Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,
Alhamdulillahi rabbilalamin. All praise is due to ALLAH, the Lord of the universe, by HIS Grace that today we finally established the Cambridge Malaysian Muslims Society (CAMMUS). It was a successful meeting today and the whole formal process was done in a semi-formal way, in a way that there is only joy for everyone but carrying the same objective to make us a stronger community here in Cambridge. All the important positions were elected. We also set the objectives and activities that we want to have.
InshaALLAH, with this society, we can do more not just for ourselves but also for others. May ALLAH bless this society and grant us success. Amin.
Wassalam.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Ashura Day
Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,
Happy Ashura Day! Ashura just means number 10. It's the tenth day of the first month (Muharram) of Islamic calendar. Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad in his khutbah said that, this is a time to contemplate on two great hijrah in the history of monotheism.
It is well-known that the Islamic calendar was started on the year when Prophet Muhammad (saw) and the believing muslims in Makkah emigrated to Madinah (back then Yathrib) after 13 years of preaching and suffering, and also persecution. It marks the starting of the calculation of Islamic year until today, we have entered year 1429H. Many miracles had been presented to the mushrikun (polytheists) but they didn't accept this faith, including the greatest miracle - the Holy Qur'an. Instead, the muslims were tortured, killed, boycotted and persecuted in their own land. Facing such oppression until the muslims asked the Prophet (saw) - when will ALLAH's help come? (recorded in Surah al-Baqarah verse 214); until the Angels offered to kill the oppressors, to crush the mountains around Makkah in order to destroy them, but our beloved Prophet (saw) never wished for anything bad to anyone, taught us to be patient and forgiving, until the command from ALLAH to emigrate to Madinah came. His (saw) quality of forgiving was shown when he conquered Makkah after 10 years of the hijrah, he (saw) forgave and freed those who used to oppressed him (saw) and the muslims.
Another great story of hijrah is recorded in the Qur'an when Prophet Musa (as) and the believing People of Israel emigrated from Egypt to Palestine, escaping the greatest oppressor of all time, the Pharaoh. Fallen into the same situation as Prophet Muhammad (saw), his (as) miracles (at least 9) were not accepted by the arrogant Pharaoh. They were forced to work as slaves while their boys were killed. Finally, Prophet Musa (as), Prophet Harun (as) and the believing People of Israel who all submitted themselves to ALLAH emigrated to Palestine by getting a longer route to the south and passed the Red Sea by ALLAH's help. They then began new life in another land as like how the muslims began theirs in Madinah.
Thus, the muslims and the jews share the same tradition, frustration, struggle and the need to move to a new place to escape from the oppressors. Violence is not a solution in such a situation. By having faith in ALLAH, believing in HIS help and protection, we will gain success in this World and the Hereafter. To thank ALLAH for this escape, the jews fasted on Yom Kippur which literally means the Tenth Day as in Arabic, Yaum Ashura. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said that the muslims have more right upon Prophet Musa (as) than the jews thus commanded the muslims to make fasting obligatory on this day during the first year of Hijrah. Later, this was abrogated by the Qur'an (in Surah al-Baqarah, verse 185), hence fasting on Ashura Day becomes recommended fast for the muslims. To differentiate between the fast of the muslims and other traditions on this day, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) commanded the muslims to fast on the 9th of Muharram too. Sadly, this was an act of worship that he didn't have the opportunity to fulfill as he passed away a few months after he said this.
More about Muharram & Ashura can be read here.
May ALLAH accept all our deeds and let us not be the oppressors nor the oppressed.
ALLAHU'alam.
Wassalam.
Happy Ashura Day! Ashura just means number 10. It's the tenth day of the first month (Muharram) of Islamic calendar. Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad in his khutbah said that, this is a time to contemplate on two great hijrah in the history of monotheism.
It is well-known that the Islamic calendar was started on the year when Prophet Muhammad (saw) and the believing muslims in Makkah emigrated to Madinah (back then Yathrib) after 13 years of preaching and suffering, and also persecution. It marks the starting of the calculation of Islamic year until today, we have entered year 1429H. Many miracles had been presented to the mushrikun (polytheists) but they didn't accept this faith, including the greatest miracle - the Holy Qur'an. Instead, the muslims were tortured, killed, boycotted and persecuted in their own land. Facing such oppression until the muslims asked the Prophet (saw) - when will ALLAH's help come? (recorded in Surah al-Baqarah verse 214); until the Angels offered to kill the oppressors, to crush the mountains around Makkah in order to destroy them, but our beloved Prophet (saw) never wished for anything bad to anyone, taught us to be patient and forgiving, until the command from ALLAH to emigrate to Madinah came. His (saw) quality of forgiving was shown when he conquered Makkah after 10 years of the hijrah, he (saw) forgave and freed those who used to oppressed him (saw) and the muslims.
Another great story of hijrah is recorded in the Qur'an when Prophet Musa (as) and the believing People of Israel emigrated from Egypt to Palestine, escaping the greatest oppressor of all time, the Pharaoh. Fallen into the same situation as Prophet Muhammad (saw), his (as) miracles (at least 9) were not accepted by the arrogant Pharaoh. They were forced to work as slaves while their boys were killed. Finally, Prophet Musa (as), Prophet Harun (as) and the believing People of Israel who all submitted themselves to ALLAH emigrated to Palestine by getting a longer route to the south and passed the Red Sea by ALLAH's help. They then began new life in another land as like how the muslims began theirs in Madinah.
Thus, the muslims and the jews share the same tradition, frustration, struggle and the need to move to a new place to escape from the oppressors. Violence is not a solution in such a situation. By having faith in ALLAH, believing in HIS help and protection, we will gain success in this World and the Hereafter. To thank ALLAH for this escape, the jews fasted on Yom Kippur which literally means the Tenth Day as in Arabic, Yaum Ashura. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said that the muslims have more right upon Prophet Musa (as) than the jews thus commanded the muslims to make fasting obligatory on this day during the first year of Hijrah. Later, this was abrogated by the Qur'an (in Surah al-Baqarah, verse 185), hence fasting on Ashura Day becomes recommended fast for the muslims. To differentiate between the fast of the muslims and other traditions on this day, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) commanded the muslims to fast on the 9th of Muharram too. Sadly, this was an act of worship that he didn't have the opportunity to fulfill as he passed away a few months after he said this.
More about Muharram & Ashura can be read here.
May ALLAH accept all our deeds and let us not be the oppressors nor the oppressed.
ALLAHU'alam.
Wassalam.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Cambridge Malaysian Muslims
Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,
When I first came here, the Malaysian muslims in Cambridge were so little in number that we seldom met and didn't have much activities except gatherings on Eid days (not every eid though), a BBQ picnic and occasionally meet-up for a cup of tea, especially among the brothers cause there quite many of them compares to the sisters. For us who want spiritual inputs, we end up in ISOC, not CUMaS (Cambridge University Malaysian Society) simply because there is no event for islamic development and many of the events are aiming at socialising. While many of the Malaysian muslims in Cambridge are postgraduates, many of the events by CUMaS (many good events though) are catered for undergraduates. There is a serious lack of meeting between the Malaysian muslims in Cambridge. This year, there is a group of new postgraduates from Malaysia. Many of them are cheerful sisters. We started to form a little group and they always meet each other.
One day, one of the sisters told me that the Malaysian Student Department, London (MSD) has sent all the Cambridge Malaysian muslims an email regarding the request of the religious affair personnel to meet the students here. In order to facilitate this meeting, I organised a Hijrah New Year talk to give the opportunity for the representative of MSD to meet the muslim students here. Alhamdulillah, it was a successful evening, click here for more detail.
After the talk, many of us were inspired to form an organisation consisting of Malaysian muslims students and their families (if they are here) in Cambridge. This group is essential to gather many of us here and work towards organising more formal activities that will be supported by MSD. We can always have informal gathering, especially with food, but there has never been such an opportunity to meet and benefit from formal sharing of religious knowledge among us when we are all muslims. Hopefully this will bring us towards better socialising & learning, perhaps a way of sharing that is relevant to the context of Malaysian muslims in Cambridge, inshaALLAH.
Wassalam.
When I first came here, the Malaysian muslims in Cambridge were so little in number that we seldom met and didn't have much activities except gatherings on Eid days (not every eid though), a BBQ picnic and occasionally meet-up for a cup of tea, especially among the brothers cause there quite many of them compares to the sisters. For us who want spiritual inputs, we end up in ISOC, not CUMaS (Cambridge University Malaysian Society) simply because there is no event for islamic development and many of the events are aiming at socialising. While many of the Malaysian muslims in Cambridge are postgraduates, many of the events by CUMaS (many good events though) are catered for undergraduates. There is a serious lack of meeting between the Malaysian muslims in Cambridge. This year, there is a group of new postgraduates from Malaysia. Many of them are cheerful sisters. We started to form a little group and they always meet each other.
One day, one of the sisters told me that the Malaysian Student Department, London (MSD) has sent all the Cambridge Malaysian muslims an email regarding the request of the religious affair personnel to meet the students here. In order to facilitate this meeting, I organised a Hijrah New Year talk to give the opportunity for the representative of MSD to meet the muslim students here. Alhamdulillah, it was a successful evening, click here for more detail.
After the talk, many of us were inspired to form an organisation consisting of Malaysian muslims students and their families (if they are here) in Cambridge. This group is essential to gather many of us here and work towards organising more formal activities that will be supported by MSD. We can always have informal gathering, especially with food, but there has never been such an opportunity to meet and benefit from formal sharing of religious knowledge among us when we are all muslims. Hopefully this will bring us towards better socialising & learning, perhaps a way of sharing that is relevant to the context of Malaysian muslims in Cambridge, inshaALLAH.
Wassalam.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Trip to Liverpool - II
Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,
These are the pictures of the conference. There are more than 350 events in 3 days and a giant exhibition of all the companies and organisations related to science education in UK. This annual conference is a good time for science educators meet. I met more people and presented a paper in this conference. It was a very nice feeling to know that your research receives a positive response from the science teachers or the practitioners. Alhamdulillah.
ASE Annual Conference 2008 at University of Liverpool
Demonstration
I like the title - If It Moves, It's Biology, If It Smells, It's Chemistry, If It Doesn't Work, It's Physics
Open conference
Exhibition - got lots of freebies!
Periodical Table with real stuff!
Wassalam.
These are the pictures of the conference. There are more than 350 events in 3 days and a giant exhibition of all the companies and organisations related to science education in UK. This annual conference is a good time for science educators meet. I met more people and presented a paper in this conference. It was a very nice feeling to know that your research receives a positive response from the science teachers or the practitioners. Alhamdulillah.
ASE Annual Conference 2008 at University of Liverpool
Research seminar - my friend is presenting
DemonstrationI like the title - If It Moves, It's Biology, If It Smells, It's Chemistry, If It Doesn't Work, It's Physics
Open conference
Exhibition - got lots of freebies!
Periodical Table with real stuff!
Wassalam.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Trip to Liverpool - I
Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,
I went to Liverpool 2 weeks ago (no time to update this entry :S) for this conference.
I think I like Liverpool. The streets are wide, not like Cambridge and there are lots of halal food shops around. I even had a HALAL Full English Breakfast and also jacket potato with HALAL roasted chicken, and most importantly in an amazing low price! Alhamdulillah.
The journey was horrible due to the unexpected rail engineering works. Both my journeys to and back were late. I got on the train on-time but I arrived late! For many times, I like going around the world (? UK is my first country abroad and I have since never been out of England or other country except for umrah, once!) but I don't like the journey. Beside my car-sick, I think it's the time that I spent doing nothing (can't even read!) really makes me dislike any travelling journey. Well, what can I do.
I was occupied by the conference for the whole day-time and only had a little time at night to walk around (and it was a rainy night when I have the chance to go around). These are some pictures to share.
The Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
The door was close when I get there in the evening :(
View of the city from the cathedral
Another cathedral (not far from the above one) - Liverpool Anglican Cathedral
China town
Wassalam.
I went to Liverpool 2 weeks ago (no time to update this entry :S) for this conference.
I think I like Liverpool. The streets are wide, not like Cambridge and there are lots of halal food shops around. I even had a HALAL Full English Breakfast and also jacket potato with HALAL roasted chicken, and most importantly in an amazing low price! Alhamdulillah.
The journey was horrible due to the unexpected rail engineering works. Both my journeys to and back were late. I got on the train on-time but I arrived late! For many times, I like going around the world (? UK is my first country abroad and I have since never been out of England or other country except for umrah, once!) but I don't like the journey. Beside my car-sick, I think it's the time that I spent doing nothing (can't even read!) really makes me dislike any travelling journey. Well, what can I do.
I was occupied by the conference for the whole day-time and only had a little time at night to walk around (and it was a rainy night when I have the chance to go around). These are some pictures to share.
The Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
The door was close when I get there in the evening :(
View of the city from the cathedral
Another cathedral (not far from the above one) - Liverpool Anglican Cathedral
China town
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Many people are making dua for you
Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,
This is the first time I really feel stressed with my study. I usually will only get stressed over matters that related to relationships (mu'amalah) with other humans or organising events that really exhibit my reputation or the reputation of the organisation that I represent. But this time, it is about my study. Time is really pressing me and my pace is still slow, really slow that it really worries me. I don't know if I can achieve the target that I have planned before the summer holiday. I am still at the stage of analysing when I should be doing writing-up only. I constantly feeling headache (and probably migraine) and tiny little thing can make me sick. I was caught in rain yesterday and now I am getting flu, sneezing non-stop this whole morning.
I don't know why, whenever I am down, I always remember these 2 friends of mine, Dina & Sarah. Funnily, they are both Egyptians (I am not bigging-up the Egyptian) and are two great sisters that I have ever known in UK. I texted Dina and she replied me to work hard and remember that 'many people are making dua for you, mA'. I phoned Sarah and she laughed over it and gave me the same reply ' everyone is making dua for you'. I nearly cried when they told me so. I am really touched by this. Even when I am typing this post, I can hardly bear the tears from falling down. From these words, I can feel the strength to gather pieces of me again and focus on my study. Alhamdulillah.
for you, knowing that they care about you, knowing that they are unselfishly making an effort to include me in their Such is the power of dua, the strongest weapon of success that I can never have if I am not a muslim. The feeling of hope, worry, fear & reliance, mix into 1 simple dua that is definitely heard by ALLAH Most High. Knowing that many people (pious people, mashaALLAH) are making duadua, knowing that ALLAH is listening to everyone of them, how can my heart not come to a tranquil state. Beside gratitude, I have nothing to say to them (whoever they are) except this hadith:
Wassalam.
This is the first time I really feel stressed with my study. I usually will only get stressed over matters that related to relationships (mu'amalah) with other humans or organising events that really exhibit my reputation or the reputation of the organisation that I represent. But this time, it is about my study. Time is really pressing me and my pace is still slow, really slow that it really worries me. I don't know if I can achieve the target that I have planned before the summer holiday. I am still at the stage of analysing when I should be doing writing-up only. I constantly feeling headache (and probably migraine) and tiny little thing can make me sick. I was caught in rain yesterday and now I am getting flu, sneezing non-stop this whole morning.
I don't know why, whenever I am down, I always remember these 2 friends of mine, Dina & Sarah. Funnily, they are both Egyptians (I am not bigging-up the Egyptian) and are two great sisters that I have ever known in UK. I texted Dina and she replied me to work hard and remember that 'many people are making dua for you, mA'. I phoned Sarah and she laughed over it and gave me the same reply ' everyone is making dua for you'. I nearly cried when they told me so. I am really touched by this. Even when I am typing this post, I can hardly bear the tears from falling down. From these words, I can feel the strength to gather pieces of me again and focus on my study. Alhamdulillah.
for you, knowing that they care about you, knowing that they are unselfishly making an effort to include me in their Such is the power of dua, the strongest weapon of success that I can never have if I am not a muslim. The feeling of hope, worry, fear & reliance, mix into 1 simple dua that is definitely heard by ALLAH Most High. Knowing that many people (pious people, mashaALLAH) are making duadua, knowing that ALLAH is listening to everyone of them, how can my heart not come to a tranquil state. Beside gratitude, I have nothing to say to them (whoever they are) except this hadith:
May ALLAH love them, help them, bless them & preserve them, grant them reward and success in this World and the Hereafter. Amin.The Prophet(saw) said: “The dua of a Muslim for his brother (in Islam) in his absence is readily accepted. An angel is appointed to his side. Whenever he makes a beneficial dua for his brother the appointed angel says, ‘Aameen. And may you also be blessed with the same.’”~ Sahih Muslim
Wassalam.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Happy New Year , for real
Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,
12 lunar months of the Islamic calendar have passed. Tonight, the new moon of the new year, 1429H will be appearing in the horizon, marking the start of another year, approaching the Last Day. So, what have we done in 1428H? Well, whatever it is, I pray that ALLAH will forgive all our sins in the past, accept all our good deeds, overlook all our bad deeds and grant all our wishes for the coming year. Amin.
New year resolution - always the same - get closer to ALLAH, there can never be an end for this resolution, the distance is always changing but the things that really matter are the intention and actions in closing the gap. Every resolution that we make should only have 1 aim because they all have to be done with the intention of 'lillahi ta'ala'. How hard can it be to aim for the goods of the World and the Hereafter if not by making all our actions in our lives as forms of worship which rooted from the intention just for the All-Mighty?
Ya Rabbi, taqabbal minni... Innaka anta as-Sami al-Alim.
Wassalam.
|
| ||||||||
12 lunar months of the Islamic calendar have passed. Tonight, the new moon of the new year, 1429H will be appearing in the horizon, marking the start of another year, approaching the Last Day. So, what have we done in 1428H? Well, whatever it is, I pray that ALLAH will forgive all our sins in the past, accept all our good deeds, overlook all our bad deeds and grant all our wishes for the coming year. Amin.
New year resolution - always the same - get closer to ALLAH, there can never be an end for this resolution, the distance is always changing but the things that really matter are the intention and actions in closing the gap. Every resolution that we make should only have 1 aim because they all have to be done with the intention of 'lillahi ta'ala'. How hard can it be to aim for the goods of the World and the Hereafter if not by making all our actions in our lives as forms of worship which rooted from the intention just for the All-Mighty?
Ya Rabbi, taqabbal minni... Innaka anta as-Sami al-Alim.
Wassalam.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
