MIRROR | Meet the team - Issue 11

Dzul Qa'dah/Dzul Hijjah 1435 Issue #11

Meet the team And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided...

(Al-Quran, Al-Baqarah 3:103)

“ The believer is the mirror of his brother.

The believer is the brother of a believer: he protects him from ruin and guards his back.”

– Rasulullah saw (Narrated by Abu Hurairah ra)

Assalamu'alaikum.

Bismillahir rahmanir rahim. Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'alamin. Allahumma Solli 'ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa 'ala alihi wa sohbihi ajma'in.

In the name of Allah, Most Beneficient, Most Merciful. All Praise and Thanks be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

We ask Allah to send His peace and blessings upon Sayyidina Muhammad saw, as well as to his family and companions.

Alhamdulillah, our OFFLINE issue received such a wonderful response during the month of Ramadhan. A big thank you to the cafes, eateries and bakeries for accepting our request to serve as our distribution points.

For those of you who missed the issue, send us an email at contact@mirror-mag.com. We have some copies left and insyaAllah we'll let you know of where you can get them.

As we welcome the sacred month of Dzul Hijjah, we present to you the 11th issue of MIRROR. We received feedbacks from the OFFLINE issue with regards to how you guys would like to know who exactly are behind this magazine. Thus, we're making this the Meet the Team issue for us to introduce to you the people behind the scenes.

Also in this issue, we share with you some learning points from our learning journey to Kuala Lumpur, attending lectures by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf.

InsyaAllah in the next issue, we will continue with the 6 articles of faith, touching on the fourth article: The Messengers (peace and blessings be upon them). May Allah swt give us the strength to continue doing this, Amin.

With this issue, we hope that it allows our readers to know MIRROR bettter and may this issue most importantly be of benefit to all of you reading, Amin.

Wassalam,

MIRROR

Writers

Collaborators

Ustaz Achmed Fahdly firdaus@mirror-mag.com

Fadhuli Taufek Nisa' Tuzzakirah Nur Khairunnisa Nurie Arba'ah Nur Khalisah Nur Syazreema

The Poets' Coffee: Faiz Johari, Hazrul Fitri, Irfan, Nurnina Syazwani

Creative Director

Religious Consultant/Editor Ustaz Firdaus Ahmad firdaus@mirror-mag.com

Religious Consultant

On The Cover: Behind the scenes

Desa Melati

Creatives

The Vanilla Project

Syaiful Sam'an syaiful@mirror-mag.com

Nafisah Abu Bakar Fadilah Halim

Agrobazaar Malaysia

Marketing Manager

Public Relations

Contact Us

Muhammad Ayyub Bin Abdul Kadir ayyub@mirror-mag.com

Nazilah Nasir

contact@mirror-mag.com

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content

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05 The Month 06 Sheikh Hamza Yusuf 12 Meet the team 37 Hidden Beauty: A Tutorial 41 Arts – Naqiyah 43 Travelogue 47 Musollah

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49 The Poets' Coffee 52 What's Going On?

Muharram Safar Rabi’ul Awwal Rabi’ul Akhir Jamadil Awwal Jamadil Akhir Rajab Sya’ban Ramadhan Syawwal Dzul Qa’dah Dzul Hijjah

The Month of DZUL QA'DAH Dzul Qa’dah is one of the four months of Haram. The months of Haram are Dzul Qa’dah, Dzul Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab. These are the months where war is prohibited.

Dzul Qa’dah is also one of the months of Haj. The month of Haj starts from Syawwal and runs through Dzul Qa’dah until the tenth day of Dzul Hijjah. These are the months where Haj takes place.

Some of the events that took place in the month of Dzul Qa’dah Treaty of Hudaibiyah Took place on the sixth year after Hijrah (migration to Madinah).

The Prophet saw and his followers from Makkah began to yearn for their homes and for the Ka’bah. As the season of the pilgrimage approached, the Prophet saw announced his intention to visit the holy centre, and numerous voices of his companions responded to the call.

The Prophet saw, accompanied by 1,400 Muslims made up of both Muhajririn and Ansar, all totally unarmed, set out on the pilgrimage. The Quraish, who were still full of animosity towards the Muslims, gathered a large army to prevent them from entering Makkah and maltreated the envoy whom the Prophet saw had sent to ask their permission to visit the holy places.

After much difficulty, a treaty was concluded. The statement of the treaty was as follows: “In your name, O God! This is the treaty of peace between Muhammad Ibn Abdullah and Suhayl ibn Amr. They have agreed to allow their arms to rest for ten years. During this time each party shall be secure, and neither shall injure the other; no secret damage shall be inflicted, but honesty and honour shall prevail between them.

Whoever in Arabia wishes to enter into a treaty or covenant with Muhammad can do so, and whoever wishes to enter into a treaty or covenant with the Quraysh can do so. And if a Qurayshite comes without the permission of his guardian to Muhammad, he shall be delivered up to the Quraysh; but if, on the other hand, one of Muhammad’s people comes to the Quraysh, he shall not be delivered up to Muhammad. This year, Muhammad, with his companions, must withdraw from Mecca, but next year, he may come to Mecca and remain for three days, yet without their weapons except those of a traveller, the swords remaining in their sheaths.”

Umrah Al-Qada’ On the 7th year after Hijrah, Rasulullah saw and 2000 Muslims left Madinah to perform Umrah.

Scholars have called it `Umrah of Qada' (compensation) due to the ‘umrah being a compensation for the `Umrah of Al-Hudaibiyah.

Hujattul Wada’ Rasulullah saw performed his first, last and only Haj on the 10th year after Hijrah starting from the end of the month of Dzul Qa’dah.

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SHEIKH HAMZA YUSUF Sheikh Hamza Yusuf Hanson converted to Islam in 1977 when he was only 17 and spent many years studying Arabic and Islamic jurisprudence and philosophy with some of the Muslim world’s most prominent and well-respected teachers.

His popularity, and accordingly his influence, stem from his application of Islamic knowledge to the lived experience of modern, western society.

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf is a president, co-founder, and senior faculty member of Zaytuna College. He is an advisor to Stanford University’s Program in Islamic Studies and the Center for Islamic Studies at Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union. He also serves as a member of the board of advisors of George Russell’s One Nation, a national philanthropic initiative. In addition, he serves as vice-president for the Global Center for Guidance and Renewal, which was founded and is currently presided over by Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah, one of the top jurists and masters of Islamic sciences in the world.

In recent years, Sheikh Hamza Yusuf was ranked as “the western world’s most influential Islamic scholar” by The 500 Most Influential Muslims.

MIRROR had the opportunity to listen to the Sheikh's words of wisdom first hand in Kuala Lumpur last month and here's sharing with you some of the learning points and takeaways from two of the lectures that we attended.

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SHEIKH HAMZA YUSUF: GLOBAL TAWBAH

GLOBAL TAWBAH WORDS SYAIFUL SAM'AN

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SHEIKH HAMZA YUSUF: GLOBAL TAWBAH

This world undeniably needs Global Tawbah. But before before we get to that, there are three things that should be discussed: - Purpose of human beings - How we are doing as human beings - What we should be doing as human beings

The ibadah comes out of knowledge. You have to know Allah swt. According to the 'ulama, the way to know Allah is actually through the 'aql (intellect). Allah swt says in the Quran: Fa’lam. Annahu la ilaha ilLallah...

"Know, [O Muhammad], that there is no deity except Allah..."

(Al-Quran, Muhammad 47:19)

Purpose of human beings For the first time in human history, we have now civilizations that do not have an answer to the purpose of human existence. Human beings of before have always had some reasons for existence.

The current dominant model in the western civilization is one that is untenable metaphysically. It is experiencing what they would term as an existentialist problem. A problem in which each person has to work out what his or her life means for him or herself. This is why suicide is a serious option in that culture.

1. Isti’mar (cultivation of the earth) Allah swt says in the Quran: Huwa insya akum minal ardhi wasta'marakum fiha.

"He has produced you from the earth and settled you in it."

(Al-Quran, Hud 11:61) What that means is that Allah has created us from earth and gave us isti'mar, that is for us to build and cultivate the earth. Thus, anybody that is cultivating the earth is actually fulfilling a divine function.

The intellect can arrive at an understanding that you have to have a Creator.

Nothing can come out of nothing. There has to be a source behind everything.

Non existence cannot bring existence. Anarchy or chaos cannot bring order into esixstence. Ignorance cannot bring knowledge into existence. To believe otherwise is the intellectual inversion of reality like someone who is walking on his head and his feet is in the air. This is something that human beings never believed.

It is important for us to remember that we are created to adore Allah and know Him through ma’rifah and this is through intellect first and foremost. And intellect is a spiritual concept. The intellect is immaterial and is not of this world.

That is why we do not know where we go when we dream. We know, however, we leave this place and enter another realm that is immaterial.

How we are doing as human beings As human bengs in general we are not fulfilling our purpose on this earth. It is time we return to fitrah. We should come together as the ummah of Rasul saw and stop all these division amongst the ummah. Imam Ali ra said that a group with its impurities is better than a sect that is pure.

2. Istikhlaf One of the meaning of istikhlaf is that human beings are created to serve the purpose of replacing the previous generation. The children of today will take the place of their parents.

What we should be doing

Another meaning for this is to act as a caliph. Allah swt says in the Quran: Inni ja'ilun fil ardhi khalifah.

"Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority (Caliph)."

(Al-Quran, Al-Baqarah 2:30)

Narrated Abu Huraira ra: I heard Allah's Messenger saw saying: "By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 319)

3. To adore Allah swt.

We are created to adore Allah swt. To know Him. Allah swt said in the Quran,“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me” (Al-Quran, Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)

Imam Nawawi in his book Riyadhus Solihin, has as his first chapter ikhlas (sincerity) and his second chapter, tawbah (repentance).

With that said, we need sincere repentance. Our Prophet saw who is sinless seeks forgiveness 70 times a day. Only with sincere repentance can we then see changes for the better in our lives. Allahu A'lam.

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SHEIKH HAMZA YUSUF: IMITATING THE BEST

IMITATING THE BEST "There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and (who) remembers Allah often."

WORDS SYAIFUL SAM'AN

Laqad kana lakum fi rasuliLlahi uswatun hasanatul liman kana yarjuLlaha walyawmal-akhira wa dzakaraLlaha kathira.

“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and (who) remembers Allah often.” (Al-Quran, Al-Ahzab 33:21) The Prophet saw is someone who is to be imitated. Human beings are imitative by nature. A proof for that would be if we were to show children a Kung Fu film, the next thing you know they are kicking each other.

It is human nature to imitate and we imitate what we think is best. The Prophet saw is khairil khalqillah (the best of creation). So everything he does is worth imitating. He is the one we should imitate in our character. Allah swt says in the Quran: Wa innaka la 'ala khuluqin 'adzim. “And indeed, you (Muhammad) are of a great moral character.” (Al-Quran, Al-Qalam 68:4) In a hadith, Abu Hurayra ra reported that the Messenger of Allah saw said: Innama bu 'itstu liutammima makarimal akhlaq. “I was only sent to complete/to perfect the noble qualities.” (Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Book 1 Hadith 273)

SO HOW THEN DO WE IMITATE THE BEST? Imam Abu Dawud said that it is enough for the religion of a man to only practise four hadith. When someone of that stature said such a statement, we should really pay close attention to that four hadith because we want to imitate the Prophet saw.

1. The first hadith he said is from ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab ra. Related by both Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim: Innamal a’malu binniyati wa innama likullimriyin ma nawa faman kanat hijratuhu ilaLlahi wa rasulihi fahijratuhu ilaLlahi wa rasulihi, wa man kanat hijratuhu lidunya yusibuha au-imra-a ti’n yunkihuha fahijratuhu ila ma hajara ilaihi.

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"The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for."

(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book of Revelation, Hadith 1) Our ‘Ulama were so specific that they determined the nature of thoughts. They categorized thoughts into five: hajiz, khatir, hadithun nafs, ham and ‘azimah. The only thing you are taken into account for is the ‘azimah.

- Hajiz is a thought that passes by quickly. You might even have a bad thought but if it passes, it won’t be taken into account.

- Khatir is a thought that lingers a bit longer but it doesn’t arrive to a point where you’re thinking whether you should do it or not.

- Hadithun Nafs is a thought that stays for a long time but it is not clear as to whether it is leaning more towards doing it or leaving it.

- Ham is thinking about doing something seriously but you have no determination to do it. If it is a good thought then you’ll get rewarded for it and if it is a bad thought, it will not be written against you, unless you do it. And this is from the Rahmah (Mercy) of Allah swt.

-‘Azimah is when you are determined to do something even if you don’t do it, it will be written for or against you. For example if someone is determined to execute a robbery but he got hit by a car on the way, he will still get the sin of robbing because he was going to do it if he could.

Thus, niyah (intention) is extremely important.

2. The second hadith is related by Abu Huraiarah ra.

Min husni islamilmari tarkuhu ma la ya'nih.

Abu Hurairah ra narrated that the Messenger of Allah saw said: "Indeed among the excellence of a person's Islam is that he leaves what does not concern him."

(Jami’ At-Tirmidhi, Chapters on Zuhd, Hadith 14 [Grade: Da’if (weak)] )

SHEIKH HAMZA YUSUF: IMITATING THE BEST

If people would just mind their own business, so many of today’s problem would not exist. With technology these days, gossiping is at our fingertips.

And that is how fitnah starts – from not minding your own business.

3. The third hadith is related by Anas ibn Malik ra.

La yu’minu ahadukum hatta yuhibba li akhihi ma yuhibbu linafishi.

Anas ra reported: The Prophet saw said, "No one of you becomes a true believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself".

(Riyadus Solihin, The Book of Miscellany, Hadith 183) Some great imams of hadith, like Imam An-Nawawi, said that this hadith includes everybody, all of humanity and not just Muslims. This is the reason why people make da’wah, because they love for them guidance.

4. The last hadith that he said is the hadith: Innal halaala bayyinun, wa innal harooma bayyinun, wa bainahumaa umuurun musytabihaatun laa ya’lamuhunna katsiirum minan naasi, famanit taqosy syubuhaati faqodis tabro’a lidiinihi wa ‘irdihi, wa man waqo’a fisy syubuhaati waqo’a fil haroomi, karroo’ii yar’a haulal hima yuusyiku ay yarta’a fiihi, alaa wa inna likulli malikin himan, alaa wa inna hima allahi mahaarimuhu, alaa wa inna fil jasadi mudzghotan idzaa sholahat sholahal jasadu kulluhu, wa idzaa fasadat fasadal jasadu kulluhu, alaa wahiyal qolbu

and if it is corrupted, the whole body is corrupted. Verily this piece is the heart."

We have a qaidah (method) in our religion whereby the things which are agreed upon by the ‘ulama as haram, we reject them and with regards to those that they differ we leave them. Allah was silent about things as a mercy not because he forgot. Had he mentioned everything it might have constricted us.

Indeed the halal is clear and the haram is clear and we should focus on those things.

Abu Dawud who memorized over 500,000 hadith, chose from them what he put in his book (Sunan Abi Dawud) from which he chose these four hadith, mentioning that it would suffice the religion of a man. ** While it is good to read hadith in order to learn the sunnah of Rasul saw, it is best that we study hadith with a teacher. Sheikh Hamza shared that people can be led astray when they study hadith and are not trained to do so because even a great muhaddithin (a hadith scholar) got confused. A story shared by the sheikh is the story of the scholar by the name of 'Abd Allah ibn Wahb ibn Muslim al-Qurashi. He said, “If it had not been that Allah rescued me through Malik and al-Layth, I would have been lost. I knew many hadiths, and that confused me. I used to present them to Malik and al-Layth and they would say, 'Take this and leave that'".

Allahu A’lam.

On the authority of Abu 'Abdullah al-Nu'man bin Bashir ra who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah saw say: "The halal is clear and the haram is clear, and between them are matters unclear that are unknown to most people. Whoever is wary of these unclear matters has absolved his religion and honor. And whoever indulges in them has indulged in the haram. It is like a shepherd who herds his sheep too close to preserved sanctuary, and they will eventually graze in it. Every king has a sanctuary, and the sanctuary of Allah is what He has made haram.

There lies within the body a piece of flesh. If it is sound, the whole body is sound; 11

MEET THE TEAM PHOTO THE VANILLA PROJECT LOCATION AGROBAZAAR MALAYSIA

Launched on the first of Muharram 1434 (14 November 2012), MIRROR has since published 11 issues, Alhamdulillah. What started off as a three-man show is now a magazine consisting of various teams.

With the OFFLINE issue published last month, we have been getting feedback from readers, wanting to know the people behind this magazine.

Hence, for this issue’s MEET segment, we present to you, Team MIRROR.

MEET THE TEAM

name

Syaiful Sam'an

position

Creative Director occupation Designer

MEET THE TEAM

Muhammad Syaiful has enjoyed art since young. Back then, he would have exercise books, papers and files of drawings filled with doodles and drawings. Apart from designing, the ambitious Creative Director of MIRROR loves Nasi Lemak with a cuppa coffee!

Ideal morning? My ideal morning would be to be able to wake up early and pray subuh at the masjid. Starting the day early means you have more time to do more things. :)

"Instead of waiting for someone to do it, why not I do it?"

So tell us, how did it all begin? MasyaAllah. Actually it began... well the idea of it came about when I was browsing through this youth lifestyle magazine and then I remembered a thought I had before while reading through the same magazine a few months earlier. I thought, "‌would not it be great if there is something like this for the Muslim?" And then I was actually waiting for someone to do it. A couple of weeks or so went by and then one night it struck me.. Instead of waiting for someone to do it, why not I do it?

And that was the beginning of MIRROR I guess. I was thinking on when was best to launch it and Muharram came to mind. Muharram was like a bit more than two months away from that time. I did not really act upon the idea until I realized Muharram was near and I had to start working on it.

I could not do it alone. But Alhamdulillah I have a friend that studies Mass Communication and another studying Business. So I decided

to call them up to meet. I told them I had something to discuss and Alhamdulillah they were open to the idea. Thus, began the planning and execution of the first issue.

Proper guidance is important. So after the three of us got together, Ayyub and myself went to one of our Ustaz and asked for his opinion on it and Alhamdulillah he approved of the idea and he advised us on certain things as to how to go about doing it.

How do you manage everything? Honestly it is hard to manage between my full-time job and everything else but Alhamdulillah, I suppose you just have to learn how to schedule everything appropriately.

Sunrise or Sunset? I love both. Because night without day is like a day without night. It does not happen. So Alhamdulillah for both. Both remind us that this life is temporary. Whatever that has a beginning in this dunya must have an end.

Now that MIRROR has finally published the Offline issue, where do you see MIRROR in the future? Say, in five years’ time? Alhamdulillah for the OFFLINE issue. In the near future insyaAllah, I am looking at MIRROR being published both online and offline for every issue, hoping that MIRROR would be able to sustain running like that. In five years, InsyaAllah I hope to see MIRROR be the magazine that is synonymous with the Muslim youth in Singapore.

What would you say to someone who wants to start something non-profit just like MIRROR? What I can share is that to start something off, the intention must be right and InsyaAllah it will go smoothly from then on.

MEET THE TEAM

name

Muhammad Ayyub Kadir

position

Marketing Manager occupation Marketing Executive

MEET THE TEAM

Ayyub is a flexible individual who continually seeks to improve himself and apply what he has learned.

What are you doing currently? I have just graduated from RMITSIM with a business degree in Marketing. I am presently working in my family’s business as a sales/marketing executive.

How do you spend your spare time? With me just joining the working adult life, spare time seems to be something precious. I do not have any specific hobby to keep me occupied so I would either spend it with my family, read self-help or motivational books or technology/ business as well attending classes/lectures on Islam. If not, I will just have a good rest.

Islam and it makes me more curious which drives me to want to learn more. It has also exposed me to the Islamic scene here in Singapore which I have only had the privilege to be involved in after joining MIRROR.

"At the time, we were not sure of the direction to take but we went ahead with the magazine anyway."

What do you do at MIRROR? I am the marketing manager for MIRROR and I deal with the operations within MIRROR.

Any particular person/organisation that you would like to see MIRROR collaborate with? Personally, I do not have any preference but I would like to see the various organisations in our community come together in order to achieve greater heights.

How did you join MIRROR? I was approached by brother Syaiful to assist him in doing something for our youth. At the time, we were not sure of the direction to take but we went ahead with the magazine anyway.

Your hopes for MIRROR? I hope that MIRROR can become a monthly print lifestyle magazine that we can give away for free so that Muslim youth can read, benefit and apply in their lives.

How have you benefitted from MIRROR? Being with MIRROR has actually benefitted me beyond words. I have learned a lot about

MEET THE TEAM

name

Fadhuli Taufek

position

Writer occupation National Serviceman

MEET THE TEAM

Fadhuli Taufek is always moving. If his fingers are not dancing on the keyboard writing articles, then he is busy clicking the shutter button on his DSLR. When he writes in his personal capacity, he composes from what he observes and feels. Writing helps him pen down those unexposed thoughts while photography helps him capture the nonrewind able moments. Fadhuli is loud and lively by nature but what people do not know is that, he is actually an extroverted introvert.

What is your education background? I have a diploma in Information Technology but I do not wish to pursue a career in that path. I am passionate about writing and also photography. After graduation, I exposed myself to writing and do freelance photography.

I believe passion is what matters.

Why do you choose photography? I want to go out there and experience what I normally read in the news. I want to reach out to the society and help the community by capturing their moments.

How did you get involved with MIRROR? It all started when Ayyub Facebook messaged me on October 5th 2012 talking about starting an online magazine. Ayyub, Syaiful and Yazid were my seniors back in secondary school but we did not talk much. It was a long and formal talk but the gist of it was that they were going to start an online magazine for Muslim youth and they were wondering if I would be able to write articles for them, to which I obliged. I was already writing in my personal capacity at the time; posting Facebook notes, blogging, Malay poetry and freelancing. After that first article, they invited me to be part of the team.

How do you juggle between your job and MIRROR? Honestly, it has not been easy. You can ask Syaiful how many times I have missed the initial deadlines for articles from back when I was in my final year of Poly up till now as I go through National Service. Aside from MIRROR,I help out at Persatuan Persuratan Pemuda Pemudi Melayu

(4PM) and Malay Youth Performing Art (MYPART) whenever I can. It can be taxing at times but I do this because I do not want to look back on my youth and see that I have wasted it on frivolous things. I see MIRROR as an avenue to share and learn from. Hopefully through it, I can help youths avoid making the same mistakes I did.

What is your day job? I am currently serving National Service.

Where did you learn to write? I got into writing initially as a coping mechanism to deal with several issues I was facing but it evolved into something else.

What was your best accomplishment thus far in this journey? I am thankful that in this journey, I was given the opportunity to write for a documentary series "Kembara Kasih" which aired on Suria some time back and the photos that I took of Masjid Kampong Holland (which has closed down) was used in their commemorative book.

"After that first article, they invited me to be part of the team."

What is your personal interest/hobby? I enjoy working with new people and the team as well as witnessing the magazine grow from strength to strength.

Who is your role model, and why? Does it have to be just one person? If I were to say it is Rasulullah saw , I know that it is a "standard" answer but come on, is there anyone else who had such beautiful character? His companions who give me hope in that irregardless of how tainted their past lives were, there were still able to become people to be looked up to, who serve as the benchmark of what we Muslims are capable of.

MEET THE TEAM

name

Nisa' Tuzzakirah

position

Writer occupation Student

MEET THE TEAM

She really does not like Maths, you see. So it is only apt that she embraces the language. There are surges of thoughts that constantly rush through the course of her mind and Nisa' Tuzzakirah would always write them down.

be able to write or blog that much anymore. I was half afraid that my love and passion for language and writing would slowly fade away. So when I came across MIRROR, I know that I want to become a part of the team, so that I can merge my love for writing into the Deen itself.

Favourite colour? Grey and soft yellow.

Something favourite? Surah Yusuf & Surah At-Talaq Vesrse 2-3.

Someone you would love to be for one day? Imam Syafi'e rahimakumullah. I love all of his poetries and I would absolutely love to see how he arranges his daily routine- fitting in time to write such beautiful poetries and books, do research on the Deen and travel all at once‌ Such a genius, MasyaAllah.

Has MIRROR changed the way you live your life? Alhamdulillah, MIRROR changed the way I do certain things in my life. While writing some articles I realised that I have a lot to work on myself, and it helped me refresh my memory on the basics of Islam, Alhamdulillah thumma Alhamdulillah.

"Written words usually bring greater impact to me than anything else."

What would the writer in you want to achieve? To be still be able to benefit the ummah through writing, InsyaAllah! Written words usually bring greater impact to me than anything else, so I hope that my written words may do the same to benefit others, InsyaAllah.

What moved you to write for MIRROR? Hahaha. Initially my plan was to pursue my studies in Mass Communication, because I really love journalism and photography. But somehow I ended up in pre-university taking the ukhrawi stream (I am currently in my final year, final semester, do pray for my friends and I hehe). Due to the fact that we generally have a lot of memorising to do, I realised that I will not

What do you do on your free time? I usually spend my free time doing digital drawing, reading and writing poetries or watching variety shows. Other than that, I enjoy playing sports too, hehe. I am really passionate about drawing and designing. And also out of my love for languages and culture, I love watching variety shows because it Is the easiest way to pick up a new language!

MEET THE TEAM

name

Nur Khairunnisa

position

Writer occupation Graduate

MEET THE TEAM

If you ask Nur Khairunnisa who is her role model, she would confess how her mother inspires her to grow each day towards being successful in this world and the hereafter.

Which is why, she keeps herself busy with everything that she loves!

So, what are you doing? I am a recent graduate from NAFA, under Diploma in Arts Management (Performing Arts) with Distinction.

Alhamdulillah. And I am currently working part time in a retail job, while waiting for degree applications to open!

"So he asked if I want to be a part of it."

How did you discover MIRROR? It was funny and random actually! Syaiful asked me if I wanted to be a part of MIRROR, by doing hijab tutorials. And this took place at the bus stop near our house. Syaiful then Facebook messaged me a long intro about MIRROR. At the point of time when he told me, MIRROR was about 1 month old. So he asked if I want to be a part of it. And I said yes.

Why? Simple, to contribute to the Muslim society in one way or another.

Motto? To succeed in life and for the hereafter.

Tell us, what do you like? I like fashion related things. I like taking pictures. Not to forget! I like to read. Favorite author consists of Kim Edward, John green etc. I have this immense passion, for anything that's related to fashion, which is weird since my course is much related about the performing arts. Haha.

10 years down the road‌ I hope to see myself doing something I like (teacher or having a business line of my own) as well getting a proper income to support the family. Not forgetting, being able to give as much to the community as well. I hope through the tutorials, it will help to show that, you can do any type of hijab styles (with creativity) while being modest.

How do you manage your time? Basically it is all about priorities, because it's never easy juggling so many things at once.

But having deadlines, it helps by putting the important ones first then the rest. It is all about time management.

MEET THE TEAM

name

Nafisah Abu Bakar

position

Creative occupation Graphic Designer

MEET THE TEAM

Once upon a time, Nafisah wanted to be a bus conductor.

Fast forward to today, she is currently the designer at MIRROR who practices simple, clean cut and minimalistic design. Does she still want to be a bus conductor?

asked if I could help out with the magazine since we were from the same design course. It started off with just the layout of the magazines, but after a few issues, I help out basically with the creative part of MIRROR.

Confession? When I was younger, I have always wanted to be a tour guide, not in Singapore but in another country like Vienna where I can also learn a different language. I wanted to be a zookeeper too because I can work with some really cool animals like sloths, raccoons and of course the cat family. And I do not have to sit on the desk all day haha.

Also, I wanted to be a bus conductor. I thought seeing the conductors, when I was younger; tearing bus tickets was amusing but professional at the same time.

What do you live by? The only thing I always keep myself in mind, especially constant reminders from my mom and late father, is to never leave my prayers. As a Muslimah, I still have a lot more to learn from life, to grow and be a better person. And I think prayer is a source for everything. It is a source of ambitions, possibility, security, strength, wholeness, aspiration and faith.

"It goes to show that our hard work is being paid off."

While you are not all that now, you are... I am currently a graphic designer at a local design company. I work with clients to deliver their expectations and messages across design and print using visual media. I work a lot on publications and advertisements. I get inspired by minimalistic design, approaches that connect with people on a personal level. And I love working on packaging and typography.

And how did you discover MIRROR? From the founder of MIRROR, Syaiful. He approached me a year after we graduated and

What aspects of the project do you enjoy? I think sitting down with the rest of team talking about the concept of the magazine, how we can improve on it and sharing our thoughts, pouring out ideas for the next issue, is what I enjoy the most. These people from MIRROR are young and talented, that sometimes I myself am in awe working with them. There is a lot to learn from them, from the consultants, writers, poets and even other designers. Also, seeing the finished product of the magazine is truly enjoying and satisfying. It goes to show that our hard work is being paid off.

What do you like to surround yourself with? Making paper art like stationery bowls or mini teepees. I also like buying miniature toy cats and taking pictures of it. Apart from that, I love accompanying my mother buying groceries.

MEET THE TEAM

name

Nurie Arba'ah

position

Writer occupation Student

MEET THE TEAM

In the midst of the interview session with Nurie Arba’ah who is currently doing a diploma in Hotel and Hospitality Management, she mentioned that she loves surprising others! She will occasionally awe her friends with gifts out of the blue. She also used to enjoy doing street photography but now, her passion is focused mainly on writing. Nurie is a bookworm and has no genre preferences as she appreciates the hard work one puts into creating a book. Other than writing, she bakes a lot, especially during her free time.

What are you currently doing? Apart from being a student, I am a tutor who is also working with Market Nine Singapore and a whole lot of other projects that I am so excited to execute with the beautiful gems in my life!

Where did you learn to write? From home, school and Islam taught me how to write, because we have the Quran – its rhyme and wisdom will teach you.

If you are given the choice to travel to a country, where would you go and why? I can only give you one country? I really cannot answer that. I want to travel this world and marvel at everything He created for us. But if there if there is only one country that I can only go to in this lifetime, I would seek to go to Haramain and perform my obligations.

What things do you enjoy doing and otherwise? I truly enjoy the process of writing and the feeling all of us get prior to launch. I do not like allowing just about anyone to see through me. I filter a lot. Which is why it is quite hard for me to do this interview, I am sorry!

How did you know MIRROR? Ah, I will have to reveal one of my quirks in order to answer this question. Apart from reading, I love doing a thorough research on anything that intrigues me and while doing that one day, I chanced upon MIRROR's website. Allah always has His ways, no? So, I emailed the Creative Director to express my interest and we scheduled for an interview right after.

"A lot has changed and they are good changes. " What made you want to join MIRROR? What made me….? My desires made me. All I desire is to love freely, write at liberty without having to withhold certain parts of myself, travel, teach around the world, make my loved ones proud, and contribute to this world in whatever little or big ways I can. Allah heard me, I am sure. So He brought me to MIRROR. How do you change your daily life through MIRROR? I love this question. I am going to say this out – MIRROR has played a huge part in uplifting me to maintain my istiqamah towards striving to be better. The content and context of MIRROR itself serves as a constant reminder that we all need. With MIRROR, I become more aware of my thoughts and my actions. A lot has changed and they are good changes. Alhamdulillah!

MEET THE TEAM

name

Nur Khalisah

position

Writer occupation Student

MEET THE TEAM

Poet. Writer. Artisan. Check out some of her stuff at instagram@lovefromlis.

What are you currently doing? I am still studying at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, taking Mass Communication in final year/final semester.

What are your hobbies? I like do it yourself crafts, reading, spending time with my family and learning new things. I also like to write. A lot. Heh. What is the newest thing that you have learned? Book-binding.

I went to this workshop and we studied how to do it. The workshop was conducted by my cousin and I made one for my friend’s birthday.

"I knew of the magazine but I never got the nerve to actually be part of it."

How did you get to know about MIRROR? Syaiful’s sister is my close friend. I think it was during our year 2 when he asked to take our photos for the magazine. We were like, okaylah. It was to show Muslimah’s attire in the first few issues of the magazine. It was from there that I knew of the magazine but I never got the nerve to actually be part of it. One day Nisa', who was already writing for MIRROR told Syaiful that I could write so he approached me and I accepted his offer.

What was your first article? My first article was about the “angels” (Malaikat). It was a narrative about this lady who did not go to the

mosque or solat but kept receiving signs that she should attend this solat class. She was reluctant to go but she eventually relented. She thought she was the only one in the class because she was blinded by the light from the angels that she could not see anyone else.

How has the experience been like working with MIRROR? It has boosted my confidence in writing. Initially, I did not think that my writing would be of benefit to anyone or it would make a difference but then people have been coming to me and saying “Wah, that is a good article!” and I was like “Are you sure?”. I realised that every word that we write has impacted someone in one way or another. It has made me more open to feedback. Previously I was sceptical of what people thought of my writing and judging me but now, I understand that everyone has their own way of writing.

I realised that to become a writer, you cannot just be good in writing, you should also have knowledge of what you are writing. Sometimes I get assigned things that I am not knowledgeable about so it is up to my own initiative to find out. I made new friends, at first it was very awkward but now it is okay. I feel that it is going to be a nice ukhuwah.

I hope that we can meet up frequently and really become friends outside of work.

Any advice that you would like to share with the youth out there? I do not think that I am a very experienced person to give advice but I feel that in anything that we do, we need to correct our intentions first. Whatever actions we take and the outcome would be based on that. Be sincere. Do not look for rewards because sometimes Allah rewards us in ways that we cannot see and it is not always in a form that is tangible.

MEET THE TEAM

name

Nur Syazreema

position

Writer occupation Student

MEET THE TEAM

"alMusolla SG" may not be around today if Nur Syazreema did not play a part in it. When her hands are not flowing on the beauty of Arabic calligraphy, she writes at MIRROR! Oh, she loves Nasi Lemak too.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Businesswoman, I wish to have my very own company, InsyaAllah, amin.

Why do you write? I write to be fully alive. Writing draws me into the moment. When I am happy, I write. When I am sad, I will write too.

I write to express myself in a silent way.

"I found out that one of my junior is also writing for MIRROR!" What is something that you want to accomplish before you die? I want to bring my parents for haj, InsyaAllah.

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment? The launch of alMusolla SG was the best thus far and I pray that this would not be the last. It is a simple mobile application which provides praying

areas in Singapore. It was developed by my friend and I in April 2014, and has over 7000 downloads to date. Alhamdulillah!

How did you discover MIRROR? I discovered MIRROR’s existence through a friend who is a writer here. He casually introduced me to MIRROR when I expressed my interest in writing. At that point of time, I was rather clueless about MIRROR but when I was told that they are in need of writers, I thought, why not? After I joined MIRROR, I found out that one of my juniors is also writing for MIRROR! It is pretty intriguing!

How do you manage between MIRROR and other commitments?

As a full-time student and doing side-business (Arabic calligraphy), I admit that juggling my time between studies and outside activities is not an easy task. However, I believe that it is not the quantity that matters but the quality. I need to learn how to manage my time, and this is definitely the best period to expose myself to different things.

“You can't make up for lost time. You can only do better in the future.”- Ashley Ormon.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you love the MIRROR family? My love for MIRROR family cannot be measured. I love and appreciate them dearly.

MEET THE TEAM

name

Fadilah Halim

position

Creative occupation Designer

MEET THE TEAM

If you ask Fadilah Abdul Halim on how she spends her free time, she would tell you that she likes to write down her thoughts and enjoys taking long walks."I like observing everything around me and remind myself how lucky I am and should be grateful for everything I have." And today, MIRROR is grateful to have her on MIRROR's creative team.

What is the role that you play as part of MIRROR's creative team? I am in charge of the design of the layouts and the theme of each issue.

Have you always been interested in designing? When did you start picking up the talent and how? I am never a book person. I prefer doing anything hands on and like to create things from my imagination. My books were always doodled with cartoons. I picked up fine arts during secondary school and tried graphic design during poly to learn more on arts. From there I gained interest in layouts and graphics. Suddenly illustration was not my forte anymore.

How did you chance upon MIRROR and what moved you to channel your passion to contribute to MIRROR? When I chanced upon MIRROR, I was really attracted on how this magazine made me realise that with the skills I have, I can share a lot of knowledge and at the same time gaining it for myself. This is His plan for me to make full use of the talent/skills I learnt. MasyaAllah. Like killing two birds

with one stone, I meet this awesome group of people and learned a lot from them. Alhamdulillah.

Does being in MIRROR change the way you lead your life?

How do you juggle your daily responsibilities with MIRROR? Of course it does and I am so grateful! Honestly, there is nothing much for me to juggle, MIRROR is already like a part of me. It is like a duty that I have to fulfill. There are times where work needs my attention but even if my hours were taken, there is always a minute for MIRROR. And my minutes will become hours eventually.

"Spreading knowledge in a unique way."

What do you hope to achieve for MIRROR and for yourself in, say, five years time? Hmm I would love to see MIRROR getting recognised. Perhaps till Malaysia, InsyaAllah. Spreading knowledge in a unique way. (: And for myself of course to be more knowledgeable in my religion and stronger bond with my MIRROR team to create more amazing issues!

If you could live your life as another person for one day, who would it be and why? My mother. She brought up three children all by herself. How strong she is as a woman is impossible to describe in words.

MEET THE TEAM

name

Nazilah Mohamed Nasir

position

Public Relations occupation Student

MEET THE TEAM

At 20 years old, Nazilah Binte Mohamed Nasir is the Public Relations Coordinator for MIRROR. Previously a student of Lasalle College of the Arts, and currently at Orita Sinclair School of Design, New Media and Arts, this bubbly young lady enjoys drawing/doodling, sewing, painting, rollerblading, bowling, reading, baking if she's not spending time with her family. And to us in MIRROR, she is just like family.

Have you always been interested in designing? When did you start picking up the talent and how? Yes indeed, I have always developed a close calling for the creative scene. I would do arts and crafts in my spare time. My family always shared with me stories of how I would make a mess with painting and making crafts at a toddler's age. I have always aced the arts elective throughout my school years and now in my late teens i develop a sense of interest for designing as I furthered my studies in the Visual Arts to Fashion Design and currently Design Communications.

"I hope to be a part of that movement."

How did you chance upon MIRROR and what moved you to channel your passion to contribute to MIRROR? A friend has ever mentioned it, but then I never got the time to read it up. But Alhamdulillah, one fine day I chanced upon MIRROR's promotional booth at 'CPR Festival: Cakap Pasal Remaja 2013' and I talked to Brother Syaiful and Ayyub about MIRROR and bought merchandises and walked off to go home. But SubhanAllah, I do not know how to describe the feeling at that moment (while walking off) it was as if

like an epiphany, I turned around and walked straight back and asked "How can I contribute?" and it was history. In my mind, "This feels right. This could be one of my investment channels for my akhirah." And also, I could probably offer my services, skills and

experience as a design student and an active volunteer youth leader.

Long story-short, I think it was like Serendipity. It was God's plan, He placed me there and moved my heart.

What do you hope to achieve for MIRROR and for yourself in, say, five years time? I really hope MIRROR would achieve greater heights, per se, able to increase avid readers amongst the youth in this cosmopolitan city and be a sincere platform for all ages to connect and understand even further about Islam and the Deen in the most approachable way as possible. And maybe one day be able to connect to more readers worldwide.

As for me, I hope to be a part of that movement. No better feeling than the feeling caused for the sake of unity. And hopefully, in 5 years time, I would love to contribute even more for MIRROR to grow and prosper with the opportunities that the future holds for us. InsyaAllah :) If you could live your life as another person for one day, who would it be and why? I would not actually. I am grateful for being me, plus I have never really thought about it. But at the top of my mind, if I could, it would be Ummul Mu'minuun, Aisyah ra. Why? Because she lived in the time of Rasulullah saw, she was the wife of SAW, and she had great perseverance throughout her lifetime.

And I have always wondered how it felt living in Rasulullah's saw time, macam best kan, hehe.

Get your very own tote bag and badges! contact@mirrormag.com

Islamic Chic

Hidden beauty

a tutorial

TUTORIAL NUR KHAIRUNNISA FOLLOW @Uhnisa ON INSTAGRAM IN COLLABORATION WITH DESA MELATI 37

Hidden beauty: a tutorial

The Satin shawl tutorial.

You will need: Satin shawl 1 small safety pin 3 or 4 hijab pins 1 Desa Melati brooch (available at fb.com/desamelati)

1

As usual, one side longer than the other. Secure it with a small safety pin.

3

Take the shorter end of it, bring it to the top.

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2

Bring the back part of the shawl to the top of your head.

Secure it with a hijab pin.

4

Hidden beauty: a tutorial

5

Take the longer side, bring it across then to the top of your head.

7

It is up to each individual whether they want to plait or not.

It will look something like this.

6

8

If yes, it will look like this. Secure it with a pin.

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Hidden beauty: a tutorial

9

The excess of the longer end, you can either leave it hanging like that. Or..

10

You can twist it and tuck it under your hijab folds.

12

11 Last but not least, secure it with a nice brooch.

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Tadahhh! You are done!

THE ARTS

Naqiyah Mohammad In this issue, we introduce to you one of our young Muslim local artist, Naqiyah Mohammad.

Among the various mediums associated with the fine arts, Naqiyah’s niche is in watercolour. Her work is predominantly a deep exploration of realism, and she pays great attention to details in the hope of bringing to life fragments of reality that are often overlooked or neglected. She hopes to draw attention to these details and intrigue viewers with the wonders that a simple brush can capture.

Naqiyah’s art expresses her personal take on nature, landscapes and people.

Watercolour allows her to explore different effects like transparency, variations in depth, brushstrokes and layering of colours, and these techniques allow her to evoke the desired emotions in her paintings.

41

The arts Last Ramadhan, MIRROR was invited to the Opening Ceremony of NAFA’s graduation showcase. We had the opportunity to see for ourselves the amazing artworks from Naqiyah’s collection entitled Ad(age), and had a little chat with her.

First and foremost, congratulations on your graduation!

To start off, maybe you could share with us, the beginning of your interest in painting?

I started to have an interest in art from my dad. He used to practice art in his younger years. So once I took art lesson in secondary school he guided me in my works and he was my first inspiration.

What or who is your biggest influence?

My biggest influence will be my dad, my teacher from secondary school Mdm Huda and my lecturers in NAFA. Each and every one of them guided me well in my artworks and I grew better from then on.

What are some of the biggest lessons you have taken away from painting?

My niche is in watercolour and that medium is one of the most difficult medium because you cannot re-paint your mistake instead you have to work with your mistakes and that helps me to be more creative and challenge myself to be more focused on my painting or to turn the mistake into an artwork.

Share with us the concept and message behind Ad(age).

I intend to portray the story of the elderly from reading their wrinkles on their faces. I would also like to pay great attention to details of their features and to bring life to fragments of reality that are often overlooked or neglected. To able to draw attention to these details of life and captivate viewers with the wonders that a simple brush can capture and to create a story with their features through my paintings.

What is your opinion on the Islamic Arts Scene in Singapore?

Honestly, Islamic art scene in Singapore is not as active but I hope with growing muslim young artists in Singapore each of us will play a part to make it known.

What is next for Naqiyah?

Hoping to be better in my skills in watercolour and share my knowledge in art with different kind of age group and to keep on painting.

To those with similar passion out there, any words of encouragement for them?

You have your talent but the secret is PASSION. Never stop practicing, explore and look up to experienced artists and make them your inspiration and of course do it for Allah swt.

Thank you Naqiyah for your time. May Allah grant you the best in your future endavours, Amiin.

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travelogue WORDS IRFAN FIND @FEEAMANILLAH ON INSTAGRAM

I searched for love and peace. I found Islam, and I found a curious traveller in myself through it. With Allah’s will, I seem to thrive in solitude and the observance of strangers, and in no better place could I find solace and wisdom through it other than in mosques. Every mosque has its own serenity and tranquility to it. At least, just at least a congregational prayer with humility and sincerity of the heart, being submissive, with understanding and purpose; only Allah (Glorified and Exalted Be He) understands the wonders He brings with it, filling me each day. Hence this is my journey to each and every mosques there is in Singapore InsyaAllah. May Allah (Glorified and Exalted Be He) guide me in this lonesome yet purposeful journey with my ever-faithful Vespa.

I started every Travelogue entry with the standardized introduction above but unfortunately, I am not able to complete sharing my journey as I will be sent to Brunei to serve my country for long term. Hence this last entry will not be about mosques at all but I would like it to be a parting message from myself for everybody out there who is an avid reader of MIRROR Magazine.

Throughout this journey, I think it is beautiful having realised how I feel so close to brothers I barely even know, and protective over sisters I have never met at all – all of you. I guess that is the power of this loving deen. Alhamdulillah.

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travelogue

I will see you soon I hate the fact that I can’t be true About the way I appear inside And it’s hard to spill and open the door And let it all out wide Often times we think We are invincible We think that you and I And everything in between We think it is forever Then goodbye comes along and says That thing you called forever It becomes another yesterday The time is getting close When we will have to part I’ll show that I’ll miss all that is in you With these last words from my heart I know I don’t have much time left So every memory matter to me It fills the void I created myself It beautifies my pain what others don’t see I must be dreaming For it has gone way too fast The times we spent together Will soon be in our book of past One day you will all forget The coming of this day And so I lay here Into deep thoughts I stare Trying to tell all that is in you How much I really do care

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travelogue

What I learnt about time Is that it eventually runs out So I won’t say goodbye But I’ll see you soon instead And if the day would come Where our paths would meet I would want to say to you That I have made it instead And I’m sure that you You will say the same You and I You and I will meet again When we’re least expecting of it One day in some far off of a place I will recognize your face We’ll reminisce the days We’ll praise Allah For His Wisdom and Grace But for now I’ll slowly drift away In solitude I play In solitude I pray In the solitude of days I’ll make something of what I say Let me live this quiet dream, holding on to a quiet promise I ask of Allah, to strengthen my iman and cure this disease Dear Allah, surely they are gifts In fact special ones from You Surely He gives to the ones who believe Only for Your sake, I know I have loved these few.

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travelogue

Everytime I part from my loved ones I tell myself that I may not see them again.

With these marks my last Travelogue entry. It has been a pleasure.

I will try to give my all each time we meet and I will ask of Allah to strengthen the bonds of our hearts with His love when we are apart. The sweetest part of

Jazakumallahu khayran to Brother Syaiful and Ayyub for giving me the

any relationship permitted in Islam, is indeed the beauty of meeting and parting

opportunity to write my thoughts here in the first place.

for His sake.

Addu’a biddu’a.

May we be one of the seven types of people shaded by Allah under His shade on the Day when there will be no shade but His – the ones who love each other only for Allah’s sake, and they meet and part in Allah’s cause only.

I guess it is not the thought of leaving that aches. But the the thought of not being able to be there anymore for the ones you love, and having to leave knowing that you could have done more in proving your love to them, for His sake; that is my ache.

And so I would like to dedicate this sincere entry to the members of The Poets’ Coffee – Nurnina Syazwani, Hazrul Fitri, Faiz and Khalisah, to the queen of my heart – my mother Fauziah, and lastly to the beautiful readers at large.

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May Allah swt protect each and every one of you.

Musollah

Meet alMusolla SG App. The musolla locator application that has been benefitting many Muslims, Alhamdulillah. We introduce to you the founders of alMusolla SG App Syazreema and Rufaidah. Syazreema is no stranger to MIRROR. She is one of our writers.

AlMusolla SG (formerly known as Musolla Mall SG) was launched in April 2014 with a sole purpose to provide users with praying areas (musollas) located all over Singapore, focusing on malls, institutions, hotels and hospitals. Each location is presented with the direction, capacity, provision and shots of the praying area. What is good is, user can still access the app without the use of Wi-Fi!

To start things off, tell us a little bit about yourselves?

We both went to the same primary and secondary school, Madrasah Al-Irsyad Al-Islamiah (now known as Madrasah Al-Irsyad Zuhri). We were never best friends as we have very different personalities, but we both know each other very well. We practically lived in the same building 85% of our lives during the 11 years of study! But two things we have in common and we both knew it: Art and Business.

Rufaidah: We both went our separate ways after. I pursued Banking in Singapore Polytechnic, with an elective in Graphics Design.

What made you decide to work together?

R: I had an idea, an app, but I had none of the necessary skills required. So I approached Syazreema, knowing that she will be the best person to work with on this project. The brains, that is me, and the people-person, Syazreema.

S: I am always up for trying new stuff, especially when it involves things that I am inclined with. In this case, it would be IT and design. So, when Rufaidah shared her ideas with me, I thought, let us give it a shot! There is nothing to lose anyway. Plus, I like working with Rufaidah. Her brain generates awesome ideas all the time.

Syazreema: I am doing my final year in Nanyang Polytechnic, taking a diploma in Business Enterprise IT.

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Musollah

How did this idea come about and how did it all begin?

R: The project idea came about when we realised that we need to keep referring to other people who have been to places, or an elusive list of musollahs around Singapore. An app would make our lives easier.

The initial idea was: She codes, I design (given our areas of study). But the situation called for a twist. I learnt the basics of Android Programming in a workshop by Mendaki and the Qiscus team, and Syazreema’s design skills are advanced.

S: We have been aiming to produce a mobile app as it is an easy platform to reach to the people. Initially, we planned on developing an umrah app which includes the procedures and duas needed. But we found out that there are already several umrah apps in the store. So, after brainstorming and considering a few factors, we decided to focus on musolla since people still have difficulties in performing their solat while they are outdoors.

How long did it take, from ideation, to preparation and then to the launch of the app?

R: It took us exactly 1 month to complete the whole process, from ideation to its launch. We were having our semester break, so we dedicated our entire holiday to making sure we finish this app.

S: Yes, we took one month to complete the whole app, from the research process to the design planning and finally, coding. We actually targeted the launch to be in May, but Alhamdulillah, we managed to launch it earlier, in April.

What are the challenges faced during the whole process?

R: The basics are not enough to do actual coding. Google did help, a lot. And design-wise, we got a lot of help and tips from the Qiscus team.

S: We are amateurs. So, when in doubt, we make full use of Google and get opinions from the pros. The Qiscus team gave us tips and tricks on design matters. They also shared some beneficial websites which really helped a lot.

How has the response been so far?

Very encouraging, Alhamdulillah. Within 3 days, we had 2000+ downloads, and in about 2 weeks we had about 5000 downloads. To date it has 7000+ downloads. We were also featured in Berita Minggu 2 weeks after the launch date and since then, we received more emails asking about the app.

Future plans for the both of you.

R: I aim to pursue my degree in Islamic Banking insyaAllah, and continue to contribute to the society.

S: I want to improve on my designing skills and take up courses related to it.

Other than that, I am also planning to take up business seriously. Insya Allah.

A shout out to our readers.

R: If you have an idea, execute it. If you cannot, record it down so you do not forget. You never know in the future, you may obtain the necessary skills and people to make it a success. And you may change people’s lives for the better.

S: Never think that you are never good enough in anything before you even try.

Do not let fear or insecurities stop you from trying new things.

Keep on upgrading yourself and Insya Allah you will have so much to gain!

What can users look forward to in the near future?

R: We will be trying to integrate Google Maps and the location feature into the app. We are also on the search for more team members as we are ready to move into the apple market.

Thank you so much and jazakumullah khair for the amazing support! We would like to thank all our app users for using the app and sharing it with your friends.

Also, to those who personally sent us emails with encouraging words, we really appreciate it! To send any feedback or location update, do not hesitate to email us at: kalamapps@gmail.com. Remember to visit us at www.kalamapps.com.

S: For the app itself, we will update the places accordingly and enhance the features to provide users with better usability. And Insya Allah, we will not stop here. We hope to produce more beneficial apps in the future.

Thank you Kalam Apps for this wonderful session.

May Allah grant the both of you success and may He be pleased with your efforts, Amiin.

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THE POET'S COFFEE

The Beauty of The Deen In the middle of the night, On my prayer mat I sat, I looked above and I felt, Calm and collected was my heart, Marvelled and awed by the beauty of God. The stars, moon, and the skies, How beautiful they are tonight, And have you wondered?

Have you ever wondered how they were created?

I’d say, “This must be one Magnificent Creator who created,” And He created me, He created you, He created us, And He created the rest of the people before us, And He, created him, Muhammad, *SAW* His gleaming face that radiates like the face of the moon, Which shines so bright, no one could ever feel gloom, His morals, like the Qur’an, Rich and divine, Never missed a smile, not to forget a salam at any time.

His love for you is like no other, He loved you and he still loves you, 1400 years ago have you cared to ponder?

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THE POET'S COFFEE

He would never give up, This deen, Even when the sun and the moon is placed on his hands, He still stands up tall and had never fell.

The bringer of the deen, The soul that radiates peace, Who would never want to meet, The one who we dearly miss…

Have you thought of him?

Would he smile at you if you met him?

Face to face, like how we are today?

Not to mention his flawless ways?

So peace be upon him, The beauty of the deen, The one who came in, To beautify our creed.

And so love him, And we will be with the ones that we love, And love for others, What you love for yourself because “la yukminu ahadukun hatta yu hibah, Li akhii wa ma yu hibuh Li nafsi” Blessed as we are with all that we see, Have we said Alhamdulilah for all that we feel?

Some things in life we can’t grasp, But I believe Allah knows best.

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What's going on Listings courtesy of IslamicEvents.sg

Analysing The Pressing Issues of the Ummah; Action Upon Reflection

The Magnificent 7 in Islam: How We Can Be Among Them

Date: Every Monday Time: 8pm Venue: Blk 2 Joo Chiat Complex, #04-1139 Organised by: Hajar Consultancy Services Speaker: Ustaz Noor Deros Fees: No fees charges Registration: Open to Public

Date: Wednesday, 22nd October 2014 Time: 10am - 3pm Venue: Ar-Raudhah Mosque, 30 Bukit Batok East, Avenue 2 Organised by: The Institue of Hadith and Islamic Studies Speakers: Ustaz Hamzah Bin Jummat (first speaker) Dr. Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied (second speaker) Fees: S$35/ per pax, S$65/ 2 pax Registration: IslamicEvents.sg

This weekly session unpacks and clarifies issues such as feminism, LGBT, zina, riba, violation of human rights and secularism. These are issues that greatly affect the ummah but may have not been given enough weight in thought and action by the ummah themselves.

The session takes on a palatable format for anybody who is interested to understand these issues from an Islamic Worldview. Participants are welcomes to engage the speaker and other participants in discussions that seek to adopt practical and appropriate responses to these issues.

Tafsir Al Quraan - In English Date: Every Tuesday Time: 8.30pm Venue: Blk 2 Joo Chiat Complex, #04-1139 Organised by: Hajar Consultancy Services Speaker: Ustaz Noor Deros Fees: No fees charges Registration: Open to Public This ongoing Tafsir class commences with Surah Al Fatihah. Alhamdulillah, now we have entered the chapter of Aali Imran. Our aim Insya Allah is to complete 30juz of the Quran - not just the translations but also as in depth study of each verse. We also work to enhance the learning process with the use of multimedia.

In this session, both the text and the context of the verses will be studied by placing greater emphasis on its main messages.

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OCBC Tree Top Walk & MacRitchie Nature Trail Date: Sunday, 19th October 2014 Time: 10am - 3pm Venue: MacRitchie Reservoir Park Organised by: Fitness for Muslimah Registration: http://tinyurl.com/f4mtrek (Registration starts 30th September 2014)

What's going on

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