Betapa jauhnya umat ini daripada ilmu, amal...

******************Dengan nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang; selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. ******************* Renungan ******************** “Sesungguhnya Allah mengasihi orang yang banyak bertaubat, dan mengasihi orang yang sentiasa mensucikan diri”. (Surah Al-Baqarah, ayat 222) *********************** RAMADAN lalu memberi peluang kepada saya untuk beriktikaf di beberapa masjid. Jika Ramadan-Ramadan sebelumnya, saya tiada pengalaman bermalam di masjid; kali ini tahulah saya 'sikit sebanyak kisah di masjid'. *************************** Pengakhiran Ramadan, ramai orang mahu membayar zakat fitrah. Ini sesuatu yang positif kerana ia petanda anggota masyarakat sedar mengenai kewajipan itu yang mesti ditunaikan sebelum solat Aidilfitri. ****************************** Namun berdasarkan kunjungan orang ramai itu, saya amat-amati sebahagiannya hanya melihat akan kewajipan membayar zakat; tidak lebih daripada itu. Jadi berlakulah adegan-adegan yang pada pandangan 'hamba yang daif ini', tersasar daripada 'perlakuan cantik dan indah' seorang Muslim atau Muslimah. ************************** Di sebuah masjid, dua wanita yang saya agak anak dara yang turun daripada motosikal menegur saya: "Pak Aji, mana bilal (merangkap amil)? Kami nak bayar zakat." Terkedu saya melihat cara mereka berpakaian; pakai seluar sendat, baju-T mendedahkan lengan tetapi bertudung kepala; hai...pergi ke masjid dengan pakaian sebegitu? Ini macam iman pak aji dan pak bilal pun boleh tercalar, apatah lagi pada bulan mulia ini. Astaghfirullah... ***************************** Suatu petang selepas solat Asar saya luangkan masa bersama pak bilal yang duduk di sisi meja kecilnya menanti orang datang membayar zakat. Seorang pemuda berjeans dan berkemeja-T masuk masjid, terus merapati pak bilal. Ya, dia masuk dan terus duduk mahu bayar zakat. Demikian, ramai lagi orang berbuat sedemikian. ********************** Apakah 'orang-orang' ini tidak tahu peraturan keluar masuk masjid? Majoritinya tidak pun solat tahiyatul masjid. Main redah aje masuk masjid, kemudian 'blah' begitu saja. Ada seorang pemuda di samping membayar zakat fitrah, membawa bersamanya sesikat pisang. *************************** "Mana mahu taruh pisang ini?" tanyanya. Pemuda ini tahu berbudi dengan membawa pisang untuk santapan jemaah ketika berbuka puasa nanti, malangnya dia tidak menunaikan solat menghormati rumah Allah. ****************************** Ramai juga yang datang mahu membayar zakat seketika sebelum azan solat waktu dikumandangkan. Mereka tercari-cari pengutip zakat (biasanya bilal, imam dan noja) sedangkan petugas-petugas ini bersiap sedia untuk solat. Hairan juga, kenapa mereka tak solat sekali; selepas solat nanti bayarlah zakat. Bukankah itu akan menyenangkan pihak-pihak terbabit dan mereka juga mendapat fadilat besar dengan menunaikan solat berjemaah? ************************** Suatu pagi, selepas solat subuh, seorang lelaki penunggang motosikal, selepas turun daripada kenderaannya, tergesa-gesa memasuki masjid dan bertanya kepada saya yang kebetulan keseorangan di situ: "Saya nak bayar zakat, pak aji bilal ke?" *************************** Apabila saya menjelaskan saya bukan bilal, dia mengemukakan soalan mendesak-desak saya seperti "bila bilal, imam nak datang ni?" Hai, saya menjadi hairan, apakah hal hendak bayar zakat fitrah pagi-pagi buta ini? Tak tahukah dia, bilal dan imam pun 'kena pergi kerja' juga. *************************** Insya-Allah tengah hari nanti imam dan bilal datanglah semula; bilal bersiap sedia mengkumandangkan azan seterusnya jemaah menunaikan solat zuhur. Tak bolehkah datang masjid untuk solat zuhur selepas itu bayarlah zakat; ini pagi-pagi buta terlolong-lolong buat apa? ****************************** Demikianlah apabila berada agak lama di masjid, 'bermacam-macam hal' saya saksikan. Barulah saya tahu bukannya mudah untuk bertugas sebagai bilal, imam, noja, siak dan sebagainya yang perlu menghadapi pelbagai karenah anggota masyarakat. ***************************** Berdasarkan apa yang saya saksikan, saya bimbang ramai anggota masyarakat kita tidak cukup ilmu agama sebenarnya, apatah lagi beramal. Mungkin kebimbangan ini ada asasnya, jika diamat-amati hadirin pada kelas pengajian di masjid (biasanya antara solat maghrib dan isyak) pada saban malam adalah 'orang itu, orang itu juga'. Majoritinya orang KRU (kumpulan rambut uban) dan RTM (rehat tunggu mati). Jarang kelihatan anak-anak muda. ******************************* Mungkin itu antara sebab apabila anak-anak muda ini ketika membayar zakat fitrah, macam-macam karenah dapat disaksikan. Namun syukur juga, mereka mahu membayar zakat fitrah, kalau jenis yang tak nak bayar, lagi susah kita. ***************************** Mungkin ada pembaca tertanya-tanya mengapa saya mencelotehkan hal yang berlaku pada Ramadan ini pada ketika bulan Syawal pun sudah habis manakala jemaah haji sudah bersedia berangkat ke Tanah Suci. ********************************* Antara alasan saya, saya kekeringan bahan yang antara sumbernya adalah kelas-kelas pengajian di masjid. Namun kebanyakan kelas pengajian belum bermula lagi. Pada Ramadan lalu, kelas ditangguhkan selama sebulan dan Syawal ini SEBULAN lagi...Aduhai, terlalu lamanya orang Melayu berehat dan berhari RAYA!

'Merdeka' (Free) from practicing favoritism

******************** In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. ********************** Reflection *********************** The Declining Day (Al-'Asr) 1. By the declining day, 2. Lo! Man is in a state of loss, 3. Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance. *************************** ************************ HAVE you a pet cat (or any other animal)? Why do you love it? Is it because it is beautiful and has other 'heavenly characteristics' attached to it such as the much 'priced' Persian or Siamese cats? ******************** In my opinion, we should love all including animals the way they are. If we only love and give food and fondle our beautiful pet cat but chase away a ‘kucing kurap’, then we are not cat or animal lovers. We are only ‘beauty lovers’. ********************** We love the cat because it is good to stroke its beautiful body; what would happen if the cat suddenly developed illness and transformed into ‘a skeleton figure’, would we be still love it? Or we just dump it? We should be sincere (ikhlas) in our actions including when treating animals. ******************* We should only love them for the sake of Allah SWT. Thus we would give the same treatment to a beautiful cat or a ‘kucing kurap’. To us, all of them are God’s creatures; they deserved to be treated fairly. ******************** I reminded readers and myself to love animals as what they are after receiving this posting from a dear friend who was residing in Kuwait. And his posting was commented by other friends. ********************* Assalam alaykum; After 'maghrib' (dusk prayer) last Friday and coming out of the 'masjid', I heard cries of a little kitten. Me and my son looked and saw this poor thing. ************************ I then picked it up (with a newspaper) and thought of bringing it home but as I was about to bring it into my car, an Egyptian guy saw what I was doing and forbade me from doing so. ************************ He said, the mum could return anytime so there's no need to take it away. Just leave it there, he said. There were ants at where I found the kitten so taking heed of the Egyptian fella, I left the kitten slightly away from the ants. ******************************** Then me and my son went home and me son then told his mum about the encounter. When 'isyak' (late evening prayers) came, I brought along my wife to the 'masjid' to pray and also to see the kitten. Yes, the kitten was still there, crying for the mum. After 'isyak', my wife decided to bring it home. It could have been just two days old... ****************************** It was a difficult task, raising an orphaned kitten. My kids quickly googled to get info on how to save the poor kitten. ************************* Me wife also emailed to the local PAWS the next day and rather pleasantly she received a reply not too many hours later, only to regretfully be told that they're not taking in any kittens. *********************** So the arduous task began. ************************** First, my wife/kids fed it (not sure of its sex) with our usual carton milk but upon reading online, we were informed that the next best milk after its own mum's milk would be goat's milk. *********************** I duly bought a carton... ******************** On Saturday, the kitten was still crying out...gradually the cries became lower in volume and by Sunday...the cries were already few and far in between. ************************ As I sat waiting for the 'azan' (call for prayers) to break fast on Monday, my wife described the kitten as almost similar to humans struggling to breath, gasping for air in the face of death. 'Masya-Allah'. *********************** By 'isyak' there were no more sound coming from the poor thing but it was still breathing - one could see the body still moving inhaling and exhaling... ************************ My wife told me that it could be just a matter of hours now...she told me that if it was confirmed, she wants me to accompany her to bury it - preferably at where we picked it a few nights back - immediately so as to avoid any stench in the house. *********************** By 11.30 pm, I went to the box where it was lying and knew that it had already breathed its last.. *********************** I summoned my wife and kids and announced that it's gone....inna lillah wa inna ilaihi raji'un... ********************** By 12.15 past midnight, we drove - me, wife and eldest - to the site. I was told to do the digging! ************************* The sandy nature of the soil made the task easy. I only dug up to a foot deep and then my wife placed it inside...it's gone... ********************** We all quickly covered the hole with the sand and headed home... ************************ Done...buried on the night, just 72 hours after we picked it up... ************************** Look at the animal...even the mouth is opened just like a human's mouth would, in death... ************************** Just a reminder, that we all shall return to Him ultimately. ******************** Actually I never did like cats. I took pity on the poor thing only because I had intended to save a life with the intention of releasing it no sooner than it could walk... ******************** Never understood why people would spend hundreds if not thousands of ringgit on 'whiskas', cat shampoo...etc. The sight of people shopping in Tesco with cans of 'whiskas' in their trolleys could make me wanna throw up... heck, there are people out there trying hard to make ends meet... ************************* But I guess geopolitics could well influence as to why people prefer Persians and Cheshire as opposed to Siamese... ************************** * A most noble, yet futile attempt as you have observed. We had exactly the same experience once with a much older kitten. Apparently there's more to just feeding the kitty to give it the will to survive. It must have been sick at birth and could have been abandoned by the mother when it showed the signs. True indeed, there are lessons in there for all but most important, it is the compassion for the lessor 'insan' (human beings) that surfaced there. A good lesson in life; in the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. *************************** * Can't say I love cats. Don't have one now, never bought one. Just happened to pick up a 'pariah' one once in a while and took care of it just in case I get questioned later at the gates of heaven by the voice like the alien in Chicken Little, “Did you take care of the poor cat?". And I can meekly say, “do I get brownie points for it?".... ************************* * 'Alhamdulillah' I have had the honor of surviving three abandoned kittens over the last decade. My late jogs at night in and around Tasik Perdana almost as a daily constitutional, and a number of times we pick up a kitten in fear of them either getting run down by traffic, or just dying of starvation or the rain. We would take them home, clean them up, feed them, talk to them (hoping that they would somehow understand what we were trying to do), and basically keep them warm and safe. The next day we will usually call the vet and have them come over and give them all the typical vaccinations and vitamins, and basically give them a clean bill of health, with follow up visits. ****************************** We raise them like our own children, and treat them like one, too, and give them names. One of them, Sweetie, even grew up having her own, to which my wife was the 'bidan' (midwife). She died being run down in front of our house. Another became my son's pal, Commando (you can guess what kind of kitten he was) was the entertainer of the house for many years until he decided his life was in the jungle. The third, and last, was Yasmin. She sneaked into the engine compartment of our car one night, and her foot got caught in the belt when I switched on the engine in the morning. She had to have surgery to have the foot amputated, but the three-legged one survived the ordeal and lived happily with us for many years until she got run down in front of our house. ************************ It was then that I said, “no more". The loss of a loved one was heart-wrenching to say the least, but to have to go through it three times was quite frankly unbearable. *************************** Yes; dear readers, do not love animals because they are beautiful etc. Be 'merdeka' (free) from that attitude. Do not practice favoritism. Love them all. Love them only because of Allah SWT, the Beneficent, the Merciful even though they (for example 'kucing kurap') are skinny, dirty and with illness; perhaps their faces are swollen and had wounds all over theirs body. ************************ Treating animals well without looking at their conditions were recommended by the Prophet s.a.w. In two separate 'hadiths' narrated by Abu Hurayrah (the cat-loving Companion), the Prophet told his Companions of the virtue of saving the life of a dog by giving it water and quenching its thirst: one referred to was a man who was blessed by Allah for giving water to a thirsty dog. ************************ The other was a prostitute, who filled her shoe with water and gave it to a dog that was lolling its tongue in thirst. For this deed she was granted the ultimate reward: eternal Paradise. Note that the man and woman gave water not to their pet dogs but stray ones; they only did the good deeds for Allah’s sake. They loved Allah’s creatures; it did not matter if others did not appreciate their good deeds. It was only to please Allah SWT. ************************* Truly generous persons feed the hungry, saying, “We feed you for the sake of Allah Alone, we seek from you neither reward nor thanks.” (Qur’an: 76:9) If those who treated animals well were praised by Allah SWT, those who mistreated them would be seeing the doom. Regarding this, Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, (peace be upon him, s.a.w.) said, “A woman was punished because of a cat she had imprisoned until it died. She entered hellfire because of it. She did not give it food or water while it was imprisoned, neither did she set it free to eat from the vermin of the earth.” (Sahih Bukhari, Book 56, Number 689) ************************* The Prophet s.a.w. was known to be very fond of animals. He was so merciful that if he saw a cat whilst he was performing ablution, he would lower the utensil down for the cat to drink from and then perform ablution from the leftover water. Yes, the Prophet s.a.w. loved all animals, regardless of whether they were beautiful or a 'kurap' one; but some of us love animals because of their beauty; for example a beautiful cat is pampered with love but a ‘kucing kurap’ is shooed away…! ********************** So, please dear readers, 'merdeka' our 'corrupt mind' from liking and loving only the 'seen pleasures and goodness of this temporary world'. 'The unseen' such as the Hereafter (akhirat), paradise (syurga) and hellfire (neraka) are everlasting; grab every opportunity to do good deeds including treating a 'pariah' cat well so that we will be rewarded well as to those persons mentioned in the Prophet's hadith.

Kembalilah kepada fitrah termasuk dalam berpolitik

*************************** DENGAN nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang; selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. **************************** Renungan *************************** "Sesungguhnya kami memberi makanan kepadamu hanyalah untuk mengharapkan keredaan Allah, kami tidak menghendaki balasan daripada kamu dan tidak pula (ucapan) terima kasih." (Surah Al-Insaan, ayat 9) ************************* Bersyukur ke hadrat Illahi, kita dipanjangkan usia bagi membolehkan kita memuhasabah diri ketika Aidilfitri yang antara lain bermaksud 'kembali kepada fitrah' selepas sebulan melalui tarbiyah Ramadan. **************************** Berdasarkan perkembangan semasa termasuk dari segi politik dan sosial yang di negara kita dan dunia antarabangsa seperti di Mesir yang dari sehari ke sehari kita lihat semakin runcing, adalah perlu untuk semua kembali kepada fitrah. Kita tertanya-tanya mengapa kezaliman, isu agama, perkauman dan jenayah sosial termasuk pembunuhan semakin menjadi-jadi akhir-akhir ini. **************************** Bagi kita, pemerintah atau pemimpin adalah paksi utama yang mencorakkan suasana dalam negara. Jika baik pemimpin, maka baiklah rakyat tetapi jika sebaliknya, hal inilah yang merisaukan kita semua. ************************* Bagi pemerintah dan pemimpin, pada kesempatan Aidilfitri ini adalah penting untuk mereka mengorak langkah berpolitik secara fitrah; mungkin pendekatan seorang cendekiawan disegani, Abul A'Ala Maududi dapat mengubat permasalahan negara dan rakyat yang kian kritikal. ************************* Kita tidak mahu negara dan rakyat dibebani ketidak-tentuan berterusan kerana masalah dalaman yang kian berat dan yang paling penting kita perlu sedar dan mengambil tindakan sewajarnya kerana kita semakin jauh daripada kebarakahan Allah SWT selepas kita tidak mengendahkan perintah dan larangan-Nya seperti yang termaktub dalam Kitab-Nya (al-Quran) dan hadis Rasul. *********************** Maududi mengingatkan bahawa kuasa mutlak adalah hak Allah. Berhubung 'asas-asas pemerintahan Islam', negarawan kebanggaan Pakistan ini menegaskan bahawa prinsip asas yang ditekankan oleh Rasulullah s.a.w. adalah bahawa kekuasaan tertinggi dan mutlak hanyalah hak Allah semata-mata. Sesungguh bumi dan alam ini adalah kepunyaan Allah. ************************** Udara, air, cahaya dan segala-galanya yang memenuhi hidup kita ini adalah diberi oleh Allah. Tubuh badan yang kita punyai ini beserta dengan tenaga dan organ-organ yang lengkap, semuanya dikurniakan kepada kita oleh Allah SWT. *************************** Kita langsung tidak mempunyai hak untuk mengaku yang kekuasaan mutlak itu hak kita. Di samping itu kita juga mesti menolak sebarang pengakuan sedemikian rupa daripada sebarang individu atau kumpulan. *************************** Antara perkara pertama Rasulullah s.a.w. mengajak manusia untuk percaya dan beriman ialah, kerajaan dan negara itu hanyalah kepunyaan Allah. ************************* Hanya Allah saja yang berkuasa untuk memerintah dan tiada siapa yang berhak untuk membuat undang-undang melainkan Dia. ************************* Perkara kedua dalam ajaran asas baginda ialah perundangan Rabbani bukannya diturunkan terus kepada manusia tetapi melalui Rasul-Nya. Rasulullah s.a.w. bukannya dipilih oleh sesiapa untuk menjadi pemimpin. ************************ Baginda juga tidak memilih dirinya sendiri untuk menjadi pemimpin. Baginda telah dipilih oleh Allah agar dapat mendidik dan mentarbiyah manusia dengan tarbiyah Rabbani, menukar pemikiran dan peribadi manusia, menyampaikan perintah Rabbani kepada manusia dan melaksanakan urusan Rabbani itu melalui sesiapa yang menerima dan beriman kepada perintah-perintah tersebut. *********************** Perkara ketiga dalam ajaran Rasulullah ialah supaya manusia percaya akan konsep ini di mana setiap manusia akan bertanggungjawab di hadapan Allah atas segala yang telah dilakukan semasa hidupnya. ************************ Selama 13 tahun Rasulullah s.a.w. menyampaikan ajaran ini dan mereka yang menerima ajaran tersebut telah disatukan dalam satu jemaah (ummah). ************************** Semasa tiga tahun terakhir di Makkah, sekumpulan penduduk dari Madinah telah memeluk Islam lantas menjemput Rasulullah s.a.w. bersama-sama sahabatnya ke Madinah. ***************************** Benarlah kata-kata Sayidatina Aisyah di mana beliau menyatakan yang Madinah telah ditawan oleh Quran. ************************* Setelah mengetahui isi kandungan surah-surah yang turun di Makkah, mereka bukan sahaja menerima dan memeluk Islam tetapi mereka terus menjemput Rasulullah s.a..w. dan para sahabatnya untuk tinggal di kampung halaman mereka sendiri. ***************************** Jemputan ini bukan sahaja untuk memberi perlindungan kepada baginda, tetapi ialah supaya baginda menjadi pendidik mereka, pemimpin dan juga penyatu umat Islam di antara Makkah dan Madinah sebagai satu umat lantaran menegakkan satu sistem hidup di Madinah berlandaskan keimanan Islam yang telah mereka bulatkan. Inilah cara pemerintahan Islam yang ditegakkan pada hari pertama Rasulullah s.a.w. sampai di Madinah. ************************** Tugas utama pemerintahan itu ialah untuk menyampaikan ajaran Islam kepada penduduk seluruhnya. Memandangkan Islam itu adalah petunjuk dan ilmu yang Rabbani, kejahilan terhadap Islam itu adalah satu halangan ke arah jalan ini. *************************** Rasulullah s.a.w. dan para sahabat telah bekerja sepenuh tenaga dalam usaha untuk memberi kefahaman kepada penduduk Madinah ketika itu dan seterusnya beriman dengan ajaran Islam. ******************************* Apabila kefahaman itu berkembang dan penduduk Madinah berpegang kepadanya, maka lama-kelamaan Islam pun berkembang dan mula menjadi kuat. ******************************** Tugas kedua Rasulullah s.a.w. ialah memurnikan akhlak masyarakat ketika itu berdasarkan akhlak yang tinggi lagi mulia. ************************** Tidak ada sistem pemerintahan pun yang akan berjaya jika pemimpinnya tidak mempunyai akhlak yang tinggi dan masyarakatnya tidak bertakwa dan amanah. *********************** Keadaan ini akan terus berpanjangan walaupun sistem pemerintahan itu mempunyai perundangan yang baik dan pada zahirnya kelihatan hebat dan berkaliber. *********************** Itulah sebabnya, setelah mengajak supaya beriman kepada ajaran Islam dan seterusnya mengembangkannya, Rasulullah s.a.w. sangat menekankan persoalan ketakwaan dan akhlak yang mulia. ****************************** Asas yang penting di dalam sistem yang ditegakkan oleh baginda ialah menganjurkan akhlak masyarakat supaya menepati akan kehendak dan ajaran sistem tersebut. ***************************** Keadaan ini tidak memerlukan penggunaan kuasa kekerasan untuk manusia tunduk dan patuh kepada undang-undang tersebut. **************************** Cukuplah apabila dikatakan di sini bahawa semua telah diperintahkan oleh Allah, maka terpulanglah kepada masyarakat untuk mematuhinya. *************************** Pada zaman Rasulullah s.a.w. tidak ada pasukan polis dan tidak terdapat penjara-penjara. Tidak terfikir langsung akan keadaan di mana masyarakat menerima arahan daripada Rasulullah s.a.w. tetapi tidak mematuhinya. ************************* Contohnya, kita ambil kes mengenai larangan meminum arak itu sendiri. Apabila dikhabarkan di kota Madinah yang arak itu haram, maka tempat menyimpan arak semuanya dipecahkan dan masyarakat Madinah terus berhenti meminum minuman tersebut. *********************** Di sini, sejarah gagal untuk memberi contoh akan kepatuhan kepada undang-undang secara spontan. ************************ Malah, berjuta-juta dolar dibelanjakan di Amerika Syarikat untuk menjelaskan kepada masyarakat akan kesan buruk daripada arak itu sendiri. *********************** Satu propaganda besar-besaran telah dilancarkan untuk tujuan tersebut. Dengan sambutan masyarakat, satu pembaharuan telah dibuat di dalam undang-undang Amerika Syarikat untuk meluluskan satu undang-undang mengharamkan arak. ***************************** Tetapi keesokan harinya masyarakat meminum pula minuman lain yang beracun dan berbahaya. Perbuatan ini merebak dengan cepatnya di mana akhirnya undang-undang pengharaman arak tadi terpaksa ditarik balik. **************************** Jadi, marilah kita membuat perbandingan ke atas dua keadaan yang berlaku tadi. Pertamanya, di mana arahan yang dikeluarkan telah dipatuhi dengan serta-merta. **************************** Keduanya di mana satu undang-undang telah digubal setelah satu perbelanjaan dan propaganda yang besar dijalankan yang disokong oleh masyarakat tetapi akhirnya mereka juga yang melanggarnya. **************************** Ini jelas menunjukkan bahawa asas pada satu-satunya sistem pemerintahan adalah terletak kepada keimanan dan akhlak yang mulia. ********************************* Jika kedua-dua asas ini tidak ada, maka satu-satu sistem pemerintahan itu tidak akan berjaya, walaupun undang-undang itu telah digubal dengan baik.

'Saya budak baru belajar, kalau salah tolong tunjukkan...'

******************** Dengan Nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang, selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. ******************** Renungan ********************* Hadis riwayat Abu Hazim, daripada Abu Hurairah yang dikeluarkan oleh Muslim, bermaksud: "Tidak akan hancur dunia ini (kiamat) hingga ada seorang laki-laki yang melewati kuburan lalu ia berguling-guling di atasnya seraya berkata, 'alangkah baiknya sekiranya aku berada di tempat penghuni kubur ini.' Hal ini bukan kerana faktor agama tetapi kerana adanya musibah." ******************** BEBERAPA ketika sebelum Ramadan lalu, seekor anak kucing kurap berwarna keperang-perangan secara tiba-tiba muncul di kawasan rumah saya. *********************** Kucing itu dengan pantas 'mengadaptasi' suasana - berkawan malah menumpang kasih dengan sejumlah kucing sedia ada. Malah paling mengejutkan saya sekeluarga ialah anak kucing itu 'menyusui' seekor kucing jantan kami yang bernama 'Momok'. Dan 'Momok' menyukainya pula! *********************** Hari ini anak kucing yang digelar 'Merah' oleh isteri saya 'sedang membesar' menjadi seekor kucing jantan gagah perkasa tetapi 'manja'. Bulunya cantik berkilat berkat dimandi dan 'disyampu' oleh anak isteri saya. Hampir setiap kali saya pulang dengan kereta, anak kucing itu akan mengikuti saya; apabila saya membuka pintu rumah, ia melompat masuk mendahului saya. *********************** Suatu hari, ketika saya membuka pintu, seekor cicak terjatuh ke lantai namun dengan pantas cuba menyelamatkan diri. Si merah, bagaikan 'hero' menerkam ke arah cicak. Terkamannya tersasar, cicak menyelinap di celah-celah bungkusan plastik; si merah turut menyelusup sama. ***************************** Akhirnya, di dalam longkang tidak berair, si merah berjaya memekap si cicak. Namun 'senjata terakhir' si cicak mengelirukan si merah. Ekornya yang diputuskan dan melenting-lenting menyebabkan si merah tersilap - tubuh cicak dilepaskan sebaliknya ekor itu menjadi tumpuannya. Akibatnya cicak melarikan diri sementara si merah berterusan bermain-main dengan ekor itu sehingga akhirnya ia terberhenti menyebabkan si merah 'kebingung-bingungan'. ******************************** Ya, si merah gagal kali ini; mungkin ia suatu pengajaran kepadanya supaya lain kali tidak terpedaya. Kucing itu 'masih muda', ada banyak masa lagi untuk ia belajar sepak terajang kehidupan. Dalam kehidupan manusia pula, khasnya di kalangan masyarakat Melayu ada satu pantun bagi menggambarkan kesediaan anak muda melengkapkan diri dalam meniti penghidupan. Pantun itu berbunyi: ***************************** Buah cempedak di luar pagar, Ambil galah tolong jolokkan, Saya ini budak baru belajar, Kalau salah tolong tunjukkan. **************************** Ya, dalam sesetengah isu termasuk Syiah yang cuba diperbesar-perbesarkan sesetengah pihak sekarang ini, ramai termasuklah saya 'bagaikan budak-budak' kurang jelas atau lebih tepat lagi tak tahu. **************************** Saya percaya jika ditanya orang awam secara spontan apa itu Syiah dan apa itu Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jamaah, ramai akan 'tergagap-gagap'. Namun yang sedihnya, hampir tiada penjelasan mengenai perkara ini kepada orang awam, kecualilah sesekali dinyatakan secara umum dan ringkas di kelas-kelas pengajian di masjid. **************************** Mungkin bagi golongan terpelajar, mereka boleh mencari jawapan melalui pertanyaan kepada ustaz dan melalui pembacaan melalui buku dan internet (yang juga dikhuatiri kesahihannya), tetapi orang awam bagaimana? Cukupkah kita menyatakan itu dan ini menyeleweng tanpa berlandaskan ilmu termasuk hujah. ********************************** Seorang pembaca menyatakan hal ini dalam e-mel kepada saya yang mungkin dapat mengilhamkan pihak berkuasa dan berkaitan untuk mengambil langkah sewajarnya. Sama-samalah kita fikirkan. *************************** Assalamualaikum, Baru-baru ini semasa saya berhari raya dari rumah ke rumah, saya berkesempatan berborak bersama seorang yang berfahaman Syiah. ************************* Ketika saya bertubi-tubi bertanya mengenai Syiah, dia mengambil keputusan untuk tidak bicara banyak, sebaliknya dia menyuruh saya melayari ceramah-ceramah di Youtube yang disampaikan oleh seorang ulama Syiah bernama Syed Ammar Nakshawani. ***************************** Selepas balik ke rumah, saya pun mula mendengar beberapa tajuk ceramah ulama tersebut di Youtube. Dan saya dapati ceramahnya memang 'power' dan sesiapa yang jahil tentang 'Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah' pasti akan terpengaruh dengan gaya/isi/hujah/alasan/ ceramah ulama itu. ******************************** Setiap ceramahnya, akan diberi hanya satu tajuk khusus mengenai masalah Syiah... dan akan dikupas hampir sejam dengan nas-nas dan hujah-hujah daripada al-Quran dan hadis dengan lancar dan bersistematik. Beliau tidak memakai teks langsung, termasuk semasa merujuk ayat-ayat al-Quran. ******************* 1. Masalah isteri Nabi yang dianggap kafir, dia rujuk surah At Tahrim. ********************* 2. Masalah menyeksa badan semasa Hari Asyura, dia rujuk surah Yusuf. ************************ 3. Masalah mut'ah, dia rujuk surah AN-Nisa dan begitulah seterusnya. *************************** Untuk menimbulkan perasaan emosi di kalangan pendengar, di akhir setiap ceramahnya, beliau akan menangis apabila tajuknya dihubungkan dengan pembunuhan cucu Rasulullah s.a.w. di Karbala. *************************** Saya khuatir kawan-kawan saya menyokong Syiah selepas mengikuti ceramah-ceramah Syed Ammar ini. Bagi saya yang diberi Allah sedikit ilmu, saya dapat merasakan bahwa hujah-hujahnya hanyalah tafsiran-tafsiran mereka sahaja, namun bagi mereka yang jahil...hampir pasti dirasakan hujah-hujah beliau boleh diterima. *************************** Masalah ulama-ulama dan ustaz-ustaz kita ialah...mereka terlampau nak buat lawak, tajuk ceramah akan lari daripada topik dan hujah-hujah mereka tak mantap. Mereka hanya tahu menyerang puak Syiah/Wahabi/sesat dan sebagainya tanpa penerangan mantap berdasarkan hujah Quran dan hadis. ********************************* Sebab itu saya yakin bahawa isu Syiah ini akan 'selesai tanpa kesudahan', seperti mana isu Wahabi dan sebagainya. Selagi ulama-ulama dan ustaz-ustaz kita tidak membetulkan ceramah/kuliah mereka, selagi itulah masyarakat Islam akan dipengaruhi fahaman-fahaman lain termasuk Syiah. - Neff

'Troubled families produce troubled children...'

****************** In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. ******************* Reflection ******************* The Declining Day (Al-'Asr) 1. By the declining day, 2. Lo! Man is in a state of loss, 3. Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance. ********************* Nowadays our country seems to be gripped with violence and among the latest was the case of a man shown beating up his wife inside a lift in front of two of his children. ******************** It was reported that the police are on the manhunt for a 36-year-old civil servant who repeatedly assaulted his wife in the lift in a private hospital in Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam. The violent actions of the man had gone viral over the internet. ********************** The two minute and twenty second recording, titled “Suami dayus pukul isteri dalam lif depan anak” (Cowardly husband beats wife in lift in front of children) has been widely shared and circulated on social networking sites. *************************** The video shows the wife, a factory worker, being repeatedly punched, slapped and kicked by her husband inside the lift in front of their children who are believed to be aged between four and five. The couple were said to be on the brink of being divorce. *********************** "Well, troubled families produce troubled children..." commented a relative who is a teacher in Perak who was at my house with his family during a 'raya' visit on Wednesday, 14th August. ********************** His wife who is also a teacher nodded, giving her husband more confidence. He continued saying: "Nowadays, teachers have to face tough problems and situations in schools created by boys and girls from troubled families especially from broken homes." **************************** He said it was true that teachers had been always coping with problems posed by children from broken families but lately cases involving such children are on the rise at a very alarming rate. ************************** Perhaps the teachers' grouses were right since a recent study by the Islamic Development Department Malaysia (Jakim) stated that 77 couples get divorced each day in Malaysia. There are also reports saying on the average three divorces occur per hour among Muslim couples. ******************** Among reasons of the divorce are irresponsible husbands, financial problems and involvement of an outsider in their relationship. ********************** A divorce will affect a couple's children who are often left unattended by their parents and many are sent to their grandparents who are often old and too soft in their methods of bringing up the children. *********************** The teacher admitted that both husbands and wives had huge responsibilities over their children; but during the discussion session in my house, he preferred to 'have a word of advise' to young men who would be future husbands and fathers. ************************** "Nowadays, we have too many irresponsible husbands or fathers; sorry to say some of them are busy chasing after other women for a potential second, third or fourth wife rather than to take great care of their families. Others are involved in troublesome activities such as being involved in drugs, gambling, criminal activities and frequenting entertaining outlets such as discos and pubs. ************************** "Then there are also many cases of 'lazy' husbands and fathers; they do not work but 'hang around' in 'kedai kopi' (coffee shop) but left all responsibilities of running their families in the hands of their wives who had also to work for a living. ************************** There are also husbands who were obsessed in religious cults; they would leave their families for days and even months without providing proper living requirements. ************************** "If the father showed a 'tidak apa' (could not care) attitude about his family but keen on 'his activities'; I am afraid to say that his children too would follow 'that style in their development' - they would create trouble in school and as teachers at times we are forced to put aside our precious teaching hours to attend to their needs. ************************ "Yes, teachers are change agents, providing the impetus for the emergence of educated communities, but can we always survive in that extremely challenging circumstances? Nowadays, we have to cope with violence within and outside the classroom often posed by our very own pupils. Remember several teachers especially in the East Coast states have been shot dead! ********************** The teacher admitted that many of the problems faced by society including in schools nowadays was the result of our own lacking trust in Allah SWT as only He can provide everything for us. He is the Provider and Giver, but what we have here...we are copycats of Western ideas including in education - some of them were even rejected by them! *************************** So return to Islam, said the teacher. "Isn't that Aidilfitri (Eid) is about, we should return to our true self; return to the words of Allah SWT," he said. "Actually we need guidance; so let's Allah SWT guide us." *************************** Human beings are in great need of guidance and education, so that they be able to practice their humanity and play the role in the life that Allah SWT intended them to play. **************************** Note that our plans and actions are only to please Allah SWT and not to the fancy and whims of our political masters. The sincere Muslim seeks to earn the pleasure of Allah in everything he does. He is not concerned with seeking the approval of others. Were it is not for His Divine guidance, mankind would be left wallowing in the mire of selfishness, hatred, domination and oppression. ************************** The husband is the protector of his family in this world and in the Hereafter. In the Qur'an 66:6, Allah SWT says: "O' you who believe! Save yourselves and families from a Fire whose fuel is men and stones over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who flinch not (from executing) the commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded." ************************** Islam recommends men to treat women well, and gives the status they have never enjoyed in any other religion. So to the husband who had battered his wife (and brought shame to the great religion of Islam); remembered Allah SWT says in the Qur'an (4: 34): "Men are protectors and maintainers (qawwaamoon) of women, because Allah has given the more (strength) than the other, and because the support them from their means..." ********************** The Prophet s.a.w. admonishing all men: "Treat women kindly, for woman was created from a rib. The part of it is most bent is the top. If you try to straighten it you will break it, and if you leave it alone it will remain bent. So treat women kindly." (Bukhari and Muslim) ************************ Battering one's wife in front of their children is a sign of a very negative upbringing for them - the results will be disastrous. The children will grow up to be a source of annoyance, frustration and constant concern including to their teachers in school. ********************* But as a member of society, we must remember that not only a ‘cikgu’ or an ‘ustaz’ (religious teacher) is entrusted to give light to society including dealing with problematic children in school and outside that institution but it is a duty for all. ************************** In Islam, it is an obligation for all but we must remember a parent is really the child's first teacher and critical to his or her achievement in life. In fact teaching the family is an obligation of the head of the household (the father)! *************************** So to all fathers, be a responsible one; please and please protect yourself and your families from a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is people and stones. Please acknowledge and copy the life-style of the greatest teacher of all time - Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

'Membasuh dosa' selepas raya...

****************** DENGAN nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang; selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. ****************** Renungan "Sesungguhnya Kami menghidupkan orang-orang mati dan Kami menuliskan apa yang telah mereka kerjakan dan atsar (bekas-bekas) yang mereka tinggalkan. Dan segala sesuatu Kami kumpulkan dalam kitab induk yang nyata. (Lauhul Mahfuzh)." - Surah Yasin, ayat 12) ******************* AIDILFITRI ini menemukan saya dengan seorang sahabat lama; rakan di IPT puluhan tahun lalu. Dia seorang usahawan, bidangnya termasuk membekalkan peralatan dan kelengkapan kepada jabatan dan agensi pihak pemerintah. ******************** Beliau mendedahkan akan dunia bisnes dan politik yang dakwanya banyak penyewelengannya termasuk rasuah. Bagi menghadapinya, kata beliau, seseorang itu ada beberapa pilihan - pertama lakukan 'kejahatan sejahat-jahat' tetapi jangan sampai 'tertangkap' dan yang kedua, tinggalkan terus bidang berkenaan. ************************* Katanya, bagi rakan-rakan bisnes dan politik yang memilih untuk berbuat 'sejahat-jahatnya' termasuk tidak menunaikan ibadat seperti solat sama sekali (ada yang melakukan solat secara berpura-pura demi kepentingan politik dan bisnes) dan zakat, beliau menyaksikan mereka dilimpahi nikmat demi nikmat seperti kekayaan melimpah luah, kemasyhuran, pangkat, gelaran dan pelbagai kelebihan duniawi. Yalah, dia macam Firaun yang dikatakan tidak pernah sakit; menyebabkan dia mengaku dirinya tuhan. ************************* Namun bagi mereka yang hatinya berbelah-bahagi (50-50) seperti takut-takut mengamalkan rasuah dan maksiat tetapi ada kala melakukannya kerana 'terliur' dan 'lalai' dengan kenikmatan dunia tetapi tidak meninggalkan solat secara terus; mereka akan diuji dengan kemewahan yang diperolehi. **************************** Bagi golongan kedua; ada saja yang tidak kena - ahli keluarga kemalangan dan matilah, isteri sakit teruklah, anak berperangai jahatlah, rumah dimasuki pencurilah, diri sendiri kena rompaklah; pendeknya banyak masa dan duit dalam poket dihabiskan untuk menyelesaian masalah. ****************************** Sahabat saya itu berpendapat; golongan pertama sudah dilupakan oleh Yang Maha Berkuasa - apa saja mereka kehendaki diberi; mereka mendapat bahagian mereka di dunia ini tetapi tidak di akhirat nanti. Mereka bolehlah 'beraya sakan' di dunia, tetapi ingatlah kesenangan hidup di dunia hanya sebentar cuma! Mereka macam Firaun, Hamman dan Qarun. ******************************* Kepada mereka yang masih solat yang di dalamnya ada diucapkan "Ya Allah, tunjukki kami jalan yang lurus", Yang Maha Berkuasa menguji mereka dengan mendatangkan pelbagai masalah agar mereka dapat berfikir - "Ya Allah tak betul jalan yang aku ikuti selama ini, aku mahu kembali ke jalan-Mu yang lurus!" ********************************* Kata sahabat saya itu, ramai orang bisnes dan politik yang dikenalinya sudah 'kembali ke jalan yang lurus'. Pada konteks, hari raya ini, ungkapan kerap digunakan adalah 'kembali kepada fitrah'. Namun katanya, bagi orang bisnes dan politik tidaklah semudah orang awam untuk mengucapkan '0-0' ketika bersalaman antara satu sama lain pada Aidilfitri. Ucapan '0-0' bermaksud kedua-dua pihak kembali kepada fitrah, saling maaf memaafkan antara satu sama lain. ******************************** Dosa kepada Allah; Yang Maha Berkuasa Yang Maha Pemurah dan Penyayang sedia mengampunkannya tetapi dosa sesama manusia antara syarat pengampunan dan taubat seseorang itu perlu mengembalikan hak dan harta orang yang diambilnya. Inilah, yang beratnya kata sahabat saya itu. ******************************* Bagi orang bisnes dan politik, jika dulu dalam setahun dia rasuah RM100,000, dia perlu kembalikan wang itu kepada pemiliknya. Itu dalam tempoh setahun, kalau 10 tahun, wang rasuah itu adalah RM1 juta; kalau 20 tahun; RM2 juta. Persoalan ke mana wang RM2 juta (jika dapat disediakan) itu hendak dikembalikan? Itulah kalau rasuah dan penyelewengan RM2 juta; kalau RM20 juta, RM200 juta atau RM2 bilion? ********************************* Kata sahabat saya itu; dia mengenali seorang lagi sahabat bisnes yang 'sudah kembali ke fitrah'; dia sudah meninggalkan 'dunia lamanya' - dia dan keluarganya kini duduk dalam sebuah teratak buruk sebaliknya sebahagian besar harta-hartanya diinfakkan untuk membuat sekolah tahfiz yang kos pengurusannya dia tanggung sendiri. Dengar khabar lebih RM10,000 sebulan. ********************************** Selain itu, dia membuat pelbagai projek dan program kebajikan lagi semata-mata untuk 'membasuh dosa'nya. Demikianlah, apabila cahaya keimanan sudah menghampiri seseorang termasuk menyedari dosa lampau yang terlalu banyak, seseorang sanggup berkorban apa saja demi menggapai pengampunan Illahi. Tidaklah dia menguar-uarkan 'taubat' dengan bermodalkan 'air liur' saja atau kejap-kejap ke Tanah Suci bagi menunaikan umrah! ***************************** Oohh, nampaknya pandai sekali penulis ini (LanH) menceloteh mengenai kisah orang lain. Penulis mengakui banyak dosa kepada ibu bapa, anak isteri, kaum kerabat, rakan setugas, sahabat handai dan juga pembaca sekalian; jadi pada Syawal mulia ini, penulis menyusun jari memohon ampun bagi 'membasuh segala dosa' itu. Kita '0-0' selepas ini, ya!

Hunt for 5 more 'rayas' after Aidilfitri...

**************** 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) ****************** As readers are reading this article, the majority of Muslims especially the Malays (my family and I inculded) are in top gear preparing for the big day (Aidilfitri or Eid Mubarak) which is schedulled to fall on Thursday, August 8th. ******************** But many do not only prepare for that spesific day, they are hoping and working hard to have celebration for the whole month of Syawal. *********************** Imagine, some would celebrate ‘Hari Raya’ (Aidilfitri) for 30 days; they have ‘Hari Raya Pertama’ (first day of Eid), ‘Hari Raya Kedua’ to ‘Hari Raya ke-30’ (the 30th day of Eid). The irony of it, they only fast for 29 days this Ramadan! **************************** TV stations were fond of advertising and popularing this so-called ‘Hari Raya Pertama, Kedua’ and so on with trays of entertaining programmes that might include 'drama' and ‘joget’ (dance) show. Commercial stores too had their fair share during this period of festive. ************************ And in homes and offices and even at national level, open houses and 'raya' celebration would be held until the end of Syawal. It is also not surprising that some even held it after Syawal; perhaps they were not aware of the coming month of Zulkaedah when thousands of pilgrims have to make their hajj journey to the Holy Land. *********************** In my opinion Hari Raya celebration in our country had been heavily commercialized; the religious aspects of it were over shadowed. It is obvious if we were to look and study the pattern of attendees at masjids beginning from early Ramadan to the days of Syawal. *********************** During the few days of the holy month, masjids were full of congregators but decline as the days past by and the attendees at masjids were back to square one after ‘Raya’. ************************* Ramadan that would coming to an end in a few days time, is ‘a university’ to cleanse one inner soul but sadly we do not ‘hijrah’ (change or transform) to be in line with the Islamic teaching but back to our old ways including satisfying our old enemies – ‘syaitan’ (devils) and their gangs and of course ‘our’ capitalist masters. Did we not realize that the capitalists and oppourtunits were the ones who benefited the most during festive seasons in our beloved country? ************************* Before Eid Mubarak, Muslims have to observe fasting for the whole month of Ramadan. By fasting, Muslims were taught to be trift and wise in their spending but allocate more money and time providing for the poor and needy. They too were taught to spend more time improving their inner being, seeking the pleasures of Allah the Almighty by doing good deeds such as doing ‘sunat’ (recommended) prayers such as ‘tarawih and witir’ (night prayers usually held in masjids). ***************************** ‘Aidilfitri’ is a religious celebration, but the capitalists and oppourtunists turned it into one that provided them worldly pleasures. The capitalists were heaped with money and power at their feet after their sucesss in ‘distorting’ ‘Hari Raya’ while the oppourtunists such as politicians ‘misuse’ ‘Hari Raya’ to fish for support and gaining popularity. ***************************** Someone told me it is easy to gain support or vote from an ordinary folk; you give him/her ‘makan’ (invite him/her to lunch or dinner) and pat his/her back and say good words; he/she would remember you and your goodwill fo the rest of his/her life! *************************** And a reader told me: "In actual fact, celebration for Aidilfitri is only for a day. We only do the 'takbir' (reciting religious verses) after the 'maghrib' (dusk) prayers on the last day of Ramadan till before the 'raya' prayers in the morning of 1st Syawal as compared to four days during Eid Adha (Aidiladha) that is on the 10th, 11, 12 and 13th of Zulhijah. **************************** "After the celebration on Ist Syawal, we are recommended to do the 'puasa enam' (fasting for six days in the month of Syawal); thus we must aware to adhere to all God's and His prophet's words regarding the taking of food. For example in the Qur'an (7:31), Allah SWT said: "...and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance,..." ************************ The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said: "Man has not filled a container worse than his stomach; he should be satisfied with a few bites to survive. However, if his appetite beats him, let it be a third (of his stomach space) for his food and a third for his drink and a third for his breath." (Ahmad) **************************** "Open houses have nothing to do with Hari Raya, only lately it has become a custom or tradition especially among the rich and of course politicians! If we look back in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, if I am not mistaken there is no concept of open houses. In that era, all houses were opened to recieve all people especially our relatives and friends." *************************** Not long time ago, during a 'tazkirah' (Islamic lesson) at a masjid near my house, the 'ustaz' (religious teacher) told congregators actually there are five 'rayas' (special day) to be sought after and work hard for by every Muslim. "These are the actual 'hari rayas'," said the ustaz. ************************* "Number one, we can celebrate 'hari raya' if our day ended with we are free from doing any mistakes or sins - whether small or big sins," said the ustaz. ************************* "This is impossibe because everybody except the Prophet s.a.w. makes sin every now and then. Thus no day would we be able to celebrate 'hari raya', but we must keep on working hard for it, if it is not today, then tommorrow, the days after that until the day when we 'leave this world' (die)," he said. ********************** "Second, we could celebrate 'hari raya' if we die as a person with faith (beriman). In short die in 'husnul khatimah'. This is the 'biggest 'hari raya' for us at the moment we leave the world for good," said the ustaz. ************************ The third 'hari raya' said the ustaz is when we are able to make our way on the 'siratul mustakim' (narrow bridge in the Hereafter). 'Mukmin' (pious persons), 'insya-Allah' (God willing) would be able to drink from the 'Khausar Nabi' (Prophet's well) before making their way to the 'sirat bridge', said the ustaz. ******************** The fourth 'raya', is when we were able to enter the Almighty's paradise (syurga), and the last (fifth) 'raya' is the greatest of all is when The Lord (Allah SWT) acknowleges (reda) us as His servants and gave His blessing for us to witness and having the pleasure of looking at His Glorious Countenance that is (His Essence). ********************** "So hunt and work hard till 'yakin' (complete belief) comes to us (our last moment in this world) so that we could celebrate those 'five hari rayas'. Those days are the actual 'hari rayas'," said the ustaz. ************************ Lastly to all readers, 'Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin'

Have a heart for our Muslims brothers!

****************** In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. ******************* Reflection ******************* The Declining Day (Al-'Asr) 1. By the declining day, 2. Lo! Man is in a state of loss, 3. Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance. *********************** Coming out of the conference hall at the end of the 'South East Asia (SEA) Organizations Roundtable Conference on Palestine and Lebanon in facing the Zionist and Anglo American Imperialism' at the Century Paradise Club, Kuala Lumpur a few years ago, I was met by my eight-year old son who begged me to treat him at a KFC outlet. ************************** After being told not to eat at KFC, drink Coca-Cola and refuel at Caltex as part of a campaign to boycott American and Israeli products, I said a 'shaky no' as the boy kept on begging. It was a big test for me as I was torn between staying in line with what was raised and agreed upon at the seminar and to fulfill my son's small request. *************************** I was about to give in because I didn't have the heart to say no to such a request, moreover it was about food, but at the last moment I pulled out the pamphlet given by the Anti-Zionist and Boycott America Movement (GAZA) and gave it to the boy to look at. ************************* On the cover, there was a picture of a dead Lebanese child with the words, 'If you did this (ate at KFC, drank Coca-Cola and refueled at Caltex), you have conspired with the American and Israeli regimes to kill the Muslims of Palestine and Lebanon'. ***************************** The boy flipped to page two and saw 10 other reasons why Muslims should boycott American products. In page three, there were logos of about fifty products to be boycotted by Muslims. The boy looked closely and said: "Father, Pizza Hut is not listed, so let's go to Pizza Hut!" **************************** Softly, I told him to see the back page, and the boy saw the pictures of more than 10 dead bodies of Palestinian and Lebanese children, many of them covered in blood. The words on that page read: "If you keep on buying American products, the brutality of the Zionists will be prolonged." ****************************** After much persuading, my children at last agreed to have Ramly burgers at Kampung Baru as an alternative. I was relieved and as the boy and his siblings were busy ordering their food at a stall, I flipped open the file of the conference. ******************************* The roundtable talk that was organized by 'International Affairs and Foreign Relations Department of the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS)', saw two papers presented by one representative of Hamas, Omar Obeid (he represented the Chief Whip of the Palestine Parliament, Dr Khaleel a-Haya) and Essam Mustafa from a Palestine NGO, followed by discussions by representatives of various Muslim groups in South East Asia and South Asia such as Jamiat-el-Islami of Pakistan and Bangladesh, Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS Indonesia), Muslim Association of Thailand, Parti Pembangunan Bangsa (Brunei), Jamaah Islah Malaysia, Parti KeADILan Rakyat (PKR) and Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM). ************************ The conference ended with resolutions, among others condemning the incursions and continuing atrocities perpetrated by the Zionist-Israeli regime, the delayed action on the part of the Security Council of the United Nations and gave unanimous support to the Palestinian and Lebanese people in their confrontation against the aggression and tyranny of the Zionist-Israeli regime. ************************ The roundtable conference also unanimously agreed and resolved that participants from all countries, undertake, in the immediate future, to set up a Secretariat to be headed by a Secretary preferably from Malaysia. This Secretariat requires a seed capital or funding to move the planning by galvanizing both Islamic parties and Muslims-based NGOs. ************************ Four areas were highlighted to be worked on – they were the political initiatives and lobbying efforts (international, regional and national), humanitarian and relief work, media-cum-research and development and fund-raising (economic action) and aid. ************************** When discussing the Palestinian and Lebanese issue, a point raised by a delegation caught my attention. He said Muslims were alarmed when a specific issue popped up but it will be much better if Muslims were always equipped and ready to cope with any circumstance that might befall the ummah. ************************* The Muslim community all over the world, especially when they were the minority in a country, were ill treated even to the extent of being prosecuted in their homeland. History speaks volumes about that situation, for example the plight of the Rohingya Muslims of Burma, the Kashmiris in Indian-occupied Kashmir, the Moros of Southern Philippines and the Malays of Cambodia and Southern Thailand. **************************** To get a clearer picture I interviewed a few delegates. The first was Ustaz Mohamed Islam, the Vice President (International) of the Rohingya Ulama Council, who said the sad episode of the Muslim minority groups began when they were betrayed by their leaders. *************************** "The leaders were not sincere, and when the cruel regime in power chased us out of our homeland, they betrayed us in exchange for worldly pleasures," he said. ************************ He and a member of the council, Mohd Sedek, said, the government and Western media were biased in their reports and often portrayed the Muslims as rebellious, traitors, terrorists and guerillas. ********************** They said Muslims were also to be blamed because many were not living in accordance to Islam. They swayed from the Muslim way of life and practiced un-Islamic norms such as usury and the Western way of living like exposing their aurah (physique). *********************** Maulana Ataur Rahman, a Jamiat-e-Islami member of Parliament from Pakistan, agreed that some of the Muslim leaders were not sincere in protecting the ummah and to uplift their lives in accordance with the Islamic requirements. ********************* He said in Pakistan, the people were tired with Western ideas and propaganda and were trying to make Islam as a way of life but its leaders were swaying and bowing towards Washington and London. ******************** "If not for the rigging in the elections, I am confident the Islamic party will win the elections," he said regarding the 2002 general elections which saw the Jamiat-e-Islami and its five other component Islamic parties including the Shiite 'Tehreek Islami' win 68 out of the 342 seats in Parliament. ***************** He said it was a remarkable achievement by the Islamic component parties (Mutehaddah Majlis Amal - MMA) as previous elections saw them with only a few seats. In 2002, other then getting more seats, they also had the right to govern the North West Frontier (NWF) state. ******************** Even though the president (Pervez Musharraf) was leaning towards US President (George) Bush and British Prime Minister (John) Major, the majority of the people are with us, claimed Ataur Rahman who is MP for Mardan in NWF. ********************** "If the election was transparent, we should be in power," he said and accused Musharraf of trying to repeal the hudud laws introduced by President Zia-ul-Haq in 1979. ********************* He said it was clear that some of the Muslim leaders were betraying the ummah as they were not sincere in their actions but only wanted to hold on to their power even if they had to bow down to those at helm in Washington, London and Moscow. ********************* Ataur Rahman said, Muslims, whether they were Shiite or Sunni, should always be united not only when confronting and pressured in certain issues such as the plight of the Palestinians and Lebanese, but in all areas at all times such as education, economic and international relations. ********************* If the Americans could be proud in producing world renowned products and food such as KFC and McDonald's and drinks such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi and so on, why can't Muslims produce their own brand products that could be easily marketed to the 1.5 billion ummah. Perhaps Zamzam drink and Ramly Burger could take off as the maiden projects among Muslims!

Mencari Lailatulqadar yang belum ditemui

********************* Dengan nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang; selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. ********************* Renungan ********************* "...dan supaya kamu cukupkan bilangan puasa (sebulan Ramadan) dan supaya kamu membesarkan Allah (dengan takbir dan tahmid) kerana mendapat pertunjuk-Nya dan supaya kamu bersyukur." - Surah Al-Baqarah, ayat 185 ********************** Ramadan berbaki beberapa hari lagi. Lima, 4, 3, 2, 1 dan Aidilfitri. Akhirnya Ramadan yang penuh barakah, jaminan pengampunan dan pembebasan daripada api neraka itu meninggalkan kita. ********************** Sebelum Ramadan ini berakhir, tiba-tiba terlintas di hati saya untuk mengisi kolum ini dengan artikel mengenai Lailatulqadar yang saya tulis tidak lama dulu. Saya tidak pasti ia sudah tersiar atau tidak. Moga-moga ia ada manfaatnya dan dapat menolong saya di alam sana dan juga pembaca semua. ************************** Dalam salah satu kuliah yang saya hadiri, ustaz terbabit menyatakan jika keseronokan atau keasyikan Ramadan sudah menguasai jiwa barulah puasa kita membawa erti. Jika tidak, dikhuatiri puasa kita hanyalah sekadar menahan diri daripada makan dan minum atau lebih tinggi sedikit iaitu menahan anggota diri daripada perkara-perkara bukan hak. ******************** Bagaimana mahu mendatangkan keasyikan Ramadan? Ustaz itu mengkiaskan tingkah laku seorang peminat bola sepak, katakan penyokong tegar Perak. Penyokong ini bekerja di Kuala Lumpur, tetapi kerana fanatiknya kepada pasukan Perak, di mana saja ada perlawanan membabitkan pasukan ini , akan dihadirinya. Jika pasukan Yob ditakdirkan bermain di Pulau Pinang, peminat tegar ini akan melakukan apa saja supaya dia dapat ke sana. ****************************** Kalau perlu menipu untuk mendapat cuti, dia akan lakukan. Kalau tiada kenderaan, yang ada cuma sebuah motosikal Cup, dia sanggup menunggang dari KL ke Ipoh atau Pulau Pinang. Panas, hujan malah sakit, tidak dipedulikannya. Yang penting dia mesti menyaksikan pemain Yob beraksi. Cintanya kepada pasukan Yob sudah menjadikan dia begitu. Dia sudah asyik dengan dunia bola dan Yobnya. **************************** Bagaimana mahu asyik dengan Ramadan? Ini soalan sukar dijawab. Ustaz itu berkata, orang yang sudah asyik mahsyuk dengan Ramadan, tidak peduli apa lagi. Kuih raya ke, baju raya ke, duit raya ke, semuanya tidak ada dalam kamus mereka. Sebaliknya mereka cukup cemas dengan ibadat dan penghambaan terhadap Yang Maha Kuasa kerana Ramadan semakin hari semakin menuju penghabisan, macam 'countdown' 5,4,3,1 dan Aidilfitri. *********************** Demikianlah, orang yang asyik dengan Ramadan berasa sedih kerana ia akan berlalu. Tetapi kita ini, termasuk saya sebagai orang awam bagaimana pula? Kita pun tidak sabar dengan 'countdown' 5,4,3,2,1 tetapi akhirannya akan berbunyi 'Hip-hip horee, hip-hip horee, Esok hari raya!' Itulah saya dan sebahagian kita pada era 'jahiliah' (semasa zaman kanak-kanak, remaja dan dewasa) dulu, tetapi kini saya mulai termenung memikirkan betapa tersasar jauhnya kita dalam menghadapi Ramadan dan Aidilfitri. ************************ Saya mula tercari-cari Lailatulqadar yang tidak pernah saya temui. Macam mana hendak jumpa sebab saya sama seperti sebahagian besar generasi baru dibesarkan dalam suasana tidak menjuruskan ke arah itu. Ini kerana pengertian Ramadan dan Aidilfitri terpesong terlalu jauh daripada apa saya fahami sejak merajinkan diri menghadiri tazkirah dan kelas-kelas pengajian di masjid sejak beberapa tahun lalu. Bagi kebanyakan orang Melayu, Ramadan dan Aidilfitri sudah menjadi semacam satu budaya; tidak terikat kepada apa dikehendaki Islam daripadanya. Dan saya sebagai seorang Melayu terikut-ikut dalam budaya yang berat untuk saya katakan sonsang ini. ********************************* Permulaan Ramadan adalah barakah Allah SWT. Tetapi orang Melayu dan kini menjangkiti orang Malaysia, Ramadan bermakna bulan pesta - daripada pesta makanan kepada pesta membeli belah. Tataplah akhbar, terpapar kisah makanan dan penyediaan makanan. Gerai menjual makanan muncul di sana sini. Kisah ayam percik, kisah tahi itik, semuanya mewarnai Ramadan.Seolah-olah Ramadan itu pesta makan sedangkan puasa itu bermakna tidak makan. ********************************** Tidak cukup dengan itu muncullah buffet Ramadan di restoran, di hotel. Makan dan makanlah. Ramadan adalah untuk menahan nafsu termasuk mengekang makan dan minum tetapi Ramadan nampaknya adalah bulan untuk memuaskan nafsu makan. Kalau pada siang hari nafsu itu tidak dapat dipuaskan, tidak mengapalah, pada malam hari ia boleh dipuaskan, sepuas-puasnya. *************************** Kemudian muncul pula bazar Ramadan, pasar Ramadan, 'sale' Ramadan dan bermacam-macam lagi perkara yang dikaitkan dengan Ramadan. Ramadan itu adalah untuk mengekang nafsu, tetapi nampaknya Ramadan adalah bulan untuk memuaskan nafsu. Nafsu membeli memuncak pada Ramadan, set perabot yang tidak pernah bertukar boleh bertukar pada Ramadan, langsir yang ok ditukar juga pada Ramadan, peti sejuk yang ok pun ditukar baru, kereta yang ok jadi tak ok pada Ramadan kerana mahu ditukar; malah rumah pun kalau boleh mahu ditukar Ramadan ini. ************************ Pemimpin dan pemerintah menggamatkan lagi suasana. Ada yang mahu menjual puasa dan raya sebagai bahan promosi pelancongan. Mereka suruh orang luar datang, tengok apa orang Melayu buat pada bulan mulia ini. Mereka tidak suruh orang Melayu meningkatkan amal ibadat dan penghayatan terhadap bulan mulia ini supaya orang luar tertarik dengan Islam, tetapi mereka menyuruh orang Islam melakukan perkara yang tidak disuruh oleh Islam seperti memasang pelita, sibuk dengan majlis makan-makan dan menganjurkan majlis di mana lelaki dan perempuan bebas bergaul. *********************** Seorang pemimpin sebuah negeri di selatan tanah air, dalam mempromosi aspek pelancongan, mengerahkan penduduk kampung memasang pelita, sebuah kampung dilaporkan menang dan mendapat hadiah lumayan selepas kira-kira 40,000 pelita menerangi kawasannya. **************************** Bayangkan berapa banyak kos diperlukan dan apa yang dapat dikatakan tentang perbuatan membazir amalan syaitan ini? Seorang uztaz mengingatkan pemasangan pelita dengan niat dan pandangan terpesong misalnya percaya ia boleh memudahkan arwah saudara-mara kembali ke rumah masing-masing adalah perbuatan syirik dan merosakkan akidah. Orang taat sibuk dengan solat dan mengenang dosa diri dan nasib dalam kubur, ada penduduk kampung termasuk veteran sibuk bermain cahaya ribuan pelita tujuh likur. *********************** Ketika ini pada ketika segelintir insan bertakwa menangisi Ramadan yang akan berakhir tidak lama lagi, ada kumpulan-kumpulan tertentu bertungkus-lumus menyiapkan program-program lara atas nama kemuliaan Syawal untuk disiarkan di skrin-skrin televisyen. Maka sepanjang raya, terpancar dan berkemundanglah segala program hiburan terutama nyanyian, tidak henti-henti 24 jam sehari. ****************************** Berakhir Ramadan, pesta makan-makan berlanjutan, sebulan lamanya. Yalah, kata mereka Syawal itu sebulan lamanya. Jadilah orang Melayu berpaksi kepada makan minum, berpesta, berhibur; pengajaran Ramadan tidak langsung melekat di hati mereka. *************************** Bagi anak-anak inilah Ramadan dan Aidilfitri yang mereka ketahui. Mereka didedahkan perkara ini tahun demi tahun; melepasi usia kanak-kanak, remaja, dewasa dan seterusnya tua. Kalau tidak kesedaran, kemungkian mereka membawa konsep salah ini hingga ke liang lahad. **************************** Mungkin pada usia tua seperti saya ini barulah timbul sedikit kesedaran bahawa Ramadan dan Aidilfitri yang bermati-matian kita raikan itu adalah tersasar daripada kehendak Islam. Islam tidak menyuruh kita bergolok gadai memenuh dan mengisi nafsu menyambutnya tetapi ada peraturan, tata cara dan disiplinnya. *********************** Tujuan Ramadan adalah untuk menghasilkan insan bertakwa dan tawaran Allah SWT, menjanjikan pengampunan dan bebas daripada api neraka sewajarnya menjadi buruan setiap Muslim. **************************** Itulah yang baru saya ketahui sejak akhir-akhir ini menyebabkan saya termenung memikirkan betapa sesat dan songsangnya saya selama ini. Mungkin itu antara sebab mengapa Lailatulqadar yang saya cari, belum terjumpa lagi.

Ramadan di luar 'tembok istana'...

****************** Dengan Nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang, selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. ******************* Renungan ********************* "Dan janganlah kamu menghampiri zina, sesungguhnya zina itu adalah satu perbuatan yang keji dan satu jalan yang jahat yang membawa kerosakan." - Maksud Ayat al-Quran Surah al-Israa': 32 *************************** SEKALIPUN menjalani puasa Ramadan, saya tetap ke kebun. Menunaikan rutin biasa - mencangkul dan menanam pepohon. Tetapi ada perbezaan ketara dari segi kemampuan fizikal ketika berpuasa dan tidak berpuasa. ********************* Pada Ramadan ini selepas beberapa kali menghayun cangkul, saya tidak dapat bertahan lantas bergegas ke tempat teduh untuk berehat. ************************* Sudah tentu diri ini tidak dapat dibandingkan sekelumit pun dengan baginda Rasul s.a.w. dan sahabat-sahabatnya yang pada bulan Ramadan semangat juang mereka meningkat disertai kemantapan, kegigihan dan kesabaran amat tinggi sehingga mencapai kejayaan gemilang pada ujian Ramadan seperti di medan Badar atau Perang Khandaq (Ahzab). *************************** Berdasarkan ini, tahulah betapa lemahnya iman sendiri. Cubaan Ramadan sebahagian besar daripada kita termasuk diri penulis tidaklah seberat mana - kita hanya tidak makan dan minum di siang hari pada suasana kondusif - aman, damai dan mententeramkan - dalam rumah nyaman, pejabat berhawa dingin malah kenderaan juga berhawa dingin. Kita berpuasa dalam keadaan kita tahu ada makanan sedap dan banyak menunggu pada waktu iftar (berbuka). Untuk menunaikan ibadat khusus misalnya, solat; masjid-masjid kita cukup selesa dengan kipas dan 'air condition'-nya. **************************** Teringat saya akan subjek Tawarikh Darjah Empat yang saya pelajari pada tahun 1972 dulu, ada bab mengenai pembawa agama-agama besar dunia, salah seorang tokohnya Gautama Buddha. Beliau seorang anak raja yang hidupnya penuh gembira dan mewah dalam istana bertembok tinggi. Dikhabarkan tiada penderitaan di dalam tembok istana; apabila dewasa Gautama teringin sangat melihat kehidupan di luar tembok istana - di sanalah beliau menyaksikan penderitaan. Suasana itu menginsafkan dirinya lantas bermulalah pencarian kerohanian beliau... **************************** Ya, sebahagian besar daripada kita berpuasa di dalam tembok keselesaan 'istana'; kita tidak mengerti derita di luar sana. Seperti yang nukilkan pada awal celoteh ini, saya tidak dapat bertahan lama menghayun cangkul dalam terik mentari membakar diri. Selepas lima hayunan saja saja sudah 'cabut'. Saya boleh lakukan ini sebab 'menghayun cangkul' itu bukan pekerjaan atau punca rezeki utama saya. Saya boleh kembali ke rumah untuk terus menikmati suasana nyaman dengan fikiran tidak terlalu gusar memikirkan soal wang bagi membiayai keluarga kerana saya ada sumber lain. ***************************** Tetapi bagaimana nasib insan yang hidupnya bergantung kepada pekerjaan membanting tulang seperti petani, nelayan, buruh ladang, pekerja pembinaan dan tukang cuci? Pekerjaan mereka adalah mata pencarian; mereka tidak boleh meninggalkan tugas mereka sesuka hati seperti saya. Malah gaji 'ciput' atau bayaran harian yang diterima adalah penentu apa yang dapat dihidangkan di meja berbuka puasa dan pada hari lebaran nanti! ************************** Pada Ramadan mulia ini, saya cuba mengamat-amati kehidupan sebahagian mereka di luar 'tembok istana'. Suatu hari ketika memandu pada jam 12.00 tengah hari yang cukup terik saya lihat sekumpulan buruh terbongkok-bongkok merumputi rimbunan pokok bunga di pembahagi jalan raya. Jam empat petang mereka masih di sana. Jam lima baru mereka beredar. Saya cuba bayangkan perasaan dan keadaan mereka - jika saya tidak tahan tiga minit saja di bawah sinar matahari, bagaimana mereka? ******************************** Seorang kontraktor kecil-kecilan (tauke pembinaan) memberitahu: "Sebelas bulan aku kerja macam nak ......, tahun ini pada bulan Ramadan aku kerja juga. Taubat aku, lain kali aku tak nak ambil projek pada bulan puasa." Dia yang turut sama pekerjanya membanting tulang menyiapkan rumah orang, mengakui adalah berat untuk berpuasa apabila melakukan kerja-kerja lasak sedemikian. Namun, dia bolehlah kerap ambil 'time-off" (berehat) daripada kerja sebab dia bos, tetapi bagaimana pekerjanya? *********************************** Demikianlah, ada pekerja tugasan berat tak berpuasa. Suatu hari ketika melepasi sebuah van syarikat terbabit dengan projek pemotongan rumput di tepi jalan, saya perhatikan sejumlah pekerja santai menikmati makan tengah hari. Hati marah, melihatkan mereka 'relaks' saja makan di tempat laluan orang ramai, namun kemudian hati jatuh kasihan; di dunia mereka sudah hidup susah, di akhirat nanti bagaimana? Kalau saya dalam kedudukan mereka yang berhempas pulas dalam terik mentari dari pagi ke petang, adakah saya 'confirm' boleh berpuasa? **************************** Seorang tukang cuci kontrak memberitahu saya "Ramadan atau tak Ramadan" tugasannya tetap sama. Kerja berat, tetapi perolehan kecil RM22 sehari. "Tak kerja tak ada gaji. Jika sakit dan tak datang kerja, gaji dipotong." Kalau RM22 sehari, kalau dia kerja 20 hari sebulan berapa dia dapat? Lebih kurang RM400 sebulan! Bagi sesetengah kita jumlah ini hanya cukup untuk diberi kepada kanak-kanak yang datang ke rumah semasa hari raya, tetapi dia menggunakan wang itu menanggung keluarga selama sebulan termasuk menyediakan persiapan hari raya. Apa yang dapat disiapkan? ************************ Ramadan ini membuatkan saya merenung diri. Mungkinkah "aku berpuasa sebab aku senang berpuasa?" Apa kata kita berada dalam golongan susah disebutkan, apakah kita akan berpuasa? Demikianlah persoalan lain seperti "aku tidak berbuat 'jahat' sebab aku 'tiada kuasa' melakukannya, misalnya aku tak rasuah sebab aku tak ada kuasa, jika ada kuasa aku pun sama jadi perasuah!" ***************************** Jadi janganlah kita perasan diri kita ini baik sangat. Hakikatnya Allah SWT sayangkan kita, sebab itulah Dia tak bagi sesetengah daripada apa kita idamkan seperti kekayaan, kuasa, pangkat, wang ringgit dan sebagainya. Mungkin itu antara sebab Allah SWT tidak takdirkan kita dilahirkan dalam istana sebab Dia tahu kita tak mampu mengawal diri sebagai bangsawan, orang kaya, berkuasa dan berpangkat. *********************** Ya, hidup di luar tembok istana itulah yang paling padan untuk diri kita, jadi bersyukurlah dengan apa yang kita ada, usah digusarkan apa yang kita tiada. Ini kerana Allah tahu apa yang terbaik bagi diri kita!