Peace be upon you

The mango tree in my backyard (chey! like real...government land i mean...must use the politically correct term) has bear little fruit since it got struck by lightning! But my merciless neighbours have spared no quarter for that defenseless tree . Armed with bamboo poles, plastic bags and a resolute determination to leave no mangoes behind... they jolok, poke and twist...baby (unripe) mangoes out of the hands of the loving branches straight to the bag of no return.
As these satisfied scavengers walk away, I can't help but feel that the tree is smiling upon them. As if thanking them for relieving the mango tree of its sweet burden and being glad that it could be of service to those who crave its velvety yellow honey.

Now happy, it glitters under the blue cloudless skies, dancing to the tune of the wind.

Whilst the ants, stomped their feet up and down the branches because now they have to trek to another tree. And they need to move fast, because greedy home sapiens ( or Singaporeans..free mah!) are always on a lookout; including me

Because this year, due to my lovely neighbours fast and furious acts, I have lost the chance to venture into the wilderness beyond Blk607 and join in the insatiable hunt for treasure hanging out on its branches.

WATCH OUT Blk 607!

Peace be upon you
Send peace and blessings upon the prophet s.a.w. and his family and companions

Peace be upon you
Peace and blessings upon the Prophet s.a.w. his family and companions and all those who choose to tread in his path

Peace be upon you
Peace and blessings upon the Prophet pbuh, his family and companions. Amin.

I have a facebook account now. My sister set it up.

I do not know if anyone cares, what I've been up to since graduation.
But in case anyone is wondering.....
I took up a contract at a newly completed place of worship Al Mawaddah Mosque (Sengkang communal mosque) or better known as ( The Loving & Affectionate Mosque)
which had its official opening ceremony (Majlis Pewakafan) on 15 May 2009.

I was assigned the post - CORPORATE SERVICE OFFICER
must sound like an important position,
But...
My duty was to pick up calls and at that point of time My Favourite Phrase was
"Assalamu alaykum Masjid Al Mawaddah Boleh saya bantu?" in an exciting, vibrant and energised tone.
and to provide customer service.

I must say Sengkang has a rather diverse community of Muslims.
We have the malays, indians, chinese, indonesians, ang mohs and arabs.
It is such a waste that i am only bilingual.

I remembered explaining the details of religious class registration to an Indonesia lady only to have her rephrase the question. Apparently Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia enggak sama.

Thanks to my grandmother watching the terribly long running Indonesian sinetrons on channel Suria and my weekly encounters with an Indonesian maid I was able to reel in words fixated in my brain due to the constant auditory exposure.
___________________________________________________________________

My friendly encounter with a makcik on the phone
"Awak tak tahu cakap melayu eh?"

That did it. It was the last straw. I wanted to tell her off.


That YES, I am embarassingly terrible in the Malay Language now. That i am not entirely confident speaking in my mother tongue. I wanted to relish my deep rooted worry and pathetically cry over the phone. Maybe if i had did that she would have been more sympathetic towards my dilemma or just complain to MUIS.

The contract ended in September. All the while i could pray on time and in congregation. I was extremely thankful to serve the mosque especially during Ramadan. I am indeed profoundly thankful for the opportunity, learning journey and the gracious people I've met.

Allahu Akhbar!

Now i am a bus attendee.
Oh Allah help me.

The bejewelled moment in Al Mawaddah was when i was complaining and showing my dislike for a particular persons' attitude which a beloved sister replied saying;

Patience is half of iman.

Those word penetrated deep into my bitter soul. A gentle but upfront reminder that hardly comes by.

I have then since not complained about anyone, hmmm...as far as memory unbiasedly permits me to remember.

Peace be upon you

Peace be upon you

Peace be upon you

Allah says "Oh Muhammad We sent you not but as a mercy to mankind and its creatures...(to the whole world...whole world...Everyone that is)"

Have to get this out here.

By Allah's infinite Mercy, and the good intentions of a dear brother or sister to present the truth of a magnificent character, Rasulullah saw.... and a liberating religion, Islam.
Accomplished are a serious of videos containing gentle advice exploring the teachings of Islam and the Prophet s.a.w., his noble character and his blessed actions for our embodiment. - accompanied by historical context of the blessed Rasul of Allah s.a.w., scholars, historians, hadith narrations and quranic verses.

Video 1
(Teachings)

Subjects potrayed
- The message (intro into Islamic principles)
- Women rights
- Modesty / Humbleness
- Mercy
- Justice / Equality between man



May Allah bless this dear brother on his effort in making show the realities of Islam analogous to the teachings of the blessed Prophet s.a.w. and the Quran.

Watch the whole series
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=0E90D19A693E213F