Oppression

Oppress: to treat sb in a cruel and unfair way, especially by not giving them the same freedom, rights etc. as other people.

Don't tell me you've never heard of the notion that "Muslim women are oppressed". A notion that is spread by the Western media.
Supposedly, we Muslim women are oppressed because we are 'forced' to cover ourselves up and are restrained from certain activities.
But this is what people merely SEE and not UNDERSTAND.

Let me ask the Muslim women who cover themselves modestly. Do you feel oppressed?
Ask the Muslim women who wear the niqab, are they oppressed?

The truth is, covering ourselves does not oppress us. It liberates us.

Look at our Western counterparts. They are forced to follow the latest trends to be accepted. They have to be thin for fear that they would be rejected. Their styles of clothing, their hair, their body shape will be judged. How they look will be classified into ugly or beautiful. Makeup is needed because they fear they will fall into the ugly category.
And it doesn't end there!

Now I ask you, who seems more oppressed?

When we cover ourselves up, people will no longer view us as a 'material'. People will view us as who we are, our personality, honesty, kindness and intelligence instead of how the shape of our body is, or how pretty our faces are.
We don't have to worry if we have love handles or drumstick legs or whatever which other girls are torturing themselves to lose (thus becoming anorexic and bulimic).
We don't have to worry if we don't have 'bikini bodies' as the only person who will look at us are our husbands.

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.(Al-Ahzab: 59)

Wearing loose clothes, and covering our whole body except the face and hands liberates us. Ask anyone who covers themselves modestly. We have this feeling that we have been set free from the society's judgement and we do not have to worry about what people will see because they can't really see anything.

This is my personal experience.

Sometimes I see all the pretty clothes worn by other girls and the way they pull of the different styles. I feel like I really want to wear something like them. So then I buy all these different clothes and scarves with different patterns. 

Then, when I go out, I mix and match the pieces, and I worry, will people think it's alright? Will people like my style or will they think it's daft?

And I ask myself, why am I worrying about this? In the end, I throw on an abaya and wear a pink tudung bawal. Cause I feel freer that way.

I love how Islam treats women. Women are valued in Islam. 

We are not materials made to please men's eyes and desires. We are not mannequins made to be decorated and accessorised. We are human beings with potential and ideas.

And that, is far from oppression.

Muslimah Empowered 2013

Assalamualaikum w.b.t. 

This is the official flyer for the Being ME conference for 2013. The event is organised by Mercy Mission on 29th June. I encourage all the muslimah to go because I'm sure it'll be great and we'll be able to gain so much knowledge.

This is this year's theme, taken from their official website:
This year’s theme will focus on this message of divine empowerment derived from the Quran and the Sunnah. It brought about undeniable change to the status of women all around theworld in their respective societies from many centuries ago to today. History is a witness to this. Today, we want to remember and reflect on this divine message sent down to remove the barriers that existed but still have an influential presence in our current times. We take pride in our identity as Women and hope to inspire and empower others as we spread this awareness to the masses.

Interesting isn't it? 

All the information are in the flyer. 
The tickets for early birds are (before 30th April), Adults - RM99 and Children - RM 50 (only children between 6-12)
After 30th April, the tickets can go up to RM150.

To purchase the early birds tickets, you can fill up this form: Early Bird Ticket Purchase
And you can bank in the money to their CIMB Bank account number 14090000395102 (MM Community Sdn. Bhd.) 
Insha Allah you'll get an e-ticket within 48 hours after full payment has been made.

If you want to know more you can visit their website or their Facebook.

I hope many of my followers (if I have any lol) will go, 

Jazakallahu khairan :)

TOF 2012

Assalamualaikum w.b.t.
I miss Twins of Faith so much. I had so much fun there, I swear. Everytime I watch Raudhah on TV9 and see all the sheikhs and nasheed artists giving comments about Islam, I feel an enormous hole in my heart. I long to be there again, among all my sisters and brothers who have gathered together to gain knowledge and together increase our iman.

I felt an incomprehensible warmth when I was there. I could see the unity among us and I could see why Islam prospered during the times of our prophet and his sahabah. The love among each other was so strong and the country was built on such a strong foundation of love and respect towards each other. Unlike the world now, where all the politicians are bashing each other and all.

None of you will truly believe until you love for your brother what you love for yourself (Al-Bukhari)

The amazing thing about Islam is that, you can come from any country, whether China, Japan, America,  or anywhere else, but you can feel a special connection with them. That is one of the main reasons why I feel so blessed to be a Muslim.

Anyway, I wanted to post some really good quotes I got from TOF.

We should love Allah by doing what Allah loves - Sheikh Daood Butt 

Obligations become pleasure when we love Allah - Sheikh Omar Suleiman

Loving Allah s.w.t. gives you a strength that nothing else can give you - Sh Omar Suleiman

Allah s.w.t never shuts the door on people who are seeking Him - Sh Omar Suleiman 

Allah's mercy supercedes his anger - Sh. Abdul Rahman Chao

The best form of dakwah is good character - Sh Omar Suleiman

Live in the way that those who don't know God but know you will know God through knowing you - Sh. Omar Suleiman

It is the remembrance of Allah that gives life to our hearts - Sh. Abdurraheem Green

Everything good you intend to do for the sake of Allah can be an act of worship - Sh Abdurrahman Murad

The one who repents from a sin is like a person who has never sinned - Sh Omar Suleiman

Hide your good deeds just like we hide our sins - Sh Abdurraheem Green 

I hope everyone benefited from the quotes in some way. Remember dears, Allah loves us all. Don't you ever forget that. If you feel far from Allah, remember that Allah has never moved an inch.

Lau kana bainana

Sekiranya Rasulullah SAW ada bersama kita. 

Sometimes I wonder what Rasulullah SAW would do if he was here with us right now. I wonder how much he'll cry seeing his ummah in the midst of moral destruction. Seeing how unity seems like a strange word to us. Seeing Muslims divided by political views, all the different mazhabs, nationality and etc.

But then, even though Rasulullah SAW is gone physically, he has left his sunnah for us.
Even though Rasulullah SAW is gone, he lives through his sunnah.

We have the Quran and sunnah to guide us. In Rasulullah's last sermon, he stated:

 I am leaving you with the Book of God (the Quraan) and my Sunnah (the life style and the behavioral mode of the Prophet), if you follow them you will never go astray. 

In life, conflicts and such are inevitable. Everyone goes through hard times. And sometimes we question ourselves, "What should I do?". You're lost and you don't know where to go, you don't know how to help yourself.
During those moments, you should ask yourself, What did Rasulullah do when inflicted with a problem?

The answer to all our problems are in the Quran and sunnah. Don't you fret nor give up.

Rasulullah has given guidance for almost all aspects of life; how to lead a healthy life, how to cool yourself down when angry, how to carry out business in a just manner, how to be a good leader and a lot more.
Everyone can use it. The leaders can use it to create a peaceful country, the businessmen can use it to have a successful business, teachers can use it to know how to handle their students.

MashaAllah, the Quran and sunnah are a complete guidance. If you think that they're 'ketinggalan zaman' or whatevs, then you are dead wrong.
Even though we now live in an era full of new technology, the Quran and sunnah are still applicable.

So yes, Rasulullah is no longer with us physically, but we can still refer to the Quran and hadith whenever we are inflicted with a problem. He still lives with us through his sunnah.
So next time you're sad or mad or anything, just ask yourself  "What did Rasulullah do?"

Please correct me if I'm wrong anywhere or you have any additional information :3
Jazakallahu khairan :)

Rasulullah s.a.w

Assalamualaikum w.b.t.

Rasullullah s.a.w.
I can't even string the words together to express how much I love him, how much I miss him.
Who else could be a better role model, a better idol than us than our prophet, Rasulullah s.a.w.
His sacrifices for his ummah are countless. Yet, do we really love him? Do we try our might to follow him?

One way to show our love for him, is to follow his sunnah.
Live our life according to the sunnah. Ikut yang kecik kecik yang simple simple at least such as washing our hands before eating, eating with our right hand etc. etc.

He should be the one we emulate. Allah has already stated in Surah Al-Ahzab: 21

"There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often."

Or in BM:

"Sungguh, telah ada pada (diri) Rasulullah itu suri teladan yang baik bagimu (yaitu) bagi orang yang mengharap (rahmat) Allah dan (kedatangan) hari kiamat dan yang banyak mengingat Allah"

Allah has stated that Rasulullah is the best role model and anything we do, we should try to follow his footsteps.

Sometimes I just dream of Rasulullah s.a.w. being here with us. I wonder what'd he say about all these disgraceful things happening in the ummah. I'm sure he'll be very upset, because he loves his ummah so much. He's always worried about us, he missed us.

Pernah sekali he told Abu Bakr that he missed his 'ikhwan'. Abu Bakr asked him weren't they (the sahabah) teman-temannya? Rasulullah said, no, they were his sahabah. “Ikhwan ialah mereka yang belum pernah melihat aku, tetapi mereka beriman dengan aku sebagai Rasulullah dan mereka mencintaiku lebih daripada kecintaannya kepada anak dan orang-orang tua mereka”

And I really hope that I am one of the 'ikhwan' who he was talking about :'(

Rasulullah's biggest sunnah is dakwah. Dakwah doesn't mean you have to wear tudung labuh or niqab. Dakwah doesn't mean you have to grow a beard.

Saying simple things such as "Let's go pray" is dakwah. Alhamdulillah I see a lot of people on twitter doing dakwah, reminding each other to pray and such. That is a start at least.

To raise the ummah back to a glorious state such as during the Abbasiyah/Sumaiyyah/Khulafa' Ar-Rasyidin ruling, we must all do dakwah. 

I know it's hard sometimes and me, myself have a VERY hard time of doing it. Especially when I see my own friends doing wrong things. But I'm trying my mightiest to not just ignore wrongdoings as we will all be accounted for the sins we see our brothers and sisters committing.

That's scary isn't it?

Okay dah terlari topik pula.

So anyway, jangan lupa berselawat banyak banyak kepada Rasulullah. Not only today but every single day. Inshaa Allah we'll get Rasulullah's syafaat during Akhirat. Inshaa Allah.

May the ummah remember him and all his sacrifices and strive to apply his sunnah in our daily life. Inshaa Allah...

Twins of Faith 2012

Assalamualaikum everyone, thank Allah that we are still living right now :)

Last weekend, alhamdulillah, I had a chance to go tooooooo:

It was a family festival, Islamic conference at PICC (Putrajaya International Convention Centre).
There were international speakers such as Sh. Omar Suleiman, Sh. Daood Butt, Tawfique Chowdury and many more.
I had such a good time, so much knowledge I had earned there. My money and time was absolutely not wasted. Sh Yushaa Evans was supposed to be there but unfortunately his father had a stroke. His father is not a Muslim so Inshaa Allah we can pray for him :)

Anyway, if I get the chance maybe I'll type down some of the talks here :)
I hope I can apply the knowledge I earned in my life. After hearing those talks, I questioned what I have done with my life. I've wasted so much of it actually, but I'm trying to turn it around.
I hope this spirit will be consistent and I won't lose it.

I really hope I get to attend these kinds of events again.

I got a job as a tuition teacher for 3 Form 4 kids now - including my brother.
So, anyone want to promote me? Go on HEHE.

Thoughts

Assalamualaikum dears.
It's been a few weeks since the Al-Khadeem Youth Camp, but still I want and need to talk about it.
At first I was quite excited to attend the camp since it's an Islamic camp, and I was just thirsty for knowledge and everything.
So yeah when I arrived at Al-Khadeem, I saw many of the sisters were wearing niqab and everything and I was just so amazed and excited and not so unhappy to be leaving the comforts of home.

There was a briefing and everything bla bla bla then we were off on the bus to Hulu Selangor.
We were divided into groups and all and I was in group 10 and they chose me to be the group leader lol it reminded me so much of TGB though during that moment. And our group name was Humaira.
We had two facis for some weird reason and they both wore niqab :')

So anyway, to summarise it all up, at first all I wanted was to go home. That was mainly because of the condition of the dorm. I hated the dorm and the toilet because of it being dirty and all. I despise it till now.
But then at the end of the camp I was just so thankful that I attended it because of how much I learnt and all the amazing people I met.
I mean, we went river trekking right, and I mentioned that many facilitators were wearing niqabs and all, well they went river trekking with us! Along with their jubahs and all and it was momentous time for me because it completely changed my perspective of wearing niqabs.
This whole time I thought wearing a niqab would constrain women of outdoor activities. Don't get me wrong, I loved the idea of wearing a niqab, but I thought that when you wear it, you wouldn't be able to join like, aktiviti lasak and all.
But my time at the Al-Khadeem Youth Camp totally changed my views on it.
And it made me interested in wearing it you know :-)

So yes, the camp was a form of da'wah and it trained us to be young daeis. The people there inspired me so much and has given me spirit to spread da'wah and join all the Islamic talks and everything. It gave me more spirit to gain knowledge on Islam.
I really hope I can join next year.

Anyway, my holidays so far are okay. It's not a total waste. I've been teaching tuition and recently I have new students to teach. It's fun to be teaching yknow huehehe.
And my weight is like, increasing so much, I really need to stop eating, gawwddddd.

Goodbye Ramadhan

It's time to say goodbye to my favourite month :(
I hope Allah forgives my countless sins. I hope he has blessed me. I only hope for his blessings and forgiveness.

I didn't get to meet with Lailatul Qadar given the circumstances, but I really hope I'll get the chance to meet Ramadhan again next year and try with all my might to increase my ibadah.
I will sincerely miss this month full of barakah.

I pray that Allah will give me another chance to live through Ramadhan again.
This is probably the first time I actually made good use of Ramadhan. I tried my best to abstain myself from anger, and slander and talking behind people's back. I loved the feeling of it, the feeling of trying to be my best :)

Anyway, time for raya wishes is it?

SELAMAT HARI RAYA, MAAF ZAHIR BATIN EVERYONE. May you all have a great raya full of gratefulness.

Though some might be sad that Ramadhan is leaving, Syawal is a month to celebrate our battles and hardships during Ramadhan (have we really been through battles though?). It's time to say our thanks to Allah for blessing us with wealth and food.
It's time to visit our relatives we see once a year (better than nothing, I think).

And don't forget to put on smiles and say our thanks to everyone - especially our dear parents.

- It's always sad for me when it's raya time. Everyone's going back to their kampung while I'm staying home. Hmh, kampung 30km sahaja daripada rumah.

Au revoir darlings 

Covers

I wish everyone would stop judging others based on their appearances. As much as I want to hate them for doing it to me, I know I do the same thing sometimes.

So I should just scold myself. At least I know how to look in the mirror.
I honestly salute those who don't judge books by its cover.

But then, I don't really judge people the first time I see them. I merely have a first impression. It's hard not to look at someone and not think anything. I mean, that's what average humans do. But to judge people? To say they're selfish, to say they're immature, to say they're social, to say they're lazy or anything else, before I even get to know that person?
That's not something I do.

It really hurt to know that some people didn't like me, or didn't support me because I was labelled as a socialite. People even thought that I didn't wear hijab outside of the maktab. They weren't confident that I could carry out the responsibilities.
Some people somehow came up with a story that I discriminated MRSM students and government students - which I never did.
Some people hate me for not doing my job - which I think I do very well. Thanks for not tegur-ing me.

Oh dear, I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed that these people would talk behind my back and not tell me the truth. I'm disappointed that they're mad at me because I am supposedly not carrying out my responsibilities when they don't know the real story.

But I iz okay with all this. It's not the first time I've been through this. This has probably been my life story since 2007.
Well, I got this from Fatimah Syarha's blog, so insyaAllah we can muhasabah diri balik after reading this.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Ikuti teladan betapa berhati-hatinya Saidina Umar untuk mengenali peribadi seseorang. Saidina Umar semasa cuba menyingkapi keperibadian seseorang, beliau sudah meletakkan piawaian tertentu. Beliau tidak mudah tertipu melihat postur dan penampilan seseorang. Beliau meletakkan kayu ukur tertentu bagi menilai agama dan akhlak seseorang itu. Ketika datang seorang lelaki yang memberikan kesaksian untuk seseorang, Umar bertanya kepadanya:

            Umar               : Adakah kamu mengenal orang ini?

            Sahabat           : Ya.

Umar               :Adakah kamu berjiran dengannya dan mengetahui saat dia keluar masuk?

            Sahabat           : Tidak.

Umar               :Adakah kamu pernah menemaninya dalam satu perjalanan (musafir) dan mengenal kemuliaan akhlaknya?

            Sahabat           :Tidak.

Umar               :Adakah kamu pernah berinteraksi dengannya yang melibatkan dinar dan  dirham (duit), sehingga kamu mengenal sifat hati-hatinya?

            Sahabat           :Tidak.

Umar               :Mungkin kamu pernah melihatnya berdiri dan duduk solat di masjid, mengangkat kepalanya pada suatu ketika dan menundukkannya pada saat yang lain?

            Sahabat           :Ya.

            Umar               :Pergilah. Sungguh kamu tidak mengenalnya.

Ramadhan

Ramadhan is not only about abstaining yourself from eating and drinking. Ramadhan brings a bigger meaning - which people don't really understand.

When we fast, we must abstain ourselves from anger, maksiat. Don't talk about others behind their backs. Patience is the key when we fast. Nafsu perlu dikawal. It's hard, but that's what Ramadhan is here for, to help us abstain ourselves from these things.

I'm thankful to be a Muslim. Islam teaches you to lead a healthy life - not only physically but mentally and spiritually.
To be healthy, you must not only take care of your physical health, but your mental and spiritual health must always be in check as these elements will shape an excellent person.

But yknow what, people judge Islam too fast before knowing how beautiful the religion really is.
Islam preaches peace, but the followers of Islam taint the beauty of Islam. If only we all put Allah first, the Quran and Sunnah as our guidance then the world will sure as hell be a peaceful place.

Islam is a misunderstood religion and the followers seem to not care. Some are even embarassed. Oh dear Muslims, please, let us come together and prove them wrong! If only we all cared for each other :'(

So remember, don't let Ramadhan be a month of thirst and hunger only. Make it a month where we improve ourselves and our iman so that we'll always be on the straight path.

Ingatlah pesanan Imam Hassan Al-Basri: "Jadilah kamu hamba Allah (yang beribadah sepanjang masa, tempat dan suasana) jangan menjadi hamba Ramadan (yang hanya tekun beribadah di bulan Ramadan)"

Thank You(s)

Assalamualaikum dears.
Have you said your thanks to Allah yet for all the luxury and comfort He's given you?
You better say it then!

This is a reminder for myself and everyone reading this :)
Sometimes, we complain too much and forget that we've already had everything. Make these 2 lists and ponder upon it:

1. Nikmat Yang Saya Dapat Sepanjang Hidup
2. Kesusahan Yang Saya Terima Sepanjang Hidup

Which do you think would be longer? No need to fikir lama lama.

The first one, of course - no questions asked. If you say the second list is longer then there must be something wrong with you. Memang nak kena penumbuk tu *dush

The things - luxury and comfort - He's given you is just uncountable. What more could you ask for, really? You have oxygen, a house, complete body (for those yang complete lah), a bed, books, education, clothes, food and drinks, a family, friends, selimut, carpet, closet, shoes, bras, underwear and etc etc

EVERYTHING YOU SEE AROUND YOU IS NIKMAT TAU. 

You couldn't have gotten it without Allah's permission. 

And the hardships you've been through? Lebih kurang daripada the nikmat Allah has given you. So stop complaining and say Alhamdulillah.

Tahu tak the biggest nikmat we have? Does anyone know? Kalau tahu angkat tangan!

The biggest nikmat is of course, ISLAM.

When we were born, ada ke kita mintak nak jadi Islam? 

Alhamdulillah, we were born into a Muslim family and so we are automatically Islam. And why why why, most of us tak bersyukur is because we don't know how great and awesome it is to be a Muslim.

We were given a chance, an opportunity to be a good Muslim so that we can stand up for Islam. But kita semua tak bersyukur langsung. Going against Allah's commands and everything.

Yang lain lain tu, they don't know what's right and what's wrong. They don't understand. So kesian tau sebab they don't get a chance to know the true path, but us? We already know, but we don't follow it. Apa cer bro? 

Going to clubs, drinking alcohol in public, and all the other Western social activities. Masjid and surau semua bunyi *krik krik*

What is up with us Muslims? Especially teenagers. What happened to our culture? Us teenagers are supposed to be the ones to gerakkan dakwah and all but no, we're all wasting our time and energy dancing around like maniacs, putting our healths at risk by being involved with drugs and alcohol, sitting around doing nothing and complaining we're bored.

We're embarassing our religion and showing people a bad image which makes people have wrong perceptions about Islam. Ni semua because we're not thankful enough to Allah, to have given us the nikmat to be an Islam. To be on the true path without even asking to, whereas the other religions, they have to usaha sendiri. (which also gives us another reminder to always help them ^__^)

So, we need to change and the first step is to be thankful for everything we have. To be thankful for having been born as a Muslim. 

Try to sujud syukur everyday okay. Thank Allah for giving us another day to collect good deeds.

And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask you not for provision; We provide for you, and the [best] outcome is for [those of] righteousness. (20: 132)

And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.' "
(14:7)

The first time

The first time I put on the hijab?
It was one fine day in Year 6. I did it without thinking. It wasn't really an act on impulse. I just thought I'd start wearing it.

In Year 2, I moved to Netherlands. And Ya Allah, I miss those days back in that lovely place. Sometimes I wish I could go back there. It was where I spent my childhood, so of course I fell in love with that place. I distinctly remember my old school (International School of The Hague), at the old location AND the new location which was near the beach in Kijkduin.
And the fields of tulips were absolutely amazing. If you've never been to Netherlands, this is what the tulips look like:

Beautiful kan?
Okay, getting a bit carried away here, mind me.

So anyway, I was brought up there  for 3+ years. Sure it wasn't that long, but I was still a child and it was that period of time where I absorbed a lot of knowledge and was influenced by the cultures there. My mind was like a sponge.

I, of course, knew I was Islam having spent most of my childhood in Malaysia. But that was as much as I knew. That I was Islam. I had no idea what the meaning of Islam was. I had no idea what the true meaning of fasting during Ramadan was. I had no idea about the importance of the Quran. I read it, but that was the only thing I did. Read the jawi alphabets carelessly, not knowing what it means.
I didn't really know who Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. I only knew his name.
I didn't know we were supposed to cover our aurah when we hit puberty. Heck I didn't know what period even was.
It was probably because my mom thought I was still young. But then deep inside, I knew I was going to wear hijab one day since my mom wears it. (So here kids, it proves that family members do influence us lol)

I was a kid on the brink of being a teenager, so it wasn't really... good. That I didn't know anything about Islam. When I came here, I was kind of sad when everyone knew Rasulullah's history and I just completely blurred out.

Ustazah: Time Rasulullah dekat Gua Hira' semua tau apa jadi kan
Students: Tau...
Me: .................................

Okay, it didn't really go like that, but something like that.
So I was really sad.

So then I came back to Malaysia on 1st January 2007. 5 years ago, that is. I went back to my old school Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Rahman Putra and like the majority of the class wore tudung. But I just brushed it off. Heh, I didn't really know anything.
So then one day, it was agama period. There were about 4 people who didn't wear tudung (including me). And ustazah was like encouraging us to wear it.
So I was like thinking "mmhmmm, maybe I should?"

Then at the same time, I was at my grandma's house one day, and ada kelas mengaji. So naturally, I went to put the tudung on. After the class ended, I didn't take it off, and my (arwah) uncle was like
"pakai lah tudung" and everyone said lagi manis, comel and such. So I was like
" MMMHMMMM MAYBE I SHOULD?"

So one day, I asked my mom if I should. So my mom said, pakai je lah tapi nanti jangan nak bukak pulak.
So I was like, okay. Mehehehe.

And one day, I wore it. I wore it to school and I wore it outside. So much thanks to my Tahun 6 ustazah and my arwah acik atip who were inspirations for me, hahah.

But wearing the tudung doesn't mean I had completely put on the hijab.
Let's just say my Form 1 and 2 days weren't exactly times when you could call me an angel. Haha, those were probably the worse times I went through. If I could rewind time, I'd probably change everything about Form 2. Erase all the history I wish I didn't have.
Experiences have matured me and taught me so much no one else could teach. I thank Allah for always giving me chances and showing me the true path.
When I look back on those days, I can really see how much Allah loves me. The things I thought were misfortunes sebenarnya hidayah.
Tulah manusia. We ask Allah to guide us, but we sometimes don't clearly see the signs He's already given.

"...But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not."(2:216)

Hijab

When Nobel laureate Tawakul Karman was asked about her Hijab by Journalists and how it is not proportionate with her level of intellect and education, she replied:

“Man in the early times was almost naked, and as his intellect evolved he started wearing clothes. What I am today and what I’m wearing represents the highest level of thought and civilization that man has achieved, and is not regressive. It’s the removal of clothes again that is regressive back to ancient times”

Kadang kadang people ask me, (mostly non-Muslims lah) if I get hot wearing hijab. Isn't it uncomfortable? And whatever else.

Well, it may get a teensy bit hot when I wear it, but it is sure a million times hotter in hell.

I am so so thankful that I'm wearing the hijab and learning to cover my aurat - not just wearing the hijab.

There's a big difference between that. Wearing hijab doesn't mean you're covering your aurat, but covering your aurat definitely means you're wearing the hijab.

Even in the Quran, it tells women to cover the chest with the hijab:

"And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed." (Surah An-Nur: 31)

We, as Muslims should always try to be a better slave to Allah.

I don't claim to be a paragon and I ain't claiming that I cover my aurat perfectly, but I'm trying and I just hope more women will realise the importance of covering their aurat.

To me, a woman is most beautiful when she is covering her aurat.

Maulidur Rasul

12 Rabiulawal. Prophet Muhammad was brought into the world.

Prophet Muhammad was - and still is - a highly influential person. He was a success. He was a merchant, once a shepherd, a leader, a father, a husband, a friend. A respected man.

His compassion he showed gained him our love. The pain he endured for his ummah is priceless. No matter how much hostility the Quraish showed him, he forgave them. Not only did he forgave them, but he still showed them love.

No other man can be compared to him. He was a great man not only in his time but until now. He is the one to be emulated by the Muslims. His deeds are made as examples to us.

Islam was at a stage of glory. Quickly expanding over the regions of Arab. He gained respect through his deeds. His greatest da'wah was his deeds.

From the various stories of Muhammad, you can see how much love and sincerity he has for his ummah. I always dream of meeting such a man. What a honour it would be. I miss him in a way that cannot be explained. How desperately I wish for him to be here right now, to fix things right. To help the Muslims of this age to prosper again.

What we can do now is to emulate Muhammad. To keep on fighting for the fate of Muslims. Stand up for our religion.

Prophet Muhammad went through a lot of pain and bled for us but what did we ever do to pay him back?

The least we can do is salawat and follow his sunnahs, as well as read the Quran.

May we all remember what Prophet Muhammad has endured for us. Show him our love.

Sallallahu 'ala Muhammad, Sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam