Dunia Ini Hanya Pinjam-Pinjaman

Tahun 2012 hampir akan melabuhkan tirainya dalam beberapa hari lagi. Ianya bermula tanpa ada sebarang tanda akan berlakunya sesuatu kejutan atau perubahan yang mendadak dalam kehidupanku. Selepas beberapa bulan berlalu, satu persatu peristiwa berlaku yang membuat ku tersedar bahawa dunia ini hanyalah pinjam-pinjaman. Tidak ada sesuatu pun yang kekal abadi - semuanya adalah bertaraf sementara, yang kekal hanyalah Allah SWT, Tuhan Seru Sekelian Alam.


Peristiwa pertama yang amat menyentuh perasaan ku adalah kembalinya Abang ku yang dikasihi ke rahmatullah dengan cara yang agak mengejutkan. Memang sudah sampai ajalnya, tetapi pemergiannya membuat ku tersedar bahawa kita akan dipanggil pada bila-bila masa sahaja oleh Tuan yang Ampunya....jadi hendaklah kita berusaha untuk menyediakan diri kita sebelum sampai giliran kita pulak.

Seterusnya banyak lagi peristiwa yang berlaku kepada ku dalam 2012 yang ku anggap sebagai ujian untuk membuat diri ini lebih tabah dan rapat kepada Allah swt. Semuanya itu telah tertulis dan aku redha terhadap apa yang Allah telah rencanakan untuk kehidupan ku di dunia yang fana ini. Pertengahan 2012 menyaksikan rumahtangga yang ku bina selama hampir 30 tahun punah di badai ombak perpisahan. Tiada suatu kuasa pun kecuali Allah SWT, yang dapat menghalangnya, aku pasrah dan hanya mampu berdoa supaya Allah SWT menggantikannya dengan yang lebih baik atau aku akan terus menghabiskan sisa-sisa kehidupan senja ku berkelana tanpa berteman!

Memang tiada apa yang kekal selagi kita bernama makhluk. Jika tidak dipisahkan dengan kematian, kita akan dipisahkan secara penceraian. Itu pun kita harus bersyukur kerana dengan berlakunya suatu perceraian itu sebenarnya ia adalah suatu rahmat untuk memberi kita "peluang kedua" bagi mengkoreksi serta memperbaiki diri. Susah juga untuk aku terima hakikat bahawa dengan berlakunya perceraian itu aku terpaksa melakukan perkara2 yang tidak aku sangka akan ku lakukan seperti keluar meninggalkan kediamanku dan ahli2 keluargaku yang telah sebati hidup bersama selama ini. Dalam keterpaksaan aku "merempat" dengan mencari tempat kediaman baru, aku bersyukur bahawa aku masih lagi diberi peluang untuk hidup dan tidaklah terus diceraikan dari dunia ini dan dibawa ke kuburan seperti arwah Abang ku yang tersayang dan orang2 lain yang telah mendahului kita semua berpindah ke alam baka' ....

Allah Maha Kaya, tidak lama aku membujang, jodoh baru ku pun muncul dan di pengakhir 2012, kami telah diijab kabulkan dalam suatu majlis kenduri kesyukuran yang telah dihadiri oleh semua adek beradek ku dan keluarga mereka. Walaupun tiada seorang pun dari anak-anak ku yang hadir sama (dan aku faham akan perasaan mereka), aku bersyukur dengan izin Allah SWT dan limpah kurnia Nya kini hidup ku kembali "lengkap" dan aku benar-benar telah diberi peluang kedua oleh Allah SWT untuk meneruskan saki baki perjalanan hidupku untuk menuju ke destinasi yang satu - mendapat redhaNya....

Betullah dunia ini hanya pinjam-pinjaman, tiada yang kekal kecuali Dia Yang Maha Agung. Ambillah sekadarnya apa yang ada di dunia ini sementara kita menghuni di atasnya, cukuplah sekadar untuk di buat bekalan menuju ke alam akhirat yang kekal abadi...tiada gunanya kita hidup di dunia dengan berhajat untuk kekal selamanya dengan menongkat langit dan mengejar keseronokkan sementara yang penuh tipudaya, sedangkan di penghujungnya kita semua tahu yang menanti adalah sebuah kematian yang pasti...

Selamat tinggal 2012, semoga 2013 dan tahun-tahun seterusnya kita dipanjangkan umur dalam keberkatan dan sentiasa mendapat bimbingan dan petunjuk dariNya...aameen.

Kg Pulau Lang Kiri
Kuala Rompin, Pahang.
27.12.2012

Happy Birthday Me AzZahra

Today she is already 3 years old. Time does fly very fast, the 3 years since her birth, a lot of things have happened. For one, she has now 2 other siblings, AzZuhaira (2) and AzZubair (8 months old). Me only wish now is to see her grow up into a fine young lady full of blessings from Allah swt. As with any parents or grand parents for that matters, nothing compare seeing their loved ones turn out to be the darling of this world as well as the hereafter. A short entry indeed, just to remind meself that our lives that we are living right now doesn't actually belong to us. God will always be the One who steers our lives on this world according to His plans and wishes. We are nothing but to follow those plans already set for us with redha and a lot of patience. Only in this way, me believe, we could find our salvation in this world and the hereafter. Happy birthday me lovely grand-daughter, AzZahra, hope you have more wonderful years ahead - aameen.

In Loving memory of Me Faiz

His was the story of a classic case of a blooming life being cut short by a tragic incident 

which caught everyone by surprise. Nobody would have expected that to happen to 

someone like him. He was in the prime of his life when everything seems to go his way 

when he was suddenly called home to have an audience with his Creator.

It was a great shock when me first got the news of his sudden demise from me son Nazmie. 

Me was so taken aback and was greatly saddened by the circumstances that me remained 

speechless for a long time while flashes of him kept coming back flooding me memory with 

instant replays of him growing up, from a few months old bouncing baby boy (which me was 

given the honor to do "tahnik" on him by his late Wan), into a fine young man and later being 

married to a lovely wife. Due to his closeness from young, me had always thought of him as 

me own son.

During his growing up years, he had been sort of me favorite nephew too, he was a bit

different from the rest due to his easy going and witty nature, especially when he was horsing 

around and making jokes with those around him, be them his uncles and aunties or whomever he met. 

Many a times when he just started working, he had called to meet or seek me opinions or 

advices on certain matters related to his work, hobbies or his planning for the future. And at times, 

me noticed he was so full of enthusiasm and brimming with ideas that me never got tired of 

entertaining him whenever he turned up. 

One thing for sure, he was one that never become easily satisfied with what he has achieved 

and he would always portray that gung-ho - "fighting to the last" spirit, which is so much lacking 

in many of us, by wanting to improve himself and change his circumstances for the better and 

by not being afraid of taking chances and its risks in order to develop his professional skills - 

becoming one of the very few people in the country who had mastered the art of "ROV Driving" 

well!

It was really very unexpected and so sudden, for when me last saw him a week earlier at the 

wedding of me brother's daughter, he was his usual jovial self, joking and bantering around 

with his cousins and many other close relatives attending the wedding, who were equally left 

shocked and reeling with sadness over the suddenness of his parting.

And poignantly so, as God has dictated, exactly a week later, he was no more amongst us,

leaving many that had had the chance to experience his "magical touch" in a state of utter shock 

and disbelieve. Such is life, so fragile and temporary that we tend to forget it could have 

happened to any of us, normally without any warning - when our number is up!

When me wrote this post, me was on board a flight to KLIA after a 2 day whirlwind tour to 

Japan on some biz matters. Me didn't know why during these past few days, especially on me

way to and back from Japan, the memory of him kept popping up inside me mind. The least me 

and the readers could do is to say Al-Fatiha for him and pray to Allah that his soul is in peace 

with the other dear departed souls and being also blessed by Allah...

Reminiscing over his short and tragic life, me realized that me Faiz was one of the very few from 

our "Jimat Clan" that has managed to break free from the "shackles of complacency" by venturing 

into an unknown territory and benefiting greatly from his adventures. 

For him, God has opened up the floodgate of "rezeki" in such a manner that what we normal 

mortals would take great many years to achieve, he could do it within a very short period of 

time. Such is God's Wisdom, however, there will always be a trade off with one kind or the 

other in this life, just like the two sides of a coin - we can never have both sides at the same time - 

we have to make the choice that would eventually be "packaged" together to become our own 

destiny in this life - as written in His Book. 

For me Faiz, at least he did get to enjoy and experience life in the "fast lane",  although for a very 

brief period only, in which mortals like us could only dream of doing such things. Maybe God in 

His infinite Mercy and Wisdom would like me Faiz to experience some of the thrills associated 

with the "richness of life" in a short span of time for He knew he will soon leave us with a legacy 

only the "rare breed" people like him could achieve for others to learn from.

For us who still breath the God given air, me can only conclude on one thing that we could learn 

from this saga of tragedy i.e. we are all living a temporary life, under loan from God, as the Owner, 

He could do anything He pleases with us or our loved ones, at any time, at any place. Knowing 

this fact, we should all be grateful and thankful to Allah for His infinite blessings and for what 

He has bestowed upon us, even though we always thought others got a much more better deal 

than us! Always be prepared before our time is up by being istiqomah in our “Amalan Soleh” even 

if little and seek Allah’s  protection whenever we travel on this earth.

Al-Fatiha to me dear beloved Faiz, you know you didn't die in vain as we could all learn something 

from you that could increase further our awareness and how we should submit to our Creator – with 

respect and supplications. 

May you find peace, blessings and happiness in the hereafter, in the company of Allah and all other 

blessed souls who have earlier "crossed the line". For sure we will also follow you to cross that line 

soon enough, inshaaAllah...,aameen.

...."And enough is Death as a lesson to us all"....Sayidina Ali R.A.

 

A Brief Stopover in Tokyo (Part 1)

Me JAL's flight JL724 landed at the Narita airport on 11.10.2012 at exactly 6:35 am local time after a six hours journey from KLIA. 

Arriving at the Narita airport on a cool October morning, on me way for a biz meeting in Nagoya, has brought back countless memories and many lingering images of Japan, as the land of the rising sun and its people which had been in me all these while since me first trip here back in 1992. 

Back then during me first trip to Japan, me assignment was to look into the concept of "intelligent buildings" as part of the preliminary conceptual design for the KLCC project, together with me other team members including me then Manager and a representative from the President's office, who coincidently moved on to become me former company's current President/CEO! 

While putting in me thoughts on this post at the waiting lounge of the airport and onboard the connecting flight to Nagoya, me still vividly remember that first trip exactly 20 years ago today, as it was marked by a few unforgettable incidents which had formed an everlasting impression on Japan, its people and their "technology crazed" culture. These experiences had actually been very helpful during me many later sojourns when dealing directly with me Japanese biz partners. 

The first unforgettable or rather "silly" incident during that first trip was when me found meself locked-out at Taipeh airport during a transit on me way to Tokyo. Me was trying to find a place to pray at the airport when me found a door leading to a staircase which was a bit secluded. Without much thinking me opened the door and started praying. While trying to open the door afterwards, me found meself locked-out at the staircase area as the door was actually a one way fire escape door for emergency use only! As the time for boarding was approaching fast, me was stricken with panic and couldn't think of what to do next. 

Somehow, out of desperation, me banged on the door and after a few anxious moments, lo and behold the door was opened by a rather bewildered lady cleaner!! Without wasting too much time and even thanking the obviously puzzled and bemused lady, me bolted out of the staircase door, as if being chased by a ghost, dashing and panting to the departure hall in time to catch me next flight to Tokyo. Phew! that must have been the most "scary" thing a first time traveler like meself could face – being left in the lurch as your plane left without you and you getting stuck in the middle of nowhere! Even now me still relish at relating this incident to the amusement of me colleagues! 

Come to think of the incident which happened some 20 years ago, while it can still make me laugh at me carelessness, it also taught an important lesson for us Muslims as a whole. As travelers, we must be prepared with the necessary knowledge of how to carry out our religious duties while on the move. Our religion has made it easier when we travel and we should not shy away from making a statement of our faith openly and not hiding behind some secluded places like what me did! 

On board the plane safe and sound, me started chatting with the person sitting next to me seat. He was coincidently on his way back to Tokyo after a short holidays in his hometown Melaka. He also happened to be the owner of a Malaysian restaurant operating in Tokyo! As the flight was approaching our destination, he invited me for a meal at his restaurant on the following day. Without hesitation me agreed to the invitation and the chance of savoring some Malay dishes in Tokyo! As the age of mobile phones had not arrived yet back in the early 90's, he told me to wait for him at the Shibuya train station near a dog statue - apparently a popular meeting place at the station. 

On the following day, although me was very new to Tokyo, me somehow managed to get meself to the Shibuya Station and promptly found a dog statue where me waited as instructed. But that wait was to turn out to be “the longest wait of me life” as the man didn't turn up even after me waited anxiously for several more hours! 

To cut the long story short, finally he did turn up and was surprised to see me waiting at the wrong dog's statue! Without me knowing, there was another dog's statue at the station’s main entrance where all the while, he had waited for me while wondering what had happened to me! Later me found out the dog statue at the main entrance turned out to be that famous Hachiko dog statue!..... 

Those were the days gone by without the mobile phones as our companion. Back then, we simply didn't have the freedom that we take for granted nowadays with the advent of the mobile age with almost everybody becoming “addicted” to the wireless world. Since its use became prevalent towards the late 90's, it has changed our life style forever making "markers" like the dog statue “obsolete” when you can just use your mobiles to instantly check on each other status or whereabouts! 

Indeed, after more than 20 years of “observing the Japanese phenomenon”, the coming of the mobile age has by far managed to transform the already technology crazy Japanese society into one of the most prolific users of wireless devices... 

End of Part 1.

Matters of the Hearts

The last Ramadan which had just ended had brought me a very important lesson in the matters of the heart. Our heart is normally at the center of everything we do. If the heart is bad and not properly "trained" or controlled, it may easily go astray and do things which are contrary to our "fitrah" or basic instinct, which is to do good. 

As we progresses in life, our surroundings will undoubtedly change and will continue to play an increasingly significant role in determining our final destination in life. Obviously our actions and reactions when dealing with a myriad of situations in this worldly life would eventually be determined by the action of our hearts in accordance with how well it has been brought up or trained. 

Often times, we hear cases of people being hurt or unjustly treated by non other than their loved ones who would most likely possess hearts which are "tainted". These perpetrators would rather do unkind things than be kind to their loved ones. Although there are so many reasons why crimes are committed, one common reason would be due to the "matters of the hearts". In this instance, when one party is not satisfied with the action of another party, conflict would arise which could lead to unwanted behaviors taking place which in most cases involved the life and limbs of the victims and in some case their loved ones too. 

These kind of "crime of the hearts", is very difficult to suppress as it doesn't manifest itself in the open. From the outside, everyone would be looking the same and we would often expect them to be just ordinary people doing ordinary things. But when their dark side emerge and took control of themselves, then all hell break loose. One bad thing would lead to another as bad aura would attract bad people likewise with good aura would attract good people and never the twain shall meet! 

What the last Ramadan had taught me was how to be aware of this "sickness of the hearts" and slowly get rid of this so called the "tainted heart syndrome" and turn it into a beautiful and sincere heart which is full of love and compassion. 

Of course in the beginning it wasn't also easy for me to accept this new direction. Being Muslims would obviously put the corrective action much easier to follow and faster to put into action. The only solution that me has been practicing is to submit yourself entirely to Allah and deep inside, we should realize that we actually having nothing on this earth since everything belongs to Allah. Whatever we have is only temporarily "loaned" to us by Allah. 

After knowing and accepting this fact, we should realize that, everything that is happening around us is with the blessing of Allah and things will not "hit" us if it is not destined to hit us in the first place. Knowing all of the above, we should relax and feel the stress free situation so that our heart now could become more sincere and able to take up its "fitrah" or basic instinct of doing good and being kind to others thus producing in its wake a stress free environment for the people involved.... 

Everyone should realize this simple fact, those who wanted to enter Paradise must also behave and act like the people of Paradise before they can be accepted as part of the Paradise community. And the people of Paradise are made up of people with peaceful hearts. Their hearts have been cleansed from the "tainted heart syndrome" where they roam free inside the Paradise without any feeling of jealousy or hatred which we people of the world still can't live without them!. 

Nicole Queen Revisited - A Journey to a Greater Good

Well me not been posting a lot for a long long time now. Now half of Ramadan 1433H already gone. Time to pick up speed and grab all the goodies being thrown for the believers during this Ramadan for one good deed performed in Ramadan would be equivalent to 70 or more rewards from Allah. 

One thing that me learned from this year's Ramadan is that we have to release ourselves from the ills of this world and purify our hearts so that anything that we do is only for Allah. In other words, if we want to enter Paradise, we have to live by the way of those who deserve Paradise. Where else except in Paradise that we can find such people who are free from hatred and bad feelings from one another, which in the world today these are becoming a very scarce commodity where not many are able to live by its edict. 

To conclude this short entry, me would like to share the experiences of our sister Nicole Queen whose extraordinary journey to Islam has helped her to make peace with her self through finding the simplicity of her new faith and the ease she found to live her life according to its tenets as an American Muslim. All the best to her and her husband, may you find peace to be shared with others in your country. 

Salam Ramadan to all may Allah bless us all, insyaAllah...aameen. 

Kuala Lumpur 

16 Ramadan 1433H

5th August 2012

Mengingati Sasterawan Mesir Najib Kaelany

Najib Kaelany (1931-1995), Sastrawan Mesir
Februari 14, 2009 oleh sastrasantri
Beliau dilahirkan tahun 1931 di desa Syarsyabah di tengah keluarga petani. Tamat dari SLTA tahun 1949 di Thanta. Kemudian meneruskan di Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Cairo. Menjelang akhir kuliahnya beliau di tangkap pada tahun 1955 dengan tuduhan terlibat sebagai anggota al-Ikhwan al-Muslimin. Dan divonis 10 tahun penjara. Pada tahun 1954 dibebaskan karena alasan kesehatan, setelah selama hampir lima tahun berpindah-pindah penjara dan menerima berbagai macam penyiksaan. Kemudian beliau meneruskan kuliahnya di universitas dan jurusan yang sama hingga tamat tahun 1960. Sejak saat itu disamping bekerja sebagai dokter beliau menulis puisi, cerita pendek, novel dan naskah teater. Pada tahun 1965, Gamal Abden Nasser menginstruksikan dari Moskow untuk kembali menangkapi para aktivis IM. Termasuk diantaranya, beliau, ditangkap untuk kedua kalinya. Sampai akhir keruntuhan rezim tahun 1967 beliau kembali menghirup udara bebas.
Tahun 1968 Beliau meninggalkan Mesir ke Kuwait dan bergabung dengan para dokter di sana. Tak lama kemudian beliau pindah ke Emirat dan bekerja sebagai dokter yang mengetuai sebuah yayasan kesehatan. Dan tetap berada di luar mesir hampir seperempat abad lamanya.
Tulisan-tulisan beliau sangat khas. Karena lahir dari penghayatan nilai-nilai kemanusiaan, persaudaraan dan cinta. Ditengah penghimpitan dan tekanan kezaliman. Terutama berbagai bentuk penyiksaan di penjara. Lebih dari 70 buku novel dan cerita yang beliau tulis.
Nuansa-nuansa sosial dalam tulisan beliau sangat kental. Terutama pembelaan terhadap para kaum lemah dan teraniaya, serta melawan rezim kezhaliman dan kebatilan. Disamping itu nuansa-nuansa religius yang cukup kental. Serta mengangkat para ulama dan ilmuan.
Justru pada saat beliau di penjara, novelnya “Ath-Thariq At-Thawil” (Jalan Panjang) meraih penghargaan karya terbaik lomba menulis yang diadakan Kementrian Pendidikan dan Pengajaran Mesir. Sebuah novel tentang perang dunia kedua. Beliau menggunakan nama pena. Dan baru diketahui nama asli beliau setelah pengumuman pemenang lomba tersebut.
Karya beliau yang lain yang mendapat penghargaan adalah kumcer “Dumu’ al-Amir” (Air Mata Pangeran) sebuah antologi cerpen sejarah Islam. Cerpen-cerpen beliau yang lain yang mengangkat fenomena sosial di Mesir dan beberapa negara Timur Tengah: “Ardhul Anbiya” (Bumi Para Nabi); “Umar Yadhar fi al-Quds” (Umar Muncul di Yerussalem); Novel “Layali Turkistan” (Malam-malam Turkistan); “Amaliqah asy-Syimal” (Raksasa dari Utara); “Adzra’ Jakarta” (Gadis-gadis Jakarta); “Al-Yaumu al-Mau’ud” (Hari yang Dijanjikan) sebuah kisah tentang perang salib. Novel “Qatilu Hamzah” (Pembunuh Hamzah).
Novel “Ath-Thariq At-Thawil” (Jalan Panjang), pemenang lomba menulis Kementrian Pendidikan dn Kebudayaan tahun 1959 mendapatkan sambutan hangat dari berbagai kalangan. Hingga kemudian dijadikan diktat wajib pelajaran sastra para siswa SLTA. Juga telah diterjemahkan ke dalam Bahasa Rusia.
Menurut sastrawan ini, tak ada yang bertentangan dan berlawanan antara seni, sastra dan Islam. Jika ada kontradiksi, pada hakikatnya merupakan sebuah pemahaman parsial dari Islam, atau upaya menjauhkan seni dan sastra dari nilai-nilai Islam. Yaitu usaha sekularisasi dari aspek sastra dan seni. Islam tak pernah memerangi atau mengebiri seni dan sastra. Justru menumbuhkan dan mendukungnya. Hanya saja mengedepankan nilai-nilai normatif dan moral. Bukan mengatasnamakan liberalisasi tanpa aturan untuk membungkus kebobrokan dengan nama seni dan sastra.
Beliau termasuk yang anti dengan sastra-sastra cabul yang mengeksploitasi tubuh manusia serta menilai sesuatu dengan sudut pandang materi.
Novel beliau “Alladzina Yahtariqun” (Mereka yang Terbakar) pernah disinetronkan pada tahun 1980-an. Mengisahkan tentang kebobrokan manajemen sebuah poliklinik dan kejujuran serta keuletan dan kegigihan seorang dokter muda yang didera berbagai fitnah.
Beliau dikenal kepiawaiannya dalam menulis novel. Pandai memilih diksi yang kuat dan variatif serta kuat pengaruh kata-katanya. Disamping itu gaya dialog yang elegan membuat pembaca menjadi terbawa arus cerita dengan penuh penghayatan. Sebut saja novel-novel sejarah beliau menghadirkan para sahabat dengan potret kekinian. Selain itu penguasaan cerita diberbagai belahan dunia seperti; “Layali Turkistan” (Malam-malam Turkistan) menggambarkan perjuangan seorang perempuan yang berkorban untuk kesucian tanahnya yang diinjak-injak penjajah. Seorang perempuan yang gigih melawan koloni. Namun cobaan yang dihadapinya sangat berat. Pilihannya menyebabkan ia divonis sebagai pengkhianat bangsanya. Rakyatnya baru tahu kalau ia adalah pahlawan, ketika ia menemui syahidnya.
Demikian juga “Amaliqah asy-Syimal” (Raksasa dari Utara); yang mengupas berbagai permasalahan kaum muslimin di Nigeria. “Adzra’ Jakarta” (Gadis Jakarta); yang menceritakan kisah perlawanan kaum muslimin terhadap gelombang komunisme yang cukup kuat. Perlawanan yang merenggut nyawa lebih dari ¼ juta jiwa. Ketiga novel ini telah diterjemahkan dalam bahasa Indonesia. Juga beberapa bahasa lainnya.
Kemudian ada lagi novel “Adh-Dhil al-Aswad” (Bayangan Hitam) kisah dari negeri Ethiopia. Mengungkap arsip-arsip sejarah dan rahasia yang banyak disembunyikan oleh para sejarahwan.
Selain tulisan-tulisan fiksi yang selalu laku itu, beliau juga menulis tentang Kritik Sastra. Beliau menulis, “Al-Islamiyah wa al-Madzahib al-Adabiyah” (Islam dan Aliran-aliran Sastra); “Madkhal ila al-Adab al-Islamiy” (Pengantar Sastra Islam); “Rihlati ma’a al-Adab al-Islamiy” (Perjalananku Bersama Sastra Islam) dll. Beliau juga menulis naskah teater; “Ala Aswar Dimasyq” (Penjara Damaskus) dll. Tulisan-tulisan non fikdi beliau: “Tahta Rayah al-Islam”(Di Bawah Bendera Islam); “Ath-Thariq ila Ittihad Islamiy” (Jalan Menuju Persatuan Islam); “Haula ad-Din wa ad-Daulah” (Seputar Agama dan Negara). Tulisan fiksi dan nonfiksi beliau yang ditunjang oleh spesialisasi sebagai dokter juga cukup banyak. Diantaranya: “Al-Ghida’ wa ash-Shihah” (Makanan dan Kesehatan); “Ihtaris min Dhaght ad-Dam” (Hati-hati Dengan Tekanan Darah Tinggi). Novel “Alladzina Yahtariqun” (Mereka yang Terbakar), “Qishatu al-Idz” (Kisah Aids) dsb. Juga karya dan tulisan-tulisan beliau yang lainnya.
Aliran sastra islam yang begitu kuat dalam berbagai tulisannya, terutama novel dan cerpen-cerpennya tak menghalangi karya tersebut untuk diterjemahkan ke dalam berbagai bahasa; Indonesia, Inggris, Jerman, Perancis, Urdu dan beberapa bahasa lainnya.
Dan sastrawan bersahaja dan agung itu akhirnya memilih kembali ke Mesir, tanah kelahirannya; setelah merantau kurang lebih seperempat abad. Sakit yang dideritanya juga tak menghalanginya menggerakkan jari-jarinya untuk terus berkarya dan berdakwah.Hingga Allah pun memanggilnya. Pada tanggal 5 Syawal 1415 H bertepatan dengan 6 Maret 1995, beliau wafat dan mengakhiri perjuangannya di dunia ini. Menghadap Tuhannya. Meski jasad beliau telah 10 tahun dikubur di Mesir, namun ruh perjuangan beliau masih memencar bukan hanya di Mesir, namun ke seluruh pelosok dunia; termasuk di Indonesia. Semoga FLP termasuk salah satu generasi penerus beliau. Dan saya berharap bisa termasuk dalam gerbong dakwah ini. Amin.

Apakah Ole-Ole Kita Untuk ke Sana

Hidup ini memang sentiasa memerlukan peringatan bagi kita semua terutama yang lalai dan lupa. Peringatan ini selalunya datang dari pelbagai sudut dan gaya yang kebanyakkannya tidak disangka-sangka. Hanya mereka yang peka dan tekun dengan keazamannya akan dapat menggapai erti peringatan itu dan seterusnya menginsafi akan peluang yang diberi untuk kita mengkoreksi diri sebelum terlambat.

Dalam pada itu, kebanyakan yang lain akan terus dengan kelalaian  mereka, terus hanyut dibuai mimpi indah sehingga suatu detik yang telah dijanjikan itu menjelma di depan mata. Pada masa itu, tiada guna bagi mereka segala dunia dan isinya, segala keluh kesah dan rayuan bertaubat mohon pengampunan - segalanya telah terlambat..

Sebelum saat itu tiba, sediakanlah sebanyak mungkin ole-ole yang akan kita bawa ke sana untuk menjadi bukti bahawa sesungguhnya, masa yang diberi untuk kita di sini bukan untuk sekadar berpoya-poya mengisi masa terluang dan juga bukan sekadar untuk bersuka2 yang tidak berpenghujungan.

Maka dengarlah pesanan si bocak cilik (adik kecil) ini untuk bekalan kita didalam perjalanan ke sana..moga-moga kita diberi rahmat dan pengampunan dari Nya...aameen.  

The Old Fashion Romance

Going through me twitter account, me came across this blog with a "grandfather" story which me think is worth reading for us to comprehend the meaning of marriage and love. Me wonder whether such love and long lasting happiness is still around with the younger generation facing the ever challenging world nowadays...here goes the grandfather story..

"Last night I sat and read my grandfather’s obituary.

Now this may not be the best way to begin a blog post which is supposed to deal with romance but grant me some levity and, I promise, I’ll get there.

My Grandfather was 96 when he passed in his sleep last Friday. The past couple years of his life were spent in a West Virginia Nursing Home where Alzheimer’s slowly sifted his memories over and again until they dissipated into specks of what they once were. It was difficult watching his lifetime of memories disappear in a small fraction of the time it took to make them.

These were memories that stepped their way through a childhood of farm-living, to getting married. Which then led to “1 boy, 1 girl, let’s stop now” children. Not long after the kids came, the memories continued with moving his family to Ohio to find work, punching a clock for 29 years, then moving he and Grandma back to West Virginia to the same farmhouse they boarded up almost three decades earlier.

For the next thirty years, his memorable moments were made up of a more familial variety; an onslaught of grandchildren getting married and an even larger attack of great grandchildren being born. He spent his retirement years enjoying doing almost everything he could with Grandma.

Among the lines of his obit which list who preceded him in death and those still surviving in life, I couldn’t help but stare at the one that ended with: “… his wife of 66 years.”

Grandma passed suddenly five years ago. Before that day, my grandfather had barely ever been sick and was healthier and stronger than most men half his age. He was no taller than five and a half feet but when he walked into a room he somehow owned every corner of it. He was the quieter one of the two, leaving his opinions and thoughts about things to come out through subtle gestures, genuine smiles and perfectly timed shrugs.

Seeing such a strong man carry himself in a gentle way earned him the respect of everyone he met. They instantly liked him and cared what he had to say. At the dinner table and in mixed company though, Grandma had the floor. Carrying conversation with everyone, only occasionally going to Grandpa for clarification on a particular point. One of my fondest memories of them was during such a dinner.

I was all of thirteen years old and had gone to visit them with my parents and brother. Somehow the conversation landed on the subject of relationships. My Grandfather, who always sat at the head of the table with Grandma to his right, had asked her for some more green beans during her rather long soliloquy on the topic. As she walked to the stove, she continued explaining to the rest if us how she noticed that couples don’t even pay attention anymore when they talk to each other. She felt that was one of the reasons she and Grandpa lasted as long as they had because of the undivided attention they gave to one another.

Bringing the pot with her, she stood next to him and before serving, asked him, “What is the name of the young couple at church who are always bickering about something?”

Grandma, who stands a whole head taller than Grandpa, then spoons a giant amount of mashed potatoes and let’s them plop in front of him. Grandpa mixes his potatoes around with the remaining drippings on his plate before asking, “Is there any more gravy, Thelma?”

Staring off into space, she replies, “No, that’s not their name. You know who I’m talking about. They usually come late and sit in the back.”

Grandpa takes a bite of dry potatoes and with a look of contentment on his face tells her, “Ok, I’ll take some water then.”

“That’s right! The Carters! They never take the time to listen to each other. Always talking over one another. I give them 5 years max.” She then leaves and returns with a glass of iced tea for my Grandpa.

I look around the table and my family seems oblivious to the exchange that just took place. My grandfather is forking potatoes into his mouth he didn’t request and washing it down with a beverage he didn’t want. My Grandma, having returned to her seat is watching him with love in her eyes because he broke through her mental block for her. In the meantime, I’m left wondering where the hell the green beans and water went. Not being able to help myself, I burst out laughing then spend the next few minutes recounting what happened to everyone around the table until they’re laughing with me.

Seeing the irony in the situation, my grandparents just shrug it off and exchange a look I hoped to share with a partner of mine someday. A look that revealed there was more communication between them than the words spoken. They understood each other better than anyone else ever would. Their love affair continued for another 27 years before my Grandma passed away and Grandpa fell apart.

Grandma always seemed the stronger of the two. She was a few years younger than he and statistically should have outlived him. Everyone knew that even for as strong as he was, he wasn’t built to be without Grandma. We got our first glimpse of this fact when I showed up at the small white, backwoods church for Grandma’s funeral.

I hadn’t seen him since she passed a few days earlier but had been getting updates from my parents who said he was holding up pretty well. I was the last to arrive at the church that day after a 12 hour drive. He had been sitting up front and when he saw me, came down the aisle. When we reached each other, he finally lost it. Falling into my arms, I never knew love could be so fragile yet so heavy at the same time. The floodgates opened and as he gripped my suit jacket he kept asking between the tears, “What am I going to do? How am I going to go on without her?”

Pulling him straight, I turned him and helped him back to his seat, holding his hand through the rest of the service. By the time we were having food at the gathering afterwards, he had regained himself and was taking everyone’s well wishes in stride.

Leaving him that evening, I couldn’t help but worry if he would be okay sleeping by himself. My Aunt had agreed to stay in the spare bedroom but once the lights went out and the quiet set in I knew it would all catch up to him again.

Their little farm house had two bedrooms. One was large enough to keep a queen sized bed, two large dressers and enough space between them all to breath comfortably. The other bedroom was no more than 7′ x 9′ and barely fit a double bed and a very small dresser. This is the room Grandma and Grandpa chose to sleep in.

When they moved back after retirement, they instructed us to put their bed in the smaller of the two bedrooms. The only way it would fit was if we pushed one side up against the wall opposite the door. This left Grandma sleeping between the wall and Grandpa.

We tried to explain how much better it would be if they took the larger room with the larger bed but they weren’t hearing it. They said they felt more comfortable in the smaller room. They weren’t interested in having more space between them but wanted to cocoon themselves in the lack of it. I couldn’t help but think of how hollow that room must feel now that she was gone.

His deterioration began almost immediately after he was left to his own devices. He simply stopped caring about things, including himself. He talked about not being able to wait until he could be with Grandma again. He would tell funny stories of things they did or talked about. When his kids tried to get him to move back to Ohio where everyone could watch over him, he refused. Instead, he was determined to live in the house where the memories of Grandma would be freshest.

He lasted in their farmhouse for another three years before the dementia got so bad it came time to put him in an assisted living facility. We really found out how bad he had gotten now that we had witnesses to what we were unable to see when he was by himself. He spent his days roaming the halls calling my Grandma’s name and asking others if they had seen her. In later months he would not even recognize his own son and daughter but still pine for Grandma and recite moments they shared chapter and verse to anyone who would listen.

The 66 years mentioned in his obituary didn’t include the 5 since her passing. For me and everyone else who knew them, their years together are still counting. Grandpa never let go of Grandma. In the end she, and the true love they shared were the only things he was firmly holding onto. Whatever your belief in a hereafter or a thereafter, somehow their love for each other has brought them together again.

When we think of romance, we think of candles, soft music, wine and an evening or two of togetherness before going back to the grind of day to day living. My grandparents proved that romance can be more. It can be in the smallest of moments. It can be in the times apart where all you do is miss each other. It can be in the sigh you each release when you are finally together again after being apart.

Last Tuesday, in the pit of my heart, I felt that sigh they shared".

Kuala Lumpur,
Saturday, 05.19.2012

The Last Lecture by Steve Jobs

The late Steve Jobs reflected on his life in front of a group of graduating students at the Stanford University.

The main theme as me understood his message was for us to always remained vigilant and always remember that our time is very limited and we must make the most of it to prepare ourselves for that ultimate destiny every human will have to face - death.

Hope we all could learn something from this inspirational speech by the man who has given so much and revolutionized our world by giving us the iPhone, iPod and the iPad!.

Take heed and take note by listening to what the late Apple CEO, Steve Jobs has to say for us to be successful - "Stay hungry stay foolish!".

Amalan Sebelum Mati

Except from an article for us all to ponder and reflect before it is too late..

"Allah merahsiakan saat kematian kita, adalah untuk melihat sejauh Mana kita melaksanakan amalan yang telah ditetapkan kepada kita dan Sedalam mana pula kita meninggalkan larangannya. Manusia yang hatinya Sentiasa ingatkan mati, akan melaksanakan tugas yang telah diamanahkan kepadanya dengan lebih jujur bersungguh-sungguh dan ikhlas untuk mendapat keredhaan Allah.

Manusia begini sentiasa merasai setiap tingkah lakunya diperhatikan oleh Allah SWT. Dan ia juga mengetahui setiap tanggungjawab dan amanah yang dipikul akan ditanya satu persatu oleh Allah di akhirat kelak.

Kesakitan bila nyawa dicabut oleh malaikatul maut tidak dapat Dibayangkan sama sekali. Walau bagaimanapun Nabi ada bersabda, maksudnya: "Bahawa Rasulullah mengingatkan tentang mati dan keseksaannya, maka sabda Baginda: Iaitulah sakitnya tiga ratus kali tetakan pedang."

Bayangkanlah jika kita ditetak atau dipukul dengan kayu, rotan Mahupun besi bukan banyak, cuma sekali saja, itupun sudah tidak dapat digambarkan kesakitannya. Inikan pula ditetak dengan tiga ratus tetakan. Bayangkanlah sendiri. Cuba kita tanggalkan pula kuku daripada isinya, pastinya sakit tidak tertahan. Daging disiat-siat dan
dilapah hidup-hidup, dahaga yang amat sangat sehingga air lautan didunia ini tidak mampu menghilangkannya. Semuanya ini cuma secebis dari perbandingan kesakitan maut,malah beribu-ribu kali lebih sakitnya daripada itu.

Oleh itu, untuk meringankan keseksaan roh ketika dicabut oleh Malaikat maut,maka digariskan beberapa amalan tertentu yang perlu diamalkan.

Antaranya:- Sebelum tidur:

1) Bacalah surah Al-Ikhlas tiga kali
2) Selawat ke atas Nabi
3) Membaca tasbih

Amalan harian:

1) Sentiasa membaca Al-Quran
2) Memelihara solat terutama solat fardu
3) Menghormati (jangan bercakap) waktu azan diperdengarkan
4) Membaca tasbih
5) Membanyakkan sedekah
6) Sentiasa berzikir menyebut Allah

Amalan yang perlu dijauhi:

1) Dusta
2) Khianat
3) Mengadu domba
4) Kencing berdiri

Sabda Rasulullah saw yang bermaksud: "Bersuci kamu sekalian dari buang air kecil kerana sesungguhnya kebanyakkan seksa kubur itu dari sebab buang air kecil."

Pada suatu hari malaikatul maut datang untuk bertemu dengan Nabi Idris A.S lalu Nabi Idris meminta agar malaikatul maut mencabut nyawanya dan kemudian Allah menghidupkannya kembali. Permintaan ini dilakukan untuk Nabi Idris as mengetahui kesakitan sakaratul maut agar taqwanya lebih mendalam dan teguh lagi. Maka Allah memberikan wahyu kepada malaikatul maut supaya mencabut nyawa nabi Idris dan meninggalkan ketika Itu juga.

Malaikatul maut menangis dan memohon kepada Allah supaya Dia (Allah) menghidupkan kembali Nabi Idris lalu dimakbulkan Allah. Setelah di dapati Nabi Idris as sudah hidup kembali, malaikatul Maut bertanya: "Ya saudaraku, bagaimana rasanya kesakitan maut?" Jawab Nabi Idris: "Sesungguhnya ibarat terkelupasnya kulit Dalam keadaan
hidup-hidup, maka rasa sakit menghadapi maut itu lebih dari 1000 kali sakitnya."

Kata malaikat maut: "Secara berhati- hati dan tidak kasar yang telah saya lakukan khusus mencabut nyawa engkau itu, belumlah pernah aku Lakukan terhadap seseorang pun."

Diriwayatkan lagi bahawa Nabi Isa as telah menghidupkan beberapa Orang yang telah mati dengan keizinan Allah. Maka sebahagian orang kafir berkata: "Sesungguhnya engkau telah menghidupkan orang-orang yang telah mati yang masih baru, yang mungkin mereka itu belum benar-benar mati.

Maka cuba hidupkan untuk kami orang yang telah mati seperti Zaman yang Awal dulu. " Kata Nabi Isa as: "Cubalah kamu pilihkan?" Mereka berkata: Hidupkanlah untuk kami anak Nabi Nuh as (Sam bin Nuh)." Maka Nabi Isa as pergi ke kuburnya, lalu mengerjakan solat Dua Rakaat dan berdoa kepada Allah. Dan Sam bin Nuh dihidupkan kembali, tetapi rambut dan janggutnya sudah beruban. Nabi Isa as hairan kenapa jadi begitu. Berkata Sam bin Nuh: "Saya telah mendengar panggilanmu dan saya mengira hari kiamat telah tiba, maka rambut dan janggut saya berubah menjadi putih seperti ini dari sebab takutnya hari kiamat. Berkata Nabi Isa as: "Sudah berapa tahun kau meninggal dunia?" Kata Sam: "Semenjak 4000 tahun lalu maka belumlah hilang sakit Dari sakaratul maut."

Semoga kita dapat amal dan sampaikan. InsyaAllah Sudahkah anda menunaikan SOLAT?

Dari Abdullah bin 'Amr r.a., Rasulullah s.a.w. bersabda, "Sampaikanlah pesanku biarpun satu ayat..."

Wallahuaklam...

Doa - Prayer

Ya Allah hanya bagiMu segala puji atas nikmat rahmat Kau kurniakan

Ya Allah ya Rabbi

Rahmatkanlah akan penghuluku keluarga dan para sahabatnya
Rahmatkanlah akan segala anbiya’ dan pesuruhMu
Rahmatkanlah akan segala para wali dan syuhada’
Rahmatkanlah akan segala hambaMu yang beriman
Maka demi kebesaran dan kemuliaanMu
Pula aku mohon kebajikan pula aku mohon perlindungan
Berikanlah aku kekuatan imanku
Banyak rezekiku panjang usiaku
Dalam rahmat dan sejahtera
Jauhilah daku dengan bala dan celaka
Jauhilah daku dengan dosa jahat dan duka nestapa

Ya Allah ya Rahman

Aku mohon limpah perkenan dan keampunanMu
Aku mohon petunjuk dan keredaanMu
Jadikanlah doaku ini tiang sinar cahaya
Hikmatnya bisa menerangi ceruk rantau bumi
Hikmatnya bisa menyapu buih-buih laut
Hikmatnya bisa memindahkan setiap biji pasir Sahara
Jadikanlah doaku ini senjataku
Buatku perolehi kemenangan dunia akhirat

Ya Allah ya Rahim

Jauhilah umatMu daripada pecah belah
Jauhilah bangsaku daripada lembah hina dina
Jauhilah kami daripada jalan Kau murkai

Ya Allah ya Tuhanku

Biar padaMu sahaja kami berlindung...

Ameen..

Nukilan: A Aziz Deraman
5 Julai 1988
Heard on Radio IKIM.fm : 14 March 2012

The Last Sermon

Today is the 29th day of February 2012, a day which comes once in every four years during a "leap" year. So as not to miss this special day, me would like to share the content of our Prophet Muhammad's Last Sermon which was delivered in the year 632 A.C., 9th day of Dhul al Hijjah, 10 A.H. in the 'Uranah valley of Mount Arafat.

After praising, and thanking God, he said: "O People, listen well to my words, for I do not know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Treat others justly so that no one would be unjust to you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. God has forbidden you to take usury (riba), therefore all riba obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital , however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer inequity. God has judged that there shall be no riba and that all the riba due to `Abbas ibn `Abd al Muttalib shall henceforth be waived.

Every right arising out of homicide in pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived and the first such right that I waive is that arising from the murder of Rabi`ah ibn al Harith ibn `Abd al Muttalib.

O Men, the Unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calendar in order to make permissible that which God forbade, and to forbid that which God has made permissible. With God the months are twelve in number. Four of them are sacred, three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumada and Sha`ban. Beware of the devil, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights over your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under God's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers. It is your right and they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste...

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship God (The One Creator of the Universe), perform your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your financial obligation (zakah) of your wealth. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before God (The Creator) and you will answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, NO PROPHET OR MESSENGER WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I am leaving you with the Book of God (the QUR'AN*) and my SUNNAH (the life style and the behavioral mode of the Prophet), if you follow them you will never go astray.
All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness O God, that I have conveyed your message to your people.

*The Qur'an: Revealed to Prophet Muhammad during the period from 610-632 AC. The first five verses revealed are: (1) Read in the name of your Lord, Who created. (2) Created man out of a clot that clings (in the womb). (3) Read and your Lord is the Most Bountiful. (4) Who taught by the pen. (5) Taught man that which he knew not.

Hope we could all share and take heed from these words of the Prophet (s.a.w).

The Last Lecture

Me was going through me “favorite news provider” - the MI this morning when me came across a piece about the untimely demise of an author/columnist named Jeffrey Zaslow in a car accident at the age of 53. Even though me had never heard of his name before, upon reading further, me came across an interesting book written by him a few years back entitled “The last Lecture”. The book was about his recollections on a lecture given by one terminally ill professor named Dr. Randy Pausch.

Maybe we could learn something by pondering what sort a legacy that we ourselves would leave to the world especially our dearest ones when our own time is up…

Below is an extract written by Jeffrey Zaslow on the circumstances leading to him writing the “The last Lecture”.

"Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon University computer-science professor, was about to give a lecture Tuesday afternoon, but before he said a word, he received a standing ovation from 400 students and colleagues.He motioned to them to sit down. "Make me earn it," he said.

They had come to see him give what was billed as his "last lecture." This is a common title for talks on college campuses today. Schools such as Stanford and the University of Alabama have mounted "Last Lecture Series," in which top professors are asked to think deeply about what matters to them and to give hypothetical final talks. For the audience, the question to be mulled is this: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance?

It can be an intriguing hour, watching healthy professors consider their demise and ruminate over subjects dear to them. At the University of Northern Iowa, instructor Penny O'Connor recently titled her lecture "Get Over Yourself." At Cornell, Ellis Hanson, who teaches a course titled "Desire," spoke about sex and technology.

At Carnegie Mellon, however, Dr. Pausch's speech was more than just an academic exercise. The 46-year-old father of three has pancreatic cancer and expects to live for just a few months. His lecture, using images on a giant screen, turned out to be a rollicking and riveting journey through the lessons of his life.

He began by showing his CT scans, revealing 10 tumors on his liver. But after that, he talked about living. If anyone expected him to be morose, he said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you." He then dropped to the floor and did one-handed push ups.

Clicking through photos of himself as a boy, he talked about his childhood dreams: to win giant stuffed animals at carnivals, to walk in zero gravity, to design Disney rides, to write a World Book entry. By adulthood, he had achieved each goal. As proof, he had students carry out all the huge stuffed animals he'd won in his life, which he gave to audience members. After all, he doesn't need them anymore.

He paid tribute to his techie background. "I've experienced a deathbed conversion," he said, smiling. "I just bought a Macintosh." Flashing his rejection letters on the screen, he talked about setbacks in his career, repeating: "Brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how badly we want things." He encouraged us to be patient with others. "Wait long enough, and people will surprise and impress you." After showing photos of his childhood bedroom, decorated with mathematical notations he'd drawn on the walls, he said: "If your kids want to paint their bedrooms, as a favor to me, let 'em do it."

While displaying photos of his bosses and students over the years, he said that helping others fulfill their dreams is even more fun than achieving your own. He talked of requiring his students to create videogames without sex and violence. "You'd be surprised how many 19-year-old boys run out of ideas when you take those possibilities away," he said, but they all rose to the challenge.

He also saluted his parents, who let him make his childhood bedroom his domain, even if his wall etchings hurt the home's resale value. He knew his mom was proud of him when he got his Ph.D, he said, despite how she'd introduce him: "This is my son. He's a doctor, but not the kind who helps people."

He then spoke about his legacy. Considered one of the nation's foremost teachers of videogame and virtual-reality technology, he helped develop "Alice," a Carnegie Mellon software project that allows people to easily create 3-D animations. It had one million downloads in the past year, and usage is expected to soar.

"Like Moses, I get to see the Promised Land, but I don't get to step foot in it," Dr. Pausch said. "That's OK. I will live on in Alice."

Many people have given last speeches without realizing it. The day before he was killed, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke prophetically: "Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place." He talked of how he had seen the Promised Land, even though "I may not get there with you."

Dr. Pausch's lecture, in the same way, became a call to his colleagues and students to go on without him and do great things. But he was also addressing those closer to his heart.

Near the end of his talk, he had a cake brought out for his wife, whose birthday was the day before. As she cried and they embraced on stage, the audience sang "Happy Birthday," many wiping away their own tears.

Dr. Pausch's speech was taped so his children, ages 5, 2 and 1, can watch it when they're older. His last words in his last lecture were simple: "This was for my kids." Then those of us in the audience rose for one last standing ovation"

As an afterthought, me would always wonder, if me were to give me last words, what advice would me share, who would me thank, what stories would me tell and who would be on me mind? – me wonder….Me prays and truly sought Allah's mercy to fill up all the voids in me soul!

Nearly lost me blog site!

What happened? This morning when me went to check on me blog, it was noted that the blog site has disappeared! This cant be true, after some anxious moments with the blog provider, it was back in business as usual...

Lesson learned, better start saving hard copies of the many entries made for the sake of later references...

See u later...bye!

Sekeping hati remuk

Sekeping hati remuk....

Ditelan pahit...

Namun manisnya ade...

Di sebalik tirai kehidupan...

Kerlipan cahaya...

Ekori ketabahan...

Meniti arus...

Penuh keinsafan......


Kenangan silam
di Kuala Lumpur
(09.05.2006)