4 great women

Throughout the history of Islam, women have played a major role in spreading the sacred message of Allah (glorified and exalted be He).

Examples of these great women have been mentioned by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) who has praised and exhorted the superiority of the Maryam, Asiya the wife of Pharoah, Khadijah (may Allāh be pleased with her) Mother of the Believers, and Fatimah (may Allāh be pleased with her), daughter of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him).

These amazing women are prime examples of productivity for modern Muslim women who want to achieve the right balance between their family life, work and most importantly their deen. Let’s have a look at these four women and see what we can learn from them to achieve the right balance!

Khadijah

Khadijah was an unrivaled embodiment of faith, productivity and unconditional support. After her father’s death, Khadijah inherited his vast wealth and business talents and successfully managed her father’s business interests and preserved the family’s fortune.

However, she did not waste this wealth on materialistic things. She used to feed and clothe the poor, assist her relatives financially, and provide for the marriage of those of her kin who had no means to marry. Not only was she a charitable and wealthy businesswoman, but a caring wife who was the first to believe in and support the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him).

Of Khadijah (may Allāh be pleased with her), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said:

“The best of the world’s women is Mary (in her lifetime), and the best of the world’s women is Khadijah (in her lifetime).” [Bukhari]

Furthermore, Aisha (may Allāh be pleased with her) narrated:

“I did not feel jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) as much as I did of Khadijah (although) she died before he married me, for I often heard him mentioning her, and Allah had told him to give her the good tidings that she would have a palace of Qasab (i.e. pipes of precious stones and pearls in Paradise), and whenever he slaughtered a sheep, he would send her women-friends a good share of it.” [Bukhari]

Fatimah

Fatimah is also a legendary beacon of productivity and balance: a fervent worshipper of Allah (glorified and exalted be He) who was deeply committed to her family. She was a loyal wife, an excellent daughter as well as a keen helper of the poor and needy. She would often give all the food she had to those in need even if she herself remained hungry. Her life with Ali (may Allāh be pleased with him) was simple and frugal, yet she remained content with this and was still able to help the poor.

Additionally, Fatimah would often bring her two sons to see their grandfather who was exceedingly fond of them. Despite the hardwork and time she had to put into her daily chores, she never forgot the importance of family bonding and prioritized it in her life. 

Fatimah’s (may Allāh be pleased with her) closeness to Rasul Allah (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) and the greatness of his love for her shines clearly in his (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) statement:

“Fatimah is a part of me, and he who makes her angry, makes me angry.” [Bukhari]

Maryam

The Qur’an witnesses and declares Maryam to be the best woman that will ever exist: a role model for all Muslim women of all ages for her impeccable character. Her genuine devotion to and trust in Allah reflected her perfect worship and behavior.

She became pregnant by Allah’s decree and was to deliver her child all alone. People accused her of the vilest sins, yet she resisted pessimism and displayed immense willpower, determination and faith in Allah (glorified and exalted be He). She surrendered to Allah (glorified and exalted be He) and placed her fullest trust in His plan and was therefore unaffected by their accusations. In this day and age, it can be easy to lose trust in Allah and surrender to sadness, but Maryam’s life is a reminder to us that His help will always come if we persevere in trusting Him, and through it the highest levels of productivity can be achieved.

Allah (glorified and exalted be He) exalts Maryam’s mention in the Qur’an and declares her as being devoutly obedient to Allah in the following verse:

“And [the example of] Mary, the daughter of ‘Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel, and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.” [Qur'an: Chapter 66, Verse 12]

Asiya

Asiya’s greatness lies in the fact that although she was the wife of one of the most powerful, arrogant and tyrannical rulers of Egypt, she had a discerning heart that was able to see and accept the truth in the message of Prophet Musa [as]. For her, wealth, beauty or status was not the main criterion of human excellence: she realised that without faith in Allah (glorified and exalted be He), a human being has nothing. She voluntarily gave up all the luxuries of Pharoah’s comfortable palaces for what is more lasting and beautiful: becoming closer to Allah.

Allah had chosen Asiya to nurture and protect Musa (peace be upon him) when he was an infant. When her maids brought the cradle of Musa (peace be upon him) from the river, she insisted to Pharaoh that she wanted to adopt the infant as a child. Her selflessness proved her to be a loving mother to him.

In Surah At Tahrim, Allah (glorified and exalted be He) makes Asiya (may Allāh be pleased with her) an example of excellence for all the believers when He (glorified and exalted be He) says:

“And Allah has set forth an example for those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh, when she said: “My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his work, and save me from the people who are Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers and disbelievers in Allah).” [Qur'an: Chapter 66, Verse 11]

This is the level of commitment to our deen and our families we should and can achieve! Here are a few tips on how we can practically do so.

Involve Islam in Your Work Life

Being busy at work all day sipping coffees and typing away on the computer doesn’t mean we should forget our Great Lord, Allah (glorified and exalted be He). There are many ways we can remember Allah (glorified and exalted be He) while at work:

1. Be Sure To Read Salah at Work: Prayer is the perfect break for your mind and soul, allowing you to praise Allah (glorified and exalted be He) while relaxing yourself as well.  Faith takes priority over work: don’t let work ever become an excuse to miss Salah!
2. Read Islamic Books While Commuting Or During Lunch: This helps you gain Islamic knowledge instead of being involved with work 24/7. If you are not a big fan of reading, pick up a nasheed CD and pop it in your stereo in the car or listen on your iPod.
3. Involve Yourself In Charitable Activities: This doesn’t necessarily have to be financial, even helping someone will count. Not only will you be helping out people in greater need than yourself, but you will also be pleasing Allah (glorified and exalted be He).

Involve Islam in Your Family Life

We all have an endless list of things to do after we return home from work, including cooking, cleaning and looking after the children. However, it is possible to incorporate “deen building” into all these activities:

1. Read Quran Together: Take time out every now and then to reflect on the Glorious Qur’an with your family. Even if it’s only 20 minutes a day, it is definitely worth doing this together!
2. Watch Islamic Lectures Together: YouTube is such a big phenomenon these days and it’s great for us Muslims too. The number of interesting Islamic lectures available are endless, so get on the Internet and have a look. You can even keep on in the background while doing the cooking.
3. Prepare Meals Together: Why should you have to cook alone? Try and get your children and husband involved! Not only will the meals be prepared quicker, but you can also discuss your day with each other. Especially in Ramadan, preparing Iftar together can allow you to reflect on the fast that you are undertaking collectively.

With the help of Allah (glorified and exalted be He) and the examples of the greatest women of Islam before you, it is possible to balance your family life, work and deen even if you are a woman in this busy modern age. Don’t give up and become overwhelmed by just one aspect in your life. Prioritize your roles and keep giving your best knowing that Allah (glorified and exalted be He) will always be there for you!

By : Ayesha Salahuddin in productivemuslim.com

choose

An e-mail to share :

Assalamu'alaikum Nuha, 

Everyday we need to make choices that either help us achieve comforts in Dunya or comforts in Akhira and these at times can be quite a dilemma for a productive Muslim. Below are some examples of such choices:

• Should you wake up early for Tahajjud/Fajr prayer and risk being tired/sleepy during the day?
• Should you fast for a day for the sake of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) and risk not being able to focus at work/school?
• Should you give a substantial amount in charity and not have enough for what you want to buy?

Although most of us know how we should answer the above questions, but let's be honest, it's quite tough!

Having said that, below are 3 thoughts to help you always choose the akhira driven choices inshaAllah:

1. Remember that your choices for akhira are linked to your purpose: When you make akhira driven choices, you're connecting to your ultimate purpose and that is to worship Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala). For example, when you get up and pray tahajjud/fajr, that's you fulfilling your purpose in life more directly than worrying about an afternoon meeting which may not be directly linked to your akhira.
2. It's all in your mind:  A lot of times we create in our mind the fear that if we make choices for our akhira we'll lose out, but that's Shaytaan playing with your mind as Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) says in the Quran: "Shaitan (Satan) threatens you with poverty and orders you to commit Fahsha (evil deeds); whereas Allah promises you Forgiveness from Himself and Bounty, and Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower" (Quran: Chapter 2, Verse 268).
3. Part of the struggle:  Yes, it's quite tough to make akhira driven choices all the time, but that's part of the struggle that we've to go through in this temporary life in order to achieve the ultimate pleasure of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala).

Nuha, the comforts in Dunya are nothing compared to the comforts in Akhira, so let us make smart daily choices with our productivity to ensure that we always stay akhira focussed, inshaAllah.

Sincerely,

Abu Productive

Memandu diri dengan doa

[sumber : ruangan muhasabah, Solusi isu 51]

Pernah berasa putus asa dalam pencarian? Saat itu dunia dirasakan seolah-olah jauh dengan realiti kehidupan sebenar dan isi alam terus mengejek dek kerana kelemahan dan ketidakupayaan yang meliar dalam diri.

Segala usaha yang diikhtiarkan berakhir dengan jalan buntu. Tiada jawapan dan kesudahan yang ditemui. Jangan kusut dan usah lupa! Saat kita jatuh tersungkur di peringkat paling bawah, masih ada kekuatan yang boleh digali… masih ada ubat untuk merawat segala kekacauan hati.. Itulah doa; senjata warisan Mukmin!

Mengapa perlu bersedih? Bukankah al-Khaliq berfirman melalui risalah cinta-Nya dalam surah Ali ‘Imran ayat 139 yang bermaksud : “Dan janganlah kamu berasa lemah dan jangan pula kamu bersedih hati kerana kamu paling tinggi darjatnya jika kamu orang yang beriman.”

Sesiapa sahaja berhak menadah tangan, merintih dan mengadu kepada Allah. Ketika segala usaha kita digagalkan oleh kelompok manusia yang sibuk mengadu domba, kecoh menambah cerita, jinak menikam dari belakang dan pelbagai lagi sebarang bentuk penindasan.. Ketahuilah, perilaku mereka tidak mampu menyaingi kuasa dan kehebatan doa. Allah pula tidak pernah mensia-siakan setiap permintaan yang dihajati hamba-Nya. Hebat sungguh kuasa doa!

Allah mengajarkan kita supaya menjadi hamba yang bertaqwa dengan mematuhi segala perintah-Nya dan meninggalkan segala kebencian yang dilarang. Sifir yang mudah, lakukan yang baik dan tinggalkan yang buruk. Apalah erti seorang manusia yang menjadi hamba kepada Tuhan-Nya tetapi mahu menidakkan kuasa Allah dalam apa-apa jua perkara.

Jangan malu andai tangan yang diangkat penuh harapan dan rasa ingin bertaubat terkandung padanya 1001 dosa dan noda. Teruslah berdoa dan bertaubat kepada Allah. Mari memperbanyakkan doa untuk perkara kebaikan, serta islahkan diri dengan menambah kualiti diri ke peringkat yang lebih tinggi. Apabila kita sentiasa berdoa mahukan pengampunan daripada Allah, maka kita akan sentiasa berusaha untuk menjauhkan diri daripada perkara yang ditegah oleh-Nya.

WHY WORRY, WHEN YOU CAN PRAY? uhuk

Ramadhan dip

What's the Ramadan dip?

This is the low levels of energy you feel during the 12th - 18th nights of Ramadan, where you start losing the excitement and momentum that you had at the beginning of Ramadan and you feel so tired and lazy to keep up with night prayer, quran recitation and even fasting.

The good news: this dip is temporary (hopefully!) and most people recover before the last 10 nights where they gear up for the extra energy and effort needed in those last 10 nights. 

The bad news: If you're not careful with this energy dip during the next few days, you may not recover completely and find yourself chronically tired and lazy till the end of the month.

So, here are few tips to help you overcome the mid-Ramadan dip:

1. Mind over matter: use the power of your mind to push yourself and go for that extra bit of energy you have within you even when you don't feel like it. Push yourself to read one more page of Quran when you feel that you can't and then push yourself to read another one and continue until you finish what you normally read each day. Push yourself to pray those 2 rak'ahs of taraweeh, followed by another one, then another one... it's amazing what we can achieve when we put our mind into something.
2. Slow down if you have to : If you're utterly tired/exhausted and need a "break", then instead of giving up completely on your acts of worship or productivity, slow down a bit to regain your energy; perhaps read a little bit less Quran than usual, and/or pray taraweeh at home instead of masjid. (Note: make sure this is done for just 1 or 2 days, just enough for you to recover your energy, sleep better at night, then ready to go back to your full throttle mode. Do NOT make this a habit!)
3. Dua :  The Ramadan dip is an opportunity for us to realise our weakness as human beings, and our weakness as believers. It makes us realise how much we need Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) to worship Him. So ask Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) for help and support to aid you in these critical days and give you the energy and strength to face the last 10 days with full energy and productivity inshaAllah.

Hope this helps!

source : ProductiveMuslim.com

just do it!

Salam Ramadhan to muslims all over the world! :)

Here, I want to share a story.

Yesterday, in the morning, I just didn't feel like going to work. I was tired, bored, and totally not in the mood. But I dragged myself out of bed, got dressed for work, drove to work and within 30 minutes of being there, I was at my usual self and back "alive!".

We all face days when we "just don't feel like it" & that's fine and nothing wrong with that, but it's how we react to those days that matter: Do we curl up in a corner, spend our day in bed and hope to feel better? Or do we go through our daily rituals, get ready and go out to face the world regardless of how we feel?

You'll face Ramadan days when you just don't feel like going for Taraweeh, or you just don't feel like reciting Quran, or you just don't feel like waking up for suhoor; and that's natural.. but what you do next is what's important: when you get up and pray taraweeh, and get up to make wudhu and recite Quran, and you get up for suhoor, the fact that you started moving, you'll feel better and you'll just feel like it :).

All the best! ^____________^

Don't Judge Too Quickly

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen. 

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. 

The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment. 

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree’s life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.

Lessons: 

1. Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. 
2. Don’t judge life by one difficult season. 
3. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.

fazakkir

Last year, I prayed taraweeh next to a very old man. I noticed that he struggled to get up or stand on his 2 feet (he was shaking from weakness), but he stood up for the entire Isha and taraweeh prayers. Someone might have told him to sit down and relax, but you could tell from his determination at every rak’ah that he wants to stand up for Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) during Ramadan and didn't want to sit down.

The old man reminded me that sometimes the measure of how much you love someone is how much effort you're willing to put in for them. If we truly love Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala), shouldn't all of us put that extra  bit of effort for Him?

I want you today to think of one area or one activity where you show Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) that you're putting that extra bit of effort for Him. Perhaps it could be waking up for tahajjud or praying those extra sunnah prayers or going out to feed people. Try it and let me know how it feels.

p/s : What will be your ONE SPECIAL good deed this Ramadhan?

source : ProductiveMuslim

pencils

[when a picture tells everything]

pencil maker

an article a month?

making your willpower work for you

Willpower and the ability to control it is probably the most important thing that will either help you succeed or help you to fail. There are many people who don’t get ahead because their lack of determination and willpower get in the way. As Muslims we all have will power to some degree- we know we can’t drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and eat non Halal food. But there are some who break these rules and are not sure of how to get their lives back on the right path. It is easy to feel helpless through all of this. At the same time there are some really amazing strong willed people who very easily know what is right and can steer clear of the wrong things. What is the secret of their will power? Perhaps first and foremost it is the rules that Allah has given to us, but even then sometimes temptation does come to us. So how can you build your will power?

Imagine you made a resolution to skip lunch for a month and actually stuck to your decision. You may save your lunch money, lose a few pounds, develop sympathy for the poor, and give your digestive system a much-needed rest. More importantly, you will strengthen your willpower. The reason this works is that you teach yourself to avoid lunch even when you know you could have it if you decide. Your stomach may growl, but you won't listen. Thus you train yourself to ignore the calling of your lower physical self and reach for the higher goals of real human achievement. Doing the right thing even when your desires are calling for something else.

Every year, for one month, able Muslims go through a similar fasting exercise. They observe the fast as a compulsory practice which Allah prescribed in His revealed messages, especially in the final revealed book. One of the many benefits they experience from fasting is its training aspect. The willpower they develop in that one month helps them to continue doing the right thing and avoiding the wrong throughout the year. They find the fast such an effective method of spiritual training and of achieving closeness with their creator that many Muslims also keep some additional, optional fasts on other days of the year.

So how can you train your will power? When you have to control yourself, there is less willpower available to you for other parts of your life. This fact is a good one to know because people who lose their will-power often do things that they would rather not. They become aggressive and give up too early.Scientifically your self-control is at lowest point when you are mentally exhausted. So, what lessons can we learn from what the science is telling us? How can we be in more and better control of ourselves more often?

Below are 3 tips to help you.

1. Anticipate and plan for your times of low self-control. Now that you know that self-control is a limited resource and that depleting it means less for later, you can do some anticipating and planning. For example, make sure that you are not food shopping after a long day at work, don’t start on an important task after a frustrating journey.

2. Exercise your willpower muscle to get more of it. Research confirms that willpower is like a muscle. Exercising a muscle in the short-term leads to its exhaustion, in the long-term, though, exercising a muscle causes it to grow. In fact, there is some good evidence that exercising your willpower, though temporarily depleting, means that it will be stronger in the long run. So, push yourself. Things to do that will deplete your willpower:

• Work on a tough to solve puzzle;
• Watch a funny movie but resist the urge to laugh;
• Watch a sad movie but resist the urge to cry.

3. Drink some orange juice. It turns out that glucose is one of the key ingredients that your brain needs for effective self-control. Willpower. It’s not just for breakfast anymore! And the extra vitamin C is always good.

InshaAllah these tips will help you to have more control over your will power, but remember that Islam also trains us to have will power and when we remember the things we can do then inshaAllah you know that you can increase your will power capacity and make more time for balance.

Remember that the path to managing willpower is hard. nothing will lead to you your goal and paradise without hardship. In a Hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim by Abu Huraira radia-Allahu'anhu the Messenger of Allah sallallaahualayhi wa sallam said 'Hell has been veiled with desires and paradise has been veiled with hardships.' Imam Nawai commented on this saying it means that nothing will help you to reach paradise except going through hardships, and nothing will lead you to hell but whims and desires. Hardship includes striving consistently and patiently in worship, restraining ones anger, forgiving, being patient, giving in charity, being kind to those who mistreat you, resisting physical desires etc.

In many ways controlling your will power is part of being a Muslim and the 3 tips will help you get on your way!

source : making YOUR willpower work for you

[ 23 : 1-11 ]

Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahimm..

1. Sesungguhnya berjayalah orang-orang yang beriman.
2. Iaitu mereka yang khusyuk dalam sembahyangnya.
3. Dan mereka yang menjauhkan diri dari perbuatan dan perkataan yang sia-sia.
4. Dan mereka yang berusaha membersihkan hartanya (dengan menunaikan zakat harta itu).
5. Dan mereka yang menjaga kehormatannya.
6. Kecuali kepada isterinya atau hamba sahayanya, maka sesungguhnya mereka tidak tercela.
7. Kemudian, sesiapa yang mengingini selain dari yang demikian, maka merekalah orang-orang yang melampaui batas.
8. Dan mereka yang menjaga amanah dan janjinya.
9. Dan mereka yang tetap memelihara sembahyangnya.
10. Mereka itulah orang-orang yang berhak mewarisi.
11. Yang akan mewarisi Syurga Firdaus; mereka kekal di dalamnya.

[al-mukminuun : 1-11]

kisah penjual tempe

Ada sebuah kampung di pedalaman Tanah Jawa. Di situ ada seorang perempuan tua yang sangat kuat beribadat. Pekerjaannya ialah membuat tempe dan menjualnya di pasar setiap hari. Ia merupakan satu-satunya sumber pendapatannya untuk menyara hidup. Tempe yang dijualnya merupakan tempe yang dibuatnya sendiri.

Pada suatu pagi, seperti biasa, ketika beliau sedang bersiap-siap untuk pergi menjual tempenya, tiba-tiba dia tersedar yang tempenya yang diperbuat daripada kacang soya hari itu masih belum menjadi, separuh jadi. Kebiasaannya tempe beliau telah masak sebelum bertolak. Diperiksanya beberapa bungkusan yang lain. Ternyatalah kesemuanya belum masak lagi.

Perempuan tua itu berasa amat sedih sebab tempe yang masih belum menjadi pastinya tidak akan laku dan tiadalah rezekinya pada hari itu. Dalam suasana hatinya yang sedih, dia yang memang kuat beribadah teringat akan firman Allah yang menyatakan bahawa Allah dapat melakukan perkara-perkara ajaib, bahawa bagiNya tiada yang mustahil. Lalu dia pun mengangkat kedua tangannya sambil berdoa, "Ya Allah , aku memohon kepadaMu agar kacang soya ini menjadi tempe. Amin."

Begitulah doa ringkas yang dipanjatkan dengan sepenuh hatinya. Dia sangat yakin bahawa Allah pasti mengabulkan doanya. Dengan tenang perempuan tua itu menekan-nekan bungkusan bakal tempe dengan hujung jarinya dan dia pun membuka sikit bungkusan itu untuk menyaksikan keajaiban kacang soya itu menjadi tempe.

Namun, dia termenung seketika sebab kacang tu masih tetap kacang soya. Namun dia tidak putus asa, sebaliknya berfikir mungkin doanya kurang jelas didengar oleh Allah. Maka dia pun mengangkat kedua tangannya semula dan berdoa lagi. "Ya Allah, aku tahu bahawa tiada yang mustahil bagiMu. Bantu lah aku supaya hari ini aku dapat menjual tempe kerana inilah mata pencarianku. Aku mohon agar jadikanlah kacang soyaku ini kepada tempe, Amin".

Dengan penuh harapan dan debaran dia pun sekali lagi membuka sedikit bungkusan tu. Apakah yang terjadi? Dia termangu dan hairan apabila tempenya masih tetap begitu!! Sementara itu hari pun semakin meninggi sudah tentu pasar sudah mula didatangi ramai orang. Dia tetap tidak kecewa atas doanya yang belum terkabul. Walaubagaimanapun kerana keyakinannya yang sangat tinggi dia bercadang untuk tetap pergi ke pasar membawa barang jualannya itu. Perempuan tua itu pun berserah pada Tuhan dan meneruskan pemergian ke pasar sambil berdoa dengan harapan apabila sampai di pasar kesemua tempenya akan masak.

Dia berfikir mungkin keajaiban Allah akan terjadi semasa perjalanannya ke pasar. Sebelum keluar dari rumah, dia sempat mengangkat kedua tangannya untuk berdoa. "Ya Allah, aku percaya, Engkau akan mengabulkan doaku. Sementara aku berjalan menuju ke pasar, Engkau kurniakanlah keajaiban ini buatku, jadikanlah tempe ini. Amin". Lalu dia pun berangkat. Di sepanjang perjalanan dia tetap tidak lupa membaca doa di dalam hatinya. Sesampai sahaja di pasar, segera dia meletakkan barang-barangnya. Hatinya betul-betul yakin yang tempenya sekarang mesti sudah menjadi. Dengan hati yg berdebar-debar dia pun membuka bakulnya dan menekan-nekan dengan jarinya setiap bungkusan tempe yang ada.

Perlahan-lahan dia membuka sedikit daun pembungkusnya dan melihat isinya. Apa yang terjadi? Tempenya masih belum menjadi!! Dia pun kaget seketika lalu menarik nafas dalam-dalam. Dalam hatinya sudah mula merasa sedikit kecewa dan putus asa kepada Allah kerana doanya tidak dikabulkan. Dia berasakan Tuhan tidak adil. Tuhan tidak kasihan padanya, inilah satu-satunya punca rezekinya, hasil jualan tempe. Dia akhirnya cuma duduk sahaja tanpa mempamerkan barang jualannya sebab dia berasakan bahawa tiada orang yang akan membeli tempe yang baru separuh menjadi. Sementara itu hari pun semakin petang dan pasar sudah mulai sepi, para pembeli sudah mula kurang.

Dia meninjau-ninjau kawan-kawan sesama penjual tempe, tempe mereka sudah hampir habis. Dia tertunduk lesu seperti tidak sanggup menghadapi kenyataan bahawa hari ini tiada hasil jualan yang boleh dibawa pulang. Namun jauh di sudut hatinya masih menaruh harapan terakhir kepada Allah, pasti Allah akan menolongnya. Walaupun dia tahu bahawa pada hari itu dia tidak akan dapat pendapatan langsung, namun dia tetap berdoa buat kali terakhir, "Ya Allah,berikanlah penyelesaian terbaik terhadap tempeku yang belum menjadi ini."

Tiba-tiba dia dikejutkan dengan teguran seorang wanita.

"Maaf ya, saya ingin bertanya, Makcik ada tak menjual tempe yang belum menjadi? Dari tadi saya sudah pusing keliling pasar ini untuk mencarinya tapi masih belum berjumpa lagi." Dia termenung dan terpinga-pinga seketika. Hatinya terkejut sebab sejak berpuluh tahun menjual tempe, tidak pernah seorang pun pelanggannya mencari tempe yang belum menjadi.

Sebelum dia menjawab sapaan wanita di depannya itu, cepat-cepat dia berdoa di dalam hatinya, "Ya Allah, saat ini aku tidak mahu tempe ini menjadi lagi. Biarlah tempe ini seperti semula, Amin". Sebelum dia menjawab pertanyaan wanita itu, dia membuka sedikit daun penutup tempenya. Alangkah seronoknya dia, ternyata memang benar tempenya masih belum menjadi! Dia pun rasa gembira dalam hatinya dan bersyukur pada Allah. Wanita itu pun memborong habis kesemua tempenya yang belum menjadi itu. Sebelum wanita tu pergi, dia sempat bertanya wanita itu, "Mengapa hendak membeli tempe yang belum jadi?" Wanita itu menerangkan bahawa anaknya yang kini berada di England teringin makan tempe dari desa. Memandangkan tempe itu akan dikirimkan ke England, si ibu tadi kenalah membeli tempe yang belum jadi lagi supaya apabila sampai di England nanti akan menjadi tempe yang sempurna. Kalau dikirimkan tempe yang sudah menjadi, nanti di sana tempe itu sudah tidak elok lagi dan rasanya pun kurang sedap.

Perempuan tua itu pun kehairanan dan berfikir rupa-rupanya doanya sudah pun dimakbulkan oleh Tuhan...

fazakkir

batu kecil

Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiim..

Seorang pekerja projek bangunan memanjat ke atas tembok yang sangat tinggi. Pada suatu saat, dia harus menyampaikan pesanan penting kepada teman kerjanya yang berada di bawah. Pekerja itu berteriak-teriak, tetapi temannya tidak mendengar teriakannya disebabkan oleh suara bising daripada mesin-mesin dan orang yang bekerja, sehingga menjadikan usahanya itu hanyalah sia-sia.

Untuk menarik perhatian orang yang ada di bawahnya, dia cuba melemparkan wang syiling ke hadapan temannya. Temannya berhenti bekerja, mengambil wang itu lalu bekerja kembali. Pekerja itu mencuba lagi, tetapi usahanya yang kedua pun memperoleh hasil yang sama. Tiba-tiba dia mendapat idea. Dia mengambil batu kecil lalu dilemparkan ke arah temannya itu. Batu itu tepat mengena kepala temannya. Kerana merasa sakit, temannya menengadah ke atas. Dan sekarang, pekerja itu dapat menjatuhkan catatan yang berisi pesanan kepada temannya itu.

-------------------------------------------

Allah kadang-kadang menggunakan cubaan-cubaan ringan untuk membuat kita menengadah kepadaNya. Seringkali Allah melimpahi kita dengan rahmat, tetapi itu tidak cukup untuk membuat kita menengadah kepadaNya. Kerana itu, agar kita selalu ingat padaNya, Allah sering menjatuhkan "batu kecil" kepada kita.

3 levels of people

Assalamu'alaikum w.b.t.

As we’re approaching mid-Ramadan, we need to assess ourselves from every level and see how well we’ve done. Usually people can be divided into 3 categories around this time:

Category 1:

Those who started well and continue to do well. These are the power starters and those who push themselves each and every day to make the most of Ramadan.

Category 2:

Those who started well but slowly losing control. These are the people who had an amazing strong start, but soon they relaxed and next thing they know their schedules have gone hay-wire.

Category 3:

Those who had a bad start and they are not sure what they can do to get back up.

For those in Category 1, I say to them, may Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) keep you steadfast. Keep up the good work and never ever let go!

For those in Category 2, don’t panic! Assess what needs to change in your life so you can get back on track, and set yourself a target to do better in the next 10 days.

For those in Category 3, TODAY you must change! Get up now, make wudu, pray 2 rak’ah to Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) and ask Him to help you make the most of Ramadan. Trust me, if you continue as you are, come end of Ramadan and you’ll regret it, and by that time, it’ll be too late and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.

from : productive ramadhan

"may we have a better Ramadhan, this year!"

2 : 286

Allah tidak memberati seseorang melainkan apa yang terdaya olehnya. Dia mendapat pahala kebaikan yang juga diusahakannya, dan dia juga menanggung dosa kejahatan yang diusahakannya. (Mereka berdoa dengan berkata): "Wahai Tuhan kami, janganlah Engkau membebankan kepada kami bebanan yang berat sebagaimana yang telah Engkau bebankan kepada orang-orang yang terdahulu kepada kami. Wahai Tuhan kami, janganlah Engkau pikulkan kepada kami apa yang kami tidak terdaya memikulnya. Dan maafkanlah kesalahan kami, serta ampunlah kesalahan kami, dan berilah rahmat kepada kami. Engkaulah penolong kami; oleh itu, tolonglah kami untuk mencapai kemenangan terhadap kaum-kaum yang kafir".

--------------------------------------------------

Sayyidina Ali bin Abu Talib berkata : Sesungguhnya amalan yang paling susah dilakukan adalah 4 perkara:

1-Memberi kemaafan ketika sedang marah.

2-Bersifat dermawan ketika susah.

3-Meninggalkan perkara haram ketika sendirian.

4-Mengatakan kebenaran kepada orang yang ditakuti.

ubat hati

by : opick

life and test

Life is a series of test.

When you were born, you have entered the examination hall.

The first breath you took, was the the first test that you have passed.

Then there's the eating test, sleeping test, crying test, crawling test and etc etc.

However, since all of that are just Toddler's Test, which requires no use of judgement, so the Examiner did not write down all your marks. It is just a pass or fail test.

Now that you are older, or maybe more mature (sudah mencapai akil baligh), the examination is getting tougher. Yes, what do you expect? Only immature people will say that UPSR is a lot tougher than SPM.

Since the harder test requires the use of judgments, all your answers will be judged by the examiner. But not now, for the test is still far from over. You are still inside the examination hall. Still attempting to solve the questions. You still have time to make ammenmends to your answers.

Don't be fooled that all your answers are not recorded. Don't be fooled that all your actions are not being invigilated. Don't be a fool to fail the test even before it is ended. Don't be a fool. There's a lot of foolish people inside the examination hall, but please do not follow them, please do not be one of them.

Now that you are still in the middle of test, please continue answering the exam questions. And good luck, may the Examiner be with you, as He is the Most Compassion, the Most Merciful.

Alaalalalala life is...........???

[i got this from kak sri]

ikhlas yang tertindas?

ingin saya kongsikan di sini satu kisah yang saya terima lewat e-mail baru-baru ini daripada seorang sahabat.

--------------------------------------------------------

Jika kita memberi kebaikan kepada seseorang, kebaikan itu akan dibalas walaupun yang membalasnya bukan orang yang kita berikan kebaikan itu. Hakikat ini mengingatkan saya kepada satu perbualan yang berlaku sewaktu saya mengendalikan program latihan beberapa tahun lalu di sebuah organisasi.

“Saya tidak mempunyai apa-apa harapan lagi pada organisasi ini,” kata seorang kakak berterus-terang.

“Mengapa?” balas saya.

“Organisasi ini dipenuhi oleh kaki bodek dan kaki ampu. Saya terseksa bekerja secara ikhlas di sini. Tidak pernah dihargai, tidak ada ganjaran yang wajar. Saya bukannya orang yang bermuka-muka. Tak pandai saya nak ampu-ampu orang atas, fokus saya kepada kerja sahaja.”

Kakak itu sebenarnya adalah peserta program yang paling senior. Telah berpuluh tahun bekerja dalam organisasi tersebut. Itu adalah kali terakhir dia mengikuti program latihan. Enam bulan lagi dia akan bersara. Kesempatan yang diberikan kepadanya dalam sesi memperkenalkan diri itu telah digunakannya sepenuhnya untuk meluahkan rasa kecewa dan marahnya sepanjang berkhidmat di situ. Sungguh, dia kecewa sekali. Siapa tidak marah, jika bekerja secara ikhlas dan gigih tetapi tidak pernah dinaikkan pangkat atau mendapat kenaikan gaji?

Sewaktu rehat, sambil minum-minum dan berbual santai saya bertanya kepadanya, “kakak punya berapa orang anak?”

Sengaja saya bertanya soal-soal “di luar kotak” agar ketegangan dalam sesi sebelumnya dapat diredakan.

“Oh ramai encik…”

“Bagaimana dengan anak-anak kakak?”

Wah, saya lihat dia begitu ceria apabila mula menceritakan tentang anak-anaknya. Boleh dikatakan semua anak-anaknya berjaya dalam profesion masing-masing. Ada yang menjadi doktor, jurutera, pensyarah dan sebagainya. Malah seorang anaknya telah menjadi hafiz.

“Kakak, boleh saya bertanya?”

“Tanyalah encik…” ujar kakak itu sambil tersenyum. Mendung di wajahnya sudah berlalu. Dia begitu teruja bila bercerita tentang anak-anaknya. Memang, semua anak-anaknya menjadi.

“Jika kakak diberi pilihan, antara anak-anak yang “menjadi” dengan naik gaji, mana yang kakak pilih?”

Belum sempat dia menjawab, saya bertanya lagi, “antara kakak naik pangkat dengan anak-anak berjaya dalam karier mereka, mana yang kakak pilih?”

Dengan cepat kakak itu menjawab, “Hati ibu encik… tentulah saya pilih anak-anak saya menjadi walaupun tidak naik gaji atau dapat pangkat. Anak-anak adalah harta kita yang paling berharga!”

Saya tersenyum. Hati ibu, begitulah semestinya.

“Kakak, sebenarnya keikhlasan dan kegigihan kakak bekerja dalam organisasi ini telah mendapat ganjaran…” kata saya perlahan. Hampir berbisik.

“Maksud encik?”

“Allah telah membalas dengan ganjaran yang lebih baik dan lebih kakak lebih sukai. Bila kakak ikhlas bekerja dalam organisasi ini, Allah berikan kepada kakak anak-anak yang menjadi.”

“Tidak pernah saya terfikir begitu encik…”

“Allah Maha Berkuasa. Ada kalanya takdir dan perbuatan-Nya terlalu misteri dan rahsia untuk dijangkau oleh pemikiran kita. Tetapi yakinlah what you give, you get back. Itu hukum sunatullah dalam hubungan sesama manusia. Kebaikan yang kita buat akan kembali kepada kita. Yakinlah.”

“Walaupun bukan daripada seseorang atau sesuatu pihak yang kita berikan kebaikan itu?”

“Maksud kakak?”

“Macam ni, saya buat kebaikan kepada organisasi tempat saya bekerja, tapi Allah berikan kebaikan kepada keluarga. Pembalasan Allah bukan di tempat saya bekerja, sebaliknya diberikan dalam keluarga saya. Begitukah encik?”

“Itulah yang saya katakan tadi, takdir Allah kekadang terlalu misteri. Tetapi ketetapannya mutlak dan muktamad, siapa yang memberi kebaikan akan dibalas dengan kebaikan. Dalam istilah biasa itu dipanggil golden rule!”

Kakak itu termenung. Mungkin memikirkan pertalian dan kaitan antara apa yang berlaku dalam organisasi dengan familinya.

“Metafora atau analoginya begini. Katalah kita sedang memandu di satu jalan yang mempunyai dua atau tiga lorong. Penuh sesak. Tiba-tiba sebuah kereta yang tersalah lorong di sebelah memberi isyarat untuk masuk ke lorong kita. Kerana simpati melihat dia terkial-kial memberi isyarat, kita pun beralah, lalu memberi laluan untuk kereta itu masuk di hadapan kita…”

Saya berhenti seketika mengambil nafas sambil mencari reaksi. Saya lihat kakak itu mendengar penuh minat. Dia meneliti metafora yang saya sampaikan dengan begitu teliti.

“Kemudian kita terus memandu ke hadapan. Mungkin sejam kemudian atau setelah berpuluh-puluh kilometer, tiba-tiba kita pula yang tersalah lorong. Kita pula yang memberi lampu isyarat untuk masuk ke lorong sebelah. Soalnya logikkah kalau kita mengharapkan kereta yang kita bantu sebelumnya memberi laluan untuk kita?”

Kakak itu tersenyum dan berkata, “Tak logik encik. Kereta yang kita bantu tadi entah ke mana perginya.”

“Tapi ada tak kereta lain yang simpati dan memberi laluan untuk kita?’

“Pasti ada! Insya-Allah.”

“Ya, begitulah. Padahal kereta itu tidak pernah sekali pun kita tolong. Tetapi Allahlah yang menggerakkan hati pemandunya untuk memberi laluan kepada kita. Orang yang kita beri kebaikan, tidak ada di situ untuk membalas kebaikan kita… Tetapi Allah menggerakkan hati orang lain, yang tidak pernah merasa kebaikan kita untuk membalas kebaikan kita tadi.”

“Subhanallah!”

“Begitu dalam litar di jalan raya dan begitu jualah litar dalam kehidupan manusia. Kita buat baik kepada A, tetapi kerap kali bukan A yang membalas kebaikan kita tetapi B atau C atau D atau lain-lainnya yang membalasnya. Inilah hakikat yang berlaku dalam kehidupan ini.”

“Kita tidak boleh kecewa bila keikhlasan kita dipersiakan?” tanya kakak itu lagi. Lebih kepada satu respons minta diiyakan.

“Kakak, ikhlas sebenar tidak pinta dibalas. Tetapi Allah Maha Kaya dan Maha Pengasih, siapa yang ikhlas akan diberi ganjaran walaupun mereka tidak memintanya kerana setiap kebaikan itu akan dikembalikan kepada orang yang melakukannya. Ia umpama bola yang dibaling ke dinding, akan melantun semula kepada pembalingnya!”

“Selalunya saya dengar, orang ikhlas akan dibalas di akhirat.”

“Itulah balasan yang lebih baik dan kekal. Tetapi saya katakan tadi, Allah Maha kaya, Allah mahu dan mampu membalas keikhlasan hamba-Nya di dunia lagi.”

“Maksud encik?”

“Orang yang ikhlas akan diberi ketenangan dan kebahagiaan dalam hidup. Anak-anak yang soleh dan solehah. Isteri yang taat atau suami yang setia. Dan paling penting… hati yang sejahtera. Inilah kekayaan dan kelebihan yang lebih utama daripada pangkat, gaji dan jawatan.”

“Jadi orang ikhlas akan terus ditindas, tidak dapat kenaikan pangkat atau gaji? Bukan apa, saya terfikir kenapa nasib kaki ampu dan kaki bodek lebih baik dalam organisasi. Mereka dapat naik pangkat!” Giliran saya pula tersenyum.

“Tidak ada kebaikan yang akan kita dapat melalui jalan yang salah. Percayalah, kalau benar mereka kaki ampu dan bodek sahaja… pangkat yang mereka dapat akan menyebabkan mereka melarat. Gaji naik, tetapi ketenangan hati menurun. Ingat apa yang saya kata tadi, what you give you get back… Golden rule itu bukan untuk kebaikan sahaja, tetapi untuk kejahatan juga. Kalau kita berikan kejahatan, kejahatan itu akan kembali semula kepada kita. Kaki ampu, mungkin akan dapat anak yang pandai bermuka-muka. Kaki bodek mungkin dibalas dengan isteri yang berpura-pura!” terang saya panjang lebar.

“Jadi apa yang harus saya lakukan dengan baki masa perkhidmatan yang tinggal tidak beberapa bulan lagi ni?”

“Bekerjalah dengan gigih. Walaupun mungkin bos tidak melihatnya, tetapi Allah Maha Melihat. Bekerja itu satu ibadah. God is our CEO, kata orang sekarang. Insya-Allah, satu hari nanti manusia juga akan diperlihatkan oleh Allah tentang keikhlasan manusia yang lain. Jangan berhenti memberi kebaikan hanya kerana tidak dapat penghargaan…”

“Maksud encik?” “Jangan mengharap terima kasih daripada manusia atas kebaikan yang kita buat kepadanya.”

“Kenapa?”

“Kita akan sakit jiwa!”

“Kenapa?”

“Kerana umumnya manusia tidak pandai berterima kasih. Lihatlah, kalau kepada Allah yang Maha Memberi pun manusia tidak pandai bersyukur dan berterima kasih, apalagi kepada manusia yang pemberiannya terbatas dan berkala. Sedikit sekali daripada manusia yang bersyukur,” balas saya mengulangi apa yang maktub dalam Al Quran.

“Tetapi Allah tidak berhenti memberi… “ kata kakak itu perlahan.

“Walaupun manusia tidak berterima kasih kepada-Nya. Sekalipun kepada yang derhaka dan kafir, tetapi Allah terus memberi… Justeru siapa kita yang tergamak berhenti memberi hanya kerana tidak mendapat penghargaan dan ucapan terima kasih?”

“Ah, kita terlalu ego…”

Dan itulah kesimpulan perbualan yang saya kira sangat bermakna dan besar impaknya dalam hidup saya.

selamat hari guru

Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiim..

Seorang guru tua

Guruku yang baik

Masih lagi mengajar

Sedang aku kini sudah besar

Dulu wajahnya muda

Kini rambut memutih kepala

Ada anak-anak muridya

Kini memegang jawatan tinggi

Tidak kurang pula

Bergelar usahawan berjaya

Guruku yang baik

Masih di situ

Masih menuju ke sekolah yang sama

Tiada kelihatan jemu

Dari air mukanya

Tiada kedengaran bosan

Dari suaranya

Dia gigih menggenggam

Tanggungjawab yang di amanahkan

Seorang guru tua

Dia masih di situ

Berdiri sebagai guru

Menabur jasa-jasa

Dialah pendidik bangsa!

-Gunawan Mahmood- DBP

di salin semula dari ‘sehijau warna daun’

KOMSAS tingkatan 1…

guru pembina negara bangsa

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

selamat hari guru buat semua guru yang pernah mengajar saya:

• tadika tengku anis 1992
• SKG1, (sekarang dah jadi SKG) 1993-1998
• maahad muhammadi (perempuan) pasir pekan 1999-2003
• maahad muhammadi perempuan kota bharu 2003-2004
• SMU (A) meheliah geting 2005
• kolej mara kulim 2005-2006
• UiTM shah alam, julai 2006
• kolej teknologi pulau (island college of technology) 2006-2010
• usm 2006-2010

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

tak dilupa buat ummi dan abi yang menjadi guru pertama saya hinggalah kini. terima kasih semuanya!

think about it

Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiim..

Waspadalah terhadap sikap tidak berterima kasih. Sebelum engkau melihat duri dalam bunga, perhatikan dahulu keindahannya. Sebelum engkau mengeluh teriknya sinar matahari, nikmatilah cahaya indahnya. Sebelum engkau menyesali gelapnya malam, ingatlah dahulu keteduhan dan ketenangannya. Jadi, mengapa harus ada pandangan-pandangan penyesalan terhadap segala sesuatu? Kenapa kenikmatan harus berubah dan menyimpang dari jalurnya?

[menjadi wanita paling bahagia, oleh Dr. 'Aidh bin Abdullah Al-Qarni]