Friends who guide you by Rumi

The reflection cast from good friends is needed

until you become, without the aid of any reflector,

a drawer of water from the Sea.

Know that the reflection is at first just imitation,

but when it continues to recur,

it turns into direct realization of truth.

Until it has become direct realization,

don't part from the friends who guide you?

don't break away from the shell

if the raindrop hasn't yet become a pearl.

An ideal family

…….is something very precious and meaningful to us which is also very close to our hearts, it is everyone dreams of having an ideal family, wishes to live and experience a meaning life in an ideal family. However, is our family an ideal family? Do we have the qualities of an ideal family? If we do,it is amazing and we have to maintain it, if we don’t meet those characteristic of a ideal family, then we should strive to have one. How do we categorize an ideal family? Is it by the wealth we have or the large number of family members? I strongly believe that an ideal family is a religious home blessed with love, happiness and serenity, it’s a home embroidered with responsibility and empathy, furnished with honesty, loyalty and trustworthiness.

In Your light I learn how to love.

“In your light I learn how to love.

In your beauty, how to make poems.

You dance inside my chest,

where no one sees you.” -Rumi

"With the Beloved's water of life, no illness remains

In the Beloved's rose garden of union, no thorn remains.

They say there is a window from one heart to another

How can there be a window where no wall remains?"

-Rumi

“God turns you from one feeling to another and teaches by means of opposites, so that you will have two wings to fly, not one.”

Sunset

Sunset
Warmth veiled the boundless edges
Slowly dimming in the evening sun
Joy filled the heart
Slowly glowing beyond the golden hue

Serenity veiled the boundless edges
Glimmering in the evening breeze
Beauty spills around
Slowing glowing within the heart

Words can be expressed
Revealing the beauty of Allah’s creation
But no words to heave
The rhythms of my heart,
The melodies of my soul and
The serenity of my life…………

6.55pm 5th February2010












*sunset photos taken at bukit expo, in university putra malaysia

roses among thorns?

Drama is introduced in the new KBSM literature component for 2010 for the lower and upper secondary together with new poems and short stories. Rumplelstiltskin by Angela Lanyon is used for the lower secondary while Gulp and Gasp by John Townsend for the upper secondary. Will it be roses or thorns for the teachers as well as the students? It all depends on the teachers approach and the students acceptance. 

Teaching drama should be welcomed with open arms as it involves all four skills and provides a solid context for language learning, personal growth and culture understanding which can eventually enhance the intrapersonal and interpersonal growth. Besides that, it provides a touch of motivation element of joy and fun in the class room which can develop and stimulate students’ creativity and imagination. “Drama activities provide numerous avenues for group work and studies on second language learners show that using drama in the language classroom has increased students’ motivation, self-esteem and spontaneity.” (Edwin, 2004) Thus, it is a good idea to get the students involve in the role play for performance as they can comprehend better and eventually develop their love for literature as the most important concern is not the end product and artistic excellence but the students’ involvement in order that they can develop the cognitive and effective domains and as an amazing learning experience.

“Literary texts and drama activities can be used to teach language skills and also develop the cognitive and affective domains and meet cultural needs of the students. The utilization of drama activities will help bring back some of the important emotional content into the language learning experience which is often lacking in communicative language classrooms.” (Edwin, 2004)

“Tell me and I will forget, Show me and I will remember, Involve me and I will understand” Chinese proverb

Opening the door to the world of creative arts

Teaching literature is a challenging task if our students are not interested in it. Teachers have to give room to the students and opportunity to express their view and thoughts and appreciate their involvement. Feedback and comments from teachers do not have to be always positive, there are times we need to response to the students answers by asking them to support their stand with more textual evidence. Literature is pieces of creative writing, which can be also valued as work of arts, that can arouse interest in reading and also enhance language competency. Cultural models, language models and personal growth models for teaching literature can be applied when we teach literature in order to stimulate their interest and develop the cognitive and affective domains of the students.

“Teaching literature is a subject, and a difficult one. Doing it well requires scholarly and critical sophistication, but it also requires a clear idea of what literature is, of what is entailed in reading and criticizing it. It requires, in fact, some very self-conscious theorizing. But beyond the questions that ought to feed any serious critic’s sense of what doing literature might mean, there are questions about the relation between such sophistication, and the necessities of the classroom: what, how, and when are students more likely to learn?" (Levine,2001:14)

discovering the hidden “pearls” in “The Pearl”

I truly enjoy teaching my form 5 tuition students “The Pearl” ,a novel by John Steinbeck and it’s an amazing experience for me. At first most of my students who attended my class did not like literature, especially the novel. It was a challenge for me but I accepted it as God’s test for me. I tried to look through the rose tinted glasses, and I put more effort to bring the life to the literature lesson. I wrote a brief synopsis and concise summaries of the six chapters of the novel for my students to read .Then I told my students that we can never love this novel by just holding it; so we have to read it, explore it, go inside it, and imagine that we are there with them. I told them to put their love in what they are reading, and as they read the novel, I asked them to observe the characters and the way they talk, act and interact with other characters, and take note of the sequence of events from the beginning, rising action, climax, falling action and ending. Then I discussed with them the characterization of the characters. “ Insight into characters in literary texts could also derived directly through the characters’ actions, speech and thoughts. A character’s actions, speech and thoughts in any situation would throw light on his personality and character traits.”(Edwin,2004) I love to hear their different opinions regarding the characters of Kino, Juana, the pearl buyers, the doctor, Juan Tomas, Apolonia, the priest and the trackers. The most interesting part is when the students tried to bring out the theme of the novel together with the moral values and lessons that they have learned, they finally discovered the situational irony in the novel. 

The pearl of the world that Kino had discovered which was supposed to bring the image of wealth, happiness and purity has turned out to be the cause of evilness, discrimination, envy, disaster, obsession, and finally the dramatic tragedy as Coyotito, the only baby of poor Kino and Juana , was accidentally killed by one of the trackers.

I do not encourage my students to bring in any reference books for “The Pearl” as I wanted them to discover independently the "pearls" hidden in “The Pearl” and of course I facilitated them as they did various activities. I want my students to enjoy the literature lesson and make them explore the novel themselves so that it will be students’ oriented and not just teacher centered. I also gave my comments and feedback as they express their views individually or in groups. I love to see their cheerfulness and enthusiasm as they express and support their thoughts. What really touched me was when my students finally admitted that they love literature and really enjoyed the class. It is so amazing to see my students developing in their personal growth, improving in their language proficiency and bringing other literary text into the class room to be exchanged among themselves for extensive reading.

“Literature is experience, not information, and the students must be invited to participate in it, not simply observe it from outside. Thus, the students is very important- not simply a recipient of information, but rather a maker of knowledge out of meetings with literary texts.” Probst (1988:Preface)

a beautiful Andalusian Poetry

Look at the beautiful sun.

As it rises, it shows one golden eyebrow,

plays miser with the other one,

but we know that soon

it will spread out a radiant veil

over all.

A marvelous mirror that appears in the East

only to hide again at dusk.

The sky is saddened

when the sun leaves

and puts on mourning robes.

I believe that falling stars

are nothing more

than sky's gem-hard tears.

- Ibn Abi I-Haytham, Andalusia

a broken heart withered of love………………

One of the novels used in the lower secondary for Literature in English is “The Phantom of the Opera” by Gaston Leroux. However, the students use the abridged version by Jennifer Bassett which is more simplified. I love to discuss with my Form 2 tuition students (from the lower secondary schools around my area) regarding their perception about Erik as the evil character and share my own reflections regarding him with them.

Erik or the opera ghost is considered as the evil character in the novel as he did evil things like dropping the chandelier on the opera audience and killing Joseph Buquet. He even kidnapped Christine an opera singer and forces her to marry him as he is deeply in love with her. On the other hand Christine is in love with Roaul. Raoul tried to search for her as he is also deeply in love with her too. Erik trapped Raoul and tortured him in the room of mirrors in order to make him face death. However Christine felt pity on Raoul when Erik showed her what Raoul was going through.She eventually told Erik to let go Raoul and she agreed to marry Erik. When Christine kissed Erik, he was so touched as even his own mother never kissed him. Then he began to realize that love cannot be forced, so he let go Christine to be with Raoul her lover and this incident made him face his failure to love and being loved…………………….

I sympathize Erik and I feel that he reacted that way out of a heart withered of love. He was never loved by anyone all because of his ugly disfigure appearance until he had to wear a mask. If he is given a chance to be loved and be appreciated in love, and if he is accepted despite his ugly figure, I believe he would turn out to be a very loving man who can not only express his love but also demonstrate it as well. Apart from that, if he can control his emotions and build a strong self esteem, he can go through life with a positive character. Erik is a very intelligent person and he is one of the architects of the Opera House in Paris. He also built his house on the lake which is situated under the opera house, he is talented as he can play with ropes and amazingly he is good at music. He even once became Christine’s angle of music and taught her how to sing beautifully! So, I feel that although his IQ is high, he still has a very low EQ. He doesn’t know how control his emotions which eventually caused him to face death out of a broken heart withered of love………………

love for the sake of love~King Lear

A writer’s use of language in a text by the application of imagery, metaphor, simile, and other kind of figurative language can portray the characters’ trait besides using the other figurative language such as paradox, personification and hyperbole. The writer uses application in his description of narrational voice, presentation of the character’s action, speech and thoughts to reveal the characterization of the characters. Besides that, often remarks and comments by other characters and how other characters act, react, think about him will also throw light on his personality and character traits.

I’m truly impressed by the use of language which is beautifully displayed in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare in defining characterization in the play. The characterization of King Lear and his three daughters, , Goneril, Regan and Cordelia are portrayed starting from the event of the love test King Lear started in order to test his daughters’ sincerity of love for him. King Lear who was eccentric nature was also being impulsive from his words “fast intent”. 

Apart from that, he is revealing his insincerity when he wants the love test to be made known to the public, as a means of dowry, from his word “publish”..When Goneril answered her father’s question she revealed her proud and arrogant traits with her exaggerated statement of her rather insincere confession. . Goneril’s words were loaded with rich flattery phrases; as though she praised her father for the sake of personal gain. Her word “wield” shows her proud and boastful desire to hold in her hand in a selfish way. When it was Regan’s turn to confess her love for her father, she too was being arrogant. The word “mettle” shows her quality of endurance and courage which is added to the word “felicitate” which she boastfully praise her own self. Her egocentric behavior is reflected clearly as she egotistically utterd her love and she claimed that her love is greater than Goneril’s love. On the other hand, Cordelia’s dialogue portrays her meek characteristics as she is humble and obedient. In addition, her self-effacing and modest attitude made her redeem her womankind behavior in the most delicate way . She did not take the attempt to impress her father, and she is not indiscreet as her sisters who are too open in what they say.

Shakespeare uses a metaphor “ my love’s More richer than my tongue” to indicate that Cordelia is a rather reserved person whose love for her father is so true and deep but she is unable to express her true love in actual words. It might be because she knows that her father wants to test her and her sisters in exchange of the love with wealth. From her dialogue it reflects her sincerity of her love as for her true love is not strong enough to be proven with words as true love is also shown in deeds and actions. King Lear is unaware of Cordelia’s true love “More richer than my tongue”. Cordelia reflects her honesty in a refreshing and dignified way which is sharp contrast to her sister’s rehearsed and empty speeches. The way Cordelia’s refusal and reserved manner in the love test her father tested on her and her sisters reflected her true nature of a pure and honest daughter who loves her father, King Lear not out of wealth but truly out of her deep sincerity of love for the sake of love. Her utterance reflects her unpretentious character as she portrays herself as not being too obsequious like her sisters as shown in the below textual evidence: “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave, My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty, According to my bond; nor more nor less.” Goneril and Regan’s love is based on wealth where else Cordelia’s love is genuine love which is based on love for the sake of love. .

Cordelia's reply, "Nothing," is a word that will reappear throughout the play as a key word that is repeated a few times in the play, to stress and emphasize the word's importance meaning of nothing The word “nothing” is as a reminder to King Lear that he really does understand "nothing" about his daughters, and when King Lear emerges from the "nothingness" of his mental decline, finally he realizes that Cordelia has always loved him. The most touching part is the simple word “Nothing”the word Cordelia's utter which is echoed at the end of the play when "nothing" remains of her when she face death in a dramatic tragedy.

His light may radiate within your being

“If you are destined for good fortune you will be blessed; if afflictions have been ordained, no matter where you hide they will seek you out. Submit therefore before the will of Allah; be grateful in well-being and endure adversity with fortitude, that His light may radiate within your being.”

-Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A)

Inner beauty goes beyond physical beauty………….

“My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world” is a Russian Folk Tale by Reyher, Rebecca Hourwich, which has a very touching message behind the simple tale. The setting of the tale is at the wheat field, where the villagers were harvesting the wheat. At that time, Varya, a little girl who was lost went searching for her beloved mother.The villagers around her felt pity of her and kept asking her how does her mother look like. She gave an innocent description of her mother by saying: “ My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world.” They searched for her mother, and brought forth many beautiful woman for her to identify, however each time they brought one, she will deny. 

The most touching part of the tale was when a woman who did not portray any external beauty emerged before her, surprising.... that’s her mother! The mother hugged and kissed her child, revealing the affection bond between a mother and daughter. I felt that the little girl’s confession reflected her spontaneous and sincerity of her heart and has an implied message of moral value behind this incident that is internal beauty can only be felt by the heart and goes beyond physical beauty. Although this is a classical folk tale, the lesson that we can learn connects until today, so I feel that this is kind of folk tale can be adapted in teaching literature using role-play and simulation which can create a student-centered class. When students are given the chance and room to dramatize the roles by being in the shoes of the characters, they would understand and appreciate the literature lesson and learn from the moral of the story. This is a way to create interest and arouse the passion in reading, learning and understanding the traditional literature texts which are rich in moral values and meaningful messages.

Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese born American philosophical essayist, novelist and poet once said:

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart

Benjamin Franklin, in Poor Richard's Almanack, 1741, wrote: Beauty, like supreme dominion, Is but supported by opinion

David Hume's Essays, Moral and Political, 1742, include:"Beauty in things exists merely in the mind which contemplates them."

a dream of freedom ….a reality at last……

I was truly amazed when I read the famous speech “I Have a Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He presented his inspiring speech on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. His speech moved the hearts of those who listened attentively as he used rhetorical method which is the art of persuasion in speaking and writing. Besides that, he also used metaphors, repetition and inspirational thoughts in his speech. The theme of the speech is expressed throughout the speech through identification and racial equality & uniting, historical background, repetition and regarding certain situation that should be corrected. The power of his speech educated, inspired, motivated the black Americans specifically and the whites generally as he managed to stir the will and determination to uphold humanity and release the sense of freedom by breaking the racial sentiment that disunites and cause discrimination.

 The metaphors which he used in his speech made his speech more interesting and entertaining. Examples of metaphors he used are: “beacon light of hope “, “flames of withering injustice”, “long night of their captivity”, “crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination”, “ island of poverty” , “vast ocean of material prosperity”, “ to cash a check”, “architects of our republic”, “defaulted on this promissory note”, “cash this check”, “a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice”, “tranquilizing drug of gradualism”, “dark and desolate valley of segregation”, “quick sands of racial injustice” , “oasis of freedom and justice”, “hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope” and “jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood”. The repeating words of “I have a dream that one day……..” is a determination, an aspiration of a strong will and heart to visualize the hope on a certain, specific day, where agony, discrimination and injustice will be replaced with the hope for the future that is free at last. I also feel that the classical appeals through proposing, demanding, persuading truly created the sensation that visualized the theme of “I have a Dream in the final part of the speech through his repeated words “free at last” : "Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty, we are free at last."

Below is the link of the speech “I Have a Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

The internal and external conflicts .....

I found “Shooting An Elephant” an essay by George Orwell, as a very interesting essay which reflected his personal thoughts and experience, combined with his political views. Orwell 's metaphoric descriptive words enliven the story, and arouse the readers to read on. The themes of conscience, culture clash, prejudice and tolerance blends well in Orwell’s narration. Even though he is European, he is against imperialism because it’s unfair and oppressive. The internal and external conflict faced by him is revealed throughout the narration of the story. Being a sub-divisional police officer in a town in Burma was a real challenge to him as Europeans are unwelcomed in the country. One day, he was ordered to do something about an elephant which was ravaging the bazaar and caused havoc in the neighboring villages. Orwell was facing internal conflict when the crowd who followed him wanted him to shoot the elephant as he did not have the intention to shoot it. Orwell uses metaphors to make the essay interesting, for example, when he compares himself to being a magician about to perform a trick, or as being a lead actor in a piece, and even an absurd puppet, a posing dummy, and to be wearing a mask! The elephant itself symbolizes the Imperialism, which is going through the critical moments of survival as they were hated by the local people. As the crowd grew larger in number, (which is actually the external conflict that surrounded Orwell) he began to feel the pressure and inner torment as he is being forced to shoot the elephant, Orwell uses repeated words such as “tortured,” “dreadful,” and “agony” as his style of language to convey his internal conflict. In fact the elephant itself is described by Orwell “immensely old,” “grandmotherly,” and “senile,” which are figurative language used by him to reflect his internal guilt over harming and killing the elephant which “seems” to be innocent. Orwell in the end killed the elephant to avoid public humiliation, as he mentioned in his last words “ I had done it solely to avoid looking like a fool”

The essay can be read at the following link:

http://www.george-orwell.org/Shooting_an_Elephant/0.html

Developing a high level of positive self esteem

Assalamualaikum beloved brothers and sisters, Developing a high level of positive self esteem can make us be an optimistic person who can handle daily life situations, conflicts, resisting negative pressures, dealing with trials and tribulations and eventually develop good interpersonal and intrapersonal skills as a true muslim in our daily life for the sake of Allah. Positive self esteem is believing in oneself, having self respect, allowing the love to grow in us, developing the ability to accept ourselves in a positive way and the ability to avoid depression and living a tranquil life in Allah’s Love and Light. Besides that, high level of positive self esteem is self-confidence which involves beliefs about ability and future performance. Our inner self will be self esteemed where we are able to balance love, honesty and truth to build self-confidence and be competent to cope with life’s challenges and live a worthy life for the sake of Allah.

Developing a high level of Emotional Intelligence(EQ)

Assalamualaikum,

Developing a high level of emotional intelligence is an important matter as it involves the ability to control our emotional and cognitive thoughts in a motivated, optimistic and meaningful way. The ability to recognize our own behavior and the behavior of others and the emotional strength to manage life’s situation will lead us to a successful life, inshaAllah.

A true muslim believer with a high level of emotional intelligence is a person who can touch and win the hearts of others, as he is more trusted, resilient, intrinsically motivated, optimistic, his heart filled with love and empathy, which can melt stress and conflicts in life. Thus, by possessing a high level of emotional intelligence competence can help us develop good intrapersonal and interpersonal skills and the ability to manage daily life situation successfully on our pathway to be true muslims, inshaAllah………

The Fruits of Fear:

Imam Ghazali (May Allah have mercy on him) said:

‘Fear rips away desires and muddens luxuries so that cherished sins become reprehensible, just as a honey lover is repelled by it when he learns that it has poison in it. This is how fear burns desires; disciplines the organs; subordinates the heart and gives it tranquility. It also enables the heart to rid itself of pride, hatred, and envy; and it leaves it absorbed in it (fear). Hence, the heart becomes preoccupied with its own worries and looks towards its best interest in the long run. It is then engaged in only matters like meditation, self-analysis and struggle. It cherishes its time and moments.’

[Ihya: 4/160]

A home filled with barakah

A home filled with barakah is a home filled with love, happiness and serenity, embroidered with responsibility and empathy, furnished with honesty, loyalty and trustworthiness.......creating a blissful atmosphere overflowing to the community around..........

May Allah grant us the ability to make our love strong, true and great

as where there is strong love, there is always endurance

where there is true love there are always blessings

where there is great love there are always miracles………………

making our homes filled with barakah, inshaAllah……..

Allah (SWT) says, “And Allah has made for you in your homes an abode.” (Surah Al Nahl: 80)

The Importance of Kinship in Islam
Maintaining Silat ur-Rahm (Family Ties) is an Islamic Obligation By Khalid Baig
http://www.albalagh.net/food_for_thought/0002.shtml

Shar'ee Prescriptions for Barakah in Rizq (sustenance) Ml. Ashraf Ali Thanwi [ra]
http://www.al-inaam.com/tasawwuf/pbarakah2.htm

with love and du'as always,

a candle that lights along

I felt that reading the autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., a black American, is truly inspiring and motivating as he is a key personality in the civil rights movement in America, who fought for freedom and equality for all people. His strive to bring the message of peace and love , being like a candle that lights along, bringing new hope and joy in the lives of those in need. . He led campaign after campaign in the streets of America to uphold the sense of humanity and legal protection among the poor and also the black Americans. At the age of 39, he was shot in the neck by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee, on 4^th April 1968 when he was leading a protest against low wages and the terrible working conditions faced by sanitation workers. Although his struggles lasted for only a few years until his death, the inspiration of bringing peace and love continues to live on…….

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. said:

"I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their tired bodies, education and culture for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and non-violent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land 'and the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid.' I still believe that we shall overcome."