New Year & The Resolutions

A week of 2010 and three weeks of 1431H have passed. Some of us have started the long journey towards achieving the new year's resolutions. Some are still struggling to decide what their new year's resolutions are. Some are resuming the journey to fulfill their unaccomplished resolutions of previous year(s). Only you know how much effort you put forth last year and how much do you plan to work hard in achieving this year's resolutions. Be whichever group you belong to, I wish you all the best. The journey has begun and I hope everyone will successfully accomplish the resolutions made. As Muslim the above du'a is a precious accompaniment through out the long journey. May Allah Ta'ala shower His blessings upon us all this year.

Get "The Gift" now!

The Gift finally arrived in Malaysia a few days ago. Email fajrlib@yahoo.com to order your copy. You may also buy it from here

The Gift is a love story set in exotic Asian Malaysia. The Gift is a story about a mother's last wish for her son - a gift of a new life. Her gift opens up buried unresolved pasts, hurts and wounds of two young people. Accepting the gift leads them to finally come to terms and resolve their past lives. The gift that comes from a mother's heart brings two people's hearts together while their memories of a mother's love lives with them forever.

Let me know what you think about the story. Happy reading!

Promise

"I will always be there for you...promise!" Such a sweet expression but how many times have we failed to fulfill that promise? Or how many times has someone failed to fulfill a promise made to you? How would the person feel? How did you you feel? Betrayed? Dejected? Disappointed? Angry? Sad? As a Muslim, always add 'a tag' whenever you make a promise. A tag line? "In shaa Allah / In syaa Allah" is a must tag for all Islamically permissible promises you make provided you do your best to fulfill them. When you are not keen on fullfilling your promises right from the beginning, you might as well say... "I can't/won't promise you..."! It may hurt that person upon hearing it, but you are actually saving him/her from a greater hurt when you break the promise that you have made. So, ask your inner voice...deep in your heart. Do you really want to make a promise? Would you do your best to honor it? Only you have the answer!

 

Trust and Honesty

Trust and honesty are the foundation of any kind of a relationship. A small lie or an unspoken truth may destroy the trust and honesty, thus the relationship itself. Trust and honesty for the sake of Allah will always remind you the responsibilities you are entrusted in the relationship. A relationship is SIMILAR to a vehicle - it takes you through a journey - good AND bad experiences. Some people buy a car because of 'love at first sight', some take a long inspection before paying for it and jumping into it for a life-time drive - or perhaps for an unknown length of time. When you buy a vehicle, be whatever it is, don't you set about finding out everything possible that you should know about it? The quality - inner and outer - of it? Of course you can't know all because it takes a ride to know whether it can really work to your satisfaction and taste. Once it is yours, you tolerate with it, sort of give and take. If you just couldn't stand it anymore, after all possible reckonings, you have to get out of it for good - let it go, sell it... To begin a relationship, don't you do ALMOST the same thing as you do when you buy a vehicle? One person may like someone at first impression, develop a friendship with him/her, which then turns into a relationship for a lifetime - be it a friendship or a marriage. Another person may take a while to be in any relationship. Either way, being a human, you do enter into a relationship at one time or another within the span of your lifetime, be for whatever purpose that only you know it. As a Muslim, there's always a way to seek help in making a decision - right or wrong before jumping into any relationship. Ask your inner feeling - in the deep core of your heart. If the heart feels good about it, it's a yes. If it feels heavy in your heart, then it's a no. Still in confusion? "Istikhara Prayer" is the best solution to opt for - asking the Almighty for the signs that lead to His choice for you! He never fails you...

Thank you for this life!

Imagine if you could capture the best time of your life and keep it in a snow globe. Place it on your bed side table. Everyday when you wake up and every night before you retire to bed, take a look at it. What would be the words that come to your mind? The first few words that you should utter the first thing in the morning to begin your day and the last words before you carry yourself to the land of dreams? Thank you, perhaps? We say the magic words 'Thank you' to people for the things we receive from them. In return, they give us more...a smile! We smile back. The exchanged smiles bring happiness to both sides and another 'thank you' should resonate in your heart...it's the ultimate thank you because it should be addressed to the One and Only...'Thank you, God'....'Alhamdulillah!' Your snow globe is filled with that beautiful life, the kind of life that you would not have attained if it wasn't by His Grace...the Almighty One...So, shouldn't your first and last words of the day be "Thank you, God"...."Alhamdulillah"..."Thank you Allah" for He has bestowed upon you that life despite everything you do, the good and the bad, in the life that He has loaned to you?

Write, write and write...

Write, write and write! That's the best line I read a long time ago when I had just started my journey to write my first novel...

Now, whenever an idea for the next plot, a scene or a dialogue comes across my mind, I just write them down...here and there and I keep all these little notes in my diary. When there are too many of them, I would sift through the notes and do this fun thing - putting the ideas together! It's like doing a jigsaw puzzle. The difference is that I decide what the picture would be like!

The Gift II

Salaams and hello to all Polaris Blog readers! Teaching and managing the tutorial center have kept me real busy. Ramadhan is around the corner. InshaAllah, we will all welcome this much awaited month this week. I am editing a short story as well as a workbook for my students. Here I would like to share an excerpt from my second novel - The Gift II a.k.a Timeless Gift

There he was on his bed holding Ashraff’s photo. Their eyes met when she reached his bed.

“Today’s the day, right, Ummi?” Shafikah looked sadly into her son’s eyes. She nodded and whispered, “Yes.”

The day was April 10th 2001. Six years ago, on that day, his father had left them forever.

“You were in my room today, Ummi?” His voice was soft.

Shafikah was there earlier and she was looking at the photo herself, but she forgot to put it back on the night table near Affif’s bed. Instead, she had misplaced it on the bookshelf, next to his father’s beret.

“Do you miss Daddy, Ummi?” Affif inquired when Shafikah didn’t answer his previous question.

Sitting on his bed and facing her son, she replied to him lovingly, “I have you, honey.” Her eyes glistened with tears.

“But do you, Ummi? Do you miss Daddy?” Affif’s face looked sad.

“I do and you know that, sweetie.” Affif placed the photo back on the table and hugged his mother.

Shafikah wiped away a silent tear.

Pulling himself apart from the warmth of her embrace, Affif sat cross-legged on the bed facing his mother and spoke. “Today’s Daddy’s birthday and his death day,” Affif said softly.

He remembered this date very well. As young as he was, he was very attentive to people’s feelings and what happened around him, especially anything having to do with the two of them. They looked into each other’s eyes trying to soothe the sad feeling that suddenly engulfed them.

Noticing the calmness in his mother’s face, Affif said, “We must not be unhappy, right, Ummi? Daddy was a good man and he was lucky because Allah Ta’ala loved him. He chose to meet Daddy before meeting us.”

With a heavy sigh, Shafikah spoke, “Oh…Affif! Allah Ta’ala gave Ummi and Daddy a special gift when He gave us you. Alhamdulillah!” Small beads of tears rolled down her cheeks. Affif wiped away the tears and smiled to cheer her up. Shafikah took his small hands, kissed them and gently placed them on his lap. She held his face in her hands, kissed his forehead and the tip of his nose.

“I love you, Ummi! Dinner’s getting cold now!” Affif told her with a smile and got off the bed. Affif headed for the door.

“I love you too Muhammad Affif bin Muhammad Ashraff.”

Affif turned around and smiled widely. It was Ashraff’s smile on his small face.