Ku mengharapkan Ramadhan
Kali ini penuh makna
Agar dapat kulalui
Dengan sempurna
Selangkah demi selangkah
Setahun sudah pun berlalu
Masa yang pantas berlalu
Hingga tak terasa ku berada
Di bulan Ramadhan semula
Puasa satu amalan
Sebagaimana yang diperintahNya
Moga dapat ku lenturkan
Nafsu yang selalu membelenggu diri
Tiada henti-henti
Tak ingin ku biarkan Ramadhan berlalu saja
Tuhan pimpinlah daku yang lemah
Mengharungi segalanya dengan sabar
Kita memohon pada Tuhan diberikan kekuatan
Ku merayu pada Tuhan diterima amalan
Selangkah demi selangkah…
Dengan rahmatMu oh Tuhanku…
Ku tempuh jua
Oh God, make this ramadhan a beneficial, fulfilling and wholesome one! One that lives on forever! amin!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
prior to ramadhan
alhamdulillah, the two weeks rior to ramadhan had been ful-filled with events that purify and uplift the spirit.
big events were organised by 2 of the tariqahs i have the most affection for;
the ahmadi ikhwans saw guests from Italy, France, and now UK, and insyaAllah Pakistan
Dr Hisyam Hellyer of Senoussi geneology was present at the hol of Sidi Ibrahim Ar-Rasyid. it was a condeerful majlis, with Ust Hasbi leading a very powerful and moving zikr, exactly what is needed prior to ramadhan.
and in his sharing, Dr Hisyam Hellyer mentioned that the only reason why Prophet Muhammad saas had that speck of clot in his heart prior to cleansing was that he had mercy for all, and really all things. for he is the rahmatal lil 'alamin. and the definition of 'alam is everything other than Allah, and Satan is other than Allah. Satan must not interfere with Prophetic mission and so he was removed.
big events were organised by 2 of the tariqahs i have the most affection for;
the ahmadi ikhwans saw guests from Italy, France, and now UK, and insyaAllah Pakistan
Dr Hisyam Hellyer of Senoussi geneology was present at the hol of Sidi Ibrahim Ar-Rasyid. it was a condeerful majlis, with Ust Hasbi leading a very powerful and moving zikr, exactly what is needed prior to ramadhan.
and in his sharing, Dr Hisyam Hellyer mentioned that the only reason why Prophet Muhammad saas had that speck of clot in his heart prior to cleansing was that he had mercy for all, and really all things. for he is the rahmatal lil 'alamin. and the definition of 'alam is everything other than Allah, and Satan is other than Allah. Satan must not interfere with Prophetic mission and so he was removed.
Dr Hisyam Hellyer with Ust Hasbi
after the mamam. the senior ikhwans, aka pakciks, were the ones who learnt from Sidi Abdul Rasyid.
up the steps to visit sahibul maqam
a little bit more recent, singapore is blessed by the visit of Shaykh Hisyam Kabbani, Naqshbandi Khalifah
as usual, Mawlana spoke from a very heartfelt level, to an overflowing audience.
Ust TM Fouzy, speaking with such energy
calm and composed, Ust Iqbal read out a chain of salawat which included salawat 'azhimiyyah
Shaykh Hisyam Kabbani
the event at wehdah was filled with zikr, salawat and music, lively indeed. i could just imagine how the people of Madinah were more than jubilant upon receiving the Prophet saas.
towards the end, a qawwali was recited, indian artform of poetry, traditional and authentic lah. haha, that reminds me, during shaqq al qamar, the Indians witnessed the miracle of the prophet saas and the king who converted sent his regards and delegates to the prophet. the indians became muslims as early as during the time of the Prophet saas himself.
Trivia: there is a narration that stated that the Prophet actually ate the Indian achar!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Why are they afraid of Islam?
General Paper, a very interesting and intellectual subject taught in junior colleges, seeks to instill in students a balanced view of the world and its happenings, and also stimulate students to think in order to provide opinions on various wide-spanning world issues. Having taken the subject, I must say that GP has its parallels with Tasawwur Islam, ie Islamic Worldview, and that GP in one way or another, helps one in studying Tasawwur Islam. Many contemporary issues related to us by the media updates us only from a certain perspective, which may or may not be biased. It is like seeing through coloured spectacles, if one is wearing blue lenses, every white is blue, every yellow, green. Similarly, issues that cloud around muslims generally have not enjoyed being given the right coverage, it is often opinionated or slanted towards a certain perspective only, thus biased. The sad thing is, not many among the masses are able to smell this biasness, and hence are influenced by those slanted views.
The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a classic example. Often headlines such as these appear in papers all over the world, since most local papers take their materials from the same news agencies such as AP and Reuters:
“Palestinian terrorists kill Jews in Israeli Settlement”
The impression created can never be more solid: Palestinians are terrorists, violent butchers who go to the extent of bombing public facilities.
Most of the masses would not have known and won’t bother to ask or research about this Israeli Settlement. Truth is, a line was clearly drawn in the past depicting the borders, and the Israeli authorities have forcefully grabbed some areas from the Palestinians, literally bulldozing their way through plantations, houses and property belonging to Palestinians, at times killing even babies, and they call the newly stolen land “Israeli Settlement” after accommodation for Israelis have been built.
Should this simple piece of information be told, then the impression created would be vastly different.
The use of the word terrorist is also very loose, without even a strong, proper definition to it. It would seem rather obvious to the rational that the terrorist is usually the one who is capable of oppressing; and in this case, we are talking about a well-armed, high tech and formidable army as compared to civilians and even children whose weapon include stones, slingshots and at best homemade explosives and cheap ammunition.
Who are we to talk about the sufferings of the Palestinians? We say that the three years Malaya was under Japanese Occupation was terrible, yet we have never experienced occupation. These Palestinians have experienced occupation for over 60 years and continue to do so. So how do you differentiate terrorist from freedom fighter?
Today, any potential candidate for the US Presidency, be it a Democrat or Republican, is fully aware of the sensitivities of this issue; and that if he or she were to criticize the Zionist movement even in the slightest bit, he or she would lose significant votes and thus loses the chance at becoming the President. Such is how extremely powerful the small Israeli lobby is in the US.
It just doesn’t seem right to exert that throughout the past 60 years, all rights were the Zionists and all wrongs were the Palestinians, but the picture painted is as such, the good guys are the Zionists; the evil ones are the Palestinians.
Now I run a risk of being labeled anti-Semite, as do anyone who seeks to know the real picture and understand the plight of the oppressed Palestinians. I hereby proclaim that I am in no way an anti-Semite, and any hatred to a people just because of their biological race is unsupported and condemned by the Quran. I am a believer of the Quran as the Last and Final Testament of God who sent Joseph, Moses, Jesus, John and Muhammad, peace upon them all, and therefore I am obliged, by the authority of the Quran, to love all them all, a significant portion of whom are Jews. So how can a muslim hate Jews because of their “Jewishness”? That would otherwise be hypocritical.
Lately the Straits Times carried an article entitled, “Israel ‘bullying sick Palestinians into spying’”
Just wondering, how would a patriotic Singaporean feel, should a foreigner come to him and say “You Singaporeans are wicked sick, you people cruelly occupied Japan and made the Japanese people suffer three whole years!”
Doesn’t that sicken you??
This is not an academic article, and I admit I have not put in resources, but rest assured, sources are readily available. The reason why I don’t cite sources is that I would prefer people researching for themselves and be convinced for themselves, other than convenience of course ;)
But I am tempted, I cite you an excerpt of a review on the book “Lords of the Land: The War for Israel’s Settlements in the Occupied Territories, 1967-2007” by Idith Zertal and Akiva Eldar that appeared in The Economist October 13th 2007 issue:
“And thus it has always been. Never mind that Israel has flouted International Law by settling its citizens in occupied foreign territory; what is remarkable is how consistently the settlers have thwarted Israel’s own laws, in pursuit of what to them are biblical lands inhabited by Palestinian interlopers. The Bilin case was just a variation on a tried and tested method: seize land illegally, establish hard-to-reverse “facts on the ground” and then legalise the claim retroactively through the courts or government.”
May God let us see the real picture and the truth, amin.
The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a classic example. Often headlines such as these appear in papers all over the world, since most local papers take their materials from the same news agencies such as AP and Reuters:
“Palestinian terrorists kill Jews in Israeli Settlement”
The impression created can never be more solid: Palestinians are terrorists, violent butchers who go to the extent of bombing public facilities.
Most of the masses would not have known and won’t bother to ask or research about this Israeli Settlement. Truth is, a line was clearly drawn in the past depicting the borders, and the Israeli authorities have forcefully grabbed some areas from the Palestinians, literally bulldozing their way through plantations, houses and property belonging to Palestinians, at times killing even babies, and they call the newly stolen land “Israeli Settlement” after accommodation for Israelis have been built.
Should this simple piece of information be told, then the impression created would be vastly different.
The use of the word terrorist is also very loose, without even a strong, proper definition to it. It would seem rather obvious to the rational that the terrorist is usually the one who is capable of oppressing; and in this case, we are talking about a well-armed, high tech and formidable army as compared to civilians and even children whose weapon include stones, slingshots and at best homemade explosives and cheap ammunition.
Who are we to talk about the sufferings of the Palestinians? We say that the three years Malaya was under Japanese Occupation was terrible, yet we have never experienced occupation. These Palestinians have experienced occupation for over 60 years and continue to do so. So how do you differentiate terrorist from freedom fighter?
Today, any potential candidate for the US Presidency, be it a Democrat or Republican, is fully aware of the sensitivities of this issue; and that if he or she were to criticize the Zionist movement even in the slightest bit, he or she would lose significant votes and thus loses the chance at becoming the President. Such is how extremely powerful the small Israeli lobby is in the US.
It just doesn’t seem right to exert that throughout the past 60 years, all rights were the Zionists and all wrongs were the Palestinians, but the picture painted is as such, the good guys are the Zionists; the evil ones are the Palestinians.
Now I run a risk of being labeled anti-Semite, as do anyone who seeks to know the real picture and understand the plight of the oppressed Palestinians. I hereby proclaim that I am in no way an anti-Semite, and any hatred to a people just because of their biological race is unsupported and condemned by the Quran. I am a believer of the Quran as the Last and Final Testament of God who sent Joseph, Moses, Jesus, John and Muhammad, peace upon them all, and therefore I am obliged, by the authority of the Quran, to love all them all, a significant portion of whom are Jews. So how can a muslim hate Jews because of their “Jewishness”? That would otherwise be hypocritical.
Lately the Straits Times carried an article entitled, “Israel ‘bullying sick Palestinians into spying’”
Just wondering, how would a patriotic Singaporean feel, should a foreigner come to him and say “You Singaporeans are wicked sick, you people cruelly occupied Japan and made the Japanese people suffer three whole years!”
Doesn’t that sicken you??
This is not an academic article, and I admit I have not put in resources, but rest assured, sources are readily available. The reason why I don’t cite sources is that I would prefer people researching for themselves and be convinced for themselves, other than convenience of course ;)
But I am tempted, I cite you an excerpt of a review on the book “Lords of the Land: The War for Israel’s Settlements in the Occupied Territories, 1967-2007” by Idith Zertal and Akiva Eldar that appeared in The Economist October 13th 2007 issue:
“And thus it has always been. Never mind that Israel has flouted International Law by settling its citizens in occupied foreign territory; what is remarkable is how consistently the settlers have thwarted Israel’s own laws, in pursuit of what to them are biblical lands inhabited by Palestinian interlopers. The Bilin case was just a variation on a tried and tested method: seize land illegally, establish hard-to-reverse “facts on the ground” and then legalise the claim retroactively through the courts or government.”
May God let us see the real picture and the truth, amin.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Risalah Al-Qawaid, by Sidi Ahmad ibn Idris
La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur Rasulullah, fii kulli lamhatin wa nafasin 'adada maa wasi'ahu 'ilmullah
Below is the English translation of Sidi Ahmad ibn Idris' Risalah Al-Qawaid, just notice the way he writes, so saintly.
Risalah Al-Qawa’id
By As Saiyyid Al Qutb Ahmad bin Idris Al-Hasani
By the name of Allah, the most Gracious, most Merciful
May Allah’s blessings be upon our Master Muhammad and his household in every blink and in every breath inasmuch as Allah’s broad knowledge encompasses.
What is collectively recommended, for the sensible man who wants to save himself from every perishable situation and wants that Allah make him enter among the ranks of those nearest to Him in all of his affairs, he should follow these principles closely.
Firstly : He should be aware that Allah (the Most Exalted) is definitely going to make him stand before Him and question his particular speech or action. Thus, he should be prepared with an answer to the question from the Lord (the most exalted) before he proceeds with any speech/action. If he sees the answer to be right and pleasing to the Lord (the most exalted) and that Allah would accept it from him, then he should execute the speech/action, for it has praiseworthy consequences in this world and the thereafter.
However, if his answer would not be accepted by God and is not pleasing to Him, then he should avoid that matter regardless, for it brings negative consequences.
This basis is the base of all actions and words. Whoever verifies this firmly, he would have all his affairs built on righteousness inside out, without any defect of any kind. This is the meaning of the prophetic saying “Account yourself before you are accounted and weigh up your deeds before they are weighed up on you”.
Second basis is that man should never ever do a deed or say a word except that the intention is for the sake of Allah. If the intention is rightly for the sake of Allah the Most Exalted and he washes his heart clean from any ambiguous actions performed not for the sake of Allah, he would become a person who would only talk or act after being sure and careful. His deeds would become all pure and unmixed in any way.
This is what our Creator, the Most Exalted, Most High, meant when He told His great Prophet and His Most Beloved Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) “And keep yourself content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face”. Meaning, the ultimate intention is none but Allah in all his affairs.
Allah, the Most Exalted also said “And have in their minds no favor from anyone for which a reward is expected in return. But only the desire to seek the countenance of their Lord Most High; and soon will they attain (complete) satisfaction.”
Third basis is that he makes his heart full of mercy for all Muslims, elders among them and the young and he should give the Islamic right of respect and reverence. If he is firm on this basis and based on it strengthens his heart, Allah will pour on his body the lights of Lordly mercies and make him taste its sweetness; he will thus get great portion from the prophetic heritage as Allah, the Most Exalted said “We did not send you but for mercy for the worlds”.
This is also the meaning of the word of the prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). “Allah, the Most Exalted has 3 sacred rites, whoever keeps and protects them, Allah will protect for him the affairs of his din and his worldly affairs. Whoever does not keep them, Allah will never keep for him anything: The sacred rite of Islam, my sacred rite and the sacred rite of my womb”.
In this meaning is what the prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told Abu Bakar As-Sidiq (may Allah be pleased with him) “Never ever look down (disgrace) any one among Muslims for the smallest Muslim is a great one with Allah”.
Fourth basis: noble (sublime) morals for which the Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was sent to complete.
That is the prophet saying, “I was only sent to complete (accomplish) sublime morals”. This basis is the pearl of the religion, the reality of which is that a servant of Allah should be easy going and kind to his family, friends and every Muslim.
The prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said “Dwellers of paradise are all easy going and easy to approach, whereas the dwellers of Hell Fire are all harsh to their families, friends and kin’s”.
And our Lord, the supreme said “And speak fair to the people” meaning not harshly. Allah, the most exalted also said “Say to my servants that they should (only) say those things that are best” Al Ahsan is what comprises all beautiful things are more. To sum up, what you would like people to treat you by, such as nice word, good talk and good work, you must also do likewise to all creatures of Allah, what you dislike being treated with such as dirty word, bad talk and detestable work, you must keep away from it, for Allah does treat the servant by his own character and behavior by which he treats other creatures.
Reward is by its kind. For their (false) attribution (of superstitions to Allah). He will soon punish them, a fitting recompense (for them). Whoever is like a garden of mercy and good shade, under which they rest, so will Allah be for him.
Whoever respects and dignifies a slave for the sake of the slave master, he is actually respecting the master.
It thus comes in Hadith about Allah, the Most Exalted, as saying to the servant on the day of the resurrection:
“I was hungry and you did not feed Me, I asked of you to give Me drink and you did not, and I was sick but you did not pay Me a visit.”
The servant would say “How could You be hungry when You are the Lord of worlds? How could You be sick when You are the Lord of worlds? How could You request for drink when You are the Lord of world?”
Allah, the Most Glorious and High, would say in interpreting it, “But My so and so servant got sick, had you paid him a visit, you would have found Me there. My so and so servant also got hungry, had you given him food, you would’ve found that with Me. My so and so servant also requested drink from you, had you given him drink, you would found that with Me.“
Interpreting Himself, the most Glorious, His saying:” I was hungry, sick and asked of you to give me a drink, which means “My servant got hungry, My servant got sick, and My servant requested drink from you”.
Treating the servant for the sake of his master is, without doubt, treating the master.
Whoever stands firm in this situation and is sincere to Allah, his treatment would be right with the True Lord, the Most High in everything. He would not watch out for anyone but Allah. The collective sublime morals between Allah, the Most High, and his servants is the saying of the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) “Respect Allah that He should not see in what He had forbidden you from”.
That is Allah, the Most Glorious, should not find you where He had forbidden you, and should not miss you where He had commanded you to be around.
What makes the servant feel shy from Allah is that he should be cognitive of the fact that Allah’s knowledge encompasses all and that He is a witness to all things. That is Allah’s saying “And know that Allah knows what is in your hearts, and take need of Him; And know that He is Forgiving, Most Forbearing”.
Should the servant be aware of Allah’s watching over him and make that awareness part and parcel of his actions, then there will be in his heart a feeling of shyness to utter or do something that is not pleasing to Allah and does not befit Him who is Great, for the servant is reminded of“And He is with you, wherever you are”.
Allah is with him and is looking at him. For example, if a servant wants to commit adultery or theft, he could not do so while people are looking at him, because that would be degrading and shameful to him.
If that is the case with regards to fellow creatures who can cause no harm nor benefit, then the servant would feel even more ashamed of committing an act that is not pleasing to Allah, should he be aware that Allah is with him and is looking at him. Certainly he would leave that act altogether!
That is the meaning of the Prophetic hadith explaining Al-Ihsan:
“(Ihsan is) to worship Allah as though you are seeing him, and if you are not seeing Him then He is seeing you.”
Whosoever reaches such a state will surely perform his ibadah to the highest standards!
May peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet Muhammad in every blink of the eye and in every breath, inasmuch as Allah’s knowledge encompasses.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Salaams everyone,
Ba'alwi mosque would like to invite you to a forum organised specially for you. The details are as stated below.
Forum Title: ' Sufism: The Core of Islam'
Date/Time: Saturday, 16th August 2008;
1000hrs-1300hrs
Payment: Free of Charge (Lunch included)
Venue: Raffles Town Club ( Click here for map)
The idea is to get together with members of the International Muslim community in Singapore, mainly students, professionals, and activists, and to have a discussion on historical and contemporary issues surrounding Sufism. We would also wish to communicate that Sufism is not a deviant offshoot of Islam but has been a core to Islam in terms of its teachings and historical contributions.
Speakers: Dr. Hisham A Hellyer
Fellow; Center for Research in Ethnic Relations(CRER)
University of Warwick; UK
Assc/Prof Mehmet Sait Ozervarli
Researcher; Islamic Thought (ISAM)
Icadiye Baglarbasi cad,Turkey; Istanbul
Dr. Muhammad Suheyl Umar
Director; Iqbal Academy; Pakistan
Prof. Rex Sean O'Fahey
Professor; University of Bergen; Norway
MasyaAllah, Dr Hisyam Hellyer is from the Senoussi lineage, the descendant of Shaykh Muhammad As-Senoussi, a student of al Qutb Ar-Rais, Sidi Ahmad Idris, Dr Hisyam is also an ikhwan.
Plus the Author of the book; "the Enigmatic Saint: Ahmad ibn Idris", Prof. R.S O'Fahey is also speaking at the forum!
Dr Hisyam will also speak more about the Tasawwuf and Ahmadiah Idrisiah at baalwie this sat evening for nisfu syaban, and also this sunday night at maqam habib nuh for Hol Sidi ibrahim Ar-Rasyid led by Al-fadhil Ust Hasbi Bin Hassan.
Ba'alwi mosque would like to invite you to a forum organised specially for you. The details are as stated below.
Forum Title: ' Sufism: The Core of Islam'
Date/Time: Saturday, 16th August 2008;
1000hrs-1300hrs
Payment: Free of Charge (Lunch included)
Venue: Raffles Town Club ( Click here for map)
The idea is to get together with members of the International Muslim community in Singapore, mainly students, professionals, and activists, and to have a discussion on historical and contemporary issues surrounding Sufism. We would also wish to communicate that Sufism is not a deviant offshoot of Islam but has been a core to Islam in terms of its teachings and historical contributions.
Speakers: Dr. Hisham A Hellyer
Fellow; Center for Research in Ethnic Relations(CRER)
University of Warwick; UK
Assc/Prof Mehmet Sait Ozervarli
Researcher; Islamic Thought (ISAM)
Icadiye Baglarbasi cad,Turkey; Istanbul
Dr. Muhammad Suheyl Umar
Director; Iqbal Academy; Pakistan
Prof. Rex Sean O'Fahey
Professor; University of Bergen; Norway
MasyaAllah, Dr Hisyam Hellyer is from the Senoussi lineage, the descendant of Shaykh Muhammad As-Senoussi, a student of al Qutb Ar-Rais, Sidi Ahmad Idris, Dr Hisyam is also an ikhwan.
Plus the Author of the book; "the Enigmatic Saint: Ahmad ibn Idris", Prof. R.S O'Fahey is also speaking at the forum!
Dr Hisyam will also speak more about the Tasawwuf and Ahmadiah Idrisiah at baalwie this sat evening for nisfu syaban, and also this sunday night at maqam habib nuh for Hol Sidi ibrahim Ar-Rasyid led by Al-fadhil Ust Hasbi Bin Hassan.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
events to come
1)22 Aug 2008 Fri 8 PM at Singapore Power Auditorium beside Somerset MRT
Lecture By Shaykh Hisyam Kabbani an-Naqshbandi
Topic: Conversations With God
Free Admission, All are welcome
2) Majlis Nisfu Syaban @ Masjid Ba'alwie
16 Aug 2008, Saturday, After Marghrib,
Dr Hisyam Hellyer will be speaking insyaAllah
Dr Hisyam Hellyer is a descendant of Shaykh Muhammad As-Senoussi, a murid of Sidi Ahmad Idris
3) Hol Sidi Ibrahim Ar-Rasyid
Masjid Mohd Salleh Maqam Habib Nuh, Palmer Rd
17 Aug 2008, Sunday, After Isyak
Led by Ustaz Hasbi Bin Hassan
Again, InsyaAllah Dr Hisyam Hellyer will speak
Lecture By Shaykh Hisyam Kabbani an-Naqshbandi
Topic: Conversations With God
Free Admission, All are welcome
2) Majlis Nisfu Syaban @ Masjid Ba'alwie
16 Aug 2008, Saturday, After Marghrib,
Dr Hisyam Hellyer will be speaking insyaAllah
Dr Hisyam Hellyer is a descendant of Shaykh Muhammad As-Senoussi, a murid of Sidi Ahmad Idris
3) Hol Sidi Ibrahim Ar-Rasyid
Masjid Mohd Salleh Maqam Habib Nuh, Palmer Rd
17 Aug 2008, Sunday, After Isyak
Led by Ustaz Hasbi Bin Hassan
Again, InsyaAllah Dr Hisyam Hellyer will speak
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Verses of Love (ayat-ayat cinta)
Been a while since i last wanted to blog about the movie and the book. i actually read the book and watched the movie ayat-ayat cinta. quite surprising even to myself coz i don't read fiction unless it is super interesting, more so if it is in malay...
hmmm, well, it's a nice story in short, meaninful and definitely enlightening.
For the benefit of those who do not know about ayat-ayat cinta, it is an indon hit movie released earlier this year, touching on several themes close to the hearts of muslim youths such as how to BGR, date, relationships with girls, polygamy, friends from other faiths, mercy, compassion, tolerance, all under the observant guidance of Islam.
it's mostly a hit because today in this modern world we seldom see young muslim couples honoring the islamic tradition of cherishing modesty and chastity, this is especially so amongst melayu. they hold hands, hug, kiss, spend the night together etc all before marriage, thus devalueing marriage itself, which is sacred.
Ayat-ayat cinta tells of a story otherwise...and it is,according to my jc friend, zamir, soo damn nice larh...haha. true lah, it somehow motivates muslim youths here to sanctify marriage by abstaining from romance before marriage, in order that the tension is kept high, electricity intense, on the malam zafaf, the first night. just imagine what it would be like to experience something for the very first time on a sacred and significant chapter of our lives. Islam teaches you to honour that experience by safeguarding its novelty, which means, absolutely no sneakpeeks, no previews whatsoever, you get everything in a lump sum. surely the experience is different! so safeguard your modesty and chastity, and do not go near fornication! that you may be able to experience ecstasy when the highly recommended marriage comes.
the Prophet said; "marriage is part of my tradition, whosoever rejects my tradition is not from me"
haha, that reminds me, we had a meeting with the ikhwans and after the meeting we thought of going for late-night supper. one ikhwan who is already married asked to be excused,
" sorry ah can't join for makan, ana punyer zawjah ngah tunggu arh..."
that's what i call gentlemanly, prioritise your zawjah over your friends!
oh ya, dr gigi was a lil bit grumpy abt those ppl alr married.
he told me " orang yang dah kahwen ni kan, biler malam jer working effiency SLOW DOWN"
then the other ikhwans blast back " ni dr ni betol ah mintak kene kahwinkan ah!"
it was a light moment and we all laughed and laughed and laughed...
26 lah hor, maybe 28 ah, who knows? ;)
hmmm, well, it's a nice story in short, meaninful and definitely enlightening.
For the benefit of those who do not know about ayat-ayat cinta, it is an indon hit movie released earlier this year, touching on several themes close to the hearts of muslim youths such as how to BGR, date, relationships with girls, polygamy, friends from other faiths, mercy, compassion, tolerance, all under the observant guidance of Islam.
it's mostly a hit because today in this modern world we seldom see young muslim couples honoring the islamic tradition of cherishing modesty and chastity, this is especially so amongst melayu. they hold hands, hug, kiss, spend the night together etc all before marriage, thus devalueing marriage itself, which is sacred.
Ayat-ayat cinta tells of a story otherwise...and it is,according to my jc friend, zamir, soo damn nice larh...haha. true lah, it somehow motivates muslim youths here to sanctify marriage by abstaining from romance before marriage, in order that the tension is kept high, electricity intense, on the malam zafaf, the first night. just imagine what it would be like to experience something for the very first time on a sacred and significant chapter of our lives. Islam teaches you to honour that experience by safeguarding its novelty, which means, absolutely no sneakpeeks, no previews whatsoever, you get everything in a lump sum. surely the experience is different! so safeguard your modesty and chastity, and do not go near fornication! that you may be able to experience ecstasy when the highly recommended marriage comes.
the Prophet said; "marriage is part of my tradition, whosoever rejects my tradition is not from me"
haha, that reminds me, we had a meeting with the ikhwans and after the meeting we thought of going for late-night supper. one ikhwan who is already married asked to be excused,
" sorry ah can't join for makan, ana punyer zawjah ngah tunggu arh..."
that's what i call gentlemanly, prioritise your zawjah over your friends!
oh ya, dr gigi was a lil bit grumpy abt those ppl alr married.
he told me " orang yang dah kahwen ni kan, biler malam jer working effiency SLOW DOWN"
then the other ikhwans blast back " ni dr ni betol ah mintak kene kahwinkan ah!"
it was a light moment and we all laughed and laughed and laughed...
26 lah hor, maybe 28 ah, who knows? ;)
Saturday, August 2, 2008
فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى
An-Najm; The Star
فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى (53:9
53:9 And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer;
I am intrigued by this verse of the Quran, describing the Mi'raj of the Prophet saw, when he came to meet his Lord, the Great, at sidratul muntaha.
Why was bow-lengths used as a unit of measure?
What is the significance?
and then "aw adna"? or less?
and then
53:18
لَقَدْ رَأَى مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَى
53:18: truly did he see some of the most profound of his Sustainer’s symbols.
Scholars of Quranic exergesis say that greatest symbol is non-other than the vision of the Visage of God.
That is why Imam Nawawi in his Al-adzkar interprets this verse as
" ra'a rabbahu bi 'ainai raasihi'
"he saw his Lord with the eyes of his head"
and then there is this Hadith Qudsi where God said
"do not curse time, for I am Time"
All these discussions intermingle the concept of time, distance, speed and space.
i can't help but to ask about quantum physics and see what i can gather.
i just got a gimpse, but it's nonetheless fascinating, in every sense of the word.
On earth, a metre ruler has that length we know as 1metre, but that is true only because earth is moving very slowly as compared to speed of light, suppose if we were to move at the speed of light, then the ruler, according to our perception will cease to exist, coz the light that reflects off the ruler is travelling at your speed and can never catch up with you. in other words, distance is not absolute, it depends on speed.
and in quantum physics, it has been proven also that a particular object can be present at multile places in a single moment. sounds very much like the karamah of awliyaullah, the saints of God whose miraces include being spotted in many places at one time.
i have the feeling, that somehow or another, these hidden divine secrets will be revealed through modern day science.
when einstein puts forth the formula E=mc^2, it is like a step closer to understanding the connection between the Prophet, who is constantly described as a Light, and all his miracles. even a verse in the quran so powerfully hint at the concept of c^2, when it says
"nuurun 'alaa nuur" Light UPON Light.
now the question is, who can legitimately answer these questions? the scholars of the external sciences? even in the islamic world, so many people just go for the knowledge of paper, degree etc, they only study the external form of Islam such as how to perform prayers etc etc and at the same time reject the legitimacy of spiritual masters.
what the saints have been talking about for so long, is now coming to light thanks to modern day science which reveals even more about the nature of Light than ever possible. we are still in the beginning stages, so much things in modern physics are still just theoretical. soon, for God will show them the signs until it becomes obvious to them - surah baqarah.
the sad thing is, as i was discussing with one of our ikhwan, even among students of tasawwuf, they find tariqah so obscure, so underground, and some are even stereotyped against it. even when scholars such as ust tm fouzy and ust hasbi keep on emhasising the need to find a mursyid, mot would just say " oh, there is such and such a mursyid out there" and that is it, they stop there and don't go finding one. of course these mursyids won't publicly reveal themselves, even their representatives don't do that. how many people view ust hasbi as just an islamic degree holder? while in fact he is a representative of a tariqah, not many know that.
may Allah guide us all.
Allahummahdinaa ila tariqil mustaqeem, amin
فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى (53:9
53:9 And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer;
I am intrigued by this verse of the Quran, describing the Mi'raj of the Prophet saw, when he came to meet his Lord, the Great, at sidratul muntaha.
Why was bow-lengths used as a unit of measure?
What is the significance?
and then "aw adna"? or less?
and then
53:18
لَقَدْ رَأَى مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَى
53:18: truly did he see some of the most profound of his Sustainer’s symbols.
Scholars of Quranic exergesis say that greatest symbol is non-other than the vision of the Visage of God.
That is why Imam Nawawi in his Al-adzkar interprets this verse as
" ra'a rabbahu bi 'ainai raasihi'
"he saw his Lord with the eyes of his head"
and then there is this Hadith Qudsi where God said
"do not curse time, for I am Time"
All these discussions intermingle the concept of time, distance, speed and space.
i can't help but to ask about quantum physics and see what i can gather.
i just got a gimpse, but it's nonetheless fascinating, in every sense of the word.
On earth, a metre ruler has that length we know as 1metre, but that is true only because earth is moving very slowly as compared to speed of light, suppose if we were to move at the speed of light, then the ruler, according to our perception will cease to exist, coz the light that reflects off the ruler is travelling at your speed and can never catch up with you. in other words, distance is not absolute, it depends on speed.
and in quantum physics, it has been proven also that a particular object can be present at multile places in a single moment. sounds very much like the karamah of awliyaullah, the saints of God whose miraces include being spotted in many places at one time.
i have the feeling, that somehow or another, these hidden divine secrets will be revealed through modern day science.
when einstein puts forth the formula E=mc^2, it is like a step closer to understanding the connection between the Prophet, who is constantly described as a Light, and all his miracles. even a verse in the quran so powerfully hint at the concept of c^2, when it says
"nuurun 'alaa nuur" Light UPON Light.
now the question is, who can legitimately answer these questions? the scholars of the external sciences? even in the islamic world, so many people just go for the knowledge of paper, degree etc, they only study the external form of Islam such as how to perform prayers etc etc and at the same time reject the legitimacy of spiritual masters.
what the saints have been talking about for so long, is now coming to light thanks to modern day science which reveals even more about the nature of Light than ever possible. we are still in the beginning stages, so much things in modern physics are still just theoretical. soon, for God will show them the signs until it becomes obvious to them - surah baqarah.
the sad thing is, as i was discussing with one of our ikhwan, even among students of tasawwuf, they find tariqah so obscure, so underground, and some are even stereotyped against it. even when scholars such as ust tm fouzy and ust hasbi keep on emhasising the need to find a mursyid, mot would just say " oh, there is such and such a mursyid out there" and that is it, they stop there and don't go finding one. of course these mursyids won't publicly reveal themselves, even their representatives don't do that. how many people view ust hasbi as just an islamic degree holder? while in fact he is a representative of a tariqah, not many know that.
may Allah guide us all.
Allahummahdinaa ila tariqil mustaqeem, amin
Friday, August 1, 2008
Charity starts with me. To what extent is charity the responsibility of an individual?
Quintessentially, charity celebrates the joy of the heart when commendable attributes such as mercy, compassion and altruism are manifested through various means such as donations, offering to help those who are not as fortunate as ourselves. In particular, charity brings happiness to its beneficiaries. An undeniable core aspect of charity would definitely be sincerity on the part of those giving out charity. Because of this reasoning, I am inclined to agree to a large extent that ‘charity starts with me’. In the light of the modern and materialistic world whereby people generally value one another according to one’s social status and material wealth, I opine that such calls to charity are really needed to make our society a more compassionate and caring one.
Charity begins with the heart, it is the measure of how much care and love we have for fellow human beings who happen to be less well-off than ourselves. If an individual truly has compassion for other people, then it would certainly pain him to see other human beings suffer from afflictions such as penury and disease. Hence he would be compelled to do whatever within his means to ameliorate the suffering of the less fortunate whom he affectionately refer to as ‘Brother’ or ‘Sister’. Charity also tends to lose its value if there is a lack of sincerity in it. For example, society will not consider a donation commendable or exemplary should the donor seek fame or praises for his act. An ostentatious act of ‘charity’ loses its value and therefore charity must be accompanied by sincerity that comes from the heart and hence must ‘start with me’.
Also, charity does not have to be perceived as a burden or something that is difficult to implement in our daily lives. We can give charity from anything that is within our means. When asked to give donations, a student may give just a petty amount of one dollar. Even though a dollar is an insignificant proportion of what s actually needed, no one can say that the student is being miserly or stingy just because he donated only a dollar. The circumstances are that the student is not earning any income and hence can afford to donate only that amount. The important lesson is that the student’s donation is no less an act of charity than a millionaire donating thousands of dollars. From here, it is evident that charity is a simple act which anyone can perform. “Even a smile is charity,” says Prophet Muhammad. As such, charity should start with the individual since it is so easy.
Another part worth taking note is that ‘true charity’ can never be imposed upon others. This is because people have ownership and rights over their possessions and may choose not to give charity even when urged to do so. After all, charity has never been obligatory. There are many people who have acquired or been blessed with substantial amounts of money yet their hands shiver when asked for donations when they ought to be philanthropic.
Some may argue that authorities such as governments and religions can impose the concept of ‘obligatory charity’ upon people. In Singapore for example, a small percentage of people’s income actually goes to the Community Chest, an organization that raises funds for charity. However, I believe that such ‘obligatory charity’ does not deserve to be credited as an act of sincerity or true charity as one can always question whether the Community Chest would get the same amounts of money if the government no longer enforces such laws. In this aspect, ‘obligatory charity’ can be considered a subtle form of tax to improve income inequality in a society. Furthermore, no sane person would exalt such ‘donations’ since it is a must for everyone to do it.
Some religions make it an obligation for adherents to give a portion of their wealth to those deserving. In Islam, the concept of zakat states that a Muslim will have to give away 2.5% of his savings yearly if it exceeds a certain amount. In this case, charity is seen as the responsibility of the religion. However, this is not true as Islam calls zakat money the rights of the poor whether or not zakat has been given out. In this case zakat cannot be considered a charity as the money does not belong to the ones giving the zakat. In addition to zakat, Islam promotes and encourages followers to constantly give charity and according to Islamic tenets, a Muslim’s charity can never substitute his obligations to observe the zakat. Hence, it is axiomatic that even religions do recognize the ‘start-with-me’ nature of charity.
Charity may also be considered as society’s responsibility as the implementation of some large-scale charity moves will require the efforts and hard work of many. The President’s Star Challenge, for example, is a joint effort by many sponsors and celebrities without whom it may never be successful. In a way the efforts of society are required to kick start this kind of charity but nevertheless it all boils down individuals who actually chose to volunteer. The act of volunteering oneself for a charitable act is definitely an act that begins with the individual concerned.
In conclusion, charity is, to a large extent, the responsibility of an individual as it requires sincerity that comes from the heart, it cannot be coerced upon others and charity really is something that is within everyone’s means. Ever since the dawn of religion, thousands of years ago, charity has always been celebrated as the manifestation of compassion and love on the part of those giving charity. Society would truly be ethically bankrupt should the day when ‘true charity’ no longer exists and people have to be forced to ‘donate’, comes.
Charity begins with the heart, it is the measure of how much care and love we have for fellow human beings who happen to be less well-off than ourselves. If an individual truly has compassion for other people, then it would certainly pain him to see other human beings suffer from afflictions such as penury and disease. Hence he would be compelled to do whatever within his means to ameliorate the suffering of the less fortunate whom he affectionately refer to as ‘Brother’ or ‘Sister’. Charity also tends to lose its value if there is a lack of sincerity in it. For example, society will not consider a donation commendable or exemplary should the donor seek fame or praises for his act. An ostentatious act of ‘charity’ loses its value and therefore charity must be accompanied by sincerity that comes from the heart and hence must ‘start with me’.
Also, charity does not have to be perceived as a burden or something that is difficult to implement in our daily lives. We can give charity from anything that is within our means. When asked to give donations, a student may give just a petty amount of one dollar. Even though a dollar is an insignificant proportion of what s actually needed, no one can say that the student is being miserly or stingy just because he donated only a dollar. The circumstances are that the student is not earning any income and hence can afford to donate only that amount. The important lesson is that the student’s donation is no less an act of charity than a millionaire donating thousands of dollars. From here, it is evident that charity is a simple act which anyone can perform. “Even a smile is charity,” says Prophet Muhammad. As such, charity should start with the individual since it is so easy.
Another part worth taking note is that ‘true charity’ can never be imposed upon others. This is because people have ownership and rights over their possessions and may choose not to give charity even when urged to do so. After all, charity has never been obligatory. There are many people who have acquired or been blessed with substantial amounts of money yet their hands shiver when asked for donations when they ought to be philanthropic.
Some may argue that authorities such as governments and religions can impose the concept of ‘obligatory charity’ upon people. In Singapore for example, a small percentage of people’s income actually goes to the Community Chest, an organization that raises funds for charity. However, I believe that such ‘obligatory charity’ does not deserve to be credited as an act of sincerity or true charity as one can always question whether the Community Chest would get the same amounts of money if the government no longer enforces such laws. In this aspect, ‘obligatory charity’ can be considered a subtle form of tax to improve income inequality in a society. Furthermore, no sane person would exalt such ‘donations’ since it is a must for everyone to do it.
Some religions make it an obligation for adherents to give a portion of their wealth to those deserving. In Islam, the concept of zakat states that a Muslim will have to give away 2.5% of his savings yearly if it exceeds a certain amount. In this case, charity is seen as the responsibility of the religion. However, this is not true as Islam calls zakat money the rights of the poor whether or not zakat has been given out. In this case zakat cannot be considered a charity as the money does not belong to the ones giving the zakat. In addition to zakat, Islam promotes and encourages followers to constantly give charity and according to Islamic tenets, a Muslim’s charity can never substitute his obligations to observe the zakat. Hence, it is axiomatic that even religions do recognize the ‘start-with-me’ nature of charity.
Charity may also be considered as society’s responsibility as the implementation of some large-scale charity moves will require the efforts and hard work of many. The President’s Star Challenge, for example, is a joint effort by many sponsors and celebrities without whom it may never be successful. In a way the efforts of society are required to kick start this kind of charity but nevertheless it all boils down individuals who actually chose to volunteer. The act of volunteering oneself for a charitable act is definitely an act that begins with the individual concerned.
In conclusion, charity is, to a large extent, the responsibility of an individual as it requires sincerity that comes from the heart, it cannot be coerced upon others and charity really is something that is within everyone’s means. Ever since the dawn of religion, thousands of years ago, charity has always been celebrated as the manifestation of compassion and love on the part of those giving charity. Society would truly be ethically bankrupt should the day when ‘true charity’ no longer exists and people have to be forced to ‘donate’, comes.
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