In today's modern Islamic world, there exists a variety of different groups all under the name of Islam. No matter how different, it is important that the general rule of the thumb applies, that muslims should adhere to the Quran and the Sunnah. And the best way is to be moderate in any situation/place/time.
Nowadays, we also see groups that are claiming to follow the Sunnah but most of the times do not, some take the Sunnah lightly as though it has no value and others, worse.. writing off the Sunnah all at once.
We should be aware of these anti-sunnah/pro-liberal groups and avoid being influenced by their creed and understanding of Islam.
Here's an article by Harun Yahya on why we should follow the Sunnah..
As Allah has revealed in this verse:
Today I have perfected your religion for you and completed My blessing upon you, and I'm pleased with Islam as a religion for you. (Al-Ma'idah 5:3)
Islam is the final divine religion. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. Al-Ahzab 33:40. The faithful learn the kind of moral values they need to imbibe and observe in order to attain the approval, mercy, and Paradise of Allah; what they must avoid and what they must abide by; what is lawful and what is forbidden; in short, all the details regarding the kind of life that will be pleasing to Allah from the Qur'an. Another mercy and blessing of our Lord for the believers is the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The Prophet is a blessed individual, whom Allah has sent as a role model for all people with his moral values:
You have an excellent model in the Messenger of Allah for all who put their hope in Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much. (Al-Ahzab 33:21)
The Prophet is a role model for everyone embracing the Islamic faith, knowledge, and superior moral values. With his patience, trust in Allah, courage, devotion, closeness to Allah, justice, compassion, love, affection for believers, and foresight, he possessed moral values that are greatly admired by the faithful. All believers strongly desire and strive to possess these qualities to attain the moral model required by the Qur'an. For all there reasons, all his words, decisions, recommendations, advice, and life -the Sunnah- represent a most valuable guide for all those who wish to understand and live by the Qur'an.
Many verses of the Qur'an emphasize the importance of obeying the Prophet and adhering to his path. One of these reads:
Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah. If anyone turns away, We did not send you [Muhammad] to them as their keeper. (An-Nisaa' 4:80)
What devout believers must do is to adhere to the path of the Prophet and to take his Sunnah as their guide, knowing that he has called them to a path that will give them a blissful eternal life. Those who wish to attain the mercy and Paradise of Allah must, metaphorically speaking, build their house on solid foundations right from the outset.
Anyone who acts out of fear of Allah and strives to gain His approval is a loyal follower of the Prophet and seeks to resemble him in faith and moral values. This, however, is only possible through adhering to the Qur'an and never departing from the Sunnah.
And Allah s.w.t knows best.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Roadtrip and fake news.
Salam 'alaik.. Kheifiek, shlounak?
Alhamdulillah, just returned last week from a two-week roadtrip to jordon and syria. And alhamdulillah everything went smoothly with no major hiccups.. It was a great experience, the 3/4 day bus ride to jordon, experiencing snow and freezing conditions for the first time, the food, visiting petra and a number of remnants of ancient roman/b.c./islamic history, the dead sea, popular areas in jordan and syria, meeting Shiekh Wahbah al-Zuhaily, making new friends and meeting up with fellow spore students. I wished we were able to stay longer in Syria though.
Along the way, some of the experience have made me reflect about how fortunate, us students in saudi are. We often take things for granted. Hmm.
Maybe will post some pics later.. Rarely visit the internet cafes here, currently updating using my handphone.
updated 22/2 K, Here's some of the pics..
Anyway, Syukran jazeelan to all who have made it possible and memorable.. Alhamdulillah.
Moving on, would like to comment a little about the sensational story that came out in s'pore newspapers about a singapore student in syria being sent back home.
First and foremost, felt sad and disappointed when I learnt that the true story never came out.. Especially when it came from a malay newspaper..
They were presented with two stories, one from those who aided the student throughout the unfortunate incident and experienced the whole incident first hand in syria and another from the student's family side who were in spore the whole time.. They decided to publish the student's family story.. a more sensational, fabricated story that would sell.. Worse, as a result, the students in syria have been blamed for what they did not do or intend.
Thier credibility have been tarnished and future spore students could possibly have difficulties attaining entry to syria, all due to a selfish part of the paper and the family in concealing the truth for their own sakes.
To be fair, do find out the story from both sides before making conclusions..
And Allah knows best.
Alhamdulillah, just returned last week from a two-week roadtrip to jordon and syria. And alhamdulillah everything went smoothly with no major hiccups.. It was a great experience, the 3/4 day bus ride to jordon, experiencing snow and freezing conditions for the first time, the food, visiting petra and a number of remnants of ancient roman/b.c./islamic history, the dead sea, popular areas in jordan and syria, meeting Shiekh Wahbah al-Zuhaily, making new friends and meeting up with fellow spore students. I wished we were able to stay longer in Syria though.
Along the way, some of the experience have made me reflect about how fortunate, us students in saudi are. We often take things for granted. Hmm.
Maybe will post some pics later.. Rarely visit the internet cafes here, currently updating using my handphone.
updated 22/2 K, Here's some of the pics..
Anyway, Syukran jazeelan to all who have made it possible and memorable.. Alhamdulillah.
Moving on, would like to comment a little about the sensational story that came out in s'pore newspapers about a singapore student in syria being sent back home.
First and foremost, felt sad and disappointed when I learnt that the true story never came out.. Especially when it came from a malay newspaper..
They were presented with two stories, one from those who aided the student throughout the unfortunate incident and experienced the whole incident first hand in syria and another from the student's family side who were in spore the whole time.. They decided to publish the student's family story.. a more sensational, fabricated story that would sell.. Worse, as a result, the students in syria have been blamed for what they did not do or intend.
Thier credibility have been tarnished and future spore students could possibly have difficulties attaining entry to syria, all due to a selfish part of the paper and the family in concealing the truth for their own sakes.
To be fair, do find out the story from both sides before making conclusions..
And Allah knows best.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Mengenal Nafsu
Excerpt from 'Tip-tip Cemerlang daripada Quran' ...
Mujahadah menyucikan nafsu dan menaikkannya ke tahap yang mulia. Nafsu yang paling rendah adalah nafsu 'ammarah'. Berhubung dengan ini, Tuhan menyatakan dalam surah Yusuf ayat 53 yang bermaksud, "Dan aku tidak membebaskan diriku daripada kesalahan, kerana sesungguhnya nafsu 'ammarah' selalu menyuruh kepada kejahatan." Hati yang dikuasai nafsu 'ammarah' dipenuhi dengan syahwat, perasaan mudah marah, tamak haloba, sombong, bongkak, suka dipuji, takutkan kesusahan dan mudah kecewa. Pada tahap ini, manusia sanggup menyalahkan Tuhannya apabila berdepan dengan masalah.
Apabila hati digilap dengan mujahadah, ia meningkat ke tahap yang lebih stabil iaitu nafsu 'lawwamah'. Tuhan menyatakan dalam surah 'al-Qiyamah' ayat 1 hingga 2 yang bermaksud, "Aku bersumpah dengan hari kiamat dan aku bersumpah dengan jiwa 'lawwamah' (yang amat menyesali dirinya sendiri)." Hati yang dipenuhi nafsu 'lawwamah' menjadikan tuannya terumbang-ambing antara kebaikan dan kekejian. Kadangkala, ia menasihati tuannya tentang keutamaan yang perlu dicari. Namun, kadangkala perkara yang sebaliknya berlaku.
Apabila hati terus digilap, ia meningkat kepada nafsu 'mutmainnah' ataupun hati yang tenang damai. Berhubung dengannya, Tuhan menyatakan dalam surah al-Fajr ayat 27 hingga 30 yang bermaksud, "Wahai hati yang tenang, kembalilah kepada Tuhanmu dengan hati yang puas lagi diredhai. Masuklah ke dalam jemaah hamba-hambaku dan masuklah ke dalam syurgaku."
Mereka yang memiliki hati 'mutmainnah' yakin dengan janji-janji Tuhan. Mereka tenang mengabdikan diri kepada Tuhan. Justeru, mereka sentiasa tabah menghadapi ujian di dunia kerana mereka merindukan kesenangan di akhirat. Setiap kali mereka diuji, mereka teringatkan janji-janji Tuhan dalam surah al-Insyirah ayat 5 hingga 6 yang bermaksud, "Sesungguhnya sesudah kesulitan itu ada kesenangan, sesungguhnya sesudah kesulitan itu ada kesenangan." Mereka adalah golongan yang cemerlang dan kecemerlangan ini terhasil melalui proses mujahadah.
Mujahadah menyucikan nafsu dan menaikkannya ke tahap yang mulia. Nafsu yang paling rendah adalah nafsu 'ammarah'. Berhubung dengan ini, Tuhan menyatakan dalam surah Yusuf ayat 53 yang bermaksud, "Dan aku tidak membebaskan diriku daripada kesalahan, kerana sesungguhnya nafsu 'ammarah' selalu menyuruh kepada kejahatan." Hati yang dikuasai nafsu 'ammarah' dipenuhi dengan syahwat, perasaan mudah marah, tamak haloba, sombong, bongkak, suka dipuji, takutkan kesusahan dan mudah kecewa. Pada tahap ini, manusia sanggup menyalahkan Tuhannya apabila berdepan dengan masalah.
Apabila hati digilap dengan mujahadah, ia meningkat ke tahap yang lebih stabil iaitu nafsu 'lawwamah'. Tuhan menyatakan dalam surah 'al-Qiyamah' ayat 1 hingga 2 yang bermaksud, "Aku bersumpah dengan hari kiamat dan aku bersumpah dengan jiwa 'lawwamah' (yang amat menyesali dirinya sendiri)." Hati yang dipenuhi nafsu 'lawwamah' menjadikan tuannya terumbang-ambing antara kebaikan dan kekejian. Kadangkala, ia menasihati tuannya tentang keutamaan yang perlu dicari. Namun, kadangkala perkara yang sebaliknya berlaku.
Apabila hati terus digilap, ia meningkat kepada nafsu 'mutmainnah' ataupun hati yang tenang damai. Berhubung dengannya, Tuhan menyatakan dalam surah al-Fajr ayat 27 hingga 30 yang bermaksud, "Wahai hati yang tenang, kembalilah kepada Tuhanmu dengan hati yang puas lagi diredhai. Masuklah ke dalam jemaah hamba-hambaku dan masuklah ke dalam syurgaku."
Mereka yang memiliki hati 'mutmainnah' yakin dengan janji-janji Tuhan. Mereka tenang mengabdikan diri kepada Tuhan. Justeru, mereka sentiasa tabah menghadapi ujian di dunia kerana mereka merindukan kesenangan di akhirat. Setiap kali mereka diuji, mereka teringatkan janji-janji Tuhan dalam surah al-Insyirah ayat 5 hingga 6 yang bermaksud, "Sesungguhnya sesudah kesulitan itu ada kesenangan, sesungguhnya sesudah kesulitan itu ada kesenangan." Mereka adalah golongan yang cemerlang dan kecemerlangan ini terhasil melalui proses mujahadah.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Reposted: Purpose of LIFE..
Excerpt of an article from Saifulislam.com, Tajuk,"Jiwa da'i, otak fiqh".. though the topic is on sikap dan cara dakwah but lets FOCUS more on the dialogue itself..
Saya selalu terkenang dialog saya dengan seorang anak gadis kita yang telah 10 tahun membesar di England. Semenjak usianya 10 tahun dan kini telah 20, beliau dibesarkan di Boarding School, jauh dari alam Melayu malah Islam barangkali. Dia mengajukan soalan kepada saya, “do you believe in wearing scarf for Muslim girl? I don’t believe in wearing scarf. I don’t want to wear scarf"
Soalannya amat provokatif. Dia juga bertanya soal kenapa mesti solat, kenapa tak boleh bela anjing di rumah dan sebagainya. Seandainya saya mengambil pendekatan jiwa Fiqh otak Da'ie, mungkin saya akan menjelaskan hukum perempuan memakai tudung, tujuannya menurut al-Quran, ayat-ayat dari surah al-Ahzab dan an-Noor dan 1001 penjelasan yang disambut dengan menguap gadis tadi bersama abangnya yang senasib. Akhirnya saya akan kagum dengan diri sendiri terhadap betapa banyakkan dalil yang berjaya saya ingat dan bentangkan dengan fasih!
Tetapi saya cuba membawa gadis tersebut ke persoalan pokok. Saya sebutkan kepada gadis tadi, "semua soalan anda tadi adalah persoalan kelapan dan kesembilan kita. Ada persoalan awal yang perlu diselesaikan terlebih dahulu".
"Oh begitu. Baik, apa persoalan utama awak?", tanya gadis tadi.
"Menyelesaikan persoalan TUJUAN HIDUP!" jawab saya.
"Penting sangatkah nak tahu tentang tujuan hidup?", tanyanya lagi.
"Cuba awak bayangkan, kita adakan permainan bola sepak, tetapi di padang bola tiada tiang gol! Atau awak main golf tetapi tidak tahu di mana lubangnya. Apa rasanya kalau awak terlibat dalam permainan seperti itu?", saya menguji.
"Silly game.. mengarut!", ujarnya sambil tersengih.
"Well, kita mungkin ketawakan mereka yang main bola atau golf begitu, tetapi sebenarnya kita sedang ketawakan ramai manusia yang hidupnya tiada tiang gol dan tiada lubang golf. Kalau kita tak tahu tujuan hidup kita yang sebenar, bagaimana kita nak fokus dan membuat prioriti? Saya yakin saudari boleh setuju bahawa kegagalan untuk fokus dan membuat prioriti, pasti mengundang kegagalan. Betul tak?", saya meneruskan perbualan.
"I can agree on that, jadi soalannya sekarang ialah, apa tujuan hidup awak?", beliau bertanya lagi.
"Hmm, awak rasa, saya ada ke jawapannya? Awak ada jawapannya? Apa yang awak nak capai dalam hidup awak?", saya pula memberikan soalan bertubi-tubi saya.
"Saya nak berjaya dalam kerjaya dengan pendapatan millions per year", katanya dengan yakin.
"Bagi kita yang belum dapat pendapatan begitu, mungkin kita sangka itu tujuan hidup kita. Tapi bagi yang dah dapat, macam jutawan-jutawan dunia yang kita kenal, ketika mereka sampai ke puncak yang didaki, rupa-rupanya jiwa mereka masih kosong dan mereka masih terus bertanya, apakah untuk ini aku hidup? Akhirnya ramai di kalangan mereka yang bunuh diri atau sekurang-kurangnya gagal dalam rumahtangga. Awak rasa itu kejayaan ke?", saya bertanya kepadanya lagi.
"Hmm...", sepi tanpa jawapan...
"Saya rasa kita sama-sama tak ada jawapan sebab TUJUAN HIDUP kita telah ada sebelum kita lahir. Jika kita tanya lampu ni kenapa dia diciptakan, andai dia boleh menjawab, mungkin dia tak tahu kenapa dia berada di sini. Logiknya kita kena tanya kilang yang membuat lampu itu tadi. Dan kalau kita tanya ke kilang, mereka akan memberikan koleksi soalan dan jawapan di dalam sebuah KITAB bernama Instruction Manual. Begitulah juga dengan manusia. Jika mahu kepada jawapan, kenalah tanya kepada Tuhan yang menciptakan manusia iaitu Allah. Dan Allah telah memberikan kepada kita koleksi soalan dan jawapan di dalam Instruction Manual-Nya yang bernama..."
"Al-Quran! What does the Quran say about our PURPOSE OF LIFE?", gadis tersebut mengacukan soalannya.
"DAN tidaklah Aku jadikan Jin dan Manusia melainkan supaya mereka mengabdikan diri kepadaKu. Adz-Dzariyat 56". Jawabku.
Lantas aku mengambil peluang untuk menjelaskan secara ringkas kepada beliau konsep ibadah dalam Islam. Bahawa selain solat dan ibadah khusus yang lain, apa sahaja pekerjaan yang kita lakukan jika memenuhi kriteria Islam, maka ia jadi ibadah. Dan akhirnya aku membuat kesimpulan berikut:
"Andainya saudari boleh menerima hakikat yang kita perlukan Tuhan dalam hidup ini, maka barulah saya boleh menjawab soalan kenapa kita kena sembahyang. Kita perlu sembahyang kerana kita perlukan Tuhan dalam hidup ini. Dan jika saudari boleh setuju dengan kewajipan sembahyang, maka barulah saya boleh terangkan kenapa saudari kena pakai tudung. Jika kita mengadap Yang Di Pertuan Agung pun ada kod berpakaian, apatah lagi nak mengadap Allah di dalam sembahyang dan di luar sembahyang, tentunya kita kena bertudung kerana itu kehendak Dia. Dan jika awak setuju sampai ke situ, saya boleh jelaskan kenapa Islam tak benarkan kita bela anjing. Islam cuma mengajar, andai dijilat anjing, samaklah dengan air dan tanah. Tetapi Islam tidak pernah mengajar kita supaya membenci anjing dan memukulnya. Itu semua soal adat sahaja!"
Alhamdulillah dalam tempoh sejam pertemuan saya dengannya, itulah hasil perbincangan kami. Walaupun kesannya saya tidak pasti tetapi sekurang-kurangnya saya sudah mencuba untuk menghadapi mad'u saya dengan Jiwa Daie Otak Faqih dan tidak sebaliknya. Gadis itu ada latar belakang keluarga yang berbeza. Dia bukan seperti saya dan kehidupan saya. Kerana itulah saya mesti terlebih dahulu cuba belajar untuk memahami keadaan dia sebelum memutuskan apakah pendekatan dakwah yang patut saya ambil. Andai saya hamburkan kemarahan atas provokasi gadis tadi, tentulah perbualan kami terhenti di situ dan saya sekadar menggelengkan kepala sambil tersenyum secara sacarstic, "inilah perangai bebudak sekarang!"
Sempena kedatangan bulan Ramadhan ini, dan atas nostalgia peristiwa Hasan al-Banna itu, marilah kita bersama-sama mengutip mutiara pendakwah yang hilang iaitu "SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD".
Saya selalu terkenang dialog saya dengan seorang anak gadis kita yang telah 10 tahun membesar di England. Semenjak usianya 10 tahun dan kini telah 20, beliau dibesarkan di Boarding School, jauh dari alam Melayu malah Islam barangkali. Dia mengajukan soalan kepada saya, “do you believe in wearing scarf for Muslim girl? I don’t believe in wearing scarf. I don’t want to wear scarf"
Soalannya amat provokatif. Dia juga bertanya soal kenapa mesti solat, kenapa tak boleh bela anjing di rumah dan sebagainya. Seandainya saya mengambil pendekatan jiwa Fiqh otak Da'ie, mungkin saya akan menjelaskan hukum perempuan memakai tudung, tujuannya menurut al-Quran, ayat-ayat dari surah al-Ahzab dan an-Noor dan 1001 penjelasan yang disambut dengan menguap gadis tadi bersama abangnya yang senasib. Akhirnya saya akan kagum dengan diri sendiri terhadap betapa banyakkan dalil yang berjaya saya ingat dan bentangkan dengan fasih!
Tetapi saya cuba membawa gadis tersebut ke persoalan pokok. Saya sebutkan kepada gadis tadi, "semua soalan anda tadi adalah persoalan kelapan dan kesembilan kita. Ada persoalan awal yang perlu diselesaikan terlebih dahulu".
"Oh begitu. Baik, apa persoalan utama awak?", tanya gadis tadi.
"Menyelesaikan persoalan TUJUAN HIDUP!" jawab saya.
"Penting sangatkah nak tahu tentang tujuan hidup?", tanyanya lagi.
"Cuba awak bayangkan, kita adakan permainan bola sepak, tetapi di padang bola tiada tiang gol! Atau awak main golf tetapi tidak tahu di mana lubangnya. Apa rasanya kalau awak terlibat dalam permainan seperti itu?", saya menguji.
"Silly game.. mengarut!", ujarnya sambil tersengih.
"Well, kita mungkin ketawakan mereka yang main bola atau golf begitu, tetapi sebenarnya kita sedang ketawakan ramai manusia yang hidupnya tiada tiang gol dan tiada lubang golf. Kalau kita tak tahu tujuan hidup kita yang sebenar, bagaimana kita nak fokus dan membuat prioriti? Saya yakin saudari boleh setuju bahawa kegagalan untuk fokus dan membuat prioriti, pasti mengundang kegagalan. Betul tak?", saya meneruskan perbualan.
"I can agree on that, jadi soalannya sekarang ialah, apa tujuan hidup awak?", beliau bertanya lagi.
"Hmm, awak rasa, saya ada ke jawapannya? Awak ada jawapannya? Apa yang awak nak capai dalam hidup awak?", saya pula memberikan soalan bertubi-tubi saya.
"Saya nak berjaya dalam kerjaya dengan pendapatan millions per year", katanya dengan yakin.
"Bagi kita yang belum dapat pendapatan begitu, mungkin kita sangka itu tujuan hidup kita. Tapi bagi yang dah dapat, macam jutawan-jutawan dunia yang kita kenal, ketika mereka sampai ke puncak yang didaki, rupa-rupanya jiwa mereka masih kosong dan mereka masih terus bertanya, apakah untuk ini aku hidup? Akhirnya ramai di kalangan mereka yang bunuh diri atau sekurang-kurangnya gagal dalam rumahtangga. Awak rasa itu kejayaan ke?", saya bertanya kepadanya lagi.
"Hmm...", sepi tanpa jawapan...
"Saya rasa kita sama-sama tak ada jawapan sebab TUJUAN HIDUP kita telah ada sebelum kita lahir. Jika kita tanya lampu ni kenapa dia diciptakan, andai dia boleh menjawab, mungkin dia tak tahu kenapa dia berada di sini. Logiknya kita kena tanya kilang yang membuat lampu itu tadi. Dan kalau kita tanya ke kilang, mereka akan memberikan koleksi soalan dan jawapan di dalam sebuah KITAB bernama Instruction Manual. Begitulah juga dengan manusia. Jika mahu kepada jawapan, kenalah tanya kepada Tuhan yang menciptakan manusia iaitu Allah. Dan Allah telah memberikan kepada kita koleksi soalan dan jawapan di dalam Instruction Manual-Nya yang bernama..."
"Al-Quran! What does the Quran say about our PURPOSE OF LIFE?", gadis tersebut mengacukan soalannya.
"DAN tidaklah Aku jadikan Jin dan Manusia melainkan supaya mereka mengabdikan diri kepadaKu. Adz-Dzariyat 56". Jawabku.
Lantas aku mengambil peluang untuk menjelaskan secara ringkas kepada beliau konsep ibadah dalam Islam. Bahawa selain solat dan ibadah khusus yang lain, apa sahaja pekerjaan yang kita lakukan jika memenuhi kriteria Islam, maka ia jadi ibadah. Dan akhirnya aku membuat kesimpulan berikut:
"Andainya saudari boleh menerima hakikat yang kita perlukan Tuhan dalam hidup ini, maka barulah saya boleh menjawab soalan kenapa kita kena sembahyang. Kita perlu sembahyang kerana kita perlukan Tuhan dalam hidup ini. Dan jika saudari boleh setuju dengan kewajipan sembahyang, maka barulah saya boleh terangkan kenapa saudari kena pakai tudung. Jika kita mengadap Yang Di Pertuan Agung pun ada kod berpakaian, apatah lagi nak mengadap Allah di dalam sembahyang dan di luar sembahyang, tentunya kita kena bertudung kerana itu kehendak Dia. Dan jika awak setuju sampai ke situ, saya boleh jelaskan kenapa Islam tak benarkan kita bela anjing. Islam cuma mengajar, andai dijilat anjing, samaklah dengan air dan tanah. Tetapi Islam tidak pernah mengajar kita supaya membenci anjing dan memukulnya. Itu semua soal adat sahaja!"
Alhamdulillah dalam tempoh sejam pertemuan saya dengannya, itulah hasil perbincangan kami. Walaupun kesannya saya tidak pasti tetapi sekurang-kurangnya saya sudah mencuba untuk menghadapi mad'u saya dengan Jiwa Daie Otak Faqih dan tidak sebaliknya. Gadis itu ada latar belakang keluarga yang berbeza. Dia bukan seperti saya dan kehidupan saya. Kerana itulah saya mesti terlebih dahulu cuba belajar untuk memahami keadaan dia sebelum memutuskan apakah pendekatan dakwah yang patut saya ambil. Andai saya hamburkan kemarahan atas provokasi gadis tadi, tentulah perbualan kami terhenti di situ dan saya sekadar menggelengkan kepala sambil tersenyum secara sacarstic, "inilah perangai bebudak sekarang!"
Sempena kedatangan bulan Ramadhan ini, dan atas nostalgia peristiwa Hasan al-Banna itu, marilah kita bersama-sama mengutip mutiara pendakwah yang hilang iaitu "SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD".
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Some interesting facts about the Holy Qur'an
Article from 'Saudi Gazette' by Dr. Khaled Tawfik..
The Holy Qur'an is Allah's final word for the human beings. Reading the Qur'an is a source of pleasure for everybody, even for non-Muslims. This is why Arthur Arberry, one of the famous Orientalists, described the Qur'an as "a holy book of universal significance."
In this article, I will focus on basic statistics about the Qur'an, which, I hope, would be of interest to a lot of readers:
1) The Holy Qur'an consists of 6,236 verses in 114 Surahs (chapters) in 30 juz' (parts). Each juz' is divided into two hizbs (half a juz').
2) The Qur'an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in 23 years to match the diffent situations and circumstances the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) faced: 13 years in Makkah and 10 years in Madina.
3) The Surahs of the Qur'an are divided into two types: 86 Makkan Surahs (the ones revealed before migration of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to Madina and usually deal with monotheism and true faith) and 28 Madani Surahs (the ones revealed after the migration and usually deal with different aspects of people's life in the Muslim state).
4) All the Surahs of the Qur'an start with Bismillah (in the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate) except one, Surah al-Taubah (The Repentance).
5) There is only one Surah in the Qur'an that contains Bismillah, Surah an-Naml (The Ants).
6) The number of Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them) mentioned in the Qur'an is 25.
7) The longest Surah in the Qur'an is al-Baqarah (The Cow) It has 286 verses and the shortest one is al-Kawthar (Abundance) with three verses.
8) The only one of Prophet Muhammad's companions whose name is mentioned in the Qur'an is Zaid Ibn Haritha, may Allah be pleased with him, in verse 37 in Surah Al-Ahzab, (The Confederates); "So when Zaid had accomplished his desire from her (i.e. divorced her), We gave her to you in marraige, so that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the Believers in respect of (the marraige of) the wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have no desire to keep them (i.e. they have divorced them)). And Allah's command must be fulfilled."
9) Verse No. 281 in Surah al-Baqarah, known as Ayat ad-dayn, (verse dealing with debt), is the longest one in the whole Qur'an.
10) Surah al-Mujadalah (The Woman Who Disputes) is the only Surah in the Qur'an which the word "Allah" is mentioned in every verse.
The Holy Qur'an is Allah's final word for the human beings. Reading the Qur'an is a source of pleasure for everybody, even for non-Muslims. This is why Arthur Arberry, one of the famous Orientalists, described the Qur'an as "a holy book of universal significance."
In this article, I will focus on basic statistics about the Qur'an, which, I hope, would be of interest to a lot of readers:
1) The Holy Qur'an consists of 6,236 verses in 114 Surahs (chapters) in 30 juz' (parts). Each juz' is divided into two hizbs (half a juz').
2) The Qur'an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in 23 years to match the diffent situations and circumstances the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) faced: 13 years in Makkah and 10 years in Madina.
3) The Surahs of the Qur'an are divided into two types: 86 Makkan Surahs (the ones revealed before migration of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to Madina and usually deal with monotheism and true faith) and 28 Madani Surahs (the ones revealed after the migration and usually deal with different aspects of people's life in the Muslim state).
4) All the Surahs of the Qur'an start with Bismillah (in the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate) except one, Surah al-Taubah (The Repentance).
5) There is only one Surah in the Qur'an that contains Bismillah, Surah an-Naml (The Ants).
6) The number of Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them) mentioned in the Qur'an is 25.
7) The longest Surah in the Qur'an is al-Baqarah (The Cow) It has 286 verses and the shortest one is al-Kawthar (Abundance) with three verses.
8) The only one of Prophet Muhammad's companions whose name is mentioned in the Qur'an is Zaid Ibn Haritha, may Allah be pleased with him, in verse 37 in Surah Al-Ahzab, (The Confederates); "So when Zaid had accomplished his desire from her (i.e. divorced her), We gave her to you in marraige, so that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the Believers in respect of (the marraige of) the wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have no desire to keep them (i.e. they have divorced them)). And Allah's command must be fulfilled."
9) Verse No. 281 in Surah al-Baqarah, known as Ayat ad-dayn, (verse dealing with debt), is the longest one in the whole Qur'an.
10) Surah al-Mujadalah (The Woman Who Disputes) is the only Surah in the Qur'an which the word "Allah" is mentioned in every verse.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Former Priest Describes His 'Spiritual Journey'
Excerpt from 'Arab News'..
Ali Guatamala, a former priest, came to perform Haj along with 17,000 other U.S. Muslims.
According to a report in Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Severedoo Royes (Guatemala's Christian name) was attracted to Islam after he read the opening verse in the chapter Al-Baqara (The Cow) of the Holy Qur'an.
He said conversion to Islam had changed his whole life. "After graduating from the seminary, I worked as a priest in Queen City, southern United States, and I used to engage in missionary work in prisons," said Guatemala.
In order to improve his missionary skills, Royes started reading books on other religions, including the Holy Qur'an. "It was a turning point of my life," he said.
"When I read the first verse of Chapter Al-Baqara: 'This Book, there is no doubt in it, is a guidance to the pious,' it struck my mind. I pondered about this verse, which gave me the impression that the author was speaking clearly and definitely without having any doubt."
Guatamala said he had found a lot of contradictions in Christianity while studying at the seminary, adding that senior priests were unable to provide satisfactory answers to his questions.
They advised me not to read the Qur'an branding it Satan's work. This increased my interest in the Qur'an and I found that it was not the work of a human being," he said.
Guatemala prayed to God to show him the right path. "One day, when I left home I found a man in thobe going to the mosque for prayer. His name was Salim Baaqeel. I went with him to the mosque and noticed that there are no ceremonial rituals in Muslim prayers as in Christianity... After that I visited the mosque daily for a week," he explained.
"While I was sitting in the mosque, a person came to me and offered to teach me how to do 'wudu' (ablution). I thought that it was a kind of black magic but he explained to me that it was for purification before prayer. On that day I declared my decision to embrace Islam at the mosque." he added.
Ever since he became a Muslim, Guatemala has been facing a lot of pressure from his family, including his sister, who is Jewish. "She used to frighten me by saying that Muslims would kill me... Her attitude changed after she observed positive changes in my life. When I informed her about my plan to perform Haj, she asked me to bring a souvenir from Makkah for her," he said.
Haj was a wonderful experience for Guatamala. "I consider this spiritual journey as the best days in my life. In gave me great pleasure when I learned that the places where I spent during haj had the footprints of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). I cannot explain my strong feelings when I saw the Holy Kaaba for the first time with my naked eyes."
Ali Guatamala, a former priest, came to perform Haj along with 17,000 other U.S. Muslims.
According to a report in Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Severedoo Royes (Guatemala's Christian name) was attracted to Islam after he read the opening verse in the chapter Al-Baqara (The Cow) of the Holy Qur'an.
He said conversion to Islam had changed his whole life. "After graduating from the seminary, I worked as a priest in Queen City, southern United States, and I used to engage in missionary work in prisons," said Guatemala.
In order to improve his missionary skills, Royes started reading books on other religions, including the Holy Qur'an. "It was a turning point of my life," he said.
"When I read the first verse of Chapter Al-Baqara: 'This Book, there is no doubt in it, is a guidance to the pious,' it struck my mind. I pondered about this verse, which gave me the impression that the author was speaking clearly and definitely without having any doubt."
Guatamala said he had found a lot of contradictions in Christianity while studying at the seminary, adding that senior priests were unable to provide satisfactory answers to his questions.
They advised me not to read the Qur'an branding it Satan's work. This increased my interest in the Qur'an and I found that it was not the work of a human being," he said.
Guatemala prayed to God to show him the right path. "One day, when I left home I found a man in thobe going to the mosque for prayer. His name was Salim Baaqeel. I went with him to the mosque and noticed that there are no ceremonial rituals in Muslim prayers as in Christianity... After that I visited the mosque daily for a week," he explained.
"While I was sitting in the mosque, a person came to me and offered to teach me how to do 'wudu' (ablution). I thought that it was a kind of black magic but he explained to me that it was for purification before prayer. On that day I declared my decision to embrace Islam at the mosque." he added.
Ever since he became a Muslim, Guatemala has been facing a lot of pressure from his family, including his sister, who is Jewish. "She used to frighten me by saying that Muslims would kill me... Her attitude changed after she observed positive changes in my life. When I informed her about my plan to perform Haj, she asked me to bring a souvenir from Makkah for her," he said.
Haj was a wonderful experience for Guatamala. "I consider this spiritual journey as the best days in my life. In gave me great pleasure when I learned that the places where I spent during haj had the footprints of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). I cannot explain my strong feelings when I saw the Holy Kaaba for the first time with my naked eyes."
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Al-Asheikh calls for the Unity of Muslims
Excerpt from an article in 'arab news'.
Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh lashed out in his Arafat sermon at enemies of the Islamic world for targeting the faith and livelihood of Muslims.
Delivering the annual Haj sermon, he called upon Muslims to hold fast to their faith. "If the Ummah (Islamic Nation) returns to its religion, no force in the world will be able to defeat it," he said.
The enemies have been targeting the Ummah in its faith. They are aiming at its economy and are attempting to annex it to their economic system, he said.
"The Ummah is being targeted... on its values, morals and culture," said the mufti, the Kingdom's top Islamic scholar. However, he said that Muslims had contributed to this by abandoning the fundamentals of their faith.
The mufti warned against the dangers surrounding the Ummah and the efforts of its enemies to pounce on Muslim nations, exploit their wealth and create divisions among them.
Al-Asheikh blasted the enemies of the Ummah for recruiting young Muslims to carry out terrorist attacks."Every Muslim rejects these acts of terrorism," the mufti said and urged Muslims all over the world not to allow people having evil and sick minds to create chaos and confusion in their countries. "We have to tackle this problem by joining hands. This is a dangerous virus that targets truth and creates division and destruction," he added.
Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh lashed out in his Arafat sermon at enemies of the Islamic world for targeting the faith and livelihood of Muslims.
Delivering the annual Haj sermon, he called upon Muslims to hold fast to their faith. "If the Ummah (Islamic Nation) returns to its religion, no force in the world will be able to defeat it," he said.
The enemies have been targeting the Ummah in its faith. They are aiming at its economy and are attempting to annex it to their economic system, he said.
"The Ummah is being targeted... on its values, morals and culture," said the mufti, the Kingdom's top Islamic scholar. However, he said that Muslims had contributed to this by abandoning the fundamentals of their faith.
The mufti warned against the dangers surrounding the Ummah and the efforts of its enemies to pounce on Muslim nations, exploit their wealth and create divisions among them.
Al-Asheikh blasted the enemies of the Ummah for recruiting young Muslims to carry out terrorist attacks."Every Muslim rejects these acts of terrorism," the mufti said and urged Muslims all over the world not to allow people having evil and sick minds to create chaos and confusion in their countries. "We have to tackle this problem by joining hands. This is a dangerous virus that targets truth and creates division and destruction," he added.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Hajj experience
Alhamdulillah, had the opportunity to perform hajj this year.
Decided to choose a more adventurous route for the experience.. Nope, didn't walk the whole way(though there were quite a number of pilgrims who did this)..
Instead, 4 of us travelled to Mina then Arafat then Muzdalifah and back to Mina by scooter. Those 50-60 km/hr ones. It was quite tricky too riding wearing the two pieces of white cloth but alhamdulillah, nothing seriously embarassing happened.
Was it legal? Hm, not really but thats the way it is here, especially during hajj period. By right, we can't go around scooting on highways and main roads, however only for hajj period, the police won't do anything if they see scooters going around for hajj. Hmm, i imagined that if we'd rode like that back home and got caught for the traffic offences made, we'd probably be banned from riding for life!
Thankfully, the journey was smooth sailing mostly. It was good considering the very low cost and time saved from traffic jams. Wouldn't recommend it though.
We faced challenges like searching for water source and toilets, spots to pitch our tents and food. Even when there's toilets, the queue would be a line of 6 or more at peak hours which is most of the period. But of course there are certain periods where its ok. So food management and water intake control is important. But alhamdulillah, we managed without much difficulty and managed to do all the rituals, sunnah or obligatory. I cant imagine how others who backpacked like us managed, some without transport, with thier wives and children.
Currently at Mina sitting by the side of a road with thousand others while typing this using my n70.. SubhanAllah, the wonders of technology. Hm, insya Allah if I have a chance to perform hajj again next year, maybe i'd try a different way by following a travel agency.. No worries but at a hefty price.. the 'finer side' of hajj. Alhamdulillah for this opportunity..
Eid mubarak to all muslims! Allah is Almighty!
Decided to choose a more adventurous route for the experience.. Nope, didn't walk the whole way(though there were quite a number of pilgrims who did this)..
Instead, 4 of us travelled to Mina then Arafat then Muzdalifah and back to Mina by scooter. Those 50-60 km/hr ones. It was quite tricky too riding wearing the two pieces of white cloth but alhamdulillah, nothing seriously embarassing happened.
Was it legal? Hm, not really but thats the way it is here, especially during hajj period. By right, we can't go around scooting on highways and main roads, however only for hajj period, the police won't do anything if they see scooters going around for hajj. Hmm, i imagined that if we'd rode like that back home and got caught for the traffic offences made, we'd probably be banned from riding for life!
Thankfully, the journey was smooth sailing mostly. It was good considering the very low cost and time saved from traffic jams. Wouldn't recommend it though.
We faced challenges like searching for water source and toilets, spots to pitch our tents and food. Even when there's toilets, the queue would be a line of 6 or more at peak hours which is most of the period. But of course there are certain periods where its ok. So food management and water intake control is important. But alhamdulillah, we managed without much difficulty and managed to do all the rituals, sunnah or obligatory. I cant imagine how others who backpacked like us managed, some without transport, with thier wives and children.
Currently at Mina sitting by the side of a road with thousand others while typing this using my n70.. SubhanAllah, the wonders of technology. Hm, insya Allah if I have a chance to perform hajj again next year, maybe i'd try a different way by following a travel agency.. No worries but at a hefty price.. the 'finer side' of hajj. Alhamdulillah for this opportunity..
Eid mubarak to all muslims! Allah is Almighty!
Monday, November 26, 2007
Recite and understand
If i were to ask Singaporean muslims in general.. How many of us read the Quran? Hm, ok, maybe most of us do.. Now i ask again, how many of us actually read and understand the Quran and the whole of its contents? Aah, a show of hands here.. A little over there too.. Hm, what telah happened to the other 90+% now..?
Maybe i'm over-exaggarating, but seriously, how many of us can actually understand whatever that we're reciting daily? And as we're not native arabic linguists, then how many of us actually recite, then bother to spend some time pondering upon the translation and the 'tafsir' (explanation) of the verses read?
Reciting everyday with all the beautiful tones and correct tajweed is good but we won't gain much if we don't understand its meanings.
Imagine a 'mat jiwang' listening to his favourite songs.. He'd analyse and ponder upon the lyrics word by word, sentence by sentence and he'd sing it over and over with all his 'heart and soul' interwining the meaning of the lyrics and the melody at the same time.. Some extreme ones even go to the point of tears upon doing this.. *slaps head*
Now, apply this 'technique' to the Quran. We have to realise that The most important knowledge for muslims is the Quran, Allah SWT explained in surah al-Isra' ayat 9 yang bermaksud,
"Sesungguhnya Quran ini memberi petunjuk kepada jalan yang lebih lurus(aqwam) dan memberi khabar gembira kepada orang-orang mukmin yang mengerjakan amal soleh bahawa bagi mereka ada pahala yang besar."
Berhubung dengan ini, di dalam al-Jamik li ahkam al-Quran, Imam Qurtubi berkata,"Kalimat 'aqwam' bermaksud jalan yang paling benar, paling adil dan paling tepat."
In surah an-Nisa' ayat 82, Allah SWT says, yang bermaksud,
"Apakah mereka tidak 'tadabur' Quran? Sekiranya Quran itu bukan dari sisi Allah tentulah mereka akan mendapati percanggahan yang banyak di dalamnya."
Berhubung dengan ayat ini, Imam Ibn Kathir di dalam 'Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim' berkata,"Allah mengarahkan mereka agar mengamati isi-isi Quran dan melarang mereka dari berpaling daripadanya. Allah juga mengarah mereka agar memahami maksud ayat-ayat Quran yang begitu halus lafaznya serta dipenuhi kebijaksanaan."
Allah explained in surah al-Isra' ayat 82 yang bermaksud,
"(Quran) merupakan penawar(syifa) dan rahmat bagi mereka yang beriman."
Di dalam al-Asas fit Tafsir oleh Said Hawa disebutkan,"Syifa bermaksud (Quran adalah penawar) yang dapat menghilangkan syak, nifak, penyelewengan, kelemahan dan penyakit dalam hati. Quran juga adalah rahmat yang dapat menghasilkan iman, hikmat dan kebahagiaan." (source - 'Tip-tip cemerlang dari Quran')
The great muslim scholars of the past were successful mainly because they were encouraged and enlightened by the Quran.. It is a guide to success for both here and the hereafter..
Abdullah ibn Masud berkata,"Sesiapa yang menghendaki ilmu pengetahuan maka hendaklah dia membaca Quran. Di dalamnya terdapat ilmu orang-orang terdahulu dan yang kemudian."
Maybe i'm over-exaggarating, but seriously, how many of us can actually understand whatever that we're reciting daily? And as we're not native arabic linguists, then how many of us actually recite, then bother to spend some time pondering upon the translation and the 'tafsir' (explanation) of the verses read?
Reciting everyday with all the beautiful tones and correct tajweed is good but we won't gain much if we don't understand its meanings.
Imagine a 'mat jiwang' listening to his favourite songs.. He'd analyse and ponder upon the lyrics word by word, sentence by sentence and he'd sing it over and over with all his 'heart and soul' interwining the meaning of the lyrics and the melody at the same time.. Some extreme ones even go to the point of tears upon doing this.. *slaps head*
Now, apply this 'technique' to the Quran. We have to realise that The most important knowledge for muslims is the Quran, Allah SWT explained in surah al-Isra' ayat 9 yang bermaksud,
"Sesungguhnya Quran ini memberi petunjuk kepada jalan yang lebih lurus(aqwam) dan memberi khabar gembira kepada orang-orang mukmin yang mengerjakan amal soleh bahawa bagi mereka ada pahala yang besar."
Berhubung dengan ini, di dalam al-Jamik li ahkam al-Quran, Imam Qurtubi berkata,"Kalimat 'aqwam' bermaksud jalan yang paling benar, paling adil dan paling tepat."
In surah an-Nisa' ayat 82, Allah SWT says, yang bermaksud,
"Apakah mereka tidak 'tadabur' Quran? Sekiranya Quran itu bukan dari sisi Allah tentulah mereka akan mendapati percanggahan yang banyak di dalamnya."
Berhubung dengan ayat ini, Imam Ibn Kathir di dalam 'Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim' berkata,"Allah mengarahkan mereka agar mengamati isi-isi Quran dan melarang mereka dari berpaling daripadanya. Allah juga mengarah mereka agar memahami maksud ayat-ayat Quran yang begitu halus lafaznya serta dipenuhi kebijaksanaan."
Allah explained in surah al-Isra' ayat 82 yang bermaksud,
"(Quran) merupakan penawar(syifa) dan rahmat bagi mereka yang beriman."
Di dalam al-Asas fit Tafsir oleh Said Hawa disebutkan,"Syifa bermaksud (Quran adalah penawar) yang dapat menghilangkan syak, nifak, penyelewengan, kelemahan dan penyakit dalam hati. Quran juga adalah rahmat yang dapat menghasilkan iman, hikmat dan kebahagiaan." (source - 'Tip-tip cemerlang dari Quran')
The great muslim scholars of the past were successful mainly because they were encouraged and enlightened by the Quran.. It is a guide to success for both here and the hereafter..
Abdullah ibn Masud berkata,"Sesiapa yang menghendaki ilmu pengetahuan maka hendaklah dia membaca Quran. Di dalamnya terdapat ilmu orang-orang terdahulu dan yang kemudian."
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Bahaya Tertipu dengan Ilmu
Excerpt from a book..
'Orang yang berilmu boleh terpedaya dengan ilmunya. Berhubungan dengan ini, Imam al-Ghazali berkata,"Antara golongan yang terpedaya ialah ahli fikah yang menguasai ilmu ketaatan tetapi tidak mengamalkannya. Sebahagian daripada mereka menguasai ilmu sehingga mereka mengenali perkara yang maksiat, tetapi mereka tidak menjauhinya. Sebahagian yang lain mengetahui tentang kepentingan akhlak tetapi tidak menghiaskan diri mereka dengannya. Inilah (ulama) yang tertipu...
Imam Tabrani dan Baihakki meriwayatkan sabda nabi(s.a.w) yang bermaksud,'Manusia yang mendapat azab yang paling keras di hari kiamat ialah orang alim yang tidak mendapat manfaat dari ilmunya'."
Seterusnya Iman Ghazali berkata,"Walau bagaimanapun sebahagian ahli ilmu mengamalkan apa yang mereka ketahui namun tujuan mereka bukanlah untuk mencari keredhaan Allah sebaliknya untuk mencari pengaruh serta nama. Sebahagian yang lain berasa ujub atau kagum dengan kelebihan yang ada pada diri mereka. Mereka asyik menghiaskan diri di sudut zahir sehingga mengabaikan perkara yang lebih penting yaitu kebersihan batin serta hati. Ketika itu mereka melupakan musuh mereka yang utama iaitu syaitan.
Lantas mereka berpakaian dengan menggunakan kain-kain halus diselimuti mutiara, perhiasan serta sutera yang diharamkan, dan bermusafir dengan menggunakan kuda serta kenderaan yang mengagumkan. Mereka mendakwa kesemua ini dilakukan bertujuan untuk memuliakan agama. Mereka masuk ke tempat para penguasa yang zalim untuk memuji serta mendapatkan kasih sayang mereka. Mereka ini sebenarnya adalah dajjal agama dan bukannya imam agama kerana imam agama yang sebenarnya mengutamakan kepentingan akhirat dan tidak terpedaya dengan kelazatan dunia. Sebaliknya golongan dajjal ini berpaling dari kehendak Allah dan menghadapkan dirinya kepada keenakan dan kenikmatan dunia."
Kesemua ini disebutkan di dalam kitab 'Ihya Ulumuddin'.
'Orang yang berilmu boleh terpedaya dengan ilmunya. Berhubungan dengan ini, Imam al-Ghazali berkata,"Antara golongan yang terpedaya ialah ahli fikah yang menguasai ilmu ketaatan tetapi tidak mengamalkannya. Sebahagian daripada mereka menguasai ilmu sehingga mereka mengenali perkara yang maksiat, tetapi mereka tidak menjauhinya. Sebahagian yang lain mengetahui tentang kepentingan akhlak tetapi tidak menghiaskan diri mereka dengannya. Inilah (ulama) yang tertipu...
Imam Tabrani dan Baihakki meriwayatkan sabda nabi(s.a.w) yang bermaksud,'Manusia yang mendapat azab yang paling keras di hari kiamat ialah orang alim yang tidak mendapat manfaat dari ilmunya'."
Seterusnya Iman Ghazali berkata,"Walau bagaimanapun sebahagian ahli ilmu mengamalkan apa yang mereka ketahui namun tujuan mereka bukanlah untuk mencari keredhaan Allah sebaliknya untuk mencari pengaruh serta nama. Sebahagian yang lain berasa ujub atau kagum dengan kelebihan yang ada pada diri mereka. Mereka asyik menghiaskan diri di sudut zahir sehingga mengabaikan perkara yang lebih penting yaitu kebersihan batin serta hati. Ketika itu mereka melupakan musuh mereka yang utama iaitu syaitan.
Lantas mereka berpakaian dengan menggunakan kain-kain halus diselimuti mutiara, perhiasan serta sutera yang diharamkan, dan bermusafir dengan menggunakan kuda serta kenderaan yang mengagumkan. Mereka mendakwa kesemua ini dilakukan bertujuan untuk memuliakan agama. Mereka masuk ke tempat para penguasa yang zalim untuk memuji serta mendapatkan kasih sayang mereka. Mereka ini sebenarnya adalah dajjal agama dan bukannya imam agama kerana imam agama yang sebenarnya mengutamakan kepentingan akhirat dan tidak terpedaya dengan kelazatan dunia. Sebaliknya golongan dajjal ini berpaling dari kehendak Allah dan menghadapkan dirinya kepada keenakan dan kenikmatan dunia."
Kesemua ini disebutkan di dalam kitab 'Ihya Ulumuddin'.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Make good use of your expertise!
Assalaamu'alaikum wr wb.. Pe khabar semua?.. Here's an article that I feel is interesting to be shared and pondered upon entitled, "Manfaatkan kepakaran bukan Memandulkannya" ..Link here!
It's written in Malay by the way, there should be an english edition tapi belum siap kot.. basically the article is about encouraging muslims to make good use of any capabilities they have and be successful and proficient in any area they like as long as it doesn't go against Islamic principles...
key points from article;
- Islam is a religion which acknowledges any proficiency of a person as long as it doesn't go against Islamic principles.
- Examples of Islam being a progressive religion, acknowledging any good attributes and capabilities that a person have that can be useful for the society.
- e.g.The leadership quality and capabilites of Umar ibn Khattab and Khalid al-Walid before Islam were acknowledged and after they reverted to Islam they are benefitted for Islamic cause. An important post should be held by the most capable, not to be restricted to senority
- Deepening knowledge about Islam is not about becoming an "ustaz", Islam needs capable and "soleh" muslims in all areas of expertise.
- Islam acknowledges all forms of knowledge not just restricted to Islamic knowledge. We have to widen our knowledge in all areas for the benefit of ourselves and the Islamic community.
Aite, thats just some of the main points from the article.. bacalah kalo free ya.. ilalliqa'(jumpa lagi) insya-Allah.. Wassalaam (",).
It's written in Malay by the way, there should be an english edition tapi belum siap kot.. basically the article is about encouraging muslims to make good use of any capabilities they have and be successful and proficient in any area they like as long as it doesn't go against Islamic principles...
key points from article;
- Islam is a religion which acknowledges any proficiency of a person as long as it doesn't go against Islamic principles.
- Examples of Islam being a progressive religion, acknowledging any good attributes and capabilities that a person have that can be useful for the society.
- e.g.The leadership quality and capabilites of Umar ibn Khattab and Khalid al-Walid before Islam were acknowledged and after they reverted to Islam they are benefitted for Islamic cause. An important post should be held by the most capable, not to be restricted to senority
- Deepening knowledge about Islam is not about becoming an "ustaz", Islam needs capable and "soleh" muslims in all areas of expertise.
- Islam acknowledges all forms of knowledge not just restricted to Islamic knowledge. We have to widen our knowledge in all areas for the benefit of ourselves and the Islamic community.
Aite, thats just some of the main points from the article.. bacalah kalo free ya.. ilalliqa'(jumpa lagi) insya-Allah.. Wassalaam (",).
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