Tired

assalamualaikum warahmatullah, and a big, tired HELLO to all

29-10, that was the final score this afternoon between the manchester medics and the manchester law students rugby teams. we led 7-5 during the first half (which imo was a bit scrappy) in the game played at the sale's training ground situated in carrington, 2 miles away from heywood road. it was quite a pleasant weather today, yeah, and i played 11 (left wing) during the opening period before being replaced by a more 'seasoned' player in the second half.

broke fast inside rick's (2nd year medic) car on the way back to manchester (just plain water, again...) where he dropped me at peja's house in moss side (other housemates including chito, kam & han). mcot boys organised iftaar session every ramadhan weekend and for today the rusholme 'citizens' are responsible for the meal preparation.

there were few things going on after the 'kenduri' but i don't think i still have the stamina to write it down here... maybe next time yeah... all the best to everyone out there... salaam ramadhan. assalamualaikum warahmatullah.

Hadith:
Narrated Abu Hurairah (r.a.): Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "Everyday two angels descend and one of them says, 'O Allah! Compensate (more) to the person who gives (in charity)'; while the other one says, 'O Allah! Destroy the one who withholds (charity, etc.)'." [Al-Bukhari]

Commentary: The spending for which there is good news of Divine blessing may be said as expenses on household and guests, etc., as well as voluntary and obligatory charity. And the miserliness which incurs imprecation is restraining from paying Zakat, giving alms and not spending on what is commendable. Destruction may imply the destruction of wealth or that of the miser himself. Only Allah knows better!

(Hadith & Commentary taken from Riyadhus Saliheen)

Change of fixture

assalamualaikum warahmatullah and hello everybody

got this sms from Dan moments ago:-

"Match tomorrow boys. Meet OP at 12. The g** boys have cried off but we r playing the law school at sale."

ok, enough said. wish me luck tomorrow everyone! assalamualaikum warahmatullah, salaam ramadhan.

(Dan=medics rugby team captain, OP=Owens Park, Sale=a township in south manchester)


"...So ask Ahl Adh-Dhikr (the people of the book), if you know not." An-Nahl 16:43

Thursday Night's Musings

assalamualaikum warahmatullah, and hi...

i just returned from the medics rugby training in Sale (Heywood Road) which was cut short due to the Medics Party taking place tonight at a local pub in Gay Village. same as last week (and most of the weeks before), Gareth Kitchen (Kitch) drove me and Paul back home to Manchester.

i shot off straight away to Pizza Co. from Gareth's, never crossed my mind to attend the party anyway. it has been exactly one week since i last went there (Pizza Co.), and obviously not many Malaysians (muslims) will show their faces there during this holy month of Ramadhan. insya Allah after Eid, business will be back to normal flow for the Pizza Co. operators as far as their Malaysian customers are concerned.

i was happily (and greedily, maybe?) munching my wings and chips when suddenly Gareth Jones (oops... too many Gareths here) popped in. he's a 1st year medic, and also one of my rugby team-mates. we played together for the Sale 3rd team 2 weeks ago in a Cup match against Rosendale (which we won, fortunately). we chatted a bit as Gareth was in a hurry (he's heading for the Medics Party).

this Saturday, we'll play a friendly (kickoff at 2.30pm BST) against the Spartans, another local team. well, not just another local team but hmm... just browse through their website and you'll know what i mean... http://www.villagespartans.co.uk/ Dan (our captain) has guaranteed that i will have some playing times under my belt so i should just be prepared both mentally and 'physically' and pray that nothing will go wrong... Amiin...

spent the whole day at home because my GP in Rochdale went off to holiday in Wales. initial plan was to do some PBL research but ended up getting a haircut instead, plus a cut on my right thumb (due to some unnecessary shaving actions... sigh...). broke fast outside Gareth's (Kitch) house before going to Sale. and yeah, as usual, i had a Cadbury Flake, one Kinder Bueno & some water for iftaar today.

yesterday wasn't as uneventful as today (i think)... reached Uni at 8.45am to supervise the 1st year Malaysian Medics PBL discussion at the Precinct Library. Syed Ibrahim joined us halfway through the session. prayed Zuhur in MRI, and sped off to the Radiology Department (with Syed) only to find out that Dr Taylor's sign-up session is cancelled. the staff nurse said he's in America for a vacation. why do all the doctors have their holiday at the same time?!!?? went to Ambrose next for a bit of 'relaxation' before proceeding to the North Campus (UMIST laa...) for the MSSM AGM & Election... stayed and voted only for the top 2 posts because of a so-called 'kenduri' at my house. Abang Wan is going back to Malaysia next week to celebrate Eid with his family, and as usual he treated all of us with 'Kari Kambing' after Maghrib. and not forgetting the Gulai Ayam Lemak Serbuk Cili which i cooked earlier in the wee morning for sahur, but alas, the earliest person woke up at 6.45am (Fajr was at 6.35am, for your reference).

and before i end my nonsense, just like to recall one of the verse i came across this afternoon. from Surah al-Hijr (15:9) which i translate (to the nearest meaning, based on Tafsir Ibn Kathir) as:- "Verily, We, it is We Who revealed the Dhikr (i.e. the Quran) and surely We will guard it (from corruption)". this is one of the proof of the Quran as a mu'jizat, unaltered and unchanged since its revelation to our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) and Allah will guard its contents until the Final Day.

my final advice to myself (especially), and to all of you guys and girls out there, please read the Quran, understand it, and act upon it. don't waste all the precious moments during this year's Ramadhan as we won't know for sure whether we will still be here to meet the next one next year.

all that is good is from Allah (Alone), and all the bad things are from my (and our) own mistakes, and i ask forgiveness from Allah, and a big sorry to everyone for any shortcomings. assalamualaikum warahmatullah, salaam Ramadhan.

(abbreviations: BST=British Summer Time, GP=General Practitioner, PBL=Problem-Based Learning, MRI=Manchester Royal Infirmary, MSSM=Malaysian Students Society of Manchester)

Opposing Forces

due to outside 'calls' and 'urges' for me to update my blog, i duly take 10 minutes off my time this morning to share some information which might be useful to all. the excerpt below is taken from the book 'Patience & Gratitude', an abridged translation of " 'Uddat as-sabirin wa dhakirat ash-shakirin" by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. Let us all try to have patience in both types of 'natural forces', insya Allah. May Allah rewards us accordingly in this blessed month of Ramadhan. Amiin.

Opposing Forces

Psychologically speaking, every person has two forces of work within him/her. One is the 'driving force', which pushes him towards some actions, and the other is the 'restraining force', which holds him back from others. Patience essentially harnesses the driving force to push us towards good things, and the restraining force to hold us back from actions that may be harmful to ourselves or others.

Some people have strong patience when it comes to doing what is good for them, but their patience is weak with regard to restraint from harmful actions, so we may find that a person has enough patience to perform acts of worship (Solah, Sawm, Hajj), but has no patience in controlling himself and refraining from following his whims and desires, and in this way he may commit haram deeds.

Conversely, some people may have strong patience in abstaining from forbidden deeds, but their patience in obeying commandments of and performing 'ibadah is too weak.

Some people have no patience in either case! And, needless to say, the best people are those who possess both types of patience.

So, a man may have plenty of patience when it comes to standing all night in prayer, and enduring whatever conditions of heat or cold may be prevalent, but have no patience at all when it comes to lowering his gaze and refraining from looking at women. Another may have no problem in controlling his gaze, but he lacks the patience which would make him enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and he is so weak and helpless that he cannot strive against against the kuffar and mushrikun.

Most people will be lacking in patience in any one case, and a few lack it in all cases...