Kaching: £2100

Salaam,
Alhamdulillah, back safe and settled in blessed Loughborough.

I met this brother Nazeel Azami in Birmingham a few months ago, mashaAllah, he’s a nasheed singer under the same record label (Awakening records) with Sami Yusuf. Cool no? Anyways, I got to briefly chat to him, he told me how he was criticized for choosing the nasheed path for it is seen as a very weak form of Da’wah. “What’s important is your niat brother”, I replied.

That statement from his critics proved more wrong than ever yesterday when I youtube’d one of his songs called Isharaa. I have to thank him one day inshaAllah.

Upon the start of the new academic year, I’ll be receiving £2000 starting allowance. I halfheartedly agreed to give my mother a tiny fraction of it, with suppressed grumblings and ongoing thoughts of why didn’t I give her less.

Come yesterday, I was randomly listening to Isharaa and reading the lyrics, subhanAllah, the words really affected me when the song went

Who taught the mothers of the world
To love us the way they do
When all the trials unfurl ,
All they think of is you

I remember brother Nazeel saying he used to sing this to his mother all the time before she passed away recently. Kesian.

Astaghfirullah, I am miserly with my own mother. The day before I flew off to Uk, she didn’t even think twice in buying me a new laptop when I told her I need a new one. Imagine how many hundred thousands have she spent for me in sincerity over a period of my whole life. And here I am, tight fisted with a mere amount of £2000. Allah has only given me a taste of money. How will I be when I get a job in the future?

Why am I still attached in this dunya? Why am I miserly with my own mum? When in Al-Baqarah: 215, Allah clearly tells us to give a fraction of our wealth to our parents, family, orphans, the poor and those who travel. Notice in the ayat that parents are stated first.

I thank Allah for always giving me a lesson when I’ve wronged in the strangest ways possible. May Allah forgive me.

Salaam

Coincidence?

Salaam brothers and sisters,

Is it a coincidence that you ask your friends for the reference of a hadith and the few days later you attend a lecture explaining that hadith?

Or when you read about the conquest of Makkah and the accompanying verse that was revealed (49:13), at the exact time your computer plays the same surah containing that verse?

Or when you get approached by christian missionaries and you don’t know where to start about islam? So you go back home unsatisfied and clueless, only to find a facebook video link on the “Divine book” a few days later which explains the islam beautifully.

Or when you excitedly tell a few brothers that you attended a talk by Yusuf Estes recently? Only to find out that one of them personally reverted after he randomly met Yusuf Estes in a shop in London and asked about Islam (Unbeknown to him who Yusuf Estes was at that time).

Or when you have doubts playing in your head about the legitimacy of Sufism? Only to be given a free taxi ride to the mosque by a sufi brother and explaining what Sufism is all about a few days later.

Or when you buy a little book a few days earlier in Manchester; the Ma’thurat (a beautiful compilation of wirid (litany) of Qur’anic verses and hadith, along with it’s spiritual benefits). After reading it with fervour on the train back from Manchester, you meet Dr Tariq Ramadan, the writer of the foreword of the book and grand son of the deceased compiler of the litany on the London tube the very next day. wAllahiOr when you are asked to write about Shaytan? You casually read the Qur’an and you just happen to come across the very verses explaining the origin of Shaytan.(7:11-22)

Or when you rejected and invitation from a friend, after feeling guilty you hope to meet him. The following afternoon, you stumbled upon him, unplanned.Or when you tell a friend that you wish to learn Arabic? The next day you randomly pick a mosque for fajr prayer. Only to meet your long lost Egyptian ustadh that you once learnt Arabic from 9 years ago.

Allahu akbar. Too many to be considered coincidences. And they say God does not exist, astaghfirullah. Each and every one I thank Allah and will always remember.

Predestination is a curious thing. How Allah readily puts everything into place at the precise space and time. Perfectly in balance. SubhanAllah.

“…you can see no fault in the creation of the Most gracious. Then look again, do you see any rifts?”( Al-Mulk 67:3)

Allah grants favours after favours to those who seek for it and trust Allah, in strange and unexpected ways. “And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts trust his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set measure for all things.”( At-Talaq 65:3)

All we have to do is just open our eyes, hearts and minds. Observe, pause and reflect on your life and on His creation. Read and ponder the Qur’an (careful not to interpret haphazardly) to realize the awe, grandeur and majesty of Allah and His favours He has granted us.

Then ask yourself. Allah tells us to do just that. 31 times in Surah Ar-Rahman, after realizing Allah’s bounties, ask yourself, “Which of Allah’s favours do you deny?”

Happy fasting,
Salaam

Jerk!

Salaam dear brothers and sisters, it's been a while no? Alhamdulillah, i've been busy with my parents coming here for my graduation alhamdulillah. Anyways, I just want to share my experience which happened last week if it's alright with you.

I was at the central mosque bookstore in london when this man appeared before me." I just gave da'wah to a drunken man, isn't it our duty to give da'wah? For he will drag me to hell with him if i didn't?" he stuttered to the shop keepers. He had a worried looked as though he had just committed a heinous crime, justifying his actions.

I was taken aback, there he was openly telling people this. At a first glance, he was this mad preacher, the clothes of a beggar, foul stench emanates from him, sweat dripped down his face, mangly, scruffy untidy,dirty, strange. Astaghfirullah, how i judged this man before knowing him. I nervously turned away in fear, disgust and reproach astaghfirullah.

I went into the prayer hall and sat in the corner, beside this egyptian brother. Lo and behold, a few minutes later, to my horror, there he was sitting down and facing me. I sat there awkward and uncomfortable. The whiswhas of shaitan, whispering into my ears, telling me to stand up and walk away.But alhamdulillah, i stayed.With a sincere smile, he gave salaam. "wa'alaikumsalam" i replied timidly. He had this permanent look in his eyes that you get when you are struck with a brilliant idea. Like the eyes of a mad scientist. Scary yet brilliant, astaghfirullah.

He and the other brother beside me began sharing beautiful stories about islam, about the Isra' Mi'raj, Prophet Adam As, Prophet Salleh AS, Rasulullah SAW. How he aspired to go for Hajj, how he yearns to read the qur'an excellently and understand it. How he cries every time he listens to a beautiful recitation. I listened intently, only to butt in with my little knowledge that i have.

But MashaAllah, this brother, a revert, was so enthusiastic, so sincere and pure that i asked myself,How dare i judged him by his exterior, how dare i think that i was better than him, when in fact he is pure of heart, what an evil person i am. Subhanallah. Uncontrollable tears flowed down my cheeks. Constantly wiping it off and putting on a smile while i continued listening to him quietly.

After an hour of sharing stories, it was time for the azan. We both got up, and i gave him a big mighty hug. No smell, honest. "I am sorry i talk too much akhi, thank you for listening, i usually drive people away you know" he apologised. When really, i should be apologising.

I performed the salah in self reflection, asking for Allah's forgiveness for my pride and judgement. Astaghfirullah.

(10) O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; Nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former, Nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it, to insult one's brother after having Faith [i.e. to call your Muslim brother (a faithful believer) as: "O sinner", or "O wicked"]. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed Zâlimûn (wrong-doers). Al-Hujurat 49:10.

Sometimes we have to ask our selves, are we really better than other people? Do we really have the right to scoff and ridicule our brothers and sisters? Regardless of their appearances and actions.

May Allah forgive me.

Typical bruneians

Salaam brothers and sisters, have you ever wondered why bruneians are so polite, soft spoken, shy and smile a lot. I might be exagerating here and tooting my own horn, but try to put a bruneian in an international crowd and see what i mean.

The cypriot hotel owner,(forgot the name of the hotel in Norfolk square just infront of Brunei Hall) asked us this question.Why are you bruneians so good, very polite, never make noise, never make mess in the room? All bruneians that lived here i have no complaints for them.Akhi zawawi (hi zaw) explained to him almost word for word what His Majesty the Sultan replied when Sheikh Ahmed Babikir asked his Majesty the very same question.

Oh yeah, we went to the Fosis conference in Birmingham 2 weeks ago when there was Sheikh Ahmed Babikir telling this story to the whole audience (with only 2 bruneians hehe). The talk was about preserving the legacy of islam and one of the methods was da'wah through good character.

He went "I was invited a few years ago by the Sultan of Brunei to give a lecture, and MashaAllah it is one of the most beautiful places i have ever seen, not because of its structures but because of its people, so after the lecture i came up to His Majesty asking him how come your subjects are very nice, polite, well mannered?"

And wAllahi brothers and sisters, this is what His Majesty's reply is " Islam came to Brunei through good character, the traders of Yemen brought Islam and showed good character, the locals fell in love with their good character and embraced Islam as a way of life." Allahu akhbar, MashaAllah, very wise words. A perfect example that Islam did not spread by sword. MashaAllah.

Abu Hurayrah reported that Rasulullah SAW said "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should either say good things or be silent and be kind to his neighbours and hospitable to his guests"(Sahih Bukhari &Muslim)

The quality of hospitality has been one of the most powerful means of propagating Islam.(Dr Bilal Philips,1997)When Muslim traders settled in SE Asia and Africa , this quality of hospitality amazed the populations and many accepted Islam because of the superiority of these virtues(Dr Bilal Phililps,1997). SubhanAllah.

So give your bruneian brothers a break guys, good manners are in their blood.hehe. Just be nice to everyone and treat them as your best friends. Ikram ul muslimeen it's called.This goes for me as well, inshaAllah,

Rasulullah SAW gave emphasis to these characteristics because of the practical value which they have. As Muslims, we believe in Allah and the Last Day, but if our belief is not expressed in practical terms like being kind to people around us, then it may be more than empty words.(Dr Bilal Philips, 1997)

Charming

We met this very kind uncle in London Dr Ameen from Somalia.We were helping him to find a hotel around Norfolk square. He told us a quite a funny anecdote.

There was this patient who asked an Ustadh to write a charm for him so he could wear it to ward off bad health. The Ustadh told him a constant du'a to Allah will be more than sufficient. But the patient insisted. The ustadh gave in and wrote a few words on paper, rolled it into a ball, asked the patient to wear it around his neck.

Finally, the patient was satisfied and felt nothing on earth could harm him.Little did he know, on the paper it read "Don't be stupid,its all from Allah!" teehee.

Ibn Mas'ud reported Rasulullah SAW said, 'Verily spells, talismans and charms are shirk" Ibn Mas'ud said"it would have sufficient for you to have said as Rasulullah SAW used to say:"Remove the the suffering , O lord of mankind and heal it perfectly as you are the true healer-there is no cure except Your cure-a cure which is not followed by any sickness" (Sahih Bukhari)

Regarding Qur'aanic charms, the sahabahs like Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Abbas and Huthayfah were all opposed to wearing Qur'aanic charms. The wearing of Qur'aanic charms contradicts Rasulullah SAW's method of breaking spells and preventing evil (Recitation of Ayatul Kursee, al-falaq, an-nas).

Wearing the Qur'aan in an amulet is like a sick man given a prescription by a doctor, instead of reading it and getting the medicine, he rolls it into a ball puts it in a pouch and hangs it around his neck, believing it will make him well (Dr Bilal Philips).

Lol, so remember brothers and sisters, don't be stupid, it's all from Allah. hehe

Final food posts for the academic year

I've posted both the lamb biryani and assam pedas fish last year. But that doesn't mean we can only enjoy it once.

hehe, the last big dish of the final year, assam pedas salmon fish head.

Assam pedas fish

Things you need

1/3 cup oil

1 cm galangal root bruised

3-4 slices of asam gelugur or 1 1/2 heaped tbsp of tamarind pulp soaked in 4 tablespoons of water, mashed and strained to obtain juice

4 cups water (probably more)

6 thick fich fillets/ heads

4 sprigs daun kesum/bunga kantan( not found in UK so we used fragrant coriander leaves)

3 tablespoons of coconut milk

1 teaspoon of salt

3 anchovy stock cubes

spice paste

15 dried chillies, soaked, cut into lengths and deseeded

10 large onions peeled and cubed

5 cloves garlic shopped roughly

1 Tbs turmeric powder

1 cup water

1. Grind spice ingreidents with a blender (add oil for lubricant)

2. Heat oil and pot over medium heat and stir fry paste and galangal until fragrant for 5 mins.

3. Add rest of water and bring to a boil. Then add the fish,coconut milk, season with sugar and salt. Simmer uncovered for another 8 minutes.

Serve fresh with rice. nyum. Sour and tangy. The thing with malay dishes is its tedious, and leaves quite a mess, but be patient because it is well worth the time and effort.

(Biryani recipe next time inshallah)

Salaam again

Salaam, it's been a very long time since i've updated my blog. I've been on this knowledge seeking adventure from Leicester,Birmingham,Buxton,Manchester to London. MashaAllah. I'll tell you the details of each next time inshaAllah.

Anyways, here's the one of the last dishes we made toward the end of our final undergraduate year. The one above is roast lamb shoulder and the one below is mutton shoulder. Both made at the same time by good friend jerry. Notice the colour difference.The lamb is much more tender too. Simple and easy to make.

On a roast tin, lay unpeeled cloves of garlic, as much as you want and sprigs of fresh rosemary as a bed to rest the lamb/mutton on. Season well with salt and pepper. Lay sprigs of rosemary and garlic on the lamb as well. Drizzle with olive oil.Slow roast in the oven for 4 hours, gas mark 4.Cover the tin tightly with Al foil. When its done, lay it on a plate and rest for 20 minutes and carve to your delight. Alhamdulillah.

Simple. The flavour comes from the meat, not from a sauce. It's what britons crave for in a dish, good quality meat and not the sauce.

Peace

A simple reminder

A simple reminder for you and me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKNerlfXamg

Dhikr, the remebrance of Allah

Salaam brothers and sisters,

Yesterday's Jum'ah sermon was beautiful. Have you heard of the story?

It goes like this, Abu Hurairah RA reported: Rasulullah said: "Allah SWT, has teams of angelswho go about roaming the roads seeking those who remember Allah. When they find some people remembering Allah they call to one another and say, "Come to what you are looking for;" and they surround them until the sky is fully coveres, MashaAllah!

Allah SWT asks them (although he is Most Knowing); "What are my slave saying",
THey say:"They are glorifying Your Tasbih,Tahmid,Takbir,Tamjid( They are declaring your perfectness, praising,remembering the Greatness and Majesty of Allah)

He asks:"Have they seen me? They reply "No, indeed they have not seen you" He asks"How would they act if they were to see Me?

Thereupon they reply;"If they were to see You, they would engage more earnestly in worshipping and glorifying You and would extol you more"

He would say" What do they beg of me? They say, "They beg You for Your Jannah" Allah says"Have they seen My Jannah?" They would say, "No our Rubb" He says"How would they act if they were to see my Jannah? They reply, "Were they to see it, they would more intensely eager for it.

The angels then said, "They seek Your protection" He asks"Against what do they seek My Protection ?"

They say,Our Rubb, from the Hell fire". Allah says"Have they seen my Hell fire?" THey say: " If they were to see it, they would more earnest in being away from it and fearing it. They beg of Your forgiveness".

He says:"I call you to witness that i hereby grant pardon to them and confer upon them what they ask for; and grant them protection against what they seek protection from".

One of the angels says: "Our Rubb, there is one amongst them who does not belong to the assembly of those who are participating in Your remembrance. He passed by them and sat down with them."

He says:" I also grant him pardon, they are the people whom thei associates will not be unfortunate.[AlBukhari& Muslim]

It made me realise, i used to be real scared of attending dhikr sessions,tahlil, because i thought it was BID'AH! But what they are doing is remembering Allah in congregation. It says so in this Hadith. Remembrance of Allah does not limit to praising Him, it spans through congregational prayer, Tadarus circles and Islamic study sessions. MashaAllah, How Merciful is Allah, that even a person who just passes by and decides to sit down with them also reaps in the benefits

Happy Birthday kus! Your chocolate mousse cake

Salaam, kus, happy birthday to you! hehe, this cake is for you but we're eating it.hehe. Chocolate mousse cake, pretensious and oozing for complements. Astaghfirullah, i made this iklas.really.hehe. But seriously, one of the most elaborate and tedious to make. That's why i prefer cooking. I was craving for the Empire hotel's lavish overpriced ($40)chocolate mousse cake, but since i'm in he UK, might as well make it myself.

What you need:

500ml whipping cream
4 whisked egg whites
1 block of dark chocolate
1 block of milk chocolate
1 heaped tablespoon of nutella spread.
150g of unsalted butter melted
3 eggs.
For the crust, 400g of chocolate fudge cookies crushed and mixed with 150 g melted butter.

First, melt the chocolates and add the butter. Then whisk into the chocolate mixture the eggs. Set aside. Next whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add slowly 1 tablespoon of caster sugar to make it shiny. Fold the egg white into the chocolate mixture. Its what gives it's volume. Next whip the cream and fold into chocolate mixture.

In a spring form cake tin line with baking paper, press in the crushed cookie mixture at the bottom and the sides, then pour into it the chocolate mixture. Freeze for 6 hours to let it set. Decorate the top with icing sugar, cocoa, shaved chocolate and cut fruits. The orange fruits are physalis, just adds that extra luxury.

Creamy.mmmm

Prawn sambal version Miyam & Chicken pie

Some over due pictures, a few weeks ago,. Prawn sambal made by sister Miyam and chicken pie made by me. Prawn sambal recipe from previous post (Tongue on fire), but a little more generous on the belachan, with extra capsicums. Seriously makes a lot of difference with the peppers. And the chicken pie with pufff pastry, looks more like yorkshire pddings no?

Chicken pie filling

Bite sized 5 chicken thighs
2 shopped onions
(would be nice to add mushrooms too)
1 can sweet corn
1 stalk celery diced
2 carrots, diced
Chicken stock and pepper
3 Tbsp barbecue sauce
1 cup of Milk
1.75 l of water
1 cup Flour to thicken
50g butter
oil
A handful of grated mild cheese
500g pack of puff pastry, rolled

Caramalise the onions with oil, and sautee the celery and carrots until fragrant. Add the butter until the rich smell wafts in the air.mmmm.Add the flour until brown, then add the water,and then the milk.Bring to boil and add the chicken.Season well for 30 minutes.Then add the sweet corn and barbecue sauce. Turn off the heat and add the cheese and let it melt.

Shape the puff pastry into the muffin baking tin and add the filling, top with more cheese and close it with the pastry. Gas mark 5 for 30 mins until golden brown. voila!

Neighbours

Salaam,

Yesterday, i found a luscious banoffee pie in the fridge. I found out it was from our lovely neighbours. The text message said "it's for all of you".

Praise be to Allah! What a kindly gesture, the bounties of Allah, you get them in the weirdest ways and times you never expected.

"Allah will find a way out out for those who are mindful of Him, and will provide them from an unexpected source; Allah will be mindful for those who put their trust in Him. Allah achieves His purpose; Allah has set a due measure for everything. (At-Talaq ,65:2-3)

A bit off on a tangent there, anyways, this kind gesture goes very well in line with the traditions of Rasulullah SAW,

Abu Hurayrah reported that Rasulullah SAW said : "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should either say good things or be silent and be kind to his neighbours and hospitable to his guests"[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Rasulullah SAW also said to his companions 3 times, "By Allah, he does not believe!" They asked him, "Who is that, O Rasulullah?" He replied, "The person whose neighbour does not feel safe from his harm" [al-Bukhari].


True isn't it, how do we expect our society to run smoothly.Unkindness to neighbours breeds hatred and unwillingness to share in one's bounties breeds jealousy.

Rasulullah SAW further emphasised the importance of looking after neighbours sying, "Jibreel continued to advise me about neighbours until i thought he would make them my heirs"[narrated by Aishah& Ibn Umar[al-Bukhari]]

Because of that, the Rasulullah SAW said,"if you cook broth, use plenty of water, visit a family in your neighbourhood and pour some for them."

MashaAllah, isn't it beautiful?

Jazakumallah Khair guys for the banoffee

Preace to the whole wide world

Itqan

Salaam,
Alhamdulillah we have completed our RnD project. Praise be to Allah! I used to think that praying for first class and striving hard to achieve this degree sounds a bit duniawi, or wordly matter. How do you justify that? BUT

I attended a motivational talk a few days ago (Jazakallah khair for the brother who organized it,best motivation ever), the main hadith goes like this.

Rasulullah SAW once said in a hadith narrated by Imam Tabrani:

“Indeed Allah loves one who does work, he does it with itqan.”

Itqan means doing the best at it.Simple, yet it puts everything into perspective. We work hard for this degree because Allah loves us for that. MashaAllah.

Another hadith goes like this

From Abu Ya'la Shadad ibn Aws RA, from Rasulullah SAW : Allah has decreed excellence (ihsan) for everything, so when you kill, then do the killing excellently well (in the context of retaliation for combat) and when you slaughter(an animal), then perform the slaughter excellently well, and let any of you sharpen his knife and let him put the animal at ease." [Muslim]

do your best and never give up, because
O my sons! Go and inquire respecting Yusuf and his
brother, and despair not of Allah's mercy; surely none
despairs of Allah's mercy except the unbelieving people.(Yusuf,12:87)

Allah loves excellence in everything we do, be it in seeking knowledge, and even cooking if you think of it!

Oh yeah, interesting story, i was asking my friends the reference for this hadeeth a day before the talk. Lo and behold! Allah gave me the answer Himself,the next day i was fated to attend the talk specifically about itqan. SubhanAllah, how Allah works wonders.Allah is the Most Knowing

Peace to the whole wide world

Chickan pie

Naughty......creamy,hearty and warming. Chicken pie...

Yushy (eating the chicken pie filling): Kanyang ku eh makan isinya ah, very filling ah
Minul: Cos it's chicken filling. teehee
Yushy: Rolls eyes....

Lurve Kolo mee.

Praise be to Allah! As jerry said, we've been eating quite a lot this week from the luxurious nasi talam with lamb biryani and barbecues(2 more in a few days time). A special request from Yushy, kolomee! First time making it, doesnt really taste like kolomee from restaurants but nice nonetheless.

What you need (Fit for 10 people):

5 chicken thighs deboned and chopped

6 stalks of pak choy sliced vertically

1 kg of chicken mince (wouldn't harm you if you add bits of chicken fats,hehe)

400g of shallots

Marinade

8 tablespoons of Oyster sauce

8 table spoons of Sweet Soy Sauce

white pepper

2 table spoons of sesame oil

1.Steam the vegetables.

2.Then stir fry the chicken mince n shicken pieces for 15 minutes.

3.Make the sauce by frying 4 cloves of garlic then with the same ingredients as the marinade but add 3 cups of water with 2 chicken stock cubes. thicken with cornflour and drizzle with sesame oil.

4.Boil 450 g of fine egg noodles.

5.Slice thinly the shallots and fry slowly until goledn (15 mins). Do not discard the oil, it's heavenly fragrant.

6.Then, mix the sauce, chicken and noodles together.Mix ell, top with shallots and drizzle with the shallots oil.

slurp....

peace

Happy Birthday Mom

Salaam and good morning world,
Alhamdulillah, my mom just had her 52nd birthday a few days ago. May Allah grant her longevity,happiness and Jannah ameen. I was told that the love for Allah must exceed your love for your parents. Hmmm, i know that for a fact but at first couldn't make sense of it. They were the one's who gave birth to me, took care of me, who brought me up. But then i started to realise, isn't it Allah that created me? Who brought me into this world? and the one that I am most thankful for , HE BROUGHT ME TO THIS WORLD AS A MUSLIM.
MashaAllah. I love you.

"People, (remember) if you doubt resurrection, that We created you from dust, then a drop of fluid, then a clinging form, then a lump of flesh, both shaped and unshaped: We mean to make Our power clear to you. Whatever We choose We cause to remain in the womb for an appointed time, then We bring you forth as infants and then you grow and reach maturity....."(Al-Hajj(The Pilgrimage) 22:5)

MashaAllah, Allah is the most Merciful
When you love Allah, your love for your parents would come naturally. How come? Because Allah commands us to do so.SubhanAllah.

"And you Rubb has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but adress them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of mercy, and say: 'My Rubb! Bestow on them your Mercy as they did bring me up when i was young (17:23,24)

"And we have enjoined man (to be good and dutiful )to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardships, and his weaning is in two years-give thanks to Me and to yo your parents"(31:4)

Abdullah bin Mas'ud RA reported: I asked the prophet SAW,"which of the deeds is loved most by Allah?' Reasulullah SAW said " Salat at its proper time," I asked, "What next?' He SAW replied, Kindness to parents." I asked, "What next?" He replied,"Jihad in the way of Allah" [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Happy Birthday Mom,I Love you

Peace

Chicken kebab

Simple and spicy kebab. A before and after shot. Will post recipes for this and the other posts inshallah. Rite now i'm in a picture uploading frenzy!

Profiteroles

ooooohhh, profiteroles! ijah lapar! I'm so proud of making these, my first time working with pastry and i suceeded! With the will of Allah! Fluffy choux pastry with a whipped cream filling, drizzled with chocolate sauce and dusted with icing just to add that extra bit of magic. yummy! happy but hungry................................

Strawberry cheese birthday cake

Surah Al-inshirah
1 Have We not opened your breast for you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him))?
2 And removed from you your burden,
3 Which weighed down your back?
4 And raised high your fame?
5 So verily, with the hardship, there is relief,
6 Verily, with the hardship, there is relief (i.e. there is one hardship with two reliefs, so one hardship cannot overcome two reliefs).
7 So when you have finished (from your occupation), then stand up for Allahs worship (i.e. stand up for prayer).
8 And to your Lord (Alone) turn (all your intentions and hopes and) your invocations.

Just needed to remind myself, because sister miyam and I are stuck trying to find the correlation between the diffusion coefficient,distance and chemical content for our research project. It's a good surah to recite when you are stuck on something. Haha.

And here's sister miyam's birthday cake! told you it's way back. Home made straw berry cheesecake! crushed double chocolate chip cookies and viennese for the crust, cream cheese, and sour cream, baked. Then lathered with sweet strawberry jam and freshly cut strawberries. MashaAllah! I have some more overdue pictures just wait and see.InshaAllah.

Peace!

Fried Tiger prawns and roast pousins

aaaaaaahhh, some more overdue pictures, made this on sister miyam's birthday,
Massive tiger prawns, simply seasoned and deep fried.
Pousins (fancy name for baby chicken), seasoned with salt, pepper and turmeric. Roasted.
simple and tasty.
peace

Nasi lemak

Bismillahirrahmanirraheem.
A waaaay overdue picture (courtesy of jerry). The traditional nasi lemak. I made this way back in March.
Nasi lemak: rice cooked in coconut milk infused with slices of fragrant ginger and zingy lemon grass, pandan essence and salt. Uber good ,uber fattening. hehe
peace!

When it is raining..

Assalamualaikum,

I'm hijacking sam's blog! Haha. I have no idea what i want to say, but we'll go with the flow. But i warn you that its gonna be different from his usual posts. I'm just humoring him pasal he was curious about my privatised blog.

I am currently addicted to sorority life!And i have a feeling its because i have so many many courseworks yth aku main saja atu. And when it is all over, i bet i'll get bored. And this is a boring post!

In less than a month, i will have my final exam insya Allah. Can't believe we are graduating soon iA. Macam the end of one chapter of our lives. And knowing that, patutnya semangat lah ah kn do all the courseworks and revise for the exams. Tapi malas jua masih! Haha. The story of a typical student (almost all lah).

I was bored the other day and i read my old posts. Awu, loser kn. Yatah i was wondering how a few years can make a lot of difference. And adakah aku ah, mau th jua kn bagi initial for names.. inda plg ku ingat who i was talking about. Hehe. And i kinda miss the guys yg we used to hang out with. I'm thankful that i still talk to my girls.

oH OH. this is getting personal :p

Ok baby sam, back to you.

Peace.

Barbecute

Assalamualaikum, praise be to Allah! Barbecue gatherings are a favourite past time for Lufbruans, a tradition since first year. Usually it means socializing with friends but for me it's busy work, because half the time it's our house organizing it.haha. MashaAllah, but i like it. Tasty food and great company.

We had 15 kilos of chicken and 6o plus chicken satays.Was a bit skeptical at first, are we going to be able to finish everything?, but mashaAllah, nothing is wasted. Alhamdulillah.

Oh yah, a first; chicken satay! Not really a fan (mostly because of the sickly sweet sauce) but yesterday i was a satay loving convert. hehe. These pictures were the only instance where i managed to collect that many satays in one plate, because people kept on eating them of the barbe one by one alhamdulillah!

Satay marinade goes like:
spice paste ground made of 2 table spoons chilli powder, 1 table spoon of tumeric powder, 2 large onions, 2 table spoons sugar, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp of sugar,2 stalks of lemon grass blended in oil.
Marinate for 12 hours for best results!
For the Satay sauce
Spice paste for blending
3 large onions
5 cloves garlic
3 table spoons of chilli paste
2 chicken stock cubes
3 Tablespoons of sugar
2 cm galangal
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds

Then fry them till fragrant for 15 minutes. Then add a cup of ground peanuts and a tablespoon of tamarind. Adjust the taste with peanut butter and sweet soya sauce. Don't worry, the sweet soya sauce wont affect the colour.hehe

Peace

Thank you Allah

MashaAllah, this year have been a bitter sweet one, where Allah has tested me with my exam results. A blessing in disguise mashaAllah, that's when i start to think why? Why me? Why such and such exam results? Astaghfirullah, i dare question Allah why? SubhanAllah, Allah has blessed me with satisfactory results before this. How did i thank Him? A two rakaat prayer as syukur on the day of the results? Then what? At good times, when you've got it easy, sometimes we forget to be grateful to Allah.

But Alhamdulillah, eventhough results last semester wasn't fantastic, it humbled me and taught me patience. To constantly think of Allah. The reason Allah tests his servant is to make him a better person if he gets through the trial. Allah tests us because He loves us. Allah loves me. I love you too o Allah.

"Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning" (Al-Zumar,the Throngs 39:10)

"Seek help in patience and As-Salat (prayer). Truly Allah is with the As-Sabirun (The patient) Al Baqarah 2:153

Abu Yahya Suhaib bin Sinan RA reported that Rasulullah SAW said: "How wonderful is the case of the believer;there is good for him in everything and this applies only to the believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him" Sahih Muslim. Win win situation subhanAllah.

Peace

Pineapple prawns in mayonnaise

Now this is a fresh one,photo courtesy of great friend Jerry just made it yesterday, you could even call it oriental prawn salad even. Inspired by the dishes that we used to order at family lunches at dynasty and i-lotus. Except they use mangoes at i-lotus.

It's fried prawns in spicy batter, mixed with pineapple chunks, mayonnaise. Drizzled with sesame oil and garnished with celery leaves. Nestled on a bed of crispy fried rice noodles.

Really simple and sweet. Would've been much better with large tiger prawns with shells still attached. mmm, that woul'dve been lovely and crunchy. But syukur alhamdulilllah for what i have.

Anyways, i read a post of a friend of mine from nottingham, really beautiful what he posted about the stresses of exams, the ONLY way to find inner peace is dhizkr to Allah, "those who have faith and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of God-truly it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find peace"-(Ar-Rad(Thunder) 13:28)

MashaAllah, no wonder yelling your hearts out or listening to music doesnt work!

Peace

Home made burger

The posts just keeps coming when you're bored haha (A muslim never gets bored though FYI, we're supposed to constantly make dhikr to Allah.). This is even way back in the winter.Home made burger, totally delicious alhamdulillah.hehe. It's jamie oliver's recipe using jacobs biscuits.

it goes something like 500gm of mince beef, mixed with 10 crushed jacob's biscuits, seasoned with a bit of chicken stock and pepper.Chopped onion and parseley, sealed with egg white and patted into round patties.

OOzes with taste,juicy and meaty.melted cheesy.yummy.

Peace

Trip to borough market

Some overdue pictures from my very lovely easter break alhamdulillah. Our trip to borough market London, a haven for food lovers where everyting is fresh and in season subhanAllah. Another reason why i was excited to go there as that it's where my favourite cooking show films, and mashaAllah, i met aaron craze, celebrity chef and maket kitchen presenter.haha.

The fruits and veg are absolutely beautiful. I get very excited about these kinds of stuffs, my friends said i looked like a kid in a toy store. hehe.

You get ostrich eggs and exotic meats here, and fresh fish from every sea.None of the frozen fish from sainsbury's.hehe

" It is he who made the sea of benefit to you; you eat fresh fish from it and bring out jewellery to wear: you see the ships cutting through its waves so that you may go in search of His bounty and give thanks."(An-Nahl (The Bee) 16:14)

"He set down the earth for His creatures,

with its fruits,its palm trees with sheathed clusters,its husked grain, its fragrant plants. Which,then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny?" (Ar-Rahman,(The Lord of Mercy);55:10-13)

Peace

A reminder to my self

MashaAllah, i havn't posted anything since february, blame it on final year projects and the easter break.hehe. Food pics still in the hard drive. I've been blogging about food for a year now. Quite irregular posts i might add. I've realised that cooking is a hobby but Islam is a way of life subhanAllah. So from now on it's going to be food posts and bits of knowledge to share inshaAllah. I hope it'll work inshaAllah.
Anyways, just a reminder to myself so that i don't have to keep looking back to my books, i'm going to post it instead.

A good opening post would be about our intention or niyyat InshaAllah. Cooking is a "harus" thing, but if you incorporate niyyat to do it for Allah and to help feed the hungry as sadaqqah,inshaAllah you will get rewarded.

Aishah RA narrates Rasulullah SAW said: "An army was advancing in order to attack the Ka'bah. When they reached an even plain, all of them were swallowed into the earth." I asked :" O Messenger of Allah! How could all of them be swallowed up when among them are merchants who were not part of them(the army)?"

He SAW replied." All of them were swallowed up, and they will eventually be resurrected according to their intentions."( Al-Bukhari & Muslim)


Abdullah ibn Abbas RA narrates from Rasulullah SAW who narrates from Allah SWT:

Whoever intends doing a good deed but does not carry it out Allah SWT records it as a complete good deed. But if he intends doing a good deed and carries it out, Allah SWT records it as 10 good deeds to 700 good deeds, and even more. Whoever intends doing an evil deed and does not carry it out, Allah SWT records it as a good deed. But if he intends doing an evil deed and carries it out, Allah SWT records it as one evil deed. (Al-Bukhari&Muslim)

Chocolate surprise

OOOooohh, nice. Chocolate surprise cupcakes. Guilty pleasure at the bottom and crunchily healthy topping.Lol.

Yushi sushi

I love sushi, it's fun to make and looks fantastic on a plate.
Sushi~~~skajap kanyang,skajap lapar.
Sushi~~~~made it in three hours. Finished it in 10 minutes. Ok, a little bit exaggerated over there.
sushi~~~~

Red velvet cream cheese cupcake

The best cup cake ever!

Chicken rice

Our timetables for the next semester are out and when Yushie found out that we're free from saturday to thursday, combined with the fact that i haven't cooked in weeks, she made this list of food for me to cook titledand the deadline is 15 March 2009. So i've made 4 out of the 19(i think) she requested, namely Linguine Gamberi for lunch, honey garlic chicken, sushi and this one right here.

You might think that the chicken rice is all too common to the brink of cliche' in bruneian food blogs. But to hell with cliche's, i say cook and feature what you most love and stop being fancy pancy. Seriously fattening and all too delicioso!

WHAT THE HELL YOU NEED!:

For 6 people,
50g salted butter

A handful of chicken fat, skins and stuff

Chicken carcasses and bones

3 chopped chicken legs.

4 cups of rice

A thumbsized ginger, thinly sliced

3 Tblespoons of chicken stock powder

Sesame oil to drizzle

4 cloves of garlic chopped

1 Tbsp of oyster sauce

1 Tbsp of light soy sauce

To make the garlic ginger chilli sauce

1 cup of water

7 fresh redd chillis deseeded

1 thumbsized ginger chopped

1 clove garlic

1 shallot

salt

1 Tsp sugar

1 Tbsp of lemon juice

1 tsp sesame oil

Or

1 cup of Thai sweet chilli sauce

1 Thumbsized ginger

1 clove garlic

1 shallot

lemon juce

sesame oil

Yeah, so first rub the chicken with salt and pepper and steam. What i did was place the chicken in a colander over a pot of boiling water and cover for 25 minutes.By then, the boiling water will be transluscent and golden from the chicken fat drippings. Add the oyster sauce,light soy sauce and sesame oil into it.Place the chicken on a plate and baste them with the sauce.Drizzle with sesame oil.

Meanwhile to make the rice, first fry the uncooked rice with the garlic,ginger and chicken rice using butter and oil.After 4 minutes, cook the rice with 5 cups of water(one for luck!), add the chicken stock powder and the chicken carcass. (After all this while i thought you should fry the rice After it was cooked until Zaw clarified it.Silly me.haha)

To make the chilli sauce, chuck the sauce ingredients in a blender until smoothe.

Serve with cucumber and tomato slices. Yumm.

I used the thai sweet chilli method and was convinced that it was second best but my friends begged to differ. They said the sauce was like Brunei chicken rice. hehe. My nostrils flared instantly.hehe.

End of exams!!!!!!

Finally! Exams have ended and i'm back to my usual self now haha. Wow, it's been ages ago since i've updated my blog, i forgot it ever existed! Blame holidays and exams. When my family came over, cooking became a chore which took the fun out of it. What consisted of cooking repetitive fish for dinner due to my parent's strict diet. Then exams took over, dinner consisted of microwaved frozen leftovers in front of the computer screens andon the Stewart Mason staircase. Bland and plain bad i say.

Anyways, i made this just two days after the dreaded tests. Honey garlic roasted chicken with sesame seeds. My first time using a whole chicken which the butcher was thankful for.

What i had was:

1.5 kg of whole chicken,(best use medium instead of baby)

50 g of salted butter melted

A bunch of fresh thyme

2 oranges, pierced

salt

black sesame seeds

a squeeze of honey

5 cloves of garlic chopped finely

olive oil

The bed of vegetables comprised of:

2 stalks of celery

3 carrots

1 large onion

1 red onion

4 cloves of unpeeled garlic

Firstly, rub the chicken with salt under the skin, along with the garlic and butter. Next, lodge an orange into the chicken cavity. That gives it a bit of zing. Oh, and the bunch of thyme as well. Lend a subtle aroma to the chicken. Next, cut the other orange into quarters and place an orange wedge on each side of the chicken thigh. The other 2 wedges into the cavity please. Drizzle a squeeze of honey all over the chicken ang massage it. Lastly drizzle olive oil

Next, to prepare the vegetables, chopped them roughly and make a bed on an oven tray. No need to chop the garlic.Next place the chicken on the vege bed.

Make sure you preheat the oven gas Mark 9 beforehand (15 mins). Pop them in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes and baste the chicken halfway. When it's cooked carve the chicken,at the thigh and drumstick joints, the wings and the breasts. Make another drizzle of honey all over.

You can even make gravy frm the chicken juices and vegetables, just add stock, simmer and reduce. You can add gravy granules (like i did) or corn flour. Just the way Zaw likes it.hehe. Do not worry if the chicken looks burnt. That's just the caramelised honey, Serweeet.

End result, well it made my friends happy . My girlfriend especially. hehe. They were quite excited on the sheer size of it. Yum yum. Photos courtesy of an enthusiastic Jerry with his new toy.