incommodious

it's becoming a routine. these sleepless nights.
pretty inconvenient if u ask me.
i gotta get back to my normal sleeping hours..
but the biological clock doesnt wanna budge.
sigh ....

regrets

wish i had my current wisdom many many years ago when i was in standard 2.
if i knew then, what i know now, life wouldn't be this way.
i know that counterfactual reasoning is not productive but being human, i can't stop regretting.

no wonder Allah swt prohibits certain things that appear harmless because in the long run, the effect can be catastrophic.

now, all i gotta do is project what i could regret upon after being dead. this way, i can act accordingly and stop it from taking place in shaa Allah.

fatigue

one of those days when i'm too tired to do anything enjoyable. :)
it has been fulfilling, but exhausting as well.
so i wander like many, upon other blogs and what not.

normality

if u think that your life is weird, say no more.
well, u're not the only one who's feeling that way.
in fact, im willing to bet that everyone else feels the exact same way.

normality is an imaginary concept.
we believe that everyone else is leading a normal life except us.
problem is, the comparison works on a false pretence.

if everyone is unique in their own way, then how can normality ever be achieved?

literature

i used to believe that reading novels is a waste of time. :) do forgive me if this uncalled for remark appears to be somewhat offensive.

don't get me wrong, i admire the artistic expression and all, but the repetitive nature of certain novels, especially those specializing in romaunt, can be quite stultifying.

recently though, i've gotten my hands on a collection of 19th century literature revolving on sherlock holmes. it's a classic and never thought i'd say this.. but WOW.

im trying my best to cut down the time i spend on watching TV and investigative literature is a compelling alternative to that. gonna take back my words. novels ain't a bore if u know how to choose.

the best way to read sherlock holmes is to 'predict' the culprit and why he/she is so, via the clues hidden intricately within the novel. it keeps ur mind completely engaged. a definite wow indeed.

trade

sometimes, the best way to get what u want is by helping others get what they want.
it's some sort of a trade. but it's not just any trade, but rather, the kind that's completely guaranteed.


Daripada Abu Hurairah r.a. daripada Nabi SAW, Baginda telah bersabda:
Barangsiapa yang melepaskan seorang mukmin daripada satu kesusahan daripada kesusahan-kesusahan dunia, nescaya Allah akan melepaskannya daripada satu kesusahan daripada kesusahan-kesusahan Qiamat. Barangsiapa yang mempermudahkan bagi orang susah, nescaya Allah akan mempermudahkan baginya di dunia dan di akhirat. Barangsiapa yang menutup ke’aiban seorang muslim, nescaya Allah akan menutup ke’aibannya di dunia dan akhirat. Allah sentiasa bersedia menolong hambaNya selagi mana dia suka menolong saudaranya. Barangsiapa yang melalui suatu jalan untuk menuntut ilmu, nescaya Allah akan mempermudahkan baginya suatu jalan menuju ke syurga. Sesuatu kaum tidak berkumpul di salah sebuah rumah-rumah Allah (iaitu masjid) sambil mereka membaca Kitab Allah dan mengkajinya sesama mereka melainkan suasana ketenangan akan turun ke atas mereka, rahmat akan melitupi mereka dan mereka akan di kelilingi oleh para malaikat dan Allah akan menyebut (perihal) mereka kepada orang-orang yang berada di sisiNya. Barangsiapa yang terlambat amalannya, nescaya nasab keturunannya tidak mampu mempercepatkannya.


so, r u good in something, that in shaa Allah, u can do it quicker and better than others?
if u are, then try helping people who are bad at doing it. try making their life easier and more serene.

then in shaa Allah, God will in turn help u in doing things that u are bad at. u know, bad things that u've tried many times to overcome without success. or bad habits that u believe to be indelible.

good things happen to people who do good things to others, even when sceptics deny it. nuff said.

awake

oh my, i've got a full day tomorrow.
and yet, these eyes do not tire.
of all the time to be awake ... sigh... it had to be now

mute

sometimes it's a lot better to keep quiet than to retaliate.
this is true.. almost invariably.
particularly, when infuriation is imminent.

17:53 Dan katakanlah kepada hamba-hamba-Ku: "Hendaklah mereka mengucapkan perkataan yang lebih baik (benar). Sesungguhnya syaitan itu menimbulkan perselisihan di antara mereka. Sesungguhnya syaitan itu adalah musuh yang nyata bagi manusia."

stand

if u have a good principle, and u know that it's good, act in accordance with that principle.
regardless of what others normally do.

let's say ur principle is "help people when they really need it".
and so see a person u know, who really needs help.
but u also know that the person hates u, and he loves dissing u behind ur back.

this is a common dilemma. there's a competition between principle and anger.
by common sense (how normal people would act) u shouldn't be helping.
but if it's a good principle why not?

we shouldnt let other people drive us up the wall.
we shouldn't let others dictate how we intend to execute a particular principle.
coz there's always a saboteur, always.
no matter how hard u try to do things right, there are always people out there who'd try to deter u.

so, the hell with them.
just do the right thing.


3:133 Dan bersegeralah kamu kepada ampunan dari Tuhanmu dan kepada syurga yang luasnya seluas langit dan bumi yang disediakan untuk orang-orang yang bertakwa,

3:134 (yaitu) orang-orang yang menafkahkan (hartanya), baik di waktu lapang maupun sempit, dan orang-orang yang menahan amarahnya dan memaafkan (kesalahan) orang. Allah menyukai orang-orang yang berbuat kebajikan.

new year's resolution and habit

it's new year. plenty are sharing their resolution. making new resolutions are kinda fun but don't forget that keeping them is what really matters.

so, how do we keep 'em, these inspiring resolutions?

it's good to know that we're all creatures of habit. so, try cultivating habits that support our resolution. it'd make everything a lot easier.

if ur new resolution is to be slimmer or lose 10 kg, then what kinda habits should u form to help make this resolution a reality? let's look at a simple example.

RESOLUTION
lose 10kg

HABIT
1. habit of eating one plate of rice at every meal, regardless of delicacy, regardless.
2. habit of spending at most 5 minutes to eat. this way, u won't think about eating more.
3. habit of walking 20 minutes every evening to increase metabolism and shed that extra fat.

we better start building those habits. experts say that we need at least 30 days to do this. so start small and focus only on one habit at a time for at least 30 days to make it stick.


Daripada Aisyah ra,  Nabi Muhammad SAW bersabda:
“Wahai manusia lakukanlah amalan mengikut keupayaan kamu. Sesungguhnya Allah tidak jemu sehinggalah kamu jemu. Amalan yang paling Allah sukai ialah amalan yang berterusan walaupun sedikit.”
(Riwayat al-Bukhari dan Muslim)

sustainability

pretty hard to sustain a good habit or to stay away from bad ones.

the environment is the major culprit. we can resolve to change all we want but if we remain within the same paralyzing ambience, sustainability can never be achieved.

making a note on the need to change the surrounding in relation to the set goal.

why is it fun to do research?

why u ask? it's really fun because u get to learn something new everyday.
no, don't worry about how good u'll fare, or how sophisticated ur own ideas can be.
instead, focus on what u're trying to solve and enjoy the journey of getting there.
things can be fun if u let it to. so juz chill out bro.

pain

it is said that pain can be one's greatest mentor.
a lesson learned via pain is a humbling experience, with a more lasting impression.
it purifies the soul when taken with content
so when things get pretty bad, find comfort in this.
that everything has its place, a hikmah, well hidden within.

phd

if u dont know what phd means, u're in luck.
im gonna define it for ya.

phd is an acronym.
it means..

permanent head development!

i think i've just revolutionized the paradigm of research. :)

raya!

it's raya time again.
gotta love the food, keep em coming. haha

ramadhan

alhamdulillah, ramadhan is back again. :)

remember to read a lot of quran for in the month of ramadhan, every ayat read is given the reward of one khatam (now, :) please refer to ustaz as i got this from them )

be careful of what u say and do coz we dont wanna waste our good deeds with the bad ones.

ok, terawih can be very challenging at some places. they dont read surah lazim anymore and although it's really cool to hear the hafiz citing passages from the quran, im not sure whether i can sustain the stamina for more or less 30 days.

virtue

i wish my heart does not change as the passing season.
but being human, i am naturally flawed.
i have tried to be virtuous, but ever so often, regression would envy me.
is there not a manner to be consistently righteous?
must man become captive of his own desire?

freedom

if life is a test, then i guess, true freedom can only be attained by leaving what is wrong and doing what is right as defined by islam.

bad habits, things that have imprisoned you for all this while must go. if not, no salvation can be found in life or that after.

superiority via condescension

i guess the aphorism holds true. "highlighting flaws does not make one superior".

i've been perusing through the chrestomathy of certain authors that seem enthused of putting others down in their effort of promoting superiority.

well, what can i say. this *prehistoric* rhetorical strategy might've worked at one of those mamak stall debates but in here, it's completely futile.

still, gotta hand it to you, it's kinda cute.

after years of supposedly intellectual evolution, these people have not grown beyond their primitive needs. needs that i used to witness in my early years of schooling, are now dominant yet again.

transience

people say u gotta seize the day.
well, but u try doing that, they'd say "those who dont plan, plan to fail"
but when u plan, u wont seize it no?