Primary School
I was probably 8 or 9, pupil at Marian Convent, Hot Springs, Setapak. I liked my school and Ms Wong was my favourite teacher. I remember the first month in standard one we were instructed to draw all sorts of pictures following the alphabet. I still remembered the large teapot I drew in my large sketch book. Miss Wong liked it very much.
That made a good impression in the mind of a 7 year old child. We liked the subject where the teacher inspired us. They sure knew how to make lessons fun.
On my very first day of school I lost my colour pencils. I thought it only happened to me. Of course it was rather upsetting as I had to tell that to my mom when I got home. It showed I did not appreciate my new possessions . Actually I left it in my desk but the whole box simply disappeared!
Children keep losing things in standard one
When my son was in standard one, it also happened to him. Several times. I then realised children were very carefree and careless. They did not yet know how to take care of their own things. They learnt the hard way. Some also lost their water bottles and their pencil cases. They also did not learn how to respect the rights of others. Children are not too young to learn. They need gentle guidance, just do it in a way they understand.
Lost and Found
My son got so tired of losing his pencils that he resorted to retrieving lost pencils from the class wastepaper basket. I was rather surprised at his resourcefulness. He must have got tired of reporting to his teacher that he lost his pencils again.
Some kids must have been taking pencils , sharpeners and erasers from the desks of other kids and were dumping all the into the bin and around the classroom . Like some sort of game.
Fun in School
Each year we had events where pupils could take part in competitions and sports etc. I was a rather shy kid but somehow decided to take part in a fancy dress competition. Perhaps the idea of dressing up appealed to me.It had a sense of adventure!
My Pretty yet Practical Outfit
I probably could have been quite a practical child. I did not choose a character where I had to find ways to get the correct costume to achieve the look. It would have been difficult to acquire a zebra or hippo costume.
I decided I could wear one of my new frocks which was inspired by nursery rhymes. Mom probably would not have agreed to making a whole new costume just for a child's competition. And no way my father would have agreed to pay for it!
Nursery Rhyme Character?
I wore my new year outfit, a sweet lacy lilac lined flocked nylon frock dress with a removable waist peplum. I thought it was pretty cool and probably the judges were impressed too. It was fun and rather competitive, so much for excitement for the day. :)
I also carried a staff or crook, a lovely carved walking stick that belonged to my grandfather. I was so short and small that the walking stick looked like a long staff. I think a ribbon was tied to it to complete the look. I could have worn a little bonnet, but I cannot remember.
What kind of prize would motivate
a child to improve?
Can you guess which character I was portraying? I won a prize for the effort. In fact, I do not remember what I won. Must be some most forgettable kind of gift. Do not disregard children's opinions and their first impressions. If you want to instill pride and satisfaction in their efforts, give them a worthy reward. It does not have to be monetary. Make it memorable.
Make it Memorable
How about a treat to a picnic at the Bird Park, with a special lunch or a little party with a few friends. A pot luck with their cousins? Just do not be too mediocre all the time. Make an impact if you wish to create childhood memories. My mother did that with us through the years.
Trained to Worship in School
We always took part in concerts and sketches, all held at the school canteen. In fact, almost everything was done in the canteen.That was where the kindly missionary nuns tried to incorporate the daily christian prayers into our daily routine. All of us could memorise and repeat the prayers of Hail Mary and Our Father...We all thought that was what all kids and adults do.
Why be Missionary?
Why did they do that? Probably they had all taken a vow to serve the Creator through Jesus. They were trying to save the heathen souls and bring them to Heaven. They thought they were doing the ignorant heathens a big favour. They never asked whether we agreed with them or not. Neither did it occur to them to study our holy books to see whether they got it right or got it all wrong.
Never Read Quran Before but some people assume it is dangerous work of the devil. Fear of the Unknown.
Maybe they were also told not to open or read the Quran because they were told it was work of the devil. How can anyone know unless they checked it out for themselves? Who is ignorant and who is the one that needs saving? May Allah SWT guide and help all mankind.
Why did my parents not bother?
Maybe because we never learnt any special prayers at home. When we followed our families to the temple, we could hear Taoist nuns and the abott chanting. We had no idea what they were mumbling. So much for our religious education.
Sacrifices and Honour
My father went to St. John's Institution, a famous missionary school. He was a bright student but when 2nd world war came to our shores, his life had to change too. All the young men had to go to work to fend for their families. He had to sacrifice continuing higher education.
My uncles had the chances of travelling abroad to study but my father stayed home to care for the extended family. I felt a bit sad for my father as my mother said he used to get 1st place in his exams all the time. Life is full of tests and sacrifices. Nothing good we did would ever be lost. Allah SWT knows all that we think and do. Alhamdulillah.
Be Very Concerned about our Children's Education
Young minds are free and pure. What are we feeding our children's minds? Do we make sure we give them the best and correct input or do we think it is the job of the religious teacher at school? What is she teaching our little children? What is the syllabus all about? Is she even well qualified to handle such an important subject?
Brainwashing and Daily Indoctrination
Everything was so subtle in mission schools and they made it so natural. Did our parents complain about this? Did any Muslim parents voice out their concerns? Many non Muslim parents are not too religious as they may not believe in their general religions. They did not think it to be harmful.
Parents Protect Your Children!
I did not know the difference for we were too young. Parents who send their children to schools of other religions, are you aware of school policies? Who were there to guide and protect the innocent young minds?Do you know what is taught to your children daily, from Primary 1 to Primary 6? From Secondary 1 to Secondary 5?
Friday, January 27, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Happy Memories are Made, not Imagined
Playtime with Neighbouring Kids
Fast forward to a time when my brother and I were around 5 and 7 years old. A bit hazy about the actual time but we were still running around the street, playing and screaming shrilly in excitement , playing cops and robbers, hide and seek and bat and ball. We played masak masak, cooking using flowers and leaves in the garden. We found cup shaped leaves where we imagined we were enjoying some tea with friends. Mimicking adults.
Running around like Crazy
One boy was good at making wooden pistols attached with rubberbands and some firing pin. These crude wooden 'guns' shot hard green cherry seeds from the large shady cherry tree by the roadside. We had to run when he started shooting crazily. Smile... so, so childish.. thats who we were, kids.
We lived by the edge of the river and cars could not drive through. It was our urban tarmac playfield, quite pathetic when I think back. But we made do with what we had.
Mooncake Festival
One mooncake festival we decided to have a stage show. We did not know anything about worshipping the moon or other religious rites. Some people would display some candles and make some offerings. To many of us mooncake festival meant getting to eat all the lovely mooncakes and playing with the colourful lanterns. We would have our own collection and we always needed a few extra because they burnt easily.
Lanterns On Fire, Hair on Fire
Once while trying to fit a small candle into the lantern I smelt something strange. Like something burning. It turned out that my hair was singed and nearly caught fire! Alhamdulillah it did not get further than that. Or I would not be typing this now, smiling at my misadventures.
We took all kinds of blankets and tablecloths to make a backdrop. Kids dressed in adult clothes and costumes play acted an opera. Adults sat and watched to humour us. It was fun and made happy childhood memories.
Islam brings us from Darkness into Light
When I discovered Islam and started studying, I advised my mother not to bother about the festival because man had already gone to the moon. We should not bother about any old wife's tales but we could carry on enjoying halal mooncake and biscuits when the shops started selling them. I made some mooncakes once but it was too much work to do it alone. The snow skin mooncakes were easier but due to the high sugar content of the fillings, I did not bother anymore. Really unhealthy to eat mooncakes actually. Such things literally kills us with 'joy'.
I loved my Dolls
Actually I had a whole collection of dolls from UK. How did I ever get such a huge collection? I was a sickly child, always with fever, sore throat, flu etc. Dr. Goonting our family doctor was also known as my 'godfather' . Everytime we had to see him, my father would let me choose a toy from the shop next door to the clinic to help cheer me up. Those days we did not use capsules. Horrid sourish or bitter concoctions were pulverised into powder and packed in little paper sachets. We had to swallow them with water. Eeeaghh!!!!
Pearly my Silent Friend
One of my favourite larger dolls was called Pearly. Made of some kind of porcelain, she was perhaps about 2 feet tall. I vaguely remember Pearly had a lovely gossamer like blue organza dress. Guess people like dolls because they do not talk back. They are always there for us and remain our faithful companions. We are the ones who abandon them eventually.
Better Not to Waste Money
Actually its not a good idea to buy a child fragile toys. They may break easily and that would cause more upsets than joy. And probably too costly to purchase, raising the bar and making the child expect even more the next time. Mmmm...
I would usually choose a doll. I loved to cuddle them and dress them up, feed the babies with their milk bottles and put curlers in their long golden silky hair. Yes, some dolls actually come with a mouth where we can feed it and water actually comes out from behind. The doll can also wear diapers. And that was over 40 years ago.My dolls had long eye lashes and can open and close their eyes. Do not know why I did not give them any names. Only Pearly.
Toys are Educational Too
Toys are important to our emotional development as children. With dolls and teddy bears we learnt how to express our love and affection. If our parents could not keep us company, we were happy to be with our toys, our faithful companions. We learnt how to take care of our possessions and also how to share.
Parents have to guide their children all the times, even in how to play with their toys and possessions. We have to be cautious about the choice of toys, comics, books and movies that we buy for them. We have great responsibility so our kids will not to use their nafs (selfish vain desires) to mishandle their toys and belongings.
Children can Absorb Knowledge like a Sponge
Children are smart and can absorb knowledge like a sponge especially from birth to age of 5 years. They can learn responsibility, cleanliness, tidyness, discipline and orderliness through play. They also need to appreciate their parents' sacrifices and Allah SWT's blessings when they enjoy their toys and books. It is an educational and emotional process for them.
Sibling Rivalry
I was very upset with my younger brother. We never got along much even when we were young. Maybe sibling rivalry. Maybe because I had more toys than him. He should realise that he ought to be grateful that he did not get sick as often as I did. Once he scribbled on the face of my doll and poked her blind with his ball pen. He also cut her hair with a pair of scissors. Butchering her lovely fringe. I was really really upset with him. Long forgiven but I still remember the event.
Playsets and Kitchenette
I had some nice playthings. Teasets, toy ovenette and others that I cannot recollect right now. Lots of story books, comics, wooden blocks, train sets, home made doll house etc. Childhood was a relatively happy time though we had some family issues, just like many other homes.
Hardy Little Kids
Even as a child, I prefer to separate matters so that we could bear our burdens in parts and not as a whole. I learnt pretty fast as a young child. My parents were not communicating too well for years. They tried to protect us and never fought or argued in front of us. We began to think it was a normal kind of life and that everyone else's family was something like that.
Actually we were not too far wrong. Indeed it turned out many friends too faced some complicated issues at home.
I will tell you some stories of my childhood friends and their experiences one day. Some were forced to be like young adults at childhood. They did not have any choice. They had to grow up quickly. I think we were hardy and brave little kids. We just did not understand too much at that time, which was actually a good thing. Alhamdulillah!
Fast forward to a time when my brother and I were around 5 and 7 years old. A bit hazy about the actual time but we were still running around the street, playing and screaming shrilly in excitement , playing cops and robbers, hide and seek and bat and ball. We played masak masak, cooking using flowers and leaves in the garden. We found cup shaped leaves where we imagined we were enjoying some tea with friends. Mimicking adults.
Running around like Crazy
One boy was good at making wooden pistols attached with rubberbands and some firing pin. These crude wooden 'guns' shot hard green cherry seeds from the large shady cherry tree by the roadside. We had to run when he started shooting crazily. Smile... so, so childish.. thats who we were, kids.
We lived by the edge of the river and cars could not drive through. It was our urban tarmac playfield, quite pathetic when I think back. But we made do with what we had.
Mooncake Festival
One mooncake festival we decided to have a stage show. We did not know anything about worshipping the moon or other religious rites. Some people would display some candles and make some offerings. To many of us mooncake festival meant getting to eat all the lovely mooncakes and playing with the colourful lanterns. We would have our own collection and we always needed a few extra because they burnt easily.
Lanterns On Fire, Hair on Fire
Once while trying to fit a small candle into the lantern I smelt something strange. Like something burning. It turned out that my hair was singed and nearly caught fire! Alhamdulillah it did not get further than that. Or I would not be typing this now, smiling at my misadventures.
We took all kinds of blankets and tablecloths to make a backdrop. Kids dressed in adult clothes and costumes play acted an opera. Adults sat and watched to humour us. It was fun and made happy childhood memories.
Islam brings us from Darkness into Light
When I discovered Islam and started studying, I advised my mother not to bother about the festival because man had already gone to the moon. We should not bother about any old wife's tales but we could carry on enjoying halal mooncake and biscuits when the shops started selling them. I made some mooncakes once but it was too much work to do it alone. The snow skin mooncakes were easier but due to the high sugar content of the fillings, I did not bother anymore. Really unhealthy to eat mooncakes actually. Such things literally kills us with 'joy'.
I loved my Dolls
Actually I had a whole collection of dolls from UK. How did I ever get such a huge collection? I was a sickly child, always with fever, sore throat, flu etc. Dr. Goonting our family doctor was also known as my 'godfather' . Everytime we had to see him, my father would let me choose a toy from the shop next door to the clinic to help cheer me up. Those days we did not use capsules. Horrid sourish or bitter concoctions were pulverised into powder and packed in little paper sachets. We had to swallow them with water. Eeeaghh!!!!
Pearly my Silent Friend
One of my favourite larger dolls was called Pearly. Made of some kind of porcelain, she was perhaps about 2 feet tall. I vaguely remember Pearly had a lovely gossamer like blue organza dress. Guess people like dolls because they do not talk back. They are always there for us and remain our faithful companions. We are the ones who abandon them eventually.
Better Not to Waste Money
Actually its not a good idea to buy a child fragile toys. They may break easily and that would cause more upsets than joy. And probably too costly to purchase, raising the bar and making the child expect even more the next time. Mmmm...
I would usually choose a doll. I loved to cuddle them and dress them up, feed the babies with their milk bottles and put curlers in their long golden silky hair. Yes, some dolls actually come with a mouth where we can feed it and water actually comes out from behind. The doll can also wear diapers. And that was over 40 years ago.My dolls had long eye lashes and can open and close their eyes. Do not know why I did not give them any names. Only Pearly.
Toys are Educational Too
Toys are important to our emotional development as children. With dolls and teddy bears we learnt how to express our love and affection. If our parents could not keep us company, we were happy to be with our toys, our faithful companions. We learnt how to take care of our possessions and also how to share.
Parents have to guide their children all the times, even in how to play with their toys and possessions. We have to be cautious about the choice of toys, comics, books and movies that we buy for them. We have great responsibility so our kids will not to use their nafs (selfish vain desires) to mishandle their toys and belongings.
Children can Absorb Knowledge like a Sponge
Children are smart and can absorb knowledge like a sponge especially from birth to age of 5 years. They can learn responsibility, cleanliness, tidyness, discipline and orderliness through play. They also need to appreciate their parents' sacrifices and Allah SWT's blessings when they enjoy their toys and books. It is an educational and emotional process for them.
Sibling Rivalry
I was very upset with my younger brother. We never got along much even when we were young. Maybe sibling rivalry. Maybe because I had more toys than him. He should realise that he ought to be grateful that he did not get sick as often as I did. Once he scribbled on the face of my doll and poked her blind with his ball pen. He also cut her hair with a pair of scissors. Butchering her lovely fringe. I was really really upset with him. Long forgiven but I still remember the event.
Playsets and Kitchenette
I had some nice playthings. Teasets, toy ovenette and others that I cannot recollect right now. Lots of story books, comics, wooden blocks, train sets, home made doll house etc. Childhood was a relatively happy time though we had some family issues, just like many other homes.
Hardy Little Kids
Even as a child, I prefer to separate matters so that we could bear our burdens in parts and not as a whole. I learnt pretty fast as a young child. My parents were not communicating too well for years. They tried to protect us and never fought or argued in front of us. We began to think it was a normal kind of life and that everyone else's family was something like that.
Actually we were not too far wrong. Indeed it turned out many friends too faced some complicated issues at home.
I will tell you some stories of my childhood friends and their experiences one day. Some were forced to be like young adults at childhood. They did not have any choice. They had to grow up quickly. I think we were hardy and brave little kids. We just did not understand too much at that time, which was actually a good thing. Alhamdulillah!
Early Childhood Memories
Happy Childhood Memories
Everyone has some childhood memories. Some said we can remember events that happened from the early tender age of 5. I do not know much of such scientific research but I do remember the times I was in a popular playschool, Yu Der Kindergarden, in Ampang.
The principal of the school was a Shanghainese lady, if I am not mistaken. Sha sen sei /teacher was a mannish kind of woman though she wore a qi pao or cheongsam daily. Large round bright eyes and kindly smile, with neatly combed straight short hair. A bit on the heavy side, she was well loved by everyone. I am amazed that I remember these little details as I type, some things that impacted our lives would always be buried somewhere deep in our minds.
My mother used to accompany me to school. I had a little dark green plastic drawstring bag where every child has to bring daily.
Little Gourmets in the Making
It would be most disappointing if we forgot to bring that to school. That little bag contained our little plate, bowl and cutlery. We looked forward to snack time. I fondly remember the delicious sweet red bean porridge and black pulut or glutinous bubur. I loved the fragrant wheat porridge with thick coconut milk and sugar and kueh lapis or serimuka etc for tea. Guess our eating adventure started very early. No complaints, Alhamdulillah! I also remembered that we were also ordered to take a short nap daily.
Productive Mothers
Mothers would sit outside the classrooms, in a group doing all sorts of beautiful handicraft together.These ladies were so enthusiastic that they would all pursue the latest crafting trends. One day it would be hand embroidery, another day it would be embroidering beaded slippers and another week would be kinitting or crochet. They learned, they shared , laughed and cried together. Women bonding.
She became very good at dressmaking class at Singer's. I was the only girl in the family and I got to wear all the lovely embroidered dresses. I could not even keep up with the amount she churned out all the time.
Early Introduction to Crafty Life
Guess that was when my interest in crafts and clothes started. Always used to see mom creating something lovely.Grew up in a home where people still knew how to use their heart and hands for creating beautiful items for home and family. Today many people only know how to buy, buy, buy without a sense of history and appreciating the arts. What a shame and waste!
I do feel blessed to be able to enjoy lovely clothes, delicious home cooking and a lot of tender loving care under my mom.
Everyone has some childhood memories. Some said we can remember events that happened from the early tender age of 5. I do not know much of such scientific research but I do remember the times I was in a popular playschool, Yu Der Kindergarden, in Ampang.
The principal of the school was a Shanghainese lady, if I am not mistaken. Sha sen sei /teacher was a mannish kind of woman though she wore a qi pao or cheongsam daily. Large round bright eyes and kindly smile, with neatly combed straight short hair. A bit on the heavy side, she was well loved by everyone. I am amazed that I remember these little details as I type, some things that impacted our lives would always be buried somewhere deep in our minds.
My mother used to accompany me to school. I had a little dark green plastic drawstring bag where every child has to bring daily.
Little Gourmets in the Making
It would be most disappointing if we forgot to bring that to school. That little bag contained our little plate, bowl and cutlery. We looked forward to snack time. I fondly remember the delicious sweet red bean porridge and black pulut or glutinous bubur. I loved the fragrant wheat porridge with thick coconut milk and sugar and kueh lapis or serimuka etc for tea. Guess our eating adventure started very early. No complaints, Alhamdulillah! I also remembered that we were also ordered to take a short nap daily.
Productive Mothers
Mothers would sit outside the classrooms, in a group doing all sorts of beautiful handicraft together.These ladies were so enthusiastic that they would all pursue the latest crafting trends. One day it would be hand embroidery, another day it would be embroidering beaded slippers and another week would be kinitting or crochet. They learned, they shared , laughed and cried together. Women bonding.
She became very good at dressmaking class at Singer's. I was the only girl in the family and I got to wear all the lovely embroidered dresses. I could not even keep up with the amount she churned out all the time.
Early Introduction to Crafty Life
Guess that was when my interest in crafts and clothes started. Always used to see mom creating something lovely.Grew up in a home where people still knew how to use their heart and hands for creating beautiful items for home and family. Today many people only know how to buy, buy, buy without a sense of history and appreciating the arts. What a shame and waste!
I do feel blessed to be able to enjoy lovely clothes, delicious home cooking and a lot of tender loving care under my mom.
Life is Wonderful
Wonderful?
When I say wonderful, it does not automatically mean all things happy and beautiful, smooth sailing and all that stuff. So many things happen to us daily, the good , bad and the ugly. Is that not considered wonderful? I often wonder, how did I deserve all the good and fantastic things that happened to me and my friends? Did all that come by chance?
Positive Envy - maybe that is too strong a word
When I see my friends enjoying wealth and having a great time, do I ever get a tinge of envy? Even jealousy? Sure we can feel all this if it is in a positive way. We envy that they are so blessed by Allah and a little jealous because we know they worked hard and they also had been worshipping and doing all sorts of good deeds to please Allah. We want to race with them in doing good deeds and let the envy be a good positive envy. A motivation to try our best to improve ourselves. We do not want to be left behind in our ibadah.
Accepting and being Grateful
It does not mean we too want to have the chance to travel abroad for a family holiday every school term holiday. It does not mean we also want to be able to fly to a distant foreign land to enjoy quality family time.
Family and Friends are more important
We however do want to have the chance to enjoy our family and friends in a happy and peaceful environment. We want to continue our usual routine of being able to attend our classes, our gatherings, having a regular job and income, being healthy and able to have good family relationship with our parents and in laws. We want good loving and pious children.
Needs vs Wants
These are needs and not wants. The wants are the foreign holidays, the luxury cruises and the shopping trips that seem to suit the pockets of the rich and famous. Well, I am neither rich nor famous. Such things do not really interest me too much nor do such thoughts occupy much of my time. Surely I have better and more realistic things to do.
Like catching up with my good books or finally making that fluffy buttermilk pancake recipe that I had been craving to eat. Heh Heh, simple things in life are sometimes best. And within our reach at anytime, insha Allah.
Insha Allah my needs are taken care of and the wants are only icing on the cake. Take it or leave it. Everything is from Allah and He has power of all things.
What Priorities?
It does not mean we do not know how to appreciate the wants. That's why they are called wants. We want, we would really like that but they are not even minor priorities. Non priorities where there are so many urgent things that need to be settled.
Have a Heart
We have not even raised enough funds to send to our suffering brothers and sisters locked in warn torn countries. They are still starving, women and children sharing bread dipped in salt, men shot when they try to leave their homes in search of food and medication. Many children died due to lack of medical and health care. We are so concerned with enjoying worldly pleasures that we have forgotten our brothers and sisters - they are living on the same planet, I have to remind myself.
Be Thankful Always
Allah may not reward us the same way as He rewarded our friends. He know better how to dish it out to us in a way that benefits us personally. I am sometimes envious, but with pride and happiness for our friends' success and achievements. We are thankful to Allah that He loves our friends and we hope He will also love us too.
When I say wonderful, it does not automatically mean all things happy and beautiful, smooth sailing and all that stuff. So many things happen to us daily, the good , bad and the ugly. Is that not considered wonderful? I often wonder, how did I deserve all the good and fantastic things that happened to me and my friends? Did all that come by chance?
Positive Envy - maybe that is too strong a word
When I see my friends enjoying wealth and having a great time, do I ever get a tinge of envy? Even jealousy? Sure we can feel all this if it is in a positive way. We envy that they are so blessed by Allah and a little jealous because we know they worked hard and they also had been worshipping and doing all sorts of good deeds to please Allah. We want to race with them in doing good deeds and let the envy be a good positive envy. A motivation to try our best to improve ourselves. We do not want to be left behind in our ibadah.
Accepting and being Grateful
It does not mean we too want to have the chance to travel abroad for a family holiday every school term holiday. It does not mean we also want to be able to fly to a distant foreign land to enjoy quality family time.
Family and Friends are more important
We however do want to have the chance to enjoy our family and friends in a happy and peaceful environment. We want to continue our usual routine of being able to attend our classes, our gatherings, having a regular job and income, being healthy and able to have good family relationship with our parents and in laws. We want good loving and pious children.
Needs vs Wants
These are needs and not wants. The wants are the foreign holidays, the luxury cruises and the shopping trips that seem to suit the pockets of the rich and famous. Well, I am neither rich nor famous. Such things do not really interest me too much nor do such thoughts occupy much of my time. Surely I have better and more realistic things to do.
Like catching up with my good books or finally making that fluffy buttermilk pancake recipe that I had been craving to eat. Heh Heh, simple things in life are sometimes best. And within our reach at anytime, insha Allah.
Insha Allah my needs are taken care of and the wants are only icing on the cake. Take it or leave it. Everything is from Allah and He has power of all things.
What Priorities?
It does not mean we do not know how to appreciate the wants. That's why they are called wants. We want, we would really like that but they are not even minor priorities. Non priorities where there are so many urgent things that need to be settled.
Have a Heart
We have not even raised enough funds to send to our suffering brothers and sisters locked in warn torn countries. They are still starving, women and children sharing bread dipped in salt, men shot when they try to leave their homes in search of food and medication. Many children died due to lack of medical and health care. We are so concerned with enjoying worldly pleasures that we have forgotten our brothers and sisters - they are living on the same planet, I have to remind myself.
Be Thankful Always
Allah may not reward us the same way as He rewarded our friends. He know better how to dish it out to us in a way that benefits us personally. I am sometimes envious, but with pride and happiness for our friends' success and achievements. We are thankful to Allah that He loves our friends and we hope He will also love us too.
Everyone can be a storyteller
A New Day, A New Story
Every day is a new page, a new story. People create stories of their lives daily. Do they ever stop to think what story they have created? Do they ever feel their stories worth reflecting, sharing?
We all have different stories
We all have different experiences, different ways of looking at things. Even twins. Their parents may dress them in identical clothes and feed them the same food, they go to the same class and study the same things. Would they have different lives? Do they see things the same way? Would their stories be the same?
Allah is so Generous
Everything is as Allah SWT wills. He can make us all live differently. He may give us the same planet, the same neighbourhood. Yet He gives his willing slaves much more than He gives to those who reject faith.
Allah is Kind to Everyone
People work hard, they struggle to achieve their ambitions. Allah answers their pleas for help and mercy. Even idolaters and sinners, they still receive Allah's bounties and mercies. Only in this lifetime.
Greatest Mercy
His Greatest Mercy is reserved only for true believers. His humble slaves, who sometimes lose their way in the journey of life.
Those who believed in Him and tried their best to submit, within their own capabilities. If it were based on our piety and good deeds, none of us would deserve to enter Jannah/Paradise. It is only through Allah's Mercy and Compassion. Allah is ArRahman and ArRahim. The Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
Anyone can be Muslim
Anyone can choose to believe. Anyone can be a winner - if he wants. Yet many disbelieve, they will be the losers on the Day of Judgement. May Allah keep us strong and keep us on the straight path. Amiin.
Allah gives us the Right to Choose
In the end people eventually get what they wanted. How they lived their lives would determine what they will get later on. Allah is fair. He let us choose. No compulsion in religion.
One Way Journey
Once we have chosen, that is a contract to consciously submit to His will. We could have turned away but if we choose to enter as a willing slave, the choice ends there. We have to try our best to accept, to follow, to embrace. To submit wholeheartedly, even though the going gets tough sometimes. It happens.
Struggling to keep to the straight path
Often. Yet we keep on trying. We fail, we rise, we walk, we fall, we pick ourselves up.... life is like that. Just trying to learn, to share, to improve... one day at a time.
Every day is a new page, a new story. People create stories of their lives daily. Do they ever stop to think what story they have created? Do they ever feel their stories worth reflecting, sharing?
We all have different stories
We all have different experiences, different ways of looking at things. Even twins. Their parents may dress them in identical clothes and feed them the same food, they go to the same class and study the same things. Would they have different lives? Do they see things the same way? Would their stories be the same?
Allah is so Generous
Everything is as Allah SWT wills. He can make us all live differently. He may give us the same planet, the same neighbourhood. Yet He gives his willing slaves much more than He gives to those who reject faith.
Allah is Kind to Everyone
People work hard, they struggle to achieve their ambitions. Allah answers their pleas for help and mercy. Even idolaters and sinners, they still receive Allah's bounties and mercies. Only in this lifetime.
Greatest Mercy
His Greatest Mercy is reserved only for true believers. His humble slaves, who sometimes lose their way in the journey of life.
Those who believed in Him and tried their best to submit, within their own capabilities. If it were based on our piety and good deeds, none of us would deserve to enter Jannah/Paradise. It is only through Allah's Mercy and Compassion. Allah is ArRahman and ArRahim. The Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
Anyone can be Muslim
Anyone can choose to believe. Anyone can be a winner - if he wants. Yet many disbelieve, they will be the losers on the Day of Judgement. May Allah keep us strong and keep us on the straight path. Amiin.
Allah gives us the Right to Choose
In the end people eventually get what they wanted. How they lived their lives would determine what they will get later on. Allah is fair. He let us choose. No compulsion in religion.
One Way Journey
Once we have chosen, that is a contract to consciously submit to His will. We could have turned away but if we choose to enter as a willing slave, the choice ends there. We have to try our best to accept, to follow, to embrace. To submit wholeheartedly, even though the going gets tough sometimes. It happens.
Struggling to keep to the straight path
Often. Yet we keep on trying. We fail, we rise, we walk, we fall, we pick ourselves up.... life is like that. Just trying to learn, to share, to improve... one day at a time.
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