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Knowledge of God

Let me share this short note from Nasiha .com

Living The Quran
Knowledge of God
Al Hajj (The Pilgrimage) - Chapter 22: Verse 8

"Yet, there are some people who argue about God without any knowledge or guidance or even an enlightened book!"

The verse cites three sources that one should base oneself on to have correct knowledge of God. These are:

i) knowledge obtained through the study of, and reflection on, the creation in the light of the Revelation, direct observation and first-hand experience

ii) knowledge gained indirectly from some evidence or as a result of the guidance of a knowledgeable person

iii) knowledge gained from the Scriptures, which illuminates minds and hearts

Compiled From:
"The Holy Quran: Guidance for Life" - Yahiya Emerick, p. 292
"Towards Understanding The Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi, Vol. 6, p. 12
"The Quran: Annotated Interpretation in Modern English" - Ali Unal, p. 684

 This is a very important subject that all of us must spend more time learning about God.Knowledge is a pre-requisite to iman.Iman cannot exists in vacuum without knowledge.May Allah gives us more knowledge to strenghten our iman and gets us closer to Him.Again,may I qoute Tan Sri Prof Dr Syed Naquib al-Attas:Knowledge comes with the arrival of meaning or the meaning arrives at the soul.

Photo:Light and shadows..

With a view like this,my wife and me come here every weekend for our dosage of morning walk..

Amateur radio licence..

Let me share the good news with my friends: I passed the test to be a licenced amateur radio operator yesterday[exam taken on 15/12/2011] and soon I am looking forward to get my callsign and join MARES.Alhamdulilah.Two situations that motivate me to take examination and use radio communication.First ,when a natural disaster happens and I love to be where the action is-to know what is going on and to contribute anyway I can.Second, when I go cycling where we need to communicate with our group members as we move along the trail...

The two cases I mentioned above are event management examples where communication is very important to ensure its smooth and optimal operation.Anything can happen during an event.Safety is number one!

Honestly,I was scared to take this exam.It has been more than 30 years since I took professional interview to be registered at a P.Eng.I was worried whether I could still comprehend some basic electronics,do simple calculations and retain some memory.Thank God,my brain still works albeit slowly.I am grateful to Allah swt for His mercy on me and my thanks to all my friends who gave me the notes to study[Fahroe Ibrahim] and advice to follow.[Ruslan Latiff].Thank guys.

Recovery ride..

 

Brompton M3L fixed with rack,Brooks and Carradice bag

Yesterday,my son Maher and me joined our PUR tribe for their normal PMR(Putrajaya Morning Ride).There were about a dozen of us and I was pleasantly suprised to see eight Bromptons!I guessed we shall have about 20 B's by end of this year.

 

This ride is very important to us.My son has been grounded due to a fall and this was his first ride after the unfortunate accident.He was happy to discover that he could ride again without feeling any pains to his injured shoulder and likewise for me.I was grounded for a week due to fever and bad coughs.I plan to ride only for a round trip of 10km but with the group, we ended up riding for 18km.Later we adjourned to have brunch at Umai Cafe.The strenght came from the community!

By the way,yesterday was also my first ride with a Brooks Saddle+Carradice bag from UK.

Kong Xi Fatt Chai

To all my Chinese readers,I wish you a Happy,Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

Kita merancang...

 

Setelah hidup lebih dari lima dekad,saya mengalami pelbagai pegalaman hidup yang jelas dan nyata bahawa kita hanya mahu merancang dan berusaha.Berjaya atau tidak bukan lagi urusan kita.Allah menyatakan segala ketentuan kembali kepada Nya.Ini saya percaya dan yakin.

 

Sebagai contoh apa yang berlaku semalam.Saya jatuh sakit demam dan batuk kuat kerana viral infection.Walau pun saya dah tempah pakaian baru untuk menghadiri majils persandingan anak saudara saya,saya terpaksa tidak dapat hadir untuk majlis merenjis kedua mempelai.Tambah sedih lagi bila semua ahli keluarga pergi ke majlis dan saya sendirian di rumah..Ini satu ujian dan pengajaran bagi saya supaya akur kepada kehendak Illahi.La Tahzan...

Hari ini saya rancang buat satu kayuhan basikal sejauh 30km untuk kumpulan kami di Putrajaya.Basikal telah siap di pasang dengan saddle baru dan beg baru,tetapi terpaksa saya batalkan kerana badan tidak sihat.

[saya hanya memberi contoh yang ringan.Setiap kita telah dan akan diuji dengan ujian yang sederhana dan berat]

Sebagai insan biasa,kita perlu sentiasa berusaha dan berdu'a.Yang menentu segala sesuatu adalah Allah jua..Kita redza dan kita rela,insyaAllah.

Sabar tahan nafsu..

Adapun orang yang takutkan keadaan semasa ia berdiri di mahkamah Tuhannya, (untuk dihitung amalnya), serta ia menahan dirinya dari menurut hawa nafsu, -

(An-Naazi'aat 79:40) | <Embed> | English Translation

Maka sesungguhnya Syurgalah tempat kediamannya.

(An-Naazi'aat 79:41) | <Embed> | English Translation

Ketahuilah bahawa kedudukan orang yang takut terhadap kebesaran Tuhannya serta menahan diri daripada menuruti hawa nafsunya,maka tempatnya kelak adalah di dalam Syurga al-Ma'wa sabgai mana tersebut diatas.

Hidup di dunia yang fana ini bukan lama.Sama-samalah kita bersabar untuk ukur kebesaran Illahi dan mematuhi Nya.Kita semua adalah saksi kepada kemusnahan hidup di dunia bila manusia ikut nafsu dan ingkar perintah Allah.

Life is only but a moment...let it be a moment of obedient to our Lord,Allahu Rabbul 'Alamin.

Surah al-Furqan:-
[43] Nampakkah (wahai Muhammad) keburukan keadaan orang yang menjadikan hawa nafsunya: Tuhan yang dipuja lagi ditaati? Maka dapatkah engkau menjadi pengawas yang menjaganya jangan sesat?
[44] Atau adakah engkau menyangka bahawa kebanyakan mereka mendengar atau memahami (apa yang engkau sampaikan kepada mereka)? Mereka hanyalah seperti binatang ternak, bahkan (bawaan) mereka lebih sesat lagi.

Photos from my Nokia E71

via www.flickr.com

Now it is easier to snap photos because many of our mobile phones have built-in camera.When I got my Nokia E71 a few years back,I snapped a few photos.People said the best camera is the one you have with you when you need it!

Over the years,I have learnt some tricks in taking better photos with my camera phone.Now,I am using BBB9900.However ,nothing beats the real thing....Whenever I can,I carry my compact Lumix LX5 around.My dSLR is collecting dusts some where..Link to my earlier posting.

Boat cruise in Putrajaya

I took this photo using Lumix LX5 last September,2011.The gondolas reminded me of my trip to Venice,Italy way back in 1987 when I was on an European tour with my wife to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversay.Actually it was our first honey moon overseas for us because when I got married in 1977,I could not afford an overseas trip-so we just did Cuti-Cuti Malaysia.Better late than never...

To younger couples who cannot afford an overseas holiday like me before,this is a nice place to enjoy a gondola ride in Putrajaya with your loved ones.In fact, Putrajaya offers a catamaran cruise and even speed boats.By the way,I have not tried any of these facilities yet-too busy cycling and taking photos around Putrajaya.

Of course, you may not be able to smell and taste the real cappucino from the cafe at St. Marks Square in Venice but you can have teh tarik and roti canai at The Souq or you can have a mee basah at Umai Cafe and board the Cat from there.Further more info,kindly call Perbadanan Putrajaya.

Feeding the poor..

A note from my Facebook:  Tuesday, 17 January 2012 at 11:32 

As I approached the entrance to a McD restorant in Gombak a few days ago,I had a pleasant suprise.I stood and watched a young boy in his school uniform giving to a blind man a cup of drink and a pack of fries.The blind man was sitting there selling packets of tissue papers.Then the boy went inside the restaurant and I followed him pretending I have not  noticed anything.He went back and continue eating with his mother.

 

This act of kindness,even though it may be the good deed of his mother really rouched me deep...Most of the time when I eat,I will not be thinking about others who may not have  anything to eat and any money to buy food.Most of us are having problems with what to eat and where to eat,but we forget about those who have to skip lunches or dinners..

 

The incident reminds me of our beloved Prophet Muhammad PBUH who always feed the poor...

 

Below is a few notes related to the above.

From Nasiha.com

Understanding the Prophet's Life

Helping the Poor

Clothing

Ibn Abbas related that the Prophet said: Any Muslim who gives a Muslim a garment to wear will be in Allah's safekeeping as long as a shred of it remains on him. (Ahmad, Tirmidhi)

Feeding

Safwan ibn Salim related that the Prophet said: Anyone who looks after and works for a widow and a poor person is like a warrior fighting for Allah's cause, or like a person who fasts during the day and prays all night. (Bukhari)

Anas related that the Prophet said: If any Muslim plants something or sows seed from which a man, a bird or an animal eats, it counts as a charity for him. (Bukhari, Muslim)

Relatives who are needy

Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet said: The best charity is that which is practiced by a wealthy person. And start giving first to your dependents. (Bukhari)

Salman ibn Amer reported that the Prophet said: To give something to a poor man brings one reward, while giving the same to a needy relative brings two: one for charity and the other for respecting the family ties. (Ahmad, Ibn Majah, Nasai, Tirmidhi)

Compiled From:

"The Quran and Hadiths on the poor and needy: a topical index" - SoundVision.com Staff Writer

 

 

Around the World with an iPhone and Camera+ | Photographer, Lisa Bettany captures 5 continents, 15 countries, 50 days with an iPhone and Camera+

Today, I am setting out on a trip around the world to capture photos for my very first travel photography book. I’m inspired by the freedom of shooting, editing, and sharing photos with a light-weight mobile device, so I’m leaving my professional camera gear at home and capturing the entire journey with an iPhone 4S (well actually two incase one gets tromped on by an elephant or snatched by a meer cat).

Over the past year, I’ve taken more pictures with my iPhone than my Canon 5DMKII. I’ve been really impressed by the dramatic quality improvements of iPhone 4S, and I honestly think that I will get better candid travel shots for my book with my iPhone. The best camera is the one you have with you and while I still adore my dSLR, shooting on the iPhone challenges me and makes me see capture photos in a new exciting way. Plus, it’s about 30lbs lighter than my camera gear!

Photographer, Lisa Bettany is setting off on an around the world with just an iPhone 4S to capture photos for her first travel photography book. Inspired by the freedom and creativity of iPhoneography, Lisa is leaving her expensive professional camera gear at home for the adventure of a lifetime.

via mostlylisa.com

Given the choice,I prefer to us my previous smart phone-Nokia 8.I started taking photos using mobile phone when I got my first Nokia 6600.I called it The Fatboy because of its look.It is not as great as compact camera but it is with us all the time when we need it.Then I moved to Nokia 71 before jumped on the great bandwagon Nokia 8.Now I am using Blackberry 9900.However, nothing the real thing.

The good thing about phone camera is that it is with us all the time and we can send the photo immediately to any where and anyone.I love to snap a nice photo when I see one and post it on my facebook or blog.

God willing,I love to follow this expedition online but sadly Malaysia is not on her roadmap.Below is a photo I took using a mobile phone Nokia 71:

Family Sunday Ride

Yesterday was a special ride where members decided to have our own picnic after the ride.We rode about 20km around the Putrajaya lakes and later adjourned to higher terrain at Taman Saujana Hijau-a cool Salem High Country.However a few of us  decided to for another 10km-good for them to burn 1000 calories before the eating festival..

Sometimes in March ,2011 we started cycling in small group-mostly men.Nowadays,we have our  wives and kids tagging along.The biggest number we had last year-with 29 members!Yesterday was also a big crowd of 22.Now,our PUR(Putrajaya Urban Riders) a.k.a Uban Riders are riding 2 nights and 2 mornings in Putrajaya every week except in Ramadhan.

More photos are at our PUR blog. 

The right colours!

Just look at these flats now.They are livelier and pleasant to the eyes...

These flats were constructed in the 80's to house the squatters who lived near Taman Maluri,Kampong Pandan.It was done using prefab construction method.Now,it is called Desa Pandan.I think the colour of the walls was plain white-boring all over.Over the years,the facade and colours faded away and no one gave a second look when they pass by this group of flats.

A few days ago,I have a pleasant suprise to see these flats with new coats of paint.Not only with new paint but with some design as well.Kudos to the new breed of architects.

 

To my fellow architects,please make an effort to make the middle and low cost flats look nicer and interesting.As engineers,we have done our jobs when the building are still standing and fit for use.To the building Management Corporations,this is one good example to make the tenants happy to pay their monthly fees.

Let us see what Singapore had done to make bored looking staircases into a work of arts!!!

 

 

Nasihat Luqman Al Hakim

 

"Wahai anakku! Apabila perutmu penuh dengan makanan (kenyang) makaakan matilah fikiran dan hikmah kebijaksanaanmu. Semua anggota badanmuakan menjadi malas untuk melakukan ibadah dan akan hilanglah kebersihanhati dan kehalusannya, di mana hati yang bersih itu hanya akan tercapaidengan kelazatan bermunajat (mngadap Allah) dan manfaat berxikir (ingatkepada Allah)"

"Wahai anakku! Kamu ikutlah ketika orang membawa jenazah, dan janganlahkamu mengikuti jamuan perkahwinan. Kerana jenazah itu dapatmengingatkan engkau akan kesudahan dari hidupmu di dunia yang fana ini.Sementara majlis perkahwinan akan membangkitkan nafsu berahimu dan iniakan membuat kamu merasa bahawa senang dengan kehidupan dunia."

via www.scribd.com

Berikut ialah satu kumpulan nasihat dari Luqman Al-Hakim untuk saya berkongsi dengan anak-anak saya dan rakan-rakan semua.Sebagai ibu bapa,kita perlu sentiasa menasihati anak-anak.Kadang kala kita juga jadi takut untuk beri nasihat kepada anak-anak kerana kita juga masih lagi lalai dan berterusan melanggar perintah Allah swt.

Sama-samalah kita mengambil kebaikan dari nasihat tersebut diatas.Agama itu nasiha.

Nota :Foto Masjid Putra.

Above the clouds #2

One of the things I enjoy on a flight is watching the world from 10km above.A few days ago,I was on a flight from KBR to KUL.We were just above a carpet of white clouds.They look like an ocean!It was around 7:30pm and the I saw a beautiful sunset with the waves of white clouds forming the new horizon..Sadly,I could not capture the view using my camera phone.

Most of the time we earthlings see clouds from below.When we see from above,the view and the feelings are totally different.Just imagine the sight to behold if we were given to chance to explore the Milky Way...

Photo:Suatu pagi di bulan Januari@Pantai Batu Burok

Cerana dan gobek

Gobek tembaga ini adalah milik nenek saya dan cerana ini milik ibu saya. Dulu diguna setiap hari tapi sekarang dah jadi bahan antik.

Exchange of gifts at the wedding

Congratulations to Ramsey and Rosniza!!!

Heartiest congratulations to my nephew Ramsey on his wedding yesterday. May Allah bless you and your family.

Kuala Lumpur-20111231-00454.jpg

This is a test -blogging on the road.

Arrogant or Proud:A Titanic experience..

Most people watch the movie Titanic but only a few read the story how it sank almost 4000metres deep.It is a sad story of a mighty engineering feat of that era..1912.

From the report I read  the ship did not fail due to design failure but it was attributed to human failure-not heeding the signs in the forms of sounds and shocks from encounters with icebergs.It was believed that the ship was powerful enough to ram through small icebergs.When it comes to iceberg,what we see is only the top 10% but the rest is hidden underwater and that was where the fatal damage done to the bottom of Titanic!The rest is history..

The lesson I learnt from this story reminds me of my posting more than seven years ago as attached below.Never ever be arrogant or proud with whatever resources or power we have in dealing with natural environment.What we know is very little indeed.To be safe,in this world and The Hereafter,we must be able to read the signs and be guided to take the right action.

From the spiritual perpective,it also reminds me no matter how obedient and pious one is in conforming to the commands of Allah swt,there is no guaranttee that he or she shall be placed in heaven.One must always be humble in seeking  the guidance and helps from Allah to the right path and remains there all the time and always ask for His Mercy to grant one al-Jannah.

Friday, March 26, 2004

Arrogant or Proud

Let me share with you some verses of the Qur'an and Hadiths about being arrogant or proud.This feeling will creep into our hearts if we are not careful:

{[And swell not your cheek(for pride) at men,nor walk in insolence through the earth: for Allah loves not any arrogant boaster]}-Quran 31:18

[Allah says:'Might is My cloak and pride is My garment.Whoever vies with Me for either of them,I will punish him']-Hadith (Muslim)

[There are three whom Allah will not speak to,or praise,or look at on the Day of resurrection,and they will have a severe punishment: and old man who commits adultery,a king who tells lies and a poor man who is arrogant]-Hadith(Muslim)

[No-one will enter Paradise who has an atom's weight of pride in his heart]-Hadith(Muslim)

Our actions and attitudes will reflect what is going on in our hearts.So,observe and monitor our actions so that we don't become arrogant and earn the wrath of Allah.By its very nature, the hearts(qalbu) is easily influenced by external factors,so take care of our hearts so that Allah will be pleased with us.

Mengikut satu syair Arab:
Dikatakan insan itu manusia,kerana sifat lupanya.Dikatakan hati itu qalbun,kerana keadannya tidak tetap(berolak-alik).

PS: My mentor retired from from the highest post in his department a few years ago. Below is one of many advices the Tan Sri gave to me: When you are inpower,please be compassionate! I hope and pray to those who just got their political powers or positions to take heed of this advice. The power is only at the 'majazi level'(temporary and dependent ).It can be taken back in 4 or 5 years time!

 

 

The 3 Notebooks Every Writer Should Keep

As a writer, you probably find yourself jotting random things down throughout the day. A story idea here, a random line there.

A great way to build momentum for your creativity is to keep three notebooks: a Morning Pages journal, a Writer’s Notebook and a pocket notebook.

A Morning Pages Journal

via betterwritinghabits.com

I am not a professional writer but I do keep a few notebooks.Yesterday I also bought one large note 5"X8.25" for my wife to write her notes when she attend religous classes or watching Tanyalah Ustaz.I chose the brand Carry-It because the notebook looks like a moleskine but costs one third the price,

For my notebooks,I have two sizes-3.5"X5.5" (pocketable) and 5"X8.25" but I have different notebooks for different purposes.I use the pocket size for my personal journal,my cycling and attending kuliyyah at mosques but I use bigger size for business notes,scrap book of my passions and sketching.

Do you carry a notebook with you? I do.

Goal Setting for Fulfilling & Successful 2012

Goal Setting for Fulfilling & Successful 2012

Just sharing this useful article with fellow readers.I sent this note to all my sons and thanks to Sam for the link.

Year 2012

Ted Levitt, editor of Harvard Business Review, wrote: “The future belongs to people who see possibilities before they become obvious. The road to superior performance has everything to do with how well a leader can ‘see forward’.”

Good bye 2011 and now I am on the second day of 2012.It is a public holiday and I just joined the crowd-enjoying my extended year end holiday.At my age,a year is a bit too long to plan,monitor and control my life.I prefer to plan my deliverable on monthly milestones and manage my activities on weekly basis.To make life simpler as I grow older,my year is only 50 weeks and mostly I repeat what I do once a week-just like Friday prayer.I prefer to break things in smaller packages as I like to travel light...

However, for major deliverables and milestones,a quarter is a more reasonable unit time of measurement.

The year 2011 is history.What is going to be for me in 2012?You know and I know,we all don't have the answer for it.We can only plan and work for it and pray.From my experience from the previous years,we must pray as much as we work for those we wish to achieve.So many things depend on others' inputs and finally Allah decides what is for us or not.One British comedian said that if you want to make god laugh,tell him your plan!

No matter what, I believe in making our plan to assist us in doing our work for this world as well as for the next.I mentioned the next world because two my cousins died last year at the age of 60 and God willing I will be 60 years old in September,2012.We have plan for our projects or business so likewise we must have a plan for our own lives.Life, in this world,by definition of PMI,is a project.The only difference is the deadline is not known to us because when it arrives,we all are dead.

As far as I am concerned today is only the present -the rest of my days are the future.Before you start writing your plan for 2012 if you have not done so,kindly do yourself a favour by asking two questios:

1.Are you doing the right things?

2.Are you doing them right?

From my experience,do not ask these questions once a year, but preferably once a month-better still once a week!Why?Because many a time we answered wrongly to the above two questions and we keep learning along the way..I do.

Please do not rush in getting your plan done in the next few days and don't try to be perfect.There is no perfect plan.Take some time to do your 2012 plan  and improve as you go along...

Happy New Year,my fellow readers!

Caught reading books..

Nowadays I noticed a lot of people spend their time reading even though they are walking and even driving.Sadly they are not reading books but reading what is on the screens of their mobile phones or tablet electronic devices.Someone even collided with me because she was reading her mobile phone while walking!

On the right is a rare scence where I saw a few people reading books at the LG floor of Suria KLCC.

Looking back for the year 2011,what books have you read,what lessons have you learnt from your book reading and what is your reading plan for the year 2012? If you are on Facebook,please join at Bookcafe group.

Today is the last day of 2011.let us say good bye to 2011 and may I wish all my readers a Happy,Healthy and Prosperous New Year 2012,insyaAllah.

Where is your heart?

 

Please take a few minutes to watch this video and reflect on your heart-where it is and what it is?

"(Iaitu) orang-orang yang beriman dan tenang tenteram hati mereka dengan zikrullah". Ketahuilah dengan "zikrullah" itu, tenang tenteramlah hati manusia. (Ar-Ra'd 13:28) | <Embed> | English Translation 

Let us strive to attain the maqam of qalbu salim.InsyaAllah