Wednesday, July 25, 2012

how's my university life?

not really good.. I think I flunked my mid-semester exam..




Assalamualaykum,

It is the 6th day of Ramadhan, means that 1/6 of Ramadhan has passed. Also means that I just finished my mid-semester exam for semester 1.

University of Ramadhan provides a special programme for chosen ones (Muslims only) all over the world. It has no fee, fixed classes and even visible professors. It is, however, a forced programme as anyone alive is held compulsory to enter the programme either they want it or not. Like any other universities, the students bear 100% responsibilities to decide their path throughout the whole 30 days-programme. Yes, the shortest university programme in the world so far. Yet, the most blessful one known in mankind history.   

  • Subjects:

  1. Suhoor & Iftaar
  2. Hunger and Thirst (skills for Sabr are vital to get good grade)
  3. Zikrullah 
  4. Gaze Lowering
  5. Money Saving
  6. Qiammulail

  •  Bonus point:

  1. Quraan Recitals
  2. Taraweekh
  3. Sadqa
*We have also Internal Assesment done by no other but ourselves, also External Assesment that are done by the All-knower.


This is no imagination. It is a true story. Well, for those who are keen to succeed in graduating first class honour of Lailatul Qadr. Because some of us, in fact, many of us are not even aware they are in the programme. Their days pass by like normal days and their heart and soul starve just like the stomach. So, which one are you?









I am not sure myself, too :'(

made by a very very good childhood friend, Zahra Tajuddin! Mabrook for this A-grade assignment!





Thursday, July 19, 2012

what to bring and do during Umrah

Assalamualaykum,

         Ini post istimewa gituw sempena bulan Ramadhan yang bakal menjelma. Chewah. Semestinya ada beberapa daripada kawan-kawan tercinta gituw telah dijemput, sedang dijemput atau bakal dijemput untuk menjadi tetamu Baitullah fi Haramain. Saya, antara yang, alhamdulillah, telah dijemput berbeso hati untuk berkongsi beberapa tips agar kita dapat menjalani ibadah yang begitu bermakna ini dengan kemudahan insyaAllah.

1.   Baby Q 


Opkos this is first in the list. Al Quranul Kareem is essentially important to be carried with you wherever you go. A handy one is highly recommended.

You know, I have this one sweet memory in Masjidil Haram. Sambil menunggu waktu solat, saya baca Quran sorang-sorang. Tiba-tiba orang Arab sebelah datang betul-betul dekat sebelah saya. Rupanya dia tengah menunduk dengar sambil teresak-esak. Saya pun berhenti bacaan, tapi dia bagi isyarat tangan supaya sambung semula. Bukan sekali ni jadi, bahkan beberapa kali wah. Rupa-rupanya Ibu bagitau yang banyak orang Arab (Badwi terutamanya) buta huruf; tak pandai baca Quran walaupun tahu cakap Arab. So so so, bacalah Quran banyak-banyak sebab mana kita tau hati siapa yang kita sentuh dengan bacaan kita yang tak berapa sedap tu!

2.   Botol minum 

Rasailah kenikmatan air zam-zam dengan penuh penghayatan sepanjang masa dan ketika.. *menangis*

3.  Beg silang mahal (murah lebih afdal)

Beri beri useful to put important things inside. Jangan silang tepi, letak kat depan. Tak kisahlah nampak macam ibu mengandung, better be safe than sorry.


4.   Botol wuduk


Jom belajar mengambil wuduk dengan spray! Cool okay. Orang Arab keliling confirm pandang dengan penuh kekaguman.

5.  Jubah yes, for both genders.

Pakaian terbaik untuk mengerjakan umrah. Walaupun panasnya membuatkan mulut tak berkata-kata, orang Arab lek je selubung jubah hitam satu badan. Sebenarnya cuaca kat Mekah dan Madinah adalah panas kering. Oleh itu, jarang sebenarnya nak berpeluh dan kalau berpeluh pun cepat kering. Bau badan pun tiada! Kalau ada, mungkin banyak dosa, jadi zikir banyak-banyak.

Perempuan tak payah pakai telekung pun takpe, pakailah jubah lengkap habis tutup semua aurat bawak solat. Selain daripada dapat feeling jadi orang Arab, it makes things easier!

6.  Purdah/Facemask (no purdah for men please)

you know which is which.

Sekarang ni banyak construction kat Mekah tu, jadinya banyak habuk. Pernah je orang main bom-bom bangunan tepi jalan. Nose Dust Respirator yang sumbat kat hidung tu okay, tapi saya rasa tak selasa. Sebab hidung comel sangat hehehehehehehehehehehe.

7.   Shades

Sangat membantu untuk lawatan Maqam Baqi', Jabal Thur, Jabal Uhud dan sebagainya! 

Warning : Jangan pakai semasa dalam ihram. Ada khilaf di situ. Takpelah panas sket, mana tau dapat hilangkan dosa mata. Banyak kannnnnnnnnnnnn?

8.   Khuf. Chewah. You know, footwear.



Perempuan boleh pakai stokin tebal-tebal sebab kaki perempuan ni halus gituw. Nak tawaf dan saie' pun rasa selesa. Ada jual jugak kat tepi-tepi jalan dengan harga 3 for 10 riyal! (paling murah dapat, paling bangga). Kalau boleh, carik yang panjang dan tapak cambest supaya tak tertanggal dan tergelincir opocot.
Lelaki tak pakai pun sebab lantai dalam Masjidil Haram diperbuat daripada marmar yang tak panas. Jadi jangan risau kaki tak terbakar punyeee semasa tawaf. Kalau terbakar jugak, banyak dosa kaki aiyok.

9.  Sun protection! - UV cream, lip balm, heel balm



Selain daripada banyak minum air dan pakai purdah, these products do help. This brand is beri beri recommended too because they are perfume-free and I must say, super effective too.

10.   Sejadah 

Kain kecik will do just fine in case you can't find carpeted place to perform prayers. Lelaki 'control macho tak men la pakai sejadah' adalah kes biasa. 

11.   Tasbih

Do, do, do zikr as much as possible. "Zikir yang paling utama ialah LailahaillAllah." [HR Tarmidhi]

12.   Buku gantung

Sebenarnya doa yang terbaik ialah doa yang datang daripada hati. Tak berkesan rasanya doa yang dibacakan dengan mulut tapi tak terkesan untuk hati. Untuk permulaan, boleh lah baca doa yang ditulis tu sebab doanya memang masyuk, tapi dah beberapa kemudian kalinya, hadirkan hati yang terbaik untuk meminta hajat yang tulus. Allah SWT tau tu insyaAllah.

Untuk perempuan, kalau boleh, jangan gantung kat luar telekung sebab nanti ada garisan kuning kesan kotoran euw. Sebenarnya pegang pun okay sebab nanti sakit tengkuk (ke saya je), well, this is when beg silang become very useful.

13.   Technology ewah

Mari kita variasikan ibadat yow. Bila mulut dah penat, tangan dan kaki dan menggeletar, rehatkan badan dengan ibadat telinga. I wish I downloaded more Quran recitals and Islamic songs in my phone because they do help you to stay in the righteous mood. 

Serious Warning : Detach yourself from the dunya; eg : Facebook and Twitter. It has been too long you have given your heart to the dunya and it's time to reclaim your heart to its rightful Owner. You know what I mean.

14.   Tongkat (Gua Hira')

Tak semua rasanya akan melawat Gua Hira' sebab perjalanannya sungguh dahhsyat. Tapi ooooseeeeeem. But this is a beri beri usefool tool for those who willing to risk their life. I know you think you're young and your backbone made of steel but teeeeeras me you memang perlukan tongkat! Experience it to believe it.

Special tips jeng jeng jeng...

15.   Datang solat awal

Salin waktu solat siap-siap letak dalam beg silang mahal. Always be aware of the time. And the best time to be in Masjidil Haram aw Masjid Nabawi is about an hour before. 

This is special for women, jaga tempat solat betul-betul and when I said betul-betul it means no tipu-tipu. Sit exactly on the very bottom, not at the front (tempat sujud). Orang Arab sebenarnya agak kasar jadi jangan nangis kalau dia rampas tempat duduk atau tolak kepala. Sewiyews saya sampai pernah kena sepak kepala sobs. Tapi takpe. Jom husnuzon. Yang terbaik ialah bersabar dan menghormati antara satu sama lain, terutamanya yang tua.

Serious Warning : Jangan berkasar dalam masjid. Dosa tu dah berlambak nak tambah lagi ke?

16.   Iktikaf selalu

Rasailah kenikmatan Qiamullail di Masjidil Haram *menangis lebih deras* Kalau boleh bawak bekalan makanan dalam tupperware untuk bekalan makanan or in this case, sahur. Trust me, you don't wanna miss this chance.

17.   Find yourself close with mutaweef/mutaweefah

Tuntutlah ilmu dan cerita pengajaran sebanyak mungkin daripada ketua rombongan. Trust me, you'll be more than amazed to know how cool they really are :)


         WAllahualam, ini sahaja yang mampu saya kongsikan sebab saya pun excited tengok kawan-kawan nak mengerjakan Umrah. InsyaAllah untuk kawan-kawan yang berpeluang, jadikan umrah maqbulah wa mabrurah sebagai cita-cita. Last but not the least,

"Sesiapa yang berhaji (umrah) kerana Allah, kemudian (selama berhaji) dia tidak berkata-kata kotor dan berbuat dosa, maka dia pulang seperti bayi yang baru dilahirkan ibunya (bersih dari dosa)." [HR Bukhari dari Abu Hurairah]







ps/ when you have reached back home insyaAllah, tell me what is the picture I have there for my blog header okay ;) 

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Ramadhan's coming up, Ramadan gave a talk

Believers are happy as Ramadhan approaching. - iluvislam.com

So aaarreeee yyyooouuuu haaaappppyyyyy? I'm on all excitement ohhhhhhhhhh. It's 3 days away insyaAllah, which means in less than 80 hours we'll be in the month of barakah that (hopefully) been waiting by all creatures in this whoollleee wwwiiiiddeeee wwwoooorrrlldddddd :D


This is another Ramadan, namely Prof Tariq Ramadhan (nothing funny, seriously) grandchild of Hassan al Banna, authors of mind-blowing books and mind-opening speaker. To be honest, I only knew him last year when I bought his book "The Western Muslim and The Future of Islam". [recommended for overseas students, or future at least] But last night talk was really something. The topic was "In the Footsteps of the Prophet and How Muslims Should Contribute to the World." Here are some undeniably brilliant arguments he brought in:
  • To answer the famous question of what will happen to people who have never heard of Islam, it is first to question our responsibility to spread Islam itself (da'wah). Why question so much about others' belief when the quality of our own imaan is doubted?

  • Another famous statement that is widely used in the society is
Allah is watching you every second.

It is most likely misunderstood because people take it as if Allah SWT only sees our mistakes. But actually, it means that Allah is near to you; Allah is close to our intentions every during our wrong steps even if people can't see that. It is not Allah to be scared, but to loving instead. Rahmatullah yow! You know, our relationship with Allah is a love story :)


  • It is okay to have many questions in head, or in other words, doubts. I always, always experience this T.T But let us question ourselves, do we doubt ourselves or do we doubt lailahaillah? They are by far different you see. But but but if you're happy with the contradictions with yourself, it's sign of hypocrisy, and if you're struggling with it, it's sincerity.

  • Poor people : neglected by powered people, celebrated by believers. To be loved by the poor is a sign that you are loved by Him~

  • This one I loike the mossstttt
Islam is not against the West, not about the opposite from the West.
Islam is not harsh.
Islam is easy and make things easy for people.
and Islam is about doing the right. Western people can be more right than us Muslims too.

  • By asking "Is God loving me?" is a sign that He is close with your because He is within the question itself!

I seghiyewsly have more to write but I'm trying not to look too excited ehem. I also met Sis Wardina and her husband, Hilal Asyraf and Aiman Azlan in person. Okay foine, I actually saw them from afar T.T But welllll, the atmosphere was magnificent. I fell in love with the people I met and the ideas I heard (by not only the speaker of course) The talk was really a blessing, the pre-departure programme was too, and for those, I feel blessed!






And I know I'll feel more blessed when I reach the Mubarak month insyaAllah :)

Friday, July 13, 2012

genap setahun bercinta

Dearest Ahmad Aslim bin Iswandi Harahap & Muhammad Aqif Naufal bin Muhammad Hanafi,



You guys have been a blessing. Bukan sejak lahir, tapi sejak dapat berita Along dengan Kak Ngah mengandung lagi. Walaupun pernah ada kesedihan yang saaangat mendalam untuk keluarga ni, kehadiran kamu berdua saaaaangat menggembirakan. Sangat sangat sampai rasa nak melompat. Tengok lah muka-muka lahir ni, suci sungguh tak terkata subhanAllah :')


ohmaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii apa dah jadi kat korang niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii :O


Well well well, don't blame me :P Apa-apa pun, Sem Sem, Bam Bam, kamu berdua dah berjaya menambat hati sekalian penduduk rumah malahan penduduk bumi untuk menyayangi kamu. Walaupun baru umur setahun, DAN masih lagi bercakap bahasa alien, do know that us family love you muchy muchy muah muah. SELAMAT HARI JADI YANG PERTAMAAAAAAAA!


Semsem: "Psstt. Oi Naufal, tite ade bite(berita) na titau ni."

 Bambam: "Haaaa bite peeee. Tatut aaa tite huaaaaa." 

Semsem: "Tu nampa ta kek tu?" 
Bambam: "Uuuu. Tite da tau da huuuu."


Bambam: "Ashlim, bibi cam tite ley mamam ke kek ni Ashlim?" 
Semsem: "..."(terkedu)


"Ala ta tesah ahhh. Janji tite dapat adiah heeeeeee."

Bambam: "Ashlim, apshal Abi lak patai(pakai) adiah untuk tite ni Ashlim?" *moody*
Semsem: "Taghikkk Nopall taghikkkkkkkkk!"

Semoga Allah SWT jadikan kamu berdua anak-anak yang soleh (bukan anak kite ponggggggggggg) amin.