Islam is WONDERFUL

Dakwah to my readers is what I want to reach out.

I wanted to share with them that Islam is so very wonderful. I want them all to join me in feeling this wonderful religion. It is not a religion of burden, but the religion of peace and tranquillity.

What I discovered is that the most important trait  when you discover that Islam is wonderful is the feeling of "grateful and thankfulness". If we can appreciate the wonderful things that happened to us given by Allah azzawajal, then we can truely feel the awesomeness of Islam.

Never see the negative side of things. Always count your blessings and be grateful of what you have achieved until this moment. Your health, your family, your friends, your job, your carrier, your financial status  are all good for you (if only you know the blessings they bring).

BE GRATEFUL, LOOK AT THE POSITIVES..
Only grateful people will appreciate the wonderful things that bestowed them.

If you are the people who likes to complain and whine, then you will realise that this category of people will not achieve the wonderful things in life and in ISLAM.

ISLAM is about being the slave of Allah with sincerity.. no conditions...

When we do ibadah, it has 2 (two) components:-

1. worship - your ritual such as solat, fasting, zakat & hajj

2. Obedience - to follow what Allah says and to abstain from what Allah forbids at ALL TIMES.

This is the essence of ISLAM.

In summary
1. ISLAM is wonderful
2. Be Grateful
3. Look positive always
4. Sincerity in your ibadah
5. which is worship
6. and Obedience to Allah's rule

2013 - year end projects with daughters

Another year is about to come to a close.

If you follow my blog constantly, every year-end holiday I did asked my 4 daughters to achieve something together with me.

It started way back in 2009, when the first project was to solve the Rubik's 3x3 cube.

2010, was to complete hafazan Surah AtTaariq and 2011 to complete hafazan Surah Al-Buruuj. But come 2012, I did not specify  anything specific. The reason being that I thought after Surah Al-Buruuj, the remaining Juz Ammar becomes difficult.

The rule is that 1 of my 4 daughters must be able to achieve the set target. The deadline is 31 Dec each year.

2009 - Aliah (1st daughter) managed to solve Rubik's cube; I also managed in Nov2009
2010- Ain (3rd daughter) managed to hafaz At-Taariq; I managed to hafaz in Dec2010
2011- Ain (3rd daughter) managed to hafaz Al-Buruuj; I only managed to hafaz in Feb2012 (2 months delay)

But in 2013, I again set hafaz Surah Al-Insyiqaaq as the project. And this time, I wanted either Aisyah (2nd daughter) or Anis (4th daughter) to achieve it with me.

I sincerely hope we can achieve it.. together..

Make doa for me

My feeling when Man Utd loss at home to toffees and magpies

I cannot describe how disappointed I am when I got the results of 2 of Man Utd's recent matches.

Both are home games against Everton and Newcastle respectively. Everton was Moyes' former club and Newcastle is a club bearing my nickname (magpie). Both games I did not watch life but follow them on ESPN live score on my smartphone.

I was at Heathrow airport London for the Everton match and was at Putrajaya for the Newcastle match.

I presume Mr Moyes is in deep trouble at the moment. He needs a stroke of good luck and a Man Utd win desperately.

But wait, I should be grateful and thankful to Allah. This is exactly the feeling of Arsenal and Liverpool supporters all this while. This is also the feeling of Chelsea and Man City supporters as well. No wonder they hate MU so much.

I have not felt this feeling for a long time. I have forgotten how to be sad as the MU is always winning. I have forgotten the word patience and peserverance.

I should say, thank you for this feeling as now I realise the value of winning. Bring us the next game.
I sincerely think MU will not win the BPL this season. They are lucky if they can be in the top 4. Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City will occupy the top 4 spots. MU will have to fight with Newcatle, Everton, Spurs and Southampton for 5th spot.

Whatever the results of MU in the future, I will still support them. No matter how disappointed I am, I am truly a MU fan and I will watch every MU game when I have the opportunity to do so.

Thank you MU for the entertainment & disappointments.

Then again, to my Norwegian followers, I also sincerely hope, one day Ole Gunnar Solksjaer will be MU manager...  

Norway... an influx of my blog followers

Lately I have been getting huge amount of audience from Norway.

If the trend continues, in 1 year from now, Norway will overtake my home country Malaysia as my biggest audience.

Tracking on a daily, weekly and monthly (current) status, Norway is top of my stats.

Again, I do not know anyone from Norway. I thank you for reading my blog.

It is not my intention to have huge followers. It just amazes me that I have huge followers in a country that I have no friends. This is what technology has proven.

Rasulullah gave dakwah in Makkah, but hidayah came easily in Madinah.

I make a pledge that if Norway become my HIGHEST all time blog reader statistics, I will visit Norway and hopefully meet one of you. I will visit Oslo..

Thank you Norway..

 

Manchester United vs Spurs (away)

I am in London from 25 Nov until 5 Dec 2013.

On the 1 Dec, there is this match in North London, involving Spurs vs Man Utd.

What a match this will be, especially with 2 attacking minded teams. Also with 2 managers having mix season so far.

I wanted very much to watch the match. Apparently, the ticket is very expensive and I have take a short trip to Brussels on that day.

I strongly believe that Man Utd can win this match. A draw is highly probable as well.

This match is very important as to be within touch with the in-form Arsenal. Plus it will be a big boost coming to the busy Christmas schedule.

The weather in London is between 5-8 Celcius.. cold! I always wear the Man Utd cap during my stay in London.

One man came to me and asked "Are you still a believer?"
I smiled and answered "Yes!". I believe that David Moyes is the right person to replace Fergie!

My imam in solat is my CEO

6 Nov 2013.

For the very FIRST time in my entire life, I am a makmum to my No.1 company CEO in salat

It feels really awesome to have the opportunity to be a makmum of  your leader.

I make doa to Allah that my current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will have all the blessings from Allah azzawajal..

Man United vs Arsenal - a game I look forward to..

I always look forward to game between Manchester United against Arsenal.

I have this feeling about Mr Wenger that I consider him being arrogant & snobbish. Yes, I cannot change him, only Allah can do that.

But this is the opportunity to respond in a positive way to put a dent on his huge ego.
2 games stands up

1. Man Utd 8 Arsenal 2 (2011/12 season)

2. But the FA Cup semi-final 1999, where Giggs scored from half-way line will always be remembered as the best MU vs Arse game that I will remember for a long-long time..

What ever the result tonight, I am very confident that MU will give their very best.

My prediction, MU will win with a single goal, but my head says that it could end up in a score draw.

Enjoy the link

Be grateful (shukur)... really awesome

I am going to share with you my most favourite surah in the Quran.
Surah Ibrahim:7.

This ayat explains to us to be grateful to Allah, then Allah (for sure) will increase you..
Increase you in what? Allah does not mention increasing you in what. He just says that (for sure) He will increase you.

Meaning, He (the Almighty) will increase you in unlimited ways, you just have to be thankful & grateful to Allah.

If you just ponder of all that has happened to you, you will surely thank Allah a million times.
Please(x3), have the feeling of gratitude towards Allah & towards other people. Stop complaining, just ALWAYS see the positive side of things.. and you start to be grateful. It is a WONDERFUL feeling

I sincerely plead to my blog followers to follow this video (really awesome!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eThSNtJe7SY

Thank you for being grateful..

My wukuf experience during performing hajj 1422H

I am writing my experience in performing Hajj 12 years ago 1422H. Hopefully those incidences will have effect to my blog readers on the true meaning of sacrifice. It is the story of the day of Wukuf in Arafah and the journey to Mina via Mudza.

The whole hajj began on the night 8th Zulhijjah. We were instructed to wear the ihram and perform the niat at our hotel.

I perform Hajj Tamattuk. We were also instructed to only bring a small bag that consisted of only essential items, such as toilettories and 2 set of plain clothes after our tahlul.

I was on the 11 floor of 11 floor building occupied by my group (KT32). The queue system follows the floor sequence. Meaning the 1st bus will be given to the 1st floor people, followed by the 2nd floor people and so on. Obviously, the bus that I took was the last bus of the lot. The bus departed for Arafah after Isya prayers.

It was not very far from my hotel in Mekah to our camp in Arafah (10KM).

When arriving in Arafah, I took my place in the tent and took my dinner. At around 10.30pm, I prepared myself to go to sleep in my ihram.

There is no bed/mattress in Arafah. I slept on the canvas, in a make-shift tent in the middle of Arafah. It was not confortable sleeping in an ihram, but all these actions were done for the sake of Allah.

Next day, was 9th Zulhijjah, wukuf day.  I spent most of my time in the tent, on the canvas reading Quran & remembering Allah. Wukuf started during Zuhor time until Maghrib.

I heard many people crying, for they seek repentance from their sins in the past. I also cried but only for a while.  I managed to cover 3 juz of the Holy Quran.

After Isya that night 8.00pm, we were all getting ready to move to Mina via Mudza. Again, the queue system followed the building floor and I knew that I will get the last bus.

When my turn to board the bus eventually came, the Tabung Haji people said that our bus broke down. We were instructed to wait for the 1st bus that ferry the earliest people in our group after the bus completed delivering the 1st floor people to Mina.

Arafah is a large desert area. Mudza is also large area of just desert.  Mina is a place divided by hills. There are many hills in Mina. 2 tunnels connect vast amount of tents that forms Mina. Mina is like an oval shape area. Mina is also where the jumrah (stoning) are situated.

3 million people simultaneously take the same path from Arafah to Mina via Mudza. If 30 people can fit into 1 bus, then there were 100,000 buses full of people. That is the volume of vehicle that moved that particular night.

Even though there are 4x2 vehicle lanes towards Mina, but as we approach Mina, it converged into just 2 lanes, making a journey of approximately 15KM taking on average 5 hours.

Back to my story, I knew that the returning bus will come the next day. I knew that the compulsory mabit (spending the night) at Mudza was gone. I stood near the gate watching many buses pass me by.

 I just stood there from 8.00pm until midnight. I became very angry with Tabung Haji for not organizing my trip well.

How come of all people, it was my bus that did not arrive. Have you not got contingency plan? Have you not got a spare bus? You have been handling hajj for many years, and did you not anticipate that problems will occur? I became very angry! But I was helpless. Because I was relative young at that time, I asked them to let me walk from Arafah to Mina.

They did not allow me for security reasons. I said to them, I can take care of myself. It is a straight path. I will never be lost. They still did not allow me to walk a 15KM distance.

Well, from 12am-3.30am, I just could not take it. By that time, I was so tired standing. I sat down, made a lot of dzikir and prayed to Allah. That was the only thing I could do.

I dozed off and was awaken by a loud siren of a patrol car at 4.00am. It was the highway patrol. They asked the organizers, why were these few remaining people not exiting Arafah.

The organizers (Tabung Haji) told the highway patrol, that these few people were waiting for the coming bus to pick them up.

The highway patroller made a call on the radio in Arabic. 10 minutes later, a shoddy old yellow bus came. I have not seen a worse bus than that. The driver was an old Arab guy with a large turban. He must be close to his seventies. I said to myself, if this driver is taking me to Mina on that bus, I am not confident at all, but under those circumstances, I would take it anyway.

The patroller asked each one of us (there were 20 of us) to board the bus. The bus went the opposite way from the way to Mudza. The bus driver drove the bus like a madman.

He took us back to Mekkah using a narrow road instead of the 4 lane highway. I could see from afar many small tiny red lights on the highway towards Mudza.

Those were lights from all the buses on the highway. Then the driver stopped. "Mudza!" he said. He asked us to take small pebbles as this is the area of Mudza.

After just 3 minutes, he instructed us to be back in the bus. Again he drove like a madman and arrived in Mina at close to 5.00am.

The amazing thing was he drove us right to our tent. There were hundreds of thousands of similar tents in Mina, but this mad driver drove us straight to our tent!!

When I entered the tent, there was only 1 bus-load of people out of 10 buses that has departed from Arafah. That bus was the No.3 bus!

Masyaallah, Allah was testing my patience on the night of wukuf! Now I truly realise the value of patience.

Sacrifice = Believe in Allah + knowledge + effort + sabr (patience)

Biggest sacrifice for me when doing hajj, was to be really patient. Believe in Allah, truly He is your Master and He will definitely help you!

You just have to be patient and seek His help with yaqin & make dua. Definitely, you will find PEACE...

Allah hu akbarX 9, walillah hilhamd... 

At the busy city of Surabaya...and my 2 favourite surah in Quran

I was travelling in the busy road of Surabaya that I observed many unhappy people in their vehicle. They love to honk and were very impatient.

They look very tensed. Most of them do not have the smile and peacefulness on their faces.
Now I come to this conclusion, wheather they are from Surabaya or Kuala Lumpur, or any big city in this whole world, they are quite similar in thinking.

They strive very hard to accumulate as much material wealth as possible because, wealth is something that people look up to. It is a form of standard that has been in-build in most societies. The house they own, the car they drive are all part of social standard that have been accepted and they strive hard for. Bungalow and BMW are at the high end. Overseas trip on a business class, using platinum credit card and dining in a 5-star hotel are the benchmark.

No wonder people are always on their toes. Time is what they have little of. Priority time must be allocated to entertaining VIPs (or whoever can help them in their quest). Also they must ensure that they win against their "rivals" be it their competitors or whoever stands between them and what they strive for.

Until they are near their death that they finally found out that what they strive for is not going to follow them to their grave. Then the standard immediately change to rememberance of Allah, sadakah and doing good deeds. If these people are lucky, they will have the chance to make their hereafter better. If not, then let us all pray for Allah's mercy.

That is why Surah 102 (Takathur) & Surah 103 (Asr) decribes the current society problem beautifully in the Quran. The 2 surahs combined together the problem we face today, especially in big cities. These 2 surah are my favourite when performing salat

What is the link between Surah 101 & 104? Hellfire and (scandal mongers & back biters)

What a beautiful text linkage in the Holy Quran. No human can possible create that..ever

Visit to Mount Bromo

 



From my previous blog, I found out that my grandfather came from the island of Bawean. It is a small island 150km north of Jawa towards Borneo.

 

I took the whole family (wife + 4 daughters) to Bawean. However, when we reached Jawa, the boat going to Bawean was cancelled due to engine failure. The boat trip to Bawean is 3 times in a week.

 

Anyway, I then planned a trip to south of Jawa, to a volcanic mountain of Bromo. It was a beautiful scene on top of the volcanic range. We went up the summit of Mount Panajakan (by 4x4) to see the morning sunrise.

 

Then we climb Mount Bromo, which needs a bit of effort to reach the volcano top. The volcano is still active with hot steam coming out of the crate.

 

I am sharing 2 of my favourite photos up on Mount Bromo. I wore none other than Manchester United jersey. Then me & daughters took the air-borne picture with the camera facing the sun. If there is the flash, then the picture will be clearer. Nonetheless, the picture showed our feelings.. 

 

Subhanallah, all praise be to Allah for creating such a beautiful mountain/volcanic range.

 

It was a very good family outing. The result is I am closer to my wife & the kids as we enjoyed the good things together & I always remind them to praise Allah when we observe HIS creations.

 

For mountain in Quran (Ghasiyah:19). "And the mountains, how they are fixed firm" 

Rivalry that diverts us from good deeds!!

It has been a while since I last wrote in my blog.

Just to update regarding some things worth mentioning.

Our life that we are living is about making this earth a better place. It is a command from Allah that we ensure that this world is being properly managed.

Most of humans accumulate wealth, because money and fame are things that make you feel really good in the eyes of the people.

But, actually doing good deeds and being humble are traits that Allah ask from His slaves. We will leave ALL world things when we eventually die.

We should be grateful and praise Allah for all the good things that he has given to us. Sometimes, what Allah does not give you is best for you as He is the All knowing. So why should we worry about anything in this world? Just do what Allah tells us and abstain from what He forbids. Do good deeds and for sure Allah will protect you.

I was riding my motorcycle along the highway when a BMW came within a whisker from hitting me. The driver was a young professional. He was racing with another young driver driving a Mini Cooper. Wow! I was thinking to myself. These two young guys were  really "trying" to enjoy themselves.

They tried to have cheap thrill by having a race and flashing their "exclusive" toys. At the same time, endangering other innocent people.

I make doa to Allah. Please guide ALL of us from being indulging in this worldly things simply because of unnecessary rivalry. (Surah Takathur: 1).Same case goes to people in the corporate world, who are fighting tirelessly to climb the corporate ladder. 

May Allah protects us from syaitaan..

From Latvia to Russia

How I wish that I travel from Riga (Latvia) to Moscow in Russia. People might wonder why I chose these 2 cities to travel.

Well, the main reason is that I have blog followers from both these countries that I have never been before.  Maybe (insyaallah) one day I can visit these 2 countries.

I wanted to share with you the experience that I felt recently.I have this strong feeling that Allah is really close to me.

This feeling came from me observing the things around me. What a perfect world this is. The oxygen mix, the balanced ecosystem, the raw materials that this world produces is all signs of the Creator.

Most of us take them for granted. Most of us complained a lot and show little gratitude to the Creator. It is no surprise that Allah does not give them the most valuable gift of all -peacefulness.

The heart must be pure. The good deeds must be done for the sake of Allah. We must consistently seek guidance from Allah, as He is the one who gives us guidance. Do solat on time and in jamaah. Guard your tongue from saying bad and hurtful things. Always remember Allah by observing the things around us. Look at the positive things in life. Speak the truth, keep your promise and be fair to people.

Read the Quran and learn them well. Remind people of the good things that they must do.

When calamity comes, be patient and seek help from Allah. You will DEFINITELY find peace entering your soul…
Let us all make doa to Allah to guide us to the right path and protect us from syaitan. We will be successful in this world and the hereafter.  

syaitan is constantly whispering to all of us

Just to remind everyone that syaitan is constantly whispering to us to do bad things and follow our desires.

After Ramadan, syaitan has renewed his strategy to ensure that we do not follow the right path. he is making extra effort, knowing that humans have gone through the Ramadan annual training program for one month. syaitan is coming with a new approach. One thing we can learn about syaitan is he never ever give up. he will go on and on.. and on

I am sharing with my readers what has always been whispered to me lately.

The whisper that I am being left out from having got a Promotion at my workplace. This constant whisper that many of my juniors have now overtaken me in terms of being promoted. The whisper that what I have put up so far has gone to waste, as it is not good and honest work that pays, but the level of "who-you-know" is the determining factor when it comes to being promoted.

I have to really fight this constant whisper... I seek protection to Allah azzawajal to protect me from syaitan... please protect me from up, down, left, right, front and back. Please guide me to your straight path ya Allah.

I strongly believe that as long as we keep seeking the Creator's guidance, asking for forgiveness and doing our best to change ourselves for the better, Allah will keep His promise by guiding us and forgiving us.

I am pleading to my readers to make doa for me and my family to Allah, protect us all from the whispers of syaitan and guide us to the right path... Ameen

Notice that syaitan is in lower caps. 

Spending time with my 2 teenage daughters..

It has been a while since I write about my kids..

My wife went to London on 9 August 2013 with my two (2) youngest daughters. They will be there for 15 days.

That leaves me the time with my (2) eldest daughters age 19 and 17 respectively. We know that at that age, they have their friends that they like hanging out with. Well, this is a golden opportunity for me to hang out with them, when they are not hanging out with their friends. At that age, they do not like hanging out with their parents... Not fun

Firstly, I must act like their friends, not like a father.

That is easier said that done. Because once you are a father, you will remain a father, bossy & wanting to be in control ALL the time.

Secondly, I must appreciate what are their passion (music & movies).
Again easier said than done. Because of 30 years of gap, things are very different between us. The key word is "appreciate" not follow blindly..

Anyway, I took those 2 above principles, and we had a "good" time together amid many differences.. When there are differences, we just have to accept it, value them & explain the rational and go on...

They are grownups now and as a father, I realize that I may soon have to let them go...

May Allah protect them and make them to be good Muslimats and eventually become Mukminats
Ameen...     

David Moyes for United is like Bob Paisley for Liverpool

BPL 2013/14 kicks off on 18 August 2013.

Favourite team to win BPL: Chelsea or Manchester City

I like that prediction. Pundits say that Manchester United are in a transition period whereby this will be a year where David Moyes is rebuilding Manchester United. Well good comments.

I beg to differ. When Liverpool great manager Bill Shankly retired in 1974, he chose an relatively unknown assistant manager of his to be the new Liverpool manager. His name is Bob Paisley. When Bob Paisley took the helm of Liverpool,  people say that Liverpool is in a transition period. The rest, as they say, is HISTORY

Part of being a GREAT manager, is also knowing & identifying who is your successor. And I truly believe that Moyes is the one that Sir Alex has always wanted to be his successor.

Bill Shankly and Sir Alex Ferguson are great managers. Great managers know their SUCCESSOR..

He is a good proven manager during his Everton days, and he will be a GREAT manager for United. I have every confidence that Manchester United will be fighting for the BPL title this season and many more seasons to come.

But my main concern is Rooney. He wants to have a regular place in MU line-up so that he will be an automatic choice for England to be able to play in World Cup 2014 in Brazil. I hope that he stays with MU..

He is a fantastic player, slightly out of position at the moment..

Accept our ibadah this Ramadan ya Rabb..

This year Ramadan finished in a flash for me...

The moment I realized, it is the end of Ramadan. I did the usual routine works during end of Ramadan.
Like cleaning my grandparents and parents grave, making sure that the decorative lights are ALL light up.

During Eidul Fitri, I did what I always did every year. Sunat prayers, congregate at relatives house and having good food, taking pictures, visiting the grave, going to 3 must visit houses.

I did not manage to finish the whole Quran this Ramadan, but I did learn the deeper tafseer of certain selected Surah.

But what are the changes of this Ramadan compared to previous Ramadan?

1. I did not push myself when doing the "ibadah" this time. When I really feel like doing, I started doing it for the sake of Allah, not for my satisfaction. Even though the deeds are small, I make sure the intentions are purely to satisfy Allah.

2. During Eid, I wish people "Takabbalallah hu minha wa minkum" literally meaning, "May Allah accepts your ibadah (this Ramadan) and mine too". This means that we wish that ALLAH azzawajal will accept ALL our ibadah during the whole of this Ramadan, because if he accepts our ibadah, the reward is non other than entering paradise. And we must not forget that there is this ONE (1) special night in Ramadan that is better than 1,000 months and if Allah accepts our ibadah, than we get to be in worship equal to 1,000 months.. Masyaallah..


Back to Allah accepting our ibadah. There are 2 (two) significant signs that Allah accepts our ibadah.  These are merely signs, but Allah can do what HE pleases because He is the GREATEST.

1. The slave of Allah continues doing whatever he/she does during Ramadan. If he goes to the masjid to perform Isya in jamaah during Ramadan, then he continues to perform them in other months

2. The slave of Allah's akhlak is good (his character is good). He/she maintains being a good person to other people. He/She does not hurt anyone's feelings and does not do bad things.

Just look at our Prophet Muhammad SAW. Both the above signs were clearly showed by Rasulullah.
Our relation with Allah has improved, so is our relation with mankind..

Back to the objective why we fast in the first place.. to become muttaqin.. and the 2 signs above are signs of the slave becoming a muttaqin..

May Allah choose us to be muttaqin and we all sincerely seek constant guidance from Allah & please protect us from syaitan...

Ameen ya rabb.. Till we meet again in the next Ramadan..

Why do we hate death??

Why do we hate death?

We have built this present world and we have destroyed our akhirah, that is the reason we hate death.

We do not want to even think about leaving something that we have built (make tremendous effort) and go to something that we have destroyed ..

That is why we hate death so much. Even the word "death" is a taboo..

Most of us have done all the preparation for themselves for a good life in this world. But very little of us have done the effort to have a good life in the hereafter.

But those people who have made the money, effort & time in building for themselves a better life in the akhirah, for them they would love to go from this world to the akhirah.

A lot of people say that, lack of money is a test by Allah. In actual fact too much money is also a test by Allah. Many people pass the test when they have less money. But many people fail the test when they have lots of money.

So friends, be mindful that death is a sure thing. Be prepared to invest your time, effort and money to build a better life in the akhirah, which is where we will be living forever...

Ya Rabb, help us in building a better life in the akhirah. Give us taufik and guidance to the right path.. Select us among the people of jannah...Ameen..

Be a true slave of Allah by following Rasullah SAW...... to be a Muttaqin

I am writing something that I think must be emphasis in being a Muttaqin.

1. To bear witness that Allah is our master is easy. To behave as a true slave of Allah is very difficult.
Even syaitan (may Allah protect us from syaitan) admits that Allah is the master. That is the easy part. But to enslave ourselves to be the true SLAVE of Allah is very difficult indeed. We must do what Allah says and must abstain from what Allah forbids. That is indeed very difficult.

We need to constantly seek guidance from Allah in order to be His Slave. This we do 17 times a-day in Surah Fatihah in our 5 time prayers. Ihdinassirathol mustaqim. Allah is the one who chooses you as the one who He will give guidance. He is fair in his Judgement. We must have this intention that ALL that we do, we do it for the sake of Allah our Master..


2. To really realise that Prophet Mohammad SAW is the messenger of Allah.
Prophet Mohammad SAW is a human being, just like you and me. But, he is the best human being ever lived. Allah has chosen Prophet Mohammad SAW as His messenger, and he is the masterpiece that Allah created. His examplary life is SO GREAT that he is the Rahmat to all mankind. He is the one that can save us on judgement day. I can go on and on writing about this great man, but sufficient to say that we all must follow what the does and make salawat to him as much as we possibly can.

Here you go, 2 main things for Muslims to ponder:-
1. Be the True Slave of Allah, by following His commands and abstain from His prohibition. Have this niat (intention) that we do things for the sake of Allah our Master...

2. Follow what Prophet Mohammad's SAW sunnah. He is our messenger & the greatest creation ever created by Allah. To follow Rasulullah is our ticket to jannah. He is the one to save us on judgement day..

Ya Allah, give me the guidance to be your slave and to follow what Rasulullah SAW has taught us.
And please help us from the fire of hell... Amin ya rabb...

Latvia - My new blog followers

Recently, I found out that I have relatively large audience in the a country called Latvia.

I must write something about this country, just like I did write about Norway, who has the 2nd highest audience behind my native country, Malaysia.

I must admit, I do not know much about this ex-Soviet Empire. I know the capital city is Riga.
Latvia is in the Baltic region having border with Russia, Estonia & Lithuania.

I do not know whether there a Muslims in Latvia. I presume, there are Muslims there. But I welcome their people reading my blog and I sincerely hope my blog adds value to them...

I sincerely urge my readers to really submit ourselves to Allah azzawajal.. to be the true Slave of Allah

Most memorable football match of my life : Brazil vs Italy WC1982 (Spain)

I love football so much. I enjoy playing football & I enjoy watching it as well.

One particular game stands out as the most exciting match that I will remember in my lifetime.
It happened in a World Cup 1982 Finals (in Spain) between Brazil vs Italy. Brazil needed just a draw to advance to the semi-final, while Italy needed a win.

Brazil 1982 was a very exciting team having got Zico, Socrates, Junior, Eder & Falcao in the team. But, Italy was very good defensively and very dangerous when counter attacking.

I was a 17-year old boy at the time, in a boarding school in Kuala Kangsar. RTM showed the match live on TV, and the headmaster was kind enough to give the students a hall with a TV to watch the game.

Most of the possession were by Brazil in the Italian half.

Italy won 3-2 with all 3 goals coming from Paulo Rossi. Brazil goals were scored by Junior & Falcao respectively. Italy went on to win the World Cup 1982.

I can still remember the Italian team line-up.
Zoff, Scirea, Gentile, Bergomi, Collovati, Cabrini, Antognioni, Tardelli, Conti, Grazianni & Rossi (subs Altobelli).

Observe that the first 3 names did not end with I, making remembering the team so much easy..

Brazilian team was the most exciting team in the tournament. Actually what made the game so memorable was that both teams played good and exciting football.

Congatulations to BOTH teams for giving us the excitement that I remembered until today....
I will remember this game until I die... Football won that day!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwGVki2jzI4

Ramadan 1434H.. training to be patient

This time, the blessed month of Ramadan, I prepare myself to be a patient person.

I read the Quran not for the soul purpose of khatam, but with the purpose of pleasing Allah. I admit that I will not finish the whole Quran once Ramadan is finished, but for sure I read the Quran in a proper and orderly manner. & I will continue to read Quran even after Ramadan.

I do the sunnat tarawikh prayers as much as I can, again not pushing myself, but for the sake of Allah.
There was this one night, 16th of Ramadan. My patience was put to test.

I was already ready to go to Isya prayers, when my aunt wanted to come along. My aunt is coming to 72 years old and her kness are weak. As Isya' azan has been heard, she told me to wait for her, because she had to go to the toilet (1). By the time I reached the mosque, is was jammed packed and I had to drop her off near the mosque so that not to burden my aunt by having to walk far. The situation near the mosque was packed, and there were 2 cars double parking, making it almost impossible to pass through. My car "touched" one of the cars  causing slight dent (2). I parked quite a distance from the mosque & only barely get the last rakaat of Isya prayers. As I was late, I put my spectacles (glasses) in such a way that it was relatively far from where I prayed. One 7-year old boy came and stepped on my spectacles, breaking it into 2 pieces (3)
3 things that made me angry
1. aunt being late
2. car being dented
3. glasses broken

Yes, I was angry. But I thought for a moment.. what was my reaction... should I do the usual blame game, blame my aunt, curse the car driver and scold the boy that stepped by spectacles...

No, I decided to take a deep breath, accept those things that happened as fate. I am not angry at my aunt, the driver nor the boy. I smiled to myself and almost certainly knew that what I did was the best thing...

Ya Allah, give me the strength to be patient at all times...

Ramadan 1434H.. to improve taqwa

Here comes another Ramadan.

This time around, my preparation for Ramadan started as early as 2 weeks before.
In the Quran (Surah Baqarah:183), fasting is obligatory to Muslims, in order to achieve taqwa. That is the essence of Allah giving us this ibadah, to achieve taqwa.

So let us check ourselves during the coming Eidul Fitri, have we improved our level of taqwa after fasting the whole month of Ramadan.

In Malaysia, people normally ask "Where do you perform tarawikh prayers?"
Good question.. After Ramadan, very seldom do people ask "Where do you do your jemaah isya prayers?"

While tarawikh is sunnat, Isya' is wajib. I leave it at there... 

When I see so many people in the masjid for Isya prayers in the month of Ramadan, I began to realise that, it is indeed Allah, that gives Hidayah to us humans. Without His hidayah, we will not achieve the deen. Imagine, persuading people to do Isya prayers in the masjid outside Ramadan. You will not be able to challenge the crowd during Ramadan period. Subhanallah..

So, here comes my simple conclusion during this Ramadan. Continue seeking "hidayah" from Allah to give us the guidance to do good things (especially the 5 time prayers in jemaah). Also continue to learn the Tafseer of Al-Quran to make us the DEEP understand of this wonderful & beautiful Islam, for us to achieve the status of SLAVE of ALLAH..

May Allah give us the hidayah & may Allah protect us from syaitan & may all of us achieve greater taqwa from year to year..   

My childhood days....

It has been 5 years since I first started blogging.

Alhamdulillah, I am still able to blog. Allah give me the strength to continue writing. I love to write. But I need to also add value to whoever read my blog. My readers must feel that they have learnt something after reading my blog.

It is time to write about me.

I was born in Terengganu. It is situated on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. I am the second child of my parents. Sadly, my elder brother (who was born in Terengganu) died during childbirth. So, I became the first child. I am also the first grandchild.

Not wanting to repeat what happened to my brother (who died), my grandparents took me from my mother and raised me. My parents did not object, as both of them were in Kuala Lumpur at that time, while I stayed in Kuala Terengganu.

My grandfather was  the Chief Police Officer (CPO) of the state of Terengganu. He was the first Malay CPO of a particular state. The other states, the CPO were British.

So, I was being pampered during my childhood. My "mother" was my grandmother. It was told that I was really naughty when I was 2-5 years old. I don't remember at all.

My grandfather retired in 1968, and all of us moved to Petaling Jaya (a new township at that time). That was where I realised that I have another mother. Nevertherless, I was still a naughty boy.

I went to a primary school in PJ from 1972 until 1977. I got good grades during that time. I lost my grandmother in 1972 (4th July) after she suffered from heart attack. I then adjusted myself back to be with my parents.

One more thing, I was also the only child until 1971. My brother came on that year. Then came my 2 sisters in 1974 & 1975 respectively. I guess, being the only child spoilt me a bit...

I khatam my Quran in 1977. What a proud moment for me. During my schooldays, I usually came 2nd in my class. The no. 1 in class was my good buddy until today by the name of Danial Mohd Noor. He was a genius.
    
I love football. I love playing it as well as watching it.. It is a wonderful game. I used to follow Malaysia, especially when they play in "Pestabola Merdeka". Malaysia was among the best team in Asia at that time. The likes of Mokhtar Dahari, Soh Chin Aun, Santokh Singh & Arumugam.

That was basically my childhood days. I only remember during my childhood in Petaling Jaya. It has 22 sections & then they open up 25 more sections (SS).

My 4 daughters are all born and raised in Petaling Jaya. Their neighbourhood is similar to mine & I hope they have a good life just like I do...

Self Dicipline....

Self-control (dicipline), is in the Islamic teachings. Our whole religion is based around it. One of the reasons we pray five times a day is to gain discipline. We fast in the month of Ramadan in order to “learn self-restraint.”

We partake in Hajj, partly, to practice fortitude.  We “lower our gaze” to resist temptation. Even the pursuit of wealth is not by any means necessary: we are stringent about examining the how and why of whatever we earn and spend. We have to regulate what we consume. We have to regulate our speech. We have to constantly exert control over our thoughts and feelings. We have to control our anger, our jealousy; any feelings of pride or arrogance. We constantly have to check our actions against our intentions.

When we fall in love with our spouses, the expectation from our religion is to be temperate and keep the display of our affections limited to the domestic sphere.

When someone close to us dies, we are allowed to cry and show sadness, but we cannot wail and excessively lament. Even the duration of our mourning is limited to three days at which point we are expected to collect ourselves and move on.

The ethos of modern societies is to pursue with passion whatever you desire. But Islam emphasizes restraint, discipline and sabr (patience).

Moreover, in a review of thousands of studies, founder and president of The Families and Work Institute Dr. Ellen Galinsky concluded that there are seven essential life skills that every child needs in order to reach his or her fullest potential. What is the top entry on her list? You guessed it: self-control. And this is based on decades of frontline observations and volumes upon volumes of research.

More recently, one of the world’s most prolific psychologists, published a book entitled Willpower that basically summarized decades of his and his colleagues’ research in the field.  What he essentially found is that success, no matter how you define it, often boils down to two things: intelligence and self-control. While you cannot increase your God-given intelligence, you can definitely improve your self-control.  How important is willpower? According to him “self-regulation failure is the major social pathology of our time.” I’ll let you read that again in order for it to sink in. He goes on to discuss various proven ways to improve self-control including: eating and sleeping right, keeping a diary, establishing routines, getting organized, implementing personalized distraction techniques and practicing guided meditation. He also demonstrates how the effects of successfully disciplining yourself in one area of life spill over into other areas of your life, creating a domino effect of positive transformation. As a Muslim, that sounds very familiar.

Done with the right intentions, not only will self-control warrant success in this life, it will also guarantee success in the life to come.

May Allah (swt) make us of those who practice discipline and remain firm on the His path. Ameen.

Level of SINCERITY

There are 4 things that can check yourself, whether your level of sincerity is at what level

1. The level of forgiveness when Someone really makes you angry
2. The level of giving, when Someone comes for contribution
3. The level of ibadah, when No one is watching you
4. The level of speaking the truth, knowing that telling the truth will land you in trouble..

If we really do things for the sake of Allah, then the above things are really easy to do, as you have this believe that Allah is the ONE that is ALL Mighty, and that fellow human beings are merely people with such limited power..

Just audit yourself....

Holiday @ Janda Baik 24-26 May 2013... and opportunity to be with Allah & my Loved ones

I spent 3 days (24-26 May 2013), in Janda Baik, for some soul searching. Me & the whole family started our journey to Janda Baik at 9am Fri 24th May 2013. The road to JB was jammed, as it was a public holiday (Wesak) + it was the 1st day of school holidays. We reached at JB at 10.30am. Had good breakfast...

Then, I started my quest to listen to Nouman's Tafseer series on Surah AsSyamsi (The Sun). Beautiful Surah & coincidently the Sun was shining brightfully. Took a bicycle ride to JB town & dropped by at the local cemetery. 12.30pm started to go to the local mosque for Friday prayers.

Evening, continue Nouman's Tafseer series on Surah Al-Lail (The Night) & the rain started... Wonderful scenery as I managed to compare sunny weather in the afternoon against rainny weather in the evening. Played the usual football match with cousins/nephews.

Night, continue Nouman's Tafseer series on Surah Al-Lail (The Night). Had this really wonderful steam boat dinner with the family. Masyaallah, what a REALLY wonderful feeling having to spend the night right in the middle of the jungle.. and that particular night, it was a full moon

25 May 2013
Woke up at 5.30am. Waited for Fajr prayers. Had Fajr prayers before recite some Quran verses. 7.00am, did my morning walk along Janda Baik orchard.. Another wonderful feeling of peace & tranquility. Took breakfast at 8am with family (roti canai). Then did jogging with eldest daughter. I think the distance covered was close to 6KM.

Had a good shower, then back on Nouman lecture series, this time Surah Adduha (Morning). What a coincidence that the Surah is "morning" & here I am, enjoying the soothing morning sun. The morning felt so very wonderful.

I felt asleep at around 11am . Was awaken by my youngest daughter at noon asking me to join her swimming in the pool, which I obliged. Then a fabulous lunch. Then back to listening to Tafseer, this time Surah Insyira' (Alam Nasyra') until evening. Both Surah Duha & Insyira' are Surahs that are specific to Rasulullah SAW from Allah Azzawajal.

5.30pm, played football with the cousins/nephews, and then a dipped into the nearby river. Remembered a many times in the Quran " jannati tajrimin tahtihal anhar" - "gardens where beneath them flows many rivers". This is what many people in this world dream of. Gardens with many waters flowing through them. I am now at JB with this kind of setting. WoW!! Just awesome. Made me think that many 5-Star Hotels have beautiful gardens & fountains which in them water flows.. exactly what Allah mentioned in the Quran.

7.30pm A nice dinner & for me, watch TV before going straight to sleep..

26 May 2013
Do brisk walking & cycling around Janda Baik area right after Subh prayers. Again, pondering & appreciating the GREATNESS of Allah in His Magnificent creations in mother nature. Had breakfast & just basking myself at the poolside in the middle of the jungle.

I did call 3 of my close friends to share how beautiful I felt, having this feeling of peacefulness, with my whole family around me, with great food & drinks and without any problems..

At noon had lunch, before started packing. I have to travel back to KL latest by 3.15pm, coz my second daughter have driving classes at 4pm in KL.

Before checking out, I had one last round of walking around the compound of Aman Rimba.  The gardens (orchard) & the river flowing... what an amazing setting.. Subhanallah.

Travelling back to KL, I just could not stop praising Allah & thanking Him for all His blessings to me..

5 traits to be Slave of Allah

This blog is to write a discovery that really change my perspective in life.

The most significant thing that I discovered during my quest for the Deen of Allah is being the SLAVE to ALLAH.

Slave is not a good word. It gives a negative connotation. When you are a slave (to another human), you are practically dead. You are not free at all. You submit to what your master desires. History will tell how slavery was being fought and banned.

But slave to Allah, that is really a POSITIVE thing. Allah is unlike another human being. Being the SLAVE to ALLAH is the MOST NOBLE thing to be in this entire world.

Yes, you have to submit to your master & you are not free to do as you please. But, this is NO ORDINARY MASTER. This is the ULTIMATE MASTER!!

To be the slave of Allah, there 5 traits that qualifies yourself to be the true Slave of Allah:-

1. Love. To be the Slave of Allah, you have to love Allah. It is easy to say this. But to really internalise this is a very difficult. When you see & feel the surroundings, you feel the LOVE for Allah. You acknowledge the true GREATNESS of Allah. Even when you love your spouse, children, friends.. they are the manifestation of your love of ALLAH

2. Obedience. To be the slave of Allah, means that you must obey what the Master desires. This goes without saying.... But if you truely love Allah, then obedience becomes something easy to do. You always give the best to your loved ones without asking anything in return

3. Sincerity. Another trait when you are the Slave of Allah. You do it for the sake of Allah. This is sometimes put to test. When you did something really good, then you are not being recognised by other people. In fact, they critise you for doing those noble things. Then, if you are not sincere, you will then rebel & stop doing those noble things. But, if sincerity is in check, no matter what people say, it does not matter. You do things for the sake of Allah (your Master) & you do not need any recognition from others. If there is, it is okay. If there is not, it is still okay as you are confident that the Master is pleased with you.

4. Trust. Another trait when you are the Slave of Allah. You must have absolute trust in Allah. Whatever he gives you, it is the best for you.Whatever He does not give you, it is also the best for you. Your knowledge is like a drop of water, as compared to His knowledge of like the whole water on the planet earth! If you trsut that whatever He gives you is the best for you, then the Master is All knowing & All loving for His slave...

5. He calls the short. Whatever is the outcome, He is the Master. Remember that! He determines! You are the SLAVE. You have no say in the outcome. You can ask for the outcome, but He calls the short. Period. If you observe close enough, what has happened to you right until this moment is THE BEST thing for you. You just do not know what is BEST for you. So act as a true Slave of Allah!!

So that is it my dear friends... Strive to be the SLAVE of ALLAH... You will never regret ONE BIT...

Love, Obey, Sincere, Trust & Remember that you are just the Slave... Act like one

Making Tawba... to become closer to Allah

Many of us search for His signs hoping He will guide us, yet we remain lost.  There may be moments when we witness His absolute infinite wealth of guidance (tawfiq) and blessings, still most of the time we persist in a world of emptiness and neediness. We search endlessly for His messages. But if God were to answer your call, would you know it?  Would you heed His guidance? Is it possible that you are repeatedly shown signs, and dismiss them as simple coincidences?

Understanding His will and receiving His call requires closeness (taqwa).  It requires a tearing of the veil between you and Him.  It requires a love and intimacy so powerful and so consuming, that only the vessel of one’s heart can carry this one love.
If we desire His guidance, it’s critical that we first learn how to fill our hearts with Him alone. This is a condition expressed in the Qur’an. “Indeed, within the heavens and earth are signs for the believers,”(Qur’an 45:3). This verse refers to the mu’min (believer).

• Tranquility triggered by a strong sense of faith
• Being present, in the higher dimensions of a moment, without expectations
• Emptying one’s heart from everything except for the trust one instills in Allah (swt)
Allah (swt) tells us that paying heed to His signs is the benefit, indeed the essence, of being a mu’min.  Nothing is real outside of Him, and if we are able to fill our heart with this reality, if all circumstances and all conditions become a manifestation of His will in our eyes, than His guidance will come regardless of how heavy or complex our affairs may seem.  “For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.” (Qur’an 94:5)

Believing in the Oneness of God’s purpose and design is critical to the way we view the events that take place in our lives. This is especially true if we desire His guidance. Ibn Qayyim radiAllahu anhu (may God be pleased with him) in his book Madarij as-Salikeen discusses guidance as being a primary benefit in achieving a true internal state of tawheed (Oneness of God).  The states are articulated in four stages:

1. Tawba (Repentance): Ibn Qayyim suggests that in order to achieve the greatest and most insightful state, one must start with a constant (and never ending) state of tawba (repentance), and recognize the hearts thirst to seek the truth. It’s through the deep thirst for truth that light enters ones heart. And once light enters the heart, seeking the Source becomes deeply rooted cause within the individual.

2. Awakening Level (Fikra): This is the level of thinking and pondering.  In this early stage, the heart starts to stare in the direction it wants to go in and after recognizing, it desires a wakeful state. In this phase the heart starts to understand and distinguish truth from falsehood.  It starts to determine what is good and what is bad.

3. Bassera (A light in the heart):  Bassera becomes a form of revelation for the mu’min.  Bassera is very powerful, because it places ferasa (insight) in the heart and it makes the believer aware of the good and evil in life. It removes all forms of shock in dunya.  It helps one ease the need to set expectations. In this state, the believer is aware of what others can’t see or understand.

4. Azim (Determination):  The ultimate by-product and fruits of the previous stages lead to Azim.  To reach this state a mu’min must set a qada (goal).  The goal must be a path towards God.  Once you have ferasa (insight) the believer is able to set a goal that will lead them on the right path.  Once the goal is set, and one pursues it, his determination increases (Azim). This determination will create a sustaining bias towards action in the believer. He will constantly and without tiring struggle on the path to reach his goal: God.

Of all the states listed by Ibn Qayyim, the most important one is repentance.  Tawba isn’t a phrase we say at the end of each prayer, nor is it just a gesture. Tawba in its deepest sense represents humility and God-consciousness. It means, before doing something, we ask ourselves whether it will bring us closer to Him. It means, every time we incline towards a sin, our heart aches for forgiveness.  It means, loving Him with a sincerity that penetrates the deepest aspects of our wants, desires and hopes, because we can’t have the love of dunya and His love in the same vessel.

So start with tawba.  Let your life become completely consumed by it. It will bring you so much closer to Him, His signs, and His revelation.  Even if you don’t have the chance to reach the higher stages in this life, tawba will protect you, guide you, and reassure you in moments of weakness and in moments of need.

May Allah grant us all goodness & tawba to become a true MUKMIN.. Ameen

Sir Alex Ferguson retires

I am writing in honour of the retiring Sir Alex Ferguson.

A truly remarkable manager & the most successful manager in English Football history. I do not think that anyone can beat his successful record (at least not in my lifetime)

He has won 13 English Premier League (93,94,96,97,99,00,01,03,07,08,09,11,13)
He has won 5 FA cups (90,94,96,99,04)
He has won 4 League Cups (92,06,09,10)
He has won 10 Charity Shields (90,93,94,96,97,03,07,08,10,11)
He has won 2 Champions League Cup (99,08)
He has won 1 Cup Winners Cup (91)
He has won 1 Super Cup (91)
He has won 1 Inter Continental Cup (99)
He has won 1 FIFA World Club (08)
38 trophies all together.

The most memorable English Premier League to me was 2003. They showed great character as they won the League at the expense of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal team who won in 2002 & 2004.To this date, I still think that was a sweet moment to win the EPL knowing that Arsenal were a very good team at the time.

The most memorable goal must be Ryan Gigg's goal against Arsenal in 1999 FA Cup semi-final.

The most I admire about Sir Alex is his dicipline. Nobody is bigger that the club. Also he immediately bounce back after a defeat. It is okay to lose, but get on with the next game & forget about the previous defeat is his mentality.

Below are some of disappointments that are stuck in my mind:-

1995, Blackburn pipped MU after MU just can afford a draw in their last game against West Ham (1 point)

1995 FA Cup Final. MU lost to Everton 0-1 scored by Paul Rideout

1998, Arsenal pipped MU to the title (1 point). On Mar 1998, Arsenal defeated MU at Old Trafford with the goal scored by Marc Overmars

2005 FA Cup Final. MU lost on penalty shoot-out, with MU controlling most of the game

2007 FA Cup Final. MU lost 0-1 to Drogba's goal AET

2010 & 2012 EPL, where MU lost by 1 point & goal difference respectively

Being MC in my cousin's wedding

I was asked to be the "Master of Ceremony" for my cousin's wedding (akad nikah) event last 13 April 2013.

It was an honour for me to be the MC, as the wedding was between my youngest cousin (Aisyah Faruk) and his partner Kieran Millar.

Kieran's family came all the way from London to this ceremony. They took the trouble to dress in tradisional Malay dresses just to blend into Malay tradition.

The whole ceremony was done in English. It went really well. Technology also played a part as there was this "face-time" that my daughter did, in order for my sister from Auckland, New Zealand who can follow the ceremony LIVE. WoW!!

At the end of the day, I could see my uncle (Faruk Othman) was all smiling, and I knew that whatever it is, he was satisfied with the ceremony

The next day (14 April), the wedding reception was done in Shangrila Hotel, KL in a very grand manner. Again, the ceremony went really well and I will cheerish this special moment forever in my memory.

Kieran Millar converts to Islam with the name Daud, and I make doa to Allah that he will become a good Muslim in the future....

Amin

 

PAS 55 certification speech to the masses...

Below is a speech I wrote for XXX company.. 

I have introduced you to:
Vibrant Workforce & Productivity Revolution through four key thrusts: -
Building trust / relationship,
Building capacity,
Building performance,
Building Growth

I also have also talked about
"What is stopping you from Giving your best to XXX" & "You can make a difference"

With those close to heart, now I am driving the message:
"Our business is managing Asset - Be excellent in Asset Management & the company will Excel"
Our core business is to supply electricity to our customers safely, reliably & economically.

To follow the good practices in asset management, our assets will be in good working condition to enable us to supply electricity to our customers.

If we analyse closely, all assets, be it overhead lines, power lines, electric cables, transformers, fuse boxes, meters, substations & power stations,  they are all physical assets that enables us to run our business.

If, one element of this asset is damaged, then the supply to our customers will be affected. If it is well managed, the electricity supply will be uninterrupted.

We must also realize that these assets have a life span which follows the normal life cycle stages. From planning stage, to installation, to operation, to maintenance, to overhaul and refurbish and subsequently disposal. Each stage should be managed optimally so that they always remain in good condition.

Asset management also must balance between three key elements: performance, risk and cost. If we can manage it well, we not only ensure a continuous supply, but we can reduce the cost to the company without affecting the performance of our business.

With the latest technology, we can ascertain the condition of the assets before they become inoperable. In other word, we can take action before they are damaged.

In good asset management, there is an "international standard" that we thrive to get certification.
PAS-55 is an international certification standard guide-lines that lists down best practices in asset management.

I fully support this new initiative. Join me in ensuring that our company realize this journey of getting PAS 55 certification and prove that XXX has reached international standards in practicing good asset management to enable us in supplying safe, secure and reliable electricity at a reasonable cost.
"Our business is managing Asset - Be excellent in Asset Management. You can make the difference”

Malaysia 13th General Election 2013

I do not know how to link to a youtube address.. but check out this link..

2 of my family members are in this video clip..


You help me, I help you.

Manchester United 20th League title secured

On the 22 Apr 2013, Man Utd are crowned Barclays Premier League (BPL) Champions for the 20th time.

This achievement is very sweet indeed, having tasted being Champions of BPL last year for a mere 2 minutes, before Sergio Aguero scored the last minute winner for Man City against QPR 3 minutes into injury time. Man City won the BPL on goal difference. That was very hard to swallow. Losing on goal difference for a goal deep into injury time (virtually the last kick of the season).

But, what happened after that day, Sir Alex started his strategy to win back the BPL. He purchased RVP & Kagawa. Those signings were brilliant.

Man Utd started with a lost on the opening day of the season at Everton. The captain (Vidic) was injured at the time & Rio Ferdinand was also being treated on his back pain and was not 100% fit. Johnny Evans & Phil Jones became the centrebacks and the early games saw Man Utd not being able to keep a clean sheet. Luckily their strikers (RVP in particular) was scoring regularly. They won many games from being behind.

From Nov 2012 when they were top of the table, they never looked back. They lost the Champions League Cup to Real Madrid & League Cup & FA Cup to Chelsea. But they never lose sight of getting the BPL back from their neighbours.

On the 22 Apr 1994, my eldest daughter was born & Man Utd also became Premier League Champions on that year. In fact, during the season that my other three daughters were born - 1996, 2000 & 2003,  Man Utd also became Champions.

During the treble winning year 1999, there were 3 Norwegians in Man Utd squad. Solksjaer, Berg & Johnsen. Thank you Norway for your contribution to Man Utd success & keep reading my blog.

It has been a very satisfying season as far as I (as a Man Utd supporter) am concerned. Thank you every player in the squad, the manager, the back room staff & all that are associated to the club for a very satisfying season.

Lesson learnt: Do not let frustration dampen your spirit. Analyse what needs to be improved & make improvements to make it better. No doubt, losing the BPL on goal difference, the squad has to improve up-front. But during RVP barren spell, the defenders kept clean sheets to enable the team to stay top of the table & win the BPL.

Giving dakwah..

This time I am writing about the people who makes dakwah.

Myself, as a father and a leader of a family member, is currently trying my best to seek knowledge of deen in order that I can guide myself as well as my family from to the right path. I am trying my best in a manner of creativity & love to educate & reming myself & family members to practice Islam as much as possible.

No doubt, this dakwah needs a lot of patience & peserverance.

I did pledge to myself to start doing some basic things in order to follow the sunnah of Rasulullah SAW. To enter the toilet with my left leg & exit with my right. To use the slippers in the toilet, in order to ensure that it is clean & to recite doa when entering the toilet as well as wanting to go out of the house.

Apparently, these small things that I have NOT done for the past 48 years of my life does not come automatically. My other (better) half has to remind me to do it on a constant basis. Sometimes, when I was being reminded in a slightly "above tune" manner, the level of patience is sometimes being tested. This is where, as a normal human being, a stern reminder can normally lead to denial & trying to find excuses for my shortcomings.

On the other side of the coin, the person reminding must also lower down his/her level of expectations, as people (however pious they are) makes mistakes & are subject to forgetfulness & carelessness. Human are never perfect. So, when giving reminder, please be more forgiving & remind in a nice way, without having to raise the voice. Please also make doa to Allah, so that the person will be given hidayah to give him strength to change for the better.

The person who makes dakwah & making reminder, must always have the empathy to ensure that the dakwah will be given in a attractive and creative manner. It must be given with actions & non offending manner.

In conclusion:-
1. When giving dakwah, be creative just like our prophet Muhammad SAW. Actions usually speaks louder than words
2. When giving reminder, ensure that the tone is checked, in order to critic on the action(s), rather than the person
3. Do not have high expectations for the person giving dakwah, as that person also is a normal human being, and is subjected to forgetfulness & imperfection. Just give him doa.....

We all need each other to attain jannah & fight against our nafs & syaitan.

March 2013 diary - wonderful things happening

This time writing about the wonderful things that happened in March 2013 for my record.

I apologize for not writing something useful to share in this posting. This posting is more like a diary to me.

9th Mar, my 2nd daughter came back from New Zealand after 2 months there. I sent her to NZ to help my youngest sister who is undergoing chemotherapy.

12th Mar, my 4th daughter's 10th birthday. She was very happy on the day. She also had to take her term exam on the day. She wanted LEGO for her birthday.

21st Mar, my 2nd daughter's SPM results. She got 6As and 3Bs. Before her results, I told her that I am proud of her, whatever is her result. I just wanted her to not miss her solat.  I took the "trouble" to teach her SPM Physics, as she could not find a suitable physics tuition class. She got a B for her Physics, making me one proud father as well as a proud teacher.
 
22nd Mar, Mufti Menk was in Malaysia. The scholar whom I listen to his series of lectures & have affected my life in a positive way

23rd Mar, I had a wonderful holiday break in Hyatt Kuantan, Teluk Cempedak. Watching sunrise & lying by the sandy beach,  remembering Allah's great creations. Being with my kids, masyaallah, what a wonderful feeling.

1st Apr, my 3rd daughter's 13th birthday. She wanted IPOD for her birthday.

For my blog postings, I have finally achieved an average of 3 postings per month- Alhamdulillah

Man Utd are top of the BPL with a massive 15 points lead over Man City (WoW). But they lost the Champions League quarter-Finals to Real Madrid & the FA Cup QF to Chelsea. Again, I am happy for them to win their 20th  BPL.  I will not trade winning BPL with not winning BPL but win BOTH the ECL & FAC.

Thank you Allah for giving me such a blessed month full of wonderful2 things.... 

The REAL goodness in LIFE

This post, I decided to write about a valuable thing..... to achieve goodness in everything..

People strive to get good things in life. The majority of people think that having lots of money will enable us to enjoy...

We can go on a holiday in Barbados & stay in a 5-Star hotel. Spend the whole day on a sandy beach, then swim in an infinity pool. At night, have a wonderful "seafood" dinner with your love one by the beach. Nice music playing in the background to set the mood..

Next day, drive a cherry red Ferrari along the island. Then take a sailing boat to a nearby secluded island..

Next day, fly straight to London. Buy the latest gadget (I-phone 5), then go straight to Manchester to catch the Saturday BPL match of Manchester United's home game at Old Trafford.... Imagine.... WoW!

Do you really think that these things, IF it really happens to you & me is the best things that has happen to you,  because I IMAGINE those things as GOODNESS?

Think again... These are short term gains..

Hello! We are striving to get a long term benefit here, the feeling that can last a life-time. Feeling of REAL satisfaction, purification, peace & tranquility.. feeling of solace...

Now imagine, understanding the Quran & Sunnah Nabi.. having to do 5 days prayers in congregation, paying yearly zakat to cleanse our incomes, full fasting in Ramadan & having Allah (Our Maker) please with us... double WoW! Do whatever Allah commands & abstain from what Allah forbids. Because whatever He commands is good for you & whatever He forbids is bad for you.. You must trust Allah. 

The feeling is an everlasting peace & happiness.. This is truly a long term benefit.

It might sound funny, but the feeling of having fulfill Allah's deeds is so satisfying indeed. It is like your body needs regular exercise. When you attain the level of fitness, your body will feel the goodness of the exercise & you will feel the wonderful effect of your hardship...


But to achieve this level, you & me have to transform ourselves to be a TRUE slave to Allah. When you accept yourself to be a TRUE slave to ALLAH, will you realise that whatever ALLAH commands you is TRUELY what you need in life & the hereafter.

When we eventually lie in our death bed waiting for the moment that we die & meet ALLAH, we will not remember the holidays that we spent in Barbados... we will only remember, have I really fulfill my promise to ALLAH?

We will not be taking along all our millions when we die, but we are taking our good deeds to meet our Maker..

The choice is in our own hands... Like the TV series "Ripley's believe it or not" ... "Unbelievable?Believe it" is to be a TRUE believer.

My life in MCKK

I am writing about....reminiscence of my life in Malay College 1978-82.

I can still remember when my late father told me that I was accepted to Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) in mid December 1977.

I got good results in my Std 5 examination in 1976. My late father wanted me to go to a boarding school. What better school to him than MCKK. I did not want to go to MCKK. I was in my comfort zone. I have my own room, mother cooking for me the best food, watching TV as I please and going to tuition classes when I found that I was weak in certain subject.

In boarding school, no privacy, no mother's food, no watching TV and no tuition classes. No way!!
My father forced me to enter MCKK. He told me, you will be OK. Give 3 months, you will adjust to the hardship. He was spot on. 3 months on, I got settled with boarding school life. Got first hand experience to be independent. The rest is what they called history...

I played football for Under15 team, subsequently also playing football for U18 team. But I was not the first eleven. Most of the time, I was on the bench, having to come in when needed. I was a fullback and can play either left or right. Will overlap when there was opportunity.

I was also school cross-country runner, but when I represented MCKK in the Kuala Kangsar district, I ended up among the last place. The Indians, they dominated long distance run. Also represented school in 400M (middle distance) run, again outclassed by Indian runners.

But representing my house (Idris), I played almost every game. Football, rugby, field hockey, takraw, atheletics, swimming, water polo, cricket...you name it

I got 3 individual bronze medals in school sports (cross country, long jump & triple jump).  

I did not win any academic honours in MCKK. There were far too many smart students there. I also did not win any school colours.

I cannot recall many things that happened during my schooldays from 1978 to 1982, but sufficient to say that, the school built my character. From a shy person, I was transformed into a person who can speak in public. That was probably the biggest change for me. Though I remain a quiet person, but given the microphone, I can speak and articulate well.

The school has a tradition of producing Malaysian leaders. The 2nd Malaysian Prime Minister (Tun Abdul Razak) hailed from this school. So do many Rulers of State (Sultan). When I left school, I also have to carry this great tradition of having the character of a leader. I do not know whether I succeeded or failed. It is not for me to judge.

Anyway, I thank God (thru my father) to be in this great school. MCKK has always been known as "Eton of the East" for it's great tradition of producing leaders of Malaysia.

On 10 March 2013, it was exactly 7 years since my dad passed away. (Alfatihah). I went to his grave on that day.. pondering..

MCKK and my father will always be remembered (hand-in-hand) as character builder for me...
  

Summary of Quran in 2 sentences..

I have been eager to write this topic, but I save it for some time due to commitment.

I am writing something that was shared to me by brother Nouman Ali Khan in his summary of the holy Quran.

He was asked to summaries in 2 sentences about the whole Quran. Wow! That is a real challenge indeed.

The summary of Quran is about:
To accept Allah as Master & accept yourself as Slave.
The Quran is ONLY beneficial to people who accept themselves as Slaves.

Such a powerful summary. The hardest part is to internalize that we are the SLAVES of ALLAH. Surely the slave has to follow exactly what the Master asked him/her to do. When we know that our Master is the ONE and ONLY Master, then our commitment to follow the Master's orders becomes such a fulfilling experience. If we realize that our Master is nice & kind to us at all times, we have very high respect for Him. At this stage, following the orders become sweet and we do it out our undivided love of our Master. What we do, come from absolute sincerity to please the Master & in return, the Master is pleased with us.

We always hear of people who serve under a good master.. " It is an honour to serve you".. Yes, it is INDEED the highest honour to serve ALLAH..

Then the Quran becomes our guidance. If we look closely at the book, we can find many great things about the Quran. There is no contradiction in Quran with respect to it's scientific explanation in a form of a very beautiful language. For the people who really look hard in the Quran, they will find the answer is in the Quran. It will not give you direct answers, but, you will discover that there is an answer hidden somewhere for you to intrepret.

In summary: 2 words that decribes Quran are SLAVERY & GUIDANCE.

May Allah grant us goodness in our lives & may Allah give us the deep understanding of the holy Quran.

Ameen..

Peninsular Malaysia electricity demand growth - Part3

It has been awile since I update with regards to electricty demand growth in Peninsular Malaysia.

It is currently at 3.6% YoY. While I predicted that the growth will be at max 3.0%, Peninsular Malaysia electricty demand growth has proven to me that I have to be more optimistic in my forecast. The economy has been relatively bouyant with growth coming mainly from domestic demand stimulated by private sector.

Anyway, the much awaited General Election is looming and it will have to take place by April 2013 (when the current ruling party period expires). If, in an unlikely case, that the currently ruling party loses, then the consequence is huge. It will tarnish the confidence level of investors especially foreign investors.

With this worse case scenario, the demand growth will be hugely affected. Let us wait & see on the outcome...

On current trend, I still stick to a max growth of 3.0% for Peninsular Malaysia electricity demand growth... taking post-election effects into consideration (and myself still being pessimist)

Then again, Allah is the All Knowing..

Guard your tongue - it can easily do sin

Another topic I wanted to mention in my blog is the wrongdoings/ damage that we can do with our tongue.

Most of our sins are created from what we say. Whether it is intentionally or otherwise, words can really hurt people. When we criticise people, it can dent their ego, and this can lead to unnecessary arguments.

It is better for us to be quiet as compared to be talkative. Talk whenever necessary, and talk about good things in life. Show the positive side of the story & avoid negativity. Talk about the greatness of Allah & mention how wonderful this world is being created.

You will transfer the positive vibrations to other people & you will find out that you are being looked by people around you. Talk with a soft but firm tone, and smile while you talk.

Never raise your voice when you talk. Maybe you need to raise your voice a bit to people with hard hearing, but not to the point of shouting. When you realise that you have offended someone, immediately apologize.

I met someone last weekend. He is half-blind, but his determination to venture into business overcame his shortcomings. Currently he has 4 shops, all doing printing, photostating & binding. One shop is 50KM away, and he rented my small house to station his employee there.

I wanted the house back. He begged to me, to continue renting to him. If not, he will have to ferry his employee daily. He has to spend for the transport of the employee with a distance of 100KM daily.

I honestly gave him a suggestion. Why not he close down the 4th shop, which has 1 employee and is 50KM away. That is the best business option. I gave him an honest opinion. He was REALLY offended. My innocent statement has offended him. He told me that I have insulted him by giving that suggestion. He is blind, yet he struggled to open shops & I suggest to close it. He immediately said to me that he agree to vacate the house as intended just to prove me wrong. He will pay in advance all the money he owed me until he vacate the house.

I was shocked. My statement (unintentionally) has hurt him. I immediately apologise to him. At first, he did not want to shake my hand, but I begged his forgiveness & took his hand to mine. At this point, the conversation became sour.

Anyway, when I looked back, it is really easy to hurt people with your tongue. We have to realise that sometimes words that we utter can hurt people. Sometimes, what we say can be understood wrongly because of cultural differences.


Anyway, back to my story, I achieved what I wanted. I also learned a very valuable lesson. May Allah protect us all especially our tongue from hurting people either intentionally or otherwise.

Ameen

Rasulullah - our role model

For the past 1 week, I have been listening to Mufti Ismail Menk's lectures on the life of Prophethood Muhammad (Peace be upon Him).

It is not about his history that is important. It is his character that is of GREAT value.

When I was in school, the exam questions of history of Muhammad(Peace be upon Him), is what year & place was he born. Who is the wife, when is the Battle of Badr, how many Muslims were there in the battle of Badr against how many Disbelievers & so on...

There was no emphasis on the GREAT character of Rasulullah.

How to deal with people who humiliate you in front of public? How to deal with people who has spit on your face 3 times? How to control your anger when facing with your enemy?

Rasulullah has great patience, because it is not him that matters. It is to Allah that is important.

He was cool & composed when being humiliated. He did not argue back by raising his voice or uttering bad words. He usually smiled back at his attackers & explained nicely to them. You don't fight fire with fire. You fight anger with facts & calmness.

Do you know that when you are angry, that is where you are at your most vulnerable? You are too obsessed in trying to defeat or attack your opponent, that most of the time you lose your focus. And when things get very heated, then just take a deep breath and walk away gracefully, leaving your attacker in a state of shock...

How Rasulullah dealt with his wife & daughters. He helped them, rather than dictated them. He would talk nicely to them, forgave them when they made mistakes & guided them nicely without even raising his voice. He was firm but soft. He led by example. He never demanded respect, he earned it with distinction.

How Rasulullah dealt with financial problem.. He never had any desires to have this worldly things like we crave for today. Sufficient to have good food & good house with minimum requirements. He never wanted anything more than he needed. Similarly, if we do not crave for any latest gadget/model, we do not desire to have big houses with nice gardens & swimming pool, we do not desire to have branded clothes & accesories, then what we earn is more than sufficient.

Dealing with tough bosses, family members & financial problems will cover about 80% of our current problems.

OK, how to deal with traffic jams. Just turn on the CD, & listen to the Holy Quran & it's Tafseer & you will have quality education time in the car. If you have family members in the car stuck in the jam, then let us talk/listen & have a good conversation together (another quality time with family).
Rasulullah has laid down solutions to your daily problem. Only us, that are being misled by our surroundings.

May Allah grant us goodness & understanding of this WONDERFUL gift (ISLAM & IMAN) from our MAKER..  

Another opportunity to ponder.. Greatness of Allah

In Malaysia, the beginning of February 2013, there are a number of Public Holidays.

Beginning with 1st Feb, there is Federal Territory Day which falls on a Friday (long weekend), then Chinese New Year for 11 & 12 Feb 2013, which falls on Mon & Tue (again a long weekend)

Again, the opportunity for me to be with my beloved family & reflecting on life as a whole.

How I cherish these holiday moments with my family. Just being with them gives me great pleasure.

I took the opportunity to drive back to my wife's hometown in Kota Bharu. That is 480KM away from Kuala Lumpur. It has been a good 3 years that I did not go back to my mother (in-laws) place. The last time I went back was when my late mother (in law) past away in Nov 2010. I managed to pray at my favourite surau (Kg Teluk Chat, Wakaf Che Yeh).

I have a request that I made to Allah. This time, if Allah grant my wish, I will do 1 day fasting for thanking Allah. I have faith that Allah will grant my wish. The only question is..when?

My three daughters nowadays, where ever they go, they will bring a book. They are all reading books "The series of Unfortunate events" by Lemony Snicket. There are 13 books alltogether. That spurred me to also read a book.

I am currently reading a book "In the hands of the Taliban" by Yvonne Ridley. This is a story about a lady from Britain who was caught by the Talibans just after 9/11. She was a war journalist. But Allah gave her hidayah & she fell in love with Islam. She is currently an anti-war activist & a practicing Muslim.

How wonderful Islam is if we truly know how to submit ourselves to the only GOD - Allah.

I also discovered that there is a huge difference between "I have to do it" and "I want to do it". That is the level of sincerity in doing things. I want to do it gives the inner strength to push you to the limit. And if we can channel/focus our energy for the sake of Allah... masyaallah.. what an achievement.. Wow!! EVERYTHING we do is considered IBADAH

If I say.. I have to perform prayers (solat) & compare it with I want to perform solat (for the sake of Allah).. The energy level is different.
If I say.. I have to exercise 3 times a-week & compare it with I want to exercise 3 times a-week (for the sake of Allah), the result is different.

Enough for now, let us finish with doa.. May Allah grant us goodness in this world & the hereafter.. Ameen

LEGOLAND & blessings from Allah

This particular posting is about Syukur (Thanking & counting my blessings) to Allah.

On 25th January 2013, my family & I, we went to Malaysian International theme park, The LEGOLAND. It is in the south most of Peninsular Malaysia, at a place called Nusajaya, in the state of Johor.

We travel to JB & stopped over for window shopping at JPO (Johor Premier Outlet). Then off we went to LEGOLAND. The weather was very hot that day & the children had so much fun. I did not go on the main roller coaster ride as I am afraid that the excitement might have an effect on my "operated" heart.

Anyway, I thank Al-mighty Allah that I have the opportunity to be able to go to this place. I can never (& will never) count the blessings that Allah has given me & my family to this date.

Recently, I have been revisiting all 163 of my previous postings and review my position & what I have written. Whatever I write & promise to do, I will continue to do. To continue to do good deeds & to always remember Allah. To read the Quran & to learn Arabic in order to enhance my understanding of the revelation. To always know that whatever Allah has bestowed upon me is the BEST for me & Allah is the ALL Knowing.

I will not get what I wanted, but rest assured that I WILL ALWAYS GET WHAT I NEEDED.

All praise be to ALLAH. I bear witness that there is no God but ALLAH & Muhammad SAW is the messenger of ALLAH.

You are my Sustainer, Nourisher, Maker, Creator. Please give me the strength to be your slave until the last breath of my life. Protect me from syaitan & give me the strength to do what pleases you & abstain from the ones that displeases you.

Ameen ya rabbal alameen.

Maulidur Rasul 12 Rabiul Awal 1433 (24 Jan 2013)

I am writing this post to remember Maulidul Rasul Muhammad SAW. His birthday is on 12 Rabiulawal each year.

I have been listening to series of lectures by Mufti Ismail Musa Menk on a CD given by a dear friend.
These series of lectures is about the sirah of Rasulullah SAW that Mufti Menk wrote specific regarding the life of Rasulullah SAW - the finest creation that Allah has made for all of us to follow.

In our 2 kalimah syahadah- Muslims bear witness that there is NO God to worship but ALLAH & Muhammad is the messanger of ALLAH. The 2 kalimahs is our belief. If we belief in ONE and do not believe the other, then we are not among the believers (Muslimeen). May Allah gather us to be a true Muslim & grant us Jannah.

Interestingly, what we can conclude from the Sirah is that, we as humans can only make dakwah & make doa that, what we do will influence/convince other people. But, the hidayah comes from Allah.

Similarly, in our day-to-day life, we can only manage things that are in our control/influence. What we cannot control, we make doa & leave it to Allah to determine the results. There is an English saying that "You can bring the horse to the river, but you can never force the horse to drink the water" 

Similarly with people, you can tell them what they should be doing, but you can never have full control of what they do 24/7. This concept is what makes a lot of people STRESSFUL. They always believe that they are in FULL CONTROL in their efforts & outcomes. The ALLAH factor has always been neglected & replaced by ME factor alone.

Rasulullah made dakwah in Makkah, but hidayah came in Madinah. You make effort in one thing, only to find out the outcome/result was transformed into another thing.

I write this blog to share my thoughts & experience in order that my writings are shared among fellow Malaysians. That was why my writings are in Malay language. But off late, when I checked my audience, the highest readers of my blog came from NORWAY. Mashaallah... I know no one from Norway. I never dream that my blog is read by people 15,000KM across the globe.
It is Allah that transformed this outcome. I do not know whether this phenomena will continue or will not, but I am really amazed with the statistics.

I have readers from United States, but I am not that surprised, because in US, English is widely used. Internet access is at it's maturity level & there are many Muslims in the US.  But Norway, with them speaking Norwegian & I write mainly about IngatAllah (remember Allah), Kerja (My work), Anak2 (my children) & Manchester United... never in my wildest imagination that this will happen.

Imagine, a person saying to me when I first blog in Jul 2008, your blog followers are highest from Norway, I say to them that "you are crazy". They are half way round the globe & I have no friends there, how can that be. This shows that nothing is impossible when it comes to Allah. He is the Almighty.

Back to Maulud Nabi, I make doa that everyone of us will make Rasulullah SAW their "role model" & follow his sunnah, however small it is, as he is the examplary to humans to be successful in this world & the hereafter. There is never an example that WEALTH will lead to TOTAL happiness & peacefullness. Rasulullah never live in a mansion & nor did he have the best vehicle (horse at the time) for us to follow. But his closeness to Allah & his followers (us including) with all sincerity, is the solution to life in this world & the hereafter.

Salawat & salam to Rasulullah SAW (Peace be upon him)

Ham Radio - handler 9M2HH

I am a member of MARTS (Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitter's Society). My callsign is 9M2HH.

I was introduced by my late father about this group of people who has licence to operate CB (Citizen Band) Radio. For whatever reason, they called this CB Radio "Ham Radio". It is a hobby whereby they can operate a base radio station that can receive (as well as transmit) radio signals to the whole world.

Before the Government can allow these things, who must obtain a valid licence & you must pass 2 tests.
1. RAE (Radio Amateur Examination) which consists of 2 parts
(a) Basic Radio theory - that covers the technical knowledge of the applicant
(b) International Communication Law - that covers the International Law pertaining to transmitting radio waves to the world
2. Morse Code test (2 parts)
(a) Able to transmit Morse Code signal 12 words/minute
(b) Able to receive Morse Code signal 12 words/minute

My late father was very much into this stuff in 1988. That was the year I started working. He convinced me to join him into taking the RAE test in 1992. I obliged. I passed and he failed. After that, he asked me to proceed taking the Morse Code test (you have to pass RAE before you can take Morse Code test). He is very good in Morse Code, as he was in Military when he was young. He could send/receive Morse Code close to 30 words/ minute, that is nearly 3 times the passing speed!

He told me only concentrate in receiving Morse Code, do not take too much effort in transmitting Morse Code. He was RIGHT. I passed the Morse Code & the Government gave me a Full Amateur Radio Licence by the callsign 9M2HH in 1993.

It took my late father 3 more RAE tests before he passed his RAE. I did gave him lecture in basic electronics theory, but at the age of 60, I realised that he could not absorb a lot that I taught him. His 4th RAE test, I got him past papers of RAE & asked him to just memorize the answers as the RAE test is choosing multiple answer questions (objective). It finally worked in 1996. He (father) passed his Morse Code test with flying colors. His callsign is 9M2MX.

Back to me, 9M denotes Malaysia while 2 denotes West Malaysia. HH is unique to me. Hotel-Hotel, Honolulu-Hawaii, Harry-Houdini, Huru-Hara was what I called myself when I talk on the air with fellow hams. But my radio & antenna could only go as far as Thailand/Singapore/Indon. I made the antenna together with dad for free. This 9M for Malaysia is also the callsign for every aeroplane. If you notice at the tail of say Malaysia Airlines plane, there is 9M-xxx label attached to it. xxx can be any character/numeric. If the plane is from UK, then Ax-xxx, US Ax-xxx,  Norway JW-xxx.
 
My late father, he bought a set & antenna that has gone to the entire world (using sky-wave). America, Japan, Soviet Russia, Europe were among the countries that he has made contact with. Once you have established contact with your counterpart, they compliment each other by sending QSL cards. My father has a lot of these cards, while I have mainly local ones to show.

When he passed away in 2006, there were MANY amateur radio friends that came to the house/mosque to give their last respect to PakMus 9M2MX. He was top 3, as far as Morse Code speed competition is concerned. After his death, his radio sets (HF, VHF & UHF) has been silent. Mine too, because every time I try to operate the radio sets, they really remind me of him. I have not been on air since 2006!

Al-Fatihah to "abah" @ PakMus @ 9M2MX.