Get Well Very, Very Soon (Please)

I was at Prince Court the other morning. It felt like I was entering a hotel when I walked into its foyer. There is a concierge at the corner. Doormen in Baju Melayu and Songket. The receptionist was friendly. And the parking was like Pavillion's.

The patient is a 15 year old girl with SLE. My heart goes out to her. But she was smiling lying on the bed. She rather looked like Rapunzel - from the movie, with hair short - actually (seriously). Her eyes are large and the smile never left her face. She made funny faces too when her mom told us things about her.

To her mom, we never can really comprehend your worry nor anxiety looking from the outside. But our doas are with you. For patience. Redha. And her speedy recovery.

Sesungguhnya tidak Allah menduga kita jika Allah tahu kita tidak tertanggung dugaan itu. Tiada jua kesusahan atau kesengsaraan tanpa Allah memberi balasan terhadapnya.

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Books, Books & More Books Part 25

I finished this sometime back. It wasnt as good as the others the author had written, though. It wasnt compelling enough. Or gripping. Or spellbinding. Or good enough for a best seller, if you ask me. Enough said.

This is the first book I finished this year. Last year I blogged 5 times about books that are read. In actual fact I finished more; only I didnt blog about them (they are the ones you keep in the closet or those you thought should be better kept to yourself ~ interpret that as you may).

Zana and I did plan to finish a book for each month last year. I dont think I got that many done. Although I think I did better in 2009 with 10. This year I've got no plans concerning books at all. In fact, no plans about anything at all; come to think of it.

If asked which book I like most I have to say Kite Runner. I remember crying while reading the book and crying when I even thought about the story AFTER finishing it. Dan Brown is rather captivating too. I should read seriously again.

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(Another) Wedding In The Family

And it was a good day to get married. It wasn’t too hot . Or raining. Or within the days where EVRYBODY getting married. We got to my sister’s place in Bangi very early. She was most adamant about that. Above, that's the tepak sirih (orang utara kawen mesti ada tepak).


The pelamin was not decorated with real flowers; but looked amazing nonetheless. Sweet. Tak payah nak habiskan duit beli bunga hidup yang inevitably akan layu pun.


Eirfan was one of the bunga manggar boys. Again. I am sure deep in his heart he had asked, why oh why? But he's already an expert at this. His motto is the faster you walk, the quicker the whole thing would be over (or so he hoped) ..

It was a beautiful wedding. Pretty. Like the bride and groom. Unfortunately the camera ran out of battery when the bunga manggar starts leading out the rombongan pengantin dan kompang dipalu.. so no photo of the happy couple (memang sah bukan jurugambar yang bertauliah).

She is the pretty (Ika; niece) bridesmaid.

Kakak-kakakku sibuk di dapur..

There is something about this photo that I like..

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Amar Makruf Nahi Mungkar

1.
Abu Zar al-Ghifari ra (**)berkata : Telah berkata Abu Bakar as Shiddiq ra : "Ya Rasulullah, adakah jihad selain memerangi kaum musyrikin?" Rasulullah saw menjawab, "Sesungguhnya Allah punya pejuang di muka bumi lebih utama dari para syuhada. Mereka hidup diberi rezeki, dimuliakan Allah dan para malaikat langit menghias Syurga untuk mereka. Abu Bakar bertanya, "Siapakah mereka?" Rasulullah saw menjawab, "Orang yang memerintahkan kebaikan melarang kemungkaran serta suka dan benci kerana Allah. Demi zat yang diriku dalam kekuasaanNya, seseorang hamba (yang berada) dalam bilik di atas bilik-bilik pasa syuhada. Tiap bilik ada tiga ratus pintu dari yakut dan zamrud hijau dan di atas tiap pintu ada nur. Tiap lelaki dari mereka dikahwinkan dengan tiga ratus bidadari yang bermata indah (..)"

2.
Telah tersebut dalam khabar bahawa Allah berfirman, "Hai Musa, adakah engkau telah beramal untukKu?" Musa berkata, "Ya Tuhanku, aku telah solat, puasa, besedeqah kerana Engkau. Aku telah bersujud dan memujiMu. Aku telah membaca kitab dan aku mengingatiMu." Allah berfirman, "Hai Musa, ada pun solat alasan bagimu, puasa Syurga untukmu, sedeqah itu naungan untukmu, tasbih itu pohon di Syurga untukmu, membaca kitabKu juga bidadari dan mahligai untukmu, bahkan zikir pun adalah nur untukmu. Maka amal yang mana untukKu?" Kata Musa, "Ya Tuhanku, tunjukkanku amal yang aku perbuat untukMu!" Allah berkata, "Hai Musa, adakah engkau telah mencintai waliKu dan memusuhi musuhKu?" Kemudian tahulah Musa as bahawa amal yang paling utama adalah menyintai Allah dan benci pada musuh Allah kerana Allah.

3.
Telah berkata Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah ra, "Aku bertanya. Ya Rasulullah, siapakah syuhada paling mulia di sisi Allah?" Rasulullah saw bersabda, "Lelaki yang pergi kepada raja yang zalim lalu menyuruhnya membuat kebaikan dan melarangnya dari kemungkaran kemudian raja itu membunuhnya. Jika ia tidak mati maka Qalam tidak kering mencatitkannya setelah itu sepanjang hidupnya."


~ Mukashafah al Qulub


** Kata ustaz, sebelum memeluk Islam Abu Zar adalah seorang penyamun yang kejam. Tapi selepas mendapat hidayah menjadi sahabat Rasulullah. Reminds me of pepatah orang putih, a leopard never changes its spots. I think anyone can change. Dengan iman yang benar.

ps - I also googled Abu Zar and found out his name is listed in Wiki. Which makes me wonder what / who else are on Wiki.

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A Morning At The Forests

And it is the new year. Any new resolutions? Unfortunately for this year I have none; only those that I carry over from prior year - yes, those same old stuff (so let's move along, nothing interesting there).

My end of year was quiet. After we flew kites (below) we head over to FRIM. Living in the city for more than 20 years and didnt ever see the light of that place, I thought it is time to change things. After all, if famous people held their receptions there then there must be something good about the place..

We went for a family wedding in Malim Nawar (that's close to Ipoh, if you are wondering) and then up the hills to Cameron (which turned out to be rather chilly at the end of the year). And someone had gotten asthmatic attacks while we were there and so we visited the emergency ward at the local hospital also. Twice!

We painted parts of the house and did more baking (so what else is new?) And went to a few more weddings. Friends getting married, remarry. We also celebrated the boys' birthday at a Moroccan restaurant in the city.

For now these are the photos at FRIM. The place turned out to be a hot attraction with the locals; already open as early as 530am for joggers. Cyclists of any age are many with those walking and picnicking and having events too.

We had a picnic on a big boulder with the view of this waterfall.

The bridge/jungle look like they are a part of some spooky movie. The boys ran across the river straight into the depth of the jungle dalam sekelip mata, leaving us behind. They found a pond somewhere at the top of the hill and had a dip in the COLD water.

It was a good morning to work out some muscles.

We stopped at the tea house and had some tea with lempeng kelapa in the nearby gazebo. The food was outrageously expensive but the ambience more than made up for it. We found a papan congkak and the boys brushed up on old forgotten skills. The wakaf was filled with sweet smelling white gardenia (my mom calls that bunga cina).

Everyone took turn posing with the bunga cina (Iman was the culprit). They were sporting. Looked kinda silly, funny (and yet endearing).

It was a good morning to burn some calories. To spend time with the family. To create memories.

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