US Visa Application and Interview

Assalamualaikum and hi!

I just went back from my visa interview this morning and I hope this will help.


1st step: Receive I-20

Get the Form I-20 from the university that you're going to attend.


2nd step: Complete the DS-160 form

Fill in DS-160 form and submit it online. Click Here


3rd step: Pay the Visa Fee

F-1 visa fee is $160. There are three options for visa payment:
a) Electronic Funds Transfer
b) JomPay
c) Cash at Ambank

I paid my visa fee at Ambank. Before going to the bank, I printed out the applicable "U.S. Visa Application Deposit Slip" available Here

Please note the expiration date on the deposit slip. Do not make the payment by using the deposit slip that has expired.

After making your payment, you will get a receipt from the bank. Keep your receipt. You will then schedule your appointment using your Bill A/C No. (receipt number).


4th step: Pay the SEVIS Fee (I-901 Fee)

For the non-immigrant student with Form I-20, the SEVIS fee is $200. You can pay the fee using a credit card. Click here or here

After making your payment, please print out the SEVIS I-901 Payment Confirmation because it is needed during the interview at the US Embassy.


5th step: Schedule An Appointment

To schedule an appointment, you will need these documents:
a) A valid passport
b) Visa application fee payment receipt (Ambank & SEVIS fee receipt)
c) DS-160 confirmation page
d) Email-address

You can schedule your appointment Here


6th step: Attend the interview at the US Embassy Kuala Lumpur

What do I need to bring?

• Interview Appointment Confirmation Letter
• DS-160 Confirmation Page
• F-1 visa applicant: Original Form I-20
• Fee receipt from Ambank
• Proof of Payment of SEVIS Fee Receipt
• Passport and IC
• One recent photo (white background only)

Suggested supporting documents:

• Current school results / ADP Transcript
• TOEFL and SAT score report
• Bank statement / Financial Affidavit (important)
• University offer letter

Based on my experience this morning, 

1. My appointment session was at 8.30 am and I arrived at the US Embassy around 7.30 am. I waited outside the US Embassy before being called by the police (or the guard, whatever..) fifteen minutes prior to my visa appointment.

2. I surrendered my I/C and handphone at the guard house and went through the security scanner before entering the US Embassy.

3. I queued up at the counter for document checking (I-20, passport, SEVIS fee payment confirmation etc.). It was super efficient here! It took only two minutes to verify my documents.

4. After that, I lined up again for the interview session at another counter. There were three counters opened for the interview. I just waited in line for 10 minutes before my turn. 

During my turn, the consular asked for my Financial Affidavit (FA), Passport and I-20. She went through my FA and began to ask me a few questions such as "Since you're a Petronas scholar, so are you bonded with Petronas? If yes, for how long?" "Are you doing 2+2 year program in ADP?" "Which University did you attend previously?"

"Okay your visa is approved"

Alhamdulillah my visa interview went smoothly and quickly.  I entered the US Embassy at 8.25 am and went out at 8.45 am. The procedures were arranged systematically! Yass soon I can pursue my dreams in Uncle Sam's country :)

Oh ya, they will keep your passport in order to process your visa for a few days. You will receive an email when your passport and visa are ready for pick up or delivery. 

That's all guys! Goodluck for your visa application!

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ADP Friends & Memories

Assalamualaikum and Hi!

Memandangkan sekarang aku tengah cuti panjang setelah selesai satu tahun program persediaan sebelum berangkat ke luar negara, jadi aku nak buat flashback sikit memori-memori indah sepanjang aku berada di Taylor's University.

Welcome Freshies! Waktu ni baru habis ADP orientation.

                                                                                                    Tayloraya                                          

These two girls are so kind! Tak pernah berkira untuk tolong aku from the beginning of our first sem. Thank you Uni and Thank you Mira! Jaga diri dekat Purdue University nanti. I would definitely miss you guys after this.

Housemates in da house! Husna and Saniika. Thank you Husna sebab selalu ajak solat jemaah. Husna is gonna my roomate pulak dekat minnesota. 

(From right: me, Husna, Uni, Aina, Wani, Jun, Teha, Rania, Mira, Sakinah and Aliah)
Ohana Circle, usrahmates <3

(From left: Fikri, me and Uni)
Our last performance, "A thousand years" during the last day of Music class. Thank you Uni for helping me a lot along this course. Same goes to Fikri, Thank you sebab bagi kerjasama untuk econ, statistics and music groupwork. Goodluck weh dekat Ohio State University!

Teha's birthday

One with Amie! Thank you Amie belanja saya makan dekat Snowy!
"Member belanja makan" is the best moment that I will never forget in my life.

ADP Farewell Party at Kapten Steamboat and Grill

(From left: Amie, Jun, Me, Teha,  Uni, Mira and Jasmine)
These are the people (Husna too) who I have spent the most time with.
To Amie, Goodluck for your Foundation in Business at Taylor's Uni!
To Jun, Goodluck for your degree in Petroleum Engineering at Colorado School of Mines!
To Teha, Uni and Mira, Goodluck for your degree at Purdue University!
To Jasmine, Goodluck for your degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison!
See you guys in the US!

Thank you to all my ADP friends for all the great memories we've created together. I am forever grateful for the joy, laughter, humility, grace, and friendship you bring to my life. Even we can't be together after this, I'm glad that you guys were a part of my life. Also, I'm happy that we were helping each other throughout a year in Taylor's University. All the best in the US!

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American Degree Transfer Program at Taylor's University

Assalamualaikum

Hello!

Many post-SPM students who wish to study abroad are considering to do Cambridge A-levels and International Baccalaureate (IB) for their Pre-U. I'm certain that these two programs are very familiar among the students. But do you guys ever heard about Canadian Pre-U (CPU), South Australian Matriculation (SAM) and American Degree Transfer Program (ADTP / ADP)? Most of the private Colleges like Taylor's, INTI and Sunway offer those programs.

But here I'm going to share about ADP since I was at it before. Most people do not know what ADP actually is all about. When they heard of "American Degree", Oh going to the States. Yes, they're right. Nevertheless, we can also transfer our credits to certain universities in Canada and Australia as well.

Basically, ADP is divided into two programs: 1+4 year program and 2+2 year program. I am doing 1+4 year program which means 1 year of pre-u studies at Taylor's University and 4 years of undergraduate studies in the US. I've completed two semesters (one year) in ADP and will be enrolling into U of Minnesota in Fall 2017 as a freshman.

Based on my experience, I would say that I'm very satisfied with the learning environment in Taylor's ADP. The lecturers are very good and approachable. Taylor's ADP follows the American education system where there is a lot of coursework throughout the semester. Here you will be graded continuously via assignments, coursework, tests, quizzes, presentations and even attendance and participation. All these can contribute to approximately 70% with the remaining 30% via final exam. The final grade for each semester is called GPA (Grade Point Average) on a 0.0 to 4.0 scale.

  

p/s : Course evaluation for every subject may be varied from one another.

How to calculate the GPA and CGPA?

For example:

Semester 1: Fall 2016

Subject	Credit Hours	Grade	Grade Points	Total Grade Points
Calculus I	5	A-	3.70	5 x 3.70 = 18.5
English Composition I	3	A+	4.00	3 x 4.00 = 12
Microeconomics	3	A	4.00	3 x 4.00 = 12
TOTAL	11			42.5

GPA   = Total Grade Point ÷ Total Credit Hours

           = 42.5 ÷ 11

           = 3.86

CGPA = 3.86

Semester 2: Spring 2017

Subject	Credit Hours	Grade	Grade Points	Total Grade Points
Calculus II	5	A	4.00	5 x 4.00 = 20
Introduction to Music	3	A+	4.00	3 x 4.00 = 12
Macroeconomics	3	A	4.00	3 x 4.00 = 12
TOTAL	11			44

GPA   = 44 ÷ 11

           = 4.00

CGPA = 3.86 + 4.00

                      2

           = 3.93

Yes, the percentage to get an A is very high but it's not impossible tho. Here you can choose the subjects and the lecturers. If you're lucky, you can even arrange your own timetable. Also, different lecturers have different teaching styles. But trust me, all the lecturers in Taylor's ADP are very good and well-experienced! 

How's life as an ADPian?

Well, I would say that I enjoy being an ADPian at Taylor's Uni because of the diverse environment, excellent facilities, holistic learning methods, experienced lecturers and friendly friends. Here, you can have countless opportunities to develop yourself in becoming all-rounders by joining clubs and societies such as ADP Crimson League, Economania Club, ADP Futsal Club and Community Service Club. However, I only managed to join Community Service Club during my second sem and get involved in Stock Challenge that had been organized by Economania Club during my first sem. 

In terms of workload, it really depends on the lecturers. Petronas and Maybank scholars in Taylor's ADP might be very busy during the first semester because of the SAT, TOEFL, supplementary essays for university applications and ADP's coursework. We all need to complete all those kinds of stuff in Fall semester because we're only doing one-year preparation. 

What is the SAT?

SAT stands for Scholastic Assessment Test. It's a standardized college admission test (some kind of SPM) and is handled by College Board. In March 2016, the SAT has changed its format. The old SAT's total score was 2400 while the new SAT's total score is 1600. I took the new SAT on October 2016 and the format is as below:

Section A: Critical Reading (52 questions, 65 mins)

Section B: Writing and Language (44 questions, 35 mins)

Section C: Math without Calculator (20 questions, 25 mins)

Section D: Math with Calculator (38 questions, 55 mins)

Section E: Essay (Optional and essay score is separate from your Math, Reading & Writing scores)

If you're planning to take the SAT, I would highly suggest you do the online practice at Khan Academy. Most of the exercise books can also be found at MPH Bookstores. I would recommend you to buy the latest edition of The Princeton Review, Kaplan or College Board. These are the books that most of my scholar mates used for SAT preparation. 

For essay section, it is optional, depending on which universities that you want to apply. Most of the top universities (Ivy League etc.) require you to take the SAT essay. The essay scores are divided into three parts which include; reading (2 to 8), analysis (2 to 8), and writing (2 to 8)

For Petronas and Maybank scholars during my batch, we learned all the techniques to answer the SAT questions from Cartisans Consultancy a month before the ADP classes started (SAT Workshop: mid-July until mid-August). 

For those who wish to apply into the Ivy League, you may require to take the SAT Subject Test.

What is TOEFL iBT test?

TOEFL (iBT) stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language (internet-based). It's an English proficiency test for students who come from the non-English speaking countries and who wish to study in the US or other English-speaking countries. 

Mostly TOEFL is accepted in USA, Canada and IELTS is mostly accepted in UK.

How to apply for US universities?

Every university has a different requirement. Do check the requirement first before you begin the application. This is because most of the US universities require you to pay the application fee in order for them to process your application. Please make sure that you qualify the university's requirement unless money is not your issue.

My pathway along the application process

• July '16: Started preparing for SAT, TOEFL and personal statement
• Aug '16: Fall semester in ADP began
• Sept'16: Started filling in the online application form (CommonApp), doing the supplementary essays and preparing a recommendation letter.
• Oct '16: Took the SAT Test and TOEFL iBT.
• Nov '16: ADP Final Exam, sent the online application forms and paid the application fee by using a credit card
• Dec '16: Sent all the required documents (school transcript, SPM results etc.) by courier and kept track of my application status

The date of admission results for every university may be different. Mostly the universities will release their results in March. 

I think that's all for now. I hope this information is helpful for you. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

Thank you for reading.

                  

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Outward Bound School, Lumut

Assalamualaikum,

Hello peeps!

I just went back from a 7-day camp in OBS, Lumut. It was damn tiring but surely it will be a memorable one. It was such an honored for me to accomplish all the adventurous activities throughout the camp coz I am not an outdoor person. But if I were given a chance to do the similar activities such as hiking and kayaking again, Nah I would definitely refuse it!

Day 1

We reached OBS Lumut at 1 pm and were greeted by the professional instructors. We had a briefing session and were divided into three watches (groups) where each watch consists of eleven participants. My group was called Nuang. As expected, we have to surrender our phones, wallets, and snacks to the instructors. After that, we had our lunch together at the dining hall. Adib Alim had been assigned to recite the prayer. There was nothing much on the first day. But we did enjoy the ice-breaking session especially when Kak Reen taught us how to play a game called "show us how to get down". It was approximately 5.45 pm when we finished the ice-breaking session. Next was the time for check in. I tell you the dorms were high af! All girls stayed in a dorm named Tahan and all boys stayed in Kinabalu. I couldn't have imagined how I climbed up the stairs (approx. 190 steps) to reach the dorm for the past seven days. Everyone was gasping for air throughout the journey up to the dorm.

Day 2

We learned on how to read map and compass before going out for jungle trekking. We recalled back what we've learned in Geography during the lower form. Encik Hafiz briefed us on what to expect during the jungle trekking and Kak Reen was assigned to follow us from the back throughout the journey. There were sixteen checkpoints to be completed and we had to locate all the checkpoints by using our compass and map. I was glad that my group didn't encounter any wild animals or even insects during the jungle trekking. I applied a lot of insect repellent on my skin before entering the jungle. But the insect repellent didn't work against leeches during hiking on the third day.

In the evening, we created a flotation device or a raft by using the given materials such as ropes, PVC pipes, and water tanks. My group took quite a long time for discussion until the instructor kept reminding us to start doing it. Luckily, we got Agnes and Jawee who master in tying the ropes. We made the raft together and surprisingly it worked! It was so scary at first when the eleven of us had to ride on the raft for the sake of taking a flower in the middle of the sea. The instructor said that the flower is a ticket for our dinner. No flower no dinner! Guess what I was one of the persons who paddling the raft boat. And my group, Nuang was the only one who managed to complete the ride with our raft boat. Korbu's raft was wrecked on their way back to the island while Rabung's raft couldn't even work haha! At night, we packed up all stuff for hiking and camping for the next day.

Day 3

We started hiking early in the morning. Each of us carried a 15kg backpack (at least 15kg) throughout the journey. I didn't know how I survived the 11 hours of hiking with a backpack that was literally bigger than me! It was getting worst when I noticed that my ankles got bitten by leeches! I insisted on going back home at that time. However, that once in a lifetime experience has taught me some valuable lessons. Thank you Nuang Oi!

At the campsite, we divided the work amongst the eleven of us. Some members had to cook for dinner while some had to set up the tents. Not to forget that the toilets were 360 or literally no toilets at all. You can do your business anywhere you want. There was only a so-called bathroom (don't expect too much) for us to clean up ourselves. Tapi lantaklah yang penting ada air.

Day 4

We moved out from the campsite at 8 am. Guess what the campsite was just a 10-minute walk away from the OBS. Dalam hatiku menjerit, kenapa perlu tidur dalam hutan? Soon when we reached OBS, we had to clean up the camping equipment that we used before going back to our dorm. Surprisingly, our dorm had been attacked by a group of monkeys when we were out! Takpe, sabar.

In the evening, we learned to paddle and capsize from the instructors. At first, I got Aniq as my paddling partner. Then, we changed partner because Aniq got seasick and he wanted to become a sweeper. So yeah, Imran was my new paddling partner.

Day 5

It was a sunny morning when we started out kayaking. I couldn't believe that I survived the nine hours of kayaking around Pangkor Island (approx. 26 km). For the first five hours (before lunch), Imran and I were so energetic. Padu gila siap boleh makan biskut gula sambil berkayak laju-laju! We landed for a picnic lunch at Pulau Giam and, suitably fortified, were soon back on the water to face up the tides on our way to the campsite. We paddled vigorously against the incoming waves. During the last two hours, we drained a lot of energy and strength. It was so funny when Imran and I were fighting on the kayak. He even wanted to throw me out of the kayak if I didn't paddle correctly. No offense, I scolded him back because he took some rest frequently! Finally, we decided to stop scolding each other and start remembering Allah (zikir). Allahu!

The instructors kept telling us "sikit je lagi, dah nak sampai" throughout the expedition. We all knew that they were lying!

We were struggling to keep going through the waves and finally, we reached the campsite at 6.30 pm. Alhamdulillah. My skin was badly tanned even after applying Banana Boat sunscreen lotion SPF 110. That was my first time experienced the real painful sunburn on my hand. The instructor gave us Aloe Vera gel to be applied on the burned area. The facilities provided at this campsite were considered way better than the previous day. There were proper toilets close by and a small surau. Once a site had been selected, we divided the tasks of setting up camp, putting up tents and making a kitchen area. Shela and I stayed in the same tent. The wind was so strong that night and I thought that our tent was going to blow away with us inside haha!

Day 6

We returned back to OBS (the base-camp) using a shorter route. Hatiku menjerit lagi, ada jalan pendek kenapa nak kena guna jalan jauh?! And as usual, we cleaned up the camping equipment before going back to Tahan.

At night, we had a BBQ dinner near the beach. The food was so delicious! Each group had to do a performance to entertain everyone. We also sang the Outward Bound School song together with full of spirit 'cause we survived the challenges throughout the course and soon we gonna be the ex-bounder!!

Day 7

Our last day in OBS. Before the closing ceremony, we used to play fun games and riddles with the instructors. They were super sporting! I missed those cherished moments. After that, we received a completion certificate during the closing ceremony. Now, I'm officially an ex-bounder!

Seven days without phones and the internet were not a big deal haha!

^ white lies

ADP results were out on our second day in OBS and we could only check our results a week after that.

One down, two to go. Biro Tata Negara and Pre-Departure are waiting.

PETRONAS Pre-U from Taylor's ADP

My teammates semua muka masih ceria lagi sebab tak tahu peritnya ujian mendatang

NUANG OI!

Future engineers except me, Aniq and Agnes.

From left: Amelia, Jun, Agnes, Teha, Mira, Me and Jasmine


Okay ni gambar nampak muka pulak.

Girls punya dorm yang atap hijau. Boys punya dorm atas lagi dari tu. Nampak tak atap biru di celah pokok tu? Sekali pandang aku  pun tak perasan kewujudan dorm Kinabalu tu.



Our kayaks

Subhanallah

Hikers katanya

That's the so-called bathroom at the campsite (Day 3) 

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Kechara Soup Kitchen

Assalamualaikum and hi !

Last night I joined Kechara Soup Kitchen in KL for the first time and perhaps that was not the last. With the motto of Hunger Knows No Barriers, Kechara Soup Kitchen which is a non-profit organisation was established in 2006 with an objective of providing food for the homeless on the streets and the urban poor.

I knew about Kechara after joining the ADP Community Service Club (CSC). The CSC had collaborated with Kechara to give us first-hand experience of becoming the volunteers for distributing food to our street friends. We reached KL Kechara Soup Kitchen at 7.30 pm for a compulsory briefing session (only for the first-timer). During the briefing session, they told us about what do's & don'ts and what to expect during the distribution rounds on the street. The briefing ends at 9.30 pm.

Next, we were assigned into teams heading to different locations around KL. Mine was Chow Kit Road! We went around the streets to locate and distribute food to the homeless clients by using carpool and led by an experienced volunteer. The food distribution started at 10 pm and ended at 12 midnight. It was an incredibly good experience for me and I learned a lot from this activity. I hope to continue this in the future. InsyaAllah.

If you're interested in becoming a volunteer, do check out Kechara Soup Kitchen Facebook page for more information.

Briefing session

a group photo of the community service club members

KL Kechara Soup Kitchen.

A group photo at the Chow Kit Road

Distributing food to our clients

Thank you for reading.

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Umrah dan Ziarah: Mekah

Assalamualaikum ya ukhti ya akhi.

Entri ini merupakan sambungan bagi entri sebelumnya yang bertajuk Umrah dan Ziarah: Madinah. Setelah empat hari berada di bumi Madinah, kami pun berangkat ke Mekah bagi mengerjakan ibadah umrah. Sebelum bertolak, jemaah dikehendaki untuk mandi sunat ihram di hotel. Kemudian, kami berniat ihram dan menunaikan solat sunat ihram di miqat Bir Ali. Setelah berniat ihram, kami perlu menjaga 13 pantang larang semasa di dalam ihram. Kami menaiki bas dari Madinah menuju ke Mekah dan perjalanan tersebut mengambil masa kira-kira enam jam. Dalam perjalanan tersebut, kami telah dibawa berhenti di sebuah perhentian ala ala r n r gitu untuk makan malam. Juadah yang disediakan ialah Nasi Arab bersama ayam dan ikan. Sedap hingga menjilat jari !

Kami selamat tiba di tanah haram Mekah pada jam 11 malam. Kami dibawa check in di sebuah hotel berdekatan dengan masjidil haram. Selepas menunaikan solat fardu isyak, kami diarahkan untuk berkumpul di lobby hotel bagi melaksanakan umrah bersama.

Terharu dan sebak sangat bila tengok Baitullah (kaabah) depan-depan mata. Setelah selesai tawaf dan saie, saya pun bertahallul. Ini bermakna saya tidak lagi terikat dengan 13 pantang larang ihram.

Saya berada di Mekah selama tujuh hari. Saya juga sempat melakukan umrah sunat dan umrah badal beberapa kali sewaktu di Mekah. Umrah sunat boleh dilakukan secara berulang kali. Umrah badal pula adalah apabila kita berniat untuk melaksanakan umrah bagi si fulan yang sudah meninggal dunia. Selain itu, amalan yang sangat baik sewaktu berada di sana termasuklah tawaf sunat.

Apabila sudah sampai di Masjidil haram, rugi sangat kalau kita melepaskan peluang untuk berdoa di hadapan multazam. Multazam adalah kawasan di antara pintu kaabah dan hajarul aswad. Ia merupakan tempat mustajab berdoa. Selain itu, saya juga sempat melakukan solat sunat di dalam hijir ismail. Namun, saya masih belum berkesempatan untuk mencium hajarul aswad.

Kami juga dibawa menziarahi Jabal Rahmah iaitu tempat pertemuan Adam dan Hawa, Jabal Thur iaitu tempat persembunyian Rasulullah dan Abu Bakar dari musyrikin Mekah sewaktu dalam perjalanan hendak berhijrah ke Madinah, serta Gua Hira' iaitu tempat Rasulullah menerima wahyu pertama. Kami juga dibawa menziarahi Muzdalifah, Padang Arafah dan Mina.

Semoga semua umat Islam akan dijemput menjadi tetamu Allah di rumahNya.

Baitullah

Jabal Rahmah

di hadapan Masjidil Haram

Hilton hotel

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Umrah dan Ziarah: Madinah

Assalamualaikum ya ukhti ya akhi.

Entri kali ini saya nak berkongsi pengalaman saya dan ibu bapa saya sewaktu berada di Madinah. Kami selamat tiba di Madinah pada waktu maghrib setelah lapan jam perjalanan menaiki pesawat Saudia dari KLIA. Alhamdulillah ini merupakan kali kedua saya menjejakkan kaki di bumi Madinah yang penuh barakah. Setelah selesai urusan imegresen, kami pun menaiki bas yang disediakan oleh Andalusia Travel & Tours menuju ke hotel yang terletak sangat berdekatan dengan pintu 15 Masjid Nabawi. Apabila melihat sahaja bangunan Masjid Nabawi yang bercahaya pada waktu malam, saya berasa sangat teruja untuk menunaikan solat jemaah di masjid tersebut. Kami tidak sempat untuk solat berjemaah di masjid tersebut pada waktu isyak kerana perlu menyelesaikan urusan untuk check-in hotel dan sebagainya. Kami tinggal di Madinah selama empat hari.

Seawal jam 4.30 pagi kami sudah bersiap sedia untuk ke masjid dan menunggu azan Subuh. Telekungku berterbangan ditiup angin. Madinah sangat sejuk pada waktu malam dan pagi. Ruangan solat di Masjid Nabawi dipisahkan antara wanita dan lelaki (of course) dan kawalan keselamatan di bahagian wanita agak ketat di mana pengawal keselamatan wanita akan memeriksa beg kita sebelum dibenarkan masuk. Saya berpeluang untuk solat di bahagian bawah kubah yang akan terbuka / tertutup sewaktu azan dilaungkan seperti yang dipertontonkan di TV3 sewaktu azan maghrib dilaungkan. Tenang sungguh bumi Madinah!

Kemudian setelah bersarapan, jemaah wanita Andalusia berkumpul untuk memasuki Raudhah bersama-sama dan diketuai oleh seorang ustazah. Raudhah hanya dibuka untuk wanita pada waktu-waktu tertentu iaitu selepas Subuh sehingga jam 11 pagi, selepas zohor dan selepas isyak. Alhamdulillah saya berpeluang untuk masuk ke Raudhah sebanyak tiga kali. Raudhah sangat padat dengan lautan manusia terutamanya pada waktu malam. Ia amat memerlukan kesabaran yang tinggi sewaktu menunggu giliran untuk masuk ke Raudhah.

Raudhah tu apa?

Raudhah bermaksud taman syurga. Sabda Rasulullah SAW, "Antara rumahku dan mimbarku adalah Raudhah di antara taman-taman syurga". Raudhah merupakan antara tempat yang paling mustajab untuk berdoa. Ustazah kata sesiapa yang solat sunat dan berdoa dalam Raudhah, insyaALLAH pasti dimakbulkan, cuma cepat atau lambat, sama ada di dunia atau di akhirat. Raudhah terletak di dalam Masjid Nabawi. Ruangan solat di Masjid Nabawi beralaskan karpet merah namun, hanya di bahagian Raudhah sahaja berkarpet hijau.

Saya juga berkesempatan untuk menziarahi Makam para syuhada peperangan Uhud di kaki Bukit Uhud yang terletak di Madinah. Sewaktu banjir besar melanda Madinah pada Oktober 2013, jasad 70 para syuhada yang telah dimakamkan selama lebih 1400 dulu telah tertimbus dan kesan darah pada tubuh para syuhada tersebut masih jelas kelihatan. Kemudian, jenazah-jenazah tersebut dimakamkan semula dan hanya dua jasad sahaja dapat dikenal pasti iaitu Saidina Hamzah RA dan Abdullah bin Jaz RA kerana ciri-ciri luka yang diceritakan dalam Sirah. Saidina Hamzah ciri lukanya didada dan Abdullah bin Jaz kerana telinga dan hidungnya terpotong kerana diikat benang.

Saya juga ada melawat masjid Quba' yang juga terletak di bumi Madinah. Sabda Rasulullah saw, "Orang yang mengambil wudu' dari rumahnya, dan mendirikan solat di masjid Quba', ganjaran sama dengan umrah" (hadis riwayat Tarmizi).

Makam Rasulullah saw

pekarangan masjid Nabawi

pekarangan kaki bukit uhud

Masjid Quba'

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