Valuable Guidelines in a Muslim's Life

Assalamualaikum & Salaam sayang :)

It's Friday today, and Alhamdulillah it also means that the weekend's almost here! *hehee*

A long weekend with my loved ones..no Monday blues, 4 days to sleep in or stay up for as long as I want. Oh, what a joy! *ignore the dramatization pleeease!*

Anywho, I was surfing online when I came across the below tips here, gave it a read and find it useful. They say, 'sharing is caring' right? So that's what I'm doing :)

Valuable Guidelines in a Muslim’s life :

1. Start off each day with ‘adhkaar al-istiyqaadh’ (waking up supplications), thanking Allah for waking up in good shape.

2. Put Allah first in your life.

3. Broaden your horizons- learn 5 New verses from the Quran, travel to pray Fajr in the mosque to brighten your day, take up a booklet having adhkaar-alsabaah (morning supplications) and read them.

4. Pray Salaat Al-dhuhaa (after sunrise)

5. If someone says something mean to you, just shrug it off and dismiss it in a friendly, laidback manner, and pray that Allah shall forgive them.

6. When you get angry, remember Allah, and how short and worthless life is to waste in being Angry.

7. Remember that you can never have too many friends, but you can have few quality friends that help you fulfill the purpose of your creation (i.e live for Allah.)

8. When you’re happy, try to share your happiness with others thank Allah for that, and pray for its continuation.

9. When something bad or embarrassing happens to you, just think that it could always be worse, remember the reward of patience, and thank Allah that it’s not worse than it is.

10. Do something extra of goodness once in a while, like feeding a poor person, or caressing an orphan’s head.

11. Never stop believing that you can win Allah’s love and thus work for it. Then you can win the love of Allah’s slaves.

12. Spend some time thinking of Allah’s amazing creation.

13. Always love those who love Allah unconditionally. This way you will ensure that you live for Him, love for Him.

14. Find the righteous ways to express yourself, and if you think that what you are about to say shall cause no benefit, maintain silence

15. Every now and then, give yourself a break. play sports, give time to your family, friends, but always remember Allah and know that He is watching you.

16. Pray for blessing to come to your enemies, and pray Allah to guide them to the right path.

17. Hug your parents, kiss their hands and heads and always obey but stop at Allah’s orders.

18. Smile to everyone, for your smile makes a big difference to them and you are rewarded.

19. Forgive, forget and smile.

20. Tears are not for women only…tears are for all human beings with feelings remaining in them. Don’t restrain your tears when remembering Allah.

21. When people criticize your actions and effort, revise your actions and see if they please Allah or not. If they do, then ignore and remember how the prophet and the Sahaba were criticized, made fun of and even physically harmed, so have patience.

22. Read the Quran daily and try to have a schedule for completing it every month (or as much as you could) as long as you open the Quran daily, and read with observing not just passing your eyes through the words.

23. Don’t let popularity go to your head, for it never lasts and you may lose from it more than gain.

24. Never look down on anybody, for they may be better than you in Allah’s eyes.

25. And finally pray to Allah alone for the reward.

Hope you find the above tips useful, insyaAllah. May we be blessed with a beautiful and loving weekend, insyaAllah. Have a great weekend loves!

Much love,

ME

Salaam. ♥

More heartbreaks equals to one step closer to your right jar of Nutella

Assalamualaikum & Salaam sayang :)

"Love can't be forced nor planned. It'll happen if it's meant to be, irregardless of the distance, the time or the situation. But what is certain; love can definitely be worked upon. It needs to be 'watered' with patience, faith and lots of prayers..."

Warda S.Jaffar

Lumrah manusia to want someone to love and be loved in return, isn't it? So it's not something out of the norm to 'risk' yourself and 'go out there' to find someone who would 'fit' your idea of 'love'.

Unfortunately, love is not something that you can wished for and immediately get. If it was that easy, my, then everyone would not suffer and Facebook won't be 'flooded' with statuses/quotes on heartbreaks and how 'love hurts'. *shrugs*

Sometimes, I really do wished love was simple though. I wished sometimes men would really put themselves in our shoes before 'pursuing' us women. That they would first think, "Okay, I would not want other men to treat my sister/daughter 'that' way - so I shouldn't treat 'her' (the person he's dating/seeing) that way too.."

But as always, it's easier said than done...right?

And for the men's benefit, it's not fair to put all the blame on them too. As far as *some of them* they are concerned, they're putting themselves 'out there' too, they're risking their 'hearts' to find someone to love too.

Plus, as I've mentioned above - 'love can't be forced nor planned..it'll happen if it's meant to be...'

Heartbreaks sucks. It does. But as hard as it may be, everytime you go through a difficult situation especially one that involves feelings you've to be strong and know there MUST be a bigger and better plan for you.

Abah shared 'this' with me the other day, that no one in this world would escape their own share of heartbreaks and hardships - each and everyone of us would have to face their obstacles in their own way, and in their own time. Everyone would be tested with different challenges, but point is - none of us would go through a purely simple life. The 'winner' of these tests would be the one who doesn't lose faith in GOD, always persevered and never lose hope. :)

I know sometimes it's difficult for you (and me both) to really accept the fact that you have to be strong when undergoing a difficult obstacle, especially when it involves matters of the heart. But surely, GOD didn't put you on earth to only let you suffer. Surely all those tests that HE 'gave' you would ultimately lead to a happy ending, one that even you might have not expected. I'm certain that HE has a better plan for you. Everyone have their own purpose in life. I'm sure you do too...but as they say, 'patience is a virtue'...so patient you must be.

And when you're hurt and suffering, don't forget to treasure those that love and cares for you. Just because one person doesn't love you, that doesn't mean you should forget those who do. "Don't let those who hurt you tear you down. Let those who loves you fix you up!" :))

To those of you who are hurting, below is an excerpt or a statement that I've been meaning to share with you for a very long time but never got a chance to. I found it off the net, in tumblr to be exact. Hope it'll cheer you up! :))

"Look at it this way. You want a big ol' perfect jar of Nutella, right? Every guy that comes along that captures your heart and sadly breaks it, well he's just one tiny ingredient. I'm sure it took the Nutella guy a bunch of times until he finally got it just perfect. Each slob that breaks your heart is adding to your bowl of what you don't need/want and it gives you a better view of what you do want/need. More heartbreaks equals to one step closer to your right jar of Nutella. Take that one thing you liked about those guys and throw it in your bowl of your "Mr. Right Nutella". You'll know when it's time to mix it all up and pack it and spread it on a cracker!"

:) of course life doesn't work that way, that you can just select one thing that you liked and then try to find a guy/girl who fits your description of 'love'. But as mentioned above, "..more heartbreaks equals to one step closer to your right jar of Nutella.." so hopefully, once you've gone through all the 'wrongs', you'll be one step closer to your "Mr. Right"..

What doesn't kill you make you stronger, right? :) I hope in some way, this post has helped motivated/cheered you up. And I pray that GOD would ease your path in finding someone who loves you and appreciates you the way you should be loved & be appreciated, insyaAllah. Ameen.


Much love,
ME


Salaam ♥

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings. ♥

Life has never been easy, and it never will be I'm afraid... :)

Some people are luckier than most. They get everything they want and hoped for, and everything comes easy for them. But the things that they achieved, and the happiness that they portrayed might be deceiving. Some people have all the wealth in the world, yet they can't seem to stop looking for more. They are never satisfied and is always on the search for something that would make them 'whole'. How sad is that...?

It's easier said than done, but the trick to 'having more' is to actually always be grateful for everything that you have and everything that you don't.. :)

Mind you, when I talked about being grateful - I am not only referring to the material wealth..things that money can buy, nope. Not only that. But I was also referring to the little things. Things that we sometimes overlook and take for granted, perhaps unintentionally.

Tell me how many of you (me included of course) am always grateful that each day we are given a chance to start afresh, to breathe in the air, or to be able to kiss and hug our loved ones as much as we want to..? 

When we start to appreciate all these little things, insyaAllah only then would we be able to 'receive' more blessings from HIM. :)

So my loves, start being grateful for the little things and pray hard for the bigger ones..but don't be sad if you are not rewarded immediately with whatever it is that you prayed for - GOD is the BEST listener, HE is also the BEST planner. Surely HE would not leave you empty-handed...perhaps the wish that you prayed for is not good for you, and HE is only taking HIS time to reward you with a BETTER 'gift' :)

Don't envy those that have everything, but envy those who has nothing and is still appreciating and enjoying life..try to remember, life isn't only about getting what you want - it's also about loving what you have and appreciating how those things define you..

"He who has none has Allah, and he who has Allah has everything..."

Sh. Navaid Aziz



Below is something I found off the net, and I'd like to share it with you :)

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary, because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.

When you're sad and feeling low, do spare some time to listen to Guy Sebastian's song; "Don't Worry, Be Happy". We've all experienced situations that are mentioned in this song, but "If you only think of things that you haven't got, You could have it all and still never have enough.."

So loves - stay strong, have faith & always remember that everytime you are facing an obstacle that's too much to bear, "This too shall pass..." :)

Much love,

ME


Salaam ♥

First Man In My Life: You'll never forget your first love ♥

Assalamualaikum & Salaam Sayang :)

It has certainly been a loooooong time since I've last updated this humble blog of mine. As usual, a lot of things have happened from then and now.

Dear beautiful readers, I started this entry not knowing what to write about, but one thought kept coming back to me - that I love my Abah. And that, one day - he's not going to be the only man in my life. In honest truth, that thought somewhat saddens me...

Abah & I, we have a beautiful connection. My Umi, she's the strong one. She's resilient and she's definitely my inspiration. She gives and gives, and even if she has nothing left to give, she'll think of something TO give. A mother's unconditional love, no other such love would prove to be more beautiful than that, aside from HIS love that is :) So always respect and love your mother at all times, okay? She's not perfect but neither are we. In fact, no one is kan? So accept her flaws and forgive her if she ever hurt you *bet it wasn't intentional*, because I'm sure that all she wants is the best for her children...

Anywho..sorry for going off-course, I get distracted sometimes..hee; okay, so back to our topic: my Abah.

Abah never fails to let his daughters know that he loves us. And he's a workaholic, yet, he always finds time for us. While other fathers occasionally take some time off to meet up with their friends and catch up (and there is NOTHING wrong with that, cause everyone needs some time off once in awhile), Abah would instead spend all his time with us. *I'm so blessed to have you as my father, Abah!*

I guessed what I'm trying to say in this post is that, though Abah may not be the main man in my life once I'm married - he'll always be my first love. How can he not be? He's the first man that dedicated all his time for me, the first man who is always there for me - no excuses, the first man who showed me what love is, and the first man who 'showed' me my worth. Apart from that, indirectly - he also showed me that I deserve to be treated right and loved by a man who knows my worth. "Never settle for less", he says.

Growing up, there are times when I didn't understand why he'd say "No" to things/requests that I felt were harmless. But now that I've matured, I understood that what he was trying to do is to protect me. Protect his little girl's worth. :)

Well Abah. I love you. And thank you for putting up with me for the past 25-26 years. I know I'll never be able to repay what you've done for me. What I can instead do, is to try my best to be the daughter that you would always be proud off, and pray to HIM to bless both you and Umi with health, happiness and love always.

They said you'll never forget your first love...I know I certainly won't :')

*Daddy's little girl for life*

Love always,

Your little girl

Much love,
ME


Salaam ♥

"Labaik allahuma labaik...." ♥

Assalamualaikum & salaam sayang :)


It's been awhile hasn't it? October came & ended in a blink of an eye. And now November has graced us with it's presence and Alhamdulillah, if you're reading this - it means Allah loves you & you're given the opportunity to still live in this wonderful creation of his, that is the dunya... :)

I hope all of you are well. Alhamdulillah for me, October was a month of celebrations. There are a lot of things that I'd like to share with you, but I guess it is suffice to say that I've been utterly blessed to be given the opportunity to experience a lot of wonderful 'happenings' last month.. :)

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Having said that, us Muslims would celebrate Eid ul-Adha on Sunday, November 6th 2011 (Malaysia). Talking about it bring back lots of fond memories of my late grandparents and I when we went to perform our umrah about a decade ago! It was so surreal, and I know I am blessed because I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the holy land and perform my prayers directly in front of the Ka'aba...SubhanAllah...

And I remember repeating the phrase below over & over again while performing my tawaf around the Ka'aba;

"Labaik allahuma labaik, labaik la sharika laka labaik, Innal hamda wann'imat laka wal mulk, la sharika lak"

which means...

"I stand up for YOUR service, O GOD! I stand up! I stand up! There is no partner with YOU! I stand up for YOUR service! Verily YOURS is the praise, the beneficence, and the dominion! There is no partner with YOU"

It was a beautiful and memorable experience that I will personally treasure for the rest of my life; and given the opportunity, I would love to go to Mecca & Medina again. People from all over the world, young and old, regardless of their gender, race and color are united as one in the holy place of Mecca. There, you are at peace. Your sole purpose of being there amongst others is to pray to HIM, to seek HIM, to purify yourself of all of your past sins and to seek for HIS forgiveness.

As we are in the month of Dhul-Hijjah, and it is the month where Muslims all around the world would gather in Mecca to perform their Hajj, I found an interesting article on TUMBLR which I'd like to share with all of you. Below is the article that could provide us, me included a little bit more info about Hajj and it's importance.

Source: Tumblr

Each year in the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims around the world begin observing activities associated with the annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. Hajj is one of the “five pillars” of the Islamic faith. Hajj activities take place during six days (8th-13th) of the Islamic lunar month of Dhul-Hijjah. Pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for those Muslims who have the physical and financial ability to undertake the journey. It is also a form of worship that involves the entire being: body, mind and soul.

What does the Qur’an say about Hajj?

In the Qur’an, God says: “Thus We settled Abraham at the site of the House (the Ka’aba) [saying]: ‘Do not associate anything with Me, and purify My house for those who walk around it, and those who stand there (praying), and those who bow down on their knees in worship. Proclaim the pilgrimage among mankind: they will come to you on foot and on every lean (beast of burden); Let them come from every deep ravine, to bear witness to the advantages they have, and to mention God’s name on appointed days…” Chapter 22, verses 26-28

What do Muslims believe they gain from Hajj?

The main benefit of Hajj for many people is the sense of purification, repentance and spiritual renewal it instills. The rituals of the Hajj entail great wisdom and excellent lessons, the most important of which is a manifestation of humility to God The Almighty. This is because the pilgrim leaves a life of luxury and adornment to wear the clothes of Ihraam (two pieces of unsewn white cloth), declaring his dire need for his Lord. In this journey, he frees himself from the worldly life and its occupations that divert him from God The Almighty and to receive forgiveness and mercy from his Lord.

In Hajj, all differences and distinctions vanish i.e. the differences of wealth and poverty, race and color, and the differences of tongues and languages. The gathering unifies all humans, making it full of goodness, blessings, mutual consultation, advice and cooperation in righteousness and support. During the Hajj, people cooperate in righteousness and piety, advise each other to adhere to the truth and patience and take care of the interests of the Ummah. The sublime aim behind such a great conference and gathering is to link worldly goals to heavenly ones. Hajj leads to precious memories which instill in souls the spirit of endless and complete servitude and submission to the commands of God The Almighty.

Why does Hajj begin on a different day each year?

Because Dhul-Hijjah is a lunar month, it begins about eleven days earlier each year.

Why do Muslims sacrifice a lamb or other animal during the festival of Eid ul-Adha?

The sacrifice commemorates the Prophet Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son, identified in Islam as Ishmael, at God’s request. This is not a blood offering. In the Quran God states: “Neither their meat nor their blood ever reaches God, but heedfulness on your part does reach Him.” (Chapter 22, verse 37) The meat is distributed to relatives and to the needy.

Is Hajj an obligation on all Muslims?

Yes, but only for those who are physically and financially able to make the trip.

What are the most visually striking aspects of Hajj?

All pilgrims must do tawaf, or circling the Ka’aba. This obligation creates a stunning scene as thousands of people circle the building at all times of the day and night. Also, the standing at Arafah on the 9th day of the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah presents a scene in which several million people all dressed alike and with the same intention to worship God, gather on a barren plain.

Before I end this entry of mine, I'd like to send my best wishes to all the Muslims who would be celebrating Eid ul-Adha. May this celebration bring us joy, happiness, peace, love and most of all harmony & unity amongst ourselves. May Allah bless all of you and your loved ones, insyaAllah. Love more and hate less, please. :)

p.s. Below is the video that I'm currently listening to; makes me feel as if I'm in Mecca doing my tawaf around the Ka'aba....

Much love,
ME


Salaam ♥

"What Makes You Different, Makes You Beautiful" ♥

Assalamualaikum & Salaam sayang loves ♥ :))


How are you today? Have you been good? I surely hope so..I hope you've been blessed by HIM with lots of laughter and love over the past few weeks, cause I have and if I were to be frank, I have enjoyed every minute of it! *Alhamdulillah!*

Partly because I've been attending loads of weddings over the past few weeks. And I love weddings, they make me HAAAAAPPY! Nothing excites me more than seeing a beautiful and loving couple walk down the 'aisle' towards their dais/pelamin... *sigh* and I can get pretty emotional too when I watch the wedding videos they played at the receptions..cause it's just so..darn beautiful...

* * * * *

Anyways, this post is definitely NOT about weddings. Hehee..it's about embracing your uniqueness and differences. Everyone's born different, no one person is the same. Each one of us have different personalities. And maybe, some are born more beautiful (physically) than others; but there are also some who are just as beautiful on the outside due to their awesome personalities... :)

So no one is really at loss here; but of course, society tells you differently..they judged us (both you and me) based on our appearances. There's a phrase that says, "Don't judge a book by it's cover" - but certainly, that's exactly what we're all guilty off (yup, this includes both you and me too unfortunately)..hmmm..

It's quite sad really when we think about it. Someone not given a chance just because how she looks/acts may be a bit different than most. We need to try to be less judgmental of others, that's for sure. What we've all known for years is that no one is perfect; hence, that should make us realize that we're in no position to judge others just because they're a tad different. Everyone should be given a fair chance to be 'liked/appreciated/loved' even IF they ARE a bit different. After all, everyone's beautiful in their own way...kan? :)

Always put this thought in your mind, that the most precious thing in the world is you, yourself. Because style is often imitated, and trend always changes - but there won't be another you. Cause you're irreplaceable.. :)

Alritey then, before I end this post - lemme share with you a song that I love from the infamous boyband the "Backstreet Boys"..hope that all of you sweethearts would be blessed with more love and laughter from now onwards. And may Allah bless all of you and your loved ones always! *insyaAllah* :)

Always appreciate the beauty that is you ♥

Much love,
-Me-

Salaam ♥

I've Learned.... ♥

Assalamualaikum & Salaam sayang ♥ :)

"As I’ve grown, I’ve learned several things. Life is full of disappointments and people you trusted will sooner or later let you down. I’ve learned that often those you love will love someone else and there’s only one way to fall; fast and hard. I’ve learned that out of thousands of smiles, it takes one to touch your heart. I’ve found that words can be deceiving, but the truth always lies in a person’s eyes. I’ve learned that everything can change in the blink of an eye and tears often come without invitation. I’ve learned crying can make us stronger and there is never too much love to go around. I’ve learned that prejudice helps no one and that weapons don’t hurt people, people hurt people. I’ve learned sticks and stones may leave cuts and bruises but harsh words leave scars. I’ve found that every time you give someone a piece of your heart, it’s a piece that you will never get back. I’ve learned the past is meant to be put behind us and we can’t dwell on regrets, for what’s done is done. I’ve learned that trusting yourself is the first step and that forgiving is remembering that helps your own heart more then theirs. I’ve found that family isn’t always blood and everyone is someone’s hero. I’ve learned life is unexpected and that God can do anything. I’ve learned some things aren’t meant to be understood and that only time heals. I’ve found that imagination is our greatest gift and that we are meant to dream for a reason. I’ve learned it is never too late to fall in love and that being ‘beautiful’ is all on the inside. Mistakes are our best teachers and everything happens for a reason. Only then can you live life to it’s full and true potential."


I found the above excerpt(?) in Tumblr; and I couldn't have describe what I've learned so far in this short 25 years of mine better than the author. But if I may add; I've also discovered that through all the heartbreaks, the pain and the obstacles that I've gone through - having faith in HIM and yourself is the first step in moving on and getting better.

I've learned that happiness doesn't always have to be a big box wrapped in a beautiful gift wrap with a bow on top; for essentially, happiness is how WE define it to be. Apart from that, I've also learned that 'fate' is a powerful thing, and that when GOD says YES, nobody in the world can say NO. And above all else, I've learned that all the tests/obstacles HE 'gave' us sometimes can be the greatest form of blessing for ultimately, HE is the GREATEST and obviously, HE knows BEST... ♥


Much love,
-Me-

Salaam ♥