Sharing is Caring ^_^

My stroke patients =)

2011-12-12T20:06:00.007Z

I just thought I should start writing again in this blog.

For sentimental value sake. (I know I know, I don't look like the sentimental kind of person, but I am!) Maybe one day when I am back in Malaysia, I would start reminiscing about my UK working days by reading these posts.

And also as I do seem to have more time since starting this new rotation, might as well start writing again! (which is weird as technically it should be a bit busier than the last job I did. As it is a surgical job that I'm currently doing. Oh well..)

Anyways, the last 4 months have gone past me that quickly. The stroke rotation was absolutely brilliant, and I have nothing to complain about. I think it gave me a good footing to start my career with, with the nicest and kindest and most encouraging doctors and seniors to help me out with things and to guide me through. (Plus the consultant likes to pat me on my head and says..." Little Mai!!"... or... "Young Mai!!".) Oh, missing her already!

And of course, I would sometimes get the occasional quizzes from patients or their relatives- on.. how old I really am. Oh, what a mystery. There's always the "You look too young to be a doc!" Or .."Em, are you 15? You look like you are!". :S

And as you may have guessed, I worked mostly with the elderly people in the stroke ward, and I just found them super lovely!! I love having long chats with them (when time allows of course) because they have so much life stories to tell.

There were the ones who were so positive and so strong even if they know they have only a few months to live (strangely enough, most of the most positive patients I have met so far are those who have conditions with not-so-good prognosis . Eg patients with brain tumor/mets). And I would just sit there, listening to them tell their stories, inspired by the hope and the strong will inside of them. Somehow, it also made me reflect on myself. Here I am, young, all fit and well (Alhamdulillah), but have I done enough to inspire others? Have I done things that can change the world to make it a better place? Hmm.. :(

And then there were the patients who were always feeling low and really need that kick of motivation everyday to keep them going ;p. So I would just start knocking on their door, asking them how they were, and when they said they felt down or sad I would try to think of something that hopefully will make them feel better. Something along the lines of... "C'mon pakcik! You can do it! Just gotta hang in there and be strong, ok?".. or.. "Be patient pakcik, you will improve but it does takes time okay? ok? " That sounds as if I'm speaking to a pakcik Melayu, but you know what I mean ;p

All in all, I think I have enjoyed becoming a doctor (so far at least. never know what the future will hold. gulp.). It was definitely a long 5 years of training at medical school and it was especially tough during the final year, but it was all worth it in the end I think. Alhamdulillah. (So to any final yr meds reading this, just hang in there and you will get there very very soon inshaAllah)

To see unwell patients get better each day is such a rewarding experience; and then they would say "thank you" to you with such sincerity as if it was you who had somehow magically make them better. But wait. It is not us doctors who had make you better, pakciks... but it is definitely Allah with His upmost Mercy and Love towards His beloved creatures, who had willed the recovery of patients and their well being. How Merciful Allah is towards us~ He who heals us from any illness. He who has given us bountiful provision more than we ever need.

As Prophet Ibrahim has said in Surah Assyuara 77-82.

"... the Lord of the worlds, Who created me, and who guides me, And Who feeds me and gives me drink, And when I become sick, He heals me, And who will make me die, then will give me life, And who, I hope, will forgive my fault on the Day of Retribution...".

MasyaAllah~

Narrated Abu Huraira:" I heard Allah's Apostle saying, Allah divided Mercy into one-hundred parts and He kept its ninety nine parts with Him and sent down its one part on the earth, and because of that, its one single part, His creations are Merciful to each other,(have a look at this cute video ) so that even the mare lifts up its hoofs away from its baby animal, lest it should trample on it." (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Good Manners and Form (Al-Adab), Volume 8, Book 73, Number 29)"

Lastly, let's take some time to reflect on His love towards us.
And ask ourselves...have we love Him more than anything or anyone else in this world?
More than we love our dear parents, our siblings, or even (y)our significant others?

Have we reciprocate our love to the One who gives love in the first place?

Salam wbt

Blog till you drop =)

2011-07-24T16:34:00.006Z

I actually have mixed feelings about having a blog and writing my heart out in this space. Hence the reason why this blog is more often than not been left unattended and has been quiet for some time. (OK, probably that's just me giving more excuses and justifying my laziness in writing. Heh.)

I mean, who would actually care to read about what I have been up to, how my life has been etcetera2? I'm not really a well known person who would have followers wanting to know my whereabouts and updates every so often ;p

But then again, on the other side, writing is therapeutic for the soul, I think. It gives a sense of freedom to express things however and in any way that I like. Which is good :)

So then the next big question: Why and what should I write about?

I should not forget this: If I do anything, it should be for a purpose. And what better purpose is there than to do anything and everything for the sake of Allah? Can get tonnes of pahala and rewards just by having the right intention!~

And I have been blog-hopping recently and landed on many blogs by ikhwah/akhawats and friends (huu..stalking?) which many of them, I found so inspiring. Simple reminders maybe, but they meant a lot. They have so many things to share: knowledge, experience, tazkirah and much more.

And then, I realize that I too have a lot of things I'd love to share with people. As imparting knowledge and experience will not only enrich the one who receives them, but more so to the one who gives them. Just like doing usrah: by presenting a topic, I think we actually benefit and gain more by giving than just becoming the listeners (but of course may Allah gives rewards to all :) )

And my favourite quote on writing for the sake of Allah, especially to spread His noble words and Islam. By Salim A Fillah, an indonesion author:

"Yang paling menjadi impian saya sebagai penulis adalah ketika kelak kita terkejut di hadapan Allah. Saat Allah berikan catatan amal kita, lalu kita bertanya, “Ya Allah, bukankah amal shalihku tak sebanyak ini?” Kemudian Allah berfirman, “Ya, kau benar. Tetapi itulah pahala dari orang-orang yang beramal setelah membaca apa yang kau tulis, berrantai-rantai ditambahkan kepadamu sebagai sunnah kebaikan yang kau tebarkan, menjadi ganjaran kebaikan yang tak henti mengalir bagimu!”

Lastly these are the things that I'd like to share in the near future if time permits.

Productive Muslim seminar that I attended not so long ago-which was Excellent-o!
Summer Training Camp UK by IKRAM Uk- which was great too!
My graduation day and life as a medic so far [n.e.r.ddd]
my little nephew Adel =)

and many more, I hope..

And I end this by a reminder for myself first before others:

The Prophet said, "Actions of the son Adam cease upon death, except for three:
-a righteous son
-continuous charity
-useful knowledge

Salam wbt

The comellest ever

2011-07-13T15:26:00.001Z

(Ok i'm actually testing this app that i just downloaded on my Ipod touch and trying to find out if this will work)

Salammm
I'm in London now, chilling at my bro's place and my parents are here as well. And my favourite nephew is here as well so that adds to the excitement (err he's my one n only nephew by the way).

And he is oh-so-cuteeee. He's cute when he smiles, when he laughs , when he sleeps, even when he is crying and screaming! Ok so there you go, one very obsessed aunty who cant stop picit-ing his nose and kissing his cheeks.

But really, he makes everyone around him so happy. The opah and tok (ie my parents) who just recently came from Malaysia cant get enough of him too. And his proud parents (my bro and sis in law) are always so happy tending to him, caring for his needs and playing him all the time.

So Adel happy first bday and may Allah bless your life now and forever. Be a good obedient son to your parents and stay cute!

Terharu ;)

2011-05-06T14:40:00.002Z

It's been 3 weeks already and I have finished half of my electives, in a private hospital in Ipoh.

I was a bit terharu and all when leaving the hospital this afternoon, as all the friendly staff that I have been working with in clinics and wards were so nice and wished me all the best. The doctors that I was attached to was lovely too, they even had nice comments for my feedback form.... Things like 'pleasant personality' and 'diligent' (! ;) ) and 'no doubt she will be a good doctor in the future'.. I was like...auwww really??.. I hope the doctors were honest when they wrote them hihi

Anyways, that's besides the point. Alhamdulillah, overall it was a good attachment. I learnt a lot, not just of medicine, but of other things too, like real working life, religion faith and da'wah, and so much more. I wish to write these things down to make sure I don't forget these things when time passes. I'll write them in a few parts, insyaAllah :-)

Day 1 in Neurology Attachment

2011-04-19T00:31:00.012Z

Few things to take note from first day of electives for future reference :)

1. Let's learn and practice our Malay medical vocab ! New vocabs of the day are words like:

Libang libu=anxiety neurosis

Badan rasa Ceren ceren =i dunno..badan does not feel so good?

Perut sebu

Plus a few exchanged with friends also doing elective in Msia:

Kaki rasa asam2 = kaki kebas2

I'll add more each day so I won't forget, and by the end of this few weeks attachment, I'll be a pro at this inshaAllah ^_^

2. Gotta be a multilingual doctor if you are in this country!

The consultant that I was attached to amazed me when he started to speak very fluent Cantonese with one of the Chinese patients. And I was left wondering what on earth were they talking about! Even in UK, I never really have that much difficulty in understanding language (alhamdulillah) and then hey-ho, suddenly in my own country I can't understand a single thing of what they were talking about!

And then the next patient who came in was an Indian, and then he started to speak Hindi with him. My jaw dropped again.

I think he's a really good doctor, with excellent communication skills. He really knows how to win his patients' hearts, like for example when he is with the elderly it really shows that he respects them; with some patient he uses 'loghat utara', with some he uses 'perak slang' etc etc.

And as a result, all the patients love him! You can see how they totally open up to him, and would tell them all their problems without worrying that he would judge them etc..

OK, I think those are really good tips for future doctors. And I guess that's why the medical school keep on hammering on us "communication skill , communication skills, communication skills!!". Because it is really very very important!

3. Plan your career and life!

The consultant is a Malay doctor who had completed his degree in Malaysia and then went over to the UK to specialise in his specialty. You can see that he is very much determined with his career and life and knows what he wants in life.

He told me that he planned his career well in advance, knows which examination he is going to take and what time, and wala-by 1990 he is already a Specialist. Like for example, he was even studying when he was doing houseman to sit for the exams while his other friends have not yet had any plan in mind.

OK, I'll start planning my career then too.. MRCPCH ? InshaAllah..

4. A few things to share that I saw yesterday include:

another man with expressive and receptive dysphasia!

a man with raccoon eyes!!

a kid with 'sakit buah pinggang' and ''darah tinggi'..He actually has nephrotic syndrome

and other usual things like stroke, epilepsy, neuropathy etc .

That's all to share today! Congrats to my consultant cos..he's going to get the Dato' title today from the Sultan! (It's the Sultan's bday today and he gives all those awards every year during his birthday)

Salamm

Cute Kids on Telly

2011-04-08T13:38:00.000Z

Ooh I've got to tell you about this really cute TV series that I've seen a few episodes of.
It's called Faiz Faizah, it tells the story of cute kids living together in an orphanage house. (It's indonesian by the way).

Faiz, who is around 5 years old and his friends in the orphanage met a girl whose name is Faizah, who is also around 4-5 years old. Faizah does not live with them as Faizah comes from a wealthy family and she is an only child. I think the orphanage house and Faizah's house are near to each other so that's why they hang out and play together so much.

It was really cute how Faiz and Faizah met the first time.

"Namaku,, Faizah..Nama kamu apa?"
"Faiz.."

Faiz wanted to know how it feels like to have a mom and a dad. While Faizah wanted to have friends to play with and she also felt lonely as her parents never really spend much time with her as they were very busy with work.

So what did they do? They decided to switch places, and pretend to be the other! And to be honest they pulled the act quite well. They in fact looked about the same but since Faizah has really curly hair, Faiz has got to wear sort of a curly wig over his head which is OMG so cute!! And he managed to fool Faizah's maid into thinking that he was Faizah, while Faizah's parents were still at work.

And the real Faizah, who wanted to be Faiz for a day, had to wear a cap to put all her hair in together, and tada- she did look very boyish with her cap and T-shirt.

And there were hilarious scenes as they switch places. You've got to see them for yourself!

There were also scenes that I found very touching. Before going to bed, Faizah saw that all the other orphanage kids, prayed hard that one day, some kind foster parents will come take them away and give them love, and care for them like their own children.

"Ya Allah, kurniakanlah hambamu, mama dan papa yang akan menjagaku, mengasihiku, Ya Allah.."

And these kids were only around 5-9 years old!! Wooowoo..so touching I wanted to cry..

I guess not every one is as fortunate as myself. Some kids have never ever seen their parents' faces, never had parents who would cuddle them as they drifted off to sleep, never have true love from parents. They live every day imagining how it feels like to be loved by parents.

And people like us who do have parents.. sometimes we take their presence for granted. We forget to thank Allah for giving us this greatest gift: Parents. We forget to show our love and appreciation towards our parents and we disobey them sometimes.

We therefore have to always remember everything they have done for us, since we were born in this world up until today. As Allah mentions in the Quran:

We have instructed man concerning his parents. Bearing him caused his mother great debility and the period of his weaning was two years: "Give thanks to Me and to your parents. I am your final destination." (Surah Luqman: 14)

And Allah asks us to be kind and good to our parents..And we can't even say something that can cause them to be hurt, even a word like 'Ah' is impermissible.

We have instructed man to be good to his parents … (Surat al-Ahqaf: 15)

Your Lord has decreed that you should worship none but Him, and that you should show kindness to your parents. Whether one or both of them reach old age with you, do not say "Ugh!" to them out of irritation and do not be harsh with them but speak to them with gentleness and generosity. (Surat al-Isra': 23)

May Allah help us to become better children to our parents, and may He bless our parents always.

Salam..

Not a bed of roses

2011-04-07T06:28:00.003Z

My friends would know that I don't cry publicly, but there are usually two things that can make me cry:
1. Very hot spicy food that sends tears flowing like river to my eyes, and
2. A story/novel/show with a sad story-line , with possibly a tragic ending

So, there I was a few days ago, reading the famous novel by Jodi Picoult, "My Sister's Keeper" and I was sobbing and sniffling like mad, crying my eyes out. It was touching, a story of how a family fights as one of the kid has got acute promyelocytic leukemia.

But the sad part is, it ends with the death of one of the kid. Not going to comment more, just in case there is anyone out there who has not read the novel yet.

And yesterday, I was holding back tears as I watched yesterday's episode of Bersamamu on TV3. The show was portraying the life of this 15 year old boy with a mass the size of a coconut on his tummy and he was diagnosed as having 'kanser urat saraf'.. (So that would be a neurofibroma wouldn't it? )

The boy was thin, frail and obviously in much pain. His mother and family stayed close by his side until..until he breathed his last. Yeah, the boy died in the end. (And this is a real life story!!). And the TV3 crew were actually there to capture the moments of his death.

It just struck me again of how fragile life is, really. Of how this life is a series of tests for Allah to see which of His servant is the strong one and deserves to be rewarded with Jannah. Says a verse in the Quran:

We will test you until We know the true fighters among you and those who are steadfast and test what is reported of you. (Qur'an, 47:31)

Please let us be the true fighters ya Allah!

Tests can come up in many different ways, some of which can be totally unexpected and may creep up to you in a surprise. Some people are tested with difficulty in family, some in illness, some in work, others in studies, money, and the list goes on. In the Quran, Allah also says:

Do people imagine that they will be left to say, 'We believe,' and will not be tested? We tested those before them so that Allah would know the truthful and would know the liars. (Qur'an, 29:2-3)

I once heard a wise man said that each time you are tested, and when you are able to get through the test, Allah will rise your place to a higher level. He will keep you closer to Him, and strengthen your back. All we have to do is to have faith in Him, and know that He will bring us through any bad times, through any difficulties. As He is the Most Powerful, and He knows all the hikmah/wisdom of it all.

And He is ALWAYS there for us, to listen to all our cries and whinings. Oh how kind our God is, when as human-beings, we have in many times, wronged ourselves, forget Him, did sins and sometimes did not obey all his commands. But He is still there for us, every minute, every second..always. Isn't it in the Quran that says He is closer to us than our own vein?

And indeed We have created man, and We know whatever thoughts his inner self develops, and We are closer to him than (his) jugular vein [50: 16]

And this is another verse, on how near is Allah's help to those who are tested.

Or did you suppose that you would enter the Garden without facing the same as those who came before you? Poverty and illness afflicted them and they were shaken to the point that the Messenger and those who believed with him said, 'When is Allah's help coming?' Be assured that Allah's help is very near. (Qur'an, 2:214)

So to everyone out there who is striving and facing this life's test: Stay strong, don't give up. Always have Allah in your heart, and always seek Him for help and guidance. Remember that life in this world is only temporary and that the hereafter is the one that matters.

The life of this world is nothing but a game and a diversion. The abode of the hereafter-that is truly Life if they only knew. (Qur'an, 29:64)

May Allah keep us strong always, and be steadfast in this path, inshaAllah.

Trust Me I'm (almost) a doctor!

2011-04-04T15:39:00.002Z

It still seems a bit surreal, really.
But it's true! It's true! I have passed the Medical Finals exams Alhamdulillah.

I was expecting for the worst, I had even practiced how I should feel when I get the results, I had prepared myself mentally for the news, uhh.. just in case.
And I was hiding under my duvet at 3pm on results day, trying to sleep it all off, not wanting to know the news that the result would come out in a matter of minutes.

But that was until Nida came barging through the door. She obviously had checked her results, and seemed to know mine too. "Mai,, I think you passed!!" And then we were jumping up and down, hugging each other, squealing and screaming at the top of our lungs.

Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah, this is all Allah's works. It is a miracle really, because I thought the exams were quite difficult and challenging that I thought there was no way I would make it through this time.(Out of 219 ppl, 40 failed this year so that's a fifth of the class ) . But Allah is so very Merciful, He is so very Kind, and He listens to all my prayers, and the prayers of my beloved, and He made my friends and I passed.

If there is one thing I learnt from this whole experience, it is that Usaha+Doa+Tawakal really is the key. Maybe other people will never understand the whole Medic Finals Exam experience (especially in Leicester, where you are meant to prepare for every single module/subject you've learned: Medicine, Surgery and Specialties). But the whole journey was an experience like no other. Quoting a friend, it was a physical, emotional and spiritual journey, and I am just so blessed to go through it with my beloved friends and sisters.

If you want something so badly, of course you would work hard for it, wouldn't you? But I understand now that however much you work, you have to leave it all to Allah, as there is nothing that can happen without His Will. But still you really have to work hard for it, as the effort too is counted by Allah.

And of course, I still can remember the difficult times; when the brain felt overloaded, as if there is no more space to fill any information with. Or the times when I just felt like puking it all out-as it was just getting too much.

But the thing is, you do really have to push yourself. Because by trying hard enough, at least you'll be able to tell yourself that: "At least I've tried. " It is also so very important to exchange words of motivation with your friends to keep each other's spirit high. To remind each other that we are doing all this not really for anything else.. but to please Our Lord who has always been so kind to us.

Have faith in Allah. Know that He holds the knowledge of the sky and the earth, and to Him belongs everything. Believe in Him that He is always there when you call out to Him, and that He loves you so much that He will answer your prayers.

And those are the motivations that one needs to keep on striving: to know that every time you open the book to read a chapter on Haematology for instance, the angels will come down and write those as good deeds. And if the heart is sincere, it will be reported to Allah and perhaps will be counted as deeds to enter Jannah..insyaAllah amin..

So that's Finals done and over with. The graduation day will be in July insyaAllah.

And now with some free time after the exams, I hope to engage myself fully in Islamic works, something that I have come to love and feel responsible for. Because that is one of the reason we all worked so hard for, to one day be excellent doctor-daies, as gifts for the ummah insyaAllah. To bring the ummah back to where it really belongs, to shine again...insyaAllah.

Surah Muhammad 7. O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm.

Lastly, my appreciation and thank you to all beloved people who helped me to get through the journey, my batchmates, housemates, my naqibah, sisters all over uk eire, other friends, kakak2, doctor2 etc etc.

Salam~

Eid Mubarak~!

2010-09-08T20:44:00.002Z

Slm

Hm. I've just realised that I've actually missed blogging. Was browsing back to old blog entries to find suitable reflective entries to be put into my PDP folder for house job applications. And then realized how lovely it had felt to just pour out my feelings in words and writing whatever comes to the head.

*Sigh.* Let's try to make this consistent again, shall we? But looking at the busy timetable ahead, I don't really know if I'll be able to keep to this promise! OK then I'll have to put in my mutabaa amal to-do-list,so that I'll remember to write an entry a week. Or hm, an entry in 2 weeks, maybe? Hee.

And as I said, I am expecting these coming weeks to be quite hectic. What with quite a heavy block coming my way (Paeds starting next week), and outblocks in 3 weeks time, also with the upcoming application for the job thingy. Oh, and also a very special project on Palestine *hint hint* (this one I'm really looking forward to!), and also the arrival of my brother and his family to UK!! *Can't wait for this one!*

InshaAllah, let's hope I'll be able to handle and multitask and be itqan in everything that I do. Because in the end, these are good deeds that will hopefully bring me closer to Allah inshaAllah..Because all I want is His Redha and for Him to accept them as deeds and points for Jannah.. :)

Anyway, ramadhan is leaving us soon. :( I hope this has been a great ramadhan for everyone (especially myself), and has made us even better 'Abd to Allah the Almighty. May we graduate from this holy month of Ramadhan with flying colours, and be consistent with our amal ibadat even after Ramadhan and through out the whole year inshaAllah...

Salam eid mubarak~!

Take care..salam wbt

Story of Prophet Yahya (Part 1)

2010-09-02T22:38:00.004Z

I love this story on the life of Prophet Yahya (John). It reflects his strong love towards his Lord, and he would do anything to please Him. May it be an example for us, especially in this Holy month of Ramadhan, may our love to Allah exceeds any other love that ever exist in this world. Because He loves us too much too :)

Source: Stories of The Prophet (Ibn Kathir)

Prophet Yahya (John)

John's Childhood

John (pbuh) was born a stranger to the world of children who used to amuse themselves, as he was serious all the time. Most children took delight in torturing animals whereas, he was merciful to them. He fed the animals from his food until there was nothing left for him, and he just ate fruit or leaves of trees. John loved reading since childhood. When he grew up, Allah the Exalted called upon him:

"O John! Hold fast to the Scripture (The Torah)." And We gave him wisdom while yet a child.
(Ch 19:12 Quran).

John's Qualities

Allah guided him to read the Book of Jurisprudence closely; thus, he became the wisest and most knowledgeable man of that time. Therefore, Allah the Almighty endowed him with the faculties of passing judgments on people's affairs, interpreting the secrets of religion, guiding people to the right path, and warning them against the wrong one.

John reached maturity. His compassion for his parents, as well as for all people and all creatures, increased greatly. He called people to repent their sins.

There are quite a number of traditions told about John. Ibn Asaker related that one time his parents were looking for him and found him at the Jordan River. When they met him, they wept sorely, seeing his great devotion to Allah, Great and Majestic.

Ibn Wahb said that, according to Malik, grass was the food of John Ibn Zakariyah, and he wept sorely in fear of Allah. A chain of narrators reported that Idris Al Khawlawi said: "Shall I not tell
you he who had the best food? It is John Ibn Zakariyah, who joined the beasts at dinner, fearing to mix with men."

Why John Always Wept

Ibn Mubarak stated that Wahb Ibn Al-Ward narrated that Zakariayah did not see his son for three days. He found him weeping inside a grave which he had dug and in which he resided. "My son, I have been searching for you, and you are dwelling in this grave weeping!" "O father, did you not tell me that between Paradise and Hell is only a span, and it will not be crossed except by tears of weepers?" He said to him: "Weep then, my son." Then they wept together.

Other narrations say that John (pbuh) said: "The dwellers of Paradise are sleepless out of the sweetness of Allah's bounty; that is why the faithful must be sleepless because of Allah's love in their hearts. How far between the two luxuries, how far between them?"

They say John wept so much that tears marked his cheeks.

Part 2: coming soon

Neuro- i love it!

2010-04-14T12:48:00.007Z

So now, it's finally the last few days of Neuro and Elderly Care medicine.

And like always, my clinical partner and I have been sent away again (for what, the fourth time? Not fair! ) and this time to Northampton General Hospital. Nothing much to complain really in here, I actually do like this hospital and the accomodation, what with the duvet provided and the ensuite accomodation, this one is the best accomodation so far!

Neurology was definitely fun, I was actually thinking a few weeks ago that I've found my true call in Medicine. OK, maybe that was NOT the first time I've said that, I think I've been thinking like that every time I've finished a rotation. Like for example, when we were doing Cardio, I could just imagine myself being that top consultant Cardiologist, ordering this and that tests for my Cardio patients. Oh, and doing cool procedures too like TAVI (keyhole valve replacement, for those who doesn't have a clue). And when I was doing the Gastro Rotation, I was thinking, that would be my place one day too.

Haha.

But this one is more for real I guess. I love reading Neuro, as I found it just truly amazing. I really, really do. This is where we learn more about the brain and its function. The higher mental functioning of the brain, the capacity of human to think and rationalise, and the network of nerves connecting the upper part of the human body to the rest of our system are just amazing. Imagine that you are able to read this, without being aware of the millions of tiny little cells called neurons working hard to make sure you can read word by word. And how your hands are able to move when the brain says move, even when you yourself do not even realise that it's the brain that was giving the order.

I could go on and on about all these, but maybe there would not be enough space in here to write. All of these abilities, to see different colours, to hear sounds from different amplitudes and tones, to talk (or sing!) in different pitches- they all need the neurons from the brain to be working fine. All of that and more.

So, isn't it time yet for us to think and reflect?

Of how Great the Creator is for creating us to the finest details. And who have perfection us making us who we are today. To give us so much nikmat that there is no way in the world that we are able to count them... as there are just too many of them!

Yet, we take these blessings for granted, and for some of us, it had never once came across the mind that it is the Mercy of Allah that has allowed us to have all these.

Yet, there are people out there who denies Him as the One true God and instead, take others as Ilah.

How very ungrateful these people are. And how very sorry they will be one day when the Day of Resurrection comes.

Just some reflections for the soul today....Hmm, just love how medicine never failed to remind me of the Greatness of Allah. There are indeed many reminders or tazkirah in this job, popping up here and there, if we are actually aware of it. Hopefully for the following more years to come, it will help me become closer to God, and be His excellent ' Abd insyaAllah.

Just pray to Allah to give me the strength to carry on, as you know.. how very interesting and amazing medicine is, it definitely is very challenging. One more year to go, just one more. Pray that I'll perservere!

Open our eyes

2010-02-26T19:20:00.003Z

Sometimes, for reasons I don't know myself, I would put my fingers around the neck to feel the carotid pulse, and check if I'm still alive. And at other times, I would try to feel the apex beat (in layterm it is the area where your heart beats strongest on the left side of the chest) to see if my heart is still thumping (and of course it does). Err..Ok probably this is the influence of too much CardioRespi block these past few weeks ;p

Well, try it. When I usually do it, I would then feel a sense of gratefulness to be alive. Because sometimes we take our living in this world for granted, and we forgot to thank Allah for giving us this great nikmat. To still be able to inhale and exhale, to still be able to look around and see the different colours of the world, to still be able to listen to our friends' chattering away and so much more.

But some people are not so fortunate. Not as lucky as us. They wake up to the sound of explosives, of bombs flying away, they may even wake up realizing that their mom/dad is not there anymore by their side. And we're talking small children here, babies even.

That's what happened, and is happening, and will still continue to happen in Palestine at the moment. The civilians are wounded, physically and emotionally and are faced with cruelty and atrocities and other unbelievable inhumane acts.

I went to a talk by Ismail Patel recently (he's the founder of Friends of Al Aqsa, and based in Leicester) and according to him 85% of Palestinians are living in poverty. Hundreds of them are unable to get the proper health service and help and is in danger of dying, and supply of important medications are not enough for these people.

And imagine, when the war hit Palestine, the phosphorus bomb was used, and the doctors didn't know how to treat the wounded ones at first, as never had they encountered those kind of wounds before. And when the Power Plant was destroyed too, schools were not able to function, hospitals with its operating theatres, incubators for babies (just to name a few) can't function too.

This is just a message to everyone- do not ever forget the Palestinians and their immense sufferings- in our prayers, and in everything that we do. They are there fighting in this war against the taghut, it's their jihad, and it is actually ours too. For we are brothers and sisters; their sufferings are ours too.

Let us make people aware of the situation in Palestine/Gaza. Open our eyes and hearts and spread the words~

The Day I first Saw Someone Died in Front Of my Eyes. Part 1

2010-02-26T12:24:00.002Z

This is just something that I've jotted down a few months ago while I was in A & E in Burton Hospital. Found it, and thought of sharing.

The Day I first Saw Someone Died in Front Of my Eyes.

As I was coming to the A&E department that night, I was not really sure of what to expect, and what I was going to experience tonight. Being in the 3rd block in the Jr Rotation, we have not been actually exposed to A & E before, and probably not until next year in Senior Rotation. ( I was just being a curious cat that night and wanted to know what it's like in A & E). Oh, well, probably there'll be some interesting acute abdomen or musculoskeletal cases tonight that I can see, I thought.

"There's a resuscitation going on in there," a doctor soon told me.

Oh, wow, this would be something interesting, I thought.

"Can I go and see?" Probably a very stupid question from a (then) timid medical student. "Of course you can." Yeay!

I've not seen a resuscitation before, well, maybe I have, but those that are being done on a manequin, a lifeless body who cannot feel the pain- not the real thing. And, so the scene that greeted me as I entered the door was definitely new, and in a way, unexpected.

-to be continued-

End of IPE

2010-02-23T19:25:00.007Z

I was telling myself a few weeks ago, that I would be actively writing in the blog (again for the upteenth time!) after the exams (IPE) has finished. So, yes, hopefully this new term resolution will stay with me. Well, we'll see.

Alhamdulillah, now I'm a free girl!! IPE has just finished...although I can't say I'm too happy about it. Thought I could have done better. It was quite tough to be honest, with lots of vague questions (or maybe it's just me huhu.) The OSCE especially was totally out of my head,hmm.. the medic school sure knows how to grill and drill us all! And I'm not sure if I'm going to even pass!

I could go on and on about the exams just now, but I don't think I will. It's not good for the future generation,,err I mean, the adik2 who will be sitting for their exams next year. Or, maybe I could do, you know, just to make sure everyone gets prepared mentally even from the beginning.

Oh well, whatever happens, whatever the results may be, as long as I know that I've put my best effort preparing for it, then I'm OK. Leave everything else in Allah's hands, He knows what is best for me, insyaAllah.. So, for now, keep on praying...Tawakal to Allah..

Anyway, a few days before the exams, an ukhti dearest to the heart, surprised us all with a very personalised Good Luck Card, one for each of us, and posted to our homes! It was definitely a pleasant surprise, she had our photos printed in front of the card, and her own (plus her 2 kids) photo inside with some beautiful and inspiring wishes/reminders. Thank u kak!I mean, all the extra effort, to find the words and photos, to print it off in some photo shop etc etc. It's just amazing how thoughtful some people are.

And it's great to have other friends and sisters who were very supportive in this exam period. (Thank u for all the good luck wishes, and oh yeah, to some ppl, thanks for cooking food for us! hehe). I am soooo blessed to be around these great people here in Leicester Alhamdulillah.

OK, enough about the exam.
On a more cheerful note, I'm having days off for the next 5 days. Heehee.. Haven't actually planned anything in particular, but probably would spend it catching up on life (or work! ;p) that I've missed when I was so busy preparing for the exams.

And next week, I need to go outblock again. To Northampton this time round for Elderly Care Block. Heard of many good things about it, so hopefully it will be good. Although can't say that I'm too happy about going out of Leicester again, for the 4th time.

That's all for today..take care!

When it snows....

2009-12-17T22:20:00.004Z

It is indeed most pleasant when it starts to snow. When you try to grasp the snowflakes with your hands, and then realize that they will just melt away as soon as they reach your hand. Or when you try to open your mouth wide, hoping to taste these beautiful snowflakes, and pretending to munch on them as if they are some sort of 'ais kacang' that you miss from home so much.

When it snows, it just lifts the spirit up; If you're feeling gloomy, all of a sudden you feel like you want to just smile and be cheerful all day long :-)
Sometimes you feel like dancing in the snow, and make snow angels, and just have fun in the snow..!

Alhamdulillah, isn't Allah Great? He has bestowed upon us many blessings and many 'nikmat's indeed. He has shown us how beautiful the earth can be when flakes of tiny drops of snow begin to fall from the sky, showering us as we walk on the path. He has made our spirits lift up, in delight just by looking at this magnificent view. Surely, there must be something to learn and gain from all of His creation, including the snow?

Let's look at our book of guidance, the Quran :

"We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them as a play and game for Us. "[Quran 21:16]

Everything is present in the world for a purpose, even the snow. It may well be for us to appreciate His creation even more, so that we will be closer to Him. Being a Muslim, even the littl-est, tiniest thing that we observe, especially from the nature around us, should bring us back to Allah, our Creator, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

It should remind us about His greatness, His Mercy upon us, that He has created everything for US so perfectly. Yes, everything- the sun, the flowers, the cute pets we have, the oxygen, the list goes on (too many to list down-in fact, it is IMPOSSIBLE to list all the things that He has given us!)-they are all there designed specifically for us, whom He loves so so much.

"It is He Who hath created for you all things that are on earth; Moreover His design comprehended the heavens, for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things He hath perfect knowledge." [Surah Baqarah 2:29]

He even decorated the sky with stars for us to enjoy looking at it!

"And We have, indeed, made mansions of stars in the heaven and have adorned it for beholders." : [Al-Hijr:16]

Let us take some time, to reflect and think, have we reciprocate our love to our Creator? Have we found the time in between our busy lives to be thankful to Him for all the things He has given us? Have we showed signs of appreciation by bowing our heads and prostrating to Him, alone, in the middle of the night, when everyone else is fast asleep?

It is for us to think and now, to act accordingly, insyaAllah. With the new year of Islam (Maal Hijrah), let us make our new year resolutions to become a better Muslim, a better 'Abd to Him, insyaAllah. And May He grant us the strength to be istiqamah in this path insyaAllah..

Thinking 'bout You

2009-12-10T22:49:00.004Z

Special dedication to the most special person on earth :)
For lighting the way,
And for guiding us to the right path.

When I hold your hand,
I could fly a zillion miles with you.
When I see your grace,
I can see you're God's words come true.
Every little bird above the haze,
And fish beneath the waves,
Knows about you...
Wouldn't they do.

When I see your eyes,
I can see rainbows in the sky.
Being with you,
All who parted reunite.
Every little pearl drop in the clouds,
And stones beneath the ground,
Are waiting for you...
Wouldn't they do.

Whatever you say
Lightens up the burden of the day.
Whatever you do
Makes us ever want to follow you.

Whatever they say,
Whatever they do,
I'll always love you.

Every burning comet that zooms,
And angels too,
Think about you...
Wouldn't they do.

Thinkin' bout you,
I could climb a mountain in the dark.
Listenin' to you,
Flowers dance in the park.

Whatever they say,
Whatever they do,
We'll always love you.

The words that you say,
Lightens up the burdens of the day.
Whatever you do,
Makes us want to follow you.

Whatever they say,
Whatever they do,
I'll always love you.

Some thoughts, after a long silence

2009-12-09T21:59:00.002Z

I have again, left this blog dusty.

In which case, I am truly sorry. To anyone who's reading this, and also to myself, for not being able to capture the great and not-so-great moments of my life in this blog. There has been many ups (and some minor downs) in life lately, many things to be learnt from, pointers and constant reminders, in which I am very thankful for.Thank you Allah for the never ending nikmat, for granting me this life. Alhamdulillah

It is almost the end of 2009. Looking back over the years, it seems like only yesterday the year was starting. A year ago, I was this third year medical student struggling to pass the Phase 1 exam, the most horrifying exams ever (well, after finals I suppose). And since then, 1 year has passed and believe it or not, I'm a grown person now [or at least I hope!].

Great events happening in this year are all good memories for me.Being a clinical medical student is an exciting journey indeed, it opened up my eyes to the real world and the real 'thing'. The patients here are very lovely, especially the elderly people. They just love to talk to medical students, knowing that we need to learn to be able to do well. Even here, in Boston, many of the elderly ladies patients whom I've talked to, just love to give me big hugs! hehehe [and one of them thought I was 15 y/o! ;p]

At times, when I look at all these lovely souls, who have been so kind, I can't help but hope that they will one day find the true meaning of life, and find the light of Islam. Because only with Islam, will one be able to find happiness now, and ever after. Only by submitting yourself to the One God, and trying your best to be his Abd, will one be saved from the torment in the afterlife.
And when we know why we are here in this world, only then will we able to manouvre our life better, to seek Allah's redha in everything that we do, so that we won't be led astray.

Insha Allah...
For now, let's show the best example of a Muslim to the people who might not have yet found Islam. Let's show them how beautiful is Islam. Let's be the ambassadors of Islam, by showing them the best example, as has been shown by our great prophet, Muhammad saw. Let's follow his akhlak, and spread Allah's words, and who knows, some hearts may be opened up to Islam by Allah's will...

Take care and have a good week :)

My psychiatric patients

2009-05-28T17:16:00.004Z

Being in the psychiatry block for the last 6 weeks has indeed open my eyes.
I've seen patients who have attempted suicide; other patients who could hear unusual voices and see unusual things; a cute,elderly patient who were emotionally abused by their own family and started to have delusional ideas that she was going to be sent to prison; even a Polish guy who was in delirium due to alcohol withdrawal and started causing trouble in the neighbourhood. Oh, and a guy with Asperger's syndrome, who is currently diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia-- his whole life story could do a novel if I were to write them myself!

This has all made me wonder and reflect back on the meaning of life. What do these people see in their life? Take one example, the man who attempted suicide but failed, how easy was it for him to make the decision that he wanted to end his life? What about his family and loved ones, did they come across his mind when he decided to do that? Did he not know that his soul and his body is a gift from god, an 'amanah', a responsibility that he was supposed to take very good care of, and that one day he will be questioned about this in the afterlife?

I guess not. I guess these things didn't even cross his mind at that moment. The only thing he ever wanted to do at that time was to get away, to run away from his problems. To be free from any debts, any issues that were surrounding him, to try to find a way out. That is, how a person without any faith in God would think like.

We ourselves sometimes take for granted that we were given life as Muslims, who have strong faith and iman. Faith and Islam; they are what guide us, they are the tool we weigh our decisions with, and they are the light that shines our life and bring us to the right path.

With faith in our hearts, there is no way we will ever be making any stupid decisions (sorry for the language), like attempting suicide or even any deliberate self harm. Life and death is not our decision to make. Our body,our lives and our souls are so so so precious, and it is not even ours in the first place. We are Allah's creation, and we belong to him. This soul, this body is not my own, I am only borrowing it from God, and one day, when the time comes, I will need to return it to God. That is what I believe.

I hope that one day, all of the patients I have seen will be granted with His light and His hidayah, so that they too can see life in a different perspective. May Allah grant all of us His mercy always, and guide us to the right path, towards Him, insyaAllah...

p/s: thank u everyone for the birthday wishes by the way ;)

Exam Tips utk adik-adik..

2009-05-04T10:32:00.000Z

Specially dedicated to the Wans.. [Wan farah, wan sitah, wan mai, wan ema, wan didi] =D

Salam wbt adik-adik..
Exam masing-masing nampaknya makin mendekat. Lub dubb lub dubb [berdebar2] Ha,, dalam sibuk2 kita mengulangkaji dan menghafal pelajaran2, jangan kita terus lupa tanggungjawab kita dalam mentarbiyah diri kita ye~

Adik-adik nak tahu tak, betapa besarnya hikmah exams di sebalik ke-stress-an(mungkin) yg nampak pada zahirnya. Utk yang medic, mungkin dah tak larat nak menghafal setiap muscle yang ada dekat setiap lower limb tu. Gracilis la, sartorius la, compartment syndrome la… Untuk yg physics, mungkin dah tak larat dah nak solve equation maths/physics yg banyak2 tu.. (tapi bole nye insyaAllah , kite yakin dgn korg! )

Tapi kan, betapa hebatnya kasih sayang Allah pada hamba-Nya, di setiap saat dia takkan lupa pada kita. Dan dengan itu, turun lah ujian. Dan kali ini, nampaknya ujian yang Allah turunkan adalah dalam bentuk exams. Tapi, ketahuilah, pertolongan Allah itu sangat dekat. Dan ayat-ayat cinta kita iaitu Al-Quran pun ada menyebut....”Ingatlah, sesungguhnya pertolongan Allah itu dekat..” 2:214

Dengan syarat, kita betul-betul berusaha, kita betul-betul berdoa padaNya, dan kita betul-betul berserah/tawakal padaNya.

Seharusnya, makin dekat dengan exams, makin kita rapat dengan Allah, kerana pada Dia saja kita meminta untuk dipermudahkan urusan study kita. Kerana kita tahu bahawa segala ilmu di dunia ini milik Allah lah semata-mata, dan jika Dia tidak izinkan kita mendapatkannya, maka kita tak mungkin akan dapat ilmu itu.. Banyakkan berdoa, bersolat hajat dan solat malam dan banyaklah merintih pada Allah dengan air mata, agar diperkenankan doa kita..

Dan Tuhanmu berfirman, “Berdoalah kepadaKu, niscaya akan Aku perkenankan bagimu..”40:60

Ha, Allah dah suruh kita minta padanya tu, dan dah janji Dia akan perkenankan. Subhanallah, Baik nya Tuhan kita~
Jadi, mintalah agar Allah mempermudahkan segalanya, agar diberkati ilmu yang Dia kurniakan pada kita, agar Dia menjadikan kita pelajar2 muslim yang cemerlang supaya satu hari nanti kita dapat membina ummah ini dengan kejayaan cemerlang kita.. Nasib ummah kita ada di tangan kita~

Belajar lah kerana Allah, belajarlah sampai dah tak larat nak belajar lagi dah, belajarlah sampai mata kita terkeluar dari soketnya (hyperbola sikit), dan mintalah agar usaha kita yang sungguh-sungguh itu akan Allah hadiahkan dengan hadiah yang paling indah sekali, iaitu Jannatul Firdausi. Sesungguhnya itulah dia kejayaan yang paling tinggi sekali..bukannya pengiktirafan dari manusia ataupun sesiapa sahaja..

Belajarlah kerana mengejar syurga-Nya, belajar lah kerana mengejar RedhaNya, and insyaAllah you will succeed..

Di bawah ni ada tips2 exam from a sister, semoga bermanfaat!

Dlm kesibukan antum membuat persediaan utk peperiksaan yg mendtg, ana ingin memberi sedikit tips utk antum…- Islamic version

1. Doa2 penting utk dibaca : Rabbi zidni ‘ilma, warazukni fahma (Ya tuhanku, tambahkan padaku ilmu, dan rezekikan ku/berikan ku kefahaman) - then kena yakin la bhw Allah akan memakbulkan permintaan antum ni.

2. Tambahan doa : Ya Allah ajarkan ku apa2 yg aku tidak tahu, dan ingatkan apa2 yg aku lupa

3. Very very important to also realize bhw setiap ilmu yg dtg kpd antum adalah dr Allah swt dan dgn izin Nya semata2, tidak lain dan tidak bukan… ie rasa kehambaan di sisi Allah swt. Maka also very important to be thankful to Him for every single ilm/ideas etc that comes your way because that is indeed a nikmah from Allah swt… and insha Allah if you do that, then be sure that He will increase it even more… Remember the ayah number 7 from Surah Ibrahim : “Sesungguhnya jika kamu bersyukur, niscaya Aku akan menambah kpdmu, tetapi jika kamu mengingkari, maka pasti azabKu sgt berat”.

4. Make sure antum juga buat t/table on what to cover n to finish by when, n try to be disciplined in attaining that. Pastu bila dah capai target tu, treat yourself to s/thing nice, like reading/replying emails for 1/2 hr ke (kena make sure u restrict yourself to a certain time limit of enjoyment juga!! taknak terbawa2 pulak ke berjam2) or alternatively treating yourself to a bowl of ice-cream… yum2…

5. Setelah ber doa, doa dan doa, usaha, usaha dan usaha (bagai nak rak) maka jgn lupa bertawakal, bertawakal dan bertawakal.. . After working so hard, tapi o/come tidak seperti yg diharapkan then yakinlah bhw semua tu adalah atas kehendakNya dan semestinya ada hikmah disebalik itu. Remember the hadith… “How amazing is the affair of the Muslim! His affairs are all good. If he experiences ease, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If he experiences hardship, he faces it with patience and perseverance, and that is also good for him” (Bukhari)

Salam ulangkaji utk adik2 semua..

IMAM Sympo 09-Sharing

2009-03-30T23:00:00.001Z

Bismilahirrahmanirr ahim,

Assalamualaikum wbt...

IMAM SYMPOSIUM 2009- Report and Sharing

Date: 20th-22nd March 2009

Venue: Hebden Hey Scout Centre, West Yorkshire

It is not every day that Malaysian Medical students, coming from all over UK and Ireland can get together in one big occasion. And when the opportunity came last weekend, in IMAM Symposium 2009, it was a great and memorable moment for many of us.

It was a weekend full of excitement, of new discoveries, and of wonderful ukhuwah. =)

This year, IMAM Symposium ‘09 offered a different experience for the participants, as we were all gathered in a camp-style symposium, surrounded by the beauty of nature and the relaxing scenery of Hebden Hey Scout Centre, West Yorkshire. With the soothing sound of river flowing, and with the company of our sisters/brothers in Islam, we would not want to be anywhere else but here this weekend!

With the theme "Things That They Don't Teach In Medical School", 80 participants (including medical students, doctors and even some non-medic students) explored many things that we know we could never find anywhere else, not in any textbook, not in any medical schools.

Although it would be almost impossible to jot down every single thing that we have gained in these few days, but hopefully we will be able to share some highlights of the events in this report.

Saturday (21 March 2009)

Tai Chi With the Master (Shamshir)

The morning kick-started with an exercise by the TaiChi Master, Shamshir, with the 'ball of energy'. Definitely a great start for the morning, to stretch our legs and to relax our body.

Jungle Tracking

It was a beautiful morning with the sun rising in the horizon, and jungle tracking was the perfect way to enjoy the morning. We passed along streams, jumped from one rock to another to reach to the other side of the stream, and stopped every few minutes to answer questions from 6 checkpoints.

Checkpoints included :

-Quiz on arterial blood supply ( take home message: yes, we need to brush up on our anatomical knowledge!),

-Consent and confidentiality station (Discussion on scenarios for example: Would you or would you not break the news to the wife of a HIV patient that her husband is HIV positive?),

-Simulation of a GP visit scenario (E.g. Patient presents with pain in right leg when walking, please take history from her, and what do you think the diagnosis is?),

-Pathological Word Game (say the disease is hepatitiS, the next person will try to think of a disease which starts with the letter S),

-Peripheral Pulse checkpoint,

-Guess a disease based on its symptom and descriptions.

It was a good walk, a good exercise for the body as well as for the brain cells. =)

Talk on Wound Management and Basic Surgical Techniques- By Dr Alhady Alfian

A talk that introduced the importance of wound management, the different types of wounds, and also suturing technique.

Suturing Practicals: Who Is The Best Surgeon?

And then, it’s time to practice our own skill in suturing. So, who is the best surgeon?

Islam and Medicine: 2 Different Worlds?

A few real-life case scenarios were presented by Dr Alhady Alfian (Specialist Registrar Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine) , and we were made to think of the diagnosis, and management of these patients.

The issue of death and its definition, be it in the medical term or Islamically were discussed, as well as other issues such as organ donation, euthanasia and others. “What happens to the body of the deceased if he dies in this country? Is he allowed to donate his organ after his death? But who really ‘owns’ the body?” Alhamdulillah, many of our questions were answered in this session.

It is interesting to note that the western definition of Mental Health consists of “Bio-Psycho-Social”,but in Islam, we extend it a bit further to “Bio-Psycho-Social- Heart-Divine”.

Undoubtedly, to be an excellent doctor, years of medical training are required for us to progress to the next level. From a Foundation Year doctor, to a ‘HO’ to ‘SHO’ to a Consultant (in the UK). No one would want to remain stagnant without moving forward. And yes, the same applies to our Islamic knowledge and tarbiyah. To be an excellent Muslim, we need to increase our Islamic tarbiyah as we progress in time. And that is through various ways such as to be involved in usrah, quranic reading, hadith , teaching others what we know, doing dakwah, and so much more.

PBL Fiqh Ibadah Pesakit

Another enlightening talk by another great speaker, Ustaz Erfino Johari on Fiqh Awlawiyat based on the writings of Yusuf Al-Qardhawi. We then discussed a few case scenarios that we may encounter in our daily lives as medical students/ medical practitioners.

“What should be the stand of a Muslim girl wearing a hijab, to the infection control policy of wearing half sleeves in the ward to prevent infection? How would a patient with urinary incontinence, do his ablution and prayer? Can we donate our body to be dissected by medical students after we died?”

Alhamdulillah, Ustaz Erfino guided us to answer many of these questions. It was a very interesting and useful discussion as we medical students and practitioners will inevitably face these kinds of situations in our career.

A Doctor’s Diary: Medical Profession as an Ibadah by Prof. Amaluddin Ahmad

“How would you, as a medical practitioner, turn your everyday profession as a doctor into a form of ibadah? Are doctors and daie’s, two different entities or are they the same?” This talk opened up our eyes to the reality of the huge responsibilities that we bear, not only to the patients that we treat, but also to the community as a whole. We are very grateful that Prof Amaluddin Ahmad, coming all the way from Malaysia would share his insights on this topic.

Believe it or not, doctors have so much ‘power’ in our hands. We have high access to the humanity; people put such high trust on us, and therefore this should be utilized fully to reach the ultimate objective of dakwah. Through this understanding, IMAM emerged to pave the way for Muslim medical community to work as one, reaching for the same aim and to build networking. It has so far been an influential tool to spread dakwah to the community, be it dakwah through character, words or good deeds.

Many were inspired as Prof Amal continued to explain to us about the An-Nur Medical City Project by IMAM doctors/MIG. Some of us could not believe that we Malay Muslims are able to think or dream of such enormous project that could benefit the humanity. We admire the visions that our doctors uphold and their strong determination to see Muslims rise again to lead the world. And let us find home and a sense of belonging in this wonderful project, as we are the next generation who will inherit it and make it a reality!

And as Prof Amal rightly said, with a clear vision in our minds, nothing will ever be impossible; and if Allah wants it to happen, it will succeed no matter what. Allah works in magical ways, and as believers, we should strive our very best, and make a lot of doa as it is definitely the key of success.

The ummah is waiting for us to bring Islam back to where it truly belongs. So, let us be leaders with high aspiration, who produce high-quality work. Let’s organize ourselves and work collectively to reach the same vision. Don’t be afraid to dream, make careful plans and strategies, strive for knowledge, tarbiyah & training, and materialise them through our practice (amalan).

“You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah..” 3:110

“The ummah is like 100 camels,you can only find one which can withstand a very long journey and succeed.”

So let us be the one!

And our aim is not just to build yet another hospital, or another university; but we strive to uphold the religion and the ummah, and work to build our Islamic civilization once again, insyaAllah.

Career Chit-Chat

We were divided into groups and doctors shared their

experiences to a smaller-scale audience. It was an interactive session, as students asked their respective doctor on the career pathway and general tips in preparation for the coming challenging years as a doctor.

Sunday, 22^nd March 2009

Activity: Extreme medicine

In this activity, participants were divided into 4 stations, each with an extreme medical case.

Station 1

Situation: a person was found unconscious in a cold lake

Objective: Discuss about hypothermia and how to handle a hypothermic patient in extreme conditions

Participants were asked to dip their hands in the cold river (at the campsite) for 30 seconds just to have a feel of what it’s like to be in cold water for sometime. Most of the participants knew straight away that the station was about hypothermia. The facilitators then guided the participants in understanding hypothermia and what to do if we come across a hypothermic person which in this case, is found unconscious in a cold lake.

The activity became more of a discussion since the facilitators were asking questions instead of giving information.

Station 2

Situation: a person in the team is injured and needs to be carried to the nearest medical facility

Objective: Learn how to make a stretcher using general camping equipments

Participants were given a blanket and two wooden logs and were taught on how to make an emergency stretcher from them. Alternatively, two jackets were used instead of a blanket.

It was interesting to watch how creative people can be when given limited resources to make something.

Station 3

Situation: a person in the team has an injury of the hand

Objective: Learn how to make an arm sling (for arm injuries) and an elevation sling (for forearm or collarbone injuries)

Participants were given a triangular cloth/scarf and were taught on how to make an arm sling from it.

Most of the participants acknowledged that this was a useful knowledge to learn especially during sports events where we usually participate as first aiders.

Station 4

Situation: a lot of people are injured in a tragedy and you need to prioritize patients based on the severity of their condition

Objective: Learn how to perform a triage in disasters involving a lot of casualties

Participants were asked to perform a triage by separating the injured into four categories:

The deceased
The injured that can be helped with immediate attention
The injured whose attention can be delayed
Those with minor injuries, who needs less attention

It was fun watching how confused the participants were in prioritizing which patients should be treated first. However, they find the knowledge useful since in extreme cases, the resources are limited and timing is essential.

All in all, everyone enjoyed the activity very much since it was done outdoors in which it was easier to have a feel of the so called ‘extreme situations’. Participants gave 100% commitment and were actively participating in the discussions and hands on stuffs.

A closing note

Alhamdulillah, with His blessings, we were able to organize IMAM Symposium 2009 this year. Our special thank you goes to our enthusiastic and devoted speakers, Prof Amal, Dr Alhady and Ustaz Erfino who had spent their precious time to be with us and to share with us their experiences and knowledge. Only Allah will be able to reward you; and may He grant you the highest of Jannah, insyaAllah. We’d also like to thank our advisors including Prof Abd Latiff, Dr Iqbal and Dr Azlisham and also other doctors who have helped us for the never-ending support for this event.

Also to all participants who have joined us in this programme, thank you. We hope that each of us has brought back home beautiful memories, new knowledge and pleasant experiences that will equip ourselves with the necessary values to become outstanding Muslims. Also thank you to all committee members who have made this programme a reality,jzkk.

And lastly, let this not be an end but let it mark a beginning to our contribution to Islam and the world. Remember to always keep the spirit alive and be sincere & steadfast in this journey to uphold Islam in the eyes of the world again. Think of ways to maximize our potential in ways that will benefit the ummah.

Let us become excellent Muslim doctors who will be the leaders of the world, insyaAllah.

And don’t forget to join IMAM activities near you! ;)

May Allah bless you, salam wbt.

Prepared by,

Mai Shahira Meor Hazizi / Atikah Latiff
Secretaries
IMAM SYMPOSIUM 2009

'Student Doctor'

2009-03-15T10:56:00.003Z

Being a doctor is not about making big money; it is about touching people's hearts with the kindness, the rahmah and Mercy of one human to another.

Alhamdulillah, I've been in my first ever block in the clinical phase of phase 2. Yeay! I'm a 'student doctor' now, as some may put it. Placed in Kettering, which is about 30 minutes away from Leicester, and we (my clinical partner, Lily and I) had to stay there over the weekdays and only come back in the weekends.

First impression of Kettering
Day 1: there are soooo many friendly faces, everyone was so helpful, and wanted to help these girls (us) who looked so lost and innocent (perasan) in the hospital. We were not sure of where to go and head to, as our consultants were away for a skiing trip. Hehe.

Fortunately we had a mentor, Dr K (a FY1* dr, who is probably only 2,3 years older than us), whom I thought was a female when I saw 'her' name on the list of mentors. And I managed to embarass myself by phoning him up and saying "Hello can I speak to Miss K, pls?" ;p But he was allright with it, although he did brought that up later just to laugh at us!

We followed him in that first morning, and he taught a lot of stuff, and quizzed us on some medical facts as well. We examined some patients, interviewed one with acromegaly (big hands!), one with Alzheimer (he couldn't remember any dates, things, where he was), one with suspected multiple sclerosis ( with a deviated tounge due to neural problem) and one lady who had a lung lobe removed 40 years ago and is now suspected with breast lump. Dr K actually asked us to do breast examination on her, but since we were never taught that before, declined his offer. And he even asked us to take some blood, in which we refused as well, as we had never had any teaching/practice before!

And there was a patient who did not seem very fit, mentally. She was going on and on about some random stuff and practically making no sense at all. But there was one doctor, whom I really respect, who actually listened to her rants and ramblings and nodded as if he really understood everything that she was saying. Definitely very good communication skills there. To just listen to the patients and making sure the patient really trust you as a doctor.

-to be continued-

*freshly graduate doctor

A comeback

2009-02-12T13:58:00.002Z

Eh-hm
Seems that I have not been writing for quite a long time (naughty naughty!)
But it seems that there still are people coming to this blog of mine (which I guiltily left un-updated for some time).
Silent readers maybe? hehe (perasan je)

Alhamdulillah. Firstly some updates on life.

Went through the phase 1 exams- yes, it is THE dreaded exam feared by all Leicesterians doing Medicine, and in preparation for the exams, I think my friends and I had to go through quite a lot. The thumping of the heart weeks prior to exams (thinking: Oh no, there are loaads more to be covered!), the late nights and staying up, and waking up one day and questioning myself: do I have the will to go on? There are so much to be read and to be memorized and to be practised! It was really a struggle.

Oh no, maybe I am a bit exaggerating here. Alhamdulillah with every hardship there is a blessing in disguise. There is Allah to turn to. There are sisters who whispers words of encouragement, of motivation and of strength to keep me moving on. I'm so blessed with everything that Allah has given me!! Alhamdulillah..

I wish I can thank all those who had helped us study and prepare for the exams, and those who shower us with their prayers and thought of us in their solahs, and even those who prepared us food (as we lived a very chaotic life before the exams-didn't even have time to cook proper food). I wish I can thank all of you enough. But only Allah will be able to repay all of your kindness enormously. I pray that with your kindness,Allah will grant you His most beautiful and enchanting Jannah, insyaAllah.

Alhamdulillah again, with Allah's help I have passed the exams. The news came when we were having our holidays in Czech (we flew there right after the exams finished!), and it was a big sigh of relief for me. It is only Allah who helped me through it, I know, and it is definitely not my own doings. In fact, I was actually expecting the worst.

O Allah, help me increase my faith in You after all that you have given me, and help me become a believer who is always grateful!

27:19 "My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favours which You have bestowed on me, and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among your righteous slaves."

This is a prayer of Sulaiman, the prophet, who had the ability to understand the words of the ants, a powerful nikmat bestowed by Allah to Him. In the ayat previous to this one (27:18), he overheard the conversation of the ants who were afraid they would be crushed by the human. Cute kan?

Right after the holidays of Czech (more of the stories will come soon insyaAllah), and after some discussion with my dearest sisters, I decided to go home to Malaysia as we were granted a whole month of holidays, Alhamdulillah.

And a day after I booked my ticket, I flew home, however for just 2 weeks. Home is where the heart is, so of course I was overjoyed being home with my parents and siblings (plus a new addition to the family,,,hehe, insyaAllah).

OK, perhaps I will be starting to write again, since I have a week and a half of holidays still. Take care to all..salam wbt.. =)

New blog with my sisters

2008-11-25T23:14:00.001Z

Salam,
Do visit a blog by myself and my adik2 in Leicester

http://heartsandhugs.wordpress.com/

insyaAllah will be updated frequently..

7 Habits

2008-11-08T22:03:00.004Z

It was definitely a long time ago since my last post, but insyaAllah will try to write more. Silence is not an option now, eh? And silence is not golden, anymore either. Too many things to be shared;wouldn't want to keep them all to myself =) .

Ever heard of the 7 habits of effective people by Stephen Covey? Of course you have, I am sure. For this entry, let me share some of what I have read in this book, and some of my own reflection so that we can together try to apply some excellent insights from this book in our daily life, allright? Ready? Set, Go!

The Power of Paradigm

What is a paradigm, do you think? Is it a way you see things? A new way of thinking? In an easier analogy it is like a map (or even a tom-tom!) ; you just have to have it if you don't want to get lost; or if you'd want to reach your destination without going round in circles .

Last weekend, my friends and I planned to attend this one talk held in a place called Alum Rock in Birmingham. We had the car, great. We had the car keys, even better. I am proud to say that we even had the right attitude and positive outlook that no matter what happen, we're sure we're going to reach the place on time. Unfortunately though, we didn't have a map!! Or a tom-tom! Or any means that we could find any directions to go to the destination.

In the end, we kept going round and round in circles, back to the same signboard, when finally one of us fortunately, decided to call a local friend who apparently know the place well. And Alhamdulillah we finally made it! Although a 17 minutes ride took more than 1 hour, in the end!

Just imagine how easy and time-saving it would be if we were to have the map, the right and accurate one. And now, with the right map, the right behaviour and attitude was definitely important and adds to a better quality of the ride. But if we did not have a map to start with, OR a wrong map either, even having the right behaviour and attitude only will not get us to the right place.

So, lesson no 1:Always bring a map to your destination!
Have the accurate map!

That is just how it is with life. In life, there is no way we can find the true light and the right path to our destination, if we don't have something to hold on to, our very own map. A map is our value, an intrinsic thing that we appreciate and grasp with all our might. It comes from inside of us, and it will shine out in our daily practices.

So what is our map? It is our core, our PRINCIPLE. It is our akidah, that we hold on to and follow because we know, that strong believe and Iman in Allah will show us the way to the right path. We are guided by the Quran, which has sets out the guidelines, the Furqan, it sets out the right from the wrong. It comes from God, our Creator, who knows what is the best for us, and what is not.

So, have strong belief in Him, in the Quran, it is not merely 'percaya' but more than that, it is the 'keimanan yg mendasar dlm hati'.
We are all moving towards that one direction, towards the same direction, whether we are realizing it or not. We are moving towards Him, towards God, and to Him shall we return one day. It is only up to us, to choose our path. Let's pray to Him that we shall not be left astray in this worldly life.. ameen..

Post-exams

2008-06-03T20:04:00.004Z

Alas, the long-awaited battle is (almost) finished.
My big exams are (almost) over.
I am (almost) free.

Well, I would be free like everyone else if I were not sitting for the SSM Physiological Measurement this Friday. But it's allright. I'm not complaining.

So perhaps this is a good time, to sit back and reflect.
On the 'achievement' of myself when I was faced with the battle. How well have I done for this exam? Did I achieve my goal?
But, is it possible for me to do that, when the results of the exam has not yet been printed?

But, do remember my friends, it is what Allah thinks that matters the most. And Allah do not see the outcome or whether you succeed or not; but it is the effort towards achieving success that Allah sees. Have we done enough for the preparation for the exams? Have we PRAYED enough for the preparation of the exams? Have we put every little single hope and asked with our whole hearts to Allah for the success? Have we put that much trust in Allah, and say that yes, we've tried the best that we could, and now it is all up to him to reward us if He wills. Because in the end, it is He who decide whether we deserve it or not, and it is also up to Him to give it to us or not. Because every single thing that happened to you, to me, is from His plan, His wonderful and meticulous plan, for His servants that He loves so much.

I think that's the concept of tawakal to Allah means to me.
Perhaps anyone else has any other opinion, feel free to drop a line, insyaAllah every little thing that we share in this righteous path towards Him, will be blessed by Him.

Assalamualaykum..

exam tips from a sister...

2008-05-07T20:35:00.002Z

*copy pasted from a sister's email.... rasanya bagus utk manfaat bersama..

Dlm kesibukan antum membuat persediaan utk peperiksaan yg mendtg, ana ingin memberi sedikit tips utk antum...- Islamic version :-)

1. Doa2 penting utk dibaca : Rabbi zidni 'ilma, warazukni fahma (Ya tuhanku, tambahkan padaku ilmu, dan rezekikan ku/berikan ku kefahaman) - then kena yakin la bhw Allah akan memakbulkan permintaan antum ni.

2. Tambahan doa : Ya Allah ajarkan ku apa2 yg aku tidak tahu, dan ingatkan apa2 yg aku lupa

3. Very very important to also realize bhw setiap ilmu yg dtg kpd antum adalah dr Allah swt dan dgn izin Nya semata2, tidak lain dan tidak bukan... ie rasa kehambaan di sisi Allah swt. Maka also very important to be thankful to Him for every single ilm/ideas etc that comes your way because that is indeed a nikmah from Allah swt... and insha Allah if you do that, then be sure that He will increase it even more... Remember the ayah number 7 from Surah Ibrahim : "Sesungguhnya jika kamu bersyukur, niscaya Aku akan menambah kpdmu, tetapi jika kamu mengingkari, maka pasti azabKu sgt berat".

4. Make sure antum juga buat t/table on what to cover n to finish by when, n try to be disciplined in attaining that. Pastu bila dah capai target tu, treat yourself to s/thing nice, like reading/replying emails for 1/2 hr ke (kena make sure u restrict yourself to a certain time limit of enjoyment juga!! taknak terbawa2 pulak ke berjam2) or alternatively treating yourself to a bowl of ice-cream... yum2... :-)

5. Setelah ber doa, doa dan doa, usaha, usaha dan usaha (bagai nak rak) maka jgn lupa bertawakal, bertawakal dan bertawakal.. . After working so hard, tapi o/come tidak seperti yg diharapkan then yakinlah bhw semua tu adalah atas kehendakNya dan semestinya ada hikmah disebalik itu. Remember the hadith... "How amazing is the affair of the Muslim! His affairs are all good. If he experiences ease, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If he experiences hardship, he faces it with patience and perseverance, and that is also good for him" (Bukhari)

Ok itu je dulu advice yg tidak seberapa dr ana...(peringatan utk ana juga sebenarnya). Take care n again all the very verrry best... Semoga antum dipermudahkan urusan dan diberi yg terbaik ameeeennn... .

lovely souls

2008-05-02T23:35:00.003Z

It's just so wonderful what kind and warm souls can do to you.
Lovely people can so so much to make your day!
Am feeling all jolly and smiley and giggly, perhaps it's because it's spring, a season to be chirpy and cheerful and joyful, with the lovely blooming flowers, beautiful tulips, squirrels running here and there. ahhh :) :)

Or is it just because simple things that people do that can make your day. A sweet smile from a stranger on the road, a beautiful 'Assalamualaikum' from a random sister you meet on the way to class, or in my case, a lovely and sweeeet patient or make it THREE lovely-and-sweet patients.. :) :)

Recalling the interview I had with one patient, who is about 80-years-old and just had a knee replacement; she was feeling a bit sad since she can't really get out to enjoy the spring days like she used to, she can't really see how the flowers bloom red and blue and purple, and had to resort tolooking at beautiful pictures of flower farms in the newspapers.
But yes, she's still going strong. She's all high-spirited. And when she does feel a little bit down, she said she could just feel her late husband 'sitting' on her shoulder cheering for her to :"come on, get up, don't lose faith, and it's not you to be so down". which I think is really sweet. She's going strong despite living alone and facing certain things on her own i.e. the knee surgery.

And a few other patients just made my day. Their ever so willingness to help these annoying
medical students who would ask them questions after questions, but oh, well, they seem to enjoy our company and having someone to talk to. :) :)

OK, esok nak pergi jumpa patient lagi! wish me luck!

Remembrance of Al-Quds: Manchester

2008-05-01T10:15:00.003Z

Alhamdulillah, ada kelapangan hujung minggu lepas utk menghadirkan diri dalam program Remembrance of Al Quds (anjuran MSM NW).Dan , tetibe rasa nak sangat share apa yg sy dpt dlm program ROQ tu.

Program tu adalah program sehari drpd pukul 8 pagi sampai lah 5 pm. Speaker2 yg dijemput mmg mantap2, Ustaz Maszlee was one of them, ada seorang ustaz, lecturer dari kolej di Msia (Kolej er..x sure tp kat terengganu) yg tgh buat phD abt "american foreign policy" (ada kaitan in shaping the Palestinian issue ni), Ibrahim Hewitt (President of Interpal and a revert) hmm apparently he studied in Univ of Leicester (!) dan rasanye menetap kat Leicester jgk, a doctor (Dr Asad) who went to Palestine himself utk tgk sendiri apa yang berlaku di sana, dan a FOSIS leader, Akram Awad yg sungguh bermisi dan bervisi utk menggerakkan ISOC2 dalam the palestinian cause.

Reflection saya sendiri:
Kita selalu kata kite sangat aware dengan isu ini, tapi sebenarnya banyaakk lagi yang kita tak tahu, dan sebenarnya banyaak lagi yang kita boleh buat. Bayangkan betapa banyaknya umat Islam kat dunia ni, tapi berapa kerat je yang betul2 nak tolong saudara seakidah kita di sana? teringat kata2 ustaz maszlee, bila ada org yg bertanya pada dia, "kenapa la nak sebuk2 sgt pasal palestine, baik kite tumpukan pada membina khalifah.." Ustaz maszlee jwb, dia kata ,"solve the palestinian issue first, cos the khilafah will come from there.." [cant rmmbr his exact words but lebih kurg la mksdnye begitu ] hmm..mungkin tu nak highlight betapa bumi bertuahnya Palestine tu...

Also, sy paling2 tertarik sebenarnya dgn talk daripada Dr Asad tu. (Sbb banyak gambar2 n video kot hehe). Bayangkan die ni just medical doctor biasa je, tapi disebabkan dia takut nnt Allah akan tanya dia satu hari nnt "What have you done for the Palestinian? " , maka dia sanggup menggadaikan nyawa utk ke Palestine.. nak lihat sendiri the oppression, dan kehidupan mereka di sana.

Bayangkan la, drpd tembok batu ala-apartheid Israel tu kepada 'checkpoint' mrk, penduduk Palestin mmg sengaja dipaksa hidup dlm keadaan yg miserable. Bayangkan bebudak nak pergi sekolah, tp kena tahan, tetibe balik rumah, rumah dah takde sbb kena bom, tak pun balik2 mak ayah dah takde. Makanan disekat, (tp drugs & alcohol dibenarkan masuk pulak)... Bulldozer di sana sini, nak serang balik pun dgn apa? Dengan batu? The kids are terrified!! Kenapa la dgn Zionist ni, takde perasaan kasih syg ke apa? (monolog).

Nak lalu jalanraya kat negara sendiri pun perlukan ID, mmg tak boleh guna pun kemudahan2 lain..double- standard btul.. ada sorang makcik ni kena climb up bgnn tinggi semata-mata nak keluar daripada rumah die, sbb pintu rumah die kena block dari luar... dan kesan pada peperangan pada psychology penduduk Palestin: bapa2 dah hilang harapan sbb dah hilang peranan mereka as 'the breadwinner' , kanak2 traumatized, tp guess what? the woman there masih bersemangat. .mereka yang sedang 'keep the family together' insyaAllah.. moga mereka terus diberi kekuatan...Allahuak bar!!

Tp disebalik itu, kanak2 tetap tabah nak ke sekolah, diorg ni 97% (kalau tak silap) literacy rate... bijak2 semua, dan berkesedaran utk berpendidikan. .bygkan kalau negara mrk tak berkeadaan begitu, mesti mantap ngr tu kan?

And lastly, FOSIS rep tu pulak bercerita sesuatu..mcm best pulak nak cerita kat sini, (tp panjang sikit and macam berterabur.. sorri la ye). Dia student kat Leeds, tp rupenya di Leeds tu, population Jew adalah yg ke-3 terbesar di seluruh UK. Even funds utk university tu byk juga disumbangkan oleh persatuan2 Jewish ni. Then pada satu hari, FOSIS rep ni dikecam kerana selalu berkempen pro-Palestin di univ, rupenye mmg tak boleh sbb diorg ada satu policy ni yg tak membenarkan kempen ni (obviously disokong org2 Jew ni). Tapi disebabkan semangatnya yang membara jugak, (tak kire, kena jugak kempen), FOSIS rep ni telah dicabar utk kutip petition of 1500 ppl (in just 2 days!) utk sign menyokong
kempen ini, dan the opposite party would do the same utk menghalang mrk ini.. and last skali, to make a long story short, jumlah yg dicapai takde la sampai 1500 (but almost=1400 lebih, dgn orang beratur panjang utk sign the petition ) , tp Allah tlg mereka, dan akhirnya policy univ tu dapat diubah.. Tu just nak menunjukkan sebenarnya we CAN make a change, if we REALLY2 try. So, tak boleh kata, it's impossible to do certain things...if we havent really try it...

Kesimpulan yg sy dpt, is the awareness tu perlu ada dlm diri setiap kita ttg isu ini... Even the Palestinians tu pun cakap pada Dr Asad: 'Mungkin kalau anda tak dapat tolong kami di sini sekalipun, tolonglah bercerita ttg kami kpd kwn2 anda.' They need our doa and support walaupun dari jauh... Tapi yang penting sekali ialah utk berjihad dan membantu mereka, semuanye kita lakukan kerana Allah, dan oleh itu kita sendiri perlu dekat dengan Allah, mengenaliNya, dan di sini usrah2 berperanan sangat2 penting ..bukanlah berjihad tp tak faham ertinya yang sebenar..or tak paham yg semuanya dilakukan kerana Allah semata2.. in order to seek His redha n blessings..insyaAll ah..

OK, rasa dah agak panjang ni..Maaf mengambil masa dan maaf juga jika tulisan ini tak seberapa and agak berterabur, namun sekadar nak share je.
Harap ada manfaatnya pada sesiapa... wallahualam. ..

Assalamualaikum

website menarik:
http://chestdocinpa lestine.blogspot .com/ website Dr Asad
http://uk.youtube. com/watch? v=ppAn0LNU_ V8 in 10 minutes, byk benda berlaku kat dunia ni sbnrnye... [gambaran perang dan effectnye pd kanak2]

on Relief Missions

2008-04-13T10:29:00.003Z

Just an email I was writing to my mates in a Yahoogroup..

Salams,

Since we're on this topic on relief missions,I was suddenly feeling a bit emotional bila terkenangkan the last mission in cambodia. who could have easily forgotten that poor little boy in the yellow pants near our favourite halal stall, or the other kids who would wait for us to finish our meals so that they can collect our sisa-sisa mknn for themselves to eat?

Or the warm welcome as the whole villagers came down to greet us.
or the kids who were so excited with our candy treats (sampai diriku telah ter-cakar accidentally..wuwuwu)

& I don't think I'll ever forget the feeling when we were all kena serbu from every direction by the villagers, who were soooo excited about our mobile clinic that they just tolak2 je each other (masa nak naik weighing scale and measure the height tu hehe), tak kire makcik ke pakcik ke adek ke baby pun!! wah rindunye..

ok,, i could go on and on with this but i don't think i will because that's not the real reason i'm writing here by the way.

ANyways, I was browsing the internet, and came upon the Islamic relief Website,(www.islamic-relief.com) a great website that offers information on relief works done by Muslims in poor countries eg Bangladesh, Palestine, Iraq etc.also on appeal and donations, .. etc..
They have inspiring live stories on the people in these poor countries,
galleries of the places they visited and others.

They even have this really cute game online on relief missions : Helping poor people to a better life, where you kinda drop aid to hospitals /villages etc... comel tak??! http://www.islamic-relief.com/hilal/

And finally, the famous quote from Quran :)
"Whoever saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind" Qur'an 5:32

Of course,be reminded that we're doing all this with no other reason except with the intention to please Allah and seek His redha, as also the rest of our deeds :) [if not rugi la kite tak dpt pahala nnt!]

not an average doctor

2008-04-10T11:36:00.001Z

I don't want to be just another average doctor. In fact, I want to be an extraordinary doctor, one who is driven not just by passion to serve in the medicine field, but more than that, is driven by the intention to do things for the sake of pleasing Allah swt. I want my ambition-to seek His redha, as my ultimate goal in becoming a doctor, 'it' as the reason I'm doing what I'm doing or will be doing. I want to do everything for the sake of Him.

So, pray for me, don't let me be led astray by the worldly life, and all its wealth and the possessions . Don't let fame drive me to do things, don't let materials be my target and objective. Keep me reminded of things that matter, keep me reminded of doing things for the ummah, for their benefit, and not merely for my own. Keep me on my firm ground. You will help me there, won't you friends, and sisters?

monologue

2008-04-01T15:57:00.001Z

at the end of the day,
it is what Allah thinks that matters the most.

Yearning for Allah...

2008-03-04T21:03:00.001Z

Gempa Bumi

2008-03-04T10:42:00.002Z

Minggu lepas, satu peristiwa sejarah telah berlaku dalam hidup saya. Saya telah mengalami peristiwa gegaran gempa bumi pertama seumur hidup! Bukannya nak memperbesarkan benda yang mungkin ada yang anggap tiada apa-apa ini, tapi sebagai ingatan untuk diri sendiri.
Mula-mula bila terasa gegaran tu, rasa mcm, 'eh, ni apa tiba-tiba bergoyang ni?' Seolah-olah ada benda kuat mcm jentera menolak dari luar rumah.

Idea lain yang timbul adalah ada sesuatu dalam almari yang bergoyang kuat dan menolak satu rumah [huuu ada apa dlm closet?].. Perasaan takde la cuak sgt memula, tapi bila in a split second tersedar segala kemungkinan yang ada, tiba-tiba perasaan jadi panik amat. Terbayang tsunami di Indonesia, orang2 di sana, tak perasan apa pun yang sedang berlaku, before they have realized what actually happened, mereka telah dibawa arus deras laut ombak. Semuanya berlaku dalam sekelip mata. Pada masa yang sama, teringat beberapa ayat dalam Al-Quran yang baru dibaca petang sebelum kejadian, yang menceritakan tentang keadaan di hari akhirat; bila gunung-gunung saling bergerak, suasana huru-hara... eikk takut tiba-tiba, dan seram sejuk.

Namun demikian, kawan-kawan yang turut berada di tempat kejadian nampak relaks je, siap gelak2 lagi hehe, nak join gelak pun ade tengok die tak berhenti gelak, tapi cepat2 mengucap dan Astaghfirullah... saat-saat genting ni. Gempa tu sekejap je, 5 saat kot, 5.3 skala ritcher, dan memang jarang berlaku di UK.

Bila reflect balik, bertanya pada diri, jika ditakdirkan sesuatu yang lebih buruk berlaku malam tu, dengan segala kemungkinan2 yang ada, bersediakah diri ini? Bersediakah untuk menghadapi mati sebenarnya? Dengan amalan yang sedikit ni, bolehkah meninggalkan dunia dengan puas hati? Pada masa itu, memang sedar segala sesuatu hanya terletak di tangan Allah, sebab dia yang Maha Kuasa. Kalau Dia nak sesuatu itu berlaku, dengan sekelip mata boleh berlaku. Manusia ni dah tak boleh nak buat apa dah time tu, walaupun sebelum tu ada yang mengaku dan perasan hebat sebab bijak mencipta teknologi itu dan ini. Sebesar-besar dan seangkuh mana kita, sebenarnya siapa lah diri kita ni? Takde kudrat sgt pun.. Bak kata Syeikh Khalid Yasin ,"Human are just 'sophisticated sperm drops'!", we are subject and subordinate to the Designer, Sustainers, Controller, a Supreme Power, i.e. Allah the Almighty.

Alhamdulillah masih diberi peluang bernafas lagi. :)

1st part: My Life-Then and Now

2008-02-25T16:01:00.007Z

Terasa kelakar bile mengenang cerita zaman kecik-kecik dulu di bangku sekolah rendah. Tadi baru habis bercerita dengan housemate kisah-kisah lama tu.. Saje je tetiba teringat.

Masa sekolah rendah dulu, setiap kali ada persembahan pentas mesti ada muka saya. Tarian (tarian melayu, english, sume dah pernah rasa), nyanyian (lagu A Whole New World masa darjah 1 dan lagu Little Mermaid darjah 3), lakonan (becoming a mad scientist, and nenek tua dalam play komedi darjah 5), even newsreading competition..

Ha, tak percaya? Macam mana orang pemalu (kononnya) mcm saya boleh beraksi di hadapan peminat?? *perasan*. For one, it was an all-girls school, so macam takde perasaaan malu-malu pun di situ.. Hehehe..and cikgu2 memang suka ajak ktorg yg kiut2 ni buat persembahan,,, diorg yg ajar pun...hehehehe.

Tapi tu semua di suatu masa yang lampau. Zaman mentah, zaman tak tahu apa-apa. Even though I know I wouldn't ever do those dancing and singing ever again in front of the public (with male audience..no wayyy), but those are part of my childhood that I really do treasure. Those are the things that would carve a smile upon my lips, everytime I think about it. The times of great happiness with friends. Worrying about nothing, taking nothing really seriously. I was happy in that great 9 years, from Standard 1 to Form 3, surrounded with lovely peers, maintaining academic records, and having fun all at the same time.

But I'm glad with how things worked out now for me. True, it came as a unbelievable shock to me, when I first stepped into a mixed boarding school (boys and girls) - form 4. And the students were all Malays!! 100% ! It was all so new and so different to me. All this while, my best friends were Chinese and Indians, and also a few Malays from the previous school. Back then, we girls totally ruled the school (duh, of course... since we were the only gender there!).

And it felt so weird when during the assemblies, we had to sing the national anthem or something, the sound and tone of voice were so different from when I was in a girls school. (You know how girls voices are- high pitched and all). And I felt so *urghh* when the guys were the ones in control, leading this and that. They had so much more authority than the girls. (and now I sound like a feminist! ;p). So, all in all, the first few weeks of boarding school came as a culture shock to me, I even had thoughts of leaving the school . Not because of being homesick really, but more of 'schoolsickness' (missing my old school and the friends that I left more than ever!).

to be continued... ;p

Free Books!

2008-02-25T10:27:00.003Z

Islam is a way of life, try it.

Islam is a gift, accept it.

Islam is a journey, complete it.

Islam is a struggle, fight for it.

Islam is a goal, achieve it.

Islam is an opportunity, take it.

Islam is not for sinners, overcome it.

Islam is not a game, don't play with it.

Islam is not a mystery, behold it.

Islam is not for cowards, face it.

Islam is not for the dead, live it.

Islam is a promise, fulfill it.

Islam is a duty, perform it.

Islam is a treasure (the Prayer), pray it.

Islam is a beautiful way of life, see it.

Islam has a message for you, hear it.

Islam is love , love it.

Remember My Brothers And Sisters That We Have So Much To Be Thankful For

No Matter What They Say, ISLAM Is The World's Fastest Growing Religion

"free islamic books from egypt

please if you need any books send me your addresse and the name of books and the language at (contactcims@yahoo.com) and if you have any addresses to moslem ,new moslem ,non moslem, mosques, islamic centers and library

please send me and tell me this address to moslem or non moslem or new moslem

wagazakallahkhiara

salamo aleukom

your brother abdelhamed"

Mai: coolness, free books! So, what are we waiting for? Send the email and wait for the books to arrive~Let's read, read, read!!

The Developing Human

2008-02-24T21:41:00.002Z

dedicated to those with open hearts and open eyes...

Medan-medan kita

2008-02-23T14:58:00.002Z

Kata Imam Hassan Al Banna:

" Medan bercakap tidak sama dengan medan berkhayal,
Medan amal tidak sama dengan medan bercakap,
Medan amal yg jihad tidak sama dengan medan amal biasa,
Medan jihad al-Haq tidak sama dengan medan jihad yang salah."

There are things that perhaps are always at the back of our minds, things that we'd like to share with people, things that will bring benefit to people, but sometimes, those things are hard to be voiced out or explained to other people. Maybe due to lack of confidence, or lack of opportunity to spread the good words or etc.
[Medan bercakap tidak sama dgn medan berkhayal, berkhayal tu is like medan fikiran-thinking as well]

And then there comes a stage where we do spread the words to people, we talk of good things, we invite them to do good, but in the end what's important is ....well, is to do it ourselves- amalkannya. Walk the talk, as people say it. For example, no use telling other people not to talk bad about people, when we ourselves are talking bad about other people. Right?
[Medan amal tidak sama dengan medan bercakap]

Whatever that we do, it should always be in the niat to do ibadah. The moment we wake up, to the time when we lie back to go to sleep that night, all the amal in between should be dedicated only for Almighty God. When we breathe, we breathe for Him; when we study, it is only for Him etc etc.

But the best of those who do good, is doing jihad while doing those deeds. Jihad here does NOT mean going to war etc etc, but jihad actually means putting your best effort in anything that you do. Jihad= bersungguh-sungguh. For example, when you're studying, you focus with all your might, pulun habis2an, strive for excellence and you maximize the effort!! [baca dgn nada semangat]. Because that's what Allah asks you to do- jihad while studying!!
[Medan amal yg jihad tidak sama dengan medan amal biasa]

And the most important thing is to do jihad al-Haq. What is jihad al-Haq? It is the jihad in search of the truth, and the jihad of spreading the truth. The truth about the purpose of life, the reason we're created, and the place where we're destined to in the hereafter. The truth of God, and sharing the meaning of the beautiful Syahadah with people around us. Not only sharing the Syahadah, but actually LIVING the Syahadah...
[Medan jihad al-Haq tidak sama dengan medan jihad yang salah]

9: 20 "Orang-orang yang beriman dan berhijrah di jalan Allah, dengan harta dan jiwa mereka, adalah lebih tinggi darjatnya di sisi Allah.."

satu ayat

2008-02-07T18:04:00.001Z

"And strive hard in Allah's cause as you ought to strive. He has chosen you,and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship.
It is the religion of your father Ibrahim.
It is He Who has named you Muslims both before and in this (Quran), that the Messenger may be a witness over you, and you be witness over mankind!
So perform As-Salat, give Zakat, and hold fast to Allah.
He is your Maula, what an Excellent Maula and what an excellent Helper!"

Al-Hajj: 78

Kan ada hadis Nabi kata, sampaikan lah walau satu ayat.. Jadi cukup la satu ayat utk hari ni, utk peringatan saya dan awak.

OK apa, satu ayat sekalipun. At least itu satu output daripada saya. Betul kan, output kena lagi banyak drpd input ?
Lagi banyak talk yang saya dgr, lagi banyak ceramah yg saya pergi, lagi banyak pengisian yang saya dapat, sepatutnya dengan begitu, lagi BANYAK lah benda yang patut saya salurkan dan share-kan kepada orang ramai.

Tak gitu?
Tapi secara jujur, bila muhasabah balik diri, rasa terlalu sedikit ilmu yang disampaikan. Entahla, nak kata tak de peluang, banyak je cara2 and medium2 utk salurkan ilmu...blogging is one of them kan? *take note there, Mai* Bila jumpa orang ramai, boleh je patutnya selitkan satu dua benda.. *sigh*

Nowadays, I'm always finding myself questioning , of what have I actually done, for the people around me...for the ummah in general. Have I at least contribute something, anything at all for the world ? Have I actually made a difference in someone's life, one way or another? Has my presence in this world affect a soul, at least?

And then it would hit me hard: I haven't done enough! Would the things that I do, be up to the measure of what I have received from Him, countless of nikmat needless to say. How could I be such tak-bersyukur-punya-manusia who only receive, receive, receive so MUCH from Him, but is too kedekut to give and share, especially on things that would help people find their way back to Him? And what would I answer to Him when the time finally comes for me to meet Him? Would I be able to face Him, radiating with joy because of His Rahmah to me, or would I be in absolute sorrow (nauzubillahi minzalik) in front of Him ?

Now, now sit back and just, let's think. Everything that matters to me, to us, to you, should be what Allah thinks of us, and not what other people think of us, kan? Because isn't that the whole meaning of life all about? To find and search, high and low, for his Redha,, for his Blessings, for his Rahmat. Because , believe it or not, one day we will all die, we will all be resurrected,and we will all be questioned on things that we have done in the world.

And believe me, dunia ini hanyalah sementara, tak penting sgt pun dunia ni (compared to akhirat yang infinity timeline dia), so tak payah la get too worked up on minor2 and small2 problems you think you're having. Instead, use the opportunity that you've got in this world, the time you have left, to do good, and to spread the words of God. (Who knows when will it be our last breath?) Remember, that He knows what you're doing, however small the deed you think it is, and He'll reward you tremendously in the Hereafter..inshaAllah.

Sorri Allah for not doing enough (but I promise I'll do moreeee). Sorry to the people around me if I haven't share enough(and I will do moreee). May all of us learn from our mistakes and become a better person each and every day...inshaAllah.

*sori ayat rojak2, not in the mood to write proper language today..so sorri*

my dear sisters

2008-02-02T16:22:00.000Z

I've never thought it was possible before. To love someone whom I've never met before, never talk to before, never crossed path with ..EVER before in life. But of course, with God's Grace and Willing, nothing is actually ever impossible. And that's the wonder of it all: To meet a person, and to love,(& a heartfelt one at that), all because of Him.

"The Russians invaded Leicester last week." Hehe.. Well, they did. Perhaps not all of Leicester, but 1 Hazel Street they did. They are some Malaysian students coming all the way from Moscow and Volgograd(excuse me if the spelling is incorrect, it's hard enough to pronounce it right!) on a tour around UK and Ireland for 10 days. And my housemates and I have got the privilege to become one of their hosts when they come to visit us in Leicester.

And yes, it was a wonderful experience. Even more than words can describe. It was ever more so meaningful as we know that, what has brought us together are this strong faith and the yearning for knowledge of Islam. And also knowing that those are the reasons that we were able to meet and get to know each other. It was great to be able to share experiences, to share laughter and smiles, to touch these pure hearts...all for the sake of Allah.

As one sister has put it, the only way you can feel the meaning of ukhuwah fillah is to, feel by being part of it yourself. As no words are actually enough to describe it.

And now, the littlest thing that I do just reminds me of these beautiful sisters so much!

As I cross the Nelson Mandela Park, I would smile at the thought of us stopping by to take pictures of the wintry leafless Park.

As I switch the lights to prepare for sleep, I would remember those cute adek2 wishing me "Good night kak maaii" as I bid them good night, sleep tight :)

As I look at these books on tarbiyah, I would remember the adek2 who would not go out for sightseeing because they would like to read and finish the book. They'd sacrifice 'jalan2' for the sake of that knowledge.

Even the thought of Maryland (a fast food outlet in Leicester) reminds me of them. Of how 19 of them could fit in the small store, and how excited they were to taste those finger-licking, (and very2 oily!) chicken wings. Not easy to get anywhere else I guess. ;p

Thank you sisters for brightening up my days. Thank you sisters for showing me the meaning of true ukhuwah fillah. Thank you dear sisters.

"Perjuangan itu artinya berkorban
Berkorban itu artinya terkorban
Janganlah gentar untuk berjuang
Demi agama dan bangsa Inilah jalan kita."

sebenarnye..saya rindu akan akhawat2 dari rusia itu. bole tak siapa2 sampaikan salam rindu sy pada mereka di sana? pls?
[pelik kan mcm mana walau cuma sehari berjumpa tp rasa seperti sudah setahun berkenalan]

1429

2008-01-09T00:11:00.000Z

Satu artikel menarik yang saya baca, rasanya elok utk dikongsi bersama sempena Tahun Baru Islam.
Source: IMAM UK Eire YG

Assalamu'alaikum. ..

Baru lapan hari sudah 2008 menjenguk, hampir terlupa kita esok fasa baru Maal Hijrah 1429 bermula. Tirai pembukaan 2008 menyaksikan kepada kita betapa generasi muda Malaysia hari ini begitu meriah menyambut tahun baru, hingga ada yang terkulai di tepi-tepi jalan kemabukan, pergaulan rambang dan kelab-kelab malam menyajikan hiburan all night long! Nak tak nak kita hari ini perlu mengakui bahawa budaya hedonisme begitu menular dalam masyarakat kita, dari yang sekecil-kecil usia sehinggalah kepada yang tua. Media massa yang awalnya menyiarkan upacara tahun baru besar-besaran anjuran mereka esoknya turut mengutuk 'hasil' daripada sajian hidangan mereka, bagai menjilat ludah sendiri.

Pernah melalui bandar Belfast atau bandar lain di UK/Eire seawal 1- 2 pagi? Pernah lihat masyarakat yang siangnya 'bertamadun' tiba-tiba menjadi liar, ganas dan berkeliaran di malam hari? Anda akan rasa gerun takut-takut kereta anda dirempuh oleh puluhan manusia yang berlegar-legar di tengah jalan, bukan mereka yang takut dilanggar kita! Saya berfikir sejenak tak mustahil satu hari nanti masyarakat Malaysia akan jadi seperti mereka. Christmas-clubbing, mabuk, New Year's Eve-clubbing, mabuk, St Patrick's -clubbing, mabuk! Seolah-olah tiada ertinya perayaan-perayaan ini melainkan hari yang ada excuse untuk clubbing dan mabuk! Pernah colleague saya meminta untuk swap hari bekerja takut2 dia akan hangover keesokannya. Gerun memikirkan jika hal yang sama terjadi di Msia.

Percayalah sahabat-sahabat, hari ini Islam diperintah bukan memerintah. 'Sekecil-kecil' strategi jahiliyah terancang seperti penularan penggunaan kalendar Gregorian di merata dunia sudah cukup membuat generasi hari ini melupai perjuangan dan pengorbanan Rasulullah. Peristiwa hijrah nabi menjadi contoh ulung di mana generasi muda hari itu benar-benar membina Islam, dan menyokong gerakan ke arah kesatuannya dan ke arah Islam yang memerintah, bukan diperintah. Lihat sahaja kepada Saidina Ali, belia muda yang sanggup menggadai nyawa menggantikan tempat tidur kekasih Allah. Tidak lupa kepada Asma' Abu Bakar (kakak 'Aisyah) yang sanggup merempuh lautan gurun membawa bekalan makanan buat ayahanda dan Rasulullah, seolah-olah langsung tidak gerun dikejar gerombolan angkatan tentera kuffar.

Peranan Abdulllah bin Abu Bakar tidak kurang hebatnya. Dalam tempoh tiga hari Rasulullah dan Abu Bakar bersembunyi di dalam gua Thur, beliau mengambil risiko menjadi pembekal maklumat-maklumat terkini tentang perancangan musyrikin Mekah. Di waktu siang beliau berada di sekitar Mekah sambil merisik maklumat. Kemudian ke gua Thur ketika hari hampir gelap untuk membentangkan laporan risikannya. Kemudian beliau pulang semula ke Mekah sebelum fajar terbit supaya pergerakannya tidak dilihat oleh Abu Jahal dan konco-konconya.

Pernah dengar nama 'Amir bin Fuhairah? Insan inilah yang berkorban membawa haiwan gembalaannya dengan tujuan menghilangkan kesan tapak kaki si perisik dan pembekal makanan yang sering berulang-alik dari Makkah ke Gua Thur.

Letak sahaja diri kita di tempat mereka. Begitu sukar sekali membayangkan kesanggupan untuk berkorban sehingga sanggup menggadaikan nyawa. Jika hari ini kita disibukkan dengan youtube, friendster, Xbox dan PS, di mana masa untuk Islam dan perjuangan? Setarakah kita berbanding generasi muda silam sedangkan kita hari ini sama mengharapkan syurga dan rahmat Allah? Setarakah nilai hidup kita dengan mereka sedangkan hari ini kita membaca al-Quran yang sama dengan mereka?

Kepada yang sudah berumah tangga, marilah sama-sama berazam membina anak-anak sehebat dan seberani Abdullah, Asma' dan 'Aisyah Abu Bakar. Binalah potensi mereka sejak kecil mengenal kalamullah, kerana minda kanak-kanak terlalu suci untuk dilumur dengan karat jahiliyah moden.

Semoga 1429H membuka fasa baru untuk Muslim terus cemerlang insyaAllah.. .

Artikel ringkas ini tak lain dan tak bukan adalah untuk muhasabah saya sendiri dan yang ingin mengambil sedikit pengajaran. Wallahua'lam.

Selamat menyambut Maal Hijrah 1429H.

Sumber Rujukan:

http://www.abim.org.my/mindamadani/modules/ news/article. php?storyid= 891

Mazlin ~~

motivasi2 sebentar

2008-01-06T13:36:00.000Z

Dear YOU,

You can be whoever you want to if you put your mind to it!
Because you CHOOSE to be who you want to be,
It is you who can envision your own dream,
And it is YOU who can make those dreams a reality.

Be responsible for your own life,
because no one's gonna shape it for you if you don't get up and do it yourself!

So get up to the challenge, give it your very best shot,
Dan raihlah kemenangan itu!

Sekian sesi motivasi sempena suasana2 exam ini..terima kasey
doakan diri ini yg hendak menghadapi exam!!

An email from Brother Sokry

2007-12-30T09:48:00.000Z

Our stay in Cambodia may just be for 2 weeks, but the bond that the team madewith the local Cambodians was amazing. Brother Sokry, from IMAC is one of them,who had helped us a GREAT deal when we were there. A final yr med student himself, heis also very active in social and community work in Cambodia, to serve the Muslim community in Cambodia.

He would wake up in the early hours (even during our programme, according to the guys) every day to have some time to study, and he even worked during the night I think. Not to forget his involvement in the community services that would take some of his time off for his study.

It amazes me how he could have managed his really hectic life, and his compassion to serving the Muslims in Cambodia is just so inspiring.

Anyway, he was the one who taught me how to 'sunat' (or circumcise) so personally for me, it would be hard to forget him. hehe. He even said I was good at it ..at suturing etc (muke bangga ;p). Jadi next time saya akan lebih bersemangat utk menyunat org... err..apakah??

Anyway, here's an email that I have just received from him, to all our teammates. It's good to know that there are people who are striving for the welfare of the muslims in Cambodia, and yes, all of the CRM team members will always keep Cambodia and its people in our hearts, and will not forget them. We will not forget to offer our prayers (if that's the least that we can do) for the Cambodians, and we wish to continue doing
relief missions in the near future (although I may not be able to join sob sob).

Here's the email:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam, This is brother Him Sokrey, medical student in Cambodia and the acting member of IMAC.

We sincerely praise ALLAH Almighty for His countless blessings and bounties. Let us begin by reminding ourselves to always be God fearing (Fear Allah) in all instances and conditions. Let us believe that only by being God conscious can we then attain success in this world and the hereafter. I you are all, my friends, in the best of health and Iman and always guide by Almighty Allah.

How is your study after back from Cambodia? How do you feel of Cambodians? I miss you all very much especially those who always keep contact with me by sms and email. ha ha Remember the time we worked together, talked and shared, etc... Zaff and Farharna! In the attachment you will see what you want us, IMAC, to help you for your assignments. And I am very sorry for late doing that. Cuz I was very busy my final exams and Qurban program to the provinces. Hope this still can help you friends. Please try your best for the development of our brothers and sisters in Islam.

I would like to extend my grateful thanks to your group (relief misssion 2007) by pray to Allah to grant us will and power to get maximum benefits out of our activities. Good health, Rahmat, Taofiq, successfully and blessing from Allah are for Muslim in the World, especially for you all. I pray to Almighty Allah to help us all to serve Islam and Muslim. He is the only one God who can help us.

Your brother in Islam,
HIM SOKREY (Shukry bin Amin Ibrahim)

K Iza, Me, and Sokry..sape ntah snap gamba nih?

Inspiration

2007-12-29T19:57:00.000Z

Was browsing the net in between studying -studying on tuberculosis to be exact ( just can't keep my fingers off the laptop even when studying.. naughty naughty) and came about this article relating to this disease.TB was actually first described by ibnu sina/avicenna the famous Muslim physician, philopsopher, mathematician (and the list goes on)... very inspiring indeed, to read on his early childhood, and his supreme intellect, the gift of God to him masya Allah... on how when he came to face difficulities and problems when studying, he would turn to Allah to find guidance and solace..he would take his ablutions and perform the prayer to find light.

From wikipedia..

Early life

Ibn Sīnā's life is known to us from authoritative sources. A biography, which is widely considered by foremost Arabicists to have been composed by a disciple and later redacted, covers his first thirty years, and the rest are documented by his disciple al-Juzjani, who was also his secretary and his friend.

He was born in Central Asia around 980 (370 AH) in Balkh present day Afghanistan. His father, a respected Ismaili^[27] or Sunni^[2] scholar of Balkh, an important town of the Persian state of Khorasan, was at the time of his son's birth the governor in one of the Samanid Nuh ibn Mansur's estates. He had his son very carefully educated at Bukhara. Ibn Sina himself may have been either a Hanafi Sunni^[2]^[3] or Twelver Shia.^[28] Ibn Sina's independent thought was served by an extraordinary intelligence and memory, which allowed him to overtake his teachers at the age of fourteen. As he said in his autobiography there wasn't anything which he hadn't learned when he reached eighteen.

Ibn Sīnā was put under the charge of a tutor, and his precocity soon made him the marvel of his neighbours; he displayed exceptional intellectual behaviour and was a child prodigy who had memorized the Qur'an by the age of 7 and a great deal of Persian poetry as well. He learned Indian arithmetic from an Indian greengrocer, and he began to learn more from a wandering scholar who gained a livelihood by curing the sick and teaching the young. He also studied Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) under the Hanafi scholar Ismail al-Zahid.^[2]^[3]

He was greatly troubled by the Metaphysics of Aristotle, which he could not understand until he read al-Farabi's commentary on the work.^[29] For the next year and a half, he studied philosophy, in which he encountered greater obstacles. In such moments of baffled inquiry, he would leave his books, perform the requisite ablutions (wudu), then go to the mosque, and continue in prayer (salah) till light broke on his difficulties. Deep into the night he would continue his studies, and even in his dreams problems would pursue him and work out their solution. Forty times, it is said, he read through the Metaphysics of Aristotle, till the words were imprinted on his memory; but their meaning was hopelessly obscure, until one day they found illumination, from the little commentary by Farabi, which he bought at a bookstall for the small sum of three dirhams. So great was his joy at the discovery, thus made by help of a work from which he had expected only mystery, that he hastened to return thanks to God, and bestowed alms upon the poor.

He turned to medicine at 16, and not only learned medical theory, but also by gratuitous attendance on the sick had, according to his own account, discovered new methods of treatment. The teenager achieved full status as a physician at age 18 and found that "Medicine is no hard and thorny science, like mathematics and metaphysics, so I soon made great progress; I became an excellent doctor and began to treat patients, using approved remedies." The youthful physician's fame spread quickly, and he treated many patients without asking for payment.

Hebatnya ilmuwan Islam dahulu. Jom jadi mcm Ibnu Sina... kita belajar medic betul2.... jadi mantap macam dia inshaAllah...okey!

Istanbul trip

2007-12-28T10:59:00.000Z

Yes, THE Blue Mosque of Istanbul

Awesome Istanbul trip! Great tripmates! Lovely and breathtaking sceneries! Perfect for honeymoons (ha-ha).Srius rasa macam nak dtg lagi!

And most importantly, how wonderful it had felt to listen to azans yg dilaungkan masjid demi masjid... and there were so manyyy mosques, beautiful mosques in istanbul. Blue Mosque, Suleymaniye Mosque, Fatih Mosque, to name a few. Beautiful and historic AyaSofya. Wonderful Topkapi Palace.

Inside one of the mosques

Ferry ride on the Bosphorus Sea. Shopping at the Bazaars (tee-hee).
Turkish apple tea, turkish kelims, turkish delight... and the 'You're Welcome' guy. Hehe.

Inside Topkapi Palace

Lovely, just lovely.
Except that everyone was down with the flu or fever by the end of the trip. But that did not stop us from enjoying the trip to the last bit, and spending the Lira (Turkish money) to the titisan2 duit yg terakhir.. huhu..

will update soon insyaAllah.

Stress??

2007-12-13T14:22:00.000Z

dedicated to those who are under stress right now...for whatever reason..be it exams, financial problems, or etc...
just an essay I wrote for an assignment,,ayat agak skema and more medical student-oriented..teehe..
just hoping it'll help those who are in the situation of stress to loosen up a bit... and see stress in a different perspective... boleee nggakk?? ;p

Health Psychology and Human Diversity Reflective Essay: ‘Stress’
Stress. A word that is at most times associated with negative conditions and feelings. The feeling of stress or being tensed is perhaps one of the things in life that seemed to be unavoidable most of the times, and it may be caused by so many different things. Panic, fear, or financial problems are just few of the many other things that can cause stress. It brings about a spectrum of effects, and health issue is one of them, that we, as future doctors may be most concerned of. I am glad through the module of Health Psychology and Human Diversity, students are brought to visit this topic and are allowed to discuss on the issues that revolve around it.

Furthermore, as a medical student, I personally think that the topic of stress is something that is really easy to relate to, giving rooms for myself to reflect back on some issues. Being an international medical student, living in a country thousands of miles away from home, and being in the minority group in a foreign country, can be some possible stress-causing sources for me. And let’s add to that the challenge of coping with academic studies and the coming examinations. If these are not managed correctly, it can bring about some stress responses which may not only affect myself, but also the people around me.

However, I believe that it is important to change the perspective of looking at stress itself. Stress does not necessarily mean something negative, and in fact sometimes, we can deal with it in a positive way. Take the stress of exams for example. Instead of worrying about the exams and having nervous breakdowns as the date of examination gets closer, the more pragmatic way of dealing with it is preparing myself in advance by having proper notes and having academic discussions with peers. In this way, the stress itself will help boost my academic performance, giving a positive result. The stress would somehow encourage me to be more prepared for the exams as it draws closer.

Thinking back from previous years, I remember of a time when I had trouble dealing with the stress of examination. As the exam date drew closer, I grew more tensed each day. I felt my heart racing every time anyone mentions the exams, I felt tired easily, and I lost focus most of the time. It was perhaps due to the lack of self-confidence, and my own mistake of keeping the worries all to myself. I couldn’t find a way of releasing the stress and didn’t take up sports, either. At the time, it seemed like I couldn’t find a way out of the situation.

However, at last, with the support of friends and family, I finally managed to find my way through. Talking things out to other people had definitely made a huge difference afterwards, as I felt that I found support and strength from those people who care. It is also helpful to get involved in activities that may help to forget the stress, for example doing physical exercise or even, retail therapy!

I am also well aware that there are more sources of stress that awaits me in this path of becoming a doctor. Even doctors too may face stress and be under pressure, but it is important to know how to deal with it. In my opinion, if a doctor is able to handle his stress in the most appropriate way, then it will be easier for his patients to follow his advice on matters concerning the same topic of stress. This is because doctors are like role models and are looked up to by patients.

Also, as a future doctor, it is also important to acknowledge the influence of stress in causing health problems or exacerbating disease in patients. I believe that I will be encountering patients with all sorts of disease for example migraine, hypertension, ulcers and others, with stress as the major cause. Looking at it the other way round, some patients may even feel stressed caused by the diseases that they have, and this is also one of the points that I need to be aware of and keep in mind as a future doctor.

In a nutshell, stress is a common problem, which may be encountered by any one and at any time. The sessions in this module had somehow helped me realize the importance of understanding stress, knowing its sources and managing it well, as I’ve come to see that these will all help us deal with stress in a better way. By acknowledging stress and its many influences, it may even help us to become better doctors in the future.

******************************************************************************
Just remember, if you feel stressed or feels like anything close to breaking down, talk to someone...And the best to tal to is, none other than our Creator Himself. He KNOWS what we're going through, and He's ALWAYS there to listen to us. So, turn to Allah because He CARES. He is Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim...

And do check out the meaning of Surah Al-Insyirah :) InsyaAllah dapat menenangkan hati...

An-Nahl

2007-12-05T20:47:00.001Z

16:4 He creates man out of a [mere] drop of sperm: and lo! this same being shows himself endowed with the power to think and to argue!

16:5 And He creates cattle: you derive warmth from them, and [various other] uses; and from them you obtain food;

16:6 and you find beauty in them when you drive them home in the evenings and when you take them out to pasture in the mornings.

16:7 And they carry your loads to [many] a place which [otherwise] you would be unable to reach without great hardship to yourselves. Verily, your Sustainer is most compassionate, a dispenser of grace!

16:8 And (it is He who creates] horses and mules and asses for you to ride, as well as for [their] beauty: and He will yet create things of which [today] you have no knowledge.

16:9 And [because He is your Creator,] it rests with God alone to show you the right path: ^[7] yet there is [many a one] who swerves from it. However, had He so willed, He would have guided you all aright.

16:10 It is He who sends down water from the skies; you drink thereof, and thereof [drink] the plants upon which you pasture your beasts;
16:11 [and] by virtue thereof He causes crops to grow for you, and olive trees, and date palms, and grapes, and all [other] kinds of fruit: in this, behold, there is a message indeed for people who think!

16:12 And He has made the night and the day and the sun and the moon subservient [to His laws, so that they be of use] to you; ^[9] and all the stars are subservient to His command: in this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who use their reason!

16:13 And all the [beauty of] many hues-which He has created for you on earth: in this, behold, there is a message for people who (are willing to] take it to heart!

16:14 And He it is who has made the sea subservient [to His laws], so that you might eat fresh meat from it, and take from it gems which you may wear. And on that [very sea] one sees ^[10] ships ploughing through the waves, so that you might [be able to] go forth in quest of some of His bounty, and thus have cause to be grateful [to Him].

16:15 And he has placed firm mountains on earth, lest it sway with you, ^[11] and rivers and paths, so that you might find your way,

16:16 as well as [various other] means of orientation: for [it is] by the stars that men find their way.

16:17 IS, THEN, HE who creates comparable to any [being] that cannot create? Will you not, then, bethink yourselves?

16:18 For, should you try to count God's blessings, you could never compute them! Behold, God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace;

16:19 and God knows all that you keep secret as well as all that you bring into the open.

[An Nahl- Holy Quran]

let's take some time off the hustle and bustle of our everyday life... to just think and reflect....may He guide us to the right path, inshaAllah.. -mai shahira-

beautiful song

2007-11-22T23:12:00.000Z

Sangat suka lagu ini sampai rasa nak share dgn semua orang :D

Reminding myself,
that in whatever situation I am,
if I'm sad
or if I'm glad,
I can always find solace in Him..in His Words..

Let's make dua
That He makes things easy for us,
That He gives His Barakah and shines His light,
Upon us wherever we are,
And whatever we do.

And with his beautiful names of Asmaul Husna,
Shall we begin our dua and prayers....

OK...semangat kembali...caiyok~

IMAM Conference:Special Guest Dr Jemilah..A review

2007-11-19T12:34:00.001Z

(This is meant to be an email which I'm forwarding to IMAM Yahoogroups but just thought of sharing a few things gained from the conference with fellow bloggers..pics coming up soon iAllah )

Bismillahirrahmanir rahim

Hopefully this e-mail finds all of you in the best of health and of iman, insyaAllah.

Just would like to share some insights or perhaps a semi-formal report on the event held yesterday ie IMAM Conference: Malaysia’s Achievement in Humanitarian Relief Work, 18 Nov 2007, with Dato Dr Jemilah Mahmood of Mercy as the special guest. Hopefully this email won’t be that lengthy so, keep on reading!

Alhamdulillah, we have managed to organize the events in collaboration with UKEC and MERCY, which in my own humble opinion, went quite well (all praises to Allah). On the IMAM UK-Sc side, our planning and decision-making started as soon as we volunteered to take up the challenge of co-organizing the event (on around 25th Oct). This includes the procedure of booking the hall, projectors, food, preparation for presentation, promotion and some other technicalities. Promoting the event was one of the challenges as time was not on our side. (we had only 2 weeks to get ppl to come to the event! This was difficult-especiall y for ppl outside of London.)

On the day itself, Alhamdulillah the number of people who turned up, was good, and was as expected, (around 50 ppl, if not a little bit more than that).We began with prayers, some morning tea and a welcoming speech by the MC (Zaffiruddin) . Dr Ang Swee Chai, a Malaysian currently working in Royal London Hospital, was our first speaker. Actively involved in humanitarian work herself, she gave us an insight on the roles of Malaysian in the international arena- missions in Palestine, Lebanon, Pakistan and others.

Next up, our very own IMAM presentation, comprising of 3 presentations- 1. Introduction on IMAM (by Faizal Zulkhifli), 2. Acheh Relief Mission (Yusuf Abu Shamsi) and 3. Cambodia Relief Mission (Firdaus Rahim). We introduced what IMAM is all about, shared our visions and dreams, and presented our past to recent activities to the audience. Alhamdulillah the message came across well. According to many of the audience, the three presenters have made a very good job in ‘promoting’ IMAM (habis-habisan) to all who were present yesterday. So well done!

The most anticipated talk by Dr Jemilah was up next. Some points that I myself pondered upon was when Dr Jemilah mentioned that to be involved in humanitarian work, passion alone is not enough. Sure, passion drives you to do good things to others, but at the same time, you must have the correct SYSTEM as well. In this context she outlined a few principles and framework that we can apply. For example, being ACCOUNTABLE to the actions we make during relief work.

Another key point Dr Jemilah mentioned was that humanitarian work is not a touch-and-go project. Instead, it is one that requires continuity and follow-ups. She also encouraged us to conduct researches from database obtained during relief work since these reports would make a very good ‘evidence-based medicine’ data which is important in making a difference to more people.

Lastly, Dr Jemilah shared with us the achievements of Mercy Malaysia- missions in India, Cambodia, Pakistan, and others. Also on Mercy’s projects in Acheh (19 projects currently) , some info on their risk reduction unit, Disaster Risk education and others. Very, very inspiring indeed…

UKEC was the last to present their own share of charity work, as they recounted their experiences of being involved in projects such as the: Projek Kalsom, Projek Setinggan, and Projek Chow Kit.

IMAM UK Sc have set up our booth at the back of the hall, with posters to introduce IMAM and its activities, and made some collection for relief mission donation. And we also did a BMI counter (we prepared the weighing scale and meter tape for them to weigh and measure themselves!) . Also, we have managed to get some students to register as IMAM members as well.

The success of any event is not just a measure of whether it went smoothly not.. or how many turned up. But more than that, it’s whether we have achieved the main objective of organizing the event or not. As a reminder our main, stated objective, it is ‘To introduce IMAM UK Eire and its relief work to Mercy and to the community’. Alhamdulillah, we have managed to bridge the networking with Mercy through this program and they have even offer to organize a training course for IMAM members in the UK for humanitarian relief work in the near future (which I think is a really good start.)

May we extend our heartfelt gratitude and thanks to all who have made the event possible..To Mercy (Dr Jemilah and Marissa), MSD, UKEC, IMAM UK Dr Chapter (Dr Burhanuddin, Dr Azlisham), other doctors who have offered their advice as well, to all who came yesterday, and of course to IMAM UK Sc members who have contributed in so many ways. May Allah reward everyone for this effort, insyaAllah….

Assalamualaikum wbt.

Mai Shahira Meor Hazizi
Secretary,
IMAM UK Sc 2007

-also visit our website on http://www.imamukir eland.com/ v1/news.php -

Dr Jemilah's Talk

2007-11-16T22:09:00.000Z

Hoping that this event, our very first one as the new committee of IMAM UK, will be a successful one. May we reach our objective, build the network, and bridge more people to work together for the sake of the Ummah.....

For those in the UK...don't miss this event!! =)

As-Syams~the sun~ cik matahari

2007-11-08T07:56:00.001Z

-suddenly feeling so guilty for not updating with this blog and making it so dormant and inactive-

So just let's share something, an input from our usrah/Islamic circle last week...
Mari kite tadabbur dan baca dengan mata hati ayat2 di dalam surah ni.. menarik sgt!! =)

or take a look at the Tafsir: Fi Zilal

-jiwa dan penciptaannya yang sempurna...Alhamdulillah!-

sehingga satu hari yang rajin lagi...
salam

Salam Aidilfitri!!

2007-10-17T12:09:00.000Z

Selamat Hari Raya!!!
Or is it too late already, and the spirit of Raya is thinning in everyone? Nah, don't think so..Raya kan sebulan!!
Sorry if I have not been replying messages, posting new blog posts etc....I still have not gotten the internet connection to our new home yet! Memang sangat terseksa tanpa internet..but insyaAllah it'll be available by the end of this week.
Just a quick message here to wish everyone a Happy Hari Raya again, and also maaf zahir batin jika ada salah silap selama ini ok? salaaaaaam

In Memory of NurinJazlin

2007-09-24T14:24:00.001Z

Al-fatihah buat adik Nurin Jazlin.
Moga rohnya dicucuri rahmat.

In Memory of NurinJazlin

Here's one from the many articles on the case of Nurin:

Dad accepts DNA results
By LOONG MENG YEE

KUALA LUMPUR: Jazimin Abdul Jalil had twice denied his daughter at the mortuary. He had yearned for Nurin Jazlin to come home alive.

“How can I wish for my daughter to be dead? When I went to identify her twice, there was no DNA result given to me.

“My heart would not allow me to accept the girl lying there, battered to death, as my Nurin – not without proof,” said Jazimin at his sparse two-bedroom flat in Wangsa Maju yesterday evening after Nurin was laid to rest at the Taman Ibu Kota Muslim cemetery.

But in the face of overwhelming media reports that police had released the DNA result, Jazimin and several family members including eldest brother Jasni sought confirmation from the police about 10pm on Thursday.

At the Petaling Jaya district headquarter, the officers told Jazimin that the DNA test was 99.99% conclusive and the dental record that police obtained from Nurin’s school gave a convincing 95% match.

Even then, Jazimin called for a second DNA test.

Jasni who accompanied him to the police HQ related that Jazimin was silent during the drive home after midnight.

When they reached home, Jazimin who had always seemed strong throughout the period that his eight-year-old daughter had been missing, finally crumbled.

“Enough. Bring my daughter home. I do not want her to be cut up again,” Jazimin told the family.

For one whole month, the family – mother Norazian Bistamin, 35, and sisters Jazshira, nine, Jazrina, six and 18-month-old Jazlisa – had waited for “Kak Ngah” to turn up.

But not in the manner that she did on Monday – naked, tortured, and dead in a sports bag.

All she did was take a walk to the pasar malam near her home in Wangsa Maju on the night of Aug 20 to buy her favourite hair clips. Witnesses reported seeing a man dragging a screaming Nurin into a white van.

When Nurin was found on Monday morning in the bag left at a shoplot in PJS1/48, Petaling Utama, police called up Jazimin to view the body.

His conclusion then was a vehement “no”, that she wasn’t Nurin – a conviction he maintained on Thursday at the second viewing.

But the DNA result could not be denied, nor the reality that Nurin would not be coming home ever again.

“Nurin came to us perfect and she returned to Allah perfect.

“She looked cukup sempurna (perfect) today (Friday). Nurin has gone to heaven because she is innocent,” said Jazimin, 33, who drives a taxi for a living. The search for Nurin has ended, but there is no closure.

“We owe her justice. Find her killer and restore justice to my baby,” said Jazimin.

“These psychos who should be put away in jail. They should be thrown out of the country. They are uncivilised,” he said.

The family’s ordeal moved the nation, but there were some who only added to the family's pain.

Jasni said that hate mail was sent to the parents via SMS, blaming them for letting Nurin wander off to the night market on her own.

The 44-year-old company secretary explained that the family quarters in Wangsa Maju lacked space so that was why the children would venture outdoors.

“Please tell everyone, the family thank them for the tremendous support,” said Jasni.

“They lost Nurin, but painful as it is for them, they are comforted by the knowledge that others share their grief,” he said

CRM lagi..hehe tak abis2

2007-09-23T15:14:00.000Z

Here's our 'official' video:

Read more at:
http://www.iluvislam.com/v1/readarticle.php?article_id=679

10 more days...

2007-09-20T08:35:00.000Z

10 more days and I'll be flying..again.

It's more of a mixed feeling really; it sure is sad to leave Malaysia again and everything great about the country (namely food, family, friends, etc etc) but still, the excitement of entering second year of Medics life can hardly be contained!! Getting into a house for a change after a year living in the student hall is one amongst many things that I'm really hyped up about and can't really wait for :D . ALTHOUGH it is sad to leave the student hall(Opal Court) when I loved it so much for this 1 year previously and leaving some friends behind... uwaa!!

I can imagine the feelings of the juniors who will be flying to their respective universities this week or next week. Sure must be sad leaving your family so far and for such a long time (if 9 months is considered long!). Perhaps the feeling of homesickness is something that can't be avoided in the first few months being there, but believe me, you'll adapt soon enough. And not to worry, the seniors will try to help you in any way that we can. And as for the Leicesterians-to-be, I hope you'll enjoy and love Leicester like I love it.. heheh...
Take the opportunity to really learn as much as you can, not just in terms of academics, but more importantly to learn more about LIFE, about FRIENDSHIP, and of so much more...

And remember that everywhere we go, Allah is always there with us to take care of us and to provide us security. So don't worry so much ok?! :)

Salaam!!

Cambodia: Orphanage Home visit II

2007-09-17T14:37:00.000Z

(continuation from previous post)

And next, some outdoor activites for the kids!!

While the boys started to play soccer with the older kids, we were left deciding on how to entertain the younger kids. Musical chair? Nah, can't find any chairs to begin with. Galah panjang? No to that too, it'll be a bit hard to explain the rules of the game etc etc. So what else then? We turned to Afa, asking her opinion. "I know, we can play Tadom's Lekcer"( OK I don't know how to spell it, but it sounded like that to me, at least!). she said to us. "Er, what is that?" we wondered. Well, it turned out to be a traditional game of the Cambodian people, and there's not much need to explain to the kids, since they're all experts on the game already.

And so we began. Afa as the 'host' and with 2 teams, 10 people on each side, we lined up. Each person on a side was numbered one to ten. And when Afa shouted one of the numbers, say 2, the person numbered 2 from each team will need to come fwd to the middle and grab a stick, then go back to their own team. The trick is that, once you get the stick, if the person from the other team 'pat' or 'touch' you, you're out of the game. So you need to have STRATEGY and you need to be FAST.

Pic: Me being chased by a boy (I wish.. hahha). And the kid was fast!!

I was a number 7, or 'Prampi' in Cambodian. When Afa screamed 'Prampi' I dashed to the middle, only to be faced with this really cute-looking boy, aged perhaps only 8 or 9. But, oh boy, was he fast! And he took the stick without me realizing it, and when I tried to chase him, I failed (miserably). And the next time I grabbed the stick, he was fast enough to chase me, and I never really reached my team back successfully. Kuikuikui, but it was definitely fun, really. It's just great to see the smiles on the faces of the other kids who were watching the game, and to see them just so happy!!!

Pic: My team and I. The team that err, lost.

Next up: A match of the traditional game, this time it's between us, The Malaysian Medics versus the Cambodian Medics.This time, I decided not to participate but became the cameraman instead. Hehe and thank God i didn't play, so ganas la everyone played hehehh.. both team played with true team spirit...and it was really fun. And funny. :) And
it's just great to see the kids smiling and cheering for us, and just having a great time together.
Then there was the balloons-and-sweets-giving ceremony to the kids and we snapped some photos for the memories.

All sunburnt from the scorching heat of the afternoon, we came back from the field- with smiles plastered on each of our faces. I wasn't actually expecting them to prepare us lunch, but they did. The kids had their usual lunch of long bean and rice, but for us, they had a special treat which was a fried fish, long bean and rice for each of us. OK, I actually felt a little bit 'guilty' somehow that for us, they needed to prepare something else, but at the same time, it was really touching that they were such good hosts. And for that, I am very thankful.

(to be continued..)

Cambodia: Orphanage Home visit

2007-09-17T05:53:00.000Z

Talking about islam knows no boundaries, be it: colour, nationalities and race, I was reminded of this very special girl I met during the Cambodia Relief Mission. A medical student too, who helped us in our first few days in Phnom Penh, especially when we were visiting the Orpahanage Home and were in need of a translator! And she, yes, she saved the day!! So I present to you, this very beautiful, cheerful and friendly girl, Afadelyya Adam!!!!

We were all set up to visit the Orpahanage Home in Phnom Penh, and to our delight we were accompanied by a few Cambodian Medic Students from Islamic Medical Association of Cambodia (IMAC). So, it was a great opportunity definitely to meet up with them, share and exchange experiences, stories and so much more!

Pic: In Islam, we are all sisters, no matter where we are, we are one, united by the same faith of Islam.

Afa is a 3rd year medic student (if I'm not mistaken!) of one of the Medical University in Phnom Penh. And guys, do you know, in Cambodia, they study Medicine for 8 years!! And it is in French! Along the 1 hour journey to the Orphanage Home, Afa shared a lot of stories of her families, of what was it like for her parents and grandparents during the Pol Pot regime and etc. Her family was actually one of the few important and professional Muslim in Cambodia, therefore this is a further threat to the family during that time. But Alhamdulillah, her family survived this dreadful era.

Pic: Cute kids

Upon reaching the Orphanage Home, we were so TOUCHED to be greeted by those lovely smiling kids, and their carers. There were about 150 of them, many of which, smiled shyly towards us. They're soooooo cute.. And it happened that they didn't carry out their classes for the morning because of our presence. *terharu*. The orphanage was a newly built place, and the kids have only arrived there about a week ago. They came from many various villages and provinces, even out of Phnom Penh, to be given proper education, love and care. The Home was sponsored mainly by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And the kids, were aged around 7 to 15.

Here, they're given basic education, on Arabic Language, and Islamic studies and other knowledge as well. We made our way to their hostels, and visited them, and ask basic questions to them. (Since the only Cambodian Language we knew was: 'What is your name?', and 'How old are you'!). And next, some outdoor activites for the kids!!

Pic: With more kids..

(to be continued..)

Ramadhan is here!!

2007-09-13T10:16:00.000Z

Ramadhan is finally here! The blessed month, the month of barakah, the month of rahmah =)...... So come on now, and don't miss this perfect opportunity: to get close to Him, to do ibadah only for His sake, and to top-up our iman, insyaAllah~

It's so good to have Ramadhan at home, with both of my parents. (Yippee yeay!) .You don't get this chance too often nowadays. Take last year for instance. My first day of Ramadhan was the first day I stepped foot on UK! That first sahur was the delicacies from MAS ,as we were on the 12-hour journey to Heathrow Airport, London. But Alhamdulillah, it was a great new experience nonetheless.

I remember we needed to join the Medics Introweek on that first week we arrived in Leicester. I guess you can say we're lucky to be in Leicester, because there are so many of the first year students who are Muslims. Not only the British Pakistanis, but also from other nationalities as well: from Turkey, Nigeria, Philippines, Iran....the list goes on.[See? we're so much multicultural than any place I know] :) . so it's a great Muslim community, where you don't at all feel left-out or anything like that. In that particular Introweek, I remember we had this mlm kemuncak of that Introweek where the Medics throw a big dinner and they did had one special section for the Muslims...as we also were breaking fast at about the same time.

It is great indeed, to have many sisters (and brothers) of the same faith to be around us, who are are always warm with their smiles [and of salaam each time we meet], and they're also willing to share some thoughts and stories with us. In fact, that is the beauty of Islam, no matter what colour you are, or what nationalities, and no matter where you come from or look like, nothing comes in the way of a beautiful friendship. Because we are bonded by this very precious and beautiful faith we call Islam. Allahuakbar!!

Pic: Memories of Introweek 2006

And not to forget, free iftaar every weekdays on Ramadhan.. Sayaaaang muslim society of Leicester ;)

Till then, wishing everyone a great Ramadhan ahead, dalam "30 Hari Mencari Cinta Ilahi". Happy Fasting!!

Terima Kasih Tuhan

2007-09-10T14:38:00.000Z

"God does allows U-turns"

Caption ini terasa sangat2 menarik hati saya.
Mungkin nampak simple, tapi sebenarnya besar dan mendalam sungguh makna yang tersirat di sebaliknya.
Bahawa seteruk mana dosa kita, setinggi gunung mana kesilapan yang selalu kita buat,,, yang pasti...rahmat Tuhan itu lebih banyak dan tinggi lagi dari itu.
Sebab apa? Sebab dia Tuhan yang Maha Pengasih,,,lagi Maha Penyayang,,
The Most Beneficient. The Most Merciful.
Cuma kita saja terkadang lupa.

"Ya Allah, betapa banyaknya yang aku telah terleka dan terlalai (terutamanya pada masa-masa cuti ni... )
Ya Allah, jangan jadikan hati ini hati yang mati... Dan jangan Kau palingkan aku dari jalan kebenaran setelah Kau berikan ku nikmat yang sangat-sangat indah itu. Because I cannot live without all of that.."

Terima Kasih Tuhan

Terimakasih wahai Tuhanku
Yang sentiasa melimpahkan Rahmat-Nya
Membenarkan aku menghadap-Mu Tuhan
Yang Maha Pengasih dan Maha Penyayang

Untuk bercakap dengan-Mu Tuhan
Mengizinkan kuminta pada-Mu
Memuja-memuji sepenuh hatiku
Memohon munajat pada-Mu Ya Rabbi

Terimakasih wahai Tuhanku
Yang sentiasa melimpahkan Rohmat-Nya
Membenarkan aku menghadap-Mu Tuhan
Yang Maha Pengasih dan Maha Penyayang

Untuk bercakap dengan-Mu Tuhan
Mengizinkan kuminta pada-Mu
Memuja-memuji sepenuh hatiku
Memohon munajat pada-Mu Ya Rabbi

a a a a a....

Tapi aku khuatir ketika menghadap-Mu
Tidak pula pandai beradab dengan-Mu
Aku mula bimbang kalau aku derhaka
Dalam ketaatan bukan Rahmat dari-MU yang kudapat
Tapi ku kan dapat kemarahan-Mu
Ya Rabbal Alamin
Maafkanlah Aku
Ya Rabbal Alamin
Maafkanlah Aku

worth sharing

2007-09-08T04:09:00.000Z

salaam
Islam is not an exclusive religion- Do get that right people! Spread the message of Islam, without taking into account his/her background. Because they deserve to know! It is their right to know of Islam. And quit making this religion seem so difficult to follow..It only becomes difficult when people started putting so much karut-marut stuff in it, which is not right. Islam is a practical and easy religion to follow- No matter who you are, when you know the real teaching of Islam, your soul will definitely be touched by the beauty of it all.

Let's get back to Quran and Sunnah- study what is inside the Quran, yes reciting the Quran is definitely good but don't just stop there. But try to know the tafsir/terjemahan of the Quran. Just as an example, Surah Al-Insyirah: If you really know what it contains, it will motivate you so much in whatever things that you're doing, and you'll feel like it is a MUST to do the best in everything -cos that's what God asks from us..

This is an article from Dr Asri which I think worth sharing,, tell me what you think, agree or not eh?

Mudahkan Pendekatan Islam, Jangan Eksklusifkannya

Mudah-mudahkan agama dalam erti kata melaksanakannya dalam keadaan yang cuai dan tidak menepati kehendak nas-nas al-Quran dan hadis yang sahih adalah kesalahan dalam agama. Namun begitu, menjadikan agama begitu payah dan sukar hingga melampaui batasan yang diperuntukkan oleh nas-nas agama juga salah.

AMAT memeritkan perasaan apabila melihat sesetengah pihak menyebut: “Nak faham Islam ini susah, kami tidak cukup masa, ada macam-macam kena buat masa muda ini. Tunggulah kami dah tua.”

Ungkapan ini lahir dari salah tanggapan mereka bahawa Islam adalah agama yang sukar difahami dan sukar untuk diamalkan.

Ini berpunca dari cara pengajarannya yang susah dan isi yang dipayah-payahkan oleh sesetengah pihak. Dengan kita akur untuk menjadi pakar ilmu-ilmu Islam memanglah tidak mudah, bahkan menjadi pakar apa-apa ilmu pun tidak mudah. Namun memahami dan mengamalkan Islam secara umumnya adalah mudah dan mampu dicapai oleh setiap lapisan manusia. Jika tidak bagaimana mungkin Islam menjadi agama sejagat yang diutuskan untuk setiap insan tanpa mengira latar kehidupan dan pendidikan.

Memang, mudah-mudahkan agama dalam erti kata melaksanakannya dalam keadaan yang cuai dan tidak menepati kehendak nas-nas al-Quran dan hadis yang sahih adalah kesalahan dalam agama. Namun begitu, menjadikan agama begitu payah dan sukar hingga melampaui batasan yang diperuntukkan oleh nas-nas agama juga salah.

Firman Allah: (maksudnya): Mereka yang mengikut Rasulullah (Muhammad s.a.w) Nabi yang Ummi, yang mereka dapati tertulis (namanya dan sifat-sifatnya) di dalam Taurat dan Injil yang ada di sisi mereka. Dia menyuruh mereka dengan perkara-perkara yang baik, dan melarang mereka daripada melakukan perkara-perkara yang keji; dan dia menghalalkan bagi mereka segala benda yang baik, dan mengharamkan kepada mereka segala benda yang buruk; dan ia juga menghapuskan dari mereka beban-beban dan belenggu-belenggu yang ada pada pada mereka. (Surah al-‘Araf: 157)

Firman Allah lagi: (maksudnya) Allah menghendaki kamu beroleh kemudahan, dan Ia tidak menghendaki kamu menanggung kesukaran. (Surah al-Baqarah: 185).

Firman Allah juga: (maksudnya) Allah (sentiasa) hendak meringankan (beban hukumnya) daripada kamu, kerana manusia itu dijadikan berkeadaan lemah. (Surah al-Nisaa’: 28).

Saya tidak ingin membicarakan tentang golongan yang cuai terhadap agama yang telah banyak diperkatakan oleh ustaz-ustaz kita. Semoga Allah memberikan pahala untuk mereka. Saya bicarakan tentang sikap sesetengah pihak yang cuba menonjolkan Islam seakan ia agama yang begitu sukar untuk dihayati dan seakan tidak akan sampai ke dataran Islam ini melainkan beberapa kerat manusia sahaja. Maka hukum-hakam yang mereka ajar kelihatan begitu susah untuk difahami, apatah lagi untuk dihayati.

Lihat sahajalah, haji yang hanya beberapa hari untuk ditunaikan, tetapi kursus yang dibuat berbulan-bulan. Ia diajar dengan cara yang sukar disebabkan pelbagai faktor. Salah satunya; tokok tambah ajaran agama yang menyebabkan orang awam sentiasa keliru dan tidak mampu kerana terpaksa menghafal berbagai-bagai ayat dan peraturan yang sebahagian besarnya tidak pernah diajar pun oleh hadis-hadis Nabi s.a.w. yang sahih.

Ini seperti menetapkan pelbagai bacaan khas bagi setiap pusingan tawaf. Lalu mereka buat bisnes pula bagi yang tidak mampu menghafal dengan menjual buku atau alatan tertentu. Demikian juga kecenderungan sebahagian pengajar hukum-hakam syarak menjatuhkan hukuman haram dan batal amalan seperti terbatal akad nikah hanya kerana terputus nafas, terbatal solat kerana pergerakan lebih dari tiga kali, terbatal puasa kerana berenang dalam kolam dan seumpamanya. Sedangkan nas-nas al-Quran dan al-sunah tidak menyatakan demikian.

Kecenderungan

Di samping itu kecenderungan memperincikan perkara yang tidak perlu sehingga ramai yang keliru. Umpamanya syarat niat yang bukan-bukan sehingga ada buku menetapkan puluhan syarat niat. Bukannya menjadikan orang faham maksud niat, sebaliknya bertambah kabur.

Padahal setiap aktiviti insan secara sedar mempunyai niat. Maka dengan itu kita katakan ‘membunuh dengan niat’, sekalipun si pembunuh tidak melafazkannya secara lisan ketika hendak membunuh atau menghafal syarat niat. Malangnya, akibat salah ajaran, seseorang berulang kali bertakbir dalam solatnya, kononnya belum masuk niat.

Padahal, jika dia tidak berniat solat, bagaimana mungkin dia boleh berada di saf untuk solat? Demikian juga mendetilkan tentang jenis-jenis air dalam berwuduk berbulan perbahasannya sedangkan solat diperlukan lima kali sehari. Inilah yang menyebabkan ada yang baru masuk Islam tidak solat berbulan kerana bab wuduk belum habis dibincang.

Pendekatan ini menyebabkan Islam menjadi eksklusif seakan hanya untuk sekelompok manusia sahaja. Sementara selain mereka hanyalah manusia yang terpaksa bertaklid buta disebabkan kononnya tidak mampu untuk memahami apa sahaja hal ehwal agama ini kerana akal mereka tidak kesampaian. Sebenarnya, bukan tidak kesampaian, tetapi pendekatan pengajaran yang telah melanggar garis panduan Nabi s.a.w. lantas menyanggahi logik insan.

Hal ini berbeza dengan arahan baginda s.a.w. Sabda baginda: Agama itu mudah. Tiada seorang yang memberat-beratkannya melainkan dia menjadi susah. Maka bersederhanalah, dekatilah yang tepat dan gembirakanlah mereka. (Riwayat al-Bukhari).

Pendekatan Nabi s.a.w. adalah pendekatan mudah yang membolehkan sebanyak mungkin manusia merasai kebersamaan mereka dalam Islam ini. Antaranya baginda mengkritik imam yang memanjangkan solatnya, tanpa meraikan keadaan makmum yang pelbagai di belakangnya. Baginda bersabda: Wahai manusia! sesungguhnya di kalangan kamu ada yang menyebabkan orang lari. Sesiapa di kalangan kamu yang bersolat (menjadi imam) untuk orang ramai, maka ringkaskanlah, kerana di kalangan mereka ada yang tua, lemah dan yang mempunyai urusan. (Riwayat al-Bukhari dan Muslim).

Pendekatan yang menyukarkan ini berlarutan sehingga dalam pengajian akidah. Sesetengah perbincangan akidah dipengaruhi falsafah lama yang kadang-kala tidak membawa kekuatan kepada akidah, bahkan kepada kepenatan akal dan kecelaruan.

Ini seperti Allah ada lawannya tiada, dengar lawannya pekak, melihat lawannya buta, tidak berjisim, tidak berjirim dan seumpamanya. Kemudian diikuti falsafah-falsafah yang memeningkan. Keletihanlah anak-anak muda untuk memahaminya. Bahkan kadangkala guru yang mengajar pun tidak faham. Untuk mengelakkan dia dipersoalkan dia akan berkata: “Barang siapa banyak bertanya maka lemahlah imannya…”

Maka tidak hairanlah jika yang baru menganut Islam kehairanan bertanya: Mengapa Tuhan itu ada, selepas lawan maka Dia sudah tiada? Akidah sebenar hilang dalam kepincangan perbahasan falsafah.

Akidah Islam adalah yang bersih dan mudah difahami. Bacalah al-Quran dan al-sunah, lihatlah perbincangan akidah dalam kedua sumber agung itu, sangat jelas dan tidak berbelit. Dalam hanya beberapa ayat seperti isi al-Ikhlas, al-Quran menyerlah konsep akidahnya, tidak perlu menyukarkan.

Dalam ajaran Islam, persoalan tauhid dan akidah adalah perkara paling mudah dan senang untuk difahami. Ini kerana memahami akidah satu kemestian termasuk yang buta huruf, badawi di padang pasir sehinggalah kepada golongan terpelajar dan cerdik pandai. Maka tidak hairanlah pada zaman Nabi s.a.w., para perwakilan yang datang mengambil dari baginda dalam beberapa ketika sahaja, namun mampu mengislamkan keseluruhan kabilahnya. Sebab, konsep yang jelas dan mudah.

Kalaulah perbahasan akidah begitu sukar dan susah seperti yang difahami oleh golongan ahli kalam dan falsafah, bagaimana mungkin golongan awam yang buta huruf atau tidak memiliki kecerdasan akal yang tinggi untuk memahaminya?

Kata Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi: “Tambahan pula, perbahasan ilmu kalam, sekalipun mendalam dan kepenatan akal untuk memahami dan menguasainya, ia bukannya akidah… Lebih daripada itu perbahasan ilmu kalam telah terpengaruh dengan pemikiran Yunan dan cara Yunan dalam menyelesaikan masalah akidah. Justeru imam-imam salaf mengutuk ilmu kalam dan ahlinya serta berkeras terhadap mereka.” (Al-Qaradawi, Thaqafah al-Da’iyah, m.s. 92 Beirut: Muassasah al-Risalat (1991). Sebab itu – barangkali – dakwah kepada akidah Islam di tempat kita tidak subur. Sebaliknya cerita keluar Islam yang disuburkan.

Proses pemulihan akidah pun dalam banyak rekodnya adalah gagal. Ini kerana kita banyak berfalsafah dari membahaskan akidah berdasarkan al-Quran dan al-sunah. Maka bacalah buku-buku akidah yang jelas membimbang jiwa dan akal secara fitrah, bukan falsafah yang menyusahkan.

Ramai orang muda atau profesional yang menghadiri kelas-kelas pengajian saya. Saya katakan kepada mereka hadirlah dengan kebiasaan anda dan fahamilah apa yang hendak disampaikan. Anda tidak diwajibkan berkopiah, atau berjubah. Pakailah apa sahaja yang anda selesa. Bukan syarat masuk ke masjid mesti berketayap.

Memahami

Jangan kita letakkan syarat hendak memahami agama ini yang bukan-bukan. Nanti ramai yang tidak sampai maklumat Islam kepadanya. Atau akan menjadi peraturan yang dianggap agama, akhirnya diwajibkan secara tidak sedar. Lihat saja sebahagian wanita muslimah kita. Mereka sekalipun telah menutup aurat, namun jika tidak memakai telekung mereka rasa sukar untuk solat. Bahkan ada yang rasa tidak boleh bersolat tanpa telekung. Padahal telekung itu, hanyalah budaya Asia Tenggara. Solatlah dengan pakaian anda selagi menutup aurat.

Demikian sebahagian buku atau filem menggambarkan seorang soleh dalam rupa yang sempit. Digambarkan insan yang beramal dengan Islam itu terpaksa mengasingkan hidupnya dan beruniform berbeza dengan orang lain. Ini seperti apabila ditonjolkan watak orang soleh ialah lelaki yang berserban, tangan memegang tasbih sentiasa, tidak bergaul dengan manusia biasa, sebaliknya hanya berjalan sendirian. Itulah wali kononnya. Adakah Nabi s.a.w. dan para sahabatnya berwatak demikian sehingga kita jadikan itu ciri-ciri orang soleh? Tidakkah berjalan dengan sentiasa memegang tasbih lebih menampakkan ciri-ciri riak dalam amalan?

Sebab itu al-Imam Ibn Jauzi (meninggal 597H) mengkritik sebahagian dari sikap ini dengan menyatakan: “Di kalangan golongan zuhhad (golongan sufi) ada mereka yang memakai baju yang koyak tidak dijahit dan membiarkan serban dan janggutnya tidak berurus untuk menunjukkan dia tidak mementing dunia. Ini sebahagian dari riak (menunjuk-nunjuk).” (Ibn Jauzi, Talbis Iblis, m.s. 179-180, Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah).

Lebih buruk lagi, penonjolan watak yang seperti itu menjadikan Islam tidak praktikal untuk semua manusia, sebaliknya hanya untuk beberapa kerat manusia ajaib sahaja.

Demikian juga, kadangkala buku-buku kerohanian menggambarkan untuk mendekatkan diri kepada Allah begitu sukar sehingga seakan tidak akan dicapai oleh manusia biasa. Pengamal Islam itu seakan manusia maksum seperti malaikat. Bebas dari urusan dunia. Ini boleh mematahkan semangat orang awam dari menghayati Islam. Padahal Nabi s.a.w. dan para sahabat tidak demikian rupa kehidupan mereka.

Sehingga Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi mengkritik beberapa pandangan al-Imam al-Ghazali r.h dengan katanya: “Apa yang dapat difahami dari himpunan kitab-kitab sufi al-Ghazali yang mengandungi pengaruh kezuhudan yang kuat – sekalipun secara tidak langsung – bahawa insan contoh di sisi al- Ghazali dan golongan sufi secara amnya bukanlah insan yang dikenali oleh para sahabah r.a, yang difahami dari al-Quran, sunah dan sirah.

“Insan contoh yang difahami oleh para sahabah ialah insan yang menghimpunkan antara dunia dan akhirat, antara hak dirinya dan Tuhannya, antara meningkatkan roh dan berkhidmat kepada masyarakat, antara menikmati nikmat dunia dan bersyukur kepada Allah s.w.t, antara beribadat dan berjalan serta bertebaran atas muka bumi mencari kurniaan rezeki-Nya, yang bekerja untuk dunia seakan hidup selamanya dan beramal untuk akhirat seakan akan mati esoknya.” (Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, al-Imam al-Ghazali: Baina Madihih wa Naqidih, m.s 164, Beirut: Muassasah al-Risalah).

Apabila ada wartawan bertanya tentang; adakah ubat tertentu haram kerana kononnya ada najis tertentu, saya jawab: “Begitulah kita berterusan, jika asyik mencari perkara untuk dihukum haram sedangkan dalam masa kita tidak berusaha menjadi pengeluar. Maka sempitlah umat ini dengan keputusan-keputusan haram dalam banyak perkara.

“Sebelum menjawab saya ingin kata: Kita semua hidup dalam keadaan haram kerana selalu bergantung kepada orang lain dan tidak menunaikan fardu kifayah memerdekakan umat. Sehingga akhirnya masyarakat dunia kata; kita hanyalah umat yang tahu mengharamkan, bukan menghasilkan produk untuk kebaikan manusia.”

Dalam usaha menarik semua lapisan mendekati Islam, marilah kita mempersembahkan kepada masyarakat, Islam yang mudah dan praktikal sepertimana wajahnya pada zaman teragungnya iaitu era Nabi s.a.w. dan para sahabah baginda.

Jika tidak, agama ini akan menjadi begitu eksklusif hanya untuk kelompok tertentu sahaja dan ditinggalkan lautan umat yang dalam kesesakan.

sesuatu untuk difikirkan,,,

2007-09-03T05:09:00.001Z

Forwarded message:::

"Tahniah

assalamualaikum

hari ni wajar kita ucapkan tahniah kepada diri kita selaku melayu muslim malaysia kerana hari ini 3/9/08 adalah hari terakhir anak2 kita menduduki peperiksaan besar ie UPSR dalam bahasa melayu.

Peperiksaan- peperiksaan besar yang lain PMR dan SPM sememangnya sudah diadakan dalam bahasa Inggeris.

Ya, akan ada orang membuat hujah ini demi kemajuan. tetapi bangsa mana yang maju hanya dengan mengubah perkara ini? France? Germany? Jepun?

Soalan yang patut kita fikir dan tanya mengapa seluruh parti politik cina, kumpulan pejuang pendidikan cina dan sekutu mereka berjaya memastikan anak2 mereka kekal mengambil peperiksaan peperiksaan ini dalam bahasa ibunda mereka.

Selamat tinggal Bahasa Melayu. selamat tinggal Zaa'ba, Usman Awang, Keris Mas, Pak Sako, seluruh pejuang2 kebangsaan, selamat jalan kepada seluruh pemimpin2 yang berusaha mendaulatkan Bahasa Melayu suatu masa dahulu.

Suatu masa dahulu hingga melayu muslim berjaya melahirkan golongan kelas menengah yang ramai seperti hari ini. Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa. Yahudi berjaya hidupkan bahasa Hebrew kembali selepas membina negara. Jepun teguh dengan bahasanya. Begitu juga Perancis, Jerman dan seterusnya.

Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa. sungguh ironi. mungkin sememangnya bangsa ini sudah mati akal dan jiwanya. Selamat Hari Kebangsaan."

Hilang bahasa, hilanglah identiti bangsa.

home at last =)

2007-08-26T02:13:00.000Z

It's good to be home.
It's good to be home.
It's good to be home!!

After a few weeks of being here and there, doing this and that, it's finally good to be at home at last. Waking up on my own bed and breakfasting with my my mama n papa, those are just a few things among others :) Heehee..

If I start talking about my last few super-hectic days, I guess there would be no end. It's really amazing how things just keep coming up, totally unplanned.. but Alhamdulillah, most of the time, I was able to make it. MasyaAllah...aturan Allah itu memang superb amat!

2 weeks as an employed person taught me much, especially about the real world out there. I have had a glimpse on what it feels like to work under pressure, on a tight deadline. I saw how people with dreams, work hard enough to pursue their dream, to make it happen. Their passion and the way they think. It all amazes me.

And of how people working in a team can have such big differences in personalities and characters, and to manage them all, you need the skills. The skills to work with these people, to share your knowledge, to deal with them in the most appropriate way. This was definitely some valuable experiences for me. And woah, there is still so much more to learn if you want to survive in this world!

Anyway, happy Merdeka people if it's not too late already! The highest syukur to Allah swt for everything that we have today, because everything we have in this world comes from Him :)
But let us rethink of what Merdeka actually means to us, is it just another day off or is it more than that? After 50 years of Merdeka, are we already on the right track? Can we proudly say we are true Malaysians and have we contribute enough to our country, our religion and our people?

till later..bye!

Animation: My real destiny?

2007-08-18T05:46:00.000Z

alhamdulillah. even after a week of silence from blogging, let it be known that i'm still alive and breathing. he he. reason of this sudden disappearing act? ehem ehem, i am now a 'professional' (so-called!) animator in a studio in KL. Yeah, really, don't believe me? I've landed a job .. a real but temporary job (plus a great salary some more!) . A job for 2 weeks with the animator team to finish the animation 'Badang' for RTM1 viewers. Cool, eh? Maybe this is what I am destined for..maybe this is my actual dream all along, all this while...Hm.. nah, don't think so. Trapped in a studio office from 9am to 5 pm is not really my idea of an ideal job, I guess. For these 2 weeks it's still allright. But not for the rest of the days of my life! So, yeah, I'm contented with the path that I take- a future doctor- where I'll not just be in an office in front of a PC, but going out, meeting people from all different walks of life etc.

But really, it is very interesting indeed working in the animation studio. Apart from the strained eyes after a day's job, there's really nothing to complaint about. My job is to paint the cartoon scanned on the PC, using a software similar like 'Paint'. Easy peasy. No university qualification on animation or any background experience/base needed. Just drag and paint. Drag and paint. Drag an paint. Again and again. But hehe at times, I can't deny it can be a bit irritating trying to paint all of those, which never seem to end! Endless!! But then, it's still allright I guess. People pay you for that, so really you can't complain, can you?

Actually back to my previous entries, on the Cambodia Mission, well, there's still so much to tell, so much to write about. We've not even come to the part where we all went to the kampongs and meet the villagers, and do the mobile clinic and sunathon thingy! I needed to write it down for myself actually just as a reminder of these things that I've been through, and hopefully it will remind me time and time again, that there are so many people in the world out there who are not as fortunate as us, and they are still there, waiting for some help, even after we've been back here safe and sound in our own country. So really, everything that we do, every job that we take, every money that we obtain should somehow be contributed to them, because they needed it. And hopefully with all these writings, some people out there would be inspired or something, and perhaps give a helping hand to those who needed it..well who knows right? Allright, signing off now..tata!

Salaam

Day2

2007-08-12T01:51:00.001Z

That night, without actually planning it, we were invited to go the Mufti of Cambodia's house/office. Alhamdulillah, we were granted an opportunity to actually meet the man responsible for the well-being of Muslims and Islam as a whole in Cambodia.

To get to the Mufti's house, we were able to view the 'night scene' of Phnom Penh.. Not very surprised really to see that many of the shops have already closed for the day, and it was a bit gloomy and dark all around. After all, the man at the embassy office yesterday did tell us about it: the shops had to close in the early evenings (at about 5 pm) because the supply of electricity is mostly provided only until that time. If not they needed to use their own generators for electrical supply 5 pm onwards.Hmm...
(and what about us in Malaysia?? Never really consider the 'nikmat' of electricity as something to be grateful for.Keep on wasting them ada laaa..)

Anyway, back to the Mufti. He was really fluent in Malay Language, and one thing we should know is that Malay Language is recognised as the one of the language for Islamic education here in Cambodia. I guess it's just similar as to what Arabic is in Malaysia innit.
Somehow it really amazed me to listen to him telling stories after stories of Islam and Malay Cham in Cambodia, and of the Pol Pot regime which he himself experienced. You know, like 'sumber pertama' Sejarah like we used to learn dulu2.hehe.. really cool

He told us that the Pol Pot regime has caused the death of 60% of Cambodian Muslims. Also about how the villagers were living in this time of Khmer Rouge. Husbands were separated from wives, and families were torn apart. And many of them were tortured in the most unthinkable ways. If a man tries to escape and he succeeded,well, he may be safe from the grasp of Pol Pot. But not his family. His whole family would then be put to face the consequences and face even worse torture.

But alhamdulillah, the Mufti was one of the few educated persons who survived (which was rare) which he put as "saya tak sempat mati".. Life and death is of course in Allah's hands, and undoubtedly, Allah has his own plans for him..And to think that after the whole thing ended, there was only 4 or 5 'guru agama' left to be teaching all the Muslims in Cambodia about Islam. The Muslims then needed to start building back what they have loss, but it was really a big challenge in itself. And even up until now, they are still trying to find that firm ground to step on.
So isn't it part of our duty as their Muslim sisters and brothers in Malaysia, to offer as much help as we can to them?

Another story that he shared with us was about the Malay Cham race in Cambodia. They actually migrated from the Java Islands long long time ago, and had once build their own empire of Champa.. very interesting indeed..

All in all, I think , he was very inspiring indeed. I am sure it's definitely not easy to rebuild a community after it has been so badly damaged and bruised. But, yes, he was strong and had enough of those will power to contribute to his fellow men, to strive in the name of Allah because he cared about Islam and the Muslims as a whole.. Kita, bagaimana? hmm..

Pic: Just a little bit of our contribution..Iqra,Muqaddam, Islamic books. We also want to see the rise of Islam in Cambodia!

continuation...

2007-08-10T01:04:00.000Z

(Continuation of previous entry)

A single picture can tell a thousand words. So why don't we browse through these pics and let them do the talking? [ini kes malas nak menaip ni! uhuh]

Pic: The next stop was the Market to do em..some early shopping. Bargain jangan tak bargain! "Good price good price." "Come lady, I can give you discountttt." Prestasi shopping yang agak membanggakan bagi semua orang.

Pic: We stopped at one of the mosque in Phnom Penh. The guys told us that the people there actually use Malay Language in delivering their tazkirah or etc. Coool!

Kelihatan juga di dalam gambar van kami yang berwarna putih. Perkara yang tidak boleh dilupakan pada hari itu adalah apabila driver bas yang baik dan comel telah ter-merajuk sedikit kerana makanan lunch sangat lewat sampai (ada masalah sedikit) ..kehkehkeh..die merajuk pun comel!

Pic: We were then assigned to start buying stuff in preparation of the mobile clinic, sunathon and etc. So we went out to buy medication (eg paracetamol, amoxycilin etc etc) and also some other stuff as well ( ie balloons and sweets to give to the kids, toothbrush and toothpaste for dental education etc). The shop in the pic above was where we have gotten our supply of these technical stuff.

Day 2:Phnom Penh

2007-08-08T23:12:00.000Z

[oklahh since ade permintaan, sy akan meneruskanlah penceritaan di dlm blog ini .teehee.. are u ready?;p]

Day 2 : Phnom Penh City

Allright, so we woke up that day anticipating more excitement for the day. Jalan-jalan around Phnom Penh, eg the Royal Palace of something-something (can't remember its name, but that's where the royalties of Cambodia Kingdom reside), stopping by every few minutes to take photos with thousands of different poses (can't help it!! not only the girls but the guys as well! ). And let us welcome to the team, Kak Avy!!She's a Cambodian who just graduated from a university in Indonesia. She's been most helpful and kind to us along the journey, and she was always making us double up with laughter ..like..once every 2 minutes ..[owww I'm missing her already!!]

Pic: Wajah-wajah ceria kami ketika berjalan-jalan di bandar Phnom Penh..hehe

Anyways..Wouldn't you agree that to get to know a country more closely, you've got to know its history, of what has been revolving in the country and its people, previously so that we may learn a thing or two from it?

And so...ever heard of the Khmer Rouge? Of the Pol Pot regime? Of the sufferings and burden put onto the lives of millions of innocent Cambodians? Of the dark period of Cambodia and which had claimed the lives of millions of their people?

Well, if you haven't then, let me tell you myself.

From 1975-1979, the Cambodians were under the rulings of the Khmer Rouge which was a communist party led by Pol Pot. In its few years of ruling, it is estimated around 1.5 to 3 million people were killed, and some, in the most brutal and inhuman way. We were told that many of those who perished were of the professionals in their own field, doctors, professors, political leaders and what not.. Families were separated and even children are forced to work.

We were brought to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum /The Killing Fields to see with our own eyes the forms of torture that was put onto the victims of Khmer Rouge. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum used to be a school but during the Pol Pot era, it was turned into a prison, enclosed by iron sheets, all covered with dense, electrified barbed wire. Well, so that no one can escape obviously..

Pic: The prisoners were photographed before they were tortured and killed!

I'll just jot down the points that I have got on this brochure of the museum here/and some source from wikipedia:
" The prisoners were kept in small cells and shackled with chains fixed to the walls. Before the prisoners were placed in the cells they were photographed,...and they were stripped to their underwear.... "
"The prisoners had to defecate into small iron buckets and urinate into small plastic buckets..In each cell, the regulations were posted on small pieces of black board."
"Prisoners were tortured with electric shocks, searing hot metal instruments and hanging, as well as through the use of various other devices."
"At the extermination center, they were killed by being battered with iron bars, pickaxes, machetes and many other makeshift weapons."

Pic: OK cuba try sengetkan kepala masing-masing untuk membaca point2 ini. Tahniah.

Ugh, really. How can there be people who actually live to see other people suffer? How on earth could they actually enjoy looking at these innocent people get tortured to death? I mean, seriously, we're talking about people's lives here! It was a dark age I guess for the Cambodians especially and, I think it somehow cripple them and to some extent, perhaps destroy part of the nation as a whole. Look at what Cambodia has become today after many of its professionals died in this unbelievably cruel period of time!

Pic: The collection of human skulls, victims of the Khmer Rouge.

Let me rest my sore eyes now. Will be updating soon insyaAllah.salaam..

Day 1: Phnom Penh City, Cambodia

2007-08-07T03:50:00.000Z

Day 1- Day 3: Phnom Penh City, Cambodia

And so the journey begins. With 13 of us, medical plus one dentistry students from UK and Ireland, we prayed to Allah to give us strength for the days to come and to protect us from any harm during the journey. We were in KLIA, there was a short briefing after checking in our luggages and boxes of donated items (thanks to those who contributed!).

Pic: Us with the donated items..a few hours before departing

At around 10.50 am local time, the city pf Phnom Penh came into view. We were greeted by Dr Mosein, president of Islamic Medical Association Cambodia (IMAC). Dr Mosein is a medical doctor AND a politician as well, he worked hard to improve the lives of Muslims in Cambodia, something that I find very respectable after listening to everything that he had done.

Pic: view of Phnom Penh city from the air.

So, everything was arranged for us to check in to our hotel ie Puncak Hotel,a hotel previously owned by Malaysians. On our way there, I have to admit that we were all equally in a high spirit of total excitement: berbelit juga lidah trying out some basic words of the Cambodian language. hehe. but anyways along the way to the hotel, we were observing the city of Phnom Penh..Hmm..although it was the capital city of Cambodia, I can't really compare it with Kuala Lumpur. We were especially taken aback at how many people can actually ride on a motorcycle together. There were 4 of them on a same motorbike at the same time...all big guys and not wearing helmet some more! Those are the common scenes on the roads of Phnom Penh I guess.

Pic: Ini kira cukup baik la 3 orang. I usually found 4 on a bike ^-^

The arranged activity for the day was the visit to the Malaysian Embassy. There we met Mr Megat who told us a lot of some inside stories of the country we were in at the moment, and the close connection and roles that Malaysia has in Cambodia. There were quite a lot of interesting facts, but that would be really lengthy for me to write in here. But I will do so later perhaps. :)

(to be continued...))

I think I've left a piece of my heart in Cambodia

2007-08-06T23:55:00.000Z

It's been a few days now since I left Cambodia. The beautiful memories of our journey and the many exciting adventures are things that I feel would be hard to erase from my mind for as long as I live. I've seen so much. I've learnt much more and I feel I've matured in the process. So I am happy to say that the whole 12 days of the trip was worth all the time we've prepared for it, worth all the cash spent on it, and hopefully it has succeeded in reaching its aim to make a difference in other people's lives, insyaAllah.
Pic: The Cambodia Relief Mission 07 Team... thanks to all for making it all happen!

Anyway, I was really meaning to share and recount the experience that I've had in this little blog of mine, but then again, there are actually too many things to be said and I don't even know where to start!! hehe boleh ke mcm tu? I want to share the experience of our tasks there: mobile clinics, sunathon, and of meeting the villagers of the kampung (sambutan meriah btul! hehe) , and of the lives of the Cambodians during the Khmer Rouge (Pol Pot time) which has weakened the country even more, and of the Malay Champa I've met in Cambodia, of their strong faith to Islam, and also of our own adventure exploring Angkor Wat and emm shopping!! InsyaAllah will be writing all about them in these few days :)

Till then salam!!

so this is the plan...

2007-07-19T03:30:00.000Z

Salam
So today marks the beginning of the non-stop busy days for me.. *Gulp* InsyaAllah will be joining Journey For The End II, a continuation of the program held last year which I also attended. Well, that program changed a lot of my perspective last year and I'm hoping for the same also for this year! Nanti bila balik, kita cerita lagi okeh?
And next Monday: Cambodia Relief Mission. Yeay! 12 days~
And also Pre-Departure Camp a day after we come back from Cambodia. Let's see if I'm still allright and is not out of breath by then...pheww...

So..please please pray for the safety of our journey. InsyaAllah hopefully everything will be smooth and okay!

Cambodia here I come!

2007-07-17T11:14:00.000Z

heya salam
it has been a hectic few days for me, and it's gonna be even hectic-er(if there's any such word!) by towards the end of the week. But Alhamdulillah I'm thankful that my time is occupied doing things that I do enjoy and more importantly, because it is a little bit of something that I can at least contribute to the community, to the people around me and to my religion. :)

So neways, yesterday I just attended the Cambodia Relief Mission committee meeting in Cyberjaya University of Medical Sciences (CUCMS). It's a waaayy cool university, like really modern and everything. All the designs in there makes me go...woahh cool place for a uni! We had a few matters needed to be discussed in preparation for the Mission which will be held this next Monday..OMG I can't wait! I'm really thrilled about the whole thing.. and the team members, although for some of us, that was the first time of ever meeting face-to-face, I can say, I can already smell the team spirit! The girls especially are all very nice.. so yeah I'm really looking fwd to working with them!

I guess the highlight of the meeting was the 'latihan sunat' or circumcision. We were taught by the 2nd year CUCMS students,who had done numerous sunathon activities. They are already like, very professional doing it, as they are exposed with these activites guided by Dr Latiff and his team. And they're all very friendly and bersabar with us yang terkial2 nak jahit sutures during that sunat practice to kan. Ala, first time what! But nevertheless it's a good experience to know the steps to sunat people, he he. I actually enjoyed it, (err I mean, the whole surgery-experience thing!) so yeah, perhaps becoming a surgeon may be a future for me? Hmm... who knows right?

Lastly, I plead to anyone who's reading this, come on and help to donate in this charity. (do contact me for more info on how to.) You can donate however much amount that you wish, but the most important thing is not to lose this opportunity to contribute to our amalan and ibadat. Bukankah sedekah itu sangat2 besar pahalanye kalau kita ikhlas? Maybe this time it is us who help these people, but maybe one day, who knows...it may be our turn to need help from other people, right? What more, we as Muslims especially must take this chance to help our own brothers and sisters in Islam.. right? May Allah bless us all in our deeds..insyaAllah!

and yeah, one more! The head of the project made his debut on tv (his first la kot kan?) regarding this Cambodia Mission..he was interviewed on RTM today!! heheh bangga pulak walaupun bukan saya yg masuk. you can view it here

http://cambodiareliefmission07.blogspot.com

okeh that's all folks,(& saya ade no baru anyway, tp dah lupe la tak hafal lg..haha.. )
salaam!

Defend what is right!

2007-07-13T23:41:00.000Z

Assalamualaykum
Sometimes it feels so sad to know that there are so many more people out there who still does not understand the real beauty of Islam.Of what it means to be a Muslim, NOT just by name, but also by real faith and practice. Some may be purely ignorant and absolutely have no intention whatsoever in trying to get to know their religion a little bit more.[hey, cmon, how about a lil' initiative. ya know, a little time spent in this path of Allah really won't hurt..]. and there are also some who just can't stop trying to find faults in this perfect religion, just to suit their own needs and satisfaction.

But no, I wouldn't say the same goes to every single person in this world. Believe me, there's still hope. There are still so many more who are searching for that inner voice, yearning so much for that spiritual well-being, to have all their questions on life answered. And these people are and will be always searching, until they find the real truth of life.

In an encounter back there in the home of the 'whites', I had one of the most interesting experience ever. I was there with a friend handing out flyers of invitation to some of the most amazing talks held in conjuction with the Islamic Awareness Week. A non-believing woman (a law student as she told us later) from Cyprus if I'm correct, was questioning this friend of mine on certain Islamic principles. So, now, just as an exercise, how about some self-test, people? Ready?
OK, What would you answer if someone came to you and said:
- I have studied the Quran. I don't know how you can say it teaches peace, when it allows a husband to hit his wife? Is there any law that states, that it is legal to hit your wife? Do you know any? Why does it seem like Islam is being unfair to the women?? [And with that firm intonation of a lawyer-to-be.. you can imagine!]

Ooookay. It seems like this lady over here, has been taught some teachings of the Quran, but sadly, some facts are manipulated to distort her understanding, perhaps. And it seems that petty things like this have been the target of the people who would do nothing else but to attack Islam based on these.

So, yeah, what would your answer to the above question be, again? What would you say to defend your religion, or.. oh, I don't know, perhaps you too are shaken by the above statement?

The best way to answer these misconceptions of Islam is really simple: ie, tell the truth. And tell what you know of it. And if you don't, just tell them that, ask their contact details and say that you'll contact them as soon as you seek the answer from some wiser people. And do not try manipulating facts yourself just to 'save face'. That's not what Islam teaches, remember?

Alhamdulillah, while we were having that conversation another Muslim sister who was really 'alim, and knows a lot more than us, was also there. She shared of her knowledge of what it meant by that verse in Quran that state that husbands are allowed to hit the wife.
It goes something like this, forgive me if I have forgotten/added some of it:
-the Quran is a book of guidance, and the Prophet helps to explain certain details on the Book that the human mind may not be able to fathom just by reading the Book.
-In this case, on the verses regarding a man is allowed to hit a woman,the reason or hikmah behind to do so is not actually with the intention to hit, but to teach or precisely to 'mendidik.' And this verse has more often than not, been made to be out of context. In actual fact, there are some verses before or after that ayat, which states the strict criteria/condition before a man is allowed to hit the wife. That includes (please correct me if I'm wrong), making sure that the man has done everything to advise the wife for things that the wife has done wrong, to talk things over, and hitting is like, a last resort if the wife still does not want to change her behaviour.
-And surprise surprise! The 'hitting' as explained by Rasulullah is only made by a siwak! A siwak!! That's like a toothbrush used by the Arabs back then, and the way to 'hit' is by a tap on the head or something. I wouldn't really imagine it would actually hurt or anything that much kan. And helllooo.. I probably wouldn't call that hitting. Islam would not allow the hitting to cause any big harm, it's just as a reminder to the wife or a lesson to her, nothing more than that. And the people who don't understand Islam keeps on using that as their 'modal' to attack Islam. *sigh*

But then, perhaps they are also in the quest of finding the truth. Perhaps they too finds Islam an interesting religion and wants some more insights about it. So, I say these kind of dialogs are actually very good things. You, too, get to learn so much more of your religion than you would before. So, come on, let's get to know what Islam is about all over again, think of what you would answer if people were to ask: why do you wear hijab? are you a terrorist and does Islam support terrorism? Why do Muslim men can marry 4 wives? Is there freedom of religion in Islam? How about the Lina Joy case? *panas panas* Hehe.. Sila jawab ye..

OK, till then. Salam...

ada apa dgn SEJARAH?

2007-07-13T01:04:00.000Z

Salam..
Bila berpeluang ke program-program ilmu sebegini, baru la terasa sangat2 betapa sedikit nya ilmu yang ada kat dalam diri saya ni. Banyak sangat lagi ilmu dalam dunia ni yang masih saya takde idea tentangnya pun. Banyak lagi sejarah diri saya sendiri yang saya masih tak tahu. Dan nampaknya banyak lagi sejarah tentang nenek moyang di suatu masa yang lampau yang belum pernah saya di-exposedkan sebelum ini. (Atau.. mungkinkah sejarah itu semua memang sengaja disembunyikan? )

Ye, seingat saya, semasa belajar TOK di KMB dulu, salah satu benda yang saya faham tentang history ni: History is quite prone to be manipulated, designated into something else, into stories which can be quite far from the truth.
(Apa yang saya cuba bebelkan ni? Sejarah? *Yawn*)
tapi, kawan-kawan...tak boleh yawn2!! Penting sangat tahu tentang sejarah ni..penting sangat!! Bagaimanakah mampu kita belajar dari kesilapan yang lepas jika kita tidak tahu apa yang berlaku pada yang lepas itu utk kita belajar drpdnya? (haha mesti semua orang tak faham ayat di atas). Mesti kita semua dah sedar sekarang ini, yang setiap perkara itu berlaku ikut sunatullah, ketetapan Allah. Perkara yang lepas semuanya ada sunatullah, mesti ada hukum Allah yang menjaganya.

Ok, mari kita tengok contoh2 tamadun lampau, pasti ada bangun jatuhnya. Negara2 seperti Rom, Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, dulunya adalah nama-nama hebat empayar dunia. Misi penaklukan dunia untuk luaskan empayarnya sehingga ke seluruh pelusuk dunia. Malah tanah air kita sendiri jatuh pada 1511. Mungkin ramai yang tidak pernah perasan, tapi, jatuhnya Melaka ketika itu, hanyalah beberapa tahun setelah jatuhnya kerajaan Islam terakhir di Granada, Spain pada 1492. Nampak connection nya di situ?

Sebelum itu, lebih best rasanya kalau kita bercerita sedikit tentang kerajaan Islam yang sangat hebat dekat Spain suatu ketika dulu. Spain dulu pernah merasa nikmat Islam, percaya tak? Bayangkan orang2 di negara itu suatu masa dahulu pernah dengan izzah (bangga) nya melaungkan azan, berjemaah mendirikan solat, hadir majlis ilmu sbb nak tingkatkan ilmu agama mereka, dan semuanya ada satu faith yang sama: Islam! Dan masyaAllah, bila saya lihat sendiri dengan mata kepala betapa hebatnya tinggalan2 bangunan dan istana serta masjid yang masih ada di Spain, terutamanya di Granada dan COrdoba, tergamam juga sedikit.

Betapa berSEMANGATnya mereka ketika itu hendak kembangkan syiar agama ini, untuk beritahu kepada seluruh dunia, "Islam is the best thing that I have ever have in my life and I want everyone to know!". Dan bahawa agama inilah yang membawa dari gelap kepada cahaya yang terang. Di Spain, sangat banyak lahirnya ilmuwan Islam, dan banyak orang2 barat sekalipun datang ke situ sebab hendakkan sedikit ilmu org Islam di sana. Siap pakai jubah lagi org barat ni. Jubah graduasi kita sekarang ni pun asalnya dari jubah2 semasa zaman kegemilangan Islam dulu tau! Yang paling hebat tentang orang2 Islam dan ilmu mereka adalah kerana segala macam ilmu mereka itu adalah didasarkan kepada Al-Quran dan hadis. Mungkin seronok juga jika saya boleh cerita lebih byk tentang Spain dan pengalaman semasa travel ke sana winter yang lepas kan? One day mungkin.

OK. Lepas ini mungkin kita boleh bergerak sedikit ke belakang lagi, n cerita bagaimana bila Islam datang ke alam Melayu, segala-galanye telah berubah.For me, agak menarik la sbb sy sendiri pun tak pernah tahu ttg hal ini sblm ini.

updates

2007-07-12T05:55:00.000Z

salammm!!
hmm i guess i have not actually been updating this blog now, have I? No new posts like I said would write.. But can't help it when I'm enjoying being at home more than anything else right now!!..He he he. Ade je benda lain kena buat ek kat rumah ni. *sigh* Masak. Kemas rumah.lipat baju. tolong my mom buat segala mcm new recipes.. ececece hahaha.
But then again, come to think of it, no matter how busy we may be, or how tiring our day was and how everything else that we do may seem to be taking too much of our time, we should and must always remember..that we must always keep aside some time ..to remind ourselves of who we are in front of God, to find knowledge in His way, and to strive in His name.kan? I guess at times we could be just too swept away with things that are happening all around us that we forget that the purpose of our existence in this world is none other than to be His 'Abd, and of course, as a Khalifah. hmm...
Anyways. I guess now it's time to do some (what do they call it again?) ahaa...sharing moments ,
right? If you ask me about the program that I went last week, yeah I had one of the most eye-opening experience ever!! About what it means to be a Malay Muslim, also of the value of the freedom that we have right now.And on how Islam came to the Malays and bring about a civilisation that we have never once seen before.. and how the Muslim warriors of our own people fought hard to claim our rights from the Portugese, and the Brits one time ago.

(will be continued insyaAllah..)

back home

2007-07-07T15:30:00.000Z

home at last. finally. *sambil menghirup udara msia* yeahhhooooo!!!!!!
oh, assalamualaykum ppl.
there's so much to tell, too much to share, and I don't even know where to start.
all that even in just a week right after coming home.
so many inputs from the 2 days-'daurah' recently.
the visit to KMB... sayang all the teachers there sgt2!!

insyaAllah, there's a lot of time to talk about those in the coming days.
tata~

Al-Infitar

2007-06-25T22:43:00.000Z

When the heaven is cleft asunder,
And when the stars have fallen and scattered.
And when the seas are burst forth.
And when the graves are turned upside down.
A person will know what he has sent forward and left behind.

O man! What has made you careless about your Lord, the Most Generous?
Who created you, fashioned you perfectly, and gave you due proportion.
In whatever form He willed, He put you together.

Nay! But you deny Ad-Din
But verily, over you (are angels) to watch you,
Kiraman Katibin -writing down,
They know all that you do.

Verily the Abrar (pious believers) will be in Delight (Paradise),
And verily, the Fujjar (wicked, disbelievers) will be in the blazing Fire,
Therein they will enter and taste its burning flame on the Day of Recompense,
And they will not be absent therefrom.

And what will make you know what the Day of Recompense is?
Again, what will make you know what the Day of Recompense is?
(It'll be) the Day when no person shall have power for another, and the Decision, that Day, will be (wholly) with Allah.

(surah al-Infitar)

the pakcik African story

2007-06-24T13:25:00.001Z

Salam
sometimes we just never realize how lucky we are. I know it sounds really cliche but, I just can't stress more, how true it is!! I just had one of the most interesting chat with this pakcik who is an African and he is now working as a Security Guard/warden in the flat we're living in.

"Hye, can I collect my package?"[that was why I was there in the first place anyway, to collect a package that someone sent me.. hehe]

[Pakcik African searched for the package and handed it to me]

(Pakcik African membuka cerita)
"You know, it's been a while since I last saw my family. I think it was about 6 years ago."he said.
"Really? Why is that?" I wanted to know more. [although actually I did know half of his story already....]
"Well, I had to leave my family back home. I need to find money here...in a foreign country...away from my family. If not, they would die of hunger...of starvation..."he looked so sad at that moment.
" Oh...em where are you from?" I asked.
"From Zimbabwe.. It is hard living there now.. our people there are suffering.. and 80% of the people are unemployed...because they would not allow us to work.. The only job there, is to be in the army , or the police, and what the police do is beat the people.."
"Oh..." Images of the film 'Blood Diamond' suddenly came to my mind... same setting, so clear in my head I can imagine all of it going on in real life.
"Even my son, well..he has a pHD, you know. But he's not allowed to work there.. in his own country! So then he wanted to go to South Africa to start a new life and work there, but his passport was taken away by them..."Now I can almost see some tears forming in his eyes..
"And so now, he's just there, walking around with no work to do. And here I am, working for him, and for all my family back home..And can you imagine not being able to see your family for 6 years? " he continued.
"Oh.. " I was lost of words by then.
"And here in this country, they know how to take advantage of someone like me. You'd see me working on holidays, on Sundays, at night..right? When those times, other people are away with their family..when they're sound asleep. This is what we have to face working in a foreign country."
I nodded.
"And if you see other foreign people here, if they want to get a job here, it is very difficult. Even though they have better qualification than the local here, it is always harder for them to get jobs....so, remember, you must go back and work for your own country.. where people don't take advantage on you...like what happened to me.."
I nodded again.."It must have been hard for you.. How long will you be working here then?" I asked.
"I don't know,when things are better back home I guess. It must become better one day, I know."
" I hope so too, that everything will be allright one day.." I said.
" Yes, yes I hope so too.I miss my family very much.. "
"And I hope you'll be strong for now," I offered.
"Yes, yes, thank you.. it's just a matter of time." He glanced at his watch." Ahh, oh well, it has been very nice talking to you. Thank you for listening..."
I smiled.."Em.. yeah, thank you to you too. For sharing.. "

And with that, I grabbed my parcel and headed back to my room. So that's just my point. Many people out there are actually suffering, they face difficulties and hardships every day to survive. But how about us here? Do we wake up finding that there's nothing to be eaten this morning? Or do we wake up in the mornings to the sounds of bomb or gunshots? Do we wake up worrying whether it's gonna be our last day to see our closest family member? We don't, do we? Instead each morning, we wake up in our nice bedrooms, safe houses, and perhaps the only thing worrying is what to wear to school/university today. Of course there's nothing wrong with that. But have we ever really takes some time, and be very2 grateful for what we have today? For the peace that we are living in today, for every little tiny thing that we usually takes for granted today? What we have today definitely comes from the blessings of Him, the Almighty, so are we thankful for all of those?

And being the fortunate ones, do we only listen to the stories of the people in distress and say," too bad, dah nasib diorg mcm tu nak buat mcm mana.." That is not enough isn't it? There are definitely many things, even little things that we can do, that makes such a BIG difference in their lives. We can send our doa to them...especially to our brothers and sisters in Palestine, for example. And we can definitely donate some money to them , never mind if it's only a little. Because when many people each do their part, the total can be a lot!

And some last note: Do come and donate for the Cambodians in the Cambodia Relief Mission. They really need our help.. Contact me if you're willing to do so...right? :D and I think I'll post another entry altogether about the Cambodians later.. Allrite c ya!
Salam

you've got guts?

2007-06-20T15:50:00.002Z

Then you should go to Alton Towers, about one and a half hour bus ride away from Leicester. Well, at least now I have something to say when I promote ppl to come to Leicester ;p.

The rides were good, and yeah, this is coming from a scaredy-cat like me. Haha.. halfway down the rollercoaster and I would start regretting my decision to go on it. "Why on earth did I get on this thing?" And I felt like yelling at whoever invented this roller coaster thing."Jahat btul sesapa yg cipta benda ni!!Arghh!!" Hahah. Take the Oblivion for instance. Well, that's the world's first ever vertical roller coaster ride for you. Damn that was scary!! And Rita, the queen of speed. Another fast roller coaster, urghh they say even faster than the Ferrari. terbalik2 some more.. Haih..good thing I didn't throw up or anything. But yeah, once you get off it, it actually felt good.

I would have screamed out loud just for the thrill of it but I felt somehow 'safer' zipping up my mouth and stifling that scream. Screaming makes me more scared laaa.. And the others were all laughing at me because I would just sit there, head down, eyes shut, all quiet. Haha if only they knew how my heart was pounding , and how I thought I was just gonna die then and there..
gulp..
well then that was officially the scariest thing that have ever happened in my life. Yup those rides in Alton Tower. Cause it felt like falling down without anything to support you. It felt like dying.

Hmm.. I was scared because of the fear of death. Then... how would it be when that time really come? When death really comes and takes me away from the face of the earth. When my soul would be free from my body ? And when the time finally arrive to come and face God, the Almighty? (Muhasabah sebentar .. tak cukup amalan lg!)... We'll never know when our time is due, kan? Better start thinking on how to tingkatkan amalan lg ni!!

salam for now...

Cambodia Relief Mission

2007-06-19T06:48:00.001Z

Please visit : http://cambodiareliefmission07.blogspot.com

The sealed nectar : HOW were the Arabs before Islam?

2007-06-18T19:54:00.001Z

So I'm in the midst of a really good book. The Sealed Nectar. Care to listen to some of the insights I got from the book?

Well, in order to know how the presence of Islam and the messages brought by the Prophet Muhammad has changed a nation (the Arabs especially) as a whole, there is a need to know how a particular community was before and after they received the message. Therefore, the book start off explaining in detail how the Arabs were in the first place.

It is true that they still believe in the religion of Ibrahim, who was their great great ancestor who rebuilt the Kaabah after Adam. They still take Allah as their God, but there were a lot of additions to the practise of their faith as many generations had passed after Ibrahim and Ismail...and as time passes, there were a lot of fabrications and designations to the real truth brought by these prophets. They started to worship idols, and thought that these idols were able to act as a medium to communicate to Allah.... all this started with a man...Let me extract from the book regarding this matter:

" ...However they still maintained fundamental beliefs such as monotheism ..until the time when a chief...'Amr bin Luhai came back from a trip to Syria. He was renowed for righteousness, charity, devotion and care for religion. In Syria, he saw people worshipping idols, a phenomenon he approved of and believed it to be righteous since Syria was the locale of Messengers and Scriptures. He brought with him an idol (Hubal) which he placed in the middle of Al-Kaabah and summoned ppl to worship it. "

Ah-haa..so that's how it all started. Anyway, they would give offerings (crops, cattles) to these idols and practise superstitious beliefs, believing in omens, and many more unnecessary practice that they thought would bring them closer to God. (???) Oh, how astrayed they were kan ?! Also, in terms of marriages, there were four types of marriages at this point. Would you wanna know? Em u need to read it for urself in this book pls! Tp byk la yg pelik2 di situ.. One of it being many men (less than 10 men) would have sexual relationship with a woman, and then when the woman got pregnant and give birth to a child, she can just point to one of those men and would say: 'I have given birth to a child and it's your child!' (pointing to one of them)..pelik juga di situ... There was also prostitutions among the woman..and as the author pointed out ,
" the woman was a marketable commodity and regarded as a piece of inanimate property."

Oh also, this one's famous. Of course there were people of some tribes who murder their infant daughters out of shame and out of fearing that they will not have enough to feed the baby. But then Allah anwers this in 17:31.. "And do not kill your children for fear of of poverty. We provide for them and for you."

What more, people of different tribes were constantly fighting with each other, conflicts often arise and wars often happened. Can you imagine, they can only live in peace with each other during the 4 prohibited months (ie bulan2 haram: Muharram, Rejab, Zulkaedah and Zulhijah) in which it is the only time they can practise their economic and social activities...[sigh]..In the other months, wars and fights would erupt. Yeah, they were all looking for power and and were greedy for wealth..

So, basically these people were in total darkness. They were ignorant and their minds were paralyzed. It is only with the Message of God brought by His Messenger Muhammad that they were brought to light. But it was not easy, definitely, not for the prophet, his sahabah, and all the early converts of Islam. They needed to be steadfast in practising their religion .....

And all that, for another entry altogether... SalamMmm... ;)

the sweet smell of freedom

2007-06-15T18:10:00.001Z

Alhamdulillah, all the exams have finally ended. It was definitely one of the longest 3 weeks ever in my life. But I'm just glad it's over. Can't really say how I did, but I'm just praying to Allah that He will help me, and help us all. Now it's time for tawakkal saja....

Since I have finally tasted the air of freedom, I have now figured like.. a zillion things that I'm going to do now. For a start, perhaps finishing those novels that I bought at the carboot is a good idea. And I really wanna finish the book on the Prophet's biography: A Sealed Nectar, too. Never really got a chance to finish it, and people have been saying that it's one of the best book ever written about the prophet PBUH.

InsyaAllah, if everything goes great, and if I get to go back home ( yup...to be more specific: if I pass all my exams), some very super special projects are waiting for me at home. One of it is the Cambodia Relief Mission 2007, happening around the end of July. This is a special relief mission project organised by the Islamic Medical Association Malaysia (IMAM) of UK-Eire where about 20 medical students make a special trip to Cambodia to serve the local community. We're planning on doing mobile clinics, 'sunat'ing kids, health talk, and some others, for about emm..2 weeks. Can't wait for it! Am really anticipating these experience ...think about all the people that I'll be meeting, all the doctors that are going to be involved, and the experience of working with other med students. It's going to be great!!

I am now just going to make some more research on Cambodia, to have a feel of what it is like. So far, I know that there are Muslims there, but most of them are living in poverty. The seniors who went last year even said that some of the children can be seen around the village without any clothes to wear. And the people of Cambodia have been suffering from drought in the last few years, making their economic even worse. And if you look at their history too, this country has been experiencing civil war previously, that has affected many lives and their country as a whole. Well, so yeah, you get the idea. So, I'm just going to finish some reading and probably post more about it later..right...

-meanwhile, was blog-hopping and found this really sweet poem, just thought I might share it here =D -

A prayer

"O’ Allah, Dear Love,
Soothe burning hearts with the coolness of faith,
Give peaceful slumber to the restless,
And serenity to disturbed souls,
Guide the confused ones to Your light,
And those that are astray to Your guidance,
Remove evil whispers from our hearts,
And replace them with light,
Destroy falsehood with truth,
Crush the evil plots of the Devil
With Your Army of Angels,
Remove from us misery, affliction, and anxiety

Dah tak ingat which blog was this taken from (and without permission somemore!)....hihi thanks yeaa~

SalAm.... ;)

-exam season-

2007-06-04T09:59:00.001Z

it's that time of the year again. ie the most torturous 3 weeks of the 2nd sem at med-school! oh well, it's the examinations season again, it is that time when medic students don't get enough sleep, not enough food, not enough sunshine (reason: mobility is usually restricted, only in the house or in front of the desk or....on the bed?)...walking around like zombies trying to memorize every minute detail, word-by-word of the for example, the clinically oriented anatomy book, which is like 2 inches thick. so now it's time to scream : aaaaaaaa. ok sorry. won't do it again.

Well, at least we're half way through. Just finished the musculoskeletal exam, yes..THE musculoskeletal exam, the one and only. the most 'beloved' subject of them all, reason? This is when you fill whatever brain cells you still have in the brain with details of what's inside your arm, your hand, your legs. a lot of memorizing for this. Cram everything inside the brain. (Screams again) Oh ya Allah, forgive me when I whine...

But honestly, I think I do enjoy learning these subjects, apart from the needing-to-memorize every-single-thing part. It is really, seriously amazing, how the body is being made into what we see today. Underneath the skin, there are so many structures and details that may be small, but has so much importance to the whole system. And it's really fascinating that each of our movements..in the arms, fingers etc has its very own individual system, eg to flex or to extend etc. But most of us tend to take these for granted, we never take some time to actually think of these wonders, and to be grateful for these little things. And to think of how great the Creator is for all of these? No man can ever do this, can we? It just shows how small we are compared to Him. So have you or me, take some time today to reflect on all this, to do some muhasabah? Are we grateful servants or are we taking all these for granted?

"Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you deny?" --ArRahman

2 more written papers and 1 OSCPE to go. It is only in Allah that I pray that I will be given strength to go on, pray to Him to let me excel in these. Do make prayers for me and for the rest of leicesterians.... caiyok!!

birthday birthday

2007-05-27T12:20:00.001Z

Salam...
hoho..i've turned 21 today... believe it or not, i am 21. that's like the legal age to do many things huh? many naughty things?? ekekke...kidding. well..i'm practically an adult now. I can even go out and vote now. cool huh?

the thing here is that when u get older, you're more expected to behave like one. you know, with increasing age comes maturity ..or at least it should be like that. So yeah, here i am, making a birthday resolution that i am SO going to be more matured than I am before.. (don't laugh ppl!) i'll try i'll try.

standing back and looking at myself being 21, how can I NOT be thankful to God ..because it is only with His will that I'm still alive and kicking (as put by a friend of mine) today? The air that I breath and the many wonders that I have at the moment is only due to Him. And of course, I thank my parents too bcause without them, I am just a nobody. Part ( a big part even) of me today definitely was nurtured with love that come from the 2 of them...

Thank u to all who gives their wishes to me.. can't express how much I appreciated them all. If only I can repay all of you, maybe I can't but I'll make doa for each and everyone of you to be successful in life and the hereafter....

Lastly, exams are coming up. In erm 2 days! Ya Allah give me strength to do the exam well, to excel, so that I can go home this summer!! I'll try my best insyaAllah.... pls also pray for me yer...

car-booting

2007-05-06T17:22:00.000Z

A pink lamp table, 75 p.
A cute purple-pink picture frame, a few pence.
2 wall framed-pictures, a few other pences.
A classic English table clock--50 p!
A fury, cute storage bin... a few pence as well.
A gold-rimmed English tea-set,1 pound.
A 'Cool Facts of Human Body' book,hard-cover, 20 p.
A brown-cream jacket, 30 p.
Soft toy,ehem, toyS actually, 30 p.
A pair of football hand-gloves, FREE (but of no use to me. siapa nak?)
3 magnetic photo frames,50 p.

All that for less than 7 pounds. Not bad, eh?

Oh, I love car-boots.
Makes me happy every time. ;)

baby steps: hello life

2007-05-05T23:53:00.000Z

1 langkah.
2 langkah.
3 langkah.

3 baby steps.
(Not a baby though.)
Perjalanan bakal bermula.
Every journey begins with a first step, kan?

Make that first step a strong one, a confident one.
The world outside? They say, it's not a bed of roses.
Definitely not.
Banyak ranjau sepanjang jalan (mode : IB Malay A1).

I say...yeah, what's life without its spices?
Me: Taking these lil' baby steps, trying to peek a look at the real world outside.
Seems frightening at times, but there's no use running away from reality.
So many things to learn.
So many more to experience.

So, help me find my way around.
Can't make it on my own.
Can't do it right without others to help.
Because I'm only human.
And isn't sharing equals to caring? ;)

And it is the truth that I seek for.
And I thank Allah I have Him for that. =)

Dengan itu, blog ini secara rasminya dibuka~~~~ [applause2]

2007-04-22T22:23:00.001Z

hye