Jumaat, 30 November 2012

Socially me..

Satu perkara berkaitan dengan menjadi surirumah sepenuh masa ini, bagi diri saya, ialah, saya tak punya kawan. But then, masa bekerja pun, I dont really have lotsa girlfriends but sekurangnya punyai teman sepejabat. And one thing about me, kawan selalunya adalah kawan semasa. Maknanya, when I am no longer bounded to that particular of event, those friends that I met, will no longer being kept. My treasure is my schoolmate. Mereka la yg still contact men-contact even dh besar panjang ni. Mebe sebab kita grew up sama-sama, we close like siblings.

So, now, what I hv is Mat and the kids. And some cyber-friends which I says Hi, on and off.
No.. tak kisah sebenarnya.. sebab I am not the kind of person yang got attached to relationship. I understand the nature: people come and leave. Jadi tiada gusar di situ. Cuma, masalahnya, bila dh kerap duduk rumah, I think I lost the skill in mingling around and making friends. So, masa Course Divine Link tempohari, what I did was,  just sat with Hamza, smiling to others, until I've been approached by this friendly mama, and she invited me to join this group of stay-at-home mothers get together while kids having some fun-activities. They have meeting every Wednesday morning, and Alhamdullillah, I have my very first meeting with them last Wednesday, where we have an outdoor activity, that is a visit to Taman Botani, Putrajaya.

The activity was fun, for the kids especially. I am not well actually: slight fever and flu, but since I missed the get-together last week, so I make promised to myself I have to join this week, or else, I wont be joining afterall. This is also our first ever trip to Taman Botani. Too close to home,  therefore, we took this taman for granted.. hahaha..

Overall, the activity is great. Kids have fun, making friends. Me too have fun, mingling around. Thanks to my camera, I am busy being the photographer of the day. Hahahaa.. (typical me ;p)

Heres some pictures:

 Taman Botani yo..


 Naik tram pusing taman


 Feed the fishes session..


 Picnic time


 Kids play bubbles and ball

The beauty of being 'photographer of the day': My only picture. Hahaa :D


Salam Jumaat. Thanks for reading :)













Rabu, 28 November 2012

Istighfar..

Imam Al-Qurthubi mengisahkan, ada seorang laki-laki mengadu kepada Hasan Bashri tentang musim kemarau. Hasan Bashri berkata, "Istighfarlah kepada اَللّهُ".

Yang lain mengadu kepada beliau tentang kemiskinan. Hasan Bashri juga berkata, "Istighfarlah kepada اَللّهُ".

Yang lain mengeluhkan, "Doakan kepada اَللّهُ agar aku dikurniakan an
ak". Hasan Bashri juga menyarankan yαng sama, "Beristighfarlah kepada اَللّهُ".

Dan yang lain lagi mengadu kepadanya tentang kekeringan di kebunnya, Hasan Bashri pun berkata, "Beristighfarlah kepada اَللّهُ".

Kemudian dalam satu kesempatan, Rabi' bin Shabih menemui Hasan Bashri. "Banyak orang mengadukan bermacam-macam masalah dan mengapa anda hanya memerintahkan mereka untuk beristighfar?" Tanya Rabi'.

Hasan Bashri menjawab, "Aku tidaklah mengatakan hal itu dari diriku sendiri. Tetapi sungguh اَللّهُ SWT telah berfirman:
"Mohonlah ampun kepada Tuhanmu, sesungguhnya Dia Maha Pengampun. Niscaya Dia akan menurunkankan hujan lebat dari langit kepadamu. Dan Dia memperbanyakkan harta dan anak-anakmu dan mengadakan untukmu kebun-kebun dan mengadakan (pula di dalamnya) sungai-sungai untukmu."
(Surah Nuh, 71: 10-12)

Selasa, 27 November 2012

Babywearing..

Again and again..
The never ending obsession...

This time around, I've been hit by the wrap-bug.
To be precise, Didymos, which I got all of them from eBay (no, I am sorry I not helping anyone to get one for you: tgh puasa ebay sekarang ni.. hehee).

So, this is my stash:
 
Cross-twill Eva sz4
Cross-twill Lisa sz6
Nino Atlantic Natur sz5
Nino tussah-silk sz5
Nino Augeri Gamelli sz6















The Ninos (stands for nine in, nine out):
Atlantic Natur 100% cotton
Augeri Gamelli 65% cotton, 20% ramie, 15% silk
TSN grad 60% cotton, 40% tussah silk

Some interesting info:
1. Ramie adalah sebatian dari gentian tumbuhan yang dijadikan serat dan digunakan untuk membuat fabric. Macam fabric dr bamboo (buluh) dan hemp (pokok ganja, Ya.. pokok ganja salah satu kegunaan nya adalah untuk membuat sebatian menjadi kain).
2. Textiles made from ramie behave similarly to linen textiles. They are prone to wrinkling and will breakdown if sharply creased, so it is best to fold them loosely and store flat. One advantage ramie has over linen is that it is naturally bacteria- and mold-resistant. It holds dye well, although saturated colors can be prone to crocking, which is discoloration of skin or other fabrics that contact the dyed ramie at stress points or wet areas. Ramie can handle the same heat and agitation as linen.
3.  Augeri Gamelli was bought when I was expecting. Augeri Gamelli is a french words means Welcoming twins, special edition wrap from the didymos, to celebrate the 40th birthday of Didymos twins: Tina and Lisa Hoffmann.
4. Btw, Didymos itself means twins in Greek - after having her twins, Erika Hoffmann needed some help and babywearing was just the thing.
5. Tussah silk is a form of silk from the butterfly cocoon.

Action pictures:

 Hip carry : Eva sz4


Back carry : Liza sz6




Back carry Nino natur


 AG with my 1month niece at kampung


 Front carry AG with Zahra 5yo


 Front carry Hamza 2.5yo in TsN.


What missing now is a baby. Hahaa..

Isnin, 26 November 2012

Kusyuk

To be conscious during salah:

1. Aware what salah u want to do, before angkat takbir, istighfar banyak-banyak: O'Allah forgive me, Ampuni dosa ku ya Allah…

2. Connect with the Fatihah. Be conscious, what you read is as same as what u know and what u want. So here, you hv to know the exact meaning of each and every word.

3. Tumakninah. Each steps must do in relax (not rushing).

4. If u hungry, or wanting to go to the toilet, do that first.

5. For men the best place to attain kusyuk is to salah jemaah, while for the women, it is better to stay home. Women will find peace to ibadah when they're home with the kids.



Statement #5 telah mecetuskan kontroversi, but as a mother of two, pendapat sy sendiri, sy senang solat di rumah, sbb hati memang lebih tenang dari ke masjid/surau. Risau hati bila di surau takut anak buat bising ganggu jemaah lain.







-----

Neeza Zaini

www.fb.com/NeezaneedleS

Reviews

On books:

1) Diari Musafir
Basically buku ini adalah berkisar tentang titik tolak pengalaman UZAR dalam menuntut ilmu di perantauan, pengorbanan dari segi kewangan dan masa bersama keluarga supaya dapat memaksimakan penuntutan ilmu tersebut. Cara penceritaan dan olahan adalah mendatar namun jelas. UZAR, tidak seperti Prof Kamil dan Uzt Hasrizal, di mana kedua penulis ini lebih banyak menulis dari hati, maka ada permainan emosi di situ. Tatacara penulisan UZAR sangat direct to the point, but somehow I like it sebab tidak meleweh-leweh. Penulisan dia sama dengan personaliti: serius dan direct. Pada pendapat saya, buku ini sangat elok untuk dibaca oleh setiap pelajar universiti, tak kira la menuntut di dalam atau di luar negara. Sebab saat menuntut ilmu itu crucial sebenarnya, bukan setakat bergembira, enjoy dengan kawan-kawan.

2) Bersyukur Saat Diuji
Ini adalah karya ke3 Prof Kamil yg saya baca. Pertama, Travelog Haji: Merubah Sempadan Iman, dan Kedua, Travelog Dakwah: Meniti Hari Esok. And I am a big fan of Prof Kamil. His blog: ‘Kehidupan Ringkas Tapi Signifikan’ is one of my weekly dose. One thing I like is, Prof menulis dari hati. Maka nya terdapat banyak permainan emosi disini. So, bukunya, once read, terus nak baca sampai habis, tak nk berhenti. Olahan nya juga menarik, dimulai dengan kisah peribadi, dilanda banjir teruk sehingga 90% daripada barang-barang rumah dan peribadi rosak, tidak boleh digunakan, ujian kesihatan kepada ayah mertua dan adik ipar yang membawa kepada kematian dan ujian kesihatan kepada diri beliau sendiri: di mana beliau hampir diserang angin ahmar. Cara beliau berhadapan dengan ujian memang amazing la.. Setiap perkara yang berlaku, disambut dengan solat, bersujud kepada Allah swt. "Apa-apa, kita solat dulu", katanya. Seperti ujian banjir tersebut, bila sampai je diperkarangan rumah, melihat rumah yang tidak lagi seperti rumah, penuh lumpur dengan kesan banjir paras dada, first thing first, before entering the house, amik wudhuq, solat 2 rakaat. Di cerita yg lain, tatkala keluar keputusan UPSR anak beliau, yang keputusannya tidak langsung ada A utk mana-mana subjek, right after keluar sekolah, first place to go is masjid, solat syukur atas keputusan peperiksaan tersebut. He even praise his son, ckp okla ni, keputusan elok ni, and even proud to tell everyone about his son result. Banyak lagi la perkara yg beliau tulis, yg membuatkan saya membuatkan saya melihat semula tindak tanduk diri sendiri ketika menghadapi ujian. Kesimpulan yg diperolehi dari buku ini ialah: Sabar dan Solat. Hasilnya akan insyaAllah, manisss sangat!

***

On Course:
Divine Link: Fiqh of Salah

Alhamdullillah, atas peluang dan kesempatan untuk pergi ke majlis ilmu ini. Dan terima kasih jugak kepada pihak pengajur sebab buat program ni di UPM. Selalunya dia buat di UM, so kali ni rasa dekat sangat, Alhamdulillah.

Perkara mengenai salat ni sebenarnya asas adalah sama, namun lain penceramah, lain pendekatan. i can say that, isi dia hampir sama dengan Kursus Tahsin Solat by Uzt Hasnan, which I went last April, bercerita tantang solat, pelaksanaannya dari pandangan mazhab2 yang berbeza, dan solat-solat sunat. Perkara berhubung dengan kursus ni, aura dia berbeza. Mcm kalo kita listen to lectures via youtube, apa yg kita dengar sama dengan apa yg org dalam dewan dengar, but being in the dewan itself, dia ada aura, cas positive sesama kita, yang menghasilkan impact yang mengesankan, imho.

Tak banyak nk review, sbb terlalu bnyk sebenarnya :)..  Cuma at the end, the final lecture, he talk about muslim community: Gaza, Syria etc.. which what we normally do is kita kumpul derma untuk tolong, tapi sebenarnya pertolongan yang paling berkesan adalah dengan memohon dua' kepada Allah swt, dan dua' yang paling terkesan adalah dua' ketika kita bersolat malam kerana sebagaimana sabda Rasullullah saw, : “Allah swt pada setiap malam turun ke Bumi, ketika sampai pada sepertiga akhir malam Allah swt berfirman: “Barang siapa berdoa kapada-Ku, maka Aku akan mengabulkannya. Barang siapa meminta kepada-Ku, maka niscaya akan Aku berikan dan barang siapa memohon ampun kepada-Ku niscaya akan Aku ampuni.” (H.R.Jamaah).

Dua' la senjata terkuat umat Islam. Terutama yang melaksanakan solat tahajud..


***

Ok, some picture I've took during the course:
 I hv Hamza with me, doing his stuff while I listened to lectures

 Zahra, on the other hand is joining the Ihsaan Junior Club where she had some activities like coloring, playing, and such

 One of her activity: Solat Berjemaah with friends

 The cool lecturer: Sheikh Abu Eesa aka AE.

 Token of appreciation from the organizer: ALLAH loves You and Me :)

Cute fact:
On third day of lectures, I sat beside Wardina Saffiyah. No picture tho.. hehee..

Not so cute fact:
I had a coffee on the second day lecture (they hv this free-flow-you-can-refill-your-coffee-whenever-you-want), and I whether I should blame the coffer or not, I had massive sakit kepala (I drink 3 cups btw). Soo sakit I cant even touch my eyebrow. Balik rumah terus muntah-muntah. Huhuu.. Tht's it, no more coffee after that.

Perkara lain-lain:
I met lots of people and makes friend with mostly sahm/wahms. Jujur ckp, after 2years of not working, not in the community, I am so dunno how to mingle around. Dunno what to say or what to tell. And I guess, betulla org ckp, birds of a same feather flocks together, so rasa senang sgt bila berbual dengan sahm/wahm. :)

I guess that's all for now. Happy Monday, peeps :)




Rabu, 21 November 2012

Treasure #1

AlQuran terjemahan.

Yang kecil dalam beg tangan.
Yang sedang kat ofis.. Hehee.. Di bilik jahit sesambil dengar lecture Bro Nukman or Sis Yasmin, bole rujuk.
Yang loose juzuk per juzuk is on my bed, atas kepala, di baca baring sesambil menyusukan Hamza.

Tarbiah Rohani

Yang Diari Musafir dah habis baca. InsyaAllah ada kelapangan will make short review about the book.



Bersyukur Saat Diuji masih di chapter satu. Tapi saya suka. Sebab Dr Kamil ni memang best sgt penulisannya. I read buku Travelog Haji dan dari situ terus follow blog dia- Kehidupan Ringkas Tapi Signifikan (KRTS).



Both books is recommended nevertheless. :)

Isnin, 19 November 2012

Weekend activity

Alhamdullillah. With the ability to join another Majlis Ilmu, brought by Al-Maghrib Institute.






Its a double weekend seminar. Will, InsyaAllah talk about it once the class is over. :)

Isnin, 12 November 2012

Sewing with knit cotton fabrics

InsyaAllah, Zahra will be going to school next year. So, I was a wee bit excited to sew her tudungs: using knit cotton interlock (t-shirt fabric) colored purple -I bought lilac and lavender because I can't decide which purple is more suitable, maybe lavender, or maybe lilac, well, we'll see nanti.

And I've learned that we need special tools to sew knit/jersey fabric, or if not, the sewing later will become am adventure we never want to experience again.

Further info regarding sewing knit cotton fabric can be read here:

Oh Baby! with Fabric.com: Sewing with Knits


So, I get myself, a bunch of ball-point needles, and some twin needles to give a better effect. And also a tripple needle, just to have an experience in using that kind of needles. And ya, sewing this kind of fabrics is better to use the domestic sewing machine rather than industrial sewing machine because of the sewing effect- the zig-zag stitch is the ideal stitch for sewing knits.



Ok, I'll show the tudungs once it done. :)

 
 

Rabu, 7 November 2012

Mengambil hikmah

Again from @aagym FB update.

Sesunguhnya, setiap orang yang kita temui itu adalah sebahagian daripada cara Allah swt mendidik kita. Kerana setiap seseorang itu memiliki ilmu, pengalaman, kelebihan dan kekurangan yang mungkin akan menjadi ladang ilmu dan hikmah bagi perubahan diri kita.
Kata kuncinya, adalah niat untuk kita mampu belajar dan mengambil hikmah/pelajaran supaya kita dapat meniru hal-hal positif dan mengambil iktibar di atas hal-hal negatif, seseorang itu, menjadikan  cermin atas apa yang patut atau tidak patut ada pada personaliti kita.

Namun, pelajaran dari seseorang individu itu, tidak dapat kita ambil jika hati kita sendiri telah dicemari dengan perasaan jengkel, kesal, marah, menghina, dan menghakimi buruk seseorang itu.

Al-Baqarah, 2:269
Dia yang memberikan hikmah kepada siapa yang Dia kehendaki. Barangsiapa diberikan hikmah, sesungguhnya dia telah diberi kebaikan yang banyak. Dan tidak ada yang dapat mengambil pelajaran kecuali orang-orang yang mempunyai akal yang sihat.



Selasa, 6 November 2012

Di antara kunci ketenangan..

Apabila kita melakukan sesuatu perkara, biarlah kita lakukan nya kerana Allah swt, di atas tanggungjawab yang telah diamanah. Bila bekerja, kita buat seperti apa yang dipertanggungjawabkan. Bukan mengharapkan balasan makhluk di kemudian hari. Sebab kalau kita mengharap kan balasan makhluk, penghargaan atau sebagainya, at the end of the day, bila mana mereka react, jauh seperti yang apa kita mahu.. kita akan kecewa - frustrated and demotivated.

At-Thalaq 65:3
Dan Dia yang memberikan rezeki dari arah yang tak disangka-sangka; barangsiapa yang bertawakkal kepada Allah, nescaya dia akan mempercukupkan (keperluaan) nya. Sesungguhnya Allah melaksanakan urusanNya. Sungguh, Dia lah yang mengadakan ketentuan bagi setiap sesuatu.

Semakin banyak berharap dari makhluk semakin banyak keresahan dan kekecewaan. Semakin sibuk dengan ingin penilaian dan mencari kedudukan di hati manusia belaka, maka hati akan selalu resah gelisah, kecewa, sedih, jengkel dan mudah marah.
Semakin tak berharap dari makhluk dan hanya berharap dari Alloh semata, niscaya semakin tenang dan semakin tercukupi. Semakin sedikit berharap dari manusia semakin sedikit kegelisahan dan kekecewaan. Semakin sibuk dan puas hanya dengan penilaian Allah yang Maha Menyaksikan akan semakin tenang dan puas hati ini.
Walau tak ada orang yang tahu, Allah pasti tahu..
Walau tak ada makhluk yang melihat, Allah pasti melihat..
Walau tak ada yang memuji dan menghargai, Allah pasti senang dengan orang yang beramal dengan ikhlas..
Dia pasti mencatat dan Menyempurnakan balasannya dalam bentuk dan waktu terbaik menurut-Nya..
 -- AaGym




Isnin, 5 November 2012

#selfreminder

Dari FB status KH. Abdullah Gymnastiar
http://www.facebook.com/KH.Abdullah.Gymnastiar
 
=== ... DIPERBUDAK KEINGINAN ? ... ===

Mari tafakuri bila kita ingin suatu barang yang kita sukai, apakah kita diperbudak keinginan sehingga mengalahkan akal sehat?

Selalu memenuhi pikiran siang dan malam, semakin ingin, semakin ada seribu satu alasan untuk bulat hati segera memilikinya.

Seakan tak bisa ditunda lagi, tak peduli dengan harga mahal, walau harus nyicil sekalipun, tak ada

yang bisa menghalang-halangi.

Tak ingat pahitnya orang yang miskin sulit uang, yang lapar, yang dililit hutang, tak takut dengan hisab/perhitungan disisi Alloh swt.

Tapi bila telah dimiliki, ternyata kesenangannya hanya sesaat saja, sangat tak sebanding dengan perjuangan dan pengorbanannya.

Tak lama kemudian, barang 'spesial' itupun teronggok begitu saja, seperti barang yang tak berharga, dilirikpun jarang, beda sekali dengan saat menginginkannya..

Tinggallah perhitungan di sisi Alloh, karena setiap rupiah adalah amanah Alloh, yang harus dipertanggung jawabkan.

Seharusnya kita amat cerdas, bisa menafakuri pelajaran-pelajaran dari yang sudah terjadi, dan memperhitungkan resiko yang nanti harus dihadapi.
 
 
... >>> SIAPA YANG MENDZOLOMI DIRI KITA ? <<< ...

"Sesungguhnya Alloh tidak berbuat dzolim kepada manusia sedikitpun, akan tetapi manusia itulah yang berbuat dzolim kepada diri mereka sendiri." (Qs yunus : 44)

Perbuatan dosa dan maksiat yang kita lakukan adalah bukti bahwa kitalah yang mencelakakan diri kita sendiri

Setiap dosa pasti akan menggelisahkan hati, dan petakanya akan kembali kepada diri sendiri tak akan meleset dan tertukar

Jauhi dosa dan maksiat sekuat tenaga dan berbuat baiklah sekecil apapun dengan tulus, itu bukti kita menyayangi diri dengan benar.
 
 
... === "BILA HATI TAK TENANG" === ...

Silakan periksa siapa/apa yang mendominasi hati ini ?

Manusia atau benda, atau keinginan atau apapun yang menguasai hati pasti akan menyisihkan DIA yang berhak di hati kita

Tak ada ketentraman bathin selain dari-NYA ; "Ingatlah hanya dengan mengingat Allah-lah hati akan menjadi tentram" ( Qs Ar Ra'du:28 )

Segera kembalikan segala urusan kepada-Nya,
mohonlah perlindungan-Nya, berharaplah pertolongan-Nya, bersimpuhlah menghiba hanya kepada-Nya
Pasrahkan lahir bathin kepada pengurusan-Nya

Insya Alloh selain hati akan disirami ketentraman, kitapun akan dibimbing-Nya, untuk menyempurnakan ikhtiar menjemput solusi terbaik dari-Nya
 
 
 
 ... ...=== "MENGAPA MENCARI YANG JAUH" === ...

Mengapa kita harus berlari dan menjerit kepada yang jauh dan lemah, sedangkan satu-satunya Yang Berkuasa Menolong amatlah Dekat..

DIA Maha Dekat, Maha Memperhatikan, Maha Mendengar, Maha Baik, Maha mengerti keadaan kita, Maha mengabulkan doa hamba-hamba-Nya

"Dan apabila hamba-hambaKU bertanya tentang AKU, maka ( jawablah), bahwasanya AKU ad
alah dekat, AKU mengabulkan permohonan orang yang berdoa apabila ia memohon kepadaKU." ( al Baqarah;186 )

Perbanyaklah berdoa karena Dia amat menyukai hamba-hamba yang memohon dan hanya bergantung kepada-Nya, pasti tak akan dikecewakan

Bersabda Rasulullah shollallahu ’alaihi wasallam: “Tidak ada yang dapat menolak taqdir (ketentuan) Allah ta’aala selain do’a. Dan Tidak ada yang dapat menambah (memperpanjang) umur seseorang selain (perbuatan) baik.” (HR Tirmidzi 2065)
 
 
 
 
 
 

Jumaat, 2 November 2012

Reason..

I believed everything happen for a reason.. And the best reason is to bring us back to Allah swt. A hardship is never a punishment, but it is more to purification..

When I had another fail attempted to get pregnant, I was wondering, what did I do wrong, this time around- which I cant really find the exact answer. The whole thing makes me frustrated. And somehow, demotivated my imaan. And something about imaan, is, bila dia di paras kebawah, Allahuakbar.. susahnya la nak bagi naik balik. You have to push, like pushing very hard, to get it back to how it use to be.. Its such a struggle. My heart wants to do this, but my nafs said that, naah, later-later.. Its like a battle inside. The rebellion part of me towards the whole thing.. Astaghfirullahulazim..

Later, I download an apps into my phone. An apps about days and months of the Hijri, comparing to the days and months of Gregorian. The reason why I d/l this apps is to know when is Nuzul Quran, Maulidur Rasul, Awal Muharram, etc.. to estimate the exact date, to book the free AirAsia tickets. And when I flipped tru the date, I noticed that 1st of Ramadhan next year will be fall on 9 July 2013, which is a month or more, after my supposed Edd. And I remembered that this year Ramadhan is the best Ramadhan I'd ever experiencing, and I remembered that I did pray to Allah swt, making dua, to give me, if it is not as same, than, a better Ramadhan next year. Subhanallah... Subhanallah.. Imagine if I had a baby, the Ramadhan would be very different then. Subhanallah.. Maha Suci Allah. Dia yang Maha Mengetahui.. I dropped onto tears, and starts to realizing the whole thing, did come with a reason.. The best reason He will arrange for us. Lahaulawalla Quwatailla billa.

And somehow, my mind keep thinking, that if, with Allah will, I get re-pregnant, along the way, than my Ramadhan would be, insyaAllah, a full-month as it is. SubhanAllah.

Al-Baqarah 2:216
Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.
Boleh jadi kamu membenci sesuatu, padahal ia amat baik bagimu, dan boleh jadi (pula) kamu menyukai sesuatu, padahal ia amat buruk bagimu; Allah mengetahui, sedang kamu tidak mengetahui.


Salam Jumaat :)





Khamis, 1 November 2012

Sharing article: Our relationship with the Quran


Keeping a Daily Relationship with the Quran

by Abu Productive

Keep a Daily Relationship with the Quran 

Procrastination affects us all – however, the most serious procrastination is the one that keeps us away from Allah’s path and away from good deeds.
It’s interesting how people normally procrastinate to do good deeds or beneficial actions, but would rarely procrastinate when it come to bad deeds or useless tasks! It reminds me of what Imam Zaid Shakir said in our recent interview with him, he said clearly ”procrastination is from shaytaan”.
I want us to tackle a growing problem amongst many Muslims today: It’s the procrastination from reading/reciting the Quran on a daily basis. We call it procrastination, but in some cases, it can be called complete abandonment (may Allah protect us).

Excuses, Excuses…

Normally, what makes people procrastinate from reading the Quran daily revolves around the following six excuses:
  1. Lack of time: “I don’t have time! I’m too busy!”
  2. Enough Quran in Salah: “I read Quran in my Salah everyday…”
  3. Mental blocks: “I like to be in a certain mental/spiritual state to read the Quran – I rarely get those ‘states’ every day”
  4. Guilt: “I haven’t touched the Quran in ages, I feel so bad, don’t think I can read it now, maybe when I go to Hajj or in Ramadan”
  5. Inability to read: “I don’t know how to read the Quran”
  6. Lack of Understanding: “I can read the Quran but I don’t understand it, so for me, there’s no point reading it”
We’ve heard these excuses in varied degrees and we’ll tackle them below insha’Allah.

Seriousness of Abandoning the Quran

Firstly, I want to highlight the seriousness of not keeping a close relationship with the Quran. Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) says in the Quran: And the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) will say: O my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Qur’an (neither listened to it, nor acted on its laws and teachings). (Quran, Surah Al-Furqan, Chapter #25, Verse #30).

Imagine the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) complaining about me and you on day of Judgement for deserting the Quran? And why shouldn’t he complain when he (Peace and blessings be upon him) left behind the best of Books, the eternal miracle, the words of Allah between our hands, and we simply put it on a shelf to collect dust!
Imam ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah [rahimahullah] summarized the type of abandonment of the Quran:
  • By not listening to its recitation or giving attention to it.
  • By not acting by it and abiding by what it has prescribed of halal or haram, even if the one who does so still believes in it or recites it. This means it is not sufficient to believe in it and recite it, but then to then abandon acting by it.
  • By not ruling by it or taking it as judge in all matters of religion
  • By not reflecting upon its meanings, understanding them and knowing what Allah [the One who spoke it] desires from the one who recites it.
  • By not using it as a cure and a healing for all of the diseases and ailments of the heart, such that one seeks the cure for his/her illness in other than the Quran.

Healing and Mercy

I’m not trying to freak you out, but I just want to make it clear that not reciting/reading the Quran regularly is not a ‘small’ thing; you definitely want to stay in touch with the Quran regularly. Allah says in the Quran: And we send down from the Qur’an that which is a healing and a Mercy to those who believe [in Islamic Monotheism and act on it], and it increases the Zalimoon [polytheists and wrong-doers] nothing but loss.” [Quran, Al-Isra, Chapter# 17, Verse# 82].

Imagine, every time you open and read this book, mercy and healing comes down to you. That’s mercy and healing for all your social problems, psychological issues, emotional ups and downs, etc. How can it not be a mercy and healing, when it’s Allah’s beautiful timeless words that He says brings tranquility to the heart?

I once heard a story narrated of a Muslim man who had psychological problems. He went to see a lot of doctors in his country and couldn’t find a solution to his issues. He travelled to the US and visited a top Christian doctor. After hearing his problems, the doctor quietly walked to a shelf, picked up a book and told him: “You Muslims have this and you have psychological problems?!” The book he held was the Quran.

Tackling the Excuses

1. “Lack of time” – I’m sure you have 10 minutes!
2. “Enough Quran in Salah” – Alhamdulillah, it’s good that you’re reading Quran in your salah every day, but unless you’re Hafidh of Quran, the large majority of what you recite in Salah is the last 5 pages of the Quran. Correct? Exactly, reading the Quran outside the salah allows you to explore the other beautiful and miraculous 595 pages and truly build the Quran into your life. You need time with Quran where you can just sit down to read and reflect on the ayah.
3. “Mental blocks” – Get into the habit of reading the Quran daily and your ‘special mental state’ will come.
4. “Guilt” – This is one of the most famous tricks of Shaytan. Shaytan will whisper to you that you’re too sinful to even come close to the Quran, there’s no point now after so long, and you can only make repentance during Hajj. My simple advice is to fight those whisperings of Shaytan; now that you know those thoughts come from Shaytan, don’t listen under any circumstance. Use that guilt you feel for abandoning the Qur’an to drive you into taking action and making a change. It’s really as simple as picking up the Quran and reading it. Insha’Allah you’ll soon fall in love with the Quran.
5. “Inability to read” – Join a Quran class or find a Quran teacher.
6. “Lack of Understanding” – Join a Quran class, find a Quran teacher, start learning Arabic, and/or have a translation next to you.

Three Practical Tips

So here are the practical tips to get you into the habit of reading the Quran on a daily basis.
  1. Set a daily allocated time, not more than 10 minutes, to read the Quran. I say not more than 10 minutes because if you over do it (especially in the first few days), you won’t come back reading the Quran again. It’s a psychological quirk, don’t ask me! Just simply set a daily 10 minutes a day, whether it’s before/after Fajr, or during your commute, or before you sleep.
  2. Make it a habit: You know brushing your teeth in the morning is a habit? Good, use that same concept with the Quran. It’s part of your morning routine or evening routine or some form of a habit that you consistently do and you would feel incomplete and unhappy if you have not done it.
  3. Sign up to a Quran class: This depends on your level. If you can’t read the Quran, join a class that teaches you how to read. If you can read the Quran, but don’t understand its meanings, start learning Arabic. If you can read the Quran, and can understand it, start memorizing. Whatever it is, make sure you attend a learning circle related to the Quran. Subhan Allah, the Quran is an endless sea of knowledge that one does not tire to explore, so start your journey today.

BONUS TIP: HOW TO FINISH THE QURAN IN 30 DAYS OR LESS!

I want to share with you a very simple practical tip that will help you read the Quran every 30 days insha’Allah.

I’m assuming here that you’re reading the Quran in Arabic and not the translation. There are roughly 600 pages in the Quran, so if you divide 600 pages by 30 days in a month, you get 20 pages to complete in a day, or roughly one Juz’ (1/30th of the Quran). 20 pages per day may sound a lot, but what if you divide it by the 5 daily prayers? You’ll only have to read 4 pages before/after every salah. So, if you can read only 4 pages of Quran after every salah, you can complete reciting the entire Quran in 30 days! Moreover, reading a page of the Quran with recitation and pronunciation can take up to 3 minutes, so 3 minutes x 4 pages = 12 minutes. It’s not a lot, honestly!

Now, if you can manage, imagine the way your life would change if you could supplement this with reading the translation so you understanding the meaning, message, and lessons.

My Parting Thoughts

I’ll be honest with you, the Quran is like a silent teacher that guides you and teaches you. The more you devote yourself to it, the more it’ll unlock its treasures for you and you’ll grow and come to understand things in ways you never thought before. People pay thousands for coaches, personal advisors, etc…but you have the Speech of Allah (AzzawaJall) right between your hands to guide you.
Will you embark upon the journey of the Quran, a journey of constant recitation, learning, and acting upon the Quran insha’Allah?

Read more: http://productivemuslim.com/beating-procrastination-series-keeping-a-daily-relationship-with-the-quran/#ixzz2AyrQ75F6

Life with me..

-kids
-sewing machine and carriers
-kitchen and laundry (not my first love, never a crush.. :p)
-my daily dose of food for the soul
-new found hobby: shooting!

I wear Black all the time.
So, no more 'passion towards fashion'.
iykwim.. hehee..

Thanks for staying, to you that keeps on coming to read my piece.
:)