Friday, May 9, 2014

Malaysia (In sha-Allah) 'boleh' (can)!

********************************* 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) ******************************** In life, how often have we heard boasts by all sectors of society especially those in power. Perhaps for those involved (this reminder is also for me) should think first before opening their mouths. ***************************** For example during the trying times of searching for flight MH370, a leader was quoted as saying: "We would search for the black box until it is found." Until today the black box has not been found, so would the mission would still be on until the black box is found? When will it end, until Doomsday? ****************************** The ruling party is fond of this saying: "only Umno/BN can bring prosperity...” or "only Umno/BN can bring peace" or "only Umno-BN can deliver..." Exactly what did Umno/BN deliver? And the old party's slogan...Umno dulu, kini dan selamanya (Umno yesterday, today and forever); is it appropriate to claim to be a 'forever' party? ****************************** If one took effort to think, he or she would realize that such rhetorical propaganda and slogans are against the teachings of Islam - no one knows what will happen not only tomorrow and the days ahead but the next second. Thus no one can dare to promise anything what more boast that only he and his team could do 'this and that'. ***************************** In Ayah 80 and 81 of Surah Yasin (XXXVI), Allah The Almighty (SWT) says: "Is not He Who created the heavens and earth Able to create the like of them? Aye, that He is! for He is the All-Wise Creator, But His command, when He intendeth a thing, is only that he saith unto it: Be! and it is." ************************* And in Ayah 165 of Surah Ali Imran (III), Allah SWT says: "And was it so, when a disaster smote you, though ye had smitten (them with a disaster) twice (as great), that ye said: How is this? Say (unto them, O Muhammad): It is from yourself. Lu! Allah is Able to do all things." ******************************* Lately two events or circumstances brought Malaysians back to their feet - the first one is the drought that lasted for close to three months until the middle of March. When we were in 'a tight and panicky situation' where the 'earth had turned brownish', almost all of us turned to God for help. In masjids, schools and offices, we held special prayers, but when it rained many of us including professionals dared to say: "cloud seeding produces heavy rain!" It seems that we have forgotten God totally... ************************ Please 'brother', do not 'credit' yourself for the rain, perhaps this story e-mailed by a friend about a down to earth person pleading for rain could entertain some of our arrogant leaders, technocrats and men on the street who thought their 'brilliant effort' and 'earnest prayers' had brought us rain. **************************** Abdullah ibn Al Mubarak said: I was in Mecca while they were afflicted with drought. So the people went out to Masjid Al Haram and prayed for rain, but it did not rain. At the side of me was a black slave. The black slave said: ‘O Allah, O Allah, they have supplicated to You and You did not respond to them. Verily I swear by You that You will give us rain.’ He (ibn Al Mubarak) said: ‘By Allah, we did not wait a moment before we were given rain.’ ************************** Then the black slave left. So I followed him until he entered a home of the morticians, so I knew which house it was. In the morning I took some dinars (the local currency) and went to the home, and there was a man at the door. I said: ‘I’m looking for the man of this house.’ He replied: ‘I am him.’ I said: ‘There is a servant of yours I wish to purchase.’ ************************ He replied: ‘I have fourteen servants; I will bring them out to you.’ He (ibn Al Mubarak) said: ‘this particular servant was not amongst them, so I said: “Do you have any more?”’ He said to me: ‘there is a sick youth.’ So he brought him out and he was the black slave. I said: ‘he is the exact one.’ He replied: ‘he is yours Abu Abdur Rahman.’ So I gave him fourteen dinar and I took the servant. ************************ When we left and took one of the roads. He said: ‘O master what do you want with me while I am sick?’ I replied: ‘because of what I saw last night.’ He (ibn Al Mubarak) said: So he (the black servant) leaned on the wall and said: O Allah, don’t make me famous, take my soul to You. He (Al Mubarak) said: So he fell down dead, and the people of Mecca gathered (to pray over him). - Taken from 'Fundamentals of the Creed of Ahlus Sunnah wa Jamaah' ************************ And when our Flight MH370 went missing, again we sought God’s help; but some of our leaders kept on orchestrating words of arrogance; they had none or only little desire to acknowledge the weaknesses of human beings, that we are all subject to Allah SWT’s wish - "Be! and it is." It is nearly two months now, are we still dazzled by the advancement of human being's technology; we have only little thought that Allah SWT could do anything as He pleases? *************************** Thus, to all Malaysians, perhaps we could learn to add the term 'In sya-Allah' (if Allah Wills) to the things and promises we do in our daily lives. Dr Y Mansoor Marican from PERKIM noted that 'In sya-Allah' is a common expression amongst people of all faiths in the Arabic-speaking countries. ************************* Intending to do something in the future should always be attributed to the Will of Allah, Who Alone Knows "what is yet to happen, what is not to be and how it will be if it is to be." (Tafseer Ibn Kathir) ********************** If we are open to acknowledge that everything is at the Will of Allah, perhaps our 'battle cry' of 'Malaysia boleh' (Malaysia Can or Malaysia Can Do It) could be turned into 'Malaysia, 'In sya-Allah' (if Allah Wills) 'Boleh' (Can). ********************** Isn't it simple, yet we would have His blessing (barakah) for by saying 'In sya-Allah', a Believer does not feel alone when he plans for the future. Neither does he show arrogance when he succeeds, nor is he overtaken by despair when he fails. **************************** In all situations, the Believer remembers Allah, expressing gratitude to Him for his success, and accepting whatever is Allah's Will with firm belief that Allah intends only good for His creation. ( see Al-Baqarah- The Cow 2:216)

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