The silliest laws of the world

I am currently reading "The World's Best Book", one of the books I bought at the Big Bad Wolf book sale last year. This book, authored by Jan Payne and published in 2008, amuses me with lots of unexpected and unthinkable things that had ever occured on earth related to people, things and places. It's a selection of the best, biggest, bravest, worst, weirdest, wildest, funniest, flashiest, furthest, hottest, highest, hairiest, longest, lowest, loudest, deepest, darkest, deadliest, smallest, smelliest, strongest, most expensive, most venomous, most popular..... and the list continues.

Let me share with you one of the hillarious content of this book:

THE SILLIEST LAWS..

1. In Ohio, USA, it is illegal to get a fish drunk. 
2. In the UK, it is an act of treason to position a postage stamp bearing a king's or queen's head upside down. 
3. In Victoria, Australia, it is an offence to wear pink hotpants after midday on Sundays. 
4. In florida, USA, it is illegal for unmarried women to parachute on Sundays.
5. In England, drivers of black taxi cabs are required to ask all passengers if they have smallpox or the plague.
6. In China, you are not allowed to rescue anyone who is drowning because it is thought you are interfering with their fate.
7. In Switzerland, after 10pm, a man may not pee standing up.
8. In California, USA, it is illegal to set a mousetrap without a hunting licence.
9. In the city of Joliet in Illinois, USA, a woman can be arrested for trying on for more than six dresses in one shop.
10. In the UK, any person found breaking a boiled egg at the sharp end can be sentenced to 24 hours in the village stocks.
11. In France, it is illegal to name a pig Napoleon.
12. In Milan, Italy, there is a legal requirement to smile at all times, except at funerals or during hospital visits.
13. In Kentucky, USA, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon that is more than 1.8 metres long.
14. Kissing on French railways is forbidden, and in Greece, if a man is caught kissing a woman, the death penalty can be enforced.
15. In England, any boy under ten years old may not look at a naked shop dummy.
16. In Beijing, China, you could be fined if you stop your car at a pedestrian crossing to let someone cross the road.
17. In Alabama, USA, it is not lawful to flick snot into the wind.
18. In Cester, UK, it is legal to shoot a Welsh person with a bow and arrow, as long as the event occurs within the city walls and it is after midnight.
19. In Alabama, USA, it is illegal to drive a vehicle while blindfolded.
20. In Vermont, USA, women must get consent from their husbands before wearing false teeth.

So what do you think about these laws? Whilst it's funny to come across silly laws like these, they indicate that there are many ridiculous behaviours in this world that need serious attention!

Fancy a pink hotpants, anybody? Smile!

The big bad wolf strikes again!

Thriller. Fiction. Romance. Murder. Architecture. Design. Contemporary arts. Politics. Health. Beauty. Hobby. Marketing. Photography. Bibliographies. Travel. Cookery. Business. Bla..bla..bla.. dot..dot..dot.. etc. etc. etc. *sigh*

This happens at The Big Bad Wolf (BBW) book sale held at the Mines International Convention Centre (MICC) from 7th to 23rd December 2012, from 9am to 9pm. This is the second year BBW holds such event. The organiser claims that this is the biggest book sale in the world with over three million book titles offered at unbelievably low prices. Well, firstly, I do believe it. I have never seen so many books in my life. Secondly, the books are definitely cheap! Novels of RM30 to RM40 normal retail price are selling at RM5 to RM8 only! Thirdly, name what you want and you'll find it here!

The best part? For the first three days, the organiser is holding a non-stop 72-hour rally to attract as many visitors to the sale. I went there at 11pm on the first day. There was a massive traffic jam just outside the exhibition centre as people stormed in and looked for parking spaces. Either the car park are limited in numbers or there were too many visitors jamming the place simultaneously.

The exhibition hall was packed with book lovers. Would you believe that many visitors came with suitcases and even supermarket trolleys (where on earth did they get those trolleys from??? arrghh!!!) These people must have experienced the "aura" from last year's sale so they came well prepared this year.

After about four hours wandering in this big area, my legs could not stand straight anymore. Hubby has long surrendered at one corner of the hall, so I assigned him as "the bookkeeper". Hahaha! We were all tired of walking, but even then, we estimated that we have covered only about 70% of the floor area. Oh! This is what I call heaven on earth. I ended up buying 37 books, mostly English novels, each at a flat price of RM8 only. The children got some educational books for themselves too.

We went back at nearly 5am the next day. We thought by that time most people would have gone home but we were wrong. More have just arrived to join the crowd! There were long queues at all six paying counters.

Well, here are what we brought home that morning. Two boxes full of books! Now I am having difficulty to choose which book to read first....

Well, it seems like the big bad wolf isn't so bad after all...

Dear Robin of Sherwood ...

There are so many things about my son Muhammad Irfan that I have not shared here in this blog. For example, last year he has managed to obtain 5As in his UPSR exam (a very important examination that determines a placement at a secondary school). Today he goes to one of the top boarding schools in Malaysia. ALHAMDULILLAH. All his hard works have been rewarded handsomely by The Almighty. Our prayers, as parents, were answered.

His school, Sekolah Menengah Agama Persekutuan Kajang (SMAPK), holds the 'School of Excellence' status, granted by the Ministry of Education and its niche is in this one particular sport: Archery. For those who do not know, archery in Malaysia is considered an elite sport because very few schools make avail the facilities and equipment, due to the fact that they involve expensive investments. Surprisingly, many of Malaysia's talented archer originate from this school!

Irfan, somehow, has fallen in love with this game too. He is at present actively practising the proper techniques and skills and has improved tremendously since we bought him his very own archery set. I attach here some of his photos during training. I had never imagined that he will one day represent Malaysia in an international tournament, but who knows what will happen in the future, ya? There is beauty in Allah's secrets.

So dear Robin of Sherwood,
               
                                           Be afraid. Be very afraid...!   LOL.

Lost

I am calmly lost in my own world. Stoned. Did not crack pot. But definitely high. At this stage, nothing surprise me anymore. Owh! So post-doc syndrome!

Just finished reading this very interesting book by Randa Abdel-Fattah. If she really spilt out facts on what every ordinary Aussie Muslim teenagers are facing to cope with faith and culture in life, then I need to think many times before I decide to take my family and migrate to Australia.

Should have explained more on what transpired in the book that had me glued to it 24/7. Perhaps not now. Lazy.

By the way, I've gone through my viva voce session on 3rd September recently. It was a two and a half hour session with all the senate members and examiners wore black hoodies and strapped ancient daggers to their chest and hummed "Killing Me Softly" as their opening ritual.

But yay!! I survived!

Alhamdulillah...!

Valid reason

 

I love IKEA. The idea of a modern and organised lifestyle promoted by IKEA wins my heart. Specifically, I like best it's storing solutions for small spaces.

I have been persuading my husband to allow me go "window shopping" at IKEA. He did not say anything about not letting me go, but at the same time he also did not show any sign of approval either. So I waited, and waited, and waited patiently. And when he is in good mood, I reminded him again about my intention to "check new stock" at IKEA.

Still no respond from him, until today, when frying some eggs for breakfast, I accidentally burnt the turner. I told him I need to get a new one and that I ‘must’ have the usual IKEA brand.

Finally, he said yes.

Yay! IKEA here I come!

But when? Yet to confirm. I am a busy mommy! And going to IKEA means I’ll be spending 4 to 5 hours checking in detail everything on offer even though I have no intention to buy anything…

Going there just to buy a set of turner? Hmm… I’ll think about it later.

So what’s the point of trying hard to get the permission from dear hubby?

Naughty!!!

*giggle*

Senad Hadzic. A walk to remember.

Each year millions of Muslims make the annual pilgrimage to the Saudi city of Mecca.


The Hajj, as it is known, is still far away, this year it is in the end of October, but 47-year-old Senad Hadzic has already set off in that direction.

That is because he is on foot.

He started from his hometown in northern Bosnia back in December 2011 and is walking all the way to Mecca. The distance is about 3,600 miles from Bosnia to Mecca and he covers between 12 to 20 miles a day. And for the Geo Quiz we are asking you to tell us where he has reached now.

He has reached a waterway that separates Europe from Asia.

The Bosphorus, the waterway that divides Istanbul and Europe from Asia, is the answer to the Geo Quiz. Just before hitting the road again, Senad Hadzic proudly shows the meager contents of his backback. He’s got a Koran wrapped in plastic for protection against the elements, a bible, maps and flags of the six countries he plans to cross.

“To be honest, before i started on this trip, everybody was frightened for me, asking how will I, as a Muslim, be able to travel though Christian countries like Serbia and Bulgaria,” says Hadzic.

But he was never scared, he says. Traveling with very little money, Hadzic says he’s depended on the kindness of strangers for much of the 600 miles or so he’s walked so far.

“In Serbia, people came out on the street and gave me a hat, or some socks,” Hadzic says. “In one case, a professor in Serbia invited me to stay in his house. This Serbian professor, who was a Christian, told me that I was the first Muslim who had stepped in his house in his life. It was a great honor for me.”

Istanbul has presented a bit of a snag. He’s spent 20 days here, he says, trying to get permission to walk across the Bosphorus bridge connecting Europe to Asia. It’s only open to vehicles. Hadzic doesn’t even want to mention the details of how he got it resolved.

“I’ll tell you, this trip has had millions of problems,”Hadzic says. I’ll explain it to you like this: God willing, I’m going to enter Asia today, and then Syria. And I’m not afraid of a tank or a bullet, only God. And then when I get to Mecca I will say a prayer for all of us.”

When he finally leaves the hotel, he’s excited to be on his way. Wearing a reflector safety vest and a shabby backpack, with Bosnian and Turkish flags sticking out, it’s easy to see how his eccentric character endears him with many that he meets on his way.

“An old Turkish wise man appeared and when he saw that I came from Bosnia to Istanbul on two feet, he offered me the money to sit on an airplane and go directly to Mecca for the Haj,” Hadzic says. “But I rejected this.”

Hadzic says he must travel by foot because God told him to in a dream. His act of faith is not just for his own benefit but for everyone he meets along the way as well.

“By this act, I am proving that everything I do is for the love of God,” Hadzic says. “For all the riches in the world, I would never stop what I am doing.”

Walking through this city of 13 million, in a fitting parallel with his bizarre quest, we run into a group of Bosnian tourists. Hadzic is clearly well-known in Bosnia and doesn’t need an introduction. After pictures are taken and greetings exchanged, Hadzic is back on his own.

He’s not even half way there yet but Hadzic has already learned a lot.

“The point, my friend, is learning the meaning of ‘thank you’. The poor people who live in the countryside love God and support me with generosity. The rich people in the cities love their ATMs,” Hadzic says.

After walking the more than 500 miles from Istanbul to the Syrian border, Hadzic says he plans to continue through Syria. It’s a bit risky he admits, but with God’s help he says he won’t feel fear. He plans to wave a Syrian flag with the word “victory” written on it, and pray for the victims of the conflict.

Wassalam
Note: I do not think I'll be able to walk from Malaysia to Makkah. However, I do wish I have the courage and strength of this man to finish what I have started. Insya-Allah.

Have a nice weekends with your loved ones!

While I was away...part 4/5 - Pimp my ride Malaysian version!

http://www.mtv.com/shows/pimp_my_ride/season_5/series.jhtml

I've mentioned in my previous post that our good neighbour whom we depended on to send and fetch our children to and from school has migrated to Melbourne, Australia recently. We have to find another alternative as a mean of transportation for the children and we have to find it fast so that the problem won't affect the children and their study. The children can actually take the bus to school, but my worry is on the prolonged hours they will have to spend on the journey as the school bus make its rounding to cover several big residential areas. Actually I've tried the school bus before, but pity the children, they only reached home after Maghrib adhan was over. By the time they have cleaned themselves and sat for dinner it was almost 9pm. They were then so tired that they fell asleep even before they managed to finish the food in their plates!!!

The only way to solve this problem is to send and fetch them ourselves, but that would need us to get another car because I drive our mpv to work everyday and I can't reach home on time to fetch the children from school. My husband, who prefers to ride his motorbike wherever he goes, can reach home much earlier, but without a car he simply can't bring them home, unless he train his children how to become circus monkeys performers.

I can't imagine seeing my husband and children riding on a bike like this.....
Pic taken from Nissan Grand Livina hillarious advertisement on TV.


But alhamdulillah, truly Allah provides us with all our needs if we asked from Him in our duas. It so happened that one day, another neighbour told us he wanted to sell his old car because he wanted to buy a new one. We know this person well enough to trust his words that his 2004 model Perodua Kelisa is still in good condition. So, after a 30 second 'test drive' of the petite car, we bought it without further question, at a selling price 41% below the market value!!!

No one is ever so excited with the existence of the second hand car but my husband. He started to day dream about making some refurbishment works on the car so that it would not look too 'old' at its age. At the end of the day, we decided to repaint the car, change its upholstery completely from fabric to leather, modify its engine, tint the windows, change the tyres and install a cd player. Even after incurring all these costs, we can still sell the car and profit RM3,000 from it!

I attached below the before and after pics of the car. The mechanic did a wonderful job with the engine. Smooth, fast, lightweight. It totally feels like driving a brand new car. As a matter of fact, now I am feeling like my mpv is so heavy!





The second hand Kelisa, before the make over

Dusty interior with faded fabric upholstery

...and dirty engine too!

At the workshop where the mechanic and his gang dismantled every parts of the engine

The car looked rather scary at this point

Out went the dirty parts, in came the new parts through the dismounting process

And the result after two whole week in the make over process......




The same car, after the make over

  

Many people told us it's the body paint that makes it look gorgeous



The third day we park the car outside our compound, a stranger approached my husband and asked,

"Are you selling this car? I am interested to buy it"

  

*speechless*

Trying my luck for Amouage

An Arabian Amouage, all the way from Germany?

As far as I can remember, the last time I bought a perfume for myself was about 14 years ago! Yes, you read that right, 14 years ago.... *Gosh! That makes me feel old and tired* The best perfume I have ever bought was Champs-Elysees by Guerlain. I was so crazy about it and love it soooooo much. Other than that, I used to have Giorgio Armani, CK Eternity Moment, Issey Miyake, and many more.

Anyway, like I said, that was 14 years ago when I was slim, beautiful, had strong backbones and no wrinkles. I stopped my hobby of collecting perfumes the moment I met my husband. Such a huge distractions!

But now I am tempted to try my luck on the samples giveaway by bosnishmuslima.  I have never tried any Arabian perfumes. Eager to get to know one. If Allah wills it, I'll get the sample sent to me all the way from Germany. Sounds like fun!

Check out her blog to find out what is offered. You can participate too! Deadline is on January 20th, 2011.  Have a go at it. Good luck!

A pleasant surprise to start the new year

My husband has been a very understanding person. He is the only one who could tolerate my rantings and ravings. Not at all a romantic person, but he's caring and I know he loves me much. Nonetheless, he has this one kind of sense of humor in him that sometimes I can't predict, though I have been sharing my life with him for more than 12 years now.

Today, without a word, he left house early morning and only came back in the afternoon. Smiles on his face, he asked me to sit at the sofa and told me he has something for me. I was quite suspicious with his attitude, yet I obeyed.

"This is for you." He handed me a big box wrapped nicely. Like a birthday gift. But today is not my birthday.

"What's this?" I asked, still looking suspicious.

"Open it. You'll love it." He said, still smiling.

I put the box on the coffee table and stared at it. This must be one of his clever tricks. Well, I've been tricked one too many times. He would then roll happily on the floor when my face turned red. Who knows what he put inside the box? What would be his trick this time?

"Are you doubting me?"

"Tell me what's in the box."

"Why don't you find out yourself? Open it."

"No. I don't want to."

"So you don't want it? I'll give it to our son, then. He'll be extremely happy."

There's silent everywhere. I tried to figure out what could possibly be in the box. Today is the first day of a new year, he has a good reason to put another trick on me. But no way that's gonna happen. I am determined not to be fooled!

Because there's no respond from me, my husband called our son to the living room.

"This is for you. A special gift from your mom." He said to Irfan.

"A present! For me? Can I open it now?"

"Yes, and make sure you open it in front of your mom, because it's from her." My husband kept smiling. I wonder if he ever felt tired of smiling like that.

Irfan did not hesitate to tear open the wrapping paper. Soon the mysterious gift revealed itself.

A CAMERA! IT'S A CAMERA. WOW!!!

I was about to jump to my son and grab the camera, but suddenly stopped abruptly. Perhaps it's a dummy. Must control myself from getting too excited.

"Cool, dad! Thanks. mom!" Irfan was excited. I got a kiss on my cheek.

"Can you teach me how to use this stuff?" Irfan asked his father.

"Sure, first you need to insert the battery and the smart card. Then ....(bla..bla..bla...)"

Owh! Just you wait, Irfan, when you finally find out your dad is putting a trick on you." I said quietly, still stoned at the sofa.

Suddenly the door bell rang. My husband got up to get it. This is golden opportunity for me to inspect the dummy camera.

"I'm sure this camera is expensive, mom! It comes with many features. See! I must read the manual first before I can shoot like an expert."

"Let me have a look at it." I took the camera from his hands.

Masya-Allah!!!

It's a REAL CAMERA. It's a brand new Nikon D3100. It's simply beautiful.....I fell in love with it instantly.

Owh! Now I regret being snobbish earlier. What should I do? I have unintentionally "handed over" the camera to Irfan. What to do now?

"This is a mistake. I did not give the camera to you. Can I have it back, Irfan? Pleaseeeeee...??"

****************************************************

To cut the story short, after much persuasion, Irfan finally agreed to exchange the brand new Nikon D3100 with his father's old Canon Powershot. What a relief! He finally agreed that the new camera is too complicated to handle and understand. So he opted for the much simpler, smaller, lighter and handier Canon Powershot. I owe my husband an apology for not trusting him in the first place. I must thank him too for being able to convince our son to take Canon instead. Dear darling husband, I love you so much!

"Now you need not take pics with your old Nokia N90 for your blog anymore. Oh! But you'll have to attend a training session organised by Nikon." my husband told me.

It had never occured to me that I would need to be trained to use a camera. But the idea does make me feel excited. I am looking forward for the session.

This is really a pleasant surprise for me to start the new year. At the time I write this post, I kept wondering if I would be able to master all the features offered by the camera and take beautiful pictures with it.

We'll see.....

Yet another stranger....

Written by Rand Diab

A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later.

As I grew up I never questioned his place in our family. In my young mind, each member had a special niche. My brother, Yusuf, five years my senior, was my example. Samya, my younger sister, gave me an opportunity to play ‘big brother’ and develop the art of teasing. My parents were complementary instructors– Mom taught me to love Allah, and Dad taught me to how to obey Him. But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spell-bound for hours each evening. If I wanted to know about politics, history, or science, he knew it.

He knew about the past and seemed to understand the present. The pictures he could draw were so life like that I would often laugh or cry as I watched. He was like a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Yusuf and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several famous people.

The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn’t seem to mind-but sometimes Mom would quietly get up– while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places– go to her room, read the Qur’an.

I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave. You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this stranger never felt obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house– not from us, from our friends, or adults. Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm.. To my knowledge, the stranger was never confronted. My dad was a teetotaler who didn’t permit alcohol in his home – not even for cooking.

But the stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often.

He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (probably too much too freely) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.

I know now that my early concepts of the man-woman relationship were influenced by the stranger.

As I look back, I believe it was Allah’s Mercy that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family on Morningside Drive. He is not nearly so intriguing to my Dad as he was in those early years. But if I were to walk into my parents’ den today, you would still see him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.

His name you ask?

We called him TV.

  

Masya-Allah, this is a good story to be taken as example. The influence of TV on our younger generation is HUGE. It has changed the lifestyle of millions of people. It is up to us to decide whether it brings more benefits or harm into our lives. Many thanks to Muslimah for allowing me to re-post this on my blog.

Something to think about...

Many thanks to Durriyah Sharifah Hasan Adli of University of Malaya for sharing this with me. Now I share this with all of you because I think this is very true, if not all, at least to most of us.

Original posting taken from:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

THE SITUATION

In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

After 4 minutes of playing:
The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.


At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.


At 10 minutes:
 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.


At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.


After 1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

*In a common-place environment / at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty / appreciate exceptional talent?

*If so, do we stop to appreciate it? Do we acknowledge it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

How many things in life are not recognized because they are not positioned in the right places?

Barakah in food shared with sincere heart

The whole family members have gathered at the dining table, eagerly waiting for the sound of adzhan to break fast. As usual, baby porcupine was the busiest person at the table, walking on chairs from one end of the table to another, tasting food happily and pinching her sister's cheek on the way. My husband looked a bit tired today. He told me there were some errands outside the office that he has to take care of and has been going in and out under the hot sun several times.

As we waited for adzhan, my mobile phone rang. It was my younger brother. He happened to be working somewhere close to our house and asked if he could join us for break fast. I invited him to come over and he said,

"Actually, I am already in front of your door"

Ah! That is so my brother!

Picture taken from http://www.thechediphuket.com/

To my surprise, when I opened the door, he was not alone. He has friends with him! Oh! No! I panicked. There will not be not enough food for all four of them! And there was not enough time to cook for more food! Nevertheless, I did not reject them. Instead, I invited all to come dine with us at the table. My husband easily detected this worry expression on my face. He told me to stay calm, everything will be fine.

Adzhan was soon on air and we ate. I kept praying that whatever we have on the table will be sufficient for all of us. I could not afford to see disappointed faces... O Allah, help me please!

Alhamdulillah, everything went on just fine, exactly as told by my husband. Everyone was satisfied. There was ample food for everyone. I breathed a sigh of relief when it was over. After maghrib prayer, I asked my husband what made him feel so confident that no one will leave the dining table still feeling hungry.  He smiled, got up, grab a book (contains the story of sahabah) and showed me a page on The Battle of Khandaq: 4th year of Hijrah, 626 AD:


At the end of the battle of Ohud when Abu Sofian was unable to hurt our Prophet Muhammad (salallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), he returned to Makkah after promising that he will come back next year and will take revenge for the defeats of Badr and Ohud. This time it was not only the non-believers of Makkah who were with him. He had also taken the help of the Jews of Madinah to defeat Islam forever. The Jewish tribes of Madinah promised to help in two ways, one to send soldiers to fight in the battlefield and two to create fear among the women and children who were left in the town unprotected.

Picture courtesy of lighthousepatriot.blogspot.com

The Prophet’s companion Salman Farsi suggested that the muslims must dig a moat on the unprotected side of the town. The muslims took this advice and the moat was ready within 3 days in which the Prophet himself took part. When the enemy forces arrived at the scene they were unable to enter the city due to the newly dug moat and they stayed on the outerside.

Jabir bin Abdillah (r.a.), while digging the moat he observed that our Prophet Muhammad (salallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) looked tired and hungry. Concerned about his condition, Jabir hurriedly went back home and told his wife to cook whatever they have in the house for the Prophet. His wife immediately took out the flour and started to knead dough to make bread. Jabir slaughtered a goat and immediately cooked it.

Once ready, he went out to invite our Prophet Muhammad (salallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to eat at his house. Before he left, his wife whispered to him,

“Please do not embarrass me in front of the muslims. This is the only food we have in the house and it is not enough for everyone out there. Be sure to invite only the Prophet to our house”

Jabir nodded and went off. He met our Prophet Muhammad (salallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and invited him in secrecy with several other sahabahs to his house. To his surprise, suddenly our Prophet Muhammad (salallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) stood up and called everyone to gather around him and said,

“O those who are digging the moat! Jabir has prepared us some food and drinks and invited us all to his house to eat”

Our Prophet Muhammad (salallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then turned to Jabir and told him to go home and remind his wife not to remove the cooking pot from the stove and not to bake the bread until they arrive.

When he told his wife what the Prophet Muhammad (salallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) instructed them to do, she almost cried,

“This is your fault! I have told you there’s not enough food for everyone!”

Picture taken from www.everyculture.com

Soon after, our Prophet Muhammad (salallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and the muslims flooded the house. The Prophet instructed Jabir to bring before him the bread dough. He tasted the dough and made dua to Allah, seeking for barakah in the food. He then went to the stove, tasted the mutton dish and made dua for barakah. Once done, he instructed Jabir and his wife to get an assistant to prepare the bread and serve the meal for them. But again he reminded Jabir not to remove the pot from the stove. With that, they started the feast.

Later when relating the story, Jabir (r.a.) said,

Picture taken from www.reachinghearts4kids.org

“Masya-Allah! There were three thousand people feasting with the Prophet Muhammad (salallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), all them eat heartily and were fully satisfied. When they left, the bread dough and the mutton dish were still as much as before, as if untouched!”

[Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim]

Virtual visit to Masjidil Haram...everyday!

Assalamualaikum warahmatuLlahi wabarakatuh everyone!

I pray all of you have a blessed Ramadhan so far.

Today I'd like to share something interesting with all of you.

A friend of mine introduced a blog of a Malaysian living in Makkah. He is working at Al-Jewar Royal Orchid hotel, located exactly in front of Masjidil Haram. Masya-Allah, his blog contains lots and lots of beautiful pictures of Al-Haram for everyone to view. He updates his blog regularly, at least twice a day, so readers would know what is happening at Al-Haram from time to time.

Picture courtesy of Manzlie from http://manzlie-makkah.blogspot.com/

If you have been to Makkah either for umrah or hajj, you may virtually come back to this holy land to bring back all the good memories you encountered when you were there. If you have never been to Makkah yet, this is the best opportunity to get to know what's going on over there recently. May you set a goal to be there one day, Insya-Allah.

The blog owner, Manzlie, or better known as CL, loves to take pictures of everything, from the masjid itself, to the various kinds of people visiting this place, animals like pigeons and cats, restaurants and other business centres, construction and development surrounding Al-Haram, the various beautiful pendants in the masjid, its interior design, zam-zam water, cleaners, food, night life, sahoor, taraweeh....etc.

Kaabah at 3.00 a.m. crowded with worshippers!

Enough from me! Go visit and experience it yourself. I guarantee you'll like it. And oh! by the way, the blog is in Malay language. You may need the 'Translate' button to help you. Not much, but at least you can understand what's told behind the story.

Enjoy the view! I do...  Here's the blog.

Lailatul Qadr

“Verily! We have sent it (Al-Quran) down in the night of Al-Qadr (Decree), And what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is? The night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months. Therein descend the angels and the Ruh [Jibrael (Gabriel)] by Allah's Permission with all Decrees, Peace! (All that night, there is Peace and Goodness from Allah to His believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn.”

(Al-Qadr 97:1 - 5)

Therefore, worshipping Allah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months! Which is about 83 years and 4 months! This is probably longer then most of us will even live! So which of us will be crazy enough to waste this opportunity?


When is the Night?

Narrated Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said,

"Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan."

[Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 3, Book 32, Number 234]

Therefore, it could be 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th. Some narrations indicate its on the last seven days and others say 27th. However, its best to seek it on all the odd nights (only 5 days!) and perhaps you will be rewarded for a lifetime!
One thing to note, we start our nights at maghrib. So, say today is the 20th fast. However, the prayer of tonite is the 21st. If you recall, we startd taraweeh the night before fasting. Also, when the moon is sighted at the end, we dont pray taraweeh the night before Eid.

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

"Whoever fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven ."

[Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 3, Book 32, Number 231]

Make Dua

Remember, ask for whatever you wish, but dont forget to say for forgiveness, because the last place we all want to end up is in Hell.  Just in case you're not sure what to ask for:

• Forgiveness for yourself, your family and the whole muslim nation (ummah)

• Guidance to the straight path

• Purification of mind, body and soul

• Knowledge of the religion

• Wisdom

• The best of the world and the next

• A righteous spouse

• Paradise

Dont ask for worldly things like long life, more money, job promotion, etc because all of this has already been apportioned for you and it cannot be changed.

As for those of who you may not be able to pray, you should recite Quran instead. Quran can be recited in any state, according to the strongest opinion, so don't follow the views of those who dont know! Allah would not restrict the Quran to certain people and certain times only!! So recite Quran, perhaps recite a soorah that you love and read its translation. Or you can read other stuff like islamic articles, or some of the stories of the Prophets, or even ahadeeth. The point is to do something good. and after that, make your Dua sincerely.



Be consistent

Its only 5 nights, don't waste them. Repeat the same thing every night. Anyone and everyone who trys to distract you in these nights, are no doubt soldiers of shaytaan. Any friends who ask you to go out on this night, are the ones that will lead you to Hell. So take heed of your actions and Fear Allah in all you do.

Remember..this might be your last Ramadaan! The last thing you want is to be in your grave, regretting not being a better Muslim in this life. Once you die, your judgment starts and there is no returning back!

JazakAllahu khairan kathira to Imran Ayub for sharing this with me.

A powerful dua

“And remember Dzhu-n-Nun, when he departed in wrath. He imagined that We have no power over him! But he cried through the depths of darkness: “There is no god but You; Glory to You; I was indeed wrong!” (87)

So We listen to him. And delivered him from his distress. And thus do We deliver those who have faith. (88)

SURAH AL-ANBIYA’(21):87-88

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days before we welcome the sacred month of Ramadhan, I experienced great pain in my mouth. It was a terrible toothache. At first I thought perhaps there’s food stuck in a hole inside the tooth that caused pain. I’ve tried to remove whatever that I thought was the cause of pain, but yet still it won’t go away. I took some painkiller, but it didn’t work. Since Ramadhan was approaching, I decided to go see our family dentist and let her investigate.

To my surprise, she told me the cause of my severe pain was coming from a wisdom tooth that tried to emerge but did not manage to come out properly in full. In other word, half of the tooth has surfaced, but the other half was still deep inside the gum. Judging from the improper positioning of the tooth, the dentist predicted that it’s going to be a very, very slow process and that I’d be suffering along the way. Ouch! It hurt so much, even to hear the dentist explained that to me. Well, who would have guessed at the age of 38 I still grow tooth??!?

She recommended extraction of the tooth.

Of course I was nervous about it. I can’t sleep. I can’t concentrate on my study. I can’t even smile properly (that’s my husband’s observation on me!). The next appointment was a day before our first fasting. I then made up my mind to get rid of the tooth.

I thought my problem would be solved that very day. Obviously I was wrong. It was a strong, healthy tooth I tried to pull out, so it didn’t even budge a bit! Astaghfirullah hal‘azim!

“Your body is so stiff! If you don’t relax, I’ll never be able to pull out the tooth!!”

What!!! The dentist blamed it on me? Oh! Pity me!

So the first attempt failed. The tooth hurt even more now. I was badly bleeding. The dentist told me to go home. She prescribed a medicine to reduce the swollen gum and set another appointment for me.

I was sad and disappointed. So was my husband. I called my mother and told her about the toothache.

She suggested me a dua to recite continuously.

She said it is a powerful dua.

"La ila ha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimeen"

So what's the story behind this ayat?

Our prophet Muhammad (Salallahu alaihi wasallam) said in the hadith recorded by At-Tirmidzi and others:

“The invocation of my brother Dzhu-n-Nun: None has the right to be worshipped save You; Glory be to You, far removed are You from any imperfection; I have been amongst the wrong-doers. None who is experiencing difficulty employs it except that Allah SWT would relieve him of his difficulty.”

The dua is actually taken from Surah Al-Anbiya’ (21:87). The story behind this powerful ayat is about Prophet Yunus (‘alaihis-salam) who was sent to the people of Nineveh (which was a city where the modern-day Iraqi city of Mosul is). Prophet Yunus preached the message of Allah to these people for a very long time, but they did not respond well to his call. When he felt that his preaching was not going to make them change their ways, he took off in anger. He boarded a ship filled with other passengers. After some time, the ship ran into a storm. The people on the ship cast lots, with the idea that the person whose name shows up should be thrown overboard. The name of Prophet Yunus (alaihis-salam) came up in the drawing three times, after which he threw himself into the sea. Allah commanded a huge fish to swallow Prophet Yunus (alaihis-salam) without hurting him or breaking his bones. Prophet Yunus (alaihis-salam) realized that he had made a mistake by leaving his town and its people without the permission of Allah. This was why he was now imprisoned in this strange way in the belly of a fish in the depths of the ocean.

Upon realizing his error, he repented sincerely to Allah, and called out to his Lord in the following words:

“La ila ha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimeen”
(There is no God but You, Glorified be You! Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers).

Allah was so pleased with his repentance that He brought Prophet Yunus (alaihis-salam) out from the darkness of the fish’s belly, and the fish threw Prophet Yunus (alaihis-salam) on a flat and plain shore. The supplication that Prophet Yunus (alaihis-salam) made was loved so much by Allah that it not only earned him his release, but is recorded in the Qur’an and was praised by the last of the Messengers, our Prophet Muhammad (sall-Allahu alaihi wasallam). This is one good example that shows the benefits of repentance (that is, apologizing to Allah about one’s mistake or error) by reciting the dua repetitively.

Sa’d ibn Waqas reported that our Prophet Muhammad (sall-Allahu alaihi wasallam) said,

“The supplication made by the Companion of the Fish (Prophet Yunus) in the belly of the fish was, ‘La ilaha illa anta, subhanaka, inni kuntu minaz-zalimeen (there is no god but You, You are far exalted and above all weaknesses, and I was indeed the wrongdoer). If any Muslim supplicates in these words, his supplication will be accepted.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Three days later I came back to see the dentist. From the very moment I left home, I kept reciting the dua of Prophet Yunus (alaihis-salam) non-stop in my heart. I prayed this time the tooth will come out.

Masya-Allah! It took less than half an hour to extract the tooth, painlessly, compared to the first attempt of almost an hour or so.

“That’s how you do it!” the dentist smiled at me when everything was over. I tried to smile back, but it felt awkward with this bulging cheek of mine. In my heart, I kept saying thanks to Allah for making the task easy. Alhamdulillah.

It IS indeed a POWERFUL dua.

Now I am sharing this with all of you. If you are in pain, if you feel hurt, or if you are miserable, stressed up, sad, angry or disappointed, then recite this powerful dua and leave everything in God’s hands. SubhanAllah. He is the Almighty. He will listen to you. Insya-Allah.

Note: For picture and ayats, credits to IslamiCity and Asim Imam. JazakAllahu khairan kathira

Mornin' quickie

Mother's Day is way over, but just thought I'd share this with you. (Credits to the original author, whom I can't trace. JazakAllahu khairan kathira)

---------------------------------------------

A young child walked up to her mother and stared at her hair.

As mother scrubbed on the dishes, the girl cleared her throat and sweetly asked;

"Why do you have some grey strands in your hair?"

The mother paused and looked at her daughter.

"Every time you disobey, I get one strand of grey hair.

If you want me to stay pretty, you better obey."

The mother quickly returned to her task of washing dishes.

The little girl stood there thinking.

She cleared her throat again.

"Mother?" She sweetly asked again.

"Yes?" her Mother replied.

"Why is Grandma's hair ALL grey?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hahaha...! If you were the mom, what would be your answer then?

Have you called / talked to your mom today?  Have a nice fasting and take care!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The virtue of Ramadhan

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim...

Narrated Talha bin 'Ubaid-Ullah (may Allah be pleased with him):

A bedouin with unkempt hair came to Muhammad S.A.W. and said,

"O Allah's Apostle! Inform me what Allah has made compulsory for me as regards the prayers."

He replied: "You have to offer perfectly the five compulsory prayers in a day and night (24 hours), unless you want to pray Nawafil."

The bedouin further asked, "Inform me what Allah has made compulsory for me as regards fasting."

He replied, "You have to fast during the whole month of Ramadan, unless you want to fast more as Nawafil."

The Bedouin further asked, "Tell me how much Zakat Allah has enjoined on me."

Thus, Muhammad S.A.W. informed him about all the rules (i.e. fundamentals) of Islam.

The bedouin then said, "By Him Who has honoured you, I will neither perform any Nawafil nor will I decrease what Allah has enjoined on me".

Muhammad S.A.W. said, "If he is saying the truth, he will succeed (or he will be granted Paradise)."

Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 115; Saheeh Muslim, Book 001, Number 0007

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):

Muhammad S.A.W. said,

"Allah said, 'All the deeds of Adam's sons (people) are for them, except fasting which is for Me, and I will give the reward for it.' Fasting is a shield or protection from the fire and from committing sins. If one of you is fasting, he should avoid sexual relation with his wife and quarrelling, and if somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he should say, 'I am fasting.' By Him in Whose Hands my soul is' The unpleasant smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord; then he will be pleased because of his fasting"

(Agreed Upon); Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 128; Saheeh Muslim, Book 006, Number 2566

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him):

Allah's Apostle S.A.W. said,

"By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allaah than the smell of musk. (Allah says about the fasting person), 'He has left his food, drink and desires for My sake. The fast is for Me. So I will reward (the fasting person) for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times."

Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 118

*Pictures all taken from Microsoft

Facts that non-Muslims are trying to ignore...