Avenue N

Bismillahirrahmaanirrahiim...

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficient...

It's been a while since I wrote...although it hasn't reached half a year, or even years or so.

This semester's definitely getting tougher with heavier workload, including the additional part time cert class I'm having on weekend with le soulmate & her sister in University Malaya. Not complaining though, because alhamdulillah I love them all <3

All praises to Allah, for He is still giving me chances after chances to live in this impermanent world. For giving me chances to pursue in the road of knowledge, the road to becoming someone who knows, and becoming someone who does not know...again. For giving me chances, to do all sorts of things - see the lands of Western Australia, go back home to smell the fresh air in Alor Setar whilst mingling with lovely family members whom I miss the most.

Honestly, I've been following the Saturday Night lecture sessions done by CASIS UTM-KL twice in a month in which I am terribly thankful to Allah for having a companion (Farah) who relentless pursue the road to understands more about Islam, and who offers me shelter for the night -4 times in a row.

The lecture is more of commentaries about Prof Sy. Naquib al-Attas' Islam & Secularism, chaired by Prof Zainiy. Though I wasn't really following the discussion (because I have yet to buy the book and read it), but I really enjoy it so far because it absolutely challenges the way I think about this realm. Given the fact that I was following usrah, I sorta miss this intellectual challenge.

Anyhow, last night was monumental when Prof Zainiy finally get into the topic of Islam as religion. I was hoping to make a good note, but I had a choppy one because all the commentaries made were brilliant!! Here's few for my future reference:

- Islam is a concept of religion & the foundation of ethics and morality. What is morality and what is ethics? What then is religion?
- Religion is from the word religio which vaguely refers to the bond between men and the gods.
- Deen, as defined as religion in Islam, comes from the 3 root letter (د-ي-ن)
- Deen is also related to daana which brings the meaning of yield, obligation, and indebtedness.
- In relation to indebtedness, men is indebted to his Lord (Allah) for the very reason of his own existence.
- Men was once nothing, but now he is something. Upon creation, men bore witness upon himself who is his Lord (Alastu birabbikum...Qaalu, bala shahidna..")
- This indebtedness of existence that men owes, can lead him to loss, unless he knows and acts in the right way to repay his debt.