29 March 2009

The Lifestyle of Prophet Muhammad



We frequently hear the call to emulate the lifestyle of the Prophet Muhammad, but,
many of us wouldn't know what are the examples to emulate.
I am trying my best in this blog to present some of the Lifestyles of Prophet Muhammad,
the prophet of our time.
I have taken them from the famous collection of the tradition of the prophet compiled by Imam Abu Dawud entitled 'Sunan Abu Dawud'.

07 March 2009

The Making of an Auditorium

It was a carpark until about 2006.
Sometime in 2006, during the interim period, the car park was reformed into a green open space. It was a beautiful green site, with birds, squirrel and other small animals playing in the greenfield.
Then hoarding were seen creeping into the green site. Slowly, the foundation were laid and walls and roofs appeared.




There were times when heavy duty cranes were employed to bring heavy building materials into the site. Cranes were also used to pour concrete onto the foundation floor.



The work delayed during the rainy seasons.


After the rain work resumed. And finally the satisfying result.


The Auditorium now stand proud and elegant.







We are helpless drop of sperm

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of The Quran
Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi (The Cave) Verse 36 to 39.

The meaning of Verse 36

"And I don't think that The Last Hour will come. Even if it come and I meet GOD on Judgement Day, surely GOD will reward me with something better than my present garden"



====================================================
My observation :-
He was arrogant. Showing himself to his friend who was not as successful as him. He was also making fun of his friend's religious belief of Judgment Day.

The meaning of Verse 37
His pious friend replied,
"Are you going against GOD WHO has created you from clay. And then from a drop of sperm. Then HE shaped you in a perfect manner and made you a man?"

====================================================
My observation :-

His friend was hinting him that GOD has created Adam from clay and then the offspring of Adam from drop of sperm, trying to make him realize that this worldly life is nothing compared to GOD'd kingdom. This life is like a drop of sperm. Therefore, as human we cannot be arrogant by saying things such as "no disaster will fall on my garden".
Harun Yahya mentioned in his book, "Signs ofthe End of Times in Surat Al-Kahfi", that the pious man was trying to help his arrogant friend to realize the greatness of GOD, by mentioning GOD's sign in Nature and origin of man which is a helpless drop of sperm.
Harun Yahya continues that we often meet these self-contradicting people. They talk profoundly about GOD but they do not lead a life that pleases GOD and did not follow the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad.
Despite that they consider themselves rigtheous and destined for Paradise. They are actually deceiving themselves.

The meaning of Verse 38
"As for me, HE is THE GOD, My LORD. I will not consider anyone equal to my Lord."

====================================================
My observation :-

His pious friend wanted to make him realize that GOD is the only source of success. That is why you find that the theme of the narration here suddenly switch from beautiful garden to GOD.
The arrogant man was so boastful of his garden and successful life that his friend had to interrupt him by mentioning GOD so that he will not forget GOD totally.


The meaning of Verse 39

Why didn't you say, when you enter your garden, that
"All these are from GOD. There is no power except the power of GOD"
Although you may see that I had less wealth, less children than you, but may be, GOD will give me something better than what you have.
GOD can cause calamity to fall on your garden, and it will become barren and dust.
Or GOD can make the water to sink deep into the ground that you will never get water supply again for your garden
.



====================================================
Imam Jalalain commented with a hadis, that :-

"Who ever had been given the good things in life, or a beautiful wife or plenty of wealth, and then he said
'All these are from GOD. There is no power except the power of GOD'

then he will never see any unfavourable things happen to whatever he owns."





UEFA 037 – Oostende to Ramsgate

UEFA 037 – Oostende to Ramsgate


As soon as the train stopped at Oostende Train Station, all passengers walked briskly towards the immigration building. The scene was like sheep been released from the barn or nicer to say, was like the passengers alighting from the buses and ran towards the immigration counters at Woodlands checkpoint. My wife and I walked smoothly through the immigration and custom.



We produced our tickets at the checkpoint and walked up the walkway which leads us onto the deck of the ferry. It was quite a long walk; especially with luggage, it can be quite unbearable.



Our first mystery was solved, that is, the train did not go on to the ferry, but, only the passengers. Perhaps, the train will pick up the passengers from Oostende to Rotterdam or back to Amsterdam.



We are now looking at the English Channel from the Oostende Ferry Terminal.



I imagined myself in the place of Moses, when he was looking at the Red Sea and figured out how he could cross the sea, to escape from the tyranny of the army of Pharaoh. In my case, I was not running from any treat but rather looking forward to explore unexpected adventures.



The ferry was actually a huge ship, like the Superstar Virgo at The Singapore Cruise Centre at Harbour Front. It was a 10-storey luxury cruise. There were many facilities inside the ferry such as restaurant, cinema, disco, video games, billiard pool, spa, massage, swimming pool and casino. Of course there were other facilities which I did not know about.



My wife and I stumbled our way up to the deck, and found out it was already dark. The night sea breeze was too cold, so we went back inside the ferry and settled down at the many common benches provided, while we stared into the TV.



Now our second mystery was solved as we found that the ferry trip across the legendary fierce English Channel was a pleasant one. We had earlier thought it was the same kind of ferry we used to take across Malacca Straits from Butterworth to Penang, or perhaps the ferry was like the one that ferry passengers from Singapore to Batam islands. Our fears were now at bay.



I didn’t remember what happened after that, but, all I remembered was the sound of the horn. I stood up and saw the people who were sitting with us were all gone. I knew immediately, that we had arrived. I woke my dear wife, and we grabbed our luggage and walk back down stair towards the exit. The passengers were already queuing to alight.



We arrived at Ramsgate, a coastal town in England in the wee hour of the next morning. The ferry trip was about 5 hour.


Once again we walked through the immigration and custom very smoothly and as we get out of the ferry point, the feeder buses were ready to fetch us to the train station. We carried our luggage up the bus.

Then at the train station we had to carry our luggage along the long platform before going up the train.



You would have realized by now that I had abandoned the plan of crossing the English Channel via the new undersea railway system from Carlisle to Dover. The main reason was that I did not manage to find out more about it. All I heard from my sister it was expensive.



It was also not feasible, as we were in Amsterdam, and going via Oostende in Belgium is more sensible.



574 words


Drafted on 07.04.2007


Edited on 22.07.2007 at 1057hrs


At Woodlands Avenue 5