Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Romanticising Life

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim
In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful

12.43am
The usual time I would do midnight rants on IG once upon a time. And the usual time I would sit in front of my laptop or PC typing away in this old blog that has been around for more than 10 years.

Lately, after almost 9 months of understanding my thought patterns, my emotions and eventually having to think of a better way to survive life itself, I have understood that it is within my power to shape my life - and by no means do I have to follow the usual template of anything in life that I hear from people, that I view in social media, that I envision of myself or even those that inspire me. 

I only needed to be me
Be my own version of myself
Be the version that Allah wants me to be upholding the right principles of Islam

I do not need to follow any template
I just need to have taqwa and embody the slave I am to Him

And alhamdulillah
With the help of my amazing new keyboard, I am finding happiness again in typing such silly notes and rants
Randomly penning down positive thoughts instead of dark humour and negative emotions

Alhamdulillah
After every hardship comes ease
Immense ease
Ease that I am still learning to adapt back into
Ease that has always been around me yet I was too blinded to see it, let alone embrace

Alhamdulillah
Let’s write more Sabby
And let’s be our honest version
And smile again

Just like old days

InshaAllah.

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Holding Responsibilities

After the write-up for my grandparents, 
I have to get ready to face the world.

To face the intense text message piled up and the work left undone due to my sickness - both physically and mentally.

I have become so accustomed to comfort, that I forgot how it felt to have people against me. That I forgot how it was to fight the current, be truthful to the situation and accept my flaws with grace.

I have been too soft and too naive in so many ways.

Bismillah
Astaghfirullah
Allahuakbar

Almost 4 weeks of being such a wimp, drowning in all those depressive thoughts and negative decline. InshaAllah, it’s time to immerse myself in the positivity and goodwill of Allah, of the world.

Bismillah.
Let’s settle those responsibilities one at a time, biiznillah.

A Tribute for Tokpuan and Tokyah

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim
In the name of Allah, The Most Merciful, Most Gracious

“And those who believed and whose descendants followed them in faith - We will join with them their descendants, and We will not deprive them of anything of their deeds. Every person, for what he earned, is retained.”
(Surah At-Tur, 52:21)

At the age of 31, I only just knew that previously my grandparents had a wine cellar in their home in Malacca - and how my aunt would usually prepare cocktails for the visitors - non-muslims of course - who came to visit my grandfather during special occasions.

At the age of 31, I finally understood that changing this way of life for my grandparents and my mother’s side of the family was such a drastic change from what they were used to and what has usually become the norm for them. 

The younger rebellious nature I once had, and the one sided feeling of being left out and isolated was slowly diminished with this new knowledge and understanding. 

It was a great journey for the whole family. To hijrah.

**********

Growing up, I have always remembered my grandparents to be the abiding muslims they were. Despite knowing that my grandfather was a very loyal envoy of the British during their colonialism - kena belajar overseas UK/US the whole lot - both Tokpuan and Tokyah were the first ones who taught me 3 Qul when I was at the young age of 4 years old. They made sure I recited Surah Al-Fatihah and 3 Qul before bed, then eventually added Ayatul Qursi as well, which soon became my night routine since then. 

In the family, I was the first one to start wearing the hijab at a 14 years old, something my aunts would then pinpoint as being an ustazah as I soon migrated to fully covering my chest later at 18 years old and wore the hijab amongst my cousins in the house, not just outside (which was the right way to go based on shariah). I had so much unrest within me when I saw my relatives not understanding Islam the way I understood it, the way the Quran outlined it to be. I even started feeling like they mocked me to a degree and made fun of my life choices.

Only after opening up and allowing myself to understand their POV that I fully found the truth behind their way of thinking and how including Islam and its teachings in their daily life was also a shift for them. Even praying was something that was so foreign, has become something accustomed in life and they even pray jemaah as well. Subhanallah.

It’s like, it’s Allah’s way of telling me that “Sabreena, you need to have patience. Remember your name, remember how your name was chosen by your grandfather after coming back from Hajj.”

I believe that Hajj was the paradigm shift for my grandparents.
It took them that long to make that change.
I see Hajj making a change in my aunt and my uncle.
I see the idea of going to Hajj making a change in my parents.

Ya Allah, why was I so hasty? When I knew that this Deen will prevail at Your own timeline and not based on my desires. Why was I so easy to pass judgement when I have yet to do my part in the da’wah to my family?

Truly, this Eiduladha opened up my horizons so much. It made me truly encompass the meaning of being a daie and just being myself with family, no fake masks, no lies, no trying to put up a good show - but being qudwah because I really am a part of it, and being respectful, understanding and open to listening to their side of the story.

Above all, I became the witness to how Tokpuan and Tokyah worked hard to make this leap of change from who they were before to what they left of this family after their passing.

*smiles*

Tokpuan, Tokyah
Kakak finally faham kenapa our family is like it is
And kakak finally faham why Allah letak nama akak Sabreena
And how it was inspired after your pilgrimage to the Holy lands
I may not be special, and I am just like anyone else dalam dunia ni
Tp Allah datangkan kakak in this family as someone to look after it, and be a part of it
Not as a judge
But as a child, a grandchild, a niece, a cousin 
To spread Islam in its own beautiful way
And to strengthen our family ties
In the way of imaan, in the way of Islam
So that in the end, we will be united in the best of place
In Jannah

Kakak harap Tokpuan dan Tokyah tenang disana
Dilapangkan kubur, dikurniakan nikmat atas perjuangan di dunia
Dijauhkan dari azab kubur
Dan diampunkan segala dosa-dosa

Kakak is always proud of my Tokpuan Aminah and my Tokyah Ali
Sayang Tokpuan, Tokyah
Jumpa nanti inshaAllah.. :)

“Dan orang-orang yang beriman yang diturut oleh zuriat keturunannya dengan keadaan beriman, Kami hubungkan (himpunkan) zuriat keturunannya itu dengan mereka (di dalam Syurga); dan Kami (dengan itu) tidak mengurangi sedikitpun dari pahala amal-amal mereka; tiap-tiap seorang manusia terikat dengan amal yang dikerjakannya.”
(Surah At-Tur, 52:21)

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Dreams and Vomit

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim
In the name of Allah, The Most Merciful, Most Gracious

Such a title
As always, being dramatic is so ingrained within me - it helps me joke around my life circumstances with dark humour

Anyhow,
Alhamdulillah I finally am writing this piece that I have been wanting to write since 3 weeks ago. A title I already have running around my head and the basic content of what I want to pen down (or type down if that makes any sense). Well to be honest, the first half was the original title. I had to add the second part because I feel so overwhelmed to the point of bloatedness and vomiting the stress out.

Today wasn't good. I lied down the whole day and was so down in the dumps - woke up feeling exhausted but still tried to pull through. Reheated yesterday's dinner for the family's lunch and slept with Ali after Zuhur curled up on the carpet with all the toys scattered around and the clothes unfolded, not dried in the washing machine. I didn't go to scan practicals today and felt such a loser for waking up late, extremely tired to even get up for a shower.

It was bad.
But I got up.
And I did shower, played with Ali and went to teach mengaji to the kids. Then I went to usrah all smiley-faced like nothing happened when in fact I was in such a situation that I was holding back my nausea while driving to Bangi.

It was that bad.
But khayr,
Alhamdulillah,
I survived 4th February.

So that's the vomit part, what about the dreams?

About two months ago, one of my good friends and personal therapist told me that I have forgotten to dream. The putting a life-goal and mission type of dream. I knew what I had to do in life - abid and khalifah and all - but I didn't have anything to look forward too. When I told her that I will be attending classes for ultrasound on obgyn, she was ecstatic for me - with a tinge of concern, because new addition to my schedule may help me look forward to life but I would need to prepare myself to deal with the new challenges that come with the added commitment.

January passed by and alhamdulillah I survived the hecticness. But during the first month of 2025, I find myself having repetitive dreams of certain people that actually have not been in my life for nearly a decade. And that, caused me to be half annoyed, a quarter confused and a quarter curious.

Like...
Dah kenapa kan?
It came haunting almost every other night that I told myself I had to put an end to it.

And so I did.
I really did something random.
And right afterwards (together with a lot of introspection and reflection) stopped the dreams and made amends with myself - because you only dream what you desire innit?

I find myself searching for support
For comfort
And for appreciation
For space and for reciprocal yearning
That I felt was lost during the period of January up till now
Maybe even longer (because them dreams actually started even since last year)
I told myself - with the help of Allah guiding my lost soul - that I need to make peace with myself and my current state
And I come back to seek solace and support by reading books
With the one book that hit home - Rukun Amal IHAB by Dr Ali Abdul Halim Mahmud

Videos of women from Ghazzah who are so steadfast shook me
And reminded me of my core, my purpose, and my ultimate goal

Allah.

I have sacrificed so much since the start of getting to know You, Ya Rabb
And You have given me so much more that I could ever ask for
So everyday when shaytan goes and whisper (sometimes he even gives visuals or use a microphone to bicker my mind and thoughts), I tell myself to be grateful for what You have given
Because You will truly add on them
And You will truly piece back what I found lost and what I yearn

It's okay
It will be okay
And I don't need humans to remind me of it
When I have You with me always

Ya Rabb
Help me, protect me, aid me and allow me to only suffice with You
Hasbunallah wa ni'ma wakeel

P.S: Again, this post is just word vommit.
If you've come this far, please make du'a for me (nanti will be prayed back at you by the angels :'))