I speak to silence.

{ December 10, 2007 @ 2:32 am } · { Poetry Pit }
{ } · { Comments (33) }

I speak to an invisible audience
The people before me I can’t see
I speak to a crowd of absence
The empty eyes stare back at me

I speak to a blank wall
The echo resounds to nobody
I speak to those deaf to the call
The voice trapped within me

I speak to you speaking to me
The shouts emerge inside out
I speak to us collectively
The listener, yet, remains not

I speak to someone, anyone
The desperation begins
I speak until lost is the sun
The attempt dawns on pain

I speak and I continue on
Though nobody hears
I speak, defiantly pressing on
Though now, I speak in tears

- Lisa Ahé.

Free Rice

{ November 10, 2007 @ 1:52 pm } · { Humanity Hub }
{ Tags: , , , } · { Comments (18) }

I love word games, from Scrabulous on Facebook (hit me up!) to Boggle from Yahoo! Games. So what could be better than a word game? A word game that donates rice to the hungry!

The game, FreeRice, tests the vocabulary of participants. For each click on a correct answer, the website donates money to buy 10 grains of rice.

Companies advertising on the website provide the money to the WFP to buy and distribute the rice.

BBC News

You can also learn more here.

freerice1.jpg

So go on then. Play it! (Yes, yes my vocab level dropped to 29. :-( )

Le Bogus Hiatus
As an end note, I’m sorry for the lack of posts lately. I’d wanted to officially announce a hiatus but you know how that gets, right? You post saying you’re taking a break. In two days, you’re back with ten posts. Lol. It’s when you don’t inform everyone of your impending absence that you actually don’t post. Sigh. Us humans. There’s hope yet. But yeah, I’m sorry.

In the meantime, rather than say I’m taking an indefinite break, let me just say that posts will be *infrequent* here.

Thanks for still dropping by though. You guys rock. :-)

Environmentally Funky.

{ October 15, 2007 @ 5:02 pm } · { Humanity Hub }
{ } · { Comments (15) }

Bloggers Unite - Blog Action Day
I might be a tad late with this Blog Action Day entry. But hopefully this post and ensuing discussion (share, people, share!) will still benefit myself and you folks.


Unfortunately, when resources dry up, it stinks.

A lot of us say Islam encourages us to care for the environment. As it was created for us. As it is an amanah (trust) upon us. But when asked how exactly, we kinda have this look on our faces that says “Busted”.

In general terms we are warned against wastage (Qur’an 6:141) and excessiveness in expenditure (Qur’an 17:26-27) and indeed, consumerism is one of the biggest contributions to deteriorating global conditions.

Then you have, specifically, ahadith (Prophetic sayings) advising the same. We have an example in the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam who himself used minimal water for ablution and had said, “Do not waste water, even if you perform your ablution on the banks of an abundantly-flowing river.” Imagine that!

Instead of burdening ourselves with a daunting primitive lifestyle as false adherence to the deen, we can simply take small steps, preventive measures and such as individuals and families. Generally the idea is to fit Islam into your planet-saving plans [save the (environmental) cheerleader, save the world!] and vice-versa.

In our times, we usually like the easy-to-adopt, perhaps a bit fun, somewhat interesting ways to get us to actually act upon something. Here are a few little quirky ideas:

Do virtually everything… uhh, virtual-ly.
Recently, we all saved a lot of paper by sending Eid greetings via electronic means (Thanks for all the Eid gifts on Facebook!). Loses that personal touch you say? Then go for recycled. We get it easy these days. Back then, going recycled meant limiting yourselves to those earthy looking paper. Now, we’re spoilt for choice.

There are of course other ways of saving paper. Like opting to receive your bills and paying them online. And erm, how about memos using Etch A Sketch? Or is that far-fetched? :-/

Look out! For recycling logos.
Speaking of paper, I heart stationeries. They never go out of style despite the popularity of the online world. So look up companies that do their bit, choose to buy from them. I just got glue sticks from Staedtler that are solvent-free and Maped staples whose packaging has the Green Dot symbol. ‘Tis easy to spot them.

You have the power of the consumer. With increased awareness, action and demand, companies will step up to the environmental challenge, government agencies will pressure them. Let’s just hope for our own sake, that the “efforts” generated aren’t merely a front ala Thank You For Smoking. Eeks.

Sharing is really caring.
I don’t drive (work is a 5-minute walk away) but I don’t get why people who do don’t exploit car-pooling. As Muslims, this should really help establish and maintain ties within the community and/or the workplace. Right? Right.

Books. Some of you know what a bibliophile I can be. But as much as I hate to admit it, sharing and exchanging books can also be your part for the environment. Sorry, this one I really would find hard to implement, lol. Unless *I* were the one lending my books. But yes, love for your brother what you love for yourself!

You could also look at it this way. When you lend somebody your book, you might actually check up on them more regularly just to hint to them to return it promptly. Voila! Another way to keep the bind! Haha, get it? Book bind and social bond?

The Electric Company
Simple motto: If you’re not using it, turn it off.

I tend to keep my computer running overnight if I’m downloading stuff. This becomes such a habit that I sometimes keep it on while I’m sleeping even when there aren’t any active downloads. The thing is when I do that, I also leave my MSN logged on and friends get frustrated messaging and nudging me, thinking I’m there ignoring them (I’m always set to Busy so they never really can tell).

So the moral is, friends don’t do that to friends. Again, it’s the whole relationship maintenance. Get offline, get (your pc) unplugged, and get to bed. The whole drama of “you ignored me the whole of last night” is just not worth it. And now you have the added perk of doing your bit for Earth. Aww. :D

Anyway, these are just some brief, random ideas. You may have read similar ones elsewhere but hopefully the Islamic twist here will encourage you further. Check out the Blog Action Day website for more helpful links (with even better tips) in your quest to be Captain Planet or share your valuable ideas here. With our powers combined, surely we can make a difference. Insha Allah.

Cheers. :-)

Eid Mubarak!

{ October 13, 2007 @ 7:46 am } · { Random Ravine }
{ Tags: } · { Comments (8) }


Mmm. How can you resist?

as-salamu ‘alaykum everyone,

By now, ‘Eid would’ve already ended for some of you. I still wish all of you, wherever you may be, Eid Mubarak. Taqabalallahu minna wa minkum.

Hope you all have/had a great one! Look forward to reading your experiences. :-D

Keep up the good spirits.

Btw, my apologies for not having posted in a while. Things have been hectic around the office, and topped with classes, I hardly have time for myself! It might be a while before the next post. But I have a couple of drafts around here so stay tuned!

These words.

{ October 2, 2007 @ 4:51 am } · { Poetry Pit }
{ Tags: } · { Comments (8) }


Something I wrote a year ago:

Do you look into the sky
With two or one a poetic eye
Do the words then start to form
Do you then begin to cry

Do you look up a giant tree
And marvel at its beauty
Do the words then remind
Do you then return to reality

Do you look at the waves
Such power, the heart raves
Do the words then crash in
Do you then think of the graves

Do you look for a tiny ant
Just to stare as aworking it went
Do the words then creep upon you
Do you then move to repent

Do you look for many an answer
When it’s certain what they are
Do the words then come before you
Or do you then see that
From you
The words
Are far.

How close are you to the Word of Allah ‘azza wa jall?

5 Tips to Ace Ramadan

{ September 28, 2007 @ 5:49 am } · { Perspective Park }
{ Tags: , } · { Comments (8) }

ace.jpg

As we hit the last two weeks of this blessed month, here are some of my reflections in the form of tips. I hope they will be beneficial, insha Allah.

1. Race Yourself

This is a reminder to compete only with yourself. See, by now, you might’ve heard from friends, read others’ blogs, seen some forum contests on how well people are doing, how much they have achieved thus far. You might find yourself lagging. Protect yourself from using this as an excuse to slack further or even quit completely. Look at it this way, people participate or publicise their progress to push their ownselves. You should be proud of your brothers and sisters who have done well, wa lillahil hamd.

You could also take from these instances motivation and inspiration to do better yourself. To challenge yourself.

2. Pace Yourself

As much as we have to force ourselves to start certain good deeds, there’s always a limit. By now, you should know what works for you and what does not. Perhaps you started off with so many different tasks that they now seem overwhelming. Stick to what works and heighten those during the last ten days.

“The deeds most loved by Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

3. Grace Yourself

The biggest motivator has to be the promised rewards from Allah, and the immediate (apparent) blessings or benefits of our deeds. But should you require further motivation, reward yourself. This does not have to be in the form of an official certificate or a mini trophy (although that works well with kids!), but even small things that you can look forward to. Like if you attend the Qiyam al-Lail program at the mosque tonight, tomorrow for iftar (or maybe after tarawih) you could treat yourself to that nice, juicy steak. Or if you’re feeling tired during the week, remember that the weekend will be here in no time (thank Allah it’s Jumu3ah!), and you could catch up on your shuteye and sleep in. Simple rewards like that.

It might look bit ironic to use worldly perks as incentives but if it really helps, go for it. After all, we enjoy these little things off-season. And far be it for me to suggest something extravagant like “Ok, since I’ve fasted the whole of Ramadan, I shall reward myself with a two-week vacation in Paris!” ;-)

4. Brace Yourself

You might hit bouts of laziness or iffiness. So what do you do then? Well, anticipating moments like that is in itself mental preparation. You also could use the rewards system as in #3. Or you could remember this powerful quote about rest:

Imam Ahmad Bin-Hanbal was once asked, “When does a man get to relax?” and he replied, “It is the moment he sets his foot in Jannah; there is no relief before that”.

When you combine that with the knowledge that you basically have no real excuse in Ramadan to slack, that should get you going. But still, you find you might need more practical ways to keep on track. For one thing, keeping a written plan or sticking to a list would help in disciplining yourself. The other way is to have a family member or friend be your watchdog. Have them sms you to remind you of tarawih. Have someone forward you emails of reminders. And so on.

[The problem is some of us start big suddenly and go cold turkey on (mubah) activities we normally enjoy. The extreme shift might wear us out quicker than we expect. The key here would be to gradually eliminate a "bad" habit only to gradually replace it with a good alternative.]

5. Trace Yourself

More than just a review of what you’ve already done (eg. according to the activity list you might be using) , conduct some serious personal muhasabah on the spiritual aspects of all deeds performed. And then reflect on your behaviour with and treatment of others. At the same time, plan ahead. As you think of what has passed, make mental (or even literal) note of your lessons learnt, how you want to spend the rest of Ramadan, and even after that. When you plan long-term, it’ll help your focus in this month. But do beware of being overly assuming of what you can do, no matter how well the intention. Because at the end of it all, what we want to achieve is having performed the best deeds in the best manner with the best of intentions. Never compromise on any aspect for the sake of quantity. Instead build up your standards for quality as you go along.

Again, if it helps, share your progress with a friend – someone who can provide advice for where you might need to improve, and also cheer you on for the things you’re doing right.

Wishing you the very best for the remainder of Ramadan, with the mercy of Allah.

:-)

Hurry! Break your fast!

{ September 26, 2007 @ 1:54 pm } · { Random Ravine }
{ Tags: , , , } · { Comments (4) }

Date
(From here)

Yesterday was the first time I actually broke fast at the mosque (or well our temporary office space). So I’d left the office and headed to the canteen just as the adhan sounded. And as the uncles and aunties already there saw me approach they were all like, “Quick! Grab that cup of cold syrup drink!” “Here, have some tea first!” “Come, take some of mine now!”

Lol, if you saw the expression on their faces, you would’ve thought I hadn’t eaten in days and they were rushing to feed a starving me. :-/ The thing was the drinks were within my reach but to get a date, I’d have to walk to the other side of the canteen. I opted the latter and in so doing delayed my breaking of fast by about erm, one minute?

So that begets the question. To hasten the breaking of fast or to break it with a date? In my scenario above, it was hardly a delay. We probably take longer than that to make our du’as anyways. But what if circumstances meant break it with a cup of hot chocolate or wait 10 more minutes for the arrival of dates? Which sunnah takes precedence then?

While I await a proper answer (should there ever be one! anybody know?), let’s return to the original scene. That atmosphere of care and concern. Of everyone reaching out to that one person who’s left behind, lagging. The folks at the masjid have always been a second family for me. I get the attention because I work there, alhamdulillah. But if you should feel that your mosque is losing that close-knit spirit, act upon it. The stage where everyone looks out for you (and each other) is one that has to be earned. You say as a Muslim you automatically deserve that sort of respect. But what sort of a Muslim are you? Before you point a finger and say this mosque is exclusive, proud, arrogant and plain unfriendly, look inward. Perhaps you are perceived as you perceive.

What’s this got to do with that?

{ September 23, 2007 @ 1:01 am } · { Perspective Park, Random Ravine }
{ Tags: , , , , } · { Comments (3) }

I had been discussing the effect of one’s order in the family on his/her personality so I read this recent news article with much interest:

How older siblings stunt growth
Having an older sibling, particularly a brother, can stunt growth, work suggests.

Experts said the condition of the womb after the first pregnancy may be a factor.

Of course my first reaction was to snub it because it’s so not true for my family. I’m the youngest of six and the tallest girl. Ok, so they said the case is not so much amongst females. But even between my two brothers, the younger of them is the taller one. And for a pretty big family, we are taller than the average height for folks around here. Generally across friends too, I’ve known more of the younger siblings to be taller.

Is the finding(s) true for any of you?

I know these types of studies aren’t foolproof, and they don’t claim to be absolute truths either. Rather they assert possible links based on research on a certain sample. So that brings me to the point of whether the existence of two things at any one time means one had led to the other.

I believe it was Imam al-Ghazali who argued that correlation does not necessarily mean causation. Well, I’d be the last person you’d want to discuss the theory in its original context with, so let’s just apply the notion to something we’re all familiar with and striving especially for now – repentance.

Many times we fail in attaining complete repentance because we eventually return to the same sin. What I’d like to suggest here is that perhaps part of the reason for failure is that we identify the wrong thing as being the cause of our wrongdoing. Just because a certain element is present every time we commit a particular sin does not necessarily mean it was the culprit. So when we eliminate what we perceive to be the cause, we still have yet to rid of the real cause.

So take a closer look at the sin and its environment, cover all possible areas and avoid pinpointing without surety. Make your own “study” if you have to. Just as you plan for a work project or a school assignment or some community event, plan for that ultimate change. May Allah grant you strength and success.

And remember, always remember. Repent not (simply) because you might die tomorrow in sin. But repent so that you might die tomorrow in a blessed state of repentance.

From the archives: The Lament

Just block it.

{ September 21, 2007 @ 2:50 am } · { Tech Trench }
{ } · { Comments (2) }

Soooo, what’re you doing here eh? No, really, what? Wasn’t it your plan to stay off the web during Ramadan? Temptation got the better of you? You just had to see what Ms Lisa had to say? Oh come on, what kinda excuse is that! She stinks man. She steeeenks.

So anyway, if you’re having problems staying off the net or certain websites that suck up so much of your time (especially in Ramadan where every second counts!), here’s a nifty firefox addon to help you out. The cool thing is that it has a timer of sorts where you can categorise and block sites only during certain periods of the day. Handy also for those of you who work from home and don’t exactly have superiors monitoring your online whereabouts. It’s all about self-discipline. You could also activate the password option to add further deterrence.

So check it out and just block it! Love the intro (below) lol.

LeechBlock

LeechBlock is a simple productivity tool designed to block those time-wasting sites that can suck the life out of your working day. (You know: the ones that rhyme with ‘Blue Cube’, ‘Pie Face’, ‘Space Hook’, ‘Hash Pot’, ‘Sticky Media’, and the like.) All you need to do is specify which sites to block and when to block them.

Seriously, if you could make out all those sites, you probably need this programme.

Screenshot:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addons/previews/4476

As for my poor IE-using friends, this is all I have to say to you:

Cheers! ;-)

You fast awaiting the time to break it…

{ September 15, 2007 @ 3:46 pm } · { Humanity Hub, Perspective Park }
{ Tags: , , } · { Comments (6) }

Zur’ah ibn Ibraaheem narrated that a man came to ‘Umar and said to him: “I have an old mother who is unable to go answer the call of nature, so I carry her on my back. I also help her perform ablution while turning my face away from her (out of respect). Have I fulfilled my duty towards her?” ‘Umar said, “No.” The man said, “Even though I carry her on my back and exert myself in her service?” ‘Umar said: “She used to do the same for you when you were young, while hoping that you will live. As for you, you await when she will go away (die).”

What a powerful statement of truth. My post isn’t exactly to do with our beautiful mothers, although in this sacred month, which person best to serve than your own mum eh?

I find in this statement a great parable to the lessons of as-saum. We say that fasting teaches us gratitude, part of which gives us a sense of what it is like to be poor and without food. But when we fast, we know it will soon be broken. We rejoice in it as one of the two pleasures for the one who observes fasting. But take this notion a step further and recognise that someone who lives in extreme poverty has no idea when his next meal is. You fast awaiting the time to break it, while they starve not knowing when it will end.

Two simple lessons here:

1. Heightened gratitude. Where you fast with ease, with hope, with thanks that your iftar will be one with proper food.

2. Make Charity your middle name. If we truly knew of lives in hardship and poverty, we would rush to ease their situation. If we felt even a portion of their suffering, we would do all we could to alleviate it. The point is to increase in sincerity and to make the act of giving second nature.

To return to the initial quote above, charity does begin at home. So do accord part of your funds to your own family – perhaps your mother needs a new washing machine to replace her broken one or your cousin who has a family to support recently lost his job. I also recommend giving to local charities before extending your donation elsewhere. Islamic Relief is an excellent organisation that covers a lot of areas so you might want to check their site out.

May Allah accept our efforts.

PS. I didn’t officially make a plan to stop coming online (during Ramadan) altogether, but those of you who are staying away sure make it easier for me! :-)

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