Mid Ramadhan - Napping Purposefully

Mar 5, 2026

First of all, I need to nap. I followed my impulse and get Nescafé for iftar yesterday and thus I was only asleep by 12am. I slept through until sahur but it was not a good night sleep. I had another coffee for sahur because I don't want to sleep after Subuh and hopefully after writing this, I'm able to get a good nap before getting ready to work. I've also have some chores to do after my nap just to get my body going instead of groggily just go to work. Talk about preparation!

I used to dread things kind of planning and simply having to do "life". I feel like it takes away from doing other "meaningful" things in life. Then, I slowly starts to shift my mind acknowledging that this is just life and I'm doing the best to make the most out of it. 

If the naps are necessary for me to function better at work to compensate for waking up early for sahur then be it. I have to accept that I worked in shifts and it's rare for me to come home when there's still sunlight so I need to adjust as needed. This is just how life is.



The most important thing is, whatever kind of life you're doing it is always the right thing as long as you put your heart at the right place. This is what I missed to see. It's not about how others work normal 9 to 5 will be able to live more righteously or having more money enable you to liaise some mundane chores so you have more free time - it's about doing and knows in your heart that it is just how life is that Allah has made it just so. Put your heart out for Him and do niat for Him and that itself will be more than meaningful. Probably in the future I'll be able to do more. Or probably one day I will so satisfied and feel enough just so to focus on it and become more content, at peace.

During my long drive to and back from work, I've been listening to lots of podcast. It really depends on my moods - it can be goofy, life tips and spiritual/religious. I found that podcast by Aida Azlin has been a really relatable Islamic day to day reflection as well as the one by PU Riz and Dato' Fadilah Kamsah in Buat Saja podcast. One of the clear message that sticks deep in my heart which really shifted my mindset and get me turning to it over and over again even in different podcasts is this Hadith Muslim 2999 -


Suhaib reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:

Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it.

I used to think it's about patience and being  strong at it too. Now I looked at it as a way to live in peace, more content. It is a bit more laid-back in a way than my initial impression that I need to be a strong willed Muslim to be able to practice it. It's the very concept of Ikigai but instead of just letting go, I'm putting the trust to the One who control everything - past, present, future and beyond comprehension. I believe that Allah knows I need to be in a certain stage of life to be able to comprehend this because I used to believe in the concept of Ikigai. It's true what Dato' Fadilah Kamsah saying that all these western/non Muslim self help book/concept is actually another way of representing how Muslims should do. 

So yeah, that is my whole thought process on me needing to nap. I have been consistently able to wake up early this Ramadhan for sahur even during my menses. I'm aiming to keep waking up early to get a 40 days streaks. Pray for me!


14th of Ramadhan - Being More Grateful

Mar 4, 2026

I was thinking that maybe I'm not supposed to put daily updates into this blog as my standard. Then I thought that if I don't do it then might not update at all. So, let's just stick to explaining why I didn't update for the past 7 days. Funnily, I need to refer to my work timetable to recall back what I did.

I had a half day shift yesterday to finish off a pending time off claim. I clocked out at 1pm and went to a shop to have my father's old kitab to be re-bind. Is re-bind the right word? Anyway, last Saturday, I spent the day doing work while listening to podcast with Madnor and one of his point hits me in which he says that we also need to fulfil our employee rights. By rights, working hours should wholly be dedicated to work. I'm not being too rigid but then I thought of some work stuff that I might need to do off works to compensate anything that involves me not being fully dedicated to work. So, yesterday, despite having a half day, I still attend our weekly meeting and be fully present even tho I was in my car. After the meeting ended, I went for a massage, cooked and later that night I finally went to our surau here and did terawih. Honestly speaking, it was the kids who pushed us. I made a small cup of coffee to share with my husband after iftar just to get a little boost of energy and it was totally worth it. 



During my day off on Sunday, we went out to buy baju raya for the kids and I went for iftar with my friends. On Monday, I was so sleepy and slept until 10ish. It was the first day that I started fasting after menses but I don't know why I was so sleepy since I still woke up early to prepare for sahur daily. After waking up, I did some chores and I went out with my husband around 2.30pm to do some more chores and buy groceries for iftar. I was still so tired that I slept right after Isyak.

Saturday was a full day shift. So I don't have time to write but then I realize I will also don't have time to write if I have morning shift like last Friday. I have a bad traffic coming home that I didn't have time to cook so I had to buy food from a random nasi lemak stall. Thank god it was good. I really only have time to write on days that I have noon shifts. I'm trying to write on my off days but it seems like there's always things to do, chores that is still pending and naps to catch lol.

Anyway, I just realized that these days of everything needs to be done are actually things that I need to be more grateful for. I'm trying to be more mindfully grateful and says alhamdulillah more especially when I know it's a habit of those who enters Jannah. Problem is, I keep on thinking that only good things deserve to be in the list but then feels to mundane to be grateful on things that I will always do. 

I'm grateful for having the time to cook food that I love and then feeds my family who is also fasting. Now I got more pahala yay!

I'm grateful that I got to meet my friends for iftar  and going to be having iftar with my siblings this weekend

I'm grateful that we are able to go out all the way to Subang and finds baju kurung that the kids actually love

I'm grateful that I am more focused at work and able to learn more through doing training sessions

I'm grateful that I'm able to do better self reflect at work and looking forward to be better at it through reading more and I'm grateful that I got to learn good suggestions of books to read to.


May our days always be filled with things to be grateful for. 



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