Got a parking space?

Have you ever been in a situation where you are late for work or class and then you found out that your favorite parking space is taken? The next thing you know is that you have to park far away from the rest of the cars, in a very secluded and dangerous place which is not recommendable and safe for your car.

Or have you been in a situation where you are late for a lecture and your favorite seat is taken? Not only you have to bear the shame of being late to class where every eyes in the hall stares at you, you also have to seat far behind in the lecture hall.

If you have been in either of these situations, bear in your mind that this situation also implies for jannah.

Allah clearly stated in the Quran in Surah Al-Waqiah verse 10-14:

And those foremost [(In Islamic faith of Monotheism and in performing righteous deeds) in the life of this world on the very first call for to embrace Islam] will be foremost in paradise. [Quran 56:10]

These will be the nearest to Allah [Quran 56:11]

In the Gardens of Delight (paradise)  [Quran 56:12]

A multitude of those (foremost) will be from the first generations (who embrace Islam)  [Quran 56:13]

And a few of those (foremost) will be from the later generation [Quran 56:14]

The verses above clearly indicated that Allah actually indicated the ratio or percentage of people who will enter jannah. A multitude which is the large number of people who will enter jannah will come from the first generations of people who embrace Islam. It will be the people who came during the Prophet’s and the Khulafa Al Rasyidin era. This is during the golden age of Islam whereby abundance of people converts into Islam.

Only a few of the people who enter jannah come from the later generation. It has been approximately 1400 years since our beloved Prophet Muhammad pbuh left us from this world. We are the later generations that is indicated in the Quran. Only a few of us will be able to make it to jannah.

WE ARE REMARKABLY LATE FOR A PARKING SPACE IN JANNAH SINCE THAT ALMOST ALL OF THE SPACE IS TAKEN.

It is time for us to move on. This is not the time for us to reminiscence on the past. This is the time for us to make changes and grab every opportunity possible in order to secure a place for us in jannah. Remember, jannah come with a high price and only those who Allah specifically chosen will be able to secure their place there.

Let us be one of the few people who are able to secure a parking space in jannah!

Love comes softly...

There are many versions of a love story.  To those who are lucky, they live their life, then meet up with their soul mate and fall in love, get married soon or later afterwards. To those who are a little bit unlucky, they fall in love many times before they finally meet their right match. Along the way they might be heartbroken more than once. There are also those who have been in love and yet later on in their life they are being tested by Allah and separated.

If I am being left with the freedom to write about the story of love, I think there will just never be an ending full stop to it. It is impossible to imply that anyone who is alive never ever been in love before. However, one unique thing is that love can come from various forms. It can be in the form of love between 2 lovers or it can be in the form of love of a mother’s towards her child. It can also be in the form of love towards our friends, family, animals and trees. That is one unique thing about love. It can come from various forms.

However, those form only use one medium which is the heart. Yes, without a heart a person will never be able to feel love. We will never be able to portray our love or convey it well. Therefore, a heart plays a fundamental role in portraying one’s love.

However, we all seem to forget one other thing that we need for love. The source of love itself. Which is from Allah. This is what we human choose to forget. We are being extra careful with whom we choose for a spouse and yet we do not even have the slightest care or gratitude to establish a good relationship with the power who gave us that love. After all, the feeling of love itself is a gift from Allah and being instilled into the hearts of anyone whom He wills. It is not within our power to control it. We will never be able to control with whom we fall in love with, or who will fall in love to us. We never failed to pray to Allah to provide us with a spouse who is a soleh/solehah and yet we never bother even for once to express our gratitude to the one who give us that love. When we manage to meet with our love ones, when there are trials and tribulations arises we never fail to pray to Allah to ask for His guidance.

True, it is good to constantly pray. But it will be much better if for once, in our life we express our gratitude as well. Remember, Allah never disappoint us. He is always by our side, while the people whom we love might leave our side any time soon.

To me, the love of Allah towards us is a wondrous thing. It is a love that comes softly. Allah love towards us is like the overflowing water in the sea with no end to it. It is something that cannot be described. We were born into this world, live among His creations and felt His love later on in life. His love has always been with us. But we only realize it later on in life. His love unlike the normal human love, it come very softly. That is the very beauty of it.

Say (O Muhammad pbuh to mankind) : "If you really love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is oft forgiving, Most Merciful." [Quran 3: 31]

A professional daie is a marketer

Daie is define as the concept of spreading out knowledge and encourage others to do good for Allah cause. Meanwhile, a marketer is define as the person who identify and meet the human and social needs for a profit.

How could two different professions from two different perspectives, can be categorized as the same scope and area? In other words, how could a daie become a marketer? The answer is relatively simple. Look at the current issues in the world. In United States alone, every 13.7 minutes someone will die due to suicide. The number of suicidal death in the year of 2010 is stated to be 38,364 people. You can refer the facts here. Other than that, in Malaysia the number of baby dumping has been increasing at a very frightening rate from the year 2005 until now. According to Royal Malaysian Police statistics, the number of baby dumping in Malaysia from year 2005 until 2010 is stated to be 407 cases. You can refer the facts here. This means that every year, on average there are 68 cases of baby dumping. These respective cases along with other cases and issues all around the world, such as homosexuality, corruptions, human trafficking and others indicated how much the world and morality have suffered in these recent years.

In a more simple terms, these recent cases indicated how much human is in desperate need for salvation.

This is when a professional daie plays its role. This is because, both the daie and marketer have one thing in common. They both identify and meet the human needs. It is the role of a professional daie to educate the public about this life and the hereafter. It is their roles to encourage others to do good. Meanwhile, it is the role of the marketer to identify and meet the human needs. Judging from the current issues, it is obvious that human needs salvation. Therefore, it is not wrong to say that a professional daie is a marketer since that a professional daie must be able to identify and meet the human needs and be able to provide solutions and guidelines for the public as a whole. However, the profit here that a daie will receive will not be in the term of monetary value like the normal marketer but will be the benefit that will be grant to them in the hereafter.

Therefore, it is truly important that a professional daie must be able to convey their message well, in kind words so that they are able to create a mutual understanding and concession towards their mad'u (the people they are preaching to).

" They (hypocrites) are those of whom Allah knows what is in their hearts; so turn aside from them (do not punish them) but admonish them, and speak to them an effective word (ie. to believe in Allah, worship Him, Obey Him, and be afraid of Him) to reach their innerselves" [Quran 4: 63]

The world is in desperate needs for a daie just as much as an organization is in desperate need for a marketer. Marketers play a vital role in an organization which is to identify the public needs and promote sales. Without sales, there will be no profit made, and without profit, organization will face with the problem of bankruptcy. It is the same with daie. Due to the arising cases or immorality in this world, it is only appropriate that a daie shall exist in order to educate the public on what is right and wrong. There are always solutions exist to all type of problems. Suicide, baby dumping, corruptions and many others immorality issues is not the solution to that problem. Turn to Allah. Believe in Him. After all, He is the ultimate creator of mankind.

" And to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And all matters go back (for decision) to Allah" [Quran 3:109]

I am sorry. Please Forgive me.

Today I read blog posted from another blogger who had just passed away. I had never known him throughout his life. But his death entered the news and somehow I have found an article that published about his blog. It was actually a very simple blog. But somehow, reading through his blog gave a profound impact towards me.

Death is something that is unavoidable.

"Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of the world is only the enjoyment of deception" [ Quran 3:185]

" Wheresoever you may be,death will overtake you even if you are in fortress build up strong and high!" If some good befalls them, they say, “This is from Allah.; but if evil, they say, “This is from thee” (O Prophet). Say: “All things are from Allah.” But what hath come to these people, that they fail to understand a single fact?" [Quran 4:78]

Today other people, strangers, might be reading his blog due to his death but tomorrow it might be my own blog that people will be reading. It makes me think to the very first reason why I was totally dedicated a few months ago to establish this blog. I make a vow to myself many years ago that I will try to change the world. Many will probably agree with me that the world is a harsh place to live in, but to me living in this world is such a blessing granted to me by my Lord. I live in this world to contribute for the ummah. I saw many people who have many problems and they have no one to turn to. Years before, I had been facing similar experiences, abundance of problems and no one to turn to. Back then, I was wishing that someone will appear into my life and guide me. But no one ever did, and how much of a lonesome experience it was.

 So I know. I know how it feels like to face it all alone. That was long before I learn the love towards my creator. Now if I find myself facing complicated problems I keep reminding myself:

“You are not alone. Allah is always by your side”

I wish and I will keep on praying that you will have this same mindset instill inside your mind. Please do not hate the world nor fear it because the world is a wonderful gift from Allah to us. Cherishes it. Be happy. Live your life happily and remember that at the end of this long, tiring journey, Allah will be waiting for you.

If it is finally the time for me to go to meet my creator, then from deep down inside my heart I sincerely apologized. I guess it is still not too late for me to apologize. I am sorry because I make a vow to change the world and to contribute to the ummah and yet I was never able to fulfill it. I am sorry that I could never be by your side helping you throughout your problems. I am sorry for all the wrongdoings that I have committed towards you whether it is intentionally or not. I am sorry if my words and actions have hurt you. I am sorry that I have become a failure to the ummah. I am truly sorry. You will always be in my prayers. My last wish is that whoever you are, on whichever part of the world you are, you will always remember, that Allah will always protect you and be by your side. You are never alone.

In the name of Allah the most Gracious, the Most Merciful

“By Al-Asr (the time). Verily, man is in loss. Except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth which Allah has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which Allah has forbidden and recommend one another to patience” (Surah Al-‘Asr, The Holy Quran)

F.R.E.E.D.O.M

There are many definitions of freedom. One of it is the quality or state of being free and the absence of necessity, coerce and constraint in choice or action. This is defined by the online dictionary Merriam Webster.  

Yes, you are free to think and taking actions but to what extent? It is true that we are all born in this world with that type of freedom, however the consequences of that freedom that we have to take into account for.

But to me, the definition of freedom is relatively simple. Freedom here means we are free to think. Yes, definitely. This is because our inner thoughts are only private to ourselves. But are we free to voice it? Are we free to take any actions that we want? This is the time when we have to make choices. We do not have the freedom of making choices as many people will think so. This is because the choices that we will make might have a long everlasting consequences and may affect many individuals in the future.

Many people do not realize this. That is why they come up with the ideology "The Freedom of Speech" or "The Freedom of Expression". The fact is, we do not have that type of freedom. The moment of our birth in this world, we are abide by laws. Every single actions that we take, every errors that we make are abide by the human law.

This is because we are not born alone in this world. We are sharing this earth with another human beings, animals, trees and creatures. If we are born alone, then we might have that type of freedom. However, since that we are not alone in this world, there is no such thing as freedom. The freedom here is only the freedom to think. The choices that we have to make, the words that we utter, the words that we write, every single action that we intend to take do not come with the word "freedom" in it. 

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others" ~Nelson Mandela~

Ignorance is not a bliss

Read. Study. Knowledge.

3 simple words that mankind shall take heed of.

This is because knowledge is a powerful weapon that can change the course of mankind. History dictates that with great knowledge mankind evolved and civilization was build.

" Read! In the name of your lord who has created (all that exists)" [ Quran 96:1]

By reading, knowledge can be gained and through knowledge, light enlighten our path. Through knowledge we are able to be free from the current state of darkness.

But most of us choose to be ignorant. To us, ignorant is a bliss. We choose not knowing, we choose to be in the darkness, and we choose wrongly. This is because ignorant is not a bliss.

Without knowledge, we choose to be left behind, and without knowledge we choose not to grow.

One of the advice left by Imam Syafie

"Gain knowledge as much as you can since that it is knowledge that will make you succeed in this world and the hereafter"

A little bit about Imam Syafie, to those who wish to know. He is one of the four great Imams existed in mankind. These four great imams were born years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his fellow companions. Imam Syafie came from the lineage of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w himself from his father side. His real name is Muhammad bin Idris bin Al-Abbas bin Uthman bin Syafie bin Sa'ib bin Abd Yazid bin Hasyim bin Abdul Mutalib bin Abd Manaf bin Qusai  al-Quraisy. He was called Syafie since that his face bears a striking resemblance of his great grandfather Syafie who is also said to resembled the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w himself.

Imam Syafie memorizes the Holy Quran at the age of 9. Then, he went to further his studies in the field of Quran, poetry, hadith, fiqh and others. He went travelling many miles and many days to Medina, Iraq and Egypt in order to gain knowledge. He was born poor, with his father died when he was very young, yet, his dedication and thirst for knowledge was so strong that he was not willing to give up in his quest to search for knowledge.

I was touch and inspired when I read his bibliography. It was evident that back then, it is truly difficult for you to study or gain knowledge. In comparison to today in the modern age, knowledge can be gain at the power of our fingertips. We have internet, digital books and libraries.We can easily 'google' anything that we want to know. Furthermore, with the current advance of technology, we can read and browse online wherever we go through our smartphones, tabs, ipads and others. Wherever we are, we can gain access and read articles, books and journals from international authors that came from various parts of the world. We can watch their online videos and youtubes.

Nowadays, knowledge is not scarce and hard to find as it once used to be. We do not have to travel many miles to study. Everything is within our fingertips. Yet, we choose to be ignorant because to us, ignorant is such a bliss. 

Hawthorne Effect

A study conducted by a Harvard Business School professor, Elton Mayo in the year of 1927 to 1932 found out that a worker's productivity can be increased if there is a psychological stimulus arises from the need of being single out or feel important.

In a simple word it is described that a person will have the tendency to work harder and perform better when they were being watched or being given special attention. This study was conducted at the Hawthorne Plant in Western Electric Company of Cicero, Illianos. This study is called the Hawthorne Effect.

The findings in this study indicated that when the employees in this company were being singled out together, to be watched by the researchers, they tend to perform better than those who were not chosen for the research.

This proved that a person will work harder and perform better when they have this feeling that they were being watched.

When I first heard of this study, my first impression was this :- We are all being watched. Even when we are alone sitting by ourselves, we are actually being watched! By whom? Of course, by our creator.

"Therefore remember Me (by praying,glorifying), I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless Favors on you) and never be ungrateful to me" [ Quran 2:152]

The truth is, we are all being watch by our supreme Creator for every second, every hour, days, months and years in our life. If only we care to remember Him for every second of the day, then probably we will have choose to perform better in life.