TASKS AFTER ISTANBUL

Many tasks awaited after arriving back from Istanbul, hence the silence of the posting in this blog henceforth till now.

Apart from the packed meetings as well as the packed administrative and graduate supervisory tasks, have to run to Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) as a mentor of the USIM's RACE Research Group, and twice to Selangor Zakat Council (LZS) as a panel of the redefinition of asnaf in the revision of the LZS's zakat distribution process.

In addition, there were also preparations for ISDEV community engagement programme (Language Camp) in Ban Nua, Thailand to be held from 10 to 25 April, and annual International Workshop on Islamic-Based Development (WAPI-6) and International Conference on Islamic-Based Development (ICID) to be held in Medan, Indonesia on 21 to 27 April. 13 ISDEV fraternity will be involved in the former with the cooperation of ISWU of the Walailak University in Nakhorn si Thammarat, and more than 50 ISDEV fraternity will be involved in the later with the cooperation of Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara and IPA-ISDEV of the Northern Sumatera. Simultaneously, deadlines for an assessment of an article for an international journal on management and a book manuscript on Islamic economics for a university's press also have to be met.

Alhamdulillah, by the grace of Allah SWT, all the above tasks were fulfilled and the last one, yesterday, was the Director's Tarbiyah delivered to ISDEV lecturers and graduate students in the ISDEV Monthly Graduate Supervision. The tarbiyah yesterday was on the third strength of ISDEV, that is the coordination in aqidah, shariah, akhlak, struggle, thinking, action and image.

All the above tasks were undertaken in the midst of daily visit to Universiti Sains Malaysia's Clinic for a wound-dressing after a minor operation, done the next day after arriving home from Istanbul.

However, many other tasks are still awaiting, including the writing of two papers on poverty and Islamic political economy for an international conference in Istanbul and another one for a conference in Rome, a Director's Speech to be conveyed at ISDEV Graduation Night 2013 on 11 April, the writing of a Keynote Address to be delivered at WAPI-6 and a main paper for the ICID, the examination of two PhD theses from two universities in the Klang Valley, an evaluation of a Master programme of another uinversity in the southern part of the Peninsular Malaysia, a revision of my edited book on the transformation of zakat, the writing of prefaces for five books (two on Islamic political economy written/edited by an ISDEV almuni to be published in Indonesia and three on zakat transformation edited by ISDEV lecturers to be published in Malaysia), apart from reading of four drafts of Master and PhD theses of my graduate students as well as their 23 working papers to be presented at WAPI-6 .

Oh Allah, please grant me with a joyful heart, spiritual and physical health, an ample time, and the ability to fulfill these tasks for the sake of You.