House Maintainance

In case you guys wondering why my posting is still infrequent although I'm on a long semester break it's because I've been busy - that's why. As with the last mid semester break this time around I also find myself travelling back and forth between KL, Kuantan, and Pagoh. Two weeks back just after Chemistry paper on Saturday I've went to Pagoh and then back to KL on Sunday night. Only then on Monday night I took a bus to head back to Kuantan. I didn't take a bus from Muar directly to Kuantan because I still have to pickup some of my stuffs in KL. Besides, Muar-Kuantan bus ride is the worst I had, especially on Cepat Ekspres (which I think should be renamed Lambat Ekspres instead).

In less than a week I'm back in KL on Saturday. This time around for some major maintainance works at the KL house. The house had been invaded by termites so we have to call the pest control to destroy the termite colony. Damages done is quite bad - particularly to the parquet floor and the door frames. The procedure involves drilling holes all over the house and pumping in chemicals to destroy the termites and making the house inhabitable to termites. I'm staying in KL to supervise the anti-termite treatment as the rest of the family had went back to Kuantan so I have to bear with the deafening noise and dust for the whole day. That's the major work, other things includes fixing the light fixtures and water outlets. A door also have to be replaced. Right now, they are still drilling holes. Unfortunately one of them fell when he's holding on a to the grill to climb up. The grill failed because the termites had undermined the fixture. Uh, nasty termites but the guy is alright. Don't ever underestimate this tiny creature, although small their sheer number make them a formidable foe to any house. The best thing is to blast out the colony first before you occupy the house or else you'll end up like me.

Most probably they'll finish the job today but I'm still undecided wether to go back to Kuantan or stay in KL until Friday. My family is going to Pagoh this weekend and it's more convenient for me to go there from KL rather than travelling to Kuantan and then proceed to Pagoh. The whole trip would take eight hours rather than three hours direct trip KL-Pagoh. By the way, I'm yet to do my Eid shopping so this should be a good time. Hehe. ;) To my friends, my birthday is next Monday (I miscalculated - it should be this Sunday! :P) but thanks a lot to the early wishers!

Salam Ramadhan

The Lighter Side of Da'wah

There was an able shaykh who trained students for da'wah - six months in theory and three months in the field for practice. A confident student graduating from the theoretical part felt that he could do the practical part by himself. The shaykh warned him against this view, but the student did not listen. He went off to a remote village to practice dawah. On the first Friday, a phoney imam delivered a khutbah full of lies about Allah and the Prophet. The student stood up and shouted: "The imam is a liar. Neither Allah nor the Prophet (SAW) made any of these statements." The imam responded: "This young man is a kafir and deserves to be punished." The audience in the mosque beat the student badly. The student went back to his shaykh with bandages and broken bones! The shaykh said to him: "Let me show you a good example of practical da'wah." Next Friday, they went to the same mosque where the same imam delivered a similar khutbah. Having listened to the khutbah, the shaykh stood up and declared: "Your imam is a man of jannah. Anyone who takes even a single hair from his beard will earn jannah." At once, the people attacked the imam's beard and pulled one hair after another until he was left beardless and bleeding on the floor. Then the shaykh whispered in the ear of the imam: "Are you going to stop lying about Allah and the Prophet (SAW) and behave yourself, or do you want more punishment?" The imam admitted his mischief and repented. The student realized his mistake and pleaded to the shaykh to give him his three months of practical da'wah field training! There is a world of difference between theory and application.

[Excerpt from Training Guide for Islamic Workers - IIIT]

The Semester Ends

Alhamdulillah, my first semester at Matriculation Centre IIUM (MCIIUM) ends at 12:00pm, Saturday, 16th October 2004 with the completion of my Final Examination. The last paper is Chemistry I, one of the six courses I'm taking this semester. The other five courses is Maths I, Physics I, Fundamental Knowledge for Muslims, Elementary Quranic Language Part I and Computer I. Glad to say that I really enjoy my studies at MCIIUM, thanks a lot to the lecturers - Madam Susilawati, Bro. Nik, Madam Syarifah, Madam Faridah Hanem, Ustaz Jasri and Ustaz Sabri. Also farewell and goodluck to Bro. Nik who would be leaving MCIIUM to pursue a career that better fit his qualifications. Although he's an IT grad he did a great a job teaching us Maths I - but being a Manager would suit him better.

The past few months had been very eventful but I'm just lack the time to sit down and write it all. Last two weeks another newborn for the family, this time a baby boy of Uncle Azman and Auntie Hamisah. Not forgetting the adopted baby of Uncle Hanafi and Auntie Suraida last two months. What else? My uncle's wedding in August, my cousin flying off to Manchester to pursue her degree and my uncle continuing his education in Australia. Oh yes, the meeting of bloggers on 30th September is also a memorable event - thanks a lot to Kak Sri, Auntie Halela, and MBA. I also attended WISER (Weekend Invitational Seminar of Education in Radiology (Neuroradiology)) at Sunway Lagoon Hotel last month. Huh? What I, an engineering student do at a Medical seminar? I'm just accompanying my mum, that's it. The topic? Malformation of bloodvessels in the brain, hardly beautiful to look at but the technology to diagnose and treat it is what amazes me. I'm particularly interested in those medical imaging machines actually.

That's it for now, need some much needed rest before I start resuming writing for eJAD. By the way, Salam Ramdhan to all!