Friendship at its Truest

My friend, You are special. I am sorry I am sweet but perhaps sour or bitter at times when dealing with my rough moments. Please know that I am always there to support and be with you in your hardest times. I care about you. It feels sad to be left out, you. You have moved on. I am happy with that. I still want to us to be there for each other. I want you to be there. In the name of FRIENDSHIP and togetherness. I need you in my life. The sharing, the everything. Things we do together. Stuffs we share together. I have grown stronger from the day we met. I still need you in my life. I still do. Forever.

ASEAN- are we sustainable?

OBOR and the Rise of China The global order shifted when China outdone Japan as the world’s largest economy in 2010. China is expected to overtake the US, although India at the same time is in the same race towards becoming the fastest growing large economy. In a recent conference on One Belt One Road by the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC), Datuk M. Supperamaniam, Distinguished Fellow of Institute for Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia, highlighted that one of the objectives of OBOR is for China to offset its overcapacity of steel production. In addition, Xinjiang is also created as a manufacturing base for OBOR due to its strategic location-proximity to cotton and textile producing countries. But more importantly, Xinjiang as a base allows reduction of arising ethnic disparities within the Western Chinese province itself. The creation of OBOR is also a strategy to support China’s domestic economy by boosting trade and creating new business opportunities for Chinese corporations. Local Chinese firms will be able to fulfil the demand of the new connectivity through many overseas engineering projects-roads railway, ports and pipelines. The improved transport links is beneficial to many Chinese exporters. Indirect but in an obvious way, China’s effort in aiding its neighbours’ development will create new international market. Further article will ensue.

Rise and Shine

The Worthwhile Effort

to live

Should be every person's philosophy

Stroganoff

Salam,
Today a new recipe unfolds..quick, easy and super delicious masya-Allah.
The original recipe cooked by many top chefs are often inclusive of white wine, hence apparently I did not use any nor replace it with a different ingredient. Insya-Allah the taste and quality are well-flavoured by the rest of the ingredients.

Serves 2. Prep time=10mins, Cooking Time=20 mins.
Ingredients:
1. 1/2 kg beef or chicken (I used beef for today)
2. 6-8 button mushrooms (halved)
3. 1 onion
4. 2 tbsp of butter
5. 2 tbsp of Philadelphia soft cheese
6. 1 1/2 tsp of Dijoun mustard

Method:
1. Dice the onion and saute with butter in a hot pan for 2-3minutes.
2. Take out the sauteed onion, and using the same pan, stir fry the beef. This will take about 5 minutes.
3. Add again the sauteed onion and stir them for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the halved mushrooms and stir for a minute.
5. Add Philadelphia soft cheese, and stir.
6. Add Dijoun mustard, and stir again, for 2 minutes.
7. Ready to serve.

Under 20 minutes, the Beef Stroganoff is ready. It can be eaten with pasta or if you are out of pasta, veg such as chopped capsicum or chopped carrots would work too.

Picture will be included later.
Bon appetit, with bismillah, wherever you are...

The Taint

If Allah has awarded us with such bounties (picture above), why then the laze and slowness in dzikrullah?

A zit on your face is disturbing, aye? A scratch,little bruise, anything, just anything that taints that beautiful skin, will drive you mad. Sun-burnt? That's worst case scenario if you are born Malay. And certainly,if you happened to be a Malay girl. Or if you are born from any culture or surrounded by people of protestants of dark-skin.

You then begin stuffing those superfoods into the body. Everything for the well-being of the body-the container,the temporal shell of your soul.It's not bad an effort, don't get me wrong. Our body is also His amanah. Nutritions are inevitable. Nutritions are pivotal.

But what then, about a spot or taint of sin in the heart? It is by far,a more serious ailment than an acne.Or rosacea.Or even eczema.Coz it's your heart that has been infected, and tainted, and it is now incurable by the beauty foods, superfoods. The heart is the apparatus of the machinery of the body.It needs the scrub of repentance, along with the cleanser of prayers and toner of patience, and moisturised with dzikrullah.I'm talking in beauty terms now.These are definitely, insya-Allah, the actions that detox the soul.And your heart is now replenished, rejuvenated with light of peace and serenity that no money can buy.

Care for the body-the shell of the soul,it is amanah from Allah that you stay physically (and mentally) healthy, but care more of the status of your soul. The latter lasts forever. Health is wealth, but spiritual health is priceless. Thus, do care for the body, but invest more on the well-being of the heart, which is the everlasting component of yourself. The status of the heart will take you either to the path of Jannah or Jahannam (naudzubillah..)

Yet how many of us have attempted to strike the balance between superfoods for body and dzikrullah for the heart?

Let's try to work on both along the same line.

Don't give up with your current life test, because a famous saying once said: "Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying even when there seemed to be no hope at all."

And Allah is our Hope.

Have a fabulous weekend with family and loved ones.

I'm Yours

I'm yours, by the Will of Allah...

sponge

Be like a sponge: Listen, absorb, take the advice. Come on. Take heed of those good advice.When you change, everything will change. You'll be amazed that things will entirely change.Like 360 degree change. Completely. It's always about attitude, never aptitude.Didn't He promise us of the change?

Learn from mistakes of others. Learn.Do not wait for the same mistake happen to oneself in order to learn.

Let go of pride, because here is a simple but profound truth : You Own Nothing. You are His devoted slave. Whatever He gives, He could always take it back from you.Honor,but do not pride in oneself for your predictions can never overrule His plans. Never. He and only He Knows best.

That heart needs a defrost.

Be like a sponge. It helps.

Have a good day.

light

Salam,

Crystal clear
The light at the end of the tunnel is clear. Let's be strong, smile, walk with grace and remember Allah is behind everything that has happened. If a thing passes you by, it is not meant to befall you; and if a thing befalls upon you, then it is meant to befall upon you.

Reaction is Everything
And indeed, bear in mind, that, if our reaction to such befalling is with open hearts, it is a blessing in disguise. Let me rephrase this: if we react with positive outlook, accept and counter the turbulence in a positive manner, then the end product is getting strength and maturity. It is a blessing in disguise. You now become stronger, mature, but most importantly, come what may-you will remember that it is only Allah that matters.Allah is detaching you from all the false attachments of the world, and that is why He places these stumbling blocks along your way. It's for you to jump over them with grace and open heart. Climb it with the right niyyat. It is now a chance to rectify the niyyat (intention) if it has been misleading one all this while. Corrected niyyat, with iron,rock-solid effort precipitate the fruition of dreams and ambitions, biidznillah.

Sadly,if our reaction to such befalling is with closed, stuck, 'hard-headed' attitudes, it would not be a blessing but instead a blatant punishment from God. We become worried sick, losing peace at hearts and only trust our naked eyes in perceiving things-which turn us into creatures that complain much and accommodate less. The negative perception now is this: everything else that happens to everyone is greatness, and everything that happens to self is catastrophic. The world is crumbling. You couldn't breath. You feel like you have no control of things when in fact, you really have no control of things. If these emotions persist, it is a way of Allah's punishment to His slaves.

Still, there is hope...
It is only now you realize that it's time to make that U-turn and turn to Allah. Remember, the turbulence remains as a form of punishment unless it takes you back to gratitude and humility.Insya-Allah. And suddenly you found the light.

The unreliable naked eyes
How true that naked eyes and logic of the mind can be deceiving,and can never perceive the most beautiful things in totality. The heart is the best, all-rounder perceiver. The transition from punishment to blessing takes place only when the transition of perceiving with eyes to perceiving with heart takes place.Logic matters, but intuition with hidayah matters much more.

Walk the pain
Hey I won't be specific on what's happening; but, hey again, everybody's got different story and interpretation on what's happening around and upon them. Crux of the matter: Let's walk through the pain, and walk to the light with a light heart. Walk with Allah, turn to Allah and no other.

Good luck to you and thanks for reading my entry:). Much love

ahlan wa sahlan

ahlan wa sahlan buat sahabat-sahabat baru di durham:

Kak Wan Aminah, Sabrina, Nurul Husna, Nazlin, Razman&Nik Fazlina, serta Rinzal dan Zikri. Masih belum berpeluang bertemu yang lain. Selamat berjuang di sini dan membawa pulang kejayaan yang diberkati, amiin!!

ps: Doa itu juga dituju buat diri sendiri yang masih di sini.

sahabatku itu

salam,

Wahai Tuhan yang Maha Penyayang. Berkatilah sahabatku itu.berita gembira disampaikannya padaku, bahawasanya Engkau Pencipta kami telah meniup roh dalam rahimnya. Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah. Sekali lagi sang ibu akan melalui proses kelahiran di bumi asing..dan pasti zuriat sulungnya bakal memperoleh sang adik peneman sejati insya-Allah, tidak lama lagi.
Namun apalah dayaku kerna aku sendiri tidak pernah merasai jerih perih melahirkan zuriat...mohon maaf sahabat kerana diriku agak jauh untuk membantu...dan mohon maaf andai aku kurang memberi empati..bukan mudah untukku menasihati dan memahami keadaan sebenar dirimu. Yang pasti,di mana saja sahabatku ini berada, setiap burung2 yg berterbangan, ikan2 di lautan, akan berdoa padamu ya Rabbi, supaya diampuni segala dosanya. Ya Rabbi betapa besarnya hikmah menjadi seorang ibu...Moga-moga dalam setiap kesusahan ada kemudahan...moga dimudahkan urusan menyelesaikan first draft nya, amiin...

Kuatkanlah kami ya Allah dalam memperjuang ilmuMu yang Maha Luas.

ya, cuba saja

salam,

perjuangan diteruskan! teruskan mencuba wahai diri. Bukankah rezeki semuanya telah tertulis? Penciptamu Maha Mengetahui perjalanan hidupmu. Dan ingatlah, bahawa hanya Dia yang bisa menghilang hapus segala keresahanmu. Usah tertipu dengan keseronokan duniawi.

Namun, ingatlah bahawa usaha duniawi itu perlu kuat dan bersungguh seolah2 akan hidup 1000 tahun lagi, namun ibadahmu harus khusyuk seakan2 kamu akan mati esok, malah anggaplah setiap ibadat adalah ibadat terakhir bagimu. Satu titik wasatiah yang tinggi yang harus digapai setiap Muslim.

Ya Tuhanku! Bantulah pejuang2Mu...

Me

Tahniah Kejayaan Phd

Salam,
Dua kalung (bukan sekalung..)ucapan tahniah diucap pada:

Dr Hadijah Jaffri (Education) dan Dr Nur Fakhzan Marwan (Economics) di Durham University,

atas kejayaan masing2 menempuh viva voce yang berjalan minggu lalu. Doakan agar kami menyusul segera selepas ini. Hanya Allah mengetahui beban dan usaha kalian selama ini. Kedua2 rakan saya ini masing2 kehilangan ayahanda tatkala berjuang dalam pengajian phd. Dijah tika di tahun dua, K Nur pula 2 bulan lalu. Banyak pengalaman yang berguna dikongsi pada kami, syukran akhawat ku..

:)

Masih teringat Dijah pernah membantuku tika masakan 'kurang menjadi':)..dan Dijah pernah menghadiahi buku doa yg insyalh menjadi rujukanku sampai bila2.

K Nur,terima kasih atas SEGALA pertolongan yang pernah dihulurkan padaku. Ianya termasuk tetapi semestinya tidak tertakluk:)pada,ilmu2 menakrif graf2 ekonomi, konsep2 kompleks yg harus ku interpret utk menyokong research question ku, namun paling berharga ialah peringatan melalui tazkirah2 yang disampaikan padaku.Terima kasih kerana sedari awal k nur banyak menasihati ku ttg kepentingan amalan zikir harian, solat2 sunat dan HATI YANG BERSIH yang penting pada SETIAP masa, TERUTAMANYA dalam memperjuang ilmu Phd.

I am so blessed by their presence, but I am most blessed by the fact that these kakaks at some point, remind me that Allah selalu berada dengan kita. That's why I have and am, surviving:)

Me
Hari Keempat Belas Ramadhan

Juangkah?

Salam para pejuang,

Ramadhan kareem, Allahu Akram. Selamat menempuh hari2 Ramadhan yang indah. Tak harus merintih, malah perlu memperkuat jiwa dan sanubari di bulan ini. Berlapar berhaus sembilan belas jam ini suatu cabaran yang tidak mungkin dapat dilupakan. Setiap hari punya 5 jam sahaja untuk menyegar diri dan jiwa-berbuka, solat wajib, solat sunat tarawih, sahur dan mempersiap penulisan thesis yang memerlukan kerja2 penghalusan dan susunan semula struktur2 yang tersasar. Baki sembilan belas jam lagi bukan bermakna terbuang oleh perkara sia, namun harus diakui kelelahan fizikal dan mental sesekali menyusup lalu mengganggu tumpuan. Ingin menjadi pejuang sebenar, namun banyak kelemahan2 yang harus dibaiki dari hari ke hari. Perasaan rindu berjaya diketepi, namun keupayaan diri masih belum dimaksimakan. Kuatkan kami Ya Rabbi.

Me
Hari Kesepuluh Ramadhan
2.30 pagi

Happy Monday everyone!

I know, it's back to the regular routine, therefore, Happy Monday everyone. Allah bless

Ketetapan Hati

Salam,
Bagi kita insan lemah yang dan bergantung sepenuhnya kepada Allah subhaanahu wata'ala, sentiasalah menyebut:
Rabbana la tuzig qulubana ba'da idz hadaitana wahablana milladunka rohmah. Innaka antalwahhaab.
Maksudnya: ("Mereka berdoa dengan berkata:) Wahai Tuhan kami!Janganlah Engkau memesongkan hati kami sesudah Engkau beri petunjuk kepada kami, dan kurniakanlah kepada kami limpah rahmat dari sisi-Mu. Sesungguhnya Engkau jualah Tuhan Yang melimpah-limpah pemberian-Nya".
(Surah ali-Imran ayat 8).

Keterangan Ayat
Bagi mereka yang berilmu dan beramal dengan ilmunya, seringlah berdoa: Ya Allah, jadikanlah kiranya Engkau jadikan hati kami berpaling dari hidayah yang telah Engkau berikan. Dan kurniakanlah kepada kami limpah rahmat dari Sisi-Mu". Bermakna, kurniakan ketetapan dalam hati kami akan iman dan hidayah itu. Sebahagian ulama pula mentafsirkannya sebagai memohon keampunan Allah (Tafsir al-Khazin, tafsir ayat ke-8, surah ali-Imran).

Menurut sebuah hadis riwayat Ahmad, al-Nasa'ei, Ibn Majah dan al-Hakim yang dianggap sebagai sahih olehnya bahawa Nabi s.a.w besabda maksudnya:"Al-Mizan itu berada di tangan Allah. Dia akan meninggikan sebahagian golongan dan merendahkan yang lain sehingga ke hari kiamat. Hati manusia berada antara dua jari Allah al-Rahman. Jika dikehendaki Dia akan menjadikannya istiqamah dalam kebenaran dan jika dikehendakinya akan disesatkannya.

Khasiat dan Khaifiat Beramal
Disebabkan hati kita ini amat mudah berubah, kita digalakkan beramal dengan doa ini dan doa memohon ketetapan hati yang diamalkan oleh Nabi s.a.w (al-Durrul Manthur, tafsir ayat 8 surah ali-Imran.

Doa dipetik dari buku yang sama tulisan Ustaz Haji Zahazan Mohamed seperti tertera di entri lalu.

wallahu'alam..

Doa Berlindung dari Segala Kejahatan

Salam,
Moga kamu sihat di sana.:)

Petikan di bawah diperoleh dari buku 101 Doa Para Nabi & Rasul dalam Quran Khasiat & Khaifiat Beramal oleh Ustaz Zahazan Mohamed.

Syukran Hadijah Jaffri atas pemberian istimewa ini satu ketika dahulu. Barakallahu fiik..

Doa dalam kita berlindung dari segala kejahatan adalah dipetik dari Surah al-kahfi ayat 106-110.
Maksudnya: "(Mereka yang bersifat) Demikian, balasannya neraka Jahannam, disebabkan mereka kufur ingkar, dan mereka pula menjadikan ayat-ayatKu dan rasul-rasulKu sebagai ejek-ejekan. Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang beriman dan beramal soleh, disediakan bagi mereka syurga-syurga Firdaus sebagai tempat tetamu (yang serba mewah). Mereka kekal di dalamnya, dan tidak ingin berpindah darinya. Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad): Kalaulah semua jenis lautan menjadi tinta untuk menulis kalimah-kalimah Tuhanku, sudah tentu akan habis kering lautan itu sebelum habis kalimah-kalimah Tuhanku, walaupun Kami tambahi lagi dengan lautan yang sebanding dengannya sebagai bantuan. Katakanlah wahai Muhammad): Sesungguhnya aku hanyalah seorang manusia seperti kamu, diwahyukan kepadaku bahawa Tuhan kamu hanyalah Tuhan Yang Satu. Oleh itu, sesiapa yang percaya dan berharap akan pertemuan dengan Tuhannya, hendaklah ia mengerjakan amal yang soleh dan janganlah ia mempersekutukan sesiapapun dalam ibadatnya kepada Tuhannya."

Keterangan Ayat
Ayat2 terakhir surah kahfi ini menekankan isu permasalah keimanan.Lawan kepada akidah yang jelas ialah syirik. Nabi Muhammad pernah mengingatkan para Sahabat agar berjaga-jaga daripada melakukan perbuatan syirik kepada Allah kerana syirik itu lebih halus daripada tapak kaki semut. Mereka yang melakukan amalan kerana INGINKAN SANJUNGAN telah dikira syirik kepada Allah. (Al-Durrul Manthur, tafsir ayat 110, surah jahfi)
Naudzubillah!

Khasiat dan Kaifiat Beramal
Dalam sebuah hadith riwayat ibn al-Dharis dalam Fadhail al-Quran daripada Ismial bin Abi Rafi' berkata bahawa Nabi s.a.w bersabda yang bermaksud: Surah yang keagungannya memenuhi langit dan bumi yang diiringi tujuh puluh ribu malaikat merupakan surah al-kahfi. Sesiapa yang membacanya hari Jumaat nescaya diberi keampunan buatnya hingga ke Jumaat yang akan datang dan ditambah tiga hari. Dia akan memperolehi cahaya hingga ke langit luasnya dan terpelihara daripada gangguan Dajjal. Sesiapa yang membaca lima ayat terakhir surah ini ketika hendak tidur, maka akan dibangkitkan Allah pada bila-bila masa yang dikehendakinya(Al-Durrul Manthur, tafsir ayat 110-116 surah kahfi).

Dalam hadith yang diriwayatkan oleh Ibnu Rahawaih, al-Bazzar, Ibn Mardawaih dan al-Hakim yg dianggap sahih olehnya, daripada Umar r.a. beliau berkata Nabi s.a.w bersabda yyang bermaksud: "Sesiapa yang membaca ayat terakhir surah ini, maka Allah s.w.t akan menjadkan baginya Nur yang menerangi untuknya dari Adnin ke Makkah." (al-Durur Manthur, tafsir ayat 110-116, surah al-kahfi).

Moga Allah memberi istiqamah amalan berdoa kepadaku, kepada pemberi buku ini, kepada penulis buku ini dan setiap pembaca entri blog ku di kala ini.Amin

Takziah

Salam,
Sekalung takziah buat K Nur Fakhzan sekeluarga atas kehilangan ayahanda tercinta. Semoga Allah menempatkan arwah di kalangan golongan mukmin, amiin ya rabbal 'aalaamin.
Terbaca di blog k nur bahawa arwah sempat dimasukkan ke ICU pada Sabtu lalu. Namun saya ketika itu di Paris bersama keluarga dan tidak berpeluang menghubungi k nur tepat pada masanya. Mohon maaf k nur kerana tiada bersamamu di saat tertimpanya ujian getir ini. Harap k nur bersabar dan banyak2 berdoa yang terbaik buat arwah. Banyak kenangan manis ttg arwah yg sering diceritakan k nur kepada saya. Pastinya kesedihan dan kehilangan ini adalah antara dugaan hebat dalam perjuangan akademik Phd k nur. Moga Allah mempermudahkan jalan2 kehidupanmu selepas ini, wahai sahabat.

Ya Allah, berilah ganjaran syurga kepada arwah tanpa dibisab. Amiin ya rahman.

ps:teringat2 arwah memuji masakan ayam percik saya yang tidak seberapa tika melawat kami di Durham pada tahun 2009. Menurut k nur sampai di Malaysia arwah masih menyebut2 ttg lauk hidangan saya itu.

Al-fatihah.