السلام عليكم
Alhamdulillah 'ala kulli hal :) saye berceloteh lagi!
2nd ramadhan oo. smalam sume geng MSD dtg rumah utk terawih...
loved it. ade nadia, bro nasser, tentera2 ustad :)..
kakngah came to me and said, "Kak teeqa tau dak..harini kan hana baca Quran EMPAT muka surat!"
waah. tere adek kecik ni. pastu sembang2 ngan umi, uumi pon cerita laa yg hana baguih harini baca empat muka surat of the Quran sampai penaattt sgt she had to break her fast. she had a tummy ache. and it wasn't long when started praying till the end of it, kak ngah was flat asleep. :)) Allah bless her. I love her to bits. ah, which remind me, utk marathon mengaji pada bulan yg baik ini..khatam quran? (dlm masa kurang dari 30 hari...it's a girl thing). inshaAllah.
esok terawih kat rumah ustad plak. harini kat rumah anty sara.
what did i have for iftar? as an appetizer (cece) i made a banana split. Alhamdulillah. yummy lah. lps tu some raw boiled brocoli. mmm...favourite <3 c'etait delicieuse. Alhamdulillah3. igtkn nk tgkap gambar bg along tgk. takpe lah..nnt homesick plak dia. homesick kat chicago? tebalik dah :D
so, what are the videos about?? i was contemplating...after a while. my last class, Women and Creativity, we talked A LOT...like, A LOTTT about Feminism..and we discussed whether or not this female grammy awarded artist should be considered as a feminist. but wait a sec. what is Feminism? ugh, dont make go there. it comes with a lot of emotional feelings, that word. hmm. I'm only gona speak about this artist. not necessarily in depth. but here you go.
so anyway, we were given lyrics and with each, we had to analyze. i read this lyrics 'Do Wop (That Thing)' by Lauryn Hills. Already i went sour..i was thinking to myself..Rightt it's just another RnB with a twist of hip hop song..by just seeing the tittle. yeah, like many people say, dont judge a song by it's title, rittte.
so here..listen to the song first and keep an eye on the lyrics..
Yo, remember back on the bully when cats used to harmonize like
"Wooo... wooo... wooo..."
Yo, yo, my men and my women, don't forget about the Deen
The Sirat al-Mustaqeem
It's about a thing
Yo, yo, yo, if you feel real good, lift your hands up in the air
And lick two shots in the atmosphere
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
It's been three weeks since you were looking for your friend
The one you let hit it and never called you again
'Member when he told you he was about the Benjamins?
You act like you and him
Then give him a little trim
To begin
How you think you really goin' to pretend
Like you wasn't down when you called him again?
Plus when
You give it up so easy you ain't even foolin' him
If you did it then, then you'd probably [fuck] again
Talking out your neck, saying you're a Christian
A Muslim sleeping with the Jinn
Now that was the sin
That did Jezebel in
Who're you going to tell
When the repercussions spin?
Showing off your ass 'cause you're thinking it's a trend
Girlfriend
Let me break it down for you again
You know I only say it 'cause I'm truly genuine
Don't be a hard rock, when you really are a gem
Baby girl, respect is just a minimum
Niggas fucked up and you still defending him
Now, Lauryn is only human
Don't think I haven't been through the same predicament
Let it sit inside your head like a million women in Philly, Penn
It's silly when girls sell their souls because of sin
Look at what you be in
Hair weaves like Europeans
Fake nails done by Koreans
Come again
Yo! A-When when come again! (Yeah-Yeah!)
When when come again!! (Yeah-Yeah!)
My friend come again!!! (Yeah-Yeah!)
Guys you know you'd better, watch out (Watch out!)
Some girls, some girls are only, about (About!)
That thing, that thing, that thing! (Thing!)
That thing, that thing, that thing! (Thing!)
The second verse is dedicated to the men
More concerned with his rims and his Tims than his women
Him and his men, come in the club like hooligans
Don't care who they offend
Popping yin (Like you got Yen)
Let's stop pretend, the ones that pack pistols by the waist men
Cristall by the case men, still living in his Mother's basement
The pretty face men claiming that they be the "big men."
Need to take care of their three and four kids
But they face a court case when the child support's late
Money taking and heart breaking
Now you wonder why women hate men
The sneaky silent men
The punk domestic violence men
Quick to shoot the semen, stop acting like boys and be men!
How you gonna win, when you ain't right within?!
How you gonna win, when you ain't right within?!
How you gonna win, when you ain't right within?!
Unh unh come Again!
Yo yo come Again!
Brethren come again!
Sistren come again!
Watch out, watch out
Look out, look out
Watch out, watch out
Look out, look out
Watch out, watch out
Look out, look out
Watch out, watch out
Look out, look out
Girls you know you'd better, watch out (Watch out!)
Some guys, some guys are only about (About!)
That thing, that thing, that thing! (Thing!)
That thing, that thing, that thing! (Thing!)
Guys you know you'd better, watch out (Watch out!)
Some girls, some girls are only, about (About!)
That thing, that thing, that thing! (Thing!)
That thing, that thing, that thing! (Thing!)
____________________________________________
If it includes "sarat al-mustaqeem", perhaps the preceding word is "din", pronounced just like "dean", which means "religion" or "faith" in Arabic. Adam Bishop 05:37, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Yeah that makes sense. Thanks! Natgoo 07:38, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Isn't Lauryn Hill a Methodist?-72.78.185.75 23:27, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
source - wikipedia
i had a glance at the lyrics twice..again and again. astounded by this song..did she actually mention of the 'Deen' and 'The Sirat al-Mustaqeem (jalan/titian yang lurus)'...woah. teruja sebentar sbb never expected such a song (quite an old song too) which i've listened and familiarized to for quite sometimes actually contains this sort of messages. haih..ateeqa nasha. pay attention~ i mean, she isn't a practiced Muslim (or even a muslim at all but who am i to say..Wallahualam). maybe penganut agama lain pon (try searching but huh..not quite there yet) yet she clearly uses islamic terms like those in her songs. then i questioned my friends whether or not they knew what they meant. they had no idea..so i began explaining and expressed how odd of her to use these terms. this is a clear display of a hint of Iman and submission in Islam. in words...it's mainly a heart thing. that's why we humans work in wonders. sungguh, Allah saje yg tahu apa yg diucapkan dan apa yg dirahsiakan. husnuzhun).
Yo, yo, my men and my women, don't forget about the Deenmorals of this song are undeniably true. she addressed 'To Watch Out For That Thing' to 'Brethren' as well as 'Sisthren'..reflects brotherhood and sisterhood which reflects Islam too. indeed, this song is eloquent in my eyes. Subhanallah. Lauryn mentions of 'A Muslim sleeping with Jinn (lol????) That was the sins..That Jezebel Was In'. heh..kinda ironic. so she knows! heard of the Jezebel? funny how i found quite a number of people pouring out their laments after commiting adultery saying that they're being haunted or cursed by the Jezebel's spirit. Subhanallah...i only became lost of words. ludicurous, i thought...only because i have my own faith and beliefs. but to those people, they are actually struggling and pleading for help. MashaAllah, i was gifted with Islam which makes perfect sense of its words. lucifiers are my clear enemies and this thing called nafs which is engraved upon the each human's soul, our fitrah, it's about controlling and nurturing my nafs. so do i don't have any mind-boggling thing that would kill me thinking 'what is the matter with me?!' or 'why did the jezebel spirit chose me?' type of questions.
The Sirat al-Mustaqeem
It's about a thing
Yo, yo, yo, if you feel real good, lift your hands up in the air
This next song is from her album 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' is called 'To Zion'. Verily, she does her songs religiously (which is not so weird if we imagine Nasheed or Gospels songs) this song now is about putra Mariam r.a, Nabi Isa alayhissalam. she improvised here and there to resemble or retell her own story. this is when she is pregnant with her first born. Apparently she writes her song with a bible (if she is a christian/methodist)? don't know how far true it is..or it could be the Quran ;) Allah knows.
With Hill's first album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she communicated a variety of spiritual truth by a means that people could understand: Music. This is prophetic. One particular track, "To Zion," illustrates a powerful parallel between her own potentially "inconvenient" pregnancy and the pregnancy of Mary with Jesus, which was certainly inconvenient. According to the song, this pregnancy could not have helped Hill's career, but she kept the baby anyway and named him "Zion." Zion embodies salvation and hope in the minds of Jewish people, who are God's people. Hill trusted God with her pregnancy and God worked out her circumstances for something greater than she previously imagined. Mary trusted God and He worked it out for the salvation of the whole world.source : http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/the-prophetic-life-of-lauryn-hill-264151.html
Unsure of what the balance held
I touched my belly overwhelmed
By what I had been chosen to perform
But then an angel came one day
Told me to kneel down and pray
For unto me a man child would be born
Woe this crazy circumstance
I knew his life deserved a chance
But everybody told me to be smart
Look at your career they said,
"Lauryn, baby use your head"
But instead I chose to use my heart
Now the joy of my world is in Zion
Now the joy of my world is in Zion
How beautiful if nothing more
Than to wait at Zion's door
I've never been in love like this before
Now let me pray to keep you from
The perils that will surely come
See life for you my prince has just begun
And I thank you for choosing me
To come through unto life to be
A beautiful reflection of his grace
See I know that a gift so great
Is only one God could create
And I'm reminded every time I see your face
That the joy of my world is in Zion
Now the joy of my world is in Zion
Now the joy of my world is in Zion
Now the joy of my world is in Zion
Marching, marching, marching to Zion
Marching, marching
Marching, marching, marching to Zion
Beautiful, beautiful Zion
(repeat to end of song)
________________________________________________________
ON TOP OF THAT, another song of hers, called 'Selah'...which there and then i thought it sounded 'Salah/Solat/Solah'. then i hoped i was right. heard the song, seen the lyrics and found out whatt she referred to Selah pronounced SAY-LAH is "And it means, Praise and meditation, And then He came". Subhanallah. now that really got the chill in me :") noowww i'm really overwhelmed. it makes sense. what is she message in disguise, here? that she beliefs in the religion of Islam? is she hiding in her real own skin?
well, to be fair, i don't even know what her current religious affiliation is. it's as though saying Solah (praying), And then He came = we'd feel near to Allah wen we pray/perform Salah. and again, to be fair, what ever religion, when they pray, the big idea is to get the closure and feel secured that God is near. to feel the presence of God. the interesting part is she uses the word 'Selah' beyond the other wildest words. it took me 3 months of neglection, and to attain this discovery in a day only after a few research. ish2. shame on you ateeqa. one after another of discovery disintegrated of this person called Lauryn Hill that amazed me. check out the article of The Prophetic Life of Lauryn Hill.
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/the-prophetic-life-of-lauryn-hill-264151.html
it's just something for me to ponder on. i absolutely don't take what the narrator says word-by-word (addressing about myself too) but i use it as a fruit portion of my food-for-thought daily intake ;) may it nourises my soul and strengthens my iman as to what my belief holds. Alahamdulillah for this profound encounter. sungguh ade hikmah pade setiap keadaan dan kejadian. conclusion? i don't care who she is or what she preaches..i've heard and known (or even manipulated with reasons) just about enough or what i wanted to hear and know about this great lady herself. i'm contented with this discovery.
Nothing can be done against the truth
No matter how we remain in denial, yeah
Wasting time
Replacing time
With each empty excuse
But that'll only work a little while
Coping with despair
Knowing you're not there
Ashamed to just admit
I've been a fool
So I blame it on the Sun
Run away from everyone
Hoping to escape this ridicule
Trapped in misery
Wrapped so miserably
In this deception that im wearing like a skin
Dying to mantain
Oh I keep trying to explain
A heart that never loved me to begin
Oh I'm such a mess
I have no choice but to confess
That I've been desperately trying to belong
Lying to myself
And everybody else
Refusing to admit my right was wrong
And then He came
Selah
And it means
Praise and meditation
And then He came
Selah
And it means
Did you think about that?
And then He came
Selah
Oh and it means
Praise and meditation
And then He came
Selah
Oh and it means
That it is seen
How beautiful is fruit still in denial of its roots?
My guilty heart behaved so foolishly
This treason from within
That reasons with my sin
Won't be happy til it sees the death of me
Selfishly addicted
To a life that I depicted
Conflicted cuz it's not reality
Oh what's left of me
I beg you desperately
Cause me to agree with what I know is best for me
Please save me from myself
I need You to save me from myself
Please save me from myself so I can heal
The choices that Ive made
Oh have been nothing but mistakes
What a wasted use of space
Should I die before I wake?
In all of my religion
I've fortified this prison
Obligated to obey
The demands of bad decisions
Please save me from myself
I need You to save me from myself
Please save me from myself so I can heal
And then He came
Selah
And it means
Praise and meditation
And then He came
Selah
And it means
Did you think about that?
And He came
Selah
Oh and it means
Meditation
And then He came
Selah
Oh and it means
That it is seen
And then He came
And then He came
Then He came, then He came, then He came
And then He came
____________________________________________________________
May Allah send down his taufiq and hidayah and bless her with Islam (secara kaffah!/keseluruhan). Amin for myself too. why am i making such a big deal of this? because all this while i thought she was just another christian. by her other songs (i mean, it's typical mat salleh, kafir maybe). does it matter? for this moment, yes. there's something for me to reflect on and talk about..i mean, she's huge on fans. whomever i meet in the streets, college, who so happens to be her fan, i could speak of this. then, that could be a major turning point of how they view their so called icon. it certainly did for me. i mean, she has won so many grammy awards. and people cannot go eye-blinded by these few signs that mayybe, just maybe she beliefs that there is only one God and bears witness that Muhammad is the messenger ;) she has her own way of preach/dakwah that we may have overlooked ;)
would it make a diffrence is she was truly in the first place a muslim/born muslim? hehe well, then that would REALLY clear out my mystified air here. i mean, ramai je celebrities muslims that would never cross my mind..snoop dog, akon..etc etc
husnuzhon lah wahai ateeqa nasha!
and lastly, yes, i would say she's a Feminist (in my own definition!). Peace out! (v^_* )
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