Di Hamparan Shamrock: A Traveller’s Journal

Peace be upon you.

            Last Friday I went to Bookstore and bought two books, Di Hamparan Shamrock Kuseru Nama-Mu and the other one is called, The Art Of Thinking Clearly. I’ve never put on serious efforts to read any books other than my textbooks before, so it took me a lot of courage to be able to read those two. 

            Because of the curiosity, I finished Di Hamparan Shamrock Ku Seru Nama-Mu on the same day. Perhaps, if I translated it to English, the title would be -  On the Ground of Shamrock, I Called Your Name. But I don’t know, since the book it’s written in Malay. It is great piece of writing by Mr Hasrizal Abdul Jamil, a well-known Islamic teacher in Malaysia. He narrated his journey as a traveller in the Europe, specifically when he was in Belfast as the Minister of Religion at Belfast Islamic Center. The book also mentioned about his hardships in life on an alien land for him, used to be imprisoned because of expired visa, his scholarship being halted, as well as taking 8 years to finish his undergraduate study. Looking at him, I never thought that he used to face those kinds of hardships since he looks as seem to someone who never face difficulties. But don’t judge book by its cover. 

In the end part of his book, he ended it with an Irish proverb;

Is cuma leis an óige cá leagann sí a cos.

Youth does not mind where it sets its foot.

At such young age, he was tested with difficulties but yet remain calm and strong to overcome the challenge ahead of him. While curiously reading the book, I asked myself, could I be as patient as him? I don’t know. God tests us with different kind of trials, but never forget that the test should make us a better person, not a bitter person. 

"Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said,"When is the help of Allah ?" Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near." 

2:214

Albeit the future is uncertain, the decision made now moulds the future. Time to act is now. So believe the fantasy you want to believe (well, this line is just daebak!) and love the way you want to love. Let’s live life to the fullest. Human journey is short. Let's enjoy our learning process everyone. To Him we belong and to Him we shall return. 

And for the book called, The Art of Thinking Clearly, I have just read a few pages of it and it's quite interesting. It's amazingly written thoughts of the fallacies that we used to practice in daily life. Why not grab a chance to read,haha...Well, people say;

Reading is the food for brain.

Till we meet again, take care.