Great Aidilfitri

Assalamualaikum w.b.t and hi,

I’m back to clear the ‘blog web’only when Syawal comes! No la, just have the time with freedom of mind to do so, plus mood to write. Pathetic me, I’ve been extremely quite to those (other than officemates) I used to say hi till there was even an sms asking ‘Still alive?’ Just smiled and I didn’t blame them. Luckily the sms brought smile to me because it was during free-stressed period.

This raya is just great although feelings for raya wasn’t there a week before raya. Not like years back, I would be so busy with last minute shopping, writing and sending physical raya cards to at least my parents,grandparents,aunties, taking and delivering tart, batang buruk muar and bunga api ordering. But then all because of work,forgotten all about it.I don’t even have the desire to join those in the office chit-chot on raya preparations. Lucky my husband and I had all the preparations ready by 1st week of Ramadhan.

This year is the 6th raya celebrating together with husband and we celebrated raya eve and 1st raya with my family at grandpa+grandma’s home in Melaka. Every 2 years has always been exciting because all of mom’s siblings of 6 would celebrated raya together. You can just imagine almost 40 people in a house! Don’t be surprised that my grandpa’s crib can fit all with each family given in a room. Siap a room for si bujang and anak dara each. Of course the bujang ended up sleeping in the living hall after watching TV. Most challenging was during taking family pictures . Since last 2 years, we have changed location of photo taking to outside the house. Dah tak muat dalam rumah. Getting all ready especially small kids, and orang tua yang tak tahan panas and complaining just added to the fun. Giving away ‘duit raya’ was also part of the raya event. Banyak woo..17 cousins not including the oldies lagi.

We were in light blue this year. Good that we did not share the same colour with other families! I just love my 2 princesses in same baju kurung. They really enjoyed themselves running, playing and got entertained by their aunties (my cousin) with cutely-mischief looks at their faces.

2nd raya morning we left Melaka for Kajang. Faizal’s (my husband) brother & sisters were still in Kajang when we arrived after 1 hour plus journey. More lively this year because we went beraya together, received guests, played bunga api + mercun. Alhamdulillah, simply meriah..

Back home on the 4th raya before Maghrib. The road was still clear and our neighborhood seemed to be still quite and today I’m on 2nd day at work. Adalah beberapa ‘ketul’ officemates yang also back to work enjoying stressed-free moments while we can!

Till we meet again, salam aidilfitri & maaf zahir batin. Thinking of holding Nuha's 4th b'day party cum open house but haven't decided when.

p/s: I wonder how is my good friend doing, Mdm Azizzeanna Hassan, suppose to receive good news on her giving borth,tapi senyap saja…Pray that everything goes smoothly AMIN

The 4 of us in blue
Bak with his princesses
Salam Aidilfitri from Nuha, Nisa, Bak & Ummi

Unforgettable experience

Assalamualaikum w.b.t and hi,

I'm sure many of the readers quit peeping this blogpage. No update for more than 2 months. Always busy with office work during the day and with the kids once at home. Starting last week, its Umrah season again. Few people that I know will be visiting Makkah & Madinah , either 1st time or again.

Eversince we left Makkah, the feeling being in Masjidil Haram always something that we missed. I can never forget how I felt when I was 1st time in ihram, 1st journey to Makkah from Madinah, first time when witnessed Kaabah. Heart pounding just like each time I was taking exam or going for my ceasarian. We went inside Masjidil Haram with our Mutawwif (somekind like tour group leader appointed by Tabung Haji) and the other jemaah. The moment when I first sighted Kaabah with my very own eyes, I felt so small. How a person like me who is full of sins as long as I lived was given the chance to be there, witnessing Kaabah. I can never described my feelings but the scenary is just like in a dream. It was after Asar and the weather was just nice. Completed our first umrah just before Maghrib.

It was our rezeki indeed and with Allah permission that we had the chance to go during less crowd. There met Muslims from all around the world. When we were there, group from Turkey just arrived, so there were many of them. Of course the ladies were all very nice people.

My husband & I considered ourselves as lucky as we went there with my mom & sis-in-law who have been there. They shared a lot of their experiences on what should/shouldn't be done.

A lot of new things that I discover over there which I would like to share with you. Allow me to out in points form.

>Preferbly kalau ada rezeki, if you are 1st timer, try to go during the 1st 3 months after Hajj season because according to our Mutawwif, that is the best time with less crowd. It was our rezeki that it was still winter at that time although it almost ended.

>You can see the difference in crowd between weekdays & weekends. On weekends, families prefer to spend their weekend at either Masjid Nabawi or Masjidil Haram. Hearing kids/babies crying during prayers is normal.

>Every Monday and Thursday during Maghrib prayers, don't be surprised people bringing in food to the mosques and offer you food/drinks because they break their fast there.

>Some of the lady guards can speak English,many of the cleaners/some of the guard are Indonesians (in full face-hijab of course) so you can always ask question if you need to know anything. Separate entrance for ladies & men in Masjid Nabawi but same entrance for both in Masjidil Haram. There are a lot of entrances, will be good if you can remember the number of the entrance if you wish to meet your family members after umrah/prayer.

>Make sure your ihram is free from any kind of fragrance,even if its without alcohol. Bring 2-3 telekung which fabric is not that thin. Wear full-head head serkup so that your hair won't be seen if you wear the telekung.

>After each prayer, for sure there will solat jenazah. The men will always take the chance to at least hold/carry the jenazah. Besar ganjarannya...

>Occasionally the roof of Masjid Nabawi will be opened. My experience was usually in between Maghrib & Isya' prayers where we usually just wait the Masjid.

> There is no doa Qunut also during Subuh prayer and doa in on our own. Remember, no solat sunat after Asar.

>There's a lot of al-Quran in every corner of the Masjid. Some of them are with Bahasa Melayu tafsir. You can wakaf al-Quran but only al-Quran bought in Madinah/Makkah is allowed.

>Both Masjid Nabawi & Masjidil Haram is huge, but just imagine, jemaah have to pray outside the masjid compound during Hajj season. In Masjidil Haram, there were quite major construction work going on especially at the Saie' area and outside the mosque.

> Do not bring any form of camera handphone inside Masjid Nabawi,the lady guards are very strict. In Makkah, we had the chance to snap pictures in Masjidil Haram :)

>Bring a 5-6 days clothes (day and night) if you'll be there for more than 10 days. Bring along hangers/softener if you wish to wash your own clothes. Hang in your toilet and it will dry fast because of the dry weather.

All in all, take the chance and opportunity to spent as much time in either Masjidil Haram/Nabawi.. Always be patient with whatever test you'll face there and remember that doa is the most powerful weapon, not only there but anywhere.

That's one of the way we will feel very close to HIM..
ALLAHUAKBAR


View from 1st floor of Masjidil Haram

MasyaAllah..

Let the picture tells the whole story of my journey for the time being..

I'll be missing them

Yes, I can feel it already for the past 2 weeks and today when the actual day comes, I have doubt feelings whether to bring them along to KLIA.
Don't think I'll be strong enough not to break into tears. I'm not worried of Nisa,but Nuha. She'll be noticing us moving away from the crowd and maybe she'll start crying. I know a way,before we go, I'll ask Nuha to be taken away to shops or elsewhere.

I'll be missing them a lot. But people says, once you reach there, you'll be blessed with peacefulness. InsyaAllah...

A day before Nisa's 1st Birthday

Assalamualaikum w.b.t and hi,

It's fine Thursday in February and it's now lunch time. Thought of updating the blog many many times before this but as usual, no opportunity.

Had great time on public holidays every Mondays. Went to JB on long Chinese New Year weekends, visiting sis and bro in laws and had the chance to attend a wedding of husbands primary friends. It was a reunion since more than 14 years when they met each other. Funny, they managed to track my husband from this blog. Maybe because very few people or maybe no one with 'Faizal Muri' name. The following weekend, (Hari Wilayah) we went back to Melaka. Seronoknya, the last time we went back was end of Syawal last year. I have been always excited to be back to granny's crib. Tenang saja rasa..Nenek and Atok of course as usual, welcomed us with Nenek's cooking. We ate our dinner at almost midnight when we reached. But as usual, air tangan nenek, finger licking good.

On Nuha, she is so into the Barbie & The Diamond Castle movie (same as Anisah, @diksu's daughter) and that Jelita series theme song, Matahari by Agnes Monica.Really funny to hear she sings over and over again to fill her time in between. Sampaikan I began to love the song too, purposely have it saved in my home laptop and handphone. Kahkahkah..

Nisa, she will turn 1 tomorrow. Her progress, she can now stand. Her appetite increases, still she maintains her cute figure. She is always excited when she sees FOOOOD. Pendek kata memang boleh menangis sakan la kalau tak bagi dia. One thing I discover the difference between Nisa and Nuha besides having good appetite is Nisa is more independant. She can keep herself entertained unless she is tired or hungry. (Food again) Senang jaga..

We will have a small family gathering tomorrow at Mama's home for Nisa's birthday. InsyaAllah, but Nisa already got her present today. From 2 dear friends@collegue of mine. Thanks,thanks and thanks again...

p/s: 1st picture above taken during our journey back to KL from JB. I just love Nisa's expression..

Ya Allah..

I cried almost everyday since the first few days of the attack. Can't bear to read, watch and hear the updates. I have never care to know about the history of Palestine, but now I'm beginning to look for the answer.

Ya Allah, please help our brothers and sisters. Bless them with strength..

*speechless*

Journey of life..

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

Too sad to think about when marriage life is not a wife or even a husband would want to live in anymore. Strange that lately I’ve been hearing or to be exact a listener to these domestic problems. One after another. It started off in August (my last entry in Aug was on this), someone who is really dear and near to me. It was heart breaking to watch your loved ones to cry over disappointment of what one expected marriage to be which is to bring happiness throughout life.

Don’t know whether it's just a coincidence.Most of them didn't show any sign. Maybe they have been trying hard enough to work things out till the extend of unbearable, they decided to tell it off to someone.

Personally, I don't really want to get involve with peoples marriage problem but you wouldn't know what they have been through before they came to you. Perhaps I can provide temporary relief,even if its not that much.

After the 3rd case, I started to broke into tears along with them. I couldn't held my tears when I put myself in their shoes. Marriage happiness and laughter is no longer part of their daily life. Some ended up avoiding each other with silence, while some got into endless arguments and grudges. Some may pray hoping for brighter days to come, some gave up hope long before. Its even heart breaking to look deeply into their childrens' eyes, which said to be the symbol of their love. Even sad if this adorable babies were left behind because their parents are carried away with their problems.

I don't think I'm the best person to give them advice but at the very least, a shoulder to cry on. The best that I can give is for them to put a lot of patience, try to fix things by a peaceful and rationale discussion to resolve matters and endless pray to GOD for the best way to the end of it.

Maybe it is fated that they will go through this kind of life journey. Maybe it is lesson to be learnt that things may happen to you later.I have a lot to share with bride-to-be on what to expect. Marriage life is not just being attached to our life-partner, but it takes you beyond that,and at times, we shouldn't be standing strict to our principles, there should be forgive & forget and then you will be able to move on..
Sometimes when I was driving alone, I kept of remembering word by word of frustration. I couldn't imagine if it happens to me..nauzubillah