**IS VALENTINE'S DAY A SPECIAL DAY?**
**TIME... YESTERDAY, TIME... TODAY, TIME... TOMORROW**

Akamu:: Ya, Time.. Ya, Time..

Time:: Ya, dear.

Akamu:: I have a couple of questions to ask.

Time:: What is it, Akamu?

Akamu:: Umm... February 14.. you know.

Time:: Yes, a lot of people celebrate Valentine's Day.

Akamu:: What do you think about that day?

Time:: Like people of the truth, I do not care about that occasion. The day is not really a day to celebrate 'love' for you.

Akamu:: I agree. That day is not special as we can express love everyday. What I wonder is... just... umm... what is really the special day for us all?

Time:: Every day is special.

Akamu:: Every day? But... but... we feel nothing special yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Time:: My dear, you all never know what is happening on every day. A day is different, it will never come again after it passed. You can't capture the day you experienced back again.

Akamu:: How suppose does today be a special day for us?

Time:: Today may be the day of birth for a baby you never know. May be the day of death for someone you never know. May be the day for someone you never know, to marry. May be the day for someone to begin friendship. May be the day for someone to give or experience more happiness. May be the day for someone to inspire at least one person. May be the day for someone to forgive and get forgiven. May be the day for someone to experience the test of Allah for his patience.

Akamu:: But, still... Today may be a special day for someone but not for another one.

Time:: To most human beings, a special day is just a day to celebrate. In the truth, every day is the day Allah gives all His bounties, blessings and tests to all livings, especially you are still alive right now. Just remember, Allah gives you all time, from your birth to your death. Each second is special as you need to capture wisely.

Akamu:: You.... you are right... right.... How do we use wisely?

Time:: Every second is worthy to think about Allah. Allah is always see and hear to all of you, all the time. Make your time through praying to Allah for His blessings on your prophet (Muhammad, peace be upon him), your mother, your father, your siblings, your children, your friends and everyone. Also, capture your seconds to do good deeds and help someone, and love someone for the sake of Allah. Plus, being patient in His tests is worthy each second.

Akamu:: But, many people don't know,... or forget about it.

Time:: Then, tell them as you remember and know about it.

(Akamu nodded and silent for a few seconds)

Akamu:: Time, thank you for your wise advice.

Time:: You are welcome. Just be happy for Allah and think about Him as He created me for you all.. Please use me wisely for the sake of Allah.

*By time; Indeed, mankind is in loss; Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience. --- (Quran 103 al-Asr: 1-3)

Chapter: THE DEAF BOY AND DARKNESS

Chapter: THE DEAF BOY AND DARKNESS

MALAYSIA -- Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam, Shah Alam

A boy sat in the crowd of unfamiliar people, talking randomly and actively. He never be interested into random conversation. It is not that people are boring and useless, but he was just deaf. Could not hear anyone talking, could not hear someone’s voice and could not hear any sound. People surrounding him are just ordinary, hearing people: not deaf. The boy was attending a university where it was rarely having a deaf person enrolling inside, and he surprised staff and students awkwardly. He never gave up a lot of things for his deafness alone, as he did not take his deafness as his weakness.

While being in the camp for his outdoor youth program, he just watched the leader speaking animatedly without a sound he could capture. After the crowd settled down for their personal business, he approached the leader and scribbled on his notebook.

‘What did you announce recently?’

‘We are going to do nightwalk tonight later’

‘Nightwalk?’

‘It is like walking through the jungle in the night’. He felt excited for the activity while the leader realized and concerned about something.

‘Interesting. I would look forward for it.’

‘But, I think you just should stay out of the activity. It’s really dangerous for you.’

‘I can survive. I can do that’. The leader was not conceived.

‘I am afraid it’s not. It is still dangerous and you can relax at your camp.’

‘I don’t want to take time alone in the camp while they are doing outside.’ The leader paused for a few seconds, and then scribbled.

‘Alright, you just stick with me, follow me but you can’t pass through the jungle. Just wait with me at the starting point.’

His heart dropped at the statement. He wondered why he couldn’t have what these students can do. Instead of angering and scolding for the injustice, he just shrugged off the disappointment and get his patience up. Until then, he joined with the leader in the preparation of the activity. He followed the leader and the group into the jungle. To his amazement, it was really dark outside and he could not see as he just keep grabbed someone’s shoulders to follow. After they stopped at the starting point, they sat down on the ground. He learned that each one had gone alone through the dark jungle from the point to the ending point. While he was sitting on the ground, the big heavy wonder hit him so hard.

**Wonder in his mind**

It’s really scary, I can’t see someone barely in this black dark pitch. Well, there is the moon but it is not bright enough for me to see someone beside me. I really can’t see someone’s face. I really need to see someone, need to feel the presence of someone beside me even I know there’s someone around me here. I... I am scary. Nothing I could see. Deafness is not helpful, as I can’t hear someone talking and whispering. I am scary. This darkness is really scary. I never have been in this scary situation. Being alone in the darkness is too much. 

So, it is how Adam felt after he got down onto the Earth separately. While finding Eve on the Earth for long, how could he survive through dark nights. Yes, he could hear for sure but what he hear would be something from animals, plants and nature like wind. I couldn’t survive this darkness for long time without hearing. Oh Lord, I am scary. 

I just can see shadow of treetops and stars. These stars are really beautiful. Blinking beautifully. Unfortunately, Milky Way is not there, just because I am in wrong location. I feel like I wanna grab these stars. They are only ones I could see in this darkness. I bet that Adam could still be enlightened in seeing beautiful stars and moon in dark nights. Allah created those stars for the beautiful purpose in our gazes, even they could be used for navigation, I know.

  He jumped once someone tapped his shoulder. Startled at the sudden flashlight the leader turned on. The deaf boy followed him through the alternative route to the ending route until he encountered with tiring students on the ground. It seems that those students were trying so hard to use their hearing senses for the direction towards the ending point where other leaders were shouting for attention. He wondered about the travelers on deserts and jungles in moonless nights. Today, we people may not survive like these travelers before the invention of automobile and transportion. 

Once the sun climbed over the horizon, he woke up and had morning exercise, then went for breakfast after having showered. While he was chewing, he stared at the window for something visible outside. And then, he looked around for a lot of things and people surrounding him. Spinning fans. Girls and boys were having breakfast separately. Volunteers were serving food. Blue marble floor. White clothed tables. Brown wood walls. Everything in his sight were different in appearances.

Yes it is. I can see everything WHEN the light is present. Without light, it's DARK and I can't see everything around. Light... light... light... Nur. Nur is the light, from.... from Allah. Allah shine everything through the sun so we can see everything. Showing us everything beautiful. As well as we humans are able to see, it's actually enable us to know which is true and which is wrong. Light... is what Allah leads us in seeing the truth.

Once the light is out, the darkness is what we deal. Nothing we can see. Nothing we can do with something visible. So, ... so, it's why Allah recommended us to perform suna' prayers like Tahajjud, Istikharah, and Witir, reciting His names, and reading Quran in nights. It's better to avoid us from being lost in dark especially getting involved into something devilish. Maksiat. Maksiat is always visible... in dark. Dark do no harm to us but dark lovers do. Alhamdulillah. Allahumma, thank You for giving me some lesson.