Ketenangan Jiwa

Semua orang di bumi ini mencari ketenangan jiwa. Macam-macam cara yang kita buat dan kita cuba untuk cari.... ketenangan jiwa.

Ada yang kumpul duit banyak-banyak. Ada yang daki gunung tinggi-tinggi. Ada yang hisap rokok sampai tak mampu lagi untuk berhenti. Ada yang pergi bercuti jauh-jauh sampai ke luar negara menghabiskan duit beribu-ribu. Ada yang makan banyak-banyak. Ada yang shopping banyak-banyak. Ada yang keluar dengan kawan-kawan untuk 'have fun'. Dan ada juga yang mencari ketenangan hati di saat ada masalah hidup sampai terjerumus ke lembah maksiat - na'uzubillahi min zaalik.

Kawan-kawan, sekiranya kita benar-benar tahu, semua itu sebenarnya adalah cara-cara yang teramat 'mahal' untuk mendapatkan ketenangan jiwa. Sesungguhnya hanya ada SATU SAHAJA cara yang paling berkesan untuk dapatkan ketenangan jiwa, iaitu - - - - - Zikrullah.. Ingat akan Allah.

Dalam Surah Al-Ra'd: 28; Allah berfirman:

"... Ingatlah, hanya dengan mengingati Allah hati akan menjadi tenang".

Sesungguhnya ini adalah kata-kata dari Allah yang Maha Agung, Maha Mengetahui - Pencipta sekalian makhluk dan alam. Maka, adakah kita masih mahu mencari cara yang lain untuk mencari ketenangan jiwa?

Renung-renungkan lah...

Trials & Tribulations

Life is always full of trials & tribulations. Even in good times we're actually being tested. There's no doubt that we'll be tested again and again. And at times when the test seems so harsh, we'll wonder, "Why me?"

But you know, someone dear to me once said:

"..one should know that whatever test that Allah has laid down for us, He knows that the test will ALWAYS be of a size that we can cope/deal with.."

For those who are currently being tested, hang in there. In time, you will be fine. Remember - time heals.

And right now I'm wondering - If this is the case, then probably that's why suicide is not accepted in Islam. And that's why if we fail the (some of the) test(s), then punishment awaits in the hereafter.

The Blizzard Savior

The Blizzard Savior, originally uploaded by izzatnizam.

I can't remember how long it has been since I wrote my last blog, but sure it is quite some time ago.

So, this is going to be my next entry, and this time I'm writing in Bahasa Malaysia (campur sikit-sikit la english).


Photo Description / Penerangan Foto:

Ok. Sebelum teruskan baca sila tenung gambar di atas lama-lama ye.

Dua hari lepas bila bangun pagi je tiba-tiba aku tengok kat luar tingkap bilik aku rupanya tengah snow. Lebat pulak tu. Aku memang dah lama tak tengok weather forecast kat weather.com. TV pun dah lama tak tengok. Haih, hidup aku ni asyik busy je dengan homework la, kerja la. Makin tua ni memang dah takde masa nak tengok TV. So, basically memang tak jangka la nak snow lebat macam ni.

Aku pun pergi je la klas kan, macam biasa. On the way tu, aku tengok kereta-kereta kat parking lot tu semua dah habis kena tutup dengan snow. Haha, aku fikir dalam hati kesian la tuan punya kereta kena scrape snow sblum dapat drive. Anyway pagi ni nasib aku kira baik la sebab Den (housemate sejati aku untuk empat tahun) pun nak pegi klas time tu so aku pun tumpang je kereta dia. At least tak berkumpul la snow atas kepala aku ni.

On the way balik from klas tu, Den call aku cakap skolah tutup harini. Aku macam, "Aik? Haritu blizzard lagi dahsyat tak tutup pun skolah, ini sikit je pun tutup?" So bila dah sampai bilik aku on la TV yang dah berhabuk kat hujung katil aku tu. Aku tengok NBC kat Channel 9. Diorang pun tengah report pasal weather time tu. Kereta banyak sangkut, and then banyak accidents jugak. Aku fikir, Alhamdulillah aku dan kawan-kawan selamat pegi and balik skolah.

So, since petang tu skolah tutup aku pun tido jela kat bilik - takde klas, takde meeting, takde kerja. Aku nak sangat keluar rumah amik gambar tapi snow lebat sangat. Camera aku ni takde weather sealing pun so aku tanak la dia rosak pulak tak pasal-pasal je kan. Angin pun kuat, buat sejuk badan je. So bila dah petang skit, aku dah takleh resist temptation nak keluar jugak amik gambar, so aku capai jaket aku and terus keluar rumah.

Kat luar, kebetulan tengah ada pakcik ni kat atas snow plow tengah kerja keras bersihkan jalan. Aku cari tempat yang ada cover sikit dekat ngan rumah aku and then aku snap gambar ni, dan beberapa gambar lain. Tak lama pun aku tahan kat luar tu. Sejuk!

Kat Colorado ni cuaca dia extreme. Harini snow banyak banyak, esok tu boleh terus panas (10 celcius = panas). Apa-apa pun, aku bersyukur la, sebab dah lama tak snow kat sini. Aku fikir, sungai sungai pun banyak dah nak kering kot. Dah la US ni supply air makin sikit, so, kalau nak tengok kebaikan blizzard ni, kira bagus la sebab dapat la manusia kat sini cukup air untuk hidup aman damai.

Dah. Tu je sebenarnya cerita dia. Aku ingat nak tulis sikit je pasal gambar ni tengok tengok panjang pulak. Hehe.

So, harap korang entertained la baca cerita aku yang tak semena-mena ni. Thanks sebab sudi spend time nak baca post ni.

Apape pun, bak kata Saiful Nang, "enjoice!"

Italy, London, Lille & Cardiff

I don't usually do this, but this time I'll make an exception.

This post is dedicated to the people I met during my recent trip to Italy, London, Cardiff, and Lille.

For the past three weeks, I traveled to Europe from America to go places and to visit my friends and my aunt. I have to say, it's been the most thrilling and exciting moments in my life.

I'd like to thank:

1) Haneef Nasir - For your DSLR & the beautiful photos, for the accomodation during my short Cardiff trip, and for being a great company in Pisa, Florence, Rome and Cardiff.

2) Maureen & Valentina Nerdi - For being very helpful during our visit to Florence, Italy. To Maureen, I'll never forget the mini-countryside-tour and the background information you gave us about Florence's attractions. And Valentina, so far you're the best San Casciano tourguide that I've met.

3) Hadi Abdillah (and Yameen) & Jefriman Johari - For the best hospitality in London from the very first day I arrived until the very last minute I was in London. Seriously, London would be nothing to me without you guys around.

4) Saiful Adli, Hakim Roslan, and Syahir Kasim - Saiful for convincing me to go to Europe in the first place, for planning our Lille trip, for the jokes, Hakim for being such a great French tourguide, and Syahir for the camera in Lille.

5) My Aunty Latifah Khamis - I'm just glad I finally had the chance to go to London and visit you after so many years.

To Salad, Jufri, Acap, Sapir, Jay, Ija, Lisz, Fido, Sarip, Kenny, Lutfi, Aini, Adik (the fortune-teller), Yaa, Belle, Buna & Aida (sori tak sempat singgah Soton), Nabilah, Rapik, Shifa, Bebeh, Amat, Rafi, Nik, Imran, and again, to all the people listed above, it was a pleasure to have all of you guys be part of my trip. I had a really fun time spent with all of you.

And I'm already missing all the good times we've had.

Appreciation Comes When It's Not There Anymore

Too often we forget to appreciate something when it lies abundantly upon us. When this suddenly disappears, become scarce, and not easily available for us to grab, then only we'd feel the real, true value of it.

You can just name it - Parents, good health, eyesight, God's blessings, good neighbors, our significant other, a peaceful nation, access to electricity and water, life, money, or freedom. Once these are taken away, then only we know how valuable they actually are to us.

Appreciation seems like it's quite a simple thing - but it's not. For some reason, it comes easier only when we don't have that special something anymore.

Anyways, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Eid Mubarak, and take care everyone. I apologize for any of my mistakes all this while. You guys have a good one alright. Cheers ;)

Are We Islam Enough?

One night about two months ago, me and my other two friends spent four hours talking about life questions, world issues and such. It was really intriguing we got carried away and ended up spending four hours just exchanging ideas. I didn't feel much regret spending that much time, though, because we seldom talk about some serious life questions.

During the discussion, I had one of my biggest realizations ever - the question of "Am I Islam Enough?"

Honestly, I am one of many who believe that as long as we acknowledge that Allah is our God, then that'll pretty much prove that we are Islam enough. But my friend told me that when it comes to believing in God, there are two levels. "Rob", and "Illah".

Rob, could be described as the believe that there is God, while Illah, is a higher level that makes us believe and TOTALLY submit ourselves towards Him. Illah drives our life to only live for Him, and Illah makes us be His servant and let Him be our only reason to live.

Surely Illah sounds like a really high level, doesn't it? But as hard as we should work to achieve that level, we should also realize that being only at the Rob level does not guarantee us that we die in Islam.

But why? One might ask. If I believe in Allah, that should mean I'm a Muslim, right?

Not necessarily.

Whenever we refer to the word "Allah", it always depends on what is the context that we're referring Him to. If what we see in Allah is just as our God who is up there and the one who created this universe, then this is described as being at the "Rob" level. If we're only at this level, we should worry a lot.

Again, why? What's so wrong about being at the "Rob" level?

Well, it's simply because almost everybody believes in God. Even some of the atheists I've talked to believe that there should be some kind of higher power up there but they just don't know which religion is the correct one.

The Jews, Christians, for example - they all believe in the same God that we always refer to as "Allah". And worse, even the evil satans acknowledge the existence of Allah! So, if our belief in God is only at this level, we should worry because we might be risking ourselves to be placed at the same level as the satans!

But Illah, as pure as it is, means total submission. And total submission means that everything we do on this earth is because of Him, adhering to His words and avoiding what He dislikes. That's why He likes it better for us Muslims to call Him Allah instead of just God. (Note: You could still call Him Allah but mean just the God at the Rob level). Being at this level makes our prayers being the reason we stop committing sins. Being at this level makes us feel peace. Being at this level gives us security.

Now, ask ourselves, my fellow Muslim friends - are we only acknowledging Allah the same way satan does, or are we moving towards having Illah inside our hearts?

May Allah bless all of us in this world and in the hereafter.