Tell me, human, what do you see?

Amy does this all the time. He doesn't really come to me when I'm doing other things in my room. I've tried being all sneaky and quiet while laying down the prayer mat, etc, but somehow he still knows. Apart from his fur dirtying the mat, and his infrequent nonsense of pulling and biting my hair while I'm in sujud (which I kind of like, at times, and I've actually stayed a little longer in sujud because I was hoping for him to bite my hair. Astaghfirullah.), he's quite a gem. Honestly.

I used to be annoyed by this and I would chase him out and close the door before doing the necessary. A couple of days back in the morning, my mom saw him bending his head down and silently pushing his nose into the gap beneath my room door. Well, it just melts my heart to see his persistence. Maybe he knows some special things that I don't.

I shall learn to be more grateful.

I shall keep my door ajar.

~

And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers

Today, while cleaning the house with my mom I talked to her as though I was talking to my close friends. Not in a manner which disrespected her, but one which elevated my trust and yearning for her wisdom. As we continued talking about significant matters, she gave me some advice that had me, blinking. It's the same set of familiar advice I've been earnestly drilling into my head, and heart - but now it's from my mom. It's different, and more effective.

There needs to be sincerity in giving and receiving reminders.

At-Taghabun (Verse 13 – 16)

اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

God, there is no deity but He: so in God let the believers put their trust.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ وَأَوْلَادِكُمْ عَدُوًّا لَّكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ ۚ وَإِن تَعْفُوا وَتَصْفَحُوا وَتَغْفِرُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

O who you believe! Among your spouses and children there may be enemies for you, so beware of them. Yet, if you pardon, forbear, and forgive (their faults towards you and in worldly matters), then (know that) God is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate¹

إِنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ

Your worldly possessions and your children are but a source of temptation and trial (for you); and God is He with Whom is a tremendous reward.

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ وَاسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا وَأَنفِقُوا خَيْرًا لِّأَنفُسِكُمْ ۗ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

Keep, then, from disobedience to God in reverence for Him and piety as far as you can,² and listen attentively and submit (to His commands), and obey Him, and spend (in His cause and for the needy) as it is to the betterment of your souls. Whoever is guarded against the avarice of his soul, those are they who are truly prosperous.³


1 - Spouses are dutiful towards each other, and parents have intrinsic love for and duties towards their children. However, the love of spouses for each other and the love of parents for their children should be regulated according to the commandments of the Religion. Love of family may sometimes bar a person from his or her religious duties or cause him or her to indulge the family excessively or to work for their children and their future without considering the children’s duties towards God and their afterlife, whereas true love necessitates that parents should first consider the afterlife and the religious duties of their children. They should consider their worldly welfare within the framework of the Religion.

Unfortunately, many spouses and parents neglect this cardinal principle and they misuse their love and compassion for each other and for their children. In addition to this, some spouses and children may put pressure upon each other and their parents to act without considering the religious commandments and cause each other or themselves to lose in the Hereafter. This is, in fact, enmity. So the Quran draws the attention of spouses to this fact and warns them.

However, despite such enmity, parents should be careful, patient, and tolerant in their mutual relations and in their approach to the conduct of their children. They can be forbearing and pardon their mutual faults towards each other and the faults of their children towards themselves. (This is what is expected from parents, but children must be extremely careful about observing the rights of their parents.) They should also overlook any faults concerning worldly matters and be able to act as educators concerning religious matters. They should always give precedence to religious matters over worldly ones.

The next verse concisely expresses this truth.

2 – This statement is not contradictory with Keep from disobedience to God in reverent piety with all the reverence that is due to Him (Surah 3:102), nor does the former abrogate the latter. God should be revered and obeyed as He should because His position as God requires this. In fact, every position requires respect and obedience to the extent of its greatness. However, each human being has a capacity for respect and obedience particular to him/herself; he/she cannot go beyond this but as we cannot know the limits of our own capacity, we must try to revere and obey God as His being God requires us to do to the utmost of our capacity.

3 – This verse explains how people can be saved from the enmity of their spouses or children and be successful in the trial of their worldly possessions and children.


Taken from the book: The Qur’an with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English by Ali Unal

I believe it wasn't a coincidence

Anakku Sazali dengarlah

Lagu yang ayahanda karangi

Sifatkan laguku hai anak

Sebagai sahabatmu nanti

Anakku Sazali juwita

Laguku jadikan pelita

Penyuluh di gelap gelita

Pemandu ke puncak bahagia

Dendang Perantau

Di tepian mandi
Danauku hijau yang damai selalu

The morning wind today was cooling. It was gentle - sufficiently gentle. Grey. Blue. Dull. Dim. I sat down on the kitchen floor, back against the cabinet. There is something special about being close to the ground.

It's the late afternoon now. I see two yellow mynas chasing each other. There's a butterfly with a pair of soft lime wings in front of my window. How lovely. The sun seems a little special today. But the leaves aren't moving. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

My heart is still today.

Ramadhan has been still thus far.

I hope to be understood.

I shall be grateful for these unique blessings.

Unconditional

Feast on the contentment found in the value of goodness.

The senses are not genuine seekers

وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَىٰ مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِّنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ ۚ وَرِزْقُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ

"And do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to [some] categories of them, [its being but] the splendor of worldly life by which We test them. And the provision of your Lord is better and more enduring." [20:131]