The first steps

Assalamualaikum...

Turning over a new leaf at a new county may not be an easy thing to do. What more, this new place is to the utmost unlike the place that has been home for more than 20 years of our lives. If before, we can simply buy and eat food at a bunch of food stalls or restaurants, now we have to actually find out first whether this particular place to dine in is halal or not. If before, we will hear azan from masjid, television or even radio to mark prayer time, now we have to just rely on the prayer time schedule in knowing the time to pray; no more azan from nearest masjid or surau to remind us “it’s time to pray”.

Being in an alien place to us, we have to not only be strong both mentally and physically, but also to be extra strong spiritually because it’s not just the weather changes and the different slangs that we are dealing with, but we are actually dealing with different kind of surroundings; the surrounding that could easily influence us to the mislead path, that is synonymous with drinking and partying, free mixing between males and females and this surrounding actually contradicts the surrounding that we experienced back in Malaysia.

We often hear great admirations especially from our Malaysian society about students who study overseas but don’t forget, it’s not just about the fun of being at overseas; remember we are here because of the responsibility we have to become great teachers, and always bear in mind our parents’ and family’s expectations on us. Of course we should take this chance to experience things and explore places but remember, there’s always a barrier in everything we do. It’s okay to look and learn, but be sure not to cross the Islamic barriers because in whatever we do, “niat tak menghalalkan cara” – though we mean well, but if our approaches are wrong, it would still be wrong. For instance, though we mean to help others, but we steal things in order to help, it would still be wrong. So in whatever we do, always ensure that our intention and approach are parallel with one another.

And one thing for sure, always remember, Allah always loves and cares for you

It is mentioned in a hadith that Allah Ta’ala says “whosoever remembers Me in his heart, I remember him in my heart and whoever remembers Me in a gathering then I remember him in such a gathering which is far more superior to his gathering, and that is in the gathering of the angels.”

So whenever you feel like there’s no one for you, always remember that Allah is there, He knows, He understands, He sees, He hears. So ask from Him, pray to Him, cry to Him, and plead to Him, because He is the One that would always be there for you, through thick and thin.

p/s: Like previous entry proposed, always refresh our intention (niat) of being here, remember those important people back in Malaysia and don’t do things that may disgrace them. =)