Balik Kampung & Makan @ Ikan Bakar Parameswara in Umbai

Reach Malacca yesterday night and bring Mak Long & Mother In Law for dinner at Medan Ikan Bakar Umbai or to be precise IKAN BAKAR PAWAMESWARA.

This is the place

Sotong Goreng Tepung (450gm = RM16.20)

Ikan Pari Sambal (500gm = RM 13.00)

Siakap Sweet Sour (800gm = RM 28.80)

Udang Masak Butter (500gm = RM 37.50)

On that day night we also have Otak Otak x 10, plain rice x 4, Nasi Lemak Take Away x 4, Orange Juice x 3, Sirap x 2. Overall the seafood is superb and for our next trip we knew where we should head to for a good seafood meal.

Oh ya, the total damages for this meal is only RM120. For me is worth it considering the seafood is fresh, fast service (maybe not fully packed yet) and good taste. Do you think is worth every single cent?

Should I accept it? ACCEPTED & FORUM DETAILS!!

I receive a call from Bro Kuan Beng on Wednesday and below is our conversation

KB : Bro, do you free on 2nd Apr Sat?

Me : What is the occasion?

KB : You free or not?

Me : Should be ok la. Why?

KB : Want to invite you to become one of the panel next Saturday?

Me : Huh?? Panel?? What panel?

KB : Panel for a forum title "MENELADANI KETOKOHAN SALAHUDDIN AL-AYYUBI"

Me : Walau eh.... U really put me on the table. In total how many panel and what is my function as panel? What to talk about?

KB : Hahaha... no la...actually they invited me but I not so confident ma so I suggested them another person but they only want revert so I suggest you lo. There will be 2 panel in total and the other panel is a Professor Madya. You as a panel will need to relate him to our current situation and generation on how we can emulate him and some example.

Me : WAHHHH!!!! U siao ah (crazy in chinese). You pair me with a Professor Madya with this Prof Alam Maya? I only knew a bit leh about him. How to become panel and the best part is alongside a Professor Madya? What is my option and when is the latest I should reply you?

KB : I give you a book la and you read. Very easy one. The book is less than 100 pages. You must reply ASAP cos need to confirm the panel.

Me : If you ask me now, I would say yes and no. Yes because I saw it as a daawah opportunity and no because of my limited knowledge about Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi and therefore I do not want to mislead other by saying the wrong thing because I myself do not like anyone who is panel or speaker but he himself do not know what he trying to convey and is like talk a lot but mean nothing. Give me time to think about it la ya...

KB : Ok la but try not to reject it la. Good opportunity to daawah to the Muslim & Not Yet Muslim. You can do it one. (doesnt KB sound like Gold Fish Uncle here???hahaah)

Me : You always put me on the table one. InsyaAllah.


That is my phone conversation with KB and while I still considering the option, brother Rauf from UPM call me on Saturday and he want to meet me to further discuss and we meet up this morning in Al-Khadeem to find out more. Here is some extra detail that Bro Rauf & Illyyas share with me this morning and there are so sincere in inviting me as the panel when they had email me the invitation letter and the schedule for the day on Saturday night itself. Allahuakbar...

- Expected crowd of 500
- There will be a presentation about Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi history by one Ustaz.
- Another presentation on the success and empire that Salahuddin Al Ayyubi has built by another brother...
- Each panel will be allocate 35 minute!! Yes 35 minute. What should I talk in 35 minute? lol
- After panel presentation, there will be a Q & A question.

Is not the crowd that I worry of. I had become an emcee for an event with few thousand people in it so 500 is still ok I guess. What do you think? Should I accept it or decline it for now?

Alhamdulilah, I has make the decision to accept the challenge and I am reading and research extensively and May Allah give me the strength and courage on the day. The more I read about this man, the more I am amazed with his achievement in wrestled back Jerusalem from the crusader. InsyaAllah, once the forum ended I will do my best to write a short story about this great man - SALAHUDDIN AL-AYYUBI.

Here is the promotion material for the forum.

Case : Kak M

Yesterday me, Shafiq & Kuan Beng spend some time to meet KAK M to further understand her situation as we someone from religious dept inform us about her case. Here is some detail that we manage to get after talking to KAK M.

She has been a widow for 11years now with 2 children studying in local university. Her husband is still around but they never officially divorce (according to her, husband is a educated and good man but not sure why sudden change of attitude and she still regard her husband highly and even told her children that their father is a great man). She is not really in good condition as she suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure & she didnt take medicine for 1 month due to financial difficulties. Apart form that, she is suffering from gout, stress & waist pain. Doctor advise her to take supplement & some equipment like Elken colustrum ig6 vege cap, Elken spirulina, insulin, Needles, alcohol, cottons, blood tester and others medicine for stress, migraine & joint pain.

When we met her yesterday, she hasn't took any food for 3 days because she do not have money and yet she have to support her 2 children in University. She order fried rice when we invite her to eat with us but she just ate 3-4 spoon and the rest she took home for dinner and for breakfast too. Although her elder son just obtain PTPTN and just recently receiving RM1,100 (if not mistaken) for his daily expenses and study fees but her elder son put the money into her drawer without her realizing. She only realize it when her son call her from his University that he has put RM1,000 for her to use and medication.

KAK M : Along nak makan apa kalau semua duit Along bagi kat mak?

Along : Takpe lah Mak, Along boleh puasa sebab Mak lebih memerlukan duit tu. Pandai pandai lah Along cari makan nanti yang penting Mak ada duit utk bagi kat adik di Universiti dan untuk perbelanjaan rumah.

I can saw KAK M breaking down in fronts of my eyes and without me realizing, my tears drop out too after hearing this. Even without any financial support from husband and working part time as her health doesnt permit her to work long hour, she managed to get her 2 children to University. She also has a debt of RM13,000 where she borrow from friend, neighbours and relatives to support her children until University throughout this 11years.
In the meantime, she didnt pay 4 month rental and is now facing the possibility of being homeless and no one to rely too. She intend to sell off all the electrical equipment & furniture to raise fund to start her very own small business & to finance her 2 children study but again HOW MUCH SHE CAN GET FOR SELLING THOSE ITEMS?

Again, I personally hate to say this but it has become a norm of a needy person like KAK M applying to religious department and Lembaga Zakat Selangor since the last 2 years but but been rejected because of incomplete documentation BUT THE PROBLEM IS WHEN THE TIME SHE SUBMIT HER APPLICATION, THE OFFICER TOLD HER EVERYTHING IS IN ORDER!!! A more funnier is that sometime different officer will give her different kind of form and document required so now which is which and what took them so long?

At one point, she really come to the extend of committing suicide not because of her problem but to WAKE ALL THE RELIGIOUS DEPT & ESPECIALLY LEMBAGA ZAKAT UP that when people like her is going there to ask for help that mean they really need it urgently and LEMBAGA ZAKAT IS THEIR LAST HOPE. She has wrote her will and statement and plan to jump from her flat where is staying so other people will get the attention of LZS and do not need to suffer like her.

(illustration purpose)

WHAT ARE YOU, LEMBAGA ZAKAT SELANGOR IS DOING??? YOU ARE ANSWERABLE TO ALLAH IN AKHIRAT FOR YOUR FAILURE TO CARRIED OUT YOUR DUTY TO HELP!!!

For the public who like to help her either by in kinds, expertise, cash and etc, please feel free to contact me at 017-647 9978, Shafiq Guan 019 0 377 5064 or Kuan Beng at 016-328 9346. As for those who would like to donate in cash please bank in to:

Firdaus Wong Wai Hung
Maybank > 114543020672

Please sms me the amount, name and time of bank in for record purpose and we are answerable to Allah if we misused the fund that is not belong to us.

p/s On her request, we do not put up her real name and photo for some personal reason. Jazakallah Khairan & May Allah bless everyone who help her even with a simple doa to Allah to make thing easy for Kak M.

Twin Brother, Different Ending!

This a story about a twin brother. They came from a broken family where their father is abusive whereas their mother never care about them neither.

They grew up together in the same situation but they have a very different life.

The younger brother became a successful lawyer while the elder brother become most wanted criminal.

The elder brother become a hardcore criminal and has been successful running/avoiding the authority but as fated, the authority manage to caught him. He been put on trial and court found he is guilty and sentenced him to 30yrs in jail.

When the elder brother left the court, the reporter who cover his trials manage to ask him a question;

Reporter :

"Why you become so involved in crime and do you regret all your wrongdoings?"

Elder Brother replied;

"I grew up in a broken family, my father always abuse me & my brother. My mother never care about us neither. I never enjoy my childhood as I dunno the meaning of being a happy person. I need money to survive & my parent is not helping at all and from there I involve in crime. IS MY PARENT FAULT THAT I BECOME INVOLVED IN CRIME!!!

As soon as he finished his replied, the policeman lead him to a patrol car and he start his 30yrs in jail.

In the meantime, the younger brother has been invited to a famous talk show here to share about his success story & here is his answer to identical question.

Host :

"What make & inspire you to be a successful lawyer?"

Younger brother replied :

"Me & my brother grew up in a broken family. Our father is abusive & our mother never care about us either. We never enjoy our childhood as we dunno the meaning of being a happy person. We need money so I study hard to ESCAPE from this CIRCLE. I knew I cant change the situation of how I been brought up but I knew I CAN SHAPE THE FUTURE of my generation to lead a happy life. I THANKS MY PARENTS for everything they have gave us. If not because of THEM, I wont become a lawyer today. I LEARN NOT TO BE LIKE THEM & DETERMINE TO GIVE THEM A GOOD LIFE"

As we can read here that a twin brother with the same upbringing but with a different ending. You cant change the world but you definitely can change the way you look at the world. Instead of complaining the situation is against you and you been left behind, you should look how you can adapt to the situation and change yourself.

People who is successful today because they change themselves as shown in the following verses;

"For each (such person) there are (angels) in succession, before & behind him: They guard him by command of Allah. Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls). But when (once) Allah willeth a people punishment, there can be no turning back, nor will they find, besides Him, any to protect"

(Al-Ra'd Verse 11)

"O ye who believe! Save yourselves & your families from Fire who fuel is Men & Stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded.

(At-Tahriim Verse 66)

Excuse make you feel good, excuse make you feel better, excuse make you feel free of liability BUT excuse will bring you no where near to your objective (Jannah) & to Allah. Change start deep inside out and not outside in. If you feel lost, refer to the Quran & Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

"We send down (stage by stage) in the Quran that which is healing and a mercy to those believe: to the unjust it causes nothing but loss after loss"

(Al-Israa' Verse 82)

Whisper of the Shaytan

At the time of Bani Israel, there was a man in a small village, called Barsisa. He was, what you call, a monk. But he was a true Christian. He believed in Tawheed & believed Isa (peace be upon him) was a messenger of Allah. One day three brothers decided to go for Jihad. But they had a sister & they did not want to leave her alone.

So they went looking for someone to take care of her. The town people suggested leaving her with Barsisa, because of his piety. So they went to him and when they asked him, he said, "I seek refuge from the cursed Shaytan" and said No! This was because he was scared of falling into sin (due to the potential fitnah it may cause). Then Shaytan came to Barsisa in the form of Waswasah (Whisperings). Shaytan is very smart and knew Barsisa had a soft heart. So he told Barsisa, "What if they can't find someone good and leave her with someone bad, wouldn't that be your fault?" Now Barsisa did not realize this was Shaytan whispering in his heart, and because of his compassion for others, he decided to accept their request and help the woman.

He let her stay in a house opposite the church. He did this so that it would be easy for him to leave her food outside the church and she could come get it herself. But after sometime, shaytan returned. This time he told Barsisa, "Why don't you leave the food closer for her, so that people don't see her moving back and forth alone!" Barsisa agreed and started leaving the food outside the house. But shaytan wasn't happy with this either, so sometime later, he returned and ask Barsisa, "Why don't you go in and leave it on the table, so that no one sees her coming out and going in alone all the time!" Again, Barsisa agreed and he started leaving the food on the table.

Then as time went by, Shaytan returned and said to him, "Why don't you talk to her, she is all alone and has no one to talk to!" Barsisa agreed and started talking to her from behind a door (so as to screen himself). But this would lead them to almost shouting to each other to hear themselves. Shaytan asked Barsisa to just go in and talk to her, and finally, he (Shaytan) had got them alone in a room. Shaytan had completed the difficult part. It wasn't after Barsisa and the woman committed fornication. And to make things worse, she also became pregnant. As soon as the baby was born, Shaytan returned, and said to Barsisa, "What have you done? Look at the result of your evil (i.e. the child), get rid of the evidence otherwise the brothers will kill you!" Barsisa killed the baby and buried it in the same room the woman was in. Shaytan then told Barsisa, "Do you think you can kill the child of a woman and expect her not to tell anyone?!" and So Barsisa killed her and buried her alongside the baby! He then made a fake grave outside and when her brothers returned, he informed them that she died of illness. After seeing the grave and make dua for her, they returned home and accepted Allah's decree.

Later that night, Shaytan came to them in their dream and informed them about what Barsisa had done and where the child and their sister could be found. The brother got up upset and confused, and informed his brothers of the dream, and they both said they had the same dream. So they believed that it must be true, and when and dug up the fake grave and found it empty. They then dug the placed shaytan showed them in the dream and found the child and woman!

Furious, the brothers took Barsisa to the Leader to get his punishment. Barsisa knew that he would be given the death penalty. Shaytan came to Barsisa again, for the final time this time. This time he revealed himself and told him he was the one whispering the thoughts to him. And he said that he could save Barsisa, and as long as Barsisa makes sujood to him! Barsisa, out of desperation made Sujood to him, this confirmed his Kufr (disbelief) and Shaytan said to him "I am free of you, I fear Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)!" and left Barsisa was stoned to death and on the day of judgement he will be resurrected making Sujood to Shaytan!

So look how shaytan tricked him. He came to him as a friend, but was infact his biggest enemy!

(Their allies deceived them) like Shaytan (Satan), when he says to man: "Disbelieve in Allah." But when (man) disbelieves in Allah, Shaytan (Satan) says: "I am free of you, I fear Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)!" (Al-Hashr 59:16)

Shaytan will never make you sin directly, he will always trick you using Waswasah and he is more patient than any of us. So we should always seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan. Never think you have enough knowledge or are strong enough to take on Shaytan. This is why the Scholars of Islam are the ones with the most Taqwa, fear of Allah. So reflect on the story, if Shaytan told Barsisa to make sujood in the beginning, Barsisa would have said no straight away, but Shaytan has a plan in hand it was a step by step policy that made Barsisa finally breakdown and commit Kufr."

Thanks to the admins of FB page - "Manners In Islam" for this wonderful story. Jazakkallahu khairan