Bangsa Yang Melampui Batas

Dunia menonton kekejaman Ishrael melalui media masa dan media sosial sejak 7 October yang lalu. Kekejaman Izrel bukan baru. Semenjak tertubuhnya negara !sr@el, merekat telah terus menerus melampaui batas.

Kali ini, tindakan kejam mereka adalah atas alasan untuk membalas dendam keatas serangan mengejut yang dilakukan oleh H@m@s Lebih 1700 warga Isrel terbunuh dan beberapa ratus lagi tercedera dan ada juga yang telah diculik,

Meanwhile, about 10,000 Palestinians are killed or lost under the rubbles. The aggressor/occupier promised to keep the civilians safe but at the same time, they b0mb the hospitals and UN Schools. Its crazy to think that I am living in a world where basic human rights are not available to people in Palestine for reason which they are not blameworthy.

Its senseless. 

I find it hard to make plans anymore. I just grateful that I get to sleep in my own bed, go to work, have clean water. These are all privileges that the Palestinians doesn't have. Why??

Greed!

I hope and can do more for the cause. I feel like I am not doing enough. I can only pray so that Palestine will be free again. Soon. InsyaAllah 

Lessons From Uzbekistan

This post has been sitting in draft forms for months. Well today, I decided to publish it. Better late than never I guess..

We just got back from Uzbekistan. It was a 7 days trip which I totally enjoyed. It was summer so the weather was super hot but alhamdulillah, both my husband and I was healthy and well throughout the trip. Allah is the most merciful. 

Uzbekistan is the first Central Asia's country that we visited and our first impression was simply amazing. We know that it is a muslim majority country but we also know that they were under Soviet Union regime. That is why we were genuinely surprise to see how Islam is being strongly practice there. I would go on to say that they practice islam in such a peaceful and non-judgmental way. You practice not to pleased other but Allah. Every single thing they do, they have Allah and Al-Quran in mind. If you have just that 2 things as your guidance in life, nothing can go wrong. Even if something did went wrong, it is as Allah intended hence you should be happy about it.

The experiences I get while travelling is making me re-evaluate my life and all the blessings that have been given to me. It opens my mind to new possibilities and at the same time, I am very grateful with whatever i have already been given to me by Allah.

Best Planner

 We plan and Allah plans. Allah is the best of planner.

Things that I want to remember. Do not worry about rezq. Because it is in Allah's hands and He is the most generous of all.

What we need to focus on is to be closer to Allah in the best way possible. If you walk towards Allah, Allah will run to you. What are you doing now 

Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Allah Almighty says: Whoever comes with a good deed will have the reward of ten like it and even more. Whoever comes with an evil deed will be recompensed for one evil deed like it or he will be forgiven. Whoever draws close to Me by the length of a hand, I will draw close to him by the length of an arm. Whoever draws close to Me the by length of an arm, I will draw close to him by the length of a fathom. Whoever comes to Me walking, I will come to him running. Whoever meets Me with enough sins to fill the earth, not associating any partners with Me, I will meet him with as much forgiveness.”

Vacation Done Right

My husband and I just came back from a week long trip to Bali (8 nights to be exact). I curated the itinerary and decided to see as much of Bali as possible. As expected, Bali is huge and there are so much to see and do. Its very easy to get caught up in what other people are doing. I was always on Google maps looking for things to do and places to visit. I saw that it is what everyone else is doing too. I was trying to feel as excited about Bali like how my sister is always so passionate when talking about Bali. I guess her vibe is not our vibe.

The whole experience made me wonder. What does an ideal holiday looks like for me?

I tried not to cramped too much activities for this trip but it seems like we felt a bit guilty when we just laze around and spent time on our gadgets instead of exploring or doing something. I feel like i need to define what holiday means for me. Is holiday the same with travel? If we do not enjoy the travel are we still on a holiday? 

A holiday is a time off from work and any responsibilities. That sounds like my typical time on the weekends when the kids are not around. Maybe that is why, holiday for me needs to involve being away from home and preferably on a foreign soil, trying new things. 

I'm not sure of my feelings right now. Do i have to much worldly desire hence I am feeling dissatisfied?  Or is it just my hormone acting up?

Catatan 26 Ramadan 2023

Ramadan dah hampir sampai ke penghujung. Rasa tak puas. Rasa tak cukup banyak ibadat. Kali ini aku pilih untuk Tadabur Quran instead of Khatam Quran. Properly understand a few surahs. Nak biasakan diri dengan Quran. Nak jadikan Quran tu teman. Sentiasa baca, memahami dan mengamalkan. InsyaAllah.

Ramai influencer berkongsi pengalaman menunaikan umrah di bulan puasa. Video tampak Mekah sesak dgn jemaah. Tapi ada waktu, gambaran sisi dekat kaabah, tampak ruang-ruang kosong. Masih selesa. Masih boleh menunaikan tawaf dengan aman. Ya Allah, rindu. Semoga kami dijemput ke sana lagi untuk Haji pula hendaknya. Allahumma aamiin..

Alhamdulillah, Allah tu Maha Kaya, Maha Pemurah, Maha Penyayang.. Dia cukupkan segalanya untuk kami sekeluarga tahun ini. Eddy kerja keras untuk memberikan yang terbaik. Tugas aku adalah untuk menyeimbangkan antara Dunia sementara dan Akhirat yang pasti.

Nasihat, ingatan buat diri ini terutama sekali dan sesiapa yang membaca. Akhirat tu pasti akan kita lalui. Dunia ini tempat kita untuk buat tempahan penginapan dan transportation kita di sana. Apa jenis accomodation pilihan hati. Yang panas atau yang dingin? Ada hadis yang menyatakan mereka yang menjadikan Surah Al Baqarah dan Ali Imran sebagai kelazimannya, dia akan terlepas dr panasnya matahari di masyar kelak. Hadis ini baru aku ketahui. Semoga tahun ini aku dapat habis belajar 2 surah penting ini dan betul-betul diamalkan.

Sebagai umat nabi Muhammad SAW, aku doa supaya diri ini mendapat syafaat dari Rasulullah dan aku dapat jadi antara insan yang sama-sama berdiri bertemu bahu di hadapan pintu syurga paling besar. Aku doa agar ada 1 istana disediakan untuk aku yang di bawahnya ada sungai yang mengalir.

Selain dari menumpukan perhatian kepada Al Quran, aku pohon semoga Allah mengizinkan aku untuk banyak bermusafir, melihat keindahan ciptaanNya. 

Doa paling banyak untuk puasa tahun ini... Tawfiq dan hidayah yang berterusan dari Allah untuk aku, suami, ibu bapa kami, anak-anak kami, ahli keluarga kami dan siapa sahaja yang mengingati kami dalam doa-doa mereka. Semoga kita sentiasa mencari jalan yang boleh membuatkan Sang Pencipta tambah sayang kepada kita semua

Friday

This post has been sitting in draft form for nearly a month. I've been busy travelling up and down Malaysia for work. My husband and kids have been amazing and supportive. No complaints of a messy house, piling laundry or having to eat takeout foods everyday. They are a blessing, alhamdulillah.

Hectic life leads to me dreaming of a gateway. We've been binging on Ustazah Basikal's journey to Mecca. A couple, rode their bikes from Malaysia to Mecca. Its inspiring to say the least. They have not finished telling their story in their youtube's but they did wrote several books documenting their journey. (Note to self: buy their book before going to Uzbek in June)

So, for the past week or so, I've been thinking of our own Round the World (RTW) trip. Let's think deeper:

What - 

mode of transport options : 

1. Bike 
2. Motorbike
3. Car
4. Truck
5. motorhome
6. public transport

In terms of mode of transportation, a few experiments need to be carried out. We just need something sustainable. Safety is our number one priority. It need not be comfortable but it has to be not too uncomfortable. If its enjoyable then, its a bonus.

Why - To see Allah's creations, be closer to Allah, become a mussafir 

Where - Maybe we need to start small so that we can experiment different mode of transport. Sarawak/Brunei could be the first destinations. Amsterdam can be a nice place to try long distance cycling. Motorcycle in Italy. Car rides in German. Motor homes in New Zealand

When -   the earliest i could think of is after we got back from Uzbek. Maybe we should go around Sarawak first or even up north to Thailand?

How -  much is the cost?

Save every penny we got. Take up extra work. Pray that Allah will provide and grant us ease.

Why are women so petty (sometimes)?

I just realised (literally just realised it a few minutes ago) that I have this tendency to be petty. I am not sure when it started. I hope it was not a built-in thing coz I really dislike to be equate with such cliche trait for a women.  

I hate myself for being petty. Even whilst I was saying (typing) those petty sentences to my husband, I spite myself for doing it. Somehow, I have little control over my action. I don't believe in such thing (having no control over your own action). It sounded like I am disclaiming responsibility towards my own action. I wish I could just disclaim it and blame it on my hormone or the devil, in the end, there is only me, myself and I.

My poor husband was the victim of my ongoing pettiness. It started yesterday. He didn't invite me to go to the park. I guess, I feel abandoned. I always ask him to do everything with me but this one time he decided not to take me with him. He doesn't think that he is doing anything wrong so he doesn't feel the need to apologize to me. The thing is this. I like to think that I am rational and most of the time logical but somehow, his excuses sounded so selfish to me. I know he has no intention of hurting my feeling, yet I'm still hurt. 

I should just let it go. Holding on to this petty stupid issue would only hurt me. I'm hurt and he should know that. But he did not apologize. I guess that's why I'm now bitter and spiteful. 

Gratitude (Friday - 6 January)

There is so much to be grateful for. Truly. If we spent just a few minutes to think about all our blessings and thank Allah for all of them, it will definitely improve our mood.

Yesterday, I had a fruitful day at work. It was challenging but definitely satisfying. We finally visited Paya Indah Wetlands. Saw the hippos, crocs, tortoises and horses being fed and enjoy Allah's beautiful nature. Beautiful reflection of the sky and the trees during a sunny day. Magnificent view created by Allah. I am so blessed to be able to see it all. 

I went home tired but I get the house to my self since my husband and son were in Putrajaya. I manage to muster what little energy left and cooked a healthy porridge full of veggies and a few dollop of mushroom potage soup. I get to enjoy a bit of a downtime in front of the tv and slept early.

To  my surprise, my husband came home in the wee morning blessed his heart for driving all the way from Putrajaya just to sleep in our bed, by my side. I woke up for fajr and get to read Surah Al -Kahfi before starting the day. I get to cook breakfast for my husband with jazz music playing in the background. 

I went to office feeling fresh, donning a newly bought scarf. I tend to the office plants just to make sure they all get enough sunlight. Now I'm writing this while drinking hot chocolate since the office feels extra cold today.

Its Friday so extra Salawat to our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW. Been reading a few posts about his characters. He is the best of mankind hence that is why, we should all follow his footsteps. Hopefully, we get to meet him in Paradise. Aameen.. 

Who I Wish to Become

Building new habits starts with knowing who you want to become through those habits.

Since I am reaching my final year in my 3 series era, I constantly think about my retirement. What it is going to look like and what I am going to do if I ever live long enough to reach my retirement age.

First of all, when do I want to retire? Perhaps after my cash savings (not including KWSP) reach at least 300K? If I save/invest RM 2.5K every month, I can get RM300K in 12.5 years. When can I start to save RM2.5K per month?

My monthly commitment has been high as of late. I could set a budget and stick to it. I need to limit my expenses to just RM 4000 per month. As of now, I am saving at least 1K per month. I will start to save more next month. 

Then again, rizq is from Allah and Allah is the best planner. If Allah is pleased with us, He will grant us more rizq and even guide us to make a good financial planning so that we would be able to achieve whatever we want. I need to remember that every dollar spent for the Sake of Allah, He will returned the dollar, tenfold. Who I wish to become is a generous person. All the money I have is meant for others but those I gave away for the sake of Allah, will be recorded as good deeds and this will help me in the Hereafter.

It is decided. This year's habits should center around pleasing our Creator instead of worrying about what will be given to us. The focus should be on paradise and the Hereafter because that is definitely where we will end up at. I wish to have palaces, beautiful palaces built for me in Jannah. Perhaps, every time i visit a huge beautiful building, I will be reminded of paradise and palaces in paradise. 

Waking up as early as 5am for tahajud and subuh prayer with my husband. Voluntary fast on Mondays and Thursdays and all other special days. Consistently giving out sedaqah and helping those in need. I just increased my monthly zakat payment since my salary was revised. I pray that Allah accepts it from me and forgive my sins. 

I've started to get physically active as well as sleeping early. I also read books before bed these days. Perhaps these habits could help to reduce the amount of time I spent in front of the tv. 

I want to continue increasing my love for Allah. Remembering all His mercy and rizq that He has given me through out my life. How He protected me and continue to love me despite my transgression. How He forgive me and rewarded me for my patience. 2022 was such a miraculous journey. I pray that 2023 would be even better, insyaAllah.

p/s - Perhaps it is time to restart my offline gratitude journal. 

  

Manifestation (3)

 Alhamdulillah.. 

I must say, writing a manifestation has been a magical journey. The last manifestation post that I wrote in July manifested in September. I wrote about Royal Caribbean Cruise, we bought the holiday package for it in September. I wrote about Hajj. We actually went for Umrah in October. MasyaAllah. As to the 3rd on the list, I'm still working on my physique. I'm healthy, that what matters right?

Let's start manifesting good things in 2023.

1. A trip abroad with Adly. Either Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia or Turkey even Europe

2. Increase in sadaqah jariah.. I need to find ways to increase this good deeds and not worry about rezq. Trust that the more you give out, the more Allah will replaced it for you

3. UK and Europe is still in my list. Added Turkey and Uzbek too.. I wish to visit all beautiful mosques in the world. Starting with those in Malaysia and neighbouring countries like Banda Acheh in Indonesia. Travelling as a habit perhaps? May Allah ease..

4. Tahajud is my habit. Hopefully it will last my lifetime. May Allah grant us istiqamah. The benefit is great. I just need to motivate myself to sleep early and wake up earlier.

5. Increase my retirement savings increased this year. I want to have a retirement where all we do is travel. Yearly visit to the holy lands insyaAllah and visit all the wonders of the world.  

2023

 Its the 3rd of January 2023 (Tuesday). First day of working for this year. 

Another year. Hopefully a much peaceful and happier year now that everything is in its place. I don't have many resolution plans. I feel like I've accumulated too many bad habits that I need to let go off this year.

Since I intend to travel more this year, I need to save more money meaning spend less. I need to track my spending so I know where my money went and just dump a chunk of my salary into my saving. Automate everything so that I don't have to think about it. I'm setting up everything now so that I don't have to worry or even think about it later. This year I'm trying Wahed Invest. Another robo investor. The basic idea behind investing is to do it regularly so that the money you invested is compounded.

The narrative that has been circulating for the past months or so is that the world will enter a terrible financial crisis and therefore everyone should be prepared for it. I am not an expert in economic but I do know that savings regularly is simply a good habits to have. Let's just do that this year and be mindful of our spending.