Tuesday, December 29, 2009

RAIN, love it or hate it?


My geography teacher told me that Indonesia has two seasons, dry and rainy. And now it's rainy season in the country. In Bandung lately, ample of rains fall everyday mainly from midday until early night. Some of us might feel uncomfortable with the wet road or puddle of water everywhere. We always think that it thwarts us to work, study, shop just go somewhere. In other words, we sometimes blame the day why it should be rainy when ahead we have bunch of activities to do. Do we blame God who makes rain for us? Ah...I hope you won't think so even though admitting it is quite right as we often think so, don't we? Well, it is just my presumption anyways, may Allah forgive me :).

Rains aren't just drops of water which fall from the high sky. What we see maybe just that's all, but the process isn't that simple anyways, yet, it is really complicated and sophisticated enough for us to figure all out. I'm going to describe a little here. First, water either from the surface of land (such as ponds, lakes etc) or ocean is evaporated by the sunlight. The evaporated water then flies to higher level and lower temperature, it is higher than the mountain and it often reach the atmosphere of the earth. Water blown by wind then form cloud in the sky – it is being condensed to to be crystals. Since the number of water is getting bigger and its position is also higher, while at the same time the power of wind is getting weaker, so the water then falls to the earth. It then waters ponds, lake, ocean, roof and everything and we know it as rain. Complicated isn't it? Well, even so however, we seldom think that the process is that meticulously calculated. We pretty much think like a kid who knows only the skin of everything, I mean we are rarely think that deep, again, it's my un-based prejudice anyways ^_^. In Al Qur'an surah Annur : 43 and Ar Rum: 48 we can see the explanation about the rain and its process clearly. It is therefore there's no point for not to thank God for the rain He gives, praises to Allah.

When I was a kid, I used to play in the rain as I thought that was damn cool and exciting, I relished that. I usually just ran and sang song or even swam on the pool (it's more apt to be called pond) after I played football with friends of mine. Yes I loved playing football then, it's just after junior high I quited playing it for some reasons which I can't tell you here, not a big deal anyway. Well, my memory about rain is also about Indian movie. On TV I often saw beautiful actress sang and danced with the guy in the rain, it was somehow romantic I would say. I used to loved watching Bollywood movies too, it was because no other programs to watch then ha ha...^_^.

As I lived in the area of mountain ranges, landslide often happened during rainy season. It often blocked people who were going to someplace. Thanks God as it was eventually often solved by people who cared about helping others, government officers also often took part in dealing with this issue by deploying and utilizing heavy equipments on the spot. Regardless to its bad impact, rain in fact always gives us tons of benefits. It grows plantation, waters the rice field, generates turbine, keeps the temperature and humidity and does many things. We can never count Allah's bless from the rain, again, praises to Allah.
Okay, you may say that human can also make rain, we know it as artificial rain. It's being conducted when human want to water the dried land. We make artificial rain by doing some sort of things as we can no longer survive from the drought. In Islam we know the prayer to ask for rain (istisqa). It basically means that we have to ask God when we wish for something, this ritual shows our effort and seriousness of wanting the rain. Human also sometimes do ritual to “block” rain from coming as they have important event such as football match, wedding party etc. I have no idea about this as I never heard it in Islam, I can say that it is just human effort to control rain, not to make it. Frankly I'm not really agree with this as we might ignite Allah's curse by doing so, what do you think? Wallahualam. Still, we can never make any certain whether or not the rain will happen, only God knows.

Last words, let's keep thanking God for anything. It is Allah's right to give or give not us rain. Be sure that the rain happens is in Allah's best decision for all of us. What we need to do is that preparing anything to cope it – bringing umbrella anywhere we go is might better to do. If you are a motorbike driver, please bring rain coat and boat with you as they will be very useful in this rainy season.

Many thanks for reading :)

*Unedited yet
Posted by Picasa

Monday, December 28, 2009

Simple yet admirable man near me!

He is neither a president nor a movie star, he is a simple and ordinary man like us - like you, me and all. He is just a man who more or less my contemporary, yes he was born on December 12, 1987 in someplace that I surely don't know. His name is Suhud, his complete name is Ustadz Suhud Al-Hafidz. He is one of Imams at Daarut Tauhiid mosque Bandung. Even though he is still around 23 years old, he can memorize all verses and surah in the Quran. That is why his name added with Al-Hafidz in the end of it. Hafidz refers to his ability in memorizing or remembering the entire surah of Al Quran. That thing totally wows me as I obviously know that he is at my age – we both 23. I pretty much compare myself to him and the answer is always the same, incomparable!

Ustadz Suhud has been able to memorize Al Quran since he was 12 years old. 12 years old ladies and gentlemen, if you ask me what did I do then, I'm ashamed to admit that I just played and played in that age, what about you? Hopefully better than me. Memorizing all verses or contents in the Quran isn't easy, only small percentage of people on this planet can do that. Al Quran consists of 114 surah and around 6.600 verses. It seems definitely impossible for me to know all of those, I'll keep trying and praying though. May my next generation can do that, amiin.

I have known Ustadz Suhud since approximately a year ago. I knew him as for many days in a row he became the Imam (leader prayer) at Daarut Tuahiid mosque. He recites all verses so clearly and firmly that everyone will easily recognize his voice. It is on December 26 at around 6.00 p.m. I coincidentally passed him by when I was about to go to the mosque, so was him. Both of us met in front of Mandiri ATM around Super Mini Market Daarut Tauhiid and I encouraged myself to accost him. Here's the hasty talk between me and ustadz Suhud:

me : Assalamualaikum Ustadz, has magrib prayer been commenced?
Ustadz Suhud : Waalaikum salam, h...I don't think so, it hasn't acually.
me : oh ok, well, ustadz I've bought the muratal CD of yours, I very much like that. It's so nice.
Ustadz Suhud : Alhamdulullah..., may through that CD Allah will grant us his mercy to all of us.
me : Amiin, thank you ustadz.

And we then separately went in to the mosque to perform magrib prayer.
I then realized that why ustadz Suhud said the prayer hadn't started yet as he would definitely become the imam. Yes, he did lead us all then. You know, the prayer won't start before Imam arrives at the mosque, or precisely the Imam won't come late as he will be the leader for us.

I was firstly impressed by his recitation of Al Quran when I heard his voice during isya prayer. I then decided to buy his VCD as apparently there was a record company offered ustadz Suhud to make CD of 30th juz of the Quran. I bought the CD from SMM Daaru Tauhiid for IDR 20,000, or in US dollar it's just about 2,3 bucks. It is way too cheap readers, just buy it and please don't copy from friends of yours or whosoever. You might used pirate Windows, ms Office or MP3 songs. But for this one please buy the original one, don't copy. Buying the original one means you help Ustadz Suhud, help Islam, help the record company and it's exactly a noble thing to do. You may either buy it at the store (such as SMM Daarut Tauhiid) or buy it on-line. Here's the link where you can buy the CD on-line:
http://kiosbarokah.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=298&zenid=33b903bed53ae06d998e3984b225f2f4 or http://www.kiosislami.com/

I do confess that Imam Suhud isn't as popular as Imam of Al Harram or Nabawi mosque. But he indeed can memorize 30 juz of Al Quran and he lives around me. That is why I think he is a great man - a humble and great man who has such awesome achievement that I can hardly attain, memorizing 30 juz Al Quran. I'm hoping I can chase him up someday, it's nearly impossible though. Even so however, let's keep practicing, praying and asking Allah may He grant us much more knowledge and willingness to memorize Al Quran, insya Allah He will make it up for us, amiin ,amiin, amiin.
Thank you for reading ^_^!

*Unedited yet

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

母の日 (mother's day)


Mother's Day! I don't really know what to do to commemorate it. What I know from friends of mine and my searching on internet is that on December 22 many Indonesians greet their mom and treat her extraordinarily, wow, so nice to do, right? I am sure that every country on earth also has this commemoration because everyone will agree that mom is such an exceptional creature that God has created for all of us.

Treating mom specially on a particular day is a very good thing to do, yet, it'll be better to take care of her equally special every day. It's actually our must as her children to always treat and respect mom whenever it is, it means we should not just treat her well on this mom's day, am I correct?
By this piece of writing I don't mean to teach or tutor anyone about the importance of loving mom since I am not a good son for my mom yet. I am still trying to be more sensitive and caring her much more as I used to be like a winter's day which always turned a cold shoulder to her. I want to make it up though, I promise.

A unique treatment for mom on Mother's day that I've ever heard is that to wash her feet. Yes there is a TV station in Indonesia which pretty much holds this event. This event opens to everyone and I think it's noble thing to do, I like this program so much. It'll at least remind us about how great our mom's merit to all of us is. On this day, many children come to the event and wash the feet of her/his mom before many people and other children who do the same.

What I did to thank mom or commemorate this day is that just sending mom a text, yeah very simple. I just said “Mom, happy mother's day. Thank you” that's it. I didn't thank her a bit bigger or even call her, just an SMS ladies and gentlemen, ah definitely not a good son. Even so however, I sure my mom still love me, I am sure she even didn't expect anything from me. I know my mom's merit is pure, hope for nothing but Allah's rewards. That is what our mom hopes to all of us too guys. Hence, let's love our mom more. Tons of gratitude should be said and remarked to Allah as He gave us a super mom to always care all of us. Happy mother's day, I love you mom!
Thank you :)

Monday, December 21, 2009

Put your mask down!


A thing that always haunts me when I hear Aa Gym's speech lately is that the importance of being a simple and honest person, it means not to be a liar either to ourselves or to everyone. Yes it does look easy and trivial to be told, yet, it's extremely hard to be implemented. It's really human to want to be someone whom always being paid attention by others – center of attention I would say. Therefore many of us do sort of things to just tell others that we are precious and deserved enough to be respected or praised. I think I am kind of person of what Aa says as hypocrite since I pretty much lie myself and other people too. I do confess it as I think yes definitely I am, I am still trying to diminish that though, insya Allah may Allah show me and you the right path and guide us all in this short and fade life.

Well, we exactly feel happy if we look good and can impress many people. It is therefore we always make ourselves up before other people to look like we are perfect and excellent creature. We do all things to let everyone know about our intelligence, appearance, wealth, position, relations and others. Using expensive gadgets, finest cloth, exclusive watches are the examples of what is so-called pretender, hypocrite or liar for most of us. If we still can use our old phone, why then should we buy new iPhone or Blackberry by installment, using credit card or such? Do we really need this stuff to connect with others? Or it's mere our emotion says so and we just feel so great when we are using that, if it is so, it means we are the victim of technology and smart marketers who indeed really genius in making us to feel proud of consuming their products, I know it as I learned marketing at college :). We also sometimes borrow our friend's watch, cloth or car when we are going to visit wedding just to impress people that we are affluent and able to buy those. Again, we lie ourselves and others by doing so, in fact, we can just go somewhere else by just driving public transportation car and we shouldn't have to use luxurious stuff belongs to others in this case. That's lying ladies and gentlemen!

What I mean by not to be liar here is that we have got to be what we are now, not more or less. We have everything to be equaled with others, therefore there is no reason for us to feel that we are inferior. We've got no reason either to feel that we deserve to get praise or something as basically all things we have are belonged to God and they are all just being entrusted by Allah for temporary. When we look this way, we will realize that we should not have to go boasting by having all those things, yet keep in mind that we should not have to feel inferior either by giving gratitude to God and using our properties wisely.

I know it is so hard to be “straight-forward person”, it means to be a person who doesn't lie herself or himself and others. But when we are successful in being this type of person, we will feel better in this life. This life is just for a moment and we will have eternal life in the hereafter. Therefore we'd better to just live our live in simple way but be gratitude to God for granting this beautiful life. Being simple person doesn't mean that we can't use our money to buy expensive things or spent our time. As Moslem we have to remember that all things should be taken into account in front of Allah someday, every single thing we had in this world. Being simple means we can't be extravagant or wasteful person as we have all things. We should realize that in everything we have, there's portion for those who don't have, those who are poor also have right to get and feel our happiness, wealth and so on.
Come on, our lives are not like Halloween day that always wear mask, put it down now and live our live unpretentiously. It's time to be simple, humble, and plain person, insya Allah I'm struggling this too.
Thank you for reading. Comments are welcome :)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Mom & Dad's victory


December 16, 2009 is the last day for me to be a Management student at UPI. Now I'm legally holding the degree of economics (Sarjana Ekonomi/SE). It's hard to believe as I think it was yesterday I sang the anthem of UPI. Yes, every single new student has to sing this anthem when she or he is accepted as freshman at this university. Ah...God pretty much gives me (and I think everybody) a surprise. Time flies so fast that every moment passes like a blown dust.

Way to go for Mom and Dad!
Yes, they have successfully made me become the person with Bachelor degree in economics. Today is my graduation day and I'm totally happy of being the person what I am today. I used to think that grad day means nothing but euphoria. Maybe I was definitely wrong as it actually means a milestone and starting point to to be grateful more and more. It's a starting point to thank God more, to thank parents much more than ever before. I thank God for granting me such a super-carer mom and such a hard-worker dad. I could never pay all merits they have done, thank you Allah, thank your for my parents. Grad day means a lot for my parents as they could see their son wear toga and gather with others in a huge dome place. It tugged my heart. I didn't know that they strongly wanna see me that way, I was totally a fool and stubborn son for knowing not that. Indeed mom and dad, your sacrifices will be paid by Allah.

Nothing but be grateful for everything I have got, for everything I have done within this 4-year education. Thanks for the incredible friends at Management and My English Club Daarut Tauhiid. I can't thank you enough guys. I love you all.

This is might not a good and thought-provoking writing, it fulls of emotion and contains not knowledge. It's mere expression of mine on this exceptional day – my graduation day.
I thank you Allah, I love mom and dad, this day and on are Yours, this guy is Yours too my Lord.

Alhamdulillah, all praises to Allah.