'If teachers pee standing up...'

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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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EVERYBODY is a ‘cikgu’ or 'guru' (teacher); a father is a teacher to his wife and children, a boss is a guidance in his or her office; a ‘wakil rakyat’ (people’s representative) is entrusted for the well being of his or her constituents while top leaders are unanswerable to all matters regarding the country and its people. 

Regarding this, the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock (i.e. those over whom you have authority.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Ibn ‘Umar reported, “I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘Everyone of you is a ruler and everyone of you shall be questioned about those under his rule; the king is a ruler and he shall be questioned about his subjects; and the man is a ruler in his family and he shall be questioned about those under his care. 

‘The woman is a ruler in the house of her husband, and she shall be questioned about those under her care; and the servant is a ruler so far as the property of his master is concerned, and he shall be questioned about that which is entrusted to him’.”

Thus when the 'highest official' of the country cried 'Kepala bapak kau' which literally means; Your father's head; (pardon me for 'copying and pasting' this nasty remark here) in an important gathering recently, I couldn't help but kept on thinking about one famous Malay proverb - 'jika guru kencing berdiri, anak murid kencing berlari' (if teachers pee standing up, then their pupils would be running while urinating).

Nowadays teachers are facing huge troubles in disciplining pupils. They are entrusted in upbringing and molding children into good citizens but the challengers are getting harder and harder by each day...sadly we had now witnessed a leader who had forgotten his own government's concept i.e.'Kepimpinan Melalui Teladan' (Leading By Example).

A statesman had once coined this beautiful quotation: “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.” Well, everybody is a teacher, what's more if he/she is the leader of the country.

Those in the teaching profession are change agents, providing the impetus for the emergence of educated communities. Regarding this I quote extract from an article on World Teachers Day entitled ‘Recovery Begins with Teachers’ from National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP)’s newsletter ‘Guru Malaysia’ in its October 2010 issue: “Many teachers work in extremely challenging circumstances, serving in communities with high rates of poverty, coping with violence within and outside the classroom, or confronting the demoralizing impact of HIV and AIDS on colleagues, students and families.

“There are those who are seeking to ensure the right to education of 18.5 million refugees children throughout the world. In countries affected by conflict, teachers are instrumental to reconstruction and peace building. We take this opportunity to commend the efforts of teachers, especially female teachers, who accept to serve in high risk, deprived and disadvantaged areas, reaching out to the excluded, and bringing them the prospect of better life through education.

“…Recovery begins with teachers. We can best honour teachers by giving them decent working conditions to fulfill their mission of preparing the younger generation to become responsible citizens, equipped with knowledge and skills to shape a sustainable future.”

Teachers are look high upon by society, but could readers imagine if they 'kencing berdiri' ...they are giving bad example to their pupils...so do not be surprised when the children would be running when they urinate.

Not only a ‘cikgu’ or an ‘ustaz’ (religious teacher) is entrusted to give light to society but it is a duty for all including leaders. In Islam, it is an obligation for all to do the da’wah (calling to Islam) work. The Muslim does not think little of whatever knowledge he has if he is calling others to Allah. It is sufficient for him to convey whatever he has learned of the truth, even if it is just one aayah (sentence) from the Book of Allah.

This is what the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to tell his Companions to do: “Convey (knowledge) from me even if it is just one aayah…” (Bukhari). This is because whether or not a person is guided may depend on just one word of this aayah which will touch his heart and ignite the spark of faith, so that his heart and life will be illuminated with the light of guidance, and he will be a new man.

A fair leader or leaders who uphold justice are among seven groups of people that would be rewarded and sheltered in the Hereafter. The Prophet say: “There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade: A just ruler; a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love each other for Allah's sake, meeting for that and parting upon that; a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position [for illegal intercourse], but be says: 'I fear Allah', a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears.' (Narrated by Abu Hurairah, Sahih al-Bukhari, Muslim) 

A just leader should be fair to his/her inferiors in everything and if he upholds justice, then he is on the right track to get recognition for the Prophet s.a.w. say: "He who obeys me obeys Allah, and he disobeys me disobeys Allah; and he who obeys the Amir (leader) obeys me, and he disobeys the Amir disobeys me; and the Imam is an armour for protection, the battle is fought for his defence and through him protection is sought. So if he commands the doing of duty to Allah and does justice, he has a reward for it; and if he does otherwise he shall suffer the consequences of it."

'Ubadah ibn Samit said, "The Prophet invited us, so we swore all allegiance to him; and among the conditions which he laid down on us to follow was this, that he had a promise from us to hear and obey, whether we like or disliked and order and whether we were in adversity or ease, even if our rights were not granted; and that we should not dispute the authority of those entrusted with it, adding unless you see an act of open disbelief in which you have a dear argument from Allah."

When Caliph 'Umar appointed governors the condition laid down upon them were: "You shall not ride a horse that is not of Arabian breed; you shall not eat bread made from fine flour; you shall not wear fine clothes; and you shall not shut your doors against the needs of the people. If you do these things punishment shall descend on you." - Pearls of the Prophet (Islamic Outreach-ABIM) 

In Surah An-Nisa’ (Woman) 58, Allah SWT says. "Verily Allah commands you that you restore deposits to their owners, and when you judge between people, you judge with justice; verily good is the admonition Allah gives you; verily Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing."

Regarding judging between people, this verse points to a very important subject. It is the proposition of observing justice in government. The verse, conveying the command of Allah, says:"... and when you judge between people, you judge with justice; ..." 

Perhaps uttering derogatory remarks such as 'Kepala bapak kau' in public was a  sign of us being unable to control our anger; it is in the category of ''lowest nafs' - 'ammarah'; so let all of us, the writer included,  begin correcting ourselves before it is too late and when we are 'six feet underground' (dead).