Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Come and Meet Sis Zabrina
Come and Meet Sis Zabrina!
When : Sunday, 7th June 2009
Where : Kelana Jaya Park, SS7
Event : Femina Fiesta (Young Women Carnival)
Time : 9am - 6pm
She will also speak on a women's topic between 3.30pm to 4pm.
See you there!
Monday, June 01, 2009
In My Loving Memory - A Motivational Story About Mother's Love
Bismillah
As Salaamu 'alaykum and peace to all,
In My Loving Memory - A Motivational Story about Mother's Love
Today is a special day for me. This is the day when my mother was born. And this special piece is written in her honor of one of the things she taught me in life.
To mum, may Allah bestowed upon you His Mercy, His Love, His Blessings. May He make your temporary abode one of His Paradise, ameen…
And to all my readers out there, I pray and wish the same for your mothers too….
Knock, knock.
“Mum, Dad, I am going to go to sleep now”
“The door is not locked” my mother’s voice came from inside of the room
I opened the door and saw that she and my father were reading books. My mother was on her side of the bed while my father was on his chair.
“So, had you brushed your teeth? And cleanse your face?” she asked
“Yes, I did, mum. Salaam please”
I took her hand, kissed it, then I kissed both her cheeks, her forehead, nose and chin.
“Night mum, forgive me of all my wrongdoings” I said while hugging her
“I have already forgiven you, my darling” said my mum
“I love you mum” I whispered to her ears
“And I love you too sweetheart” my mother said it with a loving smile on her face and kissed me on my forehead
That was the daily night conversation I always had with my mother. It was scripted that way, since I was small, since I can remember, till the last day of her life, alhamdulillaah.
Of course, I would do the same to my father right after my mother.
I believe that my mother was the keen follower of the hadeeth of Prophet Muhammad SAW on the need to touch and kiss children.
Abu Salama ibn 'Abdu'r-Rahman related that Abu Hurayra said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, kissed al-Hasan ibn 'Ali while al-Aqra' ibn Habis at-Tamimi was sitting with him. Al-Aqra' said, 'I have ten children and I have never kissed any of them.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, looked at him and then said, 'The one who does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.'" (Sahih Bukhari , Chapter 81. The Book of Adab* (Good Manners) No. 5651)
I kissed her goodnight every single night when I was at home. And no, she didn’t come to my room, I went to her room before I sleep.
I have this 5-point kiss that I have to do everyday.
It started off simply by kissing the back of her hands. That’s the introduction point! The first point was her right cheek, left cheek, forehead, nose and her chin. After I gave her all those kisses, I sealed it all with a big hug which I believe if Barney saw me doing it, he would be utterly jealous!
This 5-point kiss would also be given to her whenever I wanted to leave the house, every morning when she goes to work, every evening when she arrived from work, during ‘Eids in the morning, every single time I say I am sorry for misbehaving, every time after we pray together, ah well, you get the picture, don’t you?
Pearl S. Buck once said,
Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together.
Interesting quote, you agree?
Well, reflecting on my mother, she was surely a 90% kissing and 10% scolding kind of mother. And her scolding was usually, ‘Wait till your father gets home’, kind of scolding. She was so tender and lovable, scolding and her- let’s just say, they do not fit together. That’s my mama.
Anyway, being the 90% kissing mother she was, the exchange of kisses is not only limited between me and my mother only, but, is being practiced in our whole family.
Can you imagine my brother giving my mother a 5-point kiss? That was among the best sight I behold up to today to reflect just how gentle and sweet my mother was when she was being kissed by her teenage son that way, alhamdulillaah.
And now, I passed down the tradition to my nieces and nephews. Whenever I see them, I shall open my arms wide, and they would come running instantaneously to me and hugged me. And I would asked for my 5-point kiss and they took turn giving me their kisses and hugs. Of course, by the time I reached my last kiss, I would have ‘unwanted liquid’ on my face, but, that’s alright. Training makes perfect and with time, I am sure I will get less and less of those ‘unwanted items’!
Psychologist all around the world has agreed that touching would help children to develop a good character and the feeling of security and love in their hearts.
I think one of the reasons why no matter how much sometimes I resented my mother’s decision, or no matter how stubborn I ‘planned’ to be in my head, no matter how upset I was with her, at the end of the day, I had to come to her and apologized, regardless.
At the end of the day before I sleep, I would want to give her my 5-point kiss.
I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I don’t get to kiss her. And I want my big hug from her too. And how can I have all that that if I stay stubborn and upset with her, right?
Come to think of it, I think my mother was a genius, mashaAllah! Such a subtle way to make me an obedient daughter!
No wonder my dad loved her with his life, alhamdulillaah.
Let me share with you a poem by Helen Steiner Rice entitled A Mother’s Love
A MOTHER'S LOVE
A Mother's love is something
that no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away . . .
It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
even though the heart is breaking . . .
It believes beyond believing
when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty
of the rarest, brightest gems . . .
It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
like the mysteries of creation . . .
A many splendored miracle
man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
of God's tender guiding hand.
~Helen Steiner Rice~
Mum, I thank you for bringing me into this world, for raising me full of love and for making me the person I am today.
I love you and I miss you.
Sis Zabrina also known as Zabrina A. Bakar, is a Life Storyteller, motivational and inspirational writer and speaker; and author and creator of Islamic motivational book Life Open Secret book series http://wwww.LifeOpenSecret.com. She maintains an active blog at http://www.WisdomThruWords.blogspot.com. and social networking platform a Web 2.0 at http://www.LifeStoryteller.ning.com
Copyright © Sis Zabrina 2008
Sis Zabrina
Life Storyteller
Author of Life is an Open Secret Islamic Motivational Book Series:
Life is an Open Secret- Think about It
Life is an Open Secret- You, Me and We
Hidup Bukan Rahsia http://www.lifeopensecret.com
-18 Inspirational Stories from Ordinary life experiences-
Now blogging at http://www.wisdomthruwords.blogspot.com
~ Life Storyteller Blog: Your Source for Islamic Motivational and Inspirational Stories~
Tags : motivational stories, islamic stories, inspirational stories, spiritual stories, storyteller, muslim, islam, life is an open secret, motivational book, motivational quotes, short stories
Sis Zabrina, also known as Zabrina A. Bakar, is a Life Storyteller, motivational and inspirational writer and speaker; and author of Islamic motivational book series Life is an Open Secret http://www.lifeopensecret.com She maintains an active blog at http://www.wisdomthruwords.blogspot.com
and her personal Social Networking Platform http://www.LifeStoryteller.ning.com
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Listen to Sis Zabrina at MAPS
Listen to Sis Zabrina at Malaysian Association of Professional Speakers National Convention 2009
Event : Malaysian Association of Professional Speakers
Venue : Putra World Trade Center
Session : Showcase Session
Date : 14th - 15th May 2009
Website : http://www.maps.org.my/
See you there!
Salaams
Sis Zabrina
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Watch Sis Zabrina LIVE on TV1
Watch Sis Zabrina LIVE discussing about writing, blogging and so much more!
Details as below:
Channel : TV1 ( Online viewers http://www.rtm.gov.my)
Program : Blog @ 1
Day : Friday
Date : 8th May 2009
Time : 10.00pm (GMT +8)
See you there!
Salaams
Sis Zabrina
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Pounce or Pause?
Bismillaah
As Salaamu 'alaykum and Peace to All,
Pounce or Pause?
One day, I witnessed a man being humiliated by another in public. My heart pounded so fast as I fear the retaliation and commotion that was sure to come.
To my amazement, the ‘victim’ just remained calm and stood there, being bashed left right center. Once it ended, he began talking in a calm and composed manner.
My eyes went teary immediately.
What a strong man, SubhanAllaah…I whispered to myself
He reminded me of Prophet’s (may peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) words,
‘The strong man is not the one who can wrestle (fight); the strong man is the one who controls himself at the time of anger’ (Saheeh Bukhari)
He had demonstrated to me something I have not seen in many years. I was humbled by the self-controlled shown when he could very well respond to his assaulter in a similar manner. 
I was sure he was angry. I could see his face changed color from fair to red like a barbecued lobster!
But that was it.
Only his face turned red but his physical wasn’t moving at all- not his mouth, not his fist and not any of his limbs. He didn’t react negatively. He didn’t fulfill my expectations. He didn’t become angry. In fact, he waited until the assaulter was done then spoke calmly.
I walked away from the scene, head down, thinking if I could ever do the same. Could I control myself, be objective and then correct the mistake of my assaulter calmly? If I am being shouted at, accused or humiliated, do I have the strength to keep my cool and speak in a dignified way?
There is a Dutch proverb that we could learn from,
‘An ounce of patience is worth a pound of brains’
It is so true, don’t you think?
We all knew the gentleness of Prophet (pbuh) in handling human matters. For example, in the hadeeth below, Prophet (pbuh) has shown us how to remain calm when his companions around him were ready to pounce.
‘Anas b. Malik reported: While we were in the mosque with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), a desert Arab came and stood up and began to urinate in the mosque. The Companions of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Stop, stop, but the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Don't interrupt him; leave him alone. They left him alone, and when he finished urinating, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) called him and said to him: These mosques are not the places meant for urine and filth, but are only for the remembrance of Allah, prayer and the recitation of the Qur'an, or Allah's Messenger said something like that. He (the narrator) said that he (the Holy Prophet) then gave orders to one of the people who brought a bucket of water and poured It over.’ (Muslim)
SubhanAllaah, could we see how cool, calm and collected Prophet (pbuh) was?
The man was urinating in the house of Allaah! That was just a bit too much to take, right? The Muslims around him were ready to stop the man, but, Prophet (pbuh) stopped them instead.
Don’t interrupt him, leave him alone…
That was his very words, subhanAllaah…
But then, right after, Prophet (pbuh) called the man and explained to him on how to conduct himself in a proper manner when he is in the house of Allaah.
What was the wisdom behind not responding harshly towards this man?
One thing we all know about our natural ‘water disposable’ system is that if we could not hold it in, we could not hold it in, right? So, surely it was of no use to force this man to stop immediately.
Secondly, Prophet (pbuh) was also saving the man from more embarrassment, you agree?
Not only that, he (pbuh) also taught us to remain calm and not insult, get angry and even raise our voice to an offender.
Instead, we should inform him the correct way or give solution to the problem. Don’t just highlight his mistake.
Nikki Giovanni once said,
‘Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts’
How do we respond to the mistakes others made around us? Are we always ready to pounce? Or are we going to pause a moment and think of the wisest way as exemplified by Prophet (pbuh)?
Think about it….
Sis Zabrina also known as Zabrina A. Bakar, is a Life Storyteller, motivational and inspirational writer and speaker; and author and creator of Islamic motivational book Life Open Secret book series http://wwww.LifeOpenSecret.com. She maintains an active blog at http://www.WisdomThruWords.blogspot.com. and social networking platform a Web 2.0 at http://www.LifeStoryteller.ning.com
Copyright © Sis Zabrina 2008
Sis Zabrina
Life Storyteller
Author of Life is an Open Secret Islamic Motivational Book Series:
Life is an Open Secret- Think about It
Life is an Open Secret- You, Me and We
Hidup Bukan Rahsia http://www.lifeopensecret.com
-18 Inspirational Stories from Ordinary life experiences-
Now blogging at http://www.wisdomthruwords.blogspot.com
~ Life Storyteller Blog: Your Source for Islamic Motivational and Inspirational Stories~
Tags : motivational stories, islamic stories, inspirational stories, spiritual stories, storyteller, muslim, islam, life is an open secret, motivational book, motivational quotes, short stories
Sis Zabrina, also known as Zabrina A. Bakar, is a Life Storyteller, motivational and inspirational writer and speaker; and author of Islamic motivational book series Life is an Open Secret http://www.lifeopensecret.com She maintains an active blog at http://www.wisdomthruwords.blogspot.com
and her personal Social Networking Platform http://www.LifeStoryteller.ning.com
Meet Sis Zabrina This Weekend At PWTC International Book Fair
Bismillaah
As Salaamu 'alaykum and peace to all,
Come and meet Sis Zabrina this weekend at the International Book Fair in Putra World Trade Center (PWTC).
Details as below:
Date : 25th April 2009 (Saturday) & 26th April 2009 (Sunday)
Time : 2.30pm - 3.30pm
Venue :Booth 3234 Pustaka Yamien
See ya soon!
Salaams
Sis Zabrina
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
As Salaamu 'alaykum and Peace To All Wisdom Thru Words Islamic Motivational Stories Blog Readers
Bismillaah
As Salaamu 'alaykum and peace to all,
It has been quite a few months that I have been missing from posting my stories here on this Islamic Motivational Stories blog.
To everyone who has emailed me, poked me on Facebook and send me text messages; and even called me- I thank you all for your encouraging messages and understanding.
InshaAllaah, starting from this beautiful month of April, I will start posting again.
For a start, I am excited to announce that today, Wednesday, 8th April 2009 at 2pm (GMT -5) for the North Americans OR Thursday, 9th April at 2am (GMT +8)for the South East Asians, I will be appearing on a BlogTalkRadio in The Healing Hour Show by Baitul Salaam (www.baitulsalaam.net), inshaAllaah.
So, dont forget to either log into your internet at The Healing Hour Show to listen or call in at 1-646-716-9850 to join in.
See you there, inshaAllaah!
Salaams
Sis Zabrina
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