Twins of Faith

Assalamu'alaikum and Greetings to all !
Another Big huge event of the year. I'm sure you don't wanna miss this !

For more details, Check out this website>Twins of Faith

See you there !

Lounging with Peter Gould

2 Great Events You Don’t Wanna Miss !

1- Effective Da’wah Workshop by Brother Idris Tawfiq

Details of the event:

The Centre for Human Development and Applied Social Sciences (CERDAS), International Islamic University Malaysia, together with Khalifah Institute are organizing a workshop on Da’wah Skills. The details of the workshop are as follows:-

Date : 28th March 2011 (Monday)
Time : 9 a.m – 4 p.m
Speaker : Br. Idris Tawfiq
Fees : RM 200 (Others)/ RM 50 (Students)
Venue : Mini Auditorium, International Islamic University Malaysia

*For more info, check out this website >
http://www.iium.edu.my/cerdas/news/cerdas-workshop-effective-dawah


____________________________________________

2- “How Do I Raise my Parents” by Sheikh Riad Ouarzazi, from Toronto, Canada.

Details of the Event:

"How do I raise my parents?" is certainly not a question you ask everyday. However, what are the rights that children have upon their parents? How do we improve our relationship with our parents?

Join YMP in a special talk with a very special and charismatic speaker, Sheikh Riad Ouarzazi, from Toronto, Canada.

Sheikh Riad Ouarzazi was born in Casablanca, Morocco and moved to the United States in 1988 where he pursued a BA in International Management and a Masters of Science in Computer Information Systems with a 3.9 GPA at San Francisco State University. Sheikh Riad is an Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) Certified Life Coach practitioner and have delivered several seminars across the globe on several Islamic and Personal Development topics such as Time Management, Anger/Stress Management, Motivational techniques, leadership skills and other public speaking seminars. More about Sheikh Riad.

Sheikh Riad is in Malaysia to conduct a two weekend course with AlMaghrib Institute entitled "A Heart Serene — The Purification of the Soul"

When? Thursday, 31 March 2011, 8 PM
Where? Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awan (KGPA), Bukit Kiara, Damansara (Map)
How Much? Entry by Donation*

Entry by donation. For more information, please call Din at 012 297 9855.

Invitation to Interfaith Dialogue 3 :COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS IN MY RELIGION

The Intellectual Youth Club of the International Islamic University M'sia (UIA) will be organizing its 3rd interfaith dialogue on 4th March 2011. As such, you are most welcome to join this great event and learn how we can create a better society through a civilized dialogue like this one =)

The details of the program are as follows:

Interfaith Dialogue 3 :Common Misconceptions in My Religion

Date : 4th March 2011 (Friday Night)

Time :8.00pm-11.30pm

Venue :Main Auditorium International Islamic University Malaysia
(Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia Gombak).

Organizer : Intellectual Youth Club (IYC)

Speakers :

1-Mr Chew Phye Keat (Christian Speaker)

2-Dr. Phang Cheng Kar ( Buddhist Speaker)

3-Mr. Ragunathan Parasubramanian (Hindu Speaker)

4-Mr. Shah Kirit Kalkulal Govindji (Muslim Speaker)

* Please do not hesitate to bring your friends irrespective of their beliefs or faith.
All are most welcome to join =)

p/s: this time I would come as a participant and no longer part of the organizing committees. Those days are really gone. Of course I feel sad, but deep inside ,I feel grateful that those juniors of mine are really struggling hard to organize this event ever since its first conception last time. Alhamdulillah =)

The Evil Emperor with Sheikh Bilal Phillips

Assalamu'alaikum,

Young Muslims Project (YMP) is proud to bring yet another exciting event for you!

Join us as YMP in collaboration with Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam Malaysia (PERKIM) Bukit Damansara Branch as we bring you an afternoon with Sheikh Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips.

When? Saturday, 19 February 2011, 2 PM
Where? Dewan Serbaguna, Masjid Saidina Umar Al-Khattab,
Jalan Setia Budi,Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur (GoogleMap)
Info: Din 012 297 9855

Donation: Any ikhlas amount*
No Bookings Required. Donation at the Door

*YMP is a not-for-profit organization. Donations collected will aid us in organizing future programs.

To RSVP to the event through Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=163488667033464

Who is Sheikh Bilal Phillips?
http://www.bilalphilips.com/

Thank you PERKIM for collaborating with us for this event!
http://www.perkim.net.my/

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2379644902

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/YMPtweet

*Credit to YMP for emailing me this info.

p/s:
InsyaAllah, toninght Sheikh Bilal Philips will also be giving a talk in UIA.
TOPIC  :From Darkness to Light: Gaining KNOWLEDGE and making a DIFFERENCE
VENUE :Main Auditorium, IIUM (UIAM) Gombak.

INSYAALLAH, SEE YOU THERE ! =)

Invitation to a Special Talk by Lauren Booth -UIA Gombak

There will be a special talk by Lauren Booth.The details of the program are as follows;

Speaker: Lauren Booth (Tony Blair's Sister in Law who embraces Islam)
Date: 26th January 2011 (Wednesday)
Time: 3.00pm - 5.00pm
Venue: Banquet Hall,Rectory Building,IIUM Gombak Campus.

Those who are interested to attend, please register your name at International Student Division (ISD) main office.

p/s:Copied this from my friend's blog =)

An Invitation to a Public Forum on Religion and The Common Good

Assalamu’alaikum and greetings to all !

I am so happy to inform you that there would be a public forum on Religion and The Common Good organized by IAIS Malaysia. The Muslim representative would be Dr Kamar Oniah Kamaruzzaman, an Associate Professor of Comparative Religion, International Islamic University of Malaysia and also the President of an NGO called IMAN (Islamic Perspective). She is a former lecturer of mine, an erudite intellectual who is so active in Parliament of world religions. The details are as follows :

Forum Title: Religion and The Common Good

A Public Forum jointly organised by
•International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia
•Malaysian Social Research Institute (MSRI)

Date & time: Monday 20th December 2010 2:30pm - 5:30pm

Venue :International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia

Speakers:

1.Associate Professor A. Balraman, Lecturer, Nottingham University, Malaysian Campus; Secretary, Religious Section of Malaysia Hindu Sangam (Hindu Perspective)
2.Mr. Looi Onee Choong, Deputy Youth Chief and Assistant Editor, Malaysian Soka Gakkai Association (Buddhist Perspective)
3.Rev. Sivin Kit, Pastor, Bangsar Lutheran Church (Christian Perspective)
4.Dr Kamar Oniah Kamaruzzaman, Associate Professor of Comparative Religion, International Islamic University of Malaysia; President, IMAN (Islamic Perspective)

Moderator:
•Professor Datin Dr Azizan Baharuddin (Director, Centre of Civilizational Dialogue, University of Malaya)

Program:

2:30pm >Welcome address by Professor Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Founding Chairman/CEO, IAIS Malaysia
2:40pm >Welcome address by Yg. Bhg. Dato' Fuad Dato' Hassan, Chairman, MSRI
2:50pm >FORUM
5:30 pm >Refreshment

For Registration: click here

Make sure you get yourself registered. As a former student of Dr. Kamar Oniah, I can assure you that this person would really impress you a lot !

Yusuf Islam at UIA mosque today !

Assalamua'alaikum,

Jum'ah Mubarak !!

Dear brothers and sisters, I just got a news that Yusf Islam will be coming to UIA mosque today. A friend told me that he will be coming and give khutbah InsyaAllah. For those of you who are staying nearby, make sure you make an effort to come ya !

Barakallhu Fikum =)

The Second Abdullah Yusuf Ali Memorial Lecture

The Second Abdullah Yusuf Ali Memorial Lecture>>


Sunday, 9th January 2011
Speaker : Dr Muzaffar Iqbal
Venue    : Conference Hall, International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS)
Jalan Universiti, Petaling Jaya
(please click here for map)
Registration Fee: RM 25.00 (Limited Seats)
Organizer : Islamic Book Trust
For more details + Registration, click here

Alhamdulillah, I’ve got my name registered =)

Cheng Ho Expo 2010(Kelantan-China International Trade Fair

Da Jia Hao! 大家好! How’s your Iman today? Alhamdulillah, I’m sure everything must be great right =)

While browsing some websites the other day, I found this interesting info about a program that will be organized by the state government of Kelantan. I have the urge to share this info because I find it really interesting and on top of that ,it is such a good program to be participated by all of us. It’s called Cheng Ho Expo 2010(Kelantan-China International Trade Fair). Take a look at the welcoming remark here.

For those who do not know anything about Cheng Ho or known as Zheng He in some parts of the world , you might want to ask Mr. Google. Hopefully he would be telling the truth ^_^
As stated in the official website for this event, it is the first ever international trade exhibition involving more than 300 companies consisting 15 nations and countries. The event is inspired by the great journeys of Cheng Ho (or Zheng He) the Chinese Muslim admiral in bringing social, economic and cultural values to the world.

Among the Highlighted events are :

-Cheng Ho’s exploration showcase

-Business forum

-Halal food festival

-Multicultural performances and many more

For those who are looking for business opportunities, this event is truly something that you don’t want to miss. Same goes to those who have no knowledge or anything about Cheng Ho or Zheng He. You are highly encouraged to visit so that you can expand your horizon and learn from this great figure. I still remember back then in University when we organized a program on zheng He where we had a seminar and also a small exhibition. I was the program manager at that time. I felt really disappointed to know that not so many people know about this great figure especially in that university. Such a shame and sad thing of course. InsyaAllah, for those who are staying in Kelantan or nearby this beautiful state, do come and participate in this event ya !

For more info about this event, you may contact the organizer:
Secretariat,
RF 49, 1st Floor, Medan Usahawan Stadium Sultan Muhammad IV,
Jalan Mahmood,
15000 Kota Bharu,
Kelantan Malaysia.
Phone : 609-7488442
Fax : 609-7488443
Email : info@chenghoexpo.com.my

Brief on Zheng He:

Allahu ‘Alam

p/s: Maybe Nufas can go there on behalf of me ^_^

WHY I WILL BE ON THE NEXT FLOTILLA TO GAZA ~~ A LETTER TO MY MUM

Special Message from Sinead MacLochlainn, Chair of Derry Friends of Palestine, Irish Ship to Gaza National Committee and member of the ECESG’s Women 4 Gaza committee:

There will be many Irish people on the next Flotilla to break the siege on Gaza. And as many of you already know, I will be travelling and representing Derry on the next Freedom Flotilla to break the siege on Gaza’s seaport. I hope the people of Derry and beyond will support us and follow us, as we make our journey at the end of October. Although I have been to Gaza I have never been on a flotilla to Gaza and after what happened on the last flotilla I had been worried about telling my Mum that I will be part of the next flotilla. When I told her, she of course was very worried, given the aggression and lack of respect for human rights by Israel in the last flotilla. The fact that they boarded ships in international water like pirates and murdered 9 people. She said to me “But why do YOU have to go?” After much thought, and with the time nearing, I thought I should give her my 10 reasons for going on the Freedom Flotilla and I will share those reasons with all of our supporters in Derry and beyond.

Dear Mum,

Do you remember when I was very young and I asked you why black people in America were not allowed to ride on a bus, or go to school with white people, or to eat alongside white people in a restaurant? You told me this was racism and it was wrong, that we are all created equal in God’s eyes no matter where we come from. You taught me to accept all people and to be blind to colour and race.
This is why I am going

Do you remember when I saw a disabled man in a wheelchair struggling to get into a shop on his own. There were many people in front of the shop who ignored him as he struggled to get in, but you said we should help him. You told me that I should always offer my help to those who were struggling.
This is why I am going

And do you remember the first time I saw someone who had been burned in a fire, their face twisted, distorted and frightening. I wanted to run away and hide my eyes. But you told me to look past what I see on the outside, you said it was like wearing a mask, you said a beautiful person was behind that mask and if I looked hard enough I would see this. You taught me to see that being different can be beautiful.
This is why I am going.

Do you remember when I was only small and it was Christmas time and there was a campaign for poor families who had no gifts for their children. You asked me if I wanted to give them one of my own gifts that you had bought for me. At first I didn’t want to, I was selfish, but you told me that if I did I would get a better gift in return, the gift of compassion. And you were right.You taught me compassion
This is why I am going

Do you remember when I was learning to ride my bike. I kept falling off, over and over again and all the kids were laughing at me. I said I would never be able to do it and wanted to give up. You told me I could do anything if I put my mind to it, you said I should always try until I succeed. You taught me to be persistent.
This is why I am going.

Do you remember when we were walking down the street and I saw a man drop his wallet. I picked it up and you looked at me and said I should return it. I ran up and returned it to the man, he gave me a reward for being honest. You taught me there are rewards for doing the right thing.
This is why I am going.

Do you remember when I was little and I was afraid of the dark? You said “what is it you fear?” I said I feared what I could not see. You told me there was nothing in the dark that was not there in the light. You taught me to overcome my fears.
This is why I am going

Do you remember when I found our wee cat outside after it was hit by a car? The neighbours said I should just leave it alone that it was going to die anyway. But you said we should try and help her. You told me to have hope, and that miracles can happen . She survived. You taught me to have hope and to believe in miracles.
This is why I am going

Do you remember when I asked why Irish people were treated so badly in the North, why were they being shot, jailed and beaten. You told me there were soldiers who had stolen our land and were occupying our country and oppressing our people. You said this was wrong. You taught me to always resist injustice.
This is why I am going.

And lastly, do you remember when I read the “Diary of Anne Frank” and I asked you why people would do such a thing to innocent people. You told me that brave people risked their own lives to shelter Anne Frank from the Nazi’s who blamed the Jews for all their woes, you said good people must always do what they can against evil. You said this type of hatred should never happen again, to anyone.
This is why I am going

So Mum, to answer your question, I am going to help Free Palestine. I am going because of everything you taught me growing up, because you made me the person I am today.

Why am I going? I am going because of you….

So, I am asking mothers and women everywhere to support your fellow women who are going on the Freedom Flotilla 2 as we sail to deliver our message of solidarity and support for the women of Gaza. Please support the Freedom Flotilla 2, Women4Gaza and Irish Ship to Gaza. Find Women4Gaza on Facebook HERE and join our group. Or visit the Women4Gaza page as part of the ECESG Freedom Flotilla 2 HERE For information on the Irish Ship to Gaza you can go HERE Keep checking this website for news on how you can read our updates directly from the Flotilla.

For news and updates for Viva Palestina 5, you may refer here >>  Viva Palestina 5

In Person With Tariq Ramadan At International Islamic University Malaysia(IIUM)

Bismillah arRahman arRahim,

InsyaAllah, Prof Tariq Ramadan will be visting IIUM for a lecture entitled, Islam & The West:Conversations With History. The details are:

Tuesday 13th July 2010

8.30am-1pm

Senate Hall International Islamic University Malaysia

For registration, click here>> IRFront

(I am not sure whether the seats are still availble.you may contact the person in chrage I guess.)

So sad that I won't be be able to attend. =(

Life Line 4 Gaza: End of the Siege

It’s been a while since I last wrote something on my blog. Having finished the interfaith Dialogue about two weeks ago, squeezing my mind with so many assignments and exams and not to forget the saddening news of the sickness of my Grandma. Subhanallah, so many things are happening lately. That’s life anyway. Back to what I wanted to write here. Last night, I attended a program about the issue in Gaza Palestine called “Life Line 4 Gaza:End of the Siege” whereby one representative from the convoy of Viva Palestina came and shared his stories and his journey to Gaza. It was truly mesmerizing to listen to his stories with regard to how the convoy faced so many hardship and difficulties throughout the journey to reach Gaza which was aimed to break the siege. The convoy (which was the 3rd one) was participated by so many representatives from many organizations-some from Malaysia, UK, Turkey and others (total around 17 if I am not mistken). In fact, what inspired me a lot is the fact that it was also participated by the non Muslims and not only Muslims. For me, it truly shows how the issue of Palestine is not only the issue of Muslims, rather it is an issue of HUMANITY-of how you look at each other as human being and not somebody belongs to any particular group of people.

I was stunned to know how they were even stopped by the Egyptian police forces (around 2000 people) only because they felt that the convoy was a threat for them Ya Allah, a threat??.I bet you know the answer why they were stopped !.

These people came miles away and left their family behind only to give a helping hand to the Palestinians (mostly refugees) and now you call them a threat?. This is totally ridiculous!!. I really don’t know what to say, but to know this thing is truly a shameful thing and I was really-really pissed of. Worst, the police forces had even intimidated them by throwing stones to them ( as big as your fist!) resulting some people to get severely injured and some even had to be treated with so many stitches and so on. The forces had assaulted them greatly than you could have ever imagined. I really hope that Allah would give them Hidayah so that they can truly open their eyes !!.

Alhamdulillah, finally they managed to reached Gaza with so may aid they had brought along particularly medicine. The representative told us how it is really-really difficult for the Palestinians to survive after the ongoing attack and threat form the Israeli forces. They had no materials to develop the places that have been attacked. Even their children are sufferings due to the effect of the weapons that have been used by the Israeli forces. InsyaAllah, the 4th Convoy would be going soon either in April or May. In fact, they plan it to make it much bigger, with more aid and even more people can join them to go directly to Gaza. You can also join them if you are interested, but NO INSURANCE IS PROVIDED. That’s what the representative told us that night =) . Anyway, you are highly encouraged to donate to:

Account Name: Tabung Palestin HALUAN
BIMB: 14-023-01-003429-2
Maybank: 5644 9020 8528
Any Enquiry you may call-Mr.Sabri Ibrahim (019-2395799)

Allahu’Alam(Allah Knows Best).

Invitation to an Interfaith Dialogue

TITLE:
Do all paths lead to Paradise?

DATE:
19TH February 2010(Friday)

TIME:
From 8.00PM to 11.00PM

VENUE:
Main Auditorium, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)

ORGANIZER:
Intellectual Youth Club (IYC),IIUM

Speakers :
1-Mr.Yee Weng Chiang (Christianity)
2-Dr.Harwindar Singh (Sikhism)
3-Dr.K Thilagawathi (Hinduism)
4-Mr.Shah Kirit Kalkulal Govindji (Islam)

All are invited Irrespective of faith / belief

Any enquiry, you may contact : Sr. Azmiza at 019-3028662 or Sr. Sarah at 013-3005610

Visit to Vihara Sri Suvarnabhumi

Last Sunday, again, I had an opportunity to visit a very nice and beautiful vihara for a program aimed to create a better understanding between believers of different faith. The program was called, True Beliefs & Believers: Clearing Doubts and Overcoming Misunderstandings in Islam and Buddhism. I went there with a group of Muslim friends and we were so happy to be there because we had the warmest welcome from the organizer i.e. the Nalanda Institute, located in Serdang Selangor. The institute is also called Vihara Sri Suvarnabhumi . For me, it was truly a friendly and informative program aimed to clear the misconceptions between Muslims and Buddhists regarding Islam and Buddhism. We had a dialogue session whereby speakers from both the Muslims side and also the Buddhists side presenting the topic given beforehand. As usual, for the Muslims side, they were asked questions like jihad, halal food, life after death and in fact, the most favourite question of all-POLYGAMY was even asked!During Q&A Session

As one of the participants, I felt very happy because it really shows how they are interested to know about Islam and I am glad that the speaker representing Islam for that particular dialogue had the ability to answer and convey his message eloquently. When it comes to the Buddhist speaker, it was really interesting and I’ve learned a lot on that day. Here are among the things that according to the Buddhist speaker, people tend to have misconceptions:
1-Buddhism is a pessimistic religion.
2-Buddhism is a Chinese/Indian religion.
3-All Buddhists are vegetarians.
4-Buddhists are Idol worshipers.
5- Buddhists should not be ambitious.

I won’t be touching them anyway, but I want to share something which had really caught my attention during the program. Firstly is, when Mr. Tan Ho Soon (one of the Buddhist Speakers on that day) said something about the concept of conversion in Buddhism. He says that Buddhism is not a missionary religion by nature. In fact, there is no such thing as conversion in Buddhism. However, conversion according to them is like; changing from being a greedy person to a generous one, from being lazy to hardworking so on and so forth. Sounds familiar right?? Yup. The concept of Hijrah in Islam. The first time when I heard Mr.Tan said this, I was like.. Subhanallah..THIS IS VERY-VERY ISLAMIC!!

Secondly is, when the speaker enlightened us how Buddha (Gautama Buddha) forbade people to personify his image. Again, to some extent this thing is very inherent in Islam. For Muslims, they are forbidden to personify the image of the prophets what more the image of God. However, I feel very strange because despite the prohibition by Buddha, Buddhist still personify his image. Even in that vihara itself, there are so many statues/images of Buddha. It is not surprising then why people have that misconception that the Buddhists are Idol worshipers. I really hope that they can explain to me, why is that you still personify the image of Buddha and make his statue if really Buddhism teaches that the Buddha inside you is much more important. Huh...hopefully, somebody can help me. Try to enter a vihara and you would see so many statues of Buddha form the smallest one to the biggest one.Yup, I am not kidding.(better ask for permission first la ! =D )

Thirdly is, with regard to the teaching of respecting the elders etc in Buddhism. For me, such teaching of being respectful to others is very close to Islam. For instance, when you are talking to your parents while they are sitting, you cannot talk to them while standing, you have to at least bow down a bit to show your respect. Again , sooo Islamic.

For me, the program was really-really interesting and definitely very informative especially being a student of comparative religion. What more,we even managed to have a tour around the Vihara itself. I believe the program has achieved its objectives and hopefully it can be a great platform for all of us to create a better society to live in =).
AllahuA’lam (Allah Knows best).

p/s: I see the teachings of Buddhism as very-very Islamic though. Even by looking at Mr. Tan, I can see Islam in him despite the fact that he is a non muslim =) . InsyaAllah, God gives him Hidayah one day!

Those two pictures up there are not mine actually. credit for Nalanda Institute..hope they don't mind =)
__________________________________
For your info,
This hand gesture means Don't fear

Buddhist flag
The longest sleeping Buddha statue in South EastAsia is located in Kelantan.Interesting isn't it!

A tribute to Muhammad Asad

Assalamu’alaikum and greetings to all =D .There would be three events this week in tribute to the late Muhammad Asad(Leopold Weiss). The details are:
>>Saturday,
12 Dec 2009
8.00 pm-Movie Screening: "A Road to Mecca", a 90-minute exclusive documentary produced in 2008 on the life and travels of Muhammad Asad.
RM10.00 (RM5 for students).
Requires registration. Click here for details.
>>Sunday,
13 Dec 2009
10.00 am- A tribute to Muhammad Asad - a lecture delivered by Prof Tariq Ramadan, Free. Requires registration.Click here for details.

About Muhammad Asad:

Muhammad Asad’s name figures prominently on the roll of 20th-century English-language Muslim thinkers. Born as Leopold Weiss into a Polish family of strong Jewish background, he was a gifted young writer and adventurous traveler who journeyed to the East to discover Islam. The result of his travels is a highly charged and brilliantly written autobiography, The Road to Mecca. He found the Muslim world an unexpected tonic: its complexities, temperament and sense of spiritual security intrigued him. Over the decades that followed, he became the most articulate and passionate of Muslim scholars and writers, devoted to the revival of his faith and its reconciliation with the modern world.He had also undertaken a translation of Sahih al-Bukhari, the collected books of Prophetic traditions, but all his translations except one were destroyed during the chaos that followed World War II.

At 80, he completed his translation and commentary of the Qur’an, The Message of the Qur’an.

The Message of the Qur'an is widely recognised as among the best English translations and commentaries of the Qur'an and comparable to the famous works of Pickthall, Yusuf Ali and Daryabadi. His rendering is simple and straightforward. Although widely known as a proponent of conservative Islam, his translation departs from the traditional exegetic approaches and reflects his deep knowledge of Jewish and Christian scriptures.
Asad's work however is difficult to obtain and expensive. The work is published in a bulky format, and is hindered by the use of small typeface. In the last three years, Islamic Book Trust began the task of re-issuing this important work in a new and attractive typeset and beautifully bound. It also boasts of a comprehensive index and uses the standard Uthmani Qur'anic script

So much about the circumstances of my becoming a Muslim. Since then I was asked, time and again: “Why did you embrace Islam? What was it that attracted you particularly?”- and I must confess: I don’t know of any satisfactory answer. It was not any particular teaching that attracted me, but the whole wonderful, inexplicably coherent structure of moral teaching and practical life programme. I could not say, even now, which aspect of it appeals to me more than any other. Islam appears to me like a perfect work of architecture. All its parts are harmoniously conceived to complement and support each other; nothing is superfluous and nothing lacking, with the result of an absolute balance and solid composure. Probably this feeling that everything in the teachings and postulates of Islam is in its proper place, has created the strongest impression on me. There might have been ,along with it , other impressions also which today it is difficult for me to analyse. After all, it was a matter of love; and love is composed of many things ;of our desires and our loneliness, of our high aims and our shortcomings, of our strength and our weakness. So it was in my case

-Muhammad Asad

A Sunday Visit To The Church and Vihara

Assalamu’alaikum, peace be upon you everyone...Firstly, don’t worry I’m still a Muslim =) Some of you might be surprised that, what the heck am I doing by going to a Church and Vihara especially on Sunday-a holyday and also HOLYday for some. Actually, I went there not on a personal basis, rather it was organized by one of the Muslim NGOs in Malaysia. A visit aimed to bridge a greater understanding between people of different faiths especially in the current situation of Malaysia where people tend to look at each other with hostility. I did not go there to be converted to Christianity nor did I go there to be converted to Buddhism. Definitely not!. For the Vihara, definitely that was my first time. For the church, not the first time to be frank. Honestly, I felt very delighted to be there. Delighted in a sense that, I managed to meet good and friendly people and also those who are sincere in devoting their life in searching for truth. I still remember what Muhammad Abduh used to say:

“I went to Paris and I found Islam without Muslim. I returned to Cairo and I found Muslims without Islam”

Mind boggling isn’t it? For me, I went to the church and Vihara and I found Islam without Muslims. Most of the times, I returned to......and I found Muslims without Islam”
(I bet you know what I mean). Maybe you agree, maybe not. It’s up to you to decide. Anyway,back to the church and Vihara. My presence in those two holy places for the Christians and the Buddhists had taught me so many things. I appreciate more of my religion and I feel sad looking at the Muslims who happened to be born in Islam yet they never appreciate this religion. Indeed, we always take things fro granted. InsyaAllah,we pray to Allah that He would guide us each and every second of our life to the right path. The right path which Abraham, Ismael, Jesus and Muhammad had taken..Ameen..
Allah Knows Best( Allahu A’lam)

Interfaith Dialogue: Purpose of Life

Assalamu’alaikum & Greetings to All

For those who are staying in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, this is definitely a great opportunity for you to join this program =)
There would be an Interfaith Dialogue at the International Islamic University Malaysia (Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia) Gombak:
The details of the program are:
Title: Purpose of Life
Date: 18th August 2009
Time: 8:30pm-11:00pm
Venue: Main Auditorium IIUM Gombak
Speakers:
>Mr. Christopher Flint (Christian)
>Dr Chan Kah Yein (Buddhist)
>Mr. Riaz Ansary (Muslim)
>Dr.M.Bala Tharmalingam (Hindu)

Open to Public-Irrespective of Religion/Belief

“Do not suppose yourself to be free and independent. For if you look at this guest-house of the world with the eye of wisdom, you will see that nothing at all is without order and without purpose? How can you remain outside the order and be without purpose!”

Mission Statement + Good Friends

Alhamdulliah..Praise due to Allah, last night I managed to join the last series of K&A Tour organized by Young Muslims Project Malaysia..It was really informative and attractive. What more with such a renowned speaker-Imam Suhaibb Webb coming all away from America. Yes, he did share so many things with the participants including some witty remarks and stories. In fact, to listen to his speech is such a memorable moment while it’s a bit amusing when one of the participants said that people came for that program because of the fact that Imam Suhaibb is a former hip hop DJ..Yup..Its true!! =)

He touched on so many issues like-synchronized the Qur’an and Sunnah, the proper behaviour of students of knowledge, how the media tend to sensationalize the incidents of Sept 11 by saying that Muslims were having a hard time with their non Muslim neighbours while it is not really the case and not to forget his personal accounts with fellow Muslims and non Muslims colleagues both in America and Egypt (He’s pursuing his study there)..Two things that I remember most are: when he mentioned that Muslims should know their ‘mission statement’ and with regard to choosing friends. As he pointed out, the mission statement is something which is very crucial for an organization, institution and many other forms of social groups or whatever you may have. As the name suggests, same like for a Muslim.He/she should be clear of his/her ‘mission statement’ in order to succeed in life. Definitely he is referring to the purpose of life here. He then made such a simple yet striking statement when he said:

Islam never asked you to be perfect, but to make effort

MasyaAllah..Isn’t true!!Yes, definitely this statement is simple but I just realized that I never thought about it seriously..Definitely efforts are needed to change myself as even it is mentioned in the Qur’an that:

Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls).

Qur’an 13 :11
Nevertheless, I also have to remember that to be perfect is definitely beyond our reach.Agree?.With regard to choosing friend, I cannot help myself but to agree most when he made it clear that in this journey, definitely we need friends and companions. Nobody can walk alone in this ‘guest house’ of Allah the Almighty as there thousands of temptations waiting ahead .As such, a matter of choosing friends is extremely important, significant, pivotal, vital, imperative, essential and others which you can just name it. They basically have an influence to determine the very success or failure of our life to reach the right destination which is the paradise of Allah. Simply to say, they are like our sidekick in making us closer to Allah or otherwise.
AllahuA’lam(Allah knows Best)
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p/s:today is my birthday.Ya Allah..really, time is moving so fast..I had this WH Questions in my mind-What have I done so far to achieve the purpose of my life up to this point?Where I have been spending all my time,money, wealth etc?Who are those people that I have spent my time with all this while?...these and more questions to come..Erm..I wonder how I would answer them...

Knowledge and Arts Tour 2009

Assalamu’alaikum & Greetings to all!!..For those who are staying in KL, this is a great opportunity for you to join this meaningful event with great International speakers namely Mr. Suhaib Webb, Hamza Andreas Tzortzis and many more. So, what are you waiting for! Jot down the details below and expand your horizon =)
11th July 2009 (Saturday):
One Day Intensive Da'wah Training Course by Hamza Andreas Tzortzis (Boulevard Hotel, Mid Valley, KL. Westside Room 3. Registration 9.30am. RM100 per person. Contact Sis Hanifa at 016 918 3046 for reservation/info)

11th July 2009 (Saturday): 10am-1pm, International Institute of Islamic Thought & Civilisation (ISTAC), Persiaran Duta, Taman Duta, KL: "Ethics & Religious Guidance" with Suhaib Webb. Map to venue: here

11th July 2009 (Saturday): 8.00pm, International Institute of Islamic Thought & Civilisation (ISTAC), Persiaran Duta, Taman Duta, KL: "The Disease And The Cure" with Feiz Mohammad & Suhaib Webb. Map to venue:here

12th July 2009 (Sunday), 10am-5pm, Dewan Kuliah Utama, University Malaya (UM): "YOUTH EXPERIENCE: Life, Sex, Freedom & God" with Suhaib Webb, Hamza Andreas Tzortzis , Dr. Harlina & Hussein Yee. If you only had one day to spare, this is the session not to be missed! Definitely inspirational, maybe even life-changing!

13th July 2009 (Monday), 8.00pm, Theatrette, Main Block, HELP University College, Pusat Bandar Damansara: "Live, Learn, and Prevail: Conquering Today without Regret" with Suhaib Webb

14th July 2009 (Tuesday), 8.00pm, Multimedia University (MMU) Cyberjaya: "Revenge of the Fallen: Facing the Deceptions" with Suhaib Webb

15th July 2009 (Wednesday), 8.00pm, International Islamic University (IIUM) Gombak: "Synchronized Quran & Sunnah" with Suhaib Webb.

For Bro. Hamza’s schedule, you may refer here
You may even download the poster here
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Enquiries:

Sue 012-2275 875
Daniel 012-3222 014
Amin 017-2728 586
Mariam 012-2360 014
Cat 016-6973 097
p/s: Abdur Raheem Green had cancelled his trip and he will be replaced with Hamza Andreas Tzortzis. Thanks to Young Muslims Project for the info.