Reflections of year 2014

I had the time to reflect on what has happened to me in 2014.

It has been a fabulous year, full of joy and laughter for me, just like the previous years.

I have been blessed with such good fortunes. No doubt there are challenges, but I consider them decorations that make this life so very wonderful and colourful.

My deen (relation with Allah), my family, my work, my team Man Utd (passion) has been very good indeed.

I thank Allah for ALL these. Let it continue with ALL the good things in life.

This whole life, I consider it as a journey. Meeting all kinds of people along the way. Young and old, good and bad.

But the pitiful site is that many people are seeking for pleasures that are temporary and short term. They become very impatient and materialistic. The emotions are constantly being fed with high expectations and this becomes a recipe of negative feelings and emptiness.

If I may just share with everyone, until and unless this heart is filled with the remembrance of Allah, it will NEVER attain peacefulness & satisfaction.

We end up worshipping the gift and not the GIVER. We end up filling our hearts with our desires/goals and not Allah's. We make doa of what we WANT and not what we NEED.

So, if we did not get the gift, then we become frustrated and angry.

Hey! Wait a minute. What are we trying to ultimately achieve here? The pleasure of Allah... not our own pleasures which are temporary and short-term.

Detachment from dunya is NOT that you own nothing, but NOTHING OWNS you except Allah.

So do not be deceived by this worldly things. Fill our hearts with ALLAH. Remember Him and be conscience of His presence ALL the time. Definitely we will achieve PEACE!!

Aamiin.

Man Utd vs Liverpool BPL game 2014/15

Manchester United vs Liverpool matches are always considered something special here in Malaysia.

This is because, if you combine the fans from both these 2 teams and compare against fans that support other English teams, then MU&Pool fans outnumber the rest.

The 2 teams won more domestic trophies than any other clubs and the tradition goes back many many years ago.

As I grow older (but not necessarily wiser), I could not care less who wins this classic game.

3 points and a bragging rights is for grabs.

I predict a MU win based on current form.

High Expectations

Expectations are always high when you deal with High Ranking officers (like company CEOs) as they want the organisation to excel.

Nothing wrong with it. But High expectations WITHOUT Allah in the equation usually brings a lot of tension, frustration, confusion and unnecessary negative feelings.

Mukmins must remember that there are 2 components when we do things:-
1. If Allah permits
2. Our own efforts

When we execute things in order to achieve a certain objective, we have to do our best and make dua to Allah to achieve it. Then the execution becomes complete.

If we have done our level best and we achieve the objective, thank Allah for the success.

If we have done our level best, but still did not achieve the objective, then Allah did not permit it due to His All Knowing. He has something better for you.

If we have NOT done our best and we achieve the objective, thank Allah but be conscience that next time we must give our best because we got lucky this time.

Most of the time, we pity people who have high expectations, and are constantly leading a life full of tense and never at peace.

Make dua to Allah to protect us from the above. Aamiin.

Comparison between MU under Moyes and LVG

Comparing Man Utd under LVG and Moyes on a game to game, there is not much difference in terms of points collected up until 14 games.

Both have collected almost the same points. The only difference is the style of play, where you can see that MU under LVG plays much faster pace and with greater determination.

It will be a very long and tough season and I still stick to my prediction that Man Utd will finish among the top 5.

In the mean time, enjoy the matches. Man Utd can only get better as the players blend in and positive results will definitely come.

LIFE is like a DOUBLE EDGE SWORD

It is a Friday afternoon, and heavy rain in KL..

Yes, heavy rain reminds us of challenges in life... never ask for a lighter rain. Just pray to Allah for a better umbrella.

That should be the attitude! When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.

Life in NOT about finding the right person, but creating the right RELATIONSHIP.

It is not how we care in the beginning, but how we care till the very end.

Some people will throw stones in your path. It all depends on what you make with them. Be like the bridge, you are the architect of your life.

Search for a GOOD HEART, do not search for a beautiful face. Because beautiful things are not always good, but GOOD THINGS are ALWAYS beautiful.

Often we lose hope in life and think it is the end... Remember Allah, it is just the MEANS.. the end will be the akhirat

Have iman and have a successful life.

Allah gives, gives and forgives
Human gets, gets and forgets

This cannot be coincidence in life:-
1. LIFE has 4 letters so does DEAD
2. HATE has 4 letters so does LOVE
3. ENEMIES has 7 letters so does FRIENDS
4. LYING has 5 letters so does TRUTH
5. HURT has 4 letters so does HEAL
6. NEGATIVE has 8 letters so does POSITIVE
7. FAILURE has 7 letters so does SUCCESS
8. BELOW has 5 letters so does ABOVE
9. CRY has 3 letters so does JOY
10.ANGER has 5 letters so does HAPPY
11.RIGHT has 5 letters so does WRONG
12.RICH has 4 letters so does POOR
13.FAIL has 4 letters so does PASS
14.KNOWLEDGE has 9 letters so does IGNORANCE

Are all of them CO-INCIDENCE?

We should choose wisely, as LIFE is like a DOUBLE EDGE SWORD.

If you think the ALARM CLOCK woke you up, try putting it beside a dead body. Allah's mercy wake us up every morning. So be GRATEFUL!

Ya Rabb, please2 keep us among the people who are GRATEFUL to you...Aamiin

A few of Allah's slaves.....

I have a distant friend who NEVER complain. I NEVER hear him complain about anything.

He just accept things as it comes. Some people call him a "blur" guy.

Recently I asked him "Why are you not complaining?"
He answered "Why should I? Whatever happens in this world has a reason by Allah. He knows best"

Masyaallah...I began to respect him so very HIGHLY. By not complaining, this friend of mine shows really HIGH GRATITUDE towards Allah.

I remember 1 ayat in Quran, Surah AsSaba':13 "..a few of my slaves are GRATEFUL"

On the contrary, I seach for "most people" in the Holy Quran and found
1. do not know
2. do not give thanks
3. do not believe

And if you search for "most of them", I found
1. defiantly disobidient
2. ignorant
3. turn away
4. do not listen

I made a quick survey of the the surroundings now. Almost everyone complained in one way or the other. With social media, the amount of complains increased exponentially.

Ya Rabb,make us among a few of your slaves. Make us remember you, being grateful to you and serving you in order to seek your pleasure...

Aamiin.  

Ya Allah.. continue guide us...

Sometimes ideas to write come easily without even thinking...

Allah owns everything in this world & the next. Our body and soul belongs to Allah.

We do not own anything. We shall return to HIM one day.

So have no worries. This life is a test for all of us. When our time comes, we have to return to Allah, whether we are ready or otherwise.

We have to be prepared to part and return to him.

Allah has given us the guidance in the form of Quran & Rasul. We are to follow them if we want to be successful and return to HIM successfully.

There is a reward waiting for us in our PERMANENT home. There is also punishment.

The best of all people are the people of taqwa. They live the life according to Allah's instructions. They find peace in this world and the hereafter.

These people, nobody own them. They only strive for the pleasure from Allah.

The people of taqwa, Allah protect them. Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Allah.

They know that Allah is the ONE that gives them guidance. They check themselves as not to be ARROGANT, but to be a humble slave of Allah.

"Ya Rabb..guide me to your straight path. Do not let us stray away. Accept us to be your slave Ya Allah. Save us from the fire of jahannam"

Life is like a roller coaster ride..

Life is like a roller coaster.. there will be highs and lows.. that is what makes it interesting. So accept life as it is..not perfect unfair at times

This dunya life is a testing ground.. there will be easy tests and there will be difficult ones..

There will be 2 extremes of emotions in life
1. being too confident and becomes arrogant
2. having no confidence and become hopeless and give up

Do not fall into these 2 extreme emotions. Always check yourself to be confident but not arrogant. Argue with facts and keep your emotions at check.

When speaking, think of 3 things:-
1. Am I speaking the truth?
2. It is necessary?
3. Is it kind?

So, our main objective is when you are at your low -> still perform the BARE MINIMUM
And when you are at your High -> make sure your high is higher than before

This tactic can pull you through this roller coaster life.

Just sharing with my friends... Greetings of a new hijri year to all Muslim friends

I am still blogging....

When I look back at my first blog posting in Jul 2008, I began to reflect back to those times.

It has been 6 years and 250 postings since I first blog. And I am still blogging. Masyaallah..

I realise from surah AlAsr that I have to do 4 essential things. They are:-
1. Believe (iman)
2. Do good deeds (amal soleh)
3. Remind of the righteous (tawasa bil haq)
4. Remind of patience (tawasa bil sabr)

Blog writing is the 2 last bit.

Not only that, I have to constantly check my intentions and it must be SINCERE. Also I must stay HUMBLE and remember that I am the slave of Allah.

What Allah has bestowed and given to me is the best for me and I have to always be GRATEFUL for all these blessings..

Ya Rabb, I make dua that you continue to guide me and all mankind towards your deen. You are the ONE that we all need.
Aamiin.

A gift from a distance neighbour via my blog..

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dbhudmz085kr3gd/A_Gift_from_your_Neighbour.pdf?dl=0

Thank you

My Aidil Adha 1435H and seeking the ultimate "PEACE"..

I am continuing my hafazan on Juz Amma and have now reached Surah Al Infitar (Surah82)

Alhamdulillah, I can hafaz the surah now and I thank Allah for giving me the guidance. The beautiful thing is that I achieved it on the day of 10th Zulhijjah (Aidil Adha).

The takbir, tahmid and tahlil follows the joy of having to hafaz this wonderful surah

I also wanted to share with you the observation that I recently discovered about us humans. We are all ultimately trying to seek "success and peace of mind" in our life.

But we always seek the wrong indicator. Wealth, status and power are the common benchmark in this material world.

No..No seek no further. By abiding to the true teachings of Allah will this heart be at peace...

Ya Allah, I seek your power to guide me to the straight path... Please Ya Rabb.. grant me my doa and make me among the people of success..

Aamiin

Surah Al Ankabuut 45~52

I find another surah that I should share with ALL.

Surah Al Ankabuut from ayat 45 until ayat 52.

If I can compress it, it is about the Quran that is being given to us from Allah azzawajal.

Because I confine myself to write in a very simplistic manner, I will pick ayat 50 & 51 of Suran Al Ankabuut:-
50 - And they (Bani Israel) say "Why are they no signs from your Rabb?"....
51 - Well, does it not suffice (enough) that We have sent down this Book upon you which is recited to them?...

The Quran is ENOUGH to give us ALL a clear sign that Allah is our Rabb and we rely on Him alone. It is such a devine book that it is THE PROOF for those who believe. It enhances the believe system. But we must first seek the proper knowledge to truely understand deeply what Allah is saying in the Quran.

I know in this very short writing, I cannot make people be convinced about the power that Quran possess. It is not my intention to convince you.

The central theme is that, we have to make the effort to really understand the Quran.

Once you understand, it becomes a magnet that you are just attracted to it and wanting to seek more..

Make doa to Allah, that He gives all of US the strength to have the understanding of Quran until the last breath that we take.

Aamiin

Surah2 that starts with letters (Muqattaat)

This time I am writing to remind myself of the power of AlQuran.

I have been mesmerised by its content and word structure of this miraculous book. No doubt that it is not written by a human.

I made a research on the surah in the Quran that starts with alphabet. There are 29 surahs in this category. They call this as Muqattaat. In ALL instances, the ayat after the alphabet explains about the Quran.

Masyaallah.. a reminder to us all that Quran is indeed the book from Allah, our Maker.
I pray hard to Allah, please Ya Rabb, do not let me go astray from the guidance that you have given to me.

Their meanings remain unclear and are considered by most Muslims to be divine secrets.

Please make me be from the people of taqwa and please let me be your slave that worship you at ALL times.

Aamiin

Visiting relatives and pondering the Greatness of Allah

This posting is about me having visited my relatives yesterday.

I went to visit my relatives at 3 different places.
1. An uncle, who is at a nursing home
2. An distant aunt, who is also my late mother's close friend, at her house
3. My late distant cousin's family

All these 3 visits made me realise how short life is. It also made me think that we are all growing old and eventually will  die to return to Allah and meet Him.

All of the above relatives are close to my late mother. When I started talking about the good times they had with my mother, tears flow from their eyes and that made me sad. But, that also made me happy as all of us had the opportunity to treasure those very precious moments and remember that only Allah is ever lasting.

I hope that I have many more opportunities like this in order to cherish those moments with my relatives and friends.

And let us remember that Allah is the Greatest and we will be DEFINITELY be returning to Him. 
    

My loving daughters

I have not written about my daughters for some time.

They have all grown up.

The first one is now in Auckland, New Zealand. She should be mature and independent now. Just have to learn about life and experience it on her own.

The second one is studying architecture in UiTM, Shah Alam. She is acquiring skills to be a very good achitect, and I see great talent in her.

The third & forth are still schooling, and I make a point to recite Quran with them 3 times in a week. I sincerely hope the third one will finish (khatam) the Quran before Eidil Adha this year. That is my target for her.

As a father, I will support them and make doa for them to make the best of life in this world.

I seek Allah's power to guide them to the right path and enter jannah together.

Aameen.

BPL season 2014/15 - predictions

Manchester United under Luis Vaal Gaal (LVG) is in a period of transition. It will take time before MU will a force again.

Many wannabe pundits (including me) want to give their prediction at the start of each season.

So here goes, for BPL top 7, I will stick to the same teams as last season. But the order will be different.
1. Chelsea
2. Man City
3. Liverpool
4. Arsenal
5. Man Utd
6. Spurs
7. Everton

This comes from me. I am no pro pundit.

It is going to be a long season with many twists and turns.

I will support MU and cheer for them in every match.

Enjoy the season. 

Electricity demand Peninsular Malaysia 2014

I have not written about my work for some time.

But, I made a stand not to dwell to much on my work, as my strong believe is that Islam is VERY much important than work.

Anyway, just to update on electricity demand in Peninsular Malaysia, which is very much have an impact on my organisation's Capital Expenditure.

The growth is 2.0%, the second lowest in the history of electricity growth since 1990. The lowest was at 1.7% recorded in 2008 (economic crisis year). 2014 was never a slowdown year, but as far as electricity demand is concerned, the manufacturing sector has slowed down and the service sector has dominated the economic scene. But service sector does not require large amount of electricity.

My prediction for 2014 electricity growth was between 2.5-3.3%. It turned out to be on the high side.

Next year, with the introduction of GST by the Malaysian Government, my prediction is NOT more than 2.5% max.

May Allah help Malaysia in the coming challenging years....

Come to Allah.. He is waiting for us

I am extracting some common themes that I gather from the Quran.

The many Makki surahs, Allah repeatedly remind us that He has the power to resurrect people who have died. There are numerous ayats that confirms that Allah has the power to resurrect dead people, just like He can make the earth back to life again by sending water from the sky to the dead and barren land. This is easy to Allah.

We, as slaves of Allah, must strongly believe in the akhirah. The day that we will all be judged on our deeds and we will be rewarded or punished.

Remember that the mercy of Allah is much-much bigger than His wrath. Always seek repentance, as Allah is Most Forgiving, even if you think that what you have done is so bad that Allah will not forgive.

Do not ever think that way!! Allah is so Merciful that He can forgive ALL your sins. Have that believe in your mind. Make doa that Allah forgive our sins. Best way to make repentance is during 1/3 of the night (before Fajr). Seek Allah's mercy. He is waiting for you, always waiting for you to come to Him.

Dear friends, come back to Allah and always remember Him in whatever circustances. He will DEFINITELY remember and protect you. If a calamity befalls you, always know that He is testing you for your own good. Tests are made to make you strong and draw you nearer to Him.

Remember Allah... Make doa... Aameen

My Ramadan and Eid 1435H

It has been awhile since I last posted on my blog.

This Ramadan 1435H has been a very challenging year.

I approached this year's Ramadan in a mild way. I wanted this Ramadan to have a lasting effect on me.

The fasting, Isya' jemaah (+ tarawikh) prayers and the reciting of Quran are all done in a small but consistent manner.

I wish that what I did during Ramadan is almost the same as what I did in other months, eventhough what we do in Ramadan has a multiplying factor.

I still feel that the main intention of Ramadan is to obtain taqwa, and if I can continue doing what I did during Ramadan in other months, that in itself is an increase in taqwa.

Alhamdulillah, with small but consistent deeds, I hope that these deeds are continuous until the day I return to Allah. The Aed Fitri is also the same. It was celebrated in a moderation manner. The main agenda of Eid is remembering Allah who has given us so much.

May the training in Ramadan has a lasting effect on me and on all Muslims.

Aameen. 

My FIFA World Cup prediction.. the conclusion

On the last 2 of the FIFA World Cup 2014
1 out of 3 South American teams are still in (Arg)
1 out of 5 European teams is still in (Ger)

The champions is Germany! Which is still in my prediction list when the WC2014 started!

After Germany beat Brasil; my heart strongly feel that Germany will be Champions!

Congratulations to Germany. They are a wonderful team. That should be the way if a country wants to be World Champions.

The two substitutes combined well to create and score the goal in extra time.

I thoroughly enjoy the tournament. Football is the outright winner.

Until 2018 in Russia.

My FIFA World Cup predictions... until last 8 and last 4

On the last 8 of the FIFA World Cup 2014

2 out of 3 South American teams are still in (Bra, Arg)
1 out of 5 European teams is still in (Ger)
No more African teams.


On the last 4 of the FIFA World Cup 2014
 2 out of 3 South American teams are still in (Bra, Arg)
1 out of 5 European teams is still in (Ger)

So my prediction still stands.

Whatever happens, happens......

Be Confident and stay humble

I want to differentiate between being arrogance and confidence.

Arrogance, is where you
1. are impressed with yourself
2. think you are better than others

Confidence, does not have the two above traits, but have all the attributes of arrogance.

It is a very thin line between the two, and Quran teaches us about these 2 traits.

In surah Yusof:55; He (Yusof) said "Appoint me over the treasures of the land, surely I am watchful, knowing"

In surah Yusof:56; And thus did We give power to Yusof in the land. He established himself wherever he liked. We caused Our mercy to reach whom We will. And We waste not the reward of the doers of good. 

If you are good in a certain field, it is okay to promote yourself and volunteer to hold a certain key post. But, remember NOT to have to be IMPRESSED with yourself and DO NOT think that you are better than others and belittle them.

May this be a lesson to all, and may Allah grant us confidence and stay humble.

After all, we are all slaves of Allah

Some positive things to do... you will attain peace

HATE NO ONE, no matter how much they have wronged you

FORGIVE people who have wronged you

Live HUMBLY, no matter how wealthy you are

Think POSITIVELY, no matter how hard life is

GIVE, eventhough you have little

Keep in TOUCH, with people you know, eventhough they do not call or visit you

Make DOA for the people you love, eventhough they do not remember you

My prediction so far.... FIFA World Cup 2014

FIFA 2014 after the group matches:-
Group A Mexico replaces Croatia (Bra,Mex)
Group B Chile replaces Spain (Ned,Chi)
Group C No surprises (Col,Gre)
Group D England & Italy out (CRC, Uru)
Group E No surprises (Fra,Sws)
Group F Nigeria replaces Bosnia (Arg, Nig)
Group G US replaces Portugal (Ger,USA)
Group H No surpises (Bel,Alg)

My prediction so far:-
3 out of 3 South American past winners are still in (Bra,Arg,Uru)
2 out of 5 European team are still in (Ger,Fra)
African team will do well. 2 out of 5 are still in (Nig, Alg)

4 teams have maximum points (Ned,Col,Arg,Bel)
4 teams have minimum points (Gre,Nig,USA,Alg)

Surprise team is Costa Rica. Most impressive team is to me Columbia
Let us continue....

Surah Al-Adiyat (100th Surah)

Another awesome surah that I wanted to share is Surah Adiyat (100th Surah).

The first 5 of out 11 ayat is about a story.

A story of a fast galloping horse which was breathing as it was moving very fast. It was so fast that sparks came out from it's feet. It was on the way to attack something in the morning. You know when you are attacking in the morning it is like you are in a mission impossible as people usually attack at night. And debris came from the horse giving a signal that is it fast approaching. And this super fast horse came straight in the middle of the enermy line.

Wow! What a sight. This is a story of a very fast horse approaching it's enermy, not even slowing down as it approached it's enermy and went straight in, kind of like a Japanese kamikaze warplane. This horse knew that it was going to die, but it did just what the Master asked him to do...

This is Allah's oath. The first 5 ayats are Allah's oath. But the main subject is in the 6th ayat.

"Most truly, man is not grateful to his Master". This is what Allah is emphasizing.

Man is not like the horse in this Surah's story. The horse was sacrificing everything for it's master. But the way this ayat was structured, was to get the attention of the pagan Arabs (kind of like an action movie) before the subject is being delivered.

After getting the attention and the rhymes, the real message was revealed.

Yes, mankind are ungrateful to their Master. This is the message of the Surah - Ungrateful to the Master. After what the Master has done to the slaves, the slaves are ungrateful to the Master.

If we just read the English translation, we will not get the true deep understanding of this ayat. We will not be able to appreciate the beautiful liguistic structure of the Quran.

You have to learn Arabic. And you must also learn the old Arabic history in order to REALLY2 appreciate this ayat.

May Allah grant us the deep understanding of Quran and may we really belong to the people of taqwa.

ps. There is another lesson learnt from this Surah. When we want to present something effectively, start with a "good" story to get the audience attention. Then deliver the message... POWERFUL technique. But remember to consider who is the audience and their level of understanding when relating the "good story".

Ramadan 1435H

Ramadan is coming again.

This is a month long practicl course is to train us and elleviate our level of taqwa.

I hope that everyone is ready for Ramadan. Special mention to my friends in Norway. They will have to fast for 18 hours daily because this Ramadan falls on a summer. It is not only abstain from eat and drink, it is also to check on our good deeds and minimise our bad deeds.

May Allah give you strength to fullfil your obligation to Allah.

One word of advice, try doing things that you can continue doing after Ramadan. And do it FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH

Ameen.... 

You must make the EFFORT FIRST, then make doa...

As I read the Quran & the tafseer as well, I am sharing with you my most impactful discovery.

In Surah Fatihah: 5 "Only to you we enslave and only to you we seek assistance"
This surah, we read all the time. But what I REALLY realize is that, we must worship & enslave ourselves to ALLAH FIRST, before we make doa and tawakkal to Him.

We must make the FIRST move and effort, before Allah's help come into the picture. That is the process. If we fullfil our duties correctly, then for SURE, Allah will fulfil His promise.

In Surah Baqarah:186 ".. I (Allah) will respond to the doa when he (slaves)calls on Me. So let them (slaves) obey Me and believe in Me.."

If you just make doa, without any effort AND you do not do what Allah asked you to do, FOR SURE, you doa will NOT be granted.

Remember..You MUST make the effort first, then only Allah's help will come.

Amazing! Now, that we know how the process goes, it is crystal clear what we should be doing..
Let us enslaves ourselves to Allah..

Do your best (to Allah) and He will do the rest for you.

Ameen  

FIFA World Cup 2014 prediction

FIFA World Cup 2014 is just around the corner.

Before the start of any tournament, the fans love to discuss and predict who will win the converted trophy.

I love football. But during any World Cup, I do not stay up to watch the matches. I only get the results and follow the tournament as it progresses. I only watch Manchester United play. Manchester United players have players in 9 different countries which I leave it at that.

Here is my prediction. The winner will be among the past winners. 5 from Europe and 3 from South America. I also predict that the 5 African teams will be the surprise teams. Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Algeria and Ghana.

Brazil won on European soil, while Spain won on African soil. But on South American soil (minus Mexico), the winner are two team - Uruguay (Uruguay-1932, Brazil-1950) and Argentina (Argentina-1978).

So, the obvious choice to pick for the winner is - Brazil.

If they win, it is expected. But if they lose, then it is an upset. In Felipe Scolari, they have a very experienced manager.

In Malaysia, with Brazil hosting the World Cup and the time difference is -11 hours, the matches are played in the early morning of day. Expect productivity to drop as many people will take the opportunity to watch the matches with ALL matches to be screen LIVE. Matches will be at 12am, 3am, 6am and 9am Malaysia time.

Let the tournament begin.  

Money and material does not necessary lead to true happiness

This seeking of happiness through acquiring more money and material things is a total misconception.

There are 3 main reason for this misunderstanding

1. Acquiring material gain will make people more greedy. There is no limit to ones greed. If someone wants one million, once he achieve one million, he will seek to acquire the second million and so on... Very few people know when to stop and  say enough is enough

2. The person will get more and more worried as the wealth he has acquired will need be protected. He will not happy and at peace as he is constantly worrying about how to protect his money in order not to become lesser.

3. The process of accumulating huge wealth will most definitely affect other people. In big businesses, there will be a large tendency when we hurt and become unjust to other people when trying to achieve our goal of huge profits. We tend to have many enemies along the way.

So my dear friends, to achieve true happiness is to have a pure heart. To have a pure heart, we must have faith in Allah and remember Him at ALL times. When Allah is close to our hearts, then we must do good deeds to other human beings (amal soleh) and this 2 main actions will lead to total happiness and peace.

I am not saying that money and material is bad. But the OBSESSION of accumulating money and wealth can and will lead astray by syaitan.

Let money and material things be the means to get the pleasure of Allah as well as the pleasure of other people. Do not let money and material control you. You control them.. Ameen

PS: If you have faith in Allah, Allah will make it easy for you to get the wealth in a quantity that you need, NOT the quantity that you WANT..

Journey of recovery from knee operation

As my journey to fully recover from the right knee operation slowly takes shape, I look at the healing process as a peaceful journey with me and my Rabb (Allah).

I am doing pysiotheraphy three times a week. The knee can now bend a bit and I can walk again, but slowly with crutches.

I began to feel the bond with my Maker. I also realise that He is the Most Merciful and He is also the Most Powerful in the entire Universe. It is like you are a dear friend to someone VERY POWERFUL.

It is the feeling of asking for mercy from the MOST Merciful, but one must also realise that THE MAKER is also the ultimate MASTER. He calls the shots. He knows what is good for you, eventhough you might think that something bad has happened to you.

This feeling of hope plus fear is a resultant of a slave to a POWERFUL Master. The Master is pleased with you and you are pleased with HIM. That is the ultimate aim.

In order to please Him, follow the life of Rasulullah SAW and also follow the teachings in the Quran. That is the correct path.

One must realise that the life ends with us being dead. But death is the journey towards returning back to the Master to either be rewarded or be punished.

Ya Rabb, I make doa to You to give me guidance, in order for me to return back to You in a way that pleases You.

Amin....

Updating blog, similar to Doogie Howser MD

Whenever I write something on my blog, it reminds me of a TV series that I watched in the late 1980s.

The TV series was "Doogie Howser.M.D". It was a story about a 16 year-old who became the youngest licensed doctor in the US.

The thing about this teenage doctor, at the end of every episode, he would write a diary on his computer. No doubt that the computer back then (1989) is not as advanced as today. But, this doctor documented whatever he learnt from his life.
So whenever I updated my blog, the feeling of documenting my findings in life is being shared with others.

Thank you all and Thank you Allah

Surah Furqan:30 and Surah Sad:29 - powerful verses

Another 2 verses in the Quran that I find very awesome and powerful.

Surah Furqan:30 - And the messenger will say" Oh my Rabb! Surely my people took this Quran as a thing that is abandoned"

This is a scene whereby as Rasulullah & the people of Iman are marching towards paradise, and Allah asked His messenger to say something. What Rasulullah said is that there will be many people among his ummah that took the Quran and abandon it.

We should be referring to the Quran as a means of guidebook to us in life towards peace and paradise. Instead, in this modern life, Quran is only referred to during times of ritual and worship.
This is the word of our Maker and yet, we take the Quran very lightly. We take our logical and "reasonable" reasoning in our daily decision making. What a waste!

There is another power ayat in the Holy Quran. Surah Sad:29 "A book (Quran), that we have sent down to you (Muhammad saw), full of blessings, that they may ponder over its verses, and those who are endowed with understanding may take heed (from it)".

Masyaallah, this Quran. It has so many things inside it. Blessings, lessons, guidance, peace and we abandon it.

Come, my friends. Take a little bit of time to read the Quran, understand the meaning, summarise the lesson learnt and put it into practice. We will definitely find peace in our life in this world and the hereafter.

Recuperating after operation on ACL by reading books & remember Allah

The doctors did a reconstruction of my knee on the 7th May 2014. The operation is very common to footballers and sportsmen. In short, they call this kind of operation ACL ( Anternal Crutiate Ligament).

They knocked me out at 2.15pm and by 5pm, I woke up with my right knee heavily strapped with bandage.

They took a piece of tendon on my thigh. Then they drill holes in my 2 main bones (tibia and fibula). In between the holes in the bones, they run through the tendon and tie the 2 bones together to replace the torn crutiate ligament. At the end of the bones, they use 2 titanium screws to tighten them together.

The operation took 2 hours. But the complete recovery to full knee function will take 6 months (standard).

The 1st 4 to 5 weeks is to make sure I can walk properly without aid (1st phase). Weeks 6 to 15 weeks to ensure that the bones will be as strong as before (2nd phase). Week 16 to 25 is to ensure that the whole knee can be fully functional as before (3rd phase).

I will be on medical leave for the whole of 5 weeks. I have to do pysiotheraphy 3 times a week.

That gave me a lot of time, which I spend reading. I read books and Quran in my spare time. I am fully enjoying my spare time with books.

Allah has given me the oppoturnity of time to really fulfill them with something useful. I am grateful to Allah. It is me, my knee and Allah as my very close friend.

I will share with you some important points that is worth mentioning. Let us all pray to Allah for all the blessings that He he has bestowed to all of us..

We might not realize that something happen for a reason and Allah is the ALL knowing. Whatever happened to us is for a reason. We just have to look further, and find that a bad thing is actually good for you, if you give trust to Allah.

Amin 

Asking Allah to forgive our sins on a daily basis - as Allah is Most Merciful

I discovered another powerful ayat that I need to share with my friends.

Surah Azzumar:53-54
In this ayat, Allah Azzawajal said that "Never ever give up in the mercy of Allah, Allah forgives ALL your sins as He is the Most Merciful" "And return to your Lord, and surrender to Him before calamity (death) comes to you, then you cannot be helped"

There are many target groups that can get benefit from this ayat.
For those who want to commit sin, knowing that Allah is Most Merciful, you can try to commit one. But you are taking a huge risk, as you will not know what behold you when you commit sin. When you commit sin, before you can repent, then you will be thrown in the hell-fire.

For those who abstain from committing for the sake of Allah, consciencely knowing that Allah is Most Merciful, you are rewarded huge gains in the akhirat. 

For those who are doing sin and having a large amount of sin, make repentence, as Never ever give up hope from the Mercy of Allah, Allah will forgive ALL your sins.

There you are. Planning to do sin, abstaining from doing sin, committing sin and have committed a lot of sin, everyone will be forgiven, provided you are still alive.

So, brothers and sisters, always make repentence. Make it a daily routine. Does not matter you have committ small sins or huge sins, as Allah is waiting for us to forgive our sins.

He is more loving than a mother that is feeding her infant child. Let us not make repentence to Allah on a daily basis.

"Allah, please forgive me, forgive my parents, forgive my children & forgive All mankind in this World"   Ameen 

BPL Season 2013/14

The BPL season will close in 2 weeks time. There are 3 teams still fighting for the Title. They are Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City.

I know a lot of my friends are Liverpool supporters. They have very little to cheer since MU dominated the English Football since early 1990.

I wish Liverpool fans all the best for their team. Frankly, I do not mind any of the three teams winning. I am indifferent.

But looking at the odds, I think the title is Man City's to lose. They are in the driving seat as they know exactly what they need to do in order to win.

I pity David Moyes for his sacking. I somewhat knew that he will be sacked. His selection of players and tactics are somewhat questioanable. Anyway, I still have a small hope that MU can finish above Spurs in 6th place. No doubt that finishing 6th or 7th will be the lowest position MU achieve for the past 30 years.

Whatever the outcome, it has been a good season of football. Thank you BPL.

Injury in football tournament

I got myself injured playing in a Senior Category Football tournament.

The tournament is called HoD Cup, being played at senior level (above 35 years old), comprising of teams around Peninsular Malaysia in Tenaga Nasional Berhad Transmission Division.

During team selection, I was being chosen to represent HQ1 team.

My original position is the second goalkeeper. But I told the team manager that I can also play as a back-up striker, as I have been a "goal poacher" during my younger days.

I have undergone a major knee operation (PCL) on my left knee in 1988, due to a knee injury that I sustained when I played very fast football during my university student days in England. I also did angio plasty on my main heart artery due to blockage in 2010. So, I am not a fully fit footballer.

It is a good balance team and they made it to the final only to lose on a penalty shoot-out 4-5. I played 2 substitute games from 6 games and managed to score 1 goal.

I sustained the new injury on my RIGHT KNEE and immediately when I got it I knew this is serious.

I can feel that something has torn. It happened on my DOMINANT feet, as the left feet is my DORMANT feet.

The tournament was in Sintok (500KM to the north of KL). When the tournament ended about 2am Sunday morning (27 Apr'14), I went straight to sleep. At around 7am, I drove back to KL with great difficulty. Syukur, I arrived in KL safely.

X-Ray did not show any broken bone, but MRI showed a tear in the cruciate ligament. I will operate my knee scheduled on 7th May 2014. Make doa for me....

Thank you

My cats

This post is for my cats that I have been taking care of, since my eldest daughter went for further studies in NZ.

There are 7 of them all together. The amount of food and effort to take care of them on a daily basis demands some sacrifice.

These cats are also the creations of Allah. They are creatures that are very tame and playful. They wanted us (humans) to caress, stroke and touch them, and they in turn will be very close to us.

But the effort to clean their surroundings is very challenging.

All in all, taking care of all these cats makes me realize that we praise Allah for creating these creatures. It gives us the chance to take good care of them for the sake of the Maker and the Owner of the Universe.

Good deeds to animals will DEFINITELY be reciprocated..

 

This picture was taken during feeding time. All the cats in this picture are females. The male went missing, but it came back 5 minutes later.

Positive attitude at workplace

I have completely changed my attitude towards my work begining 2014.

I have detached myself emotionally from whatever is the outcome of my work. Yes, I have been given a set of KPI (Key Peformance Indicators) for me to deliver my work. But, these KPIs are merely an assessment of my performance.

If I do well, then I am OK. If I do not do well, then I am also OK.

If the boss or other stakeholders make a comment on my work, whether in a positive or a negative way, it is their prerogative. I am all right with it.

I must have the right frame of mind about my scope of work. As a good employee, I must fulfill my role. I must fully understand my role. As a network planner, my main function is to propose a plan.

Whether my plan is being accepted or otherwise is NOT for me to decide. I must ensure that I must come up with the plan that will cover all possible angles and have considered all possible options. I must be able to balance between performance and cost, taking risks into consideration. And I must ensure that the plan is feasible.

This posting is mainly to remind myself that work is work. Never be emotionally attached to the work. If my work is good and I am not being properly acknowledged by my immediate manager, it is completely all right. It must not affect my relationship with Allah.

Because Allah is the ultimate boss. It is the satisfaction of Allah that I am aiming for.

"Taking care, making use and developing the properties of Allah, in the best and correct manner, in accordance to HIS commands" is my main objective

"Jaga, guna and membangunkan harta Allah, dengan baik dan betul, mengikut kehendakNya" itu adalah matlamat kerja saya.

Make doa for me that I can maintain this attitude towards my work. Ameen

Strategy in giving dakwah

I am writing mainly to those people who do dakwah out there.

I have outmost respect for them and I make doa that their efforts are rewarded by Allah azzawajal.
I seriously wanted to be a da'i one day, insyaallah. At the moment my dakwah is confined to my family members and close friends...And whatever I write in my blog.

There are several things that I think must be emphasis when giving dakwah:-

1. We give dakwah, hidayah comes from Allah. What this means is that we only give dakwah. The result of our dakwah is not for us to determine. It is the sole discretion of Allah. It is never a KPI for the one who gives dakwah on how many people that has been transformed into being mukminun. It is not an outcome based. It is the strategy that you adopted when giving dakwah and reaching it to as many people as possible. Follow Rasulullah, in the manner that he gave dakwah in terms of  convincing people that this Islam is for the good of oneself. Allah is not being affected by people not wanting Islam. People need Allah, and Allah does not need people. Sirah Rasulullah, when his very close uncle (guardian) did not join Islam even after many dakwah from Rasulullah.

2. Making doa. If a person makes a doa, and Allah granted that doa, then well and good. But, when doa is not granted, people think that Allah is being unfair. Actually people making dakwah have to emphasis that doa that is not granted  can be the best thing that can happen to you. By you getting what you wanted can spoil you in the coming future. What Allah gave is the best for you. Only in our limited knowledge that we think it is bad for us.

3. Kafir should NOT be treated in a bad way. This is what Rasulullah did. Do good deeds even to the kafirs. Show to them that Islam is the religion of love. Only confront them when they want to go to war with us. If they do good to us, never ever do bad things to them. If they oppress Islam, then will only we react.
 
4. When giving dakwah, do not start with all the don't in Islam. Start with giving all the good and awesome stuff in Islam. Always remind them of the Greatness of Allah and all the wonderful things that Allah has granted to us in this world. Remind them of Rasulullah's positive attitude towards life, with a lot of smile, love and compassion.

5. Always have sabr in the work of Allah. Rasulullah gave dakwah for 23 years. The first 13 years, there was only a handful of people who embrace Islam. But these few people's iman is so very strong because they know with all their heart that Islam is good for them. They believe in Allah, the akhirat, the Quran and Rasul so much that they gave their life for this course.

Masyaallah. If all the da'i can instill these 5 things, I sincerely believe that a lot more people will see Islam as truely wonderful and realise that they wanted to be a Muslim.

Man United and Moyes season 2013/14......

Manchester United season as compared to the past 10 seasons is considered a DISASTER.

The key word in the above statement is "compared to". Because MU has been in the top 2 season for the past 10 years.

After 32 games, they are at 7th place and this is a LOW position considering their outstanding record under Sir Alex Ferguson.

They are still in the European Champions League quarter-finals. A win against the current ECL champions League Bayern Munich looks very unlikely.

The did reach the semi final of the League Cup, losing on penalties to Sunderland (at Old Trafford). They lost in the 3rd round of the FA Cup to Swansea (at Old Trafford). They lost 6 games at home to Liverpool (0-3), Manchester City (0-3), Spurs (1-2), Everton (0-1),
Newcastle (0-1) and West Brom (1-2).

The best position they can achieve is 5th place. They have to climb above Everton & Spurs which is not easy.

Besides the Bayern games, the away game at Everton is very crutial, so are the remaining 6 games of the season.

Anyway, with Moyes' past track record, I do not know whether he still will be MU manager come next season.

But one thing for sure, MU fans have not got this feeling of LOW for a long time. MU fans have long been pampered with trophies and finishing in the top 2, let alone in 7th place.

3-0 defeats to bitter rivals Liverpool and Man City also means that MU fans have lost the bragging rights to their rivals.

Tribute to the late Mr Lawrence How, who is the founder of Man United Supporters Club (Malaysia). He is a truely MU supporter having to run MUSCM on his own initiative, mainly through his passion of Man United. He used to call me "Duxbury", knowing well that Mike Duxbury is one of my favourite MU player of all time. Mike Duxbury is a utility player who can play in any outfield position and he never complaint to the gaffer. A true professional who has 400 over appearances for MU. 

Thank you Man United for all the entertainment that you have given me. I will support MU whatever is their position...

Relation between missing MH370 with Surah At- Takathur

Just connecting the missing MH370 with Surah At-Takathur.

I want to share with people about this really awesome surah. At-Takathur
It is about Plentifulness (wanting more)

Allah reminds us that we (human beings) are all deeply immensed in plentifulness. We want to collect as many things as possible in this world before we eventually die.

Human Plentifulness covers 4 things:-
1. We want as much as we can
2. We want more than others
3. We want to tell to people that I have more than you
4. This "wanting more" is in EVERYONE; be it an individual or large organisation, or even a 6 year-old child.

We will not stop accumulating whatever we want, until we realise that we are going to die.. then we will stop. To test this statement, let us take the current situation of the loss of MH370.

Let us take the perpective from 1) a concerned individual 2) a top media company 3) kindergarten boy.

The concerned individual wants to know as much news and facts as possible on what really happen to the missing aircraft. He definitely wants to know more than other people, at least know the very latest than others. He craves to tell other people that he has more information than others. He will broadcast it in whatever media that he make available. (WhattsAp, Facebook, Twitter etc)

Same goes to this large media company. They will deploy as many resources as possible to cover this SENSATIONAL story.


Let us take the perspective of a 6-year old boy.
1. He wants the latest toy in the store
2. He will compare with his friends, and wants more than what his friends have
3. After achieving this, he will tell his friends of this latest toy, boasting that he has the BEST beating others and feeling good about it.

People call this "Healthy Competition". Yes, very healthy, but without iman, healthy competition becomes an obssession and will allude you from remembering Allah.

Anyway, just ponder, all of us wants more than what we really need.

Just observe animals, they hunt when they are hungry. Us humans, we want more than what we need. We "hunt" ALL the time, whether we need it or not.

More house, more cars, more credit cards, more wife, more information and more of almost everything. The only thing(s) that we need less is trouble and body fat.

Friends, do not be deceived by all this world things. Remember that all this wanting more, we will eventually leave behind when we die.

Have iman, do good deeds, remind people of the truth, and if they become angry with you, remind them to be patient. (Surah Al-Asr). Surah Al-Asr comes IMMEDIATELY after surah At-Takathur.

In Quran, surahs come in pairs. Surah At-Takathur is paired with Surah Al-Asr.
Surah At-Takathur says that we (human beings) are ALL deeply immensed in plentifulness. Surah Al-Asr then reiterates that we (human beings) are ALL in a state of LOSS.
Exception being those who perform ALL 4 things: Have iman, do good deeds, remind people of the truth, and remind them to be patient.

I make doa that Allah gives us ALL guidance to His Deen (path).. Amin

Back to the missing airplane, if we can turn this event and be closer to Allah, masyaallah we are NOT among the people who are in the state of LOSS. We are the exception rather than the rule.

   

The missing MH370

The Malaysia Airline flight MH370 went missing early Saturday morning 8th Mar 2014.

I have one relative onboard that plane. Her name is Suhaili Mustafa. She is my brother-in-law's (Lokman Mustafa) youngest sister. My sister Salina Mustaffa married Lokman Mustafa in 2006.

I was very sad to hear the news. What more, when that day, my sister came with her sons Hafiz, Raihan and Zarif Mustafa.

Anyway, as expected, there were many theories and views given by experts and ordinary people. They want to give their opinion. Above all, they wanted to truth.

The next day 9th Mar 2014, I already made my conclusion.

The plane went MISSING. Only Allah knows where the plane is.

This thing happened for a reason. Allah is reminding us all to come back to HIM. He is the GREATEST.

Okay, the search and rescue effort will continue. But DO NOT EVER leave the Allah factor.

I did not follow whatever theory people write or explain in the printed and electronic media. I saved a lot of time in not dwelling with all the conversation. I already leave it to Allah.

What happen in this world has a reason to it. Just learn the lesson from this incident.

Lessons learnt:-
1. There are many things that is in our control, BUT THERE ARE MANY THINGS BEYOND OUR CONTROL
2. Technology most of the time can help, BUT NOT EVERY TIME
3. Never forget the Allah factor. We will meet him one day, whether we like it or not. Allah is reminding us to come back to HIM

Surah AlBaqarah:3
"Those who believe in Ghaib and perform solat, and those whom we give rizk, they give back"

We must believe in the ghaib (devine). Then we must perform solat and we must give to the needy.
I pray to Allah to protect the people in MH370. My tag-line "If you have Allah, you have everything"
After the incident, I believe in the ghaib, I perform more sunnah solat & I infaq (give charity) where ever there is opportunity.

Leave it to Allah.. and we do our part as the slave in worship and doing good deeds.. Everything will be OK.. and NEVER forget the Allah factor  

Taking Certificate in Asset Management

I took an exam which enables me to be a Professional status on 7th Mar 2014.

The examination qualifies me to apply being a Member of Institute of Asset Management in UK giving the title (MIAM)

I am already a professional Electrical Engineer in Institute of Engineers Malaysia (MIEM)

I am also a qualified Associate Asean Engineer registered with Asean Federation of Engineers Organisation (AAE)

Hopefully, after this exam, I will qualify to be MIAM.

These are professional bodies that recognises my qualification within my Engineering career.

I also hold an MBA from Ohio University in Athens.

All these does not gurantee you to become a good Muslim. It is the level of taqwa that is important in the eyes of Allah azzawajal.

Please, I am not writing this to brag that I am a highly qualified person. My message is that:-
with ALL the professional recognitions, it is your heart that matters.
your relationship with Allah & your relationship with other Allah creations is the one that counts.

My trip to Mekkah Mukarramah

My journey in the Holy land continues when I travel from Madinah to Mekkah Mukarramah to perform my umrah.

I put on my ihram when I was still at the hotel in Madinah.

The journey to Mekkah from Madinah is OK, except for some delay in the transportation when we arrived at Jeddah airport.

Al Haram is half the size of what it was before. There was a massive construction works and the 2nd & 3rd floor, where people can perform tawaf is now closed. We can only do tawaf on the ground floor. There were many people performing the tawaf.

I made a point doing tawaf everyday when I was in Mekkah from 3 to 8 February 2014. Although there were many people, but alhamdulillah tawaf was completed within 40 minutes.

I read the Quran whenever I was in AlHaram mosque. I also read the tafseer so that I understand the surah that I read. I attempted to finish the whole Quran during my umrah journey, but I did not manage to do so. But continue to read Quran after I came back, that I did.

Mekkah is now in a process of a "facelift". Alharam is going to be 3 times bigger than what it used to be. Many small hotels have been demolished to make way for a bigger/taller and more high class hotels.

Whatever it is, Mekkah is blessed as the Holy City and Allah will protect Mekkah till the end of time.

Eldest daughter enters NZ University in Auckland

I have not written for some time due to my busy schedule in the whole month of February 2014.
I cannot recall a busier month that I encountered before this month.

My eldest daughter got offer from 1 university from Australia and 1 university from New Zealand. To respond to the university, I have to pay the full annual fee before the university can fully accept her.

To get a loan for such a huge sum is one challenge I have to encounter. Then to get the student visa, is another challenge, as the Visa application centre is in Singapore and not in my country, Malaysia.

My eldest daughter got the offer on 13th Feb. I took 1 week to raise her tuition fees, post it to New Zealand and they officially responded on the 20th Feb. Then I have to fill in the visa application form which has almost 50 questions that the candidate must fill in.

They include questions on the university, the financial backing, the health of the candidate, the countries that they have been recently and many more.

The completed application has to be couriered to Singapore, including the application's passport and other necessary documents. Not forgetting the visa application charges and the fees to pay
for the return courier. The application process takes between 1 to 2 weeks, depending on many factors.

I sent the application on 21 of Feb, but class in NZ starts on 3 Mar 2014. The immigration officer in Singapore called on the 3 Mar saying that the application is ready, but because they issue on the date the the candidate has to register, the immigration officer needs a consent from the University in NZ to say that the U accepts late registration candidates.

Because of 5 hour time difference, I called the NZ university on the 4th Mar, to issue a letter to NZ Immigration in Singapore to say that the university accepts late registration students. Apparently, the university is very strict on registration and did not accept late registration. The university told me to register my daughter for the next semester in September.

I was devastated. Apparently I asked my sister in NZ to appeal, giving all the available reasons. After the University Dean had a meeting on 5th Mar, they agree to accept my daughter to register on the 10 Mar 2014(1 week late)

I already sent my wife to Singapore on the 5th Mar to standby at the NZ Visa Centre.

On the 5th Feb, the said University sent an email to NZ Immigration in Singapore. NZ immigration then released the visa and there was my wife waiting for the passport outside the office in Singapore.

My wife flew back to KL on that same day and the next morning 6th Mar, we all sent my eldest daughter to NZ.

What an experience!

All the while, I pray to Allah that Allah make easy for me in all my daily activities. There is no one to help you in many circumstances accept Allah.

True enough, if you have Allah, you have everything. Come back to Allah & He will make it easy for you.. 

My trip to Madina...

This February, I am writing about my umrah trip from 30Jan-9Feb 2014

The first part of my trip is at Madinah Munawarah.

Madina holds the Masjidil Nabawi, better known as Prophet Muhammad's SAW mosque.
It is here that huge hidayah came from Allah azzawajal. It holds Prophet's grave and it is where the Islamic state was first practiced.

The mosque is huge and very calm. When I arrived at 4.30am on Fri 31 Jan 2014, I can feel the calmness and the peacefulness of this place.

It is as if the Prophet himself, is present and greeting you. He is the perfect human being whom which we must follow, and he will be the one who will save us in the hereafter with his syafaat.

The mosque is very beautiful. As an electrical engineer, I am very impress to see that not even 1 light is faulty. This is truly a remarkable feat.

I can see many people from all over the world here. From the far east (Malaysia, Indonesia) to South Asia (India, Pakistan) to Central Asia (the Tan countries) to Iran to Europe (main Turks) to China.

What is not nice, is I observe some people, kind of worship the Prophet's grave. This is not what was taught. We are to worship Allah and only Allah.

There is this place called Rauthah, which is a small confined space between Prophet SAW grave and the mosque's mimbar. This place is what they called the "garden of the world". You have to struggle with many people in order to get into this place. People who successfully "got" this place will remain there and do not want to give it to others.

I knew my chances is very remote to even enter Rauthar, let alone stay there to perform 2 rakaat prayer. I made doa to Allah so that He make it easy for me to enter Rauthah

On the second day of my stay in Madinah, I tried to enter the Rauthah area but failed. There were too many people and this was just after Asr prayers. So I exit to the nearest door. When I reached the door to exit, the masjid people closed that particular door and asked me to exit to another door.

So I went to the adjacent door and again that particular door was also shut for cleaning purposes. I had to exit via the Rauthah area as there was no other available door. I forced myself into the Rauthah and after some great effort managed to enter Rauthah and exit through Rasul's grave.

Masyaallah, this is entirely Allah's plan, to invite me into Rauthah. Although I did not have the chance to perform 2 rakaat solat in Rauthah, but I knew that this is Allah's plan to make me enter Rauthah. If the 2 doors were not blocked, I would have just exit the masjid Nabawi.

Conclusion: It is difficult to enter the paradise (jannah). It is already very difficult to enter the garden of the world (Rauthah), what more to enter garden of the hereafter.

But, with some effort AND doa to Allah, insyaallah Allah will make it easy for us ALL.

Link between Malaysia and Norway

I finally have the reason to connect Malaysia with Norway.

1 give 3 different scenario:-
1. The link between owner of Cardiff City FC and his new manager; Vincent Tan (Malaysian) and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer (Norway)

2. The alphabet M and N; N comes right after M

3. Malaysia and Norway having a common bond in terms of the TRUE BELIEF in Allah and the Muslim community.

I have to admit, I am mesmerise to know how much followers I have in Norway. And the the 3rd scenario is the one that I believe connects my blog to my blog followers in Norway. The common understanding to really seek the truth from our Creator (Allah) is the one that bonds Malaysia (me) and Norway (my blog readers).

Truely, the bond between fellow Muslims is very strong and indeed everlasting as this bond will continue to keep us close in the virtual world.

I make doa to Allah that me and my readers will have this bond and I am seeking to just impart my little knowledge in order that we Muslims will do the small things continuously that will make big differences in this world and the next.

Truely, my favourite word now "If we have Allah, we have EVERYTHING"...

Remembering Prophet Muhammad SAW by following his Sunnah

In a few days time, Muslims will be remembering the birthdate of Prophet Muhammad SAW.

He is the best creation from Allah and He is what we normally call "rahmatan lil a'lamin - saviour of this universe".

We must follow His practices, as He is the role model of a true believer.

There are many sunnah to follow, but as I always write in simple and practical manner, I am just sharing only 4 sunnah that I feel do-able:-

1. Solat in Jamaah , if possible in masjid. This is really something that Prophet always emphasis. The reward is tremedously huge and this practice really encompass our true faith in our CREATOR.

2. Read Quran daily. Make a point to read the Quran once a day. Does not matter if it is one ayat or more, surely reading Quran will again have a huge affect on the reader. Make a point to also note the meaning of the ayat, and if you have time the tafseer of the ayat.

3. Perform solat tahajjud. Again, this shows your relationship with Allah. This is what Prophet always do in order to maintain the strong bond between the slave and his Master

4. Always be in wudu'. Again a simple ritual to do. This action again shows our rememberance of our Rab and this ever continuous conscience between the slave and his Great Master.

There you are!
4 Sunnah that I recommend every muslim to try to it consistently. It will definitely change you.

There are also 4 things that are REALLY2 effective to make us be a STRONG person.

1. Have iman. Really have a strong believe in Allah. This includes:-
Always remember Allah; Always have the believe that Allah gives the best for you-you should know how lucky you are; And never ever give up from Allah's mercy

2. Do good deeds. Be good, do good stuff. Do't hurt other people. Don't destroy the earth. Help people and donate to charity

3. Give advice to people on being grateful and sincere. Really2 grateful to Allah for what He has given to us and be sincere in whatever we do.

4. Give advice to people to be patient. When faced with difficulty, advice people that Allah will never abandon his slaves. Just make doa and He will help you in a way you will never imagined.

Sounds like a surah.. Yes surah Al-Asr (103). These are the exceptional people who are NOT in a loss in this Duniah..and is successful in the hereafter.

May all of us be part of these people. Ameen...

Enjoy the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JL09VjJQWE

My 2014 target, to be consistent in my EXERCISE

This 2014, I have set myself a small achievable target.

When people commit to something, they usually write it down for record purposes.

I am making a point to exercise at least twice a week. If I cannot meet that, then I make sure that I compensate the exercise session that I miss the following week immediately.

Say week 1; I did not do any exercise, then week 2; I must target to do 4 exercises.

The exercises comprises of just minimum 20 minutes of brisk walking and light jogging. That is all.

You can see that, whenever I do a target setting, I never aim high. But what I look for is constantly doing it, however small is the target.

I am 50 years old on Hijr lunar calendar and I have 1 (one) stent in my artery. Time to really take care of my health in order to fully optimise being the slave of Allah and being the breadwinner for my family.

Make doa for me that I will do what I set for this year, insyaallah...

ps. when walking, please DO NOT forget to  remember Allah....

Peninsular Malaysia electricity growth 2014- my estimate

I am just updating some stuff with regards to work that I have not updated for a long time.

Peninsular Malaysia electricity growth in my opinion will grow between 3.4%-4.0%.

My best guess is that it will be at 3.6%.

A lot will depend on the reaction of consumers with the new tariff increase starting 1 Jan 2014.

But, I can see the slow growth in the construction sector, where things will be consolidated.

But than again, this is just my best guestimate, Allah Knows Best..

Another London trip.. 2013

I was in London from 25Nov- 4Dec 2013.

It was not planned, but Allah is the ULTIMATE planner.

I never imagined being called upon personally by the Institute of Asset Management (IAM-UK) to be with them in their annual dinner 2013. Not only that, I was called to be seated at the MAIN table.

I was seated beside the President and the coming President in the main table of the Annual Dinner 2013.The dinner was in London Museum at St Paul's, where the mummies reside for many years.

The reason I was called to the main table was because, IAM-UK just opened their chapter in Malaysia in September 2013 and I happened to be the only available office bearer attending the Conference in London. I represent the Malaysia chapter of the Institute.

Malaysia is the FIRST chapter outside the UK for IAM.

I felt honoured to be representing Malaysia.. and I hope the Chapter will be a success..

The next day, I took a walk at Hyde Park London towards the Serpentine. Bring back old memories when I first arrive in London in 1983 (30 yeras ago).

Many things have happened to me and my family since then, but what still remains intact (and I hope it remains inside me until I die) is the FAITH in Allah..

Thank you London for having a chapter in my life...

Be nice to people..eventhough they do mean things to you..

I have now blogged for 5 years. I constantly review my writings and I make sure that I keep on writing on a regular basis.

My main aim when I write is that my followers will benefit from my writing. I write for a purpose.

I wanted to share with my followers that what I felt, and life in general is really, really wonderful.

Do you know that remembering Allah makes your life so awesomely calm and peaceful?
Do you also know that if you have Allah, you need not worry about anything?

Do you know that when someone says mean things about yourself, just be nice to them and thank them for their honest views.

When they continue to be mean, just walk away from them..and don't forget to smile at them as you walk away..

People who are mean to someone, may have problem of their own. Just be kind to them..

Actually, what others say or do is the projection of their own reality, their own dream..

When you can make yourself immune to opinions and actions of others, then you will not be the victim of NEEDLESS sufferings..

People are entitle to their own opinion.. so respect their views.. even if you know that it is not true. No need to be sad and let other people hurt you..

If that person said that the sky was red, it is easy to know what he said was not true. It has NOTHING to do with you and everything to do with HIM.

Anyway my friends, just be kind and nice to people, eventhough they are mean to you. Just imagine that they are the ones who need help. You already have Allah besides you and Rasulullah to give you syafaat.

And do not forget to forgive them and make doa to them...

Amiin..