Thursday, June 26, 2014

what i want #4


God knows how much just discussing about spiritual knowledge gets me all excited inside. It is amazing reflecting on His beauty, the beauty of His creations, how perfect He places everything, at the right time, the right place. It is amazing learning the seerah of the Prophets, the companions. How much love they have in their hearts for Allah, how much respect they have for Prophet Muhammad, their strength, their perseverance, their faith. Amazing learning the wisdom behind every ritual, obligatory and the non-obligatory. Amazing learning how much opportunity Allah is giving us to redeem just to book a spot, or better still, build a castle in Jannah. How beautiful Jannah is, how horrible Jahannam is, what happens when the Dajjal comes, how does Nabi Yusuf really look like (some say Prophet Muhammad is way better-looking than he is, but let's just do more sincere good deeds so that we can compare them in Jannah, okay?)

Masyaallah, so amazing. You know. 

My bestfriend and I, we love talking about these too, praises to Allah for sending beautiful people to be my own angels on earth. Sometimes we'd just say out loud, "How I wish we have husbands who love to go to ilm talks/lectures as much as we do, kan?" (Angels, I hope you jotted down the hints and pass the message on to you-know-who :] )

So yes, this is what I want, no 4 
(the last one was in October last year, just to keep track :P )

Let's start to imagine. 

Imagine having a husband who gives you a bedtime story of the seerah of the Prophet, just before you go to bed. Or listen to him recite the verses of the Quran, and reflecting on their meanings. Listening with your little ones, being amazed at the same time. Imagine having a mini halaqah in your home, discussing different topics which makes you think and ponder. Imagine, for every single act that you do in your home, for example, tending to your cats, folding your clothes, taking out the trash, your husband will be relating those acts in accordance to how Prophet Muhammad does them. My, my, just imagine. 

Now you know why we want husbands who goes to ilm talks or better still, those who goes to pray congregational prayers in the mosques to also listen to the khutbah, right?   

Personally, I think this is what that is lacking in our society nowadays. We just go on with our lives without reflecting on how exactly should we do it, the sunnah, following the footsteps of the Prophet. To have a leader in the household who incorporates these in the daily routine is a HUGE blessing. He will either get you to hellfire or to paradise.  

I can only pray and prepare myself to be the best wife for whoever he is that He has destined for me. Trying my best! He is, no doubt, the best of planners and He knows what is best for us. And He is just, al-Adl. At the end of the day, we only get what we are worthy of. 

“Verily, We (Allah) have created all things in due measures.” 
Al-Qamar 54:49



Tuesday, June 3, 2014

if love becomes an instinct


This morning I watched a really beautiful video about a grandpa having Alzheimer who went missing, only to be found by 2 police officers, picking up flowers by the roadside. Turned out he was picking up flowers for his wife, whom he occasionally forgets. He has forgotten how they met, who proposed and most of everything that they had shared before. But as the beaming wife, Doris, said, the heart remembers what the brain forgets.  

The video ended with the commentator narrating a line, which struck me as pure genius!

Imagine what's possible when love becomes an instinct

Really, imagine that. Imagine what's possible when love becomes an instinct. An instinct! That's something that you'll do naturally, no judgement, no agendas whatever ish you call them nowadays. 

Imagine how many lives can be saved, how many kids get to have proper food, proper homes, for the chance to finally receive education. To have many parts of the world have a good leader who will fight and defend for the rights of their countrymen. To demolish wars and weapons. Oh my, imagine that.

It's something like what parents would have for their children, or a good husband for his wife. An instinct. They want only the best. The best development preparation, the best education, the best shelter, the best protection they can give, the best environment to live in.

Now what's missing in this lovely picture is the extension of such love, towards other human beings who do not have anything even remotely connected to us.

"What does it mean to love people we don't know, to see the value in every single person's life?"
John Legend's speech during the University of Pennsylvania's commencement ceremonies

These days, I would wake up to news of child abuse, child killings, child trafficking, child rape. And the worst thing is, in all of these reportings, there ARE witnesses around, most, too afraid to intervene. Now imagine if love becomes an instinct, you'd not even think twice, you'd not even THINK. You'd just go out and do it. Because it comes naturally to you.

What are we doing to stop all these nonsense? Are we on the path to put a stop to all these? Are we instilling the right values in our children? Or, like most, we choose not to care as long as it doesn't happen to us?

Well, shame on you.

Sometimes it tickles me that some people will go all out to defend their religion. You know, haram this, haram that, halal this and that. But they forget to defend the people whose rights are being abused. Like the orphans, like the elderly, the unfortunate families living on the streets. It is OUR responsibilities, our amanah. Just because we don't know them, that doesn't mean we can wash our hands off of our responsibilities.

The truth doesn't need to be defended, it will stand on its own.
But not these people.

There's a saying on the cover of a book written by an Indonesian writer. It says,
"Rumahlah surga sebelum surga"

Literally it means, home is heaven before heaven itself. Basically, what the writer is trying to say is, everything starts at home. What happens today is a result of the environment at home. Place children in good environment, like stem cells.

Ponder please, yes.