The Only Shelter In The Storm

It's never easy to stand when the storm hits. And that's exactly the point. By sending the wind, He brings us to our knees: the perfect position to pray - Yasmin Mogahed

The Stab

If I let go, will You take me higher?

Above grief, want, loss.

Above all that I've ever known.

(Yasmin Mogahed)

Yasmin Mogahed

But, once in a while, people enter your life that you love—not for what they give you—but for what they are. The beauty you see in them is a reflection of the Creator, so you love them. Now suddenly it isn’t about what you’re getting, but rather what you can give. This is unselfish love. This second type of love is the most rare - Yasmin Mogahed

Stillness - Yasmin Mogahed

The sun is so beautiful in the early morning. It does something to the trees that you don’t see any other time of the day. I think we all want the same thing: A quiet peace. Maybe just even a single moment of it. To close our eyes and just be okay.

For even a single second, to not feel worried about something, sad about something. To not crave something we don’t–or can’t–have. Just to be there, okay. Still. Silent. On the inside. Maybe that’s what’s so beautiful about this time of the day: The stillness.

And the hope that maybe this day will be different.

2013

Hi guys! It's me again. Of course, it's my blog! Lol. Many people write something on the new year's eve. You know how they wish that the new year's gonna be different than the previous years. I thought, why not write something too?! It's not a crime really. LOL
And I do wish 2013 will be different you know. In a good way of course. I'm not saying that I won't make mistakes. I can't promise you that. What I'll promise is that, I'll try my best to learn from my mistakes and hopefully I'll be a better person as a result.

Anyway, it's new year! Should I say happy new year?! I should probably not, cuz we're only allowed to celebrate Islamic new year. Anyway, it's 2013! Am I excited?! Of course! Duh! To be exact, I'm curious wanting to see how my future's gonna be like (Insya ALLAH if I'm still alive of course).

Sooo, talking about new year's resolution, here are some things that I wish to come through in 2013 ;)

Winter
1. ALLAH is my priority.
I hope I can pray the 5 daily prayers on time. Hoping to add some sunnah as well. Tahajud is a must! Dzuha! And many other sunna prayers as well.

2. I'm gonna be serious about learning Qur'an.
-Learn Qur'an with Tahsin member
-Teach cousins
One day, I'm also hoping to read quran like international Qoriah.
***If ALLAH wills, this is really gonna happen guys!>,<

3. I wish that I would be focused in this coming winter semester.
I wish that I would try my best to get As for my classes. It doesn't matter if I don't get As. What matter is that I try my best and let ALLAH takes care of the rest. Cuz ALLAH is Al-alim, the most knowledgeable of all! He created this world guys! He knows better than us! Who are really?!

4. I wish to be an active member of MSA.
I wish we're really gonna do Islamic awareness >,<

5. I wish to be an active member of PSC

6. Work part-time

***I wish to master time-management

Spring
1. ALLAH is still my priority

2. Hoping to start learning tilawah.
-Still teaching my cousins
-Hoping to teach Qur'an to Indonesian kids >,<

3. Hoping to study hard and smart to get As

4. Activities on campus might be off, therefore I'm gonna look for other activities.
-Writing workshops?

5. Work

***I wish to enter WMB as well. Pray for me guys >,<

Summer
I'm not sure what I'm gonna do during summer. Probably working?! Or I could continue learning tilawah?! Or I could read driving book so that I can get a driving liaison?! Or join cooking club?! Or join writing club?! Hahaha, I'm not sure okay.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted about my life. I'm also gonna tell you what happens cuz really this is just my plan, not ALLAH's. And of course, ALLAH is the best of planner.
I'll see you soon, Insya ALLAH ;)

Just hear and please listen

Have you ever wished that there's someone who just listen to you talking right now?!

no questions,

no judgement

no words of encouragement,

nor words of pity,

none, nothing at all . . .

just silence and wide open ears to hear and listen to you talking?!
Have you ever wished there's that kind of person?!
Guess what, I have . . .

Loyalty by Yasmin Mogahed

When they slept, He was awake. When they broke, He held you up. When every means failed, He saved you. When all the creation left you, He remained. He always remains. Never forget when the storms pushed you to your knees and there was no one else who could help you, He carried you. When you were broken and you swore this time it couldn’t be fixed—never forget who fixed it. Never forget what He saved you from. Never forget how He put you back together. That moment when you felt helpless and alone, never forget who never left. To forget this is the greatest heedlessness. No matter who or what may be beside you now, never forget those moments when it was only Him. Only Him. That is loyalty - Yasmin Mogahed

I'm not quite there yet

If you really know me,

you'll be surprised.

I'm not the person you know today.

I'm far from what you've imagined.

The person you know today, is just part of me who I wish to be many years ago.

But I'm not quite there yet.

I still have many years to go.

Until then, I'm hoping you remember who I am today.

And when I look back, I'm hoping I remember that person I used to be.

A story behind every dreamers

Have you ever been underestimated?!

Nobody believes that you could do it?!

When you tell them about your dreams, they laugh at you,

and ask, "is this some kind of jokes or something?!"

Then this time you're convinced, maybe this is a joke.

Asking yourself, who am I kidding?! Me?! This is so impossible!

But you're so sure of God's power.

Everything's possible in His hand.

He's The Greatest of all!

And all you have to do is to work really hard to show God that you want it.

Even if it doesn't work out in the form you want it, God will give it to you in a better form.

But what stops you from reaching your dream, you ask yourself?!

Maybe it's still a new thing to you, you're still scared.

Fears of the unknown terrify you.

The hurts, the humiliation, the craziness, you're just not ready for this.

But these questions keep popping in your mind, when are you gonna be ready at all if you're not ready now? And really, what's there to lose?

Yasmin Mogahed

There are some people who could hear you speak a thousand words, and still not understand you. And there are others who will understand--without you even speaking a word - Yasmin Mogahed

To those who suffer today

To all those suffering from sadness or depression, know that it isn’t your fault. It isn’t because you’re weak. It isn’t because you’re just not grateful enough. It isn’t because you’re just not religious enough. It isn’t because you don’t have enough faith. It isn’t because God is angry with you. To all the well-meaning people who tell you this, just smile. And know deep in your heart that the tests of God come in different forms to different people. And know that, by the help of God, every test can become a tool to get closer to Him. And that, verily, with hardship come ease–and like all things of this world–this too shall pass - Yasmin Mogahed

I wonder why

I wonder why there are people out there who don't think when they speak,
who jokes around excessively,
who never try to control their anger,

I wonder why there are people out there who don't think that their words, jokes, or even anger might have hurt or affect other people's self esteem,

I wonder why those people behave that way . . .

Is it because they don't know?!

Is it because they are not sensitive enough to know?!

Or, is it because they just simply don't care?!

I wonder why. . .

Cerdas Dengan Doa

1. Quraish Shihab dalam Wawasan Al-Quran tentang Dzikir dan Doa menjelaskan bahwa mereka yang berdoa kepada Allah Ta'ala harus terlibat dalam upaya meraih apa yang di doakan itu. Ali bin Abi Thalib mengingatkan: "Yang berdoa tanpa usaha, seperti pemanah tanpa busur".

2. Panjatkan doa Anda dengan pikiran dan emosi positif.
Caranya, pahami setiap doa yang dipanjatkan. Ketika kita berdoa: "Allahumma la shala illa ma ja'altahu sahlah. Ya Allah, tidak ada kemudahan kecuali apa yang Engkau jadikan mudah". (Hr. Ibnu Hibban)

3. Hindari kemaksiatan dan segala makanan yang diharamkan ALLAH.
Ia akan menghalangi pengabulan doa-doa kita. Tidak sekadar itu, ia juga menjadi penghalang bagi akal dan jiwa kita untuk memahami ilmu.

4. Berdoalah dengan kekhusyukan, keikhlasan, kesungguhan, dan menyertakan hati secara penuh pada ALLAH Ta'ala.
Berikut ini adalah doa yang pernah diajarkan Rasulullah SAW:

"Ya ALLAH, sesungguhnya aku mohon kepada-Mu ilmu yang bermanfaat, rezeki yang halal, dan amal yang diterima" (H.r. Ibnu Majah).


Sumber: Prophetic Learning karya Dwi Budiyanto.

The Best Quran Recitation - WM 2013

It started out with dreams and plans. It works like a proposal. You tell and show it to ALLAH. Then if ALLAH thinks those dreams and plans you have for yourself are suitable for you, then HE will grant them. If not, HE will replace them with something way better than you've ever imagined!

In December 2012, this is what I wrote. How I wanted to join World Muslimah 2013, and hoping that I could be selected as TOP 20. I moved even further with my plan. I hope I could win as the "The Best Quran Recitation" for these following reasons. I made dua that if ALLAH think I could carry the amanah, then please choose me. If not, please choose somebody else who is capable of doing so.

This is what I wrote down on December 2012. Soo, here we go . . .

I wish to enter World Muslimah Beauty in 2013 and hoping to win the title as "The Best Qur'an Recitation". This is a picture of Rizkitha Aswinda Putri, The Best Quran Recitation from 2012.

I want Indonesian people and Aceh society particularly, to pay more attention on perfecting their skill on reading Qur'an. I also want Indonesia to be a host for quran competition in international level. I've always wanted to learn tajwid more intensely for a very long time, because I only know little things about tajwid. But it's hard to find people who can teach it. I found some videos on youtube about tajwid from Ustad Don who is from Malaysia. It has helped me a lot. And currently, I enrol myself in Tahsin, an online learning Quran program from Malaysian and Indonesian sisters who are kind to teach us for free! Hopefully, I'll continue learning tilawah as well. Wish me luck guys ;)

I'm sure, if ALLAH wills, I can win as The Best Qur'an Recitation. But if not, I'm sure He has a better plan for me. All I have to do is to try my best and to trust ALLAH with the result. Also, it doesn't even matter if I win or not, just by having this dream makes me really excited to seize the day. Thanks to ALLAH ;)

Furthermore, like Ust Yusuf Mansur has said, don't forget: dream, pray and action! ;)

Our sister, Dayangku Rabiatul Adawiyah won as The Best Quran Reciation 2013. She's from Brunei Darussalam. Congratulation dear, I'm very proud of you ;)

NB: By the way, I'm not sure if it is just me who notice it, but they kind of have similar pose :D Aaand, congratulation for both of you dear <3

Vanilla Bean Frappuccino

I ordered Vanilla Bean Frappuccino at Starbucks today <3

Well, like I said, I've been wanting to try different flavours this time. Vanilla Bean Frappuccino tastes pretty good, lovely in fact. But one thing I didn't know, it's cold. I guess it comes with some ice. It tastes like ice cream almost. And it's cold outside, like -26C or something. But it's okay cuz it's yummy. LOL. I'm not sure how much calories does this have. To be honest, I don't pay that much attention to these kind of things. But I guess, it's good to know because you want to be healthy, right. You don't want to eat too much sugar, or too little of it. It's always good to be balanced ;)

Anyway, I would recommend you guys to try this one. It's lovely <3

Teman baikku

Rasanya mau nangis setelah baca pesan teman baik saya dari SMP dulu :(
Dia sudah mulai salat 5 waktu, bahkan mengusahakan tahajud. Dia juga memutuskan untuk ga pacaran lagi. Dia pengen bisa berjodoh dgn seseorang tanpa memilih jalan pacaran.
Dan katanya, sudah ada seseorang yg ingin langsung melamar dan menikahinya, sekali lagi dengan tidak berpacaran! ALLAH Maha Mendengar teman! Yang terbaik itu memang lah jalanNya.

Pertanyaan nya sekarang, yakin kah kita bahwa ALLAH tau yang terbaik bagi kita?!
Cuma kita masing-masing yg punya jawabannya.

***Saya share karna saya kagum pada langkah yg di ambil oleh teman baik saya ini. Insya ALLAH, step by step teman, mari kita terus memperbaiki diri ;)

Happy holiday!

Tadi siang, hal yg sangat unik dan mengesankan terjadi pada saya saat saya bekerja (saya adalah seorang cashier di sebuah retail store). Seorang customer pria yg mungkin berusia 30 atau 35 tahun ke atas, langsung mengucapkan selamat natal pada saya setelah usai nya transaksi. Saya hanya diam dan tak menjawab ucapannya. Ia pun mulai melangkah ke arah pintu keluar. Sebelum sempat membuka pintu, ia menoleh lagi ke arah saya, lalu berteriak, "happy holiday!". Langsung saja, dengan tersenyum lebar saya balas, happy holiday. Dia pun tersenyum dan mengangguk-angguk. Entah apa yg dalam fikiran nya. Mungkin dia akhirnya mengerti kenapa saya diam tadinya. Wallahua'alam. Yg jelas, dalam hati saya senyam-senyum sendiri saking senang nya. Hmm, ternyata bisa juga ya mempertahankan keyakinan saya di negeri ini.
***Tidak ada yg mudah, kecuali apa yg ALLAH permudahkan ;)

Relationship is way more important

Sometime, it is good to give up the arguments. It is not because you don't have a chance of winning, but it's because relationship is way more important - Evawani Efliza

Sumur Ayam

This is what I cook today. It's called sumur ayam. I'm really hungry, so does my family. I'm pretty sure we'll finish this in no time! :D

The story behind my cooking skill :D

It's really weird that I feel really good after cooking, washing dishes, sweep and mob the kitchen floor. It feels like I've accomplished something really important as a woman. LOL :D

I guess it's true, cooking and cleaning the kitchen comes naturally for some women, if not all the women. It's like women's nature :D

To be honest, I used to hate doing these things because I was taught that this job was for women only. I guess I was a little rebellious at the time, because my brothers were not asked to do so. Ever since, I refused to cook and clean.

However, now that my mom's in Indonesia, I have to learn how to do these things, especially cooking. I call it "survival cooking". Hehe. In my case, I only cook to survive. As time goes by though, I'm starting to enjoy cooking and wish that somebody would actually teach me the proper way. LOL. Cuz right now, I'm only adding things up. As long as the food is eatable, that's all it matters! I can search some recipes and procedures on google or youtube, but I guess this will be my new plan. And guess what?! I think cooking is one of my hobbies now! :D

And, the way I know that what I cook is good is when the food is finished. It doesn't matter if my dad or brothers eat it because they're hungry, as long as the food's finished, that's all I care about. Sometime, I would go back and forth to the kitchen checking whether they finish my food or not. To tell you some facts, my food doesn't even last longer than two days. I guess they must be really hungry. 

Also, it's been difficult with mom's away cuz we'll not be eating proper meal until weekends. Well, I don't have that much time to cook, with my courses and activities on campus, not to mention a part-part time job as well. I'm also still bad at time management. But I'm working on it, so bare with me guys! >,<

Anyway, I'm thinking to get married and be a mom too one day you know and plan to have plenty of kids :D So, might as well learn how to cook by now! Wish me luck guys! :D

Cappuccino

I used to order Chai tea latte whenever I go to Starbucks. This is my favourite so far.
But hey, why not try something different this time?! :D

I ordered mocha papermint once. No offence for Peppermint lovers, but to me, it tates like toothpaste :/ **DUH!

Well, some people might hate Chai tea latte, but I don't blame them. Cuz everyone has their own likes and dislikes. It's the differences what makes us unique. Peace guys! :D

Anyway, I tried Cappuccino today. For some reasons, the lady forgot to put sugar on. I was like, YUCK! This is horrible. But then I realized, no sugar, of course! So yeah, I added some sugar. It tasted good actually. I'm loving it ;)

Anyway, what's your favourite so far? ;D

Slurrrpp :D

Girls' night out :D

Well, it was actually my friend's birthday party. She just turned **. It's a secret. Hehe. She didn't make it big or anything. She just invited her closed friends, and relatives. It was pretty decent, nothing fancy. My cousin and I were invited to her birthday. We all went to the same High School together, so that's how we knew her.

So, basically we were just dancing in the basement. No boys were allowed! LOL
She loved dancing and secretly wished to be a dancer. Hehe. I also did some crazy moves, lol. It was mostly Hindi songs and dances, which I also loved.

After that, we just ate dinner. We had this Pakistani foods, kebab, nun (I'm not sure how to spell it), and many other kinds which I didn't really know.

Anyway, here's our pictures together :D

Manusia tidak ada yang sempurna

Menurut saya, orang yang kita kagumi sekarang, bukan berarti ia tidak pernah berbuat salah atau menyakiti orang lain dulu. Ia hanya tidak menyakiti kita sekarang. Kenapa? Karna, ia telah belajar dari kesalahan2 nya dulu.

Begitu juga sebaliknya, orang yg kita benci dulu, bukan berarti tidak akan berbuat baik pada orang lain sekarang.
Dia hanya telah menyakiti kita dulu, dan hal inilah yang membuat ia berbuat baik pada orang lain sekarang.

Jadi, kagumi dan benci lah sewajarnya. Manusia tidak ada yg sempurna. :)

WILLPOWER AND HOW TO TRAIN IT

WILLPOWER AND HOW TO TRAIN IT

Many people fail to get ahead because they have no willpower to do what they know they should be doing. Nor can they help themselves to avoid the things which they know will ruin them. We can have goals and action plans but without willpower they are unlikely to happen. Some people have habits like smoking, doing drugs, drinking alcohol that they would like to give up, but struggle. As Muslims we have to balance all aspects of life and try and increase our Iman every day.
There are some strong-willed people who seem to be able to do what they know is right and avoid what they know is wrong. Such people experience peace of mind knowing that they are doing the right thing with the right intention. Their willpower is obviously working for them. But how do they do it? What is the secret? The secret is that you can train your willpower, your nafs. So how do you do it?
Suppose you made a resolution to skip lunch for a month and actually stuck to your decision. You may save your lunch money, lose a few pounds, develop sympathy for the poor, and give your digestive system a much-needed rest. More importantly, you will strengthen your willpower. The reason this works is that you teach yourself to avoid lunch even when you know you could have it if you decide. Your stomach may growl, but you won't listen. Thus, you train yourself to ignore the calling of your lower physical self and reach for the higher goals of real human achievement. Doing the right thing even when your desires are calling for something else! Every year, for one month, as Muslims we go through a similar fasting exercise. We observe the fast as a compulsory practice which Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala prescribed in His revealed messages especially in the final revealed book, the Qu’ran. One of the many benefits we experience from fasting is its training aspect.
The great people we read about in history who were strong willed people obeyed their minds and not their fancies. They built up their willpower by working hard and overcoming the obstacles that faced them. Great people take pleasure in resisting temptation and in the sense of power and self-control that doing so gives them. Our history testifies to a great number of such people.
Take Abû Bakr radiAllahu anhu, after the death of Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alaihi wasallam some of the Arab tribe refused to pay Zakâh. Many people advised Abû Bakr radiAllahu anhu to be lenient on them. However, he rejected their advice and demanded that the Arabs accept Islam wholeheartedly without subtracting anything from it. We can see in this his determination, his strength of will, and his ability to stand up in the face of the most trying of circumstances.
Consider Ibn Taymiyah’s rahimahullah stance when the ruler wanted him to abandon the opinions that he had arrived at through careful study. When Ibn Taymiyah rahimahullah refused to do so, he was imprisoned and tortured but he still refused to recant. Instead, he spent his time in prison writing books in which he explained and defended his principles and teachings. When they took away his pens and paper, he took up pieces of coal and began writing on the walls. His determination in the face of imprisonment and torture is a great example of the triumph of the human will over adversity and his writings are an enduring legacy of this triumph.

Willpower is one of the greatest secrets of success. By cultivating our willpower and strengthening it, we can stand up to the trials that face us. A strong-willed person is someone who can improve himself and someone who can benefit from the advice and guidance of others. By contrast, a weak-willed person cannot improve himself and will not be availed of the efforts of others to better him. Before anything else, he needs to strengthen himself. He needs to treat his weakness as if it were a disease and be patient during the healing process. So now you know your goals, your intention and how to have willpower. InshaAllah the next step is to try and look at how you can develop willpower.
All willpower is not conscious. In other words, willpower is both conscious and unconscious. We can improve conscious willpower easily. To develop your willpower, you should develop those skills and attitudes that are conducive to the development of willpower and at the same time remove blockages and negative parameters that hinder the development of your will.
Believe You Can
If you believe you can, you can, inshaAllah. Believe you can become a successful person and have balance. YES! You are actually a successful person. What is needed to make it a reality is to believe in yourself and work for it. So tell yourself that you can achieve what you want, can do what you want, and can become immensely successful.
Auto Suggestion
The power of Auto Suggestion is tremendous. All of us use it knowingly or unknowingly. If you can use it knowingly, you can work wonders. By suggesting to yourself that you can achieve what you want you really can achieve that.
Here are some statements you can suggest to yourself :
- ‘I can do this and I will do this’
- ‘I am OK and I will stay OK’
- ‘I will become successful’

 ‘If you think you can do it, or you think you can’t do it, either way you are right’

NB : Th i s r e s o u r c e i s t o b e u s e d w i t h Wo r k Fa i t h Ba l a n c e , b y S a i y y i d a h Za i d i , wh i c h
c a n b e d o w n l o a d e d f r om www .wo r k f a i t h b a l a n c e . c om f o r f r e e .

Goals Setting

GOALS

Goal setting techniques are used by top-level athletes, successful business-people and achievers in all fields. The best way to take your motivations and create balance is to tie it all to a goal.
What is a goal? Simply, a goal is a written statement with a deadline. A goal should inspire you to do the work. Your goals should excite and even scare you in a positive way. A goal is not a ‘to do’ list or an idea, what your family/husband/wife/parents/etc. wants for you, or what society thinks is right for you. Goals are set to help you create what does not already exist. They are based on a long-term plan that has no constraints, anything is possible. Whatever you need to achieve your long-term goal (skills, funding, experience, etc.) you can gain with time.
Why do we need to set goals?
Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn this vision of the future into reality. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you will know where you have to concentrate your efforts.
Properly-set goals can be incredibly motivating, and as you get into the habit of setting and achieving goals, you'll find that your self-confidence builds fast. Goals focus your acquisition of knowledge, and help you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the very most of your life.
By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals. You can see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. By setting goals, you will also raise your self confidence, as you recognize your ability and competence in achieving the goals that you have set. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that would otherwise lure you from your course.

‘To any that desires the soil of the Hereafter, We will increase in his soil, and to any that desires the soil of this world, We grant somewhat thereof, but he has no share or lot in the Hereafter.’
Qur'an, Ash-Shura 42:20

If you think of goal setting in the context of the above surah then inshaAllah it will be an outstanding reminder that our goals should ideally be Islam focused. For the majority of people if you ask them what their number one goal in life is, it is rare to hear someone say ‘Pleasing Allah, or achieving Jannat Al-Firdows (the highest level of Jannah) and being with Prophet Muhammad salAllahu alayhi wasallam in the hereafter.’ Can you imagine how fruitful your life would be if that was the aim in our lives, and isn’t that what Work Faith Balance is all about?

HOW TO SET GOALS?
InshaAllah we’ll go through how to set goals.

State each goal as a positive statement: Express your goals positively – ‘I am going to study one hour a day' is a much better goal than 'I won’t waste time’

Be precise: Set a precise goal, putting in dates, times and amounts so that you can measure achievement.
Set priorities: When you have several goals, give each a priority. This helps you to avoid feeling overwhelmed by having too many goals.
Write goals down: This crystallizes them and gives them more force.
Keep goals small but challenging: Keeping goals small and incremental gives more opportunities for reward.
Set performance goals, not outcome goals: You should take care to set goals over which you have as much control as possible.
Set realistic goals: It is important to set goals that you can achieve. All sorts of people (employers, parents, media, society) can set unrealistic goals for you. They will often do this in ignorance of your own desires and ambitions.

How can you set goals that are specific?

There is an acronym SMART- specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound. What is brilliant is the acronym SMARTER.

S
Specific
Well defined goals provide clarity, direction, motivation and focus. The goal statement needs to reflect this. It should be inspirational enough to move you towards something in life that you want, or move you away from something you don’t want.
M
Measurable
Goals are easier to track if they are measurable. Some are easy to measure e.g. weight loss, running, earnings. If you can be clear about how you will measure your goal it will help you to see that you are moving in the right direction and make adjustments if necessary.
A
Action- orientated
Developing a strategy for how you are going to achieve your goal is key. You don’t need to have all the answers but a plan with a general focus towards your goal, and associated actions are a good start.
R
Reasoned and realistic
It is important for your goals to be relevant to you and your life. If they are not meaningful or significant for you then it will be harder to achieve. Be realistic about your goals and then the actions you need to take will become ones that you can actually do.
T
Time bound
Goals without deadlines can be put off until tomorrow. If you have a deadline it will help you to keep focus and measure.
E
Ethical, exciting and enjoyable
If you aren’t excited about your goal, who will be? Goals that are more achievable if they are exciting and you really want them.
Goals also need to be ethical, this is particularly important for us as Muslims. Research shows that people who have ethical goals are subconsciously more likely to achieve them. Try not to create goals that you won’t achieve because they are in conflict with your values, ethics or motivations.
R
Resourced
Your goal may need some resources committed to make it happen. This could be in the form of money, time, support, information or anything else. Again, don’t sabotage your goals by not carefully considering what resources you need.

An example of a SMART goal:
‘I am going to complete that assignment by Thursday at 5pm’
An example of a SMARTER goal:
‘I am going to complete that assignment on the of the leadership of Umar radi Allahu anhu by Thursday at 5pm. I have allocated time against it and am going to enjoy writing it.’
One final thought inshaAllah is, patience. There is an ayat of the Quran that we should reflect on for this:

‘Oh you who believe, seek assistance through patience and prayer, surely Allah is with the patient.’
Qur’an Surah Baqara, verse 153

Remember successful people set goals, really successful people write them down.
Resource 13 includes a template showing you how you can set goals using a great method called results, purpose, massive action plan.

The Cycle of Behaviour

THE CYCLE OF BEHAVIOUR

Aim: The aim of this workout is to help you to understand the cycle of behaviour works and how we look at our lives. The cycle of behaviour shows the pattern that we go through when trying to struggle against the nafs and we need to break free from this cycle inshaAllah to create balance.

My view is that the needs mentioned in the Hierarchy of Needs are not always needs, but rather desires. When I’m hungry, I desire food. It only really becomes a need once I reach the point of starvation- something which most of us are unlikely to experience. Allhamdulillah. So the instructions of Islam are there to liberate us from being a slave to our desires, rather than behaving in a way dictated to us by our desires. Islam, a religion of balance and moderation: we fast and at times we eat; we stand up for prayer at night and we sleep as well. So our desires are fulfilled in a balanced and moderate manner.
So what are the needs that drive the spiritual self? I believe that it is the need to know Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala. This is not merely theoretical knowledge that is gained from studying books, it includes some studying but it goes beyond that as well. Knowing of realisation and experience are key. We know through acts of worship and through doing the things that have been prescribed for us to do, the veils between us and Allah are lifted and we draw closer to Him.
Our relationship with Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala also plays a role. The heart is like a bird whose head is love, and hope and fear are its two wings. When the head and the two wings are in balance and healthy the flight of the bird is good, but when the head is cut off, it immediately dies, and when either or both wings are incomplete, the bird cannot fly properly and may become the victim of any hunter or trap. The righteous predecessors preferred to strengthen the wing of fear during good times when heedlessness is feared, and to strengthen the wing of hope at times of calamity and when near death.


The above diagram shows how we are in a cyclical pattern from the need to motive to behaviour
to goal attainment to equilibrium to need again. The motive is the reason why you are doing it
all.
Identify your need, what your motive is, change or adjust your behaviour, achieve your goal and
be in balance. Until you start the cycle again and continue to improve inshaAllah.

Now that you have read this, how do you feel about your motivators and needs?

Source: Working Muslim © 2011 www.workingmuslim.com
Wo r k Fa i t h B a l a n c e Re s o u r c e 6 : Cy c l e o f B e h a v i o u r
NB : Th i s r e s o u r c e i s t o b e u s e d w i t h Wo r k Fa i t h Ba l a n c e , b y S a i y y i d a h Za i d i , wh i c h
c a n b e d o w n l o a d e d f r om www .wo r k f a i t h b a l a n c e . c om f o r f r e e .

Hierarchy of needs

HEIRARCHY OF NEEDS


Aim: The aim of this workout is to help you to understand the Hierarchy of Needs. This theory is used as the basis for self development programmes all over the world from Tony Robbins to UN to leading leadership development programmes in Europe.
An American academic called Abraham Maslow developed a theory called the Hierarchy of Needs. This says that human beings have a number of needs that must be met.

Psychological needs are those required to sustain life, such as: air, water, nourishment, sleep.

Safety- Once physiological needs are met, your attention turns to safety and security in order to be free from the threat of physical and emotional harm. Such needs might be fulfilled by: Living in a safe area, Medical insurance, Job security, Financial reserves. According to Maslow’s hierarchy, if a person feels that he or she is in harm’s way, higher needs will not receive much attention- so if you have no food or water you will focus on that need first.

Social Needs Once you have met the lower level physiological and safety needs, higher level needs become important, the first of which are social needs. Social needs are those related to interaction with other people and can include: Need for friends, need for belonging, the need to give and receive love.

Esteem Once you feel a sense of ‘belonging’, the need to feel important arises. Esteem or value needs may be classified as internal or external. Internal esteem needs are those related to self-esteem such as self respect and achievement. External esteem needs are those such as social status and recognition. Some esteem needs are: Self-respect, Achievement, Attention, Recognition, Reputation.

Self-actualization is the summit of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It is the mission of reaching your full potential as a person. Unlike lower level needs, this need is never fully satisfied; as you grow psychologically there are always new opportunities to continue to grow.
Self-actualized people tend to have needs such as: Truth, Justice, Wisdom, Meaning. Self-actualized persons have frequent occurrences of peak experiences, which are ecstatic moments of profound happiness and harmony. According to Maslow, only a small percentage of the population reaches the level of self-actualization.

As previously mentioned, physiological needs are those that we need to sustain life, and I would say these are the basic human needs- air, water, food, shelter, sleep. According to Maslow’s theory, if such needs are not satisfied then our motivation will come from the desire to satisfy them. Higher needs such as social needs and esteem are not felt until one has met the basic needs to function. Makes sense so far? If we feel hungry, we lack at the first level and that would motivate us to satisfy our desire in a particular way- for most of us that could be by going and making something to eat and having a drink. After that need is satisfied we are ok and at a state of balance again. This idea applies to all the levels.

Spirituality and the Hierarchy of Needs?

One thing that Maslow’s theory misses out explicitly is spirituality. As human beings we have a physical aspect to our nature but we also have a spiritual one, and in some ways the spiritual one is more powerful than the physical need. We are both physical and spiritual beings. By mentioning spirituality and nafs the hierarchy has more depth. All of the needs mentioned in the hierarchy are essentially related to our nafs and it is our spiritual self that motivates us to behave in a particular way. What is interesting here is that the drivers of the spirit are often the opposite to the driver of the nafs. These are constantly in a state of struggle against each other- desperate to dominate. To engage in this struggle we engage in the ‘jihad al nafs’ (striving against the animal self).
What is interesting is that as Muslims we fast and are able to control our desires for food, drink and marital relations from sunrise to sunset. As soon as we are allowed these things again we freely partake in them. This behaviour contradicts Maslow’s theory- in that when we are hungry but are fasting we will not satisfy our basic needs. The same applies to when we wake at night to

pray and devote ourselves to long prayers and sacrifice sleep, thus the spiritual self is dominant again.
‘Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful.’
Qur’an 14; 37
The ayat above is the dua that Prophet Ibrahim alayhis salaam. made when leaving Hajar radiAllahu anha and Ismael in the valley that was to become Makkah. If you break down this ayat, then the Hierarchy of Needs has been reversed with the spiritual needs being addressed first (establish prayer), and then the social needs (people incline towards them) and then the physiological needs (provide for them the fruits). The self actualisation part of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is interestingly the last bit that Prophet Ibrahim alayhis salaam mentions in the dua ‘so that they may be grateful’.
Now this is the bit where you need to pay attention.
From the Hierarchy of Needs modern leaders and executive managers can find a means of understanding employee motivation for the purposes of staff and workforce management. The basis of Maslow's theory of motivation is that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower needs require satisfaction before higher needs can be addressed. So for sufficient workplace motivation it is important that leaders and managers understand which needs are active in individual employee motivation. Related to this Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs indicates that basic, low-level needs such as physiological requirements and safety must be satisfied before higher-level needs such as self-fulfilment are pursued. When a need is satisfied it no longer motivates and the next higher need takes its place.
How do you feel about this? Do you think hierarchy of needs is important for you? Jot down your thoughts here.

Working Muslim © 2011 www.workingmuslim.com
Wo r k Fa i t h B a l a n c e Re s o u r c e 4 : Hi e r a r c h y o f Ne e d s
NB : Th i s r e s o u r c e i s t o b e u s e d w i t h Wo r k Fa i t h Ba l a n c e , b y S a i y y i d a h Za i d i , wh i c h c a n b e d o w n l o a d e d f r om www .wo r k f a i t h b a l a n c e . c om  f o r  f r e e 

Alhamdulillah. Finally, I'm a university student! Yiay me! ;D

I was accepted at Mount Royal University, Calgary AB, Canada in September/2011, majoring in Psychology. I've been waiting for so long, finally! And Alhamdulillah, praised due to ALLAH, that He made this happened ;)

I graduated, Alhamdulillah. Yiay me! :D

Alhamdulillah, I graduated from Crescent Height High School in Canada, Calgary AB in 2010. Another thing I need to be grateful of. Alhamdulillah, praised due to ALLAH ;)

Alhamdulillah that ALLAH gave me the opportunity to go to Canadian's High School.
By the way, I was wearing my gym t-shirt. Don't I look naive 
to the world? Lol

Menjadi bintang tamu di radio Seulawet FM Banda Aceh

Saat liburan ke Aceh di tahun 2011, saya di undang ke radio Seulawet untuk menceritakan bagaimana suka duka selama tinggal di negara orang. Cie cie :D alhamdulillah, senang pasti nya. Soalnya pernah mimpi juga pengen jadi penyiar radio. Haha. Walaupun cuma di undang jadi bintang tamu, siapa tau nanti dapat kesempatan jadi penyiar kan. Hehe. Aamin Aamin ;)
Mohon doa nya ya teman-teman :D

I feel like I live in Mars

I just finished working, it's 11:56pm to be exact. I know I know it's late, but what can I do? It's Christmas season. Our store has been busy all weeks, well until 25th of December at least. We're closed at 10pm and we had to stay until 11pm to clean up the isles, to put all the returns, sweep and mob, and not to mention vacuuming. It's was good enough that our key holder is awesome! She helped out and did the vacuuming for us. And our manager hired another merchandisers/chasier to help out. He actually did the sweeping for us. I know, I'm still grateful to have these people at work, which is huge thanks to ALLAH. Alhamdulillah ;)

Anyway, what does this talk have to do with my title tonight?

Well, the thing is, when we were hanging out tonight, I felt like I didn't belong. Like a stranger almost. They had so much fun together. Saying things which I didn't understand. I just laughed with them. But to be honest, I was laughing with myself. Hehe. Man, what was I supposed to do? Carry the dictionary and look up the words they say? Sometime I tell them that I'm trying to translate the things they say. They were okay if sometime I don't understand what they say. They know I wasn't born or raised here. It's just me who feel uncomfortable sometime. But mostly, I just smiled and showed them, what a nice person I am :D hehe

And I really feel like I've moved to Mars! The language is different, the culture, the food, the jokes, the gossip, hehe, EVERYTHING! I feel like a stranger. Sometime I wonder, if I move to Malaysia at least, would I feel this way?  Or Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, instead of Aceh? Would I feel like a stranger? Would I feel like, I live in Mars?

Anyway, I choose to live here because I have BIG DREAMS! Of course, if you want more in life, then you gotta do more. Nothing comes easy. It always comes with challenges. So yeah, hang in there me, Insya ALLAH, I'll be okay cuz ALLAH will take care of me.

Have a good night everybody! I'll see you soon, Insya ALLAH :D

Apakah kita benar-benar cinta pada ALLAH?

Teringat lagi sebuah percakapan saya dengan seorang teman di awal-awal semester kuliah. Dia adalah cewek berkulit hitam yang beragama nasrani.

Dia bertanya, kok saya bolak-balik ke meditation room, ruangan yang di sediakan untuk beribadah bagi setiap agama. Pasalnya dia juga mengenal beberapa teman muslim, tapi kok gak seperti saya. Bolak-balik ke kamar mandi untuk ngambil wudhu', bolak-balik ke meditation room untuk salat. Saya jelaskan kalo memang seorang muslim harus salat sehari lima waktu dan sebelum salat di wajibkan mengambil wudhu'. Saya menambahkan, sebagian orang mengikuti peraturan, sebagian lagi tidak. Sama seperti seorang pelajar yang terkadang masuk ke kelas, dan ada juga yang memilih untuk cabut. Jadi setiap orang berbeda-beda. Interesting (cukup menarik), jawabnya.

Suatu hari dia bertanya lagi, kenapa wanita dalam islam di haruskan untuk pakai kerudung, kenapa laki-laki tidak. Saya bertanya pada nya, pernah nggak wanita suka pada seorang laki-laki karna rambut nya. Saya rasa tidak ada wanita yang seperti itu. Kalau pun ada, hanya beberapa. Dan rambut laki-laki tersebut bukanlah hal utama yang membuat wanita tersebut tertarik padanya. Bisa jadi si wanita sudah mulai tertarik pada kepribadiannya, dan rambut tersebut mungkin hanya pelengkap saja. Tapi, banyak laki-laki yang terkadang langsung suka wanita karna keindahan rambutnya. Jadi dalam Islam kami percaya kalau rambut seorang wanita itu adalah sumber kecantikan yang harus di pelihara dan hanya boleh di nikmati oleh orang-orang tertentu saja. Dan saya menambahkan, kecantikan tersebut di pelihara agar wanita tidak di ganggu. Jadi jilbab adalah protection bagi wanita tersebut. Hmm, hmm. Interesting, jawabnya lagi.

Di hari yang lain, dia bertanya lagi akan keputusan saya untuk memakai rok. Kamu kenapa pakai rok, apa nggak pengen pake jeans. Saya katakan padanya, kalo saya sudah lama pakai jeans dan ingin ada perubahan. Bosan begini-begini saja, tambah saya. Lalu saya tunjukkan padanya kalau saya pakai celana jeans juga, tapi di dalam rok. Dan hal ini membuat saya sadar akan satu hal, kalo celana jeans bisa di pake di dalam rok, kenapa selama ini saya memakainya di luar? Padahal dalam Islam, celana jeans (apalagi yang ketat) sama sekali tidak di perbolehkan dalam Islam. Lalu, kenapa selama ini saya memakainya? ***Hmm, interesting, jawab saya di dalam hati. Hehe.

Dan juga, jika semua yang ketat-ketat (baju, celana, dan sebagainya) bisa di pakai secara bebas di rumah ataupun paling tidak kamar sendiri, kenapa harus di pakai di luar rumah? Jika kita bisa dengan bebas berekspresi di dalam rumah, kenapa harus di bawa-bawa keluar rumah? ***Tanya kenapa.

Dan puncak nya, ketika dia menanyakan, kenapa selama ini saya bersusah-susah untuk salat, pakai kerudung, dan pakai rok? Bukankah Tuhan menilai keimanan seseorang itu dari hati nya? Argument teman saya ini benar, saya sama sekali tidak membantah.

Lalu saya bertanya padanya, ketika seseorang mengatakan ia cinta padamu, apakah cukup dengan mengungkapkan nya saja? Oh, saya cinta padamu, beib. Tapi ia tidak pernah menelpon mu, atau ada di saat kamu butuhkan. Bisa saja dia sibuk, tapi kalo sibuk nya setiap hari? Setiap minggu? Setiap bulan? Setiap tahun? Dan dia sama sekali tidak bisa membuktikan kecintaan nya terhadapmu, apa kamu masi mau jadi pacarnya? Dan yang paling parah, dia sama sekali tidak berjanji untuk menikahi mu, apa kamu masi mau bersamanya? Menurut saya, cinta butuh pembuktian. Sama hal nya cinta kepada Tuhan, perlu di buktikan.

Dan dari pertanyaan-pertanyaan teman saya ini, membuat saya juga bertanya-tanya, apakah kita benar-benar mencintai ALLAH?

Tentu saja, kita semua akan menjawab ia! Ia, saya sangat-sangat cinta kepada ALLAH. Saya yakin tak ada orang yang akan mengatakan sebaliknya. Kecuali orang yang tidak percaya Tuhan itu ada.

Tetapi, bukankah cinta yang sejati itu butuh pembuktian?

Seperti yang di ungkapkan oleh ustadzah favorite saya, Yasmin Mogahed, dalam lecture nya:

Ketika seseorang mengaku cinta pada ALLAH, tapi ia tidak salat lima waktu, atau mungkin menunda-nunda salatnya, apakah ia benar-benar cinta pada ALLAH?

Ketika seseorang mengaku cinta pada ALLAH, tapi ia tidak menutup aurat secara baik dan benar, apakah ia benar-benar cinta pada ALLAH?

Ketika seseorang mengaku cinta pada ALLAH, tapi masih mempertahankan hubungan yang diharamkan olehNya, apakah ia benar-benar cinta pada ALLAH?

Ketika seseorang mengaku cinta pada ALLAH, tapi masih mempertahankan jual beli yang di larang olehNya, apakah ia benar-benar cinta pada ALLAH?

Tentu saja, hanya ALLAH yang mengetahui isi hati, dan niat di balik setiap perbuatan yang kita lakukan. Hanya saja, bukankah cinta itu perlu pembuktian?! Sekali lagi, jika kita masih melakukan hal-hal yang di haramkan oleh-Nya, apa kita benar-benar cinta pada ALLAH?

Dan kita hanya di wajibkan berusaha, (sekecil apapun usaha kita), selebihnya biarlah ALLAH yang menilai. Dan saya juga tidak lebih baik dari anda, saya sendiri juga masih jauh dari kesempurnaan. Saya hanya seorang manusia yang sedang belajar dan mencoba menyampaikan, walau hanya satu ayat.

Yang benar datang nya dari ALLAH, dan yang salah itu datang nya dari saya sendiri. Jadi mohon kritik dan saran teman-teman.

Wasallam.

A wake up call

This morning, my brother practically yelled, calling me, waking me up in the morning. I was like, what was that noise? It was just too loud! Well, the problem was, our kitchen almost got burned down! Well, it wasn't as dramatic as it sounds. It was just the pot that was left with the stove which was still on.

So what happened?

I think it was Dad who forgot to turn off the stove and left for work. Well, he must have been in hurry or something, or he could just mainly forget. Old people forget things you know! I'll be like that too when I'm old, even right now, I'm starting to forget things.

Anyway, to really think about it. If ALLAH didn't plan this to happen, it wouldn't have happened. It didn't happen before, why did it happen now? Why did it happen in this morning? Why did it have to be at that time? Why it didn't happen 2 days ago? a week ago? A month ago?
And to really think about it, why is only the pot that got burned down? Why not the whole kitchen? Or house? If my brother didn't see this, this could have happened, right?
But hopefully not and I really hope not. That's why I'm so grateful, Alhamdulillah, because ALLAH knows if our house got burned down, it's gonna be really difficult for us at this time. ALLAH doesn't burden us more than our capability. Then, why did it happen at all?

The point is, everything happens for a reason.

So then, what is the reason?

It seems like ALLAH wants us to learn how to be grateful. Especially to teach me right now. To be honest, I haven't been grateful for this past couple days because of things that don't seem to work out in my life. And of course, this incident makes me realize that we should focus on all the things that we have, rather than the things we don't have. We should count our blessings, and thanking ALLAH each day. Because ALLAH can take the blessings away at any time. It's really out of His mercy that He gives at all. And we really don't deserve anything!

Insya ALLAH, from now on, I'm gonna start counting my blessings and thanking ALLAH each day ;)

*If you're curious how bad the pot looks like, here's the picture of the pot that got burned down.

Questions to ask ourselves

There are times in our life when we're not grateful enough of all the things ALLAH has given to us, when in fact we don't deserve anything. It's really out of His mercy that ALLAH gives in the first place. But we're too arrogant to acknowledge this. Somehow in our mind, we feel like, I deserve this, why can't You give it to me?

Who are we really to decide what's best for our life? We didn't create this world, ALLAH did! And we didn't even create ourselves, ALLAH did! We don't know anything about ourselves other than the knowledge that has been revealed by ALLAH. But sometime, there are moments in our life when when we're acting like, I know what's best for my life, and this is how it's supposed to happen!
Why is that?

I've been listening to sister Yasmin Mogahed's lectures where she talks about attachment. Sometime it's hard to let go of things because we're so attached to it in our hearts. It's hard to let go. This is the reason why it's hard for us to sleep at night, let alone to be khusyu' in our salat. We're so occupied with this duniya. And our problem is, we love duniya way too much!

Of course, sister Yasmin is not saying that we shouldn't love duniya, but what's wrong is that when duniya becomes our main focus, as if it's an ultimate goal in our life. Of course we can love our parents, our jobs, our lovers, our children, etc. But the wrong part is the part when we can't leave without these things. When ALLAH takes these things away from us, we get so angry and frustrated. Sometime at the people, sometime at the situation, and sometime at ALLAH. The scariest part is to get angry at ALLAH and blame ALLAH for what has happened, as if ALLAH makes mistakes. And yet, ALLAH still forgives whoever turns back to ALLAH because He's just so merciful.

The question here to why we're acting in such a way is that, do we really trust ALLAH? Do we really believe that ALLAH knows what's best for us? Or even, do we really believe that ALLAH exists and create the universe?

Journey to Mecca

Once upon a time

Once upon a time, there was a girl who wasn't so focused in school,
the girl who didn't have a specific dream in her mind,
the girl who didn't really know what she wanted to be when she grew up.
When she was asked,
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
she didn't have an answer then.
She started to look for an answer,
"Yeah, what do I want to be when I grow up?" she asked.
She needed to find something, just something to fill in the blank, she thought.
And so, her journey began. . .


***To be continued

When was the last time?

When was the last time you ever been relaxed,

without worrying what others think of you?

how you look like?

how stupid you might sound?

When was the last time you ever been relaxed,

having no pressure to make a conversation?

having no pressure to entertain others?

When was the last time you ever heard your breath, peacefully,

without worrying people might judge you?

even at the sound of your own breath?

When was the last time you ever accept yourself, for who you are,
without comparing yourself to others?
just accepting what God has given you?

When was the last time you ever been like this?

Harus benar-benar yakin pada-Nya

Pagi ini, jadwal kerja saya adalah pukul 8:30 am. Gak biasa-biasanya saya kerja jam segini. Biasanya kalo weekend saya di jadwalkan pukul 11 siang, ato sering nya pukul 3 siang sampe malam.
Naaah, karna saya gak biasa kerja pagi, jadi saya kurang tau schedule Bus yang harus saya ambil. Jam 8 am, saya mencoba menelpon, dan katanya the next bus will be in fourteen minutes! Jadilah saya santai-santai dulu di rumah :D

Oke, what happen next? Akhirnya saya memutuskan untuk berangkat. Saya yakin sekali, kalo saya masih punya waktu, sebelum bus yang harus saya ambil sampai di Bus Stop!
Jarak rumah saya dengan bus stop tidak lah jauh. Hanya butuh waktu sekitar lima menit!

Dalam perjalanan, saya teringat perkataan dari buku yang saya baca. Judul nya prophetic learning. Di buku tersebut, pengarang menyebutkan bahwa: agar doa kita terkabul, kita harus benar-benar yakin pada ALLAH (kalo ALLAH menghendaki, segalanya bakal terjadi). Dan tentu saja harus di iringi dengan usaha.

Lalu bagaimana kita bisa mencapi tahap "benar-benar yakin" tersebut?

Saya teringat dalam Islamic event yang pernah saya hadiri di kampus. Dalam sebuah video yang kami tonton, the speaker menyebutkan bahwa : in order to understand the creator, we need to understand the creations! (Untuk memahami Sang pencipta, maka kita harus memahami ciptaan-Nya)

Mulailah saya mencoba memahami ciptaan-ciptaan ALLAH. Saya mulai melihat langit. Pagi itu langit sangat cerah. Matahari bersinar dengan terangnya. Dalam hati, saya sangat takjub akan kebesaran ALLAH. Berkali-kali saya bertakbir. ALLAHUAKBAR! ALLAH is the Greatest! Saya ulang-ulangi kalimat ini. Saya seolah terpana dengan ciptaan ALLAH, sampai-sampai saya tidak menyadari kalo Bus yang hendak saya naiki, mulai berlaju menuju bus stop. Saya bertanya pada diri saya, haruskah saya berlari? Ohh, rasanya gak mungkin terkejar lagi. Walopun demikian, saya mencoba berlari. Akan tetapi dalam hati saya yakin, kalo ALLAH menghendaki, saya akan bisa menaiki bus tersebut.

Lalu apa yang terjadi?

ALLAHUAKBAR! ALLAH is The Greatest! Ternyata bus nya berhenti!

Sebelumnya saya sempat khawatir karna lampu nya sedang merah. Kalo saya lari, bisa-bisa saya di tabrak. Tiba-tiba ada seorang bapak yang berkata, "Go go! Run if you wanna catch the bus!"
Tanpa berfikir panjang, langsung saja saya lari, dan alhasil, saya bisa menumpangi bus tersebut!

Ternyata benarlah, ALLAH is The Greatest! Jika kita benar-benar yakin ada kebesaranNya. Maka apapun mungkin baginya ; )
***Dan siapakah bapak tersebut? Mengapa beliau tiba-tiba berbaik hati dan menyuruh saya berlari?
Wallahua'lam.

About me

Everyone is going through character changes. That includes me, of course! And what constant in this world is ALLAH, the only creator. We, as human being,will keep changing really. I've seen so many ppl change from good to bad, bad to worse. And vice versa. I also believe that mistakes aren't such a bad thing sometimes cuz we learn from them. I'm not saying that we should make mistakes intentionally, but what I'm saying is mistakes can be good if we learn from them. And this blog in particular will capture my changes. Change in perspectives and many other aspects of my life. And this page will also capture some of my mistakes which hopefully I'll learn from them. After all, I'm just this human being who God created with both strengths and weaknesses, which makes me perfect! Anyway, welcome to my blog ;)