5 UNEXPECTED GIFTS FROM ALLAH SWT

With Dr Zakaria Bahari, the Chairman of the Organizing Committe of the 5th IDMAC11

Still could not write the brief notes of the past activities.

Within this few days, have to prepare a presentation of a final report on Organisational Empowerment and Societal Participation in Zakat Distribution for Lembaga Zakat Selangor Workshop held yesterday the 8th at De Palma Hotel Shah Alam; to fulfill two deadlines by today the 10th, firstly an article on the Conceptualisation of Islamic Project Management for a Fundamental Research Grant Scheme and secondly a Keynote Address entitles Preliminary Understanding of Islamic Marketing and Assets Management for IDMAC11 Conference to be held on 13-14 December at Universiti Sains Malaysia; to prepare for a meeting on the establishment of a new university tentatively named Universiti Islam Malaysia at KL Concorde Hotel tomorrow the 10th till the 11st; to prepare for a solicited talk for a Waqf: Redefining Prosperity and Growth Seminar organised by IQRA Foundation and INCEIF on the 15th at Central Bank of Malaysia in KL; and to prepare for a presentation of a paper entitles Islamic Economics Revisited: Recontemplating Unresolved Structure and Assumptions at the 8th International Conference on Islamic Economics and Finance in Doha, Qatar on 19-21st December, organised by Qatar Foundation,  Islamic Research and Training Institute of the Islamic Development Bank, and International Association of Islamic Economics .

For all these, have to fly quite a lot: 3 times return to KL in a week (in between the 7th and 15th), with one or two days break in Penang, plus a long return fly to Doha, Qatar on the 18th and 22nd December. Three other trips are anticipated to be made to KL after coming back from Doha at the end of December and early January, to attend three PhD viva voce as an external examiner at University of Malaya and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Of all these, I firmly believe, Allah SWT has advanced me yesterday with five special gifts: firstly, our final report on the revision of zakat distribution of the Lembaga Zakat Selangor (LZS) has been accepted by the LZS without much query; secondly, my younger daughter Ummu Habibah has been accepted to pursue her study at Sekolah Menengah Perempuan Al-Mashor as she wishes; thirdly, my elder daughter A`firah has been awarded a study loan by Yayasan Terengganu; fourthly, ISDEV Management Committee Dr Zakaria Bahari has been approved to join me to present a paper at the Qatar Conference with USM sponsorship while visa and accommodation are arranged by the organisers; and fifthly, I managed to get the last seat on earlier flight back to Penang.

A few days prior to all these gifts, I was awarded with a RM815,000.00 Research University Team Grant to undertake a four-year research on Islamic-Based Development consisting of a concentration on Islamic-based development world-view and index, the politics of the Islamic-based development strategy, the implication of ethics and hisbah on human development, the Islamic Corporate Responsibility of Islamic Banks, and Istibdal for Waqf Development.

Thank you very much Allah!

Workshop on Kajian Kemaskini Agihan Zakat of the Lembaga Zakat Selangor