Return Home: Dad feels dull

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Just heard that dad lost his way at Alamanda this noon... He left the car which he drives to the complex and bought a bicycle. Everybody was worried about him. I just packed my stuffs and simply walked to the bus stand to return home. 

Maybe I would plan other rehlah (trips) and da'awah for myself from home and finishing literature reviews rather than in the hostel since my supervisor had asked me to finish with first three chapters before showing her the outcomes.  A lawyer she is and I am quite worried when dealing with lawyers, haha.

At last I found a TV. Just sitting on the floor and watching the TV, just ignore everyone's eyes, I don't care whatever people want to think about me. Too many ethics sometimes constraining us.

I do understand, dad must feel dull. Our time will come too where we would be like that. When we finish our responsibility with job, we might lost friends surrounding us. Men function differently than women. They might be facing depression after resting from job since men mingles more with friends rather than with their family although they are married.

It's already 21:00 shops begin to be closed, nothing interesting there anyway. I don't like to shop in the airport.

Why I could say this? It's not that because I am male myself. I had seen people around me like eldest brother in law. And of course my dad. They have activities together with friends like playing soccer or just hanging around at mamak restaurants. During dad's younger time when he worked, he hangs out with friends at mamak stalls too. The place where they hang out is still the same but the brand might be different according to period of time. Brother in law is the mirror of a young married and career men. Dad represents the retired ones.

These kind of brochures save your money a lot compared to Lonely Planet book that you buy only to explore Penang, hahaha. You can use your money to try new things in Penang Island that you can't see in your hometown.

I'm just taking the flight home. Goshhh!!! AirAsia is not as cheap as it is when we book the ticket in rush. I've got to pay RM156.50 and the flight is only at 23:00. Well, it's comfortable compared to train or bus but maybe not a wise option for domestic travel if we want to have a budget one. Penang airport is still in renovation, and I noticed that after I saw it's clumsy condition when the bus reached the departure hall. Rapid Penang to the airport no. is 102 and it stops just in front of the airport building, so don't worry too much if you travel alone without company. I just hope I could help loners like me who happens to step in this humble site. For USM students or anyone going for the airport from USM, take this bus from Batu Uban gate, cross the road first and of course there is a flyover. Vehicles are crazy here. The bus fare is as usual, RM2 according to today's rate. 

Guides on what you can try in Penang in term of local cuisine and traveling around World Heritage Sites. Anyway, I'm bored of Khaleel, Pelita or Istimewa Mee Goreng or Roti Chanei. Nasik Kandaq today is not fresh like those days, so I don't like it too. I didn't really care about my food last time. I just eat any where without taking notes on who is the cook or the cleanliness I mean according to ritual manner when preparing the food, the cook must be a Muslim according to our rites. Last time I didn't take beef or other type of meats just like few Orthodox Hindus because of Buddhism influence, being a vegetarian and the food must at least be sattvik (light) to memorize mantras and gathas. There are few classifications for food for person who perform meditations. Now I still don't eat fishes including avoiding seafood according to my current madzhab angle of sunnah because I need to be in ablution state of purity most of the time. I don't avoid meat anymore but still we eat limited meat because we are poor. Only affluent could afford meat in their daily menu.

I've got new leaflets promoting Penang Tourism and Heritage. They are everywhere in the airport building. Unfortunately I won't be here in Penang for July since July is close to Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival. It is in the eighth month of lunar calendar where the hell gate down there will be opened and it releases restless spirits from the hell roaming around. When I was little, I used to watch Chinese Opera and also listening to Chinese Urban Legends about incidents in the months. I miss 林正英 Lam Ching Ying movies. His character as Taoist priest was awesome. Never feel bored watching him in that character even in many movies it would be the same. Anyway, those are just cultural superstitious around us and this is Malaysia. I don't take them seriously anymore after growing up, lolollollllllllllll...

Mum's cousin sister who works in the airport is giving me some bread and bubur Durian, haiyoyooo. How am I going to bring it into the plane? I don't eat Durian neither and I'm sure she knows about that. Maybe she wants to send it to mum. They have free wi-fi here in the waiting hall so am just benefiting the infrastructure that we have. Malaysian loves free things, maybe not all but it is normal here... hehe. 

If anyone in the airport including the airport police asking you to bring something for their friend, just refuse and leave them!! Don't ever think of politeness because it might drag you to be drug smugglers. If they force you to do so, just run your way to the police station in the airport and make a report!!! An airport police officer just asked me to bring some medication for his friend and pass it when I reach LCCT. I don't know him so I just refuse him. I'm always reciting ma'thurat and my instinct says that don't take the package. I believe that, and I just walked passed the 'officer.' The package shows that it contains seabuckthorn capsules. I know about the medication but better be cautious than sorry.  

Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy, and love for brothers and sisters in faith. God bless! 

What does it mean to be Muslim for a Family?

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

I manage to retrieve back some of these notes that I jot down from last month. I went to Sultan Mizan Zainal Abiddin mosque and listened to a lecture on a chapter from the book written by Fathi Yakan in the gap time before Isya' prayer. This book is quite famous in Malaysia with the title "Apa Ertinya Saya Menganuti Ajaran Islam?"

The ustad had mentioned where Fathi Yakan highlighted six matters. That day, they talked about the fifth matter and I was so unlucky as I had missed few matters earlier and also the last matter highlighted. They talked about being a Muslim from the aspect of family, creed, worship, and morality. Why do Mr. Yakan choose this topic for the discussion? Because we want a society that reflects Islamic characteristics which could be seen in the soul of everyone.

How could we call non-Muslim toward the God if we are showing bad examples to them? If we want to establish a sanctified nation, we should have a model to be seen by others. For example, before we begin our meals, we would recite supplications to the God or begin our meal with manners. Muslim family must be a model and guidance for others. If a house is in chaotic situation, what can we show to others? Thus, we must try to be Muslims in family angle and have to be caring to the community and taking the responsibility to be in service to others.

  

Says the messenger of the God may the God be in contact with him: "whomever ignores his brothers and sisters in faith, they are not apart of the Islamic nation." - narrated by Bukhari. 

As for example, how many persons before fallen into their sleep are thinking about the problem faced by the nation or how many of us had been thinking about our parents? How about people who are close to us? Remembering parents is a responsibility of every Muslim. Everyday, we must recite al-Fatihah for them no matter they are alive or had already returned to Him and protected under His mercy. Parents are the reason where we are here. Without them as the reason, we are nothing in the Universe. When our life growing better, we tend to forget our parents until we have no time to return home and see them whether they are in good condition or else?   

The responsibility of every Muslim is to prohibit vice and performing charity. Our responsibility had already been performed when we asked others to be together in charity and chastity even though those whom we are calling toward charity refused to follow. When we had already knocked the door and they refused to open it up, we are free from the sins and responsibility.  Our role is only to prohibit vice and promoting charity. Being in accordance with the glorious Quran and Sunnah. We perform our responsibility by telling others about what is Islam to the society and trying to establish it in our society or community.

Then Muslims are responsible to form a family with Islamic values. Establishing Islam in the house begins with the education where parents must teach their children to respect the teachings of the God which is Islam and the values in the teachings. The parents are responsible to bring everyone in the family to Him for example making the five obligatory salaat times as the time to remember Him without any interference. 

Muslim parents have the responsibility to ask the people in the family to protect their 'aurah (modesty) as what had been mentioned in surah an-Nur verse 53. An example in asking others to protect their 'aurah and in the same time teaching the family members about the way of life through presents according to sunnah such as veils or beautiful muslimah or muslim dress. A husband are obliged to ask his wife to change her skimpy clothes to better ones if she happens to wear it since she would be working 8 hours with male non-muhrim colleagues.   

Convey Islam to family members and to our selves as what had been mentioned by the God in His holy verses: "never call to the worship of other than the God for you will be dipped into the bitterness" (surah ash-Syuraa'). Teach our close family members and relatives about His Oneness, never proclaim that there are other power with the authority as possessed by Him. We must help and have the care in preserving the creed of our family member. When they are deviating, we would advice them to return to Him.

Check in surah at-Tahreem verse 6th where it mentions that hell fire would be ignited with stones and human, so we must be really careful with our daily conduct. We always think that it is easy when we perform salaat, the God would forgives us our sins just after we perform the salaat. But are we sure that our charity and salaat performed are accepted by the God? We should stop blaming our environment. We must first begin with our selves living our live as Muslims and playing our roles in our family. 

Everyone dreams of a good nation and receiving His forgiveness. This is a general matter, and family institution role is crucial in forming an Islamic family. A husband has a heavy responsibility. The sins committed by children will also be the share of the sins to the parents. The responsibility of promoting charity and prohibiting evil and vice is a very heavy responsibility. 

The glorious Quran shows the way to achieve the goal according to His teachings where it focuses on the family. When a couple get married, their marriage should not only about beauty or how handsome is the groom. The intention must be rightful because of the God and not because of the beauty of the girl or the guy that we want to get marry to. Nikah (marriage) is a reason and a sunnah for the establishment of a good and blessed family. 

When a couple entering the marriage contract, they must be readily to bear the trust from the God in the upbringing of the future generation and soul as what had been mentioned in surah az-Zumaar (I can't recall the verse, I am sorry). Everything that we do in our daily life is actually because of Him. After that, the couple would be stepping into the establishment of a society who understands the way of life according to His teachings. It is not merely a marriage contract where a man and a woman are willing to share their life but more than that where they are responsible in the establishment of a Muslim family. No need for an overly "bersanding" ceremony after the marriage contract and it would be best if the feast for marriage reception being done without waste. As to say, our acts must be viewed through religious rites perspective.

I'm going to print this version of notes typed in our national language and giving it to my newly-wed sister and her husband. I don't want them to just get away without revising their responsibility toward our Islamic society although they had already going to marriage courses before their marriage!!!! 

May Allah be in contact with prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his family and his companion. Allah please bless our society no matter whatever we are. Bless us with Your boundless mercy and forgiveness. Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy, and love for brothers and sisters in faith, amin.