Transition #2:Special Trifles Worth Exchanging For

Assalamualaikum.

Duduk Sydney mana boleh bawak kereta. If you do, it means that you have enough amount to cater for your daily needs plus transportation needs-you know, fuel is something people argue about for taking the most out of a fortnight's pay dekat Australia ni, mahal tau harga petrol. It could also be that you're good at managing your financial needs without having to have that much amount of money in your account.

Eh, ni dah silap topik. :)

So me, being neither, takes the bus or train to everywhere. And I listen to my music player a lot. Always. My cohort friends recognise me with a set of earphones. One day, out of the blue I thought: "I stuck this earphones all the time while travelling. If I was listening to zikirs or nasyids, wouldn't it be something far better?"

It's like doing nothing, listening to songs, and getting some peace of mind.

or

Doing nothing, listening to zikirs, and getting some peace of mind sealed with countless of rewards.


Kan? If I listen to songs and songs only, I get to relax, but only while it lasts. If I let myself be immersed into zikirs, I get to relax and as long as it goes, I get rewards. Isn't He kindhearted in many beautiful ways? He rewards us for doing ourselves good, and refrains from punishing until we commit sin. Even then, He waits for us to repent, and would gladly erase our sins if we really quit committing them.

Where else on Earth can you find such a deal?

Nowhere.


And it makes it even sweeter to think about it this way: if you love music just as much as I do, and you keep searching for the kind that pleases you the way I do, it's just because when your soul was created, you heard the voice of God, remembered how soothing it sounded, and now scorch the world just to listen to the beautiful voice again, only to end up searching for such a beauty in the voice of His creations, never the one as perfect as His. Every soul, before life was blown into it, was asked by Allah if he wills to live in the living world, to face tests, to be His loyal servants. We heard Him once, and knew how wonderful He sounds.

This life is a journey, a search. I walk my path in search of Him. You walk yours, in search of the same. We all walk our different roads to one ending point. We will meet Him one day, and along our journey He gives us many options to choose from for Him to reward us.


Tell me, what harms are there in rewarding yourself in the simplest ways possible, like saving some copies of nice nasyids into your playlist and echoing to selawats while you enjoy the view through your car window, or-in my case-bus? ;p Come on friend, kick start by browsing Youtube for some nasyids you have in mind. Try 'Yusuf Islam', search for some qasidahs (poems) (try qasidah burdah), or anything. It doesn't have to be about love to Allah only, it can also be about love among creatures, Father and Son, whatever it is that soothes you. Then continue to look for more, listen to the lyrics, understand them and let it be a part of you. They are little pieces of a bigger, inspiring story of living with love to The One.

Trust me. I used to, and still do listen to Keane, Franz Ferdinand, and yes, Avenged Sevenfold. But what has loving their music to do with me and my true love Allah? I search for a beautiful essence in songs I listen to until I realised that it's not there, not anywhere. It's in me, waiting to be discovered. The elixir is in our hearts. In fact, what these musics give to me does not compare to what Allah does. He awards me with sweetness in every prayer, love in my tears, amazement in my thoughts. Obviously not something to be found in Keane's sweetest melody or A7X's adrenaline rush, whatever-you name it. It's a feeling of bliss every time I whisper to Him, that I search for. It's...different. Extraordinarily one of a kind, something that completes the missing piece of life.

I can be no way more amazed about the Seven Wonders of the World than I can be about how Allah awards all of His servants the same air to breathe, never runs out of it, water to drink, knowledge to live, and the same opportunity to succeed-what's left is to only work towards achieving. Tell me, how can I be more amazed about one thing when everything around me is within His power? It's because of Him that mankind are capable to built the highest of skyscrappers. It's because of Him that people speak in unique languages that distinguish them from one another. It's because of Him that mankind has the knowledge and ability to study the planets thousands of miles beyond reach. It's because of Him that we meet and love each other. It's all because of Him. Aren't we lucky.


Take these little trifles in exchange to what have made up your life all the while. Take the chance, do the simplest things of all:

Immerse yourself in the most pleasing ways of living with Islamic lifestyle; such as

1. wearing wonderful, comfortable clothes that cover your aurat, 
2. listen to soothing zikrullahs, and slowly add up the number in your playlist, 
3. go sightseeing, and gaze at His magnificent creations, think of your existence and how lucky you are to be the best of creations.
4. often say 'subhanallah, how amazing is that!' instead of 'wow!' or 'OMG!' (I'm not saying it's bad to say OMG, it's okay to, substituting is just a training to familiarise ourselves with words of appraisal to Allah,ya?)
5. make friends, have them around as your brothers/ sisters, love them, and be loved by them.
6. love the way you live, and love it even more when you start doing 1-5 plus some other you might think of in addition.

Just one thing to remember. Avoid overdoing something, when you want to try something new. In going through a transition there is no need to rush. Take your time, enjoy the while, and do not feel that you have to dump your old self just because you want to be different. Oh c'mon, you can't go dump yourself. You just add up to the parts of your life, and improvise. You will enjoy it, in sya Allah.

Me loves you much. May Allah bless. ;)