Loser : By Phantom

Assalamualaikum w.b.t

Greetings to all and I pray to Allah to shower you with loves, blessings, couple with good health.

InsyaAllah, with Allah’s love and care I’m back with an article. I heard few number of you guys were actually curious about me. I will remain as PHANTOM as for now because I still do not have the intention to disclose myself to public. I apologize for that and I ask for your understandings. *big smile*

Have you guys ever realized on the messages or I prefer it to be called gist of Suratul Asr? This is the surah that we recite each time we end a program alongside ‘tasbih kifarah’. However, how many of us are actually give attention on the contents of it? We all agree that Quran is our manual, therefore we should not neglect any of the surah as for this, just because it is a short surah with only three ayah. Surely I believe none of you will do that.

By time,
Indeed, mankind is in loss,
Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.
(Al Asr, 103)

 First of all, as you read the translation, it says by time. Why time? Time is actually the closest creation of Allah to us especially for students. It is something that we think of every seconds and it is valuable. Otherwise, people will not simply say, time is GOLD.  It has no start or even an end. This shows that this surah is relevant for all who are bounded and living in time. Don’t we? Yes we are! We all are stress thinking of deadlines and exams. Besides, we are also frightened with the thoughts on The Day of Judgment, because no one knows when it is except The Almighty Allah.

And then, Allah calls us as people who are in loss. In loss! Who likes to be called a loser? No one!! Every one of us wants to be a winner, a champion, and for that we are willing to do anything. As we are living in this world, it is actually more like a race. Doesn’t? In school, we want to be labelled as the smartest, in work place, we want to be the best worker, every year and in a group we desire to be a leader. Why is that so? Is there something wrong with our ‘wiring’? Why Allah created us this way?

Thinking of it, because we are wired this way, therefore no doubt this surah will boost our desire to learn why and how I can be favored by Him. When you believe that Allah is the only reason for everything, and it is only Him you want to please, absolutely you are eager to do anything to manifest your love to Him.

Certainly He is entirely Merciful, especially Merciful, He does not leave us hanging with all the worries and uncertainties. He conclude the surah with steps to success as a Muslim. Firstly, we will not be in loss if 1) we believed. Second is when we 2) do good deeds, then when we 3) advise each other to truth last but not least when we 4) advise each other to patience.

I really like how Allah mentions in Quran about those who believed and righteous deeds. These two always come together. It is kind of a package *grin*. Allah wants us to learn that, when we claim ourselves as the believers, it should be followed with righteous deeds. Therefore, it is not sufficient to believe without any demonstrations. Besides, the only way for us to keep track to our iman is via our actions. You know your iman is decreasing when you no longer feel content reading the Quran and the translations also when you no longer be able to engage in good practices as previously.

We did advise each other each day. Yes we did, I believe. However, in this surah we should advise each other to truth and patience in being a Muslim. As a Muslim, I admit each day we are dealing with obstacles and challenges. Not every one of us are lucky to have the opportunity to learn the truths and to be trained with patience. On the basis that we all are brothers and sisters, we should take care of each other.

While confronting with hardships, many of us drowned in emotions and not able to act patiently, to distinguish bad things, and decide things correctly. We might be a good person during the goody-goody days but the moment you face hard situations it is really hard to act calmly at the very first encounter. Commonly we will just react based on emotions. Thus, it is important for each one of us to serve as brothers or sisters who are supportive in terms of guiding and advising each other to truth and patience.

There is a hadith related to this surah.

On the authority of Abu Hurairah, who said: The messenger of Allah said:
"Part of someone's being a good Muslim is his leaving alone that which does not concern him."
(hadith narrated by Termithi and others)

Again, leave all those unnecessary stuffs. And if you ever wonder what will be the substitutions. All the above are in. *big smile*

MasyaAllah, thank you for your time to read this article. May Allah bless you and may this benefits both sides, me, writer and you, readers.

Written by:
Phantom

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Du'a: The Greatest Weapon for The Believing Heart

Peace be upon you. Hoping that you are doing well despite of whatever worldly matter you are facing  and whatever worldly matter that is keeping you busy. Actually, I have so many things on my to-do-list and frankly confessing, deadlines are haunting me even in day light, scarier than ghost stories. Even so, I decided to escape the fiction of the world for this moment, and here am I in another sharing post on 'Dua'. Why? Because just a while ago, Allah has given me a surprise gift of encouragement, through my best friend, Ai (not her real name) in response to my desperate SOS Dua.

WARNING! Skip the italic part if you are not into stories. Read if you appreciate my writing. ^_^

The story of today will begin with the trigger. Homesickness. Don't laugh, judge or even bash me for this because if it was not because of this, I would have no inspiration in writing on this new post. And yes, homesickness is striking me in every of my free time that I had to keep my schedule busy or sleep to not think about it. It's not that I am living overseas to be this crazily and absent-mindedly missing my home all the time, but I still feel it, somehow.

Okay, and what Dua has got to do with this? The story will continue. I prayed to Allah desperately in my heart, 'I want to go back home, to my family, Ya Rabbi. You know how am I feeling right now..." And looking at the schedule, out of any other weekend, why is it that it must be THAT weekend, a charity visit was scheduled? Trying to change my place with someone else but ended up, in greater disappointment. I stubbornly checked the flight ticket and told myself, "I would not mind. Even if it is expensive..." and for all the three major flight company that I used to go back with, on that particular date, for all hours, were 'SOLD OUT'. I was so sad. And I told myself, 'It's okay Anne, it's okay. There must be good reason for this. There must be a great explanation for this. All the positive side of me, thankfully, came flying into my mind, trying to calm me down, remind me of Allah who is the Greatest of All. 

I sat on the Sajadah for quite a long time after my Zuhur prayer, reflecting and in the same time, I extended my hand and I told Allah. "Ya Rahim. this is no big deal. I'm fine of not going back but please keep everyone in my home town safe and healthy. Even though seeing me crying this hard, trying so hard, yet you are still not making it possible for me to find the remedy for this homesickness. Even so, I believe in YOU. My heart believes in YOU. If YOU have to decide to keep me here a little longer, YOU'll definitely protect me and care about me even more. That, I am sure. I feel save with YOU as my guardian, so whatever that you put for me, I'll accept it as it is.... But. right now, what should I do? I don't want to leave this Musolla. I feel so tired, because going out of this room would means that, I have to go back to the life of 'Never-ending Assignments and Deadlines'. Should I go out, shopping for groceries? Should I cook something homey taste? But I planned to do my AirTopic, should I just postpone that? Help me Ya Allah, I don't have any courage to go on..."

While thinking, still sitting, I was looking through the wall ahead of me, blanking alone when suddenly, I heard someone was calling my name, and before I could turn, I felt a peck on my cheek. I was surprised and looked at that person who was leaving, it was Ai. She was rushing to leave and without exchanging words, we gave each other a hug and that I felt a sudden rush of encouragement from what had just happened. (Smiling) All that I could think at that moment was Allah. "Is this your way of encouraging me?" I asked in my heart. "Well, Allah never fails in making me feel better..."

That was the reply to my Dua. Well, it may not sounds like the Dua we made after Solah to you, it may not sounds cool as it's not in Arabic but let me clarify something here. The definition to Dua is to call out for Allah and it could also mean the conversation we have with Allah, may it be when you are alone, or may it be when you are only saying it in your heart.

Allah is the Greatest, we all know that. No doubt. One of the greatness of HIM is the unending love and His mercy He has on us. Making us into a Khalifah in this world and in the role that we had to carry, difficulties and tests greet us every seconds, sometimes we felt down and discouraged and there would be time, we can't help but question, 'Why is it that to live for Allah is this difficult? Why can't I just live like others?. Sometimes we have to leave something that we like. Not just like, but like so super duper much. And sometimes, we have even have to walk away from something that we love. If you have felt like this before, you'll know how, once in a while, the unexplainable frustration within you just strike and push you down to the ground. Maybe you don't, but I do feel so.

But, our Lover Ar-Rahim did not just leave us in this battlefield. HE provides us with a great weapon in this fight. The best weapon ever existed in the history of life. It is invisible, it is not heavy, it is not something that we need to carry and all, it is a weapon that can change what is destined.

Rasulullah PBUH has said that, "What is destined cannot be averted except through Dua" 

Don't you feel that this is super cool? It is. You know what, I used to feel that Harry Potter's world is super awesome. Man, you can just do everything, like everything, if you could remember all of the spells in the Book of Charms for all edition in your five years of study in Hogwarts, but there is no spell to change what has been destined has been recorded (Sorry for those who has no idea about what I am writing about, but just know that there is such fiction book). And they need wand, but we just have to extend our hands. That weapon is Dua. And Allahu Rabbi has promised to answer them all. The thing is that, it is only immediately, or later. And Dua is also answered in the form that we are averted from difficulty or given as a reward in the Hereafter.

Dear comrades, Allah loves those who pray and ask from Him. If you ever ask this in your life, "How do I make Allah love me?" Then, one of the answer is make Dua. Because with that, we pleased HIM. That is what He want. Why would you ask help from someone else, who is just like you, when you have the Creator of this universe, available for you 24 hours, waiting for you, to go and ask from HIM? This weapon that we are talking, if used often, it makes the heart peaceful. Why? Because when we make Dua, properly, with all of our emotions, somehow, we are putting on our trust to Allah and that will make us realize how small we are, how weak we are as His servants. We cannot be weak as human because we have a battle to win. But we are weak, as Allah's servants. Not asking from HIM, abandoning the weapon He provided us with. Doesn't that make you an arrogant servant?

In the holy Al-Quran in Surah Gafir (40), verse 60

And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you. Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible"

And, in making Dua, do it properly. Start with 'Bismillah', Send blessings to our Prophet Muhammad PBUH and his family, praise Allah, admit our sins, and asked from HIM with all of our heart, believe in HIM. Believe that somehow, though things look impossible, believe that He'll help and sort out things for you. Dua in every conditions in your daily life. Ask and converse with Allah. A person who make Dua with his or her emotions, they will never feel lonely because Allah will always attend to them. Allah will remember you if you remember HIM.

Writing this, it is a reminder to me. Sometimes, this may be just a trivial matter for you. You've heard this so many times. But, I don't care. I'll write and keep on writing if that could be a reminder, because human tends to forget. In the world that has kept us busy for things that doesn't last long, sometimes, no, I mean all the time, we easily forget. 

Let's now stop forgetting and start to remind each other. To use the weapon with a heart that believes. This weapon helps in every aspect of life here and after.

Sometimes, we feel down and tired, maybe not because we are not strong enough to face it, but it must  be because we have forgotten to lean on Allah. We forgot that we need to keep on asking from HIM. 

Pray to Allah for His mercy, ask from His to place us in His heaven, pray for everything and have great faith that you prayers would be answered.

Today, my Dua was answered immediately. That moment, I couldn't just stop smiling. My love for Allah grows and it made me want to love HIM more. He always know what I need. Sometimes, even when I didn't ask, He give it all though. Can you imagine what would He do and how would He response if you ask from HIM? He wold have give you something even more beautiful.

Well, I'm still lacking of many things, but every seconds is a new chance to me and also to you. We cannot run from making sins and mistakes, I feel sad when I did something bad or something that Allah hates, but the fact that He would forgive as long as we ask for His forgiveness, make me realize how Great and Great Allah is. Stand up dear comrades, grab your weapon and let's continue fighting in this battle with even a greater strength than before. As long as the heart is beating for Allah, as long as you hold dearly and believe in Allah, with the weapon, we could fight any barrier that comes ahead. InshaAllah. 

That's all from me today. I hope you found something good from this post and if you do, it is from Allah for sure. And in all the mistakes you could point out, then, it is my lacking and I apologize for that. 

Written by:
AnneZR

p/s: A lover like Allah, with surprises and unexpected events in a tiring day, how could we not love HIM more than any other things? HE waters your wilted smile and make it bloom beautifully like flowers, so let's keep standing though wind is strongly blowing.

pp/s: Credit to someone who told me, 'Things can be impossible, but not for the believing heart..." If you are reading, I bet you are smiling. Anyway, thanks for coming and talked nonsense with me on my stressful evening. And I believe that comes from Allah.

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Shake the Trunk : By Phantom

Peace be upon you! Hey, It's Anne again here. Anyway, keep reading because great news is here to greet you. Tired with AnneZR's style of writing that was always went out of the railway? Tired with too much storylines in my entries? Want something fresh, new and different. Don't think twice but click on this post tiltled, "Shake The Trunk". We got a new writer in the house, called "Phantom" and be ready to be haunted. Here goes what Phantom sent to me to be shared with you all.

Assalamualaikum w.b.t

Greetings to all and I pray to Allah to shower you guys with loves, blessings, couple with good health.

In the name of Allah The compassionate, The merciful.

And [the example of] Maryam, the daughter of 'Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel, and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.

At Tahrim.66:12

Many of us are familiar with the story of Maryam. An exemplary woman mentioned in the Quran. She is the daughter of Imran and she is the mother of Isa A.S. Allah mentioned her name few times in the Quran and her stories are recorded for us as examples.

MasyaAllah, she is such a great figure in Islam. And this is one of the reasons on why we should not mistreat and look down on women. They hold a great position in our life. Could you ever imagine your life without a figure named mother? The patience, undivided and unconditional love. Mother is willing to sacrifice her own life for the sake of her sons/daughter well-being and happiness. Sometimes, mothers don’t even care of themselves. How great mother’s love isn’t? Just like how Allah loves us. Allah is giving us all the good things and He is willing to forgive us as soon as we realized that we made mistakes and quickly repent and reflect upon that.

Now, have you ever asking yourself why Allah created Jannah and Jahannam? Well, as we all know, Jannah is created for those who did good deeds and obey to Allah’s rules, and Jahannam is for those who refused to bow their heads down and being ignorant as well as arrogant to obey to Allah’s rules and even worse despite knowing, still denied and act as if you didn’t learn the truths. Subhanallah, may Allah protect us from being such a ruthless and ungrateful human being.

          However, if you think carefully, Allah created Jannah and Jahannam as a motivation for us. A drive force! A pushing factor! (Either way you want it to be). Don’t you think so? Take it this way. Imagine your mother is offering you a candy if you clean your room. Won’t you do it immediately? That’s it! Jannah is your drive force!

Jahannam, Allah created it and told the stories on how wretched the hellfire to serve as our resting place, after you read about it from the Quran will you still dare to do sinful acts? Definitely not! We learnt to pursuit good things and dislike discomfort things. That’s in us. A biological trait. Because Allah is our creator and He knows best of us. That’s why He designed it that way. 

And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates.

Maryam. 19:25

          Let’s get back to the story of Maryam, in the surah named after her, I personally really like this verse. Thus, I would like to take this opportunity to share with all of you.

          Look carefully at the verse, Allah said to Maryam, shake the TRUNK of the palm tree. Have you ever see a palm tree? How big is the trunk? How hardy it is? Imagine yourself, told by your friend to shake the tree and the fresh dates will fall. Surely, you need to be strong to do so. And some of us might say that this is a crazy act, surely the dates won’t fall. Why are you wasting times on such thing? Etc.

Then, what is exactly Allah wants us to learn from this?

This is TAWAKKAL! The moment you are so sure things are really impossible to happen is the moment where you should put all your hopes and faith in Allah. Look at how Maryam understood the concept of tawakkal and she did as what she was told. Even though others who didn’t fully understand and learn about tawakkal will claim the actions as insane, we as the Believer, should not be discouraged. Just like how you need to be strong to shake the trunk, build the courage and trust Allah. Allah is always with us and HE will never leave us.

          As you can see, this is only an ayah. Many more to come (With Allah’s will). Read the Quran as well as the translations. That’s the way for us to learn and as what we continuously being reminded, Quran is our manual. Will you operate your life with no guidance? This is a long journey. Surely you need a GPS. *smirk*

And follow the best of what was revealed to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly while you do not perceive, Lest a soul should say, "Oh [how great is] my regret over what I neglected in regard to Allah and that I was among the mockers."

Az zumar. 39:55-56

MasyaAllah, thank you for reading. May this sharing benefit both sides. You, the reader and me the writer.

Written by: 

Phantom 

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Patience With All Things

May peace be upon you wherever you are. It's me again, on my second entry in March and I am hoping that you are still keeping updated with our MSOC blog.  Right now, the sun is setting and the picturesque view of the sky never fails in reminding me to Allah, Alhamdulillah and Subhanallah, what a great creation the sky is if you ever noticed. 

Before I started, let me clarify something here. One of my friend, who happened to read my previous entries, carefully, thoughtfully, seriously, professionally told me, 

"I think you should cut out some of your nonsense and go straight to the point. It's good to write on some, but not too much. I'm lost while reading..."

(Laughing) Okay, I bet, if you have read my previous entries before, you may be having the same thoughts as him. BUT. Let me just BRIEFLY explain myself. I want you to read as if you are listening and I'm writing as if I'm talking. Let's be carefree here. Stop frowning and enjoy reading. Let's not read with brain but heart. So, young ladies, young man and all, bear with me for a while. It's not wrong reading pretty and sweet nonsense, am I right? Just like what the title said, "Patience With All Thing"

Just recently, my mom called. As usual she asked, "How are you doing?" Listening to her voice, her lovely voice, I realized how I've been crazily missing her. It has been nearly three months I was away from home and things, obstacles just kept on appearing one after another as if they are meant to bring me down. I told my mother, "Ma, I don't know how I'm going through next week..." That summed up all. I couldn't go on because the tears could break any time.  My mom calmly told me, "Remember Allah, Remember Allah, and be patience with the tests. The test is from Allah, the hardship is from Allah. Ask for HIS help, Ask for HIM to look after you, Ask for HIM to ease things ahead, and in HIS will you'll be fine..." I told her "Okay..." But ended up crying after our phone conversation end.

And when Monday arrived and when Tuesday followed, MashaAllah, only Allah knows what was inside me. Assignments, classes, practicals, REPORTS, and all. Ya Rabbi, Ya Rabbi, Ya Rabbi. I kept on saying that throughout the day, feeling so impossible. You know like you keep on running, but somehow never reach the final line. Okay, do you think I'm taking things too seriously here? You may have your own tests and mine may look nothing to you. But trust me, you would not last a day in my shoes same as how I would not last a day in yours. Going to IMU and nothing was settled, coming back home and nothing get better. Finishing one thing, here comes three things. When you have so many things bulking inside, trying to get someone to talk about nonsense so that you can divert your stress mind somewhere else but no one was available. Just because everyone was in their toughest time too. Being over sensitive, hurt, angry and all. I nearly lose myself a moment ago. Everyone has gone super tired and reaching their limits. And in this situation, to get through all this, patience is the only answer. Because every good times and hard times pass. They are meant to pass. The pain and the hardship will pass. Sometimes later, we may even forget it all. So, we just have to be a little more patience.

I came across a conversation of Hanne and Frann in the 'The Life Journal of Anne Song'.

Frann: Hey, are you okay?

Hanne: I'm good. Better than ever.

Frann: Women always say the opposite thing of what they felt, and you are not excluded sister.

Hanne: Okay, I'm so mad right now. Why? Don't ask. Because I may ended up cursing people.

Frann: (laughing)You are holding it in? That's good. 

Hanne: I'm just trying to be thoughtful and considerate. I am having hard time, but others may be having even a harder time. So, I'm trying to be patience with whatever that is happening around me. Tolerate and be undertanding...

And after saying that Anne turned away from her brother, looking at the ceiling to control her tears and continued, "But it is very hard to be patience, you know. Why is it that it's always me who has to deal with this kind of situation that need patience? Why is that it's always me who has to give in? It's not fair..." And Anne ended up crouching on the floor, hugging both her knees and sobbed silently.

Reading that, I know exactly how she felt.
But do you know what Frann told her? Something that make not only her sister felt better, but, also me the one who was reading. He said

"Don't you feel good trying to be patience and considerate to people? Many has been given chance to be patience, but not many who choose to be one. Indeed it is hard, indeed there are people like you, who cry holding your anger, who cry trying to be patient. But remember, in Surah Ali-Imran verse 146, Allah surely loves those who are Sabireen. And with the Decree of Allah, He gives reward to those who are patient. Isn't it a very good deal for you? Things that relate to Allah, there is no such thing as unfairness existed, dear. Your patience is never overlooked.."

It is true. In all things that happened and is happening, it is from Allah. He is the Greatest of All. Ask from him, lean on HIM, believe HIM, do this for HIM, do this because we want HIM to love us more.

Patience is not just when we are angry.  It is in everything, in all things in life. Patience with human, patience with our studies, patience with our works and even patience with ourselves.

I am the center of my world and people who surrounds me should have taken great effort in taking care of my heart and not trying to hurt me. That is true. But everyone is the center of their world too, and I may be one of the people who surround them, who may even have hurt them before. Living with each other, we support each other, we should be a little more thoughtful and patience with each other. There are things and there are situations which I believe, we will have to silently step backward or we should have tone down a little bit, understanding their condition so that we would not be acting without thinking. There are always that kind of case in which our toleration and considerations are much more needed, in that lies patience.

In the case of studies, we are all aware of that. No matter how many, how impossible things look, how hard things are, never lose faith in Allah. It doesn't mean you could just close your eyes and hope for your complicated Genomic Journal to be miraculously done the day after when you wake up, saying that you are being patience. No. Goodness. No. Effort. Anything needs effort. Even if you want Allah to help you, you must help yourself too. Our LOVER, Ya Rahim would definitely help, but not right away. Like parents who let their young baby to stand by his own and if he or she stood, they will always be behind or in front of the baby, just in case he or she fall. And if he or she did fall, the parents are there, to catch him or her. Just like that and maybe in a way that we never expected, Allah is just there, Allah is just here for you. So, be patient.

Ibnul Qayyim said that patience is the ability to stop ourselves from despairing, to refrain from complaining and to control ourselves in times of sadness and worry. And Ali ibn Abu Talib defined patience as 'Seeking God's help"
So, you can reflect yourself here friends and comrades. Are you being patient as you go through life challenges? If not, it's okay. Keep trying. Let this be another mission that you would love to accomplish, to learn to be patient. Always turn to Allah. Always see Allah first. Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him also said, "Whoever tries to be patient then Allah will help him to be patient..."

I think I need to go now. There are many other things to settle and coming here to write, I feel much better. I hope you get something from this entry. Everything that is bad is from me and all that is good is from Allahu Rabbi. Thanks for listening.

Anne ZR

P/s: Sorry to that fellow friend of mine, I guess I was writing even longer junk stories than the main thing today. Hope you didn't get confuse. Pardon me if you do.
Pp/s: Did you see the sky tonight? It's dark. But stay watching, stay looking, somehow you'll see shining stars. That's the price of your patience.
Ppp/s: Special credit to my course mates who are having terrible yet lovable time struggling with deadlines of assignments. If you happen to read this, just feel special and burn more fuel to strive for the night!! And dear housemates, thanks for being by my side along this journey. It would have been even harder without you guys around. For the one who had lunch with me in front of 1.10 today ^_^ . For those who eat pizza with me for dinner, tonight. ^_^ For one who is in the house, keeping me accompany ^_^. I thank Allah for sending you all in my life. Let's be patience these coming weeks for Allah.

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Tajdid Our Niyyahh : Easy in Words, Hard in Action

Peace be upon all. It's quite windy today and even right now, the wind is blowing quite strong from the balcony of my house. Seeing that, the poetic side of me told myself, "Not only papers in the living room are flying around, but everything in the heart and mind too. They are in an unexplainable mess..."

Finding writing as a way I expressed the mess I had in me, is one of the reason I am here. And believing that by writing I would somehow reflecting me, advising me at the same time is my next reason I am here. But there is another reason. Everyone is an anonymous to me at the moment Some may be someone who once in a while, visit to update with new entries in this site. Some, maybe someone who just clicks on the link posted in facebook and all. And some may just randomly happen to arrive at this site and happen to read this. But I, want to be someone, that is always here, doing what I can, sharing what I felt, and the reason, is not any other than Allah. InshaAllah, that's my last reason for being here now.

Tajdid Our Niyyah. If that sounds too 'not common' for you then just don't freak out. Well, I believe most of you do know. But, just in case there are others who are just like me when I first heard of that, I think just a brief definition would be a great help. It's simply means, renewing your niyyah (intention). Like always be conscious and even better be unconsciously remembered the reason you are doing something. Example, "For whom I'm doing this?" or "Why I'm doing this?" Simple,right?

I know you may be so aware of this now. You heard it everywhere, everyday in your life. You may even know better than I do. There is no need for me to add on, replaying on the same thing over and over again. 

But I will still write. If it's not for you, it may be a useful reminder for me. Later on when I forget and happen to read this again, I may be able to learn something from this. InshaAllah.

It is narrated on the authority of Amirul Mu'minin, Abu Hafs 'Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) who said:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "Actions are (judged) by motives (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration (hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated." [Bukhari and Muslim]

Did you, ever in life have at least a person who told you this, "Study for Allah. Go to school for Allah. Do this for Allah. Do everything for Allah. Then only the things that you do will be 'berkat' " Have you?

I do and mostly all the time people told me that. More frequently, my mom. Well, people can only go and advise to the extend of words and it is you who are going to put it in action. The question is, did you just listen and choose to do nothing? Or did you, listen and put on efforts to make it a routine? Or did you listen and succeed in doing things for Allah in everything? In which categories are you in? 

Do you realize that, this renewing the niyyah thing is hard? Well, I can just tell you that we need to 'Niat' for Allah, on and on, over and over again. And generally speaking, it is not something that even requires physical labour at all. Compared to studying, tajdid the niyyah should be a much more easier thing to do, right? Coz it's all in the mind. And of course, the heart too. 

BUT.

I admit, (so must you if you are in the same boat as me again) that I, still find this hard and difficult.

Just like today, I started my day, telling myself, "Okay, let's do this for Allah. Let's live for Allah. Let's strive for Allah! Let's not go to class because I want to meet my friends. Let's not go to IMU to finish my reports. Instead, let's live striving for Allah's blessings." Can you imagine how many times I've been hypnotizing myself, convincing her that 'You can do it. Let's HIM be the reason..." Trying to remember HIM in my every steps to IMU and just few moment ago, when I just came back from IMU, when I felt so tired of no reasons, when I felt so down and unhappy, when I felt like something has gone wrong somewhere. 

I scratched my head, searching for answers. 

"Where did things go wrong today?"

AndI realized that, since the first class in the morning, the reasons to my smiles and laughs, the reasons to my bright and cheerful self of mine, is not Allah anymore. 

Human is forgetful. And being a human, I forgot easily. 

Now, I'm wondering to myself as I'm writing, 'Things would have be a little be different to me if I, live my today with Allah in mind and heart, right? Things should have been even more meaningful if I went through today with Allah the reason I'm doing it, right? Things, should have been more easier to handle right? I would have been more happier and satisfied right?"

So, I found the culprit. The culprit that lead to me in the crime of feeling empty and exhausted. 

It is the me that live without the right Niyyah being renewed.  I did have the right Niyyah at the beginning, but it, 'amazingly', unnoticeably renewed into something else in the middle of my day. Something that never lasts, something that you could not put your hope on to. End of the story on my side.

In everything that we do, if we have a good intention and even better, if it's because of Allah, things become easier. Not in a way that, the report and journal that your are supposedly to hand in by next weekday suddenly become less complicated like magic. No. But, the you that are handling that complicated task may be feeling much more lighter and calm to the extend that it helps you with the understanding of your work and the efficiency of your brain in interpreting the results and more. 

Isn't it awesome? If you don't trust me, try. With all of your heart. With Allah in mind and Heart. With Allah the reason you are doing it, in every second your hands are typing on the keyboard. InshaAllah, things will fall to its place again. The wind that previously has blown up all of the stuffs in your head will tone down and starts to blow softly to your sweating face, cooling it down. You'll feel way much better.

And as the title stated, I know, it is easy in words but hard when it comes to action. So true. But do it for Allah. Ask Allah to help you out. You are not doing it alone. You are not strong to be able to do it in one try. Human is weak in front of Allah, so ask from HIM, our ONE and ONLY. And remember one more thing that I always said, you are not losing anything when trying. Because Allah sees efforts more. 

Feeling hard to keep on tajdid niyyah every second? What about we think of it as if we are trying to make someone that we love to love us even more.

Everyone has their reasons in doing things. May it be for their loved ones, their family, their friends, themselves and even for their Creator, Allah The Greatest. 

There must be an answer to "Why am I doing this?" So that when things get hard, you could get your strength from that reason again, to keep on going strong.

And having others as reason, you may get strengthen up, but I wonder whether that is eternally?

But I'm sure if Allah is the reason, close your eyes, you don't have to cross your fingers, because things will definitely get solved beautifully. Strength that at first you doubt if there is still any left, will get recharged, smiles that you thought has fade will started to bloom again.

To cut it short. InshaAllah, you are under HIS special care, with special treatment, add on with special rewards. You can't see but have faith that it is of even greater than any other rewards ever existed in this world.

So, stand up friends and comrades. This journey is short but long for us who is still trying. Allah still gives you chances to make a change in your life so grab it and never let it go. Tajdid Your Niyyah in hopes for Allah's blessings. Tajdid your Niyyah for Allah. It's hard but what is hard is counted and accumulated. And 'Hardship' is the currency to get heaven. 

This is the verse of the day that I am sharing from the Al-Quran:

Happy evening! Assalamualaikum.

With love and great passion,

Anne ZR

P/s: I don't know when you are reading this, where you are reading this. But here, it is starting to rain. And the rain is a very heavy rain. They said, Allah listens to us even more when it's raining. So, I'm not going to miss it. Even if it's not raining on your side, your prayers are always listen. So no issue here. (Laughing) It feels good, as if I'm talking to you. And the happiness that I felt, I believe it's from Allah.

Pp/s: I'm sorry if the content is not as what you expected. But still, thanks for reading! May Allah blesses your day and mine! Let's fighting !!

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