We are in the 2nd week of “circuit breaker” in Singapore.
Although I have to work from home, I’m blessed because I still have a job that makes me excited everyday. 🙂
Alhamdulillah…I am thankful to NTUC Income for acknowledging and recognising my hard work by having my name mentioned in Straits Times.
I would like to thank my wife, Shikah Anuar for being my pillar of strength and believing in what I do.
My manager, Irene Ho for your continuous guidance to keep me focused on my goals.
I would like to thank my clients for your trust and support over the years in engaging my expertise to help you plan your finances, the shariah compliant way in Singapore.🙂
There are a lot of ups and downs. Moments where I just feel like giving up. Yet your tremendous support and encouragement continue to spur me forward.
Thank you all once again! 🙂
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Many have asked me on the story of my “overnight success”.
Being an Islamic Finance practitioner in Singapore since year 2007 is a dream come true for me.
It is my 1st job after ORD from the army.
Yet, my story began long before that.
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… My ambition when I was young was to become a school teacher. I love interacting with kids. And I love teaching, sharing my knowledge with others.
So after my O’Levels, I applied for Diploma in Teaching of Malay Language with Ministry Of Education.
I was called for an interview but unfortunately did not make the cut.
I was doing OKAY with my Malay language but I think my “peribahasa terabur” at that point of time because I was too nervous! That was my 1st interview in my entire life!:p
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So my second option, was to go for my Diploma in Accountancy.
My logic back then is that every company in Singapore needs an accountant.
To my mind at that point of time is that an accounting job is the most sheltered and safest job one can have.
The job will be irreplaceable and very secure!
So I applied for NP. I was living with my parents at Marsiling.
(My family and I celebrating Hari Raya a few years ago)
(Beautiful and spacious Marsiling before the BTO flats sprung up like mushrooms over the years)
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I thought studying in Nanyang Polytechnic – which is just next to the MRT – would be very convenient.
When I got the results of my posting., I got the shock of my life. I found out that NP stands for Ngee Ann Polytechnic!
and not Nanyang Polytechnic!
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There is hikmah to be rejected for my interview to be trained as a school teacher
and hikmah for me to accidentally choose to study in Ngee Ann Polytechnic,
because that choice CHANGED the course of my entire life!
In Ngee Ann Polytechnic was where I was exposed and trained to love and understand numbers.
Not numbers without meaning. 🙁 Practical numbers that will determine the life of a business. 🙂
Will the business succeed? 🙂 Or the business fail? 🙁
Can the stock make money? 🙂 Or the stock lose money? 🙁
We learnt how to create company’s annual report.
Trading, Profit and Loss Statement
Balance Sheet.
Statement in Changes of Equities
ALL FROM SCRATCH!
We computed Financial Ratios.
Analysed them. Interpreted them.
And presented them in front of our “clients’. Alhamdulillah. That was my first exposure to public speaking
and someway, somewhat, somehow, I enjoyed it…. 🙂
(My first experience presenting details of a financial statement in front of our “clients” 15 years ago)
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And in Ngee Ann Polytechnic, I joined the business club.
Me and my business partner were 18 years old at that point of time.
We went for a business plan competition and Alhamdulillah was awarded with a funding of $3000. (that was a lot of money when you were students)
As we were below the legal age to set up a company, we used our fathers’ names to register a private limited.
The business failed.
Yet I learnt many important lessons from that episode that shapes me to who I am today! 🙂
(My business while I was still studying in Ngee Ann Polytechnic)
(While waiting for my enlistment in the army, I did a sales job promoting credit cards for a marketing company.
Alhamdulillah. I topped the whole company for 3 months before my enlistment.)
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(Myself in the middle after POP from BMT)
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Whilst serving my national service, i did my research.
I knew back then after ORD,
I wanted a job that allows me to have freedom of time.
I don’t want a desk bound job. I want to be my own boss.
I don’t want to stick myself to the 8-5 routine (just thinking about the morning peak rush hour makes my head spin)
And at the same time allows me to share my knowledge on finance with the common people on the streets.
That is where a career as a financial consultant looks appealing to me.
I did my research.
1 thing that I want to be assured is that my job must be Halal. I emailed MUIS and was directed to the fatwa on permissibility of cooperative insurance in Singapore.
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Alhamdulillah. We know the Hukum of getting cooperative insurance in Singapore is Harus (neutral).
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Yet, I know financial planning is beyond insurance.
What about savings for child’s education? Retirement? Wealth Accumulation?
And I discovered NTUC Income has numerous shariah compliant funds at that point of time.
NTUC Takaful fund (which now follows the Dow Jones Shariah compliant screening methodology)
NTUC Amanah Equity fund
NTUC Amanah Bond (Sukuk) fund
To me, having shariah compliant funds closely monitored by Islamic Finance scholars 24/7 is important.
Thus, that’s where I began my journey as an Islamic financial consultant in a cooperative insurer in Singapore.
(Picture with Alvin Soong’s team, my 1st mentor who brought me in to the financial planning industry a decade ago)
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When you first start out in the financial planning industry.
It was not easy. It was not a bed of roses.
If you think just by joining the financial planning industry, can immediately drive flashy cars.
Buy a yatch. Relax by the beach everyday.
No. Its far from it.
Many times, I felt like giving up.
In fact, I felt like giving up everyday.
To me giving up is easier than persevering.
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When we first started, we earned based on commissions.
(My first month commission when I first started my career as a financial consultant in year 2007)
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We don’t have the luxury of immediately earning a stable basic salary $2-$3k/month.
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Not only that. We have costs to pay.
If you see financial consultants doing roadshows at Malls or exhibitions, on average they need to pay $300/person for rental of space.
So imagine. My $700 commission minus off $300. I am only left with $400 to survive.
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Not only that. Year 2008, 2009.
Was the subprime mortgage crisis which lead to the global economic crisis.
That was the period of Lehman Brothers Minibonds Saga.
Many people were reluctant to part away with their money. People were very afraid of financial consultants.
I remember doing roadshows, and was told “Young man. I just lost $100,000 in XXX scheme. And you want me to invest with you?”
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I remember at that point of time……
Not even having enough money to top up my EZ Link card because minimum top up is $10. I only had $5 in my wallet.
I remember at that point of time,
having to turn down invitations by friends to eat buffet for lunch at the restaurant because I didn’t have enough money.
I remember at that point of time,
the nikmat of sharing briyani on a dulang at Wak Tanjong mosque when I broke my fast during the month of Ramadan.
That briyani was a luxury to me because I only had single digit $ in my bank.
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These memories evoke deep sad bitter sweet emotions within me that I can feel even till now.
I felt like a total failure.
But as Muslims, I always remember this. We are not alone. We have Allah S.W.T.
I make a lot of doa to Allah S.W.T.
As Muslims, I remember the words of Allah S.W.T.
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Alhamdulillah. Allah’s promise is true.
With strong support from my family and clients, I persevered. (eternally grateful for them because I have nothing to showcase at that time.)
After hustling for a while, things got better.
Once things stabilised, I then subsequently upgraded myself by taking my degree, Bachelor of Science (Hons) Banking and Wealth Management with University of Wales (UK).
My favourite module back then was Islamic Banking and Finance.
Alhamdulillah, with the guidance of our beloved teacher , Professor Asam, I aced the module.
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(Testimonial from Islamic Finance Professor during my undergraduate days)
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And Alhamdulillah, what came as a surprise for me at that point of time was when I was informed that I was amongst the top 3 students in my whole cohort upon my graduation.
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You have to understand this.
All my classmates were financial consultants, bankers and seasoned practitioners (some with decades of experience).
And to become amongst the top 3 students never came across my mind.
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(My proud moment receiving an award on stage)
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That gives me the determination and direction..
Allah gives me the rezeki.
The amanah.
Puts me in a very favourable position. For a REASON. (if you know me on a personal level, I rasa betul2 tak layak. There are many others who are way better than me)
I find that this is part of fardu kifayah.
And I have the responsibility to shoulder this tanggungjawab to share with our community the pragmatic aspects of Islamic Financial Planning in Singapore.
I have to prove and make it work in Singapore.
For me success in Islamic Finance is not just me, myself clearing my own riba based loans and growing my own money the shariah compliant way in Singapore. Success in Islamic Finance is helping others plan their finance, without riba, maysir and gharar in Singapore.
Why I continue to stay in this line after so many years is
because I believe I will be able to HELP many more Muslim families plan their finance,
the shariah compliant way in Singapore.
After I die, in the hereafter, at yaumul mashar, I need to present my deeds in front of Allah S.W.T.
I want to be certain.
Ya Allah. On this earth, you bless me with the rezeki to learn about Islamic Finance.
and I, Helmi Hakim had done my utmost best to educate and share with as many people on how they can plan their finance, the shariah compliant way in Singapore.
My mouth.My hand.My legs.My head.My heart.
All as one will testify that I have done my utmost best, to educate and share with as many people on how they can plan their finance, the shariah compliant way in Singapore.
And all, be it you are my clients. Or just anyone who has benefited from my sharing.
You will be my witness.
You will be my lawyers on judgement day, that Islamic Financial Consultant, Helmi Hakim when he was on earth, he had done his utmost best, to educate and share with as many people on how they can plan their finance, the shariah compliant way in Singapore.
Please send him to Jannah. Ya Allah. Amin. Amin…. Insya’Allah. 🙂
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Now… I hope you have benefited from my sharing on the Story of Islamic Financial Consultant, Helmi Hakim.
If you are seeking a mentor, coach, consultant to share with you practical aspects on how you can plan your finance, the shariah compliant way in Singapore, I am always ready to help you.
Some of you know that I recently went on a 23 days juice detox.
It is part of my new year’s resolution to eat healthy.
Stay fit.
Our body is an amanah from Allah S.W.T.
And we have an obligation to take care of our body through proper nutrition and exercise.
Detoxing my body through juice detox was a totally new experience for me.
For the very first time, I cleansed my body. Cleansing is a process to remove toxins from my body.
It looks simple. Yet its challenging.
But Alhamdulillah.
With proper guidance from my nutritionist and mentor, I managed to overcome it….
(Gallstones that came out of my body during my 2nd phase of Detox)
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Having said that, today I want to share more on the similarities of detoxing your body and Islamic Financial Planning in Singapore. 🙂
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1) Detoxing Your Body and Islamic Financial Planning involve processes
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Previously I thought that detoxing my body involves simply drinking fruit juice.
Or perhaps lemon juice.
Or perhaps aloe vera juice.
No.
There are many rules and processes to it.
Example, 80:20 rule.
80% of the juice must come from vegetables and 20% from fruits.
I learnt the proper step by step process of detoxing my body.
First 10 days: colon and kidney detox.
Next 7 days: gallbladder and liver detox.
Last 7 days: juicing.
It is a very elaborated process, yet I enjoyed my journey very much! 🙂
(Video of Financial Consultant, Helmi Hakim juicing his juices.)
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Similarly in Islamic Financial Planning, there are a number of steps and processes that I share with my clients.
Firstly, the FLAIR concept.
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Financial Objectives, Liquidity, Affordability, Investment Time Horizon, Risk Profile.
(F.L.A.I.R. concept used by Islamic Financial Planners in Singapore)
(Financial Consultant, Helmi Hakim sharing more on FLAIR)
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For Muslims, we have to understand the prohibition of Riba, Maysir and Gharar.
Riba, meaning payment or receipt of interests is strictly forbidden.
Allah S.W.T said in the glorious Quran, Surah Al Baqarah, Verse 275:
“Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest”
Maysir, meaning any form of gambling. And Gharar, meaning uncertainty. Both are not allowed.
As stated in Surah Al-Maeda, Verse 90:
“O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satan’s handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper.”
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Understanding the different type of shariah compliant screening methodologies is crucial for
us to build our 100% shariah compliant portfolio.
The entire process is very IMPORTANT!
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Because many have the misconception that as long as the financial instrument has no pork. Has no lard.
Automatically it becomes Halal. .
They call it ‘Muslim friendly’ financial instrument. .
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I have to politely remind them ‘Muslim friendly’ NOW, does not mean ‘Muslim friendly’ FOREVER.
and Halal financial instruments go beyond No Pork, No Lard.
There are other additional requirements to it…………
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That is why I advocate shariah compliant financial instruments.
These group of Islamic Finance scholars will monitor endorse that the underlying assets are 100% HALAL at any given point of time.
Today. Tomorrow. The day after.
Forever.
As long as the shariah compliant fund remains to exist.
This gives us investors the peace of mind that our financial portfolio is 100% Halal all the time.
Peace of mind in this dunya.
Peace of mind in the akhirah.
Alhamdulillah! 🙂
And of course we learnt from an investment perspective how you can make your money,
the shariah compliant way in Singapore.
(Halal Financial Plan Card I get my clients to keep at their home. I target to distribute it to every single Muslim household in Singapore. Insya’Allah)
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2) You need guidance.
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I remember snapping photos of 10 different type of bread and Whatsapp-ing them to my nutritionist seeking for approval.
The types of nut butter I can eat.
Or I cannot eat.
What to look out for when reading the ingredients.
I even went for cooking classes to learn how to cook delicious yet healthy food. Some people told me. “Alahhhh Helmi.
You can learn everything from Google.”
The issue here, there are too many different opinions in Google.
And you don’t know which is right. And which is wrong.
That is why you need professionals to guide you step by step in achieving your goals in a seamless process.
(Pictures of healthy food that I learnt to make myself)
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Similarly in managing your finance the shariah compliant way in Singapore,you need a mentor or a coach.
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Christiano Ronaldo, the world’s famous football player has a coach.
Tiger Woods, the world famous golfer of all times has a coach.
Khabib, the UFC martial artist champion has a coach.
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A mentor and coach can help you with 2 things.
First, show you how to get from Point A to Point B.
Secondly, make you aware on your blindspots and obstacles that you should avoid so that you don’t tumble and fall.
When you have a mentor, you have the “certainty” to know if you are in the right direction or not.
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Have you realise that time flies VERY FAST?
So fast, that is now February 2020!!!
Don’t waste time figuring out on your own.
Having a mentor can fast track your journey towards success.
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Fast Action, Fast Results.
Slow action, little results.
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Speed… Its now or never! Find yourself a mentor!
3) Right circle of friends
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I remember when I first got excited learning all these awesome new health info, I had the inclination to share.
But my idea got immediately shot down by others saying it is a waste of time.
Immediately, I stopped sharing and stayed focus.
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Sometimes, when you start planning your finance the shariah compliant way in Singapore, it is good
to keep things to yourself.
When you are new at something, keep things for yourselves.
After you get some success, then slowly encourage your loved ones.
And also start building your circle of friends who share the same goals as you.
There are many out there who can give you hundreds of reasons on why things won’t work.
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I treat them as excuses.
Justifications on why things wont work is just “NOISE”.
Don’t give power to noise.
Ignore them. Treat it with a pinch of salt.
When people say, “Islamic Finance is impossible in Singapore…”
My head goes “blah blah blah….”
When people say, “Riba is now acceptable…”
My head goes “blah blah blah…”
When people say, “You are never good enough…”
My head goes “blah blah blah….”
The “noises” are like the “blah blah blah….” in this song.
My favourite song currently. Listen to it! 🙂
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4) Your BIG WHY is important
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Part of my detox process involves swallowing the mixture of olive oil and lemon juice.
My gosh! That was the most challenging part of my detox.
I was like “Yucks!!!”
Felt like vomiting.
At that point of time, the question “why am I doing this?” played in my mind.
Felt like giving up. To me, giving up is easy.
So I took a bit of time to remember my BIG WHY.
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Similarly, when you want to plan your finances, theshariah compliant way in Singapore, your WHY is important.
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My friends….
When you know your WHY,
your HOW will suddenly come knocking at your door. 🙂
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Your BIG WHY will give you the energy to follow through the goals that you set in the first place.
Why are you doing what you are doing now?
Are you saving up for your child’s education? Why save up for your child’s education?
(My daughter loves her new school bag)
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You save up because you want to see your child be able to study in a good university in the future.
You want your child to be a doctor. A teacher. A lawyer.
An engineer.
An artist.
You want your child to be a successful individual who can add value to the society.
Or are you doing it for your retirement? Why save up for your retirement?
What type of retirement do you want to lead in the future?
When are you going to retire?
Bottom line, WHY you are doing something comes before HOW to achieve it.
Explore the reasons.
It will bring you far.
5) Successful people begin something and do it till they meet success.
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I like a quote by Profesor Hamka, a renowned Southeast Asian Muslim scholar and cleric.
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Kalau hidup sekedar hidup, babi di hutan pun hidup. jika kerja sekedar kerja, kera juga berkerja.
Which means…
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It only means that whatever you want to achieve in life, work towards it relentlessly.
If we do things for the sake of doing, sambil lewa, how are we different than the animals in the jungle?
When I was doing my 23 days detox, there are a number of times I felt like giving up.
Especially towards the last few days when we were only allowed to drink juices.
No solid food.
When I was fasting during the month of Ramadan, at least I could look forward to iftar.
Last few days of my detox process, I was on a liquid diet.
Not easy.
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Last kopek already. Jangan hangat hangat tahi ayam. Genggam bara api biar sampai jadi arang.
Successful people begin something and do it till they meet success.
How you do anything is how you do everything.
It’s now or never!
You start it. You finish it…. AS A CHAMPION! 🙂
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Now… I hope you have benefited from my sharing on Detox Your Body and Islamic Financial Planning in Singapore For Year 2020.
If you are seeking a mentor, coach, consultant to share with you practical aspects on how you can plan your finance, the shariah compliant way in Singapore, I am always ready to help you.
Alhamdulillah. All praises to Allah S.W.T.
I have completed watching the whole Ertugrul Resurrection series on Netflix. (Yes! I was hooked from the beginning till the end.)
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Ertugrul Resurrection shows the life of the Muslim Oghuz Turks with Ertugrul as their leader.
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(Ertugrul is the father of Osman I, who was the founder of the Ottoman Empire)
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I feel the series is a breath of fresh air.
There are many jewels of wisdom that we can learn and apply in our lives.
Today, I am very excited to share with you 5 Things I Learn From Ertugrul Resurrection Series. 🙂
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1. The Kayi tribe have strong faith in Allah S.W.T.
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As we all know, the Kayi Tribe faced a lot of challenges.
Be it from their enemy.
Or even among their rank.
And the secret to how that managed to overcome all the obstacles, one by one
is by having very strong faith and reliance in Allah S.W.T.
Some of my favourite quotes in the series:
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I always remind myself.
When I feel down, I feel despair.
I feel like everything is not going as planned,
Recite. “Hasbunallah wa ni’mal wakil, ni’man maula wa ni’man nasir”
“Allah is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Guardian; What an excellent Protector and what an excellent Helper.”
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2. Always ask blessings from loved ones and tata tertib when invited to someone’s house
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One thing I noticed about the Kayi tribe is that they have this tradition of asking blessing from their loved ones.
This is good.
I have always emphasized:
One of the most POWERFUL nikmat that you have in this world if your parents is alive is their DOA.
Their prayers for your success. Their blessings.
Restu. Blessings. Prayers from our parents.
From our loved ones are priceless.
Because they are our keramat hidup.
(When we meet our parents or an elderly, we kiss their hands as a way to show respect)
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Another interesting thing I observed is that when tribal chiefs of the Kayi tribe gather together to eat.
Every single one of them brought their own personal spoons along.
Every. Single. One of them.
I was like woah. Why do you bring your own personal spoon? Don’t each household have their own cutlery?
Imagine us going for kenduri or walimah and bringing our own spoons? 🙂
The logical explanation for this is that the spoon actually goes into the mouth of the person. And it gets dirty.
At that time, water was limited. And dish soap has not existed yet.
It makes more senses to bring our own spoon and then clean it ourselves.
Instead of having the host having to clean the number of spoons after we eat.
The takeaway I get from here.
We should observe tata tertib and adab when being invited to one’s house for an occasion.
And make efforts to be a gracious guest to our host.
Make it EASIER for them to host us today and in the time to come.
So they tak serik to jemput us. In that way, we not only preserve silaturahim, at the same time strengthen them.Alhamdulillah! 🙂
3. Build alliance amongst different tribes
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1 particular scene that caught my attention is when Ertugrul requested his companion, Bamsi to bring arrows.
Ertugrul took 1 arrow and broke it easily.
And then he took about 15 arrows, and faced difficulties breaking them.
(Ertugrul tried to break arrows to illustrate the importance of unity)
To my mind, this is synonymous to the Malay proverb. Bersatu teguh, bercerai roboh. United we stand, divided we fall.
A tradition that I realise that is prevalent during Ertugrul’s era is that they build alliance through marriage.
And of course, when alliance were strong, the enemies tried to discow hatred.
Create pandemonium.
Divide and conquer.
Shake away loyalty by offering them gold.
Women. Positions. Power!
Time and time again, we have witnessed how chasing after power or money or anything for any sake other than Allah S.W.T. corrupts the hearts of men and will ultimately lead to their downfall in the end.
In fact, Iblige Hatun put it nicely.
4. Merciful to their enemies who have repented
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1 thing that touched my heart is Ertrugul is merciful to his enemies who have repented.
To me, this is not easy thing to do.
Can you imagine?
His enemy kidnapped his son.
Set up various traps against him.
Tried to kill him.
But when his enemy repents. Ertugrul forgave and freed his enemy.
“How come Ertrugul is so forgiving?”
In his own words, Ertugrul said,
“If it was up to me, I would have torn you to pieces.
However, there is my FAITH that is ABOVE my OWN DESIRE.
This is the order of my religion.
I forgave you by this order, not my own desire.”
He adds on….
5. Ertugul Bey did not like Riba.
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Etrugul Bey did not tolerate riba. Riba is haram.
Etrugul Bey uphold the principles of Islamic Finance.
He publicly denounced the money lenders that loan out money with Riba in his market.
And when he knew his own beloved son, Gunduz who unknowingly partake in Riba, he did not used his power and authority to defend him.
He did not use his position to justify Riba.
Even though Etrugul Bey was a very powerful frontier.
Even though Etrugul Bey has wit, eloquence on choice of words and flair of speech…
Even though Etrugul Bey has the capacity to sweep everything under the carpet, pretending nothing happen,
He did use not his God given capabilities
to justify what is Haram.
He was firm. And he was decisive.
He held on tightly to the Quran and Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
After reprimanding his son, he used his own little resources to clear the debt of his tribe.
Because he didn’t want his tribe to be involved with riba.
Masya’Allah. To my mind, that is the epitome of a great leader.
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Now… I hope you have benefited from my sharing on 5 Things Islamic Financial Consultant, Helmi Hakim Learnt From Ertugul Resurrection Series…
If you are seeking a mentor, coach, consultant to share with you practical aspects on how you can plan your finance, the shariah compliant way in Singapore, I am always ready to help you.
“Labbayk, Allahumma labbayk, labbayk la sharika laka labbayk, Innal Hamda wan nimata laka wal mulk, la sharika lak.”
Translation in English:
“I am at Your service, O Allah, I am at Your service.
You have no partner. I am at Your service.
Praise and blessing belong to You, and the Kingdom.
You have no partner.”
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Alhamdulillah. 3 days ago, we Muslims in Singapore celebrated Hari Raya Haji.
Also known as Hari Raya Adha. Great Day of Sacrifice!
Alhamdulillah… As of now, all of the Hujjaj (persons who performed Haj in Mecca)have done Tawaf Ifadhah, Sa’ie Haji, Korban and Cukur Rambut (Tahallul).
Now they are proceeding to stone at 3 Jamrah on the days of Tasyrik.
11th Zulhijah, 12th Zulhijah and 13th Zulhijah.
(Muslim pilgrims walk to perform ‘stoning of the devil’ ritual at one of wall pillars (jamrah) in Mina Saudi Arabia. it is one of the rituals to complete the Haj.)
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All 3 Jamrah represent the DEVIL: Jamratul Aqabah/ Jamratul Kubra (largest):
the first and largest represents his temptation of Prophet Ibrahim (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him) against sacrificing his son Ismail;
Jamratul Wusta:
the second represents the temptation of Prophet Ibrahim’s wife Hajar to induce her to stop him;
Jamratul Ula/ Jamratul Sughra (smallest):
the third represents his temptation of Ismail to avoid being sacrificed.
The devil was rebuked each time, and the throwing of the stones symbolizes those rebukes.
The stoning of the Jamrah also represents the repudiation of Man’s self and the act of setting aside one’s low desires and wishes.
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Today, I would like to go in a bit deeper, and reflect on the meaning of sacrifices (pengorbanan).
Anything we want to achieve in life requires sacrifices.
Whether we plan to achieve our goals in this world.
Or we plan to achieve our goals in the hereafter.
It requires sacrifices.
To sacrifice is never an easy task. SACRIFICE.
To my mind, it requires Shukor.Adab.Commitment.Redha.Ikhlas. Focus. Istiqamah. Courage and Elmu
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Shukor
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First thing first, we have to shukor.
We have to feel grateful because that Allah S.W.T. has blessed us with bountiful rezeki.
Placed us in the position to give.
To contribute to the Ummah.
Contribute to the Fuqara Wa Masakin.
We can only sacrifice what we have and not what we don’t have.
And because of that, we need to shukor.
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Adab
Adab refers to good manners.
Good morals.
Good decorum.
Good decency. Good humaneness.
When it comes to Umrah and Haj, there are are adab, tata tertib and restrictions (pantang larang) that we have to follow closely.
(My last umrah with my family was when I was in secondary school)
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(Already registered for Haji at MUIS. Insya’Allah waiting for Allah’s calling.)
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Mekah and Madinah are Bumi wahyu.
The place where Allah S.W.T. sent his revelation to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him) through angel Gabriel.
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So, when one welcomes the call of Allah S.W.T for Umrah or Haj.
When one is in the state of ihram, one has to exercise adab.
Cannot curse and swear.
Must observe good behaviour.
Must sabar and don’t get angry. Don’t quarrel or get into fight.
And there are tata tertib and restrictions specifically when one is in ihram.
A man in the state of ihrammust not tie any knots or wear any stitched items. Must not use any scents on the body or on the robes.
Aside from being as clean (purified) as they are for prayer, male Muslims are expected torefrain from cutting their nails, and trimming their hair and beards.
Observing adab,tata tertib and pertinent restrictions (pantang larang) are important when one sacrifice for Allah S.W.T.
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Commitment
I salute all the volunteers who help with the Ibadah Korban without asking anything in return.
It’s not only the selfless attitude that wins my heart.
It’s the level of COMMITMENT.
Determination.
To go through all levels of obstacles to make sure that our Ibadah Korban is smooth sailing.
May Allah S.W.T. reward them dunia akhirat. Amin. Insya’Allah.
(A group of volunteers preparing to slaughter a buffalo during Eid Al-Adha)
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Redha…
Redha means one wholeheartedly agrees to the decision to what Allah has decided upon.
You know why we celebrate Hari Raya Adha. It traces back to the story of Prophet Ibrahim (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him).
Prophet Ibrahim (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him) was commanded to offer his only son Ismail up for sacrifice to the Lord.
Though it grieved him greatly, he redha. He made ready to perform the task.
However, as he was about to strike his son, Allah S.W.T. stopped him and revealed that it was a trial of his devotion to the Lord. Ismail’s life was spared and a ram sacrificed in his place.
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Ikhlas
Ikhlas means sincerity.
It reminds me of Habil and Qabil story.
Prophet Adam (Peace and Blessing Be Upon Him) had 2 sons.
The elder son was called Qabil.
The younger son’s name was Habil.
Qabil was a farmer and Habil was a shepherd.
Habil herded sheep, goats and other animals, whereas Qabil worked as a farmer, tilling the fields.
One day, they decided to offer a sacrifice to Allah S.W.T.
Habil chose a fat and healthy sheep for Allah S.W.T. Qabil brought his bad crops.
Allah accepted the sheep offered by Habil.
But Allah did not accept the crops offered by Qabil!
1 sacrifice accepted, 1 not… because why..?
Ikhlas.
Sincerity.
You do something.
You do your best, with utmost sincerity. Lillahi ta’ala (for Allah S.W.T.)
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Focus, Istiqamah, Courage and Elmu
Other good qualities that I learnt about sacrifices during Hari Raya Haji is that one need to be Focus.
There are a lot of tata tertib and restrictions (pantang larang)
when performing Haj.
When doing Ibadah Korban.
Thus one need to be vigilant and be very Focus.
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Another good quality is Istiqamah.
Consistent in doing good deeds.
Aisha (r.anha) narrated: Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him) said:
“The most beloved deed to Allah is the most regular and constant even though it is little.” (Muslim, Musafirin, 218. Also see Bukhari, Riqaq, 18)
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One also need to have Courage. Courage to battle one’s Nafs.
Self. Ego. Desire.
That is a great challenge.
Last but not least, you need Elmu (Knowledge).
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Now… I hope you have benefited from my sharing on What We Can Learnt About Sacrifices During Hari Raya Haji………
If you are seeking a mentor, coach, consultant to share with you practical aspects on how you can plan your finance, the shariah compliant way in Singapore, I am always ready to help you.
In my profession as an Islamic Financial Consultant in Singapore, I always emphasize the importance of setting goals.
I know. It might sound cliche.
Everyone knows the importance of setting goals in life.
Everyone knows about the SMART goals concept. Specific,Measurable,Attainable,Realistic,Timely.
Yet….
Most never do it!
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Or worst!
They set goals haphazardly!
Anyhow whack.
Setting goals for the sake of setting it. And when they don’t achieve a target, they BLAME everyone else except themselves!
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Today, I want to share with you 1 secret technique.
1 super simple yet powerful exercise that will open your eyes, your heart and your soul
to comprehend the importance of having clear, unambiguous goals.
I’ve never shared this exercise openly in public before.
Reserved specially for my clients to show them the importance for
them to be super clear of their goals.
Yet for the first time ever, I am revealing it to you.
You will understand why by the end of the post.
I promise! 🙂
I want you to take out a pen and piece of paper. Participate in this simple quiz below.
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Choose 1 out of the FEW options below.
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1) Red/ Green / Black / Gold
Choose 1.
Red, Green, Black or Gold?
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2) Full Moon / Crescent Moon / Lunar Eclipse
Choose 1.
Full Moon, Crescent Moon or Lunar Eclipse?
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3) 5 / 14 / 40
Choose 1.
5, 14 or 40?
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4) Wood / Cloth / Stone
Choose 1.
Wood, Cloth or Stone?
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5) Planet / Comet / Stars
Choose 1.
Planet, Comet or Stars?
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Have you made your CHOICE?
Take your time and choose carefully.
Come on…. Complete this exercise before you scroll down. Make sure you have chosen your 5 options….
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Now what if I say, the answer that I am looking at is this… 🙂
Our Singapore flag! 🙂
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Wouldnt it be much easier for you to choose the answers
if I show you the Singapore flagUPFRONT? 🙂
That is why in my job as an Islamic Financial Consultant in Singapore,
I always share with my clients that they need to be super duper clear of what they want.
Especially their financial goals.
Because Numbers don’t lie.
When you are clear of your goals, only then you can make the right choice.
A goal that is properly set is halfway reached.
In addition to that, I want you to have a small exercise book.
And commit yourself to write down your goals in that book.
Write it. Read it everyday. By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be.
Put your future in good hands-your own! 🙂
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And talking about setting goals.
I am honoured to have visionary leaders leading our beautiful country. Our founding fathers set goals early.
Achieved them. And generations to come benefit from their foresight.
On this special day, I would like to wish all Singaporeans a Happy National Day!
Enjoy your day with your loved ones!
And I want to end this post with Singapore’s Papa Rock, Ramli Sarip, singing our National Anthem!
Majulah Singapura! 🙂
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Now… I hope you have benefited from my sharing on 1 Secret Technique To Show You The Super Power Of Setting Goals………
If you are seeking a mentor, coach, consultant to share with you practical aspects on how to set goals and how you can plan your finance, the shariah compliant way in Singapore, I am always ready to help you.
A certified financial consultant, Helmi Hakim has won praise for his patience, perseverance and practicality when solving his clients’ financial concerns. For more information on how you can manage your finances better, contact Helmi Hakim at 96520134.
