📝 Although this may be completely irrelevant and unrelatable to some readers, I thought I'd share some quick reminders and a lesson I've learned today Thursday Alhamdulillah. After I completed processing some documents at a barangay office Alhamdulillah I quickly asked some drivers if they could send me to Wisdom Islamic School Abinsay Street Dumanlas and one of them told me he doesn't go to that route while another seemed a bit reluctant because he was probably unwilling to give a ride to just one passenger. His vehicle is one of those motorcab (?) vehicles here in the Philippines which usually require at least 5 passengers to transport to their destinations and each passenger would normally pay 10 pesos only or 15 pesos depending on the distance of where they're heading to. Anyhow I offered 30 or 50 pesos and even though he agreed with 30 pesos I still felt guilty of possibly giving him less than what he deserves because he'd be utilizing much of his petrol for transporting just one passenger. After I went inside the vehicle and I insisted on paying him 50 pesos, I realized there was an elderly guy driving a yellow pedicab going to Agdao and Dumanlas areas who was patiently waiting for some passengers just a few steps away from the buildings I went out of. If I went with him, I could've saved more money by paying only 10 or 20 pesos. However I was already inside the vehicle with this driver whom I promised to pay 50 pesos if he sends only me to Wisdom Islamic School. I could've called out to the elderly driver and said something like "ayoo! Excuse me! Pwede mag sakai ako? Wisdom Islamic School Buhangin? Abinsay Street?" Then hurriedly tell the first driver "sorry, mag transfer ako djan sa pedicab kasi kailangan ko mag save. Sayang yung 50 pesos. Pasensya na lang ha? Lahat tayo mai stress. Laban tayo lahat" etc. (sorry I'm not yet fluent in Tagalog or Visayan dialect) but Alhamdulillah I decided to stay quiet and proceeded with my agreement. I didn't want this driver to assume that all niqabi Muslimahs are liars or scammers. It wouldn't be helpful to the Muslim Ummah (nation) if he starts gossiping about how he felt disappointed he thought he'd receive 50 pesos only for that opportunity to disappear in a flash or blink. Anyhow Alhamdulillah when we arrived near the school, another neighbor immediately went with that vehicle I took which means that this vehicle was really destined to reach that area to pick up that next passenger I guess.
✅ Lesson learned to share:
Always check and look around your surroundings carefully and thoroughly when searching for convenient means of transportation rather than rushing to select the available vehicles nearest to you. Sometimes we need to put extra effort and push ourselves further to attain better deals and more satisfactory outcomes instead of constantly choosing what evidently appears to be the fastest option.
May Allah the Most Merciful guide that driver and the other elderly driver with the yellow pedicab to the truth Islam and also guide their families to understanding Islam and embracing the correct 'Aqeedah belief at the most ideal timing. Ameen.
🌻 Tagalog translation since this Maranao is not yet fluent in Tagalog:-
📝 Bagama’t maaaring hindi ito ganap na kaugnay o kapaki-pakinabang sa ilang mambabasa, naisip kong ibahagi ang ilang mabilis na paalala at ang aral na natutunan ko ngayong Huwebes, Alhamdulillah.
Pagkatapos kong matapos ang pagproseso ng ilang dokumento sa barangay office, Alhamdulillah, mabilis akong nagtanong sa ilang mga driver kung maaari nila akong ihatid sa Wisdom Islamic School, Abinsay Street, Dumanlas. Sinabi ng isa na hindi siya dumadaan sa rutang iyon, habang ang isa naman ay tila nag-aalinlangan marahil dahil ayaw niyang bumiyahe para sa iisang pasahero lamang. Ang sasakyan niya ay isa sa mga motorcab dito sa Pilipinas na karaniwang nangangailangan ng hindi bababa sa limang pasahero upang bumiyahe, at ang bawat isa ay karaniwang nagbabayad ng 10 pesos, o 15 pesos depende sa layo ng pupuntahan.
Sa kabila niyan, nag-alok ako ng 30 o 50 pesos, at kahit pumayag siya sa 30 pesos, nakaramdam pa rin ako ng pagka-guilty na baka mas mababa iyon kaysa nararapat, dahil gagamit siya ng gasolina para maghatid ng iisang pasahero lamang. Pagkatapos kong sumakay, ipinilit kong bayaran siya ng 50 pesos. Noon ko napansin na may isang matandang lalaki na nag-mamaneho ng dilaw na pedicab papunta sa Agdao at Dumanlas na matiyagang naghihintay ng pasahero ilang hakbang lang mula sa gusaling pinanggalingan ko. Kung sa kaniya ako sumakay, mas nakatipid sana ako at nagbayad ng 10 o 20 pesos lamang.
Gayunman, nasa loob na ako ng sasakyan ng driver na pinangakuan kong babayaran ng 50 pesos kung ihahatid niya ako nang mag-isa sa Wisdom Islamic School. Pwede ko sanang tawagin ang matandang driver at sabihin, “Ayoo! Excuse me! Pwede bang sumakay ako? Wisdom Islamic School Buhangin? Abinsay Street?” tapos sasabihin sa naunang driver, “Sorry po, mag-transfer ako dun sa pedicab kasi kailangan ko mag-save. Sayang ang 50 pesos. Pasensya na po ha? Lahat tayo nai-stress. Laban lang tayo.” (Pasensya na, hindi pa ako ganap na bihasa sa Tagalog o Visayan dialect.) Ngunit Alhamdulillah, pinili kong manahimik at tupdin ang aming napagkasunduan.
Ayokong isipin ng driver na ang lahat ng niqabi Muslimahs ay sinungaling o manloloko. Hindi ito makakatulong sa Muslim Ummah kung magsisimula siyang magkuwento na nadismaya siya dahil inasahan niyang makakakuha ng 50 pesos at biglang nawala ang pagkakataon na iyon.
Alhamdulillah, nang makarating kami malapit sa school, may isa pang kapitbahay na agad na sumakay sa sasakyang sinakyan ko, na tila nagpapakita na nakatakda talagang makarating ang sasakyang iyon sa lugar na iyon para isunod na pasahero.
✅ Aral na Nais Ibahagi:
Laging suriin at tingnang mabuti ang iyong paligid kapag naghahanap ng pinaka-maginhawang paraan ng transportasyon, sa halip na agad piliin ang pinakamalapit na opsyon. Minsan kailangan nating maglaan ng dagdag na pagsisikap upang makakuha ng mas magandang deal at mas kasiya-siyang resulta, imbes na palagi na lang piliin ang mukhang pinakamabilis na opsyon sa unang tingin.
~•~
✨Bismillah —
Ngayong araw ay puno ng aral, mga byahe, at hindi inaasahang cardio para sa aking pasensya.
Tinapos ko ang aking mga dokumento na parang isang kampeón — kung ang paggawa ng papeles ay isang olimpikong isport, magalang kong tatanggapin ang gintong medalya at sasabihin ang “Alhamdulillah” nang dalawang beses.
Lumabas ako, handang tuparin ang simpleng gawain na makakuha ng sakay.
Hindi ko inakala — magiging… isang negosasyong karapat-dapat sa isang eksperto sa pamilihan noong ika-1400s.
Sinabi ng Driver #1, “Hindi ang ruta ko,” na may seryosong tono na para bang ang sasakyan niya ay naglalakbay lamang papunta at pabalik mula sa Narnia.
Ang Driver #2 ay mukhang magalang na nag-aalinlangan — marahil nag-iisip kung praktikal ba o makabuluhan ang paghatid ng isang pasahero lamang.
Kaya nag-alok ako ng 30 pesos.
Pumayag siya.
Sabi ng pitaka ko, “Interesante.”
Sabi ng utak ko, “Sigurado ba tayo?”
Nasabi na ng bibig ko ang “Salamat,” kaya huli na.
Umakyat ako at umupo — may kumpiyansa — hanggang mapansin ko ang isang matandang nagmamaneho ng pedicab sa malapit.
Hindi ko alam bakit, ngunit may dala siya na kalmadong aura na para bang nakita na niya ang mga bagyo, ulan, mga huling pasahero, at patuloy pa rin na nagsasabing “Alhamdulillah.”
Sa sandaling iyon napagtanto ko — may Opsyon B.
Mas mura ang Opsyon B.
Ang Opsyon B ay pedicab na pinapagana ng paa at may dagdag na sariwang hangin.
Ngunit nanatili akong tapat sa unang napagkasunduan.
Sapagkat minsan mas mahalaga ang katapatan kaysa 30 pesos.
At dahil ang pag-atras, paglipat ng sasakyan, pagkalkula, pagsasalin ng salita, at pagpapaliwanag ay mangangailangan ng enerhiya, wastong gramatika, at kumpiyansa — tatlong bagay na hindi madaling makuha sa sandaling iyon.
Nang dumating kami, agad na sumakay ang isa pang pasahero — timing na napakaprecise na maipagmamalaki pa ng isang koponang synchronized swimming. (Qadr ng Allah)
Naisip ko, “Alhamdulillah, marahil ito ay nakasulat (ni Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta‘ala).”
At marahil ang pinakamalaking pagsubok ko ngayong araw ay hindi ang transportasyon — kundi kung paano pigilin ang panloob kong accountant.
📝 Halal na Aral sa Buhay
Bago pumili ng sasakyan, magmasid nang matiisin, mag-isip nang maigi, at huwag magmadali.
Sapagkat ang pagmamadali ay maaaring magastos — at ang pagtitiyaga ay makakatipid ng mga piso at ng iyong mental na kapasidad.
~•~
Today Alhamdulillah was a day of lessons, transportation, and unexpected cardio for my mental patience.
I finished my documents like a champion — if paperwork were an Olympic sport, I would respectfully accept the gold medal and say Alhamdulillah twice.
I walked out, prepared to accomplish the simple task of getting a ride.
Little did I know — it was going to become… a negotiation worthy of a marketplace expert from the 1400s.
Driver #1 said, “Not my route,” with a seriousness that suggested his vehicle only travels to Narnia and back.
Driver #2 looked politely hesitant — perhaps wondering if transporting one passenger was fuel-efficient or life-changing.
So I offered 30 pesos.
He accepted.
My wallet said, “Interesting.”
My brain said, “Are we sure?”
My mouth had already said, “Thank you,” so it was too late.
I sat inside — confident — until I noticed the elderly pedicab driver nearby.
I don’t know why, but he had the calm energy of someone who has seen storms, typhoons, late passengers, and still says Alhamdulillah.
At this moment I realized — Option B existed.
Option B was cheaper.
Option B had leg-powered transportation with bonus fresh air circulation.
But I stayed committed to my original agreement.
Because sometimes loyalty is more valuable than 30 pesos.
And also because yelling, switching, calculating, translating, and explaining would have required energy, grammar, and confidence — three things that were not easily available.
When we arrived, another passenger hopped in smoothly — timing so perfect that even a synchronized swimming team would be impressed. (Allah's Qadr)
I thought, Alhamdulillah, maybe this was written (by Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala).
And maybe my biggest test today wasn’t transportation —
It was controlling my inner accountant.
📝 Halal Life Lesson
Before choosing transport, observe patiently, think carefully, and take your time.
Because rushing can cost money —
and patience can save both pesos and mental bandwidth.
⤴️ Different version from ChatGPT
