Tuesday, March 3, 2009

SENTIMENTAL BOOK MEME

Kittykat tags me to do this meme. And with tags of all kinds, there are a certain set of so-called rules to be followed….BUT…I am not the most ‘sporting’ blogger, I’m going to break bend some of the rules here… 
(sorry Kitty, you may not want to include me in future tags after this, and I’ll understand, no worries….)

For those who are interested, you can read the rules here.
But of course I have valid reasons for being a spoilsport…….
Anyway, here goes my list…..
THE BOOK THAT’S BEEN ON YOUR SHELVES THE LONGEST
My shelves? My own shelves? Hemm..let’s see. We have been in this house close to 10 years now and yes, I can see that those Patchwork and Quilting books have been there forever. Now, they do bring back memories….
Those years of loneliness, in cold Royston Hill of Glasgow, when you two havent arrived in our life. I occupied my time, trying to beat the winter blues , with this self-taught craft. I made many beautiful things, quilt,pillow covers, table clothes etc ,scattered throughout our home and also as gifts to friends and families, which were always highly appreciated. I used to be crazy about it,spending my money on books,materials and gadgets. (Mail orders are just so reliable over there.
 Alas, the passion has died now….
Here they are…….
IMG_1400
I have though of donating the books to the library so that they could bring enjoyment to others as they have brought me. BUT, I still cannot bring myself to do that. I guess I’m still hoping that one day, the passion will resurface….or, you , Adik, may want to take it up later….Sewing is, especially with your hand, is a good way to occupy your time and I read somewhere that the syaitaan find it difficult to kacau orang yang menjahit….I think there’s some truth in it. Time flies quickly when you are at it and you could recite as much zikrullah as you go about it.
THE BOOK THAT REMINDS YOU OF SOMETHING SPECIAL IN YOUR LIFE ( a person, a place,a time, etc)
HAYATUS SAHABAH VOL 2….I always have this warm tingly feeling whenever my eyes chanced upon it. Abah gave it to me during our short engagement period.(he actually sent it via Tok Ayah when they met at the markaz where they gathered every thursday night.Yes, Tok ayah was our 'posmen',haha!) 
On the memo page, there was this sweet little note, he wrote,"....
Well... sorry, I changed my mind, not gonna publish it here, its kinda private. But, you two, Abang n Adik, can check it out yourselves. 
Ok,ok...I'll share a bit of it...in a nutshell, he asked me to read on the marriage of Hazrat Ali r.a to Fatimah r.a...and wished the same could be done in our wedding ceremony. It sounds impossible at first, but, Alhamdulillah, with a twist of fate , we were able to pull it off.....not 100%, but close.... 
What made it even sweeter was, accompanying the book was this very pretty colourful beads rosary(tasbih) that Abah strung himself as a token of love for me….hihi… 
(so you can just imagine how I then said my daily tasbeehat using that tasbeeh while day-dreaming of my future husband!!)
A BOOK YOU ACQUIRED IN SOME INTERESTING WAY (gift,serendipity in a used bookstore,prize, etc)
This book….
IMG_1410
It was presented to me at a Reading Contest held at our favourite library. Only a good friend like Niza, or popularly known as Kak Chik, would think that I was fit to be a judge….So, there I was, being a judge ( but couldnt pick Adik as a winner because she’s my daughter!!) . That was the first and the last time I was chosen to be a judge…..hahaha
Anyway,it’s a good book that we had read over and over again in those years of reading aloud together….hemm, suddenly I”m missing those moments…. ( Kitty, this really is a sentimental book meme!!)
A BOOK THAT’S BEEN WITH YOU TO THE MOST PLACES
Muntakhab Hadis
THE MOST RECENT ADDITION TO YOUR SHELVES
The Kite Runner

I know, I know…its kind of ketinggalan keretapi…but I read Khaled Hosseini’s second book , A Thousand Splendid Suns, first , and it made so much impact on me that I just thought, I must read his debut novel. I Read the ATSS exactly at that time the attack on Gaza was going strong, so, the effect was indescribable… I really felt for those who had to live their everyday lives with mortars and bullets whizzing over their heads 24/7. I just have to say that the book was so intense that at times I just had to stop reading and go doing something else for sometimes until all those overwhelming feelings subsided. I’ve yet to finish the Kite Runner, but so far, so good…
A BONUS BOOK THAT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT BUT DOESNT FIT INTO THE OTHER QUESTIONS
image This book…. 
 
I have read it many times and always get new perspective, new understanding every time. I realise that only with the ihsan of Allah would anyone be granted the real understanding of deen….I just hope that we would be blessed enough to be able to grasp the wisdom contain therein….Someone, may Allah bless you, has been putting up excerpts of the book here.


As I grow older, I became very choosy of the books I read, more so on religion-themed ones. It is so easy to be influenced and, Na’uzubillah, corrupted, by what we reads and perceive as right with our limited intelligence. I am forever grateful for my own brother, an alim in all four mazhabs, wherefrom I always get good advice and to whom I always turn, whenever I’m in doubt, apart from Abah of course. I would also like to remind you, Abang and Adik, to always hold these two uncles of you, Ayah Cik Razif and Ayah Ji,(the two maulanas in our family) in high esteem, and to always seek their wisdom in all your urusan dunia dan akhirat.
Now, I just cannot think of anybody to tag…… as a reluctant blogger, I dont have many friends in the blogosphere. And the one I know, Niza is already being tagged. All my nieces and nephews that made up the majority of readers of this blog are all busy with their never-ending assignments/thesis whatever. My two loyal readers who might be suitable to tag, do not blog. So, how??

I, however would like to tag my new-found friend Jannah…..but, of course I would understand if she refuse to do this…..(as i myself has refused to take an award given by a friend and she understood it which made me forever grateful to her)

9 comments:

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Salam sis, actually.. thanks for tagging me ;) i mean its an interesting tagging topic so i dont mind really.. only that yes, time is a constraint now.. inshaAllah will do it when i can buy some time. anyways what a nice read of yours.. especially the story behind hayatus sahabah vol 2 *wink. Alhamdulillah Allah has blessed you with such wonderful bounties. to have a wedding as such of hadhrat Ali and fatimah radhiallahu anhuma is still my sought after goal. humbly request for du'as..

Elham said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

thanks Jannah...
i wouldnt extend the tag to u if it's somekind of 'expose urself to the world' tagging thingy as i wud run away from it myself.....n take ur own sweet time, no worries..

InsyaAllah,u'll have a better wedding than mine...with your 'level of awareness' to sunnah in your young age.( I presume you are more than 10 yrs younger than me). I was pretty clueless at that time....

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Interesting answers, Nor! "Grandfather's Orchard" sounds like an interesting title - why not post a review of the book on your blog?

I watched "The Kite Runner" which was a fabulous movie. Can't wait to read the book and the other one too :)

As you're interested in Islamic themes, you should read this: http://rightreads.com/2008/03/23/does-my-head-look-big-in-this-by-randa-abdel-fattah/

I found it a fascinating book!

Elham said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Thanks for the kind words Kitty....As for writing reviews,I dont think I'm up to it,but I might give it a try one day...

checking out your recommendation now...

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

salam sis Nor u know im trying to do this meme but susah betul nak pilih buku im almostjh struggling aha. anyways whats a meme btw?

And, to your kind du'as, ameen thumma ameen.

i might be 10 yrs younger but u cant be that old sis ;)

Elham said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Jannah,
i know....bcos there are so many books to choose from kan...pick this one, rasa ada better ones,unfair to the other etc. In the end, u just pick whatever u fancy..and i jez kno u read a lot.Dont feel pressured ya,do it at ur own sweet time....

Meme?? I went to wikipedia....haha!

U can call me Kak An if u were born circa late 1970s to early 80s. Later than that, I'm Makcik An to you!!

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Aha kak an u got me almost falling off my chair here! no worries rasanya masih eligible lagi utk dipanggik kak An *wink

p/s: since my trying last night up to now i've only written the 1st category, and yes i cant afford to write about just 1 book, im writing 2 so what u said is so right!

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Assalamualaikum K.An.

Always a nice writing and I'd say I love it every time I was here. Oh, I don't even remember that I'm the one given you that Grandfather Orchard. I was thinking, really! Then I remember. That was really a good time being with you, kak je and the kids. I still wish to do the same thing again but everything change now. Argh, never mind that.

p/s: I still have a few copies of Grandfather Orchard at MariBaca, anyone interested?

Elham said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Yes kak Chik...miss our Read Aloud Days...