Al-Fath 48:1-9

The Real Victory

Tadabbur the 1st Page of Al-Fath and Private Murottal Lesson

NY - Monday, August 10, 2020 - Al-Fath 48:1-9 , The Real Victory

Actually after Maghrib prayer today, I asked Allah about something and I said to Him that I know He is listening to me, but I need some answers. Then I remember Nouman Ali Khan mentions in one of his sharing, that is if you want Allah to talk to you personally, read the Quran, study the Quran. (link to the video  - Click Here). This video here is one of my favourites that I definitely shed some tears listening to even after so many times, love it so much.

So, I open the Quran with the intention of getting His answer, but I just don't know which page I should be reading. Then after some time, my eyes caught surah al-Fath. Since it is the name of one of my dear friends, so I decided to recite the 1st page,  followed by reading the page's translation in Malay like I always do, page by page.

After reciting the first page of Surah al-Fath, when I started to read the Malay translation of the first verse of the Surah, I was stopped. 

Allah mentions, 

Sesungguhnya Kami telah membuka bagi perjuanganmu satu jalan kemenangan yang jelas nyata | 48:1

 In the second verse, He mentioned,

Kemenangan yang dengan sebabnya Allah mengampunkan salah dan silapmu yang telah lalu dan yang terkemudian, dan menyempurnakan nikmatNya kepadamu, serta menambahkanmu hidayah ke jalan yang lurus | 48:2

In the third verse, I just couldn't hold my tears anymore when He said,

Dan dengan sebabnya Allah memberikanmu pertolongan (untuk mencapai kejayaan) dengan sepenuh-penuh dan sehandal-handal pertolongan (yang tidak ada bandingannya) | 48:3

And it continues until the 9th verse, which is the last ayaat on the 1st page of Surah al-Fath.

......It was just unutterable, reading and pondering about these ayaats. I had mixed feelings, I felt a huge relief, with an indescribable kind of happiness and contentedness knowing that He answers me that fast. I knew, and I believe that He sympathize me more than any other person can do when I asked Him earlier after the solah.

For Him to tell me that this struggle I am in is the path to victory, and with it, He forgave my sins, not just from the past, but also the future ='( I was totally touched by His love, truly ar-Rahman, ar-Rahim.

And He mentions that I do not have to worry that He is indeed helping me with the best of help which is incomparable to any other kind of help that I can ever receive.

So I continue to digest the following verse until the 9th, and no words can describe how I was touched by His words of encouragement tonight, it is indeed, an Amazing Day for me. ='(

Usually after this kind of enlightenment. I will resort to listening to my fave song "Amazing Day-Coldplay" as the song is forever the kind of religious song (my opinion) that reminds me of Him, while staring at His sky, smiling. He knows how much I love His sky and the creations behind it, which always make me ponder so much! =D

p/s: Gonna start with murottal class soon so I can recite AQ just like my favorite qori, Salim Bahanan. hehe..

Don't be sad

When You Are Just An Option..

NY - Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - Don't be sad

Sometimes when I feel sad, I ask Allah why some people do things the exact opposite of what they think they stand up for.

Why it is so hard for them to at least apologies for what they have done or what they have to choose to believe in their life. 

and then I heard my heart whispers, let people do what they think is correct to them. Let people be satisfied with their choice. If you believe that you are being oppressed, put all your hopes in Him, Allah is with those who have patience, and He shall do just to you just like what He has promised in His book.

Allah will never treat you like an option. In fact, Allah understands you like no one can ever understand you. And He sympathizes with you the way that no one can ever sympathize with you. And it's ok to be sad, just read about the story of our Prophet Yaakub a.s. He was saddened for years when he lost his child. And when his other son complains about his sadness, Nabi Yaakub said I am only crying to Allah, and not to you. 

This reminds me of one of the verses in the AQ, that the things that you chased after in this Dunya, they blossom a little bit, and then it fades away. Just like when you see a gardener or a farmer. He feels so thankful when there is rain. Then he sees the plants start growing up, little by little. Until the garden is filled up with flowers and greenery which are soothing to the eyes and make him feel happy. Then after some time, the flowers wither little by little. until what is left is only dry leaf and branches on the ground. That is what life in the Dunya is supposed to be. It is nothing but temporary joy and happiness. Nothing will last forever.

“Demi masa. Sesungguhnya manusia itu benar-benar berada dalam kerugian..

Yet most of use are being carried away pursuing fake happiness. But they will never fill their happy meters to the maximum all of the time because it will not last. Diverting their attention from the remembrance of Allah due to thinking too much about wealth, the future and their children.

So, it is ok to be sad. As Allah does not deny the beauty of that emotion flowing through His servant's heart. Indeed, Inallaha Ma'ana.

Al-Hadid 57:20

What is Life Looks Like in the Duniya

What is Life in the Duniya Looks Like - Allah SWT Summarized in Just One Ayaat

NY - Monday, August 3, 2020 - Al-Hadid 57:20 , What is Life Looks Like in the Duniya

Al Hadid (57:20)

Honestly, I have encountered this ayat or the ones similar multiple times in the Quran. Yet I never really had dedicated the time and effort to ponder this verse in depth. However, last week I had a chance to do it when I listened to Nouman Ali Khan's sharing. It was quite mind-blowing, and I think I should jot it down in this blog so I can recall it back again someday when I feel like reading.

Ketahuilah bahawa (yang dikatakan) kehidupan dunia itu tidak lain hanyalah (bawaan hidup yang berupa semata-mata) permainan dan hiburan (yang melalaikan) serta perhiasan (yang mengurang), juga (bawaan hidup yang bertujuan) bermegah-megah di antara kamu (dengan kelebihan, kekuatan, dan bangsa keturunan) serta berlumba-lumba membanyakkan harta benda dan anak pinak; (semuanya itu terhad waktunya) samalah seperti hujan yang (menumbuhkan tanaman yang menghijau subur) menjadikan penanamnya suka dan tertarik hati kepada kesuburannya, kemudian tanaman itu bergerak segar (ke suatu masa yang tertentu), selepas itu engkau melihatnya berupa kuning; akhirnya ia menjadi hancur bersepai; dan (hendaklah diketahui lagi, bahawa) di akhirat ada azab yang berat (di sediakan bagi golongan yang hanya mengutamakan kehidupan dunia itu), dan (ada pula) keampunan besar serta keredaan dari Allah (disediakan bagi orang-orang yang mengutamakan akhirat). Dan (ingatlah, bahawa) kehidupan dunia ini tidak lain hanyalah kesenangan bagi orang-orang yang terpedaya.

So, let me divide this single ayat into three parts.  The first one....

Ketahuilah bahawa (yang dikatakan) kehidupan dunia itu tidak lain hanyalah (bawaan hidup yang berupa semata-mata) permainan dan hiburan (yang melalaikan) serta perhiasan (yang mengurang), juga (bawaan hidup yang bertujuan) bermegah-megah di antara kamu (dengan kelebihan, kekuatan, dan bangsa keturunan) serta berlumba-lumba membanyakkan harta benda dan anak pinak;

The three main words that Allah mentions in the sequence are..

Life in this world is nothing but play, amusement (entertainment) and decoration. Did you notice that the sequence of these words is related to humans' behaviour, growing up from just a child, then becoming a teenager and lastly as an adult?

Play - if you have a child, you will definitely notice how much your kid loves to play. I'm not a parent myself but from my observation, the toys/books that the parents bought will only catch their interest for only a short period of time. At first, when they want you to buy it for them, they were like desperately in need of the toy, but once they own it, you will find the toy or the book everywhere around the house. They lose interest. And the next time you went out with them shopping, they will ask again for a new toy, feeling all excited and the same thing happens again. Kids seek happiness through playing, and they just can't feel satisfied with just one new toy. Happiness needs to be refilled again.

Amusement (Entertainment) - if you have a teenage sister or brother, try to observe their interest and behaviour. What are their tendencies in everyday life? Netflix? Endless Korean dramas and movies, gameshow and 24 hours of music? Well all of us have gone through teenage period right. When I was a teenager, I can say that my passion at that time was seeking something that is entertaining. A simple example, I am excited when my favourite movie is out in the cinema. But one thing I noticed, I just never get enough of them all.

I am seeking happiness through watching movies, I did feel happy, but sometimes disappointed with the outcomes. But even when I felt happy, I was always looking forward to the next one, probably to fill up my happiness level, from time to time. The same goes to the people who are watching countless dramas. After they had finished 1 drama, even when they feel happy and satisfied, they will move to another one, and the seek for happiness from watching dramas will never stop. As humans, we will never be satisfied.

Decoration - As an adult, probably the simplest example for men is owning a motorbike or a car. For those who buy a new car, the latest design. They felt proud of owning one. But after a few years when the new facelifted version is out on the market. They feel like the one that they own looks so ugly and is lacking something.  Or perhaps the women never get satisfied with just one handbag, furniture and etc.

I can say that even as an adult, what we want in this life is just the same with what the kids want. We all just want to be happy, by not knowing that happiness is not something we can earn, but is gifted from Him. And the point is, whatever that we do to fill the need to be happy, the happiness that we seek can never fill us up. We need to constantly refill it. That is why Allah mentions that what we have been seeking is just a false type of happiness. Because we constantly seek for new happiness as if the one that we just got is not the one that can fill us up.

And this story reminds of something familiar,

Dunia ini adalah perhiasan, dan sebaik-baik perhiasan adalah wanita yang sholehah" (H.R. Muslim)

For a woman to be considered as a decoration in this world, it also means for a man to lose the excitement of knowing a woman in his life after some time they were together. Whether they are husband and wife or not, perhaps the love is still there, but the excitement when you first get to know a new person in your life, you can never maintain it the whole time. It is not because men are bad people. It is because Allah already mentions to us that this is what the world looks like and feels like. Even as a woman, after several relationships, I also noticed how the excitement faded away from time to time. Even when I love that person wholeheartedly....

3 Aug 2020 / 3: 52am


.. to be continued (Part 2)