The Reader

World AIDS DAY ride@Berjaya Times Square

Alhamdulilah, dengan izin Allah swt,I managed to complete the 30km World AIDS Day ride aroun KL City this morning.Here is one photo taken by my friend.More at my Flickr.

There were six of us today participating in World AIDS Day ride.We left the RV at 7am but the event only started at about 8am.All of us clocked about 32km and for me it is a special day.I have achieved my target to cycle 100km in Nov,2008.My total is 118km.Along the way,as we were escorted by the traffic police,Sharin said to me,"Abedib,hari ini KL kita punya!!!".
Honestly,I won't dare to ride my bike in KL city-too much traffic &  dangerous.During the last part from Mid Valley to Pavilion,we were on  our own.Being always at the tail end,the police were not there to control the traffic  for us.Anyway, we had a very memorable and interesting ride.

As planned, we went to Restorant Kg Pandan and had early lunch of curry kepala ikan.Thanks to you guys for the great company and conversations.Too bad,Prof Jaffar ha to leave early.

For photos,see my flickr website. Or better at Basikal Putih's blog

--Adib
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adib 
World AIDS Day:Ride for Life 2008
Find more Bike Rides in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

---

New Titles
Tafsir Al-Jalalayn
Asbab Al-Nuzul
Tafsir Ibn Abbas
Banquet of the Souls | Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
Garden of Truth (paperback) | Nasr
Introduction to Traditional Islam | Michon
Visionaries of Silence: The Sufi Order of Demirdashiya al-Khalwatiya | Waugh
Coattails of the Saints | Moore
Lost History: The Enduring Legacy of Muslims | Morgan
The Remembrance of God | Imam Suyuti
Submission: Faith and Beauty
The Secrets of Asceticism | Imam al-Qurtubi


Restock
Subtle Blessing in the Saintly Lives | Shaykh ibn Ataillah
Reflective Heart | Morris
Sufi Sage of Arabia | Mostafa Badawi
The Name and the Named | Shaykh Tosun
Return to the Spirit | Martin Lings
Gifts for the Seeker | Imam al-Haddad
Lives of Man | Imam al-Haddad
Motherhood in Islam | Schleifer
Sublime Treasures | Imam al-Haddad
Through the Eye of the Needle | Shaykh Nazim
Humanity: A Moral History | Glover
Ibn Arabi and the Tree of Being | Shaykh Tosun
Journals of the Ibn Arabi Society Volumes 1 to 43
Who Speaks For Islam | Esposito
Battle for Saudi Arabia | Abukhalil
Qur'an: A Biography | Bruce Lawrence
Spirit of Tolerance | Amadou Ba
Collected Poems | Martin Lings
Realm of the Saint | Cornell
Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife CD | Abdal Hakim Murad

All in stock now at Wardah Books


Salaam
Ibrahim
www.wardahbooks.com
www.wardahbooks.com/blog

Bros and SIGG bottles
Originally uploaded by Adibi

About nine months ago,when my mother came to visit me,I took her shopping and bought her a Bros water bottle.She carries with her all the time;especially it comes handy when she has to take her medicines.Today, she asked me to take her to the same shop because a few of her grand children wanted to have the similar water bottles to take to schools.Personally,I think it is a good healthy habit to carry water bottle with us all the time when we travel so that it make us drink more water.Until today,I am still not able to drink 8 glasses of water everyday as recommended by the doctor.

So,I bought one for me while I am on the go and one for my bicycle.Hopefully with the new beautifully designed water bottles,I may be able to drink more water.By the way,riding bicycle also makes me drink more water.

How do you take your water?Please share your experience with fellow readers of this blog.Thanks.

Bersama-sama ini izinkan  saya berkongsi dua ayat dari Al-Qur'an.Sama-samalah kita berhati-hati dalam percakapan kita untuk mengelakkan dari mendapat kebencian Allah swt.Bila saya baca ayat-ayat berikut,terkenang dimasa yang lampau...Hati bertanya,apa yang sudah saya ucapakan dan kemungkinan besar masih banyak yang belum saya lakukan.Ampunkanlah hamba Mu ini Ya Allah.

Dari surah As- Saff:

[2] Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Mengapa kamu memperkatakan apa yang kamu tidak melakukannya!

[3] Amat besar kebenciannya di sisi Allah kamu memperkatakan sesuatu yang kamu tidak melakukannya.

Most of us read books.One fast reader can read a novel in five hours but the fastest I did was five days.I can't put the book down.It was The Da Vinci Code and The Remains of The Day.

By the way,yesterday I completed reading a collection of lectures entitled Liberating The Soul(Vol 1).I took almost five months to read and reflect on the teachings and words of wisdom of Shaykh Nazim Adil Al- Haqqani.The contents were soul searching and I thank Allah swt for allowing me to discover this gem of religious discourse.The biggest lesson that I learned is about making our heart pure so that when we return to Allah swt, we shall have Qalbu Saleem.

One of the techiques to benefit from one's reading is to make notes as we read and after I completed reading the book,make a list of what I can do to impove myself spiritually.

AFAIK,this book is not avail yet at local bookshops.I bought it at Wardah Bookshop,near Masjid Sultan in Singapore.InsyaAllah, I plan to go to Singapore before the year ends to get the 2nd Volume. There are six volumes altogether.

chocolate cakes celebrities
Originally uploaded by Adibi

Just look at the advertisement shown in the photo.What do you think of it?Literally speaking,nobody is fearless...all of us have our own fears.One of my fears is height, but not when I am in the plane;-) Most of my friends (when I was a young boy) could climb coconut tree, but not me.

If the word fearless mentioned in the advertisement is about taking risk, then I am one of those.The first big risk was when i decided to quit government service at the age of 34 and joined the private sector.The rest is history.

Nowadays,I feel scared of the personal safety of my family and me when we are on the road or when we are outside our houses and offices.The bad hats donot blink an eye at stabbing and killing people for a few ringgits.Gone were the days that we feel safe outside our homes like before.

Just be more careful...it can happen to anybody-men.women,children,rich or poor.

Below is an invitation to ride for World Aids Day celebration.InsyaAllah,a few of my fellow MTB bikers and me will be there.See you:-)

http://www.mac.org.my/

The Malaysian AIDS Foundation would like to call upon all avid cyclist
supporters to rally together to celebrate World AIDS Day and let
Malaysians know that we still have a battle to fight against HIV/AIDS
in Malaysia .

A mini Ride for Life will be held in conjunction with the World AIDS
Day Celebration at Berjaya Time Square .

It is a short loop around the Golden Triangle in Kuala Lumpur which
everyone can be a part of - just bring your bike and don't forget your
helmet!

Registration is FREE and everyone joining the ride will get a
specially-designed T-shirt sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics - Viva Glam,
NYC.

So be there to show your support towards a worthy cause
Details as follows:

DATE : Sunday, 30 th Nov 2008
VENUE : Berjaya Times Square
ROUTE : Approx. 30km Tour of Golden Triangle – Kuala Lumpur
FITNESS LEVEL : Suitable for all levels of cyclists
FLAG OFF : 7.30am sharp (Don't be late)

Please call James Bak at 0122221200 or email him at [email protected] if
you have any further enquiries.

The Black Beauty
Originally uploaded by Adibi

Today,it is one year old in my possesion.It served me well and no accidents except a few scratches causedby a few " mat rempits" hitting my side mirrors.Alhamdulilah. The odometer clocked 27,700km.

At 3pm today,I will take my wife to GE Mall to celebrate my MyVi 1st birthday with some chocolate cakes.

Every time I go out I never fail to see another Myvi on the road.I don't know the % of new cars are MyVi, but my Myvi is never lonely on the road.

We say we believe in the Holy Qu'ran and yet we disobey the Commands of Allah swt as stipulated in the Qur'an. And a few had indicated that they will protest on certain fatwa because it does not suit their desires or practices which they like or enjoy.How much knowledge on Islam do we  normal muslims/muslimahs have as compared to our ulama? Let us leave certain issues to subject matter experts.There is no democracy in knowledge.

Let's ponder on the following ayats.Let's not be arrogant based on our ignorance and engaged ourselves in takwil al-jahilun(the discourse of the ignorants)!

From Surah Al-Jaathiyah:

[8] He hears the Signs of Allah rehearsed to him, yet is obstinate and lofty, as if he had not heard them: then announce to him a Penalty Grievous! [9] And when he learns something of Our Signs, he takes them in jest: for such there will be a humiliating Penalty. [10] In front of them is Hell: and of no profit to them is anything they may have earned, nor any protectors they may have taken to themselves besides Allah: for them is a tremendous Penalty. [11] This is (true) Guidance: and for those who reject the Signs of their Lord, is a grievous Penalty of abomination.

Malay translation:

[8] Yang mendengar ayat-ayat penerangan Allah sentiasa dibacakan kepadanya, kemudian dia terus berlagak sombong (enggan menerimanya), seolah-olah dia tidak mendengarnya; oleh itu gembirakanlah dia dengan azab seksa yang tidak terperi sakitnya. [9] Dan apabila sampai ke pengetahuannya sesuatu dari ayat-ayat penerangan Kami, dia menjadikannya ejek-ejekan; mereka yang demikian keadaannya, akan beroleh azab yang menghina. [10] Di hadapan mereka (di akhirat kelak) ada Neraka Jahanam (yang disediakan untuk mereka) dan apa jua yang mereka usahakan, tidak dapat menyelamatkan mereka sedikit pun; demikian juga yang mereka sembah atau puja selain Allah, tidak dapat memberikan sebarang perlindungan dan (kesudahannya) mereka akan beroleh azab seksa yang besar. [11] Al-Quran ini ialah hidayat petunjuk yang cukup lengkap dan orang-orang yang kufur ingkar akan ayat-ayat penerangan Tuhannya, mereka akan beroleh azab dari jenis azab seksa yang tidak terperi sakitnya.

Lampu2 Putrajaya
Originally uploaded by Adibi

I was introduced to a subject called metalwork when I was in lower secondary school in the late 60's.It is one of the five component subjects that made up a subject called Industrial Arts.If you go to Putrajaya, you must have noticed that the roads are lined with many different designs of lamp post all over the city.

Most of us just passed by, but yesterday I took some time to stop and took a photo of one of them.On closer examination.it is a great work of art from the design and the process of making it.Each design has a few symbols and each symbol has a few meanings.

A lot of beautiful things that passed through our lives just pass us by-like the river water that goes to the sea.What a waste...

IMHO, there exists a lot of business opportunities in the commercialisation of our national treasure of artistic work.

A Message from Wardah

---

New Titles
Tafsir Al-Jalalayn
Asbab Al-Nuzul
Tafsir Ibn Abbas
Banquet of the Souls | Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
Garden of Truth (paperback) | Nasr
Introduction to Traditional Islam | Michon
Visionaries of Silence: The Sufi Order of Demirdashiya al-Khalwatiya | Waugh
Coattails of the Saints | Moore
Lost History: The Enduring Legacy of Muslims | Morgan
The Remembrance of God | Imam Suyuti
Submission: Faith and Beauty
The Secrets of Asceticism | Imam al-Qurtubi


Restock
Subtle Blessing in the Saintly Lives | Shaykh ibn Ataillah
Reflective Heart | Morris
Sufi Sage of Arabia | Mostafa Badawi
The Name and the Named | Shaykh Tosun
Return to the Spirit | Martin Lings
Gifts for the Seeker | Imam al-Haddad
Lives of Man | Imam al-Haddad
Motherhood in Islam | Schleifer
Sublime Treasures | Imam al-Haddad
Through the Eye of the Needle | Shaykh Nazim
Humanity: A Moral History | Glover
Ibn Arabi and the Tree of Being | Shaykh Tosun
Journals of the Ibn Arabi Society Volumes 1 to 43
Who Speaks For Islam | Esposito
Battle for Saudi Arabia | Abukhalil
Qur'an: A Biography | Bruce Lawrence
Spirit of Tolerance | Amadou Ba
Collected Poems | Martin Lings
Realm of the Saint | Cornell
Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife CD | Abdal Hakim Murad

All in stock now at Wardah Books


Salaam
Ibrahim
www.wardahbooks.com
www.wardahbooks.com/blog

Water bottles

Bros and SIGG bottles
Originally uploaded by Adibi

About nine months ago,when my mother came to visit me,I took her shopping and bought her a Bros water bottle.She carries with her all the time;especially it comes handy when she has to take her medicines.Today, she asked me to take her to the same shop because a few of her grand children wanted to have the similar water bottles to take to schools.Personally,I think it is a good healthy habit to carry water bottle with us all the time when we travel so that it make us drink more water.Until today,I am still not able to drink 8 glasses of water everyday as recommended by the doctor.

So,I bought one for me while I am on the go and one for my bicycle.Hopefully with the new beautifully designed water bottles,I may be able to drink more water.By the way,riding bicycle also makes me drink more water.

How do you take your water?Please share your experience with fellow readers of this blog.Thanks.

Cakap tidak saperti bikin

Bersama-sama ini izinkan  saya berkongsi dua ayat dari Al-Qur'an.Sama-samalah kita berhati-hati dalam percakapan kita untuk mengelakkan dari mendapat kebencian Allah swt.Bila saya baca ayat-ayat berikut,terkenang dimasa yang lampau...Hati bertanya,apa yang sudah saya ucapakan dan kemungkinan besar masih banyak yang belum saya lakukan.Ampunkanlah hamba Mu ini Ya Allah.

Dari surah As- Saff:

[2] Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Mengapa kamu memperkatakan apa yang kamu tidak melakukannya!

[3] Amat besar kebenciannya di sisi Allah kamu memperkatakan sesuatu yang kamu tidak melakukannya.

Benefits from effective reading..

Most of us read books.One fast reader can read a novel in five hours but the fastest I did was five days.I can't put the book down.It was The Da Vinci Code and The Remains of The Day.

By the way,yesterday I completed reading a collection of lectures entitled Liberating The Soul(Vol 1).I took almost five months to read and reflect on the teachings and words of wisdom of Shaykh Nazim Adil Al- Haqqani.The contents were soul searching and I thank Allah swt for allowing me to discover this gem of religious discourse.The biggest lesson that I learned is about making our heart pure so that when we return to Allah swt, we shall have Qalbu Saleem.

One of the techiques to benefit from one's reading is to make notes as we read and after I completed reading the book,make a list of what I can do to impove myself spiritually.

AFAIK,this book is not avail yet at local bookshops.I bought it at Wardah Bookshop,near Masjid Sultan in Singapore.InsyaAllah, I plan to go to Singapore before the year ends to get the 2nd Volume. There are six volumes altogether.

The fearless..

chocolate cakes celebrities
Originally uploaded by Adibi

Just look at the advertisement shown in the photo.What do you think of it?Literally speaking,nobody is fearless...all of us have our own fears.One of my fears is height, but not when I am in the plane;-) Most of my friends (when I was a young boy) could climb coconut tree, but not me.

If the word fearless mentioned in the advertisement is about taking risk, then I am one of those.The first big risk was when i decided to quit government service at the age of 34 and joined the private sector.The rest is history.

Nowadays,I feel scared of the personal safety of my family and me when we are on the road or when we are outside our houses and offices.The bad hats donot blink an eye at stabbing and killing people for a few ringgits.Gone were the days that we feel safe outside our homes like before.

Just be more careful...it can happen to anybody-men.women,children,rich or poor.

Cycling for World Aids Day @Berjaya Times Square

Below is an invitation to ride for World Aids Day celebration.InsyaAllah,a few of my fellow MTB bikers and me will be there.See you:-)

http://www.mac.org.my/

The Malaysian AIDS Foundation would like to call upon all avid cyclist
supporters to rally together to celebrate World AIDS Day and let
Malaysians know that we still have a battle to fight against HIV/AIDS
in Malaysia .

A mini Ride for Life will be held in conjunction with the World AIDS
Day Celebration at Berjaya Time Square .

It is a short loop around the Golden Triangle in Kuala Lumpur which
everyone can be a part of - just bring your bike and don't forget your
helmet!

Registration is FREE and everyone joining the ride will get a
specially-designed T-shirt sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics - Viva Glam,
NYC.

So be there to show your support towards a worthy cause
Details as follows:

DATE : Sunday, 30 th Nov 2008
VENUE : Berjaya Times Square
ROUTE : Approx. 30km Tour of Golden Triangle – Kuala Lumpur
FITNESS LEVEL : Suitable for all levels of cyclists
FLAG OFF : 7.30am sharp (Don't be late)

Please call James Bak at 0122221200 or email him at [email protected] if
you have any further enquiries.

My MyVi-One year old today..

The Black Beauty
Originally uploaded by Adibi

Today,it is one year old in my possesion.It served me well and no accidents except a few scratches causedby a few " mat rempits" hitting my side mirrors.Alhamdulilah. The odometer clocked 27,700km.

At 3pm today,I will take my wife to GE Mall to celebrate my MyVi 1st birthday with some chocolate cakes.

Every time I go out I never fail to see another Myvi on the road.I don't know the % of new cars are MyVi, but my Myvi is never lonely on the road.

Dare to disobey?

We say we believe in the Holy Qu'ran and yet we disobey the Commands of Allah swt as stipulated in the Qur'an. And a few had indicated that they will protest on certain fatwa because it does not suit their desires or practices which they like or enjoy.How much knowledge on Islam do we  normal muslims/muslimahs have as compared to our ulama? Let us leave certain issues to subject matter experts.There is no democracy in knowledge.

Let's ponder on the following ayats.Let's not be arrogant based on our ignorance and engaged ourselves in takwil al-jahilun(the discourse of the ignorants)!

From Surah Al-Jaathiyah:

[8] He hears the Signs of Allah rehearsed to him, yet is obstinate and lofty, as if he had not heard them: then announce to him a Penalty Grievous! [9] And when he learns something of Our Signs, he takes them in jest: for such there will be a humiliating Penalty. [10] In front of them is Hell: and of no profit to them is anything they may have earned, nor any protectors they may have taken to themselves besides Allah: for them is a tremendous Penalty. [11] This is (true) Guidance: and for those who reject the Signs of their Lord, is a grievous Penalty of abomination.

Malay translation:

[8] Yang mendengar ayat-ayat penerangan Allah sentiasa dibacakan kepadanya, kemudian dia terus berlagak sombong (enggan menerimanya), seolah-olah dia tidak mendengarnya; oleh itu gembirakanlah dia dengan azab seksa yang tidak terperi sakitnya. [9] Dan apabila sampai ke pengetahuannya sesuatu dari ayat-ayat penerangan Kami, dia menjadikannya ejek-ejekan; mereka yang demikian keadaannya, akan beroleh azab yang menghina. [10] Di hadapan mereka (di akhirat kelak) ada Neraka Jahanam (yang disediakan untuk mereka) dan apa jua yang mereka usahakan, tidak dapat menyelamatkan mereka sedikit pun; demikian juga yang mereka sembah atau puja selain Allah, tidak dapat memberikan sebarang perlindungan dan (kesudahannya) mereka akan beroleh azab seksa yang besar. [11] Al-Quran ini ialah hidayat petunjuk yang cukup lengkap dan orang-orang yang kufur ingkar akan ayat-ayat penerangan Tuhannya, mereka akan beroleh azab dari jenis azab seksa yang tidak terperi sakitnya.

Art in Metalwork

Lampu2 Putrajaya
Originally uploaded by Adibi

I was introduced to a subject called metalwork when I was in lower secondary school in the late 60's.It is one of the five component subjects that made up a subject called Industrial Arts.If you go to Putrajaya, you must have noticed that the roads are lined with many different designs of lamp post all over the city.

Most of us just passed by, but yesterday I took some time to stop and took a photo of one of them.On closer examination.it is a great work of art from the design and the process of making it.Each design has a few symbols and each symbol has a few meanings.

A lot of beautiful things that passed through our lives just pass us by-like the river water that goes to the sea.What a waste...

IMHO, there exists a lot of business opportunities in the commercialisation of our national treasure of artistic work.