Friday, December 28, 2007

Welcome 2008

Sunset 2007
Good Morning 2008

Where did the year go? Suddenly it is December. We came to realize that with giant strides we started in January and within a blink of an eye, 2007 is on its back!

A big "Thank You" to all for the huge impact you had on my life this year. Especially for all the supports and comments I received as a new kid on the blog.

To Faruha, Abg Id@PakPayne@AyahSu , KakElle, Azma , this is for you.
Thank-you for warm welcome and comments, that has turn me on....

From my side I wish all of you a du'a filled with Loving Wishes and Beautiful Thoughts.

May 2008 BE FILLED WITH LOTS OF JOY AND PROSPERITY by the BLESSING from the AL-MIGHTY.

Wish you an abundance & fruitful
New Year 2008!

CHEERS and SALAM

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Korban Banjir

Banjir datang seiiring Aidil Adha melanda Johor, Pahang, Trengganu , Kelantan dan Kedah. Gambar di bawah ini saya ciplak dari akhbar on-line....seribu rasa dalam satu suasana.

Berdoa di pusara di Aidil Adha, walau banjir melanda, yang telah tiada tidak dilupa
Pagi-pagi hari raya ke tiga saya meninjau sawah bendang dan saudaramara di kampung berdekatan yang di landa banjir. Banjir dah surut tapi halaman masih di genangi air. Sawah bendang tenggelam. Padi yang sedang berbuah rosak . Kesihan mengenangkan mereka yang semata-mata bergantung pada sawah dan kebun getah;bertungkus lumus mengerjakan sawah tapi hasilnya lenyap dilanda arus.Mudah-mudahan masih banyak rezeki lain yang Allah taburkan untuk mereka. Semuga mereka terus tabah dan tawakkal.

lihat lah padi yang hampir masak dah rosak

Di Lubuk Batu, kira-kira 200 orang berteduh di bengkel perabut yang terletak di pinggir bukit. Ruang nya agak luas tapi terbuka tanpa dinding. Buaian anak kecil masih bergantungan, bayi dan anak-anak tentu kesejukan waktu malam.

tidur malam berlapik tikar plastik dan totoo

menyusun kotak kayu jadi pemidang bahagian anak gadis berlindung waktu malam
Berguni-guni beras dan kotak makanan telah tiba. Waktu kami sampai mereka sedang sarapan. Wajah mereka cerah menyambut kami. Dah lama tak jumpa, ramai yang tak kenal saya lagi. Saya mengutuk diri sendiri yang ingat-ingat lupa , tak boleh nak match muka dengan nama...hisyyy, malu kalau makngah di panggil maklang, kakton dipanggil makteh ! Ini lah bahana nya"kerap" sangat menziarah kampung halaman sendiri. Sedangkan di situlah tempat saya berlari dan bermain, mandi sungai dan berebut buah kayu! Saya menolak ajakan makan sebab masih kenyang, tapi kakak mencubit peha...rasa lah sikit ambil hati depa... opps! OK OK.
Makan sambil berbual saya selami perasaan mereka. Rata-rata hiba tapi menerima dengan redha. Kiranya tahun ini mereka lebih bernasib baik dari banjir 2005 yang rumah mereka tenggelam hingga ke bumbung. Saya rasa serba salah kerana berkunjung dengan tangan kosong. Seperti memahami mengkal di hati saya, seorang ibu berkata dia cukup gembira kerana kami datang berziarah, macam menyambut anak pulang di hari raya. Saya beredar dengan mata berkaca.

Juadah Raja Haji

Mengambil sunat tidak bersarapan sebelum sembahyang raya, anak-anak saya lapar & terus mengadap ketupat rendang dan nasi impit di rumah BIL. Saya bawakan ketupat palas pulut hitam, MIL sediakan nasi impit kuah kacang. Kek, brownie dan agar-agar yang saya bawa dah "tak laku"dah...hantu ketupat semuanya!

Tidak boleh lama kerana suami cuti separuh hari saja..kami menyeberang pulang ke Permatang Pauh. Sepanjang melalui kawasan perumahan, seronok melihat khemah panjang terpasang di kawasan lapang, penuh orang berkumpul melakukan ibadah korban. Selepas zohor kami berempat menyertai majlis korban di madrasah tempat Ammer mengaji. Sembelihan 7 ekor lembu dah selesai, masak memasak pun dah siap,Tok Wan dan Tok Aunty sedia menanti. Nah...sup gear-box!
Segan la pulak nak bergelumang dengan tulang kat tengah majlis ni.. ( kalau kat umah,mertua lalu pun buat-buat tak nampak! he he..), memudahkan cerita saya dan the girls tak ambik nasi, ratah sup sambil mengorek isi dari tulang yang penuh sepinggan. Hidangan ringkas makan berselerak di sekitar madrasah. Sibuk melayan gearbox, rugi pulak tak ambil gambar sekeliling.....
Malam nya saya mencuba Mee Siam resepi KakElle. Pertama kali saya guna tauchu dalam masakan, macam tak best jer kuah tu tapi Alhamdulillah anak ,suami dan tetamu suka. Senang hati cuci pinggan tak berbekas.

Hari kedua pun sama, nasi daging, sup dan bermacam masakan daging. Saya dah naik pening.

Pagi hari raya ketiga saya memerintah di dapur rumah tok (rumah pusaka keluarga), tukar menu. Sebelum keluar menziarah saudara mara yang di landa banjir, saya ambil gambar awal-awal. Makanan belum berhidang kena snap foto dulu, kalau tak.... Gulai cair daging tetel dengan kentang, ayam goreng, ikan sumbat sambal dengan air asam, sayur campur, sambal belacan dan ulam. Makan dengan nasi putih jer!!


Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Perancangan Allah Lebih Cantik


Doa saya di makbulkan, Alhamdulillah. Tapi perancangan Allah lebih cantik. Kami dapat tahu yang MIL akan beraya di rumah BIL di Penang. Jadinya kami tidak perlu tergesa-gesa balik ke Jitra hari ini dan pulang semula ke rumah esok ,kerana suami perlu bertugas pada petang raya pertama! Jadi selepas menulis entri ini, saya gantung keyboard dan terus kelentung kelentang kat dapur. Semua nya mesti tip-top kerana esok sebelum matahari terbit kami akan merentas Penang Bridge pergi bersembahyang di Mesjid Negeri dan berpagi raya korban di tengah bandaraya Georgetown! Untuk pertama kali kami tidak pulang kampung berhari raya.


Friday, December 14, 2007

Salam Aidil Adha

Kurang seminggu Aidil Adha menjelang lagi. Bagi saya dan keluarga Raya Haji sama meriah nya dengan Aidilfitri, malah lebih meriah dengan kenduri korban. Persiapan saya dah bermula. Macam biasa saya sediakan sejenis dua biskut untuk mengiring juadah di pagi mulia. Baju anak-anak telah siap bergosok.

Bezanya kali ini tidak siapkan duit raya, sebaliknya kami bungkus manisan untuk anak-anak yang berkunjung.
Kita berada di bulan yang Allah telah muliakan dengan hari Arafah, hari Aidiladha dan seterusnya hari-hari tashriq. Seboleh mungkin, jom lah kita merebut musim mulia ini dengan melebihkan sedikit amalan. Seronok rasanya bila bangun di pagi raya Aidil Adha yang kita dahului dengan puasa sunat enam hari sebelumnya. Inilah kesempatan untuk kita back-up amalan yang longgar. Eh, maaf ya, saya berpesan untuk diri sendiri sebenarnya. Waktu aruah masih ada, mak lah yang selalu ingatkan saya tentang kedatangan Zulhijjah dan apa yang sepatutnya dilakukan merebut kesempatan kemuliaan bulan yang Allah telah mensyariatkan ibadah korban ini. Saya berdoa semuga Allah berikan kekuatan agar peringatan aruah dapat saya teruskan.
Semoga Allah s.w.t memberi kita kekuatan dan dorongan untuk menggandakan ibadah kita pada hari-hari mendatang ini dan menerima segala amalan kita, amin ya rabbal ‘alamin.
Di saat-saat ini ,saya masih juga berdoa, hendaknya suami boleh "off-duty" pada hari pertama Aidil Adha ini dan semuga boss meluluskan cuti saya pada hari kedua Aidil Adha!
Nak balik kampung!!!!!.....malam raya lebih meriah di mesjid kampung di sana....
Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha, semuga kita sentiasa di payungi rahmat dari Allah.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Control Macho ! diari 6 Disember


good morning, bangun pagi 6 Disember selepas mandi sunat
jalan-jalan dan stopby makan aiskrim
comot tuuu.....
lepas sembahyang isya', getting ready...!!! with new kain pelikat..

the event is.....BERSUNAT ! once in a lifetime !

anak abah nervous....

Bismillahirrahmaa nirrahim....I am OK!

I am good...
pening skit,,, tapi masih senyum dan "thumbs up"

Control machoooo.....
more pics...to be continued...

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Setting a firm boundries... aduhai anak gadisku

Adik banyak mendapat jemputan makan di luar, bermain futsal dan lain-lain aktiviti dari guru dan kawan-kawan nya bila dia tamat sekolah rendah. Saya izinkan tetapi bersyarat dia mesti ditemani Kakak walaupun mereka keluar berkumpulan dengan ibubapa atau guru yang sudah seperti ibu saudara mereka. Terbaru mereka menonton Enchanted bersama beberapa orang kawan dengan tiket yang di sponsor ! Saya agak ragu-ragu mulanya, maklumlah mereka tak pernah keluar sendirian tanpa kami untuk pergi ke tempat awam.
Monolog: ( Depa pi swimming pun saya tercongok kat tepi pool membaca buku sambil mengawasi mereka... teruk ke mama ni...? tapi takkan nak kurung dalam rumah jer cuti-cuti ni... ).
Suami cool jer...bila dapat tahu mereka ditemani bapa F, baru saya lepaskan. Semalam saya terdengar perbualan telefon dari seorang kawan rapat mereka ajak tengok Nana Tanjung 2. Cuak di hati. Kakak menjawab "let's see if my dad let us to go".
Monolog : Wo hooo... selalu nya apa pun tanya mama , ini pertama kali dengar cakap macam ni..Adik Kakak pun tahu kalau tanya mama mesti tak bagi punya!
Saya sms suami ....he he he, tau lah kan sebabnya apa kannn....sebaliknya minta suami belikan DVD nya nanti.
Monolog : Mama pun nak tengok lawak Pak Pie gak :P
Saya belum bersedia melepaskan mereka keluar. Tak pasti sejauh mana tali perlu di hulurkan sebab kalau panjang langkah nanti susah nak di jinakkan balik.
Monolog: ( betul ke ni ?, conservative sangat ka aku nihhhh)
Saya meng"google" ( he he , marah Dewan Bahasa) dan sampai ke sini , semuga kita mendapat sedikit menfaat.
http://www.soundvision.com/Info/parenting/teen/22tips.asp

KEEPING MUSLIM TEENS MUSLIM

22 Tips for Parents :What does it take for parents to get a teen to become a practicing Muslim?

Sound Vision has talked to parents, Imams, activists and Muslims who have grown up in the West to ask what are some practical things parents can do to help Muslim teens maintain their Deen. These are some of their suggestions:

Tip #1: Take parenting more seriously than you would a full-time job
This means both parents must understand their children are a trust from Allah, and He will ask how they were raised. If the children do not grow up practicing Islam because of their parents' negligence, it is not going to be pretty in this life or the next.

Tip #2:Reduce or change work hours and exchange them for time with the family
It is better to have one full-time job, fewer luxuries in the house (i.e. more cars, expensive clothes, a bigger, fancier home) and more time with the family, than many material things and absent parents. This goes for mothers AND fathers. Parents can't instill values in their children if they just aren't there, period. Quit that extra job on the weekends or in the evenings and instead drive the kids to the mosque for Halaqas and activities instead. Or consider switching shifts at work so that you're home when the kids are.

Tip #3: Read the Quran, understanding its meaning, for five minutes every day
Just five minutes. Whether it's in the car during a traffic jam, early morning after Fajr, or right before you go to bed, read the Quran with a translation and/or Tafseer. Then watch the snowball effect. You will, Insha Allah, reconnect with Allah, and in the long run, develop into a role model helping your whole family, not just your teen, reconnect with Him too.

Tip #4: Attend a weekly Halaqa
Trade playing cards or watching television on Sunday afternoons for a Halaqa. If you don't have something already in place during that time slot, help the Imam to set one up. Attend it vigilantly. The added bonus of this is that when children see their parents striving to learn about Islam, they will in many cases be encouraged to do the same.

Tip #5: Respect your teen
Respecting your teen means not treating them like inept babies, but like maturing adults, not talking down to them or humiliating and insulting them. It means involving them in useful activities around the home and seeking their opinions on matters of importance.

Tip #6: Take an interest in what they do
Does Noor play hockey in an all-girls' sports league? Attend Noor's games as regularly as possible. Does Ihsan collect stamps? See if you can find old letters from your parents in Malaysia or Lebanon and pass the stamps on them to her. Does Muhsin love building websites? Visit his site, post a congratulatory e-mail on the message board and offer some suggestions for the site. Give him a book on advanced web design as Eid gift.

Tip #7: Be aware of problems and address them straightforwardly
As you spend more time with your teen, you will be more able to sense if there is something bothering them. Don't brush this feeling under the carpet. Address it straight on. But don't do this in the family meeting or n in front of others. Do it during the next tip.

Tip #8: "Date" your teenager
While dating is commonly associated with boy-girl social meetings, the concept can be extended to any meeting between two people wanting to get to know each other better.
It's especially important to "date" your children on an individual level once they hit their teens because they are no longer just "one of the kids". They are young adults who need attention and guidance on an individual level. You can go out on a "date" when Sumayya graduates from high school (instead of going to the prom), when Ahmed gets his driver's license or if you feel there is something bothering them and you want to address them alone.

Tip #9: Don't just be your teen's parent, be his or her partner
Making them a partner means giving them responsibilities within the family. Get 16 year old Amir, who just got his driver's license, to help his mom with grocery shopping on Saturday's; get 15 year old Jasmine, who loves flowers, to be responsible for the garden and mowing the lawn. This way, teens will feel a part of the family, included and needed.

Tip #10: Build a Masjid in your home
Delegate a room, part of the basement or the living room as the home Masjid. You can do this for less than $25.
Make this Masjid entirely the responsibility of the kids. Get the eldest to be in charge and to delegate responsibilities for younger siblings. Responsibilities include keeping the Masjid clean, waking people up for Fajr, calling the Adhan, etc.

Tip #11: Don't practice "men's Islam"
That means don't exclude wives or daughters from prayers. When the men are praying in Jamaah, make sure the women are either behind them or also praying in congregation. Make sure the Imam recites the prayer loud enough for the women to hear if they are in another part of the house. Also, encourage women to pray in Jamaah if there are no men present.

Tip #12: Establish an Islamic library and choose a librarian
Equip your home with an Islamic library with books, video and audio cassettes about various aspects of Islam, catering to everyone's age and interests. If 13-year-old Bilal likes adventure novels, for example, make sure you have a couple of Islamic adventure books
Get one of your teens to be the librarian. S/he keeps materials organized and in good condition. Any requests for materials to be added to the collection have to go through him or her. Give this librarian a monthly budget for ordering new books, cassettes, etc.

Tip#13: Take them out.....to Islamic activities
Instead of a fancy dinner at a restaurant, save your money to take everyone out to the next Muslim community dinner or activity. Make a special effort to go to events where other Muslim teens will be present and the speaker caters his/her message to this crowd.
It's also important to regularly take Bilal and Humayra to Islamic camps and conferences where they will meet other Muslim kids their age on a larger scale.

Tip #14: Move to a racially and religiously mix neighborhood in your city
If your children can interact with Muslim as well as non-Muslim children on a daily basis, it is going to be healthier for their growth. May be a move closer to a masjid is going to help as well.

Tip #15 : Help teens start their own youth group
After living in a Muslim neighborhood and attending Islamic activities regularly, teens in many cases will develop a friendship with other Muslims their age. Don't let this end here.
Help them establish a youth group, not just to learn about Islam, but to go to the amusement park together, go swimming, etc. Have meetings at members' houses on a weekly or bimonthly basis. Get this group involved in useful work like cleaning up litter around the Masjid or visiting senior citizens' homes.This group must have parental supervision, although teens' decision-making powers should not be interfered with unless really necessary.

Tip #16: Establish a TV-free evening and monitor TV watching in general
Parents' biggest competitor for their children's attention is the T.V. Sound Vision's unTV guide. Monitoring what everyone watches simply means taking care to remind and help everyone avoid shows which depict sex, violence and encourage unIslamic activities. Put up a list of acceptable and unacceptable shows on the wall beside the T.V.
Establishing TV-free evenings means having one evening of the week when no one, adult, teen or child is allowed to watch television. Hopefully, this is a first step towards general TV reduction in the home. This is an ideal time to have the next tip.

Tip #17: Have weekly family meetings
The purpose: to find out what is going on in everyone's lives and to consult the family on important issues. Hanan started attending a Halaqa, Imran just returned from a Muslim youth camp, Bilal aced the last algebra test. The point is not to just give this news in point form. It's to elicit discussion and communication between everyone, and to keep up-to-date about what is going on in everyone's life, which gets harder when kids become teenagers.
This is also the place to consult the family and decide on major issues affecting everyone: a move to another city; a marriage of one of the family members; difficulties with a bully in school, etc.
Please note: Shura in the family does not mean a majority vote determines what to do about a situation. While the parents remain in charge, teens and younger children voice opinions and suggestions parents will consider in making a final decision about a matter.

Tip #18: Have "Halal Fun night" once a month
"Fun is Haram" is a joke sometimes heard amongst Muslim youth, mocking the attitude of some Muslims for whom virtually anything enjoyable is automatically labeled Haram (forbidden).
Islamic entertainment is a much neglected area of Muslim concern. Islamic songs, skits, etc. are a viable tool for the transmission of Islam. Maybe 16-year-old Jameel knows how to play the Duff, while his sister Amira, 14, can write and sing well. Let them present their own Islamic song to the whole family. Or have 12-year-old Ridwan recite some of his best poetry. Make one of the teens in charge of this event. Help them establish a criteria of acceptable and unacceptable Halal entertainment.

Tip #19: Provide the right role models-What would Abu Bakr have done?
Apart from being a role model yourself by trying to practice Islam, make sure you provide teens with reading material about the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions (Sahaba), both the men and the women. Otherwise, the characters on the programs your kids watch on television may become their "Sahabas".
Discuss what a Companion may have done in a situation relevant to teens' lives. What would Abu Bakr Siddiq do if he saw a someone selling answers to the grade 11 math final exam? What would Aisha have done is she was confronted with the opportunity to cheat her parents?

Tip #20: Read books on Positive Parenting
These can be books written by Muslims, but even books by non-Muslims can help. However, just be ready and make sure you are able to identify what is Islamically acceptable versus what is not.

Tip #21: Get them married early
The societies of the West are permeated by sex: on TV, billboards, on the streets, buses, in movies, etc. A Muslim teenager facing this is in a tough position: succumb to the temptations or try really, really hard not to. Getting them married early (check out some tips for parents) will ease the pressure, and they don't have to stop their studies to do this. Remember, as a parent you will also be partly responsible if your son or daughter wanted to marry, you stopped them and they ended up having sex outside of marriage. You should also remember when undertaking this step not to force your son or daughter to marry someone they do not like.

Tip #22: Last but not least-Make Dua
Make Dua. It is really Allah who guides and misguides, but if you've done your job as a parent, Insha Allah, keeping your teen a practicing Muslim will be easier to do than if you had neglected this duty. As well, make Dua for your teen in front of them. This reminds them how much you love them and your concern for them.