Do You Know Who is Khawlah Al-Azwar??

In the name of Allah, the most gracious and most merciful...Today's entry is about one of the Great Women in Islam. Her name is Khawlah al-Azwar. She is one of my hero actually. I admire her a lot and I wish I could be like her. Here is the details about this great lady.

Khawlah Bint Al-Azwar

Khawlah was the daughter of one of the chiefs of Bani Asad tribe, and her family embraced Islam in its early days. Her father's name is either Malik or Tariq Bin Aws. Al-Azwar was his nickname. Her brother, Dirar, was the knight and poet of his tribe, and was well known for his wisdom. His love for his sister and confidence in her capabilities were legendary. In fact, the brother and sister were so attached to each other that she was his companion wherever he went. He trained her on all arts of swordsmanship and she became also a perfect knight. Besides that, Khawlah mastered the noble art of poetry. She was a brunette, tall, slim and of great beauty. Her name remained greatly unknown, until the battle of Ajnadin, not far from Jerusalem, where Drear lost his spear, fell from his horse, and was taken prisoner. She donned a male knight's attire, took her arms and rode her mare through the Roman ranks, using her sword skillfully against whoever tried to stop her. The Muslim soldiers, and their leader Khalid, watched her with great admiration, presuming that she was a man. The Arab Historian, Al Waqidi, narrates in his book "The conquering of Al Sham (Greater Syria)" "In a battle that took place in Bayt Lahyah near Ajnadin, Khalid watched a knight, in black attire, with a large green shawl wrapped around his waist and covering his chest. That knight broke through the Roman ranks as an arrow. Wondering about the identity of the unknown Knight Khalid and the others followed him and joined battle, Rafe' Bin Umayrah Al-Ta'if was one of the fighters. He described how that knight scattered the enemy ranks, disappearing in their midst, to reappear after a while with blood dripping from his spear. He swerved again and repeated the deed fearlessly, several times. All the Moslem army was worried about him and praying for his safety. Rafe' and others thought that he was Khalid, who won great fame for his bravery and genius military plans. But suddenly Khalid appeared with a number of knights. Rafe' asked the leader: "Who is that knight? By God, he has no regard for his safety!"

Khalid answered that he didn't know the man, though he greatly admired his courage. They were fascinated as they watched the knight appear with a number of Roman knights chasing him. Then he would turn around and kill the nearest before resuming his attacks. The Romans eventually lost the battle and fled, leaving many dead and wounded in the battlefield. Khalid looked for the knight till he found him. By then he was covered in blood. He praised his bravery and asked him to remove his veil. But the knight did not answer, and tried to break away. The soldiers wouldn't let him do that. And everyone asked him to reveal his identity.

When the knight found that there was no way to avoid that, he replied in a feminine voice: "My prince, I did not answer because I am shy. You are a great leader, and I am only a woman whose heart is burning." "Who are you?" Khalid insisted. "I am Khawlah Bint Al-Azwar. I was with the women accompanying the army, and when I learnt that the enemy captured my brother, which lead me to do what I had to do." Khalid ordered his army to chase the fleeing Roman Army, with Khawlah leading the attack, looking in all directions for her brother, but in vain. By noontime, the victory was decisive. Most of the Roman soldiers were killed. Knowing that the prisoners had to be somewhere, Khalid sent Khawlah with a number of knights to find them. After a hot chase, they managed to catch up with a Roman detachment that was taking the prisoners to their headquarters. Another fight took place, the Roman guards were all killed and the prisoners saved. In another battle in Ajnadin, Khawlah's spear broke, and her mare was killed, and she found herself a prisoner. But she was astonished to find that the Romans attacked the women camp and captured several of them. Their leader gave the prisoners to his commanders, and order Khawlah to be moved into his tent. She was furious, and decided that to die is more honorable than living in disgrace. She stood among the other women, and called them to fight for their freedom and honour or die. The others were enthusiastic to her plan. They took the tents' poles and pegs and attacked the Roman guards, keeping a formation of a tight circle, as she had instructed them. Khawlah led the attack, killed the first guard with her pole, with the other women following her. According to Al Waqidi, they managed to kill 30 Roman knights, while Khawlah was encouraging them with her verses, which in fact caused the enemy's blood to boil. The Roman Leader was infuriated by what happened, and led a detachment of his knights against the women, though he tried first to tempt them with many promises. He told Khawlah that he planned to marry her and make her the first lady of Damascus. But she answered him calmly and with great contempt: "I wouldn't even accept you to be the shepherd of my camels! How do you expect me to degrade myself and live with you? I swear that I'll be the one to cut off your head for your insolence." In the ensuing battle, the ladies proved their mettle, keeping their grounds for some time, encouraging each other and driving off the attackers with their long poles. Suddenly, Khalid and the army reached the battlefield. In the ensuing fight, over 3000 Romans were killed. The women who took part in the fighting were proud to say that Khawlah killed five knights, including the leader that insulted her.

In another battle, the Muslims were overwhelmed by a much bigger Roman army. Many soldiers fled away, but not for long. Khawlah and the other women met the fleeing soldiers, questioning their claims of bravery and forced them to return to the battle. The men were stunned when they saw Khawlah drawing her sword and leading a counter-attack. They turned their horses and joined the battle, which was eventually won.

One of the knights present that day said: "Our women were much harsher with us than the Romans. We felt that going back to fight and die was much easier than facing the fury of our women later on". Khawlah became a legend during her life and remains a legend till this day. She set an example to men and women alike that one should fight for what he or she believes in, and never accept defeat. Source: "Great Women of Islam" - by Dar-us-Salam Publications

Wasiat Buat Sang Puteri...

Kepada bakal2 pengantin dan diri sendiri, wasiat ini boleh dijadikan panduan dalam melayari alam baru yg bergelar alam rumah tangga. Semoga alam baru yang akan ditempuhi lebih indah dan kekal hingga ke syurga....Wasiat Ummu Umamah ketika mempersiapkan puterinya yang akan bernikah. .

'Kata Ummu Umamah,"Wahai puteriku, sungguh wasiat itu seandainya boleh engkau tinggalkan dirimu sehingga meenjadikan keutamaan dalam akhlak dan kemuliaan dlm keturunan, maka aku tinggalkan hal itu dalam dirimu. Namun ia merupakan pengingat bg yg lalai dan pengetahuan bg yang berakal...

"Puteriku, seandainya ada perempuan yang tidak berasa perlu kpd suami kerana kerana kekayaan ayahnya dan dia hanya memerlukan ayahnya, maka engkau adalah orang yang paling tidak perlu suami. Cuma,perempuan itu diciptakan utk lelaki, sepertimana untuk perempuan, lelaki diciptakan".

"Puteriku, sebentar lagi engkau akan berpisah dari rumah ibubapamu dan akan bertemu dengan org yg belum engkau kenal yg akan memiliki dirimu. Jadilah hamba sahaya untuknya, dan nescaya dia akan menjadi hamba untukmu".

"Wahai puteriku, peliharalah sepuluh wasiat ini,nescaya ia akan menjadi pengingat untukmu..... "Pertama dan Kedua, temanilah dia dgn sikap qana'ah (cukup) dan bergaullah dgn sikap mendengar dan taat. Pada qana'ah terdapat ketenangan hati, sedangakan pada sikap mendengar dan taat terdapat keredhaan Allah

"Ketiga dan keempat, perhatikanlah dan jaga deria hidu dan pengelihatan suami. Jangan sampai matanya terpandang sesuatu yg buruk pada dirimu, dan jgn sampai hidungnya terhidu sesuatu daripada tubuhmu kecuali yang harum dan wangi. Sesungguhnya celak itu paling baik, dan air mandian adalah wangian yg paling baik".

"Kelima dan keenam, perhatikanlah waktu makan dan waktu rehatnya. Sebab panasnya kelaparan boleh menghauskan, dan kurangnya tidur dapat membuat orang mudah marah".

"Ketujuh dan Kelapan, perhatikan orang2 yang disayanginya dan ahli keluarganya, serta jagalah hartanya. Kerana menjaga harta bererti menghargainya dgn baik. Sedangkan memerhatikan org2 yg disayanginya bererti mengurus dengan baik".

"Kesembilan dan Kesepuluh, janganlah engkau sebarkan rahsianya, dan janganlah engkau abaikan perintahnya. Sebab apabila engkau sebarkan rahsianya,engkau tidak boleh menjamin pengkhianatannya. Sedangkan jika engkau abaikan perintahnya engkau akan menimbulkan amarahnya"

"Kemudian puteriku...berhati-hatilah daripada bergembira ketika dia sedang bersedih, dan daripada sedih ketika dia sedang bergembira. Sebab yg pertama bererti tidak simpati, sedangkan yg kedua bererti merosakkan suasana. Jadilah org yg paling memuliakan dirinya lbih daripada sikap dia memuliakan dirimu. Jadilah org yg paling setuju dan sesuai dengannya, dan yg paling selesa bersama dengannya'.Ketahuilah puteriku, bahawa engkau tidak akan sampai dan dapat apa yg engkau sukai daripada dirinya, sampai engkau mengutamakan kerelaannya di atas kerelaanmu, keinginannya di atas keinginanmu, pada sesuatu yg engkau sukai dan kau benci. Allah telah memilih untukmu dan memelihara dirimu".

Lalu setelah itu, Ummu Umamah menyerahkan puteri kesayangannya kepada Ilyas bin Harris utk dinikahi. Nasihat si ibu dipatuhi dgn sempurna dan kedudukannya menjadi terhormat. Akhirnya si puteri berhasil melahirkan pemerintah yg hebat sebagai pewaris kepada Ilyas bin al-Harris.

P/s: Patuhilah wasiat ini, In sha allah, Cinta kita sampai ke syurga...

SUPERNATURAL TV SERIES...AND OUR FAITH..

SUPERNATURAL is one of the American series that I super super loved. I had watched the series since it first aired on Malaysian television channel (TV3) in 2007. And now, its in season 12 already. And, at this moment I still like to replay the series. I even watch SUPERNATURAL in the midst of examination week. Oh, what is happening to me? I simply couldn't let myself sleeping peacefully before watching the series for the zillion of times. Orang lain mesty fikir yg cerita SUPERNATURAL tu akan menyesatkan umat Islam, kerana cerita tu mempamerkan atau memaparkan watak2 yg menyentuh hal keagamaan dan kepercayaan terutamanya bagi agama Kristian dan Islam.ada ANGEL (malaikat), Lucifer (setan) bebagai. Angel pulak siap nk lawan Tuhan, boleh jatuh ke bumi la...huhu...Tapi bagi aku SUPERNATURAL cannot effect my belief system. It couldn't change what I believe, which is ISLAM. I just enjoy watching it. It makes my believe to ALLAH more stronger, firmer. I can differentiate and I did made an evaluation between the religion of truth( which is ISLAM) and Christian. Plus, I love reading about the comparisons of Christian and Islam and I reads a lots on other religions as well. Aku suka baca buku-buku pasal agama-agama yg wujud kat dunia ni. Antara buku yg aku pernah baca ialah JESUS: THE PROPHET OF ISLAM, THE JESUS YOU CAN'T IGNORE, THE ORIGIN OF MAN, SCIENCE;AL QURAN AND BIBLE, ISLAM: THE RELIGION OF TRUTH dan banyak lagi. Bible pun aku pernah baca. Tapi, bukan aku berpegang pada kitab tersebut..haya AL QURAN yg paling suci dan penuh hikmah bagi aku.. ISLAM jugak yg paling agung.. So, bila orang pandang serong kt aku bila aku cakap aku minat cerita SUPERNATURAL tu aku cakap je la "aku boleh nilai yg mana betul yg mana palsu, dan aku masih waras lagi nk percaya yg mana satu betul dan yg mana sesat"... Apa pon, SUPERNATURAL tetap aku minat. Castiel tu handsome kot..

AN AWARD TO A BOOKWORM...

Am I really a bookworm? I think yes. I enjoy reading. I am happy when I have something to read. Early in this semester I got a call from the UUM's library Corporate Department telling me that I will be awarded as the Highest Book Borrower at the library and the library would like to give something to me as the appreciation. I was very surprise. Two days later,during the launch of Pesta Buku Utara the appreciation awards is given to me and I was informed that in 2 weeks I will get RM300 as a bonus. Thanks to ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS AND MOST MERCIFUL for giving me the gift.

POSITION AND POWER

This is the most challenging semester for me as I have a loads of responsibilities and people trust. I am quite busy, and sometimes I don't even have time to tidy up my room and enjoy my reading activity. I have to catch up with the class syllabus, attend meetings, students gathering and so on. I participate in students societies and hostel activities a lot. I did that because I want to enhance my soft skill and to gain as much experience as I can. So I have what people called the added-value. I also became the executive committee, means that I hold very exclusive position in that particular body or organization. This is not about power, like I said before. Here are the list of and society that I joined. 1) Political Science Society as Executive Committee(EXCO) of Multimedia and Information. 2) International Affairs Society as High Committee Member in treasury department 3) Proton Residential Hall as the Villa Manager for building E such huge responsibilities that I have. May Allah ease everything...

ME and UUM's LIBRARY

One of my favourite place in UUM or Northern University of Malaysia is the library, Sultanah Bahiyah Library. I often go to library when I got a plenty of time and I have nothing to do. I usually borrow as much books as I can. Then, I would spend my free time at the library reading, browsing internet and doing all the assignments. My favourite spot would be at the corner of the novels section. I love that place. I would say that the library is the place I seek tranquility when I'm feeling bad and stressed with the things like assignments, societies and etc.. I never thought that I could get the awards from the library as I read and borrow the books because I love to, not because I were told to do so.. I won the First Place for Highest Book Borrower Awards for year 2013 and 2014 (two consecutive years) ..They also gave me quite huge amount of money as the prize..Just my luck..Thank you Allah..Thank You Perpustakkan Sultanah Bahiyah UUM.. I love you...

THE DARK SIDE OF MINE

I have something to share with you. There's a place that I know. It's not pretty there and no one have ever gone except me; and if I show it to you now will it make you run away? Or will you stay with me..even if it hurts and even if I try to push you out will you return? That is the dark side of mine..I believe that everybody's got a dark side, so do I. Well, nobody's a picture perfect but we're worth it. We deserve a life, a happy one. When talking about the dark side of my life, I felt like crying. I hate my dark side. I tried to escape from it, till now. It's kind of hunting me. you know...Sometimes I seems to be in a war. A war within myself. A war between my lust and my sense, the rightful one. Sometimes I got tired in that battlefield. I once have been lost in my dark world, but alhamdulillah, I still have chances. HE had given me chances for me to get out of the dark. But, as a normal human being and as the creature that the Satan promised to lure and to be dragged to the hellfire, I sometimes lost the fight. And, when I realized it, it makes me feel like I don't deserved to be forgiven. I regret and I hate that. I am ashamed of myself. I too ashamed to ask for HIS forgiveness. But, my dark and empty soul need to be purified. I need to be at ease, my soul's thirst of happiness, the real one which is MAWADDAH. the absolute calm. And once I succeed the battle, it satisfied my soul. So, moral of the story, in order to be success in the fight..you have to remember HIM always, prioritize HIM in every aspects of you and IN SHA ALLAH, the success is yours. Leaving HIM only makes you and your soul AIMLESS and USELESS. Soon, it will become the lost soul. As a message to you and myself, just remember this.. HASBI RABBI JALLALLAH, MA FI QALBI GHAIRULLAH..PUT HIM FIRST BEFORE OTHERS.. Alhamdulillah, thank you ALLAH for giving me all the chances in this fragile world.

MY ULTIMATE DREAM, NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY....

I am a girl with a big ambition. Since I was a small kid, I always want to be somebody, somebody with pride and respectable. I always think big. I want to do everything that I think I can be proud of. I have a lots of ambitions and dreams. I want to be recognized as a famous fashion designer, a language expert, a Professor at prominent university, and many more. But, when I grew older I realized how silly I was. I was wrong. I only want to be a successful person, be in this world or in hereafter. I don't need to run after a Dr. or whatever title for myself. I don't need to be "crowned" for my excellence. What I need is just my-own-self appreciation and I am really happy of what I do or did. Right now, I have set up my own goal. I want to pursue my Master study at Nottingham University,United Kingdom in International Relations and Politics. I really love the university. I would die with happiness if I get the opportunity to be the alumni of that prestigious university. I felt motivated to excel in my study, as my Diplomacy lecturer Dr Kazi Fahmida Farzana told us about her experience of having a presentation on her Refugee Research at Oxford University, the most prestigious and notorious university in the world. I wanted to be like her, so that I can contribute something to others. I wanted to improve the world order.I mean, the relations among the states in this world. I

I don't care what others might think about my big dreamS. I made a promised to myself, whatever happen I wouldn't change my plan on going to that university. IN SHA ALLAH. I always pray to ALLAH, may my dreams would become reality.. I always trust in ALLAH.. HE know best.

PRAY FOR MH370 & KUN FAYAKUN...

Assalamualaikum and hello everyone... I believe that you have heard about the missing of Malaysian plane MH370 since 8th March 2014. Me as Malaysian was shocked, as its second time for us to have that kind of tragedy after more that 20 years. The plane is still missing and it was told that the plane is no where to be found, yet....But, is sha Allah...it will be discovered soon. Kun fayakun...Many of us have came up with 1001 speculations regarding the missing plane. Some of us said that it is the Malaysian government's conspiracy to cover the case of Anwar's imprisonment..what a stupid theory. Malaysian government won't do that..I totally believe that..why we would sacrifice the hundreds of innocent and precious life for the jerk and traitor like Anwar??? Others came up with thoughts that the plane has been hijacked as there are 2 passengers with stolen ID or passports..not to forget the theory that they might disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle and it is hard for them to survive... Who knows what exactly happen to them?? Who knows they would survive??? We should pray to Allah....ask HIM to give us guidance. Pray for their safety..pray for them to come back to us..to come back to their loved ones...in whatever condition....YA ALLAH, PLEASE LET THEM TO BE FOUND..... Mungkin ini masanya utk Allah menguji Malaysia, kerana kita terlalu alpa...kufur dgn segala nikmatnya..negara yg aman dan kerajaan yang sgt bagus, tp masih ada lg org yg x puas hati.... To those who really like to jump into stupid and nonsense speculations, STOP IT...JUZ PRAY FOR THEM TO RETURN TO US....I know that some of the Malaysian had put the blames on the PILOT, they blamed MAS for letting the plane to fly, they also blamed the GOVERNMENT...DOES THEY KNOW THAT WHEN ALLAH SAID "KUN FAYAKUN...THEN IT WILL HAPPEN....bear that in mind...