ALL FOR THE LOVE OF OUR PARENTS

I am forever in awe of people who are willing to leave everything behind and become care-givers to an ailing parent. Last year, Ood’s mum became seriously ill and needed hospitalisation. Coincidentally she was in the midst of changing pastures with regards to her job. She was supposed to report to work on the week that her mom was ill. But she did what a fine daughter would do: applied leave without even starting work yet, thus taking risks of being sacked, on the sole purpose of being with her ailing mom! She took along her baby and left the bigger child with her very supportive husband, and headed down south to JB. All these with the disconcerting knowledge that she might be in the danger of losing her new job!

How many of us can do that? Leave behind our family and job to make ourselves free and available for the two people who had brought us into this world and nurtured us at their very best? The two souls whom Allah swt. had commanded us to obey and respect unconditionally.

Thus when my dad decided to undergo an operation to remove his goitre, here, I knew I had a big task. Eventhough the operation was fairly safe with minimal risks, mentally I was preparing for other probable outcomes. What if?...I asked.

Alhamdulillah , the surgery was uneventful. Muhammad had the opportunity to stand next to an unconscioused bapak and witness the operation for a full three hours! Yes, the surgeon had quite a feat trying to dissect the fairly large thyroid mass which has spread posteriorly as well. The surgeon remarked, “Is your grandfather a stubborn man? This is definitely a stubborn lesion to excise!!”

Speaking on the same note, Sarah, my eldest, had taken care of me, excellently, when I underwent 2 major ops in August 2004, which was a week apart. Sarah was an angel. She patiently nursed me and entertained my whims and whines, as I was in sheer agony! “Sarah, picit kaki mak!”, I would wake her up. And obediently Sarah starts massaging my sore legs but only to nod off seconds later, :p. For this, I can’t thank her enough!

Bapak and Mak are both still at my place till the weekend. I know this is a precious moment where I have the 2 dearest people in my life, near me. I know Bapak is rather uneasy as he prefers the comforts and familiarity of his own abode. But nevertheless, I hope these last few days that they are here will be good and meaningful for us. Come Saturday, I have to drive them back to KL as bapak is still not fit to drive and mak has long abandoned long distant driving.

To OOD, I salute you and hereby name you ‘Anak Mithali Of This Decade’. To Sarah, thank you for your patience and May Allah swt award you with caring children too!

Nurelhuda posted an entry with this PDF file on our beloved Prophet Muhammad pbuh.

Thanks dear friend!

p.s. be patient as it takes sometime to download

FOR THE MOST BELOVED MAN THAT WALKED THE EARTH

This is the procession that passed by my house this morning.
An awesome sight to behold,
No decorated cars,
No beautifully clad marchers,
No loud bands,
A simple parade with a meaningful message,
Non-stop chants of salawat to Rasulullah s.a.w filed the air,
Sombre mood but full of love for the most beloved man that walked the earth.

I was drenched with mixed emotions,
Of deep love for the Prophet who loved his ummah,
Of awe for the people who made an effort to join the moving crowd,
Of shame for not able to join them,
Of confusion for those who labels such celebration as innovation.

Ya Rasulullah s.a.w., we love you!

A BIRTHDAY PRAYER FOR IKELAH

As you pass your 45th year,
To Allah you thank, His mercy so dear,
A life full of love and laughter,
With trials and tribulations to make you stronger,
I pray that the coming years will be much, much better,
Overcoming your shortcomings with determination,
To become a stronger muslim dhaie to better the society,
To become a stauncher 'abid, closer to Allah, you'll be,
May He constantly guide you to the ways of the righteous,
Giving you the best in this world and the hereafter.
Ameen.

COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS

Assalamualaikum guys. I'm taking a short break from my sabbatical as I am being overwhelmed by a sudden urge to blog.. :p


This morning whilst driving the kids to school, many things caught my attention and my deep thoughts escalated from one thing to another. I saw many of the kampung kids were either walking to school or catching a bus in the wee morning. And I thought : How lucky my kids are! They are being driven in a comfortable car to and fro each day without having to undergo all the hassle of waiting and later cramped up in a hot-humid bus full of other kids who by then are emitting unbearable odors. As we move along the narrow meandering road behind my house, we passed by several dilapidated wooden houses. I cringed with all guiltiness at the thought of the great comfort I draw from my brick house with all its modern amenities as compared to these shabby dwellings which probably still employ old-fashioned toilets . Then, just as I was overcoming the guilt of being lucky and overpreviledged, I passed by an old man, whom I noticed would walk unfailingly, every morning taking the same route. So what's with him, you asked. Well, you see, he has an abnormal gait which in medical term we describe as a broad-based gait. People inflicted with cerebellar disease, has this kind of gait. Imagine waddling treacherously slow, all the way with that kind of movement! By then, I was feeling so lucky that I can still walk upright without any impedances in my movement whatsoever! Alhamdulillah!

How many times in a day do we count our blessings? That we are still alive and healthy, able to enjoy all the pleasures in life. That we are given all the opportunities by Allah swt to better ourselves. That we have our family to cherish and their company to enjoy? And not forgetting the sheer joy of having friends in the blogging world!

I've always reminded my kids to never envy the lavishness and extravagances of the fortunate and lucky few but to empathise sincerely on the depravity experienced by many. Imagine yourself stopping at a traffic light. On your right there's a new classy 5 series BMW. You ogle at it and dream of owning it one day. Green with envy, you eye painfully at those basking in the car. The chic lady driver, adorning sporty shades looking all so cool. Or the chiselled-face-model-look guy beside her. Both emanating a certain kind of persona that befits the luxuriousity of the German made car. Shamefully, you ignore the people on your left who are in an old battered, paint-peeling-off car with malfunctioned air-con. Or the guy on the motorbike sweating under the scorching sun. Or worst still, the people standing in a sardine-packed bus, rushing to work! If we keep on reminding ourselves on the existence of these underpreviledged people, then, the great exhilarating feeling of contentment would fill our hearts. No, I'm not asking you to gloat but to be content with what pleasure we have. Don't go questioning why we aren't enjoying the comforts of a luxurious car but be grateful that at least you are much better off in your 'moderate' though not the 'ultimate' machine!

Another good, very apt and timely analogy (as there are many camera-crazy people around) would be on the issue of owning a camera. When Allah swt has given you the pleasure to create commendable pictures with your Sony Cybershot, don't harbor any grudge towards more professional looking pictures taken by say, a Nikon D50. And those in possession of a Nikon D50, be content with what you have, as a D70 would just be a waste of money!! Why, I have seen excellent candid shots taken with MUPA! So it's not so much of the camera but more importantly, the 'brain' behind the camera. And I'm sure imaging-sensor experts like Izhal can vouch this. Remember! To indulge moderately in a hobby is 'harus' but to splurge extravagantly is 'haram'! Then again, many 'loyar buruk' and 'auta' minds will argue like a pro lawyer on the exact definition of being extravagant and on where to draw the line. Oh well, you can never win with these people!

This entry is especially for my children to ponder on the little 'extras' they get in life, to be constantly grateful to Allah swt. Be conscious that what ever gained and possessed in this world, are all temporary loans bestowed by Allah swt. Take what is necessary and give away to the needy what is superfluous. (That reminds me of our long overdued community service for the kampung folks here)

p.s. Recieved a wedding invitation from Mastura (a pretty Mas stewardess), my cousin's daughter who is getting married to a pilot. May you have a blessed happy marriage, filled with Allah swt's guidance. Ameen!

The wedding card