The blessing of Ramadhan

My orchids are blooming. My tilapia fish had a new school of tilapia babies. We scooped them and transferred into a different pond so that the babies can grow without being eaten. A rare species of our palm plant has fresh young leaves sprouting out at the top. The last time this happen was some years ago. Our chicken has started to produce eggs every two days this Ramadhan after a long period of infertility. We bought a partner to our sole, lonely female rabbit and we expect to get its babies in another 2 months time. I have numerous other gifts from Allah this holy month of Ramadhan.

We contributed some money for the rebuilding of Gaza city. True to Allah's promise we got a whole lot more back. In so many different ways. From different sources. O Allah, transactions with You is always a profitable one. I am constantly reminded to be thankful to Allah by everything around me. Parting of our money for Allah's cause is not 'parting' of money but actually 'receiving' a whole lot more. If only we concentrate on the 'receiving' from Allah, them I'm sure everyone will be generous in the cause of Allah. If only...

I'm enjoying Allah's given pleasure to me like someone basking under the sun after a cold, cold winter. Thank you Allah for giving a lot more than what I gave.

May Allah bless us all.

Digging our own grave

I was listening to Dr Muhaya in Radio IKIM this morning. The topic was softness. Dr Muhaya said if we are destined to be lucky, we will have softness in our heart, action and thought. Among the softness that lucky people have is the ability to forgive.

One listener called and told that she has been slandered twice and she just can't forgive the person because she can still remember vividly how she felt at that time. It is difficult for her to have 'softness; in this manner.

Dr Muhaya responded by saying that if such incident has happened 10 years ago and she still can't forgive it now, that means she has given away 10 years of her life. She didn't has peace of mind all this time and its like she's digging her own grave.

I have always practice forgiving people and I can sit and laugh with the very same person that has hurt me so much before. But Dr Muhaya's words has given me more meaning to what I have done before. I forgive not just for the sake of that person but more for my own sake. I don't want to keep on stumbling with that person and to keep my eyes away from that person's face. Especially if that person is our spouse or our fellow worker. We are just so close physically. I don't want to hurt myself and my feeling. I choose to forgive and forgive sincely.

May Allah bless us all.

Ramadhan Al Mubarak

Ramadhan is indeed a month full of blessing. There are so many momentous events that happen in Ramadhan for my family. We had just finished off the payment for our family car. Praise be to Allah, the car is truly ours now. We moved to the present house in the month of Ramadhan last two years. Before that we moved to our first house on first of Ramadhan eleven years ago after living in rented houses for so many years.

There were so many momentous events that happen to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (pbuh) in the month of Ramadhan. Many of the battles fought were in Ramadhan. The fasting muslim soldiers could fight the opposing battalion that was countless times bigger than them. In the battle of Badr' there were only 313 muslim soldiers as compared to one thousand kuffar soldiers.

Doa or prayers are easier to be granted by Allah in the month of Ramadhan. That reminds me to say my prayers all the time, wishing Allah to protect my family and to give us happiness in the world and in the hereafter.

We human, always committed crime against ourselves. We forget Allah in times of happiness but we blame Allah in times of hardship. No matter how much we have we always wish for more, forgetting to thanks Allah for everything that we have. When Allah takes aways something from us that we always take for granted but forget to be grateful for it (like our good health), then only will we realize how much blessing we has had. We human always realized how lucky we were only after we lose what we had. Our list of crimes against ourselves will go on and on. We forget that Allah do not need us. On contrary it is we that need Allah.

On this holy night of Ramadhan I am doing a check list of what I should do more (like being thankful to Allah all the times), what I should do less (like complaining and grumbling), what I should avoid (like talking about topics or people that will eventually make me feel dishearten with the good things that I'm trying to do), ect. O Allah, please guide me in every way for I'm such a weak person. Please give me the strength to follow the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Protect me from my own weaknesses. Give me the wisdom to differentiate between the good and the bad.

May Allah bless us all.