s.w.t has also hinted
to Rasulullah s.a.w that the world has aged, so that mankind will
always remember where they are right now is actually nearing the end
of days.Let us all increase our conviction towards Allah and repent
towards Him.

Secondly: Israk and Mikraj has also shown how Allah s.w.t lifted
Rasulullah s.a.w position , and that Rasulullah s.a.w was invited
before Him. Indeed, Rasulullah's s.a.w position is so high, that Allah
awards anyone who recites praises to Rasulullah 10 times more for
every one praise.Won't this make us want to recite praises for our
prophet? As Muslims, we do not deny that we love Rasulullah.But there
are some among us who do not illlustrate our love for him.They are
those who do not emulate his personality and high morals.

Thirdly: Israk and Mikraj also illustrates the significance of solat.
Solat is one rukun received by Rasulullah direct from God, and not
with Jibrail playing the role as a messenger. We see how Rasulullah
s.a.w went through Mikraj and how he seek forgiveness from God and
asks that the number of solats be reduced.This Rasulullah did by going
up and down repeatedly to ask Allah s.w.t, until the number of times
that solats was lowered to only 5 times a day. Even though solats was
reduced drastically - from 50 to 5, the rewards for each solat is
equivalent to 10 times more . This is Allah's rahmat and blessing for
those who love Him. Allah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim. He is always with those
who is loyal to Him.

Unfortunately, there has been more and more amongst our young who
forgets their responsibility in doing their solat. They do not give a
high regard to solat, when it actualy helps us to cleanse our souls
from sins and shape us to be better persons. Insya'allah. Allah says
in Surah Al-Ankabut, ayat 45:

Which means: Read what has been revealed to you from the Book
(Al-Quran) and perform solat. Verily, solat prevents from bad deeds
and evilness. And remembering Allah is greater indeed. And Allah knows
what you do.

In a hadith from Rasulullah s.a.w cited by Abu Hurairah r.a; "I have
heard Rasulullah s.a.w says the following: "What is your opinion - if
there is a river flowing in front of one of your houses and you
cleanse yourself 5 times a day - do you think you will have dirt left
on you? His sahabats answered "Surely not - there will be no dirt
left. Rasulullah s.a.w then says : then that is the analogy for
praying 5 times a day, Allah cleans you from all your sins" (from
Bukhari & Muslim)

Update on the BBQ

As planned on the 10th May 2008 we celebrated Opah's Bday and Mother's Day in Ipoh at Uncle Ali's house. The first to arrive from KL was Chor Neh, Kak Yana and Fendi. Then comes Norish and Mat. Pastu Mummy, Uncle Zaman, Ayah Ngah, Shahir and Samil. Arriving later was Ayah Chor and family excluding Kak Ninish's Family. Last to arrive was Ibu's family. Btw, Opah has no idea that we were coming. Dier da risau2 da ape la nk mkn for lunch. Opah da nak tanak nasi.. hihi

Animal2 yang terkorban on that day was lembu and ayam. The uncles and cousin lelaki la yg plg rajin memBBQ.. termasuk la the soon-to-be menantu in the family.. Fendi and Mat (insyaAllah.. hihi) Other than that ade satay, pulut kuning, mihun goreng, nasi goreng, rendang daging etc.. sume jadi mok2 pas BBQ tu :)

After makan2.. ade cake cutting ceremony to celebrate the May-ians (thx Yut, Kina and Len for the cake).. Uncle Zaman and Jiji. Plus the Mothers. And the funny part was when Uncle Ali bace doa.. hahaha.. pastu Mummy, Ibu and Ayah Chor bagi speech. Kemudian sesi bagi prezen.

The last agenda on that day was main GAME! We had win-lose-or-draw.. best! And the winner was Kak Awin's Team.. which include Atik, Fendi and Amy G.. CONGRATS! Thx to ms organiser.. Chor Neh and Kak Yana.

If ade sesape nak tambah anything.. feel free to edit this post.. pictures bole view kat http://www.flickr.com/photos/amyali .. nanti ade masa i'll put it here

Chiow

-n0rish-

Is my life partner the right person?

If you have not read this, this is truly a good piece of reading. I have posted this on my blog..yang tak leh nak access my blog do read this. A lesson for all, upon which we should all ponder.... (signing off...wan cik)


During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question. She said, 'How do I know if I married the right person?'
I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, 'It depends. Is that your husband?'
In all seriousness, she answered 'How do you know?'

Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind.

Here's the answer.
EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse / partner . You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies (unconventional behavior/habit).

Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience.
You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called 'falling' in love... Because it's happening TO YOU .

People in love sometimes say, 'I was swept of my feet.' Think about the imagery of that __expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU .

Falling in love is easy . It's a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria (excitement) of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship . Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies , instead of being cute, drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, 'Did I marry the right person?'
And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else.
This is when marriages breakdown . People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious.
But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances.

But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it.
I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else.
You could.

And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't 'find' LASTING love. You have to 'make' it day in and day out. That's why we have the __expression 'the labor of love.' Because it takes time, effort, and energy . And most importantly, it takes WISDOM . You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships.
Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger.
It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable... you can 'make'love .

Love in marriage is indeed a 'decision'... Not just a feeling.

Remember this always :

'God determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.'

Life is too short

Hey everyone..here's something I found on the Net..thot it would be a good reminder for all of us..coz sometimes we just forget..that life is too short..

"Life is too short..don't hold that grudge..don't assume that today is just another day..coz something could happen and your life will never be the same again.."

~Nash~

p/s: Sorry everyone if I've ever crossed the line with any of you, if I've ever hurt your feelings, if I've ever upset you or made you angry..was never done intentionally..just out of ignorance and stupidity..
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Life is too short for any vain regretting;
Let dead delight bury its dead, I say,
And let us go upon our way forgetting
The joys and sorrows of each yesterday.
Between the swift sun's rising and its setting,
We have no time for useless tears or fretting,
Life is too short.

Life is too short for any bitter feeling;
Time is the best avenger if we wait,
The years speed by and on their wings bear healing,
We have no room for anything like hate.
This solemn truth the low mounds seem revealing
That thick and fast about our feet are stealing,
Life is too short.

Life is too short for aught but high endeavour, -
Too short for spite, but long enough for love.
And love lives on forever and forever,
It links the worlds that circle on above:
'Tis God's first law, the universe's lever.
In His vast realm the radiant souls sigh never
Life is too short.

-by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Pictures from Scotland

Anyway

People are often unreasonable,illogical and self centered;Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will winsome false friends and some true enemies;Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,they may be jealous;Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it isbetween you and your God;It was never between you and themanyway.

5 Simple Steps To Creating More Time In Your Life

Sometimes we are simply doing too much and the juggling plays havoc with our emotional, physical and spiritual well being. We try to work smarter, make things more streamlined. We try to do more and more and try and do it better and better. We say yes to extra commitments when we really want to say no.

Yet we all have the same amount of time available to us AND we have choices as to what we do with our time (even if it doesn’t always feel that way)

Here are five steps to help you assess your time gremlins and move towards a more time-relaxed way of living:

Step 1: Your Relationship With Time
What is your relationship with time right now? Do you feel that the pace of your life is just right for you or do you feel too ‘pressed’ for time?

Step 2: What Do You Want More Time For?
What three things would you like to do that you feel you don’t have the time to do at the moment? What is important about these things?

Step 3: What Takes Up Your Time?
Make a list of all the regular things that take up your time. Here is a list to jog your mind you will have many others: Working (subdivide this), TV, Childcare, Shopping. paperwork, Socializing, Exercising, Traveling, Committees, Hobbies, Gardening etc.

• Highlight the top three things that take up most of your time
• Circle the three things you like to do the least; and
• Put a tick by the three things you like to do the most

Step 4: What Could You Cut Out?
What are three things that are not important to you right now that you could cut out of your life? Sometimes we need to make large sweeping cuts; sometimes we only need a little tweak.
This list is just intended to spark your imagination:
• Social clubs you no longer enjoy
• That extra job you agreed to do
• all that clutter that’s taking up space in your home and head
• That course you’ve started but don’t feel is helping you
• People you no longer feel in congruence with
• That hour in front of the TV you’re not really enjoying

And could you delegate?
• You partner could share more of the load
• Your children could do some chores
• Could you employ someone to do your ironing/housework/gardening/office work?

Step 5: Let the Good Stuff In!!!
You have assessed where you are, what you want, what you don’t want and got rid of some things that no longer serve you.

Now let the ‘good-stuff’ in:
The things that make you happy and relaxed
The things that are important to you
the things that make you smile with excitement
the things that make you a nicer person to be around
the things that let you live the life you’ve always wanted
the things that make you, you!

~De-Clutter Your Life. Find What Really Makes you Happy!~

What's Sexy About Aries Women,Dedicated to Len (and me :p)

Ruled by warrior planet Mars, the Aries woman has the heart of an Amazon -- and that's an irresistible turn-on to men. Hot-tempered yet fun(ermm..), you're an independent person who can hold your own, which makes it all the more challenging for a man to capture your heart.

Like Aries stars Reese Witherspoon and Kate Hudson, you exude sass and style. Your guy digs watching you drive topless (in your convertible!) or playing to win at tennis. Your competitive nature turns him on -- try arm-wrestling or pillow-fighting with him some time, and watch the passion heat up in a flash!

There's a fresh, youthful vibe about you, a hint of the tomboy that you accentuate by wearing bright colors(very true..we aries love red!) and casual styles.

You're a big flirt, and your sharp tongue(also very true :p) can trade verbal barbs with the best of them. These qualities, along with your ready laugh and childlike enthusiasm, make your man feel young at heart. Surprise him with a spontaneous trip to the desert or mountains -- camping out under the stars or even chasing storms will crank your sex life up to full throttle!

Most of it are kinda true kan.. especially the hot-tempered yet fun.. haha

HAPPY 22ND BIRTHDAY LENNY!
Hope u have a wonderful bday celebration..and maybe another traffic light bday party would be fun :)

You know you love me..xoxo..Norish

Hey hey you you

Hi. Saye baru add gambar, edited the profile and link kan blog saye to this blog. hehe. Nanti lepas assignment habis, I'll try to change the background. Kasi colourful sket. :)

Ni video yang Kina, Yut and saye buat for all the March-ians haritu. Dgr2 haritu tak clear sgt mase the hi-tea.

Okie, hugs and kisses to Batrisya n Haikal. Enjoy your weekend karaoke-ing.

-Len yang garang, tapi cute - ;P

hi...........all

Elo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!mama haikal in the house. first time dapat masuk blog nie!!!
kome semua dah makan ke? esok plan ape? chor, tomorrow gi dating kat mane?

Testing

Hello kazen mazen, aunty2 and uncle2 yg jauh dan dekat.
Testing2..jom kite berblog..this is my first time blogging..*excited*

Jam dah 5.30pm SHARP! nak balikkkk :) taa darling!

-norish-

Salam to all anak cucu tok khalid & opah

Welcome to our new blog of anak cucu tok & opah. I created this blog in the hope that all of you will then continue posting lots and loads of info., updates, etc..etc...etc... for all of us anak, cucu, cicit...and on and on....So on the 3rd of April 2008, this blog of Anak Cucu Tok & Opah is being born!!!

Toodles all...you guys & gals can take over....

Signing off: Wan Cik ...