IERA in London

Daku turun ke London bersama dgn rakan2 naik kereta merah. Shabu, Pyan and Apap. Rashdan jumpa kemudian di London kerana beliau turun awal naik train. Event yg kami pergi adalah event IERA (Islamic Education and Research Academy). Talks from various Islamic scholars on dakwah.








Event adalah di East London Mosque. First time daku sampai di masjid ini. Very impressive. Mmg besar dan mmg ramai org dtg berjemaah. Time Dhuhur, masjid mmg penuh. MasyaAllah. Gambar atas: London Muslim Centre (a building connected to the main East London Mosque building); time registration; main prayer area of East London Mosque.












IERA official website here. IERA merupakan organisasi yg mahu concentrate on dakwah. Dakwah di pelbagai peringkat termasuk lah dakwah kepada muslims agar sedar kepentingan dakwah dan dakwah kepada non-muslims utk menyampaikan Islam.

















Antara line up panel yg memberi talks adalah: Shaykh Yusuf Estes, Shaykh Hussain Yee, Omar Weston, Yahya Suquillo, Abdulraheem Green, Yusuf Chambers, Isa Garcia and Dr Bilal Philips. Mereka semua adalah riverts yg sgt mantap. Mereka bukan dilahirkan dlm keluarga Islam tetapi mereka adalah sgt2 mantap belaka. Alhamdulillah.

Simplified points penting yg ingin share:
- Dakwah itu adalah WAJIB. Ramai org tak sedar ini. Sunnah Rasullullah yg beliau selalu lakukan secara konsisten ape? bukan nya solat, bukan nya puasa, tetapi adalah dakwah - menyeru org kepada Islam. Mmg berperibadian baik itu boleh ditafsir sebagai dakwah, tetapi adakah itu sudah cukup utk memanggil org kepada Islam? fikir2 lah.

- Dakwah itu susah. Mmg susah. Dan jikalau tidak dibuat dgn betul ie with knowledge and wisdom, dakwah itu boleh memberi negative impact. Dan mungkin juga, org yg berdakwah akan dipandang hina atau disisir oleh org ramai. Tapi ingatlah, dakwah itu susah yg ganjarannya adalah sgt manis sekali, insyaAllah. Tugas kita adalah utk menyampaikan, penerimaan dan pembukaan hati org lain adalah urusan Allah. Berdoa lah.

- Kita tidak mungkin tahu effect dakwah itu. Dan jangan lah kita menghalang atau mengejek dakwah2 org. Cerita berkenaan dakwah ke tentera US semasa Perang Teluk oleh Dr Bilal sgt interesting. Dakwah membawa effect sehingga ke perang di Bosnia. hanya Allah yg tahu.

- Kehidupan mualaf adalah sentiasa susah. Jadi, jikalau boleh bantulah mereka. Lebih kurang 70% of mualaf baru dikatakan rivert kembali ke jahilliyah kerana dia tidak mendapat support yg sewajarnya.

Ada lagi point2. Tapi so far ini je yg dapat ingat. Itu pun boleh elaborate lagi sebenarnya. huhu.

Bagaimana kah keadaan aktiviti dakwah di Malaysia? It is sad to hear the same story again from Shaykh Hussain Yee yg mana ramai Malays always ridicule and doubt new mualafs intentions when they embrace Islam. Malaysia is complicated when Islam is associated with being a Malay and having these special rights etc. I do believe Malaysia is not a place for new mualafs. Masalah2.








After the event (actually kami tolak balik awal), we went for KFC halal in London. Hujan batu petang tu and KFC tu flooded. Kami terpaksalah membeli makanan melalui window drive thru. Suma org makan Zinger burger halal. Tak kempunan pun tapi it was delicious. heh.










Kemudian suma org mahu try makan mindy di Birmingham. Lepas singgah di Masjid Sparkbrook (gambar2 atas). Pergi lah ke restoran yg hidang mindy. Tapi kedai tutup. Mindy tetap lah menjadi satu mitos. Mitosnya: Mindy - hidangan masakan org morocco yg mana nasi dihidang bersama daging lamb yg sgt juicy (source: org2 yg telah makan mindy). Terliur sedikit daku bila cuba membayangkan hidangan ini depan mata. huhu. Lain kali cuba dtg lagi insyaAllah.

More:
- terima kasih kepada Adam Tan and others kerana provide rumah beliau utk bermalam di London. terima kasih kepada Pyan yg bgtau pasal event IERA di London. terima kasih juga kepada Shabu yg drive.
- sungguh kurang rezeki apabila tak dapat bertemu Sofe di London. Kenapalah hg tak join je kitorang di event tu? huhu
- balik dari event daku sebenarnya terpaksa terus ke lab utk amik data. uhuh. kepenatan melampau ahad ini.
- internet di bilik memang sgt tak best. sgt2 tak best. masalah tiada connection yg berulangkali berlaku.
- byk nya urusan study yg nak difikirkan. Masalah umat tak terfikir pun lagi ni. uhh. ya Allah, permudahkan lah urusan2 kami. Tunjukkan lah kami ke jalan yg diredhaiMu. Tetapkan lah iman kami. amiin.

best2 yeah!

Faculty of Life Sciences

FLS adalah school daku di Manchester University. FLS ada 4 atau 5 building - tak pasti. Tapi yg main research labs and office2 scientists adalah di 3 bangunan utama ini: Michael Smith Building, Stopford Building and AV Hill Building. Meja kerja daku adalah di MSB while lab daku adalah di SB. Berulang alik lah daku seharian di tempat belajar - ulang alik lab and meja. Agak memenatkan at times. huhu.








Baru2 ini entrance MSB, red building ada structural defect. Sebahagian bangunan terpecah and jatuh di area entrance building di mana juga area smokers. No smoking inside building. Boleh lihat pic di atas di mana org2 bekerja memastikan tiada lagi bahagian bangunan yg akan pecah and jatuh. Mungkin kah para smokers akan berfikir dua tiga kali jikalau mahu smoking? - mungkin tidak kerana byk lagi tempat yg boleh smoke. uhuh.


Best nye 3 main building FLS ini adalah mereka interconnected with bridge tunnels. Gambar sebelah menunjukkan tunnel 1 - connecting MSB with SB. Tunnel 2 - connecting MSB and AVHB. Daku selalu guna tunnel 1, tunnel 2 belum pernah lagi.

Actually AV Hill Builing ni, baru saja di rasmikan pembukaannya. FLS. Dia kata FLS Manchester ini merupakan salah satu biomedical complexes yg terbesar di Europe. Mantap lah.

Hopefully, AV Hill Building tidak akan bersua dgn masalah structural defect sepertimana Michael Smith Building.

Show and Tell:
Henpon Samsung yg tersantai di tepi jalan.

Daku masa tu tengah nak bergegas ke Islamic Center, nak solat Jumaat. Dlm nak cepat sempat ambil gambar, instead of ambil henpon itu. huhu. At the time, I thought I should not take the phone since the owner might come back, tracing his/her steps.

But now I thought, I should have just took the phone and then call anyone on the phone's calling list. Bukan kah itu lebih baik? Lebih baik daripada org yg tak bertanggungjawab ambil henpon tu. But fortunately, lepas daku blah, daku perasan ada couple ni ambil henpon itu. Daku nampak mereka mencuba call guna henpon itu. InsyaAllah, the phone will be back to the owner. I pray. huhu.

More:
- internet di bilik buat hal. Sekejap ada, sekejap tiada. Mmg annoying. Bantuan help and support adalah kurang membantu. uhuh.
- kelaparan di byk ketika sekarang, tapi malas benar utk masak proper food lately. makan luar sahaja.
- called MARA this morning setelah received a voice message dari Kak Salmiah MARA London. Rupa2 nya daku nyer borang2 dokumen pendaftaran ke MARA London tak sampai, terpaksalah daku mengisi kembali and menghantar lagi sekali borang2 berkenaan. Apparently, MARA London thought that I was studying in Newcastle. Apekah? I hope elaun next month akan masuk dgn sewajarnya.
- my laptop just crashed just now - before writing this post. I was like WTH? / APEKAH? bila bluescreen itu muncul. I blame Vista.
- byk plak tulih, dah2 buat keje.

best2 yeah!

Weird dream

Had a weird dream last night. A dream that involve my two elders, belfast fishing trip, loads of catch, fishcracker shirts, sudden dissapearance of everyone beside me, Allahuakhbar shouts, and a flight back home to my angry and devastated parents. Details will not be shared. It was one of those dreams with mix of emotions that got me up and made me rethink about going back to sleep again.

I don't know what to think of this weird dream. So, I'm just not going to. Instead, in the shower, I thought of this line for me to put up on my wall.

"Remember the ultimate dream, do not slow down. Ever."

What is the ultimate dream? Jannatullah of course.
What is slowing me down? Syaitan and Jahilliyah.

I don't want to be one of those people who are just tired. Why tired? because they are running on one spot when people around them are actually running towards something. Only people who could let go of the Jahilliyah in them can actually run and run even faster to reach their ultimate destination.

Only Allah knows.

Something at the side:


The good old nasyid from Raihan. btw, did you know that nasyid di Malaysia sgt lah lemah lembut while in some other countries, nasyid mereka adalah sgt bersemangat dan agresif. Bukan nak kata nasyid mana satu lebih baik tapi kalo nak bersemangat betul2, cuba try explore nasyid negara2 lain. Mantap lah.

More:
- post about Belfast trip is late since I have not received pictures from my mates yet.
- a lot of lab work lately. working late till night.
- subuh is really a challenge in the summer. makes me consider going back home for Ramadhan but probably can't since I most definitely have a lot of lab work by then. uhuh.
- Wimbledon tennis 2009 telah bermula. Sofe ajak turun London tapi mcm takleh je because sibuk dgn lab work. uhuh lagi.

Random:
- jikalau ayam di Malaysia dibawa ke UK time summer, adakah ia akan berkokok di pukul 3 pagi? ie subuh masuk waktu pukul 3am and sunrise 4.40am now.

best2 yeah!

The Corrs

This is just a simple post to tribute the Corrs. An Irish band of 4 siblings - Andrea (lead vocalist, tin whistle), Caroline (drums, bodhran, piano, vocals), Jim (keyboards, guitar, vocals) and Sharon (violin, vocals).

Toss The Feathers


Humdrum


Summer Sunshine


I just recently google them out. Official website here. I can't remember why, but now I downloaded quite a number of their songs and have them on playback. heh. That is how I do. Play the songs until I get bored of them. Not a good way to appreciate music in the long run.

Love the band, their talent and their clean music. They aren't performing anymore I think. Andrea is now going solo. My mum loves them too. I have always wanted to get her a Corrs CD to play in her car. Asyik lupa je.

My taste is music varies every time. English songs I like best. Malay songs are just a little bit too corny at times. I listen to everything, but I always try to make sure that the song is CLEAN. What do I mean by clean? I usually don't listen to lyrics but I try to make sure that they are clean from messages that could jeopardise my aqidah. I guess it is the least I can do since listening to music is at times melaghakan. huhu.

More:
- had dinner with Ai Ling the other day. A good friend from KMB. May smiles be with you always. owh wait, you must always recieve smiles since you're a dentist. So, may smiles with good teeth be with you always. Or bad teeth if you prefer that - I'm not judging. The dinner was good fun :)
- Belfast trip mmg mengelirukan and membawa sedikit suspens dan drama minggu ini. Ada ketika En Pijie kata Belfast trip cancelled. Kemudian, tidak lah pula cancelled. uhuh. Daku baru tadi beritahu supervisor yg daku mahu reschedule meeting on Friday. Alhamdulillah, beliau membenarkan. Belfast is the first trip outside England this year. Most probably be the only one since I don't have any other plans to travel. huhu.
- Random statement: Summer is a time for loitering and laziness, not for study. Agree?

best2 yeah!

A weekend of tennis

Just a weekend of tennis. Watching Roland Garros online. Roger Federer WON! Congratulations to him for making it ties with Pete Sampras for 14 Grand Slam titles and finally win ALL 4 Grand Slam titles.











I am very happy to see his win in straight sets. Nak tgk highlights, boleh ke Roland Garros website. The match was excellent. There was also a funny/scary incident during the match when there was a fan running into the court towards Roger. link. Thank God nothing too serius happened. The security was really slow to react though. Roger's respond on the incident here.

Speech Roger lepas terima trophy mmg mantap seperti biasa. I am always so amazed that he is multilingual. Cakap dlm bahasa French to the crowd and English to Agassi (who presented the trophy to him). Tapi dia tak cakap bahasa Swiss to his fans back home plak. hehe.

Women's singles Svetlana Kuznetsova menang mengalahkan Dinara Safina (my favourite to win). Dinara nampak mcm tak cukup pelawas je masa main tu. Tu la dia kalah. uhuh. Final yg amat hambar. Seperti di Australian Open early this year, Dinara masih tak dapat complete the job. Too bad. Congrats kepada Svetlana. btw, Svetlana was born in 85. Just noticed this. I really thought that she would be a lot more older than me. haha. Muka dia agak scary la...

Something at the side:



Half Life in 60 seconds. I love this game. Last time played adalah di computer abg Adin. Good game and mmg video ini menyimpulkan storyline game ini. hehe.

More:
- minggu depan mahu ke Belfast tapi lab work and meeting akan kacau. what to do? what to do?
- kena design experiment lagi. susah dan payah. ya Allah, permudahkan lah.
- cuaca: hujan sejuk sleepy di hujung minggu. heater takleh pasang sbb pihak accomodation telah tutup main switch. uhuh.

best2 yeah!

Masih belum serius

Rabu lepas ada meeting dgn kedua2 supervisor. Bercakap pasal lit review (malu... lambat 6 minggu), bercakap pasal outdoor experiment, bercakap pasal lab isolates dan bercakap pasal experiment2 lain yg patut dirancang. huhu.

Bercakap dan bersembang masa meeting selalu membuat daku rasa yg daku masih belum cukup serius dgn urusan2 phD ini. uhuh. Bila org tanya: "Busy ke phD?" daku kena lah jawab: "Busy, tapi busy daku bukan tahap busy yg sepatutnya lagi".

Hasil meeting, daku masih rasa ketinggalan (mmg ketinggalan pun). Rasa geram betul dgn slow work diri ini. huh. Kena sembuhkan diri dari penyakit lambat buat kerja.

Petang tu, daku join other brothers main basketball. Lepas geram sedikit sebanyak. Lama benar tak main basketball. Bakat permainan daku lebih kurang sama mcm dulu. i.e. mmg tak bakat. haha. takpe, good fun. Aduh, sengal2 seluruh badan.

Gambar hiasan:

Rubicon Mango adalah minuman tenaga yg terbaek! hehe. And spek daku terjatuh di awal permainan basketball, cermin kiri ada kesan pecah sedikit. Kecatatan jelas yg ketara dan pertama setelah hampir 2tahun memakai.

Something at the side:

I was listening to Nasyid.fm the other day (I was in the mood for nasyids that day) and there was a community service announcement that I found was a little funny. Google around and found out that it was the audio from the many Ingat! community service announcements from Les' Copaque and RTM. Official website here.

The one that I was listening to:


Ingat! Ajar anak2 menjerit dan menggigit. Penambahan daku: Make sure ajar jerit and gigit di situasi yg sepatutnya, tak nak la anak sendiri gigit jari kita. huhu.

Owh yeah, this suddenly reminded me of Scrubs silly public service announcement. hehe


More:
- Cuaca sudah kurang panas sedikit. Minggu lepas direct sun beams into my room window made my room really hot and the general heating for the whole building was switched on, making the building hot in all hallways. Now, derang dah tutup main heater so takde kepanasan dan pembaziran melampau.


Picture: This display board show the date, time and outside temperature. Daku selalu lalu display board ni. Cuaca aritu masa daku lalu adalah around 23 degrees Celcius. Sunny summer.


- Roland Garros Men's Semifinal:
Roger Federer vs Juan Martin Del Potro and
Robin Soderling vs Fernando Gonzalez.

Federer kena main betul2 A-game utk kalahkan Del Potro sbb permainan Del Potro kali ni mmg mantap sekali jika melihat score previous matches beliau.

Soderling atau Gonzalez? Daku rasa Soderling akan menang because Gonzalez kemungkinan besar lebih penat bermain dari Soderling. Gonzalez main double men juga tapi telah tarik diri di quaterfinal sbb mungkin mahu fokus dgn singles match. I bet partner dia agak kecewa. haha. All the best to all!

best2 yeah!

Nadal is human

Rafael Nadal telah kalah di Grand Slam favourite beliau, Roland Garros.



Tahniah kepada Robin Soderling yg telah bermain dgn mantap sekali.

Daku adalah supporter Roger Federer dan ini merupakan berita yg baik utk Roger menang Grand Slam clay court yg pertama. yeah2. News.

You can do it Roger Federer!


For women's singles, daku support Dinara Safina from Russia. Tennis is my favourite sport :)

best2 yeah!