theStoryOfMyLIFE

...after 50 years of service...still fit though

2012-02-14T02:28:00.005+08:00

Built in the early 50s, the old wooden Bailey bridge had served obediently residents of Kampung Pulau Melayu, few villages in the area, Piasau Camp and those working in Shell and Petronas at Lutong town. Traffic is controlled at both ends of the bridge by traffic lights. It was then, the only alternative route crossing cross the Miri River before later the Lutong bridge was built.
“We propose to keep this bridge as a heritage bridge. With the new bridge opened, this bridge will be used by pedestrians, cyclist and motorcyclist,” said Assistant Minister of Communications Datuk Lee Kim Shin:: Borneo Post.

However, since March last year, a new concrete bridge is constructed alongside to the nostalgic Bailey bridge. Built at a cost of RM 9 million, the 146-metre bridge has a six-meter wide deck for dual lane traffic, a 1.25-metre wide footpath, and navigational clearance of 16 meters for river traffic at the center span. This will definitely enable a smooth two-way traffic, reduce congestion and alleviate congestion at the river crossing. In my opinion, the new bridge should already be there long time ago!?.....

'BooBok' season in Miri

2012-02-12T15:17:00.003+08:00

Bubok or small young baby shrimp season is hitting Miri!.giving fishermen the chance to earn a side income. If you drive along the Batu Satu or One Mile of Lutong-Kuala Baram coastal highway and go through the old Lutong Airport road near the BayView now, you will be amazed and forced to slow down your car by mountain of bubok display by the Lutong Fishermen communities…and, it is really cheap! I mean RM 4 per kilogram.

Full and part time fishermen can be seen at beaches in Miri, bringing their nets known as ‘pakak’ to catch the tiny creatures that they turn into ‘cencaluk’ (salted shrimp) or ‘belacan’ (shrimp paste). However, nowadays (after we clarified with them), people catch the shrimp by huge net offshore and not like before where ‘pakak’ the triangle like net donned to two pieces of 7-9 feet pole also as a handle for the person to push along the beach line.

...just wondering?

2012-02-12T15:10:00.002+08:00

I wonder why the tombstone of the cemetries must be shaded by umbrellas??? In my opinion, this is one of our community's unexplainable and unlogical practices. In fact building something like what you see in the above photo to most scholars is totally prohibited.

Nek BOL in our memory and prayer.

2012-02-12T14:56:00.002+08:00

..not in Paris; not in London; not in Brisbane...but at Nek Bol's cementry Senadin. Muhammad Aiman and Afiqah pray before the Almighty Allah swt besides their granny's graveyard. It is not really necessary to perform our do'a or prayer at the graveyard though, visiting cemetry is really encouraged. It will remind us about the purpose of our existence in this temporary world and would to some extend putting us back on track. To Nek Bol; yesterday while we were having our breakfast at Anggerik Piasau, we were talking about your strength and other qualities that you possessed and that had inspired us. May Allah swt's Blessing be always with you and may He grant you the best place in the life thereafter.

...finally, we found its new skin!

2012-02-11T14:58:00.003+08:00

The story of the iPhone 3Gs's case: I think after more than a year of robust usage, it needs skin replacement. I have been looking around in many shops in KL, Kuching and Miri since months ago…and, finally today we found one at TTArt shop Miri…..and, it’s cheap! The soft light but vibrant green make it more egoistic that the old pinkish torn and shabby skin was forgotten forever diminished from her mind. Goes the famous Malay’s saying; ‘bagaikan kacang lupakan kulit’..

Afiqah's Totoro

2012-02-11T14:46:00.002+08:00

On her 11th birthday, we bought her ToToro – something that she had eyeing for months back. I managed to get it from the Famous Amos PermyMall Miri. Lucky us, that was the last one left.

weekend with Imam Muda and Ustazah Pilihan

2012-02-07T02:39:00.002+08:00

During our recent JKIM Carnival, Muhammad Asri, Muhammad Aiman, Afiqah and my wife Nana had a chance to mingle, chit-chat, face-to-face encounter and ultimately took photos with Ustazah Pilihan Firuz (the champion of another Malaysian reality show called Ustazah Pilihan), Ustazah Pilihan Aqidah, Imam Muda Ashraf, Iwan (the former ‘dangdut’ singer. Dangdut is one of the Indonesian song genre) and Akhwan Affendi – one of the Malaysian motivator.
In the above photo; Ustazah Pilihan Firuz, Afiqah, Muhammad Aiman, Ustazah Pilihan Aqidah, Nana and Muhammad Asri.

Her favorite was Ustazah Pilihan Aqidah but she likes Ustazah Pilihan Firuz as well. They gave her words of advices, sharing of good stories and exchanged of Facebook data!

Nana and Afiqah were having breakfast with both Ustazah Pilihan Firuz and Aqidah at Kidurong Club Bintulu.

Chinese New Year Open House invitation

2012-02-07T02:34:00.002+08:00

Thank you very much to our Chinese community for inviting us to their Chinese New Year Open House. We were not only spoilt by the varieties of scrumptous foods but also had fun with the games that the organiser conducted. Afiqah won 2nd runner up in the 'ang pau' pack decoration competition.
They also had chanced taking photo with the ‘God of Prosperity’ who eventually gave them ‘ang pau’. See you again next year.

Photo collage::d Finalised version..

2012-02-04T19:36:00.003+08:00

Finally, I managed to complete my little project!! Quite satisfied with it. Using 64 photos of various sizes glued to the white polysthrene, it took me more than 12 hours to do it and months of planning. I called it the TOGETHERNESS that I dedicated to my beloved wife and kids of Yayasan Yusuf fraternity.

Ta'alim : Part XXXVIII

2012-02-01T19:47:00.003+08:00

Photo above::Masjid Universiti Malaysia Sabah

C1::1st ever BORNEO level conference

2012-01-31T17:58:00.000+08:00

The 5th Borneo LNG Conference was my first ever Borneo level conference I have ever attended. I’m relatively new in this LNG business anyway! It was held at Pullman Hotel in Kuching from 29 – 30 January 2012. Participated by the world top 10 LNG players – Indonesia’s PT Badak, Brunei LNG and Malaysia LNG (who is the second largest LNG plant in one single location after Qatar LNG), the two days conference had given me the chance to learn more about LNG plant and its related technical issues as well as best practices. What had made it more interesting and memorable to me was the role that the organizer entrusted me to shoulder – the Chairman of the first plenary session immediately after the launching speech by our MD/CEO. Alhamdullillah, it went well! But, I must say, playing the pace-setting role though was a bit scary to me in the beginning. Thank you to the Management and the Organiser for giving me the challenge. A bit about the objective of the conference was among others, providing platform for the three LNG players to share and exchange their best practices, lessons learnt and enhancing rapport/networking.

C2::1st ever BORNEO level conference

2012-01-31T17:20:00.001+08:00

The Welcoming Dinner was held on the deck of the ‘Equatorial cruise’ cruising the famous Sarawak River. And, I am not shy to say, it was first ever Sarawak river cruise. The service and the ambience were superb! The food however, was relatively average – for Kuching standard. All the participants / dinners had fun but the anticlimax was the sound season – humming and below par! Nevertheless, it was indeed a wonderful experience watching the old nostalgic Kuching river side at night!!

PullMan::my first ever xprience.

2012-01-31T15:37:00.003+08:00

After more than 10 years, 28.1.2012 was my return to my home town Kuching. I was born here and grown up until December 1977, when I moved to Miri after the departure of my beloved late mom from this temporary world. Definitely, over the period Kuching has transformed dramatically in many aspects; the road system, the geographical landscape has been extended as far as Samarahan, Kota Sentosa, etc..; more new 5 star hotels and shopping Malls; and more people. But honestly, Kuching has less to offer to foreigner if compare with KK.

During the visit, I stayed for the first time at Pullman Hotel, which is just about 500 meters to the water front. The above photo was taken from the 6th floor of the hotel at around 16:04 hours. I think the backdrop was the Kuching South’s sky.

DUN Negeri Sarawak from my perspective

2012-01-30T15:22:00.004+08:00

Taken at around 18:15 hours from the floating berth near Kuching Water front of the famous Sarawak River, Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak building is one of the latest Kuching’s landmarks. Without using tripod and proper setting, I tested my hand and finger skill capturing this magnificent building. Not bad ah..?!

my worst Ever shot

2012-01-30T15:13:00.000+08:00

This was one of my worst ever shots……..I took it when we were night cruising Sarawak River with the Equatorial organized by our Company. The subject was the evergreen Masjid Bahagian Kuching or Kuching Division Mosque.

our only princess::She turns 11 today.

2012-01-29T11:13:00.002+08:00

Alhamdullillah, our only princess - Afiqah turns 11 today. Congratulations!! M Asri wishes her: 'Semoga panjang umur; murah Rezeki.....dan menjadi anak yang Solehah'...and, we say 'Aamiiin'.

As a matter of principles, we don't really celebrate birthday. But, without her two beloved brothers - Afi and Muhammda Afiq though, we had our family gathering at KKB during the eve of her birthday.

Mahhad Tahfiz An Naim Lutong::in d making

2012-01-24T11:54:00.002+08:00

Yesterday we performed our Zuhur-‘Asar at Masjid An Naim Lutong. I spent some time exploring the new building (which is still under construction) of Mahhad Tahfiz An Naim Lutong or literally means the school of those pupil who is going by heart the 30 chapters of the holy Al Quran, is going to be the first in Miri division. Located adjacent to the main entrance of the Masjid, the fund (the cost is near or around RM 310k) is contributed by the Muslim communities of people around Miri and Bintulu divisions. The school is going to accommodate around 20 pupils at one time. Kudos to those who mooted the idea and also realizing the dream!
Masjid Lutong main entrance from the kitchen of the Mahhad.

TOGETHERNESS::my latest project

2012-01-23T11:31:00.003+08:00

....my latest project that I called 'togetherness'. Collage of 51 family photos of different sizes, which we took when we were in Turkey, Jordan, Syria and Egypt. Why ‘Togetherness? Togetherness or in other words – devotedness; intimacy; inseparability or in other form – teamwork, is one of the fundamentals perhaps the essence of family success. In this short ‘trip’, we have to work and stay together in one team not only to ease any burden that we need to shoulder or face the bumpy road ahead, but also to obtain His Almighty blessing for the smoothness of our next phase of our journey. And, to me, every each individual member of my family plays very equally important roles of my effort in obtaining a place in ‘Jannah’.

..to all my Chinese friends around the globe

2012-01-23T08:23:00.000+08:00

...keep up the GREAT work.

2012-01-19T19:07:00.001+08:00

I was paying full attention to the Assessor presentation during our HSE Tier III Closing meeting and suddenly around 3:10 hours, my iPhone vibrated! Message received….I slide-On the phone and it was a touchy sms from Afi, it says in translation: “Dad..,why I couldn’t use my debit card at other ATM machines?? Now, I rely on my petty cash that I’d earned from my little business to support my daily meals….!!” It shed tears running from my eyes. Could not believe that my eldest son Afi has possessed the entrepreneurship skill and ventured in small business solution. Really proud of you son! Keep it up.

Yet another Product by TwinzBites

2012-01-17T21:00:00.002+08:00

Handmade / crafted by Farah and CT, members of TwinzBites - cafe and bakery, some of the current popular well known cartoon characters, e.g. Angry Birds, etc....yet soon to be their products. Quality wise, I scored them 7/10. Speed, I mean the production line delivery, however, needs to be further explored. Nevertheless, after 30 minutes of introduction, at least 5 items sold - to Afiqah!

...in the name of justice and obedience

2012-01-13T14:42:00.002+08:00

I received the message quoted below from my good old friend in Malacca this morning, and I found it is very interesting, hence my obligation sharing it here in my humble blog:
‘When asked about her Hijab by Journalists and how it is not proportionate with her level of intellect and education, she replied:
“Man in the early times was almost naked, and as his intellect evolved he started wearing clothes. What I am today and what I’m wearing represents the highest level of thought and civilization that man has achieved, and is not regressive. It’s the removal of clothes again that is regressive back to ancient TIMES"’
Tawakel Abdel-Salam Karman became the international public face of the 2011 Yemeni uprising that is part of the Arab Spring uprisings. She has been called by Yemenis the "Iron Woman" and "Mother of the Revolution." She is a co-recipient of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the first Yemeni, the first Arab woman, and the second Muslim woman to win a Nobel Prize and the youngest Nobel Peace Laureate to date.
Tawakel is a Yemeni journalist, politician and senior member of the Al-Islah political party, and human rights activist who heads the group "Women Journalists without Chains," which she co-founded in 2005. She gained prominence in her country after 2005 in her roles as a Yemeni journalist and an advocate for a mobile phone news service denied a license in 2007, after which she led protests for press freedom. She redirected the Yemini protests to support the "Jasmine Revolution," as she calls the Arab Spring, after the Tunisian people overthrew the government of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011. She has been a vocal opponent who has called for the end of President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime.
A daughter of Abdel Salam Karman (who once served and later resigned as Legal Affairs Minister in Ali Abdullah Saleh's government), a lawyer and politician, Tawakel was born on 7 February 1979 in Mekhlaf, Ta'izz province, Yemen. She grew up near Taiz, which is the third largest city in Yemen. She is married to Mohammed al-Nahmi.
She earned an undergraduate degree in commerce from the University of Science and Technology, Sana'a and a graduate degree in political science from the University of Sana'a.

Ta'lim : Part XXXVII

2012-01-01T21:00:00.003+08:00

Sometimes it feels like it's just too much - these fluctuations in our iman, the repeated sinning, the feeling that "I just don't deserve Allah swt's mercy." The tests always feel like punishments. There is a constant worry about the future: my marriage, my money, my career, my Ummah... And some difficulties just feel like they are too great to overcome. We know we're not supposed to ask this, but the question at the back of our minds is, "Why me?"

We have all heard that we should never despair of Allah swt's Mercy. And on the surface, we try not to, but Shaytaan (the Devil) has a trick. We tend to despair of ourselves and our incapacity to change things, especially the inner turmoil that we feel. And the effect of this is basically the same as despairing of Allah swt's mercy. We do not always accept that Allah can take us out of the situation we are in and we don't need to 'deserve' the trouble; Allah swt isn't punishing us and we don't need to be perfect.

This doesn't mean, however, that we shouldn't strive, or take ourselves to account when we do mess up. The key is to develop our relationship with Allah swt during that trouble. If we know Allah swt, no situation is too hopeless. No sadness is ever permanent. We perceive trials as they are meant to be perceived - as tests of our trust in Allah swt, forcing us to put our knowledge into practice and bringing us closer to Him. These trials could potentially be a punishment too, that is if we let it affect us negatively by completely turning away from Him because of our sadness. But our awareness of our own state and our understanding of Allah swt's Mercy allows us to turn the punishment into something positive that is manifested through repentance to Allahswt, alongside increasing in hasanat (good deeds) in order to erase the bad deeds.

The first exercise is for us to consciously realize that Allah swt knows. Whatever grief we go through, whatever hardship we endure, we must understand that we are never alone. Even if we feel abandoned by the world and those closest to us, Allah swt is there. He reminds us in the Qur'an:
"Fear not. Indeed, I am with you [both]; I hear and I see." (20:46)
As long as we begin by recognizing that Allah swt is with us and He is close to us, there remains a solution to our inner worries. There are things we need to know in order to develop our relationship with Allah swt. Then there are things we need to do in order to maintain that closeness to Allah swt. And finally, there are things we need to aspire for to achieve the ideal relationship with our Lord. We pray that in the end, we will all have developed a stronger & everlasting relationship with Allah swt.

In-Laws & Nieces' visit::THANK you

2011-12-31T22:23:00.002+08:00

A day before the 2012 countdown, Brother-in-law Hj Ismail; niece - Suria and family visited and had a pit stop at our SS2/28 rented house (after their 10 hours drive/journey from Kuching). They left Kuching around 11:00 am and the delay was mainly because they were diverted due to the damage of Pan Borneo highway between Serian and Sri Aman.

21st anniversary or 36th?

2011-12-27T22:47:00.003+08:00

Today is our 21st anniversary. Alhamdullillah – praise only for Allah swt. But, my kid says it is instead our 36th’s? Anyway, whatever the numbers are, as far as I am concerned, it does not matter. What matters are on how to enhance or at least enhance the blessing –Rahmah and Baraqah – health, wealth and love that Allah swt had granted to us thus far?..and, to manage the remaining time/life that we have in this world. What really matter is on how we are going to finish our journey in this temporary small world. The fact is that, I’m 47 now and she is 42! May Allah always be with us.

Afi's creativity

2011-12-24T13:21:00.004+08:00

Keelaaasss! For a Second Year 1st Semester student with no basic in architecture, this piece is indeed superb...!! Keep it up Afi! We are always behind and pray for you. Bravo..!! Alhamdullillah - praise only for Allah swt, don't sit on your laurels...push harder to your limit...and do it for Allah swt.
A great product! But remember to design and build one for your life thereafter - our ultimate destiny and goal. It has all been told by Allah swt; shown by His Messenger - Muhammad saw (peace be upon him) and practiced by his Companions...thaught by thousands wise men.

He's a MAN now....alhamdullillah

2011-12-20T21:37:00.008+08:00

Khitān (Arabic: ختان‎) is the term for male circumcision carried out as an Islamic rite, to introduce males into Islam and as a sign of belonging to the wider Islamic community. It is also referred to by the term Taharah, 'purity'.
On 19.12.2011, my forth son was smoothly and safely circumcised by Dr Mark Jeevan of Columbia Asia Bintulu. Alhamdullillah. After been ‘rejected’ by one of the famous doctors in Miri, I’d decided to put him under full anesthesia and after all it is all borne by my beloved company. We went to the hospital around 10:00 am and after about 5 minutes of consultation with Dr Mark plus few administrative matters, he was brought to the operation theatre around 11:30 am (after about 35 minutes at his first class single bedded room). 3 hours after that, he came out (with his weak smile) from the operation room. Few minutes later, a nurse put him under oxygen analyzer to monitor his oxygen level in his body. I went to my office after the staff nurse confirmed that he is ‘ok’! And that was around 13:52 hours.
Above photo::Lovely Mom and cute Sis. Afiqah rendered their moral support and motivation. Muslims are currently the largest single religious group to practice widespread circumcision. However, it is not a condition for converting to Islam or carrying out religious duties.[The Qur'an itself does not mention circumcision. In the time of Prophet Muhammad saw (peace be upon him), circumcision was carried out by many Arabian tribes, among them Jews and Christians for religious reasons. The ritual dates back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad saw (peace be upon him). According to tradition Prophet Muhammad saw (peace be upon him) was born without a foreskin (aposthetic). Many of his early disciples were circumcised to symbolise their inclusion within the emerging Islamic community. These facts are mentioned several times in the hadith. Some hadith group circumcision with the ‘fitra’ (acts considered to be of a refined person). Other such acts include: clipping or shaving pubic hair, cutting nails, cleaning teeth, plucking or shaving the hair under the armpits and clipping (or trimming) the moustache. (Reported in the hadiths of Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.)

Innovation Starts@HOME......

2011-12-13T09:49:00.000+08:00

Panelists at the 2nd Merdeka Award Roundtable television talk show held recently in Kuala Lumpur, say that innovation must begin at home and it must start with the individual.

“Innovation must start with you. Let’s start with doing one innovative thing a day (and from there it will grow),” says Professor Dato’ Dr Zaini Ujang, Vice Chancellor, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and the 2009 Merdeka Award Recipient in the category of Outstanding Scholastic Achievement.

The 2nd Merdeka Award Roundtable featured the topic “Cultivating a Culture of Innovation in Challenging Times”. The lively discussion, aptly held at the historical Carcosa Seri Negara on 24 November, featured three outstanding personalities known for their spirit of innovation and entreprenuership – Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of Air Asia Berhad, Founder of the Tune Group and Chairman of football club QPR Holdings Ltd; Tan Sri Datuk Augustine Ong Soon Hock, President of the Malaysian Invention and Design Society (MINDS) and former Merdeka Award Nomination Committee Member; and Prof Dato’ Zaini.

Prof Dato’ Zaini says that when it comes to broadening the horizons of innovation in Malaysia students should be encouraged to be more adventurous and mobile. “If you want to change people, let them go outside their normal routine. We must allow them to experiment; innovation occurs when you allow people to deviate. And you must let them fail (we can learn from failure).”

“Education,” says Tan Sri Tony is the one idea that will help instill the culture of innovation among the post-Merdeka generation. “The language of innovation is English. We have to be brave because language is key. We also need to bring back art, culture and sport; it will change the way our kids think,” he says.

Tan Sri Ong concurred, saying: “We also need to think about where we have a niche we can own. One of the possible areas is (indigenous) flora and fauna – we have such diversity in this country but we haven’t even done a proper inventory (of it). We should identify an area like this where we can bring results. And we should focus on areas where we’re good at.”

“We need disruptive thinkers,” says Tan Sri Tony. “And that stems from two things – family and the education system. We must allow people to dream, we must allow people to have ideas, and we mustn’t be afraid to fail. We have to create the environment, and it starts with us. We must allow our kids to experiment, we must expose them to as many things as possible and then let them go where they want. If you have a successful education system, we will find the best for each child.”

He adds that Malaysia also needs to address what he calls the “brain exodus”. “It’s a globlised world, we have to fight to keep our thinkers. And it starts at home and it starts with education,” he says.

Cultivating a culture of innovation is to create eco-systems, Tan Sri Tony adds. “I think (innovation) is so critical for the development of the country. It is not something you can teach; it is not something you can programme.

“You have to create an environment for innovation, you have to create the family, the education system. I have lots of issues with the system now – it’s very focused on books. There’s not enough playing, interacting. Education for me is about bringing out the mind, creating the thought,” he adds.

Tan Sri Ong adds that just about anyone can be innovative. “At MINDS, we have chefs and salesmen coming up with ideas. When we started in 1989, we had 50 inventions brought to us; this year the number is 720. I believe that if you throw the challenge to people, they will respond.”

The discussion then moved on to the importance of implementation, with Tan Sri Tony saying, “There is no point in innovating if you’re not implementing.”

“What is important is the intrinsic value that you put into the system, and how you value ideas,” says Prof Dato Zaini.

The academician, who has written several books on innovation, argued that the global education system must evolve to remain relevant to the needs of a rapidly changing world. “The problem with the academic structure, not just in Malaysia but all over the world, is over-specialisation. The walls we’ve created in academia don’t help us innovate,” he says.

He espouses the concept of new academia – where learning environments are not just limited to academic environments, but at businesses and workplaces, and where education is not just taught by lecturers, but also by businessmen, inventors, policy makers, entrepreneurs and practitioners.

In citing personal experiences, Prof Dato’ Zaini says his approach to innovation stems from looking at the negative components of an issue, and seeing the positive from it. He says his work on waste water, which earned him the Merdeka Award in 2009, came from first looking at waste water as a resource, and then looking for the opportunities that resource presents.

While discoveries and breakthroughs are crucial, recognition is just as important in motivating the young. Tan Sri Tony says: “I fully sympathise with young kids in the country. It’s important we praise their ideas, their successes. We don’t hear enough about these great ideas. And we need to show that the commercialization of these ideas have come to fruition.”

Source::Merdeka Award Secretariat

Ta'alim : Part XXXVI

2011-12-01T23:26:00.001+08:00

Hazrat Aa'isha Radhiyallah hu anhu (ra) says: 'I very much wanted to enter the Ka'ba to perform salaat inside it. Rasulullah saw (peace be upon him) then took me by the hand and said: 'Perform the salaat you desire in this hateem for verily your people, the Quraish left this section of the Ka'ba outside it when they rebuilt the Ka'ba.'
It is Mustahab to enter the Ka'ba. This is one of the places where duaa is accepted and answered. However, it is never permissible for anyone to enter through the giving of bribes. When the Quraish rebuilt the Ka'ba they lifted the roof quite high and raised the door so high that one cannot enter the Ka'ba without a staircase. Rasulullah saw (peace be upon him) wanted to rebuild the Ka'ba according to the same plan as it had been before. Hence he said to Hazrat Aa'isha ra.: 'These Arabs have only recently entered Islam; It is possible that their feelings may become roused and sentiments excited, as a result of the demolition of the Ka'ba; if it was not for this I would rebuilt the Ka'ba, and I would have included the hateem in the Ka'ba: and I would have made two doors. One from which people could enter and leave from the other; and I would have lowered the door of the Ka'ba to the ground: 'Your people raised the door of the Ka'ba so that they admit only these whom they prefer.' According to another hadith Rasulullah saw (peace be upon him) said to Saidatina Aa'isha ra.: 'Your people did not do the roper thing when erecting the Ka'ba, if we were not so near to the times of disbelief, I would again include this section into the Ka'ba; the section they have left outside; rebuilt, this should be included. Rasulullah saw (peace be upon him) then measured off a further seven feet'. This was the cause of Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair ra. increasing the size of the Ka'ba when he rebuilt it. So actually Ibn Hazrat Zubair ra accomplished what Rasulullah saw (peace be upon him) himself had desired. Later under Abdul Malik bin Marwaan , Hjjaaj had the Ka'ba restored to its pre-Islamic structure. No matter what niyyat prompted Hajjaj, one can to day still feel thankful that it is made so easy for anyone who wishes to be inside the Ka'ba. No bribe to be given to enter into the hateem. Here one may enter at any time to his heart delight, pray there and make his special supplication to Allah. Being in the hateem, means being inside the Ka'ba. For this reason Rasulullah saw (peace be upon him) told Saidatina Aa'isha ra to say her prayers here. Further, it becomes exceedingly difficult for females to enter the Ka'ba. This hateem simplifies matters for them. Be very careful of your conduct inside the Ka'ba. The ulama have stated that on entering the Ka'ba, one's conduct should be one of utmost respect, upholding the great dignity of the place. It is best to go bare feet without socks, and to bath before entry. It is best to enter with great humility and to enter crying, with tears streaming down

Surmonting one of the biggest insects...

2011-11-29T11:00:00.004+08:00

Chalcosoma caucasus, popularly known as the ‘Atlas beetle’, is one of the largest insects on earth. I have another articles claimed that, this species of beetle could carry a weight 850 times then itself, which make it the strongest insect on earth. Males often measure up to an impressive 120 mm (4.75 inches) in length. This particular species is the largest of the genus, which contains two other species, Chalcosoma Atlas and Chalcosoma Mollenkampi. Only the males have enormous, curved horns, whereas the female is far smaller, and without horns.
During our recent visit to the butterfly farm of Malaysia Zoo Negara, M Aiman, Afiqah and their best cousin – Nureen, surmounted the ‘beetle’! …. Amazing?

...Kidurong Housing's LONEliness

2011-11-28T12:25:00.004+08:00

All these photos were taken by Muhammad Asri while on his way back from SK Kidurong attending Afiqah and Muhammad Aimans' convocation. He has built good creativity and skill in photography. Well that is not the only point of my story! The point that I want to make is about the coolness of the Kidurong Housing Area. And, its loneliness.

my Damai beach xperience

2011-11-28T09:52:00.000+08:00

The last time I went to this Santubong was in 1996 when we conducted 2 series of a teambuilding session for our potential supervisors – that was 15 years ago. And now, except for one or two more resorts built by probably the same person, nothing much to see really! I must say, the beach is well managed and preserved. For those who love jungle trekking, mountain climbing and those who seldom experience beach life, this could be the place worth visiting. About 30 km away from the hustle and bustle of Kuching city, facilitated by one of Malaysian prominent motivator – Dato’ Dr. Hj Fadhilah Kamsah, we spent 3 days and two nights in one of the resorts – Damai Beach & SPA resort refreshing, recharging and rejuvenating.
One of our Day 2 program was beach volleyball; our team lost one match and won one. It was indeed fun when all leaders from various departments join hands forming team and demonstrating their ‘spiking’ skills!

Before our moonlight grand dinner, the organizer spoilt us with the king of the fruit - durian, rambutan and langsat.

PartI@gen-Y versus gen-X::Is it necessary??

2011-11-26T09:54:00.001+08:00

This is what the so called Gen Y of one of the multi-billionaire organizations perceived about working relationship. It sounds arrogant though but indeed is essential for all of us to ponder:
The MD states that my generation is less committed to work and not obedient to their superiors. He implies that we are not eager to learn new skills or take up challenging opportunities. The MD then proposes that Gen-Y mindset needs to be transformed to be more positive. He says that this change can be achieved through iDOL courses, engagement sessions with E3, and E1&E2 leadership talks.
In my opinion, this is simply a miscommunication problem.
A Gen-Y person can still be committed to his or her work goals and project objectives even if he or she consistently questions the superior and asks him why why why. It is simply professional conduct, especially for a technical executive in engineering, to do so; to question the value behind a task.
Doing so does not mean showing disrespect to the superior or acting in a blatant, disobedient manner.
The reason Gen-Y do so is because my generation grew up with insatiable curiosity and passion and the strong desire for instant gratification. They grew up with high speed internet, smartphones, and free access to a wealth of options as the world globalizes and borders disappear. They are well informed, highly critical, and very impatient. They are creative, imaginative, and open to new ideas.
They demand transparency and more bang for buck. They like to explore and discover and they despise being told what’s good for them. They will always ask and pursue the value or meaning of something.
If there is no meaning in a task, or something of value to him or her personally, a Gen-Y will not derive the passion for it. He or she will not comply.
So when a Gen-X (such as our middle management) asks a Gen-Y to do something, there will always be friction. Middle management will never engage a Gen-Y with the approach to make him or her understand what is the potential value or meaning in that task. It’s always just doing this, do that, this is in our KPI, this is part of the Road Map - all of which has no personal, passionate value to a Gen-Y.
A Gen-X does not understand this, because they grew up as “pioneers” in the 80s when times were harsh. They suffer first and claim the reward later. They are the ones the company will send to make things happen. They bring you grand success out of meager resources and the worst of luck in the least amount of time - all borne out of loyalty or sacrifice like being away from family for years on end.
This is something that no Gen-Y will ever do for you no matter how many times you raise their pay grade. They will dictate their own priorities in life.
I am not speaking on behalf of my generation, but I am one of them. And every day I go to work, I could not find the personal meaning of my work.
When I joined this company, I find the Shared Value ‘loyalty’ to be odd and I could not connect to it.
Loyalty is doing things you are told without knowing why, or because you’re told that’s what’s good for you. As opposed to ‘Committed’ - which is doing something that you personally believe in; that there is value in it for you. Loyalty is blind and unquestioning. Committed is driven by personal values.
While I applaud the MD’s effort to engage Gen-Y through iDOL and other programs, I believe this ‘fix their mindset’ approach is outdated, patronizing, and that it is going to backfire. There is nothing wrong with the Gen-Y mindset. If harnessed correctly like what Google, Apple, Ikea, and AirAsia have done, the Gen-Y passion can lit an unstoppable fire of productivity that turns around companies.
I believe what PETRONAS in general and MLNG specifically need to do is to acknowledge that the times have changed and these times are now ours, and to start learning the language of the Gen-Y.

Part II@gen-Y versus gen-X::Is it necessary?

2011-11-26T09:40:00.001+08:00

This is the brilliant reply from the MD/CEO. I am sharing this to rest of the world because the gist of the reply is relevant to all organizations in this planet. Enjoy::
I also received feedback on the note that I made about the younger generation in Part 4 of this column. Thank you for your feedback and for speaking out your mind. However, I wish to clarify here that the note was a reply to a comment by a senior technician in our plant. I think his concern about the younger generation being “less committed and not obedient” is a sincere concern from actual experience and was meant to see our beloved company continue to sustain high performance for many years to come.
My view is that we should stop segregating our staff according to their generations ie., the baby boomers, Gen X and Gen Y - because if we keep segregating ourselves, we will never understand and appreciate each other. We will never be able to close the so-called generation gap. We will forever think that we are different from each other and mentally incompatible. We should not blindly follow the Western values and thinking. It is the West who started segregating their generations into baby boomers, Gen X, Y and Net. This sort of mindset is dangerous and unhealthy and will not do any good to ourselves and our organisation.
In achieving top performing organisation, our focus is on keeping up with and upholding the organisation’s values. It is not about the values of the individuals. If you look at a winning organisations, each one of them have distinctive values that their employees must subscribe to.
These values are translated into organizational culture, behaviour and mindset. In this Company, the values that we must subscribe to are the PETRONAS shared values i.e., Loyalty, Integrity, Professionalism and Cohesiveness.
I also wish to stress here that “Loyalty” does not mean that we have to do the things we are told to do without knowing why. In fact, I don’t encourage such kind of “loyalty” in this Company. This kind of loyalty is what I called “blind loyalty”. Can you imagine what will happen if a staff who is not equipped with full PPE blindly follow instruction to work in a confine space? We do not need this type of loyalty in this organisation.
In this Company and PETRONAS, we always encourage freedom of expression. We like people to express their opinions. However, in reality “diverse or individual opinions” alone cannot drive any organization to achieve its goal. To succeed as a group, we must have confluence and consensus. Decision must be made collectively and once a decision is made, we must put aside our personal opinion, uphold the decision and work together to achieve its goal. Another word, we must be loyal to the direction that has been set to achieve the business target. I am not aware of any other successful organisation in this planet that does not have the “loyalty” value ingrained in their staff.
And to describe the IDOL Learning programme and other initiatives as “fixed their mindset” approach is to me is a wrong perception. I do not believe all young people in this Company share this view. To put this matter into proper perspective, all leadership programmes organised by this Company are never intended to brain wash the staff. In fact, they are intended to improve the staff soft skills and leadership skills to prepare them to become good leaders in the future. Even Apple, Google, GE, Ikea and AirAsia runs leadership programmes for their staff and there are also substantial populations of older generations in these companies.
In this Company, we are also working hard to harness the potential of the younger generation through, amongst others, nurturing their presentation skill and sharing ideas at the plant management level.
We also encourage creativity and greater participations from younger generation in decisions making process. At the same time, we want everyone to understand our vision and values in order for us to be able to achieve our business goal. If everyone subscribed to our values and committed to the cause, This Company will go very far in our quest for greater achievements.
We always welcome good suggestions and brilliant ideas. So if you have any better suggestions to improve our soft skills programmes in mind, please recommend to the management.

nostalgic LOT144

2011-11-25T14:14:00.004+08:00

This is where we stay during my 5 years working assignment in Terengganu – Lot 144, Chukai Kemaman, Terengganu. Despite the fact that I need to commute almost 100 km a day, Lot 144 had managed to convince us to stay there simply because of its neighborhood/community, schools are just 5 minutes walking distance, shop houses & market are 5 minutes driving distance, hospital & clinics are just within 5 minutes’ drive and all governmental offices are just around its boundary. It was indeed a convenient mode for my family.

The last time we ‘returned’ here was during our summer vacation in 2007 and on 23rd November we have made our 2 days visit at this nostalgic place again. And, despite the wet season, ‘somebody’ waited and ‘greeted’ us patiently….!!

CONGRATS to our only princess on her achievement

2011-11-19T21:21:00.003+08:00

She had consistently achieved 1st placing in her 4 Dahlia class Term Examination. Well done gals! CONGRATULATIONS from all of us and keep it up! What matter is not the ranking but the efforts that you had exerted to achieve it. Remember, the results is Allah swt’s jurisdiction…our roles is to put our best for Him.Learn because you want to know the greatness of Allah swt whom had created the mankind and the universe and all its contents.

Part II::slaughtering SACRIFICE d Masjid Darul Hidayah way

2011-11-12T15:32:00.005+08:00

The weather was great and people from all walks of life and organisations around Bintulu, joined hands putting their minds and soul together seeking the Blessing from Allah Rabul Jalil during the holy day of Eid ul Adha. Alhamdullillah, 11 cows were smoothly slaughtered and processed mainly because of the concerted efforts orchestrated by the management of MDH. As the saying goes, ‘no mountain is high when there is a will.. and when there is a will there will be a way’.
The fundamental teaching of Islam is love and teamwork….and, Allah swt likes our group work not selfishness and silo mentality
In the above picture, Muhammad Afiq, Muhmmad Asri and Afi were also present, not only to observe the slaughtering of the sacrifice but also lended their hands in the processing line. It is encouraged for the owner of the sacrifice to slaughter the sacrifice animal or they would authorize it to any expert and they are encourage to observe the ritual.

mission accomplished@....FIRST ever successful experience

2011-11-07T15:11:00.004+08:00

The sacrifice was laid down in the slaughtering chamber by tying all his four legs at the chamber’s shaft. Kids were excitingly curious with the procedure. My friend, Hj Bahrain and other volunteers were already on ‘top’ of the cow’s body while others were holding firmly all the legs, etc. It was my first experience slaughtering a big handsome cow as part of the ritual – ‘ibadah korban’ once a year during Eid ul Adha.

After reciting the prayer seeking blessing from the Most Compassionate and Merciful, while Hj Bahrain exerting his fullest power forced down the abdominal part of the sacrifice, I placed the knife or long dagger (belong to Ustaz Hj Mohammad) at the neckline. A bit nervous though! I talked and motivated to my inner self to proceed – in the name of Allah swt and ‘sunnah’ Rasullullah saw (peace be upon him)

Seconds after all the people reciting the ‘takbir’ & ‘Tahmid’ - Allahu Akbar..Allah hu Akbar… Allah hu Akbar, La illah haillallah hu wallah hu akbar……..(Allah is great…, and there is no god except the almighty Allah swt…) the razor sharp dagger slit through the leather skin of our sacrifice. Alhamdullillah...

May Allah swt accept our prayer, ‘ibadah’ and sacrifices. Allah hu Akbar..wallillah hil Hamd..

PartI::slaughtering SACRIFICE d Masjid Darul Hidayah way

2011-11-07T14:44:00.002+08:00

Alhamdullillah, this year Masjid Darul Hidayah (MDH) managed to handle 11 sacrifices and that was not their first time. Kudos to the management of MDH!! But what I wanted to share here or something that I was really impressed was the way they have managed and processed the sacrifices. I would say, their way in managing the whole process is the best that I’d ever experience.

First, the cows were kept in the temporary pen made from scaffolding materials sponsored by one of the contractors in Bintulu. The sacrifices, I mean the cows, were definitely well fed and cared. Kids love their beautiful physiques but some sympathized when they see its sparkling eyes. No matter what, Allah swt promised that, the animal – the sacrifice will become means of transport for those who slaughter sacrifices. Amiin

Next step, they lured the cows (by its favorite foods – the grass) to the ‘slaughtering house’ similarly made by scaffolding materials. There are two rows of the house with 4 chambers or compartments each, which means at one time they could slaughter 8 cows at one single time. After been slaughtered in compliance or accordance with the Islamic rights, the sacrifices were transferred by pick-up truck to a clean area for skinning process, etc.

Eid ul Adha @ Bintulu 1432 H

2011-11-06T23:18:00.002+08:00

Alhamdullillah and Thank you Allah swt for giving us the wealth and health that we are able to meet again on this day – a day after about 3 million Muslims went through their journey of their lifetime – a day at Arafah – the starting point of the Hajj. Our brother Zailan and niece – Norlen are currently undergoing the process. May Allah swt grant them Hajj ul Mabrur. Back here in Malaysia, except Hamim, all my brother/sister-in-laws drove to Bintulu after performing their Solat el Eid ul Adha in Miri joining us ‘celebrating’ the Eid. Millions of thanks to all of them – Abg Hj Abd Khalek and wife; Kak Hjh Rahmah; Hjh Hamiah and hubby; Khairullah and family; Johari and family; Siti Fauziah and family and last but not least, Iskandar Abd Khalek and wife. To all our family members, relatives and friends all around the globe, we would like to wish you all Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha and Maaf Zahir Bathin.

..my first attempt@Recharge::Refresh::Rejuvenate workShop

2011-11-04T17:31:00.002+08:00

Change is the only constant”-Heraclitus, Greek philosopher
MLNG’s Roadmap was launched on 6 January 2009 as a 5 year ‘change’ journey to ensure we become a Superior Performing Asset by 2013. Since then, many parameters have changed & as an organisation, we have been constantly adapting ourselves to face new challenges and take positive steps towards the right direction.
Communication is one of the key ingredients that make the Roadmap resonate within the hearts and minds of staff. To tackle this, OPI (as part of its OPI Transformation initiative) has formulated a workshop to drive the importance of communication of the MLNG Roadmap/KITE and its relevance to staff. This is done via the Refresh :: Recharge :: Rejuvenate series of workshops.
This 3-hour workshop is targeted at all leaders in MLNG with the aim of providing:
•a refresher on the Roadmap history, journey, purpose & aspirations
•some tips on how to communicate the Roadmap in an engaging, exciting and meaningful manner

Two sessions have been successfully conducted, on 27th & 31st October 2011. A further three sessions are planned for inNovember (8th, 15th & 21st). So far the feedback from the attendees has been very positive, indicating that this workshop is timely for MLNG.
During the workshop, the Roadmap message is shared via lively discussions, candid leader-to-leader conversations, practical exercises & engaging videos. A key take-away for all the participants is ‘context’, i.e. the need to tailor the Roadmap to various levels of staff from various functions/departments.Based on the enthusiasm shown by the participants, we hope that the Roadmap message is better cascaded to staff, therefore improving understanding & conviction at all levels; with the end objective being ‘to increase organisational energy to bring MLNG to greater heights’.

Ta'alim : Part XXXV

2011-11-01T09:07:00.000+08:00

Once Umar radhiyallahu anhu (ra) was standing between Mount Safaa and Marwah. A group of people came along, alighted from their camels and proceeded to perform tawaaf around Ka'bah. They then came for the sa'ee between Safaa and Marwah. Umar radhiyallahu anhu inquired from them as to who they were. They replied that they were from Iraq. When Umar radhiyallahu anhu inquired as to whether they perhaps had any other intention, e.g. to claim an inheritance, to reclaim a debt to them, or for any other business purpose; they replied: "No". Then Umar ra said: "In that case restart your deeds (like people who have done no evil deeds)".

What Umar ra implied was that having come to the Holy House solely for Allah's sake, their previous evil deeds were forgiven. They can now start anew. The second point that becomes clear from the Hadeeth under discussion is that no evil word shall be spoken. The Ulamaa have explained that the word "rafath" (evil speech) includes every single form of words which are unseemly, nonsensical and unnecessary to such an extent that even the mention of sexual relations with one's wife is also included. To indicate or insinuate such actions with hand signs or the eyes, should be refrained from. All such actions and others which stir passions and lust are condemned.

The third point towards which attention is drawn is "fusooq", which here signifies every single form of disobedience to Allah's will. One should especially avoid any form of argument and dispute. In one Hadeeth our Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam has said: "The beauty of Hajj is attained by speaking amicably with others and to feed them." To argue with fellow Hujjaaj and to fight with them is the opposite of amicable speech. Hence it is the duty of a Haajji not to criticise his fellow Hujjaaj, to meet everyone with love, humility and humbleness, and to deal with them in a most friendly manner. Some Ulamaa have explained that to meet others in a friendly manner does not only mean that one should not hurt or trouble one's fellow men. It means that one should (without retaliation) bear and pardon the hurt that comes from their side to you.
The word safar (a journey) means in actual fact "to expose", "to make clear". The Ulamaa informs us that a journey is called safar in Arabic because on a journey one's character is exposed and becomes clear.

engKALAK@indigenous fruit of Sarawak

2011-10-30T14:23:00.003+08:00

Buah means fruit in bahasa Malaysia. So buah engkalak simply means engkalak fruit. Engkalak or Litsea garciae belong to the same family as avocado. I never like this fruit before but started to love it when I was forced to try it 10 years ago. The creamy avocado like taste becomes tastier when you consume it with salt. As the fruits mature, they will turn a bright pink. However, they are only ready to be eaten when they turn a deeper red and the flesh has become soft.
It has been many years back, since my tour of duty to other states and countries, I have missed the creamy engkalak.

BORNEO indigenous fruit::daBAI

2011-10-28T09:14:00.001+08:00

In this release, I would like to share you one of the local fruit that I really obsessed with. The rich biodiversity of the tropical rain forest in Sarawak offers an excellent source of fruits and vegetables. Canarium odontophyllum or commonly known as Dabai is popular among people living in Sarawak and also to many foreigner who had stayed for some time in Sarawak. The domesticated plant can be classified as indigenous fruit to Borneo and has been consumed by the rural as snack food. In Brunei it is called kembayau. Sarawakians called it buah dabai (dabai fruit). It can be found mainly in Sibu a.k.a. Sibu “olive”, however, like anything that can reap profit this little fruit has made it ways to every market in Sarawak. It is now a highly demanded seasonal fruit, hence the relatively high selling tag price.
The way to eat it is first rinse it then soaks in lukewarm water until it softens. You will never ever soften it by boiling. And, if you find that statement was illogical, believe me; try your best to do it! You can either eat it straight (I mean after you have softened it) or season with salt or black sweet or salty soy sauce to enhance the yellowish fresh creamy taste. Another way to ‘cook’ it, as demonstrated by friend Jonannes, is by soaking it with black soy sauce for at least four hours. Some people prefer to preserve it with coarse salt after deseeding it and that to me is the byproduct of the Dabai fruit. Nowadays, many Malay restaurants in Sarawak commercialized it under a menu called Dabai Fried Rice…yummy…yummy..!!.however, for those who have unmanageable hypertension and cholesterol, my advice is think twice before you consume…cheers

...after 30 years I'd never even touch the ball..!!

2011-10-24T14:24:00.005+08:00

I never like this game – tennis. The last time I ever hold the racket was in 1981, I think! However, during one fine boring evening at Damai Beach Resort Kuching after strolling along the over explored beach, we went around the premise exploring the old but managed facilities, my avid tennis colleagues Hassan and Haniff were practicing their swing and invited us – Frankie, Anuar and me to join them. Playing tennis!?..I must be kidding myself ……….and that would be my last thing to do!! After about 5 minutes of intensive coaching on how to hold the racket I was already on the court?!!..believe me, it was horrible of me. It was a good sweating out though.

After 42 years.............

2011-10-22T10:39:00.001+08:00

Unfortunately sad to share, on 21st October 2011, Libya's ex-leader Col Muammar Gaddafi has been killed after an assault on his birthplace of Sirte, officials say.

Acting Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril announced the death, and later said the colonel had been killed in a crossfire between Gaddafi loyalists and fighters from the transitional authorities. He confirmed that Col Gaddafi had been taken alive, but died of bullet wounds minutes before reaching hospital.
Video footage suggests he was also dragged through the streets.
It is unclear from the footage, broadcast by al-Jazeera TV, whether he was alive or dead at the time.

US President Barack Obama said it was a "momentous day" for Libya, now that tyranny had fallen. He said the country had a "long and winding road towards full democracy", but the US and other countries would stand behind Tripoli.

Col Gaddafi was toppled from power in August after 42 years in charge of the country. He was fighting his last stand in Sirte alongside two of his sons, Mutassim and Saif al-Islam, according to reports.

Acting Justice Minister Mohammad al-Alagi told the AP news agency Saif al-Islam had been captured and taken to hospital with a leg wound.

A corpse that officials identified as that of Mutassim has been laid out in a house in the city of Misrata, where locals have been queuing to take pictures.

The body of Col Gaddafi has also reportedly been taken to Misrata.

Nato, which has been running a bombing campaign in Libya for months, said it had carried out an air strike earlier on Thursday.

French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet said French jets had fired warning shots to halt a convoy carrying Col Gaddafi as it tried to flee Sirte. He said Libyan fighters had then descended and taken the colonel.

Proof of Col Gaddafi's fate came in grainy pieces of video, first circulated among fighters, and then broadcast by international news channels.

The first images showed a bloodied figure presumed to be Col Gaddafi. Later, video emerged of the colonel being bundled on to the back of a pick-up truck after being captured alive. None of the video footage has been independently verified though.

Mr Jibril, number two in the National Transitional Council (NTC), held a news conference in Tripoli to confirm the colonel's death.
"We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Muammar Gaddafi has been killed," he said.
Later, he told journalists that a "forensic report" had concluded that the colonel had died from bullet wounds after he had been captured and driven away.
"When the car was moving it was caught in crossfire between the revolutionaries and Gaddafi forces in which he was hit by a bullet in the head," said Mr Jibril, quoting from the report.
"The forensic doctor could not tell if it came from the revolutionaries or from Gaddafi's forces."

Earlier, some NTC fighters gave a different account of the colonel's death, saying he had been shot when he tried to escape.
One NTC fighter told the BBC that he found Col Gaddafi hiding in a hole, and the former leader had begged him not to shoot. The fighter showed reporters a golden pistol he said he had taken from Col Gaddafi.

Arabic TV channels showed images of troops surrounding two large drainage pipes where the reporters said Col Gaddafi was found.

Libyans gathered in towns and cities across the country to celebrate the reports of the colonel's death.

The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse has visited the drain where Col Gaddafi was reportedly found by NTC forces. Groups of young men fired guns in the air, and drivers honked horns in celebration.

World leaders urged the NTC to carry through its promise to reform the country.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who had taken a leading role in Nato's intervention, said it was "a day to remember all of Col Gaddafi's victims".

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called it a "historic" moment, but warned: "The road ahead for Libya and its people will be difficult and full of challenges."
Officials said the NTC intended to announce the "liberation of the country" in the coming days, allowing them to begin pushing through democratic reforms that will lead to elections.

the never ending story?!@the symptom of insanity

2011-10-21T10:49:00.001+08:00

I do not really want to share this kind of news, but the whole world knows about this commotion. To me this is just the symptom of insanity, greed and selfishness. And, sad to mention both are from Muslim dominant!! The news was quoted from BBC UK:

Turkish troops backed by fighter jets and helicopter gunships have pursued Kurdish rebels into Iraq. It follows overnight attacks on military installations in Hakkari province, near the Iraqi border, which killed at least 24 Turkish soldiers.
The attacks are thought to have inflicted the biggest loss on Turkish forces since 1993 and President Abdullah Gul has vowed to avenge them.

In recent months, violence between the army and Kurdish rebels has mounted.
The attacks come a day after a blast in the south-east Bitlis province killed five police officers and three others.
Dozens of members of the country's security forces, and at least 17 civilians, have been killed since mid-July.

Turkey has responded with a police crackdown on suspected rebel sympathisers and air strikes on Kurdish sites in northern Iraq. Scores of insurgents have died.
Guerrillas from the Kurdistan Workers' Party, the PKK, are seeking greater autonomy in the country's Kurdish-dominated south-east.
Tens of thousands of people have died in the conflict since 1984.

The latest violence - thought to be at least two simultaneous ambushes - took place in Cukurca and the district of Yuksekova overnight.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said 24 soldiers were killed and 18 injured, revising an earlier figure of 26 dead.
He said the army had launched "hot pursuit" operations. Security sources and Turkish media said commandos crossed the border by helicopter, and had gone several miles into Iraq.

Turkish planes were also reported to be bombing PKK bases in northern Iraq.
A spokesman for the PKK, Dostdar Hamo, confirmed that clashes had been taking place in two areas since 03:00 (01:00 GMT), the Associated Press news agency reported.
"No-one should forget that those who make us suffer this pain will be made to suffer even stronger," President Gul told reporters. "They will see that the vengeance for these attacks will be great."

According to some reports, 15-20 militants were killed in clashes with Turkish forces.
The prime minister and foreign minister cancelled overseas trips in response to the bloodshed, while the interior and defence ministers rushed to the border area, reports said.

The US and Nato issued statements in support of the Turkish government.
"As a friend and ally, the United States will continue to stand with the people and government of Turkey in their fight against the PKK, which the United States has officially designated as a terrorist organisation," said Francis Ricciardone, the US ambassador to Turkey.
"No political cause, and no religion, can justify terrorism."
This is the biggest attack in terms of soldiers' loss of life since 1993, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Istanbul, and the public pressure to respond is intense.

The Turkish parliament has recently renewed the law that gives Turkish forces carte blanche to pursue rebels over the border, our correspondent says.
The question is how long it can retain the support of the Iraqi and regional Kurdish governments, particularly as civilians inside Iraq have been killed in some recent operations, he says.
The move also kills any chance of political moves towards reconciliation, he adds.

my 1st ever high level function@Egypt

2011-10-11T17:00:00.003+08:00

The photo was taken by one of the PICL staff in Egypt. It was my first ever high level function I ever attended during my first Egypt visit in August 2006. The function, organized by our Malaysian Embassy at Egypt hosted by His Excellency, TYT Datuk Zainal, Malaysian Ambassador to Egypt in commemorating Malaysia 49th Independence anniversary. The dinner with all Ambassadors in Egypt was held at El-Soraya, a floating restaurant on the Nile River.

She is Married. ...!!!

2011-10-02T14:41:00.004+08:00

Congratulations to Humairah and Adam on their solemnization ceremony as husband and wife on 1.10.2011. Simple but a sunnah compliance reception. Immediately after the ‘akad’ or being solemnized by her father, Adam – Humairah’s husband performed a two rakaat prayer, seeking blessing from Allah swt. After the formal reception and doa, we were spoilt by Kak Ani elaborate menu.

It was indeed breaking news to some of us though and Adam’s father despite the excitement confessed to me that he is still at shock. He could not believe that his son has just got married.
Anyway, we would like to raise our hands and pray before Allah swt to grant both Humairah and Adam Rahmah, Baraqah and blessing. Wish you all the best and happiness until the end of time.

Ta'lim : PartXXXIV

2011-10-01T20:49:00.002+08:00

Abu Hurayrah radhiyallahu anhu reports that Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said "Whoever performs Hajj for the sake of pleasing Allah and therein utters no word of evil, nor commits any evil deed, shall return from it as free from sin as the day on which his mother gave birth to him."

When a child is ushered into this world, it enters this life without any blemish and is free from any form of sin. Now, when the Hajj has been performed with utmost sincerity for Allah's sake, the pilgrim returns to that sinless state.

When we speak of forgiveness of sins as in the Hadeeth mentioned above, we actually refer to minor sins. However, the contents of this Hadeeth have been noted in such numerous Ahaadeeth that some learned Ulaamaa are of the opinion that minor as well as major sins are included in this pardon from Allah.

In this Hadeeth under discussion, three things are mentioned. In the first place we read that Hajj should be for Allah's sake, and that there should be no worldly object and no ulterior motive prompting this holy deed, neither should it be for the show of things, nor for personal fame. Many people proceed to Makkah for the sake of personal honour and show. Such people have indeed wasted whatever they have spent by way of wealth, health and energy. For them there shall be no reward. We admit that when a person has performed his Hajj even for the sake of showing others, his obligation has been carried out. But how foolish it is indeed that a person should deny himself such great virtue and reward (in the form of Allah's great pardon) merely because of his desire to be noted among some people.

Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam once said, "Near the time of Qiyaamah the rich ones from amongst my Ummah will perform Hajj for the sake of travel and holiday; (like having a holiday in Hijaaz instead of one in London or Paris). The middle class will perform Hajj for commercial purposes, thereby transporting goods from here to there while bringing commercial goods from there to here. The Ulamaa will perform Hajj for the sake of show and fame; (to outdo and surpass Maulana so and so, or any rival shaykh who had performed Hajj a certain number of times). The poor will perform Hajj for the purpose of begging." (Kanzul Ummaal)

She'd ENGAGED::ConGRATS

2011-09-28T15:40:00.003+08:00

Borneo International Kite Festival 2011

2011-09-27T15:25:00.001+08:00

At least some happening for Bintulu people….the International Kite Festival 2011!!. The crowd was just amazing…and we did not want to miss it….hence, our kite…the triangle 6 by 3 feet kite…… And, below are some of the kites on sales.

one of my favorites 'farewell note'

2011-09-26T23:19:00.000+08:00

Reading farewell note or message especially those well written with a very touchy story line and beautiful words is one of my favorite’s things though most of the time shed my tears. However, bidding someone’s farewell is actually a pain thing that I would do. Below is one of favorites ‘farewell note’ that I’ve read::enjoy:

Today is my last working day in MLNG. 1/12/04 - 22/9/11. I’ll never forget these two dates. MLNG is the first and the only company that I’ve been employed since. MLNG has given me so much and thanks alone won’t be enough.
Over the past 7 years, it has been a pleasure to serve MLNG and TES/3. However, after much thought and consideration, I believe this is the right time for my family and I to begin a new chapter in our lives. I feel the change will be beneficial to my long term career goals and objectives.
The decision to leave MLNG and all friends here has not come easy. It is a fulfilling experience while in here. Process 3 (05-07), MDD (08), Process 1 (09), Material & Corrosion (10-11). Countless of TA. I learn from the job that I did and much more from people I work and met in the plant. I always believe that we should be happy while in the job by doing what we like best. Else, all the work that we did is half bake. If people do not find what he want (job satisfaction, pay, family time, skill, etc) in his current job, maybe it is worth to really think about it, discuss and move on. Do not complain and jeopardise your work. MLNG and Petronas deserve better. They are the pillar of this beloved country.
My family and I may unintentionally offend some of you while we’re here. Something which I regret myself if there is. Therefore, my family and I would like to take this opportunity especially while Aidifitri is just around the corner to ask for all friends’ forgiveness. May Allah bless you all.
I wish and pray nothing but success for TES/3 and MLNG. Thanks

a great experience driving in the Brunei Sultanate

2011-09-05T22:09:00.002+08:00

On the 3rd day of Eid el Fitri last week, we went to the Sultanate Brunei Darussalam visiting our relatives, In-Laws, nephews, nieces and friends. The only phobia that I had was basically crossing the two Malaysia and Brunei Check-points. But, Alhamdullillah, it was a great day, the weather was on our side and the traffic was to our favor. We crossed the check-points within 15 minutes mainly due to the improved system of both immigrations and obviously less traffic flowing to Brunei. What exactly I wanted to share here is about not only to smooth, wide and straight Brunei – Kuala Belait to Bandar Sri Begawan Highway, but also the positive attitude and the highly civic minded of the Bruneians. They were very ‘pious’ observing the road system and very courteous to other users, which have made our one hour cruise with an average speed of 140 km/hour very fascinating. The fun cruising was however, disrupted by the selfish and non-civic minded few drivers driving Malaysian registered cars. I’m not too sure whether they were Malaysian, but they looked like Malaysian. Insensible and egocentric, they drove their cars along the express lane with no sensible effort to give way to those at their rear who wanted to use the lane.This phenomena or habit is quite a normal scene in Bintulu and Miri. Frustrated and irritated though, I could not blame them totally for the fact that there are no good highways in these two northern divisions of Sarawak, hence, their ignorant and being oblivious about highway driving etiquette.

Bon Voyage::Afi n M Afiq

2011-09-03T20:46:00.002+08:00

Time flies….After spending a week here at L6193, Greenville, today they are flying back to KL with AK5145@18:50 hours continuing their journey to become not only a successful architects but someone who are useful to the ‘Eyes’ of Allah swt. Definitely all of is sad when we are far apart, but that’s life! One has to sacrifice to achieve his dream and nothing comes that easy in life. To Afi and M Afiq, put your best efforts and do it for Allah swt. All the best guys and make us proud.

6193's Raya 2011 Visitors

2011-09-02T11:56:00.012+08:00

Alhamdullillah. Thank you to all our brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, grandson, granddaughters, relatives, friends and neighbors for spending time visiting us at our newly owned house. In actual case the house is still under decorate. Nevertheless, we were so thankful for what had he granted by Allah swt. Without you guys, our ‘Raya’ will not be as colorful and gratifying.
M Fauzi and 'Wee' enjoyed our home made curry puff (I mean by TwinzBites), beef rendang, beef with black ketchup, 'lemang' - glutinous rice cooked inside bamboo stick, etc. Wee is working in Kuching and celebrating the Raya with her husband M Fauzi - an entrepeneur in Miri together with their son Darwish.
Natrah aka Natty and her husband Firdaus and the rest of her brothers flew all the way from KL celebrating Raya with their granny, our auntie popular known as Ngah Jijah at Piasau Jaya 1.
Our big brother Tn Hj A Khalek and families, Hj Masom and families visited us in the evening of the 1st day Raya.
Khairullah aka Aerol, our brother and his family visited us on the second day of the Eid.
Hhj Hamiah, Siti Asmah, Farah, Siti Fauziah and family spent quite sometime at our house during the second day Raya.
Alhamdullillah..Allah hu Akbar.. Allah hu Akbar..Allah hu Akbar Wallillah Hil Hamd.

Ta'lim : Part XXXIII

2011-09-01T13:50:00.002+08:00

Hazrat Abu Huraira R.A. reports that Rasulullah Salallaho Alaihi Wassallam) said: "Verily there shall be no reward for a righteous pilgrimage except Jannat".According to some ulama a "Mabroor Hajj" (a righteous Hajj) is such a pilgrimage during which no evil deed is committed. For this reason they speak of Hajj-e-Mabroor as a Maqbool Hajj (an accepted Hajj). By this they mean such a Hajj wherein the Hajee took note of each and every one of the Aadaab and Shuroot of Hajj while at the same time avoiding all faults.By way of further elucidation we quote a Hadith by Hazrat Jaabir R.A. in which Rasulullah Sal'am said: " the beauty (righteousness) of Hajj lies in feeding others and speaking to them in an amicable fashion". Another Hadith states: "The virtue of Hajj lies in feeding others and in greeting others a lot". (Targheeb)It is also reported that when Rasulullah (Salallaho Alaihi Wassallam) announced that Paradise alone shall be the reward for a righteous Hajj, some companions inquired as to what a righteous Hajj actually was. To this Rasulullah (Salallaho Alaihi Wassallam) replied: "To feed others and to greet much". (Kanzul Ammaal)Hadith Number Three:Hazrat Aayesha R.A. reports that Rasulullah Sal'am said: "There is no day in which Allah sets free more souls from the fire of hell than on the day of Arafaat. And on that day Allah draws near to the earth and by way of exhibiting His pride remarks to the Angels: "What is the desire of these servants of mine."Note: As for the fact that 'Allah draws near' or 'descends' to the lowest heaven and similar phrases in Hadith literature, it should be borne in mind that Allah alone knows best the correct meaning. Allah is at all times near. He is not at all in need of the literal ascending or descending. When they come across such statements, the ulama explains it as referring to Allah's special mercies that draw near.Whatever has been read in this above Hadith has been said in many others. In one Hadith for example we read: "When the day of Arafaat dawns, Allah descends to the lowest heaven and boastingly remark to the Angels: " Look at My servants, they have come towards Me with their hair disheveled and scattered while their bodies and clothes are covered with the dust of long journeys. The cry from them is 'Labbaik, Allahumma Labbaik (We are at Your service, 'O Lord, we are at Your service) 'O My Angels, I take you to witness that I have forgiven their sins". The Angels will say: "O Allah among them there is that person who is inclined towards sin, and there are among them that evil man. And that so woman": Allah will reply: " I have forgiven them all".Rasulullah (Salallaho Alaihi Wassallam) said: "On no other day are so many souls set free from hell as on that day". (Mishkaat) We see the same theme in the following tradition: Allah says (on that day) "these servants of mine have come to Me with disheveled hair, begging for My mercy". Then addressing the pilgrims Allah says: "Even though your sins shall be as numerous as the grains of sand on the earth and though they may be as many as the raindrops that descend from heaven, and though your sins be as many as the trees that grow on the earth, I forgive them all. Proceed from here to your homes while your sins are forgiven".Looking at another Hadith we read: (on the day of Arafaat) Allah boastingly addressing the Angels say: "Look at them, I have sent my Messenger to them. They believed in him. I revealed My book to them and they believed in it. You be My witness that I have forgiven them all. (Kanzul Ummaal)

Happy 54th Anniversary Malaysia!!!

2011-08-31T16:21:00.004+08:00

We would like to wish our beloved country Malaysia a Happy 54th anniversary. On this date, 31st of August 1957, Malaya achieved its independence from the British and later on the 16th of September 1963, Sabah and Sarawak joined the formation of new nation called Malaysia. And, we must say we are very proud to be Malaysian. This year, the celebration coincides with the Eid Mubarak, which signifies the great achievement of Muslim who went through all the tests during the holy month of Ramadhan.

"Write in d name of Allah swt" - the pens/pencils tower

2011-08-31T11:50:00.000+08:00

One of our display items –– collection of pencils and pens from around the globe – I mean places that I’ve visited, which I called “Write in the name of Allah swt the Mighty Creator”. There are hundreds of pens and pencils of different colors and shapes that I stack and pack together formed a three layers or tiers of pens/pencils – glass tower. It took me more than an hour to ‘arrange’ and weeks of thinking to finally came up with this idea.

Eid el Mubarak to all from us @ 6193 Greenville

2011-08-31T11:41:00.000+08:00

Alhamdullillah. Allah hu Akbar..Allah hu Akbar.. Allah hu Akbar (Praise only to Allah swt and Allah swt is Great)..we came to the end of the holy month of Ramadan. For us - Nana, Afi, M Afiq, M Asri, M Aiman, Afiqah, my brother Abu Bakar aka Chote and myself; this was the first time after 9 years living abroad fulfilling our Ramadan in Sarawak and a very first ever celebrating Eid or Raya in our own house at Lot 6193 Taman Greenville Jalan Promin Jaya 1 Miri Sarawak. Thank you Allah swt for granting us health, wealth and definitely spiritual strength for us to survive this temporary world and has made us what we are today. Alhamdullillah, Allah hu Akbar..Allah hu Akbar.. Allah hu Akbar.With this opportunity, we would like to wish every Muslim around the globe – Kol am wa Antum bil Khair - Minal Aidin Wal Faizin – Eid Mubarak and may Allah swt accept our good deeds that we had done during the holy month of Ramadan. To all our relatives and friends in Egypt, Qatar, Saudi, UAE, UK, USA, Indonesia, the Philippine, Spain, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Brunei, Sudan, Singapore, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh as well as Malaysia: we would like to seek your kind forgiveness for our shortcomings and anything that we did that might had unintentionally hurts your feelings. We are just a mere humble human being. Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri.

PETRONASRaya Aidilfitri 1999::Missed U 2 Dad

2011-08-26T11:26:00.000+08:00

Petronas - Hari Raya Forgiving - Mom I missed U

2011-08-26T11:22:00.000+08:00

PETRONAS Raya Merdeka 2011

2011-08-26T11:18:00.000+08:00

Titian Budi by JKIM - d 4th series@RPR Sg Plan

2011-08-25T21:36:00.002+08:00

The Vice Chairman of the Jawatankuasa Kebajikan Islam MLNG (JKIM), M Hafeiz Jumeren handed over the 'goodies' to the Surau An Nur's Representative during the visit. It was our second visit to Sg Plan. The first one was at the Masjid Sg Plan Lot couple of weeks back. During the first visit we missed 10 recipients who are mainly converts and some relatively poor people.

Nana@HidayahRiya2011

2011-08-25T18:37:00.014+08:00

'Ziarah Ramadan'@Ramadan Visit by PAO&JKIM

2011-08-20T20:49:00.003+08:00

Jointly organized by Public Affair and JKIM MLNG, this was the second ‘Ziarah Ramadan’ or Ramadan Visit to Masjid, Surah and Islamic Schools around Bintulu division. And, it was my first ever participation in this very noble initiative. The objective is basically to create better rapport and to share our ‘cakes’ with the Muslim communities around Bintulu. This year, we went to 37 places and a total number of around 150 MLNG key personnel, executives, managers and senior managers representing the company participating in this visit. As for myself and few others – Hj Karammudin, Hj Abg Kiprawi went to Masjid Darul Hidayah and Institut Tahfiz Bintulu. I would strongly suggest all organizations to collaborate in organising this noble effort not only during the holy month of Ramadan but to do it throughout the year.

The Eve of Syawal 2011 by JKIM

2011-08-19T21:51:00.002+08:00

Alhamdullillah, after successfully launched the Road to Lalitul Qadar (R2LQ) campaign a month back, we managed to organize another R2LQ agenda that we called the Eve of Syawal (EoS). The idea is to promote the change of mindset of our people when entering the last 10 days of Ramadhan and subsequently celebrating Eid el Fitr. Apart from that, it was in a way providing opportunities for staff to refresh and clarify their thoughts about the relevance of Ramadan, Syawal, etc. Moderated by Abg Zayd, the EoS was attended by almost 100 staff during the lunch break inside the complex. What we had learnt from the two prominent figures Sheikh Ahamd Mukkarom and his X Student Sheikh Ariffin during the dialogue, were basically Ramadan has made us to become more disciplined person in term of time management, compliance to rules and guidelines, and patience-tolerable; educated us on the importance of managing our ‘nafs’ or desire – since all the devils were jailed, besides our character, it is always our ‘nafs’ or desire that influence us to do bad things; Ramadan had also made us realized how the less fortunate people survived this worldly life and how Allah swt has Blessed us with all the wealth and health for us help each other; Ramadan is a month where Allah swt opened His Jannah or Heaven, Listen to our prayers and repentant, is a month in my language cleansing up our sins. During the last 10 days of Ramadhan, we were supposed to put our maximum efforts and full gear to seek and gain Allah swt’s Blessing, Rahmah and Baraqah that He promised us…and, Allah swt will always fulfill His Promise. However, unfortunately, sad to say, most of us when come to the last phase of Ramadan, all the good efforts or deeds were gradually slowed down and people were started focusing on something that are not even specify in our religious requirement. It is very much different when people (or when the same person) involve in sport activities, business deal, or other worldly routines, when come to last phase of the race, for example, cycling, 100 meters sprint or swimming, everyone will exert their full energy mentally and physically to beat others or at least their own best time or score. O Almighty Allah Rabbul Jalil, grant us the strength and will to observe your rules and requirement for us to smoothly continue our journey before we reach the aimed destination.

Her LAST day with us::Panda d Hamster

2011-08-17T22:42:00.003+08:00

People comes people go.... or rather every living creatures come to an end, when the time comes, no less a second or no more. Nobody really knows when is his turn to depart this temporary world. She was active the night before, but Allah swt loves her so much: around 06:51 hours on 16.8.2011 Nana was soaking with her tears and informed me that our Panda d Hamster has passed away. While controlling my emotion, I went down to her habitrail cage and found out that her body was very cold and stiff as if holding a small Russ fluffy hamster toy.

She has been with us for merely last four and half months!! Like I said earlier, Allah swt loves her much more than us. We hope we had done our best in taking care of her.

Energy Receive Energy Return::Aspiring Others Everywhere

2011-08-16T16:38:00.000+08:00

As usual, in collaboration with Masjid Assyakirin Bintulu, PETRONAS once again organised this noble event - Majlis Berbuka Puasa PETRONAS 2011 on Friday 12th August 2011. Two Gas & Power Business (GPB) Top Guns - the Executive Vice President of GPB, Datuk Anuar Ahmad and Vice President Global LNG, Adnan Zainal Abidin were presence showing their sincere support.
MLNG were represented by the Senior General Manager, Hj Zakaria Kasah. It was indeed an excellent evening, breaking fast with PETRONAS Top Guns and other prominent people of Bintulu. Taking photo with the SGM and the organising committee members was another opportunity that one would never want to miss.

Thank you PETRONAS. Proud to be one of you. Ramadan 2011

MDH's Effort::Solat Hajat for students

2011-08-05T15:37:00.001+08:00

Thank you to Masjid Darul Hidayah, Tanjung Kidurong Bintulu for putting effort in organising this program - Solat Hajat - seeking blessing and help from the Almighty Allah swt.
Parents showing their support by participating in the program. Recitation of Surah Yaasin was one of the main agenda.

There were about 60 - 70 students of all level especially those who will sit in the UPSR,PMR and SPM this year participated in this noble efforts.

May ALLAH swt answer our prayer and grant us His Blessing. What is most important is the effort an leave the result to Allah Rabbul Jalil.

Ta'lim : PartXXXII

2011-08-01T13:53:00.003+08:00

Abu Hurairah radiyallah hu anhu (ra) narrated; "Allah's Messenger Prophet Muhammad saw (peace be upon him) said; 'When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of Jannah (Heaven) are opened and the gates of Jahannam (Hell) are closed, and the shaytan (devils) are chained up."

The gates of Jannah (Heaven) are opened in this month because a great deal of righteous deeds are performed, and as an encouragement for those who seek Allah's reward. While the gates of Jahannam (Hell) are closed because only a few sins are committed by the believers. The shaytan (devils) will be chained that they may not have the influence on the believers by whispering to them and misguiding them, that they might ordinarily have during the other months of the year.

Allah has prescribed fasting and made it obligatory on all nations. He has said;
"O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous"
[Surah al Imran 2:183]

If fasting were not a great act of worship, and the reward thereof were not so great Allah would not have prescribed it on all nations.
Of the virtues of fasting is that it is a means for atonement of sins. It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah ra that;

"The Prophet Muhamad saw (peace be upon him) said; "Allah swt has said; 'All the deeds of Adam's children (all mankind) they do for themselves, except fasting which belongs to Me and I will reward for it. Fasting is a shield (against the Hell and against the committing of sins). If one of you happens to be fasting he should avoid sexual relations with his wife and should avoid quarrelling. Should someone fight or quarrel with him, let him say, 'I am fasting'. By Him in Whose Hand is my soul (Allah), the smell of the mouth of the one who is fasting is better in the sight of Allah than musk."
[from the collection of sayings of the Prophet by Imam Bukhari]

It is a shield because it safeguards the believer from vain talk and wrong doing and thereby protects him from the Jahannam (Hell).
Of all the good deeds, Allah has favored fasting to be greatly rewarded by Him and distinguished it with prestige, if it is observed with the pure intention of pleasing Him alone.

From other sayings of the Prophet Muhammad saw (peace be upon him) we know that:
Fasting is so highly regarded for a believer that he would have two occasions of joy, one at the time of breaking his fast, [to enjoy the bounties of Allah, because he has been favored with Allah's mercy to observe fasting while many others have been deprived of this great blessing], and the second would be when he meets his Lord [and enjoys the abundant reward for having observed fasting].

Also, that fasting intercedes with Allah on behalf other believer on the Day of Judgment.

L6193 in preparation for the Holy months of Ramadan 7 Syawal

2011-07-25T22:00:00.003+08:00

In anything that we do, 80% is planning and the balance is the execution. A week before Ramadan, we spent two days during one weekend carried our general cleaning to our newly bought house at Greenville Garden, Senadin Miri. Except for Afi and M Afiq who are away in KL, all of us lended our hands in one team did our part in making sure the house and its surrounding are fit to our eyes, nose, minds and soul. Thank you to M Asri, M Aiman, Afiqah, Chotey and off course my beloved wife Nana.

Alhamdullilah, at the end of the day, what matter is the blessing from Almighty Allah Rabbul Jalil.

Ta'lim : Part XXXI

2011-07-01T15:43:00.002+08:00

On the most blessed night, the Grand night: Laylatul Qadr; "Verily, we revealed the Qur'an on the night of Qadr."

Ibn Jareer narrates, on the authority of Mujahid that there was a man from Bani Israel who used to spend the night in prayer. Then in the morning he would fight the enemy in the Way of Allah during the day, until the evening and he did this for a thousand months.

And so Allah swt revealed the Surah: "Verily, We sent it down in the night of Al-Qadr" until the verse "The night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months" That is, standing in prayer on that night is better than the actions of that man.

Sufyan ath-Thawri reports, on the authority of Mujahid (also), that the night of Al-Qadr being better than a thousand months means that the good deeds performed on it, fasting on it, and standing in prayer on it are better than a thousand months good deeds, prayers and fasting. [Narrated by Ibn Jareer]

It is reported from Abu Hurairah radiyallah hu anhu (ra) that he said:

"When the month of Ramadan came, the Messenger of Allah Prophet Muhammad saw (peace be upon him) said: 'The month of Ramadan has come, a blessed month in which Allah swt has made it obligatory for you to fast; in it the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the shaytan (devils) are chained. In it is a night better than a thousand months, whoever loses the benefit of it has lost something irreplaceable.'" [Narrated by Imam Ahmad and An-Nasa'i].

It is reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah ra, that Allah's Messenger Prophet Muhammad saw (Peace be upon him) said:
"Whoever stood in prayer on the night of Al-Qadr, in faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, he will have all of his previous sins forgiven." [Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

This one night surpasses the value of 30,000 nights. The sincere believer who worries day and night about his sins and phases of neglect in his life patiently awaits the onset of Ramadan. During it he hopes to be forgiven by Allah for past sins, knowing that the Prophet Muhammad saw (Peace be upon him) promised that all who bear down during the last ten days shall have all their sins forgiven. To achieve this, the believer remembers the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) advice in different sayings wherein he used words like "seek", "pursue", "search" and "look hard" for Laylatul Qadr.

Laylatul Qadr is the most blessed night. A person who misses it has indeed missed a great amount of good. The Mu'min should search for it in the last ten nights of Ramadan, passing the nights in worship and obedience.

For those who catch the opportunity, their gift is that of past sins wiped away.

The Kids@Hidayah Ria 2011

2011-06-26T22:27:00.006+08:00

The winner in his category - M Asri.

M Afiq, M Asri, Afi, M Aiman and Afiqah before the Hidayah Ria's Charity Run. They were very supportive and enthusiastic (especially M Aiman) in this kind of event.

Afiqah with her casual attire sprint to the finishing line. She managed to secure a 2nd runner up position. Not bad anyway. Congrats!! M Aiman struggling all the way to the finish line. Not last though. But what is most important the spirit of participation for the good course.

The pair who used to be the marathon runner, but due to lapse and lack of training and running, they were relatively struggling to finish the run in their category.

MTAQ 2011::Attawazun as a Catalyst of Excellent

2011-06-20T16:57:00.001+08:00

Alhamdullillah, I was asked by my boss, Senior General Manager Plant Division MLNG to represent MLNG in the year Majlis Tilawah Al Quran Peringkat Sabah, Sarawak, dan WP Labuan 2011. This year, the event was hosted by Carigali Miri, Sarawak. MLNG lead by Hj Bahrain managed to secure 1st runner. Well, what is most important was the participation.
Note: the above photos were taken by non professional photographer using iPad. Hence the quality is not very satisfactory.

Her 42nd anniversary

2011-06-10T22:09:00.001+08:00

The unique birthday cake from TwinzBites, her beloved systers' Bakery and Cafe. Especially and custom made for her 42nd birthday, the cake depicts her favorite 'hobby' - on-line via her iPhone.

We wish you a happy birthday and may Allah swt will always be with you in anything that you do. Amiin.

Ta'lim : Part XXX

2011-06-01T21:37:00.002+08:00

Hadhrat ‘Uqbah ibn Aamir Radhiyallaho anhu (ra) has said:”Rasullullah sallallahu alaihi wassallam (saw) came to us while we were sitting on the suffah and asked if any one of us would like to go to the market of But-haan and Aqeeq and fetch from there two she-
camels of the finest breed without committing any sin or severing a tie of kinship. We replied that everyone of us would love to do so. Rasullullah saw (pbuh) then said that going to the masjid and reciting or teaching two ayaat of the Qur’an is more precious than three she-camels, and that similarly reciting or teaching of four ayaat is better than four she-camels and n equal number of camels.”
‘suffah’ is the name of a particular raised platform in the Masjid of the Prophet Muhammd saw (pbuh) in Madinah. It used to be occupied by the poor Muslim Muhajirin (emigrants-plural of muhajir-emigrant from Makkah to Madinah) who is known as “Ashab-us-Suffah” (men of Suffah). The number of these men varied from time to time: ‘Alllamah Suyuti Rahmatullah alaih has listed one hundres and one names and also written an independent booklet about their names.
But-haan and Aqeeq were the two market-places for camels near Madinah. The camel, more particularly a she-camel having a fat hump, was a favorite of the Arabs.
The expression ‘without sin’ is significant. A thing can be acquired without labor either by extortion, through illegal inheritance (by forcefully taking over the property of some relative) or by theft. Rasullullah saw (pbuh) thus ruled out all such acquisitions. Acquiring a thing without any sin is certainly preferred by all, but much more valuable is the learning of a few ayaat.
It is clear fact that let alone one or two camels, even if one acquires the kingdom of all the seven continents one will be forced to leave it, if not today surely tomorrow (at the time of death), but the reward of one ayat will be everlasting. We see even in this life that a man feels happier when he is given only one RM (without the condition of returning it), rather than if he is given one thousand RM for keeping in his safe custody for a while only. In the letter case, he is merely burdened with a trust without getting any benefit out of it. In fact, this hadith implies and admonition not to compare something temporary with something eternal. Whether in action or a rest, a man should consider if his efforts are being wasted on acquiring the temporary gains of this world, or, are directed towards achieving the everlasting ones. Woe be to the waste of effort for which we earn eternal misery. The last phrase of the hadith “superior to an equal number of camels” contains three meanings. First, up to the number four, the reward has been mentioned in detail. Beyond this, it is briefly mentioned that the more ayaat a person acquires, the greater will be their superiority over the number of camels. In this case, the word “camels” at the end refers to the species - either he-camels or she-camels - and the number implied is more than four because, up to the number four, the reward has been mentioned in detail. The second meaning is that numbers mentioned are the same as referred to earlier, the significance being that inclinations are always different; some are fond of she-camels, others preferred he-camel. Therefore, Rasullullah saw (pbuh) has used this expression to signify that every ayat is superior to a she-camel, and if one prefers a he-camel, an ayat is also superior to a he-camel. The third meaning is that the numbers mentioned are the same as referred to before and not more than four. According to the second meaning, the explanation that an ayat is superior to a she-camel or he-camel does not hold good, but it implies a collection, i.e. one ayat is superior to a he-camel and a she-camel considered together, and likewise every ayat is superior to the combination of an equal number of he-camels or she-camels. Thus a single ayat has been compared to a pair or couple (of camels). My late father (May Allah bless his grave with Divine light) has preferred the later interpretation because it points to a superior virtue. This however, does not mean that the reward of an ayat can be equaled to a camel or two camels. All this is for inducement and illustration. It has been clearly written before that an ayat whose reward is permanent and enduring is superior and preferable even to a kingdom over the seven continents, which is bound to disintegrate.
Mulla ‘Ali Qari has written an account of a pious Sheikh who went to Makkah for Hajj on the 9th day of Dhulhijjah – the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. When he landed at Jeddah, some of his friends in business requested him to prolong his stay in Jeddah, so that they could earn more profit for their merchandise y virtue of his blessed presence. In fact they wanted that some of the servants of the Sheikh be benfited by the profits of their business. At first the Sheikh expressed his inability to prolong his stay, but when they insisted, the Sheikh asked them as to maximum profit they would earn for their goods. They explained that the profit was not the same in all cases; but the maximum that they could expect was hundred per cent. The Sheikh said, “you have taken all this trouble for such a petty gain; for such an insignificant gain. I cannot miss the solat in the respected Haram (the most Sacred Masjid), where the reward of solat gets multiplied one hundred thousand times.” In fact, we Muslims should consider how, for petty worldly gains, we sometimes sacrifice great spiritual benefits.

d first and d ONLY drive-thru Fast Food restaurant

2011-05-31T21:37:00.000+08:00

The first time I came here was in February 2011. It took almost 45 minutes for us to order few burgers, drinks, etc.!well... being the first ever a drive-thru fast food restaurant in Miri and just few months in operation, what do you expect? That was then. Yesterday, we spent almost 15 minutes just to order a burger???

His 2nd Anniversary::Darwishy M Fauzi Abdullah

2011-05-29T21:11:00.005+08:00

Happy Birthday Darwish and be a good obedient boy. May Allah swt always be with you and bless you with good health, wealth and faith. Amiin.
Darwishs' beloved mom and dad - Wie and Fauzi. Congratulations to both of you as well.

His 1.5' X 2.0' birthday cake prepared by TwinzBites Sdn Bhd, his Granny's own Bakery and Cafe.

bROWnie & bLACkie

2011-05-25T20:47:00.004+08:00

These are their 'house' cum playground, fully imported from the Pet Shop, Ikano, Damansara last April. They, we called them Brownie and Blackie - the cutie little hamsters were imported from J&J Pet Lover, Miri.
In the photo above, is Brownie. It has short white and brown colour fur, less active but very sneakie.
And, this is Blackie. It has black and white fairly long fur. Very active and nottie.

a wonderful afternoon@PETROSAINS KLCC::Part 1

2011-05-25T08:28:00.006+08:00

This was our second time we went to one of its kind in Malaysia - the Petrosains. The first was around 7 - 8 years ago.

Afi::MAfiq::Masri@Prima Villa Playground@01:00am

2011-05-22T20:48:00.004+08:00

Family Carnival 2011::Masjid Assyakirin Bintulu

2011-05-16T08:10:00.003+08:00

The first of its kind in Bintulu - Masjid Assyakirin Family Carnival 2011 was held at the Masjid compund itself on 14th and 15th of May 2011.
Despite heavy downpour, the organised program had successfully attracted thousands people from all walks of life.
They are not "Pegawai Agama" or Religious Officer, but some of the Street Soccer supporter who were enthusiastically watching the game under the drizzling rain.
Apart from the Street Soccer, there were numbers of entrepeneurs selling their products, from Nasi Beriyani, Rojak Buah, Books, Clothing, Filters, etc.
Nana and M Asri showing their support. We went there at around 10:05 am after sending Erwin at Bus Terminal Bintulu.

Erwin 2 PLKN@Sibu Camp 2011

2011-05-15T12:08:00.015+08:00

Another round of PLKN series. The objective is to enhance the spirit of patriotism among the young Malaysian; fostering national unity and integration; develop positive character/behavior/attitude through moral values; promote spirit of volunteerism and produce more vigorous young, intelligent and committed.
Laga’s eldest son Erwin Syarmizie was with us arriving from Brisbane, Australia, for the Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN) or literally translates National Service Program 2011. He is a very pleasant, polite, decent, humble, friendly and sensible young man.
After the past one week experiencing the El Niño effect, Alhamdullillah, praise only to Allah swt, that morning was showered by heavy cool rain. We took our breakfast at Refah Café – one of our favorites eating place in Bintulu. Participants are required to be at Bintulu Bus Terminal, Medan Jaya by 09:30 hours, hence after a brief breakfast, we arrived at the Terminal around 09:21 hours. To our surprise, despite the blessed shower; parents, relatives and friends supportively jam-packed the Terminal area ushering the One Malaysian participants departing for the PLKN’s Lanang Sibu Camp.
The registration process was very smooth, well managed and organised. Another thing that I must say; the crew, I mean the officers were very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.
Below, some of the faces - hundreds participants in one out of 10 buses (I think) showing their enthusiasm and commitment, though will be away from their families and comfort zones for about three months.
To Erwin and all the participants, we wish you all the best and enjoy your program.

Ta'lim : Part XXIX

2011-05-01T22:03:00.002+08:00

“Hadhrat Huzaifah Radhiyallahu anhu (ra) says that, whenever the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alaihi wasallam (saw) – peace be upon him (pbuh) happened to face any difficulty, he would at once resort to solat.”
Solat is a great blessings of Allah swt. To resort to solat at the time of worry is to hasten towards His Mercy, and when Allah swt’s Mercy comes to rescue, there can remain no trace of any worry. There are many traditions concerning this practice of the Prophet Muhammad saw (pbuh). Similar was the practrice of his companions, who followed him in the minutest detail. Abu Darda ra says:”Whenever a strong wind blew, the Prophet Muhammad saw (pbuh) would immediately enter the Masjid and would not leave untul the wind had subsided. Similarly, at the time of a solar or lunar eclipse, Prophet Muhammad saw (pbuh) would at once start offering solat. Suhaib ra was informed by the Prophet saw (pbuh) that all the precious Apostles of Allah swt also used to resort to solat in all adversities.
Ibn Abbas ra was once on journey. On his way he got the news of the death of his son. He got down from his camel and offered two rakaat of solat, praying in Tashahhud for a long time. He then recited ‘Inna lillaahi wa innaallaihi roaji oon’ and said, “I have done what Allah swt has ordered us to do in His Holy Book – al Quran ul Kareem.

d new Sg Tujuh Immigration Check-Point

2011-04-30T21:43:00.000+08:00

This is the new Sg Tujuh or literally means the Seven River, Malaysia's Immigration Check Point. I am not very sure when exactly it launched its operation in this, if not too much for me to say, another landmark for Baram district, Miri. Regardless, the commencement of its operation definitely has eased the Mirian (especially) and definitely the Bruneians. The photo was taken from the no-man's land on 30.4.2011.

parallel to TAR Road KL

2011-04-27T21:19:00.006+08:00

Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman or Tuanku Abdul Rahman Road (TAR) is one of the popular places (especially amongst the Malay) in Kuala Lumpur. It has a lot of things to offer and one of its popular items is textiles products. Last time we visited this was week before Raya 2010 days after we landed our feet in KL from our stint in Egypt.
On the way back, we spent sometime exploring the back lane. Very interesting.

Last week, we spent almost the whole morning looking or shopping for Raya 2011 - The earlier the better. And, definitely not during Ramadhan where we are supposed to focus on cleansing our spiritual portion; earning as much as possible all the offering by Allah swt; and self reflex our deeds.

Lanzs' Craze@high-end machine

2011-04-24T22:59:00.005+08:00

Zailan's machine that had cost him RM 40,000. Named after one of the most top Italian cyclist - De Rosa. Using Compagnolo crank and carbon fiber body, the weight is about not more than 8 kg! Well, with that cost, one could buy a brand new Manual MyVy.!
This one - Cannondale had cost him RM 35,000 and weigh about 7 kg. The lightest mountain bike that I'd ever experience.

Zailan is one of the founder of the Le Tua cycling team that had helped and produced top Malaysian cyclist. One of them is Anuar Manan.

one fine evening @ Little Penang Cafe KLCC

2011-04-24T21:43:00.004+08:00

After spending almost hours at Petrosains, KLCC, we quenched our thirst and filled our hungry stomach at one of our favorite’s restaurants, none other than Little Penang Café. Why our favorites? The service is superb; the hospitality of the staff is commendable; the price is reasonable (for KLCC) and above all, their products - foods/drinks are excellent.
Nana, M Asri, Afi, M Aiman, Chote, Afiqah, Siti Asmah, Farah, M Afiq and me (not in the picture because I took the photo?!)

TwinzBites@Bintang Plaza...expanding their market share

2011-04-17T22:53:00.002+08:00

To know TwinzBites is to visit them at 1st Floor between the old and new extension of Bintang Plaza from 09:30 until 22:00 hours daily. Adjacent to ESPRIT boutique, the kiosk is strategically located in front of the Body Shop at 20 meters away from Mc Donald's.

now everyone REALLY can fly...@ lower cost

2011-04-13T22:32:00.001+08:00

Thanks to AirAsia....for connecting and bridging me and my family in Bintulu when I was on two months special assignment at KLCC. Flown by AirAsia AK 5141 & AK5140, I spent almost every weekends with my family in Bintulu. Otherwise, I'll have to fly less frequent and with tonnes of money. I must say, the service is very reliable and commendable.

our new machine::SCOTT & TREK 4 rejuvenating program

2011-04-11T21:49:00.001+08:00

LAST weekend, I've finally made up my mind; we bought two units mid range bicycle - Mountain Bike TREK brand and a road bike of SCOTT for M Aiman and me respectively. The whole intention is for us to rejuvenate our health and fitness level, which is unsatisfactorily alarming. Friends and even my boss suggested me to invest in thread mills and some other typical fitness gadgets, but I was a little bit sceptical with the idea. Cycling is always my favorite activity and due to lack of discipline, I'd stopped the activity since in Terengganu 6 years ago.

Quenching our thirst @ Sajian Warisan, Miri

2011-04-10T22:15:00.003+08:00

'Electric Lime' drink; Fresh Water Melon juice; Special Three Layered Tea or 'Teh-C spesial' and 'Teh-O Ais limau Kosong' or Ice Lemon Tea with no sugar by Sajian Warisan...anyone?

It has been quite sometime we never visit Sajian Warisan. We were very hungry and thirsty after a two and a half hours driving along the bumpy, winding and narrow Bintulu-Miri coastal road (not highway as described by some 'blind' politician). Our favorite Madly's cafe was full-house and finally we decided to quench our thirst at Sajian Warisan despite the unfavorable speculative voices we heard from people around us.

My Last day at Level 54 of the world tallest Twin Tower

2011-04-08T10:33:00.000+08:00

Today is my last day sitting at my corner-lot office of L54 of the world tallest Twin Tower, tower 1 KL. My last day of my two months assignment with the second man of the Malaysian Oil and Gas giant, one and only fortune 400 companies – the Executive Price President (EVP), Gas and Power Business of Petronas. The opportunity or rather privilege serving the EPVs, VPs and other prominent top management team was indeed a wonderful and a very challenging experience that had made me another better person. The two months stint had taught me about what ‘corporate world’ is all about and being a ‘brain’ or thinker of the business is not an easy task as what most of the people perceived or envied. Not all people fit the team and if one thinks that he is the possible candidate, he must possess certain characters, knowledge, experience (if I want to add in the list) and also, not only mentally but physically fit. As for myself, at this age, I have conform to the above prerequisite except for the physical part of me, hence I gentlemanly withdraw myself from the game to give way to young, dynamic and talented executive. Also, I want to be fair to the business and the team. Millions if not zillion of thanks for accommodating my two months stay here in GPBU; sharing and teaching me the ‘corporate world’. Despite the short span of time, I can feel the camaraderie that we had built together had made me another better Saiful. My departure is just a physical part of me, my heart and soul will surely be with you forever after. Hopefully, God willing, we will cross path again in future tour of duty. Last but not least, as a mere humble imperfect human being; please accept my apologies for all my shortcomings and wrong doings on my part during my many encounters and interactions with you, especially while performing my duties.

what an experience::my trajet BREAKDOWN@05:35hours

2011-04-06T21:24:00.001+08:00

Last weekend I’d decided to fly back and spend my weekend with my beloved family in Bintulu. I bought the flight ticket last minute but lucky me, the fare is still fair! Thanks AirAsia, you really have made everyone can fly. Kudos to the head honcho, none other than Datuk Tony Fernandez.
This time, I woke up as early at 04:45 hours and at 05:16 I was already at the KLCC’s car park warming up my eight years old machine – Trajet. Alhamdullillah, after one week idling under the roof of KLCC, the MPV hesitantly kicked off. Just after crossing the traffic light to Jalan Tun Razak tunnel, the machine produced a very irritating screeching sound, suspected from the belting system. I turned off the air-condition unit with the intention to stop the sound, true enough the sound subsided. Not after 15 minutes or about 10 km driving, somehow or rather, my eyes sighted the engine temperature gauge indicated me an abnormal situation. I prayed before Allah swt seeking His help to avoid any unwanted circumstances. At one time, when the temperature dropped and stabilized, I’ve decided to drive on at low speed. However, it was just for a while when the temperature started to deteriorating that forced me to stop at the nearby Rest and Refresh (R&R) Sri Kembangan. Lucky me, alhamdullillah, praise only to Allah swt, at that odd hours, the R & R was still in operation. Took my breath and went straight to the toilet – refreshing and draining my contaminated urine. The ETD of AK 5141 – my flight to Bintulu was at 07:30 hours. Time ticking!.... Alhamdullillah, Zailan answered my call and to cut the long story short, Zailan arrived 20 minutes later to the scene. What else should I say?; “Thank you Zailan, you are such a great person”.

Ta'lim : Part XXVIII

2011-04-01T22:04:00.000+08:00

It has been reported by Ibn Mas’ood Raghiyallaho anhu (ra) that the Holy Prophet Sallallaho alaihi wassalam (saw) peace be upon him (PBUH) said: “The decline and fall of Bani Israil started thus: when the pious among them saw certain sins being committed by the transgressors, they forbade them from doing the same; but when the sinners did not repent, the pious because of their relationship and friendship continued to mix with them. So, when this state of affairs began to prevail, Allah swt caused their hearts to be accursed in the same manner.” (i.e. the hearts were also affected with the disobedience of the transgressors). Then is support of this, the Holy Prophet Muhammad saw (PBUH) recited a verse of the Holy Qu’ran, which says: ‘The disobedient and the transgressors among the Bani Israil were accursed by Allah swt.’ On this, the Holy Prophet Muhammad saw (PBUH) emphatically instructed his Companions:”(To avoid such decline) you people must enjoin upon others to do good deeds and prevent them from doing forbidden things: you should restrain every tyrant from tyranny and invite him towards truth and justice.”Another hadith says that the Holy Prophet Muhammad saw (PBUH) was reclining comfortably when suddenly overcome with emotion, he sat up and said: “I swear by Allah swt that you people cannot attain salvation, unless you prevent the tyrants from tyranny.”

28.4.2011::the beginning of their 2weeks break

2011-03-30T21:58:00.003+08:00

After almost 5 months away from their brothers - M Asri & M Aiman and little sis - Afiqah, Bintulu Airport witnessed their excitement when Afi and M Afiq exit the arrival lounge around 18:25 hours. Except M Asri, M Aiman and Afiqah waited impatiently but zealously for their big brothers at the arrival hall.

A Tribute 2 CAIRO01::Madrasa alSultan elAshraf Barsbay

2011-03-29T16:04:00.006+08:00

A tribute to Cairo is actually the continuation of my exploration and adventure story at the nostalgic old Cairo August last year. Cairo has created another modern history of people power or subtly called democracy. The 18 days historic uprising that was instigated through one of the world cyber networking grids – the facebook by fellow Egyptian, had by itself shifted the mental frame not only the Egyptians but almost the entire world habitat. The horrendous horrifying Tsunami or tidal wave that had recently hit the North Eastern part of Japan was not enough to divert the attention of the world population from the appalling but momentous revolution concentrated at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt.

From across the al Azhar Street that carves the historic city into two parts, one could see the dome and minaret of Madrasah and Sabil Kuttab of Sultan al Ashraf Barsbay. Linking the al Mu’izz Street, the historic spine of the city, is the metal footbridge or flyover. The Madrasah was the first monument that we stopped and explored during the third phase of our adventure. In the interest of time, we decided to skip visiting Khan el Khalili, Masjid el Hussain, Masjid el Azhar and other historic monuments within the perimeter. Moreover, we had visited these spots couple of times.

It was built in 1425. It is cruciform in plan, with a mausoleum attached on the street façade. The sabil-kuttab is near the portal entrance at the south end. A three-tiered decorated minaret crowned by an onion-shaped dome marks the entrance to the building. Sultan al Ashraf Barsbay himself is buried in the northern cemetery.

A Tribute 2 CAIRO02::Sabil Kuttab Shaikh Mutahhar

2011-03-29T16:01:00.002+08:00

Right after the Madrasah and Sabil-kuttab of Sultan al Ashraf Barsbay, on the north west corner of the intersection of al Muski street or in arabic Sharia al Muski and al-Mu’izz Street is the Masjid and Sabil-kuttab of Shaikh Mutahhar that was constructed in 1744. The lunette of tiles over the door, the minaret above the entrance, and the sabil-kuttab belong to a structure built here by 'Abd al-Rahman Katkhunda. I had a brief stop here. The well maintained wooden arabesques works of some parts of the building especially the masharabeya amazed me. But in the interest of time to catch the Friday prayer congregation, I went on.

A Tribute 2 CAIRO03::Madrasah alMansur Qalawun

2011-03-29T16:00:00.001+08:00

Still in the midst of preparing the write-up.