Patch mustard cardigan, Bossini white t-shirt, baby blue Japanese floral palazzo pant, 

Crocs Marin ColorLite loafers, Perlini gold sling bag, beige shawl

What has reached you was never meant to miss you.

And what has missed you was never meant to reach you.

- Prophet Muhammad pbuh

We all have stand-down moments that require us to stand up, in the center of ourselves, and know who we are. When your marriage falls apart, when a job that defined you is gone, when the people you'd counted on turn their backs on you, there's no question that changing the way you think your situation is the key to improving it. I know for sure that all of our hurdles have meaning. And being open to learning from those challenges is the difference between succeeding and getting stuck.
What I know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey (Page 44)

اللهم يا جامع الناس ليوم لا ريب فيه اجمع بيني وبين ضالتي

Allahuma ya jami’ an-nas liyoumin la rayba feeh ijma’ bayni wa baina dhaaliti.

"O Allah, the gatherer of mankind on the day in which there is no doubt. 
Join between me and my lost item."

The case of the missing mouse.
Alhamdullilah.

Where: IMM

How to get there: Take the lift (near Macdonald) to level 4. 

Turn left and see signage for direction. It's very accessible and user friendly.

اَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ طِبِّ الْقُلُوْبِ وَدَوَائِهَا. وَعَافِيَةِ اْلأَبْدَانِ وَشِفَائِهَا. وَنُوْرِ اْلأَبْصَارِ وَضِيَائِهَا وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلِّمْ

Allahumma Sholli 'Ala Sayyidina Muhammadin Tibbil Qulubi Wadawaiha, Wa'afiyatil Abdani Wasyifa'iha, Wa Nuril Abshori Wadliyaiha, Wa 'Ala Aalihi Washohbihi Wa Sallim

"Ya Allah curahkanlah rahmat kepada junjungan kita nabi Muhammad SAW, sebagai obat hati dan penyembuhnya, penyehat badan dan kesembuhannya dan sebagai penyinar penglihatan mata beserta cahayanya. Semoga sholawat dan salam tercurahkan pula kepada keluarga serta para shahabat-shahabatnya.”

I have never thought myself to be better than anyone. In fact, I am still a practicing Muslim woman who tries my best to make amends. I am not perfect either. People may perceives me for being perfect. Wallahi, may Allah covers my aib. I am never perfect. I have sin. Everyday. It could be by waking up pretty tad late for Subuh, or rushing off to work without a proper breakfast conversation with my parents. It could be I walk passed a helpless man or closing the lift doors when someone wants to enter. Little sins that I made each day but all I know is I tried to make amends. I tried to be more attentive to people needs and to my surroundings. I learnt to say thank you, I'm sorry when I'm wrong and not forgetting to say Alhamdullilah for little things and Inshallah to for I am meaning it. I am still flawed and making amends. Allah knows, He always know.

"A bad deed which you regret in your heart 

is a thousand times better than the 

good deed that makes you feel proud."

- Imam Ali

Pop Quiz.

How to determine which of the above is Precast plank and Cast In-situ?

It seems like test when I was on my PDA attachment. I totally had a blast. I requested for structural works as I truly miss those moments when I had casting. Looking back, I cherish those moments. It's like the best experience ever. Because I myself can't believe I actually did it. I mean, come on. A handful of us have tolerance on dealing with the sun, dust and difficult men!

The answer, the smooth finished is the Precast plank while the rough with two joints is the Cast In-situ due to the formwork. Plus, I've just learnt that our BTO floors is partially pre-cast and cast in-situ. Cools!

I have never been scared the hell out of my life, except one time when Ayah was awarded to the hospital for mild stroke. I stood there, crying in my heart thinking what will ever happen if Ayah really had a stroke. Will I be able to care for him? Will I be able to take care of the family?

Once again, here I am sitting in the clinic with Ayah. Waiting for his turn. He was restless and controlling the pain. I had to kept him busy by playing Tic Tac Toe. And with moments like this, he can still wins. I didn't do it on purpose, but he really gave me tips to nailing it. It was a father-daughter moment kinda thing which I appreciate dearly. People would often called me spoilt brat for having a father who sends to work or nearest MRT. I'm not a brat, in fact I am thankful I was brought up pleasantly. Alhamdullilah. These are the moments I cherished. I usually have a heart to heart talk with Ayah. Spend time while it last, I really appreciate it. I am loved. And I love my Ayah. And I know he is only a temporary gift that Allah blessed me with. Therefore, I cherish.

I am glad to sat beside him, while waiting for our turn. It's the least I could do as a daughter, after all for what he has done for our family. That moment, I choose to be better. Better than who I was before.

Feminism isn't about making women stronger.

Women are already strong.

It's about changing the way the world

perceives that strength.

- G.D Anderson

Where: IKEA Alexandra

How to get there: Go down to the escalator near the main entrance to B1. Exit the glass sliding door. Muslimah Musollah opposite the exit door. Turn left from glass sliding door is the Muslimin Musollah which located under the escalator. Ablution is inside the respective Musollah.

Today I let go of shame. 

Shame is an overwhelming sense that 

who I am isn't good enough. 

I realised that I am good enough, 

and that my imperfections are part of being human. 

Therefore, I let go of shame.

- Melody Beattie

رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِنْ لِسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي

Rabb-ishrah li sadri, wa yassir li ‘amri, Wah-lul ‘uqdatam-min-li-saani, Yaf-qahuu qawlii

"O my Lord! Open for me my chest (grant me self-confidence, contentment, and boldness); Ease my task for me; And remove the impediment from my speech, so they may understand what I say."

(Surah Ta-Ha; 20:25-28)

Very often, the reason we hold onto things is because we hold the belief that we can somehow change it or change ourselves to get accustomed and to adapt.

People who hold onto clothes that are too small tend to use it as a motivation to get (or get back) to that size. They believe that they can adjust their bodies to the required exact proportion, or they have skills and know-how to adjust the clothing to fit them.

And then there are some who hold on to people even though it has not been a pleasant relationship, because they wholeheartedly believe that they can change the other person. Even if all else fails, they will somehow learn to adapt in fitting in instead. To me, that's a false dichotomy.

First of all, I've always maintained that we can never truly change people. Even in Islamic belief, hidayah or guidance comes only from God. We do our part to educate, to inform, to encourage, but the end result is surrendered entirely for God to decide.

Moreover, I've always held the view that change is possible. Anybody can change. But not everybody necessarily wants to change.

"Let the possibility of what your God can do for you excite you, and supersede the disappointments of what people have failed to do for you."

The Art of Letting God
by Mizi Wahid
(Page 55-56, 58)

The road to success is always 

under construction.

- Lily Tomlin

Umm Salamah, also known as Hind bint Abi Umayya was one of the Prophet Muhammad's wives. She heard him sayys, "Whoever drags his garment out of pride, Allah will not look at him on the Day of Resurrection." Umm Salamah then asked, "What should women do with their hems?". He then replied, "Lengthen them by a handspan." "She said, "But then their feet will show." "Lengthen them by a cubit, but no more than that."

What a good example Umm Salamah was she's not one of those who show off and are arrogant. Muslim women should be modest and chaste, pure and noble. Their feet should not show and their clothes should have long hemlines that drag along the ground behind them so that men will not see anything of them. But women nowadays - except those whom Allah have mercy - raise their hemlines as much as they can, for fear of getting wet or dirty, and in imitation of the disbelieving women who appear virtually naked. They make a thousand excuses for appearing as if naked and for behaving in an immoral manner - there is no strength and no power except Allah. Their menfolk are men only in name, walking at their side and not caring about the loss of modesty.

Reference: The Happiest Woman in the World by A'id al-Qarni (page 155)

Stop asking why is Allah doing this to me,

but instead Allah is doing this for me.

- Shaykh Mohammed Faqih

Inshallah.

I witness the most beautiful thing today. And I always love the Q&A sessions. There was this woman who post a question, "How to gain self worth when your surrounding is not being supportive towards you?." She was controlling her tears and I could feel that hurt, that pain in her. So deep because I'm facing it too. So one of the panel, Ms Onniata Effendi replied, "It means that your surrounding is not kind to you, thou you shall get away from it." The woman weeped and before she could reply to that, Ms Onniata says, "I'll show it to you. I'll show it to you what self worth is." Ms Onniata then get down to the floor and went straight to that woman and say, "I love you.", then hugged her real tight.

I was dumbfound. But I knew I could no longer hold my tears and I let it all out. I realised that sometimes women tend to forget who we are and how unworthy we all felt. There are times, we pretended that we are strong but the fact that, we are vulnerable. We need to be reminded, we need to be understood. We need to let it all out. And I realised that, kind women or people, will always be there to hand a helping hand.

Alhamdullilah.

=)

One of the most beautiful qualities of a friendship is to 

understand and to be understood. 

- Lucius Annaeus Seneca

ربي يسر ولا تعسر ,ربي تمم بالخي

Rabbi yassir wa la tu’assir,

rabbi tammim bil khayr.

"Ya Allah, permudahkanlah urusanku,

permudahkanlah jangan disulitkan."

We can't prevent what

We can't predict.

- Mary Alice Young, Desperate Housewives

I have never see myself being in this industry. All I imagine my life would turn out to be a glamorous one. Fancy clothes, designer bags and stilettos. I don't know, perhaps I imagine myself to be a designer. Fashion or interior, my guess. Never could I imagine how life turns out to be.

Somehow, this path of career chooses me. And I know, Allah knows best for me. Working in the construction sites has taught me that nothing is impossible. I can overcome greater heights with perseverance and determination. I slowly begin to fall in love with what I am doing now. Even though it's hard some times, that most women couldn't understand this. It's different than being in an office bound, I actually put my life at risk. Women would often tells me, give it up and choose some office job where you can be all pretty. It's just that they seem not to get this. This career chooses me, right from the start when I couldn't make it to O-Levels that I had to go straight to ITE and studied Architecture. People would often think that, hey! Life's a choice. Indeed life is a choice. The choice I make, to STILL fall in love with what I'm doing now.

It's gonna get rough at times and I'll know, 

I will get there someday.

=)

The best among you are the ones 

who benefits many others.

- Prophet Muhammad s.a.w

(Hadith Imaam Al-Thabarani)

The best thing in Islam is that it appreciates everything good whether it is after its arrival or before it was proclaimed to the world. In Islam, the earlier Prophets are accepted as Prophets of Allah and thus, they and everyone else associated with them is also revered and respected. One of them is Maryam (ra), the mother of Prophet Isa AS.

For Muslim women who think that life is tough for them or they cannot go through the turmoil that Allah has given them should look at the history of Maryam (RA). Who had to deliver a child all by herself and who later on had to face the accusations and blaming of the people. Despite all the vileness of the people and the trouble she had to face, she remained resolute and her faith on Allah did not flinch a little. By, we can easily judge her personality. Quran says about her in the following way:

وَمَرۡيَمَ ابۡنَتَ عِمۡرٰنَ الَّتِىۡۤ اَحۡصَنَتۡ فَرۡجَهَا فَنَفَخۡنَا فِيۡهِ مِنۡ رُّوۡحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتۡ بِكَلِمٰتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهٖ وَكَانَتۡ مِنَ الۡقٰنِتِيۡنَ

“And [the example of] Mary, the daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel, and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.” (66:12)

Therefore, Muslim women who are going through tough time need to take a leaf out of the life of Maryam (RA) and see that how she faced all of it alone and remained patient and faithful to Allah Almighty.

Inshallah, Amin.

Reference:
http://www.quranreading.com/blog/great-role-models-for-muslim-women/

Al Jabbar

(The Overpowering)

(Surah Al-Hashr 59:23)

Allah, the Overpowering One, salvaged us in our crisis and comforts and consoles us in our loss and sorrow. Moreover, it is He who enables us to see and follow the straight way which will accrue success to us in this world and the next. In recognition of the truth embodied in this divine name, the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited this supplication:

"Glory be to Allah who owns all kingdom, dominion, glory, greatness and splendor."

(Al-Tabarani, Al-Mu'jam)

Blessed Names and Attributes of Allah

By Abdur Raheem Kidwai

(Page 13)

It's not that it's not there,

It's just that you haven't seen it yet.

- Trainer Wekie Tay

للّهُمَّ اغْفِرْلِيْ وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَارْحَمْهُمَاكَمَارَبَّيَانِيْ صَغِيْرَا.

Allahummaghfirli waliwalidayya warhamhuma kama rabbayani shaghira. 

"Ya Tuhanku, ampunilah aku dan kedua orang tuaku (Ibu dan Bapakku), sayangilah mereka seperti mereka menyayangiku di waktu kecil."

The most valuable thing I learnt in life, 

is not only about the failures I've faced. 

It's about the chances I've took, 

the risk I've gained, and the fears I've overcome.

There's the battles we fought, 

and then declared wars over. 

Gaurding our courage to live forward, 

with a better hope and future.

Today the door supplier is KML Manufacturing Pte Ltd. So every time when there's a defect on the doors, my right hand man (Indian general worker) would call out "KML, KML!". This will go on for like the whole day. So on my last unit of the day, I decided to create a conversation with him. "You KML, KML, KML. You know there's this children song that goes: Sally the camel has 5 humps. Sally the camel has 5 humps. Sally the camel has 5 humps. So ride, Sally ride. Boom. Boom. Boom! Camel, KML. Get it?." He then laughs. But now I'm a bit skeptical because I am unsure if he gets the joke and laughs about it, or he laughs because of how dorky I sound like singing that children song to him. I'm having cold sweat now.

Asiya binti Muzahim, the wife of Firaun was one such woman. Her strength and her status will forever remain an example for all of mankind. She was a woman who never allowed herself to be defined or limited by her painful circumstances. Instead, she carried in her such a deep faith and knowledge of who she really was that she was willing to die for what she believed in. It was perhaps for this reason that the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w mentioned her as one of the greatest women of all time.

Asiya was a queen. She was the wife of one of the most powerful man to walk the earth. She lived a life of unparalleled luxury and wealth. Yet, Asiya knew that her true home was in Paradise. She had no attachment to this life.

Now, there are a lot of lessons we can learn from Asiya’s life and from this in particular. But one of the really beautiful lessons for me particularly, from her story, is the fact that despite all the persecution that she was going through, Allah s.w.t made it easy on her so much so that when she was being tortured she actually smiled. And the reason why she smiled was because Allah s.w.t answered her dua and allowed her to actually see her home in Jannah.

The reason why I find this particularly moving is because if Allah is with you, even your hardest struggles can become light. If you can see your home with Allah s.w.t in Jannah, no matter what you are going through in this life can become easy. And what better example of that than this woman who’s being tortured by the worst man ever to walk the earth? Yet, she was able to bear it and she even smiled because Allah s.w.t was with her and He made it easy for her. And she had a greater attachment to her home in Jannah than to her home here. And because of that, everything that she dealt with, regardless of how difficult it was, was made easy for her.

The second lesson which I think is very important is that she was married to a very tyrannical man who claimed to be the Lord yet, she was not defined by him. Although he was her husband and although that was her circumstance, she was not defined or limited by those circumstances.

Now, this is an important lesson for us because all of us will have different things in life that are thrown at us. The question is: What are we going to define our self-worth by? So, we go through society and society tells you that you are supposed to get your self-worth, if you are a woman, by the way you look usually. By how many people think you are attractive, by how thin you are. There’s different places you are supposed to get your self-worth. But that’s one of the places society teaches women to get their self-worth. As men, they are told, a lot of times to get their self-worth by status, by wealth, how powerful you are.

The point here is that our self-worth should only come from one relationship. Only one relationship. And that’s the relationship with our Creator. Our relationship with our Creator should define how we feel about ourselves and who we are.

For Asiya, that’s how it was. It was her relationship with her Creator. It wasn’t her relationship with the tyrannical person that she happened to live with or by her circumstances. In the story of Asiya is an everlasting example of a woman who chose the Hereafter over all of the glitter of this world. It is the story of a woman whose love of Allah and the home with Him was greater. It is the story of a woman whose faith inspired her to take on the greatest tyrant of all time. And to give her life in the process.

Reference: 

https://ilmcompanions.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/jewels-of-jannah-asiya-r-by-yasmin-mogahed/

للهم اصلح قلبي

Allahumma Aslih Qalbi

Oh Allah, fix my heart.