Goodbye Farra!

Assalamualaikum,

Last week, I went to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) just to say goodbye to my sister cum ex-office mate cum friend, Farra. She will migrate to other countries to stay with her husband. She's going to stay in a country that I believe not easy for anyone to make decision to live and stay, she's going to Kabul, Afghanistan. Unless she is working with NGO or Red Cross or Mercy or UN, otherwise people will think she's going nuts. Kabul?? What is there except her husband Sifatullah.

No one should judge her, no one should question her decission. As good muslimah, it is her must to follow her husband. It is! And that is what she is doing. I said goodbye to Farra without a shed of tears (I thought there will be drama with running tear drops like river at KLIA when we say goodbye!) but not single tear drop, because I knew she will be happy. Her place is right to her husband and I knew Sifatullah will take a good care of her. She so happy to see me and my family we haven't met for quite sometime after I quit my job. Alhamdulillah we still have Yahoo Messenger...

Few days after her flight to Kabul, we spoke in YM. She sound so happy and she said she never thought Kabul will be that pretty, though army and millitary everywhere and few tanks arround the corner, the rest is just normal. I asked her if she needs to wear Burqa as potrayed by those media, she said no one, no single woman that her met on the street in Kabul wear Burqa, they wear hijab, nice and proper covered they aurah, they wear make up, the woman can go to work, can shop, anything, the woman can do anything just same like us in Malaysia. So, where are those illustrations about how people in Kabul are suffering come from?

Farra said, no one is sufferring, no beggar, no drug addict, no nothing. Kabul practice Hudud, so no one there dare to steal because if one cought stealing even their neighbour has right to cut his hand!! And, just imagine she went to her husband office, with good office equipment plus (this is so not in Malaysia), there is a cook in the office. The cook start prepare lunch at 10am so by lunch hour everybody can eat together, the boss, the clerk, the cleaner, the executive they eat together, everyday..no one need to buy lunch. All on the boss!!! And we said ours is so good. Subhanallah... I am amaze on how such media give so much negative impression on Islamic country...they make us blind.

Attach photos of beloved Farra. She is pretty but she said all muslimah is Kabul much,much prettier than her. Next time when she email me photos of her life in Kabul, I'll let you have a look and we can have a real picture of Kabul, Afghanistan.

Wassalam.

The Secret to be great muslimah

Assalamualaikum dear readers and friends.

I am currently reading "The Secret". You know those famous books from AU, written by Rhonda Byrne. That book is quite expensive actually RM79.90 about USD 21.00. I know few people that think that book is nothing more than another motivation book. Yeah! it is, but what make's it different is the action that you take after you read all those books. If you read any motivation books 100 times, but you don't practice what has been tought in the book, so you'll become same OLD you!

The Secret tought me how to use our mind, to activate our brain to help us to achieve our dream. The Secret tought me few things, I listed it here so we can share it.

1. It is important to have positive mind, positive thinking and positive feelings because what and how we feel and think will attract what we want. Ever wonder why sudenly we wake up late in the morning and have bad hijab/hair day and suddenly all traffic light turn red, public trasnport late, coffee spilled on our clothes, boss scream at us, kids fighting between each other, husband shows sour face..one bad thing after another...because we keep thinking bad things. Bad thinking, bring bad feelings, bad feelings affect things and contact around us. How to manage this, try to keep positive thingking, say all positive words, smile, feels good. If you have a dream to become somebody, use your imagination and vision to become that somebody, change yourself to somebody that you want to be. If you want to drive that new 5 series BMW, imagine you is driving it, keep that thought, feel it. Once, my friends told me "If you want something, or if you want to change something, just ASK from Allah because Allah swt said, "ASK from me, I WILL granted your wish". Allah didn't say MAYBE, He says WILL so why we don't ask from HIM? Of course, it is matter of how fast our wish will come true and it may not comes in what we want for example if you ask for money, of course you won't get it straight from the sky? Right? maybe Allah will gives you ideas on how to start business that will succeed or will give you ways to start a business or will open your heart to be insurance or unit trust agent or...He knows what He is doing..

2. Say you gratitude..Syukur, though we may not as rich as millionaires but there're millions of people suffers from poverty, hunger , war and diseases not too mention natural disaster in other countries. I read an article in our local newspaper "The Star" few weeks ago about how people in one African country turn dirt (Soild add with water) and baked it to become a biscuit!!! I still remember the face of child potrayed in that articles, showing his tounge eating dirt biscuit...Ya Allah!!! While we are enjoying the luxury of food in our own and nice place, somebody out there maybe never eat for more than weeks.. (Of course except those who choose to be skinny....!) Please, before you sleep say your prayer, syukur because God give you good day and may tomorrow will be much better than today. Say your thank you to Allah, for your success, your happiness, your being loved, etc.

I'll stop here. Insya allah will share my knowledge about "The Secret" another time.

Thank you

How to start your day....shine and bright?

Assalamualaikum wbt,

Have you ever wake up in the morning feeling there is stone in your head, pile of worries in your heart, you keep sighing!! and you feel lazy. I am sure you did. Sleep functions as a way for our body to rest. So, that's why it is important to have good sleep. There are few things that we can do before we sleep so the next morning when we wake up (insya allah!) we feel shinier and brighter. It is important for us muslimah to be shine always because our glow will give effect people around us, the kids, husband, friends, families. Right? If you moody, you will affected the rest around you and you will have full moody day...

1. Before you go to sleep, as muslimah perform your Solat Isya'. That is most important.

2. Get ready for tomorrow, list down what you need to do from the most importatnt to the least impoprtant. Check your schedule for any appoinment.

3. Prepare what you want to wear tomorrow, choose the right one, iron it. It save lot's of your time the next morning just to stand infront your closet looking and thinking what you gonna wear, matching colours, matching hijab...huh! ladies is ladies.... so be prepared, at least..think of what you want to wear.

4. Imagine what's your day gonna looks like. Imagine all the good things, the always green traffic light, the empty parking space at your favourite spots, the appoinment that goes well, the big smile on your boss face, kids listen to you, husband come back early..imagine all good things, imagine what you want and how you want it to happen tommorrow.

5. Think about what happened today. Sometimes, bad things happen and you try to forget it. No! you can't. You think about it....what's wrong... try to fix it. Looks for the good side and again use your imagination, imagine how do you want it to actually happen. Then, take a deep breath, hold it for few second imagine that you are holding your problem today, and while you breath out imagine you blow it away..

6. Set short term goals for tomorrow. And focus to achieve your goal. Things like, tomorow I will spend 30 minutes to do exercise, jogging, aerobic, etc. Tomorrow I will drink 8 glass of water, tomorrow I will read 2 chapters of this book. Tomorrow I will give sadaqah to.......(and the list goes on) Set target to things that you want to do. And, try to achieve it...tomorow's nite before you sleep you think about your achievement ...sure you will be happy!

7. Forgive people around you, forgive yourself. Say your Doa', Shahadah, read surah al-fatihan and the 3 Qul and Qursi. And have a nice dreams!

Wassalam.

What we wear show who we are?

Assalamualaikum wbt,

Alhamdulillah, syukur as for today I still have the chance to sit infront of my laptop to share my opinions.

I bought few female magazine especially those related to muslimah because I want to try to send my write up to them. I flipped those magazines but I felt something is not right. Those ladies potray with head scarf in those magazine, I don't know..but they don't seems like really cover their aurah. Wearing jubah, or long dress, long sleeves but with turtle neck and the head scarf just tied up to the back of their neck. It still expose part of the ears and neck...is that consider as properly covered their aurah?

They claimed they are muslimah magazine, but they are showing these kind of fashions, they are actually setting a new fashion trend, worst, new muslim fashion trend.

Then, I went to shopping complexes, I start to notice ladies with head scarf, covered their neck but with short sleeves? Then, pregnant ladies with head scarf and maternity dress that only knee length? Female teenagers with head scarf but to the head scarf thin, from far I can see her hair.

I don't know. I believe what we wear show who we are, at least it's influenced our first impression. I don't know how or what I can do to make muslimah realised how important to wear properly covered (if they decide to wear it, then do it properly, if they don't want to wear it, that is between you and The Creator, right?) But I think, it is good if I have my own magazine. Yes, Muslimah Chantik Magazine for muslimah....

I want to share my experience. This happened to me about 10 years ago when I first started to work in local advertising agency. During that time, I just graduated, young executive, coloured hair...my jahiliah era!

I took public transport to and back from work. I still remember that day I was wearing knee length skirt with a short sleeves shirt. While standing waiting for a bus, I noticed there is one lady in black and white attire, she went from one person to one person whispering something. At first, I thought she is somebody with mental problem till she stop at me and whisper to me "Jesus is son of Allah, follow Jesus and he will save you." (Nauzubillah!) Her voice is so sharp and clear. I can't stop her voice from keep whispering in my mind, it's like you keep playing your favourite song over and over and over again. I repeatedly say the Shahadah, I read Yassin and Quran but still it is there in my mind. I call my friend and later he sister gave me zam zam water.

I talk to my fiance (now is my husband) and he said maybe because they way I dress that attract that lady to stand infront of me and whisper those sentences. Maybe because of my appearance. She didn't go and say the same things to other ladies that properly covered her aurah.

That moments, I decide to wear head scarf and I did it right after I got married (just few months after that incidence).

Hope my story will be useful.

See you next time, insya allah.

Muslimah and missing person

Assalamualaikum wbt,

The top news in Malaysia now is about the missing girls Sharlinie, she has been missing for few weeks. Everybody is praying the the nightmare that has happen to 8 years old Nurin Jaslin (who found dead with brinjal in her private part, after few weeks missing) about 4 months ago is not going to disturb our sleep. Of course, it is sleepless night for the kid's parents and families!

Let us pray, may Allah swt, protect the girls from the beast and open their heart to return the girl safe and sound. and may Allay protect us and our kids because He is the Protector.

Tips to muslimah:

1. Don't ever and ever leave your kids alone. If you really have to go out without them, get some trusted adult to look after them, or just send them to child care center and pay for the few hours service.

2. If you have to bring them to crowded places, let them have your contact details (name, phone number , etc) in their pocket, bags, etc. Teach them how to use public phone, get them a handphone if possible.

3. Plan your trip, which area you want to go, which sections and how long it will take. And let them know. Tell them also, if anything happened to them, ask them to wait at certain spots that they familiar with e.g McD, KFC, etc.

4. Provide them with whistle, they can blow it when they realised their parents is not around.

5. If you found crying kids, lost their parents in shopping complexes, etc, don't just stare at them and pity them, grab them, console them, and bring them to security office. Wait with them until their parents/guardian come. Worst, after few hours nobody turn up, bring them to nearest police stations. Don't leave them alone!

6. If you must go shopping, please bring back pack so you can put your thing in one place and use ur 2 hands to hold your kids!

7. PRAY....for their safety, Teach them few simple zikir, al-fatihah, etc.

8. Last but not leaset, try to shop online more often, it is safer, faster, easier. http://www.muslimahchantik.com

Comments, please email to muslimah@muslimahchantik.com

Hope this help.

What is chantik?

Assalamualaikum and welcome back.

I received few questions from other muslimah/readers inquired the meaning of CHANTIK. CHANTIK is a word form old MALAYSIAN LANGUAGE meaning pretty, beautiful. But nowadays the spelling has been changed to CANTIK (Without 'h') but the meanings still remains the same. Many-many years ago Malaysian Language not using current alphabet but using arabic alphabet with few additional alphabet that we call JAWI. For example, in arabic they don't have 'cha' (looks like jim but with three dots in the middle!) but to associates with our local words somebody has invented 'cha'. And there is where we got "CHANTIK". Nowadays, we are using alphabet (like now!) so we dropp off the "H". For those who doesn't know how to pronounce CHANTIK.. it is....

CHAN (as in enCHANted) and TIK (as in TICK)....

Thank you for asking.

Wassalam.

http://muslimahchantik.com

Assalamualaikum,

At last, I manage to have my own website. Muslimahchantik.com specifically selling islamic clothing for woman. Of coure you are invited to visit.

I did the website from scratch. Oh Boy! it does cost me sweat and hunger and not enough sleep! Thanks to Irfan Khairi from www.rahsiainternet.com local milionnaire bloke (he's married la..got kids already) that changed my mind, I though creating website is as tough as building KLCC...duh! Of course with knowledge and little help from here and there things getting better. Also thanks to www.maxhosting.com.my. Kevin Zahari (ala..the guy from AF3 or 4 last time...) and also the team especially Wati..that really have good customer service skills, last but not least for Azhar from www.anamuslim.com.my. You did greate job creating my logo.

Suddenly I realised, I've been receiving helps from all famous people in Malaysia. Maybe, one day I will be like them!

I design muslimahchantik.com because I realise how muslimah nowadays has transformed and becoming very active, very busy, full of responsibilities until we ignore ourselves. Ignore the feelings of getting us new clothes, that nice massage and spa, also some facial treatment. So, for the beginning muslimahchantik.com will be specifically selling islamic clothes for muslimah online. Next project, I'll be selling herbs and 'jamu' online....and other line of products online...

I also in the process of creating an e-book that loaded with tips for muslimah. But, in terms of making all the tips easily accessible for every muslimah, I'll put some of it in this blog.

Ok, I hope you enjoy reading this blog and please do visit http://muslimahchantik.com.

Thank you, see you soon.

Thank you, wassalam.