Mudah Tapi Jangan Dipermudah

Islam itu mudah

Tapi jangan dipermudahkan.
Yang ditegah, jangan dibuat
Dan yang tidak dibuat, jangan dibuat

Kalau lima, jangan ditambah seribu

Kalau lima, jangan dicantumkan satu.
Jangan sampai Subuh jadi 8 rakaat
Jangan sampai wanita kepalai Jumaat

Niat tidak menghalalkan cara

Kerana Ikhlas tidak menjamin syurga.

Zakat Yang Sempit

Zakat itu untuk manusia, biarpun kau Muslim atau tidak.
Selagi kau tidak memusuhi Islam.

Dr Yusuf Qaradawi berpegang pada pendapat ini dalam Fiqah Az Zakah 2/707 Muassasah Al Risalah
Bahkan zakat boleh di berikan kepada bukan Muslim atas peruntukan mualaf untuk menjinakkan hati mereka kepada Islam. Sama ada miskin atau tidak, seorang bukan Muslim boleh diberikan zakat jika itu boleh mendekatkan hati mereka dengan Islam.

Namun tafsiran mualaf kita begitu sempit, maka zakat gagal berfungsi sebagai agenda dakwah. Maka tidak hairan jika zakat kita "berlebih-lebihan" saban tahun, sedangkan masalah umat terus bertambah.

Dr Maza, Megemudi Bahtera Perubahan Minda, p.81

Farewell My Favourite Number 8, Stevie G

Some say that there are very few moments in life that a man is allowed to cry. One could be seeing the first scratch on your new Lamborghini or when your football idol decides to retire. The latter seems to be the cause of my emotional wreck that I had to succumb to last weekend.

Steven Gerrard, or “Stevie” has been part of my growing up. He is partly responsible for my childhood spendthrift habit of spending every penny I saved on Liverpool football jerseys and leaving my late father and I at each other’s throat after every Liverpool – Man Yoo match. I dream that I can be like Stevie, I dream that I can swirl that ball over the wall into the top corner, I dream that I can drill that thunderous shot from 30 yards out, I dream that can produce that pin-point pass from half of the field.

Stevie gives the rhythm to my heart. And perhaps football should never be for the faint-hearted. Why? Because football, unlike that lifeless stodgy cricket, gives that adrenaline-rush a man needs, probably even more than sex.  It is not just the skills that Stevie relentlessly displays, but the leadership that he brings.  His mere presence swiftly presses everyone to pull up their socks. His mere presence swiftly presses everyone to pull up their socks. I could have sworn that my heart was about to jump out of my chest during the FA Cup 2000 and Champions League Finals 2004/2005.   

Loyalty in football is like sheep running in packs when the tigers are chasing. You either live and die with the herd or brake away and be every man for himself. Stevie decided to stay with the pack, a rare trait seen in todays football culture. And for this reason, the fans appreciate his sacrifices. Yes, he could have left for other clubs at his peak and win more titles. He may not win as many trophies one could wish for, but he has won many hearts – especially the Kopites. As in marriage, polygamous may win you bragging rights, but monogamy has its own supporters.

So long Steven Gerrard, my favourite no. 8. Rest assured that Anfield will always have his arms wide open for you. You are an epitome of true leadership and inspiration.

Teri Deewani (Your Crazy Love)

When you've been listening to Hindi songs, it never crosses your mind how diverse Hindi songs can be.I was surfing the YouTube and stumble upon Kailash Kher that introduces me to Indian folk music - the song "Teri Deewani". The song was beautifully crafted and well-composed, adding a bit of pop-factor with guitar. Enjoy below the song.
 
High Definition Audio from the album "Kailasa" With subtitles exclusively by Snowbir
Video format © 2010 Snowbir
Singer: Kailash Kher
Album: Kailasa (2006)
Music Composer: Kailash Kher

Kailash Kher (born July 7 1973) is an Indian pop singer with very diverse music style often influenced by Indian folk music.
 
Kailasa is an Indian band, founded by Kailash Kher and brothers, Paresh and Naresh Kamath. The band's music is a fusion of classical, pop & sufi music.

preet ki lath mohe aaisi laagi-(the kick of love has hit me such)
ho gayi main matwaali(i have become dioriented)
bal bal jaaun apane piya ko(want to go towards my lover)
ke main jaaun vaari vaari(that i become broken broken)
mohe sudh budh naa rahe tan mann ki(i have no idea of my body or mind)
yeh toh jaane duniya saari(all the world knows this)
bebas aur laachar phiru main(i roam around helpless with noway out)
haari main dil haari(i have lost my heart)

tere naam se jee loon (i live by your name)
tere naam se marr jaaun(i die with your name)
tere naam se jee loon (i live with your name)
tere naam se marr jaaun(i die with your name)
teri jaan ke sadke mein kuchh aaisa kar jaaun(for your sake i could do anything)
tune kya kar dala marr gayi main mitt gayi main(what have you done i have been shattered and destroyed)
ho ri ha ha ri ho gayi main(i have become i have become)
teri deewani deewani(yours crazily crazily)
teri deewani deewani(yours crazily crazily
tune kya kar dala marr gayi main mitt gayi main(what have you done i have been shattered and destroyed)
ho ri ha ha ri ho gayi main(i have become i have become)
teri deewani deewani(yours crazily crazily)
teri deewani deewani(yours crazily crazily

ishq junoon jab hadh se badh jaaye (when love exceeds the limits of wildness)
hanste hanste aashiq suli chadh jaaye(laughing lauging the lover can even hang himself)
ishq ka jaadu sar chadhkar bole(the magic of love spins the head)
khoob laga lo pehre raste rab khole(you can search a lot but god will open all ways)
yahi ishq ki marzi hain (this is the will of love)
yahi rab ki marzi hain(this is the will of god)
yahi ishq ki marzi hain (this is the will of love)
yahi rab ki marzi hain(this is the will of god)
tere bin jeena kaisa(how to live without you)
???
tune kya kar dala marr gayi main mitt gayi main(what have you done i have been shattered and destroyed)
ho ri ha ha ri ho gayi main(i have become i have become)
teri deewani deewani(yours crazily crazily)
teri deewani deewani(yours crazily crazily

ke main rang rangili deewani -(i have become crazil in all colors)
ke main albeli main mastani(i am crazi i am wild)
gaaun bajaaun sabko rijhaaun(i sing and play make everyone dance)
he ??? se begaani
ke main deewani main deewani
tere naam se jee loon (i live with your name)
tere naam se marr jaaun(i die with your name)
teri jaan ke sadke mein kuchh aaisa kar jaaun(for your sake i could do anything)
tune kya kar dala marr gayi main mitt gayi main(what have you done i have been shattered and destroyed)

ho ri ha ha ri ho gayi main(i have become i have become)
teri deewani deewani(yours crazily crazily)
teri deewani deewani(yours crazily crazily
teri deewani deewani(yours crazily crazily)
teri deewani deewani(yours crazily crazily

Father and son

I came across a Persian poet titled Rostam and Sohrab, from the epic Shahnameh by Persion poet Ferdowsi.
Pride can never undo love between a father (Rostam) and a son (Sohrab). Rostam killed Sohrab and later found out that he was actually his son. Sohrab's last words:-

If thou art indeed my father, then hast thou stained thy sword in the life-blood of thy son. And thou didst it of thine obstinacy. For I sought to turn thee unto love, and I implored of thee thy name, for I thought to behold in thee the tokens recounted of my mother. But I appealed unto thy heart in vain, and now is the time gone for meeting...

 Never let pride blinded us all.

Bangun atau tidak

Sudah jam 5 pagi

Bangun atau tidak?

Kalau tidak bangkit

nikmat tidur pasti syok, bermain mimpi.

Kalau bangkit, rugi satu dua jam kredit tidurku

Terlepas show dalam mimpi

Kalau tidak bangkit

Perut berdram tak sahur

Baru separuh hari, sudah kuteguk air di jamban

Kalau bangkit

Ada mungkin aku bisa tahan hingga senja

Pasti enjoy lauk-pauk berbuka

Kalau tak bangkit

Mataku tak merah di ofis

Tak perlu aku terhangguk-hangguk depan PC

Kalau bangkit

Pahala bukan pasti

Tapi sekurang-kurangnya aku mencuba

Mana yang berbaloi?

Cuba aku tanya siling kamarku.

Remembering PinkyTas

April, as TS Eliot told us, is the cruelest month, mixing memory and desire. For myself, it surely is. For April is when reality bites, and dashed dreams are blamed on the unfairness of it all, when you suffer injuries for loving someone you can’t be with. For some strange reason, life continues to lead me to the same path, bemoaning the absence of PinkyTas, wondering wistfully: “Nobody knows what the future holds, but I’d love to have her in my life and make her mine”.

If I book a date with God, this question will top my list –“Why do You keep sending me people that I’d fall in love only to take her way?”. To a degree, I know I had a legitimate point, judging from the scars and bruises sustained from the many falls I had in the past. Despite these unpleasant experience, it became harder and harder to pick myself up again. Every fall has a different story, but the pain felt similar. And PinkyTas, has her own unique tale.

With hindsight, it was easy to wish we had never crossed path, only for it to end in tears. But her presence had a blessing – she restored my faith in humanity. Long before, this heart had turned cold, shrank away into oblivion, the heartbeat had long stopped, motionless. Complacent with this feeling and leaving everything to faith, the unthinkable happened. To my wonder, this heart started to beat, after a long silence. Every little thoughts about her, melted this heart, putting a smile on this otherwise depressing face. She reminds me the joy of being human – to trust, to love, to be loved and to cherish the moments. Perhaps God is fair after all, realizing the diminishing human qualities in me, He sent me His precious gift.

A good heart, a trait I rarely find in others, is what she has and displays. As someone who had her fair share of disappointing relationships, I thought she would be reserved, hiding her eyes behind the fall of her hair. But instead, she neither hold back nor conceal her love, being what her heart solely believes in. I grinned, loving her clumsiness with anything unthinkable, from injuring herself with office stationeries to denting her car ramming through the toll gate. Being the complex and confused person that I am, I knew that her little quirks and mannerisms have got the better of any fear or pain that I had . She would usually leave a distinct sweet scent on her path, leading me to where she will be. I never dream that there will again come a time when this heart would warmed up by a mere presence of a woman.

As the old adage goes, nothing last forever. Every history student knows that Rome wouldn’t fall without battles and bloodshed. To own her, means to be able to fight for her. But while knowing she was worth every drop of your blood and sweat, marching to the battlefield with hands tied behind your back was a predicament. Left in a quandary, I found myself lamenting my inadequacies and failings to go the distance. There will be a lot of ‘what-ifs’, but dwelling on it would only lead me blaming myself, breaking me into pieces. In her words – “We’re two parallel lines that will never meet”. It was life’s little ironies, PinkyTas that puffed life in this pitiable soul became the kryptonite that squeezed this heart, shedding tears that choked my throat. In the midst of hopes withering away, glimpse of the future of what it would have been, begins to fade. Reluctantly, this faint heart succumbed to the excruciating reality of life without her, that the road ahead is less winding being with someone else, and not me.

As the dust settles, I mulled over before seeking ways to cope with the flip-side of fortune. Letting go is never easy, especially of PinkyTas who had resided dearly in my heart. Forgetting seems impossible, as she had been part of my growing up, part of this miracle transformation. The hardest bit had always been accepting the fact that she will have a picture hung on the wall somewhere someday, but without you in it. There was no way of knowing how long it takes to heal. There is a good chance that the pain will be so bad that I could be struggling for breath, chest heaving, and my eyes wet with pain and fear. Fear of being forgotten, like pages of a book we flipped through as we proceeded to the next chapter. All that was possible, even probable, I had become angry and tearful at the thought of inflicting any of those things on myself. And I somehow knew, that it hurts me more to see her unhappy, trapped in a circle of recurring sadness, unable to move on. And she has moved on since then and I could only pray that the ‘glass slipper’ will fit her one day.

If it’s any consolation, her heart falls for a better choice, which assured me that she will be in safe hands. I couldn’t stop myself believing that it would be too much, that I would crumple and come apart, that the moment will be wiped away and I would be a sobbing child once more. But I assured myself that I will be alright, and that is the only choice left. I have to be alright. Depression is a nest for ill-feelings, with jealousy and hatred lurking and ready to cloud over a heavy heart. But I needed to know if I could live without all these negative emotions. More than this, I imagine that one day I could see her and a man of her choice without guilt, anguish and agony. That I could love everyone, all the time. Then a dear friend asked me–“U can’t be an angel. That would have undone everything that she did to you”. She made me human to have the joy to feel her love, despite the inevitable dejection and wretchedness. After all the beautiful memories and first-time moments, all that matters is what I choose to remember PinkyTas for. And that would be – how she had become the other half that defines me.