'Awek' punca kemalangan jalan raya meningkat?

*********** Dengan nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang; selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. ************* Renungan ************ "Dialah (Allah) yang menciptakan bagi kamu pasangan-pasangan (jodoh) daripada makhluk (jenis) kamu sendiri agar kamu condong kepadanya dan berasa tenteram dengannya. Kemudian Allah menciptakan kasih dan sayang antara kamu." (Surah Ar Rum: 21) ******************** MALAYSIA dan Maghribi adalah antara negara paling tinggi kadar kemalangan jalan raya manakala yang terendah adalah Norway dan Malta. **************** Di Malaysia, pihak berkuasa dikatakan sudah buntu menangani masalah ini kerana pada setiap kali operasi keselamatan jalan raya pada musim perayaan, jumlah kemalangan dan kematian terus meningkat. **************** Pelbagai faktor dikaitkan dengan peningkatan kemalangan jalan raya; pada tulisan kali ini saya mengajak pembaca yang pihak berkuasa berfikir di luar kotak; memuhasabah akan kebarakahan dan keselamatan serta jaminan Allah ketika berada di jalan raya terutama lebuh raya. Sebagai pengguna lebuh raya yang hampir saban hari menaiki bas ekspres (tidak memandu sendiri), saya berpeluang memandang bebas panorama keindahan alam termasuklah iklan-iklan gergasi (billboard) di sepanjang lebuh raya. ********************8 Daripada banyak-banyak iklan barangan dan perkhidmatan dipaparkan di 'billboard' berkenaan, sebahagiannya mempamerkan gambar-gambar gergasi wanita yang ada daripadanya dalam aksi tidak senonoh, misalnya ada iklan seorang wanita muda lagi cantik sedang memeluk sebatang kayu bulat yang besar. ************************ Ada pula wanita yang sedang melompat, bajunya terangkat sehingga menampakkan pusatnya, ada gambar wanita sedang sedap tidur di atas tilam katilnya dan paling dahsyat (pada pendapat saya), gambar wanita berpakaian seksi yang memfokuskan tepian bahagian sensitif tubuh (juga sentitif pada pandangan mata lelaki) seperti ketiaknya. Iklan 'Italia Series' ini bukan satu tetapi saya sedari ada beberapa buah sepanjang lebih 100 kilometer perjalanan saya itu. *********************** Terpandang iklan-iklan ini, saya 'tertunduk malu', terasa sebal di muka; inikah gambaran luaran (yang dapat dilihat secara fizikal termasuk oleh pelancong asing) sebuah negara Islam yang sering diuar-uarkan itu? Saya pernah berjumpa seorang pelancong dari Afrika Selatan yang berkata dia datang ke Malaysia semata-mata untuk menyaksikan dan mengalami sendiri 'kesyahduan' Islam di sini; jadi apa katanya jika terpandang iklan gergasi wanita menunjukkan ketiak? *********************** Berdasarkan pengalaman saya, iklan-iklan provokatif seperti ini tidak saya temui ketika berada di lebuh raya negara maju seperti Britain; mungkin mereka sedar kehadiran 'awek-awek yang menunjukkan ketiak' ini adalah bahaya kepada keselamatan pengguna lebuh raya. ************************ Pihak berkuasa manakah yang bertanggungjawab ke atas iklan-iklan gergasi ini? Sebagai pengguna lebuh raya yang terpaksa 'mengorek' wang bagi membayar tol (dalam dalam kes bas ekspres, membayar tambang), saya berpendapat saya berhak untuk menyatakan bantahan terhadap pengeksploitasi tubuh wanita di tepi lebuh raya ini. ******************** Saya tidak rela mata saya dibiarkan untuk menatap ketiak wanita ketika saya menggunakan lebuh raya. Saya bayar tol untuk mendapatkan perkhidmatan lebuh raya yang bagus dan bukan untuk melihat ketiak atau pusat wanita! ********************* Mungkinkah kemalangan terus meningkat kerana cara hidup jahiliah kita yang mengundang kemarahan Allah SWT? Mana adalah barakahnya kehidupan dan jaminan keselamatan jika ketiak dan pusat wanita sudah dipamerkan di sepanjang lebuh raya!

The ‘durian’ lesson

********************** In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. ************************ Reflection ********************** Surah 114 ******************* An-Nas, the second of the two cries for refuge and protection, takes its name from a recurring word which marks the rhythm in the Arabic. In this case protection is sought especially from the evil in a man's own heart in the hearts of other men. An early Meccan revelation ****************** MANKIND ****************** Revealed at Mecca ***************** In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. **************************** 1. Say; I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, ************************ 2. The King of mankind, ************************ 3. The God of mankind, ************************* 4. From the evil of the sneaking whisperer, *************************** 5. Who whispereth in the hearts of mankind, ******************************* 6. Of the jinn of mankind. ****************** (The Meaning of the GLORIOUS QUR'AN, The Final Revelation, An Explanaory Translation by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall) ***************** QUESTION: ***************** When I was young; when I could finish off two or three durian fruits in one go, at that time my wallet was thin, my purchasing power was not strong enough so I had to be satisfied by having a small portion of the fruit. ******************* But sad to say when I grew older and my wallet became 'fatter and fatter' each day, I could not eat much of the fruit as I had now developed diabetes, have high blood pressure and my cholesterol level is too high. ******************** Nowadays with the money I have, I can not only buy a fruit or two but baskets of durians, perhaps a lorry tucked with durians but the problem is that I could only sample (have a taste of) the fruit. ********************* So, dear teacher, how could I accept this situation with an open and contented heart, not blaming Allah SWT for the 'misfortune' that had befallen to me? In short how am I to lead a happy, contented and meaningful life? ****************** ANSWER: *************** If you wish to buy a basket or two baskets of durians, please do so. But as you could not consume it, what about donating all the fruits (accept one for you to sample) to those who can eat them for example to pupils of a 'tahfiz' (school for remembering the Qur'an) or to a group of children in your neighborhood; they would gladly finish them off in a few minutes…! ****************** The above question was posed by me to a ‘tok guru’ (religious teacher) during a question and answer session after the ‘tok guru’ had given a ‘kuliah subuh’ (post dawn prayer class) on the topic of ‘Allah’s Blessing’ in a masjid not far from my home recently. The answer pierced deep inside my heart...ooh, what an easy solution to my problem. If you could not eat or consume something, give them to those who could...! ******************* The ‘tok guru’ continued: “To attain calmness in life one has to do the ‘dhikr’ (remembrance of Allah SWT at all times). Allah, the Exalted, is remembered in all kinds of ways, whether in our hearts, verbally, during prayer, by reading the Qur’an, by discussing Islamic issues or by reading different kinds of Islamic books. ***************** “You should ‘basahkan lidah’ (wet your tongue) with words of praise, glorification, affirmations and supplication to Allah SWT such as ‘alhamdulillah’, ‘subhanallah’, ‘allahuakbar’, la ilaha illalla and so on. ‘Dhikr’ will give you calmness; you would accept whatever Allah SWT has given to you; your heart should be tamed in acknowledging that Allah SWT knows what are the best things for you.” ********************** At home, while lying on my bed, I kept on thinking what the ‘tok guru’ has said – accept and be pleased whatever Allah SWT has set upon us and in my case – of not having enough money to buy ‘good food’ such as the durian fruits that I had mentioned when I was young and could consume a large amount of it and at a later age, I had the money but was restricted to taking only a little of the fruits as I had developed some serious illnesses. *********************** So what is the moral of my case? As I lie down on my bed, I realized how vulnerable, weak and small we human beings are; we are at the mercy of Allah SWT, even though I had the money (and power) to buy large quantities of durians, I was only able to sniff and have a little taste of the fruit. ****************************** Had I not learned a lesson here – money and power could not buy everything. Perhaps you too could buy trucks of durians because you are rich, but you too could only eat a little of it. If you try to ‘beat the advise’, remember there were cases people die after consuming too many durians. *************************** The same could be said about love – power and money could not buy love. Great kings and princesses could have beautiful women and girls as their consorts but to have their love, it was a different story. ********************* Sickness is one form of warning from Allah SWT that one has to constantly remember that his days in this world are coming to the end. The same could be said about a person whose hair starts becoming white by each day. Allah SWT gives us ample time to repent but most of us waste that golden opportunity. ******************* The warning from Allah SWT should be appreciated, because it means Allah SWT loves us; if not we would be like the Pharaoh at the time of Nabi Musa (Moses) who was said did not once fall sick during his lifetime of about 500 years. ******************* The same could be said those who Allah SWT blessed with loads of treasures; an example given in the Qur’an is that of Qarun; the keys to his treasures were loaded on camels of a caravan; he was so rich but his wealth could not help him; he was destroyed by Allah SWT. ********************* Regarding richness and power; it was reported that, as the great Caliph Harun Ar-Rashid was taking his final breaths, he selected a shroud and, staring at it, recited the Qur’an verse 69: 28,29, with the meaning: “My wealth has not availed me. My power and arguments (to defend myself) have gone from me!” ******************** The ‘tok guru’ also advised congregators at the ‘masjid’ to broaden their knowledge because a person who has some knowledge about the reality of life, his attitude about life, and its goals and ambitions will be different and so will be the ways of fulfilling his desires. He will found himself bond to adopt only the fair and legal ways even if they are bestowed with money and power! ******************* Knowledge enable its possessors to distinguish right from wrong; it lights the way to Heaven; it is our friend in the desert, our society in solitude, our companion when friendless; it guides us to happiness; it sustains us in misery; it is an ornament amongst friends, and an armor against enemies. ********************** By often reading the Qur’an one could get closer to Allah SWT and on the road to attain calmness in life for Allah SWT says: “…For without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” (Qur’an 13:28) *********************** If in this world we could not take too much durian (or any other food), do not feel sad; why not from this second, work hard to attain the pleasures promised by Allah SWT in His Book (Qur’an) to those who enter His Paradise. Allah SWT says: “Its shading branches will droop down over them, its ripe fruit hanging ready to be picked.” (Qur’an, 76:14) ********************** Allah SWT also says: “In them are fruits and date-palms and pomegranates.” (Qur’an, 55,68); “And fruits in abundance never failing, unrestricted.” (Qur’an, 56: 32-33) **************** Of course in His Heaven, there is no such thing as diabetic illness, so you could have ‘durians’ as much as you like! So work hard to attain it - donate your baskets or trucks of durian in this world so that you could have your 'durians' in the HereAfter.

Antara bapa popular, bapa bertanggungjawab

*********************** DENGAN Nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang; selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. *********************** Renungan ****************** Rasulullah s.a.w. bersabda, maksudnya: "Jika salah seorang antara kamu minum maka janganlah bernafas di dalam bejana (tempat air minum). Jika kamu ke bilik air maka janganlah menyentuh kemaluan dengan tangan kanan, dan janganlah beristinjak dengan tangan kanan." (HR. Bukhari dan Muslim) ***************** Bagi sebahagian rakyat, Perdana Menteri adalah bagaikan bapa mereka. Sebab itu ada gelaran diberikan kepada mereka seperti Bapa Kemerdekaan dan Bapa Pembangunan. Isu Perdana Menteri popular sekarang ini mendapat perhatian sesetengah pihak jadi pada kesempatan kali ini kita ingin mengajak pembaca memuzakarahkan kedudukan seorang bapa sama ada dia mahu menjadi bapa popular atau bapa bertanggungjawab sekali gus penyayang terhadap anggota keluarganya. ********************* Dalam sesebuah keluarga, bapa bertanggungjawab terhadap isteri dan anak-anaknya. Dia adalah ketua keluarga. Bertanggungjawab terhadap mereka di dunia supaya bahagia di akhirat. Dalam Surah at-Tahrim ayat 6, Allah SWT berfirman yang maksudnya: "Wahai orang-orang yang beriman, selamatkan diri kamu dan anggota keluarga kamu daripada api neraka." Tentunya pada peringkat awal perkahwinan, hanya ada suami dan isteri. Terpulanglah kepada si suami sama ada mahu menjadi popular (disenangi) isteri atau menjadi suami bertanggungjawab sekali gus menyelamatkan isterinya daripada ceburan api nereka. ************************* Seorang suami jika mahu popular atau dalam istilah orang sekarang 'abang begitu supporting' kepada isterinya, berilah kebebasan sepenuhnya kepada isteri. Jika isteri mahu keluar rumah berjumpa temannya tidak kira lelaki atau perempuan, biarkan; usah ditanya ke mana dia pergi. Jika dia keluar rumah tanpa mengenakan pakaian menutup aurat sepenuhnya seperti yang biasa dilakukannya sebelum berkahwin, biarkan. Ini kerana jika si suami cuba menghalang isteri daripada berbuat demikian, dia tidak lagi jadi popular malah ada kalanya menjadi bahan kemarahan. ************************* Kemudian berilah peruntukan (wang) yang besar kepada isteri. Apa isteri nak buat atau belanjakan wang itu biarkan. Jika isteri meminta diberikan cincin emas dan permata yang harganya tidak mampu dibiayai dengan wang gaji, usahakan untuk menjayakannya, hatta sehingga terpaksa makan wang rasuah pun tak apa. Ikutlah semua cakap isteri, pasti dia bertambah popularlah si suami. ************************* Si isteri pasti sentiasa mahu suami berada di sampingnya, jadi tak payahlah si suami pergi solat berjemaah di masjid; tak payahlah hadiri kelas pengajian di masjid; tak payahlah sertai jemaah memperjuangkan Islam apatah lagi berjihad di jalan-Nya. Jika dibuat semua ini pasti si suami akan menjadi popular di hati isterinya. Si isteri pula tak payahlah diminta ke masjid untuk mengikuti kelas pengajian kerana ia akan membuatkan si suami tidak popular. Sebaliknya biarkan si isteri bermalas-malasan menonton filem Hindustan, dari pagi sampai malam. *************************** Apabila sudah beranak pinak, untuk menjadi popular berikan anak wang belanja yang besar, sediakan pelbagai kemudahan kepada mereka. Apa yang anak-anak buat dengan duit itu biarkan kerana dengan itu si bapa akan popular di hati anak-anak. Jika anak-anak tidak menunaikan ibadat seperti solat atau puasa, biarkan kerana dengan menyuruh mereka, si ayah akan mengundang kemarahan mereka dan menjadi tidak popular. Jika anak-anak mula merokok biarkan kerana jika ditegur bapa akan tidak menjadi popular. Bapa tak 'supporting', kata mereka. Jika anak-anak sudah lebih teruk lagi seperti mengambil minuman keras dan main judi, biarkan kerana bapa 'supporting' akan popular di kalangan anak-anak. *************************** Bapa bertanggungjawab yang sentiasa menyeru ke arah kebaikan biasanya tidak popular di kalangan anak-anak. Asyik-asyik ajak sembahyang, kata mereka; tetapi percayalah kesannya tersangat hebat. Apabila seorang anak itu sudah dewasa lebih-lebih lagi jika si bapa sudah meninggal dunia, barulah dia menghargai kesungguhan si bapa termasuk sentiasa teringat bagaimana dia dirotan tatkala tidak solat; sesungguh bapa yang tidak popular itulah yang berjuang bermati-matian menyelamatkannya daripada diceburkan ke dalam api neraka. Jadi yang mana satu pilihan pembaca, seorang bapa (atau PM) yang popular atau bapa yang bekerja kuat bagi kebahagiaan keluarganya bukan saja di dunia bahkan bersambungan di akhirat nanti!