Marriage. Weddings. Plans.

As the years roll on by, my cousins are starting to get engaged and eventually, married. One cant help but want to hop on the marriage train too.

Mama mentioned how everyone else seem busy with their children's wedding and such, but not her. And when asked why she doesnt really pressure her children (ie. me) to get married, she reminded me of my plans.

Ah yes. I had wanted to perform Hajj before marriage. And she remembers. Mothers are awesome like that. Though I do hope that I do not have to wait till 2018.

Occupation. Palestine. Al-Aqsa.

I recently went to Mecca, Madinah and Palestine simply because I had wanted to travel to places - but could not bring myself to do so until I had stepped foot into Masjidil Aqsa. I guess dear friends, this further shows how I like to make things hard for myself but the hadith was just stuck in my mind that whenever I tried to get around it, I can't. No Al-Aqsa, no Europe or Nepal or wherever it is that I dream of going. The hadith is as follows:

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيٌّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ لاَ تُشَدُّ الرِّحَالُ إِلاَّ إِلَى ثَلاَثَةِ مَسَاجِدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ، وَمَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not set out on a journey except for three Mosques i.e. Al-Masjid-AI-Haram, the Mosque of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , and the Mosque of Al-Aqsa, (Mosque of Jerusalem). [Bukhari]

Alhamdulillah, I've had the opportunity to set out on a second journey to Al-Masjidil Haraam and the Mosque of Allah's Messenger - and for the first time, to Al-Aqsa. Despite the close to 6 hr long wait at the Israeli immigration and the presence of armed guards within the Old City and all across Palestine, I fell in love with Al-Aqsa, Palestine and Palestinians. 

Which is why seeing the video below pains me. Israeli soldiers had stormed into the Al-Aqsa compound after Friday prayers - apparently after being thrown stones at by some youths. It pains me how them Israelis exert their control over the Palestinians. I used to be the guy who would point my finger at the youths for provoking the raid but not anymore. May Allah give patience to the Palestinians in their struggle against their oppressors. May Allah reward those who stood firm to defend the mosque against the violence of these oppressors. 

Stumbled upon a comment in the comments section of an Al-Jazeera's article which says: Rock throwers should be arrested, and those who used to fire from Warsaw ghettos at German soldiers should be given "pension", "compensation" and a "certificate". Perspective.

Post by ‎رضوان الأخرس‎.

Bill Nye Debates Ken Ham - My thoughts. I love Bill Nye.

So, I've been away. And finally back. I've been wanting to write - and have been procrastinating. Yet oddly, I managed to squeeze in time to watch a 2h 45 minutes video that was shared on Facebook as well as some time to draft and post a comment in response to a friend who asked for my view. After much thought, this was a slightly longer version of the short comment that I posted - coz one does not reply a wall of text as a Facebook comment. But then again, it's okay coz I'm commenting on my own post and one does not simply ask me for a view and get a short answer. One could- but it wouldn't be much fun, would it?

And I love how the "Bill Nye The Science Guy" song is still looping in my brain. BILL BILL BILL BILL BILL BILL BILL

Here's the quick exercise of the finger and the brain - my comment:

I actually preferred the Creationist's "Creation Orchard" to Darwin's Evolution Tree of Life - that dogs will always be dogs and finches will always be finches make more  sense that all species coming from one primordial form.

On evolution, I too find it an acceptable theory - for all species but mankind. For me personally, when it comes to man and man's first appearance, I do not believe that we evolved from apes. I prefer the narrative that Allah said to the Angels (2:30), "Verily, I am going to place (mankind) generations after generations on earth." And then there's the Adam and Eve story that leads to the start of human life on Earth. I prefer this narrative to Darwin's narrative.
So the Earth must've been created before Adam and Eve was sent down. Big Bang, expanding universe, evolution, dinosaurs, you name it - if there's evidence, then it probably is true. On the age of the earth, I'm with Nye and his evidence instead of Ham's explanations, rejection of dating methods and assumptions, and reliance on the flood verses. In 3:191, we are encouraged to "think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth" - and I love how Nye is doing just that with his research and all!

Bill Nye seemed to be worried that religion would retard the progress that they've achieved in technology and research and stuffs - but I would too if teachers in public schools tried to force the idea of 7Cs on my kids - Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, Consummation. Perhaps perhaps, for a well rounded education, students should at least be exposed to the different schools of thoughts - and take it up as an elective. And let them decide for themselves whichever seems more appealing. 

More than 1400 years ago, the following verse was revealed: "Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding." Perhaps it's got something to do with whatever Nye said about the 2nd law of Thermodynamics at 2:15:00.

More than 1400 years ago, the following verse was revealed: “Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, then We separated them, and made from water every living thing?  Then will they not believe?” (Quran 21:30)
And many many years later after inventions of powerful telescopes and what nots, we have scientists like Nye telling us of how it started with The Big Bang. Amazing. 

My view. Science Rules!

Resolve

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Every action starts with enthusiasm (i.e. “Shirrah”: excitement, enthusiasm, keenness, energy, fervor, zeal, a spiritual high) and then the enthusiasm wanes." 

He then goes on to give us the solution: “So anyone whose enthusiasm wanes but (remains within the limits of) my Sunnah will be successful, but anyone whose enthusiasm wanes and drifts away to something else, will be doomed.”

Spent most part of the day in a lecture and the above struck me - how our iman rise and fall. I dislike how some days I feel motivated and some days I do not. I dislike how some days I feel distracted. I've been thinking over it this past couple of hours and figured if I wrote this down, it would somehow be etched in my mind like a permanent reminder.

Dear me,

1. Stay away from television, the smart phone, YouTube, Facebook and the likes. Try.

It distracts. It takes you on a ride through Belgium, Brussels, Istanbul and you get nothing much from it. Hours go by, a movie follows another and another (MioTV had some free movie channels over the festive period), and you're in loss. Granted you were on off from work, but still. Read a book. Take a walk. Exercise.

2.  Clear your mental list.

There's a list of things to do in that mind of yours like doing a summary sheet for the past 6 sessions of Arabiq, or the report for December, packing your luggage, doing research on the history of the places you'll be visiting. Or read up more on strutting work processes. Or excavation sequence.

3. Memorize Juz Amma

You had set yourself a target but didnt really work towards it. Cultivate discipline within yourself. "Distract" yourself by memorizing/reading.

4. Make dua

Make lots of dua. Pray for patience. Pray for His guidance when you're feeling distracted or lost. Or when you can't seem to do anything fruitful.

2013. 2014

Thoughts not written will fade. And there's been many thoughts that I wanted to write but I simply let them go. But here's something that I had wanted to write some days back but didn't:

I had just finished my prayers and memory came into my mind. We used to sleep under the same blanket. Some nights when the air con temperature was low, I would give up part of the blanket just so that you could sleep comfortably. But that was many years ago. Now they're both grown up and I could only steal moments to be close to them only when they're asleep. Boys will be boys. If I had an elder brother, I too wouldnt want to be treated like I'm still six!

*****************************************************************************

2013 has been the year where I tried to establish myself in my career. There were ups and downs. The showflats. The piling. The excavation. The bosses. The senior. The learning. 6 days a week has made work occupy a significant portion of my 2013 - something which I kinda dislike very much. It dilutes pretty much every other more important things.

May 2014 be a year where I make work my number 2 priority in life.