He is Enough for Me

In MUET (Malaysian University English Test) speaking component, examinees will be given a topic and they're supposed to discuss on the topic, in a group.

For my exam, my topic was something like, where should we go to when we're in trouble. And I was supposed to answer "parents" (yeah, the question will give you the answer, you should just construct your own words and play along. Other examinees will get different answers, that was how the exam goes) 

The reason I gave was parents are definitely older than us and so, they know more things than we know, most of the time more than what we think they know. And so, going to them for moral support is very recommended because chances are, they went through this problem we're having in early 20s. 

I also said that going to peers are not well recommended, for the fact that peers are as inexperienced as we are. Peers might be having just the same problem we are having. In Malay language, there's a proverb, "bagai ketam mengajar anaknya berjalan lurus". Literally translated, it means "like a crab teaching it's kids(?) to walk straight". My own created English proverb: "A monkey teaching another monkey how to cook using a microwave oven".

That is precisely the reason why I am very grateful for my family. A very supportive parents, whom I know I can always fall back on when anything goes wrong. My mum said that's one of the reason I always do things blatantly, because I know I can fall back on them, morally. And I am pretty sure some if not many of us have a supportive family, I hope so.

But, what if the problem does not only inflict us as an individual?
What if it inflicted the whole family?
Say, the sickness of a family member, or worse, the death of a family member.

At that point, every member of that family has their own grief to attend to, despite having to be supportive to each other.
At this point, family members cannot afford to fall back onto their family for moral support, each and every one of them needs something to fall back on, no energy to support someone else.

Wanna hope for non family members?
Slim chance there will be anyone, unless you're blessed with caring, patient friends.  =)

"HasbiAllahu laa ilaaha illaa Huwa 'alayhi tawakkaltu wa Huwa Rabbul Arshil Adheem"

please please please read all the meanings in this post. they are very beautiful. I know some readers will tend to scroll down but, believe me, these meanings are worth reading, and knowing. And they really are not many of them. =)

Allah is sufficient for me. 

There is none worthy of worship but Him. I have placed my trust in Him. He is Lord of the Majestic Throne
And so, feel free to fall back on Him.
For He is always near to us. What we need to do is just pray to Him. Just pray to Him.

He promised, he'll be there for us.

"When My servant ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every supplicant when he calls on Me; let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me: that they may walk in the right way" [2;186]"
He promised! Yes, He promised!
=)

And there's another promise, we will not be burdened more than what we can bear.
We will only be tested with bearable tests, those within our capabilities.

"Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability" [2;286]

****A strong reminder to myself, and to friends out there. He promised, He'll be there for us. Any other being in this world can promise that? To be there whenever you need them? To be ready to listen to any of your cries? And to really really be there when you need them? ****

Sincerely from, 
-AkMaR-
http://ineffabledivineserenity.blogspot.com

Monday 3rd May 2010
10.25pm

Quote

"Anyone who can bow down to God, can stand up to anything"




I love this quote!
=)

-AkMaR-
 http://akmarr90.blogspot.com

Friday 30th April 2010
11.17pm

Just If That Did Not Happen

"Just if that did not happen, i could have............"


"If I did not................ I might have..............."


"Just if........................"


I think most of us might have said or at least thought of these sentences at any part of our life.
Or worse, some of us might still think this and kept in heart for years, regretting of something that had happened years ago.


I read that Muslims are not supposed to say "just if i hadn't done this etc etc" when something goes wrong, because everything that happened are the work of God, and there is no way we could have changed it. I'm sorry but I only know that this is from a hadith, a Sahih Muslim.


I had, thought of these sentences before.
But not for long because I clearly know that if that did not happen, other things might have happened, and whatever I am facing now will not happen.
So for me, anyone who hold on to the sentence is actually someone who DOES NOT appreciate what he/she is having in his/her life now.


If whatever it is that that person regret happened did not happen, he/she will not have what he/she has in his life now.


              Z lost his watch in a camping he went with friends last semester holiday. He went to search for the watch with his friends and they spent 1 hour looking for it all around, under the tent, behind the trees, beside the river, behind the toilet, basically everywhere. But they couldn't find it. 


            Z regretted bringing that watch to the camping, his mother had even reminded him not to bring it there because he was a very careless boy. Z brought it because he wanted to show his friends his new watch. Now, Z is already at home, telling his mother that he lost the watch. He was scolded. 


          Z regretted so much that he wished he could have turned back the time so that he will not bring that watch, or leave that watch unattended during the camp. He is willing to exchange almost anything he has to turn the time back. 


         Two years passed, Z still cannot forget the watch and he still regrets bringing the watch to the camping. He bought a new watch but, he still long for the old watch.


In my honest opinion, Z shouldn't have regretted, things happened, the damage is done. 
If he had not lose his watch at that time, he would not have searched for the watch for an hour with his friends. The watch-hunt miraculously strengthened their friendship and they are the best friends Z can ever bargain for. 


Or, if he had not lose the watch, Z would not have learnt from his mistake not to leave his belongings unattended. He might leave even more valuable things unattended, say his wallet or mobile phone.


Had Z not lose the watch, something else might had happened to him. They will not be an hour late, but they might have got involved with an accident on their way back home. They escaped that accident because they were an hour late, searching for the watch.


Had Z not lose the watch, his mother would not have scolded him. By scolding him, his mother might had avoided some other bad things in her life. His mother might be tired after scolding him and decided to rest at home when initially she planned to go to the market. Maybe on that day, the meat sold in the market were infected meat. People eating that meat were sent to the hospital for food poisoning. Seeing him scolded, his siblings knew and learnt that they should listen when their mum asked them not to bring valuables to camping. 


So many things happened just because of ONE thing, be it a good or a bad thing.
And ALL these had been planned by Him. Nothing can change His law, His plan. Nothing can challenge His power.


And by regretting his action bringing the watch to the camping, Z is not being appreciative. 
He does not appreciate the fact that he is still alive when he could have been killed in the accident he missed by being an hour late. He does not appreciate the fact that his siblings have became one step wiser, learning from his mistake instead of making their own. He does not appreciate the friendship he has now with his friends, which was greatly strengthened by the watch-hunting process.
He also does not appreciate the fact that his mother is still alive and well, for avoiding something bad in her life, had she not spent time scolding him 2 years back.


I know this example may sound ridiculous but, it applies, the concept is still there.
Would you want to turn your time back, change some things and risk everything you have now? 




Just if my mum did not meet my dad, this post will not be here.
And Obama might not even be the president of US!
Who knows, a lot of things happened as a consequence of my parents' meeting.
It's not impossible isn't it?
=)
-AkMaR-
http://akmarr90.blogspot.com

30th April 2010
5.23pm

A Simple Twist by The Media

I am always amazed (but at times, disgusted) by the influential power the media has.
Whoever controls the media, is indirectly controlling the world, having the influence to lead the public into thinking the way they want the public thinking, or letting the public know only what they want the public know, hiding some ugly truth behind their reports.

I'm not planning to talk much about the influence of the media, the previous paragraph is only the intro to my post.

I always laughed (but most of the time, disgusted too) at the politics in Malaysia now. Politicians switching parties like changing clothes, accusations of one side to another, back-stabbing etc (oopss.. shdn't be saying a lot on this, i dont really know what happens, again i'm only informed by the media and comprehended the info using my own shallow mind)

Often, during the evening news, we'll be exposed to a lot of the "goodness" of the government and the "badness" and "inefficiency" of the opposition.
The media is bound to praise the government and downgrade the opposition, that is a known fact.
The newsreaders are bound to say sentences like, "keprihatinan kerajaan" or "kelemahan pihak pembangkang" or "kewibawaan pemimpin BN" etc etc...
I am not saying the news are totally wrong but, I believe we must have our own "filter" and judgement to differentiate the truth, the lies and the make-ups.

The oppositions have their own media as well, undeniably.
And it is undeniable that their media will potray their "goodness" and the "badness" and "corruption" of the government.
Again, there must always be personal filter to prevent us from being misled.

Anyhow, let's imagine for a while...
Imagine...just imagine that in the next General Election, the opposition wins and they rule Malaysia. Just imagine...


Now, what will the newsreaders read?
"BN yang masih tidak mahu mengaku kekalahan"
"Kerajaan baru yang tidak melupakan kepentingan rakyat"
etc etc...

What do you think?
Hahahahaha...

p/s: I'm not standing on any site of the fence. I'm underage and still cannot vote. Peace!

-AkMaR-
http://akmarr90.blogspot.com

8.53pm

Heroes; Now and Then

Salam.
Nope, i'm not writing abt the normal-human-discovering-superhuman-abilities-on-themselves American tv series.
It's abt the REAL movie heroes.

My mum raised this point to me once, long-long time ago....
She said,

"Why are all the "heroes" now, look so cute? Girlish? And soft? During my time, the heroes were vry tough, macho-looking and "huge"...."

And that made got me thinking....
She's correct....
Remember Rambo? Famous in the 80s...
How did he look like?

And how does the man that won almost all the girls' hearts look like?

Cute!
Too cute!
=P






My mum continued, saying that once upon a time, having scar makes the man looks more "macho".
Or at least, a "fiercer" face.
That was the kind of looks girls those days are drooled over.

And the boys now, look very boy-ish....
Haha...
And that is the kind of looks girls are crazy of now.
And i cant help but agree.






Sylvester Stallone


The male artists now, have skin even smoother and fairer than most of the normal girls i met!
And their hair, so well groomed...no more those messy-looking male aura.


Their smile, and their poses for the camera, are all those cute poses.
Where the lips are curved forward, as if to kiss the camera.
Or with one eye closed and another open.
Or just a sweet little "peace" sign on the forehead.
Even my brothers are influenced! They have pictures of themselves, posing like that!
Shd i put one here?
Nay, dont have to. I think readers will be able to understand without me giving a solid proof.

Can you imagine Sylvester Stallone, or Bruce Lee posing like that?

Bruce Lee

One may argue that i put on biased pictures.
Ok, fine... I purposedly find those macho-looking old heroes and cute-looking new heroes.
But, face the fact. The men artists now is cuter.
And it's not their fault. It's not even a wrong thing.

And I'm not saying that the male artists now are less-male than that of the past.
I'm just pointing out how much different the taste of the society between two generations.

20 yrs on the road, the next generation after mine, what kind of looks will win girls' hearts?
Haha...
Let's just wait and see....

JUST AS A COMPARISON........

~THEN~

~NOW~

See?
Told ya...
=)


-AkMaR-
http://akmarr90.blogspot.com

It changes again

Like i predicted, the decision to limit SPM subjects taken by stdnts to 10 will be changed in a year's time. And it did, luckily.

But i dont really understand how it works this time. Because the news (The Star, Sat Dec 5 09) stated that stdnts are allowed to take Chinese or Tamil literature. So, what abt those science stream stdnts who intend to take Accountings or Economy etc?
Are they allowed to do so?



IMHO, i think stdnts shd be permitted to take extra subjects because they are solely responsible for the # of subjects they took (with the exception of pressure from lunatic parents). I cant find the news excerpt during the days when the govt decided to limit the # of SPM subjects so i cant verify the reason behind the decision. But if i am not mistaken, it was because too many stdnts are trying to break records going up to 20 subjects. But still, out of the more than 400 000 (it is 465, 853 stdnts for 2009) stdnts taking SPM, there will always be less than 15 stdnts taking up tp 16, 17 subjects. And that is only like 0.0000375% of the total SPM stdnts. Why should the whole population of SPM stdnts being limited from taking extra subjects?

And if the stdnts themselves are capable of studying all the 30 sbjects (pls, this is a hyperbola for those who are too straight), then they shd be given all the support they need. Even if there shd be any limititation, for any reason beyond my knowledge and thinking (which i shall think is shallow), then a limit 0f 15 should be ok. 10 is just too little! And i'm talking based on experience. A pure science stream stdnt will have a minimum of 10 subjects. Say the stdnt is studying in a chinese school, then the stdnt must take chinese language. And say the stdnt will also want to take Accounting or Economy, for the sake of knowledge (don't argue, accounting @ economy @ money management is a crucial skill to live) then the # of SPM subjects will be AT LEAST 12. With the limitation, the stdnt will have to sacrifice 2 subjects. Not unfair enough?

Limiting the # to only 10 is an example of limiting the potential of a bright stdnt. And Malaysia is supposed to grow with that? It was the same with PTS (Penilaian Tahap Satu) where Standard 3 students are promoted to Standard 5 (without going thru Std 4) if the stdnt passed PTS exam. For me, it was a very good exam. Std 4 syllabus isn't difficult to catch up. And parents saved one whole year of school fees, pocket money, time and energy plus school uniform. And the stdnt also save a year. I wasnt sure why the exam was cancelled but ppl told me it was bcos some of the stdnts who were promoted cant make it. They cant cope with the promotion. But, how was the proportion of stdnts who can cope to stdnts who cant cope? Just bcos there are some stdnts who cant cope, that privilege should not be taken away from all students. I am sure the exam was still on in the year 1999 and 2000 but i am not sure what was the last year for the exam.

p/s: I am talking frm my point of view. And i accept any comment (if there is). =)
Btw, i'm also thinking of my bro's future. If he's not allowed to take more than 10 subjects...he will hv to sacrifice some of the SPM subjects his taking now. =(

-AkMaR-
http://akmarr90.blogspot.com

Training Courses in Life

1. I believe everything that happened to us, is of reasons and logic. Whatever they are, they are the best for us, for now or for the future.

2. I don't believe there shd be any regrets in life. Only embarassments and shamefullness and sad feeling of the bad things we did in the past shd be there and also a promise not to do it again in the future.
But my definition of regret is to sulk over things we did in the past and feel sad abt it but did not go on with life. Merely sulking. (Imagine those men in movies being dumped by their lover in movies and they regretted treating @ trusting the girl and ended up having long thick beards due to lack in motivation to shave for months) =P

3. We are trained in every possible way in everything we did. A simple conversation with someone simple might be just the thing saving us in the future.
Ok, this is funny. I hv an example:

Last Sunday, i met my aunt. And she told me that my uncle laughed at her bcos she doesnt know how to switch his new VAIO laptop on. Why? Because the switch is at the side, not at the center of the laptop, like most other laptops. It was a totally simple conversation btw me and aunt, bcos we had nothing else to talk abt. Guess what? The vry nxt day, my bestfriend and her friend tried tricking me, asking me to switch a laptop on. And the "on" button isn't at the centre. HAHAHAHAHA..... Just if i didnt have the conversation with my aunt the day before, i wont be able to switch the laptop on as fast as i did that day. =)

4. Whatever i say now is what i think now. Ask me these very same things 5 yrs more, and i might or might not give the same statements.
5 yrs before this i told my mum i do not want to drive. Even after i start working (at that time i still has so many career ambitions, didnt know which to choose) no matter what profession it is, i wanted to take public transports. Only public transports. Reason? I'm scared of road traffic accidents. Been in RTAs so many times with my mums that i do not want to be in it especially when i'm the driver. 5 yrs on the road, i'm driving evryday to campus and an official family driver fetching and sending siblings to school, family members to supermarket etc etc.

~Because life is dynamic~

-AkMaR-
http://akmarr90.blogspot.com

Feminism

Assalammualaikum.
I hv been wearing up to 3 layers of clothes to IMU for the past few days.
Why? Because i spend a lot of time in the library and the library is very very cold that even my fingers went cramped.
Even the auditorium is comparable to the famous snow house in Genting Highland.
But i couldn't understand how some of my batchmates can stand being in the auditorium with mini skirts and spaghetti straps.
To say that they have enough cellulites as heat insulator embedded under their cutaneous tissue, is ridiculous. Most of them are slim and skinny.
So how can they?

My mother told me once, women in the west have been fighting for women's right since early nineteenth and twentieth century.
And the rights they have been claiming for includes abortion right, voting right, maternity leave, equal pay, and so on and so forth.
Some of the claims are even ridiculous for me.
Man can lift heavy things, be a hardwork labour, and women can't.
Just accept that fact. Why must women fight for equity? The right to be the same as men? Let men do the hard, though, heavy jobs.
If women want to have the same rights as men have, then no man will be a gentleman. No man will offer to carry a woman's heavy bag, no man will give way to woman in a long queue and no man will pay for a meal because the woman is just as capable as he is!
And there will also be no "Ladies first" in the world.
Although there will still be "First Lady".

She also pointed out that there is one aspect these feminists forgot to fight for.
And that is the right to have proper attire.
The west have made it in such a way that only half naked women are considered women, and the fully covered ladies are freaks.
The world now is having such a view that ladies must show what they've got. The quote "Dare to Bare" is almost everywhere.

In a ball, ladies will be expected to wear a gown, a dress.
And the gown must be bareback, the shoulders should be seen, and a cleavage is a must.
If the skirt is long, some legs are expected.
If it's not long, short skirt will be favoured.
For what?
For display.
To feel nice.
To feel good.
To get attention.
To be like others.

In fact, this is actually a major abuse of women's right.
What do men wear for official ceremonies?
What do men wear when women are exposing half of their bodies?
How does a formal attire for a man look like?
How does it compare with a formal attire for a woman?



A man wears a long shirt, necktie and long pants.
The man must also wear a pair of covered shoes, together with the socks.
Who now, suffers more?
Who now, more susceptible to cold?
Who now, is actually being exploited?







I'm not saying men must also wear barebacks, shorts or singlets to official functions. No!!!
What men wears now is smart and cool enough.
But to girls out there, who like to expose what u have, to feel proud of it, to get attention out of it, just remember, "This is an exploitation of women".
Women are supposed to be respected, not for display.

The best jewelry in a jewelry shop is kept in their safebox, with locks and codes.
And those jewelries readily displayed on the shelves are not as valuable.

Attention we get for exposing our "posessions" are cheap attention, temporary ones.
The real attention is who we are (cewah).

So, let's reduce the exposure!
=)

p/s: i bet some readers will say "Ala, Akmar is jealous because she cant display expose anything"....
My reply: Hahahahaha... Say whatever u want, i know what i think and how i feel.

-AkMaR-
Because life is a test...

http://akmar90.blogspot.com

Take the Snake's Precious Skin and Leave the Rest

Assalammualaikum.

There's a saying in Malay, "buang yang keruh, ambil yang jernih" which literally means "leave the dirty one, and take the clear one". But i found another saying in English, with almost similar meaning, "Take the Snake's Precious Skin and Leave the Rest".

I hv been thinking of this Malay proverb for a long time.
And is amused by the big implications of it in life and also the great wisdom behind this simple proverb.

To take only the good ones and leave the bad ones is exactly what we should do in life.
Nobody deserves to be our role model in this world except our beloved prophet.

My previous post on Dr M must have made some of the readers to think that i'm a huge fan of his therefore i'm pro government.
But, that's not the case.
I admired Dr M for his contribution to the nation, his 22 years of serving the country has been proved to be the most successful period of Malaysia.
Malaysia became known with a lot of projects; KLCC, KLIA, Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) and Malaysia evolved from an agricultural based country to an industrialised country. And, he is a doctor.

So, sholdnt i be taking that good quality of his?
Or should i shut all his contribution to the country because (ppl claim) that he did nasty things during his reign?
I dont even know if he really did nasty things so i'm not in the position to claim that.
Of course i'm not saying that he didnt do anything bad at all.
From what I read from his blog, he complained a lot about the government administration during Pak Lah's reign but these things that he complained abt has been there even during is time in the office as the PM. I'm not sure why isn't he doing anything abt it but complaining abt it when it is under other people's responsibility.
So, whatever it is, let's take the good side of him and leave the rest.

Same goes for western civilisation (if it can be called civilisation. Some of them are still barbarians. Watch WWF for a solid proof).
My previous post on the difference between western and eastern teachings revealed my opinion on how bad western teachings are.
But really, it is not only that.
Not ALL western teachings are bad as well as not all eastern teachings are good.
Not ALL the westerners should be blamed for the bad things many westerners did neither can all easterners be praised for the good things some easterners did.

I watched "Night at The Museum 2" with my family last week and my mother mentioned that the western countries had their civilisation for not even 500 years but they are having a lot of heroes.
They brought and praised and tell good stories abt their prominent figures and made it as if the world is full of good western heroes.
Franklin Roosevelt took office less than 100 years ago, same goes for Theodore Roosevelt, most of their heroes for example Amelia Earheart, Wright Brothers, Alexander G. Bell, and a lot other scientists made their breakthrough less than 100 years ago, or perhaps 150 years ago the most.
Yet, the westerners are praising, bringing their names up as if they had started their contribution 1000 years ago.

At the same time, the easterners (my mother was actually specifically talking abt the condition in Malaysia) tried to bring down anyone who dared to speak up and make changes.
We have always oppressed those who stood up, that's why we are not progressing much. We should not be jealous when other people is having the limelight. We should be a supportive nation, not an-always-finding-people's-mistake nation.

So i'd say that keeping prominent figures "alive" in people's heart is a good value of the westerners that i can take.

In the process of making her research in children literature, my mother found out that some of the children storybooks writers do not have clean and healthy background. Some of them killed themselves, some have depression, some have mental illness but it's not their bad side that have been made public, it's their contribution, the stories that they wrote had been made public. I dont think we should reject their artwork because they did badly in their lives. I think we should take the good things from them and leave the rest.

Islam has taught me not to talk bad abt other ppl.
And to think good things abt others.
And not to listen to news from uncertain sources.
And not to engage in any conversation that might lead to fitnah (false accusations).
And most important, Islam taught me to hate what the person did, than hating the person himself.

That means, (I'm taking Dr M as an example) if somebody came to me and told me that Dr M just abused his power to get rid of one of his colleagues, i should not be believing the story until the case is being justified and truth has been revealed. I shd be thinking good things abt him unless it is obvious that he's doing a wrong thing. eg: If i see him drinking in bar (which i did not) i should not jump to the conclusion that he's drinking alcohol but rather think that he's drinking carbonated drinks or any other drinks than alcohol unless, i really see him pouring the alcohol into his glass. I should also not engage myself to any pointless conversation that discuss only abt his bad behaviours for the sake of gossipping.

And lastly, i should also not hate him if i found out that he did bad things, instead i shd be hating his bad behaviors, not the person.
Why?
Because in Islam, there's a thing called repentance.
And if he repented after doing the bad thing, that means the reason for me hating him is no longer there.
But if i were to hate him as a person, even if he repented, he is still the Dr M whom i shd be hating because i'm hating the person, not the attitude.

That brings me back to Michael Jackson.
As the world know, he was accused and was brought to trial for a few children sex abuse cases.
I'm not sure whether he did that or not but, even if he did, i'm supposed to only hate that attitude of his. I'm not supposed to hate him, and go against him for everything he does.

And, he reverted to Islam.

What does that mean?
That means his sins were forgiven.
Even the woman who killed Saidina Hamzah and took out his heart and eat it, a woman called Hindun bt Atabah who was in the "List to be Killed" when Rasulullah SAW entered Makkah in the year 8H was given freedom and forgiveness because she accepted Islam.
Not only her, Ikrimah b. Abu Jahal and Abdullah b. Saad were also forgiven because they accepted Islam.

The sole reason is a person's sins made during his@her pre-Islam period are cancelled off once he@she accepted Islam.
Means the revert is now clean of sins, like a baby.
And is only responsible for the sins made after the conversion.



So, wont MJ's sins being cancelled off?
Who are we to say that he still sins, and do not deserve our forgiveness when he acquired Almighty God's?

-AkMaR-
http://akmarr90.blogspot.com

What I know abt Michael Jackson

Assalammualaikum.
Well, I think the whole world knew abt this, the superstar Michael Jackson is dead.

To begin with, i got to know MJ since i was a little girl.
My mum had been his fan long long time ago, until now.
I remembered MJ did a concert in Malaysia and that time, i was 6.
My mum didnt go or the concert of course, she wasnt that fanatic to spend hundreds to watch a concert.

Then, as i grow up i got to know more abt MJ. I got to know that he "changed" his skin from black to white. Then, few years after that i read news abt him abusing children sexually.
I remembered my mum was disappointed with the news.
She said the media is really really punishing MJ.
She said that just because MJ is a black (an undeniable fact), the media is bombarding him so that he can never make a comeback.

We dont know abt the truth, whether or not he really did abuse the children because in this world today, framing someone sounds so very easy. News abt somebody being accused of something and the person denied saying he@she had been framed, appear almost everyday.
We dont have to look far, just look at the politics in Malaysia. Politicians are framing or being framed (that's what they say, i'll nvr know the truth) everyday.

Hence, my mum always feel pity for MJ.
She even said that but Elvis Presley did not lead a good and healthy life either.
And he was still praised and died with a "clean" name (at least cleaner than MJ).
It's because he's white. And i began to agree with her.
Whether i'm correct or not, i'm not sure.
Nobody is, in fact. Unless i talk to MJ myself (which is impossible).

Then, i heard that MJ is converting into Islam.
I felt so relieved. My mum said, "Islam do not discriminate" hence it is not impossible that MJ found peace in Islam. In addition, his brother is also a Muslim.
But my uncle turned a blind eye to this news.
He said it can be just a propaganda, like Akon admitting he's a Muslim.
Well, that's a fact. The singer Akon is a Muslim.
Though we dont actually know to what extent is he practising it.
And my uncle did not see any reason for me to be sure and happy that MJ is also a muslim now.
I dared not go against him, as i couldnt find any fact to back me up.
So, for a period of time, i kept my fingers crossed, not sure of whether MJ is a muslim or not.
Until i read an extract of news saying that MJ is now Mikail, a Muslim.
I felt happy again.

Then, last Friday, the very same uncle told me that MJ is dead. He died of cardiac arrest.
I was so shocked. I text-ed my mum and she said she knew it earlier that morning and she included a sad smiley symbol =( in the msg.
When i got home, my mum said the media had done MJ an injustice.
He didnt get a chance to make a comeback.
His name was being "dirtied" even up to his death.

As a normal human being, a citizen who relied mostly on newspapers and media to know abt things happening in the world, i can never be sure whether or not MJ committed the crime.
Neither can i be sure if he's a good man or not.
But, it will be painful if i think that he's a bad man, abusing child.
So, why not I think good things abt him, he might be framed, he might had been done injustice, and he turned to Islam because Islam brings peace, and he died a Muslim. Doesnt that sound nicer? And happier?
It made the world looks like a better place to live in.

A Teacher

With The Name of Allah

A teacher...

What a title...

When i was a little girl, i had nvr thought of myself being a teacher. 

My mother is a teacher, so i know how how a teacher works.

I know the stress and the responsibility of a teacher.

I myself WAS a "little teacher" to little kids in my neighbouring area.

So, being a teacher was never in my list of possible carrier.

I though of being an air-stewardess, pilot, doctor, engineer, architect, policewoman, actress, singer, anything but teacher.

Of course i shorten my list as i grow up.

But now, i realised the power, the influence of a teacher.

I see how a teacher can either make the student a good person or a bad one.

Not talking from the academic perspective, but from an overall perspective.

Not everyone is capable of scoring straight As in exam, there will be some who managed only to pass. But, the straight A scorer might not be as a good person as the pass student (responsibility wise, behavioral wise)

Apart from parents, a child got their advises from teachers.

Strangers from the roadside do not give out advises just like that, only in movies, rarely in real life.

Coming back to the my latest personal discovery on teacher's influential, i came to notice it because the of some of my own lecturers.

Some of the lecturers in IMU do put in sentences like, 

"this coccyc bone is to remind us all that we had tails before",

or 

"we are those lucky apes who evolced successfully to be what we are now"

If I had been an ignorant Muslim, i'd believe that we evolved from apes.

In fact, i did when i was in my lower secondary.

I read abt Darwin's theory when i was abt 14 and i asked my science teacher abt it.

Being a Muslim, she dismissed the theory and told me it's not true.

I read from what i thought a-very-reliable book, as it was a science book, not from school of course, i thought the teacher had no knowledge in the theory because she didnt produce sound argument for me. So i 95% believed that our great great great great ancestors were apes.

The other 5% goes for my curiosity on why the teacher dismissed the theory.

Hence, let say one of my lecturers were to bring out a sentence like,

"Don't u see how God has created us in such a manner that everything goes smoothly? How the cellular metabolism are so complicated yet designed?"

or 

"We cant control everything in life. Destiny plays its own part"

Then, wont it trigger some of the students' minds?These sentences are coming out from a highly educated person. There must be some truth behind it.

So, i now am considering to be an educator...

=P

Lecturer perhaps?

After completing several years as a doctor, get the suitable course, do some practical work before jumping into the academic profession.

For now that sounds like a good plan to me...

What A Brand

It was a lovely night.

Few hours back, on a sunday night, i was in the car in the middle of KL with my family.

Then we passed thru Pavillion, the new-and-high-class-sophisticated-shopping-mall in Bkt Bintang (Starhill?).

I felt nice.. And fun..

Then i saw an advert, a very big one on the mall's wall.

It was an advert of designers clothes.

And the brand was "FCUK".

Huh?

How am i supposed to pronounce the brand?

How could a supposed to be international brand have that name?

Eeeew..

My lovely, peaceful and happy night with family was ruined.

I cant imagine if there's suddenly a cloth coming from Malaysia with the brand "Zina".

Perhaps i'll find ways to migrate to the moon.

=P

Extremism

One question: What is extrimism?

Ok, perhaps more than 1 Q.

• Who set the limit of being normal, that when you crossed that limit, u're extreme?
• What are the limits?
• Who are the extrimists?

At this point of my life, my mind cant stop asking these questions.

Why?

Because lately, i have heard too much of the word "extrimist", "fanatics", "fundamentalists" etc.

So, i began to wonder what made the world label them as such?

As a medical student, i am supposed to study almost the whole day (well, at least that's what my seniors told me) but i just cant. I cant keep reading the text book. I wanna play, i wanna surf the net, i wanna read ppl's blog, i wanna write my own blog, i wanna read other books, and i wanna do lots and lots of stuff so, i just dont study the whole day. 

Hence, if i were to hv a friend who slept only 3-4hrs a day, studying for almost the whole night, i'm bound to label this friend as "extrimist". I'd say 

"Fuyo.. U're vry xtreme! How could u sleep only 3-4 hrs?? I cant!"

But then, there is one thing i realised now that i need to bear in mind. This friend of mine, HAVE THE capability to sleep only 3-4 hrs a day. 

He@she is not my type, who gets headache whenever i do not sleep enough. So, to him@herself, he@she is not being extreme. Hr@she is surviving!

And, from (let's assume this is a girl) her point of view, i'd be the extreme one. Why? Cos she can only afford 3-4 hrs a night and study at other times while i sleep 8hrs a day. Twice the perios that she slept. Won't i be the extreme one? She might just say:

"What?? U slept 8 hours! That's extreme and ridiculous! How did u manage to finish the syllabus?"

The fact is, i didnt manage to finish the syllabus. =P I went for my Sejarah (History) SPM exam with not revising the last chapter. I skipped the whole chapter. It was something abt the policies of Malaysia after the independence. But i still managed to score A1. Alhamdulillah..

So, to me, she is the extremist. To her, i am the extrimist.

When i 1st got to know that my beloved prophet, Rasulullah pbuh stayed up almost the whole nigt praying to the Almight God, i was like, "What? That's extreme! I cant do it". But now i realised, the prophet was given the capability to do so by Allah. He has the patience, his level of iman is incomparable, and his love to Allah is beyond others. Thus, he was not acting extremely because his act was still under his capability. He didnt stand on one leg on a coconut tree praying, did he? Even if he did, that means he's capable of it, and so he's not extreme. Ok, perhaps that's not a beautiful example, but at least the concept is there. Correct me if i'm wrong.

So, who gave the world, the media especially to label some people in the world as extremist?

In Islam, there is the word "moderate".

As the hadith of Rasulullah SAW:-

Aishah narrated: The Prophet was asked, "What deeds are loved most by Allah?" 

He said, "The most regular, constant deeds, even though they may be few." 

He added, "Don't take upon yourselves, except the deeds which are within your ability"

(Al-Bukhari)

Well, clear?

Muslims are supposed to take only the deeds which are within our capability.

And so, eventhough Muslims are compulsory to pray 5x a day, and the way to do it is to stand, except when during ruku' or sujud. But if your leg is aching etc, u can do it sitting down, or lying on the bed, or in worse cases where the Muslim cant even move their limbs, paralysed the whole body, the Muslims can still pray - by using their eyes. Only the movement of eyelids are required. Isnt Islam beautiful?

So, in my opinion, the word extremist is not supposed to be popularised.

But the word "wrong-doers" should.

Those who do things extremely, like locking their women in the house because they do not want other men to look at their women, in the same time denying the women their rights, are not extreme, but they are wrong-doers. Islam do not allow women to be oppressed. Islam respects women like no other civilisation. Unless, the woman herself do not want to go out of the house because she doesnt want other man to treat her badly, that's totally ok with me.

Sometimes i feel like not going out of the car also when there are lots of men outside and i'll prefer if my father drives the car further from them before i come out.

That's normal...

So, am i being extreme?

Hurm...

Different Culture

With the name of Allah The Most Forgiving, The Sustainer

Let's talk abt culture.

What the westerners had taught me, and what the eastern ppl had taught me. And see how they differ.

First of all, i'll clarify the source of education.

Western education comes from media (movies, drama etc), personal readings, books, and academicians who read western books i.e. school teachers who thinks the westerners are always right and better than us in all aspects.

Eastern education are mostly informal education such as what my mother taught me, what i read from books, what i heard from malay or chinese drama that opposes the westerners.

Let's start.

Westerners said:

1. Do what u want to do, do not be afraid of what other ppl might think of u. you are responsible for urself.
2. U marry ur husband, u are not marrying his family. So what if the family opposes ur marriage?
3. Be what you want to be. U are the one who put patterns into ur life.
4. Be open minded. It will make u shine above others. 
5. A girl should be entitled to get whatever a man can get. eg good jobs, no-discrimination, no need to take care of the hse.
6. You have the right to take action that might hurt ppl as long as you wont suffer in the long term. eg: You shd refuse if ur parents ordered u to take medicine if u are actually interested in economics. because if you take medicine, u'll suffer the whole life. hence, in this case, disobey ur parents. They will realise that u made the right choice sooner or later.
7. We shd follow the majority. Majority wins.

Easterners said:

1. Do not let ppl talk bad abt u. Do not be the bad guy in the town. 
2. U are not only marrying your husband, but you are marrying into his family. So, treat them as your own.
3. Life is full of restrictions. Obey the rules of life and live happily.
4. Do not be too open minded. It will ruin you. eg: A young girl is not supposed to talk about sex to another man who isn't her family members or her doctors.
5. A woman's duty is to serve her husband and family but she may also do other things as long as her father (if unmarried) or husband permits.
6. Do not disobey ur parents. 
7. Sacrifice for other ppl's advantage. It's ok if u're not happy as long as ur loved ones are. This is because u can make urself happy again, but it's hard to make them happy after they're hurt.
8. The wise man wins. 

And ohh.. There are so many others which i'll not be able to list it down now.

I gotta get ready to go for my class.

But, do u realise or not that all the teachings of the westerners are very tempting and sounds real good?

Well, that was my first thought. 

It is because i had been educated that way thru the films and movies.

Then, i realise that it is tempting only on the surface.

But it brings a lot of bad consequences after that.

The easterners teachings however, has been depicted by the westerners as "conservative" and "not-free".

But, now i think the teachings are actually for our own benefits.

It teaches us how to live the life in harmony.

If everyone were to live their lives in their own way, let's imagine what will happen to the world?

Inter-Faith Forum; Science And Religion

Assalammualaikum.
Ok, as i told earlier, i went to an interfaith forum.
The topic of discussion was whether religion and science conflicts with each other or not.

The speaker representing Islam was Mr Shah Kirit (one of my fav), Uncle Vijaya representing Buddhism, Dr Living Lee representing Christianity while Prof (i'm truly sorry i cant remember the name, pls do inform me if u know the name) representing Hinduism.

Towards the end of the forum, the moderator asked if the member of the floor have any question. And since the beginning of the forum, i had been wanting to ask but i dared not.
At last i plucked my courage and stood up to ask the questions that had been disturbing my mind.

One of my drawback is my stage-fright-ness... It may be surprising for some, but i cant deny the fact that i'll start to shake whenever i'm supposed to talk in public. My sympathetic nervous system is very efficient in conveying the tiniest, deepest feeling in my heart, that i'm afraid. The fear somehow gets amplified and was shown to everybody everytime i talk in public. The microphone i'm holding, or any paper i'm holding will also vibrate with my fingers. Combined with the fact that the hall was very very freezing-ly cold, my fingers were numb and i cant even move my fingers synchronisingly. I was shaking because of cold + nervous-ness... And i am upset with it.

Anyway, that is not what i want to draw my readers' attention to. The major issue here is the questions i asked.

1. Do the Christians, Buddhist and Hindus agree or not with Darwin Theory of Evolution? If no, why then is the theory still circulating even years after it was introduced? Does that mean there are more Atheist than people of religion now?

2. Premarital sex and gays were not accepted by the society since early history. But now as science advances, we know preventions can be taken to avoid the STDs. So, should religion changes and accept this immoral act? (This question was for Uncle Vijaya, the Buddhist representative because earlier he mentioned abt religion having to change from its dogma to suit modern science)

Perhaps it was partly my fault that my nervous-ness somehow overshadowed my questions that the speakers did not catch what i really wanted to say.

The Muslim speaker said Islam do not accept theory, only scientific facts based on proofs.

The Christian speaker said it's rubbish that ppl denies the existence of God.

The Hindu speaker somehow agrees with the evolution (i think that's what he said). And he added, where we come from is not important. What important is where we ended.

The Buddhist speaker's answer wasnt very clear. But he said not only where we ended is important, but how we live now is more important than where we came from. So, live now (at least that was what he said)

For the 2nd question, Uncle Vijaya said religion does not have to change to accept these immoral act but rather it's ok if it is beneficial for u and me.
I really wanted to ask more, "does that mean religion cant accept free sex because the act transmits STDs around the world, but if free SAFE sex is applied, religion permits it? It doesnt harm u and me."
But since there was lack of time, the question was never asked.

From the little and limited knowledge i have, i know that Muslims believe that Adam was the first human in the world. He was sent down to Earth as a HUMAN. Not merely a single cell that somehow evolved randomly and became what we are now. Hence, this itself denies the theory of evolution completely. Christians will have the more or less same opinion, if not exactly the same.

But i really do not know what a Buddhist or a Hindu think of this theory of evolution. Where living beings actually came from a single cell.

Anybody will like to give any thought?
Or perhaps can join in this debate in another blog.

Who's in Control?

Salam.
Well, i had my Behavioural Science lecture this morning, regarding Personality..

There is an aspect of personality called "Locus of Control".
It basically means who or where someone put the control, responsibility and choice for the events in their lives.
And there are 2 locus of control; externally and internally.

External Locus of Control

This is when the person always "leave everything to destiny".
For example:

• "If i am destined to get cancer, whatever i do, i'll still get cancer. But if i'm not destined to get cancer, no matter what i did, i wont get cancer. So, what's the purpose of taking care of myself?

• "If i am destined to marry him@her, no matter how i ran from him@her, i'll still end up marrying him @ her"

Internal Locus of Control

This is exhibited by those who believes they have full control over themselves.
For example:

• "If i say i want to get all As for my A Level exams, and get into the Dean's list during my degree program, i'm going to get it provided i'm doing all the revisions i can"

The lecturer mentioned something about religion or personal belief which, in many ways affect someone's locus of control. Someone who is religious might fall into the first category, the external locus of control because the person believes that God is the controller of everything. As a human being, he had no control over his own life. It's all destined.

But that was only what the lecturer said.

I don't have to really agree, must i?

As a muslim, i put myself under Allah's control.
He set everything for me.
It's all written in my destiny on whatever is going to happen in my life.
Whether this post is going to get published, or being kept only as draft, he knew, and he decides.
But that doesnt mean i don't have to do anything for myself.
Why?
Because i will never know what is destined for me before i go through it.
I will never know if i am destined to meet someone this evening until i met that person.

Verily! Never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls). But when (once) Allah willeth a people's punishment, there can be no turning it back, nor will they find, besides Him, any to protect. [The Holy Quran. 13;11]

It's even written in the Quran that Allah will not change the condition of somebody unless they change it themselves first.

Allah will not prevent cancer from striking somebody until they try to prevent it themselves first.

Allah will not prevent a driver from hitting the back of another car before the driver pressed the brake himself first.

Allah will not give us good lives, good families unless we try to set up our own ways to live first.

Allah will not allow me to get good grades in exams unless i studied hard first.

So, who's the controller now?
This examples show that we are the controller...
How come i can say that Muslims believe Allah is the controller?

Well, for an example,

I studied very very hard, and smart for my upcoming exam.
With this effort of mine, i am sure i can get good grades.
That's an example of me controlling my own effort.
But suddenly, i fell sick on the examination day.
Terribly ill that i cant even focus on the questions.
So, who is in control now?

Or perhaps, a worse case.
Something happened to any of my family members that i couldnt come for the exam.
Is that still under my control?

Hurm...

Destiny is placed at the end of one's effort.