The ending of his life. How is ours?

Bismillah.


Tonight, I logged into Facebook as usual only to find out news that startled me. A junior from my boarding school passed away this evening that is reported to be drowned. I have not got any more details from that. I could say that I barely know him apart from the fact that we were in the same house team (Tariq Ibnu Ziyad). The thing that really got into me is than he died so young at the age of 23. Comparing myself who is a year older that him, I feel incredibly grateful that I have lived one year extra than him. Alhamdulillah, for the chance and time to let me work on my credit to add to the ‘right’ shoulder while struggling to lessen the ‘left’ weight. Nonetheless, I think of his family. They probably had no idea that their son or their brother who looked so fine and healthy this morning actually is going to leave them forever later in the evening. May Allah ease their loss. 

I tried putting myself in his place. I realized that I felt intimidated as I was wondering about so many things: 

1. Have I told my parents that I love them with every beat of my heart that I owe them eternally? 
2. Have I told my siblings that they made me feel perfect though I am not?
3. Have I owed anyone and still have not repaid the debt? 
4. Have I asked for forgiveness from those I hurt?
5. Have I hurt anyone unintentionally and they still feel hurt?
6. Have I done everything I could to lie peacefully in Barzakh and after that going through Qiyamah?

And before I could ask myself more, I decided to search for the tranquility answer. 

“To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.” (Surah Al Baqarah 2:156)

Al-Fudhayl ibn Iyyadh (May Allah have mercy on him) said to a man, “How many (years) have come upon you?”

He replied, “Sixty years.”

He said, “Therefore, for sixty years you have been going to your Lord and you are about to reach (Him).”

So the man said, “To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return!”

So Al-Fudhayl asked, “Do you know the meaning of that (statement)? You are saying, I belong to Allah as a servant and I am going to return to Him. So whoever knows that he belongs to Allah as a servant and that he will return to him, then he should know that he will be stopped. And whoever knows that he will be stopped, then he should know that he will be questioned. And whoever knows that he will be questioned, then let him prepare an answer for the question.”

[Jami al-Ulum wal-Hikam of Ibn Rajab]

Like word of wisdom that we frequently hear, "we should work like we are gonna live forever, as well as we should live today like we are going to die tomorrow." 

To God we belong, to Him is our return. 
May Allah lead us all the way in our very life. Long or short. Ameen.

Snow Sledging at Mt. Bjelašnica

Bismillah.

I still remember in the mid January last year, my  intern supervisor cum kind-hearted boss Šerif and his cheerful wife, Seida, brought me and a friend of mine, Atteya to this mountain as a warm greeting from them as Atteya's friend's is someone Šerif and Seida known for quiet some time during their stay back then in Malaysia. 

They took us to a restaurant up there. Here's the view that can be seen from the restaurant windows.

Everything is grey and white

Look at tiny little people down there!

The Mustafics ;)

The us! Atteya and me. Ya ya ya. Much of the talker, I know.

Grilled chicken breasts and veges

Salad and shredded cheese.

After fulfilling our stomachs, we went out and breathing in and out as Serif told me that the air up here is fresher and cleaner.

This is our first attempt on snow sledging. It was pretty fun and God knows how you could easily sit down taking your next breathe to play this. It is tiring but luckily we just had our lunch earlier. So, yeah, we were all good and energetic. We sledged and woah-ed and screaming like nobody business. I know that people around us could tell immediately that it was our first time. Sorry guys, we are Malaysian! :)

Next time (if there were next time), wear track-suit. Not a pair of jeans. Snow won't be easily brushed off  from jeans fabric.

Sledge like an expert. ;)

After an hour playing, we called it a day since our noses become red and runny. It is freezing though. But, I still can't get enough. ;)

Have a good day. Chilled! :)

Innocent chill

Bismillah.

Got to flip my photo album to search for an innocently fun activities during winter. Coming right up.

Starlet Sky

Bismillah.

After celebrating mom's birthday last night at an Arab eatery in Shah Alam, we decided to make a visit at i-City. The only most lit up city in Malaysia. Been there twice. With friends from campus and last night with dearly siblings. I just found out that there are also some rides like merry-go-round and others that you could find at fun fair. Here's some showing of the place:

They were having a really good times last night

I was captivated by these sparkling lights.

A look back on Twenty Eleven

Bismillah.

Today is the first day of Twenty Twelve. Facebook is crowded with New Year’s wishes. Everybody is busy wishing everyone a happy new year, I just could not bother to wish everyone the same. Not that I am anti-social or something, it is just that my mind is busy sorting and thinking.

I look back on my Twenty Eleven and see how wonderful and awesome it had been. Travelling was major for last year. I pictured myself as Elizabeth Gilbert in “Eat Pray Love”. I discovered unique food in Bosnia and had tasted how good the pizza is in Italy.

I have got to see how Muslim community live their lives in Europe when the main religion is Christian. 

And found love from amazing people that I met from every part of the world.

Girls from work.

With Pakistan Embassy's staff in Bosnia. She cooks really good biryani.

With fun Turkish girls. Photo taken at International University of Sarajevo.

At Tekija. Mingling around with Bosnian women during supper.

With the Malaysian Embassy's staff in Bosnia.

With lovely Ajla Alic, a good friend of mine.

Having coffee at one evening with Indonesian students in Sarajevo after playing paintball.

Say hi to Avdija, actress of "Angin Rindu Sarajevo"

Not long after graduated from business school, career path knocks in. And still taking the excitement and also bruises from it. (I can be a little exagerrated sometimes. haha)


And three months after that, my beloved brother finally ties the knot at Woodlands, Singapore.

My only brother big day

And I'm thinking of making Twenty Twelve a sequel. InsyaAllah.

I know that good girls do spill it on paper, putting their goals that they wanted to achieve this year in a numbered list. I never really have a wish list. A proper one, I meant. I don’t really write it down. Not even in my diary. I feel embarrased if someone might just read it. Haha. I prefer my dream list to be kept in my mind. Someone told me that wishes and hopes are best to be kept to yourself, which somehow is not a great idea because I keep forgetting them simply because I could not see them.

But I have been thinking to make some changes. I wanted to visualize my targets this year, writing it down somewhere. So, that I can always see them and be reminded by it. In general, I wish to become a better person. To be more independent. To be more patient. To be firm but soft. To be more grateful. To be generous but wise. On top of everything, to add more value to Tasneem Yusmadi. Aged and improved. And for that to materialized, tons of effort and patient with high determination will be required. I will give this a big try. Pushing myself if I had to. I know that the journey would be bumpy sometimes, but that is the recipe for success. I have got to take them in. As Allah promises : 

"ALLAH does not change a people´s condition unless they change what is in themselves…." [13:11]

So, do what we need to do. You want to change, so be the change.

Happy new year 2012! 


Selamat Tahun Baru 2012! 


Sretna Nova Godina 2012!