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In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.
Reflection
"Anyone who obeys the Messenger has obeyed God..." (Nisaa 4:80)
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MY daughter was one of the 468,808 students who sat for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia SPM) examination last year. During 'du'a' (suplication) after 'subuh' (dawn) prayers on 21st March; the date the examination results was announced, I prayed to Allah SWT for my daughter's success; and not forgetting all students from the Islamic faith.
At noon that day, with a sad face and traces of tears on her face, my daughter showed me her examination results slip; she failed to score straight A's from the 11 subjects she sat for; she had B+ for two subjects. I consoled her, saying she should not looked at the results that way; she should be thankful to Allah SWT, the Beneficent, the Merciful for His generosity in rewarding her with such an excellent result.
So be thankful to Allah SWT always at what we have or to what we had been rewarded with; why look at what He has not given us (for example my daughter's wish to have A's for all her subjects) but be thankful to what He had blessed us. Regarding worldly matters, scholars have his advice - look down at the have nots; for example if you are sad driving an old car be happy because you are safe from rain and shine compared to a cyclist and if you own a bike, be happy because there are many others who do not have any and have to walk.
Well, to all youngsters out there, what's next after sitting for the public examinations (SPM and STPM) and completing one's secondary education. Many would be joining the working force; perhaps a hundred thousand or so would purse their tertiary education in a few months time.
So during this waiting period, why not do some reflection; perhaps this email from a university student which I received some time ago would be able to open our eyes; yes we are always seeking for the straight path in life; the correct way to live happily in this world what more in the Hereafter.
"I'VE read some of your previous articles. I found them very thoughtful and as a response, I would like to share my story, just for soul pondering. Anyway, it's all about the last general election.
First, let me introduce myself. I am a Malay girl and am still studying at a local university. I am, and have been a Muslim. I was born into a Muslim family, which implies strict rituals and actions according to Islam. Yet, I am still not that Islamic enough.
I believe strongly in Islam. I pray to Allah, but there are many times when I miss prayers either by accident (especially the 'subuhs' or )eg. 'asars') I read Qur'an, but I also listen to the latest music.
I cover my head with a scarf (tudung) but still i wear short-sleeved T-shirts and tight jeans. I support the Palestinian cause but still munch mouthfuls of Burger Kings and McDonald's product. I am interested in the struggle of PAS, but still believe that Malaysia couldn't be better without Umno.
It wasn't until last year that I started to re-think and re-examine my life. It began with deep frustration about the way I was leading my life. I wanted to be a better Muslim, but I just could not force myself to stop enjoying in the big and happening city of KL, having lived here for most of my life.
Then, I experienced severe depression. That's when I decided to run away from this hectic environment. Run away from the hypocrisy of other people. I can say that the 'seruan' was really a 'big bang' to me as I dared to 'tuang kuliah' (skip classes) for a week to do this soul-searching.
I started my backpacking journey from KL and ended up in Kelantan. Frankly speaking, I had a bad impression of the Kelantanese, because most of my Kelantanese friends back in campus are always 'berpuak-puak' (living in groups) and in a sort of 'cultural shock' being in KL for the first time. So I was wondering, I were to do good soul-searching, whether Kelantan was a good place to do so. But I was destined to be in Kelantan.
For the whole week, I experienced a lot of new things, which embarked me on my new spiritual feelings about being a Muslim. My contact with the Kelantanese had influenced me to be strong in my Islamic faith. The surroundings in Kelantan had taught me the important value of 'solah' (prayers). Money doesn't matter to me that much anymore.
KL is far modernized from Kota Bharu. KLCC is far bigger from KB Mall, what else to compare with. But life is much better in Kelantan. I had more freedom. My mind ease at the thought that I can be a better Muslim if I had the will to do so. If not because of my studies and the thought of my father knowing his daughter travelling alone, I might not have left Kelantan then.
A year had passed since that remarkable 'eye-opening' journey. Kelantan under PAS allowed Islam to flow whereas in other states, secularism reared its head.
The last election suddenly makes me reminisce the tremendous journey of mine. It was the news (or should I say it 'propaganda'?) on the TV that make me decide to write to you.
One propaganda piece by the BN showed an interview with a villager, somewhere in Kelantan. This villager said, he would choose BN as he strongly believed that only BN could modernize Kelantan. He really wants Kelantan to be modernized and felt sick of being poor. Mind you, after the talk, he proudly 'tour-guided' the cameraman inside his house - perfect with big fridge, TV set, hi-fi etc. I couldn't believe my eyes.
How can people say things like that? He was really ungrateful. His life is much better that those 'setinggans' (squatters) who still exist in big cities like KL What type of modernization do they want? I have lived in the middle of this concrete-jungle since I was born.
Yes, KL is a modern big city, full with big mega buildings, shopping complexes, fashionable and cool citizens, and a lot of happening events. But never forget the dark side of big cities.
Here, in KL, people don't care if a guy brings back a girl to his home late at night which I had commonly witnessed. At 3.00 am, youngsters return to their homes from clubbing with alcoholic drinks in their hands. Drugs and ecstasy are sold widely.
'Azan' (the call of prayers) is drowned by loud songs from discos. Prostitution and gambling are everywhere. People are acting like they do not fear God's punishment.
Whenever I visit my mom's relatives in Terengganu, they thought that I'm cool just because I live in a big city. But for me, living here for almost 20 years had gained me nothing.
Modernization is nothing if Islam is not practiced fully. We need Islam to balance our modernization. Only a good Islamic government can provide this type of balance by implementing Islamic laws.
I just want to say to the voters who choose BN for the sake of the so-called modernization, if you hardly find peace in your daily lives because of your surroundings, there's nobody to be blamed except yourself, and the materialistic lives you lead.
When I read that village people attended BN's gathering just because they were given RM10 or RM20, I find it unacceptable. Maybe RM10 is a big sum for them but from it, we can see how easily money buys people. And now its BR1M (the RM500 one-off assistance) and monies to former army personnel.
Maybe, my email here sounds like some sort of frustration, but I just need people to hear my cries. To the Pakatan Rakyat, keep going on and never give up. Maybe we didn't succeed today, but we shall return and fight them back. Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee!"
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