Hell at a Glimpse

To know that the place you are going to stay for the next 6 years, is surrounded by active volcanoes is not really a comfortable thought XD Last saturday was ANZAC day in New Zealand so my friends and I thought that it would be cool to check out the ceremony going on at the museum in Auckland Domain. ANZAC(Australian New Zealand Army Cops) day is celebreted as a rememberance for the NZ and OZ soldiers who fought in World War I at Galipoli, Turki. Well, you could call it 'Hari Pahlawan' if you want.

Well, i am not really going to talk about ANZAC day today, because that does not really relate to me and i am not a New Zealand citizen. =p I am going to talk about something that is really interesting: volcanoes. I remembered learning about volcanoes once, when i was in Form 3, but i kind of had forgotten about it haha.. Didnt really fancy geography..lol..slept in that class once.(but it was the only class i ever slept in XD)

So, volcanoes are generally known as a conical mountain, which spews lava, ashes and toxic gases from a crater at its summit. what will happen during an eruption is, the magma will start its way up the main vent(the hole of the volcano). When the volcano is ready to erupt the lava (magma which had reached surface of volcano) is at the top of the main vent. When the lava finally reaches the surface, volcano will erupt and blasting off its top, shooting rocks, oozing hot lava and poisonous gases into the atmosphere. Lava will burn anything in its way. However lava cools very fast and when it does, it will form igneous rocks.

In order to predict volcanic activities, volcanologists will have to monitor closely specific signs shown by the volcano. Each volcano is unique, in a sense the symptoms shown by a volcano might not be the same as the signs shown by other volcanoes. This is because of the geographical factors. A device used to detect volcanic activity is the seismometer. This device is able to pinpoint earthquakes, which tracks the rise of magma and its movement.

And yes, talking about geographical factors, there are two main types of volcanoes. They are land volcanoes, and underwater volcanoes. Eruption of land volcanoes are faster than underwater volcanoes. This is so because the water put pressure on the magma, for the underwater volcanoes. An interesting fact which i just got to know is the cooled lava of the underwater volcano could establish an island! An example of such occurence is the Hawaiian Island...Subhanallah...

Volcanic eruptions are one of the most catastrophic events on Earth as they cause major damage such as destroying skifields, emitting ashes and poisonous gases which could damage lungs, destruction of property, deaths, and caused economic downturn. We as Muslims could learn a lot from volcanoes, by just observing the volcanic bursts. I do, a lot. The sight of the oozing, bright glowing red lava somehow remind us of something that we all fear the most. How does it feel like being burned alive? Can you express the emotions? Did we ever stop and thought about it? Or we just choose to brush off the thought? Or even if we did, waht are we intending to do to prevent ourselves from ending up in Neraka Jahannam?

Those who deny the meeting with Allah have lost, so that, when the Hour comes upon them suddenly, they will exclaim: "Alas for what we neglected there!" They will bear their burdens on their backs. How evil is what they bear! (Surat an-An‘am, 31

However, Allah is always The Most Merciful on His servants. Despite all the destructions caused, the eruption of volcanoes could bring benefits to humans. For example, human could get healing effects from tha geysers and hot springs formed around the volcanic area. Besides that, the land also became more fertilised as a result of the lava hardening in the atmosphere. Indirectly this could improve the economy through farming industry. The areas associated with volcanic activities are also rich in minerals such as diamonds, which is also an addition to the economic growth. So you see how Allah conveys His love towards humans. He may send us catastrophes and test us with various problematic situations, but those are only His reminder of how we had neglected Him and how we should start getting close to Him once more. But after that, He will give to us what we wanted eventually, or maybe sometimes in another form. So He said, "I know things that you humans do not"

Dynamism

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

Dynamism (how i interpreted it) is being flexible, optimistic and dominant-thinking towards everything that is around you. Yes, it is a very wide subject and dynamism is the umbrella which shades all other subs which examples i will explain later. Among the characteristics under the shade of dynamism is control of emotions, open mindedness, and critical thinking.


OPen mindedness i am referring to here, is not liberalism. and of course it is in favour of Islam. Muslims should be open to accept critics and advices from others. It is normal that we make mistakes everyday and yes, we need other people to tell us right from wrongs sometimes. And know this: CRITICISM IS NOT INSULT. Some people just could not accept the fact that they commited mistakes. So when other people criticise them, they take it as an insult. Even if it is, to ignore the critic, is what i call narrow mindedness. The right way to react to a critic is to firstly analyse and evaluate ourselves, secondly ask other people for opinions favourably ustaz or ustazah, and if possible look up in the Quran and Sunnah for guidelines, thirdly, come to a conclusion. If we still think that we are on the right track, and what is being said by the other party meant to defame you, be sensible. Talking things out with the other party may improve the situation. However, if you realised that it is you that are at fault, thank the party that pointed out your fault and make a resolution to repair yourself.

Secondly, be in control of your emotions. Let me give you an example: Say you accidentally touched a hot kettle, what will happen is the receptors of the skin would create a signal which will then be channeled through the central nervous system towards the brain. Then the brain will interpret the signal and we will feel pain. Why is it sometimes, if we put different people in that situation, some would scream agonizingly, and some would not even let out a noise although they felt as much pain? The answer is emotions. The pain interpreted by the brain may be very minimal, but the emotions that we allow, amplifies the pain. So my point here is, emotions could be controlled! When you keep your emotions in check, your thinking would be clearer and you can instil sense into yourself! whereas emotional people would act on impulse and do unpredictable things which could endanger others. in addition, Rasulullah SAW really emphasised on how important it is to tame your anger. So, manage your anger!!



Critical thinking is maximising and widening your angle of thinking and thoughts. We are supposed to analyse the things and happenings around us and think critically about them, in line with Quran and Sunnah. We should all times think of the bounty natural beauties and useful earth resources that Allah gave us. What are they for? In Surah al-Mulk, verse 15, Allah explained that He gave the resources and all there is on Earth for the good of mankind. Therefore it is our responsiblity to rationally make use of them. We are not here only to exploit the resources, but also to learn about the knowledge of His creations, like the wildlife, mountains, etc. When we learn about these things, for example how the birds could fly or how the forest came about, we intend to get closer to Him and this could fertilise our belief and faith in Him.

In conclusion, in whatever situation we are in, it is important that we stay rational. Remember that we are in His supervision at all times. So, always practise good relationship and be tolerant with others. =)

=)

Exam oh Exam

The examination room was noisy with rustling of papers as the students busily flipping through their question booklets. There were 5 more minutes remaining. "Ya Allah, thank you for giving me the strength to go through this exam," i said silently to myself. Nervously, i began checking my answers on the question booklet. As i came to the last page of the booklet, i gasped. I only answered half of the last question! "Ya Allah...," i uttered.

"Time! Put your pens down!" the invigilator spoke sternly at the mic. I immediately obeyed, but i was disappointed that i did not have the time to check the last question. 3 marks gone, i thought. "Astaghfirullah.."

On the way back to Ororke Hall, my two friends were excited discussing the exam, but i was not in the mood. I was trying to make some sense. I felt so, small. How i am weak when it comes to the fact that Allah controls my fate. I studied all week for the test, searched for past year papers, had study discussions with friends... but no... i still make faults and it happened because Allah wanted it to be that way...It's qada' and qadar (fate). Allah mentioned in the Quran that He knows matters that humans do not know. We as His slaves should believe that whatever happened upon us is in His best interest. What looks good to us may not look good to Him. And what appear to us as bad, may make us look respectable in the eyes of Allah.

"Astaghfirullah.." i uttered a few times. if this is what He wanted it to be, then I am more than willing to surrender everything to Him. I can only do so much, but yes, Allah controls my life and I am more than happy to accept it.

I came home and performed my Isha' prayers, after that asked for His forgiveness. Indeed i felt grateful that Allah gave me this tarbiyyah, because it makes me think and not forget the fact that we His slaves are defenseless and weak, therefore we must always not forget who we are in this world. So, humble yourself....at all times...because you have no reason to be arrogant about =)

Ainul Mardhiah

Dirimu pembakar semangat perwira
Rela berkorban demi agama
Kau jadi taruhan berjuta pemuda
Yang bakal dinobat sebagai syuhada'
Itulah janji pencipta yang Esa

Engkaulah bidadari dalam syurga
Bersemayam di mahligai bahgia
Anggun gayamu wahai seorang puteri
Indahnya wajah bermandi seri
Menjadi cermin tamsilan kendiri
Untuk melakar satu wacana
Buatmu bernama wanita

Ainul Mardhiah
Kau seharum kuntuman di taman syurga
Menanti hadirnya seorang lelaki
Untuk menjadi bukti cinta sejati

Oh Tuhan
Bisakah dicari di dunia ini
Seorang wanita bak bidadari
Menghulurkan cinta setulus kasih
Di hati lelaki bernama kasih

by UNIC titled Ainul Mardhiah

http://nurafaz.wordpress.com/2007/10/12/ainul-mardhiah/

Muslims are Us =)

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

Look at us as individuals. We have multiple roles in our respective lives such as being a daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother, and etcetra. When we talk about roles, they surely come with responsibilities and obligations. And as Muslims, we have one ultimate goal to achieve, that is to fertilise and enrich our faiths and belief in Allah and Islam, as well as increasing our understanding of Islam. So how do we relate our roles above with the goal? Whatever and whoever we are, regardless as a wife, daughter or mother, we have an obligation to conduct ourselves as a Muslim. For example, a Muslim wife, a Muslim friend, a Muslim daughter, etcetera. This is how we achieve the goal and this is one of the ways we 'dakwah'.

It is understood that some Muslims separate religion from their daily practices. For example, they only practise Islam whenever they pray, or during Eid, or when there is a wedding or funeral. But other than that, Islam plays no part in their lives. This is not entirely correct as Muslims are suppose to practise Islam fully (100%) into the way of life. We always hear some Muslims saying that 'Islam is my way of life' but only few of them understand what exactly it means. So, in everything we do, just anything, we should include Islam in it. If you are a Medical student studying in Auckland, then you should start referring yourself as a Muslim medical student studying in Auckland. You are studying Medicine, as a Muslim, with one ultimate goal: that is to know more about Allah's creations and you believe that you could deepen your faith towards Islam and Allah. That's more like it, eh? =)

We Muslims should make use of every second to contribute our part to the religion. Why? So that we could be a better Muslim and be closer to Allah. By understanding in depth about Islam, we could spread dakwah and we could improve the worsening condition of the Muslims around the world. And remember that we also wanted to change the perception of the world towards Muslims. "Muslims are terrorist, Islam is a violent religion" they say. Always believe that we could change that. Yes, we as individuals. If all Muslims think alike, then yes, we can! If everyone donated their spoon of honey, we will taste the sweetness in the end, together!

So, start planting Islam in your hearts and remember who you are at anytime, anywhere. You are a 'khalifah', brought to the world with a mission. Never forget who you are and InsyaAllah, you are always be blessed by Allah. =)

Our responsibility

It was said there was a story, in a village, where the people wanted to have a big feast to celebrate a function. So, they had an agreement that everyone would donate a spoon of their honey to a big container so that they could cook out a dish for everyone for the feast out of the honey. They all agreed that they would do this at night (donating the honey). Apparently a villager planned not to donate her part of honey thinking that it would not matter much if she donated or not, knowing that other people would do it. Well, it happened that everyone was thinking of the same thing. Therefore when it comes to the day of the feast, there was no honey in the container because everyone was too selfish to do their part. Hm... get the message?? Think!


A similar scenario: You heard somebody badtalked another friend. And you know it's wrong and sinful what she was doing. And you do know it's your duty as a Muslim to advise her against it. So...the question lies...what are you going to do? Some people, in fact most people chose to walk away from the situation thinking there will be other people who would take the responsibility. This is absolutely wrong! And if everyone thinks the same way, everybody walks away, nothing changes! Look how backward we are!! Think!


Failing to realise own strength, that is our problem. Choosing to believe we are uncapable of succeeding something. Keep our thoughts to ourselves, fearing misconception. Keep those habits away, we should! Everyone is capable of contributing something because Allah created us diversely. We have different capabilities, strengths. No one is identical. Every contribution counts because we are able to help in various ways. That is the way to see it, widen the scope of perception, thou must! Think!


We might want to ponder on how Nabi SAW spreaded the faith of Islam to the whole world? Recalling how he started to dakwah to the people of Mekkah, who were mostly Jahiliyyah. And after painful ordeals, succeeded in establishing the first Islamic city, Madinah? How could a man, initially illiterate, and simple could accomplish this? Could WE? What contributed to Nabi SAW 's triumph? Think!


In Surah Maryam, verse 23, 24,25, 26:

And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: She cried (in her anguish): "Ah! would that I had died before this! would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!"

But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree): "Grieve not! for thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee;

"And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: It will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee.

"So eat and drink and cool (thine) eye. And if thou dost see any man, say, 'I have vowed a fast to (Allah) Most Gracious, and this day will I enter into not talk with any human being'"

This was when Maryam had just conceived Isa and after conceiving, feeling restless and drained out. She brought herself and the baby to a tree which bears ripe dates on it. Just then, Allah ordered Maryam to shake the trunk of the tree so that the dates would fall for her to eat them.
What is the message here, you would ask? How could a woman, just conceived, tired, exhausted and restless shake a strong still trunk to obtain the dates on the tree? Logically, that is impossible. What i am trying to say here is, it is the effort that counts. Maryam may know that even if she shakes the tree it was to no avail, but she did it anyway. This shows that, yes, we humans are weak, and defenseless but the will to do it is what counts. Whether we achieved or not what we want, that is for Allah to decide, for we believe that our fate is all in His hands. So, put in your effort in everything you do, because yes, it counts. And Allah knows that.


Say you obtained unsatisfactory grades in your exam, don't be upset. As long as you know that you had done your best and gave all your will to Allah, there is absolutely nothing to be sad about. We are humans and yes, failure is a part of our lives. There may be a ibrah (message) behind every disappoinment. That is the tarbiyyah Allah wants us to ponder about. Think!

Discovery

Well, this is my first blog post but i had tonnes of blogs before which i ignored..hehe..but this one should be different i guess because i have better things to write now, compared to last time when i just write about myself and the silly and embarassing stuffs that happened in my everyday life. i am hoping to write about my discovery here in Auckland, New Zealand. I have beeen here for almost 2 months but I have to say I learnt a lot of things here which i didnt have the chance to learn it in my homecountry. What had dawned on me since i came here was how ukhuwah( togetherness) is really important when it comes to matters. I had learnt that doing things on your own and minding your own business will never find a way in daily matters. Sharing is caring they say...but i did not learn the true meaning of that until i came here!! Yes..i have to say that phrase is meaningful now that i am away from the place where i lived all my life, my family, my school, my bestfriends... they are all so far away. And you feel like you want to share the feelings with somebody who understands, aomebody who you can relate to...ikatan (connection) I am indeed very blessed, blessed by Allah who is always with me, undeerstanding me, guiding, helping, assisting, loving, caring, lighting the way for me, sending me Islamic sisters in Auckland to help me...what more could i ask for? The sisters were really nice and helpful and i keep wondering why do they do the things they do for others. Organising Islamic programmes, visits and cook for the juniors, inviting us to their houses...and more... and recently organising a jaulah (trip) to Rotorua. There were 65 of us to manage, 9 vans, food and drinks all ready prepared and loaded, everything all planned, including the tarbiyyah (pengisian/teaching) to be told. It was really amazing. These are the people who walk the talk and i felt really blessed here, really. I am indeed feeling that my discovery here is about to get really interesting. I am hoping to discover the true Islam here, insya Allah. I pray for His tarbiyyah here in Auckland and I hope He will help me through the way
InsyaALlah