Al- 'Alim

Afif Razizul'iman

Raidhatul Afifah

These two pictures represent my tuition brother and sister. They're well behave and respect the elders, bravo to the mother who had tought them well when they're kids.;) Aren't they the cutest thing on earth??? (well, second cutest, the first one is my Putih).

Anyway, they're twins. Whenever I see twins, they'll always remind me of my mother. First, because my mom has a twin brother that looks exactly like her (duh!) and whenever my uncle is sad and sick, she'll somehow feel the pain too! Spooky right?.

Secondly, my mom once had a miscarriage of twins (two girls). Yes, Allah love my sisters so much that they 'went' first before we even had a chance to see them.='(  After my brother was born, doctor had decided that my mom had a very weak uterus and one of the ovaries had to be taken out from her. I think it was an ovarian teratoma or something, I am not quite sure until now. After my brother, my mother had been adviced not to give birth anymore. As sad as it sound, I believe that she is grateful to have us in her life.=)

It is still fresh in my mind, that particular night, I was awake at 12.30am to hear my mom's crying with blood on the sofa. My dad had just finished reciting Al-Quran (he always did that when I was little, everynight until I fell asleep) when the incident happened. I swear it was the scariest night, and I was traumatized for few months. Imagine how it had impacted my mother. My dad had to be strong for my mother. He was with us all along the way, giving support and lending his shoulder for my mom to cry on. Until another 'star' came into our lives 4 years after that, my one and only brother.=)

Allah The Knowledgeable; the One for Whom nothing is hidden from His Knowledge (Al-'Alim)

I honestly believe that people and their Iman can be improved, depending on the environment. In my case it is with whom I am mingling with in my daily lives. Those who are good, will give good impact to me..and those who are not, will bring this bad influence to me, which I am quite scared of. But Alhamdulillah, in my 24 years of life, I have met a lot of friends that had helped me spiritualy. And of course, there are times when I started to go far away from Him, without me realising it, that is when Allah helps me to discover friends that are again, can help and guide me back to the route that I should be on. People coming and going from our life, unexpectedly but the values stays deep within our hearts.

I also believe that our soul and body belongs to Allah, when the time comes, the body and soul will go back to Him. The sooner, the better. There will be times when we have to loose someone we love so much,it will be hard for some of us. Nothing is hidden from His knowledge. You will not be expecting also, another special one coming into your life.=)

This post is dedicated to a dear colleague, who had just lost her baby 2 months ago... I have been thinking of doing this post quite a while since the incident happened..I am not yet a mother, but as a woman, I am also sad for you.

Akak, "adanya kita di sini kerana ada yang telah pergi. Allah Maha Mengetahui"

Al-fatihah.

Syariah Money - The Local Dinars (credit to Dr Ahamed Kameel Mydin Meera)

Wanie: "Jom shopping"

Bestie: "Nope. Aku nak beli dinar bulan ni"

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This is among the conversations I always have with my best friend who's in Penang, that apparently introduces me to gold investment. I heard about it quite a while before decided to start this thing. Thanks to the founder of Inspirasiemas.com, also currently a close friend of mine, who has been very supportive and inspiring in guiding me through this journey of gold investment. Yes, I am still crawling.

In my humble opinion, while we are still young, (hehe.24 is not young anymore) it is wise to start keeping what you called assets that would definitely help you to survive in this evolving world. And I also believe, it is also crucial for us, women to have our own separated physical assets, may it be house, car or even gold. Looking at the family institutions in this century, we may not know what is heading in front of us. Although men are the breadwinners but women also need to be seen as independent. =) I am so grateful that we are in Malaysia, a country with a stable politic and economic growth but do not be too secured because we have heard a lot of nuisances from other countries nowadays on their downturns of economics and etc.

Anyway, while I was reading The Edge Malaysia (a weekly economic paper), I have come across an article about our local dinars, which is currently popular nowadays. Also, based on the seminar that I have attended yesterday, I’d like to briefly share what I have learnt.

Do Understand the Basic Concept

I was quite shocked when our Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Awang Adek Hussin highlighted that gold dinar is not and will not be a legal tender in Malaysia. He challenged Kelantan government to prove that monetary system based on the gold dinar could work. But we have to admit, in reality, with the present laws in our country, the gold dinar as money in Kelantan is unlikely to succeed. Why? Do bear with me reading this article further. =)

Ahamed Kameel Mydin clarified that gold dinar and silver dirhams are understood as syariah money, although in origin they’re not from muslim countries. Their origin was to Persian gold denarius and Persian silver drachma in Rome. Our Prophet Muhammad accepted the two coins as a monetary standard for Islamic trade, business and financial transactions. It is formed in basis for syariah laws in business transactions (muamalat), capital punishments (hudud), marriage dowry (mahar) as well as the compulsory religious alms (zakat).

The first Islamic gold dinars were issued by Abd Al-Malek Marwan, where he changed the Roman inscription on the coin with those based on Quranic verses. What I adore about Abd Al-Malek Marwan is that he had managed to cause this Islamic coins to circulate wider until they could even replaced the dominant Roman coin in Christian Europe. How did he manage to do that? He minted the coins in a large quantities, imposed a strict quality control, and severe punishment for any kind of tampering of the coins. Plus, at that time, there was a freedom of choice. There wasn’t any legal tender law. Ahamed Kameel believes that when there is a freedom of choice, good money would drive out bad money.

Freedom of Choice

Thus, we can see that with the legal tender law in place, bad money (RM) would drive out good money (dinar & dirham) in circulation. This is what we called as the Gresham’s Law. Bank Negara can’t do anything because it knows with legal tender law; gold will not be circulated in as money. So how could Datuk Awang Adek Hussin challenged Kelantan in such a way when dinar and dirham are obviously can’t be circulated as money?

But Perak government was clever enough to first issue these coins as investment products instead of alternative money. Other than that, these Islamic coins can be used as Mahar, presents, medals, awards and so on. Perak knows that it can’t break any federal laws. ;) The gold dinar project is expected to boost Perak’s and later Malaysia's economy in the long run.

The Powerful Gold

There was this one time where gold can only be traded with US Dollar. It was 1/35 oz of gold per dollar. Other currencies were not required to be backed by gold, like the dollar was. Why? It was because America needed to keep their exchange rates within the US dollar stable.

Among other justifications that I could conclude are:

1. Current global monetary and economic crisis that are continuing nowadays have make people begun to realize that gold and silver are safe havens for their savings.

2. The price of silver and gold are expected to rise further, making it an excellent investment choice.

3. Hyperinflation is expecting to come in the current global economic scenario, nothing other than silver and dinar than can protect us from inflation.

4. Increasing of the vulnerability of the US dollar, political chaos in the Middle East, ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan and global climatic change are all putting severe stress on the global monetary and economic condition. Gold and silver will continue to make strides.

Government’s Initiative

Let’s just pray that our current government, together with Bank Negara would make some sort of enforcement to parallel gold-based monetary system, like what our beloved Tun Mahathir also agreed of. Looking at the unstable global economy nowadays, we need to get ourselves prepared. Bear in mind, it is not about the inscriptions on the coins that matter, but the gold content of the coins. Believe it or not, we have a lot of our Chinese friends who have also started to invest on these silver and dinar coins, and unimaginably, in terms of gold investment as a whole, they’re the leading investors Malaysia, especially in silver.

Well, I have a lot to write, but I don’t want to bore people of this blog with so many details on gold and silver. Haha. I am currently working on a page where I will share everything that I know, have read and have learnt about gold and silver from every reliable sources that I could get. The blog, InshaAllah will be in Malay writing as I only want to keep wanie-theinsider as my personal place to share random thoughts, as well as to improve and brush up my English. =)

What Took You So Long, Dear?



I had an awesome day last Sunday with my housemates Shasha and Ja. Guess what, for the first time in my entire life, I went to the PWTC book fair. =p

Ja was fully utilising her time while waiting for us

Shasha was patiently waiting for the drawing to finish

I didn’t spend much, I only bought few exercise books for my tuition class and a ‘Solusi’ magazine edition 31 (RM1 cheaper than the normal price). And then Shasha and I went to this booth where there were 2 cartoonists offering their services to draw pictures of yourself. Hehe. So we waited there for almost 1 hour for our turns. Tired we were, but it was worth the waiting. =)

Enough about the book fair story, in today’s post I’d like to share an article in this month’s ‘Solusi’ magazine. It is written by Dato’ Dr Hj Mohd Fadzillah Kamsah. But first, I’d like to start off with a situation:

The perfect Aminah

Aminah is a very beautiful girl. Her voice could make all guys melt. Her body figure is everyman’s dream. She has a very good people skill that can influence everyone she meets. With her capability of managing her emotional and physical constraints, she is somewhat a typical ‘dream girl’ for almost everyman in this world.

Aminah has been in few love relationships but none of them worked out. She started to wonder, is she not beautiful enough to win a guy’s heart? Is she not having the quality of being a wife to someone? Why do the relationships she had never last?

What Aminah hasn’t realize all this while is, for her to be in a long lasting relationship (that brings to marriage, of course) is not just based on what the heart says. It is not as easy as just to grab any other guys that she met or that she has known for just less than 24 hours to be her lover.

The perfect Aminah never realize that it takes effort to find a guy that at least 60% aligns with her needs and interests. It takes hard work to figure out whether a guy really at least 50% understands her. It takes sincere prayer & ‘tawakkal’ to Allah to ‘give’ her a guy that would be strong enough to guide and prepare her for the afterlife.

Do Not Define It As Being Choosy Or Picky.

Well, for guys who are reading this, please do not get me wrong. I am just creating an ideal situation. It may also happen to a guy who hasn’t yet found the ONE to be with him for the rest of his life. Of course this rarely happens in daily lives. A perfect girl like Aminah can only be found in novels, I presume. But like I have said before, let’s think of an ideal perfect girl like Aminah. =)

Dato’ Dr thinks that there are few steps that we may want to do after we’re certain of our set of requirements that we’ve made. Of course, this does not only apply to those who think that they’re my ‘imiginary Aminah’, it applies to all, no matter what your gender is, how you look like and etc.

So here you go:

1. Pray fervently and exert accurately

It is Allah who decides who our mates are, but we have the right to make an effort to find one, with the permitted shari’a. Although we have prayed hard, it is still not granted, do not give up, as Prophet Muhammad once said: “Indeed a person’s prayer will not be spared from 3 things: the sins are forgiven, the prayer is granted in accordance with the request, and sometimes the prayer is not being not granted but being delayed instead”

2. Observe the people around you

Everyone will have mates that Allah has promised. Believe it or not, she or he might be the one who is actually close to you. Who has known you for years maybe? =)

3. Do not easily give up

Those who despair of finding a mate will start to make out many impressions. It could bad or good. Whatever it is, never stop having faith in Allah.

4. Fill the heart with particular prayers

Here Dato’ Dr has stressed that prayers can become bulwarks to the heart. Either it is ‘Istikharah’ or other normal prayers that we do, let us do it properly, and not just for the reason of we’re forced to do it.

5. Love all the people around you

A loving person will have the power to attract other people to love him. Love as in love towards our own brothers & sisters in Islam are something that we need to practice in our daily lives. Do not focus in finding the mate here, but let’s hope that at least we are portraying what Islam wants us to portray..=)

6. Purify the heart

Do not let resentment and jealousy conquer your heart. Everything happens for reasons; things that are beyond us as a human being to foresee.

7. Always ready to meet your ‘mate’ at any time

Dress well everywhere you go. Possess good mannerism in everything you do. Always put trust in Allah.

8. Try to be the features of what a man and a woman would dream of

Improve all the weaknesses and try to be grateful and consistent with what that have been conferred by Allah.

So this is what I can summarize based on my understandings. If you want to know more, go and buy you a copy of ‘Solusi’. You won’t regret. =)

“O Causer of the Causes; O He who opens the doors (to opportunities); O’ He who gives an answer to the call from wherever (He is called).” Ameen.

What Does the word 'Perfect' Actually Means?

*I salute Steve Jobs*

There was a fat, short girl once said "I am not beautiful. No guy in his right mind would want to date me or even look at me."

Okay. Maybe this is a bad intro for today's post. I'll try with this one:

There was a pretty, fair lady once came to me and said "I'm driving a Prius now. I earn 6 figures per month. I took music class; I do spa and saloon every week and have travelled almost all around the world. All guys would kneeled at me and beg to marry me. Oh yes, have I told you that I am only 28 years old?"

The Perfect Is The Enemy Of The Good.

I am a very observant girl. I can see flaws from others very quickly, and their perfections as well. But luckily I am not a judgmental person. Maybe that’s why I am not bothered with people with bad a taste of fashion, their childish way of thinking and even the way they control their emotions. No, I am not bothered with you, as long as you’re not affecting me. Full stop.

There is this one girl in my office, a consultant from Australia (well she’s actually a Malaysian) who seems to be very effective in delivering her work in a timely manner. She leads the Change Management team in my department where its basis of work is making sure all engagements within the stakeholders are happening smoothly and ensuring our intention of transforming the institution for the better is well delivered. She’s very active and is always a positive thinker. I asked her one day “Hey, do you mind if I ask, how you actually manage the people you meet every day, with different characters and needs? I can see that you’re always smiling and can handle pressure very well.”

“Well, everyone is not perfect.” she smiled and me. “You’ll learn and get more matured as you grow. But with one condition: take failures as something good and eager to improve from the mistakes you’ve done. Hunger for knowledge, thirst for new things.”

As cliché as it sounded, I have to agree with her. Everyone is facing their own challenges. But as time goes by, we grow to be more matured that we have never been before.

I read an article on how to control perfectionism and here are the simple steps that I have summarized based on my understanding:

1. Forgive yourself for your short comings: If you can’t deliver as people expected you to, don’t blame yourself too much. Keep telling yourself that it’s okay; there is still room for improvement.

2. Focus on what is really needed: It there really a need to spend thousands of RM to do plastic surgery just to get your dream guy’s attention? Is there really a need to be so perfect that you need to miss your timeline? Wise people will not think perfect, they think smart.

3. Results VS Judgments: Don’t let others judgments affect your results. Study to learn, not just getting perfect score, exercises for health, not just to lose weight. A perfectionist always concern with others who perceive imperfection. That is bad.

Being Imperfect is Okay. It Is Sometimes A Beauty.

A rough, ugly oyster has a pearl inside it. An old mango can be a seed when it falls on the ground. A heavy rain gives lives to crops.

A perfect thing for you, may not be perfect for me. It carries different definitions to different people. So does the definition matters anymore?

Dear friends, find the beauty of the imperfections in you. =’)