Salam to all my friends here.

Alhamdulillah after few months struggling in my work, I did make my intention to go out Khuruj 5 months ago, and now is the time for me to fulfill my intention, that is to go out in the path of Allah to learn more about the Deen of Allah and to rectify myself. Years and years I have been delaying this intention and insyaallah, this time I pray to Allah to make it easy for me to fulfill this intention. Previously when I was in States studying, I did when out for 40 days twice between 1984 to 1988 and now is the first time for me to do it in Malaysia (approximately 22 years lapse, Ya Allah! please forgive me).

I have been out constantly for 3 days for the past one year and now is the time for me to go our for 40 days insyaallah. Why Khuruj?

Because in Khuruj I must say it is one of the most uplifting experiences for a person’s imaan. Yes, some Tabligh members may have gone astray from the core beliefs, but which organization, group, religion, etc, can say any different. Many anti-Tabligh sentiments stem from this minority group of people.

The core beliefs of Tabligh in brief, the six points, they are: a) Imaan, b) Salaat, c) Ilm (knowledge) and Dhikr, d) Ikraam (honoring a fellow Muslim), e) Ikhlaas (sincerity) of intention, f) Dakwah. All of these are practiced by pious muslims all over the world and have been asked of us by Allah and his Messenger(saw). These six points are not a new teaching of Islam but if we could follow these guidelines, we shall have the strength to follow the Deen of Islam to the fullest, insyaallah.

Let me enlighten you more about Tabligh. What is Tabligh?

Tabligh literally means ‘to convey’. Contextually, it refers to conveying the message of Islam. This is the sunnah of all the prophets. The most important rule of tabligh is hikmah. Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Quran:
“Invite (people) to the way of your lord with wisdom and good counsel.” (Verse: 16:125)

Whosoever does tabligh must adopt hikmah. It is only then, that people will understand and accept.

The system conducted by the Tabligh Jama’at was initiated by Maulana Ilyas Saheb (Rahimahullah). He observed that people were too engrossed in their worldly activities and had forgotten the objective for which they had been sent to this world. He realised that they had to free some time from their worldly engagements, to sit and ponder about Allah Ta’ala and their purpose for being sent to this world. Therefore, he started calling people to the masjid, and reminded them about Allah Ta’ala and His greatness. Initially people rebuked him, they discouraged him and used to say that they had no time for all of this; but as time went by, they realised the truth behind it and the need for it, and started joining him in calling others towards Allah Ta’ala. Thereafter, when more people started joining this work, a few guidelines had to be set, to make sure that the work was done in a proper manner. Different time periods of 3 days, 40 days, etc. were set, so that people knew for how long they had to be away, and could make the necessary arrangements for that period.

Their beliefs and objectives

Those that are engaged in the work of tabligh are from the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah. They do not have any beliefs that are exclusive to them. Each one is allowed to follow his own mazhab, as long as he does not move away from the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah.

Their objective is that each and every Muslim adopts the Islamic way in all aspects of life. They do not advice anyone to leave all their daily activities and join this work, but they encourage people to take out some time from their daily engagements so that the rest of the time could be spent in accordance to the teachings of Islam. Spending time in the path of Allah is not the objective of the work, but rather the objective is to adopt the Islamic lifestyle whilst engaged in daily activities, whether one is at home with family or at his work place; spending time in the path of Allah Ta’ala only acts as a means to fulfil this objective.

Proof from Quran and Hadith

There are numerous verses of the Quran and the Ahadith of Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) that support the practice of tabligh.

Hereunder are a few of them:

From the Holy Quran:
1. “Invite (people) to the way of your lord with wisdom and good counsel.” (Verse: 16:125)
2. “And there has to be a group of people from among you who call towards good and prevent from evil.” (Verse: 3:104)
3. “And who is better in utterance than the one who called people towards Allah, and acts righteously and says, “I am one of those who submit themselves (to Allah Ta’ala).”(Verse: 41:33)

From the Ahadith of Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam):
4. Hazrat Abu Sa’eed (Radhiyallahu Anhu) narrates that he heard Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) saying, “Whosoever witnesses a forbidden act being committed, he should prevent it by the use of his hands; if he is unable to do so, then he should prevent it with his tongue; if he is unable to do so, he should at least consider it a vice in his heart; and this is a very low level of Iman”.
Sahih Muslim Vol.2 Pg.211/2 (Darul Ma’rifah)
5. It has been reported by Nu’man bin Bashir (Radhiyallahu Anhu) that Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “There are people who do not transgress the limits (laws) of Allah Ta’ala, and there are others who do so. They are like two groups who boarded a ship; one of them settled on the upper deck, and the other on the lower deck of the ship. When the people of the lower deck needed water, they said, “Why should we cause trouble to the people of the upper deck when we can have plenty of water by making a hole in our deck”. Now, if the people of the upper deck do not prevent this group from such foolishness, all of them will perish; but if they stop them, they will be saved”. Sahih Al Bukhari Vol.3 Pg.152 (Darul fikr)

One may question that the above mentioned Ayaat and Ahadith only prove the practice of tabligh. They do not prove the manner in which it is coordinated by the Tabligh Jama’at (e.g. specifying the time period of 40 days, stipulating time for ta’lim and gusht, etc.)

The answer to this is simple. There are some commandments in Shariah in which the method is not stipulated. For example, it is a commandment of Shariah to acquire knowledge, but the manner in which the Madrasas are established today, is not proven through Quran and Hadith. Up until the recent past, the scholars used to teach in the masjids of their respective towns and villages. The students had to go to different scholars to learn the different sciences. No arrangements of food or boarding were made. However, the zeal for knowledge had decreased as time went by, and the scholars felt it necessary to establish the system of Darul Ulooms as is established today. Nobody regards such a system to be bid’ah.

Similarly, Shariah has commanded us to do the work of tabligh. This work used to be done on an individual basis. The learned people used to preach the others and prevent them from all vices. As time went on, vice started prevailing, and people had stopped doing the work on an individual basis; therefore, a collective effort had to take place, and rules had to be set up for the work to carry on in order.

The outcome of Tabligh

Anyone with a sound mind and fair thinking will have no option but to accept that the work of Tabligh has been responsible, to a great extent, in the reformation that has taken place in the Muslim Ummah, in the last few decades. Tabligh Jama’at has played a big role in the establishment of madrasas in the last few years. Similarly, it has influenced many Muslim men and women in adapting their attire and appearance in accordance to sunnah. It acts as a deterrent for the Muslim youth from going to cinemas, night clubs, discothèques, raves and all other places of sin. Cricket players like Sa’eed Anver and pop singers like Junaid Jamshed, even local artiste Dr. SAM (Saya Anak Malaysia) who were drowned in sin, have now become the means for spreading Islam. Tabligh Jama’at plays an important role in preaching Islam to those who have even forgotten the kalimah, like those staying in the Kazakhistan, Uzbekistan, etc. and the descendants of Arabs staying in South America. Many non Muslims have also accepted Islam through this effort.

Fazail-e-A’mal

A brief introduction:

This kitab was compiled by Hazrath Sheikh Zakariya (Rahimahullah). It consists of Ayaats of the Quran, Ahadith, stories of the Sahabah and stories of the pious predecessors that explain the virtues of good deeds. The object of the book is to encourage the Muslims on doing good deeds, and not to explain any ruling of Shariah. Sheikh Zakariya (Rahimahullah) was not the first to write a kitab of this manner, but the likes of this kitab have been written by the authors of the past, like Kitab-u-Zuhd by Abdullah bin Mubarak (Rahimahullah), Fadhaiulul Quran by Imam Shafi’ (Rahimahullah), Al Adabul Mufrad by Imam Bukhari (Rahimahullah), Al Targheeb Wal Tarheeb by Ibnul Qayyim Munziri (Rahimahullah), etc.

The role of Fazail-e-A’mal in Tabligh Jama’at

It is a total misconception that Fazail-e-A’mal is the guide book of Tabligh Jama’at. This book only consists of the virtues of good deeds. The concept of Tabligh Jama’at was not derived from this book, nor is the jama’at dependant on this book to do the work of tabligh. They thought it necessary to stipulate such a book that would encourage people towards good deeds, and this book served the purpose; therefore, the people who join this work are advised to stipulate a specific time for the reading of this book. However, it is not compulsory upon each an every person who joins this effort to read this book. Many of the Arabs who are doing this effort chose to read Riyadu-s-Saliheen instead, and they are allowed to carry on with this work. Similarly, Riyadu-s-Saliheen is also read in many of the masjids in the world on certain days of the week. Therefore, it is totally incorrect to regard this book as the guide book of Tabligh Jama’at.

Some objections made against Fazail-e-A’mal:
1. A common comment made against Fazail-e-A’mal is that some of the narrations mentioned in it are weak and fabricated. This comment is not totally correct, as there are no fabricated narrations in this book. There are dhaif (weak) narrations in Fazail-e-A’mal. However, it is important to point out that the word dhaif, literally translated as ‘weak’, is a terminology and should not be understood in its general sense. Its application is based on the rules explained in the sciences of hadith. Moreover, weak narrations are not acceptable only in regards to aqidah and the rulings of Islamic jurisprudence. Majority of the scholars have accepted weak narrations as far as virtues of good deeds are concerned. Even Imam Bukhari (Rahimahullah) has brought weak narrations in his book, Al Adabul Mufrad, which shows that he also accepts weak narrations in regards to virtues of good deeds.

2. Some scholars claim that there are such narrations in Fazail-e-A’mal, especially in Fazail-e-Durood, that prove that the author had beliefs of shirk and believed in the Omnipresence of Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). These are false allegations made against the author, who was one of the most prominent scholars of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah. Firstly, such allegations are made mostly by Arab scholars, who are unaware of the difference between the Deobandis and the Barelwis. They regard both these groups to be one, as both of them are from Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah, and attribute the beliefs of Barelwis to the Deobandis. It is some of the Barelwis who believe in grave-worshipping and the Omnipresence of Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), and these beliefs have been attributed to the Deobandis. Some of these Arab scholars, like Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen (Rahimahullah), retracted from what they said after the actual situation was explained to them. Secondly, the author has mentioned references for each and every narration or incident he has mentioned. Therefore, any comments regarding these narrations or incidents should be attributed to the author of the reference provided, as Shaikh Zakariya (Rahimahullah) has absolved himself by giving the reference. Thirdly, most of the incidents mentioned in Fazail-e-Durood are of pious predecessors. It is incorrect to say that these are fabricated Ahadith, as the word Hadith is used for the sayings of Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). It is also incorrect to confirm the beliefs of the author through these incidents, as the object of the author was only to emphasise on the virtues of durood mentioned in them. Moreover, most of the incidents mentioned are dreams, and no rulings of Shariah can be derived from dreams. It is farfetched to confirm someone’s faith from a dream, of another person, mentioned in his kitab. Lastly, most of the copies of Fazail-e-A’mal do not have Fazail-e-Durood attached to them, and it is not considered as part of the kitab-reading stipulated by the Tabligh Jama’at.

3. It is incorrect to compare the Shias, Qadiani, etc. with Tabligh Jama’at as we have clarified above that Tabligh Jama’at is not based on the narrations of Fazail-e-A’mal; and none of the narrations of Fazail-e-A’mal are fabricated.

To end thereof, one should not be misguided with all the false accusations on this jama’at, but rather look at how the Ummah has benefited through this jama’at. We should always supplicate to Allah Ta’ala to show us the right path and save us from the misguidance of Syaitan. Moreover, we should always bear in mind that the pious and the learned amongst the Ummah cannot be unanimous upon something that is false or not part of Islam, as Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has mentioned:
“Allah Ta’ala will not unite the Ummah of Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) upon misguidance. Allah’s help is with majority. Whoever deviates from them will be thrown into the fire of Jahannam.” Sunan Al Tirmizi Vol.2 Pg.39 (H.M. Sa’eed Company)

A thought provoking act

How will one account for the many thousands of people all around the world, Arabs and non-Arabs, and of all works of life, be they great Ulama, Muftis, intellectuals or professionals, to be associated with this noble work. They all cannot be wrong. They must have encountered something positive in this work for them to be part of it. The solution is, come within and see for yourself.

And Allah knows best and pray to Allah to make us steadfast in the Deen.

Wassalam.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Checked and Approved by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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It has been awhile I did not update this blog. All due to my work and also outstation activities. Will try to get it moving again and hope you guys still have patience with me here. Today just a simple story in order for me to move on.

Here how the story goes…..

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat.”
“Is the man of the house home?”, they asked.
“No”, she replied. “He’s out.”
“Then we cannot come in”, they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.

“Go tell them I am home and invite them in!”
The woman went out and invited the men in”
“We do not go into a House together,” they replied.
“Why is that?” she asked.
One of the old men explained: “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, “He is Success, and I am Love.” Then he added, “Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.” The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. “How nice!!”, he said.
“Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”
His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?”
Their daughter was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion:
“Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!”
“Let us heed our daughter’s advice,” said the husband to his wife.
“Go out and invite Love to be our guest.”
The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, “Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.”

Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: “I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?” The old men replied together: “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!! !”

Whatever mountains stands in your path,
Whatever obstacle blocks your way,
Whatever difficulty immobilized you,
The prayer full of faith can remove it.

All you have to do is ask from ALLAH.

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Wow! This is really exciting to start the ball rolling in 2010! Read on guys…..accept the challenge today!

mYprize challenges developers from across the world to create unique applications, content or devices that highlight the benefits of YTL Communications’ 4G Network in Malaysia. To motivate developers worldwide to submit prototypes, YTL Communications is offering USD$1 million in prizes to those with the most exciting and creative solutions that serve consumer needs.

Join now to submit your your ideas, or to share, rate and comment on entries submitted by others.

Apart from mYprize, if you join the 4G Innovation Network, you’ll have access to:

• Newsletters – Get the latest news on projects and techniques delivered right to your inbox.
• Contests – Share, rate or comment and win a prize on any contest which is initiated by YTL Communications.
• Privileges – Get invited to participate in events or product launch.
• Developer forums – Post questions and get answers from experts in the developer community.
• Developer Desktop – Stay on top of bug base updates and track updates to components via automatic desktop notifications.

Join us now

YTL Communications envisions a modern broadband nation enhanced by the Internet and supports technological innovation. In 2009, it created the YTL 4G Innovation Network and opened a testing centre at Sentul Park near Kuala Lumpur that will help to make the mobile Internet a reality throughout Malaysia.

Developers can submit their entries from Jan 8, 2010 until May 1, 2010. Ideas will be judged based on criteria such as the originality of the concept and its commercial potential. Finalists will be invited to demonstrate their products in person to a panel of expert and community judges. Winners will be announced in September 2010 and cash prizes will be awarded in multiple categories:

1. Top Applications: 1^st: USD$200,000; 2^nd: USD$120,000; 3^rd: USD$80,000

2. Top 4G Devices: 1^st: USD$200,000; 2^nd: USD$120,000; 3^rd: USD$80,000

3. Malaysian Only Prize: USD$120,000

4. Top Device Idea: USD$40,000

5. Top Application Idea: USD$40,000

Winning entries may be developed for mass deployment to customers upon launch of YTL Communications’ nationwide 4G network in Malaysia in the second half of 2010. Interested developers can go to the ‘mYprize’ portal at www.myprize.my, to learn more details, register and submit their entries online.

‘We believe this exciting ‘mYprize’ Global Developer Challenge is a strategic impetus in propelling Malaysia into a truly cutting-edge incubation centre for 4G innovations,’ said Wing K Lee, Chief Executive Officer of YTL Communications. ‘We are confident that the applications and devices will help accelerate our mission of providing affordable, world-class quality products and services that improve the way people in Malaysia learn, work and play.’

‘Our YTL 4G Innovation Network expands the 4G ecosystem and enables the next wave of mobile Internet innovations by connecting the best minds across the globe in developing new consumer products via YTL’s nationwide 4G mobile Internet network,’ Lee continued. ‘The network is linked with the Clearwire 4G WiMAX Innovation Network in Silicon Valley, a global hotbed for innovations, and provides developers opportunities for commercialization in Malaysia and beyond. Developers are able to incubate their ideas, with support from the world leaders in mobile Internet, giving people in Malaysia a new level of mobile Internet experience with products and services optimized for a high bandwidth, low latency 4G mobile Internet.’

So guys, what are you waiting for, give out your ideas today.

To begin, here is a definition of creativity by Andy Rutledge:

Creativity is an inborn capacity for thinking differently than most, seeing differently, and making connections and perceiving relationships others miss. But most importantly, it is the ability to then extrapolate contextually useful ways of employing that data: to create something that meets a specific challenge. (Andy Rutledge)

So creativity is the development of an ‘idea’.

Be Creative and Be Innovated

Understand the culture of Technology and  The design of Business.

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Hey guys, today I was buzzed by a friend, who said that Daniel Scocco just released a new report worth a read on his blog site.

“10 Deadly Business Mistakes You Should Avoid”

It’s a very short report, so easy to read, but contains some great info. I like to share this common mistake that we do, and I am going to admit that 4 years back I did the same mistake.

One of the mistake is “Lacking money focus”

The Internet is certainly erupting with opportunities. All it takes is an idea and passion to build a website around it, and in a matter of months you could have a real business on your hands. Curiously enough, this abundance of opportunities is also what leads many online entrepreneurs to fail. How come? Because they end up trying to pursue too many things at the same time.

They start several blogs, promote affiliate programs, create mini websites for AdSense and offer consulting services on top of that. As a result, they end with average, if not mediocre results in each of these activities. If you want to create something powerful, you need to concentrate your efforts on it. This is true for most things in life. Just think about light. When you have dispersed light beams, they are not that strong. When you concentrate the light beams, however, they become very powerful. So powerful that they can cut steel! This is the concept behind the laser.

Testing with different business models and ideas is ne, but once you decide what direction you want to go, you will need to focus all your time and energies on it.

As you probably know, the online market place is a crowded one. You have thousands of blogs in every niche, hundreds of websites in every segment and dozens of online companies offering similar services. If you want to be pro table, you need to be the best at what you do, and you will only achieve that if you have a laser sharp focus.

This obviously does not mean that you will need to stick with one project for the rest of your life. If you grow your business effectively there will be a point in time where it will pretty much stand alone, and you will be able to step back and pursue new ideas. Until you reach that point, however, you need to focus ALL your time and energies on that single project.

Get to know more by grabbing your copy now – 10 Deadly Business Mistakes to Avoid Link

Take just a few minutes now from your day to read his free report, you will be glad you did and you will thank me later!

Have a great day,
Rosli Hanip

My little advise to you:
Overall I still believe there are no shortcuts to success. Whether you work for a corporation or have your own small business, if you want to succeed you’ll need to work your butt off. If you have your own online business, on the other hand, all your sweat will go into something that you actually own. If you hit a home run, you’ll collect all the profits, and you can also decide to sell the whole business down the road.

OK, grab the free report today!

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At the first place what is Burj-Khalifa?

Burj Khalifa “Khalifa Tower”, formerly known as Burj Dubai, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the tallest man-made structure ever built, at 828 m (2,717 ft). Construction began on 21 September 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009 and the building officially opened on 4 January 2010.

Stretching over half a mile high, the skyscraper literally towers above the previous record holder, Taiwan’s 508 meter tall Taipei 101. The 818 meter tall spike of steel and glass now piercing the skyline is the centerpiece of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s plans to transform Dubai into the Middle East’s premier business hub. Will this be a reality?

Now I invite you to have a look on the latest wonder of the world, The Burj-Khalifa or Burj-Dubai.

But my dear readers, what is the significant of this building? Why waste money unnecessarily when there are so many critical and noble things to do? What is the use or who cares for such world records? UAE already boasted big buildings like the biggest or most expensive hotel etc. It’s all for competition- now someone else will go one better and this reminds me of the hadith of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) when he stated that one of the signs for the day of judgement (minor) would be the constructing of high buildings (for competition purposes).
A sign of the advanced technology of the age in which we live and which The Prophet (pbuh) has mentioned is the construction of tall buildings.

“There will be no Judgment—until very tall buildings are constructed”. (Reported by Abu Hurairah)
“The Hour will not be established—till the people compete with one another in constructing high buildings”. (Bukhari)

This is so true and it is happening before our own eyes! If we look at the history of architecture and engineering, we see that multi-storied buildings began to be constructed only towards the end of the nineteenth century. Technological developments, the growing use of steel and the use of elevators accelerated the construction of structures called skyscrapers. Skyscrapers have become an important part of the architecture of the twentieth and twentyfirst centuries, and have today become a symbol of prestige. What the hadith says has come true: people do compete in the construction of tall buildings, and nations compete with one another in building the tallest skyscrapers. Nauzubillah.

In another famous Hadith of Jibril which we often hear, what we don’t usually know is that in the same hadith the Prophet actually prophesied about the appearance of tall buildings at the end of time. See the full hadith below:

`Umar ibn Khattab (Allah be well pleased with him) said: “As we were sitting one day before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), a man suddenly appeared. He wore pure white clothes and his hair was dark black—yet there were no signs of travel on him, and none of us knew him. He came and sat down in front of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), placing his knees against his, and his hands on his thighs. He said, “O Muhammad! Tell me about Islam.”

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “Islam is to bear witness that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God; and to perform the prayer; pay zakat; fast Ramadan; and to perform Hajj to the House if you are able.”

The man said, “You have spoken the truth,” and we were surprised that he asked and then confirmed the answer. Then, he asked, “Tell me about belief (iman).”

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “It is to believe in Allah; His Angels; His Books; His Messengers; the Last Day; and in destiny—its good and bad.”

The man said, “You have spoken the truth. Now, tell me about spiritual excellence (ihsan).”

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “It is to serve Allah as though you behold Him; and if you don’t behold him, (know that) He surely sees you.”

“Now, tell me of the Last Hour,” asked the man.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “The one asked knows no more of it than the one asking.”

“Then tell me about its signs,” said the man.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “That slave women give birth to their mistresses; and that you see barefoot, unclothed, beginning shepherds competing in the construction of tall buildings.”

Then the visitor left, and I waited a long time. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked me, “Do you know, Umar, who the questioner was?” I replied, “Allah and His Messenger know best.”He said (Allah bless him and give him peace), “It was Jibril. He came to you to teach you your religion.” [Sahih Muslim]

So let’s ponder whether this is necessary or not when we know that Dubai economy is not in a good shape. To understand better about Dubai, read Dubai in debt crisis: Now British banks face fresh crisis after investing billions.

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2010 is fast approaching as the end of 2009 draws near. Has the year been a good one or bad for us? For me, I am saying “Alhamdulillah” (meaning “Praise be to Allah” or “Thank to God”). All this possible in my conventional business is due to the Qudrat of Allah (the help of Allah). The first half of 2009 saw our business generally went down by 30-40%. Fortunately, we saw recovery in Q3 and Q4 where majority of the businesses managed to recover about half the losses we suffered in the first half of the year. Due to a Strategic Alliance, which is a formal relationship between two or more parties to pursue a set of agreed upon goals or to meet a critical business need while remaining independent organizations, we manage to pull ourselves through in this current economic situation.

For small business or company like us, strategic alliances is a way to work together with others towards a common goal while not losing their individuality. Alliances are a way of reaping the rewards of team effort - and the gains from forming strategic alliances appear to be substantial. Companies participating in alliances report that at much as 18 percent of their revenues comes from their alliances. This is so true because we are there.

Why I choose a Strategic Alliance? not outsourcing, merges or acquisitions? Because A strategic alliance is essentially a partnership in which you combine efforts in projects ranging from getting a better price for supplies by buying in bulk together to building a product together with each of us providing part of its production. The goal of alliances is to minimize risk while maximizing your leverage and profit.

An alliance is simply a business-to-business collaboration. Another term that is frequently used in conjunction with alliances is establishing a business network. Alliances are formed for joint marketing, joint sales or distribution, joint production, design collaboration, technology licensing, and research and development. Relationships can be vertical between a vendor and a customer, horizontal between vendors, local, or global.

All these are possible not because we are genius or not because we are great businessmen but we follow the guidance of Quran and the Sunnah of Nabi s.a.w. How do we get aid from Allah? The answer is in the Quran.

“Indeed, Allah will aid those who aid His cause. Indeed Allah is all-Powerful, all-Mighty.” [ch22:v40]

In this noble Verse Allah has promised to help and give victory to those who help His cause. And it is known that the help and victory of Allah comes by following what He has prescribed, obeying His command, avoiding His prohibitions, helping His Messengers, and their followers, aiding His Religion and fighting against His enemies until the word of Allah is made uppermost and the word of His enemies is debased.

In another verse the Quran says:

“O you who Believe. If you help Allah, Allah will help you; and establish your feet firmly. [ch47:v7]

Believers are given here a pledge that Allah will be on their side and will favour them with victory if and when they help and aid His cause.

However, this divine intervention and support are not granted to those who sit and wait, nor are they ever won by those who neglect the duty of preparing their own defences and making the plans necessary to achieve victory.

So we not only seek Strategic Alliance with people or companies but we also seek a Strategic Alliance with the creator and I found out this is the most successful formula for you and me to succeed and gain victory in this world and also in the hereafter.

I personally is very bullish about 2010. I expect the economy to recover fully in 2010. The recently tabled Budget 2010 is prudent spending, good in general and should make the market more interesting. The World Cup 2010 and Commonwealth Games shall drive worldwide business activities and at the end more power supplies are needed to backup all those activities. I am sure that the industry shall not be worse off if compared to the year 2009 and that leaves only one direction, which is north.

But we shall never forget to what had happened in 2009 as our reference. 2009 have so far been a glorious and exciting year despite the economic turmoils. From the inauguration of US’ first black president to the appointment of a new Prime Minister in Malaysia, it’s a year restless and eventful year.

Dear friends and readers, no matter what your do, you need to have focus and be with positive thinking people and also remember that to succeed you need to get the help from Allah. Why? Because He is the creator.

“Allah is He, than Whom there is no other deity. He knows (all things) both secret and open; He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Allah is He, than Whom there is no other deity; the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme: Glory to Allah! (High is He) above the partners they attribute to Him. He is Allah the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms (and Colors). To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names: Whatever is the heavens and on earth, do declare His Praise and Glory; and He is exalted in Might, the Wise.” (59:22-24)

“He has created man: He has imparted unto him articulate thought and speech. [At His behest] the sun and the moon run their appointed courses; the stars and the trees prostrate themselves [before Him]. And the skies has He raised high, and has devised [for all things] a measure, so that you [too, O men,] might never transgress the measure [of what is right]: weigh, therefore, [your deeds] with equity, and cut not the measure short!” (55:3-9)

“Everything We have created and prescribed for its measure, its character and destiny…No creature creeps on earth but Allah provides for it its sustenance. He knows its purpose and destiny. For it is He Who prescribed them in His eternal order…The sun rises and sets traversing its orbit exactly as the Almighty, the All Knowing has ordained. And the moon passes regularly through its phases, returning to its original thin crescent form. Neither sun nor moon overtakes the other; neither night nor day deviates from their preordained courses. Each moves in the orbit Allah has ordained for it. (54:49, 11:6, 36:38-40)

So my dear friends and readers, apart from your knowledge and strength, we as human being, we do need the divine help from Allah to succeed. There is no doubt about it. So I take this opportunity to wish all of you, all the best for 2010 and also upgrade your Iman (faith) daily which is the advice of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. Remember not only a Strategic Alliance with human being or companies but also with the Creator.

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Are you a dreamer or are you a worker? No matter what or who you are, you need to make it in 2010!

In today’s challenging world it is vital to have energy, enthusiasm, and optimism in all areas of your life. The ‘Positive Thinking’ attitude will transform your approach to living, so you can feel good about yourself, create worthwhile relationships and perform in business more successfully. A solid foundation of positivity will help you get the best from life and from your work life balance.

With 2009 coming to a close, it’s important to get an idea of what you’ll need in 2010 for your business to stand out, and for your income to be higher and more stable than ever before.

Of course, you may want to forget 2009 as fast as possible. After all, if you came up well short of your expectations, you may want to put the last year in a paper sack and burn it.

But, as they say – those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it and it’s essential that we pay attention.

2009 has remind me of the followings:

1. Businesses that succeeded in 2009 were based on trust, longevity, and personal branding.
2. Businesses that succeeded in 2009 provided real solutions to real problems.
3. Cheating is not a viable strategy. Corporate fat-cats, politicians, athletes, celebrities made the headlines because of back-room shenanigans and bedroom infidelities. They were caught and their reputations are forever tarnished.
4. Simplicity rules. Stay put to what you know best and make a simple possible product.
5. Repeat customers are your gold mine. Too many businesses in 2009 went after the quick score. They focused on up-front riches at the expense of their relationships and customer service. Those that weathered the storms of 2009 did so because they over-delivered on what they sold, and repeat customers are eager to buy from them again.

Here are 3 things that I believe you need to WIN BIG in Life and Business and Be Successful in 2010

1. Treat People Right. You have got to treat people right. You have got to LOVE people. You have got to CARE about them. You got to be willing to get burnt once in a while so that you can show people how GREAT they really are. Everyone wants to be SOMEBODY. Everyone wants to know that they are IMPORTANT. Everyone wants to know that they are VALUABLE. Everyone wants to be APPRECIATED. When you choose to speak a person’s GREATNESS INTO THEM. When you choose to show someone just how IMPORTANT THEY ARE, you just became the miracle that they are looking for.
2. Have The Heart of a Champion. You have got to have the heart of a champion. The desire and will to win is EVERYTHING. You have got to get FIRED UP and STAY FIRED UP. You are here to make a difference with your life. You have got to be willing to pay the price and a little bit more that success demands of you to win. You have got to be mentally tough and you can never…ever quit. QUITTERS NEVER WIN and WINNERS NEVER QUIT.
3. Get Totally Committed. You must be totally committed to what you are all about. You can’t just try something out to see if it works for you. You can’t become successful by dipping your big toe in the water to see if the temperature is just right. It’s all or nothing. JUMP IN and SWIM. You have got to be committed to doing whatever it takes to get the job done. Commitment gives you the courage you need to fight back..to motivate yourself when things get tough. And trust me….things will get tough. Things will not always work out the way that you want them to. Commitment gives you the strength you need to pick yourself up for the 8th time right after you have fallen flat on your butt 7 times. It gives you the strength to talk to one more person after 100 have said NO to you. It gives you the strength to learn the skills that you need to master a new piece of technology. Commitment gives you confidence…it strengthens your faith in yourself and what you are doing.

I would love to hear your thoughts on what you believe it takes to be successful in both life and business. I am sure that everyone has a suggestion or two about what they think are the most powerful attributes of success. So, take a minute to comment and share with everyone else !! I am grateful for all of your feedback !! Have a great day and wish you all the best for 2010!

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To all Malaysian do get a copy of “Personal Money” magazine today. Why? Because there is one inspiring article in there with this title “How to make million….and preserve it”. All are about Malaysian who become millionaires in their respective field with their own talent or skill. Millionaires are not born but instead they are being develop.

In that article it says that this year’s millionaires come form diverse backgrounds. One was a cleaner who earned £2.70 an hour, one was a helper at a char kuey teow stall at the tender age of 10. One started her career as a bank teller right after form five, earning RM400 a month. One made his million from the Internet over three years while another turned RM5,000 into a million over a decade. Some leveraged on their talents, while others invested their way to a million.

But all of them had one thing in common - they focused on their goals. Go out now and get the copy today and read on to find out how they hit their targets and here is what the experts have to say if you wanna be a millionaire one day.

1. Think again. Do you really want a million ringgit? “For a lot of people, a successful business is one that allows them work-life balance and a decent lifestyle,” says Jeremy Hand.

2. Assess your motives. “Far too many people think that [entrepreneurship] is about money when it’s really about building a good business,” Nigel Brown says. “Whenever you want to start a company, do it with passion,” Stefan Glaenzer says. This enterprise will become your life; you’d better like it.

3. Find out more. Attending a workshop or training session run by experienced entrepreneurs will give you a sense of the reality of running a business, Robert Tull says.

4. Keep it private. At least while you get things going. “Don’t focus on convincing other people or external investors,” Glaenzer says. “Just work on your idea… in the evening or at night… so that you have more than just an idea.”

5. Start small. How much funding you need to begin will depend on your business; generally it’s less than you think, Brown says. Banks, family and friends are all potential sources of support, Hand says. “As a young entrepreneur you’re not likely to find an institutional angel investor so look for one in your current network.”

6. Not everyone’s a critic. But you need one. “Your friends and family… will say you’ll be great, but what you need is someone who will ask ‘Is that a viable idea? Do the figures show that you will make money from it?’,” Tull says.

7. Get your structure right. Is it 50-50 between you and your co-founder? What will you do if someone else gets equity? “You have to think about ownership right from the start,” Brown says. “Assume that you will be wildly successful. If you don’t, you will be caught out if you are.”

8. Plan. “You need a clear idea of where you want to take the business,” Hand says. Once you know where you want to go, reverse engineering can help you to get there.

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Meet the experts

Jeremy Hand is vice-chairman of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (www.bvca.co.uk).

Robert Tull is a senior enterprise awareness manager for Business Link in the East of England (www.businesslink.gov.uk).

Nigel Brown is the founder of N W Brown Group, which includes the Great Eastern Investment Forum, a business angels organisation (www.geif.co.uk).

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