Law Kaana Bainana (Andainya KekasihMu Masih Berada Bersama Kami)

Andainya KekasihMu masih berada bersama-sama kami

Akan terlunaslah segala hutang dan semakin hampirlah

Dengan haruman Baginda, sebelum hilangnya 

Rasa yang meronta-ronta untuk berada hampir dengan KekasihMu.

Berada berhampiran Baginda jiwa turut menjadi harum

Dan apa jua yang kalian doakan kepada Allah akan diperkenankan

Cahaya Nabi Muhammad tidak akan pernah sirna

Sempatkanlah kami bertemu dengan Baginda

Wahai Tuhan Yang Maha Memperkenankan doa.

Hidayahmu kepada alam merata meluas

Tanda hampirnya kasih sayang Tuhan pemberi hidayah

Hadith-hadithmu ibarat sungai mengalir jernih

Berada di sisimu bagaikan dahan yang tumbuh segar dan basah.

Kutebus diriku dengan dirimu wahai Kekasihku

Nabi Muhammad yang mulia yang asing

Berada berhampiranmu jiwa menjadi harum

Wahai yang diutuskan membawa RAHMAT kepada seluruh alam...

Masjid Negara: a national heritage

Standing proud right within the KL city centre, the Masjid Negara symbolizes the role of Islam as the official religion of the nation.

But more than that, it is also an iconic building. A landmark in itself. And now, an officially designated heritage building.

I am quite sure each and every Malaysian Muslim must have set foot here at least once in their life time. It could have been for a prayer break during one of those holiday visits to KL. Or it could be a short stop-by whilst on a trip to send their sons or daughters into one of the local universities.

Personally, I remember one trip to Masjid Negara with my brother, Azmi, when we were in our teens.

I think we were staying in Tapah at that time. Or was it Telok Intan? Anyway, Azmi had won a drawing competition and the prize-giving ceremony was to be held at the National Mosque. Apak couldn't make it to KL to accompany Azmi. So it was up to big brother to the rescue.

Not that I was familiar with KL myself! But we managed to reach KL safely by bus, and somehow succeeded in finding our way to the mosque. Right after the prize-giving ceremony, it was straight back to the bus station and home we went. For, as I told you earlier, I was not familiar with KL to go around and enjoy ourselves in the big city.

Completed in 1965, the mosque was designed by three architects at the JKR. It can accommodate a congregation of 15,000 at any one time. Featuring unique design features and a fascinating-looking roof, it was the biggest and most modern mosque at the time.

Once in a while I would pay a visit to the National Mosque. Its location is so strategic, one can just drop by when in downtown KL, or stopover en route from somewhere. It has changed a bit from during the day when I visited it with Azmi back then. But I am glad that it still retains its charm and calming ambiance.

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Ramadhan karim

Engkau dinanti
Bulan agung nan berkah
Bawa hidayah

Cuci hatiku
Yang kotor bergelora

Ramadhan karim

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Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha

A very old photo of Wukuf at Arafah. Besides submission to Allah in the fullest sense of the word, the hajj is also about sacrifices. Looking at the condition of wukuf in years gone-by, pilgrims nowadays have never had it so good.

Yesterday was wukuf day at Padang Arafah. This was the very climax of the hajj pilgrimage.

It is also the day when pilgrims get to be the closest to Allah s.w.t. spiritually.

Today is Aidil Adha, or "Raya Korban" as it is sometimes called here in Malaysia.

All in the family are back home. We shall do our solat Aidil Adha here in Bandar Tun Hussein Onn. After that we will set off for Ipoh to visit Emak.

I wish everyone a happy Aidil Adha. And hope that the significance of the word "korban" is not lost upon us as we busily and happily go balik kampong to meet friends and families.

Let us ponder, for a moment, the sacrifices that the Prophet Ibrahim a.s. made in the name of Allah thousands of years ago. And then, let us reflect on the sacrifices that we ourselves have really made for that cause.

It pales in comparison, right?

Salam to all and everyone.

Two weeks to wukuf

The atmosphere around the Masjidil Haram today (13 Nov. 2009) during Solat Jumaat. Photo courtesy of Manzlie Makkah Blogspot (this blog is updated daily bringing latest development in the Holy City)

It is now just two weeks away from wukuf. I still remember clearly when I was in Makkah for hajj three years ago that during this time - just two weeks away to the climax of the hajj - the holy city of Makkah would be choked-full of people.

The Masjidil Haram would be jam-packed with pilgrims 24 hours a day either praying, doing the tawaf, doing the the saie, reciting the Quran or just lying on the floor, resting.

I would watch in awe at the pilgrims going about their business. To think that all these people of varying nationalities, and shades of skin from the four corners of the globe could congregate in this holy city fore-going the comfort of their homes in search of Allah's pleasure really struck me as an act of the highest order of humility and total submission to Allah, the Lord, our Creator.

This year's hajj season sees quite a number of my office mates - including the boss - answering the call of Allah the Almighty. My mother-in-law is also there now. One of my riding mates, Kolonel Azudin, shall be leaving this coming Monday.

I pray that they will all be able to perform their duties well and come back safely, recharged and rejuvenated in their iman.

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Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri

The holy month of Ramadhan has come and gone. We all know that Ramadhan is the month of barakah where all good deeds are amply rewarded.

I pray that whatever little ibadah that I have had the strength to undertake will be accepted by Allah SWT. I also pray that, having graduated from the madrasah of Ramadhan, my ibadah therefrom will live up to, and be the guided by, the standard set.

Not that it was such a high standard, of course. But I should aspire to keep it - if not further improve upon it.

But most of all, I pray that, by the grace of Allah, I would be given the opportunity to be present come next Ramadhan.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri

Mohon Maaf Zahir dan Batin

What's your Ramadhan KPI?

Ramadhan is here with us again.

Alhamdulillah. Praise be to Allah for we have been chosen to meet this holy month once again.

I have blogged about Ramadhan a couple of times before (see here and here). The message – intended for myself especially – is this: reap the most out of this one month which has been bestowed the most of barakah by the Almighty.

In this day and age when we are crazy and besotted with KPIs, NKRA and what have you, I’d be inclined to ask: what is our KPI for this Ramadhan?

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Purification of the Heart

I seldom take notice of the daily "breakfast television show" dished out by our television stations. To me they are just there, in the background, to accompany me as I bite into my toasts.
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But last week, Wardina, one of the hosts on TV3, started talking about this book entitled "Purification of the Heart" by Hamza Yusuf.

It made me stop chewing on my toast momentarily. For I had heard that title before. But I could not pin-point exactly where, and when. Memory failed me, I went on to finish up my half-boiled eggs and promptly left the dinning table.

It was only later on in the day that I remembered the book had been lent to me by cousin, Iwan, quite some time back. I had browsed through it. But I never really got to start reading it.

Thank you Wardina for reminding me. I really do have to catch up on my reading, haven't I?

Allow me to share some excerpts from the book's Introduction :

"The sound heart is understood to be free of character defects and spiritual blemishes. This "heart" is actually the spiritual heart and not the organ per se, although in the Islamic tradition, the spiritual heart is centred in the physical".

"Many in the West have long proffered that the brain is the center of consciousness. But in traditional Islamic thought - as in other traditions - the heart is viewed as the center of our being."

Wallahua'alam.

Ahlan wa sahlan ya Ramadhan

Ramadhan is here with us again.

It is the most awaited month for Muslims simply for the blessings and barakah that Allah SWT has promised onto Muslims who do their utmost to fill this one month with ibadah.

I am reminded of my posting last year (here) on getting the most out of the holy month of Ramadhan.

Ahlan wa sahlan, wa marhaban ya Ramadhan.

I seek Allah's grace and mercy so that this shall be a better Ramadhan than the last for my family and I. Amin.

The kite runner (2)

A beautiful Afghanisan landscape

I finished reading The Kite Runner four days after I started. The short time span taken reflects the great interest the book held on me.

It is a story about loyalty. It is also about self respect and being true to oneself.

After betraying his good friend, Hassan, during their childhood days, Amir was haunted by his act many years later into adulthood.

But in the end he had the chance to redeem himself – by rescuing Hassan’s son. And how he redeemed himself indeed. He had to pay much for his earlier betrayal by enduring lots of pain – emotionally and physically.

Okay. That much I would say about the story in the book.

The rest is for one to discover him or herself by reading it personally. Or, by catching the movie. The novel has been turned into a movie in 2007.

What’s more interesting to me now, is that The Kite Runner has piqued my interest in Afghanistan.

Like everyone else, of course I have seen and heard a lot about Afghanistan on the television. It has been in the news ever since 1979 when the Soviet invaded it.

But I never listened nor looked with real interest. I saw images of Afghanistan with my eyes. And listened with my ears. But never with my heart.

Not anymore, I hope. Now, I know Afghanistan is a great Muslim nation, with a long and proud history.

Sadly though, Afghanistan is also a nation which has been torn and ravaged by wars as invaders one after another continue to conquer her.

The current situation is not much different either.


A puppet leader is put in place by a foreign superpower merely to safeguard its regional security interests. This has seen Afghanistan turning into an impoverished country, one of the world's poorest and least developed.

Demographically, Afghanistan is ethnically mixed. This reflects its location astride historic trade and invasion routes leading from Central Asia into South Asia and Southwest Asia.


The major ethnic group is Pashtun (Amir’s ethnic group). Other, smaller, groups include the Tajiks, the Hazara (Hassan’s ethnic group) and a few more.

The most common languages spoken in Afghanistan are Persian and Pashto. But Persian is the most widely used language. It is an Indo-European language from the Iranian languages sub-family.


This explains why the book was sprinkled with many familiar words, i.e. words which are found in the Malay language such as hadiah, shalwar (seluar), naan, quwat (kuat), watan (tanah air), and biryani.

Religiously, Afghans are over 99% Muslims. Islam plays a key role in the formation of Afghanistan's society. Despite the early thirteenth century Mongol invasion of the nation, even a brutal warrior in the form of Genghis Khan could not uproot Islamic civilization.

In fact, within two generations, his heirs had become Muslims themselves.

You know, actually, once a year a group of Afghan men would visit my neighbourhood in Bandar Tun Huseein Onn. They come in collection of alms to build schools and madrasahs in the remote parts of Afghanistan, they say.

They come well prepared with documentations and photos to prove their genuine cause. But still, when I hand out my small donation, questions would still hang on my mind, “is this truly for a worthy cause? Are they honest people? ”

Yes, I know. I should practice “husnuzon”, bersangka baik. But still…

But the next time they come around, it shall be different, insyaAllah. There is now a feeling of kinship with them. We are brothers, after all.


"Oh mankind, We created you from a single (pair)of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes,so that you may know (recognize) each other"


(Al-Quran, Al-Hujrat 49:13).

Longing for Makkatul Mukarramah

Jeddah King Abdul Aziz International Airport: Hajj Terminal

Last Friday, 21st December, was the last day of stoning of the jamrat in Mina for the Hajj pilgrims now in Makkah. With that, they will have completed most of the obligatory rituals. All that remains was for them to make the short 5 km trip to return to Makkah and perform the obligatory tawwaf and sae’i.

A short trip it may be. However, with three million pilgrims intent on getting back into Makkah almost at the same time, it is a huge challenge for the pilgrims, as well as, the Saudi Government officials who plan the logistics.

Just imagine thousands of buses ferrying three million passengers towards one point of destination within the space of a few hours. During this mass exodus, Makkah shall be choked full of traffic. A journey which would normally take not more than 15 minutes would now stretch to 3 or 4 hours, minimum, as the buses inch their way into the city.

Not surprisingly, many buses will fail to reach their final intended destinations in order to drop off passengers at their respective hotels.

What follows will be the sight of hundreds and thousands of pilgrims getting off their buses making the long trek to their hotels on foot. Each one will be lugging their bags behind them, forcing their tired limbs to the limit, mindful at the same time, that there is the obligatory tawaf and sae’i still to be performed.

Alas, once the tawaf and sae’i is completed, a huge sense of relief, joy and happiness breaks out.

The mood will now much more relaxed. Pilgrims congratulate each other with a huge smile and a sense of triumph reflected on their faces. They make jokes and tease each other as they call one another ‘hajji’ and ‘hajjah’, their new salutary, well-earned title.

But for those who had come to Makkah on the earlier flights, it is now time to start preparing for the trip back home.

And ‘preparation’ would include, of course, the customary last minute shopping. No doubt, the focus of the Hajj trip is to be close to God. However, spending and contributing to the economic and social well-being of the Makkah inhabitants is also said to be a sunnah. So, it would be a normal sight to see husbands and wives going out in pairs returning a few hours later, smiling sheepishly, with a handful of shopping begs in tow.

With just about everybody going on a shopping spree it was hard not to be infected by the shopping bug. Personally, I had to restrain the Mem Besar from over-spending. Alhamdulillah, she understood my reasoning - but, only just.

With the shopping over, suddenly a mixed feeling of happiness and sadness overcomes us.

Happy because we are now starting to think of our loved ones left in our homeland. The smiling faces of our children, parents, brothers and sisters even start to appear in our dreams as we sleep.

But yet, we will feel sad at having to leave this glorious city Makkah Al Mulkarramah, the blessed city, which has been our ‘home’ for the last one month. For the experience afforded by this sacred city – with virtues unparalleled by any other city on earth – is just overwhelming.

This is the place where our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW was born. Makkah is the city where the first house of worship for Allah, the Ka'abah, was built. The Masjidil Haram is Islam's most sacred mosque where prayers are rewarded 100,000 times more than prayers in other mosques. This is also where the Zam-Zam well and the Hajar Aswad are to be found. And the list goes on.

As one sits in the King Abdul Aziz International Airport, in Jeddah, waiting for the plane which will fly him or her back home, already he or she will have started to miss Makkah and Medinah the two holiest cities in Islam. Yes, the longing will already have started.

In fact, in a do'a recited by all pilgrims after performing the tawaf wida' (the final tawaf before a pilgrim leaves Makkah for home) he will have begged of ALlah in front of the Ka'abah:

"Oh ALlah, bring me back to the Baitullah, provide me with the sustenance to return to the Baitullah, and let not this day be my final day of appearance before the Baitullah".

As for me, even as we entered the Malaysian airspace, and as I looked down at the lights dotting the streets and the buildings in the far distant below, the fond and exceptional experiences in Makkah Al Mukarramah kept playing in my mind. I hope it will remain indelibly etched in my memories forever.

And may Allah give me the strength and the means to visit Makkah Al Mukarramah, again.

Amiin.

The Hajj: a true test in sacrifice

In just two days time, more than three million Muslims from all over the world would congregate at Arafah, a plain about 22km outside Makkah. This act, called the ‘wuquf’, represents the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage.

The Hajj is a test in sacrifice in the way of Allah. The sacrifices cover a completely wide spectrum from the time and money spent, to leaving behind loved ones and the comforts of one’s home. But more importantly, each and every of these sacrifices is aimed at seeking the pleasure of none but Allah subhanahu wa taala.

It is a totally different level of sacrifice compared to what one is used to when going through worldly challenges and experiences. It is an act of whole-hearted and total submission to God.

The Talbiyah, recited by pilgrims doing Hajj, perhaps encapsulates this very essence of act of submission and servitude to Allah:

Labbaik Allah hummalabbaik…“Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner”.

With just two days left to wuquf, all pilgrims will have arrived in this holy city. As a result, Makkah will be very, very crowded. The Masjidil Haram will be bursting at the seams, literally.

If you want to perform your five times daily obligatory prayers inside the mosque, you’d be well advised to be in the mosque at least one hour before the azan. Or else, you would most likely be praying on one of the streets of Makkah. And if you start leaving for the mosque only when the azan is being called then, for sure, you would find yourself praying at the very entrance doorstep of your hotel !

During these last few days before wuquf, pilgrims are advised to ‘take it easy’. What this means really is that they should rest and take care of their health and prepare for the big day of wuquf.

I remember how I spent this time sitting a lot on my small bed in our equally small, five-bedded hotel room. I would find myself looking up the do’a and zikir booklet given to all Malaysian pilgrims by Tabung Haji.

I would also make notes on additional do’a which I’d wanted to communicate to, and ask of, Allah during my wuquf. For wuquf is a big day in every sense of the word. It is the day when Allah would descend to be the closest to His servants, the pilgrims. It is, therefore, one of the best occasions to make self-reflection, ask for forgiveness and make do’a to Allah.

The day after wuquf is Aidil Adha, or what many Malaysians know as the Hari Raya Kurban. Muslims all over the country would slaughter cows or goats as a mark of sacrifice.

To many, this is the only sacrifice in the way of Allah that we have come to know. But for Hajj pilgrims the world over, the sacrifices had started a year or maybe even much earlier, as they prepare themselves financially, physically and spiritually for the journey of a lifetime. A journey to be the guests of Allah. A journey in answer to the call of Allah, …“Here I am, O Allah, here I am…”

May Allah reward all the pilgrims with Haji mabrur.

Iftar, tarawih on Putrajaya Lake

A totally unique and moving experience.

That is how, in short, I would describe my boat ride on the Kelah yesterday.

For the uninitiated, kelah is a prized freshwater fish in Malaysia. But this Kelah I am referring to is one of Perbadanan Putrajaya Cruise Tasik's handsomely-built dinning cruise boat that ply the routes on Putrajaya Lake.

I have been on the Kelah a few times before. But this time around it brought a different experience altogether. I was invited to have iftar (break of the fast) on the boat as it traverses the beautiful, clear waters.

As the time for iftar approaches, the boat captain anchors the boat in the middle of the lake at its the deepest end (14-15m deep), facing the qiblat.

As maghrib sets in, a beautiful call of the adzan was made by an ustaz from a local university. How serene and enchanting the lake looked at that point in time, especially against the background of the beautiful sunset, forming dramatic silhouettes of the distinctively charming Alam Warian development in the foreground.

Subhanallah. It makes me feel so tiny in front of The Creator.

After the Maghrib we continued with our iftar. This was followed by Isya' and Tarawih, also on the cruise boat.

Ramadhan is the month of barakah. And to my mind, this small but meaningful event should bring lots of barakah to those who came up with the idea for iftar and tarawih on the beautiful Putrajaya Lake.

The Longing (for Husnul Khatimah)

Alhamdulillah.

This morning whilst driving to work, by the grace of ALlah, I had the opportunity to listen to a talk over the radio by one Ustaz Zahazan Mohammed.

Ustaz Zahazan is a lecturer at the International Islamic University of Malaysia. His morning talks is usually on tafseer of the Al Qur'an. But today, due to un-avoidable circumstances, he couldn't come on air. So the radio station (IKIM) played a recording of his past talk instead.

It was on Husnul Khatimah.

I was overwhelmed (floored, literally).

Ustaz Zahazan said "Husnul khatimah ialah mati atau berakhirnya kehidupan seseorang itu dalam keadaan baik, iaitu beriman, dalam keadaan ingat kepada Allah.

"Lazimnya antara tanda mereka yang mati dalam keadaan Husnul Khatimah ini ialah mereka boleh mengucap dua kalimah syahadah.

"Lawan kepada ini ialah Su’ul khatimah. Ini ialah mati dalam keadaan tidak baik. Umpamanya tidak boleh mengucap, atau dalam keadaan marah kepada Allah, atau berada di dalam pengaruh iblis" (na'uzubillah).

"Mereka yang mencapai Husnul Khatimah adalah terpilih. ALLah akan memberi taufik dan hidayah kepada mereka supaya terdorong untuk berbuat baik dan menjauhi perkara mungkar.

"Lihat saja mereka yang ahli masjid, mereka yang mendekati Quran, atau suka berbuat baik kepada orang lain. Lazimnya, mereka inilah yang dipermudahkan oleh ALlah untuk mati dalam keadaan Husnul Khatimah.

"Sebaliknya mereka yang mati dalam Su'ul Khatimah adalah mereka yang berbuat perkara khurafat dan juga mereka yang mengulang-ulangi perbuatan dosa, walaupun sudah selalu diperingati".

Oh, ALlah. You work in mysterious ways, beyond our comprehension. You give guidance and enlighten whom You please, as and when You please.

Whatever you have in store for me in this worldly life, oh ALlah, please bestow me -- as well as my parents and my family -- Husnul Khatimah.

I seek your mercy. Amiin.


Note: Ustaz Zahazan Mohammed's talk can be followed on Radio IKIM, Monday - Friday at 6.30am-7.00am (repeats at 7.30pm-8.00pm).

Ramadhan: What's the score so far?

It is now four days into Ramadhan. Before you know it, it shall be Shawal and Ramadhan would be gone for another year.

Ramadhan is the month when Rasulullah and his sahabah would increase their ibadah. For, it is the month when our deeds would be rewarded many times over by ALlah.

How have we fared in so far as increasing our ibadah and improving its quality is concerned?

I would ask my self, thus:

• Have I done the Tarawih solat every night without fail?
• No. of times Tahajjud solat is done at night
• No. of times other sunat prayers are done - Dhuha etc.
• Progress so far in recitation of the Qur'an
• Reading to improve knowledge on Islam
• Ceramah attended/listened to
• Zikir, and do'a
• How much have I given for sadaqah and fisabilillah
• Good deeds done to my parents, family, friends and others.

That's a long list already. The big question whether I have achieved any of them?

I have to admit that I've still got a long way to go.

How weak I am, oh ALlah. I pray that You give me the strength and iman to undertake these responsibilities. And also ALlah, give the same strength to my beloved parents and members of my family -- my wife and my children.

Amiin.

Ramadhan al-mubarak

Ramadhan al-mubarak: A reminder to my family and I

The day after tomorrow will be the 1st day of Ramadhan, the month of barakah. It is the holiest month in Islam, the month when ALlah SWT is most gracious and generous with us.

Rasulullah SAW says:

"Sungguh telah datang kepada mu bulan yang penuh barakah, di mana ALlah mewajibkan kamu berpuasa, di saat dibuka pintu-pintu syurga, ditutup pintu neraka, dibelenggu syaitan-syaitan, dan di mana dijumpai satu malam yang nilainya lebih dari seribu malam.

Maka barang siapa yang tidak berhasil beroleh kebaikannya, sungguh tiadalah ia akan mendapatkan itu buat selama-lamanya"

(Riwayat Ahmad, Nasa'i dan Baihaqi)

Therefore, I am reminding and urging myself and members of my family to take this opportunity to seek the pleasure of ALlah SWT.

First and foremost, take care of your fasting. And then, do increase the quality of your ibadah in whatever means possible: be it through solat, reciting the Qur'an, do'a and supplications, by giving alms. Or by just being nice to other people.

May ALlah give us the strength to perform our ibadah so that this Ramadhan shall be a better month of Ramadhan than our previous ones.

Amiin.

Missing the F1 Grand Prix, and feeling good

Last Sunday was F1 day in Malaysia. From what I heard, it saw the biggest turnout ever since SIC started hosting the race.

After a first-hand experience of the F1 in 2001, I got hooked.

So it would be normal for me and the boys (my sons, Syafiq and Anas) to "ambush" the living room on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and take control of the television set whenever there’s a race on (that’s when the ladies of the house would be banished upstairs, to use the old and tiny television in the bedroom…).

But last Sunday I didn’t catch the F1. Not even for a minute.

It is not for the lack of a ticket. Even the night before Pakchik Bakar had called offering me one.

The reason being is that I had committed myself to a gathering for “hujjaj” at the Suria KLCC Mosque.

“Hujjaj” is Arabic for “pilgrims”. In this case, it’s a gathering for those who had performed the pilgrimage to Makkah.

The year 2006 is a monumental one in my life. For it is when I undertook the greatest journey of my life. Or, as some would say, the ‘journey of a life-time’. How true.

I might have spent almost a decade of my life staying overseas. And as a town planner, I have been to see so many cities in my travels. But nothing quite compares with this spiritual journey. The journey in answer to the call of my Creator, Allah.

The gathering at Suria KLCC Mosque was aimed at strengthening sillaturrahim amongst fellow pilgrims who had gone to perform the hajj together.

It was a good program. It not only served to strengthen our friendship, but – for me at least, it managed to bring back memories of being in the Holy Land.

No. Its more than that, actually. It managed to stir up a certain kind of feeling in my heart, during, and after attending the program.

You see, performing the hajj tends to bring one closer to God. It is a totally purifying experience for the soul. It brings an indescribable experience which one does not have the luxury of going through very often. Thus, causing one to be left longing, hoping, and forever more searching for much of the same feelings and experience.

To be sure, being at Suria KLCC – and on an F1 day to boot – cannot bring those feelings back completely.

Nevertheless, listening to the talks, as well as the soothing rendering of nasyid and zikir, did enough to remind me of my pledges to Allah whilst being His guest in the Holy Land.

So, although I missed out on the F1, and despite getting a teaser-of-an-sms from my brother, Azman, from Sepang (right in the midst of the program!...sabar je la…), I can still live with that. After all, it’s only the second race of the season, with 15 more to go.

And if I had to choose again? I’m afraid F1 would have to take a back seat once more.

No hard feelings, Bernie Ecclestone. For I have made my choice, and its crystal clear in my heart.

Adab Dalam Agama

Saya telah berpeluang membaca sebuah buku kecil bertajuk "Adab Dalam Agama" terbitan Pustaka Muda, Ipoh baru-baru ini. Tajuk asalnya dalam Bahasa Arab ialah Adab Fiddin dan ia adalah hasil tulisan hujjatul Islam Imam Al-Ghazali.

Kepada Al-Ghazali, kemuncak kesempurnaan akhlak dan sebaik-baik amalan utama ialah adab dalam agama.

Dalam Kata Pengantarnya penerbit mengingatkan kita bahawa "adablah yang telah menyatukan umat yang terpecah belah, yang menjadikan kebengisan, kekerasan dan kezaliman menjadi puncak kearifan, kehalusan dan keadilan".

Kandungan buku ini ditulis mengikut susunan beberapa adab. Antara yang menarik ialah "Adab Anak Kepada Orang Tua".

Menurut Al-Ghazali ada beberapa adab utama terhadap orang tua yang boleh diringkaskan seperti berikut:

• Dengarkanlah perkataan orang tua dengan baik-baik
• Jalankan dan taati perintah mereka selagi ia sesuai dengan syariat Allah
• Datanglah lekas jika mereka memanggil
• Rendahkanlah diri di hadapan mereka
• Jangan merasa bosan berbakti dan menjalankan perintah mereka
• Jangan memandang mereka dengan pandangan sebelah mata, dan
• Jangan meninggikan suara di hadapan mereka.

Semoga Allah membersihkan hati kita, dan diberikannya kekuatan untuk menjaga adab di hadapan orang tua kita. Amin...