Masjid Assyakirin KLCC - My experience

I have yet to post photos of our family trip to KL recently - more about having to share my Macbook with other 4 gembo family members. I have about 1200 pics to be sorted/edited from 3 cameras heheh.

Anyway, this post is about my experience at the Masjid Assyakirin at KLCC for the Friday prayers. It is located at the KLCC park, just 5 minutes walk from Suria KLCC.

Unfortunately, during my visit it was undergoing renovation to increase capacity for more worshippers, and as a result have to pray at the hall outside the main mosque next to a scaffolding. Anyway, what interest me most is the way the sermon was delivered:

1. It was delivered in English, suitable for the location as about half of worshippers are foreigners (tourist and expats).
2. The sermon was started with introduction of the issue (during that week was about entertainment not forbidden in Islam, more on that later), explanation of the issues (backed by Surah from Holy AL-Quran and Hadith from Prophet Muhammad, May Peace be upon him) and finished by conclusion - reiteration of the main issues.

The Imam spoke very fluent English, and yet his recital of the Al-Fatihah and surahs during prayers was also very, how shall I say it, very pleasant with his melody and more importantly perfect Tajwid (rules in reciting the Holy AL-Quran).

On the topic of the sermon, basically Islam does not forbid entertainment as long as:

• it does not contain any elements forbidden to Islam
• the entertainment does not mix the man and woman, as this is haram or could lead to haram activities
• the entertainment should be avoided if it could result in more harm than good

Anyway, I long to return to the Masjid Assyakirin again one day, when the renovation is completed.

Muhammad and Iman at the hill surrounding the Masjid Daddy with Aaeeshah at the entrance

Paths of Glory . . . Finished

I had to stay at home yesterday, part of the self-quarantine since I just returned from an affected country.

Apart from sleeping due to medications to solve my blocked ear, I managed to finish the book, a marathon 100 pages in 3 hours.

The story is mostly based on true accounts (non-fiction), but to me the fictional bits are when Mallory and Irvine actually stepped on the top summit - as there is no way to prove this, apart from assumptions that Mallory had promised his wife Ruth that he would leave her photo on the summit. His body was found in 1999 without Ruth's photo in his pocket, nor in his wallet.

I have to say this is a good read, but not as great as Jeffrey's previous novels. Personally I still loved the "Prisoner of Birth" and "Honour Among Thieves".

Nevertheless, to my bro Aziz, Rahman and dear friend Hajah Fauziah, I'd strongly recommend this book to you.

Paths of Glory

My latest read, and the longest I've ever taken to complete! I got the novel through the mail at the end of May.

I still have about a third of the novel left to go, but being curious I wikied the character in the novel (George Mallory) and it is almost non-fictious account of the English lecturer/climber who wanted to be the first to conquer Everest.

George never returned from his second attempt in 1924 and his body was found still intact in 1999, a few hundred metres from the summit. The release of this novel caused a controversy in New Zealand, home to Sir Edmund Hillary - the first person to reach the roof of the world, as an insult to the great man.

I am hoping to complete the book by this coming weekend. I brought the book along to KL and back, and read about half of it, whilst waiting for taxis, buses, laundry (YES! 8 days in KL we need to do laundry) but didn't get to finish it.

Just got back from family vacation

The Gembo family has just returned from a weeklong holiday, a promise I have made to our kids, especially Muhammad and Iman, to make up for not taking them anywhere in 2007 and 2008, as we're saving for the family home then.

We flew on this from Miri last Tuesday and returned yesterday.... 8 days and 7 nites

We met these people

Atoy - AF contestant

Redmummy - a well known blogger

Families in KL (Mrs G's first cousin)

No prizes for guessing who this is - we met their Excellencies when they were shopping at the Suria KLCC.

And we visited these places

Mosque at KLCC - went there for Friday prayers

Guess where?

Dinotrek @ KLCC

KLCC Aquaria

Z4 launching @ Pavillion

Fish Spa @ Pavillion

Cosmoworld @ Berjaya Times Square

Petrosains @ KLCC