A Brief Stopover in Hong Kong

Me wrote this short piece at the Hong Kong Int'l airport while waiting for me connecting flight to Busan, Korea. It took about three and half hours flight from KLIA to Hong Kong and me have to wait for several more hours before me next flight to Busan at 0200 hours.

Me last transit at this airport was about a few years ago on me way to Japan. But this time around, me and me 2 colleagues got a pleasant surprise when discovering that the airport now has a musolla for Muslims to pray. So without further ado, we took the opportunity to fulfill our obligation together with a Brother from the Middle East. However, the fun part was, while we were inside the musolla, a lot of people got confused and entered the musolla thinking that it was a male toilet as it was located beside a female toilet and the sign at the entrance (as seen below) looked a bit like a male toilet sign!



Nevertheless, the long wait at the airport did not diminished me feeling of excitement on the prospect of experiencing Korea for the first time. Since this is me first trip to Korea, me is also feeling a little bit apprehensive at the prospect of meeting Korean business people for the first time and trying to anticipate their way of doing things. Obviously me got the feeling they are very much different from me Japanese business partners.

Nonetheless, me kids back home got even more excited upon knowing of me Korean trip since they have long been great fans of Korean movies and surely would love very much to have the chance to experience Korea for themselves. Alas, the time for them has not yet arrived, me doa is with them to have the chance to one day see Korea and their "Winter Sonata" movie idols!

Just as me experienced business dealings in Saudi Arabia recently, me hope the experience gained in Korea would be very useful in furthering the business agendas between Malaysian and Korean companies in building a better future for us all.

Got to go now, the time to board me connecting flight has arrived...see you all soon insyaAllah...

Tony Blair's Sister-In-Law, Lauren Booth, converts to Islam 24-Oct-2010

Happy New Year 2011!!

Today being the first day of the new year 2011, me would like to wish all who frequent this site a happy and prosperous new year 2011!!

May the coming days in this new year would bring us closer to more knowledge and wisdom that we need to progress in our lives...may this year be better than the last in so many happy ways:)-Amen...

Nicole Queen - Why Islam Part II

The beauty of living for a Higher Power and not just for the worldly things.........

Hijrah

"Hijrah" can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. However, the "Hijrah" that we normally associate with has its root from the "movement" of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) from Mecca to Medina in order to prevent more prosecutions from the Meccan people and to seek greater "avenues" for the spiritual and worldly "growth" and well being of the Ummah during the early days of the Islamic propagation.

Nowadays, other than making the "Hijrah" celebration a "must" through outpouring of public joys and marching on the streets at the beginning of the new "Hijrah" year, every year, the significance and the spirit of the "Original Hijrah" born 1400 years ago, has sort of diminished or simply being forgotten by the vast majority of Muslims the world over who only look at it now as mere ritual.

The simple truth is "Hijrah" in its original context, if properly managed and executed, is the most potent "weapon" possessed by us Muslims for achieving what we are lacking at this particular period in our history.

The spirit of "Hijrah" requires us to always "move forward" from a position of "less" to a position of "more" of the good things in this life and the next whilst at the same time putting our complete trust in Allah the Almighty. We are not supposed to be stagnating in our life without doing anything to improve ourselves and the Ummah. We should always be moving forward and looking ahead to better our future in everything that we do.

The significance of "Hijrah" should not be undermined by our narrow interpretation of its meanings and potentials. No matter how insignificant is our efforts to better ourselves and the Ummah, if it is done sincerely by keeping the spirit of "Hijrah" alive, the end result could well be the beginning of our next "move" to a greater plane of success in this world and the hereafter....

Happy New Year 1432H...may we all be bestowed with all the best that can be bestowed by Allah (swt) and may the new 1432H and the years to come be prosperous for us all...