Ramadan: the month of mercy and forgiveness

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. During this month Muslims are commanded to fast, meaning abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures. The Almighty says (2:183): O You who believe, fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you so that you may attain self-restraint. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam: Shahada (affirmation of faith), Salat (prayers), Zakat (almsgiving), Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) and Siyam (fasting).

The Arabic word ramadan is derived from the root ramida, meaning intensive scorching heat and dryness. So, we can metaphorically say that Ramadan scorches out or burns away sins with devotion to Allah through intensive worship and good deeds such as zakat, obligatory charity, and sadaqah, voluntary charity.

Fasting means not only abstaining from food, drink and sexual intercourse during the day but also restraining the tongue, the eye, the ear, the heart and mind from indulging in unlawful acts that render the fast worthless. Prophet Mohammad (PPBH) said: Many a man who fasts obtaining nothing from his fasting but his thirst, and many a man who prays during the night and obtains nothing from his prayers but wakefulness. (At-Tirmitzi Hadith, No. 1989). In contrast, the rewards of fasting are bountiful. The Prophet said: Whoever observes fast during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, all his past sins will be forgiven. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book of Fasting)

During the month of Ramadan, paradise doors are opened, hell doors are closed and satans are chained. So, by observing fasting, a devout Muslim is offered a golden opportunity to reap worldly and divine rewards through self-control, devotion to Allah and spiritual self-reflection. A Muslim can practice self-control over the body and its carnal desires through communal praying, doing good deeds, reading the Qur'an, exercising patience and moderation, sympathizing with the less fortunate, strengthening family ties and supplication to Allah. Although these practices should not be exclusively limited to the month of Ramadan, the rewards are doubled. They are religious and spiritual values that should be an integral part of one's life.

Among the landmarks of Ramadan are: revelation of the Qur'an, lailatu l-qadr (Night of Destiny/Power) and eid el-fitr (Feast of fast-breaking). It is believed that the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to Prophet Mohammad through the Archangel Gabriel on one night particular night during Ramadan (lailatu l-qadr), which is considered in the Qur'an better than a thousand months. During this night, which is celebrated on the 27th night of Ramadan, angels descend to witness how people worship and obey Allah, to show their deep love for the believers and to increase their rewards. Muslims gather in mosques to observe or seek this blessed night in devotion, night Sunnah prayers (tahajjud), recitation of the Qur'an and supplications. The end of Ramadan is marked by eid el-fitr, which extends for three days, during which people wear holiday apparel, especially kids, attend a communal sunrise prayer, congratulate each other, visit cemeteries and offer gifts or money to kids.

Ramadan has plenty of medical, social and psychological benefits. First, it is believed that fasting helps lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. In fact fasting is recommended for weight control and diet. Second, family and community bonds are generally strengthened during Ramadan. Families and friends exchange invitations to Iftar (breakfast) parties, prepare collective Iftar, make home visits and socialize. People gather in mosques to perform communal prayers (taraweeh). Furthermore, charity fosters social solidarity with the poor and with society at large. These social activities help Muslims sense the merits of the unity of Muslim Ummat (nation). Finally, Ramadan provides people with ample time for spiritual self-reflection, peace of mind, tranquility and renewal. Frequent reading of the Qur'an and praying brings people closer to Allah's mercy and forgiveness, which are the essential meanings of the holy month.

tarawih prayer in mecca

Ramadan is here again

Ramadan is the month, whose beginning is mercy, its middle, forgiveness and its end, emancipation from the fire of hell - the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Allah has preferred certain months over others, certain days over others and certain nights over others.

Allah has preferred the day of Jumu’ah amongst all the other days of the week. Even at the level of a single night. Allah prefers certain parts of it to others. For example, the performance of nawafil ibadah (supererogatory worship) in the last third of the night is more beloved to Allah than its performance in any other parts of the night.

In a similar vein, Allah has preferred the month of Ramadan over all other months. It is only the name of this month that is mentioned in the Qur’an. It is only in this month that mankind has been blessed with most of the favours of Allah. It is in this month that the Torah, Injil, Zabur and the Qur’an were all revealed. It is the only month in which Allah has gathered goodness, light and guidance that stretches from one part of the globe to the other.

Abu Hurayrah narrates that the Messenger of Allah said: “The month of Ramadan has come to you, a blessed month wherein Allah has made obligatory fasting, opened the doors of Paradise and closed the doors of Hell.” (Ahmad)


from RamadanBlog


Ramadan Mubarak everyone.
may we be blessed with mercy and forgiveness from Allah swt. may we medicate our soul this holy month of Ramadan. may we strive to be better muslims who seek closeness to Allah and follow in the Prophet's footsteps. may i find my way to Allah, seeking for His forgiveness for all the imperfections that i am and have been, for all the sins i have committed, and may He show me His mercy and bless me with His forgiveness and guide me and my family to the right path in becoming better and stronger muslims, insyaAllah.

nobody, son of nobody...

Suppose you can recite a thousand holy
verses from memory.
What are you going to do
with your ego self, the true
mark of the heretic?

Every time your head touches
the ground in prayers, remember,
this was to teach you to
put down that load of ego
which bars you from entering
the chamber of the Beloved.

To your mind feed understanding,
to your heart, tolerance and compassion.
The simpler your life, the more meaningful.
The less you desire of the world,
the more room you will have in it
to fill with the Beloved.

The best use of your tongue
is to repeat the Beloved's Name in devotion.
The best prayers are those in
the solitude of the night.
The shortest way to the Friend
is through selfless service and
generosity to His creatures.

Those with no sense of honor and dignity are best avoided.
Those who change colors constantly
are best forgotten.
The best way to be with those
bereft of the Beloved's qualities,
is to forget them in the
joy of silence in one's corner of solitude.


~ Shaikh Abu Saeed Abil Kheir

Pak Samad: I walked barefoot to the Istana

Saturday, July 16, 2011  Pak Samad: I walked barefoot to the Istana

Despite his age, 76-year-old national laureate A Samad Said was not spared the police crackdown on the Bersih 2.0 rally last Saturday.

“When I arrived at Istana Negara, there were two policemen who were bengis (fierce)… they told us to disperse or they would use force against us. “With the look on their faces, if they could, they would want to devour me,” said Samad..

In the third part of an exclusive interview withMalaysiakini on Thursday, the novelist and poet with his distinctive long white hair and beard, related his experience in trying to submit the Bersih 2.0 memorandum for free and fair elections to the Agong during the mass rally.

Samad was amongst the small group of protestors who had managed to march from KL Sentral - one of the flashpoints of the brutal crackdown due to the presence of top Bersih leaders there - to Stadium Merdeka and then to Istana Negara. Earlier that morning, rally organisers had assigned two lawyers to bring Samad to the Hilton Hotel at Sentral after he expressed desire to join the demonstration.

Once assembled there, the Bersih leaders held a press conference (right). The gathered started to move out of the hotel towards their goal, at which point Samad found himself sandwiched by riot police at the KL Sentral underpass along with several other Bersih and Pakatan leaders. “When tear gas was fired, we were trapped, like at Tung Shin (hospital)… we had no choice but to go through,” he said.

In the brutal police assault, several leaders were arrested, among them Bersih 2.0 chief Ambiga Sreenevasan, Bersih committee member Maria Chin Abdullah and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang. Samad however evaded arrest and pressed on with other protestors, minus his chappals.

'I walked barefoot'

It was during the crackdown that Samad lost his footwear.

“I lost my chappals when I was hit by tear gas; it was chaotic. I ran to a wall to cover my nose and to find my water bottle and towel,” he said. “I had to walk barefoot. There were stones on the ground. The other demonstrators offered me their shoes; one even offered me a Nike. I thought it was a nice pair of shoes ... I could not take them.

“Later, I was given a big pair of shoes until I arrived at Midah Hotel, Kampung Attap and someone bought me a new pair of slippers,” he said (photo).


“Two or three (more) people wanted to go barefoot and offer me their shoes too. Indian youngsters wanted to give me their shoes; Chinese youngsters wanted to give me their shoes. I felt very proud. Never have I seen a group of young people of different races united by a common ambition,” added Samad. 
 

The final lap

With many Bersih leaders arrested and his two lawyers escorts missing, it was left to Samad to press on with the mission with the remaining protestors.


Two Bersih committee members tasked with handing Bersih's memo to the Agong later caught up with Samad.


“I was accompanied by spirited youngsters whom I had to calm down. Later two Bersih committee members accompanied me; they were the ones who brought the memo (to me) and helped control the situation. “When we arrived at Stadium Merdeka, there were already many people (there). After discussing with the police… I started to sense danger as there were police behind us with water cannons ready. “That was when I decided it was best for us to move on to Istana Negara,” he said.

Asked how he managed to reach within 200 metres of the Istana gates when many others could not even get close, Samad attributed it to divine intervention. “Many people asked me that question. It was with Allah's help,” he said.

Samad, who was not amongst the 91 served restriction orders - dismissed suggestions that the cops had given him special treatment.

“I was tear gassed too; I felt like I was going to die due to my age. I went prepared with water and salt but I could not use them. “There were people left and right gasping for air, asking if I had water. I gave them mine, and later other protestors gave me theirs,” he said. 

'Would march again'
Samad was eventually stopped from completing the mission with just about 20 protestors in tow, with the palace gates in sight. Negotiations with the police failed and the group was forced to abandon their task."It is not my fault but the police's," said the septuagenarian at a press conference after the rally.

"I have decided to write a letter to the Agong later, to inform him that the Agong's readiness to receive the petition was not properly handled by the police.

A week on, Samad remains resolved in his pursuit of democracy, saying that he would be prepared to march again. “If I am still alive, if the cause is good for improving and strengthening democracy, why not? I am prepared,” he said.

“A literature scholar's duty is to the past; we record events. But I think with the turbulent situation now, we can no longer record the atmosphere. We too, become a trigger to that atmosphere.”.
[Source: Mkini]

the blessings of nisfu syaaban

Tonight is the night of nisfu syaaban or mid-shaaban when records of your deeds for the year would be closed and a new book will be opened to record your deeds for the upcoming year. i grow up hearing people talk about this night but never actually understood what it is all about. i know the elders tend to fast on 15 syaaban but again, I never knew the significance behind this night and the day itself.  i have scoured over a number of materials on the internet looking for the "story" behind it and out of many, this one from nurscaredsciences.com touched the core of my heart with the beautiful sayings from the Prophet (PBUH) and it makes me see this night of mid-shaaban in a different light, this time from my heart, with actual understanding...

The night of mid-Shaaban is a night of immense spiritual benefit and there are many hadiths that have been transmitted regarding this night.  Ibn Maja relates on the authority of Aisha saying, "I did not find the Prophet (pbuh) one night, so I went out looking for him and he was in al-Baqi with his head raised to the sky. He said, 'O' Aisha, do you fear that God would be unjust with you or his Prophet?'" She said, "I said: 'No but I thought you may have gone to another one of your wives.' He said: 'On the Night of Mid-Shaban, God the Exalted descends to the heavens of the earth and forgives a number [of people] greater than the hairs of the sheep of the [tribe] of Kalb (known for their many sheep).

Al-Bayhaqi also relates on her authority saying, "The messenger of God stood [in prayer] and lengthened his prostration until I thought that he died. When I saw this, I got up to move his finger and it moved. And so iI went back. When he rose his head in prostration towards me and completed his prayers he said, ' O Aisha or O Humayra, did you believe that the Prophet was deceiving you? I said: 'By God, no. But I thought you died because of the length of your prostration. He said: 'Do you know what night this is?' I said: 'God and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'This is the night of Mid-Shaaban. God looks at His servants the noght of Mid-Shaaban, and He forgives those seeking forgiveness, has mercy on those seeking mercy, and leaves the bearers of grudges as they are.'"

She also related: "God the Exalted showers goodness in abundance during four nights: the nights of Adha and Fitr (i.e. the nights of the two Ids), the night of Mid-Shaʿbān in which deaths and provisions are determined as are the pilgrimages written, and the evening of Arafa until the call to prayer."

On the authority of Abi Thalaba al-Khushani (RA), the Prophet (pbuh) said: 'When it becomes the Night of Mid-Shaaban, God looks at His creation and forgives the believers, maintains the disbelievers (in their disbelief), and leaves the bearer of grudges in their enmity until they abandon their [resentment].'

In another hadith, the Prophet (pbuh) made the following supplication during his prostration in Mid-Shaaban. "Aisha (RA) said: 'The night of Mid-Shaaban was my night. And the Messenger of God was at my place...He then went into prostration and said. 'I seek refuge in Your good-pleasure from Your anger. And I seek refuge in Your forgiveness from Your punishment. And I seek refuge in You from You. I am incapable of Your praise. You are as You have praised Yourself.

BERSIH 2.0 - glad that i had gone

it was saturday, july 9, 2011. the day i had waited for, also anticipated by many malaysians. it was a day when supporters of Bersih (an NGO - The Coalition for Fair and Clean Elections) were to walk peacefully in support for a clean and fair elections. the first time it was held was back in november 2007 which saw thousands of ordinary malaysians take the streets for the same cause. back then, at least 50,000 people turned up and were greeted with tear gas and water cannons by the FRU. and this time we had anticipated the same thing, except much worse as the police were already going beserk a week prior to july 9, by making sweeping arrests on individuals associated to Bersih and even those found to be wearing or selling the yellow Bersih tshirts.

three days before D day, the police were already carrying out roadblocks at highways and roads leading into the city centre. our Prime Minister had pretty much suffered a memory loss (note the sarcasm), a selected one i must say, as he refused to decide on granting Bersih the Merdeka Stadium to rally in, instead of the streets as he had offered earlier in the week. he had then passed the buck to the police, call it having no balls on his part to take responsibility.  the police reacted by refusing a permit for the rally to be held and ignored the olive branch extended by those heading the rally, and instead started making indirect threats with statements such as "i cannot guarantee any loss of lives on the day."  the govt controlled mainstream media began parroting the leader by warning people from attending the rally and from wearing anything yellow. ridiculously, the IGP warned the public that they will be arrested if they are not only found to be wearing or selling the shirt, but also if they are wearing or seen to be promoting anything in the colour of yellow, be it a bag, shoes, even buses...how ridiculous can someone get?  the police and media went on a fear mongering mode, intimidating the public, while roadblocks were making life hell for commuters and those who had to drive in and out of KL for work and other matters.

during the heavy rain at one of the hotspot areas where
my brother was

by friday evening, traffic was a havoc and the media issued news that the bus stations and LRT stations would be shut down. i had earlier planned on leaving at 11am on saturday from my parents' place together with my older nieces. however saturday morning came and we were not even sure what we could do, afraid that we could not get into KL as it had pretty much been locked down.  not being sure of how to get access into KL, i was at my FB Bersih wall all morning, either helping to update on latest news or giving morale support to those going or already there, and  keeping abreast with the latest news and info. i decided to ask if there were LRT stations that were open and upon passing on the info to my brothers, i decided once and for all that i had to go. by hook or by crook, i had to be there to give my support to Bersih and show our corrupted govt that they cannot in any way intimidate us.

the massive crowd

by the time my nieces and i met, it was already almost 2pm and i was restless because i did not want to miss out on the action. we boarded the LRT at kelana jaya station (the last point in PJ) and had planned earlier what to say to the police if we get stopped (many got stopped and bags and cellphones checked just to ensure they were not going into KL for Bersih).  i didnt dare carry anything that could connect me to Bersih just incase i get stopped and blocked into entering KL. i wanted so much to take along my yellow shirt with me but i would rather get into KL wearing a different colour shirt than not to get in at all. so there we were, all four of us, without anything to prepare us for the worse of the rally, no towels to protect us from the tear gas, no salt to put into our mouth incase of water cannons, just faith and spirit accompanying us to look and join our Bersih comrades. 

the heavy handedness of the police- - note the
guy on the ground

we got down at Dang Wangi station and, lo and behold, we were there right on time to join a massive crowd walking and chanting opposite of the station. i was high in spirits just looking at and hearing them. we crossed the street and quickly got into the crowd. they were chanting "Hidup Bersih" (Long Live Bersih) and "Hidup Rakyat" (Long Live the People) and we joined in. the group made a u-turn as they received news to head for KLCC (where our famous landmark of the twin towers is) and we followed the leaders chanting all the way. everyone was in high spirits and i turned to see many of all ages and races. there were malays, indians and chinese and my thought went to some of my racist friends who were so sure that the non-malays would not turn up, and wished i could make them see what i was witnessing (regardless i think they are too racist to care). there was a malay man who might have sprained his ankle sitting at the roadside and was attended to by a chinese guy, people of different races and religion walking next to each other, making conversations, striking new friendships, and chanting the same words, such contrast of what the government and the racists in the country were trying to portray. i was a little worried about my brother who was caught in hot spots in KL where tear gas was released and he had in one or two occassions felt the sting, and had to run to escape, but went back to join the crowd, not in any way held back by any fear he was feeling.

our group at the intersection of KLCC

we walked pass the renaissance hotel, the saloma bistro, the tourist centre and it was all good. the leaders controlled traffic, asking us to make way and ensured everything done peacefully and in order. we passed by a row of police officers behind barriers and we waved at them, made peace signs and started chanting "Peace, peace, we want peace." some of them smiled back and just looked at us, not too sure if some actually did wave back. we got to the intersection of KLCC and the leader instructed us to sit but we kind of loitered around a bit, booing each time the helicopters hovered over us. and when the opposition leaders who are associated with Bersih turned up and stood on top of a car, we were asked to sit down.

it was such a massive crowd, i could hardly see the rest beyond. we cheered and chanted accordingly but being quite a distance from the speakers, and with no hailer, we could hardly make out what was said. by then, one of my nieces was feeling a little faint and we decided that it was time to head for the LRT and make our way out. it was after 4pm anyway and i was told that many other groups in other areas had begun to disperse if not done already. there were several people also who decided to leave and we walked towards the KLCC entrance and all of a sudden we heard the helicopter again followed by shouts of "lari, lari" (run, run). we knew then that the FRU were there and maybe some police were already behind us. as we ran, we found that the security at KLCC had barricaded all entrances and refused to allow us entry. we ran around and i had to think of a safe place to get my nieces to and was worried that my sick niece would not be able to run fast enough or might pass out. as my brains went into a "pressured thinking" mode, a stranger working with KLCC or Isetan, i cant actually quite remember pointed us the way to escape. we followed the lead with some others and ran around to find one entrance at Isetan retail store still open. we ran in and were greeted by shocked looks of the sales people. we quickly headed for the 'ladies' as i needed to have my niece sit and rest. not sure of what was going on outside but pretty much expecting the water cannons and tear gas to be unrolled full steam outside, we found out that we were locked in Isetan due to security reasons. hungry and tired from not having any lunch, and curious about what was going on outside, we waited and pretended to be shoppers though i think some of the sales people actually suspected us as "dissents" from the demonstration. after almost half hour, we were let out but found that the LRT station at KLCC had been closed down. after a quick bite, we headed outside not quite knowing what to expect.  the scene outside was of calm with many loitering around, and we knew just by the exchanges of looks between us, that we had all been involved in the earlier demonstration. there were no taxis in sight, neither were we expecting any because of the lock down of KLCC area. we had to walk to find an area where we hoped we could locate taxis or some form of transport to get us back to PJ. it was almost 6 by then and we were actually passing by groups of FRUs on horses complete with their riot gear, and groups of police officers in their uniform, and others whom we "know" were in the Bersih group with us. some were just sitting around, perhaps figuring out how to get out of the area, and some walking "aimlessly" like us heading in all sorts of directions.


my brother and the new multi-racial friends he made during the rally

when we were at ampang park, where many had gathered with some just looking at the FRU group across the street (trucks, horses and what nots), i found out that the LRT station there was open, alhamdulillah. there was a long queue to purchase the tickets but it moved fast enough. it was a relief to finally be on the LRT and along the way, more supporters boarded at different stations. we knew they were supporters as much as they had probably known the same about us. somehow after that long day of fighting for the same cause, and eventhough we were not clad in yellow, there was that same look that we shared. the look of satisfaction that we had defied the government's effort in trying to intimidate us, in trying to break us apart, in trying to incite hatred amongst us of different races and religion. instead of all that, it was a day when we united, when we turned up despite the threats and heavy roadblocks and lock down of KL, and what a multi-racial turnout it was.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was reported to have said "When you see kemunkaran (evil), fight it with your hands (meaning, rise up in opposition). If you fear to fight it with your hands then fight it with your mouth (meaning, speak out against it). And if you still fear to fight it with your mouth then hate it in your heart. But those who only dare hate it in their heart is the sign of a very weak Muslim."

i am glad that i had gone.

fatima, prophecy of death, sadness & joy

Narrated ‘Aisha (raa): The Prophet (saw) called his daughter Fatima (raa) during his illness in which he died, and told her a secret whereupon she wept.

Then he called her again and told her a secret whereupon she laughed.

When I asked her about that, she replied, "The Prophet (saw) spoke to me in secret and informed me that he would die in the course of the illness during which he died, so I wept. He again spoke to me in secret and informed me that I would be the first of his family to follow him (after his death) and on that I laughed."


Companions of the Prophet – Sahih Bukhari: Volume 5, Book 57, Number 62

little things that make me swoon

today adam told me one of the sweetest things ever. it isn't a cliche but probably it is no biggie either but it made my heart soar and have me smiled all day long, even as i type this out now...

"i take care of myself better when u are around bcos i realise how precious life is when i look at u" - from New York with ♥