Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Rejab 1434



أستَغْفِرُ اللهَ العَظِيمَ الَّذِي لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الحَيُّ القَيُّومُ وأَتُوبُ إِليه
I seek the forgiveness of Allah, the Most Great, besides Who there is no god; the Living, the Sustainer, and I repent to Him.
Among the months, Rajab is the month of seeking forgiveness. Al-Daylami narrates on the authority of `Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah ennoble him) that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Seek much forgiveness (from Allah) in Rajab because in every hour (of the month) Allah frees people from the Fire.” When the month entered the Prophet would say, as Anas narrates:

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا في رَجَبٍ وَ شَعْبَانَ وَ بَلِّغْنا رَمَضَانَ
O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha`bān and enable us to reach Ramadān!4
It is a blessed month, may Allah bless us and the Ummah in it. In the times of Jahiliyyah the noise of battle would not be heard in this month. This was due to the veneration that people had for the month, even though they were polytheists. Allah revealed concerning this month: They ask you about the sacred month – fighting therein. Say: fighting therein is a grave offence.5
Look at the state the Ummah has reached today. Some Muslims have actually declared war in the month of Rajab, not on the disbelievers, but on each other. Some have travelled around spilling the blood of their brothers. Look how far the Ummah has sunk when it has left the Guidance of Allah and His Messenger and surrendered its reins to corrupt people; to disbelievers; to people deceived by their own philosophies!
Our Master said: “Repent to Allah for truly I repent to Allah in every day and night seventy (or one hundred) times.” Allah says in the Hadith Qudsi: “O son of Adam, if your sins were so numerous that they reached the heavens and then you sought My forgiveness I would forgive you and it is nothing to Me.”
If someone allows Rajab to enter and they have no concern for their wrongdoings, then they do not truly possess taqwa. The believer sees his sins as a mountain towering over him which he fears will fall upon his head, whereas the hypocrite sees his sins as a fly which lands on his nose which he brushes away with his hand. One of the Followers was told that a group of people were talking about something which did not concern them. He said: “If they were concerned with their own wrongdoings, they would not have talked about that subject.”
Seek forgiveness in abundance and seek to unite people’s hearts. Beware of provoking hatred, or tale bearing, for “among the worst slaves of Allah are those that constantly bear tales, those that cause division between those that love each other.” Choose words that unite people: Say to My slaves that they should only say those things that are best, for the Devil sows dissension among them.6
Attempt to fast in this month. `Ali bin Muhammad al-Rabi` narrates from a chain of narrators most of whom are reliable that one of the Followers asked one of the Companions: “Did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) fast in Rajab?”
He replied: “Yes, and he would ennoble it.” He would ennoble and honour the month by fasting in it. May Allah awaken our hearts!
Prepare for the first night of Rajab. He said (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): “There are five nights on which du`ā’ is not rejected: the first night of Rajab, the fifteenth night of Sha`bān, Thursday night, the night before `Eid al-Fitr and the night before `Eid al-Nahr (al-Adha).”7 Sayyiduna `Ali would spend this night in worship.
May Allah purify our hearts and enable us to take advantage of the time that we have left in this life.
(link - http://abdulkarimyahya.com/2012/05/20/lesson-returning-to-allah-in-repentance-in-rajab/)

A reminder.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Milestone.

It gets lonelier as you grow older.  it really does.  and its not so much about being alone per se, you can surround yourself with a sea of people but you start feeling more an observer than an active participant. you start listening more, internalising more, pondering more.  sad to say you also come to the realisation that people young or old dont really give a rats ass about what you have to say, unless they specifically come to you for advice.  and half of them just seem to be interested in ranting and raving and complaining all the time.

And you suddenly find yourself becoming slow in almost everything you do,  not just slow but in absolute slow mo, the moment to moment kind.  for someone who goes through her days in high gear thats a pretty hard thing to swallow believe me.  not to mention the times that even a million bucks cant get you to recall a certain info or memory, the more you push the more elusive it becomes.  which all culminates into making you feel frustratingly clumsy & crushingly stupid.

Serabut.  semak.  senak.  and to be honest, frightening.

Oh you're saying get a grip woman, everyone grows old and they die, that death stares us in the face all the time but whats scaring the shit outta me is the possibility of a long but useless life.  use-less, as in meaningless, as in not contributing.  worse still if i start becoming a liability... to myself, to the ones i love, to society.

And still clueless at 50 isnt a good sign. nope not good at all.

Hadoi.

Its not about the kids. i've done what i can, now they are all grown and are answerable to their own actions. its not about the spouse.  he's going through his own turbulent midlife passage and unfortunately, is in no position to help me with my problems.  its about me.  about how best i maneuver the final phase of my life as a woman and keeping my dignity, my composure, my self-worth in the process.

I so need a spiritual upgrade.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Cycling Diary - Tg Sepat 14/04/2013


Diari Kayuh Seorang Macik

Oleh kerana minda macik sbelum ni diasak kaw2 oleh kebimbangan, kerisauan & kefening lalat-an mengenai FM sulung macik sehingga tiada ruang untuk perkara lain, aktiviti kayuh macik pun telah melalui detik2 kegersangan yang teramat.  punya la lama tak kayuh macik sampai terasa gayat bila kerabat naek beskal macik yang telah pun mula menunjukkan tanda2 akan berkulat jika keadaan dibiarkan berlarutan.

Bila geng kayuh macik ngajak macik join diorang training ke morib, timbul pulak kebimbangan baru setelah sekian lama tidak beraksi  - eh, bole ker aku ngayuh lagi nih??!!  dek kerana dah mula terasa jugak la gatal2 bontot tapak kaki, macik mengambil keputusan untuk hantam saja la hehehehe.

Servis beskal sbelum kayuh @ Wheelsman Bicycle S13

Kayuhan bermula dari MBSA kota kemuning dan dari seawal pagi lagi dah ramai geng macik yang berkumpul disitu.   halfway there macik dah perasan macik terlupa nak bawak spec mata namun macik teruskan jugak sbb takut melambat2kan kengkawan kalau macik patah balik..... tapi nak jadikan cerita (dan bahan), macik bukan saja terlupa spec rupa2nya kasut pun macik terlupa!!!!!!!!

Terlupa kasut... hantam saja la labu he3

Yang lebih penting, helmet ada so kayuhan masih ON.  selepas smua dah bersedia dan doa selamat dibacakan kami pun memulakan la rombongan 'mcm2 ada' kami (tua, muda, besar, kecik, lelaki, pompuan, berdesup, menyiput, mtb, rb).

Rombongan MKCT & rakan2

Doa sbelum kayuhan

Barisan mak dara & anak2 dara

At the start macik dah mula cuak sebab awal2 lagi dah mula nak terasa bunga2 pancit-us,  namun after the first checkpoint enjin tua macik mula terasa panas dan kayuhan menjadi semakin lancar.  opkos macik tak terkejor depa yang berdesup desap di depan but at least i managed not to slide below 25km/h dijalan yang tidak berbukit dan berliku.

Pada awalnya kayuhan dijangka hanya ke morib namun cuaca yang terterusan marbeles menggalakkan geng macik untuk meneruskan perjalanan hingga ke tanjung sepat.  after all dah alang2, macik pun layan jela.   

The Pitstops 
- bila riders dah berkumpul ramai2 maka banyak la cerita dan ragamnya... yang hyper, yang santai, yang sihat, yang senak, yang mabuk, yang memulas, macam2.  maka demi menjaga kesejahteraan semua, banyak la pitstop dan regrouping yang diadakan.  keadaan sebegini is part and parcel of group cycling, unless of course objective kayuhan semata-mata training yg khusus utk sesuatu event. maka focus sememangnya tertumpu pada speed & timing.

Catching up with the latest news..

Regrouping

Episod Pancit.
- seperti biasa dimana ada kayuhan disitu la akan ada tayar2 yang pancit sesuka hati.  ini juga diantara sebab2 yang mengharuskan ciclista membawa bersama tube spare dan mini pump.  walaupun leceh namun ianya satu keperluaan unless you dont mind carrying ur bike to the nearest kedai beskal hehehehe.


Pancit sana..

Pancit sini..

Sessi makan2 plus sightseeing
- dah penat kayuh apa lagi, refuelling la pulak.  dan bila tenaga dah banyak digunakan maka banyak la perlu diganti hehehehe.  ni la yang macik katakan dulu, kalau macik running mesti tak lalu makan tapi kalau kayuh gerek lapo memanjang.  ni la yang macik risaukan ni...sah skarang macik dah semakin gomuks ish ish.

Makan time

Selepas selesai makan geng kayuh kami si ben & eddie telah mengheret memnbawa kami melawat kawasan terdekat sehingga la ke hujung jeti.  terperanjat gak la penduduk tempatan bila jeti yang sebegitu sempit di sesakkan dengan kehadiran musang2 dan rakan2 hehehe.

Macik sakura

Ann trying her hand at errrr, not sure what he3

Jetty Tanjung Sepat

Jamming up the jetty lol

Time to head for home
- dah pusing2 semahunya maka kena la bersedia utk pulang.  alhamdulillah cuaca baik masih bertahan dan dengan perut yang masih penuh, kami berkayuh balik ke kota kemuning, ada yang masih mampu berdesup desap namun ramai juga yang dah semakin seloow melooow.  alhamdulillah walaupun dengan adanya 2 support car yang terbaek di pasaran (kudos to zaman & pie) pengayuh2 tegar masih bertahan dan tiada yang kecundang naek support car.  and by 4.30pm everyone made it back to kota kemuning safe & sound.  All in all,  rombongan mkct & rakan2 ke tanjung sepat sgt berjaya :)

Headcount..

Long ride back

Nothing beats the airconditioning @ petronas

Kayuh macik kayuh


Finally back @ kota kemuning

Detail Kayuhan:


Total distance - 132km
Total Time - about 8 hours (termasuk checkpoints, breaks and kes2 tayar pancit sana sini)
Weather - cuaca yg redup dan breezy di sepanjang jalan.
Route - MBSA Kota Kemuning, Batu Laut, Tanjung Sepat and back
Rating - doable for santai riders if speed is not an issue.