Hadith 2: Islam, Iman and Ihsan

 السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh 

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم

A'udhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Bismillahir rahmanir rahim

So, today, I will be writing about the second hadith from the Nawawi collection.

عَنْ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَيْضًا قَالَ: " بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ جُلُوسٌ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ، إذْ طَلَعَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ شَدِيدُ بَيَاضِ الثِّيَابِ، شَدِيدُ سَوَادِ الشَّعْرِ، لَا يُرَى عَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ السَّفَرِ، وَلَا يَعْرِفُهُ مِنَّا أَحَدٌ. حَتَّى جَلَسَ إلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و سلم . فَأَسْنَدَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ إلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ، وَوَضَعَ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى فَخْذَيْهِ، 

وَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِسْلَامِ. 

فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم الْإِسْلَامُ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَتُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةَ، وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ، وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ، وَتَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ إنْ اسْتَطَعْت إلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا. 

قَالَ: صَدَقْت . فَعَجِبْنَا لَهُ يَسْأَلُهُ وَيُصَدِّقُهُ!

قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِيمَانِ. 

قَالَ: أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاَللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ.

قَالَ: صَدَقْت. قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِحْسَانِ. 

قَالَ: أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّك تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاك. 

قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ السَّاعَةِ. قَالَ: مَا الْمَسْئُولُ عَنْهَا بِأَعْلَمَ مِنْ السَّائِلِ. 

قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ أَمَارَاتِهَا؟ قَالَ: أَنْ تَلِدَ الْأَمَةُ رَبَّتَهَا، وَأَنْ تَرَى الْحُفَاةَ الْعُرَاةَ الْعَالَةَ رِعَاءَ الشَّاءِ يَتَطَاوَلُونَ فِي الْبُنْيَانِ. ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ، فَلَبِثْنَا مَلِيًّا، 

ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا عُمَرُ أَتَدْرِي مَنْ السَّائِلُ؟. 

‫‬قُلْتُ: اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ. 

قَالَ: فَإِنَّهُ جِبْرِيلُ أَتَاكُمْ يُعَلِّمُكُمْ دِينَكُمْ ". رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ [رقم:8].

A’n Omar radi Allah a’anho qal “bainama nahn jloos i’end rassol Alla (saw) dhat yaom, idh talaa’ a’alina rajolon shadeed bayad altheab, shadeed sawad al shaa’r, la yora a’alaih atharo assafar, w la yaa’rifoho minna ahad. Hatta jalasa ila annabee (saw). Fasnada rokbataeh ila rokbataeh w wadaa’ kaffaih ala fakhidaeeh, w qal: ya Mohammad akbernee a’an alislam, fqal: rasool Allah (saw), an tashhada ana la illah illa allah w an Mohammadan rasool Allah, w toqeem alsalah, w tootee alzakah, w tasoom Ramadan, w tahij albeit in istata’at ilaih sabela. Qal: sadaqt. Faa’ajebna laho yasaloho w yosaddeq. Qal: fakhbernee a’an alieeman. Qal: an toomen ba Allah w malaeekateh w kotebeh w rosoleh w alyaoom al akher khaireh w sharrih. Qal: sadaqt. Qaal fakhbernee an alihsan. Qal an taa’bod Allah kaanak trah fien lam takon tarah fienah yrak. Qal: fakhbernee a’n alsaa’ah. Qal: ma almasool a’anha biaa’lam men alsaiel. Qal: fakhbernee a’an amarateha? Qal: an talida alaamah rabbataha, w an tra alhofat alo’rat ala’alah roa’a alshai ytatawaloon albonyan. Thom intalaq. Falabethna Malian. Thom qal: ya Omar atadree man alsaeel? Qolt allah w rasooloh aa’lam. Qal: faenaho jebreel atakom yo’alemakom denakom.” Rawah Muslim

"While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him. He sat down close by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, rested his knee against his thighs, and said, O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam." Said the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, "Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity save Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, that you should perform salah(ritual prayer), pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it)." Said he (the man), "You have spoken truly." We were astonished at his thus questioning him and telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, "Inform me about iman (faith)." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, "It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects." He said, "You have spoken truly." Then he (the man) said, "Inform me about Ihsan." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, " It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you." He said, "Inform me about the Hour." He (the Messenger of Allah) said, "About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner." So he said, "Well, inform me about the signs thereof (i.e. of its coming)." Said he, "They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings." Thereupon the man went off. I waited a while, and then he (the Messenger of Allah) said, "O 'Umar, do you know who that questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion." [Muslim]

Basically, while Muhammad saw was giving a sermon, a man with very black hair and very white clothes came and sat in front of Muhammad and started asking a bunch of questions. Here, normally when someone asks a question, it means that the person doesn't know the answer, but this stranger actually affirms the Prophet's saw answers, like a teacher affirming the answer of a student. Aside from the peculiar manner of the interaction between this stranger and Muhammad saw, was also the strangers appearance. He appeared clean and tidy, not exactly how someone would look like if he'd been on a journey. People then didn't have cars or trains, so when travelling, they'll be on camels, or walking and you'd NOTICE that a person has been traveling; dust in the hair, unwashed body, dust and stained clothes. But this stranger was clean and groomed. 

Why would we say he was on a journey? Because no one gathered there knew who this stranger was. Now, society in those days were completely different than ours today. Everyone knew everyone living in the same village and most likely knew each others business as well. So, since no one even knew this stranger, then definitely, he's not from around there. 

Why is this hadith important? Because it summarizes the essence and practices of a Muslim. Like the al-Fatihah is the mother of the al-Quran as it summarizes what Islam is, this hadith is the mother of the sunnah.

While the first hadith (concerning the deeds of a person) is the theory of a Muslim's life, the second hadith is the practicals of a Muslim's life, and as we will see later, the third hadith is the application of Islam in a Muslim's life. As medical students, we sit in class learning the theories, like how to perform and IV injection (1st hadith). Then we do actually do hold a syringe and practice on either a dummy or a live patient (in some cases, on each other) (2nd hadith). They in our last few years of medical school, we learn when to actually use IV injections as not all drugs are required as IV administration in all cases. If you want fast result then of course IV, if not necessary, then other ways such as IM, PO, PR (3rd hadith) 

The important thing in this hadith is the conversation between the stranger and Muhammad saw. 

The first question

What is Islam? Here, the answer enumerates the 5 pillars of Islam:

• Shahadah (الشهادة)
• Solat ( صلاة)
• Zakat (زكاة)
• Fasting during Ramadan (تَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ)
• Hajj (حج)

The shahadah is the first step to being a Muslim, and it is something that a Muslim takes to the grave. It is bearing witness to everyone and everything in this world that Allah is the one and only God, and that Muhammad saw is the messenger of Allah.

أشهد أن لا إله إلاَّ الله و أشهد أن محمد رسول الله 
Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illallah, Wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah

I bear witness that there is no God, except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.

Solat or salah is the prayers a Muslim performs everyday. Here, remember that there are many different prayers for different purposes. Basically, it can be divided into two types: fard prayers, and sunnah prayers. Sunnah prayers are not compulsory, but encouraged; prayers when seeking Allah's swt help: sunnah hajat, sunnah istikharah, sunnah syukur, etc.

In the context of the hadith, Muhammad was talking about the fard prayers; the compulsory 5 prayers a day: al-fajr, al-zuhur, al-asar, al-mahgrib, and al-ishak.

Next is the zakat. Zakat is the fraction of a Muslim's earnings that has to be given to the community. There is usually a central collection (such as a bank) to which the zakat can be paid. The money collected is then distributed all around to those who requires it. Zakat is compulsory for a Muslim who is earning money. So, when I start work, I have to start paying zakat. It does not amount to much, as it is about 2.5% of my paycheck.

Fasting during ramadan. There are 12 months to a year, and 4 of those months are Holy. Ramadhan, is one of the 4 holy months in the Islamic calender. All Muslims after the age of puberty is required to fast during this Holy month. It is a time to cleanse and purity ones soul, with sacrifice of the body and its desires and the giving of sadaqa (charity). It is where, for a full month, a Muslim wakes up to take sahoor (eating before al-fajr) and breaking ones fast with iftar (eating after al-mahgrib).

The last pillar of Islam is Hajj. The 3 most holiest places in Islam is Mecca, Madinah and the al-Aqsa mosque which is located in occupied Palestine. During the time of Hajj, Muslims flock from all over the world to do pilgrimage in Mecca, where they stand before the Ka'aba which Ibrahim built. Hajj is compulsory to those who are able-bodied and who can afford.






The second question:
What is Iman? Iman in the layman's term means faith; complete faith. The answer given enumerates the six pillars of Iman.

1. faith in Allah
• Complete faith that Allah is the only God, that He is the all-knowing, the Almighty, etc
2. faith in the existence of angels
• Complete faith that Allah's servents (the angels) are there doing His biding. They do not disobey or question Allah's commands. They were made from light, and have no characteristics of a man or woman and do not procreate. No one knows how many angels there are except Allah. To name a few:
• Jibril, who served as a messenger between Allah and Muhammad (and the stranger in this hadith)
• Ridwan, who is responsible for Jannah (heaven)
• U'zrail, the angel of death, who took mud from earth when Allah created Adam
• Israfil, who is responsible for blowing the horn, signalling the coming of Qiyamah (Judgement day)
• Mikail, who provides nourishment for bodies and souls, responsible for bringing rain and thunder to Earth, responsible to dole out rewards to good persons in life
• Alkeram Alkatebeen, who records everything we say and do, sitting on our right and left shoulders, to whom Muslims give salam after salah. 
• Munkar and Nakir, who will ask 3 questions when we enter the grave (who is your God, what is your religion, who is your prophet)
• Malik, who is the care taker of fires of Hell
3. faith in the books of Allah
• In Islam, we recognize 4 books; the Torah (given to Musa/Moses), the Zaboor (given to Daud/David), the Injil (given to Issa/Jesus) and the al-Quran (given to Muhammad saw). Of course, the only book that we now follow is the al-Quran, as the authentic Torah, Zaboor and Injil no longer exist.        
4. faith in the prophets of Allah
• Complete faith to those whom Allah have selected to bring the word of Allah and the teachings of Islam to humankind, starting all the way from the first, Prophet Adam alaihi alsalatu wassallam till the last, Prophet Muhammad saw. 
5. faith in Qiyammah (Judgement Day)
• Belief that there is a Judgement day awaiting us, a day which will fall upon us whether we want to or not. Everyone, believers and non-believers from the beginning of time till the end of days, will be brought back to life and stand trial in front of Allah for all their deeds, bad and good. 
6. faith in Fate (Qadr)
• Complete faith that whatever happens, bad or good, according to our liking or not comes from Allah, and is the best for us, as Allah is all knowing (al-Alim)

Islam and Iman must coincide with each other, for without faith, religion becomes empty; without Iman, the 5 pillars of Islam becomes nothing but a burden and empty gestures; without Islam, then a person becomes empty of Iman as the practices of religion strengthens and builds a persons faith. 

The third question:

What is Ihsan? Ihsan here speaks about the heart; sincerity and commitment. Everything a Muslim does, pray, eat, sleep, do Hajj, etc should be done with sincerity and commitment, as though you can see Allah in front of you. If a Muslim cannot reach that level of Ihsan, then at least he/she should remember that Allah sees everything he/she does. Religion is not something to be done one day, and left the next and picked up again later. It is a commitment for life. There is no divorcing yourself from Islam. 

This is a tale of a devout Muslim

When Hatim al Asamm was asked about his prayer, he said, "When it is near the time of prayer, I perform a perfect Wudu, and go to where I am going to pray and sit down there until I become fully attentive to what I am about to do. I then stand up and pray, imagining that the Ka'ba is in front of my eyes, Jannah to my right, Hellfire to my left and the Angel of Death behind me. I imagine that it is the last prayer I am about to perform, stand up in hope (in Allah, His Jannah and rewards) and fear (from Allah's torment in Hellfire) an recite the Takbir while having full attention. I recite the Quran calmly, make Ruku' humbly, go into Sujud with Khushu. I then sit on my left leg, with the left foot laid on the floor and the right foot raised up, all the while praying with sincerity. Afterwards, I do not know (nor feel certain) if that prayer was accepted from me!

The fourth question:

What are the sign of the Qiyammah?

Muhammad saw answered, 'the one who is asked does not know anymore than the one who is asking'. It is true. No one knows when Judgement day will come. No one knows when the Dajjal will come. No one knows the second coming of Issa alaihi alsalatu wassallam. No one knows when the world will come to an end. It can come tomorrow, it can come in a month, a year, a decade, a century... 

But one thing, we know is that we are living in the times approaching the end. Some signs stated in this hadith are:

1. the destruction of morality
• 'when the slave girl gives birth to her mistress', means to show that children no longer respect nor care for their parents and they treat their parents like their slaves. We see many children now talking back to their parents, disobeying them, ill-treating them. 
2. destruction of government
• 'when the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings', means to show that government are not given to the right or qualified people. The government of Islam, that was in the time of the khalifa's is no longer seen today. Take the Emirates; they were initially bedouins, nomads moving here and there with camels and their tents, living on trade, nomadic agriculture and herding. But because of the discovery of oil they are now rich, very rich. 'raising lofty buildings': Dubai is building taller, more luxurious buildings to promote themselves. Rich people now pay for power, if you have money, you have power, but how many of them are qualified to hold power? 

With the collapse of the khalifa system, due to Muslims ourselves, we are now in the dark ages. Luckily, most still uphold the practices of Islam, though not enough to rebuild an Islamic government, these few are the building blocks. Everything up high, must start from the bottom. So, we start with individual Muslims who are true to Islam, and build our way up, from family, to community, to town, to city, to state, to country, and so forth. So, our beacon of hope, we look now to Egypt. If Egypt holds strong, then others will follow. 

That is all, for this hadith, as it has been a long winded explanation. Stay tuned for hadith number 3... whenever I get the inspiration to write again, inshaAllah, it will be soon. 

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh 

(السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته)

Hadith 1: Deeds are only rewarded according to their intentions

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh (السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته)

So many things to talk about and so many things to tell, but as always, things proceed in small steps.

I have added into my archive of knowledge many new information that I have learned since the post about surah Al-Fatihah... but as always, I procrastinate when it comes to actually writing it... yes, yes, I'm lazy at many things and I'm a pro at procrastination. hehehe... what can I say? :P

Aheem... aheem... testing 1, 2, 3...

A'udhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim (أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم). 
Bismillahir rahmanir rahim (بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم)






Before I start, let me explain those two sentences. The first: A'udhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim means 'I seek shelter in Allah from the rejected Satan'. Muslims especially say this before the Bismillah when reading the Quran or before doing something, to be protected from the disturbances of Satan.

The second: Bismillahir rahmanir rahim means 'In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful'. Muslims say this before we do anything as we SHOULD do everything good in the name of Allah.

OK!!!! Lets start!!

Today I will be writing about a hadith I just learned today. I've learned quite a few hadith but I never actually remember which, just the content.

Let's start with a definition and of course an introduction.

What is the hadith? What role does it play in the lives of Muslims?

In Islam we have 3 things to guide us: first and foremost is of course the Al-Quran; then it is the hadith and the sunnah.

The Al-Quran is the words of Allah brought to us through Prophet Muhammad and later compiled into a book. Here, bare in mind that the whole Quran did not fall from the sky, instead it was given in bits and pieces. The first verse or ayath in the Quran is NOT the first ayath that Allah gave Prophet Muhammad saw. The first revelation from Allah to the Prophet is actually 5 ayath and can be found in surah Al-Alaq which for those who do not own a Quran, it is the 96th surah. To say that the Quran is compiled from the longest to the shortest surah like most will claim, is also not accurate. If you actually open the Quran and pay attention to the number of ayath in each surah, you can see that it varies. The first surah, Al-Fatihah has only 7 ayath, the next Al-Baqarah is 286, the following surahs has less and less ayath but when it comes to the 6th surah, Al-An'am, the ayath went from 120 in the 5th surah (Al-Mai'dah) to 165. So, this claim is not concrete.

The Hadith is the teachings of Prophet Muhammad saw. It is in his own words memorised by those who heard him and later on, recorded on ink and papyrus. Now, here most will say, but how do we know if they are true? Well, like the Al-Quran, the hadith was not recorded in black and white till much later and like the Quran, it was memorised. People who memorise the Quran and Hadith are not just any ordinary people and not just 1 or 2 but a number of them and these are people strong in faith and pure in actions. If one who has memorised makes a sin, he is disqualified. So that ensures the authenticity of what is memorised. And of course, they have to check with each other... not all 10 people can be wrong at the same time and at the same place. For the Hadith, you can check the authenticity as at the beginning of the hadith, it is stated who memorised the hadith and those before him, and those before him.

Eg: It is narrated on the authority of Amer, Mohammad, Issa, and Hassan, that the Messenger of Allah ( peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ................
So the one to hear the Prophet utter the words was Hassan, who memorised it and passed it to Issa, who then passed it to Mohammad, and then to Amer who was the last to memorise those words of the Prophet before it was documented on paper. 

The sunnah is everything that the Prophet Muhammad did. To eat using the right hand, to wash the ears when taking Wudu (Ablution), etc... It is something that when performed, you receive hasanah from Allah, but if neglected, no harm will happen. In short, it is not something compulsory but something encouraged.

Now back to the Hadith....

Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi was a Sunni scholar who collected and compiled the hadtih into one book. Here, bear in mind that there are many many hadiths, some not fully authenticated and some fully authenticated. So he sifted through all these hadiths, did his research for authentication and then selected those he found most important for everyday Muslims to learn. So, he compiled 40 hadiths as the basics for all Muslims.

I will explain the first... since that's the one I learned so far... hehehe

عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَبِي حَفْصٍ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْت رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: " إنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ لِدُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوْ امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكِحُهَا فَهِجْرَتُهُ إلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إلَيْهِ". 

رَوَاهُ إِمَامَا الْمُحَدِّثِينَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ مُحَمَّدُ بنُ إِسْمَاعِيل بن إِبْرَاهِيم بن الْمُغِيرَة بن بَرْدِزبَه الْبُخَارِيُّ الْجُعْفِيُّ [رقم:1]، وَأَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ مُسْلِمٌ بنُ الْحَجَّاج بن مُسْلِم الْقُشَيْرِيُّ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ [رقم:1907] رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا فِي "صَحِيحَيْهِمَا" اللذِينِ هُمَا أَصَحُّ الْكُتُبِ الْمُصَنَّفَةِ


An ameer almomineen radi Allah anoh qal : same’t rasool allah salla Allah aleeh w sallam yqool:

“ innama al-a'mal bi-l-niyyat, w innma lkol imre’n ma nawa , fman kanat hejratoh ela Allah w rasoleh fhejratoh ela Allah w rasooleh, w man kanat hejratoh ledonya yoseeboha aw imra’tn  ynkehoha fhejratoh ela ma hajar eleeh”
  
Rawah Imama almohaditheen Abu Abdullah Mohammad Bin Ismail Bin Ibrahim Bin Almoghirah Albokhari, w Abu Alhusain Muslim Bin Al-hajaj Bin Muslim Al-qorashi Al-nesabory {no:1907} radi Allah a’nhoma fi “sahihema” Aldheen homa asah alkotob almosannafah.

Which translates to:

It is narrated on the authority of Amirul Mu'minin, Abu Hafs 'Umar bin al-Khattab, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: 

I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, say: "Actions are (judged) by motives (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration (hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

What's the explanation? It is as it is written in the hadith. All our actions shall be judged according to our motives. A big action which will be rewarded many hasanah may be lessened due to misplaced motives and vice versa. 

Eg:

A man donates 1 million USD to a good will charity. That is something Allah will reward with many hasanah. But unfortunately, this man only did it for press attention or a title. Due to his misplaced motives, his many hasanah for examply 100 may be reduced to 1. Since his motives were not to glorify Allah but himself, then the reward is small or it can even be nothing at all. 

A poor man with only RM10 to live on, and donates RM3 to charity, and a rich man donating RM1000. Both having good intentions, but who will receive more grace from Allah? The poor man. With great wealth and power, come greater duty and responsibility. If you donate very little of what you have be it time, money, etc, then your hasanah is less, or when standing trial in front of Allah, those hasanah may be nullified. Why? Because in term of money, by donating or giving back so little to the community, you are hording your wealth. Why? Most likely, you are chasing worldly goods. 

If you chase the riches of the world, or a man, or a woman, then by Allah's grace you will achieve them, but all that will not help you on Judgement day. So, as the hadith adviced, as you chase your worldly riches, chase it with sincere and good intentions, with motives directed to Allah. In THIS way you attain BOTH your worldly riches (InshaAllah) and you have paved your way to Jannah (Heaven). Now, isn't that a better deal? 2 for the price of 1.

This is the first hadith as it is the essential core of our actions as Muslims. If every Muslim practices this hadith, then inshaAllah, it'll be a better place in this world.

That is all for today... Signing off...

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh (السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته)

Al-Fatihah, the mother of all surahs

So, in Islam, before we read the al-Quran, or before we say a doa, it is always better to recite the al-Fatihah first... it is known as the opening surah, or to some, the mother of all surahs.

The al-Fatihah, consists of 7 ayath, or sentences, and everything in and about the al-Quran is condensed into this 7 ayath. So, if you understand surah al-Fatihah, you will have a summary and general idea of what the al-Quran teaches and what Islam is all about. 

So what does this surah say? Well, lets see:

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيم
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious
Dengan nama Allah, Yang Maha Pengasih, Maha Penyayang

In the name of Allah: everything we say, and everything we do, we do them in the name of Allah. So if I read the Quran, or make a doa, I do it in the name of Allah. 

As we all know, Allah has 99 names, and among those many names, 2 of which are ar-Rahman (Most merciful/Maha Pengasih) and ar-Rahim (Most Gracious/Maha Penyayang). So, what does Ar-Rahman mean? Well, being the Most Merciful, Allah loves all men on earth. He provides everyone with everything they need to live. You need oxygen to breathe, so Allah provides oxygen for everyone. Everyone has a fair share of it. 

Now, what does Ar-Rahim mean? Well, Allah may care for everyone, being the provider of every living soul on earth, He especially loves Muslim, His people; men who obey His teachings and who only worship Him. 


 الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinn, and all that exists)
Segala puji bagi Allah, Tuhan seluruh alam

In the Muslim society, when we give a praise or thank a person, that praise and that thanks belongs not to the person it was directed to, but it belongs to Allah. I tell a girl, that she is beautiful, and while that praise is directed at her, the person who deserves the praise is Allah, as He is the one who made her beautiful. So, when receiving a praise, a Muslim should say 'Alhamdulillah' which means, thanks be to Allah, returning the praise to Allah. 

As, all Muslims believe, Allah is the God of all that exists in this world, the natural or the super-natural. So everything on this earth belongs to Allah. 


الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
The Most Merciful, the Most Gracious
Yang Maha Pengasih dan Maha Penyayang

Again it is repeated for emphasis. Allah's trying to pound this into our stony stubborn little heads


مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
Master of the Day of Judgement 
Pemilik hari pembalasan

As Muslim, one should always believe in the existence of Judgement day, when the whole world ceases to exist, and the dead rises from the grave. And who own the Day of Judgement? Allah! So, on that day, where the sun is so near it's just a few inches above your head, which means it's REALLY hot, everyone who walked on earth will be judged according to their conduct on earth. That is why, it is called Judgement day. So every single little, minute, atomic good deed or sin a person did on earth shall be either rewarded or punished for. 


إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ 
You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)
Hanya kepada Engkaulah kami menyembah dan hanya kepada Engkaulah kami mohon pertolongan

To be a Muslim, before even knowing how to do solat, a Muslim knows this sentence 'la ilaha illAllah' which means 'there is not God but Allah'. So, if one believes that there is no God but Allah, then it is naturally, only to Allah one worships and turns to for help. Of course, one may ask another for help, but the willingness to help comes from Allah, as He moves a persons heart to help. 


اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
Guide us to the right path
Tunjukilah kami jalan yang lurus

All human want guidance and if a person believes in religion, he wants to be in the right religion. So to each their own, yes, but for Muslim we believe that Islam is the right religion. So we pray, to Allah, to guide and keep us on that right path. 


صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا الضَّالِّينَ 
The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favour, not of those who have evoked (Your) anger or of those who are astray
(yaitu) jalan orang-orang yang telah Engkau beri nikmat kepadanya; bukan (jalan) mereka yang dimurkai, dah bukan (pula jalan) mereka yang sesat

Here, we, Muslims, pray that we are kept in the path of those what have earned Allah's favours (prophets, true followers of the prophets), kept away from the path of those who have angered Allah or those who are lost. Some sheikhs have the opinion that the people who have angered Allah are the Jews as Islam was brought to them and Allah helped them many times, but they still refused to believe in Allah. While, of those who are lost refer to the Christians as they believed in Issa (Jesus) and followed his teachings (which was Islam) but only to change it with the course of time. 


So.... this is the meaning of surah Al-Fatihah... from MY understanding. Caution for my readers (if there actually are any) that I am not a professor in Islam, but just someone who learns a little here and there about her new religion. So, this is what I understood, and it is only the surface. To fully understand this surah, will take basically a very long time and should be explained by a certified sheikh or professor in Islam. 

My explanation here, is just in layman's term. 

Praise be to Allah, and have a nice day!  

Her love story...

He asked for a story, but a story she cannot tell for she does not know where to begin, and she does not know how it ends.

It started slow, this love story of hers, with his sweet words and his sincerity; with looks of adoration shining in his eyes when he sees her; with the smile upon his face every time they meet.

He stole her heart and she should charge him for theft, but alas, she gave it to him to keep.

Her love story is of a man who came without notice, with the force of a hurricane, but also with the tenderness of a soft breeze. A man who seemed to be tailored according to her prayers. 

A man who said he would protect her, care for her, and love her should she be his. His is not a game and neither is hers.

Being with him, means she can have the life she have always dreamed of; being with him, means she can have the husband she have always wanted; being with him, means she can have the happiness she have always hoped for; being with him, most of all, means she can be true and grow in the religion she chose.

He may not realise it nor know it, but he is the one who can break the chains that hold her; he is the one who can let her fly unrestrained; he is the one who can allow her to laugh, cry, hope and love freely and he is the one who can help her not loose her way in her religion.

She opened her heart to him, and laid it bare, without secrets in all its innocence. With all her hopes and dreams, she have given him her heart

Her doa’s are filled with pleas to Allah to unite them. Every word of the Holy Quran that she utters, she hopes not for hasanah but instead, she hopes for Allah to hear the pleas of her longing heart.

She places so much on him and have attached so much to him. So much so, that she begins to wonder…

Should she continue to love him…?

Or should she sever ties and leave…?

To close what she has opened and to reclaim what she has given.

With all these, she is afraid. Afraid that if she loves him with everything she has, she stands to loose everything should they not be together. But she does not know if she can love any other way.

She feels so much when she is with him. So much that she cannot say, so much that she is afraid to acknowledge them. So she hides behind a smile, she hides behind a laugh, she hides behind tears, and she hides behind her silence. Once acknowledged, they cannot be buried back. They stand to either free her or chain her.

She walks on a razor’s edge and what holds her up is him. So long as their future remains unclear, she holds back. Waiting for the worse to happen but hoping for the best with every fibre in her being; waiting for him to say the words that will either save her or break her fragile heart.

Hers is a love story of innocence, immense love, hopeful dreams, fear, doubts and religion. She does not know how her story ends, and she is afraid… afraid that she has loved too much, too soon. But her heart doesn’t listen to her head; her heart loves on its own.

Is she wrong to love him? Is she wrong to hope?

She asks silently for him to forgive her for her inability to express her feelings and to forgive her for placing so much on his shoulders, but this is how much he means to her; how she hold on to him like a life line. So complicated are her feelings… she wonders if he can understand her…

Walking on water

I am scared...

Scared of my past, scared of my present, and scared of my future...

When I think that I have buried the past, that I am resolved with my past, it comes back to haunt me again, and all over again, I have to re-bury them and come to terms with them again. It's like a repeating cycle. Over and over and over again. It comes, it subsides, it sleeps... only to come back again after a trigger. Each time they return, a part of me hurt even more... another wound to pile upon others.

Will forgiveness never come for me? Maybe some battles are not worth the fight.


Standing on a platform that is my stage, I perform my very best. I follow a script, written out by those around me. I improvise whenever I can. I morph from one character to another, at the whimsy of my emotions. I blossom, I wilt, and I spring anew. I fear I put too much into things, into people; I fear I am snuffed before I am ready. I fear of loosing those near to me. I fear if the choices I make today are the right ones.

Will serenity not be mine to claim? Despite my uncertainties, my dislikes, the show much still go on.


Looking at people surrounding me, I fear what the future holds for me. I have too many things at stake. I fear I lose the one I love. I fear that I will not live up to the expectations of family. I fear the responsibilities and difficulties of work.

Will complete surrender never be achieved? Whatever happens, I have to walk on water.


I want a clean slate to start again. I wish to sing a new song.

Just 1 more year to wait. Then my life is my own. Where will I go? Will I sink, or will I walk on water? 

A letter to you, my love

Dearest Beloved,

How are you, my love? I pray that your day was a blessed one, filled with fruitful labour. If it was a difficult day, come and lie in my arms, my love. I will soothe your worries away, even if it is only for a moment. I will take your mind off your problems if only while you are with me. I will rub the tension away from your shoulders, that you may relax. Rest, my love.

Were you thinking of me? Are you wondering the same things as I do? How wonderful would it be if this letter could reach you, wherever you are.

My love, I miss you so much though we have never met. At times I long for you, for your arms to surround me and hold me tight, shielding me from the pains of this world, for as strong as I may be, I cannot brave this world alone without you near me ready to shield me when the pain is too much; to hear your heart beating strong and steady, providing a sense of calmness in its regularity; to feel the warmth and gentleness of a partner that seemed denied to me in this cold world. The soft whispers of your voice as you try to soothe my pain. Oh, how I long for your embrace, my love

My heart aches, that you are not here with me, it aches knowing that you are not here to wipe the tears away when they come, and come they shall, with heavy flows. For the solace found in a beloved arms, is denied to me while the pains of the world stand before me, armed and ready. When I write this letter, my heart is burdened. When I write this letter, I am in pain. I seek the comfort you would provide, but come up empty.

I wish you were here to hold me now, to put a bandage on my bleeding heart, to stop the longing and the search, to help heal the emotional scars. Oh my love, where are you? Do you not hear my pleas? Do you not feel my pain?

My love, I hope you find me soon, before I am lost in this world and within myself. I hope you find me soon, before I forget how to trust a man. I hope you find me soon, before I forget how to love. I hope you find me soon, while I still have love to give.

My love, I must take my leave from this dream of mine. Bounded by fate, guided by the red threads of destiny, may my love and this letter find their way to you

With love,
Your beloved

Jihad for Palestine

From the shadows, I shine;

From the ashes, I arise.

Jihad.

I will stand.

I will fight.

I will die.

Jihad...


Now, for you non-Muslim readers, please DO NOT freak out. haha... I'm sure you will misunderstand the term Jihad.

I am not calling for a Holy War. I am not a terrorist and nor do I support terrorist groups. But still, I call for Jihad.

Now, what do you all think when you hear the work Jihad being shouted out? You open the news and you see this Arab guy shouting 'JIHAD!!!!', well, actually he'll most likely be shouting 'Allahu Akhbar!!' but the idea is the same.

Jihad. That word, sad to say strikes fear in every heart of non-muslims, every heart that doesn't know the real meaning of it. You start to imagine guns being fired, rockets raining from above, bombs going off, etc when you hear the word Jihad.

Jihad in it's essential, means to struggle.

Look back at your own life, remove the idea of Islam and Muslim from the word Jihad, and you will find that YOUR own life is filled with it.

You struggled riding a bicycle for the first time. You struggled playing a Grade 6 piano piece or basketball. You struggled through countless exams. You struggled through breakups, friendships, and sibling rivalry. You struggled coming to terms with your faith.

You STRUGGLED. You did Jihad...

Yes, that is the essence of Jihad. To struggle. But to a Muslim, to ANY person with a strong sense of faith, you struggle not for yourself, but ultimately, the most rewarding struggle you will ever come face to face with, is the struggle for GOD!

If you study for exams and you do it for God, you have performed true Jihad.
If you struggle to read one page of the Quran or the Bible and you do it for God, you have performed true Jihad.
Everything that you do, which you do for God, you perform Jihad.


You struggled for God!.That's the important meaning of Jihad. It ain't the bombings, it ain't the gun fire, but to struggle. That's the innocence, and beauty of Jihad. That is why, during the Egyptian up-rising, or whatever protest muslims start, they shout Allahu Akhbar! Who can tell me what Allahu Akhbar means? It means 'Allah is the Greatest / or Allah is Great' it's an exclamation of faith. If I shout this during a demonstration, I am saying, I believe in Allah. I am here today for Allah. I struggle under the hot sun, risking the possibility of injury and imprisonment for Allah. I am saying, I am here, for Jihad!'


The final and ultimate thing you can do for God, is give your life for Him. You can choose to die for Him or in a less radical-sounding option, devote your life to Him.

In medicine, inshaAllah, I can devote my career to Him. Every life I save, every struggle I go through, every death I meet, I will try, and try, and try to remember, that I am in this for Allah.

In personal life, inshaAllah, every smile I have, every tear I cry, every emotion humanly possible to be felt, every deed I do, every regret I have, I will try, and try, and try to remember, that I am living for Allah.

This is my Jihad. This is my purpose.

I may not hold a M16, or fire a rocket, or even hear a missile strike its target, but I will do my Jihad for my brothers and sisters.

I will take a vow when I graduate. A vow to preserve life regardless of religion, race or nationality. If it is in the plans of Allah for me, I will honour this vow in Palestine. That is my Jihad, inshaAllah

If I will not serve in Palestine, then I will do my duty towards Palestine from wherever I am.

Why should I be bothered about Palestine? It is MILES away from where I sit.

It is because of religion? Yes
Is it because of community? Yes

I cannot deny, that my support for Palestine is due to Islam. Before I embraced Islam, I either did not care about the Palestine-Israel issue or see it as an Islamic propaganda against non-Muslims. Why couldn't they just share the land? Why couldn't the just assimilate into neighbouring countries?

Media is a funny thing. It shows you what it wants you to believe, not what is the truth. Media is based on the opinion of the people reporting the news. I have heard countless news of Palestinian attacks on Israel; how the Palestinians are trying to kick the Jews out of their land, etc. And sad to say, I believed all I heard. Never taking into account that maybe, just maybe what I'm watching is a one-sided story.

It took me years and embracing Islam to understand, that what I've been watching on the news all these time was complete prejudice.

To talk and discuss, to write about my opinion and the opinions of many concerning this issue will result in a long post. So I'll leave this to another day when inspiration strikes me to write again.

My Jihad is cemented. I will help Palestine in anyway I can, even if it is just a doa everyday.

Why am I so adamant on this Jihad of mine? Because my eyes are open.

As a Muslim, I cannot stand by and watch my brothers and sisters brutally killed and forcibly removed from their homes.

As a woman, I cannot tolerate women being abused and brutally raped by Israeli soldiers who drag them from their homes, raping them in front of their children and husbands, being paraded about town without a shred of clothing for any decency.

As a future wife, inshaAllah, I cannot bear to see husbands of my sisters die defending their land, their right, their heritage  and do nothing to help

As a future mother, inshaAllah, I cannot remain indifferent as innocent children, some still in their infancy, die and suffer at the hands of men who call themselves defenders of the Jews.

As a human being, the core of my origin, the form I was made into from dirt by Allah, as a PERSON blessed with a soul, a heart, and the ability to THINK, I cannot and WILL NOT stand aside as genocide is happening.

The world condemned Hitler and the Nazi's for their crime against the Jews.
The world condemned the segregation of 'Black Africans' by the 'White Africans' during the Apartheid
The world condemned Stalin for what he did to millions of Ukrainians
The world condemned Kim Jong-il for oppressing his own fellow country-men

But somehow, the world kept silent about the genocide going on in Palestine. YOU and I kept silent.

The blood of innocent men, women and children, killed in cold-blood, massacred, butchered, and the tears and sufferings of innocent people (human beings like you and I) are on OUR hands.

You and I may not have pulled the trigger of the M16, or launched a F-16 rocket, but the blood, the death, the destruction is on us. We have allowed this to go on far too long. We have fueled this war without knowing it by supporting brands which supply money to Israel.

In our silence, how many deaths have we caused? How many families have we destroyed? And how many lives will we have to account for when we meet our Creator?

Under all these causes, I have cemented my Jihad.

I will no longer keep silent and do nothing while genocide takes place. I am a Muslim, and I will go do Jihad.

I am a human being, and I must do Jihad for Palestine.

You can say it is not your fight because you are a Christian, because you are Hindu, because you are Buddist.
You can say it is not your fight because you are not Palestinian, because you are not Arab

Fine! Alright! These are your excuses. These are your reasons.

But then ask yourself, does your faith, whatever it may be, condone the killing of another human being? Do you complain when your house burns down, or if you are hungry, and someone who is not of your nationality or your race helps you? NO!

No religion on earth says yes to out-right murder. No religion on earth say yes to rape, massacre, and the killing of children. No one in their right mind can kill another human being much less an innocent, harmless child, or a pregnant woman in cold blood.

You do not care who gives you help when help in required.

So why, WHY should religion, nationality and race be a reason to turn a blind eye towards Palestine?

Ask yourself, look into the mirror, look at the person next to you, are we not all human beings?

You and I and the rest of the world are human beings. So, as humans, aren't crimes against humanity our business? Isn't THAT a good enough reason to stand up and fight?

If you do not uphold justice against crime against humanity, then you might as well not be called human. You might as well not be human.

In conclusion, yes, I will do my Jihad because I am a Muslim. But I MUST do my Jihad because I am a human being.

I end this post with a short documentary:

This is what you and I have been supporting all these while.

Imagine if they were your family instead. Imagine the children were your children, your siblings. Imagine that person injured or dead were your parents, your husband/boyfriend or yourself.

Take an initiative to understand this issue. You can wait for my post on this issue, but that will take time, or you could just open the internet, facebook. It's EVERYWHERE. Instead of watching WongFu production, or Ryan Higa on youtube... try typing Palestine documentary.