Remembering our Creator

It is a striking book - black with a burst of colour in the upper corner, and the title and author's name embossed in gold. Within its full-colour pages is a flowing river of poetry and poetic-style prose by the author, Dr Safiah Osman, thanking "Allah SWT for His clear reminders that there must be love, fondness and kindness in our hearts."

Dr Safiah Osman is a very close friend of my aunt Datin Kalsom Taib and she has become a friend of mine. Soft-spoken, gentle, gracious and courteous, she is also humble, not speaking much at all of her achievements, which are many. She had been a Professor of Language Education at the University of Malaya and, later, at the Sultan Idris University of Education, where she moved on to become its Director for International Relations before retiring in 2004. Safiah was the founder member and first President of the Malaysian Reading Association, affiliated to the International Reading Association.

She had a dream she wanted to pursue after her retirement - and that was to put down her thoughts and feelings about the boundless gifts and blessings of Allah in books that will guide people to always remember Him. In this book, Let Us Remember Allah For the Gift of Love in Our Hearts, her sincere and heartfelt words cover the spectrum of love from what we feel for our parents, mothers, children, relatives and friends, to what we can have for the poor, elderly and sick; even for those who smile warmly, speak politely or forgive readily. 

It's a beautifully written book. Safiah's poems and prose are all the more meaningful accompanied by verses from the Holy Qur'an and authentic Hadiths, and illustrated by photographs and original Islamic calligraphic art-pieces. She gives so much in the book that you need to take your time to savour her words, reflect upon them and, of course, if you haven't been doing so, to build that love within you and share it (Please click here for the pdf sample of the book).

This is not Safiah's first book. Her earlier one, published in 2009, is "about the wonder of Allah's Creations, about love for the seas, oceans and mountains; trees, rivers, animals, insects, plants and vegetation." 

Both books would make ideal presents for all kinds of occasions. A gift of knowledge, one that may help to improve our deen, must surely be one of the best to receive.