Beach Getaway

The lulling sea breeze, the lapping waves and the din of families playing and sunbathing on the sand outside greeted us as soon as we settled into our room. The room's patio faced a strip of beach with a row of chaise lounges for hotel guests.

How glad we were when the room was finally ready since we arrived about an hour early from the stated check-in time. Considering we left quite late from home and even stopped for a petrol fill-up, we had thought we would be there near to the appointed time of 3 p.m.

I didn't count that it was still a school holiday when a three-day getaway was proposed in early June. I had thought it was only the customary one-week school break the previous week and was looking forward to a quiet, relaxing time at the hotel. Blame it on not having a school-going child as yet.

Since that week was the second half of the mid-term school holiday, the hotel was teeming with people, most predominant of whom are the squealing children. Yet, the pandemonium that resulted from a combination of school's out and kids galore was surprisingly inviting. Sadia enjoys the festive feeling that came with the crowd. We confessed that the merriment and laidback vibe even rubbed off on us.

Most especially, she loves attempting to swim in the water with the other children. The small kiddie pool, equipped with a water slide, suited her wee size and we were more than happy to 'show her the ropes'. Although we are unable to float ourselves, we still like to soak in the water with a requisite depth i.e., one in which we could touch the pool's floor. :)

We were pleasantly surprised when Sadia got used to her lifesaver ('pelampung') by kicking her legs on her own. She's a natural. Probably she should take swimming lessons and thereafter teaches her old parents how to swim. Else, we can take the classes together. Haha!

After spending our annual Raya vacation here last year, this trip marked the second time at this seaside resort. Well, in my opinion, calling it a 'seaside resort' would be somewhat misleading. The hotel covers a substantial area - all 23 acres of them - of the beach with kampung-styled wooden chalets propping stilt-like straight into the sea. Thus, the private beach area is rather limited save for venturing further into the public beach that adjoins it.

The renovations and improvements that were underway during our virgin stay had finally come to fruition comprising, among others, a flock of noisy peacocks roaming free on the compound, chaise lounges by the beach, and a snack bar by the seaside to unwind. Also in the works is an ultra-modern - floor-to-ceiling glass windows - spa complex by the water's edge.

Our visit this time around was also 'graced' by the presence of a certain son of a former Prime Minister and his family et al. And et al is the term loosely referred to the body guards and nannies in waiting. This particular arrangement which entails that these parties be with you at all times got me into thinking if the kids would have any leeway for some sort of privacy. It surely would be suffocating for me if someone were to follow me everywhere 24/7. They were on a close watch when the kids frolicked in the same pool as we did. They chose the table nearest to the only entrance door during breakfast.

Also, on the last day before checking out as we relished the pool for one final time, I bumped into a familiar-looking TV3 personality - I forgot the name - who was reading a Tafseer Al-Qur'an (Qur'anic Translation into one's Mother Tongue) by the poolside. It was certainly refreshing to see someone thumbing through these pages at the most unlikely places. A few days later I came across an article in the newspaper headlining that she had donned the tudung (or hijab).

Apart from these deviations, we engaged in the customary trip to Malacca on the second day for a quick mall run and ikan bakar (or grilled fish) and other seafood binge.

Of course, Avillion's main attraction for us fledgling parents is without a doubt, the animal farm which lets you (read: kids) feed the animals - turtles, birds, rabbits, chickens and hamsters - 10 a.m. daily at the enclosure situated close to the swimming pool area. Sadia loves the ritual to bits and enjoys it more with the appreciative crowd of her age.

This vacation was also a first for Sadia in terms of sighting new animals. Other than mimicking the loud cry of the peacocks, she is obsessed with the snails that we had discovered during our nocturnal strolls. Till now, the snails have left a lasting impression on her!

Full from the ikan bakar grub, we sauntered along the wooden planks housing the water chalets on the second night, savouring the night serenity as the sea breeze gently stroked our exposed skins. Stopping at one kampung-styled gazebo on these wooden planks, we rested our heads on its ample space and blankly gazed at the infinite sky. The new moon tried to peek its way through the clouds, but to no avail. As the wind got stronger and Sadia restless, we heeded the signals and doubled back to the spacious room.

This village is just the lush haven that we need to escape the dreary life in the city.

Eager to swim even from the beginning of journey

The welcome drinks that left us wanting

Refreshed from her nap in the car, Sadia wanted to explore the grounds

The view from our patio

Bunny wabbit

Just before we left the room

Sadia has a penchant for flowers too!

A Liberated Woman

At the risk of being called an irresponsible mother or worse an uninformed Muslim, I must admit that I have yet to send Sadia for circumcision (or as it is widely called in Malay, 'sunat'). You see, I attribute my lackadaisical manner to the conflicting information about having my female offspring circumcised.

From what I was told, it is not compulsory to put one's daughter under this excision procedure. And then, left and right, I heard other people's girls underwent circumcision as early as six months old. Am I missing an important piece of the information somewhere?

A casual inquiry with my well-informed uncle did confirm my belated instruction on this matter. It is NOT compulsory, but it is RECOMMENDED for hygienic purposes. However, when I rejoiced at the fact that it is not mandatory, he stressed on the cleanliness part and strongly urged that I send Sadia for the mini-op.

Since I have missed the boat of recommended timeframe for female newborn circumcision, I do not care for the stress and trauma that will accompany this circumcising surgery, knowing quite well how Sadia is like. I do need to sit down and talk to the specialist with regards to my concerns. Will Sadia need local or general anesthestic, considering how rambunctious she can be? How long will the circumcised part take to heal? Does she have to eat certain types of food to heal faster? Or any food to avoid during the healing period?

When I perused the Internet for any available literature on female circumcision or female genital cutting (FGC), as it is called by certain NGO-related quarters (frankly I prefer the former), circumcision in general - both male and female - is culturally ingrained as opposed to religiously required.

The practice of FGC predates both Islam and Christianity and there is no clear understanding of where or why the practice of FGC came into existence. Greek papyrus from 163 B.C. mentions girls in Egypt undergoing circumcision and it is widely accepted to have originated in Egypt and the Nile valley at the time of the Pharaohs.

In the case of widespread male circumcision in Islam, different schools of thought are at variance with respect to either it is recommended or obligatory. The proponents of male circumcision cited cleanliness and attaining purity from the germ-attracting prepuce, while the opponents maintained that the Holy Qur'an doesn't mention anything on circumcision. Yet, I tend to agree with the former as it is succinctly explained in and extracted from this article :

The point of view I find most convincing is that circumcision is obligatory only for males as suggested by the evidence used by those who deem it obligatory...but the obligation is waived in the case of a person who embraces Islam and feels afraid of the consequences of the procedure. In any case, it is not a condition for the validity of a person's profession of accepting the Islamic faith or the performance of his religious duties.

Surely those words buttressed the viewpoint that circumcision for females are not mandatory, as reinforced further in this write-up :

We must emphasize, however, that the correct stance is that there is no reliable text which directly encourages any form of circumcision, and thus the matter is left to other general texts which prohibit infliction of harm and those which encourage all things healthy and beneficial. One fundamental of Islamic jurisprudence is that what is not specifically prohibited is allowed, but still subject to other indirect texts. This makes for a great deal of tolerance in religion, but also allows it to cope with new issues brought by time.

All these talks about sunat brings to mind my own experience which happened quite late in my life compared to today's standard 'age'. I was about 9 or 10 years old and the ceremony took place in our long-standing humble abode in Shah Alam, which involved all of us four girls.

I distinctly remember being afraid of the whole hullabaloo - the intimidating-looking mak bidan (or traditional expert in genital cutting), the hush-hush talks by the adults, and ritual gadgetry (read: knife!). So
scared I was that I ended up locking myself in my room when my turn came next, thus causing an uproar for parents and relatives to coax me to come out!

For the life of me, I can't recall what they said to convince me to unlock the door, but I did finally come out and was ushered gingerly to the master bedroom where the bidan awaited. Probably I got sick and suffocated of being alone in my room. Or maybe, hunger got the best of me.

But I do remember it was a quick and (almost) painless procedure and I was quickly asked to mandi bunga (shower with the florally-infused water retained in the bathtub). They said I was probably 'hexed' (pukau in Malay) by the bidan as a form of 'local anesthetic' against the anticipated pain. Either I've blocked it altogether from memory or the far-fetched pukau story is true, I really can't remember the cutting part at all. But I ALWAYS remember the running away and locking myself part. :)

Before some uninitiated readers get all squeamish and judgmental about circumcision and connect it to the removal of essential organ(s), I have to contend that the only type of female circumcision that is considered 'commendable and permissible' in Islam is the Sunna circumcision, or Type 1 (see here for anatomical details) which is referred to, in colloquial terms, as hoodectomy.

This procedure is harmless and has no detrimental effects upon women, and is similar to the circumcision of men, as mentioned previously. Rather, some have even argued that there are some benefits to this procedure, as mentioned earlier, such as increase of sexual pleasure, prevention of unpleasant odors which result from foul secretions beneath the prepuce, and reduction of the incidence of urinary tract infections and infections affecting the reproductive system.

As mentioned in five paragraphs above with respect to causing unduly harm to the body, Islam is steadfast in its opposition to female genital mutilation that is prevalent in some African nations like Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia. This Type III circumcision is the most severe form of FGC and it is also called infibulation. Personally, I find it smothering and very sad to have one's genital organs being watched with an eagle eye by detached third parties. It's an infringement of one's privacy and rights to one's body.

A reverse infibulation can be performed to allow for sexual intercourse (often by the husband using a knife on the wedding night) or when undergoing labor, or by female relatives, whose responsibility it is to inspect the wound every few weeks and open it some more if necessary. During childbirth, the enlargement is too small to allow vaginal delivery, and so the infibulation must be opened completely and restored after delivery. Once again, the legs are tied together to allow the wound to heal, and the procedure is repeated for each subsequent act of intercourse or childbirth.

While the grounds that circumcision promotes cleanliness and enhances fertility are acceptable, the more exclusive reason for Type III method that acts as a proof of virginity is simply preposterous. Predictably, the expensive bridal price that correlates with these severely circumcised women also extends to other socio-economic aspects. Pain and suffering are inconsequential when compared to the prospect of monetary status and preserving family reputation.

Ironically, all these concerns about pre-marital sex and promiscuity that severe female circumcision affords has brought my attention to this eye-opening New York Times article last week.

Apparently, some Muslim women of Arab and African descent in France have opted for hymenoplasty - a restoration of hymen - as a last-ditch effort to 'certify their virginity' to their future in-laws or arranged-for-marriage husband. How twisted has our lives become!

Gynecologists say that in the past few years, more Muslim women are seeking certificates of virginity to provide proof to others. That in turn has created a demand among cosmetic surgeons for hymen replacements, which, if done properly, they say, will not be detected and will produce tell-tale vaginal bleeding on the wedding night. The service is widely advertised on the Internet; medical tourism packages are available to countries like Tunisia where it is less expensive.

A fiery debate on female virginity and all things feminist is now taking place in France as a result of a highly-publicised case involving a French Muslim groom who discovered that his wife was not a virgin on their wedding night.

Some feminists, lawyers and doctors warned that the court’s acceptance of the centrality of virginity in marriage would encourage more Frenchwomen from Arab and African Muslim backgrounds to have their hymens restored. But there is much debate about whether the procedure is an act of liberation or repression.

In some unfortunate cases where the hymen is accidentally torn (for instance, due to a horse-related incident), one young French Muslim woman bravely underwent the surgery so as to avoid the unnecessary stigma that is attached to promiscuous women and the bleak marriageable future ahead.

Others cited averting disaster with enraged parents and/or in-laws as the reasons behind their decision to restore their respective hymen. Whereas these Muslims' decision made has deep-seated religious and cultural roots, it was certainly both startling and amusing to know that some Americans undergo this procedure as a 'Valentine's gift' for their husbands!

Thus, on one hand, we have circumcision and the negative press that it attracts (my Malaysian girlfriend who studied in Columbia University received a deafening gasp from her classmates when she informed of her circumcision) and on the other hand, we have hymenoplasty and the life-saving role that it offers (albeit at the expense of feminists' outcry). Would we rather let our child be circumcised for health reasons or have her turn to hymenoplasty later in life just because she couldn't communicate with us?

Weighing the pros and cons on female circumcision and its cross-cultural import, I must say I have made my decision in accord with an Islamic perspective that 'encourages all things healthy and beneficial'.

Prolly, Prolly, Prolly

you won't admit you love me
and so how am i ever to know
you always tell me
perhaps perhaps perhaps
a million times i've asked you
and then
i ask you over
again
you only answer
perhaps perhaps perhaps
if you can't make your mind up
we'll never get started
and i don't wanna wind up
being parted
broken-hearted
so if you really love me
say yes
but if you don't dear
confess
and please don't tell me
perhaps perhaps perhaps
perhaps perhaps perhaps
if you can't make your mind up
we'll never get started
and i don't wanna wind up
being parted
broken-hearted
so if you really love me
say yes
but if you don't dear
confess
and please don't tell me
perhaps perhaps perhaps
perhaps perhaps perhaps
perhaps perhaps perhaps

I always like this classic song entitled (you guess it) Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps, and it is an English adaptation of the Spanish song Quizás, quizás, quizás, popularised by the late Nat King Cole.

The song harks back to the uncertain yet exciting period in my life during which my friendship flourished with my anamcara - my soulmate - alongside other pent-up emotions. Cliché as it may sound, exploring a relationship at the expense of a friendship found its way into our equation.

I'd be lying to say everything was smooth sailing once we decided to become a couple. There were many kinks that needed to be ironed out, and many issues to clear the air. To say the ups and downs of our dating phase has taught us immensely about ourselves is in itself an understatement.

Suddenly finding yourself having to answer to another human being, and feeling an inexplicable attachment to this person are two of the many new and unexpected sensations that kick in once you know you're hooked for good. Conversely, unwanted hang-ups surfaced and snowballed in every imaginable ugly forms. How ironic that we hurt the one we love through our callous actions and caustic words.

In our case, no matter how hard we had tried to deny ourselves a second chance, we gravitated towards one another like a bunch of horseshoe crabs (that's Belangkas in Malay). That's what you call Fate, or Jodoh in Malay.

With his birthday today, nothing is more apropos than to embrace - literally and figuratively - the man whom I have shared the roof with for almost four years.

An enigma to many, a charmer to some, and a lover to one - my husband is the proverbial backbone to our fledgling family, a source of strength for my down days as well as the driving force behind my foray into blogging and writing.

It was him who suggested that I should pen down my thoughts and cast them into the electronic oblivion for the sake of posterity and my sanity. Wary and awkward about exposing myself to world, he assured me of the advantages to the outlet that I was about to embark.

And of course, he was right. He is always right, well at least most of the time. :)

A big Madonna fan, a Harry Potter aficionado, a LOTR loyalist, a non-athlete (like moi), an interior-design fiend, an alpha cook, a fashion enthusiast and a metrosexual, I love him on all those scores and then some.

His outward nonchalance belies the concern and pride he has towards things and people that matter to him. Once the sarcasm comes out however, by all means take cover! Haha!

As we celebrate your thirty-ahem birthday, I would like to wish you dear the best in realising your yearly goals, and pray for our continued health and familial bliss.

In spite and because of the years we have been together, I am still that wide-eyed girl who adores you immensely. And you remain the mysterious boy whose roguish grin has captured my heart and soul.

Unequivocally.

Caving in to Churros

Our June long vacation seems to culminate in this tantalising, gastronomic moment. Never mind that we had wolfed down a melange of seafood dishes from Malacca own 'ikan bakar' haven of Umbai in the previous three days.

Today, on our usual mall jaunt, I managed to coax (or is it more like coerce?) Hubby to sit down at Chinoz, The Gardens. I've become familiar with the Chinoz brand through my husband's business lunches in its KLCC joint. However, I find the ambience in the KLCC restaurant too stuffy and corporate-like. Needless to say, I distance myself from trying the food due to this gnawing fact.

The one in The Gardens Mid-valley has a more family-friendly appeal, without sacrificing the taste, service and quality. While I naturally prefer tomatoey sauce for my pizza, I didn't particularly mind the pesto base for our generous portion of funghi and free-range egg pizza. Four slices each were enough to satiate our palate. The appetizer of grilled squid with lime vinagrette serves as a nice counterpoint to the rich pizza.

The star of the show, hands down, was churros with Valrhona (reminds me of Venny) chocolate dip. The last time I tasted churros that good was in DisneyWorld in 1996. We scarfed down the elongated, sugary pieces dripping in chocolate in record time. A worthwhile, headlong sugar rush.

I will definitely come back to this Chinoz for more.

Meme Tag : Islam Inspires

I'd be remiss if I do not apologise to fellow blogger, the lovely Aezack Haida for my lateness in answering this tag.

Truth be told, I'd wanted to answer it as soon as I possibly could, but I was sidetracked with other 'projects', real life or otherwise. And I was stumped to discover that my draft copy for this meme was overridden by related materials that I had slowly collated. Bummer! All the work gone down the drain.....

Yet, a promise is a promise and further delay will only worsen the situation. It has been more than a month since Aezack tagged me for her answers on April 24th.

Thus in return, without further ado, here are my answers.

Before we do just that however, let's go to the preliminaries:

Rules:

1) Answer the following questions.

2) Post on your blog with link to who tagged you.

3) Tag a minimum of three other bloggers and include links to their blog in your tag. Make sure to let them know you’ve tagged them too.

Meme Questions:

1) What Qur’anic verse do you find most inspiring and why? What does it mean to you personally?



From Surah Ar-Rad (Chapter 13), Verse 11.

That is the first Surah that pops in my head.

"For each (such person) there are (angels) in succession, before and behind him: They guard him by command of Allah. Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls). But when (once) Allah willeth a people's punishment, there can be no turning it back, nor will they find, besides Him, any to protect."

My focus would of course be on the famous part of this Surah : “Verily! Allah will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change their state themselves.”

The Malay equivalent is : "Sesungguhnya Allah tidak akan mengubah keadaan sesuatu kaum sehingga mereka mengubah keadaan yang ada pada diri mereka sendiri."

While this Ayah revolves on people (part of community, society, nation, etc) as opposed to an individual, I'm constantly reminded of this verse as it gives me a sense of perspective - a sobering one at that - on our ability to change if we put our minds and hearts to it.

It assures me that, despite the esoteric concept of predestination (qada and qadar), we are given some leeway to improve ourselves and change our stations in life. As asserted in this commentary :

Thus there are two sides to Allah's commandments: those that are certain to happen and those that are not certain. The angels only save man from those accidents which are not certain to occur. It goes without saying that such a protection in fact does not relieve man of his duties and freedom of choice. The destinies of individuals and nations are always in their own hands.

Instead of falling into the rut of idleness, ordinary people like myself are able to take control, to a certain extent, of our destinies through change and determination.

Personally, I take comfort in knowing that change is imminent insofar as I am strong-willed enough to follow through with it. In a way, this verse is an inspiration for me to effect relevant changes in my life and be a better person and God's servant in the process.


2) What Hadith (Qudsi or Sunnah of the Prophet salallahi alaihi was salam) do you find most inspiring and why?

As narrated by Muslim : Hadrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), relates that the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him), said, "One who covers up the failings of somebody in this world will have his shortcomings covered up by Allah on the Day of Judgement". (sourced from here).

This particular saying rings true even in our Malay tradition through sayings such as Menconteng arang di muka and Membuka bekung di dada, analogies used to guard against sullying another person's reputation through the disclosure of his or her faults.

At times, in the fit of anger, we might carelessly divulge delicious, disgraceful tidbits about a person to other people without thinking clearly of its consequences. Or, out of envy, we spread incriminating facts about another so as to rain on his or her parade.

This Hadith serves as a strong reminder for me to act and speak responsibly because I duly believe that what goes around comes around.


3) Other than the Prophet himself salalahi alahi wa salaam - what Muslim man do you find most inspiring and why?

Thanks to the inspiring movie on the birth of Islam entitled The Message that I'd watched as a teenager, I'm drawn to the character depicting Khalid ibn al-Walid whose conversion story (or reversion) to Islam is both compelling and moving. After entertaining doubts about his own religious beliefs following the Holy Prophet's (p.b.u.h.) first pilgrimage to Mecca, he experienced an epiphany that Islam is indeed the true faith and set out for Medina to convert.

Khalid ibn al-Walid, one of Prophet Muhammad's (p.b.u.h.) Sahaba (prominent companions), was instrumental in defeating both the Roman Byzantine and Persian Empires which paved the way for the spread of Islam. He earned the name 'Sword of Allah' from the Prophet himself after he won the Battle of Mu'tah.

Despite having fought in over one hundred battles, Khalid ibn al-Walid passed away in his own bed where he was quoted saying :

I fought in so many battles seeking martyrdom that there is no place in my body but have a stabbing mark by a spear, a sword or a dagger, and yet here I am, dying on my bed like an old camel dies. May the eyes of the cowards never sleep.

I admire Khalid al-Walid for his tenacity, courage and strength in defending Islam at all cause. He remained steadfast to the cause of spreading Islam even after Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab removed him from his post as the army commander.

He remains to this day, one of the greatest generals in history and one of the formidable heroes in Islam. It's not that he struck fear in his enemies that I find most awe-inspiring, it is his unstinting loyalty to Islam which he had embraced with all of his heart.


4) Who is the most inspiring Muslim woman to you and why?

The wife of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.), Khadijah bint Khuwaylid for obvious reasons:

(a) She's the first person to convert to Islam.
(b) She remained loyal and supportive towards her husband, the Holy Prophet Muhammad's (p.b.u.h.) mission in spreading Islam.

I distinctly remember the story where she calmed and consoled our Prophet (p.b.u.h.) after his first Koranic Revelation through the angel Gabriel inside the cave of Mount Hira. She is his pillar of strength and her death which took place during the Year of Sorrow or roughly 619 AD, caused Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) much unhappiness that in turn led to his emigration (Hijra) to Medina.

The late Khajidah's influence and importance in our Prophet's (p.b.u.h.) life is indisputable as it is poignant.


5) What CONTEMPORARY (i.e., living) Muslim do you find most inspiring and why?

I was browsing the Internet in search for relevant materials for this meme tag and I am deeply moved by the works of one Mr. Idris Tawfiq who is a Muslim revert and a former Roman Catholic priest. His reversion story (which can be found here struck a chord within me, as it keeps me grounded over my own 'jihad' (struggles) as a born-Muslim. Thankfully, it puts things into perspective for me.

Excerpts of said article :

“One day I headed to the biggest Mosque in London, to hear more about this religion. Getting into London Central Mosque, there was Yusuf Islam, the former pop singer, sitting in a circle talking to some people about Islam. After a while, I found myself asking him ‘What do you actually do to become a Muslim?’

“He answered that a Muslim should believe in one God, pray five times a day and fast during Ramadan. I interrupted him saying that I believed all this and had even fasted during Ramadan. So he asked, ‘What are you waiting for? What is holding you back?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t intend to convert.’

“At that moment the call to prayer was made and everyone got ready and stood in lines to pray. I sat at the back, and I cried and cried. Then I said to myself, ‘Who am I trying to fool?’

When a person like Mr. Idris Tawfiq devotes the remainder of his life to spread the word of Islam and to refute the misconceptions about our religion, it behooves me to do my part - however big or small - in defending and explaining Islam in whichever means possible.


6) How has Islam inspired you in your daily life?

Alhamdulillah, I'm forever grateful to be born a Muslim. Coming from a family background with its own dose of liberalism and materialism, I must say the greater jihad for me, would be to overcome those weaknesses and shed the excesses that are associated with such a way of life.

The Islam that I know inspires me to better myself in every aspect of my life. It teaches me about humility, self-forgiveness, patience, self-improvement, unconditional love and of course, faith.

There are some significant goalposts to hit in the future, God willing, and I have faith that through constant prayers and reflections, I will attain them one day.

I won't be tagging anyone else, instead I leave you with this inspiring Sunnah :

Volume 1, Book 3, Number 79 :
Narrated by Abu Musa:
The Prophet said, "The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which was fertile soil that absorbed rain water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. (And) another portion of it was hard and held the rain water and Allah benefited the people with it and they utilized it for drinking, making their animals drink from it and for irrigation of the land for cultivation. (And) a portion of it was barren which could neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation (then that land gave no benefits). The first is the example of the person who comprehends Allah's religion and gets benefit (from the knowledge) which Allah has revealed through me (the Prophets and learns and then teaches others. The last example is that of a person who does not care for it and does not take Allah's guidance revealed through me (He is like that barren land.)"