Promotion video: Durham University is the best

When it comes to promoting and branding university, one of the things that would be highlighted is the uniqueness that the university has (and could offer to its students).  I miss Durham off lately.  I find this video (why don’t they make such video when I was in Durham?  Why?  Why? But, I guess none of the actors and actresses in the video are PG students.  Perhaps I was wrong in this though 😀 ) 

I also find video about UTM.  There is nothing wrong the UTM’s video though.  It is just that somehow I feel less nostalgic as compared when I watch Durham University’s video.  

The importance of having self-control

I attended the workshop on improving our solat.  Little that I expect that the ustaz will talk about self-control.  He said that when we find ourselves having difficulty to stay khusyuk in our solat, it means that our heart has lots of layers of hijab.  That’s why we can’t see “nur” from Allah.  We are not living in the time of the Prophet Muhammad SAW and thus, it is easy to stay astray than to remain steadfast in our belief. 

He also advises us to be careful when using the social media and whatsnot.  He exemplifies the way we can multiply sins through our fingertips.   The best way is to delete any information that could case misleading, chaos, fitnah, disharmony and such even though it might be true about a person or others. 

In psychology, researchers have conducted numerous studies about self-control.  One of the famous ones was by Walter Mischel on delay gratification.  Of course, there are some criticisms about his idea and proposition, but it is worth while to reflect how important self-control in our life.  It is not easy to maintain one.  I do admit that.  But, in the end of the day, it is about our efforts to stay in the right path.  There would be four things that could divert our attention to the main goal of this life: 1) worldly matter, 2) people, 3) syaitan and 4) nafs al-ammārah.

إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ

“Indeed the nafs that overwhelmingly commands a person to do sin.” (12:53)

May Allah continuously bestow His guidance upon us and let’s try our very best to be a better Muslim each day.  

Special du’a when you reach 40

This is the special Du’aa related to the age of forty years old.

In Surah Al-Ahqaf (46): 15, Allah Ta’ala Says.”

وَوَصَّيۡنَا الۡاِنۡسَانَ بِوَالِدَيۡهِ اِحۡسَانًا​ ؕ حَمَلَـتۡهُ اُمُّهٗ كُرۡهًا وَّوَضَعَتۡهُ كُرۡهًا​ ؕ وَحَمۡلُهٗ وَفِصٰلُهٗ ثَلٰـثُوۡنَ شَهۡرًا​ ؕ حَتّٰٓى اِذَا بَلَغَ اَشُدَّهٗ وَبَلَغَ اَرۡبَعِيۡنَ سَنَةً  ۙ قَالَ رَبِّ اَوۡزِعۡنِىۡۤ اَنۡ اَشۡكُرَ نِعۡمَتَكَ الَّتِىۡۤ اَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلٰى وَالِدَىَّ وَاَنۡ اَعۡمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرۡضٰٮهُ وَاَصۡلِحۡ لِىۡ فِىۡ ذُرِّيَّتِىۡ ؕۚ اِنِّىۡ تُبۡتُ اِلَيۡكَ وَاِنِّىۡ مِنَ الۡمُسۡلِمِيۡنَ

{And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his gestation and weaning [period] is thirty months. [He grows] until, when he reaches maturity and reaches [the age of] forty years, he says, “My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to work righteousness of which You will approve and make righteous for me my offspring. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed I am of the Muslims”} (15) 

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