The first signs of spring....

Spring is in the air. Winter may soon end. What sign may be more heartfelt than the emergence of green shoots uncurling from the earthy grounds. And then later on, bursting from the swollen green shoots are golden yellow heads of petals swaying in the gentle breeze. . Yes! None other than the daffodils! Lovely daffodils; their yellow trumpets and long necks bobbing up and down. What a pretty sight! And certainly a sight to behold! In the western part of the world, daffodils are symbols of hope and a new beginning. That is how significant the flower is to myself especially when embarking on something new i.e. in writing and while producing my first book “Dafodil Untuk Insyirah”.

What does one do when opportunity comes knocking on one’s door? When there is an offer to break away from the cocoon enveloping one’s life and to explore some foreign places in pursuit of knowledge, one should not hesitate and to let this experience of a lifetime go to waste. However, one need to always remind oneself to be cautious on factors that may divert one’s attention from achieving one’s goal and and to stray from one’s initial intention in the quest for knowledge. These include being wary of the things that may affect one’s identity as a practising Muslim.

Success becomes more meaningful and sweeter if shared with others. Thus, the experiences as an A-Level student at the Chesterfield College of Technology and then years spent at Sheffield undergoing an undergraduate programme became the backdrop of the story in this first book of mine.

The episodes in this book contain subtle messages and reminders to readers. Amongst them are the situations (which may be awkward sometimes) dealing and living with unreasonable housemates, the virtue of patience while trying to fit into each other’s personality and lifestyle, to inculcate courtesy and tolerance among occupants while sharing an abode, caring for each other and others, to remain focused on what one intend to achieve in one’s ambition, to be aware and to observe the syarie conditions in dealings between the two sexes, the eye-opening experience of mixing around with other students and people of different background, to be involved with activities at the local masjid and get-togethers, to be informed of the halal and haram in food and clothings, the right attitude when faced with challenges while trying to achieve excellence in studies, the beauty of friendship, being able to mix around with the locals without bending one’s outlook and basic principles in life, to adhere to decisions made by one’s own parents, to be tough and steady while confronted with tumultuous conditions especially one that may affect emotional stability and many more. In addition to that, the question of narrow mindedness of certain skewed family practices and incompatibility in background which still exists in the societal strata of the Malaysian community (of which there is no basis in Islam) is also highlighted in the story line.

In our life, we must always strive to gather knowledge, to enjoin good deeds, prevent evil and mischief as well as to lend our hands in helping others. Therefore, every effort, though very little should be geared towards this. In order for effectiveness, we must be and always remain in a group or a team. United we stand, alone and we will fall. For that, I have opted to become a member of Jamaah Islah Malaysia (JIM) and am an active member of JIM in the state of Perak. I have chosen to contribute in the area of writing and have managed to publish some articles in the mainsteam media, namely in the column Jendela Hikmah and Bicara Kalbu (Berita Harian, every Friday of the week), under the women’s wing of JIM (Wanita JIM).

Feel free to browse

http://jendelahikmah05.blogspot.com/ and http://wanitajimceria.blogspot.com/ to take a peek at the collection of beneficial reading materials in the repository contributed by members of the Kelab Penulis Islah, a pool of writers transgressing across the different states under JIM in Malaysia.

I would like to remind myself and other Muslim parents to always be concerned about the development and the upbringing of our young ones. Special attention should be given to those children of ours who are continuing their education whether locally or those pursuing them overseas. In preserving our identity as Muslims, the situation of the fish in the sea may be taken as an analogy. Living and swimming for years under salty conditions have not affected them nor made them more salty than the day they were born. Let us make the teachings of Islam in totality as the guide in our life and iman as our barrier from the onslaught of attacks and damaging threats from our enemies. We must continue to seek knowledge and may our lives be always blessed with Allah’s guidance as He is our Creator. May we all attain serenity in this temporary life on this earth and achieve more meaningful happiness in the next world which will definitely be our permanent abode, as promised by Allah, Insha Allah..

Wasalam...