Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Lazy Lazy Day (Ode to Lazy Pants)



Everybody's in Raya mood already! People were absent, some went back early, others just grouped each other not doing work, the person sitting next to me and myself were talking to each other (whilst admitting we were too lazy) AND a colleague visited my desk and talked about tudungs. OHHH the Raya epidemic has definitely befallen on everyone!

We're yet to know if the moon sighters' been successful or not but we should be right? Malaysia and Indonesia are celebrating Eid already today and if we don't celebrate ours tomorrow, would it be feasible to go the extra two days while our neighbours are already sick of their raya? And I was wondering - now that parts of the world are celebrating right, does that mean syaitan is already amongst us? Or is it only where Syawal has already started? The mind boggles over trivial things.

And today I was feeling pretty casual at work but not too sloppy joe so I wore Shop Naisha's maxi skirt, a batwing blouse I got from a bazaar at The Mall, a striped brown shawl and an extra extra large cardigan from Retrostar in Melbourne. I did think about wearing my Docs to work today but that would've been too casual which might cause me to sleep so I wore a nice pair of shoes.


Olive really does work well with reds and pinks huh? I think the whol colour blocking hoopla applies to tacky colours (NOT) too and that's why I like it so much!

Raya preparations have commenced at the Halim resident. Rugs are vacuumed, corners are swept, dust are dusted, tables are set. You know, the whole nine yards. We did some last minute shopping today as well so we went to Soon Lee in Sg Liang. Cool traffic control we got there btw, aces! And being the lazy me I put on my lazy pants! Yes I love lazy pants!!!! They're too wicked and if I can get a hold of more of them I would. I can't find any lazy pants here in Brunei, why is that? I wear my lazy pants all the time and, when possible, any where. You've seen the blue animal prints one and here I am with the floral ones. I've got a pair of body-builders' lazy pants too and ohhh please get more lazy pants to Brunei please. Thank you =)

So so soooo..... how's your raya preparation? What did you wear today? How's your lazy Tuesday?

Monday, August 29, 2011

Sometimes it's nice to be reminded of something

Sometimes we tend to forget things that used to be so important to ourselves. We might have forgotten about these things due to circumstances that may have occurred that hath caused the mind to be blown and the heart to race because a lot of useful data are lost in the process.

Yes, I am talking about my laptop that has served me for five years and now I have replaced it with something else (read: better). But many thanks to it I have completed a lot of assignments and written a book of a thesis that deprived me of sleep for a year. I think I exhausted it. I know it's crazy to be so attached to a laptop but for years it's been a companion to me especially in keeping in touch with my family while I was away.

Anyway, today I was reminded by a dear friend about something that I've long forgotten about. Thanks to her right after that I went on my Delicious profile and dug back all those longs lost bookmarks from the past. If you haven't noticed already I have linked the blogs that have given me inspiration for the past years. These aren't all of them yet! I have other bookmarks that contain fashion, photography and videography links that I'll link on the side for you to explore.

And then today for iftar we finally went out together with other relatives at Indah Damai and it was a good reunion. We don't get to do this all the time but it's always good when we finally get to (especially at home when the party gets started HAAAA!!). That's me and my cousin Nana, who reckons she looks like a cat in the picture.. Mmmyeah... du du du du~


And then I joined my siblings to go to Sugarbun to get their Burger de Poissons before going to get some Cornflakes and chocolate. I be making choco cornflakes for raya this year yeaaaaaarrr!! Somebody at the office asked if I'm ready for raya this year and I was like, "Hmm.. I never thought of that." But really, am I ready for raya this year? Feeling a tad bit anxious now.

But mostly I'm not ready because I haven't done much for Ramadhan this year :( I should talk about this in the next post... If I have the guts to.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Small Sins?

CLICK HERE --> Small Sins?

Sometimes we do things that we think are too small to be big of a deal to become a sin but these are the ones that may drag us to the fire. Sometimes we don't think about the repercussions of throwing litter on the streets, what that might do to its habitants, but the causal effect from our naivete may become the biggest sin we may commit yet.

This is why for every act that we do we have to think of how it might affect other things and being other than ourselves.

Have a read on the article and think back on the "small sins" we've committed. Let us all make dua for each other for our sins to be pardoned so we'll become better people with clean hands and clean hearts.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Faith of a different kind


I would like to share with you a documentary about rollerblading that's been shot and edited by a friend of mine in Melbourne.

While you're watching this video, I would like you to listen to the message that it bears because it has a real strong connection to what I'm trying to represent as a person.

Being somewhat of a weirdo with accented beliefs on so many things that are deemed inappropriate or sensitive by so many people, I have always been a subject of criticism since realising the ground I'm standing on, voicing out and holding on firmly to my passionate affairs. Sometimes it sucks to be me, but most of the time I don't give a rats "bum" (although sometimes finding out what people say about me can be useful to help me tone down or amplify what I so much love to do).

I find that being in Brunei, being amongst people who are of the same nationality as I am, can be a lot harder to blend in with than when I'm away from home. I have been away for so long and now is the longest time I've stayed in Brunei since graduation. I have never seen myself as somebody who'd stay in Brunei for a living but I have not been given the opportunity to work elsewhere. I am redha with the amount of rezeki that have been given to me as of now but the amount of dugaan that I have to endure sometimes is just too much. Much much more than I can bear but I have promised myself that I will not give up because I know Allah has a better plan for myself. For the past nine months of being here, I can say that life has been a bit of a struggle to fathom.

It's so hard to live amongst people who don't accept you for who you are. It's a struggle to stand up for what you believe in here. It's such a hassle to want to break down barriers between people because people are always going to judge. That sucks so much. My biggest struggle is of language. People don't get why I can't understand what they're saying. Lets just say I was raised a different way than most people and what most people would see as a blessing, I see it as a curse because it divides me from a lot of people. That is why, even now, I don't really like to go outside of my "support group" because people just don't get me. People who I grew up with would understand and I am very thankful for the amount of years they have stayed patient with me. Through our ups and downs, some of my best of friends never fail to give me their support and voice out the things that they don't fancy.

And when I was in Melbourne, I met with a lot of people with the same interests as I have. We can talk about movies and music and BOOKS (ftw) without any care in the world. It's this kind of passion that brings us all together and what I like the most about this is that we don't need to be of the same colour, the same religion or the same race to get along, all we need is our interests and it goes from there.

This is where my rollerblading friends come in. When my boyfriend came to study in Melbourne, we met with a lot of people who'd take us along with them to skate at different spots around Victoria. We don't all share the same story but we have the same understanding of being somewhat of an outcast in a society that derives a lot of meaning from Money. I, as a person, do not agree that money brings you happiness because it's all single serving for me. What I live for is the connection we have with the things that we love and that's what all these rollerbladers attempt to represent. It's nice having friends who don't care about my hijab, and it's always nice to answer their curiosities about Islam and about being of Bruneian decent (which bears a different kind of meaning to different people). In return, it's always lovely to learn about themselves, to listen to their life stories and the struggles that they've been through. This is how I know that I've never been alone and I'm glad that I'm friends with these people. Despite coming from different places around the world, it's safe to say we're like family.

So please, if you're interested to watch the video, do, and listen to what they're saying and get to understand what struggle is in a community that strives to grow and let the world know of its message. If you understand, it's best to apply it to yourselves and let us all live in a better place :D



Good night!
xx

Small Things Matter in Islam


We say a simple Salaam to anyone, we’re rewarded..

We smile at someone, we’re rewarded..

We treat someone with kindness, we’re rewarded..

We pray in Masjid with Jamu’ah, we are rewarded 27 times more than those who pray alone..

We begin anything with Bismillah, that action of us is rewarded..

We end our activities with Alhamdulillah, we’re also rewarded..

We think of doing a good deed, we’re rewarded..

We control our temper, we’re rewarded..

We eat and drink with our right hand, we’re rewarded..

We pray for forgiveness and health for our fellow Muslims, we’re rewarded..

We forgive, we’re rewarded..

We think positive towards Allah and other people, we’re rewarded..

We keep our promises, we’re rewarded..

We seek knowledge for the benefit of others, we’re rewarded..

We share knowledge to others in need, we’re rewarded..

We walk towards the Jumu’ah prayer, our each step is very greatly rewarded..

We take wudhu’, we are rewarded..

We treat our mothers and fathers with humbleness, kindness and respect, we’re greatly greatly rewarded..

We bring Allah to remembrance, we’re rewarded..

So why do we withhold our reward ?

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Something to share with

Wasta'inu bis-sabri was-salah
And seek help through patience and prayer

What happens to your body when you fast...

Some benefits to your body during fasting month or when you fast...

Thank you, Thank you, Silence.





Ahoy! Delayed update from Tuesday.

We went to break fast at Pastamania in Gadong to my mom's request and it was so-so. It was my first time there and I think I still prefer Fratini's or Pizza Hut over everything else here when it comes to pasta and pizza. But anyway it's always nice trying out new joints.

And I have a new tutorial uploaded! Took me a minute to record, about five to edit and 13 hours to upload to Vimeo. Ridiculous to its highest level but I should know by now the internet at home's not made for heavy stuff. Shame. Can we get corporate internet packages here in Brunei?

Anyway, 'tis the tutorial for how I wore my hijab as shown in the pictures above. Hope it's easy to follow :D And the outfit was something that I just threw randomly, gladly it works! Well at least I think so :p

Monday, August 22, 2011

Favourite Wardrobe Items: MiaMia StyleStudio Cotton Shawls

Mia Mia Cotton Shawls

With Mia
With the gorgeous Miss Mia Suria


I have had the opportunity to meet with Mia of MiaMia StyleStudio recently although our story went way back when.

It all started with me purchasing her shawls from her Facebook page HERE. Then as these purchases go the inboxes would start and it all went from there. Alhamdulillah, I have to say that I am glad to cross paths with somebody who has the same passion as I do! When I read her message I got so excited because now I am not the only person who feels strongly about sending the same message to muslim girls out there! Well I have always known of others who sells hijabs and modest attire but I've not known of those who are selling whilst also having the intention to make modesty a style and a way of life here in Brunei. It's good to know that I'm not alone in this and I'm so thankful.

Mia as a person is very very passionate and for as long as I have known her (be it near or far) I have always seen her as somebody who stands strongly for something that she believes in. So it is no surprise that she's now pushing for this and sending a message to all girls out there that you can be modest AND also stylish at the same time. Wait for what she'll have for everyone in store in October. I am very sure that she will become one of Brunei's largest household name in the Muslimah fashion world here.

And the shawls that I got from her. Oh, how very loverly~ I am always a fan of shawls that are fluffy and soft and easy to work with. I know that I'm always spotted wearing plain hijabs but one night I decided that I wanted something with patterns and that's when I saw MMSS' cotton shawls on my timeline. When I put them on, they are sooo comfortable to be in. They're soft and light and I must say you can't have too many of these cotton shawls. If I have a choice earlier, I would've bought every single colour and design! But you know, one can't be stingy and I was too slow anyway so I got my hands on these pretty babies. Now I'm content =)

To top that off, I got a plain pashmina for free! Alhamdulillah, thank you very much sister for you have made another sister's day when you told me that. I am yet to feature the striped yellow scarf I got from her. Very nice as a turban!

So ladies, if you haven't already, do add MiaMia StyleStudio on Facebook and shop away :D

Beautiful Colours of Islam

Assalammualaikum sisters,

If I am not mistaken, it was about a week ago when my cousin shared with me THIS link. It is about a lady who converted into Islam and before her conversion she had always been a believer of a higher power, of a God, of a being that is mighty than us humans. She was raised a roman-catholic and was raised in a pretty strict and religious background. However, as she grew up she began questioning herself and her faith and she knew that there must be something out there that's more than what she has always believed in. If you go to the link I gave you above you'll know how she began to learn about Islam and how she realises that this is the right religion for her - the religion that could really tie loose ends and give the answers to her questions.

Then it reminded me of this one gentleman that I stumbled upon on youtube last Ramadan with a similar story. I have attached the video here in this post and please do have a view. You will cherish being born into this religion and I hope that in time you will realise that there are more that you can contribute to Islam and as a Muslim. What he's doing is very noble and not everyday can we meet with this kind of person, watching his video is enough of a blessing and close enough to meeting this person.

This is one of the many examples of those who went on a ride that leads him to darkness but emerges into light (yes, definitely from an Avenged Sevenfold song). I can relate to him and I was born into this religion. However, I am not going to say I have reached his level of iman and taqwa. InsyAllah one day I'll get there. Being a muslim since birth does not give us the privilege of knowing everything about Islam. I, myself, have a lot to learn and practice.

Without further a-due, please sit back and enjoy the video. Jazakallah. Oh, I should remind you that this video is about an hour long so it's best when you watch it while you're free :)



Quote of the day

You should have the opportunity to be more than one person with different people - because you have that within you. It’s not like you’re faking it. If everyone knows you so well and can always get a hold of you, then you’re stuck to this thing that people think you are. You should have the opportunity to reinvent yourself. Because you do. Naturally.

Courtesy of Precipice.

But do it with a sincere heart and not just so that people would adore you for someone you're not. It's always wise to blend in, but it's wiser to be true to yourself. Lots of love, girls :)

How the weekend went


Press PLAY to look at pictures. LOL yeah for serious it is a tacky slideshow but it's making my life very easy not having to flood this post with too many pictures. A slideshow - why not right?

In summary, my weekend was spent in a manner where I woke up today with a migraine from the lack of sleep I got. Imagine, a weekend of eating and laughing and going around places; and then staying awake for a sahur of ice-cream and snacks (flaming hot seaweed) and then waking up at 10 to get ready for a 2pm check-out. It was spent going out in the rain, waiting in traffic and more eating and laughing.

We finally went back by 8.30pm and made our way to Lumut and by the time we arrived, I was so weak.

I ain't as fit as I used to be anymore. That I know. With the amount of activities that we did Saturday+Sunday, this 25 year old me can't really fathom how I managed to stand up straight after being spinned around by the two teenagers I was with. But today, my body finally gave up.

But it was a really eventful weekend, that I can confirm with everyone. I hope that I will be able to go through more of these so-called adventures when time permits. Afterall, age only tells us so much about what we can and cannot do but it's up to ourselves to control that ;) Alhamdulillah, so happy to be around good company. I feel so blessed.

xx

Sunday, August 21, 2011

I'm back but I need rest

Sneak peek. Will share more tomorrow - from Iftar to Sahur to another Iftar today. I think there's a fair amount of pictures that I took but I let you be the judge of that :D I'm so knackered and tomorrow's the start of a new week so I better get some shut eye.

Don't forget your niat, ladies! Happy 21st Ramadan tomorrow! xx

Picture is of pillows arranged to appear as if people are still sleeping under the blanket HAHA! Who thought I was taking a picture of actual people sleeping?

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Weekend of fun!

T-minus one hour to glorious fun! I am treating my sister and cousin for a one night stay at Rizqun Hotel! Hoping that I'd remember to take lots and lots of pictures to document everything - I tend to be forgetful now especially when I'm too engorged in the fun. But anyway, apologies for the lack of updates, I'm trying to spend less time on the computer coz I'm missing out on a lot of things but my hands are always on the iphone so I'm pretty updated. I have a lot of things lined up for the blog so STAY PUT!!

And I should say a very special thank you to Shafiyyah Safwan for sending me something in my inbox that made my day =) It's people like you that keep me going. Jazakallah, sister, may Allah shower you with his blessings.

See you, ladies!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Favourite Wardrobe Items: Shop Naisha Batwing Blouses

I have been doing business with Shop Naisha since they first started and there are no regrets as far as my purchases are concerned.

The face behind Shop Naisha goes waaaaayyyy back when we were kids and still playing slides at St. Angela's School, Seria. My lasting memory of Shop Naisha are the raya visits to each others' houses and I also remember us going to a friend's birthday party in Seria and playing at the compound's playground. Then sadly I was transferred to another school and I guess it ended there. There would be times when we'd bump into each other in town and I remember thinking how gorgeous this person is.

So now I'm thinking it's the good thoughts that must've brought us together again - what more through fashion!

Shop Naisha's palette are of its own and that is what I love most about it. I adore how innovative towards the hijab world their items are and especially when total care towards quality is taken care of closely. I love the customer service too! OK, maybe it's just me but I am always a person who can be easily woo-ed by those who really takes good care of their customers. Needless to say, now I have brand loyalty towards Shop Naisha.

My recent favourite wardrobe items from them are the batwing blouses that I last purchased.

Shop Naisha Batwing

I love the flow of the fabric and how it sits snugly on my shoulder. It just lands there, sitting comfortably and sending whispers of confidence to me when I have them on. I can't really fathom how feminine this makes me feel while also staying put to my own style. I like pairing them with my favourite pairs of jeans and wedges for kicks! As for hijab, I've worn these blouses with patterned scarves creating a stark contrast to the whole batwing aesthetics. You can do more than just accessorise them with your scarves, although they are a fashion statement as they are.

I am yet to explore the lush-ness of these blouses but I can assure you that they are very comfortable to be in. There are so many ways you can style it - I am quite excited to meet with these new explorations!

Please do me a favor and add Shop Naisha's Facebook HERE, will you ;)

This makes me smile for a while

Very thankful for the supportive friends that I have since day one. As I grow up to be who I am, I now realise who my good friends are and who aren't. The ones with good intentions will always keep you uplifted. I love you guys. Allah bless you all with prosperity and good health. Amin.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Quote of the Day

"Both this life and the hereafter are in the heart just like the two sides of a scale: Whichever is heavier will overweigh the other."

‘Awn bin Abdullaah. Tazkiyyaatun-Nufuus, p129

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Back to life!

Yes, the internet's back to life! Can't imagine how I even survived yesterday. It was soooo slow and I can't update anything anywhere!

So anyway, this post is supposed to be yesterday's but you know, since that didn't happen here it is now.

'Tis the attire that I wore yesterday to work. Don't really know how many times I've worn it like so but I don't think I care for counting right now because it is oh so lush! I'm thinking that I should make a duplicate like get a similar shirt or something but now Sinead O'Connor's voice is yapping in my head saying, "Nothing compares to you~" and because I am loyal like that I am going to keep wearing this one. Maybe I'll let it rip a little or outgrow it by any chance (God, I hope not!).

And, I also have a video tutorial for how I wore my hijab yesterday!! Doesn't really show in the picture but you'll see it in the vid. But before we move on I just would like to say thank you so very much for your feedbacks and support thus far. I am very honored and in full spirit to keep this blog going. God-willing and if the connection allows, I'll make more of these tutes for you ladies. And I'm thinking Facebook is really the best way to communicate so I'll keep posting updates there for you :)

So enjoy the video. Thank you, ladies! xx

Monday Hijab from Nisa Halim on Vimeo.

Quote of the Day

Whoever wants to be a leader should educate himself before educating others. Before preaching to others he should first practice himself. Whoever educates himself and improves his own morals is superior to the man who tries to teach and train others.- Ali (a.s.)


This should be practiced by everyone. This quote does not only mean what it's trying to say, if you read between the lines you'll realise that it is also saying if one wants to be something, one has to be that thing full-heartedly, else you'll only make a fool out of yourself.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Quote of the Day

If you attach your heart to worldly matters, they will eventually shatter it. But when you attach your heart to Allah, you will never have to worry about it being broken.



Girls, remember that only in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace. So no matter what seems important in this world, no matter how much you feel that you need not be left out over something seemingly important, please know that even if you don't commit to it you'll lose nothing. There is no need to be loved and adored by people if Allah detests the very look at you. It's all in your niat.

Say your praises and your syukur whenever you feel proud over something unrelated to your getting to jannah, for whenever you feel smug or cocky you are getting one step closer to the fire. Nauzubillah.

Rabia Z and how she helped me go through tough times


Click on the image above to be directed to Rabia Z's webpage. And click HERE to be directed to the shopping Facebook.

I have always loved this lady and I have all adoration for her talent and passion for couture. I mean, what's not to like? She's doing what all girls want to do - to be a fashion designer, and making a change to something seen so strictly upon aka how the Muslimahs should dress themselves. When I first discovered her, my passion for styling was reaffirmed coz I know then that I don't have to leave what I love behind once I get myself covered full-time. Yes, that contemplation took a long time to reach a point of confirmation - that I'm ready to do this and commit myself to the hijab.

It was when I discovered people like Hana Tajima, A.K.F and Rabia Z that I was able to confirm staunchly how I'm going to tackle this issue that's very sensitive and may give rise to questions from a lot of people. Sure, I do wear the hijab during functions and events, and I did wear it full uniform when I was in school, but during that time it was more like a forced thing than a sincere commitment so as these things go, I rebelled against it and went all out on hair products and equipments! It was all mousse coz my hair's naturally curly, and straightening lotions after that whenever I feel like ironing the coils out, and all the bleach and dye that were applied to my hair. Come to think of it, that was quite a preposterous thing to do to something precious. I was hurting my hair, I knew that, and I was actually quite proud of the amount of work I did to it. But you know, let bygones be bygones, and I've learnt my lesson. Nowadays, it just doesn't feel right anymore to go out without covering my hair and frankly since I started wearing the hijab my hair's more softer and the volume just comes without me having to apply anything on it. Alhamdulillah.

As easy as it was wearing the hijab when I was in Melbourne (the place where I decided that I wanted to get covered full-time) it wasn't as easy when I came back to Brunei. Let's face it, Brunei is small and a lottt of people know you from somewhere. So the questions were always Since When, Oh you're pious now, Oh you've changed direction and You've changed image! and things along those lines. It was pretty hard to live with all these judgements especially when people associate wearing the shawl with going to weddings and hari raya. It was very very tough for me but eventually I lived through it because I'm doing this not for my boyfriend, not for my family, not for myself, but for my faith in myself, faith in my relationship with my boyfriend, faith in the safety of my family and faith in Allah especially. It was this belief that kept me going and Alhamdulillah it's been more than a year now and I'm very pleased with myself!

And thanks to these people who have inspired me to be a better Muslimah. Well, I am not better as yet but I'm learning to be. I know that my passion for fashion cannot die, but it has elevated to another level, with the coming of the hijab into my life. I know it's controversial because modesty is something that people have a different understanding of and my understanding of it is to throw away all those chest bearing and skin showing clothes and go for more modestly covered attires. This commitment doesn't only just stop there, with how much skin I'm covering I'm also learning and re-learning about Islam by research (something I've always loved doing!). I'm never one to care about it especially in school (so what more outside of it) but now I understand more and more about why I'm here being given breaths of life everyday to go through different stages of my life.

Girls, if you think that wearing the hijab is boring, well I suggest you get acquainted with Rabia Z for a start and I hope that it'll make you realise what I did when I learnt about what the hijab really is. The transition may be hard and whispers from shaitan is of course hard to resist but when you're strong enough to succumb all that, then the commitment just magically appears. It feels soooo good to win a battle against el diablo hehehe... So let me just post you some pictures from Rabia Z's line. And if you still feel that the hijab is boring after this well, that's OK :)

BTW I do not own ANY of these pictures (and they're screen captures). These are all courtesy of Rabia Z from her webpage and facebook pages respectively.





Saturday, August 13, 2011

Underneath our feet

This afternoon me and my sister went to KB Town because I heard Kong Foh has pleated garments!!! And yes, they do! So if any of you are looking for pleated fabrics for anything at all, like skirts or blouses or palazzo pants, do go there. They're $20 a meter but who cares right? Just as long as it's not like end of the month or beginning (depending on where you work). I love Kong Foh :)


I was feeling pretty casual so I grabbed the first things that I could think of of the same hue. So it was blue + grey for me today and to make it a little bit lively I put on my red rabbit's foot for good luck. Yeah, we ain't supposed to believe in any kind of talisman but a rabbit's foot is a rabbit's foot and that's all I gotta say about that haha!


And I finally came round to making a How-To video yeay!!! A lot of people have been asking if I am ever gonna make any and I've contemplated many times. Now I'm thinking there shouldn't be any more excuses! So, presenting my first ever tutorial video showing how I wore today's hijab. Enjoy! (Please tell me what you think, sorry I can't make the video anymore sharper).


Rupa Kiamat

Courtesy of Seriously, on Tumblr. Worth a read and ponder upon.

Gambaran Hari Kiamat

……

Selepas Malaikat Israfil meniup sangkakala (bentuknya seperti tanduk besar) yang memekakkan telinga, seluruh makhluk mati kecuali Izrail & beberapa malaikat yang lain. Selepas itu, Izrail pun mencabut nyawa malaikat yang tinggal dan akhirnya nyawanya sendiri.

Selepas semua makhluk mati, Tuhan pun berfirman mafhumnya “Kepunyaan siapakah kerajaan hari ini?” Tiada siapa yang menjawab. Lalu Dia sendiri menjawab dengan keagunganNya “Kepunyaan Allah Yang Maha Esa lagi Maha Perkasa.” Ini menunjukkan kebesaran & keagunganNya sebagai Tuhan yg Maha Kuasa lagi Maha Kekal Hidup, tidak mati.

Selepas 40 tahun, Malaikat Israfil a.s. dihidupkan, seterusnya meniup sangkakala untuk kali ke-2, lantas seluruh makhluk hidup semula di atas bumi putih, berupa padang Mahsyar (umpama padang Arafah) yang rata tidak berbukit atau bulat seperti bumi.

Sekelian manusia hidup melalui benih anak Adam yg disebut “Ajbuz Zanbi” yang berada di hujung tulang belakang mereka. Hiduplah manusia umpama anak pokok yang kembang membesar dari biji benih.

Semua manusia dan jin dibangkitkan dalam keadaan telanjang dan hina. Mereka tidak rasa malu kerana pada ketika itu hati mereka sangat takut dan bimbang tentang nasib & masa depan yang akan mereka hadapi kelak.

Lalu datanglah api yang berterbangan dengan bunyi seperti guruh yang menghalau manusia, jin dan binatang ke tempat perhimpunan besar. Bergeraklah mereka menggunakan tunggangan (bagi yang banyak amal), berjalan kaki (bagi yang kurang amalan) dan berjalan dengan muka (bagi yang banyak dosa). Ketika itu, ibu akan lupakan anak, suami akan lupakan isteri, setiap manusia sibuk memikirkan nasib mereka.

Setelah semua makhluk dikumpulkan, matahari dan bulan dihapuskan cahayanya, lalu mereka tinggal dalam kegelapan tanpa cahaya. Berlakulah huru-hara yang amat dahsyat.

Tiba-tiba langit yang tebal pecah dengan bunyi yang dahsyat, lalu turunlah malaikat sambil bertasbih kepada Allah SWT. Seluruh makhluk terkejut melihat saiz malaikat yang besar dan suaranya yang menakutkan.

Kemudian matahari muncul semula dengan kepanasan yang berganda. Hingga dirasakan seakan-akan matahari berada sejengkal dari atas kepala mereka. Ulama berkata jika matahari naik di bumi seperti keadaannya naik dihari Kiamat nescaya seluruh bumi terbakar, bukit-bukau hancur dan sungai menjadi kering. Lalu mereka rasai kepanasan dan bermandikan peluh sehingga peluh mereka menjadi lautan. Timbul atau tenggelam mereka bergantung pada amalan masing-masing. Keadaan mereka berlanjutan sehingga 1000 tahun.

Terdapat satu telaga kepunyaan Nabi Muhammad SAW bernama Al-Kausar yang mengandungi air yang hanya dapat diminum oleh orang mukmin sahaja. Orang bukan mukmin akan dihalau oleh malaikat yang menjaganya. Jika diminum airnya tidak akan haus selama-lamanya. Kolam ini berbentuk segi empat tepat sebesar satu bulan perjalanan. Bau air kolam ini lebih harum dari kasturi, warnanya lebih putih dari susu dan rasanya lebih sejuk dari embun. Ia mempunyai saluran yang mengalir dari syurga.

Semua makhluk berada bawah cahaya matahari yang terik kecuali 7 golongan yang mendapat teduhan dari Arasy. Mereka ialah:

- Pemimpin yang adil.

- Orang muda yang taat kepada perintah Allah.

- Lelaki yang terikat hatinya dengan masjid.

- Dua orang yang bertemu kerana Allah dan berpisah kerana Allah.

- Lelaki yang diajak oleh wanita berzina, tetapi dia menolak dengan berkata “Aku takut pada Allah”.

- Lelaki yg bersedekah dengan bersembunyi (tidak diketahui orang ramai).

- Lelaki yang suka bersendirian mengingati Allah lalu mengalir air matanya kerana takutkan Allah.

Oleh kerana tersangat lama menunggu di padang mahsyar, semua manusia tidak tahu berbuat apa melainkan mereka yang beriman, kemudian mereka terdengar suara “pergilah berjumpa dengan para Nabi”. Maka mereka pun pergi mencari para Nabi. Pertama sekali kumpulan manusia ini berjumpa dengan Nabi Adam tetapi usaha mereka gagal kerana Nabi Adam a.s menyatakan beliau juga ada melakukan kesalahan dengan Allah SWT. Maka kumpulan besar itu kemudiannya berjumpa Nabi Nuh a.s., Nabi Ibrahim a.s., Nabi Musa a.s., Nabi Isa a.s. (semuanya memberikan sebab seperti Nabi Adam a.s.) dan akhirnya mereka berjumpa Rasullullah SAW. Jarak masa antara satu nabi dengan yang lain adalah 1000 tahun perjalanan.

Lalu berdoalah baginda Nabi Muhammad SAW ke hadrat Allah SWT. Lalu diperkenankan doa baginda.

Selepas itu, terdengar bunyi pukulan gendang yang kuat hingga menakutkan hati semua makhluk kerana mereka sangka azab akan turun. Lalu terbelah langit, turunlah arasy Tuhan yang dipikul oleh 8 orang malaikat yang sangat besar (besarnya sejarak perjalanan 20 ribu tahun) sambil bertasbih dengan suara yang amat kuat sehingga ‘Arasy itu tiba dibumi.

‘Arasy ialah jisim nurani yang amat besar berbentuk kubah (bumbung bulat) yang mempunyai 4 batang tiang yang sentiasa dipikul oleh 4 orang malaikat yang besar dan gagah. Dalam bahasa mudah ia seumpama istana yang mempunyai seribu bilik yang menempatkan jutaan malaikat di dalamnya. Ia dilingkungi embun yang menghijab cahayanya yang sangat kuat.

Kursi iaitu jisim nurani yang terletak di hadapan Arasy yang dipikul oleh 4 orang malaikat yang sangat besar. Saiz kursi lebih kecil dari ‘Arasy umpama cincin ditengah padang . Dalam bahasa mudah ia umpama singgahsana yang terletak dihadapan istana.

Seluruh makhluk pun menundukkan kepala kerana takut. Lalu dimulakan timbangan amal. Ketika itu berterbanganlah kitab amalan masing-masing turun dari bawah Arasy menuju ke leher pemiliknya tanpa silap dan tergantunglah ia sehingga mereka dipanggil untuk dihisab. Kitab amalan ini telah ditulis oleh malaikat Hafazhah / Raqib & ‘Atid / Kiraman Katibin.

Manusia beratur dalam saf mengikut Nabi dan pemimpin masing- masing. Orang kafir & munafik beratur bersama pemimpin mereka yang zalim. Setiap pengikut ada tanda mereka tersendiri untuk dibezakan.

Umat yang pertama kali dihisab adalah umat Nabi Muhammad SAW, dan amalan yang pertama kali dihisab adalah solat. Sedangkan hukum yang pertama kali diputuskan adalah perkara pertumpahan darah.

Apabila tiba giliran seseorang hendak dihisab amalannya, malaikat akan mencabut kitab mereka lalu diserahkan, lalu pemiliknya mengambil dengan tangan kanan bagi orang mukmin dan dengan tangan kiri jika orang bukan mukmin.

Semua makhluk akan dihisab amalan mereka menggunakan satu Neraca Timbangan. Saiznya amat besar, mempunyai satu tiang yang mempunyai lidah dan 2 daun. Daun yang bercahaya untuk menimbang pahala dan yang gelap untuk menimbang dosa.

Acara ini disaksikan oleh Nabi Muhammad SAW dan para imam 4 mazhab untuk menyaksikan pengikut masing-masing dihisab.

Perkara pertama yang diminta ialah Islam. Jika dia bukan Islam, maka seluruh amalan baiknya tidak ditimbang bahkan amalan buruk tetap akan ditimbang.

Ketika dihisab, mulut manusia akan dipateri, tangan akan berkata- kata, kaki akan menjadi saksi. Tiada dolak-dalih dan hujah tipuan. Semua akan di adili oleh Allah Ta’ala dengan Maha Bijaksana.

Setelah amalan ditimbang, mahkamah Mahsyar dibuka kepada orang ramai untuk menuntut hak masing-masing dari makhluk yang sedang dibicara sehinggalah seluruh makhluk berpuas hati dan dibenarkannya menyeberangi titian sirat.

Syafaat Nabi Muhammad SAW di akhirat :

- Meringankan penderitaan makhluk di Padang Mahsyar dengan mempercepatkan hisab.

- Memasukkan manusia ke dalam syurga tanpa hisab.

- Mengeluarkan manusia yang mempunyai iman sebesar zarah dari neraka.

(Semua syafaat ini tertakluk kepada keizinan Allah SWT.)

Para nabi dan rasul serta golongan khawas juga diberikan izin oleh Tuhan untuk memberi syafaat kepada para pengikut mereka. Mereka ini berjumlah 70 000. Setiap seorang dari mereka akan mensyafaatkan 70 000 orang yang lain.

Setelah berjaya dihisab, manusia akan mula berjalan menuju syurga melintasi jambatan sirat. Siratul Mustaqim ialah jambatan (titian) yang terbentang dibawahnya neraka. Lebar jambatan ini adalah seperti sehelai rambut yang dibelah tujuh dan ia lebih tajam dari mata pedang. Bagi orang mukmin ia akan dilebarkan dan dimudahkan menyeberanginya.

Fudhail bin Iyadh berkata perjalanan di Sirat memakan masa 15000 tahun. 5000 tahun menaik, 5000 tahun mendatar dan 5000 tahun menurun. Ada makhluk yang melintasinya seperti kilat, seperti angin, menunggang binatang korban dan berjalan kaki. Ada yang tidak dapat melepasinya disebabkan api neraka sentiasa menarik kaki mereka, lalu mereka jatuh ke dalamnya.

Para malaikat berdiri di kanan dan kiri sirat mengawasi setiap makhluk yang lalu. Setiap 1000 orang yang meniti sirat, hanya seorang sahaja yang Berjaya melepasinya. 999 orang akan terjatuh ke dalam neraka.

Rujukan: Kitab Aqidatun Najin karangan Syeikh Zainal Abidin Muhammad Al- Fathani. Pustaka Nasional Singapura 2004.

Jika sekiranya kalian ingin mengumpul saham akhirat, sampaikanlah ilmu ini kepada sahabat² yang lain. Sepertimana sabda Rasulullah SAW: Sampaikanlah pesananku walaupun satu ayat. Sesungguhnya apabila matinya seseorang anak Adam itu, hanya 3 perkara yang akan dibawanya bersama :

Sedekah/amal jariahnya.

Doa anak²nya yang soleh.

Ilmu yang bermanfaat yang disampaikannya kepada orang lain

Friday, August 12, 2011

Yesterday


I had a tunic on that belongs to my mom. I don't know if she wants it back but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be wearing it as often as I can haha.. It is a bit broad on the shoulders but how baggy it is contributes to the whole casual aesthetics me thinks. This is a boring post, I know but I promise better ones soon. I just need to get a proper short focus lens for my camera. The kit lens that I have just don't want to cooperate with my as old camera anymore. I've been contemplating to get a newer DSLR but where's my money? So at the mo I'm tryna get those cheap lenses before I can afford a much better one.

Adios!

A little tip for everyone

So often it hurts us that we are not able to focus in our prayers. Remember, the more you focus on Allah outside your salah, the easier it will be to focus on Him inside your salah. What occupies you in salah, is what occupies you outside of salah. Try to fill your mind and heart with Allah as much as you can throughout your day. Talk to Him, make duaa to Him constantly. This will build your personal relationship with Him. Then, going to salah will be like coming home to an old friend.

This is why Melbourne is so awesome :)

MÖBIUS from ENESS on Vimeo.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Even If Sins Reach the Clouds

Courtesy of Peace.Love.Islam

The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says, ‘O son of Adam, as long as you call on Me, I shall forgive you of what you have done, and think nothing of it. O son of Adam, even if your sins were to reach up to the clouds in the sky, and then you were to ask for My forgiveness, I would forgive you and think nothing of it. O son of Adam, even if you were to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then you were to meet Me after death, not worshipping anything besides Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as the earth.’” [Tirmidhi]

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) loves it when people ask Him to forgive their sins. He is overjoyed with their repentance, since He hates to punish anybody. At the slightest excuse He washes people’s sins away. The only condition is that the human being must truly regret in his/her heart that they did what they did. The sinner should be ashamed of their misdeeds, and discontinue committing such sins. If the resolve to avoid the sin is not there then one has not actually repented.

In this hadith, Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) tells us that no matter how many a person’s sins are, should they even reach the sky in heaps, Allah would forgive the sinner if they were to turn to Allah in repentance. In a different hadith, the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) told us that Allah’s bounty is so vast that He would actually convert all the sins into good deeds, should the person truly repent. We should not postpone repenting of our sins and reforming ourselves to when we become old, since nobody knows when they will die.

-remember always ask for forgiveness people! =]

Color Blocking!

But first of all do Like this page over HERE.

And now, Color Blocking (cue all the swag "yeeeeee"s in the background)!!! I have always loved to colour block. Well I always do it subtly at first for example wearing a very grass green shirt with black pants and accessories, wearing all black with a ruby red hijab, wearing grey with red, navy blue with mustard, you name it I've gone through all of these stark remarks in color blocking be it a disaster or just nicely done. And not giving the impression that I'm the expert - because I'm not - but I've always liked being bold (then all you's would be like "jyeah" LOL).

But anyway, what I want to say is that I simply love it when someone is daring enough to be different while also standing out in the crowd. You don't need to be like everyone else and then be self-conscious when you try to dress differently. Sometimes all that comes from insecurities so please, be a little braver. (Not to mention those who laugh at others who are different but are nice and so passionate about something and they'll be like sending hateful glances or telepathic messages from their sniggers OH, PUHLEASE!) Anyway, irritation aside, I'd like to share with you some great pictures that show how to color block while also wearing the hijab. You know, people often think that when you wear the hijab, you can't dress up properly. People often think that you can only dress in those boring office blouses with their tacky coloured stripes. Not that that's a problem - for the office that would definitely give you a corporate vibe, but when you're out there - NO.

So yes, here are examples of color blocking and even if you don't fancy how bold these looks are, you can still look at the palette and go from there. Easy peasy. Pictures are courtesy of emel.com.







So, dear ladies, why not right? If you go to places like Melbourne, it's not just models who wear these kind of apparels with their hijabs. I simply adoreee how the Somali girls wear theirs so fashionably and so confidently. Sadly, I don't always see that here in Brunei. People here are too contrived believing that society does not accept change and if change does happen the first thing they'll hear are laughters. Sure, it may be true but if you don't turn that around, when will change even begin? This applies to just about every single thing in this country. Then again, in order to want a bigger change to occur, we need to change what's within ourselves first. Only thing is that people are afraid to.

This is turning political. And talking about being politically correct, hope avid readers of books written in Britain realises that I've made alliteration to the word color. Well... that's coz I want to share with you something. HAHA (see below).


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

He sure is!


8 Kiat Sehat Menurut Islam (Taken from an old post in my Tumblr)

8 Kiat Sehat Menurut Islam

Rasulullah bersabda Mu’min yang kuat adalah lebih baik dan lebih dicintai Allah daripada mu’min yang lemah (HR Muslim). Bagaimana agar senantiasa sehat seperti Rasulullah Ikuti resep berikut:

1. Selalu Bangun Sebelum Shubuh. Rasul selalu mengajak ummatnya untuk bangun sebelum shubuh, melaksanakan shalat sunah dan shalat Fardhu, shalat shubuh berjamaah. Hal ini memberi hikmah yang mendalam antara lain:
Berlimpah pahala dari Allah, Kesegaran udara shubuh yang bagus bagi kesehatan mis terapi penyakit TBC, Memperkuat pikiran dan menyehatkan perasaan

2. Aktif Menjaga Kebersihan Rasul selalu senantiasa rapi & bersih, tiap hari kamis atau Jumát beliau mencuci rambut2 halus di pipi, selalu memotong kuku, bersisir dan berminyak wangi. Mandi pada hari JUmát adalah wajib bagi setiap orang dewasa.

Demikian pula menggosok gigi dan memakai harum-haruman(HR Muslim)

3. Tidak Pernah Banyak Makan Sabda Rasul: Kami adalah sebuah kaum yang tidak makan sebelum lapar dan bila kami makan tidak terlalu banyak (tidak sampai kekenyangan)(Muttafaq Alaih). Dalam tubuh manusia ada 3 ruang untuk 3 benda: Sepertiga untuk udara, sepertiga untuk air dan sepertiga lainnya untuk makanan. Bahkan ada satu tarbiyyah khusus bagi ummat Islam dg adanya Puasa Ramadhan untuk menyeimbangkan kesehatan

4. Gemar Berjalan Kaki Rasul selalu berjalan kaki ke Masjid, Pasar, medan jihad, mengunjungi rumah sahabat, dan sebagainya. Dengan berjalan kaki, keringat akan mengalir, pori2 terbuka dan peredaran darah akan berjalan lancar. Ini penting untuk mencegah penyakit jantung.

5. Tidak Pemarah Nasihat Rasulullah: Jangan Marah diulangi sampai 3 kali. Ini menunjukkan hakikat kesehatan dan kekuatan Muslim bukanlah terletak pada jasadiyah belaka, tetapi lebih jauh yaitu dilandasi oleh kebersihan dan kesehatan jiwa.

Ada terapi yang tepat untuk menahan marah:
- Mengubah posisi ketika marah, bila berdiri maka duduk, dan bila duduk maka berbaring
- Membaca Ta ‘awwudz (a’udzubillahiminasysyaithonirrajiim), karena marah itu dari Syaithan
- Segeralah berwudhu
- Shalat 2 Rakaat untuk meraih ketenangan dan menghilangkan kegundahan hati

6. Optimis Dan Tidak Putus Asa
Sikap optimis akan memberikan dampak psikologis yang mendalam bagi kelapangan jiwa sehingga tetap sabar, istiqamah dan bekerja keras, serta tawakal kepada Allah SWT.

7. Tak Pernah Iri Hati. Untuk menjaga stabilitas hati & kesehatan jiwa, mentalitas maka menjauhi iri hati merupakan tindakan preventif yang sangat tepat. Kecuali untuk iri kepada 2 hal:

- Iri kepada orang yang memiliki harta yang melimpah tapi tidak segan untuk menafkahkan hartanya dijalan kebaikan - Iri kepada orang yang memiliki ilmu pengetahuan yang luas tapi tidak sungkan untuk mengajarkannya kepada orang lain siapa pun tanpa pilih kasih

8. Salat malamlah, agar sehat. Salat tahajud (salat tengah malam) dapat memperkuat ketahanan tubuh, karena ketenangan hidup yang diperoleh menyebabkan terjadinya keseimbangan tubuh.

Hal ini berdasarkan hasil penelitian Ketua Umum Perhimpunan Patobiologi Indonesia Prof Dr dr SuhartonoTaat Putra, MS yang dia ungkapkan di Surabaya


What's for Iftar?

Quote of the Day

The goal of "Traditional Islam" is not to become traditional and walk around with a turban but is instead a tool amongst tools for Paradise.


Sunday, August 7, 2011

Quote of the Day

Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die. Be better.

Tarindak D'Polo Iftar

Assalammualaikum friends!


Yesterday, Danny and his fiancee Enoy, invited us to iftar at Tarindak in Jerudong. Danny is also known as Muhammad Aysraf Danial bin Abdullah Lim as he has just converted into Islam about two weeks after he celebrated Chinese New Year. I came to know this guy since Secondary Four and since then he has been part of my circle and one of those people that I see as my brother.

About two or three weeks before yesterday, Danny and Enoy got engaged and so yesterday was kind of a reunion for us as invited by them. And also because soon Enoy's going back to UK to finish her Masters.

It was my first time in Tarindak, and the first of which I hope will be the many sungkais that will involve nice company and good food. I didn't really care much about the buffet with its abundant food and drinks but it was well worth paying the $22 per head for the fun I had with my friends. Of course, knowing these people that I grew up with, there were lots and lots of laughter and seeing that I have not yet recovered totally from my flu, I was all coughs and coarse voice coming back home. This isn't a lament though, it's merely a total refreshment of memory because I don't get to do this with my friends anymore because first, I have just came back and second, we're all grown up now and have our own commitments so these kind of get together is always appreciated to the highest level.

Anyway, without further a-due, 'tis best if I stop typing and begin sharing you pictures from last night.





The couple who was responsible for the good times!

And I was wearing this very lush batwing blouse from Shop Naisha. It was oh so comfy and I would like to wear it everywhere I go, so thank goodness I have two (though I want more!). They're so nice to wear and they flow as nicely as they lay on my shoulders. Well I don't really know how to explain it but it's nice, for serious. I did get them to take a picture of me in my outfit but the lighting and the angle was not as flattering as I'd hoped it would be so I'll save that for the next post.

Til then, hope your Ramadan has been as smashing as mine is. If it hasn't been, don't fret, something/someone will come to the rescue and make it splendid as God intended it to be. Jazakallah khair!