Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Maher Zain - Open Your Eyes [To All Photographer Open Your 'Lens'] - ماه...
hurmm..kalau takat lgu maher zain,msti rmai dh dgr..
tp..da tg0k ke video nih..
h0w this guy convert to Islam.?
s0 now..OPEN YOUR HEART..!!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
a FAITH i had NEVER considered..!!
"ISLAM.??Is it really da true religion.?"yea..first time I heard this questions fr0m a friend of mine,I was flabbergasted..
I means,h0w could u ever have d0ubt on this religion?but then..
dilah jumpa c0uples of people yg tnya soalan yg lbey krg sma..
n..ada gk yg suggest kt dilah"kenapa x ajar jea knk2 tuh,semua agama,then biarla dy pilih sniri agma yg dy suka bila besar nti..mna adil lahir2 tr0s agama tuh"
s0,to answers all these questions,I provided u with a very interesting story..a true story..!
now,I'm n0t asking u t0 believe,but please take some time and read the st0ry below..
~p/s:dilah x nk edit citer nih,cuz i think it's already a beautiful piece of story which touch my heart so deeply,dilah x nk "feel" tu hilang..cewahh~
~citer nih guna simple eng jea,n..u all bkn nk kna ngeja ke..so,no excuses..JUZ READ,K.??here we go~
"I have n0t always been a Muslim.There have been times in my life that I have been the very opposite of what that means to be;yet,in s0me way,I feel like like my whole life has led me t0 it.I had been raised to hold a Christian faith in a home of mixed denominations.Bef0re my mother,a devout Roman-Catholic,would accept my father's pr0posal for marriage,she made him promise before a priest that they w0uld raise their children Catholic.Th0ugh my father c0mes from a very devoted Mormon family,he accepted.
The result for us-their children-was still a mix between the two.My uncle once j0kes that this is why I became a Muslim,because i c0uldn't decide between my parents' opposing faiths.My uncle did n0t know the long searched I ventured before I finally guided to Islam.My mother had always been very vocal about her faith.There was n0t a day that would go by when we did not hear her cheerfully singing al0ud her daily prayers,or reminding us to be c0nscious of God.My father was more reserved in speaking about his faith ,though deeply committed to follow it's moral obligations.If I or any of my siblings ever were in any kind of trouble,we w0uld find an understanding.I did n0t realize how much of an affect their practice had upon me until I graduated from high school.It was during those last few years at Folsom High School that God choose to put my family through it's greatest trial.
My mother who had previously battled severe tumours while I was in grade school,had been diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer.The doctors could not promise her much help or time.With firmness,she attended her chemotherapy sessions,even though her hair w0uld fall out as a result,while also seeking other treatments.She was determined to see her children grow up.The family gathered around her in an amazing support.All of her children were there to care for her,especially my younger sister.I was 17 years old and did not know how to help.High school seemed to add problems on top of it for me,with its own pressures and friends who did not know how to be supportive.Feeling both grief and shame due to my powerlessness to change my mother's condition,I often left home just to reflect al0ne,or I would act as if there was no problem at all!
When a hospital bed was finally brought in,i knew then that i w0uld not have that much time to spend with her.I would have to let her know that I loved her,for I feared that I may not have another chance.One evening when I felt that I have an opportunity to speak with her al0ne,I went downstairs and stood by her bedside.She had lost an incredible amount of weight and had an oxygen tank to help her breathe,but when she saw me she smiled so big,it was as if n0ne of that mattered.I stood there for what seemed like several minutes,though it was pr0bably only a few sec0nds,taking in what I saw.Her eyes glowed with love and optimism,and she had a smile to match.In her greatest trial in life,she seemed to bare it with such strength-strength that i did n0t even seem t0 have.
I t0ld her then that I loved her,and her smile grew even wider.Sensing why I had elected that time to say so,she leaned forward as much as she could and said that I had n0thing to worry about,that everything was going to be okay.I felt in her a warm trust in whatever God had planned for her,and her words left an impression upon my heart.Only a few weeks later,my sister knocked on my bedroom door to letme know that our mother had passed away.She had been a devoted friend,a l0ving sister,and an active member of the community,as well as a m0ther.Her funeral was attendedby hundreds of family members and friends.Each of which had n0thing but the best things to say about her.
It was one statement though changed my life forever!While giving the eulogy,the priest asked each one of us to think of one characteristic my mother had which we treasured,and to place that character trait into ourselves."that," he said,"would be her legacy.I knew right then that I treasured most her inner strength,which allowed her t0 be so optimistic and loving even though her greatest trial.I knew as well that this strength came from her firm faith in God.I became determined to find that same strength,but it would only come with a search for a faith I could find certainty in.I can't remember a time in my life that i did not believe in God,though the were times that I wrongfully criticized Him.My mother had raised me to be Catholic,but i never understo0d the of calling upon saints when we are also taught that God is All-Powerful,and I had difficulty accepting a human being to be my Creator.
There was faith in my heart for God,but i did n0t know how to understand Him.Inspired by a famous historical figure who at 18 planned to be on the road to stardom by 23,i made a promise to myself to be on the correct religi0us path-whatever that might be- by the same age!I so0n picked up a new copy of the Bible and started reading it.I shared some of my questions about God with friends,but they never seemed t0 take religion seriously.With an open heart I tried to find in the Bible a clear direction in life.
Being unsure of any correct denomination to follow,I tried to let the Bible speak for itself.Within the verses I f0und ethical guidelines,history,and genealogical information.I believe in the prophets of God,but-though I loved his words-believing Jesus (peace be upon him) as God was still the most difficult concept for me to accept.I wanted so much to believe,but i could not force it upon myself.While feeling utterly lost one night,I begged God to give me faith to believe that Jesus was God.For a moment,I thought that I felt it,but it was so0n lost.I then began my search for faith in other religions.Into the works of Hinduism,Hare Krishna,New age,and Buddhism I dove.They offered beautiful sayings and stories describing the struggles of moral pe0ple, but I could not find within their works anything to provide me with any certainty!Meditation and the focus in Buddhism did offer a clearer sense of practice than other faiths I had studied,but the God Whose presence I was seeking was not to be found in their scripture.
I was not just seeking a theology to accept,I was yearning for the feeling of conviction that comes only with true faith.After considering what I th0ught to be all of the major religions,I decided that whatever God wanted me to practice must have been corrupted by human hands,or misundersto0d by its adherents.I was certain the truth could only be found by separating all of these human additions to scripture through an indepth and sincere,study of them all.Feeling still uncertain of what I should believe,I placed my hope in God that He would help me find Him.
I was fortunate enough to have a friend who invited me to live with in Santa Barbara,California.Both he and I treasured the idea of being away from old friends who seemed to criticize our efforts to find God and our true selves.I was just turning 21 at the time,and saw his offer as an opportunity to dedicate m0re time to trying to find god before my 23rd birthday,and to fulfil the promise I had made to myself.Living away fr0m friends and family als0 gave me a great opportunity f0r personal growth and t0 meet people with similar interests.There I met an array of spiritual people of various creeds and discussed with them their ideas;s0me of which seemed very beautiful,while others cause me to question their vision of reality.I enjoyed speaking to others about faith,but i did not come across anything new which offered me something I could truly believe in.
I wanted to know the truth so I could act upon it,and n0t just make conversation about what the truth might be.Though I went through a l0t of personal growth ,I still did not find the faith I was seeking in Santa Barbara.I moved back home to Sacramento and,with my 23rd birthday a few months away ,I began to feel lost and utterly depressed.The most important promise that I have ever made did n0t seem likely to be fulfilled.Disappointed,I then stopped reading any spiritual works and to0k to learning about current events.
I was very interested in knowing more about conflicts in the Middle East,especially the Holy Land.I went to my local bookstore and bought a about the conflict in Israel and Palestine that kept referring to a religion that taught people violence and hatred.The author made clear that this religion was the problem in the Middle East and,n0t knowing anymore about this religion than what he t0ld me,I took the author at his word.In conversations,I would reference the work,and speak out against this religion of intolerance ,this "Islam".I did this until a sincere friend asked me if I realised I was being prejudiced.He was right,I actually only knew about Islam through the text I had read.
I decided I would ask my store manager ,Danyelle,who was a convert to Islam.She very gladly gave me a copy of the Quran,and her husband ,Jabari suggested that I visit them at their house for further discussion.For a month and a half,I visited them every Friday night and spoke with them about religion.They were very gener0us,seving me dinner everytime I came and answered my questions without pushing me to believe.
I had read part of the Quran before,but n0w ,having someone to answer my questions,my heart opened ,and I really tried to understand it's meaning.The Quran sto0d out from any other scripture that I had ever read.It was far from being intolerant,rather it was uniquely balanced.Its simultaneous emphasis upon both societal laws and mercy made sense,and its passages revealed a deep knowledge of human character.Concepts I found true in other scripture were also present in the Quran ,and if the differed ,I found the Quran to actually make more sense.After six weeks of discussions and reading,I was convinced that the Quran was divinely inspired.
On Friday,February 25,I made the annoucement that I was going to convert and that Sunday I said with full conviction that,"I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except God,and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God".In Arabic this is called the "Shahadah".
As the sun rose the following day,and i was contemplating upon my new faith,I realized that it was my 23rd birthday,and it was God who had helped me fulfil my promise.After all of my searching,God revealed to me a faith that I had never considered,and it is the greatest gift that I treasure.
Every time I read the Quran,or learn something new about it,I only grow in my faith.This is the type of convicti0n that I was seeking,and it is what gives me the streng to be the pers0n I am today. "
so,is dis st0ry change y0ur percepti0n about Islam.??
as 4 me,I made a few conclusions..check dis 0ut:
~la ikrahal fiddien
~put y0ur trust in Allah,and He will guide u al0ng da way..
~agama Islam ialah utk org yg berfikir..untuk org yg benar2 ingin mgenali Penciptanya..
kalau mmg lahir sbg muslim pn,tp x prnah peduli utk mgenali Islam..x pernah terlintas utk mncari keredaanNya..what's da p0int.??rugiiiiiiiiii sgt.!!
kalau lahir sbg non-muslim pn,kalau hatinya ikhlas utk mncari kbenaran,He will answered y0ur prayers..Allah akan beri hidayah,bknkah i2 hak mutlakNya.??
hurmm..let's all say "Alhamdulillah" kerna dilahirkn sbg muslim..kerna kita dberi peringatan.. :)
yukk..jum amalkn d0a nih utk ketetapan hati:
"ya muqh0llibal khulubi,sabbit qhulubana a'la dinika",mksudnya "wahai tuhan yg memb0lak-balikkn hati-hati,tetapknlah hati km dlm agmaMu"
I means,h0w could u ever have d0ubt on this religion?but then..
dilah jumpa c0uples of people yg tnya soalan yg lbey krg sma..
n..ada gk yg suggest kt dilah"kenapa x ajar jea knk2 tuh,semua agama,then biarla dy pilih sniri agma yg dy suka bila besar nti..mna adil lahir2 tr0s agama tuh"
s0,to answers all these questions,I provided u with a very interesting story..a true story..!
now,I'm n0t asking u t0 believe,but please take some time and read the st0ry below..
~p/s:dilah x nk edit citer nih,cuz i think it's already a beautiful piece of story which touch my heart so deeply,dilah x nk "feel" tu hilang..cewahh~
~citer nih guna simple eng jea,n..u all bkn nk kna ngeja ke..so,no excuses..JUZ READ,K.??here we go~
"I have n0t always been a Muslim.There have been times in my life that I have been the very opposite of what that means to be;yet,in s0me way,I feel like like my whole life has led me t0 it.I had been raised to hold a Christian faith in a home of mixed denominations.Bef0re my mother,a devout Roman-Catholic,would accept my father's pr0posal for marriage,she made him promise before a priest that they w0uld raise their children Catholic.Th0ugh my father c0mes from a very devoted Mormon family,he accepted.
The result for us-their children-was still a mix between the two.My uncle once j0kes that this is why I became a Muslim,because i c0uldn't decide between my parents' opposing faiths.My uncle did n0t know the long searched I ventured before I finally guided to Islam.My mother had always been very vocal about her faith.There was n0t a day that would go by when we did not hear her cheerfully singing al0ud her daily prayers,or reminding us to be c0nscious of God.My father was more reserved in speaking about his faith ,though deeply committed to follow it's moral obligations.If I or any of my siblings ever were in any kind of trouble,we w0uld find an understanding.I did n0t realize how much of an affect their practice had upon me until I graduated from high school.It was during those last few years at Folsom High School that God choose to put my family through it's greatest trial.
My mother who had previously battled severe tumours while I was in grade school,had been diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer.The doctors could not promise her much help or time.With firmness,she attended her chemotherapy sessions,even though her hair w0uld fall out as a result,while also seeking other treatments.She was determined to see her children grow up.The family gathered around her in an amazing support.All of her children were there to care for her,especially my younger sister.I was 17 years old and did not know how to help.High school seemed to add problems on top of it for me,with its own pressures and friends who did not know how to be supportive.Feeling both grief and shame due to my powerlessness to change my mother's condition,I often left home just to reflect al0ne,or I would act as if there was no problem at all!
When a hospital bed was finally brought in,i knew then that i w0uld not have that much time to spend with her.I would have to let her know that I loved her,for I feared that I may not have another chance.One evening when I felt that I have an opportunity to speak with her al0ne,I went downstairs and stood by her bedside.She had lost an incredible amount of weight and had an oxygen tank to help her breathe,but when she saw me she smiled so big,it was as if n0ne of that mattered.I stood there for what seemed like several minutes,though it was pr0bably only a few sec0nds,taking in what I saw.Her eyes glowed with love and optimism,and she had a smile to match.In her greatest trial in life,she seemed to bare it with such strength-strength that i did n0t even seem t0 have.
I t0ld her then that I loved her,and her smile grew even wider.Sensing why I had elected that time to say so,she leaned forward as much as she could and said that I had n0thing to worry about,that everything was going to be okay.I felt in her a warm trust in whatever God had planned for her,and her words left an impression upon my heart.Only a few weeks later,my sister knocked on my bedroom door to letme know that our mother had passed away.She had been a devoted friend,a l0ving sister,and an active member of the community,as well as a m0ther.Her funeral was attendedby hundreds of family members and friends.Each of which had n0thing but the best things to say about her.
It was one statement though changed my life forever!While giving the eulogy,the priest asked each one of us to think of one characteristic my mother had which we treasured,and to place that character trait into ourselves."that," he said,"would be her legacy.I knew right then that I treasured most her inner strength,which allowed her t0 be so optimistic and loving even though her greatest trial.I knew as well that this strength came from her firm faith in God.I became determined to find that same strength,but it would only come with a search for a faith I could find certainty in.I can't remember a time in my life that i did not believe in God,though the were times that I wrongfully criticized Him.My mother had raised me to be Catholic,but i never understo0d the of calling upon saints when we are also taught that God is All-Powerful,and I had difficulty accepting a human being to be my Creator.
There was faith in my heart for God,but i did n0t know how to understand Him.Inspired by a famous historical figure who at 18 planned to be on the road to stardom by 23,i made a promise to myself to be on the correct religi0us path-whatever that might be- by the same age!I so0n picked up a new copy of the Bible and started reading it.I shared some of my questions about God with friends,but they never seemed t0 take religion seriously.With an open heart I tried to find in the Bible a clear direction in life.
Being unsure of any correct denomination to follow,I tried to let the Bible speak for itself.Within the verses I f0und ethical guidelines,history,and genealogical information.I believe in the prophets of God,but-though I loved his words-believing Jesus (peace be upon him) as God was still the most difficult concept for me to accept.I wanted so much to believe,but i could not force it upon myself.While feeling utterly lost one night,I begged God to give me faith to believe that Jesus was God.For a moment,I thought that I felt it,but it was so0n lost.I then began my search for faith in other religions.Into the works of Hinduism,Hare Krishna,New age,and Buddhism I dove.They offered beautiful sayings and stories describing the struggles of moral pe0ple, but I could not find within their works anything to provide me with any certainty!Meditation and the focus in Buddhism did offer a clearer sense of practice than other faiths I had studied,but the God Whose presence I was seeking was not to be found in their scripture.
I was not just seeking a theology to accept,I was yearning for the feeling of conviction that comes only with true faith.After considering what I th0ught to be all of the major religions,I decided that whatever God wanted me to practice must have been corrupted by human hands,or misundersto0d by its adherents.I was certain the truth could only be found by separating all of these human additions to scripture through an indepth and sincere,study of them all.Feeling still uncertain of what I should believe,I placed my hope in God that He would help me find Him.
I was fortunate enough to have a friend who invited me to live with in Santa Barbara,California.Both he and I treasured the idea of being away from old friends who seemed to criticize our efforts to find God and our true selves.I was just turning 21 at the time,and saw his offer as an opportunity to dedicate m0re time to trying to find god before my 23rd birthday,and to fulfil the promise I had made to myself.Living away fr0m friends and family als0 gave me a great opportunity f0r personal growth and t0 meet people with similar interests.There I met an array of spiritual people of various creeds and discussed with them their ideas;s0me of which seemed very beautiful,while others cause me to question their vision of reality.I enjoyed speaking to others about faith,but i did not come across anything new which offered me something I could truly believe in.
I wanted to know the truth so I could act upon it,and n0t just make conversation about what the truth might be.Though I went through a l0t of personal growth ,I still did not find the faith I was seeking in Santa Barbara.I moved back home to Sacramento and,with my 23rd birthday a few months away ,I began to feel lost and utterly depressed.The most important promise that I have ever made did n0t seem likely to be fulfilled.Disappointed,I then stopped reading any spiritual works and to0k to learning about current events.
I was very interested in knowing more about conflicts in the Middle East,especially the Holy Land.I went to my local bookstore and bought a about the conflict in Israel and Palestine that kept referring to a religion that taught people violence and hatred.The author made clear that this religion was the problem in the Middle East and,n0t knowing anymore about this religion than what he t0ld me,I took the author at his word.In conversations,I would reference the work,and speak out against this religion of intolerance ,this "Islam".I did this until a sincere friend asked me if I realised I was being prejudiced.He was right,I actually only knew about Islam through the text I had read.
I decided I would ask my store manager ,Danyelle,who was a convert to Islam.She very gladly gave me a copy of the Quran,and her husband ,Jabari suggested that I visit them at their house for further discussion.For a month and a half,I visited them every Friday night and spoke with them about religion.They were very gener0us,seving me dinner everytime I came and answered my questions without pushing me to believe.
I had read part of the Quran before,but n0w ,having someone to answer my questions,my heart opened ,and I really tried to understand it's meaning.The Quran sto0d out from any other scripture that I had ever read.It was far from being intolerant,rather it was uniquely balanced.Its simultaneous emphasis upon both societal laws and mercy made sense,and its passages revealed a deep knowledge of human character.Concepts I found true in other scripture were also present in the Quran ,and if the differed ,I found the Quran to actually make more sense.After six weeks of discussions and reading,I was convinced that the Quran was divinely inspired.
On Friday,February 25,I made the annoucement that I was going to convert and that Sunday I said with full conviction that,"I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except God,and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God".In Arabic this is called the "Shahadah".
As the sun rose the following day,and i was contemplating upon my new faith,I realized that it was my 23rd birthday,and it was God who had helped me fulfil my promise.After all of my searching,God revealed to me a faith that I had never considered,and it is the greatest gift that I treasure.
Every time I read the Quran,or learn something new about it,I only grow in my faith.This is the type of convicti0n that I was seeking,and it is what gives me the streng to be the pers0n I am today. "
so,is dis st0ry change y0ur percepti0n about Islam.??
as 4 me,I made a few conclusions..check dis 0ut:
~la ikrahal fiddien
~put y0ur trust in Allah,and He will guide u al0ng da way..
~agama Islam ialah utk org yg berfikir..untuk org yg benar2 ingin mgenali Penciptanya..
kalau mmg lahir sbg muslim pn,tp x prnah peduli utk mgenali Islam..x pernah terlintas utk mncari keredaanNya..what's da p0int.??rugiiiiiiiiii sgt.!!
kalau lahir sbg non-muslim pn,kalau hatinya ikhlas utk mncari kbenaran,He will answered y0ur prayers..Allah akan beri hidayah,bknkah i2 hak mutlakNya.??
hurmm..let's all say "Alhamdulillah" kerna dilahirkn sbg muslim..kerna kita dberi peringatan.. :)
yukk..jum amalkn d0a nih utk ketetapan hati:
"ya muqh0llibal khulubi,sabbit qhulubana a'la dinika",mksudnya "wahai tuhan yg memb0lak-balikkn hati-hati,tetapknlah hati km dlm agmaMu"
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