BLOG RESURRECTED

Bismillahirahmanirrahim

Fffuuhh..Fffuuhh..Achoo! Looks like I’ve got a dusty blog here. It’s been ages since I myself last open my own blog, more so gather up the energy to make my lazy, procrastinating self to update it. But here are Boredom and Inspiration coming together like long lost friends crashing at my home to keep me company. And I think they’re going to stay for a very long time…

Since I wrote that cute, oddball haiku early this year, many equally oddball happenings have been thrown upon me. I’ve gathered enough materials for a novel that could earn me big bucks, but let’s not talk about them.

Instead, let’s talk about the last three weeks of my life (SO FAR…), in which I’ve been zigzagging across the peninsular in an almost Brownian motion. No, I’ve not been embarking on a road trip in a physical sense (although the trip to Tioman closely resembles one), but more on a spiritual and emotional level. I’ve learned more about life and death and the Islamic way of life than 13 years of structured education could ever teach me.

In those 3 weeks, I spent 2 of them in Pondok Baitu Qura’ (BQ) in Sg. Udang, Melaka. The remaining week was spent in the southern metropolis of Johor Bahru and the beautiful island called Tioman.

In retrospect, I like to think that my 2 weeks at BQ was more like a boot camp to train me on how to combat my greatest enemy: nafsu. The third week was the battlezone; a test of my ability to fight my nafsu. O Allah, nafsu is certainly a determined enemy who fought (and still fighting) single-mindedly to ensure my spiritual destruction. Of course, I do not emerge from the fight unscathed. I became a casualty as I was defeated many instances in the third week. But, Alhamdulillah, I’m still yet undefeated on the strategic scale. The whole war is still waging at time of writing, but rest assured, my Anti-Nafsu Army is still fighting valiantly on the frontline, thanks to the reinforcements called Knowledge and Faith from two weeks of learning at BQ, along with the help of Allah S.W.T..

I prefer to think of my last three weeks (again, SO FAR…) as being one of the greatest adventures of my life. I’m going to tell you about them. But not now. It’s going to be very long if I’m ever going to write about them. The next entries are going to be installed in parts, along with a few photos to keep your eyes from being too watery after reading too many words at the same time.

 Yes, yes, I know. We are now living in a world where dry texts alone won’t matter. We need images to keep our attention glued to whatever that’s being presented. That’s why books are dying. But that’ll be another entry for another day.  So here’s a picture for you:

That's near Milford Track, NZ. And there's where I'm wanna be if Allah permits me to fly there...

Hopefully Allah grants me more time and ability to write more. Until we meet again. Wasallam.