A fatherhood experience to Remember: Muawiyah, Rumaysa & Abah go to Yunnan 🇨🇳 - November 2025

 

This trip marks the first time 7yo Muawiyah and his younger sister , 3yo Rumaysa, goes overseas, where we take them on a 6-day trip to the cool cities of Kunming, Dali and Lijiang, in the province of Yunnan, China. 

Without their mother. 😱

While Ibu takes care of Baby Ali back home 🇲🇾👶🏻, it's Abah's time to step up 😅

Gulp. Gotta admit, this being my first overseas trip in a long time, there was a huge feeling of anxiety going in, anticipating my parenting and fatherhood skills would be put to the test. So many thoughts before the trip:

🤔 How am I going to prepare the kids on time, with the tight tour schedule and limited sleep? 💤

🤔 What if these little fellas throw tantrums or fight in front of others? 😖 Will I be able to control my emotions, keep my calm and composure in handling them? 

🤔 What if they cannot stand the cold weather, since the cities range anywhere between 5 to 20 degrees? 🥶And even colder in the snowy mountains? 

🤔 What if they dislike the food? 🍜🍛 What if they get hungry? 

🤔 How will I keep them occupied and engaged? At this age, would they appreciate the sightseeing and landscapes? Will I be able to pull it off without resorting to gadgets?  

🤔 Diaper dilemmas 💩🤯

🤔 What about security? 

Going into the trip, I was thinking: This could either turn out to be a traumatic parenting nightmare.. or the greatest & most memorable bonding journey with the kids. 

Alhamdulillah, it turned out to be the latter 😄

Turned out a really fun family trip and the much-needed bonding I needed, after weeks of late nights at the office. 

Super proud of the kids for behaving so well, (mostly) complying to schedule and learning to enjoy each other's company, with minimal tantrums, and - surprise, surprise - I never had to resort to screen time or gadgets. 

Thanks tok and tok mum @zahurinmohamed for bringing us together on the trip, and for all the help handling Abang & Kakak. Super thanks to Ibu @ummmua_wiyah09 also for systematically preparing their clothing by days. 

P/s I can now fully relate to what it's like to crave for "me-time" 🤣

10 Public speaking strategies: Speech (Pidato) MTAQ 2025

 

Public speaking was never a natural talent for me. I didn’t grow up doing debates or presentations—it’s a skill I had to learn from scratch, and, in spite of recent years of experience, it's a skill that I’m still continuously learning to refine and improve. 

This year's MTAQ pidato was another opportunity for development. Here, I'd like to share ten public speaking strategies I used for the competition: 

1️⃣ 📝 Concise scripting - with a hard time limit of 7 minutes for introduction + points + conclusion, you have to keep the script sharp, and trim down the fat. Make it precise: No room for fillers or repetitions for emphasis, just nail the points and move on. 

2️⃣ 💚 Express a range of emotions - to keep audience engagement, vary your tones of voice strategically and authentically express your emotions: what comes from the heart goes to the heart. 

3️⃣ ☝🏼Hand gestures - In her book "Captivate", author Venessa Van Edwards emphasizes some interesting findings on the impact of hand gestures: it signals confidence, builds trust and rapport, and if done right, serves as visualization aids that drive your points further. 

4️⃣ ❓Ask questions for reflection - strategically place questions at parts that emphasize interesting points or create a sense of wonder and anticipation. 

5️⃣ ⏸️Pause. Give space - this is a tip I struggle with (especially when getting nervous onstage!), but one that's super important. Don't just hammer your points like a machine gun - give audiences space to reflect, especially after asking thought provoking questions. 

6️⃣ 🫡Give credit to other contestants - since I was #5 and last in sequence  and they didn't have restrictions of listening in other contestants, I decided to give a subtle shout out to them in agreement, as a small nod and gesture of respectful professionalism. 

7️⃣ 🐝Use relatable stories and examples for reflection - aside from the analogy of the bees, to anchor the speech's key message, I picked a relatively unknown but inspiring story of transformation Fudhail bin Iyad - thief turned scholar. The message? 

"You can't be worse than a highway robber, and at the same time, we are all far behind the status of a righteous scholar. Yet if this individual can transform, perhaps so can you and I."

8️⃣ 👀 Strategic Eye contact - this is important for engagement, but sometimes can be tricky, if you accidentally get a frown or a negative facial reaction that can derail your train of thought. So, look at audiences at the back.. you can't really see their faces 😁

9️⃣ ♻️Rehearse: again, and again (and again) - as boring as it sounds, to me, there's no escaping it. Know it so well that you can confidently go on autopilot, so your hands and eyes can do their thing and reinforce your delivery. 

🔟 🤲🏽 Du'aa - I still get very nervous before any speech or presentation. So before speaking, I make it a habit to practice this: the Duaa of Musa. 

When Prophet Moses was about to confront Pharaoh, fearing for his life and needing confidence for the difficult task ahead, Moses made this prayer:

رَبِّ ٱشۡرَحۡ لِي صَدۡرِي وَيَسِّرۡ لِيٓ أَمۡرِي وَٱحۡلُلۡ عُقۡدَةٗ مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفۡقَهُواْ قَوۡلِي 

“My Lord! Uplift my heart for me, and make my task easy, and remove the impediment from my tongue, so people may understand my speech"

[Surah Ṭā-Hā: 25-28]

So that's it! The ten strategies. Any of them that you find useful and can implement? Any other major techniques you suggest? Love to hear it! 👇🏼

Pidato (Speech) for PETRONAS MTAQ 2025: “Al-Qur’an Dihayati, Organisasi Diberkati” (English translation)

 

A story for our contemplation: in the 2nd century Hijrah in Khurasan, Iraq, there lived a man infamous for his cruelty — a highway robber who loots caravans and travelers.

One night, he heard a recitation of the Qur’an — a verse from Surah Al-Hadid.

Struck by what he heard, he repented immediately, abandoned his sins, migrated to Makkah, pursued knowledge, & eventually became a great scholar.

His name is Fudhail ibn Iyad.

From a despised robber, he transformed into a renowned scholar & a teacher to great imams, including Imam al-Shafi‘i.

This is the power of the Qur’an when truly internalized.

And thus our theme:

“Al-Qur’an Dihayati, Organisasi Diberkati."

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1. Integrity

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤدُّوا ٱلۡأَمَٰنَٰتِ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهَا

“Indeed, Allah commands you to deliver trusts to those entitled to them.” (An-Nisa 4:58)

Integrity isnt just a slogan, it's the foundation of any organization. Even a company with billions in profit, without it will completely collapse — as we've seen in Enron and Theranos.

2. Teamwork / Cohesiveness

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ

“Help one another in goodness and piety.” (Al-Maidah 5:2)

A single bee produces only one drop of honey in its lifetime — just one. But thousands working together create abundance for the entire hive and even for humanity.

Likewise, an organization’s strength is never about one “superhero,” but shared teamwork.

3. Professionalism

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلۡإِحۡسَـٰنِ

Allah commands justice and excellence.

Not just “meeting requirements,” but giving our best — that is true Professionalism. (An-Nahl 16:90)

4. Ethical Communication

وَقُل لِّعِبَادِي يَقُولُوا ٱلَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ

“Tell My servants to speak in the best manner, for Satan sows discord among them.” (Al-Isra 53)

Many organisations fall not due to lack of expertise, but toxic communication. 

If we spoke only in the best way, imagine the blessing: healthier culture, easier conflict resolution, stronger collaboration.

5. Gratitude

لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ

“If you are grateful, I will surely increase you.” (Ibrahim 14:7)

Studies show grateful employees are happier, more productive, reduced stressed. Gratitude builds loyalty — and brings collective blessings.

---

We began with the story of Fudhail ibn Iyad — a robber turned scholar by one verse.

If a single verse can transform a life, imagine what blessings await when an entire organisation lives by the Qur’an.

What was that verse that changed Fudhail? Surah al-Hadid, verse 16:

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوٓا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ

“Has the time not come for the hearts of the believers to humble themselves to the remembrance of Allah?”

So the question for all of us:

Has the time not come for US — to reflect, to internalize the Qur’an, and to seek its blessings?

Pidato @Murattal MTAQ PETRONAS 2025

"Al-Qur’an Dihayati, Organisasi Diberkati”

Satu kisah untuk renungan: Pada abad ke-2 hijrah di Bandar Khurasan, Iraq, ada seorang lelaki zalim: seorang perompak jalanan yang terkenal. 

Satu hari, beliau terdengar bacaan satu ayat Al-Qur'an. 

Mendengar ayat tersebut, beliau terus insaf, bertaubat meninggalkan dosanya, berhijrah ke Mekah, lalu menuntut ilmu hingga menjadi ulama besar.

Siapakah individu ini?

Nama beliau: Fudhail ibn Iyad. 

Dari seorang perompak hina, Fudhail bin Iyadh menjadi seorang ulama yang masyhur dalam Islam, menjadi guru kepada ulama besar, termasuklah guru kepada Imam Syafi‘i.

Itulah potensi keberkatan al-Qur’an apabila dihayati dengan sewajarnya. 

Dan demikianlah, tema kita: “Al-Qur’an Dihayati, Organisasi Diberkati.”

1. Integriti

Firman Allah (al-Nisa’ 58):

 إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤدُّوا ٱلۡأَمَٰنَٰتِ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهَا

 “Sesungguhnya Allah memerintahkan kamu menunaikan amanah kepada yang berhak.”

2. Kerja Berpasukan atau Cohesiveness

Firman Allah (al-Ma’idah 2):

 وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ

 “Tolong-menolonglah kamu dalam kebajikan dan takwa.”

3. Professionalism 

Firman Allah (al-Nahl 90):

 إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلۡإِحۡسَـٰنِ

“Sesungguhnya Allah mengarahkan agar berlaku adil dan berihsan.”

4. Komunikasi Beretika

Firman Allah (al-Isra’ 53):

 وَقُل لِّعِبَادِي يَقُولُوا ٱلَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ

 “Katakanlah kepada hamba-hamba-Ku: hendaklah mereka berkata dengan perkataan yang terbaik. Sesungguhnya syaitan menimbulkan perselisihan di antara mereka.”

5. Kesyukuran

Firman Allah (Ibrahim 7):

 لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ

 “Jika kamu bersyukur, nescaya Aku tambah (nikmatmu).”

PENUTUP;

 Di awal tadi kita mendengar kisah Fudhail ibn Iyad, perompak kerana tersentuh dengan satu ayat

Apakah ayat tersebut?

 Ayat ke-16, surah al-Hadid:

 أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوٓا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ

 “Belum tibakah masanya bagi orang-orang yang beriman, untuk hati mereka tunduk mengingati Allah?

 

Persoalan kepada diri saya dan anda: bukankah sudah tiba masanya untuk tunduk khusyu, dan menghayati al-Qur’an? 

Johan: Majlis Tilawah Al-Qur'an PETRONAS 2025 📖

الحمد لله الذي بنعمته تتم الصالحات

Alhamdulillah, dengan izin dan rahmat Allah, rezeki saya tahun ini, dikurniakan Johan bagi Kategori Murattal, dengan pidato tahun ini berlandaskan tema, "Al-Qur'an Dihayati, Organisasi Diberkati"