Tuesday, August 27, 2013

We Will Soon Come to Know.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious and Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah and Allah only.

From Allah we came, to Allah we return. 

On Friday the 16th, I was informed with the news of the returning of a friend to our rightly Owner, our Creator. Allah Al A'zeez. For a moment I was numb and speechless. I didn't know how to react. I double confirmed with my friend was it really the person that I had in mind. And it was true. Allahuakbar. 

Allahyarhamah Nadia Zahari. 

We weren't really that close but I had the chance to know her, and to me now that she's no longer in this dunya, made me appreciate the opportunity to have known such a wonderful person. 

I first met her at PASUM. Her room was next to mine. My first impression; a bubbly girl she was.

I then met her again on my best friend's engagement day last year. She was the photographer commemorating that special day. We had a little chit chat and took photos together. Added each other on Facebook and admiring her from then on. 

The last time I saw her was on my friend's wedding day in February, and had a little catching up on her wedding preparation. Nadia was engaged to be married in October. But Allah's plan and love for her were greater.   

She was a daie, spreading Islamic knowledge through her profound talent in photography and graphic design, and not to mention through her personality as well. She set up a Facebook page called Jom Solat, reaching out to people to better understand the meaning of our readings in Solah. 

Those who knew her well including those who admire her from afar would definitely say she's a very bright and kind lady. 

Her sudden departure leaves us with endless questions that we might not even had the time to think of before. Made us realise how short our time is in this dunya, how we can never escape the angel of death Izrael when his and our Lord says its time, how did we spend our time that was given by Allah s.w.t., and the most heart gripping question, are we prepared to meet Him? :( 


"Every soul shall taste of death, and you shall only be paid fully your reward on the resurrection day; then whoever is removed far away from the fire and is made to enter the garden he indeed has attained the object; and the life of this world is nothing but a provision of vanities" Ali 'Imran (3:185)

Though sadness veils us, we truly believe and asked Allah s.w.t. to place her soul in a better home than in this dunya, a better rank with the saliheen, in a more peaceful valley only for the mu'mineen, Jannatul Firdaus. Ameen Ya Rabb.   

Alhamdulillah, allahyarhamah has left us with legacy of love, ilm, and act of kindness that will remain in the hearts of the people. The one thing that we should strive for. The purpose of our life. Should we not follow? 

Al-Fatihah.  
    

Sunday, August 18, 2013

The Trip of The Soul.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious and Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah and Allah only.

When I was a kid, I have always wondered what is it like to perform the tawaf or circumambulating the Kaabah. Heard stories from grandma, uncles and aunties but I couldn't imagine myself in that position. Read a lot of peoples' experiences too in magazines, and most of them would be telling about how they couldn't see the Kaabah, or how they got lost in the Masjidil Haram etc. and this happened due to the sins they did in the past. I too then became anxious and worried. Will I be able to see Kaabah when I set foot in front of it? 

This question lingered in my mind frequently when my father came home one day and told us that we will be going for Umrah or the lesser pilgrimage. Allahuakbar. The feelings were of a mixed one. Happy and excited, because I can finally perform Umrah, moved and affected because Wallahi I realised that this is the call of Allah s.w.t. and my family & I are about to become His guests in Haram. But I was scared too. Anxious to bits. What if I passed out when my feet touches Haram? What if I can't see the Kaabah? What if? WHAT IFS? 

All of these WHAT IFS were negative thoughts that need to be burned with the thoughts of how much Mercy Allah s.w.t. has for His slaves. Tawbah. Yes. Before one sets for an umrah or hajj, one has to prepare one's self for this journey. It is a journey of the soul, so the soul must be purified.

Habib Ali Zainal Abidin told us that to perform the Umrah means bringing one's heart, purified, for Allah's sake. 

So I took the steps little by little.

And eventually my worries subsided. Alhamdulillah :')

Put your utmost faith in Allah s.w.t. He will not let you down. That's the lesson I've gained throughout this process.

InsyaAllah, I'll continue sharing my heartfelt Umrah experience soon.