Cerita Benar Dari Mesir

Saya minat betul dgn seorang Ustaz ini, nama beliau adalah Ustaz Zawawi Yusof. Pertama sekali saya dengar dia berceramah di Masjid Tengku Kelana, saya tertarik dengan cara percakapan dan selingan cerita yang dibawa amat memukau perhatian saya.

Apabila saya dapat tahu dia akan berceramah di Masjid, pasti saya akan pergi mendengar. Tetapi topik hari ini adalah salah satu cerita yang diceritakan oleh Ustaz yang saya perlu cerita kembali kepada anda semua.

Cerita ini merupakan sebuah cerita benar. Malah telah gambarkan dalam satu filem di Mesir. Begini ceritanya...

Terdapat sebuah rumah bersebelahan sebuah sekolah. Rumah itu didiami oleh seorang ibu dan anak. Anak tersebut pergi ke sekolah disebelah rumah tersebut. Ibu si anak ini sering ke sekolah waktu rehat untuk memberi makanan kepada si anak. Tetapi si anak sering memarahi ibunya supaya tidak datang ke sekolah kerana malu akan ibunya yang buta sebelah mata. Si anak merasa malu dengan kehodohan ibunya itu. Ibunya tidak endah dan akan setiap hari ke sekolah utk memberi makanan dan tetap di marahi oleh si anak tersebut.

Si anak nekad untuk belajar kuat untuk mendapatkan sekolah asrama supaya ibunya tidak dapat datang melawatnya. Dengan izin Allah, si anak pun dapat sekolah asrama dan ibunya tidak datang melawatnya lagi.

Si anak kemudian nekad itu mendapatkan biasiswa untuk belajar di luar negara. Si anak pun berjaya mendapatkan biasiswa dan belajar di luar negara. Sejak itu, terputuslah hubungan si anak dengan ibunya. Si anak pun berjaya belajar tinggi dan kahwin dengan seorang perempuan Mesir di luar negara. Si anak kembali ke Mesir tetapi tidak balik melihat ibunya. Si anak terus berjaya dalam hidup dan menjadi orang besar di dalam daerah tersebut.

Ibunya bangga melihat kejayaan anaknya melalui surat khabar ingin benar menjumpa anaknya, maka sekolah lama si anak mengadakan alumni dan menjemput si anak tersebut. Orang kampung berjanji kepada ibunya yang mereka akan membawa anaknya selepas perjumpaan alumni itu ke rumah untuk berjumpa dengan ibunya.

Si anak pun datang ke sekolah tersebut menaiki kereta mewah dan terus meninggalkan tempat itu selepas habisnya upacara tersebut tanpa melawati ibunya. Ibunya yang bersedih akan perkara tersebut nekad itu menjumpa anaknya. Ibu berjaya mendapat alamat rumah anaknya dan berangkat menaiki keretapi dan melalui satu perjalanan yang jauh yang memakan berhari.

Akhirnya sampai jua, ibunya ke rumah si anak tersebut. Ibu mengetuk pintu dan cucu ibu tersebut membuka pintu. Si cucu menjerit kepada ayahnya "Ayah, ada nenek miskin nak mintak sedekah". Si ayah tersebut pun datang melihat dan terkejut melihat ibunya. Si anak tersebut memarahi ibunya lagi. "Saya tidak ingin melihat ibu kerana ibu hodoh! Saya malu melihat ibu! Jangan kembali lagi ke sini, saya tidak ingin melihat ibu lagi!"

Ibunya yang berpatah hati kembali ke kampungnya selepas mendengar kata-kata anaknya yang cukup memilukan hatinya. Sekembali ibu tersebut ke kampung, ibu menulis beberapa surat kepada anaknya tetapi tidak di balas. Si ibu kini tenat dan sakit. Si ibu ingin melihat anaknya dan berutus surat tetapi tidak juga diendahkan oleh si anak.

Akhirnya si ibu meninggal dunia tetapi sebelum itu meninggalkan wasiat supaya seutus surat yang ditulisnya di berikan kepada si anak.

Surat itu pun sampai kepada tangan si anak. Si anak membuka dan membacanya "Wahai anakku, ibu bangga dengan percapaian kamu dan ibu tetap sayang kepada kamu. Ibu sudah tiada lagi tapi ibu masih gembira kerana ibu masih dengan kamu. Ibu ingin menceritakan sebuah kisah, kamu selalu memanggil ibu hodoh dan buta satu mata, ini adalah kerana semasa kamu kecil, kamu mengalami satu kemalangan dan buta sebelah mata. Ibu tidak ingin kamu dicaci nanti oleh kawan kawan kamu, maka ibu sanggup memberi mata ibu kepada kamu. Ibu gembira sekarang, kerana ibu masih dapat melihat menerusi kamu"

Si anak yang kini sedar akan cerita sebenar meraung kesedihan dan kini sedar akan betapa besarnya kasih sayang ibunya dan betapa besar kesilapannya. Dengan takdir Allah S.W.T, si anak yang berpangkat besar kini menghadapi masalah. Masalah keluarga. bercerai dan masalah kerja. Sehingga satu tahap, dia menjadi miskin dan kembali ke kampungnya dan duduk di rumah asalnya. Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Adil.

Setelah sekian lama berada dlm keadaan tersebut, si anak tersebut dengan perlahan-lahan kembali ke status asalnya.

Terdapat 3 cara Allah memberi pahala dengan seponton iaitu apabila melihat Kaabah, melihat Al-Quran dan melihat muka ibu bapa.

Sesungguhnya orang yang paling rugi adalah orang yang mempunyai ibu-bapa yang masih hidup dan tidak membuat sebarang kebajikan bagi mereka.

Semoga kisah benar di atas memberi pengajaran kepada kita akan betapa besarnya pengorbanan ibu bapa terhadap kita.

Ceramah Nuzul Quran

Ceramah Nuzul Quran ini disampaikan oleh Dato Ust Kamarudin, Mantan Imam Masjid Negara diadakan di Masjid Tengku Kelana, Kelana Jaya.

Ceramah beliau adalah agak dramatik dan penuh dengan pelbagai kisah pengalaman, tetapi sebagai manusia yang lemah dalam peringatan, saya cuma boleh menulis apa yang ingat pada malam ini. Tujuan penulisan ini adalah bagi menyampaikan nasihat Dato kepada warga muslim dan bagi peringatan diri saya sendiri pada masa hadapan.

Sebelum itu, saya ingin memohon maaf jika kandungan dibawah, mungkin ada yang tidak betul atau terpesong. Maklumlah, peringatan saya tidak begitu kuat.

Rasullah S.A.W bertanya kepada Saidina Ali tentang "Adakah kamu faham akan Al-Quran? Dan apa yang kamu suka pada dunia ini berdasarkan kepada Al-Quran?"

Saidina Ali menangis mendengar soalan itu "Bagaimana Rasullah saya boleh menjawab, sedangkan Rasullah lebih mengetahui akan jawapannya". Dato' menerangkan tentang bertawaduk iaitu merendahkan diri walaupun mengetahui. Masyarakat kita suka bermegah megah padahal merendahkan diri adalah lebih penting.

Saidina Ali masih di tanya dan akhirnya beliau menjawab "Saya suka di dunia ini 4 perkara, pertama saya suka memberi salam sebelum orang yang ingin memberi salam kepada saya mengucapkan salam" Ertinya dia sini, Saidina Ali suka mengucapkan salam dahulunya. Perkara ini juga dituntut di dalam Islam. Ada satu lagi sebab, tapi saya dah tak ingat.

Dato juga menegaskan bahawa ucapan salam perlu penuh dan betul, bukan memberi salam setakat "Assamualaikum" atau memanjangkan "Kummmmmmmm" di akhir salam. Perkara itu tidak betul. Memberikan salam perlu penuh dan yang menjawabnya juga perlulah menjawab dengan penuh.

Perkara kedua Saidina Ali menyebut adalah, memberikan makanan yang disukanya kepada orang lain. Dato menyebut kalau masyarakat kita, pasti makanan bukan sahaja tidak diberi, tapi melebihkan makanan yang ada pada diri sendiri dan keluarga.

Perkara ketiga ialah mengkhatamkan Quran setiap hari. Perkara ini dilakukan dengan membaca sebarang surah, juzuk di dalam Quran, dan diakhiri dengan Ayat Ikhlas sebanyak 3 kali dan disambung dengan doa. Dato berjenaka yang ramai tidak membaca Al-Quran tetapi boleh masuk "Jangan Lupa Lirik".

Perkara empat Saidina Ali berasa amat segan untuk memberitahu kerana ini merupakan amalan-amalan beliau yang boleh menampakkan beliau sebagai riak jika diberitahu. Kembali kepada sifat tawaduk tadi. Tetapi Rasullah S.A.W masih ingin megetahui dan mendesak Saidina Ali secara lembut.

Saidina Ali menyatakan bahawa beliau suka bangun malam dan bersolat tahajud. Mengikut percakapan Dato, setiap kali kita bersolat Tahajud, kita dinaikkan darjat menghampiri Allah.

Di atas sedikit sebanyak kandungan ceramah yang diberikan oleh Dato'. Semoga ia dapat memberikan manfaat kepada yang membaca.

Knee Injury Part III

I have stopped going to my physiotherapist about 5 months ago. Now my knee is much better, although there are minor pains. I can't run or exert myself and I keep to just walking for cardio.

After the fasting month, I am planning to swim more often. Overall, I am happy that I have avoided the surgery.

Been hitting the gym regularly for the past few months and there is obvious sign of growth. It's great to hear from people "You work out?". Means my training is working out. I will share my training tips perhaps on the next post.

For the fasting month, I have stopped going to gym. It's getting more and more obvious that my muscle is shrinking and stomach getting bigger. I do not have time to hit the gym for this one month, and will be hitting back as soon as Raya starts!

HTC Magic from Celcom Part III - Rooted!

Out of desperation, I had no choice but to flash my HTC Magic ROM. I went all over to mobile shops looking for help. No help.

Then I found out my friend @ebernie did something on Android as well. I chatted with him, and he was very resourceful in helping me source for my problem.

For those who are in my situation and bought HTC Magic from Celcom, here is what you can do to flash your ROM and make it a Android phone which is suppose to be, not just a dumb phone.

The instructions are here :-

http://www.arbitraryuser.com/blog/2009/06/20/rooting-a-vodacom-htc-magic-and-upgrading-the-firmware-in-south-africa-to-get-android-market-and-more/

* Just a note the step 10 - Rename daldroid-htcmagic1-signed.zip to update.zip kindda wrong. It's suppose to be daldroid-htcmagic1-signed.zip.jar to update.zip.

I did the step using the Mac, anyone on Mac, remember to use ./adb devices. Need to add ./ command. To download the fastboot, please download it here - http://www.htc.com/www/support/android/adp.html

It was a pretty traumatic experience trying to flash the ROM. I was so nervous that it would have bricked my phone.

Successfully Rooted!

Now I have Gmail, Calendar, Contact all synced with Google App. It's awesome. Mails comes in as push mail. It's the perfect business solution that I wanted in the first place.

Shout out to @ebernie for your help.

A special note to Celcom and a female customer support person in SIS - UP YOURS...!

*Update on 9th July 2009

Sorry, once you have done the flash part, you will need to do 3G settings. For Celcom 3G settings, please visit this site - http://forum.mypdacafe.com/viewtopic.php?t=13703&start=30

12 Tips on Art of Networking

I got this email from Wendy Lim who is a Professional Image Consultant from Chapter One. This email couldn't come in a better time as I am brushing up my networking skills. Perfect!

HTC Magic from Celcom Part II

I saw this ad running on thestar.com.my. Download infinite app? Bullshit! There is no Android Market app in the first place! How can you download anything without it?

HTC Magic from Celcom

I am a big Google user. I use Gmail, Calendar, Task and etc. I needed a new phone, and found out HTC Magic which is running Android fits my requirement.

I bought HTC Magic from Celcom. Since they are the first one to bring Android here officially. Behold people, do not be cheated. HTC Magic from Celcom does NOT include Google Services. Meaning, the phone does not have Gmail, Calendar, Market and Maps. The phone is as good as a brick! If you are not a heavy Google user and just need the phone to SMS, Call or occasionally need to throw it at a dog, then this phone is for you.

It's a nice slim phone, but I can't believe how dumb SIS and Celcom are to bring a phone to Malaysia without Google Services. I should have done more research before buying this phone. I really thought it came with Google Services after reading all the reviews.

So people, please be caution. Do NOT buy HTC Magic from Celcom if you are looking at using Google App with it. You are better off buying it from Lelong or something.

Oh yeah, btw, I am selling it... any takers?

How to Lose Friends and Make Enemies?

Got this in a newsletter.

Over the past few years an epidemic of rudeness has swept America. Here's how to perpetuate the disease.

1) Ignore people. Don't return phone calls. Never answer the phone. Don't listen when people talk to you.
Talk on your cell phone when with others, especially in restaurants or other public places. Don't acknowledge
that others exist. The greatest insult that you can give someone is to ignore the person. If you excel at this skill
you can skip the next four paragraphs.

2) Show disrespect. Make fun of others. Assign stupid nicknames or deliberately mispronounce names. Make
people wait for you. Laugh at other people's mistakes, struggles, and fears. Use sarcasm and cynicism freely.
Treat people like idiots. Disrespect is powerful because it strips people of their dignity.

3) Criticize. Find fault in everything. Spread gossip. Complain about anything and everything. Remind people
about mistakes they made, even if decades ago. If possible, embellish your complaints with exaggerated
descriptions of failure. Keep a written log of faults, flaws, and fumbles so you can grind on them daily. Develop
a whining tone to your voice. Critics reduce everything to dirt.

4) Be negative. Master pessimism. Attack every change or new idea. Always focus on failure. Expect the
worst to happen. Never accept or approve anything. Refuse to participate or cooperate in any endeavor.
If something appears to work despite your efforts, cause delays so you can prepare fresh arguments against it.
Aggressive gloom creates perpetual hopelessness.

5) Get mad. Throw tantrums. Scream. Yell. Shout. Slam doors. Hit walls. Throw things. Act violent. Use
accusations, insults, and threats to disrupt conversations. Tolerate nothing. Insist on retribution. Always attack
first. Blame your anger on others. Unpredictable, insane behavior keeps other people off balance.

Caution: Application of these tactics guarantees that the need for lawyers will increase.

Gym

I just realised that I haven't done a gym review in ages. Honestly I have even stop going to gym due to injury, work and now the baby. 

Yeah, I know it is all excuses. But I gotta start back again. Tomorrow! I vow to hit the gym again (that what I said few months ago). 

Btw... I am going to Celebrity Fitness these days, I will post up the reviews soon.

Baby

Why I have been quite for sometime? For the past 2 weeks, I have been busy with my newborn. Yes, I am a father now. My bundle of joy is here and she is so cute. She has kept me occupied the whole time.

Parenting is definately new to me, for the first week, we were very much alone to deal with her. Most of the time we were lost on what to do! Now with the in-law around, it is much easier. The poor girl has jaundice for the past 2 weeks as well and been under constant treatment.

She already has an email account and her own website. :) Yeah, her dad is a paranoid IT freak.

Green Cube is launching GCUBE - Online HRMS

After months of development, Green Cube is finally launching GCUBE. GCUBE is an online HRMS system based on SAAS model.

Right now we are offering 2 modules which is Personnel and Leave. Target companies are SME who are internet enabled. Now with this system, HR has less headache to worry by managing their staff information and leave better, and staff can check their leave balance and apply leave online anytime.

Now is a good time to sign up as we are in Beta stage. We are not charging anytime for those who participate in our beta testing. After the beta stage, it is still FREE for companies with 10 employees and below.

Check out www.gcube.com.my for more information. As per now, we have sign up few big names and some smaller one. The quota for beta is running out soon.

Readers, please forward this URL - www.gcube.com.my to anyone that you feel will benefit from it. Thank you.

Knee Injury Part II

On my cousin’s recommendation, I visited Dr. Suresh George of Sunway Medical Centre. Upon seeing my MRI result, he said there is no need for a ACL surgery. What a relief! Although there is a slight tear, but doesn’t justify an ACL surgery. Cool! I am glad to hear that.

Now I am on medicine and doing physiotherapy 2 twice a week. My physiotherapist is Ghazali, a sport medicine graduate from UITM. Used to work as a personal trainer in Celebrity Fitness.

So far, although the pain is there, but I can feel it’s getting better now. I haven’t visited the gym for the past few months. Work and injury is the culprit.

Jangan Menyusahkan Orang Lain

This picture was taken last Friday after performing the Friday prayers at Masjid Tengku Kelana in SS 6, just beside the MAS building. There was this inconsiderate person who parked his car on the curb of the road and blocked a bus from going through. You can’t really see in the photo here, but look at the distance from where I took the shot and the traffic stopped.

Imagine all the traffic clogged up behind? Especially after prayers. Tolong lah, kalau ye pun nak solat Jumaat, janganlah menyusahkan orang lain. Parking kereta betul betul. Jangan pikir diri sendiri sahaja. Datang awal ke masjid. Aku yang sakit lutut pun boleh parking jauh dan jalan semata-mata tak nak double parking, tak kan u tak leh buat? Some people… what’s the point of praying when you can’t even meet your social obligation?

Solat Orang Sakit

Didn’t know JAKIM had a PDF compilation of prayers for people who are sick and unable to pray the normal way.

In this PDF, JAKIM has describe in detail on how to take “wuduk” if you are injured, and type of prayers (solat) including sitting and lying down.

Ada di bincangkan secara perinci cara-cara mengambil air sembahyang, solat secara duduk atau baring. Bagus JAKIM!

Download it here - http://www.islam.gov.my/portal/tayammum.php

String of Bad Luck

Since this year, I had a string of bad luck. It’s amazing how I am still surviving through this.

• My HDD crashed. I don’t have a backup. All my personal stuff is in there. The cost of recovery – RM 4K. Forget it.
• I crashed my car at my condo at the first floor of the car park. I missed my brake and crash to the railing of the first floor. My car was hanging with the 2 front wheels at the edge of the condo. Luckily the concrete stopped my car from diving down. Cost of repair – RM 1.5K. Cost of repair to the condo – another RM 1K. Cost of live? Priceless…
• Saman – RM 30 - RM 100. Superb. I had no choice but to park outside as the LRT parking is full. Don’t this traffic police have other better thing to do than saman those sitting ducks? It’s not that I don’t want to pay parking, there is simply NO PARKING! One hand government say take public transport but another hand there is no parking? What the heck?
• My knee injury – this is the mother of all my bad luck. So far I have spend RM 4K on this. I am expecting to pay another RM 10-20K for the surgery. Superb! Can read more here.

It’s no doubt that I have been under tremendous stress lately due to my business. It’s been hell.

Being a new start-up, I have to juggle everything from the programming, management, finance, sales, accounts, HR, filing, banking and right up to delivery boy. My phone won’t stop ringing and my email won’t stop piling. I have no doubt this is all part and parcel of business, but working for 8 months straight without a break, took its toll on me. Surviving a near death experience was a wake up call for me.

I took a break recently to get away from all this. I left my mobile phone and laptop at home and ran to Malacca. Stayed in Holiday Inn. Nice place.

Unfortunately, it only helped a bit. One lesson I learn here is I am too dependant on technology. As a business owner, I don’t think we can escape from being part of the business. It’s like being the Borg.

Resistance is futile!

I just hope God can be a little forgiving and give me a break. Sorry God, I think I have to postpone my Umrah until I get well from my surgery.

Knee Injury

Its been sometime since I blogged. I have a very good reason. My knee was giving me a lot of pain and it got worst in the recent month. I decided to have it checked. 

I was referred to Apollo TTDI Medical Centre to a Datuk Dr. Selva. I was told to do a MRI after the first consultation. He suspected me of having a tear around my knee area. I did my MRI at Lourders Medical Centre in Jalan Ipoh. As feared, I have a Meniscus tear at the knee which requires me to do a ACL surgery. The doctor injected me with Synvisc to help with the pain, however I felt later on this was not necessary. I have this wobbly feeling now while walking. The cost of the injection was around RM 1.5K. I was charged a total of  RM 4K for the consultation. I am getting doubts about this treatment.

More or less, I have to do a surgery and my knee will not be the same anymore. I have to accept that fact. Now I am looking for a the best surgeon and physiotherapy centre. This is going to cost me a bomb, I hope my insurance can cover this. Guys, go easy in the gym. Injury sux and costly.

Tiger Wood had one of this surgery as well.

Tesco

Firstly, while I was trying to tweak the design for this blog, I somehow screwed it up. I am trying to find some time to fix it.

As usual, I do my shopping at Mydin. Yesterday, the road was quite jam than usual. When I finally reached Mydin, there were large number of Police vehicles and personnel. Then when I saw 2 UTK motorbikes, I knew there was some big shot in the Mall. Mydin was cordoned off.

Its amazing to see how much Police resources is used for  politicians, and they keep on complaining they don't have enough manpower. To me, they have poor resource allocation and management. Ever heard politician being shot in Msia before? Common man, even Dr. M walks around in the shopping complex with minimum security.

Guess who was in Mydin yesterday?

Well anyway, my wife decided to shop at Tesco instead since one my readers here suggest to do so. We went to Tesco Curve.

Generally, not all items are cheap. Selection of choice is sometimes limited. Aisles are not categorized in the same group. Aisle 1 -5 will be food and in the centre is clothing, toilteries and then follow by food again. I dunno, its weird to me.

Tesco has a lot of their own product brand. My friend swears by it. He just love to buy Tesco brand items. A good thing about Tesco is their trolley has baby seat and a partition. Good thinking. They also have a policy whereby they will open a counter for you if you have more than 2 trolleys in front of you at the payment counter.

But, I am still sticking to Mydin. Better choices and better pricing (although not always, price tends to fluctuate monthly). Although I wish MyDin could train their store helpers to be more HELPFUL!

The Launch of MuscleZone

I am launching a blog on fitness. It's called MuscleZone - http://musclezone.blogspot.com.

It's been there since Jan 2008, but I kept it idle. To meet my 2009 resolution, I am resuscitating the blog.

I have been writing about fitness for sometime in this blog, but it's time to have a dedicated blog on it. This will be a newbie centric blog and my crazy struggle in trying to achieve a life long dream of Greek-God-like physique minus the steroids.

 

Mike O'Hearn

I will be moving some fitness related articles from this blog to the MuscleZone.