Uncle Cotton Pillow (Pakcik Bantal Kekabu)

it was late when we left Fendy's wedding (we were actually delayed due to happy shopping merry-go-round at amcorp mall). on our way back, not over the highway, we stopped at a stall (well, a small shop by the road would be a better description) to buy cotton pillow. 


it was no one as we slowly looked at the hanging pillows. well, cotton pillows are good compared to pillows made of synthetic fiber, duck down is not suitable because it is always hot here. later came an old man (not too old maybe) from the back of the shop. he is uncle cotton pillow.


"sorry, i went for the toilet. i thought of closing, but here you are. so, what are you buying? have a look first, we can discuss the price", said uncle cotton pillow. 


he was pretty talkative, or we can better say entertaining, asking we we from and such. my better half also bargained a good price for two cotton pillows. kinda good, i think, as we drove home happily, two fat pillows heavier, leaving RM 62 to uncle cotton pillow. plus we learnt that there are three typical types of cottons (for pillow); the gold -, the dry- and the cheap cotton.


despite all, we were touched as he told us his story. he was in service, a navy. just retired few years back. you know that these people have some extra allowances during their service, he had a business. he owned a petrol station in cheras. he was pretty "buck" those days. 


he told us, he can't sit in a proton, he didn't do warung (roadside stall selling food). he drove either merc or bmw with his income above 25k a month. decent, flashy life. 


but in god's will, he became a loan guarantor for someone. that someone went away in the dust, we supposed, leaving him that time with a large amount to pay on that someone's behalf. he was in a deep trouble and later declared bankrupt. 


that bankruptcy brought him back on earth, right at his cotton pillow roadside shop. he said what happened taught him, made him a better person. he is now an easier to be approached man, uncle cotton pillow, unlike mr. petrol station. he talks to people with respect. he learn to know god.


he told us, "if you want to seek tranquility or if you want to release some steam out of your mind, don't look for music, karaoke, dancing or whatever therapy you might know. just wake up deep in the night, perform tahajjud prayers and recite zikr. maybe you'll find what i've found".

Dear Allah, I thank you for this day

Dear Allah (SWT), I thank you for this day.

I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving Allah (SWT) and understanding. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness.

Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.

Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things.

Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through Allah (SWT) eyes and acknowledge it as evil. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing, and receive the forgiveness of Allah (SWT)

And when this world closes in on me, let me remember your example -- to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will.

Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those who are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those who are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those who will delete this without sharing it with others. I pray for those who don't believe. But I thank you that I believe.

I believe that Allah (SWT) changes people and Allah (SWT) changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.

I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than Allah (SWT). Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly..

15 days to Ramadhan

It's Nisfu Sya'aban. That means Ramadhan will be here in about half a month. I wish i could find its sweetness and promises. Hope this time around, i would be able to find the right path again. Lord, bring me closer to you. 


errr...there's still time to write down my Ramadhan resolution. 


Allahumma barik lana fi Sya'aban wa ballighna fi Ramadhan. 

hard times

Dear Allah,

i know that this phase in my life is that the among the tests you have promised,
so that i can reflect deep into me,
and start realizing...

yeah...dear Almighty,
i do remember...

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

"Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, "We believe", and that they will not be tested?" (Al-Ankaboot, verse 2)

Allah, be with us...

The Muslim Woman "Unveiled"

by Izdehar Albowyha

You look at me and call me oppressed,
Simply because of the way I'm dressed,
You know me not for what's inside,
You judge the clothing I wear with pride,

My body's not for your eyes to hold,
You must speak to my mind, not my feminine mold,
I'm an individual, I'm no mans slave,
It's Allahs pleasure that I only crave,
I have a voice so I will be heard,
For in my heart I carry His word,

" O ye women, wrap close your cloak,
So you won't be bothered by ignorant folk",
Man doesn't tell me to dress this way,
It's a Law from God that I obey,
Oppressed is something I'm truly NOT,
For liberation is what I've got,

It was given to me many years ago,
With the right to prosper, the right to grow,
I can climb moutains or cross the seas,
Expand my mind in all degrees,
For God Himself gave us LIB-ER-TY,
When He sent Islam,
To You and Me!

H- May Allah protects our sisters and always keep them with us. Honestly this is one of my heavy concern as our people move in the wake of modernisations and those kind of "freedom". My dear sisters, truly you are not oppressed, not uncool, not left behind though you practiced and obeyed the rules laid upon you. May Allah gives us the strength to hold this crazy life down..

so cold in Ireland

Does it have to be so cold in Ireland?
Does it have to be so cold in Ireland, for me?
Are they ready for me?

But I'm afraid I'm returning to Ireland.
I'm afraid I'm returning to Ireland.
I see, that there is nothing for me.
There is nothing for me.

-song from the cranberries : so cold in ireland

H : there are actually more than nothing over there

mohon dengan sangat

Allah,

aku tidak meragukan kekuasaanmu..

ombak di lautan yang tenang ini bisa seketika kau buat menjadi gelombang yang besar dan menenggelamkan segala apapun yang mengapung di atasnya,

aku tidak meragukanmu ...

bahkan bila kau berkehendak,
kau juga bisa membuat matahari terbit dari barat dan tenggelam di timur
tidak ada yang sulit buatmu Allah ....

angan-angan

aku ingin miliki sebuah rumah, yang di kelilingya ada sebuah ladang tempat untuk aku berternak dan bercucuk tanam. di tepinya ada sungai yang mengalir, tempat aku mandi pagi dan petang, siang malam.

aku ingin sentiasa ditemani isteriku yang sentiasa ada menemaniku dalam masa senang dan masa susah. yang tenangkan aku dengan senyumannya, yang selalu beriku kekuatan.

aku ingin ada kenderaan boleh membawa kami berjalan jalan, kesana kemari tanpa sebarang kekangan. lalu boleh aku lawati orang tuaku dengan mudah, bak selangkah

aku ingin bekerja dengan suasana yang tenang dan gembira, tapi tidak membosankan. yang tidak juga mundurkan diriku.

apa lagi yang aku inginkan? sudahkah aku angan-angankan?

err...cikgu kata : bukan angan-angan, perancangan masa depan ...

ok...sambung keje....

mungkin kita tak mampu

seharusnya kita tahu dan sedar,
kita kini lemah ...
yang susah tidak berdaya,
yang senang menutup mata...


mungkin kita tak mampu, berperang dengan kekuatan kita,
mungkin kita tak mampu, berada disamping saudara kita dikala mereka dalam kesusahan,
mungkin kita tak mampu, pengaruhi dunia agar kasihani saudara kita,
mungkin jua tak mampu, tegakkan keadilan dengan daya dan kredibiliti kita pada mata dunia

mampukah kita hanya sekadar memandang, penderitaan mereka,
mampukah kita duduk diam dan rasa tenang ketika mereka meratap, menderita...
mampukah kita biar saja, saudara kita yang menderita tetapi berjuang menegakkan hak-hak mereka lagi dituduh pengganas...
mampukah kita sekadar mengutuk kekerasan dan kezaliman syaitan-syaitan bermuka manusia,
mampukah kita duduk semeja "berunding" dengan dengan iblis-iblis yang kita tahu hasilnya cuma melambatkan tapi tetap menyambung penderitaan saudara kita ...

akan tetapi kita masih mampu ...
belanjakan harta kita untuk kebajikan mereka,
bersatu dengan ummah agar menjadi lebih kuat,
perbaiki diri, kaum dan negara kita agar tak menerima nasib seperti saudara kita

kita mampu doakan mereka,
kerana Allah sentiasa bersama dengan golongan yang benar,
kerana Allah sentiasa membantu golongan yang dizalimi
kerana pertolongan Allah amatlah dekat dengan kita...

sekurang-kurangnya, yang pasti ...
kita mampu membenci dalam hati ... itulah selemah-lemah iman


"... dan perangilah di jalan Allah orang-orang yang memerangi kamu, tetapi janganlah kamu melampaui batas, kerana Allah tidak menyukai orang-orang yang melampaui batas..."
(Al-Baqarah : 190)

"...dan perangilah mereka itu, sehingga tiada lagi fitnah itu dan sehingga ketaatan itu hanya untuk Allah. Jika mereka itu berhenti memusuhi kamu, maka tiada permusuhan lagi, kecuali terhadap rang-orang yang zalim..."
(Al-Baqarah : 193)

"...dan belanjakanlah harta bendamu dijalan Allah, dan janganlah kamu menjatuhkan dirimu kedalam kebinasaan, dan berbuat baiklah, kerana sesungguhnya Allah amat menyukai orang-orang yang berbuat baik..."
(Al-Baqarah : 195)

Dipanjangkan dari seorang kawan ...

Bertanya orang kepada Rasulullah saw : "Bagaimana kita dapat mengenali ORANG-ORANG MUKMIN kelak di hari qiamat?" Maka jawabnya Rasulullah saw "Umat dikenal kerana WAJAH mereka putih disebabkan oleh WUDHU'." Bila qiamat datang maka malaikat datang ke kubur orang mukmin sambil membersihkan debu di badan mereka KECUALI pada tempat sujud. Bekas SUJUD tidak dihilangkan. Maka memanggillah dari zat yang memanggil. Bukanlah debu "itu dari debu kubur mereka, akan tetapi debu itu ialah debu KEIMANAN" mereka. Oleh itu tinggallah debu itu sehingga mereka melalui titian" Siratul Mustaqim dan memasuki alam syurga, sehingga setiap orang melihat para mukmin itu mengetahui bahawa mereka adalah pelayan Ku dan hamba-hamba Ku.

Disebutkan oleh hadith Rasulullah saw bahawa sepuluh orang yang mayatnya TIDAK BUSUK dan TIDAK REPUT dan akan bangkit dalam tubuh asal diwaktu mati :-
1. Para Nabi
2 Para Ahli Jihad
3. Para Alim Ulama
4. Para Syuhada
5. Para Penghafal Al Quran
6. Imam atau Pemimpin yang Adil
7. Tukang Azan
8. Wanita yang mati kelahiran/beranak
9. Orang mati dibunuh atau dianiaya
10. Orang yang mati di siang hari atau di malam Jumaat jika mereka itu dari kalangan orang yang beriman.

selamat hari jumaat

selamat hari jumaat,
moga sentiasa sentiasa beroleh berkat,

dan semoga terus berpanjangan rahmat ilahi

ku tunggu ...

Hari pertama :
dalam perjalanan ke kelas encik peguam, kulihat sekilas akan kamu,
masih awal lagi...
ku cuba nasibku pukul dua sebelum ke makmal,
h a m p a ...

Hari kedua :
kucuri-curi usha ke dalam,
tiada yang menarik ...

Hari ketiga juga hambar seperti biasa,
aduh , loser sungguh aku ini ...

Hari keempat :
kau seakan memanggilku, aku suka begini,
malangnya hanya khabar dari deutsche telekom ...

Hari kelima :
stadtanzeige, percuma dari town council,
bosan, tapi agak berinformasi ...

Hari keenam :
aku masih berharap, yang aku tunggu masih belum tiba,

Hari ketujuh :
iklan dari pasaraya, murah..murah!!
oh lupa pula..posmen juga mahu bercuti.

bila agaknya akan ku terima khabar berita seperti lapan belas bulan dahulu ?
diri ini masih setia menunggu

H - pasti ramai teman-teman yang menghadapi situasi seperti ini ...

lesson from a drunk

tommy was half-drunk, sitting in the car with his friends on their way home. they talked about everything together. they then came to a topic about other people. as A and S started talking about D, Tommy told them to shut up and told them not to talk about other people in their abscence.

he was remembered said, he didn't think that talking bad about others behind their backs is a good thing. especially when you are talking about your own friends or colleagues.

tommy then stopped the conversation.

tommy is not a muslim and he was drunk. despite his "unconsciousness", he still can differ good and bad value. people say that a person will show their real face when he/she is drunk. if that so, i think i saw tommy's real face.

i still think about my real face (consider others' faces later) ...

thanks tommy. i learnt something from you.

Thaa Haa

One hot sultry day in the year A.D. 616, Umar buckled his sword and set out to kill the Holy Prophet (peace be on him). In the way, Umar met Nuaim bin Abduilah. He was a friend of Umar. He had been converted to Islam, but Umar did not know of that.

Noticing the dark frowns on his face, Nuaim asked Umar what he was up to. Umar said that he was going to slay Muhammad (peace be on him), and thus vindicate the gods of Ka'bah. Nuaim said! "Beware if you harm Muhammad (peace be on him) you will not be safe from the fury of Banu Hashim. Desist from such a course in your own interest". Umar ejaculated angrily: "It appears you have also become a Muslim." Nuaim said, "Umar, do not bother about me, but take care of your sister and brother-in-law who have been converted to Islam, and who may be reading the Quran at this very moment."

That made Umar pause. Instead of going to the Holy Prophet, he went to the house of his sister. His sister was Fatima and her husband was Saeed bin Zaid. Umar loved his sister. He had never thought that his brother-in-law or his sister would have the audacity to accept Islam. This was news to him. He could not believe it, but he thought it advisable to verify the facts.

As Umar stepped into the house of his sister, he found that both Fatima and her husband were reading the Quran from a leaf. Seeing Umar, his sister hid the leaf. Fatima rose to welcome her brother with a smile. But there was a dark frown on the face of Umar. "What were you reading", he thundered. "Nothing", replied Fatima.

Umar caught his brother-in-law by the throat and said, "So you have apostasised from the faith of your forefathers". Saeed retorted, "Rather we have abandoned falsehood for truth." Thereupon Umar was about to strike Saeed when Fatima intervened saying, "Hands off from my husband. If ypu have anything to say, say it to me, but do not touch my husband." Umar asked, "Is it a fact that you have become Muslims." She replied, "Yes. we have become Muslims. You may kill us if you like, but we will not waver in our faith".

Umar stayed his hands and desired that the leaf from which they had been reading should be shown to him. Fatima said that he could not touch the sacred leaf until he had washed his hands. Umar washed his hands, and the sacred leaf was handed over to him. It was the Sura Thaa Haa. It read:

"Thaa Haa
We have not sent the Qur'an to thee,
To be an occasion for thy distress,
But only as an admonition to those who fear God.
A revelation from Him,
Who created the earth and the heavens on high.
God most gracious,
Is firmly established on the throne of authority.
To Him belongs what is in the heavens and on earth,
And all between them and all beneath the soil.
If thou pronounce the word aloud, it's no matter
For verily He knoweth what is secret
And what is yet hidden.
Verily there is no god but He
To Him belongs the most beautiful names." (Thaa Haa : 1-8)

As Umar read the verses over and over again, he felt as if these verses were addressed to him in person, and the mysterious Thaa Haa referred to Umar-the Man. Umar shuddered with the fear of God, and he felt as if his conscience was upbraiding him, "Umar, how long would you stay away from the path of truth. Has not the time come for you to follow the truth?"

And then Umar resolved that he would lose no time in following the truth. Turning to his sister and brother-in-law he said, "I came to you as an enemy of Islam; I go from you as a friend of Islam. I had buckled this sword to slay the Prophet of Islam; I now go to him to offer him allegiance."

Fatima and Saeed cried "Allah o-Akbar".

The episode has been dramatised by Allama Iqbal in his poem "Secrets of the Self". He has exhorted the Muslim women to be like the sister of Umar. He says:

"O Muslim women;
Out of the evening create a new dazzling morn.
To the true lovers of God,
Recite the Holy Qur'an
And enthusiastically translate
Its spirit into action
Don't vou know that such recitation
Changed altogether Umar's fate."

* from : http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/01_umar_bin_al_khattab.htm#Ta%20Ha

H- sebuah kisah detik-detik Umar al-Khattab (r.a) memeluk Islam. Umar adalah hero aku sejak kanak-kanak.

selamat hari ibu

sembilan bulan mengandungkan kita. menyusukan dan membesarkan kita dengan penuh kasih sayang. sentiasa bersusah-payah untuk memenuhi segala kehendak kita. sentiasa tabah walaupun terpaksa bersusah untuk kesempurnaan kita.

tak pernah diminta walau sedikit balasan atas semua yang diberikan pada kita. cukuplah dalam hatinya bila melihat kita berjaya dan gembira. dalam senyumannya tak pernah luput sinar kasih sayang. walau disakiti hatinya tetap dipenuhi hati kita dengan curahan yang sentiasa kita dahagakan. tak pernah kedekut dengan restu dan sentiasa mengiringi kita dengan doanya.

kadangkala kita sakiti hatinya. kadangkala kita ingkar arahannya. dan kadangkala kita susahkan dirinya. namun semua tetap dimaafkannya. tetap didoakannya akan kebaikan kita. tetap tak menggugat kasihnya pada kita.

emak, ibu, bonda, mother, mutter, mama, mummy walau apapun panggilan, tetaplah tempatmu teratas dihati ini. memang tak mampu diri kami membalas segala yang telah kau berikan pada kami. namun dirimu takkan kami lupakan. takkan kami sia-siakan.

akan ku berusaha untuk membahagiakanmu. akan ku jaga dirimu. akan ku kasihimu, sayangimu sepenuh kasih sayang ini. kerana tempat mu tetap tempat yang teratas dalam hati ini. restumu sentiasa kupohon. dengannya insyaAllah akan menerangi hidup ini. dan dibawah tapak kakimu syurgaku.

terima kasih buat insan yang dipanggil emak. anakmu ini sentiasa menyayangimu...


H - 14 Mei ni Hari IBU. Selamat Hari Ibu buat semua Ibu-ibu di seluruh dunia.

3 hari

Hidup kita ini cuma dalam tiga hari :

1. Semalam - Sudah menjadi sejarah
2. Hari ini - Sedang kita lalui
3. Esok - Hari yang belum pasti

Hisablah hari pertama semoga hari yang kedua kita lebih baik dari hari yang pertama.
Jangan mengharap hari yang ketiga kerana mungkin ajal kita pada hari yang kedua.

H- nasihat buat diriku jua. tiada siapa selain Allah yang boleh menjamin nafasku walau sesaat selepas ini.

a nice day

Cologne-Klettenberg, 22 April : Sebuah lagi hari yang indah buat pasukan SGMRU (Lions) dan Mangsa Tsunami. Tahniah diucapkan. Buat semua crew MGSS Rugby 2006 - Satay Night Fever terima kasih serta tahniah atas titik peluh anda. Kepada semua pengunjung serta hadirin sokongan anda amat dihargai.

Mangsa Tsunami

SGMRU Lions

Untuk gambar-gambar yang lebih menarik hasil tangkapan yabok, yeop, yusree, sudin dan muncung sila layari http://mgssrugby.blogspot.com or pergi sendiri ke fotopages mereka.

Berikut adalah pemenang-pemenang pada hari tersebut :

Annual North-South Match : SGMRU Lions

Touch Rugby Tournament:

Cup : Mangsa Tsunami

Plate : Tazmanian Devil RC

Bowl : Bayern Jokers

Jumpa lagi di tahun hadapan

April Wetter

It's aready April the 12th. Still, people can see snow outside their windows. One guy found here also make a hypothesis, there's no summer or even spring this year. Yeah, maybe next year we'll have summer for the whole year.

People here said, it's April, he brings whatever he wants. They called this kind of weather "April Wetter".

We too can say, everything is in the hand of Allah. He can do whatever he wants. Masya Allah.

All pictures were taken on the 10th of April, in Sigmaringen

12 Rabi'ul Awal

* * *

Muhammad s.a.w was born in She'eb Banu Hashim in Makkah. It was a Monday morning in spring, the ninth day of Rabi' Al- Awwal (according to some sources it was twelfth of Rabi' Al-Awwal), to fifty-five days after Abraha's failed attack on Ka'abah. In Arabic, the word elephant is "Feel" and hence the year came to be known as 'Amm Al-Feel (the year of the Elephant). In the Gregorian calendar, the date cprresponds to April 22, 571 C.E

While Aminah was pregnant, she had a dream that a light was emitted from her lower body that illuminated the palaces of Syria. When she went into labor, Shifa bint Amr, the mother of Abdul Rahman bin Auf, served as midwife. Abdul Muttalib received the news of his grandson's birth with joy. He took the newborn to the Ka'abah and invoked Allah's blessing and gave thanks.

Believing his grandson would grow up to be highly praised, Abdul Muttalib named him Muhammad, which means " he who is praised ".

from When the Moon split ( A biography of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w) - Safiur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, Darussalam Publications

* * *

H- salawat buat baginda s.a.w . manusia Agung. kekasih Allah.

2 hari lagi

Abu Talib said this following words in describing his beloved nephew :

"He is fair and handsome. From his visage, mercy falls like rain.
He is shelter for the orphans and a protector of widows."