Sunday, June 20, 2010

Winter Break

  • Alhamdulillah, peperiksaan semester 1 2010 telah tamat pada Jumaat yang lepas. Dengan itu, bermulalah cuti musim sejuk untuk Massey University selama 3 minggu.
  • Ini memberi peluang untuk meluangkan masa dengan hobi saya iaitu fotografi.
  • Semalam, saya telah keluar ke bandar dengan mengayuh basikal sambil membawa D90 saya untuk mengambil gambar-gambar HDR. Kali ini agak berbeza kerana buat pertama kalinya saya menangkap gambar dalam format RAW. Saya agak kurang gemar dengan format ini kerana saiznya yang besar dan cara pemprosesan dan editing nya agak rumit sedikit berbanding dengan format JPEG yang lebih mudah diproses.
  • Tetapi, setelah menggunakan sendiri RAW, saya berasa sangat puas hati dengan hasil yang diperolehi.
  • Daripada aktiviti semalam, saya dapat buat kesimpulan bahawa untuk mendapatkan gambar HDR yang baik, beberapa perkara perlu diambil kira seperti:
- Subjek dan lanskap perlulah mempunyai contrast yang tinggi.
-ISO kamera direndahkan sebanyak mungkin untuk mengurangkan noise.
-Bukaan cahaya (aperture) juga perlu dikurangkan untuk meningkatkan
"depth of field".
- Setelah diproses dengan software "photomatix", hasilnya disimpan dalam
format "16-bit TIFF" untuk retouch dengan photoshop CS4.
  • Berikut adalah contoh gambar HDR yang saya perolehi hasil dari outing semalam.
How beautiful the day ends in New Zealand
Padang tempat lembu meragut di depan kampus

Manawatu River during sunset
Matahari terbenam di Sungai Manawatu (pukul 4petang)

Summerhill Drive
Summerhill Drive, tempat orang2 kaya.

  • Cuti musim sejuk ini, saya akan ke Wellington untuk menghadiri program Jalinan Ukhuwwah New Zealand (JUNZ).

Friday, June 18, 2010

World Cup vs Gaza

  • World Cup just started last week.
  • I don't watch it because I dont have much time and it is coincidence with the exam's week in Massey. Even the last paper finished yesterday, I didnt go for watching it since I got no interest in soccer anymore.
  • And its almost three weeks after the Flotilla issue in Gaza. That time, we can see most of us did really concerned about what's happening. Like in facebook, we change our profile pictures to Palestinian flag or any images related to what's happened in Palestine nowadays. Protests being held on the streets across the world.
  • But, in recent two or three days, the blazing fire and outrage towards the cruelty of the Israeli towards the Palestinian people and those who are coming to aid have been quelled by the World Cup fever. We are willing to stay up till the morning for the match rather than doing salah and dua' for our brothers who are being opressed in Palestine. Not to mention those who missed their fajr prayer because they go to sleep quite late.
  • Humans forget too easily. Maybe that's why we called as "insan". Where's our istiqamah then?

Monday, June 14, 2010

Obligations to Help the Palestinian People

Friday khutbah on June 11st, delivered by brother Nadly at Islamic Centre, Massey University.

First Khutbah

My dear brothers and sisters,

Let us be Muslims who are conscious of Allah s.w.t. through taqwa. Perform all His commands. Refrain from all His prohibitions. Know that Allah s.w.t. The Most Just, will not command anything, unless it benefits us, and He will not prohibit something unless it is harmful to us. Do not be unjust to ourselves by transgressing His limits. Allah s.w.t. says in surah At-Talaq verse 1:

Which means: “..and whoever goes beyond the limits of Allah, he indeed does injustice to his own soul.”

My dear brothers and sisters,

Behind the excitement of football fans waiting for the World Cup 2010 opening match between South Africa and Mexico this June 11, the world is rocked with the cruel and inhumane act of the Zionist regime in attacking an aid ship to Gaza, Palestine.

Like an ant and an elephant, almost 700 volunteers of the Life Line For Gaza (LL4G) were attacked by the Zionist commandos who raided the ship in international waters, before herding them to Israel to be charges on offences which are still uncertain.

This is the fact which anyone who attempts to threaten the illegal occupation of the Jews in Palestine, an endowment land which belongs to the Muslims . Any efforts made to impose international sanctions on their insolent acts is like barking at a hill if it does not involve the super powers, like the United States of America which is a strong ally of Israel.

In fact, the action of the big powers in promoting justice, democracy and human rights is also criticized for keeping mum over the Israel atrocities.

Apart from that, the action by some Muslim countries which have diplomatic relations with the Zionist regime is also regretted with the Muslim brothers in Palestine continuously deprived of their rights to get international recognition. As a result, they continue to be victimized and prisoned in their own land.

What befell the humanitarian mission which was carrying food and medical supplies to Gaza is a continuation of the series of the endless Zionist cruelties . The world should not forget the Sabra and Shatila massacre in 1982 which claimed the lives of between 3,000 and 3,500 people., including the innocent children and women.

However, until today, not a single person who is responsible for the incident has been brought to justice and later, Ariel Sharon , the person directly involved with the massacre, was appointed the Prime Minister of Israel.

Likewise, the action of the Israeli intelligence agent, Mossad, who planned the killing of Hamas leader in Dubai.

Despite their involvement in forging the travel documents of several countries, no Jewish terrorists has so far been brought to justice for the death of al-Syahid Mahmoud al-Mabhuh who was found dead in his hotel room in Dubai last Jan 20.

The world is reminded not to forget that Israel is willing to do anything to achieve its ambition of creating the Great Israel, even with the destruction of the al-Aqsa Mosque, a transit place for Prophet Muhammad pbuh during his ascension to the heavens in the Isra’ and Mikraj. For that purpose too, some people were made as donkeys.

The action by the volunteers in sacrificing the lives, their willingness to help the Palestine people is a noble act and should be emulated and supported and accompanied by prayers that Allah SWT will protect them. For humanitarian sake, they are prepared to leave their families and the country, despite being aware of the risks and dangers facing them.

This is in tandem with verse 60 of the Surah al-Anfal which means :

“And make ready against them all you can of power. Muster against them all the men and cavalry at your disposal so that you may stroke terror into the enemies of Allahyou’re your enemy, and others besides them whom you do not know, but Allah does. All that you give for the cause of Allah shall be repaid you and you shall not be wronged”.

As such, it is hoped that Muslims will not be too engrossed with the World cup final match in South Africa on June 11 that they forget about their brothers.

Muslims are also reminded not to neglect their responsibilities and religious obligations because of watching television. They should also no indulge in gambling by betting for the winning teams .

Muslims are urged to do whatever they could to assist their Muslim brothers. If there are , among the volunteers of the Life Line For Gaza who are willing to set aside their religious matters and beliefs to help the Palestinians, why not the whole Muslim world unite and fight against the arrogance of the Zionist in Palestine.

Barakallah walakum fil Quranil Azim.

Second Khutbah

What is happening to the Palestinian people represents the worst type of oppression, transgression and tyranny that could happen to any nation. The shocking thing though, is that the oppressor is succeeding in covering up his crimes behind the veil of ‘self-defence’ and ‘the protection of culture’. His tyranny manifests itself in the form of seizing people’s properties and attacking the sacred places; Al-Aqsaa; the first Qiblah, the second Masjid ever built and the third in rank of virtue after the two Harams of Makkah and Madinah. People’s blood on this blessed land is being spilt, people are being murdered and their bodies mutilated.

On top of this, there is a siege around the cities and villages, the intensity of which has even astonished some of the enemies of Islam. Furthermore, the demolishing of various institutions has taken place in order to destroy the infrastructure, which results in the dissolving of the Palestinian identity. All of this happens while the international community and human rights organizations are looking on and Muslims are in shameful silence.

Brothers and sisters! Palestine is a land of faith and that is why the Muslims must guard it. Muslims must always remember that in reality, this is a battle between belief and disbelief, as in the Hadeeth narrated by Maymoonah Bint Sa’d when she asked the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam about Jerusalem, he said: “It is the land where mankind will be resurrected and gathered together, seek Salaah in it (i.e. Masjid Al-Aqsaa) because each Salaah in it counts as one thousand Salaah in other Masjids” she asked : ‘What if one cannot reach it, or finds difficulty reaching it?’ he replied, “Let them send oil to be used in its lanterns as a gift, because the one who sends a gift to it is just like one who prayed in it in another narration he said, “One Salaah in it equals five hundred Salaah elsewhere” (Ahmad & Ibn Maajah. Al- Albaani ruled that this is a weak Hadeeth)

Indeed the issue of Palestine is a vital one for all Muslims. It is their duty to shoulder the responsibility of this historical and doctrinal Islamic matter. Muslims will be questioned about all their deeds and the issues that they were faced with in general - and the issue of Palestine in particular. It is a great trust and is an inseparable part of the Muslim land which none has the right to surrender – not even the tiniest portion of it. Muslims are obliged to defend it with all their power. They must regard defending it and its people an incumbent Islamic obligation. Every Muslim will be questioned about his efforts and role regarding this on the Day of Judgment, the day when neither wealth nor children will avail, when only he who comes with a sound and clean heart will be successful.

Victory is for the believers, victory is for Islaam; Palestine and Al-Aqsaa will be recaptured only when the Ummah stops abandoning their clear obligations, when they finally accept what was dictated by the divine law that all of Palestine belongs to the Muslims. Palestine will continue to be the land of Jihaad - a blessed land. Angels will spread their wings over it; the blessed blood of martyrs will always be spilt on it; The Muslim Ummah will conquer it when Allaah grants victory for His pious slaves; victory will come when Muslims become truthful and sincere to Allaah, rely only on Him fully and supplicate to Him. It will come when we abandon what some people are uttering, that: ‘The only way to salvation is to beg the USA’. Allaah says in Surah As-Saff verse 13:

“And (you will obtain) another (favour) that you love – victory from Allaah and an imminent conquest; and give good tidings to the believers.” (As-Saff: 13).

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

London Bridge Is Falling Down.

I came across a facebook status of one of my school's junior. He with his another 29 mates will be going on what they call, "internationalisation" program which is held annually to various countries around the world. And this time, they're going to London, UK.

Well, nothing of it that caught my interest, until this comment on that status:

"
erm. total campur mkn minum+tmpt tido+nak lawat tempat=7k la
" .

7K? Rupiah? I don't think so. It must be Ringgit Malaysia. Such quite heaps of money for a school trip, right?


~I leave the rest for you guys to ponder~