Intellijunkt || Commentary

Gandaghee-Halal Mixtape Vol.1

2008-06-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

Surah Ad-Dukhan (recitation by Sh Ibrahim Al Jibreen)

2008-06-13T22:51:00.000-07:00

Sh Ibrahim Al Jibreen is one of my most favourite recitors. I really like this clip because it includes the meaning of the Surah too. Deep stuff!

Of particular interest:

v.38 We created not the heavens, the earth, and all between them, merely in (idle) sport.

v.39 We created them not except for just ends: but most of them do not know.

In v.39, the word 'illa' is used. Loosely translated, it means 'except not', like when you say 'I like all fruits except (not) mango'. It negates, but I think the intensity of this negation is lost in the translation because I remember a shaykh saying 'illa' is a really strong negation in Arabic. So like if you say 'except and ONLY except'. People don't develop strong feelings about their dislike for fruits, so my example was a really bad one but you get the gist. Allah SWT uses 'illa' also when He (SWT) declares 'Verily We have not created jinn and insan(mankind) except (and only except) that they may worship Me'. Emphasis on 'except' because linguistically, its an exception in a really strong way, to indicate that we were created ONLY for that purpose--and everything else we do outside of this, is pointless. Obviously this doesn't mean we have to stop doing everything we do, but rather we need to direct all our actions towards that one purpose: we're doing it for the sake of Allah (SWT). I'm going off on a tangent here but you know what I mean.

So anyway, back to v39, which I think is quite interesting because Allah SWT declares that surely the heavens and the earth were not created except for a Just purpose. And then also, I remember reading a particular verse in Surah Al-Imran where Allah SWT describes the men of understanding as those who declare "Our Lord! You have not created all this without a purpose; so Glory be to You!'' (v.191, Surah Al-Imran).

I wonder what it means to have a 'Just purpose', or for something to be created 'in Truth'? Like what does it really mean? That everything in the universe is in perfect design and proportion? Or something more than just the physical dimensions?

Cyanide & Happiness

2008-06-09T03:32:00.000-07:00

George Galloway refutes Barack Obama

2008-06-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

...but I still think he's the better candidate.

2008-05-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

Intelligent Faith: The Role of Reason & Intellect in Islam

2008-04-26T06:29:00.000-07:00

By Abu Ammar Yasir Qadhi

I wish...

2008-04-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

that Rugs-A-Million would just close down without having a closing-down sale.

2008-04-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

I'm going hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooome.
And I'm gonna make choc-ripple-dessertttttttttt.
Hrrm..
Back to cramming before long weekend.

Ooh our anatomy lecturer, Prof. Eisenberg, said something relatively funny today. He has a reputation for making his lectures (essentially) an advertising campaign for his book '@natomedi@'. 8 o'clock in the morning, its not always nice. Anyway so he was going on about how everyone in his family is either a GP or a physiotherapist. Then he said ''Now you might think I'm leaving the dentists out but that's not true... I just found out...my dentist's mother...and my mother...were both mothers.
..so we're all inter-related."

Hah such wit.

AAIC 2008 Conference Lecture

2008-04-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

Speaker: Shaykh Abdul Hakim Quick

"Audacity of Hope"

(This was the first lecture from a series of lectures given by Shaykh Abdul Hakim Quick at the AAIC. The other videos have not yet been uploaded. If and when they are uploaded, I will put them up here too inshaAllah.)

2008 AAIC Conference Conclusions

2008-04-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

(as outlined by Mercy Mission Org)
1. That Muslims should remain in Australia, and should contribute to the development of
Australian society.

2. That we must establish a Vision for Australian Muslims that is SMART (specific, measurable,
achievable, realistic, and timely).

3. That Muslims should organise think tanks to research and develop solutions that address our
current situation.

4. That Muslims must aim to achieve healthy integration, and must aim to be contributing
citizens of their society.

5. That Muslims must aim to achieve intra-Sunni unity, and must cooperate with all groups on
matters of mutual concern.

6. That Muslims should seek to establish effective leadership that is reflective of the diversity and needs of the broader Muslim community, and that such leadership should incorporate proper reference to appropriate religious bodies and councils of scholars for consultation and spiritual leadership.

7. That the Muslim community must try to cater for and develop the youth, by providing various youth services including leadership, mentoring, and training, and by providing appropriate role models for the youth to emulate in various aspects of life.

8. That the Muslim community should focus on empowerment through all forms of education,
whether that be secular or religious, and that Muslims should support and aim to achieve higher levels of scholarship in society.

9. That the achievement of self sufficiency and self-reliance in social services by 2020 should be a primary aim for the Muslims community.

10. That Muslims should increase their political awareness and should more fully engage with the political process, so that focus is brought to the particular needs and views of the Australian
Muslim community. That Muslims should seek to identify appropriate spokespersons that can
adequately present their views in the public domain. And that Muslims should seek to take a
more proactive approach in relation to engaging with the media so that misconceptions are
addressed, and so that Islam and Muslims are fairly represented.

Something to think about...

2008-04-17T03:58:00.000-07:00

The graph below compares Israeli vs Palestinian casualties since 2001.

Someone once said to me that the Israeli/Palestinian conflict can't be referred to as a 'war' because a war is defined as a military struggle between two equal powers; and clearly, in this case, there is vast inequality...

Hat tip: MR

2008-04-07T05:28:00.000-07:00

I know there's no ''I'' in team work, but if you re-arrange the letters, you get:

''me at work''

That's my insightful observation for the day.

On a completely different note, what does a person have to do to get some halal gummy bears around here?

Today I made what may easily be classified as the most divine choc-cream-thingo I have ever tasted. Well technically, I have tasted it before--twice at my friend's house. Anything choc flavoured with cream--you can't go wrong mate! Im going to make it when I get home!!

I am sooo behind in my studies! Its really not cool any more. In fact, it stopped being cool after orientation week. Me and Mervz sat in the library on friday and made a whole heap of pledges to ourselves after that mid-sem test(such as: will not waste time; will take good notes; will consolidate topics covered everyday when at home; will catch up on HP and PBL tutes). And then we went off to celebrate our pledge-making-ritual by walking around campus for hours.

Cannot wait until June when I'll be home! I miss home-food! I miss family! I actually pledged to myself I'll never boss Nuz/Taj around again. I even promised myself I'll do all the vaccume cleaning at home! :O

I miss all the weekend dawats too :(!

I have a clinical placement this Thursday. I have very little idea what I'm supposed to do there actually.

Ok gotta go catch up on PBL case study. Refuse to make up imaginary physiological functions for enzymes any longer. I'm going to do some real research!

Wikipedia is a lifesaver.

2008-03-30T04:24:00.000-07:00

2008 Annual Australian Islamic Conference Part 1

2008-03-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

List of speakers for this year’s conference included:
- Sh Abdul Hakim Quick
- Proffessor Jamal Badawi
- Sh Tawfique Chowdhury
- Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammad
- Sh Shady Alsuleiman
as well as local community representatives and leaders from Islamic organisations.

The Theme:
2020: Australian Muslims Defining Their Future

The conference focused on issues of leadership, youth engagement, empowerment of the Muslim Ummah, re-defining the role of Australian Muslims, integration, economic activism and social revival, spiritual leadership, our priorities in a global Ummah, community initiatives, and learning from our past!

I will try to put up my notes on the lectures and workshops I was able to attend, inshaAllah, in the hope that we may all benefit from it. The conference really was an eye-opener for everyone that attended. I hope Mercy Mission can continue this initiative every year as it is of great benefit for the Muslim community here and elsewhere. I cannot emphasize enough on how important it is that we support the works of organisations such as Mercy Mission because the amount of time, money and effort that goes into organising events of this scale is tremendous, and the dedication of the volunteers there is incredible! SubhanAllah!!

2008-03-18T02:31:00.000-07:00

My gawd. What I did in there today. The load of absolute rubbish I made up in PBL Tutorial. About G6PD enzymes.
It should be a sin assigning made-up functions to enzymes.
No seriously.

2008-03-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

2008-03-11T00:31:00.000-07:00

Heyo good luck for upcoming exams! May Allah SWT make it easy for you, and grant you success in this life. Here are a couple of duas I thought I might put up. Hat tip to Hahmed.

DUA BEFORE STUDYING

Allahumma infa’nii bimaa ‘allamtanii wa’allimnii maa yanfa’ unii.

O Allah ! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me.

Allahumma inii as’aluka fahmal-nabiyyen wa hifthal mursaleen al-muqarrabeen.

O Allah ! I ask You for the understanding of the prophets and the memory of the messengers, and those nearest to You.

Allahumma ijal leesanee ‘amiran bi thikrika wa qalbi bi khashyatika.

O Allah ! Make my tongue full of Your remembrance, and my heart with consciousness of You.

Innaka ‘ala ma-tasha’-u qadeer wa anta hasbun-allahu wa na’mal wakeel.

(O Allah !) You do whatever You wish, and You are my Availer and Protector and the best of aid.

DUA AFTER STUDYING

Allahhumma inni astaodeeuka ma qara’tu wama hafaz-tu. Faradduhu ‘allaya inda hagati elayhi.
O Allah ! I entrust You with what I have read and I have studied.

Innaka ‘ala ma-tasha’-u qadeer wa anta hasbeeya wa na’mal wakeel.
(O Allah !) Bring it back to me when I am in need of it. (O Allah !) You do whatever You wish, and You are my Availer and Protector and the best of aid.

DUA WHILE STUDYING SOMETHING DIFFICULT

Allahumma la sahla illama ja-’altahu sahla wa anta taj ‘alu al hazana etha shi’ta sahla
O Allah ! Nothing is easy except what You have made easy. If You wish, You can make the difficult easy.

DUA FOR ANXIETY

Allahumma inni a’oodhoo bika minal-hammi walhuzni, wal-’ajzi wal-kasali wal-bukhli wal-jubni, wa dal’id-dayni wa ghalabatir- rajaal
O Allah ! I seek refuge in You from anxietyand sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being oppressed by men.

DUA FOR DISTRESS

Allahumma rahmataka arjoo falaa takilnee ilaa nafsee tarfata ‘aynin wa aslih-lee sha’nee kullahu, laa ilaha illa anta

O Allah ! It is Your mercy that I hope for so do not leave me in charge of my affairs even for a blink of an eye and rectify for me all of my affairs. None has the right to be worshipped except You.

2008-03-09T03:51:00.000-07:00

You know when you're carrying a 5 kg biochem text book, a pencil case, a bag, a lunch box, your water bottle, an apple and a very tiny scarf pin? And then you drop the very -tiny-scarf-pin? So you bend to pick it up? And then drop everthing in turn? And then look up to see Tram 19 driving past?

It's times like these when you really wish you knew some German swear words...

2008 Annual Australian Islamic Conference

2008-03-09T01:37:00.000-08:00

"2020 - Australian Muslims Defining Their Future "

Speakers:

Professor Jamal Badawi

Abdul Hakim Quick

Sh Mohamed Hussein Yaqob

University of Melbourne

March 21st - March 23rd 2008

Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis

2008-03-06T05:15:00.000-08:00

Source: BBC News

A group of UK-based human rights and development organisations have called for fundamental policy changes towards the Gaza Strip by Israel, the international community and the West Bank-based Palestinian leadership.

Their report details what are calling the worst humanitarian crisis in the strip since Israel occupied it in the 1967 war.

The following are the main points in the report:

POVERTY LEVELS
More than 80% of Palestinians in Gaza rely on humanitarian assistance, with UN food aid going to about 1.1 million people - three quarters of the population.

The number of families dependant on the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) has increased tenfold since 1999.

Household monthly incomes dropped by 22% in less than four months (June-September 2007). The number of households earning less than $1.20 per person per day went from 55% to 70%.

The UN appeal for humanitarian aid in 2008 is $462m, more than twice the 2006 appeal and the third largest UN request after Sudan and Congo.

RESTRICTIONS ON MOVEMENT
Israel prevents the import of a list of specific essential humanitarian goods requested by aid agencies, including some fuel supplies, spare parts, cement, technical assistance and cotton for hygiene items.

Travel in and out of Gaza is all but impossible and supplies of food and water, as well as sewage treatment and basic healthcare can no longer be taken for granted. Food prices are rising and wheat flour, baby milk and cooking oil are increasingly scarce.

A joint Israeli-Palestinian agreement in November 2005 has not succeeded in allowing cross-border access and movement to bolster the Gazan economy.

On average 12 export trucks a day passed through Karni goods crossing during 2006 - a fraction of the intended number.

Supplies to Gaza, intended to be 250 trucks a day, are limited to 45 trucks a day.

ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

Most private businesses have shut down in the last six months and 95% of Gaza's industrial operations are suspended as a result of import and export restrictions. Unemployment is close to 40%.

Construction and agriculture have ground to a halt, 3,500 factories out of 3,900 have closed, causing 75,000 private sector job losses.

Gaza's agricultural sector has suffered from repeated Israeli incursions destroying fields and greenhouses. Israel insists that no crop is allowed to grow over 40cm high, limiting farmers to cash crops which are costly to produce and heavily reliant on accessible export markets.

The numbers of people working in Israel, 24,000 Gazans in 2000, has been reduced to zero.

UTILITIES

Israeli allows 2.2 million litres of EU-supplied industrial diesel per week, which is not enough to keep Gaza's main power plant operating at full capacity.

There is a 20% shortfall in electricity with implications for hospitals, sewage works, water supply and other public institutions.

Between 25-30% of the population of the Gaza Strip does not receive running water at home because electricity is not available for pumping. About 30-40 million litres of sewage flows untreated into the sea every day.

HEALTHCARE CRISIS
Hospitals experience power cuts for 8-12 hours a day and depend on generators to run basic facilities, although there is a shortage of diesel. Spare parts for generators are almost impossible to obtain.

Access to lifesaving treatment outside Gaza has become more necessary, but in December 2007 only 64% of applicants were given permits to leave the strip by Israel, leading to dozens of patient deaths.

CHILDREN
More than 56% of Gaza's population are children. Almost 2,000 pupils have dropped out of school this academic year.

School has been disrupted by electricity cuts; classes with high energy consumption such as IT have been cancelled; there is a shortage of textbooks and other resources.

A UN survey indicated 80% failure rates in most years and up to 90% failure rates in mathematics.

Director of the UN relief agency for Palestinian Refugees in Gaza, John Ging, said: "What we are seeing is the collapse of education standards due to the cumulative effects of the occupation, closures, poverty and violence."

SECURITY
Israel retains effective control of Gaza's land and sea borders and air space, and the movement of people and goods. As such it has obligations as an occupying power to ensure the welfare of the Palestinian population, the humanitarian agencies say.

They acknowledge Israel has an obligation to protect its citizens from rocket attacks from Gaza, but argue that the current strategy of isolating and blockading Gaza has not stopped rocket attacks.

Gazans' lives are mostly characterised by insecurity according to the agencies: military presence and attacks, extra-judicial assassinations, loss of land, restrictions on movement, lack of drinking water, unemployment, and barriers to healthcare and education.

Melbourne Fringe Festival 2008 Standup Comedy – Fear of Brown Planet

2008-03-05T22:44:00.000-08:00

MCCA, in conjunction with The Australian Multicultural Foundation, has organised a comedy show featuring; Nazeem Hussain (Salam Cafe, State Finalist Raw Comedy 2007), Mohammed El-leissy (State Finalist, Raw Comedy 2007) and Aamer Rahman (State Winner, National Runner-up Raw Comedy 2007) All proceeds to the NATIONAL INDIGENOUS YOUTH MOVEMENT and the FITZROY LEARNING NETWORK for refugees.

Date: March 20th - April 13th 2008

Venue: Trades Hall

Crn Lygon St and Victoria St

Carlton

Cost: TICKETS ON SALE NOW from Commedy at Trades

2008-03-05T22:31:00.000-08:00

I have the flu.

I should technically be spending my day doing the following:
1. Going over lecture notes
2. Figuring out what an endoplasmic reticulum actually does, rather than explain to Merve why 'reticulum' sounds a lot like the word 'ridiculous' if said in an indian accent.
3. Cleaning up
4. Folding the heap of clothes that currently presides over my chair, bed and floor.
5. Drinking orange juice.

I haven't written anything constructive for a while. Maybe I should...

Or not. whatever. i'm sick.

2008-03-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

Today commemorates the end...

of my Brainfart year.

Liminal Message

2008-03-02T04:46:00.000-08:00

It's like knowing my locker combinations
In the wrong order;
Or attempting to bake choc chip cookies
Without the choc or the chip
Or a recipe book.

It's like reading a sentence from my anatomy workbook
Ten times over
And smiling
Because what I'm thinking has nothing to do with anatomy.

Or attempting to write a poem
With no rhyming dictionary at hand
And no idea what the hell to write.

It's like knowing exactly what I mean
But noone else does.

Or finding myself at wits end
Trying to define define define
When its just all blury.
And I need glasses.

Or trying to make meaning
Out of Shakespeare's sonnets
When I know it contains
Not one coherent phrase.

It's like making a mental note
Or a budget
Or a study time table
Or a pledge
That I know I'll never keep.

Or going to the ends of the world
To find its not friggin' flat like they'd told you
But shaped like an over-sized ping pong ball
With no end

And going around and around it in circles
Because I have no idea where I'm going.
Or what I'm saying
Or atleast I know you don't.

2008-03-01T06:40:00.000-08:00

Howzz the dawat and why wasn't I invited?

Hadith Qudsi

2008-03-01T06:31:00.000-08:00

Hadith Qudsi are the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) as revealed to him by the Almighty Allah. Hadith Qudsi (or Sacred Hadith) are so named because, unlike the majority of Hadith which are Prophetic Hadith, their authority (Sanad) is traced back not to the Prophet but to the Almighty.

~~~

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (RA), who said that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:

When Allah decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with Him: My mercy prevails over my wrath.

Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).

On the authority of Uqbah ibn Amir (RA), who said:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (SAW) say: Your Lord delights at a shepherd who, on the peak of a mountain crag, gives the call to prayer and prays. Then Allah (glorified and exalted be He) says:
Look at this servant of Mine, he gives the call to prayer and performs the prayers; he is in awe of Me. I have forgiven My servant [his sins] and have admitted him to Paradise.

Related by an-Nasa'i with a good chain of authorities

On the authority of Abu Harayrah (RA) from the Prophet (SAW), who said:

Allah (SWT) says: The first of his actions for which a servant of Allah will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayers. If they are in order, then he will have prospered and succeeded: and if they are wanting, then he will have failed and lost. If there is something defective in his obligatory prayers, the Lord (glorified and exalted be He) will say: See if My servant has any supererogatory prayers with which may be completed that which was defective in his obligatory prayers. Then the rest of his actions will be judged in like fashion.

At-Tirmidhi (also by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Ahmad).

On the authority of Abu Harayrah (RA), who said that the Prophet (SAW) said:

Allah the Almighty said: I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assemble better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.

Al-Buhkari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn-Majah).

2008-03-01T06:17:00.000-08:00

On the authority of Abu Harayrah (RA) from the Prophet (SAW), who said:

Allah (glorified and exalted be He) has supernumerary angels who rove about seeking out gatherings in Allah's name is being invoked: they sit with them and fold their wings round each other, fillin that which is between them and between the lowest heaven.

When [the people in the gathering] depart, [the angels] ascend and rise up to heaven.

Then Allah (mighty and sublime be He) asks them - [though] He is most knowing about them: From where have you come?

And they say: We have come from some servants of Yours on Earth: they were glorifying You (Subhana llah), exalting you (Allahu akbar), witnessing that there is no god but You (La ilaha illa llah), praising You (Al-Hamdu lillah), and asking [favours] of You.

He (SWT) says: And what do they ask of Me?

They say: They ask of You Your Paradise.

He (SWT) says: And have they seen My Paradise?

They say: No, O Lord.

He(SWT) says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Paradise!

They say: And they ask protection of You.

He (SWT) says: From what do they ask protection of Me?

They say: From Your Hell-fire, O Lord.

He (SWT) says: And have they seen My Hell-fire?

They say: NO.

He (SWT) says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Hell-fire.

They say: And they ask for Your forgiveness.

Then He (SWT) says: I have forgiven them and I have bestowed upon them what they have asked for,and I have granted them sanctuary from that from which they asked protection.

They say: O Lord, among then is So-and-so, a much sinning servant, who was merely passing by and sat down with them.

And He (SWT) says: And to him [too] I have given forgiveness: he who sits with such people shall not suffer.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, at-Tirmidhi, and an-Nasa'i).

2008-02-29T15:56:00.000-08:00

In chronological order:
8.00 am : Woke up

8.01 am : Had an epiphany about ''lack-of-swamp-problem'' in Parkville.

8. 02 am : Realised above-mentioned epiphany very far-fetched and should really just wake up and get ready for 10 o'clock lecture about 'Life as Medical Student' followed closely by 11 o'clock lecture about 'Life as Doctor'. Mind-numbingly boring, some parts. Would rather sit around watching blank 'Comments' page on blog. ...oh wait...do that already.

8.15 am : Still thinking about future-founder& el-presidente of the SAS (Swamp Appreciation Society)

8.17 am : Mentally tell self off for being so distracted and dazed, and having such short attention span.

8.19 am : Make mental note to never think of swamp-related issues and/or persons ever again 8. 24 am : ....mmmm.....swamps.....pink envelop makers...

8.30 am : Wake up. Wash face etc...Eat breakfast. Get ready.

9. 17 am : Leave the house

9. 19 am : Miss the bus

9. 30 am : Bus arrives. Didnt miss it after all!

9.40 am : Change to a tram. Currently self's favourite mode of transport

10. 00 am: At uni melb.

LECTURE/Info session/ etc...

1.30 pm: Went for Jumah prayer. Met interesting sister doing psychology who moved here with her bro from Canada . Or something along those lines. Reminded me of someone else who has a sister and who should move here and bring his sister/s with him too.

2.00 pm: Me and Merve (ohh have to write a whole post on this girl too!! She's doing med with me. Turkish. And I like turkish food. Coincidence? I-think-not! And she's uber-cool!!?!) went down to DFO (direct factory outlet) for shoppingg!!

3.30 pm: Went grocery shopping for first time in self's life (alone). Bought all sorts of things so self can get started cooking her way through med school. Merve is the best shopping partner and/or financial advisor to have around, who closely checks the price and value of all goods purchased. Considering self's limited budget, a valuable companion indeed.

5.30 pm: Realised several things at this stage:
(a) Self overspent
(b) Bought waay too much stuff to carry home via tram

5.31 pm: Merve calls her sister to drive to woolworths and pick us up. And drop us home

Currently: Looking up easy recipes on the net so can experiment with cooking this weekend! I'm finding this 'living-away' thing a hell lot of fun. However, miss talking to mum. And miss perthian friends. But that's pretty much the only downside so far. Too early to tell, though. InshaAllah, hope everything goes smoothly. Uni officially starts on monday. Bought lecture notes. Haven't had a look through tho. Will leave that till last possible minute.

Intellijunkt way of saying things

2008-02-29T00:45:00.000-08:00

Cannot believe some people get PDA's as B'day presents.
Said-people should use such-like presents to do something useful.
Examples of useful things include:
a) Starting a blog
b) Actually writing stuff on it
c) Stuff.

2008-02-26T21:31:00.001-08:00

List of things to do:
1. Make a budget
2. Stick to it.
3. Make a list of all the important things I need to do but cant remember now

List of things NOT to do:
1. Check blog every 3 minutes
2. Check SKW-related-posts on alternate 3 minute intervals
3. Think SK in general.
4. Re-re-read previous SK posts for no reason.

In conclusion, I need to go get a life.

2008-02-26T04:05:00.000-08:00

I need a new (inconspicuous) envelope!

2008-02-22T17:49:00.000-08:00

Hey y'aaaalllll. I dont know why I want to sound texan all of a sudden, but I felt like saying it, and its a free country. Ok so here's the *long-awaited-by-noone-in-particular* update:

1. I'm in smellbourne! And I want to say something intelligent here, like 'It is the only city in the world that has bourne at the end of it' or 'Trams in melbourne are the oldest most sophisticated mode of travel in the whole wide world'...but I can't, because then I'd be making up stuff. And surely, lying is haram and frowned upon in normal society.

2. I want to throw in some sort of stats/interesting-fact about trams, but I can't , on account of too-much-effort. But I will say this: I am OBSESSED with trams; because, truly, they are wonder-amazing and the best mode of travel in the whole wide world.

3. I have been to Lygon street which has just about the best Italian food in the world! They have these cute little coffee shops and book shops; and book shops in coffee shops; and coffee shops in book shops.
All of the above are just fantastic!

4. Melbourne Uni is massive.

5. I met up with my friend Khadra, who is this impulsive shopper! We both decided she needs retail rehab. When I'm around her, I realise I need to buy ALL these things that I never had a use for, for the last 2 decades of my life. When we were shopping around, all of a sudden I realised I really really needed cotton sleeping wear. So I ended up buying them. And then I came home and realised I dont even wear 3-quarters...

6. The fact that I'm on a tight budget isn't helping matters much. I need to know how to budget my *very limited* income.

7. I need to get myself one of those...job...thingies.

8. I miss everyone back home!! A lot. Times infinity. Plus one. I get distracted every now and then, but every now and then I remember I'm in a new city, all by myself, with no one....and then a tram would just drive by and I'd forget what I was thinking...
But it happens. A lot!! :P

I.C. Endorses the Following Event:

2008-02-18T18:43:00.000-08:00

I think you should go...

To-Do-List

2008-02-18T16:44:00.001-08:00

Ok my flights in 14 hours and here's what I need to do before then:
1. PACK. Or atleast start to.
2. Call up some people before I leave
3. Put clothes out to dry
4. Iron above-mentioned dry clothes
5. Sort out enrolment paper work--what to take etc.
6. Figure out where I put all my HECS papers
7. Clean up the house on account of people coming in 3 hours' time
8. Save the ozone layer and make poverty history.
9. Ban BIG BROTHER and such-like reality TV shows off TV.
10. Remember to remember all things I forgot to list so far.

Then I'm done.

2008-01-24T06:10:00.000-08:00

I want to start my own chewing-gum line. It's called BARAKAH GUM. It has the longest lasting flavour. When shared.

Heath Ledger...Muslim??

2008-01-23T03:44:00.000-08:00

Nope.

This is a post intended to clarify an important point to the whole of the Muslim World: Just because a celebrity may suffer from drug abuse/overdose and/or die from such-related illnesses and/or find they have lost track of their lives, does NOT imply that they will be/have become/are secret-imaginary converts to Islam. Examples include: Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, and others.

2008-01-17T06:58:00.000-08:00

"Not always do our plans materialize; not always do our expectations fetch congruous results; not always do our efforts bear fruit. And then, at times we are faced with staggering circumstances: a handicapped child is born, a person dies in the prime of his youth, a flourishing business suddenly runs into great losses, a young lady becomes a widow, cruel relatives deprive their blood relations from even the basic necessities of life. The list of course is unending.

The result of all this more often than not is quite predictable: depression, continued sorrow and sometimes severe anger and rage. The unexpected brings out from within us reactions which cross limits.

The Qur’an says that there may be various reasons for such untoward circumstances. While explaining one of them it says:

And sometimes you dislike a thing and [in reality] there is great welfare for you in it and sometimes you like a thing and [in reality] there is great harm for you in it. Allah knows and you know not. (2:216)

It is thus expected of a Muslim to submit to the Almighty in all circumstances with the belief that whatever has happened was best for him. We cannot always grasp the profundity of the Almighty’s wisdom. Time, however, often tells how the ‘untoward’ happening actually positively influences the course of our life. So instead of becoming upset and frustrated we must resign to his will and wait to see how things ultimately take shape.

In short, ‘all is well even if does not seem to end well’."

Source:Studying-Islam.org

"A Land Called Paradise"--The Unofficial Video directed by Lena Khan

2008-01-06T03:14:00.000-08:00

Absolutely amazing! Fantastic! I loved it!!

2007-12-31T17:27:00.000-08:00

Like, seriously?

"Cyanide & Happiness" from explosm.net

2007-12-20T19:53:00.001-08:00

2007-12-19T21:21:00.000-08:00

There are basically three categories of people in the world:
CATEGORY A: Those who do not know the truth.
CATEGORY B: Those who know the truth and embrace it.
CATEGORY C: Those who know (or atleast has a clue) regarding the truth but do not embrace it ( ie clue and/or partial knowledge of truth).

Which category am I?

2007-12-16T08:27:00.000-08:00

There's this islamic studies class on fiqh, tafsir and other aspects of Islamic studies hosted by a sister who is a scholar on traditional Islamic sciences. Its in/near Canning Vale. Classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays I think. I'm gonna try and ring her up to find out if I can attend (i shud b able to). I really think we need a regular class to go to if we want to learn more about Islam. I mean going to one-off lectures is all good, but its more important to have a regular sort of a commitment. Plus I was thinking the other day that if I died tomorrow, I have a feeling I wouldn't go to heaven straight off because I havent done much for the Akhirah. So now if I go to an Islamic studies class, atleast I can put that on my 'After-life-CV'. If you know what I mean.

It's 1 am at the moment. I should really be sleeping, but we've just had a dinner party and I don't feel like sleeping. Some ridiculously-annoying thing happened and I cant sleep. What's more annoying is that, I'm more annoyed at 'the annoying thing' getting to me, than the annoying thing in itself. Annoying things. Dont like 'em one bit.

I've started reading Lord of the Rings. Mostly because I do not, as of yet, have a life. And partly because I dont get the movie and I want to find out more about it. Which, again, proves further that I currently do not have a life. No life, although can get a little mind-numbingly-boring, is extreme fun however!

I need inspiration. Wish you could just forward 'inspirations' to people through emails. Like send inspiration to 15 people and you'll go to heaven the next day. Something like that would totally work for me.

Smartrider

2007-11-30T08:14:00.000-08:00

Everyone has a Smartrider these days. Even orange-robed Buddhist monks who dont believe in public transport and/or technological advancement without spiritual fulfillment. And I'm stuck buying standard zone 2 tickets. I'm not saying life is unfair or anything, but I really do feel disadvantaged/underpriviledged/neglected/backwards as I do not currently own a Smartrider.

Facts and Figures

2007-11-30T07:56:00.000-08:00

Tons of food produced this year: 2,308,885

Underweight kids right now: 180,000,000

Number of hungry people right now: 273,750,000

Number of people who died of hunger today: 1,171

Dollars spent on dieting in the US this year: 31,112,353,623

Number of people with no access to safe drinking water: 1,452,757,265

US spending on perfumes ($ US millions) this year: 4,387

2007-11-29T05:51:00.000-08:00

I've started volunteering at a local hospital recently, and my co-ordinator told me something that made me realize how alone we are in this world, despite the over-population problems affecting the world. She said that when working in the wards, there'll be patients who'll stop you on the corridors just to have a chat because they have no one to talk to. No relatives who visit. No friends who just drop by to see how they're going. Basically, no one care's about this person enough to allocate just a small amount of time for them, to listen.

There are what, like 6.6 billion people in this world. 211,090 new people are being born into this world every day. 261 children are being born this very minute. Then how ironic is it, to realize that there are many people out there who lead lives as if they live on the loneliest most secluded island, in the farthest end of the seven great seas, with no one to talk to, no one to hear them out.

Geographical isolation is bad, but mental isolation is the worst.

AND YET...

Over 2200 die in Bangladesh cyclone

2007-11-18T06:24:00.000-08:00

The death toll from a cyclone that devastated Bangladesh has surpassed 2,200, officials said Sunday, while rescuers struggled through blocked paths to reach hundreds of thousands of survivors awaiting aid in wrecked homes and flooded fields.

At least 2,206 people have died since the storm struck Bangladesh on Thursday, said Selina Shahid of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management. The toll could rise still higher as more information comes in from battered regions.

At least 1.5 million coastal villagers had fled to shelters where they were given emergency rations, said senior government official Ali Imam Majumder in the capital, Dhaka.
The worst-hit area was Bagerhat district, where 610 people died, said Ashraful Zaman, an official at a cyclone monitoring center in Dhaka.

"We have seen more bodies floating in the sea," fisherman Zakir Hossain from the country's southwest said, after reaching shore with two decomposing bodies he and other fishermen had found on their way.

Sidr's 150 mph winds smashed tens of thousands of homes Thursday in southwestern Bangladesh and ruined crops just before the harvest season. Ferries were flung ashore like toy boats. Aid organizations said they feared food shortages and contaminated water could lead to widespread problems if people remain stranded. An estimated 2.7 million people were affected and 773,000 houses were damaged, according to the Ministry of Disaster Management. Roughly 250,000 cattle and poultry perished, and crops were destroyed along huge swaths of land.
The government said it has allocated $5.2 million in emergency aid for rebuilding houses.

The U.S. government has provided $2.1 million in initial emergency relief, White House press secretary Dana Perino said, noting that President Bush offered condolences to victims. The United Nations released $7 million, while the German government offered $731,000. The European Union released $2.2 million, and British officials said they would give $5 million.
The Rome-based World Food Program was rushing in food, and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society was sending thousands of workers to stricken areas.

2007-11-15T19:45:00.000-08:00

Do people think that they will be left (at ease) only on their saying, "We believe" and will not be put to any test?

[Holy Qur'an 29:2]

2007-11-14T19:17:00.000-08:00

السَّمَاء مُنفَطِرٌ بِهِ كَانَ وَعْدُهُ مَفْعُولًا (١٨) إِنَّ هَذِهِ تَذْكِرَةٌ فَمَن شَاء اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ سَبِيلًا (١٩) إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَى مِن ثُلُثَيِ اللَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ مَعَكَ وَاللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْرَؤُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرْضَى وَآخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَآخَرُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَاقْرَؤُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًا وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (٢٠)

(18) Whereon the sky will be cleft asunder? His Promise needs must be accomplished. (19) Verily this is an Admonition: therefore, whoso will, let him take a (straight) path to his Lord! (20) Thy Lord doth know that thou standest forth (to prayer) nigh two-thirds of the night, or half the night, or a third of the night, and so doth a party of those with thee. But Allah doth appoint night and day in due measure He knoweth that ye are unable to keep count thereof. So He hath turned to you (in mercy); read ye, therefore, of the Qur'an as much as may be easy for you. He knoweth that there may be (some) among you in ill-health; others travelling through the land, seeking of Allah's bounty; yet others fighting in Allah's Cause, read ye, therefore, as much of the Qur'an as may be easy (for you); and establish regular Prayer and give regular Charity; and loan to Allah a Beautiful Loan. And whatever good ye send forth for your souls ye shall find it in Allah's Presence,- yea, better and greater, in Reward and seek ye the Grace of Allah, for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
(Al-Muzzammil: 18 - 20)

In Perspective: Islam and the World

2007-11-11T16:56:00.000-08:00

The Prophet of Islam(saw) came with his message at a time when mankind had reached almost the last stage of misery and wretchedness. To relieve humanity of its privations was beyond those who were, at that time, the over-lords of life. (Romans and Persians) They had neither the vision nor the normal courage nor even the desire to undertake such a task. Luxurious living had sapped their energies and greed and avarice had undermined their courage.

The Prophet (saw) was ordained at a time, when the Romans and the Persians who shared power in the world, had become useless and had neither the moral courage to risk the comforts of their life nor the stamina to face the trials and hardships of the struggle for humanity at large. They could not give up even a small portion of the luxuries with which they had surrounded themselves. Such people were scarce among them who by controlling their physical appetites and instincts, greed and avarice, liberate themselves from the bondage of luxurious living and lead a more purposive life.

For such a cause a different people were chosen by God. The Arabs were chosen to be the companions and followers of the Prophet (saw). These people were filled with spirit of dedication and renunciation and prepared themselves to sacrifice all that they possessed in meeting the great trials that faced them in fulfilling the mission. The artificialities of sophisticated culture and luxurious living could not lure, nor worldly pomp and show, charm them. They were rich because they knew CONTENTMENT; they were wise because they knew the HIGHER values of life.

The Prophet (saw) himself faced, in full measure, trials and hardships, privations and dangers in carrying mission. Worldly success with all its allurements could cast no spell on him nor could any power on earth could make him deviate from his path. The choicest gifts of life like political power and supremacy, wealth and luxury which could tempt the heart of any man were offered to him, while he was still a young man, by the Quraish. Again when, on the insistence of the Quraish, his own uncle tried to dissuade him from his mission, he said “O My uncle, I swear by God that if the Quraish put the sun in my right hand and moon in my left, I will not give up my mission till it prevails or I perish in my efforts."

Source: "Islam and the World" by Sheikh Abul Hassan Ali Nadwi.

My Very First Intellijunkt Theory

2007-11-10T17:27:00.000-08:00

I have a theory. A hypothesis, more like. And that hypothesis is, as follows:

"People who have reeeaally l - o - n - g 'About Me' sections in their profile are either:

(a) really sure of themselves

(b) have no idea who they are"

2007-11-09T20:21:00.000-08:00

The PM declared early this week that he was sorry for the rise in interest rates.
We’ve been asking him to say sorry for the subjugation of Indigenous communities for years now. We keep getting no response.

2007-11-02T03:48:00.001-07:00

"Last week Microsoft invested $US240 million for a 1 per cent share in the social networking site, Facebook."

2007-10-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

" If Allah helps you, none can overcome you: If He forsakes you, who is there, after that, that can help you? In Allah, then, Let believers put their trust."

(Holy Qur'an 3:160)

Too often we lose perspective in life.

Insecurities, and self-doubt lead us to a state of despair and hopelessness.

And we forget that Allah is the Creator of all things, and that He is the Guardian and Disposer of all affairs.

It's imporant to realize that when we face an obstacle in life, we should face it with courage, determination and confidence. Confidence is the key to success. And confidence can only be achieved if we put our trust in Allah SWT, and say: "For us Allah sufficeth, and He is the best disposer of affairs." (Holy Qur'an 3:173)

"...And in Allah should the faithful (ever) put their trust"

(Holy Qur'an 3:122)

Who Wants To Be An MSA President?

2007-10-25T04:24:00.000-07:00

A Sense of Scale

2007-10-24T02:48:00.001-07:00

It would take a person longer than the age of the universe to count the atoms in a single grain of sand ...

2007-10-20T06:29:00.000-07:00

Here's something about Dumbledore Harry didnt know...

2007-10-19T06:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a post that I could read over and over again and be all 'oh-my-gawwd-like-how-beautiful' every time! Humairah from Health, Wealth & All That Wisdom writes:

It's the end of the month. We have prayed, we have enjoyed, we have struggled and we have been patient. We've done a bit of everything.What now? Know that Allah has witnessed everything you did, and He, subhana wa ta'ala, tells us in the Qur'an what to continue doing, in Surah Muzammil:

Verily, your Lord knows that you do stand [in prayer at night] a little less than two-thirds of the night, or one-half of it, or a third of it, and also a party of those with you. And Allah measures the night and the day. He knows that you are unable to pray the whole night so He has turned to you in mercy.

So recite you of the Qur’an as much as is easy for you.
He knows that there will be some among you sick, other's travelling through the land, seeking of Allah's bounty, yet others fighting in Allah's cause. So recite as much of the Qur’an as may be easy for you, and perform Salah, and give Zakah, and lend to Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good deed you may offer up in your own behalf, you shall truly find it with Allah-better and richer in reward.And [always] seek forgiveness of Allah.Verily, Allah is much-forgiving, Most Merciful! [73:20]

How do you know, if you are on the path of struggle? How do you know that you are "passing" the trials and tribulations of this dunya? Or, how do you make sure that your actions will definitely lead to success and the attainment of Paradise? The answer is in Surah Balad.

And what could make thee conceive what it is, that steep uphill road? - The Path of struggle [90:12]

- [It is] the freeing of one's neck [from the burden of sin] /slave[90:13]

- or the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger, [90:14]

- of an orphan near of kin, [90:15]

- or of a needy [stranger] lying in the dust – [90:16]

- and being, withal, of those who have attained to faith, and whoenjoin upon one another patience in adversity, and enjoin upon one another compassion. [90:17]

- Such are they that have attained to righteousness; whereas those who are bent on denying the truth of Our messages – they are such as have lost themselves in evil, [with] fire closing in upon them. [90:18-20]

May Allah (swt) forgive us, and accept from us, and make us witness another Ramadan.

'Ameen.

10 Little Expenses That Add Up Fast!

2007-10-19T06:30:00.001-07:00

Source: MSN-money

It's easy to fritter away money on little daily expenses. If you fall into these money traps, learn to avoid them and pocket the savings.

Coffee: According to the National Coffee Association, the average price for a cup of brewed coffee is $1.38. There are roughly 260 weekdays per year, so buying one coffee every weekday morning costs almost $360 per year.

Cigarettes: The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids reports that the average price for a pack of cigarettes in the United States is $4.54. Pack-a-day smokers fork out $1,650 a year. Weekend smoker? Buying a pack once a week adds up, too: $236.

Alcohol: Drink prices vary based on the location. But assuming an average of $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to $3,650 per year. Figure twice that for two mixed drinks a day at the local bar. That's not chump change.

Bottled water from convenience stores: A 20-ounce bottle of Aquafina bottled water costs about $1. One bottle of water per day costs $365 per year. It costs the environment plenty, too.

Manicures: The Day Spa Magazine Price Survey of 2004 found that the average cost of a manicure is $20.53. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,068 per year.

Car washes: The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58, according to Costhelper.com. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 per year.

Weekday lunches out: $9 will generally cover a decent lunch most workdays. If you buy, rather than pack, a lunch five days a week for one year, you shell out about $2,340 a year.

Vending-machines snacks: The average vending machine snack costs $1. Buy a pack of cookies every afternoon at work and pay $260 per year.

Interest charges on credit card bills: According to a survey released at the end of May, the median amount of credit card debt carried by Americans is $6,600. The average interest rate on a standard card is about 13%. Making the minimum payment each month, it will take 250 months (almost 21 years) to pay off the debt and cost $4,868 in interest. Ouch!

Unused gym memberships: Costhelper.com reports that the monthly service fee at gyms averages between $35 and $40. At $40 per month, an unused gym membership runs $480 per year.

Something to think about ...

2007-10-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

“Do they see not that they are tried once or twice in every year? But still they do not turn back. They do not pay heed.”

(Qur’an, 9:126)

(The picture's completely irrelevant, but pretty. It's where I plan to go when I get shunned from society for not having a myspace account. )

Eid Mubarak Y'all!

2007-10-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

Eid Mubarak Y'alllll!! I probably could never get away with saying "y'all" in real life but what the hey, you only live once. May Allah SWT accept our prayers, forgive our sins, and grant us success in this life and in the akhirah. Hope y'all had a spiritually-uplifting month of Ramadan and looking forward to a prosperous post-ramadan-era of the year! Also hope y'all the best in keeping your post-ramadan-resolutions and pledges. Have a fantastic Eid, and wish your mum Eid Mubarak for me.

---

It had been the practice of the Prophet(SAW) that he would not sleep in the night preceding the day of Eid-ul-fitr. This night has been named in a Hadith as the Night of Reward (Lailatul Jaiza). Almighty bestows his rewards on those who have spent the month of Ramadan abiding by the dictates of Shari'ah, and all their prayers in this night are accepted. Therefore, it is desirable to perform nafl prayers in this night. The Prophet(SAW) is reported to have said:

"Whoever stands up (in worship) in the nights preceding the two Eids expecting rewards from his Lord, his heart will not die when the other hearts will die. "(Ibn Majah)

Islam has prescribed a simple yet graceful way to observe the happy day. First of all, it is mandatory on all the well-off Muslims to start their day by paying "Sadaqat-ul-fitr" to the poor of their society, so that they, too, may enjoy the day along with others, and may not be worried for earning their livelihood at least on that day of happiness.

After paying the "Sadaqat-ul-fitr", the Muslims are required to proceed to an open place where they can offer the Eid prayer collectively. In this way, they are supposed to present themselves before their Creator and offer two rak'ats of this special type of Salah, which makes them receive blessings from Allah and start their celebration by these divine blessings.After the Salah also, they are supposed to rejoice the day in a responsible manner, without violating the limits prescribed for them and never indulging in the acts prohibited by Allah.

Source: Shawwal- What to Do On Eid Night, Eid Day, and During the Month

2007-10-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

You know when you go shopping to buy a gift for a friend?
And then you decide you'll get her something from the jewellery store?
And you think it'd be really nice if you got her a little necklace?
With the first letter from her name, as a pendant?
You notice that all the vowels are on sale and the 'X's and 'W's are half-price?
So you get her a 'W' pendant?

And, well, her name is 'Safiyah'?
Yeah thats like me all the time...

‘The Guardian’ claims Venter has created artificial life. Has he?

2007-10-08T19:04:00.001-07:00

According to a Saturday, October 6, 2007 article in the British newspaper ‘The Guardian,’ American scientist Craig Venter has made a synthetic chromosome and will announce his discovery within a few weeks. A spokesperson for Venter does not confirm the story.

2007-10-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

"For truly with hardship comes ease; truly with hardship comes ease."
(Holy Qur'an, 94:5-6)

"(...) If there are a hundred of you who are steadfast, they will overcome two hundred; and if there are a thousand of you, they will overcome two thousand with Allah's permission. Allah is with the steadfast. "
(Holy Qur'an, 8:66)

"Seek help in steadfastness and prayer. But that is a very hard thing, except for the humble."
(Holy Qur'an, 2:45)

"You who believe! Seek help in steadfastness and prayer. Allah is with the steadfast."
(Holy Qur'an, 2:153)

"The steadfast, the truthful, the obedient, the givers, and those who seek forgiveness before dawn. "
(Holy Qur'an 3:17)

"As for those who believe and do right actions, the All-Merciful will bestow His love on them."
(Holy Qur'an, 19:96)

"Whoever strives does it entirely for himself. Allah is Rich Beyond Need of any being."
(Holy Qur'an, 29:6)

"As for those who strive in Our Way, We will guide them to Our Paths. Truly Allah is with the good-doers. "
(Holy Qur'an, 29:69)

2007-10-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

There are many people that I look upto: intellectuals, religious leaders, peace activists, humanitarian aid workers, cleaners, garbage-collectors, the guy in front of me who picks up rubbish when he sees it. But there's one type of person that I admire the most: a person who fights their own battles; who takes responsibility for his/her own actions and inactions, and doesn't blame others around them for their failures/problems. I think owning your own problems is half the battle. And I really respect those who have the courage to bear their own burdens.

"Whosoever does righteous good deed it is for (the benefit of) his ownself, and whosoever does evil, it is against his ownself, and your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) slaves."
(Surat Fussilat,Verse 46)

It's really hard sometimes, when you think back at all the difficulties you've had to face as a result of your mistakes, to honestly tell yourself 'Hey I'm responsible for all that'. It's just so much easier to say 'yeah okay I messed up big time...but it was only because I was influenced by *insert blame-game-candidate's-name-here*...".

2007-10-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

Picture of an Arctic Fox, captured by photographer Anna Henly.

Source: BBC News In Pictures

Things that keep me up at night...

2007-10-03T05:28:00.000-07:00

1. Political sell-outs.

2. This piece of information: The US was the only country to vote against the treaty that would seek to prevent international arms transfers that fuel conflict, poverty and serious human-rights violations.

3. "The focus of the government ought to be to help poor children and to focus on poor children." (President George W Bush)
This was, of course, before he vetoed a bill to expand a children's healthcare insurance scheme, after it was passed by majority of the senate.

4. "Mr Andrews said refugees from Sudan and conflict-torn Darfur were having problems integrating into Australian communities, (...)"

5. Big Brother

2007-09-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Whilst in Canada, I was sermonizing against water wastage to my aunty.
This is what she had to say:

" Hey I know I waste too much water.
But what about Niagara Falls?
All that water falling off, and nobody seems to care..."

2007-09-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

I don’t think we realize (that is, truly comprehend) that this life is only temporary and that there is, indeed, a Hereafter—a day when no man shall bear the burden of another, and every man shall be judged on his deeds alone. I don’t think we truly grasp the concept of being accountable before the Creator of the Heavens and the earth for all our deeds. It’s hard for us to imagine that this life, what we are living through right now, our goals and dreams and life plans and graduation and birthdays and everything else that make up our life, is only a passing fancy; a fleeting moment; transient in nature.

Intellijunkt Commentator: On the Run

2007-09-11T22:35:00.000-07:00

Summary of trip to the Americas:

1. Went to Niagara Falls, Ca. Absolutely breath-taking. Subhanallah!! Took pictures from every different angle possible.

2. Times Square (Manhattan) at night is all about the big screens on buildings. Pedestrians walk into poles as a result.

3. Statue of Liberty is green due to oxidation of Copper (Cu). I took one look at said-monument and knew what she must be going through. Holding a torch and the US constituition for one hundred and thirty years is pretty darn amazing if you ask me.

4. Ellis Island Museum, which showcases *things* collected from the early migrants. There was an entire section displaying passports and travel documents of the migrants. There was this one document signed by the sultan of the Ottoman Empire which was of particular interest to yours truly.

5. Museum of Natural History. I went to the planetarium show which was wonder-amazing.

6. Central Park!!!

7. Wall Street. Which is in actual fact, a street (Thought it was some company that keeps coming up on finance news). So who or what is Dow Jones?

8. Ground zero.

9. Battery park, verrazona bridge, madison avenue, fifth avenue, broadway and others...

10. Six Flags: The most amazing theme park (possibly) in the whole wide world!

11. Marine Land: This *other* amazing theme park in Niagara Falls city!!

All in all, I had a fantastic time!

Purpose of Life cont'd

2007-07-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

What we have established so far:

1. The universe we live in exists simply because it was Allah SWT's intent that it does so. It is enough for Allah SWT to will for something, for it to come to existence out of absolute nothingness. Before the universe was created, there was no concept of time, distance or matter. Allah SWT declared 'be' ("Kun!") and it was ("Fayakun").

2. Our level of intellect is far below the Absolute wisdom of Allah SWT. Thus, we cannot question His will/intent to create us and the universe around us, because we would not fully comprehend the reasons.

3. Allah SWT's qualities are manifest in everything we see. Creation is a spectacular expression of Allah SWT's infinite wisdom and knowledge. In many verses of the Qur'an we are told to examine the universe around us, to reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth, to ponder the magnificence of all living things, and to come to discover the Infinite Wisdom of their Creator.

Have they not looked at the camel-how it was created?
And at the sky-how it was raised up?
And at the mountains-how they were embedded?
And at the earth-how it is spread out?
So remind them! You are only a reminder.
(Holy Qur'an 88:17-21)

There are no flaws in the creation of the All Merciful.
Look! Do you see any flaws?
Then look again and again.
Your sight will return to you, dazzled and exhausted!
(Holy Quran 67:3)

4. The creation of the Heavens and the Earth, and all that is in between, is a testimony to Allah's greatness and the magnitude of Allah SWT's Absolute Creativity.

So where do we fit in into all this? Why were we mere mortals created? If everything around us is a testimony to Allah SWT's greatness, why were we made to worship God? The plants, insects, structure-of-atom, gravity, time, universe-- can do it for us. Probably a lot better than us, too. All of these things are a testimony to Allah SWT's infinite wisdom--so why are we here?

Why do we exist? Why does the universe exist?

2007-07-28T04:51:00.000-07:00

As Muslims, we have to understand that we exist, the complex ecosystem on this planet exists, the solar system exists, the Milky Way galaxy exists, the universe exists-- purely on the will of Allah (SWT). In Surah Yasin Allah (SWT) commands the univers to 'be' ("Kun!") and it is ("fayakun"). So we exist simply as a result of Allah's will for us to exist. We are not qualified to question the will of the Creator; this is because our level of intellect is far below the absolute intellect and wisdom of Allah(SWT), and we cannot question something that is beyond our understanding. Therefore, it is enough for us to realize that we exist simply as a manifestation of Allah(SWT)'s will, and that His intent for us to exist is enough reason for our existence.

[NB: I have stated the word 'exist' 10 times in the above paragraph. Normally ten is the number after nine, and before eleven, and eleven, when its digits are added together (1 + 1) equals to two. And when you divide two by itself, you get ONE. And subhanAllah, Allah is ONE! There's some serious subliminal message for you.]

The shaikh, when explaining this concept (re the purpose behind our existence), used the idea of 'shadow existence'. He said that our physical universe is like a shadow--(a shadow exists simply as a result of a real object being there)--similarly, we exist simply because our existence is a spectacular expression of Allah SWT's absolute wisdom & power. We are merely His shadow--we exist because He does, and He wills it. Metaphorically speaking ofcourse.

Anyway so basically, none of us can understand the nature of our creator because it is well above our capacity to understand. However Allah SWT manifests Himself through His creations. His qualities/attributes are evident in His designs in nature, and through these attributes, we can come to acknowledge Him. Without ever really understanding Him. For example, Allah (SWT) is Most Beautiful, and we see beauty in a comparative sense, in this universe. Similarly, Allah (SWT) is Most Merciful Most Kind, and we see mercy and kindness amongst His creations. We see wisdom and creativity (in a relative sense) in the human mind, and again, this is a manifestaion of Allah's Absolute Wisdom and Creativity. So Allah (SWT) manifests love, mercy, beauty, justice, honour, and all other of His beautiful attributes within His creations; and the men of understanding are those who can really see this around him/her, and come to acknowledge Allah (SWT)'s greatness through this.

More on purpose of life later. When I can make one coherent sentence without the word 'exist' in it.

2007-07-25T00:45:00.000-07:00

This is the other side.

Checked grass.

Same shade of green.

However no UMAT to worry about!!!

That's all folks!

2007-07-23T21:50:00.000-07:00

This is it. 8 months of waiting-for-something time has finally come to an end. See you on the other side!

2007-07-22T04:29:00.000-07:00

Well, whadaya know, did end up going to Islamic lecture after all! Have discovered self's real purpose in life, and have found new direction and meaning. Self's faith restored in humanity on account of wonderful/deeply philosophical lecture about Allah (SWT)'s mercy and bounty and 'purpose of creation'. Now thinking it was ridiculously silly of self to feel sorry for self and pine over nothing-in-particular whilst listening to Whitney Houston's. For future referance, must remember to not do that ever again. Must also remember to write up a post about today's lecture, which really did open up self's eyes on certain matters regarding creation of mankind. Amazing stuff. Really deep. Most of it flew over self's head whilst simultaneously making a 'whooosh'-ing sound.

Shaikh said he had been studying philosophical works of famous scholars such as Imam Ghazali. He said he'd spent so many years studying his work, and even today, he reckons he's only about scratched the surface. Self feels she only scratched the scratch of Shaikh who scratched the surface. (Self's amazing witticism & literary talent just amazes self sometimes...Did Shakespeare ever just read his own work and stare in amazement? Because self certainly tends to do that a lot on a regular basis).

2007-07-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

Mood: Feeling tremendously sorry for self. Am sitting and meditating over all the unfortunate things that happened to self in the last 18 years of self's life. Am amazed self had to undergo so many hardships in life already.

Reason: - Missed Arabic lecture for 19th time. Due to no fault of self's.
- Missed really important Islamic lecture on account of no transport to get self there. But really really wish could go because topic of lecture: "Why was I created?", and am thoroughly baffled over why self was created.
- Have UMAT test in 2 days time.
- Listening to genuinely depressing song of Whitney Houston's, singing about being abandoned and subsequently left drifting along a lonely sea, wishing 'he' would come back to Whitney Houston. Feel like same. Except not in sea on account of can't swim and still in level 2 of swimming class for last 7 years. Also, cannot pine over one's true love on account of haven't got one. However, abandoned--yes.

Tragic.

2007-07-19T03:34:00.000-07:00

I gave my SIM card to my cousin’s cousin because I was leaving the country forever and couldn’t find any other use for it. Under Section-102 of the Terrorism Act, that makes me a potential threat to national security and the safety and well-being of 21 million fellow Australians.

Disclaimer: Section 102 of the terrorism act does not actually exist.

2007-07-18T23:18:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while you read a certain hadith, or a verse from the Qur’an, or an article on Islam, that seems to increase your understanding of your religion and re-affirm your faith. And that’s great. But it’d be really sad if your re-affirmation of faith came from forwarded emails such as this:

"Scientist has proved that the sound which comes from heart beat is LUB DUB.But now they analyze that it is RUB RUB... RUB is an Arabic word which means who made each n everythin.... That is ALLAH............So it means every heart beat says ALLAH ALLAH.............
If u believe in this...........fwd dis to all ur FRNDS"

I think all the problems in the ummah can be solved once people stop forwarding emails such as this one. The root cause of all the problems faced by the Muslim ummah today (including intellectual degeneration, lack of identity, no leadership, corruption, illiteracy, ability to be consistently late to meetings/Islamic events/lectures) can be traced back to the original creator of this email (muslim_angel_babe_456_fo_life@hotmail.com ). Also, I know correct spelling is,well, difficult, but try to use some vowels occassionally (for words like 'FRNDS', 'fwd', 'n' etc..).

NB: yeah that’s not a real email address. However, if there is anyone out there who really has the exact same email address, know that you are the root cause of all problems in the world dating back from the Spanish-American War.

2007-07-17T06:12:00.000-07:00

One of these days, I’m going to have to write to ‘DeVry University’ and tell them that I do not want to succeed faster. I also do not want their junk mails telling me to do so.

Red Cross Australia

2007-07-17T06:05:00.000-07:00

If you’re reading this, chances are, you have nothing better to do. Under such circumstances, do something useful. Examples include: saving three lives...and so on and so forth. Go donate blood. Here. Or Call 13 14 95.

2007-07-17T04:52:00.000-07:00

I tend to spend a large portion of my day hanging around my mobile phone, waiting for missed calls.

2007-07-17T04:34:00.000-07:00

For future referance, raspberry-flavoured jelly babies has a positively medicinal smell. Horrid stuff with orange juice.

Some useful advice...

2007-07-15T23:55:00.000-07:00

...from a forwarded email:

If a person starts telling you, whether in private or public, something that you already knew very well, you should pretend as if you do not know it. Do not rush to reveal your knowledge or to interfere with the speech. Instead, show your attention and concentration. The honorable tab'i Imam Ata ibn Abi Rabah said: "A young man would tell me something that I may have heard before he was born. Nevertheless, I would listen to him as if I had never heard it before."

Ibrahim ibn al-Junaid said: "A wise man said to his son: 'Learn the art of listening as you learn the art of speaking." Listening well means maintaining eye contact, allowing the speaker to finish the spech, and restraining your urge to interrupt his speech.

Al-Hafiz al-Khatib al-Baghdadi said in a poem:

Never interrupt a talk

Though you know it inside out

2007-07-15T23:28:00.001-07:00

"...but you dont care, do ya? ...'coz you're unconcious."

2007-07-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

I was watching the news, and I have come to the conclusion that people who regularly watch Channel 7,9, and 10 News, must (with resolve) like to be misinformed. Why else would you watch a half-hour news program that spends 10 minutes on weather report, 11 minutes on sports news, 4 minutes on ad-breaks, and 5 minutes on actual news—half of which revolves around the love lives of various Hollywood celebrities? I think we’ve become so self-absorbed; so concerned about our own material comforts, that knowing about poverty, war, famine and hardship would lessen our enjoyment of these comforts by just a little bit, and we can’t even stand that; we can’t even bear that (slight) sense of liability that we get after having correct knowledge of the world.

In winter, it just kills me to make wudhu using cold tap water, but I know that millions around the world don’t have access to clean drinking water. I spent a lot of money buying cute little vases & decoration pieces to brighten up the living room, knowing full well that there are millions of people out there who do not have proper housing. I bought 3 jackets the other day; really pretty—one purple, on grey and one black—and I know that every winter, it is normal to find dead bodies in slums of the developing worlds; bodies of people who passed away during the night because of the extreme cold and no access to warm clothing. I know, its insensitive to talk about these things so graphically, but that is the sick sad truth. We can’t bear reading about it, yet there are hundreds who are living through this as I speak.

It’s made me realize just how self absorbed we’ve become as a people; our society revolves around self gratification; it focuses on indulging all our whims and fancies without a second thought to anyone else’s comfort or well-being. Sometimes, I think about how I spend my time doing trivial things, like watching movies, spending time on the net, reading *pointless* novels, watching random videos on Youtube; I’m just whiling away my time, like so many of my friends/classmates/peers. As a group, we’re not working towards anything; we’re just drifting along; just living, breathing, watching, and waiting. But waiting for what? Where are we headed? I think we, as a soceity, have lost any sense of direction; we have lost all sense of purpose in our lives . We constantly submerge ourselves into trivialities just to while away the appointed time we have on this earth because it is just so much easier to do that. It’s just so much easier to live for the sake of living, and not confront reality. Because if we were to face reality, we would have to change our perception. And it is in our nature to dislike change. We like regularity and constancy.

“We are the hollow men

We are the stuffed men

Leaning together

Headpiece filled with straw.

Alas!Our dried voices, when

We whisper together

Are quiet and meaningless

As wind in dry grass

Or rats' feet over broken glass

In our dry cellar

Shape without form, shade without colour,

Paralysed force, gesture without motion;”

From T.S. Eliot’s ‘Hollow Men’

2007-07-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

"Twenty-three is old. It's almost 25, which is like almost mid-20s. "

Jessica Simpson

2007-07-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

If you have a life-story to tell, of encyclopaedic proportions, and you’re sadly under the delusion that I’m the slightest bit interested…meh you’re probably right. I mean, I like stories; I like encyclopedias; if I’m talking to you, I probably also like you; so it’s only natural I’d listen to your life story without hesitation and with interest. But sometimes, some things get to me. Like when I have something to say, something really really important, and somebody interrupts to tell me they went shopping yesterday, and then makes me forget what I wanted to say and then I go off track, and then they decide to tell me what time they plan to sleep tonight, and the whole conversation loses its purpose. Yeah that gets to me. A lot.

Hey I know your sleeping/shopping/living patterns must be really interesting. In fact, probably a lot more fascinating than what I was about to say. But I think it sometimes pays to show at least some fake interest in someone else’s life. I know it’s hard, but these are important life skills. If you wake up one day and find that the only stories that captivate you are stories that happened to you alone, well, that’s cool. Just don’t think that we mere mortals are going to huddle around camp fires and pass your life-stories on to our offspring by word of mouth so that the tradition is preserved for hundreds of years and becomes stuff of legends and fairy tales. Because, quite frankly, I don’t like campfires; I don’t like huddling around them; and I most definitely do not like your life story. Also, it might be useful for you to know that I do not have any offspring either. To pass your story on to, I mean. Because so far, I don’t see any ending, and I hate novels of encyclopaedic proportions.

I also don’t like negativity. I don’t like negative blog entries that are sarcastic and not nice. Such as this one.

I like happy thoughts. Sunshine. Rainbow. Lolly pops. And others. I like happy people who smile for no reason.

Watching Simpson re-runs

2007-07-14T02:59:00.000-07:00

The other day, a friend of mine was commenting on how well another friend of mine had embraced life and is living it to the full. Which got me thinking about embracing lives, in general. I mean, how can this be done, and have I done it (embraced life, I mean)? It wasn’t really a question since I knew the answer to it: deep down (actually I didn’t have to go that deep; the truth sort of just floated at the top of the shallow end) I knew that I hadn’t. I mean, no, I do not wake up in the morning and think to myself that today is going to be the defining moment in the history of my life as I finally opt for Cornflakes cereal over the new-age-organic-steamed-wheat stuff that they’ve got out these days. I mean I know what I want. I just don’t glorify my choice. I don’t make a deal over it.

And I think that is what the difference is between ‘embracing life’ and just living it: it all comes down to your perspective. If you’re living life to the full, you’d get a kick out of your cornflakes-eating each morning; if your just living life, then you’ll eat the cereal without complaining (at best) and wonder if you’d made a bad choice and if porridge would’ve been better. Basically, you’re not contented with your choice and you have the ‘what-if?’ factor going on in your life. You look back and you have doubts over the decisions you’ve made all along; you wonder if what you have is what you really wanted all this time; you ponder over how your life would’ve been different had you chosen life down a different lane/road/pathway/bitumen-track…

Putting aside all cereal-related analogies, I know that I haven’t yet embraced life. I'm not sure if I want to, either. Don't get me wrong--the idea certainly appeals to me. Now where does The Simpsons come into all this? Well, merely the fact that I'm the type of person who says ‘meh…I’ll embrace life tomorrow. For now, lemme finish watching Simpson re-re-runs’. I like Simpsons. I like running. I also like re-runs. Hence, I'd rather watch Simpson re-runs than embrace life. Which brings us back to the title of this post.

Plus, I'm also a bit unsure about the Islamic perspective on the issue. I mean, aren't you meant to live through life as if you're a traveller--always keeping in mind that this life is temporary and not getting too attached to it? And if I embraced life, wouldn't I be doing the exact opposite of that? ...But then again, watching Simpsons re-runs is neither here nor there...

2007-07-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

When return from holidays, must remember to get self one of those job thingies...

Tribal Sovereignty

2007-07-11T06:43:00.000-07:00

In this clip, George Bush is explaining the concept of tribal sovereignty in the 21st century, & resolving conflicts between tribes from a state and federal level.

[Normally, I don't think 'omgosh-bush-is-so-dumb-he-thinks-queue-is-a-1-letter-word' type of jokes funny. Actually, they're lame. Jokes of this nature keep me up at night. Frankly, every time someone makes them, I die a little inside.

Now that isn't to say that I think Pr.GWB has fantastic leadership skills. Far from it. I just think bush-jokes have been done to death. Like 'yo mama is so fat...' jokes. Except ofcourse, those ones are just absolutely hilarious. Totally lollllzz standard.

But this clip is different. On the account of, its not another 'George Bush is like so like dumb lolzzz' joke. And its absolutely hilarious. Much like the 'yo mama is so fat, she needs her own postcode' one... hah! Such wit!]

The (New) Seven Wonders Of The World

2007-07-11T04:19:00.000-07:00

1. The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China was built to link existing fortifications into a united defense system and better keep invading Mongol tribes out of China. It is the largest man-made monument ever to have been built and it is disputed that it is the only one visible from space. Many thousands of people must have given their lives to build this colossal construction.

2. Petra, Jordan

On the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to 40 A.D.). Masters of water technology, the Nabataeans provided their city with great tunnel constructions and water chambers. A theater, modelled on Greek-Roman prototypes, had space for an audience of 4,000. Today, the Palace Tombs of Petra, with the 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple facade on the El-Deir Monastery, are impressive examples of Middle Eastern culture.

3. Christ Redeemer, Brazil

This statue of Jesus stands some 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Designed by Brazilian Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski, it is one of the world’s best-known monuments. The statue took five years to construct and was inaugurated on October 12, 1931. It has become a symbol of the city and of the warmth of the Brazilian people, who receive visitors with open arms.

4. Machu Picchu, Peru

In the 15th century, the Incan Emperor Pachacútec built a city in the clouds on the mountain known as Machu Picchu ("old mountain"). This extraordinary settlement lies halfway up the Andes Plateau, deep in the Amazon jungle and above the Urubamba River. It was probably abandoned by the Incas because of a smallpox outbreak and, after the Spanish defeated the Incan Empire, the city remained 'lost' for over three centuries. It was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911.

5. The Pyramid at Chichén Itzá, Mexico

Chichén Itzá, the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization. Its various structures - the pyramid of Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars, and the Playing Field of the Prisoners – can still be seen today and are demonstrative of an extraordinary commitment to architectural space and composition. The pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temples

6. The Roman Colosseum, Italy

This great amphitheater in the centre of Rome was built to give favors to successful legionnaires and to celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire. Its design concept still stands to this very day, and virtually every modern sports stadium some 2,000 years later still bears the irresistible imprint of the Colosseum's original design. Today, through films and history books, we are even more aware of the cruel fights and games that took place in this arena, all for the joy of the spectators.

7. The Taj Mahal, India

This immense mausoleum was built on the orders of Shah Jahan, the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, to honor the memory of his beloved late wife. Built out of white marble and standing in formally laid-out walled gardens, the Taj Mahal is regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India. The emperor was consequently jailed and, it is said, could then only see the Taj Mahal out of his small cell window.

Source: The New 7 Wonders of the World

2007-07-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

I attended an Islamic class on Sunday, and the topic of discussion was: "Who Is Allah?". It was one of the most profound lectures I had heard in a very long time, delivered by Shaikh Faisal Chotthia. What fascinated me was the way the shaikh looked at the concept of God and the Unity of God, and our perception of the world around us, through both western and eastern philosophies and then clearly defined the Islamic stance on the issue. He said that the greatest truth in life is Allah, and that everything else around us is our perception; the human mind can conceive the dimension of time, distance and matter, and our lives are governed by the laws within these dimensions. However, Allah (SWT)'s power is so infintely greater, and His creations so infinitely more complex than what we merely perceive with our eyes, ears and minds.

We cannot perceive any other dimension. However, we must acknowledge that since we do not perceive anything in other dimensions, then it must also logically follow that those dimensions are not subjected to the same laws of our universe. For example, in our dimension, we are governed by 'distance': The perception of lenght, width & height. Thus, concepts of velocity, acceleration, displacement, are based on the laws that govern 'distance'. However, Allah (SWT), the Creator of the concept of 'distance', is not subject to its laws. Thus, He is not defined by 'space' or a specific length or width (physically). Similarly, we are subject to the laws of time. As time progresses, so we age, and the process of ageing cannot be stopped, even for a minute. Everything is born and will die. Everything ages. However, Allah (SWT), the Creator of 'time' itself, is not subject to the laws of time. He is thus eternal; He has no beginning and no end. He is The First (الأول) and The Last (الأخر).

Got that?

Good.

Anyway, so the shaikh quoted some beautiful Hadith Qudsi which just about made everyone cry. Internally. Here are three hadiths that I found particularly moving:

On the authority of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him) is that among the sayings he relates from his Lord (may He be glorified) is that He said: O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you, O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except for those I have clothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you. O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness of Me and I shall forgive you. O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and will not attain benefitting Me so as to benefit Me.

O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that would not increase My kingdom in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would not decrease My kingdom in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more that a needle decreases the sea if put into it. O My servants, it is but your deeds that I reckon up for you and then recompense you for, so let him finds good praise Allah and let him who finds other that blame no one but himself.
Related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah).

On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah the Almighty said: I am as My servant thinks I am (1). I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assemble better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.'
Related by al-Buhkari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn-Majah).

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Our Lord (glorified and exalted be He) descends each night to the earth's sky when there remains the final third of the night, and He says: Who is saying a prayer to Me that I may answer it? Who is asking something of Me that I may give it him? Who is asking forgiveness of Me that I may forgive him?
It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud).

2007-07-06T04:08:00.000-07:00

Part of being a good leader involves being able to relinquish your role as a leader, if the need arises. It involves acknowledging your own limitations, and being prepared to give up some of your responsibilities onto those more capable. Leaders of Muslim countries and institutions lack this understanding. They become reluctant to relinquish control because it hurts one’s ego to acknowledge that, after all, they are not all that high and lofty; there is nothing ‘elite’ about being a leader that makes them superior to mere mortals. It hurts their sense of self-worth to realize how unimportant they are in the overall scheme of things. It impairs their sense of self-importance to realize that someone can do a better job, and that their absence makes very little difference on how things are run.

2007-07-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

"Only when the last tree has died
And the last river been poisoned

And the last fish been caught

Will we realise we cannot

eat money."

Australian Police Question Two Men Over UK Terror Plot

2007-07-03T06:55:00.000-07:00

Source: Random South Korean Newspaper

Australian police are interviewing two men in connection with a plot to detonate car bombs in Britain and have detained one of them. Counter-terrorism officers detained the young doctor at Brisbane airport as he was trying to leave the country. Australian police are questioning the two doctors over the failed car bombings in the British cities of London and Glasgow. Officials said both men had been working in northern England before being recruited by a hospital in Queensland.

A 27-year-old Indian man was first detained at Brisbane airport, appStarently trying to board a flight on a one-way ticket. He had been employed as a registrar at the Gold Coast hospital since September of last year and according to staff had arrived with 'excellent references.' Government officials here have not said what his alleged involvement in the UK terror plot was.
Australia's attorney general Philip Ruddock says action was taken following a tip-off from British investigators.

"The Australian federal police and Queensland police acting on this advice that we've received specifically from UK authorities detained a 27-year-old man in Brisbane last night. He was detained at Brisbane international airport," said Ruddock. "The man is currently assisting police with their inquiries. No charges have been laid." His arrest in Australia brings the number of people held in connection with the failed British attacks to eight.

Officials say there appears to be no specific link between the second doctor, who is being questioned, and the foiled bombings in the United Kingdom. Under Australia's counter-terrorism laws suspects can be held without charge for three days, and for longer periods with the approval of a court. The government in Canberra insists there is no new evidence to suggest that Australia was a target for extremists.

The country's terrorism alert level will remain at medium. Australian Prime Minister John Howard said the public should remain vigilant, saying there were "evil people" seeking to do harm in Australia.

2007-07-03T06:47:00.001-07:00

You know how sometimes,
when the weather is really windy and/or rainy,
And your windows are rattling,
And its really cold out
And you’re sitting in front of a heater with hot chocolate
And no good book
But playing your favourite song in the background
And you feel like you could pour out the most profound philosophical ideas,
Write late into the night,
And capture the most unfathomable thoughts and feelings of the human mind
And define all the greatest mysteries of the universe?

2007-07-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

I've just been trying to figure out how to embed audio clips onto blog. I went to all sorts of websites, signed up for all sorts of 'free uploading hosts', accepted all kinds of terms and conditions; in short, did everything those people told me to do.

A fat load of good that did...

The Basic Premise of Religion

2007-07-02T07:31:00.000-07:00

Author:
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi
Tr. by Shehzad Saleem

The basic premise of religion is that this world has a creator; He has created this world as a trial; thus He has sent man in this world for a specific period of time; at the conclusion of this period, this world will necessarily end and its earth and heavens shall be replaced by a new earth and new heavens; a new world will then come into being. All mankind shall be raised up there and shall be rewarded or punished on the basis of their beliefs and deeds.

Religion requires us to accept this reality. Obviously, it is essential that such a reality be very well known to man. Consequently, from the very first day of creation the Almighty has made arrangements that no one should be able to deny this reality on the basis of knowledge and intellect, and this reality should remain so evident before people that those who deny it would not be able to present any excuse before the Almighty on the Day of Judgement.

Intuitive Evidence

How was this reality communicated to people such that they were not left with any excuse to deny it? The Qur’an informs us that an acknowledgement of the providence of the Almighty is found innately in man’s nature. It says that this matter manifested itself in the form of a pledge. The Qur’an refers to this event as a real-life incident and not something metaphorical. Since man has been sent here for trial, the whole incident has been erased from his memory; however, its essence is etched on his heart and ingrained in his soul and nothing can obliterate it. Consequently, if man is reminded of it in the absence of any hindrance in his surroundings, he leaps to it the way a child leaps to its mother even though it never saw itself emerge from her womb and is drawn towards her with such conviction as if it already knew her. A person feels that this pledge of his with the Almighty was the answer to a very natural need found within him. The Qur’an says that this testimony of man’s inner-self is so undeniable that as far as the providence of God is considered, man will be held accountable before God merely on the basis of this testimony:

And remember when your Lord brought forth from the loins of the progeny of Adam their children and made them testify against themselves. He said: “Am I not your Lord?” They replied: “We bear witness that You are.” This We did lest you should say on the Day of Judgement: “We had no knowledge of that,” or present the excuse: “Our forefathers had already adopted idolatry and we later became their children so will You destroy us on account of what these false-doers did?” [We have fully explained things here] and thus do We explain Our revelations [so that people are left with no excuse to deny the truth] and so that they may return to the right path. (7:172-174)

Same is the case with good and evil. A person has innate knowledge of good and evil. The Qur’an says: “And the soul bears witness and the perfection given to it. Then [God] inspired it with its evil and its good” (91: 7-10). In some other verses of the Qur’an, this aspect is referred to by the words: “We inspired in him the way of good and evil” (76:3)ِ and “Have We not shown him both the paths?“ (90:10). In the above quoted verses, the Qur’an has made it clear that just as the Almighty has blessed a person with eyes to see and ears to hear, similarly, he has blessed him with a moral faculty which distinguishes good and evil for him. This aspect of our soul as per which it can be called the reproaching soul which admonishes us like a preacher on an evil committed springs from this faculty. Thus we see that distinguishing good from evil and the awareness that good is good and evil is evil are universal realities which no one can deny. The Qur’an says that after this testimony of a person’s inner-self, no one can deny reward and punishment. It says:

“They think that the Day of Judgement will never be]; By no means! I present as evidence the Day of Judgement itself. And [they think that the Day of Judgement is a far-fetched reality]. By no means! I present as evidence this reproaching soul [within you]. Does man think that We will not be able to bring together his bones? Why not? We can put together his very finger tips. [No this is not so]; in fact [the truth is that] man wants to be mischievous before his [conscience]. He asks: “When will the Day of Judgement be?” But on the day when the sight is dazed and the moon eclipsed and the sun and the moon brought together, this very man will say: “Whither to flee?” – No! there is no refuge now! Towards your Lord that Day is the resting place. On that Day will man be informed what he sent forth and what he left behind. [No, he cannot deny it]; in fact, he himself is a witness upon his own self however much he may put up excuses. (75: 1-15)

Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi, while explaining this argument of the Qur’an, writes:

Now the question is that if a person has a guardian within his conscience which chides him on every evil that emanates from him, then how can it be imagined that man will be not be held accountable for his deeds. Why would he go scot-free if he spends a life in whatever manner he wants to while negating the calls of his conscience? If a person will not be held accountable for his deeds, then where has this chiding conscience come into him from? If his Creator is unconcerned about the good and evil which emanates from him, then why and from where has He given him the feeling of being elated at a good deed and being pricked by his conscience at a bad one? Then from here another question arises: If God has set up a miniature court of justice in every person, then why will He not set up a greater court of justice which will hold the whole world accountable for good and evil which emanate from it and not reward and punish people accordingly? Any person who deliberates on these questions while disregarding his desires will reach the conclusion that the very being of a person bears witness that he has innate knowledge of good and evil; he will not be left unaccountable; there definitely shall come one day when he will be punished for any misdeeds he may have done and be rewarded for his good deeds. To remind a person of this very Day, the Almighty has placed a miniature court of justice within a person’s soul so that man does not remain indifferent to it, and if ever he becomes indifferent he can catch a glimpse of it by merely reflecting on his inner-self. It is this very reality which sages have taught us by saying that man is a miniature world and within this miniature world there is a reflection of the greater world. If a person has a true comprehension of his own self, he is able to comprehend both God and the Hereafter.

"Hi there! Columbus's the name; Real Estates the game, and I got a deal for you!"

2007-07-01T22:07:00.000-07:00

1. Make list of stuff to do

2. clear head

3. work out plan

4. find cheapest return ticket to the americas

5. discover the americas, much like christopher columbus in the 1400's

6. declare that, since i have discovered americas, land should be annexed off to me. natives go to hell.

7. on second thoughts, aunt and uncle have been living there for ages...

8. what to do what to do what to do? How can one discover land when people already living in it?

I think its stupid to declare you've discovered land and regard its natives as part of the fauna. And then simply annex off the land, at the stroke of a pen, to Her Royal Highness the Queen of England when the natives don't believe in the concept of 'owning' land in the first place. 'Ownership' is such a man-made concept. Aborigines believed in belonging to the land, not the land belonging to them, on the account of it (land) being much older than man himself.

Must remember to say that to greedy colonialists next time meet them at the general store. Also research some health stats about indigenous population in Australia. Also, current enviromental stats: global warming, pollution, depletion of ozone layer, climate change, destruction of reefs and forests. Blame all on above-mentioned-greedy-colonialist-supporter-at-general-store. Walk out.

Note to self: remember to not go off at tangents whilst talking. Also, waffling is frowned upon in normal society.

2007-07-01T22:04:00.001-07:00

'Reconciliation' has one 'l'...

2007-06-29T06:07:00.000-07:00

My sister and her friends are playing hide and seek. Bright as she is, she decides to hide behind the transparent glass doors…