KakNgah's Short Update On What's Happening

   I am most definitely sorry for the lack of updates. It's the month of Ramadhan, and what I've been doing mostly for the past three weeks was to visit other blogs, leave some comments, and that's all. Here's what I've been doing for the last few weeks:

1. Started going for driving lessons
    I just got my L and my first real lesson is on Wednesday. My teacher wanted to start on Sunday, but since I had to come to KL (yep, still here, going back tomorrow) I asked for it to be postponed. I can't wait.

2. Been busy baking... and baking... and baking...
    I've always loved baking, but have never really been that good at it. Ingredients are always expensive too, so...When I came back from Melaka, I started with one recipe, then followed it with another, and another... and I loved it so much I decided to start a new project, which I won't talk about just yet because I'm not ready. Maybe sometime in the future. Here are some of the things I made (picture quality's not very good, sorry. I only had a phone camera to take photos with):

Classic Victoria Sponge

Banana Brownies

Peanut butter Brownies

Butterbeer blondies

Chocolate Chip Whoopsie (Whoopie) Pies

Congo Bars a.k.a. Chocolate Chip Blondies

Batik Cake

Lemon Chiffon Pie

3. Been enjoying Ramadhan
    I do not if  I have been more productive during this beautiful month compared to the last. I hope I have. May Allah guide me.

4. Went to IIUM
    I'm in KL at the moment (going back tomorrow). I'm crashing at KakYing's place. Today I went to visit IIUM (or UIA as some people know them), but I didn't have a lot of time to visit all my favourite spots. Besides without the students the place seemed a little empty. But peaceful, really peaceful. I wish I had had more time to spend there, but I managed to snap a few pics with the camera I borrowed from KakYong, hehe... wish I had had time to take more though.

They're building some new buildings at the Putra/Gombak LRT Station.
Probably for parking.

The new student mall or something, situated in front of Kyros.
Booths for students interested in generating some extra income

Corridor leading to lecturers' offices.
Familiar stepping ground for me hehe.

The ever faithful elevator at INSTED.

The new Azman Hashim complex.
All the banks operate in this building now- Bank Islam, Ambank and Bank Muamalat.

They also have signboards put up everywhere now! Most convenient.

The beautiful IIUM mosque... majestic looking and of course my photo does no cre
dit to it

5. Planning on buying a car
    Though it'll be some time until I get my license, I'm already planning to buy a car since Insya-Allah if all goes well I'll start working soon. I've fallen in love with the new Myvi, hehe, and it also helps that they have one in purple! Now that I've started becoming interested in cars, I can't help visiting this site again and again... haha.

My dream car, hehe

   That's all for now. Happy Ramadhan!

Ayyuhal Walad: Advice 2 - How to Accept Advice

   KakNgah writes.

   Today I went crazy and made two types of brownies. Peanut butter chocolate brownies (which only used 5 ingredients and is super sticky and fudgy) and banana brownies (which is definitely my favourite of the two because of the texture and taste). For the sake of preventing an overload of drool- well, perhaps not, but in order to be kind and nice to KakYong, I won't post the photos (besides they're not very good photos. I want a camera!). I promise I'll make them when you and Aiman come home! Hehe.

   I love baking because whatever disasters that I produce, I know that people will eat what I make. If they're good, people (which hereby refers to my own, kind family) will swoon over them (uh-huh.) and appreciate my efforts. Tomorrow I plan to make banana bread pudding! (Only because we have bananas, KakYong. Not because I really want to. Honest. Not.) Insya-Allah.

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Advice 2: How to Accept Advice

   My dear beloved child (I've changed it to this because it sounds better),

   Giving advice is easy- it is accepting advice that is difficult for it is a great bitter pill to be swallowed by those who often only follow their own desires or nafs. Nafs loves that which are forbidden, especially for those who often seek knowledge for the sake of getting recognition or a title and are always busy in pronouncing their greatness and collecting worldly wealth. These people believe that having this type of knowledge is enough to secure their safety and happiness without having to practice what they have learnt. They are those who have been influenced by i'tiqad and the way of thinking of the philosophers (here referring to secular-type of philosophers).

   Subhanallah! This is truly a confused way of thinking. Do they not know that a person who has gained knowledge but does not practice what he knows, will be even more heavily questioned compared to those who do not have knowledge during the Day of Judgement? Rasullullah pbuh said:

   "Those who will receive the heaviest of punishments are the knowledgeable ones who did not use their knowledge for the sake of Allah."

   It has been narrated by Al Junaid Al Baghdadi Qaddasallahu Sirrahu that a man who was known to have passed away came to him in a dream. The man asked Imam Al Junaid, "How are you, Abu al Qasim (referring to Imam Al Junaid Al Baghdadi), who answered," In truth, all empirical knowledge have disappeared, as have all spiritual knowledge. All that are beneficial no longer exists except a few numbers of rakaat that we manage to make in the night."

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   It seems that human beings are more often prone to chasing after worldly wealth. We chase after money, title, recognition and happiness- or what we think is happiness. We forget that in the end, nothing matters except what has been done in the name of Allah.

   "Al-ilm bila amalin kasshajarin bila samarin" : Knowledge without practice is like a tree that bears no fruit.

   I wonder if I'm such a tree. It's certainly a frightening thought. I would imagine that people who do not practice what they know to be right are like gnarled old trees on which no fruit grows and no leaves sprout. I do not want to be this kind of tree. I want to be a tree that grows and fruits and benefits those around it.

   What kind of tree would you like to be?

   p.s. I think I'd like to be an apple tree. Or perhaps one that grows peaches. Yes, that would definitely be lovely.

Kak Yong shares: Japanese Style Qasidah Burdah- by Ahmad Abu Hakeem Maeno

(source)

Rather than watch anime all day (hmm, who is that I wonder?), let's listen to the praising of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

Isn't it wonderful how languages can be used to express such beautiful meanings? All languages come from Allah, and there in no language above the other. Arabic is of course the language of Al-Quran and our Prophet, and it is indeed unique compared to others.

And if we have time and means, learn other language too. The world will be opened for us...

Ayyuhal Walad: An Introduction & Advice 1 - Time Is Life Itself

 
   KakNgah is here.

   I have sadly been absent from this blog.

   It makes me feel guilty. Seeing that I used to bug KakYong and KakCik to post. Then I stopped.

   I have no good reasons. I am finally at home. I still have work to do, but I have time. Lots. Too much even. Too much that I do not spend in remembrance of Allah. This must change.

   I had lots to write about, but I didn't feel like doing it here. This is a place for sharing. Wait, aren't blogs usually for sharing? I mean that this is where I'd like to write about common, general stuff that relates to all three of us. KakYong, KakNgah, KakCik.

   KakYong said it's okay for me to write about my any of doings here, but I don't feel like it.

   Hmmm.

   KakYong has been doing a splendid job with her blog. She's been updating regularly (or quite) and they're all about such interesting happenings. If you read our blog because I once or regularly commented on your blog, do visit my older sister's blog. It's good. Trust me.

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   We have started a small usrah at home. Well, perhaps it is not much of an usrah. What we do is gather after Isya' and read Surah al-Mulk together. After that one of us will read from a book. It's simple, but I like it. I would like it even more if we were all doing it. 

   We have skipped these sessions for a few days now... I hope we go back to doing them soon.

   When I arrived home last week, and rejoined the sessions, I discovered that they've started on a new book titled "Ayyuhal Walad" by the Al Imam Hujjatul Islam: Abu Hamid Muhammad bin Muhammad al-Ghazali.

   This is what the cover looks like:

Took this from here.
You can read a review of the book there.

   It is a simple but lovely book, full of useful advice for all who read it.

   The title means "Wahai Anakku Yang Tercinta" in Malay.

   It means "Oh My Beloved Child" in English.

   I have decided to share the contents here. I shall translate them into English. Proper credits go to the writer and publishers, but I feel that good knowledge should be shared with all. Insya-Allah. 

   I sincerely apologise if my translation lacks quality.

   May Allah reward the writer and all those who put effort into the production of this book.

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Advice 1: Time is Life Itself

Oh my beloved child,

Part of Rasulullah's advice to his ummah (people) is as follows:

A sign that Allah has turned from His slave is when that slave consistently carries out useless activities.  And if but one second of his life is used for other than the true purpose of his life (which is to worship Allah), so he will forever repent it (on the Day of Judgement) while those who have reached the age of forty and beyond and has yet to make good deeds overbalance that of his bad ones, so has he prepared himself to enter hellfire.

This is advice is sufficient enough for those who have 'ilm (knowledge).

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   We spend a lot of time doing useless things that do not contribute towards getting the blessings of Allah.

   We pray, but our hearts and minds is elsewhere.

   Outside of prayers, we do things that cannot be considered ibadah (acts of worship).

   I am one of these people.

   Me:   It's not easy to change.

   I:       Are you sure?

   Me:   It's not easy to be good.

   I:       Really?

   If that's the kind of attitude that I have, that Muslims have, how are we ever going to convince ourselves and others that Islam is the path of Truth?

   What do you think?

KakYong writes: bits and pieces

As requested by Kak Ngah, to make it look like she's not hogging this whole blog to herself, here I am. Bear in mind that I could not even regularly post on my own blog, so you can guess why I may be neglecting here for a while.

But no matter, here I am now, and I'm planning to write for a bit.

I haven't updated my summer camp report for two days. Maybe because those were two ordinary days, just classes for them, and me running around fixing the schedule and trying to get some seminar work done. Though I look and sound busy, I still had time for some, let's say, extra-curricular activities? Let's look at some pictures shall we?

Activity One: Eat, Eat, Eat

I am not a picky eater. In fact I consider myself quite adventurous when it comes to eating. I like to try out new dishes, especially if people said NOT to try it (what can I say, I have the tendency to go against people's recommendation, and usually I will like what they don't). Muahaha. But I don't purposely go put and search for new kinds of food, like some people. I have enough brought to me. I mean look at where I am now, at the department where it is teeming with international students, who will usually bring something from their home country, and it is usually food. So I get to try all sorts of things. Cool eh?

Kungfu Spaghetti

The above is from the time where I had dinner with the Swedish students, the first night they were here. It was a sort of welcoming dinner. I ordered something I never had before: Kungfu Spaghetti. I don't really eat out much, but when I do, I'll try something that I've never had, and might never find again. The owner, who was serving us, warned me that it'll be a bit spicy, but I just answered bravely, "We are Malaysian" Yeah, it was rather spicy and hot, notice all the chillies, but it was good.

Then on Wednesday Dr Rahim and his wife Manna invited K.Soffi and me to their house and we had Iranian food. Rice and chicken and salad. Manna's a good cook, and she makes healthy food, and she arranged the food very nicely. I forgot to bring the camera along with me, so no pictures here.

Mac & Cheese

On Thursday, after they finished classes, some of the girls asked me for a place where they can eat, so I took them to Amcorp, since they wanted to eat fast food (excuse me for my lack of knowledge on good eating places, 5 years in KL and I still don't know where's where.) I didn't want to eat, I still full from lunch, but they made me eat (not very hard to do, that one), and so I ordered Mac & Cheese, since I always wondered what's it like. It was so-so, maybe I won't order it again?

Then on Friday, Dr. Rosey, who just got back from Hong Kong invited us, and I went with K.Soffi and K.Niswa. We had Chinese cold noodles and I love it!

Nice, isn't it?

my own bowl (this is the first time, you should see my 2nd helping heheh)

Activity Two: Taking pictures here and there

As someone might already notice, I have more personal and authentic pictures these days. Yep, I've been snapping pictures right and left. Just as well that I don't have FB anymore, or it'll be full of pics and nothing else (see, one reason I'm FBless). The below are some random pictures when I happen to have a camera in my hand.

my four mascots

our PA busy at work

a painting by a 93 year old man in China (Dr Rosey's house)

our academy's surau

the lonely bus stop during the uni break

Activity Three: My studies (something that I always talk about, but haven't really done much, sigh...)

a stack of books to comfort myself, not to read,but to look at on the shelf...

on rare occasions that I actually open a book and sit down to take notes

So there we are. Enough pictures to make up for my MIA, can aaa, Kak Ngah? The thing is I know there'll be other people who might read my entry if I post my entry here, compared to my own, where only Kak Ngah will come (and Kak Chik, if she remembers she has sisters). And don't worry Kak Ngah, you can use this blog to put up your personal rantings etc. I did plan to do that, since konon2 my own personal blog will be strictly academic and less personal. But from the looks of it, whatever just go wherever and whenever. Tak kisah la...

Ok,till next time.

Kak Yong