Travellers

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
Assalammualaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Appreciate the world around you

We are but travelers

Walking, running, tripping and falling
We got up again and continued our journey
Now it is more challenging
But from experience
We learned
This journey takes time
We continued walking, more slowly, more concise
Sometimes the pace increased
Sometimes it slows down

This is the journey
To the end of a new beginning
As we clears the dust of sins
As we grab the hearts and the hands of others
To join us in this beautiful journey
We attain the purity of life, heart and soul

And we must continue our journey
With patience, with vigor
Until we are called to Him

For we are but travelers

Wallahua'lam
Segala puji hanya bagi Allah, Tuhan sekalian alam

Self Reflection

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
Assalammualaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Wa jahidu fillahi haqqa jihadi

As we tread this course of life, there are times when it feels like we are floating on thin air. As the sins shoots through us like bullets, shooting through our eyes, ears, mouth, and bodies, staining our soul with splattered of woe and worries, while our protective shield seems to weaken from the lack of tadzkeer and jihad. It made us feel weak, for we know, deep down, that we are letting the whispers of syaitan pierce through our hearts. Days feels like years and time seems to leave us hanging there, isolated from the creatures that are doing tasbeeh and tahmeed to the Allmighty Creator.

Astaghfirullah hal azheem

But there are choices. We can either choose to stand there and be attacked by our own self and become crippled in the position of a sinner, pitying ourselves and letting the was-was engulfed our hearts and blinding it or we can choose to fight it, control it and to wage jihad against our own nafs al-lawwammah. As we are still breathing the blessings of tawheed and tasting the sweetness of iman, there are still time and opportunities to break our sinful desires.

Subhanallah walhamdulillah wallahu akbar

It must be beautiful, to experience the sweet immersion of iman on our hearts and soul where we become lions at daytime, walking with al-hawn, waging jihad and answering the call of Allah; while at night, it softens and becomes as light as feathers, while we cry in tears of repentance and pouring our hearts only to Allah. Imagine, if we were to cut the flesh that are protecting the hearts of the mujahideen to see it beating with vigor and pumping blood that are filled with the spirit of jihad, it will never dawned on us that these mukhlisin, who walked on this blessed earth with piety, eyes that avoids even the minutest of sins or al-fahsya, a smile that warms the heart of his fellow brothers, a tongue that only speaks of al-Haq and dhikrullah, attitudes that are firm yet considerate, and the sunnah embedded in every movements of their limbs are filled with this boiling spirit that only shows its true color when facing the enemy of Allah or when planning to improve the condition of him/herself and the ummah.

Masha Allah tabarakallah
What are we waiting for dear brothers and sisters?

The end is so near yet we are still like this, we claim we have changed yet how much have we really changed? How much of this deen that we have managed to learn and understand? How much of the portion of the book of Allah have we recited and act upon? Yes, it differs between each of us on the level of practice of the teachings of the prophet s.a.w and the book of Allah, yet, we are still not united, especially our hearts, it seems that individualism and our egos are still barring us from tasting the sweetness of faith, we are united to do sins yet in doing righteous deeds, we are apart. Funny isn't it that we claim we are brothers yet we still are not able to bring ourselves and our fellow brothers in islam to the mosque/musolla for congregational prayers especially for Fajr and Isya'.

Ibarat satu jasad

The mosques are calling you O' brothers is creed
The book of Allah is calling you to read it and act upon it O' brothers in iman
The sunnah are calling you to unity and kinship O' brothers in islam
The hijab is calling you to piety and al-haya' O' sisters in creed

Whatever we do now, we will be responsible for it in the hereafter

This is a reminder and a slap to the one who are typing this whom Allah will ask on the day of judgment. May Allah showers us with His grace and His love so that we can travel in this world under His light and mercy. May Allah grant us with an end that is husnul khatimah. Insya Allah.

Wallahua'lam
Segala puji hanya bagi Allah, Tuhan sekalian alam

Penjara Dunya, Syurga Akhirat

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
Assalammualaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

May all of us are tasting the sweetness of iman that is oh so sweet and delicious in the qalb and are in good health. Insya Allah. I felt of sharing this, may Allah engulf us with Rahmah and put us in line with the seekers of Truth who are the muttaqeen, mukhlisin and the mukmineen. Allahumma ameen.

Uzlah an-nafs

This is a poem by a brother who is imprisoned somewhere in the US. May Allah showers him (and us) with rahmah and baraqah also forgive our sins that we concealed and that we have done in the past, at present and in the future. Ameen ya Rabbal 'alameen.

It was late at night
And I lay still on my bed
-In my cell-
Sleepy yet unable to sleep

Restless and
Wide awake
Feeling scared and uneasy

Thinking about my family and friends
Thinking about life in the Hereafter
-Thinking about Death-

I got lost in my thoughts
-Literally-

Thought about death
-So deeply-

Thought about the End of the World
Thought about the Signs of the End of the World
Thought about my beloved family

My eyes wide open
-Conscious yet not breathing-

I was trembling and shivering
I was feeling cold and
I was feeling scared

‘Death could get us all at any time’
-I thought-

‘I’m scared to die
I’m not ready for death
I’ve not done anything right
I’ve not repented enough
I know I’ll be going to hell
I want to go home to my family
And be able to tell them how much they mean to me’

My mind taking control
-Thoughts of regret swam through my head-

I never done anything right
I had plenty of time to repent
-Yet I never repented-

It’s not until I was imprisoned
-That I began thinking-

That I began repenting
That I began
-Whole Heartedly-
praying

That I came to understand
The importance of loving and caring
About how much
-Family-
meant

The importance of parents
The importance of life

My prayers lasted four to five hours
My du’aa lasted three to four hours

I would weep
I would cry
-Out Aloud-

I would
-Desperately-
ask Allah For His Divine help

I didn’t like where I was

The place scared me
It didn’t feel right
I felt out of place
I felt like a stranger
-Like a sheep in a herd of camels-

I felt scared of the fellow prisoners
They were big and tall

I thought they were going to hurt me
-Beat me and kick me-

The prisoners were scary looking
Always looking drugged and doped
Yet I refused to judge them
-By what I saw-

I didn’t want to know about their crime
I didn’t even mind about being locked up in solitary confinement
Because it was much safer
-Than being out there amongst them-

Prison ain't a place for a Muslim
It ain't a place for an innocent person
It ain't a ‘cool’ place to be
It is Hell inside

The prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
‘This Dunya is like a Prison for the believers’

-Subhanallah-
Indeed the saying is true

But when in prison
And you look around
And you observe the place
And the kinds of people inside
And you sit and contemplate
And you think deeply about life
You come to the realization that

Prison is hell
And it is heaven
-Outside-

But once released
And you’re out
The Dunya is indeed a prison for the believers

I came to learn a lot about my religion
-Whilst inside-
By reading the Holy Quran

And my main regret
Is that I never concentrated on the Quran
-When outside-

I never even tried to understand
I read but I never contemplated
upon the
-Individual-
Words of Allah

I experienced Islam
-When inside-

I experienced what
-Being a Muslim-
Is all about

The way we’re meant to
-Fear Allah-

So much fear should be in our hearts
That we should be scared not just to close our eyes
-But to even blink-

In fear that
-Death-
Could get us
-Anytime-

That we should be happy and eager to
-Meet Allah-

For the one who is
-Eager to meet Allah-
Indeed Allah is eager to meet him

Yet at the same time
We should be scared to meet Allah

-In fear that He may not be happy with us-
Due to the amount of
-Minor-
Sins we all commit
Knowingly and unknowingly

Not just read but
-Contemplate-
On the
-Individual-
Wordings of the Holy Quran

We’re never that busy
So why don’t we do Dhikr
-On our right fingers-

Why do we not Praise
Thank and Glorify Allah?
-Subhanallah-

So many questions asked
And so many lessons learnt
We are Muslims
And the Quran is our Holy Book

I learnt millions and millions of lessons
-When inside-

But these lessons were learnt
Not just from my experience
Of being inside
But mostly from reading the Holy Quran

You don’t have to be imprisoned to read the Quran
Look to your right
Look to your left
Look in front of you
-There should be a Quran somewhere near you-

Start in the name of Allah
Pick it up
Open it
Read it
Contemplate
Understand
Acknowledge
And put into practise

We Muslim prisoners have no excuses
And nor should you

Because I
-Lyrically-
Just told you what to do

And if you didn’t pick up
-Some-
Of the lessons from this poem

Then I suggest you re-read
-By scrolling to the top-

By Lyrical Enigma

Masha Allah tabarakallah. How this shows the divine Love that Allah has upon His slave that He puts His sinful slave through trials in this fana world to introduce this beautiful taste of faith to them. May this be a good reminder to us for we might be the lucky few who Allah had granted the taste of faith and the knowledge of this beautiful deen. Subhanallahi wabihamdih, subhanallahil azheem.

Wallahua'lam
Segala puji hanya bagi Allah, Tuhan sekalian alam

Of Volcanoes and Us

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
Assalammualaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Mount Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland

When it happened
Everything went haywire
People stranded at airports
Import and exports of goods stops
Loss of human wealth exceeded billions of dollars

This is just the beginning

Sesungguhnya hari pemutusan hukum itu, adalah satu masa yang ditentukan; Iaitu masa ditiup sangkakala, lalu kamu (bangkit hidup) serta datang berpuak-puak (ke Padang Mahsyar); Dan (pada masa itu) langit dipecah belahkan sehingga tiap-tiap belahannya menjadi ibarat pintu yang terbuka luas;Dan gunung-ganang, setelah dihancurkan, diterbangkan ke angkasa, lalu menjadilah ia bayangan semata-mata seperti riak sinaran panas di padang pasir.

[an-Naba':17-20]

Are we still in our state of heedlessness?
Astaghfirullah hal azheem
Ighfirlana ya Rahman ya Raheem

Wallahua'lam
Segala puji hanya bagi Allah, Tuhan sekalian alam

Penjara

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
Assalammualaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Life is fana
a test
a prison
for the believers

are we one of them?

Allahu qareeb

The prose that I put below might be quite long, take your time to read it, to understand it, to digest its meaning and do reflect, reflect on your self, reflect on the food you eat, reflect on the clothes you wear, reflect on the freedom you have, reflect on everything. When I read this, I have goosebumps. They are our brothers, they could be your beloved husband, your caring father, your loving grandfather, your responsible uncles or even yourself.

Dear Brother, who dwells in these prisons
To you I write with distress,

If to Allâh you hold fast
Then what harm will a misfortune of time do to you?

Beware dear Brother, of making your corrupting thoughts
Regarding the Promise of the Deity, Mighty and Strong,

Verily, He has promised the Believers with Salvation
As He saved Yûnus from the dark depths of the belly of the Fish,

Dear Brother, before you, passed the ancient ones
These prisons are but like those prisons,

Did not Yûsuf dwelled in them for a phase
And Mûsâ, the tyrants threatened him with it,

And such was the Messenger of the Generous Deity
To imprison him, the pagans plotted,

So my Lord saved him through his Hijrah
In the company of that trustworthy friend,

And in their footsteps, the Believers traversed
Like Ahmad, that firm Imâm,

And likewise Ibn Taymiyyah was blessed with it
In the fortress of Shâm, as a prisoner he dwelled,

Hundreds of thousands of the True Faithful
Dwelled for a time in these prisons,

Be not weak, dear Brother, nor lose hope
When your time comes, nor submit,

Strengthen yourself by remembering the Deity, Most Supreme
And hasten in memorizing the Manifest Book,

That is for your heart a secure stronghold
And this is for your spirit an assisting provision,

These are hardships, soon they will all cease
And remaining from it will be various fruits and benefits,

So if they intimidate you, and they threaten you
Never weaken, or soften to them,

And even if they insult you, and they torture you
And if they beat you, submit not,

You are not the first to be tortured
For a Mighty Religion and a Manifest Legislation,

Nor are you alone on this Path
For there are countless caravans throughout the years,

And if an ‘Eid passes by, and a son is born
And months rotate, while you are imprisoned,

Do not grieve O Brother of the Righteous Ones
Of departing from family and losing children,

And if they forbid you from their visits
And likewise their letters never appear,

So if this is for a Lord and Religion
Then where is the patience, where is the certainty!?

And where are your past speeches
Regarding the (weight of the) Millah of that Trustworthy Messenger?!

That Intimate Friend went willingly
To slaughter his son, a clear trial,

On a magnificent, noble day like today
Without any anxiety, he put him down upon his forehead,

So my Lord saved him through His Good Will
And ransomed him with a fat sheep,

But you, your sons are in a carefree life
And diversion and amusement, and a secured home,

Yet you have not been asked to slaughter them
Rather, merely for patience of a temporary separation,

For verily, they are in the care of a Merciful Lord
And you are in solitude with Him and Faith,

For the Pleasure of a Lord and assisting a Religion
Life and all children become insignificant,

For the Pleasure of a Lord, Mighty and Generous
The prisons come perfumed, and the bitter come sweet

May the prose above, written by one of our brothers (in a prison in General Intelligence Facility, Jordan (Cell Number 63) who was allegedly imprisoned for being a 'terrorist suspect') enlighten our hearts and may Allah showers us with His Mercy and with His divine Light and show us to the straight path - the path that will grant us Jannah al-Firdaus with our deeply missed prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), the sahabah (r.a.), the tabi'in and the martyrs with His blessing and redha. Insya Allah.

Wallahua'lam
Segala puji hanya bagi Allah, Tuhan sekalian alam

Purity of the Heart

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
Assalammualaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

He (Allah) who created the sky, land and sea

In the name of Allah, The Most High, al-Azeez wal-Muqtadir, where nothing happens without His Will, the Provider of Sustenance, the Most Merciful towards His creations, Most Loving towards those who strive to gain His Love, The Pardoner to those who sinned, al-Awwal, al-Akhir, az-Zahir, al-Batin.

Peace and salutations be to our beloved Messengers (a.s.) and to the seal of the prophets, Muhammad ibn Abdullah (s.a.w.), his family, his companions, the tabi'ien, the scholars, ulama', the mujahideen and the muttaqeen wal-mukhlisin who sold their soul and wealth fi sabilillah.

Ighfirly ya Allah

As the age ripens and the land become coarse with tests and sometimes it feels as if you are treading on thin ice - being so careful that any signs of risk made you tremble. O' dear heart, quit worrying about the world, quit worrying about your nafs, quit worrying about what is not yet yours. O' heart, cleanse yourself of the stains of the sinning parts of your body that darkens the mirror to the soul and to your Creator. Astaghfirullah hal azheem.

Yahya ibn Muaz r.h. said:

Endeavor against your soul through obedience and spiritual exercise. Spiritual exercise entails sleeping less, speaking less, bearing the insults of people and eating less. Less sleep creates purity of intentions. Speaking less creates security from hardships. Bearing the insults of people enables you to reach your goals. And eating less causes the death of your desires. This is because, excessive eating causes the heart to become hard and to lose its lustre. The light of wisdom is hunger while eating to one's fill causes one to go further away from Allah.

Dear brother and sister, please make du'a for everyone. May Allah grant us His Light and al-Huda so that we can tread on this path with patience and in continuity. May Allah accept our deeds that are done with ikhlas and laced with ihsan. This world is a temporary abode, may we make use of it well to achieve everlasting peace and tranquility. Insya Allah.

Allahumma inna nas aluka ridhaka wal jannah, wa na'udzubika min sakhatika wan naar

To be continued...

Wallahua'lam
Segala puji hanya bagi Allah, Tuhan sekalian alam

Mencari Rijal

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
Assalammualaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

These days, we are always busy
preoccupied
with our own needs
with our own emotions
when we should be thinking of the ummah

Where is our iman?

من رأى منكم منكرا فليغيره بيده، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه، فإن لم يستطع فبلقبه، وذلك أضعف الإيمان.

“Barangsiapa melihat kemungkaran, maka hendaklah ia mengubah dengan tangannya, jika ia tidak mampu, maka hendaklah ia mengubah dengan lidahnya, jika ia tidak mampu, maka hendaklah ia mengubah dengan hatinya. Yang demikian itu (mengubah dengan hati) adalah selemah-lemah iman.”

[HR Muslim]

We always choose to take the last one
Astaghfirullah hal azheem
Are our iman that low?
What will we answer to Allah?

[as-Saff:10-13]

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, rahimahullah said:

“O people! Why have you forgotten your religion, left your pride, and failed to give nasr (aid) to Allah? So, He will not grant you victory. You imagined that pride is the lot of the infidels while Allah made pride the lot of Allah, His messenger, and the believers.

Woe unto you! Are you not pained when you see the enemy of Allah and your enemy stepping on your land, which was watered by the blood of your fathers? This enemy is humiliating and enslaving you and you were the masters of the world. Are you not moved or provoked when you see your brothers surrounded by the enemy, humiliating them? Do you eat, drink, and enjoy the luxury of life while your brothers there are set on fire and sleep on ashes?

O people! The war broke out; the call for jihad has been raised; and the doors of the sky have opened. If you are not the knights of the war, then, give way to women to wage the war. Go take the braziers and kohl. O women with turbans and beards! If you are not so, then here are the horses and here are their reins. Do you know how these reins are made? They are made by women from their own hair because this is the only thing they have. The hair of women, which was kept away even from the sun, was cut because the history of love had ended and the history of the holy war for the sake of Allah had begun. If you cannot ride these horses, take the reins because they are made of women’s hair (shu’ur) and you have no feelings (shu’ur) in your hearts.”

He then threw the reins over the heads of people and shouted:
“O pillars of the mosque, come down; O stones of the mosque, come down; O hearts, feel pain. The men have lost their manhood.”

By Allah, it is true. Men have lost their manhood.

Astaghfirullah hal azheem
inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raaji’oon

Wallahua'lam
Segala puji hanya bagi Allah, Tuhan sekalian alam