Our Late Bilal..

His voice was not one of those that you would invite to grace your Karaoke session.

He was our madrasah’s bilal (muezzin)

Whose voice always reminds me of the story on Bilal bin Rabah

The famous muezzin and the Prophet’s friends.

One of the people of Madinah was not happy with Bilal Rabah’s voice..

“Not melodious and good to the ear” so it was said.

So he went and made the call for Fajr prayer(Azan) that particular day

Only to have Gabriel asking the Prophet why there isn’t any Azan that morning.

The melodious call of that man did not have the sincerity to reach Angels' hearing!.

Our bilal wakes us up in Taman Bukit Teratai every Fajr

I was blessed to hear and answer his call that particular day

When he collapsed on the floor after renewing his ablution that proceed a "sunat" prayer.

That evening saw most of us ..

Reciting Yasin and doing our tahlil

At our madrasah, for our bilal

How I missed his fajr call for prayer.

May you be blessed as Bilal bin Rabah has been blessed.. Haji Zainal.

Happy birthday to me

Today I was blessed with nephews, nieces, sister-in-laws, brother-in-law congregating at my home together with my wife son and daughter to celebrate my birthday.

Cake is compliment from 'Cik Ama', 'name' for my wife.

The big candles are 5 and smaller one are 7...

Now do "Cik Arif " have to count them again for you all?.

Ha! now.. all these candles.. are not they just too many?

All together Now!

While the children are busy with the cakes!

Aisya - stealing a moment with her father.

"Now where are the two uncles?"

Now, what happen to the cakes?

Ain't we cute!

Nabila and Nina are wondering why the morsel of cake are too small.

Aiman like this 'pistol' part of the chicken

Happy Birthday Card from Nena

Birthday card from Nabila

Birthday Card from Aiman

Happiness!

Have a good days ahead!

SilaturRahim(Familial relationship) Part 3

I am still in mood to write about keeping good familial relationship and also maintaining relationship with Muslims in particular and with human being in general. I am also not sure whether this will be my last posting on this rather important topic. Recorded here is my notes at one of the tazkirah conducted in the mosque near my place of stay.

Picture from Googles "ibnismail.wordpress.com.jpg"

For your easy reading :written in blue is related to saying of Allah’s Apostle and in green is ABDULLAH.YUSUF ALI translation of Al-Quran verse/s.

Volume 8, Book 73, Number 12:
Narrated Abu Aiyub Al-Ansari:
A man said, "O Allah's Apostle! Inform me of a deed which will make me enter Paradise." The people said, "What is the matter with him? What is the matter with him?" Allah's Apostle said, "He has something to ask (what he needs greatly)." The Prophet said (to him), (In order to enter Paradise) you should worship Allah and join none in worship with Him: You should offer prayers perfectly, give obligatory charity (Zakat), and keep good relations with your Kith and kin." He then said, "Leave it!" (The sub-narrator said, "It seems that the Prophet was riding his she camel." )

Allah’s Apostle has listed 4 deeds, the first three is similar to the first 3 of 5 pillars of Islam and the fourth being silaturrahim (familial relationship) , thus underlined the importance keeping good relations with our Kith and kin.

The clear evidence on the obligatory nature of keeping good relations with his Kith and kin is stated in the following Al-Quran verse (using ABDULLAH.YUSUF ALI translation) of Ali Imran verse 103:

And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah’s favour on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be guided. 003.103

Furthermore, relationship with other Muslim (others as well I supposed) has been somewhat detailed out in Al-Quran Chapter Al Hujurat(49) Verses 12-13(using ABDULLAH.YUSUF ALI translation)

O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor let some women laugh at others: It may be that the (latter are better than the (former): Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: And those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong. 049.011

O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: And spy not on each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, ye would abhor it…But fear Allah: For Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. 049.012

May I say that it was commanded that the following 7 ways have to be observed to maintain good relationship :-
1. Do not look down upon others
2. Do not defame or be sarcastic to others
3. Do not used bad nickname
4. Avoid suspicions
5. Do not try to find others’ mistakes or wrong-doing.
6. Do not slander others
7. Fear Allah (bertakwa kepada Allah)

It is important to note that Muslims are supposed to be related to each other and at times neighbors and close friend are treated as Kith and kin as hinted by the following.

Volume 8, Book 73, Number 40:
Narrated An-Nu'man bin Bashir:
Allah's Apostle said, "You see the believers as regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it."

The importance of maintaining good relationship with Kith and kin has been further enhanced by the following 3 hadiths.
Volume 8, Book 73, Number 13:
Narrated Jubair bin Mut'im:
That he heard the Prophet saying, "The person who severs the bond of kinship will not enter Paradise."

Volume 8, Book 73, Number 14:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "Who ever is pleased that he be granted more wealth and that his lease of life be pro longed, then he should keep good relations with his Kith and kin."

Volume 8, Book 73, Number 15:
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Allah 's Apostle said, "Whoever loves that he be granted more wealth and that his lease of life be prolonged then he should keep good relations with his Kith and kin."

May Allah have mercy on us.