Rejab : the month of Solat

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim



Alhamdulillah, Allah grant me more time to be able to enter Rejab, which is the seventh month of Islamic Calendar (Hijrah, based on lunar calendar). Alhamdulillah, this is one of the holy months and contains a lot of historical and spiritual values which I as a person who live in Islam way of life should know by heart. These events include:

1. The first migration from Makkah to Habsyah (Ethiopia)
2. The Isra' and Mi'raj
3. The war of Tabuk
4. Liberation of Baitul Maqdis
5. Imam as-Shafie was born.
   

I would like to focus on the second point, Isra' Mi'raj. Why is it important? Well, it is part of the faith of a Muslim, i.e. part of Iman. Isra' Mi'raj was a test of faith to everybody who believes in Islam. Is it possible for a person 1400 years ago, to travel from Makkah to Masjidil Aqsa in Palestine, went up to the seventh layer of sky to heaven, met a few prophets of the past, met directly with Allah, and went back to Makkah in that same night? Logically, people would say it is nonsence and impossible to do so. That made people in Makkah at the time of Nabi Muhammad SAW to mock him, saying he was crazy and a big liar. Alhamdulillah, Saidina Abu Bakr As-Siddiq trusted him without any question and if I was in Abu Bakr's place, would I be able to do the same thing? A question I should ask myself.

Anyway, when it comes to Isra' Mi'raj, people normally will focus on the historical journey as I mentioned above. Do we really take the jist of the event? As example, when people say Rejab as the month of Isra' Mi'raj, does it really touch our heart? Unless we really understand, think and reflect about the event, can it be a trigger to change ourselves to be a better person? I am astonished with the step taken by an Islamic State in Malaysia, Kelantan which launced the campaign of Rejab: The month of Solat. That is a very good eye opener, shifts paradigm of people.

So what with Rejab: The month of Solat? What is the difference with Isra' Mi'raj? Well, as I said earlier do we really take the jist of the event? Do we really understand it? Isra' Mi'raj happened around 1400 years ago, and we may or may not feel it deeply in our heart as the years of gap between that time and now. At least when it comes to Solat, it is what we do on daily basis. We remember about solat everyday, we realised how important it is, we can reflect on how did we do so far in our solat. Is it valuable to be presented to Allah in the Hereafter to "buy" ticket of his Rahman to secure a place in the heaven? And do you really strive hard to perform a higher value of solat? Think and reflect especially you who wrote this down, Ibn MuSa!



The Solat Advertisement

Anyway, I came across this advertisement about solat from Youtube. Isn't it great if this advertisement is shown on TV rather than adverts about reality shows like Akademi Fantasia, Malaysian/American/what ever country's Idol, British Got Talent and others?

Lastly, always remember that Rejab: the month of Solat, road to Ramadhan. Be a better person, Ibn MuSa!

Ibn MuSa
Dunkirk 2009

Dialogue with the Presiden of Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

Last 2 weekends, I planned to go out of Nottingham which I don't care where. As long as outside Nottingham. The reason being was the Monday coming after it was the first day of my Summer Placement Programme with Boots. Alhamdulillah, I managed to get a place for the internship out of thousand of students who applied. If I did not go out of Nottingham that weekend, I would not get any other chance as I certainly would be busier during the internship.

While deciding where to go, I went around surfing the net, from one site to another. From one blog to another and guess what? Out of nowhere, I came across a blog called malaysianoverseasforum.blogspot.com. In the blog, the owner mentioned that the Presiden of Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS) was going to have a dialogue with Malaysian in the UK.


Since I was in the mood of "going out" of Nottingham, I decided to go to the dialogue straightaway. Although the train ticket price drained my cash out of my wallet swiftly, although many tube line services were closed during the weekend, I was determined to go. The powerful promotion video made me wanted to go there even more.




Alhamdulillah, I think it worth it. The dialogue was informative! The audience were vary from Malaysian student who pursue studies over here, to the people who work here and felt more comfortable speaking in English rather than Bahasa Melayu. Tok Guru Hadi Awang explained alot about the Islam version of politics, relating to the seera of Rasulullah SAW. Issues like Unity Government, Sisters IS, Tahaluf Siasi (PAS - PKR - DAP) and many others.


For the video of the dialogue session, do visit malaysianoverseasforum.blogspot.com.


Anyway, some of my friends were there as well. Right after the event, we went for a dinner together and I stayed at my friend's place. That is the beauty of studying in KYUEM and having alot of friends studying in the UK. You would get free accommodation and food! (Same goes to when people come over. No charge).

That weekend became a booster for me to start my summer internship!

Ibn MuSa
Dunkirk 2009

Voluntary Work

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

One thing I am very impressed about people who live, study or work in the UK is their passion in contributing towards charity. People are willing to do anything, as long as they can achieve what they believe is best to help their charity. There are alot of people donate clothes, cutlery, furniture, electronic items, shoes, books, you name it to charity shop like British Heart Foundation, Oxfam, Cancer Research and others. People willing to run for 10 miles, cycle for aroun 40 miles and other things in order to fundraise and earn something for the charity.

If only people here pledge that no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah... If they do, subhanallah I can't imagine how much reward they gain in the life after death.

Malaysian student who studies abroad like in UK and Ireland did not waste this opprotunity, learning the spirit of helping others and contributing to charity. I am proud that 3 of my close friends volunteered themselves to fundraise in supporting an humanitary event in Cambodia, called Cambodia Relief Mission 09.

Thumbs up Firdaus, Shafie and Fairuz! May Allah accept your work as a good deed, and bless you with his Rahmah InsyaAllah.

Ibn MuSa
Dunkirk 2009

Cork Mosque Fund Raising Project

Cork Mosque Fund Raising Project

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

Personally I am very lucky to get into the University of Nottingham. Why? It is one of the best school of Pharmacy in the UK (If not in the world), it is big, it has great scenery and photogenic places, it has great access to halal food supply, it is located in the midlands (ie middle of England) and last but not least, it has a great Islamic Society and community here.

I am so lucky that we (the ISoc of Uni of Nottingham) managed to get 2 prayer rooms (let me call it as a masjid). One is located in the Portland Building of University Park Campus, the other is in Amenities Building, Jubilee Campus. These masjids were the results of previous committees of striving and asking for it from the university. By having proper masjids, we are free to perfom solats, halaqahs, iftars and qiams. What a bless from Allah SWT.

A simple study circle carried in Uni of Nottingham Mosque.

And as result, it becomes a responsibility of the current ISoc to maintain the mosque and the Muslims, to ensure the University does not "harm" us and to stand up for the rights of the Muslim students here. Sounds challenging to me, especially when the mosque is full with people during Solat Jumaat but the number of people who are willing to give commitment to the ISoc is maybe around half of it.

Have you ever thought about how hard it is for the pervious people to get a masjid in their place? No matter whether it is just merely a prayer room in the Student Union, or a proper building itself. What I am very impressed in the Muslim community here in the UK is they are so hardworking in getting a mosque. They even fund raise in many ways to get sufficient funds to buy a building which later on refurbished into a mosque. This includes abondoned churches. Subhanallah, I can't imagine how many reward (pahala) comes into the account of people who strived for it! It will continue as long as people make full use of the house of Allah.

Alhamdulillah right now I have the priviledge to "feel" the hardship of getting a mosque. Recently, a group of friends in Cork organised a project, which is Cork Mosque fund raising project. The aim is to gather fund in to buy an unused church to be converted into a mosque in Cork. However, the downside of the plan is they require a sum of 1.6 million euros in order to buy that building. That is enormous!

Therefore, let us all participate in this project, donate as many as you can.

Think about it. Imam Ibn Kathir left behind his books, so did Sayyid Qutb and other scholars in the past. These are the asset they left behind and will be the assets in the hearafter in front of Allah. Think about as long as a person read their books and teach to others or at least increase their understanding about Islam, how much rewards did these authors of books get from Allah? In the end, we are left alone in the hereafter, we look after ourselves. A pregnant mother will give birth instantly and forgets about her child, a child will forget about his family, relatives will runaway from one another, all this because of they only need to care about themselves. Because when we face Allah SWT, Allah will count and ask everything we did one by one and individually. On that day we can not rely on others, apart from our own deeds.

Our time is short, but the price of Jannah is expensive. Do you think you can obtain Jannah easily? People in the past paid with their lives, paid with all their wealth and time. How about us? How about yourself, Ibn MuSa? Who knows your time might come soon? Maybe today? Maybe tomorrow? Maybe in the next 5 minutes? If it does come, how much amal jariah we have left behind to be continue supporting us till the Day of Judgement comes?

Palestinians carrying coffin of Sheikh Ahmad Yasin

The remaining of Allahyarham Sheikh Ahmad Yasin's wheelchair and his blood in front of the mosque where he was assasinated by the Israeli.

How expensive the price of Jannah is...

According to a hadith of Rasulullah SAW which its meaning discussed about the connection of sons of Adam with this world has stopped when they die, apart from 3 things. A soleh child (a very pious child always making doa for their parents), continuous chain of useful knowledge and sadaqah jariah. Lending a helping hand in providing fund to buy a mosque, maintaing the mosque or even by just buying a carpet or sound system for the mosque will be a way of sadaqah jariah as long as the mosque, equipment and carpet are still be used for people to worship Allah and to learn about Islam. Therefore if people like Ibn Kathir has left their knowledge behind, what are you waiting for?

I ask again, do you really want Jannah? Do you really want yourself to settle down in Paradise in the hereafter? If the answer is yes, then rab the opportunity to make sadaqah jariah, by banking in your sadaqah jariah into this account:

Account Name: Tabung Satu Hati
Reference: Cork Mosque
Sort Code: 40-10-06
Account No: 52226200

May Allah grant us with Jannatul Firdaus insyaAllah.

Wallahuaalam.

Ibn MuSa
Dunkirk 2009

(Photos taken from Aljazeera.info)