Anniversary Reflection

As Salam Alekoum

Today is the one year anniversary of my blog =) Warning: following post contains tracings of mushiness.

Image credit lifeshadows

Subhan Allah, one whole year has past, and it has been an amazing one. Al 7amdulillah, this blog has served has my gateway to speak my thoughts about my religion, for me to share my excitement with fellow readers as I delve deeper into Islam, and for me to just simply share my love for Allah, all his prophets (peace and blessings on them all) and the religion of Islam. I have asked Allah to give me success in my endeavour, because I really do take it seriously as I want to make sure to not offend or insult or share wrong information, but instead share the beauty that is in the Quran and Sunna. I have made to Duaa to Allah several times for my current endeavour (and future planned endeavours) to be a success, and I ask Him, Subhanho wa Taala, the same again. Ameen.

Reflecting on the past year personally ... I have completed my University life and got my degree successfully, I have come back, found a job that I enjoy, and I am going to spend the first week of Ramadhan with my family in Malaysia, rather than on my own in New Zealand like last year. However, Al 7amdulillah, the greatest thing to have happened to me for sure is the Hajj trip when I first got back home from NZ. I thank Allah for having made the whole thing possible so easily. Like I said in my post about the trip, it was a jihad, but the sights you see and the emotions you feel during it is beyond indescribable. Lol, I'm tearing up right now, thinking about it. Praise be to Allah for having granted me this blessing, and inshaAllah I will be granted the blessing of another Hajj trip in my lifetime. One important thing I have learned in my past year is that the power of Duaa truly is great, and the blessings that we have been granted with is endless.

وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا

“[...] and if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them,”

(Surat Ibrahim - Verse 34)

In terms of reflecting on the blog, it started out as a portal for me to just share material I have come across about Islam, i.e: videos, audio files, etc. I suppose it still is somewhat such a portal, but I have also been typing up my own material. I rather enjoy that, as it gives me a chance to use my brain for thinking hehe =P To reflect, as Allah has commanded us to ... to research, to read, to share myself with you my dear readers.


I hope that this blog has benefited people out there, and will also continue benefiting inshaAllah. To all my returning readers and followers: Thank you for putting up with the ramblings of a random Muslim girl =)

Haha, sorry if I started becoming a little formal up there, it's just me simply pouring out honest thoughts. Praise be to Allah, for blessing me and fellow Muslims with Islam.

رَبَّنَا لاَ تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ

"Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Granter of bounties without measure"

(Al Imran - Verse 8)

As Salam Alekoum

Blessings again ...

I shared in the blog a post about a week ago about Yusuf Estes coming to Muscat. I attended two of his lectures here and both were wonderful =) I was so so so excited to see him right in front of me rather than on Youtube like I usually do. He used the same jokes as always but I still ended up laughing anyway LOL xD

During the first lecture, a man reverted to Islam. I believe he was British judging from the accent. I can't tell you how emotional that was for me. I never cry in public, but on that day I found the tears streaming down my face. I kept thinking how fortunate I am to be here, to witness a man who's sins are about to be replaced with mountains of Hasanat. I also felt happiness from the great blessing Allah has bestowed upon this man to give him Hedaya and guide him to Islam. I hear sniffling and turn my head around to find most if not all the women in the row I was sitting in (including my Mama) with tears in their eyes also. Yusuf explained to the man the words of shahada that he is about to say in English, then guided him through the Arabic words. It was wonderful =)

I did not attend the third lecture unfortunaltly, but my cousins did and they told me that four people on the day reverted to Islam, mashaAllah. One before the lecture and three right after it. I was super disappointed that I did not make it =( Al Hamdullah in the end of it all.

Blessings take different forms in our life. There are the super obvious ones, like the people that have reverted back to Islam with the guidance of Allah Subhanho wa Taala. Then there are the less obvious ones, the tiny ones if you may. The day before yesterday, I went for my usual walk in the park with my Mother. At the end of it, I was thirsty and hot and I craved for oranges. As soon as I got my hands on a piece of orange, I bit into it and its sweet juice exploded in my mouth and cooled me off as well as quenched my thirst. I realized how incredible this simple little fruit is, how blessed we are that Allah gave it to us. You must remember that as Muslims, we have to bear in mind that NONE of what we have in this world is ours. Even our own limbs are not ours, but all blessings from Allah. He gave us arms and hands, and did not give others. He gave eyes to see with, and did not give others. He gave us a family and a home, and did not give to others. He blessed us with the ability to eat whenever we want to, rather than starve like many people in the world. It just goes on and on.

وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحۡصُوهَآ‌ۗ
إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌ۬ ڪَفَّارٌ۬

"If you count Allah's blessings, you can never encompass them all.

Indeed, the human being is transgressing, unappreciative."

(Surat Ibrahim, verse 34)

Try to think about the blessings in your life, the tiny ones and the big ones. Take a few minutes out of your busy time in the day and think about it. Thank Allah for it all, for bear in mind that the most blessed in this world will be asked the most of what they did with their blessings and if they appreciated and thanked Allah for it. Another thing that is also good to mention is that many people these days seem to think that they are loved by Allah because of their wealth and health and good life ... and therefore better than the people whom are not as blessed. Do not for a second even believe that.

ثُمَّ لَتُسۡـَٔلُنَّ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ

"Then, shall ye be questioned that Day about the joy (ye indulged in!)."

(Surat Al Takathur, verse 8)

[Aya] Blessings

وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحۡصُوهَآ‌ۗ
إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌ۬ ڪَفَّارٌ۬

"If you count Allah's blessings, you can never encompass them all.

Indeed, the human being is transgressing, unappreciative."

(Surat Ibrahim, verse 34)