Amar Razali

As-salaam 'alaykum,

Taken from Imam Suhaib Webb's blog, Muslim American Society (MAS) and Al-Azhar University are sponsoring online classes for free throughout the summer (link above). You may attend the individual ones you wish to attend. The class information are also mentioned below.

Summer Nights is a nightly online lecture series. Topics of this series include:

Fiqh of Priorities by Ustadh Jamaal Diwan
Lessons for the Student from Allah’s Blessed Names by Ustadha Muslema Purmul
Heart Softeners by Ustadh Suhaib Webb
Brief History of Islamic Legislation by Ustadh Yusuf Rios
Principles of Usool al-Fiqh [Hanbali] by Imam Abu Majeed
Tafsir and Servitude by Ustadh Yasir Fahmy
Fiqh of Fasting Hanafi by Ustadh Suhail Mulla

Monday - Friday: 9:00pm to 10:30pm (eastern)
Sunday: 7:00pm to 8:30pm (eastern)

Register Now:

Click to register: Fiqh of Priorities
Click to register: Lessons for the Student from Allah’s Blessed Names
Click to register: Fiqh of Fasting Hanafi
Click to register: Brief History of Islamic Legislation
Click to register: Tafsir and Servitude
Click to register: Principles of Usool al-Fiqh
Click to register: Heart Softeners

As-salaam'alaykum,

1. Alhamdulillah - humbly accepted a job offer and still waiting for the reporting date. A house has been rented, a family car has been arranged, in other words, I'm ready to get going. Maybe it's not the fanciest job, with highest paid salary but deep inside my heart, I like the company, the people and the working environment.

Where am I going to work? Here's the glimpse.

2. Alhamdulillah - thanks Abli for keep me updated with 'ilm and deen classes - an Nidaa', al Khadeem, Institut ibn Qayyim, Institut Ibn Hajar, Institut Imam Syafi'e are among names that I was being introduced. Some of them I am pretty familiar with, but some of them no. Last 2 weeks we supposed to have a halaqah with Ustadh Fathul Bari, and also a lecture by Shaykh Feiz, but unfortunately, I was unable to attend any of them since I am currently 'bonded' with my family.

As for now, I just do my own reading, currently understanding those du'as from Ustaz Zahazan's book "101 Doa Para Nabi Dan Rasul Dalam al-Quran." I still don't have the opportunity to visit Ummi Rose at Raudhatul Sakinah. Sigh. Anyway, if you have any 'ilm classes going on in your area, please let me know.

3. Alhamdulillah - I have met a lot of friends - from Vandy or SMSD. I am going back to Kuala Terengganu today with my mother and my brother Anwar, and hopefully I can see other friends who just came back from UK and kick some soccer ball =)

May Allah advanced all of us in knowledge that are beneficial, ameen. And hey - have you ever thought, how we can impact the people? That's something that I am still looking for. Hmm.

As-salaam 'alaykum,

Pada minggu lepas saya mengikuti Abang Mir ke Perak. Abang Mir mempunyai urusan NCER beliau di Belum Rainforest Resort dan mengajak saya untuk menemaninya. Saya dijanjikan dengan aktiviti jungle trekking yang merupakan antara aktiviti kegemaran saya, dan saya memang sebelum ini tidak pernah ke Hutan Belum yang sangat terkenal dengan flora dan fauna yang menakjubkan itu - subhanallah. Kami bergerak dari rumah pada pagi hari Rabu (Jun 17 2009) bersama-sama dengan Pak cik Salim dan alhamdulillah kami tiba di Belum Rainforest Resort di Pulau Banding pada waktu Maghrib setelah singgah sebentar di Taiping untuk melawat asrama dan pejabat NCER di sana.

Belum Rainforest Resort merupakan sebuah resort yang diubahsuai daripada rumah rehat kerajaan. Namun rekacipta arkitek dan seni bina hotel tersebut sangat mengagumkan saya. Terletak di sebelah tasik, di tengah hutan di Pulau Banding sememangnya mempesonakan mata memandang - subhanallah. Sesampainya kami di sana, kami dijemput untuk makan malam. Pada malam itu, saya dihidangkan dengan sejenis ikan goreng yang saya tidak pasti apakah nama ikan tersebut, dan apakah nama juadah itu sendiri, yang mashaAllah sangat lazat! Awal-awal lagi saya mendengar bahawa ikan-ikan yang dihidangkan memang segar. Saya memang tidak melepaskan peluang untuk merasai juadah ikan yang dihidangkan pada malam itu.

Selepas itu saya mengikuti mesyuarat antara NCER dan EMKAY. Antara yang hadir ialah Tan Sri Datuk Haji Mustapha Kamal (the Emkay Chairman), Datuk Seri Mohd Annuar Zaini (NCER's Chief Executive) dan beberapa profesor, profesional dan pihak media yang membuat liputan terhadap mesyuarat itu. Saya tidak menyangka pun sama sekali akan berjumpa dengan orang-orang kenamaan ini kerana saya ingatkan hanya jungle trekking yang menjadi aktiviti utama. Sebelum ini saya pernah beberapa kali bertanya kepada Mama dan Abang Mir, "Siapa Mustapha Kamal ni?" selepas beberapa kali melepasi beberapa bangunan di Cyberjaya yang tertera nama beliau di atasnya.

Dan pada malam itu, saya bersua dengan beliau - Malaysian's Donald Trump, seorang tokoh perniagaan yang sangat berjaya.

Apapun mesyuarat pada malam itu membincangkan projek pembangunan dan pemeliharaan Hutan Belum dan kawasan sekitarnya. Saya mendapat banyak infomasi berkenaan spesis flora dan fauna di Hutan Belum dan bagaimana usaha untuk mengekalkannya disamping mahu menjadikan kawasan tersebut sebagai sebuah produk pelancongan.

Belum Rainforest Resort mempunyai keunikan yang tersendiri pada kamar tidurnya. Tilam katil sengaja dikeraskan untuk memberi kerehatan dan suasana tidur di dalam hutan. Juga, hanya 3 bilik sahaja daripada keseluruhan bilik di Belum Rainforest Resort yang mempunyai TV - sengaja untuk memberi kelainan dan kerehatan minda. Bilik juga direka agar mempunyai aliran angin seperti di rumah-rumah kampung, dengan dinding bilik direka agar mempunyai liang dan rongga untuk memudahkan pengaliran udara.

Hutan Belum & Pulau Banding Visit

Keesokan harinya, Khamis (Jun 18 2009), seawal jam 9 pagi diadakan suatu majlis menandatangani memorandum persefahaman (MoU) antara NCER dan Pulau Banding Foundation. Kemudian sekitar jam 10 pagi, kami bersiap-siap untuk menjelajah Hutan Belum dan kawasan-kawasan sekitarnya. Ini bahagian yang paling saya tunggu-tunggu. Kami menaiki bot, dan mashaAllah, indahnya mata memandang. Sungguh indah dan mempesona pemandangan tasik sepanjang perjalanan itu. Kami mulakan dengan melawat kampung Orang Asli - Kampung Sungai Tiang. Kemudian kami pergi pula ke kawasan hutan dan beberapa air terjun di Hutan Belum. MashaAllah, saya sungguh teruja melihat keindahan anugerah ciptaan Allah - keindahan flora dan fauna. Sedar tidak sedar, seharian kami berada di kawasan hutan, air terjun dan di atas bot.

Pada hari Jumaat, kami bertolak ke Kuala Kangsar sebelum bertolak pulang ke rumah. Bandar DiRaja Kuala Kangsar juga tidak kurang hebatnya - Masjid Ubudiah Kuala Kangsar, Muzium DiRaja Perak, dan sebagainya. Selepas bersiar-siar di sekitar bandar Kuala Kangsar, kami bertolak pulang dan Alhamdulillah kami selamat tiba di rumah pada waktu malam.

*Saya membuat research tentang berapakah harga yang perlu dibayar untuk menikmati pakej sedemikian di Belum Rainforest Resort (hotel, pengembaraan di hutan, dan sebagainya) dan harga ialah dalam lingkungan RM 400 ke atas.

Interesting links:

Belum Rainforest Resort

North Corridor Economic Region (NCER)

EMKAY Group

As-salaam 'alaykum,

A friend of mine told me that this morning a friend of her just lost her beloved father because of cardiac arrest. His father was driving to send his daughter to school and was so close to arrive at destination.

Inna lillahi wainna ilahi rajiuun. Truly to Allah we belong, and truly to Him shall we return.

Although I don't know the person or his daughters, my heart and prayers go with them. May Allah grant their father with the highest paradise, make the questioning easy for him and make things easy on him and his families. Please be patient, and may Allah make things easy for them.

Amar Razali
Sepang, Selangor

As-salaam 'alaykum,

My eldest brother Abg. Mir asked me to promote this job opportunity to all my friends.

One of the initiatives that Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) is working on aims to bring top brains into the region. As such currently they are planning to collaborate with a reputable international multinational corporation (MNC) to develop the region's capability in analog and digital design within the microprocessor and nanotechnology industries. They are currently looking for top class students who recently graduated to join this program. It is envisaged that the compensation levels for those who are successfuly selected will significantly be above average for fresh grads in Malaysia with substantial upside over the next 18 months.

For more info about the opportunity, you can download the ad here.

Oleh: Almarhum Razali Ismail

Aku tahu rezekiku tak mungkin diambil orang lain,
Kerananya hatiku tenang.

Aku tahu amal-amalku tak mungkin dilakukan oleh orang lain,
Maka aku sibukkan diriku dengan bekerja dan beramal.

Aku tahu Allah selalu melihatku,
Kerananya aku malu bila Allah melihatku melakukan maksiat.

Aku tahu, kematian menantiku,
Makanya, aku siapkan bekal untuk berjumpa dengan Rabb-ku

1. Congratulations to Anas & Azreena (Vanderbilt Alum '08). I am sorry because I couldn't make it to the marriage feast but I pray to Allah the Exalted to bless both of you with a happy, righteous family.

2. Congratulations to Mat Min & Along (SMSD 00-04). Alhamdulillah I was able to go back to Kuala Terengganu to attend their marriage feast and I met a lot of friends from SMSD. We had a small reunion and played indoor soccer on that night! It was an awesome and fun gathering and I hope I can see them again, and play some more indoor soccer in the future =).

Pres. Obama delivered a speech on U.S.-Muslim relations from Cairo University. The President called for renewed Middle East peace talks as well as an agenda for economic and social development in the region.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When you smile to your brother's face, it is charity."

This is an authentic hadith. It is related in Sunan al-Tirmidhi and al-Tirmidhi declared it to be good. It is also related in Saheeh Ibn Hibban and Musnad al-Bazzar.

Think about this situation: A man called his friend on the phone thousands of miles away. He said: "So I can be sure of your feelings, I want you to give me smile." And his friend really did smile – a genuine smile from the heart – and the effects of his smile could be heard in his voice while he spoke to his friend overseas. This made the man happy – that someone would smile upon a suggestion, though the other person could not even see him.

There is great wisdom in the Prophet's words (peace be upon him): "When you smile to your brother's face is charity."

And indeed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) followed this advice in his everyday life, so much so that 'Abd Allah b. al-Harith said: "I have never seen anyone more in the habit of smiling than Allah's Messenger." [Sunan al-Tirmidhi]

Even on the day he died, while lying in his sickbed, he did not neglect to smile. While Abu Bakr was getting the people lined up for prayer, the Prophet managed to stand up and move aside the curtain of his room. He smiled at them, a bright laughing smile. [Saheeh al-Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim]

The prophet (peace be upon him) saw a smile as a gift of joy – an emotional gift, not a material one – a gift whose substance is received by the heart. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "your brother's face" he (peace be upon him) was not implying that smiling is only prescribed upon meeting someone. This advice applies to every occasion where a smile can bring cheer, lighten the mood, or reduce the stress that people are feeling.

Jarir b. 'Abd Allah said: "Since the time I accepted Islam, the Prophet (peace be upon him) never once failed to notice me. Whenever he saw me, he would smile at me." [Saheeh al-Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim]

To continue reading, visit the IslamToday web site. This is an excerpt from Shaykh Salmaan Al 'Oudah's article.

*This is my phone number in Malaysia: 013.3998837*

May 30 2009

8am to 9am - Safely arrived at KLIA with other Vandy comrads (Baba, Azlan, Nazirah, Maryam, Ashwaq, Nik). There was no health screening, and we went straight to the custom clearance and baggage claim area. Alhamdulillah, everything went smooth without any problem. Mama and Arif were waiting for me outside the arrival hall. I told mama that I am going to follow En. Najib who is the MARA officer from Washington DC, to Allahyarham Nublan's burial at Sungai Buloh. Mama allowed me to do so, and I followed En. Najib and En. Khaizan (who is also MARA Officer but based in KL) to the MAS Cargo, which is not far away from KLIA to claim the Allahyarham Nublan's coffin.

9am to 12pm - Met with several officers (Kak Jah, Kak Mah from MARA), (Kak Mit from KPT) and Allahyarham Nublan's family members. There were a lot of processes that need to be done before we buried the body, but Alhamdulillah, all of us were so patient, and went those procedures with so much perseverance. Then around 11am, we went straight to Kampung Matang Pagar at Sungai Buloh. The body was brought to the local masjid, and the funeral prayer was held by the Muslim community there.

1pm to 2pm - The body was brought to the nearest Muslim cemetery. I couldn't recall the name but it was about 15 minutes driving from the masjid. The process went very smooth, alhamdulillah. A lot of people came to give a hand. The weather was decent hot. I managed to meet with Allahyarham Nublan's father, and gave my consolation. May Allah grant his with the highest paradise, make the questioning easy for him and make things easy on him and his families.

As-salaam 'alaykum,

Saya kini berada di Maryville, TN untuk menguruskan jenazah allahyarham Nublan Zaki Norhadi. Kira-kira jam 1 pagi pada hari Isnin, Khairi menghubungi saya memaklumkan bahawa ada pelajar dari Penn State University hilang ketika bermandi-manda di salah sebuah kawasan air terjun di Smoky Mountains dekat Gatlinburg, TN. Seketika kemudian Ustaz Abdul Rahman Abdullah, pegawai Malaysia Student Department (MSD) di Washington DC menghubungi saya meminta agar saya bersedia untuk menguruskan jenazah sekiranya mangsa benar-benar didapati lemas. Gatlinburg dan Nashville tidak jauh - hanya 3 jam memandu.

Malam itu saya sedikit terketar-ketar. Bukanlah saya gusar menguruskan jenazah, tetapi bermuhasabah jika sayalah yang dijemput oleh malaikat maut. Malam itu saya tidak tenang tidur, dan berdoa moga-moga mangsa selamat. Tetapi, Allah lebih menyayangi allahyarham. Sekitar jam 1:30 tengah hari pada hari Isnin, pasukan penyelamat menjumpai badan allahyarham yang terapung pada kedalaman kira-kira 25 kaki di sekitar kawasan dalam air terjun.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilahi raji'uun.

Ustaz Abdul Rahman meminta agar saya dan beberapa rakan agar dapat bergegas ke Gatlinburg untuk membantu menguruskan jenazah dan pada masa yang sama membantu menenangkan rakan-rakan allahyarham. Saya, Abdullah, Khairi, Zairin dan Hafizah bertolak ke Gatlinburg sekitar jam 3 petang dan tiba di sana sekitar jam 7 malam. Rakan-rakan allahyarham yang tinggal pada ketika itu - Syahir, Izwan, Syafiq, Bina, 'Ain, Daju, dan Nadia - berada di cabin bersama-sama dengan Ustaz Zaki, Cik Siti Zubaidah, En. Ahmad Yeob dan Abg Mat.

Alhamdulillah, saya mempunyai kenalan di Islamic Center di Knoxville. Saya pernah ke sana beberapa kali dan syukur alhamdulillah, urusan jenazah dipermudahkan dengan izin Allah, dengan bantuan mereka. Saya menghubungi Dr. Islam, yang merupakan orang kuat Islamic Center di Knoxville, juga Brother Hatem, Brother Ummar, Brother Muhammad Harifi dan beberapa Muslim lain yang mashaAllah, sangat membantu kami dalam pengurusan jenazah allahyarham.

Hari ini, Selasa, May 26 2009, jasad telah dilepaskan dari Blount Memorial Hospital kepada Click Funeral Home - tempat jenazah akan diuruskan oleh kami. Saya dan rakan-rakan di sini berjanji akan berusaha keras dan membantu sepenuh hati untuk menguruskan jenazah allahyarham sebaik yang kami mampu. Bagi pelajar-pelajar di perantauan, rakan-rakan dan pegawai-pegawai di MSD, JPA, MARA dan sebagainyalah merupakan ahli keluarga, ayah ibu, adik-beradik kami di sini.

Pada hari ini juga, kami berkesempatan menatap wajah allahyarham sebelum jasad allahyarham di embalm kan pada malam ini. MashaAllah, wajah allahyarham berseri-seri, dan seolah-olah sedang tidur nyenyak. Ya Allah yang maha pemurah, Engkau tempatkanlah roh Allahyarham di kalangan roh para anbiya wal mursaleen, wa saleheen, wa sadeqeen di syurga firdaus Mu yang tertinggi, Ya Allah. Ameen.

InshaAllah, sekiranya berkesempatan, saya akan mengemaskini perkembangan di sini. Namun sekiranya tidak, saya memohon maaf kerana pastinya kami akan sibuk pada hari esok untuk urusan memandi, mengafan dan menyolatkan jenazah.

Ya Allah yang maha penyayang, mudahkanlah urusan kami semua, dan mudahkanlah urusan pengebumian jenazah allahyarham Nublan.

Ya Allah yang maha pemurah, Kau tenangkanlah hati ibu dan ayah allahyarham, adik-beradiknya, rakan taulan, dan sesiapa sahaja yang mengenalinya.

Ameen, ya rabbal 'alameen.

Amar Razali
Maryville, TN
April 27 2009, 1:11am.

I set a goal for myself to finish reading these 3 books during the summer (May - August).

1. The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria
I followed Fareed Zakaria GPS Show on CNN quite for a few times and he recommended to read his new book. I already read a few pages of it and enjoyed it so far. Fareed Zakaria describes "the rise of the rest" - the political and economic ascendance of countries such as China, India, Brazil, Russia, South Africa and Kenya. 

2. Covering Islam by Edward W. Said
I bought this book for VU Muslim Book Club. I enjoyed reading Edward Said's works so much. I was first being introduced by his work from the Arab World course taught by Ustadh Bushra. No one studying the relations between the West and the decolonizing world can ignore Edward Said's work. From the Iranian hostage crisis through the Gulf War and the World Trade Center attacks, America has been haunted by a specter called "Islam." I think this book should be a very interesting.

3. The Other 90% by Robert K. Cooper
Dr. Jordan introduced the author's name during his Engineering Management class. Drawing from the latest research in neuroscience, performance psychology and work psychology, Dr. Cooper shows how to find and use the 90% of our capacity and brainpower. 

I really hope that when I get a full time job, I can still spare some times to read books.

"A boy who read is a boy who lead" - Almarhum Razali Ismail