Virtually Nurul – { Research | Fitness | Designs } by Nurul

Author: Nurul

  • Hafazan – Al-Fajr

    Today, I have memorised up to surah al-Fajr. It’s a one page plus surah and I only had 2 days to memorise all the 30 ayahs. Struggled a little bit as I had headaches for a few days and can’t be bothered with doing things that require brain work. It’s the 89th surah in the Quran.

    How I memorised within 2 days – I first read the translations and find contexts in each ayah with the time that I had. Ideally, I’d like to read the tafseer behind each ayah. So I broke down into chunks – first it talks about Fajr and nights. Then the races that Allah mentioned for us to learn from – the Aads, Thsamuds, Irams and Firaun – how they’re advanced as a civilization but at the same time are those who were tyrants, like Firaun. Allah too mentioned about the humans – who praised Allah when only they’re blessed with abundance and turned away when Allah tested them with insufficiency of rizq. And also some other characteristics.

    I love the rhythms of the verses of ayahs 21 and 22 and all the reminders of the following verses like in ayah 24 – about people who regretted not performing more ibadahs and goodness when they were still alive. And how inviting Allah is of his obedient servants towards Jannah. It’s a beautiful ending for the surah.

    It’s a challenging one as the sentences are not arranged in a form that I am already familiar with. So I need to rely on photographic memory if I can’t relate with the context of a sentence. I manage to recite my memorisation with small mistakes here and there; then again, my next homework is to memorise al-Ghasyiah and probably slot in al-A’la – I think I have memorised this surah before so it should be manageable. More practice on the line – the challenge is different now from the previous month, but I am excited.

    Grateful for this journey. Thank you Allah for making it smooth for me.

  • New Paper Presented and Published!

    Wanted to update that I have presented my paper in the 2nd International Conference on Sustainable Research and Development last year. The paper was awarded with “Best Paper” and “Best Presentation” overall and it was published in RSF Conference Series: Engineering and Technology.

    Kindly find the paper here:

    IoT Adoption in Agriculture: Linking Technology Readiness, Acceptance and Entrepreneurial Ambidexterity Among Small-scale Farmers in Sabah

  • Hafadzan Journey – 3rd Week Progress

    Had my 3rd class last Friday, first class during Ramadan. My most challenging task prior was to memorise al-Bayyinah. I did it in 20 minutes, plus I did extra hafazan on ad-Dhuha and at-Tin. I was so pleased with myself and thank Allah for helping me with memorising with ease. So my teacher proceeded with murojaah (checking my other hafazan) for 30 minutes, the next 30 minutes she checked my Quranic recitation (tahsin) from surah al-Fatihah up to al-Baqarah page 6. I don’t know, I liked the class – actually looking forward to it and felt like it’s the best thing I did all day despite of everything that’s happening in my life that day. Ustazah asked whether I have to time to do my hafazan. I told her I used the time stuck in traffic to practice. I actually lost my voice a bit but the sense of gratitude and achievement after memorising a surah is priceless.

    As at now I have memorised 23/114 surahs. I aim to memorise the whole Juz Amma (Juz 30) within a couple of months probably sometime in May or June. So much things I learnt by doing this. Like I am amused on how the verses are arranged and written. And the meaning in the surahs kind of stuck with me. Like how Allah wrote a surah specifically for gossip-mongers, those who are prideful of their possessions and a lot more. It works my brain in a whole different way. It also affects my heart and my soul. May Allah ease this journey and accept my effort to be closer to Him.

  • Hafadzan Class

    After being back from Umrah, I feel that I want to learn and get to know more on Quran, and protect it by memorising the ayahs. I also want to memorise as a challenge as I see a lot of people could do it at any age – also a way for me to recite when I got old enough that I could not read or illness could strike that would hinder me from reading Quran. I asked ChatGPT on strategies to do so, so it suggested that I memorise the last Juzuk first or ayahs from 78th to 114th surahs which are a lot. I tried on my own to memorise the verses for a week. Alhamdulillah, it set me up for my actual tahfidz class.

    My first class was a bit chaotic, probably the academy wanted to slot me in so that I could fit in February schedule. So my Ustazah wasn’t aware of my enrollment. Anyways all things cleared, I proceeded with my first class on 5th February 2026 – also the birthday of my sister.

    First class was okay, and a bit scary cause Ustazah was like asking me to recite all the verses from the last surah backwards as far as I can remember. I stumbled a lot but InshaAllah over time I would be comfortable enough to get used to it. So I managed to recite up to Al-Humazah and she taught me the strategies to memorise the ayahs. My first homework was to memorise the surah until I can recite smoothly without referring the Quran.

    Second class, the Ustazah was a lot more prepared. So we discussed a bit what should we do for an hour class. I decided that I want to do a bit of taddabur so that I can understand what the surah or verses are all about, which would help in my memorisation. She tested on my previous homework and we moved forward until surah As-Syarh. I was occasionally leading prayers at school, so all these short surahs were in my head. But that was like 30 years ago. Ustazah wanted to test me on Al-Alaq, she said, can you recite al-Alaq, the first revelation from Allah – I was like, I used to remember, now I couldn’t recall it – she gave me a go to try the first 5 verses, of which I could barely do. It was like a direct pang for me, how could I neglect and not protect all the surahs that I already memorised last time. I felt sad but also grateful that Allah gave me the chance to meet Ustazah and sent her to me to guide me. I am so grateful for being surrounded by good people. So my homework for next class is to memorise surah al-Bayyinah and I am so excited to do it.

    After class, I cried again, like big cry of gratitude and how I miss being in Makkah and on how Allah loves me so much. I feel like I am with the right teacher and I am on the right track. May Allah helps me to stay consistent with class and provide me with rizq to continue with classes and all the new commitments that I am into now. Alhamdulillah ❤️

  • Post-Umrah Feeling

    I am back in my home today a day after arriving Kota Kinabalu from Jeddah. I am just feeling gloomy coming back from Umrah. It feels like the world is overwhelming and I don’t want to do anything else. I occasionally cried longing to be close to Allah. I am trying to focus and rationale with what am I feeling.

    • I found a deep profound spiritual connection with Allah, found my purpose and now I don’t know how to move forward with it
    • I intend to change my lifestyle – like rethink of everything that I have been working on an align with my new spiritually transformed self
    • It feels too much right now – I long to be in Makkah again
    • I need to process what had happened during umrah – like I just discovered so many things about myself and about Islam
    • I am considering to move to Riyadh – maybe this one is too impulsive, but yes I started to research on this one
    • I feel the void now of leaving my past relationship – must pray and dua a lot and have faith that Allah is preparing something better for me

    I am just dreading to go back to my usual life before umrah. I will take it easy – one move at a time. I am yet to unpack and settle at home, but I am glad my property and belongings are all safe and protected. Thank you Allah for looking out for me. I left Makkah Live playing on YouTube ever since I first opened my laptop. I barely eat and just resettled things slowly. Maybe after eating dinner I would be able to think more clearly. Ya Allah, please make it easy for me to visit Baitullah again with my family, this time to perform hajj. Please don’t let me intentionally or unintentionally drift away from you ever again. Please send me someone or friends who will remind me of you always.

    How to overcome Post-Umrah Sadness – Hajj Safe

    Coping with Post Umrah Depression: A Guide for Pilgrims

    Life After Umrah | 7 Things To Do When You Are Back From Umrah | Pilgrim

    “After Umrah: Finding Peace” – MakkahMadinah.co.uk

  • Laravel new project procedures

    Procedures:

    1. New Laravel installation
    2. Create model, migration and controller
    3. Build routes and controller
    4. Design views/layouts
    5. Deploy application

    Codes:

    Make Data Model

    php artisan make:model <table> -m

    Migration 

    php artisan migrate

    Create controller 

    php artisan make:controller <dir/file>

    Create Blade layout – 

    php artisan make:view layouts.app 
php artisan make:view products.index

    Deploy project

    php artisan serve

  • Laravel Project 1

    What’s done today:

    Deploying Laravel project online

    Laravel new project prerequisites

    Building multi-auth prerequisites – database, model, controller, layout

    Apply Bootstrap styling to UI -switched to Tailwind

    Next tasks:

    Study Laravel flow of process

    Setup database model

    Client flow

    Admin dashboard – ongoing

    Counter dashboard

  • Family Values and Spiritual Dilemma

    I just want to write this out on something that I still don’t know how to deal with. I really am happy with my life, though it’s not quite can be sustainable for the long run – I positively believe I could thrive if I just stay on my track and be consistent. However, this current version of me, is not the version of myself that my family know of. I don’t know what happened to my family – they are so enmeshed and can’t see that it’s really not helping in personal growth of their own. I don’t care if that’s what they want for themselves; you, do you – certainly, those really are not my values. I sensed that my family noticed the growing gap between us, thus, trying to pull myself back in – sometimes forcefully.

    I am triggered when I have been asked to perform umrah with my family members, like, for more than three times already despite of me declining to go. I mean, it’s a good thing – but I am not spiritually there yet. Maybe I am scared that my family would want me to change myself again to be more like them. My family has never been respectful of one’s individuality. I honestly really hate them for this. Maybe I am scared too that some things in my life have to change after. I know how manipulative my mother can be. It still upsets me when I think of what she did and the rest of the family that caused me to lose my identity and myself growing up. I never knew a different version of myself except to be an obedient and subservient daughter, granddaughter and sister. I really don’t want to be that person again.

    Anyways, I just agreed to them that I would go. Probably there would be something good that would come out of it. I have never been to Saudi too. I don’t have the whole picture yet on how it is going to turn out for me. See how our dynamics are, if they want to push me around again like they used to – I gotta straighten them up. My best strategy now, is to leave everything up to Allah – Allah knows what’s in my heart and what’s best for me. Trust that everything will be okay and that I can block and handle my family’s manipulation. Allah will protect me as always.

  • Oct Check-In!

    It’s first day working after long break – thanks for long weekend! I am so burnt out. How did I know? I spent 2 whole days sleeping and relaxing, but I still feel so tired and lazy; like total dysfunction. However, today I managed to do some home organisation – so at least things are moving.

    Post-DBA submission, so many things has happened real fast – couldn’t barely sit down and process my feelings. I thought I have slowed down a lot but things still feel too much for me. What recently has happened:

    August – Taught for an event organised by KBS for over 20 participants, went to Nuluh Lapai Hill for a hike with the ladies, bought a new phone – yes, I’ve got 2 now, got sponsored to attend a conference, quite a major one – acquainted with 1 person in industry, upgraded some equipment at the gym, used TikTok – my video went viral so I used up a lot of energy with communicating with inquiries back and forth (still am today – tired but thankful), submitted my final DBA thesis draft

    Early September – kind of blur, not sure what has happened – I probably just trained my ass out and got a few minor injuries. Started to teach Saturday classes. Dealing with new gym members. Oh yeah, I think I was trying to recover so much as I just discovered on my intolerance on rich chocolate brownies – probably due to so much caffeine. This really took up my energy. My sister (5th sibling) gave birth to a boy! Towards the end, I was racing against time writing paper for a conference to submit by end of September. Along the timeline in the month, I went to visit my client’s office to check on their server and got treated with pizzas and coffee!

    October – Finishing that paper for submission and presentation – quite disoriented a bit cause overlapped with Bodypump new release launch and catching up with training. Presented for a conference and awarded best presentation and best paper overall for the conference. Attended physical thesis delivery ceremony with my friends. My sister opened up to me that the siblings are under some mystical attack – you guys, I was so freaked out – but I believed that Allah is always protecting us. I seriously am not sure why I am drained so much this month. And then of course my birthday came, and I had amazing celebration before and during my actual birthdays. I think I have finally solidify my circle of people. We went hiking at Aura Montoria. And then, I celebrated my birthday at my parents’ with my nieces and nephews – I treated them doughnuts and sushi. They are so cute! Now, I am trying to track back and setup the development environment to complete my clients’ system. Learning and planning all the way from zero.

    So yeah, so many important occasions have happened that’s worthy of a post. Am I going to be stressed out by this? Probably. I’ll prioritise what I need to do first – rebalance my energy level. I even dug deep assisted by ChatGPT and laid out my schedule together with my suggested nutrition plan. My day-to-day schedule is based on discipline – like I am always running around to meet deadlines and scheduled class times that by the time I need to do important work, I am already depleted to do anything else. I have to balance deep focus work with recovery, training and my physically demanding work.

    Also, I shouldn’t be taking so much extra classes – my body is going to crash. It’s good to know that my body goals are on track – however, I still want to lose more fat mass. My muscle mass is reaching 29.7kg now, reaching 30kg. I am doing better with supplements now – just have to watch out my finances so that I won’t overdo it. My body has changed a lot now that I gained so much upper body mass – my sports bra can no longer fit. My coach pointed out to me that my lats are so tight and joked about my clothings – then again, I too sensed that something need to change. I couldn’t fit into my weightlifting belt anymore and it annoys me so much as it’s expensive to buy a new one. Probably I should sell mine should I get another one – remember to buy a size M this time Nurul!

    So yeah, that’s to quickly summarise my months. There are so much that I wanted to write and got off my chest and my mind – it’s getting messy and cluttered in there. I’ll revisit and write more when I have the time. Just focus and hang in there!

  • Post-DBA Directions

    So I was feeling a bit lost after finishing my DBA. I am so thankful to UiTM staffs who had been so helpful in ensuring I submitted my work on time. It’s like I am losing focus after transfixed on completing my DBA for so long. So, upon completion, I gotta find my direction again as there are so many things that I want to do.

    Just listing things down here so that I can refer back whenever I am lost in the future.

    • Report and presentation to agriculture authority on my research – report and slides preparation (by end of 2025)
    • Online movie ticket purchase and system for client – target launch next year (by end of 2025)
    • Artwork from my questionnaire papers – 2 artwork – 1 big one (rectangular) to place on top of couch, the other one (circle) next to window (by October 2025)
    • Document on my DBA journeys – especially data collection stuffs
    • HATWKK mural
    • AFC operation consolidation – accounts, licenses details (change premise)
    • CrossFit training for next year – halt on building strength, focus on building engine for the next 3 months.
    • RM5k total investment and saving values by end of year.

    After finishing all these, I think I can move forward already. So I got 3 more months to complete the main ones. Next step is to breakdown what are the processes needed to complete all those. Hope everything is going to be fine.