side effects of dying

The Fault In Our Stars.

Is a book by John Green, on the life of ill (because you could be a cancer patient, and not be ill) cancer patients.

What interested me most was the term "side-effects-of-dying". And the truth it holds. That when you know that your time is limited in this world, you do things you'd never dream of doing in times of health.
That hardships, do age you, spiritually and emotionally.

The Holy Prophet has mentioned in a Hadith:

"Clever is the one who prepares for life after death" 

Sadly, most of us always, always think that we have all the time in this world, just because we're not diagnosed with a terminal disease. :( hai manusia lemah~ hai manusia lalai~ bodohlah!
We cease to function, cease to take an active, responsible part in our lives. :(

Gosh, I feel depressed reading that. Haha. Anyway, lets try taking that in a different approach.

By looking at things as "side-effects-of-hardships" instead of the "side-effects-of-dying" :)

Someone told me that, any form of hardships (health, money, losing a loved one, failing an exam, divorce etc) are actually tools to better our iman. *Then again, nothing could compete with death*

I don't know about you, but a pattern I seem to experience is that, if I'm taking the wrong approach, Allah will test me with the same tests, until, one fine day, usually after sincerely wanting to end/pass the test, He would make me see the obvious, and tada~ one challenge over and another test comes :)

Which I find really helpful for me because I'm so experimental in some things that I would not learn unless I experience them first hand. (Like how I learnt in primary school, after an attempt at main masak-masak, that kerosene, even in small amounts, can make a bonfire out of very little amount of dry leaves. Mama if you're reading this and you found out about this for the first time, marilah kita sama-sama panjatkan kesyukuran. :) )

Anyway, concluding the first part, death/hardships serve as a reminder, for us to return to Him, to ask for His guidance. For us to remember that, He made this world a wretched place so our hearts won't be tied to it. So our hearts will desire the Hereafter, with all its perfection and beauty. And that really, do work on the akhirah, for God knows it'll do you good.

And the next part will be posted later because I'm sleepy. Haha.

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Thanks friend for recommending the book. Besides the awkward scene, the book was a fine read. :)

And thanks to a circle of friends whom I owe a lot, for they care so much about me. Would it not be for you guys welcoming me, I may very well be in a rut, destroying my very existence. Thank you for acknowledging me for who I am, thank you for recognising the good in me, and help me work on my weaknesses.

Thank You, for saving me.

Note: If ever, you have a child who is similar in nature as I am, don't leave kerosene lying around the backyard. Nor let your child watch Home Alone 2 without explaining that really, the filming was done under strict control, and all those acts could result in serious injuries if performed inexpertly.