art, Islamic Museum of Australia

Islamic Museum of Australia is open!

Raidah Shah Idil

slamicm.public_html.images.IMANewsletter.imalogonsp-659I’m thrilled to share the exciting news that the IMA (Islamic Museum of Australia) has opened its doors to the public! May this be the beginning of many, many years of inspiring artwork which builds bridges between communities.

Please click here to read the IMA Opening Press Release.

For those of you lucky enough to be living close to the IMA, the address is 15A Anderson Road, Thornbury, Victoria 3071. Opening hours are Monday to Thursday from 10am – 4pm and Friday from 10am – 9pm. For the rest of us, let’s plan to book a flight and drop in 🙂

 

 

Books, Family, Writing, young adult

My novel: Finding Jamilah & The Story of Yusuf

Raidah Shah Idil

my bookHere it is, ladies and gentlemen! In the flesh! I’m so thrilled to see my book in my Sydney family home. So exciting!

It’s been one incredible journey, and I’d like to thank everyone who’s supported me through it: my amazing family, my awesome friends, near and far, and my publisher, MyLegacy Publications, for bringing my story into print. Alhamdulilah, it’s wonderful to see my dream of being a published author come true. Truly, Allah is Most Generous.

The number one question I’ve been hearing is: “How do I buy your book?” Good question. For now, I’m planning to sell copies of my book at my book launch in Sydney. I’m currently in KL, Malaysia, and plan to be in Sydney between March 23-April 6.

Stay tuned for updates on my Sydney book launch, and I hope to see you there!

Life, Permaculture

Water cut in KL

Raidah Shah Idil

kampungUnbelievably, while living in tropical Malaysia, I’ve found myself in the middle of a water cut.

There was barely enough water from the tap for me to make wudu. And we actually have a water storage tank! I thought my water-rationing Jordan days were over.

SubhanAllah. Having uninterrupted tap water is a blessing that is so easily taken for granted, especially in countries that ordinarily have a lot of rainfall.

This news article explains the reason for the water cut, which started yesterday morning. Alas, one of the MRT construction works accidentally burst a water main. This translates to no municipal water for folks like me – 1 million residents, in total. Meanwhile, there are also water cuts in Hulu Langat because of ammonia contamination in Langat River.

Please pray for us and for others in countries with little or no access to clean water. With all this lack of rain, think of ways to harvest rainwater for yourself and your families.

Based on the weather forecast for KL, from the Malaysian Meteorological Department website, it looks like there’ll be rain on Wednesday and Thursday. InshaAllah, Ya Rabb!

Permaculture

Permaculture Design Course at Bamboo Village, Hulu Langat, Malaysia

Raidah Shah Idil

My husband and I have been attending a Permaculture Design Certification course at the serene Bamboo Village. Viewing the world through the eyes of permaculture design has been life-changing.

I have a whole new appreciation for trees, plants, soil – it’s like for the first time in 30 years, I’m starting to read the patterns in nature, and I am gobsmacked.  There is so much life teeming within plants and beneath the soil, and their degradation directly impacts on food production, economic unrest and the collapse of past civilisations. I’m only just beginning to make the connections.

In the past week, I’ve met so many incredible, hilarious and inspiring people, ranging from our instructor, Rhamis Kent, to Aunty Aini, a gardening genius and a microbiologist.

Here are some pictures of where we’ve been staying:

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Stay tuned for future more information! Check out the Permaculture Research Institute’s website for more information about all things permaculture. Excellent documentaries to watch include: “The Lessons of the Loess Plateau”, “Hope in a Changing Climate” and “Green Gold”.

Thank you, Murujan, for organising such a fantastic PDC.

education, Islam

The Concept of Education in Islam – Professor Naquib Al-Attas

Raidah Shah Idil

vintage-fountain-pen-2-1148654-mI came across an excellent book worth reading – The Concept of Education in Islam, by Professor Naquib Al-Attas.

Do read the first 19 pages, and reflect on the last paragraph – especially if you’re a parent or educator.

In the light of the foregoing definitions and explanations, the words of the Prophet, when he said: “My Lord educated me, and so made my education most excellent,” may be paraphrased in the following way: “My Lord made me to recognize and acknowledge, by what (i.e. adab) He progressively instilled into me, the proper places of things and the order of creation, such that it led to my recognition and acknowledgement of His proper place in the order of being and existence; and by virtue of this, He made my education most excellent.”
Does anyone know where I can purchase this book?
Islam, Seekers Guidance, SeekersHub Global

Register for SeekersGuidance courses!

Raidah Shah Idil

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Sign up before it’s too late! Classes begin on January 6th, and registration closes on January 20th.

Some great practical courses are (in order of potential relevance lol):

1) Islamic Marriage: Guidance For Successful Marriage and Married Life

Always a big hit, and from personal experience, everything taught is applicable. Marriage tips 101.

Lesson One: Marriage as Spiritual Act. Why Marriage is Half of Religion
Lesson Two: The Prophetic Model of Marriage
Lesson Three: Whom to Marry
Lesson Four: The Process of Getting Married
Lesson Five: Getting to Know & Engagement
Lesson Six: Wedding Preparations and Issues
Lesson Seven: Marriage Contract & Agreement
Lesson Eight: Successful Marriage: Rights & Responsibilities
Lesson Nine: Rights & Responsibilities of Husband and wife
Lesson Ten: Dealing with Disputes: Why Disputes Happen in Marriage
Lesson Eleven: How to Resolve Disputes and Repair Relations
Lesson Twelve: Closing Counsels on Successfully Getting Married

2) Islamic Parenting: Raising Upright Children

Having kids – not for the faint of heart! Arm yourself with the necessary information.

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Course
Lesson 2: Introduction to Text
Lesson 3: Raising Young Children
Lesson 4: Reaching Adolescence
Lesson 5: Teaching the Qur`an & Other Lessons
Lesson 6: Protecting Children from Negative Influences
Lesson 7: Social Manners
Lesson 8: Disciplining of Children
Lesson 9: The Fruits of Proper Upbringing
Lesson 10: The Dangers of Neglectful Parenting
Lesson 11: Key Contemporary Issues
Lesson 12: Conclusion of Islamic Parenting

3) The Rights Of Parents

Very handy for tricky situations with parents and in-laws. Sacred knowledge is the ultimate antidote for culturally-inflicted headaches.

Lesson 1: Introduction to the text and Birr al Walidayn (Rights of Parents)
Lesson 2: Birr in speech
Lesson 3: Birr in the body
Lesson 4: Financial support and conflicting orders
Lesson 5: Birr and the rules of Marriage
Lesson 6: Birr after the death of Parents and Birr of grandparents
Lesson 7: Disrespect of Parents (uquq)
Lesson 8: Uquq continued
Lesson 9: Uquq continued
Lesson 10: Rules related to Uquq and Hadith stories about Uquq
Lesson 11: The High Station of the Mother and Birr with extended family
Lesson 12: The Rights of Children

Fantasy, Movies, travel

Movie Review: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Raidah Shah Idil

picBen Stiller, I am impressed. I was expecting another Zoolander, and believe me, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is in a league of its own.

By the end of the movie, I was grinning and wanted to hop on a plane to – anywhere!

This movie speaks to the daydreamer in all of us. If you’re looking for a feel-good movie where the underdog goes on whirlwind trip and comes back a hero – the likeable kind – then this the movie for you. You’ll be cheering Walter on from start to finish.

It’s refreshing to watch a movie which doesn’t end on a cliffhanger and keeps us in suspense until the next installment comes out. *ahem The Hobbit and The Hunger Games* Ah, the satisfaction that comes with watching a movie that starts and ends in one sitting lol.

In addition to the fantastic narrative threaded throughout the film, the cinematography was exquisite. Without giving too much away, Walter comes across some spectacular vistas. There really is so much out there to see.

It was also really cool to see elements of video game design weaved into the movie e.g. check out the way the opening credits were introduced. I’m not sure what that technique is called, but I hope to see more if it. Very L.A. Noir. Plus, the lead antagonist of the movie, the very unlikeable Ted Hendricks, (played by Adam Scott) looked exactly like Adam Jensen from Deus Ex: Human Revolution! All he needed were a pair of sunglasses and, um, a lot of cybernetic implants. My worlds are colliding!

In conclusion: 9/10. Watch it!

PS: Deus Ex is being turned into a MOVIE!

Gaming, Writing

How narratives can help or hurt your game

Raidah Shah Idil

Check out this cool article – When tales wag the dog: How narrative can help or hurt your game.

I used to think that a strong storyline was critical for most video games. Turns out Tetris and Candy Crush don’t quite need a storyline, but games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age definitely do!

This made me chuckle:

Out of character. The story theme and characters must align thematically with the gameplay. Lara Croft is a good fit as a personality for the kind of tasks she tackles in a game. The Prince from Katamari Damacy, charming as he can be, would not be a good tomb raider. The humor of Guybrush Threepwood works great in Monkey Island, but would be a touch out of place in Silent Hill.

Does anyone remember Guybrush Threepwood? Ha, fond memories.

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Click this link for my dream job lol. Until then, I’ll be reading How Do I Become A Writer For Video Games?

Life

Good Morning, Malaysia!

Raidah Shah Idil

skyscraper-2-1355123-mI can’t believe it!

My husband I touched down on Malaysian soil on Saturday night. It feels so surreal to know that this time, I won’t be flying back to my home in Sydney. Goodbye Sydney, hello Kuala Lumpur!

I’m really glad that the weather is mercifully cool thanks to the rain. It actually helps to migrate to a tropical country during the summer months, instead of the winter.

I already miss the familiarity of home, and I really miss my family and friends. As I write this, I’m looking forward to their regular visits and will bribe them with offers of tasty food and super cheap pamper packages *ahem*

Here’s to a smooth transition to the next chapter of my life.

Disclaimer: TOO MUCH GOOD FOOOOD!