Al Isra' Al Mikhraj' 27 rejab

All praise and thanks are due to Allah swt the Exalted,the Lord of the universe. May the choicest blessings and peace be upon the last of the messengers and prophets, Muhammad saw, his family, Companions and all those who follow his footsteps till the end of this universe.

27 Rejab is the day of Israq Mikhraj. The Prophet’s Journey by Night and Ascension to the Heavens.It is sunnat for all Muslims to fast on this day the day Allah swt commanded the five daily prayers directly to Rasullulah saw.

Please read on to discover the magnificent journey Al Isra' Al Mikraj'

Glorified is He Who took His slave for a journey by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haram (in Mecca) to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem), the neighborhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him some of Our signs. Verily He is the All-Hearer the All-Seer.　Al-Isra: 17.1


INTRDUCTION
The Prophet’s wife Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, would sometimes fast until we never thought he would break his fast, and sometimes he would refrain from fasting until we thought that he would never fast. Yet, every night he would recite Surah Al-Isra and Surah Az-Zumar.”
After the ‘Year of Sadness’, when his beloved wife Khadija, may Allah be pleased with her, and his dear uncle and protector Abu Talib died, the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, went to Taif to call the people there to Islam. They rejected his invitation to Islam and treated him cruelly. How much pain could the compassionate heart of our Prophet withstand? The people of Mecca had exiled his small band of believers and now the people of Taif had stoned him because he called them to leave their idols and worship Allah. As he sat, wounded and bleeding in the garden of the sons of Rabi’ah he raised his hands and prayed in despair to Allah: “O Allah, I complain to you that I am weak, and the people treat me with contempt. O Most Merciful of the Merciful! You are the Lord of the Oppressed, and You are my Lord. Would you leave my fate to those who insult and dominate me? I only seek to please You and pray that You are not angry with me. I take refuge with You and beg You for Your support. There is no power and no strength except in You.”
In spite of his suffering at the hands of the people of Taif, the Prophet’s heart was so compassionate that he would not permit the angel of the mountains to punish them. He returned to Mecca accompanied by his faithful slave and companion, Zaid, may Allah be pleased with him, who advised him to enter the city under the protection of one of the powerful idolaters because the Quraysh were plotting against him. In spite of his humiliation and rejection by the people, the Prophet had born every trial with patience and courage, only seeking the pleasure of his Lord.
Allah ta ‘ala had not forsaken His beloved Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and answered his prayer by inviting him to the journey of Al-Isra and Al-Mi’raj, to reassure him that in contrast to his low esteem on the earth, he had a high status amongst the people of the Heavens.
On the night of Al-Isra, the Prophet Muhammad was staying in the house of his cousin Hind, also called Umm Hani, daughter of Abu Talib. Umm Hani related: “The night journey of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, took place while he was staying at my house, after the Prophet had retired to sleep, after we had prayed the night prayer and before we prayed the morning prayer . After he had prayed the dawn prayer with us, he said to me: “During the night I went to Masjid Al-Aqsa and prayed in it.” I advised him not to say anything to the Quraysh about this experience, because people would call him a liar and harm him, but he said: “By Allah, I will tell them!”
He went out and soon met Abu Jahal who asked rudely: “What happened to you last night?”
The Holy Prophet replied: “I visited Bayt Al-Muqadis (Jerusalem).”
“And you are with us now?” Abu Jahal asked in disbelief.
“Yes,” replied the Holy Prophet.
Abu Jahal asked him: “Could you say that to the Quraysh?”
“Of course,” replied the Holy Prophet. Abu Jahal gathered the people of the Quraysh together to hear what the Prophet would tell them.
The Allah’s Messenger said to them: “Last night I went to Jerusalem.” They were surprised. How could he go to Jerusalem and return back in the same night; a journey which normally took forty days by camel to get there and another forty days to return? They were suspicious and one of them asked: “As you say you have been there, can you describe Jerusalem to us?” The Prophet tried to remember what it looked like but to his dismay, he couldn’t. Then he saw it in a vision. Allah displayed Jerusalem in front of the Holy Prophet and he described it to the Quraysh while he was looking at it.



The Story of Al-Isra and Al-Mi’raj
This story is reported in well-known authenticated hadith literature, and so we will just study some of the main points. On that night the angel Jibril (Gabriel), peace be upon him, came to the Holy Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and took him to the Masjid al-Haram where he prayed two rakats. Then Jibril brought the Buraq, a white animal smaller than a mule but bigger than a donkey, which was so swift that each step was as far as the eye could see. It would not let the Prophet mount it so Jibril said to it: “No one like Muhammad, peace be upon him, will ever ride you, for he is the Best of Creation.” At this the Buraq was ashamed and broke into a sweat. The Prophet mounted the Buraq and they began their journey accompanied by Jibril. On the way he saw an old woman. “Who is that?” asked the Prophet. “She is Al-Dunya,” replied Jibril. “The time remaining for the Dunya is equivalent to the time which remains before that old woman dies.”
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him arrived at the Holy Mosque in Jerusalem and Allah gathered all the prophets and messengers together for the prayer and the Prophet Muhammad was their imam.
Then they ascended to the First Heaven. When he asked for the gate to be opened, Gabriel was asked: “Who is it?” “Jibril,” he replied. “And who is with you?” he was asked. “Muhammad,” replied Jibril. Then he was asked: “Has he been summoned?” “Yes,” replied Jibril. Muhammad, peace be upon him, entered and met Adam, peace be upon him. Adam welcomed him and prayed for him. Then he ascended to the Second Heaven. He entered in the same way and saw ‘Issa (Jesus) and Yahya (John), peace be upon them, and they greeted him and prayed for him. He ascended to the Third Heaven and the same questions were asked at the gate. Here he met Yusuf (Joseph), peace be upon him. In the Fourth Heaven he met Idris (Enoch), peace be upon him. In the Fifth Heaven he saw Haroon (Aaron), peace be upon him. In the Sixth Heaven he saw Musa (Moses), peace be upon him. In the Seventh Heaven he saw Ibrahim (Abraham), peace be upon him, sitting with his back to the Bayt Al-Mamur, Allah’s Sacred House where seventy-thousand angels enter and perform prayers daily and when they leave they never return it until Yaum al-Qiyamah (the Last Day). Jibril brought him three cups, one of wine, one of milk, and one of honey. He asked the Prophet to chose one and he chose the one of milk. Jibril said: “Allah has guided you to the fitra (the natural way).” Then he was shown the Sidrat ul-Muntaha (lote tree of the farthest boundary). Its leaves were as big as elephant’s ears and from its base flowed four rivers. He was taken to a place which Jibril could not pass beyond, and fifty prayers were enjoined on him. He descended until he met Musa, peace be upon him, who advised him to return and ask for less until Allah reduced the number to five.
It is significant that Jibril brought all of the teachings of Islam to the Holy Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, in revelation except for the five prayers, which the Holy Prophet received directly from Allah. We can understand from this the excellence and importance of performing the daily prayers. They are a pillar of Islam and the one who fails to perform them has broken this pillar.
During his ascension the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, saw many strange things, and asked Jibril about them. He saw men sitting at a table loaded with delicious fresh meat and stinking bad meat. They were leaving the good meat and eating the bad. “Who are they, O Jibril?” the Prophet asked. “They are men who left their pure wives and ran after other women illegitimately,” replied Jibril.
He saw some men who were continually eating red-hot balls of fire. Jibril explained that they were men who stole the inheritance of orphans. Verily, those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans, they eat up only fire in their bellies, and they will be burnt in the blazing fire. Surah An-Nissa, Women, 4:10.
He saw some men whose stomachs were as big as houses. When they got up they toppled over again. Jibril said that they were the ones who profited from interest. Those who eat usury will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytan (Satan). That is because they say: “Trading is only like usury.” Whereas Allah has permitted trading and forbidden usury. Al-Baqarah, The Cow:2:275.
He saw some people cutting meat from their own sides and eating it, and the angels said to them, eat as you ate the flesh of your brothers in the Dunya. Jibril told him that these were the detractors and spreaders of slander.


Sahih Al-Bukhari
Before Al-Mi’raj, the Muslims prayed twice a day, at dawn and at night.



Allah Tests the Muslims’ Belief

Allah tested the faith of His slaves by requiring them to believe in His Messenger’s account of Al-Isra and Al-Mi’raj. And remember when We told you: “Verily, your Lord has encompassed mankind.” And We made not the vision that We showed you but a trial for mankind, and the accursed tree in the Quran. We warn them and make them afraid but it only increases their disbelief, oppression and disobedience to Allah. Surah Al-Isra, The Journey By Night, 17:60.
The Iman (Belief) of some of the Muslims was weak. They returned to disbelief because they could not accept that it was possible for Allah to cause the Prophet to travel to Al-Aqsa and return to Mecca in one night. But we are Muslims and we believe in the Power of Allah. Verily, His command when He intends a thing is only that He says: “Be!” – and it is. Surah 36, Ya Sin,36:82.
So we must not compare our ability with the Ability of Allah or our power with the Power of Allah. Allah is the Lord and Sustainer of the Universe and He is the Lord of His Messenger’s journey by night and his ascension to the Heavens. Everything is possible for Allah. He controls time and so He stopped time in order that the Holy Prophet could return to his bed while it was still warm.
Imam ibn Kathir mentions in his commentary from a work called Dhalail an-Nubaway that Abu Sufiyan went to As-Sham on business and the Roman Emperor, Heraclius asked him about the Prophet. Abu Sufiyan wanted to denounce the Holy Prophet, blessings and peace be upomn him, but he was unable to lie about him. Then he remembered the story of Al-Isra and Al-Mi’raj, and he said to the Emperor: “I will tell you something which will prove that this man is a liar. He pretended that he had traveled to Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem and returned to Mecca in the same night.”
The Bishop of Jerusalem happened to be with them and when he heard this he said: “I remember that night!”
Caesar looked at him with surprise and said: “What do you know. Please tell us!” The Bishop continued: “Every night before I sleep I go around and make sure all the doors of the mosque are locked, but on this night I locked all the doors except for one. I could not shut it. I called one of my workers and he tried without success. Then I called some carpenters, but they could not make the door close. Eventually, I left it open and I went to sleep. In the morning I was so certain about it that I told my congregation that the door could not be closed because during the night a prophet had come and prayed in our mosque.”
Abu Dhar, may Allah be pleased with him, related , “I asked the Holy Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: “Did you see your Lord Allah?” The Holy Prophet answered: “My sight was blinded by an overpowering light.” In another hadith from the same sources, Abu Dhar related that the Holy Prophet told him: “Allah showed me Paradise. I saw that its mountains were made of pearls and its dust was musk.
Later, when Urwa ibn Zubair asked his aunt Aisha: “Did the Holy Prophet see Allah in the Mi’raj?” She replied: “You have made my hair stand on end!” (How could you ask such a question?)
The idol worshippers went to Abu Bakr and told him about the Holy Prophet’s night journey. “Your friend pretended that he traveled to Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem and returned to Mecca in one night.” They scoffed. They did not mention the Holy Prophet’s ascension to the Heavens. Abu Bakr said: “Did he really say that?” “Yes, he did.” They replied. Then Abu Bakr said: “By Allah, if Muhammad himself has said so, then it is true. He tells us that the revelation comes to him directly from the Heaven in the night or the day and we believe him. Isn’t that a greater miracle? I swear by Allah that if he told me he had ascended into the Heavens I would still believe him.” Abu Bakr went directly to the Holy Prophet and said: “You spoke the Truth, O Prophet of Allah!” From that day on the Prophet called Abu Bakr “As-Siddiq”.
Ahl As-Sunnah (The people of the Sunnah), believe that the Holy Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, made Al-Isra and Al-Mi’raj with his body and soul. If the journey had only been by soul the unbelievers would not have accused him of lying because, in a dream, the ordinary man can see anything that he wishes and no one will argue with him. If Al-Mi’raj were only by soul, a lot of Muslims would not have reverted to disbelief. However, Allah says: “The eye (of the Prophet) did not turn aside, nor see beyond what was permitted.” An-Najm 53:17. And the eye is a part of the body. And He also said: Glorified is He Who carried His slave by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haram to Masjid Al-Aqsa. Al-Isra: 17:1.
Here the Holy Quran clearly states that Allah carried His slave, not the soul of His slave. This makes it clear that the Prophet, peace be upon him, traveled to Jerusalem and returned to Mecca in his body.

Sahih Bukhari and Muslim.

Chicken Bryani in Tajudeen HusseinPenang

Today, I was feeling a little lazy to cook. Moreover Hubby Ak had work in Penang, and was around for breakfast. By the time I cleared up it was already late in the morning. Then Sofi had some problem with her school work. I had to sit down and guide her which again took an hour. By this time, the cleaner who comes weekly to clean my house came. So I taught of just buying food from town for lunch. There is this shop in Little India Penang which sells excellent Bryani. You can find chicken cooked in various style, mutton masala, turkey masala,an assortment of vegetables, chutneys and dalcha. The food will be available for lunch as early as 11 am. Most of the time there will be a huge crowd waiting outside the shop. If you go there say, at 2pm, chances are you will return empty handed. Everything will be sold out by then. Ramadhan month, when all Muslims around the world fasts, is another time when this place wil be crowded.Anyway Ak just came back with lunch. I can smell the wonderful aroma of chicken Bryani in the air as I'm typing at my computer.For today AK bought chicken Bryani, spicy Chicken Masala, Mutton Kurma, Chicken Dalcha, pineapple salad and their trademark coconut chutney! MMM..mmm... I guess thats all for now, my stomach is growling and I can feel the gastric juices reacting to the smell of this wonderful food. By the way the name of this restaurant is Tajudeen Hussein, located in Market Street, Penang.

Pearls from the Prophet's Lips

The Almighty is sufficient as an intimate friend.

The Greater Holy War is against the self.

No father can give a better gift to his children than good manners.

The best Muslim home is one where there is an orphan who is treated well.

Worship Him as though you see Him, and know that He sees you.

The Almighty said, " If anyone is distracted from asking Me by his remembrance of Me, I will give him better than what I give to those who ask."
Missing a prayer is like suffering a great misfortune in one's family and wealth.

Do not go to the mosque running. Go with calmness. Pray what is left and complete what you miss. You are in prayer as long as your aim is the prayer.

The person who prays is conversing with his Lord.

No one is a true believer until he wishes for others what he wishes for himself.

Brocolli chicken casserole

I came across this recipe the other dsay and decide to cook it. I have altered the recipe to suit my family's taste. This recipe is easy to cook and takes very minimal time for preparation. Not much of cleaning up because it is a one dish meal. I forgor to take picture of this dish and will try to post the photo the next time I make this dish. Happy Cooking!

Ingredients
•500gm chopped fresh broccoli
•1 1/2 cups, cooked chicken meat
•1 can condensed cream of broccoli soup ( or cream of mushroom soup)
•1/3 cup milk
•1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
•1 tablespoon butter, melted
•2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs

Method
1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2.Place the broccoli in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
3.Place the cooked broccoli in a 9 inch pie plate. Top with the chicken. In a bowl, mix the soup and milk, and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs, and sprinkle over the cheese.
4.Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly brown

Note:
Get chicken fillet put some ginger juice and pepper and bake in 180c oven for 20 min)then cube it.
You can also substitute the brocolli with other vegetables such as cauliflower, carrots or sweet potato.For those who wants it to be spicier add lots of chopped green chillies, cilantro leaves.

30 something blues

The other day while waiting for the traffic light to change , I pulled down the sunshade and looked at the mirror to adjust my scarf. To my utter horror I saw 2 red spots on my cheeks. ( That’s the tell tale sign of a new pimple on the way !) WHAT!! Not Again ! I thought. Just recently I struggled to get rid of one pimple on my jaw, now another two!! What’s happening to my Hormones! I must have had such a miserable look on my face that one of the moms (Mom A) in Sofi’s school came over to ask me what was wrong. I pointed at the red spot on my face. Surprisingly Mom A told me she has breakouts too and she stays indoors on those days. Embarrassing, it is a teenage problem, she said. Good for her I thought. Her daughter is only 8 years old. Whereas I have teenagers at home using acne products. Now I guess I need to use some of these myself. Sigh! I wonder how come all those Bollywood and Hollywood actresses have such flawless skin. I was clouded with such self pity that my kids and hubby AK, planned a surprise for me. You see I used Lancome Blanc Eraser a few years ago for my freckles and it worked. So thinking that they would be doing me a great favor they decided to buy me the whole Lancome whitening set. But then again they forgot that this time it is not the freckles , but Pimples! Still, I have one rule and it is simple enough to adhere too. That is never give any negative remark when your kids or husband buy you a gift. You may not get one the next time around. Anyway I wonder what products Naomi Campbell who’s same age as me use to have such flawless skin.. But then are we really looking at the natural skin or digital impression of a perfectly powdered face ?

Fried Fish

This is one of the easiest fish recipes to make. I know fish is good for our health, and I try cooking fish at least twice a week nowadays. But there was a time I could not bring myself to eat them, up to the time I got married. Then one fine day my grandmother in law made a dish with fish flakes and lots of onion, garlic, spices and curry leaves. She tricked me into eating it and I devoured it thinking it was scrambled eggs in spices. It was so delicious that I kept bugging her for the recipe and to my surprise I saw FISH! as the main ingredient. That was when I got hooked to fish. There are many ways to cook this heavenly seafood, but today I made one of the easiest dish which can be eaten with white rice, and stir fried vegetables. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients

1 large pomfret ( ask your fish monger to cut them up )
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp chillie powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
juice of 1/2 a lime
2 stalk of curry leaves
salt
oil for frying

Method

1. Clean fish by washing it in salt water and turmeric.
2. Mix the chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, garlic paste, with the lime juice.
3. Spread over the fish slices. Marinade for 15 minutes.
4. Just before frying pinch the curry leaves and sprinkle all over the fish. Now fry the fish in medium high heat till golden brown.

Note:

I use black pomfret because its firm flesh does not break during frying and the flesh also has a sweet taste.
Fish should be fried in medium high heat quickly so that you still retain the moisture and do not dry up the fish. Happy eating.

Pan fried fish fillet in sweet sour sauce

Ingredients

For fish
5 slices of fish fillets ( white fish )
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1tsp chilli powder
a dash of white pepper
salt
wheat flour for coating the fish

For the sauce

i onion sliced
3 cloves of garlic minced
5 cherry tomato ( can use ordinary tomato )
5 birds eye chilli
1 tsp chilli paste/powder
4 tbsp tomato ketchup]
1 tbsp white vinegar ] mix together
salt and brown sugar to taste
oil

Garnish

Celery leaves
pineapple rings/cubes
cucumber cubes

Method

1. Saute the garlic and onion till golden.
2. Now add a litthe chilli paste with a little water. Sir quickly to avoid burning.
3. Now add tomato ketchup mixed with vinegar and 1 1/2 cup of water.
4. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Add cherry tomato and birds eye chilli.
5. Let sauce simmer and reduce a little. Now put salt and sugar to taste.
6. Put the fish into the sauce and garnish with celery leaves, cucmber cubes, and pineapple rings.
7. Wash fish thoroughly. Season with turmeric, chilli powder, pepper and salt. Leave aside for 15 minutes.
8. Coat the fish lightly with flour and shallow fry in little oil one at a time till golden brown
9. Drain and put it in gently into the sauce. Alternatively you can put fish in a plate then pour the sauce over it. Serve with piping hot rice. Enjoy

Note

Use fresh fish for this recipe. You can make the sauce earlier but only fry the fish just before eating. Alternatively you can also use chicken fillets, prawns or squids instead of fish fillets.

Colmar Tropicale Bukit Tinggi Holiday

This is one of the best highland resorts in Malaysia. The small french theme resort town has buildings and cottages lined up European style. Colmar Tropical is sited on the Berjaya Hills which is about 2700-3,500 feet above sea level. Its many attractions includes a French Themed Resort, Berjaya Hills Golf & Country Club, Japanese Village and the Rabbit & Deer Farm. My family and I took the 2 days and 1 night package. We stayed in one of the apartment in Colmar town itself. This place with its lush green rainforest and fresh invigorating air is certainly your perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. As soon as we arrived, we went to the rabbit and deer park where we were able to touch and pet these animals. There was also donkey rides and Sofi rode on one. My son Salman had fun playing with his father paint ball and archery.

That night we watched life acrobatic show. It was a stunning performance by acrobats from China. Later for dinner we had Italian pizza. The next day we again were treated by street performance, tricks by clowns,and magic shows. My husband AK really enjoyed himself when we went to the clay work and hobby shop. All of us chose certain clay artwork and painted and decorated it ourself. It was fun doing this activity together and the children really enjoyed having both their parents together helping them. The beauty of it was nobody was in a rush to go anywhere thus we could all finish painting in a relaxed manner. One word of advise though, all restaurants and cafe closes at 7 pm.So for those who napped and came out late, there werenT any shops open to buy even a bun. The only food available is maybe in Berjaya Golf Resort which is about 15 to 20 minutes drive out of Colmar Tropicale. All in all It is a Beautiful place and we might go there again sometime.

South Indian Restaurant

The other day we wanted to eat something light for dinner.So we headed for some Thosai with sambar or lentil gravy. One of the most famous South Indian Restaurant in Penang is Ananada Bhavan located in little India. This is your usual Kopitiam kind of place where they have air cond and non air-cond area.

Ak and I ordered plain dosa/thosai, while Sofi ordered her favourite Ghee paper thosai. Shak ordered Kottu Paratha which is somewhat like a pancake chopped and fried with spices, vegetables and eggs. MS ordered the famous prawn fried rice though you can say it is not a typical Indian dish.

The food here is very good especially the thosai varieties which comes with various chutneys and piping hot sambar. The kotthu paratha was excellent. the spices was well blended and did not leave any bitter after taste. This dish also comes with fresh yogurt chutney. The prawn fried rice, is one of the best we have tasted. Basmathi rice is cooked in high heat with fresh vegetables, prawns,and eggs.

For drinks I as usual ordered fresh milk Bru coffee, Shak and her father had Nescafe, MS ordered fresh mango Lassi and Sofi had milk tea. We had been here many times and we always go back with satisfaction. Ananda Bhavan has another branch located in Gurney Drive which caters mostly for tourist. My children prefer this place for their ambiance. I don't mind either because the place is clean, and airy near the sea but only slightly more expensive than the one in town. Happy eating

A new chapter

My eldest stepped into a new chapter in her life today. We enrolled her in Taylor's University College, to do her South Austalia Matriculation Program. She is a JPA scholar. After 1 1/2 years she will be going to New Zeland insyaAllah to do her first degree. She has heavy responsibilities on her shoulders. One is to continue showing good examples to her younger brother and sister. Next is to bring good academic results as expected of JPA scholars. To be caring towards her parents. Finally to perform all religious duties and be responsible of all actions said and done. Whew!! That sounds Huge! Well my dear daughter, welcome to the real world. You are now a young woman in charge of your own life. May Allah swt guide you in your journey and never leaves you " even for a blinking of an eye." Ameen.

Sayings of the Prophet

If you give alms publicly,it is well; but it is better to give them secretly. The Almighty knows what you do.


The Almighty does not show mercy to the one who does not show mercy to others.



Pay the labourer his wages even before his sweat dries up.

To Hike or To Shop?

Last Sunday, we decided or rather Sofi decided that we should go hiking. "It's boring ! I don't want to go to malls or bowling." She explained further, that we should go outdoors and do family activities together like Hiking. Yeah, right. Easy for her to say. But my worn out and Ronaldo look alike knee ligaments did not agree with her. Lets vote,I said. "Who wants to go to Queensbay Mall for some window shopping, and maybe some ice cream treats afterwards, hands up." What no hands up. Surprisingly, my two other kids were silent. Come on I need your support here. I winked at my hubby AK, but he looked away grinning and shaking his head. " Who wants to go hiking and exercise while having fun, hands up." Now to my disbelieving eyes four hands shot up. And so at 5.30 on Sunday evening we went to the hiking spot at Bukit Jambul. Amazingly there were many people there. Not to mention half of them were older than me, or had worse knee condition than me. So with a sigh I agreed to go ahead and climb the hill. This hiking spot is very well marked and the trail which is used well can be easily followed. There are some steep slope that we had to climb over but all in all it was fun. My kids definitely enjoyed themselves. After about 40 minutes of hiking, I was getting a bit tired, and decided to ask a fellow hiker who was passing me how long more to reach the top. To my surprise he said that we have only started and there is another 60% to cover before we can reach the top!!Whew, that is VERY high!! Since it was getting dark, everyone decided to go down. Going down the hill was much difficult on my knee. I had to hold on to a stick while walking. Nevertheless it was fun to be one with nature...although my legs, knee and back think otherwise.

Don't Be Sad

Currently I am reading this book titled “DON’T BE SAD”. It is written by ‘Aaidh ibn Abdullah al Qarni and published by the International Islamic Publishing House. Actually I think I was probably destined to find this book. There was a time when I had a lot of questions in my heart which I could not find answers to. I prayed to Allah for all the answers and asked for Divine guidance so that I get peace of mind. Then one day I took my children to the local bookstore to get them some revision books. At this shop, I went to the religious book corner and there I found this book. I treasure the book so much, since the author with his simple and convincing method eased the burden that I had. To date I have given this book as gifts to family members and also recommended the book to others who need guidance and examples from the Muslims who came before us. It has been more than six months since I bought this book but I still had not finish reading it. The reason is because, I need to pause and reflect on all the messages from the Quran and sunnahs that I read from this book.

I would like to quote this book especially on the verses of the Quran so that we will be able to as the author says “ get answers to the doubts that besiege us when we are afflicted with hardship or depression.”

The first few pages of this book teaches us how to contemplate and be thankful for all the blessings that we have.
“health, safety, nourishment, clothing, air and water-these all point to the world being yours, yet you do not realize it. You possess all that life has to offer, yet remain ignorant. You have at your disposal two eyes, a tongue, lips, two hands, and two legs.”

(Then which of the blessings of your LORD will you both (jinns and men) deny?) ( Qur’an 55:13 )

This book also teaches us how to deal with bitter sarcasm and criticism.
“ You will always face criticism. As long as you shine, give, produce, and have an effect upon others, then disapproval and condemnation will be your lot in life.”

“ So remain firm and patient when facing their insults and criticism. If you are wounded by their words and let them have an influence over you, you have realized their hopes for them. Instead, forgive them by showing them the most beautiful of manners. Their disapproval of you only increases you in worth and merit.”

Apart from the above this book teaches us how to give comfort to the heart. How doing good to others and repelling boredom with work gives comfort to the heart.
Nowadays our minds have been distorted and we are not sure what happiness is. Some people think having expensive or branded stuffs bring happiness, others may think good food brings them happiness. Then why is it we find more and more people especially in the western world, turning to meditation and yoga to find relieve and happiness?

“ Show kindness to others, and you will be the first to find solace and comfort. Give to the needy, defend the oppressed, help those in distress, and visit the sick.. you will find that happiness surrounds you from all directions.”

The Prophet saw said:

“ Do not dismiss certain acts of kindness by deeming them to be insignificant, even if ( such an act) is to meet your brother with a smiling face ( for that is a deeed which might weigh heavily on your scale.”
There is still so much to write about this book. I find such happiness when I read the verses of the Quran and how it totally relates to our lives. I will keep updating on this book title “ Don’t Be Sad ” Happy reading