....OF HENNA AND PINE SEEDS....

I'VE GONE NUTS!!!


Everyones' nuts, for the versatile pine nut. Pine nuts aren't really nuts, but just about everyone is nuts for them. Found in the cones of pine trees, these buttery seeds are the darling of cuisines.


High in monounsaturated fats - the same heart-healthy fats in nuts and olive oil - pine nuts yield up to 14 grams of protein per serving. Eating a handful, can actually suppress appetite since they are packed with pinolenic acid, a subtance that sends a "full" signal to the brain.

Grown: in Europe and China

PRETTY DANGEROUS: THE HIDDEN RISKS IN BEAUTY TREATMENT CHEMICAL ADDED TO HENNA MIXES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A HEALTH RISK

ART

ALL THAT GLITTERS: BUNNY RABIT - 2009

Artist: FARHAD MOSHIN (Iranian)

ALL THAT GLITTERS: MOBILE TALKER - 2007

Artist: FARHAD MOSHIN (Iranian)

MISS USA 2010 - RIMA FAKIH (LEBANESE AMERICAN)

BANG THAT DRUM: Dame Evelyn Glennie: Percussion Soloist

(MY FAVOURITE - watercolour - neutral + 1 colour)

book jacket: THIS PARTY'S GOT TO STOP! A Memoir of RUPERT THOMSON

TAKE A BREAK - WILL BE BACK SOON!

SERENITY! SUNGGUH INDAH PEMANDANGAN INI!

ROH ORANG HIDUP BOLEH BERTEMU DENGAN ROH ORANG MATI

Roh-roh orang hidup dengan roh-roh orang mati, bahwa si-hidup itu kerap melihat orang yang sudah mati di dalam tidurnya, lalu dia meminta pemberitahuan daripadanya, maka dia telah diberitahu oleh mayit itu dengan berbagai-bagai berita yang tiada diketahui oleh orang hidup. Pemberitahuan itu adakalanya mengenai hal-hal yang telah berlaku, ataupun yang bakal berlaku pada masa hadapan. Adakalanya dia akan memberitahu tentang harta yang ditanamnya di sesuatu tempat, yang tiada orang mengetahuinya melainkan si mayit itu sendiri. Adakalanya dia akan memberitahu tentang hutang yang tergantung atas dirinya, kemudian, dia akan memberikan tanda-tandanya dan bukti-buktinya.

Lebih dari itu, adakalanya dia akan memberitahu tentang sesuatu perbuatan yang dibuatnya, yang tiada seorang pun di dunia ini mengetahuinya. Yang lebih pelik lagi adakalanya dia akan memberitahu orang yang mimpikannya itu, bahawa orang itu akan mati pada waktu begini dan begitu, maka hal itu berlaku sama seperti yang diberitahukan itu. Adakalanya dia akan memberitahu tentang beberapa perkara, yang tiada seorang pun dari yang hidup mengetahuinya selain dari dirinya sendiri.

AN EARLY RECOMPENSE - A GOOD STORY

'VERILY, ALLAH IS GOOD AND PURE, AND HE DOES NOT ACCEPT OTHER THAN WHAT IS GOOD AND PURE'

Ibn Rajab and others gave an account of a worshipper who ran out of resources while he was in Makkah. He became extremely hungry and was about to die from lack of nourishment. One day, as he was wandering in the precincts of Makkah, he found an expensive necklace. He put it into his sleeves and headed for the Mosque. On his way he came across a man who was announcing that he had lost a necklace. The poor man later said, "I asked him to describe it to me, and he did so perfectly, leaving no room for doubt. I gave him the necklace without taking reward from him. I said: O' Allah, I have given it up for you, so compensate me with what is better." He then went to the ocean and began a journey in a small boat. Only a brief period of time passed before a storm came with heavy winds crashing into the boat. The boat smashed into pieces and the man was forced to cling to a piece of wood. The violent winds propelled him to the left and to the right. Finally, he was washed ashore on to an island. He found there a Mosque filled with people who were praying, so he joined them. He found papers with parts of the Qur'an written on them and he began to recite from them. The people of the island asked him,"Do you read the Qur'an?" He answered in the affirmative. They said, "Teach our children the Qur'an." So he began to teach them, and he took a salary for his service. One day, they saw him writing and they asked, "Will you teach our children to write?" Again he answered in the affirmative and began teaching them for a salary.

A short time later they said to him, "There is an orphaned girl with us whose father was a good man. Will you marry her?" He agreed to the marriage and later related, "I married her and when I saw her on the wedding night, I found that she was wearing that exact same necklace. I asked her to tell me the story of the necklace. She said that her father lost it in Makkah and a man found it and returned it to him. She said that her father would always supplicate while prostrating, for his daughter to become blessed with a husband similar to that honest man. I then informed her that I was that man."

He abandoned something for the sake of Allah, so Allah compensated him with something that was better.

MENYAMPAIKAN AMANAT

HAI ORANG ORANG YANG BERIMAN, MINTALAH PERTOLONGAN KEPADA ALLAH DENGAN SABAR DAN SOLAT, SESUNGGUHNYA ALLAH BESERTA ORANG ORANG YANG SABAR.

Surah Al Baqarah - Ayat 153



DIJAMIN MASUK SYURGA

Ali bin Abi Talib r.a. mengatakan bahawa Rasulullah s.a.w. bersabda:

Jaminlah bagiku dari diri kamu enam perkara, pasti aku akan menjamin untuk kamu syurga, iaitu: Berkatalah yang jujur jika kamu bercakap, penuhilah janji jika kamu berjanji, dan sampaikanlah amanat jika kamu diberi amanat.

Demikianlah beratnya menjaga amanat atau meyampaikannya kepada yang berhak menerimanya. Langit dan bumi pun enggan memikul amanat kerana merasa tidak sanggup. Akhirnya amanat itu dipikulkan kepada manusia tetapi manusia pun merasa amat berat melaksanakannya.

Mungkin kerana beratnya memegang amanat, maka besar pula ganjaran yang disediakan. Seperti kita lihat dalam hadis di atas, orang yang sanggup memegang amanat dijanjikan dengan balasan syurga. Seperti disebutkan dalam hadis, ada lima golongan yang dijanjikan akan masuk syurga, iaitu:

1. Orang yang menjaga solat yang lima waktu dengan sempurna.

2. Orang yang berpuasa pada bulan Ramadan.

3. Orang yang mengerjakan haji jika dia sanggup.

4. Orang yang membayar zakat dengan senang hati dan ikhlas.

5. Orang yang menunaikan amanat.

Walaupun berat menunaikan amanat, sebenarnya kita sanggup melaksanakannya jika kita bersungguh-sungguh. Kalau kita disuruh menyimpan rahsia, hendaklah kita simpan dengan baik. Begitu juga kalau kita disuruh menjaga sesuatu, disuruh melaksanakan sesuatu, hendaklah kita jaga dan kita laksanakan dengan baik. Kalau disuruh menyampaikan sesuatu kepada orang tertentu, hendaklah kita sampaikan, begitulah seterusnya.

SYURGA PUN IKUT BERDOA

Setelah kita mengerjakan segala yang diperintahkan Allah dan menjauhi yang dilarang Nya, hendaklah kita banyak berdoa supaya dimasukkan ke dalam syurga. Kalau kita berdoa supaya dimasukkan ke dalam syurga, ia pun (syurga itu) sebenarnya ikut berdoa menguatkan doa kita itu.

Rasulullah s.a.w. bersabda:

"Apabila sesaorang muslim meminta kepada Allah supaya masuk syurga, tiga kali, maka syurga berkata: "Ya Allah, masukkanlah dia ke dalam syurga."

Apabila dia minta supaya dijauhkan daripada neraka, tiga kali, maka neraka pun berkata: "Ya Allah, jauhkan dia daripadaku."

Bererti kalau kita memohon kepada Allah supaya dimasukkan ke dalam syurga, mungkin Allah kabulkan permintaan kita. Namun harus diingat bahawa syurga itu pun sebenarnya ikut berdoa. Syurga juga menginginkan supaya kita ikut menjadi penghuninya.

Begitu juga neraka, kalau kita berdoa supaya dijauhkan daripadanya, ia juga ikut berdoa supaya kita dijauhkan. Neraka itu sendiri menginginkan supaya kita terselamat dan dijauhkan daripadanya. Oleh itu kita perlu banyak berdoa supaya dimasukkan ke dalam syurga. Di samping itu kita berdoa supaya dijauhkan daripada neraka.

Ketika membaca zikir selepas solat ada orang yang membaca:

"Ya Allah, jauhkanlah kami daripada neraka."

Ini biasanya dibaca tiga kali. Ini memang elok dibaca tetapi mengapa orang tidak membaca yang satu lagi, iaitu mohon dimasukkan ke dalam syurga seperti disebutkan dalam hadis?

Kalau begitu elok jugalah dibaca tiga kali

"Ya Allah, masukkan kami ke dalam syurga."

SURAH 21 - LUQMAN

"Economic prosperity may come and go; that's just how it is."

"But values are the steady currency that earn us the all-important rewards."

- Peter Buffet, Son of Billionaire Investor Warren Buffet - May, 2010

THIS SURAH OPENS WITH A REFERENCE to the righteous and the rewards awaiting them.

When Prophet Muhammad was asked about Luqman he gave the Arabs of Makkah an account of a set of succinct but powerful instructions Luqman had given his son, which are rich in wisdom and sensible advice.

Luqman's account begins with God urging him to be thankful to Him. Human beings tend not to appreciate the good things they receive and always crave for more. Many a person would accept what one does for them but turn away without even a word of thanks. They are just as ungrateful towards God Almighty, the origin of their existence and sustenance!

Luqman's advice to his son begins thus: "My son, serve no other deity besides GOD". This is followed by a bidding to be kind to one's parents who are, apart from God, immediately responsible for one's existence. It is interesting to note that modern society does not care very much for the welfare of parents. The majority of them in their old age find themselves leading lonely lives in old people's homes. But this is to be expected in a society which has all but forgotten God altogether.

The advice continues: "My son, observe the prayer, enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil. Endure with fortitude whatever befalls you. That is a duty incumbent on all. And turn not your cheek away from people in (false) pride, and walk not haughtily on earth: for, behold, God does not love anyone who, out of self-conceit, acts in a boastful manner."

It closes with the statement: "Be modest in your bearing and lower your voice: the harshest of voices is the braying of the ass."

The testament is a wonderful collection of profound wisdom and high religious and moral principles, which people of all generations ought to learn and observe.

The fact of the matter is that every man is a maker of his own destiny; if saved it will be because of his good deeds, or else his evil deeds will bring about his downfall.

We read elsewhere in the Qur'an that: "No soul shall bear another's burden. If a laden soul calls on another to share its burden, none would respond, not even the nearest of kin."

ANAK ANUGERAH ALLAH - LUQMAN

MUQADDIMAH

Luqman telah diberi oleh Allah ni'mat dan ilmu pengatahuan, oleh sebab itu dia bersyukur kepadaNya atas ni'mat yang diberikan itu. Ini adalah sebagai isyarat dari Allah supaya setiap ibu bapa melaksanakan pula terhadap anak-anak mereka sebagai yang telah dilakukan oleh Luqman.

NASIHAT LUQMAN KEPADA ANAKNYA

1. "Bersyukurlah kepada Allah."

2. "Hai anakku, janganlah kamu mempersekutukan Allah"
3. Allah perintahkan kepada manusia berbuat baik kepada dua orang ibu-bapanya.
4. Pergaulilah keduanya didunia dengan baik
5. "Hai anakku sesungguhnya jika ada sesuatu perbuatan sebarat biji sawi, dan ada dalam batu atau di langit atau di dalam bumi, nescaya Allah akan membalasinya. Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Halus, ialah ilmu Allah itu meliputi segala sesuatu bagaimana pun kecilnya, lagi Maha Mengetahui.
6. Hai anakku dirikanlah solat dan suruhlah manusia mengerjakan yang baik dan cegahlah mereka dari perbuatan yang mungkar dan bersabarlah terhadap apa yang menimpa kamu. Sesungguhnya yang demikian itu termasuk hal-hal yang di wajibkan oleh Allah.

7. Dan janganlah kamu memalingkan mukamu dari manusia kerana sombong dan janganlah kamu berjalan di muka bumi dengan angkuh. Sesungguhnya Allah tidak menyukai orang-orang yang sombong lagi membanggakan diri.

8. Dan sederhanalah kamu dalam berjalan, dan lunakkanlah suaramu. Sesungguhnya seburuk-buruk suara ialah suara keledai."